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

Season Three Episode Twelve: "Acid Test" Chapter Two

Meridian. After Elyon and the other girls arrived, they headed straight to Raythor. The soldier bowed when he saw his Queen. "I am at your service your Majesty." he said, "What do you require of me?"

Elyon said, "Miranda's been kidnapped and taken to Varthan. The Guardians and the Regents of Earth are going to her rescue, but there's a problem. Neera wanted us to be able to easily get into her palace before, so she could spring a trap. This time, I'll bet the place is so heavily guarded that the frontal approach won't work."

Raythor agreed, "Yeah. That sounds like good strategy on Neera's part. What do you have in mind to break through it?"

"That's where you come in. We'll fake the frontal assault rescue we're probably supposed to be dumb enough to try. Meanwhile, what you'll be doing is…" Elyon laid out the rest of the plan.

"This could work. May I suggest an additional member of my party though?"

"Take whoever you think you'll need Raythor." Elyon said. "Also, Cassidy will be with you as well. How quickly can you be ready?"

"Give me ten minutes your Majesty. And then together we'll show Varthan that Meridian is not a place trifled with lightly." Raythor turned and left to prepare.

Varthan. Neera's throne room. Miranda held her head tightly and tried to ignore the Mindquaver voices shouting into her thoughts. It wasn't working. "Friends are a falsehood." one said. "Hope and joy are lies." stated another. Yet a third shouted "Yield to despair."

Miranda knew she couldn't escape outwardly. So she tried to escape in the other direction. She withdrew into her mind, closing off her connections to the outside world. The voices weren't silenced, but at least they were muffled down to whispers. In her mind, Miranda saw herself as being down on her hands and knees. Tears ran down her cheeks. "I can't resist this forever." she thought. "I know they're lying. I know it. But it's worming into my thoughts anyway. I'm going to lose. I'm going to lose and turn and betray my friends. God help me, I don't want to do that. I need help. I NEED HELP!" Moments later, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Earth. Will had collected Matt, Napoleon, and Huggles. Together, the three changed into their regent forms. "Hey doll, I got a question." Napoleon said to Will. "Are you sure Miranda has really changed? How do we know this isn't a trick?"

"Look cat, I understand that that's a fair question from your point of view. You've barely seen Miranda the last couple months. But don't say stuff like that in front of Elyon or Cassidy unless you wanna lose two of those nine lives." Will answered. "Now let's go." Will opened a fold to Varthan and they passed through.

In Varthan, The rest of the Guardians, Cassidy, and Raythor's team were waiting. "Does everyone know the plan?" Elyon asked. There were nods of agreement from all present. "Okay then. Let's go get her back. Good luck everyone."

Within her mind, Miranda looked up to see an image of Elyon standing next to her. It was this image's hand she had felt. "Elyon?…" She started to ask, then remembered where she was. "You're not real."

The Elyon image said "No. But I'm not coming from Neera's little toys either. You're making me. You needed help, and here I am."

"I'm not sure what good you'll do."

"You're doing good right now. Coming here hasn't saved you, but it's bought you time. Time to think. You need to fight this Miranda." Ghost Elyon said.

Miranda replied "I don't know how." She then became aware of yet another presence in her thoughts. As she looked, she saw an image of herself in the spider form she so often fought battles as. This ghost changed until it was in her human form. "You're me?" Miranda asked.

The shade replied, "I'm the old you. The person you used to be. Answer me a question Miranda. Am I what you want to be?"

"God no." the girl whispered. "I like who I've become."

"Then you've got to fight back. Otherwise, I'm exactly what Neera will turn you back into. Me… or worse."

"But I don't know how to fight this thing!" Miranda exclaimed.

The Elyon image knelt down in front of her. "Yes you do Miranda. Oh yes you do. Think about it. How do you fight other things? What defeats darkness? Light. What conquers hate? Love. You put out a fire with water, and you beat fear with courage. What do all of those have in common Miranda?"

"They… They're opposites?"

A ghost of Will now appeared next to Elyon. "Very good. So, if Neera is attacking you with lies, then what is the opposite you use as your weapon?"

"Truth." Miranda realized. "You fight lies with truth."

Suddenly, Miranda found herself surrounded by all of the Guardians, plus Alchemy, Cassidy, Martin, Matt, and even Caleb and Blunk. A whispered thought from a Mindquaver spoke to her "You have no friends… no friends…no friends…" it kept on repeating itself. The images of her friends encouraged her to fight back.

Standing, Miranda addressed the voice directly. "Elyon is my friend. Cassidy and Alchemy, The Guardians and their boyfriends… even Blunk!" The voice was silenced.

Soon enough, another lie intruded, whispering "You are all alone. You have no family."

"Family is more than blood." Miranda countered. "My friends are my family. I'll never be alone again." Another small victory.

Perhaps sensing that they were being beaten, the Mindquavers became more insistent. "The Guardians do not really trust you. No one will ever trust you after what you have done in the past." they chanted at her.

Miranda looked at her friends for help. "I… I don't know how to answer this one!" she said.

The Irma ghost said to her, "When Garix came for Martin, who did I trust to help Caleb get him to safety?"

"And who did we all trust to warn our families when Cthulu attacked the city?" Cornelia's image asked.

"Who was the first person I called," Elyon said, "When Alchemy was in danger?"

Miranda's eyes grew wide. "Me." she said. This truth had been right in front of her all along and she hadn't noticed. "You guys really do trust me." She shouted at the intruding thoughts, "My friends trust me with their lives and their families' lives."

Suddenly there was silence. "I think you've won." shade Caleb said. "Now you've just got to wake up."

Neera stood over Miranda, waiting. It wouldn't be long now. Soon the first of her new servants would be under thrall. And once this first acid test was successful, they would collect the others and brainwash them with the Mindquavers as well. It was all going so smoothly. Then all at once the quavers shut down. "Their work is done." Neera thought. "Miranda is mine."

Coming back awake, Miranda struggled to her knees, then onto her feet. She stood, head bowed. Neera stepped forward and placed a hand on the girl's head. "Very good child. You are now mine. And now you will be given the power I promised you. Won't that be wonderful?"

Miranda raised her head and fixed an angry and defiant gave upon the Dark Queen. "No. It won't." she said. "You have failed. Your promises are lies, your power a sham, and your attack on my friends filled with falsehoods. I am not your servant. I am not the hopeless child you wanted. I'll never give you whatever it is you really want out of me, and I will never betray my friends… …My family."

Queen Neera roared in anger, and then shouted out "Guards! Attend me!" A group of eight royal guards rushed in. "You refuse to join me?" she asked. "So be it. But I will not give you the quick death you anticipate. Guards, take our foolish friend to the torture masters. They will show her the error of her ways."

The guards led Miranda away, while Neera ruminated on how she could have failed…