"The Heart Stone
Healing all the wounds
Enchanting every soul
Adoring every creature
Ruled by the Light
Therefor its Guardian."
- a poem for the first Guardian
by Ayano_Ann (me)
"Tina!"
Everything around Valentina was pure black. 'Leave me alone,' she thought.
"Valentina, wake up!" again the familial voice shook her firmly.
The girl painfully opened her eyes, annoyed that she was woken up. She was going to argue but her breath cut by seeing the face in front of her.
Eric was in tears and kept shaking her visibly upset and frightened. It was the first time she saw him like this. She realized that she was the cause and felt uncomfortable that she had upset him and hugged him calmly.
"I'm here calm down." she felt that she was having difficulty talking. Tina felt that the boy was still shaking a little, but when he heard her and realized she was well he calmed down.
"What happened? " Tina asked, looking at the others. They seemed worried, too.
"Something unbelievable happened. You don't understand anything? You saved us! The wolves were going to attack us, but you did something, and they're all gone! What did you do? But are you all right? That scared us. You fell on the ground and fainted!" her cousin Iza squatted next to her worried.
"I have no idea what happened... I remember I wanted to protect Daisy... where is she, is she okay?"
"Th….Thank you! If it wasn't you..." the little girl jumped up to her crying although Eric was still hugging her and she was barely able to reach Tina, and she smiled nicely at her.
"And what happened to the wolves..." then she remembered of the vision and looked up next to her.
A little animal was lying next to her and breathed heavily. It was grey with only one black and one white ear.
Tina got out of Eric's anxious hug and slowly headed for the wolf and touched him. It reacted and woke up. It opened its eyes and started playfully spinning his tail. There was one blue and one golden eye.
Tina took it in her arms, and it sniffed her and delightedly licked her on the nose and the girl laughed. The rest was a little scared of what they were seeing. Camille and her brother almost vomited in anger.
"What do you think you're doing? You're taking a monster's kid?! And how did that even show up..." Camille shouted at her.
"It's not to blame, and that's exactly the key: their unionization. This wolf is a harmony of good and evil." the girl took it in his hands and gently smiled at him. "I will not leave it. It comes with us because it is my animal spirit that the teacher was talking about."
She stood up and headed for Camille and Ryan. "I know what these wolves did to you, but they did it out of anger. You were chosen to survive and have those powers."
Camille looked at her with slight disgust and resentment but agreed to keep it after unanimous consent. Otherwise, it was so small it wouldn't hurt anyone.
"How are you going to name it? " his cousin, Isabelle, asked.
"Hmmm... Heiko (Japanese means equilibrium – harmony between light and darkness)?" the little wolf slightly jabs in a sign of agreement and almost smiled.
"Are you sure you're okay? Your eyes look unusual... " Eric asked her concerned as they were preparing to leave. The girl's eyes were shining in pink and green.
"Uh? Yes, I'm fine, don't worry" Tina smiled. It was true that she felt slightly different... but isolated the change.
"We're going to go, that's nice, but where?" Tessa asked.
She was wearing her typically low bun, and her clothes were from light silk with leggings, and her sleeves were longer.
'That way,' some thread hinted the road to Tina. Her eyes shone, and she went quietly there, enchanted.
"Tina, what's wrong?" Eric tried to hold her hand.
"Something tells me that this is the direction. Come," the girl answered with almost not her voice.
"Now what's gotten into her? " Camille complained.
" Well, we have nothing to lose."
Valentina was right. Even before the road was over, they found themselves in front of a big golden door. Without thinking, still overwhelmed by the strange magic, she touched the door and it shone even brighter.
A stone in pink was revealed from behind. Small threads surrounded the girl and lifted her into the air. People's memories came to her head. Her hair became white. She felt the words of the animals, the spirits, felt the secrets of every herb, every medicine, and how to make it grow.
All creatures guided her to every outcome of every situation. She was the Chosen One of the Keepers, who kept the Stone of the Heart, dedicated helping to all beings. The Pink Gem turned into a necklace, and she decorated Tina's neck forever.
☆
Isabel watched with a half-open mouth as her cousin rose in the air, and the strange light enveloped her. She remembered everything, and like a thunderbolt, a memory of the last year flooded her.
The stone had found its Guardian — the first Chosen One was her cousin Valentina. Iza smiled a little, 'It was supposed to be her. After all, she's the most beautiful.' Iza looked timidly at Lucas.
He was standing near her and gently covered her from the light. The girl wondered why he was doing it. As an answer, Lucas looked and her questionable.
"Are you feeling better this way, Isa? It doesn't shine on you much, right?" he seemed a little worried.
"Uh, uh... Yes, I am fine...."
'Is he worried about me....' - Iza was shocked.
While she was still wondering what was going on, the light began to diminish, and Valentina fell to the ground.
Iza headed for her cousin, and Eric was already by her side holding her. 'Eric cares so much about her. He always protects her.' Tina was shaking a little. A pink stone was shining on her neck.
"TO THE ATTENTION OF ALL PLAYERS, THE FIRST KEEPER OF THE HEART IS OFFICIALLY OPEN YOU CAN MOVE INTO THE NEXT ARENA."
Tina rose to her feet slightly puzzled, and everyone began to surround her and greet her.
"Congratulations, Tina! You're Chosen!"
The girl smiled slightly at the others and thanked the congratulations. Heiko was jokingly running past her. The rest of the village came to congratulate her and thank her too for saving them. Daisy was showered in tears, and Tina gently patted her head not to suffer.
In the end, they said goodbye and headed for the big golden door. Inside was impenetrable darkness, and the fire behemoths lit up the place. At the end of the tunnel, there was a big black door.
Tina, as a new Guardian, opened it, and what was revealed before their eyes were unbelievable.