A/N Ye as always, these damn chapters take much longer that I would like to. But even so at least I still manage to find time for this site. Real big thanks to those who give some time for review, without you guys I would have dropped this while ago. Also as I mentioned previously don't be afraid to cast out constructive criticism, of what you like and no, and if you found any weird inconsistencies, otherwise reviews lose half of their meaning. Of course it is pleasant to see reviews like , loved it but still its far more interesting to read other people thoughts on given subject.

I really hoped to rewrite first chapters to bring them in better quality, alas time restriction don't allow it, but I hope I can find time before I write last chapters, which in fact can come relatively soon, as I plan to reveal majority of plot in next or next couple chapters.

Now without any further useless babbling I give you chapter that I believe those who pressed upon my story came to see.

Chapter 11. Servant of the heaven.

Will walked out of portal, panting and sweating as she was finally back on the Earth. Just now she escaped foe of tremendous power, and her hands were still shaking from her recent encounter with Meridian's queen. She slowly staggered towards Nerissa's study to catch her breath and rest before she can make her next move. Toll on her body to fight interference in her mind and power she spent to bargain for her freedom was enough to make her head dizzy. As she walked, she allowed sword that she still held in her grip from her encounter with queen, to fall to the stone ground, and slowly untied her robes and torn them of her body, revealing her usual clothes. And while she felt relatively safe after she escaped Meridian, there was something amiss, slight sense that she is watched and not alone. She looked around, but there was nothing other than cold stone walls, makeshift cell that housed Nerissa for nearly third of her life, and several torches that burned with eternal fire providing light that filled the room. Will shook her head and tried to shut out this sense of being watched.

Former keeper of the Heart slowly approached Nerissa's study and sat down. Two books, and pair of daggers lied on the table in same way she left them before she left for Meridian. Slowly, she felt her strength returning, and weariness left by exploiting her powers fade. In few minutes she felt refreshed, as her new found power that substituted that of the Hearts and her own vitalized her body. Will unwittingly smiled as she felt it, and while she felt rather ashamed and regretful for method she had to use against Elyon to escape, she knew that she did right thing.

Fighting with her thoughts she plotted for her next move as she knew that she had revealed her times too many, and despite fact that she was hiding, it was only matter of time before she is found by her mysterious enemies, her former comrades or even Elyon. Will carefully took Heart of Kandracar of from her own neck and looked at it. It was jewel that her soul was intertwined for nearly third of her life and perhaps to some extent even from her birth. Will dully looked into it, trying to see through its glass like surface, but unlike its usual rosy colored appearance, from time it was severed from its mistresses body and soul its surface darkened and became ebony black. It seemed that heart and auramere that it connected Will to was suffering as much as Will herself.

Will slowly placed heart near her diary and opened it. Still last entry that was made there was just days before this whole tragedy set in motion. Will sighed as she red last words, realizing that her biggest problem back then was browsing for Irma's gift, while now she was now on the run from almost every ally and friend she ever knew. It was decided, it had to end now as Will cast her gaze upon twin weapons that she hoped to use to her advantage against forces that were hunting her.

She slowly picked up pen and opened clean page in her diary. While she didn't knew exact date that she marked every new entry in her diary, she simply ignored it and started to write.

" Dear diary, I never imagined I would write in you in you under such circumstance, and perhaps it is the last time I write in you and first time I can do it so openly to you, there is no need for me to keep my secrets I harbored for years even from you, who supposedly had to guard them, but it seems that my fate as guardian finally led to my undoing. It is now too late to go back, but then again I never had choice to start with, not five years ago when Hay-Lin asked to come over, nor back then when Cornelia draw her last breath, I can only go on, in hopes to change everything for the better. Even now I still catch myself thinking, what was the moment when my fate was sealed, and did I ever had a choice to start with, was there a possibility for me to refuse, what if my fate was determined even before I draw my first breath?, but even if so, if I stop now, then life, this chance to fight, that Cornelia granted to me at the cost of her own will be lost in vain. There perhaps is no force that can return her, but at least those who led me and her to this will pay for it, even if it costs me everything that I have left, they already robbed me of everything I held dear, and destroyed me on the inside. Vengeance and promise to her is only thing that I have left and keep me going. Only my life is the thing they refuse to take from me, but why?. Do they taunt me, or perhaps they need me? Either way I will find out who is pulling strings from the shadows, and then I will destroy every last one of them.

If someone reads this then it means I have failed and their lies, are now becoming the new truth. No matter who reads it, there is no point for me to justify my actions now as if I have lost then I am now a traitor to Kandracar, just like Nerissa was, those who are against me, will make sure of it. Don't ask why, as any answer I will give, will only be met with despise as another lie from me. To give answers you truly want and can accept I will have to lie, but know this, that thees words come from my heart and no matter what, they are true -

Irma – what happened between us....I understand why you chose what you did, and perhaps if our roles would be switched I would do the same, maybe even without that hint of hesitation I saw in your eyes , but more than that I hope that in time you will understand why I could not allow it to happen and I would pray that if our roles would be switched you would do same for me. Perhaps one day you will understand that it was for the best and forgive me.

Matt -I always loved you, even now I as write thees words. Yes, you always said you will protect me, and even as I stand against you as an enemy, you wonder why I did not seek your help. I know that perhaps you would help me no matter what, no matter if everything you know about me now is true or not. But you have duty higher than our feelings, just like when I was guardian, my duty was above my own life, I cant ask you to go against your duty. I can only ask you to continue fulfilling your duty as your ward now need your help more than ever before.

Elyon – I know Cornelia was your closest friend, and as fate would have it , she shared this honor with me as well. But.... "

"Sentimental, aren't we, to write such a letter, they want to kill you and yet you apologize to them"

Will heard familiar voice near her that disrupted her from writing.

"You again! I hoped I silenced your god damn voice for good" Will spat back in contempt as she noticed that Phobos entity manifested himself again.

"You did fine job at it, until you almost sank in tears by writing that worthless parting note of yours, once again you cant keep your emotions in check and thus I am here" Phobos said and sat on edge of the desk.

"You came just to mock me again?"

"As fun as it can be, no. You are getting careless fairy, don't you hear – tick, tick. Do you hear footsteps behind your back?" Phobos said and knocked twice on desk as Will noticed that truly there was someone several yards behind her back" As you sank in your sentiments, you don't even notice..."

Will tried to shut him out of her mind and turned around. Former guardian just now realized how careless she was to not hear her approach, just less than ten yards away stood dark feminine figure, dressed in black leather jacket and long hair, wearing pair of glasses. As Will turned around she stopped her approach as both girls stood in silence.

"Will? My god, what have you done to yourself"She barely muttered as she examined her friend unusual appearance, noticing both scar upon her right hand and her silvery hair.

"Taranee, you found me. How!?" Will broke silence, but as she said once again she felt dread of Phobos essence interfering with her mind.: " Did you came to talk or do you seek vengeance, or do you intend to do Kandracars biding?"

"Finding you was not hard, when you revealed yourself out by taking Irma's power and leaving your jacket, I decided to check any hideouts we or our enemies ever used and it seems I was right. But what do I want? That will depend on your answers" She coldly responded and looked directly into her eyes.

Will felt current run through her chest at the fact that Taranee came so close without her noticing, it meant she could have killed her or at least knocked her out cold while she wasn't even aware of her presence and yet she chose not to.

" Why would she even risk coming alone here, and even more reveal herself, does she want me or will she try to talk sense into me" Will chaotically tried to think of her friends actions. Will knew that without her wings Tarnaee's powers wont match her's as well as fact that fire guardian is aware of it, but even so Taranee is not kind of an opponent to be taken lightly and underestimated. Even if she seemed powerless, fact that she stood before her almost defenseless meant that either she took leap of faith in coming here or there was more than meets the eye. There had to be more to it, she simply knew that when dealing with fire guardian there simply can be no other way. For her to come into lions den unarmed, never, she had to have ace up her sleeve.

"Irma... How is she?" Will asked as she remembered her brief encounter with her watery friend near Cornelia's final resting place."Will she be okay?"

"She... Irma is going to be fine,if that truly means anything to you. But why, why did you hurt her Will? Do you wanted her power?" Taranee asked in nearly pleading voice.

"I.. I.... " Will hesitated with answer until she gathered herself to answer" That is between me and her, and it will be her choice to tell what happened between us. I could not allow her to ruin her own life over me, that is all I gotta say about it"

"So be it, but why Will, why? I would have never believed it, and when she first told me what happened I nearly snapped and called her liar, even more I wished that she would lie to me this one time, but then I glimpsed into Irma's mind and saw what Oracle revealed to her, how you killed Cornelia "

"Then there is nothing that I can say to prove it otherwise, it will be my words against his,and anything that I will say, you will hear as lies. I do not wish that T. "

"But why Will, why. Power? Don't they grant us enough of it already, for one person we already wield more than we can carry. Or is it something else? Freedom to use it as you see fit? Is that wretch you turned yourself into is really adequate price for it, is it really better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven Will? "Taranee shook her head and shouted at her former friend as she pointed at her.

This seemingly usual quote that Will had heard and seen numerous times somehow felt different to her mind, as if some long forgotten memory would be associated with it. Moment later she felt her mind overwhelmed with flashbacks of memories that Will knew isn't her own. Once again sharp pain jolted behind her left eye, and she covered it in pain.

"Ion, why do you spend so much time on that human book?" Familiar woman's voice sounded behind my back, as I was holding book in my hand and sitting in fancy chair near fireplace. Room that surrounded me, seemed like expensive study and library that were unnaturally brightly lit by fireplace.

"Catherine, I didn't heard you come in" I answered and closed book that I was reading.

"You spend days buried in thees human books,what is that you find in them, my love" She said and stood behind my chair and placed her hands around my shoulders, giving me sense of warmth. I looked back at her, noticing her long black crepe dress and blond hair. She looked elegant as always, and while I knew she would care little for her human appearance, she always took practical approach to it, and as such, she always maintained clothing to match her human status. Contempt she felt for their kind, far exceeded my own, and sometimes I had feeling that she even loath her own shell and thus her very existence itself. Watching her deal with mortals,even ones that served us, sometime gave chills even to me, as I knew that she would slaughter every last one of them, if she would be allowed to.

" I find this book as a reflection of our own grim fate, my dear, it was written more than two hundred years ago by a human named John Milton." I answered and looked in her eyes. Vague reddish glow was noticeable in both of her eyes. Her eyes, it was only thing in her that she retained and what would remind me of her mortal form, form that had I struggled to never forget. But even so my feelings for her never faltered, even if she could never again be the one I loved almost eternity ago.

"So what does it tell, Ion?" She asked and took book out of my hands.

"It tells how angels rebelled against the God, and how they waged war against foe who's power is immeasurable, it tells how they failed, and yet their resolve never faltered. It tells how after being defeated, they continued their battle against their tyrannical foe, but no longer they rushed against the foe they cant win against, but instead they used flaws and vices of the human kind in their defiance against the God."

She quietly laughed and slowly opened book, while still holding her arms over my shoulders." It's truly ironic for a human to write something like this."

"Yes Catherine, but unlike them, the hour of our revenge is near, and soon , very soon plan of our master will become reality, and they will pay for everything they done to us, and to our home." I answered her, as she closed book and vague glow in her eyes turned into nearly blinding flashes.

Will found herself back on mount Thanos, facing off her fiery friend. She staggered a little as she found herself back in reality. She placed her hand on her head and tried to regain balance. Former guardian knew that she had received fragments of memories from creature she housed in her body before, several dreams and parts of his knowledge about ancient languages were already revealed to young keepers mind, but until now creature was almost deliberately dormant, not reminding of itself until now. She still felt fading pain behind her left eye, just like time she absorbed creatures essence days ago. Pressure on her mind increased and she once again felt dark prince's influence upon her mind and she knew that it will be hard for her to control her actions, especially if Taranne will decide to fight.

Taranne unwittingly took step backwards as she watched at Will in disbelief as noticed eerie glow in her left eye as she held her head as though she would suffer from headache. She slowly lifted her hand and asked in uncertain voice" Will?"

"Paradise Lost isn't it?" Will answered as soon as she regained her senses and lowered arm that covered her eye revealing fading glow in it :" No it is nothing like that, I don't want that damn power. I would even give everything that I have left so that I would have never gained it in first place, do you even know how many times in past days I wish I would have never met you all. But still Taranee there is some truth in my situation in what Satan said afterward -

With rallied arms to try what may be yet

Regained in Heaven, or what more lost in Hell"

Taranne froze in disbelief. Who was she talking with. Clearly she saw Will Vandom, of course her appearance was much changed , but young fire guardian could unmistakeably recognize her, but it was her presence now that felt like a different person. More than that she was startled by whats happening in her mind. Of course she knew that Will isn't stupid or illiterate, but to expect her to quote such book, she most likely even haven't heard about. No, there was definitely something wrong with her friend, and she was determined to know what exactly. It was obvious she was not in her right mind, and even for everything bad she did to her friends, any subtle sign of hatred that Taranne felt for her fallen friend, now turned into pity and determination to bring her back. Her gaze fixated to Will's as Taranee tried to see into her mind. They stared at each the for several moment, when Will heard familiar, yet unwelcome whisper:" Seems another one of your past friends is after your head, though this one came unarmed. How foolish of her, you guardians never cease to surprise me how foolish you are to protect each other even by risking your own life even in most hopeless cases"

"I do not intend to harm her Phobos, now shut up, She is not my enemy" Will spat back.

"Oh but you are her's guardian. Do you expect her to leave on her own then? She is Kandracars lapdog, her so called duty is to deliver you to them. Perhaps I would even enjoy watching what they would do to you, but as I share your body, I don't want to share such fate with you. Kill her, take her power and move on guardian"

"I said already Phobos, and you are underestimating her. She isn't fool to come empty handed" Will answered as she snapped back to reality and started to watched around and think why would she come here alone and in her human form. And why does Taranee chose to not act, but instead to talk even if she knows that answer that Will would give would be nearly useless.

"Why did you came alone Taranee, even after you knew what I did to Cornelia and Irma?" Will asked after she regained her senses.:" Does that mean you trust me, even a little, or you think I would surrender quietly that way"

"Who knows? Perhaps one, perhaps other, maybe both, but don't you hear yourself you are out of your mind , I can help you, Kandracar can help you, come with me before it is too late and I will try to persuade them to help you, so you don't end up like her. You cant hide forever, so just come with me while I am on your side." She answered with barely noticeable grin.

"And you still chose to come alone and powerless, aren't you afraid?"

"I'll take my chances Will, I owe you at least that much. I will do everything in my powers to return friend I knew back, but if you are beyond redemption, beyond the point of turning back, I will lock you up myself ,as Will Vandom whom I once called friend would do the same if necessary." Taranee coldly answered.

"You could have taken me out before, why didn't you, why risk T?"

"I already said Will and who says I still cant do same, you should know better than to underestimate me" Taranee answered with clear sense of confidence.

Will shrugged and watched around, nothing, cave was empty. Why is she so confidant? There had to be something more, and then it struck her, what if she isn't alone, what if another of guardian is near her and she don't even notice. Without much effort Hay-Lin could mask her presence from both eye and ear by stilling sound that her footsteps make. Will shrugged , while they were talking air guardian could be behind her back and she would be literally at her mercy this whole time. Former guardian closed her eyes and concentrated on her powers. Slowly she tried to sense life force of everyone in the cave. She reopened her eyes and subtly watched around. Streams of lightning like tendrils coursed in Taranees stead, and only other life force that inhabited this place was much dimer and it belonged to the former guardian herself. There was no other sources of life's energy that Will could sense besides them in the cave.

Fact that even mastery over sound and vision couldn't mask anyone from Will sensing them, gave her full confidence that they are alone and while she felt somewhat relived from the fact that there is no invisible foe watching her, it aroused more question that answers.

"Told you, she's just a fool, she came alone." vision of Phobos appeared in front of her and said.

"You never judged your opponents correctly Phobos, that's why you lost against us,twice. Can't you stay silent for a change?" Will spat back at him and found herself back facing Taranee. She noticed how deep look she was giving her by watching her eyes. Without doubt she chose to approach keeper for this sole reason, to see her mind before passing her judgment.

"Thread that was binding us together is no longer there, Taranee. You can no longer see my mind as I am not a guardian any more. And even if you could, there is nothing you could see there, its a mess even for me" Will broke silence that was between two girls as they stared at each other. Her voice somehow gave chills to the fire guardian and indeed, fire guardian felt that her power to see into other guardian's minds were betraying her. It simply didn't worked no matter how hard she tried.

"Please leave me alone Taranne, there is nothing you can help me with, and I don't want to hurt you. Please leave while I haven't hurt you." Will tried to regain clarity of her mind and pleader her friend. She felt that if fight would break out, essences of people that she consumed along with Phobose's energy, would possibly make her unable to control her actions to an extent that she could accidentally hurt her friend."

"Would you leave given our situation would be reversed, Will?" Fire guardian answered with question.

"I guess no"

"Then why ask me to leave in first place if you we both know, that I can't and won't do this?"

"Because your smarter than me" Will answered and it gave both girls faint smile upon their lips.

"And if I would agree to leave you alone, what would you do?" Taranee answered with nearly rhetoric question.

"Does it matter?"

"For me? Always. I wouldn't be here otherwise, and you wouldn't be talking to me, you would already be before the Council, if I wouldn't care for you" Taranee answered and pressed her hands into fists several times, causing fiery embers and cinder to fall to the ground from her hands each time she released her grip.

"What would that change? If I told you, you would just call me insane"

"How do you know that beforehand? You seems to underestimate me" Taranee asked in somewhat teasing voice to provoke as much information from her friend as possible under given circumstances.

"Because I would call you insane, if I were in your shoes"

"And still I want to hear it from you"

"Very well,what if I told you that I intend to destroy council of Kandracar, that I intend to wipe corruption that had overtaken it and led me to this. Now happy?" Will answered by nearly shouting at Taranee, but the moment she finished she tried to calm herself down.

"You are ma... " Taranee shook her head as she murmured to herself and took of her glasses. She carefully tried to clean them from drops of sweat and slid them into her pocket. Will knew that glasses to her was nearly useless, as her eyesight was now even better than most young people had, but even for her cold personality Will knew that it's a mere mask, and even if this presence gave her chills, she knew that even for all Taranne did, she could read uncertainty in her actions. Former keeper of the heart knew that glasses was sort of shield for her uncertain personality and fact that she took them off meant she was ready for determined action. She tried to desperately look into Tarannes actions, and as she watched into her eyes, Will noticed that she gave almost subtle glare to braziers that were burning with magical flame that filled room with light. And there she noticed it, the card Taranee held against her. Each of them contained barely noticeable smoldering charcoal. Will knew that even if Taranee didn't possessed strongest powers of them all, but she certainly was resourceful for using it to it's full potential.

Small smoldering stones that lied carefully hidden in braziers, were without doubt prepared before Will arrived back on mount Thanos. While Will never seen exactly such technique from her fiery friend, she could only assume amount of energy that were stored in those tiny vessels, and would she unleash it upon area on her whim, it would instantly consume any supply of oxygen almost instantly rendering her unconscious, while fire guardian's dominion over her element would keep her safe from this would be inferno - a technique she borrowed from her predecessor. Even more, former keeper was essentially trapped by her friend, and perhaps any sudden move or even refusal to surrender could make young fire guardian to unleash their power, thus ending this confrontation.

"So Will, what's it gonna be?" Taranee spoke and lifted up her right hand opening her palm revealing ever growing tongues of flame upon it" You come quietly and we all try to help you or we do this the hard way? "

Will understood that now Taranee got all the answers she came for, and she is intent to finish this one way or another. Flames from Taranees hand already flew around her in circles, causing every object to cast eerie looking shadow from itself. Will didn't had much time to plan for her move, and she subtly tried to gather as much power as she can upon her hands, and she slowly tried to take slight step backwards as she only could gamble and hope that she would do the right thing...

TBC.