Standard Disclaimer: you know it and I know it.
Thanks especially to naturelle for your inspiration! And all the reviewers to keep me writing, thank you, reading your feedback makes me giddy with happiness.
From the Scrolls of Ancients
The relationship between Guardians and other human magic wielders is a unique one. Being that human magic differs from that of the Charmed Realm, most Guardians do not often interact with human wielders because humans do not detect Charmed Magic. Human wielders are often too arrogant to understand the nature of magic or they are too stupid to use magic properly. The ancestors of human wielders have separated from the Charmed Realms dooming their kind to ignorance and uncertainty susceptible to the Darkness of the Charmed Realms.
The line between Guardians and human wielders are not to be crossed, for the consequences themselves are uncertain.
CLANG! The sound of metal clashing against metal rang through the little dojo as Rosalie's naginata (A/N: a Japanese pole-arm similar to a spear but with a longer curved blade at the end instead of a short pointy thing. I use this in a lot of my stories because it is just soooooo frickin' cool! Sorry you should go back to the story now…) was blocked by my own katana, with a smirk I quickly bent backwards and kicked back her blade making her stumble back. Roz, Lilja and I were in the little lame Americanized karate dojo in the town practicing our martial arts, the kind that is taught by a guy barely able to really do anything, but will promise you awesome movie moves just to get a buck, yeah that kind. The owner, Sensei Jonathan Johnson allowed us to use his dojo in the mornings before school and Roz's work since a lot of Roz's neighbors complained we were too loud and too scantily clad in the courtyard of the complex. Yeah anyway, whatever.
The three of us knew something was coming as did our Dragons, so we upped out training for the coming war. Still the other Guardians have not come nor has there been any word from Vianca, it scares me to death.
"Jin, you're not still mad are you?" Roz asked between another attacks combinations, although very skilled she is a little clumsy with my choice weapon of the naginata.
"Huh?" Briefly wiping the sweat from my brow, I looked at her confused. All three of us were sweaty from practice, but they often insisted I push myself too much. That's a lie; I just have more frustrations to work out.
"About me an' Lilja talking to Giry," another swing I blocked, "we were just trying to help." She spun the pole-arm about her head before trying to sweep my feet under me. When Roz and Lilja went behind my back to Madame Giry about having one of the boys dance with me, I was pissed. For a good fifteen minutes, they were subject to my rant and yelling in the Forgotten Language at Roz's place.
"No…" I jumped back with a half twist, "I just wish you at least talked to me."
"We did talk to you." Lilja put in from the side, "At the concert." It wouldn't do for me to roll my eyes at the moment, so I settled for flicking a hairpin at the wall next to her head. It stuck to the wall, heh heh. "Hey! Not cool Jin!"
"Any word from Vi's parent's?" Roz looked over my shoulder as I held her with the flat of my sword.
"Nope."
"That's not good."
"Nope." Lilja went back to her laptop and typed away, "I've been looking into flights from the areas of the other Guardians, but it's strange. It's as though there aren't any flights from their areas to even Boston."
"How about Charter flights? Jin, would your parents mind?" I shook my head at Roz's suggestion explaining it was actually Grandpa Dylan's plane not theirs and he doesn't know about my powers.
"Jin's right, Roz, its better not to involve anymore people than necessary." Lilja commented from behind her computer screen.
With a well-placed round-house, I had Roz pinned at the end of my katana before helping her up. We'd be bruised, but it's nothing our natural abilities can't deal with. "I don't like it. Something is preventing all of us from meeting, it seems. Where's Johnson?" I panted while wiping my face with the bottom of my shirt.
"Snoring in the back room, probably working off a hangover." Roz's eyes glazed for a moment before returning to normal. Nodding, I chanted quickly in the Forgotten Language in front of one of wall mirrors surrounding the matted floor of the dojo. The other five Guardians appeared on the surface with their Dragons in astral form; a few of them sleepy eyed. They gave me a quick update confirming the strange travel conflict. Some were having not only a hard time getting here, but there also was school, work and parents. It seemed that even if they used their Dragon Magic to teleport, there's no telling that they'd land somewhere unpopulated or that they'd have a place to stay because I have no idea when or where this War was going to take place. It could be days/weeks/months for this thing to come, but all we could do was be prepared.
"Has anyone heard from White Dragon Vianca? We have used all forms of communication, but it is as though she is blocked from us, not even her parents are contacting us." I questioned the other Guardians only to get the same negative response. But in my heart something was off, I just couldn't put my finger on it. "Rema, could you and Fionn go to Vianca's place and check on her? Something isn't right about this whole thing." The two white Guardians nodded and I continued to delegate assignments to the other Guardians before clearing the glassy surface.
"Hey Jin, it's almost 7:30, we better head out." Lilja tossed me and Roz water bottles as the three of us used Dragon Magic to pack our weapons and headed back to Roz's apartment.
In class, instead of writing notes on the history of cheese in literature or whatever the hell Mrs. Munny was blathering about, my pencils worked on my dance program as well as the missing Guardian sitch (ah, the joys of being ambidextrous). Besides, Tyler was good with notes…when he wasn't fantasizing about Roz that is. Being so caught up in my plans, that a paper ball hitting my head elicited the tiniest of yelps from my throat forcing the whole class to look at me.
"Miss Liu is there a problem?"
"There was…a…gnat…" my awkward reply seemed to sufficiently placate our teacher all the while drawing snickers from my classmates. Opening the paper ball note quickly, my eyes scanned the neat print of Caleb's handwriting: Coach still says no. Okay, I know for a fact that Caleb can't throw for shite, it must have been Pogue… that hurt. Quickly writing down: Let Madame Giry handle it, I covertly folded the rumpled paper into a newt and gave it life to crawl back to Caleb and Pogue. Waste of magic, I know, but it was soooo worth it to hear them yelp like that. Heh heh.
"Mr. Danvers! Mr. Parry!" Mrs. Munny scolded them irritated that her lesson was once again interrupted. The rest of class continued in that fashion until the bell rang.
"Okay, this hand here," His hand slowly slid lower only to be moved back up my back, "No, here. Leave it!" He gave me a rakish grin and tried sliding his hand lower on my back again. "Reid, pay attention!" I will KILL Lilja and Rosalie! "Guys, this is the starting position for the basic waltz, please tell my you remember this from Xiao's wedding." They gave me non-committal nods before I let go of Reid to rub my temples. Why did I agree to this?
Right, I'm fucking competitive. I should've just gone with someone else. But then Lilja calmly explained that I should be happy to dance with one of the Sons, particularly since I trust them with my life and our secret. If I can't trust them to do the dances, how the hell can I trust them with anything else? Damn, she had a point. At first, the boys were uber-against the whole dance idea but then Roz suggested I ask Vincent to take Aaron's place and the guys readily agreed. Bringing him back into the picture would be a very bad idea, Bumblebee growls at me every time I mention him. Ow! Damnit, even in astral form the Dragon can inflict pain!
Then it was a manner of convincing Coach Hamm to relinquish Caleb, Pogue, Reid and Tyler for the audition with me and Madame. He was all against the idea insisting that swimming was more important than "some pansy cha-cha thing." Saying something like that or similarly related was a very, VERY bad idea. Thinking quickly, I had ushered the boys out of the office the moment Madame Giry's face turned puce… he was in for it. BIG TIME.
After about a good hour and a half of arguing between the two adults, and the Provost coming in to settle everything, I had four practice partners; two of which will dance the competition with me (Latin Dances and Ballroom). Mom, Aunt Lucy and Mrs. Danvers (I have never been comfortable calling her anything else, weird huh?) were ecstatic about the competition in April, they actually started calling every one of our relatives to get ready.
Anyway, now we were somewhat behind schedule by about a week and the guys weren't cooperating. So why were we a week behind? There was a summons, a major one. Someone with Charmed Magic used a huge amount of power strong enough for all three Guardians to feel it and land me in the hospital all last week. To think, it may have all started with Truth or Dare…
Flashback – the week before
"Jin, truth or dare?" Sarah asked me suddenly. We were sitting in the Food Court of the mall enjoying watching the people passing by. The masses of purchases formed a small mountain under the table by our feet.
"What are we 11?" I turned to face her, my expression incredulous.
"Truth or dare?" She pressed. All eight pairs of eyes watched me, the mischievous glint in Roz's eyes sent chills up my spine. Lilja looked up from her noodles with a slow smile forming on her lips.
"Truth."
"Are you a virgin?" Roz interrupted grinning. I glared at her, she and Lilja know the answer but decided to try and bother me over it… again.
"Are you fucking serious?" Reid and Roz gave me identical Cheshire grins, while everyone else waited with interest. "No. Sarah, truth or dare?" I quickly answered trying to work the attention off my blushing face.
"Waitwaitwaitwait, you're not? Since when?" Tyler stopped Sarah from answering and my blush deepened.
"Tyler, love you and all but there's no way in heaven or hell I'm divesting that info, Sarah it's your turn." But Reid decided to be relentless.
"Really, Jin, since when?"
"None of your business! Sarah, it's your turn."
"Jin, answer the question and then we'll move on." Pogue grinned at me.
"I don't believe this. C'mon guys." I was pouting but that didn't stop any of them from pressing the virginity issue. It really shouldn't be an issue, I mean we're in high school and rather mature… yeah, that's just bullshit.
"No, just tell. We have to know." Kate stated. "When? Name? Any good? Times?"
"You're not going to let this go are you?" Eight grinning heads shook 'no'. "Two years ago. Dean. Incredible. Too many. Sarah, your turn, now." Came the gritted teeth response.
"Wait, Dean? As in Dean Winchester? As in Dean Winchester, the hunter?" Kate questioned looking more and more interested just as the guys and Sarah were.
"Dean Winchester? Who's that?" Caleb asked with a curious expression, the guys had never known about hunters and this was not the place to go into detail.
"I'm not answering that. Either question."
"She means yes." Roz answered for me and six pairs of eyes watched us intently. "And he's a hunter, details much later." My head whipped in her direction to glare angrily at my best friend.
"If you knew Roz, why ask the question?" Caleb asked a smirk on his face.
"Because I love the look on her face whenever someone asks her," Roz replied.
"Jeez Jinny how many people have you told?" Reid asked with a teasing glint in those blue eyes of his.
"Look what you started Rosalie." I scolded ignoring Reid entirely. Tyler shifted nervously closer to my second expecting my blow up.
"Hey, I just sparked the flame, you added the fuel." She waved indifferently. Lilja giggled under my glare.
"That sounds like a challenge Red Dragon, are you certain you want to fight me?" I baited knowing Roz will never challenge me, I've had my power longer and more experience with it. Roz paled visibly and Tyler came to her defense… like always.
"Jin, come on, that's not cool." Tyler scolded me with a look I can't help but not love. Roz tried to hold my stern gaze only to falter as a thickness in the air around us invaded our lungs. Gone were the jests and teases, as a sudden and gut-wrenching, mind-numbing pain ripped through me from my stomach and spreading through every nerve, vein, cell, molecule of my being.
The pained scream ripping from my throat startled all the patrons and frightened my friends immensely. Blacking out would have been heaven, but I didn't, everything hurt and the noise around me made everything worse. Every touch, sound and sight made the pain increase, just as every panting breath that passed through my lungs. My eyes squeezed tight in attempt to keep out the painfully blinding light forcing its way through my eyelids.
"I've got you baby girl, its okay," Someone was stroking my face and cradling my body but it just made the screams louder. What the hell was going on?
In my mind's eye, Bumblebee was struggling with a creepy white form trying to pull him into a dark void. My Dragon's roar rang through my head as he battled that white form, my voice wouldn't reach Bumblebee as he fought hard and from the pain I felt, he was losing.
Voices filtered in as my mind's eye concentrated on the battle unfolding. "Clear the way! Kid, I need you to let her go…"
"She's not breathing…"
"Jin, come on open your eyes…"
"What's wrong with her…"
"Hold her down…"
"We're losing her…"
"Clear…" Snippets of conversation made it past the roaring of my Dragon and the creepy white figure, I didn't know what I could do, but I knew that I had to do something; both our lives were at stake. Summing up what little power I had I somehow forced the white figure through the black void it came through.
"AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" My body jerked up as my eyes shot open only to shut tightly against the white brightness of my surroundings.
"She's going into shock…" My body convulsed as the voices around me said one thing or another to calm me down until one of the doctors shoved a needle in my IV bag forcing me to sleep.
However many hours I was out, I was gently brought out of my black oblivion by someone stroking my hair and their breath fanning my face. It was definitely time to wake up.
"Mm," I could hardly manage a proper groan.
"Jin?" Tyler's face swam before my eyes, his bright blue eyes searching my face in concern, "How you feeling?"
God I hope my breath doesn't stink. "Water," the croaked reply came from parched lips. Tyler brought the straw from a plastic cup to my lips and let me drink slowly as he brushed the gold and raven strands from my cheeks. Ooh peppermint flavored. Getting a good look at his face, Tyler's appearance was a little haggard and there were circles under his eyes. He lay beside me on the white hospital bed; our hands were formerly linked together.
"What're you doing here, Goop-face?"
"What did I promise you when we were four?" His fierce determination tugged a smile to my lips, "I'll always protect you, even if we're both married to different people you're my Jin."
"What about your wife? She won't like you always running to my rescue."
"I think Roz will be fine with me looking after her best friend."
"Oh? Does this mean you'll finally tell her how you feel?" He blushed at his slip and I took pity on him. "What happen to me Ty?"
He was thoughtful for a moment and brushed my hair from my face again. "We were at the mall and suddenly you fell to the floor screaming. What do you remember?"
The lack of memory puzzled me, I vaguely remember a fight, but other than that…what the hell happened to me? As I turned over the vague memories in my mind, I slowly looked for the right words to tell my best friend. "Not much…"
At that moment the door to the hospital room slammed open admitting the rest of my friends. Roz and Lilja immediately rushed to my side touching my face that apparently was bruised during my fall. Bumblebee forced his way to project through my weakened state, just as their Dragons did to my friends, the others watched in fear and awe as the three of the Great Nine conversed and disappeared as suddenly as they came.
"What the fuck was that?" Reid broke the silence.
"Someone's waking the Dragons." Roz stated shaken by the force of her normally indifferent Dragon, her voice was haunted by the fears of this new crisis.
End Flashback
Since the hospital, Roz, Lilja and I have dedicated as much time as possible to training. But in my case, I worked on trying to bring the other Guardians here discreetly, finding Vianca, teaching the boys the new dances, teaching Sarah and Kate more about the Charmed Realms, dealing with my Dragon's ever-changing mood swings, keeping my powers secret and the ever wonderful… schoolwork.
Right now, the guys still aren't getting the dances or they're just trying to piss me off! Reid keeps messing around, Tyler is so tense he might actually puke, Pogue is worried about how Kate is taking this, and Caleb…well I'm kinda giving him a wide berth. As much as I want him holding and dancing with me, it's a strain on my self-control. Sarah and I have just become friends, I can't jeopardize it.
"Guys! What's the problem? We did this stuff as kids for both Xiao and Hung's weddings, why are you having world class panic attacks?" They gave me a flurry of excuses that hurt my ears, "You know what forget it. You didn't wanna do this anyway; see if I ask you for help again. Where's my phone?" Time for subversive tactics.
"Who're you calling?" Reid asked tentatively.
"What does it matter? Go do you own thing, I've got to rehearse; maybe Vincent will be more receptive than you four idiots." I baited and they fell for it, hook, line and sinker.
"No." Pogue and Caleb wrenched the cell from my hand and tossed it to Reid, who pocketed in the front of his sweats. He thrust out his hips challenging me to get it back. EW. "We don't like the guy and you're not talking to him ever again." Aw, they care.
"Well then, what do you propose I do? I'm entered for the paired competition; it's way too late to change now." My arms crossed over the push-up of the dress making my nose wrinkle a bit.
"We'll do it, just be patient, okay?"
"Yeah this is harder than Swim practice."
"It's not like we get what you want us to do, you explain shit weird." Caleb tried to explain.
"Would you quit complaining…I have an idea." I grinned and looked to make sure Madame wasn't coming back anytime soon before rigidly holding my palm down in front of me and the wooden panels of the gym floor shook and rose unsteadily forming the shape of a wooden man. Slowly the wood panels that were the gym floor twisted and flowed like water until they became solid, the new doll was nearly realistic save for the hair, it was styled like a Ken Doll's, for some reason I can never get the hair right, oh well.
"What is that?"
"You needed a visual, then watch." I snapped a gray hand towel and twirled it like a Matador around my body until it formed a pale gray dancing costume, the top part of the halter was delicate Spanish lace, the rest of the dress was flowing silk-like fabric that swished around my calves, and the back was cut at a low angle lined with cords of dark gray silk.
"Nice, Jin." I silenced any other Reid comments with a look before taking my position with "Ken Doll."
The CD player changed songs to The Goten Project's 'Santa Maria' (A/N: if anybody has seen Shall We Dance? With Jennifer Lopez and Richard Geere, this is the dance I'm talking about. It's so HOT! So pretend or watch it, whatever, but it's really hard to describe.)
Their eyes bugged as 'Ken Doll' followed the lines of my body with his wooden hand and spun me around and back roughly. The dance itself was passionate and hard to do in two minutes and forty-seven seconds, maybe I shouldn'tve used the first dance that Aaron and I were supposed to do. Too late now.
Ken Doll lifted and spun me in its arms before gently letting me slide the floor the back of my head to where its crotch would be before pulling me up to go face to face as the music ended.
My four friends were slack-jawed in awe, chuckling I nodded once to Ken Doll and he melted back into the floorboards and the dress once again became a folded towel in my hands.
"Damn. That was hot." Pogue gained his speech first. "Where did you learn that?"
"Madame Giry came up with the routine; that was what Aaron and I were supposed to do." I explained calmly waiting for the outbursts to come up. They didn't like the idea of Aaron touching me anymore than I did, but unlike them I'm a pro and great actress!
"You let him touch you like that?" Caleb exploded, that's really odd I actually expect Tyler to react that way not Caleb. Tyler's my double best friend…what the hell is going on?
"Unfortunately, yes." The dull reply barely left my lips before Reid and Caleb started storming towards the door. "Hey! You can't kill him either, at least not until after the NADC, he's an entered competitor. You kill him then I'll probably be booted out for having one of my partners decimates the competition with magic powers. I'm sure it's in the rule book somewhere… Hey come back here!" Tyler and Pogue tried sneaking to the door.
"Fine, we'll stay, but that means you have to tell us about this Dean guy…" Tyler crossed his arms as the others followed suit.
I'm sure my face paled making me release them from my magic. "Okay you can kill him."
Okay so I'm not totally satisfied with this, but it's been a pain in my rear for a while. Reviews are nice and I'd love to know if you have any ideas. So thanks again. Toodles!