The Four Guardians

Part 2: Our Journey Begins

By: 4horsefish and atsuio 

ProEditor: EewwGross

By the time the old king died, the king's son had regained all of his past life's memories. He began to seek the four orbs which could control the Four Cat Guardians, because if he could control those guardians, he would become the most powerful being on earth and no one could defy him. The new king began a search for the orbs, but the search was useless, for the new king thought that the orbs had fallen around where the battle had taken place. He did not know that the king from the legend had sent the orbs to different places before he died.

"Cloud, wake up! We can only stay in one spot for so long or we might get caught by the king's, Shadow's, subordinates," said Jewel, hurriedly.

"Just a minute I . . . vision . . . ," mumbled Cloud, losing her words.

Jewel's eyes widened as she realized what had happened "It's okay, we've all had visions of the past where the king died and things happened, but that was all in the past, so long ago it's a legend now," Jewel said comfortingly to her friend.

"Hey, what's taking you guys so long?" Aqua asked, the only male cat of the guardians, "We need to begin our search."

"Patience, Cloud just had a vision. Remember how freaked out you guys were when it happened?" Jewel retorted.

"But I never freaked out," he answered, confused. Aqua was one of the oldest among them, so he was used to visions.

"Yeah, well, we never saw you have your first so you probably did."

"That's too bad for you," he had a strange look in his eyes, that Jewel didn't understand. "I didn't."

"At least Scorch is patient because she knows that Cloud is the youngest so she needs the most time to recover from visions which Cloud just had." Jewel grumbled.

"Remind me, why were all coming for your orb?" Aqua asked softly.

"Because we're less likely to die that way, and my orb is the closest, so once I get it, it can sense where the others are to." said Jewel. Even though their old friend, the dead king, is the one that sent the orbs to the other places, she saw it on a hill and could sense it in the earth.

"I only met you a week ago, and all you've been doing is," he sighed, "making this a heck of a time more annoying for me. You tell us what to do and demand things of us. Since when was I under your order? If you wanna boss cats around that bad, I suggest you go find you own servants. I never minded waiting for Cloud in the first place, I just don't like being told what to do. And anyway, what gives you the right to run your mouth off at me when you know nothing?" he shifted his paws uncomfortably, the tiny cave was pretty stuffy for four  cats.

"Okay, Cloud, come on, we must go, it will help you when you reach your orb.  Anyway, the sooner we leave the sooner we'll find our orbs."

"Okay, I think I'm ready now." said Cloud softly, still shaking.

"It'll help you if you get nearer to the palace," Aqua motioned to the huge mountain that loomed behind us."

"And why is that?" Jewel asked

"The guardian cats weren't meant to wander too far from that palace, there's an altar over there that our orbs started from, and if we wander too far away, then the visions and dreams start to come more often." He walked out of the small cave.

After a while, Cloud came out running. "Thanks," she told Aqua with new happiness and Jewel ran after her.

"Finally you're all here," said Scorch.

"Sorry we took so long with visions and everything." said Cloud.

"It's fine, if you don't let them get to you it won't bother you as much. Don't think about the topic so much, it'll help you forget." said Aqua. He looked away bashfully, he wasn't used to being thanked, actually, he wasn't used to being with other cats in general.

"Okay, now, we all know the objective is to find the orbs. So Jewel needs complete concentration to find her orb, so no one distract her. Have any questions come to me." said Scorch, who was a very kind cat. Off they went with Jewel leading their way. She'd be a good mother Cloud thought.

"Hey Scorch, Scorch." Cloud said.

"What?" Scorch said, as she heard  her name over and over.

"Why are Jewel's eyes closed?"

"Because she's sensing where her orb is."

"Can I do that?"

"I would advise against it, if you're inexperienced, you might get another vision," Scorch warned her. Cloud shivered at the thought.

"The orbs are like living creatures, since they hold memories." Scorch explained, "Whatever orb saw the most in the past, that cat will have the most visions," Scorch told Cloud.

"Can any of the others do that as well?" Cloud asked her.

"Yeah, Aqua and I can do it too." she said.

"Then why are we choosing to search for Jewel's orb before yours?" she continued to question.

"Since hers is the closest we've decided to go to hers first. Plus, it's on the way to ours."

"Cool, but aren't you worried about any traps that she might walk into?"

"Not really, we have our feet on the ground, so she can sense what's around her since she's the Earth Elemental Cat. Plus, she's not alone. We're here."

"Oh." Cloud said, finally satisfied with the answers, and she ran up to walk beside Jewel as if it was her responsibility to make sure she was safe.

"Ahhhh, I wish I would have some alone time," Scorch thought in her head.

They continued down the path for a while, when suddenly Jewel turned sharply to the right, wandering off the path, she tried to stop herself from crashing into the bush of thorns, but it was too late. Cloud quickly used her wind powers and condensed the air into a ball in a split second, placing it between Jewel and the thorn bush, and it pushed Jewel back into the path. She fell backwards and snapped back to reality, she opened her eyes and blinked a few times, adjusting to the light. She looked around, confused for a few moments, and then turned to Cloud.

"Thanks," she mumbled. "Wait, Aqua, Scorch, were you guys just spectating me falling?!" Cloud wobbled dizzily, she wasn't to accustomed to using her powers yet.

"I would've burned you if I tried to help," Scorch replied, a bit taken back. Jewel turned her head and glared at Aqua.

"If I tried you would've gotten wet." he told her. She thought about it for a while and then made a disgusted expression.

"Thanks . . . for not helping me?" they all started laughing. Cloud on the ground in giggles, and Aqua was smiling wider than usual. Scorch was laughing to herself quietly, while Jewel tried to fake a glare at them while laughing, and failed.

"Remember what the king said?" Aqua asked everyone, "On that journey, only the one who has that elemental power can get to there  orb. The rest may go part way, but at a point, only the cat with the element can go retrieve the orb." They looked at the dense forest in front of them. It was impossible to get through. The cats all looked at Jewel, who gulped at the sight of the massive forest. Her confidence suddenly looked small in front of the huge maze of leaves and branches. But it wasn't just that, it was fading, but suddenly she looked at the forest with new resolve.

"I leave. Tomorrow."