Y'all are so wonderful. Thank you for the reviews, and thank you sailorlyoko4life for sticking around this long for this story. (and all those anon reviewers too!) I appreciate it much.

Ch. 8 with love

~Amakatsu

"Ugh, this many tunics is making me seriously rethink some items in my closet." Cornelia commented once they were all up in the air.

"Eh, don't worry anything will look good on you."

Cornelia got ready to respond but stopped a moment in surprise. She crossed her arms and lifted her eyebrow at Irma.

"What?" Irma asked.

"That's...a compliment. Like, a regular one." Cornelia accused.

"Well, it's just, that-the truth! Why? am I supposed to insult you instead?" She sputtered before her eyes widened. "Duck!" She yelled out, eyeing a monster creeping up behind the blond. Cornelia dipped down dodging the swiping claws and flew backwards to hover by Irma's side getting ready to combat these new enemies.

After they took out a dozen at least, the five girls ended up back to back in the air. Down below the festivities continued without interruption or break. It seemed as if it were getting more and more intense as time went on. They all were catching their breath before Will began to speak up.

"There's no way there is this many," she said, "and why isn't anyone afraid?" She said to the group in annoyance.

"I don't know, but it's been hours I don't know how many more we can take on!" Hay Lin said sending another gust of wind to keep their enemies at bay.

"Will?" Taranee called, "what should we do?"

Will felt herself become more and more overwhelmed she was about to say she didn't know until she finally noticed something.

"Wait…" She looked around, "guys let's de-transform!"

"Are you kidding?" Irma snorted then looked at Will's face, "you're serious?"

"Yes, trust me for a second!" Will said.

The other four looked at each other and with great difficulty agreed. They all floated down to set themselves in the crowd releasing their guardian transformations. Will looked around and noticed none of the crowd bothered to look at them or even notice. True to what Irma feared it seemed they were all under a spell. She looked up and noticed the creatures didn't move from their spot in the sky. Her gamble paid off.

"Smart girl."

Will whipped around to find a man in a venetian mask covering his eyes and nose. She made to yell but he grabbed her and shook his head pointing over her shoulder. Her four friends were gone.

"What did you do!" She demanded her voice shaking.

"Nothing, they merely got caught up in the crowd." He explained. "Just as you suspect, as long as they don't have any trace of their elemental powers they will be safe."

She was right. Will thought it strange the creatures above them chose to leave the crowd down below alone. Somehow they knew only to attack guardians.

"They do work wonders as guard dogs. Not big on critical thinking though." He said shrugging referring to the gargoyles above.

"What do you want?" She said again, "are you Aldrick? The one in the dreams?"

"Ah, ah ah, hold on, don't you hear it? The music is beginning." He said cupping a hand to his ear. He grabbed her hand and spun her around in a twirl. To her surprise her body began to move on it's own, as if bewitched by the tune.

"Are you going to answer me?" She managed out as she took position circling him before they joined again to continue their tarantella.

"I'm not Aldrick." he said. "But I'm not unlike him."

"What are you after?"

The music grew louder, faster, and they both switched to stepping in quick succession and he brought his hands together in a fast clap following along to the beat the crowd following.

"I want what's mine. My kingdom." He explained plainly without emotion.

Will began to feel irritated with his responses. "Yeah, get in line with all the other classic lines. What kingdom are you even going on about?" She snapped.

He smirked and stopped moving. He tapped his chest for a moment and Will frowned.

"You want the heart of Kandrakor." She said softly.

He smiled wider pointing at her "see? Such a smart girl." He purred slowly.

The clapping around her got louder and louder before hitting a crescendo. She blinked and he was gone.

Will stood alone In the crowd. Looking up the afternoon sun had already begun to set. Her brain was still registering all the facts she could. Her next thought jumped to her friends. She began pushing through people dodging twirling couples in their masks. It must have been hours of moving but no one seemed to be tiring. She bumped into someone with familiar dark hair and build.

"Will!" He said behind the mask.

She almost punched him, having her fill of men in masks, until she realized it was Matt.

"Matt! What are you doing here!" She said grabbing him.

"What do you mean? Everyone is here!" He said. She stared at him and noticed his eyes were faintly glowing. She looked around and realized the dancing and laughing attendees were beginning to give off a thrum of energy and light.

"Matt, where did you get this outfit and that mask?" She asked, confused.

"It came with the invitation!" He said, "Isn't that cool."

"No, it's not, and we need to leave!" She said trying to pull him but he stayed rooted to the spot.

"We can't leave." he said very seriously.

"Matt?" She asked again.

"We can't leave." He repeated again in a trance his grip on her arm beginning to become painful. She tried to pull herself free but he wouldn't let go. Finally she looked at him and panicked shoving him in the chest letting out a spark of charged energy. He stumbled back his hair standing up from static and the mask fell from his face. He was still for a moment before groaning and sitting up. He blinked looking around before looking up at Will.

"What...what's going on?" He said dazed, "I don't feel so great…" He said holding his head.

"Part of that might be my fault." Will explained kneeling down next to him. "We need to get out of here." She explained helping him up.

"Uh OK." He said and followed her through the packed streets. They managed to push themselves to the edge of the group. The only direction of the crowd was forward with no one intending to leave causing, Will and Matt to fight people like a current. Will in desperation sent out a few shocks to clear a path and they fell out of the crowd to the outskirts.

"Will!" Hay Lin called running up to her Taranee following and helping them both up.

"Hay Lin, Taranee! You're OK!" Will said taking their hands in relief Matt was still in a daze behind her. "What about Cornelia and Irma?" She asked in concern. Soon after they heard an angry yell and a vine grew and stretched knocking over a group of people before letting Cornelia drop down next to them. She huffed brushing herself off looking flushed and angry.

"I hate being manhandled!" She said with a stomp of her foot.

Soon they heard a cry and turned around seeing Irma trying to crawl out of the crowd. Her element wasn't readily available to her the way the rest of them had and the group lunged forward grabbing Irma's arm and pulling her out to safety.

"I thought I was a goner!" She wailed, catching her breath. Cornelia patted her back in pity while they all took a moment to consider the situation. Matt seemed to get his mind clear and was ready for action. Will wasted no time in telling them all what happened.

"By the looks of it these people are going to be dancing until they drop." Irma said looking around the crowd in concern.

"Or worse." Will added and they all looked pained. "I don't know how to stop this one." She admitted in defeat. "I don't know who to fight. Or how to get everyone safe." She sat down on the asphalt her head in her hands. "I'm sorry." She said again.

She felt arms wrap around her and looked up to see everyone looking at her with hope.

"It's going to be OK. We can do this. We just don't have all the answers yet."

Will looked at them and began to calm her anxiety. She closed her eyes and felt the presence of the heart of kandrakor. They'd been through this before. They could do this. They could do this. She chanted to herself over and over. Maybe they could call Hay Lin's grandmother and-

She opened her eyes and stood up suddenly. "Call!" She shouted.

"Uh-"

"Call…" Taranee repeated, "Call!" She shouted too high fiving Will.

"OK, care to let us in on this one?" Matt laughed while Irma scrunched her face in confusion. Cornelia looked thoughtful then smiled in understanding.

"Cell towers" The three of them said at once.

"Ooooh," Hay Lin cheered, "you mean what we were talking about before?" She recalled.

"Oh yeah!" Irma said.

"A little help?" Matt smirked in amusement.

"Matt, uh sorry about it, but I kind of zapped you earlier." Will began to explain.

"Oh is that why my-" he began before Will continued.

"It took you out of whatever trance you were in! But there's too many people here! So I need a way to get rid of whatever magical energy is in all these masks everyone is wearing!"

"So hook yourself up to a nice cell tower and send out a bunch of signals across town and bam." Irma explained and they all nodded in agreement.

"OK, that could actually work!" Matt agreed.

"The only problem is...I've never done anything like this before." Will said unsure.

"Well, you're about to find out. Just think of it as another toaster or something." Cornelia said as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

Will gave her an exasperated look but let it go. "OK, for now Cornelia and Irma try and get these people to stop moving if you can. Taranee and Hay Lin I want you to stay with them just in case those monsters decide they want to cause trouble. Matt and I will go to find the best tower." Will explained and they all nodded before breaking and running to their places.

Aldrick stepped through a portal he created by hijacking the guardians powers. He knew his liege would be causing chaos elsewhere while he continued to lay the groundwork. He disagreed in his methods but it wasn't his place to speak out. For their plan to work he had to gain some insurance. He stepped through the winding halls of Meridian's palace where the dungeon was situated. He hid behind walls and in shadowed corners as guards passed him their stances filled with leisure and carelessness. He scoffed at their attitudes and made his way to the cage he was searching for.

Phobos sat swinging in his imprisoned state, his hair became matted over time and the present scowl on his features grew more and more intense. While it had been almost four years on earth for Phobos, his defeat merely happened barely a year ago. Aldrick stood in front of the cage waiting to be noticed and Phobos turned around his body, sustained by the evil energy he gathered over his existence.

"Who are you?" He demanded but Aldrick stayed silent.

"S-stay away from me!" Phobos called as he noticed him get closer Aldrick quickly stepped forward to silence him.

Susan unlocked the door, her exhaustion weighing on her. She was supposed to work through the weekend but for some reason the office closed and everyone had left. She took it as a blessing and merely returned home looking forward to relaxing. The whole town seemed to be acting strangely with early closing and road closures she was left feeling confused. She took her heels off warily. She noticed a flier and a mask in the doorway and picked it up in curiosity.

"Some kind of carnival huh?" She thought to herself. She opened her phone and sent a quick text to Will and waited for a few minutes but didn't receive an answer. Suddenly she continued to feel the urge to attend the carnival in town despite how tired she was. Without thinking much about it she finally decided to get changed and go downtown if only to check it out.