Disclaimer: Yeah, yet again I must remind you that I really don't own Avatar or W.I.T.C.H. The Avatar portion of the story where the W.I.T.C.H. characters are in the Avatar world (Ancient Asia), is chronologically maybe a few days after season finale. There will be Zutara, I promise!
Again, just a little reminder: The W.I.T.C.H. characters live in 2000-2005. Will is a tomboy, and the holder of the Heart of Candracar. Hay-Lin is the Artsy guardian of the Veil, and controls the element of Air. Cornelia is the most popular of the five girls, and she is a stubborn girl, just like her element, Earth. Taranee is the shy, telepath girl who is always thinking of others, and isn't afraid of her element, fire. Irma is the flirty, cute girl who has a bubbly personality, and loves to be able to control water around her.
(A/N Thanks everyone for the reviews! Thanks also to my awesome beta: heartsyhawk (if something is wrong, take it up with her, lol!))
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Will sat under the old oak tree in Heathersfeild Park, fidgeting nervously with the bottom of her gray hoodie sweatshirt. Her friends sat around her in a circle, waiting for her to speak. Taranee sat closest in an orange turtleneck and her favorite black jeans. She knew this whole dream mess had really been bothering her friend and she was curious to see if any of their other friends could help figure out the meaning of the recurring dream which had just yesterday changed into a nightmare.
Hay-Lin glanced at Will curiously as the wind gently played with her dark pig-tails. She could tell something was troubling Will, but she couldn't imagine what it could be. It was the first day of winter break, so they weren't in school, but the weather was beautiful. In fact, she was only wearing her sky blue bubble-vest over her yellow shirt because she liked the color and it was as much apart of her everyday look as the goggles perched on her head, keeping her silky black hair from falling into her eyes.
Irma frowned at Will who was being unusually quiet before lending her concentration into blowing a big pink bubble with her bubble gum. She idly thought about how the color perfectly matched her tight t-shirt before cracking the bubble back into her mouth.
"Ugh, must you keep doing that?" Cornelia asked irritably as she brushed a long strand of golden hair behind her ear with a dainty hand.
Irma smirked and repeated the action just to annoy the blond before turning to her red-headed friend again.
"So what's up Will?"
"Well..." Will started uncertainly. She hesitated and looked at Taranee, who smiled encouragingly.
"What is it Will?" Cornelia spoke up impatiently. "You told us to meet you here, and it sounded important, but you haven't even said anything yet!" Cornelia said irritably. She was sitting on her backpack, for fear that her favorite long purple skirt would get dirty with grass stains.
"Lighten up, Cornelia, she'll tell us." Irma stuck her tongue out playfully at the blond and received a disapproving glare in return, which she ignored, her short brown hair bouncing up and down as she swayed back in forth, waiting for Will to start speaking.
"I just wish she'd get to the point." Cornelia grumbled.
"Cornelia, why must you-" Taranee started irritably, whipping her head around so her dark, beaded braids flew out her face and quit blocking her view, but she was cut off when Will began to speak.
"It's ok Taranee. She's right. I should start." Will frowned. "I wanted to talk to you guys about a dream I've been having a lot for the past couple weeks. It was kind of peaceful. A dream of happiness... in another world..." The heart of Candracor appeared in front of her, illustrating her tale.
-
A tall, pale boy was thrown down the chute and he fell at the girl's feet. He had on green and brown robes, and she wore a simple blue dress. She gasped at the boy.
"Zuko!" The girl said in surprise, then glared. Zuko stared at the ground. "Why did they throw you in here? Oh wait, let me guess." She spat as she rested a hand on her hip. "It's a trap! So that when Aang shows up to help me, you can finally have him in you're little Fire Nation clutches!"
He glanced at her, then turned his head away, but she continued her ranting. "You're a terrible person, you know that? Always following us, hunting the Avatar, trying to capture the world's last chance for hope for peace? But what do you care? You're the Fire Lord's son. Spreading war and violence, and hatred is in you're blood." She spat as she turned around.
He looked at her again, "You don't know what you're talking about."
She spun around again, "I don't? How dare you! You have no idea what this war has put me through, me personally." She crouched down and touched her necklace. "The Fire Nation took my mother away from me." She started crying.
"I'm sorry." He got up as she continued to cry into her knees. "That's something we have in common." She looked up at him and stood up slowly.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you before..." She said softly.
"It doesn't matter..." He said, turning his head away slightly.
"It's just that for so long now, whenever I'd imagine the face of the enemy, it was... you're face." She said, looking at him sadly.
He touched a large scar over his left eye, "My face, I see..." He turned away looking more than slightly hurt.
"No, no. That's not what I meant." She began, walking a little closer.
"It's ok." He took his finger away from his burn, and began, "I used to think this scar marked me. The mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever. But lately, I've realized I'm free to determine my own destiny, even if I'm never free of my mark."
"Maybe you could be free of it." Katara stated, walking towards him. His eyes widened.
"What?"
"I have healing abilities."
"It's a scar. It can't be healed." He said in a flat voice as he looked away from her blue eyes.
She pulled out a small container of water. "This is water from the Spirit Oasis a the North Pole. It has special properties so I've been saving it for something important. I don't know if it would work, but..." She reached up and gently touched his scar. "I can try if you'd like."
He closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly, which she took to be a 'yes'.
She moved away from him a bit and gently covered her hand in water until it shimmered silvery blue. Her glowing hand gently covered his scar. She concentrated as hard as she could, and she felt him shiver, then relax. She felt the heat from his body cool for a moment, and she watched as the water faded from his face. He heard her gasp and pulled away, turning abruptly, afraid it hadn't worked.
At that moment, a wall of the cave exploded inward. An older looking man and a small pre-teen boy walked in. The young child had an arrow tattoo on his head and arms.
"KATARA!" The boy yelled happily and ran to hug the girl in blue. She grinned happily and hugged him back.
"Aang, I'm so glad you came!" Katara stepped back and smiled.
"Zuko!" The man immediately hugged Zuko and paused, staring transfixed at the teenage boy before his expression shifted to a mixture of delight and wonder. "What happened, nephew?" He glanced over at Katara and Aang, who were watching. Aang's jaw had dropped, but Katara smiled timidly. The kindly man walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "You...removed his scar?" She nodded hesitantly, unsure about the older man's tone.
"I-I have healing abilities, sir." She said timidly. "And I had water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole...it has special properties."
"And...after all my nephew has done, all he has put you and your friends through...you healed Prince Zuko?"
Again she nodded and mentally prepared herself to back up in case the man was angry. To her surprise she found herself enveloped in a tight hug.
"You are a most spectacular young lady, my child. Words cannot possibly express my gratitude for your mercy and kindness." The man laughed.
Katara smiled happily and glanced over the man's shoulder and noticed that Zuko's golden eyes were wide with shock and he ran his fingers gently over the baby soft skin which had just five minutes ago been the rough, unsightly burn scar he had worn with shame for three years. He noticed Katara watching him and his face moved as if of it's own volition to form an expression she had never before seen on his face.
Zuko smiled. It was small and a bit shy but the point was it wasn't the smug smirk she'd seen previously, or a dark scowl, it was a real smile. A genuine smile that gave her the odd sensation of a hundred butterflies being released in her stomach and heart as a faint pink blush crept onto her cheeks.
"Well, what on earth are we standing around in this cave for? This is an occasion we should be celebrating." The man said joyfully, clapping a hand onto his nephew's shoulder and another onto Katara's. "We should collect your friends and then we could go back to the Jasmine Dragon for a nice cup of tea. We have much to talk about."
"UNCLE! We don't have time for tea." Zuko's smile faded, even as he rolled his amber eyes affectionately.
"He is right. Azula is-" Aang shook his bald head to clear the shock of seeing Prince Zuko without his trademark burn scar. As if there was an earthquake, the ground rumbled as a hole appeared in the wall.
"Well, well, well. Look what we have here." A cruel looking girl in regal green clothes stepped through elegantly, flanked by two body guards in green. "Uncle Iroh, so good of you to come! And Zuzu! How wonderful it is to see you, big brother." Her voice was saccharine-sweet but her eyes flashed maliciously at the cave's occupants. "Oh the Avatar's here as well, arrived to save his little peasant girlfriend I imagine." She spat the word peasant as if it were a dirty slur, and in truth, she meant it as one. "How sweet of you all to gather in one place. It makes my job so much easier."
Zuko snarled and flames grew from his clenched fists. "Azula!"
She sighed dramatically. "Almost, Zuzu, but not quite. You forgot my honorific. It's Princess Azula. Though I doubt that will be permanent. Once Father hears of my triumph he'll name me queen of the Earth Kingdom. Earth Queen Azula, doesn't that have a pleasant ring to it?" She asked as though to herself. "Of course, that will only be temporary. Someday soon the Fire Nation will finish this war and then once Father passes, I'll be Fire Lady and I'll reign over the entire world." She explained it rationally, as though commenting on the weather, though had she cackled in evil mirth it would not have been out of place.
"You always did like power." Zuko said with his yellow eyes narrowed.
She gave her brother a wicked smile. "Zuzu, I have power. I always have. History will remember me as a prodigy, the firebending master who defeated the Kyoshi Warriors, brought Ba Sing Se to it's knees, captured and destroyed the Avatar, united the world under the glorious reign of the Firenation, the perfect princess." She raised an eyebrow at him. "You, on the other hand, time will not be so kind to. When our story is a legend they will remember you as the banished failure of a prince who happened to be my older brother. Your story will end with how you begged for death when I was through with you, and I, being a merciful sister and Fire Lady, happily obliged. Perhaps you would have been better off if you'd listened to me when you were ten-maybe you should have found a nice Earth Kingdom family to adopt you, Zuzu. It's not like anyone would have missed you."
"SHUT UP!" He howled. She smirked, knowing she'd hit a soft spot, before throwing a fistful of flames at him. He retaliated by summoning a long whip of fire and lashing at his sister with it .
Katara realized that the battle had officially started and she summoned a tremendous wave of water from the part of the cave Aang and Iroh had come in from. She sent it crashing at Azula and noticed Aang launch his own opening attack.
Within moments lightning, tornadoes, waves, icicles, and flames were crashing into Azula. She fell back against a rock and grasped her right arm. She badly beaten up, and she couldn't fight anymore.
"Zuzu, how dare you betray the Fire Nation, betray ME..." She growled. Aang stepped forward and pushed a stalactite down upon Azula. She yelled in horror until the stalactite exploded and she had disappeared.
"Where is she!" Zuko flared angrily. He looked around and glared at where the two men that had been with her. He snarled when she wasn't anywhere in sight.
"We'll get her another time, but for now, we need our rest. Lets go back to the tea shop. We can rest and regroup before we figure out what we are going to do now." Zuko's Uncle sighed as he rested a hand on the teenager's shoulder.
Iroh and Aang headed forward, through the hole they had entered from while Katara lagged behind, waiting for Zuko. "Come on, you need to rest..." Katara looked at Zuko. He met her worried glance and smiled.
He followed her out and whispered hoarsely in her ear. "T-thank you."
She slipped her hand into his and whispered just as quietly, "You're welcome."
-
The Heart of Candracor slid into Will's hand after the image faded. Even the ever chatting Irma was quiet. A breeze gently ran over the girls' skin, and caused a slight shiver. The sun seemed to drift behind a cloud, and Taranee frowned slightly.
"Will, when you told me the dream, it was a bit longer than that. Why did you stop?" The dark skinned girl leaned back as the sun came into view.
"It would take a while to show you," Will confessed. "I'll just summarize it. They went and found some other kids and rested in this tea shop and time skipped forward a bit to the point where they went to some place called the Fire Nation. It was like...a tropical island, with exotic plants and all sorts of weird looking animals. There were busy cities everywhere, and from what I could tell it was really hot there. They had a whole bunch of people with them and they got into this palace to attack. The boy-Prince Zuko- and a boy called Sokka or something like that took down Princess Azula in a terribly close fight." She paused, glancing her best friends, the other Guardian's of the Veil.
"Then, Aang, the Avatar, went and cornered the Fire Lord, Zuko and Azula's evil father. His tattoos and his eyes started glowing blue and then it was over. I always woke up when Aang won. But when I woke up I felt refreshed...happy...and...right somehow." Will was closely examining the grasshopper inches away from her knee.
Silence reined over the group for minutes. There was a nearby scampering of nails against the tree trunk, most likely a squirrel. Irma had stopped chewing her gum, Hay-Lin stopped enjoying the breeze, and Taranee was glancing around nervously, looking for reactions.
"So what's the point?" Cornelia said. She stared at Will and looking puzzled as she waited for a response.
"The past two nights, it was different." The red-head looked up reluctantly. She explained how it had changed and how she'd woken up feeling panicky and afraid for some reason.
All the girls listened respectfully. Taranee nodded, remembering Will's visit to her at 6:25 in the morning. Irma bobbed her head up and down occasionally, and Hay-Lin seemed to be analyzing the story, nodded once or twice, and often gave a thoughtful look to the sky.
"Hmm..." Hay-Lin scratched her chin as she pulled a dream analyzer her mother had given her for her birthday from her bag and smiled at Will. She flipped a few pages, then stopped. "Will, what do you think your dream was about? Do you think it means anything special?"
Will blinked and shrugged, "I don't know." She looked up at the sky. "That's kind of what I wanted all of your opinions on."
"Will, if you are so upset and confused by this, maybe we should go to the Oracle. After all, he is all-knowing." Cornelia said, with a small smile, "Maybe he could help explain why you're having these dreams. After all, when you have the same dream a bunch of times it usually means something important. And besides, I don't want you all depressed. Without you, the team falls apart."
Will's eyes sparkled, "Thanks Cornelia." She turned to the other girls, "I think she is right. We need help from the Oracle. Perhaps he can tell us what my dream means, no offense Hay-Lin, but he can tell us more than any book."
Hay-Lin nodded and grinned, "None taken." Taranee smiled at everyone, and Irma kept bobbing her head excitedly.
"Ok, that's settled, when should we go?" Will asked her friends.
"We should probably do it as soon as possible." Cornelia said calmly.
"Yeah, Cornelia's right." Hay Lin chimed in. "It could be something really important. If we have to deal with something now's the perfect time."
"But...we're supposed to be on vacation!" Irma cried.
"Exactly." Taranee spoke up. "We don't have school to worry about right now. And some of us can't afford to be putting school behind other responsibilities all the time." Will smiled guiltily, her grades definitely reflected that her focus wasn't entirely on her studies lately, but she figured it was forgiveable, as she protected the world from evil on a fairly regular basis.
Irma shrugged. "Hey, it's never hurt me."
"Irma, did you even read your last report card?" Cornelia asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Actually, as a matter of fact I did and I'll have you know-"
"This isn't really a good time to be fighting," Taranee interrupted. "The point is, if we have to do anything now's a good opportunity."
"I agree." Hay Lin nodded. "I think we should talk to the Oracle as soon as we can. This could be something big, after all, stuff that involves us is never easy. And we really don't want it to conflict with school."
"If there's even anything to worry about." Cornelia pointed out. "For all we know, this could just be a dream brought on by too much junk food or something."
"I really don't think its that." Will said sheepishly.
"Me either." Taranee stated calmly. "And even if it is, Will's the Guardian of the Heart of Candracor. We should definitely get this thing solved. It may be nothing, but if it isn't we'd be putting the balance of our world and Candracor in danger."
"Yeah, and that would definitely not be a good thing." Hay Lin sighed. "I think we should go see the Oracle tonight."
"I guess that's true." Irma nodded, looking apprehensive. "I don't want the veil or either world in trouble."
"Me either." Cornelia agreed. Then she cringed. "Oh, but I'm supposed to help my mother with dinner tonight. She's working late."
"Yeah, and my Dad's making lasagna." Taranee shrugged.
"We should all probably eat dinner with our families." Hay Lin nodded. "We've been so busy lately and we haven't really been spending a lot of time with them."
"Good idea." Will smiled. "We could go after dinner, I guess."
"So say, sevenish?" Taranee thought for a moment.
The group agreed that it sounded like a manageable time.
"Ok, so we're agreed. We'll meet here at seven tonight." Will stated. "That's five hours to get everything taken care of and eat dinner." Everyone nodded. "Okay, see you then!"
---
Irma munched happily on a candy bar, waiting for Will to show up. She sat perched on a tree branch. Cornelia sat below her on the grass. Hay-Lin sat a branch higher than Irma, watching out for their other friends to show.
"So, what time is it now?" Irma called down to Cornelia.
"You just asked five minutes ago." The blond called back.
"Seven thirty-eight." Hay Lin giggled, peeking at her watch.
"Will is always late!" Cornelia glared at her own watch. Irma rolled her eyes and jumped down.
"Normally I'd argue about it, but you are right. She is really late." The brunette stretched. "I hope everything's ok."
Hay-Lin jumped down and laughed as she landed gracefully, "Oh, come on! It's not like this is a surprise or anything.
Will and Taranee ran down the path. "Sorry I'm late." The red-head panted. "I-"
"Lost track of time." Irma, Cornelia, and Hay Lin said at the same time.
"We know." Irma grinned.
"It's about time you showed up, lets get going!" Cornelia rolled her eyes.
"We so woulda left without you, but, well, you've got the Heart." Irma joked.
Will smiled apologetically and removed the orb
"Heart of Candracar, take us to the Oracle!" Will thrust her hand out, revealing the silver orb. It started shining brighter, and the girls held onto Will's hand.
In seconds, the light faded and they opened their eyes. They stood in the middle of a room. It had entirely white walls, white floors, and white clouds floating absently here and there.
"I'm very glad you decided to come, Guardians." A kind, yet serious voice commented. Before them was a man. He was bald with a small tattoo above his right ear. He was dressed in pure white robes, and a frown planted on his face.
"Hello." Will bowed her head, "I need help. A dream had been bothering me lately and I was wondering if you could perhaps-"
"I know why you came Will." He glided over to a pond on the far side of the room. "This situation may in fact prove to be far more serious than you can imagine at the moment." A man with a long beard walked over and glared at the sky.
"Time has disrupted itself." He said in a gruff voice. The Oracle nodded and motioned for the guardians to join him.
"Time is a very complex entity, girls." The Oracle began. "It is almost a life form of its own. It is fluid and unpredictable. All aspects of life are interconnected through time and the slightest of changes can result in a timeline's drastic alteration."
"What does that have to do with me or my dreams?" Will asked, mildly confused.
"Time's fluidity is tricky to understand sometimes. Usually time continues its eternal flow uninterrupted. Very occasionally, however, a strand of time will, for reasons nobody is entirely certain of, twist itself slightly. Reality will alter itself accordingly, to adapt to the change."
"I still don't get what this has to do with Will." Cornelia frowned.
"This is very relevant to Will and her dreams." The oracle said patiently. "Something is not right in the world and the Heart of Candracor itself is trying to send Will a message. From what we can gather, the first dream was the sequence of time before the twist. The second was the resulting reality."
"Ok, so what's the big deal?" Cornelia asked bluntly.
"The Heart is warning you, Will. The second dream upsets you badly, and for quite a potent reason. Time twisted on itself and cut three to five significant minutes from history, which drastically altered the events as you clearly witnessed."
"Yes." Will nodded. "But, I'm not sure I get it. What is the Heart trying to tell me?"
There was a grim expression on the Oracle's face. "You're very existence is threatened by this change, Will. Those few minutes, while they may seem insignificant, were of utmost importance to the world as we know it. The young Avatar arrived at the cave before the crucial moment when the young waterbender healed the prince's scar in the original timeline. That action established something between Katara and Zuko. That relationship grew stronger and eventually evolved into love and then they married and went on to have a large family. The young Avatar came to love his other female companion, the blind earthbender known as Toph. They too married and had children of their own. One of Katara and Zuko's daughters and one of Toph and Aang's sons ended up together, uniting all the four elements. That child had a child and so on and so forth and at this very moment one of the descendents of that line stands before me." He gave Will a significant look.
"Me!?" She gaped. "I'm related to them?!"
"It would seem that way, yes." The Oracle nodded with a sad smile. "Unfortunately, there was an alteration of time. That critical relationship of trust was not established and the Avatar's life was severely endangered."
"Wait a minute!" Cornelia blurted. "What does that mean that Will shouldn't exist right now? She's here though, so everything's fine isn't it?"
The Oracle sighed and shook his head. "Will your body has begun reacting negatively to this dream because it knows something is not right. If my guess is correct, your very existence is questionable at best at the moment. From what we can tell, in a few days you shall fall ill and then simply fade from existence."
A hush fell over the girls. That definitely didn't sound good.
"That doesn't make any sense." Taranee spoke up softly. "If that moment was so detrimental to Will's existence shouldn't she have just instantly stopped existing? Shouldn't the fact that she's here right now mean that everything will be okay?"
The Oracle sighed. "It is a bit perplexing. But we have been studying this dilemma and have come to the conclusion that Will's existence is still possible, provided the circumstances allow a relationship between the waterbender and the Fire Prince as well as one between the Avatar and his earthbending teacher."
"So what, we just sit here and hope these guys get it together before Will just poofs out of existance or something?" Irma frowned. "Well that certainly sucks."
The Oracle smiled. "That would indeed be an unpleasant scenario. I have an option that may work considerably better. From our time, which may be completely unraveled without Will, there is little to do other than sit idly and hope for the best. But if you were sent backwards, to the time when the people from the dreams lived..."
Irma burst out laughing. "You want to send us back in time to play matchmaker?" She chuckled and then stopped abruptly. "Uh...why am I the only one laughing?"
"Because this is serious!" Cornelia rolled her eyes. "And you-"
"Is that what you're saying?" Hay Lin interrupted, successfully breaking up the fight that was one sharp word from starting between Cornelia and Irma. "That we should go back in time and try to make sure Will and our timeline will exist?"
"Exactly." The Oracle nodded. "I believe we all have too much at risk to just assume things will happen in our favor. If you girls are in that timeline you can try to encourage the flow of time to be restored to its original destination. There is nothing to do about the lost few minutes, but all is not lost."
"How would we even get back?" Irma spoke up. "I mean, it's not like we have a time machine or something."
"No, but the Heart can send you through time. The choice is, of course, entirely yours girls. However, I, for one, believe this opportunity is too important to pass up."
"I agree." Taranee said softly, glancing at Will. "The world needs Will. If we have a chance to make sure it keeps her, I'm all for taking it."
"Same here." Hay Lin nodded and looked at the other girls. "This is really important. I think we should do it."
Cornelia and Irma nodded silently in agreement. Everyone turned to Will who looked hesitant. "I don't know guys, this sounds dangerous. Maybe only I should go. I mean, if I fail we only lose me. But if all of us go and we can't fix things, you guys will be stuck in the past."
"No." Cornelia crossed her arms. "You're right it is dangerous. But are you crazy? You can't go alone. We're not going to sit idle while you're trying to get your ancestors to make sure you're born. The Oracle says you only have a few days before you get sick. You need us."
"You know how much I hate agreeing with Cornelia, but she's right you know." Irma chimed. "We're a team. We'll stick together."
"I guess it's decided then." Will smiled. "We're going back in time."
"Um guys, we can't just up and go, I mean...our families are definitely going to notice if we don't come home tonight." Hay Lin reminded them.
"Oh that is nothing to worry about. When you come back you can arrive and it will be as though you never left." The Oracle said kindly.
"But what if we don't come back?" Cornelia frowned. "If something goes wrong..."
"We'll just have to be careful." Irma shrugged.
"You don't get it, do you?" Cornelia snapped. "We know nothing about that world and that time other than what Will saw in two dreams."
"Girls, if I may remind you that time is not on our side right now..." The Oracle said gently.
"You're right." Will said suddenly. "You're all right. We don't have a lot of time and we don't know everything, but we have to do this. I guess we could create our replicas ...just in case."
"Right." Taranee nodded grimly. "But we'll do our best not to need them."
Will nodded and smiled before using the Heart to create the doubles. They gave them their instructions and sent them home so their parent's wouldn't be suspicious.
"Oracle, what do we need to know about the time we're traveling to." Will said in a firm voice.
"What do you think of when I say the word Avatar?" He asked.
"The little boy in my dream?" Will asked.
"Yes, but not him. The word itself." The Oracle smiled gently.
"Isn't that the name of the little picture thingy on an instant messenger account?" Irma piped up. "What!? It is!" She grumbled when Cornelia gave her a disgusted glance.
"In their world, the Avatar is a divine medium-a bridge between the normal and spirit worlds, he or she is able to manipulate all four of the elements."
"Sounds familiar, doesn't it?" Irma whispered to Cornelia who shushed her.
"Yes, Irma, the Avatar was the ancient answer for you five. The Avatar of the time in question is indeed Aang, the little boy with blue tattoos from Will's dream."
"Hey wait, the Avatar can use the elements? Like us? So wouldn't our powers make us stand out?" C.ornelia asked
"No." The Oracle smiled. "Many people of that time possess abilities similar to your own. They called it bending. From what I've studied of the time, there were earthbenders, firebenders and waterbenders."
"Um...what about my element?" Hay Lin asked timidly. "Were there airbenders or something?"
"There lies one slight problem." The Oracle conceded. "The airbenders were annihilated by the firenation 100 years prior to the time you'll be visiting. The sole survivor was Aang, the current Avatar. People would be suspicious if you were seen 'airbending.' And you must not raise the suspicions of anybody in that timeline. They must not discover where you really come from-or rather when. They are not to know their future unless absolutely necessary. That could have disastrous affects on the course of history."
"Okay." Will nodded, making the appropriate mental notes. "What else can you tell us? Do you know anything about the actual people we'll need to interact with?"
The Oracle nodded. "From what we can tell, the Avatar Aang and the waterbender Katara are trusting by nature. Unless you come across as a threat or betray them. Her brother, Sokka, is as suspicious as she is trusting, but once you've gained his respect he is a powerful, intelligent ally. Toph is blind but if you treat her as though she is helpless, it may well be the last thing you ever do. Oh and she can tell if you are lying, so be careful." The Oracle added thoughtfully.
"This is too complicated." Irma frowned at Cornelia, who glared in return.
"Oh, Irma! Just stop talking for one minute, if that is possible..." The blond rolled her eyes at Irma.
"It's not." Hay-Lin giggled to Cornelia.
"I heard that, Hay Lin!"Irma pouted again. Will cleared her throat.
"Stop fighting, we need to hear this!" The red-head frowned at her best friends.
"It's okay. Where was I... Oh! Yes. Iroh is kind and easy to get along with. He has a great sense of humor and loves to shop almost as much as he loves to play pai sho and drink tea. Prince Zuko, well he's impatient and skeptical of almost everything. He's actually quite a lost young man. His sister is fierce and cruel, and her friends will do most anything she requests. Ty Lee wears lots of pink and puts a high importance on her looks. She is also a gymnast and wields her body as though it were a lethal weapon. Mai is darker in nature, quieter. Though she's got a deadly aim and carries a small arsenal of weaponry on her person at all times. Any questions?" He gave little time for the girls to ask if they did have questions. He removed a scroll from a pocket on his robe. "This is a map of the world as it was known in this time." He pointed out the locations of the Fire Nation, Water Tribes, and the Earth Kingdom, as well as the temples which once belonged to the Air Nomads. "If you girls are to fit into that world you'll need to be associated with one of the three nations. The people of the Fire Nation have dark hair, pale skin, and light slanted eyes. They are notorious for wearing all shades of red and black. I would recommend Hay-Lin associate herself with these people for her looks, but that would be little use in gaining the Avatar's trust. The Young boy and his companions are likely be skittish and wary of members of the Fire Nation after Prince Zuko's betrayal. The people of the Water Tribes wear whites and various shades of blue and light purple. They have darker skin and hair, and rounder eyes than people of other nations. Taranee, anyone who saw you would presume you to be of Water Tribe lineage, despite your element being fire. The people of the Earth Kingdom wear various shades of yellows, greens, and browns and vary widely in their looks. All of you except Taranee could pass as Earth Kingdom girls at first glance. Your aliases are easy. Just claim to be refugees, displaced by the war. Few will dare to question that."
"What about me?" Taranee said hesitantly.
"If asked you will claim be from the Northern Water Tribe. You can say that you wanted to travel and do your part in the war." The Oracle explained and handed the delicate map to Hay-Lin.
"This is an amazing map." She zed at it in awe. She too stoked the land mass that the Oracle had called the 'Earth Kingdom.' The Oracle smiled and hesitated. "Your names are all relatively modern. Hay-Lin's is the only name which would fit in with the names of other girls of the time period. Should we come up with new names for you to go with the aliases?"
"I don't think that will be necessary," Will smiled and bowed her head. "Thank you for the idea, however."
"Now, I think we have almost everything in order." The gruff man, who had been silent since his first comment about time, said as he checked another scroll.
"Yes, just two more things." The Oracle swept his hand threw the air and smiled as the girls' clothing turned into dresses. Will, Irma, Cornelia, and Hay-Lin's clothes twisted and changed into simple dresses. They were a light brownish green with dark green sashes and slip on shoes. Cornelia's long blond hair twisted into a thick elegant braid which fell half-way down her back. Hay-Lin's dark pigtails twisted into braids as well. Taranee's clothes turned into a cerulean blue dress with a white belt and sash.
"Wow, these dresses are amazing!" Hay-Lin twirled around and ginned. The others gaped at their new clothes.
"Ohmygosh! This is so pretty!" Irma gigged as she hugged herself. Taranee rolled her eyes but was clearly excited.
"What do you think guys? Does blue suit me?" She grinned as her friends nodded
Only one member of the group seemed displeased. "Brown? I hate brown." She grumbled. "I really don't see why all of you are so excited." She gathered a fistful of the coarse material and glared at it critically.
The Oracle smiled at the scene, "Now, obviously you can't transform because they would lock you up in prison if they saw your outfits, so your powers are being kept at their fullest now."
Will's eyes widened. "Really?" She grinned and Irma laughed.
"If they dress like this, imaging what they would think of us in our uniforms!" Irma laughed. "They'd lock us up tight!" She wrapped her arms around her middle and giggled.
"Irma has a point." Hay-Lin said softly, yet in a joking manner. Will grinned and turned to face the Oracle.
"You need to go now. Will, come here." The Oracle looked at the red-head with a slight smile. She obeyed, and he took her hand. Her hand started glowing, and the Heart of Candracar rose into the air. "Now Guardians, I wish you the best of luck in this journey! It will be harder than you expect, and please be cautious! Remember to never tell where you truly came from unless there is no other choice. Good-bye for now!" The light became brighter.
Will looked around, but didn't see anything. The light was so bright, and then there was a loud vacume-like noise, and she couldn't feel her toes. Seriously, she was drifting in the middle of a black nothing-ness, with no sense of her toes at all.
"Will? Will?" A soft, familiar voice called gently. Will turned around quickly, searching for the source. "OWW WILL! Be more careful!" The voice said, louder now.
"Uuuuuuugggn!" Will groaned as her eyes opened. "Wha...What happened?" Irma and Taranee towered above her.
"I don't know Will, all I know is..." Taranee started, then looked around. The ground was covered in moss, trees were standing tall against the blue sky, and a loud howling noise in the distance, sounding like a monkey, yet a pig at the same time. "...is that we aren't in Heathersfeild anymore."
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Finally! I finished chapter two! It has taken me quite a few hours, so I hope you enjoyed. If you are lost, trust me, it will get better and you are going to get to know the characters. I am pretty sure this will have a sequel, but I have to finish this first. I hope to have it AT LEAST halfway done by Season 3. I highly doubt that'll happen at the rate I'm going, but I'll try. Please Review!
?Zuzuari?