M.A. Meets W.I.T.C.H.

Cezille07

CHAPTER 2.

"There they are."

"What're are those kids doing in a horrible place like this?"

Now, WITCH had a clear view of their targets. They were huddled behind a small bramble bush downstream of the river. Ahead, Zick and Elena were still walking, talking about their report, headed for the underground tunnels.

"Whatever they're doing, they know it well. They don't seem to be protecting themselves from my telepathy. No shields. It's just them. They know what they're doing," observed Taranee.

"Hmm, we can't cross out the possibility that they're just human kids. But there's something supernatural about them, if it's not magical, don't you think?" Will thought aloud.

They agreed—

All except for Irma. "Or they could be just plain crazy. Look, guys, we still have no clue as to why baldy led us to this place. It's almost completely normal, except for those two. We can look around elsewhere."

"They know about the 'elsewhere' we need to look for," said Hay Lin. "We need to negotiate with them."

Irma didn't listen. "Then they can be saving the world in our place and we can relax like hell."

Aside from rolling her eyes, Taranee responded, "They're going into the one of the entrances."

They skirted down the edge of the river, silently following their subjects.

"I feel something," Irma told them a little later.

"I bet it's your stomach and you want to go home. Or something else too complicated for your brain to process!" Cornelia joked.

"No, it's like you're getting hypnotized into doing things you're told."

"Girls, enough!" Will instructed.

"Actually, that is enough. Why are you following us?"

The voice they suddenly heard froze them.

They could only gulp. Zick was using the Tone on them and they didn't know it. And though they didn't know it, because they were magical beings, they were subject to his power.

Zick finally came out in front of them, his hand outstretched. "I don't want to have to say it again."

"Yeah, fear the great Tamer! Hahaha!" Elena laughed evilly from behind Zick.

"Will, I can't move!" Cornelia said with difficulty.

"Neither can I." Will turned her look to the pair. "Zick and Elena—those are your names, right?"

Elena grinned. "Thanks for remembering, but you anguanas—"

"Anguanas?" interrupted Hay Lin.

"Well, those are what old, ugly witches are called."

Cornelia moved an inch in disgust. "I may be a guardian but I certainly make sure my hair doesn't fall out of place!"

"Hmm, and your wrinkles are well-hidden too," Elena remarked, inspecting the Guardians.

"Wrinkles?! Absurd! I, the Guardian of Earth, have no wrinkles! I'll have none of it!"

Will had become exasperated with her friends at this point. "Okay, okay. We're sorry we had to resort to this. Our friend Irma here had some doubts about you guys. But we need your help."

"Sure, after spying on us. That's really great," Zick replied with sarcasm.

"We were sent here by the Oracle," explained Will. "We belong to a planet called Earth in the Solar System, in one of the universes nearby—"

"Um, we're from Earth too. Where do you think you guys were? Outer space?" quipped Elena.

The girls looked at each other in confusion.

"We've done that. In Kandrakar, the Center of Infinity, that's where we received instructions to come to this place to suppress evil forces," Will continued.

Zick and Elena reflected looks.

"Well, we have a lot of that, but I hope you've heard that there is a good and a bad side even to monsters," Zick told will. He allowed them movement but remained watching them carefully. "Some of them are under our family's care, and the ones we're looking for right now might be what you came here to fight. And lucky for us, or maybe lucky for you, we're fighting on the same side against this new, dark force that's been causing some strange phenomena, the most obvious being humans' anger flaring."

They all looked at Irma.

"What?" she asked.

Taranee understood. "Okay, I get it. So in your part here, there are monsters we can't see. You have some ability to see and control them. We've encountered stranger versions of that same storyline."

"But you'll never see anything like Zick's Taming powers!" Elena said proudly. "My best friend here can do anything with those things. Only, I wish I could see them too, you know."

"Great!" exclaimed Will. "I'm glad we've got this sorted out. Now let's go look for that creature."

"Get used to the term 'monster'," Elena added. "That's what we've got a lot of."

"Alright," Will smiled. "Monster hunters, let's go."

Irma grimaced.

"Whatever," Zick said nearly inaudibly, "Just don't start calling me Superhero or I'm going back home."

They entered the tunnels.

"There's a concentration of that negativity in this area. You feel that?" Zick asked.

The WITCH girls nodded.

"All I know is I wish I know what you guys know. And see," Elena whined.

Irma gave her a light pat on the back. "For once I agree with you, midget."

"Midget, huh? When we're done, we'll see who's smaller under my fist!"

Hay Lin smiled. "Well, if you're saying he affects people by inflicting a lot of negativity, then it's for sure: He's here."

"Like I said," Zick said, shaking his head. "Let's move around over there. Something's giving an awful stench—" He sneezed, "—which means what we're looking for is close."

"Yeah!" Elena added, excitement written all over her face. "Hear that? That's an authoritative observation from an expert Tamer!"

Zick smiled modestly. "Thank you, that's enough Elena."

Cornelia looked concerned. "I heard it. What was that? You got a cold?"

"It's my allergy," Zick answered.

"To monsters!" added an enthusiastic Elena.

"But how are we going to get this guy if you're sneezing all the time, then?"

Elena ignored the statement. "Just trust him! He's the greatest! It helps us find them easily."

They went on a few meters. Something small brushed against their feet.

"I think that was a rat," Hay Lin sighed thankfully. "Good I didn't see it, or else I'm out of here."

"Don't you know they use rats for burgers?" Irma teased.

Elena reacted, "Hey that's enough! I love burgers!"

Zick raised his hand again. "Quiet," and they all fell silent.

Motioning to the wall, he told them, "There's a presence behind this wall. You feel it?"

They all looked at the wall and nodded, except for Irma. "For once I know what it's like to be a normal person. You're getting all the fun."

"Quiet!" he repeated. "He can hear us. For all we know he's watching us right now."

"Zick. Listen, are you getting the feeling this has happened before?" Elena's eyes were fixed on the evil-looking wall.

"Shh! Let me try something...."

He held out an arm to touch the wall. Instantly he was thrown back a couple of meters.

"Are you okay?!" cried Elena.

He got up and addressed the wall, "Yeah. Be careful around there, he's here alright."

"Let us try something of our own," Will suggested.

The WITCH girls formed a semi-circle in front of it. In a blinding flash of light, a small sphere materialized in Will's palm.

She raised it in front of the wall. "Heart of Kandrakar, show us this creature!"

Another bright flash of light, then suddenly the wall was translucent, dark but see-through. There was a dark shadow hiding and indeed watching them.

"I've never seen anything like it," remarked Cornelia.

Elena wasn't delighted. "You can see it?! Why can't I see anything! I can't—"

"Stop talking."

"Fine, fine, but the Tone doesn't work on humans! Sheesh! I'm just exclaiming how lucky you people are," Elena justified.

Hay Lin broke from the circle and came closer to examine it. "Look at it. It looks like a huge cucumber!"

"You're looking face to face at one of the most dangerous Gorkas there are," Zick explained. "Their powers of persuasion are amazing; believe me I've experienced it."

"Yeah yeah, but it's not really that great, huh, to live after being in the clutches of Magnacat. Whatever," Elena muttered. "So now what do we do? We still have our project if you still recall."

"Don't be so annoyed. Let's just get out of here now and tell Timothy," he answered.

"Look, it's moving!" Taranee pointed to it.

Abruptly, the Heart 'short-circuited'; its light died out, and with it, Magnacat's image.

"He's controlling your pendant," declared Zick.

Will broke from the circle as well. "Let's break the wall," she said.

"And what, risk that thing getting inside our heads and controlling us? Think about it. It looks to me he's absorbing all the positive energy in this area to make him stronger," Cornelia stated.

"Cool." Elena beamed. "Never thought of it that way."

"Of course, midget, your brain must be smaller than a berry," remarked Irma.

Elena frowned. "Which is, of course, bigger than your brain." Then she noticed Zick. "You look disappointed."

"I'm not cool?"

"This isn't the time for your drama. And you? Cool? Polar opposites." She lit up. "Oh so you like it? You like me adoring you?"

"No. Get over it. My liking that? Impossible. Like a floating iceberg escaping the Circumpolar Current."

Elena was the one who looked disappointed now. Then she asked, "What is a Circumpolar Current anyway?"

Zick sighed. "You don't listen well enough in class. Miss Swift just mentioned that last week. Some ocean current around the Antarctic that goes all around the world in an endless circle because there's no land formation to alter its course."

"Oh." Elena smiled. "Cool."

Then there was a low, loud rumble.

And the walls burst in a magnificent light!

Mask of Fire was standing in front of them.

"Get down!" yelled Zick.

The ceilings collapsed.

Taranee looked at the now destroyed wall. "He's still there, I feel it."

"I see him," Zick said, "Don't move."

"What does it look like?!" Elena asked eagerly.

Hay Lin was thankful, "Lucky us we have your eyes."

"Shhhh! It's penetrating our minds!" Taranee panicked.

"It's his natural powers, he can easily control others. Don't think too loudly...." Zick instructed in a hushed voice, focused on the enemy.

Mask of Fire appeared gloriously in front of them, and said with disdain, "They can't see me, Tamer? Without that silly pendant? They're trying hard, but of course you know already it won't do any good. Why are you still fighting?"

"How about you tell us why you're back first?" answered Zick.

"The same reasons. Gather an army, attack my home city, claim the Tutors' heads and have them displayed on my pod." He smiled down on them in a superior manner. "Water Bearer, come with me."

Irma rose to her feet, her eyes blank, and walked straight into the Mask of Fire's body.

"Irma!" cried Will.

"Potato girl," Mask of Fire went on.

"You could have given me a better nickname! I'm not listening to you!" And she found her hand being grasped by Zick.

Mask of Fire leered at her. "You have nothing to fight me with."

"Nothing but this!" She rummaged in her bag for something and throws Zick a jar.

"Cool! You have one."

"Always in case you needed it. Go on and get him!"

Zick canned Mask of Fire in three seconds.

"That was too easy," he said, though partly exhausted.

"What about Irma?" Hay Lin pleaded with teary eyes. "What's going to happen to her? Is she alive? Did that monster eat her, or is he using her powers for something?"

"If and when she gets out, her head might be cooler," Elena taunted.

"Kids! Your monster isn't gone! I still feel him!" Taranee yelled in utter urgency.

"What's he thinking, Tara?" Will inquired.

"I don't really understand. It just sounds bad to me."

"Relax, he's trapped in this jar temporarily," Zick told them.

"But that's a tiny little thing to be trapped in," remarked Cornelia.

"The word is 'Canned', ladies," Elena cut in, "and you've just witnessed a performance by an excellent Tamer!"

"Um, thank you, but we have to get this to the Tutors. They might be able to get your friend out and have Mask of Fire transferred to a more permanent place," Zick said as he hid the Dombox in his bag.

"I thought you finished him then," Elena asked him. "I wonder how he got out...and went back here to this very place?"

"Wait, you mean this guy's been 'canned' before?" Will thought for a moment. "This time, it might be our turn to help you. It's time we see the Oracle for help."