Chapter 21:

There Will was, connected to the energy bubbles that held the unconscious Guardians and Knights, by beams of energy. To those that saw this from a distants it didn't look like much. But to Will, this was her way of getting into the heads of her enemies.

"And now to break them.", Will said as she sent some energy through the beams of energy towards the energy bubbles.

Irma & Martin

"Don't fall a sleep on me now, you two.", Cedric said as held Irma in his large hand. "The fun is about to start!"

Irma opened her eyes to see that she was being held by Cedric, who was in his snakeman form.

"Cedric?", Irma questioned in shock.

Irma looked down at herself to see that she was her normal self.

"But I... Me and the others had our powers back!", Irma said surprised at what was going on. "What happened?"

"Irma?"

Irma turned her head and saw that Martin was being held in Cedric's other hand and that he was his normal self as well.

"Martin?", Irma questioned in surprise. "What's going on here?"

"I don't know!", Martin said. "Last thing I remember was us fighting Will!"

"Is that so?"

Irma and Martin looked down to see Will in a blue dress looking up at them as Cedric held them in a firm grip.

"Looks like you two had a nice little daydream.", Will said with a smirk. "To bad it wasn't real!"

"Shall I finish them off?", Cedric asked as he held them over the six foot energy cube with an opened top, that Will had made with her powers and had filled with water.

"Please do.", Will said with a wave of her hand.

"By your command.", Cedric said. "Goodbye, fools!"

Cedric then dunked Irma and Martin into the water filled energy cube! Both of them began to flail their arms and legs as they tried to fight Cedric's grip. But try as they might, they slowly began to get weak as their vision began to blur.

'NO!', Irma thought to herself as she felt her life slip away. 'I was free! I know it! I don't want to die!'

'This can't be happening!', Martin thought to himself as he felt his life slipping away. 'This can't be real! It just can't!'

Cornelia & Angelo

"Huh? What?", Angelo said as he opened his eyes to see that he was standing on a wooden platform with a noose of vines around his neck. "Where am I? How did I get here?"

"I was wondering the same thing!"

Angelo turned his head to see Cornelia on his left with a noose of vines around her neck. Both were their normal selves with their hands tied behind their back.

"Weren't we fighting Will with our powers?", Cornelia questioned.

"Y-Yeah!", Angelo said. "I was a Guardian Knight with the same powers you have."

"Wow! Looks like the both of you had one heck of a fantasy."

Cornelia and Angelo looked to see Will in a green dress looking at them with a smirk.

"So, had fun daydrreaming?", Will asked. "Cause it's time to die! Cedric!"

"Goodbye, fools!", Cedric said before pulling the lever, letting the trapdoors drop along with Cornelia and Angelo, who began to dangle and struggle for air.

'I can't die like this!', Cornelia thought as she was dangling there. 'We were free and fighting Will! How did this happen?'

'What's going on here? What happened to our plan?', Angelo thought to himself as he was being hung. 'I wasn't being hung! Or was I?'

But slowly and surly, they stopped moving. For they were gone.

Hay Lin & Eric

'Why is this happening?', Hay Lin thought to herself as she tried to breath through the energy bubble Will had around her head cutting off the air she breathed. 'I... we were fighting Will! How did this happen?'

Hay Lin then turned to see Eric with an energy bubble around huis head as well. He too was strggling for air.

"Eric!", Hay Lin cried as she reached for his hand.

Eric saw this and reached for her hand. they then held each other close as the air slowly left them.

'Why is this happening?', Eric thought to himself. 'Last I checked, we were fighting Will! Was it all a fantasy we dreamed up?

Hay Lin and Eric's lifeforce just slipped away. Both happy to of had each other in the end.

Taranee & Nigel

"What the... Where am I?", Taranee questioned as she was tied to a stake with Nigel tied up with her. "Nigel?"

"Taranee? How did we get here?", Nigel asked. "Weren't we fighting Will?"

"That's the last thign I remember!", Taranee said. "Was it all a dream?"

"Ready to get cooked, Cook?"

Taranee and Nigel looked forward to see Will standing a few feet from them dressed in a red dress. In her right habd was a torch. Both Nigel and Taranee looked from the torch to the thing of wood that was around the stake they were tied to. They also picked up the smell of lantern oil which would make the wood catch fire faster.

"You won't get away with this, Will!", Nigel said as he glared at Will.

"Watch me.", Will said before she tossed the torch onto the wood.

Once it hit landed on the wood, it was set a blaze quickly as the fire spreaded around the wood! All Taranee and Nigel could do was wait of the flame to hit them. And it was only a matter of time before that happened.

'This can't be happening!', Taranee thought to herslf. 'I was saved by Nigel and the rebels! We were fighting Will! Was it all just a dream? Have I gone crazy?'

'I have to get free!', Nigel thought to himself as he tried to get free. 'I won't let Taranee die like this! I won't!'

Orube & Peter

"Where am I?", Orube questioned as she stood there tied to a pole. "How did I get here?"

"When you find out, let me know."

Orube turned to see Peter next to her tied to a pole like she was.

"Peter?", Orube questioned. "What's ging on?"

"I wish I knew.", Peter said. "Last thing I remember, we were fighting Will."

"You wish."

Peter and Orube turned to see Will dressed in a black dress, wearing the crown of the Meridian Kingdom.

"What did you do to us?", Peter questioned. "We were fighting you before you hit us with something!"

"True.", Will said. "You were fighting me. You and the other rebels thought you stood a chance by coming at me with all you had during Taranee's exacution. But you lost in the end. And you two are the last of the rebels. And I decided to end your pitiful lives with a firing squad!"

Orube and Peter looked forward to see some archers with their arrows at the ready. They knew right then and there that once those arrows hit, ot was over.

"Goodbye.", Will said with a smirl. "Archers ready! Fire!"

The archers fired their arrows at Peter and Orube! The pain of the arrows was to much as they both let out screams of pain.

'This can't be happening!', Orube thought to herself as she felt her life slip away slowly. 'We had the Heart! We were fighting Will! We were alive!'

'How is this happening?', Peter thought to himself. 'He had saved Taranee, and were fighting Will! We weren't being exacuted! We weren't going to die!'

What our heroes did know was that what they were experiancing were all illusions Will was giving them with her powers.

"Never thought I'd have to resort to doing this.", Will said as she kept the illusions up. "But if it gets me what I want, then so be it! Once I turn them to my side, I'll have them rescue Phobos and Cedric and then we'll retreat to the Infinite City and hide until we're strong enough to launch an attack against those foosl! But I have to find the chink in their armour! Which, right now, is their desire to live!"

But what Will didn't count on was, a certian Guardian and Knight coming to their senses and seeing through her trick.

Taranee & Nigel

As the fire burned around Taranee and Nigel, as they were tied to the stake, both were doing their best to get free. But the ropes were to tight.

"I guess what we thought was real was all just a dream.", Nigel said as the flames got closer to them.

"You know part of me wishes Will used that Brazen Ball she made.", Taranee said when it came to here. "Wait a minute! I was to be put in the Brazen Ball! Not burnt at the stake!"

"What are you talking about?", Nigel asked.

"This isn't real!", Taranee said with a smirk. "None of it is! This is all an illusion! Will is in our heads!"

"The enery balls she hit us with!", Nigel said figuring things out! So, how do we beat this?"

"Simple.", Taranee said as she closed her eyes and began to focus her thoughts.

Suddenly, Taranee was covered in a red light. When the lights faded Taranee was in her Guardian form. She then burned through her ropes like it was paper.

"Remember who you really are.", Taranee said with a smile.

"Remember who I am,", Nigel said as he closed his eyes and started to focus on who he was.

Suddenly, Nidel was covered in a yellow light and started to change. When the lights faded, Nigel was in his Guardian Knight form and broke free of his ropes. Seeing this made Taranee smile even more.

"That was easier than I thought.", Nigel said as they held each other's hands. "Now I think it's time to wake up from this nightmare!"

"I'm all for that!", Taranee said as she and Nigel walked through the flames as if they were nothing.

Once through the fire, they were face to face with Will, who was more than shocked to see them not only alive but in their transformed states.

"How did you...?", Will began to ask before Taranee cut her off.

"What can I say, Will?", Taranee questioned as she stared Will down. "You suck at illusions!"

She then fired a powerful flame along with the powerful energy beam Nigel fired! Both attacks merged together and hit Will! Once they hit Will, a bright light flashed that blinded Nigel and Taranee for a second before everything went black.

Irma & Martin

As they were drowning in the water of the energy cube, Cedric had them held down in, Martin was thinking back to how this all happened when something hit him.

'Wait a second!', Martin thought to himself as his eyes snapped open. 'I remember seeing Irma go through this! But I didn't! I wasn't even captured! This isn't real!'

Martin then looked over at Irma, who's eyes were closed.

'Irma! You have to wake up Irma!', Martin called out to her telepathiclly, remembering that they all shared a telepathic link. 'Wake up, woman!'

'Huh? Martin?', Irma replied as she slowly opened her eyes. 'How am I alive? I'm drowning!'

'No you're not!', Martin said as she turned to look at him. 'This is all an illusion, Will cooked up!'

'What?', Irma questioned. 'So, that means that we're still...'

'Butt-kick heroes? Yep!', Martin said cutting her off.

'That's all I needed to hear!', Irma said as she closed her eyes and began to focus her thoughts like Martin was doing.

Suddenly, Irma was covered in a blue light and started to change, while Martin was covered in a red light. When the lights faded Irma was in her Guardian form, while Martin was in his Guardian Knight form. They both then opened their eyes and looked at each other smiling. They then teletransported out from the water and Cedric's hold. They then appeared in front of Will, who was more than shocked to see them.

"How were you able to get free?", Will questioned.

"Our little secret!", Martin said. "One that will be your downfall!"

Martin and Irma then fired a combo of fire and ice that struck Will! Once they did, a bright light flashed that blinded Irma and Martin for a second before everything went black. In the real world, Taranee, Nigel, Irma, and Martin all opened their eyes. They could tell that they were okay and back in the real world. They also saw they they were each trapped in an energy bubble.

"So, that's how she did it!", Taranee said.

"You see it too, huh?", Martin asked from his bubble.

"Martin?", Taranee questioned. "How did you..."

"I'm guessing that, like you, it was our telepathic powers that helped us.", Martin said. "Once I figured that the illusion wasn't real, I was able to help Irma as well. We then blasted Will..."

"And then you and Irma were released from the illusion!", Taranee said finishing Martin's sentence.

"You and Nigel?", Martin asked.

"Yeah!", Taranee said. "I'm guessing that it's the same with the other couples."

"Then we have to save them before Will finishes what ever she has planned for them!", Irma said. "But first we have to get out of these bubbles!"

"Leave that to me!", Nigel said as he pulled out his bow.

Nigel then aimed his energy arrow at Taranee's byubble and fired. The arrow popped his bubble and then popped Taranee's bubble once it hit. Nigel then fired an energy arrow at Martin's bubble and another at Irma's bubble. Once free they gathered together ready to act fast.

"So, what's the plan?", Irma asked.

"How about you watch your friends die?"

The four of them looked to see Will looking at them with a cold glare.

"I don't know how you were able to get free of my energy bubbles!", Will said. "But I won't give you the chance to free your friend!"

Will then released the others from their energy bubbles and let them fall to their deaths.

"NO!", Taranee, Nigel, Irma, and Martin yelled.

"Oh, yes!", Will said. "And the funny part of that they're still trapped in what ever illusion I have them trapped in. They'll die either way!"

Thinking quickly, Nigel fired a large energy arrow who's end was being held by Nigel's right hand. Once the arrow was close enough, they split off into six smaller arrows and wrapped around the others. Once that was done, Nigel slowly lowered them to the ground of the courtyard. Taranee, Nigel, Irma, and Martin then flew down to them and saw that they were still unconscious.

"We have to help free them from what ever illusion Will has put them in!", Irma said.

"I can help, Eric and Hay Lin!", Martin said. "You help Peter and Orube!"

"Right!", Taranee said as she ran over to her brother and Orube.

"Nigel we're going to need a shiled to block Wacko Queen from getting in!", Irma said to Nigel.

"Gotcha!", Nigel said as he formed an energy shield around all of them.

Once the shiled was up, Taranee and Martin went to work on helping their friends. Taranee got on her knees at Peter and Orube's heads, while Martin was on his knees at Eric and Hay Lin's heads. Martin then placed his hands on Hay Lin and Eric's forheads while Taranee placed her hands on Orube and Peter's heads. Taranee and Martin then began to focus their minds and help their friends free themselves of Will's illusions.

'I hope this works.', they thought as they went further into their friend's minds.

A/N: Just when Will thougth she had our heroes under her control, Taranee and Martin break free and help their signifigant others as well. And now the two of them are trying to help the others get free before it's to late. Here's hoping they can pull it off.

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