Legend Of The Shade

Written By: Jake Stone

Chapter One:

It Was Only A Matter Of  Time

The Sedora galaxy.  Vast, beautiful, and unlike any other.  For, the royal family who rule this galaxy have achieved what no one in the universe ever thought possible. Peace.  True peace.  There is no crime, no hostility, no war.  There haven’t been weapons made or a military force assembled in hundreds of years.  Yet, the people of this galaxy are not robots.  They are not part of some conspiracy by the throne to subdue it’s citizens into subjection.  They are simply a society who esteem knowledge, understanding, and love above all else.  This pursuit lead each generation to great advancements in medicine and social interaction.  Instead of wasting time and effort on finding new ways to hurt and kill one another, they worked together to find ways to improve themselves and the worlds they lived in.  Balance was the key.  Finding a way to balance their emotions, hormones, desires, and impulses along with those of others.  They found that with just the perfect amount of sleep, healthy diet, work, play, interaction with family, friends, and strangers, the people began to truly enjoy life.  They were happy.  Honestly happy.  And when enough people are all striving toward a common goal, amazing things can happen.  Of course, it wasn’t always this way.  Just like any other civilization, there was a dark time in their history filled with war, famine, and heartache.  A time when selfishness ruled over the psyche of all.  A time when people elevated themselves above others and only thought inwardly.  Millenniums passed, though it seemed as if time stood still.  Fierce competition fueled jealousy and rage to the point that any scientific achievement was seen more as a threat than an innovation.  People were depressed.  The whole galaxy was at war with no end in sight.  

Until The Shades.  The Shades were a fraternity of heroes who rose when they were needed most.  A group of like minded individuals who knew they could be better, and knew that their example could inspire more to do the same.  They took it upon themselves to restore peace and justice to their worlds.  At first it was small things.  Stopping bullies from picking on the weak and helpless.  Catching thieves and returning stolen property.  They wore identical black uniforms to present a united force.  Then, as their skills developed and they continued to push themselves to be better, they took on larger operations such as hunting down dangerous criminals and delivering them for judgement.  This required upgrading their uniforms to armor.  And as the danger worsened, their technological and combat skills developed further until the point that they were considered to be superheroes.  No one really knew how many there were.  They all wore the same armor and helmets that covered their faces.  Some were men, some were women, but they all fought the same.  It became painfully obvious that they could outwit and outfight any opponent they targeted.  By removing the worst influences of the planets, they started to see change. The people were trying to work together again. Their plan was working.  Slowly but surely, they won the hearts of all.  All, but a select few, which of course just happened to be the very ones in the highest levels of power.  As the Shades methodically peeled back the layers of crime and corruption, they realized that the true source of the problem was their government.  The puppeteers were pulling the strings of the whole broken system.  They knew what had to be done.  They had to dismantle their so called leadership and start fresh.  And they did it.  It was surprisingly easier than they could have imagined.  They had helped so many people for so long, that the citizens of Sedora knew who deserved to choose their new King.  The ones who fought for them.  The ones who cared about them.  The ones who held themselves to a higher standard and pushed others to do the same. Nothing they did was out of ego or for some sort of glory or material gain.  It was all for Sedora.  To build a better system.  The Shades elected who they considered to be the best, most humble, incorruptible citizen of the galaxy to be the new king.  And so began the rule of King Xellaventus I.  Widely regarded as the greatest King ever to rule the galaxy.  He was the very first to put the people’s needs ahead of his own.  The spark that started the flame.  He was an inspiration who gave hope to an entire galaxy for generations to come.  The King kept the Shades as a council of advisers and protectors.  After all they had accomplished, their work was far from over.  Though, as the years passed, conditions improved exponentially.  Giant leaps were made in science and medicine within a short amount of time.  Their knowledge and understanding of their own psychology helped them to delve deeper into the underlying root of all negativity and evil.  Finally, toward the end of King Xellaventus’ life, the code to it all was deciphered.  They achieved balance.  They accomplished Peace.  And that peace has lasted for half a millennia.  Until today…

The crown of the kingdom has been passed down from the first King’s firstborn, to her firstborn, and so on.  The values, priorities, and example of the royal family have been the gravity that holds it all in place.  

A grand privilege and responsibility held by all in our family, Zen.  Even though you are the fifth born in this family, you are part of something bigger.  Never feel that you are worth any less than the rest of us.  You are unique and all the qualities you possess are needed to complete this family, this planet, and this galaxy.  Only when we are all in harmony with one another.  Only when we have balance, do we move forward.  In peace, in happiness, in love.  But, I’m not telling you anything I haven’t said before.  So tell me, what troubles you my son?  

“I really shouldn’t say.”

“When have I ever scolded you for opening up to me?”

“I suppose you’re right, Mum.”

“I do love hearing that!” she laughed.

“It’s just… I guess I just don’t feel that I’ve found where I fit in.  I’m not sure what it is that I have that is really helping anyone.  I guess I just feel a little lost.”

“Oh my son, you hold more within you than you could ever know.  The fun… the beauty… is in the journey of discovering it.  Seeing what you’re made of.  The man you will become.  I see greatness in you my son.”

“Thanks Mum.  I better go.  I don’t want to be late for university.”

“Be safe. I love you.”

“Love you too.  I’ll see if I can stay in one piece.” he said with a hint of sarcasm.

Zen hurried out to the courtyard of the castle, jumped on his flybox and flew.  A flybox is a board made from an anti-gravitational element which fastens to the feet and can ben piloted from the riders brainwaves through a wireless helmet.  The rider simply thinks which direction they want to go, and the flybox reacts.  This particular morning Zen has his flybox at maximum speed in an attempt to reach his class on time when he notices his best friend, Osgrey, up ahead.  

Osgrey shouts, “You’re never gonna make it Princess!”.  

Normally, no citizen would dare speak so mockingly toward a member of the royal family.  But, Zen and Osgrey have been friends most of their lives and Zen would expect nothing less.  He considered such formalities to be excessive in the first place.  Zen had been born a Prince, but as is the custom in his family, he was taught that all the people of Sedora deserve to be treated equally.  Those who would stray from such casual speech would do so more out of respect and reverence for the throne than anything else.  Therefore, Zen replied, “I will if I cut through the fields of light! But, you’re probably too scared!”

The fields of light were extremely dangerous and few ever risked entering, let alone attempted to pilot a flybox through them.  They are a natural phenomenon of the capital planet of Lumentius.  There are cavities in the ground that are magnetically and electrically charged.  They have frequent spikes in energy that shoot lightning out of the cavities and into the sky.  Contact with the spike of lightning means certain death.  So, while the fields of light may not sound sinister, they are almost always avoided.  Especially since the timing of the spikes is completely unpredictable.  No one knows when they will erupt.  However,  Zen can hear his father’s voice in the back of his head is telling him that as a Prince, he must set the example for all, he can’t be late to class again.  He also can’t let Osgrey beat him there.  So, he cracks a mischievous grin to his best friend and flies right into the fields of light.  Osgrey can’t believe it.  He is frightened at the thought of navigating through the random pillars of death, but the thought of losing his only friend, or him holding that over his head for the rest of their lives seems much worse at the time.  So, he turns around and heads in after him.

“Wow, I’m impressed Ossi, I didn’t think you had it in you!” Zen shouts emphatically when he sees Osgrey trailing behind him.

“Well, someone had to make sure you don’t kill yourself.”

They both weave rapidly through the gauntlet, dodging spike after spike of lightning.  The ones that are already in full eruption are easy to avoid for the two seasoned flyboxers.  It’s the placid cavities that are more difficult to spot since the ground is a kaleidoscope of black and grey.  Nothing can grow with that much electromagnetic energy pulsing constantly, so the surface is composed of shards of black stones.  From up high where Zen and Osgrey fly, the shards look almost like black grass, but the reality is the stones may as well be tiny needles and knives poking up from the ground.  A fall at any altitude would be disastrous yet, the pair soldier on.  They are finally able to see the edge of the field and the end of this little adventure when Zen notices something out of the corner of his eye.  He almost dismisses it since there is no possible way it is what he thinks it is.  But, then he looks again and sure enough, it is a Vilasha.  One of the rarest, most beautiful flowers in the solar system.  It glows a brilliant pink and red with a braided metallic stem.  Zen remembered reading about them and how they can be plucked and kept alive for years as long as the root isn’t damaged.  His mind immediately shifts to Violet.  The girl who personifies the word crush.  She is the real reason Zen doesn’t want to be late today.  He can’t bare the thought of missing a moment he could spend in the presence of Violet.  She is easily the most strikingly gorgeous woman he has ever seen.  She is funny, intelligent, driven, and has absolutely no idea Zen has any interest in her.  She is that unique type of person who obsesses with almost tunnel vision over a subject that inspires her.  So much so, that she can be rather oblivious to certain things that are as clear as they could be to anyone else.  Zen spends much of his time thinking about her and how to make her notice him.  This is it.  This is his opportunity.  Not only would he have one of the rarest, most sought after flowers in the galaxy to give to her, but he also has the perilous story of how he stumbled upon it.  Surely, she would notice him with such a gift.  He has more than enough time now that they cut through the fields of light.  He banks left on his flybox to go pluck his treasure.  Osgrey follows and throws his hands up in the air.  “What are you doing psycho?  Do you want to die?”

Zen doesn’t have to say a word.  He just points to the Vilasha and smiles.  

“Violet?  Really?”  You’re going to risk your life, and mine to give Violet a flower?”

“Not just any flower Ossi.  This is exactly what I need to catch her attention.”

“A royal funeral?  I suppose you’re right.  That would get a lot of attention.”  He says sarcastically.

“Oh, come on Sidekick, we’ll be gone in no time.”

“Yeah, I’m just worried that you and I have very different definitions for the word “gone”.

Nevertheless, the two made their way down to the Vilasha and parked mid-air.  Zen kicked the back of his flybox around and broke a long sharp shard of stone from the surface.  He caught it before it fell so he could use it to pierce through the softer crust around the flower, carefully ensuring he didn’t damage the root.  Unfortunately, he couldn’t get low enough on his flybox to perform this delicate surgery.  

“Just leave it, Zen” said Osgrey.

“I can’t.  I just need to flip the orientation of the flybox so I can hang upside down and dig out the Vilasha.”

Spikes continue to erupt all around.  Osgrey is getting more nervous every second that passes.  Zen is almost done when he hears a noise. A thick sputtering buzz sound getting louder and louder.

“Hurry up!” Osgrey says frantically.

Zen quickly places the Vilasha carefully in his bag and flips his flybox right side up again, when he sees that the shard he broke off to dig up the flower caused a cave in behind them.  Now, they were on the edge of a massive cavity and the sound was getting louder and louder.  The two friends look at each other and before they can move, a massive spike of energy comes blasting from the cavity.  The shockwave sent both of them spiraling out of control.  Eruptions of lightning are surrounding them on all sides.  They are both attempting to regain their bearings when suddenly everything stops.  It is quiet.  Eerily quiet.  They slow down enough to compose themselves and look around.  All of the lightning has ceased.  They are just about to hit the throttle on their flyboxes and get out of there when they hear another sound.  This one is very different.  It’s coming from above.  They look around and see a pillar of smoke crash into the ground over the horizon.

“Was that a meteor?” asked Zen.

“Whatever it was, I’m not wasting this opportunity to get out of here before the fun begins again.”

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right.  Let’s go.”

They both take off as fast as their flyboxes will go and head straight for the University.

When they arrive everyone is in a panic.  There is a fury of activity encompassing them.  Loud sirens are blaring.  Something has happened.  Something bad.  Zen’s mind is racing as he searches his memory for what this particular siren means.  A detail he learned years ago in school that he never thought he would need to remember.  Then, it hits him so hard he almost chokes.  These are attack sirens.  They are under attack.  For the first time in hundreds of years.  The reality sinks in for a moment and Zen finally speaks.  “I suppose it had to happen eventually… It was only a matter of time.”