A Past Returned

by TacoTues4Eva

Saturday Dec 24 g

“Sweetie, your father is here with your sister.” Susan said softly, brushing the blonde’s long locks from out of her face. “If you don’t want to see him, you girls can go to Sunset’s room while I deal with him.”

“It's fine... He’s always trying to look out for me.” Cornelia sighed as a knock was heard from the door.

“Hello, Mr. Hale.” Sunset said as she opened the door, a blonde blur a little shorter than Sunset shooting past her to hug Cornelia.

“Are you okay?” Lillian asked, worry thick in her voice.

“Of course I am, I’m a lot stronger than I look.” Cornelia said, hugging her little sister back. “We do need to talk though.”

“I figured.” Lillian sighed.

“Are you okay, Pumpkin?” Harold asked as he carried a few bags in with him making Susan arch an eyebrow in askance.

“I’m ok, but I’m going to be staying here with Ms. Vandom for now.” Cornelia said, looking over Lillian’s head. “Is it true? You aren’t my dad?”

“I’m sorry sweetie, I never wanted you to find out. Especially in this way.” Harold sighed, “As far as I was concerned you were and still are my daughter.”

“Thanks daddy.” Cornelia said with a watery smile.

“I’m sorry to say your mother is still very angry right now, but I’m trying to talk her down. She was going to throw your stuff out, but I told her if she touched any of it I would be getting a divorce.” Harold sighed, “I brought you some of your clothes and your Christmas presents.”

“You shouldn’t be talking her down, you should be calling child services on her!” Susan snapped out, Harold wincing with guilt.

“Susan, Elizabeth is a good person deep down, she just has issues.” Harold mumbled, his voice a tone indicating it was a statement he said many times while not really believing it himself.

“Harold, she was beating Cornelia!” Susan snapped.

“Are you okay, Pumpkin?” Harold asked as he set the bags down and moved over to check Cornelia over.

“I told you dad, I’m fine.” Cornelia sighed, rolling her eyes.

“You can’t blame me for worrying dear.” Harold said as he patted Cornelia’s head.

“Why don’t you girls go hang out in Sunset’s room for a bit, I would like to have a talk with Harold.” Susan suggested.

“Just please don’t fight.” Cornelia pleaded.

“We won't, dear.” Susan said as she moved to hug the girl and kiss the top of her head.

“It will be ok pumpkin.” Harold assured his daughter.

“Come on.” Sunset said, leading the two blondes towards her room to leave the two adults to talk.

“Are you ok?” Cornelia asked as soon as the three got into Sunset’s room and closed the door. The older blonde was staring in worry at her little sister who kept shuffling nervously. “Do you have any idea what you have done?”

“I’m okay, and I guess I blew my cover helping you.” Lillian sighed, getting a tight hug from her older sister.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were the Heart of Earth?” Cornelia sniffed, “Exposing yourself might have put you in danger!”

“The same reason you didn’t tell me about being a guardian! And it was worth exposing myself to help you after seeing that woman almost crap herself!” Lillian defended herself.

“How did it happen?” Cornelia asked, leading the younger girl to sit side by side on the edge of Sunset’s bed while the fiery haired girl grabbed her computer chair and joined them.

“Last year I started having dreams of this really weird stuff. There was this yellow fire that felt so warm and safe, and it spoke to me. It said I was awakening as the Heart of Gaea.” Lillian explained, laying down to rest her head in Cornelia’s lap who rolled her eyes at the action before running her fingers through the younger girl’s hair. An action that always seemed to calm the two down. “I started changing things around me if I wasn’t careful, but one of my friends made me so mad. Then the teacher came in and started yelling at us for talking and I just screamed. When I calmed down it looked like everyone there was brain dead, their eyes were focused on me and would follow my every movement. It really scared me and they would only say, yes Lillian, to me. I was so scared, I didn’t know what to do, but the bell seemed to break them out of whatever the trance was. I swore I would never do anything that would mess with someone’s mind or control them.”

“If you ask me, you're pretty brave. If I was in your position, I would have probably ran away.” Sunset consoled the girl.

“How did you know I was a guardian?” Cornelia asked.

“I saw you change a few times, as well as feel it every time you do. I can feel wherever you are on Earth too.” Lillian said.

“That’s a pretty nice trick to have.” Sunset said.

“It is and so is what happened to Spike and Napoleon. Is it permanent?” Cornelia asked.

“Yes, they can change back and forth and will be able to speak so we can understand them. I already understood them before since I can understand most animals now.” Lillian said, “There is nothing wrong with them though, Napoleon has been able to change for a while now. I made him my guard awhile back.”

“Good, because you have to be careful. There is something going on right now and we aren’t too sure any longer on what to believe on who or what the enemy is. And if that isn’t bad enough, there are always going to be people out there to take advantage of you and your powers.” Cornelia said, “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.”

“I’m fine, sis. I know to be careful, but I will always do anything I can to protect you.” Lillian said as she sat up to give Cornelia another hug.

“And I’ll do anything I can to protect you.” Cornelia assured the younger girl.

“Hey, do you two want to see something cool?” Sunset asked, a smirk slowly growing.

“I’m afraid to ask.” Cornelia shuddered at Sunset’s expression.

“What is it?” Lillian asked as Sunset pushed with her feet to send herself and the computer chair rolling over Ray’s terrarium which Cornelia was just realizing was there.

“That’s ok, we don’t need to see it.” Cornelia squeaked out.

“Oh wow!” Lillian gasped out as Sunset returned with Ray in her hand, the little guy looking back and forth between the two blondes. Lillian was excited and leaned over to see it as Sunset held him out, while Cornelia was trying to lean back away from it as far as she could.

“He isn’t going to bite, Cornelia.” Sunset giggled, holding Ray out for Lillian to hold, which the girl happily did so. “His name is Ray.”

“He’s so cute!” Lillian squealed out, letting the little gecko crawl up her arm and sit on her shoulder to nuzzle her.

“Cats and dogs are cute, lizards are just…ewwww.” Cornelia said with an exaggerated shudder. “Um, no offense.”

“I really hate that saying.” Sunset giggled, “It’s ok though, I know some people just can’t get along with certain animals. Take spiders, I can admire them from a distance, but for some reason a part of me starts to freak out up close.”

“I like some spiders.” Cornelia mumbled.

“Yeah, from cartoons and comics.” Lillian teased, earning a mock glare from her sister until the older girl gave a sigh of defeat.

“And movies.” Cornelia admitted softly.

“I’ve seen one Spider-Man movie so far, it was pretty good.” Sunset said, not wanting to admit that it was when spending time at one of the girls’ houses back in Canterlot. She hardly ever wasted money on a movie, just old games she could make money off of in her streams.

“Maybe we can watch them sometime this weekend, they’re great! Especially Tom, he is one of the best ones!” Cornelia exclaimed as Lillian was handing Ray back.

“Sounds fun.” Sunset agreed as she rolled back over to put Ray safely back in his terrarium for now.

Author's Note:

I wanted to thank Sunny Scriber for once again doing such a great job proof reading because no matter how much I try to find all the mistakes I still manage to miss a bunch of them. I also want to thank him for all the advice on improving my writing and scenes in the story to make it better as well as writing the descriptions for the girls new transformation. I also want to thank HarmonicPriest for all the help and story ideas he has given as well as the awesome omakes that can be found in the comment sections of Tuesday Dec 20 d, Wednesday Dec 21 d, Thursday Dec 22 b and Friday Dec 23 c, they are awesome! Thank you both very much!

I also wanted to thank HarmonicPriest for the suggestions on materials to use in making Susan's bracelet from the metals to the gems and the newest addition of alternate covers.

Comments

[HarmonicPriest]

So girls have a little Q&A when Susan is tearing into Harold... delicately (Because of lack of a better target within melee range). Also, he sees some good in Elizabeth?! With what? Electron microscope?

Huh so Lilian without training demonstrated:
-Empowerment & Sentience awakening (Spike and Napoleon)
-"Mind Enthrallment ala Starlight Glimmer Lite" (Much more targets affected but much less stability considering that what Starlight did in canon needed Twilight to un-scramble and here loud noise was enough to break)
-Minor reality warping? ("...changing things around...")
-Minor empathetic bond with Cornelia
-Animal language (Yay for one of the nicely versatile high-shelf powers, and if someone doesn't agree I have two simple equations as persuading examples:
1. Fluttershy + Pigeons = spy networks
2. Fluttershy + Rats/Rodents + Mosquitoes + Enemy army's camp = Massacre upon army resources, morale, sanity and sanitation
And Lilian is now in this exclusive Disney Princess Club You may now tremble in fear.)
Impresive restrain if you ask me , she didn't create a castle made from pastries in first week...that we know of...

Seriously, Cornelia was seen transforming? The probability that there are others who saw girls in guardian form just became much higher ... and then I remember that peoples in Sheffield have a perception of rotting fish so the secret is maaaaaybe safe ... for two weeks more at least ...

Huh so Cornelia likes spiders ... *Looks at Miranda* That must have been an emotionally conflicting encounter for Cornelia...

And now additional questions come:
1. What was that yellow flame? Some kind of Gaea spirit or something else entirely (My money goes for vestige of last gaea keeper)?
2. If there is going to be reveal of Cornelia paternal side of family at all , it's gonna be within this story or later in sequel? Just curious...

[TacoTues4Eva]

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I'm pretty sure Susan really, REALLY wants to strangle the dimwit. As for what Harold uses to see the god in his wife, I'm not even sure an Electron Microscope could find it lol.

She's a natural, but I've decided to go with the voice of gaea helping guide and temper her as a sentient force as well as the previous keepers ala Avatar. I totally agree that power has a lot more use than people give it credit for and you just pointed out two really awesome examples for what could be done with it. Eyup, though I'm sure she would be running the Princess Club within a week...if that long.

I wouldn't doubt some hiccups like that happening, after all who wouldn't want a free pizza and ice cream?

Yep, sadly so many people seem blind there yet some key people seem to be more observant than the norm. Maybe it's just something in the water effecting some more than others.

Eyup, which I have plans to do something with come Monday parts. Never thought of that but I bet that must have been weird for her lol.

1) That was like the soul of the Earth, or Gaea which is like a yellow or golden flame in Lillian's mind while it can also channel the last keepers like in Avatar. All keepers will be able to do that, such as Elyon, in this universe except for one for several reasons.
2) There will be though I'm debating if it is going to be in this story or the sequel. I actually had plans to have the Canterlot girls and families a little more involved in this story, but things happened and I ended up wanting to try and finish this story to keep a promise of putting a part out a night by the time I need to take a few days off. Future stories will be done a bit differently as they likely won't be released nightly and will be a bit longer as well as probably not following this format of the day thing, then again it might also make it easier to keep track of the time inside the story so I will have to think about that.