Bubbles surrounded Flameheart as Snowrush pulled her and her Companion under the water. She felt her grip on Flame's mane disappear, as it was replaced by a smooth dorsal fin.

She gaped in surprise and the Companion transformed into a graceful grey dolphin.

:|WHAT THE STARS HAPPENED TO YOU!?!?|: She shrieked at him.

:|Ask him.|: Fireflame replied grumpily. 'Him' meaning Snowrush.

Stars calm down Sparky, it's only temperary so that we can move faster. Snowrush's arrogant voice filled her head. Obviously Guarders could communicate with each other much the same way that Flameheart did with her Companion.

Don't call me Sparky. She snapped back at him. Only my friends can. You are not one of them.

Something like hurt flickered across the Water Guarder's face, but it was gone before Flameheart could identify it.

He turned and started swimming quickly through the water, dragging Flameheart and Fireflame along with him.

They started moving faster and faster through the water, Snowrush using his powers to torpedo them along. Flameheart couldn't help but admire the beauty of the world under the sea. Coral reefs filled with all sorts of fish, real dolphins playing with eachother. Then she got the fright of her life when a 10 foot long Mako shark swam up next to her. The shark stared at her curiously, easily keeping pace with the quick swimming speed that Snowrush at set. After what felt like eons, but actually it was only a few minutes, the shark dipped his head to her in deference, as if she was some kind of important Water Guarder.

Eventually, the trio reached a small opening in the base of what Flameheart assumed to be the island. Snowrush gently pulled her and her Companion into the cave, and they rose to the surface. Flameheart inspected the small cavern they were in, her eyes wide with awe. At the far end of the cavern, a small waterfall slipped down the wall and fed the small pool that she was currently in. Apparently it led to the sea as well.

"Where are we?" Her voice echoed around the cave. Rare gems gleamed and sparkled in the walls. Flameheart spotted sapphires, emeralds and even a few diamonds.

"A special place, known only to a few. No mortals come here. They can't. Ancient magic protects this island. You are the first being that is not a Water Guarder to come here. It's also a Gate, and we can use it to travel to any of the worlds without letting off flares of magic. If the island has a name, I do not know it. As far as I can tell, I am the only person to ever come here in years." Snowrush replied, clambering out of the pool. He still held onto Flameheart's hand, and pulled her out with him. The two teenagers were completely dry, due to Snowrush's magic, and Fireflame washed onto the sandy edge of the pool by a wave, and shifted back into his natural Companion form.

"Wow." Flameheart murmered. She could feel the power and beauty rolling around her. The gem embedded in the walls whispered to her of power and far away places. She didn't know why she could sense what the gems did, as that was an Earth power, but she assumed that it was because of the Gate. She glanced down at her hand, which was still entwined with Snowrush's. He followed her gaze and abruptly let go, as if she burned him. Some emotion flashed through Flameheart, but she ignored it. Snowrush didn't matter.

The Water Guarder strode forwards and went right up to the largest gemstone in the cavern. A diamond that was easily the size of both of Flameheart's fists put together. The diamond seemed to shine brighter as he approached it, magic shimmering in it's many layers. Snowrush stretched out his right hand, his eyes fixed on the diamond, and touched it's surface lightly.

Instantly, light flared aroound the cavern, and connected to all of the other gems, creating a shimmering, flashing circle all around. The whispers of the gemstones increased, as did the power rolling off them. Snowrush pulled his hand away and came back to stand next to Flameheart and Fireflame. Now Flameheart could feel the magic building, washing over her and feeling of the sea. She wanted to reach out and let the power fill her, control her. Images flashed through her head, of everyone who had used the Gate. Images of waves crashing against beaches, powerful beings summonig storms and controlling the seas. And above all, she felt a powerful, but gentle force with everything, as if it was watching her, guarding her. It made her feel safe, as if she was curled up in her mother's arms, knowing that everything would be okay.

Then came another image, different from the others. Flameheart didn't know why or how she knew it was different, but she knew that it was a memory. Whose, she had no idea. A baby lay in a small cot, while the cries of battle raged around it. Flashes of black magic reflected through the windows, and the door was broken down. A lone woman was protecting the child, and with a shock Flameheart realised that the woman was Lightningstar, the current Guardian of Elements. A man entered the room, taking slow steady steps - the steps of someone who knew that their enemy was defeated. Lightningstar positioned herself in front of the cot and the baby, but Flameheart knew that her defiance was futile.

"Leave now, Nightstar. Walk away from this and no further harm will come. This does not need to get any messier." Lightningstar warned him, and Flameheart guessed that the man was Nightstar - the Dark Leader, the Leader of the Night Riders himself.

"Of course it does, dear Lightningstar." Nightstar purred. His voice was rich. It was the voice of a man who knew his power and knew how to use it well. "Give me the child and I will call off my men. You will not need to die tonight."

"And let an innocent child be tortured and brain washed all her life by you? I don't think so." Lightningstar hissed.

Nightstar sighed. "Your resistance does not matter. I get what I want, Lightningstar. I always do. You can't stop me, I have you trapped and all your precious Guarders and Keepers are preoccupied. No one is coming to help you."

Lightningstar didn't answer, but quickly scooped up the child. "If you want her, you'll have to find her." She hissed again, before calling on the power of the Gate and disappearing into the mortal world.

Flameheart snapped out of the stream of memories and images the Gate had shown her, and realised that they were back on Τόπος των άστρων and were in the grassy clearing that she had trained in so often.

"Are you okay?" Snowrush asked her, frowning. "You seemed sort of out of it when we Gated back here."

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine." She muttered, still thinking about everything she had just seen.

Snowrush shrugged. "Suit yourself. We should probably get back to Camp before anyone notices that we're gone." He started walking back to Camp. Flameheart exchanged glances with her Companion before following him. Apparently the Water Guarder was back to his old snippy attitude.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back in her dorm room, Flameheart lay sprawled on her bed, mulling over everything the Gate had shown her. Reddust had some other business to attend, so she was given the day off, but she had absolutely nothing to do, seeing as all of her other friends still had their lessons and there was no way she was going to seek out Snowrush's company. So her mind had once again turned to the images she had been shown. Especially the last one - the memory of Lightningstar and Nightstar.

:|Okay spill. What happened when we Gated back?|: Flame demanded.

:|I didn't even notice that we were back. The Gate showed me all of these memories, images. People who had used the Gate, people causing havoc with storm powers.|: She replied.

:|That's not all, is it. What else did it show you?|: Well Fireflame knew his Guarder better than she thought.

:|A memory. A different one. Lightningstar was defending a baby against Nightstar - he wanted it. But she used the Gate to travel back to Νέος κόσμος. Then I was back here.|:

:|I'm not going to pretend to understand what the Gate was meaning to do, Flameheart. Gates are tricky things, but there are rumors that they sometimes show things to those who use them - visions of the future, or memories of the past. Just don't forget, don't dwell on it all the time. Whatever it is, you're not going to find out now.|: Flame said at last.

Flameheart sighed, but she saw the sense in her Companion's words.

:|Okay fine. But I want to find out what happened back then. And I will. Eventually.|;

Heyla peoples!! Tess here. I have realised that this book is needing to undergo an extreme editing session, which I will be doing as soon as the book is finished.

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