W.I.T.C.H. Dreams of Lusteria
By Galistar07water
Disclaimer: W.I.T.C.H. is owned and copyrighted by the Walt Disney Company Italia and is in no way affiliated with the fictional works of Galistar07water.
Author's note: If you would like to see drawings of W.I.T.C.H. Dreams of Lusteria, please visit my page and click the "W.I.T.C.H. Dreams of Lusteria" folder in the gallery section.
Chapter 07: The Sealed Portal pt. I
"You did well, Guardians," said Lord Araël. "Thanks to you, the western and northern hemispheres of Lusteria are free from Byakko and Xuan Wu's tyranny."
"And now we have two Guardians who have awoken a new transformation," Lady Verlona noted. "You should be proud, for no Guardians before you have reached this far."
"Yeah? At what price?" Taranee frowned.
"Taranee!" Hay Lin exclaimed, but the Fire Guardian continued to eye the Councilmen angrily.
"Our friend Kohaku died trying to stop Byakko and now Kimi could be dead from hypothermia!"
"There is no victory in war and battle without the sacrifices and selflessness of others," said Lord Araël.
"Sacrifices?" Taranee seethed her teeth as she clenched her fists furiously. Pointing an accusing finger at them, she said, "You're no different than Himerish, Araël! We are the ones on the front line, here! Where were you when the Celestial Warriors nearly killed us? Where were you when they killed Kohaku? Where the hell were you when they captured Kyochi? AND WHERE WERE YOU WHEN OUR FRIENDS NEARLY D—"
"Taranee, that's enough!" said Yan Lin, silencing them all.
The Guardians turned to see the Oracle entering the Gemini Council's great hall with their caretaker, Ngọc Long, along with another member. She had long, flowing brown hair with a pair of white angelic wings on her back!
"I understand the pain you've all been going through, but you must also understand there are things that even we Elders cannot and will not do. You care deeply for your new friends, but you must also respect some of their wishes to do what must be done, no matter how much it will hurt you. Kohaku knew this when he sacrificed himself to save you from Byakko. And Kimi knew it when she tried to escape from her imprisonment to take on Xuan Wu."
"Grandma…" Hay Lin began. "Kimi…is she…?"
The angelic woman stepped forward, her silver staff in hand as she smiled warmly. Yan Lin introduced her. "Girls, this is Lady Freyja, the Nordic Angel. She's the Gemini Council's healer."
"Fear not, Guardians," said Freyja. "Your friend will survive. You may all see her if you wished."
Without a word, she spread her angelic wings and guided them towards the healing ward down the hall. Hay Lin held her breath, unsure what to expect when she opened the door. She had watched Kimi succumbed to hypothermia in her human form and getting pummeled ruthlessly by a demi-goddess. If it was Hay Lin or any of her other friends, she didn't think any of them would be able to withstand that much coldness and brutality.
Orube glanced up when the others came in and quietly shushed them as they came closer. To their relief, Kimi looked slightly better than she was back on Lusteria. Although asleep, her breathing was fast with shallow breaths. She was also perspiring and coughing severely which concerned them greatly.
Putting a hand on Cornelia's shoulder, Ngọc Long said, "Had you not used your newfound earth magic to thaw the ice, Kimi would have died from hypothermia within the hour."
"You may have been able to restore Kimi's core temperature, but I'm afraid some of the microbial substances were able to infect her lungs. Her air sacs are filled with fluids and are now causing severe inflammation which leads to—"
"Angel lady, in English, please!" Irma interrupted.
The others glared at her for her rudeness, but the Nordic Angel doesn't seem to mind. "My apologies," Freyja laughed. "I forgot you girls aren't medical students like Kyochi. Unfortunately, Kimi now has pneumonia."
"Pneumonia?" Irma asked, rolling her eyes. "I thought Lusterians are stronger than us Earthlings. Doesn't that make them more healthy and resistant to getting sick, too?"
"Normally yes, Irma," Ngọc Long nodded, "our accumulated chi enables us to have a longer and healthier life span in general, just as long as we are able to maintain it at a certain level. Unfortunately, Kimi didn't have enough to keep her immune system strong, and most certainly not after performing such a dangerous and risky spell to escape her imprisonment."
"Xuan Wu's ice block was already absorbing Kimi's chi and magic as it is," Freyja added. "By trying to perform that elemental spell, Kimi exhausted all her remaining chireserves and that left her defenseless against the cold and the bacteria in it. I'm amazed that she still has the strength to face Xuan Wu afterwards."
"The extreme cold atmosphere in Xuan Wu's ice palace only contributed to the hypothermia," Ngọc Long added. "However she will live through this ordeal."
"I've done all I can," Lady Freyja continued with a gentle smile on her lips. Turning to face the Jade Dragon, she manifested a bottle. "Give her some azithromycin—"
"Wait, what?" Irma blinked again. "Is that some kind of fancy name for a Lusterian magical potion?"
Yan Lin and the two Gemini Council members gave her a look before Freyja shook her head and said, "No, it's just a regular antibiotic to treat your friend's infection." Turning her attention back to Ngọc Long, she continued, "This concoction was made by Kyochi before his disappearance. It will help his sister overcome her illness within a few days to a week. The Guardian of Light will return to her normal self soon enough. But for now, she'll need time to recuperate."
"Kimi will stay home where it'll be easier for me and our caretaker to watch over her," said Orube.
Ngọc Long nodded solemnly before taking the bottle. "Thank you, my friend." She glanced down at her ward sadly as she watched Orube and the others teleported back to Earth.
Yan Lin noticed this. "Is there something the matter, Jade Dragon?"
"We can heal Kimi's body, but what of her mind and her heart? I fear Xuan Wu has done more damaged than can be accounted for."
"Then we must hope the other Guardians will be able to help her with her ordeal," Yan Lin nodded.
"It won't be that simple, Oracle," said Ngọc Long. "For the road to recovery will test not just Kimi's, but the others' minds and hearts. The others will need Kimi's help as much as she needs them."
Yan Lin sighed, understanding what's about to happen in the next few days.
"Let us pray the Guardians will have enough time to get through this before facing another Celestial Warrior."
"You have done well, Zhu Que," said Hwang-Ryong (at the exact same time when Lord Araël was congratulating the Guardians in Kandrakar). "As promised, you are now my first lieutenant. If it pleases you, I will bestow upon you half of Byakko's western realm to add to your southern empire."
"I thank ye for thy generosity, my Lord," Zhu Que said. "But I have no desire for more domains. My Wrath is reserved for the southern hemisphere and our enemies, the Guardians. As our leader, it is only right for thou to haveth our brother's western realm."
Hwang-Ryong smiled. Zhu Que was wise to turn down his offer. As the Lord of Wrath, even he knew better to incite Hwang-Ryong's anger like Xuan Wu did. She was foolish for forgetting Hwang-Ryong the current host for the Deadly Sin of Greed. She deserved to die for her attempt to gain more land and power than their leader.
At the moment, the Celestial Warrior of Air came in, looking quite radiant with her black hair and fair skin as usual.
"My, my…the Chief of the Ainu people was a fool," Seiryuu sighed, shaking her head. "It was too easy for me to bring him down to his knees. Men's minds such as his are too easy to manipulate. Of course, I was willing to give him what he thinks he wants in exchange for his kingdom. Love? Ha! What nonsense! His wife is nothing more than harlot! Ah, Zhu Que! Back already? I take it that our older sister has been taken out?"
Zhu Que glared at her silently as if he disagreed with her on something.
"Xuan Wu hath been killed by the Earth Guardian's purified crystal," he confirmed. "It is unfortunate that we have lost a fellow member whilst our enemies have gained a new transformation."
"It does not matter, brother," Seiryuu replied. She walked over to Kyochi's sleeping body and ran a finger through his hair. "We still have the upper hand, no matter how many of them achieved new forms."
"How goes your siege in the tropics?" Hwang-Ryong asked.
"Yes, do tell," said Seiryuu, stroking the boy's face. "Last I heard there was a series of rebellions against your forces in the Kingdoms of Kampuchea, Thai, and Malaya."
"They'll soon suffer my Wrath for their insolence," Zhu Que replied darkly. He lifted his fist and it burst into flames. "Any who stands against me wilst know the Wrath of the Celestial Warrior of Fire!"
He disappeared in a burst of flame that shaped like a majestic flaming bird.
Seiryuu sighed before glancing down back at the comatose Guardian of Darkness.
"He's always had been such a theatrical," she smirked. Kyochi said nothing. "Hmm…I wonder how your little sister is doing."
Hwang-Ryong leaned against his throne, gazing at the floating interface before him. It was replaying the Guardians' final battle against Xuan Wu. "After what our dear Xuan Wu did to her, I doubt the Guardian of Light will ever be the same ever again. When the Light lose its path, we shall find use for the Darkness."
Kimi had never felt so cold and alone right now. All of her desire for revenge, to kill the demi-goddess for taking her father away was gone. She had been close to achieving her revenge, but Xuan Wu trapped her in a deadly hypothermic environment. No matter what she did, the Celestial Warrior of Water was the victor. Xuan Wu's words still haunts her, giving Kimi nothing but more mental anguish.
"How my siblings and I were able to capture your brother so easily was because his thoughts were plagued by you! The night we ambushed him in the Dark Forest, he whispered your name before he lost consciousness!"
Kimi tossed and turned, her hands clenching the blanket while her face perspired at the nightmare.
"How does it feel to know his capture was your fault? That's right, little girl. Why your precious brother isn't here, is because of you…and the reason why your father's dead…is because of YOU!"
Kimi's breathing was short and faster as Xuan Wu's words are replaced by painful memories. First were the images of her mother, Kotone, abandoning her children's side to save her brother's life and died in the arms of her husband. Then it switched to something more recent, showing her father sacrificing himself to save her from Byakko. His limbs turning into stone and was later impaled and shattered by Xuan Wu before her eyes. Last was a memory of her brother's face the night he disappeared.
Kyochi came into her room trying to tell her he had a mission to meet up with the elusive Prince of Darkness in the Dark Forest. He wouldn't be back for a few days. Before he left, Kyochi wanted to tell her he's sorry for what happened with Lexamus, but he didn't regret it. He did it for her. At the mention of Lexamus's name, Kimi furiously turned her back to him, refusing to speak to her brother. Kyochi sighed as he understood her anger. He knew she wanted to be alone. He told her he loved her before he closed the door.
"No, don't go…" Kimi whispered. She tried to reach for him but it was too late. He flew towards the depth of the Dark Forest without realizing it was a trap. "Stop him! Don't let him leave!" she cried, but the Kimi in the past did nothing.
If only she had stopped him before he left. If only she wasn't so angry with him, then perhaps he would still be here. It's her fault…it's all her fault…there's no denying it, her parents and her brother are gone because of her.
"Girls! I think there's something wrong with her!" cried a voice. It was familiar, but Kimi couldn't recall whom it belonged to.
"Kimi? Kimi! It's alright!" said someone else. This voice was also familiar.
"No…Kyochi…Nii-san…please come back…" Kimi whispered, as the painful memories replayed again and again. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…please, don't leave me!"
"Stand back! I must calm her mind with this spell!"
A wave of warm energy flow through her and the painful memories subsided. Kimi slowly opened her eyes and saw that she was no longer in Xuan Wu's throne room. Although she was somewhat conscious during Cornelia's battle against Xuan Wu, Kimi did not recall any of it. The last thing she really remembered was Xuan Wu's evil words in her ears and standing over her in victory, spear in hand ready to impale Kimi's heart. There was a sudden burst of warm light and Kimi did not remember anything more.
Kimi's eyes felt heavy as she struggled to open them. As a matter of fact, her entire body felt heavy as if it was weigh down with lead. She gasped slightly and coughed. Once it subsided, Kimi looked around to see that she was snugly tucked away between blankets and soft pillows. For a second, Kimi thought she was in an infirmary in Edo, the same one Kyochi had worked in.
"It's okay," someone said. She looked to her side to see a few familiar faces. "You're back in your room. You really took a toll there."
"I'm…I'm alive?"
"Of course," Orube said, placing a wet towel over her forehead. "We could never leave you. Now please, you need rest. You're lucky enough to get away with pneumonia."
"Serves you right for trying to go at Xuan Wu alone," Irma scoffed. "You're lucky Cornelia got her new transformation and did away with that psycho demi-goddess and saved all our lives."
Fed up with her patronizing tone, Hay Lin elbowed Irma while Will and Taranee shot her a warning look. But it looked as if Kimi didn't care for any of their criticisms.
Kimi glanced at Cornelia, before coughing harshly again. "You saved me? Why? I've not been treating you well."
"Does it matter if you did? We're Guardians," Cornelia replied as she watched Ngọc Long coming closer to give Kimi some antibiotics. "I couldn't leave anyone behind, not even you. And to be honest, I wouldn't have gotten my new powers if it weren't for your Jewel of Life. In a way, you saved my life as well. In fact, you saved me and my friends many times before. I think we owe you a lot."
Kimi glanced at them sadly, tears in her eyes. She threw her antibiotic medicines to the ground and turned her back against them.
"You should have left me!" She cried. "I wished you had left me there to die!"
"Kimi!" Orube gasped. She tried to grab her by her shoulder, but Kimi pushed her away.
"It's my fault! It's all my fault!" Kimi cried miserably. "I deserved to die in the cold!"
"It's not your fault. You mustn't blame yourself!" said Orube.
"Yes, it is! All of you…!" She eyed the Guardians tearfully. "All of you are miserable because of me! It's my fault things turned out like this!"
"That's not true!" said Hay Lin.
"Don't listen to Xuan Wu! You know she was trying to get into your head!" Taranee agreed.
"How can you say that?" Will said.
"I can because Xuan Wu is right! My father is dead because he tried to protect me! My brother couldn't defend himself well enough from the Celestial Warriors because he was thinking about me!" Kimi slowly stopped struggling. She got up slowly and walked towards the window. "It's my fault because I'm a terrible, selfish, and ungrateful person! I deserved to die then and there."
"Kimi…" Orube said sadly. She wanted to say something else to make her feel better, but what?
"Both my parents were killed in front of me…my brother is missing…I'm alone on this world…This is not how I wanted things to turn out. I didn't want any of this!"
The Jade Dragon took a seat next to Kimi. Her expression, too, was sad as she shared her ward's mental anguish. "That may be true, child, but still, it doesn't make it your fault," Ngọc Long replied, her usual commanding and respectable tone turning more motherly.
Kimi shook her head and she buried her face in her knees. Her long, wavy, blue hair was let down loosely, making her look quite vulnerable. Without her usual braided-bun, she almost looked like another Kimi…a very young Kimi who's suffering from a great heart-ache that not even magic can heal.
"What have I been doing here all this time? Throwing tantrums and calling you names to make myself feel better? I'm no better than the rest of the Kinomoto clan!"
"Yeah, no kidding," Irma whispered under her breath, earning herself a venomous glare from Hay Lin who heard her.
Kimi glanced down at her hand as she materialized the Jewel of Life. It glowed weakly before she clenched it in her hand. "I didn't ask to be a Guardian. I didn't want any of this…What kind of Guardian of Light am I?"
"The sociopathic kind?" Irma suggested.
IRMA! The others telepathically hissed, warning her to shut her inconsiderate mouth. Feeling isolated, Irma crossed her arms and looked away in fury.
Kimi coughed harshly again, causing her host-parent to gently force her to lie down.
"Kyochi would have wanted you to rest," said Ngọc Long. "We'll discuss more about this when you're well."
The Jade Dragon shooed the others out the door quickly. Kimi turned her head to watch them leave before she coughed again.
"Will? Cornelia?"
The Keeper and the Guardian of Earth stopped and turned around.
"Thank you for trying to help me, although I don't deserved it," Kimi said, looking at the ceiling as she remembered Will trying to help restore her father back to life and Cornelia trying to save her from Xuan Wu. More tears trickled out of her blue eyes, which seemed all the more sad a color, no matter how bright they were. All the anger they had ever felt coming from those eyes since they met were gone…replaced by sadness and despair.
"Will…Cornelia…Gomenasai…I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused you…"
Before the two of them could respond, Ngọc Long ushered them quietly out of the door before going back in to try and get Kimi to take her antibiotics again.
Once Will made sure they were out of the house, she and the others started to lecture Irma on the way home. The weather outside was already cold enough now that it was getting a lot closer to winter. The grey clouds in the sky only dampened the mood. The last thing Irma wanted was to hear the others nagging her.
"Irma, I can't believe how insensitive you were back there!" Will started.
"Of all the stupid things you have ever said in your life, this is perhaps one of the most stupid!" Cornelia added.
"You're mad at me?" Irma sneered. "I'm not the psycho-Guardian who recklessly jumps into a fight and almost got myself and my friends killed! If there's anyone that I can't believe it's you guys!"
The others glanced at each other and Irma shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe it. You girls are seriously falling for Kimi's drama again?"
Cornelia frowned. After their ordeal with Xuan Wu, she would have thought Irma had changed her mind about Kimi as well. After all, Irma was hung right next to her as they watched Kimi trying to take on Xuan Wu. Cornelia knew that deep in Irma's heart, she doesn't want Kimi or anyone of their friends to get hurt or maimed. But why is she being so stubborn? Granted, Irma has always been the stubborn one when it comes to holding grudges but this is ridiculous. Cornelia recalled that her spitefulness towards Sheila didn't last this long or this vindictive.
"You are really something, you know that, Irma?" Hay Lin scoffed. "How can you still harbor this much animosity against Kimi, after all she's done for us and the anguish she has been through?"
"Why? Because last time, she was mourning over her dad's death? I tried to be understanding like the rest of you, and what did I get in return? She threw daggers at me when we were chasing her down! Do you honestly expect me to make the same mistake? Kimi's never going to change! After this waterworks, she'll be back to her usual self and treat us like dirt again. No matter how many times she saved your lives or how many ordeals we go through together, I don't think she'll ever change."
Hay Lin clenched her fist. "Irma, why do you concentrate on the bad side of people? You know they have the potential to change."
"You did the same thing with Sheila after we met her the first time, remember?" Taranee reminded her.
"Sheila didn't treat me like dirt, Tara," Irma retorted.
Taken aback, Taranee scoffed as she added, "You know what? Whatever Zhu Que did back there, he must have succeeded in planting all that extreme anger in you. After all, he's the Lord of Wrath, right? If he really did, I would almost believe it. But if all this anger and rage is actually coming from you, Irma, I really don't know what to think of you right now."
Irma gapped at her, her mouth wide open.
"Irma, you have to believe me when I say this now, Kimi wasn't lying when she said she was sorry," said Hay Lin sadly. "I can tell when people are lying, remember? The air tells me that deep down, she's really sorry for how badly she's been treating us."
The four of them watched quietly as Hay Lin closed the door behind her and went off to bed early. They resumed their walk home in cold silence. Irma sighed. She felt emotionally exhausted.
"Will?" she asked, catching the Keeper's attention. "How can you tell if Kimi really has changed?"
Will was silent for a moment before she replied, "I can because when she tried to apologize to us earlier, she called me 'Will'. Have you ever noticed that she never called us by our first names until now?"
A week has passed and lot has happened during this time, but despite the calm and peaceful life in Heatherfield, the Guardians knew nothing was the same as before.
With her pneumonia, Kimi has been bedridden and cannot continue her cover story as a foreign transfer student. The teachers and the students didn't have to wonder about her absences. Before, they only heard that her father passed away. To validate Kimi's sudden pneumonia, Lady Ngọc Long donned her earthling attires and came in to speak with the principal and all of Kimi's teachers in ways that they would understand: Kimi received a phone call, detailing about her father's death from the Japanese homicidal authorities. He was murdered by a "dangerous man". Sadden with grief, Kimi wanted to find justice against the man who killed her father but could do nothing because she's on the other side of the world. Furious that she cannot catch her father's killer, she lashed out at Professor Mitridge and her friends a few days ago. One evening, Kimi stayed out all night in the freezing Heatherfield's cold and caught pneumonia, and is thus hospitalized.
After hearing this, there were exchanges of sympathies and condolences. The principal decided to write off the rest of Kimi's detention, and the girls were occasionally stopped by some of their teachers, asking them to send Kimi their commiserations.
The Guardians are having another meeting at their headquarters. They've been discussing about their next plan of actions. Now that Will and Cornelia have awakened their new transformations, surely it would be a lot easier to handle the last three Celestial Warriors. They've also been discussing about this "spy" who seemed to be working for the Celestial Sovereigns. Orube theorized that it must be someone tempted by the immense dark powers and that someone could be from the Kinomoto clan.
All the while, Kimi has been absent from the discussion or absent-minded: she was bedridden the first few days, but now she spends most of her time staring out the window, her thoughts more occupied by the lost of her parents and possibly her brother.
"How is she, Orube?" Will asked as she glanced over at Kimi who's been sitting quietly in front of a window, staring off into the distance with a look of forlorn.
Orube sighed and shook her head. "Physically, she's better. Yet, I'm afraid her spiritual and mental health is another story."
"I'd thought she would be back to normal by now. It has been nearly a week," said Will.
"Trauma tends to linger, Will," Orube stated. "You and I should know that better than anyone. I'm worried about her. Kimi barely eats and sleep anymore and all she does is stare out the window."
"Isn't there some way to cheer her up?" Taranee asked.
"I tried to get her to come with me and visit some of my Earth friends from the university, but she never gave me a reply," Orube replied. Glancing at them, she said, "You're her friends, too. Why don't you try something with her?"
The five girls blinked. Them? What could they do to help Kimi move on? They could try to cheer her up by inviting her to go out into town with them, show her the ice-rink where Cornelia skate, the large amphitheatre where the city is going to hold a musical show case for the Winter Festival in a few weeks.
"She seemed so depressed still!" Hay Lin noted. "Do you girls really think that she'll agree to come with us?"
"Only one way to find out," Cornelia said as she began to walk over to her. But just before Cornelia could say anything, the doorbell rang.
At first, Will shrugged, thinking it was Matt since he's the only one who knew where this place was. Imagine their surprised when it was…
"Kishimoto?"
This got everyone's attentions, including from Orube and Lady Ngọc Long. Sure enough, it was Kishimoto and his younger sister, Kohane.
"Good afternoon," Kishimoto smiled sweetly, which was a bit strange since he and Kimi had a small spat the last time they met. "My sister and I are both here to see Watsuki-san."
"Um…" Will glanced over at Kimi who didn't seem to notice the siblings. Will decided to glance at their caretaker instead. After all, this is her house…right?
The Jade Dragon scrutinized the college boy and his younger sister with her piercing eyes, making even Kohane feel slightly nervous to the point that she decided to hide behind her brother's legs out of instinct. Her brother gulped nervously, unsure of what to make of this woman. He felt completely exposed as if being observed under a microscope. It was as if this woman knew every little detail about his life, and perhaps even more than he knew himself.
If the Jade Dragon noticed anything strange about the two of them in her house, she didn't say it out loud. But at least she didn't turn them away or asked them to leave.
"So, you are Kishimoto and this is your little sister?" she asked.
Irma had to hold her laughter because she could have sworn that the boy nearly salute their caretaker like a soldier to an admiral.
"Hai," he replied in Japanese.
"My name is Ngọc Long, Kimi's guardian and host-mother," she replied. "She and her friends have told me a little about you two."
Kishimoto blushed and looked down at his shoes, too embarrassed at what this fierce looking woman might think of him.
"May I ask what business you have with my ward?" the Jade Dragon asked curiously.
Goodness, the way she said it, Kishimoto felt as if he was one of those naughty little children getting caught stealing money from their mothers' purses to buy sweets. Granted, he never done anything like that when he was a child, but now he felt like one.
"I…ahem…" Kishimoto began nervously, trying to clear his throat.
His sister decided to speak up, although her voice was a bit quiet and nervous as well, not anything like the stoic and deadpan mannerism the Guardians saw before.
"Nii-san and I wanted to cheer Kimi up after hearing what happened…and…are you really a dragon lady?"
Everyone glanced nervously at each other, even Kimi who finally noticed the others talking to someone at the door. Exactly how much did Kohane know about them? She was way too close to the truth and if it's revealed in front of her older brother, it would have been a very awkward situation. Fortunately, Lady Ngọc Long didn't bat an eye and approached the question figuratively.
"My, do you really find me that intimidating, little one?" she smiled and decided to gesture them into the living room. "Well, do come in. You two must be freezing standing out there."
"Kohane-chan? Kishimoto?" Kimi said, a bit surprised by seeing them again. "How did you find this place?"
"We bumped into your friends from your martial arts club, Takuya and Zoë, down the street," Kishimoto explained. "They were trying to find your house and visit you after hearing what has transpired."
"So why didn't they come but you two did?" Irma asked suspiciously.
"They got lost following direction and gave up," Kishimoto shrugged. "Even though they got your address, they still couldn't find this place. I agreed to pass their messages to you: they send you their condolences and hoped that you'll feel better soon." Kishimoto paused for a bit, trying to remember something else. "They also told me to inform you they'll try to win a medal in the upcoming city's Winter Tournament."
Kimi nodded and the entire room was awkwardly silent again. Kishimoto decided to continue as he nudged his little sister forward.
"Kohane-chan, is there something you want to say?" Kishimoto asked in a reminding tone.
"Gomenasai, Kimi," Kohane said. "Sorry for hurting your feelings the other day."
Kimi looked down, a bit sad as she remembered what Kotone said to her about her father the last time they saw each other. It was when Kimi was still furious with her father and was confused about whether or not to forgive him for his past sin.
"I apologize for my sister's behavior the other day, Watsuki-san," Kishimoto said. "What she said was inappropriate, but she didn't mean to hurt you."
Kimi shook her head. "It's alright. I'm starting to understand Kohane's insight on things." Glancing at Kohane, she said, "You're a very peculiar child, Kohane-chan. You're not like any of the other children I've seen on this world."
"Ahem!" Taranee cleared her throat nervously. Apparently, Kimi forgot that she's supposed to be from Japan, not another planet. "She meant the western world…cause, you know…Japan is in the east and…this world is different from there."
Ignoring her, Kimi glanced up at Kishimoto. Her tone quickly changed to being more guarded. She can't shake off the fact that his aura is so similar to her brother's. "Did you come all the way here just to apologize and to see my well-being? We barely know each other."
"I don't think I need a reason to show sincerity and compassion, even to strangers," he replied wisely. "It's true, I barely know you myself, but I cannot help but remember you when we first met or the times afterward." He blushed discreetly when saying this, aware that he's being observed by the others.
Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin giggled to the side. "Is he being romantic? He's not doing such a bad job at it!" Taranee whispered.
"I wanted to apologize to you for all those times I made you feel uncomfortable whenever we met and…any moments after. You must think Heatherfield is a terrible place to live in, but I assure you that it's not…if you give it a chance, you can see how…" he paused, unsure if he should use such a word to describe this city.
Luckily for him, his sister said it. "It's magical. Right, Nii-chan?"
Kishimoto blinked and nodded in agreement. "You're aware that the city is holding a Winter Festival near the holiday season, correct?"
"Right, almost every schools, businesses, and organizations are pitching in to make Christmas and the rest of December feels magical!" Will added. "Hay Lin's art class is going to show case and sell their art projects, right?"
Hay Lin nodded.
"Joshua did mention to me the other day about the firefighter's yearly donation drive for children during this Christmas season," Orube mentioned. "And my newspaper friends are writing about it…or so said Isabel." Orube paused, trying to remember something. "Isabel did mention something about an orchestra concert?"
"The Heatherfield Philharmonic Orchestra," Kishimoto nodded. The girls then noticed the violin case in one of his hands. "I'm one of their violinists and we'll be performing a few numbers for the Winter Festival in the city's amphitheatre with a soprano."
Suddenly, Cornelia realized something. Her dad, Harold Hale, loved opera and at times he would take his family with him to see the Heatherfield Phiharmonic Orchestra performing. Cornelia didn't really pay much attention to it, since she wasn't a big fan of this kind of music as her dad, but by no mean was she against it. Often time, playing classical music for an ice-skating show is required and so Cornelia had borrowed a few of her father's favorite CDs of this orchestra. Recently, her parents had talked about a new addition to this group. It was something about a musical prodigy from Japan who played the violin beautifully. It was so impressive that recently they would have this new member perform solo while the rest played in the background.
"Wait, you're that new violinist who just joined our city's philharmonic group? The one that my parents are always talking about?" Cornelia asked in astonishment.
Kishimoto nodded sheepishly. Putting a hand in his pocket, he pulled out what appeared to be concert tickets. "We're performing tomorrow at the Heatherfield Musical Hall as a special prelude to the Winter Festival. I would like to invite you all to come and see our performances."
Taranee's eyes widen when she saw the seat numbers. "These are the best seats in the house!" Taranee exclaimed. "You would have to pay top dollars for these tickets!"
Turning to Kimi, Kishimoto handed her a ticket. "Please accept this as my way to amend for any misunderstanding between us."
Orube looked at Kimi hopefully. "It would do you some good, Kimi. Perhaps attending this concert would get your mind off of things."
"You are well enough to go out," Ngọc Long nodded. "As long as you don't exert yourself too much, you'll be fine."
"We could all go together," Will suggested. "My friends and I would love to see you perform."
"Not me, girls," Orube said. "I'm sorry, but I have a few responsibilities to take care up tomorrow. Will, perhaps you could invite Matt to go in my place instead?"
Will beamed at the idea. While it's not exactly a date, it would be great to do something special with her boyfriend again and let Matt see how much Kimi has changed. Perhaps this would be a perfect opportunity to encourage them to be on friendly terms with one another because Kandrakar knows that they'll probably need it. "What do you think, Kimi? We could go and visit Sheila and see the city afterwards."
"Yeah, and it would be so much fun and the city at night is really magical itself," Hay Lin said. "Oh, we could even have dinner at my place afterwards!"
"That, I'm really looking forward to," Irma smirked.
"C'mon, Kimi. Isn't this what your dad would have wanted? For you to pick up yourself and continue on?" Cornelia suggested in an encouraging and gentle tone.
Kimi looked down at her ticket quietly and shook her head sadly. "I thank you for your kind gesture, Kishimoto, but I cannot accept this."
The others blinked in surprise. They thought for sure that this would work.
"Okay, why?!" Irma spat. "Why do you insist on staying cooped up in here? Why can't you give Heatherfield a chance? Ever since you transferred here, you barely come with us except for school and your club practices!"
"Irma…" Hay Lin said, trying to calm her down.
"No, Hay-Hey!" Irma replied. "I want to know why Kimi here refused to be happy!"
Kimi didn't answer her at first. Instead, she glanced down at the object in her hand. To Kishimoto, it looked like a pair of ordinary hair stick with a sakura blossom attached to it. To Kimi, it was the last thing her father gave her before his death and a reminder of her late mother.
"I know you all mean well, but all of this happiness you wished upon me…it's too much to bear right now. I can't go…" said Kimi. There was also another reason but she didn't want to say it. It was bad enough that this Kishimoto has a similar aura to her brother's, but to watch him perform in front her of would remind her of her failure in finding Kyochi.
Kimi handed the ticket back to him. "Take it and give it to someone else, please."
Kishimoto didn't seem to be insulted. He shook his head and said, "Keep it, in case you changed your mind."
The next day was Friday, and although students were gossiping about Kimi's absence before, the news about her died when a new transfer student came in earlier on Monday. Her name was Sondra and she said she's from Switzerland. Like Kimi, Sondra was very pretty to look at with her long, luscious hair, sparkling eyes, and smooth, creamy skin. Unlike Kimi, she wasn't as fierce. In fact, Sondra relished in all the attention she was getting and nearly all the boys fell head over heels for her. Courtney and Bess Grumper had no trouble getting her on their side as they published their interview with her in their special school gossip columns, much to most girls' jealousy.
At first, Will and her friends couldn't be bothered by this Sondra. But once Sondra charmed practically all the boys and was looking to snag a few for her own (particularly Matt, Stephen, and Peter), the Guardians were considering the idea of putting her on their hit list. Cornelia already didn't like Sondra for stealing the boys' attention from her! After all, she's Cornelia Hale, one of the most fashionable, richest, and most beautiful girls in this school! Guys are supposed to fall to her knees!
Irma didn't know who she hated more right now: Kimi for all the negative stuff she pulled while they were on Lusteria, or Sondra for trying to steal her boyfriend, Stephen, away from her when he came to visit! Even Martin Tubb, her geeky four-eye friend who had a crush on her for years is a slave to Sondra. She tried to say hi to him that morning, but Martin seemed to have forgotten her name because the idea of bringing Sondra her precious hot chocolate was more important!
Will hated Sondra more after school. Matt was still ticked because he felt as if he was left out of their latest missions, so Will wanted to invite him to Kishimoto's concert. Imagine her horrified face when she caught Sondra throwing herself at him near the school's gate. Feigning innocent, Sondra asked Matt to show her around town in her heavy Swiss accent since she's new. Hearing faint giggling sounds, Will turned around and immediately saw the Grumper sisters in the corner! It was a set up! If Will tried to chase Sondra away, they'll photograph it and portray Will as a jealous girlfriend who determines her boyfriend's friends should be.
Will was fighting the urge to discreetly use her new powers to zap those two again…and perhaps Sondra for good measure! In fact, Will was just about to when Taranee placed a hand on her shoulder and stopped her.
"Come on, Will. She's not worth it," said Taranee, gesturing her towards the others. "Besides, we're going to be late for the concert."
"Urgh! Matt better have a good reason for showing Sondra around town! I'm his girlfriend, not that Swiss cheese-head!"
"I'm sure he only did it out of politeness," Taranee suggested. "You're seriously going to get jealous of every single girl who tries to befriend him?"
"It was a set up, Tara!" Will pointed out. "The Gurmpers purposely suggested Sondra does it in front of me for a good laugh! Well, I'll show them next time!"
They met up with the other three and teletransported themselves to the concert hall where a lot of people were already in queues and were waiting for their tickets to be scanned by the ushers. For once, Cornelia was glad that other people besides themselves were wearing regular clothing. Usually an event like this would require something more sophisticated. But today's performance wasn't meant to be classy, so barely anyone in the audiences is wearing evening gowns and tuxedos. In fact, most of them seemed to be college and high school students coming to see their friends and family members who are a part of the orchestra.
"Forget the Grumpers, I wished I have my Power Girl transformation and blow that Sondra back to her country!" Hay Lin seethed as they waited their turn to check in. "Urgh, the other day, she says she made her own clothes…" to exaggerate, Hay Lin switched her accent to a fake Swiss version, "her sweater's made from Kashmir under the chin of my grandma's goats in the Alps!"
Cornelia folded her arms, rolling her eyes. "No way is that a real accent! I bet Sondra watched, like, 20 Heidi movies before she even came here!"
"Tickets please, ladies," said an usher. After they found their seats, the five Guardians continued their conversation while listening to faint instruments being tuned by musicians behind the large curtain. No doubt Kishimoto is behind it.
"She dissed me for not reading War and Peace in…the original Russian!" Taranee seethed, clenching her fists to the point that she almost caused them to become aflame. "I like the feed her to book in the original Russian!"
"And Martin didn't even serenade to me last night with his banjo!" Irma pointed out. "He was too busy baking "Sondra-welcome" muffins! What's up with all the transfer students we're getting lately? Kimi is a wacko-screwball alien from another planet, and Sondra's an annoying Swiss cheese snob!"
"Was a wacko-screwball alien, Irma," Hay Lin huffed. "We've been at this for a week already. Just drop it, Irma. The last thing we need is sitting here listening to your stubborn insistence about Kimi."
"We should have convinced her to come," Taranee said. "We're her friends. Was it really right for any of us to leave her at home to mope like that?"
"We tried, Tara," Will reasoned. "And besides, it wouldn't be right to force her to be happy. Kimi still needs a little bit more time to find herself. We'll all still be there if she needs us. We're Guardians of Kandrakar and we look out for each other…right, Irma?"
Irma folded her arms and huffed. Will rolled her eyes. Honestly, Irma has never been this stubborn before…except with Sheila when they first met.
"I called Orube this morning, asking her if Kimi changed her mind," Hay Lin added. "It seems Kimi rather go apologize to her club members than be here."
Will raised an eyebrow at this. "Wait, she already went out?"
Hay Lin shrugged. "I'm not sure."
"Well, if she had gone out to look for Takuya and the others and reconnect with them, I guess she's making progress on her own."
The lights began to dim and musical tune welcomed everyone as the conductor stepped into the spotlight.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Heatherfield Philharmonic Orchestra would like to welcome you to our fair city," said the conductor. "It is an honor to be performing for you all today."
The rest of his speech pretty much went over the girls' heads as he talked about the background of the formation of this particular orchestra nearly fifty years ago by the previous mayor, how they lost a few talented musicians and gained new ones, including Kishimoto on the violin. He talked about them performing for the upcoming city's Winter Festival and that today's performance is a special preview.
"And now ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to Koichi Kishimoto on the violin. For our opening act, we will be playing Chaconne by Antonio Vitali with young master Kishimoto in the lead."
The audience applauded as Kishimoto step forward into the spotlight and readied his bow. All was silent as the orchestra in the background began quietly as they followed the music conductor. Kishimoto closed his eyes and began to play.
The music from his violin was truly breathtaking. As the Guardians listened, they began to wonder how could one violin project such a powerful acoustic when other string family instruments were being played behind him? Not only that, but the music itself was absolutely stunning! Vitali's Chaconne was sad, but very powerful and tense, full of emotions and something magical. And the way Kishimoto looked when he's playing it, the entire audience could tell that this young man was truly gifted in being able to memorize every note and feel its vibration every time he slides his bow back and forth.
The Guardians couldn't understand why this talented and handsome college boy could be the same one that irks Kimi so. Sometimes when they met him, he seemed condescending as he and Kimi share a little spat. Other times like yesterday and today, he seemed more sincerely and compassionate. Taranee began to wonder if he was one of those prodigies suffering from a split personality condition.
Will didn't know how long they've been listening to this musical score, but apparently they were so mesmerized by it that she didn't notice the Heart of Kandrakar vibrating within her chest. In fact, it was so faintly that an usher flashed a torch on her.
"Shh! Miss, please turn off your cell phone during the performance!"
"Huh?" Will gasped, looking down. Sure enough, there was a pink glow through her jacket.
"Will? What's wrong?" Irma whispered.
I think it's the Heart of Kandrakar! Will said, switching to their telepathic line. Pretending to be embarrassed, Will slowly got up and tried to go out into the hallway with her friends following.
"Sorry, I'll just take the call outside," she said to the usher.
The usher didn't understand why all five of them needed to go answer one phone call, but didn't question it when he noticed another guest trying to take pictures on his smart phone and rushed over to stop him.
In the empty hallway, Will released the Heart and the girls saw how much it was vibrating.
"What is it?" Cornelia asked.
"Don't tell me that your grandma is calling us," Irma sighed, glancing at Hay Lin.
"I don't think it's from Kandrakar," Will shook her head. "I think it sensed something." Sure enough, the Heart seemed to be pointing towards a door in the back that leads into the basement beneath the stage.
"What rotten timing," Irma rolled her eyes. "We can't just leave the show! Even I thought it was getting good!"
"Quite whining, Irma," Cornelia glared at her. "We'll just follow it, see what it wants and be back before you know it."
The girls quietly followed the Heart down into the dark basement beneath the stage. They could still hear Kishimoto playing the same song above their heads. Taranee summoned a few flameless fire spheres to light up their way. So far nothing. But then, the Heart shone a beam of light behind another door. The girls gulped and cautiously moved towards it. They readied themselves in case they were going to be attacked by another Lusterian spirit. What they saw instead was unexpected.
"It can't be!" Cornelia gasped as they gazed at the swirling circle of dark purple light.
"That's impossible!" said Taranee. "There can't be a Portal! Kandrakar sealed up Lusteria. The only way to get there is to use the ones opened by the Jade Dragon back at our headquarters."
"You don't think Lady Ngọc Long put this one here as a joke, do you?" Irma wondered. "You know how she has a weird sense of humor…she put the last one in the fridge!"
"It can't be, Irma. This one is dark purple!" Hay Lin shivered. "And the air around it is giving me the chills!"
"You don't think the Celestial Warriors have found a way to breach through the Veil, do you?" Cornelia asked.
"If so, then we have got ourselves a dark portal, girls," Will said seriously. "This must be why the Heart of Kandrakar summoned us."
"Will, we gotta close it before some Lusterian corrupted spirit comes out!" Hay Lin cried. "There are thousands of people upstairs! Who knows what will happen!"
"Right," Will agreed with determination. She came closer to the evil-looking portal with the Heart in her palm. "C'mon, girls! Let's seal up this bad boy and get back to—"
Before Will could finish, the portal began to spark and sizzle more as if sensing the Heart's presence, ready to lash back! Will felt herself being pulled into the portal as if she was caught in a powerful black hole!
"WILL!" the others cried, grabbing onto her. "HANG ON!"
It was too late. The gravity that's pulling them in was too strong. None of them even have the time to transform as one by one, they were all pulled into the dangerous unknown realm of Lusteria. Above their heads, Kishimoto just finished playing Vitali's Charconne and with that, the portal closed in on itself as the audience gave him a standing ovation.
To be continued…
Cultural references:
Like all members of the Gemini Council, Lady Freyja the Nordic Angel, is based on a real-life W.I.T.C.H. comic fan. Freyja is the name of a Norse goddess, but here, she's a healer.
Azithromycin is an antibiotic that can also be used to help cure pneumonia. Yes, Lusterians aren't invincible. Because Kimi's chi level is depleted, she barely has enough energy to protect herself from the extreme cold and got sick.
In the comics, Joshua and Isabel are some of Orube's Earth friends. Read the "Orube Special Issue".
Vitali's Chaconne in G minor is a real classical musical song. This chaconne was written by an Italian composer named Tomaso Antonio Vitali (1663-1745). It does run nearly 10 minutes long, but it's a beautiful piece and worth listening to, which is why I decided to choose it for this chapter as a part of Kishimot's performance. If you would like to listen to the song Kishimoto's playing, go on youtube and type in "Sarah Chang Vitali Chaconne."
Remember in season two of W.I.T.C.H. that the Oracle opened a new purple colored portal for the Guardians? Well, this unauthorized portal has a darker, more evil-looking shade of purple and yes, shit just happened when it sucked all five girls in.
Story Trivia: If you remember Sondra, that transfer student from the animated series, you'll remember how much the boys fell to her feet and how much she irked the Guardians. I thought it would be fun to add her in here!