Chapter 1: A Different Avalor

Arianna was running. She was running so hard and so fast her lungs felt like they were going to explode. Behind her, Caldara - an evil sorceress descended from the long dead Shuriki - flew upon a winged beast,

"You will not escape me this time, Princess Arianna. Destructo!"

Yelping as a deep purple blast exploded behind her feat, the dark haired Avaloran princess stumbled a bit. Don't fall, don't fall. For the love of Avalor DON'T FALL!

Stumbling a bit farther down the forest trail, Arianna breathed a sigh of relief.

"Don't sigh yet, Princess. You're running out of trail," Caldara chuckled darkly, shooting another destructive bolt which missed by a mile. Unfortunately, the Malvaga was correct in her threat. The forest was thinning, revealing the drop off that was the cliffs of Avalor, "no escape now girl!"

"Sorry, but no dice this time Caldara!"

Taking on an even faster speed, Arianna had to keep from hesitating as she leapt from the cliffside, arms outstretched as she began a long fall. Thankfully, a graceful winged back swooped under her midway, keeping her from splattering against the jagged rocks below,

"Calspher — amazing timing as always,"

Smiling, a male blue and white Jaquin with green eyes laughed a bit,

"Anytime, Ari. So what happened?"

"I found the temple, but it was already empty-"

"So no codex?"

"Nope, and were running out of time,"

Ducking down as a purple bolt flew over her head, Arianna cursed slightly as the heat burned the tops of her ears, "Caldara!"

"I can't outfly them, Princessa!"

Glancing back, the enchanted sorceress was indeed lining up for another shot at them,

"Can we out maneuver, Bolt?"

"There's to much space — to many chances for an open shot,"

"Guess we'll have to use desperate measures, then."

Reaching to her waist, Arianna grasped The Scepter Of Light. She hated using it in intense situations as her focus was usually poor, and the gem of Maru on its end was fractured - but they needed their plan B. Squealing again as Calspher jerked sideways to avoid another chaos bolt, Arianna sighed heavily, "don't let me regret this. Calspher, nosedive,"

"You got it!"

Tucking away his beautiful feathers, the flying pair angled towards the earth as Arianna pointed her scepter at the ground below them. Focus. Focus!

"TRAVEL!"

Squinting and nearly falling from Calspher's back, Arianna gasped as the Scepter of Light produced a rippling blue portal below them. As the ground approached, the gateway grew smaller as the chill of magic flowed across the young Princesses skin. Once they were through the gate; the portal shut and both Princess and Jaquin were rocked forward. The journey wasn't a long one — a few seconds at most, before Arianna saw daylight and was spit out onto dirt.

Yelping as she skidded across the ground, Calspher made a loud groan beside her as the portal closed up and left them both in silence. Laying on her back for a moment and staring at the sky, Arianna laughed heartily,

"I did it."

"Sure did, but the landing could use a few nice pillows at the end,"

Standing and shaking himself, Calspher licked at an open wound on his forearm as Arianna stood as well, dusting off her skirt. She felt completely drained, but they were out of Caldara's hands — at least for the time being. Grabbing the Scepter of Light, Ari slipped the artifact back into her belt as she stumbled towards her Jaquin,

"Woah, woah-" falling forward, a large fluffy head caught her as Arianna blushed, "heh, sorry Cal,"

"No problemo, hermana. Hop on, I can hear Avalor just up this road,"

"Thanks. At least we're still in Avalor and not in Enchancia or something-"

"I wouldn't mind Enchancia, I hear the weather is lovely this time of year,"

"Ha, ha," rolling her eyes, Arianna glanced wearily to the air, "I hope we lost her,"

"I think we did, I didn't hear Bolt follow us through the portal. He's honestly a coward at heart — for a Jaquin anyway,"

"Listen to you. You've been a Jaquin for less then a year and you already think you're an expert-"

"Hey, I got us out of trouble didn't I?"

"Yeah, at the last minute. You've as much mastered being a Jaquin as I have mastering this Scepter,"

Tapping the scepter with a hand as Arianna grappled into Calspher's coat, they walked the woodland trail a little ways. It wasn't a long journey either as the spires of the royal palace came into view. As they stood at the null of a high hill, Arianna frowned. Something wasn't right, "hey Cal, do things seem a bit to — er — peaceful to you?"

"Yeah. I can see horses and carriages, boats, people. But I can't see Caldara's armormen anywhere,"

"Hold on, did you say horse and carriage? We haven't used those in 30 years — or at least, that's what Mami said,"

"Hey look! Up there!" Motioning to the sky, Arianna had to squint. But indeed three winged creatures were flying above the city, seemingly without a care,

"But that's not possible. Caldara enslaved all the Jaquins - didn't she?"

"I dunno about you, sis, but I think something weird with a capital W is going on,"

"I agree with you, we'll just have to lay low for now, well as low as we can considering...you,"

"There are other Jaquins here, Ari. We just have to blend in,"

"Uh huh, says you mister 'I need to make a grand entrance',"

"Pfft," tossing his head, Calspher continued the walk towards the city as Arianna kept a look out for danger. She didn't know where the Scepter had sent them, but it wasn't the Avalor she and her brother knew. This Avalor was...quiet and peaceful, vibrant. A welcome change from the normally tense atmosphere, but a bit unnerving either way. Entering the via Mercado slowly, Arianna couldn't help but gape slightly.

She knew Avalor was once a beautiful and prosperous kingdom, but she only ever saw pictures in the history books. Now it felt as though she were walking through those paintings,

"This is amazing, Cal," inhaling the clean air, Ari smiled half heartedly, "no smoke, no armormen, no...rats. It's so clean and fresh,"

"Don't get to used to it sister," Calspher grumbled, knocking Arianna with a sharp shoulder, "I have no idea when we are, but once you get your energy back we have to figure out a way back to our own time,"

"Yeah, yeah I know, stop badgering me,"

Pouting slightly as they meandered the square, Arianna was surprised at how many people knew her. There were many waves and smiles, even a few 'good afternoon, your highness,'s someplace in between. They were intruders in this time, yet it all seemed so familiar.

"I wonder how people know me here if I'm from the future,"

"Maybe it's not the future," shrugging his wings again, Calspher avoided a rolling veggie cart expertly, "maybe it's some sort of alternate universe where our parents didn't-"

"I swear if you finish that sentence—"

Pointing an accusing finger at her Jaquin brother, his jaw shut,

"You know what I mean. Maybe this is a place where things had gone differently. All the more reason to get out so we don't-"

Before Calspher could finish his phrase, both he and Arianna jumped as three colorful figures dropped down around them from above. It was the other Jaquins they had seen above the city. Patting her brother as to keep him from hissing at them, Arianna took in each one. The leader of the three was an orange and blue Jaquin with playful eyes, next was an orangish red colored one with pink spots, and last a bright yellow Jaquin with orange markings. All three of them looked happy and carefree.

"Hola, Princessa! I didn't expect to see you out here today,"

The orange and blue Jaquin spoke with a distinct accent as Arianna blinked. Did she know this creature somehow?

"I — uh,"

Before she could answer, the pink spotted Jaquin tipped her head as she walked closer to Calspher - and smiled,

"Hey there, handsome. I haven't seen you around here before-"

Holding down her snort, the female Jaquin backed off as the yellow one approached, looking the most suspicious of the three of them. He was probably the level headed one - no doubt.

"I know my faces and yours I haven't seen. And Princess Isabel, I thought you were supposed to be with your grandparents this afternoon?"

"I — was, yes. But uh, I decided I needed to run some errands,"

Sputtering the excuse awkwardly comes the yellow Jaquin narrowed his eyes until he was nearly bowled over by his orange friend,

"Stop being so suspicious Migs. Isabel just hasn't introduced us to her friend yet —"

"Yeah, and a handsome one at that."

"Luna, Skylar. Aren't you at all concerned that Princess Isabel should be back at the palace?"

Luna, Migs and Skylar. Tipping her head to one side as Ari mindlessly stroked Calspher's ear to keep him from flipping out, the Princess twisted a lip. Those three names together sounded really familiar to her. And why did they keep calling her Isabel?

"Skylar!"

Blinking and shaking out of her thoughts, Arianna stiffened as a coach driven by armed guards rolled into the square. Riding in this open air coach was a beautiful girl with the largest hazel eyes Arianna had ever seen,

"Ari, I have a really bad feeling about this," Calspher mumbled lowly, his muscles tensing up as Arianna inhaled sharply.

"Elena! Just in time, we were just being introduced to Isabel's new Jaquin friend,"

Jumping out of the carriage, the girl — Elena apparently — looked confused.

"Skylar, what are you talking about? Isabel is at the palace today."

"That's not what she told us," Migs complained, his tail flicking as Cal let out a low growl. Elena must have been Isabel's sister, meaning she would know the difference between them immediately. Mindlessly holding a hand over the Scepter of Light, it was warm under Arianna's fingers as Elena finally turned. Two pairs of eyes locked as the older girl looked confused, then surprised, then suspicious all in a span of five seconds.

As Elena's gaze flicked to where Arianna's hand was, suspicion melted into shock as the young princess of Avalor grasped to her brother,

"Go Calspher!"

Springing from his place in the square, Calspher ran right towards Elena and the pack of Jaquin's, startling them to duck and cover as he spread his massive wings and took to the air. Unfortunately, the fall through the portal didn't do him any good as he made a loud whining noise in his throat,

"Ouch!" groaning a bit as Arianna frowned, a voice cut through the clear air.

"Hey! STOP!"

Turning around slightly, Arianna blanched at the sight of Elena and the Jaquins from the square.

"They're following us?!"

"What, you think they wouldn't?"

"No actually, I didn't!"

Ari misjudged Elena — that was her first mistake. Her second was the overpowering sensation to enjoy a peaceful Avalor while it was around her, "any ideas?"

"Me?! You're the one with the magic,"

"Curse it all," rotating on Calspher's back, Arianna grabbed the Scepter and pointed it at her pursuer, "blaze!"

As the magic roared in the gem, Arianna yelped as the fracture in the tip blocked the beam. Instead, the shock came rocketing through the handle, shooting through the young princesses arms as she fell from her brother's back with a cry of panic.

"ARIANNA!"

Screaming as she fell, Ari grunted as she hit a thick canopy of trees, bouncing between the branches before thudding to the forest floor. Everything hurt as Arianna's arms crackled with electricity as she swore.

"Stupid scepter — "

Struggling against the pain of the blast, Ari felt her eyes drooping shut as everything faded into nothingness.

A/N: Hey all! Rose here, back again with a new fan fiction! So Elena of Avalor has recently become one of my new favorite shows — despite being an adult — so I decided to write this story. Please let me know if you're liking it so far, and tell me in the comments if I should continue! Thanks lots! - A.R