Disclaimer: Does not own WITCH
A/N: Yet another thing I'm working on. I rewrite mostly to improve the spelling and grammar of my first fic Girls and Guardians. Which when I looked back on I saw how bad it was when it came to those. Things are slightly rewritten and, one character has been renamed. As to avoid confusion between Tara and Taranee that was in the original.
Girls and Guardians Retold
Chapter 1 – Past and Present
"PLEASE!" Exclaimed the desperate voice of Will's astral drop. A sorrowful expression that Will had seen so many times, in her own mirror, and worn many more times on top of that. "Well when you put it that way." Irma said jumping to the aid of the girl. She felt sorry for her and the other astral drops. "It means we will have to work things out some other way." Hay Lin said her voice also touched by apologetic tinge. "Yeah well we'll figure it out when the time comes." Cornelia spoke trying to hide the fear of what being without the astral drops could really mean.
"Then we all agree." Will stated instead of asking but received a "Yes we do." from Hay Lin anyway, while Irma muttered something about them regretting the decision later. "On everyone's behalf I'd like to say sorry. We acted without thinking." Will pause momentarily unsure of what to say next "But it was never our intention to hurt you guys in anyway." again another pause as Will got ready to say something. Something that she could one day regret like Irma had said. It was going to make life so much harder for her and the other guardians. "We release you from all bonds." Will said finally ending the pause. It achieved cheers and laugher from the astral drops, glad to finally be free.
Having remained silent for most of the exchange, The Oracle finally spoke. "And to remind you of this." The Oracle said smiling, happy to see the guardians notice the errors of their actions. Raising a hand, magic flowed from the man's fingers. It brushed against them, touching each of the astral girls' shoulders in turn. Magic symbols formed where the weaves of The Oracle's magic touched, and looked at them with amazement and awe. Then The Oracle started to speak.
"When the time has come to return, those symbols will light up. Only then will you make a final decision. Now go, you will have new lives and new appearances to help you, while you're out in the world. You will no longer hear any talk of guardians and no one will come looking for you. This is the vow of Kandrakar."
As The Oracle spoke he raised his arms into the air again. Magic started to swirl around the astral drops, and then they vanished. They would have lives of their own and only he knew where. The Oracle spoke with the guardians a little longer, before sending them on their way home.
"Tibor, please fetch me, the Herald of Lasen. Skyshade is his name if I remember correctly. I have a job for him." The Oracle instructed. The Oracle to some extent felt shame, not only had he just broken one of the laws of Kandrakar by giving the astral drops lives to step until. But he had also lied while doing so. They would hear of Guardians again, and they would be followed, watched over for their own protection.
-
"Where are we?" The astral drop formerly known as Cornelia asked. Before any of her friends could answer however, a voice spoke from the darkness that the five seemed to be falling through. "Girls, astral drops no more. Choose for yourselves a name to take into your new lives. Speak it aloud then your new lives will begin."
The five girls were still shaken by the darkness and the events that had just transpired in Kandrakar. At first they had been unable to think of a response, however eventually it came to them and the each spoke in turn. The darkness faded and their new lives begun, however in the darkness the names continued to echo.
Kate, Sarah, Ressa, Angelina, Pao Chai.
-
[A Few Years Later]
"Hurry up Hay Lin. We're running late. The others are at Rebecca's already." Irma shouted, knocking on the bathroom door to try and speed up her friend. A few minutes later Hay Lin burst through the bathroom door. The pair quickly rushed out of the silver dragon.
After getting a couple roads away the pair ran down an alley, and teleported themselves over to Orube's old house in order to meet the others. Irma wondered what could be so important for the oracle to call them. It had actually been a few months since he had needed to do so.
"Nice for you two to show up." Cornelia moaned as Irma and Hay Lin appeared. "Oh shut up, we got held up." Irma snapped back. "Can we just go." Taranee said looking over to Will. "Sure." Will replied pulling forth the heart of Kandrakar and sending them in a flash of light.
-
[Meanwhile In Midgale]
Four girls, close friends stood among many others on the dance floor. Listening to the band, who were currently preforming. The music wasn't the greatest in the world; it was okay but by no means amazing. The real reason for their attendance wasn't due to the quality of the music, but in order to show their support. The band was made up by friends, and they wanted to be there for them. The night continued on and the band performance ended, and soon the four girls found themselves in one of the back rooms with their friends.
Chatting aimlessly as the band packed away instruments, none of them noticed that one of the members had slipped away from the gathering. None of them had noticed the sad and yet also angry expression he had on his face. None of them had seen him hide the ring on his hand glow briefly as he slid it into a pocket in order to keep it out of sight. Tears threatening to fall from his eyes.
-
[In Kandrakar]
The guardians appeared in surge of pink light. Each wearing annoyed expressions on their faces. The lateness of the oracle telepathic call had forced them to all find reason to slip away from other obligations in order to meet up at the home that had once been owned by their old math's teacher.
"I wonder what the oracle wants with us so late." Hay Lin mused to herself. "I bet he wants some young beautiful company for once." Irma joked with a grin, having overheard her friend. "Try and be serious Irma, I'm too tired to put up with your jokes today." Cornelia snapped, causing nothing more to be said between them as the approached the oracle.
"I apologise for summoning you so late guardians, but do you mind waiting just a bit. We are still waiting for someone else to arrive." The oracle said floating above them crossed legged as if he had been meditating. Irma was about to reply, to ask what was going on, and who they were waiting for, when one of the doors to the room slammed open.
A very mad looking man stormed in. Surprisingly wearing earthen clothes and not robes like the rest of the council of Kandrakar normally wore. He rushed straight passed the guardians, not paying any attention to any them and stood directly in front of the oracle. "I won't let you do this. They are not ready. They have only just started to truly forget this place, and their other painful feelings." The man shouted enraged waving a finger in front of the oracles face.
The few other members of the council in the room looked down at the man with displeasure and shock at the way he acted towards the oracle. While the guardians took up offensive stances in case the man turned violent. The oracle calmly ignored the shouting and spoke to the guardians. "Guardians may introduce one of Kandrakar's heralds. This is Skyshade, from a world known as Lasen. He has been protecting something on earth for me."
The herald tried to continue shouting, finding he was unable to. "Please do not judge him by his outburst. He has grown accustomed to human life, and has become attached to that which I sent him to earth to protect." The oracle explained still ignoring the mad attempts that Skyshade made to shout. The guardian relaxed the readiness to fight, and waited for the oracle to continue explaining, wishing the man would stop trying to scream. Watching him try while no sound escaped his mouth, was a slightly unnerving thing to watch.
"Herald. I will return your power to speak, if you agree to calm yourself and explain what you have been protecting. And the reason you will no longer need to do so." The oracle ordered, and waited for the attempts to shout and waving arms to stop. Skyshade nodded in agreement still looking slightly sour, and the oracle nodded back to tell him that he could now speak again. Skyshade turned to the guardians, taking a couple breath to calm himself, before starting to explain as the oracle had asked even though he didn't really want to do so.
"My name is Skyshade Darker. You may call me that or Jonathan as it is the name I have used for some time. A few years back, the oracle asked me to protect and watch over a group of people on earth. Watching them to see that forget magic, and the resentments of it they held fade away. So when it was revealed to them once more, the painful events of the past and their malice toward them not cloud their judgement.
However the time for the revelation is apparently at hand. While the memories have faded the malice however has not completely died away. They still occasionally dream of it, and none of them like things that portray magic in a good light. They are your astral drops, and they will become the target of evil because of their connection to you.
Magic is going to be forced upon them again, and they will gain powers they do not desire. Events I am sure will cause them heartache. Heartache I wish to prevent them as I have grown to be their friend."
The guardians had started to realize the direction of Skyshade's words before he had finished. Hay Lin found herself tearful at the memory of pain she had caused another. Taranee was shocked that their old astral drops were apparently still important. Will however wanted to demand a more detailed explanation, but figured that the oracle would not if his track record was anything to go by. Cornelia however had no idea how to react. While Irma… "Well at least no big bad evil guys after us for once." She said … Was just Irma.
"Oracle, I don't understand. You promised our astral drops a magic free life." Will recalled, she felt bad for the way they had treated them, and had hoped that they had happy lives now. "That is indeed true. However I also told them that they would be called, and then they would have to make a decision." The oracle answered in return. "You told me that they would be allowed to fully forget their pain. This will only bring it back to them." Skyshade added, trying his hardest not to lose his calm again. "Yes the memories. Not necessarily the pain." The oracle tried to reassure.
Before anyone else could say anything, the oracle waved a hand through the air in order to cut them off. Briefly he looked up towards the sky. "Something is wrong, they are in trouble. Herald, Guardians go they require your protection." The oracle said to them all. "Where are they we can't protect them if we don't know where they are?" Taranee pointed out. "Skyshade will take you." The oracle answered. Each of the guardians looked over to him expectantly. "Gather round and hold on." Skyshade ordered, the guardians grouped up around him. Skyshade lifted his hand, the silver ring on his hand glowed bright white, and enveloped them all.
-
[Back in Midgale]
"Kate?" A slender young woman, with short blond hair, said in order to get her friends attention. Kate, a shorter redhead, stood leaning against a wall while absent-mindedly tapping her foot on the floor. "Kate?" The blond said again, putting a hand on her shoulder to get her attention. "Wah? Angelina?" Kate replied after having knocked the hand off her shoulder, before she had realised who it was. "Snap out of it. The guys have already left, and the girls are waiting for us outside." Angelina told her.
"Sorry Angel, I was day dreaming." Kate apologised. "I didn't even help clean up." Kate added, looking sorry. "Don't worry about it. You guys did great by the way." Angelina said as Kate quickly grabbed her bag and drumsticks of one of the tables, while Angelina put the last of the rubbish in the bin. "Thanks Angel." Kate said as the pair left the back room and met with the others out front.
"What took you two?" A small girl with extremely long purplish black hair asked. "Bet you they were talking about Nick and Jon. Watch out world, Kate and Angel have found boys!" exclaimed the brunette of the five. "Shut it Sarah." Angelina snapped, knocking the brunette gently round the back of the head.
The last of the group, had been about to tell Angelina and Sarah to cut it out when a prickling sensation flared up in her shoulder. She looked at the other and each of them also appeared to suddenly be holding one of their shoulders. "Do you fe-." She was about to ask just to confirm the strange event, when an explosion ripped apart the roof of the building next to them, drowning out her words. Rubble was thrown in all directions, and some started to fall towards them. Each of the girls tried to run away from the falling debris, fearing for their lives.
-
[Minutes Ago]
A brief burst of light appeared on one of the flat roofs of the Midgale street. Fading away it left, the guardians and Skyshade found themselves slightly disoriented by the trip back to earth. Will was effect worse than the other, taken by a dizzy spell. Taranee and Hay Lin quickly grabbed Will, to steady her, and to hold her up if it became worse.
"So where are we?" Taranee asked looking over at the herald. "On a roof." Irma stated plainly, trying to lighten her own mood. "Nearby the club the girls were at tonight. They should still be in the area." Skyshade answered ignoring Irma's quip, while walking over to the edge of the roof. "See there down there." He added pointing down towards them. "There doesn't appear to be anything dangerous around." Cornelia said, walking over to edge also and looking around.
Will groaned, the dizziness she felt became an old feeling. One like those she felt when she was near otherworldly things she hadn't become accustomed to. "Will are you okay?" Hay Lin asked holding Will tighter as she seemed to become even less steady on her feet. "Something is going to happen." Will told them, forcing herself to walk to the roof edge and steadying herself against the feeling of dizziness.
Then the explosion came, it was clear for the six on the roof to see. The building opposite blew apart and rubble fell towards the girls they had been sent to protect. "Hay Lin." Cornelia shouted with urgency, Hay Lin understood and with her powers called up the air around the rubble, slowing it's descent.
The scream of the girls finally reached Skyshade ear's now that the ringing from the explosion had stopped, ignoring the guardians he rushed to the fire escape of the building and quickly as he could tried get back down to street level. Taranee and Irma went to work dealing with the fires started by the blast. Taranee drained the heat of them away while Irma doused them. Hay Lin slowly lowered the debris to the ground, while Cornelia cause vines to burst from the ground and grow up the side of the building that had been damage trying to hold them together so no more rubble would fall.
The fires died away, and the buildings were propped up as best as could be. The threat as far as they could see had been removed. "Hay Lin get Will of this roof and follow that herald guy. I don't like the idea of him running off." Cornelia ordered, taking over the leading role as Will didn't seem to be able to form any orders. Hay Lin quickly grabbed Will and jumped down letting herself float just before touching down.
Once Irma would have cracked a joke at Cornelia trying to lead the group, but the years had taught her that it wasn't a good idea to do so when there could still be an imminent threat. Quick as they could, the 3 guardians still on the roof made for the fire exit.
Down below, Skyshade had reached the street and was running over to the girls. Kate and Angelina had fallen to their knees, embraced in each other's arms, crying from fear not realizing that the threat had passed. Sarah was hugging herself and shaking, shocked by the explosion and the explainable events that had saved them from it. The last two girls were nowhere in sight.
Looking them over Skyshade could tell that none of the three present were hurt, merely shaken by the events that had just happened. "Are you okay?" He asked anyway crouching down and wrapping his arms round, Kate and Angelina. "I thought I was going to die!" Kate cried, tears staining Skyshade shirt. Skyshade lead the three girls away from the building that had just been destroyed.
It was around then that Hay Lin, carrying Will had caught up. Setting Will down with the old astral drops, Hay Lin turned to the herald. "Where are the other two?" She asked looking around seeing as they weren't in sight. "They must have run off during the chaos, but you'll have to find them. I'm taking these three to safety in Kandrakar." Skyshade replied, light blinded Hay Lin and the three girls and Skyshade flew off as a beam of super-fast light. "Wait!" Hay Lin tried to call out for him to stop but was too late.
A minute or so later, the other guardians had caught up with Hay Lin. "Where's the guy?" Taranee asked, looking between the sitting Will, and Standing Hay Lin. "Kandrakar, he took the others and told me we have to find the two who have ran off." Will said, standing to her feet. "Sorry I couldn't help guys." Will added shaking the dizziness off as best as she could. "Don't worry about it Will. How are we meant to find the other though, we don't even know what they look like these days." Irma pointed out.
"Forget about that right now. We have to get out of here, someone going to have called the police." Cornelia told them dragging the group down the road awhile and then down an alley out of sight. Quickly the five came up with a plan to find the two missing girls. Using invisibility the group would search in pairs, except Hay Lin who would search from the skies. Irma and Cornelia went one way while Taranee and Will went in the other.