Hundreds of thousands of years ago, when the Earth’s civilizations were still very young, when the idea of life among the stars was reserved for Gods and Goddesses, mythical beings and for those whom the Gods deemed worthy of ascending and joining them, before minds became jaded and stopped believing, the World stood on the brink of destruction.
War.
Peoples clashed in countless battles as the contest for territory raged in all corners. No one culture was willing to give up their ground as they claimed things like “exploration” and “cultural advancement”, all the while using bloody tactics to gain their ground and force others into submission, while the others fought back in the only ways they knew how, with tooth and nail, as they were there first. Things became so desperate, the very Gods that people claimed they were fighting in the name of were forced to step in and end their twisted justification for tyranny. Those who refused the direct orders of their Deities were severely punished and made extraordinary examples of. One by one, the Gods moved their way through each encampment, demanding weapons be put down and the rivers of blood stopped. And one by one, the groups were cowed and reigned in, ashamed of themselves and what they had done to their fellow humans. Ashamed that they had brought the Gods down among them to stop their petty fights.
Such an endeavor was so taxing on them, that not all were able to immediately return to their homes. They found solace in the waters, the earths, the forests and even the skies while they regained their strengths. They gathered together to talk, to discuss the fates of mortals. They wanted to ensure that something on this scale did not happen again. These people were their children, they did not wish to see them destroy each other. The Gods slowly planned.
When Earth’s inhabitants finally settled and peace was once again had, the Divine Beings set into place Guardians, Holy Spirits born of stars, called forth from the Essence of Life itself, who were to watch over, guard, guide and if needed, pass judgement on their charges so that the Gods would not be needed again.
These Guardians were divided amongst the regions of the World, each to govern as they saw fit; The feisty and firey Phoenix watched over the Southernmost Continent of what eventually became South America while it’s vociferous counterpart, the Thunderbird, watched the Northern Continent. The North and South poles were, respectively, guarded by the imposing Nightmare and strange Ningen. The regions now known as Australia and Hawaii were shepherded by the serpentine Taniwha while Northern Asia and China was watched over by delicate Kirin. Meanwhile, the rest of Asia was safeguarded by the fearsome Dragon. The majestic Unicorn and steadfast Itbarak were tasked guarding the vast expanse of the world that stretched from all of Europe through Central Asia while Africa was watched over by the impressive Chimera. Finally, the seas were governed by the great Kraken in the Atlantic and the beautiful mermaid in the Pacific.
For years and countless years they minded their charges. These great, remarkable beings were worshiped by the peoples, as they carried the law and word of the Gods. Fantastical stories were woven about their creations, how some were born of the Gods themselves, or fallen from the stars and heavens, or even erupted from the very Earth. Their deeds and in some cases, their misfortunes were told as well, a timeline of their lives, some true, some not so much, exaggerated beyond imagination in efforts to both praise and demonize as the people saw fit. The Guardians did not seem to mind so much, save the few occasions where small bands of humans attempted to seek out these Creatures for their own glory. They were quickly dismissed, some even defeated and destroyed, which in a few cases, only served to grow the reputation of some of the Guardians, some in awe, some in fear.
Over time, civilizations settled, flourishing, developing and growing naturally, and these stories became legends, which in turn became nothing more than myths and old wives tales as the Guardians were no longer needed or remembered as anything more than painted images on paper. And as this need dwindled, they simply went into hiding.
It wasn’t until the era known as the Silver Millennium that they were sought out once more, this time, by the Queen of the Moon.
Queen Serenity gathered the beastly Guardians, telling them of the devastating war between Earth and her home of the Moon. She told them the Earth needed it’s Guardians once more, for one day, they would be needed in an even bigger struggle. The White Queen then bestowed upon them even greater powers with her brilliant crystal, powers that they took into their bodies, transforming them, giving them human shape as tiny pulsating crystals bloomed in their very souls. Mythic Guardians, she called them, asking them to once more guard the Earth from the creeping darkness until the time the Moon Kingdom was again great.
These new Mythic Senshi, enthralled and grateful for these new powers and forms, readily agreed that no matter what Evil threatened the Earth, they would stand strong against it.
Satisfied, the Moon Queen returned to her home, trying in vain to prevent its destruction. The Mythics could only sadly watch as the light in the sky went dim, but they had their own work to do, here on Earth.
More centuries passed and they stood vigilant in their promise, but all too soon, it was a different kind of darkness that crept in the shadows and threatened them.
Corruption.
