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

Season Three Episode Eighteen: "M.A.C.E., Part One" Chapter Four

Sheffield. The school board spent longer than they had expected reaching a conclusion regarding the bands. After the first half hour, Matt said to Will "Wow, I guess it's a tough choice. I wonder if this delay is good or bad?"

"There's one way to find out." Will said. "Hay Lin, care to do a little spying?" she thought to the Air Guardian.

"I was just wondering about that myself. Hang on." Hay Lin excused herself from Eric, walked around the nearest corner, and vanished. Invisible, she returned to the room and eased in close to the board.

"I still question whether we should even be having this dance." One man was saying. "We have five students missing under mysterious circumstances. Aren't we just creating a big target by having so many students together?"

"You mean like the target that's there every single day school is in session anyway?" Someone else said.

Nickelbocker held up her hands. "People, people please. This decision is already made. We're just stomping over old ground. The dance will be well guarded, there'll be a dozen off-duty police officers outside, three inside, and we'll add private security as well. So let's focus on the matter at hand. Which band gets to provide the music?"

"I think we should go with Jay's solution." an older woman said. "It's the perfect compromise."

"If we can't just cancel the whole thing, then I agree." the first man replied.

"Very well then. We have a motion and a second." Nickelbocker said. "All in agreement, say 'Aye.'" All but one did so.

Hay Lin rushed back to Eric while informing Will of what she had heard. "Whatever the choice, it's been made." Will whispered to Matt.

Bess and Courtney waited outside the school grounds, watching for Cornelia to leave from the top of a nearby apartment building. "Are you sure she's still in there?" Courtney asked her sister.

"Yeah. She's in there with a couple of the other Guardians."

"I just hope they go separate ways when they leave." Courtney said. "I don't wanna try to fight three or four of them with just the two of us."

Bess answered "If they don't split up at all, we'll call it off. But I'll bet you we could handle two of them in an even fight."

"Maybe. Hey, look there! That girl going in the front doors, look familiar?"

"Yeah…" Bess said. "She was with the Guardians at Elyon's palace. I wonder who she is?"

Cornelia looked up at the sound of the auditorium door opening. Cassidy entered and joined the girls waiting at the back. "They still haven't given the boys an answer?" Cassidy asked. "That's gonna run us late."

"They're telling them now." Will said. "Don't worry, we're still good for the mall. I just want to hear from Matt before we leave."

Moments later, the huddle of Board and band members broke up and the boys came to the back. "So?" Hay Lin asked, "Who won?"

"We both did." Matt said. "They decided that Gideon's band plays the first hour and we play the second."

"Whoa… Alchemy called it. Remember, she suggested you guys should do something like that earlier." said Will.

"It works out I guess." Nigel said glaring at Matt. "But I still think we could've won the whole thing with more practice."

"Then go get some now." Cornelia said. "Will and I are going shopping with Cass anyway." The three girls left and headed for the local mall, unaware they were being watched by the Grumpers…

Later that evening, Cassidy returned home to find Miranda already there. The younger girl was on the phone with Gideon, but quickly excused herself and hung up. Joining Cassidy in the kitchen, Miranda said "I'm glad you're here. I need to ask you about something."

"Sure, what's up?" Cassidy asked her.

"Well, something really weird happened to me today. I was hoping maybe you'd have an idea what it was about, before I tell the other girls. Except for Taranee I mean, she was there." Miranda then told Cassidy the whole story of what had happened to her earlier.

"That's a new one on me." Cassidy said when she was finished. I guess I should tell you about what happened to me today."

"More weirdness?"

"Yeah. See, I was on my way to the mall with Will and Corny when the Grumpers showed up out of nowhere and attacked us. We didn't have any warning, so they had the girls on the ground before we even knew what was happening."

"Are they alright?" Miranda asked.

"They're fine now. But that's where it gets weird. See, they had ignored me at first, guess they thought I wasn't a danger. But then, when I was getting ready to draw on my life energy for a water blast, I felt something else instead. I don't know how to describe it really… But somehow I channeled Will's Quintessence power and Cornelia's Earth power through myself…"

"Wow. Both powers at once? That's impressive."

"It'll be impressive if I can figure out how I did it and do it again." Cassidy said. "All I know is, I was shooting lightning out of one hand and causing the local plants to attack with the other, at the same time. Freaked out the Grumpers good though, they ran in a hurry."

Miranda said "I'll bet. So, what did Will and Cornelia think about all this? They were pretty freaked out too, weren't they?"

"They would've been, yeah. But they were knocked out when it happened, and I didn't tell them afterwards."

"You know, we'll have to let them know about this."

"Yeah." Cassidy agreed. "But I'd like to figure some of it out first. I hate going to someone for help without having any of the answers at all."

"That makes sense. We'll figure it out together then." Miranda said. "So, it's movie night, what did you find?"

Cassidy grinned. "You'll love this one…"