Creation's Guardian Ch. 14

Authors notes:

Another fine editing job by taco1086: Thanks Larry

*****

Bob took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He shook his head and sighed deeply. "If you ladies will excuse me, I have a lot of thinking to do." He turned and walked out the front door without another word.

Everyone looked at Cassandra with shock and concern. "Something's not right. Are you sure he's okay, Sweetie? Maybe you should go after him," Aphrodite said.

"He needs some time alone right now, Mom. He doesn't want us to see how bad he's hurting. Now that everyone's safe again, he can finally let himself feel his pain and grief. He blames himself for all the lives lost in Tranquility. Especially the Atlantians and his children. We all know it wasn't his fault. But he's not quite ready to accept that yet. The best thing I can do is to give him the time he needs. Trust me, I'll know when to go to him."

Bob sat in the sand at the waters edge as the tears streamed down his cheeks. The dolphins swam close to him and softly chattered their condolences before swimming away and leaving him to deal with his grief in his own way. "It's all my fault that they're all dead. I abandoned my post and left them all to be slaughtered like animals. If I hadn't gone on that stupid shakedown cruise they'd all still be alive. Some fucking guardian I turned out to be, I can't even protect my own unborn children and their mothers. Look at all the suffering those fucking Trogs caused and I was just to blind to see it. What the fuck's wrong with me?"

Suddenly Cassandra appeared standing next to where Bob was sitting. "THAT'S ENOUGH OF THAT BULLSHIT," she thundered. "It's one thing to grieve. That I can understand. But right now you're just wallowing in self-pity and I won't stand for that! Get your head out of your ass and think! You're not the only one that lost friends and family. Every single one of us has lost people we loved dearly. Take a fucking second and think about poor Stacy! She's lost her entire family. Do you know where she's at right now? Do you even care? You're so wrapped up in your own private pity party you forgot all about her didn't you? Well I didn't. I had to go looking for her. I found her lying on the ground in the rubble between the hospital and her parents clinic sobbing in grief. Right now she's in the damn bedroom being comforted by everyone but the one person who matters most.

When you finally get your shit together maybe you'll figure out that nobody, not even the boss, saw this coming. According to the laws of creation, her and that monster aren't supposed to track each other. It wasn't until after I nearly killed the fucking thing that she was able to see that he was actually in creation itself. Sure she has the power to track it, but doing that defeats it's purpose. Creation has to be balanced to work right.

You know I love you with every fiber of my being. I wouldn't be talking to you this way if it wasn't absolutely necessary. You also know that every word I've said is the truth. You are the guardian of creation, we can't afford for you to fall apart. I can't do my job and yours too. It's okay to cry. It's okay to grieve. Hell we're all feeling the same things. But a fucking pity party does nobody any good, especially you. So either get it together, or quit. I'll stand beside you no matter what. I'll be inside whenever you make up your mind." With that, Cassandra turned and walked away.

At first Bob was pissed that Cassandra was talking to him like she was. But as she continued to speak; he realized that she was right. His anger turned to shame when it hit him just how badly Stacy was hurting. He knew he wasn't going to quit. That wasn't who he was. But he had neglected one of the most important women in his life. That was something he couldn't forgive himself for. There was simply no excuse. He stood brushing the sand of himself as he slowly walked back to the castle with his head down.

He hugged Cassandra kissing her softly. "Thank you. You were right, I needed to have my ass reamed out. I love you, but I need to go to Stacy now. I should've been there for her a lot sooner."

Cailin appeared in the dining room doorway. "Damn right you should've been there. Stacy's been exposed to the corrosive chemicals the Trogs used to fuel their missiles. She's dying! Kadir's got Stacy's spirit trapped inside of Stacy's body. Selena and Asimah are doing all they can to heal her but it's not enough. Stacy doesn't want to live anymore."

Instantly Bob and Cassandra both ported to the bedroom.

"Cassandra, you help Selena, and Asimah. I'm gonna link minds with Stacy," snapped Bob.

"Stacy Honey, I need you. Please don't go. I love you. I'm sorry I wasn't here for you earlier. Honey, please don't let those monsters take you away from us too. I know how you feel. I lost a lot today just like you.

"I'm so sorry, Master. It's just... my whole family... it hurts so much... I don't know if I can pick up all the shattered pieces of my life. I know how much you've lost. All those poor mothers and their unborn babies. I wish I could make it all go away for you but I can't. I love you too, Master, with everything that's a part of me. But I loved my family too and now they're gone, all of them. I'm not sure I can handle living knowing the horrible way they died."

Honey, if you go, it'll tear me apart. I promise you, those monsters will never hurt anyone ever again. They're dead, every last one of them. If you give up, then everything that's been accomplished today will have been for nothing. Please, Baby, don't let them take another woman that I love away from me. We've both lost a lot of loved ones today. But stick with me and let's work through our grief together."

"They're dead, all of them? Thank you, Master. After what they did to you, and me the fuckers deserved it. I realize that other people lost friends and family members too. But the Atlantians were sweet, gentle, loving women who did their jobs without ever harming a soul. My parents were doctors for heaven's sake. They saved lives. They took care of women and children. Tranquility was full of people like them. Good, kind, loving people. Why did those monsters attack us? What did we ever do to them? I don't understand it, and it hurts a lot. But you're right; I can't let those fuckers kill me too. I refuse to be their last victim! I know it won't be easy, but at least we have each other to lean on. Just promise me you'll help me be strong. I'm not sure I can do it on my own."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you earlier, Sweetie. But that'll never happen again, Baby. We'll work through this together, I promise."

"It's okay, Master; I understand. You had to make sure those motherfuckers were all dead first. Then you had to deal with your own shock and grief. I'm not going anywhere now, I promise. I love you far too much to let you face anymore pain alone. I really need to be there for you. So please, just get my body healed as fast as you can."

"I will, Sweetie, I promise. But I'm gonna keep our minds linked just so you know I haven't gone anywhere. Okay?"

"Okay, Master."

Everyone watched in shock as Bob's whole body took on a bright golden glow. He placed his hand on Stacy's abdomen and instantly all of her corrosive wounds just disappeared. Stacy took a deep shuddering breath then opened her eyes. She flew up wrapping her arms around Bob kissing him passionately for several long minutes. When she finally broke the kiss both of them were weak kneed and breathless.

When Bob caught his breath he said, "WOW! That was some kiss! Welcome back, Sweetie!"

"Thank you, Master." Stacy tapped her head with a giggle. "That kiss was for what you were thinking when I jumped in your arms! Those sexy thoughts were just what I needed to cheer me up!"

Bob laughed as he broke the mind link. "Shit; I forgot all about the mind link. I was just so excited to see you were okay!"

Stacy winked at Bob. "I don't mind at all, Master. Just promise me you'll do what you were thinking later tonight." She looked around the room and then continued, "I love every one of you. You're my only family now. I'm sorry I thought about leaving you. I promise I'll never think that way ever again. I hope you can all forgive me."

Cassandra leaned down giving Stacy a soft kiss. "There's nothing to forgive, Little Sister. We all love you too, and every one of us understands how you feel. We all lost loved ones today and we all need to be there for each other. We also made some new friends. If you're up to it, why don't you come downstairs and meet them. I think you'll find it's a really nice surprise."

"Ooh, now you've got me really curious. Okay let's go meet these new friends." When they entered the dining room, Stacy paused in shock. She gave Cassandra a confused look. "I thought Lyssa and Jacobia were both an only child. Which ones twin is that other one?"

Cassandra giggled. "Both Lyssa and Jacobia are the only child their mothers ever had. The other woman is Empress...excuse me, Queen Lactivia. Though she is related to them through a very distant ancestor. Have a seat and I'll bring you up to date after I introduce everyone." Cassandra made all the introductions then proceeded to tell Stacy everything that had happened and how Lactivia and her three new guardians fit into it all.

When Cassandra finished Stacy said, "let me get this straight. There's a second race of Atlantians that the Boss didn't know about? How is that even possible?"

"Oh, she knew about them all right because Aphrodite's their patron goddess. But they call their species Sokilum so the Boss never made the connection between Lyssa's Atlantians and Lactivia's Sokilums. Another factor is that Lactivia's civilization was started accidentally when an Atlantian scout ship commanded by a member of the royal family crash landed on a distant planet about four thousand years before Lyssa was even born," Bob replied. "They might still be unknown if the Prince of Darkness hadn't conned the Trogs into attacking Neuveia and then got personally involved in the war between the Sokilum and the Trogs. It wasn't until Cassandra nearly killed his stupid ass that the Boss was finally able to see what was really going on."

"The Prince of Darkness? You mean like Lucifer or something? Did we get caught up in a war between good and evil? If that's the case; I hope you really kicked his ass,"Stacy replied.

Bob shook his head. "No, Sweetie, the Prince of Darkness is sorta the Boss's opposite number. She created him to balance things out; so he's nowhere as powerful as she is. He was allowed to do his own thing as long as he didn't have an actual presence in creation and didn't violate any of the other laws and rules she had given him.

I'm not exactly sure how the attack on Neuveia fits into all of this. I do know that he personally ordered the planetary bombardment. My best guess is that he wanted to destroy as much of my support network as he possibly could to prevent me from interfering with his future plans. Because he and the Boss are polar opposites; she had no idea that he was pulling the Trogs strings until he got too cocky and became personally involved in the war between the Trogs and the Sokilum. When Cassandra forced him to drop his shield and paralyzed him; it allowed the Boss to see he had a physical presence in creation. I was gonna let Cassandra hack the fucker into small pieces; but the Boss had a better idea so I let her have his stupid ass instead. She banished him from this plane of existence forever. So now all I have to deal with are the minions he left behind like Lucifer and the species he had under his total control. It makes my job somewhat easier because as far as I know none of them have anything close to the reach he had. So yeah, I guess you could say we got caught up in a battle between the light and the darkness. But this time at least; Cassandra really kicked his ass."

"Thank you, Master. I feel a hell of a lot better now. The death of my whole family still hurts a lot. But at least I know they didn't die in vain. Their deaths served a purpose. Every single person that died during the destruction of Tranquility and it's suburbs are true heroes. By their dying they saved untold billions from a lifetime of torment and horrible deaths.

Which reminds me, we have to find a way to at least clean up those corrosive chemicals that I was exposed to. Right now, everyone's staying away because you haven't issued an all clear after Aphrodite ordered everybody to stay away because we were at war. I'd also suggest some kind of memorial service and a monument to honor those who died in that monstrous attack. I don't know if you're planning on rebuilding Tranquility. But personally I think you should. My heart tells me that it's exactly what Amanda, Nicole, and all those who died there would want you to do. That would be the greatest testament to their lives and everything they all worked so hard to achieve."

Bob sat with tears in his eyes as he thought about the things that Stacy had said. He realized that everything she talked about applied to him as well as her. She was right, Amanda and the others weren't victims who died for nothing. They were heroes who died so that others would live. He finally understood what Cassandra was trying to tell him on the beach. Despite his personal loss, he had a duty to see to it that the fallen were never forgotten. He squared his shoulders like the soldier he was then looked at Kadir and said, "see to it that anything left behind from the Trogs missiles gets cleaned up. I don't want anyone else getting sick. Stacy, prepare a Federation wide all clear message. But note that the portals to Neuveia are shut down for the next twenty four hours. Tranquility is off limits until I'm sure it's safe. Issue it whenever you're ready. Asimah, I want you to place a temporary morgue between Tranquility and it's suburbs. Make sure it's has enough space and coolers for about three thousand bodies. Selena, when Asimah is finished I want you and her to work on recovering bodies. You start with the Presidential mansion and work outwards. Asimah can start with the suburbs and work inward. Kadir when you've finished cleaning up I want you to identify every body. Make sure it's whole then place it in a numbered cooler. Don't forget to record who's in what cooler. That includes Lyssa's people as well."

Cassandra stood walking over to Stacy. She gave Stacy a hug and a kiss then whispered, "thank you," in Stacy's ear. Cassandra walked over to Bob and curled up in his lap. She gave him a passionate lip lock then said, "welcome back, Master. Please let me be the one to plan the memorial service along with the monuments and the cemetery which I'd like to call Eternal Gardens and reserve exclusively for fallen heroes."

"You want the job, Sweetie, you've got it. Thank you for taking it on for me. That's one task I definitely didn't relish."

Suddenly Kerila and Craylyn jumped to their feet taking a battle stance as Destiny and Life appeared. Destiny held her hands out palms first. "Whoa, easy girls. We're not here to harm Lactivia. I'm Destiny and this is my sister Life. We're here to talk, not fight."

Cassandra stood placing her arms around Kerila and Craylyn's waists. "Trust me, it's okay. They're just Masters sisters that we told you about earlier. They're just here to deliver a message from our Boss. Usually when both of them show up it means something big. Which can get to be a pain in the ass sometimes. But they really don't mean to cause any problems, they're just messengers."

As Cassandra was leading both women back to their seats, Bob asked Destiny, "so what's up this time, Sis?"

"I honestly don't know, Little Brother. All I know is that mother not only wants to see you, Cassandra, and Cailin, she wants to meet with all of your guests as well. When I say all, I mean every one of them, guardians too. That's why we both came, to help with the porting".

When they all got to the usual meeting spot, the Boss was already sitting there waiting for them though the area had been more than tripled in size. Destiny and life took up spots on either side of their mother while Bob told all the other women to have a seat. Once all the ladies were seated Bob took a seat himself and said, "okay Boss, you wanted to meet with all of us. So tell us all why we're here and what's going on."

"This is gonna be a long conversation, Captain. I have a lot of ground to cover and I can only do it one step at a time. Just have some patience, I promise you, we'll get there. Let's start with Lyssa's party first. Thank you all for being there to help Creation's Guardian today. Without the assistance you gave him things could've gone from bad to worse.

This was one of those rare occasions when the timeline was split into several different directions like a fan. Whatever did. or didn't, happen would decide which path the timeline would ultimately take. Lyssa, the actions that you, Jacobia, Sue, Amy, and Kendra took kept the timeline on it's proper course. If you hadn't become involved when you did, that would've been nearly impossible.

I realize that you've never really believed in me or even understood my existence. But that's okay. I wanted to meet you personally so that you'd finally know that I'm just as real as you are. I'm gonna reward you and your party by converting all your psionic based powers to magical ones. I'm also gonna increase the amount of magical essence you can store to ten times your current amount. It won't change the way you have to restore your essence but it will increase your hitting power by more than a hundred times and you'll be able to use you abilities ten times longer.

Additionally you're each getting an ability that you don't already have. Lyssa, I'm giving you full knowledge of the school of fire magic. Jacobia, since you 're gonna be the new queen of the Atlantians, I'm gonna give you ALL the elemental magics. Bob or Cassandra can explain more about that to you later. Sue, you get lightning. Amy, I'm giving you the magic of frost and ice. Kendra you'll be able to heal any wound or disease so long as the spirit remains in the body."

"Um Boss? I guess that's what I should call you anyway. I don't want you to think we don't appreciate the gesture, we do. But rewards aren't necessary. We only helped Bob because he's our family. That's what families do, they stick together and help each other out when it's needed. We'll accept your generous gifts because it would be rude not to. But truthfully, receiving such impressive abilities from someone we didn't even believe existed until a few minutes ago is quite a shock to say the least," Lyssa replied.

"Well at least you were smart enough not to refuse them," the Boss smiled then continued, "I know you'll find them all very helpful in the future." She turned to Lactivia.

"Lactivia, I'm very proud of you. You've done a remarkable job of leading your people for someone so young. You became Empress at the tender age of eighteen when your mother died. It's been ten years now and your honeymoon with your people still isn't over. They all love you. That says a lot about you. I'm gonna do the same thing for you and your new guardians as I did for Lyssa and her party. Converting your powers to magic ones not only makes them far more powerful; they're almost instinctive, so they'll be all that much easier to learn and control. I also want you to be equal to your Atlantian sisters so I'm gonna give you all extra abilities as well. So Lactivia, just like Jacobia you get ALL the elemental schools of magic. Kerila, I'm giving you full knowledge of fire magic. You'll know how to control it, bend it to your will, and how to use it to defend your queen and her empire. Yes, I know she plans on changing her title, Kerila. Sherlinia, I'm giving you lightning, and Craylyn, you're getting ice and frost. Since there's only four of you here I'm giving you ALL the ability to heal others."