Hey yo…Thanks again to all my regular crew for your reviews, Invader Spyder you get the extra cookie for being first outta the gate. Again many thanks to Prince Vince, K.K., Visi, Irma Uno, Goofy Monkey, and Rocky. Everyone give a great big Whale Pit welcome to Juniper Lee Forever and The Hieber (everyone claps madly and hoots, and whistles). Welcome my friends; we're pleased to have you join us. I appreciate all of you who shared your thoughts about Irma's fate (including those of you who threatened me with bodily harm, pointy sticks, and much shouting via PM….you go folks). It's always fun to hear from you folks, so share your thoughts with me (thanks Lord of Darkness); even if you want to tell me I suck! Right then, here we go…

Chapter 14

A bright light pierced her darkness. Hot and white-pink, the light chased away the blackness. The young woman squeezed her eyes shut against the sudden invader; she had rather been enjoying her velvet darkness. Gritting her teeth, she slowly opened one eye, then the other. She blinked several times against the painfully bright light, but gradually learned to tolerate it. Where am I? she thought. She gazed at her surroundings. She floated in a pool of impossibly blue water. The comforting liquid was the perfect temperature and she basked in the weightlessness she felt in its grasp. Giggling slightly, she immersed herself in the giant pool and swam the length. Surfacing, she spit water like a fountain and grinned. She dove back underneath the water and settled herself on the bottom of the pool. She felt calm and at peace for the first time in…who knew how long. When she could no longer hold her breath, she returned to the surface. Presently, she decided she should figure out where she was and what was going on.

She swam gracefully to the edge of the pool and grasped the side. It was perfectly smooth, almost like blown glass. She ran her fingers along the smooth edge of the pool before finally hauling herself over the edge. She stood up and gazed around. Suddenly, her head exploded with terrible, horrifying memories. Frost, Nerissa, fire, lightning, Nerissa, blood, Nerissa…Her breath caught in her throat and her chest constricted. She fell to the floor and began shaking uncontrollably. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms protectively around her body, curled into a ball, and closed her eyes. Whimpering softly, she tried to push the awful memories to the back of her head, but to no avail. She was consumed with fear and agony; she remembered perfectly every blow of unforgiving fist, every slice of cold steel, every lash of cruel whip, every strike of crushing lightning. Her friends had never come for her; she was trapped with her enemies…with her……forever. Her body seized up and her muscles refused to unclench; tears of despair threatened to spill over her cheeks. Please, don't let them hurt me anymore………she thought desperately.

"Guardian, awake."

The voice, gentle yet firm, pierced Irma's thoughts. She squeezed her eyes tighter and began to plead softly.

"Please, no more; no more; no more……" Tears flowed as her mantra continued.

A hand touched her trembling shoulder and Irma screamed. Abandoning all reason, she scrambled backwards, turquoise eyes wide with terror. When she hit the wall, her terror increased. Trapped! She crumpled to the floor and sobbed in despair. "Please, I'll do anything you want, just don't hurt me anymore," she pleaded.

Irma felt two strong, yet gentle hands on her shoulders; they pulled her into a sitting position, her back against the wall. She trembled more violently as one of those hands cupped her chin and raised it gently.

"Guardian," said the gentle voice again, "I will not hurt you. You are safe now; please……open your eyes and see you are not in danger."

Still sobbing, and still terrified, Irma thought it best to do what she was told; maybe if she was good they wouldn't hurt her today. Slowly she opened her eyes. A bald man with gentle blue eyes knelt before her, one hand on her shoulder, the other under her chin. She gasped in surprise…this wasn't one of her tormentors. He looked familiar………she forced her terrified, broken mind to think beyond her pain and despair. The Oracle……I must be in Candracar.

As recognition dawned in the Water Guardian's beautiful eyes, the Oracle smiled and patted her cheek. She tensed up and pulled away; a reflex to her past traumas. The Oracle's smile saddened a little, but he quickly corrected it. "Welcome back Guardian," he said softly.

"You are in Candracar," he continued. "Your friends brought you here after they rescued you. You are safe Guardian; nothing can hurt you here."

Irma wanted so badly to believe his words, but they were simply too good to be true. No, this was just another form of torture; she wouldn't fall for it. "No….no you're just trying to get my hopes up; you're just trying to make me believe my friends came for me. I won't believe it; I won't believe you!"

"Think Guardian; think and remember. Remember beyond the pain, remember beyond the despair. Remember your friends. Think Guardian……remember!"

Still shaking, Irma closed her eyes and tried to remember. Hay Lin……Hay Lin came to me in my thoughts; she took my pain upon her. Will……Will came for me; she cried for me……Cornelia……Cornelia joked with me; she threatened to show my naked baby pictures to Martin……Hay Lin……Hay Lin tried to comfort me; her hand on my cheek……

Irma gasped…her friends had rescued her! She blinked at the Oracle. "There…there was a cave-in; we were trapped…all of us. Corny was trying to dig us out."

The Oracle smiled and nodded, "Yes Guardian that is right. The Guardians brought you here to be healed two weeks ago. The healing of your body is now complete."

"Two weeks? I've been here for two weeks?"

"Yes Guardian, two weeks. Your injuries were quite severe and took some time to mend. We should now make certain you are fully healed. Stand Guardian."

The Oracle stood up and extended his hand to Irma. She took it and pulled herself up. Her shaking had subsided and she felt better.

"Are you experiencing any pain Guardian?"

Irma did a quick assessment; everything seemed intact. Her ribs felt fine, her shoulders were perfect, her back felt great, she even had all her teeth. "I feel fine; no pain at all."

The Oracle nodded, "That is good. Can you fly?"

Irma flexed her wings experimentally; everything seemed normal back there. She leaped into the air and caught herself with her wings. She flew around the room for a few minutes, executing a few simple tumbles and turns, then landed next to the Oracle. Her knees buckled upon hitting the floor and she fell.

The Oracle pulled her back to her feet. "Are you alright Guardian?"

Irma's face reddened a little, "What was that? Even when I flew for the first time I never bricked the landing like that…"

"You have been immersed in a pool of water for the past two weeks; your muscles will have atrophied some. Do not worry Guardian; it is a temporary condition."

"You know, I have a name. Most people call me Irma…except for my little brother Chris; he calls me……………something I shouldn't repeat in front of an adult."

The Oracle smiled brightly. "I know your name Guardian, as I know all the Guardians' names. But your position is one of respect and should be recognized as such. Thus, I address you by your well-earned title...Guardian."

"Okay, well you're starting to freak me out a bit Big O; couldn't you try using my name?"

The Oracle simply smiled and shook his head. "Until you are no longer a Guardian, I must address you by your title……Guardian."

Irma sighed and gave up. "Alright whatever. Listen, I don't mean to sound ungrateful or anything, but when can I go home?"

"You require some rehabilitation before you leave Candracar, Guardian. It will retrain your weakened muscles and refamiliarize you with your powers over water."

Irma's eyes narrowed, "Rehabilitation? You mean like physical therapy? Because I should tell you, running is not my thing…"

A door opened across the room and a tall figure strode gracefully towards the Oracle. He smiled at the figure's approach and glanced at Irma. "This is Luba; she is the caretaker of your Aurameres, the source of your powers. She will be assisting with your rehabilitation."

Irma turned to Luba. She was tall and distinctly feline in appearance. Her face, though not unfriendly, clearly said perfection and intolerance. Irma gulped and extended her hand. "Hey Luba, I'm Irma; nice to meet you."

Luba curled her lip slightly at the proffered hand and did not extend her own. A low growl built in her throat and she turned instead to the Oracle. "Oracle, she is not ready. She is still damaged."

"Luba, the Water Guardian must prepare to return to her duties. She will require your assistance."

"You already know my views on this Oracle; she is unwell and should be replaced. If you let her resume her duties as a Guardian, I believe you would be making a mistake."

The Oracle laughed softly, "Yes dear friend I know; if you did not disagree with me, I would be worried about you."

"But Oracle…"

"Excuse me……I'm in the room!" Irma interrupted.

"Silence Child!" Luba snapped.

"Luba! You will treat the Guardian with the respect she deserves." The Oracle's voice was still soft, but its tone left no question that he meant business.

Luba growled, but stopped arguing. Glancing at Irma, she muttered, "Follow me……..Guardian."

Irma glanced nervously at the Oracle; the way Luba had spat the word "Guardian" didn't do anything to assuage Irma's growing dislike for the feline-like creature. But the Oracle merely smiled and nodded. Irma gulped and followed Luba out of the room.

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Two weeks; it had been two weeks since Irma had been rescued and left in Candracar. Fortunately, it had been a quiet two weeks…at least on the saving-the-universe front. On the can't-we-all-just-get-along front? Not so quiet. Hay Lin and Cornelia hadn't said one word to each other in the past two weeks, and neither one showed any signs of changing that arrangement. When they were forced to be together, each pretended the other didn't exist. The tension in the air was oppressive and Taranee came away with a headache whenever Cornelia and Hay Lin were forced to be in the same room together. It wasn't that Taranee was trying to read their thoughts, it was the way both girls were broadcasting their animosity towards one another. They had both refused to talk about the issue, and as a result the anger had been allowed to fester. Not even Irma's Astral Drop seemed able to keep the mood light…though not for lack of trying. The Astral Drop had no idea what had happened to her human counterpart, and no one saw fit to tell her. She had noticed Hay Lin seemed a bit distant, but as Astral Drops don't really have feelings, the Pseudo-Irma paid it no mind.

Will sighed as she sat at lunch with Taranee, Hay Lin and "Irma." Cornelia had invented yet another creative excuse not to meet them for lunch. Will looked around at her friends. As usual, Hay Lin wasn't eating; she was merely drawing in her sketchbook, Irma looking over her shoulder. What she was drawing, Will didn't know, and she didn't mind keeping it that way either. Astral Drops didn't need to eat, so Irma spent lunchtime trying to entertain Hay Lin. Every now and then, Hay Lin would grace Irma with a forced smile and a courtesy laugh. Taranee was slowly munching on a sandwich and staring at the ground. She looked tired, and her eyes were dull. Will knew it was another headache; she frowned with concern at her dark-skinned friend. She wanted to find a way to help Taranee, but short of getting Corny and Hay Lin to call a cease-fire, what could she do? Taranee looked up suddenly and glanced at Will. She winked at the redhead, grinned, and shook her head. Then she went back to munching her sandwich. Will grinned; good ol' Taranee…always worried about someone else.

Will had just opened her mouth to speak to Hay Lin when the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Hay Lin stood immediately, closed her sketchbook and bounded for the door, followed closely by Irma. Will and Taranee watched them go and they both sighed.

"Alright that's it," Will growled, "We have got to put a stop to all this. I know Corny and Hay Lin disagree, but two weeks is a little much!"

"I agree Will, but what can we do?"

"Lock them in a room together until they agree to talk it all out?"

"Sure; but you're going to clean up the body parts by yourself…I don't really like blood."

Will gave Taranee a sideways glance. "I suppose that would happen, wouldn't it……" Will sighed and kicked a can across the lawn. "Can't they just accept each other no matter their differences?"

Taranee laid a comforting hand on Will's shoulder. "They usually do Will; but you have to admit, these are extraordinary circumstances. We've never felt this kind of stress before. We've never been so vulnerable and that's a little scary."

"I know it is T; but don't they understand that if they keep hating each other like this, then that vulnerability increases?"

"Probably, but I doubt they care about that right now. Will, we just lost one of our own…essentially. Think about it; without Candracar's intervention, Irma would be dead now instead of just……absent. When I'm in my Guardian form, I feel so much more powerful, almost invincible…like nothing can touch me. What the Knights of Vengeance did to Irma……it makes me feel a lot less invincible. It really puts the danger of this Guardian business into perspective…any one of us could check out at any time. Let's face it Will; technically the Knights killed Irma. That's a shock to everyone, but especially to Hay Lin. I can understand Cornelia's view point, and I think Hay Lin does too. But Irma is a very personal topic for Hay Lin; she's not going to take kindly to anyone "beating up" on her best friend…especially in light of the current circumstances."

Will closed her eyes and shuddered…technically the Knights killed Irma….She had never thought of it that way before. She just knew Irma was going to be alright in a little while, so she hadn't really given it much more in-depth thought. Taranee's words had just given Will a new perspective. She began to feel dizzy and faint; she swooned a little and then felt herself falling. With a small cry, Taranee caught her leader before she could hit the ground. Taranee helped Will to a bench and they both sat down.

"Will! Are you okay?"

Will nodded slowly, "Yeah T, I'm alright…I just felt a little faint, that's all."

"Maybe I should get the nurse."

"No, it's okay; really……I just need a sec." Will took some deep breaths and felt better.

"What happened Will?"

"I just never actually thought of it that way……that the Knights killed Irma I mean. But you're absolutely right; they did kill her……technically anyway. When I think what life could be like right now, it's just so……………overwhelming. What would happen without a Water Guardian? Would we have to replace her? Is that even possible? And Hay Lin………how would she cope with that? How would any of us cope without Irma? My gosh Taranee……how close did we come?" Will buried her face in her hands.

Taranee patted Will's back; "It's okay, it's not something we have to address right now. The only reason I brought it up is so we could get a perspective on how Cornelia and Hay Lin are feeling. There's more to this than just a simple disagreement."

"Boy is there," Will sighed. "It does shed some light on the situation……but we still need to get it rectified quickly. We need to be there for each other…all of us."

"Okay, maybe we should try, like, an intervention. You know, let them both know that we love them but things have got to change." Taranee suggested.

Will thought about that… "Taranee, that's brilliant! We can all get together in the same room and hash it all out instead of trying to avoid it! We all need to tell each other how we're feeling about everything; not just try to get Cornelia and Hay Lin to make up. Wow T; that's a great idea!" Will hugged her friend.

Taranee was startled by Will's sudden expression of joy; nevertheless she returned the hug and giggled a little.

Will let Taranee go and continued. "So, whose house will it be?"

"Not mine; my parents are gonna be home early tonight."

"And my mom is having Mr. Collins over for dinner," Will shuddered. She still couldn't believe her mom was dating her History Teacher.

"We can't use Irma's house for obvious reasons; in fact Irma shouldn't even be present at the intervention." Taranee mused.

"Agreed; Cornelia has too many people in her house; we may be interrupted." Will said.

Taranee raised an eyebrow, "Guess that leaves the Silver Dragon." The Silver Dragon was the restaurant owned by Hay Lin's parents. They had built an addition over the top of the restaurant so the Lin family could live there. The Silver Dragon's basement was the unofficial Guardian Headquarters.

Will nodded. "Okay, we can ambush Hay Lin today after school. But how are we going to get Cornelia to come?"

"Chloroform?" Taranee suggested.

Will laughed. "Tempting, but I think she may never forgive us. Do you think she would come if we just asked her to?"

"No, but it's worth a try I guess…"

"I agree, but we need a Plan B just in case." Will said.

Taranee thought…and thought. Then she snapped her fingers. "I've got it! We have Grandma Lin call her. Cornelia may refuse us, but she would never refuse Grandma Lin."

Will laughed and hugged Taranee again. "Perfect! Taranee, you are brilliant!"

Taranee laughed shyly, "Yeah whatever; let's just get to class before we get into big trouble."

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Irma leaped over a pit and rolled with the landing. With a grunt she stood up and raced onward. She dove over a spike trap, and somersaulted back to her feet. She rolled under a huge log that threatened to take her head off then rose and leaped onto a cargo net. She began to climb. Halfway up, a Lerden appeared on her right. He swung a huge axe at her head. Irma cried out and ducked just in time. She responded by punching the Lerden in the jaw. Then she grabbed him by his beard and pulled. The Lerden tumbled to the ground. Smirking, Irma continued her climb. Upon reaching the top, two more Lerdens charged her, axes swinging madly. Irma dropped to one knee between them and lashed out with both fists. They connected with two hard stomachs, and the Lerdens doubled over. Irma shoved them quickly over the side and continued. She slid down a chute and somersaulted to her feet. She expertly crossed a tightrope and dodged the rockslide at the other side. She raced onward, panting from the strain. She wished she could use her powers, but Luba had forbidden it during this exercise. Too bad, Irma thought, then I could've just flown right over the top and we could forget the whole thing. It felt good to be back in her Guardian uniform. Even though that little blue number had been totally sex-ay, Irma felt more secure in her blue and green tights.

As she approached a simple-looking hoop, the area suddenly flared with flames. With a cry, Irma shrank back. She could feel her skin on fire; her back was burning. She fell to the ground and rolled; she clawed at her bare lower back trying to assuage the pain.

"Move Guardian! Get up and move!" Luba shouted.

Irma heard Luba's command but her back hurt so much. Nevertheless, she hauled herself painfully to her feet and assessed the situation. She was going to have to jump through that blazing hoop……through the flames. Irma shook her head and started to retreat the other direction.

"You can't go back Guardian…move forward!" Luba shouted.

Dammit she's right…I can't go back; the way is blocked off. Irma gathered her courage, and raced for the hoop. It took every ounce of willpower she had to force her legs to keep moving forward. With a mighty leap and a bellow, she dove through the flaming hoop, landing in a heap on the ground. The flames extinguished themselves.

"Keep moving!" Luba yelled.

Irma growled and picked herself up. As she ran onward, a bolt of lightning struck the ground right in front of her. Irma shrieked and fell back. She started to shake; she felt her chest tighten and her hand flew to her heart. She rolled and struggled to breathe. Another lightning bolt hit perilously close and Irma screamed. Terrified, she scrambled to her feet and ran. She stumbled and fell face-first to the ground. Scrambling back to her feet, she raced on. Presently, she came to a door. She threw it open and slammed it shut behind her. She closed her eyes and slid down the door. Sobbing and shaking, she struggled to control her racing heart. She never saw the next obstacle.

A huge hand clamped around her throat and lifted her effortlessly into the air. If Irma could have screamed, she would have; but she couldn't breathe. Her eyes widened in fear as she saw Frost the Hunter lift her above his head. Her fear turned to panic as he slammed her to the ground. She hit hard on her back, all the air escaping from her lungs. Frost lifted her and slammed her again to the ground. He lifted her a third time, but this time he slammed her against the wall. He kicked her in the stomach; Irma doubled over and fell, gasping and moaning, to the ground. Frost raised his huge club to finish her off. As it dove towards her head, Irma rolled into the merciless brute and kicked him in the crotch. Frost dropped his club and fell to his knees, his hands covering his jewels. Irma rose and punched him in the side of the head. Frost fell onto his side, groaning in pain. Irma leaped on him and began to punch him all over his face. She shrieked wildly as her fists slammed into Frost again and again. She pounded her tormentor even after he stopped moving. She would have continued pounding him if she had not suddenly been pulled away.

Luba grabbed Irma around the waist and threw her away from her unfortunate target. "Enough Guardian!" she ordered.

Angrily, Irma threw herself at Luba; anything to get back at Frost. Luba easily threw her back. The feline woman leaped onto the Water Guardian and pinned her to the ground. Irma screamed angrily and struggled to free herself, but Luba was stronger.

"Guardian, stop! Enough! Enough!" Luba shouted, but Irma paid no heed. Finally Luba snarled and slapped the struggling Guardian across the face.

Irma ceased struggling immediately and looked up at Luba in confusion. Luba snarled again and released her captive. She did not offer Irma a hand up.

Irma, still confused, rose to her feet. She winced and grabbed her ribs. She glared at the black-and-blue marks that were already starting to form. Then she looked at Luba. The latter's face was a mask of fury.

"What were you thinking Guardian!" Luba questioned angrily.

Irma shook her head, "I'm not really sure…what exactly just happened?"

Luba shouted to the skies in a language Irma didn't know. She marched directly at the Guardian in such a manner that Irma shrank back a little. Pushing a claw into Irma's chest, Luba explained. "You hesitated at the Ring of Fire, turned into a mewling cubling at the Lightning Strike, and were taken completely by surprise at the Gauntlet! You failed to advance beyond your first opponent; you found it more important to smash his face to pulp than to assess your surroundings and recognize further danger! I stopped the exercise; otherwise you would have been killed by the Lerden that had appeared behind you! You failed the exercise, Guardian…failed it utterly!"

Irma clenched her fists and batted Luba's finger away. "Lady, if you had been through what I just went through, you would want a little payback on Frosty too! And since when is it a problem to smash a bad guy's face in? Especially if he'd just spent the better part of a week smashing your bones to dust!"

"The problem, Guardian, is that you must learn to be aware of your surroundings at all times. What comfort will you derive from smashing your enemy to bits if his lackeys kill you in the process! Frost is not here; you are here. You must withdraw from your traumas Guardian; you must put them aside and focus! Otherwise, you are totally useless…" Luba spat.

"What do you mean Frost's not here? He's right there, you blind old furball!" Irma indicated the mass of flesh on the ground. But when she looked, it was not Frost; instead a common Lerden lay where Frost had been just a moment before.

Irma blinked; "Where did he go? He was right there, I saw him."

Luba snarled and turned her back. Walking away a few paces, she kicked the Lerden in frustration. "You did not see Frost, Guardian, because he was never here. This Lerden is the only type of enemy in the exercise, and even he is but a hologram."

Irma opened and closed her mouth; she struggled to reconcile what Luba had just said. Clearly, the monster she had just pulverized was a Lerden and not Frost the Hunter. She approached the creature and knelt down next to him. His face was badly damaged and his hands still clutched his jewels. She reached behind and felt her back; other than the tenderness from the Lerden's version of slamdancing, there was no damage. She twisted her neck around; she could see no evidence of burns. Irma stood and shook her head. Frightened, she looked at Luba. "What's happening to me?" she whispered.

"Exactly what I said would happen; I told the Oracle this would happen."

"What would happen?"

"This! You are hallucinating Guardian, seeing things that are not there. It is a trauma-induced flashback. The fire, the lightning, Frost the Hunter…you are damaged beyond our abilities to repair Guardian, and it is affecting your ability to do your job."

"Damaged? What do you mean; like brain damage?"

Luba sniffed and began to walk away. "I do not have time to explain it to you…"

Irma ran after her. "Wait! Please, what can I do to…"

"I do not have time for your mewlings child!" Luba snarled, turning on Irma. "I am not here to babysit you, or dry your tears, or tell you everything will be okay. I am here to put you through your paces so you can resume your duties as a Guardian. Now get back to the beginning of the course and run it again!"

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Will and Taranee arrived at the Silver Dragon, ready to do battle. They nodded at each other and walked into the restaurant. Proceeding down to the basement, they found Hay Lin already present. Cornelia entered a few minutes after and dropped her backpack by the stairs.

Will took a deep breath and stood in the center of the group. "Okay, I guess we better get started."

"Shouldn't we wait for Irma?" Hay Lin asked.

"Actually," Will answered, "we kinda wanna do this without her."

Cornelia and Hay Lin looked confused, so Taranee took the plunge. "This isn't exactly a meeting……it's more like an intervention. The two of you have got to let it go; it's time to bury the hatchet and move on."

"I am out of here!" Cornelia sighed, starting for the door.

"It's not just about you and Hay Lin, Cornelia," Will said. "It's about all of us. We need to talk about what happened and how it's affected us all. We've all been kind of trying to avoid the reality of the sitch, but the fact is we're all shaken up. We came this close to losing one of our own; now I don't know about you guys, but I need help dealing with that."

Cornelia looked at Will and saw tears forming in her leader's eyes. Those tears, more than anything caused Cornelia to think. Will was always trying to be the strong leader and Cornelia hardly ever saw her cry. The tears that threatened to overflow showed Cornelia how much Will was truly struggling with the situation. Cornelia looked around at her companions. Taranee had removed her glasses and was pinching her eyes against her own tears. Hay Lin was allowing silent tears to roll down her fair cheeks, not bothering to hide them or wipe them away. Cornelia looked back to Will and saw the pain in her leader's eyes; but she also saw love and caring. Cornelia's own eyes started to well up.

Will reached out to Cornelia, silently imploring the Earth Guardian to stay. Cornelia sighed and pulled out her cell phone. She dialed and held the phone to her ear.

"What are you doing?" Will asked.

"Calling the Silver Dragon for take-out," Cornelia replied. "I have a feeling we're going to be here for a while."

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Alright friends there's Chapter 14 for you. Tune in next time and see if Luba can get any bitchier. All reviewers get strawberry shortcake!