Hellooooo ~

*yes I use football through out this in soccer not American football.

Will tried to do well in her courses. She really did. With her stress over W.I.T.C.H activities she hadn't given much thought to her course direction but something told her the teachers weren't going to give her a recommendation for higher education. Thinking about it only stressed her out more and the realization that she lacked any passions left her feeling cold and empty. She knew Taranee has already been approved to go on to university and Hay Lin has The Silver Dragon to continue. Cornelia had become surprisingly studious in high school and her interests began leaning towards politics. Will stopped as her stomach began to hurt at the thoughts of the future she paused remembering she didn't ask what Irma would end up shooting for. She felt a small hope rise that Irma might be as lost as she is but squashed it down feeling guilty. And on top of that there's one more problem...

"Guess who!" Will heard behind her and turned around smiling.

Matt.

The boy gave a dazzling grin his jaw had become more square and cheek bones more pronounced but overall he stayed the same never straying from his normal looks or style. It was one thing of many she loved about him, his resilience towards fads or crazy teenage induced decisions like shaving his head. She peeked over to the football* team who all had various hatched bleached and buzzed looks they did as 'team bonding' and grimaced.

Will refused to bring up the idea of graduation but once in a while the thought did begin to bug her. As a couple they had been through turbulent times and broke up before but she didn't want to cause another fight or have to part ways.

"What's going on? You seem a little down." Matt asked sitting down next to her swinging his bookbag onto his lap.

Will almost lied, so used to dodging the question before catching herself. "It's some Witch stuff. I think trouble is starting again but I have no idea what, where or even who it is."

Matt turned serious and held her hand in support, "I thought that was over after defeating Phobos?" He asked surely remembering the fight he aided the girls in winning.

Will sighed looking down at the table, "I thought so, I hoped so too but..." she shrugged falling silent. Matt didn't say anything for awhile but eventually he spoke up,

"Oh, I almost forgot. This might cheer you up." He said letting go of her hand to unzip his bag and pulled out a flier. "There's going to be a carnival in town, save any world ending events, we should all go." Will was about to disagree but he continued, "if we don't have any information just sitting around worrying won't help. It'll be fun."

She looked into his eyes and gave in taking the flier to look it over, "that's weird though...a carnival? It's hardly the time of year for it." She commented idly.

"Eh," he shrugged, "I wouldn't question it. It's a traveling trop apparently."

Will ignored her feeling of apprehension and waved it away, "yeah true."

They put the paper away and continued their free period talking and spending well needed time together.

Will packed a few more outfits into her bookbag and zipped it up. She swung it over her shoulder and checked over her pockets for her cellphone just in case although once they entered Meridian it wouldn't matter. She felt guilt eat at her after lying to her mother. She said the four of them would be spending the night at Cordelia's to help babysit while her parents were away. Their relationship had been much better after they spent the morning together a few days ago and Will even limited the amount of times she was gone. At least she had told some part of the truth and her mom would be swamped with work anyway.

She sighed and made her way out of her silent home. As Will walked up to the group Taranee was tapping away on her cellphone keys furiously while Hay Lin lamented about the boxed lunches her grandmother sent with her and Irma and Cornelia were talking in hushed tones close together.

"Sorry I'm a bit late." Will greeted. All of them turned to her with subdued smiles none particularly excited for their journey. After the discussion at lunch the group decided to wait for their holiday to take the trip and reduce the amount of classes they missed. Soon they would graduate and not have to worry too much but until then...

"Let's do this..." Will said more to herself than the girls and they stepped into the new world.

A blinding light hit Will and she found herself standing in a white void. "What are you doing here?" she asked. Soon an orange glow began to build up and Will closed her eyes against it. When she opened them again she was sitting in a forest clearing in front of a small campfire. A knight in heavy armor and cape sat on a log in front of her.

He stoked the fire it's orange glow dancing shadows across his face, eyes sparkling with star light and darkness.

The fire crackled and a log burst in half.

"are these really dreams?" Will whispered out feeling afraid.

"Most likely." He sighed his cape shifting to cover his arms. "It's time to wake up." He ordered.

Will frowned at him and opened her mouth to speak but his green eyes caught her gaze she blinked and attempted to see through her blurry eyes. As her vision focused she found Aldrick standing in front of her with a stormy expression.

You? What do you-!

She let out a scream as suddenly the man had unsheathed his sword and in one large arc slashed downwards at her. and she was thrown awake. Sweat on her for head.

She woke up in a panic yelling as she sat up only to find herself on the asphalt road where they had first gathered.

"Will!" Taranee called running over to her. "Are you OK?" She asked her glasses slipping slightly as she came to a stop.

Will pressed her hands against her torso expecting a gash of some kind but they came back dry of blood or damage. "Uh, yeah, yes..." She said again swallowing thickly. "What, what happened?"

Irma and Cornelia were slowly getting up and Hay Lin was shaking her head looking dizzy.

"I think...I think we are locked out of Meridian..." Taranee said softly.

"Oh no..." Will said her voice a soft whisper.

They paced back and forth the only sounds a few stray cats and howling dogs. None of them could even begin to explain what had happened but Will thought back to her previous theory from the other morning.

"What if Aldrick had been slowly tapping into our powers, no, my powers somehow?" Will put out to the group. "It would make sense why I'm so exhausted all the time and I have an affinity for electricity but more than just currents it has to do with energy and connections that what electricity really is in the first place right?"

Irma scrunched her face up in confusion, "Uh I guess?" She put forth not really following.

"Yes it is" Taranee confirmed for them urging the girls to simply follow along.

"If that's true then instead of prophetic dreams he was communicating like a radio or cell phone?" Hay Lin added thoughtfully.

"Right, but even radios and cells are two way devices so...so what links us together?" Will mumbled pacing once more furiously.

Cornelia shivered as the night air grew colder, she shook her head and spoke to the group, "listen for now we should just regroup and think about this together ok?" She offered a little shaken up. Everyone nodded silently and began gathering their things from the ground following Cordelia back to her house.

After the scare they received the group collectively decided to get some sleep. Without much prompting they all found a place to lay out in Cornelia's house. Cornelia and Irma talked quietly in the corner of the expansive living room while Hay Lin and Taranee both decided to flop down immediately and were asleep snoring. Taranee's cell phone buzzed multiple times before the girl rolled over in irritation and sent a text to her overprotective parents. Will found it hard to get some sleep and stayed up most of the night staring at the ceiling.