Star Keepers: Misalignment

Prologue

"Ursa, stop worrying." Hydra says to her. "He's fine."

"I'm not worried about him." She says. "I'm worried about you."

"About me?"

"Yes. It's your first time creating a Star Keeper, and I want it to go perfectly for you. I don't want you to be discouraged."

Hydra smiles at Ursa, his yellow eyes like sunflowers in the dark creation room. "It's okay. However he comes out is how he comes out." He turns his attention forward, and in the center of the room is a baby boy.

"There he is." Ursa walks forward to pick him up. "Your first one. Your Scorpius!"

Hydra walks to Ursa and gazes at the immortal being he's just created. "He's perfect."

"Wait, Scorpius? Not after the scorpion that killed-"

"Ursa, that's a legend. It's not written in the stars." Hydra laughs softly.

"Has he arrived?" A small voice asks from behind them.

Ursa turns. "Pavo! How many times have I told you not to enter the creation room without permission?"

"Y-yes, but-"

"Be gone with you!" She waves a dismissive hand at him.

"Yes, ma'am." He leaves the room, rolling his eyes. "She should be thankful I gave her the idea to create Hydra." Pavo mutters.

Hydra runs out of the creation room and catches up to him. "Pavo!" He calls. "He has arrived, and he's perfect."

Pavo smiled. "I hope he's everything you hoped. Was it successful?"

"I won't know until he's older and can use them." Hydra says. "When Ursa makes me leader, I will give everyone some."

Pavo smiles a little. "That's great."

"Don't you want to know who I'll choose as my right hand man?" Hydra smiled.

"I don't know--Scorpius?" Pavo laughs.

"You." Hydra said.

Pavo's smile fades. "Seriously?"

Hydra nods. "Absolutely. I mean, you should be Ursa's right now anyway."

Pavo nodded, but kept quiet about that. "I'm truly honored, Hydra."

"Now come meet Scorpius." Hydra leads Pavo to the creation room, Ursa having left. "Just look at him."

Pavo looks down at the infant. "Brown hair...red eyes?"

Hydra nods. "Cool, isn't it?"

"Definitely unique."

"You wanna talk about unique, Mr. Turquoise?"

Pavo laughs. "He looks great. So Scorpius...let me guess, he's a scorpion?"

"First guess! I'm impressed." Hydra says.

Pavo laughs. "What season?"

"Summer."

"Hemisphere?"

"Northern."

"Very nice." Pavo nods. "Is Ursa going to let you create more?"

Hydra nods. "I already have one in mind."

"That's great." Pavo says sullenly.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing." Pavo sighs. "It's just-- I was one of Ursa's first creations. Why am I not her right hand man? Why won't I be taking her place when she steps down?"

Hydra pats Pavo's shoulder. "I'm sorry. Do you want me to step down? I could put in a good word for you-"

"No, it's fine. I don't want to take anything from you."

"If it makes you feel any better, Lynx isn't even going to take her place."

Pavo chuckles. "True. At least he has a better reason to feel robbed."

"I'm sorry, buddy."

Pavo shakes his head. "No. I understand."

Hydra gazes around the creation room. "I'll let you come in here anytime."

Pavo laughs. "Thanks." He begins to leave.

"Anytime." Hydra repeats.

Pavo turns back and Hydra holds his stare for a moment, then he leaves.

"Hey, Pavo." Pisces says.

"Hi." Pavo smiles at her. "What's up?"

"Oh, Taurus went down to the mortal world and hurt himself again." She shakes her head and rolls her eyes. "This is the third time for him alone! Probably the ninth time overall. People just aren't learning we're vulnerable down there."

"Their wounds don't heal when they come up here?" Pavo asks.

Pisces shakes her head. "No. They just have to wait for it to heal like the mortals do."

A thought pops into Pavo's head. "Maybe not...."

Pisces frowns. "What?"

"Nothing." Pavo smiles wide. "Thanks for the wonderful idea!" He leaves her without saying another word. He runs back into the creation room, neither Ursa or Hydra there. "What if we had our own healing factor right here in the Star Realm? That way nobody has to go through the pain like a mortal!"

He grabs the book he usually keeps hidden in the library out from the spot he left it in the entryway, then comes back in. He writes furiously, then lifts his eyes.

"Anytime"

Hydra's words ring in his head. Pavo runs forward and punches in the code to access the creator. He laughs joyfully as he puts in the features of his creation, but hesitates to hit the create button. Pavo looks to the door, as if waiting for someone to come in and bust him.

The door never opens.

Pavo bites his lip, then hits create.

He watches as the star dust swirls around him, then forms a Star Keeper.

Pavo laughs in amazement. "What is this?" Someone asks from behind him. He quickly turns around, then breathes a sigh of relief.

"Hydra, thank god it's just you." Pavo turns back to his creation. "Look!"

Hydra walks forward, stares down at the child, then turns to Pavo. "Red hair?" He laughs.

"And orange eyes."

"What is he?"

"I don't know yet, a kind of bird."

"Why'd you create him? Just for fun?"

"No! No, Pisces, she told me Taurus got hurt again. I wanted to create a Star Keeper that could heal the injured right here." Pavo explains.

"Interesting." Hydra nods. "So his name should go with the fact that he heals. Something that is healed could be considered reborn. Things that are reborn..."

"Phoenix." Pavo whispers. Hydra stares at him. He laughs softly. "Phoenix."