"And you're sure about this, Hay Lin?" Cornelia asked as they flew towards Mt. Thanos.
"I'm sure," Hay Lin said, a great fire in her eyes. After calling the girls on what had happened, Hay Lin had Blunk and Will side fold them to Mt. Thanos to see if they could find the former guardians.
After all, this would be a proper place to have a fight.
Will landed on the soft snowy ground first. She glanced around, then gestured for her friends to follow. Hay Lin landed next, followed by Cornelia, Irma, and finally Taranee.
"This is it," Taranee sighed, clenching her fists tightly. "You guys ready?"
"When will we ever be?" Irma sighed. "I mean, I got to get back soon or Cassidy's mom will freak."
"Speaking of which, how did you get out?" Cornelia asked with a small smile.
"I told Emily I was going out with a guy," Irma answered with a shrug of her shoulders.
Taranee rubbed her chilly arms and whined, "Let's go now. My toes are turning into icicles."
Will took a step forward and peeked into the old cave. "I don't know, Hay Lin. It doesn't look like anyone's here."
"Then maybe you should look somewhere else," a cold voice replied.
"Gee, Taranee, no need to take offense," Will said, irritated.
"Uh, Will," Taranee spoke from behind, "that wasn't me."
Will, by hearing this news, whirled around and gasped. Standing, or rather floating, behind them with a cocky smirk on her face, was Cassidy. Or at least the evil Cassidy.
"You!" Hay Lin snarled.
Evil Cassidy laughed. "Yes, me in the flesh and blood. Now, what brings you to my humble domain?"
"Give us back the former Guardians!" Cornelia demanded.
"And return Cassidy back to normal, whoever you are!" Will finished.
Evil Cassidy tilted her head to the side a bit and wore a puzzled look on her face. "Give them back?" she repeated. "Return Cassidy to normal? My, my, you are killjoys, now aren't you?"
"This isn't a game!" Irma barked.
"Since when did I say this was a game?" Evil Cassidy sneered. She held out her palm and sent a jet of icy, black water at Irma.
Irma screamed as the icy water blasted at her, frost bite nipping at her face and hands.
Taranee shot forward and shouted, "Fire!" She send a dozen large fireballs at Evil Cassidy.
Another row of fireballs came and collided with Taranee's. The attack was canceled.
"Who—" but Taranee never got to finish her question.
Another surge of fireballs came at such a rate where Taranee didn't have enough time to dodge or defend herself.
Evil Cassidy laughed menacingly and sneered at the others. "Better keep your socks on, cuz this ain't getting any easier!"
Vines shoot up from the ground and wrapped themselves around Cornelia. She grunted and screamed as the vines slowly began to straggle her.
"Cornelia!" Hay Lin cried out. She sent a wave of air, hoping to pull Cornelia out of the vines.
The vines snapped and Cornelia flew down, gasping for air.
Will shot a lightning bolt at Evil Cassidy, but it was intersected by another bolt of lightning.
"We can't fight them off," Taranee shouted, trying to fend off another swarm of fireballs.
"Oh, you can't leave now," Evil Cassidy cooed sweetly. "We've only barely begun."
Suddenly, four forms appeared next to Evil Cassidy.
Unlike her, they were dressed in normal Guardian outfits.
It was the former Guardians, including the real Yan Lin and Nerissa.
Nerissa, under enthrallment, shot another bolt of lightning at Will.
Halinor send yet another row of fire streaming at Taranee.
Kadma called up rocks to imprison Cornelia.
Yan Lin created a blast of wind steering towards Hay Lin.
And finally, Evil Cassidy send a huge aqua surge at Irma.
The Guardians screamed as they received the blows.
One by one, they fell, unable to move for a good while.
Evil Cassidy laughed darkly and hovered cross legged over Will. "So, Will, how does it feel to be soundly defeated by a bunch of 'old' women? Do you have a burning anger inside? Or perhaps you'd like to cry home to your mommy? Ha!"
Will muttered a curse word under her breath and shouted, "Retreat!"
She quickly made a fold and jumped through it.
The others followed after, and they all landed on Candracar's white, stone floor.
Irma leaned against a pillar and gasped for breath. She noted the destruction Candracar had taken. "Cassidy must've done it while she was capturing Halinor."
"That doesn't matter!" Hay Lin shouted, her small hands balled into fists. "We need to defeat Cassidy and save my grandma!"
"I'm still trying to get over the fact that Nerissa is serving Cassidy," Taranee awed, shaking her head.
Cornelia placed her hands on her hips and demanded, "Well, Will, now what?"
Will narrowed her eyes at everyone and said, "We do what Cassidy requested. We need to fix this thing with laughter."
In the meantime, Evil Cassidy stared at the vacant spot where the Guardians were once standing.
"Mistress?" Halinor asked, following her gaze, "what would you like us to do?"
"What do I want you to do?" Evil Cassidy repeated. Her red eyes flashed and she held out her hand to them. "I want you to fully join me!"
The jet of water that streamed out of her palm over powered the former Guardians. And, like what Nerissa had done with Cassidy, minus her turning against her, the former Guardians released their darker, more sinister selves.
And, like Cassidy, they were clad in black clothing, with darker hair and blood red eyes.
"And so it begins," Evil Cassidy sneered. Darkness is coming, and boy, can it bite!