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Thanks to all those who didn't give up on me! Hope you like the final chapter!
"A Guardian's Past"
Chapter 25: "A Source's Power Part 2"
Cornelia glanced down at her palms, then at the Heart. "Why'd you call me over here, Will? You know-"
"Regardless of your power, I need all of the team." Will spoke to everyone confidently. "I need all of you to put your power into the Heart. Mom, I need your team to do the same."
"Why?" Irma spoke up. "I know you're the leader and all, but..."
"Just trust me and do it. I... I know this will work." She released the Heart and allowed it to float above her open left palm. It has to... She closed her eyes and waited for her friends' energy.
Will, what are you thinking? Susan wondered as she did the same. The two teams shot their own magic into their leader's Hearts.
"Mom, when you feel it, you'll know it." Will spoke to her mother softly, her eyes still closed. "We're going to combine our Hearts at that moment and... and defeat Dalthar once and for all."
Susan nodded and opened her eyes. "Ready, Will?"
Will opened her eyes and turned to the older woman. She smiled with a glow in her eye. "Ready."
They pushed the crystal pendants together and they all were engulfed in a pink explosion of energy.
"...Heart!"
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Will opened her eyes suddenly to see the pink ceiling of her bedroom. Her green stuffed frog was laying on its back to her left against the wall. "Wha..."
She sprang up in her bed and threw the covers in the corner and flew out her door. "Dalthar... Mom, what happened to-" She stopped as she stepped into the kitchen to see her mother, as well as the others all at the table.
"Dalthar?" Susan smiled. "He's gone. You did it, Will."
"Yeah, I'm sorry I ever doubted you!" Irma stood up and walked over to her friend.
"Your idea was great, Will!" Hay Lin approached Will with a smile. Taranee and Cornelia did the same.
Will looked over at each of her friends, then glanced at her mother. "Hold on a minute! What happened back there?"
"We don't know." Susan shook her head. "I remember us joining our Hearts and then... we were in our beds in our own homes. I just have a feeling that Dalthar was defeated." She grinned.
"Everyone fell out and the Oracle transported us all here to Heatherfield." Elyon responded. "That's all I saw through the light."
"There is just one problem." Theresa said quietly and looked at Susan. "Susan can't summon her Heart."
"What? Really, Mom?" Will gasped and jerked her head at her mother.
The woman nodded solemnly.
"Then... what about me?" Will opened her left palm and her Heart appeared, shining brighter than before. Everyone instinctively shielded their eyes. "What in the-"
"Don't worry, we'll explain." a gentle voice suddenly said.
"Grandma!" Hay Lin exclaimed. Yan Lin smiled as she folded her arms and the Oracle appeared beside her in front of the main door.
The Oracle nodded. "First of all, I'd like to congratulate you Guardians on defeating Dalthar."
"You can't give us all the credit. It was Will's idea." Susan protested.
Yan Lin shook her head. "You all helped. Your team couldn't have defeated the enemy alone, Susan. You're not as powerful as you were when you were their age."
Susan sighed and hung her head. "You don't have to remind me, Yan Lin." She looked up at the Oracle. "Wait, so what happened to my Heart? Did you take it back?"
The Oracle shook his head slowly. "The two Hearts are now one, Susan. And yes, you can still transform, you just need Will to do so, just as the girls do."
"I see..." She said to herself. At least... we'll still have our powers again in case they need extra help.
"Oracle, did... did you really help us?" Anne asked nervously. "I mean..."
Yan Lin look at the older Earth Guardian silently then nodded. "Yes. After Will and Susan merged the Hearts, you had no energy left, even Cornelia didn't. She had used up some of her power with the vines. The Oracle and I saw that the combined Heart was enough to finally defeat Dalthar, but that it also drained you. We transported you back to your homes."
"Matt, Nigel, come here." The man spoke silently, but sternly.
"Wait, Oracle!" Will ran up beside Matt before he stook up. "Do they have to forget about this? I mean, I know they were told without me knowing, but..."
"Oracle, I agree with Will on this." Theresa said, looking at the man. "I'll admit, at first I wasn't fond of Nigel, but... but after seeing him protect Taranee like he did during the battle..."
The Oracle didn't respond to their protests or made any move to let them know he heard them as the two boys stood up and nervously approached the man. "Matt Olsen, Nigel Rivers... your bravery today impressed me." He smiled gently. "Because of that bravery, I will allow you to remain as you are if you choose to do so."
"What... do you mean?" Will breathed.
Yan Lin smiled knowingly. "It means they will be able to remember what happened today if they want to."
Will's uncertain expression quickly turned to joy as she jumped at Matt and hugged him. "Of course they want to remember... Don't you?"
Matt nodded, grinning. Taranee tried to hide her smile when Nigel agree with Matt, but her mother saw it and smirked. "You don't have to hide it, Taranee. Now you and Will don't have to hide anything from your boyfriends."
"Mom!!"
"Mrs. Cook!!"
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Will sat at the kitchen table as her mother lay a big black pot down. "Dinner is served."
"Thanks, Mom." Will met her mother's smile with her own. "I'm glad you cancelled on Mr. Collins."
"He understood. After all, you had a hard day. In the end, it came out good, though, right?" Susan slid out a chair and sat down.
Will nodded as she reached for a piece of chicked fromt he pot. "Yeah, it did. You, Matt and Nigel know about us, you were only testing me when you said we were moving, and Caleb is staying in Candracar to help out there. Our powers are back, we defeated Dalthar, and Elyon went back to Meridian safely. What could possible go wrong?"
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Luba stepped into the room silenlty, hoping nobody would stop her. She smirked as she looked over the five aurameres floating in front of her. The green one was twice as big as the other four and was radiated more energy.
She rubbed her hands together and approached the Earth auramere. The girls got lucky this time since they had the previous Guardians... Alone they could never have done it. I'll show the Oracle once and for all that their friendship will fail... She outstretched her hands over the auramere with a smile on her face.
...if it's the last thing I do.
It seems Will spoke too soon. And about Nigel's last name... I don't recall the books ever mentioning it, but if it does and anyone can tell me his real last name, please do so I can correct it. If it hasn't been mentioned, I'll just leave it as Rivers, although it's just a miniscule detail.
The end of A Guardian's Past. And just so you know, the same thing that happened in the books won't happen in my story. That would be way too predictable. You'll just have to wait and find out in the sequel to A Guardian's Past! Keep an eye on my profile for updates.