My Two Worlds - 11

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Cornelia glanced back at the portal behind her. For a moment she wished she could close it but then she just shook her head and walked away. The real thing she should be worried about is if the others had figured out what she had done. Going against them was one thing, sneaking into Meridian without any of them knowing-and therefore no back up-was something else entirely.

They would probably think her a fool for doing so. If they didn't already since she had taken the robe back. But she needed it! Besides, who else could go through Meridian completely undetected?

Well, almost. She hadn't forgotten that golden gaze on her, knowing there was nothing behind her he could be looking at so intently. Phobos himself hadn't noticed her so how was it that his General had? Another thought came to her afterwords. Why hadn't the snake mentioned it to Phobos? Raised the warning bell? Surely he wouldn't want a Guardian anywhere near his sister to 'corrupt' her mind.

She felt like she was thinking about all of it to much. The rest of the way to the Silver Dragon though she was still confused about all of it. Cornelia reached out for the door knob stopping when she heard voices inside. After a moment she pushed her ear to the door.

"Blunk what is this?" Caleb. She immedietly got frustrated again just at the sound of his voice. Annoying, no beyond even that.

"I believe that is Cornelia's bag and her black sunglasses." Taranee. Hmm she wouldn't expect her to remember exactly what was hers and what wasn't. Then again, she did use that bag a lot, you know, last year when it was in style.

"I got them squarely." Blunk assured the group.

"You mean Cornelia traded you them for something." Caleb replied. "One sunglasses and one bag."

"Not just any sunglasses! They're designer!"

"You don't even know what that means." She could practically see Caleb do a face palm at the situation.

"No offense Caleb, but neither do you." Irma pointed out. She was right, of course. Caleb didn't understand that clothes, perfumes, basically anything had the potential to be made by a paticular designer. A well known one at that. Not every brand was designer after all.

"Okay. She traded you two things. So what did you give her?" Caleb asked the passling.

"Cornelia said not to tell Caleb or the Guardians."

There was a growl of frustration at those words. "You have to tell us Blunk."

"No I don't."

"You-"

"Calm down, Caleb" Will's voice cut through whatever he was going to say. There was a mutter and the stomping of feet as they went across to the other side of the room. "Now, Blunk. You have to tell us what you gave Cornelia, exactly and if you know where she is we need you to tell us that as well."

"Cornelia said-" Blunk began to insist again.

"We know she told you not to tell us about your trades but you have too. She could be in serious trouble right now. She didn't come to school today and I'm not sure if it was because of yesterday's events or that she got some idea in her head that she had to go do something or if she just ditched school to go on another of her dates." There was a sigh from Will. "Point is she could be hurt. We all care for her so just tell us Blunk."

There was a pause. "Blunk will tell." He replied. "Cornelia came to the dump early in the morning and traded Blunk for the sunglasses. In exchange Blunk gave her the robe-"

"I knew it." Caleb said, sounding angry again.

"Shush/" Will snapped in response. "Go on, Blunk."

"Then Blunk noticed this stuff around her hand and asked what had happened. Cornelia said, 'Cornelia got angry and Cornelia punched a wall.'" A little snicker could be heard at that, probably from Irma. "Then she asked Blunk to sniff out portal. Blunk sniffed one out for her and she gave him the bag and said not to tell the others where she had gone. Then she disappeared into portal. Blunk hasn't seen her since." He finished his story.

"Okay, so there is two possibilities." Will said with a sigh. "Either she is still in Meridian and fine, or she's still in Meridian being held prisoner by Phobos."

"Actually there's a third possibility. She came back to Earth after her trip to Meridian." Taranee supplied.

"Eenie, meenie, minie, moe." Irma spoke up again, a tapping on would could be heard to puncuate each word.

"We gave three possibilites. Not four." Taranee pointed out to her.

"But, she could also have returned from Meridian injured." Hay Lin said.

"Agh. Hold on here." A chair was pushed along the floor, as-presumably at least-Irma got up. "The Heart would have told Will if Cornelia was in danger. So she can't be in danger, right?"

"Yeah." Will replied sounding hopeful. "So, she's just lost somewhere."

"Now that we got that settled. Shouldn't we be out finding her?" Caleb's voice rose in volume as he spoke.

A sigh could be heard. "Ugh, Caleb, Cornelia is a big girl and with this gift of a robe bestowed upon her by some fantastical stranger beast thingy, whatever or whoever. The point is, she's fine. You don't need to go all full blast hero on us you know? You're tough. We get it. We're also tough and Cornelia is one of us with powers galore. Chill the hell out dude."

"And if she's hurt in the next few minutes. Would you be able to fogive yourself for joking around after a friend of yours almost died days ago?" Caleb retorted.

"Hey, that's not fair." Hay Lin strode into the conversation. "Irma has a very different way of dealing with things but that doesn't mean you can go saying something like that."

"Let him," Irma sounded like a panther ready to pounce. "I want to hear what else he has to say."

"Could we not fight today please?" Taranee said as if begging. "I've listened to enough of that for the rest of my life."

"Caleb, lay off Irma. Irma lay off Caleb." Will spoke up.

"Sheesh. Cornelia was right. You do like picking fights with people." Irma seemed to be adding fuel to the spark of flame.

Okay, maybe she had standed outside listening enough. It sounded like a bad drama in there. Keeping her hood up Cornelia pushed the door open to stop dead center even as the door swung shut behind her. Not that anyone seemed to be noticing. All eyes were on Caleb and Irma, standing nose to nose glaring at each other.

Was this what she and Caleb looked like on a regular basis to the rest of them? The thought went though her mind for a split second before disappearing.

"You wanna say that again?" Caleb asked, near growling point.

"What? You didn't have your ears screwed in properly the first time? Maybe you should go get them checked!"

"Oh dear god." Taranee sank beneath the table and covered her head as if an earthquake was about to happen. It just might from the looks of it.

Even Will was standing on the side lines at a loss. As if wondering, how could we stop this volcano from erupting? Irma rarely ever raised her voice even in an argument and if she did, you knew it was bad. No wonder Taranee looked so terrified.

Well, there was probably one thing that could divert the attension.

"I don't need my ears checked-" Caleb was saying when she dropped the hood.

"Cornelia!" Taranee was the first to spot her from under the table. The poor girl bumped her head on the table in her scramble to get up. After a muttered "ow" she was out from the table and running to Cornelia-to hide behind her. Though she did feel arms wrap around her after a moment. "You're safe!"

"Yeah..." Cornelia said lightly, resting a hand ontop of Taranee's. The girl was trembling. "You need to sit down." She led her over to a chair, taking her hands Cornelia directed her around her and had her sit down.

"Corny!" She was tackled in a hug from Irma who then turned to glance back over her shoulder at Caleb. "See? I told you she would be fine." She let go of her friend and hopped up onto the table, legs dangling above the ground.

Will was standing still, as if in shock. Cornelia crossed the floor to hug her and after a moment of registering what was going on Will hugged her back. After a few more seconds Cornelia let go. Will walked past her to sit down in a chair at the table, looking like her energy was drained. Hay Lin hopped forward for a quick hug before hopping over the table and sitting down in the corner.

"You're... okay?" Caleb looked dumbfounded, then his gaze went to the robe she was wearing. "You need to that off." Ugh. Not this again. "Blunk told us you went to Meridian today. You could have been caught even if..." He struggled for the words for a moment. "you were invisible. Someone could have seen you and you'ld be a prisoner in Phobos' dungeon right now. Don't you think before you act?" Then, "Did anyone see you?"

Shocked by the question she answered a few seconds too late, "No."

"You were seen! How could you allow that to happen? Who saw you?" He demanded.

Cornelia clentched her teeth. It's not like she had allowed it to happen. How was it her fault anyways if she was? Hell, why did it matter. He hadn't reported her! As confused as she was by that she was also grateful. Like Caleb said, she could be rotting in a dungeon right now. "It doesn't matter! I'm here now! Not in some dungeon! What do you take me for Caleb? A disney princess locked away in a tower always needing help? I am not helpless!"

"No. You're not." He agreed which calmed her anger. You know, for a few seconds. Then Caleb had to go and open his mouth again. "But we still need to know who saw you!"

Her hand striked out quick as a serpent, fingers wrapping along his vocal cord, feeling his heart pound though the veins in his neck. A collective gasp came from the table, "Cornelia!" she distantly heard Will call out for her to stop it and put him down.

She didn't hear her though, just the blood rushing in her own veins. The desperate pitter patter of Calebs, so clear. As if she was hearing him through her skin, like a set of vibrations. "It is none of your buissness-" She dropped him the moment she found herself begin to roll the s. Caleb fell back to the ground with a dull thump and Blunk looked out from cabinets he was hiding in.

Cornelia raised her hand that had been ready to crush Caleb's throat, who currently lay gasping for air on the ground. She looked at it, it was still hers but... she hadn't meant to grab him like that. Just thought about it and then before she knew it she was acting on that impulse. She turned from him, grabbing at the robe and pulling it off as she did. "I'm sorry. I didn't come here to fight with you. Phobos's army and General are going to go and get Elyon's parents and bring them to the castle. We need to get there first and keep them safe." For Elyon's sake, she added silently. She folded the robe and set it down on the table, not seeing the point in bringing it. Even if it did have slits for her wings. She turned toward the table, to look at Will. "We need to go now. There's not much time."

Will was looking at her in that shocked state but the prompting of evil to fight made her snap out of it. "Right." the girl's voice was still shakey. She did have a good reason though.

Cornelia glanced over her shoulder at Caleb who was just beginning to collect himself. Sitting up on the floor and rubbing at his neck, blue and purple marks were already forming. She looked away from him quickly, not wanting to see what she had done.

"Let's get going." Will said, passing by her to exit the building and walk to where the portal is. The others followed her, including Caleb.

Cornelia stayed in the room a second longer, glancing back to the robe she walked over and rested her hand ontop of it. She breathed slowly in and out for a few seconds as she muttered for it to not allow anyone except Hay Lin touch it. As she stood there her breathing faltered.

That scent... on the robe. She leaned down toward it pressing her nose to the fabric trying to distinguish it from her own. She had smelled it before. But where? When? She racked through her mind but the scent was hardly there making it hard to tell if she was just imagining it or not. With a sigh she straightened up and went outside to where the others would be.

She met them at the portal, though Caleb must have already gone in. Will didn't even glance at her just extended her hand holding the Heart of Kandrakar and said, "Guardians unite!"

Light eneveloped them in the back alley, the air above them looking like a beacon in the night sky. When it died down there were in their Guardian outfits and moved through the portal.

Cornelia dragged behind the rest of them as they walked out of the town and into the surrounding forests.

She didn't even notice when Irma stopped walking and began keeping stride with her until she spoke, "There's no need to beat yourself up over it, Corny." Starteled Cornelia glanced up calming when she saw it was Irma with eyes full of concern. "You've been under a lot of stress lately. What with what happened at Mizaki and all the continous fights between you and Caleb. It was bound to escalate. Though, not in the literal sense I was thinking." A hand touched her arm gingerly. "Look on the bright side, he finally shut up!"

A smile tugged her lips upwards. She laughed softly, bitterly. "Yeah."

"Hey, you need to laugh. Remember," Irma leaned in close to her ear. "I got the potions and skill to make you shoot chocolate milk from your nostrils."

Cornelia ducked away from her. "That's digusting." Of course she laughed anyways. It did feel good to let herself be happy for the time being."

"That," Irma's voice went all dramatic as she waved a finger in the air, "was the point." Her eyes closed for a second, opening to peer at Cornelia out of the corner. "Seriously though I was pretty close to shoving a fork up his ass so go you for scaring the beegesus out of him."

She smiled at the girl who had given a little laugh. Cornelia laughed with her. "Thanks."

"No problem, but number Z-to-Ack will be out of stock for awhile."

"You need better names for your potions."

"Hey I come up with these on the fly and I think there pretty damn good."

Cornelia smirked at her just as a surprised scream ripped through the air. "The others." she muttered and then flew up above the trees with Irma at her side.

Ahead in a small open grove she could see Will, Taranee, and Hay Lin trapped in a cage. Caleb was on the ground wrapped in ropes. An ambush. They had set for an ambush for them! It was totally her fault. No wonder the snake creature hadn't said anything. Why take one Guardian when you could get them all at once, or well, most of them anyhow.

"Peanut brain!" A soldier glanced up into the air and pointed at the two Guardians at Irma's call. "Say hi to Cranky Bitch and Less Formidable Bitch!" Irma shouted, diving down with her hand out. "Water!" It erupted from her palm, going down in a wave to wash the soldiers away. Some latched their weapons into trees to stop themselves from floating away.

Once the water had died down Cornelia landed on the soiled dirt. "Earth!" The ground rose and cracked beneath her finger tips. Vines sprung forth from the hole in the ground to wrap around the guards. She stood up and walked toward the cage. Raising her hand she touched the metal, so cold. "Earth." She repeated willing the earth componets up.

"It's just like the gates back at Mizaki!" Taranee spoke up when the metal didn't move and Cornelia looked strained as she concentrated harder, trying to get it to move. "Our powers don't work on it." No. that can't be she thought. Trying to enchance her powers, she closed her eyes. Not seeing always gave you more concentration.

"Watch o-" Hay Lin's warning was a second late as something slammed into her back, sending her sprawling to the ground.

Wincing from the pain in her back and recently healed rib-miraculosly it hadn't been broken-she raised her head to see Irma yards away. The Water Guardian was being tugged down by the soldiers hands on her legs. "Let me go! Water!" It poured over them and they fell to the ground, half the hands breaking away the others staying like steel vices. "Oompf." Irma crashed to the ground with the rest of them. Soon new soliders walked over, shackling her legs and hands together.

Cornelia watched in shock. This couldn't be happening!

"Get them to the dungeonsss. I'll deliver thisss one persssonally." A shiver crawled down her spine at the words. Wether it was from fear or something else she wasn't completely sure. The cage next to her extended out from the ground, metal planks as the bottom and wheels attached to move easily. The Guards had already begun strolling off with it when Irma had first fallen from the air. Though Cornelia had failed to notice at the time. She watched as the cage and Caleb disapeared into the forest. Irma was being picked up as she spat curses at the lackeys surrounding her and threw small streams of water into any eyes that got too close to her open hands. "It's jussst you and me, Guardian."

Cornelia turned to look over her shoulder at the gaint snake behind her, the tail was raised, ready to strike. "Complete offense. You're not my type. Earth!" she dug her nails into the ground beside her. The dirt raised quickly becoming solid rock infront of her just before the tail came crashing down and shattered it.

She pushed herself up and raised into the air. Fingers covered in scales extened through the debris to latch onto her leg. Panic swept through as she was yanked toward him. "You'll be going to a very ssspecial cell." The hiss sent her heart fluttering in her sudden fear.

"I'm not going anywhere with you! Earth!" She called on her element again. The vines from before curled up and wrapped around the overgrown lizard to keep him in place. Then a rock shuddered and flew through the air to connect with his arm. The creature roared in anger, letting go of her leg. Cornelia turned and flew fast in the direction of her friends through the trees. She could a hear a roar behind her the sound of plants being ripped apart and then nothing.

Her heart pounded and her wings beat faster, urging herself on. She weaved between the trees eyes focused on what was in front of her. There had to be a way to get them out of the cage. Even without powers. There had to be! A twig cracked and she slowed just in time not to be crushed by a tree falling in her path.

"Ssshould have been more cooperative the firssst time."

Cornelia turned to see the tail heading toward her. "Earth!" A rock trembled and raised up to slow. The tail connected with her before she could get her defense up. She flew back into a tree gasping from the pain in her hip that had connected with another rock.

"You've causssed enough trouble for me." The hand reached out again, wrapping along her waist. Cornelia hissed as the scales bit into her flesh, black spots forming in her vision. No! Cornelia stay awake you've been through worse than this!

"You'll, have to, try, harder." she told him inbetween pants.

A smirk formed on the creature's face and she shrank back against the tree. "Will do." He sent her flying through the forest to connect with another tree and simply slithered after her. Black swarmed into her vision like bees. "How wasss that?" Cornelia didn't answer, she couldn't as she slipped in and out of consious. She could feel a hand wrapped around her... being carried toward the castle. She saw the occasional flicker of her surrounding until she finally surrendered to the darkness.

What isss your thoughtsss?