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by Chama C. Fox - Jan 12, 2006 QUIS CUSTODIET IPSOS CUSTODES? The famous phrase was engraved in the dark grey stone façade of the building, mocking in its faux sincerity. It was old, older than the now defunct language in which it was written. The Guardians were the ones who had asked the question, and they knew the answer. He had walked this way so often before when the building was a castle, a crude cavern, even when there was no building at all, just wasteland. During those days, his guise had been different. Like the other Guardians, his incarnations had been many, shifting, evermore complex. To the others, he was known as Anubis, his very favourite self. As his services were no longer needed, he was free to assume this form again. "Who shall guard the Guardians? We guard each other." Ever since life appeared, the Guardians had been there, early on as simple forces of nature, leading a warm current of water or guiding the wind here, nudging the clouds to rain there. Later, they became distant legends, myths, even the Gods themselves. The Guardians were change, progress, evolution, the protectors of life in all its variety and splendour. Their task was a daunting one, their goal nebulous, but they persevered over the eons, making sure that life happened… and death. Anubis grinned his jackal grin at the thought, for he had always favoured the aspect of continuity in death, being the Guardian of Souls, connecting every living thing with the mysteries that lay beyond this world. What had begun with little nudges, gently encouraging life along had now become a runaway nightmare. As species appeared and vanished, the Guardians found things harder to control with sheer natural phenomena. They were forced to assume shapes that could influence the minds of animals, form social behaviour and eventually establish cultures and civilization. By doing so, the Guardians changed themselves, becoming part of what they were guarding. In their divine immortality, they finally found life. As humans arrived, the Guardians were all but powerless to control things anymore. Desperately, they sought to undo this, influencing through religion and politics, natural disasters and plagues, UFOs and science, even instigating wars to eradicate the humans, but to no avail. Humanity had taken control over its own destiny. One by one, the Guardians were abandoned. Humans had reached space now, seen the heavens, found longevity and created new forms of life. They were the masters now, alone with the power and responsibilities. With longing, dreaming eyes they looked across the dark abyss of parsecs, towards other stars and galaxies. The grey building that had been the home of the Guardians now stood mostly empty. The few remaining Guardians spent all their time in there, powerless and useless, clinging to primitive incarnations of the past, waiting for the inevitable. As they found life, they would also find death. "Who shall indeed guard the Guardians? I shall," Anubis thought grimly as he entered the building, to do his duty one final time. |