Disclaimer: I don't own W.i.t.c.h.

"A Guardian's Past"
Chapter 11: "Trouble in Heatherfield"

"So, you and your friends do know something about Elyon." Tom bored his eyes into his daughter.

Agent Medina held up a tape recorder. "We put a tape recorder in her basement yesterday. We go your conversation on tape, and already listened to it several times."

"You what?" Irma yelled. This is bad... Very bad...

"From what we understand, Elyon's been living in this... Meridian place. Is that where you girls go every day?"

"And where is this Meridian? How do you get there? We didn't hear any footsteps before you started talking." Agent McTiennan pressed on.

The six girls were silent. Not even Irma spoke.

-with Anne-

Anne was in the other room on the phone. "Theresa, they're in trouble. Agents McTiennan and Medina caught the girls in Elyon's basement. They got their conversation after they came from Meridian on tape. They mentioned... They mentioned Meridian, Theresa, Elyon even said she wasn't going back to Meridian today, so now they know that that's where she's been all this time."

"You've got to be joking!"

Anne frowned. "Unfortunately, I'm not."

-Back with the gang-

"Answer us, Irma." her father said as calmly as possibly, although there was still a small hint of anger in his voice.

The girls just looked at each other, helplessly.

"They got caught! They got caught!" Christopher chanted happily.

Irma ignored him. There were more important matters at hand now than your little brother's everyday teasing.

The police knew where Elyon went missing to months ago. The police knew where the five girls from Heatherfield went in their free time. All the police needed now was an explanation of why, how, and how long, and then the Guardian's secret was out. The late night missions would be put to a halt.

"Sorry for letting you down, Oracle." Irma muttered.

-Candracar-

Luba smiled at the scene unfolding inside the Water Guardian's house. See, Oracle? I always thought that they couldn't handle the responsibility of Guardianship. Now, I have a proof. And I don't even have to help the Aurameres together!

"Luba."

Luba turned around to face the Oracle, still with a confident smirk on her face. "Oh, Oracle. How lovely to see you."

The Oracle's disapproving expression did not change as he spoke. "Luba, it's not as you think."

Luba hung her mouth open in disbelief. "B-But, Oracle! Don't you see what they have done? They are just girls. They got lucky with bringing down Phobos and giving Meridian back their rightful queen, a fluke! They can't handle Dalthar! Their friendship-"

"Their friendship may have dwindled, but it will return." a third voice spoke up.

"Ah, welcome, Yan Lin." The Oracle smiled faintly.

-Heatherfield-

Tom Lair banged his fists on the dining room table. "Somebody answer our questions! Any one of you girls!"

Irma swallowed. "D-Dad... Calm down."

"Tom." Anne stepped from the bedroom. "You're not going to force the information out of them."

"Anne! But I know that they know something! I have proof!"

She frowned at her husband's persistance. "We know that Elyon's been in Meridian, Tom. Isn't that enough?"

Elyon stood up. "I'm sorry, Irma. I'm sorry Cornelia, Will, Hay Lin and Taranee."

"What are you sorry for? We're the ones that can't defeat him!" Cornelia protested.

Anne gasped. "Him? Defeat who?"

"No one, Mom. Corny said it by accident." Irma scowled at her friend.

"Irma, I really don't like that nickname of yours. You know that." Cornelia shot back. "You know what I could do to you."

"And me to you."

Will and Taranee walked beside Elyon.

"Elyon, don't go back." Will lowered her voice. "Dalthar is still over there."

Just then, there was a scream. People were running, terrified for their lives.

"It's a monster!"

"It came out of the Brown's house!"

"What?" Elyon mouthed and looked gravely at the others.

Anne opened the door and glanced at the monster everyone was running from. The dark brown rampaging figure was still very far from them, but close enough for Anne to recognize it. She shook her head in disbelief. "No... Dalthar."

Another cliffie! Aren't I evil? I think one of my favorite scenes was the Candracar one. You could imagine that happening, atleast with what Luba did in book 14 and 15.