Chapter VII - Their Meridian (I)

Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

"I'm seriously beginning to think that I will be the only Guardian in the history of Meridian to hate his temple's oracle…" Hades broke the heavy silence of the corridor with a protest to the current situation of him and his cousin.

"Just wait, cousin…" Cain replied calmly, his eyes still closed as he lay motionless on the red velvet cushion, by Hades' side. The other gave him a look of exasperation then got up and began to pace. He would not forgive Ayre for disobeying him and forcing her way upon them. Especially not for taking Hay Lin away from him and then locking him and Cain up, much too far away from Hay Lin to make a difference if something were to happen to her.

"She's impossible!" the redhead groaned, throwing himself back onto the cushion on which Cain was napping. The blond didn't take well to being locked up either, but he was well aware that dealing with the oracles was more complicated than it seemed and rash acting would only cause misunderstandings; the last thing they wanted was to be at odds with the general population of Meridian.

"Chill…"

-About an hour earlier-

"We're hooome!" Hades stated joyfully, jumping out of the portal with Hay Lin secured in his tight embrace. Cain followed moments after yet they weren't greeted by the hallway of Orube's home but by rocks eroded over the course of the years. The blond blinked numerous times and squinted, in an attempt to discover just where they were while Hades suddenly tightened his hold on the girl, turning his head left and right to check whether the area was at least secure.

"Oh, we're home alright…" a grunt of annoyance came from Cain as he realized what exactly the rocks were. He slapped his face and then let his hand slide down while he thought of a proper course of action. "We're at the old Air Temple," he informed soon after, careful not to leave his cousin in the dark for too long. Hades responded with widened eyes and a groan then gently put Hay Lin on her feet, only holding her hand in a death grip.

"What… Where are we, Hades? What is this?" the girl questioned desperately, shock all over her expression. But Hades didn't know how to respond. Explaining who he really was and what he had to do just wasn't part of the plan yet.

"I'm sorry…" he said after a moment's silence and looked to the ground. He shouldn't tell her unless he had Warren's approval, he knew better than to act without his leader's consent. The girl showed maturity in the matter: although visibly disappointed by the lack of response, she gave Hades a weak smile and nodded understandingly. It felt a bit weird though… getting along like they'd been friends forever, holding hands for whatever reason or being carried around…

"Greetings, masters. Welcome home," a deep voice interrupted and all three turned to look in the direction of the interruption. A wet sand figure stood in front of them, floating by the grace of a small wind whirl under its torso that stood for legs. The appearance was humanly, with arms and a well defined face, even wearing a protective armor. Shocking, but not the worst that they'd ever seen yet Hay Lin took a step back, allowing Hades to stand in front of her protectively while still holding onto his hand.

"We've come to take you to the Temple," continued yet another form that glided to be by the first's side. These creatures were, undoubtedly, the guards of the Air Temple or, as they were better known, the Protectors. Hades arched his eyebrows curiously then glanced to Cain who seemed just as surprised.

"Why would you?" the youngest boy questioned in utter shock but the guards gave no immediate response. Cain eyed the potential opponents, searching for blind spots that would ensure their escape but realized with dismay that they were the very creations of one of his teammates and virtually impossible to defeat in their condition. The guards had been rendered by their creator to be able to face the wrath of the worst possible enemy: a fully war-prepared W.Y.T.C.H.. There was no way the two of them alone could take them out, especially not with Hay Lin there.

"It is our lady Ayre's wish," a guard said finally, broken from what seemed to be a trance. It wasn't long before the boys pieced together that, for whatever reason, the Air Temple's oracle wanted to have a word for them and to satisfy her desire she had ripped a hole in the space-time continuum. Hades wondered for a moment why the Oracle would want to see him given that she had yet to come of age and they were still forbidden to make contact.

"Why would the Air's Oracle want me here? It is still another two-three years until she comes of age," the genuinely confused boy replied, making a questioning gesture with his free hand. Behind him, Hay Lin had gripped onto his shirt, not quite fond of the intruders. She was somewhat shell-shocked, not her usual self, but Hades knew it was only the shock of so much information and nothing worrisome.

"It is not your presence that the lady desires," the other party retorted quickly in unison. The Guardians' eyebrows quirked with a mixture of weariness, curiosity and shock that showed on their faces for the slightest of moments.

"What's that supposed to mean? Who else would the Air Temple's Oracle want to have word with? Me?" Cain interrupted, sarcasm set loud and clear in his deep voice. Hay Lin allowed a small smile to grace her lips at the fearlessness of the boy who surely knew, by now, that their situation was not one that allowed for sarcasm and jokes. The figures, however, had set their eyes on the form of Hay Lin who was still hidden behind Hades' broad figure.

"No," both Guardians replied curtly, finally understanding who it was that they wanted. Whatever the purpose of this visit to Meridian, the Air Temple's Oracle could not have her way with someone who didn't even belong in their world.

"It is not for you to decide," Hades's jaw clenched when he heard these words and fought back his growing desire to rip the figures to shreds. He knew he had no chances of destroying those almost perfect creations with merely his own powers; after all, these guards were the dummies that they often used for their training.

"I believe it is the Guardians that the Oracles ultimately respond to," Cain growled, his facial features hardening by the moment. But there was no time for a response to come from the aggressors. Hades, Cain and Hay Lin were lifted into the air by a gust of wind and carried into the soaring heights of the cerulean sky. It was there that Hay Lin saw the most beautiful construction that she'd ever set her eyes upon, comparable only to the majestic Kandrakar.

"Good Lord…" she whispered breathlessly, eyes wide with amazement. Kandrakar had many fluffy clouds surrounding it, forbidding the commoner even a mere glance at its beauty but the Temple was nothing like that. It was an enormous spotless-white palace that had a gothic feel to it, simply floating in the sky as if there was nothing more natural in the world. Giant, ebony entrance doors opened with a soft screech when they approached and the wind that had carried them there set the group down, upon a blood-red carpet that adorned the floor of what seemed to be a main hall.

"First time here and it's only to find out that my Oracle has a few screws loose. Simply awesome," Hades groaned, letting go of Hay Lin's hand to put his arm around her protectively. "I won't let them take you away, don't worry," he whispered in her ear in his softest voice but his neck was tired and what was supposed to be gentle and comforting was husky and a bit dangerous.

"Chill, bro. There's nothing in this place that'll dare disobey the orders of two Guardians," Cain said reassuringly, only completing with "I hope" in the depths of his subconscious. They had only seen an Oracle once and she hadn't been feeling well enough to exhibit much of her powers.

"Yeah, I know," the redheaded boy tried to force a chuckle but all that came out was a nervous laugh which gave away his uncertainty. Feeling the tension in the air, Hay Lin gave her protector a warm, tight hug.

"It's going to be okay!" her smile made him feel as if there was nothing he couldn't do but the emotion was short lived. Into the hallway came a small group of human priestesses that approached Hades, Cain and Hay Lin a bit too fast for their personal comfort.

"What's this?" Cain questioned, slightly outraged by the sight before his eyes. "Have we agreed to anything Ayre desired? Since when do the Oracles so blatantly disregard the Guardians?" the one-sided interrogatory continued but the women gave no sign of listening so the annoyed blond took out twin sabers from the sheaths on his back. They looked so natural on his back that Hay Lin hadn't even noticed he'd been armed ever since he approached her and the girls back on Earth.

Finally feeling the threat of the Earth Guardian with the rapidly diminishing distance between them, the priestesses came to a halt about three feet away from Cain. One of them looked especially displeased, even more so when Hades took out a whip that glowed white as his power rushed through it.

"You cannot threaten us! We are the priestesses of the lady Ayre!" she looked like the leader of the group and her cunningness only pissed off Cain who was known for having a short fuse. He took two steps towards the women, until the outstretched blade of the saber in his right hand came under the chin of the supposed leader and the cold piece of metal pressed hard against the tender skin. She gulped and her body shook with what was both terror and anger.

"I am the Guardian of Earth, I can do whatever the hell I want. It may come as a surprise to you, little, ignorant piece of crap, but I could kill you right here and now and no one would have the right to complain because you provoked me," the blond said menacingly and even Hay Lin felt threatened by his cold tone and dangerous words. Hades rubbed her arm with the hand he had around her shoulders as a sign of how Cain didn't really mean to do anything more than point out how they were supposed to obey him and the other Guardians before they obeyed their lady.

The priestess's nostrils flared and her lips pursed with newfound annoyance. "You may not shed blood in this holy place!" she muttered and Cain's surprise showed on his face for a moment. He let the saber fall to the ground with a clatter and without notice raised his now free hand and slapped the nuisance across the face with the back of his palm.

"Not a drop of blood has been shed," he explained, with an expression that promised that there was more from where that came. The woman held her wounded cheek with her palm and furiously blinked away tears that threatened to fall.

"Cain…" Hades warned, weary of Hay Lin's fear. The blond bent down and picked up his weapon then sheathed the two sabers carefully, knowing he had made his point. One of the women bowed her head deeply, as if on command and the others stared at her in disbelief.

"You're all dismissed. You may not go to the city until you learn some proper manners," growled the shrill voice of a youngster, a child no older than twelve but who was clearly in a high position. Cain and his cousin regarded the child whose head was adorned with a golden tiara and "hm"-ed but said nothing more, neither complaint nor praise. Displeased but not daring to cross the girl, the priestesses left without accomplishing whatever purpose they had in coming to the main hall.

"Forgive the disobedience, esteemed Guardians. Much time has passed since we've last answered to one of your kind so it is understandable that some of our priestesses know little of the respect they should harbor for your kin-" although young of age, she spoke with an elegance that would have had even Taranee, who was renowned for her gentle and wise speeches, eat her heart in spite. While she was a true spokeswoman she was certainly not the Oracle.

"Yade, yade, yade," Hades interrupted, his free hand imitating a mouth that kept on rambling, after he cleared his throat to get the attention. "What's going on?" he then demanded and his previously softened features hardened yet again. Child or not, the girl was still sent by the Oracle and that meant she had a purpose.

"It isn't a mere whim of Ayre that you are here, but she wants to have a word with the girl accompanying you two because, as you well know, she is not of age and cannot address you yet," Hay Lin pointed to herself in shock and frowned at the piece of information. What could this Ayre want from her?

"No. Definitely no," replied Hades almost instantly, pulling Hay Lin close to him in an attempt to protect her from the unseen enemy. The little girl sighed and tried to open her mouth to explain the necessity of the visit but it was Hay Lin who barged into the conversation.

"I'll just go. You don't have to be a genius to see that she won't leave it alone until I see her," she sighed and with shaky steps approached the girl who she was sure would lead her to this Oracle. Hades caught her hand after only two steps and squeezed it gently to make her look at him. No words were necessary, she could read it in his eyes that he didn't want her to go anywhere.

"Hay Lin, you don't have to do this. Ayre cannot impose her will," Cain tried assuring, feeling his cousin's dismay. But the W.I.T.C.H. member knew that however hard they tried to protect her, they would only put themselves in danger while opposing Ayre's troops.

"It's okay, I'll be back before you know it," Hay Lin smiled gently and slid her hand away from Hades' grip. She didn't want to leave, she was too scared to leave, but sacrifice was necessary for them to get out safely.

"You'd better bring her back fast," Hades glared at the child who nodded and quickly showed Hay Lin away, through the huge ebony doors that she'd come in through. The boys, now alone, sighed deeply, finally letting their exasperation show full on.

"I hate this," the redhead groaned and perched himself onto a statue's pedestal. Cain, too, took seat on a cushion and attempted making himself as comfortable as possible. Neither felt calm or composed but the situation demanded a calm approach so they tried their best.

"Thanks, man… For what you did there, I mean…" Hades muttered after a few moments of silence in which he contemplated the events of the past ten minutes. The blond, now laying with his eyes closed on the red velvet cushion, smiled slightly but didn't say anything immediately.

"You know there's no other way I would've acted, cousin," with that last reply, he allowed sleep to overtake him because he knew no more words would come from his teammate. Little did he know that the silence in which he left Hades only aggravated the process of his guilty conscience.

Hay Lin crossed a bridge made of clouds and was showed into a room much alike the hallway that she'd just left. The journey must have taken at least half an hour, through an intricately designed maze of halls and bridges between towers that seemed to ascend towards the heights of the Temple. Lo and behold, in front of her stood the beautiful figure of a fair-toned and green-eyed girl whose unimaginably long, white hair seemed to connect her to everything around, almost like a net. She wore a loose, light grey robe that hardly gave away her body's form, but for the arms that were revealed by the sleeveless design. And she had wings. Goodness gracious, she had huge, beautiful, transparent wings that looked like they could easily lift her into the air at any given moment.

"Are you…?" the Air Guardian trailed off and the girl in front of her blinked numerous times before she opened her mouth, saying something in a strange dialect, a language unknown to Hay Lin's ears. A short moment later, the words began to make sense, forming logical sentences, as if someone was translating them from the Oracle's language.

"I'm sorry," the girl lamented and pursed her lips in what seemed to be a bit of annoyance. "This spell for you to understand me is the best I can do for us to understand each other, but I don't yet know the human language so I'm afraid a priestess will have to translate to me what you're saying…" she appeared gentle, even kind and if it weren't for Hay Lin's knowledge of what the boys had gone through because of this person in front of her, she would have even been deluded into thinking they were friends.

"It's alright, I suppose you're the one who should do most of the talking anyway…" Hay Lin assured, kneeling down in front of the girl and adopting a traditional Asian position for official ceremonies, hands tightly gripped together in her lap. Having heard the translation, the Oracle smiled a bit and nodded her head, copying Hay Lin so as to be on the same level.

"I didn't want to meet you until later, when I could actually give you a blessing of sorts," Ayre regarded her long, finely manicured claws in deep thought, glanced over to Hay Lin then back to her clawed hand. "Yet, our destinies are weaved into such a fine web that my desires cannot prevail," with a mechanic movement, her hand clenched into a fist then relaxed slowly as if admitting the incapacity to change the weavings of fate. Soon enough, Ayre's position changed to an awkward Indian style, one hand propped on her knee to hold her head from falling, but Hay Lin didn't flinch, patiently waiting for the rest of the speech.

"I won't even bother you to understand these things… You don't really need to know, but I had to say this or my conscience would have gotten the best of me soon enough…" saying this, the Oracle gestured with her free hand for a priestess to come over with whatever she was holding. The servant had laid down next to Ayre the small box that she carried and then left to attend to other things. It was difficult to keep up with Ayre's changing nature, Hay Lin noted in the back of her mind, waiting patiently for Ayre to continue. When the Oracle opened the wooden container, Hay Lin caught glimpse of a gorgeous jet-black upturned crescent pendant.

"It's pretty…" said the mesmerized Guardian, reflexively reaching out for the pendant that seemed to be calling out to her. Ayre pushed it toward Hay Lin and smiled brightly, not even bothering to say that it was meant for the Guardian to have it. Without hesitation, Hay Lin put on the charm then got up for no reason in particular. For a long time, she just stared at the little thing, completely taken in by its charm, and only when Ayre brushed her hand over Hay Lin's shoulder did the Guardian come back to reality. She laughed sheepishly at her behavior and then looked at Ayre with eyes that questioned the purpose of the pendant.

"It's my gift for you, of course. How could I bring you all the way here and not give you anything as a parting gift?" she brushed off Hay Lin's unvoiced inquiry with a joyfulness that was most out of place but the Guardian failed to notice it, being distracted by the stone in her hand. "Would you like me to put it on for you? It will look beautiful around your neck!" yet again, the same joy, but this time it was a bit more… real…

"Ah… If you'd be so kind," Hay Lin smiled, having forgotten whatever worry had been on her mind, and offered Ayre the pendant to tie it around her neck. The Oracle took the offering then put around Hay Lin's neck, securing the gift with a knot then a beautiful ribbon. Almost childishly, she took Hay Lin's hand and dragged her over to what resembled a mirror so that the Guardian could see how it looked on her.

"It looks gorgeous on you!" Ayre exclaimed, looking from the mirror to the real thing and back again. Hay Lin couldn't believe her eyes. Indeed, the black crescent pendant that tied around her neck with a thick, black velvet band looked absolutely breath-taking on her but it was incredible how it made her look somewhat more mature, kind of like how the transformation made her appear a few years older.

"How about I have someone get you some adequate Guardian robes and fix your hair a bit so that it goes with this new addition to your wardrobe?" maybe she was a bit enthusiastic, but who could blame her when Hay Lin was her first playmate in who knows how long. "I'll tag along and get a makeover too!"

Unable to suppress a giggle at Ayre's sudden mood swing, Hay Lin accepted with a small nod. The oracle smiled widely, but it wasn't exactly a smile that reached her eyes. More like one meant to reassure Hay Lin of her safety in the Temple grounds, to calm her.