W.I.T.C.H. 1. Just a Dream

Okay, so the story goes like this-

I had loaded several chapters of these three stories that I had been dabbling in on and off for the last year or so: one for Digimon, one for Wolf's Rain, and this one (I'm an ecclectic animated program watcher). I was perusing through the dozen or so chapters I had stocked up when I noticed that the word "Life" atop one of the columns was highlighted blue, indicating it was a link. Curious, I clikced it and read the short sentece that pretty much said that anything left in the documents folders after 60 days would be trashed.

And can you guess how long these have apparently been in there?

...hang on, wait a minute... I only put those in there about three weeks ago, now that I think about it. How the hell can it tell me that they've been stored for two months? I don't even think this account is two months old...

Ah well. Point is, I'm not going to upload all my chapters at once... but to save me the hassle of doing it later, I'm going to post the first chapter of the two stories not yet introduced, and get the last saved chapter of _Digimon Heroes_ up as well. That way I can feel productive right before the site eliminates nearly an hour of uploading effort. _sigh_

Anywho, yeah. So, that's my story.

And I'm stickin' to it!

_Disclaimer: My name is Kat, and Kat does not own the rights to just about anyone you'll read in this fanfiction. I don't know who _does _own the rights, but let me repeat, it is not me. I just own a cat. And a venus fly trap. And a crappy computer. That's it._

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Just a Dream**

* * *

"Stop, thief!"

I glanced over my shoulder at the mobbing villagers. "I keep telling you! This is mine!" I know my voice sounded dangerously close to a whine, but considering the current situation, I think fear outweighs my social reputation for now.

"Get the liar! She's running away!"

"Well, what do you think!?" I cried, facing forward again as I refocused on running. "You're all _chasing_ me!"

"Someone stop her!"

_Someone wake me_!

* * *

You always know something is very wrong when you start thinking of your fuzzy frog-shaped alarm clock lovingly and longingly. The very thing I spent every morning ignoring, despising, and slapping, I suddenly found myself wanting more than anything. For if I had my alarm clock, then I could set it off. And when that familiar buzzing rang through my head, something in my messed up brain would finally kick in and wake me up from this crazy series of nightmares. I'd open my eyes, rather slowly at first and with lots of effort, but I'd feel the familiar brush of the underside of my frog-adorned blanket around my face. I'd pull head out from underneath, blink around at my box-infested room, and-

Wait… if I'm wishing for miracles here, then I might as well wish myself back in Fallon Hills and that my dad weren't crazy…

But wait a second, I'm getting a little ahead of myself. I guess none of _you_ even know what the heck I'm talking about, do you? Crap, I guess that means I have to explain don't I? Well, let me go ahead and warn you, then. I really suck at summarizing. Just ask my English teacher.

* * *

Anyway, I suppose I should start at the beginning then. Now, all I have to worry about is figuring out where that is. Let's see… I think it all started when my mom and me moved to this inky dinky middle-of-nowhere little town called Heatherfield. I mean, that's where all this nightmarish stuff started- not the running-away-from-villagers-for-"stealing"-my-own-backpack nightmare, but the other stuff. Like being the new kid in school, the subject of torment by local bullies, heartless teachers giving me three page papers, and stuff like that. Course, now that I step back and think about it, I think I'd take the paper over running for my life any day.

Oops, I'm kind of moving off the subject, aren't I? See, I told you I was bad at this! Anyway, like I said, most of this weird stuff happened when we came here. We moved after my parents divorced and my dad was growing a tad stalker-ish. Creepy, huh? Anyway, my mom got a transfer from her mega-big corporate company to move here- and drag me with her. Not that I didn't mind too much. About living with my mom, that is. She's pretty cool, actually, when she's not being my mom of course. Sometimes, when she thinks no one's looking, she can actually be a lot of fun. So leaving my dad for her wasn't too big a problem. It was leaving Fallon Hills for Heatherfield that left me no choice but to give Mom the silent treatment the entire ride to my new home.

"Oh, come on, Will! Just look around! At least once?" Mom coaxed. "You'll never get to like Heatherfield if you don't at least give it a chance."

Oh, by the way, I totally forgot. My name is Will, in case you haven't already figured it out. Will Vandom. And no, I'm not a guy. Will is just a nickname. Don't even bother asking for my real name because I refuse to live with the humiliation.

Anyway… continuing…

"Who says I'm not giving it a chance?" I grumbled. "I can see the street just fine."

"But look at this town, Will!" she repeated, sweeping her eyes around her as she drove. "It feels so… so quaint and peaceful. Not like Fallon Hills was. You just wait, hon, this place'll grow on you. You'll be running around here with a bunch of new friends in no time."

She didn't know how right she'd end up being. I was definitely running around, and though the people with me weren't exactly my friends, at least there were a bunch of 'em.

But I digress. Not even I knew then what trouble awaited me in the deceptively peaceful town of Heatherfield. I did nothing but grunt in response to Mom's cheery attitude and sunk deeper into the folds of my sweatshirt as we maneuvered around town, trying to find our new apartment.

It didn't take very long. Heatherfield is no New York City, so within a few minutes, we found ourselves parking in the structure next to the apartment building and riding the elevator up to the eighteenth floor.

When the elevator doors opened, Mom spent the next three minutes rummaging through her circus-tent-sized bag for the keys. I was almost sent down to the manager's room for the spare key when she finally found them and inserted them into the door. Mom jiggled them a bit until we both heard the lock pop, and with a dramatic pause, Mom swept the door open.

"Oh, Will, just look at this! Isn't it fabulous!?"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Mom… it's nothing but a bunch of boxes."

"I know, I know, but think about it! Can't you just imagine it when it's all done? See, the big red couch will go right there in the middle, and the television will go right in front of it against the wall. The bookcase will go…" Her voice trailed off as she mosied away, pointing at various piles of boxes as she designed the entire apartment in her mind. I just stood there with my hands in my pockets, spending all of a second wondering if she actually expected me to follow her before I did some moseying myself. As long as she was busy in her fantasy home, I could snag first dibbs on my room.

Beyond the kitchen was a hallway where I had guessed the bedrooms would be. I was right. The master bedroom veered to the right while two more stood to the left and at the end of the hallway. One of these would be Mom's home office while the other would be my bedroom. Making my way across, I stuck my head into the already opened dark room right next to the master bedroom. It was pretty spacious but the bathroom looked like it connected into the master bedroom. Considering this whole "move" thing still had me pretty ticked off, I didn't figure I'd be able to pull off a proper pouty mood with Mom being _that_ close. Not to mention the window sported a lovely view of the building next to ours and the rat-infested alleyway that separated the two.

"Yeah, I think not," I muttered, closing the door and moving onto the last room. I got a bit of a jolt when I touched the doorknob, but attributed that to static electricity before I opened the door. The inside was considerably lighter due to the window facing out over the street. Light trickled in through its dusty glass to splash on the faded carpet beneath my feet. The room was a lot smaller than the other one, but I already started to like it better. The personal bathroom was a plus, too.

"Will! There you are! I've been looking all over for you." Mom stuck her head into the room and gave it a quick once over before smiling. "Oh, Will, this room is adorable! Perfect for your bedroom, don't you think?"

I shrugged like I didn't care (still have to act pouty, remember) and turned to the window, swiping off the dust with my sleeve and opening it. While behind me, Mom was complaining about my sullied sweatshirt, I leaned out over the sill and gazed out at my new life. To tell you the truth, my new life was dull, dusty, and smelly (literally). But I guess if Mom was so jazzed about it (even if it was only for my sake), then I guess I could pretend to be a little less pouty.

The rest of the week passed without much event. We had reserved a whole day to drive around town and get to know the place, but when "the place" had been driven around in about forty-five minutes, we decided to go back and work on those boxes of ours. With the amount of boxes still lingering around after the weekend passed, one wouldn't have guessed at how much work we actually put into it.

But at least I had my bed in my room with my froggy blanket and green frog pillows. What can I say? I have a thing for frogs. And I had my fuzzy frog alarm clock. And my bedside table. And… a lot more boxes.

I figured the box thing would probably be an issue until the end of time, knowing my mom and me, so I didn't sweat too much about it.

No, what had me sweating was the fact that the weekend was over. Which made it Monday- the first day of school.

I kept up a steady groan during the entire seven-minute car ride to the front gate of Sheffield Institute. My god, I was going to an _institute!_ Just the very name had me trembling nervously. The images of white padded rooms and prison bars and lab coat-donning professors with creepy grins and squirting syringes floating around my head did nothing to ease them.

"Don't worry so much, Will," my mother said, trying to be reassuring. "You'll be fine. You go have fun and make some new friends, okay?"

I turned wide eyes at her, wondering how she could think of going to a mental institution disguised as a school could be fun. Was she in on it? Was she sending me to my doom? Should I have not pouted as much as I did? The more questions I asked myself, the crazier I felt I was becoming, so before my mom got suspicious I opened the door and reluctantly pulled myself out of the car. As I closed the door, I glanced back at my smiling and waving mother before I took a deep breath and started walking through the dark, imposing gates.

Actually, the inside looked a lot less scary then the outside did. Sheffield Institute was composed of a handful of brick, well kept buildings with a well manicured green lawn and trees dotting the campus everywhere. Hundreds of students milled around the place like ants, some in small packs while others moped about alone. Heck, it actually looked like a… aschool!

The whole scene was completed with the loud, shrill ringing of a bell from somewhere or other which triggered the mild stampede of teenagers to the various entrances around the buildings. I just stood there, watching them all for a few moments before I realized I should probably be joining them if I didn't want to be late for class. Swinging my bag over my shoulder, I dug my schedule out of my pocket and peered at the little numbers written on it. After a while, I glanced up, picked a direction and started walking.

About three minutes after the tardy bell rang, I found myself at the bottom of some staircase, looking around hopelessly. I swear, I circled every building at least twice, but I still couldn't find room 313!

Frustrated beyond belief, I pulled my head back and shouted, "Can't a girl go through a first day of school _without_ all this crap!?"

"You're lost, aren't you?"

My head whipped around so fast that I think I gave myself a headache. I shook my head once to shake it off before looking for the source of the voice. What I found was a dark-skinned girl smiling down at me from the top of the stairs. Her black hair was arranged in an interesting collection of braids and beads at the side of her head that sort of made her look like a voodoo shaman in training, but the brown eyes behind her wide-rimmed glasses seemed kind and friendly.

I sensed the possibility of one of those new friends Mom was talking about, so I grinned sheepishly. "Is it that obvious?"

The stranger shrugged, still smiling. "I can recognize the symptoms of 'new kid syndrome'," she replied as she made her way down the stairs. "I've only been here three days, so I'm still in recovery myself. But don't worry, you'll get the hang of this place eventually."

I laughed at her interesting choice of words. New kid syndrome. Doesn't that fit me just perfectly? "Glad to know," I told her.

The girl grinned and nodded. "I'm Taranee, by the way. Need any help finding your class?"

My smile widened. "I'm Will. And help from a seasoned veteran would be most appreciated."

Taranee laughed, her braids bouncing around her face. "I don't know about 'seasoned veteran', but I'm sure I can at least point you in the right direction." She took one look at the paper schedule that I showed her before her eyes lit. "Room 313? That's the bio lab. You're in the right building; just on the wrong side." She turned and pointed up the stairs behind us. "Go up there and head toward the other side. Doesn't really matter which way you go since they lead to the same place. There'll be a staircase on that side, too, and the lab will be right next to them."

I folded up my schedule and offered Taranee a huge, grateful smile. "Thanks. I'd have been lost without you."

"You already _were_ lost without me," she pointed out teasingly. "But you're welcome all the same. I'll see you around, okay?"

"Alright," I replied, waving over my shoulder as I bounded up the stairs. "See you!"

As the two of us went our separate ways, I couldn't help but rejoice in my stroke of luck. Taranee seemed really nice and I found myself actually happy I got so lost. Maybe the rest of the day wouldn't be so bad after all?

But of course, I was wrong. New student or not, my biology teacher was pretty upset about me being so late. As a result, I had the honor of being assigned extra homework on account of me "catching up". Yeah right. On top of that, these two girls seated behind me kept whispering so loudly in my math class that the teacher thought I was in on it and sent all three of us out into the hallway for a stern lecture. She kept expressing her disappointment in me for striking such a bad first impression, no matter how much I protested my innocence. The other two, a bubbly Asian named Hay-lin and a wisecracking brunette named Irma, were just assigned an after school detention which didn't appear to be too out of the norm for them.

Afterwards, they both expressed their apologies for getting me caught up in their trouble, which, as luck would have it, ended up contributing towards my second tardy of the day.

In fact, probably the only good thing that came out of today was Taranee. I was delighted when I saw her already seated in my English class. The same happened in my PE period, as well, and she was more than happy to listen to my woeful tales when I spotted her seated next to a tree at lunch. She told me about how her teacher gave her the third degree when she was late this morning, too, and about her ordeal with a gang of bullies messing with her bike. According to her, if it weren't for this uber popular blondie stepping up, she'd be looking for a ride home. "It was like Cornelia was a superhero fending off a bunch of bad guys with the way she struck her heroic pose and her hair was blowing in the wind behind her." The way she described it still makes me laugh.

Then again, I suppose Taranee wasn't the _only_ good thing about today. There was that simple incident in the hallway when I was racing to my art class and I crashed into what could have very well been the most gorgeous hunk of boy flesh in America. Wavy brown hair, bright blue eyes, a loosely trimmed chin of stubble that looked like it came from some boy band in LA. I hardly noticed when he smiled down at me, muttered something or other about an apology, and politely continued on his way. In fact, come to think of it, I don't even think I said sorry, either! I just stood there like a lovesick sack of potatoes, as Taranee so eloquently put it. A million and one flirty things I could have said, and yet not one even crossed my mind as I watched him disappear around the corner. I was absolutely disgusted with myself.

But, when all was said and done, I still have one word to describe my first day at school- _exhausting!_ And I haven't even gotten to the mad villager part, yet!

Anyway, we're getting to that, so just be patient.

I jiggled my keys and opened the door to our apartment, took one look at the box fest, then moved to collapse on the couch. Slinging my arm over my eyes, I let out a nice, long groan to no one in particular. Mom already said she wouldn't be home until later that night, so it was just me and the frogs.

"I think," I said aloud, "that with all the ordeals I went through today, I'm more than deserving of a quick nap."

Forget homework and tardy slips and bullies. I thought I deserved a medal of some sort for getting through my first day. But after I yawned and snuggled down more comfortably, I decided that I would settle for a nap and get that medal later.

Now that I think about it… I should have waited for the medal.

* * *

I still remember how freaky that dream was that I had. I was in the middle of this storm, drowning in the water, and for whatever reason, completely naked. Well, except for this pink light that my body seemed to radiate. I looked positively radioactive. And as the water continued swirling over my head, I saw my lips moved. I called out something, but I wasn't sure what it was.

Whatever I called, it seemed to respond. The light around me began to pulse, almost like a heartbeat. I could feel that pulse even through my dream-fevered sleep, as if it were a second heart beating next to my own. As my body continued sinking down into the dark water, I saw myself curl up within the protective cocoon of the pink light, its pulsing still steady and strong. And then, out of my cocoon came-

Don't you hate it when you have a really interesting dream that gets interrupted by you waking up? I felt that way as I started to stir, frowning and groaning even while my eyes were still closed.

And for once, I didn't hear the annoying ring of my alarm clock tearing my out of my delicious sleep. This confused me until I remembered that I fell asleep on the couch. Which… actually, continued to confuse me because I didn't feel like I was lying on the couch. Did I roll off in my sleep? Was that what woke me up?

I pushed myself up into a sitting position as I stretched my arms over my head, yawning nonstop. Finally, I dropped my arms enough to rub one eye while the other opened slowly…

…to a wall of pink.

That snorted rather indignantly.

"AHHHH!" I squealed, putting my arms and feet in motion as I scrambled backward, eyes wide. What in the world was a pig doing in our apartment!? A pig with… purple horns… and three eyes?

"_EEEEEK_!"

The pig-like-thing squealed in response to my scream before spinning around and running toward the safety of the other three-eyed pigs, all of them staring at me warily.

I screamed again and tried to back up some more but bumped into something rather hard and unyielding. When I turned over my shoulder, I realized it was the post of a wooden fence. My eyes widened in shock as I slowly moved my head around, trying to take everything in at once. What I thought was the fuzzy down of the couch leather was really fine sand and dirt. The fence wound all the way around behind the herd of alien pigs in a rectangular fashion. I was… I was in a… a _pigpen!_

I screamed yet again, continuously this time as my head darted around, looking at the farmhouse beyond the pig pen, the forest, the tiny little hatched houses all around the place. I just kept screaming with every new sight I saw. The pile of hay in the corner got a scream. The wooden cart next to the farmhouse got a scream. The giant rooster-looking thing attached to it actually got a confused pause before a _series_ of screams.

In fact, only one thing actually got me to stop screaming.

A voice.

"Hey! Who's in there? Show yerself!"

The voice sounded deep and gruff, definitely scary enough to warrant my silence. I glanced around quickly before spotting a short, rectangular box that I guessed would have served as the pig's feeding trough. With wobbling legs, I scrambled to the other side and ducked down behind it, tucking my head under my arms.

_This is just a dream. This is just a dream. This is just a dream. This is just a dream. This is-_

Heavy footsteps plodded through the sand, close enough for me to tell that its owner was inside the pigpen. It crooned softly to calm the squealing pigs before stepping closer. I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed to wake up now.

_This is just a dream. This is just a creepy creepy dream. It's only a dream. Just a dream. I'm going to wake up any moment and-_

"Hey! What are you doing back here?"

My eyes snapped opened and my head reared back. Oh man, if I thought those pigs were weird, they were nothing compared to _this_ guy! He looked like a lizard dressed as Farmer Brown but with slitted gold eyes and a raspy breath. Sweat rolled down his beady green skin and his pink tongue slithered out of his mouth to taste the air… or to taste me.

I let out my longest, loudest scream yet before I suddenly found myself on my feet and running. Of course, this _was_ just a dream, so it wasn't really as if I was running for my life or anything. But running is just one of those things people do in dreams. It's nice and metaphorical.

But anyway, back to the running and the Godzilla Farmer Brown. I jumped over the pigpen fence in one fantastic leap and kept going down the dusty road that led away from the farmhouse. I heard the farmer shouting behind me as he slowly climbed over the fence (I think his tail got in the way), but I didn't dare look back. For someone who absolutely hated track and field, I was booking it down that road, trying not to look at the utterly unfamiliar landscape around me.

Other weird-looking people were watching me as I sped past them. Some of them were similar to the farmer guy with reptilian features and peasant clothing. Others looked even stranger, like this group of four or five with blue faces and stone-like spikes atop their baldheads, men and women alike. Some were riding more of those giant roosters like horses, pulling at the rope reigns long enough to stare at me as I ran by.

Finally, when my lungs felt like they were going to burst (very realistic for a dream, might I add), I darted into a small crevice in between two thatched buildings and collapsed on the ground, gasping for air. Loud whisperings floated down to me from the street about the strange human girl with the unusual clothing but I ignored it all in favor of lying on my side and curling in ball, weeping and begging for this dream… no, this _nightmare_ to finally end.

I didn't even realize I fell asleep (who knew you could fall asleep in dreams?) until I woke up later. I jumped, startled, when something like a rat with yellow fur ran past my nose, but when I sat up and looked around, I remembered my weird dream and realized I must still be in the middle of it. I sighed and hugged my legs to my chest, staring at the small gap facing the street. The light had dimmed considerably, so I must have been out for hours. My mind kept on jumping back to my psychology class I had back in Fallon Hills about how dreams occur in real time. If I were really asleep in the dream for hours, then how long had I been asleep in the real world? Was I in a coma? Was that why I couldn't wake up?

The fact that being in a coma explained far too much of what was going on didn't comfort me in the least bit. It didn't help that my stomach was gurgling angrily. I hadn't eaten since that turkey sandwich at lunch with Taranee. The thought of Taranee and Sheffield Institute and my froggy alarm clock had suddenly swept me into a haze of sadness. What if I really was in a coma? What will Mom do when she sees me sprawled out over the couch, probably drooling all over myself? Would she think I was just napping? That I was going to wake up any second? Would I ever wake up?

The scurrying of another rat (or possibly the same one) woke me up enough to sigh and pull myself to my feet, if a bit wearily. If I was in a coma, which I was seriously believing I was, then I had to go about getting up. Maybe people in comas dreamed up strange worlds like this one. It's not like I've ever known a comatose person enough to ask them. But if that were the case, then I had to do something about my growling stomach. Maybe if I ate dream food, my brain would convince my stomach it was real. It was already doing a good job of all my other senses- I could feel the goose bumps on my skin as a cool evening breeze swept through the alleyway, and the smell certainly seemed realistic enough. If my brain could convince the rest of my body that this place was real, then it could hopefully do the same thing with some imaginary food.

Cautiously, I peeked my head out from the alleyway, looking up and down the street for pedestrians. Good, no one in sight. But I _did_ spot something else- my backpack. Or at least, something that looked a lot like it. The brown leather bag sat on a table surrounded with other satchels and things of the sort. The sight of my little frog keychain sticking out of one of the pockets had me convinced. If that was my backpack, then my wallet would be in there! And where there's a wallet, there's money. And where there's money, there's food!

I was so enthralled at the sight of a familiar object that I practically burst out of the alleyway, racing across the street to the table. My fingers brushed the frog keychain fondly before I opened the bag and peered in it. Good, it looked like all my stuff was still in there! My wallet, my sweatshirt, my textbooks… I seriously considered ditching those, but I zipped up the bag and slung it over my shoulder anyway. The more normal things I had around me, the less likely I figured I'd go crazy. Some people have been in comas for years. Granted, they normally were in crazy car accidents first, but I didn't want to take any chances. Who knew _how_ long I'd end up in this weird place?

I had hardly taken three steps away from the table when yet another voice was calling after me.

"Hey! Stop right there!"

I spun around to find a creature with scaly bags of skin bulging over every surface of her face. Or his face. Whatever it was looked like it had three sets of cheeks stacked on top of each other and its small black bead eyes were set on me in a fierce glower. "I hope you intend on paying for that," it growled, pointing a clawed finger at my bag.

I blinked once, glanced at my bag, then back at the… uh, creature. "What, this?" I replied, lifting my bag. "But this is mine. See?" I pointed to the front of the bag where the name 'Will' was scrawled in silver sharpie ink.

The thing ignored the evidence in favor of holding out its hand (which I was alarmed to discover only had three fingers!). "Enough lies, child. I found that thing lying unattended in the woods. You aren't walking away from here with that unless you pay!"

This time I blinked in surprise and frowned with just the slightest bit of irritation. "I'm not going to pay for my own bag! This is my dream and I say this is my bag!"

"Fine!" the thing shouted, fisting a hand in my bag. "If you can't pay for it then you can't have it!"

"Let me go you disgusting toad!" I exclaimed jerking away from him just enough to free my bag and take off in the opposite direction.

"Hey, someone stop her! She stole my merchandise!" he cried, and before I knew it, over half a dozen monsters appeared out of nowhere and started chasing me down the street.

And… well, this was where we started from, now, wasn't it?


	2. The Temple of Flame

_Woot. Another chapter._

_Nothing much to say. I said my piece about Anime Expo and Peter S. Beagle and Vic Mignogna in the newest "Last Flower" chapter and, as we all know, I'm too lazy to repeat myself._

_Go find it yerself._

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**The Temple of Flame**

* * *

"We've got her! We've got the thief!"

Trust me, if I didn't wish this were all just a bad dream before, I was certainly wishing it now. From now on, when I watch Aladdin, I will never ever clap along to his theme song. I know now that getting caught isn't an event worthy of song and dance, and I highly doubted my chances of stumbling across a genie anytime soon.

One of the big blue lugs held me firmly over his shoulder, no matter how much I kicked and punched and screamed. It didn't help that slamming my fist against his back seemed to hurt me a whole lot more than it did him.

"Hey, I'd be quiet if I were you," he growled, jerking me back into position on his shoulder. "It ain't a good idea to be pesterin' da folks who be sentencin' ya."

As much as I hated to admit it, he had a point. I lifted my head enough to peer behind me at the small crowd that had gathered on my behalf, led by none other than the baggy store owner who I had just recently learned was a woman... well, female, at least.

"She's the one!" she screeched, holding my backpack up as evidence. "She's the one who stole my property! The ugly little human whelp! I say we chop off her hand!" There were a disturbing number of people who cheered in agreement, and I felt my face draining of blood. Coma or no, I had a feeling that getting my hand chopped off would feel just as real as everything else had so far. I gulped nervously and prayed for someone else to come up with a better idea.

Surprisingly enough, it came from my very own prison keeper. "I say we take it up wit' da Fire temple. Leave it out of our hair an' les get back to our businesses!" Kind of a funny statement coming from a bald guy, if you think about it.

There were murmurs of agreement, but the shop owner didn't look convinced. "The Fire temple won't do anything! Everyone knows they're just a bunch of ground-kissing fools! What that brat deserves is punishment!"

The blue guy held a hand on my back to steady me while he straightened to his full eight-foot height, towering over most of the rest of them. "Yew will show yer respect to da Fire temple, woman," he spat angrily. "If ya have a problem wit they're rulin' then take it up wit dem yerself!"

The squat woman trembled slightly but still managed to glare defiantly at the blue dude. "Don't think I won't!"

So it was settled. At least about where we were going. I still had no idea what was going to happen to me, or whether or not it'd be better than having my hand chopped off. But at least now my hand _wasn't_ getting chopped off. That was something, wasn't it?

Anyway, a majority of the main group returned to whatever it was they were doing before while the shopkeeper, the blue guy, and a few curious strangers journeyed through the streets toward a hill. At least, it felt like a hill. Being slung over the big guy's shoulder, I couldn't quite tell _where_ we were going. All I knew was that I was starting to tilt down toward the ground, even though his grip on me was still tight. I figured that meant we were going uphill.

I finally resorted to propping my elbow against his back and leaning my chin into my palm. There was obviously nothing else to do but wait until we got there. This whole coma-dream thing would have probably been much cooler if I _weren't_ on trial for stealing something that was already mine to begin with.

I finally realized we were there when the dusty street ended and the neatly manicured cobblestone path began. I tried glancing up again, but at the angle we were at, it took far too much effort. So I was forced to watch the ever-fascinating road as we made our way up. I was seriously considering counting them to ease my boredom when we suddenly stopped, and the blue guy was kneeling. Which was very awkward for me who was still essentially strapped to his shoulder, helplessly. It's weird to think that I actually felt better when he straightened, considering that I was still held prisoner, here.

"Good citizens of Meridian," spoke a soft, gentle voice. "What brings you to our temple?"

"This little thieving wench, that's what!" cried the little shop woman, snatching one of my ankles and yanking me off my big blue protector faster than I could blink. Next thing I knew, I was crashing down to the stone floor, groaning in pain as I lifted my head enough to glare venomously at my tormentor. The woman glared back, and for a moment, we engaged in a rather fierce staring contest, which was unfortunately called off by the blue guy. Leaning down, he pulled me to my feet and held me still with a hand the size of a frying pan on my shoulder. The woman tried to protest, but he silenced her with one swift glare.

"Good monk," he began, turning back to them, "she speaks da truth. Dis girl was caught stealin' from da woman's shop. Ran away she did when da woman demanded pay, but we caught her an' brought her here for you ta deal wit."

"I want retribution!" the woman added.

Up until then, I had my eyes locked on the ground, a little intimidated by this person that these two seemed to respect so highly. Well… some more than others, obviously. I curled my lip in disgust as I thought of this woman, always seeking vengeance and her stupid "retribution". It was a stupid bag, for crying out loud! One that was mine anyway, but she already has it back! What more does she want?

_Heart, look at me._

My head shot up before I even realized I was obeying it… that soft voice that I could have sworn I didn't hear. That voice that came from my head.

Great. As if being in a coma weren't bad enough, now my dream self was hearing voices.

But surprisingly, the monk I saw was not blue skinned or lizard-like or repulsive with multiple cheeks. In fact… he looked remarkably human...and kinda young! As were most monks that we tend to think of, he was bald with sparkling green eyes that were warm as they watched me. His skin was pale and flawless, like it belonged to a child instead of some wise, reverent monk. He was garbed in large orange robes and plain leather sandals, and his hands were folded in front of him peacefully.

He smiled at me and bobbed his head once, very courteously, before he turned to my two retainers and their crowd. "Good citizens, I thank you very much for your service. You have done me and this temple a great deed by bringing this child to us, and for that, we are very grateful."

Both the blue guy and the shopkeeper exchanged confused glances, but it was the big dude who first spoke. "Um, pardon me monk, but… why you and yer folks be so glad to have us deliverin' a common street thief to ya?"

The monk merely walked forward, still smiling as peacefully as ever. Both the blue guy and the shopkeeper backed up nervously, watching his every move. But as a result, I was finally freed, and yet all I could do is stare at the orange-cloaked man approaching me. He rested a gentle arm on my shoulder before speaking.

"Don't not worry, my friends, for she is no thief but a savior. We have been waiting for her for a long time, and it was foreseen that she would come. Your arrival was but destiny, and I thank you for your services. Good day."

I blinked. While everything he said was all fine and dandy, I couldn't help but laugh on the inside. In the most polite way I have ever heard, he totally told them off. The monk wrapped an arm around my shoulders as he led me further into the temple. I couldn't resist glancing over my shoulder. The group of people that accompanied me here were all standing there dumbstruck, but none more than my two accusers. They were blinking dumbly at our retreating forms, probably still wondering what in the world just happened.

Not that I wasn't thinking the same thing, mind you. It was just a lot funnier watching the two of them with it.

And of course, as soon as I sit back and try understanding what's going on myself, another distraction comes my way at full speed.

"Will?"

I glanced up at the familiar voice, eyes widening in recognition. "Taranee?"

"Will!" With her braids bouncing all over the place, she ran across the room to hug me tightly, almost knocking the wind out my lungs. But at the moment, I didn't really care all too much. I was just excited to see her! Excited and… confused.

I pulled her away at arm's length to get a good look at her before I asked, "Taranee, what in the world are you doing here? You can't possibly be in a coma, too, can you?"

Taranee's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, you're in a coma!?"

I looked puzzled. "Aren't you?"

_Neither of you are in a coma, nor are you dreaming._

We both jumped and screamed at the same time, clinging to each other in our fear as we stared at the monk. He still wore that ever-mysterious smile as he bowed at us again.

Taranee and I exchanged nervous glanced before I gulped and nervously asked, "D-did you… c-can y-you…"

"Yes and yes," he replied calmly.

I squeaked, startled. Taranee probably guessed what it was that I had been trying to ask and her eyes squeezed shut. The monk's smile grew.

"Yes, Taranee, I can really read your thoughts."

"Stop that!" I shouted, hugging Taranee's trembling body closer protectively. "You're freaking us out!"

"My apologies, Heart," he replied, bowing formally.

"W-why," Taranee stammered. "W-why d-d-do you… c-call her H-heart?"

"Because that is what she is," he explained as if it were obvious. "She is the heart, just as you, little Taranee, are Flame."

Taranee gasped and her eyes widened. She seemed to understand more of what he said than I did, because she turned to stare at me incredulously. If nothing else, her gaze really creeped me out, so I turned to glare at the monk.

"Just who are you? And why the heck are we here? What's going on?"

The monk just continued smiling (I was beginning to hate that smile) as he turned and started walking away. "All will be explained in due time, young Heart. But for now, you and Taranee must rest."

I cast a dubious glance over at Taranee, but being more familiar with this place than I was, she took my hand and followed the monk into what looked like a very simple bedroom with two adjacent bunks. Taranee's backpack and camera were already arranged on the left bed, so I had assumed she was here before. I took a seat on the right bed while the monk stood fast by the door, bowing.

"Sleep well, young guardians. You'll have a long journey ahead of you."

"Hey, wait a minute, I-" But, naturally, he closed the door before I could ask my question. Maybe he read my mind and knew what I was going to ask, so to avoid answering, he ran away. Maybe he was reading my mind right now! Hey! Monk! Get your butt over here right now and start explaining!

"Will, you have no idea how glad I am to see you," Taranee said softly, staring at her hands in her lap. Tears seemed to be fogging up her glasses. "I swear… I thought I was going crazy. I didn't know what to do… I _still_ don't know what to do…"

"Hey, it's okay," I told her, switching beds to join her. "At least now we can be crazy together, right?"

"You don't get it," she replied, still staring at her hands. "Things are… weird, here. I mean… _I'm_ weird here."

"Of course things are weird here," I argued, waving my hand at the window above our heads. "Did you _see_ the people out there? They have tails and scales and claws and bad attitudes to boot, but they're all weird! This whole place is weird!" I fell back against her pillow and sighed deeply. "I just wish I'd finally wake up from this crazy dream."

"Will… you're not understanding," Taranee began again. "I… that monk back there, he… I think he did something to me."

I was sitting up in a heartbeat, grabbing Taranee by the shoulders. "What do you mean he did something to you? Did he hurt you? Is he the one doing this to us?"

"No no no," she insisted, shaking her head. "At least… I don't think so. I mean… I don't know."

"Taranee, you're not making any sense. What are you talking about, then?"

Her brows scrunched up over her glasses and she nibbled on her lip, clearly worried about whatever it was she wanted to tell me. She glanced out the window at the night sky, rubbing her arms as if it were cold though I've come to realize now that it was a nervous gesture. It took a while, but she finally returned her eyes to me.

"Will… I don't think I'm normal… I mean, it's not just what the monk said, but what he showed me. What he did to me."

"I don't get it. What did he do?"

"He threw a candle at me!" she exclaimed, thrusting her arm at me as proof. Sure enough, there was a small hole about the size of tennis ball in the sleeves of her shirt with singed threads waving about.

I grabbed her arm and tugged it closer for a better look. "Are you serious!? That guy's a psycho! You're not hurt, are you? Your skin looks okay, but I can't-"

"That's what I'm talking about, Will! The fire didn't hurt me at all!" she exclaimed, looking about ready to cry. "I mean, sure it felt warm, but it didn't hurt, not one bit! Even weirder was that the monk told me to pull the flame off, like it were a bug or something, and _I did!_ At first I thought he was crazy- I mean, he _did_ throw a candle at me. But… but then, all of a sudden, I _did_ it! I was holding it! It was wriggling and stuff, but it didn't hurt! I just pulled it off! I… Will, don't look at me like that, I'm serious!"

Granted, I did look a little skeptical. But in the little time I've known Taranee, I've learned that she's not one to joke around like this. But… even still, I thought I was allowed a little disbelief. I mean, no one can just hold fire! By some stroke of luck, sure, I could believe her not getting burned. But to simply pluck it off?

Taranee could obviously see me struggling to believe her so she scrambled off the bed and reached for the candle the monk had left us for light. I leaned away from it as she returned to her seat, suddenly feeling a little afraid of the fire that she claimed behaved so strangely. But before I could say or do anything, her finger plunged into the center of the flame.

"Taranee! What are you-"

"Just watch," she told me, her voice quivering just a bit with her nervousness. But I could tell she had done this before. I could see her sitting in this room, forever absorbed in the candle and trying to figure out how it worked, the secret mechanism that prevented it from burning her skin. But sure enough, just as she said, the flames merely batted around her finger like it was in the way. I stared at her face, trying to pick up any hint of discomfort, but none was there. Heck, she even looked like she was almost _smiling_ at the candle, as if it were an amusing pet doing a trick.

Her hand moved, and by the time I returned my gaze back to her fingers, I forgot to not be surprised. But there, between her pinched fingers, was the flickering flame, wriggling furiously. It reminded me of a little kid fighting for freedom from its mother, tugging on its captive arm constantly, but Taranee wouldn't move. The abandoned wick still glowed orange, but it was fading. Finally, she returned the flame to the candle and looked up at me, watching for my reaction carefully.

Honestly, I was curious as to my reaction, too. I just… couldn't think. My eyes were wide and my jaw slightly dropped. Hesitantly, I reached out a finger, wondering if it were just a messed up candle. But I barely got within a half inch of it before I felt the heat starting to tingle painfully, and I couldn't bring myself to push my finger the rest of the way across. Finally, I dropped my hand and looked up at Taranee, speechless.

"See what I mean?" she said softly, standing to return the candle to the shelf. "I thought I was going crazy, or that I was just imagining things. But no matter how many times I tried it, it was always the same. For the longest time, I thought I had to be dreaming. There was no way all this stuff could really be happening. But then I saw you and…" She hesitated, chewing on her lip again for a bit before voicing her real fear. "Will, we're not dreaming, are we?"

I sighed and closed my eyes, folding my arms over my chest. I didn't have an answer for her because I honestly didn't know. Too many questions were twisting around in my head, leaving me with a colossal headache and a bunch of things that I still didn't know- what was going on, where we were, who all these people are, _what_ all these people are.

First it was being late to class. Then being blamed for something I didn't do. Then being late _yet again_. Then waking up in this place where pigs have three eyes and everybody seemed to have scaly skin. Then being blamed for _another_ thing I didn't do- stealing my own backpack. Then that crazy shop lady and the gruff blue guy. Then being dragged most unflatteringly to this place, where the monk is probably just as crazy as everyone else. And now, its Taranee's little pet fire.

Frankly, all the events of today were beginning to wear on me and I didn't like it. One person couldn't possibly be expected to merely deal with all this all in stride, and certainly not me. I'm only thirteen, for crying out loud! I shouldn't have to deal with all this! Why me? Why Taranee? WHAT'S GOING ON!?

_All in due time, young Heart. You have a great destiny before you. You will find it better to not be burdened with too much knowledge too soon._

_But __**why **__can't I know now? Nothing makes any sense! I'm tired, I'm scared, I'm confused, and no one will do anything to change that! Why can't I just be at home, in my own room, in my own bed? Why do I have to be here?_

_Because your destiny calls for you, here in Meridian, young Heart. All else will be revealed in due time._

_Due time this. Due time that. What is 'due time'? _When_ is it?_

_Soon, little one. Soon. But for now, my brave warrior, you must sleep._

_I don't want to sleep. I want answers!_

_You will get your answers soon enough. But now, you must rest. As I said, a great journey awaits you._

_What journey?_

_Your destiny._

I probably would have responded to that had I not already been asleep. That monk was really very sneaky- he somehow got my body to start falling asleep while I was distracted with arguing with him. I could only assume he had done the same to Taranee because she ended up nodding off right next to me.

All I had to say to _that_ was fine. Be that way. I'll play your little game and go to sleep for now. But don't think I won't be biting your head off, demanding answers tomorrow!

But somehow, I get the feeling he wasn't all too worried about my threat. Bummer.


	3. The Heart of Candracar

It's your lucky day, readers.

...well... more like _reader_.

Thanks to my supreme boredom, you get rewarded by another chapter.

Bah. Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**The Heart of Candracar**

* * *

It was the same as last time. The storm was raging overhead, the current strong, and I was still naked. My glowing pink form continued to sink into the dark depths of the ocean, and yet all I seemed capable of doing was curling up in a ball and accepting my fate. At least, that's what it looked like.

And yet, my face appeared so calm and serene to really be drowning. I looked like I was merely sleeping… or better yet, dreaming about something wonderful. The throbbing of the pink light seemed rather soft and soothing, a steady beat ringing in my head like a familiar tune.

Suddenly, from the center of my illuminated cocoon came… something. I could quite tell what it was because it was wrapped in very bright light. It looked like a little sphere of white, hardly bigger than a golfball, was coming from the very center of the little ball my body had formed. Whether it came from me or the light around me, I couldn't tell. But I was suddenly aware of the small globe growing dimmer and dimmer… just enough for me to see what was inside.

A jewel. Or, rather a necklace. At least, it had a chain around it, but it didn't seem like it was the chain that was important. The trinket was a small pink marble, almost the same shade of pink as the light around me, with swirls of silver seeming to hold it in place and fasten it against the chain. There was pulsing light around it, beating like its own heart, and I suddenly realized that it was the source of the steady beat.

As I continued to sink, the jewel started to glow bright again, but this time, it was lighting all the darkness around us. It soon grew so bright that I could hardly tell we were underwater anymore. In fact, I had to hold my hand over my eyes. The pulsing grew louder and higher pitched, more persistent than before.

You know, come to think of it, it sounded remarkably like my-

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Ugh, it was morning already? Why does it feel like I only just went to sleep? As usual, I went through the morning routine of ignoring my alarm, groaning miserably, and then finally reaching out blindly to shut it off.

"Geez, that was a weird dream," I muttered, patting my hand around my head to feel for the alarm. My hand struck something furry and I started poking it to find the snooze button.

"Ow! Will, that hurts! That's my head you're poking!"

I blinked. Since when did my alarm complain?

Suddenly, the bed started shifting and the alarm mysteriously shut off by itself. I tilted my head to investigate only to find Taranee fiddling with her watch. I groaned again, louder this time, before grabbing the pillow beneath my head and pulling it over my head.

"Aw, no no no. I am still dreaming, aren't I?"

Taranee shrugged. "Either you are or I am. At any rate, let's get up. I'm hungry."

A grumbling from my own stomach echoed her wishes, so with a final groan, I tossed the pillow and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. "Man, I just realized that I hadn't had anything to eat since lunch yesterday."

"Seriously?" Taranee repeated, awed and sympathetic. "When I woke up here yesterday, the monk gave me some stew that filled me up pretty well. Don't ask me what was in it because I probably couldn't tell you, but I'm sure if we find him we can ask him for some more."

"Oh, don't worry," I told her with a steely tone. "That's not all I intend on asking him."

Nodding her agreement, Taranee got to her feet and together, we crept out of the room and started moseying around the temple in search of our bald-headed host. The temple itself was actually pretty impressive to look at. It looked like the entire thing was carved from pure limestone, or something really close to it, with intricate carvings of former monks leaders and epic battles and dozens of different creatures on its walls. One tapestry in particular was really nice of a bunch of fairies in flight, but then Taranee's and my stomach won out, and we continued our search.

There were candles absolutely _everywhere_- it wasn't called the Fire temple for nothing! A few times, Taranee paused by some of them to see if that fire trick of hers was just a dream, as well. But, of course, as we were beginning to learn, _nothing_ was a dream. The flames on these candles behaved just like the candle back in our room. And no matter how much she encouraged me, I couldn't bring myself to give a try at it a second time. I was satisfied with believing (at least for now) that it was a talent unique to Taranee and not me.

We finally found the monk in the same hallway my escorts and I came into. In fact, on the very spot we had stood there was now a long table with three chairs, two on each side and one on the very end, which was occupied by the monk. On the table in front of each of the chairs was a steaming bowl of what I could only guess was the stew Taranee had been talking about. Upon our entrance, the monk smiled and spread his hands welcomingly over the table.

"Ah, our guardians have awakened. I have been expecting you. Come and eat. You will need to build your strength well for your journey."

Taranee and I exchanged wary glances but, once again, our ever-demanding appetites outweighed our apprehensions about the guy, so we each took our seats and began eating. Taranee was right- I have absolutely no idea what it was I was eating, but it was warm, filling, and most of all, delicious. The monk remained silent as we ate, but I had no intention of letting him stay silent for long.

"Alright, now that we finally have your attention, it's time you've answered a few of our questions," I told him, feeling far braver with a full stomach.

Taranee nodded her agreement. "More like _all_ of our questions."

"Yeah," I piped in.

The monk just smiled (does he do _anything_ else?) and folded his hands into a temple in front of his face. "You know well that I shall not answer some of your inquiries, young ones. But there is no harm in relieving some of your fears."

I was about to demand that 'some' wasn't good enough until Taranee silenced me with a look. I fell back into my seat, a little deflated, while my friend encouraged the monk to go on.

The monk nodded obligingly. "First of all, as I said last night, the two of you are _not_ dreaming, nor are you crazy. You have been summoned here to Metamoor, in the land of Meridian, to both protect your world and save ours."

"Why does this sound way too much like a bad Saturday morning cartoon?" I muttered darkly, taking another bite of my stew.

The monk's green eyes rested on me. "Do you not believe me, Heart?"

My eyes narrowed. _What do you think?_ I thought, purposely radiating my thoughts toward him. He only smiled, amused, like I had told a joke. _This_ just seemed to make me even madder.

"Here's a question for you, then," Taranee interrupted, oblivious to our little tiff. "Why do you keep calling Will 'Heart', but you call me by my name?"

"Because that is what she is, Taranee," he explained patiently. "She is the Heart of Candracar."

"Candracar?" I repeated, scoffing. "I thought you said we were in a place called 'Meridian'?"

"As we are, Heart. But Candracar is another place and time entirely. It is where the protectors of the many worlds and the overseers of good and evil reside. _You_, my young guardian, are the Heart of Candracar."

"What does that mean, though?" Taranee asked, frowning in confusion.

The monk smiled his most devilish smile to date. "Would you like me to show you?"

"Why do I have the feeling we're going to find out whether we say yes or no?" I groaned.

The monk rose from his chair most gracefully and began walking back toward the way we came. "There is always a choice, my Heart. I just wish for you to make your choice wisely."

I wanted to say more, but Taranee had already stood to join him. I took a few last bites of my breakfast before I ran to catch up. When I saw them again, they were both standing in front of that same tapestry I had admired earlier, gazing up at it silently. As I moved to join them, I let my own eyes wander over the picture, trying to figure out what it was the monk was trying to show us.

Now that I got a better look at it, I realized the picture was of five fairies, each dressed in unique, rather stylish garments of purple and turquoise. Their wings were the coolest part- like delicate blue and green flower petals held together by seamless black joints. Their faces were somewhat blurred out, but the way they were rendered was beautiful. Large gems above each of their heads, most of them looking like multicolored teardrops. But one of them- the one in the center- was different. It hung on a fine chain of silver and looked like a pale pink pearl or marble. Strangely enough, I couldn't help but feel it looked the slightest bit… familiar…

"Hey!" I exclaimed, pointing at the jewel. "That's it! That's the thing! I… I dreamed about that last night! I dreamed about a jewel that looked just like that!"

"_That_," replied the monk slowly, "is the Heart of Candracar. It the source of power to the Guardians of the Veil, and the strongest weapon Candracar has against the powers of evil. _You_ are its keeper, Will. The heart resides within you. You _are_ the Heart of Candracar."

_Inside… me?_ My mind kept replaying the scene in my dream where the jewel emerged from my cocoon in a sphere of light. I suddenly saw that same sphere emerging from my chest, right next to where my heart was. I stared at the portrayal on the tapestry and gulped hard.

"I… I don't believe you," I told him, sounding less and less convincing. "It wasn't real. It was only a dream."

"As was this world, correct?" he replied slyly. "As was Taranee's gift with fire? As was I? All of it, just a dream?" _Do you really believe that?_

_Yes,_ I repeated, my strength weakening with each feeble attempt at protest. _Yes, it _is_ all a dream. And at any moment, I'll wake up in my room, and I'll forget this all. _

_You cannot forget, Heart, and you cannot wake up. You are not dreaming! You are the Heart of Candracar!_

_Stop it! Just stop it! _I screamed, clamping my hands over my ears. I felt Taranee place a concerned hand on my shoulder, trying to say something or other, but I couldn't hear her. I didn't want to. I didn't want to feel her, or my hands on my ears, or the ground beneath my feet. I wanted to wake up! I wanted to stop playing this weird game! I wanted to go back!

_You can already feel it, Will. You can feel this place, and you can feel the heart within you._

_That's _my_ heart! It's not anyone else's!_

_Are you sure?_

That question threw me off guard enough to snap my head up to look at the monk, smiling calmly and obviously trying to be reassuring. He nudged his chin down at me, and I suddenly realized I knew what he was asking me to do. Even more weird… I wanted to know if it really _was_ true. I lifted a trembling hand up to rest on my chest-

-_and felt two separate heartbeats!_

I screamed in alarm, ripping my hand away as fast as I could.

"Will, what is it?" Taranee exclaimed, worried. "What's the matter?"

"I… I f-felt… t-there were… t-t-two-oo," I stammered, but could get no further than that as I fell to my knees, shaking terribly.

"Will!"

"Do not fear for the heart, little one," the monk said, still as calm as ever. "Your friend is just learning the truth, as you all will in time."

Taranee, kneeling next to me, glanced up at the monk. "What do you mean, as we 'all' will? Are you saying there are more people… like us?"

"Not quite, Taranee," the monk replied. He gestured to the wall. "Just look at the tapestry. Like you, there are three more guardians, gifted with the magic elements of nature that oversee the delicate balance of life- water, earth, air, and you, guardian of fire. But there is no other like Will. She is the source of all your power. With the four of you at her side, she will be the one to overcome the evil that has befallen our world."

"But I still don't understand anything!" Taranee protested. "You can't possibly be asking a pair of teenagers to save the world! That's just nuts!"

"I am not asking, Taranee. It is your destiny. Yours, and Will's, and the three other guardians who will join you."

"But I'm telling you we _can't_!" Taranee insisted, trying to get the monk to understand. I was still on the ground, stunned by the events going on around me. "We're only thirteen. We're just _kids!_ We can't even drive yet, let alone do anything like what you're even asking of us! It's way too much!"

"Do not underestimate yourself, my doubtful child," the monk admonished. "You must have faith in your power, Taranee, or it will, indeed, fail you. Have the confidence that I have in you and your companions."

Now, Taranee was getting mad. I could tell by the way angry tears were welling up in her eyes and the balled fists she was forming with her clenched hands. She glared up at the monk who refused to comply with her simple request. "I don't _want_ to have faith in whatever power you say I have! I want you to stop hurting Will and I want you to take us home, now!"

And then, a most unusual thing happened.

As if fueled by Taranee's rage (providing, of course, that the monk was right about her being a… a guardian of fire, or whatever), every candle in the temple suddenly released a huge pillar of fire. Everywhere we looked, the candles looked like broken water hydrants shooting out geysers of fire instead of water. And Taranee herself, startled by the display, suddenly squeaked in alarm, breaking the flow of her anger and, as such, diffusing the candles of doom. When the pillars of fire receded, all that was left were liquid pools of wax where the candles used to be. The force of the heat was far too much for them to handle.

Stunned and terrified, Taranee returned to my side, cowering in fright. Whether it was from the fiery display or from the fact that _she_ was responsible for it, I couldn't say. But if nothing else, one thing was obvious- regardless of what was going on in this weird place called Meridian, this guy has obviously picked the wrong girls to save the world.

"Look," I whispered, sounding a lot calmer than I really felt. "We don't belong here. We don't understand what's going on, and I think it's clear that we really don't want to." This time, I looked up at the monk with pleading eyes. "You said before that we always have a choice, right? Well, we're making ours right now. We want to go home."

The monk sighed and looked at us carefully, evaluating the situation. Taranee and I probably looked quite the sight- Taranee's eyes were still puffy from crying as she lay huddled beside me. I wasn't much better, trembling just as badly as she was. But could you really blame us? We were scared to death! Something was going on around us that was far bigger than the two of us could handle, so was it any wonder that we wanted out? I silently begged the monk to understand this as he stared thoughtfully at us.

After what felt like an eternity, the monk finally lowered his eyes and folded his hands in front of him. "If you wish to return to your world, then I will not stop you." But, before we could rejoice, he added solemnly, "But, I also cannot help you."

"What do you mean?" Taranee demanded angrily. But it seemed the volume of her own voice seemed to scare her, for when she spoke again, it was much softly. "You're the one who brought us here, aren't you?"

The monk shook his head. "I did not summon you to Meridian. It was your destiny to come here. If anything, I believe it was the Heart that brought you here."

"You mean _I_ did this?" I asked, trying to understand. "Or… or that jewel thing?"

The monk's lips twitched suspiciously at my eloquent choice of words, but he calmly replied, "The Heart of Candracar has laid sleeping within you until now. When it woke, it brought you and the other guardians here to serve your purpose and protect the worlds. Your return to your world lies within you."

I blinked, confused. "So… you're saying that _I_ can take us home? But… how?"

"It isn't up to you, the Keeper, as much as it is up to the Heart. And the Heart will not return just the two of you home without the others."

"Wait... so the other… um, guardians… they're from our world, too?" Taranee asked.

The monk nodded. "They are."

I frowned, trying to understand it all. "So… in order to go home, we have to first find the other three?"

He nodded again. "Correct."

"Well, where are they?"

"In they're respective temples," he replied, moving to the wall opposite the tapestry. On this wall was spread out a vast map of what I could only assume was Meridian. To describe it in a word- _gainormous!_ The monk pointed to points on the map that were indicated by green, blue and silver dots. "These are the Earth, Water and Air temples, where your fellow guardians will have undoubtedly awoken, just like you, Taranee, have awoken here in the Fire temple. If your heart's desire is to return home, then the Heart of Candracar will wish it as well and bring you back to where you belong. But this cannot happen unless all four guardians are by your side."

"But wait," Taranee interrupted, "if that Heart of Candracar thing could bring us here separately, why can't it take us home separately?"

"It is as I said- the Heart of Candracar is the source of the guardians' power. You'll recall the four gems above each of the other guardians on the tapestry? Those are all part of the Heart itself. Just as your power over fire, Taranee, has awoken, so will have the powers of the other guardians, all because the Heart of Candracar has stirred the sleeping magic within their own hearts. In order to return you to your world, the Heart, and its guardians, must once again be reunited."

I kept staring at the map… and the long distances between where we were and these other so-called 'guardians'. "You're saying we have to go find them all? It seems so far… we won't have to walk the whole way, will we?"

This time, the monk allowed himself to smile. "Along your journey, your powers will inevitably develop and, as it always is with magic, you'll find things easier the farther they progress."

I frowned as he said this, wondering about something but unsure as to whether to speak my thoughts out aloud. Then, I remember the monk's rather annoying habit. _You say Taranee and the others have powers over the elements. But does that mean I have a power, too? What kind of power does a Keeper have?_

_Will, do not speak so lightly of your role as the Keeper of the Heart,_ the monk replied teasingly. _You are the source of all the power of the guardians. Do not make the mistake of thinking yourself powerless._

_Okay, then, but _what_ do I do?_

_You shall see in due time._

I turned to scowl at him, but he just chuckled softly at his own joke. I turned back to the map and stared at the three temples.

_All right, so I just have to find those three and then be on our way. Hopefully, it won't be too hard, right?_


	4. The Journey Begins

Blahdey blahdey blah. Fill space. Mumble incoherently.

Blah blah some more.

There. I'm done.

Now read. XD

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**The Journey Begins**

* * *

Taranee and I spent the remainder of the day relaxing at the temple while the monk and his temple staff started packing things for our trip. As we walked around the temple, Taranee made sure to walk in the very center of the hallway, as far away from any of the candles as possible. Understandably, she didn't find her little pinching trick nearly as fascinating as before. Nonetheless, the day at the temple was spent rather peacefully, with the occasional attempt to pry more information out of the monk, normally failing miserably.

That night, Taranee and I talked about our plan from our separate beds, determined to find these other girls and get home as soon as possible. The candle stayed on the shelf that night, as I swear I thought I saw the little flame reaching out longingly toward Taranee, as if it wanted to play with her some more. But she would have none of that. As soon as the sun set, she had me get up and blow the candle out before we settled in to go to sleep.

Throughout the night, I slept peacefully and without creepy dreams, and the next morning we rose to find the monk at our door, expecting us as usual. Half of me wondered if he just sat out there waiting for us to wake or if he really did know when we were going to wake up. I had to work to keep the thought out of my head so that he couldn't hear it, but after a breakfast of stew and bread, it was forgotten.

Taranee and I helped each other with our bulky bags filled with food, camping gear, and our old clothes. The shirts, breeches, boots and cloaks we were wearing now would keep us from any unnecessary attention as we traveled. After being satisfied that we were well equipped, the monk turned and walked out of the temple, gesturing for us to follow. He had informed us last night that he would escort us to the edge of the village before he had to return to the temple. At the time, Taranee and I looked at each other nervously. I could already guess what she was thinking, for it was probably the same thing I was thinking- though the monk may have been annoying, the idea of going through this without him suddenly seemed a little scary.

And yet there we were, strolling through the town behind him, eyes wide and constantly jumping from sight to sight. Everything from the people to the places to the flock of birds sporting bat wings and lizard tails flying right above us. Last time I went this way, I was essentially running for my life, so excuse me if I couldn't spare the time to admire the scenery. But now that I got a good look around, it was pretty cool. Like right out of a picture from my history book or something, save for the fact that monsters substituted the villagers.

But as soon as I thought that, the monk turned to give me a rather stern look and reprimanded me for thinking of these people as monsters. He said they were nothing but people- maybe not quite ordinary by _our_ standards, but people nonetheless, and good people. So I kept my mouth and my brain shut after that and kept to gawking like a tourist. Taranee was just as awed as I was, especially since she hadn't stepped foot outside the temple before.

All around us, people took one look at the orange robes before bowing respectfully. Some of them even looked surprised. I guessed that the temple monks didn't get out much.

We were so absorbed in paying attention to the village that we barely noticed when we reached the end of it. But when the monk finally stopped and turned to us, we realized that he was serious about not coming with us. We'd be leaving the security of the temple for good… and _alone_.

The monk must have peeked into my darkening thoughts because he smiled reassuringly at me. "Do not worry, young Heart. You and Taranee will be fine. I haven't any doubt that you will rejoin with the other Guardians and return safely home."

Taranee laughed nervously. "Sure wish we had some of your never-ending confidence."

"You will learn to grow confident in yourself in time, brave Taranee," he told her. "So soon do you wish for things to be easy, but you must be patient. All things will come-"

"In due time," we chorused, grinning at the monk. "We know."

The monk laughed warmly. "So it would seem. You two are most certainly ready." An air of seriousness draped over us as he turned to point down the road leading across the fields. "The closest temple is the Water temple where you will find the first of the guardians. It is located along the shore to the south west of us, and should your journey prove uneventful, you should walk upon its steps by the morning of your third day. Keep to the road and avoid strangers as much as you can. Not all wanderers are unpleasant, but not all are friendly either. When you make camp, stay just out of sight of the road and you should be fine." Turning back to us, he smiled almost fatherly. "Take care of each other and above all, have faith in yourselves. That will prove key in whatever encounters you face along the way, both good and bad."

Taranee and I looked at each other. What did he mean, _bad_?

Now, normally this would be the time where he'd smile at us and tell us not to worry. But surprisingly, and startlingly, his face grew dark and his voice quiet.

"One more thing I feel I must mention. You must- absolutely _must_, stay away from a man named Phobos. He is a most powerful and evil man, and must be avoided at all costs. You will undoubtedly encounter his name as you travel, but I beg you to leave should that ever happen. Phobos is an obstacle you are far from ready to overcome, so just steer clear of him. Understand?"

I stared at him, stunned by the severity in his tone. For once, my curiosity was at a stand still, and I could do nothing but nod silently. Beside me, Taranee did the same.

Finally, the monk's carefree smile returned. "Good. And with that parting note, I bid you girls farewell." And with that, he turned and started walking back toward the temple.

"Wait!" Taranee called after him. "We didn't get a chance to thank you. You know, for taking care of us and… and everything."

But he had already disappeared… which was odd, considering that the land was completely flat without so much as a bush for him to hide behind. Taranee gasped and my eyes widened. We were obviously thinking the same thing- _did_ he really disappear?

_Do not worry, Taranee. We shall meet again soon, of this I am sure. Don't forget to take care of yourselves and always have faith. Farewell my guardians._

In my mind, his voice faded just as if he were really walking away, and that concept suddenly left a cold chill in my chest. "He's really gone, isn't he?"

"Yeah," Taranee agreed, shouldering her bag, "but he's also right. We have to get going. The sooner we find those other three girls, the sooner we can get home. Let's go."

"Yeah, alright," I mumbled, glancing back behind me one last time before I turned to follow Taranee.

So, for the next few hours, we walked. And for an hour or two after that, we walked. Thirty minutes later, we were still walking. Betcha can't guess what we were doing a minute after that, can you?

"Ugh! I am so sick of walking!" I exclaimed, falling to the ground wearily. "I'd rather be running the mile six times over than walk anymore! I can't even tell if I still have feet!"

Taranee giggled at my exaggeration and I glared at her. Did she think I was joking? I was serious! Just take a look at these stubs where my feet used to be!

"Why don't we rest up for a bit over there, okay?" Taranee suggested, pointing to a little gathering of bushes just off the road.

I took one look at the distance and groaned. "Unless you're carrying me, I'm not walking all the way over there!"

"Come on, Will, you heard what that monk said. We shouldn't stay on the road unless we're walking. And besides, it's not far at all. It's only about fifteen feet away."

I scowled. "Yeah? Well I don't even have my own two feet anymore! Just bloody stumps where they used to be! We've practically been walking since we left the temple!"

Taranee sighed and kneeled next to me, obviously reluctant to do so. "Yeah, but we've only got a few more hours of daylight and I don't wanna be walking around this creepy place at night. If we're going to take a break, then we should do it out of sight of the road like the monk said."

"Right, as if staying in the shrubs where who knows what kind of bugs and freaky creatures will be roaming around were _soooo_ much safer than staying on the road. Come on, Taranee, I think the monk just meant that we should stay off the road when we go to sleep. Surely it won't matter if we just chill out right here for twenty minutes, right?"

My friend's thin eyebrows scrunched as she glanced back at the spot she had suggested. I could tell she was apprehensive about the monk's orders, but I also didn't miss the way she cringed when I said the word "bugs". I knew I had her convinced as she as she turned back around and plopped her butt on the ground.

"Fine, then. But just twenty minutes, alright?"

I nodded eagerly. "Deal. Now, pull out some of that food! I'm starving!"

Taranee tugged her backpack into her lap and began rummaging through it for the food the monk had left for us. Soon, we were both seated comfortably around a small picnic of bread, cheese, and a few of these strange blue, pear-shaped fruits with red spots on them. Surprisingly, it tasted a lot like a giant strawberry and was excellent when sliced on top of the bread.

But, seeing as my luck never seemed to serve me well, what would we find fifteen minutes down the line but Taranee's warning coming true. Before we realized they were coming, two travelers guiding a rooster-horse thing pulling a cart came trotting down the path, pausing when they spotted us. Taranee and I exchanged nervous glances but tried to remain calm and friendly as we smiled back at them.

"Uh, hi there," I began as cheerfully as I could. "Nice weather, today, isn't it?"

The people were (surprisingly) both human men that looked well in their thirties with shabby clothing that probably meant they were peasants. They took one look at us before looking at each other. Some sort of understanding must have been held between them because they both nodded silently while one, a skinny blonde with a thick mustache, started walking toward us.

I couldn't help the pang of fear that swept through me even though the guy didn't appear to be threatening. But I guess it must have just been instinct.

Of course, _now_, I realize I should have trusted my instinct.

Just as I was about to offer another greeting, the man pulled out a knife about ten inches long that appeared to be somewhat dull, but still managed to bring out a squeak of terror from both me and Taranee. We clung to each other and tried backing away, but the grim look in the guy's eyes had us paralyzed with fear.

_Oh crap,_ I thought as each step he took echoed a thump of my heart in my throat. _We're going to die, aren't we? That guy's going to slice us up! Oh, why in the world did that stupid monk let us go!? We should have stayed and figured out a different way to get home! Now, we won't be able to go home at all! Mom will wonder where her poor daughter ran off and disappeared to without ever coming back! She'll probably blame herself and spend the rest of her life miserable and lonely! Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, oh crap…_

"Forgive me," was the man's murmured apology before the knife came down and I suddenly blacked out.

* * *

When I opened my eyes again, at first it was completely dark. This confused me until I remembered the two men we had encountered on the road. Just thinking about the huge knife the blonde had wielded sent my heart thundering yet again. _Oh crap, what happened? Why is it all dark? Why can't I see anything? Am I… am I dead?_

I felt movement to my right and jumped in alarm as my head spun around. Suddenly, I could make out a dark profile and sighed with relief as I recognized Taranee's drooping glasses. It was night. That's why it was all dark. I wasn't dead!

I hardly had any time to celebrate before I came to my next realization- I couldn't move. I looked down and squinted my eyes enough to see that I was tied up with rope. As my eyes became adjusted to the darkness, I looked around and could see that we were still on the same road we had been traveling on. In fact, there was that clump of bushes Taranee had said we should hide behind. We were in the exact same spot.

The two men and their load were nowhere to be seen. And neither were our two bags. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened.

Beside me, Taranee started to stir. She blinked her eyes slowly, jerked back when she realized she couldn't see, then paused to let her eyes adjust. The first thing she noticed were the ropes. The second was me.

"Will! Will, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

I smiled at her concern. "Yeah, I'm fine. But I think those two guys took off with our stuff."

"They _what_!? B-but… that had all our supplies! All our food! How are we going to make it to the temple?"

I struggled within my restraints before I responded. "All very important questions, but I think our top priority will just be to get out of these things!"

"Good point."

So, together we strained against our bonds, trying to undo each other knots, rubbing our backs against trees, and anything else we could remember from watching those old school detective shows on TV. Nothing worked. Those villagers definitely knew how to tie a mean knot. But thirty minutes later found us just as tied as we were before.

"Will, what are we going to do?" Taranee asked, sighing in defeat. "We have to get out of these things and get out of here before someone or some_thing_ else finds us first!"

I nodded and frowned, watching her carefully. "Well… I think I might have an idea."

She brightened instantly. "You do?"

I held my breath. "Yeah, but I'm not sure you'll like it."

She seemed confused for a moment until she understood what I had in mind. Her eyes widened and she started scooting away from me as fast as she could. "No. No no no! Will, you can't honestly expect me to-"

"Taranee, it's no big deal!" I consoled, trying to sound casual. "You did it in the temple! It should be easy!"

"Do you not _remember_ what I did in the temple? I destroyed it! Do you realize what you're asking? You're asking me to _make fire!_"

"Not… _make_ fire, per say. Just burn through the ropes. Come on, Taranee, you know you can do it! Just like the monk said, you have to have faith in-"

"And I already _told_ him that I don't _want_ to have faith in my… these… powers," Taranee growled, beginning to grow angry. Beside us, a handful of leaves on the bush next burst into flame and Taranee screamed, terrified.

I instantly felt ashamed of even suggesting it and tried to scoot over to lean on her supportively. "Taranee, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have put all that pressure on you. Don't worry about it, okay? We'll figure something out so don't sweat it."

Taranee shifted and rested her head atop mine. "Thanks, Will. I'm really really sorry, but I just… can't."

We sat together in silence, trying to relax and think up a new strategy. I was suddenly aware of how grateful I was that Taranee was there with me. As crazy as this whole situation was, at least I had someone like her to share it with. I could only imagine where I'd be now without her at my side. Would I have even left the temple? Would I have stayed there and driven myself insane? Would I have been stuck here forever?

The crackling of fire behind me broke me from my trail of destructive thoughts. I sighed. _Don't lose it now, Will. The monk said its up to you to get us all home, so just calm down and think._ And for a second, I actually thought my inner pep talk must have affected something because I actually had a rather rational thought pop into my head.

_Wait… there's a fire?_

I glanced over my shoulder and sure enough, the little flame Taranee had accidentally started was feeding off is bush rather nicely. As I watched it creep from branch to branch, an alternative plan began to form in my mind.

"Taranee! The fire! That's it!" I cried, excited.

Taranee looked at me warily. "Will, I thought we'd been through this already. I told you, I'm not-"

"No, no, I mean that!" I interjected urgently, pointing my chin at the small bonfire growing on the bush. "You don't have to create anything- you already did! Get those to burn through your ropes!"

Taranee blinked at me before gradually moving her gaze to the fire. Her eyes were wide but at least she looked like she was thinking about it. "But," she began nervously, "What if… what if it was just the candles at the temple that didn't burn me? What if those flames were special, somehow? What if these ones actually hurt me?"

"I don't think they will, Taranee," I told her honestly. "If what the monk said was true- about us, that is- then I don't think _any_ fire can hurt you. And you don't have to do anything but lean up against it enough for the rope to start to burn. You don't have to worry about destroying anything!"

There was much more I wanted to say but I held my tongue, not wanting to repeat the mistake of putting too much pressure on her. Besides, her pensive expression grew more and more determined the longer I let her think it over. I only had to wait a few tense minutes before she finally made up her mind and scooted close enough for the flames to start licking at her ropes.

She cast a wan smile at me. "If it eats through my clothes, you're gonna owe me a new jacket."

I grinned. "I swear, I'll tap into my college fund to buy you a brand new wardrobe when we finally get home."

She grinned back when we both could clearly hear the first _snap_ of a cord breaking open. "I'll hold you to that."

Later, I half wondered if the fire actually heard Taranee's one worry about her clothes because when she was finally freed, there wasn't so much as a scorched thread on her. My freedom took a little longer to win as Taranee fumbled with untying the knots. Like I said, those villagers were very good with their knots. But soon enough, we were both on our feet, stretching our sore, aching muscles.

Skipping around a bit, I spun around to face Taranee, bowing comically. "Thank you, oh Goddess of Fire, for rescuing us."

"Yeah, yeah," Taranee grumbled, not feeling too good about my joke. While the task wasn't too hard for someone of Taranee's gifts, she was still really nervous about it. "You can thank me after we make it to the Water temple. We still have to worry about what we're going to do for food and shelter for the next two days. Any ideas?"

"Only one," I replied, pointing down the road. "Let's get out here. I don't want to stick around with two thieves believing we're still here, tied up. The more distance we put between ourselves and this place, the better."

"Good point," Taranee agreed. "Just gimme a sec."

I turned to watch Taranee as she scooped handfuls of dirt into her hands and pour them onto the steadily growing fire responsible for setting us free. Taranee obviously didn't see it with the same respect I did. It quickly dwindled to a pile of smokey ashes, and without so much as a second glance, she turned and started walking down the road, dusting her hands along the way.

"Alright, I'm done," she announced. "Let's go."

I decided against commenting on her actions and merely nodded as I followed her. With her standing in front of me and distracted, I glanced back at the pile of dust. The smoke had already thinned to a pale puff. A cool evening breeze eliminated all traces of its very existence.

Save for the blackened branches, one could hardly tell we were there at all.


	5. Out to Sea

I'm hungry. I wanna jalapeno burger from Carl's Jr.

But I don't have lunch for another two hours. -_whines-_

Yeah. I never have anything intelligent to put up in these things, do I?

Meh.

That night we found a huge tree with branches as thick as picnic tables just off the side of the road. Figuring it would serve as a good enough shelter, we climbed as high as we dared (luckily, Taranee's fear of more thieves trumped her fear of heights) and took turns staying up, watching the road. We only managed to sleep about six hours between us before the sun rose and we had to keep moving.

While Taranee quickly scrambled down to the safety of the ground, I climbed a few more branches to scout the area. I breathed a sigh of relief when I spotted the thin line of blue just beyond the tops of the trees.

"What did you see up there?" Taranee asked after I slid back down.

"The ocean!" I told her excitedly, pointing straight ahead. "We're not far from it! The monk said once we reached to ocean, the temple should be westward about a day and a half away. We're halfway there!"

Taranee yawned. "I'll celebrate when we get there."

I laughed at her, and together we ambled down the forest path, stopping by a nearby stream to drink and wash our faces. The fresh, sea breeze felt and smelled good and energized us as we made our way to the beach. The scene that awaited us when we got there looked like it came straight off of a postcard. The sand was so white it was blinding, and the water looked like a pool of melted blue crayons. The perfect view was spoiled a bit by a flock of those weird bat-birds we saw the day before, but we felt ourselves relaxing nonetheless.

I smiled back at Taranee. "I think we've more than deserved a twenty minute break, don't you think? And the water is definitely off the road."

Something in my joyous tone and wiggling eyebrows must have gotten to her because she plopped herself on the sand, laughing at me. "Fine then, go on. I think I'll just sit here and rest a while."

"Suit yourself," I said, scampering off toward the water.

"Wait! Don't get your clothes wet!" Taranee called after me. "They're the only ones you have. If you walk around in wet clothes, you can get sick."

I hesitated at the water's edge and glanced down at my shirt and breeches, picking at them carefully. Then I took a long, longing glance at the water. I made my decision in a heartbeat.

"Will, what are you doing!?"

"You're going to be keeping watch, right?" I asked, pulling my shirt over my head. "I'm only going to be out there for a little bit. If you see anybody coming, just give me a warning and I'll hide out among the rocks over there by the cliffs. We'll be fine if we be careful, right?"

Taranee looked dubious, but seeing as I had already stripped to my thin undershirt and blue froggy underwear, I leapt into the water before she had a chance to say no. And besides, being in the water again felt so good, I figured it was well worth the risk. See, back in Fallon Hills, I was on the swim team and pretty good, if I do say so myself. Back home, one of those dozens of boxes in my room sported a few medals as a tribute to my skills. There was just something about gliding through the water effortlessly that made me feel like I was flying. There was just no other feeling like it.

After I had swam a good distance away, I paused to glance back at Taranee, just making sure everything was still okay. She waved her arm at me, smiling and obviously not threatened. I returned the wave warmly despite my reservations about returning to the shore. I was having way too much fun out here!

That really should have been my first clue. If there's one thing I've learned in the last few days since being dumped in this weird place its this- fun never lasts long without a price. _Or_ without some form of creepy monster waiting to claim it.

I was too far away to hear her screams. Well, I heard them, but considering the fact that she was still waving, I just figured she was trying to tell me that my twenty minutes were up. I had no idea that she was really screaming my name to warn me about the form rising silently behind me, or that she was waving for me to swim to shore as fast as I could. Of course, I found out what she was really trying to tell me _later_, after the whole thing was over. But seriously, with how far I was, how could anyone really expect me to understand her?

Especially once I got distracted by the thing coiling around my leg.

"Ahhh!"

The next thing I knew, I was being dragged underwater. The strength of the pull and the pressure of the water kept me from trying to free myself so I was helpless as I was flung back and forth like bait on a line. Not a sound was made even though my mouth was open and a steady flow of bubbles left a trail behind me. The water kept getting darker as I was going deeper and for a second, I thought I was really going to die.

Then, whatever held me captive seemed to change its mind because I suddenly jerked underwater and started flying back toward the surface. By this time, my lungs were burning. I may have had swimming experience but certainly no attacked-by-some-freaky-otherworld-deep-sea-thing experience. I mean, come on! This was only my third day! After being chased by a mob, unveiled as a superhero and robbed by strangers, doesn't anyone think I've been through enough?

After what seemed like ages, I burst through the surface and gasped my first breath of fresh air… only to let out the loudest shriek I had ever screamed. And, considering my track record thus far, this was no small feat. For I had finally met my captor.

The creature that held me was some nightmarish fusion of a snake and a squid, only much _much_ bigger. A large, flat, reptilian head about the size of a minivan stared through impossibly deep crimson eyes, never blinking, twisting its head back and forth as if it were considering which part of me looked the most appetizing. Its skin was a complex array of shimmering blue and green scales that, from my perspective, couldn't have been any bigger than half-dollar pieces, and had I not been hanging upside-down, fearing for my life, I would have thought the thing was absolutely stunning.

At least the snake-like head, anyway. I didn't even wanna imagine what lay below the surface of the dark, churning water, because around me, I couldn't help but notice the presence of other scaly "tentacles" waving absently in the air, not unlike the one that held me. Either I had suddenly been surrounded by a whole army of these weird creatures, or they all belonged to the same beast. In my terrified stupor, I wasn't quite sure which I was more afraid of.

Let's just put it this way- Godzilla had _nothing_ on this thing.

I took a deep breath to scream again- and realized my mistake. This thing was far more like a snake than just mere appearances. The instant I took a breath, I felt its coils tighten just that much harder. To my alarm, my mind immediately and unwillingly jumped to some documentary on the Discovery channel I had watched a few months ago in the peak of boredom- the documentary on constrictors. At the time, I remembered feeling pity for the poor mouse that was being crushed to death on the screen while the narrator explained the process of constricting in accordance with the prey's breathing.

How ironic that all seemed _now_.

So, the very small, still rational part of my brain figured that screaming would _not_ help at all… but neither would just sitting still. What would it matter, anyway? Regardless of what I did, this thing was going to have a meal one way or another. It was as simple as that.

I was going to die. Some guardian of the universe _I_ turned out to be.

_Don't give up now. You can't give up!_

This had to be proof I was starting to faint under the crushing pressure against my ribs as I struggled to breath. I was starting to hear voices.

For some reason, my brain assumed that since I had come to that conclusion, I was going to die _now,_ so to avoid the torment, I squeezed my eyes shut. And, as a result, I completely missed the reason why the creature's body shuddered and the squeezing was temporarily halted. Could it be preparing to swallow me whole, I wondered? Did it just not want to wait until I was dead? After a few seconds of similar torturous thoughts swirling through my light-headed brain, I risked a peek at the thing.

It's head wasn't even turned toward me, but at something a little over my right shoulder, eyes sparkling with a dangerous glint. This confused me until I felt its body shudder again- at the exact same time something smashed against its neck. I couldn't tell what it was at first, only that it looked vaguely round and orange in color. It seemed to disappear on contact, although it did leave black markings on the creature's flawless skin in its wake. I frowned. Something told me that this should have been familiar, but my lightheadedness kept the answer conveniently out of reach.

It wasn't until a second and then a third projectile struck that the black markings took on any meaning.

They looked remarkably like scorch marks.

Suddenly, it all fell into place, and in spite of the severe lack of oxygen, my mind cleared in an instant. _Taranee_!_ She's trying to save me!_

I tried to crane my head around to look at her, but the snake-thing was having none of that. As if it had just remembered I was there, it returned its unblinking blood-red gaze on me, long forked tongue slipping out of its mouth to taste the air. Or, if I wanted to be really honest, to taste _me_. But whatever it determined from that one flick I could only guess, because the next thing I knew, I was falling. It had released its grasp on me so quickly, I almost forgot to scream. But in the end, I didn't even have time to, because another tentacle rose to take its place, although it wrapped me in a slightly looser grip.

With me apparently demoted to secondary priority, the scaly head returned its focus to the beach, even as it continued to be pelted with small, almost insignificant fireballs. I winced as another one crashed on its head, right between its eyes, but appeared to do little more than give it a new black tattoo. For all damage they seemed to do, Taranee might as well have been hurling ink-dipped cotton balls at it. But if nothing else, they succeeded in distracting its attention from me.

I really hoped that was Taranee's plan all along. Heaven help us if that was her only means of attack.

Especially since it started to move toward her.

Luckily it didn't move super fast, but I had a feeling there had there been a need to, this thing would be bookin' it over the water. But for such a huge creature, it seemed to move almost silently toward the beach, the water sliding past the parts protruding from the surface like oil. Forget King Triton from the Little Mermaid- _this_ creature was the true King of the Sea.

From the angle I was at, I could finally see Taranee. Though she was little more than a small stick figure on the white expanse of sand, I could already see her winding up like a baseball pitcher with another fireball in her hand, ready to throw as many as she could in order to set me free. I noticed the burning of the sparse vegetation around her, at least those that weren't charred to ashes already. She was _really_ mad.

Tears stung my eyes as I watched my friend struggle so valiantly. _Don't, Taranee,_ I begged silently. _Please… just run. It'll eat you, too. Please, save yourself. There's… no point to fighting so hard… not for me… it's useless now…_

_Don't say that, Will!_ Screamed the stubborn voice in my head. _Don't you dare start giving up on me now!_

_Why not?_ I demanded, truly delusional now that I was arguing with myself. _Why shouldn't I give up? This whole place makes Jurassic Park look like Disneyland! We're just a couple of teenagers… why in the world did that monk ever make us really believe we could survive out here? It was a joke from the beginning!_

I heard the voice sigh, like I were some impatient toddler. _He said you could survive because he meant it, _it continued with more patience._ You're not supposed to just give up! You can't! You have to remember what he said…_

_Oh yeah? And what was that?_

_Have faith._

In what, I asked myself. In Taranee? I could see her clearly, now. She was struggling to simply stand, let alone continue to fight. Her fireballs were smaller and fewer in number, now. It was only a matter of time, now, before her power ran out completely. The tears flowed freely now that I thought of all that wasted energy when she could have been fleeing herself.

_Have faith._

Against all logical sense, I snorted. The voice _certainly_ couldn't have meant to have faith in myself. I mean, really, what could _I_ do? I didn't even have an amazing power like Taranee did over fire, or any of those other girls probably did over their elements. No, I was the amazing "Heart of Candracar", the leader of a bunch of junior high school girls whose experience at saving the world couldn't have extended beyond video games. And what the leader I was, getting myself killed barely a whole day into our journey. Like I said before, what a joke!

_Have faith._

_Okay, you want me to have faith!?_ I screamed at myself, fighting the sobs that racked through my chest, half scared it would earn the snake-thing's attention once more. _Fine! Here's your faith! I'm supposed to have this weird powerful jewel inside me, right? Well, Heart of Candracar, unless you want your vessel to be snake chow, I had better start seeing something incredible right about now!_

And, to my complete and utter surprise, I actually got a response.

_About time you asked,_ it replied with a slightly smug tone.

And sure enough, something incredible _did_ happen.

The snake stopped. Granted, this in itself wasn't enough to qualify as necessarily amazing. But the way the water was churning in front it and the distinctly irritated expression the snake's face took certainly were. It was almost as if the water wasn't _permitting_ it to go any further.

The snake's head frowned (if that was even the proper word for what it's face did) at the water before looking back up at the beach, obviously wondering if this were another interference by the human girl collapsing on the sand. Taranee, though she was sitting on her butt, regarded the snake warily. From her position, it was obvious she couldn't tell what was going on, but instead assumed it was some new strategic plan schemed by the water creature. In spite of her weariness, she kept her guard up, her wire-rimmed eyes flicking up to me constantly.

I smiled weakly at her, trying to soothe her agitation. Trying to get her to understand that I was okay.

Because, for whatever reason, I suddenly believed that. And even more amazing, I also believed that things were going to _be_ okay. Neither of us were going to die. And I couldn't for the life of me explain why.

The snake then turned its head toward me, making up its mind in all of a split second. I could almost see the way its thoughts were working as I stared into its calculating red eyes. If getting to Taranee was too much effort, then it might as well settle for me. It drew the tentacle wrapped around me closer as it opened its mouth wide.

And yet, through it all, I felt strangely unattatched. I heard Taranee scream my name all while I was staring at its pearly white fangs that couldn't have been any shorter than the length of my own body, short as I was. I remembered from that documentary that their fangs were retractable, and surprisingly flexible, and figured that was how it was able to close its mouth without poking holes through its skull. All this fascinated me to no end, even as I got a _much _closer look at the inside of its mouth.

But, just as the strange voice promised, another incredible feat saved my life.

We were both knocked over… by a _tidal wave_!

How neither of us seemed to notice was miraculous in itself. These things were supposed to build over miles and miles of ocean terrain, weren't they? Surely we would have been able to notice a sixty-some odd foot tall wave creeping up at us through the corner of our eyes. It was as if it rose up right next to us.

To my immense relief, as soon as I felt the water splash around me, the tentacle released its grip. The rational side of me should have started to fear the water instead, and its iron-like grip as it swung me around like a bad swing dancer. But the water was surprisingly calm, little more than a swish here and there. Again, my tuned-out mind acted up again- _Hey, this is almost kind of fun!_

But a part of me knew there was no way that this could be the same kind of natural disaster that was capable of destroying cities and thousands of lives back home on Earth. For one, I probably would have been dead already. For another, it would have treated the snake-thing with the same kindness it was obviously treating me. This was, among other things, the main thing that told me that this wave was most certainly unnatural. I could hear the snake's bizarre screams as the water tore it away from me, the tide pulling it farther out and under. I wondered absently if the creature was like a whale- if it needed air to breath. While I _should_ have hoped that thing died from drowning- a satisfyingly ironic death- I could only wonder about it all distractedly.

"Will!"

My head turned toward the source of the voice- or rather, the _voices_. I saw Taranee grappling with gravity to get to her feet and make her way toward me. But, helping her stand was a girl I had never seen before…

…no… wait… I _had_ seen her before.

"Hey, don't I know you?" I asked the girl numbly, tilting my head to one side curiously.

Taranee and the girl exchanged wary glances before looking at me again.

"Will… are you okay?" Taranee asked carefully.

The other girl placed her hands on her hips and regarded me closely. "I didn't drown you, did I?" I shook my head, and her lips quirked in a relieved grin. "Good. It would be just my luck to find a familiar face only to send her off to god knows where with her little scaly friend."

I blinked. "It wasn't my friend," I told her, completely missing her sarcasm. "It was trying to eat me."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Really, is that all? Oh, I didn't know. Sorry to interrupt, then. Did you want me to fetch him back so you can continue?"

My brows scrunched, trying to understand why I would want her to do that. But, instead of voicing as much, I asked, "Did you kill it?"

"Of course I didn't," the girl exclaimed, frowning at me. "I can't do that without my boxing gloves anyway, so I let it go with a little warning. Are you _sure_ I didn't drown you?"

I realized later, of course, that I was behaving completely abnormally, but at the moment, I was having a hard time concentrating on one thing at a time. First, I was thinking about the sea monster and how I was sort of _glad_ it wasn't dead, then I started staring at the new girl as the words "little warning" registered.

Things were falling into place far too quickly. That's probably where the dizziness started… or was I already dizzy?

This girl was the unnatural cause of the tidal wave.

This girl had power over water.

This girl must've been the guardian dumped off at the Water temple.

This girl was who we were looking for.

This girl was one of the two who got me in trouble in my math class.

"You're Irma, aren't you?"

I must've said the right thing, because her smile was back with a small, comical bow. "You can save the autographs for later."

"Oh," was all I said before the sudden epiphany finally caught up with me. My eyes rolled to the back of my head as I slumped onto the sand in a dead faint.

Just before I went completely cold, I felt a brief spasm of warmth press on my chest, healing some of the pain that I had, until then, completely forgotten. I could almost feel the smile in the words as the voice soothed me.

_Not too shabby for a vessel._


End file.

W.I.T.C.H., Adventure, Humor