Carina: Berri doesn't own the original characters but donations to Berritmmppic's buy the w.i.t.c.h. foundation are welcome. Please?

Chapter Five

Follow me

Mama said - don't be afraid
Go out there and find your way
Take what you get & make the best of it
That's the secret...

Amy Daimond, life's what you make it

Carina stood still with her arms over her chest and a sour look on her face.

"Carina, I know what you want to do, but no! I forbid you, there's no way you could bring this meadow to life. I know you want to but, later. Please! We don't know what Meridian is all about yet, you can do it later, please. I don't want anymore trouble, right now," Izzy pleaded. Her hands clasped under her chin and her eyes watery.

"But the people are in danger," Carina said, arguing back. I can't believe that Izzy and I are truly fighting. We never fight. We've been best friends forever. Since year one. We always get along, and only have each other best interest in mind.

Carina thought about it for a moment. 'Maybe… maybe Izzy doesn't want me too re-grow this meadow cause she thinks it's bad… oh, but I can't help it…'

What do I do? Ignore the nagging voice and Izzy or just do what I think is right, even though I'm not sure if it's right?

"Alright, I'll definitely come back to this very spot later on though," Carina said, making a compromise.

"Alright," Izzy sighed, she seems so relieved.

'I've never seen Izzy so… so… cautious. She never cared this much before,' Carina noted. 'I guess even I'm feeling a little edgy, maybe it's something in the air?'

"Can we keep going?" Izzy asked.

"Why are you so desperate? Don't you think this new world is fascinating, scary but fascinating," Carina said.

"No, not fascinated, but I am terrified, I really just want to find the there's and get out of here," Izzy said, as she shivered.

"I really just want to know where we are going. I mean, do you think if we find someone, we should ask? Would that be really bad?" Carina asked. She had been here… how long? Carina already longed for some sunshine to light up the world and warm everything up.

It was true. Being away from home really does make you appreciate what you have.

"What about there?" Izzy asked pointing up a head. A small hut-like house was located near by an old wooden bridge. Underneath it was a river. Or what used to be a river, there was no water flowing.

"Wow, okay. Hey look! A carnival!" Carina giggled pointing off into the distance. Behind the 'hut' was a dark silhouette of a Ferris wheel and triangle flags.

"Ha ha, no way," Izzy said bluntly, as they walked over to the hut.

"Wait, what are we going to say? Do we introduce ourselves as Izzy and Carina or Guardians of the Veil or… or… Human Beings from Earth? Have the Meridians heard of Earth?" Izzy asked, panicking.

"I don't know, just go," Carina said, giving Izzy a push in the direction. Izzy almost feel but managed to stay standing.

Carina knocked on the old wooden door and waited for someone to answer.

"I don't think anyone will answer…" Izzy said as the door opened slightly.

"Guardians," The voice said as they swung the door open and ushered the girls in.

Now I'm nervous, how does this lady know us?

"How do you know us?" Izzy asked bluntly. Carina kicked Izzy in the ankle, she couldn't have felt it though her blue gathered guardian boots.

"In Meridian you girls are famous," The lady said. "My name is Seye, I am the owner of these Inns," Carina looked around, Okay -5 star review as she noticed the only things in the hut, were a chair and a fire place.

"Oh, okay. Well I'm Carina and this is Izzy," Carina said, politely.

"I'm so glad you are safe, now we must hope the other two Guardians are safe," Seye said, pushing the back wall of the fireplace and revealing a hidden passage.

'Seye, certainly knows a lot about us and being Guardians, I wonder from where? Wait… does this mean that all Meridians know about us?' Carina thought, 'Okay, that's really freaky, I know nothing about this place or it's people and here's this… lady who somehow knows it all, is that freaky or is it just me?' Carina thought, jolting back into reality.

"Follow me. This passage will lead us to the inn, the other guardian, Tai. She's there too," Seye said, entering the passage. Carina and Izzy shrugged and followed. Wow, we're going to see Tai! Carina thought squealing as she, Izzy and Seye, the Inn owner, walked through a fire lit stone passage. 'It kind of smells really bad down here,' Carina thought, waving her hand in front of her nose to stop the smell.

"I never thought I'd look forward to seeing Tai," Izzy grinned, as they followed Seye.

"I'm just concerned with where Hannah and Wanna are located," Carina said, as she tripped on an unleveled stone. She fell to the cold stone ground. "Oof!" Carina whimpered. 'Why am I always falling over?' Carina thought, starting to get up by herself.

"Carina are you okay?" Izzy asked, helping her up.

"We're here," Seye said, stopping in front of a stone stair case.

"Oh, so that was like a secret entrance?" Izzy asked, jerking her thumb in the direction of the 'hut'. Izzy sometimes… so… casual…

'Sometimes it good, when you know your under pressure, but you can still keep your cool… Izzy's cool that way, no matter if she's got a million things to do, or a really bad day at school ahead of her or the weight of a world oh her shoulders she can just handle it and be cool with it, mmm wonder what that's like,' Carina thought.

"Yes, I'm hoping that your friends find their way to the 'huts'," Seye said, her ponytail bouncing as she walked along.

"Mmh, Maybe we should look for them?" Carina offered, pondering out loud.

"No, you must not! If The Queen finds you, she shall surely kill you," Seye said, with a feeling of urgency in her voice.

'She'll kill us?' Carina chocked. 'No way, what did we do to deserve that as a punishment?'

"So we just wait and hope that they find us?" Izzy asked as they entered the Inn.

'That's crazy,' Carina thought, shaking her head.

'Wow,' Carina thought. There are so many people here, crowded around the fire place. 'This place is actually kind of charming,' Carina thought. With the old fashioned, wooden tables and chairs and golden lighting upon the Meridian's faces the room had an earthy, vibrant feel to it.

"TAI!" Carina cried, noticing Tai's Guardian wings first.

"Carina? Oh, Hi Izzy, so you guys aren't in danger anymore?" Tai asked, holding a small china cup of a steaming Meridian drink in her hands.

"No, but Wanna and Hannah are still in danger, we have to find them," Izzy said, as one of the strangers came up and handed the two girls, whatever drink they had given Tai.

"You mustn't leave this Inn," Seye warned, slamming her hand onto the counter making Carina jump.

"What? Why not? We're the Guardians of the Veil! WE stick together and save anyone whose in danger," Izzy argued. Planting her hands on her hips. Her blue and gold layered guardian skirt swished around.

"No, if you are found you'll be taken to The Queen and killed," Seye said.

"Exactly why we need to go find the others," Tai argued.

"Your all impossible aren't you?" Seye asked, her head turned in confusion. She clearly didn't want any of the girls' nonsense.

"Yep!" Carina said, her arms crossed over her chest.

"How do you expect to find them?" Seye asked, walking over to the bar and ordering some kind of Meridian drink.

"Well," Izzy started.

"Looks like you 3 are all words and no action," Seye laughed, 'well, it's a hard to play the game when you don't know the rules,' Carina thought, 'it's like this world is a type of ball game and Earth is another… and we specialize in the Earth team… what to do?' Carina thought.

"Listen, if our friends are in danger, I'm not going to sit around and wait for them to DIE, I'm going out there to find them, even if I have to put myself in danger by doing so," Tai said, angrily.

Seye hung her head admitting defeat, face it, there's nothing you can say to Tai when she's this fired up. She reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a tattered piece of paper, and handed it to the girls.

"What? A used tissue?" Izzy asked, looking at it with disgust in her eyes.

"No, a map of Meridian," Seye said, as Carina took it from her hands. She turned it around and looked at the world of Meridian.

"Wow, it's huge," Tai muttered. Seye nodded. She pointed to a point on the map, "This is where the Inn is, remember that so you can come back," She said marking the spot with a pen.

"Alright! This is good that we have a map," Tai said, beaming.

"Yep, very nice!" Carina said, smirking back.

"If your not back in an hour I'll send out a search squad," Seye said, nodding to a bunch of men in the corner.

"One hour isn't very long, how about 3?" Izzy asked.

"2, asking for three is like asking for a death wish," Seye said, rolling her eyes.

"Fine, now we just think, where would they be?" Tai thought out loud as all three girls crowded around the map.

"Wouldn't have a clue," Carina said, looking at the map.

"Okay, maybe there was a pattern when Brooklyn sent us here…" Tai said turning to face the others. "Okay where were you guys sent?"

"Some kind of dead meadow," Carina answered, still a little annoyed that she wasn't aloud to try and fix it.

"Uh, a bridge," Izzy said. Tai gave her a questioning look. "I think it was over a river and lead to a waterfall which landed… uh… dunno where but y'know,"

"That's Bridge Weira," Seye said, "And that was a river underneath it, Lyoh River. It leads to a lake, Lyoh Lake. There has been no water flowing through it in maybe… 5 years. A long time. Now the water just comes from the lake, but it's getting closer and closer to running out," Seye said. Carina heard Izzy gasp, she knew what was going on in her mind. She wanted to help. After all she was the water Guardian.

Izzy stood up. "No, a task like that would take tremendous power, The Queen would most certainly hunt you down and kill you for that," Seye warned, giving Izzy a stern look.

Izzy stared at Seye, "Did she just read my mind?" Izzy asked.

Seye raised an eyebrow. Izzy sat back down.

"So what, The Queen kills you for breathing the air?" Izzy rolled her eyes. Seye looked away.

"Okay, never mind, operation water will wait until we find the others! Carina you were at the meadow and Izzy was at an empty river… that makes sense they're linked to your powers," Tai said. Carina nodded.

"And you?" Izzy asked.

"Dead Carnival," Tai shrugged. So much for that pattern, Carina decided, nixing the idea.

"So, where do we even begin to look?" Tai asked.

"I'm not sure, Tai this world, it's so different from ours," Carina said hanging her head.

What else could she attempt to do?

"Just wait, maybe the 'news reporter' will show up and give us a clue," Seye offered.

"I guess we could wait, a little longer," Izzy said.

Alright, I just hope the other guardians can stay safe… why does that seem like such a big thing when I say it like that?