At the end of the day the girls met up outside the school gate and waited for Cleo to come. Kara made sure that Cleo was convinced they wanted her along; she was rather suspicious why they had invited her oddly enough since no one had really talked to her most of the previous week except in lessons but Cleo had agreed to come. The reason why she didn't trust anyone yet was because she knew people all too well; they were disappointing whatever city you went to and with the amount of different places Cleo had been, it was easy to understand why she seemed so stand-offish.
Cleo emerged from the building and looked at the four in surprise. They were actually there, and they were waiting for her! She smiled for the first time in what felt like forever and hurried to the group. The four smiled at their new friend and greeted her.
"Hey, thanks for inviting me, you guys." Cleo said once they were on the streets. Mei Lin walked at her side, Ashley with Natalia, and Kara singularly behind them.
"It's okay, you looked like you could use a friend." Ashley said.
"Yeah, I guess I could." Cleo laughed.
They continued walking through the somewhat empty streets of Heatherfield in the late afternoon sun, making small talk about this and that, mostly asking Cleo questions about where she came from and what it was like. As Heatherfield wasn't a huge city, the girls were wondering about life outside it. Cleo answered as best as she could but all she could really say was that she only had the essence of a city before her family had to move again. She secretly hoped Heatherfield would be different and that maybe she could stay here. Her parents' jobs would be the deciding factor for that. Little did they all know that Cleo would have to stay no matter what…
The small group finally reached the Silver Dragon. Mei Lin pushed open the door and let her friends go through. The smell of freshly made food for the dinner rush wafted in the air, nipping at the girls' noses. It was warm and cosy in the backroom; a private room that was usually used for family dining. Unlit candles and small pots of different sized bamboos decorated the window sills of tall glass panes. There was a wooden chest with large double doors in one corner of the room, next to the window a broom was placed gingerly, and a large dining table in the middle of the room. Mei Lin invited her friends to sit down whilst she hurried to get something they could snack on. Kara went with Mei Lin to help which left Ashley, Natalia and Cleo at the table.
"I've never actually been in a Chinese restaurant; we always just get takeaway. It's really pretty." Cleo's eyes were taking in the room's décor and its red walls with hand painted golden flowers and cherry blossoms all around. Indeed it was.
"Yeah, wait till you try some of the food, it's awesome!" Natalia said. Ashley nodded in agreement. As if on cue, Mei Lin and Kara came back in with a couple of plates each with different rolls and dumplings stacked on top. Everything looked amazing and was mouth wateringly good; the girls snacked for a little and did some of the assignments from today. There wasn't that much to be done but it still took a good portion of their attention.
A quiet knocking, more like thumping woke the girls from their homework induced trance. It was light tapping on wood or something of the sort. The group shared some looks of suspicion and each thought that someone was knocking on the door of the room. Mei Lin went to see but there was no one there. There was nothing at the windows for it could have been some bird or other critter but no. The thumping continued.
"What is it?" Ashley looked out the window again. Natalia scanned the room for things it could be when her gaze settled on something in the corner; her eyes widened in shock and she pointed to the wooden chest silently. Each girl turned to see what Natalia was pointing at – one of the doors of the chest was slightly ajar and a soft pink glow was emerging from the inside. The thumping started up again and this time the light moved with it. Whatever it was, it wanted to get out.
Mei Lin stepped toward it but Kara caught her arm in warning. She pointed to a broom to her right. Mei Lin nodded in agreement and reached for it. The two approached the chest together and Mei Lin stretched out the broom to the doors of the chest to open them further. A loud thump caught them all by surprise and each one jumped a little in shock. Kara suppressed a giggle and gently took the broom from Mei Lin's hands who then smiled in gratitude. Kara didn't waste any more time in opening the doors and letting the glow grow. It was a pastel pink light but bright enough to make the girls squint. It came from a smaller wooden box decorated in the same fashion as the room.
"Why is it doing that?" Natalia hid behind Ashley a little bit but kept her eyes level with the orb. Kara went to pick up the box and with little struggle she brought it to the table and placed it in the middle. A small hook kept the contents from breaking out. The box thumped on the table; it moved up and down as if something alive was in there. The eyes of the girls were all glued to the object in the middle of their circle. The pink light was reflected in each of their eyes. The orb held them captive or so it seemed.
Ashley reached her hand forward and gently moved the hook so that the box could open. As soon as she removed her hand from it, the box erupted in more light and the thing which thumped got out. It was a necklace with a spherical pendant. It was the source of light and it looked absolutely timeless. The pendant rose into the air just above the girls' heads and spun around moving around the circle until it stopped before Kara. Her eyes were wide with surprise as were the rest of eyes in the room.
Within the next second the room of the Silver Dragon had disappeared and had been replaced with white and light mint green pillars in a high ceilinged hall. It was bigger than any cathedral or church on Earth, and it was immaculately clean. The huge marble doors were open and through them more of the same building could be seen as well as a water fountain in the next hall. Tiered seats carved of marble surrounded the girls and some of those seats were occupied by people who all wore the same white and mint robes which appeared to be made of silk. Nearest to the girls were three older women who sat on the first row of tiered seats. One woman had bright crimson hair, the one in the middle had long braided hair and the third one with dark hair which flowed long past her waist. They smiled at the five girls who now stood in the centre of the large hall.
"Welcome to Kandrakar girls." Said the third one. Mei Lin stared hard at the woman and after a moment decided she was losing her mind.
"Grandma?!" she exclaimed. She moved towards her but seemed to hesitate. The woman smiled in response.
"It's me, Mei Lin, don't be scared. You're really here."
"So this is what you call 'retiring'? You're not really on a long trip around China?"
"No, my dear, I did go on vacation, but this is where I retired to; Kandrakar."
"Kandrakar – it sounds like that story you used to tell me as a kid. With those fairies." Mei Lin forgot about her friends for a little because of the shock of seeing her grandmother standing right in front of her.
"It wasn't just a story. I was telling you about myself and my friends when we were your age. We were the guardians of the veil."
"I'm sorry, but what is going on?" Natalia spoke from behind Ashley who stood staring in awe at the great architecture around them.
"Perhaps we should explain, Hay Lin?" the red haired woman quipped up. Hay Lin nodded.
"Yes, Will."
Will held up the pendant from the room in the Silver Dragon; it was still glowing pink. She floated down to where the girls were standing and let the pendant fly into the air above. The blond woman stood her ground but seemed to smile at the change of aura. The pink pendant showed a large projection of some different planets. It shifted around as Hay Lin spoke.
"The universe was once a single kingdom ruled by good," Hay Lin paused. "But evil began to take root. A veil was created to isolate the evil kingdom of Meridian from all other worlds. Without the protection of this veil, every world including Earth was in terrible danger. Meridian was taken over by a powerful entity named Phobos but he was not the legitimate ruler. They believed the true heir to the throne was somewhere on Earth. This was a very long time ago. Since then portals have been opening in the veil, doorways from that world to ours. The real ruler of Meridian was found by Phobos who planned to take her powers for himself, but the five guardians of the veil stopped him and restored the Light of Meridian." The girls were utterly confused but very curious about the story which Mei Lin's grandmother was telling.
"Meridian then lived a very peaceful age under Queen Elyon's rule." Will said. She stood back and motioned to the blond woman who smiled slightly at her friends.
"This is Queen Elyon." She said.
"I'm not a queen any more, my daughter took over for me, Queen Anna. She rules over the kingdom now. And you five are the new guardians. That is the Heart of Kandrakar." Elyon pointed to the pendant which now circled low and floated back to Will. She caught it in her hand and held it out.
"It has found its keeper." She turned to Kara who stared wildly at the light.
"Me?" she asked. The three women nodded.
"You are the keeper of the Heart. You have the power to open and close portals, and unite the guardians. Not as hard as it sounds, trust me." Will gave the Heart to Kara. She looked at the floating pendant above her open palm and back up to Will.
"I don't understand why this is happening." Was all that she could muster.
"Grandma, wasn't there that myth about the nymph, Xin Jing and her four dragons?" Mei Lin broke in. Hay Lin was standing next to her granddaughter. She nodded.
"Yes, it is the origin of your powers. Xin Jing wanted to save the dragons from her father's cruelty. The dragons represented each of the four elements. They came together with the Heart." Hay Lin explained.
"Kara, say the words "Guardians unite" and see what happens." Will patted Kara on the shoulder and moved away. Hay Lin did the same and the two moved back to where Elyon was standing. The five girls looked at one another in wonder.
"Guardians…unite." Kara held the pendant up and it floated to the middle of their circle once again glowing brightly. Natalia took a step back, Cleo squinted at the light and Ashley smiled. Mei Lin tried to remember anything else her grandmother had told her as a child. There were so many stories of adventure and friendship, it was impossible to remember everything all at once. The other guardians she had seen in photos, there was Irma and Teranee and Cornelia as well as Will and Hay Lin. They had defeated Phobos and an evil sorceress to keep the universe safe.
The five's feet left the ground and the light shone in between them turning into shades of pink blended in with white. The transformation took place in the split of a second but to everyone it seemed much longer. Each girl emerged in a strange outfit with wings. They had blue and pink shirts and skirts, all with different patterns on the hem of the waist, of different length and symbol where their heart should be, all combined with blue and green striped leggings. It was the oddest combination but it was rather pretty anyways. They all stood in shock about what had just taken place.
"The need for guardians has arisen. After my daughter's coronation in June, there have been strange stirrings in Meridian. Evil is rising again and I'm afraid that my daughter won't be able to handle it all on her own. There are other worlds with problems too, you must act as peace keepers." Elyon explained.
"Let's see who has which element." Hay Lin approached the girls. She passed each one in turn and smiled.
"Natalia, you are the earth guardian." The symbol of a circle with a dot lit up on Natalia's shirt. She looked down at her hands in wonder.
"Ashley, you are fire. Just as I suspected." Hay Lin continued. Ashley looked surprised for a moment but at this point it didn't make sense to be shocked. They'd all seen plenty in the last few minutes.
"Cleo, you are the water element." Cleo stood wide eyed and confused.
"Which leaves you granddaughter with air, just like me, and your great-great grandma Yan Lin." Hay Lin concluded. Will came forward and addressed Kara.
"You have the power of quintessence, which is the fifth element. It's sorta the balance between all of them. Oh, and you may start to hear electronics talking to you, don't mind them, just make friends." Will laughed.
"Yes, ma'am." Kara giggled at the thought of talking to her phone.
"Girls, you must practise your abilities until you are needed in Meridian or anywhere across the veil. There's a nice spot below the bridge and behind the dumpster in Heatherfield. It's quiet and pretty empty all the time. No worry about damage. You must keep this a secret too." Will said.
"Nobody can know. Also granddaughter, look in the wooden cabinet when you get back. There is a map to help you find any portals and some other things to help you." Hay Lin winked.
"Thanks, grandma." Mei Lin finally hugged her grandmother; she was convinced it was her now. "I wish I could tell mom and dad you're here." She whispered.
'Darling, I'll be here for a long time. I told your parents I will live away. You can come visit sometimes. Kandrakar is one of the safest worlds in the entire universe. It's where the council meets, they can help you, just come here and seek them."
"Okay. But how do we get back home?" Mei Lin asked.
"Kara, this is up to you." Will nodded at the pendant. "You can open portals with that and make sure to close them." she added.
Kara looked down at the Heart and then held it up defiantly. A blue light emerged in the space before her and a large circle formed.
"We wish you luck girls, everything is in the Heart, remember that." Elyon gave the group a nod.
"If help comes to you, do not turn it away…" Will smiled knowingly. Hay Lin waved after her granddaughter sadly; she would see her again soon hopefully. Mei Lin smiled and waved back as she went through the portal. Natalia, Ashley and Cleo had gone through silently and in shock. Kara looked back one last time and went through the portal, Will's words ringing in her head. Help...
"What the heck just happened?" Natalia yelped. She was leaning on one of the cold grey walls of the basement, looking around at her friends. Kara still held the heart as she closed off the portal and next to her Ashley, Cleo and Mei Lin stared at the light dying off. They had changed back to their Earth selves. Ashley was first to recover.
"I don't know, but it was awesome – we're gonna be like superheroes or something!" she grinned. She snapped her fingers and a little flame propped up. Everyone stared at it until Ashley made it disappear. Natalia shook her head in disbelief.
"I remember all these stories grandma used to tell me. The passing of the job is a tradition. There's so much we need to learn!" Mei Lin started pacing around the basement and everyone else sat on whatever was available – maybe a stool, or a crate or a ledge.
"It's unbelievable. Everything we know about the world has changed in the span of a few minutes." Cleo mused. She was most confused because she had only just moved to Heatherfield and this was one of the first things to happen. "I still can't believe it, I-" she stopped, lost for words.
"Are we actually going to do this?" Natalia asked. Everyone looked at her sharply. She shrunk back a little bit.
"We have a responsibility now. We can't turn our backs on this, it's a lot bigger than us, guys." Kara said. Ashley nodded.
"We totally need to know what we're doing though. Should we make up a practise schedule?" she suggested.
"Yeah, we can do it after school, that place grandma mentioned – I think that could work well." Mei Lin bounced up and down with a smile. She was excited that her grandma was still with her in a sense. Something was connecting them even now when Hay Lin had left.
"What about your shifts, Mei Lin?" Kara asked. "You're gonna have to make something up. And I need to tell Mike I joined a club or something."
"That's true, I hate lying to my parents though. What about you guys?" Mei Lin sat down finally next to Natalia on a ledge.
"I think my family will be relieved that I actually leave the house." Cleo laughed half-heartedly. Her little sister Lola always asked her why she never went out and it was hard to answer without sounding lonely. The girls joined in Cleo's laughter and it felt like they had been friends for a long time even though Cleo was a new addition to their group.
"I think we need to look at that cabinet." Mei Lin started for the stairs. Each girl followed and they found themselves in the small room from before. They sat around the table whilst Mei Lin rummaged around the cabinet looking for the map and anything else. A few seconds later she pulled out a photo album with some pages sticking out and an old envelope which looked as if it hadn't been touched in many years. The girls waited eagerly as Mei Lin placed the items on the table. The plates from before lay discarded on the wooden chest's top, as the guardians started to examine the evidence of a different age. There were many photos of the previous guardians – there were only a few where they were in their guardian form and the rest were all taken on Earth. In the photos were other people too; friends and allies of the five. Each photo was labelled on the back with a year and who's in it.
Each girl had a stack of photos to look at and process as well as some of the loose pages to read. It was quite a lot to take in at first but eventually they each got the hang of it. Kara mostly saw photos of the guardians' vacations – a sunny beach, a ski trip, some concerts and other fun fairs. One photo in particular caught her eye. It was of the red headed woman in Kandrakar when she was younger and presumably her boyfriend. What really interested Kara was that the boy in the photo reminded her of someone. It was irking her that she couldn't quite place the image on the paper with one from her own memories. The back of the photo read: 'Will and Matt, summer before senior year.' Kara placed it back in the pile, still annoyed that she was missing something.
Across the table Natalia had found a group photo of the guardians, Queen Elyon and another man, who according to the back of the photo was called Caleb. He had his arm around a smiling Cornelia and in the other he held a sword. The photo made Natalia smile involuntarily and she nudged the others to look at it too.
In response Ashley showed the rest of the gang a photo she had found; it was from Hay Lin's wedding. She wore a traditional Chinese wedding dress and her hair was pulled up into two buns, a wolfish smile plastered on her face. She was holding hands with a dark haired man with dimples, who was grinning as if there was no tomorrow.
"That's my grandpa, Eric. He was a jazz musician. He married my grandma a few years after they graduated." Mei Lin recalled. She had seen many photos of him as he travelled around playing music, and when she was little he would play the saxophone sometimes. He had passed away a few years ago.
"They look so happy there." Ashley passed the photo to Mei Lin. She took it and smiled.
"They were, very." She whispered.
"Guys look!" Cleo exclaimed. She passed a photo to the middle. It was old and tattered but it was clear. It was of Queen Elyon, Caleb and a short, green creature who resembled a frog. He wore a dull orange shirt and grey slacks and his feet were bare.
"Who's that?" Kara laughed. Cleo turned the photo and read it out loud.
"'Elyon, Caleb and Blunk.' Well I guess that's him then, Blunk."
"Weird, grandma never mentioned him." Mei Lin shrugged. The girls laughed at Mei Lin's puzzled face.
"Of course she didn't, what would she have said?" Kara grinned.
The five continued looking through photos until the map emerged from one of the stacks. Kara had found it using a little help from the Heart of Kandrakar. She hummed in appreciation of the jewel and put it around her neck once again. It stood out against her mostly dark attire. The map was somewhat torn and faded but the Heart helped reinforce the lines which were there. The streets were strangely arranged – it almost didn't seem like Heatherfield in the first place. A red cross appeared on the page as Kara held the Heart to it.
"Woah, why did it do that?" Natalia asked. Mei Lin scrunched her brow in thought.
"I think that's where we are actually. If you think about it from this angle – here," she pointed to a corner intersection. "Then we can imagine this is the main road and the Silver Dragon is here." She moved her finger along the line and to the red cross.
"Phew, I thought it was one of those portal thingies." Ashley sighed.
"Well, let's hope that we don't have to worry about those. I'll keep an eye on the map and tell you guys if I see anything. I gotta get home; my dad's going to wonder where I am." Kara folded the map and placed it into her bag.
"See you tomorrow." She said and went out the door.
"I should probably go too guys, I need to pick up Patty from basketball." Ashley pulled on her jacket and waved to the remaining three girls.
"He's twelve now, you don't need to stress out so much, Ash." Natalia rolled her eyes. She and Cleo gathered their things and said their thanks to Mei Lin and left, splitting up on the main road and heading home.