18: Prophesy

Those who hold the secret of the key will disappear
Light will take hold it
Darkness will steal it 2 moons before the reveal
When the moon hides the sun the path will be shown
The chosen of light will battle the darkness
A life will be lost from the light
The masters of elements with one heart will stand for the final battle
For if light fails then darkness will cover over all

Kandrakar

"Demal really thinks he is that darkness it talks about" Irma sighed as she sat down on the floor in Will's room.

"And he thinks it a power that can be controlled, but anyone who knows what that place truly holds will know how dangerous it is to open that doorway, that power can't be controlled" Cornelia spoke a little down as she looked into the pool in the room. "And despite nearly doing it once before he still thinks he can do it."

"And all this time we thought he disappeared into the shadows and would have passed away, yet he is back, and everything is playing out the same as before" Hay Lin was clearly upset as she looked at a photo of them all with the other team members from the past.

"She is right, the previous guardians disappeared, they held the secret of the key just like the guards of the moonlight tower in meridian where it was originally kept" Taranee thought out loud as she ran through each part. "We found the key in the tower in a hidden room and we still held it when the previous guardians disappeared as he thought they had it, so that would fill the 2nd part being held by light. Both times Demal has taken it from us 2 days before the eclipse. The next part is the easy bit, as is the battle. Masters of elements with one heart speak of whoever stands as the guardians clearly so we know the new 5 will face Demal, but as it doesn't say who will win means it can go either way like it did when we stood against him."

"You forgot the life lost part in that reminder to us all" Irma pointed out.

"I didn't forget it" Taranee looked down and sighed a little as she remembered what happened. "It is just Tahu took a blow that should have been meant for all of us, and we did promise to stop Demal to him, yet here we are now, we failed"

"We didn't fail him" Cornelia spoke trying to cheer her up. "We did stop him, I don't think any of us could have seen him returning."

"Despite all we did in stopping so many evil forces who are truly gone, either by them being imprisoned and dying of old age, taking themselves out or removing the reason they were causing problems. What kind of legacy did we leave for the future generations by only being able to break the key apart if this is coming around again" Will muttered. "We need to work out a way of destroying that key once and for all, otherwise this will happen again and again until Demal or someone else opens that door and destroys everything." She was doing her best to put Demal's strange obsession with her aside, but the fact he had created a copy of her had annoyed her.

Meridian

Demal smiled as he thought how everything had gone so far, and also imagined those who stopped him before would be suffering for knowing that he was in this position again with the key. He then looked down as his copy of Will who slept beside him, he stroked her head as he smiled happily.

"Don't worry my dear, I will soon have what is rightfully mine, and you will be at my side, something that fool you came from refused to accept, the true power of darkness and who she is deep down, bout you accepted that" he spoke while in her sleep Will smiled. He then lay down next to her and fell asleep, for tomorrow was a time away, and he would need all his energy to fight those who will be trying to stop him, the new guardians and anyone who comes with them.

Earth

There was silence from the 5 other girls after Rachel told them of the prophesy. They looked to each other with a unsettles look on their faces, the 4 other guardians all were releasing what had happened so far, and that what is now before them.

"Is there any way of knowing who will be the one to die?" Emma nervously asked having got a little unsettled by the silence.

"Going by what that prophesy said, there won't be any way of knowing who it will be" Terri spoke. "All that was said is someone on the side of light, so it could be any of us, or anyone who fights with us."

"Sis, I don't come with us for this now" Amy hugged her sisters afraid for her. "If something happened to you because you don't have any powers to defend yourself I won't be able to live with the fact I let you come."

"Nor will I be able to if I just let you go without help if it is you that takes this fate" Janet replied as she cuddled her sister back.

"If anyone is not wanting to do this then I suggest you leave now then" Holly spoke out a little nervously as she took the heart out from a small bag she had placed on the ground next to where Emma was perched. She held both hands over it, feeling a warmth from it that soothed her nerves. She looked across to the others.

"You basically said we are a team, hearts linked together, so I am here till the end" Rachel spoke up, the strongest they ever heard her speak and clearly determined, it seemed she was no-longer shy around them. She then placed her right hand on top of both of Holly's.

"You know I always got your back" Terri smiled as she then placed her right hand on top of Rachel's.

"I made a promise to my brother that I will keep the infinite dimensions safe, and that is something I plan on doing as long as I can" Emma then jumped down and placed her right hand on the pile.

"If it means I get to have a fight that I won't get in trouble for because it does good, I am there" Amy happily spoke as she then added her right hand.

"While I don't have any powers, you can count on me to be there for you all" Janet added while placing her right hand on top.

Holly looked at them all and smiled, taking her left hand away from the bottom with the heart in it. They all stood smiling at each other, the glow of the heart got a little brighter but none of them noticed. "Everyone thank you, let's make certain we are ready for this then" Holly spoke as then they all took their hands apart before she looked to Janet. "You may want to stand back for this." Holly gave a cheeky smile as she then placed the necklace part of the heart around her neck as it then glowed a little more and hovered up before her face. Janet took a few steps back watching as suddenly there was a strong force wind that emanated from the heart blowing everything back which she had to fight to remain standing, but the 5 girls were unaffected. "Guardians unite!" Holly called out as then Janet had to cover her eyes as a bright flash blinded her for a second while the 5 orbs left the heart and engulfed each of the 5 girls they were linked to and when she could look again hovering where the girls had been standing were the 5 glowing orbs of pink, grey, green, red and blue. She could see the shadow of each of the girls curled up inside before another flash blinded her again and then before her they all stood now in their guardian forms.

"Now that is impressive" Janet spoke as she was a little overwhelmed seeing the effects of their transformation to guardian, considering the change back was quick and didn't have much of an effect around them she wasn't expecting to see what she did. She calmed down and then jogged over and jumped onto her sister's back, who now stood slightly taller than her and smiled a little.

"And what is this about your promising your brother Emma?" Holly asked realising fully what she had said.

"Look he was only a few moments old and I got lost in the emotions of being with him" Emma replied a little embarrassed. "But mum and dad were not around so they don't know, plus I don't think he will remember what I said to him as I don't remember anything from that age, do any of you?"

There was a few moments of silence from them all as they thought back for them to realise she was right, none of them could remember anything from that age. After a few more awkward moments of silence Terri spoke as she took flight. "So we to be able to attack fast, hit hard and perform combo's, not just with our powers, but combining them with each other's powers."

"Both in offence and defence, we don't know how this fight will go" Emma added to the plan as she, Holly and Rachel also took flight.

"Sis just practice what we did and you should be fine" Amy smiled as she flew up from her sister after she got off her so she could go and join the others in the air as the rest all took flight up from the ground and joined Terri.

"Right, but don't forget I am down here all right" Janet spoke and giggled a little as she moved into a combat position and started to practice punching and kicking.

"I got an idea for how to start of" Holly giggled as she then launched a bolt of lightning towards Emma who quickly flew around it. "Dodge the lightning."

There was some laughter from the other girls as they all took different flight paths to dodge Holly's attacks or using their powers to block or take the hit without harming them. After a while they then switched to Rachel launching fireballs and having them chase them. Occasionally someone would also go doing and help Janet with her practice, getting her to try and attack them or to defend or dodge attacks from them.

After a while of playing dodge whatever element they then started to try mixing things around with the powers, some obvious ones like water and lightning, or the rocks and fire like they had already done, as well as manipulating temperature of the water with the air powers to trying some unusual ones like mixing fire and water together and the lightning in the vines of plants. Janet had also found a old solid metal pipe about a long as she was tall and started using that as a bo staff, something she remembered from the recent history lessons for her class in Japanese history from looking as the martial arts and the weapons they used, sadly they were never told how anyone did these forms of fighting, but she decided to use it by holding it in the middle and found it a much more comfortable way for her to do combat with something she felt she could use to deal with anyone who came at her with a weapon.

Kandrakar

Yan Lin was kneeling down before a large pool of water looking into it watching what was happening on earth with a smile on her face. Behind her Luba walked into the chamber and stood by the door before speaking "Pardon the intrusion Oracle, but there is concern for the new guardians ability to perform the task at hand by some members of the council."

"They have a right to be concerned Luba for the new guardians." Yan Lin softly spoke. "But they are strong willed and they are all very determined to not fail the task at hand."

"Then you have sensed the outcome I assume of this darkness coming before us again" Luba asked.

"Sadly for all I have not, the darkness hides what future holds for us all, but I can see and sense the desire in the 5 girls and they are coming together strongly" Yan Lin replied with a slight sigh before regaining her composure. "We just need to believe in them, plus Will would tell us that she had learned hope is a strong power, so hope in them that this will be stopped will help too."

"Once again a strange but familiar situation we find ourselves in it seems, darkness hiding what is to come. And with the other one, the earth guardian's sister, what about her?" Luba also mentioned as she saw Yan Lin single for her to come up to also look. She also watched what the water showed, all of them training hard. "You think she should be given..."

"No" Yan Lin interrupted calmly. "There has been no sign from either of the two them as yet to even suggest that she is a possibility to have one of the drivers given to her. And what about the other crystal?"

"It hasn't seemed to have picked users either" Luba sighed as she looked on. "Back then is was the 5 main guardians, the 2 additional members, the 3 reagents of earth, 7 Toa with the other powered members and best combat warriors of the Mechanax along with the best warriors that Meridian had available. But these days with both the forces of Meridian and Mechanax not having seen full combat action for many years now, the other crystal not choosing and no other magic users to aid the girls who I also fear may be too inexperienced to fight against Demal with his two new and very deadly additions to his forces they will all be in a out matched position."

"It is a hard position we find ourselves in but a I told you we just have to believe in the guardians as has always been the case, and in those who chose to stand with them" Yan Lin spoke. "I have known that pressure that they will feel going into this, as did Will and the others, and the new ones will feel this, but they have already shown they are determined to do this."

"Then what about letting them evolve now then?" Luba thought out loud. "Give them the full merge with the aurameres? Giving to the fact Will and her team were merged fully with them originally."

"Something they can't do currently I am afraid old friend" Yan Lin told her. "It is as you said they are too inexperienced and new with their powers, so they haven't had enough time to grow with them and know the limits of what they can do with what they have. If it had been the previous team I may have said yes, but time would have been against them to confront the powers to have total mastery over them."

"Then things are truly desperate" Luba sighed as she turned to leave only to be interrupted by Yan Lin as she got near the door.

"Despite not being able to see what is coming or able to more to help the girls, they are guardians and they know what it is they need to do, I am certain they will come out on top" she spoke with a smile.

"If only we all had the same way of looking at things as you do, something that will be missed when you take your leave of us here and move on" Luba whispered to herself with a smile thinking back on all Yan Lin has done since she became the Oracle as she left the chamber and walked back to the main council chamber.

Earth

They day had passed away and the sun was starting to set, all 6 girls had been training hard, tho only Janet was showing any sign of being exhausted. The others all landed as Holly summoned the heart from within herself and after a quick flash of pink light they were all back to normal.

"So we all meet back here at 10:30 tomorrow morning, and we can head off to Kandrakar together, I know Janet and Amy can get across with that Tonga thing, but this way means we all know everyone is around" Terri spoke as she looked over everyone else.

"I'm good with that, means we know we all are ready" Janet spoke as she tossed the pipe away.

"Right, just as well it a weekend so we not missing school, but will we want the astral drops summoned to cover for us while away?" Emma asked

"Depends on what time of day the eclipse is" Holly spoke as she then looked to Rachel "You find anything in that legend file to say a time?"

"No there is no hint about the time, only the date, 18th day of the 9th lunar cycle of each solar cycle. So once we see the Oracle we can hopefully find out" Rachel replied.

"But what about sis, those astral drops only be used to create a copy of us, right?" Amy spoke out. "So while I can be covered for she won't be."

"We shall see what they can do if we are going to be gone till late" Holly replied as she picked up her bag and placed the heart back into it.

"Speaking of late I best get back to the orphanage before too many questions arise about what I am doing as I am mostly known for staying in my room or if the place has to kick us out for some reason I go to the archives to read and they close soon so see you all tomorrow" Rachel spoke as she waved to them all and went off.

"Yea, we best get back too, mum and dad had plans for something tonight" Janet said as she pulled Amy by her right arm and waved.

"Right, see you all then" Amy called as the sisters then walked off into the distance.

"I am certain mum and dad also have plans because of my little brother finally arriving so I better move back" Emma waved as she ran off, not wanting to fly so her parents won't know she can.

"Well we best get to yours then as your aunt will be expecting us if she is back from work yet" Terri commented to Holly as they both set off together.

Holly took a small holo tile from her pocket and spoke to it. "Well then, you want to tell me the time then please."

"It is 7pm miss Holly" It replied in a posh female voice.

"She will be home about the time we get back I think" Holly then spoke to Terri as she put the tile away.

"I don't think I will get use to them talking back like that" Terri giggled as they went off.

As the night set in Terri had dinner back at Holly's before returning home and enjoyed a cuddle up with her mother before going to her room about 9:30pm and doing her homework, not wanting to be too tired from what she was about to do tomorrow to do it on the Sunday before she called it a night. Holly spent some time playing holo games with her aunt before they both went to bed. Emma had to spend the evening and early night having a lot of the neighbours around to congratulate them on the new arrival to the family, but once everyone had gone she went to bed. Rachel spent her time doing some more research about Meridian and anything about the region they will be in, staying up most of the night before going to bed. As for Amy and Janet they got back in time for a well made meal, both parents having a early finish from work, allowing them to eat a mix of different flavoured jelly-like objects that was made of solidified nutrients they needed. They both decided to call it a early night (10pm ish which for them was early as they often would be up till midnight), they both went to bed and slept for a while before Amy was awoken by Janet about 2am.

"Sis, wake up" Janet spoke as she kicked the underside of Amy's bed making her moan a little from discomfort, Janet had been poking and hitting the underside of the bed for ages already.

"Ok, ok I am awake" Amy sleepily replied.

"I want you tell me everything you know about the situation Jessica is in, because from what I understood from what little I heard in Kandrakar is that she isn't possessed like I was" Janet asked.

Amy sighed a little before speaking. "She is under some sort of mind control spell, and from what I understood she has to remain near either Demal or the evil copy of the Overseer otherwise the mind control spell weakens."

"Any idea on the range of that control is then?" Janet curiously asked as from under her pillow she pulled out the Tonga tooth and looked at it, as she started to think of a way to help her get free.

"No idea at all, but going by what we have seen is that Demal or the copy of the Overseer is always near her I would say at least they need to be only a short distance away to maintain control, but let's say on the same planet just to be certain" Amy replied as she got curious to why Janet was asking this. "Why do you want to know about this?"

"I may have a plan, but I will tell you tomorrow as I also need to ask that Oracle person if my idea would work, so don't get your hopes up yet" Janet giggled a little as she put the tooth back. "Get your sleep for now, thanks for helping me to try and work this out, didn't want to ask you while mum or dad were awake or around the others in case I got too many hopes up."

"Ok sis, but remember your plan can't take us away from the end goal of stopping Demal and getting that key back as that must come first" Amy said as she yawned and slowly went back to sleep.

"I know, and don't worry if what I am thinking of would work, you all won't have to deal with her at all" Janet whispered as she then lay her head down and went to sleep.

Meridian

As the night passed on earth, for meridian the day was dawning, tho in the Frakill mountains that was hard to tell as the storm continued to rage overhead, except for a break in the middle of the clouds over the middle of the mountains that the sun would peak through when it got high enough in the sky. In their hiding spot Demal awoke and stood up, placing his cloak on but leaving the hood down. He walked round to the entrance where Jessica still stood in the same spot, not showing any sign of being awake all night and seemed to still be full of energy.

"Anything to report?" Demal quietly asked her as he stood to her right.

"Mechanax have stepped up patrols since dawn master" She replied. "Meridian troops have also joined them now in patrolling as well."

"Very well, I had expected nothing less from them" He smiled. Turning around to see Will had also risen and was wearing her cloak, seeing her made him smile more. "My love, remain here with Jessica, once the path reveals itself we will meet up by it, I will come with the Dolgag's, which I am going to check on and make certain they are ready."

"That will be fine dear" Will replied as she came up and gave him a kiss. "I will use the time to make sure we are both ready." She then placed both her hands on Jessica's shoulders who didn't seem to give any response to her touch.

"I wish you both the best then" Demal spoke to them before disappearing away in a green and white flash. Will then gently pushed Jessica around into the middle of the cavern they were in.

"Now then girl, prepare to be ready to fight for me and my loves destiny, you are to protect your master at all costs from those who will try and stop us" Will spoke as a black mist emitted from under her cloak and started engulfing her and started to surround Jessica.

"I am prepared mistress" Jessica spoke as the mist also engulfed her.

Next Time: The day dawns.