Author's note

Okay, here it is, the moment of truth for the Ethereal guardians.

Twenty-four hours had passed since the Halloween party, yet many questions ran through the minds of everyone who had been present. Especially eight schoolgirls out in Shibaura park.

"What d'you suppose is happening?" Dana was saying anxiously. She was still nervous after her terrifying escapade the previous night.

"Hey look there's always a logical explanation and truth!" Zaira said sternly, "And mind you, if this is someone's sick idea of a cruel joke. . . I'm bailing!"

That was Zaira. Suspicious and wary.

"Mysterious dreams, clothes that change color, strange events," Haruna said calmly, her fingers drumming on the park bench. "What do you call these?"

"Uh. . .side effects?" Theo interjected doubtfully.

"Who knows?" Beth shrugged, "Maybe we've got a little mystery on our hands."

At that moment, an old beggar man approached asking spare change for food. Out of compassion, each one of the girls pulled out a little bit of something from the food they had packed earlier that day.

For their kindness, most of their questions would not go unanswered. That was when suddenly everything freezes all around them. It was as if someone had pushed the pause button on a remote control.

"Uhm, Beth . . . Kylie. . ." Dana said looking around her with a hint of uncertainty, "W-why is everything frozen?"

The girls all started to look around themselves in confusion.

Zaira looked out at the street; all the passersby's and cars had stopped in the middle of what they were doing. "Weird . . ." she said coldly.

"They ARE frozen!" cried Sara waving a hand in a frozen little hummingbird's face.

When they turned back to look at the beggar, they saw that the rags had melted away to reveal an gentle-faced, elderly man dressed in a long, flowing lilac cloak.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but I'm afraid there are a few questions of yours that must be answered." He said, as he reached into his robe and pulled out a large, leather-bound crimson book and a necklace with a glass charm.

It was a clear glass orb held in a silvery clasp; to the left holding it from top to bottom was a regal lion with an open mouth and to the right, was a rose.

"Hey, that's the necklace from our dreams!" Dana gasped. "Where'd you get it?"

"What matters is that you will be keeping it, and the book from now on," said the mage. "This is the heart of Etherea, the twin of Candracar's Heart of Etherea. And the eight of are the new Ethereal guardians."

The mage's grey eyes swept over the eight young girls one by one.

"Guardians?" Kylie inquired curiously, "What kind?"

The mage smiled a mysterious smile. "Open, your eyes, your mind, and heed that what I tell you is true. It is a tale- a tale as old as time – In the very beginning, spirits and creatures coexisted in the same world, one vast realm. Then, as it sometimes happens. . . " he paused pensively before he continued, "The balance shifted. Spirits and creatures learned evil, and all these uncharted realms were divided. Such was this, that the new worlds were created, so that hundreds living beings and their worlds would live separated from the world of man. It was then that the universe gave life to two temples: that of Candracar, in the very heart of Infinity, and the kingdom of Etherea, which floats in the clouds high above us all. And to ensure that no evil can crossover to neither Earth or the new worlds, the Veil was created. A precious barrier between good and evil, that was to be guarded by a handful of good beings that controlled the forces of nature. Now, unlike the Guardians of Candracar, you're chosen to defend not only the Earth, but many, many new worlds from supernatural cataclysms."

Theo's jaw dropped, Dana's fingertips were on her lips in amazement while Zaira just looked on.

Then the mage stepped over to Sara, who gasped upon seeing the glass orb glow blue. "Sara," he said, "You will have power over water – broken and uncontainable. "

Next the mage turned to Zaira, who looked mutinous.

"To you, firm Zaira, the power of thunder," he pronounced before turning towards Theo, and saying, "To you adventure loving Theo- the difficult gift of fire. And to you, Haruna, the power of Mother Earth, as so it will be for you, Yui, with the gift of the stars." Then he turned solemnly to Kylie, "Your gift Kylie, is one that works in mysterious ways. . . you will receive the magic that emanates from the kingdom of those from high above."

Kylie blinked, scarcely believing her own ears. Finally the mage stepped over to Dana and placed his warm, rough hand on top her head.

"And you, little Dana," he said gently "You will be as free and light as air."

"And me, s-sir?" Beth questioned tentatively.

"Hold out your hand, Beth," the wise man said. Puzzled, Beth did as she was told. As the Heart of Etherea was slowly lowered into her right hand, the mage handed the crimson book to Kylie. Looking closely, she could see that it had a gold lion engraving on the front cover. "This, new guardians, is the Book of Secrets, it contains the recorded history and magical wisdom of all the previous guardians before you, fairy or good witch."

That was when the orb (Heart of Etherea) began to shine a hot pink color. Beth just looked on in amazement, face rapturous. Her blood-red hair floated around her head as gracefully as it would underwater.

There was just no other word for it. . . magic. Pure, indescribable, breath-taking magic. And as soon as it began it stopped; the Heart of Etherea became an inanimate necklace once more.

Beth blinked her large, blue eyes twice. "Wow. . . did that come out of me?"

But she got no answer as the mage had vanished along with the glow. And everything began at normal pace.

-----------------

No one said a word until they formed a small tight circle on the sidewalk.

"I just can't believe what happened," Haruna said wanly.

"Nothing happened!" Zaira yelled, she stood up, "That was just another lousy con artist story! "

"You're not scared are you?" Theo asked sharply. Theo was always a bit of a thrill seeker; she loved a good challenge and feels disappointed when no one decides to take a good risk once in a while.

Zaira stubbornly turned her back on them, "I don't believe in daydreams or crummy fairy tales coming true-"

But Kylie suddenly stopped her with an enraged gesture.

"Maybe YOU don't!" she said in a fierce voice that took everyone aback. "But I do believe that we have the strength to make our dreams come true. The world is full of genuine magic, many of us just don't see it. . . or not want to."

Although she seemed angry, her silvery voice was strung out and on the verge of tears.

Zaira's face quickly went from irritated to somber. As if understanding that she'd just said something cruel and was now feeling ashamed about it.

"I –I need to be alone," she sighed.

After Zaira left, Yui put a comforting hand on Kylie's shoulder.

"Zaira never meant to hurt your feelings Kylie," she said reassuringly, "She's only frustrated that she didn't figure it out in the first place."

But one thing was clear. . .their lives have changed, whether for the best or worst, they were about to find out.

As the girls prepared to leave for home, Kylie's voice suddenly shouted. "NO, STOP!"

They turned around. From what it seems, a thief appeared to have snatched Kylie's gold locket from around her neck and now Kylie was running after him to get it back. Dana had already took off after Kylie and so had Sara.

Sara yelled out, "Theo tell our folks we're fine. We'll be right back!"

Then she disappeared behind the corner.

Beth looked after them, stunned for a moment. Then she shrugged and told Theo, Yui and Haruna: "You three do that. I gotta catch up to my sisters!"

"No prob," Theo said. "See you at school!"

So Beth ran off after the other girls, "Wait up!"

--------------

As Beth ran, she realized that they were heading to an old school dorm. Soon she, Dana and Sara caught up to Kylie out of breath. Still they scurried inside. The dorm was old and filled with old furniture; not a sign of life anywhere.

"My locket!" Kylie's voice cried some four feet away from them. It came from what used to be the drawing room. Beth took a few faltering steps inside to just in time to see Kylie pick up her locket from the floor.

Sara and Dana approached also.

"Wanted your locket back, hmm?" Sara asked, raising her eyebrows a bit at Kylie.

Kylie nodded, "This is a very special gift from my Grandfather. I've always had it."

Then, what little sunlight was left started to draw away.

Dana's voice was heard, "Beth, Kylie, it's getting dark . . ."

Sara looked back at the doorway. "Yeah, let's go home."

Beth nodded, until she realized something. It seemed rather strange for a thief to suddenly steal something then lead the victim he had stolen from to somewhere isolated... not to mention dangerous!

"Aaaaaiiigh!!!"

Beth nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the screams. She spun around in time to see the curtains or shutters suddenly close on all the windows, drenching her in darkness. Nevertheless, Beth's eyes adjusted but when they did she almost wished she hadn't, because, through the shadows she saw Sara, Kylie and Dana struggling in the clutches of a monster!

Terrifying on top of that. It must be more than six feet tall. It's claws were long black ones –sharp and menacing. It hissed horribly to revealed rows of huge, lethal teeth. The eyes were an evil yellow color with slit-pupilled eyes and it's ears resembled those of a bat. And it was holding the three girls effortlessly with both arms.

"End of the line ladies!" A disembodied voice – female and harsh wafted over to them.

Where in the world was it coming from? They couldn't see anyone else. But clearly, somebody or something could see them.

"Who are you?" Beth shouted into the darkness angrily, "And what do you want from us?"

Kylie, Sara and Dana stopped struggling for a moment. This was big.

A wicked voice cackled her answer, Beth felt her blood congeal.

"When the Winter solstice of this century came to an end, the Veil's weaving had loosened and that your powers would have awakened. Powers that would reveal themselves as soon as the eight of you got together. All that was needed was for the three sisters to arrive."

"It was you wasn't it?" Sara cried, "You took all those children."

"But why us? What did we do?" Dana wailed.

"You were born!" The voice spat in disgust, "And now I want your powers. ALL OF THEM!"

The three girls held by the monster began to squirm, trying to wrench themselves free. And Beth suddenly stood still, just hearing the beating of her own heart. But most of all she could feel something will her to open up her right fist.

When she did, the Heart of Etherea –glowing brilliantly – resting on her palm.

'That's what it's for,' Beth thought. I think it's I put it to good use.'

Beth moved her hand over to Dana, Sara and Kylie with a sweeping motion. "Water! Heaven! Air!"

As the orb soared through the air, three vibrating, teardrop shaped baubles separated themselves from it. One became soft blue, swirly liquid which weaved it's way around Sara and pulling her from the monster's grasp.

When the blue-turquoise teardrop approached Kylie, she suddenly began to glow white. Clear blue white lights and rainbow-colored sparks surrounded her willowy body, as if wrapping her in a multicolored ribbon.

The same happened to Dana, except the teardrop that danced around her was almost like vapor, a puff of silvery wind accompanied by purple, yellow, orange and green leaves. Her long, flaxen hair became free of it's pink ribbon and began to twist around her freely.

Sara's jade eyes turned sultry and her slightly, ruffled hair smoothed into elegant waves.

Various angelic voices seemed to sing as Kylie reached her arms out. She became bathed in a golden-rose colored light that began by the edges until she was shimmering in white lights.

Beth hugged her knees curling into a ball as something began tugging at her back.

Yes, she was becoming the stunning beauty she'd seen in the antique store's window.

Finally, she burst out of her coiled position and took a fighting stance as did the other three girls.

With that one pouncing motion, Beth embraced her destiny with open arms. She was no longer an simple schoolgirl or a common, ignorant mortal; She was a Guardian of the Veil, Keeper of the Ethereal Heart.

Little do they know that their newfound powers mean that they are now prey to other evil forces as well. . . .

Nevertheless, this was none other than the true story of how it all begins for the Enchanted Ones, and for all that lived on Earth and beyond, this was just the beginning.

And that's the very first story. If you want me to write more of their adventures let me know straight away. Please try to put a little more detail into your review too. Remember any rude or offensive flames WILL be ignored.