After a surprisingly good nights rest we woke up and tried to decide where to go next. After a breakfast of apples, leftover cockatrice meat and some strawberries we decided to head towards the nearest structure which happened to be an old abandoned castle.

"So is there anything special about this ruined castle?" I asked Alice while we walked.

"It is the old ruins of the royal alicorn princesses so it is technically a seat of power for rulers. But there is something extra special about it that only the Solarans and the Fox Tribes know about." She replied in a tone that suggested she did not really care for the place.

"Let me guess it is either a Tartarus Gate or it is a junction for Ley lines" Skadi calmly as she padded beside me.

"Yea it's a Tartarus gate. How did you guess?" Alice moved in between me and Skadi as she said this. Tartarus why is that name familiar to me?

"My old pack and I ventured near there when I was younger, once we got too close and our old leader just stopped dead in his tracks. When our Spirit-Speaker went to see what was wrong he ran away screaming and howling about power stronger than possible." Skadi said this so calmly it actually kind of scared me.

"Ah that makes sense." Alice nodded and then turned back to looking at where she was going. We walked for about another five minutes before I had to break the awkward silence, it was actually starting to hurt my ears it was so quiet.

"So Alice you said that the Solarans are more powerful than Alicorns. How is that an achievement?" I asked as it had been bugging me for a bit.

"Oh the Alicorns are essentially lesser immortals. For example the current two princesses are in charge of raising and lowering the sun and moon." Looking at me like I was an idiot. Oh lord how strong am I? "But you are strong on a different scale."

"Hm?"

"Yes, you may not be able to move the sun or moon but the princesses can not go into Tartarous. You can not only enter there but you can also defeat the creatures that live there." Holyshitholyshitholyshitholyshitholyshitholyshit. I think I am kinda afraid of myself now. I thought looking down at my paws and the rest of my body sizing it up.

"You must be pulling my ear because there is no way that could happen. I mean look at me I'm only a really tall bear nothing more."

"Last I checked you could go invisible and had super fast healing abilities." Skadi said idly as if everyone could do it.

"Yea well that stuff is different." I trailed off and started putting things into perspective. If I really think about it only a day ago I was literally thrown from my home dimension into this one and I have been taking it like it was just a passing hiccup or something. I guess I really am something else now because I think if I was still human I would have freaked out by now. We continued walking in silence for a little bit longer before I noticed something. I couldn't see more than ten feet in front of me, mostly because there was nothing there.

"Uh, Girls are you seeing what I'm not?" I asked thoroughly worried but when I looked to my left Alice wasn't there and Skadi was no longer to my right either. I started to panic when I heard a voice I had not heard in five years and it filled me with rage.

"Hello boy I trust you have been well?"

"Saturn. What are you doing here?"

Alice POV

After Ivan had trailed off into thought we walked for a bit longer so he could figure things out when he suddenly started to disappear, not just visibly either his presence was leaving as well as his image.

"Skadi do you know whats happening?"

"No but I am worried."

"Me too." We stood at the spot we last saw him at and we waited and hoped. Hoped that he was not leaving this world as he was our last hope for peace in our wild wood.

Ivan POV

"Well, I am actually here not to taunt you like you think I am here to tell you that if you enter Tartarus, Terra will be very angry with you and we both know that is bad for both of us.

"Oh so the bitch who wanted me to do what you did and kill every person who wronged me, will be mad if I go for a walk in her brothers garden?" I asked staring forward to where I assumed his essence was.

"Pretty much." He answered in a way that made me want to rip him into pieces (again!)

"And what if I were to say, Piss off I don't take your orders anymore? Because that is my answer I answer to myself and on very rare occasion I might kind of listen to Mars. Now put me back in the forest or I will do worse to you than Jupiter did. Savvy?"

"Hey no reason for that I am just a messenger. Oh and by the way the reason you are taking things so well in your 'new' body is that this is in fact your first body. Your human form was like a clay case to cover up this body. Well Have fun and remember Terra will be pissed!" He said before I felt myself returning from that particular pit of hell. Well now I need some strong vodka and a talk with Mars, maybe he will explain more of this. seems I am doing a lot of passing out right now, so yea I passed out after my meeting with Saturn because he is after all the Titan of time. But the only different thing about this time was the fact that I dreamed afterwards. I dreamed of moment my life took a massive dive downhill.

I was ten and constantly made fun of. Mostly because I am an albino but also because of my size, Russian accent and my sharp pointed teeth that filled my mouth. I was walking in the forest after school to calm my head and relax after another stressful day at school. I was walking alone on the path when I felt I was not alone and that someone was watching me. I turned around to see a pale man in a suit standing in the distance slightly hidden by some trees. I would have turned around and kept walking when I realized, his arms were growing and some sort of tentacle was coming out of his back. the moment I felt the urge to run for my life I did and I have never run so fast in my life but it was to no avail. I fell down and thought. Is this how I die? At the mercy of some freak monster?

"Not if you don't want to die." A calm earthy voice said to me as I cried while being dragged backwards. Now is not the time to be hearing voices Ivan!

"FOOL! I am not a voice in your head I am Terra Titan of the Earth. I can save you if you want to live but it will cost you later in life. Do you want to live?" Even if I was only hearing things in my last moments. I was not going to take that chance. Yes please help me! whatever the price I can pay it! How I regret those words.

I heard faint voices as I slowly returned to the land of the living. (Sure I technically didn't leave but hey it works.) I groaned and sat up dripping sweat off of the end of my nose. I gasped in pain as a headache set in the voices stopped once I did and I saw Alica and Skadi looking at me worriedly. After a few seconds I stood up and looked around investigating my surroundings, I was in a clearing surrounded by old oaks and willow trees, I could hear a river nearby which means I could go dunk my head in the cold water. I decided to do said dunking and headed towards the water when I saw IT. The same thing that chased me through the woods years ago and essentially ruined my life. I stopped in my tracks and stared at the Thing before I roared in rage and charged at It determined to make it pay for ruining my life. When I got close enough Its tentacles shot out of Its back and held me at bay while I swung ineffectively, desperately trying to end Its existence.

"I am not your enemy." I stopped and looked at Him for his "voice" was male. I stared into his featureless, hairless and white face trying to guess his intention but i still wanted to kill him.

"I did not come to this realm to harm you in any way. I also do not intend to be harmed so you will be restrained till I believe you won't try to harm me."

"You fucker." I spat. "You ruined my life by attacking me. I hate you and I will destroy you and When I am finished I will destroy Terra and Saturn." I twisted my arms wrapping his tentacles around so I could grab them. I ripped with all my strength tearing them apart. His grip loosened on my legs just enough for me to break free. I swung my fist into his face feeling the bones crush beneath my fist sending him sprawling a good 40 feet away. I started walking towards him when he started getting bigger. Before he was about 8 feet tall in a matter of seconds though he was standing on his feet again with tentacles all over his back numbering in the twenty's, His arms were a good ten feet long each and he stood over 20 feet tall. Well fuck. I thought before being picked up and smashed into a tree till it fell over. He then dragged me across the ground and threw me in the river. When I resurfaced he was back to his previous size with only a few tentacles which held him slightly off the ground. I heard a loud crack and his face popped back into form, He smiled his mouth full of sharp pointed teeth. For some reason those teeth reminded me of my teeth when I was human. Actually now that i think about it my teeth were a little extra pointy than was probably normal for a bear. Why am I not feeling as threatened as the first time?

"Now that you have cooled your head can we talk like a father and son should? Your Fucking kidding me. Next Chapter: The Guardian pt.2 Estimated time remaining: 26 Minutes