Chapter 11

Summer Break

The sun beat down on a beautiful June day, and for once the Guardians were able to enjoy it in peace. All five of them sat under the shade of a large oak tree, which stood in the southeast corner of the Sheffield Institute property. Kids hurried and bustled around them, eagerly making various plans for the coming summer months.

"So," Hay Lin began, "what do you want…"

"Stop." Cornelia said, raising a hand. "I don't want to hear it."

"You don't even know what I was going to say!" Hay Lin protested.

"It doesn't matter, it was a question." Cornelia responded. "And after a week of final exams, I don't want to hear anymore questions. I don't even want to think."

"So I guess this is a bad time to remind you of what we're doing tonight?" Will replied.

Cornelia fixed a withering glare on her friend.

"Five minutes Will, you couldn't give me five minutes?"

"You've had three weeks to relax Cornelia." Taranee replied.

"Three weeks? It's been that long?" Hay Lin said, sitting up.

"Yep. Three weeks since we've last done anything Guardian related." Taranee said. "Three weeks since we last left Earth, three weeks since we last transformed, and three weeks since any on us has used powers."

"It still wasn't relaxing." Cornelia said, crossing her arms. "Three weeks of exams doesn't count as relaxing."

"You're lucky you got anything." Will replied. "We need to thank Orube big time for spending all of this time on Balsilide in our place."

"For the record, I'm still not happy about that." Taranee said coldly.

"You weren't happy about all the extra time you got to study?" Will asked, eyebrow raised.

"It's not the ends I'm worried about, it's the means." Taranee replied. "We took a good person and made her our personal servant."

"She's not a servant, she's a… volunteer." Will replied weakly.

"Also, I question this whole 'good person' thing." Cornelia added. "Orube tried to kill us, remember?"

"To be fair, it wasn't entirely her fault." Taranee countered.

"She tried to kill us." Cornelia repeated. "I don't care whose fault it is, she still did it."

"Good person or not, she does good work." Will said. "She found where the Shadow Walker is hiding. Took her three weeks, but still."

"She found or she thinks she found?" Hay Lin said. "What were her exact words?"

"Thinks." Will admitted, thinking it over. "But it's still the best we got. We're going to Balsilide tonight to try and get the Heart back."

"I bet that's easier then exams, right Irma?" Hay Lin said, nudging her friend.

If Irma heard Hay Lin, which was doubtful, she made no comment. Irma's thoughts had drifted away, following her eyes, which were staring off into the distance.

"Hello, Earth to Irma!" Hay Lin said, snapping her fingers. "Wake up!"

Irma jolted to attention, looking around herself quickly.

"Oh, sorry Hay Lin. My mind was… elsewhere."

"Probably thinking about boys." Will said with a laugh.

"Yeah, boys, that must be it." Irma said absentmindedly.

In reality, boys were far from Irma's thoughts. She was in fact thinking about the math exam she just took, the one she needed to pass in order to pass the course. She had spent all of her free time studying for it, but still wasn't confident in the result. Of course, none of the other girls knew about this. There was no need for them to worry about it too. Irma shook her head to clear her thoughts, and focused on more important things. She had already messed up once on Balsilide three weeks ago, and she was determined she wouldn't do so again. She would have to worry about school later.

Balsilide

The girls' spirits were high as they stepped out of the fold and onto Balsilide. It had been so long since they had been Guardians or off Earth that it felt good to put the wings on at last, and they were all eager to use their powers.

"Here? This thing is hiding here?" Cornelia said, surveying the land around her.

The Guardians, following Orube's directions, had folded into the middle of the large, dark forest that lined the Baldsilidian capital to the north. It stretched for miles, and was largely avoided by the city's citizens, save for a few woodsmen who logged the forest for resources. Even though it was only afternoon, little light made it through the dense canopy of trees, making it a perfect home for a creature of darkness such as the Shadow Walker.

"This is where she said." Will replied, looking around. "She should be here."

"I am." replied a voice from behind the girls.

The five Guardians turned to see Orube walking towards them, but much to their surprise, she was not alone. Behind her were eight followers, the seven members of the R.E.G, and one little girl, Selna.

"What are they doing here?" Will asked, eyeing Balken suspiciously.

"What's she doing here?" Irma asked wide-eyed, staring at Selna.

"You are taking down a dangerous, wanted villain on our world." Balken responded to Will. "It is our job to be here. Something you should have realized from the beginning."

"Look, I appreciate you wanting to help your world and all," Will replied, "but you're best option here is to go home and let us handle this. You're not going to do much but slow us down."

"I always thought you were a young fool, Guardian, but I never thought you were arrogant." Balken replied. "It appears I was wrong."

"I have to agree with Balken." Orube said. "It is their world, they have a right to defend it. Besides, we could use their strength."

"You're siding with them?" Cornelia said, staring at Orube.

"I swore an oath to you." Orube replied. "That means I have to obey you. It doesn't mean I have to agree with you."

For the second time today, Irma had been paying no attention to what her friends were saying. She had been focusing on Selna, who was doing her best to avoid Irma's gaze. After a while, Irma managed to corner the girl in order to talk with her.

"Go away." Selna said bitterly before Irma could begin.

"Look, my name is Irma, and I know what I did and I'm truly sorry." Irma said anyways. "But If I could just explain…"

"I don't want your explanations on why you killed my family." Selna replied bitterly. "I don't want anything to do with any of you.

"Then why are you here?"

"I need to be here when it dies." Selna responded with seriousness beyond her years. "I need to be here when it ends."

"And you let her come?" Will interrupted, pointing an accusing finger at Balken. "You let a 16 year old girl come to a battlefield?"

"We have no right to stop her." Balken replied calmly. "If she wants to come, she can come. Besides, you are no older, correct?"

Will gritted her teeth and swore internally. She wasn't sure how many shots they were going to get at this Shadow Walker, and she didn't want to mess this one up. Plus, she had this nagging feeling that she was forgetting something, but she couldn't think of what it was.

"Alright, let's just do this. Orube, where is this thing?" Will said.

"Just over this hill, there is a cave." Orube replied. "It goes back pretty far. I believe he's hiding in there."

"How do you know that?" Cornelia asked.

"There have been reports of animals going missing in these parts." Orube replied as the group began walking up the hill. "Everything from pets to livestock. And I've staked out this area for the last few days. I think I might have seen it go into this cave."

"Think? Might? Not exactly filling me with confidence here Orube." Cornelia said.

"Have you ever tried looking for a shadow moving in-between shadows?" Orube asked.

"Alright, here's how this is going to go." Will said. "Taranee, Cornelia and Irma are going to enter the cave and try to find the Shadow Walker."

"The three of you alone will not be able to defeat it." Orube warned.

"They're not going to defeat it, they're going to flush it out." Will explained. "Get it to leave the cave, where Hay Lin and I will be waiting. I think I can trap it if I throw up a box of energy from the Heart around it. At the very least, it's worth a shot."

"And what about us?" Syln, the archer for the R.E.G asked. "What do we do?"

"Whatever you feel like." Will replied. "I suggest you split yourselves among our two teams. Some people go in the cave with Taranee and the others, and the rest of you stay out here and help with the capture."

"And what if we disagree with this plan?" Balken asked.

"You won't, because it's a good one and you know it." Will said with a smile.

Balken opened his mouth to say something, but stopped himself, giving Will only a sharp glare. The group approached the entrance to the cave silently, and moved themselves into position. Balken, accompanied by the brothers, Hoth and Troth, entered the cave with Taranee, Cornelia and Irma. The rest, including Will and the Heart, stayed outside waiting. With a wave from Irma, the makeshift group of six entered the cave. Taranee made sure to light a small fire with her hands, giving off just enough light to see in an otherwise pitch-black cavern.

"Okay," Taranee whispered, "our first order of business is to…"

"Hold on a second." Balken interrupted, being careful to keep his voice lowered. "Why do you get command?"

"When Will's not here, leadership just kinda defaults to Taranee." Cornelia replied softly.

"I have more military experience." Balken countered. "I have leadership training…"

"Balken, can we not do this now?" Taranee said, exasperated.

"I know this area better." Balken continued, ignoring Taranee.

"Look, all I was going to say is that we need to find the Shadow Walker first." Taranee said. "Can't we at least agree on…"

Suddenly, two black shapes hit Taranee and Balken hard, sending them flying backwards into the hard stone wall. The pair was stunned, but for the most part unhurt.

"Hey Taranee," Irma whispered as she saw the twin red eyes appear in front of her, "I think we found him."