Today was deemed a good day. Auntie Jazz had finished all her work and could take Ellie to the park to play. Yay!
The two walked hand in hand along the streets. As always, Ellie was looking around while they made their way to their destination since they have only arrived in the city not long ago and this was maybe the third time they visited their destination.
The minutes trickled by and soon Ellie could see the sign of the school that was next to the entrance. Jazz asked her to read it, it said "Papp Academy". They continued until they came to a gate that said "Entrance to Clarenden Hills State Forest". It took a few tries until Ellie could pronounce it correctly.
Auntie Jazz checked them in with the Ranger behind the desk, so they could go inside. After entering on their right side along the way they saw the playground already, with a few benches nearby in the clearing, even further there were bushes and then the forest started.
Ellie was starting to vibrate with her need to run and start playing, but she could stop herself enough to continue holding hands with her aunt.
When they were almost at the playground, Jazz lowered herself to be on eye-level with Ellie and they recited their rules together.
- Don’t talk to or follow strangers.
- If you are hurt come back to Auntie.
- Always be in sight of Auntie.
Their last and most important rule was not said out loud. Ellie could see the question and crucialness in her auntie's eyes. Her own eyes answered and told her she understood the one rule that should never be broken for all of their sakes.
- Never use your powers or let your disguise fall in the open.
After that Jazz smiled at her and let her run free while wishing for her to have fun.
Ellie squealed while running towards the playground. Her first stop were the slides. She climbed to the top and while waiting for the other kids to have their turn, Ellie looked and searched for where her auntie was sitting. She soon found her. Jazz was sitting on a nearby bench and reading one of the books she brought with her. At that moment her aunt was also looking up and waved towards Ellie. She waved back, while also jumping and turned towards the slide again. It was her turn now.
Time passed fast and Ellie had already played at the monkey bars and tunnels, now she was sitting in the sandbox. She wore a pair of overalls, so the sand had no chance to enter her pants.
As she was playing alone and building sand sculptures, another girl came to the box and asked to play together. Ellie happily agreed and they introduced themselves to each other.
The girl with olive skin, dark hair and brown eyes began: "I'm Lian. 4 years old. Can you give me that bucket? I'm here with my daddy and Uncle Jason." And pointed towards the opposite direction than Ellie's aunt was sitting.
There on another bench were two men talking with each other, one redhead and one with black hair and a white stripe.
Ellie gave her the bucket and introduced herself as well, "Ellie. 3. Auntie Jazz is sitting over there." and Ellie pointed towards Jazz. Jazz saw them and waved, the girls waved back.
The two girls continued to play together. After they were done with the sandbox, they went to the seesaw and each sat on one side. Soon though their gaze went towards the swings. But since they were both quite young, and also wanted to have fun together, they were at a dilemma.
Lian perked up and told Ellie, "We can ask my daddy and Uncle Jason to push us."
Her eyes sparkled while looking at Ellie. At first Ellie though the idea was brilliant but then she remembered her and Auntie Jazz's rules.
Before Lian could ask what was wrong, she heard Ellie say quietly, "Strangers…"
Lian knew what to do now, she took Ellie hands and informed her, "Dont worry, once they introduce themselves they're no longer strangers." Ellie agreed with her and they went on their way.
Soon two little girls stood before a bench with two grown men sitting on it. After the men turned their heads towards them, Ellie hid a bit behind Lian.
"Daddy. We need you two to push us on the swings, but Ellie isn't allowed to talk to strangers. So. Introductions!"
The man with red hair stood up from the bench and knelt before Lian. "Not talking to strangers is a good rule." He said while looking towards Ellie. "I'm Roy and am Lian's daddy. Nice to meet you." He held his hand out towards Ellie. She come out from behind Lian and took his hand.
"I'm Ellie."
Then the other man also knelt down and introduced himself. "I'm Jason, nice to meet you Ellie." They also shook hands. The two men stood up again, and Ellie used this moment to look towards the forest, she saw something and that made her relax.
Then the group made their way towards the swings and the girls where pushed by the two men and squealed. They had fun.
Much too soon though Lian and the two men had to leave. The two little girls hugged each other and promised to play together again, next time they see each other.
Ellie played on the monkey bars for 10 more minutes and then made her way back to her auntie, she was exhausted.
Jazz took her in her arms, gave her a bottle of water and asked her if she had fun.
"Yes. Me and Lian played sooooo much."
"I saw.", Jazz snickered.
"For the swings we got Lian's daddy and her uncle Jason to push us. The redhead is her daddy." Ellie clarified.
"Thank you for telling me who they are."
"Sleepy." Ellie muttered while rubbing her eyes.
Jazz chuckled a little bit, but instead of making her way to the exit, she walked towards the bushes. "I thought we could visit someone before we leave."
Ellie's eyes sparkled and she woke up a little again. She made Jazz put her down and they held hands again. After arriving at the beginning of the forest but still inside the clearing, they could feel a little bit of energy rush towards them. Ellie felt a little invigorated, while the gems in Jazz's earrings gleamed a bit.
Summary: Jazz makes new connections and gives a history lesson.
Notes: 50 Days after Arrival
This chapter has a bit of info dump at the end, about the history of my version of Gemworld.
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It has been quite a few weeks since they have arrived on earth. Ellie was staying with Danny again, and he was looking after her. Giving Jazz time to herself and doing what she wanted for the longest time.
Find more Homo Magi and maybe a teacher.
Due to her family being outcasts on Gemworld, no one wanted to teach her, and her parents were not good at explanations. Jazz could only teach herself with the books they had. The one method that worked best for her was reciting spells in a language called Latin. Sadly, Jazz had no access to any books to learn this langauge, as such she could only use the phrases that were written down in books, and had to use try-and-error to find out what those spells did (as such she only tested a few of them) and had to learn how to use it in combination with the little bit of gems they had at home.
After meeting and befriending her brother, he taught her an even better way to use the gems, her people used for magic. The people of the underworld, or how they liked to call themselves, the denizens of the realms, had a much more intimate and different understanding of the gems. Later Jazz learned that these magical stones where once part of the bodies of denizens and while alive they could also create some themselves.
Still Jazz needed a teacher that used only magic without gems, even better if it was another homo magi since their magic was innate. She also needed a teacher for Latin. As soon as she could, after arriving on earth and moving into the apartment Clockwork prepared for them, she visited the library to learn Latin.
Today was the day she put aside to find other Homo Magi, she knew that if she used a location spell for any Homo Magi nearby, she might find someone, but who knows if they would admit to knowing magic, it could also be possible that the person she finds does not know they can use magic at all. Or worse used magic for evil, like Dark Opal.
So she took her car and drove outside the city to an empty field. Jazz parked her car a ways away and walked to the center of the field. No one else was nearby, so she made a protection circle around herself. After that she stood in the middle and spoke her spell.
Lux mea, duce viam ad me; solum homo magis patefacito.
While ushering out her spell, she used it in combination with her gem. This gem was gifted to her by Danny and was once part of him, as such it was stronger/had the potential for stronger magic than the ones harvested from the mountains on Gemworld. With the gem, she could influence her spoken spell a little, give it parameters like, only homo magi who do not want to use her or put her in harms way, get notified.
She waited for maybe half an hour inside her circle when another car arrived. Out of it stepped a woman in a showbiz outfit, she even wore a tophat. This woman looked around a bit, before she opened her mouth and informed the vastness before her, that she has felt the spell and would like to meet the being that used it. After looking for a bit, Jazz deemed her as safe enough and let her protection circle fall.
"Hello.", she greeted.
The other woman said hello back, and gave her praise for the concealment, as she could not identify and find it before Jazz stepped out of it.
----
Sitting across from each other in a cafe, near the field where they met, Jazz observed the other woman again. She introduced herself as Zatanna, she was apperently a stage magician, but also a hero of the Justice League. Even though Jazz only knew that such an orginisation existed, as soon as she was back home, she would have to research a bit more.
During their conversation while drinking coffee, Jazz told her a bit of her situation.
- She was a Homo Magi.
- Her family did not have enough resources to teach her how to use her magic.
- She taught herself a little bit with books and noticed that Latin was best for her.
- But she need to really learn Latin and how to use magic with it, since she tried some sentences herself but they didn't work.
Zatanna listened carefully. She sadly informed her that she herself does not use Latin but backwards speak. But she and her Father could teach her the theory of using magic and how to intonate a spell.
Jazz was happy, the two exchanged numbers, since they both had day jobs and would create a schedule to teach Jazz how to use her innate magic.
----
Weeks passed. Jazz periodically took care of Ellie, more often than not, since her niece got the hang of her disguise more and more. Danny sadly healed only slowly and could not move in with them for now. Still they tried to visit him often. Ellie was even enrolled in a kindergarden, since she had more control over her powers.
A few times when they visited the playground in the state forest of Star City, they met the little girl Ellie befriended again. This time Ellie introduced Lian to Jazz even. Jazz has not spoken to the guardions of Lian so far. Sometimes Lian came with her father, sometimes her father and uncle. Othertimes with her grandparent or a babysitter.
Jazz met up with Zatanna biweekly to study magic, sometimes Zatanna's father Giovanni was also there. On other days she learned Latin. She made progress.
Jazz's weekly planner was almost always full. Her time was split between these few things and also her job as an assistant in a law firm, while also studying law online. She tried her best, so that she could make this planet a better place for her brother and niece.
Even though there were so many open beings not from earth (aliens as earthlings liked to call them) and also Meta in this Country, and they also protected this world as part of the Justice League. In their normal lives they had to hide themselves behind a secret identity, since there was no law that protected them.
While researching the Justice League, Jazz made note of who was an extra terrestrial. When she came across the hero Martian Manhunter, she became interested. It seemes this being is of mars and somehow came to earth and lived there, but his martian form is only seen during a crisis or as a superhero, how and where he lives his normal/daily live is not known. As such Jazz gleaned that he must be able to disguise himself and that earthlings would not welcome him as his normal form.
Since Jazz was acquainted with Zatanna now, she thought maybe she could get her to introduce them. Danny would love Martian Manhunter, he always loved anything to do with space. Additionally, once she is finished with her degree and has become a lawyer, she would spearhead a law to protect metas, other subspecies and extra terrestials. With the help of heroes such as Martian Manhunter, it would possible go faster and her brother and niblings would be protected even if the truth about them comes out. Maybe they could even live more openly.
----
Jazz's studies went well. She passed a few classes early and also her magic training was going superb. She even revealed which planet she was from to her new friends and teachers. Gemworld. And showed them some of her magic using gems (her earrings). They were a beautiful mix of emerald and icy sapphire.
Jazz did not however tell them about the underworld or the original name of the planet. She was one of the few people of gemworld that was allowed to learn of the indiginous people and of their realms.
The denizens additionally to living in the underground of the planet had access to another dimension and many of their people migrated there already. This was a secret that after learning about it she had to promise not to tell, which she completely understood. Especially, after all that with Dark Opal and Danny happened. If he were to learn of the realms, every world and being would be threatened.
Zatanna was very interested in the story of Gemworld and asked her to meet again, just them so she could learn more about it.
The next time Zatanna was in town for a show was this Friday. As such Zatanna gave her tickets to see it and they could talk after. Jazz asked for two tickets since, Ellie was staying with her again. Danny was becoming more one minded lately and on her last visit he asked her to keep Ellie with her. His second baby, the small cracked core he protected with all his life was showing signs of forming and he had to use all his focus to protect it and sadly could not spare Ellie the attention she needed.
Even though her niece was only 3 years old Ellie was very understanding of her parent needing all their attention to help her little sibling, and made no fuss to stay with her, even though she was a bit glum.
This magic show would hopefully brighten her mood a little.
---
And brighten her mood it did, they were just waiting for Zatanna to finish her after show routine, to visit her, and Ellie was already talking her ear off with how amazed by the show she was. Denizens could use magic but it was nothing like Homo Magi magic or even show magic from earth.
"Auntie Jazz, did you see her teleport the bird? The white bird- and then the white rabbit…"
Jazz was happy for her niece but before she could answer again that yes she did indeed see it. The door opened and one Zatanna Zatara freshly showered and in comfy clothes stood before them.
"Come inside. Did you enjoy the show?"
Jazz didnt even have to answer as Ellie's eyes sparkeled (literally) upon seeing the magician before her and squealed before beginning her rant again, about what she liked- everything.
Jazz shook her head fondly while carrying her niece into the room.
Inside Jazz joined Zatanna on the couch after setting Ellie down in an area where their host already left some toys so she could play.
Zatanna offered her a water bottle and Jazz accepted it, opening and taking a sip from it.
After casting a spell so no one could eavesdrop on them from outside the room, Zatanna began speaking.
"So, first of all, I'm thankful you feel save enough here on earth and with us that you revealed where you came from. Second, since you are a Homo Magi, how come your homeplanet is not Earth? As far as my knowledge goes, Homo Magi are a subspecies of humans and humans are only on earth?"
"Ah, yes. I also know that Homo Magi are a subspecies of humans. But Gemworld is inhabitated by only Homo Magi."
"So… What's the story of Gemworld?"
"Well, I can only tell you what it says in our history books. I don't know what of it is completely true or if it was embellished."
"Gladly."
Jazz took a deep breath and began reciting her old history books: "Eons ago, Lady Citrina, a Homo Magi sorceress, came to the knowledge that the magic of earth would not be enough in the future for all homo magi and searched for a new home that had enough magic for her people. While using dimensional rifts to different planets in our dimension, she came across our planet. Due to it's high magic energy and aptitude, it was not free for the taking but belonged to the Lords of Chaos. Lady Citrina struck a deal with them and in return got the surface of this planet for the homo magi that wanted to leave earth."
Jazz looked around and could see Ellie out of the corner of her eye, also silently listening. She always did like her voice while telling stories. But soon she continued.
"In the first few years of living there, while still building cities, an explorer named ,Layton, one of the first immigrants of our people came across a mountain and while mining for materials to build more buildings, found one of the first gems used. This person became the first of twelve royal houses as a reward. This was the House of Sardonyx, in honor of the gem he found. After coming back and telling friends of this, they continued mining and found more gems. The people could instinctually tell that these gems where different than the ones of earth, they were filled with magical energy. One of the scientist, Saif, managed to use the gems for magic and became the second royal house, also named in honor of the gem he used to come to this realization, House Moonstone. Years passed and the people realized that some had better connection with specific gems. And the other 10 Royal Houses came about to be: House Diamond, Onyx, Ruby, Sapphire, Topaz, Emerald, Garnet, Turquoise, Aquamarine and House Amethyst."
Zatanna's eyes seemed to gain a little bit of recognition at the last word, interesting. Still Jazz kept narrating.
"Centuries passed and now the people of Gemworld, each have a birth gem, the gem they could use to use magic. Now no one can use magic without them. The intricate/innate way we use magic has evolved with us. So to say, we are an evolved species of Homo Magi. The royal houses take turns on who is in the highest postion every 2 Generations, but the decisions are still made by all the twelve houses in a council. As such no house may intermarry."
Jazz stopped her narration and addressed Zatanna again. "Because of this it is frowned upon of People of different Houses and Gem-Alignments to marry each other. If they do, then they become shunned and often move away. My family was part of those shunned people."
Zatanna reached out with her hand and patted Jazz's shoulder as a show of understanding, as Jazz looked a bit sad at this.
"Now, what I tell you now, is not in the history books since it is very recent."
Zatanna nodded, not speaking, probably because, once she began asking question, she knew she wouldn't stop soon, and Jazz could maybe answer some already indirectly.
"The House that ruled when i was born was House Amethyst. Around 13 Years ago, though, Dark Opal, he named himself this, and his Gem is also a Black Opal, murdered the Lord and Lady Amethyst. Their child Princess Amethyst seemed to have been sent away. Still, after killing them Dark Opal, announced himself the sole ruler of Gemworld, and brought all the other Royal Houses under his reign. His Gem seems to negate theirs. I was quite young back then only 13 years old myself. But since we lived in the outskirts and where the other shunned lived, we were not heavily affected at the beginning, soon though his reach came and before my parents helped me flee, it seemed he wanted to have a bride, and was about to order the younger women to his palace. Imagine, the age range he gave was 13-30. Who knows if the people he didnt choose, would be sent back."
When Jazz looked back up again, it was to a little Ellie leaning her head on her knees and petting her legs like you would a cat. Trying to console her. She picked up her niece and nuzzled her.
Now the person she was visiting spoke again.
"I'm sorry, it seems the last few years have been hard for you and your family. I'm sure you miss your parents very much. Thank you for giving me that history lesson though. I heard about Lady Citrina once before, but I will ask my father again, he should know more. Though I didnt expect the Lords of Chaos to be part of your planet's history."
"Do you know of them too?"
"Yes, some of their people sometimes cause chaos here." As Jazz snorted, Zatanna backtracked a bit, noticed the pun and uttered, " - I did my best not to make a pun."
"No worries. It made me laugh, didn't it?"
"Well i'm glad you seem a bit happier again. By the way who is this little munchkin?" Zatanna asked while looking at Ellie in her arms.
-------------------------------------------------
"This is my niece, Ellie. She is also from the same planet as me."
Summary: While Roy is on a mission, Lian is looked after by a babysitter. Something happens...
Notes: 240-247 Days after Arrival
855 words
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Story: (POV Roy)
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Roy hung up and walked into the living room, where Lian was playing.
"Lian, baby", he called her while picking her up, "this week Daddy will be gone for a week, with Uncle Jason and Aunt Kori for a mission. Jackie will come to look after you."
While Lian made a sad face at the start of his sentence, when she heard Jackie was coming she lit up again.
"Will I sleep at Jackie's place?", she asked intriguingly. Roy answered with a nod.
Lian's following squeal was enough for Roy to know she was excited.
The duo prepared everything Lian would need for her weeklong sleepover at Jackie's and put it in one big bag. A few snacks and her favourite plushie were packed into Lian's small backpack.
"Come, let's go."
After putting on their shoes each, Roy held out his hand and Lian took it.
They took his car and drove to the babysitters house.
After parking and taking Lian in his arms, Roy walked towards the door of Jackie's house. He let Lian push the bell and together they waited for the door to open.
"JACKIE!", Lian squealed happily and started wriggling, when the door opened and Jackie came out.
Roy let his daughter down and handed over the bag in his hands to the babysitter.
"Thanks for always being available last minute."
"No problem. I'm also happy to spend time with the little firecracker." Jackie answered while ruffling Lian’s hair affectionately.
"Well, I'll be back in a week, as always if an emergency happens you can always call me."
"Yes, on the secret number, I know." Jackie reassured Roy as she put the bag inside.
"Lian say bye bye to daddy."
"Bye daddy."
"Bye baby." Roy gave Lian a kiss on the forehead and left.
He drove to his garage, put the car away, put up a sign, that the shop is closed for a week and went to the nearest Zeta Tube. Time for Arsenal to show his face again.
---
Just when the Outlaws were at a Justice League Headquarters to debrief about their mission the Justice League sent them on, Roy felt his phone vibrate. He quickly excused himself from the table and looked who called him. It was Jackie, Lian's babysitter. Oh no.
He picked up the call and before he could even get a word out, he heard her panicked voice.
"…I can't find her. There was a group of men - *gasp* - everyone was running - *breathe* - we were pushed. She let go of my hand. Everything was chaos…", Jackie was crying while doing her best to tell him everything.
"Breathe Jackie, breathe.", Roy tried to instruct her while keeping calm himself. "Start from the beginning, what happened?"
Roy could hear the babysitter take a few deep breaths through the phone. After she got herself together and apparently also went to the side of whatever road she stood on - he heard less background noise, she began again.
"Well, today after breakfast I took Lian to the park near Papp Academy, she told me how she made a friend with whom she plays when they see each other there.", Roy nodded to himself at that.
Jackie continued, "After about an hour of playing there I heard police sirens in the distance."
She paused again to steel herself, Roy thought.
"The sirens got louder and louder. I walked towards Lian and was about to hold her hand, when 5 masked men came barrelling into the park with backpacks slung over their shoulders. Three of them had automatic rifles. Screams began to erupt and chaos started. The adults and children began running towards each other. I quickly grabbed hold of Lian's hands, but that's when the policemen came onto the scene. They ran after the criminals, but those scoundrels began to flit between the people. The whole scene was overwhelming. I wanted to run towards the exit with Lian, but I don’t know when- I suddenly couldn’t feel her small hand anymore. When I looked down, she was gone!"
Jackie sounded distraught but she still continued, "In the end the police could capture 2 men, both with guns. But the other three escaped into the forest." Roy heard her gasp audibly. "WHAT IF THEY TOOK LIAN?!"
Jackie began crying again. Roy tried his best to remain calm while also calming down Jackie.
"Jackie, Jackie calm down. We need clear heads to find Lian. I'm making my way home. Meanwhile try to recall what Lian was wearing and write it down. If we need missing posters we know what to write.", Roy tried to sound rational while hastily packing his bag.
"Okay, okay."
"Try to keep the police there. Tell them that you suspect that MAYBE the criminals have a hostage, a little girl."
"Okay, I will. I will.", Jackie calmed down.
"I'll see you soon.", Roy hung up.
Arsenal looked up at the other heroes. They looked back a bit expectantly. Roy scoffed internally.
"I have to leave." was the only thing he uttered before hopping into the nearest Zeta-Tube to get back to his car.
Summary: Zatanna introduces someone to Jazz. What did you say, I will be her teacher?
Notes: 170 Days after Arrival
1609 words
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Story: (POV Amaya/Amy Winston/Princess Amethyst)
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For the first 13 years of her life, Amy thought she was a normal girl.
With her blonde hair and violet eyes, she looked similar enough to her adoptive parents. Marion and Herb Winston. Marion had blond hair and blue eyes, while her adoptive father had black hair and brown eyes.
Amy was told quite early on that she was adopted. Her parents did not want such information to damage their relationship later in their life so she was told, that even though they were not her biological parents, they loved her very much. The Winstons sadly did not have the ability to have children themselves.
Amy Winston lived her life without any big events. The occasional threat did appear on earth and she heard about it from the news, but the Justice League protected their planet and she felt quite safe.
A week after her 13th Birthday she along with other classmates were kidnapped by a villain who wanted to experiment on humans to test his theories. Amy was disoriented during most of the attack and that time, that she could not remember his name or what his theories were. The villain split the kids up with one each in a room, so that they could not work together. When it was her turn to be experimented on and one of the villain's goons came to get her, the necklace she got from her parents on her birthday began to glow and she transformed. She beat up the villain, saved her classmates and in all that confusion, transformed back out of view of the others and went back home.
When Amy was back in her room her brain finally had the time and quiet to sort through everything that happened. Her necklace glowed when she was in danger, and she transformed into a purple haired, purple-eyed girl with a purple dress. The necklace was the beginning factor, better ask her parents where it came from.
The new information she gained completely threw out her conception of herself. She wasn't human, she came from outer space, the necklace is from her biological family. She can do magic.
For the next few days she spent all her free time to make sense of that information and also tried to transform again. It only worked after a few tries and only for a short while.
Amy was so confused, when she looked up "magic superheroes" on the internet, it gave her a few results, but most of them were about the Justice League and their magical/magic-using members.
Zatara the magician and Zatanna his daughter were the most prominent Heroes that used magic, especially since they also did magic shows. As such they had fan-mailboxes.
Amy wrote a letter focusing to try to get her problem across without outright writing "I am an alien and can you magic, help i don't know how".
A few weeks later she got a reply, as she opened the letter a magic message jumped out: it looked like a small hologram of Zatanna telling her to come to her next magic show with the tickets in the envelope. There was also a VIP-Pass to meet her after the show one-on-one.
With the help of Zatanna and Zatara, Amy got to learn more about what she is (a Homo Magi) and how to use magic, sadly it didn’t work exactly as they taught her. They also introduced her to the Young Justice team and she was part of a superhero team of her own.
-----
Around a year has gone by since Amy awakened her powers. Zatanna has invited her out to eat and meet someone.
The blonde entered the family diner and looked around for Zatanna in her casual wear. It was a Tuesday afternoon, as such not many people were present, only a few eldery women who drank coffee and ate cake.
She noticed the magician sitting at a corner table with a still steaming cup of coffee before her. The older woman was talking on the phone, when she noticed Amy coming closer.
"Hello Amy, how are you doing?"
Amy replied as Zatanna gestured for her to sit next to her. "I'm fine. Is someone else coming, or why is the bench across from us empty?"
"Yeah, the person we are meeting here is why I called you here."
Amy looked intrigued while the older homo magi continued on.
"You remember how we tried to begin teaching you magic, correct?"
Amy couldn’t decide between snickering and cringing while remembering those session where nothing worked.
"Yeah."
Zatanna seemed to notice her look and grinned at her. "Well, I found you a teacher. Someone who also uses gems to do magic."
Amy was shocked, there was such a person? Not just her?
The girl began to vibrate, when Zatanna told her the person was coming to the diner too, they would arrive in the next few minutes even.
After the waitress brought Amy her drink, the bell at the door began to jingle, signifying a new customer entering the diner. Amy looked up and saw a gorgeous lady with long red hair. This woman gave a searching overview of the establishment and her eyes showed recognition on seeing Zatanna. The magician waved their companion over and told her to sit across from them.
Amy tried her best to contain her excitement since this was the first person to use gems as magical conduits like her, but she waited until Zatanna introduced her.
"Hello Jazz, how are you doing? This is Amy.", Zatanna with a show of hands introduced the girl, "I already had the plan to introduce you, but after what you told me last time, I thought it would be best that you meet and introduce yourself to each other."
Before the person sitting across from her could answer. Both Amy and Jazz could hear Zatanna whisper something in backwards-speak.
The redhead began to speak after 'tasting' something in the air, "Ah an eavesdrop barrier, nice touch."
Amy was amazed, the woman could feel what kind of spell it was? Awesome!
The blonde could feel a nudge coming from her side, and was reminded she should say something.
"I'm Amy", she reached over to shake hands, "Zatanna told me you could teach me magic."
"My name is Jasmine, but you can call me Jazz", the woman - Jazz - took her hand to shake, though she looked a bit confused. "I haven’t heard anything about teaching," she continued looking at Zatanna.
"Ah sorry, I forgot to mention it." the black haired magician looked a bit sheepish.
After rousing herself again she continued, "I met Amy a few months ago, she just came into her magical powers and needed a teacher. My father and me went to teach her, but we have never met anyone use magic like she does as such we were stumped. So far we could only help her have control over the few spells she accidentally came across herself. But after you told us that you use gems to perform magic, I knew i had to introduce you to her."
"Oh, could you show me your gem?", her - maybe - teacher asked.
Amy took her necklace out from where it was hidden inside her shirt. It was a beautiful silver necklace with a heart-shaped amethyst as its centrepiece.
"An Amethyst. Amazing," Jazz looked closely at the gem and studied it, "This kind of gem is specialized for constructs. Of course you can also use other spells with it, but constructs should come to you the easiest."
Amy looked at her in awe, that is more than anyone could tell her before.
"Do you also know where I'm from? My parents only told me how they adopted me. With my only possessions being this necklace and a letter in a language they couldn’t read. Wait I think I have it with me.", Amy began to rummage through her bag, until she found the letter. She carefully pulled it out of its unnoticeable envelope, spread the letter out on the table and made it face Jazz.
The woman looked at the piece of paper, read the words and carefully traced the edges with her fingers.
When she finished reading she looked up surprised at Amy.
"I never would have guessed…", she started, "You are Princess Amethyst."
"How did you know my hero name?"
"That's your hero name? Fitting. But no I was referring to your title. Back on Gemworld, your home planet.", Jazz continued gently.
Amy's mind was blown, her new teacher also knew where she was born. She had to have her as her teacher now, not just for magic but also for knowledge about her planet, why she was sent away and everything.
"Look…", the redhead started again, this time she looked a bit down. "I definitely can’t take you there if that’s what you want. While I am also from the same planet, it is just too dangerous. I'll gladly teach you how to use your gem and history about Gemworld, but we can't go there."
The thought of being brought there hasn’t even surfaced in Amy's mind before it was shot down. But she noticed how sad and deflated Jazz looked at the mention of the danger there. As such she did not protest.
She slowly put her hands on Jazz's own which were laying on the table. When the woman looked up at her the girl just smiled lopsidedly. "I haven’t even had the thought of asking you of that, I'm already happy with you teaching me."
