A/N: Hey people of the internet! It's me, Violeta, out to write another chapter of Portaling: Do's and Don'ts. Enjoy!

Dedication: To Warrior-Wolf1 and Skizzorsaregangsta. Thanks for the advice and support. You people flipping rock.

Disclaimer: Gah. I thought we went through this already…I don't own Max Ride. Some old dude who has more plot holes than I have fingers does.

Part 2: Air Magick

Chapter 3: That Little Red Dress

The first time I realized I wasn't like other little girls, was exactly nine years and three months ago.

It was dark outside—abnormally so. Clouds rumbled overhead. Branches on the trees swayed menacingly, occasionally crashing against my bedroom window. I watched the storm from my window seat, my eyes wide and my mouth agape.

A normal five-year-old girl would have been frightened. She would have called out to her mother, seeking safety and warmth. Not me. I was happy to stay in my room and watch the lightshow. Thunder crackled and lightning flashed. I watched with awe as these two natural occurrences fought to control the sky above.

"Violeta?" my mother called. I winced at the use of my full name, but responded dutifully.

"I'm in here, Mom. I'm okay." My mother poked her head through the door to my room. Her light brown hair was swept off her face in a messy bun, her green eyes glittering with worry. I couldn't understand the reason for this. I'd already been taught how to count lighting's distance from myself; my count had come to eight Mississippi's. Surely eight miles away would be enough to calm my mother's panicked state.

"Good, good, you're still here," she said, wiping her hands on her jeans. I frowned. Where else would I be but here?

"Am I supposed to be somewhere else?" I asked. My mother paled.

"No, certainly not. You'll stay right where you are. In this room. Do you hear me?" Her words didn't register with my brain. I didn't understand why mother was getting so freaked out—where would I possibly go?

"Yeah…" I said. She gave me a shaky smile.

"Good. Now, would you like something to eat?" My face brightened. I hoped that my mom had baked cookies for me.

"Yep!" I said, jumping off the window seat and trotting over to my mother. "Can I have a cookie?" She grinned.

"You bet, kiddo. I'll be right back." My mother kissed me on the forehead before she walked out of the room. I dashed back to the window seat, pressing my nose against the cold glass. I closed my eyes, feeling the hum of electricity in the air.

It was like heat. That was the feeling I got deep inside, even with my face pressed against the cool glass, my breath fogging the window. Heat. A warm, fluttery feeling that started deep inside. I let this buzzing feeling wash over me, concentrating on the crackle of thunder and the shrieking of the wind. It was like a beautifully choreographed dance, a symphony of musicians all playing to the same tune. The lighting flashed bright against my closed lids. I could feel the energy from where I sat. I felt in sync with the world. With nature. I let the heat inside of me rise…rise until it covered my body, from the tips of my fingers to the soles of my feet…what a wonderful feeling…like I was floating…

BAM! The sound of my bedroom door opening with a slam startled me out of my trance. I opened my eyes to stare at my door. It was singing on its hinges, banging noisily against the wall. I got up to close the door when I realized…when I saw that I could see through my hands.

"Ahhh!" I screamed. I glanced down at my body; I was completely see-through! I screamed and screamed, calling out to my mother, but my calls were lost, swept away by a furious wind and the crackle of thunder. I tried to run, to hide, but my legs wouldn't move. It was as though they weren't there anymore. I was afraid to look down, afraid I would see that my legs really weren't there, that they had disappeared on me. I cried out for my mother a final time, my voice dying, fading, dropping, leaving…I was leaving…

…A rush of intense wind. My window was flung open; the curtains flapping around me like an overgrown bird's wings. I shrieked, but my voice had deserted me. I was gone. Soon I couldn't feel, couldn't hear anything but the rushing sound of wind. I was being swept away, fast as heck, into some unknown land. I felt the heat, now unbearable, vibrate beneath my skin, as if it wanted to pull me apart, to burn me alive…I was still going, still rushing by, never stopping…

OOF! Until I did stop. I landed in a strange forest. The heat slowly deserted my body; the buzzing feeling left as well. I was sitting on some crumpled leaves, alone, with no way home. So, being only five-years-old, I started to cry.

I stood on shaky legs and wandered around the forest, occasionally calling out for my mom or my dad. But even then I knew they couldn't help me. They were far away, back in our house, watching the fabulous storm and baking cookies. I wondered if they'd even realized I was gone, yet. I hoped so.

"You know you're the one." I froze. Someone was speaking. It was a male voice, hard and demanding. It was coming from nearby…just behind those pine trees…

Without thinking things through I rushed over to the trees. I made my way through them, trying not to trip on their oversized roots. I steadied myself on the rough branches, and came to a clearing.

Before me was the man who had spoken. He couldn't have been older than twenty; he had deep black hair and pale skin. He was wearing a black trench coat and rain boots. Kneeling before him was a girl; she was younger, maybe seventeen. Her golden-brown hair was hanging at her shoulders, and she was wearing a red evening dress. Her mascara was smeared and her nails were broken. There were a few chains around her neck, and at the ends of them dangled some pretty jewels. She had her hands in a small creek; she seemed to be washing them. I watched the duo with morbid fascination.

"I'm nothing to you," the girl hissed. Her voice was rough and throaty; she'd been crying. "I will never help you. Do you hear? Never." The man chuckled. He stooped low until he was at eye level with the girl. She bravely met his gaze.

"You will. You will do all that I ask, child. Everything." She laughed.

"That's where you're wrong. I won't. I'll never do as you ask. Never." The man drew his hand back and slapped the girl's cheek. I held back a gasp, though the girl never wavered. She just sat there, taking it, letting her cheek turn red.

"You will," he hissed. "You know my plans are not for evil, yet you refuse me. Why? What part of my actions has upset you?" The girl sneered.

"Everything about you upsets me. No, cross that, everything about you disgusts me." The man's lip curled.

"You say that now. You are young and foolish. You will see—you will soon see the method behind my madness." The girl shook her head violently, her hair swinging back and forth.

"Never. I'll die first." Her voice cracked on the last word, finally displaying some emotion. He bent down again, this time caressing her cheek.

"There, there, young one. All you need is time. Soon you will see things my way. I am sure of it." She started to shake her head when they both froze. The sound of a twig snapping reverberated throughout the forest, and I stared down at my own foot in horror. Suddenly both the girl and man were staring at me. My mouth hung open and I felt numb.

"RUN!" The girl tackled the man in the trench coat while I stood paralyzed with fear.

"Run, damnit! I'll hold him off! Just run!"

She didn't need to tell me twice.

I ran as fast as my small legs could carry me. I tore through the forest at almost an inhuman speed—faster than I'd ever run before. I panted, feeling the familiar heat surge through me. I heard the sound of an enraged yell—the man. That only encouraged me to run faster. I ran until the trees blurred, until the birdcalls melted together, until the girl's screams and the man's yells could no longer be heard. I ran and burned until I could no longer feel my legs or the cool outdoor air, or the crunchy grass beneath my feet…

Moments later I landed safe in my bedroom, stunned, and with one incredible story to tell my mom.

*

I woke up the next day feeling refreshed and ready for action. The flock was already up and, amazingly, letting the blind kid cook them breakfast. I briefly wondered if Max had a death wish until I saw Iggy prepare a stack of pancakes, French toast, bowls of fruit, and a pot of coffee, all without spilling a drop of whatever he was making on the kitchen counter. This was about the time I decided that Max had made a brilliant move in hiring the blind guy as our chief.

I dug into my breakfast with as much gusto as the hungry mutants around me, clearing off three pancakes and a bowl of fruit in five minutes flat. I drank a cup of coffee (decaf—no need for a caffeine rush) and then made my way to the bathroom to wash up.

I took my time, wandering around the house, conscious that this was my first proper viewing of it. It turned out that there were three levels to it; the attic, the bedrooms and one bathroom, and then the main rooms and guest bathroom downstairs. I wasn't entirely sure how six runaways and their talking dog had acquired such a nice house, and I wasn't about to ask.

I poked my head into the living room and studied the single couch and chair set. There was a small T.V. placed next to the fireplace, and a coffee table with magazines on it. I moved on to see the bathroom, which was completely white with a fish-themed shower curtain. There were three bedrooms total; Angel and Gazzy shared one, Nudge and Max took the one with the best view, and Iggy and Fang shared the one that lead to the skylight. I'd slept in a sleeping bag in the attic last night with Total as my guard dog ("I prefer the term 'body guard'," he'd told me.) and was hoping to be moved into an actual bed later tonight. The hard wooden floors hadn't done any favors for my bruised ribs and aching back.

When I was done exploring I took a quick shower and washed my hair with the shampoo provided. Ariel Kids' wasn't my normal brand choice, but I decided to simply take what I could get. When I exited the shower I found fresh clothes lying in a pile for me. I grinned and slipped into a comfortable pair of jeans and a baggy T-shirt before heading out into the living room. I was searching for a comb and a hair-tie when Gazzy bounded up to me, his blond hair flopping adorably in front of his face. I grinned at him and leaned against the wall, my amulets resting comfortably against my chest.

"What's up?" I asked him.

"Well…I was kinda wondering…were you serious? About what you said before? Are you really going to teach us magic?" I winced again at his unknowing slaughter of that ancient word.

"Of course I was serious," I said, running my fingers through my hair.

"Then when are you going to teach us?" he asked, staring up at me with innocent blue eyes.

Yeah, right. Innocent.

"What time is it?" I asked nonchalantly. Gazzy checked his Scooby-Doo wrist watch.

"Ten," he said. I nodded thoughtfully.

"I guess now is as good a time as any." Gazzy's mouth dropped open.

"Are you serious? You're going to teach us, like, right now?" I nodded again, standing up straight.

"Well, what else am I supposed to do all day?" I snapped. Gazzy winced, and I regretted my outburst. I was still pissed off at Luce for abandoning me here, missing my mom, and cursing my magick. I hadn't meant to take it out on him.

"What I mean is, as long as I'm here, I might as well be useful, right?" I amended. Gaz gave me a weak smile, and I followed him into the living room, vowing to never take out my misplaced anger on him again.

Max was seated on the couch next to Nudge, flipping through channels on the T.V. when we walked in. She tensed at our arrival, but tried not to show any outward stress, playing it cool and calm. Nudge turned to me expectantly, her dark eyes glowing with excitement. I decided that I liked Nudge, even if she did talk too much. She reminded me a bit of my sisters.

"It's time," I said dramatically. Max raised an eyebrow.

"For…?" I narrowed my eyes. She was killing the moment.

"For me to teach you guys. You know, our agreement? It's probably time I held up my end of the deal." Max glared suspiciously at me for a moment. My heart pounded in my chest. I had no doubt that she could kill me. Sure, my magick had replenished itself a bit from my burn-out last night, but she was lightning fast and superhumanly strong. Not only that, but she had five other kids to back her up. Just because she didn't seem murderous, didn't mean she wouldn't make an exception for me.

But instead of snapping at me or attacking, she simply called out to her flock. "Guys! Assembly in the living room, ASAP." I only had to wait a moment before the flock plus Total filed into the living room, all of them staring at me. Angel came to sit beside Max and Nudge, while Iggy and Gazzy stood off to the side. Fang slid into one of the chairs by the corner, and I could've sworn that he vanished into the shadows.

"So…" I said after an awkward moment, "am I teaching you all, or would some of you rather not participate? Learning the Art takes patience and hard work; it isn't something that's done in a single afternoon. So, any of you willing to dedicate the proper time and effort into this I'll gladly teach, but if you're not willing, don't bother." As I finished my mini-monologue I could see the wheels turning in each of the flock's brains'. I was glad that they were mature enough to take this seriously.

"I'll do it," Gazzy said after a moment. I nodded at him.

"I'm in!" Nudge squealed. I couldn't help but grin; I'd been hoping she would say yes. Out of all the flock members, I had to admit that I liked Gazzy and Nudge the best. It would be a pleasure teaching them.

"I'd like to learn," Angel said. This surprised me. Angel hadn't spoken to me all morning, and whenever she did look my way I could feel her questioning gaze. But, apparently, this girl was full of surprises, because now she was staring at me with excited eyes, gleaming in anticipation of learning something new. I nodded shyly at her. I had the feeling that Angel would be the hardest flock member of all to win over. Like her leader, she didn't trust easy. I would have to prove myself to them somehow.

Angel read my thoughts and, for a moment, shot me a gorgeous smile.

"Is that everyone?" I asked, my gaze flicking from Max to Iggy since I couldn't seem to find Fang. Where had that kid gone to? A Hot Topic sale?

"Yeah, I think I'll pass," Iggy said. This didn't really surprise me, though Gazzy looked shocked.

"But, Ig, she could totally teach us how to blow something up! Something supernatural!" Iggy gave Gazzy a small smile and ruffled his hair.

"I'll leave that up to you, then. Me? I think I'll stick to wires and stuff. More on my level. You can handle the magical explosives area, cool?" Gazzy seemed disappointed, but nodded anyway.

I clapped my hands together playfully, drawing the attention of the flock. "Okay, guys," I said, my mother's amulet glowing dangerously, "let's get started."

*

It was decided by a unanimous vote that our little magick sessions would be held in the attic. It was either there or up on the roof, and considering the fact that it was the middle of December and about twelve degrees outside, we all decided it would be better to hold our sessions within range of a working heater.

I felt both nervous and excited as I made my way up the stairs to the attic. I'd never done this teaching thing before, and had no clue whether I'd be any good at it. Still, I knew I had to give it a shot. I had nowhere else to go and figured that if I was going to stay I might as well make myself useful. Maybe Luce was right; maybe I was overreacting. Maybe this would be easy.

When we reached the attic my students (just thinking that word thrilled me, though it did make me feel a little old) unfolded their wings into a relaxed position and stood about five feet away from me, their wide eyes following my every movement. I suddenly realized I had no clue what to say.

"So," I began, holding my hands together in front of my stomach, "during this first class we'll be learning the basics. And, no, before you even ask Gazzy, the basics do not include blowing things up." Gazzy pouted while Angel and Nudge smirked. "The basics will only include finding out what you all specialize in, though I have a pretty good idea, and showing you what magick actually is. Questions?" My face was flushed and I felt proud of my little speech.

"Um, yeah," Nudge said, waving her hand at me. I nodded so she would continue. "Well, what do you mean by 'specialize in'?"

"Good question. What I mean by specializing is what element you can control the best. Many non-witches take a liking to earth shifting, though I have a feeling that won't be the case for you guys."

"Why not?" Gazzy asked before I could continue.

"Well, let's just say I have a hunch that you'll be more inclined to air magick." Gazzy's eyes widened in understanding and Nudge's wings twitched.

"Okay, if there are no more questions…let's begin!"

I started out by showing everyone simple examples of the four types of shifting; air, water, earth, and fire. I figured the best example of these types of magick would come from Avatar: The Last Airbender. While the show didn't get many things right, it still proved to be a helpful analogy when trying to explain the different types of shifting to my students. I let sparks of energy dance of my fingertips when explaining fire magick, made a small ball of solid air for air magick, caused some water in a glass to start bubbling for water, and had some dirt mold into the shape of my hand for earth. With each new trick I showed them their eyes grew wider and hungrier. They were hooked now and wanted to learn all I had to offer them. It was pretty easy to determine their specialties; a simple aura Enchantment that even a human could pull off proved them to be air shifters. With my suspicions confirmed all that was left to do was teach them how to reach out and grab the magick around them—not as easy as it sounds.

"Okay guys, now comes the tricky part. I'm going to have to teach you how to feel the magick around you. We'll have to do this one at a time since this is a pretty hands-on thing. Who wants to go first?" Angel, Gazzy, and Nudge glanced back and forth at each other, and I wondered if they were having a silent conversation.

Nudge took a step forward. "I'll go first," she said bravely. I gave her a reassuring smile.

"That's the spirit," I said, holding out my hands. "I bet you'll get this in no time." Nudge smiled back and took my hands. I asked her to close her eyes, explaining that sight would only confuse her and add to what was already going to be a challenge. I hadn't ever taught anyone how to open themselves to the energy around them before, though I could remember how my mother had done it for me. I could remember the way she'd taken my hands in her own and shown me the magick that surrounded us all. I could still remember the way she opened my eyes to the world around me. The way she'd changed my life forever.

"Now concentrate," I murmured. "I want you to think about the air surrounding you. Think about the way it feels, the life within it. Concentrate on the energy around you."

We held hands for a moment as Nudge's face screwed up in concentration. I held my breath as her hands squirmed and her eyes scrunched up.

But after a minute Nudge let her breath go and released her hold on my hands. "I can't do it," she told me. "I can't feel whatever it is I'm supposed to feel." I frowned, watched as she kicked at the wooden floor with one foot. I was missing something…missing a key step. What was it my mother had done for me?

"Mommy," I remembered saying, "I can't do it. I don't understand. What am I supposed to do?" My mother sighed, though she didn't ease her grip on my hands.

"Just feel, Violeta. Feel the energy that surrounds us. You're a witch. It will come to you." I held back tears.

"But, what if it doesn't! What if I'm no good?" I asked, holding back tears.

"It will," my mother reassured me. "You just need something to start you off. A boost, maybe?" My mother's eyes unfocused, and I could tell she was reaching deep inside of herself for something.

Suddenly a jolt of energy passed through my hands. I gave a small yelp and, while I was distracted, the magick my mother had been suppressing flowed through me. It was beautiful and pure; I gasped. I had never imagined it would be this wonderful. This beautiful…

I knew what I needed to give Nudge now.

Energy. Magick in its purest form. That was the only way.

"Nudge," I whispered, taking her hands again, "close your eyes. I'm going to try something different." Nudge frowned but didn't protest. Her eyes fluttered shut, and Gazzy and Angel leaned in to see what I was doing.

I summoned up a small burst of energy. Not enough to hurt her, but enough to startle her. I sent the energy out of my fingertips and into Nudge's palms, praying my plan would work. It did. Caught off guard, Nudge yelped just as I had, allowing me send more pure magick into her system. Gazzy and Angel watched with great interest as Nudge bit her lip, tucked in her wings, and squeezed her eyes shut tight. I knew what she must have been feeling; overwhelmed, slightly vulnerable, wierded-out even. All the things I had felt.

Soon the magick I had sent out died down. I let go of Nudge's hands, allowing her to process some of what had happened. Gazzy sent me a nervous glance as Angel studied Nudge's still form. For a moment there was complete silence, a rare thing, I'm sure, in the Ride family.

And then Nudge opened her eyes.

The change was immediate. I could tell right away that Nudge had felt the energy, the air, the magick. That she had been exposed to what had been laying just beyond her human senses her whole life—and she'd enjoyed it. She smiled up at me, her white teeth glowing against her darker skin.

"Well?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"It was…" Nudge was, miraculously, at a loss for words. "It was incredible. It's like I can feel the whole world buzzing around me, you know? It feels all tingly and stuff. Will it always feel like this? Do I get to have cool powers now? Why do you look blue-ish while Gazzy and Angel don't? What color am I? Is it pretty? Can you—"

Ah, well. I'd known the silence wasn't meant to last.

"Nudge, Nudge," I said, resting a hand on her shoulder, "chill. I'll answer all of your questions later, okay? Right now I need to show Angel and Gazzy what I showed you." Nudge nodded and let me take Angel's hands in my own.

I repeated the same process over again with Angel and Gazzy. Soon they were all glowing, their auras bright with the sudden influx of raw magick. I knew that the pure golden light surrounding them would fade with time, but, right now it was amazing to look at. It wasn't every day that you got to introduce a new practitioner to the Art, much less three. I felt an odd sort of joy sweep over me, making me smile. I'd just given these kids a wonderful gift. Magick was something you could use your entire life. It never really went away; it followed you, always in the back of your mind and thoughts. Though they would never be able to reach the power levels of a natural-born witch, I was still pretty sure I could teach them a thing or two.

To celebrate a job well done I decided to teach my little Air Mages a simple air shifting trick. It involved creating a small burst of energy and focusing it into a ball, and then releasing it. It had taken me a good two weeks to master this little trick, so I didn't expect them to get it right away.

I was wrong. Apparently these kids weren't done surprising me, since they were all playing a game of shifter-tag within the hour. I watched, openmouthed, as Angel accurately aimed a ball of wind and sent it flying at Gazzy's head. He ducked, allowing the burst of wind to hit Total in the face. The siblings burst into laughter while Total muttered something about getting no respect anymore, and stalking out of the room. I tried to hide my giggles and look sympathetic, but I think I failed.

"Hey, Vi!" Nudge called from across the room. "Watch this!" Nudge pressed her hands together, concentrating the magick and energy around her into a semi-solid form. She sent the ball of air through the air, directly at me. I laughed, easily dodging. I had years of experience on Nudge, and I figured it would be a while before she caught up to me.

"What the heck is going on in here?" I heard a voice ask. I only just had time to glance over my shoulder and see Max standing in the doorway, hands on her hips, before Nudge's air ball smashed into her. Max let out a loud 'Oof,' before stumbling backward and falling down the stairs. We heard a small crash, bang, and then the reassuring call of, "I'm okay!" There was silence.

For about thirty seconds. Then we all started laughing.

I heard Max grumble something about Wicked Witches of the West from the bottom of the stairs, but I was laughing too hard to really pay attention.

Okay. So I may not have made everyone in the flock happy about my being there.

But, hey. Three out of six is good odds, right?

A/N: Well, I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter, 'cause I've got no clue when the next one will be up. Hopefully soon, but we'll see. The homework has been hectic lately, and I'm going away on vacation soon. Still, I'll try and post again before I leave! Remember, R&R!

Caris: Yes, please do. It might make her shut up for a full five minutes.

Vi: -grumbles- Get out of my story, Caris.

Caris: Fine, fine. Be that way.

Caris/Vi: Review!