Sunday

"Elyon it is past time to end this silly rebellion your friends have initiated. I was willing to tolerate them in the beginning however we have reached a stalemate and they are prohibiting the growth of our kingdom. Sister it lies in your hands to save our homeland. Imagine the countless innocents that will be saved once the prime threat to Meridian has been neutralized."

Manipulation of his younger sister was becoming increasingly difficult no doubt a direct result of the influence the guardians were having on her. There were only two beings on Meridian with the power to defeat the pests and he would much rather his sister do the dirty work. He had more important matters to attend to.

"Innocents? Who have they harmed?"

Damn this! Phobos internally growled. All of his work was being unraveled all because of this insolence. Cedric and Miranda were both ordered to occupy his sisters time and offer background to the fables he'd fed her.

"You only have to travel into any of our villages to see the havoc they have wreaked. Please sister stop our people's suffering."

In that moment the rose colored glasses Elyon had been wearing shattered. She had been to the villages of Meridian. After any guardian attack the people were jovial, hopeful. She'd seen the way they druged through their days as if there were no hope for tomorrow, the way every man woman and child shuddered at the mere mention of her brothers name. The guardians were not the source of Meridians suffering, Phobos was.

"Oh. I'll take care of them brother. For the good of our kingdom."

Unsure of which actions to take Elyong was sure of one fact. The guardians were the hope of meridian. Leaving the throne room she prepared do what she should have done months ago.

…

"It's Sunday tell me again why we're studying."

Rather than answer Will simply drew Irma in for a soul warming kiss before returning to her work. The water guardian in question only sighed when she read the meaning behind the kiss-no more until our project is done.

"Ohh you guys are just toooo cute!"

Hay Lin's basement meant that Hay Lin was there, and so were the other guardians watching them. Even if they tended to forget that every now and then.

"At least we finally found a way to shut Irma up."

Cornelia.

"Can we stop discussing what Will and Irma do when they forger we're watching and get back to what we're going to do about our school. Besides Irma this doesn't count as studying It's research to form a power point on the war of 1812. And this time I'm not going to be the one doing all the work!"

Moans filled the room before Will looked up.

"Didn't they burn the white house? And the big battles we won were fought after the war?"

All eyes shot from her to Taranee. Indignat at their surprise for her common knowledge Will responded indignantly.

"What we've been here for three hours!"

It was obvious that her guardians believed she'd been too busy staring at Irma, which bothered her slightly. She was their leader and if they thought well ..this just opened doors for Cornelia to bring up her qualifications as leader. No matter how selfish it sounded if it came to Irma or … she would pick her water guardian every time. She would never truly leave the tem just-subconsciously she hoped that these fears were irrelevant.

"Really you wouldn't just postpone the relationship until the war ended?"

Taranee's shocked outcry startled everyone in the room however the other guardians silently watched as Will met Taranee's eyes.

"I love all of you, but I'm in love with Irma. Even if I did postpone our relationship I wouldn't be able to just stop and start my feelings for her. It wouldn't change anything really just add way more tension that I want to deal with."

Irma sat intensely staring at Will with wide. The notion that anyone would ask her red head to step down because of their relationship metaphorically slapping her in the face. If anyone even thought that she'd…

"Good because if you even thought about hurting Irma or putting any of us through that sort of tension I'd have to kill you. And that would be considered mutiny."

Cornelia words reassured everyone that they wouldn't have to choose sides in another argument.

"What does any of this have to deal with the war of eighteen twelve?"

Everyone chuckled at Irma's comment falling into a familiar dynamic.

"That' s the war that Britain burned the capital, we won the battle of New Orleans after the war right?"

Time its self stopped as everyone shifted. The pink elephant had entered the room in the form of one princess of meridian.

"We need to talk."

….

The plans were drawn. Will sighed staring at her desk wondering where all of this responsibility had come from. She was going into war on Sunday, in thirteen hours, worse people could die. Usually this was where Irma would stop her train of thoughts but Irma had opted to spend the night with her family. Everyone was saying what could be goodbyes, Hay Lin at least had a grandmother who understood why she was bursting into tears every five minutes. Of course Taranee would be playing chess with Nigel. Cornelia would braid Lillian's hair. Creating a happy memory just in case this would be their last. Closing her eyes Will sighed pinching the bridge of her nose before standing, walking through the dark apartment to the kitchen and opening the fridge.

Nothing.

Which explained why her mom opted to eat out, unfortunately with the company of Mr. Collins.

"Just in case, I love you mom."

She whispered to the empty kitchen before returning to her room opting once again to sit at her desk rather than attempt sleep. Every instinct screamed that she should but her mind was reeling

"Couldn't sleep either?"

Jumping she fell out of her chair slamming her elbow on the seat as she jerked about to face Elyon.

"You have got to stop doing that that whatever it is!"

Smiling Elyon sat on the foot of her bed while Will clambered into the chair.

"I can never sleep the night before a raid, or a battle. If I'm the reason one of our friends gets hurt…"

Nodding the two leaders shared a moment of empathy. Lives were at stake.

"You know we ever really got the chance to talk."

And so they did.

…..

Acting as normally as she could Elyon stood in throne room before her brother. The only thought running through her mind was a plead for him not to see through her scheme.

"Sister have you eliminated the threat?"

Silence.

"Yes. NOW!"

It was an obvious signal. Unmistakable. Instantly rebels flooded through the halls followed by Cornelia the other guardians were leading rebels throughout other areas of the castle. When her brother charged forward she feelt the pure essence of Meridan warping under by his power. She couldn't help but to flinch back at Cedric's true form even if Will had red her in on it earlier the sight churned her stomach. Furious she wondered how did I ever trust them? They both lunged for her however they found themselves unable to move as vines wove about them.

Draining the earth guardians life through the very vines binding him Phobos rose into the air. In that moment Elyon knew that she would never be able to defeat her brother.

Will surprised everyone flying through the gates- the second guardian to make it through the brawl outside. In true heroic form she placed herself between Phobos and every other living thing. The blows were powerful- pink bolts from Will, black from Phobos. The pixy seemed to have the upper hand concidering maneuverability however Phobos played dirty and before Elyon could warn her, Cerdic's tail struck Will slamming her hard against the palace walls. Always one to kick someone when they were down Phobos's dark powers struck her multiple times before he smirked setting his sights once more on Elyon.

Shivering under his gaze she back away in fear.

"No."

Pure raw energy stuck Phobos in definance. Will had pulled herself up from the ground and once more stood albeit shakily ready for battle.

"Ohh this is too precious. You see sister this is what happens when you defy me!"

He struck Will will with another bolt.

"You."

Another bolt.

"Will."

Another.

"Never."

Will screamed as once more her body surged with pain.

"Win."

Refusing to give her brother another opportuinity to strike she threw the vial that Caleb had mysteriously appeared with. Within seconds Phobos was on his knees human, powerless. Cedric sank to the size of a rabbit. It was over.

Joy pulsed through Elyon as she looked up hoping to meet Will's eyes. Rather than see her fellow leader nodding with pride she saw a detransformed fallen guardian. Shattered for a moment she moved to check on Will however a cry halted her.

"Will!"

Irma had finally reached the throe room the spells over guards had ended and they were celebrating through the halls of the castle. Ironically it had been harder to travel through the mob of 'happy' soliders than it had been to fight through them. None of that mattered in that instant because Will was laying there face down. In a hart beet Irma was next to Will kneeling trying to shake her awake.

"Come ON Will Wake up. Come back to me. No! NO! This wasn't supposed to happen. Will. WAKE UP!"

She distantly heard the sounds of the others arriving, giving them space; then someone tried to take Will from her.

"No!"

Arms wrapped themselves around her and the will to fight fled as Irma slumped into them. Phobos and Cedric were gone but so was their joy of victory, the coast of winning a war-Cornelia thought bitterly as she held Irma.

"They're taking her to the infirmary. She's*sigh* Irma they're going to … Come on I'll take you to her. We should be by her side."

Silently Elyon led her old friends to the dining hall which was serving as a makeshift hospital. Will was laying on a table, with meridians busteling about her but no one working on her. Assuming the worst Irma broke free of Cornelia returning to Will's side.

"Will!"

"Irma?"

The rasping voice sounded like sunshine after a month of rain. Smiles grew on all faces as Will managed to sit up slightly Irma sliding in behind her providing support.

"Soo gonna tell your mom you fell off a rusty again?"

Laughing Will kissed Irma.

"Why is it that you always kiss me when you want to shut me up."

Loking up at Irma confused no one noticed that the rest of the guardians and the queen had fled giving them privacy.

"Your kisses always tell me to shut up."

Forcing herself to twist around flinching through the pain she slowly wrapped both arms aroung Irma before pulling her girl friend into a deep three kiss that eneded with Will's energy draining and her resting her head on Irma's shoulder as she whispered-because no one can speak after a kiss like that,

"What did that kiss say?"

The End.

I know it's been a long ride and its been a while since I last updated but I couldn't end it there. For anyone who read this and enjoyed it, thank you. To the rest of you…uhh, yeah. As one thing ends another should begin which is the idea behind my new Will Irma tale. It's called "OnceUpon A time" and it'll be up in a few days.

So ends my favorite story.

Yours Truly

The Girl In the Green Shoelaces.