The Guardians of Akandriya (A Smosh Fantasy AU)

Chapter 1 Part 1: Lost and Found

The sound of hooves pound against the ground, thundering through the dark forest as soldiers shout.

“She’s getting away! Don’t let her escape!”

For such a small thing, the noises were too overwhelming and he can’t help but fuss about how loud and angry every sound was. The child struggles against his mother’s arms as the woman holds him closer to her chest.

He could still hear the voices of the men, and the loud pounding of feet on the ground.

“Everything is fine, everything is fine. Don’t be afraid.” she murmurs, grasping on to the toddler as she runs behind a tree. “We’re going to be okay.” 

Then there’s a flash of light and the noises stop. 

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Ever since Shayne was a kid, his mother would always tell him stories about this far away land filled with magic and impossible but amazing things

“Mommy! Mommy!” Shayne exclaims. He tries to jump up on his mother’s bed but his small body couldn’t make it, so he settles on clutching the sheets and climbing up instead. Once on the bed, he settles right in front of his mother. “Tell me more stories about Candy-ra!”

“Akandriya.” his mother corrects, smiling at him softly. “And what would you like to know, little one?”

“I wanna know ‘bout the..the garnians..” he struggles to say the word. “And how they fight bad guys to protect everyone!” 

His mother laughs, joyful and bright as she gently ruffles her son’s blonde hair. 

“Well,” she begins. “How about the time when the Guardians protected the last dragon and took her to safety.”

Shayne’s eyes widen and he smiles, happy and excited. “Yes!” he cheers before getting settled to listen to his mother’s story. 

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Even as years passed and Shayne grew from a little boy to a Junior in High School, his mother would still tell him tales of a fantasy, and far away world. 

Of course, now that he’s older, he’s well aware that his mother’s stories were, well, just stories. 

But there was something in his mother’s eyes that he notices every time she tells him those stories, there’s longing there, some deep sadness reflecting in the colors that match his own. And the way she tells every story so animatedly and with such passion that Shayne almost thinks that his mother believed in every story she tells. 

So Shayne lets his mother tell him stories about this magical kingdom and its five protectors if it means getting to see the light in her eyes that he hardly ever sees anymore. Besides, he’s never too old to spend time with his mother. Even if he was getting too old for her stories.

Shayne wonders, in great amusement,  if his mother would keep telling those stories until he grew to be in his 40’s. 

Shayne gets his answer one night, and it wasn’t the answer he wanted. 

Ever.

“Give me your wallet.” Shayne hears the gruff voice speak and he freezes, he chances a glance at his mom and sees that she’s frozen in place too. There’s something about her expression like she’s contemplating something, before deciding against it and carefully reaching for the wallet in her purse.
 
“We don’t want any trouble.” She speaks, voice calm as she hands the mugger her wallet. 

And that should have been the end of that. The thief should have walked off with her wallet and Shayne’s mom would have just lost a couple of dollars and a few cards, things she could have easily replaced. 

But then someone screamed, someone screamed and called for help. And Shayne knew that person meant well, but that sent the thief off, and Shayne barely had time to react...to do anything when the mugger pointed the gun at Shayne’s mom and fired. 

Everything is a blur after that.

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Weeks passed, and his mother had been long buried. The people that took him and his mother in when she and Shayne first moved in the country, the family she and Shayne have known for years, took care of the funeral.

He was thankful for that because he didn’t know how we would even do anything during those times.

Weeks passed without his mom. 

Without her smile, without her love.

And without her stories.

“Are you, okay?” Shayne hears Kimmy ask, and he glances up and sees her looking at him. “Stupid question, I know. But you were kind of zoning out?”  Kimmy continues, her voice uncertain.

“I’m fine. I mean..not really but I’m fine..ish.” Shayne responds, trying to smile at her. “I was just thinking about stuff.” he pauses, “about my mom. And the stories she would tell me.” his smile dims. “I guess I won’t be hearing them anymore.” 

“I’m sorry,” Kimmy says, her voice soft. 

“Yeah.” Shayne stands from his seat and turns to the girl. “I’m gonna head to bed.” he says, “I
 know it’s only four but…”

“I get it.” Kimmy gives him an assuring smile. “I’ll tell mom to save you dinner in case you wake up and get hungry later.”

“Thanks, Kimmy.”

And with that Shayne heads upstairs. 

Except instead of going straight to his room, he suddenly gets the urge to go into his mother’s room. 

Shayne knocks before stopping, and thinking himself an idiot, and then opening the door and slowly stepping inside. 

He doesn’t know what he’s doing or why he even went in the first place, he couldn’t even look at her bedroom door ever since she passed but now,

Now he’s sitting on her bed and looking over her stuff. 

Besides clothes and the necessities, Shayne’s mother didn’t have much material stuff. It took Shayne years to convince her to get a mobile phone and even when she did get one she opted to be a date model that was only used for making calls and sending texts. 

The same phone that’s currently settled on top of her bedside table. She probably forgot to bring it that night. 

Shayne picks up the phone, looking back at the memory of him teaching his mother how to use it, before fumbling and accidentally dropping it on the floor.

“Damn it.” Shayne curses before getting on the ground to pick the gadget up. When he does so, his attention turns from the phone to something under his mother’s bed.

Picking it up, Shayne notices that it was a box, almost a quarter the size of a shoebox. He sits back on the bed, phone forgotten on the floor, as he opens the box. 

“What the heck is this, mom?” Shayne murmurs as he takes out the only item that was inside. Shayne pulls out what looks to be a cube surrounded by a gold frame. He turns it around, examining it closely, he thinks that there’s something familiar about the strange thing though he’s not sure where he’s seen it before.

But before Shayne could even finish his thought the thing in his hand starts to glow.

The last thing he hears is someone shouting his name before the light engulfs him.