Jane: Oh god! Oh god that stings! Holy fuck!
?: Calm down, it'll feel better in a moment.
She winces and shuts her eyes. Jake puts his hand on her shoulder and she squeezes it.
?: Aaaand... there.
Jane sighs with relief.
?: It's not fully healed, but you should be able to walk on it now.
Roxy: Have I ever told you what an awesome sister you are?
?: Not often.
Roxy: Huh.
The girl stands up. She's got blond hair like Roxy and is wearing a blue coat and a floor-length blue skirt. Her shirt has a purple symbol of some sort of squid on it and she's also wearing a long pink scarf. She smiles at Jane.
?: Does that feel better?
Jane: A lot better, thanks!
Roxy: I'd have helped you myself but I didn't realize it was so bad! You really need to be more careful!
Jake: You can... let go of my hand now...
Jane pulls her hand away and blushes, laughing nervously. Roxy smiles at her.
Vriska: So Rose, is dinner ready?
John: Vriska...
Rose: It's fine. Yeah, it should be about ready.
They all sit at the dinner table and start to eat. There's not much conversation at first.
Jake: Rose, Jane told me you might be able to help me with connecting to the spirit world.
Rose: Wow. Yeah, I think I may be able to help you.
Jake: Really?
Rose: Well the main thing is that you'll need somewhere to concentrate, somewhere with a big spiritual connect-
Roxy: Oh my GOOOOOD, please do not start this again!
Rose: Is there a problem?
Roxy: You talk about this shit all the time!
Jane: Roxy, be nice.
Roxy: She does, though! All I hear all day is this spiritual crap!
Rose: Oh please, you're over exaggerating.
Roxy: Well, a little. But still!
She pours another glass of wine. This is her fourth in a half hour.
Rose: Don't take her seriously Jake, she's drunk.
Jake: Yeah, I caught that...
Rose: We can start tonight, if you want.
Jake: Well, okay. I'd like to look for my friends tomorrow though.
Rose: This won't interfere.
Jake: Great!
John: Vriska, we should ask around the town tonight. See if anyone knows anything else about this gang.
Vriska: Hell, let's go now.
She grabs him by the arm and starts heading out.
John: Oh, okay! Thanks for the meal guys! Be back in a couple hours!
Jane: Bye!
Everyone finishes up their meal and helps in cleaning up. When everyone finishes up Rose heads toward the door.
Jake: Where are you going?
Rose: This great spiritual center here. You coming or what?
He smiles and follows her. Jane turns to Roxy pleadingly. She sighs.
Roxy: Fine, we can go too. Only because you love that boy.
Jane: Shut up, Roxy! I do not!
Roxy: Hehe.
They walk on the sidewalks for a while. It starts to get dark and the street lamps flicker on. Eventually the streets are deserted.
Jake: Ominous.
Rose: I like it.
She takes them up to an old tower. Inside it's musty and dimly lit by an old torch. She starts climbing up the stairs and the other three hesitantly follow. The stairs creak with every step. The top of the tower represents some sort of old lighthouse. The balcony has a view of a good portion of the city and the ocean past it. For whatever reasons they can hear the waves all the way up here. There's a girl standing on the balcony staring at the sea. She has long black hair with a golden headband reaching across her forehead. Her clothes are very sophisticated, suggesting she's either important or rich. Or both.
Rose: Oh, madam. I didn't realize you would be here.
?: Oh hi Rose! I was just leaving! I like it up here. It's so... peaceful.
Rose: I know, that's why I usually come up.
They smile at each other.
?: Who are your new friends?
Rose: Jake and Jane. Jake needs to do a little meditation.
?: Then you chose the best place! It's nice to meet you! My name is Feferi.
She shakes hands with both of them.
Jane: As in... Princess Feferi?
Feferi: Yep!
Jane: Whoa.
Feferi: Do any of you happen to have the time, by the way?
Jake: Yeah, half past nine.
Feferi: Oh glub! I'm late! Well it was nice meeting all of you!
She runs down the stairs.
Rose: She's very nice, if a bit ignorant at times. She'll be a good leader.
Roxy: So you keep saying.
Jake: So... what do I do?
Roxy: You don't know?
Jake: I have no remote clue.
Rose: Look, copy me.
She sits on the balcony and crosses her legs, and Jake does the same. He puts his fists together.
Rose: Now focus. Concentrate on getting to the spirit world. We'll make sure you have complete silence.
She walks over to Jane and Roxy. Jake takes a deep breath. He has no idea what to concentrate on. He thinks of Jade and Dave and just wants to help them. He thinks about them for a while. He sure hopes they're okay. He takes another deep breath.
Jane: (Is something supposed to happen?)
Roxy: (Seriously, this is snoresville.)
Rose: (Shush! He needs complete silence! Just give it a little longer!)
He concentrates hard. He takes in one more deep breath, then feels a rush. Suddenly he finds himself standing in a small metal room with a bed, a couple benches and a sink. It looks like a sort of jail cell. Sitting on one of the benches is Jade, and Dave is standing next to her.
Jake: GUYS!
He runs over to them.
Jake: Jade! Dave! It's me, Jake!
They don't pay any attention to him.
Jake: Guys!
?: Sorry, they won't hear you.
He turns around and sees an adult woman who is clearly water tribe. She has dark brown hair and was wearing a light blue tank-top with blue pants and a coat tied around her waist. She walks up next to him and puts her hand on his shoulder.
?: Don't panic.
Jake: I'm starting to panic.
?: Calm down...
Jake: Why can't they hear me?
?: We're in the spirit world, Jake. They can't see or hear you.
Jake: Spirit world? You mean, that meditation worked?!
?: Yes. Yes it did.
Jake: Cool!
?: Right?
Jake: So who are you?
?: I am Avatar Korra, you're past life.
His eyes widen and he stares at her.
Jake: That is soooo cooooooool!
Korra laughs.
Dave: That fucking liar! He said someone would be by!
Jade: Calm down, it's not a big deal.
Dave: Yes, yes it is!
Jade: I feel fine!
Jake notices the bandage around her head is blood-stained.
Jake: Oh god! Look, I know you're a spirit and stuff, but is there ANYTHING you can do?
Korra: I'm sorry Jake, we can't interact with them at all.
Jake: Why am I even here?
Korra: You're the one who wanted to talk to me.
Jake: But why in here specifically?
Korra: You wanted to see your friends. Here they are.
Jake: I wanted to help my friends. Those are two completely different things!
Korra: Oh, calm down! We've got things to talk about!
Jake: Okay...
Back on the tower, Jake's eyes had opened and were glowing.
Rose: There, see? We can talk now.
Jane: What happened?
Rose: Well he's either in the spirit world or the avatar state. Due to the lack of movement on his part, I'm going with spirit world.
Jane: Oh.
Roxy: So what now?
Rose: Now we wait.
Roxy: For how long?
Rose: I don't know.
Roxy: I thought you were supposed to know everything about this stuff!
Rose: I do not know everything about spirit world. In fact, I hardly know anything about it. It's weird and confusing.
Roxy: You're telling me!
Jane: We're going to be up here all night, aren't we?
Rose: Probably.
Roxy: I'm going to fall asleep.
Rose: How about we take shifts? We can switch about every three hours or so. I'll even take the first one.
Jane: Would you? That would be fantastic. I'll take the second one.
Roxy: I'm going to sleep.
She plops on the ground and conks out.
Jane: Hoo hoo! I love your sister.
Rose: You can have her, if you want.
Jane: I may need to take you up on that.
Jane lies down next to Roxy and closes her eyes. Rose walks out on the balcony and sits next to Jake, looking out at the view. Back in the cell Jake and Korra just got finished a very long chat about the Avatar state.
Jake: So if I die in the Avatar state, I won't reincarnate?
Korra: That is correct.
Jake: Dang.
Dave: If I have to stay in here any longer I'm going to go mad.
He's pacing back and forth, thinking hard.
Jade: Just calm down.
Dave: I'm calm! Totally calm!
She looks at him skeptically.
Dave: You wouldn't happen to be able to metal bend, would you?
Jade: Yes.
Dave: WHAT?! You could do that the whole time?!
Jade: Yup.
Dave: Why haven't you done anything?!
Jade: I'm trying to sensibly think through this. We can't just barge out of here like a couple of idiots just to get captured again, and/or killed.
Dave: ... true.
Jade: I think if we can get somewhere in this compound that isn't underwater, I can get us out of here.
Dave: We're underwater? How'd you know that?
Jade: I can tell with my special earth bending powers.
She smiles at him sarcastically.
Dave: Well that's... that's really cool.
Jade: Yup. Bec's the best trainer there is.
Dave: So what do you think we should do?
Jade: We just need a distraction somehow. Something to give us a clear path out of here, with minimum interaction.
Jake: And that's my job! Korra, I'd like to go back now. How the hell do I do that?
Korra: Just close your eyes, I'll send you back.
Jake: Thank you so much for all your help!
Korra: Hey, it's my job. If you need me again, you'll find a way.
He closes his eyes and feels another rush. When he opens his eyes, he can see the view from the tower again. Up in the sky he can see a crescent moon, with stars filling the black around it. Behind him the Lalonde's are sleeping peacefully, and Jane is standing on the balcony looking down at the city. She sighs.
Jane: Sure hope John and Vriska didn't run into any trouble.
Jake: I'm sure they're fine. I don't see why anyone would mess with Vriska.
Jane: Jake! You're back!
Jake: Yep! I got to talk to Korra!
Jane: John would be so jealous.
Jake: I know, right? So... should we wake those two up?
Jane: Let's let them sleep. I've already started taking Roxy's shift.
Jake: You guys are taking shifts? How long was I gone?
Jane: Around 6 or so hours.
Jake: Gosh, it didn't feel that way. Maybe time moves differently when your talking to a dead version of yourself.
Jane: Maybe!
They both laugh.
Jake: So Jane...
Jane: Yeah?
Jake: I think I know where my friends are. Or at least, I know how to find them. They can get out but they need a distraction, and I was going to-
Jane: Do something stupid?
Jake: Pretty much. But I want you to stay here, okay?
Jane: Not okay.
Jake: Oh come on!
Jane: Team Avatar, right?
Jake: I don't want you to get hurt again!
Jane: Don't care. I'm coming with you.
Jake: No you're not.
Jane: Yes I am.
Jake: No!
Jane: Yes!
Jake: No!
Jane: Yes!
Jake: No!
Jane: You can say no all you want, but I'll follow you anyways!
Jake: God, fine!
Jane: Woohoo! Where do we go?
Jake: Well from what I gathered, they're underwater.
Jane: Great. That sure narrows it down.
Jake: Don't be sarcastic! I think I can find them if we head outside the gates.
Jane: Lead the way!
They head down the stairs and out to the street. The moonlight bathes the city in silver. As they walk down one of the sidewalks, Jake's PDA beeps.
-timaeusTestified [TT] began pestering golgothasTerror [GT] -
TT: Jake.
TT: Have you had time to think?
GT: What is it with you and these late nights?
TT: What?
TT: I just got back from a meeting.
TT: You're awake too.
GT: Touché.
GT: Think about what?
TT: You know.
TT: Our last conversation.
GT: Oh. That.
GT: Well...
GT: I dont really have time right now for romantic-y stuff...
TT: Why? What are you doing?
GT: Going to save your brother.
TT: Right now?
GT: Yeah. Why not?
TT: Jake, stop, this is a bad idea.
GT: Probably.
TT: What could possibly compel you to go and do something so stupid?
GT: I have no remote idea!
TT: Then why are you doing this?
GT: Because i know where they are, i want to save them.
TT: You know where they are?
GT: Yeah. At least, i have a pretty good idea.
TT: Jake, you are being completely irrational.
GT: I know.
TT: I'm not going to stop you, am I?
GT: Nope.
TT: Fuck.
TT: Well, please just don't do anything that's going to get you hurt.
TT: Or worse.
GT: If the situation really gets that bad, i promise i will back out.
TT: Thank you.
TT: Good luck.
- timaeusTestified [TT] ceased pestering golgothasTerror [GT] -
- golgothasTerror [GT] began pestering arachnidsGrip [AG] -
GT: Vriska!
GT: Hey!
GT: Pick up!
GT: ...
GT: Are you asleep?
GT: Or just not near your pda?
GT: Ah well doesnt matter.
GT: If you can, bring john and meet us outside the gates to the city.
GT: I think were on to something!
GT: So come whenever you can, okay?
- golgothasTerror [GT] ceased pestering arachnidsGrip [AG] -