I own nothing, not the characters, the space where this story exists, or even the eyes that you are using to read it. This is for entertainment purposes only, no money involved.

"Come on already!" Will hissed as she had to drag Hay Lin away from her mom and dad.

"But I haven't shown them my volcano yet," the Wind Guardian whined as she grudgingly followed her leader. She was the only one of the girls who had resisted leaving their parents alone out of a desire to actually show them the school and how they were doing rather than strictly damage control as they interacted with teachers and other parents.

"Hay Hay, we have more important things to do than show your parents your exploding dirt mound," Irma said as she ran up with Caleb to join them, "Caleb says that old scale face has grabbed Elyon."

"We need to move, if she gets taken to Meridian things are going to get really really bad," Taranee said, visibly nervous about the possible consequences.

"Why is he acting now? I mean, parent's night?" Cornelia said as they all reached the front entrance and rushed out into the night, "How are we even supposed to find them?"

"I'm not really sure. I checked the map, but no new portals have shown up, so I have no idea where they are going," Will admitted.

"So we are just running around hoping to stumble across them, oh that's just great," Cornelia said angrily. Will thought about snapping at the Earth Guardian, but a glance at the blond guardian told her just how worried the girl was about her friend.

"We need a way to track them. There has to be a way," Caleb said.

Will thought about going to Danny for help. He could probably do it. Probably. But he was in no fit state to be finding out about Elyon. She had to do this herself, he had trained her, so she had to put it to use.

She could still remember the sudden feel of raw mystic energy pulsing through the air. The heart of Meridian must have been reacting, but even though Elyon had all that power, her Aether hadn't yet adapted to control it, so Will couldn't just look for the girl's Aether. But maybe there was another way.

Since the mystic energy was still in its raw state, wouldn't it be drawn to a powerful source of Aether? If Will could draw up enough Quintessence, then perhaps she could pull in the mystic energy that Elyon was leaking and find out where she was from that.

"We should split up. Cover more ground," Hay Lin suggested.

"What would we do if we did find them then? It isn't like any of us can fight Cedric one on one." Taranee pointed out.

"Do you have a better plan brain girl?" Cornelia said sharply.

"Guys, quiet down I need to concentrate," Will said as she closed her eyes and started to draw on her power. Cornelia was about to snap at her when she saw electricity flickering around Will's body, dancing through the air and causing ribbons of light to appear around her. Will took a deep breath and opened her eyes, glancing from one ribbon to another until she saw one that was much stronger and more solid than the others. She got used to the feel of how it reacted to her own Aether before dropping the electric field around her. "They're this way!" she shouted before running on ahead, leaving the others to follow behind her.

"Hurry Princesss..." Cedric had to chomp down on his snake's tongue as he moved as fast as he could make the girl follow through the streets towards his bookstore. With the objective so close at hand, he was starting to lose his nerve. If the Guardians or that Ghost King found him at this point, he would be dead and all of his work would be undone. Well, maybe not dead if the Guardians were the ones that found him, but trying to steal something from a Ghost King was suicide, only a complete fruit loop would even consider it.

"Cedric, where are we going?" Elyon asked as she stumbled along in the dark. She was trembling from a mixture of cold and fear.

"To the bookstore. Once there we can take a portal back to Meridian, your one true home," Cedric said, wishing he could just pick the girl up and sprint for it, especially when he heard the familiar voice of a cocky rebel brat behind him.

"There they are!" Caleb shouted, pointing them out as the Guardians came up with him.

"It's the book seller!" Taranee said in surprise.

"He's the beast? But he was so cute," Cornelia said in disappointment.

"Co...Cornelia. What are you doing here?" Elyon said in surprise.

"Run Elyon! They are the agents of Kandrakar, the ones who stole you away from your real family," Cedric said trying to pull the girl away from them, as his own heartbeat started to quicken. He couldn't transform, not in front of Elyon, but without his true form, he was no match for the Guardians.

"Oh no you don't!" Caleb shouted as the rebel tackled Cedric to the ground and away from Elyon who look on in horror. "You left me in a dungeon to rot!" He shouted as he struggled to get a hold on Cedric, but the beast used his inhuman strength to quickly get the upper hand on the human boy.

"We need to help him," Cornelia said as she watched Cedric twisting Caleb's arm.

"Right. Guardians Unite!" Will shouted as she pulled out the Heart of Kandrakar. The girls were obscured from vision by a bright flash of pink light, and when the light disappeared they were flying ten feet in the air with wings growing out of their backs.

Elyon trembled as she looked at Cornelia, someone she had thought she known her entire life. "What are you!?" She cried in panic.

Hay Lin summoned up a strong gust of wind to pull Cedric and Caleb apart before throwing the snakeman into a wall where vines emerged from the ground to bind the beast. "Hold him still!" Will shouted as she moved in with the Heart of Kandrakar to reveal Cedric's true form.

"Stop it!" Elyon shouted as she saw Cedric struggling against the vines while Will went in for what she believed was the kill. Elyon just wanted it to stop. Everything. She couldn't take it anymore, all of this lying, all of this betrayal. And she wanted to stop everyone from hurting Cedric.

She threw up her hands as her mystic energy rushed to the surface, racing quickly out of her. The ground underneath her feet cracked under the pressure of the girl's magic and the nearby street lamps were twisted into odd shapes. Entire cars were lifted from the ground to go hurtling through the air underneath the force of her power.

The Guardians were taken completely by surprise and sent flying into the air as the Heart of Meridian unleashed her true strength. And once it was done Elyon stood there staring at her own hands which glowed a startling white. "Cedric... what did I just do?" She asked looking up at the book seller as he started to push himself up.

But Cedric only looked on in open mouthed terror, his eyes fixed on a point right behind the princess.

"Elyon?" a stiff, echoing voice said. One that sent a shiver down the girl's spin. She turned around to see a boy standing there in the middle of the street, his dark green eyes staring at her with an uncomprehending expression, dark wisps flouting around him as his negative energy flowed out over everyone in the area. A sickly green ring dangling from around him neck.

The King of All Ghosts had arrived.

I think I am going to call that the end of Chapter 7 right there and have chapter 8 pick up by going over Danny's point of view of the last few events. So how Danny ended up there and what is going through his mind. Otherwise chapter 7 would be just too fucking long.