Days passed in Heatherfield. Irma and Cornelia continued to faithfully follow their sacred duty to watch over Hay Lin, while Andrew and Angelo took care of their recovering, but still vulnerable minds. Things were not over so quickly, however. While they were safe in their dreams, they would still get flashbacks when they were awake, new memories from a time in their lives that they wished had never happened. Hay Lin, of course, used this to her advantage, and learned what Irma and Cornelia's "flashback faces" looked like. There was never a repeat of the disastrous first visit, but sometimes they would both have to abruptly leave.
Things weren't all bad either, though. They were very much at ease whenever their lovers hypnotized them, or as Irma liked to call it, a brain massage. They helped them set up defenses in their minds, to help them resist Hay Lin's bullying. They also built a special place in their minds together, where they could go whenever they felt troubled, and all they had to do to get there was close their eyes and concentrate a bit. For Irma, it was a warm pool at the bottom of a waterfall. It was inspired by screensavers, and some of Andrew's descriptions of Erutan. For Cornelia, it was a big serenity garden, full of exotic plants, flowers, and trees that she had seen from her missions to other worlds, plus some things that Angelo saw in his travels. They would often go to this special place for peace, when they were on the bus to a job interview, walking home alone, or going to and from the Silver Dragon.
However, they still had their ups and downs. And during those downs, their memories could be overwhelming. And they remembered more and more, one flashback at a time. About a month after arriving back on Earth, their memories continued to weigh heavily on their conscience, and they started to worry that they might not be able to make peace with them, even with the good lives they were trying to build. Angelo and Andrew had done some reading on the subject, and believed they had found a way to help them. The two former guardians talked about it, among other things, on the way back from another visit to the Silver Dragon.
"So how'd that interview with the Park Service go?" Irma asked, very amused at the thought of Cornelia with a Smokey Bear hat.
"Well…" she started, with a grin. "…they were really impressed when I told them about the Woolly Adelgids*. They didn't even know, so they tested for it on the spot!" She chuckled. "I'd say I'm looking pretty good for them."
"Yeah, let's hope I do well at the Aquarium tomorrow." Irma answered.
"You've always been all about water, how could they not hire you?"
"I know, I shouldn't worry…" Then she changed the subject after a few seconds. "…Andrew thinks he's found a way to stop the flashbacks…"
"Angelo told me the same thing. Do you think you want to go through with it?"
"I know we've done a lot just in the last month, but I kinda feel like rebuilding my life would be way easier if I didn't keep getting visions of myself hurting someone or bowing down to Hay-Hey."
"I can't argue with that."
"So, you up for a brain massage tonight to see if this works, then dinner?"
"That sounds good…you think Andrew could whip up that Chicken Cordon Bleu?"
Irma's mouth watered at the thought. "I sure hope so…"
They both walked up a hill to Irma and Andrew's new house overlooking the Heatherfield Cliffs. It was a pretty big house that they managed to purchase for a surprisingly low price. Cornelia, Angelo, and Ehren would often spend time there.
Later that evening, the six of them went into Andrew and Irma's bedroom. Irma and Cornelia sat on the bed, while Ehren and Edeline sat on an ottoman by the window. Angelo began to explain what they wanted to do. "So I think we can wall off all your memories from when you were enthralled, until you're ready to face them. That should be able to stop the flashbacks, at least for a while."
"So if this works, we won't remember anything?" Cornelia asked.
"Not exactly." Angelo explained. "You'll still remember the facts of what happened, since you've gone over most of what you remember anyway, and you'll be aware of the passage of time. But you won't be able to recall any events, or images or sounds from them."
Andrew added. "So there won't be anything to fuel your flashbacks."
"Sounds like a good deal to me." Irma answered.
"It's not fair." The former guardians and their boyfriends turned their heads to see a frustrated looking Edeline.
Irma had to suppress the urge to tell Edeline that a lot of things aren't fair, figuring that years of war and the loss of her family had already taught her that. She went over and sat down next to her on the ottoman. "Which part isn't fair?"
"What Hay Lin did to you." She said. "She got what she wanted, and you've got the guilt."
"And now she gets to taunt you about it." Ehren interjected.
"You shouldn't have to live with that." There was guilt in her own voice as well. Guilt at being afraid of Irma in the rebellion, despite the stories Andrew had told her, and when it was clear that she was just as much a victim as anyone else. Edeline suddenly felt Irma's hand on her shoulder.
"Hey…" Irma said trying to calm her down. "…what happened to us was…beyond words…but still we definitely didn't have it the worst."
"What do you mean?" Edeline asked looking up.
"Well, for one thing, we've still got our parents." Immediately realizing how that could be taken she continued. "And they see you as their own granddaughter."
"Plus, we got a chance to fight back." Cornelia added. "Back in Kandrakar, the trial was full of people who would have been on our side in a heartbeat, some of them were until Hay Lin took them, and some weren't even aware of what happened until the war was already over. But thanks to Will and the others, we got a second chance. And we'll always be grateful for that."
"And I'm grateful I got to meet the real you." Ehren said.
"Oh come here you!" and Cornelia gave her a big hug.
"So are we ready to do this?" Irma asked as she got up.
Ehren nodded as she and Cornelia looked at each other. "Yup."
They both went back to the bed where Angelo and Andrew were waiting. "Ready?" Andrew asked.
"Ready." Irma answered, taking a deep breath and loosening her shoulders. Cornelia did the same.
Angelo and Andrew each sat down with their lovers, looking into their eyes. When they saw they were ready, they focused on their power, and their eyes flashed. Irma and Cornelia's eyes changed as they went into trance. This was not the first time Ehren and Edeline had watched, so they were not freaked out by the zombie-esque eyes as they were at first. "Feeling alright?" Andrew asked.
"Mmm-hmmm…" Irma answered in a blissful, relaxed tone.
"Yes." Cornelia answered in a similar tone.
"Now lie back down and close your eyes…" Angelo said. They both did so.
"Make sure you're nice and comfy." Andrew added. Cornelia lay down with her hands on her legs, while Irma put her hands together over her lower stomach.
"…Now let's go to that special place, where it's always peaceful, and where you can talk about anything…" Angelo continued as he guided them in the direction they needed to go. In their minds, they could see that special place all around them. They were totally at peace, letting the sound of Angelo's voice carry them wherever it did. "Now we've all come a long way in the last month, haven't we? The euphoria of the final battle's worn off, and you're feeling a lot better about yourselves, and healthier, than you had before, right?"
They both nodded. "And Hay Lin still taunts you when you go to see her, but you know that's the only thing she can do now, her power is broken. And the responsibility Will's given you is tough, but you know you'll be able to handle it." They nodded again. "Now, what thought comes into your mind whenever Hay Lin or anyone else calls you a killer?"
They both answered in unison "I am not a killer, because I choose not to be."
"That's right." Andrew interjected. "It feels good to say that, doesn't it? It feels right, and it makes sense, because you know it's true." They both nodded again, their faces seeming to affirm what he was telling them. And they did. That thought was settled deep in their minds, and it didn't feel like they were in denial, but that they truly did not deserve to have such a label weighing them down.
Angelo continued. "Now let's go back to a bad day in your past. I'm talking about the day, years ago, that Hay Lin took you. She lured you into a trap. Then she sent you into a nightmare - a nightmare that you wouldn't escape for years." They both started to breath heavily as the expressions on their faces became more stressed, light moans escaping them.
Ehren and Edeline watched as their adoptive mothers became visibly disturbed in their trances. Edeline almost wanted to get up and tell Angelo to stop hurting them. But then Andrew spoke. "Now you know no one blames you for falling into that trap. Yan Lin got really good at laying traps over the years, and we all fell into one of them." Irma and Cornelia seemed to relax a bit, but still appeared stressed and scared, as their minds were still focused on that terrible day. Not many people can pinpoint one day and call it the worst day of their life, but for these two it was easy, though for Irma it was a toss-up between then and the day she almost escaped.
"That day was a terrible day…" Angelo continued. "…so let's go somewhere else now. Let's go to the day you woke up from that nightmare. And Irma, I'm talking about on Arkhanta." Suddenly their heavy breathing relaxed again, and their expressions now appeared much more pleasant. "Remember how wonderful it was? How we were all there, and how happy everyone was to see you finally free?" They now had joyous smiles on their faces, tears of happiness flowing from their closed eyes as they relived that day.
"Yes." They both moaned happily through their tears.
"That day you found your family was still alive and well, waiting right there for you…" Andrew added, sitting down close to Irma, enjoying her reaction. She was overwhelmed with the same joy she felt that day, as was Cornelia.
"You could think for yourselves again." Angelo said. "Heck, you could think. Period!"
Andrew softly caressed Irma's face. "…and you would never be forced to do anything evil again."
They made another moan as they continued to cry with joy. That day could truly have been the best day of their lives. Who would have ever thought waking up in a dark, damp basement would be a happy occasion? How many times since that wonderful day did they stop what they were doing and go to their parents to cry shamelessly like children? How many times did either of them barge into Will's tent just to thank her? As Ehren and Edeline watched, they wished they could have been there that day. Maybe they wouldn't have been so scared of their future adoptive mothers. But they were all together now, and that was really all that mattered.
Angelo then went back to what he was saying. "That was a wonderful day. Now I want you to think about something else." The joy they were experiencing subsided as they re-focused on Angelo's voice. "I want you to imagine a door. And not just any door. This is a big, huge, thick door. Several layers of steel. Nothing could get past that door. Actually…just a minute, hold that thought." He turned to Ehren and Edeline. "Wasn't there a huge thick door that you couldn't get through on one of your missions to another world?"
"Oh yeah! That thing was impossible, it was like shooting Nerf darts or something!" Ehren answered, remembering what a frustrating time they had.
"Ugh…we went at that thing for hours, every possible combination of our powers, and couldn't even make a dent!" Edeline added.
"But you still got through it, though. How'd you manage that?" Angelo asked.
"Well…uh…" Ehren hesitated, feeling embarrassed. "…Ilana figured out the password…"
"Ah-hah!" Angelo said. He turned back to Irma and Cornelia. "Now that's how tough that door is. Nothing could possibly get through it. But you have the key." Both he and Andrew took one of their lover's hands and clenched it, as if they had just given them something small and important. "Now that door is open, and everything that happened between that terrible day, and that wonderful day, are going behind that door. All those memories, even memories that haven't come back to you, are all going behind that door. All of those events, everything you were forced to do, all going back behind that door. And now the door shuts. Now it's locked, and you have the key." He said to them. "Now you can face your memories when you're ready. You will have to face them one day, but now it will be on your terms, because you own your memories – your memories do not own you. And until then, they can't come back to haunt you. No more nightmares, no more flashbacks."
They both nodded, now looking very calm and serene. "Now let's go back to that special place. We're going to release you from the hypnosis. When I count to three, you'll be awake, feeling relaxed and refreshed, and you'll remember everything that we talked about. One, coming back…two, mind returning to normal…three! Wide awake!"
They took a deep breath, and their eyes fluttered open as they let out a satisfied sigh. Their eyes returned to normal, Irma's deep blue and Cornelia's icy blue. "Feeling better?" Andrew asked.
"Yeah…" Irma said with a light smile as she sat up. "…way better."
"So, here's the important question…" Andrew asked "…do you remember being enthralled to Hay Lin?"
Irma looked down for a minute, then rubbed her head. "That's weird…" she said.
"How so?"
"Well…I know about what happened and everything, but I just can't picture any of it…"
"That's the idea." Angelo said. "You'll come back to your memories when you're ready."
Cornelia wrapped her arms around Angelo and said "I really hope this works."
"I do to."
"So do we!" Ehren and Edeline said as they joined their new parents on the bed. Then something made a rumbling sound. Ehren's cheeks turned red.
"That reminds me." Irma announced. "Andrew…Corny and I were talking about your famous Chicken Cordon Bleu earlier today…"
Andrew looked at Irma, then at everyone else, thought for a few seconds, and said "Coming right up."
…..
Three flashback-free days later, Irma and Cornelia were feeling better than any time since they got back to Earth. And now they were back on their mission to watch over Hay Lin, though this time it was in the evening. Irma was wearing her brand new Heatherfield Aquarium t-shirt, while Cornelia had her park ranger uniform. They wondered how Hay Lin would react to seeing them.
"So what do you think it'll be tonight? Denial? Rage? Delirium?" Irma asked.
They didn't need to wait long to find out. Hay Lin came out of the kitchen and stood in front of them, eyes closed, looking like she was fuming. "Place your order!" She said bluntly, in a harsh, commanding tone.
"The usual…" Cornelia answered with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, same here…" Irma answered with a similar expression. Hay Lin didn't say another word and forcefully walked back to the kitchen.
"Uh, D, all of the above?" Cornelia tried to answer Irma's question.
They both looked at each other, then back towards the kitchen door, then back at each other. Then went back to talking. "Hey, did you notice the chicken soup here isn't as good as it was before?" Cornelia asked.
"Yeah, I thought the same thing. One thing I will say about old Yannie, she made a mean chicken soup." Irma answered with a shiver.
Suddenly bowls of soup were placed in front of them. "You may eat." Hay Lin said in a cold voice.
"Are we playing that game again?" Irma asked in a sarcastic tone.
"Silence!" Hay Lin shouted, as if she believed she still had some kind of power. Although they still had a lot of accepting to do, Irma and Cornelia had managed to avoid becoming train wrecks thanks to the help and support of their lovers, friends, and families. The same could not be said for Hay Lin. She was still living by the same philosophy that her grandmother taught her: you are born alone, you die alone, and strength can only be found alone. Well, if this was Hay Lin's idea of strength, neither of her observers wanted to know what weakness looked like. Right now, her mind was somewhere between past and present, between fantasy and reality.
"I guess that answers your question." Cornelia said rolling her eyes. She turned back to Hay Lin "Now, we could have a normal conversation if you'd-"
Hay Lin banged her hand on the table "Stop that! I know I taught you better manners!" She was heavily breathing in and out. "Even the perfect killers should have good manners…"
They both looked at her with conviction and Cornelia calmly stated "I am not a killer, because I choose not to be." Irma mouthed the same phrase, no need for both to be loud about it.
Hay Lin tensed up in reaction. She hated that phrase, and the authority with which they would say it. Then she thought of something and calmed down a bit, a malicious smirk appeared on her face to hide her tension. "Tell that to Bess…"
"I have, and she believes me." Cornelia answered.
She fumed again, ready to scream until she heard the sound of a plate spilling elsewhere in the restaurant. She immediately pointed to Irma and ordered her "Clean up that trash!"
"I'm pretty sure that's the staff's job, Hay. I'm a customer."
Hay Lin's rage was working its way to the surface. She took a deep, loud breath and pushed their soup bowls off the table. Cornelia had to jump out of the way to avoid getting spilled on. They both gave her a frustrated look. "Then clean that up!"
Cornelia sighed. "Now you're just making a bigger mess."
She couldn't take this anymore, this defiance, talking to her like she's some kind of child. She fumed as her rage took over and quickly grabbed the knife from Irma's placemat. "OBEY ME!"
Their memories may have been on lockdown, but all that assassination training was still there just the same. Almost as quickly as it happened, Irma had Hay Lin's wrist in her hand, pointing the knife away while Cornelia had her other arm pinned to her back. "Okay, let's put the knife down, you could hurt somebody with that thing." Irma pushed down on a pressure point, and Hay Lin's fingers reflexively straightened. "That's a good girl." She said as the knife fell to the floor. They let Hay Lin go, and she breathed heavily as her body went limp. She moaned, then clenched her fists and let out a low pitched scream, storming back to the kitchen.
They let out a deep breath. "Well, that's enough excitement for one day." Irma exclaimed as they backed away from the booth.
"Yeah, looks like dinner's ruined, though…" Cornelia said looking at the spilled soup.
"Hey, everything alright down here?" They turned to see Martin.
"It is now. Just a little spill." Said Irma.
"Alright we'll get that cleaned up. The meal's on us."
"Thanks Martin." Irma gave him a little kiss on the cheek, making him blush.
"Let's hope Alchemy didn't see that." Cornelia said with a smile.
"See what?" They all turned and saw who it was. "Is someone trying to take my big cuddly wuddly snuggie pie from me?" Alchemy asked as she walked towards Martin, giving him an Eskimo kiss.
"Well look at the time, we've gotta hit the road…see you guys later…" Cornelia said as she tugged at Irma, and they both walked out. "So you still hungry?"
"Give it fifteen minutes and my appetite should be back."
Cornelia shrugged. "That was nothing worse than you and Andrew."
"You should see yourself and Angelo…"
"Speaking of which, they probably haven't eaten yet, wanna surprise them with Pizza?"
Irma pulled out her phone. "Sounds good to me."
That night, after dinner, both former Guardians hugged their boyfriends and adopted daughters tighter than before. After the events of the last few days and this evening, they were all the more grateful for the life they were now building.
So Cornelia and Irma have all their enthrallment memories locked away! They'll have to face them someday, what's going to happen then? And what did Cornelia mean when she said that Bess believes her?
Also, it sounds a bit confusing, but it turns out that the memory of skills and training is a very different kind of memory than the memory of events. For example, they say once you learn how to ride a bike, you never forget how. That's true. In fact, most people don't remember their first few times riding a bike, or their most basic lessons in any skill they have, and they don't need to in order to perform them.
*And about Woolly Adelgids. They are a parasitic bug that nests in and feeds on trees, and can be devastating to a forest. I figured that being able to listen to the trees is a very passive power, so Cornelia wouldn't need to use much of her life force to do it.