Disclaimer: Neither W.I.T.C.H. Nor Sailor Moon nor anything else that might pop up belong to the writer of this story.

Author's Note, Taeniaea: Things are finally starting to pick up.

Author's Note, Rimshooter: As stated, the plot thickens.

Chapter VI: Beginnings Final

It had taken Hotaru some time to wake her fellow scouts, but it was done. From then on, it was a relatively short journey to today's designated meeting place. As always, once everyone had been assembled, Ami was quick to get to the point.

"I received a strange energy reading a few minutes ago that doesn't match up with anything in the database... but it also disappeared almost immediately after coming to attention, so there's very little data to work with... have any of you received any recent visions or premonitions?"

Hotaru looked at the faces of her comrades slightly nervously as Michiru and Rei both announced they had felt a vague premonition, but nothing they could discern anything from. Questioning Setsuna lead to a complete lack of response, as she had locked herself in the time gates and couldn't attend... which was usually a bad sign.

"What about you, Taru?" Chibiusa questioned, looking at her friend. As one, the scouts' attention focused on Hotaru... and increased when she averted her gaze nervously.

"I'm not sure..." She answered. In truth, her memory of the dream was extremely vague and confusing by this point, and it was hard enough to try and make sense of it when it was still fresh in her mind. "I don't think it could be a vision... visions usually stay clear in my mind indefinitely. I think it was just a nightmare..."

The collective group stared at her a moment or so more, before breaking up into different conversations. All of them but Chibiusa, whose attention remained on Hotaru. "Was it about Will?" She asked quietly.

In response, Hotaru simply nodded. "Some of it..."

"And the rest?" Ami prompted.

Hotaru shook her head, "I can't remember anything specific. Just Will, my house, and falling."

"Falling?" Chibiusa asked, but Hotaru shook her head again.

"I don't remember anything else about it."

"Well, be careful going out," Ami said, "If you meet Will again, let us know if anything unusual happens around the same time."

Hotaru nodded, and the meeting broke up into the usual bickering, chatting, and so forth.

"The pale light fades, hidden by a false cloud. Evening comes as the moonlight bade, the garden hides in night's shroud."

Blinking, Hotaru looked around in surprise, searching for the source of the voice she'd just heard, only to find nothing. Beside her, Chibiusa watched with a concerned expression

"Something wrong?" She asked.

"Maybe." Hotaru admitted, bewildered.

The meeting broke up shortly thereafter, and Hotaru left with Haruka and Michiru amidst promises to notify the others if anything odd was noticed.

O

"What is a family? Why does it matter so much to you?"

O

-Will (Barren Dimmension)

Will sighed tiredly, allowing herself to fall on her rump as the rest of the newly-minted guardians followed suit.

"Well..." Irma spoke up, "...I think you missed a spot, Granny Lin. My face isn't sore."

"It's not so bad, is it?" The elderly woman asked, a kindly smile on her face. "Just basic drills..."

Her response was a united glare from the four Guardians laying on the ground in front of her.

Yan Lin chuckled, glancing up into the sky. "And look, there's Hay Lin."

On cue, the spritely girl smiled, calling out to those below as she whizzed by. "Why are you all so tired? This is fun!"

Will shook her head incredulously, "How does she do that so easily?"

"She's an airhead. It helps her float." Irma answered tiredly.

Cornelia gave a frustrated sigh as she pulled out a long, vicious looking needle – no doubt courtesy of a nearby plant that was oversized and covered with various pointy things, "I'm not sure if I would prefer that to these thorns, to be honest,"

"At least you don't have an element you're afraid of," Taranee muttered, puffing out a small stream of smoke.

"Fire is fueled by emotion, Taranee," Yan Lin lectured, "Fearing it only gives it more strength. You need to calm yourself."

The girl treated Yan Lin to a despondent glare via her scorched face, "Easy for you to say. You're not the one getting their hair burned off."

Yan Lin might have had another good-humored jab to make at the fire user, but it was cut short when the heart glowed again and everyone in the group suddenly found themselves enveloped in soft, pink light.

-Ami

Ami's computer suddenly gave a loud beep, prompting a suppressed sigh of irritation. She was in the library, after all, and now she was the center of attention. Particularly, the only other person in the library – a girl with short, dark-brown hair, was leveling a glare at her. 'How can someone look so passive, yet send a message of such fury?' The bluenette wondered as she opened her lap top. A fanukuar pink dot was flashing regularly on screen at the edge of the district. 'That reading again.' She noted.

Just as she was about to stand and head out, she spotted another dot of power, violet-black in color. 'Saturn? But...' Her eyes flitted to where another, smaller dot marked Hotaru's location in civilian form. 'How does that work? I need to notify the others. It looks like there's about to be a fight.'

When Ami passed the other reader, they turned, eyes tracking her as she left. "Wonder where she's going in such a hurry?" The girl asked. There was a muffled thump, and the girl leaned over to look below her desk, where another girl was tied up in steel cables, a gag in her mouth. The girl's companion writhed and squirmed furiously, trying to say something as the first stared at her, blank-faced.

"You're being too noisy, Fia." She spoke at last, placing her foot on the other girl's head and pressing it into the floor.

A small whimper echoed throughout the empty library.

"No, you can't go help Syl. You'll hurt somebody."

A muffled grunt.

"Don't bother. I know you too well."

Another grunt, this one angry.

"I'll tell onee-sama."

Silence.

"Good girl." The foot on the bound girl's head patted her... inadvertently kicking it into the floor several times.

Fia's whimpers continued to echoe long afterward.

-Will

"This always going to happen?" Irma asked from her place, head sticking out of a pile of limbes and bodies, "Because if it is, I want to know where the resignation papers are..."

As Yan Lin opened her mouth to respond from her place standing nearby, she was interrupted as Hay Lin materialized mid-flight and flew herself into a nearby trash-can before she could stop.

A small giggle brought the group's attention to a girl with sandy blond hair, dressed in a simple white dress. She pointed at Hay Lind, eyes closed with mirth and hand pinching the bridge of her nose. "You guys are funny. I like you already!"

There was a period of awkward silence as the W.I.T.C.H. Members untangled themselves and helped Hay Lin out of the trash can... broken only by the little gir's persistent giggling.

"So... um..." Will started as they all faced her. "...we're just figments of your imagination?"

The girl laughed even louder, "That's original! I should try that next time... oh, wait..." She trailed off sky-blue eyes wide as she clapped her hands over her mouth.

"Next time?" Taranee asked nervously.

The girl shook her head. "No – nothing. Didn't say anything!"

The group stared at her, expressions clearly stating, "We're not buying it."

"Um... er..." She mumbled, backing up rapidly. "You need to watch.." She started, before clapping her hands even tighter to her face.

The Heart of Kandricar leaped from its place around Will's neck, pointing at the girl accusingly.

"Mou... Fia was right. I blew it in the first five seconds." The girl kicked the side of a building angrily... only to hold her foot in pain, revealing the glowing violet lines under her eyes. "Now we have to fight, and I wanted to play a game first! Rumina's going to be so angry..."

A swarm of small, wraith-like creatures sprang up from the shadows all around the group as, with a flash of violet light, the girl transformed into...

...a black Guardian?

"My name is Syl. It's nice to meet you!" She declared, hovering into the air, "I'm supposed to test you or distract your or something... so let's play a little! I want to see how good you are!"

"Well... today just got a lot better."

The dark wraiths closed in on the guardians eagerly.