Standard Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H., Final Fantasy, or any of their related characters/concepts, nor any other properties whose characters/concepts appear in this story. This is a work of fan fiction.

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"Guardians of the Multiverse"

Book One: "The Pending Storm"

Chapter One

Earth. Sheffield Institute. It was lunch time for the ninth grade students, and the Guardians were gathered together outside for the meal. "Whew!" Irma exclaimed. "I'm in trouble here! Half a day and I can already tell this year's gonna be a lot harder than last year."

Holding a handful of french fries inches from her mouth, Taranee answered "How many times did I tell you all the slacking off was gonna catch up with you girl?"

"She's right. It's your own fault Irma." Will agreed. "Even I'm doing okay so far."

Irma threw a handful of fries at them both. "I know I know! But this isn't just another grade level harder! This stuff is like, twice as hard as before!"

"It's high school, not just junior high." Alchemy chuckled. "Did you really not see it coming at least a little?"

"Of course she didn't. She's Irma." Cornelia said. Everyone laughed except for Irma and Elyon.

"Don't worry Irma. I've got your back." Martin said.

"Thanks."

Joel, noticing Elyon's failure to laugh along with the others, asked "Something wrong El?"

"I had a really bad dream last night." She replied. "And Guardian dreams can be prophetic."

"That's still bugging you?" Alchemy asked.

"Well, look at how she told us it ended." Hay Lin answered. "I'd still be weirded out too."

"Wait, how did it end?" Matt asked.

"Every living thing on Earth and Meridian dead." Elyon whispered.

"Cripes. What you gonna do if it does turn out to be real?" Martin asked.

"First things first, we go to Kandrakar after school." Will answered. "Maybe the Oracle will know something about this. And if he doesn't he needs to be aware."

Elyon shook her head, tried to smile. "And let's not forget that it might still be nothing. It might just be a dream after all." Hoping to change the subject, she asked "So, has anyone else met the new student?"

"Sephi-somthing?" Irma asked.

"Sephiroth." Matt said. "Yeah, he was in my gym period. Strange guy, but pretty strong. I think the coaches are already planning to have him try out for the football team."

"You're right about the strange part." Elyon said. "I met him before first class, and he just seemed, I dunno... ...off... somehow."

"You mean as in 'We need to keep an eye on this guy' off?" Miranda asked.

Shaking her head, Elyon answered "Ordinarily I would say no. But after the freaky dream, well, maybe we should think about it."

"Hey, speaking of new students where's this Zach guy you were telling me about?" Joel asked.

"Still in Kandrakar." Alchemy sighed. "He won't be here for a week yet. Something about trouble faking the paperwork to get him enrolled."

"Awfully big sigh Al." Cornelia teased.

Elyon agreed. "Totally. Are you interested in him?"

"Maybe." Alchemy admitted, blushing.

"Well it's about time!" Will said. "He seems like a nice enough guy Al."

"Yeah, but he's also so different from me." Alchemy said. "Impulsive, disorganized... And he doesn't know who he really is. What if he turns out to be with someone already back on his world?"

"You're over thinking Al." Cornelia answered. "If you've got a chance take it!"

"Totally." Taranee agreed.

"Well, maybe... Let's wait 'til he's actually coming here to school first."

As Alchemy was speaking this last, the bells began to ring. Will sighed. "Back to it people."

Standing, Taranee asked "Where we meeting up after school for the trip to Kandrakar?"

"Shell Beach works for me." Will answered. See you all there..."

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Somewhere else. In a black starless void of utter darkness, a large shimmering portal hovered in the midst of the abyss. Viewed from either side, the portal contained a translucent image of the Guardians as they left the Sheffield cafeteria. Standing 'over' the portal were a ring of shadowy figures. They included a tall thin woman in a revealing dress and horned helmet, a evil-looking clown, and a bald man with a long flowing beard and mustache, among many others.

"They are aware of the approaching danger." the woman said.

"It matters not sorceress. Jenova is on Earth. She will act according to her nature, and unwittingly advance our interests as a result."

"You mean advance Necron's interests." the clown said.

"A valid concern Kefka. Necron promises us our heart's desires for serving him. Yet what do we know of his true goals?"

"Kefka, Ultimacia, consider our alternatives." The bald man said.

"We have none Emperor."

A deep rumbling frightful voice spoke from above. "Exactly. You have no alternatives."

The ring of figures around the portal bowed down as a black swirling mass, a deeper darkness, coalesced out of the surrounding darkness into the form of a humanoid figure. "Lord Necron." Ultimacia whispered.

"You will serve me. Like it or no." Necron ordered. "Yet like it you should, for I will honor my word to grant your desires."

"And what of your desires Necron?" Ultimacia asked.

"You know already. I have never denied it; Death to all that lives. Yet, this goal will take centuries to complete. By serving me you save your worlds for last, giving you much time to rule before I come for them as well." Necron answered. "Not to mention the power you will need to best those who would otherwise defeat you."

"Why target Earth though?" Kefka asked. "Wouldn't Kandrakar itself be a better target?"

The Emperor answered "It would. But as Queen Neera recently learned assaulting the very heart of infinity is easier said than done."

Necron concurred. "Yes, even I intend to save Kandrakar for last, when it is alone and weak. As for why the Earth, well, the Guardians are there. We must deal with them sooner or later, why not now?"

"Then what is our plan?"

"For now we bide our time." Necron replied. "Jenova is loosed upon an unsuspecting Earth, and soon enough Meridian will also feel her wrath. That is enough for the present time but fear not: Our hour is fast approaching..."

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Sheffield. As the first day of school ended the Guardians rushed away to the cave on Shell Beach, anxious to go to Kandrakar and report their concerns. "Everyone ready?" Will asked.

"Ready and anxious." Elyon said. "I've got a really bad feeling about this one Will. I just can't get that dream out of my head."

"Then let's go." Will agreed, opening a fold.

After they disappeared into the fold which closed behind them, the shadows stirred in the cavern. A blue-skinned woman stepped out from behind a large boulder. "My my my..." Jenova mused. "The Guardians of Infinity. This just got more interesting..." With a flourish of raising her arms over her head, she transformed into an apparently normal human woman with medium Caucasian skin and dark hair. Though nude in her true form, this disguise covered Jenova in a sharp-looking woman's business suit. She examined herself, satisfied with the results. "So much to do... This world is much healthier than I left Gaia. No meteor to smash into it to kick-start the process either. Oh well. Let's get started..." She strode out of the cave and walked towards Heatherfield, destruction on her mind and malice in her eyes...

Meanwhile in Kandrakar the Guardians arrived near the inner sanctum where they usually met up with Himerish and the council. Even as they were stepping out of the fold a voice shouted out "Hey ladies!"

"Hey Zach." Irma answered. "How's it been?"

"Dull." Zach answered.

"Don't worry, you'll get to Earth soon enough." Cornelia said, shoving Alchemy towards the boy as she spoke, "Besides, you've got company now."

Alchemy blushed slightly as she greeted Zach. "Surely there's something you can do to keep yourself busy here?"

"Sort of. There's a big empty chamber on the bottom level, they let me use it for sword practice. And I do laps around the outer perimeter of the fortress."

With a raised eyebrow, Alchemy said "The outer perimeter is just balconies with huge gaps between them..."

"Yeah. I can't fly like you ladies, but I can jump pretty far."

"Impressive." Taranee said.

"Very. Just be careful. If you miss a jump there's no place to land." Will said.

"Don't worry, I've got it covered. So, is this a social call or...?"

"It's the 'or'. We've gotta see the Oracle." Elyon said.

"But, you wanna join us for supper at the Dragon afterwards?" Alchemy asked.

Zach smiled. "Sure! This Chinese food reminds me of something I ate back home... Not sure what..."

"Still no new memories back?" Taranee asked.

"Flashes in dreams." Zach replied. "They're gone as soon as I wake up."

As he was speaking the doors to the inner chamber opened and Luba stepped out, motioning for the Guardians to enter. "See you in a few Zach." Will said, and they walked into the inner room.

"Welcome Guardians." Himerish greeted the girls as they approached. "Guardian Cassidy is not with you?"

"She's working." Will said. "And we figured we shouldn't wait."

"Indeed. What troubles you?"

Elyon stepped forward and told Himerish and the council about her dream, beginning with waking up in a ruined palace, the monsters, Varrik's tale, and how it ended with the discovery that both Earth and Meridian were dead. "Then I woke up." She concluded. "I know it was probably just a dream, but I also know how Guardian and Heart dreams can come true, so..."

Himerish nodded. "Yes. It was wise to bring this to our attention. Can you repeat what Varrik said in the dream regarding the woman herself?"

"Yes, he said that she came through a fold, created the creatures via magic, and that those who survived being close to her said that she babbled on about 'enforcing the third law.'"

Luba and Alfor shared a concerned glance at this last, which did not escape notice. "What?" Miranda asked. "What's important about that part?"

Luba answered "The Third Law is almost certainly a reference to the third law of thermodynamics."

"Energy shall not pass from a place where it is less concentrated to a place where it is more concentrated." Taranee quoted. "So what? What's the big deal about that?"

"The big deal," Alfor explained, "Is in what happens when the third law is carried to it's logical extreme. The third law- Entropy- will eventually destroy the universe."

"What!?"

"Basically, it means you can't run things backwards. If you drop an ice cube into a cup of hot water, the heat energy in the water will flow into the ice, making the ice get warmer until it all melts. The opposite will never happen; the little energy in the ice will never flow into the water, making the water hotter and the ice colder." Luba said.

"This is an analogue for the whole universe. Eventually all of the usable energy will have been used." Himerish said. "It is nothing to fear in and of itself. It would take quadrillions of years for the universe to reach a state of total entropy on it's own. But, it sounds as if the woman in Queen Elyon's dream sought to accelerate the process somehow."

"But how do you accelerate a law of physics?" Taranee wondered.

"Wasting lots of power?" Irma asked.

"That would be a miniscule effect." Alfor said. "But... Are you thinking what I am Oracle?"

"I am. A former group of Guardians once fought an enemy which worshiped the third law as it's god. This being considered the existence of life- life of any sort- as an affront to entropy, since life builds up instead of falling apart. Perhaps this being is similar."

"So what can we do?" Will asked.

"Be vigilant." Himerish said. "If the queen's dream holds true the attack will come upon Earth first. Be watchful, be ready, and be willing to accept new allies who might aid your battle."

"New allies?"

Himerish smiled. "Queen Elyon is not the only one to see visions of the future. Now, you should go. Young Zachary is getting hungry. I wouldn't keep him waiting..."