Fantasy Island and all associated characters (except mine and MagicSwede1965's) are owned by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, Columbia Pictures Television, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. All persons described herein are fictional and any resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental. Copyright infringement is not intended.

Chapter 2: Element of a Clan?

19 May 2014

When Andrea finished her story of arriving at the island for the first time, all in the room with the exception of Mr. Roarke were awed. "You might be related to one of the clans that descended from Father's people," Leslie said breathlessly.

Andrea let out a bark of laughter and faced her former mentor. "Clans? You never mentioned anything of the sort to me." She noted the knowing looks on the others' faces, realizing that she was among trustworthy people and could speak freely. "I had always assumed that you were an angel or some other supernatural being." With a thoughtful expression, she continued, "Although now that I think about it, an alien would make sense too."

Roarke smiled indulgently. "There was no need at that time. You were my student and I felt it best to keep your instruction to the basics." He paused and then explained, "My people were from a distant planet that was on the verge of destruction due to a lengthy war. Millennia ago, they sought refuge on Earth. As they intermarried with humans, the powers they possessed passed down through the generations in varying degrees. Those with such powers are now referred to as 'clans', and each has its own special ability; mine being the manipulation of matter. However, that is not my sole ability as you know; I have vestiges of others."

She gasped softly, at long last comprehending how Mr. Roarke came by his phenomenal powers. Such a revelation would have frightened most others, but given what she'd experienced over the years, the knowledge didn't faze her too much.

"When I first became aware of your existence," Roarke said, "I did some research and decided that you were not, in fact, related to the known clans. Your powers were an anomaly, one that I wished to observe and protect."

"Hold on, Father," said Leslie. "If she was your student in the early 1980s, why did nobody ever mention her? You sure never said a word."

"Because of the chaotic nature of her abilities then, I decided that it would be best to keep her isolated from the island's other residents," Roarke replied. "Her training consisted of mostly one-on-one lessons administered by myself, or occasionally, one of the island's other denizens who had knowledge of such things as she needed to know."

Andrea added, "Of course, those people had to be sworn to secrecy. Mr. Roarke didn't want to take the chance of word getting around and frightening anyone unnecessarily."

"How long were you in training?" Christian asked.

"Almost three years of meeting on a weekly basis," Andrea replied. "After the first few sessions I began to call him matua – master – because I felt that the title was rather appropriate." She stole a look at Roarke and he genially smiled back. "He never objected, at any rate." Then she anticipated the next question by saying, "I didn't fly back and forth each week, that would've been prohibitive in both time and money. On that first weekend, I'd brought Mr. Roarke a photograph of my house's yard at his request, so that he would have what he called an 'anchor point'. I'd stand in a specific position at a prearranged time, and he'd teleport me. Later on, when I'd gained more control, I could teleport myself." She grinned at the astonished reactions from Leslie and Christian. "And then, just as I'd finally achieved a measure of proficiency in my powers, I got the bombshell."

19 May 1984

During a break in the afternoon's lessons, Andrea spent some time walking along one of her favourite trails that had a view of the beautiful triple waterfall which tumbled into a small lake. She was much more confident now, both in the use of her powers and in her interactions with Mr. Roarke. He was a strict teacher who had caused her no end of frustration, but he was also patient and fair. She liked to think that they'd grown closer as friends, not simply as master and student. Or that might've been her romantic side imagining things.

Over time, however, the feelings she'd developed for him were not her imagination. Despite his well-kept veneer of calm and detachment, she had caught occasional glimpses of a man who was wise, passionate, and quite lonely. She'd heard that he had lost both his wife and a lover within a few short years. If only she were older, so that she could help him fill that void! Having these powers had forced her to mature much faster than most of her peers; mentally, anyway. If she could convince him of that…

She chuckled to herself. Like that would happen. The age difference between them was too great, their natures too disparate. Besides, he'd never given any indication that he wanted anything other than a professional association. But her heart couldn't let it go. There'd been many stories told of guests who'd come here for fantasies and ended up leaving with the right person. How two people could fall in love after only a few days had mystified her at first, but Mr. Roarke, Tattoo, and her other tutors whom she'd asked had accepted it without question. Perhaps there was something about the island itself that enabled relationships to blossom between personalities that were compatible.

It was time for her to accept it as well.

With a heart lightened and emboldened by her decision, Andrea hurried back down the path to the resort, returning to Coral Beach where she was to meet Mr. Roarke for her next session. He was already there, waiting. "Matua," she called as she approached, "I'm sorry if I'm late. I had thinking to do, and there's something I want to talk to you about."

He smiled at her exuberance. "Yes?"

"I've been trying to find the right words to say, but maybe it's best to just be forthright." She gazed at him with her chocolate eyes and said, "I'm in love with you." Lifting herself to her toes, she touched her lips to his for just a second, to gauge his reaction.

Mr. Roarke was a bit startled but he held himself still, neither accepting nor rejecting. Then with a compassionate expression he said, "I am honoured that your heart has led you to me, but you must look elsewhere. You have been my pupil, and I your teacher. It's not unusual to mistake that for something more."

She swallowed hard, and tried to express herself in better terms. "I do admire you, matua," she said. "You have great power but you temper it with gentleness. You show considerable courage and an understanding heart. I'm being honest about my feelings and motivations, but I'd also hoped that my unique abilities would attract you."

"I cannot be seduced by power alone," he advised her kindly. "What would love won that way be worth?"

"You have a point," she conceded. A relationship based on force or coercion was doomed to failure; she knew that much. "But I long to be with you, I see your face in my mind, and I hear your voice in my dreams. How can that not be anything but love?"

Mr. Roarke regarded her steadily. "I do have love for you," he admitted, "but not the kind of love that you wish for or deserve. Despite your possession of maturity and ability beyond your years, you are still a child in so many ways. And a gentleman does not take advantage of innocence." He raised one hand to her cheek and gave her a gentle smile. "But I thank you, most sincerely."

Hurt and embarrassed, she turned away from him, trying hard to keep control. "I'm sorry." She should've known better than to say anything. "I'd no right to say that."

"We have touched, you and I," he said with true regret in his tone. "And the memory is one that I will never forget."

She stiffened, not liking what she was hearing, and whirled to face him once again. "What does that mean?"

"It means that your instruction is complete," he said with a hint of bitterness, as if he disliked having to say so. "There is nothing more I can teach you now; you need to progress in your own way from now on."

The words hit her almost as if they were blows. She knew he was serious; he wasn't the kind of person to joke about this sort of thing. Why was he rejecting her all of a sudden? Was it because she'd bared her feelings to him? "Matua, I don't think I'm ready…"

He clasped her shoulders affectionately. "I believe that you are, and you also must believe in yourself." Then he answered her unspoken question as if he'd read her mind. "This isn't a rejection of either your skill or your heart. There comes a point where a young one must leave the safety of their home, and sometimes it's necessary to be given a push." He released her and stepped back, forcing his face into a neutral expression.

She shook her head vehemently, realizing what was coming. "No, please, matua! Tell me that I can at least return to visit you! Roarke, I–!"

The tropical beach vanished, to be replaced with the familiar yard of her parents' home, halfway around the world. She dropped to her knees, wanting to scream in denial but unable to do so for fear of attracting unwanted attention from anyone who might be in earshot. Instead she cried out in her mind, hot tears of betrayal and loss falling from her eyes.

19 May 2014

After Andrea had finished speaking, there was silence. Then she sighed and said, "After that day I was unable to reach the island. Every time I tried to teleport myself here, I would arrive at what should've been the correct location but I could see only ocean, as if the island had been made invisible. At first, I thought it had to be a test of some kind, and that the island would reappear when I'd reached a certain level of competence."

"But you never could come back," Leslie murmured.

She shook her head sadly. "No. Since then, I returned every year on this date, hoping that I would be able to see matua again. However, the island remained inaccessible to me. I made inquiries and learned that people were still coming to have their fantasies granted, so I was forced to accept that only I was affected by whatever magic was used. At that point I became determined to prove my worthiness and threw myself into the hero role to the detriment of almost all else." She chuckled at the folly of her younger self. "Years later I heard rumours of a new island resort where fantasies were granted, but when I traveled there, I discovered to my astonishment that it wasn't the same. The proprietor also went by the name of Roarke, but the moment I saw him, I knew that it wasn't you."

Roarke cleared his throat, looking a little uncomfortable. "That would have been my cousin. He had abilities comparable to mine and decided to try his own hand in fantasy granting. Unfortunately, his vision was much... darker."

She nodded in understanding. "I only saw him the once, and that was enough because I didn't like his vibes at all. Is he still in the business?"

When he hesitated, Leslie responded for him in a quiet voice, "He gave us some trouble, but in the end, he sacrificed himself so we could get the cure for a disease that was killing Father."

Andrea took a sharp breath. "Now that is a tale that I wouldn't mind hearing sometime."

"Let's not get too far off the topic," Christian said reasonably. "So, Ms. Trenton, you were barred from the island and today's the first time you've been back?"

"That's right," she said, understanding that the matter of Roarke's cousin was another source of tension that would be best to not pursue. "After many years I understood why matua did what he did. He wanted me to grow out of my attachment to a kindly master and develop my own identity. Despite that, I liked to think that he must have kept watch over me, at least for a while." She turned to Roarke and gave him a somewhat bittersweet smile.

"I had originally intended to do so," Roarke revealed. "But raising Leslie, running the business, and other factors didn't allow for it." His tone was apologetic.

She nodded to him to indicate that she held no grudge. "Anyway, I made somewhat of a name for myself as a secret agent in various places, although the general public was mostly oblivious to the fact there were super-powered people in their midst. During the early part of 1988, I had noticed that my powers appeared to be changing, or perhaps becoming more nuanced as I physically matured. I remembered what I was taught of meditation and decided to go to a retreat, so I could potentially find out what was happening to me."

Leslie leaned forward in her chair. "And did you?"

Grinning, she said, "Oh, that's another story."

15 June 1988

The morning hadn't started out well. She had awakened with a headache after being plagued by dreams that she couldn't remember. After having a quiet breakfast with the retreat's other guests, she withdrew to the spot that she now considered to be 'hers': a grassy clearing in the woods that had a large granite boulder in the center. She'd discovered it on the first day and had spent a great deal of time there, mainly because it reminded her of a similar spot on her dear aunt's country property that she'd loved to visit in the summers prior.

She sat atop the boulder; its surface cool as it hadn't yet been warmed by the sun. Over the last few days her meditative sessions here had given her a sense of peace, and a connection to the natural world around her. Her powers had calmed also, becoming almost like a deep well inside her, dormant but ready for use, instead of the chaotic waves that she had become accustomed to exerting control over.

As she slipped into the relaxed, meditative state, she began to get impressions.

There was complete silence and a sense of restful comfort. She was surrounded by the darkness of space, which was punctuated by a brilliant spectrum of stars and nebulae. Then a sudden warping occurred, a twisting of the area in the vicinity that grew more and more violent until space itself was ripped asunder. Unable to flee, she was yanked through the hole at a frightening speed.

She didn't know how long she fell. Others were present, dozens of coloured motes of light, all expressing the same anxieties, for which there were no answers. At last, the shine of a blue and green planet grew larger in their perceptions, and they rained down upon it like so many shooting stars.

Many didn't survive the fiery passage through the atmosphere. More perished before reaching the ground, being unable to tolerate this place's hostile environment. But she was strong, she would persevere, hopefully along with others. She didn't want to be alone.

A powerful emotion wafted up from below, one that far exceeded the myriad of others that surrounded it. Pain that was not physical but emotional, a deep ache. An innocent heart that yearned to be something more. A distinct personality that had been beaten down by circumstances that one so young shouldn't have had to bear.

She closed in on the source: a figure that sat alone in an open area, face turned to the sky. This one would be suitable, she decided. This one could be carefully moulded to be able to evoke the tremendous energies that it would house, and together they would survive. Triumphant, she merged with the young one.

Andrea came back to herself with a gasp, and immediately realized that her body was sheathed in a brilliant silver glow. "What am I?" she said in a nervous whisper as she 'reached' inside for her power. More images flitted across her mind: of waves, stone, crackling flames, howling wind, lightning, and other, more nebulous concepts. A memory surfaced of a book that she was quite familiar with; in her mind, that book opened to a page that displayed a word in bold lettering. Elemental.

Then came a push toward something greater than what she'd accomplished so far. More was out there than she'd imagined, and she had the potential to become a force for good that was unequaled. To start on that journey, she had to fully accept what she was.

She stood on the boulder, looked upwards, and clasped her hands to her chest.

"I accept."

19 May 2014

"Let me get this straight," Rogan said when Andrea paused in her storytelling. "You actually have an alien inside your body?"

Leslie interrupted eagerly, "Like a Trill from Star Trek?"

Andrea laughed, recognizing the reference. "It's not like that. What's inside me is a spirit that has been described in many Earth myths as an elemental. They are creatures of pure energy and emotion." She paused again and asked, "Are you familiar with the concept of the multiverse?" At their confused looks, she cast her gaze around the room and spotted some papers on the desk. She picked up two and held one parallel to the floor. "Okay, here's the best way I can explain. Think of this," she gestured with the paper, "as our universe, or plane, if you will." She held the other paper above the first. "Many other planes also exist, separate and distinct from this one. However, every so often, those planes can intersect." She brought the ends of the two papers together. "Or the distance between them might occasionally be breached through specific applications of technology or magic. When that happens, beings from one plane can travel to another, either voluntarily or not." She replaced the papers.

"During such an incident, this," Andrea pointed to her own chest, "and many others of its kind were forced through to this plane. The only ways that I'm aware of in which they can remain here is either by being sustained by magic, or bonding with a corporeal host. Otherwise they quickly perish. I'm one of the very few humans in recent times who were lucky enough to be chosen."

Roarke addressed her with avid interest, "There were others?"

"Yes. I eventually found some of them and we collaborated for quite a few years. Unfortunately, one was killed in battle, and two others vanished while on missions and were never found. That motivated the rest to retire and move on."

"Then you are the last?" her former mentor asked.

She nodded gravely. "I'm effectively retired too, now. I have a mostly normal life, although I do still help various allies from time to time whenever I'm asked. Also, I made a personal commitment to help protect humans from situations that they can't handle on their own."

"So, have you seen aliens and monsters?" Leslie asked in wonderment. "Does it scare you?"

Andrea's answer took them all a bit by surprise. "Yes, but much of the time, they are frightened of me." She gave a half-smile. Christian straightened up, looking somewhat alarmed, but she reassured him with a shake of her head. "I only resort to violence when I must, and I've a strong code to not kill anyone unless absolutely necessary."

Roarke said contemplatively, "You implied that an elemental can be difficult to control."

With a chuckle, she replied, "It can be, as proved by the trouble I gave you while you were training me. Given what it is, an elemental needs a sentient mind for balance. But few beings can control their natural impulses. Even humans sometimes." She gave a wry look. "Those lessons you gave me did help a great deal. But despite being bonded all these years, I can still overreact from time to time." Waving one hand, she concluded, "So, I hope that satisfies your curiosity for now. What I'd like to know is why I suddenly was able to reach this place, when for so many years I couldn't." She gazed at Roarke fondly. "I've missed you, matua."

Mr. Roarke returned her look and took a deep breath. "As to that... it's a rather painful subject to discuss, so I shall keep it brief. In January of 2010, I retired from the administration of the island and joined a group of incorporeal beings that is referred to as the Tribunal."

"Retired?" Andrea blurted in shock. "No wonder I perceived that things were different when I first arrived. This place without Mr. Roarke scarcely bears thinking about."

"Like he had a choice," said Leslie bitterly, and Andrea could feel the waves of disdain emanating from her. Evidently this was still a sore spot.

"Leslie," Roarke admonished before turning his attention back to Andrea. "Most of the permanent residents of the island are aware of my absence, and the fact that Delphine and Rogan have taken my place, but not all know precisely why."

Andrea said, "And new guests who inquire are told that you've… left."

"Yes," he said solemnly. "Without my presence, the effectiveness of the spell that I placed on the island that prevented you from returning gradually faded." Then his gaze softened. "I do owe you an apology for not contacting you. I was given a year to prepare for my departure. The enormity of all that had to be done, from training Rogan to transferring the legal ownership of the island to Leslie, was such that certain considerations fell by the wayside."

"There was a veritable parade of people who came to bid him farewell," said Christian, smiling as he remembered the chaos. "From residents to previous employees and guests."

"But because you kept my existence such a secret," Andrea concluded, "nobody would've thought to try to find me." She lowered her eyes to the floor in a brief moment of sorrow. "I would certainly have come if I had been asked. But at least now, I have closure." Rising, she took a breath and smiled at them all. "It's comforting to know that the place is in good hands. Well, I shan't occupy any more of your time, since I'm sure you're all busy." She shook hands with Rogan, Christian, and Leslie in turn. "Thank you for listening."

"Before you leave," Roarke spoke up, "I would like to speak with you privately." He indicated the door.

"Of course," she agreed.