Well, it had been two years since the Nerissa had been defeated along with Phobos and then Cedric. Since then, Meridian was relatively peaceful excluding the occasional horde of monsters, but they were usually taken care of pretty quickly… usually. The former prince had attempted to escape once but failed miserably and he and the other monsters had been quiet since then. Elyon had become an excellent ruler with the help of the Guardians and the former rebels and had helped the people so much that technologically they were the equivalents of Earth's 1700's.
Our heroines had changed over the past two years too. Will was still going out with Matt and they were happy together and had become a formidable team in battle and on stage. Will had joined Wreck 55 as the female vocalist and the band was doing extremely well. Cornelia too stuck with her old boyfriend and they still fought like cats and dogs but stayed together none the less or maybe because they fought that way. Cornelia had become an even better skater and had won plenty of trophies and medals for her skill while Caleb had been knighted.
Hay Lin was going out with Eric and he had found out about W.I.T.C.H. a year and a half ago and stuck with Hay Lin despite his initial shock. As a gift Hay Lin gave Eric a medallion for a birthday present, which she had gotten from Yan Lin, which allows him to create minor illusions and use a few weak magical attacks. Hay Lin has become very good at designing and making clothing and has even sold a few of her designs. Taranee had broken up with Nigel and had started dating Aldarn of all people when she saw him reading a book and then they started sharing books and ideas and their relationship grew from there. Irma is still the same old Irma, making wise cracks and playing pranks. Irma had had a few boyfriends but none of them had worked out.
Yan Lin and Mira still ran the Silver Dragon without much trouble. Blunk had become quite the successful merchant of Earth goods (at least by Passling standards) and still smelled like a dumpster on a hot day. Raythor, Sandpit, and Gargoyle were doing well at being good guys and had become trusted by the people of Meridian. Kadma and Cassidy were still living peacefully in the lives they had come back to and were prospering. Strangest of all, Altermere Will had been revived from Will and was taken to Candracar to be an apprentice to the Council.
The most dramatic change was that the families of our heroines had found out, along with Eric, about W.I.T.C.H. At first they were very concerned and shocked but eventually got used to the idea and things settled down after that thanks to the efforts of Yan Lin and the Oracle, who had decided to help. Lillian had found out in the same night that she was the Heart of Earth and was extremely angry but with some gentle coxing and humiliating begging by Cornelia, Lillian forgave them and has been training with her powers and kept her three regents to help defend Earth. She annoys Cornelia more than ever.
Who would have guessed that they were about to face their greatest challenge?
…..
"Oh dark powers I call upon the, rip through time and space for me, a hole to the realm where darkness reigns, so that all will share my pains," chanted a cloaked figure holding an orb that appeared to have a raging lightening storm within. After three days his voice had become hoarse and quiet. How he hated this. Then ,after three days of ceaseless chanting, the orb floated into the air and made a portal of rippling black ooze.
"Master… are you… absolutely… sure… about… this?" asked a pale, little man in tattered grey robes. The cloaked figure stared at the little man from within the cowl of his hood and that caused the little man to cringe in fear. "I… am… so sorry… master… for…"
The cloaked figure held up his hand and the little man cringed again and silenced immediately. The cloaked figure turned to face the portal and stepped through, dragging the little man behind him.
…..
"Where are Cornelia and Caleb?" complained Matt.
"I wonder," said a grinning Irma. This brought on a fit of giggles from the girls.
"Here they come now," said Hay Lin peeking through the blinds," Awe, they're holding hands and everything, it's so cute."
"Blunk think that so romantic," chimed in Blunk who had thankfully been doused with water before coming to Cornelia's house.
"You think a walk through a dump is romantic," Irma said in a matter-of-fact voice.
"It is, Blunk take many friendgirls to dump to impress," spoke the little Passling.
"…,"
"What Blunk say?" he questioned.
"Blunk, I don't even know where to start," stated Taranee frankly.
"Friendgirls," said Aldarn, Eric, and Matt. There was then an awkward silence for a moment.
"Anyway…," said Will," I think now would be a good time for everyone to hide."
…..
Caleb was thinking about all the fun he had had with Cornelia while the others had set up her surprise party. When they were planning it out Caleb had been the natural choice to distract her. Caleb couldn't help but smile when he looked over at Cornelia and think how lucky he was. Cornelia noticed this and decided to say something while going up the elevator.
"Enjoying the view?" she said with her beautiful smile. He blushed a little at that and mumbled a yeah. Since she had him off guard, she decided to ask him the million dollar question on her mind.
"So Caleb… what is this big surprise that you won't tell me about?" she asked coyly.
"If I told you that then it wouldn't be a surprise," said a grinning Caleb.
"Come on,"
"No,"
"Pretty please?"
"No,"
She made a little fake pout at this which only made Caleb smile widely. Hearing the ding of the elevator the pair stepped through the doors and walked to the door of the apartment. Cornelia was first through the door after unlocking it and was surprised to see all the lights off and the blinds closed. When suddenly…
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY CORNELIA!!!" was the resounding yell from everyone. Everybody was there including the girls and their boyfriends, Blunk, Elyon, her parents and her sister Lillian, Yan Lin and Mira, and even the Oracle and Altermere Will. Cornelia was speechless seeing everyone there and all the cool decorations, which she guessed Hay Lin had done. Cornelia finally found her voice and said…
"You guys are the best!"
"That's true," piped up Irma.
"What do you think of the decorations?" asked Hay Lin with a questioning look.
"They're great Hay Lin," said Cornelia, causing Hay Lin to smile.
"We all worked together on the food," added Taranee.
With a worried look at Blunk, Cornelia asked," Him too?!"
"NO!!!" everyone except Cornelia and Blunk said at once.
Everyone then proceeded to have a good time and the party went smoothly except for when Taranee accidentally set the napkins on fire after Aldarn whispered something very provocative in her ear. Cornelia received plenty of cool presents and of course was extremely happy about that. Everyone had no idea that while they celebrated evil was becoming unbelievably powerful.
…..
The cloaked figure and the little man were in a reality that mimicked there own but was somehow, off. The skies were dark, colors seemed pale, and everything seemed to be in shambles. Walking in the halls of this shadow alternate reality's Candracar, the duo headed straight to the room that held the Dark Aurameres. Finally, after making it to the room and blasting away the doors, the cloaked figure made a mad dash to the Dark Aurameres and with a cry of evil glee, touched them and absorbed them into his being.
The shadows in the room all coalesced around him, as did the five elements, though they were seemingly drawn from thin air, in a swirling storm of magic. The ground started to shake and pillars collapsed causing the little man to scream and hide in terror. Fire balls fell from the sky, the winds howled, and sky was tossing and turning as though the world were coming to an end. Then, as suddenly as it started, it stopped. The little man came out of hiding to see his master standing there with an aura of darkness around him that made the other shadows of this reality appear as bright as noon.
"Master?" he asked.
"I now have supreme power now, Mutten," the figure said in his cold, evil, and cruel voice," I control the shadow tainted elements and have the power to rival the Hearts of ten worlds. I can raise and control the Dark Tainted Armies and finally have my revenge on the Oracle."
"Yes… Master… as you… say."