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Chapter Four- First Test
Of course, the teachers had to pick this day of all days to spring a 'code yellow' drill on them. 'Code yellow' meant that the students pretended there was a hostage in the school and huddled in the corner of the classroom where no one could see them through the tiny window in the door. Basically it was stupid.
Even though Hayleigh knew the whole thing was fake, the combination of stress from midterms and her turning out to be some sort of fairy-thing was making her nervous. So while everyone huddled in the corner, she put one hand behind her back, and concentrated on the Heart of Candracar.
As usual, it appeared in her palm. Hayleigh sincerely hoped it wasn't glowing. Her classmates' faces when they saw her surrounded by a halo of pink light were more than she could handle right now.
Unfortunately, the thing started to emit a faint glow. That was kind of odd. Wasn't it only supposed to react to, you know, danger or something? Unless… this wasn't a drill.
The thought made Hayleigh shiver. And when she shivered, the hand behind her back became visible for a moment.
Uh-oh… she thought, gnawing on her lip. Here come questions.
She wasn't disappointed. Callie was the first one to notice the orb.
"Hayleigh?" she asked. "What is that thing? And why is it glowing?"
Hayleigh groaned and reluctantly took the necklace from behind her back.
"It's just… um… a thing," she struggled. "I bought it in… Italy over the summer!"
"But why does it glow?" Callie persisted.
"It's some weird Italian thing." Hayleigh lied. "They like things that light up."
Callie didn't seem satisfied with this response. But before she asked another question, Alison elbowed her in the ribs and whispered excitedly in her ear. Callie's blue eyes lit up and she nodded.
"Can I look at it?" Callie asked, a smirk on her face. Hayleigh glanced at her friends for help. They looked worried, but no one seemed to have any idea of what to do.
Luckily, at that time Ms. Carson shushed the girls.
"This isn't a drill!" she hissed.
Hayleigh was happy to be saved from one thing, but this was kind of like the expression 'out of the frying pan and into the fire'. That's kind of what she felt like right now. Not a drill? The Heart pulsed in her hand. She knew that she should be fighting whatever it was, but how? She couldn't just transform in front of the class.
That's when the door exploded.
Everyone screamed. How could they not? The door was in flames halfway across the room, and a gigantic hulking blue shape lurked in the doorway.
Hayleigh's eyes widened, but she made no sound. Instead, she grabbed Lacey's hand.
"What do we do?" Lacey asked frantically.
Kelsey, who was next to Lacey, racked her brain. If only they could transform and use their alleged 'powers'. Then again…
Maybe they could. Kelsey elbowed Lacey and whispered the plan in her ear. Lacey whispered to Hayleigh while Kelsey told Mandy and Julia.
"Okay." Hayleigh said quietly. "Follow me."
The five girls slipped through the burning doorway in the chaos that followed. Everyone was too busy hiding and dodging flying desks to notice them.
"Guardians unite!"
An orange teardrop enveloped Lacey in a fiery orb. Mandy's bubbling blue teardrop wrapped her in water. Kelsey was surrounded by viney green light from her emerald teardrop. A silvery teardrop caught Julia in a swirling tornado. And Hayleigh's hot pink teardrop filled her with burning energy.
The group floated gently to the floor in their magical forms. Hayleigh dashed through the doorway again, followed by her friends.
Kelsey struck the first blow. She knelt to the ground, whispering, "Earth!" The floor shuddered and cracked open as the emerald light touched it, allowing thick thorny branches to wrap around the monster. He roared in pain and surprise and turned to face Kelsey.
"You!" he growled. Muscles bulged under his skin and the branches snapped. Kelsey froze as he neared her.
"Air!" Julia cried. She held her hands in front of her. Silvery magic flew out of her palms. A huge gust of wind rammed the monster in the chest. He was catapulted into the wall, which sagged dangerously.
Lacey took advantage of his disabled state to call on her magic. "Fire!" She grinned as flames formed a ring around him.
"Yes!" she shouted.
But her celebration didn't last long. Lacey heard a shriek from the doorway and turned around.
Another monster, green this time, with a snake-like tail and bat wings, had a hold of Mandy's arm. She struggled and kicked but would not let go.
"Guardians," he hissed. "New Guardians. What a nuisance." Then he grinned evilly. "But nothing I can't deal with."
Hayleigh stood before him, her eyes fiery. "Oh no you don't you ugly beast!" she yelled, before nailing him with a huge ball of pink energy. He dropped Mandy, shocked.
Mandy rubbed her arm and stood up. "Water!" The floor shuddered again. Several people screamed, and the rest fell over from the vibration. Suddenly water shot out of the ground right below the snake-man. It blasted him back through the doorway. As soon as he hit the ground, the monster slithered out of their sight.
"After him!" Hayleigh ordered.
The girls flew close behind him. Then he stopped.
"I will be back to deal with you, Guardians."
This was different. Why was he acting like he was going anywhere? They had him trapped in a corner.
That was when the air crackled with energy and a bolt of blue lightning shot across the wall. The Guardians were knocked backwards by the force.
The lightning rippled and pulsed, becoming a very large circle of light. The snake-man disappeared through this hole, while the very confused girls watched.
"We have to close it," Hayleigh whispered almost to herself.
"Together!" she shouted, throwing her hot pink magic at the circle. A streak of celery green light joined hers, followed by silver, orange, and blue. But nothing was happening.
"The crystal!" Julia cried. "Add the crystal!"
Hayleigh took one hand away from her stream of magical energy. The Heart of Candracar appeared in her palm. She thrust it toward the circle of light, and it shot its own magenta energy out.
The circle started to shrink, fist to the size of a wheel, then a dinner plate, then a penny. Then it was gone.
"What…?" Lacey asked quietly.
But Hayleigh stopped her. "Later," she promised. "Now we have to change back.
As if the crystal had heard her, it floated back to her hand. A swirl of light encircled them, and they were regular teenage girls again. They raced back to the classroom, getting back just in time to hear whispers of the monsters and their five mysterious defenders.
"They had the coolest outfits!" Brooke said jealously to Callie, who nodded in agreement.
"What were those things?" Jamie, another girl in that class, asked her best friend Cathleen.
Cathleen shuddered. "They were horrible!"
Nearby, the boys only had thoughts for the girls.
"Those girls were hott!" Gary, Matt's friend, remarked.
Another, Brian, agreed. "I wish I knew who they were!"
Hearing this, the girls giggled. Who said there was no perks in this Guardian business?
So the Guardians have faced their first challenge. Hmm… When I get8 reviews, you will get the next chapter. Promise. REVIEW!