Welcome to Chapter 9. I wish to thank all of you who reviewed: Wolfgurl211; DayDreamer9; Sportsman; Crowofdawn; XV Dragon; Cartoonloverfan101; Nemrut; Nightroad; Lost Prince; Ice Silver Crystal; AJ; Nerd4eva; ZestyChicken2; Starwin; Darev; Spyder; Laserleg; and Chase Young's Daughter. Thank you all so very much, my friends; your support means the world to me.
Now for my editor and friend, Visigoth. He told me last week he was unimpressed with the way I did not gush over him at the beginning of Chapter 8. I shall now attempt to remedy that error. Visigoth...THANKS!!
Okay, that's enough. Now on with:
Chapter 9
Luba paced the Chamber of the Aurameres, her normal calm demeanor shaken by the attack on Meridian's Queen. Who could do such a thing? Why would anyone wish to harm the young girl that now rested in the Fortress Between Worlds? How could someone have broken the castle's defenses and drawn close enough to poison the queen?
It had to be an inside job, Luba decided; who else but one of Elyon's trusted advisors could have pulled off such a devious plot? The cat was of the opinion that someone close to the young queen had to be responsible for the attack. An opinion she had tried to share with the Council...only to be rejected by its members.
"You are no longer one of us, Luba," Tibor had said. "Hold your tongue."
Luba figured she should have seen it coming; most of her former friends had not spoken one word to her since her sentencing. Only Althor had dropped by to visit on occasion. He, at least, seemed to think she had gotten a raw deal. He had been the only one to dissent at her "trial;" an action for which the big cat was grateful.
But even his visits failed to assuage the growing apprehension in her breast. She felt that someone close to Elyon had deliberately attacked her, had tried to kill her. Surely the Council had to see that, too. The Oracle's wisdom had to shine through the confusion and illuminate the truth that was staring them all in the face.
A deadly coma still held the young queen hostage; as such, Elyon was unable to give them any first-hand information as to what had happened to her. Though the Oracle knew of the poison that coursed through the girl's veins, the cure remained elusive as a shadow. As far as anyone knew, there was no antidote for the particular venom that had felled the young queen. Only the Oracle's quick action had saved the girl's life...but the coma may prove to be fatal anyway.
With the queen's recovery still in doubt, the Council had focused their efforts on reversing the coma. Thus far, their efforts had been in vain.
Luba was no healer; she was a warrior unequaled by any who resided on Candracar. As such, she valued action over contemplation. Her skills could best be utilized by tracking down the attacker and disposing of him in spectacular and violent fashion. But the Council's ruling of a few days ago had made that desire a fleeting dream and nothing more. Barred from assisting in the investigation, Luba had taken to pacing endlessly around the Chamber of the Aurameres.
In less than a week, everything she had ever known had been swept away. She was about to be banished from her long-time home as soon as a replacement Caretaker could be found. Where would she go? She had lived on Candracar for so long, she had no idea where she would even fit in anymore. She couldn't return to her home-world; she had no idea if it even existed anymore. Even if it did, Luba found she no longer felt the bloodlust that used to grip her in her younger years.
In a perverse way, she was a little relieved that Meridian's Queen had been felled; the Oracle had been forced to devote all his time to searching for a way to help Elyon. That meant he had no time to search for Luba's replacement. Not that Luba wished the young queen ill; on the contrary, she had the greatest respect and admiration for the girl.
But Luba did not want to leave her home, either. If it took a cruel poisoning to delay that unhappy event, then Luba found herself a little grateful.
The Chamber doors opened, interrupting the cat's silent musings. Althor strode into the Chamber, looking sour and spent. His stark-white beard seemed somehow gray and what was left of his hair hung limply around his ears. Hi normally vibrant eyes looked tired and worn. Even his gait seemed slower and forlorn.
"Luba," the dwarf said tiredly, "you seem agitated. What's the matter?"
The big cat resisted the urge to snap at the dwarf-man. What was wrong? Was he serious? Still, it seemed Althor was her only friend, so she softened her voice as she replied.
"I worry for the young Queen of Meridian...and for myself, my friend."
Althor nodded. "I worry, too, Luba. The Queen isn't responding to anything we try. Not even the Oracle is able to wake her. I fear she may never wake up."
"Do not allow those thoughts to enter your mind; they will only cloud your much-needed judgment when the time comes to act. As I have been forbidden to assist in this matter, you must be the spear upon which the enemies of Meridian impale themselves."
"Pardon me?"
"I am forbidden to hunt these would-be murderers. As such, you must hunt them for me. You must convince the Council to listen to reason. Only someone close to the queen could have perpetuated this curse. Surely they must see this."
With an exhausted sigh, Althor pinched the bridge of his nose between his stubby thumb and index finger. "Honestly, Luba, I'm not sure what they think anymore. All our efforts have been focused on rousing the queen from her slumber. Personally, I think little thought has been given to the perpetrator of this crime. I wonder if it even matters who did it if the queen dies. Finding the bastard won't bring her back."
"Have you forgotten your sense of justice, my friend? Have you labored so long over the dying mistress that you no longer care to find the one responsible? Come, Althor, the fire of justice must still burn in your heart."
"The fires have all but been extinguished, what with the Council's decision to banish you. Honestly, my heart hasn't really been in it since that awful day. Without you around the fortress, things will be different...empty."
Luba almost smiled. "My heart leaps for your friendship, but you must not allow yourself to be ruled by melancholy. You must remain focused on your task at hand; the queen must survive, else all the Guardians fought for on Meridian will be for naught. You must find the one responsible for the attack, else it could happen again."
Althor nodded. "I know, but I feel so tired right now. We have been trying everything we know to rouse the queen, to no avail. We have been concentrating so much on saving her life, that we haven't had time to think of searching for the perpetrator. He may never be found at this rate."
Luba was silent for a moment as she allowed Althor's words to sink in. It was inconceivable to her that the Council would refuse to even look for the one responsible for the poisoning, much less launch a full investigation into the matter. Her sense of justice burned brighter than ever before, and she was determined to force someone to listen to her.
"Althor, you must be my mouthpiece. You must convince the Council to investigate. If the Council cannot spare its resources, the send the Guardians to Meridian to determine what happened. No one would hide information from them, and with the Fire Guardian being a telepath, lying would be all but impossible."
"Luba-"
"Althor, please, you must do this. You must convince the Council to agree, lest this happen to another; one who is not strong enough to fight off the venom. It may be the only release for the Queen of Meridian will be the sleep of death; but shall we allow that possibility to imprison us in this fortress? Shall we stand by and do nothing to protect the citizens of Meridian? We have the power to act through the Guardians. Should we not take upon us the mantle of justice and allow them to be our avatars?"
Althor opened his mouth to reply, then stopped. Her words had merit and he knew they rang with truth. They did have the power to act, and they did have instruments to investigate.
"Luba," Althor finally said, "your words pierce my heart. I will take your suggestions to the Council and present them to the best of my abilities."
"Present them as your own words, my friend; for the Council is deaf to mine."
Althor nodded. "I understand."
Luba nodded once; she was satisfied she had done all she could to help. Only time would tell if it was enough.
--
Cornelia walked home from Shell Cave alone. She did not feel like sharing in the companionship of her friends at the moment. Now that the intervention was finished, her thoughts turned to the issue that pressed most upon her mind: Elyon.
Right now her best friend lay in a coma, the result of a cruel poisoning. Cornelia was no doctor, but she knew that some comas were irreversible. She prayed that would not be the case with Elyon.
Truth be told, Cornelia's every waking moment had been consumed by thoughts of her friend. Though she had done her best to be supportive and insightful during the intervention, her mind had not really there. A part of her was even now on Candracar with her best friend, dying next to her. Tears filled the young Guardian's eyes as she walked slowly home.
All the frustrations of the past week started to crash around Cornelia's head, and she quickened her pace. She thought of the horror in Irma's voice as she had related all the Knights of Vengeance had done to her during her week of hell. In her mind's eye, she saw the pain in those beautiful blue eyes as Irma recounted the trauma of living with the aftermath of terrible torture. Cornelia felt her friend's pain as she struggled to explain her mental and emotional damage.
The blonde Guardian's pace quickened even more. She shuddered to think of all Irma had gone through and was still going through. Was it really possible that she would truly remain Nerissa's prisoner forever? Unable to find any help, Irma had endured silently...and has fallen into darkness. Even now, the young water witch drowned in the blackest abyss; one from which she may never return. What if they never got their friend back? What if Irma was so badly damaged from her experiences that she never recovered? What would happen to the Guardians then? What would happen to Irma?
And then there was Elyon. Cornelia didn't think she could survive without her best friend of over ten years. What would she do if she were forced to face life without her? The thought pierced the Guardian's mind and heart like a white-hot arrow. It seemed so surreal; like she was floating in a cloudless sky above the earth. She felt as if she was watching herself from afar, as if she wasn't really a part of the horror breaking over her soul like a murderous wave.
And Will...Cornelia had heard what Irma had said to Will just a few minutes ago. Could she truly blame the Guardian Leader for all she had experienced? For all she had been forced to endure? Cornelia knew her leader would gladly trade places with Irma if it meant the young Water Guardian wouldn't have to suffer anymore. Did that fact even matter to Irma? What if their friendship couldn't survive? What if Nerissa, in killing their friend, had also succeeded in killing her relationship with the other Guardians? How could they continue to function as a cohesive unit if one of their number didn't trust the others?
Cornelia started to run then. If she ran fast enough, perhaps she could outrace the demons that plagued her mind. She ran and ran as fast as she could, but her thoughts only became more desperate. Her mind betrayed her stoic demeanor and ruined her calm exterior. She was crying when she threw herself against a building and began to pound her fists against the wall. She screamed in frustration as she threw her hands against the barrier, not caring about the bruises she was inflicting on herself.
The blonde wondered, vaguely, if this was a little how Irma felt. Emotionally tortured, her friend preferred physical pain to the roiling agony of her own thoughts. Betrayed by her own mind, how could she have continued to function? Cornelia suddenly gained a deeper respect for Irma Lair.
Get hold of yourself, Cornelia, the young girl silently scolded herself. Now is not the time to fall apart. Irma needs you, the Guardians need you, and most of all, Elyon needs you.
Cornelia took a deep, fortifying breath and struggled to reign herself in. She had never before experienced such raw emotions, and they frightened her somewhat. She took more deep breaths and tried to think of something soothing. Thoughts of her Elemental Chamber on Candracar leaped to her mind. The peaceful grotto in which she slept, the fantastic rainbow of gems, the beautiful trees that helped to protect her.
The majesty of the Chamber served to calm her thoughts and slow her rapidly-beating heart. She knew she needed to do something to help Elyon. She had no illusions of being the one to discover a cure for her friend; after all, if the Oracle didn't know of one, where was a high-school girl supposed to look?
No, perhaps Cornelia couldn't find a cure, but she could stay by her friend and offer support. Even if Elyon was in a coma, perhaps she would be able to feel the Guardian's presence somehow. It just might be what the young queen would need to fight off the effects of her poison-induced slumber.
With a plan firmly etched in her mind, Cornelia set off for Will's apartment. She would ask her leader to take her to her friend-in-need, and there leave her until said friend recovered. An Astral Drop could substitute for her while she was away, even if the Drop didn't quite have Cornelia's perfect hair or flashing smile.
--
"I'll get it!" Will shouted as the doorbell rang through the apartment. Susan Vandom shook her head. Why did her daughter feel the need to shout when her mother was right there in the same room? Still, Will's enthusiasm was better than her melancholy of the last few days.
Susan couldn't quite figure her daughter out. The past few weeks had seen a quieter, more subdued Will. At times it was positively depressing. Yet at others, the girl was the same bubbly, happy kid Susan had known for fourteen years. Lately, Will had paid more attention to her mother, going so far as to seem a little clingy even. It was almost as if her daughter had been abducted by aliens then switched. Not that the middle-aged woman was complaining; she rather liked this new teenager. Still, she wished she knew what was troubling her daughter.
Will had come home that evening crying. She said she had gotten into a fight with one of her friends at school and that she had said some pretty hurtful things. Susan had held the trembling girl until she had stopped weeping. Will had been unwilling to explain the details, but Susan imagined they must have been pretty bad to cause tears of that magnitude.
Mother and daughter had talked only briefly, when Will had decided to get out her homework. She had sprawled on the living room floor while Susan made peanut-butter-and-jelly fro dinner. It was the only bit of her cooking her daughter could stomach. Mrs. Vandom wished she were a better cook, but who had the time to learn? A single mother raising a teenager and working a demanding job? Something had to be sacrificed, and cooking was it.
Now the petite woman laid aside her magazine as her teenager answered the door. Cornelia Hale stood at the doorway, her face looking somber and determined. Susan guessed her daughter had not been the only one involved in the argument at school.
"Hi Will," Cornelia said quietly. "Can we talk for a minute?"
Will opened the door wider and stood aside. "Sure, C. Come on in."
The tall blonde walked over the threshold and nodded to Susan. "Hey Mrs. Vandom," the girl smiled weakly.
"Good evening, Cornelia," Mrs. Vandom replied, rising from the couch. She folded her arms across her chest. "You're not the one who hurt my daughter, are you?"
Cornelia creased her brow. "I don't think so..."
Glancing at her mom, Will shook her head. "No, Mom; Cornelia and I are fine."
"Good. Because if you weren't, I was going to have to put the fear of God into you."
Will ran a hand down her face. "Mom, you're embarrassing me."
Cornelia grinned in spite of herself and shrugged. "It's no big. It's just a mother bear protecting her cub. Her little Pink Poopy Perky Pumpkin."
Susan laughed and Will groaned, her face turning the color of her hair. She glowered at her friend. "Now you're embarrassing me."
"What's that, Poopy?" Cornelia grinned.
As Will continued to glare, Susan cut in. "Would you girls like some lemonade?"
"No thanks, Mrs. Vandom. But do you mind if I borrow your daughter for a minute?"
"She still has to finish her homework, but I suppose I could spare her for a few minutes."
"Thanks," Cornelia replied, nodding at the woman.
Will led the way upstairs to her bedroom. As she closed the door, Cornelia let out a great sigh and sank onto the bed.
"Will, I'm a mess. I'm so worried about you, and Elyon, and Irma, I can't even think straight."
Will frowned. "Me? Why are you worried about me? I mean, I can understand being worried about Elyon and Irma, but why me?"
"Because of what Irma said to you and about you today. I saw the way you practically crumpled in Shell Cave, and I can see now you've been crying. For what it's worth, none of the rest of us blame you for what happened."
Will hugged herself and faced out her window. For a time, she said nothing; only immersed herself in her thoughts. Presently, she spoke.
"She was right, Cornelia," Will said quietly. "Irma was right about everything. It is all my fault. If I hadn't been so selfish, Irma wouldn't be like this."
"No...she'd be dead. How can you call yourself selfish for wanting to save her life? Nerissa is the one to blame, here, Will; not you. She's the one who tortured Irma and caused all of this."
"Maybe, but Nerissa didn't put her through the Joining. Nerissa didn't betray her trust by allowing her biggest enemy to continue that torture indefinitely. Nerissa didn't try and pretend everything was okay because the alternative was too horrible to think about."
"No, Nerissa only killed her...twice. You're right...that's much better than saving Irma's life. Will, Nerissa murdered our friend. You helped her come back to life. You made a terrible decision no one our age should have to make; and you made it quickly and alone. You did what was best for Irma."
"Did I? Did I really? Or did I do what was best for everyone else? I should have thought about the implications of Irma having to relive every second of her torture for a solid two weeks. Every day, every minute, would have been spent in sheer hell...and I did that to her. Not Nerissa, not the Oracle...me! I did that to her, and nothing can change that. I alone made the decision to throw her down to hell. And you know what's worse? I did it without even thinking what it may do to Irma; I only thought of what it would do to the rest of us if I didn't make that choice."
"I don't believe that," Cornelia shook her head. "I think you gave it some thought whether you realize it or not. You're not a psychiatrist, Will; you're a kid. How are you supposed to know about stuff like Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder, or psychological trauma? You couldn't have known what would happen? All you knew was Irma was better off alive than dead."
"But is she? Look at her, Cornelia. She can barely function. She's so messed up inside she's actually hurting herself to make the emotional pain go away. How screwed up is that? And what are we supposed to do about it? Like you said, we're kids, not doctors."
"Will-"
"We have to tell someone, Cornelia. If we don't, Irma will only get worse."
"And who should we tell? Her parents? They would seriously freak out. They've already locked her in her room. What do you think they would do to her if they knew she could transform into a fairy with super-powers and multi-colored tights? What do you think they would do if they knew someone had tortured their daughter to death just for fun?"
"They would get her into a professional so she could get some help."
"No they wouldn't. They would have us all locked up in an institution for crazy people. Even if they believed us, the psychiatrist wouldn't. He would treat Irma for delusional behavior or something, but he sure wouldn't treat her PTSD. And I doubt Irma would tell him anything anyway. You know how long it took her to open up to us, her best friends. Do you really think she's going to trust a total stranger with the most humiliating and painful experience of her life?"
"But what else can we do?" Will wailed. "We can't help her. She need a professional, Cornelia. Taranee told me on the way home that people don't just get over PTSD. It's a daily struggle to go on living and functioning. Lots of people have to be on some kind of medication to help them deal with it all. If we don't tell someone the truth, she's never gonna get the help she needs."
Cornelia thought for a moment. Will had a good point...one with which she couldn't really argue. Irma did need help; much more than her friends could give her. Even if that help meant destroying the anonymity of the Guardians, was it worth it? On the one hand, Irma was their friend, and as her friends, wasn't it their responsibility to see that she had the best of all things? Yet on the other hand, if everyone knew the Guardians existed, and their identities, the girls' lives would be even tougher than they already were. Their parents would never let them pursue their duties as Guardians...not if those duties meant putting themselves in harm's way every day.
"Will we need to keep our anonymity intact. Our parents would ruin the Guardians forever if they knew. We have a duty to everyone in the universe; if we don't protect them form evil, then who will?"
"But who protects us? Who protects the protectors when we need help?"
"We have to depend on each other, Will. That and the Council are all we have."
Will snorted. "The Council. The Council is what put us all into this mess. They chose us as Guardians, and ever since, our lives have been a wreck. If I had known then what I know now, I would never have agreed to this."
"Will please don't say that. We need you to be our leader. In spite of what Irma said, we all trust you. I think the Aurameres chose really well, and I can't imagine a better girl for the job. Irma's just hurting right now; you know if she were thinking clearly she would never blame you for any of this."
"But that's just it...she's not thinking clearly; and she may never think clearly again."
Cornelia stood and crossed the room to the window. She turned Will by her shoulders so she was facing her. "You can't think like that," Cornelia said firmly. "Irma is strong; she'll get through this. We can help by being strong for her and by supporting her whenever she needs it. Telling her parents, in my opinion, would be a huge mistake. Her dad's a cop, for crying out loud. He would go ballistic if he knew the truth. All of our parents would go ballistic if they knew the truth. The universe needs us, Will. We have to be the Guardians they deserve."
"Maybe the universe can just kiss my ass!" Will growled.
"Maybe it can," Cornelia replied. "But until that time comes we have a responsibility we can't ignore. The universe needs the Guardians to stop people like Phobos, and Nerissa, and whoever poisoned Elyon."
Will's face softened. "With everything that's been happening, I almost forgot about Elyon. You must be going nuts with worry."
Cornelia nodded and hugged herself. "Elyon is my best friend; it makes me shudder to think of her in a coma. What if she never wakes up? What would I do without her?"
Will nodded and hugged her friend. "The Oracle will find a way to help her."
"Maybe, but I still want to help."
"What do you want to do?"
"I can't think of anything to do other than just to be with her. Will, I have to go to her. She needs me, and I need her. Maybe I can't do anything to help find a cure, but at least I can be there so she's not alone. Please, Will, fold me to Candracar. Let an Astral Drop take my place here in Heatherfield."
Will grimaced. "Cornelia, the last Astral Drop we made got lost or something. Are you sure you want to take that chance?"
"You can escort the thing to my house if you want to, but I need to go. Please, Will; I need your help."
Will sighed and dragged the Heart of Candracar out of her desk drawer. "Are you sure about this?"
Cornelia nodded.
"Alright; here goes nothing. Pord Lartsa."
A flash of light filled the bedroom as the Heart obeyed the command of its mistress. In a second, an exact copy of Cornelia Hale stood in the center of the room.
Cornelia quickly ran down a small list of instructions for the Drop. Completing her double's tutoring, the blonde turned to the redhead.
"I'm trusting you and the others to keep her out of trouble."
"We'll do the best we can, Cornelia. You be careful on Candracar, and send word if anything, and I mean anything, happens. Alright?"
"It's Candracar. The Council is there. What could happen?"
Will raised an eyebrow and resisted the urge to remind her friend about getting pulverized by Nerissa and the Knights of Vengeance not many weeks ago on Candracar. Without a word, the redhead created a fold to the Fortress Between Worlds.
"I mean it, C; watch your back. Something about Elyon's poisoning feels wrong."
"Of course it's wrong, Will; my best friend was poisoned. What could be right about that?"
"You know what I mean. I can't put my finger on it, but something just feels...off." At Cornelia's look of confusion, Will let out an exasperated sigh. "Look I can't explain it. I just have a really bad feeling. In fact, I think I would feel better if you went in Guardian form."
"Are you serious?"
"Yes, I'm serious. And don't try to talk me out of it. Guardians Unite!"
In a flash of rosy light, two young girls became two young women.
Will hugged Cornelia. "Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but..." Will sighed again. "Just be careful, alright?"
Cornelia nodded. "I'll be careful. And Will...thank you. This means a lot to me."
"Get out before I change my mind."
With a smile, Cornelia leaped through the fold.
Will closed the portal and changed herself back to her human form. Replacing the Heart in her drawer, the young Guardian Leader turned to the Astral Drop.
"Alright, Cornelia; let's get you home before your parents call out the National Guard."
The Astral Drop only smiled blankly.
--
Okay, folks, thanks for reading. Please let me know what y'all think. Thanks in advance to everyone who reviews. And Visigoth...you are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are...WHAT?! It's my story I can sing if I want! Oh alright. Thanks again to everyone who makes this all possible.