I Can See Evolution Paths

Yasha quietly looked toward the distant village. Children laughing. Smoke rising from cooking fires. Hunters talking amongst themselves. A peaceful smile spread across her face.

Then golden light began surrounding her body.

Arthur recognized it immediately.

Exactly like King Mu.

Exactly like Voro.

Mithra sighed. "It’s happening again."

Arthur nodded slowly. "I was hoping I was wrong."

She looked back toward Yasha. "Why do all the good Guardians leave so quickly?"

Arthur didn’t have an answer and asked. "You’re leaving," he said.

Yasha nodded. "My duty is finished," she said.

Mithra frowned. "Wait," she said. "Aren’t you going to tell them?"

Yasha looked confused. "The Yan Tribe?"

"Yes. Shouldn’t you at least let them know about you?" Mithra pressed.

Arthur nodded. "At the very least," he said, "you can say goodbye. Even if you don’t know the current generation, you could—"

Yasha gently shook her head. "I don’t see the point," she said.

Silence. Arthur, Mithra, even Melo, all froze in place.

Melo frowned. "You really don’t?" she asked.

Yasha simply smiled. "I’m just happy they’re safe," she said.

Mithra looked frustrated. "But—" she started.

Arthur unexpectedly nodded. "I suppose I understand," he said.

Everyone looked at him.

Yasha blinked. "You do?"

Arthur nodded thoughtfully. "I guess it would be embarrassing," he said.

Yasha sighed with relief. "Exactly," she said.

Arthur continued. "After all," he said, "you’ve spent one hundred years letting them believe they were lucky. I wouldn’t want to ruin that illusion either."

Yasha nodded. "Yes. I wouldn’t—"

Arthur suddenly tilted his head. "But," he said.

Yasha stopped.

Mithra slowly looked toward Melo and knelt down. "Oh no."

Melo sighed and whispered back. "It’s that look again."

Mithra nodded and said. "Yasha is doom."

"The end is coming." Melo nodded.

Arthur looked genuinely confused at Yasha. "Once you’re gone," he said, "won’t that illusion disappear anyway?"

Yasha froze.

Mithra slowly smiled and Melo closed her eyes in resignation.

Arthur suddenly gasped. "Oh," he said. "I understand."

Yasha relaxed.

Arthur nodded seriously. "So," he said, "you’re an extremely strict Guardian."

Yasha blinked. "What?"

Arthur started walking in slow circles, thinking aloud. "It all makes sense," he said. "You wanted to give them one peaceful century before throwing them into terrifying survival training."

Yasha’s eyes went wide. "Wait!"

Arthur kept going. "I thought making Vedas hunt a boar before evolving, and fighting a dragon, was strict," he said. He nodded in admiration. "But this. This is another level."

Yasha’s eyes widened further.

Arthur smiled brightly. "You really trust those adorable, completely untrained, dangerously naïve Goblins to survive against Thunderbirds," he said.

Yasha panicked. "Well—"

Arthur nodded. "Right," he said. "They’ll improve through hardship." He paused. "Sure, half of them might die."

Yasha’s eyes went huge. "WHAT?!"

Arthur gasped again. "Oh! I understand. You expected three quarters?"

Yasha nearly fainted. "NO!"

Arthur continued admiringly. "What confidence. What faith. Marvelous."

Yasha lunged forward, clapping both hands over Arthur’s mouth. "THAT ISN’T WHAT I MEANT!"

Arthur blinked.

Yasha pointed desperately toward the village. "You’re supposed to help them! Not abandon them! They’re naïve! They’ve never seen monsters! They need guidance!"

She suddenly froze. "Wait," she said, slowly looking at Arthur. "Don’t tell me. You were planning to use them as meat shields."

Arthur tilted his head, genuinely considering it for a moment. "... That would be interesting."

Yasha trembled. "YOU WERE THINKING ABOUT IT!"

Arthur blinked. "I wasn’t going to... Probably."

Mithra burst into uncontrollable laughter. Even Melo turned away to hide her own smile.

Mithra finally caught her breath. "Don’t worry," she said. "He wasn’t planning that." She smiled warmly. "But I think you understand now. If you disappear without telling them, they’ll be completely unprepared."

Yasha lowered her head. "But they have you. And saying anything now won’t matter. They don’t know me. They’ll simply continue living."

Arthur immediately shook his head. "No," he said.

Yasha blinked. "Huh?"

Arthur gently grabbed her wrist. "I refuse to continue the Goblin King’s trial," he said.

Yasha froze. "What?"

Arthur smiled. "Until they know."

Yasha became serious. "The trial matters," she said. "The faster you finish, the sooner Vedas becomes Goblin King."

Arthur quietly walked toward her. Then, without warning, he flicked her forehead.

Yasha gasped.

Arthur smiled. "The trial matters," he said. "But that’s not what matters most."

Silence. Yasha tilted her head.

Arthur smiled softly. "You’ve spent one hundred years protecting them," he said. "You gave up everything. You watched generations grow." He paused. "Someone should say thank you."

Silence. Yasha couldn’t speak.

Mithra smiled. "I agree," she said. "It doesn’t matter if they never knew. It doesn’t matter if it changes nothing. Being thanked is basic courtesy." She looked directly at Yasha. "And I don’t think either of us could continue while keeping this secret."

Arthur nodded. "So if you want us to finish the trial, you’ll have to cooperate."

A long silence followed.

Yasha looked from Arthur to Mithra then back again. "You planned this together."

Arthur looked at Mithra. "We did?"

Mithra smiled. "I think we did."

Arthur nodded. "Nice."

Yasha sighed. "That’s somehow even scarier." She then slowly covered her face with both hands. "I take it back," she said.

Arthur blinked. "Hmm?"

"You two," Yasha said, "are terrifying monsters."

Mithra smiled proudly. "Thank you," she said.

Arthur scratched his head. "That’s strange," he said. "I’ve been called that a lot lately."

Yasha sighed. "Fine," she said. "How are we supposed to tell everyone?"

Mithra’s eyes suddenly lit up. "Melo!" she said.

Arthur blinked. "Oh?"

Mithra knelt beside Melo. "You can use Dream Light," she said. "Put everyone to sleep. Then Dream Weave. You can show everyone Yasha’s memories. They’ll see. They’ll understand. They’ll witness everything."

Arthur immediately smiled. He knelt beside Melo and gently rubbed her fluffy head. "Can you do it?" he asked.

Melo nodded confidently. "Of course," she said. "I also believe everyone deserves the truth."

Arthur and Mithra grinned at each other, then looked toward Yasha. After a long pause, she slowly nodded.

"Alright," she said.

The four of them walked back toward the village together. Arthur. Mithra. Melo. Yasha.

The Mu Tribe noticed first. One Goblin froze mid step. "That’s," he said, "the Yan Guardian?"

Another stared, wide eyed. "I thought she died," he said.

The Su Tribe noticed next. Luka gasped. Raku slowly stood from where he had been sitting. Whispers spread quickly through the crowd.

"It must be the Prophet."

"Only the Prophet could find someone dead."

Sun immediately groaned. "Please don’t tell me," he muttered.

By the time Arthur reached the center of the village, everyone was staring at the four of them.

Athena adjusted her glasses. "Where," she said slowly, "did you find a Guardian Spirit?"

Sun pinched the bridge of his nose. "You disappeared for ten minutes," he said. "Ten minutes. And somehow came back with a Guardian Spirit."

Arthur laughed awkwardly. "We’ll explain later," he said. He looked toward Melo. "But first, everyone should take a nap."

Silence.

Sun narrowed his eyes. "Arthur," he said. "What are you planning?"

Athena crossed her arms. "I’m also curious," she said.

Before either of them could react, golden light erupted around Melo. Her form expanded rapidly into her massive Dream Guardian Fox shape, tails spreading wide as pink and gold mist flowed outward across the entire village.

One by one, Goblins began to yawn. Hunters blinked slowly, their eyelids growing heavy. Children curled up wherever they stood, drifting off almost instantly.

Sun pointed weakly at Arthur. "You," he managed, "planned—"

Thud.

Athena sighed. "Predictable," she said, before collapsing gently beside him.

Vedas looked around in confusion. "Wait," he said.

He fell asleep before he could finish the sentence.

Arthur and Mithra couldn’t help laughing as the entire village peacefully drifted into dreams around them.