Chapter Twenty:

Adjustments that were Made

The oracle looked at the group after the transfer of power had been completed.

"Please, Oracle...sir... can't you tell us exactly what happened to Wanda? I mean... when we saw her she was totally different, not at all her usual self." Ingrid asked after a long silence between them.

The man looked away for a moment, wondering if he should. Finally he decided to do so, and turned away from them, raising a hand. What looked like a mirror hovering in mid-air appeared before them.

"Be warned... what you are about to witness will not be pleasant." He said, glancing back.

They watched Wanda as she was engulfed by Phobos' roses as he interrogated her about the Heart of Kandrikar and its whereabouts. Rhea was standing nearby, as well as a man they didn't recognize in black armor with red markings. Derek's eyes narrowed while he watched Rhea put Wanda against the wall in those thick cuffs while she ensured the poison was working properly. He clenched a fist when he saw Phobos send the electrical shocks through Wanda, that ensured she forgot everyone and everything about herself, on top of the control Rhea's poison gave him over Wanda's body.

There was a gleam in Derek's blue eyes that worried Cerella when the image faded.

"Oooh, that demon's gonna pay." Tress clenched her right hand in to a fist and slammed it in to her other hand violently.

"I don't care if he's the Queen's brother or not." Nodded Ingrid. "Nothing like the smell of vengeance in the morning."

"Careful, young ladies. That is exactly what Phobos wants- you to go in to his castle in a blind rage." Warned the oracle. "You will need time and a plan if you want your friend back, whole and happy. HuiLing and Matt, I will need your help. We'll need to make an antidote for Wanda." He said.

"B-but I thought Rhea said there weren't any antidotes!" Cerella exclaimed.

"If there's a poison, then there's got to be an antidote." The Oracle replied seriously. "And because HuiLing is Wanda's best friend, and Will is Wanda's father, they'll be able to help us figure out how to bring her back. What methods will work, and what won't. And you-" He looked at Derek. "When the time comes, we'll need you above all others, in order to give the girl the antidote... and convince her to take it."

Derek nodded, a fixed expression on his face.

"Until then... HuiLing and Will, I'll need you two to stay here. The rest of you will go back to the Queen of Meridian and stay there. You still require rest." The Oracle said firmly.

HuiLing created a portal for the others. Will and Matt said their goodbyes, before separating.

Matt was concerned about Derek as they returned to Earth, and called Cornelia and Caleb.

"I'm worried about your son. He's been too quiet since Wanda was kidnapped. Just keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." He said to Caleb over the cell phone before hanging up.

Cornelia was picking up Cerella and Derek today, from the Olsen house. When Cornelia saw her son and daughter, she became worried. She wrapped her arms around both, thanking Matt for looking after them for the day, and steered them away from the group.

Mimiru turned in to her cat form as the front door to the house opened. She preferred keeping her true identity a secret from Susan and Dean.

"Where's Will and Wanda?" Asked Dean, looking at the group.

"They decided to stay out for a while." Tress piped up. "Wanda got sick from something she ate while we were out, and Auntie Will is staying with her till she gets better." She put on a fake smile, which was rather convincing.

"All right then." Dean said once he saw Matt nodding to Tress' story.

Ingrid was impressed with how smart Tress was at this point.

"Nice one. See you later!" She said when her father came to pick her up.

Days had passed, and Wanda was growing restless in the castle. She wore a violet pair of Meridian dress robes that had a v-neck line, were lined in black, and held at the waist with a light pink sash. The sleeves were bell-shaped, and cut off just below the shoulders. The top of the dress was a halter-top with a lilac ribbon just below her breasts, held together with three gleaming light pink metal hoops in the front. The skirt of her robes were two layers, with a violet dark under skirt, and transparent lilac over skirt. She paced, revealing glittering violet dress shoes. She seemed a contrast to the dark, ominous feeling in this palace, yet at the same time, fit right in. Her green eyes were lifeless, almost bleak looking.

She walked through the dark halls, with floors lined in crimson carpets, till she reached Phobos' throne room and knocked on the doors. The sound boomed around her like a canon in the silence. Cedric answered the door, and looked less than pleased at the sight.

"I wish to council with Master Phobos." She said, and before Cedric could say anything, she stepped in, moved around him, and saw Phobos sitting at his throne. She bowed to the ruler, and spoke when he nodded, aknowleding her, allowing her to speak. "Master, I ask permission to go and say hello to the Guardians." She said.

"It seems someone is itching for some exitement." Came Rhea's sneering voice from somewhere in the shadows to the right.

"I don't see why not. I want you to go see who they have as a leader." Phobos instructed. "Test the powers I have granted you, do whatever damage you see fit. But do not believe the lies they will undoubtedly try to feed you."

"Perhaps I should accompany you, Wanda? You have not fought them in a long time." Rhea stepped forward.

"Thanks for the kind offer, Rhea, but I can handle those brats on my own." Snapped Wanda, earning an unseen frown from Rhea. "You have yet to capture any of those Guardians, or even the Heart of Kandrikar for our Master. I will go and discover who their leader is. And show them who their enemy truly is now." She smirked at Rhea, bowed to Phobos, who was grinning at the attitude Wanda was showing, and stood back up.

Over the last few days, Phobos had showed her how to transform without a Heart. He'd given her a violet stone the size of a small golf ball, much like the stone in his staff, that was mounted on a black gleaming chain. The stone was set in silver that wrapped around it like a snake, and the silver had a pattern of laurel leaves engraved in it. On the bottom of the stone was a silver pebble sized piece, which tied it all together.

She held the stone up.

"Quintessence!" She called out.

There was a flash of violet light that came from the center of the stone. The light turned in to beams which shot around Wanda, lifting her up in to the air. The light engulfed her in a black sphere, and she reemerged in the outfit she'd worn on her first confrontation earlier that week of the Guardians of Meridian. She bowed once more to Phobos, raised the Crystal using her power to bring it to a glow, and vanished.

Once she was gone, Cedric and Rhea looked at Phobos, clearly not happy with the arrangements.

"I do not see why you place so much store in that girl." Cedric was the one who spoke first. "What if the Guardians find a way to turn her back to their side?"

"Even if they discover how I am controlling her, there will not be a way to reverse the effects. The Crystal of Cepheus was a discovery of mine that I made while raiding my Sisters' Historical Artifacts Room." Phobos told them. "It is an ancient stone, forged during the same period of time as the Heart of Kandrikar. The Crystal of Cepheus was used by the dark witches in ancient times to control their victims utterly. The Guardians at the time managed to break the Crystal free of the witches' control, but could not find out how to destroy its power entirely. And now it is in my control, enhanced by my scepter. And thus enhancing Wanda's power while keeping her under my command."

"Even so... Master, this is a different generation of Guardians.

It had been a long week for HuiLing. She'd been going back and fourth between Earth and Meridian and Kandrikar, whenever the two worlds needed her. She felt like she barely had any time for her friends, since she also had mounting schoolwork on top of everything. Her mother refused to let her drop out of school while all of this was going on, since she claimed a bit of normalcy and routine was good for her.

"Right... who wouldn't want a normal life with routine?" HuiLing sighed as she left the restaurant that morning. She yawned, having spent another late night studying because the moment she left school, she had to go to Kandrikar to help the Oracle and Will in their research. Matt managed to give a believable story, saying that Will was out with Wanda looking at possible extensions for the pet store she worked at, and telling the Principal that he didn't know how long that business venture would take.

"Sorry we didn't give you sooner notice, Principal Knickerbocker, but this just suddenly came up. You know how impulsive Will is." He said as HuiLing passed the office to get to the lockers.

Cerella was leaning against her locker as HuiLing explained what she overheard Matt telling the principal.

"Sure, blame it on the wife." Cerella flipped her hair around as Odin passed. Today she wore her hair in a pony tail. She had on a light pink blouse with simple sleeves and a white halter top. Her skirt was knee length and light pink as well. Her shoes were pink.

"Well... What else is he supposed to say?" Asked Stevie, walking over and joining the group. " 'sorry, but my daughter's been kidnapped and hypnotized by a psychotic alien being bent on mass destruction of our world'? Like anyone would believe that."

HuiLing giggled in spite of herself.

Tress and Ingrid looked at each other with raised eyebrows. Tress wore an orange t-shirt with a v-neck lined with yellow, her black hair was held back in a low pony tail with orange and yellow pony beads that hung from the band itself, dark blue jean shorts, and around her waist was a black belt. Her shoes were white and orange tennis-shoes.

Ingrid wore a blue t-shirt with a u-neck, and three horizontal stripes at the bottom around the waist, and at the base of the sleeves. Her pants were flared blue jeans, and her shoes were white and blue patterned tennis-shoes.

Stevie wore a white t-shirt with a v-neck, dark blue jeans, and plain white tennis-shoes.

"Well, at least we're still all together." Derek came up to the group. "We just have to hope that the Oracle finds a way to get her back." He wore a black t-shirt, a brown jacket, and black slacks. His shoes were black as well. In his pocket- though it was unseen- was the ribbon he'd given to Wanda, that she'd left behind when she was captured. He'd carried it with him since then, as though it were a talisman of sorts.

Cerella looked at her brother, as if worried about his sanity for a moment before walking over and hugging him. Derek returned the platonic hug before walking to his locker, quiet again.

"Seriously... we need to do something to cheer him up." Ingrid blinked after him.

"Yeah, I much prefer his trouble making, sarcastic side." Stevie agreed.

So in between classes that day, the group worked on ways to cheer Derek up.

"We could tie him to a chair and force him to watch a Care Bears episode with Cheer Bear starring in it." HuiLing suggested with a smirk.

"Now that's just plain cruel and unusual torture, HuiLing." Ingrid shook her head.

Tress couldn't help herself as she laughed at the thought of seeing Derek tied to a chair being forced to watch Care Bears until his brain rotted.

"I happen to agree with Ingrid." Derek's voice came from behind, making HuiLing jump. He smirked at her reaction to being startled.

"What are you doing out of class so early?" Asked Cerella.

"Teacher let us out." He shrugged.

"Well, we've got a whole half hour till we have to go meet Mimiru... how bout we go to the park?" Asked Ingrid.

The group concurred, and walked the distance.

"So... how long have you guys had these powers?" Asked Stevie when they got to the park.

"How long HAS it been?" Asked Ingrid.

"I'd say about... six months or so?" Tress said after recalling how long it really has been.

"Wow... time flies." Smiled HuiLing.

"You mean like you?" Ingrid couldn't resist as HuiLing started skipping energetically ahead of the group.

"Well, if you wanna put it literally." HuiLing spun around with a bright smile.

It was a moment of normalcy to the group. The others noticed how HuiLing had been pushing herself to stay cheerful, like nothing was bothering her since the disappearance of her best friend and the duties of leader had been shoved on to her shoulders. Stevie blinked at the smiling Chinese girl for a moment, wondering what that must be like, having your best friend ripped from your side only to see them fighting against you the next time you met. It was hard for him to comprehend, and he hoped he never had to face a situation like that himself. He might not have any super human powers, but he knew he had to do his best to be a supportive friend to HuiLing and her comrads.

"Hey Derek, can I talk to you really quick before Mimiru gets here?" Asked Stevie, and Derek blinked in surprise but nodded.

The two stood to the side from the group of girls as they were gabbing.

"What's up?" Derek looked perplexed at what the Earthling boy would have to ask of him.

"I was wondering if you could teach me how to fight? That way I won't be a burden to them or HuiLing when they fight in the future?" Asked Stevie.

There was a long pause. Finally, Derek nodded.

"All right. But I won't go easy on you." He then put his hand on Stevie's head, almost like he thought of the boy as a little brother of sorts.

"Hey!" Stevie brushed Derek's hand off his head and flattened his own dark hair.

"So everyone's here?" Came Mimiru's voice, and the group turned. At first they saw a white cat with long hair and sapphire eyes staring up at them.

There was a flash, then Mimiru stood as a human before the group.

"Yup. Every one of the Idiot Brigade is present and accounted for!" HuiLing said cheerfully.

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" Wanda said from the shadows, standing under a nearby tree.

The group turned.

"Wanda! How did you get out?" HuiLing asked. But she stopped. She saw that Wanda was still wearing her outfit given to her by Phobos. In the girl's hands was a stone they'd only glimpsed at in Elyon's Historical Artifacts Room.

"Quintessence!" Wanda cried, holding the stone up and directing it at the group.

Violet lightning erupted from the stone at the group.

"Attacking an unarmed opponent? I thought I taught you better!" Derek grabbed Stevie as the lightning shot towards them, and vaporized a park bench. Shards of wood and metal showered them.

"You never taught me a damn thing." Wanda lifted up in to the air, her much larger wings gleaming in the sun.

"Guardians, Unite!" HuiLing shouted, holding the Heart of Kandrikar in to the air.

When the group re-emerged, Mimiru was revealed to have a new outfit. Her white hair was put up in a loose knot, blue sapphire earrings the size of peas gleamed from the lobes of her ears. She wore a blue shirt with pink straight straps on her shoulders, and the lines that resembled crescent moons were at the base of the shirt two inches below her breasts and on her stomach. She wore white gloves lined in blue, a pink mini skirt lined in blue at the bottom, and with a dark green triangle shape at the top that matched her wings. Her tights were dark green and spring green striped. Her shoes were blue, the same shade of blue as her eyes and earrings. A single blue strap wrapped around each of her ankles, and she had the same kind of wings that HuiLing and the others wore on their backs.

Wanda looked at HuiLing.

"So you're the leader..." She said, surprised it didn't take too much work to figure it out. She raised her hand holding the stone. "Quintessence!" She hissed.

HuiLing brought up her hands, the palms facing the violet lightning that came at her.

"Quintessence!" She shouted, using her new powers for the first time. It felt strange, when for so long she'd been using the power that she felt like had been so second nature to her.

There was a scream, and HuiLing was sent flying backwards. Her right arm was bleeding.

"Her power's been amplified somehow..." Derek blinked, as Stevie was helping HuiLing to her feet.

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious captain eagle eye." Ingrid said with an unusual note of impatience in her voice. She earned a glare from Derek as she flew forward.

"Water...!" She called out, raising a hand above her head and directing her palm at Wanda.

A pillar of water erupted from the ground with a roar, snaked upward, and right towards the girl who was once her friend.

"Quintessence!" Hissed Wanda. What looked like a violet orb or shield of sorts wrapped around her, generated by the Crystal she held. When the water was absorbed in to the shield, the shield turned in to violet lightning that shot at Ingrid.

"Watch out!" HuiLing shouted.

Ingrid knew she couldn't use her water against the lightning, it would only make the lightning more powerful. She flew to the right, barely missing the attack. She could feel the ends of her hair singing and smelling of smoke. The lightning curved around behind Ingrid, and came right at her from behind. She barely had time to glance behind her before it slammed in to her back. She screamed in pain as the violet lightning engulfed her, before she fell to the ground.

"Well... I know now what it's like to be Mongolian Barbecue." She groaned, her muscles ached to say the least, and she felt burn marks all over her body.

Wanda landed on the ground in front of the group.

"My turn..." Mimiru's eyes were narrowed as she raised her hands. She knew how to use the power over air already, and raised her hands in front of her as Wanda directed the Crystal she held at her.

The Violet lightning shot at Mimiru, who clapped her hands together right in front of her. What sounded like a cannon blast erupted from her hands, sending the grass below her feet billowing in all directions as it deflected the attack.

"So you're the traitor?" Wanda asked, remembering what Phobos had told her about Mimiru.

"Who wants to know?" Mimiru sneered.

Wanda smirked.

"Quintessence." She growled.

HuiLing stood up at this point.

"Wanda! It's me! HuiLing! Your best friend, remember?" She said.

"I have no friends." Wanda's eyes were cold, lifeless. Exactly the opposite of how HuiLing remembered them as being.

Mimiru blocked the attack of the violet lightning, and sent a wave of air at Wanda. It was clear that HuiLing did not want to fight her best friend, but Mimiru understood that it had to be done if they were to ever find a way to get her back.

A frown corssed HuiLing's face at the sight of her two friends fighting each other. She could barely believe that this was the same Wanda that she'd known most of her life. Now instead of the shy, quiet, kind, yet temperamental girl, was an angry, bitter and resentful person. Had she hated her responsibility of being a Guardian so much that no one wanted to listen, and in fact opened things wide up for Phobos to take advantage? No. That just wasn't who Wanda was. She worked hard at keeping the group together, showing that she could be just as good a leader as her mother had been to keep the Heart safe from Phobos' hands. And HuiLing would do the same so when Wanda came back to them, she would see that they were still friends, still the same as before.

HuiLing flew up to face Wanda as Cerella blocked a wave of violet lightning attacks.

"Wanda... I don't want to have to fight you..." HuiLing looked in to her friend's face. "But I will if there is no other option. QUINTESSENCE!" She and Wanda cried out in unison.

Derek watched, a feeling of helplessness coming over him as he saw HuiLing sending her clear, electric blue lightning at Wanda, and Wanda sent her violet lightning at HuiLing through the use of her Crystal. The sound was like a cannon blast when the two forces met in between the girls, there was a blinding flash of multicolored light. For several moments the two hovered in midair, before the energy from the two elements forced them to the ground.

HuiLing caught herself before she hit the ground, and so did Wanda. The two stared at each other, HuiLing with wide, black eyes and Wanda with narrow dark eyes.

"That's the power of one who holds the Heart of Kandrikar, is it? No wonder my Master wants it so badly." Wanda commented.

"You had that power once too, Wanda." HuiLing stared at her.

Wanda didn't listen to her. Instead, she looked down at the ground.

"There are two people I have yet to test..." She said with a smirk at Cerella and Tress.

Cerella was more than willing to fight Wanda when it was obvious she was under a spell of some sort.

"You guys might hold back, but I won't." Cerella grumbled.

"Hey, who says we're going to hold back?" Asked Tress.

Wanda's eyes narrowed with interest as Cerella brought up her arms in a motion like she was lifting something incredibly heavy. What looked like a giant pillar of solid rock erupted from the ground beneath them.

"As much as I enjoy our uplifting reunion, Guardians, I grow bored of this." Wanda sighed as the shield appeared around her once again. She then sent a wave of violet lightning at the oncoming rocks, before Tress sent half a dozen fire arrows to counterattack.

"Wanda please, don't go back there!" This time Derek spoke. She looked at him, her eyes not recognizing him at all. "You have no idea what they're doing to you!"

"Shut your mouth, rebel!" She snapped fiercely. She'd been warned about this man from Phobos, and wasn't about to let these humans trick her again. "Quintessence!" She growled, sending a wave of lightning attacks at him. She was impressed with how quick he was at dodging the lightning, even without powers or wings like she and the Guardians had. Then again, she supposed that was one of the benefits to being the son of the traitor and a former Guardian. Something about this young man infuriated her more than the five Guardians who she was fighting.

She flew beside a large maple tree, when a figure appeared on one of the largest branches next to her. She looked, and saw it was Rhea.

"The Master demands you return, M'Lady." Rhea spoke the words as though she loathed being forced to call Wanda that.

"Well... I did what I came to accomplish." Wanda looked at HuiLing and Mimiru. "I'll be seeing you again." She looked at Derek, but made no comment.

"Wanda... No, don't go with her!" HuiLing flew at her friend, but there was a flash from the Crystal that Wanda held, and the two had vanished by the time HuiLing reached them.

HuiLing let out a frustrated yell, sending an attack of lightning at the tree before flying back to the group.

"Easy girlfriend." Cerella looked concerned for her brother and her friend.

"Let's get to Kandrikar." HuiLing said, holding out the Heart and slicing it through the air as she'd seen Wanda do so many times. The portal opened, and without a word, she tromped in to it.

The girls all looked at each other, clearly worried. But when they all got to the other side, HuiLing appeared to be perfectly cheerful again, and so long as no one mentioned what had happened, they didn't have to worry about being attacked.

"So you were confronted by Wanda?" Will asked once Derek started telling her and the Oracle about what had happened.

"Yes, but she was different this time. Even more so than before." He nodded.

"Yeah... She had this weird Crystal necklace with her that she used in her attacks. Her powers were really juiced up too. We couldn't even scratch her." Tress said.

"Crystal?" The Oracle's eyes narrowed. "Tell me what this Crystal looked like."

"Well... it was about the same size as the Heart of Kandrikar, but it was violet with a black chain. And it had silver fastenings, and engraved silver wrapping around the crystal like our Heart." Ingrid nodded as she remembered all the details when she got up close to Wanda during her attack.

The Oracle frowned.

"So Phobos now has control over the Crystal of Cepheus..." He said.

"The Crystal of Who?" Blinked Cerella.

The Oracle beckoned the group to his library, where he summoned a lore book. The book hovered in front of the Guardians and their friends.

"The Crystal of Cepheus... It is an ancient stone, just as old as the Heart of Kandrikar. Once under the control of the Dark Witches of Eridanus, a group of Guardians much like yourselves managed to take it away in a battle that resulted in the demise of the Witches." He explained, the page turned to reveal the guardians he spoke of.

"So... These girls are before Nerissa and her gang?" Asked Will.

"Yes. Long before. They managed to convert all the negative energies being forced in to the Crystal of Cepheus. But they could not destroy it, much as you cannot destroy a Heart. Because the Crystal of Cepheus is the Heart of Eridanus, a world long destroyed when the power ruling it became corrupted by the Dark Witches. I am sure Phobos must have gained possession of it when he raided the Queen Elyon's Historical Artifacts Room. The power behind that Crystal will not have passed his line of sight without gaining his interest." Sighed the Oracle. "And from what I understand of your description of Wanda's behavior and appearance, you must expect a hard fight if you truly wish her back. The hold that the Crystal of Cepheus and the poison in her from Rhea is very strong. But we will find the antidote to the poison, and once that is accomplished, we will be able to weaken Phobos' hold on her and purify the Crystal."

"Sure... Easier said than done." Sighed Cerella. "But it's for our friend, so onward." She added quickly upon seeing the looks from Derek and HuiLing- both glared at her.

"We'd better get a pay raise once we get our friend back." Ingrid pointed out. "This has to be our toughest job yet."

"No pain no gain." HuiLing said cheerfully. "Where there's a will, there's a way."

"Ok, Ok. Enough with the mini-speeches." Tress sighed. "You're all giving me a headache."

"HuiLing, Will, please come with me. The rest of you, return to Meridian please." The Oracle said as the book returned to its spot in the library, high up on the gleaming marble shelves.

HuiLing swiped the Heart of Kandrikar through the air to send the others to Elyon's throne room as planned.

"We'll see you later. We're going to be looking for a way to purify that Crystal in Elyon's library and Historical Artifacts Room." Ingrid smiled, and HuiLing nodded. She watched as the group- including Stevie- vanished through the veil. A new determination had formed in her heart. She was bound to keep the group together, just as Wanda had been. And she would keep pushing forward. She meant it when she said 'where there was a will, there was a way'. She then turned, after making the mental declaration, to help Will and the Oracle search through the resources for something that would work as a cure for the poison Rhea used to control Wanda.