Hello again, kids, and welcome to the Whale Pit once again. I want to sincerely thank all of my lovely reviewers: cartoonlover101 (thanks for your kind thoughts); sokai (awww, you been thinking about me. Thanks!); nightroad (what is Nerissa's motive indeed? A good question, my friend.); ice silver crystal (Yes, you can have a brownie...you can have two brownies); nemrut (thanks for your compliments); shocklance (The Astral Drop will be revelaed, yes); wolfgurl211 (Thanks for your compliments); Darev (there will be confrontation soon, yes); DayDreamer9 (Yay progress!! I agree with you, it's been a while); Lost Prince (Say hi to mom for me); XV Dragon (Nice imagery on the dam thing); Starwin (Thank you for your compliments...I appreciate your thoughts); AJ (Thanks for skipping the H8 mail. :) ); Zestychicken2 (Just wait...Nerissa will make another appearance soon).

I also want to thank my editor, Visigoth, for his work on this chapter. As always, a superb job.

Now I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update. Blame it on football...yes I'm a fan. Anyway, I know this chapter is kind of short (for me anyway), but I really wanted to get something posted for everyone. So I hope you enjoy it. May I present:

Chapter 11

Nerissa stalked around her lair, a simple cave on Meridian she had turned into her latest hiding place. She had an affinity for caves, as she had spent the last several decades of her life trapped in one. Somehow, a cave made her feel at home, in a strange, twisted sort of way.

Now she felt again liked a caged animal. Her prey had had a psychological breakthrough, thanks to her meddling friends, and Nerissa found this completely unacceptable. Adding insult to injury, it was Yan Lin and Hay Lin that had managed to break the barrier surrounding Irma's psyche.

There was not a single person in the universe Nerissa loathed more than Yan Lin. Her betrayal of her so-called friend so many years ago had stung like a scorpion, and Nerissa had a long memory. Her vengeance against Yan Lin's granddaughter would come, but for now she had more important things to attend.

Like the water brat's complete and utter destruction.

The witch paced around the stone confines of her lair, the wheels in her diabolical head spinning. She could not allow the Guardian any chance to heal herself. Such circumstances were contrary to her devilish plan for vengeance. Nerissa blamed the water witch for her downfall, even though it had been Elyon who had ultimately defeated her.

But vengeance against the Queen of Meridian was already complete. The Heart of Meridian had a new mistress, and the young queen most certainly lay dead by now. This happy circumstance left Nerissa free to pursue vengeance against the young Guardian who had so convincingly resisted her physical and mental tortures. It was because of this resistance that Nerissa's plan had failed. In her mind, Nerissa believed the water witch's ability to hold out for so long had doomed her perfect plan to gain the Heart of Candracar.

And now she was ruining things again.

Nerissa growled deep in her throat, as she continued to pace. She would need to modify her plans slightly if she was to break the water brat...and she knew just what to do.

"It is time, dearheart," the witch intoned to no one. "It is time to prey upon your greatest fear. Survive this if you can!"

--

Will, Taranee, and Cornelia arrived on Meridian. The day was sunny and bright, belying the general mood in the castle. Will didn't know if the people of Meridian knew their ruler hovered between life and death, and she was determined not to let that out if it was a secret. So she put on a straight face and moved with the confidence people expected of the Guardian Leader.

Cornelia stalked along on autopilot. She had reluctantly agreed to accompany her friends on this mission. She felt the need to be near her best friend as she fought for her life, but she also felt the need to be actively doing something to help. The two sides of her warred with one another, but her sense of duty had eventually won out.

The blonde Guardian gazed at Will as she walked purposefully up the stairs of the palace. She wished she had the confidence of her leader.

Taranee watched Cornelia closely. In some ways, the fire witch was more concerned about her tall friend than she was about Irma. To be sure, Irma was battling demons no young woman should have to fight; but Cornelia silently fought her own battles, as well. Of all the Guardians, the earth mistress was the most private. She always had the same, unflappable personality on the outside. Rarely did she allow her personal feelings to mar that facade. That she was so obviously disturbed now worried Taranee greatly.

At the Guardians' approach, a guard blocked their entry. It was a mere formality, but one Cornelia found annoying, all the same. Hadn't they done enough for Meridian to at least merit unchallenged entry into the castle? The tall Guardian shook her head and sighed as Will patiently addressed the young guard.

"Hi," she said. "We're here to look into Queen Elyon's sickness."

The guard nodded stoically and withdrew his halberd, allowing the teens access. Will grinned and waved as she marched through the heavy, polished doors.

"Okay," Will addressed her friends, "we need to think of a plan. We can't just go randomly asking people what they know; they'll think we're accusing them or something."

"I suggest we start at the scene of the crime," Taranee said, pushing her glasses up her nose with one finger. "We may be able to glean some clues from Elyon's bedroom."

"Well listen to Miss CSI," Cornelia quipped.

Will grinned. She was hoping Cornelia wouldn't be all doom and gloom during this mission. Everyone was worried about Elyon, but none more so than Cornelia. They had been best friends for years, after all.

The Guardian Leader motioned for her friends to follow as she made her way through the palace. She knew the way to Elyon's room very well, and it didn't take long for them to arrive. The guard posted outside the door merely nodded and waved them through.

As they entered the bedchamber, Taranee closed her eyes, opened herself up, and listened with her mind. Will and Cornelia stayed very quiet as they walked slowly about the room. They knew their friend would be calling on her powers and they didn't want to disturb her.

After a few minutes, the Fire Guardian opened her eyes. "The only presences I feel are Elyon and Trill. I can feel something else, but I don't know what it is. It's almost as if there was someone else here, but they're trying to mask their identity."

"Well having Trill in here wouldn't be unusual. She's practically Elyon's personal aide. But what is this other presence you're feeling?"

"I don't know," Taranee responded. "It's like seeing your favorite TV show through a lot of fuzz. You can see images, silhouettes, but you can't really tell who any of the characters are or what they're doing."

"Maybe we ought to go talk to Trill," Cornelia suggested. "She may have seen or heard something that can help us."

"We'll probably find her in the kitchens," Taranee said.

Will nodded. "Good idea, but let's have a closer look at this room first. I just feel like there's something we're missing."

The three girls spent half-an-hour searching every nook and cranny of Elyon's bedchamber...but their search turned up nothing useful.

Dejected and a little frustrated, the Guardians trooped to the palace kitchens to have a word with Trill. To their utter astonishment, Trill was nowhere to be seen.

"Where could she have gone?" Will mused.

Rather than try to figure out something on their own, Cornelia accosted the nearest attendant.

"Hi, I'm Cornelia."

The brown-haired attendant inclined her head. "I know who you are, Guardian of Earth. I am Sasha."

"Nice to meet you, Sasha. I'm wondering if you can tell us where to find Trill. We really need to talk to her."

"Is this about the Queen's illness?"

Cornelia nodded.

"Then you should know, no one has seen the queen or Trill in the last few days. The queen's bedchamber has been sealed, and Trill has not returned to the kitchens."

"When did you see her last?" Will asked.

"A few days ago when she took a meal to the queen. She did not return from that visit."

"And no one thought to question her absence?" Taranee asked.

Sasha shook her head. "Trill is the queen's personal attendant. As the queen has been sealed away from us, we assumed Trill would stay with her."

"What do you think has happened to the queen?" Cornelia asked, almost afraid of the answer.

Sasha shrugged. "It is not for me to question those things. I trust that our leaders are doing what is best for Meridian, and that I should do my duty to the best of my ability. That is my job as a citizen of Meridian."

"So you haven't even thought about what's going on?" Taranee said.

"Like I said, it is not for me to question. Of course I have my own theories, but I am not about to ruin morale by spreading guesses."

"Would you mind sharing some of those theories with us?" Will pushed.

Sasha narrowed her eyes and looked about nervously. She lowered her voice then, and leaned closer to the girls. "I do not think the queen is still on Meridian. I think Trill has taken her somewhere to recover."

"How could Trill do that?" Cornelia asked.

"Why, with the help of the Guardians, of course."

"Are you accusing-"

"No, no; it is not like that. I believe you only want what is best for our queen. If you thought it best to take her away, then I trust this is the right decision. But I do worry that she is not well. Please, can you tell me of her health?"

Will looked at the other Guardians and frowned. Sasha had hit the nail on the head...Elyon was somewhere other than Meridian. But how much of that should they tell this kitchen attendant?

Will took a deep breath and made a decision. "Queen Elyon is safe; of that you can be sure."

Sasha nodded, content with the Guardian Leader's answer. "Yet you still search for Trill. That means she is not with the queen."

Taranee was impressed with Sasha's intelligence and quick wit. "Is she missing?"

Sasha thought for a moment. "She has not returned to the kitchens...that is all I can say."

"Would she definitely be here and nowhere else?" Will asked.

"I believe she would. This is her post, after all," Sasha answered.

Will nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Sasha, for all your help. We'll let you get back to work now."

The young woman nodded and bustled off to attend to her duties.

Will motioned for her friends to follow as she exited the kitchens. Once outside, the friends huddled, each trying to think of their next move.

"The way I see it," Will said, "we have two possibilities. Either Trill is a victim or Trill is an assailant."

"I can't see that sweet woman meaning any harm to anyone, much less to Elyon," Taranee said.

"Yet we have to consider all possibilities," Cornelia answered. "Let's think about this for a moment. We know Elyon was poisoned, and poisons are commonly found in food and drink. As her personal attendant, Trill would have plenty of opportunity to poison Elyon."

"Yeah, but where's the motive?" Taranee asked, spreading her hands apart. "Trill has no reason to hurt Elyon."

"That we know of," Cornelia countered.

"What reason could she possibly have?" Taranee asked, incredulous.

"I don't know," Cornelia sighed, "I just know that she has the perfect opportunity to do it."

"Wait," Will held up her hand. "Didn't the Oracle say the poison was really rare?"

"Yeah..."

"What does Trill know about rare poisons?"

"We have no idea," Cornelia answered. "She could have a hobby, for all we know."

"Maybe, but I somehow don't think so," Will muttered. "This looks more like a professional job to me. Someone who wanted Elyon out of the way."

"But why?" Taranee asked. "Why would anyone want to hurt Elyon?"

"Good question," Will mused. "I don't have an answer for it."

"Maybe it's a coup," Cornelia offered.

"A what?" Will asked.

"A coup. In this case, Cornelia means someone trying to take over the government."

"Isn't that a revolution?"

"Yeah, but it's different. A coup is like-"

"We don't have time for this," Cornelia said exasperatedly. "Elyon could be dying and we need to find the person responsible. They may have a cure!"

Will nodded. "True. Sorry, C. Let's get back on topic. I think Trill is more likely a victim in this. I doubt she has knowledge of rare poisons, and I doubt even more that she would want Elyon dead."

"I agree," Taranee nodded.

Cornelia remained quiet for a time. Her mind ran through every scenario she could think of. In the end, she had to admit there was simply no motive for Trill to poison Elyon. Throwing up her hands, the tallest Guardian was forced to agree with her friends.

"Then that means we have a two-fold problem," Taranee mused. "One, we still don't know who poisoned Elyon. Two, Trill is missing. She may have witnessed someone attacking Elyon. That could be why she was taken. If that's the case..."

"Then Trill is in danger," Will finished the sentence.

"We have to find her, but we have no idea where to start looking," Cornelia said. "This whole trip has been a waste of time!"

Cornelia sat dejectedly on the floor and buried her beautiful face in her hands. Will knelt in front of her friend and reached a hand to Cornelia's shoulder.

"I know you're worried about Elyon, Cornelia, but you can't give up. The Oracle will find a way to help her...I know he will."

"You don't know that, Will. I know you're trying to cheer me up and all, but I've just lost a lot of faith over the past few weeks."

"How so?"

"We got owned by Nerissa, we suffered severe injuries, Irma is still suffering, and without Elyon's help, she would likely be dead right now. I think we would all be dead right now...or worse. I broke my back, for crying out loud, and that bitch pulverized my ribs. I'm having some trouble coming to terms with that kind of butt-kicking. Now Elyon is going to die and there's nothing we can do about it! All this power we have and where has it gotten us? How is it helping us now?"

Will swallowed a lump in her throat. She had no idea Cornelia was struggling so much. What could she say to her friend to make it all better?

"Cornelia, I know our track record of late hasn't been the best. But we're still standing and Nerissa is dead. Elyon helped us with that, yes; but we had to fight off the Knights of Vengeance. We needed Elyon's help then, and now she needs our help. We won't fail her."

Cornelia shook her head and cried softly. She was angry, frustrated, and confused. She didn't know what to do and she felt helpless. Elyon was fighting for her life and Cornelia had been reduced to spectator. It was a role the take-charge girl was unaccustomed to playing.

"It'll be okay," Taranee added. "Elyon is tough; she'll fight as hard as she can. She loves life, she loves Meridian, and she loves you. She'll fight for you. You'll see...she'll beat this. And when she does, she'll be able to name her attacker. Then we can go kick some evil behind."

Will nodded in agreement. "Taranee's right. Look, I think we've done all we can here. Since Caleb isn't here, I'm sure he's out questioning the people. I would be willing to bet the general public doesn't even know there's a problem. If Caleb finds out anything, I'm sure we'll be the first to know. Let's head back to Candracar and let the Oracle know what we found out."

Cornelia nodded and stood up. She winced slightly, her ribs still a little tender. She imagined they would always be so. She still didn't think they had accomplished anything, but she wanted to get back to Elyon, so she didn't argue.

When the Guardians returned to the Fortress Between Worlds, they explained their findings to the Council. The Oracle was disappointed, but agreed they had done all they could. He reported no change in Elyon's condition. Cornelia bade her friends goodbye and hurried to be with her best friend.

The other two Guardians said their farewells, and Will created a fold back to Earth. As the girls arrived on their home planet, they were surprised to see night had already fallen.

"Guess that little jaunt took longer than we thought," Taranee said.

"Guess so," Will echoed. "We'd better hurry and get home."

"Yeah. See ya tomorrow."

"Bye, T."

As Taranee jogged home, she couldn't help but feel that something was terribly, terribly, wrong.

--

Irma watched Yan Lin and Hay Lin disappear from view. Their visit had brightened her gloomy day, and for the first time in weeks, she had hope. Hope of beating Nerissa's hold on her. Hope of being happy again.

Hope of wanting to live again.

With a happy sigh, Irma let the curtain fall back over her window. She grinned slightly. She felt a burden had been lifted somehow. Mrs. Lin had been right...sharing her experiences had been liberating.

Unburdening herself to Hay Lin had been frightening; Irma wasn't sure how the girl would take it. After all, Hay Lin was a little naive about the ways of the world. She preferred to go through life with her head in the clouds, and to think the best of everyone. Irma had once been carefree like that, if not quite that airy, but the last few weeks had turned her dark and bitter. And who could blame her? She had been brutally tortured physically and mentally for someone's sheer pleasure.

But a light was beginning to shine through her darkness...and that light belonged to Hay Lin.

The Asian girl had been willing to share Irma's pains while she had been Nerissa's "guest." She had not abandoned her in her greatest time of need. And even though Irma had tried to push her away, Hay Lin had remained steadfastly by her side. Now she had reached through Irma's darkest abyss and grabbed her hand. She had led her out of the blackness and shown her that life was worth living.

Yan Lin had shown faith in a tortured soul and shown Irma what it meant to heal. She had led her down a dark path, but always was she there to keep Irma from falling. In the darkness lay Irma's path to the light, and Yan Lin knew that. How had she known that in order for the wounds to heal, they would have to be ripped asunder? How had she known those wounds would close once they were shared with another?

Irma felt lighter than she had in weeks, and her sense of impending doom was gone. She laughed out loud and twirled around her bedroom until she fell to the floor with dizziness. No longer would she feel like a prisoner to that evil hag, Nerissa. No longer would she allow memories of the past to interfere with her future. She refused to keep herself captive to a dead woman's evil.

"You hear that, Nerissa? I'm no longer your slave. Wherever you are, I hope you burn forever for what you did...to all of us."

Feeling even more liberated, Irma walked swiftly to the bathroom and turned the faucets on the tub. She wanted to come fully clean from her ordeals, and a nice, long bath would do just the trick. As she waited for the water to warm, she reflected on the last few weeks. Only water had been able to make her feel safe, and she supposed she had become addicted to it. But now Hay Lin had given her a safe harbor, and Irma felt she didn't need to depend on the water for safety and security.

The water was simply that...water. It had ceased to be a drug, and was simply water again. Irma smiled as she realized she had come full circle.

She walked back to her bedroom and was about to strip when she heard a familiar sound. Turning, she saw a fold appear near her window. Grinning, she thought her friends had managed to find a way to circumvent her parents and had come to visit her. She approached the fold, ready to give her friends a warm welcome.

But her friends did not appear.

Raythor stepped through the fold and grinned evilly. He held an object to his lips and blew. Irma felt a sharp sting in her neck and she clapped her hand over the spot. Feeling something hard and cold, she pulled out a dart of some kind. Before she could even scream or comprehend what was happening, the young Guardian dropped heavily to the floor.

Satisfied, Raythor stepped over the fallen girl and threw open the bedroom window as he had been instructed. Then he turned and scooped up the teenager.

"Nerissa's missed you, Guardian," he said. "She thinks it's about time for a little reunion."

With that, the former Meridian guard stepped back through the fold. The blue light disappeared behind him, leaving the room devoid of life. In the bathroom, the sound of water echoed through the empty room.

--

Now I know what you're all thinking...here we go again. Poor Irma, would you please just leave the poor girl alone?! Well my answer is...no, I won't. Insert evil grin Anyway, please let me know what y'all thought. Thanks for reading and enjoy your lives!