Oh yeah, baby! An update! Whoo-hoo! Told you I'll make it! Dunno about Saturday but I'll try seeing as my exams are tomorrow and Friday. Maybe somewhere in between I'll write something and if not then I have the weekend. :)

Updated: 29.07.2011

Illusions

The dense cloud of darkness fell like a boulder on her frail body. Her breath was caught in her throat and she gasped pointlessly for the air that didn't existed. She searched with her hand her chest and neck rubbing them as if trying to evade the feeling of deadness that spread in her bones and cells.

Her legs were glued to an unseen floor weighing more than half a tone of stone and she found it odd that the upper part of her body could move…to some lengths at least. The numbness was still present but it slowly started to fade, dripping through her legs and causing an alien streak of pain to erupt. She felt like she was being ripped in two and a glance downwards proved her suspicions.

Her legs were disappearing. The instant reaction her brain proceeded was panic. Panic and fear! What was going on? How did it happened? Wasn't the spell supposed to get her in touch with Raimundo? Her struggles demonstrated to be useless and the horror growing in her heart rose to Himalayan-ish heights. She was going to be killed…by who and how, she didn't know and didn't care in such a dire moment.

No…No! She felt the tears dripping in pools on her cheeks as the mist reached to her waist melting her body, disintegrating it into nothingness. Her heart raced, golden eyes searching the darkness for something that might help. She didn't find anything and that was only added to the fright she felt.

"Isa!"

The girl looked up, eyes widened in astonishment and relief at the sound of the familiar voice. Everything remained dark but in her eyes it all started to clear. The deadly mist dissipated showing her intact legs although the same lack of feeling got a hold on her once again. She wanted to call back, but her voice didn't listened. She breathed heavily, her heart coming to a more even state but the anxiety was still there.

She glanced left and right, completely oblivious to the pain stretching in her neck and shoulders. It was quiet but the wrongness was in the air and it dawned on her when a sudden wind knocked her back. It was a glacial gale that dug in her bones, grazed her skin and put a thin layer of ice on her forearms as she tried to protect herself.

But it was too strong, it pushed her away like a savage beast, it roared and clawed at her like she was a long forgotten toy. The piercing shriek of the ice storm was accompanied by the girl's wails and cries that soon died when she felt her throat hoarse and her lungs air deprived.

"ISA!"

Again, her eyes snapped open but the storm didn't disappear like the mist. It continued to rage, throwing her like a rag doll from side to side worsening her already aching limbs. Her mouth gaped in a silent scream, the tears flowing continuously from her golden orbs as her lungs fought for a source of life.

"Isa, get out!"

There he was again…and there she still couldn't answer.

"Amateur!"

The voice rung through the hurricane with an eerie calm tinted by the mock and amusement in its tone. Isa found herself lost and weakened by it without a clear reason why. It was strong and commanding…capable of literally throwing her out of a world where no one else could come…capable of interfering and creating something that didn't existed before.

The wizard…

The wind stopped, dropping the sorceress on the dark ground in pain and gasping for air. A hollow laugh filled the atmosphere and Isa felt her hair standing on ends at the sound. Her hands wrapped around her chest searching for warmth while at the same time the panic started to kick in once again.

Her silent cries from before turned into sobs. No matter how much she tried she couldn't find the courage to get up and fight. She was a scared little girl who just got herself stuck in a situation far out of her reach because of her own stubbornness and impatience.

Why…Oh why didn't I listen to Damian and just went to bed?

"You have some guts to come here…"

She stopped crying briskly straining her ears to catch any sound that could signal a new torture sent her away. What she heard though made her blood run cold and she just wished for another storm.

A chilly breath ran down her neck quickly increasing her shaking and making her eyes to expand at the size of dinner plates. "But for a little apprentice…I'm afraid it was too much."

A hand gently stroked her hair from behind causing Isa to painfully tense at the gesture. She whimpered quietly and right away she bit her lip not wanting to give the man more satisfaction. "Now, I'm pretty sure you want to go home at your friends…but my boss wouldn't be happy if I'll let you go."

He sighed sadly. "Stupid little girl…this world is too complicated for you to mess around with it!"

Isa hiccupped unintentionally bringing a sneer on the man's face. She tried to fight back the tears threatening to explode in her eyes and the urge to sit on the ground and curl in a ball hoping the bad dream would go away. She continued to look in front of her however, shaking uncontrollably, the ice adorning her arms starting to melt and soak her clothes.

The man sat up but she didn't move. Her eyes closed tightly as she felt the other's power rise and get ready to strike her down but then another burst of energy flew between them. The man swore loudly before he disappeared and Isa could finally find the bravery to look around and straight into a pair of forest green eyes.

"Why the hell didn't you listen to me?"

Isa gasped for a second before breaking down into tears as she leaped in the other's embrace shoving in the back of her mind the fact they were still in danger and making do with a shoulder she could cry on. Her sobs slowly turned into pants as she felt Raimundo's comforting hand rub her back while trying to silence her desperate wail.

"Come on, girl! This is so not like you!"

Isa shook her head gripping his wet shirt and Raimundo pulled her closer to his chest. He slowly raised her head so she could look at him while his thumb wiped the last tears from her eyes and smiled warmly at her.

"Did some meaningless words break you down already?"

She smiled weakly. "No…It was that hellish storm that did it!" Isa slightly cringed at hearing her own voice sounding so gruff but it had to after so much screaming after all.

"You have to leave!" Raimundo changed his amused smirk in a frown in a second but the girl hesitated.

"And you?"

"This thing will disappear once you're gone. You tried to contact me and he stuck his nose into the connection. My guess is that all will be over once you stop everything, 'kay?"

Isa nodded sniffing loudly and at the same time earned a small chuckle from Rai. "What are you laughing at?"

Rai just smiled. "It's good to see, that's all!"

She rolled her eyes and stood up right when a light exploded in front of them and an angry roar resounded through the pale darkness.

"Now would be a good time to get going, Isa!" Rai shouted trying to cover his eyes from the blinding light.

From beside him Isa was doing the same. She shut her eyes rigidly, protectively placing her hands around her face while focusing her energy into getting back to her real body. A tingling sensation shifted throughout her body and then a shove, a wind blowing her hair backwards and she gasped.

Her arms fell limply on the book in her lap while her chest breathed in and out heavily. Her hand shook as it wiped the sweat and tears gathered on her face and she leant her back against the tree continuing the series of pants.

She felt too tired to get up. Her whole body ached, every muscle burning with hot searing pain as she tried to move not to mention the fatigue that suddenly took a hold of her. She decided upon laying there for the rest of the night, under the beautiful black sky with the pure white disk of the moon shining on her.

Her gasps started to even, her heart regaining its normal state and the adrenaline faded leaving place for exhaustion. As soon as she closed her eyes, Isa fell into unconsciousness knowing this time she wouldn't meet any crazy psychopath ready to finish her off.

The cloaked figure smirked knowingly at his partner as he took a sip from the bowl. The other tried to ignore it but his eyes kept throwing daggers at him which only provoked the man more. He violently dropped another sugar cube in his coffee spilling a few drops on the dark wooden table. He swiftly grabbed the cup and gulped it from a single swallow.

"Why aren't you angry?" he asked after a few minutes.

The cloaked man shrugged placing the empty bowl on the table before crossing his arms. "Why are you angry?" He sneered at his perplex expression.

"Isn't it obvious? Your wolf kid destroyed my fun!" The wizard was near screaming but he knew better than that. "Why don't you just kill him already? He's not far from it anyway…"

The other nodded. "True! But that in turn triggered his intervention, Aizel." If the sorcerer understood or not he didn't know or care for that matter. The cloaked man stood up walking to the door with graceful strides. He turned when he reached it for one last word.

"Do not try anything with neither one of them. Got it?"

Aizel nodded glancing straight in his shadowed eyes. A second later, the man was gone and the wizard decided to prepare himself one more coffee. Maybe it could ease his nerves better than the last one.

"Girl, that was very stupid!"

"I can't believe you did something like that!"

"You were lucky Rai was there too!"

"Jesus Christ, he could have killed you!"

Isa frowned glaring at the floor of the kitchen. She risked a glance at Damian who was standing on the other side of the table silently drinking his hot tea. She suddenly felt like in high school, with a principal on the other side watching her disappointed and ready to confirm her 'dead' penalty. She sighed dropping her head on the table and interrupting the waves of complains coming from the others.

Naiara put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it friendly. "Isa…we're sorry! But you should have done this with everyone!"

Isa looked up glancing around at the others watching their different expression and settled on the leader of the Pack. "I apologize guys! I know it was the stupidest thing in the world but I wanted to know if Rai was alright."

Matias sighed leaning on her shoulder with a smile that made the girl's mood rise instantly. "We're all worried! But wandering on your own is against the Pack's rules and you should know that better than anyone! We'll find a way out of this mess."

Isa nodded noticing once again the strong bonds existing between them. Cris smirked confidently while Blas exchanged an understanding look with his brother. Naiara smiled encouragingly and Damian just sat there enjoying the moment of tranquility that just once in a year could fall upon them.

"You're right! We'll teach those guys a painful lesson for taking our bro!" Naiara laughed hugging her while the boys cheered. In that moment the two xiaolin dragons entered the room wearing confused faces at the weird spurt of happiness between their guests.

"What's going on here?" asked the Japanese girl with a frown.

Blas grinned widely hoping from his seat. "Nothing much. Just a motivational chat! Wanna join?"

"I'd prefer breakfast first!"

The group at the table stood up helping the dragons prepare the meal. Naiara told Kimiko what had happened knowing it was better if she was on her good side and while eating the fire dragon got the occasion to speak with Isa too. The others informed Dojo and Omi about the new found security system and together they tried to come up with something that will give them free entry.

After breakfast they went outside in the garden. Isa got in a spare with Omi concerning obvious reasons and the witch could finally show her magical skills to everyone. Needless to say, Omi was impressed.

"Maybe our powers aren't that different!" the bald monk said after the first training session.

"What are you talking about kid? I can do more than you think!" Isa replied in a matter of fact tone.

Blas snickered from his place near the fountain. "Yeah…did she mention she's a trainee?"

Omi instantly brightened like a Christmas tree. "Oh I'm sorry I didn't know my new female friend. I should have been more easy on you; most likely my immense power has overwhelmed you!"

"BLAS!"

"Huh?" Omi looked around the garden to find the two teens running and laughing…well, Blas was running and laughing, Isa was fuming and cursing. He tilted his head to one side confused but shrugged it off and went to join Kimiko.

"They sure are a lively band!"

"Oh? Yes, whatever you say Kimiko!"

The raven haired girl frowned. "Omi, is something wrong?"

The monk shook his head. "I was just thinking…Isa said her powers center around focus and meditation. It's the same as us…but unlike. I can't exactly put into terms!"

"Well, she's a witch. I understand she works in a different way than us!" The girl doubted she could make head or tail of what her friend spoke of but it was worth a try. "What are you thinking at?"

"What if we let her use shen-gong-wu?" Kimiko stared at him for a second still trying to decipher the question.

"What? But Master Fung told us not to!"

Omi shook his head again and replied in a dead serious tone. "Kimiko…I was thinking at a particular wu!"

So I officially like the first part… dunno why but I was on the wave when I wrote it. The rest is up to you! :D Thank you for your patience minna! And don't forget to review! They're always welcomed!