I felt a warm breeze blow against me mixing with the warmth of the sun; as I began to open my eyes I realized that it must be day. I looked around blinking in the bright light, it was noon and the sun was shining brightly down on me. I heard the wind start up again blowing towards me and I watched the grass as it moved in waves past two children who were playing just a couple of yards away.
I felt fine, as though all the weight, the misery had been lifted. Yesterday was just a memory, a thing of the past. Somehow I had completely gotten over the misery that I had felt. Life seemed different some how, I no longer felt that I had anything to worry about, that everything had been taken care of.
I watched the two children playing tag for a little bit. One would run after the other trying desperately to tackle him to the ground, and then he would jump colliding with the other kid sending him into the ground. They would both stand up and the second kid would chase after the first. They were living a care free life, and somehow I felt almost as though mine was the same somehow.
I stood up suddenly noticing the royal blue blanket that I had been lying on. My shoes were resting just off of it and I was standing in socks. I walked over to my shoes and sat down to put them on. I suddenly realized that my backpack was under them as I picked them up and began putting them on. When I was done tying my shoes I looked through my backpack, which I had thought had been lost. Everything that I remembered having was there, but most of these things I remembered loosing.
I looked around the field. I was just out side of the city and could see most of its buildings. There were quite a few children playing in the park, or whatever this was, the parents of those children were sitting on benches and there were some other adults around as well. Everyone seemed so happy in this troubled world; I just couldn't understand how they could live like this with the threat of something bad, something miserable, happening to them and all that they knew. But they did, even in this world filled with evil people still lived their lives normally.
Another breeze blew and I could smell the salt water on it. The smell of the ocean mixed with the smells from the city, the fast food restaurants, the pollution, and so forth. But strongest of all was the smell of the ocean... and of food. Suddenly my stomach growled as I thought about food. I hadn't eaten since yesterday, and it had been noon when I ate. It was no wonder that I was so famished; I hadn't had time to eat before I ran out on the titans the day before...
I stood up picking up my bag and looking around the park one more time. I was to leave this city, I knew that. If Slade found me again I probably wouldn't be as lucky as I had before. The traveler had said that he would help me, but I couldn't see him anywhere now. I assumed that his help must have ended the night before...
Slowly I began walking into the city. I was hungry and I needed to get something to eat. I looked around at the assortment of fast food and nearly began drooling. But just as I was about to enter one of them I suddenly remembered that I had no money. I wouldn't be able to by anything without money, so, defeated, I continued walking.
"Are you hungry?" I heard a voice ask.
Startled I looked around for who had asked me the question. As I searched my eyes fell on a tall man appearing to be about twenty six. He had short brown hair and was wearing mostly black. His hair was combed back but still had a wild quality. For some reason he looked very familiar, yet I couldn't quite place it.
"Well, are you hungry?" the man asked again.
"Who are you?" I asked trying to stop my stomach for answering for me.
"Of course you don't recognize me..." the man said. "My appearance is far different than it was last time you saw me. I suppose it was also raining. And dark as well... I am the traveler, and no I did not abandon you, I just had to do something. I hope you can forgive me."
"What happened? Last night you were completely different, your hair, your cloths... were a disguise?" I asked confused.
"No... No. That was not a disguise. That was my real self, a self that has been evolving for quite some time now. What you see now could almost be called the disguise; it was... my original self..." he said with a tone of sadness. "You were feeling hungry?"
"Oh... Yes, but I don't have any money." I said. "There is no way that I can pay for anything to eat."
"You won't have to worry about that." he said gently taking my hand and leading me to a restaurant.
"But..." I protested.
"I'll deal with it." He replied.
I allowed myself to be led to the restaurant. I quickly glanced at the outside and suddenly realized that this was a very fine restaurant. The building itself looked very nice, somewhere that rich people would eat... as we entered there was a man waiting at a podium to seat us. He slightly glanced at the traveler and me and asked, "Do you have a reservation?"
My stomach sunk. There was no way that the traveler could have known when I would wake up and if I would be hungry. How could he have made a reservation based on something he didn't know? I quickly glanced at him to see his reaction and gasped. He had changed again; he was now wearing a very finely cut tuxedo and his hair was combed all the way back. As I gawked at him he replied, "Yes, it's under Gwinesis Giis, and this is my daughter Terra."
This took me aback, he was lying about my being his daughter, and how could anyone mistake us like that? He was wearing expensive clothing and I was wearing street clothes. I looked down at myself and noticed something even more shocking than most of today; I had also changed. I was now wearing a finely cut royal blue dress white gloves, and my hair was done back.
"Ah, yes, Mr. Giis. Right this way, if you please."
The traveler followed the man to our table and I followed the traveler. I was so stunned with what had happened that I barely thought about where I was going and am still surprised that I didn't bump into anyone. As I sat down and was given a menu. Still stunned I opened it and got my second biggest shock of the day, in the menu was everything that I could think of ever eating at any other restaurant. All of my favorites were on it and it even specified the places that I had gone first to eat them...
"How?" I stammered.
"Sometimes, Terra, it is better not to ask questions, but since you did the menu was modified by me..." the traveler said calmly from behind his menu. "Mine is far different than yours," he turned it around to show it to me. I saw some things that didn't even look like human foods on his and realized that it must be showing us the foods we liked... "I have been many places, child, and there are far more foods than those that humans prepare."
"Can I really choose anything on this menu?" I asked.
"Yes, and no matter where it is made it will be served." He responded calmly.
"Wow..." I said amazed.
We chose what we wanted to eat, he chose something that was obviously not a human creation, and I chose some food from three different places that I had been. As we waited for our food to arrive I sat nervously watching the traveler. No one had ever been this nice to me before, and I was wondering why he was doing so now. It wasn't like I had ever done anything for him.
"Terra, relax. I won't bite you, so stop worrying." The traveler said.
"But... why are you being so nice to me?" I asked.
"Why do you try to help people in need, Terra?" The traveler retorted.
"Because they are in trouble and are unable to save themselves." I replied. "But I..."
"True, you aren't in trouble." He said looking me in the eyes. "But Slade may come looking for you again. Besides, since you aren't going to be learning to control your powers from him you still need a teacher. I offered this to you before and that offer is still in effect."
"So then you want to teach me?" I asked. "Why?"
"You have tried to help people but you were shunned because when you tried to help them your powers would loose control. For this reason you have become hated by many people, people that you tried to help. This is something that I do not like, and for this reason, among others, I wish to help you." He said. "Terra, you have tried to help others now it is time for you to let someone really help you."
"And if I refuse, if I don't want your help?" I asked.
"Then you go free. I will not hold you against your will. That is not the way that I choose to do things." He told me. "When someone is honestly and truly good they emit an aura, a spirit, or a kind of energy. That is something that I hold dear to life, this spirit, and when ever possible I try to nurture it into something truly unique and powerful."
Our food arrived and the traveler began working on the... thing, he had ordered. I began eating my food and we sat in silence. I was still confused about why he was helping me. I understood that it was in some way connected with the fact that I helped people, but after that I just couldn't follow what he had said...
"Terra," he said suddenly almost quietly. "There is something you need to know."
"What's that?" I asked almost as quietly.
"This universe is not the only one that is filled with evil. The universe that I was born in was as well, but in that universe there were no people with amazing abilities, no superheroes... I wanted so desperately to help everyone, to help people in ways that only a super-being could... But I was only a 'normal' child at the time, I had no abilities, and magic was something of fiction..." As he spoke I suddenly realized that he was almost crying at the memory.
"So, what happened? How did you become who you are now?" I asked.
"Someone very close to me died in something that I could have prevented... it sent me over the edge and unlocked something that had been hiding in that universe, building itself up, for a very long time. I... well, it isn't important now." He said. "You have the ability, you are gifted with natural abilities yet you had no one to help you with them... I guess that's one reason why I do this, to make sure that no one else makes the mistakes that I made."
We continued eating in silence. I wasn't sure but I think he had hit on something very deep that he didn't share with many people. I doubt I had ever gone through what he had, and I hoped I never would have to. By the way he had talked it sounded like something very terrible.
"Can I ask a favor of you?" he asked suddenly.
"What?" I asked startled at the sudden question.
"Some time ago I made a promise to someone, she was near death and I saved her, so to speak. Her mind and soul are now held within a crystal that I designed, but the crystal is a very delicate thing. It would be far better if there were a body for it to lay dormant in until I can revive her..."
"You want to use my body?" I asked shocked.
"It would be the best 'fit'. Holding spirits in dormancy can only work comfortably if they are held in an item that matches their original..."
"You want to use my body to hold this ghost?" I asked again still shocked.
"Terra, she was you." He said. "The you that I showed you. The you that died."
This really startled my and I felt my jaw drop. Last night he had shown me an image of what would happen if I had joined Slade. Was the girl he was talking about a version of me from a parallel universe? Had that actually happened to someone?
"I will not force you to take on this burden but I will request it." He told me gently.
"If I said yes, what would happen to me?" I asked in a small voice.
"Nothing more than something using part of your mind that isn't normally used. You wouldn't notice her, she wouldn't bother you, she would simply be dormant until I was able to revive her." He said. "Take your time in answering, it isn't an emergency."
"Ok, I will give you my answer later then..." I said quickly.
As we finished our food a waiter came and took the plates. We sat quietly waiting for my dessert. I was still stunned by the traveler's question, but if I could take my time in thinking about it then I would. He had been so nice to me and I had done nothing for him... perhaps this would be a simple way to pay him back.
"I have another question for you, Terra." He said. "How would you feel returning to the Teen Titans?"
"Now?" I asked nearly jumping. I had run out on them calling Beast Boy a liar. I don't thing that I could return to face them the next day...
"No, not now, after you have had some training." He replied. "In a few months or so. Truly it is your choice to leave at any time, you won't ever need my permission."
"Maybe..." I started. "Maybe later, after I have more control and perhaps after they have..."
"Forgotten?" he finished for me. "I'm sure even if we returned now it would not matter. Last night was long ago, for them and for you... Anything you could possibly have done wrong if far gone now."
My dessert was placed on the table in front of me and I began eating. He was probably right... but I couldn't take the chance that he wasn't. I wouldn't return until after I had gained more control over my powers. Then I would be able to return triumphant, but to do that I would have to learn control...
"Ok, I accept your help. I would like to learn how to control my powers; then when I do return to the Teen Titans I will be able to show them how much I have improved."
I had finished my piece of pie and the waiter had come with our bill. The traveler glanced at it and stood up. He began walking away and I glanced down at the bill wondering why he hadn't picked it up. There was a neat stack of twenties on it and a small pile of change. I turned around wondering when he had gotten the money out and quickly walked after him...
