Chapter Three: Luba's Switch

Luba was pissed.

She paced the smooth floor of the Aura hall, growling under her breath. How could those foolish little girls screw up like this. How could Cornelia push Jessica into the pool? How could Jessica not forgive her when she apologized? How could the Oracle not listen to her dire warnings? Those girls were so childish. Couldn't they see that without their friendship, they didn't stand a chance? The war in Meridian was getting more intense, the rebels need the guardians. They needed mature, responsible adults, not foolish girls.

She sighed as she stared into the crystal clear pool that she used to see what was happening on earth. She saw Jessica storm out of the school auditorium, her arms crossed, her body crackling with energy, and her petulant amber eyes flashing with anger. Will rushed after her and Cornelia was close behind. "Come on Jess, I said I was sorry."

"Will you stop following me?"

"Jess wait!" Luba rolled her cat eyes, her tail swishing in agitation (did I mention she was part cat?)

"Foolish girls!" she hissed, and then an idea crossed her mind. She'd teach them. She'd show those silly guardians a thing or two. She rushed over to the Aurameres and conjured her powers.

Oh yes, she'd show them.

"Jess wait!" Cornelia called as Jess let the door fall against her. "Jess, why are you so mad at me? It was an accident. I didn't know you couldn't swim."

"It's not just that Cornelia," Jess said as she whipped around, her wavy brown hair swaying dangerously and her amber eyes full of fire. "I said I didn't want to swim. Why didn't you just listen to me? I'm terrified of water. I have been ever since I was a child. The last time someone didn't listen to me and pushed me into a pool, I had a panic attack and nearly drowned." Jess stomped her foot on the pavement. "I don't want to talk about it anymore. Just drop it!" She turned sharply and stood stock still. Will looked at Cornelia and realized that she had frozen as well. There was a sudden crack and the girls were lifted off the ground and jerked apart. Will shrieked, unsure of who to run to first. Jess sat up and rubbed her head, staring at Will with a curious gaze. "What the hell happened?"

"I'm not sure." Will said. Cornelia sat up as well and regarded Jess with a mixture of perplexity and anxiety.

"What did you do?"

"What did I do? What did you do?"

"I felt an electrical shock."

"I felt like I was hit in the head with a tree limb." Cornelia crossed her arms.

"Will, did you do something?"

"Hey don't look at me. I didn't do anything." Cornelia turned to Jess again and was about to open her mouth when the streetlamp above them popped. Cornelia shrieked.

"Jess!"

"I didn't do it."

"Things always pop when you're mad."

"I'm not mad, you are." Jess yelped as a tree root coiled it's way out of the soil and wrapped itself around her ankle.

"Oh shit!" Will said. "Cornelia, try to make those rocks move." Cornelia shrugged and stretched out her hand towards the rocks, but to no avail.

"I can't do it."

"Jess, try to fix the light bulb," Will commanded. Jess reached her hands out to the fallen light bulb, but she didn't feel the warm rush of energy like she was used to.

"Ok, I know I can do it." She concentrated her energy and felt a rush of power, but no sparks issued from her fingers. Instead, vines leaped from the earth and coiled themselves around the broken glass. Jess gasped and withdrew her powers. Or Cornelia's. Did I just use Cornelia's powers, she thought with fear.

"Oh shit!' Will said again.

Yep! Oh shit just about sums it up.