Chapter Seven

By: Sokai

Disclaimer: I, Sokai, do not claim ownership to the workings of W.I.T.C.H. -- I leave that honor up to Elisabetta Gnone. However, I can and DO claim to own this story and its inspired ideas FROM said series, as well as the original character, Sitara/Amandella.

Note: Oh, BOY, are all of you guys keeping me on my toes with keeping up with the "greatness" of this story, just as I'M keeping all of YOU on YOUR toes with what happens next! LoL I said it before, and I'll say it again: I NEVER dreamed that this story would be THIS popular so quickly and this much, if at ALL. Like I revealed earlier on in one of my other "notes," this story only came about as a VERY weak idea after watching a fave Disney movie of mine. And NOW look. LoL Thank you all SO much who've read it so far and left all of your wonderful reviews (and even if you DIDN'T leave a review but still read it, or at LEAST "hit" it, thanx for that too. At you bothered LoL)! As famous people aren't without their fans, I'm also nothing without your support. :Dances: LoL Well, I'd still be something and ME, but this story would just rot away on this site if no one bothered to read it, you get me. LoL

Anyhow, I WISH to high Heaven I could answer all of the questions and theories some of you have been asking me in review, private message, and even in e-mail. But again, I can do no such thing until . . . MAYBE after THIS chapter . . . maybe. LoL Bright side? At least DayDreamer9's question/theory (well, one of the many, anyway LoL) WILL be settled after this chapter. Yay! One thing I have to address here, though, before you actually read this chapter: I never REALLY realized HOW hard all of this really IS on Hay Lin, until after I'd completely read over my story from beginning to the last chapter a few hours ago. And she's one of my faves, too. Now I feel guilty. LoL I didn't plan on doing so to her, in all honesty, but it seems to be working AND making all of you – fans of hers or not – truly relate to and feel for her, personally. And THAT'S always good whenever an author writes something and manages to move his/her audience. So yay for me! LoL Anyway, enjoy!

This chapter was written/created in April 2006.

"Hi! Yes, my name is Cornelia Hale; I'm a . . . a friend of one of the patients you'd just admitted not too long ago: Will Vandom? Could you please tell me which room she's in?" Cornelia inquired as calmly as she could to one of the nurses at the front desk on the second floor of Heatherfield's Saint Memorial Hospital.

Despite her calm and collected outward appearance (even though she was still currently adorned in her gym wear of gray sweatpants and a green tank top, and her hair was in a complete mess -- a rarity for her), her insides were doing uncontrollable back flips.

It had been a miracle that she didn't crash into another car (mobile or parked, as she'd often joked that was the reason her mother refused to let her borrow the spare car -- yet another miracle that she finally had after Cornelia had informed her of the red head's hospitalization) on her way here, she was that preoccupied and shaken up.

However, if Cornelia felt this rattled by learning about her old friend's accident, she was almost positive that Hay Lin was barely hanging on by a thread, herself, as it had been an vast chore for her to explain to the older girl what she'd learned from Will's mother and stepfather of the incident.

Poor Hay Lin. She never really was that good at handling massive drama and near to actual tragedies . . . she thought sympathetically to herself as she waited for the nurse before her to locate Will's room on the computer that was next to her.

"Cornelia! Oh, thank God you've come!"

Startled, Cornelia turned around to see a very small, very shaken up . . . green haired Asian girl wearing a unique and exotic outfit rushing towards her.

Is that . . . that can't be Hay Lin, can it? It can't have been that long since I've last seen her . . . thought Cornelia with perplexity as she allowed the young woman in question to collapse into her arms.

"Never mind, ma'am. This girl here is . . . also a friend of mine and here for the same reason, so she'll show me the room, thanks," informed Cornelia to the staring nurse behind her before veering her attention onto the smaller girl now clinging onto her.

". . . Hay Lin? Boy, I gotta say: you certainly take your creativity seriously. Short and . . . green hair? I can't imagine what your parents must have thought when they saw you come out of the bathroom with that new do," she softly joked in attempts to soothe the now sobbing girl within her strong arms.

She felt Hay Lin remove her green head from off of her equally green chest and smiled weakly, while gazing up at her with tear filled, almond shaped brown eyes.

"Y-yeah . . . As a . . . matter of fact, my parents can't . . . can't stand this new 'hobby' of mine, since it's cost me my long hair, but . . . but I love it j . . . just fine," she replied through uncontrollable hiccups and sobs, reaching up to wipe one side of her face clear of tears with one hand, while still holding onto Cornelia's slim waist with the other.

In that moment, as she listened to her; saw her; and felt her heated breath against her creamy cheeks, Cornelia had completely forgotten all about the reserved resentment and distance she'd decided she would maintain the moment she'd arrived at the hospital and saw both she and Will -- despite the seriousness of the situation.

True, it was petty, but petty is what she could honestly be at times; besides, while she didn't want to readily admit it, the hurt of being seemingly forgotten by all of her ex-best friends had run too deep over the years for Cornelia to immediately let go of that quickly.

Still . . . watching Hay Lin appearing so fragile and helpless, and once again looking to her for guidance and support as she'd often used to in the old days (and Cornelia would cherish whenever she or anyone else would as well), made all of that instantly wash away -- at least for the time being, if not permanently.

Reaching up to wipe away the rest of the tears from the other side of Hay Lin's reddened face, Cornelia smiled warmly at her before hugging her tightly.

". . . And I love it just fine for you, as well, Hay Lin . . . I really do," she said, that being the closest to an "I've missed you" admission that her massively prideful self could manage, even though she truly did like the other girl's new hairstyle (which was saying a lot, given that had Cornelia seen it on anyone else -- as she quite often did inside of her school -- she'd have thought it to be completely ridiculous).

Cornelia didn't have to say so, thankfully, as the generally emotional Hay Lin had, at that very moment, taken care of that for her.

"C . . . Cornelia . . . I've really, really missed you . . . And . . . I . . . I'm sorry that I've basically been a pretty sucky friend by not e-mailing or calling as much as I'd used to in the beginning and promised that I would . . .

I won't . . . I won't bother to make excuses for it, because there aren't any . . . You were my very close friend . . . You still are, and . . . and if ever there was a time that I really needed you to rely on, it's now . . . more than you'll truly know . . ." submitted Hay Lin wholeheartedly, her sobs dying down, although a few tears still fell from out of her usually bright and happy eyes.

It was then that Cornelia noticed the great difference in them. It appeared that it wasn't just her friend's physical appearance that's changed, as her brown eyes had seemed to be robbed of their resilient shine and liveliness. That was one of the many things the blonde truly treasured about her small friend; how, even in their most scariest and hopeless of times as Guardians, those eyes would still continue to burn with character, faith, and life -- which in turn would help Cornelia to rise to the occasion and maintain her own trust once she'd see that.

Now, however . . . Hay Lin's eyes almost seemed . . . desolate . . . vacant and dull . . .

Just like Amandella's . . . she ruminated silently as she'd made the connection between her old friend and her new friend's dispiriting orbs.

Wrapping a sturdy arm around Hay Lin's own waist, Cornelia quietly led the weak girl to a nearby chair and sat her down into it before kneeling directly before her.

". . . I . . . You know I was never good at these . . . 'emotional enemas,' if you'll forgive my tacky grossness -- which only further proves my point about that. But, anyway . . . I don't really think that this is the right place to get into, what appears to be, a much needed talk between us, so let's just hit the pause button on it for now, all right? And don't cry anymore -- everything will be okay," she said, averting her vibrant blue eyes away from Hay Lin's lackluster brown, no longer able to stare into their unfortunate void.

What exactly has been going on around here since I've been away? she thought with curious sorrow before continuing on verbally.

"Now . . . Which room did they take Will to? And are her parents still here?"

Hay Lin shook her head slightly as she seized the folded up handkerchief that the taller girl had just handed to her, and promptly used it to clear her face of remaining tears.

"No . . . Well, Mr. Collins is still here, but he's about to go back to the loft to help Mrs. Vandom -- I mean, Mrs. Collins with packing up some of Wilhelmina's things to bring back here," she began, now sounding massively tired and defeated, her scrawny body slouching into the seat at that moment as though for added emphasis.

Cornelia's eyes narrowed as she'd finally detected exactly how "scrawny" the younger girl truly looked. She understood that Hay Lin had always been considerably skinny compared to the rest of the other former Guardians; however, now, in Cornelia's honest opinion, it looked as though she had successfully taken on the appearance of a waif.

Was it possible that Hay Lin has been starving herself or other such drastic extremities this entire time?

Frowning, Cornelia immediately began to feel her old bossy, "take charge" attitude settling in at that moment as she'd suddenly stood from her spot and claimed Hay Lin's free and bony hand.

"Come on. Let's go check on an old friend," she said strongly, gripping onto the other girl's appendage a bit too tightly, perhaps, as she blindly led the way down the open corridor to whichever room their mutual friend was now resting in.

"O-ok . . . Room 215," revealed Hay Lin from behind her at the same moment that Mr. Collins seemingly emerged from that very room and began heading down towards them. He didn't look any better than Hay Lin did, as his clothing was extremely wrinkled; his short, light brown hair was in slight disarray as though he'd been tugging at it repeatedly in a worried frenzy; and his own hazel eyes were bloodshot from assumed weeping earlier on.

Despite his rattled and fatigued demeanor, however, he still managed to sweep a small, crooked smile from behind his shaggy mustache, as his tall stature gazed down at them appreciatively.

". . . Hello, Cornelia; it's certainly been a long while since last we've crossed paths, hasn't it? I don't know if I'd gotten the chance to express it back then, but I was and still am very sorry that you had to move . . . She didn't have to say it, but I could tell how much you truly meant to Will -- I mean, Wilhelmina," said Mr. Collins softly, his own voice losing strength as he continued on.

"I'm sure once she wakes up, she'll be able to tell you so herself . . . If you'll excuse me, girls, I'd better get back home to help Wilhelmina's mother out with collecting some of her things before visiting hours are over. Hay Lin, you know where the room is, and so you can show Cornelia in," he finished, inclining his disheveled head towards both girls before maneuvering around them and heading further down the hall in the opposite direction from where they were now journeying.

Cornelia couldn't help but smile thoughtfully to herself as she turned her sunlit head to watch the older man leave. Even though he was a bit of a goof ball and sometimes massive annoyance to have had as a teacher, Mr. Collins wasn't that bad of a guy. And he obviously cared a whole lot for both Will and her mother, and that was what counted the most -- regardless of how any of the girls had viewed him as a professor.

"Let's go, Hay Lin -- I don't want Will to find herself alone when she does indeed wake up," said Cornelia, resuming her walk the rest of the way down the hall.

"Yeah . . . But, we don't have to worry about that, at least, because of --" began Hay Lin lightly the moment the two had at last reached the red head's designated room and Cornelia slowly opened the door.

"-- Taranee? Is that you?" the blonde inadvertently finished for the young Asian woman behind her in surprise. Even though Will was Taranee's best friend, the thought hadn't honestly crossed her mind that anyone else would be there at the hospital besides Hay Lin and herself, for some inexact reason.

And so now laying eyes upon the second tallest woman of the old quintet had come as an honest shock to Cornelia -- especially due to yet another drastic change in one of her previous friends' physical appearance. The Taranee she remembered usually sat or stood thoughtfully and appeared apprehensive or shy, while sometimes idly tugging upon one of her beaded ebony braids, or randomly readjusting her broad oval glasses that slightly obscured her intelligent brown eyes.

This Taranee, however, sat confidently next to Will's hospital bed, with her slender hands folded into her equally slender lap, while her now medium length and free hair effortlessly rested upon her strong shoulders.

Suddenly, Cornelia felt all the more left out of her former friends' lives than she previously had already.

She watched as Taranee instantly gazed up at her in her own astonishment with curiously gray eyes that honestly looked more dark blue, due to the offset of the girl's darker complexion.

Apparently even her eye color has changed, as well, mused Cornelia before the intellectual girl spoke.

"Cornelia? Oh, my gosh. I had no idea that you were coming. Well, I mean, I knew that Hay Lin had called you, but I'm sorry to say that I didn't honestly think that you'd bother to make it all the way out here, given . . . well, Irma," she said with a new sort of edginess and confidence that Cornelia would only hear come out of her Guardian form's mouth on occasion.

Unsure whether or not to resent the now standing girl's rather confusing comment or not, Cornelia merely nodded slightly in acknowledgment before shifting her eyes to rest them upon the very person they had all come to see.

Out of the three of the four women present, Will was about the only ex-member of "W.I.T.C.H." who hadn't completely changed -- at least, physically, anyway.

Sure, she had aged just like everyone else does inevitably when they grow older, however Will's flaming red hair remained its same bob length, and apparently earned a more flawless, tamed look that Cornelia honestly felt could put her own impeccable tresses a run for its money.

Cornelia felt a warmness growing within her heart to be surrounded by her former friends -- even if they had all obviously changed, and the circumstances for them being there together was less than cheerful.

The only one left to arrive was . . .

"Irma? Where is she? Wait . . . Taranee, why did you say Irma's name that way before? Did you two get into a fight?" asked Cornelia a bit sarcastically, as it had usually been between herself and Irma who would often have a verbal sparring match whenever together.

Despite the lightheartedness within the eldest girl's voice, however, Taranee had found nothing humorous about what had been said, and merely turned her back to both Cornelia and Hay Lin as she moved over to the room's window, a deep scowl spread across her otherwise beautiful face.

"Um . . . Irma's not coming, Cornelia -- it's a really long story that, like you said, will have to be discussed later," said Hay Lin weakly, sinking into the seat that Taranee had previously occupied but a moment before.

Knowing that getting to the bottom of what all of the newfound tiptoeing was about was important, Cornelia also knew that lending support to the slumbering young woman before her was top priority at the moment.

". . . So, what did the doctors say her condition is now, Hay Lin?" asked Cornelia, frowning lightly as she moved to the other side of Will's bed and gazed down at her helpless figure with softened eyes.

To think of all of the times I used to give her such a hard time, all because I was just being a bit junior-grade and jealous that I wasn't chosen as leader of "W.I.T.C.H.", she thought with mixed disgust and embarrassment. Life is far too short to be worrying about frivolous things like that -- what if Will dies and I don't get to ever tell her how much I really did appreciate her?

No. No, she won't die. It's clear that everyone else is falling apart around her; I've never conformed once before in my life for anything, and I'm not about to start now for this . . .

"Well, it's like I told you over the phone: Wilhelmina almost drowned after swim practice today . . . the people who dove in after her to retrieve her weren't exactly sure how long she'd been under or how it had happened, but they believe that maybe she'd bumped her head . . . But that was quickly ruled out, because there weren't any visible head trauma after she'd been brought in or featured on the cat scans . . . So, now we all think that maybe she'd gotten a leg or arm cramp and fatigue overwhelmed her," Hay Lin began in a barely audible whisper, weariness seeming to overwhelm her own being with each passing minute.

"And then . . . after a rocky start, her status has been updated from critical to relatively stable . . . Although, she has yet to wake up since arriving, which is what worries me most," she finished, covering her face with her gaunt hands as she sighed heavily into them.

Cornelia frowned sadly at Hay Lin before gently sitting upon Will's bed and rested a strong, warm hand upon her cold, pale arm.

". . . Hey, Will -- it's me, Cornelia . . . Surprise, right? But I gotta say that it was a chore to get here: I'm beat from working out at the gym, and as soon as I get home I hear that you've decided to take a daredevil like swim? It would figure that you go and do something so stupid and drastic just to be the center of attention you know that I love to be," said Cornelia in false annoyance, even adding a disgruntled scoff at the end her sentence for proper effect.

The only response given to her -- to any of them, however, was Will's continued, steady breathing as well as the relaxed beeping from her heart monitor.

Cornelia squeezed Will's arm a bit firmly.

"C'mon, now -- it's no fun to berate you if you don't either get emotional or retaliate in some fashion like you used to, Will! So, wake up, already -- let's see those big, puppy dog brown eyes again, before Hay Lin here loses her mind from worrying so much for you," she said sternly, fighting the urge to give into despair as Hay Lin and possibly Taranee seemed to.

". . . I'm going to go get Hay Lin something warm to drink . . . I'll be right back you guys," said Cornelia as she stood up from her spot and headed towards the door.

"Did the status on that other near drowned victim get updated too, Hay Lin?" Cornelia heard Taranee suddenly ask after remaining mime like at the window.

Suddenly, a feeling of immense dread washed over the tallest girl's body at hearing this.

". . . What 'other near drowned victim,' Taranee?" asked Cornelia, moving back into the room.

Taranee gazed at her nonchalantly and shrugged.

"Hay Lin told me that when they found Wilhelmina she wasn't alone -- there was another girl who was unconscious underneath the water, as well," she revealed, before turning her attention back to the window.

At this, Cornelia instantly turned on her heel and bolted out of the room, running back down the hall and to the front desk. She wasn't even really sure what she was doing, given that she had always been one to base things upon fact and evidence versus feelings.

However, something a bit noisome was now nagging away at her insides that she could do nothing to soothe nor ignore.

"P . . . P-please! That girl who was brought in with my friend, Will Vandom! Is . . . Where is she? Who is she?" panted Cornelia frantically, hovering over the surprised same nurse from before.

"I beg your pardon? Will Vandom? Didn't you find her room?" asked the nurse curiously, looking from Cornelia to her computer.

"Yes! Yes, I'm sorry. I have, thank you," answered Cornelia, taking deep breaths to calm herself down.

"But, I heard that when she was brought in, another girl had come in with her, for the same reason. I'm not positive, but I think that might have been another friend of mine, as well," she continued, rubbing her forehead in frustration as her second headache of that evening came on.

Nodding slowly in understanding, the nurse began feverishly typing upon the keyboard to do what Cornelia had asked. After a few minutes, she stopped typing and merely looked at the screen.

"Ah. Yes, here we are. You are right, young lady, another near drowned victim was admitted alongside that Vandom girl, and placed in room 205," the nurse revealed, standing up from her seat and maneuvering around the desk to ostensibly direct Cornelia to the room, personally.

Sure enough, the nurse began taking off down the opposite hall from where Will's room was, while gesturing for Cornelia to follow.

"She was in the same bad shape that your other friend was in when they'd first arrived; however, luckily they're both pretty stable, although still unconscious," the nurse commented, turning her head to gaze at Cornelia as the two now walked side by side.

"It's a bit of a shame and surprise, really, that while the other has had several visitors to see her, you're the first to go see her . . . you know, considering . . ." the older woman mysteriously trailed off as they reached their destination.

"Considering wha --" Cornelia started as the nurse opened the door to reveal a slumbering young woman upon a hospital bed.

Cornelia's blue eyes widened in utter shock as she took in the sight before her. The unconscious girl looked nothing like the woman Cornelia had assumed it might have been, as her long bright red hair cascaded down to her shoulders and out of her pale face. And even though her eyes were closed, Cornelia still had a strong inclining that behind those lids were sad, unmoving molasses gems that often saddened Cornelia to gaze into.

Greatly confused, Cornelia looked from the sleeping girl to the nurse, searching the woman's face for answers at the drastic change in appearance that had made her new friend look like the very girl she'd come to visit and originally thought she resembled when they'd first met.

". . . I don't understand . . . My friend has black hair, and --"

"-- That she did, when she first arrived, yes, young lady. But red is her natural hair color, it seems, as the black dye had been coming out by the time we'd gotten her into the room. So, we just rinsed the rest of it out. Don't know why she'd want to hide such beautiful hair like this from the world -- especially since she and her twin sister are both such breathtaking girls," the nurse murmured softly in reflection, at the same moment Cornelia noticed the name hanging on the clipboard at the foot of the girl's bed:

Sitara Vandom.

Sitara? Vandom? As in, the same last name as Will's?

"Wait a minute! I'm confused . . . This girl's name is Amandella Ember, not . . . Sitara Vandom. And as far as I know, she doesn't have any relatives," said Cornelia heatedly, moving from her spot to stand at her friend's side.

The nurse merely shook her head at this as she also advanced to the other side of the bed.

"I'm sorry, young lady, but our hospital records -- after we could not find any form of identification upon her when she was brought in -- show that her name is in fact Sitara Vandom, not this 'Amandella Ember' you speak of. It also shows that was born on the same day as her sister in the other room," the nurse revealed calmly, looking down at her patient.

"That is why I said it was a shame that her parents have only seemed preoccupied with the other Vandom girl, and not this one. But, it's not my place to tell people how to run their lives, right? Anyhow, I will give you a few moments alone before visiting hours are over," the older woman concluded, gently patting Amandella/Sitara's hand in sympathy before nodding at Cornelia and leaving the room.

Cornelia could do nothing but stare in arrant surprise at her friend, as she felt her knees slightly buckle in weakness.

I knew something was familiar about her when I first met her . . . but I didn't think that it'd turn out that Will apparently has a long lost twin sister! Or, does she know, but didn't want to talk about her? she thought incredulously to herself, gazing down at Sitara with increasingly softened eyes.

". . . Who are you?"

-- End of Chapter Seven

(A.N. THERE! HAPPY, now? I revealed who Amandella TRULY is, finally! NOW you can stop asking me questions about her and get off my back. LoL Well, at least about who she is. But you still don't know her full story. Mwa ha ha . . . LoL Pretty good cliffhanger, huh? Pretty good chapter, actually, I'll admit myself. My Muse truly loves me this time around as it had when I did chapter four, because I wrote this chapter in about twenty five minutes or so. Sweet! LoL But now I feel even MORE depressed about Hay Lin. IS she starving herself? She looks like she's about to lose her mind completely at any moment, honestly. And Taranee? I like her, but now I'm siding with Senshi of Valis, and am also angry with her. It's like, why'd you come to the hospital if it honestly seems like a freaking chore to be there? She's probably just annoyed because Nigel's not there with her. LoL Listen to me: ranting about something I've written, myself. LoL

Anyway, I am SO immensely happy at all of the massive reviews and e-mails I've gotten overnight. I woke up this morning before class and saw that I had twenty new e-mails, most of which were reviews, and the rest were private messages of praise from people. I'm REALLY overwhelmed now, because things are heating up in my story and in popularity. What if what I have planned next and the final chapter when it comes flops and you guys flame me to no end? LoL Gasp . . . LoL But, yeah! Please review and tell me what you think! Also, thanks for giving more detail in your reviews as to what you like/don't like about my story and chapters – the feedback has REALLY been insightful and helpful! Keep it up!)