I wanted to write something that I could share, as a break from stories I hope to publish someday. This is the fandom I chose, since I've always loved the story behind the Guardians. I apologize for any deviations from the comics or blending of the comics and cartoons. It's been a little while since I read them carefully. Enjoy!

"Humans again?"

The murmurs spread across the crowd. Such dissent was uncommon here—when eternity was one's reality, petty arguments could barely ripple the surface of one's peace. This subject, however, was one that could never be discussed lightly.

The Oracle looked out over the sea of pale green robes, trying not to focus on the worried faces. She was sure of her decision, even if her companions were not.

They quieted as she began to speak. This was a good sign, she thought. Although they were uncertain, her authority had not been compromised. "I must remind you that the last Guardians were among the most faithful to ever serve Candracar," she calmly. Her soft voice echoed through the chamber with the power of her conviction.

"And one of them was your granddaughter!"

The Oracle did not look to see who had spoken out. Their worry was understandable, for this was an important job to be assigned and the choice could shape the future of all the worlds. She would not allow herself to become biased against those who challenged her. "Their success speaks for itself," she assured the Council.

This statement was met without argument, and the Oracle smiled. The five girls had their difficulties, of course, but the strength of their friendship had always carried them through. They had protected their world and many others from countless threats. Now, though, they had grown old and moved on from their powers. The elements searched for new mistresses.

"Why now?"

The whispers began again—this was a question that many wished to have answered. The Oracle faltered slightly. To this question, she feared, her answer would not be satisfactory.

She bowed her head, clearing her mind until she saw nothing but the aurameres, locked in their endless dance. Within the past week, each had begun to reflect the face of its new Guardian, brief flashes of the girls living their ordinary human lives. Lives that would now be forever changed. The Heart floated to the front of her inner vision, moving closer and closer until she could see nothing but a pair of wide blue eyes.

"The elements know when there is a threat," she said. "Even before we are able to sense it."

Again she raised her head, casting her eyes over the assembled crowd. "It is time."

Slowly, he unfolded the paper.

It was more than a simple bit of parchment, actually, although it looked innocent enough. A cartographer had created a perfect map of the city and its outskirts, where they now stood. It had been imbued with the ability to detect the smallest trace of…

"There!" he said, as the first flash appeared. It was a vivid pink color, which made him frown slightly. That was something he had never seen before. Could it still be what they were looking for?

As they all watched, four other dots materialized. These were very faint, not as bright as the first, and together formed a rainbow of colors; orange, blue, silver, and green. All were scattered in this general area, although the pink was the closest. That, then, was what had drawn them to this spot.

There was silence for a moment. "Alright," he said finally. "Sarah, Gideon, see if you can find anything on those new dots." Although they were both older than he by a few years, they were willing to defer to his authority on this. It was a test, of sorts, his first opportunity to lead. "Amelia, go back to base and see if you can find another signal. I'm not sure this is the one we're looking for."

Amelia grinned—they hadn't been home in several weeks—and gave a mock salute before disappearing. Gideon prepared to go off towards the nearest small dot—the blue—but Sarah turned back.

"What will you do?"

Jonathan held up the parchment. "I'm going to find this flare."

Satisfied, she followed Gideon.

Alone again, Jonathan examined the paper. He took an experimental few steps to orient himself, watching as the small black speck that represented him moved further from the fuchsia light. Well that wouldn't do.

It wasn't far from where they had been standing. This was to be expected, as it was what had drawn them to that spot in the first place. Clearly, it was the strongest power in that area. The other dots were too small to have that strong a pull.

Jonathan reached the spot and looked down at the map. He frowned. He was sure this was right, but the light was now a full inch away from his black speck.

Moving in that direction, he now watched the pink rather than the black. It seemed to be growing further away even as he grew closer.

Was it… moving?

Curious, he broke into a run until he reached a spot further along what appeared to be the light's intended path. Sure enough, when he looked at the map, the light was almost upon him. He looked up quickly.

There was only one person in sight, aside from the car that had just driven past. This was lucky, as it made it impossible for anyone else to be responsible for the flare. If it hadn't been so, he wouldn't quite have believed it.

It was a girl, maybe two years younger than he was. She was running, not away from something but at a steady pace. This wasn't the first time, in the course of this investigation, that he had seen what women in this world wore, but it was still unsettling to see fabric clinging so tightly to the entire length of her legs, right down to the start of clunky rubber shoes. Her shirt, at least, was looser, with sleeves long enough that she could pull them down over her hands. She had bright blonde hair pulled back tightly from her face in a horsetail that swung side to side with every step she took. The exertion and the cold turned her cheeks red. Her face was nearly expressionless, her eyes staring straight ahead.

Suddenly she turned, as if she felt him watching. He was too startled to hide himself as he should have and he just found himself staring back at her. At this distant the color of her eyes was a mystery but he could feel them boring into him.

She looked away, quickened her pace, and disappeared around the next turn.

It took Jonathan the rest of the day to find her again, all the while wondering how this young girl could possibly be the source of the power they were all searching for. She didn't seem to have any idea why someone might be looking for her, which suggested that if she was the source, her actions were unconscious. Still, she had to be stopped, if she was indeed the one.

He wished she wasn't quite so young. It would make it easier to go through with what he had to do. Still, he steeled himself for the job ahead.

From his spot in the narrow gap between two buildings, he watched as she approached. She was heading for the restaurant just beyond the gap, but she would not reach it. As she passed, he dragged her backwards, into the shadows. Before she could scream, he touched her temple with the stone. She was instantly unconscious.

Without her movements to contend with, it was disarmingly simple to pull her through the portal. They emerged at the edge of a forest, and he propped her up against a fallen log to tie her hands and feet. After a moment of indecision, he covered her eyes with a black cloth. It wouldn't do for her to see him just yet.

Now to wait for her to wake up. The stone would only keep her sleeping for a few minutes more, but those minutes were long. He wanted to be validated, to push away the guilt of watching this girl, younger than himself, slump defenseless against her bonds.

He looked away, forcing himself to think of something else. It was possible, of course, that she wasn't the source of the vacuums. There was something different about her magical signature. It was oddly familiar, but he was sure he had never felt anything like it nor seen anything like it registered on his map.

Jonathan heard the rustle of restless movements and turned to see her struggling against the rope. He pushed away another wave of guilt—she must be terrified, in this unfamiliar place, unable to see or move—and tried to make a reassuring noise.

"Who's there?" she demanded, still thrashing. "Where am I? What do you want?"

Although she couldn't see him, he sat up straighter, hoping it leant authority to his tone. "The Society is investigating the source of a magic vacuum, believed to originate in your world. Your power was the strongest signal we could find in the area. We have reason to believe the two are connected."

There was silence for a moment, and he watched her carefully, hoping to read her sincerity from her expression.

She looked bewildered. "A magic vacuum? Okay, this is either the weirdest dream I've ever had or I've been kidnapped by an escaped mental patient."

It was possible she was lying, he knew. But somehow he could feel that her confusion was entirely real. Perhaps she didn't know what she was doing.

He dug through his bag until he found what he was searching for, a crystal on a thin black cord. Its power crackled, shocking the tips of his fingers, but he grabbed it anyway.

Moving closer to his captive, he dangled the object in front of her. "Take this."

Behind the black cloth, she seemed to roll her eyes. "How exactly? I can't see or move my hands."

He cursed under his breath at his own incompetence and instead reached for one tied-up hand. He uncurled the fingers—her hands were freezing cold, maybe from the temperature in her world although it was much warmer here—and placed the crystal there.

Nothing happened. With a sigh, he took the crystal back again—getting another shock for his troubles, and placed it back in his bag. She hadn't drained the power from the crystal, so it seemed unlikely that she could be unconsciously draining huge amounts of power from other worlds.

She was something, that was for certain. But she was not the enemy he searched for, and he could not keep her here to find out what power she did have.

"Was that supposed to do something?" she asked him, unaware of his thoughts. "Because aside from feeling like sticking my finger in a socket, it didn't really."

How in the world was she so calm about this? Maybe she really did think this was all a dream. Well, that would make things easier.

With the blindfold on, she couldn't see him approach. He pressed the stone against her temple once again, then picked her up to carry her back through the portal. They reappeared in the alleyway, and he propped her up against one wall before disappearing into the shadows.

Jonathan watched as she woke up, blinking rapidly and checking her pockets and bag for any missing items. Apparently satisfied that nothing had been stolen, she opened the door to the restaurant and slipped inside.

He would have to talk to the others, he thought as he made his way back towards the portal closer to base. Unless Amelia had found another signal, this was their best lead. This girl wasn't responsible for what was going on but he was almost positive that she was somehow connected.