Ignite [Book Three In The "Fire And Lightning" Series]

Chapter Thirteen- Unexpected Visitor

I am veryveryveryveryvery sorry for the delay. But this was a very heart-wrenching chapter for me to write, and I couldn't find the words to write it even after EternallyNevermore and I role-played out the whole thing.

Don't be fooled by the happy scene I slapped in the beginning for your sake. Everything is about to go downhill.

~~Willow~~

"Willow?"

I blinked my eyes open, expecting to see Connor standing over me to wake me up, but instead I saw Emma in the doorway of my cave bedroom.

I sat up quickly, staring at her with wide eyes. She wore her Nightingale costume, and her long brown hair was pulled into a simple ponytail at the base of her neck. Her mask was in her hand, and her sapphire eyes glinted playfully at me.

She smiled a great big smile at me, as it I wasn't staring at her like she'd come back from the dead. "Hurry up and get dressed! the team isn't gonna wait for us!" She giggled, closing the door behind her as she ran down the hallway.

What's going on? The cave was destroyed, wasn't it? And I know I fell asleep in my room in Nightvale last night--not Mount Justice.

"Isn't it obvious?" I turned on my side to see Pyro sitting cross-legged on my dresser. Scarlett sat on the floor in front of the mostly empty bookshelf, rereading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Had they been here the whole time?

"It's a memory." Scarlett said softly, calmly turning the page.

I relaxed. "Oh." I looked around my old cave room. It was bare, since my things were at the Queen's house. It was obviously after I'd been adopted by Ollie and Dinah, and since Emma was now Nightingale, it was probably 2013 or after that. It depended on if Jason was here or not.

"Only one way to find out." As Emma suggested, I carefully pulled the change of my brightly-colored uniform out of my overnight bag. Each article of clothing had an unfamiliar weight, adding to the degree of discomfort I felt at being back at my home that was supposed to be destroyed.

I heard laughter echoing in the halls, and opened my door. Two small, monkey-like children skidded around the corner and out of sight at the end of the hall. Rachel and Garfield.

I left my room, remembering to close the door behind me, and Pyro and Scarlett followed me as I slowly walked in the direction the twins had been headed.

I walked past the kitchen, and I heard their childish squeals of laughter. I peeped around the corner, and a boy with a strong build, a t-shirt, and a mop of black hair scooped up the two green trouble makers.

I thought it was Connor for a second. And it was. Not my Connor, but Superboy. His blue eyes spotted me hiding in the doorway, and he smiled.

"'Morning Willow!"

Rachel gasped and looked up, as her position under Connor's arm allowed her to face me. "Willow!" She smiled at me, trying to squirm out of his grasp and hug me, but she was no match for the super-strength.

"Willow, help us!" Gar shouted in mock desperation. He was slung over Connor's shoulder and began to beat his tiny fists on Connor's back.

"Connor, let us go?" Rachel almost begged.

"Hmm..." Connor pretended to think it over. "Nope."

"You guys!" Three cranberries shot across the family room from the kitchen and hit Connor, Garfield, and Rachel each on the head.