Disclaimer: I don't own W.I.T.C.H and I don't own the white void idea, which belongs to the Sarah Jane Adventures, who belong to the BBC. (I think)
AN: I've set the start date of the events in the W.I.T.C.H cartoons as approximately October 2005. The reason for this will become clearer over the course of this chapter, I hope. Arrgh I've just realised that in chapter one I kept referring to Melinda as Miranda. Sorry.
"Who are you? And what are you doing in my restaurant?" Yan Lin asked in a slightly more hostile voice the second time. She stared hard at Melinda, as though she were trying to read her mind.
"I I I'm Melinda." Melinda stuttered, somewhat spooked by the intensity of the stare. "And I don't know how I got here."
Seeing Melinda's obvious confusion, Yan Lin's face softened. "Well then, I guess you'd better take a seat then and wait for my little Hay Lin and her friends to return. They might be better able to help you find answers."
Joan just looked at both of them in surprise. Then she spoke through her gritted teeth "What. Are. You. Talking. About?"
Yan Lin looked at her daughter in law. "Joan" she began "There's something I need to tell you…"
Anzu stood transfixed at the sight of Lurdens and US Marines shooting at one another. It was undoubtedly Heatherfield Central Park, she recognised the war memorial. But she knew that Lurdens and Marines had never fought against one another and most certainly not in Heatherfield Central Park. Lurdens never carried guns either, travelling through portals made them useless. It wasn't until a mortar shell exploded behind her that the spell was broken. Determined to discover what was going on, she kneeled down and put her hands on the ground. Calling her powers, she discovered that they were gone, as though they never existed.
The girls looked around at the building they were in. It looked exactly like Alice's house, except it was derelict. It was Alice who broke the silence. "Umm guys it might be a good idea to get Melinda. I've got a feeling that this is guardian related stuff."
The other two looked at her with incredulous expressions. "Of course its guardian related stuff." snapped Sarah "This weird stuff is always guardian related. You're right though, we should find Melinda and the one you forgot, Anzu as well."
Blushing slightly, Alice apologised, remembering that Sarah and Anzu had been the best of friends since primary school. Cautiously they left the room they were in and they started to make their way into the street in front of them. It was then that Hannah let out a small gasp of surprise.
"What is it? What's wrong?" the girls asked the normally unshakeable air guardian.
"It's the winds. I can't hear their song. I should be able to hear their song!" Hannah said, her voice rising into a scream.
Alice and Sarah looked at her. "What song?" they both asked in unison.
"The windsong! The songs the winds carry with them all the time! The songs I've heard since I became a guardian!" Hannah said in a voice that was slightly hysterical.
Spinning her friend to face her, Sarah looked her in the eye. "Look I don't know what's going on, but we need you to stay calm. Besides you've always got us."
"Sorry, I guess I freaked a little. You're right I need to stay calm. Thanks Sarah."
Sarah flashed a relieved smile at her friend. "Hey what are friends for? Besides you'd do the same."
Thomas looked around him. All he could see was a white void. The last thing he could recall, he had been sitting in his room, working on his homework. Then there was a flash of light and he had turned up here. How did I get here? He wondered to himself
"You are here young Thomas Vandom because someone has altered time and you never got this old."
Thomas turned towards the voice. There was no one there. "What do you mean I never got this old?"
The voice spoke again. "Thomas Vandom, because time has been changed, instead of being adopted by Will and Caleb Vandom, you died at the hands of your father. You were less than a year old. Your sister would also be here, were it not for the Heart of Candracar. Because of this, there is a chance for you to help set things right."
"What do I need to do?" Thomas asked with a sinking feeling.
"Do?" the voice seemed amused. "I merely need you to contact your sister using that delightful twin telepathy you have. She's in 2005 and should be able to lead the old guardians to do what needs doing. As for the guardians of your era, well I'll find a way."
"But what do I tell her?"
"Tell her to find the love that has started too early. That will help her find her destination."
Thomas sighed. Sitting down, he closed his eyes and began to focus.
The first person Caleb saw when he entered the Silver Dragon for the first time was someone he would never have expected to see at a guardian's home. One of Phobos's soldiers known as Miranda was sitting at a table drinking tea.
Sneaking up behind her, he grabbed her wrist and forced her face down on to the table. "What are you doing here Miranda?" he asked in an angry voice, to which she replied
"I'm not Miranda, I'm Melinda." And with that she threw him over her shoulder. It was then that Will and Melinda mirrored each other as they both reached for the Heart of Candracar. As the two hearts came out, something unexpected happened. A bolt of lightening shot out from both hearts, connected briefly, before throwing both girls backward and knocking them both unconscious.
Melinda opened her eyes to see her brother, surrounded by a white void. "Hi sis" he said with a smile. "There's a message I have to pass on. Time has been changed and according to this white void, you can fix it. Don't ask. Point is your supposed to help fix this. You start by finding the love that has started too soon. This sounds stupid but it's our only lead."
Melinda nodded. "At least it's a start. Now the hard thing is to convince this lot that I'm not our mum. Our biological mum that is."
Thomas laughed. "That's brilliant that. Have fun."
Melinda opened her eyes to see Will lying on a bed opposite her. She could hear the others arguing in the other room. Will looked at her. "Who are you and why do you have a copy of the heart?"
"Well" Melinda began "it's sort of like this…"
AN: Before I forget, thank you again XV-Dragon for your invaluable help, it's most useful.