The Shadow's Tale

by 5hadow Lady

After a very bad birthday Will runs away and ends up on Meridian where she must come to terms with everything that has happened while helping a small part of the rebels fight against Phobos. Will she ever forgive the others and return home or will Meridia

3. Chapter 3

I would like to thank Draco1000, XV-Dragon, and Draco Maxima for your reviews and support. As for everyone else, please read and review or I may be forced to unleash two of the greatest horrors to ever grace the world. The sponge and the purple dinosaur…(shivers)…I'm sure nobody wants to see that…

We are, we are, we are witch
We are, we are

There is a place
Where darkness reigns
We got the power to fight back
We save the day united, five as one

We can becomeMore than you know
The heart will lead the way
To what we can control
Water, fire, earth and air
Guardians unite

We are, we are, we are witch
We are, we are

We are, we are, we are witch
We are, we are

We fight for life
We fight for truth
This is our resolution
In day or night
We have the strength and courage

We brave the night
To find the light
Together we will have the power to control
Water, fire, earth and air
Guardians unite

We are, we are, we are witch
We are, we are

We are, we are, we are witch
We are, we are

Power is more than we see
There's danger that lies beneath
We fight to protect the free
(Water fire earth and air)
To protect the free
(Water fire earth and air)
Guardians unite

We are, we are, we are witch
We are, we are

We are, we are, we are witch
We are, we are

We are, we are, we are witch
We are, we are

We are, we are, we are witch
We are, we are

Witch
www(dot)youtube(dot)com(slash)watch?v(equal sign)MiES2FhP0PQ

Will groaned a little as she opened her eyes slowly, her whole body protesting as if she had slept on the ground. Sitting up and looking around she saw that was exactly what she had been doing. The place wasn't familiar to her but the sky was, the dreary overcast sky with an almost violet haze in the air. She was on Meridian.

A boy wearing what looked like the remains of a tuxedo came into view causing her to back away in surprise and a little fear. She had to admit he was kind of good looking, long hair pulled back in a pigtail, stormy blue eyes, and a slightly muscular build while not being overly muscled. He said something strange but she couldn't understand him. Climbing to her feet she grabbed her bag off the ground and stayed a little way away from him unsure of what he wanted or if he worked for Phobos.

"I don't understand what you are saying." Will said softly hugging her pack to her.

"Damn…Wish paid more attention English class." The boy grumbled, "You okay? Fell in my arms unconscious…Ran from attackers…Ended up here…Name Ranma Saotome."

"I'm…I'm Will Vandom." Will said smiling a little. Ranma must have been from earth, another country most likely. Now that she thought about it, it was a little strange that the people of Meridian spoke English. She never thought about it before but it was kind of surprising the people of Meridian spoke the same language as her. At least the boy seemed to know English, even if he didn't seem very good at it.

"Not sure where at…Not earth." Ranma said a little nervously.

"We are on another world, Meridian." Will said slowly. "I've been here, if you tell me where you came from I'll try and get you home."

"No…Don't want back there…Left for good." Ranma said, a sadness reflecting in his eyes. "Maybe start over here."

"Must have had a hard time back where you came from." Will said softly, rubbing her eyes as her own problems forced themselves back into her thoughts. "I can relate, no one wants me around."

"Sure that not true…" Ranma said sadly looking her up and down making Will blush a little at him obviously checking her out. "You no fighter…Is someone after you…"

"What? No, no one is after me. Nobody cares enough to be after me." Will said sadly looking toward the ground between them.

"HALT REBELS!" Voice screamed through the trees as noises of a large group of people approached. A man and woman came bursting through the trees and Will could see the woman holding a little baby.

"Run, I'll take care of them!" Will told Ranma ready to pull out the heart of Candracar just as three soldiers burst through the trees giving chase. Ranma blurred and disappeared, reappearing with his fist buried in the gut of the closest guard. A moment later he kicked the second in the head knocking him into the third driving them both into the tree. The three fell to the ground unconscious just as four more rushed broke through the trees coming right at Ranma. Will almost called the heart but yet again was stopped as the boy cupped his hands together letting a ball of light appear in them before thrusting it towards the incoming soldiers. The ball of light hit right in the middle of them before exploding scattering the four unconscious bodies away from each other.

"Are okay?" Ranma asked looking to Will.

"I…I think so, Ranma." Will said smiling a little, "Thank you."

"Is okay, hope they are okay." Ranma said. Will knew they would be because if they were rebels they must have escaped into the infinite city by now since she knew there was an entrance close by for it. There was always an entrance close by since it ran under the whole kingdom.

"They are, Ranma, I'm sure of it. We need to get out of here before more soldiers come." Will said though she couldn't take him to the infinite city since she wasn't completely sure about Ranma yet. As much as she was hurting she wouldn't take it out on innocents by leading a spy into the city letting Phobos know where the rebels hideout was. She was pretty sure Ranma wasn't a spy though but she couldn't be completely sure. Especially after that energy attack thing he did, a normal person couldn't do that could they?

"I take all on." Ranma said confidently.

"You may want to but I don't buster now come on." Will said grabbing his hand and dragging him behind her as she made her way through the forest until she came out on the very outskirts of the town. She was right, more soldiers marched by carrying swords and large axes but Will squeezed Ranma's hand holding him back as the contingent marched forward. Will tried to avoid any or their eyes as she noticed the strange looks they gave Ranma and her.

"Why won't let me fight? Can win." Ranma said.

"Maybe but if we attack them the villagers may pay the price. They are looking for the people who we passed Ranma so I doubt that they will attack us." Will whispered to Ranma, "Just trust me, I'll explain later."

"Okay…I trust." Ranma said, nodding though Will could tell it was hesitantly.

"Haven't we met somewhere before?" a man who looked an awful lot like Caleb's friend Aldarn.

"No, I don't think so." Will said trying to walk away from the man, pulling Ranma with her though she could tell he was tense.

"Yes we have, your one of them." The man said in shock, "My name is Altair, I'm Aldarn's cousin."

"Well that's all nice and good but we have to be going now." Will said walking faster as the man did also matching pace with them.

"Please come with me, Cedric will be coming shortly as they dispatched another group of soldiers personally led by Lord Cedric himself." Altair said nervously, looking back over his shoulder every few moments as they walked.

"Who Cedric?" Ranma asked.

"He's the big bad around here, well second to Phobos anyways." Will sighed. "Okay, we'll follow but no tricks."

"On my honor guardian." Altair said bowing a little as he led the two through the town away from the castle at a pretty quick pace. In no time at all the arrived at a run down looking cottage on the outskirts of the town that looked like no one had lived there for a long while. As they hurried inside Altair put a bar across the door and pulled the shutters closed leaving very little light in the room. "We should be safe, where are the other guardians?"

"On earth." Will sighed as she took a seat against the inner wall next to the fireplace. Ranma staying standing between Altair and herself, looking tense as if he was… Protecting her. Why would he bother doing something like that for her?

"You came alone, Guardian?" Altair asked in shock.

"Please…Don't tell anyone I'm here. The other guardians…They don't want anything to do with me and my mom…She would rather have one of my teachers than me." Will said putting her pack beside her and hugging her knees to her chest. "I'm not going back there…I refuse to be somewhere that I'm obviously not wanted."

"You can stay here, the rebels would love to have you in the infinite city." Altair said with a warm smile.

"No…I don't want anyone finding out I'm here, especially the rebels. They will just tell Caleb and he'll tell the guardians." Will said sadly, "Promise me you won't tell anyone."

"I promise, but if you don't want to stay at the Infinite City then how about here. This cottage belongs to my family, you are free to use it." Altair said.

"I…I don't know what to say." Will whispered in shock.

"It's the least I can do for all the times you helped my family…My people…I will guard your secret." Altair said honestly. "Is this your friend?"

"Yes, his name is Ranma Saotome." Will said and Altair nodded toward him.

"He seems like a brave warrior and a true friend." Altair said smiling at Ranma. "I think you made a very good choice."

"Wh-What do you mean?" Will asked.

"I'm sorry if I overstepped my boundaries young guardian." Altair said hanging his head.

"Wait…You thought that him…And I?" Will asked laughing a little though she wanted to cry as well. Why would he ever want someone like her? On that matter, who would want anything to do with her? Obviously she wasn't worth very much if people kept abandoning her. "We…We are just friends, there is no need to apologize."

"Thank you, if you need any help fixing this place up later I will be more than happy to help in any way I can." Altair said, "I need to get back but I'll come back later to check on you."

"Can trust him?" Ranma asked after Altair slipped out.

"Yes…I know we can. His cousin is the leader of the rebellion against Phobos."

"Who Phobos, why keep calling you Guardian?" Ranma asked settling down next to Will.

"Phobos…He is an evil prince who rules Meridian, where we are now. He treats the people as if they were nothing and uses them as slave labor." Will said, not wanting to reveal everything but deciding an edited version would be okay. "I'm one of a group of people from Earth who helps fight Phobos, we are called Guardians."

"I help fight too." Ranma said, "I not let you fight alone."

"Thanks Ranma but this isn't your concern." Will sighed leaning her chin on her knees.

"I make my concern." Ranma said stubbornly. At least Will would have some company if he was telling the truth and if she didn't drive him away. The way he fought those soldiers earlier showed he was more than capable of taking care of himself. Heck, Ranma was probably a better fighter than even Caleb himself.

"Thanks Ranma…So you are staying here also?" Will asked looking at him as she turned to face him.

"Yeah…Don't really have anything return to." Ranma sighed.

"Want to talk about it?" Will asked softly.

"Maybe later…Still have lot think over." Ranma said. "You want talk?"

"I still have to sort through everything, Ranma…I…I lost everything today Ranma…It hurts so much…" Will whispered as she started shaking, tears forming no matter how hard she fought it. She tensed a little when Ranma hesitantly wrapped his arms around her but relaxed in his arms as he loosened up and pulled her a little closer letting her cry in his shoulder. "And…And its all my fault…"