Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H. This is a work of fan fiction.

Season Three Episode Three: "Elyon: Unite!" Chapter Four

Together, six Guardians, two boyfriends, two parents, and one very unlucky professor ran up the stairwell leading back to the entrance they had used to get in. Suddenly a group of twenty guards appeared on the stairs above them. As they stopped running, the lead guard called out, "Surrender! Bow before Queen Neera or suffer!"

"SO not happening." Cornelia said. She knelt and placed a hand on the step ahead of her. "Earth!" With a rumble vines grew out of the steps and walls entangling the guards. Three of them managed to cut free and charge. Before they could reach the Guardians, Elyon released a pair of light energy orbs that knocked two of them unconscious. The third made it to the group but was quickly dealt with by Caleb.

"Let's go!" Will said. They climbed past the vine-wrapped guards and continued to the floor they needed. But when they went through the door into the grand corridor they had passed through earlier, the formerly deserted palace now seemed overflowing with armed soldiers. At least two hundred filled the hallway, some riding on the backs of giant larvae.

"And there's the trap we knew was coming." said Taranee. "Let's rock… Fire!" Taranee ignited a flame in each hand and threw them at the nearest enemies, scattering them.

"Will, Matt, stay with our folks!" Irma shouted. "Hay Lin and I have got this!" Irma then focused her power over water, creating a flood to burst forth from pipes in the walls. Hay Lin directed a burst of frigid air over the soaking wet men, freezing them solid.

Tom looked at the frozen guards. He looked at his daughter. "Nice trick."

"Thanks," Irma said, "But it doesn't usually last long. We better move before-" With a great shattering sound the soldiers broke free and charged. One guard was in a perfect position to do great harm to Cornelia, but instead he leapt over her and charged at Caleb. Caleb drew his sword and defended himself but it was clear the man was stronger, more than a match. Cornelia sent a burst of earth energy racing toward her boyfriend's attacker, but it wasn't going to make it in time to save him.

"Light of Meridian!" Elyon shouted, sending a blinding flash of light that struck Caleb's opponent, knocking him twenty feet into the air. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Caleb grinned. "I'm supposed to be your bodyguard!"

"Quintessence!" Will fired a blast of lightning at a charging larvae. It stumbled but kept coming. In fact, she saw it hadn't deviated to charge her but was still moving directly towards her mother. "Mom!"

Cornelia and Hay Lin heard Will's cry. They saw the larvae. "Remember what worked on these guys before?" Cornelia asked.

"Let's do it." Hay Lin answered. Cornelia teletransported between Susan and the larvae and raised a cloud of dust into the air. Hay Lin stirred it up creating a dust storm. The larvae quickly stopped rather than go through. In fact it stopped so fast it's rider was thrown clear and landed, unconscious, behind the Guardians.

Will grabbed Cornelia and Hay Lin and hugged them hard. For the next few minutes, the battle continued. Guards were piling up, but they just kept coming, faster than they could be dealt with. "We've got to get out of here!" Matt shouted. "Forget the way we came in, we'll never get there!"

"He's right!" Taranee agreed. She looked around. Saw a nearby door. "That way!"

"Air!" Hay Lin funneled a stream of wind that cleared the path to the door. With the way open, everyone made it easily. Matt and Caleb pulled the door panels closed and engaged the lock. The sound of pounding rose from the other side.

"This isn't gonna hold them for long." Caleb said. "We need an exit."

Together they all surveyed the room. It was small, with another door opening off the other side. This second door was also closed. Next to it, Will saw a small control box. "Time to have a talk with the local appliances" she said. She touched the control panel, sent a little energy into it. "Hey you. What's your name?"

"If you must know, my name is Terigan." it said. "And as you are intruders I must report you to the guards."

"Don't you hear that pounding? The guards already know we're here."

The panel replied, "Good point. I guess there is nothing more for us to say to each other."

Will was angry. "Now hold on you cheap pile of spare parts! I'm the one who gave you life! Don't you owe me a little something for that?"

"Well…"

"Look, all I want you to do is tell me what's on the other side of this door."

"Oh very well. If you must know, it's the outdoors. And before you ask, even if I was willing to help you by opening it, I can't. I'm just a security scanner, not a door control." Terigan said.

"Sounds like it's your turn Corny" Irma said. "You've got a way with doors."

"My pleasure." Cornelia said. "Earth!" A path of fractured stone grew from Cornelia's hand to the door. Vines grew and wrapped around each side of it.

While this was happening, Susan, who had listened to Will's side of the conversation with Terigan, said "So… When you're around, anything electrical comes alive and talks to you, is that right?"

"Oh yeah. It's getting them to shut up that's the problem."

"So when you were yelling at the microwave last week…"

Will chuckled. "All I wanted was a warm donut. But no. Anytime I ask Roger to heat something he starts in about how I need to eat something more nutritious."

"And if you think that's bad," Irma added, "You should hear your refrigerator."

Cornelia realized she wasn't budging the closed door panels. The vines she could grow in human form just weren't big enough. She turned, walked over to Will. "Will, I understand that you're holding back because you don't want to upset them further. But we need more power to get out of here, and there's only one way to get it. Do it Will."

The adults were confused. Will's diary never explicitly mentioned transformation. "Do what?" Tom asked.

"This is the cool part Pops." Irma said to him.

Will pulled the Heart from around her neck. Looked at Susan. "Mom, try not to freak out too much."

"Freak out about what?" Susan asked. Will remained quiet, eyes closed, Heart held in her hand. "Will, sweetie, what are you afraid I might 'freak out' over?"

Will opened her eyes. "This." She held out her hand and let go of the heart which remained hovering in the air. "Guardians Unite!"

As Susan, Tom, and Dean watched, the crystal, the "Heart of Kandrakar," Susan reminded herself, hovered in thin air. All six of the girls began to float up alongside it. Then the Heart released six colored orbs of light, each of which surrounded one of the girls. Both parents wanted to shout out for their daughters, but knew this was what they had intended.

Moments later, the brightly shining orbs vanished and the girls were visible again. They were wearing odd uniforms, and seemed taller and more mature. Small wings allowed them to fly, but they slowly drifted back to the ground. Will stood before Susan. "Hi mom." she said shyly.

"Will. You look so… different!"

"Yeah. Yan Lin says this is what we'll actually look like normally in about three years. Minus the wings of course."

"Of course."

"Irma," Tom said, "In spite of the fact that you kept this hidden, I am so very proud of you."

"Thanks dad." Irma hugged her father.

"Family fun time can wait." Cornelia said. "Now that I've got full power, this door is going away. Earth!" Cornelia pounded the floor hard. The fractured stone grew wider and more jumbled, and the vines wrapped about the door thicker and stronger. Cornelia stood, crossed her arms, then made a wide, fast, spreading motion. The door went away, torn apart by the vines.

The pounding at the other door grew louder. "No time to waste!" Elyon exclaimed. "Let's get clear and leave this world behind!" Everyone ran for the exit as the interior door burst open.