The Royal Guardian

By: Sokai

Disclaimer: I, Sokai, do not claim ownership to the workings of W.I.T.C.H. -- I leave that honor up to Elisabetta Gnone. Nor do I own Meg Cabot's "The Princess Diaries" series (even though this story isn't even really related to the series. Just don't want to hear law suit claims, so thought I'd mention it once within this disclaimer LoL). However, I can and DO claim to own this story and its inspired ideas FROM said series.

Note: So . . . hey. How's it going? LoL So, right. Don't know why, but this idea had come to me the other day. Halloween, to be more precise. LoL Long story, do not ask. But the point is, after hearing a lot of "complaints" from several people of how the animated series is a bit . . . biased, I suppose I will safely say (so no one comes to attack me, as I try to keep my personal views as completely out of my writing as possible), I thought, why not with this idea? And besides, it should not really really be hard to write (even though it will have a bit of a "The Princess Diaries" feel to it. But trust me, it ISN'T a X'over with it, or rip-off or any of that. But if it comes off that way to some of you, don't read it. Yay. LoL), considering the majority of the story is taken from personal "episodes" of mine . . . What is Sokai talking about? Which aspect to this story is she referring to when she says it's based on personal things? Stay tuned, everybody! LoL

Oh, and yes the other stories will be updated (I'm kind of taking a writing break right now, and mainly doing Beta Reading, but I'd still wanted to get this one up before I lost motivation to at LEAST do that LoL).

This story/chapter was created in October 2006.

Chapter One

Tuesday, October 31st

Dear Diary,

Will Vandom here again, to fill you in on the latest news going on within my relatively humdrum life.

Sorry.

I suppose that, after three years of friendship and Guardian of the Veil camaraderie with Miss Irma Lair, her comedic personality was bound to rub off onto me sooner or later (not to mention the fact that Irma is the head manager and Dee Jay to Sheffield High's radio station. No surprise there, really, given that she oozes with animated entertainment on a daily basis -- in addition to having been the ex-front liner to the radio station at our old school, Sheffield Institute).

Still weird to have written my last name just now though (and Irma's, come to think of it), as though anyone would ever read this besides me.

I mean, I'm me: I can recall my own name, after all -- after seventeen years of existence? I would hope so!

And besides, you, dear diary, are just a mere journal anyhow. It isn't like you could ever say my name back if you'd ever wanted to (unless you have some unknown mechanic or electrical parts and wiring. In that case, stand back, because I've got the magical "know-how" to make you say your very first words, being the Keeper of the Heart of Candracar and all that).

But that's probably the main reason that I write all of my secrets into you at all.

Actually, thinking upon it further, you, journal, are more than just a mere writing outlet. You are the perfect "best friend," because I do all of the "talking," and you just listen objectively without ever being able to give your unwanted "two-cents."

Kind of like someone else I know.

No. That's not completely fair. I'm just kind of writing out of frustration right now.

Well, about this particular piece of reflection, anyway.

Because, I mean, I love Cornelia. I really do.

She is one among four of the best friends that I am lucky enough to possess, after all (given my lousy track record of encountering untrustworthy individuals in the past), and was one of the first friends, period, that I'd made when first having moved here to Heatherfield with my mother.

I mean, Cornelia and I have battled, side by side, on a daily basis practically (although not lately, thankfully, as things have died down on the western front that is Metamoor. Or, would it be more accurate to have instead said "the other plane of existence front that is Metamoor?" Whatever. Three years, and the fact that there are apparently other worlds beyond this one still never ceases to amaze me. Go fig.), as the mystical and mighty Guardians of the Veil, saving the world one villain at a time!

Okay, so that last line sort of ruined the heroic, dynamic flare that I was trying to convey, while explaining "W.I.T.C.H."'s very important role as protectors of the innocent, adverse, and forlorn . . .

Although, having written that little synopsis definitely made it worse. Total "Superman" homage moment right there. Allow me to lay the blame swiftly upon the shoulders of Irma's little brother, Christopher, for always going on and on about each, and every single superhero that he knows about and worships whenever I go over to the Lair residence.

But I shall digress, as I actually did and still do have a very valid point to my fevered rant.

What I was trying to get at, was that the bond between me and Cornelia simply cannot get any closer than how it stands right now, seeing as we regularly risk our necks for one another. We are so close that we are practically sisters, for pity's sake!

Negating her actual blood-related, little sister, Lilian, I would be the sister Cornelia would quite possibly consider to be a breath of fresh air. You know, given that while she does fight with me on occasion (a pass time most often actuated during one of our Guardian missions), it is Lilian with whom she usually wages an all-out war with, pretty much Sunday through Saturday.

And as for my "benefits?" Being an only child, Cornelia would be the sister -- sibling, period -- whom I've never had.

The downside to that, however? She would also be the sister who just happens to be dating the guy who I am secretly in love with, and have been for two years now.

Yep. That's right. I am finally writing and admitting within this several month old diary of mine that I, Wilhelmina Vandom (Ugh. Totally cannot stand my full name. Makes me sound like some stuffy old Librarian who lives at home alone with her twelve cats, and oodles upon oodles of photo albums scattered everywhere, all filled with old newspaper clippings of "Yesteryear"), am head over heels in love with my best friend's boyfriend.

Caleb.

Caleb.

I could so totally write (and say, which I have, of course, but in private) his name over and over, and never grow tired of it (even though I might develop a seriously bad case of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as a result. But you know that it would so be worth it).

Do you know that I'd once "Google'd" up his name to see what it'd meant? One of those baby name websites had come up, and it had said that it means "dog" in Hebrew. Something about how, within the Old Testament, "Caleb" was the name of one of the twelve spies sent by Moses into Israel.

I don't really know anything beyond that, and even that completely baffled me to try to officially comprehend.

All that I do know for sure is that, as mean as it sounds, Caleb's name meaning is completely fitting.

Well, when it comes to his romantic relationship with Cornelia (whose name turned out to mean "horn" in Latin. Well, she is a Taurus and unbelievably headstrong, so I suppose that her name meaning is fitting, as well.), that is.

Don't get me wrong. Despite my extremely well hidden feelings for the green-eyed, brown haired ex-Rebel Leader of Meridian, I am totally and completely one-hundred percent behind his ongoing commitment to the beautiful Earth Guardian.

Why shouldn't I (well, besides the obvious reason)?

It was basically written within the stars that those two were destined to be together. I mean, Cornelia even used to dream about Caleb well before they two had even met and vice versa, for God's sake!

How can anyone or anything honestly be able to defuse something that epic and so Harlequin Romance-like?

And even if I'd honestly had enough nerve to go after Caleb (and thus obviously disregarding Cornelia's feelings, and not to mention run the ultimately huge risk of losing her treasured friendship as a result), it would most definitely all be in vain.

Why?

Oh, I don't know. Let's make a list, shall we?

1. While I may be seventeen (with thankfully active mammary growth glands that help to accentuate my relatively athletic body, courtesy of all of the swimming that I do. Well, accentuates everything except my slightly nonexistent breasts, sadly. Boy, was my Guardian form a bit misleading in that respect.), I still have all of the insecurities and hangups I'd possessed from when I was fourteen, thus certifying me as a walking basket case

2. My bob-styled red hair continues to be a bit unruly, and honestly sometimes resembles that of Raggedy Ann's (especially after I'd woken up in the morning)

3. (What I consider the most significant of all three reasons) I'm barely awarded two words from Caleb whenever he and I are within the same room together, and not discussing anything Guardian-related (as sadly, that seems to be the only thing we share in common. And if Cornelia's in the same room as the two of us? Forget it. I'm absolute vapor.)

And now, let us compare this list to the list of reasons why Cornelia continues to have Caleb wrapped around her flawless, well-manicured finger, and has him practically drooling whenever she comes into sight:

1. Although she is also athletic (what with all of the figure skating she's done over the years), her body is still far more perfect and superior than mine will ever be

2. Her waist-length, shimmering blonde and supermodel-like locks never has even one hair out of place, and serves to only further compliment her breathtaking beauty

3. Every guy who comes into contact with her usually immediately wants to date her, and to be her faithful servant dog (which is how Caleb acts four days out of seven, really, and is primarily why I'd said that his name meaning is befitting)

Okay. So Caleb isn't exactly some mindless puppet or something (although, technically, he'd used to be, when he was once one of Prince Phobos's Murmurers, before developing a will of his own. But that's beside the point. Kind of.). After all, if he was, then I definitely wouldn't be in love with him and find him so endearing and dreamy, and neither would Cornelia, I'm pretty positive.

And I will also admit that I am far from the poster child for "World's Most Unattractive Creature in All of Existence."

I have had my fair share of dates and admirers over the years, including my own steady relationship for a few months with ex-boyfriend-now-best-friend, Matt Olsen (who is the only living soul to know of my heart's hidden desire to be with Caleb. Not like I'd had a choice in keeping it a continued secret from Matt, as I do everyone else. Let's just say that he wasn't bluffing when he'd always tell me that he can read me like a book, because that was precisely how he'd been able to see and figure out how I'd felt about Caleb -- well before I had. It's simply a shame that it had to have been while Matt and I were still dating at the time that he'd realized it, and that Caleb and Cornelia had made their relationship official by the time that I'd finally realized it, as well. Still, you have no idea how great it feels to at least have one person to vent about your amorous emotions for someone to . . . even if that person happens to be your ex-boyfriend.).

But I am still no Helen of Troy. Cornelia, on the other hand, is and then some, with Caleb as her Paris.

. . . Which would at last bring me to the main topic of discussion for this entry.

Tonight's Halloween Ball.

I'd been looking forward to since July, months before the new semester of Junior year had even begun.

It was all anyone attending Sheffield High had been looking forward to and gushing about, actually.

Because . . .

Oh, shoot. Right when I finally get to the most important bit of this long winded entry, that is when Mom decides to call me down to do the dishes.

Can't a girl have a bit of rest and a moment's peace from a long, torturing night of heartache?

-- End of Chapter One

(A.N. Fun? No? Sorry. Was fun for me though, because it was in first person, which meant that I didn't have to worry about the whole beaucoup descriptive text. AND, because it's Will's diary, I didn't have to worry about doing character intros for the girls as I normally do for my other W.I.T.C.H. stories. You know, "just in case" someone reading those stories doesn't know who's who and what's what. Just me being "politically correct" or whatever. LoL Not really.

ANYWAY! I know Will seemed like she was ragging on Cornelia, or that my own personal feelings towards her was filtering in. It wasn't, and she wasn't. Just her lamenting over the fact that she likes a guy who is unavailable. I've done it all of the time in the past growing up, with all of the diaries I'VE owned/written in, are you kidding me? LoL

But right. It'll get better and a bit more interesting. Honestly? I'll probably keep it in "diary-mode," I don't know. We'll see. Later!)