Chapter Two

By: Sokai

Disclaimer: I, Sokai, do not claim ownership to the workings of W.I.T.C.H. -- I leave that honor up to Elisabetta Gnone. However, I can and DO claim to own this story and its inspired ideas FROM said series (with continued credit going to JayxKay for the initial idea).

Note: Yay! You like it! You really like it:Dances: I kick arse! LoL And I'm glad to see that most of you were able to relate to Irma's plight of getting grounded and all that. I was hoping the way I wrote her brooding that you would. I rock! LoL Um...what to say about this chapter? Nothing. Just read it. LoL And enjoy it, too! LoL

This chapter was written/created in May 2006.

When the very exuberant and naturally artistic Hay Lin awoke the next morning for class, she very much expected her parents, Chen and Joan Lin, to give her the stern, familiar cold shoulder, lasting from the time she'd finished taking a shower, to the time she left their apartment (that was directly above their family owned restaurant, the Silver Dragon) for school.

It certainly was the routine deal for whenever the young Asian American teenager would get busted by her overprotective parents for doing something she wasn't supposed to.

And so, when she sleepily sat up in her comfortable, warm and welcoming bed after a long night of investigation and fighting within the magical world of Metamoor (the main reason she'd gotten in trouble with her parents, for arriving home late and forgetting to call them if she would be in the first place), Hay Lin was already bracing herself for the standard treatment.

However, being ignored and temporarily forgotten was not at all what the young thirteen year old had been bestowed with that morning. In fact, when she'd woken up, she'd surprisingly found herself surrounded by a congestion of large, bright yellow sunflowers, teddy bears, and boxes of chocolates.

To say that the sight had utterly baffled her would have been a grave understatement. Even on her birthday did Hay Lin ever get that extreme amount of attention before, and that was saying a lot, considering she was more or less the apple of her parents' eye (on good days, that is), being an only child.

And considering that she currently was on punishment, things simply did not add up.

"Oookay . . . I think I've officially entered the 'Twilight Zone,'" said Hay Lin softly to herself as she tried to maneuver around the sea conglomerate of flowers, treats and stuffed animals.

Deciding that she wasn't about to receive any answers by hanging around her crowded bedroom (not that she simply could "hang out," since she was now running a bit late for class due to the great surprise that momentarily crippled her senses), Hay Lin quickly raced to her closet to grab something of the habitually exotic nature (habitual for her, at least) before blowing out of the bedroom door, down the hall and straight into the bathroom to shower, with her long, slightly messy ebony hued pigtails trailing behind her in the process

Several minutes later, after having finished in her morning rituals, Hay Lin scrambled towards the kitchen to grab a quick drink and snack before heading out, surprisingly all thoughts of the bizarre scene still inside her bedroom having temporarily left her.

"I'm sorry, Mom! I'm sorry, Dad! You know, about last night and everything, and as soon as I come home from school I'll get right on those chores you assigned me!" she quickly rambled out to her no where to be seen parents after swallowing down her cup of milk and snagging an apple from off of the kitchen table.

Suddenly, she heard excited footsteps rushing down the hall and into the kitchen from behind.

"Hay Lin, wait, our precious and wonderful baby! Don't leave without getting more gifts from your very appreciative parents!"

Startled, Hay Lin nearly screamed out in shock as she whirled around in her spot to see both her mother and father grinning excitedly and carrying colorfully decorated boxes upon boxes of gifts.

The two of them were practically on top of her due to their extremely close proximity, causing her to press her body against the kitchen wall as a result.

"O-oh! Um . . . I forgot to say . . . 'thank you' for . . . the gifts in my room . . .? I-I'm sorry . . . I'm just a little bit confused about it . . ." she shakily remarked, reaching up to lightly scratch her raven glossed head for emphasis.

Mrs. Lin let out a rather loud giggle as she and her husband quickly placed their new supply of gifts upon the floor at their daughter's feet before bowing in respect towards her.

"You should never apologize for a thing, sweet Hay Lin! If anything, it should be us to do that!" said Mrs. Lin, maneuvering around the presents to begin squeezing the living daylights out of her only child.

"I . . . It . . . s . . . should? A-and . . . you're . . . c . . . crushing m-me, Mom . . ." breathed Hay Lin in struggle, trying to break free of her mother's vice like grip.

It was then Mr. Lin's turn to chuckle heartily as he patted his daughter's head.

"Isn't that a bit ironic, given your . . . 'special talents,' honey?" he mysteriously queried, causing Hay Lin's almond shaped brown eyes to widen in a bit of suspicion the moment her mother had at last released her.

Gasping for breath to refill her slightly depleted lungs, Hay Lin tried to maintain a calm, even composure as she plastered a quivering grin upon her saffron visage and replied,

"'S-special talents,' Dad? Oh! Y-you mean my artistic talents, right? I get it! G-good one!"

I certainly hope that's to what he was referring, because there is no way that he and Mom -- anyone, for that matter, could possibly know about my being a --

"-- No, silly! Your father means your being the Guardian of Air! You know, because you were out of breath a moment, and everyone knows that the Air Guardian is never in short supply of air! That would be utterly redundant!" Hay Lin shockingly heard her mother interrupt her thoughts as though having read them, confirming her growing fears -- which had, at that moment, greatly escalated.

"U-uh . . . e-excuse me? You have to be mistaken! W-what's a 'Guardian of Air?' Sounds sort of s-silly!" she weakly tried to deflect, shifting her weight back and forth as she often did whenever nervous or uncomfortable.

Apparently, her parents were quite familiar with the notion.

"Oh, come now! There's no need to be nervous or lie about it, Hay Lin! It's not like it's a secret, after all! The whole world knows who you and your friends truly are, and what you do for us every day to save the world!" proudly revealed Mrs. Lin before kissing the top of the very taken aback teenager's head.

Mr. Lin reached down to pick up one of the many gifts upon the kitchen floor and happily placed it into his daughter's very weak hands and smiled warmly.

"And you can just forget about those silly chores and your punishment, period, too! Imagine what the rest of the world would think of us if we grounded one of the saviors of the entire planet?

Now, let's get you off to school -- or would you prefer to just use your magic and fly there instead? Anyhow! And when you come back home you can finish opening your gifts, our special little 'Air Sprite!'"

Hay Lin lost all feeling in her legs, although she could unfortunately feel her recently ingested milk beginning to churn uncomfortably within her stomach, while she also felt her parents gently seize each of her arms and began to lead her out of the apartment.

This . . . isn't happening . . . It has to be dream! How can they -- how can the world know about mine and the others' true identities?

Dream or not, all I do know for sure is that today is going to be one crazy day! thought Hay Lin incredulously, while her parents gaily continued to gush and brag about their wonderfully magical daughter, all the way down to their family car and the entire way to school.

-- End of Chapter Two

(A.N. Oooh, boy! Craziness! And sucky chapter. LoL I was going to just split up the scenes and make this a VERY long chapter as a result, but I thought this was as good a spot as any to end. So . . . yep. LoL Do your thing, people! LoL Oh! And thank you for liking the story so far!)