Chapter 3:
Back at Sheffield, it was Lunch and there were two groups in the Lunch Hall that kept their distance from each other. One group was of Cornelia Hale and Alchemy Ethel, while the other group was of Irma Lair, Taranee Cook, Caleb Hart, and Hay Lin.
"So, when is your grandmother returning, Hay Lin?", Taranee asked her fellow Guardian.
"Sometime this weekend.", answered Hay Lin. "She's going with Kadma and her husband to a funeral. Halnior and Cassidy are even going with them!"
"Really?", Taranee questioned getting a nod from Hay Lin. "Wow! Didn't see that coming. They say where they were going?"
"To Fadden Hills.", Hay Lin said. "Can you believe it?"
"No! Wait! You mean they're going to the same funeral at Will?", Taranee questioned.
"That would be my guess.", Hay Lin said. "Whoever the person was must have been good friends with them."
"I wonder if anybody from the past is going to remember Cassidy if they see her.", Taranee pondered. "What do you guys think?", she asked Irma and Caleb.
"Look at her.", Irma says as she glares at Cornelia, who isn't even looking at her.
"Oh brother.", Taranee said with a roll of her eyes.
"I still can't believe that the Oracle made her a Guardian again!", Irma said with a sneer.
"Maybe because Cornelia was under a form of mind control.", Taranee said.
"And now she's good again.", Hay Lin added.
"And how do we know that she won't go and attack any of us from that mind control?", Caleb questioned. "For all we know, Nerissa could have left a little command for her to attack at a certain time."
"She's a time bomb waiting to go off.", Irma said. "She can't be trusted."
"You mean like me?"
The four of them turned to see Matt standing at the table holding his tray.
"M-Matt! When did you get here?", Irma asked nervously.
"I just walked up here when I heard what you said.", Matt answered. "And if you think Cornelia can't be trusted because of what Nerissa did with her, then you must feel the same about me after the whole Shagon thing."
"That's different.", Caleb said.
"How? How is it different?", Matt asked as he sat next to Irma. "Nerissa turned me into Shagon and used me to attack all of you. Just as she use Cornelia to attack Will."
"But you were able to fight it.", Irma replied.
"Barely!", Matt said. "It took almost everything I had to gain control! And even now with my role as Regent, I'm still stuck with the reminder of Shagon when I transform."
"I'm sorry, Matt.", Irma said as she held his hand. "I didn't know how much this bothered you."
"Thanks.", Matt said as he smiled at Irma who returned the smile. "But you have to cut Cornelia some slack. I mean if the Oracle saw any evil in her he wouldn't have made her a Guardian again."
"He made my mother a Guardian and look what happened there.", Caleb said. "The guy isn't perfect."
"Maybe so, but can't go and judge her based off of what happened.", Hay Lin said. "We have to give her the benefit of the doubt.", she said earning a nod from Taranee.
"She has a point.", Taranee said.
"You two can go and think she's changed.", Caleb said. "As for me, I'm not going to trust her one bit!"
"Same here!", Irma said in agreement.
"Oh boy.", Matt said with a sigh as Eric and Nigel came walking up to the table.
'Well at least we won't hear any Cornelia-bashing for the rest of Lunch.', he thought to himself with a sigh of relief.
At another table, Cornelia and Alchemy were having a talk of their own.
"I wonder if Cassidy will be okay at the funeral she's going to.", Alchemy pondered.
"She'll be fine.", Cornelia said. "She has her friends with her. I just hope nothing goes down between her and Will."
"I don't think she has any problems with Cassidy.", Alchemy said.
"Yeah. It's me she hates.", Cornelia said. "Can't say I don't blame her though."
"But you were under mind control, Cornelia.", Alchemy replied.
"Maybe so. But it all still happened.", Cornelia said. "Nothing can change that."
"Then you move on and hope it never happens again.", Alchemy said getting Cornelia's attention. "You show Will and all those that don't trust you that you've become stronger from it and will fight the good fight for as long as you can! And I'll be right there with! And I'm sure that Cass as your back! So don't give up. Okay?", she asked with pleading eyes.
"Thanks, Al.", Cornelia said with a smile. "That helps a lot. You're a true friend."
"Thanks!", Alchemy said with a smile. "OH! I meant to tell you earlier! Elyon is coming back to school!"
"What? When?", Cornelia asked getting excited.
"Monday.", Alchemy said. "And she won't be alone. Turns out that Drake and Aldern are coming with her to watch over her."
"Where will they be staying?"
"Aparently, Mrs. Kadma and her husband offered to take them all in while Mr. and Mrs. Brown help run Meridian. They have a house ready for them and everything.", Alchemy explained. "Plus, two more people are moving in there, too! From what Cassidy told me one of the is Kadma and her husband's son while the other one is their grandson."
"Wow!", Cornelia said. "I hope their house is big enough."
"From what Cassidy said, it is.", Alchemy replied. "So, hear anything from your online lover in Fadden Hills?", she asked with a playful smirk.
"Well, turns out that he'll be moving here soon!", Cornelia said happily.
"Get out!", Alchemy said.
"Yeah!", Cornelia said. "But first, they have to get through his grandmother's funeral this week.", Cornelia said sadly. "I haven't emailed him since we talked about it all. I want to give him time to mourn. You know?"
"You don't think that it's the same funeral Cassidy and Will are going to?", Alchemy questioned.
"I think so.", Cornelia said as she pulled out her I-Phone and brought up his picture. "I'm just looking forward to seeing him after all this time."
The picture was of a fifteen year old African-American boy with brown eyes and black hair close shaved wearing a pair of blue jeans, and a white tank-top with black sneakers.
"He's cute!", Alchemy said as she looked at the picture. "And you still haven't told him your name?"
"Just as he hasn't told me his name.", Cornelia said as she put her phone away. "But soon we'll meet and go from there."
"Well good luck.", Alchemy said as the bell rang. "And now it's off to class."
"Oh joy.", Cornelia said sarcastically getting a laugh out of Alchemy as they threw their trash away and headed to class.
Back in Hadden Hills, Angelo and Will were heading back to Angelo's house after spending some time with Selece and Micheal.
"It felt good seeing Selece and Micheal again.", Will said as they walked down the sidewalk. "I just wish it was during better times."
"Same here.", Angelo said. "But it can't be helped. But at least we all will be seeing more of each other soon."
"True.", Will said with a smile as they got near the Vanders' home only to see a limo pull up to the house. "What's with the limo?"
"My grandparents are here, with their friends and guest!", Angelo said happy that they had finally arrived.
"Grandpa Joe's here?", Will said in a happy tone. "Wait! I never met his wife before."
"That's because she's been working a very important job out of the country."Angelo explained. "I've been going to she her every once in a while since I was little. Remember all those times I left to see family back in the day?", he asked getting a nod from Will. "Well, that was when I went to see my Grandma Kadma."
"Grandma Kadma?", Will questioned in shock just as Kadma got out of the limo with her husband Joe Vanders.
"Hey, Grandma! Hey, Grandpa!", Angelo said as he walked up to hug his grandparents.
"How are you, Angelo?", Kadma said as she hugged her grandson.
"I'm great!", Angelo replied as they pulled away from each other. "It's great to see you and Gramps!"
"I'm sure it is!", Joe said as he hugged his grandson. "It's great to see ya, boy!"
"Great to be seen!", Angelo said as they pulled away from each other.
Just then, Halinor got out of the limo, followed by Cassidy, Yan Lin, and Jun Lin.
"So this is my future grandson?", Yan Lin questioned with a smile. "My has he grown. He definitely looks like you did when you were younger, Joe.", she said with a kind smile.
"Yeah, Grandma Yan!", Angelo said as he hugged the elderly Asian woman.
"Hello, Angelo.", Yan Lin said. "Have you been good?", she questioned with a wink.
"As good as I can be.", he said with a wink of his own.
"Why does that worry me?", Halinor questioned with a grin.
"Nana Hallie!", Angelo shouted as he hugged the former Fire Guardian.
"Hello, Angelo!", Halinor said with a smile as they hugged each other. "It's good to see you!"
"And it's good to see you, too!", Halinor said as they pulled away from each other.
"So, you were able to leave your "job" to come here?", Angelo questioned as he did quotation fingers on the word "job" in a way so Will couldn't see.
"They respect the fact that coming here was important.", Halinor said with a kind smile.
"Cool!", Angelo said as he noticed Cassidy. "Who's she?"
"This is Cassidy Chacon.", Kadma introduced. "She's one of the people that'll be living with us in Heatherfield."
"Plus, she's here for the funeral.", Joe added.
"Miss Gale was a good friend to me.", Cassidy said as she shook hands with Angelo. "She always had a way of making you feel ike you were family."
"Yeah. She did.", Angelo said with a smile that Cassidy returned.
"Ah! Hello, Will.", Yan Lin said to the red-head.
"Hi.", Will said.
"How you doing, Kiddo!", Joe said as he hugged Will, who happily returned the hug.
"I'm doing great!", Will said smiling. "But I didn't know that you the rest of you would be here!", she said to the others. "And did I hear right when you called Angelo you future grandson, Ms. Lin?"
"Yep.", Yan Lin said. "You see, his uncle is engaged to my daughter here.", she said as Jun Lin stepped forward. This is my daughter, Jun Lin."
"Hi.", Jun Lin said as she and Will shook hands.
"Hello.", Will said. "Nice to meet you."
"Like wise.", Jun Lin said with a kind smile that Will returned. "Let us all head inside."
"Don't have to tell me twice!", Cassidy said as they all headed inside while Angelo helped the limo driver with the luggage.
Later that evening after everyone had greeted each other and was getting along well, it was time to catch some "Z's". Everyone was in their rooms getting ready for bed. As she was sitting on her bed, dressed in a white tank-top and blue sweatpants that she cut into shorts to sleep in, Cassidy was looking through a photo album she and the rest of C.H.Y.K.N. made when they were all younger.
"Boy does this bring back some memories.", Cassidy said as she turned a page to see more pictures of herself and her friends.
Most of the pictures were of them on other worlds while in their Guardian forms for protection. And a lot of them had Joe with them on those worlds as well. Just as she was enjoying the memories, a knock came at her door.
"Now who the heck is that?", Cassidy said as she closed the album and headed to the door and opened it to see that it was Angelo. "Oh! Hi, Angelo."
"Hey.", Angelo said. "Mind if I come in?"
"Ummmm... Sure.", Cassidy said letting him inside the room.
"Thanks.", Angelo said as he walked inside. "Listen. I'm just going to get to the point. You have any good stories on my grandparents from back in the day?"
"Wait! What?", she questioned surprised by Angelo's question.
"Cassidy. I know you were the last Water Guardian.", Angelo said.
"I... I have no idea what you're talking about.", Cassidy said.
"Ummmmm...", Angelo said while pointing to the photo album on the bed.
"Aw, crap!", Cassidy said.
"Relax.", Angelo said with a wave of his hand. "My grandparents told me about the whole Guardian thing a long time ago. Trust me when I say that you haven't live until you've seen a walking talking tree like-creature at the age of seven.", he said with a grin.
"Phew!", Cassidy said breathing a sigh of relief. "You scared me for a second there!"
"Sorry about that.", Angelo said.
"So, you know about me, Kaddie, and the other girls, huh?", Cassidy questioned.
"Yep.", Angelo replied. "Grandma told about the new Guardians, but she hasn't told me who they are. She said it was for them to know and for me to find out. That is if I ever do find out. But she did say that they have three extra Guardians thanks to something your former Guardian Nerissa did."
"Yep.", Cassidy said with a smirk as she formed a ball of water.
"You're one of the extra Guardians?", he questioned in a whisper.
"Yep.", Cassidy said.
"Why tell me?", Angelo questioned.
"Well for one, you're moving to Heatherfield.", Cassidy explained. "And two, if the girls and Joe trust you enough to tell you about our past adventures, then I think I can trust you with me being a Guardian. As for the others, that'll be up to them."
"Fair enough.", Angelo said.
"Now as for some good stories from back in the day involving your grandparents, I have some that'll crack you up!", Cassidy said with a smirk while sitting on her bed while Angelo sat in a chair.
"Lay them on me!", Angelo said smirking.
Meanwhile, on Kandrakar, Endarno was in his chambers thinking of how to get the Council of the Known Worlds to vote to have Cassidy, Cornelia, and Alchemy stripped of their powers and have them along with the extra Air and Quintessence powers given to W.I.T.C.H.
"There has to be a way!", Endarno said to himself as he paced back and forth in his chambers. "But how? I know that the ones the Oracle will pick to be the extra Air and Quintessence Guardians will be those that will somehow get along well with one or two members of W.I.T.C.H. I somehow have to stop that from happening to cause a bit of strife between both groups. If I can do that, then I can bring Kandrakar back to the way it should be!"
Endarno then looked at a picture of him as a child with his parents.
"Mother. Father. You taught me that order is the way to having peace.", he said proudly. "And it's order we need to show that Kandrakar is strong. Five Guardians was all we needed in the past. And it's all we need for the future! And I'll make sure that all of them see that! And I'll let nothing stand in my way!"
Two days later, in the home of John Vanders, there were people getting ready for an important day. The women and young ladies were dressed in black dresses while the men and young men were dressed in black suits. They as well as all those who knew Gale Robertson exited their homes and got in their cars, trucks, or vans and headed towards the town's church. For now it was time to say their goodbyes to Miss Gale Robertson. Tears would be shed as they remember the good things about her while some would have some interesting stories to tell and share. But in the end one thing was for sure. The Robertson's live would be changed.
A/N: Well, everyone has gathered for the funeral. Of course tears will be shed. But in the end they keep Gale in their hearts. But it seems that Endarno has some plans of his own to get rid of Cassidy, Alchemy, and Cornelia. Question is can he pull it off? Only time will tell.
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