"You seem different. You're not the same species as that puny guardian I just killed..." He cocked his head in realization. "You... Must be the new universal guardian!" He raised his sword and pointed it at me.

 I got scared. Super scared. Was this the big moment? But I didn't even have Clare with me! Do I have to fight this guy with my fists and hopefully make it out..?

He lowered his sword. "But where's your sword? Where is your 'faithful companion'?"

 I didn't want to be here anymore. My heart was at the point where it might explode in fear. And he could sense it...

"What's the matter, little one? Why art thee afraid? Art thee not the guardian of this universe?" He stood perfectly still, and the wind and the raging snow cloud died down completely. Everything went dead silent.

I stuttered. "I a-am..." I was stalling, hoping the universe could sense I was in danger.

He looked thoughtful for a moment. I could tell he was up to something. 

"I was you once... The same bravery, the same spunk and will to be a hero. To save everyone... But I soon realized that this was all pointless. A waste of my beautiful power..." He looked at a blue fire like orb that formed in his hand. "And I thought that this... Universal sword.." He looked at his sword. "Was a chance to truly test my power and skill." 

He looked at me. "Think about it like this: Why a universal guardian if there is a such thing as a galaxy guardian? One guardian, one galaxy. And if all the galaxies are occupied by guardians, then the whole universe is safe. Why have a universal guardian to protect a already safe universe?" 

He laughed menacingly... 

"And then I realized why..." He looked up. "She is afraid... the universe is afraid!  Afraid of the smallest threat, the smallest FLAW in her perfect cycle. She is showing you false light. So I decided to use the power this sword gave me to make things right, to make everyone see. Once I find and kill her, I will show this universe a leader with no fear and no hesitation..." He put his sword away.

"So stay out of my way, guardian, and I'll let you live to see the universe's 'perfect' way of life... For now." He laughed again.

"Until we meet again... Miles..."

The blizzard raged back up and he disappeared in the vast blowing snow, still laughing... 

I stood there, frozen in thought. That was the Lich King! THE Lich King! No wonder it's up to me to stop him... 

The blizzard went away, and there were no life signs nearby. He was gone. I waited for three minutes, thinking about what he said... It seemed logical... But why listen to someone who's killed thousands, if not, millions of innocent lives? 

A loud boom came from above the clouds and a tunnel of different colors formed around me. The tunnel sucked me inside and brought me back to the universe and Clare. I stood there, traumatized. Frozen in fear. And they could see it in my face. The universe looked into me and her face changed in an instant. She knew exactly what happened at that point.

"Miles, darling... What did he do to you..?" I ignored her and turned to Clare in confusion. 

"Why didn't you come to me when I raised my hand?" I looked dead into her glowing eye or whatever. 

"Because, I'm a galaxy sword. You were in a different galaxy than the one we're in now." She moved back, afraid I might yell at her. 

"Oh." I nodded. It made sense. "And you..." I turned to the universe. "Why didn't you come for me?" She shook her head.

"I just thought you were... You know.. Taking a stroll? Enjoying the vast universe? But I had no idea you ran into HIM..." 

"Okay, now to answer your question." I crossed my arms. "He didn't do anything to me. He just told me why he was killing everyone. He said something about-" 

"False light?" She cut me off. "Miles, I have galaxy guardians so the GALAXIES can be safe. I have a universal guardian to act as my personal protector, to go where he's needed most. I do have a cycle going, and if someone breaks that cycle, for say the Lich King, everything will be lopsided and eventually break. And earlier when we first met, you asked me what I meant about any of my universes." She waved her hands and some sort orb with a million branches formed.

"Miles, this might be hard to explain, but I created more than just this universe." She pointed to the big orb. "Us." She motioned around the branches. "The other universes and dimensions I've created."

" And if the Lich King destroys this universe, everything will break." The orb faded and the branches exploded and dissolved. "You are the only person I have ever showed this to, out of the billion years I've been around. And you, are the ONLY person who can save all this." 

I had one more question. "And why don't YOU kill him? Since you obviously have infinite power." She laughed.

"It's not that simple. Those movies you've probably seen, where someone's in danger and they're saved by some mystic god... Not true whatsoever. As the universe, It is my job to keep everything in balance and check, but I absolutely can NOT. Interfere with the cycle unless absolutely necessary. So that's another reason why I have guardians. Plus, I'm off protecting other dimensions too y'know." She sat down.

"So basically, you're like... The mother universe?" I was shocked to the core, literally. Electricity started crawling around me. The universe smiled at the sight.

"Yes, I am. And it would appear the gift likes you." 

"At least something likes me." I looked around my body. 

"I think it's warning you about something, you better go back."

 The universe just waved her hand, and I was instantly transferred back into the hangar, along with Clare, except she was still floating still. It was dark outside and the TV turned off due to power saving. The door opened up and shut. I didn't hear anything, and I didn't see any blue quills. 

I backed up and hid in the cabinet again, watching closely outside. 

The TV turned on but only showed static and interference. A black, scraggly hand turned the knob left and right and turned the volume up and down. The lights flickered and eventually they turned off.  The volume was all the way up, and the only light was the static coming from the TV screen, and the interference was getting louder and louder.

And then...

It all stopped. 

No light, no sound, only pitch black. 

"EMERGENCY POWER ONLINE." The intercom blared out, and the lights shot on.

And in an instant, a boiling, smoldering crawler opened the cabinet doors and screeched in my face. I kicked at it in absolute fear. I was trapped, and the crawler was blocking the only way out.

The crawler stepped back and flung itself all over the place. But as it did, it shriveled up, boiling and blistering all over its skin. 

I just stood there, staring at it. Where's the rest...? There's no way this could be the only one in here. The hangar was dead silent again, all except for the humming of the lights. 

"Woah..." Clare broke the silence. "I guess I missed something?" She was staring at the dead crawler. 

"Yeah, it was weird though... Everything was getting all wonky and the power went out. I'm running on my emergency generator right now." I went to my computer to check my generator, and Clare followed. 

"GENERATOR AT: 63% CAPACITY."  A small voice said from my computer. I tapped on the keyboard and pulled up the cameras outside the hangar looking towards the house. The lights were off, and there were no signs of life. 

We don't want anyone knowing I'm here, now do we?  I decided to shut off the lights just in case anyone noticed. 

I stood in the dark, my helmet and Clare's glow as the only light breaking the darkness. 

What was my next move? Just wait until Arthas comes to my planet and destroys everything? I'm not even sure if I can beat him...even after I train... 

I looked around with night vision on, just observing the hangar. Clare's glow faded, but she was still floating. 

"Guess I should sleep too." I took my helmet off and set it down on my desk. And I was about to lie down when I heard faint music. 

I went outside and climbed atop of my hangar to see where it was coming from. There were spotlights shining into the air in the distance, and I could hear an electric guitar riff. 

"Oh yeah... The rock concert..." I could hear about a thousand people cheer. I tried to ignore it and I turned back to go to sleep.

But I heard something else... I felt something else...

It wasn't the drums beating, nor the vibrations of bass speakers...

I turned back around and observed the concert.

Nothing. What was it..? 

I used my two tails to fly towards the concert to check it out. I got about halfway there when I heard a familiar faint roar. My heart spiked and I flew faster than ever. The civilians didn't seem to hear. Good, I didn't want commotion distracting me. I hovered high over the concert, and looked around. There were mountains nearby, and a huge valley behind the concert. Cars were parked everywhere and tents were set up for overnight sleepers.

An avalanche started in the distance, but not too close to the concert. I looked up and saw what caused it. 

It was the black giant monster, the same exact size as the mountain it was standing on. I didn't have my goggles or my helmet to measure how tall it was. But I could see every detail of it. 

It had three stone spires, and its skin was jagged and rough. Just like a mountain... 

I raised my hand up, and Clare came flying towards me. Her symbols glowed bright yellow and electricity crawled all over my arm...

Which got the giant's attention. 

"That's not what I think it is... Is it?" Clare woke up and her mood crystal changed to blue.

"I don't know! Whatever the hell it is, it's the same thing from the news." I got into position, sword out front, ready to fight.  

"You don't remember its name??? That's a mountain guard! The most dangerous shadow demon ever created by the Lich King!" 

The mountain guard looked dead on towards Clare and I. It stood up on its hind legs, slowly, and it did a booming roar, causing a shock wave. The concert went from cheering to screaming in an instant.

"Great, another thing to worry about." I looked down and saw civilians fleeing in a large crowd, and the band playing at the concert left backstage. I focused back on the guard and before I knew it, the giant struck at me like I was a fly in the air. 

I shot down into the crowd, making a big crater about three meters wide and five feet deep.

"OW! Holy shit that hurt!" I rubbed my head, and got back up. "Clare, how do I take this one down? Just slit it's huge throat?" I examined the demon walking towards me in the distance.

"It's skin is impenetrable to the basic galaxy sword. Sorry!" She looked at me. 

 I just grinned. "Let's test that theory." I got into position again as thousands of people rushed passed me, screaming for their lives.

END OF CHAPTER NINE, THE GUARDIAN