5Skip this section if you don't want to read my rant.
Alright. I wrote this for many selfish reasons, so I'd understand if nobody likes it.
First: I didn't write this story with little kids as my audience in mind, so some elements (no pun intended) may come as a surprise (or a turn-off) to you.
Second: I wanted a better adaptation of the Arkhanta story (and consequently, the Interpol story). It may come off as a simple problem with a very simple solution, but that isn't so. Life isn't that simple.
Third: I kind of went overboard in my desire for subplots and character development, and I didn't want any of the plots to stay as ideas forever.
I actually kind of hate this story, but I wrote it for the sake of one single subplot that I didn't plan on writing, but ended up heavily influencing me on writing this. Hint: it's not about Orube, surprisingly.
Opening Song:
How had I arrived to this scenery?
How had we survived all this misery?
How could I forget I had a heavy price to pay?
Hold my hand and please tell me I am wrong
That I can fix this no matter how long
How can you find the power to head towards the bright light?
How can you take so much pain and keep walking further?
But despite it all, I'd still like to fight
When the world has gone astray
Let the heart lead the way
Chapter 01: New Year, New Problems
The sun cast its first rays upon peeking from the horizon. It was still quite dark; the bluish grey clouds of the night still loomed over the plains. A few early birds could be heard chirping in the distance. Nature was only waking up, but the people of Arkhanta were already ahead of it.
Farmers set to work in their fields, taking weeds out and making sure that their crops were properly hydrated. Fishermen carefully boarded their boats and set off for the best spots for the greatest catch. Traders counted their goods, estimated their profits, and opened their stores. Children were shaken awake, all tasked with chores to help their parents. Tunes were whistled to battle boredom and fatigue. Everyone had to have finished major tasks before the heat reached its peak.
This was an everyday scene in Arkhanta. Arkhanta was a very simple world; its people were very simple too. To deviate from such routines meant that something was going on in the land.
However, nothing truly lasts forever.
People would shrug it off if the oddity only lasted for a day or two, or maybe a week, a month. However, once the children would point it out, they could no longer cast a blind eye towards it.
The air felt quite different – hot, short, sharp. It was the middle of summer, right, but the summer of Arkhanta was never this harsh. There were fewer birds singing; fewer animals obeying their exasperated caretakers' requests. The land seemed different, too. The crops weren't growing well; harvest would be bad. The soil seemed very dry, too, and overwatering would immediately drown it, as well as the plants. The water was different as well, and the taste was quite different. The wells got deeper and deeper; the shores got bigger and bigger. Rivers began to stop short, and even the taste of the water made people question its quality.
If such oddities happened, say, on several successive days, or in one or two towns, there wouldn't be a problem. Things would simply be shrugged off as bad luck, a temporary loss. They didn't have to worry again, they were promised. The land had been so beautiful and bountiful all these past years.
However, these things had been happening for months.
At first, things were shrugged off as being a bad start in the year. Some people could've simply been overthinking; maybe it was just them. But, they weren't, not when all the stories in the taverns of Urdath were similar. The sudden fluctuations in weather. The intense summer. A plague. The land was being plagued. Even children understood that there had been something different this year.
'I hope my flower is all right,' thought little Padja as she ran to look after her beloved flower. Her mother, who'd usually make a fuss about skipping chores, merely looked on.
"If this keeps up," the woman said to a neighbor, "Arkhanta would plunge into deep sorrow, wouldn't it?"
Her neighbor nodded. "However, none will have deeper sorrow than our King Ari, right?"
"Right…"
A few miles away, a man looked out of a tower with white pillars. His hair was short and dark, with a small braid on one side and a tuff of light hair on the other – a sign of his aging. The wrinkles on his face deepened, as he watched how people gather like ants in their respective villages. These villagers were assumedly discussing of the impending disaster.
Argh. What had he not done? He'd tried to do all he could within the limits of his power. It was so useless to have power when he couldn't do anything, anything at all. Not for fellow farmers, not for himself, and not for his son.
His son. His precious, precious son. The one precious treasure he had.
Not his power, not this citadel, not his riches. His son. His son was the one thing he'd protect above them all, and yet, the man couldn't do anything for his precious, precious son.
How weak! How could he live on knowing that he couldn't do anything for his son?! How could he live on knowing that he couldn't do anything for himself or for his friends down there in the plains?! No science, no magic could help them at all. Nothing! No god and no powerful fae could help them at all! Why?! Why had they been abandoned?! The man – this man called Ari – he chuckled, forcing his lips into a bitter smile, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth. Useless! Everything was useless! If only… if only… if only…!
The sun blazed in its rule over the sky; dust rolled in the dry air. Red boulders and rock formations decorated the plains, cracked from the desert climate. The landscape bathed in reds, oranges, and golds. It was doubtful if life could truly be sustained in Aridia's surface.
But, there were exemptions to the rule, for Aridia had a source of magic, however tiny this fragment was. It was a power that rose to the time of need, to find rich oases and lush underground caves, flourished by miraculous water sources. However, the current keeper of this power, the Heart of Aridia, knew little of his abilities. He saw little need to know more of it, and he didn't bother to. Life on Aridia was quite simple and very humbling. Even the Heart was such a simple creature too – a stone golem with no need for nourishment, only companionship.
This was very much the reason that the Guardians of the Infinite Worlds and two of their friends from Meridian were here in Aridia. The vessel of this world's magic, poor soul, had his emotional heart broken, and his loneliness affected the magic that kept the desert planet together. Canyons opened and reached down deep abysses. The water would be swallowed by drought or flooding the hard, cracked soil. The animals grew restless or very tired; the plants either had humongous overgrowths or stopped growing altogether.
Aridia would surely be in ruins in no time if the matter would not be addressed immediately.
"How hard is it to track a pile of rocks?!" Caleb complained, wiping his brow with a hiss.
"Blunk confused!" explained the small passling, "Everywhere is rocks! But let Brunk try. Let Blunk try! But… maybe after rest?"
"Thanks, Blunk." Will tried to smile. "I guess… that's all we could do for now."
"We really could use the break." Hay Lin gave a wide grin, but she looked exhausted herself.
"Yeah!" Cornelia agreed, "This weather is ruining my hair!"
"And when we go back to Heatherfield, it's going to be freezing! We'll get sick!" Taranee added.
"And we still have to deal with our growing pile of homework, Will!" Irma grumbled, "Why are we dealing with such a small problem? Can't Bigwig Oracle not send us?"
Caleb frowned. "I don't like this mission either, but compared to dealing with Phobos and Nerissa, I can't really complain!"
Will sighed. "Yeah. Me too. Let's go to that nearby oasis for a break."
Thankfully, the oasis was intact and void of the horrors that wrecked the rest of the land. How odd. Will and Taranee, though very tired, would like to question it first, but the others were enjoying themselves with the temporary paradise they found. Irma and Hay Lin splashed each other with waves; Cornelia washed her face; Caleb drank his fill; Blunk simply appreciated the shade that the palm-like trees provided.
"We better be alert," Taranee suggested to Will in a whisper.
The Keeper of the Heart nodded. "Better safe than sorry."
The minutes passed by, with little to worry about. Still, the two wary guardians hadn't gotten rest, their minds still on the lookout for anything wrong.
Irma noticed Will's tense stance, so the Guardian of Water called upon her element and splashed it against her friend's face. Will yelped, which alerted Taranee.
"Will! Danger! Get away!" the Guardian of Fire screamed. Her exclamation was met with a few seconds of silence and confusion, then a burst of laughter.
"Relax!" Irma assured, "We barely get a vacation from anything. This isn't the time to get paranoid over stuff."
"Irma's right," Caleb agreed, "You should get as much rest as you can."
Will and Taranee looked at each other. Well, what's the harm? They shrugged and smiled, then joined the others in their mini beach summer getaway.
After a while of playing and relaxing, Will invited all her friends to continue their task. It shouldn't be too difficult to befriend the Heart of Aridia, lift his spirits, and stop his magic from destroying his home.
The guardians, Caleb, and Blunk resumed their search. It didn't take Hay Lin too long to pick up the stone golem's wails, or for the whole group to reach the top of the rocky plateau where he settled. The girls flew straight ahead, while Caleb quickly climbed up, much to Cornelia's fancy. She made a mental note to congratulate him on his abilities later. For now, they would deal with the poor, sad creature.
"She broke my heart!" cried the golem, "I don't trust girls!"
Caleb made the first attempt to calm him down. "Hey, buddy! I'm really sorry for your loss. But, if you keep um, not trusting girls, then how will you make more friends? How will you heal your heart?"
Thankfully, the golem's wails were reduced to quiet sobbing. "Friends?" he croaked out.
"Yes. Friends. Not as close as a girlfriend is, but they're also very awesome."
The guardians took that as an okay to share their own thoughts.
"And, Mister!" Hay Lin said, "If you're willing to trust us, we can be your friend!"
"That's right!" Will smiled. "If you keep being sad, then this whole world will be sad, too. Then, your friends can't visit you and talk with you."
"You can't climb out of a deep pit if you don't stand up and fight!" Irma cheered.
"And, when you're on your own feet," Cornelia suggested, "Work to be a better person. Rock. Golem. Err… right. Work to be better! Then, when you see that girl again, you can prove to her that, she made the wrong choice to leave you!"
Caleb didn't exactly like the implications of his girlfriend's words (or the smug grin that she wore while looking at him), but since he had to be an example to the Heart of Aridia, he had to smile. "Right! So, don't be sad anymore, okay, buddy?"
"Blunk need golem happy," Blunk agreed, "Golem happy, world happy, friends happy!"
The golem stopped crying. He asked, "Really? You will be my friends?"
Taranee nodded. "Of course! We're kind of busy, but we'll visit you when we can. Oh, and if you meet a good girl, you can introduce her to us, so, all of us can be friends!"
The golem seemed happy with the answers he got. Phew.
The team spent, perhaps, a good hour talking to the golem, to make sure he'd still be happy enough for Aridia's magic to fix itself. The guardians and their two Meridianite friends couldn't be more thankful to finally return to Kandrakar and report – the girls still had school tomorrow!
"…so yeah, the guy's happy now, and Aridia is saved!" Irma boasted, her arms making exaggerated gestures in the air. The elders merely nodded; the Oracle smiled.
"Thank you, Irma," he said, and eyed Caleb and Blunk, "But, guardians, don't you think it was a bit… excessive, to bring your friends from Meridian along?"
"It's an honor to serve the guardians," Caleb defended.
"Blunk not bad! Blunk good friend! Blunk help!" added the passling.
"We are thankful," the Oracle said, "We do appreciate your service. But, you two even came with the guardians to Aridia!"
"Sir, we may be overextending their aid," Will argued, "But they are of great help to us. They are valuable members of the team."
The Oracle nodded. "Alright. You may go home now."
The girls squealed in delight, while the two male members of their team merely bowed before the Council. They were enveloped in a bright light, and in seconds, they disappeared.
"Oracle," asked Hallinor, "Is it that you do not approve of the young man and the passling?"
"None of the sort, my friend!" the Oracle clarified, "But, at this time, should they not be assisting Meridian? The terror from Phobos' tyranny is still present, and not all of his loyal minions have been caught. The queen's power may be far greater than her brother's, but her political power is still weak compared to his."
"I suppose," Kadma agreed, "But if we were to send the boy and his friend back, who would replace them?"
The Oracle thought for a while, his eyes scanning the faces of his fellow elders. They all seemed to be wondering about Kadma's question.
"But, do they really need to be replaced?" Luba doubted, "The boy is indeed a smart warrior, and the passling does his job well. Would it not be a good opportunity to see if the guardians can work on their own?"
The Oracle gave her a look and prepared to discuss with her, but words fell as another idea came to mind.
The sun went, the moon came, and then the sun was up in the sky again. It was just another day in Heatherfield…
Is it?
Irma was unusually not taking very long in the bath. It was still winter, and the Lair household had been expecting her to stay twice longer, thanks to the weather. Not this season – well, this particular season and year, anyway. Something was up.
"You're not doing anything funny, aren't you, young lady?" Tom asked his daughter. The girl was singing a silly tune as she daintily cut across her pancakes and carefully guided her fork carefully to her mouth. Usually, she wolfed down on breakfast, and certainly did not mind the very unladylike way she did things.
"Irma's acting so gross!" Young Christopher stomped into the kitchen. "I'm so mad I can't get mad at her for being stuck in the bath!"
"Oh shush, Chris!" His sister giggled. "I'm just a lady, maturing into a very fine woman. It's a good time to change my ways, isn't it?"
Anna laughed at her daughter's remarks. "Yes, honey. We girls can't afford to be childish all the time. I'm proud of you, Irma!"
"Thanks, Mom." Irma wiped her mouth with a napkin, and put her dishes away. "I'm heading out now, thanks for breakfast! Love you!"
She gave kisses to her family, and rushed out the door. Tom sighed.
"Dad!" Christopher whined, "That was so gross!"
The head of the Lair household sighed again, as his wife merely giggled. "Young love…"
Irma skipped along the road, excitedly heading towards the bus stop. Today… today again, she could see her beloved blonde crush again!
She'd been considering calling all blonde guys evil. Cedric, Phobos, Frost (ew), Martin at times, though she messed up that last one and turned out to be evil towards him. Okay, so it was wrong to call Martin evil, since Irma proved to be a bigger douche than he could be. (Still, she can't excuse the way he squeezed himself into her life, when it was obvious that the answer was no.) Andrew Hornby and VMJ better be thankful they weren't blonde.
The bus arrived, forcing Irma out of her thoughts… temporarily. As soon as she hopped inside, paid the fare, and chose a seat, she went back to daydreaming.
But still! She's been meeting blonde men who were unappealing to her. And now, now there's this blonde cutie at school who wasn't evil and not unappealing. He was so smart, educated, and formal, but very friendly, helpful, and casual too! There was a lot to know about him… Italian descent, good with machines and technology, toned hunk with very sexy stubble, makes prescription glasses look very sexy, plays basketball with the guys, occasional wine lover…
"Ah… Raphael Sylla…" Irma cooed.
However, she knew nothing about the fact that she turned everyone's clothes pink. Thankfully, people were still drowsy enough to credit the color change to having to get up so early. Fine with most of the women; bad for most of the men. Even the driver was baffled that he was suddenly wearing a pink uniform. Oh, even the bus turned pink!
But, Irma was oblivious to all that. She simply dreamed in her seat, of being invited to a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant, of being dressed in her best dress and her crush in a stunning tux, of eating the best food ever and laughing at nothing and everything, of watching fireworks while cuddling from the cold weather…
Oh, there was no helping it. She was certainly in love with her teacher, no doubt. But, so were a hundred or so other girls in their school. Oh, well. He did deserve to attract such a crowd – he was so suave and handsome and manly. Andrew Hornby was admittedly more handsome, but he was aloof at times. Vans Michael Justin was a star but unbelievably a geek like Martin, so he was suddenly not so appealing anymore. (But, of course, Irma will still support his career, because he sings and acts well.)
But Raphael Sylla, oh Mr. Sylla, it was as if a Greek statue came to life, landed on Heatherfield, and shared his knowledge with all these poor, unfortunate mortals. Heck, even the boys looked up to him! Waited for him at the court! Fought over which team he should be in! Took advice to him, listened to him, hanged out with him! Was there anything this man couldn't do?!
"Sheffield Institute!" the (still baffled) driver announced, and Irma, along with a dozen other kids donned in pink, got off.
It would be a while before Irma would join her friends. She was too early, and that meant she had extra time to study for Sylla's class. Perfect! She sat by a plant box far from the entrance, so she wouldn't be bothered by the morning rush of students greeting each other good morning.
Soon enough, Will, Taranee, and Cornelia were gathered by the entrance, waiting for their friends. None of them had noticed Irma behind their schoolmates. Alchemy, Martin, Nigel, and Eric passed by, all choosing to go ahead and making a mention of Sylla. Cornelia understood it – fine, the guy was attractive in a mature way and he was smart, but she couldn't accept how even Uriah and his pals talk about the guy so positively. It was good that Sylla inspired students, and helped them boost their scores and change for the better, but still! He was so… so…!
"Overrated?" Taranee supplied, "Come on. He doesn't look that bad, and he actually teaches us, unlike Mr. Bottlom!"
"I can't even remember Mr. Bottlom's face," Will added, "Besides, we have nothing to worry about. Phobos is in prison, and Nerissa's sealed inside Elyon's pendant and is deep within Meridian, wherever Julian threw it out, and the Heart of Aridia is happy again."
"We promised him we'd visit," Cornelia reminded.
"And that's what? Once in a while? Come on, we need a vacation. A long one, actually." Will's eyes dropped to the ground. "I have two weddings to plan and attend. Just one, actually, but I don't think Dean plans to make Mom wait too long. I don't want any distractions."
Cornelia's bad mood faded away. "Oh, Will… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"
"It's fine."
Will was right. That last power-up they had, had been dangerous. They were guardians with responsibilities to the universe, but before that, they were simply girls. They still had their lives as normal citizens of Heatherfield, as normal human beings of planet Earth. Cornelia had her skating; Taranee had her grades; Will had her divorced parents finding better partners for themselves. The other planets would have to let the guardians have a break – they have problems of their own, too.
"Tell us if we can help, okay?" Taranee offered.
The three spent a good time in silence, before they were all tackled into a huge hug.
"Good morning, Sheffield!" Irma greeted – if they weren't approaching her, she was approaching them – "Isn't it a lovely winter morning? Come on, let's get inside and warm up. Today is a very good day."
Cornelia didn't appreciate the extra enthusiasm, especially that she and Irma had differing views on Sylla. "Okay, what did you do with the real Irma?"
Will and Taranee laughed; Irma refused to let go.
"We're enemies, remember?" Cornelia continued, "You like Sylla; I don't like him, so if you please! Please don't give me any of those Sylla-cooties! I beg of you! Oh, and, what's up with the all-pink outfit? You're going to catch his eye, for sure, and give him an eyesore!"
"No need to be dramatic, Corny." Irma finally let go, but did not change her clothes back. "Feel free to hate me all you want, because…" She struck a pose and gave a sly smile. "I'm at the top of all of Sylla's classes! And I plan to keep it that way."
Cornelia grumbled, grinding her teeth.
"Yeah, it's a miracle!" Taranee agreed, "You actually beat me in Sylla's class, ace after ace, and you're surely get an A+ in your report card! You probably have the potential to be at the top of the school with me, you know, if you actually bothered to study?"
"Yep!" Irma danced around, resembling a sugarplum fairy in both her actions and her appearance, "But I'm not too interested. Besides, if I'm too smart, then Sylla can't teach me anything anymore, right?"
The girls laughed. Cornelia commented, "Oh, you're so hopeless. Now, turn your clothes back. It's all pink."
Irma now took time to glance at herself. "…oh. Um. Later in the washroom? You know? Too many people here, Corny!"
"Hey girls!" a boy called to them – a very familiar one, to be exact. Will gave a wide smile when she turned around.
"Hey Matt!" she greeted back.
"We'll be late; let's go in." Matt gently pushed the girls towards the building. "Oh, where's Hay Lin?"
"Out sick. She called last night. The difference in temperature gave her a cold."
"Where were you again? Aridia?"
"Aridia. As in, arid desert."
"Cool."
The minutes ticked by, but no one noticed how fast time went. Not in Sylla's class, anyway. He was teaching basic coding for today, and that was a subject that a lot of students usually failed to understand. He slowly went over the process, asking students to take note of every detail. He made sure that everyone could follow.
"So guys, this here," Sylla pointed to the board, "is the very skeleton of a webpage, where it has the head… everyone follow? The head, which dictates the title of your page, as seen in the title tag. The body, which dictates your content. Both of which, head and body, are enclosed in the HTML tag. So as to command the computer, to tell it how to make a webpage appear. Any questions?"
Uriah raised his hand. "If it has a head and a body, where are the arms and legs?" Nigel, Kurt, and Laurent laughed behind him, as did several others in their class.
"HTML doesn't have arms and legs," Sylla explained, "There's no need for them. It will only make things harder to understand. This section is called a head, because it contains a very brief summary of what should be in your main content, like the title of the page. The title should be saying what kind of content there is, right? Okay, um… for example, you see my face. Of course, you'd understand that, it's Mr. Raphael Sylla. Then, there's the body—"
Most of the girls widened their eyes and squealed, anticipating the imagery of his next lines.
"—which does into detail of what you're looking for. My head, my brain to be exact, commands my body. My body does work, brings me to school, to stand in front of you, and sharpen your young minds. At the end of the day, my head tells me I need a break, and makes my body go to the court, score a few balls, and have a little chit-chat with my students. Understood?"
Not exactly the imagery that the girls were looking for. Still, it would give everybody a good mental image while typing in their code.
"Any more questions?"
Irma took her chance. "Um, why are the tags in pairs?"
Sylla nodded. "Good question, Irma." Oh my god, he called me by my name! "HTML tags are typically in pairs, because they tell your computer where to start and where to end. It's not just the code itself; there are also text effects, font styles, tables, and so on. Here. Let me demonstrate it."
He went to the board and erased "world", replacing it with "iworld/i".
"Alright guys, let's type."
His students faced their monitors and began typing. Sylla went to the other side of the board and wrote, "Hello world", carefully slanting the letters for 'world'.
"When you're done," he instructed, "Save your file, and open your file in Explorer to test the code. Right-click, open with Explorer. This here on the board," he pointed, "should be your output. Hello world. 'World' should be italicized."
Irma typed as fast as she can, so she can show Sylla immediately. The man observed different students from behind, walking slowly behind them as they copied the code into their computers. Irma quickly finished and tested her code, and looked at the board for reference. Yes! She got it right. But, was there a reason for Sylla to look her way, now that she was his best student? She wished he'd look at her anyway.
"So Irma, got it right?"
Oh my god. Sylla turned towards her and checked her work. Irma had to remember how to breathe. He was bent over, which meant that his chest and his neck was at Irma's face, and oh, that perfume of his was so, so dreamy! His shirt was open at the top, which gave Irma a small peek of his muscles. Ooh la la. His mumbling of "excellent" made it even harder to control herself. Her hands sparkled as she tried to keep them on her lap…
Taranee, who sat beside her, noticed how her friend's denim pants were slowly turning pink. She sent a kick to Irma's leg.
"Ouch!" Irma yelped.
"Sorry!" Taranee quickly apologized, "I'm just, um, uh…" Her eyes met with Sylla's – he held a surprised stare too. "I felt insecure. I'm really sorry, Irma! That was horrible of me!"
She buried her face in her hands – what had she done?! Fortunately, Irma felt poor for Taranee, and leaned towards her.
"Oh, it's okay, dearie. Let's just study together!"
Taranee grunted, "Irma, your pants!"
"What?!"
Suddenly (and fortunately), Sylla chuckled. "Alright, you two. Just continue working!"
Irma suddenly became conscious, and hoped he didn't notice. Heck, she hoped nobody else noticed, as she turned pink back to faded blue. Little did she know of the sly smile that Sylla wore, his eyes catching pink turn to blue…
Cafeteria food wasn't dismal, not when the Silver Dragon's contract with the school was still intact. Yan Lin served the food, and it was sort of funny to see her deviate from usual cheery self, pouting and grumbling about how her 'twin' Meera got to stay at home and care for 'their' granddaughter. Fortunately, Hay Lin would be fine by tomorrow, which meant that she can see her granddaughter at school by then. Will could only smile. 'Must be kind of nice,' she thought, remembering how her astral-drop-turned-altermere, who might as well be her sister like that…
The discussion about Irma's almost mishap earlier simply passed Will's ears. Matt can only contribute so much to the discussion, so Will was thankful to have someone by her side.
"You okay, Will?" he asked, "You've been out of loop."
She sighed. "With all that happened with Nerissa and Phobos and Cedric, it's just that… the things with my parents haven't fully sunk in."
"Yeah, these past months had been really weird. My parents were really worried sick when I went Shagon and monstrous and horrible. I'm sorry, I hurt you back then, didn't I?"
"It's fine, Matt. You were under Nerissa's spell."
"Still! Even without her spell, she managed to trick you guys. And you were the ones who had it tough." Matt reached for Will's hand, and held it tightly. "I can't even imagine how you managed to do everything. Being Regent of Earth is a big responsibility, but being a Guardian of Kandrakar and savior of the universe… that's even bigger."
"But, I didn't fulfill it without the girls' help, without Caleb, or Blunk, or… or you. It's I who can't imagine how it must've been hard for you. You weren't part of the action, and I managed to destroy your life like that."
"No, it's okay, Will. You didn't destroy my life. And, don't worry." Matt smiled. "No matter if it's guardian stuff, or Earth stuff, or everyday life stuff, I'll do my best to help you, okay? I care for you, so I accept this role. Even if, well, it's a little weird."
Will nodded, a smile forming on her face.
"Like, I'm Regent of Earth, and so is Huggles, who was just a dormouse but is now Kor, and then there's Napoleon who was just a cat, before he was Lillian's familiar and third regent. Lillian. Lillian Hale, grade schooler. She's just a kid, but she's the Heart of Earth. Crazy, huh?"
Will knew all that already, but she appreciated Matt's attempt to cheer her up. "Yeah. I can't even imagine telling her mom and dad. Cornelia might even not want to tell them, either."
"Haha! It won't be a very great day, I can tell. Both your daughters are magical, Mr. and Mrs. Hale! Congratulations!"
Will laughed.
"So..." Matt decided not to skirt around the issue any longer. "Wanna talk about it?"
"Yeah…"
The moment was ruined when Irma let out a high-pitched squeal. Their table laughed.
"Oookay." Will shook her head. "Maybe next time."
Matt agreed, "Sure. I'll be here for you, so take your time, okay?"
"Thanks."
The day carried on as usual, with no irregularities in sight. Truly, it seemed like a dream. Will was suddenly a normal girl again. She was back to attending school, listening to boring lessons, and being… not special. Oh, great, really. It was nice to take a break from guardian duties, but right now, it wasn't that fun to be a normal girl.
She'd love to hang out with Matt after class, but he had band practice. None of the girls seemed available, either, so Will went straight home. When she got there, she reached for the phone.
"Hey Will!" she heard on the other line, "How's it going, sweetheart?"
"Great, really!" But, Will knew it was far from great. "How about you, Dad?"
She was simply calling her dad to say hello and get updates about the upcoming marriage. Tony made it specific that if Susan knew, she'd throw a fit and forbid him from ever seeing Will again. What was it that made them divorce again? Will was too young to remember all the details, though from their interactions, she could guess that the reason was too many arguments. She was just so glad that her mother was kind enough to provide her details about their family tree during, well, that day with Elyon.
Still, Will wanted to be involved with Tony. They were father and daughter, after all. What was wrong with wanting to spend time with your dad? She didn't know why it didn't sit well with her mother; neither did Tony or Serena. Heck, even her own stepmother-to-be was even thrilled at the idea of meeting Susan, and Serena was disappointed to learn that Susan hated many things related to Tony. But, Serena reasoned, if Susan can get along okay with Will, who was related to Tony, then they women could get along too. They would deal with the situation like mature adults, and it's probably just spite that made Tony and Susan not get along. Will had to be positive, as Serena taught her.
Would, would Will have to call Serena 'Mom' too? That felt like she would betray her own mother. Susan was so brave and patient. She had to deal with a little child, now a hormonal teenager who happened to be a guardian of the freaking Infinite Worlds. Susan had a lot of challenges, having to divide her time between work and daughter. Will couldn't simply put that aside.
"Everything okay, dear?" Tony asked on the other line.
"Yeah," she lied, "I'm just, you know, feeling like this is all a dream." Truthfully, though. She felt like she was dreaming – dreaming of a nightmare, that was. Or at least, lucid-dreaming an almost-nightmare.
"I should be the one saying that. I didn't even think you'd agree to our request." Will couldn't turn him away. Tony was her dad, for the world's sake! "We're still thinking of how to tell your mother, though. Serena wants me to invite her, but, I don't know, sweetheart. I don't want to spoil my day or her day." True. The two of them would spoil the whole reception, given their, ahem, differences. "Well, you could help us, though I think that's already too much. This is adult affair, ha-ha."
Just then, the doorbell rang.
"Uh-oh." Will gulped. "Mom's here. Call you later, okay? Tell Serena I said hi."
"Sure thing, Will!"
Will had to put the phone away quickly, and went to the door to greet her mother. Will thought of her dad's words. How would she break the news? Wait, was it okay to break the news? Susan didn't like many things related to Tony. Could Will tell her mother of the upcoming marriage? Would she like to know that somebody can handle her ex-husband? Would she like to know that Tony's finally moving on?
But, when Will opened the door, she saw a familiar figure behind her mother. Heard him.
"I don't even understand why that part was erased! It was so significant—! Oh, hello, Will!"
Argh. Dean. Dean Collins, her history teacher. She didn't exactly hate him; he was a good person, and he made her mom happy. Will simply hated the fact that out of all people, Dean had to be her teacher. What if everyone at school knew? One of them would be forced to transfer, or else they'd be both accused of cheating. They might say that Dean favored her, or that she received test answers from Dean.
"H-hey, um, Mr. Collins…" she greeted. "Hello, Mom."
"Hello, sweetie," Susan greeted back. "I hope you don't mind having Dean over for dinner."
"Oh, of course not. Not…" Will glanced up at Dean, then back to Susan. "At all."
Will still wanted her mom to be happy. Susan raised her and put up with her – how could Will not repay the love her mother gave her? She wouldn't break the news. It was fine. She could tell her mother that she's just helping her dad out, something like father-daughter stuff. That was acceptable, right? Will would just be out on a fine day with her biological father, wearing white and a corsage… ugh, no. It was obvious, too obvious.
Will had to figure out a way to tell her mom. But, not tonight, not over dinner, not when her mom seems so happy and ecstatic and just… ugh.
Will let the night pass by. Dinner went by in a blur – it was a night for Susan and Dean, after all. She quickly excused herself out of the scene, to brush her teeth and get in her pajamas. Tomorrow was another day for school, and another day to think things over with.
However, a fold suddenly appeared in front of her. Oh no. Kandrakar was calling, the pink waves swirling in the pool of energy. Will had to close the windows and curtains so no outsider would see. Hopefully, no one saw. She gulped. Oh, well. She was the one who thought that it wasn't that fun to be a normal girl right now. But, hopefully, the distraction wouldn't be that bad.
She thought about going guardian, but she figured that everyone was also in their sleepwear at this time. Oh, well. She went through the fold, and found herself in the white halls of Kandrakar. The other girls, sans Hay Lin, also in their sleepwear, were there, and so were Blunk and Caleb. The girls gave a shriek when they realized that Caleb was there, so he had to cover his eyes and turn away from them. Irma realized that Blunk was still staring, and she had to squirt water at him, to get him to copy Caleb's actions.
"Oh, my sincerest apologies, girls!" Hallinor gave a bow. "I forgot about the boys."
"Hallinor, you always have the worst timing," Kadma commented. (Will chuckled.)
Luba clicked her tongue. "Let's get to business."
It was then that Will realized that, sans Blunk and Caleb, there were only girls here.
"You may be asking where the Oracle is, but don't worry," Hallinor assured, "He respects your privacy. I just forgot about Caleb and Blunk, that's all."
"Yeah, I think I realize that," Will agreed.
Kadma said, "However, this also hints to what you're here for. Orube, come."
At the mention of the unfamiliar name, Luba reached her hand out, and the guardians' eyes followed the direction. From the large doorway Luba pointed to, a woman walked out… a woman, or simply an older girl? The strange lady wore a white top-and-pants ensemble with teal green edges. Pink ribbons adorned her hair and waist. Across her back was a sword – a warrior, no doubt.
Similar to Luba, the stranger was feline-like, but her feline features were more prominent. Big ears and a tail, namely. Whisker-like marks on the jawline. Beautiful black eyeliner along the stranger's striking golden eyes.
Will found it odd, though, that the warrior's eyebrows were thicker, that her nose was black around the nostrils (like a cat), and that her lips had some sort of black lining (like lipstick). That last bit sort of reminded Will of Cedric's real form. Except that his lips were purple. Ha, ha.
"Yes, please do take a good look at her," Luba encouraged, "For she is your ally."
Yikes. Had Will, or her friends for that matter, been staring too hard? Their new, um, ally was obviously very, um, woman-like in terms of figure, and it didn't help that the stripes sort of added a different level of female allure. Will couldn't deny that she herself suddenly felt very insecure of her own curves (or lack thereof). Good thing Caleb and Blunk had their eyes covered and backs turned.
"Pussycaaaat," Irma drawled.
"W-what?" the very much cat-like stranger said. "Don't call me that!"
"Here, Kitty-Kitty—OOF!"
Taranee elbowed Irma. Will nervously laughed. Things were off to a great(?) start.
"H-hello!" she said, "What's your name?"
"…Orube of Basiliade," the lady introduced herself, giving a slight bow with a palm against a fist, hands at chest level, "I offer you my service."
"Um, thanks. I'm Will, Quintessence Guardian, Keeper of the Heart." Will extended her hand, but quickly corrected herself. She chose to reciprocate Orube's strange bow; a handshake might confuse her, or even come across as rude. "That's Irma, the Guardian of Water, and Taranee, the Guardian of Fire, and Cornelia, the Guardian of Earth. Those two guys over there are Caleb and Blunk."Will pointed to each of her friends. "The Guardian of Air, Hay Lin, isn't here."
Orube nodded. "Understood."
Hallinor gave yet another apologetic smile. "Hay Lin is unwell, but we made sure that Yan Lin would tell her."
"Blunk hear new girl, but Blunk smell cat," the passling said, "Girl or cat?"
Will watched Orube wince. That, that definitely came across as rude.
"Blunk, she's neither. She's from Bal, um, Basiliade. She's just a little different."
"Basiliade cat-girl?"
"No, Blunk. She's Orube."
Fortunately, Orube didn't say anything about the matter. But, what could a Basilite? Basiliadean? What could someone from Basiliade offer to the guardians?
"No offense, Hallinor," Taranee voiced out, "And no offense to Orube either, but I don't understand."
Hallinor's smile looked very apologetic. "Oh, just that, from this day on, girls, Orube will be fulfilling both Caleb and Blunk's role."
A chorus of "What?!" rang in the hall.
"With the Pussycat?!"
"Irma!"
Caleb and Blunk turned around and uncovered their eyes, though at the sight of Irma's and Cornelia's faces, the two males turned away again.
"But Blunk good! Bad business! Bad!" the passling protested.
"Yeah!" Caleb agreed, "I haven't done anything wrong, have I? And what can she do that I can't?"
Luba explained, "She is my best pupil, and she is among the finest warriors of Basiliade. She can do both your functions, young man. Like Blunk, she has a keen sense of smell. Like you, she can fight. Unlike either of you, she is very strong, and she has little responsibility in her home right now."
Will watched Orube wince.
"What do you mean, 'responsibility at home'?" Caleb asked. "Wait, I know I did leave my commander post, but… that's temporary!"
"Young man," Kadma answered, "That is to say, your homeworld needs your aid more than the guardians do. You still have many towns to rebuild and many people to help. The reign of Phobos might be over, but not the reign of fear. You must help your queen restore your kingdom to its former glory, and you must spend more time doing so."
"But, Queen Elyon gave us permission to go! And I like helping the girls out! And, the last time I stayed behind to help, Cornelia got angry at me. Besides, I want to make sure she's all right. That stunt Nerissa suggested almost killed her, remember? And the rest of them, too!"
"Young man, we acknowledge that. However, the Council had made its decision. You and your friend will go back. Any additional aid that you would like to provide, Orube will."
"But—"
"Does that mean I won't be able to see him again, forever?" Cornelia asked.
Hallinor shook her head. "Of course, you may meet again. But, with the way things are proceeding in Meridian, I don't think you will see each other again very soon. We recommend you think otherwise of folding to Earth, unless absolutely necessary."
"Aww man!" Caleb stomped his foot. "That just sucks!"
Cornelia went over to him and stroked his back. "At least we can still see each other. It's just temporary! I-it won't be that bad…"
Caleb allowed himself to open one eye, and at least see his girlfriend's face for the last time, before they part away and never see each other again, in a very long time.
Will cleared her throat, and said, "So, um, let's get along, okay?"
Orube merely nodded. Will looked at her friends. Caleb and Cornelia were still lost in each other, and Blunk was definitely disappointed. Irma didn't seem to mind and looked too sleepy to understand everything, except that she felt bare next to two boys and that their new teammate was apparently a cat person (literally). Taranee seemed willing to give their new ally a chance. Oh, they'd have to tell Hay Lin tomorrow, too.
"Orube will stay here in Kandrakar for the meantime," Luba said, and many separate folds opened, back to everyone's homes. "And for the meantime, you should rest."
Will nodded. "Yes. Thank you, Luba."
Caleb and Cornelia shared a deep kiss before they parted; Blunk trudged on sadly after Caleb. The other girls simply walked back to the folds. Will, however, paused to give one more look at Orube. The feline warrior raised an eyebrow, and looked away. Well, that was weird, but, Will would figure everything out tomorrow.
