The travelerby king of the abyssChaptersThe roleMeeting a friendNew beginningsThe roleI close the front door after coming home from work, another boring day packing boxes full of games and consoles to be sent out and sold. I head into my kitchen to get a nice cold cola when I spot something that makes me sigh. "Dammit, Mckayla! You left the fridge open again!" I yell at my sister as I look at the now spoiled and curdled produce in the said fridge. "Oh, gods! Sorry, CJ. I didn't mean to!" she tells me as she pokes her head around the kitchen door. I sigh again and empty the spoiled contents but a few things were still okay. "Don't worry about it, I'll just get some more from the store," I reply and tie up the bin bag. "Here, at least let me pay for some of it," she says and pulls out her purse before handing me a forty-dollar bill. "Thanks, while I'm down there do you need anything?" I ask her as I take the bill and pocket it. "Na, I got enough beer to last me the weeks," she replies with a shake of her head. I frown and shake my head back at her. "You need to quit on those, I am getting tired of picking you up from the bar," I tease her and she huffs at me. "HA! I got more chance of being shot before I quit on my mind melters," she retorts and walks off back to the living room to look after our mother. I walk into the living room as well and smile at my mother who smiles back. "So mom, do you need or want anything from the store? I need to restock the fridge thanks to Kay here," I ask her and playfully glare at my sister who sticks her tongue out at me. "Oh just some scoops will be fine," she replies as she adjusts herself in her wheelchair. Her legs are getting worse and I just don't earn enough for the operation she needs, so I try to make her as comfortable as possible. "Alright, I'll be back in a while. Kay, don't touch my stuff alright?" I reply and warn my sister. "Yeah, yeah. Now get going before the store closes," she replies and I chuckle as I grab my keys and phone. I plug my headphones in and select shuffle on my playlist. After a long ten-minute walk I reach the local market and grab a shopping basket, I then head down the aisles to get scoops, milk, mince beef, and some other things and decide to look at the rack of for old game cub as I pass it by. I hear the door open with its usual bing bong sound and look up to see a guy wearing a motorcycle helmet with a mirror-like visor on it so I can't see his face, in his hand is a handgun that he's pointing at the clerk who raises his hands up. "oh...dia" I mumble making the guy point his gun at me. "Get on the floor and don't move!" he yells at me, but before I could comply the clerk pulls out his own pistol and takes a shot at the thug. The shot hits him in the shoulder making him fire his own gun, I feel pain flood my chest as I look down and see a red patch that's growing bigger by the second. My grip weakens and I drop my basket as I cough which sprays a bit of blood onto the floor. I fall to my knees and grip my chest as it gets harder and harder to breathe. More shots go off and the thug manages to get out the door and runs off. I start choking on my own blood as I fall onto my back shivering in pain and panic. "Oh crap, hold on man. Help's on the way..." the clerk tells me in his own panicked state as my vision starts to blur. 'Is this how I die? Not becoming an old man passing in his sleep or from some street brawl? I get shot by some thug! Kay was right... the chances of getting shot to death are higher than one realizes,' I think with a pained chuckle which just ends up choking me more. The clerk puts pressure on my wound making the pain flare up more but I don't think it matters... there's no coming back from this... "I'm so sorry man, this is all my fault," the clerk says sadly, I think he's shaking his head as I can't tell anymore. I then hear the doors open and people rushing inside, but my body feels numb and cold as finally the pain stops, my eyes close and I let out my last gurgled breath. I open my eyes and the first thing I feel is weightlessness. I look down to see I'm transparent grey in color. "The hell?" I mutter in an echoed tone. I then look around and see worlds hovering in the sky with the milky flowing between my feet. "Where the hell am I?" I ask myself. "Good question, this could be considered a form of space, or more commonly known as the space between worlds," a deep two-toned male voice replies to my question from behind me. I try to turn around but I can't seem to do it. "Who's there!?" I call out in slight fear. "A dying soul, one who has an offer for you," he replies and I see what can only be described as a dark blue transparent figure he moves a few meters in front of me. He's a gaint in size easily towering over the planets in this space and has a golden crown on his head, large fang-like teeth, pointed ears, slitted eyes, a bat-like cloak, and a long tail with a spear-like tip on the end. "I have been waiting for a soul like yours to come here, so I have offered for you if you listen," he tells me. "What offer?" I asked cautiously as I look around again but see nothing else. "I offer you my power and a chance to be reborn, but in exchange, you must swear to the oath," he tells me as I notice his legs are starting to dissolve upwards. "And what if I don't want it?" I ask him which makes him chuckle. "Then you move on to paradise, " he replies with a grin. "What I can go to heaven, mama always did I had a kind soul! Though I wonder about this offer so I will hear you out?" I shout out wide-eyed. "But why me!?" I ask him. "I lived for countless eons, seen things you would not believe even exists. Though your world and its souls have the potential to surprise even me. I need a freshly deceased soul to take my power, and your pure soul could change things in reality for the better... I don't have much time, you must make a choice," he tells me with a smile. "So you're saying I could choose to be reborn or go to heaven?" I ask with a puzzled look. He stops laughing and smirks at me. "Correct, you either take my power or go to heaven for all eternity," he replies as his legs are gone from his knees. I look down in thought. 'So I'm dead and some god thing has brought me here with a choice in my afterlife. I either accept his offer or go to paradise...' I look back up and he's now up to his mid-thighs. "Let's say I take this offer and go through with it, what then?" I ask him. "Once you take the oath you must maintain the balance, and watch over the worlds of time but you must never interact with fixes moments," he tells me and holds out his hand. "But here's some advice, you must never enter the land of the dead, or else bad things will happen," he says as his waist starts to vanish. " Now then here is the oath you will watch over the mortal realms. You will defend the world against awful unbalance that could wipe out reality. You must pay close attention to the rifts of the realms, and that the walls between worlds, keep the walls strong. Though if the world becomes unbalanced you must do the star lord's duty do you swear?" I look at this hand and grasp his hand. " I swear upon the oath," I grip his and he grins widely. "Very good, with this pact I, star lord Citlalincue pass my power on to you, you will be sworn to hold to your oath until the end of time," he says and his dark blue color flows down his arm and into me, turning me dark blue while he turns dark grey. My body then becomes solid with my pale white skin again and I'm now wearing a pair of black trousers, a white shirt, and a black Leather trench coat with a mask on my face it v in shape with an orange pattern along the cheeks and the eye hole turn to make my eyes became orange. "The pact has been set, now all left is to give you these," he tells me as he takes his hands and takes the crown of his head, and hands me a book. His body began to crumble away from him he hand the crown to me. " Guard this like your life depends on it, this crown is powerful enough to make all tremble at the mention of its name, powerful enough to destroy all life, and also capable of restoring." I take the crown from him the crown as only his head now remains. " Good luck you will need, for the hard choices ahead of you." With that, his body crumbles into stardust. I look at the crown and the book in my left hand for a minute before placing the crown on my head and the book in my left hand. I feel everything all at once, it was a supernova exploding inside my head. I resist the urge to scream as five jewels appear on top of the crown. Afterward, my eyes become white as I look at myself with relief "I understand now what I must do!" I yelp as I sprout blue bat wings from my back and fly to the nearest planet. I land on the ground seeing a throne in front of me I walk toward I and sit on it and open the book and read aloud. "Now where to begin, chapter one. You are now a star lord in your first stage. Here are three things you know before you start your job. One you will be restricted by the laws of the world you visit. Two in your current state you cannot handle the full power of the crown. Finally, to use your full powers you need to conjure your servants. I look at the page with a confused look. Servants, I have a How do summon them? I turn to the next page and show a picture of three planets in a triangle shape with figure waves and say a spell. I place the book down on my throne armrest and stand up. " Okay let's do it. Almighty Trinity of reality hears my cry, transform thy self from your bonds of time. Envelop the star with your glow, and rise from the grave forever. Unlock yourself so that we may rise and win. Appear before me and serve your master as call your name: solas na réalta." As the spell finished, three planets began to move into a triangle shape as a beam of light connected them. The planet then each shoots a beam of light to form in the middle a portal opens. From the portal, a pair of eyes glow as a gaint claw grips the edge of the portal, and out pops the head of a creature. It jump out of the portal and landed in front as it let out a roar. I take a step as I look a the creature. It appears to be a gaint fifty-meter-tall purple lizard with green spikes going from its head all the way down to its arrowhead tail. It was wearing golden armor with a star symbol on its chest. It looks at me with emotionless eyes it spoke as got down on one knee and bowed its head. " I Spike the dragon knight answer the call of the starlord." The dragon now named Spike spoke with pride as he look at me. I was confused this massive beast is my servant. "what have I got myself, this job might be harder than I thought." I fold my arms as I start thinking of as I try to think of the best way to approach then I remember my oaths. " You said your name was Spike?" " Yes mighty one, but you know my name you formed a contract with me." Spike looks at me with confused "Oh, you see I am the new starlord your former holder has passed to be one with the star." As I said this Spike flinch at this remark and could tell he was sad by this news. " I see lord Citlalincue did say his time was coming. So your who the master chose to be the next starlord, may I have your name? "It's CJ McMahon's pleasure to meet you, Spike," I said with a bow and the dragon immediately let out a roar of laughter. "Did I do something funny?" I said with a question mark forming in the eyes slit on my mask. " Starlord never bows before others, that tells me your kind is so young that your people do not even know what a starlord is. This too rich I didn’t even think it was possible for a race to be that young." Spike said with another roar of laughter as he started getting watery eyes. " I guess my species is young, in terms of our planet's years. So can you stop laughing and explain it to me?"Spike stop laughing and wipe his tear away as he lowered his head to look me in the eye. " You have taken the mantle of the cornerstone to reality itself. CJ you have become the great champion of the trinity of realities. Do you understand this you are the sword and shield, the idol of the strong and the defender of the weak, you have become what most of dream all their life, a hero to all. " said with a serious tone Spike look at me with such depth. "You mean I am a hero" " Not just any hero you have the potential to be the god of all heroes," I look at Spike with a shocked expression I could feel my whole body trembling. I could barely contain myself as I fell to my knee in disbelief. " I can be quite a shock, I remember Citlalincue told me it nearly broke his mind that he was chosen to be a starlord." I get back up to my feet and look up at the sky with a far-off look. "So you say I have taken the role of the hero of heroes?" " Yes you have CJ" With a look of determination, I stare at him with fire on my face. " Well then Spike the dragon knight it's time to get to work" Meeting a friendSpike looks at me for a second before letting another laugh and then slamming his fist into the ground. 'CJ, you should probably should slow down there you are basically a husk with no power right now. You couldn’t even fight an ant in this state." I look at Spike in confusion. " So then how I am suppose to be a starlord that protects the weak if can’t even fight?" " CJ warriors are not born then are made and right now you are a newborn. It going to take a lot of work and patience to get you ready to be the ruler of heroes. For now, you must take your first steps. So for now you must first summon your monsters." I look at Spike with a questionable look on my face. " Monsters, I thought I was the king of heroes why would I summon monsters instead of slaying them?" Spike looks at me with dread all over as he smacks his forehead and signs. "By the stars how young and underdeveloped is your race? I got my work cut for me with this one." Spike pick me up with his hand as he stood up and brought me to his face. " Listen to me very carefully your monsters are your greatest weapons and something you must treasure above all else for they are your power. Then serve star lords since the beginning then well be the greatest friends you will ever have do you understand." I felt a burn on my head as I felt the crown pulse on my head. I heard a voice in my head telling me to listen to Spike. " I understand so how does this work? Do I need to do a dance or a spell?" Spike shakes his head " No to summon them you must think in your mind eyes what then look. Starlords choose their monsters, If your thoughts reach them then well come and serve." " Okay, then that sounds easy enough." I sit down in meditating state as visualize what my monster looks like. I start to see an image forming as start focusing on that creature. As the image became clear a spell seal formed at spike feet, and an egg appear out of the seal. The egg starts to crack as claws came out, then the egg burst. The creatures appear 15 meters tall in size it was four-head hydras with wings attached to their back. Each of its heads with different and vibrant one head was made of water, another was made of rock with lava in its cracks, one was entirely made of bone with horns the last was made of wood with a green patch all over its neck. Its arms were blue-scaled with three claws blood red. It let a roar, and its four heads stared at me with hate. " Interesting you summon him for your first. It will make a fine warrior once you get him under control." " HUH what do you mean, that thing is a giant, I thought then would be my size I can't control that thing!" " Oh, If you think that is big, in terms of the size that is a baby compared to the other." " You can't be serious!" " Deadly and now time to start go get him champ." Spike then closes his fist and throws me at the hydra. I open my wings to stop my fall, I look up at the hydra it let a roar start blasting me with its water head. I roll out of the way as the water left a hole where I was. It then blasts me with its fire head as a twister made of lava shoots my way. I block with wings and feel the searing pain of the lava. Letting out a roar of angry the hydra then blast with two remaining heads. A twister of bones and leaves is shot at me as get pushed back until it finally gets through my wings and hits my chest. I am sent flying backward into the side of the mountain. I pick myself back up and start to think. " Great each head has different elements to it and it looks like playing defense won’t work. From that attack, it seems this thing has an anger problem it must be a prideful beast. So it must see me as a weakling so it wants to kill me quickly. Maybe I can use that. I don't have much to fight with besides my fists and judging by how my body I can't another direct hit. So I will use what movies and grandpa taught me if your opponent is stronger make them fight themselves." I unfold my wings as I charge toward the hydra. It shot at me with its four heads, I weave my way through the blasts and one graze me arm. I rear back my fist as I get ready to hit the wood head, as I hit the forehead a shockwave from my punch is sent through the head making it rattle. The other three heads turn toward launching themselves at me with their mouths open ready to bite me. I dodge out of the way with a quick side step as the other head bites down on the wood head neck. Making them wood heads cry out in pain. Leading the other letting out a roar of pain as they let go of the neck. " Hmm, it appears they share a nervous system, similar to melded twins. So then all feel the same amount of pain. Okay, then time to make them madder. Hey, you overgrown scale purse!" I shout at the creature, the hydra looks like a blood vein pop as it roars at me before bearing its claws and lunging at me. I sidestep out of the way, I began to rapidly punch the claws as time seem to slow down. After unleashing a rush of punches the hydra let a roar of pain as cracks appear all over its hand. " I see it bigger and stronger, but it still can only take so much before it hides gives. Now that I know that it needs to go after the wound it did to itself. I take to the air as I fly toward the wood head, the other head begins unleashing a breath attack as fly around the blasts. I reach the wood head a visible wound leaking green blood around the base of the neck. I rocket toward the wound, but the hydra-heads do not allow me to get close. As the bonehead got in front as it smack me away with a head butt. I spin a bit before a regain my bearing, I straighten myself as I let a sign. '' Guess it not going to be that easy, its instincts are sharp, guarding its weak spot." I grin with joyed. "Now I what this guy on my team even more. Though it going to be hard getting past its blind spots when got eight eyes looking at me. Though if I learn anything from my time as a fighter if your opponents have muilpty sights, over-tax them." I spread my wing as I starting flying in circle around the heads as then track me with there heads trying to bite me. I pick up speed making hard for them to follow. Eventually then get dizzy as pick more and more speed. Taking my chance I rocket toward there chest. Out of no where I feel the crown burning and I start hearing a voice. " Use this power CJ McMahon," suddenly I feel a power in me as my fist is guide toward the hydra and an image of attack flash in my head. "Take this dragon fist!" I Reels back my clenched fist back before hitting the hydra, smashing straight through it torso. As it makes contact, the energy of the attack is amplified, triggering an explosion, in the form of a golden, shining dragon. The resulting collision leave a gaping hole in their chest. The hydra roar in pain as sparks of engery starting crackling around the wound. Cracks began forming all over the hydra body as it body turn to sand and fall into a pile. I let out a sign of relief before, I feel a shocking pain run throughout my body. My muscle stating twisting and veins popping all over my body as I fall to the ground. I roll on the ground as I groan in pain, I hear spike approaching I lift my head. "Wow this really going to be a long run." Spike said has he let out sign as shake his head from side to side " Hey I just a punch a hydra with a golden dragon, what more do you want." I said groan as try to stand but fail. " You barely slow him down look he already reforming." Spike pointing to the sand pile. To my amazement and terror, the sand particles starting moving. And slowly, then seem to be reform into a solid being. A pair of claws came out from the cluster and stretching out into arms. As then push against the ground four head came from the cluster and the rest of the body with them. The hydra open it eyes as it stared down at me before letting out a roar of angry. It bear it right claws as get ready to strike me. I try to move but my body was screaming at me and I fell back on the ground I close my eyes waiting for the strike but it never came. " That enough Annuz, your form was broken." I look up to see Spike was holding the hydra claw a few away from my body. The hydra turn to face Spike with a look of pure hate " Don't you dare stop me Spike, I refuse to accept this mortal as my master, It just insanity! " Said the now name Annuz as the heads talk together, then look back toward me with disgust. " Look at this mortal, he barely moving after using a tiny fraction of the star power, this has to be a mistake. There no way the lord would choose this worm as the next star lord, it just wrong!" Said Annuz " There is no mistake Annuz, so just drop, you know the rules." said Spike Annuz turn to Spike with a look of surprise on their faces. Before retracting their claw away from me. "Fine you can live for now mortal." Said Annuz with a begrudge tone. Spike walk toward me and pick me up in his claw and bring me to face. " Let get you fix up Cj, doing a star move when you are larve state was something I did not expect you to do." Said Spike as he brought one his claw finger and poke with my chest. It start to emit a blue light and feel the pain start to leave me. "Star move what that?" I ask in puzzle tone. Spike look at me with grin. " A star move it one reason why you are the king of hero. A star move think of as using a move from one of your followers. After all a king is nothing without his people." " So that move I just use was someone else." I said, spike nod " Yes, but many time more powerful. I have to say impress using a star move that strong but your lucky boy." said Spike " Why?" I ask " Because you use it in your in-training state. Your lucky body was able to handle all that power, if it did not you would died." Said spike in a dark tone. I let a gasp as I look over myself and see crack forming all over my body. " Am I going to break in a million pieces" ,I said with fear in my voice. " Don't worry I am stabilize your body, all you need to do is absorb the stars power to fully heal yourself" said Spike as he withdrew his claw as stand up in his hand. " Ok so how do that?" I said "You already are, think of as a healing factor, your body does it naturally." Said spike as I look over my body slowly healing it cracks. "Now then you have complete, the first step now onto the next one" said spike as he spread wings and start to hover. " Come on Annuz enough, you lost you know what that mean, it time he meet Twilight. Annuz turn to Spike and begrudgingly spread his wing and flew toward us. " Sometime Spike I wish I could kill you", said Annuz as soar higher toward to one of the planet in the sky. Spike simply shock his head with a smile. " That guy sometime he just too much", said Spike as flap wing as we soar to the violet planet as I hold on to one Spike. " So Spike where are we going," I said " We going to see the pervious starlord other monster or friend as he called us." said Spike as he pick up speed. "Other you mean there are more," I said " Yes there are but only me, Annuz and Twilight were summon by lord Citlalincue," said Spike. I look at Spike with suspicion look. " If that true where are the other that were summon by other starlords" I said. Spike sign and shook his head " Then are not here anymore, after their duties are done we all return to our home worlds. You see a monsters is tied to their starlord but once the torch is pass to the next one, we simply faded out of this reality back to our own" said Spike " I see so what this Twilight person like, if don't you mind me asking." I said " You well be surprise but, let just say she love making new friends." I took a step back to process what he was saying New beginningsI was being held in Spike claw as we flew to the purple planet in the sky. As we draw closer to the planet, I start to feel a wave of pain wash over and grab my side in agony. Spike looks at me with sympathy and says in a lone tone. " It seems your body adapting at a much slower rate than I thought. Don't worry it is only temporary your mind will learn to adapt to your new nervous system. Twilight will explain better once we get to the tree house." said Spike as we touched down on the planet with the hydra landing next to Spike. Annza glared at me but I was in too much pain to notice him. " Hmm, I bet he dies in the first reality that we go too. This worm is not worth our time, you should have let me kill him Spike," Said Anza with disgust in his tone. " Annza let's not sell him short just yet, if Twilight deems him weak I let you have him," said Spike with a sarcastic tone as he glanced sideways toward Annza. Annza let a snarl but let a puff of smoke from each of his heads. " Fine he gets one chance, but if he fails don’t expect me to stop if you ask next time Spike. Do I make myself clear dragon lord," said Annza in a threatening tone as all his eyes turned red. " I understand King of the Hydra, Let go to the tree house before twilight enters her sleep," said Spike starting to walk to a nearby mountain. Annza rolled his eyes as he followed behind Spike Looking around, I could see that there didn’t appear to be neighbors the nearest house was a good hundred yards away. The house appears to be a stocky hollowed-out tree with a beehive hanging from a branch, and a candlestick sign on the front door. A sign of an open book outside the door, and two balconies, one of which has a telescope. There appears to be some type of firebird perch on the rail of one of the balconies looking out at the horizon. It turned its head toward us spread its wings and flew into an open window. I paid it no mind, on the other hand, I groaned slightly when the pain returned to my sides. Spike look at me with worry." It seems your body is more out of sorts then I thought, we need Twilight to perform the rite now." Spike put me down on the ground before shifting his size too being about my size. Annz groaned as he also began to shrink down to my size. Picking me up bridal style Spike carried me to the door. Before he had a chance to knock the door was swung open. The figure standing in the doorframe is a lavender pony with light purple fur and a navy blue-colored mane and tail, stylized with rim cuts, and also has two lighter-purple and pink stripes running down both. She also has purple irises prominent eyelashes a moderately sized horn. It appears she has wings on her back. She wearing a black bodysuit with puffy sleeves and a braided skirt decorated with medallions and a large braided bow on the back the sides of her legs feature slits with floral designs. She also wearing light purple gloves decorated with golden roots, flowers, and a crescent moon on the front of the gloves. Finally, she wearing a witch-style hat with a purple five-point star on it. " So it is finally time for ritual, It is ready for him." Said the pony in a monotone voice " Twilight has an open mind this is what he wants." Said Spike in a worried tone " I don't I think will let just get this over with. I need to go to sleep soon," said Twilight in a cold tone Spike signed as he took me inside the tree and Annaz followed behind him. The inside of the tree looks like a library with shelves of books all along the wall and two doors one appears to lead to a kitchen the other leading to the upstairs. In the center of the room was a spell seal in the shape of a star. Spike placed me in the center of its spell seal. Just as put down my body began to contract my limbs began to twist and my eyes moved in a different direction, I felt a pounding in my head. I grit the pain through my teeth but it just got. Twilight looked at me with a blank stare. The bird from earlier flew down with a book in its peak it landed on Twilight and handed her the book. The book was enveloped in a purple aura as the book opened it began to rapidly turn to pages until landing one. "Stand at your positions," said Twilight All three of them formed a triangle outside the circle and sat down putting their claws and hooves together in a prayer gesture. " Now let's begin and see if his mind can handle it," said Twilight as she closed her eyes as she chanted words in a language I didn’t. She then plants her hoofs on the seal and the others follow suit by performing similar actions. The seal began to glow as I felt my body being lifted into the air. " I feel something it's like power flowing into me, I feel like I am getting stronger, what are doing to me," I said in a happy tone " Be quiet if we lose focus your body will be torn to pieces" Twilight said in an annoyed tone. The spell continued as a portal began to form above me. I feel myself being pulled into it, on the other side I see nothing but black minus a blue star in the middle. I hear a voice whisper in my head " Come to me and see it all", the voice said My body moves by itself toward the blue star. I feel a sense of relief wash over me as I touch the blue star, it is like a mother holding her children in her arms. Something fell was of my body it began to crumble I started to freak out. " What is happening to me, no one told me this," I say in a panic tone My body is blown into space. I shatter and my body mobility as it sucks into a pulsing wormhole. I am blinded by a spiral of colors as I approach a fire. " You think you know reality CJ, but you could not be more wrong. Your reality is one of an infinite number in the vast thing you know as life. At the root of all is the prime root where chaos and order meet, in this realm thought shapes reality. " I hear the voice from before in my head. In a spiral tunnel, thousands of hands reach out. I find my hands sprouting from my fingertips and then my hands sprout from those fingertips. I am enveloped by grasping hands, I then plunged into my eyeball and fall toward dazzling lights. I float amongst abstract crystals as see worlds in the reflection. " There are worlds upon worlds in these branches you see as reality. Some are benevolent and life-giving. Others are filled with death and hunger." I crash one of the reflections into a colorful Jemison. Serval plants hung by hooks in the distance. " Dark realm where powers and beings older than time call home. These beings are evil incarcerations, natural disasters that hate all life and will stop at nothing to destroy it all." I fly through a mouth of shadowy gaint. I float through space my body lump before galaxies that are color green, lavender, and orange. " Who are you in this vast multiverse, Mr. McMahon?" the voice echoes all around me The space around me seems to bend then spinning wildly as it bends me into a dizzy spell. I am thrown back into a spiraling portal as I fall back onto the treehouse floors landing in the hump. " Hmm, it seems you survived the trip how great", Twilight said in a sarcastic tone. I slowly rise to my knee looking at my quivering hand. I look up Twilight as she stands right in front of me. " What just happened" I said with a trembling voice to twilight "You just how small and young your race truly is in the vastness of space and time," said Twilight "It's a lot to take I know, it took me a while to make sense of it the first time I saw it," said Spike " No matter Spike show him to the bedroom, I going to sleep," said Twilight as she walks up stair. " Alright sleep well Twilight, I am going back to cloud. Spike you heard her you are on duty tonight so show this ant his bedroom." Annzu says then he turns his head to me. "You lucky this time mortal, but make no mistake I will kill you the moment you show weakness remember that," Annuz says as he snaps his talons together and disappears in a flash. I look back at my still trembling hands and I feel shock going through my whole body. I look at Spike with fear in my eyes as my mask opens to show my face. " I don't understand why did that feel like my mind was exploding. I felt like dying and reforming over and over again." I said to Spike Spike gets down on one knee and puts his hand on my shoulder. " I know it can be rough but, I can’t tell you what that was. Though I can tell you this, that is what you must protect as a starlord. You protect the life and make sure the balance is maintained. "You expect to protect all life how?" " Don't know, he never talks about the how, all we know is every star lord must protect life no matter the cost. You will know when the time is right." " That seems very shady and vague like something you see on Reddit." " I don't what this Reddit is but, you have already taken the oath so you don't have a choice." " Okay I will drop it for now, so where do I sleep." " Oh you sleep downstair follow me, I will show you to the room." I get onto my feet and my mask close as I stand up. I follow behind Spike as we head downstair. I look around and see four doors in this room along with what appears to be a trophy case. Spike shakes his head at the case and walks beside me. "To the left is the treasury where are lord kept his prizes and honors from the many worlds he visited. The second door leads to a bedchamber, the third door leads to his kitchen and the last door is where he keeps his... books," Spike tells me and gazes at the fourth door. I walk over to it and open the door to see what looks like a personal study of many books and scrolls of different kinds. I see a desk with a journal and pen next to it. A sword was hung on the wall next to the desk. The sword is a golden medium-length Greek one-handed double-edged sword. I gazed at it as a thought came into mine. " Why do feel like I have used this blade before." I tell Spike getting a wide-eyed shocked expression. He pushed me out of the room and closed the door behind me. "CJ under no circumstances are you to ever touch or mention that blade around Twilight or Annuz! That blade has a history behind it that would make them want to not just kill but erase you," said Spike with a low growl "Ok ok, I will forget about it for now, Spike. Anything else?" I ask. " Now we start your training if I want to leave this place and not get killed we need to get you to champion level. For that, I'll start your build so you go to the first world. So I think we'll be here for days as we get strong enough to face our enemy and forces," Spike replied as he stared at the trophy case. " Our enemy and what forces?" I ask confused. "Yes ours, I don't know if you are ready to hear the answer but you must learn different world politics, traditions, or anything for that matter. I will you to help me understand everything I can about your future," He replied picking up a crude-looking coin that appeared to be just a piece of blank dark purple metal that I had no idea what it was. "Looks rather plain for a coin..." I comment getting Spike to look at me. " This coin is made from stardust, a metal only found in the here in this tree house where it grows on the branch and each coin weighs exactly ten grams," he replies as he puts on a ring with a small red gem on it. "Metal... that grows?" I ask him with an unbelieving look. "Of course, stardust grows due to the high concentration of star matter on this planet. Twilight figured out a way to gather into clusters and solidify into this metal," he explains. "Right, well then. I don't get starting notes taken so I can better understand this place," I say and to the kitchen. Me and Spike sit down at a table in the kitchen. "So I am getting the vibe that your friends hate me. The hydra wants to kill me and the unicorn loath me judging by the look in her eyes." " Annuz I was expecting he is a proud warrior and hates mortals. Twilight on the other hand is a different story. In all honesty, I don't if she will ever like you, I was hoping she wanted to make friends with you. But it seemed she taking lord cut all death much harder than I thought, those two were close but I didn’t think she was shut down like that." Spike let a sign as he gazed back at the ring on his finger. " This ring was his gift to me, he made it for me after I lost someone very dear to me. He said if you keep this close you will always remember her. It must be the same for Twilight she wearing the hat that our lord made for her. She hates it you know, it makes her horn itch she says that seeing her wear it must mean she still holding in her anger. I hope you can understand her anger is not toward you, she must still grieving over his loss" said Spike with a dry chuckle I look down at my hands and think to myself where of seen that look in twilight eyes before? That cold dead eye filled with nothing but hate and sorrow. My mind flashes to the hospital room with a man hooked up to pumps and tubes as surgery is done on him. " I understand better than you because I have the same thing she feels felt more time than I could count," I said with a hollow tone Spike toward me staring into my eyes, with narrow eyes focusing in on me. He gazed at me for a long time before signing and pushing back into his chair. "I see it in your soul those scars you experienced a great loss haven’t. I misspoke early, I see you are not as green as thought. I have to meditate on this well talk more in the morning for now you must rest. Spike says as he stands up and starts walking toward the stairs and closes the door behind him. I sit for a moment thinking about what Spike said but I start to feel tired. I make my way toward the bedroom fall onto the bed and drift off to sleep. Darkness obscures a man's face but I can tell he wearing a blue suit with a ring on his finger in the shape of a skull. "You have proven to me that you may be useful, skull archfiend but you failed to end the line. That old relic managed to find an heir before you killed him. Now there is another wrench that will annoy me and my armies." The man behind the desk says in a venomous tone. The shadow figure sits behind a desk before sitting forward as its eye glows. " Fail me again fiend and your place will be the least of your worries. Because you can easily replace my friend and believe me you don't want to know what happens to those I deem unworthy. Now then I can tell you the new lord will appear in your world very soon so this time don't play around." A shadowy figure stood from behind him and walked toward the window. " Don't make me regret this, because I rarely give a second chance, unlike this star lord." I watch through a doorway as the man turns to face me. " Isn’t that right, little hero? Not time for us to meet quite yet. Run along now and show me if you are worth of my time." The door slammed shut. A wash of light hits my eyes as I flutter them. I open my mask and put my hand on my forehead. I feel cold sweat falling down my face. " Who or what was that? Author's Note This took way longer than It should have but nobody ever said writing was easy. Maybe next time I should just ask my sister for the editing part. Oh well next chapter should come much sooner now that I know what I am doing.
The roleI close the front door after coming home from work, another boring day packing boxes full of games and consoles to be sent out and sold. I head into my kitchen to get a nice cold cola when I spot something that makes me sigh. "Dammit, Mckayla! You left the fridge open again!" I yell at my sister as I look at the now spoiled and curdled produce in the said fridge. "Oh, gods! Sorry, CJ. I didn't mean to!" she tells me as she pokes her head around the kitchen door. I sigh again and empty the spoiled contents but a few things were still okay. "Don't worry about it, I'll just get some more from the store," I reply and tie up the bin bag. "Here, at least let me pay for some of it," she says and pulls out her purse before handing me a forty-dollar bill. "Thanks, while I'm down there do you need anything?" I ask her as I take the bill and pocket it. "Na, I got enough beer to last me the weeks," she replies with a shake of her head. I frown and shake my head back at her. "You need to quit on those, I am getting tired of picking you up from the bar," I tease her and she huffs at me. "HA! I got more chance of being shot before I quit on my mind melters," she retorts and walks off back to the living room to look after our mother. I walk into the living room as well and smile at my mother who smiles back. "So mom, do you need or want anything from the store? I need to restock the fridge thanks to Kay here," I ask her and playfully glare at my sister who sticks her tongue out at me. "Oh just some scoops will be fine," she replies as she adjusts herself in her wheelchair. Her legs are getting worse and I just don't earn enough for the operation she needs, so I try to make her as comfortable as possible. "Alright, I'll be back in a while. Kay, don't touch my stuff alright?" I reply and warn my sister. "Yeah, yeah. Now get going before the store closes," she replies and I chuckle as I grab my keys and phone. I plug my headphones in and select shuffle on my playlist. After a long ten-minute walk I reach the local market and grab a shopping basket, I then head down the aisles to get scoops, milk, mince beef, and some other things and decide to look at the rack of for old game cub as I pass it by. I hear the door open with its usual bing bong sound and look up to see a guy wearing a motorcycle helmet with a mirror-like visor on it so I can't see his face, in his hand is a handgun that he's pointing at the clerk who raises his hands up. "oh...dia" I mumble making the guy point his gun at me. "Get on the floor and don't move!" he yells at me, but before I could comply the clerk pulls out his own pistol and takes a shot at the thug. The shot hits him in the shoulder making him fire his own gun, I feel pain flood my chest as I look down and see a red patch that's growing bigger by the second. My grip weakens and I drop my basket as I cough which sprays a bit of blood onto the floor. I fall to my knees and grip my chest as it gets harder and harder to breathe. More shots go off and the thug manages to get out the door and runs off. I start choking on my own blood as I fall onto my back shivering in pain and panic. "Oh crap, hold on man. Help's on the way..." the clerk tells me in his own panicked state as my vision starts to blur. 'Is this how I die? Not becoming an old man passing in his sleep or from some street brawl? I get shot by some thug! Kay was right... the chances of getting shot to death are higher than one realizes,' I think with a pained chuckle which just ends up choking me more. The clerk puts pressure on my wound making the pain flare up more but I don't think it matters... there's no coming back from this... "I'm so sorry man, this is all my fault," the clerk says sadly, I think he's shaking his head as I can't tell anymore. I then hear the doors open and people rushing inside, but my body feels numb and cold as finally the pain stops, my eyes close and I let out my last gurgled breath. I open my eyes and the first thing I feel is weightlessness. I look down to see I'm transparent grey in color. "The hell?" I mutter in an echoed tone. I then look around and see worlds hovering in the sky with the milky flowing between my feet. "Where the hell am I?" I ask myself. "Good question, this could be considered a form of space, or more commonly known as the space between worlds," a deep two-toned male voice replies to my question from behind me. I try to turn around but I can't seem to do it. "Who's there!?" I call out in slight fear. "A dying soul, one who has an offer for you," he replies and I see what can only be described as a dark blue transparent figure he moves a few meters in front of me. He's a gaint in size easily towering over the planets in this space and has a golden crown on his head, large fang-like teeth, pointed ears, slitted eyes, a bat-like cloak, and a long tail with a spear-like tip on the end. "I have been waiting for a soul like yours to come here, so I have offered for you if you listen," he tells me. "What offer?" I asked cautiously as I look around again but see nothing else. "I offer you my power and a chance to be reborn, but in exchange, you must swear to the oath," he tells me as I notice his legs are starting to dissolve upwards. "And what if I don't want it?" I ask him which makes him chuckle. "Then you move on to paradise, " he replies with a grin. "What I can go to heaven, mama always did I had a kind soul! Though I wonder about this offer so I will hear you out?" I shout out wide-eyed. "But why me!?" I ask him. "I lived for countless eons, seen things you would not believe even exists. Though your world and its souls have the potential to surprise even me. I need a freshly deceased soul to take my power, and your pure soul could change things in reality for the better... I don't have much time, you must make a choice," he tells me with a smile. "So you're saying I could choose to be reborn or go to heaven?" I ask with a puzzled look. He stops laughing and smirks at me. "Correct, you either take my power or go to heaven for all eternity," he replies as his legs are gone from his knees. I look down in thought. 'So I'm dead and some god thing has brought me here with a choice in my afterlife. I either accept his offer or go to paradise...' I look back up and he's now up to his mid-thighs. "Let's say I take this offer and go through with it, what then?" I ask him. "Once you take the oath you must maintain the balance, and watch over the worlds of time but you must never interact with fixes moments," he tells me and holds out his hand. "But here's some advice, you must never enter the land of the dead, or else bad things will happen," he says as his waist starts to vanish. " Now then here is the oath you will watch over the mortal realms. You will defend the world against awful unbalance that could wipe out reality. You must pay close attention to the rifts of the realms, and that the walls between worlds, keep the walls strong. Though if the world becomes unbalanced you must do the star lord's duty do you swear?" I look at this hand and grasp his hand. " I swear upon the oath," I grip his and he grins widely. "Very good, with this pact I, star lord Citlalincue pass my power on to you, you will be sworn to hold to your oath until the end of time," he says and his dark blue color flows down his arm and into me, turning me dark blue while he turns dark grey. My body then becomes solid with my pale white skin again and I'm now wearing a pair of black trousers, a white shirt, and a black Leather trench coat with a mask on my face it v in shape with an orange pattern along the cheeks and the eye hole turn to make my eyes became orange. "The pact has been set, now all left is to give you these," he tells me as he takes his hands and takes the crown of his head, and hands me a book. His body began to crumble away from him he hand the crown to me. " Guard this like your life depends on it, this crown is powerful enough to make all tremble at the mention of its name, powerful enough to destroy all life, and also capable of restoring." I take the crown from him the crown as only his head now remains. " Good luck you will need, for the hard choices ahead of you." With that, his body crumbles into stardust. I look at the crown and the book in my left hand for a minute before placing the crown on my head and the book in my left hand. I feel everything all at once, it was a supernova exploding inside my head. I resist the urge to scream as five jewels appear on top of the crown. Afterward, my eyes become white as I look at myself with relief "I understand now what I must do!" I yelp as I sprout blue bat wings from my back and fly to the nearest planet. I land on the ground seeing a throne in front of me I walk toward I and sit on it and open the book and read aloud. "Now where to begin, chapter one. You are now a star lord in your first stage. Here are three things you know before you start your job. One you will be restricted by the laws of the world you visit. Two in your current state you cannot handle the full power of the crown. Finally, to use your full powers you need to conjure your servants. I look at the page with a confused look. Servants, I have a How do summon them? I turn to the next page and show a picture of three planets in a triangle shape with figure waves and say a spell. I place the book down on my throne armrest and stand up. " Okay let's do it. Almighty Trinity of reality hears my cry, transform thy self from your bonds of time. Envelop the star with your glow, and rise from the grave forever. Unlock yourself so that we may rise and win. Appear before me and serve your master as call your name: solas na réalta." As the spell finished, three planets began to move into a triangle shape as a beam of light connected them. The planet then each shoots a beam of light to form in the middle a portal opens. From the portal, a pair of eyes glow as a gaint claw grips the edge of the portal, and out pops the head of a creature. It jump out of the portal and landed in front as it let out a roar. I take a step as I look a the creature. It appears to be a gaint fifty-meter-tall purple lizard with green spikes going from its head all the way down to its arrowhead tail. It was wearing golden armor with a star symbol on its chest. It looks at me with emotionless eyes it spoke as got down on one knee and bowed its head. " I Spike the dragon knight answer the call of the starlord." The dragon now named Spike spoke with pride as he look at me. I was confused this massive beast is my servant. "what have I got myself, this job might be harder than I thought." I fold my arms as I start thinking of as I try to think of the best way to approach then I remember my oaths. " You said your name was Spike?" " Yes mighty one, but you know my name you formed a contract with me." Spike looks at me with confused "Oh, you see I am the new starlord your former holder has passed to be one with the star." As I said this Spike flinch at this remark and could tell he was sad by this news. " I see lord Citlalincue did say his time was coming. So your who the master chose to be the next starlord, may I have your name? "It's CJ McMahon's pleasure to meet you, Spike," I said with a bow and the dragon immediately let out a roar of laughter. "Did I do something funny?" I said with a question mark forming in the eyes slit on my mask. " Starlord never bows before others, that tells me your kind is so young that your people do not even know what a starlord is. This too rich I didn’t even think it was possible for a race to be that young." Spike said with another roar of laughter as he started getting watery eyes. " I guess my species is young, in terms of our planet's years. So can you stop laughing and explain it to me?"Spike stop laughing and wipe his tear away as he lowered his head to look me in the eye. " You have taken the mantle of the cornerstone to reality itself. CJ you have become the great champion of the trinity of realities. Do you understand this you are the sword and shield, the idol of the strong and the defender of the weak, you have become what most of dream all their life, a hero to all. " said with a serious tone Spike look at me with such depth. "You mean I am a hero" " Not just any hero you have the potential to be the god of all heroes," I look at Spike with a shocked expression I could feel my whole body trembling. I could barely contain myself as I fell to my knee in disbelief. " I can be quite a shock, I remember Citlalincue told me it nearly broke his mind that he was chosen to be a starlord." I get back up to my feet and look up at the sky with a far-off look. "So you say I have taken the role of the hero of heroes?" " Yes you have CJ" With a look of determination, I stare at him with fire on my face. " Well then Spike the dragon knight it's time to get to work"
Meeting a friendSpike looks at me for a second before letting another laugh and then slamming his fist into the ground. 'CJ, you should probably should slow down there you are basically a husk with no power right now. You couldn’t even fight an ant in this state." I look at Spike in confusion. " So then how I am suppose to be a starlord that protects the weak if can’t even fight?" " CJ warriors are not born then are made and right now you are a newborn. It going to take a lot of work and patience to get you ready to be the ruler of heroes. For now, you must take your first steps. So for now you must first summon your monsters." I look at Spike with a questionable look on my face. " Monsters, I thought I was the king of heroes why would I summon monsters instead of slaying them?" Spike looks at me with dread all over as he smacks his forehead and signs. "By the stars how young and underdeveloped is your race? I got my work cut for me with this one." Spike pick me up with his hand as he stood up and brought me to his face. " Listen to me very carefully your monsters are your greatest weapons and something you must treasure above all else for they are your power. Then serve star lords since the beginning then well be the greatest friends you will ever have do you understand." I felt a burn on my head as I felt the crown pulse on my head. I heard a voice in my head telling me to listen to Spike. " I understand so how does this work? Do I need to do a dance or a spell?" Spike shakes his head " No to summon them you must think in your mind eyes what then look. Starlords choose their monsters, If your thoughts reach them then well come and serve." " Okay, then that sounds easy enough." I sit down in meditating state as visualize what my monster looks like. I start to see an image forming as start focusing on that creature. As the image became clear a spell seal formed at spike feet, and an egg appear out of the seal. The egg starts to crack as claws came out, then the egg burst. The creatures appear 15 meters tall in size it was four-head hydras with wings attached to their back. Each of its heads with different and vibrant one head was made of water, another was made of rock with lava in its cracks, one was entirely made of bone with horns the last was made of wood with a green patch all over its neck. Its arms were blue-scaled with three claws blood red. It let a roar, and its four heads stared at me with hate. " Interesting you summon him for your first. It will make a fine warrior once you get him under control." " HUH what do you mean, that thing is a giant, I thought then would be my size I can't control that thing!" " Oh, If you think that is big, in terms of the size that is a baby compared to the other." " You can't be serious!" " Deadly and now time to start go get him champ." Spike then closes his fist and throws me at the hydra. I open my wings to stop my fall, I look up at the hydra it let a roar start blasting me with its water head. I roll out of the way as the water left a hole where I was. It then blasts me with its fire head as a twister made of lava shoots my way. I block with wings and feel the searing pain of the lava. Letting out a roar of angry the hydra then blast with two remaining heads. A twister of bones and leaves is shot at me as get pushed back until it finally gets through my wings and hits my chest. I am sent flying backward into the side of the mountain. I pick myself back up and start to think. " Great each head has different elements to it and it looks like playing defense won’t work. From that attack, it seems this thing has an anger problem it must be a prideful beast. So it must see me as a weakling so it wants to kill me quickly. Maybe I can use that. I don't have much to fight with besides my fists and judging by how my body I can't another direct hit. So I will use what movies and grandpa taught me if your opponent is stronger make them fight themselves." I unfold my wings as I charge toward the hydra. It shot at me with its four heads, I weave my way through the blasts and one graze me arm. I rear back my fist as I get ready to hit the wood head, as I hit the forehead a shockwave from my punch is sent through the head making it rattle. The other three heads turn toward launching themselves at me with their mouths open ready to bite me. I dodge out of the way with a quick side step as the other head bites down on the wood head neck. Making them wood heads cry out in pain. Leading the other letting out a roar of pain as they let go of the neck. " Hmm, it appears they share a nervous system, similar to melded twins. So then all feel the same amount of pain. Okay, then time to make them madder. Hey, you overgrown scale purse!" I shout at the creature, the hydra looks like a blood vein pop as it roars at me before bearing its claws and lunging at me. I sidestep out of the way, I began to rapidly punch the claws as time seem to slow down. After unleashing a rush of punches the hydra let a roar of pain as cracks appear all over its hand. " I see it bigger and stronger, but it still can only take so much before it hides gives. Now that I know that it needs to go after the wound it did to itself. I take to the air as I fly toward the wood head, the other head begins unleashing a breath attack as fly around the blasts. I reach the wood head a visible wound leaking green blood around the base of the neck. I rocket toward the wound, but the hydra-heads do not allow me to get close. As the bonehead got in front as it smack me away with a head butt. I spin a bit before a regain my bearing, I straighten myself as I let a sign. '' Guess it not going to be that easy, its instincts are sharp, guarding its weak spot." I grin with joyed. "Now I what this guy on my team even more. Though it going to be hard getting past its blind spots when got eight eyes looking at me. Though if I learn anything from my time as a fighter if your opponents have muilpty sights, over-tax them." I spread my wing as I starting flying in circle around the heads as then track me with there heads trying to bite me. I pick up speed making hard for them to follow. Eventually then get dizzy as pick more and more speed. Taking my chance I rocket toward there chest. Out of no where I feel the crown burning and I start hearing a voice. " Use this power CJ McMahon," suddenly I feel a power in me as my fist is guide toward the hydra and an image of attack flash in my head. "Take this dragon fist!" I Reels back my clenched fist back before hitting the hydra, smashing straight through it torso. As it makes contact, the energy of the attack is amplified, triggering an explosion, in the form of a golden, shining dragon. The resulting collision leave a gaping hole in their chest. The hydra roar in pain as sparks of engery starting crackling around the wound. Cracks began forming all over the hydra body as it body turn to sand and fall into a pile. I let out a sign of relief before, I feel a shocking pain run throughout my body. My muscle stating twisting and veins popping all over my body as I fall to the ground. I roll on the ground as I groan in pain, I hear spike approaching I lift my head. "Wow this really going to be a long run." Spike said has he let out sign as shake his head from side to side " Hey I just a punch a hydra with a golden dragon, what more do you want." I said groan as try to stand but fail. " You barely slow him down look he already reforming." Spike pointing to the sand pile. To my amazement and terror, the sand particles starting moving. And slowly, then seem to be reform into a solid being. A pair of claws came out from the cluster and stretching out into arms. As then push against the ground four head came from the cluster and the rest of the body with them. The hydra open it eyes as it stared down at me before letting out a roar of angry. It bear it right claws as get ready to strike me. I try to move but my body was screaming at me and I fell back on the ground I close my eyes waiting for the strike but it never came. " That enough Annuz, your form was broken." I look up to see Spike was holding the hydra claw a few away from my body. The hydra turn to face Spike with a look of pure hate " Don't you dare stop me Spike, I refuse to accept this mortal as my master, It just insanity! " Said the now name Annuz as the heads talk together, then look back toward me with disgust. " Look at this mortal, he barely moving after using a tiny fraction of the star power, this has to be a mistake. There no way the lord would choose this worm as the next star lord, it just wrong!" Said Annuz " There is no mistake Annuz, so just drop, you know the rules." said Spike Annuz turn to Spike with a look of surprise on their faces. Before retracting their claw away from me. "Fine you can live for now mortal." Said Annuz with a begrudge tone. Spike walk toward me and pick me up in his claw and bring me to face. " Let get you fix up Cj, doing a star move when you are larve state was something I did not expect you to do." Said Spike as he brought one his claw finger and poke with my chest. It start to emit a blue light and feel the pain start to leave me. "Star move what that?" I ask in puzzle tone. Spike look at me with grin. " A star move it one reason why you are the king of hero. A star move think of as using a move from one of your followers. After all a king is nothing without his people." " So that move I just use was someone else." I said, spike nod " Yes, but many time more powerful. I have to say impress using a star move that strong but your lucky boy." said Spike " Why?" I ask " Because you use it in your in-training state. Your lucky body was able to handle all that power, if it did not you would died." Said spike in a dark tone. I let a gasp as I look over myself and see crack forming all over my body. " Am I going to break in a million pieces" ,I said with fear in my voice. " Don't worry I am stabilize your body, all you need to do is absorb the stars power to fully heal yourself" said Spike as he withdrew his claw as stand up in his hand. " Ok so how do that?" I said "You already are, think of as a healing factor, your body does it naturally." Said spike as I look over my body slowly healing it cracks. "Now then you have complete, the first step now onto the next one" said spike as he spread wings and start to hover. " Come on Annuz enough, you lost you know what that mean, it time he meet Twilight. Annuz turn to Spike and begrudgingly spread his wing and flew toward us. " Sometime Spike I wish I could kill you", said Annuz as soar higher toward to one of the planet in the sky. Spike simply shock his head with a smile. " That guy sometime he just too much", said Spike as flap wing as we soar to the violet planet as I hold on to one Spike. " So Spike where are we going," I said " We going to see the pervious starlord other monster or friend as he called us." said Spike as he pick up speed. "Other you mean there are more," I said " Yes there are but only me, Annuz and Twilight were summon by lord Citlalincue," said Spike. I look at Spike with suspicion look. " If that true where are the other that were summon by other starlords" I said. Spike sign and shook his head " Then are not here anymore, after their duties are done we all return to our home worlds. You see a monsters is tied to their starlord but once the torch is pass to the next one, we simply faded out of this reality back to our own" said Spike " I see so what this Twilight person like, if don't you mind me asking." I said " You well be surprise but, let just say she love making new friends." I took a step back to process what he was saying
New beginningsI was being held in Spike claw as we flew to the purple planet in the sky. As we draw closer to the planet, I start to feel a wave of pain wash over and grab my side in agony. Spike looks at me with sympathy and says in a lone tone. " It seems your body adapting at a much slower rate than I thought. Don't worry it is only temporary your mind will learn to adapt to your new nervous system. Twilight will explain better once we get to the tree house." said Spike as we touched down on the planet with the hydra landing next to Spike. Annza glared at me but I was in too much pain to notice him. " Hmm, I bet he dies in the first reality that we go too. This worm is not worth our time, you should have let me kill him Spike," Said Anza with disgust in his tone. " Annza let's not sell him short just yet, if Twilight deems him weak I let you have him," said Spike with a sarcastic tone as he glanced sideways toward Annza. Annza let a snarl but let a puff of smoke from each of his heads. " Fine he gets one chance, but if he fails don’t expect me to stop if you ask next time Spike. Do I make myself clear dragon lord," said Annza in a threatening tone as all his eyes turned red. " I understand King of the Hydra, Let go to the tree house before twilight enters her sleep," said Spike starting to walk to a nearby mountain. Annza rolled his eyes as he followed behind Spike Looking around, I could see that there didn’t appear to be neighbors the nearest house was a good hundred yards away. The house appears to be a stocky hollowed-out tree with a beehive hanging from a branch, and a candlestick sign on the front door. A sign of an open book outside the door, and two balconies, one of which has a telescope. There appears to be some type of firebird perch on the rail of one of the balconies looking out at the horizon. It turned its head toward us spread its wings and flew into an open window. I paid it no mind, on the other hand, I groaned slightly when the pain returned to my sides. Spike look at me with worry." It seems your body is more out of sorts then I thought, we need Twilight to perform the rite now." Spike put me down on the ground before shifting his size too being about my size. Annz groaned as he also began to shrink down to my size. Picking me up bridal style Spike carried me to the door. Before he had a chance to knock the door was swung open. The figure standing in the doorframe is a lavender pony with light purple fur and a navy blue-colored mane and tail, stylized with rim cuts, and also has two lighter-purple and pink stripes running down both. She also has purple irises prominent eyelashes a moderately sized horn. It appears she has wings on her back. She wearing a black bodysuit with puffy sleeves and a braided skirt decorated with medallions and a large braided bow on the back the sides of her legs feature slits with floral designs. She also wearing light purple gloves decorated with golden roots, flowers, and a crescent moon on the front of the gloves. Finally, she wearing a witch-style hat with a purple five-point star on it. " So it is finally time for ritual, It is ready for him." Said the pony in a monotone voice " Twilight has an open mind this is what he wants." Said Spike in a worried tone " I don't I think will let just get this over with. I need to go to sleep soon," said Twilight in a cold tone Spike signed as he took me inside the tree and Annaz followed behind him. The inside of the tree looks like a library with shelves of books all along the wall and two doors one appears to lead to a kitchen the other leading to the upstairs. In the center of the room was a spell seal in the shape of a star. Spike placed me in the center of its spell seal. Just as put down my body began to contract my limbs began to twist and my eyes moved in a different direction, I felt a pounding in my head. I grit the pain through my teeth but it just got. Twilight looked at me with a blank stare. The bird from earlier flew down with a book in its peak it landed on Twilight and handed her the book. The book was enveloped in a purple aura as the book opened it began to rapidly turn to pages until landing one. "Stand at your positions," said Twilight All three of them formed a triangle outside the circle and sat down putting their claws and hooves together in a prayer gesture. " Now let's begin and see if his mind can handle it," said Twilight as she closed her eyes as she chanted words in a language I didn’t. She then plants her hoofs on the seal and the others follow suit by performing similar actions. The seal began to glow as I felt my body being lifted into the air. " I feel something it's like power flowing into me, I feel like I am getting stronger, what are doing to me," I said in a happy tone " Be quiet if we lose focus your body will be torn to pieces" Twilight said in an annoyed tone. The spell continued as a portal began to form above me. I feel myself being pulled into it, on the other side I see nothing but black minus a blue star in the middle. I hear a voice whisper in my head " Come to me and see it all", the voice said My body moves by itself toward the blue star. I feel a sense of relief wash over me as I touch the blue star, it is like a mother holding her children in her arms. Something fell was of my body it began to crumble I started to freak out. " What is happening to me, no one told me this," I say in a panic tone My body is blown into space. I shatter and my body mobility as it sucks into a pulsing wormhole. I am blinded by a spiral of colors as I approach a fire. " You think you know reality CJ, but you could not be more wrong. Your reality is one of an infinite number in the vast thing you know as life. At the root of all is the prime root where chaos and order meet, in this realm thought shapes reality. " I hear the voice from before in my head. In a spiral tunnel, thousands of hands reach out. I find my hands sprouting from my fingertips and then my hands sprout from those fingertips. I am enveloped by grasping hands, I then plunged into my eyeball and fall toward dazzling lights. I float amongst abstract crystals as see worlds in the reflection. " There are worlds upon worlds in these branches you see as reality. Some are benevolent and life-giving. Others are filled with death and hunger." I crash one of the reflections into a colorful Jemison. Serval plants hung by hooks in the distance. " Dark realm where powers and beings older than time call home. These beings are evil incarcerations, natural disasters that hate all life and will stop at nothing to destroy it all." I fly through a mouth of shadowy gaint. I float through space my body lump before galaxies that are color green, lavender, and orange. " Who are you in this vast multiverse, Mr. McMahon?" the voice echoes all around me The space around me seems to bend then spinning wildly as it bends me into a dizzy spell. I am thrown back into a spiraling portal as I fall back onto the treehouse floors landing in the hump. " Hmm, it seems you survived the trip how great", Twilight said in a sarcastic tone. I slowly rise to my knee looking at my quivering hand. I look up Twilight as she stands right in front of me. " What just happened" I said with a trembling voice to twilight "You just how small and young your race truly is in the vastness of space and time," said Twilight "It's a lot to take I know, it took me a while to make sense of it the first time I saw it," said Spike " No matter Spike show him to the bedroom, I going to sleep," said Twilight as she walks up stair. " Alright sleep well Twilight, I am going back to cloud. Spike you heard her you are on duty tonight so show this ant his bedroom." Annzu says then he turns his head to me. "You lucky this time mortal, but make no mistake I will kill you the moment you show weakness remember that," Annuz says as he snaps his talons together and disappears in a flash. I look back at my still trembling hands and I feel shock going through my whole body. I look at Spike with fear in my eyes as my mask opens to show my face. " I don't understand why did that feel like my mind was exploding. I felt like dying and reforming over and over again." I said to Spike Spike gets down on one knee and puts his hand on my shoulder. " I know it can be rough but, I can’t tell you what that was. Though I can tell you this, that is what you must protect as a starlord. You protect the life and make sure the balance is maintained. "You expect to protect all life how?" " Don't know, he never talks about the how, all we know is every star lord must protect life no matter the cost. You will know when the time is right." " That seems very shady and vague like something you see on Reddit." " I don't what this Reddit is but, you have already taken the oath so you don't have a choice." " Okay I will drop it for now, so where do I sleep." " Oh you sleep downstair follow me, I will show you to the room." I get onto my feet and my mask close as I stand up. I follow behind Spike as we head downstair. I look around and see four doors in this room along with what appears to be a trophy case. Spike shakes his head at the case and walks beside me. "To the left is the treasury where are lord kept his prizes and honors from the many worlds he visited. The second door leads to a bedchamber, the third door leads to his kitchen and the last door is where he keeps his... books," Spike tells me and gazes at the fourth door. I walk over to it and open the door to see what looks like a personal study of many books and scrolls of different kinds. I see a desk with a journal and pen next to it. A sword was hung on the wall next to the desk. The sword is a golden medium-length Greek one-handed double-edged sword. I gazed at it as a thought came into mine. " Why do feel like I have used this blade before." I tell Spike getting a wide-eyed shocked expression. He pushed me out of the room and closed the door behind me. "CJ under no circumstances are you to ever touch or mention that blade around Twilight or Annuz! That blade has a history behind it that would make them want to not just kill but erase you," said Spike with a low growl "Ok ok, I will forget about it for now, Spike. Anything else?" I ask. " Now we start your training if I want to leave this place and not get killed we need to get you to champion level. For that, I'll start your build so you go to the first world. So I think we'll be here for days as we get strong enough to face our enemy and forces," Spike replied as he stared at the trophy case. " Our enemy and what forces?" I ask confused. "Yes ours, I don't know if you are ready to hear the answer but you must learn different world politics, traditions, or anything for that matter. I will you to help me understand everything I can about your future," He replied picking up a crude-looking coin that appeared to be just a piece of blank dark purple metal that I had no idea what it was. "Looks rather plain for a coin..." I comment getting Spike to look at me. " This coin is made from stardust, a metal only found in the here in this tree house where it grows on the branch and each coin weighs exactly ten grams," he replies as he puts on a ring with a small red gem on it. "Metal... that grows?" I ask him with an unbelieving look. "Of course, stardust grows due to the high concentration of star matter on this planet. Twilight figured out a way to gather into clusters and solidify into this metal," he explains. "Right, well then. I don't get starting notes taken so I can better understand this place," I say and to the kitchen. Me and Spike sit down at a table in the kitchen. "So I am getting the vibe that your friends hate me. The hydra wants to kill me and the unicorn loath me judging by the look in her eyes." " Annuz I was expecting he is a proud warrior and hates mortals. Twilight on the other hand is a different story. In all honesty, I don't if she will ever like you, I was hoping she wanted to make friends with you. But it seemed she taking lord cut all death much harder than I thought, those two were close but I didn’t think she was shut down like that." Spike let a sign as he gazed back at the ring on his finger. " This ring was his gift to me, he made it for me after I lost someone very dear to me. He said if you keep this close you will always remember her. It must be the same for Twilight she wearing the hat that our lord made for her. She hates it you know, it makes her horn itch she says that seeing her wear it must mean she still holding in her anger. I hope you can understand her anger is not toward you, she must still grieving over his loss" said Spike with a dry chuckle I look down at my hands and think to myself where of seen that look in twilight eyes before? That cold dead eye filled with nothing but hate and sorrow. My mind flashes to the hospital room with a man hooked up to pumps and tubes as surgery is done on him. " I understand better than you because I have the same thing she feels felt more time than I could count," I said with a hollow tone Spike toward me staring into my eyes, with narrow eyes focusing in on me. He gazed at me for a long time before signing and pushing back into his chair. "I see it in your soul those scars you experienced a great loss haven’t. I misspoke early, I see you are not as green as thought. I have to meditate on this well talk more in the morning for now you must rest. Spike says as he stands up and starts walking toward the stairs and closes the door behind him. I sit for a moment thinking about what Spike said but I start to feel tired. I make my way toward the bedroom fall onto the bed and drift off to sleep. Darkness obscures a man's face but I can tell he wearing a blue suit with a ring on his finger in the shape of a skull. "You have proven to me that you may be useful, skull archfiend but you failed to end the line. That old relic managed to find an heir before you killed him. Now there is another wrench that will annoy me and my armies." The man behind the desk says in a venomous tone. The shadow figure sits behind a desk before sitting forward as its eye glows. " Fail me again fiend and your place will be the least of your worries. Because you can easily replace my friend and believe me you don't want to know what happens to those I deem unworthy. Now then I can tell you the new lord will appear in your world very soon so this time don't play around." A shadowy figure stood from behind him and walked toward the window. " Don't make me regret this, because I rarely give a second chance, unlike this star lord." I watch through a doorway as the man turns to face me. " Isn’t that right, little hero? Not time for us to meet quite yet. Run along now and show me if you are worth of my time." The door slammed shut. A wash of light hits my eyes as I flutter them. I open my mask and put my hand on my forehead. I feel cold sweat falling down my face. " Who or what was that? Author's Note This took way longer than It should have but nobody ever said writing was easy. Maybe next time I should just ask my sister for the editing part. Oh well next chapter should come much sooner now that I know what I am doing.
