Morning arrived much sooner than I had hoped, but much to my surprise I slept for most of the night. I even slept in bed. 

One of the guards woke me up and said they would wait for me downstairs.

There's not much time so I quickly changed into my Spiritwalker outfit, took my backpack and left my bedroom.

I walked by Melody's bedroom, and there was just enough moonlight to see her sleep peacefully. Oh, and there are many, many plushies in her room. Well....I think she needs them, with all this royal stuff in her life. I sent a little prayer for my family, then headed downstairs.

There's nobody here to wave goodbye to. Not even the Buggos are awake it seems. It's time for me to go. 

Very far in the distance I can see the first rays of the sun announcing a new day. Slowly the darkness of night is replaced by daylight. I hope that's a good omen. 

I meet the mana extraction team near the entrance and follow them. They will only escort me to the Portal, and once we're on Earth, I'll be on my own. At least I feel confident now that I'm wearing my Spiritwalker outfit, flat shoes and am bringing my trusty knife along. It feels like I'm going undercover.

The Portal is basically a stone circle in the public Hall of Worship. Every Fairy has the opportunity to leave for Earth and collect mana, if they pass a training and meet the minimum requirements. Apparently it pays well too.

 

Stepping through the stone circle was as disappointing as it gets. It's really nothing more than stepping through it. No special effects or energy sensations, nothing. If I hadn't known any better, I would believe we're still back on Tallara, and Earth was nothing more than a well prepared theater play.

"Alright, Princess. This is it. And please don't forget, you're invisible to every human on this planet, but not to Goblins."

"Right, thanks for the reminder. Goodbye everyone."

I said my goodbyes to the mana extraction team and just flew away into nearby trees to think about my next actions. Great, so now I'm on Earth. Where the heck am I even?

"Updating map....complete."

Okay, that was a very welcome message. I open my map and I swear, this is Google all over. Just like I remember from my days on Earth, the map looks identical to that. Let's see...I'm in Central Park, New York? Eh....why here of all places?

I fly a few moments and land on a nice, sturdy branch close to a path humans walk on. It might give me some inspiration. Earth's day and night rhythm seem to match Tallara's, at least at the moment. Might be a coincidence. Oh, that's great! My map shows the time, I wish I had something like that at home. It's 05.32 am.

There's nobody around me, but it's still early. I take a sandwich out of my backpack and decide to ration the remaining food. Can't fly on an empty stomach, now can I?

After thinking about the best strategy to follow for about ten minutes, I arrive at the conclusion that I've got nothing. No plan, no strategy, no nothing. My goddess told me about this world's deity.....should I try...contacting them? I mean, is it him or her? Don't even know that!

And so I decide to pray, something I have taken for granted back home. But talking to the deities on Earth?.....That doesn't feel as casual. I make myself comfortable and close my eyes.

I whisper "dear deity, guardian, protector or whatever people may call you on Earth these days. Please help me. My goddess has sent me here to this world to find Brelb, our guardian of the Goblins. He shouldn't be here. He misbehaved and now he's hiding on Earth. The other deities from back home want to bring him to justice. Would you please.....give me a hint? Help me please? Where is he? I apologize for his trespassing and I promise to leave here as fast as I can!"

Suddenly I feel very, very sleepy. I thought I had slept pretty well?

 

When I open my eyes, I find myself sitting in a room with about a dozen humans. Humans my size. Nobody seems to find my presence here alarming. What the heck just happened? 

I removed the blanket which someone must have put over me and put it on the seat next to me....then discovered something....unexpected.

For some unfathomable reason I'm now wearing a military uniform. "U...S......Air..Force." A dark blue ladies uniform to be precise, complete with well polished shoes. Fashionable for military personnel, I have to admit. Oh.....that's unexpected.....my backpack and food reserves are gone.

When I try to read the name badge on this uniform, struggling to read it upside down.....I can finally decipher "Alisha Wells." My rank is "Second lieutenant," don't ask me how I know....I just do. This is very, very strange, I don't remember seeing name tags on uniforms?

Okay, let's ignore that for now. As far as I remember I'm still supposed to be Sasami, so what the heck happened?

I stand up and want to ask one of the other people here, but I hear someone whistle behind me. A man is serving soup to people who are standing in line. He moves his head in a way that tells you "don't stand there and talk to me."

I decide to stand in line and patiently wait for him to talk to me. So far nobody is behind me, giving me some time to chat. 

When my turn is finally up, he smiles in a really strange way, like he isn't who he appears to be. Or like he knows who I really am. A mysterious smile, yes a truly mysterious smile. He's middle aged, black haired and brown eyes. He's wearing a simple red sweater with the text "I love Fridays" and dark blue jeans. His brown shoes are nothing special either, but he looks nice, no complaints there. I wonder if there's a deeper meaning about that text, but probably not.

"Excuse me..... just...who...who are you?" I carefully asked.

"Who, me? I'm just a volunteer, giving out soup to people. You also want something yummy in your tummy? It's pretty cold here in New York?"

At that exact moment my stomach rumbled and since I seem to have misplaced my backpack....I really need the food..  "Yeah....yes, please."

He gives me a plastic cup now filled with a very rich looking tomato soup. God that smells great.

"Please, refrain from using your healing magic here. Or any other magic against humans for that matter. This world is not your world, and things work differently here, Sasami."

"Eh sure, of course. But...you....you know me?"

"Ha ha ha, of course I know you. It's been a while since you left Earth, Sasami. Better get used to your new, albeit temporary name. You are on Earth now. Blend in with humans." He points at my name tag.

"Eh....okay. But I don't even know where to start?"

"Relax....Alisha, you're doing fine. Keep up the good work." He puts his hand on my shoulder. "Just focus on getting rid of that one. Help is near."

"Oh god, thank you. I really need your help."

"Mmmmm.......you must have mistaken me for someone else, but you're welcome, Alisha. Now eat that soup before it gets cold."

"Oh, right, thanks for the soup. Wait....did you make me human?"

"Yes, I did. For the time being you're just a normal human being, but you still have your skills. When you are ready....Sasami....walk outside and find the guardian you've been looking for." 

"So....you're not him?"

"No, I'm not him." He winks.

"Hey! Officer lady, can you move? I'm hungry too ya know?" 

I turn around and apologize to the hungry man and sit down to finish my soup. Tell me what you want, but this soup is great! 

So I have to play being Alisha for a while, great. Just great. Why not change my first name.....ah.....nobody uses Sasami as a first name in the US, yeah I get it.

I notice other people returning their empty bowls to a kind lady in the back and I do the same.
"Thank you very much, it was absolutely delicious!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, honestly. Why would I lie about soup?" I tilted my head.

"I don't know, people can be mean." Her smile was gone.

"Ah....yeah...I know what you mean. But I didn't lie. Thanks, you guys gave my life meaning again this early morning." She doesn't have to know how exactly, but I didn't lie.

I see her smile return and her kindness meter really seems to be at "full" again. Mission complete.

"Thanks, eh....Alisha."  She read my name from the tag obviously.

"Anytime. Bye!"

 

I walk outside the building and feel that New York is currently experiencing winter....just my luck. Wait, shouldn't I be using the cold resistance skill? And the second I thought about it.....I felt perfectly normal again. See, it still works! No magic against others, but I get to protect myself. Nice!

I'm standing in another alley and don't really feel comfortable standing here. According to my map it's December 22nd, 07.52 am. So I really must have slept there for a little while.

The dumpster next to me is so full that the lid can't close, some plastic bottles are lying on the ground. But I'm not here to clean that up. I look up into the sky and see dark gray clouds passing by. A single ray of sunlight made it through the clouds and reflected on a skyscraper's window nearby. Looks like rain isn't far away, better continue my mission.

I silently pray again. "Okay, I know this sounds corny....but is now the right time to find you? I need some help.... That kind guy inside told me you wished to see me? How about a tip....you know....a sign?" 

"Bzzzz   Bzzzzz  Bzzzzz" A neon light just started flashing next to me. No way I could have missed that sound.  It points towards the street, so I leave the alley and try to find another sign. If that seems the way I will get some help, so be it.

A truck just passed by. "We have the right solution to your problems, find us in the yellow pages." I couldn't read the small print, the company name and such, but I got the hint. But where the heck do I find the Yellow Pages?

 And sure enough, after walking for three minutes and bumping into a guy, I see a fence covered in an ad for the Yellow Pages. "Don't look any further! Yellow Pages. Get the app! You can't go wrong, only right!"

Okay....I guess we're heading to the right?

After walking for another five minutes I started doubting that I might have missed a sign or two. You know, sometimes you get lost in thought and stare at anything but ads.

And finally the smile on my face returned. One HUGE billboard drew my attention.  A Star Wars ad. "Mmm...difficult to see the dark side is. Take the right path, you must!"

Okay...again to the right. It feels like the right thing to do.....duh...sorry, but I'm getting a bit frustrated by these signs. I need help...and soon. But I can't force anyone to help....I have to be polite and patient.

And sure enough the path leads into Central Park again. What the heck? Didn't I arrive here in the first place?
Okay, whatever...go with the flow Sasami...eh...Alisha.

For some reason I took the right path, for well....it has been the default choice so far. But a few pigeons kept landing in front of me. Nomatter how many times I shoo them away, more land. Okay, I get the hint.

I turn back and take the other path until I see a particularly large tree with another ad. This time it's a small flier stapled to the tree. Man, I hate it when people do that. But the text says "Need help? Feel alone? Call me." It also shows a number, probably a government funded hotline for....well, it's good that it exists.

Call me....call me....ohhh. Could it be...figuratively? I look up and ask "I sure could use your help...please."

 

FLASH

 

Suddenly I find myself in the Spirit Realm. It's hard to explain, but I developed a kind of a feeling to know when I'm there or back between mere mortals. All my senses tell me I'm really physically in the Spirit Realm, not just dreaming.

But I'm still here dressed as Alisha in her uniform. Does she even exist? I hope she won't mind me impersonating her. This Realm does somehow feel different, I can't put my finger on it.

Instead of an office building or beautiful nature around me, I'm standing in thick fog in a forest. I can smell the trees, my favorite pine trees, all around me. It's very quiet here, not even any bird songs. The wind in the treetops gently rustles the leaves and branches of, I guess those are oaks? Whatever, I'm not here for those trees.

 

I walk further down the path through this forest until I find a clearing. When I look back, the forest is gone and when I look in front of me, I suddenly see the ocean. Man, that's unsettling! So....I'm near the ocean now?

I walk over to the guardrail and lean against it while looking into the distance. The fog is gone and it appears to be a sunny day, but nobody is around me. 

There's a city behind me, but I don't see any people at the moment. Weird. I tried using the map, but it only says "no internet."  I like the humor, but I'm not in the mood for that. So...where the heck am I?

 

Suddenly I hear a siren in the distance, originating from somewhere in the city. The sound echoes all over the place, or perhaps even more sirens are sounding from further away. That gave me goosebumps....   

Next follows a loud spoken message "Warning...a tornado warning is in effect in this area. Seek shelter now."

The message repeats and then....the siren sounds again.

But why a tornado of all things? I suddenly felt a very strong wind, and in the distance I saw an enormous tornado approaching the city.....with me directly in its path! Debris is flying everywhere.

The second I run away, trying to seek shelter, the sirens stop and the tornado is gone like it was just a bad dream. There's no wind, no tornado, only the gentle, soothing sound of waves. I'm suddenly standing on a sandy beach with other buildings behind me. Where am I now?

Then another warning message plays from inside this city. Its alert sound is terrifying, only surpassed by the message that followed it.  "This is not a test, this is NOT a test. Ballistic missile threat inbound to Honolulu. Seek shelter immediately. This is not a test." 

But before I could wonder whether this really was Hawaii or not, I was shocked to my very core. I saw a bright light, brighter than the light of the sun. I then look back and see a mushroom shaped cloud growing ever larger, heading up into the atmosphere. Next I see a massive tsunami heading my way. God...I need to run!

But when I run, cursing loudly and breathing heavily, I look back and.....see the Golden Gate Bridge. I'm standing in the middle of a road, but there are no cars. The ocean is calm....no mushroom shaped clouds....just a calm day at sea. What the heck is going on?

Then another warning siren and message. "This is not a test. A seismic event above magnitude 9 has occurred and will reach this area. Seek shelter immediately!"

And sure enough, the ground started to shake so wildly that I lost balance and fell down. A crack opened in the road and slowly expanded, heading my way. "Shit! Shit shit shit!" I tried to move backwards while still sitting on my rear,  until the earthquake stopped. 

After blinking a few times, all is as it was only moments ago. Even the crack in the road is gone. I shout loudly "Okay, I got the message. Something bad is about to happen, but what am I supposed to do?"

 

Then I notice someone walking over to me. A man in his fifties, a bit of gray in his hair, well-dressed including a necktie and polished black shoes. 

"Hi, Sasami. Welcome to Earth."

"My god...that was one he.....heck of a way to greet me!"

"Yes, it was, wasn't it? But it was needed to show what's about to happen."

"Wait, let me ask this first. You are...Earth's deity?"

"Well, just one guardian of Earth, but yes, if you prefer that term. And to answer your next question...what you've just witnessed here, are the events you yourself have set in motion." He spreads his arms motioning towards the sea. "Remember the day you were blessed?"

"Eh....yes, I do. But how....how do you know that?" I'm pretty confused right now.

"I just do. You don't need to understand everything, just this. Even though you don't want these events to happen, the result will be the same. Whether you like it or not, Sasami, the way things are now.....you, a single Fairy, will bring about the apocalypse on Earth."

"Whaaa? Me? Isn't that a bit too harsh? What the heck did I even do?"

"Calm down, Sasami. Remember the tornado warning? Those are already happening. I know they bring back bad memories for you, but those are already REAL. They are happening right NOW. The rest.....will soon."

I fall to my knees and start crying. "How....how am I responsible for this? I don't want to harm Earth!"

"I know. Let me ease your conscience. It's not about what you want, but about what you are. I won't explain any further, you will understand...someday.

Now......the one you are looking for is trespassing on Earth's Realm of Influence. You must stop him...or all of these events shall come to pass. You have 3 days before I shall intervene, stopping him at all costs. If that happens, it will have repercussions for your world too, as agreed in the Divine Accords at the moment of Origin." 

"What? What does that even mean?"

"It means you have to find him soon, or life on Earth and Tallara will have to start over...from scratch."

"<Sniff>....but those accords? Why can't you just apprehend him now?"

"The Accords are an agreement between deities of all neighboring realities. We shall grant safe passage to each other as long as nobody interferes into the resident deity's way of doing things. The responsible deities have 3 of our local days to remedy the situation. Those are the rules. Sometimes in my favor, sometimes not. So you have three days to fix the situation as you were appointed by your deities." 

"But ME? I have to fix this as in ME?"

"Yes, Sasami."

"Okay, I won't pretend to understand all that legal stuff. But how? He's a deity....and I'm just a plain Fairy. Well, human at the moment."

"Don't be so modest. You have the blessings of 11 of your deities, don't you? Your job is just to find him and tell him he's supposed to appear before your Tribunal. You have three days to do this before he will succeed in ending life on this planet. And I cannot intervene before those three days."

I just continue to cry. Why me? What does the universe have against me? Me, a plain and simple Fairy must carry the weight of not one but two worlds? For what? For telling on a lazy Fairy god who was about to kill Fairies anyway?

"Sasami...understand this. If he doesn't return at once after you tell him to, I will have the right to intervene at once. Otherwise....I will have to wait for 3 full days as agreed in the accords. That's why you are needed. You are the representative, the way out of this predicament. Ask him to return to the Tribunal, that's all you have to do...nothing more. Listen to me. You can do this."

"But why me?"

"I know you feel disappointed, betrayed even. But it only seems that way, trust me. I allowed your goddess to save your soul from that Goblin attack. I allowed you to become a Fairy and I knew we would meet here, right now. I knew what you were capable of.....what you ARE capable of. The only thing you have to do is fulfill your destiny. This is why you received so many blessings. You CAN do this."

"Wow, that's...a lot to digest. But okay....no, I don't really get it. Is there anything else I should know?"

"Yes, there is. Make sure that humans are not caught up in any magic. They're not yet ready for that. Almost, but not yet."

"Okay, that's going to be a tough one. May I please ask for your help?"

"Of course, I wasn't allowed to offer it, as agreed in the Accords. But asking me directly is allowed. The one you seek will appear human and will enter Central Park any moment now. Once you leave this place, you will meet him. But up here, with me, time is not progressing. We have all the time in eternity to talk about this, if you need more time."

"Eh...I don't think that living here for a few years is going to make me feel any better. I think we should do this now."

"Very well, I respect that. Once again....you will attempt to reason with him. We'll see how things progress from there. You are now under my protection. Whatever happens there, you will not be harmed. This is in accordance with the Accords. Now...are you ready?"

"Eh yeah...but how do I even call you?"

"Call me however you wish, no mortal could understand my name as you cannot comprehend that of your supreme goddess..right?"

"Yeah.....that sounds fair. Okay guardian, I'm ready."

 

FLASH

 

And immediately I'm back in the park and see another flash. It's him! I shouted the words I had prepared for him "Return to the Tribunal as ordered by the supreme goddess!"

But he immediately focuses on me and uses some kind of magic attack against me, but some kind of invisible barrier protects me against him, sparks are flying everywhere. A lightning strike hits Brelb, but it seems to have missed its target.

Then I'm back near the ocean and breathing in a few times to help my insanely high blood pressure return to something more normal.

"Well, that went...as expected. Are you alright, Sasami?"

"Yeah...just pissed. He wouldn't even listen to me. But thanks for protecting me. And...I don't want to sound rude....but you missed?"

"Oh no, I did not miss, Sasami. I only sent a warning. Trust me, he got the message. He's slightly roasted."

"Ha ha ha, really? Oh, I love that, that's the way I like Goblins best."

"Glad to see you in good spirits. Yes, I know how you like your Goblins. But this one will be a bit tougher than you are used to."

"Yeah....somehow I knew that already. He's no ordinary Goblin. He's a dangerous one."

"Indeed. But now that he has refused to see you, a messenger from the guardians, I'm well within my rights to intervene. I choose you, Sasami, as the one who shall terminate him."

"WHAT? Terminate him? I....ME???? I'm not a terminator?!" I'm stomping away from the guardian, then walk back.

He doesn't even comment on my behavior, just continues. "This is serious, Sasami. I am bound by the rules I already mentioned. I will say again, you may not understand them, but they still apply and I will not violate the terms. As written in the Accords to guarantee a fair fight, and a last opportunity to plead for leniency, I cannot end his life directly. But we don't have the time for that, we know what he's up to.

I said I was allowed to intervene now, and that's through you. Consider yourself a loophole in the Accords. This was foreseen from the very beginning, a fact only supreme guardians are aware of."

"Wow....this is heavy stuff. Very deep."

"Yes, it is. But it isn't over yet. This rogue guardian somehow obtained this information, making you his prime target while you were even a human on Earth. But he did not expect outside intervention by supreme guardians as is our role. We value balance in all things, such is our reason for being.

Just so you understand, the need for the Tribunal is hereby nullified. You are the one who shall end his existence. None of your actions against him will be held against you. You are hereby authorized to use all magical skills to disable him, augmented with my mana. But whatever you do, keep humans safe at all costs."

"Pfffff........that's all, huh? Just end him?"

"Sasami, understand this. His divine magical abilities are naturally limited while being in my Realm, yours however are amplified beyond anything a mere mortal should ever experience. These are acceptable means which do not violate the terms of the Accords. But beware...Sasami..."

"Eh.......of what?" Here it comes....there is always a but.

"While your skills will be far superior to your opponent's......you are not invincible. But nor is he. In this specific case I'm not allowed to protect you, so don't expect me to pull you out. Give this all you have....or those events will come to pass."

"Oh great....no pressure..."

"Do you understand, Sasami?" His expression is still very serious.

"I do." I shrugged. I seriously don't care anymore. Me against a deity? I'm dead. But at least I had some fun. Father, mother, Melody, Celeste, the Buggos, my Clan.....even Kenta, and the other people I met.....goodbye. It's time for me to go out with a bang. 

He must have read my mind, but doesn't comment on my thoughts. "Excellent. I will transport you North of Los Angeles, to a military base. His actions will soon lead to the launch of nuclear weapons...and then catastrophes will happen which will progressively get worse. Alright, prepare.....Spiritwalker. You now have access to divine skills. Use them wisely. I know I can trust you with those. Sasami......Alisha, that's why you're wearing that uniform. Fair day."  

"Fair day, guardian of Earth." I bowed before him.

He then smiled and saluted. Well he's got a great sense of humor, just hope things won't turn out bad for me. 

After another FLASH and blinking a few times, I find myself standing on a runway. There are US fighter jets parked next to me. I could easily touch one of those, but I don't have the time for that.

 

Okay. I guess this is it. Showtime.