"And this is Broadway."

     Reina pointed at a stage where a man kneeled before a tall tower, his arms outstretched, pleading to the lady at the top of it. "Oh Rapunzel, let down thy golden locks that I may climb up and meet you."

"Oh, Flynn. I wish I could, but I must train my baby dragons today. What do you think about tomorrow? Too sunny?"

Flynn Rider gaped at her. "You'd pick your dragons over me?"

"Why yes, Flynn. They don't call me the mother of dragons for nothing."

For some odd reason, the audience watching found it funny and Ava raised a brow at Reina. "I'm sure that's not the line."

"That's Broadway here for you. You should see what they do to Shrek. Oh, the puns." She shook her head with a sigh.

     As they continued down the street, Ava noticed the different attire that people wore: the Alvians in the crowd with glitter all over their clothes; the Omars and their one of a kind geometric fashion; and a group of people wore pirate outfits, down to the eye patch and scarf!

"Do they allow pirates here or is it just a costume?" Ava asked, pulling closer to Reina when she noticed the crowd had thickened.

"They do. Izzy had to pick between them or vampires. Since the pirates' land is just after the first step, they are neighbors so she has to let them in. But only on festivals. Izzy's distaste for Pirates and Vampires is not of this world. Any beast with a bad image is never allowed into Omar unless it belongs to someone, then she can reconsider."

Ava nodded as she spoke, taking note of all the pirates she saw. There were a lot.

     In front of her, a couple of kids were playing in children's  knight armor. They struck each other with wooden swords, and one of them said, "I am Eugene, and I am here to save Pocahontas."

The other kid took off his helmet and frowned. "You mean Rapunzel."

"Isn't that Flynn Rider?"

"Same guy." The boy shook his head then turned to the girl licking her popsicle. "What's the name of the dude that liked Pocahontas?"

She stopped licking and said, "Weren't there two?"

"Guys! Guys!" Another boy in knight's armor ran to them, holding his sword under his arm so he could keep his helmet from falling down. "The dragons are here! The dragons are here!"

Ava repeated their words to Reina as they ran into the crowd to find the dragons. However, before Reina could speak, a huge black dragon flew above them, it reminded her of an airplane jet. Its shadow covered them as it crossed the sky before hovering above them. Two more dragons flew close to the first one and Ava managed to catch sight of the rider.

     Xavier, who Ava thought was still bunking on the ship, had his black hair ruffled by the breeze as he gripped the reigns when his dragon flew around the first one. The first dragon looked mighty compared to the other two but for reasons unknown to Ava, the crowd still loved them. The dragon Xavier was riding was slim with a greenish colored body. Sharp horns trailed from its nose all the way to its tail. It was bigger compared to the other reddish one that flew closely beside it.

"You have seen Xavier, right?" Reina asked suddenly, startling Ava who had forgotten she was right beside her.

"Yes." She sniffed then rubbed her nose. "He's on the green one."

"Right. Because I know what green looks like." 

Ava froze and stared at the woman beside her. How could she have let that simple information slip past her? She wanted to apologize, but the woman interrupted her before she could even think of the right words to say.

"Never mind. I've found him. He's riding Bo... the name is spelled 'Boo' and the dragon beside his is Gina. Boo is new, so Xavier has spent a few days away training him for the dragon riding event."

"I didn't know that," she said, looking up at the dragons as they circled the step.

"Which part?" Reina mumbled loud enough for Ava to hear and she frowned, following after the woman when she started to move.

"Wait a minute Reina, are you guilt-tripping me?"

She shrugged innocently. "I have no idea what that means."

Ava bit her lip when she couldn't think up a good comeback for her. It was just a one-time slip. Why was Reina so offended?

     As they walked further down the street, Ava scowled at the awkward silence that had come between them. Reina took Ava around to greet people but never once looked back at her. It made her hate the odd feeling she got in her stomach.

     Reina led her up to another crowd. The center of attention was an eating competition, and Ava almost smirked when her stomach growled. A few boys passed out flyers detailing the menu, and Ava found it interesting. If Reina kept ignoring her, she might just leave her to eat for the prize: a large sack of rice. Silas loved rice.

     An elderly man, probably in his 60's, said as people set the tables for the next round, "We've got forty minutes left before it starts. If you haven't gotten the flyers for the menu, it's Turkey Soup with Rice, Stuffed Green Pepper Casserole, Jerky Fried Rice, Quick Jambalaya, African Jollof Rice, and Asian Rice Cakes. The last competition for today is who will be the last man standing. The plates will keep coming, and if you stand up, or fall off your seat, you are out. This is the last chance to have free food. Our restaurant, Intercontinental is just two blocks down."

As the man went on, Ava turned to Reina who was staring at the menu. "So, I'm going to enter."

Reina instantly looked up at her. "Why?"

"Because I am hungry. And you pissed me off so I'm going to eat my annoyance away," she added then strolled toward the tables.

"But you pissed me off first," Reina called, and the blonde rolled her eyes.

Ava refused to respond to that and settled in at one of the tables. There were four tables, almost like the ones one would see at a park. They sat side by side as people filled them. Ava wasn't even surprised when she saw Silas and Ava joining her table.

Her brother sat beside her while Edgar sat opposite him. Benji suddenly dashed out of the crowd, his face red as he angrily sat beside Edgar.

"Why are the both of you comfortable? You too Ava." He looked at her as if she was the one supposed to be puffing out steam as he was.

"I don't understand what's going on?"

Benji's brow rose slowly then he leaned in and said, "Reina wants to be a witch."

"She told me that."

"Yeah, but to be a witch a couple of things has to happen to her. The four of us, falling into this world, is the start."

Ava leaned back when she finally understood. No wonder Reina was training them. No wonder the white witch gave the boys the runes without much hassle. Something was coming. But the real question was, was it after Reina or them?

"See Silas, your sister understands." Benji frowned at Silas as he leaned back in his seat. "And I do not understand why you are so relaxed, Edgar. You are supposed to be the one going crazy and asking questions."

"Benji," Edgar drawled as he turned to look at him. "This is fucking free food man. Let me enjoy it before I go hysterical. And besides, I only understand parts of everything you are telling me. Why don't we just ask Reina directly about her prophecy and see if we are the target or if she is? She should know that. Like she said, she's not psychic for nothing."

"What if she doesn't tell us?" Benji said just as the bell rang for the competition to start.

Ava glanced at the person who had sat at her other side then withheld an eye roll. "Oh hey, Akane."

"I can clearly see you do not want to see me." She smirked.

"I do not. Especially after what you told me yesterday."

She nodded then added as the food was placed in front of them, "Well, I don't feel it now. You bought a charm right?"

"Reina did. She can't stand it."

"Is that so?"

Akane raised a cocky brow just as the elderly man blew the whistle for them to start.

     As they ate plate after plate, the man talked about the food which they kept serving. "It is called the African Jollof Rice or to be more exact, the West African Jollof Rice. We have Malian, Nigerian and Ghanaian cooks. These three plates will circulate around so everyone can have a taste of their culture."

     As the elderly man carried on describing the food and its background, Ava began to notice a couple of the plates had distinct tastes. They were all the same rice but they all tasted different. It was by her tenth plate, Ava realized she couldn't continue.

     Edgar and Benji had long since given up and were resting by the sidelines with the crowd. Ava dropped her last plate and stood up, making the crowd clap, and the elderly man cheered for her.

She gave him a small smile before joining Edgar and Benji when she didn't see Reina. She must have stormed off somewhere. Edgar had his finger in his teeth while Benji held his stomach, groaning. They both dropped out at their third or fourth plate.

"Oh, my God. I haven't eaten so much in a while," Benji said then groaned again.

"Yo, free food is the best. And the rice was fantastic. I don't even know which I loved best. I am conflicted."

Ava rolled her eyes at Edgar but met Benji's when she suddenly remembered what he had said that morning. "I thought your diet was blood?"

Benji winced, wrapping an arm around himself. "It is my beast's effect. But I personally need food too to be able to control it. It's what Wyatt said."

"Okay, but what's this thing about you dying? Reina clearly said no one should leave the tower for reasons known to her, and you did, didn't you?"

Benji's eyes widened, and he glanced at Edgar as if asking for help but the short haired boy only shrugged and looked away. Benji swallowed and smiled awkwardly at Ava.

"We just wanted to check out the town with Wyatt. Then Vampires attacked out of nowhere. But Wyatt killed them before one could bite Silas... not exactly kill since they were already dead. Let's use, 'put them out of commission' instead. Anyways, I got scared, and everything went weird from there."

Ava barely heard him after he said Silas was almost bitten. If Wyatt hadn't been there or had run off, Silas would be dead. Edgar probably wouldn't be able to choose between saving Silas or Edgar! What were they thinking?

"How dare you put my brother in danger?" She cut him off when he started blabbing about what he saw.

"-whoa! Me? Put him in danger?" Benji frowned at her. "He was all for the idea before I even agreed. And before you point fingers at Edgar, we forced him to come. We didn't want to sit around and do nothing."

"You weren't supposed to do nothing. You were expected to train and get to know your beasts. That monster inside you is not your friend, and if it kills you, it can take control of your body."

"It can't kill us, it's in us." Edgar tried to defend his friend, and Ava turned to him.

"Well guess what? In there," She jabbed her finger to her temple, "you are vulnerable. Those beasts aren't. They'll coax you into letting them take control, but honestly, that can't happen. You have to die mentally for them to come out."

"So in less scary terms, we have to go crazy before they can take control." Benji nodded. "That makes so much more sense now. I'll tell Fangie to stop with the tricks now. I understand what he's doing."

She raised a brow at him, confused. Even Edgar was lost.

"Wait, you named him Fangie?" he asked, bewildered.

"No, I named him Fang. Like what he is. He's a crazy bastard, so I'm giving him something that fits him." He chuckled abruptly. "Funny, he just called me stupid."

Ava didn't want to go into how crazy Benji looked. She just hoped that wasn't how people looked at her.

     Someone came up behind her, but Ava already knew it was Silas. Thanks to the Kaymon's heightened senses, she could easily smell him and hear his light footsteps. Usually, Silas could walk past her, and Ava wouldn't notice. She had always wanted to teach him how to use it as a weapon, but something always came up. Something she hadn't dared discuss with anyone.

"Hey, guys. I lost. I think Akane is going to get this one." Silas pouted, and Edgar chuckled as he threw an arm around his shoulders.

"It's no biggie. The point was free food anyways. But how do you eat so much and carry on looking like a freaking broom?" Edgar joked, poking Silas' slightly big stomach.

Silas rolled his eyes, brushing the boy's finger away. "Not funny, Edgar."

"It is actually." Benji shrugged Edgar's look away and continued. "What? You can't  flirt in front of me and expect me to just ignore it. I wanted the dude's hot sister, but she has like no interest in me because Silas almost got bitten by a vampire. So remember this face, because I'm going to be a nuisance to the both of you."

"Benji-" Edgar started.

"Sis, I'm fine. Look, his fangs didn't even go in." Silas came forward to show her his neck, but Ava was already weirded out by Benji's indirect confession.

It brought back memories she had been trying to hide not only from herself, but from Reina. Memories she would rather keep buried deep. Ava moved away from Silas and smiled awkwardly.

"I have to go. I will check it out later."

She turned around and went into the crowd hoping to find Reina, but who she found instead made her growl. Akane almost smirked but she smiled instead, and almost looked innocent.

"What do you want, Akane?"

"Nothing. Actually, I want to give you something."

Akane rose her brows at her expectantly, and Ava took a deep breath to calm down the emotions welling inside her. Akane took her to a less rowdy place so they could talk more comfortably and  said, "I'm going to make this brief, and I don't know if this really matters to you but, I'm going to tell you anyways. It's about the Kaymon's heat wave."

"What about it?"

Akane then smirked. If Ava didn't already have her eyes on someone else, Akane would have been a good way to spend time. She was exceptionally pretty, and the way she fought gave Ava goosebumps. She could just imagine the both of them in a love-hate relationship with a bit of violence.

"Are you even listening to me?" Akane snapped her fingers in Ava's face, and she blinked.

"Sorry, I spaced out."

"Right." She drew then rolled her light brown eyes. "As I was saying, unlike back in the human realm, this realm accepts the different sexualities and whatever else. That is why some females are attracted to your heat wave. And the reason why I didn't try to pin you down and do whatever I wanted with you back in the ring is that I have a lover. That's why I could stand you. Someone who doesn't have an interest in you, but you have sexually sparked with your heat wave can withstand it but someone who does like you, can't. I'm sure Reina never told you this."

"Are you trying to say Reina is interested in me?" That was the most Ava could make out from all the words she was spewing. Reina couldn't stand it and always made her take a shower. A very long one at that.

"Why don't you find out?" She winked just when Reina suddenly appeared out of the crowd.

      The little lady looked around until her silver eyes fell on her and she sighed. Her expression went from relieved to annoyed in seconds.

"She hates me," Ava admitted to Akane as the Mage marched towards them.

Akane then whispered quietly in her ear. "I'm sure she can't resist you without the charm."

Before Ava could refuse, Akane had disappeared and not only was she gone, the charm was too.

"Where have you been?" Reina fussed, and Ava almost melted.

Reina was going to be so mad when she found out.