W.I.T.C.H Season 6
Chapter 1
Hitting Home
Author's Note: Hello once again, and welcome to W.I.T.C.H Season 6. I know it's been a while, and I thank you for your patience while apologizing for the wait. I will try my best to keep the updates regular and plentiful. For those new to my stories, Season 6 follows the events of Seasons 3,4 and 5. Without reading those, not a lot that happens here will make too much sense, so I encourage you to give them a shot. As mentioned at the end of Season 5, Season 6 will be the final season. So get comfortable, and let's begin one more time…
Heatherfield
Cornelia leaned back, took a deep breath, and stretched her arms along the back of the couch. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of letting her body go limp, something she hadn't been able to do for a very long time. She knew in the back of her mind that she had no right to be so relaxed, not with the state her life was in, but she repressed those feelings easily. For this day at least, there were no monsters, no armies and no ancient warriors to deal with. The world, galaxy, and the universe were all safe. At least for the time being.
However, along with relaxation came the tingling sensation of boredom nipping at the back of her mind. Her parents were out for the night, treating themselves to a night on the town, and Cornelia had finally been deemed old enough to watch Lillian by herself. Her charge was currently reading in her room, and Napoleon was napping quietly in the last rays of the setting sun, leaving very little for Cornelia to do. Normally she would have taken the opportunity to head to Meridian, but Elyon and Caleb had advised her to take a week off, something she cheerfully agreed with. As such, she was almost glad when the doorbell interrupted her tranquil state.
"Irma?" Cornelia said, swinging open the door. "What are you doing here?"
"Nice to see you too." Irma said with a glare.
"Alright, how are you?" Cornelia replied with an emphatic sigh.
"Meh."
"Meh? You're Irma! I didn't think you ever got below happy." Cornelia said.
"What can I say? All this Guar… Any one home?" Irma said, catching herself.
"Only Lillian in her room, so you're fine. Come on in." Cornelia said, clearing the way.
"All this Guardian stuff recently, with Balsilide and everything else, it's got me kind of…"
"Down? Sad? Depressed?" Cornelia offered.
"I didn't say that." Irma said defensively. "More like… restless? I dunno, like, I've got all these problems and there's nothing I can do about it. It's frustrating."
"I sympathize." Cornelia said, grabbing a drink from the fridge. "But if you don't mind me asking, why come to me? Surely Will, or Taranee, or Hay Lin would be easier to talk to. I'm pretty perfect, but even I'll admit I'm not the best listener."
"Oh, so you do have a flaw." Irma said as Cornelia sat beside her. "Normally I would talk to the others, but you…"
"Yeah?"
"You're the only one who doesn't think I'm funny." Irma finished.
Cornelia paused for a moment to take a drink, giving Irma a suspicious eye over the corner of her cup.
"I'm not saying you're wrong, because you're not, but what does that have to do with anything?" Cornelia said.
"The rest of the girls, they expect a certain something from me. A joke and a smile, but not you. You see through the façade. Means I can be a bit more honest, I guess." Irma said.
Cornelia suddenly felt a much greater deal of sympathy for Irma. The two may not have always gotten along, but Irma was a friend, and a good one at that. Any help that Cornelia may have given, however, was interrupted by a screech from the corner of the room.
"Napoleon?"
The two girls watched as the cat jumped to his feet, hissing at the air, his back arched and tail erect.
"Can't you feel that?" Napoleon asked, pain in his voice. "There's something here, and it's making every hair I've got stand on end."
"Something? What something? Where something?" Cornelia asked, clenching her fists.
"I don't know what." Napoleon replied, his claws digging into the hardwood floor. "It's like… power. Pure power."
"Cornelia, this is bad." Irma said.
"Yeah, thanks for the heads up." Cornelia snapped, the fear audible in her voice. Neither girl had ever seen Napoleon like this, almost incapacitated by the mere presence of this thing. Worst of all, neither had any idea what to do. They were desperately figuring out a plan of action when suddenly Napoleon stopped, his eyes wide.
"I think I just figured out where." He said, his eyes darting down the hallway.
"Lillian!"
"Cornelia!"
Both girls took off down the hallway, towards the sound of Cornelia's screaming little sister. With little regard for the doorknob, Cornelia burst through the door only to see her worst fears confirmed. Lillian was in bed, as Cornelia had left her, but now she appeared to be glowing. A light was shining from her face, but as the girls watched, it was spreading down her body. Cornelia didn't want to find out what happened when it finished.
"Cornelia, what's happening?" Lillian asked, sweat pouring off her brow. "I can't move! Help!"
"Don't worry Lillian, I'm coming!" Cornelia said, diving on to the bed.
She quickly reached for her little sister, but as she did so, Lillian began to shine brighter. Before Cornelia could react, a wall of power unlike any she'd ever felt before threw her across the room, leaving her slumped in the corner.
"Cornelia!" Lillian screamed, the light continuing to advance.
"You all right?" Irma asked, glancing only briefly at her dispatched friend.
"Irma, do something!" Cornelia said, struggling to get to her feet.
"Like what? I have no idea what this is." Irma said.
"You have to do something!"
"If I follow your lead, odds are I join you in the corner." Irma said.
"Irma, that's my sister!"
Irma focused in on Lillian. She was without her powers, and there was no time to call Will. Even if they could, Irma doubted there was anything water would be able to do to help.
"Irma!"
With a deep breath, Irma realized the only option available to her.
"Well, I've got nothing to lose." She said, climbing on the bed.
With a cautious hand, she reached for Lillian just as Cornelia had. She could feel the build up of energy coming from Lillian, and braced herself for impact, Sure enough, she was thrown on top of Cornelia, and the two girls became a tangled mass of limbs. But it was clear that Irma had had an effect on the intruder. It flickered and flashed, before a bright tendril of light lunged for Irma. Irma curled up as the tendril made contact, but once again it flickered. As the girls watched in confusion, it slowly left Lillian's body until it had collected in a small, bright ball of light, which quickly flew out the nearby window.
"Irma, what did you do?" Cornelia said, finally standing under her own power.
"No idea." Irma replied, a blank look on her face. "I think it worked though. Maybe?"
"I'm not complaining." Cornelia replied. "Lillian, are you alright?"
The shock and fear of the preceding events had left Lillian shivering on her bed, and unable to speak.
"She seems fine." Irma said.
"I'll have to deal with this though. Call it a bad dream, or something." Cornelia said, laying Lillian down and tucking her in.
"You do that. I'd love to stick around, but I kind of want to make sure nothing's happening at my house." Irma said, heading to the door.
"Good idea." Cornelia said. "Oh, and thanks Irma. I don't know what you did, but I'm glad you were here."
We'll have to talk to the girls about this too, you know." Irma said, pausing in the doorway.
"Yeah, but, you know, tomorrow." Cornelia said, keeping an eye on her sister.
Irma turned to leave once more, but paused to look back at Cornelia and Lillian.
"Something wrong?" Cornelia asked, noticing Irma was still there.
"I don't know. I've just got a bad feeling about this one." Irma said, a worried expression on her face.
Cornelia tried to give a reason for Irma not to worry, but as she searched for encouraging words, she found none to give.
Marwo
As of yesterday, the planet of Marwo had a population of 4,547,800,000 people, give or take a couple hundred thousand. One of them had had a very strange morning. His name was forgotten, even by him, although he was fairly certain he had had one yesterday.
Memories of his past seemed, in general, to be few and far between. He casually went through his mind, picking up what images and words he could, and discarding what he didn't need. His mother had died in childbirth, his father soon after. He himself had known the military from a young age, and had quickly shot through the ranks. His only constant companion had been death. From childhood, to adulthood, by his hand or by those he commanded, death had been with him. And it had not left.
He smiled, the fond memories giving him new encouragement for the tough days and weeks ahead. He, his spirit, not his body, had been gone a very long time. Many things had changed since his departure, and not much for the better. He felt the strands of chaos grabbing at his skin, tugging at his mind. This universe had become unpredictable and uncontrolled. He planned on changing the latter to fix the former.
It would take time, and more then a fair bit of effort, but it would be done. Of course, there was his sister; he would have to find her. Hopefully, they would reach the same agreement they had before. And if they didn't, well, he had always considered himself the stronger of the two. So much more… permanent then she was.
He looked down at the orb known as Marwo and his confusion began to fade. He himself was high above the world, beyond the atmosphere and standing comfortably in the inky depths of space. From this perspective, everything seemed so small, and so clear. He knew the path, all he had to do now was walk it. With a confident smile and determination in his heart, he turned from Marwo for the final time. He had given his home, if that's what it was, the ultimate gift. He doubted any of them would thank them, but that was fine.
As of yesterday, there were 4,547,800,000 people living on Marwo. Today, there were none.
