Chapter Twelve

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: Before anyone else "reminds" me like DayDreamer9 did (thanx, hun LoL), I know Tommy Boy Vandom isn't dead and eventually visits Will down the road in the books. Yes. LoL But as I say up there in the disclaimer, I own all of the INSPIRED ideas FROM the series, including making Thomas dead. It's part of the overall plot, you understand, so . . . Yeah. Shh. LoL Anyway, I'm getting REAL tired of dividing my chapters up, since I usually do long chapters, as I've said before. But, unfortunately, what I had in mind next I cannot include in THIS chapter, because it wouldn't really fit and leave what I have in mind after THAT kind of empty. So. Yep. LoL Sorry if this chapter stinks. LoL Enjoy, though! LoL

P.S. If you haven't already, please go to my profile and click on the provided link of the drawing of Hay Lin I'd done yesterday, of how she ideally looks at sixteen in my story (you know, so you can use it as reference, all of you who might do fan art). I was strapped for time AT the time, so it's not my best work, but oh well.

This chapter was created/written in April 2006.

Sitara could no longer think straight. She could no longer see straight. She could not even breath effectively as she deliriously made her way down the empty, darkened streets and back alleyways of uptown Heatherfield.

Sitara hadn't the faintest idea where she was going or why, but it didn't matter. It didn't even matter to her if she ended up getting mugged or hit by an oncoming vehicle as the stinging, continuously flowing tears within her bloodshot brown eyes blinded her.

Nothing mattered anymore.

"Why? What have I done to deserve this? I've had it! Do you hear me? I want escape!" screamed Sitara into the night as she sank her knees down onto the cool, soiled ground beneath her in one of the many alleyways she'd ventured through previously that night.

". . . I don't want to feel anymore . . . I want . . . I want to let it all go . . . It's too much! I just want to be free!" she cried, looking up at the night sky as though pleading with the stars above.

Suddenly, Sitara let out a bloodcurdling scream the instant her body became racked with overwhelming emotion as it also became enveloped in an eerie and immensely thick black aura.

"S-Sitara? What --" she vaguely heard what sounded to be Cornelia emit abruptly in surprised fear, while watching the terrifying scene.

Sitara's body arched greatly as it lifted spookily off of the ground and a small, mysterious onyx hued crystal sphere suddenly escaped from out of her chest, causing her equally ebony colored clothes to melt away with only the continuous darkened aura left to appropriately conceal her now naked flesh.

The entranced young woman heard Cornelia cry out the moment an explosive flash of black lightning descended from the heavens and converged onto Sitara, seeming to have no wounding effect upon her.

"Sitara! L-let me help you! Hold on, I -- ahh!"

Before Sitara realized what she was doing, she felt her arms extend out towards Cornelia and brutally knock her over with a bolt of black energy as her now, fiery and rage-riddled brown eyes stared down at her crumpled heap without remorse.

"You? Help me? You 'helped' enough the moment you betrayed me! You were never my friend or cared! And so I've had it with people like you . . . I'd take care of you right now, but I have more important matters to tend to at the moment . . ." she bellowed in a menacing voice unlike her own, before mystically vanishing from sight.

It was clear to both women that the Sitara they'd been familiar with was no longer alive, and in her place was an uncontrollable force to be reckoned with . . .

YYYYYYYY

"I can't believe this . . . My entire life has been nothing but a lie . . . a sham . . ." muttered Wilhelmina as she continued to brood over her unfortunate family drama while drowning her sorrows in a giant sundae dish for the past half an hour at her favorite ice cream parlor not far from her home.

How could her mother have kept something so important and life altering from her like that? Thomas Vandom truly hadn't been the ideal, perfect father to her -- he hadn't actually been a father, period, as he'd been estranged to her since she'd been a baby. However, she'd still think about him from time to time -- where he was, and what he was doing.

And now, in some way, she knew: he was busy raising 'Will Version 2.0.'

Wilhelmina was well aware of the gravity and seriousness of the matter, and so knew making light of the situation with her traditional sarcastic humor was more than inappropriate. But either crying and screaming hysterically, or laying on the thick, seemingly impassive sarcasm were generally the two automatic defense mechanisms Wilhelmina would assume whenever faced with something she absolutely could not handle (which was greatly an understatement for this).

And since she'd found her tear ducts completely dry and stricken with extemporary laryngitis at the moment, it wasn't as though she'd had much of a choice.

Besides . . . it isn't as though I have a family anymore, anyhow, Wilhelmina thought as she drummed her fingernails upon the white, otherwise empty counter she was situated in front of.

I mean, Dad was a lousy father from the start and now he's gone . . . Mom lied to my face everyday of my life . . . and . . . Sitara . . . she may be my sister . . . my twin . . . but she's a perfect stranger . . . which isn't hers or my fault, but . . . that's just how it is . . . Besides, she didn't seem too eager to become "sisterly," the way she rushed out of the loft like that . . .

Nope. All I have left of family now is Dean, and he isn't even real family . . . How sad is that: suddenly the man I used to give such a hard time to and be resistant with is now virtually the only one I've got left in this world . . . she continued to lament mentally as sighed heavily over her dish of ice cream, gazing down into it with forlorn eyes.

I wish I could still count the girls as people I have left . . . especially Taranee, with whom I used to be really close . . . but they probably hightailed it out of the loft and back out of my life the moment the proverbial crap hit the fan . . . not that I blame them . . . if I could, I'd do the same . . . thought Wilhelmina in self pity as she took another bite of her sundae, gradually reverting back to her old self more and more.

It was precisely at that moment that Wilhelmina realized the truth: she was a complete fraud. She wasn't more mature or independent as she projected and insisted upon every day; sure, she was older, had a bit more confidence, and a better academic standing as she did dating (thanks to her greatly matured body that she could at last stop complaining about). But deep down, Wilhelmina was still the same, insecure and scared little girl she'd always been and probably always would be.

It was only to escape the inevitable truth of that in addition to the loss of her friends -- her true friends -- that Wilhelmina kept herself so busy and her grades ultimately improved as a result. The fact of the matter was, she had only become as "confident" and "strong willed" as she'd gradually had because of the girls.

Because they had stuck together.

Because they had believed in her and she in them.

Without them by her side, she wasn't "had-everything-together" Wilhelmina, but the still "afraid-to-face-the-world-head-on" Will from Fadden Hills that no one cared for.

At that moment, Wilhelmina honestly felt that she could give almost anything to have them, even just one of them, there with her . . .

"Wilhelmina! There you are!"

As if on cue, Wilhelmina turned around in her stool seat to see a concerned Hay Lin and Taranee (who also looked surprisingly worried, which warmed her heart to take note of) rushing through the parlor's front entrance and towards her.

Two out of four ain't bad -- thanks, she thought, expressing gratitude to no one in particular as she managed to smile faintly.

". . . How did you find me? Why did you find me? Was it my so-called mother's idea?"

"Well, as to how, I remember once you telling me that whenever you'd get really scared or mad, if home or a swimming pool weren't available, this place is where you'd head to to drown your worries in milkshakes or sundaes . . . And since the Rec's closed right now and home is technically the enemy, I figured you'd come here," explained Taranee softly, averting her gray contact colored eyes from the surprised Wilhelmina, whose smile broadened gradually to learn that her old best friend had actually retained some of the secrets they would share back when they were closer.

Hay Lin nodded as she smiled sympathetically at the red head.

"And as to why . . . well . . . it's because I care . . . we care . . . We just had to find you to make sure you're all right after what happened . . ."

"You mean, finding out that my father's been dead for two years; my mother's a serial prevaricator -- oh, and I have an estranged twin sister who's all but disowned me right from the start?" said Wilhelmina bitterly as she left a tip on the counter for her unfinished dessert before walking outside with the two girls in tow.

"You know, I always kind of hated being an only child, and wondered what it'd be like to have another sibling . . . Now I do, and she's out of the picture already . . ."

"Maybe not . . . At least, if Cornelia's successful . . . That's what she's doing while we went to find you and Irma stayed behind with your folks," said Hay Lin as the three women began to walk down the street away from the ice cream parlor.

"Yeah, she said that she wanted to face her alone when and if she found her so that she could explain what happened, so that's why we split up . . . Besides, she seems to know her a lot better than we do, definitely, so it sort of works out better this way," added Taranee, running a hand through her medium length ebony hair.

Wilhelmina frowned sadly at this.

Yeah . . . even better than I do . . . her own twin sister . . . Thanks to Mom and her deception, I doubt I'll ever know her at all . . .

Hay Lin took notice of her doleful face and smiled softly, while resting a comforting hand upon her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Wilhelmina . . . Cornelia will find Sitara . . . and when she does, you two will finally get a chance to really talk . . . This will all work out in the --"

Suddenly, Wilhelmina let out a startled cry as her entire body became overheated, tingly, and riddled with heart wrenching pain.

"Wilhelmina! What is it? Are you all right?" asked Hay Lin as she and Taranee wrapped their arms around her waist in reinforcement.

"It . . . it's unbearable! S . . . so angry . . . in . . . pain! Make it stop!" cried Wilhelmina, hunching over as a light sweat broke out onto her forehead and her body began to glow a faint pink.

"What is unbearable? We --"

"-- Oh! Taranee! Look! Her body! I . . It's glowing! What's going on?" interrupted Hay Lin as both hers and Taranee's eyes widened in complete shock.

Wilhelmina struggled to speak as the excruciating pain continued to wash over her pink illuminated body.

"T . . . Take me h-home, you guys . . . S-something . . . big is h-happening . . . Now!"

-- End of Chapter Twelve

(A.N. I'd struggled with this chapter, as I'd stated earlier on, because I'd wanted to include the next scene but it wouldn't work. This chapter itself didn't really "work" as well as I'd envisioned it in my head, and it annoys me. But, I can't fix it, because my Muse is apparently on a coffee break or something write now. LoL For two days. LoL So I just posted it already. Oh well. Anyhow, I'd also wanted to switch the scenes around and put Sita's -- that's what I nicknamed her, by the way, before you ask: "Sita" -- scene last because it was more impacting and had greater cliffhanger potential. However, it didn't really make sense with Will's weird reaction and such if I put it before Sita's, and presumably nothing had happened to her just yet, etc. So, yeah. Had it keep it in the order you've just read it. Oh, well times two. LoL ANYWAY! Can't wait for chapter thirteen, as I HOPE it'll be great, or AS great as it is in my head right now and has been for a few days. It'll be ironic that it's chapter thirteen that will have the most "bad stuff" happening in it, considering the number thirteen IS "bad." LoL I just hope no one wishes to shoot me out of a cannon after it's posted. LoL Anyhow, thanks so much for all of the reviews, support, continuous posts within my forum about this story, and even the art I've received in e-mail the other day for this story, as well. WITHOUT the support, this story would just sit on this site and rot, REGARDLESS of whether or not it's as great a story as you all rave that it is. So, thank you so much again. )