W.I.T.C.H. specials

"This is a branch article for the W.I.T.C.H. comic book series

Every year, the W.I.T.C.H. comic book releases a special issue that tells a unique story about the girls, such as a 'what if' story, or a deeper look into their lives.

The Year Before

In this issue, we are given a look into the lives of the girls before they became W.I.T.C.H. and before they all met each other. We are also shown how the girls first discovered their powers.

For Will, her parents had just recently divorced and she was starting a new year at her old school in Fadden Hills. When she arrived, she was shocked to learn that she could read her friends' minds. It turns out that they all really hated her deep down and only put up with her because they felt sorry for her. This year, however, they decided that they no longer wanted to be Will's friend so they avoided and ignored her. Will returns home crushed, and her mother decides Fadden Hills might not be a good place to live anymore as it holds too many memories. They then decide to move to Heatherfield next year and start their new lives.

For Irma, she one day decided to follow a trail of water after a rainstorm which was to determine who her soulmate was. When it split into two, she took one path which led her to Mr. Olsen's pet store where she bought her pet turtle, Leafy. Retracing her steps, she took the path-not-chosen and was shocked to learn that it led straight to Martin Tubbs.

For Taranee, her parents' job transfer led them to Heatherfield. Although they weren't moving for a year, they still journeyed to the city to pick out a house and get acquainted with the area. Taranee was depressed about moving and didn't want to leave her old home behind. While her parents were looking at a house, Taranee wandered off and found a house of her own. She looked in the window and saw a hypnotic fire dancing in the fireplace. When she asked the real-estate agent about it, he told her that the house had been abandoned for years and nobody lived there. When Taranee looked in the window again, it was empty. The Cook family decided to move into that very house.

For Cornelia, she was having a sleepover at Elyon's house one night and having the time of her life. When she fell asleep, she was awaken by the sound of tree branches banging against the window. She and Elyon went outside and the tree began talking to Cornelia, telling her that she was finally here and that she would find something magical. The tree transformed into a door and Cornelia was about to open it when Elyon's parents woke her up. Cornelia realized she was only dreaming and began to go back upstairs to return to bed. She asked Elyon what was behind the door and Elyon told her it was nothing special, only the basement.

For Hay Lin, she was goofing off in her new year of school when Professor Mitridge assigned her and her classmates a school project of building a kite that would fly in the wind as punishment for disrupting the class. Hay Lin asked her grandmother for advice and she gave her a book on traditional Chinese kites that have been in their family for generations. She spent all night working on it and when she brought it into school, she was disappointed to find that there was no wind to fly their kites. This didn't stop Professor Mitridge from failing her, however, because she figured that the kite was too huge to fly anyway and Hay Lin just goofed off again with her design. Hay Lin threw the kite on the ground and stormed inside the classroom, crying because of how unfair Professor Mitridge was being. A few moments later, Professor Mitridge came in and told her to come outside. When Hay Lin exited the building, she was amazed to see that the only kite in the class to be soaring in the air was her own.

Elyon, return of the Queen

Elyon is queen of Metamoor for a while, but her lack of knowledge about her kingdom makes her believe she isn't fit to reign over it. She is surprised when the Guardians arrive to celebrate her birthday, which she has already forgotten.

After her friends' visit she decides to travel incognito through her kingdom to get knowledge about it. One night she gets visited by the spirit of her biological mother, who gives Elyon some last advice and saying farewell forever. Shortly after that she discovers someone is stalking her: it's Vathek, who was sent out to keep an eye on Elyon.

The next day they continue their journey, while Vathek tells some more about the history of Metamoor. When they are near the Tower of Grendal Elyon and Vathek are trapped by Raskal and his men. Raskal is an independent whisperer who leads a community in an underground village.

Not knowing Phobos and Cedric are gone, and still believing Vathek is serving them, Raskal brings Vathek up for trial; Elyon gets locked up in a cell, where she meets Ardehl, the former leader of the villagers.

Ardehl is the first one who understands Elyon is the Light of Meridian. Elyon isn't planning to stay for long and escapes both with Ardehl, looking for Vathek.

Vathek is thrown in a pit in which a Sarvak, a kind of dragon, is unleashed. When he's almost defeated, Elyon intervenes by calming down the Sarvak. She convinces the people that Metamoor has changed in their favor and tells them to go back home. Raskal, once ruling his people like a tyrant just like Phobos ever did, sees his authority fading away and finally gives in.

Cornelia and Caleb, Love Special

This issue takes place at the end of the Nerissa's Revenge saga after Caleb ends his relationship with Cornelia. The two of them are heartbroken and go their separate ways; Cornelia back to Earth and Caleb back to Meridian to live with Elyon and Vathek in the Meridian Palace. The Oracle notices their frustration and anguish over this subject and decides to show them just why their relationship was destined to fail from the beginning. While they are sleeping, he shows them visions of what would happen if either one of them gave up their life on their home planet to go live with the other.

In Cornelia's storyline, she cannot bear to leave Caleb, and so gives up her title of the Guardian of Earth and decides to live on Meridian with Caleb and Elyon. The girls are heartbroken over this decision, but respect it and are glad that Cornelia will be happy. Cornelia uses the last of her power to create a permanent Astral Drop that would take over her life on Earth so that her family would never notice that she left them. The Oracle then strips Cornelia of her power and she becomes a normal girl once again. She and Caleb return to Meridian to live out the rest of their lives. At first, Cornelia is happy and glad to be with her best friend, Elyon, and her one true love, Caleb. However, over time she grows more and more homesick and longs for life back on Earth. She asks Elyon if there is any magic that could help her and Elyon gives her a potion that will erase her memory of everything about Earth.

Some time later, the Guardians return to Meridian to visit Cornelia and see how she is living her life. Orube is now the keeper of the Heart of Kandrakar and Will has taken over as the Guardian of Earth. When they arrive at the palace, Elyon explains everything to them and the girls desperately try to get Cornelia to remember them. Cornelia eventually breaks down, crying, and confesses that she never took the potion because she couldn't bear to forget all the wonderful times she had on Earth. In the end, Cornelia leaves Meridian and returns to Earth and becomes a Guardian once again, saying her goodbyes to Caleb.

In Caleb's storyline, he decides to live on Earth with the girls so he could be with Cornelia for the rest of his life. When he arrives in Heatherfield, he is amazed and shocked by what he sees. He sees how much traffic and pollution there is and learns how everyday life on Earth is like. The girls decide to use Elyon's old house as Caleb's new home and they fix the place up again. Cornelia then tells Caleb to wait in the house during the day while she goes to school and she'll come over to visit afterwards. Caleb grows more and more bored as time goes on and he decides to explore the city by himself to prove to Cornelia that he can take care of himself. He goes searching for a job and applies for a construction job but is chased away due to his lack of work forms. He meets up with Cornelia and admits that he feels so out of place in this world and that his skills can't be applied to this world. He tells her that he may have made the wrong decision in coming to Earth to be with her.

The two of them return to Elyon's house at night, but a paranoid neighbor mistakes them for burglars and calls the police on them. The two of them are arrested and taken down to the police station. Cornelia calls Irma and tells her of the situation and Irma tells her dad to help them out. After an interview, Irma's father tells her that he can't do anything for Caleb until he explains who he is and where he came from. Caleb blurts out that he is friends with Elyon and the police are interested in that information due to the Brown family disappearance. Caleb is kept in the department overnight and the next day, Irma discovers that he is being transferred to another department outside the city and the girls decide they have to rescue him. The Guardians ambush the prison truck holding him and Irma tells the girls not to hurt anyone because her father is with them. The girls rip open the truck and Caleb escapes while the police draw their weapons and open fire on the girls. Irma is shot, passes out from shock, and changes back into her normal form. Irma's father recognizes her and the girls realize that their secret is blown and now W.I.T.C.H. is exposed to the world. Meanwhile, Caleb is on the run from the police and is now branded a fugitive.

After these visions The Oracle reminds them that their only comfort from the pain their relationship would cause is the short refuge they would find in their dreams.