This is a preamble of sorts, it really is "The begining of everything". What goes after this will be much smaller in scale, but still deal with similar sort of things.
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A black and empty space, stretching endlessly.
There was nothing to see, hear, or feel. Just a dark void that would never be filled.
But then, there came the lights.
First one, then two, three, four, tens, hundreds, thousands and more.
Each one of them insignificant and pale on their own, but together, they adorned the black empty, making what was before a mundane and stale sight, now a beautiful and shiny one.
Eventually, they all seemed to fill the void and leave no shadow behind, a cacophony of colors, all different, yet all coming together for the first and most fair display.
They began to move together, a whirl of colors dancing in unison, all shining brighter than ever before.
As the mass of light converged and shined a myriad different colors, it began emitting a shine that enveloped everything.
As the light lost strength, what remained after the brilliant dance was a great cloud with different colored shades.
Lights much bigger than any so far were common place on it, while them and the great cloud itself were in constant shift.
Space itself resonated, as if in joy.
With time, other such sights began to occur. As if the motionless darkness of the past had never been, it all became filled with colorful, sparkly clouds which shined with movement.
Some lights became truly gigantic, becoming of many different colors and taking smaller lights into them, turning into a lively ball of a thousand-fold sparks.
Others came to take on different shapes and moving lively from place to place, making changes on the lights around them, and sometimes coming to reside on the bigger spheres, shaping them ever so slightly. Some, however, never settled down, preferring to swim freely ever more.
It was all so lively, so beautiful. Everything shined and moved so joyfully. It would seem like this time would never end.
However, things are not meant to last forever.
From the far, far off reaches, where the clouds and their innumerable lights barely touched, a primordial, forgotten thing moved.
The Darkness, pushed off and disregarded by time, began to rise again.
It became thicker as it moved, a pitch black through which no light could shine in.
It swallowed vagrant sparks, their shine never to be seen again, turning the outer most reaches into a place of pitch blackness.
Some, however, having been old or keen enough, could feel the coming danger, and sought refuge on the great misty clouds.
There, The Darkness found its approach halted. It could not swallow the colorful clouds, as they were too big, and any portion that it absorbed was made up for somewhere else just as fast.
The great spheres were the cause of this. They stood guardian, their massive size and the thousand-fold colors all sparkling in them keeping the darkness at bay, and while one stood its position, another one somewhere else made up for the things lost.
This stalemate lasted for a long time.
Until The Darkness, for the first time, thought.
In order to swallow everything, to return it all to the empty blackness it had been in the beginning and make things right again. Just mindlessly going fort and trying to eat it all would not do.
So it thought; ¿How can I get further? ¿How can I eat more? ¿How can I swallow those big, pesky balls of light?
It thought long and hard. Until it noticed, that every time it moved to eat, all the small sparks around would flee to the nearest sphere, and in turn, this one would take their place.
Maybe it could not reach the spheres; they shined too strongly and where always deep in the cloud. ¿But those small sparks? ¿Those messengers? That it could do.
Slowly, a black tendril came forth. So thin, were it not because it was from itself, it would not have noticed it.
It made its way to one of those small lights, those sparks, and when it reached it, immediately wound up around it.
It struggled, but it was in vain. Its shine and movement fading, until it would almost disappear. But that would not do.
The Darkness reached for it, to its innermost parts, and placed some of its essence in it.
The spark sock mightily, its shine and form changing.
When it was over, it became an irregularly shaped mass, always changing its surface. Its colorful shine was replaced by a dark shade, thinning the light around it, pulsating with obscure remnants of its past color.
It moved as The Darkness willed. Yes, like this. It could get servants. This would be the first of many.
The shade moved around, converting sparks to be like itself. Some escaped, while others had the strength to resist. A few were even able to banish them.
But The Darkness was not idle. Countless tendrils like the one before spread out into the light clouds. A great many shades were already in its fold.
Its own movement was easier where they concentrated in numbers, but its ambition went past that.
Now that it thought, it wanted more. It wanted to spread its shades all over, and have the lights perish by their own kin. And when it all came to an end, only itself and the shades would remain, making a place to its own like. As it should be. Before they appeared.
When they had enough numbers, the next step in its ambition was to make fall one of those pesky light spheres. They were what halted its advance, and the thought of what would it be like to have one on its fold filled it with a desire to corrupt it.
So it sent them all, all the shades it had under its control. The cloud visibly thinned were they passed through, and The Darkness followed behind.
As if sensing the coming menace, all the surrounding sparks gathered on the great sphere that was its target. Because they knew. That they must stop it no matter what.
Even some of the bigger lights, those that took on different shapes and acted individually, moving all over the place freely, came together to stand against the coming menace.
They visibly condensed and hardened, changing into sharp shapes to tear and shred, with claws and teeth.
The bigger shades changed, too. In order to devour, in order to corrupt. Unable to take a form as solid and defined as their past brethren, they became filled with tendrils and gaping mouths, ever changing and shifting, with different shaped limbs and protrusions coming and going.
In its advance, The Darkness couldn't help itself to push, to shove, and move with all its might, making the space itself creak under its forceful advance where it was not welcomed. It was feeling excitement. A trill it had not know until now. And it liked it.
In answer to it, all the shades let out a guttural howl, as if to make themselves know. That they are coming, and nothing will stop them.
So the forces clashed. For the first time, the black void and the colorful shine clashed so mightily and evidently that to any onlooker it was like one rainbow cloud and a black stain were constantly pushing each other.
The Shades rushed in the legions, moving erratically in a dark frenzy; the smaller ones coming into the sparks and fighting between being banished and corrupting their host to make another like them, while the bigger ones grappled with many sparks at the same time and busied themselves devouring and staining black anything surrounding them.
The Sparks, on their side had the advantage of numbers, and most of them took to trying to banish the shades with their light while trying to avoid coming into direct contact, lest they be corrupted like them.
The bigger, more solid ones didn't have to mind that much though. They were fast and though, any black tendril or small shade that came into contact with them hardly made it past its outermost layers, while they used their hardness and sharp shapes to go directly into the fray, tearing apart and shredding all the corrupted with might of strength.
It looked like the lights would win. They had the numbers on their side, and as much as it tried, The Darkness could not bring its main bulk here, the shine of the massive Sphere keeping it at bay while giving strength to the sparks.
But slowly, the tides were changing.
The Shades were not so easy to banish, their irregular shapes and strange movements making it hard to stay just outside of their reach to banish them, or to get into their main body to shred the being by use of violence.
That by itself was not enough to change the tides, but slowly, their numbers were growing, corrupting and feeding on the small sparks while trying to avoid the bigger, tougher lights. Some of the bigger Shades, by devouring and devouring sparks one after the other, became stronger and stronger, enough to face directly the stronger lights and decimate the smaller sparks.
Then, a figure appeared from the Light Sphere. Even though The Sphere was massive and radiated a shine of a myriad colors, that figure caught the attention of all. It wasn't very big, nor did it have any striking features. But it was plain to see it held great power.
Its shape didn't change nor shift a bit, remaining solid, and it's color was so intense and pure that probably none other than The Darkness itself could stain it. Its form was neither a dull ball of light, nor a fierce creature meant to rend the corrupted to shreds. It stood on two legs and had two arms, each with smaller articulations on their end. A featureless head surveyed the scene before it, seemingly confirming its previous thoughts.
It beckoned the sparks to it, as if welcoming them into its embrace. They all came to it, and into the Light Sphere, though the bigger, stronger and shaped lights did not enter it, they never the less came around it.
The Shades all rushed simultaneously to it, seeing a chance. But a great radiance suddenly came out of it, banishing a great number of the weaker Shades, and keeping at bay the others. It showed its intend to stand its place
The Darkness would not leave that be, however.
It had all its Shades surround the light Sphere, cutting it's supply of Sparks from the inner cloud. The Lights fought them, and they certainly would be victorious if they keep the pace.
Stolen story; please report.
But The Darkness now could make its own move.
With not that many lights and sparks around, and its Shades covering the shine of the Sphere, it could come closer.
Massive tendrils of pure black neared the Sphere. They slowly tinned as they came closer, but it was enough to be a threat.
Even being strengthened by The Spheres shine, the lights could not defeat the Shades quick enough to break the encirclement. The figure at the center took in the sight, and made a choice.
The Shine seemed to gather into it, and when it almost all was into the Sphere, the figure raised an arm.
All the Sphere's light then surged from it and took shape, becoming a blade that cut through the black tendrils before it could reach it.
Its movements followed the figure's own, and it cut again and again the black tendrils that seemed to not end. With each slice, it removed a great many Shades and the circle started to break; But with each slice also, the Sphere's shine weakened, and the figure seemed to lose its color, bit by bit.
It became a battle of attrition. ¿Would the Figure and the Sphere's shine run out first, or would the encirclement break, allowing all the other sparks in so they could push back The Darkness together?
The stalemate seemed like it could last forever, but one side had to falter.
The encirclement was becoming thinner by the moment, and although the shine of the Sphere was weakening too, being attacked by the outside and the inside finally made it shatter.
A surge of Sparks and Shaped Lights came into the fray, letting the Sphere and the Figure recover strength. Slowly, The Darkness was being pushed back again, to the far reaches where it belonged. Hope returned. The Darkness would not win this time.
But it is in those moments, when the image of hope is in front of you, that it is most easily and painfully shattered to pieces.
Suddenly, a wave came from somewhere in the distance, and made the figure shudder. Its own light and the Sphere's flickering rapidly, as though something disrupted their very being.
Something happened. Something that should not, must not have happened. Something so very wrong, that it shock the cloud itself, the Sphere and the Figure to their core.
The space started to become darker, shaking and creaking as though an Abomination that should not be forced its way there.
The sight of it drew despair from those who witness it.
A sphere, but not like the others. This one seemed to distort the space around it, and it was dark. So dark, it almost could not be seen, were it not from its faint silhouette. There were gushes of energy coming out in arcs from it, arching greatly before coming back into it, flashing a thousand fold muddy colors, all enveloped in darkness.
As it came closer, so did The Darkness. Then, came a second one, and a third.
They drew near the Sphere and the Figure in it. ¿How could this be? ¿Where they not fighting so desperately so as to avoid precisely this? As it searched desperately for an explanation, the thinning light gave it one.
It could see it now. Tendrils, so small and thin they could pass easily unseen separately under the bright light, but when one looked at the bigger scene, they all spread wide and around like a web, tangling everything, from small sparks to the biggest Spheres, slowly thinning their shine and painting them black without them even knowing. Small Shades dotting the scene, each one insignificant and easily ignored, much like their cousins; but all of them darkened the light's shine ever so slightly
This fight was nothing more than a show, a stage made to keep their attention away from the real thread. And only It had realized it. Even if they won, all would slowly become tainted in black eventually if it didn't do anything about it.
But it could not escape. Such a thought didn't even come to it. Focusing its senses again, it could faintly make out the presence of others Figures in those Dark Spheres. As they emerged, an army of Shades followed behind them.
Those three were like distorted images of itself, thrice its size and jutting out horns and claws while a hungry mouth bellowed carnage.
It did not stand a chance. Fighting was out of the question, and it couldn't escape, as it would be greatly weakened if it moved without the Sphere, and this one was too slow. ¿Maybe if it could make it so one of the stronger, shaped lights came out, it could warn the others? Such a though didn't last. None would ever make it out of there, their enemies were too strong and too many.
If only there was a light with a strength like its own…
That was it. If there was no one like that, he could just make it. The price would be grievous, but it was the only chance.
They were all barely holding out, all the incoming sparks only adding fuel to the fire.
What it was about to do was heartless. It wasn't that much different to what the darkness did. But it had to. It was the only hope to save them all.
So it called in all the sparks, all the lights, even calling in the strength and life of the cloud itself. This was risky. Only focusing on gathering as much as it could, there would not be anything to hold back The Darkness. It wouldn't resist much. But it didn't need too.
With all coming into it, its power rose leap and bounds, but that wasn't its aim. Even then, it wouldn't hold that much in a fight like this.
So it came back inside The Sphere, gathering all its power in its innermost parts. It could clearly feel all the uncountable sparks that resided in it. They did not have much of a developed will or form, but each one was precious none the less. A bit surprisingly, most of the stronger lights, those with will and shape, came to it too. They must have realized too, that it was not a battle they could win. A few, however, still kept fighting, refusing to give up.
Those were some stubborn folks. But a new thought came to it. Probably, when looking at things far ahead, just one or two wouldn't be enough. Maybe these kind of fellows were just what was needed. Stubborn guys who would not give up, no matter the odds. So it decided to include them, in a way.
While feeling apologetic, it still went with its plan. All the surrounding sparks began to shine brighter and brighter, their colors merging, the greater lights a bit weary but going on still they soon followed. It all concentrated on the shape, the Sphere itself flowing in, eventually leaving a hollow space between it outermost protective layer and the genesis that was going on at its core, becoming a cocoon.
It had to hurry, The Shape thought, even as its own color and form was beginning to meld into everything. Its will was the strongest of them all, but even that was starting to become foggy to it. It had to finish before those fighting outside were beaten, or the enemies broke through the cocoon.
It was just a bit of time, but to those fighting for that little bit of time, it seemed endless. The lights previously numbered a great many thousand fold, but the odds were so against them, that number was soon decimated. The Shades were still okay, they could somehow manage to hold if it was just that. The problem were those Dark Shapes.
They were not full of gaping mouths nor did they have tens of limbs to catch and blight anything it touched like the others. But they were too strong.
Before they could notice, one of them would have teared apart tens of them, and then lightly avoid their attacks while chewing on their remains, sporting a grin.
They were weak. They could do nothing against such unreasonable opponents. But they knew. They knew they had to protect that which was behind them. They could feel something truly extraordinary was going on in there, and while they did not know what it was, it was their only hope.
So if they could not do a thing against those three, then they just needed to stand were they were and hold on.
They were just a few now, but still took the bet and stood still while they changed their form anew. A ferocious form like before was not needed. Claws and teeth were useless, as it was just strength against foes like those. So they on shapes with thick arms and hardy chest, some even had thick and inflexible just to stand the blows.
Among them, those who fought the longest were together and just besides the Sphere. They drew inspiration from the Figure within. It held such great power, and it did not need any special physical characteristic for it. Even if just for a bit, it fought back The Darkness, and protected all of them. So they wanted to be like it.
They took in shapes resembling it, but instead of the unassuming fair figure of their memories, they took forms that were more stout. Some had great barriers made of their on essence on their arms, others blades the sizes of their main bodies, and yet others choose to forgo either to concentrate on the use on their own power and that surrounding them to channel it flexibly like the Figure did.
What they all had in common aside from being like the Figure, though, was a great pair of thin but strong protuberances on their backs, being able to propel them with explosive speed. So they could move faster, and not just look while their companions were torn, and be able to react and turn towards those despicable Dark Figures, even if just to last a second longer against them.
Just as their changing was finished and they made the resolve to face oblivion, the Sphere behind them lost all color and became a dull gray. With the last bits of it shine fading, dark horde rushed against them with renewed fervor.
Left and right, they could see their brethren falling. No matter how though their new forms were, they could not help but fall after being attacked by dozens of Shades simultaneously. But they were busy, too. They battled the Dark Figures in an intense match.
While those that had strong barriers were moving so as to take and block any attack from it, those who wielded blades danced around them, looking for an opening in the mist of their attacks so they could land a blow. Those who leaved behind physical advantages to channel the shine and life around them busied themselves by trying to keep The Darkness at bay, though only slowing it.
It was just slowing down the inevitable, but they had to, regardless of the cost. Soon enough, only them were left, their shine fading before the black curtain that wanted to cover everything.
As they continued fighting, their strength fading, cracks spread through the entirety of the now gray Sphere. Black tendrils had reached it, and a myriad Shades were assaulting it. There was nothing the few winged lights remaining could do, just keeping the Dark Shapes busy took their all.
As the cracks spread, a great shine came bursting forth. Its light spread everywhere, as if signalizing everyone that The Darkness had still not won. All the Shades surrounding the Sphere were instantly banished from existence, and The Darkness was pushed back visibly.
The Winged Figures felt a surge of strength going through them, while at the same time they saw the Dark Shapes before them writing in agony. Taking the chance they launched themselves against one of them, wounding it, its wild retaliation having no aim or coordination.
As the Dark Shapes recovered, the two others became enraged at being inflicted pain, and the outrageous act of wounding one of their own. But that didn't last much either.
Something sweep up the wounded Dark Figure, tearing and shredding it so fast and furiously that before any noticed it was just black tatters, fading to the void.
There was a truly gargantuan thing, its figure more solid and clear than any before. Its skin was composed of layer upon layer of scales that shined a different color with every move, at both its limbs it had claws that could shred all, and upon its back it had two pairs of wings the seemed ethereal in nature. Its eyes blazed with a will so strong it seemed palpable.
With a huge roar it threw itself at the other Dark Figures, engaging them in battle. Even tough they were not harmed before and both against it, the battle was matched. No, if one looked carefully, the beast was cornering them. Their attacks were ineffective, and just a graze of its claws caused wounds that would not heal to appear.
Accompanied with a mighty cry, a shiny blaze like the one before appeared, making The Darkness go back ever further. When the Winged Figures looked there, a great being, not loosing in size to the beast from before was there. It was a creature whose body was mostly its wings, with long talons and a beak, its whole body radiation with energy. Contrary to the other, its whole being seemed ethereal and close to fading, but its blazing shine betrayed any expectation that it would disappear.
It turned its look to them, and flied towards them, enveloping them in its flames. Far from being harmed, they felt themselves turning stronger, their wills and shapes solidifying, turning into more than they were ever before. Then, it flew into the fray, wreaking havoc among the dark legions.
The Winged Shapes did not move though. They now knew what their role was. They spread into teams covering as big an area as they could, between the battle and inner into the cloud.
Those creatures were the front lines, the ones that would jump into the fray and fight while surrounded, and still win. They, however, were the rear guard. They would fight, but not to obliterate their foes, but to safe guard the sparkling sight behind them. To not let them get through.
The scaly beast was finishing its battle. But its foes would not stand down just like that.
In a moment, just when it had landed a strike on one of them, as it was fading, the other one went to it; and devoured it.
Surprise colored the face of the creature for just a moment, but that was enough.
With a sudden surge of strength, the Dark Shape forwent its legs, changing them into a single, long limb, its arms changing into huge leathery wings with sharp claws at its most uppermost part, and its head turning to a long snout that lost wideness as it went.
Seizing the its opponents pause and its new form and strength, it flew at full speed back to the Dark Spheres, the Scaly Beast quickly giving chase.
The hordes of Shades barely slowed it down, and while getting closer to them its whole body shined. The Dark Shape used the first and second Spheres to keep it busy, having them lash out against it while he went to his own to gather strength. The next sight stupefied it.
While avoiding the Dark Sphere's arcs of energy, its previous shine all gathered in its wing, making them seem like all the surrounding light was gathered in there. It opened its huge mouth, and a ray of light, so intense that it seared the Dark being skin from a distance, went into the dark Sphere.
That ray lasted for no longer than a minute, but it was enough. As it lost power, the dark Sphere began to tremble, and it burst into light dust on all directions. The sight was a beautiful one, but it could not be more horrible to those opposing such creature. The only saving grace was that it seemed to dim its strength.
So the Dark Being, now in his own domain, chose not to fight, but to retreat. So it could gather strength. So it could get power. Enough power to fight that thing.
As the other black Sphere burst into light, the last one retreated in to The Darkness. The Shades too began to fall back, lest they all perish.
The battle was won. But it would not be the last. It was just the beginning.
The Fiery Being went into the cloud, lighting up its way. Its role was to cleanse the colorful cloud of any black stain, and give strength to those who would fight.
The Scaly Beast eyed the void warily, then began to go round the farthest reaches of were the lights shined.
¿And the Winged Lights? They just stood there. Because it was their role.
Soon, there will be others like them. Other Guardians. Those who fight, not to destroy, but to preserve this beautiful sight.
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¡Thank you for reading until here!
Comments and reviews are really apreciated, I want to improve, and if you told me what you thought about this "preamble", that would be awesome. Even just a "Thank you" would make me really happy.