Archive of Our Own

Work Text

As a child everyone is taught the difference between a hero and a villain...but most don't realize that the only difference is usually their perspective. If you shoot a child are you a villain or a hero? Even if the child has a bomb? To the ones you saved you'd be a hero. To that child and their family you'd most likely be a villain even if you had a good reason.
The lines on what is right and what is wrong are not always set in stone. The rules and situations are not always in black and white. There are only ever shades of grey and rules written in sand. Morals that many think are rigid and unyielding actually can bend so easily. -Excerpt from an essay turned in for history class by Wilhemina 'Will' Vandom. It was that essay and those lines that would become so widely known later on. A simple assignment that she got a B on would later become one of the most known quotes of things she believed in, even years and decades later people would know those words and debate them and there meaning.But you're not here to read about her essay are you? No if you're here then you want to read about why that essay was so popular for so long. Why so many debate it and the actions of the woman who wrote it.You want to read about the story of what happened and come up with your own thoughts and opinions on who was right and who was wrong or if any of them were technically right at all.Very well. Then we'll move onto the story then. The story of lies, deciet, betrayal, death, torture, heartbreak, and love. Of truth, loyalty, honor, life, and rage.We'll move onto the story of Will Vandom and the betrayal and how she came to rule the worlds known and none.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Jeez do these guys ever give up?" Irma blew some of her brown bangs out of her blue eyes as she dodged under one Lurdens sword swing and blasted him back with a spray of water."Judging by the way a few are staying down? They do eventually!" Taranee called back as she knocked another Lurden back towards the cliff side they were fighting at the bottom of. The girls were on Meriddean at a call from their friend Queen Elyon to help with a sudden riot by the Lurdens."Good! Here's hoping we get more than a month break between fights this time!" Hay Lin was breathing hard a bit as she flew by the Lurdens and used the wind around her to knock them down like dominos. It had only been a month since the defeat of Nerissa, Phobos, Miranda, and Cedric."We will if we hit them hard enough." Cornelia growled out as she threw the Lurdens around like ragdolls with her vines, the earth shaking slightly under her feet."Careful Cornelia!" Will warned from where she was fighting a larger group of Lurdens that had surrounded her, much to their own detriment, "Some of the rocks on the cliff are pretty loose! Shake too much and we'll have the cliff coming down on our heads!""Yeah yeah I got it!" Cornelia rolled her eyes and the others snickered a bit as they continued to fight the Lurdens who were only now starting to whittle down in numbers a bit."Is there any way to hurry this up? I have to study for our test tomorrow!" Taranee complained looking tired then again they were all tired and a bit injured from the fighting. Each of them had some blood on them from various barely dodged scrapes and cuts. There would certainly be an assortment of bruises on them tomorrow as well. If Elyon didn't heal them at least."Ugh you had to remind me of that English assignment? I'd rather fight the Lurdens!" Will groaned slightly and Irma let out a laugh of agreement."Can't we just box them in? I need my beauty sleep!" Cornelia asked and there was a moment of long silence between the girls, well as silent as they could be when they were fighting for their lives."Why didn't we think of that sooner? Girls into the air! Cornelia, box them up please." Will said kicking one Lurden away from her and taking off into the air with her wings fluttering behind her, dainty but strong."Don't look at me. I think we all agree I'm not the brains of this group!" Irma said as they all tried to shake off the Lurdens right in front of them in order to get into the air and off the ground."Help?!" Hay-lin yelped as she rose into the air with a Lurden latched onto her leg, her yelping and trying to shake him off."Hold on Hay Lin!" Will was immediately moving to help Hay Lin, diving into the Lurden with a tackle that knocked him off of the air user and back onto the ground where he was boxed in by some rocks immediately alongside the rest."Is that all of them?" Cornelia asked as she looked around and Will and Taranee were doing the same to make sure they got them all."Look!" Irma was pointing to the top of the cliff however looking alarmed and Will whipped around to look, flying up a bit to get a better vantage point when she didn't see anything immediately."Irma there's noth-" Will was cut off when she felt searing hot burn pain across her back, her wings melting into her skin and her skin was already blistering and burnt and melting at the heat of it. A strangled scream tore from her throat and she felt in her mind the alarm and worry at the sudden pain. Her soul bond hearing the mental pain and confusion and being alarmed but Will was barely able to think anything because she...she was in so much pain and the burns...
The blast came from behind her.
She was dropping like a stone at the sudden loss of her wings and her vision was tinted black as she fought not to pass out. If she passed out she and the girls would detransform and they were still in midair.
Hold on. Just until we can land or get to safety. Hold on can't pass out yet.
She felt two slim but strong arms grab her by her arms, two arms holding each of her arms as she hung there limply between two people. The girls had caught her. She knew they would.Her shoulders had definitely been dislocated by the sudden stop but she didn't have time to focus on that, it was a dull pain compared to the searing of her back and the sudden melting of her wings into her skin and the bones of the wings hurt and dear oracle why couldn't she have been burnt enough to make the pain numb?
What had hit her?
There was a buzzing in her ears over the roar of the pain and the thudding of her own heart. Talking. The girls were talking. She tried to focus on them and their words so that she wouldn't pass out."-nothing but stubs!" Oh her wings, yeah she knew they were bad but were they really stubs now?"-harder than that. Guess we gotta get dirty." She couldn't hardly tell who was saying what, as it was she was barely processing what was being said through the pain and blood rushing in her ears.
Dirty? They were already dirty from the fighting. Was her back that bad?
Suddenly Will felt a small change. The arms holding her were very tight. Were they struggling under her dead weight? She wasn't exactly a heavy girl, despite eating a lot due to the calories she needed for her powers she was rather light. It was how they were all able to fly so easily. Because flying took up a lot of calories and their bodies were light due to that."-shame."She barely caught that last word before she realized she was falling again. Had they lost their grip on her? Was she too heavy for them? Did they get hurt catching her? She let out a pained groan as she hit the ground and lay face first in the rocks and dirt at the bottom of the cliff, her body breaking further upon the hard stone. Still she held onto consciousness desperately.
The girls had to land safely before she passed out. She couldn't let them fall too.
She could barely feel the trembling and she weakly looked upwards through her lashes towards the sky. Was the ground trembling or was that her? She hurt so much...she could feel the blood and bile pooling in her mouth and throat. Some of it, blood since it didn't burn like bile did, dribbled from her mouth onto the unforgiving stone underneath her.The cliff was shaking too. So that hadn't just been her. Was Cornelia alright? Why was she shaking the earth?
A small pebble or two hit Will's body and then another small rock hit the ground near her.
Will could only stare through darkening vision and half lidded eyes as the rocks on the cliff began to come loose. They began to fall and were coming towards her and why-

Why were the girls just watching? Why weren't they helping her?

As the rocks began to crash down on her Will saw what seemed to be a cave in the side of the cliff being made, or uncovered maybe, by the falling rocks.All she could feel as they crashed down on and around her broken body, burying her alive, was the panic and worry from her soul bond.Her last thoughts as she began to black out was that at least it wasn't that dark as the Heart lit up brightly in the rocks...and the lyrics of a song she had found and shown the girls earlier today that was very ironic right now.
Can you hear me? I'm not coming home.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"There's no way she's coming back from that." Taranee said observing the pile of rocks that crushed her now former leader and friend. The only part of her able to be seen was a single pink sleeve clad arm where the sleeve was turning dark from the blood that was beginning to pool."You sure? We all know she's durable as fuck. Remember when she got hit with that basketball going mach fuck you speeds and barely had a bruise?" Irma asked wincing a bit at the amount of overkill this whole thing seemed. Then again was it really overkill? Look at what all it had taken to finally take down Nerissa, and she had been old and frail from zapping her life force for years! The fact she had lived that long while continuously zapping her own life force...all the shit she survived for so long? It was kind of horrifying just how much more durable the Keepers were to the rest of them.Honestly Irma was kind of worried about how overpowered Will would have been if she had her quintessence powers at the start instead of them being drained off by the veil.Remembering how pissed Will would be if she found out about Irma and Matt flirting and making out behind her back in the last week and a half and what Nerissa had done to Cassidy kept Irma from feeling bad about what they were doing. She liked living thanks. Liked not having her now deceased friend kicking her ass and killing her. No repeating the pasts mistakes thank you!"Even if the fall and those rocks didn't kill her immediately they'd break several bones and cause internal damage. There's no way she's healing from that." Cornelia said and her arms were crossed as she stared at the rocks, looking for any sign of that single visible arm moving."Guess we'd better set the scene and then go tell Elyon the tragic news so that we can get to Kandrakar. Shame we couldn't just take the heart from her but we know how well that would end." Hay Lin said sighing and she seemed to be the most upset out of the four of them as she looked sadly at the rocks. But...well the others had a point in how easy it was for the Keeper to become corrupt, just look at Nerissa! Those with lots of power had a higher chance of turning corrupt, Phobos wasn't born evil and neither was Nerissa or Cedric maybe...Hay Lin would rather her friend not become evil and possibly kill people thank you. It was a shame this was what it led to but when Taranee brought forth the idea...well none of them had disagreed with it being the best course of action. Although now that Hay Lin thought about it while Irma was very forward with her reasons why she was going along with it, and Hay Lin mentioned her own...neither Cornelia nor Taranee mentioned why they were doing this. Huh...maybe she should ask them one day. Not today, that'd just be cold hearted and cruel and she'd had her fill of that for a month much less a day.The four landed near the rocks and Hay Lin used some air to whip sand around them fast to make them even dirtier, getting some in their eyes so that they'd cry a bit more.Taranee adjusted their memories a bit, taking out the part where Will's wings were burnt and they had caught and then dropped her, as well as adjusting the memories to make the collapsed cliff rocks look like an accident during the fight rather than intentional.Irma turned to the other three in turn and focused her mental manipulation, with the command of 'Don't ever talk about what really happened' rooting into their brains.Finally Cornelia stared at the sleeve for a bit and then reached forward and ripped it off of the arm that laid there limply. The four watched the arm for any signs of life for a long moment and Irma even felt for a pulse.The arm didn't move and Irma sighed slightly."Her pulse is still there but barely, it's weak and slow. She won't last long." Irma said quietly and the others grimaced but nodded."Then let's get to Elyon and tell her the tragic news." Cornelia said her voice steady and unwavering as she finally turned away from the collapsed rocks, idly noting a hole in the clifff, she hadn't meant to make that but oh well. Not like it mattered right now and besides she could always close it up later if need be."Let's just get today over with. I need a shower and sleep." Hay Lin said softly and Irma grimaced as she agreed with her friend."I need to wash off and get ready to act the part of grieving friend. My mom is probably going to insist on me going to therapy after Will's death is known." Taranee grimaced and making the others hum in agreement, yeah their parents might send them to therapy as well to deal with the 'tragic and unexpected' death of their close friend."I wonder what kind of cover up the council will use?" Irma idly thought about that wondering how they would arrange it to look. Would they go with something unbelieable like swimming or maybe use a glamour to make it look like a mugging gone wrong? Car accident or just missing with no chances of ever being found? She supposed it was a morbid curiousity that made her wonder what they'd do but she couldn't help it. She had never killed someone and helped fake a death before. She wondered how it was done...maybe she could use the experience to help her dad with some missing persons cases or something?Cornelia didn't entertain the thought like the other three were as she just flew off towards the palace with the bloodied and torn sleeve in her hands, gripping it tightly as if scared to let go. The others followed her silently, all mentally preparing themselves for delivering the tragic news to the young queen and the council.None of them saw the flash of pink from the rocks or the pair of green eyes with slit pupils glaring out at them from the mouth of the cave.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Elyon was sighing with relief that she was finally done tending to the few injuries that some civilians and guards had gotten handling the nearby Lurden riot. Luckily it didn't seem like anyone was hurt too badly, the Lurdens more going towards causing a lot of damage and stealing some things in the confusion. It was only the amount of them and the chaos and confusion over the sudden riots in several areas that had overwhelmed them enough to call in the Guardians.Elyon heard whispers from the guards who began to look confused and uneasy as they muttered to each other after someone from the town rushed in and spoke in hurried whispers to the door guard."Your majesty?" One of the guards said hesitantly as Raythor came walking in with a solemn face and towards her while her back was turned to talk to one of the stewards about allocating supplies to the more damaged areas to get everything fixed."Yes?" Elyon asked looking at them and then at Raythor when the guard pointed at him. Raythor was walking towards her fast and Elyon felt a ball of dread fall into her stomach at the look on his face."Raythor what is it?" Elyon asked looking at one of the Royal Guards who grimaced slightly and had an almost hesitant look on his face suddenly before he steeled his nerves."Your highness...the scouts spotted the Guardians returning. They should be here soon." Raythor reported and Elyon was relieved for only a second before she noted how some of the guards were wincing or not looking as happy as they should at that news. Caleb was tense at Elyons side and glancing at him she saw him staring down Raytor for a long second before he closed his eyes and lowered his head."Who?" Caleb asked quietly and Raythor lowered his own head solemnly."The leader." Raythor said and Elyon frowned as Caleb looked simultaneously relieved and devastated at that news. Will? What happened? Was she hurt? It must be bad for them to be acting like this..."Will? What's wrong with her?" Elyon asked frowning worriedly as the ball of dread in her stomach grew heavier and bigger. Especially when the two soldiers shared a pained look.Elyon opened her mouth to ask them what they knew that she didn't about Will when the doors opened quietly and Elyon's eyes went to the guardians.Cornelia walked in first with the others flanking her and there...where...
Where was she?
"Where's Will?" Elyon asked staring at them and her throat felt as if it was closing up. The guards looked solemn and were bowing their heads and closing their eyes...in...in respect. And Will...Will wasn't with the others. If she was hurt they'd carry her in if they had to...so then why wasn't she..."No..."The penny dropped for the young queen who's breath came out in a whisper of denial as she stared at the other four, only Cornelia met her eyes and her eyes were-were red and raw and there were tear tracks on her dirty cheeks. In her hands was a single bloodied pink sleeve."Elyon...we...we need a fold to Kandrakar." Cornelia's voice was raw in a way she had never heard it before and Elyon felt her eyes brim with tears that she blinked back and steeled herself. She...She couldn't break down right here, right now. Not with her subjects in the room. She'd break down later. When she was alone or with her adoptive parents on Earth."Blunk." Elyon turned to the silent passling at Calebs side who was looking confused and upset, as if he knew something was wrong very wrong but not what it was. Elyon's heart ached. "I need you to go to Earth, to Yan Lins place, and get the former guardians. I-they should be with us for this."The passling nodded his head slowly, not even trying to make one of his deals as he held up the tooth and opened a fold to Earth."Caleb...." Elyon looked at her guard who nodded grimly and saluted her with a fist over his heart."I'll go with him to get them your majesty. We'll meet you at Kandrakar." Caleb said and then he glanced at Cornelia and the two shared a silent conversation with their eyes before he walked into the fold that closed behind him and Blunk.Elyon's hands trembled a bit, she couldn't get them to stop she realized with a small start, as she raised them and opened a fold to the palace of Kandrakar. She felt a tear slip down her cheek as the Guardians silently walked closer to the fold.Hay Lin was silent as she walked through.
One
Irma was staring at her dirty and slightly bloody hands as she was led in.
Two.
Taranee was leading Irma in gently the poor glasses wearing girl looking one breeze away from collapsing into sobs.
Three.
Cornelia had her head held high like always but she kept a vice grip on the sleeve in her hands as she walked in.
Four.
Elyon walked in behind them silently, doing her best to hold back her tears and hide the trembling of her hands as she closed the portal behind her.Five.There should have been six of them...they shouldn't have been so quiet after winning a battle... Elyon looked towards her left for a second as if trying to spot the missing figure. The large hole in their group and lives. The hole that wasn't empty two hours ago. The hole that had been filled by a red haired hazel eyed girl not two hours ago...Why did everything look so different from the last time they were here? It seemed...so much darker now... It seemed emptier...Elyon choked back a sob, she couldn't break down yet she couldn't. But...but Will was...Will her friend who had helped save her more than once who was figuring out how to be a good leader and helping Elyon do the same just by example....her friend... she was....

Gone.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The remaining Former Guardians were upstairs in a private room of the Silver Dragon on Earth just relaxing and talking as they waited on the younger guardians to get back from their sudden mission."I can't believe you are going to college. Didn't you hate school the most out of us?" Kadma asked looking at Cassidy who sighed heavily but nodded slightly."Yeah but unlike you girls I don't look my actual age. Which means I don't have an excuse for not knowing current events and technology so well. Did you see those little phones the girls have? When did they make phones cordless? Much less so small and yet they do so much? And when did Computers become so small and slim and so widely accessible?" Cassidy asked and the two who had lived off world for the last couple of decades both grimaced. Yeah she did have a point. The technology had changed so much from their day. Yan Lin chuckled at her friends, it was kind of hilarious to see it from the outside point of view."Not to mention all those little dances and sayings the kids have now a days." Yan Lin pointed out and Cassidy groaned slightly as she smushed her face to the table making Halinor chuckle."Oh you're telling me. I was at a council meeting the other day and one of the councilors made a remark about their cup being empty and suddenly I have Will in my mind going 'Yeet' and then saying nothing else about it. I had to wait till after the meeting and then after school was out for her to come visit and explain it and show me the video." Halinor said amused and the other three glanced at her at the mention of her soul bound."It's still a bit weird that Soul Bounds are more well known on Earth now, and that the world now accepts two soul bounds of the same gender more readily." Kadma said and there was a noise of agreement from Cassidy while Yan Lin merely hummed slightly."I think it's kind of hilarious how Will is Soul Bound to Halinor. Like seriously Halinor spent the last few decades living in peace and then suddenly comes along a brown eyed clone of me with Nerissas powers and tactics but a feisty personality....Oooh did I tell you what happened when we were all at the mall yesterday?" Cassidy asked sitting up suddenly and Halinor frowned slightly and tilted her head."Does it have to do with the flash of anger and protectiveness I felt and the angry mutters and whispers I heard? She assured me it wasn't anything major but she hasn't told me what happened yet." Halinor looked at the red head curiously while Kadma put down her cup of tea and Yan Lin smirked."Okay so, we were just walking around the mall and they were explaining some things to me and helping me get readjusted you know? Then this random ass guy walks by and says I have nice tits and smacks my ass? Pretty sure the guy was drunk or something which...strange cause it was only like 4 o clock but oh well." Cassidy shrugged it off and Kadma and Halinor both frowned and sat up a bit more as they stared at her."Did you hit him?" Kadma demanded as her eyes glinted darkly, she had gotten her fair share of that behavior growing up and she hadn't been allowed to say shit or fight back about it due to the way everyone was back then...but thankfully she hadn't needed to. Nerissa and Halinor had been more than happy to punch anyone who had done or tried that shit with her back then."What did Will do?" Halinor was more amused however knowing that her young mate had done something to the man. Will was incredibly protective and possessive of those she deemed as hers. That included her parents, the current guardians, the former guardians, Elyon and the Regents of Earth."Knocked out his tooth and then reamed him out explaining how that can constitute as harassment and even assault since he touched me." Cassidy said grinning at them and the older women all chuckled at that or shook their heads amused."Yes that does sou-" Halinor's cup dropped from her hand as a blast of pain-burning pain-confusion-alarm- hit her with the force of a tidal wave."Halinor!" Kadma was beside her immediately looking alarmed while Cassidy yelped and used her powers on reflex to stop the falling tea from splashing everywhere, dropping it into a cup and then breathing heavily as she remembered she wasn't hooked up to a heart. Yan Lin stood half alarmed half worried as she stared at Halinor."Are you okay?" Cassidy asked and Halinor waved at her to be quiet as she focused.Halinor reached down the thread and bond connecting her to Will and tried to work out what happened. Why was there so much pain coming from her bonded?! She sent mental questions and worry towards the red head hoping she'd answer and tell her what happened or if the girls needed help.All she got back was blinding searing pain around her back, a throbbing pain in her shoulders and arms and a sense of confusion and determination."Something happened to the girls. Will...Will is hurt badly..." Halinor said quietly and she was rubbing at her shoulders and the back of her neck achingly. Feeling the phantom pains through their bond."Oh no..." Cassidy paled and Kadma looked grim while Yan Lin was worried and horrified."Can you tell what happened?" Kadma asked grimacing and wishing not for the first time that she was still hooked up to the Heart of Zambala so that she could open a fold and help the girls."No...no I can't but her back...her back hurt so mu-ah!" Halinor arched her back in pain and bit down hard on her lip and cheek to keep from letting out a scream. Yan Lin rushed from the room for a moment and then came back with some pain killers to help Halinor."Holy shit..." Cassidy whispered softly in horror as she looked at Halinors arms and saw blotchs beginning to appear. She knew how dangerous and strong Soul bonds could be but...for the pain and some of the damage to be hitting Halinor from an entirely different world?"No no no no..." Halinor was murmuring and whimpering in pain as she tried to push past it and focus on her soul bond. She sent every bit of worry and reassurance and concern and alarm as she could through the bond.
Confusion-pain-determination-have to hold on-pain pain PAIN-Why?-It hurts-what is...-
"Hallie..." Kadma and Cassidy exchanged concerned looks and Halinor didn't care about how it drained her to use her powers, she connected her mind to Wills a bit more to tr and see what was going on.She saw rocks crashing down on top of her and felt a horrid pain in her leg and her arms and her chest felt heavy and tight and there was blood in her mouth and-Halinor drew back from Wills mind with a gasp of pain and a look of horror on her face."She...She's barely hanging on...Rocks had...she was..." Halinor was breathing hard and was on the verge of a panic attack, she knew she was, as she stared at the others with wide horrified eyes and she saw how their faces went pale as well."Halinor sit down...we need to...we need to gather our energy for a fold..." Yan Lin said and her face was ashen as she realized that the girls were about to experience their first loss. They were about to...if they were even...oh god what about Hay Lin?! If Will was that bad off then what of Yan Lins granddaughter?Would WIll be the first to fall or had she been the last to fall."Come on Will...come on...hang on hang on..." Halinor was muttering as she was guided to sit down again by Kadma, having fallen out of her chair at the sudden pain, and then...then it stopped."No...no no no..." Halinor desperately grabbed onto the bond of her soul mate and tried to keep it firmly in hand. She felt a hazy sense of affection and determination.
Can't take you with me. I'm sorry So sorry.
"No no damnit Will don't block me out! Let me take some of the pain!" Halinor whimpered and begged for her soul bond to stop blocking her from the pain, stop protecting her let her help damnit!
Can you hear me? I'm not coming home.
"NO!" Halinor cried out and Kadma grimaced and bowed her head, Cassidy's hands covered her mouth and she and Yan Lin both had tears in their eyes. They already could tell what had happened as they stared at the blond who was desperately trying to grab hold of her soul bond and take some of the pain, buy Will some more time for help to arrive.When the fold opened several minutes later and a grim faced Caleb and Blunk stepped out, the formers already knew she was gone and Halinor...Halinor shattered.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Ah the young Guardians...." The Oracle Himmerish trailed off as he turned to look at the newly arrived Guardians and Queen Elyon. One was missing and he noticed it immediately."I'm...I'm afraid we have bad news." Cornelia said swallowing thickly and god she hoped that this worked, that they would get away with this. Because this...this was the hardest part. Having to tell and lie to the Council and Oracle about Will's demise and hoping that they bought it. That none of them would learn the truth or that they were lying about what happened."Hay Lin!" The voice of Yan Lin cut through the chambers and the elderly woman rushed to her granddaughter who couldn't meet her eyes. Yan Lin was both relieved and guilty as she looked at her granddaughter, her beautiful precious living granddaughter who was covered in dirt and blood. But oh thank god she was alive."Girls! You're all...You're all okay..." Cassidy looked relieved to see the four of them were okay as Kadma and Caleb had to half carry Halinor whose already fragile face entirely crumbled at the sight of them."Young Will is missing." Tibor noted as he stared at the girls and then he looked over at Halinor and his eyes closed as he sighed. Oh."She..." Taranee closed her eyes and breathed shakily. One wrong move and they were stripped of their powers and locked up."She saved me. She took a blast for me and hit the cliffside. Before we could get to her...the rocks...they..." Irma said swallowing thickly and oh...this was a lot harder than she thought it would be. Having to look at these people and tell them that Will was dead...having to see the looks on their faces as they realized that she was not coming back.
No. No please don't say it.
Halinor was desperately trying to cling to the soul bond and the hope that her younger half was still alive. If they said it then...then it would be true. Her hoping and praying in the last few minutes would all be for nothing. Her attempts to do what she could would be..."We tried to dig her out, we tried to do what we could but..." Cornelia held out the bloodied sleeve almost as if offering it to someone and Halinor was able to move from Kadma and Caleb to take a shaky step forward and take the dirty article of clothing. It...the blood had dried in the fight, the fabric was stiff in her hands and it...
Oh god it was real. This was the sleeve of her guardian outfit and it was caked in blood. Her Blood.
"That was all we could find. She's... she's gone." Taranee choked out and it was hard for her to say the words, harder than she thought it would be with the look on Halinors face as she clutched the sleeve tightly in her hands. Halinors brown eyes were locked onto the clothing in her hands and it looked like there was red building up in her eyes as her face tried to stay hopeful but..."Will Vandom, the Leader of the Guardians and Guardian of Quintessence is dead." Cornelia said woodenly to the council, saying the words the other four couldn't aloud.

NO!!!

Halinor collapsed to her knees as her tears slid down her face finally but she wasn't the only one to collapse.She might not have screamed aloud but her mental screams of anguish and denail and loss rang so loudly in everyone's minds that the younger guardians and Elyon were brought to their knees as well and it knocked the air out of everyone elses lungs.Her tears dripped down her face as she clutched that pink sleeve tightly to her chest, her mental screams broadcasting loudly as her voice and throat could not support them."Hallie..." Cassidy and Kadma were at her sides but were careful not to get too close to her. After all they knew her, she had spent a decade as the fire guardian before Nerissa had killed Cassidy, and she had spent another decade as a guardian after the death of her friend before she retired to Kandrakar. And those years spent carrying around the power of flames had left their marks on her, just as the powers of Earth for so long effected Kadma and the powers of Air had effected Yan Lin...The Oracle closed his eyes and bowed his head for a moment at the news and the rest of the council gathered looked grim but they looked mostly worried as they stared at Halinor now and I.T.C.H. were starting to pick themselves back up from the ground and they all winced at the look on Halinors face.Grief and heartbreak were painted across her features as tears of liquid fire trailed down her face and hit the cold marble floors of Kandrakar.Guilt actually struck the girls a bit then. They knew Halinor and Will were friends for some reason but...they hadn't known that Halinor would take Will's death this hard.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

After a long moment of solemn silence the Oracle looked at the girls left and he noticed something important. Vitally important."Where is the Heart?" Himmerish asked staring at the girls as if trying to determine if one of them was hiding it behind her back."We couldn't find it. It was buried in the rubble with Will." Cornelia grimaced at that, already picturing how the Heart would have reacted if they had tried to take it by force, whether Will was dead or not."Strange. When Cassidy was attacked and killed the Heart went to Yan Lin immediately. It should have gone to whoever amongst you Will trusted the most after her demise." Tibor said staring at them all now as well and the girls felt a bit of worry creep into their hearts although none showed on their faces."It is no matter. Perhaps it is merely stuck within the rocks...for Young Will to be buried so thoroughly then-" Oracle winced when Halinor let out another mental scream of pain and anguish at the confirmation of Will being buried within rocks. Of her other half being so utterly entombed. She didn't make a sound out loud aside from the dripping and hissing of her tears falling and hitting the cold Kandrakar flooring and solidifying...but her mind was a whirlwind of screams and grief and rage and loss. Add that to her telepathy powers..."I shall summon it." Oracle finished as he held out a single hand. There was a small flash of pink light near his hand and the girls watched eagerly for the Heart to appear but...well when it faded there was nothing there.All but Halinor looked at the Oracle surprised and his brow furrowed as he stared at his hand almost as if it had betrayed him."...hm." He tried again with a strong flash of pink surrounding his hand before it faded and there was nothing there once again."Having performance issues? Happens to everyone." Irma said in what was supposed to be an offhand tone but the delivery was worried and uneasy. It still earned a small snort from Cassidy and Cornelia though.Himmerish focused intently and cupped his hands together as a pink flash flared so brightly they had to cover their eyes until it faded...once it did there was still no sign of the Heart."Girls how sure are you of Young Will's demise?" Himmerish asked staring intently at the girls who all grimaced and shared glances."Taranee tried to call her telepathically while we tried to dig her out. Hay Lin even flew around to see if she managed to teletransport somehow but...there was no sign of her." Cornelia said grimly and Alfor made a small noise at the Oracles side."Sir...with their bond...if she were still alive then Halinor would know and yet..." Alfor winced at another telepathic wave of grief from the blond."Which means the impossible has happened." Himmerish actually began to pace a little bit now and his voice was grim, far more so than before. So much so that it caused Halinor to look up at him as well despite the flaming tears falling down her face."For the Heart to not come when it's summoned by the Oracle of Kandrakar...there are only two answers. The first being that it's Keeper is still alive, which is not the case...the second-" The girls were forcibly detransformed then and all but collapsed where they stood making him grimace visibly."-that just confirmed the worst has come to pass. The Heart of Kandrakar had chosen a new Keeper and has merged with them, severing your connection to the aurameres as a result."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Halinor was barely able to pay attention to what was going on. All she could think was that Will was gone. That spunky red head who brought her new books or handheld games to try out, the one who occasionally came and dragged her off to a movie she thought Halinor would enjoy (and was usually right about) and offered to do the same for the rest of the council.The Will who would arrange meet up days for the Former Guardians only to get dragged into them some how or another, who had asked the older guardians for advice and training when the other girls had refused to do so or just hadn't considered it.The other half of her soul who they were working towards a platonic familial bond due to age difference...
The other half of her soul who was gone.
"Halinor?" The Oracle was calling for her gently and she looked up through her blurry eyes at him. His face was worried, concerned, and gentle as he looked at her and she wondered what she had missed to make him look concerned.Wiping the firey tears from her eyes for a moment, the flame sliding off of her skin without leaving a mark due to decades of controlling them and her fire resistance being built up..."Sir?" Her voice was hoarse and weak and she couldn't bring herself to care about how much of a mess she must look to the others. It didn't matter. Not when Will was gone. When half of her soul was gone beyond her reach. The mutters and comments in her mind were gone, the always there presence she had felt since meeting the girl was gone."Can you go and retrieve the elemental Hearts?" The Oracle gently requested of her and she blinked slightly as she looked at him and then over at the four teenaged girls who were looking lost and confused and were definitely in human form and not their guardian form. Why had they...oh...that's right. The Heart was gone. But surely the Oracle could summon it? Unless...Halinor cut her mind off there, dreading to think about how badly off Will's body had been if the Oracle couldn't even summon the Heart. How bad off was she? How bad had it been?
She knew that it hadn't been painless. She had felt the pain, had the bruising and throbbing in her body to prove it...
"...Yes sir." Halinor managed to stumble to her feet and then she turned and wandered off to retrieve the items. The smaller Hearts that were only connected to a single auramere instead of having all of them connected. She knew she was swaying and that her friends were staring after her worried...but she hadn't been able to bring herself to care.The bright halls of the fortress had never seemed so dark to her before, not even as they cleaned up after the final battle and she felt unsure of how the others could even accept her back. The marble walls were no longer shining and bright to her eyes but were dull and dark. Everything...everything hurt and each step felt like another stab in her heart and mind. Will was gone...it was rare enough to meet your soul bond...but to meet and then lose them? That was the most terrible thing in the universe.The barely there emotions that weren't her own were no longer there, the whispers and murmurs in her mind were silent. Even as dull and muted as they had been under Nerissa's Thrall and inside of the Seal of Nerissa...they had still been there. She hadn't been able to think about or focus on them when under the thrall and it had taken a lot of concentration to latch onto the bond and send Will soft reassurances and apologies.But even then...she had still been able to feel them, hear them and now...now she couldn't.Putting her hand on the sealed door she felt the small prick as it took some of her blood and then unlocked once she was authorised in. Looking at the Elemental Hearts she gatehred all five of them into her hands and turned to make her way back to the others.She...She could at least do this...help Will's friends continue the fight and protection of other worlds. She knew Will would have wanted that, wanted others to be protected even if she couldn't have done it herself.The Quintessense Heart felt warm in her hand, pulsing softly in her grasp. It reminded her of Will showing up out of nowhere on a random day just to hang around with Halinor for a while and talk about random things.Random visits for no real reason than just because the red head wanted to.Visits that would never happen again. Because she was gone...
Will was gone...and Halinor was left behind...

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"She's taking this...very hard." Taranee noted as she watched Halinor sway on uneasy feet from the room and off to retrieve the Elemental Hearts like the Oracle had requested."We may end up losing her as well." The Oracle sighed sadly as they all watched Halinor walk down the hallways away from them. "She and young Will were soul bound."The four Guardians faces dropped into looks of shock and horror at that. Obviously they had not known that tidbit of information which was rather interesting to note. How could they have not known?"They were..." Hay Lin looked horrified as she stared after Halinor while the Council gave grim nods."Yes. They realized it on her second visit here, when she came to ask us a question about why there was murmuring in her mind and if it was the Heart. It was quite the surprise to all of us to learn that she and Halinor were bound." Tibor said with a grimace as he closed his eyes. First the young Guardian Leader who would come by and talk with them all or bring them books and some strange games...and soon behind her would be Halinor."Why didn't she tell us?" Irma asked looking horrified and guilty and a swarm of other emotions as she looked at the other three who all looked the same. Apparently none of them had known of the two being soul bound. No wonder Halinor was taking Will's death so hard...she had felt it. And they had all heard the horror stories of what happened if a soul bound pair were together but one died. If it was old age or an accident then the other died due to heartbreak and grief not long behind but the true horror stories?Those were the ones of revenge after half of a soul bound pair were killed. The stories of what the living soul bound did in order to get revenge before joining the murdered bonded? That fueled quite a few horror movies and books that the girls had grown up on.By killing Will they had possibly caused Halinor's mind to break beyond repair...if she ever learned that they had killed Will and it wasn't an accident?"They were not fully bonded. They were making it a familial bond and Nerissa's attack and Halinor's enthrallment had caused the bond to be...strained. It was just starting to finally stabilize again when..." Alfor grimaced as he cut himself off and everyone grimaced."That is the only hope we have for Halinor remaining among the living. That their bond wasn't stabilized and fully formed." The Oracle said and the former guardians in the room exchanged dismayed glances."I...I'm not sure how likely that will save her." Cassidy spoke hesitantly and she was holding Yan Lin and Kadma's hands as the three tried to support each other right now knowing that they were possibly about to lose another friend. Permanently."She felt Will's pain from the Silver Dragon." Kadma spoke up and she was wearing her prideful mask again even though her grip on Cassidy's hand was tight as everyone's eyes widened at that."More than that, she started to get bruising from the injuries....she peeked into Will's mind at the last moment and saw the rocks falling on top of her..." Yan Lin had tears in her eyes as well as she considered how Halinor must have felt to have seen her bondeds death coming, to have been briefly in Will's body and knowing she was about to die and that there had been nothing any of them could do."She was in Will's mind when she died?" Taranee asked worriedly and the formers nodded with grimaces."According to what she was saying Will was trying to block her from the pain, she spared Halinor from as much of it as she could...Will blocked her out but Halinor...she still felt it when..." Kadma bowed her head in respect as the four current Guardians exchanged horrified and worried looks. Halinor had been in Will's mind then? If she got past her grief and focused on what was going on, looked at it clearly...then..."With a bond that strong...it is...highly unlikely that Halinor would make it. The only reports of one of a bonded pair surviving the others death was when a romantic pair had a child. Even then the surviving member of the pair only held on for a few years until the child was able to care for themselves or no longer needed them..." The Oracle said and the girls felt a flash of guilt and Taranee felt a flash of guilt and rage. She wanted to learn a bit from her predecessor but now because they killed Will she never would."Most familial pairs don't make it through the night." Tibor grimly added that statistic and the three former guardians huddled closer together knowing they were about to lose another old friend of theirs. They were about to lose a sister..."The Elemental Hearts." Halinor intoned in a hollow voice as she reentered the room with unsteady steps and the small hearts dangling from one hand, aside from the Quintessence one which she was cradling in her other hand."Halinor..." Luba looked at the Quintessence Heart and then at the blond who stared at it with watery eyes."I...I couldn't just leave it there alone in the dark..."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Halinor watched with hollow eyes as the girls took the elemental hearts and transformed back into their guardian states with happy calls of their powers, as if they were doing a roll call. She hoped that they didn't do that every time. It was rather ridiculous...There should be a fifth girl here exclaiming in joy over her powers and perhaps getting into an argument with her or the other girls mobile phones, but she wasn't and that...that reminder stung at her and her fingers curled around the quintessence heart, holding it to her chest as if to feel the warmth of it in her heart.She could hear Luba and Alfor whispering to each other beside her, talking about the girls and the way they rarely trained and expanded on their powers...how the girls weren't likely to be as strong as they usually were when hooked to an Auramere since using the Elemental Hearts required training. Ironically it had been Will who had trained the most with her powers, first with her enhanced strength and speed and then with her energy based powers...Halinor could remember many a fond days or afternoons watching Will train in swords with Luba to get a handle on her strength and reflexes, the girl had always done better studying when her body was active and while regular meditation had been hard on the girl the more active form of it had fit her perfectly.She should still be here. She should have met them at the Silver Dragon after she was done mopping up the Lurdens with the girls and had face planted on the table before peeking up at them and exclaiming that they wouldn't believe what one of her friends had done this time. She should be here with Halinor, where Halinor could help the girl study or tell her tales of other worlds she had yet to visit and stories of the past guardians and some of their shenanigns before things had went to Hell.She was still here and Halinor...Halinor felt a pulling in her heart at the fact that she wasn't here. That she was gone...Halinor turned from the four guardians standing there talking with the Council, Luba shooting out a quip to cut their egos down a bit, and began to hurry off."Halinor?" She heard Cassidy worriedly ask after her and she couldn't bring herself to look back. Will should be there with the others, ribbing them about something and setting up another training day with Luba or sheepishly asking Halinor for help with her math homework."I...I need....need to be alone." Halinor managed to choke out, her throat being tight and it almost felt as if she were choking as she hurriedly walked from the room, near running from it as she fled. Tried to flee from the reminders that her other half was gone.She heard someone following her but she didn't care, she just...she just had to get to the training rooms and then she...she needed let the fire inside of her burn."Hallie!" Kadma was calling after her and any other time she probably would have stopped and waited for her old friends but now she...she couldn't. She couldn't bring herself too. She she just needed to get away. Halinor took a few turns and nearly ran down several hallways before she finally reached her destination.The simple training room was just that, simple. It had a few magical construct dummies, some marble benches, a rack of magically constructed weapons and that was about it. It was perfect.Halinor made it almost to the magical constructs on the far wall before her legs gave out from under her and the pressure inside of her was too much to bear.She only barely heard the yelp at the doorway as green and blue and red and orange flames sprung from her body, her tears falling once more and her hair becoming lava that pooled around her. She could feel them nearby, her old friends, right outside of the door even...but she couldn't bring herself to care. She didn't even feel the draining on her life force as she cradled the quintessence Heart to her chest and howled her grief and rage and pain.She didn't care if she burned up the rest of her life force, she didn't give a damn. How could she? It would mean she finally rejoined her soul bound.Another guttural scream echoed around the room from her throat and mind and she heard someone yelling for her but she couldn't hear them. Not over the rush of the flames and her powers and the pain in her mind and heart.Her only thoughts were on her soul bond. Who was not here. Who would never be here again. With a single wail of the name she vanished amongst the flames and lava."WILL!!"And like that Halinor was no longer there.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The Former Guardians and Elyon were keeping a close eye on Halinor even as the I.T.C.H. girls were transforming. The light show and call of their powers was a bit obnoxious but the girls would learn how to be faster and quieter eventually...they hoped."The Elemental Hearts will only give you access to the upmost basics of your powers, anything else will come with time and training." The Oracle was informing the girls of that and they all grimaced slightly at that. The girls weren't too good at training or being patient... They seemed to prefer learning as they went."Well there go my hopes for them being useful." Luba muttered quietly and Tibor gave a small grimace of agreement. Unlike Will who had spent hours training every day she could, Cornelia seemed to be too proud to consider training. Irma seemed lazy and wanting to coast on what came to her naturally, Hay-Lin was easily distracted and seemed to follow the others leads...and Taranee was still scared of her powers. Which...they guessed that was kind of valid, after all fire was a dangerous element and they had all seen Halinor lose control before and how dangerous it could be."It's not like we expect much from you girls, after all this is your second year of being guardians and yet you're still weaker than your predecessors were in their first you." Luba said coldly when Irma took offense to being told that they'd need to train hard to expand on their powers. Cassidy and Kadma shared a look, Luba had never been that harsh with them had she? Had she always disliked the newer Guardians this much or was she taking Will's death as hard as Halinor?Speaking of Halinor though they saw as she turned from everyone and left the room with hurried steps, putting distance between herself and everyone else."Hallie." Kadma was immediately going after the blond and she knew Yan-Lin and Cassidy were following her, Elyon hesitated for a second before following them as well. Even with Kadmas long legs they were only just barely keeping up with Halinor."Geez she's fast for someone her age." Elyon said, nearly having to run to keep up with the older guardians who were chasing their friend."Excess energy from being a guardian for so long, not to mention she's lived her for decades. She has experience running around here and knows all the shortcuts and hidden areas." Yan-Lin said and Elyon briefly had the thought of how that explained how Yan-Lin at her age was able to keep up with running around running a restaurant."She always was the most physically fit of us. Was always dancing and running around whenever we were kids and teens." Kadma said fondly remembering hours and days spent chasing after Halinor or with Halinor trying to teach them how to dance."Remember that time she got blasted with some kind of chemical on that green and gold world? She was fluttering and running and dancing for hours before whatever it was wore off!" Cassidy said with a laugh and Yan-Lin and Kadma chuckled at the memory. That had been a hell of a day.They saw Halinor turn into a room ahead of them and began to follow. Cassidy was the first into the room."Hali-" A howl of pain and grief cut her off and if it wasn't for Kadma grabbing her and hauling her out of the doorway Cassidy would have been flash fried by the wave of green and blue fire."Forty years later and I'm still saving your ass." Kadma said with a sigh of relief that Cassidy wasn't hurt and Cassidy shot her a weak but grateful smile."We need to stop her before she uses up all her life force." Yan-Lin said worriedly and they gave agreeing grimaces."I can try to shield someone..." Elyon offered hesitantly and Cassidy and Kadma exchanged looks. They had been the two closest to Halinor before everything fell apart back then so it would have to be one of them."Let me try first?" Cassidy beseeched and Kadma obviously didn't like that idea and grimaced but nodded. Hopefully Halinor was still in control of herself enough to recognize Cassidy. If she was then she wouldn't dare risk hurting their revived teammate but if she wasn't...Kadma could only watch as Elyon formed a slightly transparent shield of blue around Cassidy who stepped into the room."Hallie it's me! Cassi-"Cassidy cut off with a yelp and dove backwards back out of the door when there was a flash of fire that hit the shield, and given Elyons grunt it had hit it hard."It's no good. She's unable to hear me..." Cassidy said and there was a very obvious crack in the shield near her head as she made it back to Kadma and Yan-Lin's sides."How's it looking in there?" Yan-Lin asked and Cassidy grimaced."She's got fire of all colors going on, a near tornado of it, her hair turned to lava again and her tears are green fire this time. She must be using almost all of her life force but I don't think she even noticed it." Cassidy's report was grim news indeed. The hair to lava alone would drain Halinor a bit, even if the tears of fire were her default by now...the swirling tornado of all kinds of fire though...that had to be draining her fast and hard."She probably hasn't...and if she does notice she doesn't care...it might be what she wants." Elyon said softly regretfully and the three older women all knew that she was merely stating the truth."I'm a little more fireproof than you Cass. Your highness cover me with a shield and I can try to go in and reach Halinor telepathically." Kadma said glancing at Elyon who nodded and Kadma waited for the shield of blue to appear before she stepped into the room. She winced, a tornado of fire was right...looked like the lava of her hair had created a small lake however that Halinor was kneeling in sobbing as she clutched the Quintessence Heart to her chest. If they didn't stop her soon then..."Halinor!" Kadma cried in her mind and aloud as she tried to get closer to the blond, fire lashed out at her shield and it cracked but held. Kadma took another step into the room."Halinor it's me! Kadma!" It didn't seem as if the blond could hear her however, neither with her ears or her mind."Hali-""WILL!!!" The howl that tore from Halinors throat sent shivers down their spines. Kadma and Yan-Lin could only remember her screaming in a similar fashion one other time, when she had screamed across their telepathic link that Cassidy was dead. That Nerissa had killed Cassidy...they knew she had peeked into Cassidy's mind curiously during the conversation with Nerissa that resulted in Cassidy's death but...she had never told them what she had over heard.They hadn't even known anything was wrong until they heard the wail of Cassidy's name in their minds and then Halinor's sobs as she tried to tell them what happened.The fire circled tighter around her for a moment and for a brief second Kadma swore she saw eyes looking out of the fire at her and a brief pink glow before the fire died. The lava began to cool now that the source of it was gone and...Halinor was nowhere to be found."No...." Kadma dropped to her knees as her legs gave out on her, Yan-Lin and Cassidy racing into the room and she heard their gasps and then that's when the tears began. Tears of grief and relief.Grief over their old friend being gone and relief that she wouldn't suffer without her bonded anymore.But she was...Kadma heard as Luba and Tibor came racing in behind them, Elyon looking shaken as she stared at the destruction of the room..."Kadma! Where is-" Luba demanded as she looked around and noted the cooling pool of lava where Halinor had knelt just a moment before."She...She's gone."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Will was surprised when she opened her eyes, she hadn't expected to. She had expected the rocks to crush and kill her and yet...Yet here she was waking up feeling sore but definitely alive and was looking around confused. She had been on Meridian and yet now...she was in some kind of palace. She was in a large room that had a staircase just below where she was sitting. She had been in the throne room of Meridian enough to know she was in one now and judging by the fact that she was sitting in a seat at the top of the stair case... Will looked around and yep. She was in a throne, one of two that where up here she noted.But there were smaller thrones nearby, each underneath the elemental symbol for one of the guardians. And in each of the smaller thrones there was a cushion and some kind of flower. She didn't recall seeing flowers like them before, even on Zambala…"Ah you're awake!" A voice said and it was low and gravely, whipping her head towards it Will tensed at the sight of the large wooden and stone dragon that was staring at her from the large balcony nearby. It was mostly made of stone and wood it seemed with the talons and teeth being metal and it's eyes were two large gemstones."She's awake?" There was another voice, this one a good bit higher, and then there was a strong breeze. There in the center of the room when it died down was a swirling vortex of winds of either clear, a silvery color, or a light blue in the vague shape of a Chinese dragon. It was hard to see it since it seemed to always be shifting and parts of it vanishing from view."I am glad to see you awake princess. I shall fetch the others!" The wind dragon said and then in a gust of wind she, and Will was ninety eight percent sure that the dragon was a female, was gone."Wha-" Will asked and she was standing up only to topple back down with a wince at being so off balance. She stared down at her legs and found why immediately."My leg?!" Her right leg was gone from the knee down."When the traitors left you for dead amongst the rocks your leg was beyond saving." The wooden and stone dragon said as he slowly made his way into the room, shrinking down a little bit and Will...her head was spinning.Traitors? Left for dead? Her leg was gone now...and she was somewhere she had no clue where and-"Princess!" The air dragon was back and she had brought two other dragons in with a woman who looked about twenty maybe and was of Chinese descent. Will blinked at them as they rushed towards her. One was a swirling dragon with a mane of foam and talons of shells and it's eyes were two large shells with water iris. The other dragon was a long and slender Chinese dragon of flames, red and orange predominantly but the talons and fangs were black and purple and the mane was green and the eyes were blue.The woman was about twenty or so of Chinese descent with long black hair and she was wearing a kimono like Yan-Lin usually did only this one looked...kind of regal. Very fancy.She still had no clue where she was or what had happened or where the other girls were and now she was missing half her leg and-"Easy there princess. You are safe here. No one else can get to you here unless you allow it." The woman said and her voice was smooth and had an undercurrent of power to it, it reminded Will vaguely of Kadma when they had first spoken to her after she learned that they weren't her enemies. Regal was the only way she could think to describe it right now. Halinor would probably have a better way to describe it..."Where am I? Who are you? What happened?" Will asked grimacing as she forced herself to stand on her one remaining foot and she was prepared to fight or flee if need be, although right now fleeing was definitely the better option to her mind. It'd be five on one and she was missing a leg and didn't know where the hell she was or what they had done with the others..."Princess-" And for some reason they were calling her a princess, which Will was pretty damn sure she wasn't a princess at all thank you. Was this some kind of cult thing? It would explain the thrones and the symbols...she had to get out of here and find the others. Were they still on Meridian? Had they gotten away from these guys? Were they safe?"We mean you no harm princess. We merely sought to save your life after the traitor guardians buried you." The stone dragon said calmly and Will blinked a bit at that. Traitor guardians? Buried her? She did remember the rocks falling down on top of her but...couldn't they have been shaken loose from the fight? It had been an accident right? Surely they had tried to save her. She remembered Irma calling out another possible enemy and Will had flown to look for them...and then...
She had been blasted and burned from behind.
But...the only ones behind her at that elevation were the other girls...the girls who had caught her and then dropped her and...
The fighting had been over so why had Cornelia been shaking things?
This...but this didn't make sense. The girls were her friends! They had been fighting together for two years!
But that blast that burnt her wings had come from behind her where Taranee had been guarding her back.
She couldn't...but it was the only answer, no one else could have hit her at that height except for one of the girls and she had been burned...she only knew two people with fire powers and she knew Halinor would never willingly hurt her.
Halinor!
"Wait! My bonded! Why can't I hear her? Why can't I feel her?" Will demanded looking worried and horrified. Why couldn't she hear or feel Halinor, she remembered Halinors panic and worry and horror when she had felt Will's pain...but there was nothing there now. Her bond was silent and numb."Being drawn into the Heart to heal has numbed your bond. She cannot feel you just as you cannot feel her." The woman in the kimono said from where she was standing near Will now and Will swallowed thickly. Oh no. No no no no no that was not good!"She'll think I'm dead! I have to go to her!" Will said and she felt strong but gentle hands on her should keeping her from running off, that and her missing foot at least."You are in no condition to leave the Heart right now princess. Your body is still healing and if you were to try and leave you would likely perish." The woman said but Will didn't care. Who knew how Halinor was taking their bond being numbed and silent?! Will was willing to bet money that she wasn't taking it well!"I don't care! I have to go to her! She has to see that I'm not dead!" Will said and she wiggled a bit and then nearly lost her balance as she tried to move out of the womans grasp despite her missing limb."Then feel down that link. Feel your bond and feel for her with all of your might." The woman said and Will didn't care if she didn't trust the woman or know what the hell was going on right now. She had to keep Halinor from doing something reckless! Which...was a strange reverse since it was usually Halinor keeping her from being reckless...Will closed her eyes and felt for her bond, focused on it and grabbed it. It took her a few minutes but finally she could grab hold of the bond. Halinor....Halinor was in a swirl of negative emotions and they were so strong it nearly knocked Will off of her feet. She was also using up a lot of her life force...Without even thinking about it Will directed some of her life force and powers through the bond to replace was Halinor was using, if she didn't do something then Halinor would burn out literally!"Once you have a grasp on that bond hold it tightly and then pull it. Pull it as hard as you can and pull her here into your arms." The voice of the woman said softly in her ear and Will didn't really have any better options right then so she did as the woman said. She grabbed onto the bond tightly with both hands and she began to pull. It almost felt as if Halinors hands were in her own after a few seconds and Will pulled again, pulled harder. She pulled with all her might and then...Then her eyes flew open as she lost her balance and fell back onto the throne with a warm weight in her arms."Halinor!" Will didn't care about the fact that fire had spun around them for a moment or about the lava hair. All she saw was Halinor, her soul bound, in her arms crying tears of green fire. All she cared about was the fact that she could feel Halinors swarm of emotions that knocked the breath from her lungs and hear the sounds of her wails in her mind."I'm here Halinor. I'm here." Will hugged the blond tightly to her, uncaring of the fire and lava, as she sent every reassurance and soothing calming emotion she could through their bond. It took a long moment before the emotions changed to relief and confusion and shock and the thoughts stopped wailing."...W...Will?" The soft watery voice was a mere whisper in her mind and ear and Will hugged her tighter in response, sending back feelings of assurance."I'm here. I've got you."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"They said that you were dead...I-I couldn't feel you, or hear you, or-" Halinor had a fresh wave of tears on her face but she was so so relieved as she stared at the red head."I'm sorry Hali. I'm so sorry I never meant to scare you." Will said softly as she hugged the blond a little tighter but not so tight as to hurt her. Halinor gave a small noise and buried her face in Will's neck."I don't mind. As long as you're here now safe and alive? Just please don't scare me like that again." Halinor buried her face into Will's neck and Will kissed her head."I'll do my best to never do that to you again. It wasn't intentional." Will promised and she quirked an eyebrow at the sight of Halinor's hair being lava although it seemed it was starting to cool."Since when could you turn your hair to lava?" Will questioned and she touched it curiously, it didn't burn as she moved some of it away from Halinor's face. Her face that immediately had a look of alarm and horror on her tear stained features. Halinor slipped from her arms like a slippery snake and began checking her over."Oh Kandrakar! I'm so sorry Will! I didn't mean to- did I hurt you? Your leg!" Halinor looked horrified as she saw Will's leg missing below the knee and her face had drained of all color at the thought that she had accidentally harmed her bonded so much. A wave of reassurance and soothing hit her however and Halinor looked at Will who was smiling softly at her."Halinor my leg has been gone ever since I woke up ten minutes ago, it wasn't your fault and look see-"Will pushed herself up to her remaining foor and used her bare hands to brush away the last of Halinor's flaming tears and push her cooling but still lava hair behind her ear, "-your powers don't hurt me. They're part of you and you'd never hurt me."Halinor's hand came up to cover the younger womans hand on her face and she stared at Will for a long moment before a wave of affection and relief came across their bond. Then there was confusion."Ten minutes? Will...it's been an hour or so since I heard your final message, and don't you ever scare me by sending me that thought again." Hlinor childed and pleaded at the same time as he shivered recalling the thought in her head. Will's thought about not coming home."I can answer that." Halinor tensed at the sound of an unfamiliar voice so close by and turned to look at the person who spoke. Halinor paused at the sight of the regal looking woman nearby and glanced around curiously. A throne room? Of some kind but in all her travels as a Guardian she didn't recall a room like this...much less seeing dragons like those.Halinor stared at the dragons nearby and her eyes met those of the fire dragon. The pieces clicked into place in her mind immediately as she stared at the dragon she had recalled actually seeing once or twice. She had seen it when she had gone Zenith, had seen it when she was far far into her powers and nearlylost herself. It had been there curling around her protectively and nudging her back to her humanity gently.'The four elemental dragons...then you must be the Nymph Xin Jing..." Halinor said slowly and she looked around the room again and looked at her confused and surprised bonded."Are we in the Heart of Kandrakar?" Halinor asked in disbelief and Xin Jing chuckled a bit."You were right Zhenyi, she is clever. I see why she was your favorite chosen since the first three." Xin Jing said to the flaming dragon who gave a grin at that and the other dragons chuckled."As you have correctly presumed Lady of Flame, I am the Nymph Xin Jing and we are inside of the Heart of Kandrakar. These are my companions, the dragons of the elements. Zhenyi is your patron Lady of Flame. Narlyn is the patron dragon of the Wind. Panshen is the patron of the Water. And last but never least is our patron of earth, Dishe." Xin Jing said introducing the dragons who all bowed their heads at the two up by the thrones."I remember meeting you. Whenever I fell too deeply within my powers or went Zenith. You would protect me and nudge me back." Halinor said looking at the flaming dragon who chuffed slightly."Of course I did. You are one of my favorite chosen, it would have been a shame to let your fire snuff out so early." Zhenyi said with a distinctly female voice as the dragon looked fondly at the blond."...It says something when this is weird but somehow not the strangest thing I've seen." Will said sighing heavily and Halinor grinned at her, one hand on the younger womans arm to help her with her balance."It says you're a guardian. Honestly this doesn't rate in my top ten strangest things to happen. Remind me to tell you about the trip the girls and I took to Oceania back when we were guardians." Halinor said and she felt Wills curiousity and amusement at what promised to be an interesting story,"That was indeed quite the trip, I want to know what you two were thinking making some of those creatures." The earth dragon, Dishe, said in a low gravly voice as he looked from Panshen to Xin Jing."We were curious and experimenting." Panshen said with a grin, his voice being smooth and deep."You two were drunk." That was Narlyn's airy voice."Yes well-" Xin Jing coughed a bit embarrassed and trying to hide it."Why-" Halinor cut in although she would be questioning several things about everything later, some things took precedence, "-are we in the Heart of Kandrakar?" Her voice was patient as she stared at the dragons and nymph who all became more serious now."We had to bring the Princess here in order to save her life after the traitors attempts at assassinating her." Dishe said nodding respectfully to Will. Halinors heart stopped for a moment at the memories that were involuntarily invoked by those words. Of a red head on a snowy mountain talking with a dark haired woman who had cared about her, talking with a woman that the girl had loved, but who had blasted her off of the mountain with lightning all while Halinor could only watch and listen in in horror. Of a betrayal of their group that had cost them two members, one to death and another to madness and drove the three remaining members apart in their grief.She swallowed heavily and felt Will's reassurance and soothing through their bond that brought her back to the present."Explain." Despite having had control over fire for so long, her words were much colder than ice. She knew she wasn't going to like this explanation.And she was right. She wouldn't.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"I am...unsure of why they had done so. The Heart is naturally more inclined towards the Keeper so we are not able to discern exactly why they had done so but the four elemental Guardians had attempted to murder the princess. They nearly succeeded too if it were not for her heritage being able to save her." Xin Jing said smiling kindly at Will who grimaced at this and she felt a small flaring of pain on her back and phantom pains in her leg."Even as connected with our avatars as we had been we do not know exactly why they had betrayed the princess. We tried filtering protectiveness to them and yet they twisted or ignored those feelings. I know my disgraced water avatar had been feeling worried about something to do with the princess and that is what led to her betrayal but I am not sure what she was worried about." Panshen said shaking his head as he frowned seriously."The air avatar was likewise worried and had twisted the protective instincts I had fed to her. I am unsure how that led to the betrayal however." Narlyn said sounding disappointed and confused by her avatars actions."My current avatar...her instincts and feelings are twisted, I'm not sure how but they were and badly. That is what led to her betrayal to my eternal regret." Zhenyi said growling slightly and then looking at Will and Halinor."I am eternally regretful and shamed that my avatar had been twisted like she was and that the powers I let her use had harmed you princess." Zhenyi said bowing her head as she lowered her eyes from the two."Hmph. I can't tell why my avatar did what she did, human emotions are strange and I do not understand how she got to that point." Dishe said scowling slightly and Halinor was tense with her hand on Wills arm still."You said they betrayed and tried to kill her." Halinor said and the dragons and nymph nodded their heads slightly."They nearly succeeded. Had it not been for the cave they unsealed when the fallen earth avatar brought the rocks to bear down upon her, and had it not been for the princess's own bloodline and blood which had been spilt upon the earth of Metamoor...she would not be here now." Xin Jing said and Halinor gave a mix between a whimper and a growl. A whimper at the thought of losing her bonded permanently and a growl at the thought that someone had tried to take her bonded from her by force."Okay. So I remember being in the air, my back turned to the girls and then something burning me bad. I'm guessing that was Taranee." Will said and she and Halinor both grimaced as they remembered the pain."Indeed." Dishe said with a wince as he glanced at Zhenyi who looked upset at how her powers had been used."Then I remember falling and being caught and then falling again." Will said and Halinor winced openly at that and moved to rub her shoulders."That explained the pain and bruising in my shoulders." Halinor said and Will gave her an apologetic look that she shook her head at."Never apologize for the pain our bond causes me. I'd rather have our bond and the pain and know you are alive than having never met you or been your bonded. Just don't ever block me out like you had again." Halinor said and Will took her hand and squeezed it softly, feelings of apologies and reassurance and soft whispered words of 'I'm sorry I didn't want you to feel that' and 'I won't block you out again I swear' in her mind."And then I hit the ground and I remember it shaking while I was trying to keep hold of the transformation so that the girls didn't fall." Will said and the dragons scowled slightly."Should have let them fall princess." Narlyn snarled and the other three obviously agreed while Xin Jing quieted them down with a single look even though she obviously agreed."After that it's blank." Will finished and Halinor squeezed her hand lightly and she felt Halinors waves of grief and sorrow and betrayal."I connected our minds probably not long after you hit the ground. I wanted...I wanted to try and see if there was anything I could do to help you. I saw the rocks falling down on top of you before you forced me from your mind." Halinor closed her eyes for a moment and breathed deeply, remembered pain flaring through her body and she could so easily envision Will's broken body upon the ground. After all she had been the first one at Mount Thanos after Nerissa had...she had been the one to find Cassidy's body."When the rocks fell it unsealed a cave in the cliff side. Inside that cave was where the Hidden Palace was sealed. Our final resting place among the mortal world." Xin Jing said bringing their attention to her and she hummed a bit as she saw them looking at her curiously."The Hidden Palace was the cave in which we were sealed after everything, when we were ready to pass onto the next life. Before then however it had contained our palace and meeting grounds. Our training grounds for our avatars and warriors. This room is modeled after the Hidden Palace's throne room in it's prime." Xin Jing said waving a hand at the grand room they were in and surprising Halinor and Will greatly."None of the books in the library of Kandrakar mentioned anything like that. They mentioned you five had passed after imparting your powers into a jewel that became the Heart of Kandrakar." Halinor said curiously and making Will frown now."Much that once was, is lost for none now live who remember it. Some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became Myth." Will said and it was obvious she was quoting something she had heard before."You got that from Lord of the Rings." Halinor said flatly, recalling Will showing up to Kandrakar with a portable DVD player and a projector and having the entire Council and the formers get together for a movie marathon of the trilogy."It still holds true. Once those who lived through it were gone, all that would be left behind were stories. Stories which can be changed or twisted. Stories that just become myths and old folklore or fables." Will grinned at her though and Halinor shook her head but was smiling and the amusement flowed freely down their bond."True. Especially when those in power wish to have their power not be threatened or questioned by those who had followed our empire and ways." Xin Jing spoke up although she was curious about this Ring Lord that they spoke of. Who was such a being to utter such wise words?"You've mentioned my bloodline and how my blood being spilt upon the ground also helped save me?" Will asked staring at the nymph who smiled kindly at her."I was a little older than you when I became the Queen of the Hidden Palace, Queen of the Hidden world. And in those days it was custom and common for people to marry young. I was fourteen when I became the Nymph Xin Jing as you know me now. By that time I was also married to my soul bond, a warrior of great skill in the army. By the time I became Queen I had two children. One who became a great warrior like her father and one who became King after I stepped down." Xin Jing said and she smiled over at her dragon companions who all made noises as they remembered the children."My son who later became King was a gentle soul, however war was strife in those times. There never was more than a few years without some war or another and often aimed at us or somehow involved us. My son died less than five years after taking the throne, an assassin killed him, his wife and their children in the night. The assassin did not live long." Xin Jing said calmly although her eyes gave way to pain and rage over her son and his family's murder."After his assassination there was great strife within the kingdom. Many wished for my daughter to hurry and marry a male to continue the family. My daughter however had found her soul bond in a young woman, a farmers daughter who had been blessed with some of Dishe's power, the first avatar of Earth." Xin Jing said and she smiled softly as she thought of her daughter and her daughters bonded."When people learned of this there was rejoicing and celebrating over another soul bond like my husbands and my own but also confusion and strife over how the family would continue, how the kingdom would survive since in those times it was impossible and unheard of for two women to produce children together. Civil war broke out in the kingdom over how they wanted to handle things. My husband, myself and my companions here were all for my daughter and her wife to become Queens and rule together, taking in a waif they had found if they so wish or just appointing the next ruler when they were ready and found a suitable heir. Many however saw our powers to be blessed by Gods and that it was our sign to rule, demanding that my daughter find someone to produce a child with to secure the power and family bloodline. That side was led by a soldier who fancied my daughter and wished to take her as his bride." Xin Jing said frowning as she thought of that man and what his actions had caused."During that time of war is when the first avatars were revealed and found. My daughter having inherited my powers and was given my jewel pendant upon her sixteenth year. My daughters soul bond who had Dishe's blessing and was his avatar. A young street rat who was given the blessing of Panshen. A scholar given Zhenyi's blessing, and a thief with the blessing of Narlyn. They were the first avatars...but the kingdom could not be saved. Not as it was then." Xin Jing then tilted her head and smiled, the dragons around her gave small snorts and exchanged grins that seemed menacing."So I bade my daughter to leave. To take the avatars and for them to flee to where none would know who they were and use their powers to protect others from falling into the wars our kingdom had. My husband and I said goodbye to our daughter who gave us a joyous piece of news before she left. Our powers over life energy, our powers over energy itself, had allowed her to imbue her beloved with some of their mixed energy. Her bonded was with child by my daughter. With that news we knew that they absolutely had to leave and get to safety. The soldier who sought my daughters marriage would have killed her bonded and their child if he should have learned of them." Xin Jing said and Will's eyes popped open at hearing her powers were capable of that. Halinor was likewise wide eyed but she was attentively listening to the history lesson. It was fascinating and gave perspective to things for that time period."My husband killed the soldier who sought after our daughter. I tried to stop the fighting as best as I could...my companions here aided me in getting those who were true to our ways and family to safety. Away from the trap that our kingdom had become. Once Zhenyi had gotten the last of the supporters out and Narlyn had reported the last child to be out of the area that is when we sprung our trap to take down both the enemy that had come to attack us in our time of strife and to take out those who would continue to hound my family should they be left alive. Panshen flooded the river and moats, trapping the enemies in with us. And though we were old, we were still strong. My husband fell first, protecting me from an arrow. Our enemy fell in droves. And then...then when we sensed it was close to our time to leave the mortal world from both age and our wounds..." Xin Jing smiled over at Dishe who looked smug."Narlyn and I worked to protect the palace with a storm that raged too strong for any human to pass through. Zhenyi burnt all bridges and created a moat of fire to keep anyone from entering or leaving. Panshen controlled the waters to keep any ships from being able to reach us or anyone to escape by water. And Dishe...he bade the earth to rise and swallow us. Sealing the palace within a cave and having the earth swallow the rest of the kingdom, burying it within the rocks and ground." Xin Jing said and her eyes glinted with the malice that had befallen her enemies."What we had not been expecting was that when we imparted some of our powers to the jewel to safeguard our avatars, it contained our spirits as well. From there for the first four generations of avatars we were able to watch over them and guide them but as time and corruption arose our connections to our avatars faded. I was able to see however, the birth of my final grandchild. And watch from the pendant as she grew and found her own bonded to start a family with. Our family pendant was passed down frmo parent to child through the Keeper, my avatar...my family line, for three generations until one day when it was taken by a niece of the current Keeper who desired the power. That is when the fourth avatars arose and the pendant soon became lost in time, our connection fading as the bloodline no longer possessed it and kept it powered and connected. For years it was passed down to those 'deemed worthy' by someone who proclaimed to be a prophet. A child from one of the previous forced avatars who desired the power of my pendant, to control who used it and to try and drain it." Xin Jing scowled slightly but then shook her head."I spent a long time thinking the true avatars and their family lines lost, fearing that only the forced ones would remain and how the so called prophet would control the pendant forever...and then came along you, Lady of Flame." Xin Jing said nodding to Halinor who blinked."Me?" Halinor asked confused and Xin Jing nodded with a kind smile."As soon as you were connected to the shard of Zhenyi's power that is what you know as an auramere, we were able to sense it and tell. You're the direct decendant of Zhenyi's first blessed avatar. You were the one who was truly supposed to inherit the power. It surprised us and gave us hope to sense that Zhenyi's blessed line had survived. That is why your flames were green when no other before you were since the first three. It was a sign of your lineage and that you were a true one. That is when we began paying attention again to the little bit of a bond we could feel with the avatars forced upon us." Xin Jing explained and Halinor's jaw dropped open in shock at that."We could not effect anything except for Zhenyi with you, but we could see the avatars we were given this time. Dishe was quite fond of the avatar, as was Panshen. Narlyn liked hers well enough but did not connect with hers as Dishe or Panshen had. And I did not like the brat I was given." Xin Jing scowled slightly thinking of that brat."When it fell apart we were worried about what it would mean. Zhenyi was quite happy to feel you staying close to her shard of power. And then...then imagine our shock and glee when the next avatars were picked and we found you, princess." Xin Jing smiled kindly, almost maternally at Will now who knew where this was going."I'm a direct descendant too." Xin Jing nodded at the comment."Yes. My direct descendant at that. We could feel the connection better than ever, able to interact a little more with the avatars forced upon us than we had in centuries. And so when you were betrayed by the forced avatars, when your blood was spilt upon the grounds of our kingdom, right outside of the Palace's defenses. We were able to act and save you. If it were not for that connection, you would not have survived." Xin Jing said and Halinor tugged Will a bit closer protectively.This was...this was overwhelming.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"I...is...this is a lot." Will managed to get out and Halinor held her close as she felt the younger womans feelings become overwhelming, for both of them."If it's not too much to ask...is there a room we may use? This is a lot of information and we will need time to process." Halinor asked and Xin Jing gave them both a motherly smile and nodded."Of course. Follow me and I shall lead you to the master room. It is rightfully yours." Xin Jing said bidding the two to follow her and Will moved to do so, but stumbled a bit as she recalled her leg was missing. In a flash Halinor had her smaller and younger bonded in her arms cradled princess style protectively."Halinor?" Will squeaked a bit at the flash of worry-hold-protect that she had felt in the split second as she was lifted up."I've got you." Halinor said softly and Will relaxed almost immediately into the warm body holding her close and protectively. She was safe, she knew she was. She was always safe with Halinor."I am glad to see that your bond is so close already despite the adversity you must face." Xin Jing said smiling at them as she led them from the throne room and up some stairs to a large regal bedroom. Honestly it was more impressive than Elyon's had been the last time that Will and the girls had a sleepover with the young queen. Halinor threw out that it was more impressive than even the bedrooms of Kandrakars honored council."Ah, our bond is still a bit unstable due to other factors. We are trying to make it a familial one." Halinor said smiling at Will who gave her a wave of reassurance and understanding with a small touch of sadness and longing that Halinor was curious about. It always was like that when she mentioned making their bond familial."..." Xin Jing stared at them for a long moment in what looked like utter bewilderment as Halinor gently deposited Will on the large silk sheet bed that felt as soft as a cloud."I have never heard of my descendants having a familial bond. I suppose it could have changed greatly over the generations but I thought your words were the red of romance?" Xin Jing asked staring at Will who stiffened and Halinor felt her throat suddenly close up at the no longer as safe subject. She felt Will's anxiety and swell of emotions that were hard to decipher even for the older woman and she was sure her own panic was noted by the red head."...They...They are." Will admitted softly and Xin Jing stared at them in confusion."Lady of Flames? Are your words not red as well?" Xin Jing asked staring at Halinor who felt her cheeks heat up a bit and she knew that there was smoke coming from her lips in embarrassment."They...They are." Halinor admitted shyly and embarrassed as she didn't look at Will."Then why are you trying to alter the sacred bond? If you were meant to be familial then your words would be blue. Blue is family, Red is romance. It has been that way since the start of recorded history and before so even." Xin Jing said and the two were not looking at each other but could acutely feel each others embarrassment and panic and other such emotions."Well...in the time I was raised it was...taboo on my planet for two of the same gender to have a romantic bond. No matter the colors. And then given how different our ages are...it would be considered very...against everything for us to be romantic." Halinor tried to be as gentle as possible as she recalled what happened to those who had been found to have a romantic bond to someone of the same gender back when she had been growing up. Luckily she had been a blank at the time and didn't have to worry about that, even if she had always known she was attracted to the female form. Halinor had needed a smack upside the head from Luba when her words finally showed up sixteen years ago and Halinor nearly had a meltdown at the sight of them."It is impossible to deny the true nature of a bond. Would you not have known immediately you were meant to be romantic when you saw each others words?" Xin Jing asked and both of the women blushed harder at that."We...er...we haven't seen each others words yet." Will said and she was sparking in embarrassment, blushing so hard her face near matched her head."Why not?" Xin Jing didn't seem to be judging them, merely curious and a bit worried."My words are on my upper back." Will said and she motioned to a spot that made it obvious her upper body would have to be bare of clothing if not close to it for the words to be seen entirely."Mine are on my chest." Halinor's face was nearly on fire, literally, and Will blushed harder at the confirmation of that."Ah, so words that would require a large amount of trust and possibly intimacy to see. I can understand withholding a bit on showing one another then. It takes time even with the bond to build up to so much trust and intimacy." Xin Jing nodded in understanding at that and she was the only one in the room not embarrassed. Instead she merely seemed confused and worried for them."It is impossible to deny a bond in it's full however. To do so would likely have led you to a slower far more painful death than the murder attempt was. Perhaps while you process the information that you now have of history and your roles in the Palace and with the Heart you can talk of your bond and how to keep it from killing you." Xin Jing said and both of them had paled a bit at that, a bond being denied or changed like they were trying to would...Halinor had already lost Will once and she refused to do so again no matter what it took.Will felt those feelings and thoughts across the bond as well as Halinors gentle reassurance that whatever she chose Halinor would support her.Halinor received back a wave of affection and care and protectiveness and reassurance. Will wouldn't let her die either, especially not because of a bond that they had tried to avoid or circumvent which could not be."Take your time as you process everything. We shall be ready to talk further whenever you are ready. Merely call for one of us if you need something or have a question." Xin Jing said and then she shut the door and left the soul bond pair in the room alone to talk.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Whatever you choose to do...I shall support you." Halinor said gently as she stared at Will as the two tried to process all the information. The betrayal of the other girls, Will's near death, the history of the Heart of Kandrakar and of Will's lineage. And then about their bond not being able to be familial no matter how they tried, not unless they both wished to die.Will could feel it too, the sincerity and concern and Halinor's determination and protectiveness."Halinor..." Will trailed off as Halinor knelt down in front of her and took one of her hands, staring her in the eyes."Will. I...I don't like that you are stuck with me, you deserve someone younger or braver or just...all around better. But for some reason you were chosen for me, I was chosen for you. And I...I thought I lost you. For an hour or so I thought you were gone and my mind and feelings were my own and...and it was so so unbearable and quiet that I couldn't stand it. I never want to experience that again. If we keep trying to force our romantic bond to be a familial one then I'll lose you again...but I...I don't want to move too fast or do anything you aren't ready for or anything to make you uncomfortable." Halinor said and Will swallowed thickly at that. She had only experienced it for a moment or two, the silence and loneliness and gaping hole in her very being...but just those few minutes was too much.She never wanted her mind to be her own with no extra thoughts in them again."So...So we can alter what we were doing, we can start working to a romantic bond. But I want you to know this. You have full control over how everything goes. If you ask me to stop my flirting or attempts to court you then I will, if you tell me I'm making you uncomfortable I'll immediately stop my actions. We take all of this at your pace, and you have full control. Okay?" Halinor asked and she made sure that Will felt all of her sincerity, all of her determination and care and affection and honesty."If I ever upset you or make you uncomfortable you have to promise to tell me." Will retorted immediately and she made sure Halinor felt her determination. Halinor smiled softly at her and brought Will's hand to her lips, brushing her lips softly across the knuckles."Of course." Halinor promised and Will relaxed a bit at that and finally nodded, her affection for the blond flowing down their bond."Then when we get out of here it looks like I need to break up with Matt...that should be fun." Will said rolling her eyes and she felt how Halinor stiffened a bit and she felt a flash of protectiveness and possessiveness from her soul bonded."If he tries anything with you I can't promise what I'll do." Halinor said and Will laughed and tugged her up onto the bed into a side hug, nudging into the womans side and earning a wave of fondness and affection through the bond."Just be careful, you aren't hooked up to a heart or Auramere. And I don't want you to use up your life force." Will said and she felt it. The sudden thoughts of 'oh shit oh no' and wave of panic and alarm from the older woman."Halinor?" Will asked worried and Halinor winced and Will felt how it turned to worry and regret and 'oh no they probably think I'm dead' and 'oh I'm so sorry my friends'."When we were told of your death, when i thought you were dead...my grief was overwhelming. I...I used a lot of my life force and I know that my friends probably were there. They saw me using up a lot of my life force, my lava hair alone would have drained me a lot, the fact that I felt my flames burst forth...Everyone will think I self-combusted. They will all think I am dead." Halinor said and Will winced at the worry and apologies and self-loathing for the pain she was putting her friends through."Then we'll go to them. As soon as we can. When we leave here we'll go and get them as soon as we can and tell them the truth."They weren't aware how that plan would change things as well.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Kadma glared at the bright red marking on her skin in the mirror. It had been only a day since Will and Halinor's deaths. Everyone in shock over how it had all happened so fast and how Halinor had literally burnt herself out to the point that she left permanent burn marks in that training room...and had melted the floor where she knelt.They had all decided to call it a night and take time away to grieve the loss of the two and then decide what to do and how to proceed. Kadma and Cassidy had decided to spend the night at Kadma's place, grieving their friend together as Yan Lin and Hay Lin went home to grieve together.And for some damn reason Kadma had felt an itch on her stomach and when she had checked to see why, worry that she had broken out in a rash or hives due to allergens or too much emotion coursing through her without the outlet that her powers had once given her, she had seen them. A pair of freshly painted red words on her stomach, after spending nearly sixty years as a blank she had a soul mark.There was no way in hell she was going to be marked to some baby, she was far too old...and the words..."Oh I didn't know Nerissa and Halinor were friends with such a gorgeous rose." Those words were taunting her. Did that mean that her mark was someone from when she was in school? How the hell would she know who or remember them now?!What the hell was going on?!"So I'm not the only one." Cassidy said spotting Kadmas words as the red head former ghost walked in without knocking."What?" Kadma demanded as she turned on Cassidy, dropping her shirt as if to hide the words."Your words just appeared huh? Mine too." Cassidy said and Kadma paused as she stared at her friend. Words? But...she had been blank like Kadma was, like Nerissa and Halinor had been and like Yan Lin had been. The five of them being the Blanks in their year had been what caused them to become friends in the first place."What?" Kadma asked and Cassidy turned and pulled up her shirt to expose the small of her back."You look a lot like Will, were you her sister?" Kadma winced as she read those words, oh that had to suck. That Cassidy would hear that about the young leader who was now dead."Why would they appear now?" Kadma asked instead as she looked at her friend who dropped the shirt and turned back to her."I don't know. Maybe it's like that theory from back when we were teens? Where sometimes the marks don't appear until something happens rather than our bonded being born?" Kadma hummed at that response, it was as good of a guess as any and it did make sense. Her words didn't appear until Halinor's demise, and Cassidy's appeared roughly the same time."You know that means it's likely we'll meet our bonded at the funerals." Kadma threw that out there grimly and Cassidy grimaced as well."Yeah I know. That is going to be so awkward." Cassidy groaned and Kadma could agree with her on that."Look on the bright side!" Cassidy perked up as she recalled something and made Kadma raise an eyebrow at her, "At least this means our bonded aren't newborns. You should have seen Halinor's freakout when she first woke up and saw Will's words." Cassidy grinned and Kadma smirked slightly, she could only imagine how the blond had reacted...then she frowned."You...you were watching over us?" Kadma asked almost hesitantly, after all Cassidy mentioned having seen Halinors freakout sixteen years ago, during a time when Cassidy was most assuredly dead."Always." Cassidy said simply as if it were obvious and Kadma...Kadma felt a small rush of warmth and affection for the girl she had gone to school with. Even after her demise she had still been watching over her friends..."...Do you think Will and Halinor are watching over us?" Kadma asked quietly and Cassidy paused for a full minute before she walked over and hugged Kadma, Kadma's arms snapping around her in return almost immediately."Yes. Halinor is probably annoyed it took her burning up to get us to get along but...I'd be willing to bet she's happy we're getting along." Cassidy muttered into Kadmas ear and the taller woman swallowed thickly and buried her face in Cassidy's shoulder."They should be here. I...did you notice? Something in the girls stories and what Halinor saw? When they learned Halinor was in Will's mind when the rocks...something...something doesn't add up.""Yeah. I know Kat. We'll figure things out and learn the truth.""...Will's mother. She should know the truth.""Well I wasn't planning to die again but you're right she should know.""Scared of one normal human McLean? Don't worry I'll protect you from the big scary mom.""Ha! You haven't met Will's mom yet! I'll hold you to that Starlighter!"

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Oh shit my mom!" Will's eyes widened and she paled starkly soon after Halinor's realization that her friends would assume her dead."Oh no. If the girls are telling everyone that you're dead then-" They both were pale now, if there was one thing that would not end well it was Susan Vandom being told her daughter was dead."Ohhhh shit that is not going to end well." Will said hoping her mother didn't do anything too drastic...but then again this was her mom. Who she took after far more than either woman liked to acknowledge."We should let her know as soon as possible that you're alive and...well?" Halinor asked wincing as she glanced at Will's missing leg and causing Will to look down at the leg and then wince, oh yeah her mother was not going to like this at all. She was going to flip and Will would be lucky if she'd be able to leave the apartment while under guard."Empress Xin Jing?" Will asked aloud and the woman appeared immediately."Princess? You do not need to call me empress. Merely my name or perhaps the title of grandmother would more than suffice." Xin Jing said smiling at Will who nodded slightly at that and looked a bit anxious."How long before we can leave? Halinor's friends the former guardians believe her dead, and the traitors will be telling my mom I'm dead soon." Will looked worried and anxious and Xin Jing paused for a long moment."There...is a difference in time between inside the Heart of the Hidden Palace, and the outside world. For Earth, I believe that ten minutes equates to an hour? In the time you have been here it has almost been a full day on Earth." Xin Jing said slowly and Will looked pale and horrified."They already told her...grandmother I have to go to my mom! I can't let her think I'm dead!" Will looked near frantic now as she got up to her foot with a bit of wobbling as she tried to use a leg that was no longer there for balance. Halinor immediately was beside her bonded and had an arm around the younger woman to support her weight."I understand princess. Believe me. The pain of a parent believing their child dead is one that has no comparison. I would not wish that pain upon my enemies if I could avoid it." Xin Jing said in understanding and sympathy, remembering the pain she felt at her son being murdered in the night. The pain she felt when she realized her daughter had passed the jewel on to Xin Jing's granddaughter and that her daughter was not long for the world."You...will not be able to be out of here for long, your body and soul are still healing from the damage and you leaving now would only delay your healing further and likely impact your recovery. But I shall not stand against you in this princess. You will have mere minutes to visit with your mother and assure her of your safety and try to devise a way to keep in contact with her." Xin Jing said and Will nearly sagged in relief that there was a way to visit and reassure her mom."Good, that's good. I'll happily take the consequences for this. So how do I get to her?" Will asked looking relieved and eager, ready and raring to go."I suppose this can be counted as your first lesson in the true power you now have at your command. Focus, focus intently on your mother. On the thought of her, on her life energy. Find where she is in your heart and focus. Then...Then just open a fold to her." Xin Jing instructed and Will nodded slowly and closed her eyes. She focused with all her might, concentrated like never before on her mother and she almost physically recoiled when there was an expanse of energy and life force she could feel."So much life force." Halinor sounded awed as she too felt and saw what Will was, having been connecting their minds fully to try and use her years of telepathy experience to help Will."That is all of the life force within a five click circle of your mother. Now narrow it down. Find that one spark that belongs to your mother and focus in on that one. Block out all the others from your mind." Xin Jing gently coaxed and Will scoured for her mothers life force...where was she? Where was she?Wait...Wait...That spark radiating rage and sorrow and despair and disbelief and shock in a mixture that nearly slammed into Will full force.No no no no my baby. No Will my baby girl. She could hear the thoughts that belonged to her mother and Will and Halinor lazer focused on that one spark, that one line of thoughts and emotions.They honed in on that lone spark so much that they both blocked out the others near her although they felt familiar, particularly to Halinor."Once you have it reach through the dimensions, reach for the space near her and thrust your hand out. Envision your hand as claws or a blade to tear through the air and open a fold, a portal to your mother. Remember. You will only have a few minutes before you have to come back." Xin Jing's voice sounded both far away and close by at the same time and Will did as she said.Pictured her hand as a blade that cut through the worlds barriers to get to her mother and rip open a portal to her. She felt a tickle in her hand and heard a slight crackle in her ears as something gave way beneath her hand. A strange resistance like she was moving her hand through water."Very good princess." Xin Jing sounded proud and Will opened her eyes only to see the familar sight of a fold in front of her."Let's go Will. Your mother is waiting." Halinor said softly and Will nodded, although she was a bit upset that she had to lean on and rely on Halinor so much. She felt a wave of reassurance and comfort and Will shot her bonded a thankful smile. Halinor just smiled gently and the two managed to get through the fold together.They came out of the fold in the middle of the apartment Will and her mom shared, and under the watch of three pairs of stunned disbelieving eyes.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Cassidy and Kadma were the only two who stayed behind to try and comfort Susan Vandom, the girls looking uncomfortable and beating a hasty retreat and Yan Lin going with them to make sure they'd be alright.Cassidy and Kadma exchanged a look, the girls behavior both made sense and didn't. They could understand that the girls wouldn't want to stay, were probably still trying to cope with it all, but the way the girls acted...Taranee had seemed the most torn up, Cornelia hadn't batted an eye at all throughout the explanation and news deliverance, Irma seemed guilty almost, and Hay Lin seemed more tired than anything resigned almost. The emotions were all over the place and didn't really add up a lot, which could be because of the grief and them trying to come to terms with it all but Cassidy had a feeling in her gut that said that wasn't the case, and Kadma's own instincts were going off about it.The two women were trying to give the grieving mother some comfort, someone to lean on, when they all felt it. The buildup of power nearby."Kaddy!" Cassidy said alarmed and Kadma was immediately on the defensive, turning and making sure Susan Vandom was behind her protectively as Cassidy stood in front of them both in a ready stance as they saw a crackle of energy in the air. The two veterans watched warily and on high alert as the crackle seemed to go down a good bit until it stopped and then..."A fold?" Kadma asked alarmed and confused as she stared at the rip in space that had formed right in front of them."Never saw a fold like that before." Cassidy said and it was true, Kadma would agree with her. The fold instead of being the normal blue and white, or the pink of having been cut through a veil, was a golden color."The fact that one opened here of all places and now of all times..." Kadma trailed off and she and Cassidy both grimaced and prepared for a fight. They had learned long ago that there was no such thing as coincidences. Not when it came to Guardian business at least.Susan sucked in a sharp breath as they all watched to see who or what would come through the fold.A head of red hair leaning on a blond woman, a familiar uniform and robe...Cassidy and Kadma's fighting stances dropped in hope and disbelief and shock as they all three stared at the two women coming through the fold."Mom..." Will Vandom looked so happy and relieved as she was helped through the fold."Will!" Susan burst past Kadma and Cassidy to get to her daughter, hugging her tight and earning a pained noise."Careful! She's still injured!" Halinor said although she made no move to separate the two as she adjusted her hold on Will to support her weight a bit easier."Halinor!" Cassidy and Kadma made their way to the blond and quickly embraced her, feeling the warmth and flames barely contained within her skin."Don't you ever scare us like that again." Cassidy was the one to scold as she hugged Halinor tightly and the older woman gave her a tight one armed hug in return."You are so grounded young lady!" Susan was scolding Will but was tightly clinging to her and Will was hugging her back one armed and just as tight."I promise. I didn't mean to scare you mama. I wouldn't have if I had any choice." Will said and Cassidy was moving to her fellow red head to hug her as Kadma squeezed Halinor and whispered reprimands for scaring them like that into the blonds ear."Will! What-" Cassidy's alarmed voice broke the hugs and soft scoldings as she stared wide eyed at Will. Will who was missing a leg, Will who was in her guardian form but without her wings. Will who had blood running down her back."This must be one of the consequences." Will hissed with a wince while Halinors full attention was now on her mate and Susan went pale as she noticed her daughters injuries and the blood now on her hands."Here let me heal you!" Kadma moved to heal the girl immediately only for Will to shake her head."No don't waste your life force. We can't stay for long." Will said and Halinor huffed and gently moved them a little further from the fold."What do you mean you can't stay long?" Cassidy asked sharply as she stared the two down."Her injuries were still being healed and if we take too long it won't be good. As it was she wasn't supposed to leave the Palace yet due to her injuries. But we had to come and reassure Mrs. Vandom that she was still alive as soon as we could." Halinor said and she was supporting Will's weight as they stood there."Explain." Kadma said even as she quickly grabbed one of the kitchen chairs for Will to sit in for a moment at least.The two of them shared a look and then Will nodded slightly at whatever silent question Halinor had posed. Kadma and Cassidy knew the two had been talking over their bond as Kadma brought over the chair, Halinor gently settling the younger girl into it."Open your minds." Halinor told her two old friends who both looked surprised but then worried."But your life force...."Cassidy trailed off remembering how drained she had felt over a minor trick with water, she couldn't imagine how draining using the telepathy would be."She's hooked up to a heart." Will said immediately and Halinor glanced at her before her eyes lit up in understanding and she gave the red head a soft smile."Which one?" Kadma asked suspiciously, after all there was so many coincidences happening and now Halinor was magically hooked up to a heart again."Mine." Will said smirking and Halinor snorted and hid her smile behind one hand."Could you have made that sound any cheesier?" Halinor asked amused and Will shot her an urchin grin."It's true and besides. We don't know how long we have before we have to be back." Will said and Halinor nodded at that."Kadma...Cassidy. Trust me my friends. I'll not drain my life force. But we have no time to waste. So open your minds." Halinor said and the two glanced at each other before sighing slightly."Alright Hallie. I'll trust you." Cassidy said and Kadma just looked at her for a moment before sighing and smiling."Sure Halinor. As long as this doesn't end up like our junior prom did." Kadma said almost teasingly and Cassidy snorted while Halinor blushed."That. Never. Happened." Halinor glared at Kadma who smirked at her."Good it really is you and you're not mind controlled. Let's get this started then." Kadma said and Halinor glared darker at her, Will looked up at her curiously and Halinor shot her a reassuring look in return.Kadma and Cassidy opened their minds in long practiced and learned moves and Halinor connected her mind to theirs just as easily, showing them everything. Letting them experience and learn everything from her perspective from the moment they made it to Kandrakar up until now.It took only a minute but for those involved it felt so much longer. Susan just stared while Will reached out and took Halinor's hand, squeezing it in reassurance."While she's showing them the truth... Mom do not trust the other girls. Cornelia, Hay Lin, Irma, and Taranee aren't to be trusted and honestly I'm worried that they might go after you if they suspect you of knowing what happened." Will said to her mother who blinked a few times and some pieces fit together in her mind."They did something...they left you for dead." Susan said slowly and Will gave her a single nod."I'm going to kill them.""Mama no, they have powers let me handle them.""They left you for dead!""I know, they tried to kill me too...almost did."
"What?!"
"I shouldn't have said that. But I have something else I want to do!""Wilhelmina Vandom I swear to-""Mom I want you to meet my soul bond!"........."Mom?""You met your soul bond?!"

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

When Halinor and the other two former guardians exited the mindscape and the two others were furious enough their powers started acting up slightly...they were met with Susan Random staring intently at Halinor."So you're my daughters soul bond?" Susan demanded staring at the blond who nodded slightly looking at her warily and Susan continued to stare for a long moment before she stepped forward.Her arms wrapped around Halinor and pulled her into a hug as the older woman blinked a bit at her in stunned confusion."Welcome to the family." Susan said softly and Halinor took a moment to process those words before she nearly sagged into Susan's hold in relief."So...so you don't mind. Even knowing that ours is red?" Halinor asked hesitantly and Susan pulled back and smiled at her."Oh make no mistake I wish it were someone closer to her age but soul words have never led someone wrong. So if the universe or whatever thinks you're the perfect other half for my Will who am I to argue?" Susan asked and then she paused and turned to Will pointedly."Although I do want to have a talk with you about you hiding this entire saving the universe bit and how you carried the literal weight of a world on your neck." Susan said sternly to her daughter who gave her a sheepish smile."We'll have to have the talk later mom. I need to get back and finish healing and learning my new powers and planning." Will said and that caused Cassidy and Kadma both to look at her finally snapping out of their rage and deciding to confront the girls later."We can't let the girls get away with this. They tried to murder you! They would have if it wasn't for a one in a trillion chance!" Cassidy said incensed about the whole thing and making Will give a small cold smile."They won't." Will promised and the two noted that she looked rather sinister in the crackling light of the portal.Honestly they couldn't even blame her for wanting revenge. They would too. As long as she didn't take it too far they'd probably help her honestly."And it's time to remind the Oracle why he's a fake." Will said before Halinor helped her through the portal and back to the Hidden palace, easily supporting half her weight.That was a little more worrying but if the knowledge they got from Halinor was true, and they knew it was, but then they also couldn't blame her.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Elyon, Sandpit and Raythor were riding towards a cliff. They, Elyon and the rebellion and the majority of the castle workers and townspeople, had decided that there should at least be an attempt made.An attempt to recover something of Wills body to give her a proper and honorable burial. The burial that a hero deserved. The burial proper for a guardian Leader.If Elyon was completely honest she partially wanted to do this for Mrs. Vandom as well, finding something of Wills body to be buried in her home realm of Earth. Give the woman some closure.Most of her however was looking for something left of her friend, the one who helped her learn the truth and reclaim her home and throne not once but twice. Who had been helping her learn how to be a leader and to try and keep in mind what her people needed versus what they wanted.She was doing this because Will deserved this. Deserved a proper and honorable burial, the best Elyon could give her if she could not return Will to earth. One for a warrior, a friend, a leader, a Guardian.It was hard to find the sight of the last fateful battle. All the girls could say was that they were at the cliff and the rocks came down. And trying to scry for the sight of Wills death didn't give her any answers, apparently she hadn't developed the ability enough yet for it to show her reliable information. She hoped that her future practice sessions weren't for this reason.All she could do then was try to follow the feel of magic and the Heart that still lingered in the air. It was harder than she thought but not as hard as scrying was.Sandpit returned from scouting ahead and mentioned he had found a large pile of rocks in a pile at the base of the cliff. And there was blood.Elyons heart dropped into her feet. Oh. They had found it. Found where her body...Elyon rode her horse closer and then dismounted when she was close enough. Her throat closed up. There was a large pile, more than enough to entomb someone and the boulders were large. Each would have broken at least one or two bones...Wrapping them in her powers Elyon slowly began to move away the rocks at the top while Raythor stood at her side on alert and in support. Sandpit was swirling around on alarm and yet kept returning to the scene. His eyes staring at the formation as well.They were just as invested as she was in this. The only reason Caleb and several others weren't here was because she needed to leave someone she trusted at the castle. Otherwise the entire rebellion and half the regular populace it seemed would be here.Will had been a fighter for them, an inspiration and a partial leader of the rebellion. They had wanted to try and recover her body as well. Elyons magic was most versatile however and would make it go faster and be a bit safer.Sandpit made a noise beside her after having checked between the rocks and she didn't know what it meant just yet. She wasn't too good at understanding what he said just yet but he was great at charades and..."There's something wrong here." Raythor said breaking Elyon from her thoughts and she gently set down the next rock before turning to him."We're trying to recover the body of one of my best friends. What could be right?" Elyon asked and Raythor nodded his head slightly in the negative."The earth guardian had a sleeve. It hasn't been long enough for her to decompose...so where's the arm?" Raythor asked and Elyon paused at that as she slowly turned to the rocks. Her eyes showered every centimeter for a sign of an arm...none.She slowly circled the pile. Still no arm. Where was her arm?"A scavenger maybe?" Elyon asked even though the thought of buzzards and vultures eating her friend felt so so wrong and made her stomach turn."There'd be bones. Some flesh." Raythor shook his head again and Elyon felt her throat closing slightly. What did this mean?"...Let's...keep moving the rocks." Elyon said slowly even as her mind whirled. Could Will be alive? Is that what Raythor was implying?She moved the rocks in silence looking for any sign of life amongst them...Finally all of them were away and Elyon stared silent and hopeful.There was no body. No body. Just some blood. A lot of blood. But...But there was no body.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Welcome back." Xin Jing was there to greet them with a polite bow when Halinor and Will managed to get back to the bedroom they had been shown to."Thank you." Halinor replied on habit as she helped Will sit back down on the bed and her hand hovered over Wills back which was leaking blood still."Oh princess...truly stubbornness runs in the family..." Xin Jing looked worried but unsurprised as she looked at Will and observed the wound. Finally after a few seconds she put her hand on the wound and it glowed a faint pink as it healed the wound and sealed it closed."Thank you." Will said gratefully as she relaxed and she felt Halinors own worry lessen at the injury being healed and her blood no longer spilling down her back."Of course. In time you will learn how to heal yourself and others." Xin Jing informed her and that...well that interested Will. She would love to be able to heal others that she cared about. Especially Halinor. She'd do anything to be able to protect and heal her bonded.The wave of affection from Halinor made Will glance at her and smile."So there's a time difference here. Roughly one minute here is about 6 on Earth...how will that factor into the training?" Halinor asked getting Xin Jings attention, the empress nodded to her and hummed."It won't bother much. While physical waking time is slower when you sleep since you are inside of the Heart and Palace then we will be able to train you in your sleep. And when sleeping time is much faster. A year of training would be done in six hours of sleep give or take a bit." Xin Jing informed them and that was unexpected. It was rather surprising but also explained how they planned to train the two without it taking years on Earth."So...this might be wildly stupid and morbid...but is there any way I'll be able to go to my funeral on Earth?" Will asked after a moment and both Halinor and Xin Jing turned to her surprised."Will why would you want to go to your own funeral?! You aren't dead and your mom knows that..." Halinor trailed off baffled by her you get bonded who grinned crookedly at her."Come on you're telling me you never wanted to know what someone would say at your funeral? Or to see if anyone aside from family would miss you? I know the girls won't, but I had other friends besides them and kinda wanna hear how the funeral goes and make sure a few of them are going to be okay. That and I want to know what my supposed death is gonna be." Will said and Halinor had to admit that she had a point. Most did wonder what others would say or think about them after they died..."I'm pretty sure Cassidy said they were using a Shark Attack cover story. And that your body was too mangled so you were going to be cremated, mostly to hide the fact that there is no body." Halinor said and Will looked baffled now."A shark attack?! Oh I know at least five people aren't going to buy that! And honestly now I really want to go. Because three of them who'll not buy it are Taranees parents and brother." Will said and Halinor was feeling the eagerness and anticipation and the oh this will be glorious."And how are you so sure they won't buy it?" Xin Jing asked curiously and Will grinned at her."I'm a swimmer. And a damn good one if I say so myself. I also swam in the ocean before and my mom got me a magnet bracelet. One that emits an electrical field to scare away sharks who get too close. Taranees older brother Peter is a surfer. So one night when I had dinner at their place I mentioned how the magnetic bracelet saved my life from a shark before and I never went to the ocean without one. Which means they'll absolutely know something's wrong with that story! And Taranees mother is a judge." Will said and Halinor felt a slow grin crawl across her face. Oh...oh that sounded like a recipe for disaster for the guardians.She definitely wanted to see that go down now too."I do not see why you could not attend this funeral service. You will need disguises however..." And Halinor absolutely felt her bondeds mischief rear its head at Xin Jings words."...So do you think the girls would freak out if they met Wills 'cousin' who's got black hair with red streaks and whose name is Nerissa?" Will asked and Halinor couldn't stop her snort of amusement if she tried. And okay so this fed her petty side. But Wills flash of fondness and agreement and amusement meant it was absolutely worth being petty."Do you think they'd react worse if they met Susans 'sister' named Trish who's 'Nerissas' mom?"

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

They had a month in Earth time before the funeral and Kadma and Cassidy were keeping them updated via Telepathy. Which meant the two knew the plan for the funeral and informed Susan of what they wanted to do. Wills mom was perfectly alright with pretending she had a niece and sister with the names Nerissa and Trish.But it being a month in Earth time meant they only had roughly 5 days in the heart awake. And 24 years of training within their sleeping minds.Which meant that technically they spent twenty four years together. Training, getting to know each other better, learning all Xin Jing and Zhenyi could teach them and what the other three dragons deemed appropriate for them to know."Good morning beloved." Halinor murmured as she and Will exchanged a gentle chaste kiss when they woke up during the day of the funeral according to Cassidy."Morning gorgeous." Will flirted immediately, the two a lot more settled into their skin and their bond after all their time together. While it would take a while for their physical bodies to catch up with what their minds and soul had gone through...well their emotional and mental links were as strong if not stronger than ever."We'd better get up and get ready. Wouldn't want to be late to your own funeral." Halinor reminded and Will snorted as she got up and stretched a bit before offering her mate a hand up. Her missing leg now having a limb of ice to support her weight and act as a limb. When they left the Heart it would be glamored as a regular metal prosthetic but there was no need to hide it here."If I am. I doubt those in the know would ever let me forget it." Will grinned and Halinor laughed as her bonded easily helped her to her feet and then bowed and kissed the back of her hand."Oh you don't have to worry about anyone else. I'd never let you live it down." Halinor giggled and Will faked a dramatic gasp."You'd do that to the love of your life?" Will asked sounding so over the top stunned that Halinor couldn't help but giggle harder."In a heartbeat beloved." Halinor managed to get out and Will pouted so adorably at her that Halinor couldn't help but lean forward and kiss her."Yuck. Morning breath." They both scrunched up their noses at the same time and then snickered at each other before they went about their morning routine and prepared for the day."Morning all." Will said as she and Halinor exited their room a few minutes later and walked towards the main council chamber."My ladies." The dragons bowed immediately and Xin Jing gave a shallow informal bow before embracing the two in a hug. Amazing of what 24 years learning from the woman and spending time with the for er empress did for bonding with her emotionally huh?"You two should be on your way soon should you not?" Xin Jing asked as they hugged her back before releasing her as she released them."Yes grandmother." Halinor said respectfully as she bowed her head towards the old spirit."We wanted to wish everyone a good morning and inform you all we were heading out for a while...and depending on how things go then the plans might start being put into action." Will said and the dragons all looked eager at this. They knew what that would mean. And honestly they were looking forward to it."Have safe travels and return safely." Xin Jing bade them and Will flicked her finger casually to open a fold to her old room at her mom's apartment. A startling contrast to how it had taken her some moments of effort and concentration before her training."We shall try." Will said and she bowed slightly in goodbye to everyone."We're going to a funeral beloved. I doubt there will be much to go wrong." Halinor said fondly and she felt Wills amusement and disbelief and you jinxed it my love in an instant."Well there will be now." Will teased as they stepped through the fold and into Wills old bedroom, where everything was packed neatly into boxes and a certain former water user was standing there waiting for them."Ready to go lovebirds?" Cassidy asked teasingly as she stood there in a black dress.Will and Halinor merely wiggled their noses and suddenly they changed. Halinor now stood at about 5'3 with brown hair streaked with grey and green eyes and she was a bit overweight as she wore a black dress. Will was a few inches taller being about 5'7 now with straight black hair and green eyes wearing a black blouse and skirt."If I hadn't seen you two glamour right before my eyes I would have thought I was in a nightmare." Cassidy said flatly to the two and Will smirked a familiar half haunting smirk at her."I bet you five bucks Elyon or the former guardians will rush to get to Nerissa jewel prison to see if she's free." Wills voice was even different, being a bit lower and smoother."No bet." The two others said as they made to leave the room."You're here just in time. We're supposed to leave in a few minutes for the services and wake." Susan Vandom in a black blouse and skirt said upon seeing them exit the room."Looks like you will be on time for your own funeral Nerissa." Halinor teased a bit with a grin towards Will who gave her a playful nudge."Hush Trish. Is everyone able to play their parts as the grieving family and friends?" Will asked and Susan rolled her eyes and then crossed her arms in a familiar move."Of course we can. Do you think you can play the part of her teenage cousin without giving something away?" Susan asked right back and Will shot her an urchin grin."Aw but mom...I'm supposed to slip up. After all we can't let them think they got off Scott free now can we?" Will asked and her eyes glinted darkly before Halinor touched her arm gently."Honestly I think you two will forget you're supposed to be playing the part of a mom and her kid." Cassidy said and yeah she knew the drama and all was about to start. But seriously? As someone who was murdered by a friend she trusted and then brought back to life?She was one thousand percent on Wills side in a bit of petty revenge."Just wait until they realize you're enrolling in their school in a few weeks. Especially when they meet your soul bound who'll be enrolling as well." Halinor smirked at her bonded who cackled a bit at that and Cassidy tried not to flinch."Jeez talk about flashbacks." Cassidy shook her head and Will immediately stopped and looked apologetic."Sorry about that Cass." Will said and Cassidy waved it off easily but her hands trembled a little bit."Time to go ladies. Get your game faces on. I want these four bitches to be sweating their asses off before the end of the service!" Susan clapped her hands to get them back on track."I bet five bucks that Cornelia will be the one demanding to know who I am!""No bet there. Ten dollars Irma says something inappropriate and gets yelled at.""If one of them says something inappropriate today then I will absolutely be doing the yelling.""Queen Elyon will be there right? I bet five dollars that she'll notice something wrong first.""Love she's the heart of Meridian just as I am the heart of Kandrakar. She'll absolutely sense our powers and notice we aren't normal.""Oh good point. I bet Yannie notices as well then and gets suspicious.""Honestly I'm a bit surprised she isn't already suspicious.""She doesn't want to believe the last can repeat itself...and to a worse degree. Honestly I can't blame her.""Valid point.""Move it ladies! I'm not being late to my daughters service and the shit show entertainment that'll happen.""Yes mom/ma'am."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

As soon as they walked into the funeral home Will was surprised. Most of her teachers and what must be a solid third of the students of Sheffield were here.Halinor sent her a mental nudge of affection and assurance. They'd learn the truth soon.Will looked up at a noise from Yan-lin and saw the old woman looking at her as if she were a ghost. Kadma looked similarly surprised but it was the younger guardians who looked rather comically shocked or worried.Elyons head had whipped around to stare at her and Will knew the little queen would be confronting her discreetly later."Ms. Vandom..." Cornelia had already made her way over while Will kept taking notice of who was here. The entire swim team, her coach, some of her friends from Fadden had arrived, Cassidy was making her way over to her mom...Wills eyes met Peter Cooks as he approached her mother with his parents. Officer Lair was with his son and wife and were coming closer. Yan Lins son and daughter in law were beside her worrying over how pale she was. Even Cornelias parents and sister showed up. As did Caleb and a few people she were sure were rebels from Meridian in disguise. Even her dad's fiance Serena was hovering near the back of the room. No sign of her dad though although that didn't really surprise Will."This is my sister Trish. And her daughter Nerissa. She and Will were like two peas in a pod growing up." Her mom was saying and Will payed attention again as she saw the Guardians eyeing her."You must have been Wills friends...she was happy to make more friends here. Especially so fast." Will said softly and the girls were looking downright hostile as they stared at her."She never said she had a cousin." Taranees said and was that...jealousy? Curious."We had a falling out a while ago. She didn't like a boy I was flirting with and it blew up...now....now I wished I listened to her and we made up." Will said and she felt Halinors hand on her shoulder in support."I'm sorry for your loss." Judge Cook said sympathetically as she offered the girl a hug and Will accepted it. So did Halinor and Susan."It still doesn't make sense. Will was a damn good swimmer." Peter Cook grumbled and Will looked at him confused now."How does being a good swimmer have to do with how she died?" Will asked genuinely curious as to what he would say."Girl went swimming in the ocean all the time and never seemed to mind sharks before. Doesn't make sense why she'd panic so much about one that her body got as badly damaged as it must be to cremate her." Peter said and Will...Will fought back a grin and fixed a baffled look on her face."Shark attack? And mangled? But most shark attacks end with just a limb missing or the body having a chunk torn out but still recognizable and able to be buried not cremated. And what about her magnets? If she ever went near the ocean she wore those things. They should have deterred the sharks a bit right?" Will asked and Peter nodded his head while his parents looked as if they were realizing something wasn't adding up as well. The Guardians looked nervous and a bit scared."And even then the only ocean nearby is over at the beach. I didn't realize shark attacks were so common around here." Halinor added and she saw something click on in Judge Cooks eyes at that."They aren't. I'd never let Peter go surfing if they were that much of an issue. Usually there's only one or two shark attacks a year. And almost never fatal." Judge Cook said slowly as she glanced at her son and then over at the urn that 'held Wills remains'. Will actually kind of wanted to know what was really in the urn."That's just like Wills luck. She always did say that one day she'd trip by the road and manage to not get hit by a car but get smacked by an airplane instead." Will said dryly and honestly that did sound like her luck. She moved to New Town, makes friends, gets powers and fights in wars and battles to save other worlds, finds her bonded and ends up being betrayed by her friends and only survives due to a fucking long shot chance."That sounds like something she would have said. I'm sorry for your loss. My name is Elyon and Will was a dear friend of mine." Elyon said softly and Will...Will removed the glamour over one eye to show the natural amber color and winked at her, then the glamour was reapplied as Elyons eyes narrowed on her."Nerissa, Wills cousin. She told me about you. Said you had a heart way too big but had some issues with friends?" Will asked offering her hand and Elyon grasped it firmly."Indeed. I wish I could say Will told me about you." Elyon said and there was a noise that attracted their attention."Is that...Angelo Vanders? He was Wills best friend in Fadden before their falling out?" Will asked looking over and seeing Angelo and Cassidy talking rapidly but lowly. Kadma was behind Cassidy trying desperately not to laugh it seemed. Looking up at them at Halinors mental question of if everything was okay Kadma made her way over."I apologize about their disruption but...it looks like Cassidy found her soul bounded." Kadma said apologetically to Susan who gave a small snort."I swear her luck is just like Wills...but I'm happy for her. I know Will would have been happy too. Angelo...he's a good kid and he'd be good for Cassidy." Susan said softly and then suddenly Serena was there offering a hug and the guardians left awkwardly and Knickerbocker was there trying to keep up a brave face but she was already dabbing at tears with a tissue.And before they knew it, it was time for the service to start. And it was a simple but pretty good affair...and then came the time for the memorial and the stories and talking.And Susan went up first."Now...now I'm never going to recover from this loss...the betrayal...I was never supposed to outlive her. No parent should ever outlive their child...but..." Susan did wipe her tears away and put on a smile."I knew my daughter. And I know what she would want. She wouldn't want us all crying and sad. She'd want us to remember the good and the funny times more. She'd probably go first with an embarrassing story of her own. Probably involving one of her partners in crime. Hey Angelo did your uncles ceiling ever lose the scorch mark from you two trying to cook breakfast on your own?" Susan asked and Will. She snorted as Angelo gave a startled and betrayed squawk while half the guests snorted and snickered and the other half smiled."So come on. Dry those eyes...Will wouldn't want anyone to be sad or crying. She'd want you smiling or laughing and telling the funny stories. The stories that stick out to you the most! So get up here people! Let's remember the good times. I don't want to focus on the sad."Oh...oh was her mom clever and Will honestly was both looking forward to this and not because she may have mentally outgrown all the embarrassment and stuff during her sleep training...but well...Now there'd be a bunch of embarrassing stories told in front of her soul bonded. Halinors eager giddiness hit her and Will shot her a betrayed look.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"So I know everyone wants to start off with a funny story or perhaps a touching one...but...there is one story of Ms. Vandom that really stood out to me and always will." Knickerbocker was the first to the podium after Susan told an embarrassing story of Will trying to bake her a cake for mother's day but used water instead of milk.She also threw 'Nerissa' under the bus for that too to explain why she looked so embarrassed. Halinor was happy to play along like she knew this and was there."I do have permission from the other student involved to tell this story and it happened only two months before that fateful day..." Knickerbocker trailed off and she...if Will was reading her right she absolutely didn't buy the shark story either. That was interesting to note and she'd absolutely be talking with he principal later."Ms. Vandom was in detention with me. I couldn't tell you the reason why now, honestly it was probably something minor. But she was in after school detention and we didn't know there was anyone else in detention. I was the only one slated for detention that day. But apparently another teacher had put a student in an unauthorized detention a few rooms down." Knickerbocker said and she sobered up and was serious as she looked down."As soon as we heard the first cry for help and shout we both were alarmed...Ms. Vandom had already gotten up and to the door before I even rose from my chair fully. And she was out the door and running down the hall towards the yells and crying out before I got out the doorway." Knickerbocker chuckled a bit solemnly at that and the Guardians former and current all tried to not snort. There was no way Knickerbocker would keep up with an energetic guardian, especially not at her age."By the time I got to the door Ms. Vandom was already wiggling the handle and I mentioned that I left the skeleton key in my office. She told me there was no time. And for someone so small she is strong. She reared back and kicked down the locked door. Clean off of the hinges and doorframe." Ms. Knickerbocker said and she chuckled at all the noises of amusement or disbelief."That's why the door to the 9th grade English class was broken off of the hinges?" The swim coach asked and Knickerbocker nodded to him."I'm not surprised. That girls legs were fucking sculpted!" Jeanna from Swim Team called and there were definite noises of agreement at that."She kicked the door clean down and we saw a teacher assaulting a student. I don't think I even had a chance to open my mouth before Ms. Vandom got in the room and was yanking the teacher away from the student. I swear it seemed like she tossed him a clear foot despite the height and weight difference." Ms. Knickerbocker said and one of the football guys snorted."I'm not surprised. She picked up one of our dumbbells once when it had weight on it! She deadlifted 200 with one hand!" That was Sam actually huh she wondered what he was doing here...they spoke maybe twice."And then what struck me was how Ms. Vandom stayed there. Beside the student and hovered protectively. She stayed there guarding that student both until the police got there and then after when the teacher was being taken away." Knickerbocker said and that earned nods from about three quarters of the attendees."When the teacher was being arrested they tried saying that they and the student were soul bound. That it was okay because they were soul bound and there was an age difference. Ms. Vandom went off. She practically exploded on the teacher. Said she had a soul bound who was older than her who she met already and how her soul bound would never act or behave that way towards her. Because that's not how real soul bonded acted." Ms. Knickerbocker said and there was a damn roar at that."She met her soul bond?!" Angelo asked surprised and the guardians, Susan, and disguised Council members who were in attendance all nodded."She did. The teacher tried a last lunge for the student however. However that was a massive mistake. Because Ms. Vandom had put that student under her protection and she was standing right there. That teacher got taken away with a shattered jaw and broken hand." Ms. Knickerbocker said and Tom Lair let out a noise."I remember hearing about that! Jackson said he understood why I didn't mind Irma hanging out with the girls at all hours if Will was there with how strong and protective she was! Think he was going to try and recruit her out of highschool!" Tom Lair called earning snickers and snorts."Indeed. But that's...that will always be what I remember first when it comes to Ms. Vandom. That she was strong and kind and so very protective. She...she was a guardian. A protector." Knickerbocker finished with a sad smile as she looked at the urn that was pink with little frogs on it."And she will be greatly missed." Knickerbocker said softly and then she left the podium back to the chairs.Angelo was the next one up at the podium and Will groaned a bit. He had so so many embarrassing childhood stories of her."Hey all. So my name is Angelo. I was Wills closest friend in Fadden Hills until there was a falling out over a prank gone wrong. Now when Ms. Knickerbocker says Wills protective and strong, she has no idea." Angelo said and he smiled sadly and fondly."I couldn't tell you when I first met Will, we were both babies and her mom was friends with my parents and uncle since they were teenagers. But the first thing I remember of Will? Was when we were tiny and in kindergarten. I saw this small girl with red hair and a pink frog backpack getting picked on by three bigger boys and I started moving forward cause that was my best friend damnit. Now let me make this clear. I wasn't moving forward to help Will. I was moving forward to help those boys." Angelo said and he was grinning as there were confused looks now."Cause damn if she didn't swing a fist the second one of them touched her backpack. And I was only halfway there. And that tiny girl was kicking the asses of those three boys, and she was a biter too! And note that's what she did to boys picking on her. When a few weeks later one boy pushed me...I don't know where she came from or how she got there so fast. But she was on that boy in seconds and he needed stitches and had a tooth knocked out. So hearing she kept protecting people even after she moved here? Yeah I'm not surprised!" Angelo said and Will had honestly forgotten about all her scraps and fights that long ago."Now I believe aunt Susan said something about funny stories so we're all laughing and smiling? So who wants to hear about the time Will tried to catch a frog and smuggle it into her apartment?"

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

While the rest of the attendees were snickering or laughing at the stories being told, some with tears in their eyes, a few weren't.Will was observing everyone else, Halinor was giggling but keeping an eye on the guardians, Elyon was smiling slightly but she kept looking at 'Nerissa' and 'Trish' and the former guardians were smiling slightly as they also discreetly kept their eyes open.The most interesting reactions Will noticed were the four guardians. Cornelia looked annoyed through the entire thing, Irma looked like the guilt was eating her alive even as she sat curled under Matt's arm, Hay-lin was looking a bit guilty but mostly bored and distant as if her kids wasn't completely here, and Taranees looked jealous and upset with every story told that didn't involve her.What an interesting array of emotions and responses for Will to pick apart and use against them.Finally though the main part of the service wound down and people started getting up to leave or stretch their legs and socialize for a bit.Looking at Halinor, Will quirked a small slight smile and glanced at the door then over at the Guardians and Elyon. Halinor gave a small roll of her eyes for show but Will felt her amusement and eagerness for the real fun to start.
'Have fun and don't destroy them too soon beloved. Love you.'

'Of course my love, can't let our fun and revenge so soon. Love you too.'
With the mental exchange done but their minds still half melded as usual Will got up and excused herself to get some air on the little side porch. She knew without even looking or asking Halinor that the guardians were watching her go but Elyon was the only one of them to wait a moment before following her."Who are you really?" Elyon wasted no time in asking Will as soon as they were on the porch, a simple raise of the eyebrow was all Will needed to block their conversation from prying ears...wait...hold on. Someone else was hovering just outside the door and it wasn't one of Elyons guards...Will smirked a bit as she let that person listen in on the conversation."What makes you think that I'm not who I say I am?" Will asked and Elyon gave her a flat look."You mentioned the Heart. Me being the Heart of Meridian specifically. And I saw your eye turn to amber and then back to green in less than ten seconds. That's not normal and there's no way in hell Will would have told anyone about that, especially not someone she hadn't had a good relationship with recently." Elyon said and Will shot her a smirk."Would you believe if I said I read her diary?" Will asked playfully and Elyon looked at her in disbelief."There is no way Will wrote that in her diary especially without it being encoded or hidden." Elyon said flatly and Will shrugged."It was worth a shot.""So who are you and why are you pretending to be Wills cousin? If need be I will take you down, and if you think I can't then don't forget I have the guardians here as backup." Elyon said taking a threatening step forward."Easy there lil Queenie. I'm no threat to you, or Meridian. Not if you don't make me be. Probably shouldn't go around advertising the guardians are nearby though. Makes it easy to find out who they are and track em down. Good thing I already knew huh?" Will asked and Elyon stared her down."Only one person called me Lil Queenie and has permission to do it. Now who are you and why do you give off the aura of a Heart?" Elyon demanded and Will snickered."Aww. Way to make a girl feel special lil Queenie. Although I have to burst your bubble. I've got a soul bond, the words are red, and I'd never hurt my lovely flame. I might be the Heart of a World but she owns my entire Heart and soul." Will said grinning and then she glanced up at the door."Eavesdropping Principal Knickerbocker? Here I thought you left that to your students?" Will called and Elyon stiffened as Knickerbocker stepped out from behind the cracked open door and onto the small porch."Honestly Elyon. You haven't thought to put up silence wards or dampeners yet? It's a wonder the guardians haven't used Hay-lin s enhanced hearing or Taranees mind reading to try and figure out what's going on." Will chided playfully as she wagged a finger at Elyon, causing the sound barrier she had set up to flash into view for a seconds. It was a very distinct pink mixed with gold."Who. Are. You?" Elyon hissed at her thoroughly fed up now and glaring and Will laughed. She let her hair and eyes drop the glamour for a few seconds and she saw their eyes widen and then she let her distinctive pink sparks and lightning run through her hair and down her arm to spark in her hand for a bit.As quickly as she started she stopped and she grinned at the two stunned and gaping women."You didn't really think I'd die that easily did you?"

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Ms...Vandom?" Knickerbocker asked slowly in shock as she stared at Will who shrugged and waved a hand over her face, removing her glamours again for a moment to let them get a good look before waving her hand back over her face and reapplying it."This...this explains why your body couldn't be found...and why I couldn't scry the scene of your death or where your corpse was." Elyon said slowly as she blinked at the red head who grinned at her."Shhhh. This will be our little secret." Will said putting a finger on front of her lips as she grinned at them."But...what about Halinor? And why are you hiding this from the girls? Your mother? The formers?" Elyon asked rapidly now and she didn't look happy. Will just laughed at her ire."Chill a lil there Queenie. Halinor is okay. I pulled through our bond to bring her to me as soon as I regained coherency. She's in there right now enjoying hearing all the stupid embarrassing stories about me. My mom knows too. Halinor and I went to tell her last month, a day or two after my death by my math. Kadma and Cassidy know as well, they were there when I went to my mom. Yan-lin doesn't and I don't want to let her know right now. As for why I'm hiding it..." Will trailed off and her eyes darkened as power crackled around her for a few seconds. Her grin twisting into a scowl."I don't appreciate betrayal. And the murder attempt from my so called friends." Will said coldly and the sudden change in mood startled the two but Knickerbocker stepped forward and had her eyes narrowed on the red head."The other four. They were the ones who reported your death...they...tried to kill you." Knickerbocker said and she didn't want to believe it, she reluctantly spoke the words, but she wasn't uncertain."Ding ding! We have a winner! Ironic isn't it? Fifty odd years ago Nerissa betrayed the other four and killed Cassidy. And now her replacement, her successor, was betrayed by the other four and almost died! Almost enough to be put in a drama isn't it?" Will asked and she was grinning again while Elyon winced."And the reason you are radiating power and the feeling of a Heart. The Heart of Kandrakar merged with you. That's why the Oracle couldn't summon it and how you survived?" Elyon asked and Will made a so-so motion with her hand."Eh I'd say half the reason I survived. The other was due to a really slim one in a million chance. Let's just say my family history apparently is entwined with the Heart of Kandrakar and leave it at that for now. We don't have long before someone will come looking for one of us." Will said glancing at the door and Halinor was telling her that the Guardians were getting antsy and were trying to politely get to the door to her."You owe me that story later." Elyon seemed to agree with that and her eyes were narrowed and dark but she quickly hid that behind a neutral mask. One she had learned and quickly perfected as a queen of a planet."Agreed. Although I am glad that you're alive Ms. Vandom." Knickerbocker said sternly but she smiled kindly and Will shot her a grin."You aren't getting rid of me that easily teach. 'Nerissa' and her bonded 'Mina' will be enrolling in Sheffield soon. Dear auntie needed someone around to help with the grief and someone to fuss over. Who better than her sweet but delinquent niece and her soul bonded?" Will offered and Knickerbocker shook her head in disbelief and slight amusement. Of course the girl would come up with something like that."And trust me. Things will get interesting soon. And I have some ideas if you two decide to help me out. If you want to remain neutral then I'll respect that. Just slip me a note at school or something." Will said and then before they could say anything Will snapped her fingers to disperse the sound barrier just as the door opened."Nerissa!" The four current guardians, Kadma and Yan-Lin came out the door fast.And they looked hostile. Even as Trish started walking to the door as well.Showtime.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Can I help you?" Will asked raising an eyebrow at them as she got back into her character as 'Nerissa' in an instant.The four current guardians were visibly surprised to see her apparently just relaxing and talking with Elyon and Knickerbocker. Yan-lins eyes were narrowed and Kadma had her stern queen mask on, to keep from laughing according to Halinor."Nerissa were you out here smoking again?" 'Trish' asked looking scolding and annoyed at the same time."No. I just needed some air. It's kinda full in there." 'Nerissa' said nodding back to the doorway where a few of the guests, primarily Matt and some of his friends, were hanging around curiously."You okay Elyon?" Cornelia asked her best friend worried although her eyes never left Nerissa who wasn't paying them any attention as she checked something on her phone."I'm fine. Just wanted to talk to Wills cousin." Elyon said and she looked at them.'Are you okay? Did she try to hurt you?' the mental query was meant just for Elyon but anyone with any mind training, such as Halinor, could easily pick up on it.'No she didn't. She's different from the Nerissa we know. She feels powerful but not twisted.' Elyon responded back in an instant. Until she had more information and proof of everything she was going to stay neutral. Which meant keeping the girls from attacking 'Nerissa'...which honestly meant she was protecting the girls more than she was 'Nerissa'. She had no doubts 'Nerissa' and 'Trish' wouldn't fight back hard."She mentioned that she was moving here soon?" Knickerbocker was looking at 'Trish' now as she asked that and the girls paid utmost attention. This was setting off alarm bells in their heads."Yes. I'm worried about Susan so Nerissa and her soul bound will be moving in with her and transferring her to keep an eye on her." 'Trish' said and Knickerbocker looked understanding about it."I'll make sure to have the paperwork ready on Monday. As long as she doesn't destroy my school." Knickerbocker said giving 'Nerissa' a stern look and 'Nerissa' grinned at her."Look no matter what Mina says that science lab being gassed out wasn't my fault! If Sarah hadn't put some of the Sulfate then it would have been fine!" 'Nerissa' said and 'Trish' sighed but smiled."Mina?" Taranee asked and she seemed fixated on that name for some reason."My soul bond." 'Nerissa' said and the girls were exchanging looks."Considering that Mr. Olsen barely waited until Ms. Vandoms death was finished announcing before dating Ms. Lair...please don't blow up my school." Knickerbocker said and 'Nerissas' eyes narrowed a bit at that as she looked at Matt who was being glared at by some of the other students, and then at Irma who looked sheepish and a bit guilty."Quick turnaround huh. Suspicious that." 'Nerissa' said coldly and oh she might now know why Irma went along with killing her."Will had a soul bound and didn't tell us so-" Irma tried to defend herself and 'Nerissa' and 'Trish' both looked at her."Do you know if her words were red or blue? Was her soul bond romantic or platonic? Because I know what color her words were. And Rissy told me that Will met her soul bond months ago." 'Trish' asked coldly, oh Halinor was furious that the girl would try to use her and Wills bond to justify possibly cheating on the red head."They..." The girls looked nervous and guilty now as they looked at each other."Due to the age difference Will and Halinor were going to make it a platonic family bond." Kadma said coldly as she glared at the younger girls, daring them to say anything about Halinor.They were not dumb enough to risk that. Especially not with the stern gaze Yan-Lin was giving them and the heaviness of the air around them had them glancing back and seeing Cassidy giving them a slightly glowing blue eyed glare."Halinor? Our Halinor?" Knickerbocker was actually surprised at that as she stared at Kadma."Yeah. She and Will were soulmates." Kadma agreed and Knickerbocker raised an eyebrow at the guardians."Halinor was in school with Kadma, Yan-lin and I. I really doubt she would allow a romantic bond between herself and Will to form." Knickerbocker said dryly to the girls who winced at that and wouldn't look anyone in they eyes now.'Well I wouldn't let it go to certain lengths with our age differences. So not technically wrong.' Halinor thought to her mate who sent her a wave of reassurance and love and affection.
'But that will change soon. And I'll be closer to your age.'

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Everything ready my love?" Halinor asked brushing her hair as the two got ready to start their schooling in Sheffield. It was strange now, looking in a mirror and seeing her younger self looking back. To see and feel her skin being smooth and firm as it had been in her younger years...and to struggle with her curly hair once more."Filled out all the paperwork and let Principal Knickerbocker know that we're gonna be playing mind games yesterday, and set up our room at moms apartment." Will answered from where she was organizing their bags to be ready to be grabbed. Not that they'd actually use them mostly. Sure Will and Halinor would be attending school and all but...honestly finishing Wills education and updating Halinors was a footnote in their true plans."Mmmm. So that's what you were off doing." Halinor teased with a smile as she finally finished wrangling her hair to be more manageable."Well since they banned me from the room after you drank from the spring... I needed to do something productive." Will came over now and wrapped her arms around her soulmate who held her back, her chin resting on top of the smaller girls head while Will slotted into her easily.The two still had their bodies starting to catch up to their mind and souls from all their sleep training. Grandmother, as they both called Xin Jing now, had told them that it would take a minimum of a year in Earth time for their bodies to finish aging and then pause as it waited for their physical ages to catch up.Naturally that would have been a bit not good for Halinor due to her older age, but Panshen had lead them to the spring of youth that he had made once with Xin Jing as a dare. He had thought it hilarious to watch some humans go nuts trying to find it and prove it was real. A small sip from the springs waters had knocked Halinor out as her body began to youthen. Panshen and Zhenyi had stood guard over her as her body adjusted while the others insisted on Will being productive instead of fretting.So now here was Halinor with the body of a sixteen year old who would soon have the body of a twenty four year old despite their mental ages being closer to forty. And she was glad for her returned youth, it made her feel much less worried and wary of her soul bond. The main reason they had originally wanted it to be familial was because of the age difference after all...and since that was negated now..."And so now...it is time for games and school." Halinor said grinning into Wills hair as the two held each other for a long moment."Indeed. We should glamour before we leave...and we'll need to spend much of our time on Earth now." Will said sighing, she knew she'd miss this place. It had been home for them for the last two dozen years it seemed. She felt a similar wave of worry and homesickness and then suddenly an idea."...what do you think about us restoring the Hidden Palace on Meridian?" Halinor asked and Will blinked and then her affection and amusement sang through their bond."A fabulous idea my love. It won't be quite the same but....it'll be alright. As long as you're by my side." The affection and love was redoubled."Always." The solemn promise in those words. The two smiled softly at each other, minds melded and millions of words and plans for the future after justice was finished being served racing through their minds."As soon as we legally turn eighteen." Will promised softly and she spoke of the true starting point of their plans. The incident that would be the gunshot to start the race."I am fine with waiting that long. I've waited decades for you to be born, I can wait a year longer for our official marriage." Halinor assured and she kissed Wills head before the two in synch took a single step away from each other."It's time for us to get to Earth...and we can always come back and visit." Will said glancing around their room and she already felt homesick for this place. Even if it was a frozen in time pocket dimension held inside of her jewel."And we shall." Halinor assured and Will felt amusement, she knew her beloved enjoyed talking with and learning more about history with the spirits inside the Jewel...and enjoyed raiding the library even if it took her months of learning in the dreams for her to understand the language.With a wiggle of Wills nose her appearance changed, Halinor changing as well a mere second later.Instead of Will wearing the disguise of Nerissa however, Halinor was. Now Wills disguise was a bit different but not at the same time.She was a little shorter, right around five feet tall, and her eyes were blue like Cassidy's. Her skin was a shade or two paler and her hair got a shade or so darker until it resembled blood. It also went down to her mid back.In place of Halinor and Will were now Nerissa Tom, Susans Niece from her sister Trish, and her soulmate Mina Leto.And they were about to start their games.