Zatanna paced along the halls of Mount Justice mumbling to herself. She had her face stuck in a thick hard cover book. M'gann opened her room door and proceeded to step out, but was nearly knocked down by a totally unaware Zatanna.
M'gann hopped back. She watched her friend go from one end of the long hallway to the other. She waited till she was approaching her room again and popped out blocking Zatanna's path.
"Hey!" M'gann giggled. "What are you doing?"
"Huh..?" Zatanna asked, not able to stop herself in time.
The two young women landed on the ground in a big ungraceful heap. They both stood up and dusted themselves off. M'gann reached down and grabbed the book that Zatanna had been carrying. With slight difficulty she picked it up and looked at the front cover.
"Spells of Transportation, teleportation, and transmogrification." M'gann read aloud before returning the book to its rightful owner.
"I'm so sorry Megan." Zatanna cried, taking the book and hugging it to her chest.
"It's fine." M'gann said as Zatanna began thumbing through her book again. "What are you doing?"
Zatanna didn't answer, she was once again fully enthralled in her research.
'Hey..!' M'gann shouted in Zatanna's head.
"Yes..? Huh? What?" Zatanna responded startled.
"Zatanna, what's got you so distracted?"
"Oh, its nothing really..." Zatanna said turning away from M'gann to continue her pacing once more.
M'gann levitated and quickly hovered over and lowered herself in front of Zatanna.
Zatanna stopped at the sudden invasion of personal space.
"It's got to be something really. Zatanna what's the deal?"
"I'm just working on a new spell..." Zatanna said absentmindedly, still slowly flipping through the pages in her book.
"Maybe I can help. What kind of spell is it?" M'gann asked.
"It's a teleportation spell, but I don't see how you can help." Zatanna said still reading.
"Well how does it work?" M'gann asked excitedly.
"It's supposed to allow me to connect with the energy of someone or something and allow me to draw it back instantaneously." Zatanna explained.
"That sounds complicated." M'gann sighed.
"Yeah... Tell me about it..." Zatanna said side stepping her martian friend and continuing her pacing.
M'gann leaned up against the wall and allowed Zatanna to continue pacing past her. They went on like this for a while.
"Due Megan!" She exclaimed.
Zatanna froze in mid-pace and gave her a questioning look.
"Use me!" M'gann went on.
"What?" Zatanna asked even more confused.
"Use me..."
"I don't know..." Zatanna sighed "I've never done it before I don't know how it will affect you."
"Well that's fine." M'gann said with a smile.
"Are you sure you want to be my guinea pig?" Zatanna asked a bit of excitement creeping into her voice.
"Sure." M'gann answered still smiling.
Zatanna ran up to her friend and gave her an excited hug.
"What's a guinea pig?" M'gann asked.
"Never mind..." Was the answer she received.
"Well, what do I have to do?" M'gann asked finally.
"All you have to do is go in the living room!" Zatanna said quickly and excitedly.
"That's it?" M'gann asked confused.
"Yep." Zatanna said with a smile. She grabbed M'gann's hand and quickly dragged her down the hall to the living room.
"Okay... M'gann asked sitting on the couch.
"Nothing. Just stay there." Zatanna said with a small giggle as she ran back to the end of the hallway.
M'gann set there for a few moments.
...
"Zatanna..?"
"Yeah... Hold on!" She yelled from her position at the end of the hall. "Just a little longer!"
M'gann picked up a magazine that was sitting next to her and began thumbing through it.
An out of uniform Batgirl walked up behind M'gann.
"Hey Megan. How's it going?" She spoke up.
M'gann opened her mouth to speak when a swirl of glowing mist rose up and engulfed her in her position on the sofa.
In a bright white flash she was instantaneously transported to Zatanna's location in the hallway.
Batgirl looked around in disbelief as the magazine her friend had been holding dropped to the floor. She blinked, and rubbed her eyes before patting the couch where Miss Martian had been sitting just a few moments earlier.
When M'gann's vision came into focus the first thing she saw was Zatanna's smiling face.
"Yay!" Zatanna squealed.
"Wow! You did!" M'gann cheered with equal excitement.
They had a fit of giggles and jumping around before something interrupted them.
"Megan!" Batgirl screamed from the living room. "Megan! Where are you!" She continued. "Help! Help!"
"We're in here!" Zatanna called to the living room.
Batgirl came running in braces and ready for a fight.
"It's okay. I'm okay." M'gann spoke up trying to sooth the young woman sensing her angst.
"What in the heck was that?" Batgirl asked catching her breath and calming herself.
"I was just practicing my spells." Zatanna explained.
"Okay..." Batgirl said with a questioning eyebrow raised. "You guys do this often?"
M'gann and Zatanna shared a puzzled look and burst out in a fit of giggles.
"No!" They said in unison when they finally caught their breathe.
Batgirl chuckled, a bit forcibly, trying to ease the awkward situation. An uneasy smile plastered on her face.
M'gann and Zatanna giggled to themselves.
"Ignore us..." Zatanna said wrapping an arm around Batgirl's shoulders. "We're just silly." She explained.
"So, is that it?" M'gann asked after a moment.
"Umm, well if you're still willing to help I could use it..." Zatanna answered a little apprehensive.
"Sure!" M'gann chipped. "Just tell me what to do" she continued with a smile.
Zatanna resumed her position at the end of the hall and levitated her book from it's position on the floor back into her hands.
Batgirl couldn't help but let out a gasp at the small display of magic.
Zatanna smiled to herself and began thumbing through the magical tome again.
"I could probably use your help too." She spoke up a few seconds later.
"Me?" Batgirl asked fear creeping into her tone.
"Yeah. If you don't mind." Zatanna said looking up and making quick eye contact.
"Umm, sure. I guess." Batgirl said clearing her throat.
"okay," Zatanna began, turning to look at M'gann who was floating next to the two girls.
"Go somewhere-" Zatanna began.
"What? I thought I was helping..?" M'gann asked with a frown.
"You are." Zatanna began explaining. " See, I knew where you were this time. Now I'm going to-" Zatanna interrupted herself to read from the book. "'Do the same incantation with out knowledge of your location.'" She finished.
"Okay." M'gann said with a sigh of relief.
"Just stay in the mountain." Zatanna went on.
M'gann became tangible and drifted up through the ceiling.
"What do you need me to do?" Batgirl asked interrupting.
"For now just watch." Zatanna explained letting go of her book, closing her eyes and concentrating.
Batgirl noticed the book didn't leave its position in the air and she shuddered.
Zatanna opened an eye to look at Batgirl. "Sorry, you'll get used to this stuff eventually." She said closing her eyes once more.
Garfield leaned against the wall crossing her arms, watching Zatanna.
A slight wind picked up as Zatanna began to chant:
"Gnird reh ot em."
Zatanna opened her eyes to see only a puzzles Batgirl.
Zatanna held her hands out and continued chanting.
"Gnird reh ot em... Gnird reh ot em. Gnird reh ot em." A of swirl of silver iridescent energy whipped up like a small tornado that had picked up a couple of stars upon it arrival.
Zatanna looked at this in frustration before chanting for a final time.
"GNIRB REH OT EM!"
Suddenly the light of the small cyclone grew stronger and a explosion of sparks arched from It's position.
Batgirl raised her arm to protect her eyes from the bright light. When she felt it was enough to look ahem first peeked through her fingers, then around her hand to see a still hugging M'gann and Bumblebee.
"What is going on?" Bumblebee asked breaking free of M'gann's embrace.
Zatanna saw M'gann's eyes flash green for a few seconds as she realized she was filling Bumblebee in on what was going on.
"Zatanna was just..." Batgirl began explaining.
Bumblebee put a hand up to cut her off. "Magic practice... Got it."
"How did you..?" She began as M'gann slowly raised her hand.
"That was me." M'gann spoke up.
Realization filled Batgirl as she understood what had just happened.
"Like I said, you'll get used to it... All of it." Zatanna said retrieving her still levitating book. "As long as you're here you can help too." Zatanna said to Bumblebee.
"Whatever..." Bumblebee retorted humping her shoulders.
The three non-magical girls exchanged looks.
"Sure."
"Okay." Were the other twos response in turn.
Zatanna began speaking more to herself then to her friends.
"That was interesting... It required a bit more magic then I had first expected. But if I reword this-" Zatanna waved her hand and a feather pen appeared in her hand as she began scribbling in her magical tome.
"Excuse me!" Bumblebee interrupted impatiently.
"I'm sorry." Zatanna said still writing furiously. "Okay here's the plan: Megan set up a telepathic link."
'Link established.' M'gann's voice rang through their minds.
'Now,' Zatanna's voice spoke through the link as she continued to write. 'Batgirl, I want you to go somewhere in the mountain but not to close. Megan, I want you to leave the mountain but not too far, and stay camouflaged so no one notices when you vanish.'
"I don't know about you guys but I'm hungry..." Bumblebee said patting her stomach.
'And Bumblebee go in the kitchen and make yourself a sandwich.' Zatanna spoke through the link finally looking up from her book.
"Okay!" Bumblebee called out excitedly as she ran down the hallway.
Zatanna watched as M'gann phased through the wall camouflaging herself. She looked over her to where Batgirl was standing and she was nowhere to be found.
'Barbara..?' Zatanna mentally questioned.
'In position.' Was the response she received.
'One day you guys are going to have to tell me how you do that.' Zatanna thought cheekily.
'I got my own magic tricks.' Batgirl tee heed through the psychic link. 'You'll get used to it.'
Zatanna smiled and rolled her eyes to herself as she went on. 'M'gann?'
'I think I'm in position.' M'gann spoke up telepathicly. 'Ooooh, that's a pretty bird.'
'Bumblebee?' Zatanna went on ignoring M'gann's distracted statement.
There was only silence for a few moments.
'Bumblebee?' Zatanna asked a again.
'Mem nem momomom...' Was the answer Bumblebee gave.
'What?' Zatanna asked. 'Are you having a seizure?'
'Is she eating something?' Batgirl asked.
'Bumblebee your mouth can't be full in your mind...' M'gann explained realizing the hilarity in what had just happened.
Bumblebee face-palmed from her spot in the kitchen.
'Oh,' her voice rang through clearly. 'In position.'
They all shared a laugh at Bumblebee's expense before Zatanna began focusing on the spell. She raised her hands and concentrated causing her room door to open and several candles to come drifting down the hall to her. She allowed them to levitate and position themselves in a circle around her.
"Erif nrub dna nordluac elbbub!" She cast.
The candles were set ablaze with intense blue flames resembling small blow torches. They soon died down to their normal golden glow and Zatanna took a deep breath and began to concentrate.
"Gnirb meht ot em..."
She closed her eyes and stretched her arms out focusing on the spell.
"Gnirb meht ot em. "
'What's going on..?' Bumblebee asked expectantly.
'Ssshhhh! She has to concentrate.' Batgirl quieted her teammate.
Zatanna closed her eyes attempting to concentrate once more. She stretched out her arms focusing on the spell. The familiar swirl of light and energy began to kick up as she continued.
"Gnirb meht ot em. Gnirb meht ot em."
Zatanna opened her eyes as Bumblebee, sandwich half way to her mouth appeared before her.
"Gnirb meht ot em."
Batgirl followed suit, appearing beside Bumblebee, her hand hand on her hip in a stance of boredom.
"Gnirb meht ot em." Zatanna continued with the spell.
The two non-magical girls shared a confused look before looking to the young mage.
The strain on Zatanna's face became apparent as she continued to cast her spell.
"Gnirb meht ot em!"
Zatanna opened her eyes looking to the swirling energy beside them. Her two arrivals did the same. Still no M'gann.
"Gnirb meht ot em!" Zatanna said putting all the energy she could muster in to the words of her spell.
Finally there was a n explosion of silver sparks giving way to Miss Martian.
Zatanna relaxed breathing heavily. She braced herself against the wall as she lowered herself to a sitting position on the floor.
Bumblebee and Batgirl started toward her but Zatanna shook her head and smiled,
"I'm alright. Just took a little bit out of me. I just need a second to rest." She continued with a sheepish grin.
After everyone was assured Zatanna was still in good working condition they all looked over at M'gann, who was in a cat like crouching position on the floor cupping something in her hands.
"Megan..? Girl, what are you doing?" Bumblebee asked.
Batgirl with her keen detective instincts spoke next.
"What do you have?"
"Ssshhh... Your going to scare it." M'gann said adjusting her position.
"Scare what?" Zatanna asked sitting crossed legged in the center of her circle of candles.
M'gann opened her hands and a beautiful tiny yellow canary flew from beneath them. It flew up to the ceiling and circled around before finally resting on a security camera fixed to the wall near them.
"Wait a min..." Zatanna asked fixing M'gann with a glare. "Were you fighting my magic!"
"Umm..." M'gann said looking at floor, full of guilt.
Now all three girls glared at her.
"It was Sooooo cute and I was so close to catching it..." M'gann explained "I mean look at it..."
The fours girls followed instructions and looked at the small creature.
The bird fluffed up its body and shook itself out and began grooming its feathers.
"Awww..." The three girls said in unison.
"See!" M'gann said gesturing at the bird.
Zatanna laughed. "Well I guess I'm not mad then..." She said with a smile.
M'gann's eyes glowed a faint green as she began to chirping and tweet.
"Is she talking to the bird?" Batgirl asked eyes wide.
"I think so..." Bumblebee answered.
M'gann held out her hand as the canary flew over and perched on her finger.
"Apparently so..." Zatanna said with equal amazement.
M'gann continued tweeting as she gently stroked the bird's feathers.
"I didn't know you spoke to animals." Zatanna continued.
"Yeah, I've been learning from Beast boy." M'gann answered.
At the sound of his name he came bounding into the room. "Somebody call me?" He called out emphatically.
M'gann gasped, and the four girls watched as the frightened bird flew around circling the small area.
They all ducked and dodged the birds sporadic flight patterns.
"Ugh! Garfield! Look at what you did!" M'gann scolded.
They watched as the bird continued to circle for a few more seconds before it made its decent.
"It's headed straight for-" Beast Boy began before the canary dived down in an Ariel ace form down towards Zatanna.
Zatanna sucked in a breath concealing a scream as the small bird rested on top of her head.
Zatanna took a deep breath and exhaled in frustration. She gave M'gann another death glare.
M'gann winced... And look at Beast Boy shifting the blame.
And Beast Boy poked out his lip pouting over-dramatically.
Bumblebee and Batgirl burst out into a fit of giggles.
Beast Boy took this opportunity and quickly shifted into a similar yet green canary. He flew over and perched on top of Zatanna's head along side the original canary.
This act made M'gann join in on the giggling, as the two birds chipped to one another.
Zatanna looked up at her own head and crossed her arms over her chest as the two birds began snuggling one another; making everyone laugh even harder.
"I guess I gotta get used to it too..." Zatanna finally said humping her shoulders before joining in on the roar of laughter.