Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H.

Chapter 9: Friends Restored

Apparently, obsessing over Caleb's lack of respect gave the appearance of jealousy instead of mild annoyance, so a change of subject was so in order. "Did your rise to power have any causalities?" Will asked, calming down enough to approach the throne.

"Yes," Queen Elyon admitted frowning. "It was my fault though."

"We might as well make this trip count for something," Will declared. "Now that I know who you are, maybe we can change a few things for the better."

Queen Elyon looked startled at the suggestion. She mentally weighed the pros and cons of Will knowing her identity so prematurely. What would the repercussions be? Would she still be the ruler she'd become? "I think it is best if things play out the way it was meant to," she said firmly. "I cannot believe I'm saying this, but I think if even the slightest thing changes, I would not be the person that I am today. The leader that I am today."

"Is that even possible?" Will asked. "How can this play out the way it did- err will?" She looked incredulous. "I know the truth."

"I will think of something." She would simply erase Will's memories of this event or at least tuck them away until the time was right for her to remember. The memory binding would not just be cast on Will. The other Guardians' memories would also have to be wiped. The spell she would have to cast would be powerful. She hoped after the battle with Phobos, she would have enough energy to cast it.

Oh how her brother's deception hurt her, but it taught her a valuable lesson. Princess Elyon's mistake created Queen Elyon. She dared not think of what method would be used to shape her into an independent woman worthy of ruling Meridian, if not by Phobos's betrayal.

Queen Elyon stood gracefully. "I must converse with my brother. We will face his other half together."

"You don't seem too worried," Will noted surprised.

"I'm not," she replied. "With my brother by my side, as it should have been from the beginning, I fear little."

Right, the good Phobos, Will thought. Who knew that total screw up knew goodness was even a word let a lone a way of life?

"Earth!" Cornelia called. A huge boulder came under her command. It barreled toward the remaining army. It bounced, like a basketball, toward Phobos crushing some of his henchmen in its wake. When it got fifty feet away from Phobos, Cornelia raised her arm in the air. With this new command, the boulder rose high in the air, and with a flick of her hand, it descended through the air toward Phobos.

Phobos merely looked at the staff in boredom. Now under his command, the boulder stopped in mid air. He raised his free hand, and swung it downward. The boulder changed direction and headed toward the Guardians.

Cornelia gasped terrified that someone in the Meridian Guard would be killed by the attack she initiated. She desperately tried to get it back under control.

"Air!" Hay Lin called, thrusting both palms forward. Wind erupted from her palms. She aimed her attack at the boulder. It stopped, as the Guardian of Air's power took over, warring with Phobos's.

Taranee, momentarily, stopped attacking the foot soldiers to help Hay Lin. "Fire." She focused on the huge boulder, snapping her fingers. The boulder melted to magma and rained down on the hostile army below.

Phobos turned the magma to shards of cool rock to protect his army. Cornelia and Hay Lin used them as daggers against his enchanted army, embedding the shards deep within the creatures.

When Aldarn rode on the scene with most of the Meridian army, the Guardians focused on Phobos.

"Help me please!" Taranee tearfully called. One of her best friends was dying in her arms and she could do nothing but sit there in watch. If only her father would allow her to have a cell phone. She could've have called Yan Lin and help would be on the way.

"Taranee!" Caleb, she thought sighing deeply in relief.

"Over here!" She sat with her back against the building, looking from one unconscious guy to another. She prayed that Will was able to break the spells over them.

Blunk's smell arrived before he did. Caleb, Irma, Hay Lin, and Cornelia appeared around the side of the building in that order. "No!" Cornelia and Hay Lin moaned when the understood the scene.

"Will," Irma whispered. The girls rushed forward, the two fallen warriors inconsequential to them.

"What happened?" Caleb asked after a quick survey of the scene.

"I found Will's note so I decided to follow her," Taranee explained. "I was able to warn her before that guy could ambush her." She cocked her head toward the figure that lay motionless some yards off. "We changed to Guardian Form, to combat him." Two tears fell. "We did not see this guy until it was too late. He'd already shot her with some kind of enchanted arrow."

"An enchanted arrow?" Caleb prompted. "You didn't pull it out did you?" Doing so by inexperienced hands would have caused worse damage than the initial wound itself.

"No," Taranee replied. "It turned to some disgusting black ooze and entered her body through the wound. She was okay, at first. Not until she used her powers, did it start to take effect." She shook her head. "She was in so much pain."

"Poor Will," Irma whispered, her eyes fixed on her deathly pale friend.

"Shouldn't we take her to the hospital?" Cornelia asked in concern.

"I doubt that they have anything that can counteract in enchanted arrow," Irma replied softly. "Caleb is there any physician in Meridian that can undo this?"

"I've never heard of sorcery like this," Caleb admitted. "We could take her to Meridian, but once there we risk facing the wrath of Phobos."

"I don't care," Hay Lin said tearfully. "She's dying."

Lei Lin muttered a curse as he heard his cousin's high-pitched voice. Did she have to be so loud so early in the morning? "Cousin do be quiet," he muttered in distaste. His brown eyes opened; his peaceful slumber ruined.

He became acutely aware of the taste of blood in his mouth. He made a gagging sound, alerting the others of his conscious state.

Caleb, Irma, and Cornelia got their feet, putting themselves between Will and the unknown warrior.

Lei raised on his haunches, after wiping the back of his hand over his mouth. His eyes fell on the young teens; one in particular. "Lillian?" What in the world is going on? When did Lillian find friends who look exactly like Caleb and Irma?

"Oh please," Cornelia said insulted, "like that little pipsqueak will ever look this good."

He knew that spoiled-holier-than thou voice anywhere. "Cornelia," he said in shock.

"Duh," she replied, with arms folded and pretty nose in the air.

He looked at the teens again. Caleb, Irma, and Cornelia seemed to have shrunk, and when he tried to look around them, they shifted to where he couldn't.

"Are you guys playing some kind of weird prank?" he asked grimacing in pain as he got to his feet. "For the record, it isn't funny." The guardians loved using the Heart to play tricks on people. He figured he was the butt of some obnoxiously dumb joke. Most likely courtesy of Irma or Hay Lin.

"What did you do to Will?" Caleb asked icily.

"You attacked her," Irma accused.

"There's not a jury in the world that would convict me," Lei replied smiling charmingly, figuring to just play along with this absurd charade. "Tell me what I did to her and why," his eyes strayed to Matt, "is Matt unconscious on the ground?" His smile faltered.

"Matt?" Irma repeated shocked. "As in Matt Olsen?"

"Who else Princess Lair?" he asked. "Matt Dillon from Gunsmoke?" As he approached, they all had to look up to see his face. He towered above even Caleb. He looked over them and saw young Taranee, young Hay Lin, and Will. She looked dead. "What happened?" he asked shocked.

The accusations of Caleb and Irma started to register in his brain. The joke theory became a distant memory. Why were the other guardians so young? Will was the only one who looked her actual age. Why did she look dead? "What's going on?" He focused his uncertain eyes on Hay Lin.

"He's no longer under the spell," Taranee said cautiously. "I think Will broke it."

Hay Lin's watery eyes looked at him closely from her perch near Will. "Uncle?" She stood up, the others looked at her in shock. "You died like years ago."

"I am his son, Lei Lin," he replied. Hay Lin did not know him? She was the first one in the family that set eyes on him. She was outside when his mother pretty much threw him out of a speeding car as she passed The Silver Dragon. Hay Lin always had his back no matter how horrible he acted. "I don't understand what's happening." Make me understand.

"Lei, you and Matt were under a spell," Taranee explained. "You and he were sent back in time to kill Will, who was also sent back in time. Matt shot her with an enchanted arrow."

"Enchanted arrow?" He closed his eyes, as memories assaulted him. It seemed his body had awakened hours before his soul. His body had been used to help subdue a dear friend. "Damn it!" He stepped backwards, and turned his back on them. He closed his eyes, his hands balling into tight fist. "Will," he muttered.

"Do you know how to save her?" Hay Lin asked softly, "Cousin."

"I do," he replied, with head bowed.

"Please, I beg you," Hay Lin pleaded. "Help her."

His nice to a fault cousin was a great chink in his mental armor. "I have to take her to the Queen," Lei Lin admitted. "It is in her hands now." Her life is tied to that cursed staff. The only way to save Will is to destroy it. But destroying it will destroy both the good Phobos and the bad Phobos. That is something Queen Elyon will never allow. But she doesn't have to know that . . . .

Elyon could never find it in her heart to get rid of her brother; even after his betrayal. Would she finally kill the bastard in the service of a friend? He seriously doubted it. Well, he'd just manipulate the situation. The reign of terror of her brother had to end. He chose the wrong man to use as a puppet. It would be his downfall.

"The Queen," Caleb repeated. "She's here now?"

"No," Lei replied. "Matt and I will accompany Will home, back to our time, to have audience with the Queen." Matt would happily agree to help him. This whole situation would crush him.

"Can we come with you?" Irma asked. "Will may need our assistance." I am no fool and I am not totally convinced you are on our side. It did not matter to her how handsome Lei Lin was.

"Matt and I will protect her," Lei said stubbornly. "I urge all of you to go home."

"I am not leaving until I find out that she is okay," Caleb said stubbornly.

"That sentiment goes double for us," Cornelia said, glaring up at the back of Lei's head, with her arms folded.

"Trust me Duchess Hale," Lei said. "You do not want to be here."

"She is dying isn't she?" Taranee demanded looking down at her friend. "And there is nothing we can do about it."

"We must get back to our time," Lei Lin replied. "It's her only chance." He approached Matt. "Cornelia be a doll and see if you can heal her enough to awaken her."

Cornelia was visibly startled at the suggestion. "I do not have the power to heal and even if I did, I could not use it without being in guardian form."

"You have to try Duchess," he coaxed, turning to face her. "The only hope we have of getting back to our time is Will and the Heart."

"What if I make it worse?" Cornelia asked her blue eyes wide with fear.

"Awaken your friend Duchess." He turned his back to her, hurrying over to Matt. He knelt beside Matt, grabbed his shoulders, and shook him violently. "Wake up!"

Cornelia approached Will, nervously. Hay Lin moved aside and so did Taranee after she used her jacket for a pillow for Will's head.

Cornelia wanted to cry. She and Will had not agreed on many things, but she'd never wished for her to die. Now it seemed that Will's very life was in her hands. Hay Lin's cousin seemed to think she could heal Will. Maybe the Cornelia he knew could do stuff like that.

He seemed to know her well if he thought she was that annoying brat Lillian! Really! Lillian had freckles. She didn't have a blemish anywhere. The only mark she'd tolerate was a beauty mark near her mouth like Cindy Crawford's. Did she and Lei Lin over there not get along in the future? How dare he insult her! What a snob!

A green light surrounded her and Will as her annoyance at Lei Lin grew.

Matthew Olsen opened his eyes afraid a freak Earthquake had hit Heatherfield. Known to be a heavy sleeper, it didn't register in his mind until moments later that the Earthquake theory was dumb.

"Matt!" Lei shouted again for good measure. Pacified that Matt was awake, he let go of his friend's shoulders, standing to look down at him with arms akimbo.

Only after having a good stretch and yawn did the oblivious Matt realize that he was not in his dorm room. It smelled like he was awakening from a good night's sleep in a trashcan. "What the hell?" he muttered.

"Hell is exactly what this is," Lei Lin said in reply. As the girls, Blunk, and Caleb watched Cornelia attempt to heal Will, Lei helped Matt to his feet. "Listen to me carefully."

Matt's back was to the others as Lei filled him in on the details, as he knew them. His shoulders sagged with every word. He looked back once, his eyes a storm of emotion. No, he thought in sorrow.

"Snap out of it," Lei commanded. "We have to get her back to our time. Maybe we can catch the Queen before she heads for the battle field."

"It will not matter," Matt said quietly. "She will never destroy the staff when she finds out Phobos will die."

"She doesn't have to know," Lei Lin said seriously. "And even if she happens to find out we have four magically friends who will help us in a heartbeat, if it means saving Will's life."

"Three," Matt corrected him. Hay Lin happily informed him about Irma's relationship with Phobos. "Irma will be a question mark."

Lei's mouth set in a firm line. Princess Lair was once his best friend. They both were huge Star Wars fans, so when he started calling her Princess Lair, she thought it was a hoot. She even had a crush on him before she found out about his feelings for Cornelia. After he started dating Cornelia his relationship with Irma was never the same. He tried not to think about how all this would ultimately hurt her.

"Are you alright now?" Lei asked concerned for Matt's sanity. "No matter how upset you are, you cannot let them sense it." He whispered this just in case Hay Lin was eavesdropping. Matt silently nodded.

Will's eyes opened, as she sucked in a huge breath. "Will!" Her friends exclaimed in relief. Cornelia smiled in relief, standing gracefully. I did it!

"You did it Cornelia!" Hay Lin cheered happily. Matt and Lei hurried over.

Will focused her eyes on them all. "They should not be here." She directed this at Lei and Matt.

"They were already here when we awoke," Lei replied.

"Are you alright?" Matt asked in concern.

The answer to that question was no, but she'd never admit the truth in front of the younger teens. They had already witnessed to much; especially Taranee. The last thing that she wanted was for them to spend the rest of their lives mourning her. If it came to that.

She used pure will to get to her feet. "It is good to see you two alert and spelless," she said smiling at Matt and Lei Lin. She turned to Taranee. "Thanks for helping me."

"That is what friends do," Taranee said. Will hugged her briefly.

"Good job Duchess Hale," Lei said in his holier-than-thou tone. "It is great to see you are not a complete failure."

"Go jump off a very large cliff and die," Cornelia snapped her blue eyes stormy with anger. Her outburst surprised the younger teens. His responding laugh grated on her nerves even more. Cornelia despised snobs.

"Hey, you can't talk to my cousin like that," Hay Lin said frowning.

"We don't even know this clown," Cornelia replied folding her arms.

"So," Hay Lin replied offended.

"Will you didn't answer his question," Caleb pointed out. "Are you okay?"

"As well as to be expected," she replied. "I want to thank you all for your help." She turned away from him. "Lei, Matt, and I will continue on alone from here."

"You cannot be serious?" Cornelia asked in horror.

"You are aware that they just tried to kill you?" Caleb asked, grabbing Will by her elbow. She turned to face him surprised.

"Come on guys, calm down," Lei commanded. "She will be safe with us."

"You must excuse us for not believing you," Irma replied. "Will we are going with you."

"Where we are going, you can't follow," Matt explained rationally.

"You need us just in case Phobos attacks," Hay Lin said. "You can't defeat him without ITCH."

"Itch?" Lei Lin and Cornelia prompted confused.

"WITCH minus Will," Hay Lin explained sagely. "Which is what we will be called if we lose her."

"Hay Lin you have way to much time on your hands," Lei declared. "I do give you my word of honor as a Lin that we will not harm her." He smiled charmingly at his younger cousin.

"You know, you look like a vampire with that dried blood on your face," she said honestly, "but I believe you."

"We don't," Caleb replied. "And we aren't letting her out of our sight."

Will reached over and covered the hand that was holding her elbow with her own hand. She wrapped her fingers around his and gently pulled her arm from his grasp. She squeezed his hand gently and then let go. "Barrier." A blue barrier, in the shape of a bubble, surrounded Caleb and the girls.

"Hey!" Caleb and the girls exclaimed. They started beating on the barrier, trying to break free.

"I am so sorry," Will said. "You guys were meant to see none of this."

"Will," Taranee whispered.

She opened a portal leading to Caleb's room in the Silver Dragon. "This is not the end," she said looking each one of her friends in the eye. "I swear we'll meet again. You can all thrash me then." She ignored the cries of her friends as the barrier levitated and started floating toward the portal. "Good bye." She averted her gaze so pleading green eyes would not manipulate her into letting them free.

"Will!" After the barrier entered the portal, she made sure they reached the other side before she closed it. Her shoulders slumped as she let out a tortured breath. The effort to pretend to be fine took a lot out of her.

"Will," Blunk said hesitantly.

"You better get out of here Blunk," Matt commanded softly. "This is no place for you."

"Blunk stay."

"Don't be difficult."

"Blunk stay."

"Promise me you will not tell a soul about what you see or hear," Will said looking down at him.

"Blunk promise."

"Where are we going Will?" Lei Lin asked.

"Back to where it all started," Will replied. "The bridge."

Author's Notes: Thank you to all who voted for my stories in the WITCH fan fiction awards. You are too kind. I have like three chapters left. Then I will be finished with this story.

I have another one that I am planning to write. It's a Kingdom Hearts/WITCH crossover event. The main characters will be Will, Caleb, Elyon, Riku, Donald, Goofy, Hinata Hyuga, Kohaku, and Kagome Higurashi. They will have one main mission: That is to find the lost Sora and Kairi to restore order to the worlds.