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

Season Three Episode Twenty-Five: "Endgame, Part Two" Chapter One

Sheffield. Parents, teachers, and fellow students cringed in fear when they saw the Guardians knocked from the air by Neera's rage-fueled attack. Susan cried and buried her face in Dean's shoulder. Harold Hale clenched his fist and demanded that somebody do something. Anna Lair looked straight at the oracle. "You've got to help them!" She exclaimed, "Isn't there anything you can do?"

Himerish answered by saying loudly "Mrs. Lair, and other parents of the Guardians as well, hear me: At present we are too weakened to assist the Guardians. Nevertheless, they are far from beaten." He motioned up towards the fold into Kandrakar. "Observe."

Kandrakar. Queen Neera stood over her foes, satisfied that she had finally won. "Kandrakar and its champions, the power of its Heart, are mine." She thought to herself, "Freeing Varthan becomes a minor issue compared to this. Not that such will be any difficulty either…"

As the Dark Queen stood ruminating over these thoughts, she suddenly became aware that she was not alone with the Guardians. With a loud battle-cry, Raythor leapt high into the sky and arced down, slashing his blade across Neera's armored back. The strike did no damage, but successfully distracted her from the other two Meridian soldiers who charged from in front and buried their own swords deep into the less-armored underside of her thorax.

Neera roared in pain and swung in a half circle, sweeping the two men off of their feet and sending them flying though the air. Raythor faced her, alone now. "I'd ask for a dance luv," he said, "But with so many legs you'd have to lead."

Plucking the swords from her body and casting them away, Neera sneered as she answered "With only two legs, you could never keep up with my dance moves. I guess I'll just have to eat you. I'm terribly hungry after so long in that crystal, after all, and it wouldn't do to consume the Guardians just yet…"

Raythor laughed, as he leaned to the side to peer around the Dark Queen's bulk and said "Guardians? I don't see any Guardians."

Neera chanced a quick glance over her shoulder. Sure enough, the Guardians and Matt were gone. "Clever." She said, "But it changes nothing. Kandrakar is mine either way. And of course, even if you get them back to earth, they'll just come back and try to fight me again anyway."

"You're assuming you'll still be around for them to have another shot at you." Raythor said. "Sandpit, if you please?" At Raythor's command, Sandpit surged forward out of hiding, enveloping Neera and forcing his way into the chinks of her armor at each leg's joints. Once in, he continued moving, painfully scouring away at the muscles within the joints.

Neera unleashed a blast of power, forcing Sandpit out after only a few seconds. As he recollected himself for another assault, Raythor held out a hand. "No mate, that'll do. Wouldn't want you in the line of fire now would we?"

Neera, still irritated by the damage Sandpit had inflicted, didn't have a chance to ask what line of fire Raythor was speaking of before she found out firsthand. From behind, she heard the voices of two girls each speaking a single word. Then the attack struck home, powerful blasts of blue and pure white energy that were incredibly painful to the Dark Queen.

Turning, Neera saw three new Guardians. It took her a moment to recognize Alchemy and Cassidy, though the third… "Miranda. I must say you continue to surprise me. First you overcome my Mindflayers, and now this. The powers of a Guardian. What is this power you have? It actually hurts me."

"It would." Miranda answered. "Ours are powers of light, from the Light of Meridian, and you are nothing but darkness within and without."

"Well said. Ladies, if I may suggest, this isn't a good time for the usual hero/villain monologing though." Cassidy said. "I vote we just kick her butt."

"Seconded." Miranda said.

"All in favor?" Alchemy asked. From all around Neera came the sound of the other Guardians agreeing.

Neera looked around at the Guardians surrounding her. "How could you have recovered so quickly?"

"Healing powers." Alchemy grinned.

"Hmm. I see I have a greater challenge than I had thought." Neera murmured. She focused a portion of her power and sent out a signal, setting into motion a new contingency measure…

Sheffield. Judas awoke with a start, sitting straight upwards. He saw the other Dominators were also waking up. He heard the call: "Come to me." Neera's voice, echoing in his mind, pulling him to bring the Heart of Zambala to her in Kandrakar. Of course, he couldn't fly up to the fold in the sky, his Dominator powers were gone.

"Good." He thought. Serving Neera was the last thing he wanted to do. "With no fold, I can't obey the command." Even as he thought it, though, a new fold opened across the gym. Against his will, Judas moved towards it slowly. He found that he could, by resisting, slow his progress. But he couldn't stop himself. The other Dominators were also moving alongside him.

Anthony Ananias was shocked when his son suddenly stood and started walking towards the new fold. He stepped into the path. "Judas?" he asked. "Judas what's going on?" He tried to put a hand on Judas' should to stop him. He was repelled backwards by an unseen force.

"General Stanrych?" Anthony called out to his commander, who was across the room, "We appear to have a problem."

Still struggling, Sandra cried out in fear at what was happening. "It's not us!" she exclaimed.

"It's Neera!" Bess said. "She's calling us back! She wants the Heart!"

"You don't have to obey her!" Anthony said. "Fight back, resist her!"

"Tryin' dad." Judas said. "But it ain't working." He groaned under his breath as the exertion of slowing down his movements took it's toll. He looked straight at his father, eye to eye. "Help us." He said…