Chapter 5 ~ Meeting Solar

       As Jammal slept, he fell into a dream state. He could see the stone clearly. It started to shine brighter than it did earlier in the day. As he continued to look at it, the light quickly flew out and floated in front of his face.

“Hello prince Menzuo. We finally get the chance to meet each other at an age where you can understand who I am,” the light said in a calm voice.

“Who are you and who is this prince Menzuo that you speak of?”

The bright light floated above his head and circled the room. It slowly flew back in front of his face, “My prince, I am Solar, your protector and guardian. I am the one who will ultimately give you your powers to protect planet Earth. It is your calling. You are the sun prince and Menzuo is your name.”

Jammal stepped back and started to laugh. “What in the world are you talking about?” he said with a confused look on his face. “Why do I have to protect the planet and why are you calling me prince Menzuo? My name is Jammal.”

Solar moved closer to his face again. “You see my prince. You are not originally from planet Earth. You are from a planet that is located in the outer realm of this universe which circles the North Star,” Solar backed away slowly. “There are many unknown worlds within this universe that have not been identified by the humans of planet Earth. The many planets that circle the North Star are fully populated with life and are very important to the balance of the universe. The planet, in which you come from my prince, is Yardania. Yardania is the planet of universal guardians. You are the son of king Zenshuo and queen Onnualla. This is why you are known as prince.”

Jammal sat down on the cold ground and gently rubbed his head. “So you’re telling me that that these people on Earth are not my real parents?” he said still very confused. “Then can you explain to me how did I get on this planet?”

“As you wish,” Solar said. He floated into the sky and quickly made it change into what looked like a floating movie. Solar spoke as the picture came into focus. “My prince, not too long ago, for many centuries, things were very peaceful on planet Yardania. Peace ruled throughout the universe. That all changed one day when your father, king Zenshuo had a fierce encounter with a long time enemy and rebel planet known as planet Excervo. For years, this planet was dormant with their attacks on other planets but somehow it regained its evil energy. The evil within that planet has an energy that is so intense that no man can enter onto that world without being ripped into millions of pieces.”

“So what is on this planet?” Jammal said curiously.

“This planet belongs to a vicious group known as the Pirate Warriors. They are ruled by their king, lord Fetid. These Pirate Warriors work in solitude. Lord Fetid orders only one at a time to leave his planet to go and enslave all of the life forms that reside on the neighboring planets. They torture them for the rest of their lives and work them until their final days.”

“So why does lord Fetid only allow one Pirate Warrior to terrorize the universe at a time?”

“It is said that, this is the only way that he can control his evil beasts. We do not think that he is strong enough to control more than one at a time. Also, we do not believe that these released Pirate Warriors will work together for the greater good of ruling the universe,” Solar said as the picture started to change. “We believe that these evil warriors would destroy themselves to become the most dominant Pirate, even if it meant destroying their own.”

“That sounds crazy,” Jammal said with shock. He kept his eyes on the images above him.

The picture slowly changed and was now showing an image of Jammal as a baby on his home planet. Solar continued as the picture started to move. “Now my prince, when you were just a fragile baby, lord Fetid sent a couple of his Pirate Drones into your home planet to kidnap you. He knew that if he could get a hold of the king’s son, he would be able to gain control of the universe,” Solar flew down next to Jammal’s right shoulder then continued. “As these Drones got closer to you, they mistakenly triggered a silent alarm which alerted the royal guards of King Zenshuo. Along with the elite guards, your father rushed into the room and was able to save you. From that point on, he knew that you would no longer be safe on your home planet.”

“So what did he do?” Jammal said curiously as he watched his mother and father hanging over the crib talking softly to each other. He could not hear what they were saying but somewhat understood what they were discussing.

“The king and queen decided that they must send you off of Yardania and to the safest planet within our universe, that being Earth.”

Jammal looked over to Solar. “So what’s so special about Earth?”

Solar flew back towards the ceiling and made the image of Jammal’s parents change into a picture of planet Earth. “Earth is the safest planet within our universe because it holds a very secret energy, an energy that controls the balance of all good and evil. This energy has been around us for billions of years, ever since the universe was formed. It has been hidden on planet Earth for a very long time, and since anyone can remember, the Pirate Warriors have been in search of it.”

“So, I guess this energy of ‘All Good and Evil’ will make them stronger. So why am I here with such a dangerous energy? It doesn’t seem like Earth is the safest planet in this universe. What happens if these Pirate Warriors find it, then what?”

“Well my prince, this is where your importance to the safety of planet Earth comes in,” Solar said. He flew in front of Jammal’s face then continued. “When your parents sent you to planet Earth, they were alerted that a spy within the Yardanian Warriors Guild leaked information to one of lord Fetid’s Pirate Warriors about the energy of ‘All Good and Evil’. This disgraced Warrior let the Pirate know which planet the energy resided. King Zenshuo knew that there were no trained warriors ready to protect such an important energy. His only hope to protect planet Earth and the energy of ‘All Good and Evil’ was to send a powerful force field with you to this planet. By doing so, the force field disrupted the Pirate Warriors pursuit of the energy but also kept you protected from them for the time being.”

Jammal looked confused as Solar flew above his head. “For the time being, why did you say that?”

“By sending this force field to planet Earth, the Pirates knew that you were sent here and that you were the key to the mystery of the hidden energy. They knew that the only way for them to find this energy would be to destroy you.”

Jammal jumped to his feet. “Are you trying to tell me that my father, the king, is trying to get me killed? Oh this is just great!”

“It is not what you think my prince,” Solar said as he tried to calm him down. “Your father knew that you were a very special child and that you may be the answer to all of the evil that Earth may encounter.”

Jammal stood in the room, now very confused and not knowing what to believe. “But how can I be the answer to all of this evil when I don’t even match up to any of these Pirate Warriors and Drones?” he said as he looked up at the changing images. Pictures of his life as a child on Earth were floating above him. He continued. “I know that they must be very strong so how does my father expect me to protect myself nevertheless planet Earth?”

Solar’s light grew brighter as he spoke. “My prince, you possess some of the most extraordinary powers that are unimaginable to any living being within our Universe. These powers will soon be released and you will see what I mean.”

“But I…I don’t understand Solar?”

Solar dimmed his light as the pictures above continued to show Jammal’s life on Earth. “As long as you have been on planet Earth, I have resided within the crystal around your neck. Over the years, I have watched you grow into a very smart and confident young man. Through this short time of your life, you have always known that you were different from the other children around you. You have done your best with fitting in but in your heart, you could sense that there was something special about you.”

Jammal sat back onto the ground. “I guess you’re right Solar. I have always wondered why I felt like I didn’t belong. I guess this kind of makes sense.”

“I hope that it does my prince, and you should know that because of your different feelings, you have inherited a duty on Earth that is far more important than anything that you could have ever imagined. The powers that will be given to you will help protect this world.”

Jammal looked at both sides of his hands. “So where are these special powers that I am supposed to have to fight off these Pirate Warriors?”

Solar’s light grew brighter. “Now that is why I am here,” he floated back in front of Jammal’s face. “I have been sent here to be your protector and also journey with you through every bit of your training and battles that you will encounter.”

“So if you are here to help me, why haven’t you shown yourself in all these years?” Jammal said curiously.

“The reason that I did not reveal myself to you sooner is because you were not ready. My timing of presenting all of this to you is very important to the survival of this planet and for your safety as well. The force field that king Zenshuo sent with you to Earth will be lifted upon your date of destiny, which is your twelfth birthday. If I were to reveal myself and try to train you any earlier than right now, you would have given off way too much energy and alerted the Pirate Warrior that is already on this planet as to exactly where you are located and it would have had a very easy time destroying the both of us.”

Jammal took a deep breath. “So how many Pirate Warriors are actually looking for me?”

“There is only one Pirate Warrior here on this planet but he has hidden Pirate Drones who roam the underground ready to find you,” Solar said. He flew above Jammal’s head. “As of right now, it is not of importance to you as to which Pirate Warrior is actually looking for you. That will be revealed to you shortly. Your biggest concern right now is getting you ready for battle.”

Jammal looked directly into the center of Solar’s glowing light, “So how will I know that I am ready to protect Earth?”

Solar’s light grew brighter. “Believe me when I say this, my prince, you will be trained properly to protect this world. I will make sure that you are more than ready. The entire Universe is depending on you and it is my duty to make sure that we live up to our calling.” Solar’s light slowly dimmed as he flew towards the stone. “It is now time for you to wake my prince. We will meet again very soon.”

Jammal quickly blocked the stone not letting Solar fly in. “Wait a minute, I have one more question.”

“Yes my prince?”

“What does Menzuo stand for?”

Solar floated in front of Jammal’s face. “Menzuo stands for power of the sun. You are known as the sun prince and protecting planet Earth is your calling. Now please allow my entrance.”

Jammal slowly removed his hand from the stone and watched Solar fly in. “This was very interesting Solar.”

“Yes it has been. It is a pleasure to have finally revealed myself to you. Get ready to wake, we will meet again very soon and please, do not mention this to anyone.”

Jammal’s eyes widened. “Oh believe me, I won’t tell a living soul about this. If I did, they would probably think that I was going loony.”

“Rest well my prince.”

Jammal sighed as the pictures above his head faded. The room slowly darkened until it was pitch black. He closed his eyes and felt the gentle touch of his pillow on the back of his neck.

As his body relaxed back into his bed, he quickly opened his eyes and popped straight out of his covers. “What? What?” he said to himself as he tried to control his breathing. He took in a very deep breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Phew, it was only a dream. Very real but only a dream,” he said.

Jammal fell back onto his pillow and rested for a few minutes. He needed to regroup and catch his bearings before he went on with the new day.

Chapter 1 ~ His Arrival - Exerpt #1

April 16, 1990 was the day that he was found on the doorstep of an orphanage in Seattle, Washington. Ms. Susan Meeks opened the door that afternoon and noticed him wrapped in a bundle of towels, lying comfortably in a basket with a note attached to it. She picked it up and read it to herself. It stated:

To Whom It May Concern:

Please take good care of my son Jammal. He is very special to me and he will be as special to your world. He is very exceptional and is only looking to be raised like any normal child would want to be. I hope that whoever he is with on this planet, will love and care for him like he deserves. Also, please be very careful with who he comes in contact with. If the wrong people come into his life while he is not prepared, it could be very bad for him and for your world. So once again, be very careful with whoever comes into his life. Thank you and take good care of Jammal.

P.S. Do not remove his necklace. It is the key to his future.

The letter wasn’t signed by anyone. Ms. Meeks balled it up and shoved it into her pocket. She shook her head. “That was a very strange letter. I wonder what it’s all about?” she said to herself as she looked down at the baby. She took a deep breath. “Hmm, special huh, I wonder what’s so special about you?”

Jammal looked at her with a bright smile. Ms. Meeks couldn’t resist the fact that he was such a beautiful baby. She quickly picked him up and smiled back. As soon as she did, Jammal’s mouth opened as wide as it could get and without warning, he spit up all over her blouse.

“Goodness gracious little man, you can really pack a lot of food in you!”

Jammal started to laugh as Ms. Meeks quickly took him inside of the orphanage.

She walked into the lobby, holding the new baby. She was now ready to introduce him to the rest of the kids. “Hey everyone, I have someone that I would like you to meet,” all of the children quickly turned and noticed the baby in Ms. Meeks hands. “Say hello to, little Jammal.”

The kids jumped up and quickly ran over to them. One little girl looked into his eyes. “Ooh, he’s so small and cute.”

“Yeah, he looks like a Teddy bear,” another kid said.

Jammal was a hit at the orphanage. All of the kids instantly fell in love with him, and so did Ms. Meeks.

After all of the introductions were complete, Ms. Meeks took Jammal into a bedroom that was close to hers. This room was empty and only occupied by infants. Since Jammal was the only one in the orphanage, the entire room was his. As she walked into the room, she gently placed him inside of the crib. “Okay honey, you’ll be just fine in here. I have to go to my office for a minute. I’ll be right back okay?” she said with a smile on her face. Jammal lay quietly in the crib as she walked out of the room and into her office just a few feet away.

Ms. Meeks quickly placed a folder onto her desk and put ‘New Child’ papers in it. As soon as she placed the pen onto the paper, every space on the forms were quickly filled in. Her eyes popped out as she looked the papers over in shock. The baby’s birth date was marked April 16, 1990 and only his first name was written on the top of the page. In every other space where specific answers were needed were the words, ‘Not Available.’

Ms. Meeks couldn’t believe what she was looking at. She continuously looked over the papers, she shook her head in disbelief. “I must be dreaming. This couldn’t have happened,” she said to herself. After a few minutes of looking over the papers, she took a deep breath to gather herself and closed the folder. Ms. Meeks thought about the time of day. She must have been very tired. That was the only explanation that she could come up with that would make any sense of what she just witnessed. Confused and thinking that she was seriously overworked, Ms. Meeks slowly got up and walked back to the room that she placed Jammal in.

As the orphanage had finally quieted down for the evening, Ms. Meeks knew that this would be the perfect opportunity for her to get acquainted with her new resident. As soon as she looked into the crib, she noticed Jammal smiling back at her. “Aw, aren’t you just the sweetest thing. Every time you look at me, you smile. It just makes me want to pick you up and hug you so tight, but I won’t even dare do that because you might just make another mess on me.”

As she continued to look at this beautiful baby, she noticed the necklace that was around his neck. It was a black leather rope with a shiny stone hanging from it in the shape of a teardrop. She studied it for a while and suddenly remembered the letter that she shoved into her pocket. She quickly pulled it out and read it again. The last part of the letter really grabbed her attention. “P.S. Do not remove his necklace. It is the key to his future.”

She was very curious but also confused by that part of the letter. She looked back at Jammal as he lay calm in the crib. “What does that mean, the key to your future?”

Ms. Meeks couldn’t help herself. She had to know what was so important with this baby’s necklace. She slowly reached for it. As she did, the stone started to get brighter. She didn’t know what was happening, so she pulled her hand away. The light in the stone slowly faded. “What in the world was that?” she said as she focused on it again.

She wanted to figure out what was happening, so this time, she quickly reached for the stone and touched it. As soon as she made contact with it, the stone lit up again and got very hot, burning the palm of her hand. Ms. Meeks quickly jumped back releasing the stone as quickly as she could. “Ow! Ouch!” she shouted as she started to blow on her hand to cool it off. “That was hot!”

The light in the stone started to get brighter as she waved her hand trying to rid it of the pain. The light quickly brightened the room, making Ms. Meeks forget about being burned. Many different colors started to flash off of the ceiling. As the light dimmed, a face appeared just above the crib. The eyes from the face were looking directly at Ms. Meeks.

“Hello young lady of Earth,” the face spoke in a very deep voice. “I am Menzuo’s father, Zenshuo. I am the king of planet Yardania. We are a friendly planet and we are the protectors of all existing planets within our universe.”

Ms. Meeks was frozen in place as she looked at king Zenshuo’s face, floating over the crib. Not one word could make it out of her mouth. As her legs grew weak, she quickly sat down in a chair next to the crib, never taking her eyes off of the king.

King Zenshuo spoke again as he noticed the shock that was clearly showing her face. “Do not worry young lady. I am not here to harm you. I am here to tell you why I need your help.”

Ms. Meeks, still not able to speak, worked up just enough nerve to nod, letting king Zenshuo know that she was paying attention.

The king continued. “My son, Menzuo has been sent to planet Earth to protect it from an evil Pirate Warrior that has been sent there to take it over and enslave the entire human race.”

Upon hearing that, Ms. Meeks finally was able to break her silence. “So…so how is he supposed to protect Earth? He’s just a baby?”

“I understand that,” king Zenshuo said with confidence. “You all are not in any immediate danger. The Pirate Warrior cannot take over Earth until Menzuo is destroyed.”

Ms. Meeks was now afraid for this baby’s life. “I cannot let anything happen to him. It would truly break my heart is someone or something hurt this child. I couldn’t live with myself.”

“Menzuo cannot be found as of yet. When I sent him to Earth, I placed a protective force-field around him that will last until his age of destiny, which is twelve Earth years.

“His age of destiny, what is that?” Ms. Meeks said still in a state of confusion.

“At the age of twelve, Menzuo will have the honor of fighting for Earth’s safety. By his twelfth birthday, he will be fully ready to take on this task, and hopefully he will succeed. If he does, he will be Earth’s true protector.”

Ms. Meeks started to rub her head, hoping to clear her mind as she looked up as king Zenshuo. “So, what does all of this have to do with me?”

He looked at her very seriously. “What I need from you is to make sure that Menzuo lives a normal life on planet Earth. He cannot know anything about where he is from or what his destiny is until the time is right. If he finds out anything about his true identity, my protective barrier will be broken and all of the evil that is on your planet will find him and make sure that he never breathes again.”

Ms. Meeks mouth dropped to the floor. “Well that’s just great news for me to know. I have a little superhero that some evil Pirate Warriors from outer space want to destroy. My life can’t get any better than this,” she placed her hands onto her temples and shook her head. “And what am I supposed to do, beat these things up and save the world until this baby is old enough to do it for me?” she said sarcastically.

Keeping the serious look on his face, king Zenshuo answered her. “No not at all. From this point on, Menzuo will be under your careful eyes. You will be able to watch him wherever he goes.”

She looked around the room then back up at king Zenshuo with a very unsure expression. “Um, you may not know this, but this is an orphanage. I can’t do anything if he’s adopted. How am I going to be able to watch him then?”

King Zenshuo looked down into the crib. “Inside of Menzuo’s blanket, you will find a bracelet. With that bracelet, you will be able to stay connected with Menzuo without anyone knowing, not even him. When you place this onto your arm, you will be able to contact him where ever he may be.”

Ms. Meeks stood from the seat and looked into the crib. Jammal was lying as calm as ever as she reached down into his blanket. She pulled the bracelet out and slipped it over her hand and onto her wrist. As she did, it quickly adjusted to her size and fit comfortably. “Wow!” she said as she noticed a picture of Jammal’s face appear on the top of it. The picture slowly faded.

King Zenshuo smiled. “Thank you young lady if Earth. I know that I can trust you with my son’s safety. I believe that you are the right person for Menzuo to talk to when times get rough. Do not worry, from this point on, I will make sure that you will be forever protected and cared for.”

Ms. Meeks looked at king Zenshuo without blinking. She still couldn’t believe what was happening to her. “Is…is there anything else that I should be aware of?” she said with a stutter.

“Yes there is,” king Zenshuo said in a soft tone. “In a short time, Menzuo’s protector will be joining him.”

“But how will I know who it is?” she said as she raised her shoulders.

“You will know, young lady of Earth. You will know,” king Zenshuo’s face slowly faded from the ceiling. As it did, the light that accompanied it, faded as well.

Ms. Meeks heart was racing as she looked down into the crib. “Boy oh boy, what in the world did you just get me into?” she fell back into the chair still dazed and confused. All of the excitement slowly made her fall asleep. She needed the rest.