Hello again my dear friends. Welcome back to the Pit. Thank you to XV-Dragon, Zestychicken, KnightofFaerun; Lilly Tiger; Guardian's Light; Nemrut; Shocklance; Nerd4eva; Lily312; Kirric; Invader Spyder; Daydreamer9; Athena of Ravenclaw; Jade Tipster; and Cal. Thanks from the bottom of my heart for your reviews.
Donut Club: Zestychicken2; Invader Spyder; DayDreamer9; Athena of Ravenclaw (because she gives me chocolate).
So here we go...
Chapter 31
Taranee, we need everybody right now. Can you hear me?
I hear you, Hay Lin. What's wrong?
It's Irma...she needs our help. Something's wrong.
Okay calm down, Hay Lin. We'll meet you at the cave, alright?
Okay; I'll take Irma there. Taranee, please hurry. I'm really worried.
Hay Lin you've got to try to calm down; you're no good to Irma if you completely freak.
Hay Lin took a deep breath. She knew Taranee was right; now was not the time to lose it. Irma needed her and she needed to be strong now.
Okay, I'm calm...sort of. Just please hurry.
We'll be there as soon as we can, Hay Lin. Just take Irma to the cave and we'll see what we can do about sneaking out of school.
Hay Lin could hear the despair in Taranee's "voice;" she hated to miss school for any reason. That she was willing to ditch was a testament to her love for Irma.
Hay Lin cut the mental link and looked to her stricken friend. She was still sitting against the wall and looking haunted. Her eyes showed a depth of despair Hay Lin had never seen...and it frightened her.
"Come on, Irma; we have to move. We need to get to the cave. The others are going to meet us there."
Irma gazed absently at her sister. Hay Lin looked freaked, but she was doing a good job of controlling it. Her pale skin looked even more pallid, and her almond eyes were wide with apprehension. Irma hated to be the cause of so much anxiety.
With a heavy sigh, the Water Guardian pushed herself painfully to her feet. The adrenaline of attacking Martin had worn off and Irma could once again feel the crippling agony of her injuries. She gasped at the pain and moaned quietly.
"Irma?" Hay Lin asked worriedly.
"It's nothing," Irma responded through clenched teeth.
"It's not nothing," Hay Lin scolded, her arms folded across her chest. "You're in pain. Please tell me what's wrong."
The last thing Irma wanted was to launch into a detailed explanation of the last week-and-a-half this close to the school courtyard. She knew Hay Lin wasn't going to let it go, and why should she? Irma, herself, had asked for help; she couldn't exactly back out now. Perhaps Hay Lin would accept a delay.
"I'll tell you later, Hay-Hay. Alright?"
"Irma-"
"I can handle it for now, Hay Lin. But if I don't get to the cave soon I'm going to collapse right here at school. Neither one of us wants to try to explain that if we get caught. Capiche?"
Hay Lin's eyes began to well with tears. She knew Irma had to be in an incredible amount of pain, and it made her want to cry. No one deserved this...least of all her sister. Nevertheless, she trusted Irma to tell her everything when the time was right. She agreed this wasn't the time for what would no-doubt be a long explanation; they needed to get to the cave immediately before they were caught out of class.
"Okay, but I want you to promise you'll tell me everything," Hay Lin warned.
"I promise," Irma whispered painfully.
Hay Lin nodded and moved to support her friend. She wrapped an arm around Irma's waist, causing the Water Witch to cry out.
"Irma!"
The young Guardian collapsed to the ground, her hand reaching for her badly-injured back. Hay Lin knelt beside her fallen friend. Irma was breathing hard, and her eyes were closed. Hay Lin reached to help, but pulled her hand back. She didn't want to cause more distress, but she wanted desperately to comfort her friend. She settled for stroking the girl's auburn hair, wet with perspiration.
"I'm sorry," Hay Lin whispered over and over, as Irma struggled to get control of her pain.
"It's o-okay, H-hay-Hay," Irma gasped. She needed to get up so as not to cause more distress to Hay Lin. With a supreme effort, the Water Guardian pushed herself to her knees, then to her feet. She tried to grin at her friend, but only managed a sort-of grimace.
"I'm okay...really. Let's just go, alright?"
Hay Lin looked skeptical, but nodded. She was more worried than ever, and more agitated than she had ever been. Irma's pain level had to be worse than anything she could imagine, and Hay Lin's tears threatened to overflow their barriers.
But she had to be strong...for Irma.
The two friends moved slowly away from the school; Irma wasn't able to walk very fast. The pain in her back and her ribs was excruciating. By the time they reached the cave, the auburn-haired girl was pale and panting.
Hay Lin helped her friend sit down, and knelt in front of her. She said not a word, only waited for Irma to open up on her own.
Irma rolled carefully onto her stomach, which caused her aching ribs to scream all the more. Irma knew the maneuver would hurt, but she had promised to disclose everything.
"Pull up my shirt, Hay-Hay," Irma said hesitantly. "It'll be easier to explain if you can see."
Hay Lin swallowed hard, but obeyed Irma's request. Reaching slowly, she grabbed hold of the hem of her friend's shirt and lifted it carefully.
...And screamed.
Dropping the hem, Hay Lin's hands flew to her open mouth. She was disgusted and horrified by what she had seen, and all she knew was she never wanted to see it again.
"Higher, Hay Lin; lift it all the way up. You have to see it all."
Hay Lin hesitated. She didn't want to see everything.
Irma twisted her head carefully around. "Hey you wanted to know everything. This is part of everything; you have to see it all in order to understand."
With tears running down her cheeks, Hay Lin once again reached for her friend's shirt. Taking hold of the hem, she closed her eyes and lifted the shirt all the way up to Irma's shoulders. She didn't want to open her eyes...she didn't want to see. Then she remembered she was trying to be strong for her friend. She knew this couldn't be easy for Irma, and she wasn't helping any by being a wuss. So she opened her beautiful eyes...and looked carefully.
The tender flesh was covered with burns and blisters, many of them broken open and oozing. The bloody lashes and cuts on her skin stood out like neon, while the bruises seemed to flash angry purple and black. Hay Lin cried openly then and gently pulled the shirt back down.
"Irma," Hay Lin sobbed. "Irma..."
The Water Guardian rolled slowly to her back, and gasped in pain. The maneuver was like lying on white-hot nails, but she needed to show Hay Lin her front. She pulled her shirt up to just underneath her breasts so Hay Lin could see the bruises, the cuts, the lashes across her stomach and up her sides. Hay Lin covered her eyes, forgetting all about being strong and becoming more concerned with being sick.
"Please stop...I can't see anymore."
Irma dropped her shirt and sat up slowly. She reached out and laid her hand on Hay Lin's cheek.
"I'm sorry, but you needed to see it. This is what's been happening to me over the last week-and-a-half. I can barely move, Hay-Hay, much less function. It hurts too much." Irma didn't want to tell the rest, but she had made a promise to Hay Lin...and she wasn't going to break it.
"That's not the worst of it, though," Irma continued hesitantly. Hay Lin's eyes flew open, filled with fear and trepidation. What could possibly be worse than what she had just seen?
Irma stood up slowly and turned her back to her best friend. She was ashamed of her own weakness; ashamed that she wasn't able to handle everything by herself. One thing she knew...she couldn't look Hay Lin in the eye for the next confession.
"There are voices...in my head. They argue constantly. They tell me to do things I don't want to do. Sometimes they take control and I can't stop myself. Like when I attacked Cornelia in her Chamber a few weeks ago; the voices planted that suggestion and I couldn't help myself. She's alive only because her Chamber stopped me."
Irma closed her eyes and hung her head in shame. "I'm dangerous, Hay-Hay; too dangerous to have around. It may be better if I just quit the team...quit the Guardians."
Hay Lin began to see red as memories of Cornelia's words came flooding back. She held her anger in check as she approached her best friend.
"Irma, don't talk like that," she scolded. "We would never let you do that, and you can't give up like this. We'll get through it, like we always have."
"We've never been through something like this, Hay Lin."
"Well we're in it now, and no one is going to abandon you...whether you want us to or not."
Irma's eyes filled with tears and she turned to face Hay Lin. The porcelain face showed signs of distress, but the almond eyes held nothing but love and compassion. Gone was the horror they had displayed just moments before, and Irma found hope in those black pools. She reached out to hug her sister.
"I'm tired Hay Lin," Irma sobbed. "I can't take it anymore. I can't be strong anymore."
Hay Lin wrapped her slender arms around Irma's neck so as not to hurt her. "Who's hurting you, Irma? Who's doing this to you? How are they doing this to you?"
"I have these nightmares, of the time I was with Nerissa. This is what they did to me, Hay-Hay; this and more. My nightmares come true; they come to life the next morning and I wake up with these injuries. I don't know how it happens, but I think it has something to do with that spell Nerissa put on me."
"The one we all helped her perform by holding you down. Oh Irma, no wonder you couldn't tell us this before. You don' trust us completely do you?"
Irma fought to hold back more tears. "I'm sorry Hay-Hay; I'm so sorry."
"Shh...no apologies. You have a right to feel this way. I'm sorry for my part in it. We should never have trusted a stranger over you; even if that stranger looked like an ally at the time."
"I need it all to stop Hay Lin. I can't do it anymore; I can't take it. I'm ready to die...please just let me die."
Hay Lin hugged her sister tighter. "Please don't say that, Irma. I need you; you can't give up. Let us help you."
"No one can help me, Hay Lin. You can't make the nightmares stop, you can't make the voices go away. Only Nerissa can do that, and she'll never let me go. She'll never let me go."
Hay Lin could hear the desperation in Irma's voice and it frightened her. "We'll find a way. Please don't give up."
Irma's fear suddenly turned to anger. What did Hay Lin know anyway? She wasn't the one having to go through all of this; how could she possibly understand? She felt a sudden and very real urge to kill Hay Lin.
Kill her, kill her.
No...she's your best friend.
Kill her.
You can't hurt Hay Lin.
Kill her now!
No!
NOW!
"NO!!" Irma screamed and grabbed her head. "Hay Lin, run...I can't control it."
Hay Lin was alarmed. "Irma, what's happening? What's going on?"
"I mean it, Hay Lin, run. Get out of here now!"
"I won't leave you."
Kill her now!
With a scream Irma leaped at Hay Lin, knocking her down. She pulled her fist back to strike a wide-eyed and very frightened Air Guardian.
A bolt of lightning struck Irma square in the chest, knocking her back. A column of earth sprang out of the ground, raising the Water Guardian high into the air. Irma screamed in frustration and anger as the column rose nearly to the ceiling, preventing her from getting up.
Taranee ran to Hay Lin and helped her up.
"Are you okay, Hay Lin?"
"I'm fine Taranee, thanks to you guys."
"What was that all about?" Will asked, as she and Cornelia joined Taranee.
"I'm not sure. Irma just seemed to lose it all of a sudden. She yelled at me to run, said she couldn't control it, and then she just attacked me."
"That doesn't sound like Irma," Cornelia said, looking worried.
"It wasn't her fault. She told me she hears these voices in her head that make her do things she doesn't want to do."
"So she attacked you because the voices told her to?" Will asked.
Hay Lin nodded. "Yes I think so."
"Cornelia, she's calmed down now. You can let her go."
Cornelia looked uncertain, but she trusted Taranee's mental abilities. Slowly she lowered the column of earth. As it reached the ground, Hay Lin raced to Irma's side. In fear, Irma crab-walked in a desperate attempt to get away.
"Irma stop; you'll hurt yourself. I won't hurt you; it wasn't your fault."
Irma stopped then, amazed that Hay Lin wasn't angry or afraid. Hay Lin pulled Irma carefully to her feet and hugged her neck.
"It wasn't your fault," Hay Lin said firmly. "It wasn't your fault."
"I'm sorry, Hay Lin; I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Please, you have to believe me."
"I do believe you; you would never harm me on your own. You didn't hurt me."
The other Guardians gathered around the two were about to execute a group hug, when Hay Lin stopped them.
"No!" she said quickly. "Don't touch her...you'll hurt her."
At the confused looks, Irma nodded at Hay Lin. Again Hay Lin pulled up Irma's shirt and showed the Guardians her best friend's back. They gasped collectively and Cornelia moaned. Hay Lin dropped the shirt and addressed the group.
"Irma has nightmares about her time with Nerissa. This is what they did to her; those nightmares come true, and she wakes up with these injuries."
"How is that possible?" Will asked in horror.
"I think it has to do with the spell she put on me a few weeks ago," Irma explained.
"The one we helped her cast," Hay Lin added.
"And I hear voices in my head...all the time. They never shutup."
Taranee snapped her fingers. "That's what I sensed in your mind that day you let me read it. I thought it might have been some kind of residual damage, but now I know it wasn't. Something pushed me out; I thought it was you, but it wasn't, was it?"
Irma shook her head. "No...it was her. She controls me like a puppet; and she'll never let me go. She said I would always be her prisoner...and it's starting to look like she was right."
Will shook her head. "No way. There has to be a way to end this. We'll find Nerissa and force her to remove that spell."
The Guardians nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we'll show that bitch the meaning of pain," Cornelia said, slamming her fist into her palm. "If we have to kill her, we'll make her release you."
"Wait a second," Hay Lin suddenly said. "What about Elyon?"
"Whatabout Elyon?" Will asked.
"Maybe she can remove the spell!" Hay Lin said triumphantly.
"I never even thought of that," Cornelia exclaimed. "We know the Oracle can't help, but maybe Elyon can."
"Do...do you really think so?" Irma asked hesitantly, hardly daring to hope.
"It's worth a shot," Taranee agreed.
For the first time in a week, Irma had hope. Maybe Elyon really could help her. She smiled and nodded.
"Please, let's try it."
"Of course, Irma. We'll-"
Will was cut off by a scream form Taranee. The Fire Guardian was holding her head and swaying dangerously where she stood. Will reached for her friend, but was stopped by Taranee's upheld hand. After a few seconds, she seemed to recover.
"You're not gonna believe this," Taranee said slowly. "I just got a message from Nerissa. She wants to meet on Mount Thanos and have it out. Sort of a winner-take-all thing."
"Well that has to mean she's close-by," Cornelia shouted, racing for the cave entrance. She was followed closely by the others. Though they arrived at their destination within seconds, they saw no one. Disappointed, they moved back inside the cave.
"We need a plan," Will said. "And we need to visit Elyon."
Irma shook her head emphatically. "No, Elyon can wait, Will. We need to hit Nerissa now. We know she can remove the spell, and if we can force her to do it..."
"Irma, you're hurt really bad. You need time to recover. Nerissa can wait a few days."
"I disagree, Will," Cornelia spoke up. "I don't think she's going to wait. If we don't respond immediately she may attack Earth or go after our families. She's done it before."
Will sighed. "Hay Lin what do you think?"
"I say we hit her now."
"Taranee?"
"She sounded pretty confident, Will. She also said she would be alone. It's an obvious trap, but we do kind of have to walk into it."
"We need a spy. Someone to go to Mount Thanos and check it out ahead of time," Cornelia suggested.
"I'll go," Hay Lin piped up. "I can turn invisible; she won't be able to see me. I'll stay on her like...like..."
"Like white on rice?" Irma suggested.
"Like white on rice," Hay Lin nodded.
"Like sand on the beach?"
"Like sand on the beach."
"Like zits on Uriah!"
"Like zits on Uria...what? Eww!"
"Sorry."
"LADIES," Will yelled, "we can't do that. Nerissa will be able to sense you, Hay Lin. We'll just have to be very careful and rely on Taranee's mental abilities."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Cornelia said confidently. "Will do your thing and let's go kick some evil butt!"
Will nodded and pulled the Heart of Candracar out of her shirt. She looked at Irma. "Are you sure you're okay to go through with this? It wouldn't take long to stop by Meridian and see if Elyon can help you."
"Will, my heart tells me this is the only way to ever be free of Nerissa's prison. Please, we have to go now."
Will nodded again and turned to Taranee. "T, will you send a message to Mrs. Lin and let her know what's going on? I'll create some Astral Drops and then we can go."
Taranee nodded and closed her eyes. While she communicated with Mrs. Lin, Will said quietly, "Spord Lartsa."
Five Astral Drops appeared immediately and waited patiently for instructions. While Will explained, Irma approached her drop.
"I swear if you call anyone an ass-hat this time, I will seriously kick your astral. Understand?"
The pseudo-Irma nodded and grinned mischievously.
"Okay, Will, it's done. Mrs. Lin is worried but she understands. She sends her love to us all."
"Thanks Taranee." Will took a deep breath and looked around at her friends. Her heart hung heavy and she was more afraid than she would have liked to admit. She has a sense of foreboding as she held the pink jewel in her hand. But there was no talking her team out of what they were about to do. With another deep breath, the Guardian Leader shouted the all-familiar phrase.
"Guardians...unite!"
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And there we have it folks. Thanks, as always, for reading. Let me know what y'all think. Thanks a million to Visigoth for his editing. :)