The Story Forge

Chapter 1 - The Way of Life

Mai Moore took a big breath in, reliving her old memories as she watched the numbers on the elevator slowly increase.

"Again," her mother swung the rod against her back and Mai perked up taking stance.

She didn't have very many good memories with her mother.

"Mai," her mother pushed her hair out of the way and gave her a fake smile.

"Yes mama?"

"Come sit with me for a moment," she patted her lap and Mai took a seat.

"There," her mom smiled.

"Mai, you know I love you, and everything I do is out of love?" Her mother seemed off almost like tears were behind her eyes but they refused to fall.

"You know about Mama and Daddy's job right?" Her mother asked.

Mai nodded.

"You hurt bad people."

Her mother rubbed her back and even now Mai still feels the ghost comfort of her nails.

"Sometimes these people are angry that we hurt them, and they try to hurt us back," Mai had seen her mother's lips quiver, she was keeping something behind her mouth that she couldn't say.

"Mama what's wrong?"

Her mother's tears began to fall and through them came words.

"Mai your father was hurt by these people and-" she stuttered, and tears were falling harder now.

"Your father is dead Mai," Her mothers words hit her ears, but they weren't registering. Mai didn't believe it for a second.

The ding of the elevator shook herself out of the memory, she didn't want to relive her father in that bed, bruised and bloody.

She took a seat outside of the room and the memory she had been trying to keep out finally made its way in.

"Mai," her mother reached for her, and she swatted at her hand.

"A fucking tumor?" Her words caught in her throat.

"We're going to get through it Mai," her mother smiled but Mai knew it wasn't genuine. For the first time she fell and let her mother embrace her, the heartache tore at her and the tears fell.

She looked up at her mother.

"I can't lose you too."

"Commander Moore?"

Mai looked up from her hands.

"You can see her now," one of the nurses held the door open.

Mai walked in and took a look at the shell of a woman on the bed.

"Hello honey," her mother said.

Mai said nothing and refused to look at her mother.

"I don't have much time left and I needed to give you a gift." Her mother gestured for her and Mai approached.

She set a chain necklace in Mai's palms, on the end of the chain was a familiar key.

"Promise that you will be okay."

Mai looked up to tell her mother thank you but what she saw horrified her. Her mother's nose began to leak blood and she fell backwards on the bed seizing.

"Help!" Mai screamed and the blood stained the white hospital sheets. Doctors ran in and began to work pushing Mai out of the way. She stood there and watched the failed attempts to revive her mother back from the dead.

"Time of death 03:54," the Doctor stepped back in defeat.

All the while Mai had stood clutching at the necklace in her palms.

Written by Phoenix Rose

Characters and Story Created by Phoenix Rose

Chapter 8 - The Hero that was Enough

Lena saw chaos, and building on fire tumbling to the ground.

She covered her mouth crying, bones, blood and guts painted the roads and the walls. She looked around curious what could have done something like this.

One of the village children was crying clutching his leg. Lena ran for him but a figure landed from the sky right in front of her.

Clad in a golden suit and cape and a head of deep blonde he sneered and his eyes glowed, they ignited and two massive beams struck the child who exploded into bits.

Lena screamed and tried to run only to find a golden clad woman waiting for her. Lena didn't feel the blade's stab, she felt numb and weak at her knees. Only when the woman removed the blade did it really hurt.

Lena looked up at the sky one last time to see her hero flying in to save her.

Lena shut her eyes smiling.

"It's going to be alright, you know who you are now," Lena's vision grew blurry and faded into nothing.

------

Titan screamed crashing onto the ground, he ran for her and took her in his arms.

"This is what the royal heir has been reduced to?" A voice said behind him.

"Who are you?" Titan asked, setting down Lena's body and shutting her eyes.

"The Golden Order? Titanus we have come to take you home to your world. Away with these inferior rats!" The man smiled extending out his arms.

Titan walked towards him with an anger and punched him in the gut, the man stumbled back.

"This is how you treat your kind?" He growled.

"My kind?" Titan growled.

The man's face of confusion suddenly turned to one of understanding.

"You've lost your memory," said the man and smiled extending a hand.

"It's no matter we can fill you in on the ship while we make our way home.

Titan slapped his hand away.

"You don't seem to understand that you just killed an entire village of innocent people!" Titan gritted his teeth, his vision began to grow gold and his eyes hot.

"Innocent hardly, I, Hawk Goldleader have sworn to rid worlds of rats who call themselves civilization but masquerade as plague infecting beautiful planets."

Two other golden cloaked beings floated down beside him.

"We have a mission to return you to Home World and you are coming with us Titanus." The one called Hawk demanded.

"That is not my name!" Titan screamed.

Titan rose off of the ground and let his heat clad his eyes erupting into beams, that headed straight for Hawk. Hawk used his hands creating a "V" shape and spilt the beam around himself and the other two beings.

Titan's heat left his eyes and he pushed off into the sky heading towards them ready to punch Hawk into the ground.

"Omar, Safra handle him for me," Hawk commanded.

The two named Omar and Safra raised both their hands and stopped Titan dead in his tracks before he could strike. He fell onto the ground.

"Don't you want to find out who you are?" Hawk smiled.

Omar and Safra picked him up and held him for Hawk like a trophy.

Titan thought about being with Lena and laughing the moments they had spent together and the love she had felt for him.

"I know who I am," Titan sputtered.

A golden aura erupted from him burning and incinerating everything around him.

The three golden clad wearers covered there eyes, and grunted.

Titan slammed Omar and Safra into the ground and grabbed the one called Hawk lifting him into the air and flying him into the sky, sending him higher and higher by punch him in the face. Titan kicked at the air and sent a massive punch into Hawk that sent him hurtling farther across the sky, Titan kept punching and punching until Hawk and him fell into a snowy looking landscape.

Shortly after Omar and Safra followed and joining in on the fight.

"Your father was right Titanus, The World Killer is pathetic and a failure."

Titan stopped as he remembered a piece from his childhood. A figure hitting him, and scolding him for being nothing, the heat and torture of the sun.

His Father and his home.

Titan opened his eyes seeing the glaciers around him.

"Maybe in this past life I wasn't what you wanted me to be," Titan let the heat go to his eyes and beams began to form.

"But in this one I was something to someone," Titan smiled letting the beam erupt from his eyes hitting at the glaciers and causing them to fall towards them, the beams retracted, and Titan fell to the ground clutching he snow.

"That is enough for me," Titan smiled.

Hawk, Omar and Safra turned looking at the incoming avalanche of ice.

"No!" Hawk yelled and a gold blade extended from his wrist.

"Goodbye Lena," Titan whispered accepting his fate.

Hawk lunged in the air for Titan, the blade centimeters away from him just as the ice crushed on top of them burying them in a frozen prison.

Written by Phoenix Rose

Characters and Story Created by Phoenix Rose

A Story Forge Production

The Horse clacked across the stone and its rider was eager to get home already. Decades in the mountains made him so incredibly eager to see his father and little sister once again.

Chapter 7 - Dancing with Clouds

The path to Midnight Village was illuminated by the moonlight, Lena watched as she made her way to the village. She thought about him, and while it was true she felt something of love for him she didn't really know what he was capable of or who he was.

This being who fell from the sky was unlike any other boy around the village. Titan was different, she felt like their was good in him and she wanted to make him see that good she saw.

Because then he would be unstoppable.

A massive explosion came from Midnight Village, knocking Lena to the ground. She grasped at the gravel and stood, running towards the source at the end of the gravel path.

------

Titan didn't know how she had managed to make it almost fit, the stitching was amazing and although the cape and suit were a little dark for his color it did matching his hair and eyes. He decided he liked it and thought he would step outside to show Dan Lena's handywork.

He discovered when he moved in the suit, it felt almost like he was more, something stronger and he wasn't sure why. As he made his way down the hill he felt the air rush around him and circle.

"What are you wearing?" Dan laughed.

"The outfit your daughter has been working on for the past several hours," Titan smiled and showed it off.

"Well you certainly look out of this world," Dan felt the cape and the suit.

"I feel different, almost like someone else," Titan shut his eyes smiling.

"Uh Titan?" Dan asked.

"Yes?" Titan opened his eyes seeing his feet were off the ground, he felt light and warm like the wind around him could take him anywhere he wanted.

"Well that's new," Titan remarked.

"You can..." Dan covered his mouth.

"Fly," Titan lowered back onto the ground.

He looked at his hands and felt the air move in circles around him, almost like it bent to his will. The heat in his body began to build and the ground beneath him rumbled. He looked at Dan who understood, and backed away.

Titan closed his eyes, feeling the breeze around him circulate like a storm brewing right before the thunder. He bent his legs and put his gloved hands against the ground, it's like he was meant to do this, like some force compelled him.

He took a breath in and out, pushing off of the ground, he opened his eyes seeing the ground grow smaller beneath him, he yelled in delight and felt the wind carry him. He pushed on that air and stopped, floating in the sky he could see everything below. The clouds above him floated, inviting him in. Titan let the wind take him and he traversed his way towards the clouds running his fingers through the wet air, he laughed and did a twist before taking off faster than the speed of sound.

After a while in the air, he returned and landed back at the cabin, not so gracefully.

"Maybe work on the landing?" Dan called from a distance.

"Very funny," Titan sarcastically commented getting up.

"That was... unlike anything I have ever seen," Dan said.

"Up there I felt like anything was possible," Titan replied smiling wide.

A massive rumble sounded followed by an explosion in the distance where the village was.

Dan looked at Titan.

"Lena," they both said.

Dan ran for the wagon.

"Go you can get there faster!" He yelled and Titan ran and pushed off from the ground heading towards the village.

Written by Phoenix Rose

Characters and Story Created by Phoenix Rose

Chapter 6 - Firewood

Titan spent the rest of that day helping Dan chop wood and tend to the grounds, Lena spent it locked in her room saying she was making something important.

Dan Moore was an interesting figure to Titan. He was warm and welcoming like his daughter but also had a sense of wisdom Titan admired.

"I see the way she looks at you," Dan had said to him while they chopped wood.

"How does she look at me?" Titan asked.

"A look of love Titan," he handed him a log and Titan easily broke it with the axe.

"Youhave a wonderful daughter Mr. Moore," Titan did admit.

"Call me Dan and yes she is amazing," Dan smiled.

"Do you feel the same?" Dan asked.

"What?"

"I mean do you feel love for her?" Dan shrugged.

"I am not sure," Titan thought about the burning in his chest and thought he might.

Dan nodded and pout his hands on hips looking up at the cabin.

"When she was five her mother died, her older brother was upset he left me alone to raise her, I did the best that I could, but Lena was always so... so-

"Self-righteous," Titan finished.

"Yes thank you," Dan stroked his beard.

"if you love her Titan don't put her in danger, no matter what your past is out there just keep her safe." Dan put his hand on his shoulder and Titan nodded.

"Titan!" Lena called from up at the cabin, and Titan made his way up to her.

"I made you something," Lena took his hand leading him into her room. On her bed was a black and blue suit, it had a long black cape in the back.

"What do you think?" Lena asked, holding it up.

"I feel like I've seen it before,"

Lena frowned.

"Don't you like it?"

Titan turned.

"Yes of course!" Titan smiled.

Lena sighed and threw it on the floor.

"I thought it might look good I just got excited I guess," Lena sat down on her bed.

Titan's burning came back and he realized what it was at that moment. He lifted her head up and brought it closer to him, looking her in the eyes. She didn't fight it and let him pull her closer.

Their lips met and he felt the fire reach his whole body, tingling through his skin. Lena let go and felt his forehead.

"You're burning up!" She giggled.

"Hopefully that's good?" He suggested smiling.

"Who knows?" She pulled him on top of her kissing him some more.

After a while they laid with each other looking at the ceiling.

"Lena?" Titan asked.

"Hmm?"

"Where do you think I came from?"

Lena took a moment and considered her answer.

"Well if your world is full of others like you, it must be beautiful, beings strong enough to hold stars in their hands and capable of loving and feeling."

Titan sighed.

"What?" Lena tried to squeeze out the truth and it worked.

"What if I'm bad?" He finally said.

Lena sat up and looked at him.

"Then think of this as an opportunity for you to start over and become someone good of heart." She put on her jacket.

"That is if that's who you want to be," she winked and made for the door.

"I'm going for a walk, I'll be back later."

Titan moved to say something else but it got caught in his throat and the door shut before he could answer.

He flopped onto the bed and sighed.

Who was he? Where did he come from? So many confusing questions.

He looked over at the floor, at the crumpled up suit. Wouldn't hurt to at least try it on he guessed and sat up.

Written by Phoenix Rose

Characters and Story Created by Phoenix Rose

Chapter 5 - Massacre

Jack Hollerman entered the tiny apartment lodging greeting his two younger siblings and kissing his mother on the cheek.

"Jack sweetie are you okay., you look like you have seen a ghost," his mother worried patting his forehead to check for a temperature.

"I'm fine Ma just under the weather," he smiled and tried not to think about the incident at the diner. How that man had thrown Caleb against the wall and took 6 bullets to the chest like it was nothing. Luckily Caleb was fine, but they hadn't gotten the money.

"You and that Cassidy boy running around again?" She asked and Jack shook his head.

"Naw he tried to see me, but I wouldn't let 'em, said you didn't want me around no more," it hurt to lie to his mother but how was he going to tell her the truth.

"Good that Cassidy family is nothing but trouble and will amount to nothing!" She cursed.

A crash sounded from outside, followed by a bright light.

Jack rushed for the door followed by the rest of his family.

Outside the town's buildings were ablaze and three figures floated above.

"Good god..." His mother covered her mouth.

People ran screaming and gold beams from the floating figures eyes struck them incinerating them into piles of blood and gush.

Jack's mother and siblings screamed. Jack stood motionless as the golden beams of light shattered his mother's head wide open, her dead corpse falling to the ground.

"Momma?" Was all Jack could utter before the beam of light did the same and he saw no more.

Written by Phoenix Rose

Characters and Story Created by Phoenix Rose

Chapter 4 - The Burning Heart

Titan sighed and stared at the horizon, the rising sun kissed the fields of the village and the buildings, sending shining golden streaks across, illuminating and conveying a sense that made him feel strong and warm.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" The voice of Lena warmed him too. He turned and smiled.

"Yes," his eyes met hers and a fire burned in his heart that he couldn't explain.

"It's beautiful," he echoed.

The blush grew in Lena's cheeks and she covered it.

"You're special," she finally said to him.

"More special than I realized," Lena took ahold of his hands.

"I don't know who I am," Titan admitted.

"That's alright, most of really don't," Lena looked around at the village, people were starting to come in for work and for the busy goings of the day. Titan saw children laugh and run, men and women greeting each other and going about their lives.

"Titan there may be bad in this world, but there is good too."

Titan understood.

"And when you figure out what you want to be, remember..." Lena put her hand on his cheek turning his head to face her.

"The good are worth protecting and the bad are capable of stopping," she gripped his hands tight.

"Always."

"Always," Titan echoed.

Dan exited the town bathroom with a disapproving look on his face seeing the site before him.

"Interrupting something am I?" He crossed his arms and smiled.

Titan watched Lena's blush widen and he felt the fire in his heart burn brighter.

"Come on lets get going," Dan made his way to the wagon followed by Titan and Lena.

Three unseen streaks in the sky hurdled towards the earth in the distance.

Written by Phoenix Rose

Characters and Story Created by Phoenix Rose

Chapter 3 - Broken Bones and Blood Stained Dirt

Titan stood, Lena tried to grab his arm and pull him back down, but he knew he had to stop this. Somehow, he knew.

Titan stood behind the robbers and cleared his throat.

The robbers turned to face him with a look of surprise on their faces.

"You got a problem pretty boy?" The Robber with the gun smiled and pointed the gun to his chest.

"Sir I suggest you leave now," Titan said in a commanding authoritative voice. The Robbers laughed and fired the gun emptying a clip into the chest of Titan. Everyone gasped and Titan looked down as all of the bullets dented and fell onto the floor.

"What the fuck?" The Robber was dumbfounded, and looked at his gun as if there was a problem with it. He grunted and tried to hit Titan over the head with the stock. The gun cracked broke, and the man screamed gripping his hand. Titan straightened his focus and saw into the mans arm seeing the wrist was broken.

Titan smiled and sent a punch into the man's stomach sending him flying against the wall of the cafe. Everyone in the diner gasped and the other robber stumbled backwards taking off running.

Titan started to go after him but was stopped by Lena.

"He won't come back here again," Lena whispered.

Titan turned to Marie.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

Marie nodded, mouth still wide open.

"Breakfast is on the house Dan," Marie whimpered and scuttered away into the kitchen.

Dan grabbed Lena and motioned for Titan to follow them out of the diner. Titan smiled to Klyde who had been watching the whole incident with a piece of steak about to enter his mouth indefinitely on a fork.

------

The pods fell to the earth burning through the atmosphere at an alarming rate. The crash of the pods into the earth could have been heard for miles.

The three pod's door creaked open, and the golden boots kissed the earth forcefully.

"Omar, status?" The one in the middle requested.

The one called Omar looked around receiving reading on his arm panel.

"Massive radiation levels about 100 spatial units south of our position," Omar reported and the one in the middle cracked a smile.

Through the forest came a figure, heavyset and emitted an odor.

He turned to the other.

"Bring him to me."

She smiled and lifted off of the ground heading straight for the man, grabbing him by the throat and throwing him towards the others, Omar lifted up and stamped his boot catching the man against the ground, he screamed and wiggled his arms.

"The squirming rats never realize they are vermin until the hand of death comes to claim them," he leaned in and remained expressionless and raised his hand.

The boot crushed the mans skull underneath him, blood splattered and caked the dirt, crushed pieces of skull and brain cracked and smushed into the dirt.

"Shall we begin Hawk?"

Hawk GoldLeader stood and nodded.

"Begin."

Written by Phoenix Rose

Characters and Story Created by Phoenix Rose

Chapter 2 - Amnesia

Lena opened the door to her father's room.

"I'll get you some clothes just wait here," Lena gave Titan a reassuring smile, taking some of her father's clothes for him. When she turned, saw him looking himself over in the mirror probably wondering the same thing she was, she didn't see a scratch or scar on his body. Lena wondered how he didn't even seem to be hurting.

"Tell me something," she handed him the clothes and he began to dress himself.

"How does someone fall from space, and have no burns, no scars- not even a bruise?" Lena sat on the bed while Titan began to button the flannel and looked at her.

"I don't know," he said, strangely warm and friendly.

"You don't know?" Lena asked.

"I can only remember my name. I don't know what happened before," Titan answered in a sincere way that could make the most hardened and damaged of people trust him. He looked into Lena's eyes, and she blushed. His warmth was radiating... but she stopped herself and pulled away.

"Everything okay?" Her father knocked on the door.

"I-It's alright father," she stood up red in the face and opened the door.

"Is he alright?" Her father asked.

"I'm fine, thank you, Mr. Moore," Titan smiled coming up behind her. "Thank you for letting me into your home." Titan reached out his hand and her father shook it.

"It was Lena who saved you, not me." laughed her father. Titan laughed as well, and Lena couldn't help but also form a smile.

"Well, it is early enough. We could go to town for breakfast, what say you?" Her father asked them both.

"Oh, for sure!" Lena perked up instantly.

"We should take him to Marie's," She added.

"That sounds fantastic," her father agreed.

------

The three rode into town on their father's carriage, pulled by the horses. Along the way Lena pointed out various things for Titan to see. He smiled and asked questions about what things were and what they did. But it surprised Lena how much he didn't know. He asked her names of animals they saw and flowers along the road. She blamed his amnesia, but it bothered her for some reason.

Within 15 minuets the carriage reached Midnight Town, a small settlement of around 500 people, the streets were empty due to it being early in the morning and Lena told him about the buildings such as the general store and the bank.

Around the corner was Marie's family kitchen. A diner run by a sweet old woman name Marie and her children and grandchildren. Dan Moore stopped the carriage in front and hitched the horses to the fence. Titan stepped off and unexpectantly helped Lena down from the carriage. She thanked him and they followed her father into the diner, apart from them the only other customer in there was Klyde Hossburger. An old regular known throughout the town as "Old man Hoss, who smelled of fish and wore nothing but overalls.

"Good morning, Dan, Lena and..." he looked at Titan.

"Klyde this is Titan," Dan introduced him.

"Titan, eh?" Klyde held out his hand and Lena watched as he shook it.

"Nice to meet you sir," Titan remarked.

"Dan good morning!" A voice behind them startled Lena.

"Marie, good morning!" Her father answered.

Marie sat them to a table, one side Dan on the other Lena and Titan.

"Coffee and Water Marie," Dan ordered for them and Marie nodded scribbling it into her notepad.

"You have to try the pancakes here," Lena smiled pointing them out on the menu. Lena noticed that her father was watching them with a wonder and for the first time in a while she saw him crack a smile that felt genuine.

Marie brought them cups of coffee and water, after ordering each of them took a drink, Titan held the glass of water in his hand and Lena felt the heat emanating from within him, curious.

The door to the diner opened and three men walked inside and took out their guns and pointed them at the staff.

"The money Marie, give it to us!" One of them yelled pulling back the hammer on his gun. Lena looked over at her father and at Titan, who she could feel heating up somehow with the glass of water in his hand. She widened her eyes when she saw that the water in the glass was boiling, and Titan's face full of rage.

Written by Phoenix Rose

Characters and Story Created by Phoenix Rose

Chapter 1 - First Contact FROM BEYOND THE STARS, TEARING THE SKY APART COMES THE HEIR OF WRATH, THE PRINCE OF GOLD THE BRINGER OF THE END OF DAYS, THE WORLD KILLER November 1823, 200 Years Before The Sparrow

Burning golden light lit the sky like a torch. The atmosphere lit a flame like a match and amongst the chaotic fires of the sky fell the answer. Just outside of Midnight Village is where this answer landed. A massive boom sounded from the impact.

The boom startled Lena Moore out of her sleep. Lena caught her breath and set her feet on the floor moving to the window. Lena could see the crater it wasn't far. She grabbed for her jacket and Lena opened the door to her bedroom, her father rounded the corner.

"What was that?" Dan Moore asked his teen daughter.

"Something crashed in the backyard!" Lena said running for the door to the house.

"Lena wait!" Dan yelled chasing after her.

Lena made her way around the back of thew house towards the crater. Owls called into the night and the course grass was rough, but she didn't care. All Lena had longed for was adventure. She wasn't the type to hide behind the men and cower in fear. If something interested her, she went for it.

She stopped at the edge gazing down into the newly formed hole, and what she saw was unbelievable.

Among the rubble lay a man, caked in sweat and unconscious. Naked and fit. A head of dark hair and muscles as big as Lena's head.

Dan Moore managed to catch up with his daughter and saw the same sight down below. His mouth agape he just stared.

The man stirred and Dan raised his gun.

"Wait!" Lena said and slid down the crater.

"Lena stop he could be dangerous!"

Lena ignored her father and approached the man; he looked up at her and although the man said nothing, his eyes gave Lena the impression he was a friend.

Lena removed her jacket, and knelt beside him. At first the man recoiled but Lena reassured him moving slower.

"It'll warm you," she held the jacket out and he reluctantly let her put it around him.

"What's your name?" Lena asked him.

"Titan," he answered.

"Well Titan let's get you inside where it's warm, and maybe find you some clothes," Lena smiled.

Written by Phoenix Rose

Characters and Story Created by Phoenix Rose