Disclaimer: See ch1

Cornelia ducked behind the old war memorial in Heatherfield Central Park as bullets flew at her. Peeking from her place of cover, she saw an Asian girl kneeling on the ground, less than three metres away from her. The girl had a look of bewilderment and fear on her face. Gritting her teeth, Cornelia dashed out to the girl and grabbed her, carrying her to safety.

Anzu looked at the face of her rescuer with something approaching relief. "Cornelia?" she began, before throwing her arms around the former Earth guardian's neck in a hug. "Boy, am I glad to see you. What happened to my powers? It's like they were never there. I can't communicate with the earth or anything."

Cornelia looked at the girl she had just rescued with suspicion. "How do you know my name and what are you doing in the middle of a battlefield? And what do you mean powers?" to which the girl replied "My guardian powers of course. And you've known me since I became the new Earth guardian." Seeing the questioning look on Cornelia's face, she pressed on "For crying out loud, you were there when we defeated Lord Shail's forces at Candracar"

Cornelia's face became a scowl. " Three things ok? One, I've never seen you before in my life. Two, Candracar fell to Lord Shail's forces a month ago. All of the guardians, including my daughter and almost all of my friends died there. If my daughter hadn't thrown my husband Caleb and I out at the last minute, we would have died to. And not a day goes past that I wish she had lived instead of me. Three, you still haven't told me what you are doing here."

Anzu stared at Cornelia. "Oookay then. I'm not entirely sure how I got here, but I'm getting my suspicions as to what's going on. This may sound hard to believe but…

"Time travel?" Irma said looking at Melinda suspiciously. "Do you really think that we're that gullible? If that's the best that Prince Phobos's underlings can come up with, then beating him is going to be easier than I thought."

Melinda just glared at her aunt (or would be aunt sometime in the future) "Irma Lair. You've just discovered that you have magical powers, are meant to save the world and have just fought a huge monster called gargoyle with your friends. Add the fact that I'm wearing the Heart of Candracar at the same time as your leader Will, is time travel really that far-fetched?"

"Yes!" Cornelia burst out. "For once in her life Irma's right. I mean seriously, we're meant to believe someone who looks and sounds like one of Phobos's minions. Purlease. We're not stupid you know."

Irma just grinned. "Well I'm not so sure about Corny here, but even she's not that stupid."

Cornelia just scowled at her and raised her fist. But before she could do anything, Melinda said something to stop everyone in his or her tracks. "How you two ended up married I don't know."

At this statement Cornelia and Irma jumped away from one another, spluttering "But I'm not gay!!" simultaneously. The rest of the girls just laughed at this.

"I still don't trust her." Said Caleb from the corner of the basement. "But the fact that she has a copy of the heart troubles me. I suggest that we find out where Phobos is getting these things from and cut them off at the source."

Melinda let out an exasperated sigh. Caleb might be her adopted father in the future and probably one of the best, but right now he was being something of a nuisance. "Phobos doesn't have a source of fake hearts, I've already told you…"

"Yes, yes we know. You're from the future." Taranee cut in. "An while ah might buy that, I'll need proof to believe you."

Melinda racked her brain for ideas. "Well" she began "We could ask Candracar. The heart should be able to take us there. If nothing else it'll get me outta your hair."

Will, who had been sitting on a chair fiddling with the heart looked up sharply at those words. "I didn't know it could do that." But Yan Lin shook her head. "The heart hasn't been able to open portals like that since the veil was put in place." She said.

Melinda paused for a moment. "I've got a picture of the guardians from my generation in my pocket. Would that help?" she asked hopefully.

"Which pocket?" Yan Lin asked. "If nothing else, it'll give us an idea of what we're up against."

Melinda hesitated for a moment, before answering. "Right hand pocket. If you untie me I could get it out."

Yan Lin just looked at her. Then she smiled, her eyes lighted up with amusement. "No I don't think so." Turning to her granddaughter she said "Hay Lin, would you please retrieve the picture this young lady is referring to? Your power over air should be able to do it.

Melinda felt a build up of air in her pocket followed by a sudden tearing noise as her pocket was ripped off of her trousers. As the pocket fluttered towards Hay Lin, she looked at the diminutive air guardian with an eyebrow raised questioningly.

Hay Lin saw the damage she had done and sheepishly apologised. "But" she added brightly "look on the bright side. I'll be able to give you a funky new patch for your trousers. Or better still, design you a whole new outfit. That'll be fun, I've already got a few ideas and…" She trailed off as the other guardians looked at her with annoyance. With a sigh, she put her hand into the pocket and removed Alice's drawing.

The other girls gathered round to see the drawing. "Hey" Cornelia said, "They're human."

Melinda closed her eyes in exasperation. 'Wherever you are' she thought to herself 'I hope your doing better than I am'

Cornelia looked at Anzu in disbelief. "You're telling me that all this death and destruction didn't happen in your timeline?" Anzu nodded. Cornelia continued "So perhaps there might be a way to change it back?" Anzu nodded again. "Well you sound crazy to me, but I'm willing to try anything. It's got to be a better world than this. No parent should have to outlive their child. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy."

As Hannah, Alice and Sarah stepped out of the building, they came face to face with the one person they really didn't want to see without their guardian powers. Standing right in front of them stood Rebecca Hart, her steel body glistening even in the dull light. Hannah summed it up in one word. "Damn"