by Katie Davidson (Virtue)
Harry, Tsutsami, and Velicity rose out of their chairs and headed for the door. Just as Tsutsami grabbed her cloak, she turned to see Cecil still sitting in his chair. "Cecil! Come on!" She shouted.
"There is one problem," Cecil paused, "I don't know how to get there."
"You what?" Tsutsami screamed, "Didn't your dad leave a note... a map... a SOMETHING that can tell us how to get there?"
Cecil shook his head and sighed; "All I know is that the only entrance to the Earth Fairies' Domain is somewhere under the Forbidden Forest."
"Under?" Harry burst in, "How are we going to get UNDER the Forbidden Forest?"
"There has to be some sort of cave or opening somewhere." Tsutsami thought.
Velicity tugged on the cloak Tsutsami held, "Tsutsami, Harry, Cecil... I know... I know!"
Harry knelt down to look at Velicity, "What is it Velicity? Do you know about an entrance?"
Velicity nodded, "The winds know a lot of things. There's a cave on the edge of the forbidden forest, a long walk from Hogwarts, but it should be safe to enter from there. It goes deep into the ground."
"There we have it!" Tsutsami laughed, "Velicity one. Dumb guardians... ZIP."
Velicity giggled. Harry stood up and grabbed Cecil's cloak, throwing it towards him, "We have our entrance, now let's get going. Who knows what could have happened at Hogwarts, I'll contact Elora while we walk."
Cecil groaned, stood up, and placed his cloak around his shoulders; "Fine."
Harry headed out the door thinking that they would enter the warm air of Forest Vine, but instead he found him self staring into the deep woods of the Forbidden Forest. Harry looked around, stopping for a short moment, "Ugh."
"What's wrong Harry?" Cecil asked.
"How did we get here so fast?"
"Cecil's powers, of course. All the guardians have the power to move like this. Elora can apparate from light, Velicity can travel by wind, I can apparate by water, and Cecil can travel to any forest he dare so wishes." Tsutsami said, "Even you came here by traveling by lightning, so you should understand."
"I see." Harry said, "Okay then. Let's get a move on. Velicity, which way do we go?"
Velicity pointed to the left. "Let's walk AROUND the Forest, it'll be faster and less... scarier." She said, trembling with fear.
Harry laughed, "Okay. Let's go... left, it is."
Lizzie and Luno-Elora walked down the wide tunnel which Quenelle said would lead them to Gwen, the Earth Fairy Queen. Lizzie walked behind Luno-Elora, still stunned at the transformation. "So uhm..." Lizzie said, trying to make conversation, "What happens to Elora when you become her, er, I mean, you become her but not her and..."
Luno-Elora's laughed softly; "Elora is okay. She's conscience of what's happening. I cannot keep shield her from knowing everything. For now, I have to be here to talk with Gwen."
Lizzie hummed, whispering a thought to herself, "You must have been cute."
"What was that?" Luno-Elora asked politely.
"Uhm... are we almost there?" Lizzie said, trying her best to cover up her thought.
"We're approaching the end of the tunnel. Cover your eyes when we enter the Earth Fairie domain, the sudden brightness may blind you for a moment."
Lizzie did as Luno-Elora asked when they entered the Earth Fairy domain. When her eyes were accustom to the brightness of the cavern she saw small fairies whizzing here and there. A large staircase made of stone led up to a platform where a woman, wearing a long lilac gown and crown on her head, sat on a golden thrown. A sentry stepped in front of them, "Halt! What is your business here?"
The sentry wore armor the colour of rust. He held a tall, thick spear in his hand that he held vertically to his left. Luno-Elora looked up to him, "I request to have an audience with Queen Gwen. My name is Luno."
"Luno?" Gwen said, rising out of her chair, "Let them pass, Sentry."
The sentry stepped out of the way and let Luno-Elora and Lizzie enter. They walked to the bottom of the staircase where Luno-Elora knelt on one knee, bowing her head in recognition to Gwen.
"Luno, for all that you have done for me in the past, it is I who should be kneeling before you. You seem different from the last time we met. How long ago was it?" Gwen said as she walked down the staircase to meet Luno-Elora.
Luno-Elora stood up, "It has been a long time, Gwen, and yes, I am different. I am part of Elora, the relative of Feray, the Fire Guardian. Months ago she and Harry, with the other Elemental Guardians, completed the prophecy. I now exist now because of Elora, and so we are one."
"Harry you say? Is he the young boy of the Potter's. The one who survived an attack from the dark wizard, Voldemort?" Gwen asked.
"That is correct, Gwen." Luno-Elora replied, "Now to get to what we came here to do. Gwen, Hogwarts has experienced tremors in the past few hours. Do you know anything about it?"
Gwen sighed and looked into Luno-Elora's blue eyes; "Yes, I do."
"Can you stop it?" Lizzie brushed in, stepping towards Gwen. Luno-Elora extended her arm out and stopped her.
Gwen's gaze shot to Lizzie, "And who is this young lady?"
"This is Lizzie, a friend of Elora's." Luno-Elora explained, "Gwen, I'm afraid Hogwarts may not last long. Is it possible to stop the tremors?"
"My contract with the Forest Guardian is still iron-clad. Unfortunately it is not I who is leading the tremors on Hogwarts. Not like I would want to break the contract I made with the Forest Guardian, but some of my fairies disappeared earlier today. It is possible it is them who are creating the tremors." Gwen explained, " When I try to reach them, I am blocked by some dark force. I do not know what else to do, Luno."
Suddenly a sentry ran up to Gwen and knelt before her. The sentry, his head bowed before the queen, spoke sternly, "My Queen, I received news about a group heading towards the Forbidden Forest entrance. What do you command be done your highness?"
Gwen turned to the sentry, "Do we know who they are?"
The sentry looked up, "We know it's a group of two males and two females. My Queen, one boy in the group has a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead."
"Harry!" Lizzie shouted, "It's Harry!"
Gwen nodded her head, "Send three sentries to lead them to me. I have been waiting to meet Harry for a long time."
The sentry replied; "Yes, my Queen." He then stood up, stomped his left foot and turned to gather two other sentries, soon to leave to retrieve Harry and the others.
"Luno," Gwen said, "Looks like we are going to have company."
Luno-Elora smiled, "I am sorry to say I won't be here to greet them. Gwen, I must let Elora meet Harry and the other guardians. Please give her the same respect you would me."
"It shall be done, Luno." Gwen replied, bowing her head respectfully.
Luno-Elora bowed to Gwen, and soon Elora was her old self again. Lizzie stood astounded with the re-transformation. Gwen bowed her head to Elora, "I welcome you, Elora, to the domain of the Earth Fairies."
Continued: Chapter 5 - Guardians Unite