TWELVE

"This is Carla Reno with this special report. A couple of strange incidents have occurred during the night. A surprising and unexpected heat wave dispersed and hit all parts of Heaterfield causing temperatures to shoot sky high. Causing dehydration and strokes to many. Then earlier this morning there was a black-out that hit all of Heatherfield as well. It is unknown how it started but the power has returned only little then an hour ago. Now we go to David who's out on the street."

"Thanks Carla. Late yesterday in the late evening, there was a 911 call from this address. All that could be heard was a cry for help, then the slamming of the phone. Police followed in on the call and found the mother who was badly beaten, the father who looked very out of breathe and their daughter who was half conscious. Police arrested the man, and he claimed it was all their daughter's fault and that she had 'magical' powers. Of course he was an insane man who suffered something severe.

As they were being taken to the police cars awaiting outside the man was able to slip the gun of an officer off his belt and shoot his daughter in the chest. As he was about to shoot his wife and officer took aim and killed him with a single bullet. The girl was brought to the hospital for intensive care, and commenced immediate surgery. Doctor Tarrence is unsure if she'll make it. Only time will tell. Back to you Carla."

"Do you see that Oracle?" Yolyk asked pointing down at the large pool before them. He stood along side Tibor and Taranee and the Oracle sat cross-legged.

"I see it Yolyk," the Oracle nodded.

"I knew these girls weren't ready," Yolyk said calmly. "If they were to be the Guardians, we should have waited until they had gotten through their trials, then they wouldn't have caused all these catastrophes."

"Dearest Yolyk," the Oracle sighed. "Would you like to see what would have happened if I didn't bestow these gifts onto these girls?" Yolyk didn't say anything, only looked away with a worried look on his face.

The image of the news reporter disappeared, and there lay Carrol. She lay there motionless, and covered in blood. Her face was blank and lifeless. She was dead, beaten to death by her siblings. It then changed into a group of officials standing around the edge of the river. They were pulling a body out of the water and they layed it on a blanket. It was Martea. She had run away form yet another foster home and committed suicide. Yolyk's stomach was now turning over itself as the image changed yet again. Gwen sat in her backyard knees against her chest, and face buried in them and her hair. She held something bloody in her hand. She looked at the thing that lay in front of her. Stabbed by Gwen's bloddy object, and now dead was Imera's body. The image changed once more and two caskets lay side by side, in the middle of a cemetery, surrounded by people dressed in black. On the tombstone before them it was engraved with:

Susan and Agnes Dreamer

Beloved Mother and Daughter

The water returned to its regular state, and the Oracle turned to Yolyk.

"Now do you see?" he asked. "Death lay in their future, and I couldn't allow it."

"I see Oracle," he nodded. "I am sorry from judging your decision."

"I forgive you," he said.

"Now the Guardians must health from their mental and physical wounds," Taranee sighed.

"They might finally have realized what they can and cannot do, even with powers," Tibor added.

"Time will tell," said the Oracle.