25: Life

Earth, Heatherfield, 6 Weeks Later

On a hill overlooking Heatherfield the sun was starting to set, going red on the horizon, the trees were dropping red and brown leaves as autumn had taken full effect and the 5 girls stood all wrapped up in warm clothing that consisted of thick trousers, jackets, coats and boots (Rachel wore thicker stuff then the others as she felt the cold more). They all stood before a tomb stone within the graveyard they were visiting. The stone read:

Holly Wilhelmina Olson/Davis

24.1.2498 – 18.9.2513

Loved Daughter, Niece, Friend, Guardian

A life given so others can live.

The stone was decorated along the bottom with their 5 elemental symbols, with the quintessence symbol in the middle and larger than the others. Between them and Sophie they all came up with the cover for her death: that during the storm she protected them from it at the cost of her own life. That way her sacrifice would mean something to anyone who read her tombstone and wondered what it meant by the whole guardian bit. And with Will's help in magically placing information where needed they set the story in place. For each of the girls the first couple of days was the hardest to go through after they got back as none of them wanted to forget the sacrifice that was, but also knowing they did need to move on in life.

Emma had decided to show her parents that she was now able to fly fully, tho she just said she met someone who helped her overcome her fear, something which both her parents were proud of, she now flew alongside her father as they took Garry up in a special carrier so he could feel the winds of the skies. She also introduced them to Raven, going with the story that it was him that helped her in beating her fears and had developed a friendship with him, to which he has now moved in with them as her pet, living down on the lower level with her while also proving popular with the others to have around the house.

Amy and Janet both had different ways of reacting and coping with what had gone on: Amy at the start was taking out some of her frustration on a tree near there home for a while before she finally calmed down and spent her time looking at the stars, wondering what else they are to see out there and the many adventures that await them all, having realised that just hating what happened would have not been something that someone who gave their life would have wanted. While Janet had taken back up a hobby she had abandoned years ago, she raided her stuff that she kept tucked out of the way and found out a present she got from Holly and began drawing, starting with a sketch of all 6 of them together, looking out into the stars, something that her sister's fondness of what secrets the stars hold inspired her in for the drawing.

Rachel had returned back to the orphanage much to James's relief unharmed, telling him that she will go with being fostered and hopefully adopted, and once Holly's funeral was done just over a week later she then moved in with Sophie for the trial period and then only a few days ago the full adoption was approved with Rachel now having Sophie as her mother, but not before telling James he was like a father to her, something that he was proud to have heard from her. She also was not hiding herself away anymore or avoiding showing her emotions around other people, allowing herself to forge relationships with people at school at around her new neighbourhood.

Terri had come back to find her mum was in the hospital, going across fearing the worst she was relieved to find out she was going to be perfectly fine, and getting the news that her mum was pregnant, she had just caught the same bug that had been going around work and her morning sickness hadn't helped but after a few days she was allowed back home to be with her family. Both her mum and Jack had comforted her as she mourned the loss of her close friend, but she knew that she also now had new friends that she had a strong link to, and who will be there when she needed them.

The funeral had received more people had Sophie had expected, considering there wasn't any other members of family around to attend it she was just expecting herself, the girls, Terri's family, a few colleges from work and some old friends of her parents to attend, but there were quite a few people that came from the school to attend as she was someone who was loved at the school.

As girls all stood around the grave they each placed in turn a new bunch of flowers made up of different colours and types over it. To the left of Holly's grave was both her parents grave's. None of them said a word as they stood there, instead they all gave a teary smile as they watched the sun on the horizon setting.

Kandrakar

Will watched the girls from within Kandrakar at the pool that allowed viewing onto the other worlds, she smiled as she watched them cuddle together. For her, she had finished the rituals and procedures to fully induct her as the new Oracle 3 weeks ago, and each day in her free time she would check to see that the girls were all doing well. She then turned around as a male blue skinned person walked into the chamber wearing the normal robes for Kandrakar members.

"Oracle, you requested my presence?" He curiously asked as he bowed his head briefly.

"Yes I did Overseer Yarlk" She smiled to him as she replied. "Come, I want you be present for this."

Will lead him through the corridors and up stairways of the fortress as he then spoke to her on their journey. "Oracle, while I am honoured to have been given this position, there are many things that I am uncertain of."

"Such as?" She calmly asked him back.

"Mainly, the other you, why have we not been searching for her?" He asked her, clearly confused at the decision she made when the girls had told her that the other her was missing.

"Given the fact she has my memories, she will know of many places to hide that are not pleasant for a search to take place and also knows that even if we got everyone that Kandrakar could summon to look for her, there are plenty of places she could still hide and not be found that she would have been told of because of Demal and not from my memories." Will told him calmly. "Therefore she has the advantage, knowing that it is nearly impossible to find her and knowing that we will too. So we will play this by waiting for her to make her move. She won't know I am not Oracle, but that doesn't make her any less of a danger once she does make her move."

"I see" He smiled. "Then what about finding a replacement for the fallen guardian?"

"That is not something I can't force upon the girls." She informed him. "If they wish to have a new member that will be bonded to the quintessence auramere that will be done if and when they decide to have a new member."

"Then what is this about then?" He became more curious about what they were going as they went higher in the fortress into one of the towers that were on top of the building.

Will did not reply as the pair arrived at a large pair of wooden doors, on one of then there was a dragon mark within a ring engraved on the door and the other had the same mark that Janet had summoned when she used the sword and ring. Will gave a nod to Yarlk as they both placed a hand on each door and a unlocking sound was heard, then they opened the doors and walked in.

The chamber was a large dimly lit room except for pillars of light holding rings within them, they either were silver framed round rings like Will had kept in her room or black square-like ones line the once she had Janet use. At the end of the chamber in 2 large light pillars each was a device that was slightly bigger then her hand. She stood before them as Yarlk stood just behind her.

"Oracle, may I please know what this is about?" Yarlk asked her again.

"Janet, the sister of the earth guardian Amy" Will explained as she took one of the devices out of the light in both her hands as something large with red eyes moved in the shadows behind them. "For the guardians they evolve to become a magical creature the moment the aurameres bond to them and even once the link is removed the evolution they went through remains allowing them to retain limited access to magic. You see in Janet's case when Demal used her as a host for a Dolgag the same sort of evolution happened to her, as well as also happening to Jessica when he took her, tho she does not wish to partake in the activities of Kandrakar. The main thing is Yarlk when Janet used the powers of the ring I gave her to use, it was then that she showed she will be the one to use this. For she will ride with the animals and become 'the witch of beasts'." Behind them both another shadow appears that stood over them, a glow came from its green eyes as then a lion's roar then echoed through the fortress from a tower over it that they were in.

Earth, Heatherfield

The sun was nearly hidden on the horizon as the girls all started to walk off back towards the city, each ready for when they are summoned in their duty. In one of Rachel's pockets the heart glowed brightly, responding to the strong bond of them all while over head Raven flew happily. Behind them their shadows didn't match how they currently appeared. For Emma, Amy, Rachel and Terri it was of their guardian form, while for Janet her shadow was something else that had a lion head shape on the left shoulder.

"Every team of guardians forges their own legacy. For most it ends when they stand down from being guardians, while for others they leave something unfinished that another must finish. We sadly forged one that didn't end when we did, but with its end brings with it the beginning of a powerful new legacy. Guardians are always chosen in times of crisis and always they have done what is needed. For this new team they suffered a loss, but the future holds many surprises and secrets. Some they may not like and some they will. But they will shine out as they leave their mark like all those before them. They are the new guardians of the infinite dimensions, and their legacy is only just beginning..."

END

Writers Comment: Thank you to everyone who has read this. Please post comments, ect. I do try my best at writing so any comments are welcome.