Sovereign
Adjective
1. Belonging to or characteristic of a sovereign or sovereign authority; royal.
2. Having supreme rank, power, or authority.
3. Supreme; preeminent; indisputable
4. Greatest in degree; utmost or extreme.
5. Being above all others in character, importance, excellence, etc.
6. Self-governing; independent
Chpater 1: A ripple in the pond
The Guardians of the Veil start a perfect day with fun, then they face reality, and Will stops breathing.
Wilhelmina Vandom woke up to the sight of a furry tail.
With sleep still heavy in her, she pushed herself up and took a deep breath. Stretching and taking care to yawn extra loudly, she moved her hips and gave the sleeping creature beside her a bump.
The tail twitched to reveal the dormouse's eye. Its glance looked accusatory.
"Oh, don't look at me like that." said Will as she grinned at her pet. With a single motion, she swung her feet off her bed and into her bright green frog slippers. "It's too good a day to be sleeping!"
She shuffled towards the windows, nudging away the paraphernalia of the amphibian that laid scattered across the floor of her room. She pulled up the blinds, and squinted as her room brightened with the autumn sun.
Heatherfield looked practically radiant. It was early autumn, and the trees had only began to shed their leaves. The air was cool, but sunlight was still bright and plentiful. The sidewalks were bustling with some activity: dog-owners walking their hounds, joggers bounding past each other, cars crunching the gravel of the freshly paved street.
She was pulling at the curtain when she heard the doorbell from downstairs. Her mother's voice soon followed, "Will? Your friends are here!"
"Coming, mom!" Yup, today is going to be a good day, thought Will to herself as she began to strip out of her pajamas.
W.I.T.C.H
Irma Lair, Taranee Cook, Cornelia Hale and Hay Lin chattered as they waited patiently at the door. Irma was complaining about her lack of breakfast treats, deliberately making Cornelia roll her eyes in slight bemusement. Hay Lin was only paying half-attention, nodding brightly to every pause while her mind and eyes wander over the street. Taranee was the first to greet Mrs. Vandom with a cheerful "Good morning!", pushing her glasses awkwardly back into place.
The four followed Mrs. Vandom into the kitchen, where they were greeted with cups of hot chocolate and warm baked goods. Irma squealed with delight, thanking Mrs. Vandom profusely. "Oh, Mrs. Vandom! It's like you're the one with Mind-reading powers!" She exclaimed as she grabbed a mug with one hand and plucked a muffin with another, much to the chagrin of Cornelia and Taranee.
Susan Vandom smiled. She was clad in her usual attire and already had her coat on and her bag slung over her shoulders. "No problem, Irma." She said, though she was puzzled with Irma's strange choice of words.
They chatted briefly on what seemed like a perfect day when the girls and Mrs. Vandom heard Will bound down the stairs and tumble into the kitchen. Dressed in her usual t-shirt and jeans, her hair wild and unbrushed, Will looked barely presentable.
"Morning, sleepyhead!" Hay Lin chirped. She rushed forward to give Will a hug "What kept ya?"
Will returned the hug. "Just slightly overslept, that's all." She said sheepishly.
Irma made a noise, her mouth full with treats and chocolate. She tried to speak, but could only yelp as Cornelia gave her a poke in the ribs. "No talking with your mouth full." She teased.
"Well, you all seem to be in really high spirits today, girls." said Mrs. Vandom. She herself was holding onto her own mug of chocolate. "Oh Will, I'll be out for the rest of the day. Can you girls help clean up before you leave?"
After a few more droughts, and the plate of food quickly cleared by Irma and Will, Susan Vandom kissed her daughter goodbye, and went to the front door. "Remember to wear something warm! Weatherman says it'll be chilly soon!"
The door closed with a soft click, and the girls were left alone for the day.
Will and Irma did the bulk of the cleaning, while Cornelia, Taranee and Hay Lin watched by the counter-tops. "It's not fair," Irma pouted while she wiped another plate clean, "Why do we need to clean the dishes and you guys don't?"
"Well, we didn't eat much of anything," Cornelia pointed out, "since you took most of the food."
"Besides," Will spoke, "There're only two sinks."
With the washing done, the girls took to the living room and began to discuss their plan for the day.
"What about the park?" Suggested Taranee, "It's a good day to sit by the old tree at the hill."
"It'll be crowded with people" Said Cornelia, "If we're going somewhere, let's go to the mall. I've seen this amazing, amazing, selection at Banana Republic that you have to look-"
"Oooh, a movie!" Chirped Irma, "Let's all go watch something fun! We haven't gotten a chance in a long time!"
Hay Lin didn't speak up, instead, she turned to Will and smiled. "I'm just glad we have finally have time to relax from all that crazy from the last few weeks."
Taranee leaned into the cushion of the couch, "Amen." She sighed.
There was a moment's silence, safe for the quiet hum of the in-door heating. "I got it!" Said Hay Lin, leaping from her seat, "Let's go to the Pond!" She twirled to face her friends, "We can have a picnic and-" she beamed, "Well, we could do whatever we want there."
All attention now turned to Will, the de facto leader. "Sure," she said, "Let's go to the pond."
GYPSYN
A red truck chugged lazily into the alley. There was a loud crunch and a lurch from the truck as it mis-switched gears. Harold Burns sighed as he turned off the engine. He added the cost of maintenance to his modest but failing mover truck into his ever-growing amount of debt. He cranked the side window down, and leaned on the frame, watching the side mirror as an old taxi parked itself at the side. The taxi door opened and his customer slowly alighted.
She was an old woman who wore a neat bottle-blue blouse and a long brown skirt that almost touched the wet gravel. She also had on a thin coat and shawl, which she pulled tightly around her. Already from a distance, Burns was reminded by how the old woman's wiry figure towered over him. Despite her age, Burns thought she looked quite attractive, sans the almost inhuman height she possessed, and her sour face.
He opened the door, and hopped out of his truck, which groaned in relief. As he went to unlock the backdoor, he began to chat with her. "Jeez, Mrs. Gypsyn," Gypsyn, what a kooky name. He thought as the metal door slid upwards to reveal her belongings. "Don't know why'd you choose this part of Heatherfield. The Burrows ain't exactly golden-year material, or for respectable people."
His comment went unreplied. Instead, Gypsyn inhaled deeply. "Burrows, Heatherfield." She let the word roll off her tongue, testing the feel of the name of her new home.
It was true; of all places in Heatherfield, the Burrows was the least popular and least talked about area of the city. Being a popular hiding spot for criminals and druggies, the name felt suitably apt for Heatherfield's embarrassing area. Most of the apartments there have not been maintained since it was built years ago. Instead of a garden; there was only a patch of cracked dirt. Overhead, there was the faint sound of crying.
The woman's wrinkled face looked weary as she tucked a few wisps of her grey hair behind her ear. For a moment, Burns thought he saw something behind her eyes, but it left as fast as it appeared. "Edward?" She called out, suddenly turning towards the taxi. "Have you paid the driver?"
"Yeah!" The taxi door opened and out alighted a young boy. Edward wore a green T-shirt under a dark blue jacket, along with a pair of dirty jeans. His hair was pressed at one side, as though he had slept and leaned his head against the window. Rubbing his hands, the boy turned his attention towards their apartment above them.
Like his grandmother, he was tall; but while she towered, he dwarfed. As Burns observed the young kid, he couldn't help but feel that there was something off about the boy looked rigid, more so than any military man. He stood straight, his broad shoulders thrown slightly back and his chest out as though he was trying to imitate Superman. Secretly, Burns could not think of any individual who looked any less like the superhero.
The kid just looked bony, like he wasn't fed for weeks. His joints looked just slightly out of place, and his face looked grim. It reminded Burns of his daughter going through her "emo" phase, but this kid looked like he was born with it.
He was called back from his thoughts by the sound of Mrs. Gypsyn clearing her throat. The mover turned and saw the old woman standing with her hands on her non-existent hips. "Mr. Burns, the furniture, if you may."
"Of course!" He started to unload the furniture. There wasn't much: some chairs, a cabinet, and a large chest. Luckily, all of them were light enough to be moved by one person. "Which floor again, ma'am?" He asked politely, hoping she didn't catch him staring at her grandkid.
"Third." She replied, "Edward, would you kindly help Mr. Burns carry the things inside?" She moved to the back of the taxi as the driver popped the bonnet up. "Don't exert yourself." She added.
Burns raised an eyebrow.
Without a word, Edward Gypsyn moved towards one end of the couch, and smiled at Burns. Again, it looked so out of place, but it made Burns instantly regret the "emo" comparison. It was warm and sincere, something he hasn't seen in a long time. "Thanks, kid." He muttered as he squatted down at the other end of the couch. "Right, on the count of three. One, two..."
W.I.T.C.H
"It's perfect!" Irma exclaimed as she bounded towards the pond, pulling a gleeful Hay Lin with her. The two left Will and Taranee to haul the basket of food, laden with the usual treats. Behind them, Cornelia carried the mat. "I'm so glad I thought of this!" She joked while deftly avoiding Hay Lin's jab.
The Pond is Heatherfield's quietest attraction. The land the body of water formed in was technically owned by a private investor, but no trespassing rule had ever been enforced. Still, people rarely visit, partly out of politeness, and partly because it was so out of the way. As such, it was the Guardians' preferred place to practice their magic or carry out covert tasks.
Today, however, it was to be their little sanctuary.
They busied themselves with setting up their base at the edge of the pond. Irma raided the basket, while the others spread the mat onto the ground. The water was completely still, allowing them a perfect view of the fish swimming underneath.
The pond was a misleading name. While it wasn't very large, it was unusually deep. More than once, Will and Irma had to save people who stumbled into its waters.
Once the girls were settled, Irma and Hay Lin went to explore the area. Taranee rummaged through her own pack and pulled out a book, while Will and Cornelia turned their attention to the pond.
"I still think we should've set the mat a bit farther." Said Cornelia. She was slightly nervous around water.
Will, being a swimmer, didn't mind the proximity. In fact, she was tempted to wade into the water. "Oh, come on, Cornelia, it's not that bad." She chided.
"Hmm," Cornelia's lips were pursed, but she slowly dipped her fingers into the water, watching the rings of a ripple form around her finger.
Taranee looked up from her reading." You've been quiet today," She said, sliding her bookmark on her page before putting her book down, "Something on your mind?"
Will and Taranee leaned slightly towards Cornelia, who frowned and turned her head towards Irma Hay Lin. "Nothing." She lied.
"Come on, Cornelia..."
"It's just... I got my English paper back."
"Oh," Will stopped. "The one from two weeks ago?" Will and Cornelia shared the same class.
Taranee gave a low whistle. "Alright, what about it?"
Cornelia looked down, "Like I said, nothing." She said, shifting her body a few degrees away. "I just got a D, is all."
Will felt a sudden sense of relief. She managed to barely scrape a C, but didn't want to talk about it. "It's just a fluke, Cornelia," She said, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "We did have to deal with-"
Cornelia shook Will's hand off, "Yeah, I guess." She said, as Irma and Hay Lin stomped back to base, "but what if it happens again next time?" She said quietly.
Will and Taranee looked at each other. "Gee, Cornelia," said Will, giving a short laugh. "I never thought you'd pay attention to tests-"
"I'm serious, Will." Cornelia's voice took on an edge, "This is my third D so far! I mean, I get that we have to deal with Phobos and Nerissa and all those other bozos threatening other people. It's great that we can help other people and keep them safe! But what about our own problems? How are we going to deal with stuff like college or jobs or family if we keep getting called to an emergency?"
Irma and Hay Lin slowed their approach, puzzled by Cornelia's outburst, but Cornelia was on a roll. She stood up and stared at Will and Taranee. "Noone on Earth knows about or understands what we do." She didn't raise her voice, she never does when she talks like this. "Sooner or later, we'll grow up and not be Guardians anymore, and we're back to reality." Cornelia clenched her hands. "I'm just scared what'll happen to us later on."
The girls were silent, pondering on Cornelia's statement. Then, Hay Lin spoke, but she sounded incredibly timid, "Maybe Kandrakar will help us..."
"No, I don't think they will." Cornelia said, "Why would they want to help us with school? How can they even help?"
"Of course they can!" Irma chirped up. "I'm sure we'll get some way to ace any major exams if we had to take care of things..."
"They didn't help you with your French test last time for the play." Cornelia pointed out, "Besides, do you really want to get into college without earning it?"
Irma and Hay Lin fell silent.
Taranee sighed and took off her glasses. "Cornelia's right," She said, using the bottom part of her shirt to clean the lens, "I wouldn't want to get to anywhere in life with tricks. That's not how we should do things." She put the glasses back on and turned her fiery gaze at her friends, "But we also have to face reality too."
Will's thoughts turned to her C, and she couldn't help but agree.
With a quiet sigh, Cornelia picked up a stray pebble and threw it into the pond. It arched in the air and landed neatly in the center, creating a large ripple and scaring away the fish. "I'm sorry I had to bring this stupid idea up," She said, "On our day off, too."
Without a word, Will, Irma, Taranee and Hay Lin moved towards their friends and gave her a tight group hug.
GYPSYN
Harold Burns was surprised by how quickly he and the Edward boy moved the Gypsyn's belongings into the apartment. He was even more surprised by how comfortable this particular unit was inside. Apartments in the Burrows were usually old, dilapidated and moldy. One was lucky to even get heating in the living room.
Not only was the Gypsyn's home leagues better, it seemed to be better than his current pad. The walls were cleaned and painted with light blue, and the room warmed to a comfortable temperature. It was very sparse, even after adding the furniture, but it looked and felt comfortable to live in.
And not a single mold was in sight.
"So your daughter doesn't call?" Asked Edward from the other end of the chest. It was the last item form the truck, and by far the heaviest. Burns could hardly grunt out a reply.
"Nope... Only on mah... birthday, and even that's an uncomfortable affair... Okay, set it down here."
While they moved in The Gypsyn's belongings, Burns and Edward began to striek up a conversation. The boy was mild-mannered and slightly clumsy, and he never stopped asking questions about Burn's family and life. At first, Burns had been uncomfortable sharing such information, but Edward didn't prod anywhere he didn't feel comfortable to talk about.
They lowered the chest onto the floor, creating a satisfying thud. "Phew!" Said Burns, glad that the job now done.
"Why doesn't she call often?" Edward prodded further as he took off his coat.
"Oh, you know, the usual. Being angry at me about the divorce... I mean, you'd think it'd be her mother who would ignore me..." He didn't mean to sound flippant, but it was the only way he could approach this topic.
"Have you tried calling her?"
Burns was caught off-guard by the question. "No."
"Why not?"
"You ask a lot of questions, kid."
"Sorry."
"You apologize a lot, too."
"Sorry. I mean... yeah." Edward shrugged.
Burns sighed and wiped his forehead. "Okay, now it's my turn to ask. How old are you?"
"Fifteen."
"Where are your parents? Or do you just live with your Grandma?"
"Just my Grandma," Said Edward as he walked towards the door, "I don't have any parents." He picked up the suitcases lying outside the doorway and brought them in. "She'll be with you in a moment."
There was the sound of a toilet flushing, and the bathroom door opened. Burns cleared his throat while Grandma Gypsyn moved towards the kitchen area. "Everything seems to be working fine." She said, looking very satisfied. "Thank you very much for your services, Mr. Burns." From her purse, she took out a pen and a chequebook.
Burns walked towards the counter and waited awkwardly as the old lady scribbled on a cheque and tore it out. "Here you go," She said briskly, handing the paper to him. "As promised, five hundred, plus a little extra."
Surprised, Burns looked down at the cheque. His eyes widened as he saw the amount. "Err, Miss, I think you made a mistake."
"Nonsense," She said, "I'm old, not senile." She gave Mr. Burns a tight-lipped smiled and ushered him towards the door. "Now, I appreciate that you'll spend some of that money on your daughter, and maybe fix up that truck of yours."
Burns began to stammer out his gratitude. "Aww, ma'am, this is... thank you." He was so overcome with emotion that he didn't expect the stab of pain on his shoulder as the woman's grip suddenly turned vice-like.
Grandma Gypsyn looked gravely serious as she stared at the mover, "I would appreciate it too if you keep my home a secret from any prodding questions. Do we have a deal, Mr. Burns?"
Burns's heart began to hammer, his eyes darted towards the boy Edward, who was staring at him with the same intensity. He didn't notice how bright their eyes were, even though they were pitch black. Who the hell are these people? "Of course, Mrs. Gypsyn!" He stammered, "My lips are sealed."
"Good." She released her grip, and soon Mr. Burns was along, staring at a closed door to Unit 51.
He exhaled, and looked back to the cheque.
"payable to Mr. Harold Burns, an amount of $1500.00".
Inside, Edward was placing his suitcase into his room when he heard a knock on the open door. "Edward, honey." Said Grandma Gypsyn, "Why don't you go explore the area a bit, this is your first time to Heatherfield, after all."
Edward turned to look at his grandmother, whose hairbun almost touched the ceiling. "Yeah, I saw this pond not too far from here in the taxi, and I think I'll go check it out."
"Alright," replied Grandma Gypsyn, "Just be careful, I heard that it's a lot deeper than it looks."
W.I.T.C.H
The guardians were enjoying lunch.
As usual, Irma was stuffing food as quickly as she can, while the others enjoyed their own share. They chatted, joked and tried to take their minds off the heavy conversation an hour before. Cornelia's mood had already seemed to have brightened.
Hay Lin was eagerly recounting her family's adventures at the restaurant. "And then, there was this huge bubbling sound, and the pot just EXPLODES!" She laughed gleefully. "I have never seen dad has never been more embarrassed in all my life-"
There was a roar of laughter, Will was giggling so hard that her chest hurt.
It took her a while before she noticed that the pain was not from laughing.
She tried to open her mouth to speak, but as she tried to exhale, she felt her lungs stop moving, completely.
She couldn't breathe.
Will struggled up, surprising the others. "Will? Are you okay?" Asked Irma, reaching out for Will's sleeve.
Will tried to steady herself, but already her sight was blurring. Air, I need some air...
She stumbled, causing the girls, her friends to spring up and reach for her. "Will?", "Are you okay?", "What's wrong-"
Soon, the voices blurred too.
Will tried to breathe in, breathe out -breathe anything- but try as she might, she couldn't. Her lungs weren't obeying her.
She felt herself tip to the side as her head swam in panic. She heard muffled screams as she felt the sudden bite of cold water.
"Will!" Screamed Taranee as Will fell into the pond. She darted her hand into the pond and tried to grab for Will's hand, but Will sank shockingly fast into the bottom.
Irma reacted immediately, jumping into the water and sinking down to get her.
Cornelia and Hay Lin called out to Will and Irma. Hay Lin frantically searched for a long stick when she saw, from a distance, the figure of a boy watching them from afar.
