Another chapter for you guys. This one goes more into my characters' history, and what you'll miss in Traveler, since I'm not continuing that one. (I seriously don't have the heart, and I can't even remember my own story, seriously. I can hardly remember what I had planned for this one, dammit. Anyway, chapter 14.

Meanwhile...

When the monks woke up the next morning, they were each lost in their own worlds, thinking and barely speaking. They did their chores without realizing it. They went through exercises, barely trying. Master Fong approached them, concerned.

Raimundo seemed a little sad and confused. His actions spoke of being rebuffed, but Master Fong hadn't scolded him. He was serious and he hadn't smiled or cracked a joke since last night.

Clay had a shadow over his face, and it wasn't because of his hat. As Master Fong watched, he sensed a deep anxiety, a sense of dark foreboding etched in his face. He noticed Clay kept his eyes toward the shadows, watching them warily, waiting for something. He probably didn't even notice he was doing it. There was clearly something troubling him.

Kimiko was more irritable than usual and she acted hurt. Her face was stuck in a sad pout, and she kept to herself as much as possible.

Only Omi seemed in a generally good mood, not troubled as his friends were. He was cheerful and happy. Master Fong watched him and noticed how he would often like up at the sky smiling and occasionally pat his head.

He could stand it no longer. "My young warriors, what is it that ails your minds this morning?" he asked them. They were in the courtyard, and Omi spoke up, "Nothing has troubled me today Master Fong."

"I know Omi. But something has happened to all of you. Your attention is not here where it should be."

Raimundo was the first to speak. He sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

"I had a strange dream. It's mostly forgotten now, but there was this girl—," Raimundo began. He was cut off by his comrades' cries.

"Mine had a girl too!" Kimiko spoke out.

"Same here partners. 'Fact, there were three of 'em..." Clay mused.

"That is strange," Omi said. "My dream involved a girl, and she was with Jack Spicah."

Raimundo spoke again. "I don't remember very many details, but I had a vague feeling that Spicer was somehow involved. I got this nervous, flighty feeling thinking about it. All I remember is this girl being somewhere she shouldn't have been, and it messed me up in something important. We were opponents, but she was like, out there, not really supposed to be involved. I kept getting flashes of pictures and things, but I can't remember anything but a few things. It mostly involved the girl, but we were there too, and Jack, and two other people. Something light and something dark."

He pushed the heels of his hands into his eyes and groaned. "It's so frustrating that I can't remember, because I know it was important!"

I vaguely remember a tall blonde in my dream," Kimiko said. "But I think I made her up. I was focused more on Keiko. I kept getting the feeling I was losing her to someone else."

"I remember a good deal from my dream," Clay said. "The girl had blonde hair, and it was long—,"

"Same here!" Raimundo and Kimiko interrupted simultaneously. Clay continued on, "—and she had green eyes." Raimundo's eyes bugged out.

"Do you think we dreamt of the same girl? Mine had a few freckles, what about yours?"

Clay paused in thought, remembering. Or trying to. "I cain't remember if'n she did or didn't. Everything gets vague and fuzzy when you wake up from a dream. I'm surprised I remember as much as I do!"

"Tell us the rest, Clay." Master Fong prompted.

"Well, it started out at the barn at home. Somethin' drew me to it, and I found a girl inside. There was somethin' queer about the whole thing, cuz I felt scared of the barn. It was all dim an quiet. I got that distinct sense that somethin' was just so very WRONG. I was 'bout to find out what it was, when the blonde girl stopped me. Nearly scared me outta ma skin, she did. She was talkin funy; I got no clue what she was on about. There was somethin about the haystacks."

Clay, whose head had been bowed in memory, snapped up as he remembered a name.

"Morgan." he said. A shudder passed through Raimundo and a cloud began passing in front of the sun. It got dimmer. Raimundo's eyes closed, as if in pain. He and Clay started describing Morgan with sinister accuracy, alternating between the two of them.

"Dark hair"

"It was long, straight, and black. So black."

"Tall"

"Red eyes"

"I saw them. They glow."

"She's vicious."

"She's evil."

"She's pale."

"She's childish"

"pent up hatred and rage..."

"A cold voice."

"Demonic nature"

"She has a sister," Clay said. Rai looked up with wide eyes.

"I remember that bit! She's the polar opposite. White hair, blue eyes, really powerful?" Clay nodded solemnly. The others looked back and forth between the two boys.

"The girl explained some things to me at some point during the dream. Morgan can take over her body sometimes, I guess. I didn't understand most of what she said about that. But Morgan and Melody, that's the other one, apparently live inside her body in spirit form. Morgan is a Shade—,"

Master Fong drew a sharp breath and paled.

"The girl described her as a Shadow. Not her shadow, but Melody's. Apparently, when Melody was born in whatever world she comes from, she was someone super special. Morgan came to life from the magic and darkness inside Melody, and they became separate entities. It was a really long story she told, but the gist of it was that Melody is the Guardian Light and Morgan is the Guardian Dark. From what I saw, she and Melody are closely linked to the green-eyed girl. They lived their past lives doing some duty for Fate or whatever. Long ago, they achieved immortal status. I don't know how it happened, but they were kept busy with a complex mission in their last life. Morgan referred to her as their "little Goddess"."

Raimundo was silent and Omi rubbed his head. "So confusing," he muttered. Master Fong processed this information.

"Please continue," he said softly.

Clay leaned in. "Here's the kicker. The girl had a part in creating Melody and Morgan. I didn't understand everything she was telling me about it, but I gathered that it had to do with the power of the mind. She's very intimate with them. They need her to live, and she needs them to be sane. It's all messed up. She has no control. I felt bad for her, cuz it was clear that she needs some help."

Clay paused, thinking.

"And then everything changed. The world blacked out, but Morgan and the girl were still there. We were all lit up. And Melody appeared.

"Part of me knows her. I know it's crazy, but a part of each of us knows her, because in some alternate version of this world, our world, the events of the time line are drastically different and yet the same. I was shown everything about that world, where Melody 1st came to us and we all grew up together. She vanquished evil and paid the price for tipping the balance so drastically. I got flashes just like you did, Raimundo, and I saw how everything played out."

"What happened?" Raimundo asked, strained. Clay was solemn as he addressed the group.

"We grew up. We moved back with our families when our training was done, we got married, had kids. Omi stayed here at the Temple and took over when Master Fong decided to retire. Kimiko married... Well, someone Melody managed to convert from the side of evil. He was good and he proved himself loyal, but I'd still rather not say. They had a daughter named Capri." Clay looked to Kimiko and continued.

"You and your father adopted Melody into your family. She was your adopted sister, so she was also Capri's aunt. She spent a lot of time with Melody where she lived.

"I married a Jewish girl, and we had twins. Melody married Raimundo and they had a daughter named Aura. We stayed in touch, our kids grew up together, and they were all gifted and taught in the art of elemental magic. We all went through life, even after Melody had to move on to her next world for her mission. It was a miracle that she was able to return as many times as she did, and we celebrated every time."

The others sat stunned at this onslaught of information. Clay continued.

"After Melody finished showing me all this, she gave me a message to remember and pass on: to remember all these memories and keep them for the future. They'll be needed.

Raimundo finally spoke. "I remember some flashes. Melody and Morgan are connected to the other girl, that part is true. But while your flashed were of an alternate past, mine were of the future. This world's future. Whoever this girl is, I've seen her fight and she's dangerous. She's unpredictable. She's decided to closely ally herself with Morgan and it'll show."

Clay spoke again. "She based Melody off herself when she was first created. Morgan came some time later, from Melody, and Melody developed on her own, without help. The girl and Melody stopped being so close, because Melody became her own person and freed herself of the girl. Morgan was eventually detached from Melody and was left behind with the girl. Morgan has latched herself to the girl. That's why something is wrong. That's why everything is wrong: She has the Guardian of Evil Incarnate living in her like a parasite."

Master Fong was grave when he spoke. "Do you know these things to be true, young warriors?" he asked. Raimundo and Clay nodded. Master Fong released a shaky breath. "Then the balance in the world has been further disrupted. These dreams came to you for a reason: to warn you of something worse than Wuya that has arrived. Something new that we've never seen before."

"I do not believe this is true."

The others looked to Omi, who had spoken. "I had a dream too. But it wasn't sinister or a warning of evil. It was a symbol of hope. Whatever event that has happened, all is not lost. There is more than one road to Fate. I have seen another path."

Master Fong nodded for Omi to continue.

"I do not believe either entity influences her everyday actions. She is her own person by herself, even if she is strange and just a little crazy. Those beings you spoke of Clay, they may exist inside her, but they are buried. For them to take hold, someone would have to uncover them. She is her own for now."

"What did you see?"

"I saw happiness. Love. Joy. Peace. I observed all the good inside this girl, which is why I know that she is not influenced as of yet."

Clay interrupted. "There was somethin else too. Her name... She came up with a fake name, but didn't want to tell me, so she chose Melody's. It don't matter what side she's on, she said, but names are powerful things. If she'd a taken Morgan's name, she claims it would've given Morgan more power over her. Even in her old world, she said Morgan could seep into her skin and take over her emotions and her body. I think that by taking Melody's name, she was trying to protect herself for that take over. Maybe Omi is right, but she's channeling Melody instead of Morgan."

"Either way, she's crazy in the head," Kimiko said.

Omi shook his head. "No! She was most definitely herself! If she's real, and it is very most likely that she is, then she's living with Jack Spicah." The others jumped up. Omi waved his arms, continuing.

"But! I don not think it is a bad thing! It's not a bad alliance! She is doing good by being with him!"

"Good? How can that be good for us?" Dojo asked. "She's fighting for him, she's on his side, and she's dangerous!"

"She is teaching him," Omi said calmly. "She is teaching him to be good. She's teaching him how to live a good life. How to act, how to laugh, how to have fun... She was showing him how to let out his inner child, how to be free and happy, and to take joy in the simplest things in life. I saw her plan, and it's to make him good!"

Master Fong let the information sit in his head.

"Clay, where did Melody come from?"

"She came from a different world."

"And her purpose?"

"To achieve balance in the universe and change the time line. Fate employed her and her ancestors because there were inconsistencies and problems. Nothin is made perfectly and so needs a keeper. It was all confusin, so I couldn't really follow."

"But her mission was to change things from how they originally were, correct?"

"Yes."

"She knew our futures?"

"In the world she went to, yes. It was a different version of this world, but the time line was originally similar. Things were set up a little different there than they are here."

"Like how?"

"Dashi was the Traveler before her, and he was her father in the world she originated from."

"I see," Master Fong said. He sat gravely silent for a few moments, then spoke. "If the circumstances are correct, then this girl is still similar to Melody. She has come to this world and she is going to bring about a drastic change. For now, she is a supernatural entity to us. We don't know if she has power or magic, or what exactly she plans on doing. It is highly probable that she knows future events that will happen in this world, as Melody did before. But it is clear that this girl is important and she is real. Treat her with caution should you ever meet her."