Title: Shattered Reality: Imbalance of the elements:

Date: 14 June, 2005

Written by: ChaosMagicianGirl

Chapter three: It has begun

Her two friends made themselves comfortable by sitting down on the three branch. She sat down too, cross legged. She took in a deep breath of air, while she tried to figure out where to start with her "long story". Trying to recall her dream, she found that the images about it weren't so vivid and clear anymore. It was like the more time went by, the more it slipped through her fingers, as though it was water.

Knitting her eye-brows together in deep thought, her friends were anxiously waiting for her to start telling what she had dreamt about.

'Where to start….' Fern mused inside herself.

Darla, meanwhile, was getting impatient when Fern didn't say anything for a long while.

Raising a questioning eye-brow, she asked Fern. "Say….are you going to tell us about it or not?"

Kira, who was her usual calm self, folded her hands in her lap, saying to Darla "Don't be so impatient. Give her some time. Her dream was quite shocking. And sometimes, you forget what you dreamt about, after you wake up."

"I'm not impatient!" said Darla, feeling offended by what Kira had said to her.

Kira shook her head, which only succeeded in ticking of Darla.

Kira and she often had disagreements, and most of the time Kira came out as the victor. And that was just because she never lost her composure, always remaining calm, while Darla on the other hand got angry after some time. And anger got you nowhere with Kira. You could yell at her all you want. She wouldn't get angry herself. It didn't faze her. And that was something about Kira, Darla couldn't stand.

'Damn her always calm demeanour! I just can't stand it!' Darla thought to herself, cursing the girl opposite of her.

"Guys!" snapped Fern at the both of them. "Knock it of already!"

It was always so annoying when the two of them bickered. So, as not to give them anymore reasons to go at it again, she started to tell them about her dream.

"Okay, before I tell you….." she started hesitantly, her face features serious, and determined.

"You have to promise me, that what I'm about to tell you, will not make you laugh, or that it will give you the impression I'm some kind of crazy woman…"

Darla only blinked with her dark-green eyes a couple of times at Fern's strange request.

Kira only calmly observed her, and tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, she said, thoughtful expression on her face "Why would you think we would label you as crazy. Or more importantly laugh at you?"

"Yeah, that's just what I would like to know too!" Darla agreed with Kira for once.

Kira, who was slightly startled that Darla actually agreed with her for once, looked at Darla, surprise evident on her face.

Darla caught her look, and believe it or not. She, to, was surprised that she had agreed with Kira on something.

"Yeah, well…." She sputtered, left at a loss for words.

This made Fern and Kira's widen.

This was just not right. It never ever happened that Darla was left at a loss for words. At least, not for as long as the girls had known each other.

So, this was definitely unexpected.

"Were you just left at a loss for words?" Fern stated, in an amused tone of voice.

Fern's comment made Kira burst out in laughter.

She was laughing so hard, she thought she would soon choke from lack of air.

Darla, at first, was baffled, not expecting such a response from Kira.

However, her surprise soon became anger. A frown adorning her face. Clearly stating that she wasn't amused at all.

Fern, who felt somewhat bad for Darla, was trying her hardest not to laugh. But she just couldn't prevent letting a snigger escape her lips, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

Darla let out an annoyed huff, blowing her blond bangs out of her face. She turned her back on them, crossing her arms in front of her chest, annoyed and angry for how they were behaving.

Fern, who didn't want to start a fight with Darla, got up, walked over to where Darla was standing, putting a hand on her shoulder, offering her a sheepish grin.

Darla turned her head, looking at Fern.

She tried to keep a frown on her face, but it was extra hard when Fern used one of her famous grins. They always lifted her mood.

Plus, that grin made her pull such a stupid face. It just looked hilarious. And no matter what she did to prevent it, a smile spreaded on her face, replacing her nasty frown.

"Come on Darla!" Fern said, smiling at her. "Instead of frowning, just laugh along. You have to admit it's just plain funny!" Fern concluded.

Darla, who realised that she was being a little silly, finally agreed with Fern.

"Okay, okay!" She yelled out in sheer frustration. hating to admit she was in the wrong. " It is funny! There, ya happy now?" She rather grudgingly admitted.

That only made Kira laugh harder.

But that didn't mean she agreed with the fact that Kira was laughing at her. She just couldn't stand people making fun of her, least of all laughing at her.

"And you, stop laughing!" Darla barked at Kira, grinding her teeth together, her left eye twitching.

Fern only chuckled at this.

She decided to venture back to what she had been intending on telling the girls about.

"Anyway….I think we should be getting back on topic. Since we are getting of track." Fern suggested.

"Oh, yeah….." Darla responded, when it dawned on her what Fern was talking about. "I almost forgot about that…." She said, a bit ashamed, scratching the back of her head nervously.

Their mindless and useless banter almost made her forget what they were trying to discuss in the first place.

Sitting down again, she motioned for Fern to start her story.

Kira, who had calmed down again, nodded as a confirmation for Fern to start as well.

Fern, clasping her hands together, eased back into a sitting position, her spread out wings folding against her back as she sat down.

She thought for a mere moment before she started to speak.

"Well, to be honest…. I don't remember much of the dream anymore. I can only faintly recall that I was trapped in some kind of fire circle…..with no way out. I think I was running from something or someone ….before I got trapped, or at least I think that was it…I know I was scared, scared to death to say it plain and simple. And then suddenly a vague shape of…..a woman appeared to me. I couldn't tell what she looked like. …I can't remember what she said to me. I can recall only one sentence clearly… "Do not be afraid of the gift that surrounds you.." That's what she said. …." Fern trailed of after this, eyes downcast.

This dream was really unsettling. She had a weird feeling in her gut that this was not just some freaky dream, but a sort of message, omen perhaps?

But whatever it was, she didn't like it.

She felt strangely vulnerable, afraid. ….

Involuntarily, she thought back to what her teacher Grenadine told her.

She didn't understand why her brain was connecting her dream to what Grenadine told her. But she didn't want to find out….

She felt that this couldn't be just a coincidence…..

No, she didn't believe it was. Her heart didn't believe it. What her mind told her was a different story. But for once she paid her mind no heed.

Meanwhile, in an open clearing in the rainforest, a lone person could be found sitting on the ground.

This was a secluded spot, which none of the other elves knew about, except…

The person was a woman with snow-white hair. Her eyes were closed, as she sat cross-legged on the ground, meditating.

The wind made the leaves of the threes rustle. Something was hanging in the air, something foreboding.

Opening her light-blue eyes, she stared straight ahead, her gaze wandering to the border of the rainforest.

It was as she had foreseen.

'It has begun…..'

A/N: Okay, that wraps up chapter three, I guess. If there is even anyone, who is reading this story…..I beg you! Please review? I love getting feedback, especially constructive ones.

(sigh)

Anyway, if anyone is still or even reading this story…I hope you liked, and stay tuned for the next one! I promise the next one won't take too long?

CMG, signing out!