Chapter 2: Mistakes of the Past

Yan Lin rushed down the ivory halls of Candracar, she had sensed something had happened to the guardians, the Aurameres that usually floated peacefully in the Aura Hall, were not, all of the Aurameres had disappeared, first her own granddaughter's silver-gray droplet began to shake violently then, there was a small pop and Hay Lin's Auramere was gone. Yan Lin could only watch in horror as Cornelia's, Taranee's, Irma's and even Will's Auramere disappeared. The Aurameres were connected to the girls, and their friendship once before something like this had happened, after the veil was lifted by the Oracle and the true queen and, the guardian's friend, Elyon took control over her evil brother, Phobos. Even though all this was happening the girls were arguing, Cornelia had lost Caleb, once a murmerer who worked for Phobos but had realized the darkness Phobos had brought upon Meriden and escaped to lead the resistance against him, the one whom she believed to be the love of her life, had been turned into a murmerer's lowest form, a flower, which Cornelia spent all of her time tending to. Meanwhile Will, the Keeper of the heart was being forced to move away in a few short months and all the girls could do was argue, soon their powers were very weak, but when Luba fused the powers of all the guardians but Cornelia into a shape-shifting Altermere which Cornelia accidentally absorbed, and had set out to bring her Caleb back to life with her new-found strength. But Luba had interfered once again and Caleb was turned into Phobos' servant and had almost stayed that way until Cornelia's true love, and the last of her power had brought him back to normal. As for the other guardians their friendship began to rekindle as in that becoming more powerful and the guardians set off for Candracar, in time the girls powers were restored, Caleb was brought back to life, but Candracar had suffered it's own losses, Luba the original Keeper of the Aurameres disappeared, still not having faith in the guardians. But Luba's mistakes were not forgotten when the guardians when the elements and the heart abandoned the guardian Nerissa had awakened, and old foe, more powerful and more evil than anything the guardians had even faced was now after them, now after the heart.

As both a member of the council and a former guardian Yan Lin had been given an important job, Keeper of the Aurameres, who's duty was to watch over the guardians powers, to see if their friendship was as strong. But nothing like this had happened, this was nothing she had even heard of, she had to tell the Oracle. She turned the corner into a large ivory room with high ceilings and carvings of people, and things of ancient times. There was the Oracle, Meditating over a pond filled with lilys, the scene was so pure Yan Lin felt her troubles lift away, but now was no time to forget her troubles,

"Oracle, The Auramere's-"

"Yes Yan Lin." Said The Oracle in a calm voice. "They were gone. For a moment I senced it to, there was no trace of Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia or Hay Lin. This was Nerissia's doing."

Yan Lin gasped.

"There was a great disturbance, but not as great as you think, Yan Lin, Let us go to the Aura Hall and I will show you."

As the Oracle and she waked down the to the Aura Hall Yan Lin could not help wondering why the Oracle was not worried, "the Aura Hall is Empty. That has never happened in the history of Candracar, I never knew it was possible, the Oracle is all-knowing, but I am not so sure about this-"

"Do not doubt me Yan Lin, you shall soon see my way of thinking, you shall soon see what has happened."

"I-I am sorry Oracle, I was just worried for the guardians, they are very close to me and I care for them very much, I worry about the slightest changes in the Aurameres, Oracle." Tears filling her eyes.

"It is okay Yan Lin- whispered the Oracle.

"I'M SORRY!" sobbed Yan Lin wrapping her hands around the Oracle, putting him in a deep embrace.

"Yan Lin, I am not angry." Said the Oracle; in turn putting his arms around her, "You care very dearly for these guardians and I am glad that you do."

"Thank you." Said Yan Lin Trying to hold her tears back "I just do not want the past to repeat itself, I don't want another guardian, another friend… d-dead"

"The guardians are strong we will make sure that, no one will perish like Cassidy did that day."

Yan Lin released from the Oracle's warm embrace, feeling relieved and ready to face what had happened to the guardians.

"Come." Whispered the Oracle, "We are here."

As the two entered Aura Hall and Yan Lin was surprised to see the Auramere's floating around as they always did.

"W-what."

"I am sorry to keep you wait Yan Lin, I will explain."

Yan Lin was both happy and scared of this phnomina. Happy that the Aurameres were back to there normal place but scared that something had changed. Reguardless she listened to the Oracle's tale.

"Nerissa, who had come to Heatherfield to track the girls down and take the Heart of Candracar from it's current resident, Will. She lured them into Shell Cave where she ambushed the guardians and attacked Hay Lin, extactracting her soul."

Then the scene apeered as in front of Yan Lin in a misty haze she say her granddaughter fall to the ground she held back her tears as the Oracle continued.

"One by one each of the guardians fell until there was only Will."

Yan Lin could only watch in horror as she saw each of the guardians fall.

"Nerissa gave Will a chance to give up but she refused ,"

And Yan Lin watched the Keeper if the Heart's soul being ripped from her.

"But Will sumounded up one last bit of strength,"

Yan Lin saw Will shoot a blast of pink energy at Nerissa and knock the glass bottle that held the guardians souls break and Nerissa run of deaper into the cave as the souls shot back into their bodies.

"But I'm Afraid Yan Lin that not all is well." Said the Oracle, "When Souls are extracted they are sucked into the nearest empty body they can find. That means that the wrong souls are in the wrong bodies now."

"But the girls are ok, Oracle."

"Yes Yan Lin but each guardian is now stuck in the wrong body and now much control a completely different element. Strong, grounded Cornelia must learn to let go and become as free as Air , for that is the element and the body which she posseses, Hay Lin's. As for Your Hay Lin she in turn must take on Cornelia's element and master a very different element. As for Taranee she now must control her own opposite, water, As for her original fire element it will now belong to Will."

"Wait," gasped Yan Lin, "that means…"

"Yes The heart the Candracar has a new owner, She will have to find the leader inside herself and she will carry the problems of all the guardians on her shoulders and she will have to face challenges she isn't ready for, for the Heart of Candracar now belongs to Imra."