The dead of the night blanketed the rugged, remote canyons of St. Aegolius in an eerie blackness. Stars vibrantly decorated the sky above, in sharp contrast to the emptiness of the rocky expanse below. The area was nearly devoid of any plant life, leaving only the hardiest of creatures capable of survival.

But this rough environment also made for a perfectly secluded hideaway for a certain party of diabolical Barn Owls. One of whom skillfully weaved his way through a long, narrow crack in the rocky ground. This allowed him access to the cold, dark interior that adequately matched the barren exterior. There was little to marvel at or point out as extraordinary.

But it was nonetheless his home. And it housed one other creature.

Standing tall and proudly on an elevated perch was another Barn Owl, this one a female. Her form was sleek, elegant, and poised, and the proud smile on her beak topped these features off perfectly. But this beauty all served to veil the wickedness that lay within her. She was Nyra, former mate of the infamous Metal Beak and current High Tyto of the Pure Ones.

Her head tilted up as she saw the arrival break through the surface of the hideaway. He made an easy landing a few meters away from her pedestal, and immediately lay his wings flat and his body low in a bowing position.

"Welcome home, my dear," the female greeted. She lifted off her perch and descended down to meet the male face-to-face.

This male had a rather rugged appearance, sporting a small row of down on his head that somewhat resembled a Mohawk. His body bore strength and durability, but was also slightly marred from his experiences in the past few months, including getting caught in a fire that left some of his body stained black. His eyes bore a fire born of anger, ambition, and hateful impulsiveness.

This owl's name was Kludd.

Nyra walked up to Kludd, lifting a wingtip to gently stroke the younger bird's face. "I trust that your mission was a success?"

"Yes dear," Kludd replied, purring internally at the sensation. "I have succeeded in the assassination. The targets ... are no more."

He had to keep his voice from breaking up as he made this announcement. What he did was a necessary act, and one that he hoped would bring him closer to the true power he craved. He would get his claws as bloody as he had to, with whoever's blood was required.

"Excellent," Nyra beamed. "And I take it your journey back wasn't troublesome?

"No, dear, no trouble at all ... not that anything could stop me from seeing you," he said, his devious face smiling crookedly.

Nyra churred. "Of course not," she said, gently brushing one of his legs with a sharp claw, sending chills up Kludd's spine.

But then she caught a certain glimmer in Kludd's eye. Something that told her that all was not well with him.

"Now love, why do you look so troubled?" she crooned.

Kludd's face suddenly tightened up, as if he was suddenly afraid of the Tyto feeling him up. But when Nyra gave him a look of suspicion, he spoke again.

"Our mission in Kuneer was a failure," he lamented. "We fought our mightiest, but the Guardians were able to force us into retreat."

He was referring to a battle in the arid desert. In their efforts to capture as much territory as the could, the Pure Ones had taken to dividing and conquering lands to make their own, hoping to build bases and bring young, impressionable owls and owlets into their ranks ... whether by their choice or not. This one, however, left them with empty talons.

Nyra's loving, concerned look slowly faded at this news. In its place was a look of shame and disappointment in her much younger love. She turned her back to him, simmering in thought.

When Nyra first met Kludd, from him being on the receiving end of an abduction himself, she saw a passion and rage in him that she longed for amidst all of her army. He had the makings of a great soldier, one of their finest, and so she made him her top priority in assuring he would see the Pure Ones way and be devoted to them. When her mate perished in battle, she was left sole leader of the terrorist group, and so took it upon herself to groom this young Barn Owl to one day take his place at her side.

But with every failure of his, she grew the slightest bit more doubtful that he was worthy of such a position. Worthy of her.

She turned back around to face Kludd once more. He looked uncertain and ashamed, head hung low. "I apologize. We should have done better." He then looked back up. "And we will next time. I swear it!"

Nyra sighed as she slowly walked back up to him, and Kludd found he had to restrain himself from backing away from her.

"I expect greatness out of you, love. Do not make me regret that," she scolded lowly.

Kludd's gaze hardened as he said firmly, "I won't. This is everything to me." And he meant it. He found purpose among this group, a sense that he could be looked up to and regarded as someone important. To fail would be to end up an inferior disgrace once more. And this female that he'd grown to be so infatuated with would toss him aside.

Nyra smirked. "Good, my boy. Good."

An uncomfortable pause lingered between the two, before Nyra spoke up again.

"Fear not, however. Our soldiers are already on their way to Cape Glaux. Tomorrow, we will set our plans into motion," she said with a sinister sneer, cruelly anticipating the downfall of her greatest enemies.

"Plans that will finally bring those impure Guardians at our mercy."

---

Hours later, a tranquil dawn graced the kingdom of Ga'hoole. Whether one ventured to the lush Forest Kingdom of Tyto, the appropriately named Barrens, or the mysterious Shadow Forest, the blackness of night was making a peaceful exit to greet any creature who would awaken to the rising sun. For most, the sun was a signal to rise from their slumber and begin yet another day. For others, however, it was the opposite: their cue to bring an end to their time in the waking world and prepare for a hopefully fruitful slumber.

Over the Sea of Hoolemere, the sun had just begun peeking its way up over the horizon. Slivers of light made their way through the thick, white clouds overlooking the ocean, allowing them to take on an almost ethereal glow that resembled one's first sight when they entered Heaven - or Glaumora, as many knew it.

And through those golden-hued clouds, four silhouettes of varying sizes faded into view, soaring through the sky with well-honed efficiency. When they soon burst through the clouds, the shadows were transformed into fully-colored owls. A Barn Owl, Elf Owl, Great Gray, and Burrowing Owl to be exact. The Barn Owl flew at the front of their formation, a sign of his status as the leader of the four. They flew in near-perfect sync, allowing the wind to grace their wings and carry them, only requiring the occasional flap to keep themselves aloft.

And soon enough, they finally saw their destination: the Great Ga'hoole Tree. A tree whose size and scale some may have considered impossible. But like the legends it housed, it was real. The mighty natural structure's branches seemed to pierce the sky, like a hand reaching up to help those in need. A fitting analogy, for it was the home of the legendary Guardians of Ga'hoole, who swore to serve and protect their kingdom at any cost. Owls of various shapes and sizes could be seen flying in between the extending branches, entering and exiting different hollows, or just sitting perched for a good view.

It was a noble civilization that this incoming band of birds were proud to call themselves part of.

With relative ease, the four owls came to a steady descent, and landed softly on the nearest thick branch of the mighty tree, strong enough to hold all four of them with little strain. That wasn't to say such a thing would be particularly difficult, considering the tiny, stubby body of the little Elf Owl. The Burrowing Owl was hardly much bigger, but was distinguished by long, thin running legs. The Great Gray's hulking frame, by contrast, towered over them easily, while the Barn Owl fell in between, not bulky or huge but not tiny or stout.

The Barn Owl was the first to speak up after landing.

"Great job today, guys!" he said proudly. "The amount of coals we collected tonight should keep Bubo's supply going for many more moons!"

"Heh, well I can't exactly take any credit here," the Burrowing Owl stated. "Gylfie's navigating is what got us to Ambala in time," he gestured a wing to the Elf Owl, who looked down sheepishly.

"Come on, Digger, your ground speed saved us a lot of good finds," Gylfie complimented back.

"And Soren here even managed to save an owl from becoming some lucky predator's crispy leftovers," the Great Gray, named Twilight, added with a tinge of signature dark humor.

Soren, the Barn Owl, recalled it all quite clearly.

They had just returned from a trip to the Forest Kingdom of Ambala, where a fierce wildfire had been reported. Most would steer clear of such a dangerous event, but for the group of friends it provided ample opportunity to test out their different abilities they'd developed as Guardians. Soren could fly through fires near-effortlessly to gather the coals; Gylfie's navigation allowed them to reach the fire in nearly half the time they otherwise would have; Digger's powerful legs helped him scavenge many grounded coals before the fire spread; and Twilight's strength could carry twice as many buckets as an average collier. It was highly unorthodox to have owls from four different chaws partake in the same mission, but they had proven their worth as a unit many times in the past.

But Soren also had come across a frightened Barn Owl, slightly younger than him, who had ended up trapped in the blaze. His rescue attempts were initially met with heavy resistance, however, as she believed him to be one of the dreaded Pure Ones. How she could have been so certain raised a number of questions in Soren's mind. But regardless, he was able to recite one of the ancient Hoolean legends, something no Pure One would dare do. And the Barn Owl, who he came to know as Pellimore (or Pelli), was finally convinced, allowing him to guide her out of the fire just as her hollow was consumed.

And now the group of friends had returned to their new home of just under half a year, satisfied with a job well done.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I could do with a few hardy voles right about now," Twilight said, wings outstretched in a relaxed manner.

"You had four this evening," Gylfie retorted. "You keep at this rate and there won't be any left for the whole tree."

Twilight scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Hey, you snooze you lose," he snarked, only to be met by a kick from the small female.

Soren and Digger churred at the two's banter. Digger proceeded to follow them as they prepared to take off for the dining hollow, but the Barn Owl held back.

"You guys go on without me," he said. "I'll be there once I've checked in with how Martin fared." He was referring to the Northern Saw-Whet owl who was also part of the colliering chaw.

Gylfie nodded. "I'll try to save you a spot," she said kindly, before taking off with the other two.

A contented smile crossed Soren's beak as he watched his friends depart across the tree.

It was hard to believe that not terribly long ago, they had come to this sacred place. They were so desperate and afraid, but ultimately united through their hardships. As the months rolled on since they were knighted Guardians, their bond had strengthened each day, becoming a surrogate family unit that Soren wouldn't trade for almost anything.

They had also continued to grow in their roles as Guardians, and their latest mission was another testament to how far they'd come in that sense as well. The Great Ga'hoole Tree had something to cater to each of their talents, and the band of heroes came to be quite well-known across the tree.

They had grown physically as well, with the Barn Owl himself having recently just passed the cusp of adulthood. His body and legs had developed and firmed up quite nicely, aided further by his duties and training. His wings had reached their full majesty, his plumage properly developed. His voice had deepened, and his face was now more handsomely mature while still maintaining a youthfulness to it.

Getting to this point wasn't easy, or painless. All four of them had suffered losses one way or another. But in many ways, those losses only proved to bring them closer together. He now had the best group of friends he could ask for, in addition to his blood family - save for one, he recalled bitterly - now living with him at the tree. He was growing more and more into the hero they all knew him capable of being.

As Soren looked out at the sun, he sought to bring about a bright future for them all.

---

"Hah! I bet this writer never knew port from starboard!"

This exclamation of disapproval came from an old, withered Screech Owl. It caught the attention of the two younger birds accompanying him.

The night after their return from Ambala, Soren and Gylfie were both able to finish their chaw sessions earlier than expected. As such, they concurred that they could do with spending their extra free time together in the tree's library.

The hollow contained a vast wealth of texts of all different kinds, from educational nonfiction to challenging philosophy to pure escapism. There was something there for anyone who entered. Gylfie expressed her excitement at getting to Sylvania's new astrology book, while Soren was looking to read up on the history of the Great Tree's founding.

It turned out that they weren't the only two who felt like giving the library a visit, though. When they entered the hollow, they found Ezylryb sitting in his usual spot, hunched over a book of his own. And as their reading session went on, it became clear that he wasn't impressed with his selection.

"Oh come on, Ezylryb, it can't be that bad," Soren asserted.

"Boy, look here at this paragraph, and you tell me that-"

The old mentor cut off his complaint when his ear slits suddenly alerted him to a new presence in the library. All three owls turned their heads, and saw a lovely female Barn Owl shyly standing at the entrance. Her elegant form was painted a very light shade of golden-yellow, complimented by the pure white on her face, breast, and slim legs.

Soren recognized her as Pelli, the owl he'd saved yesterday.

"Oh, sorry, am I interrupting?" she asked.

"No, not at all, lass! Come, come in!" Ezylryb enthused.

Pelli did as she was asked. It appeared that she felt a tad awkward suddenly entering the company of these three, but the old owl's enthusiasm dropped her concerns. Helping along was a warm look from Soren, which she felt especially brighten her spirits.

Not one to mince words, she went up to the male Barn Owl she came here for. "I've been looking for you, actually," she began. "I wanted to tell you … thank you. For, you know … saving my life. "

Soren let out a brief chur before responding, "It was really nothing."

"It really wasn't, though," Pelli continued. She looked into his eyes, seemingly drawn to them with deep admiration. "I couldn't have made it out there by myself. And with how I made it so difficult for you … sorry about that, by the way. I really didn't think that you were a Guardian, much less the Soren I'd heard so much about."

The Barn Owl's face lit up hearing her harmonic voice, but he was taken aback by this last part. His head shot up as he asked, "You've … heard about me?"

Pelli's beak tugged up a bit as she prepared to explain, but Ezylryb stepped in. "Aye, word's been spreading about you, lad," the wise owl stated. "Since you got here, in fact. What with you braving what you did, coming all the way out here, saving our skins at St. Aggie's. Beings are speaking across the lands of you young ones. Quite admirable, I'd say, to inspire others at such a young age."

Soren's eyes glanced downward, grinning meekly in response to the praise his teacher bestowed upon him. Gylfie couldn't help but chur when she saw this, nudging his side with a wing. "You told me how much you fantasized about being a great big hero back at your old nest, and now you shy away when you're praised?" she asked wryly.

Soren gave a slight shrug of his wings as he chuckled himself. "What can I say? I suppose I was never in it for the glory after all."

Ezylryb grinned proudly at his apprentice at this.

Pelli joined back in by saying, "I never thought I'd get to meet you. Especially under such … er, circumstances." She winced lightly. "I only wish I could have given you a much warmer welcome."

Soren was a bit surprised at how humble the young female was being after displaying such ferocity in their initial encounter. It made her even more intriguing in his eyes.

"Well, I can't imagine getting warmer than a forest fire," he quipped, earning a giggle from the upbeat female.

As they got caught up in each other, both Barn Owls failed to see Gylfie's face perk up knowingly from watching them. She knew they would be fast friends, and got the slightest suspicion of something even deeper beginning.

"None of us exactly blame you for being paranoid, dearie" Ezylryb cut in. "Those Pure Ones have been at it these past few weeks. Seems as though they've recovered from the blow we gave them and are looking to mount a comeback."

Soren's face was noticeably discomforted as his mentor said this, more so than the others'. Gylfie and Ezylryb knew why; he'd been personally affected by the evil group of owls in more ways than one. In addition to his own capture as a mere owlet, the Pure Ones' fiendish queen Nyra had somehow managed to corrupt his older brother, Kludd, into joining them, abandoning a loving family for an evil Soren thought incomprehensible. The two brothers ended up fighting at the battle of St. Aggie's, resulting in what Soren had to presume was Kludd's death. Despite his brother's actions, Soren mourned him. He still believed that he could have saved him, not just from death but from the dark path he'd gone down. He wouldn't believe that his own brother could truly be a monster.

Now, tension was rising among the ranks of the tree. With Pure One attacks on the rise after a lull, many were wondering how strong their ranks had become since that battle. The Guardians were able to fend off various attacks and pillages across the kingdom, but was this all a sign of worse things to come?

Gylfie rested a talon on Soren's comfortingly, and he draped a wing around her smaller form gratefully.

"We've been through thick and thin together because of them," the Elf Owl said firmly. "Whatever they throw at us, we'll be able to face it. Together." Her best friend simply nodded in agreement. Despite her tiny size, she always seemed able to stand tall against any adversity, one of the many things Soren admired about her.

Ezylryb, wanting to lighten up the mood he'd sullied, then decided to change the subject. "So then, lass, while you're here, care to browse around for something to read?" he asked Pelli.

But the female let out a light sigh, and turned her head away from the trio. Soren's eyes narrowed in confusion, before Pelli spoke up again.

"Oh, no, that's fine," she said sadly. "I … I can't read."

She looked ashamed to admit this in front of what she was sure were three well-read, well-educated Guardians. But when she looked back at them, they instead only returned looks of sympathy.

It was then that the ever-generous Soren decided to do lend a wing. "Well … I could teach you. How to read, that is. I-if that's okay with you?" he said somewhat awkwardly.

The dark orbs of Pelli's eyes lit up. "R-really?! I-I don't mean to trouble you, you've done more than enough for me already-"

Soren cut her off with a raise of a talon. "It's fine. It'd be my pleasure. Really."

He stated that last word with more weight than he'd meant to, but it was nonetheless sincere. In fact, the prospect of spending more time with this female gave him a sense of excitment he couldn't quite place. And Pelli, in turn, looked up at him in sheer awe, as if he had just given her the entire world.

Soren couldn't place his feelings, but an observing Gylfie certainly could. And it apparently showed on her beaming face, as Soren soon ended up looking down to ask her, "What?"

"Oh, nothing," Gyflie swiftly responded. "Nothing."

---

The original Guardians of Ga'hoole series was created by Kathryn Lasky. The film Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'hoole and its versions of the characters belong to Warner Bros.

Originally uploaded on January 29, 2020.

---

I seriously had no idea if more than two people were gonna care about this when it first came out. It's a fanfic sequel to a movie that got mixed reception, based on a very obscure book series, with the main captive being a non-anthro owl. It's probably the most niche thing I’ve done to date, but I hope it can still be enjoyable regardless. Maybe some of you will end up seeing what I see in Soren?

As readers of the books can tell by the title, this is a sort of recreation of the fourth entry of the book series, made to be compliant with the 2010 movie. And while it will hitting some of the major beats of the book's second half, I do plan on throwing in a few curveballs of my own.

But as for this chapter, my hope was to establish a feel that captures the essence of the books and movie while also having my own unique flair. Because while I enjoy the books, a lot of that has to do with nostalgia. They can get really, really silly at times, with many characters and subplots that don't really offer much to the story. The movie alleviates several of my problems with the books, but makes many of its own choices I'm not a fan of. So all this is kind of through my own filter of tastes, while still trying to respect the originals. This first part is mainly setup and establishing scenes, with Part 2 being when the true plot gets going. It's kind of my way of getting everyone caught up with where the characters are and what's been going on in between the movie and now.

And yeah, Pelli's in this! I really went back and forth on whether it'd be right to put her in the story, but I thought of a way to have her be relevant while not really distracting from the main plot. I think it's nice to include her, especially since I may have already given her as much development as Kathryn Lasky did in the whole series. XD