Chapter 5: The Dream

It was a frigid day. Aelita felt like she wasn't in Africa anymore, but in the Arctic. As she emerged from the tent, she realized she couldn't see. Aelita tripped on what she thought was a tree root, only it was hanging on as though it were alive. A voice called out to her: "Aelita, where are you?" Aelita tensed up; the voice somehow sounded familiar. It wasn't her father's voice; this voice was female. It wasn't Katara's voice; this voice sounded a bit older. I was her mother's voice she heard. "Mom," she whispered, realizing who she was talking to. But there was no answer. Another voice called out; this one Aelita definitely didn't know. "Stay calm," the voice cautioned. Oddly enough, this made Aelita panic more. "Who are you!?" She called out, afraid. "Calm down," the other voice warned gently. "It's okay Sweetheart, we're not going to hurt you." "But I will," a dark, stupid-sounding voice boomed. Aelita gasped. "Who are you!? What's going on!?" she demanded timidly. "It's all right," her mother consoled. "You're all right, child." Frantically, Aelita pushed back and forth, but she seemed to be going blind. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. The hand was cold. Her mother's voice came again. "Hush. Everything's going to be all right now. Just use your powers…" "What powers?" Aelita asked, utterly confused at this point. "You're an enchantress," her mother told her. "You have powers that no one else has; powers that the universe depends on for survival." Just then another voice broke in; this voice was evil to the core. "You're wasting your time," the voice cackled. "You know she's afraid of her powers." Aelita pulled away in a panic. "What powers!? What are you talking about!?" She was very afraid. There seemed to be nowhere to run. Suddenly an explosion went off in Aelita's ears. She screamed and jolted up in her sleeping bag again.

Azula stormed into the tent. "It's three o'clock in the morning! Some of us need to get some sleep! Which one of you has been screaming?" "To clarify, Azula," said Katara. "You are." Aelita pushed the blanket off her face. "Sorry," she muttered apologetically. "Well next time you have a nightmare, try to have it quietly!" Azula barked. "And next time you scream, you might want to try a little louder. I think I can still hear a little out of my right ear." Olivia said. Azula shot her a death glare and stormed out, regretting that she could not slam a tent door. Sissi made a face. "Some people are so disrespectful." She groaned. "Next time, Ms. Einstein, you should probably do your dumb stuff louder." She, Belle, and Dorcas laughed. That earned Sissi one of Katara's waterbending scrolls flying at her head; she ducked (unfortunately). The seven hero girls all went to sleep.

"Shiz, you can hear that wuss screaming from all the way over here," Blygs grumbled. "Doesn't she have something better to do than keep us up with all these annoying nightmares?" "You know, some people actually worry when they hear people screaming, especially when they seem to be targeted by some evil force." Jeremy snapped. "Well then I'm not 'some people,'" Blygs shot back. "Well, you're selfish!" Aang barked. "Not really, I just want some sleep." Blygs growled. All was silent for a moment with the exception of Zoku's light snoring. How brilliant, Blygs thought. The one person who would back me up, sleeping! He sighed. "Any of you feel like going over to the girl's tent and getting pinky to shut up?" "Why don't you do it?" asked Jeremy. "You don't get that Aelita has a problem!" "Oh, I get that. She has several problems, actually," Blygs responded calmly. "Bad word choice," Aang whispered to Jeremy. Blygs grinned. Just then, Zuko emerged from his tent with an angry look on his face. "What is all that screaming? I can't sleep!" "Join the club," Blygs muttered. "Guess who's causing it?" Zuko groaned, finding it obvious what the answer is. "Who else screams like that?" Blygs nodded. At least someone was on his side. "Oh come on," Jeremy muttered. "Is anyoneworried?" "You are," Zuko pointed out. "I meant besides me." He snapped. "Nope!" Blygs answered jubilantly. Aang raised his hand. "He doesn't count," Blygs said, laughing. Charlie raised his hand too. "Screw you," Blygs muttered, mood changing quickly. Sora put up his hand. "I get it!" He yelped. Zuko rolled his eyes. "If you all care so much, then why aren't you down at that tent?" He asked. "Maybe we should go!" Aang snarled. "MAYBE YOU SHOULD!" Blygs shouted. Suddenly Zoku abruptly leapt to his feet. "All of you SHUT UP!" he hollered. "I CAN"T SLEEP!" Upon saying that, he curled up in his sleeping bag and was snoring shortly after, ignoring the expressions of shock on everyone's faces.

"Knock knock, we're comin' in!" Sora hollered, stepping into the girls' tent, followed shortly afterwards by the rest of the boys (surprisingly, including Blygs). Aelita looked up. "Why are you guys here?" "To get me to shut up," Blygs said, grinning. Jeremy knelt beside her. "You okay?" he asked. "Just a nightmare," Aelita responded. "Haven't you gotten so bored of these that they don't scare you any more yet?" Blygs muttered, uninterested. Aang glared at him. "Why don't you leave?" he snapped. "Simple. Don't feel like it," Blygs replied. He immediately had to duck a hairdryer tossed at him from an unknown source (although he suspected Katara). Aang leaned over Katara. "It was just a nightmare… Right?" "Ask the one who had the nightmare, moron!" Blygs exclaimed. "You are so obnoxious," said Charlie. "Did your parents even like you?" "… I would ask 'em, but they're dead, y'know?" Blygs muttered, looking away and shoving his hands in his pockets. "I think you offended him," Sora observed. "I ain' offended, got it?" Blygs growled. "Jus' wanna get this over with so I can sleep." He didn't move, however, and continued to sulk at the tent's entrance. Aelita studied his face, wondering what he was thinking about. He seemed sad. "… What're you starin' at?" Blygs snarled when he noticed Aelita's eyes on him. Jeremy turned to her. "Don't mind him, he hates you." Blygs's face changed expression—was it guilt?—at the comment. "It's not just Aelita," said Aang. "It's all of us!" Blygs kept silent. "It's not all of us," Percy added. "It's the world he hates!" "SHUT UP!" Blygs shouted, tears in the corner of his eyes now. "WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ME, HUH!? NOTHIN'! NOTHIN'!" He growled, sliding into an offensive crouch, poised to attack. "Nothin'!" he repeated again, and sprung at Percy. Percy stepped nimbly out of the way, pulling Riptide out of his pocket. "So that's the way it's gonna be, huh?" He muttered, preparing to uncap his sword. Blygs placed his hands on his belt, preparing to draw his daggers. "Don't be stupid," Annabeth said calmly, stepping in between them. "There are innocent people in here, someone could get hurt. Stop acting like preschoolers." "Preschoolers wouldn't pick this kinda fight," Blygs growled, but his rage was beginning to calm itself. His hands slipped away from his weapons. "To be truthful," said Jesse. "Ricky (since they were still using aliases) is always acting like a preschooler." Blygs growled. "You shut up too." "Well I hate it!" exclaimed Jesse. "I hate pretending to be your mother!" "Well in case you didn't notice, I don't have a mother, and I don't need one!" He barked, his dark faade beginning to return. "Stop, stop, everybody be quiet!" Aelita was starting to feel the same hatred she had felt in that dream. "Why don't you make me, wimp? Or are you just gonna faint again?" Blygs snarled. "See?" said Jeremy. "If you hate being one of this group so much, why don't you just "go off on your own!" "Because—" Blygs sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets again. "Because I have nowhere else to go," he muttered sadly. "What's goin' on in here?" Jim barked, storming into the tent. Katara groaned. "We have to barricade the door or something, all these unwanted visitors are starting to annoy me," she muttered. "Tell me what's happening!" Jim demanded. "Nothing," Blygs muttered quietly. "We were just leaving." And then he left. "Well? Aren't you all gonna go?" Jim asked. "You know sir, I was just lodging a complaint about the noise," Zuko interrupted. "Well why don't you complain about the noise in the morning!?" Jim demanded. "Now I can't sleep either!" "Exactly," said Zuko. "I couldn't sleep, so I thought I would ask the girls to quiet down, Sir." Odd, as he passed the tent, opened his mouth to make a comment about Zuko calling Jim "sir", but Katara tossed a waterbending scroll at his head. "YYYYYYOW!" Odd hollered. "Watch where you're aiming that thing!" "I think she hit her mark," Zuko called to Odd as he left. "Now everyone, back to your respective tents!" Jim hollered. "So I can sleep! And if you wake the chaperones, you'll be in for it in the morning!" "Good night, ladies," said Jared as he walked out. Aelita tried her hardest to sleep; she knew she'd have a big day tomorrow.

Blygs sat atop the cliff, staring at the moon; he didn't get a good look at it often. How long had it been since he could honestly relax? He had barely rested since the Earth Kingdom was taken. His last hope, gone. He had truly nowhere to go; his parents were dead, his home was taken, and his world was crumbling before his eyes. His only salvation had been with the Avengers, and now they were working with the Avatar, of all people! The world's 'last hope'. Ha! All the Avatar did was make everyone rely on him instead of themselves. "You're out rather late," said a voice behind him—a voice Blygs knew all too well. He wiped stray tears from his eyes with the back of his arm and turned to face the Fire Nation princess. "What do you want," he mumbled, too tired and depressed to sound angry—anger that wasn't fake for once. "A bit of quiet—that Aelita certainly can scream." "Amen," Blygs agreed, feeling a small smile appear on his face. He looked away instantly, to hide it—he couldn't be friendly with the one that had ruined his home. Azula sat beside him. "What's with you?" she asked. "What are you talking about?" he replied blankly. "No angry comments, no attacks, no anything. Are you feeling okay?" Blygs shrugged. "Depends on what you mean by 'okay'." "Well, how are you feeling right now?" Azula asked, almost concerned—no, feigning concern; she couldn't really be worried about him, she must be leading him on. At the moment, however, he was too exhausted to worry about it. "Hopeless, angry, depressed, weak, pathetic…" he started. "That's not okay," Azula said, cutting him off. "I don't hate everything," Blygs said. "I want the world to be safe, and happy. I want the world to be back to the way it was before the war." Why was he saying this? Stupid, he thought to himself. She's crazy for the war, why wouldn't she be? She's Fire Nation. "Yeah, the war's caused more problems than it solved," she agreed, much to his surprise. "You can't really think that," he argued. "You're Fire Nation, and the royal family at that. You people started the war, and you're continuing it. Why would your kind care if it was hurting people?" "We're not all bad," Azula retorted. "It's just our way of looking at things, and I'm beginning to see differently. My brother's seen the other side of things, and I think I will soon too." Oddly enough, he believed her. She sounded sincere, and he felt like she meant what she said. "Are you feeling okay? I've never heard a Fire Nation citizen talk like that—well, except Zuko, but he's not the same." She paused for a moment, thinking. "… Yeah, I think I really am okay. Better than I have been in a long time. The war's put the Fire Nation through a lot as well, especially the royal family." So you're one of the messed-up kids now, huh?" Blygs joked. "Yeah, I guess I am." Azula smiled—and it didn't creep him out for once. This smile wasn't dark; it was genuine, real. Blygs smiled back; he couldn't help it. "What do you mean by that?" "Well," Azula started, "my father's gone a bit power-hungry. He banished my mother, nearly killed Zuko, and I feel like he's using me." "At least you've still got a family," Blygs muttered, trying not to be cold for once. "My family was killed by the Fire Nation when they took Omashu." Azula looked away, expression filling with guilt. "I'm sorry about that, Ricky." Blygs hesitated, then said, "that's not my real name." Azula looked at him, confused. "Don't call me this in front of the others, but my real name is Blygs. Ricky Webb is just an alias." "I see," she muttered. "Well your secret's safe with me, as long as you don't tell anyone the sappy junk I just spilled." "As far as I'm concerned, this conversation never happened," Blygs replied, grinning. "Now let's get to bed, we're likely gonna get woken up again sooner or later." Azula nodded and they both left.

In the tent, Franz Hopper was waiting for Katara and Sokka's father, Hakoda. Franz and "Kody" had been friends for years. Franz was an orphan; his parents were killed in a car accident. Hakoda Quong, "Kody" in High School, and his single mother, had been one of his foster families. "He's not coming," Elphaba insisted. "He'll come," said Franz. "If anybody can help me explain everything, he can." "I just don't think the man's very responsible; he's like a grown-up kid!" Elphaba exclaimed. Franz looked to the sky. "Yes, but his children trust him." "And your kid doesn't trust you?" Elphaba asked sarcastically. "She does, but I can't explain everything without help." "That's what Paton and Julia are for." "I can't help it, I barely know them," Franz insisted. "How long are you two going to argue?" Asked a very annoyed Glinda. Elphaba, obviously ignoring Glinda, turned to Franz and said, "Don't you think you're being a little bit controlling? Just a tiny bit psychotic, maybe?" "He can be a little overprotective," agreed Glinda. "Glinda and Elphaba, agreeing? Have we stumbled into a parallel universe?" Said a voice from outside the tent. "Hello, Kody!" Glinda chimed. "Come in!" Franz shot Elphaba a triumphant look. Elphaba sighed. "Fine, you're right. He came." "So, you told them, but you don't know how to explain." Hakoda said, attempting to clarify. "Yes, that's right," Franz agreed. "Well I told ya, you gotta learn to let go," he stated matter-of-factly. "They've all gotta grow up at some point, right?" "When are you going to," Elphaba hissed, trying to ignore the fact that she sort of agreed with him. Hakoda just grinned at her. "You haven't changed at all, Elphie," he said joyfully. "Neither have you," Elphaba said bitterly. "Unfortunately." "Don't be so glum, Elphie," Glinda chimed. Hakoda turned to his old friend. "So, your kid's about fourteen now, right?" "Almost," said Franz. "Not until the summer solstice." Hakoda grinned. "Fifteen, sixteen." "And which of them are you acting more like?" Elphaba retorted. "Ooooh, sharp-tongued today." Hakoda teased. "Have you two lovebirds been arguing?" When Elphaba's face turned an angry shade of red, Hakoda shrugged and raised his hands in surrender. "Joke!" he explained. "You two just remind me of an old married couple sometimes." "I'm with him on this," Glinda agreed. "Oh be quiet," Elphaba shot back. "What? I do," Glinda insisted. "Well let's get on with it, before Elphaba has another excuse to barrage me with sarcastic comments," Hakoda said. "All right," Franz began. "I feel the heartless are coming. Ezekiel is calling them. Maleficent is coming, and Ansem, and Zhao. I think the titans may be coming as well." "You're right," said Hakoda. "If there was ever a better time for the next generation of the Warrior Council to begin, I can't think of it." Elphaba turned to the ceiling. "I think someone else is coming." "Whoever they are, they're getting way more than they bargained for," said Hakoda confidently. "They don't stand a chance." None of them noticed the slender figure hidden in the shadows. He was wearing a blue and white mask.

The figure in the mask was called Luke. He was Kronos's most devoted servant. He now returned to the void, bearing the news. "Good evening, scum," he said to his two favorite prisoners. "I would like my mask cleaned and my sword polished." "And I want to go home, get a decent meal, and see my family, but that's not going to happen either, now is it?" Antea snapped. A crooked smile appeared on Luke's face. "Still fighting, eh? Well forget it; you're never going home." "Hello, Luke," said Ursa passively, revealing no emotion at all. "Good to see you again, rat," Luke jeered. "Why do you grovel to him?" Antea asked her sister. "He's only going to treat you like garbage." "Because, if you keep this whole 'rebel' thing going, it's going to lead to nothing but trouble." Ursa whispered back. "You have a husband and kids," Antea argued. "But you hate my husband," Ursa pointed out. "True," Antea agreed. "But I do like your kids—sort of. And I have a husband and daughter of my own." "Your point?" "Why don't you get that we can make it home?" "Because we can't," Ursa muttered in a tone that indicated that the conversation was over.

Aelita floated in pitch blackness; the darkness scraped at her, burned her, and blinded her. She wanted to cry out from the pain, but she couldn't move or floated through the emptiness, reaching her ears; voices she knew. Her father's voice: "This is your destiny." Her mother's voice: "Everything's going to be all right." Jeremy: "I know you can do this." And some that were not so encouraging. Blygs: "Are you just gonna faint again?" A voice she didn't know, one that sounded rather young, but still harsh. "Still got some fight in you, eh? Well forget it." Sissi: "Ulrich and Yumi don't want to be your friends anymore." The voices, these along with others, swirled around in her mind, blending together after a while into they merged into her scream as she awoke. "Not again," was heard from outside the tent.