Chapter 1- Guardians

Caleb crouched on a parapet in the pouring rain, green eyes scanning the walls for guards. Seeing none, he ran quickly across the ramparts and ducked inside the castle. He crept past the snoring watchman and opened a chest with a creak. It revealed a great collection of swords, and his eyes narrowed in disgust.

"The Princess steals our weapons to use against us." He closed the lid gently, and looked around. His gaze alighted upon a bow and arrows hanging on a wall. He dashed over to retrieve them, lifting the curved instrument off of its hook. He looked at it carefully, recognizing the make. "Aldarn's father made this bow."

He slung the weapon across his back, moved to the barrels of gunpowder and began dropping them out the window. They hit the water below with a splash, where he knew Aldarn was fishing them out. He continued until a call came from behind.

"Hey, you!"

Caleb's head snapped around, and he saw two guards, one having woken the other. "Looks like plan B," he muttered. He jumped off the barrels, grabbing a rope and swinging to land atop a box. Under his arm he held another barrel, and he plucked a torch off the wall, sticking in into the top and throwing it at the guards. The grotesque creatures managed to avoid it as it detonated with a fearsome bang.

A horn blared, and Caleb knew that his time was up. The alarm had been sounded, and he had to get out of there. He threw another barrel, using the bow to shoot a flaming arrow into the wood. It blasted a hole in the wall, and as the smoke cleared he launched himself out the opening. For a moment he was in freefall, but he hit the water in a smooth dive.

He resurfaced and took a deep gulp of air, in time to hear Aldarn's shout. "Caleb- behind you!"

Caleb turned to be face to face with a monstrous serpent. A spear appeared in its throat, thrown by Aldarn, and the green man helped the human out of the water. They both froze as an arrow embedded itself in the bank next to them, and more kept coming. Aldarn was about to bring a barrel of gunpowder, but he took Caleb's shout to heart and turned and ran.

The both sprinted down the path, and continued running even after they were out of range.

-Reverse-

The morning in Heatherfield was stormy, the darkened skies releasing a torrent of water down on the town. Puddles formed, street-side rivers ran, and lightning tore a rift in the sky.

Hay Lin stood in front of her window, gazing at the downpour. Finishing her drink, she walked over to her desk and quickly packed her bag. She started for the door, but before she reached the frame she erupted in a violent sneezing fit. The walls shook, books and papers flew, and her door slammed shut.

Downstairs, Yan Lin heard the racket and glanced at the ceiling curiously. Hm . . . could it be?

Creeeeeeeeeeak

She turned and saw it- pink light spilling from the cabinet, the same place it had seven years ago. Yan Lin stepped over to it, yanked the doors open fully, and gasped. It was true. The Heart of Kandracar was glowing.

The time of the Guardians had returned.

"Grandma?"

Yan Lin slammed the dresser door shut, and whipped around.

"I sneezed and, like, totally trashed my room. What's wrong with me?" Hay Lin put her hands on her hips as if having realized something. "It's not one of those 'becoming a woman' things, is it?"

Yan Lin grinned awkwardly, and they talked for a minute as the old woman tried desperately to hold the doors shut. Hay Lin became suspicious of the light that came through for a moment, and Yan Lin smashed it closed.

She desperately changed the subject, still holding the dresser shut. The names came to her mind as the Heart designated its wielders. "You could invite some friends for an after school snack! Like . . . Cornelia! And uh, Taranee! And, oh that funny girl Irma!"

Hay Lin smiled. "Sure! And that new girl, Will! Huh, I wonder why I thought of her."

Yan Lin resisted a smile as Hay Lin's Guardian status was confirmed. The Heart had influenced her, guided her decision, and now the Guardians numbered five. The cabinet rattled again, and she shooed Hay Lin from the house. It wouldn't do to have her know early, now would it?

-Reverse-

Phobos stood idly on the sidewalk, people- watching with heightened magic receptors outside the middle school. He hadn't attended the public schools, seeing as he would know none of the material, but he had illusioned a few people and gotten a license for Galgheita to home-school him under the alias of Gertrude Rudolph. Afterward he had felt a bit bad, but the fate of Meridian was far more important than a few men.

It had taken them weeks of people-watching from their exit of the portal just like this to learn the basics of Earth life, and even then it had required at least two years before Phobos and Galgheita could walk outside confidently and know that they wouldn't stand out too much. Phobos had taken on an alias of his own, Phillip Meridi, seeing as his real name was not exactly common on Earth.

As he leaned against the wall that kept him out of the schoolyard, a car pulled up, and as the door opened his heightened magic sensitivity was slammed with a rush of power. His skull crashed against the stone, and he cried out, rubbing the back of his head. When he could see straight again, he identified the power's source. It was a girl, about thirteen with bright red hair. The power rolled off her in waves, and Phobos hurriedly turned off the keen senses. His eyes followed her as she entered the school, Sheffield Institute, and he realized something. That power wasn't awakened. It was sitting dormant within the girl, waiting. He drew a sharp breath.

The Guardians were soon to return.

-Reverse-

Caleb and Aldarn ran as fast as their legs could take them, trying desperately to escape the army that was after them.

"I told you to bring a rope!" Aldarn shouted at Caleb.

"Yeah, you also told me I couldn't get into the castle. Here, take your father's bow. At least it won't be used against u-whooooaaaaaaaa!"

He skidded to a stop on his butt, nearly falling into a gorge. The armies behind them roared, and they agreed on a crazy idea.

They leapt down into the gorge.

Caleb landed with an ooph on the back of a hoogong and he and Aldarn struggled to get hold of the large feathered beasts. When they finally did, they ran across the bottom of the gorge where the dark creatures couldn't follow.

Caleb smirked.

-Reverse-

Phobos quickly looped around the back of the school, senses on high alert, when there was another much smaller echo of power. It felt . . . solid. Unmovable. He reasoned that it was the power of the Earth guardian. All in all it was slightly disappointing, the concentration being much less dense than that of the redhead. Reaching out he could feel nothing, but seven years of hiding had taught him patience. He could wait a while longer.

He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. For a minute it rang.

"Yessss?"

Phobos's lips curled up in a smile. "Cedric. I found them. Meridian has hope."

-Reverse-

"Hey, thanks for the invitation. When are we eating again?"

Will stood oblivious to the disbelieving stares as Hay Lin gave her instructions to get to the Silver Dragon. "And then it's right on the corner. It really sticks out, so you can't miss it. Be there at four."

Cornelia flipped her hair. "Ugh, she invited New Girl too?"

Irma and Taranee glared. "Cornelia!"

There was awkward silence, which Will broke by holding out a box. "Want a cookie?"

-Reverse-

"The interlopers escaped the guards. We suspect that they will head for the mountains."

A man, silver haired with a voice that seemingly shimmered, knelt at the feet of a young blond-haired girl about twelve years old. She sat in an ornate throne, surrounded by twisting blood red roses that gave her an impressive presence despite her small stature. Her hair was in two braids tipped with metal rings, and her green dress suggested purity, but when you looked at her face you could see that innocence had long abandoned her blue eyes.

"This is unacceptable."Her voice, however high-pitched and juvenile, was cold and felt far older than the girl was. "The more success the rebels have, the more the peasants gain courage to rise up against me. This matter is far too important to leave to those bumbling idiotic beasts that we call guards."

The man looked up. "Yes, my Princess." His green eyes burned silver, and his body rippled. In a moment he became a blob of liquid silver in a vaguely human shape. "I will handle it myself."

The girl's lips twisted in a sickening smile that looked all too out of place on her features as the creature collapsed into a gelatinous puddle and oozed out through the cracks in the floor. When he was gone, she rose from her seat and placed a hand in front of herself. A hologram of sorts rose from the floor of her ten-year-old brother. She bored holes in it with her gaze, before waving her hand to dispel the image with an angry growl. She sat down again and said venomously, "I will get you, brother. Wherever you have hidden, I will find you." Her face formed that warped smile again.

"Count on it."

-Reverse-

At the Silver Dragon the five girls sat in awkward silence.

"Sooo," Taranee tried, "Will. Where did you go to school before Sheffield?"

Cornelia rolled her eyes. "Hellooo? Who cares? Has anyone noticed weird stuff happening around me lately?"

Irma looked peeved. "Oh dear! The conversation has accidentally wandered away from Cornelia's life. Whatever were we thinking?"

As the others shared a laugh at Cornelia's expense, Yan Lin walked in. "Enjoying your food?"

There was collective assent. Irma lifted a finger. "But the important thing is how Cornelia is enjoying her food."

There was another all-around laugh as Yan Lin placed a box on the table. "What's in the box, Grandma?" Asked Hay Lin.

Yan Lin smiled knowingly. "Let me tell you girls a story that I believe will have a special meaning for all five of you."

Hay Lin giggled nervously. "Grandma, they really don't want to hear a story."

Yan Lin shushed her, and poked the air to her right. From the point her finger touched, light rippled out and formed a solar system with a centric sun and four surrounding planets.

"Long ago, the universe was a single kingdom governed by good. And for many years it stayed that way. But evil did as evil does, and without fail began to take root on one of the four lands. A Veil was put into place to isolate the evil kingdom of Meridian from the other worlds. Without the protection of the Veil, every world including our own is in terrible danger. Meridian has been overtaken by a powerful entity named Elyon. But she is not the legitimate ruler. Her older brother, Prince Phobos, the true heir, was forced to flee Meridian as a young boy when his little sister was possessed by evil, and seek refuge here on Earth. That was seven years ago. He would be seventeen now."

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold on a second." Irma interrupted. "If Phobos was ten years old when he left, his sister had to be nine at the oldest and still powerful enough to destroy a kingdom." She sat back and folded her arms. "As much as I love to hear about power to the children, I'd really like to wake up now."

Yan Lin continued her tale as though nothing had happened. "But portals have been opening in the Veil, doorways through which evil can cross between worlds. There are people called Guardians whose job it is to close these holes using their powers." She snapped her fingers and the illusion faded back onto the kitchen. "I became a Guardian when I was your age. But now the duty is being passed to your generation."

Cornelia stood, placing her hands on her hips. "Well, thanks for the snacks."

Yan Lin raised a finger. "Ah ah ah!"

Cornelia sighed and sat down again.

Yan Lin opened the box that had lain forgotten on the table, and pulled out a glowing pink orb on a necklace string. "This," she said, staring at it reverentially, "is the Heart of Kandracar, which contains the elementary forces of nature. In the last few days, you have all had unusual experiences, am I right?"

Irma looked uncertain. "Not counting this one?"

Yan Lin ignored her as usual. "You have all begun to notice extraordinary abilities. Irma, you will have found any water near you to be acting strangely." And sure enough, when Irma lifted her straw the water formed a looping spiral in the air.

"Okay." She said, blinking. "Alrighty."

"Taranee," said Yan Lin, turning to the girl in question. "I believe you have always been afraid of fire. But focus now on the candle."

Taranee lifted a trembling finger and whoosh! A tiny ball of fire shot from the tip, barely missing the candle and setting fire to a banana. Irma hurriedly sent water to extinguish it. Taranee looked at her hand in wonder.

"My little Hay Lin," Yan Lin said fondly. "This morning you noticed your power over air."

Hay Lin's eyes widened. That was what her sneezing fit had been about! As Yan Lin held up a lantern she blew and the paper filled out into a full circular lantern.

"And to Cornelia is given the power of-"

"No."

All the others looked at Cornelia, who had stood placing her hands on the table defiantly. "What?"

"I said no. I refuse to be a part of some freak show!" She picked up her things, and Yan Lin called after her.

"Without you the Guardians are incomplete! Their power is not strong enough alone!"

"I don't care!" And the door slammed shut.

Yan Lin hung her head in worry. "This is not good," she said. "With only four, the Guardians are incomplete and weaker. Without Cornelia . . ." she trailed off.

"Um . . . Mrs. Lin?" Will raised a hand slightly. "Uh, what do I do? There are four elements, and I'm assuming Cornelia was earth, so . . . what am I?"

Yan Lin snapped back to the present. "Oh yes. Will. One Guardian is the Keeper, and the one to tie the other four together. With the Heart of Kandracar she unites them, summoning and magnifying their powers." She released the Heart and it drifted over to Will to land around her neck. "You have another power as well. I was not planning to reveal it to you, but if Cornelia does not come around you will need every bit of help you can get. You have Quintessence, Pure Energy, to channel as you can." Will held out a finger and a tiny bolt of what looked like lightning zapped the same banana as Taranee had hit earlier, birthing a small flame for the second time.

Irma sighed and doused it. "Now we all have to wear yellow tomorrow to honor this poor fruit's life. Why couldn't it have been a grape or something?"

Taranee stood. "So, recap. We've gotta protect the world from evil by repairing holes in some kind of veil, and do it one member short?"

Irma clenched her fist. "This is so cool! When can we start?"

Yan Lin looked grave. "You already have, but you can truly begin by retrieving Cornelia. There is a rebellion in Meridian, but their leader is in danger. A dark and difficult time is coming, and without the fifth member I fear that it may be even harder. Many good people will need your help. Girls, all of you have been chosen as the new Guardians of the Veil."

-Reverse-

Elyon stood in front of her throne and placed a hand in front of her. From the floor there rose a green fog, and inside of that fog it showed a hologram of the blond guardian.

"I said no. I refuse to be a part of some freak show!"

Elyon gazed at the image as the girl stormed away into the fog and out of sight. She gestured with her hand and the smoky image vanished.

"Interesting . . ."

-Reverse-

The hoogongs, tired from the breakneck run, had deteriorated into a snail's pace. Caleb swung himself off the feathered creature. "We can walk faster than this." Aldarn followed him to the ground. "Thanks for the ride. How much do I owe you?" The poor hoogongs collapsed on the spot.

"The infinite city is still an hour's walk, Caleb." Said Aldarn.

"For you maybe. I'm not going."

"What?"

"I head something from my informant," Caleb explained, "Elyon has figured out that her brother is on Earth. She knew he was alive, but he was safe without her knowing his location. I need to find a portal. If we don't locate him before Elyon does, Meridian and Earth are both doomed. Tell the fighters to stay strong, and the rest not to worry. I hope to see you soon Aldarn."

And they both ran off in different directions.

Caleb moved quickly, scaling the side of a mountain. As he reached the top, he rested, but was rudely disturbed by a tentacle of liquid silver snaking its way up around his arm. He yanked himself out of its grasp, and the tendril withdrew to form a humanoid form standing in front of him. A voice vibrated from its depths. "How can something so small be so troublesome?"

The silver mass formed a giant tail, and slammed Caleb off the top of the rock form.

-Reverse-

"Yes! A perfect place to practice our powers!"

"I just wish we could have gotten Cornelia to come along," said Will anxiously, biting her lip.

Irma waved her hand dismissively. "Oh please. She would probably just be insulting Hay Lin's grandma and whining about how her outfit might get dirty."

Will ignored the further conversation, placing the Heart around her neck. It immediately began to glow, and she was lifted into the air. "Aaagh! Whoa! Guardians, unite!"

The Heart released a massive surge of energy.

-Reverse-

Phobos, wandering through the streets, was suddenly overtaken by a colossal wave of magical power that could only be one thing.

"The Guardians," he breathed.

He pinpointed the source and broke into a sprint.

-Reverse-

Hay Lin giggled as a tentacle of silver light spiraled up around her before zapping her into a silver-blue cocoon of energy.

Taranee struggled not to hyperventilate as her feet were encircled by a vine of fire and her body was engulfed in a sphere of flame.

Irma gave a shout of glee as she was surrounded by a tendril of water and encased in a pulsing globe of blue.

Will's consciousness felt like it was overloading as her vision washed pink and her very genetic makeup was rewritten.

They all circled as they were remade, and morphed into their forms of power. Wings sprouted, cells aged, atoms split and reformed. Light flashed and suddenly they were upright, standing reborn from the Heart.

The Guardians were once more.

-Reverse-

Phobos was nearly bowled straight off his feet as the power surged again and newer, stronger magical presences were created.

The Guardians were back, and Meridian now stood a fighting chance.

He redoubled his pace.

-Reverse-

The four girls stood in new attire, and their senses buzzed with new awareness.

"Holy cow!" Will said breathlessly.

Irma straightened and pointed at Taranee. "You know, somehow I can't imagine your grandma wearing that."

"What have we got behind us," asked Hay Lin, struggling to get a look at her back.

"Wings," said Taranee disbelievingly. "They're wings."

Will shook her head. "They can't be wings. If they were wings, when we went like this we would- whooooaaaa!"

"Yup, I'm pretty sure they're wings." Said Irma.

"Aw man!" Taranee slumped. "I hate heights. I get woozy in high heeled shoes!"

"Whooo!" Hay Lin zipped past Will, who was flying rather clumsily, with speed and agility that suggested that she had been doing this her whole life. Will was sent in circles as Hay Lin's energy was shown. "Hey does anyone have a camera? Or a cell phone? Or a- ooph!" In her hyperness she forgot to look where she was going and slammed into a bridge support. She recovered quickly though, and was back to zooming every which way in seconds.

"This totally rocks!" Irma exclaimed giddily. She pointed at Taranee. "You do something!"

Taranee lifted a nervous hand and a fireball erupted from her fingertip. It made loops and swirls in the air before slamming a bride support- coincidentally, the same one Hay Lin had bashed earlier.

"See? That's exactly why I don't like fire! Irma, you're water, put it out!"

Irma thrust her palms forward and a jet of water erupted, dousing the fire but abusing the bridge support even further. "Dang, by the time we're done, that pillar will be one sad little pile of toothpicks."

This belief was furthered when Will accidentally sent a lightning bolt into the base, setting up a fire which Irma once again had to extinguish.

"Actually, the whole bridge will be toothpicks."

-Reverse-

It was dark when Phobos finally reached the sight of the power surge, and he was rewarded by the sight of three girls standing around in full Guardian form. He hid behind a bridge support, and his face took on a pensive look, wondering where the other two were. The Air Guardian was probably off zooming somewhere, but what other was missing?

"Alright," he heard the redhead say, "It's getting late, and I think we've destroyed enough of Heatherfield for today." The Heart of Kandracar- the power left Phobos slightly breathless, and he turned off his magic receptors- drifted out from within her chest and hovered above her hand. It pulsed pink, and they all glowed briefly. When the light was gone there left behind three ordinary pre-teens that seemed much less physically mature than seconds ago. Phobos supposed that it made sense, that to be a Guardian and sport the wings you needed more maturity.

"Where did Hay Lin go?" The one with the auburn hair asked.

"AAAAAAHHHH!" A streak fell from the sky and collided with a pile of boxes. That, Phobos assumed, was the Air Guardian, evidently called Hay Lin.

"Never mind," said the one who had asked.

-Reverse-

Caleb tumbled down the rocky slope- which, I might add, was not a fun experience- as the silver creature lengthened into a giant snakelike rope and slithered down after him. He managed to get to his feet, and run of his own volition toward the portal waiting just ahead.

Behind him the silver snake drew nearer

-Reverse-

Phobos drew a sharp breath as a rift, a vacuum that seemed to suck up power from things around it, emerged from the open air. The other three girls were walking away, and Hay Lin was the only one besides the Prince to see it.

"Uh, guys?" She said uncertainly.

"Come on Hay Lin, you can lie in garbage anytime," said Auburn-hair.

"I really think you ought to check this out!" Yes, thought Phobos. You really should.

"Check what out?" The black girl turned around and Phobos resisted the urge to facepalm. Could they really not hear the portal? It was actually pretty darned loud. The girl gasped. "What's that?"

"Don't touch it!"

"Gah!" A boy, about Phobos's age, was violently flung out of the portal and into the garbage pile next to Hay Lin. Phobos looked into the portal and could just make out a silver outline- oh no.

He retracted his head around the pillar and quickly placed an illusion around himself. His palms started to sweat and he put as much magic as he could spare into the deception, giving himself dark brown hair and brown eyes that were nearly black. He couldn't be seen by that thing, not with his normal appearance. He just hoped that in his haste he hadn't made a mistake with the illusion.

The black skinned Guardian was beginning to panic, and she yelled frantically to the redhead. "Will, the necklace! Change us back!" The newly named Will seemed to be frozen in fear. "Now, now! Hurry!"

Will finally seemed to snap out of it, and spread her hands. "Guardians Unite!" Pink light spread from the Heart and engulfed them all, and when it cleared they were in their Guardian form. Will held out a hand. "Fire!"

"Me?" Asked the black girl. Apparently she was the Fire Guardian.

"Everybody!" The Four all put their hands out, the three outer beams connecting in the center with Will-

Wait, three?

And that was when Phobos realized it. There were only four Guardians. One of the elements was missing. It was either Earth or Water, and he reached out to the energy beams. The one coming from Auburn-hair felt flowing, gentle yet strong. Water. But he had felt Earth energy from the school just that day! It didn't make sense.

The pink lightning went every which way. Without the fifth Guardian, Will had no control over it.

"Close it!" The shout came from the boy, who was once again in the silver monster's grasp. "Close the portal!"

"How?"

"The thingy! Use the crystal," shouted Hay Lin.

Will reached with one hand and the Heart shot a fuchsia bolt into the blue, and the doorway sealed just as the boy was pulled to the other side. All of the girls were flung backwards into walls, and the Heart's energy died.

There was silence as the girls got to their feet and gazed where the portal had been. Phobos stared with them, but far more solemnly. Unlike the new Guardians, he knew the identity of that creature. He worked for Elyon. His name was Argentum, and his sister was Arum, literally silver and gold, for that was what they were. They could become any shape, any mold when they were in monster form. Their favorite method was a crude mockery of Cedric's transformation, the shape of a serpentine tail.

Cedric had been a great ally over the years. About three months after escaping Meridian, the snake man had come to Earth through a portal and found Phobos and Galgheita. With his help they were able to get much more done, as well as have updates on rebel movements. While Phobos couldn't contact the brave men who were fighting for his sake, that he could be aware of their status was a great comfort.

"He's . . . gone," murmured the Fire Guardian (he really needed to learn their names). "That thing got him."

Will hung her head and changed them back, and they wordlessly walked away. Phobos concealed himself behind a camouflage illusion and followed.

-Reverse-

"I see. What did he look like?"

Outside the Silver Dragon, Phobos stood against the wall with his hearing amped up and focused on the room that they were in. He could hear the conversation loud and clear, and was hoping to learn why the Earth Guardian wasn't present.

"I . . . don't know. He was just a boy. I happened so fast."

"Don't blame yourselves," said Yan Lin. There was the sound of liquid sloshing, and Phobos assumed that they were drinking something.

"It looked like this." Said Hay Lin. Paper rustled.

"Ah," said Yan Lin. "Lord Argentum."

"Lord," said the Water Guardian incredulously. "They got pretty low standards for knighthood over there."

"Argentum is not always in this form"

"Well that's good news for his wife."

"Irma, this is serious!" said Hay Lin. So the Water Guardian was Irma. That left Fire.

"I know! You think I'm not scared?"

"Ah, ah, ah. Don't fight. You only have each other, and you have begun an adventure which I'm afraid you will need all your talents and strength just to survive. That is why it is so vital that you get Cornelia to admit her destiny."

"She won't," said the Fire Guardian. "You heard her. She doesn't want to be a part of the 'freak show,' and I don't think she'll change her mind anytime soon."

Phobos blinked. The Earth Guardian had turned down her power? Who in their right mind would do such a thing? Even one of the socially obsessed fluffheads of modern society would jump at the chance right? Right?

Apparently not. And Meridian was in danger because of her.

-Reverse-

Lightning flashed outside the windows of the throne room, and as the Princess's fists clenched her roses grew. "Report," she said icily.

A silvery human-shaped splotch rose from the floor into a formless kneel before the features solidified into a face and a human emerged from the mass. In seconds the liquid metal was gone, leaving a silver-haired man with eerie green eyes. "We have the rebel leader, but I was ambushed at the portal by the Guardians."

"The Guardians are old women, Argentum."

"Oh, not so, my Princess. They are now young girls."

The girl leaned forward. "So," she said calculatingly, "the crystal has passed to a new generation. This could complicate the search for my brother. Finding him is essential if I am to maintain my power over Meridian. If he were to return . . ."

A small procession entered the throne room, lead by Vathyk. He knelt before the girl. "The troublemaker, Princess Elyon."

She looked at Caleb, chained between two guards, with no mercy. "You will tell us the names of your fellow traitors in the rebellion."

"You'll hear nothing from me!"

"We will see." Elyon's face gave her signature cold smile as she ordered him away, and her roses grew around her, flourishing and feeding off her anger. She pet one of the blossoms, and laughed as the lighting struck.

-Reverse-

Phobos entered the Silver Dragon just as the girls were leaving, and sought out Yan Lin.

"Ma'am?"

The old woman looked up and smiled kindly. "I'm afraid we're closing in a few moments sir."

Phobos shook his head. "I'm not here to eat."

Her eyes flashed, and her hand discreetly slipped into her pocket. "Then what are you here for? Even if you wish to make a reservation you will still have to wait."

He looked around to make sure that the shop was empty, and thrust out his palms face up. A curl of golden light spiraled up from the center of his right, and silver from his left, twisting into shapes that he had memorized in his young years. Yan Lin gasped as the ornate gilded circlet, with twisting shapes and designs, took form in the air above Phobos's right hand, and the pure silvery-white one in his left. The lights suddenly solidified, dulled, and dropped to hang from his fingers. He held them out.

"The crown of King Zaden, and that of Queen Weira, retrieved from Meridian for their son by Lord Cedric, loyal servant of Prince Phobos, a year after the Princess's takeover when the Prince fled their world." He dropped the illusion that he had held since the portal, long platinum blond hair and blue eyes coming to light. "I need your help, former Guardian. I have reason to believe that the boy in question that was captured by Argentum is the rebel leader, and my people need his leadership. Without the Earth Guardian, the others are incomplete. It is of utmost importance that she is recruited."

Yan Lin nodded urgently, flipped the 'closed' sign and gestured for him to follow her to the back room.

Before she could speak, Phobos said, "I ask for you to keep my identity a secret from the Guardians for now. They are inexperienced, and if my sister were to get them there is no telling what she would do. The fewer people who know, the better."

Yan Lin nodded yet again. "As much faith as I have in them, it is true that they are very new to this world. I will help you, and keep your identity a secret."

"That is all I ask." He bowed slightly. "Thank you, former Guardian."

"Please, call me Yan Lin."

He bowed again, and they sat and talked for the rest of the night.

As Phobos left the shop, he wondered what could be done about the Earth Guardian. He shook his head. He had a headache, and this was not helping. When morning came he could think of more plans. For now he would rest.

-Reverse-

A/N- and cut!

Whoa! Super-ultra-mega long chappie! This is three times my norm! Say thank you!

I don't enjoy quoting. I don't. But I don't have enough confidence in my knowledge of characterization in this show, so I prefer to have guidelines. There is plenty of deviation, but please bear with the quotes. I'm sorry, but if I want to keep the structure I must. The very last scene was the only one I wrote from scratch, and it feels like it fell flat. Kay?

What do you think? Cedric is a good guy! Elyon has her own henchmen! Cornelia is a stuck up snob! Well, that last part wasn't new.

I don't like Cornelia, so this is my way to channel that dislike. Sorry, Cornelia lovers, she's just seriously overpowered and gets away with attitude that should not be allowed. She is ridiculously powerful, with Earth attacks three times the size of anything Taranee does EVER, and telekinesis when all that Will gets is talking electronics, has twice as much screen time as Taranee, Irma, and Hay Lin, and is a very unpleasant person. So no, I don't like her. Deal with it.

Recommend pairings for me! I'm especially fond of Taranee and hate Cornelia, so that will probably affect my decision. Bye!

-Dragon