Different WITCH AU

By: FunahoMisaki

(A/N: I own nothing and read last chapter)

"Kadma! It's been so long!" Halinor was there to greet her old friend in less than a minute, a warm smile on her face and not looking like she had aged a day over thirty.

"Indeed it has but you wouldn't know it by looking at you. The years have been good to you Hallie." Kadma said smiling back as she stepped forward and hugged her friend who gave her a tight hug in return.

"And you're as tall as ever. I swear you grow another few inches every year." Halinor said with a grin as they pulled apart, the rather obvious height difference between the two having been the source of many jokes and teasing comments when they were younger. Kadma couldn't help it if Halinor was naturally short, just like Halinor couldn't help it if Kadma was naturally six foot four without heels on.

"I came here for two reasons Hallie. The first, to see you again obviously. It's been a while since the four of us were together for a small reunion." Kadma said causing Halinor's smile to turn sad as her eyes focused on something over Kadma's shoulders.

"Yeah. It's been almost ten years since we four met up." Halinor's voice was even sad and a bit melancholy. That number should be six not four.

"The second was because I just met my grandsons friend, a little girl with red hair and who reminds me of how you were back…well I'm sure you already know." Kadma said making Halinor tense almost painfully and a small flame to ignite in her eyes. She hated to think of another child in that kind of situation and if what Kadma was alluding to was true she was going to burn something or someone!

"It's not parental abuse but she does seem to be targeted by everyone not her parents and not my boys." Kadma quickly calmed her friend down before she could drain her life force. The fire in her eyes was more of an automatic warning system than her actually using her powers so it didn't drain her…but if the air around them started heating up then Hallie would be draining her life force, granted only a little at first but Kadma knew her old friend. It would escalate in no time, and Halinor wouldn't care as long as she protected a little girl from going through what she had.

"But what startles me, aside from the obvious, is that when she and my grandson were fighting, which my husband has called their training under the guise of a game, this same little girl mentioned she'd be able to win if the lights were off…all the lights went off. When she asked them to turn back on, everything with a current running through it in the room turned on." Kadma said frowning as she looked at Halinor who blinked the fire out of her eyes for a second before she smiled as the information sunk in.

"Oh so you've met young Will then? The Oracle has her as the next Guardian leader and decided that if she had the responsibility of her powers as she grows, instead of thrusting them all upon at once, then it will be better in the long run. Letting her slowly get used to the powers as she ages instead of risking a repeat of…" Halinor didn't finish that sentence, her mouth clamping shut immediately. She didn't want to say the name that evoked so many feelings both good and bad in the two of them.

True that woman had betrayed them and killed their other friend…but…she had still been one of their friends for years. Had been one of their sisters. They still loved her, and yet they despised her as well. That was quite impressive actually since Halinor had been a hippie ever since she was fourteen, she didn't despise anyone really. Not even her parents and brother had gotten any despise from her, only a bit of anger and a lot of pity.

"Ah. I feared that she may have gotten her claws into the young one somehow. I'm relieved to know that the Oracle is learning from past mistakes…now…want to come meet her?" Kadma asked changing the subject slightly while frowning heavily at the mention of the Oracle. Why hadn't he known that Nerissa would kill Cassidy? Why hadn't he stopped it?

"Of course. I've been watching over her sometimes with the scrying fountain when I did not have duties to attend to. It will be nice to meet the little one in person however, and besides…it's been a while since I've seen Joe and John." Halinor said with a small grin at the end, missing her 'brother' and 'nephew' as she called them sometimes. She was John's godmother after all, and she had been Ramon's back before he…Kadma didn't want to think about that right now. The wounds were still too fresh.

"Just remember not to lob fireballs at him. You're not hooked up to a Heart anymore." Kadma said with a small smile of her own as she forced her mind out of the dark area it had wandered into.

"I know…but I make no promises on not chasing him." Halinor said making Kadma snort slightly as she turned back to the fold behind her that had been left open.

"I wouldn't even try to ask you for one. Now come on. I still have some of your old cloths from the last time you visited and they'll draw less attention than that robe." Kadma said eyeing the blue and white Kandrakar robe her friend was wearing, and hoping the blond could still wear the same cloths she had when she was thirty.

"Oh like you can talk Queenie." Halinor said looking pointedly at Kadma's Zambala robe which would have probably stood out big time if she had gone into the city with it on.

"It's still more this century than that thing is." Kadma retorted, leaving the newly arrived Council staring as the two women entered the fold bickering back and forth about their cloths.

"How can grown women argue over clothes as if they were still teenagers?" Tibor asked staring after the two former Guardians. Instantly all three males looked at the only other female on the Council who caught their looks and shrugged.

"I may be a woman but even I have no idea how they do it. I don't see what's wrong with the robes but it may be an Earth thing." Luba said just as confused as the men were on this matter.

"Earth women some of the strangest creatures in the known universe, and the scariest." The Oracle said making Alfor nod sagely while Tibor looked confused and Luba snickered.

"I'm afraid I don't follow." Tibor said making the others look at him before Luba pointed at a pure marble column nearby. Tibor turned to look and stared in disbelief at the magically enhanced column that had a hole melted clear through it.

"That happened when you were in Nune-Boreal for a mission last week. One of the delegates came and made the mistake of angering Halinor. I doubt she even felt the drain on her life force after the fact, that's how mad she was, the delegate went back home and now there's legends there about a blond flame demon working in Kandrakar." Alfor helpfully explained causing Luba to frown slightly.

"Really? The version I heard was that there was a blond Goddess of Fire protecting the Council." Luba threw out casually as Tibor's jaw dropped open.

"Both stories are true but Luba you're thinking of time when Halinor intercepted that assassin three years ago while Tibor was recovering in the medical chambers. I believe that there's a shrine erected of our blond friend on Pyros." The Oracle settled the two down as he calmly pointed out the facts.

"So we just let the Proud Zambala Queen with powers over the element of Earth and the 'Goddess/Demoness of Fire' Halinor go and interact and therefore influence with the young, still moldable Keeper of the Heart?" Tibor finally asked and making the other three pause for a moment. Luba paled and began shaking, Alfor swore violently under his breath, and even the Oracle looked rattled at that thought.

"Well when you put it like that…"