I stood at the entrance of the North Gate.  The archway reached high into the black star filled sky over twenty stories.  The swirling black veil moved around before my eyes as I looked into the very depths of what the gate kept hidden.  My ebony hair blew around my face from the small wind the gate produced.

  “I head you passed the Academy exams.”  Came a soft lyrical voice from behind me.

  I didn’t turn away from my spot as a frown made it’s way onto my lips.  “Yeah I passed them.  Yesterday actually.”  My voice was dull and empty.  “Could you leave please?”

  A hand wrapped around my shoulder and spun me around so we were face to face.  The brick red hair was what caught my attention first, brown eyes were rimmed in black charcoal that accented his features.  His muscled upper body was hidden behind a black fitting shirt, black jeans hugged his legs before being tucked into black combat boots.

  “Topaz, I want to be alone.”  I sighed as I tried to push him away with no luck.

  “You have the rest of your life to be alone Agate.  At a time like this we should face everything as a family.”  He said and he pulled me into his arms.  He held me there securely and I had no way to break away from him.

  “Family?  Topaz I should even exist and you know it.”  I confessed to my elder brother.  “I was never supposed to be born, I was a mistake.  All of this should have been yours, but the moment I was born I took everything from you.  I took your position from right under you and you say we are a family, we don’t know the real definition of what a family is!”

  “Agate, I’m not mad at you.  And you were never a mistake; Mom and dad loved you.  I have never once hated you for taking the position from me, if I was to be honest with you I am actually glad that I don’t have to take over this job.  This is your destiny Agate, not mine.”  Topaz told me as he gave me a final squeeze before he held me at arms length.  “Stay strong Agate, this is your life now.”

  I shut my eyes.  So many emotions rushing through me, I just finished trained to be a Guardian, I just passed me exams and now I have to take up the position as the North Gate Guardian.  I thought I would have more time to learn how this all works, how my parents were able to protect this gate for as long as they have.

  “Your eyes are just like that of a true Guardian.”  Topaz breathed as he ran his finger under my right eye, “The light brown color holds wisdom, the size shows your strength and the charcoal rim exemplifies your beauty and the rays reaching in towards your pupil tell everyone of your position.  You are a Guardian, the North Gate Guardian and it shows inside and out.”

  “What if I don’t want this position though?  What if I wanted to live like the others?”  I said almost desperately.

  “You never had the luxury of a normal life.  I only wish you could have pretended to be normal a little longer.  Mom and Dad would want you to do your best, and I know they would want you to prove to everyone that even though you are a girl and the second child you are the rightful Guardian of the strongest Gate.”

  “What are you going to do now that our parents are dead Topaz?  You can’t stay here any longer now that our parents are no longer the Guardians, so what are you going to do?”  I asked him as I turned back to look at the gate now under my protection.

  “I’m going to ask permission to travel the realms.  I’m a descendant of a guardian and blood relative of the current Guardian protecting the Gate between realms.  They can’t exactly refuse my request; I am a trained warrior after all, and should anything befall you before a new blood descendant is born and trained under your lineage I have to take up this position.  Should I not be on good terms with them, they will be restricted to what they can do if this Gate is mine.”

  “Topaz, you really are crazy.  But, as Guardian now I grant you the privilege to travel upon granted request.”  I replied, “Go get your approval, Oppa.”

  “You will be a great Guardian Agate, the best that has ever existed.”  My brother said in parting before I felt him vanish.

  “Mom, Dad I promise to be everything you taught me.  This is my life now and I’m ready to accept that fact.”  I said to myself aloud, speak to my parents as if they were still the