Chapter Eight

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 Vandom/Amandella Ember.

Note: Dun dun dun! I can't believe it, but I'd managed to "fool" just about all of you as to Sitara's connection to Will and everyone. Woo woo! LoL So, yeah, "bye bye," "Amandella" (at least, referring to her as that), and hellllllllllo, Sitara! LoL Oh, yeah! And the Disney movie fave of mine that inspired me to write this story? "The Parent Trap." Go, figure. LoL You know, the whole long lost twin bit. I'd watched it on T.V. a few days before writing this story, and I was like, "Hmm . . . I AM thinking of writing another W.I.T.C.H. story . . . so what if Will or somebody had a twin they never knew about?" And obviously, I chose Will and BAM! Here it is. LoL Before some of you ask, which I doubt, LoL, I chose the name "Amandella" for Sitara's alias for a reason . . . or rather, SHE chose it for a reason. LoL Well, ironic reason, actually. WHATEVER! LoL I'll tell you what that is after this episode . . . maybe. LoL And I (as I always do with my original characters, usually) also chose her real name, "Sitara," for a reason as well. You'll see. LoL Enjoy!

P.S. No, DayDreamer9: Sitara is NOT in the books. Never said she was. And she better NOT be, or else I'm gonna have to cut Ms. Gnone's face. LoL Also, I hope to reveal more of her magical side in this or the next chapter, since she IS obviously magical, as we saw in chapter three. Yay. LoL

This chapter was written/created in April 2006.

It is time, Protector of the Earth . . . Time to awaken and fulfill your destiny . . .

Sitara awoke to a thick blanket of darkness and a disembodied, almost ethereal voice echoing within its void.

"Who's there? What're you talking about? And . . . where am I?" she asked curiously, turning around in her spot to find the owner of the mysterious voice, if not a bit of light shining through at the very least.

All will become quite clear in time, my child . . . For now, you must become whole again . . . whispered the voice cryptically, confusing more than informing Sitara.

"I don't understand. Who are you? What do you want from me?" inquired Sitara softly, feeling a great nagging of familiarity within the voice, despite not being able to visibly see its owner.

Go, now, Sitara . . . the Protector of the Earth . . . and become whole again . . . said the voice one last time in a barely audible tone before completely fading out.

"But, wait! I don't --"

"-- Amandella! You're finally awake!"

Suddenly, Sitara found herself lying down somewhere, in a brightly lit room and apparently truly awake this time for real. Squinting due to the great sensitivity of her brown eyes, she'd decided to keep them closed for the time being.

"Who . . . who is it? Where am I?" asked Sitara a bit hoarsely and groggily, slowly reaching up to scratch an itch away from her forehead.

"You're at Heatherfield's Saint Memorial Hospital . . ." Sitara heard the voice reply softly, that also sounded quite familiar to her.

She smiled faintly in realization.

". . . What happened, princess? Did you get so upset with me for avoiding you the other night after my jog that you put me here?" she murmured jokingly, slowly cracking open one eye to see Cornelia peering over her worriedly.

"Don't joke like that, S -- Amandella! You mean you don't remember how you got here, or what happened?" she asked, gently sitting down upon her bed next to her.

Trying to sit up in bed but too weak to do so, Sitara merely opened her other eye and turned her head to gaze at the prying blonde.

Even though you have a nasty habit of trying to know more about me than I'd like . . . I'm actually pretty glad to see you here, Cornelia, she thought to herself, the small smile upon her face growing slightly.

"I . . . remember that you were giving me too much drama by knocking on my apartment door repeatedly last night that I had to unwind . . . So I went to the Rec Center tonight to go swimming, because it helps me relax, and . . . and . . . I can't remember anything else . . ." she trailed off, lightly frowning as she tried her hardest to recall what had happened the previous night.

Cornelia frowned herself, although more so in worry before replying.

"Amandella . . . you almost drowned while you were there . . . and so that's why the paramedics brought you here . . . two days ago . . ." she revealed carefully, studying Sitara's face for an honest reaction.

Sitara, still too weak and a bit disoriented to do any sort of proper reacting at the moment, could only exhale slowly before at last lowering her hand away from her forehead.

"Huh . . . so that's why I feel the most rested I've ever felt in over a million years . . . Maybe I should nearly drown more often, right, princess?" she whispered in her usual sarcastic nature, which did anything but humor Cornelia at that moment. She watched with slight surprise as the other girl immediately stood from the bed and towered over her, while boring a hole into her skull with her now angry blue eyes.

"Why do you do that every time? Every time I might actually see more to you than just your barbed, distant, or unfeeling side, you quickly have to put on a show for me to through me off course! You almost died, Amandella! Doesn't that mean anything to you?" she heatedly scolded, beginning to grip Sitara's shoulders and shake them before she realized what she was doing.

"W-well, your shaking m-me until I either p-pass out again or blow c-chunks means something to me!" said Sitara as loudly as she could manage currently, watching with vaguely amused eyes as Cornelia's own widened in surprised realization and immediately let her go.

"I . . . I'm sorry, Amandella . . . it's just . . . you were almost lost to me . . . to the world," said Cornelia, slowly sitting back down upon the bed as a surprised expression spread across her face as though unsure of what had been said.

Sitara merely lightly frowned as she slowly and carefully managed to roll onto her side facing away from her.

". . . Would that have honestly made a difference if I had been lost to the world? Or, to you, even? We're not friends; we're just neighbors. You're my extremely nosy, self righteous neighbor, and I'm your callous, 'unfeeling' neighbor, as you put it a minute ago . . .

And as for the world . . . Well, it hasn't exactly been kind to me in life, so I highly doubt that it'd miss me in death . . ." she murmured with a rare display of true emotion, regrettably feeling tears beginning to form. She was thankful that Cornelia could only hear her and not actually see her face, otherwise it'd make the moment all the more insufferable.

Cornelia could be heard gasping sharply, perhaps in surprise or even hurt, as she shifted on the bed behind her.

"You . . . I know you don't mean that. You can't . . . I don't know the kind of life you've led up until now, but a life is better than no life at all . . . Besides, if you did go . . . I wouldn't have anyone to be nosy with or receive massive headaches from, because they're always calling me 'princess . . .'" whispered Cornelia, reaching out to rest a comforting hand upon Sitara's arm, which was anything but at the moment.

"You should be thankful you were saved, and --"

"-- You should be thankful that I don't hit you with my truck as soon as I get out of here!" Sitara suddenly exclaimed, interrupting Cornelia's heartfelt moment, as the bright fluorescent lights within the room curiously all began to flicker excitedly.

"I hate hospitals, because they're even more snoopy than you are, if that's at all possible! Now, they probably know --" she instantly stopped herself as she'd realized what she was currently saying and was about to, silently hoping that the hospital didn't find out the truth. Or, moreover, that Cornelia never did.

She sat up in her bed and glared daggers at the stunned blonde next to her, who slowly rose from her spot once more.

"Just get out of here. Get out, and don't come back to visit. Don't come looking for me around the apartment building, or seek me out period, got it?" she said tightly as her usually placid emotions gradually built up.

"But, Amandella, please --"

"-- Go!" Sitara bellowed as she extended her arm towards the door, all of the glass from each hanging light as well as from the door instantly exploding into millions of jagged pieces.

Both girls screamed in alarm as Sitara felt Cornelia immediately throw her body on top of her weaker own to act as a shield.

What is she doing? Why is she doing this? No matter how cold and mean I try to be to her, she still keeps coming back . . . she thought in curious and utter shock, while her brown eyes reflected the sentiment as they widened.

"What's going on in here? Oh, my God! Are you girls all right? Oh! My word, dear! You've been hurt!" said a nurse as she rushed into the now "danger zone" of a hospital room and slowly wrapped her arms around a still curled up Cornelia.

"No . . . No, I-I'm all right. It's just a scratch, honest. I'll be fine, thanks," she shakily assured, slowly reopening her blue eyes as she climbed off both Sitara and the bed.

"If anything, you should be focusing on my friend, here. She's finally woken up . . ."

The nurse shifted her attention from Cornelia's lightly bleeding neck and arm to a still very astonished looking Sitara, and smiled broadly.

"Oh, my! So she is! That's wonderful! You rest a moment, dear, while I go inform the doctor and arrange to have you relocated to a . . . less hazardous room. As for you, young lady, let's at the very least get these 'scratches' of yours cleaned up, all right?

It's a good thing you've been visiting your friend the past couple of days -- you're obviously a good luck charm for her . . ." Sitara heard the nurse softly say to Cornelia as she led her out of the door carefully. She watched as Cornelia slowly turned her head around to look back at her before disappearing from view.

Was that . . . hurt in her eyes? Maybe it's just because she got injured . . . thanks to me and my crazy, unpredictable and completely unexplainable magic! Or . . . maybe it's hurt over what I said before?

Ugh! Either way, it's still my fault that she's feeling that way! This is why I don't do the friendship thing! I don't know how to be a friend, let alone have any! thought Sitara in frustration, before reclining back upon the shard-free bed (courtesy of Cornelia having acted as a brave and selfless protective covering for her) and exhaled slowly to relax her bubbling nerves.

"We don't want another . . . 'accident' like fifteen seconds ago . . . That's it . . . As soon as they check me out of this place -- which better be soon -- I'm packing up and heading out of here . . ."

YYYYYYYY

Wilhelmina awoke with a start as she felt her adynamic feeling body become racked with undetectable pain.

"Wilhelmina! You're awake! Wh -- what is it? What's the matter?" she heard a fragile, tired voice that sounded curiously a lot like Hay Lin say to her direct right.

Wilhelmina could only groan in pain as she placed a pale, clammy hand over her heart.

"Oh, my God! You're having a heart attack! Nurse! Nurse! My friend is --"

"-- Not having . . . a heart attack, Hay Lin!" managed Wilhelmina hoarsely as the pain thankfully and gradually began to subside.

"Are . . . are you sure? Because I can just go get a nurse or doctor or something, and --"

"-- Yes, Hay Lin! . . . Yes . . . I-I'm sure . . . I just . . . I don't know," said Wilhelmina softly before trailing off, unable to put her previously alarming feelings into words. She slowly turned her red tinted head to watch Hay Lin leaning all the way out of her seat and looked Wilhelmina over with worry.

Wilhelmina felt herself gasp at the sight. Hay Lin, who usually was a vision of uniqueness, light, and full of energy, looked completely ragged and drained of all energy and life. Horrendous and over sized bags hugged themselves underneath her formerly vibrant, now vacant brown eyes, while the rest of her body looked extremely emaciated and possibly able to fall apart at any moment.

Her short hair (which was now curiously black and green, as some of the green dye had apparently faded out in various and several spots) now hung partially out of its usual single ponytail and looked a complete mess; and her traditionally exotic apparel looked rather bland, as it was the first time (that Wilhelmina has witnessed, that is) that the young Asian woman was wearing non-colorful clothing.

She looks like something the cat regrettably dragged in . . . Wilhelmina thought to herself in concern, forgetting about her curious episode a moment and tardily reached out a hand to the smaller girl.

". . . Hay Lin . . . What's wrong? You don't look like . . . well, yourself . . . Have you been sleeping and eating well at all?" she asked lightly, trying to sit up.

Hay Lin merely shook her head a bit too violently (which made Wilhelmina honestly worry that it might fall off at any moment) as she squeezed her hand with one, rather bony hand and furiously wiped away her newly fallen tears with the other.

"D-Don't worry about me, Wilhelmina! I'm just so glad you're finally awake!" she said in between sobs, looking increasingly scraggly and even dehydrated within each passing second.

Wilhelmina grimaced lightly in confusion and concern.

"What do you mean, 'finally?' It's Tuesday, isn't it? And . . . come to think of it, what are you doing in my bedroom, Hay Lin? Shouldn't you be at your place getting ready for class as well?" she inquired in perplexity as the frown upon her tired face deepened.

Hay Lin shook her head once more, this time a bit more slowly, before responding.

". . . We're not in your room, Wilhelmina. You're at Heatherfield's Saint Memorial due to your accident . . . and it's Thursday, now . . . You've been asleep for two days straight . . ." she sadly revealed, continuing to wipe away her steadily falling tears.

Wilhelmina could only stare at her in shock upon hearing this, words seeming to leave her memory for a moment -- which suited Hay Lin just fine, it appeared, as she continued right on.

"You nearly drowned on Tuesday night during swim practice . . . and that's when you were brought in here for treatment . . . At first it was a bit alarming, but you pulled through just fine . . .

All that was left was for you to wake up . . . but despite your having been both physically and mentally stable, you wouldn't . . . and the doctors couldn't figure out what was the matter . . . It's nearly scared your parents and me to death . . ." explained Hay Lin, pulling out a small package of tissues from out of her pocket and began to blow her nose with one.

Wilhelmina suddenly felt all the more fatigued as she tried to wrap her mind around this new turn of events. Swim practice? Nearly drowned? Strangely enough, she didn't remember any of what had transpired that night -- with the exception of the day it had occurred, but that didn't do a whole lot to help her.

". . . I don't . . . remember any of it," she reconfirmed verbally to the petite girl as she raised a hand to her head and lightly scratched it.

"Well, that's all right. I mean, I don't think I'd want to remember when I almost died . . . All that matters now is you're awake; you're safe and healthy again; and as soon as I call them, your parents can rush over here from work to see for themselves," said Hay Lin, sounding the happiest she's been since having begun speaking to the befuddled red head several minutes before.

"My . . . parents? Work? Wait, a minute . . . then that means it's only around . . . ten-thirty in the morning. Shouldn't you be in class right now?" she asked, guilt curiously washing over her for no known reason at having referred to her parents.

Hay Lin lightly blushed at this, although it was honestly hard to tell given her entire face already being red from all of her crying.

"I . . . well, yes I should be, but . . . Well, I was so worried about you that I just skipped study hall and economics and came right over . . . It's not like I could concentrate much, anyway," she said, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

"Oh, well . . . Thanks for risking detention for me, Hay Lin . . ." said Wilhelmina gently, smiling appreciatively at her.

The two remained in silence for a few minutes, this time it feeling far more comfortable than the silence that had befallen them at lunch in the beginning of the week.

Finally, Hay Lin cleared her throat and looked at Wilhelmina inquisitively.

"Hey . . . what was the matter before? You never said . . . You know, when I thought you were having a heart attack," she asked, smiling weakly in embarrassment.

Wilhelmina narrowed her brown eyes lightly as she tried to remember.

"I . . . I don't know, honestly, Hay Lin . . . I think I was having a . . . a dream of some sort before I woke up that I can't remember, and . . . when I did wake up . . . I felt a great . . . sadness within my heart . . . Guilt and sorrow . . . Like it was breaking my heart because I've hurt something, or someone . . . It was so unbearable . . ." she vaguely recalled, rubbing her chest as if to lull her former pain away.

She immediately regretted having revealed such news to the delicate girl, for Hay Lin's desolate face instantly crinkled into massive distress, her almond shaped brown eyes beginning to tear up once more.

"You . . . That is . . . I mean . . . Why do you think that was? Did you hurt someone's feelings before the accident?" she asked shakily, biting her lip as she began to tear pieces off the tissue within her hand.

"No . . . At least . . . I don't think I did. I can't recall much from that day anymore . . ." replied Wilhelmina, slowly closing her eyes as fatigue washed over her body.

She heard Hay Lin stand from her seat and assumable move towards the door.

"I'm going to go call a nurse in here to check on you and make sure you're all right. After that, I'd better hurry back to school before I miss English," said Hay Lin, tossing her used tissues into the trash receptacle near the door before opening it.

Wilhelmina cracked one eye open and smiled faintly as she nodded in acknowledgment.

"All right. Thanks, Hay Lin. And . . . thanks for coming to visit me and obviously worrying so much for me . . ." she whispered appreciatively as she watched the tiny, frail girl leave, the feeling of guilt returning, although this time she was positive about the reason for it.

I know I said that things, how they are now can stay this way, but . . . I'm not so sure anymore . . . she thought, before succumbing to a brief, tired slumber once more.

-- End of Chapter Eight

(A.N. Yeah. Eight sucked, I know. I don't like it much, either. That's why it's short and sucks. It's short because it sucks, and it sucks because it's short. LoL I had writer's block for it, so sue me! LoL Of course, now I KNOW more questions are swirling within your guys' heads after reading this, though, and that's just fine. Like, why did Cornelia call Sitara "Amandella" instead, etc. Reason for that, so it wasn't a typo. LoL Chapter nine SHOULD be FAR more revealing, with the, if you please, sht hitting the fan. LoL But I HAD to get rid of THIS one NOW before I lost my mind. LoL

Anyway, just so you know – I don't actually know if anyone reads my "A.N.'s" but if you do, then please head to my profile, click on the "my forums" link, and go to the one that says, "Sokai's Fanfiction Discussion." That's a forum I created for the sole purpose of discussing what you think of my stories I've posted here. And SINCE a LOT of you have A LOT of questions and a LOT to say about THIS story, and I can't honestly respond to them all as I post my new chapters – or else it'll get deleted – I figure we can all go there, and post the questions, and I'll answer them, no prob. You don't have to go there, but it'd be great to hear more of your guys' opinions of my story!

In the meanwhile, stay tuned for chapter nine!)