Any characters within this story that are familiar, and belong to Thames TV, Nickelodeon, and Roger Price, do not belong to me. These characters are from the New Series "Tomorrow People", and also do not belong to me. Any characters, ideas, plotline that hasn't been used with any fanfic relating to Tomorrow People, are solely mine.

Feedback is welcome at [email protected]

Thanks to my betareaders for reading over what I had so far - Carol, and E.R.!! :) *Bows to you two!*

Although, the story is mine. Enjoy! (Takes place after "Elemental Connection")

The prologue is told from Kevin Wilson's perspective. He's a Tomorrow Person that's been absent from the group for a while. The story post-prologue will be told in Jonas' perspective.

Teaser: Jonas hears a mysterious call from the ocean, and MUST answer.

[*grin*]

[ ] = Telepathic thoughts/conversation
{ } = Empathic 'sending' (images)
/ / = Private thoughts

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Prologue
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I twisted and turned fitfully in my bed, covers tangling my legs, and cold sweat on my body. Dreams plagued me. One Dream in particular. As it always came. New people. New dreams.

Twisting my head back and forth, trying to block out the fearfully real dreams, I kept seeing the Ship. As I had been there before. Strange images flitted in and out. Tomorrow People teleporting in and out, wielding flame, earth, wind, and water. The Ship seeming to shake on its own volition. Faces of unknown Tomorrow People floated into my conciousness, but were quickly forgotten. One face lingered in my mind, admist a raging ocean, that didn't look recognizeable.

I sat up, with shaking hands, blinking confusedly, gazing around my darkened bedroom, groping for the light switch on my lamp. The room was flooded with dim light, illuminating the messy room, with clothes strewn all over the place, and a bookshelf across from me.

/ That *was* another one. What did it mean? There are NO Tomorrow People with Elements. Am I just dreaming, or is...this, what I think this is? A new ...? Naw. /

Shaking my head in denial, at this thought. / How could there be? No. There can't be. I must not go back. I have to be normal! /

Thumping the bed at my sides with my fists, I sighed frustratedly.

As I glanced at my alarm clock, it read 3:30am. Damn. I needed my sleep. I knew I couldn't sleep until I figured this nightmare out.

It DID feel like one of those dreams, like the one I had of Lisa. True, I haven't had any other ones in a long while. But should I contact the Tomorrow People again? Should I talk to Megabyte? The last evoked a memory of Megabyte and I, talking on the sand, right after the Mosquito incident....

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The breeze was steady, as the sun shone down, onto the shores of Taphini Island.

"Megabyte?" I spoke quietly, to catch his attention.

Absent-mindedly, he looked at me, pulling his attention from the quiet lapping of the ocean.

"Yeah, Kevin?"

"I just...decided something." I spoke softly, but with an undercurrent that he could not have missed.

He nodded slowly, as if he knew. "You're ...leaving us, aren't you?" His voice caught slightly, but he managed to clear his throat, looking down at his hands intently.

I sighed, intertwining my fingers, and looked at him again. "...Yes. I want to see if I can be normal."

Megabyte exhaled sharply, and stared at me with intense eyes. "Why? Why now? Why do you have to?"

I pulled away from his agonized expression, and forced the words out. "...I.. have to. I just nearly got killed. I don't want to go through that again."

I abruptly stood up. I looked behind, and down at Megabyte, who was staring at me with an emotion I couldn't identify, but knew how he felt.

I looked at my feet, partially covered in the sand. As I turned toward Megabyte, I noticed he made no move to restrain me from leaving. True, who in the world could? Even that sobering realization made me pause. The fact that Megabyte didn't try, made me realize....He knew what I was going through.

He answered my private thoughts, as if he had overheard them, with a small nod, and a curved smile, as if to reassure me that he'd be here when or if I decided to come back.

I nodded quickly. Closing my eyes, I concentrated, vanishing from the surroundings in a bright flash of static.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

That memory had left a lump in my throat. I did miss the others, but was it worth it? Idly kneading my tangled covers, I sighed. I could be stubborn when I had to. No. They could handle this on their own, if this was indeed one of my dreams. I had to prove I could still be normal.

Sidling down the covers, after a moment of untangling them, I laid my head against the pillow, oddly troubled. They could handle this...couldn't they? Sleep quickly overtook me, before I had a chance to think.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Part 1
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The wind picked up momentarily, causing Megabyte to shield his eyes, stepping back, inside the Interior Center of the Ship, near its Core.

I materialized into the Interior Chamber, as the wind died away, seeing the redhaired TP covering his eyes. I grinned at him, saying in a dry tone. "Hi Megabyte!"

Megabyte peered through his arm, grumbling. "Hey there. Wish that didn't pick up such a draft..." He continued with a small smirk. "Although it's fascinating as hell... kinda hard to vanish quietly even more, in your case."

I chuckled in good humor. "Of course. I just *have* to be flashy..."

Megabyte looked at me deadpan, his quick mind realizing my inadvertent pun. Groaning, he closed his eyes in a grimace, mouthing silently, and enunciated. "B-A-D... "

I laughed heartily, slapping Megabyte's shoulder.

Grinning wryly, Megabyte winked at me, his mind casting around for another pun to catch me with, but failing. Shrugging his shoulders, he remarked lightly.

"You know, Jonas, It's been really interesting having you around."

My heart filled with contentment at that thought. The thought of having a second family, that knew, and could understand the new strange world I had been thrown in. "I know. I'm glad I met you guys...."

I clutched my head momentarily, as a surge of sadness swept at the fringes of my mind. I gazed around, puzzled. / That seemed oddly familiar. Where did that come from? /

Megabyte leaned forward, concern etched on his face. "Are you ok, Jonas?"

I nodded slightly, not really focusing on him, since the sadness was still slightly pushing at my shields. Apparently Megabyte didn't feel anything that I was feeling. A deep sadness, from... far away?

Where had that strange thought come from? Shaking my head in puzzlement, I tentatively lowered my shields, only to be swamped with sadness, and images that flowed into my conciousness so rapidly, I staggered, backward a step. Blind to everything else, an image emerged from the confusion.

{ Waves, rhythmic waves pounding against a shore; A haunting melody was playing, tinged with sadness. Dark Clouds in the horizon...A gurgled scream.. }

Megabyte tried to snap me out of my preoccupied state of mind, with a worried tinge in his voice. "What was that?" After a minute of waiting, he got more worried.

"Jonas? Jonas! Wake up!" His loud voice did nothing to break my focus.

{ [ NO .. NO! ] } My anguished mental scream tore through Megabyte's shielding. Megabyte flinched, visibly staggering, awestruck at my power.

Meanwhile, a wind was picking up around the Ship's Core, and myself. A gust, picking up strength, roared throughout the chamber. Megabyte covered his eyes with his arm, squinting through the wind swirling.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jade sat up from her bed. She had been idly reading her latest school literature assignment, as a feeling swamped her. A feeling of ...urgency....

"Huh? What the--?" She opened her mind, searching for the source of the feeling. / The Ship! Something's going on! /

She became drawn into Megabyte's mind, seeing everything happen. The confusion only increased her sense of urgency to get there. She finally broke off with a desperate wrench, after Jonas had blasted him/her with his mental shout, visibly concentrating on getting there. As she dissolved into static, she reformed back into the same spot. She looked around in stunned silence, at her room.

Somehow, something was preventing her from teleporting into the Ship. She stared into empty space, aghast. A mere moment's decision was made. Determination only fueled her will, as she attempted another jump.

Shimmering static enveloped Jade. She vanished into a burst of light.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Megabyte dimly saw a static burst as he squinted through the wind. / Jade?? She shouldn't be here. I'm surprised she actually got in! / Megabyte smiled grimly, as he saw Jade stagger in the maelstrom inside the Ship's Central Room. She raised her arm to her face, and struggled to look around, eventually seeing Megabyte for the first time.

Jade struggled to reach Megabyte and I, but to no avail. The Winds were gusting around, making it impossible for a sound to be heard.

{ Waves surging higher, and higher. A water wave looming over, to engulf someone in its watery depths. }

Terror coursed throughout my body, before I started to barely sense Jade, and Megabyte.

I touched their minds, and ...REACHED. Reached for the presence, with a blind urgent need.

The winds swirled, and narrowed around the three of us, enveloping us into static light. And...vanished.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Part 2
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A mini whirlwind divided into three smaller vortices, depositing the three stunned Tomorrow People a foot above raging waters, under a dark, threatening sky. Jade was the first to realize her surroundings. She let out a piercing scream, as she plunged into the freezing water. I plunged into the freezing water beside her, bewildered at the sudden change of surroundings. I felt Megabyte's landing nearby.

"Megabyte!? Jade?!" I shouted over the din of the boisterous wave. I saw Megabyte swimming toward me, and sighed with relief, and kept scanning for Jade.

[ JADE?? Where are you??] I quested for her mind, all the while trying to keep my head above water.

I heard a small whisper. [ Uhhhh... Ov...er here... help.. ] I finally noticed a figure frantically trying to keep her head up. I saw Megabyte was swimming intently toward me, not seeing her. He was closer to her.

[ Megabyte, Get Jade! ] I barked out toward his mind. I saw him snap his head left, saw Jade, then quickly swam after her. Jade's head disappeared into the tumultous waters. With a determined look on his face, Megabyte dove in, and soon emerged with her, breathing raggedly.

[ Megabyte, Teleport her to the Ship NOW! I'll stay, and figure out what the hell is going on. I can swim probably better than you now. ] I mentally implored Megabyte, who sent back an mental agreement. Holding Jade in his arms, he vanished in a static burst of light.

/ Okay. Everyone's fine, I'm sure. So what the hell is going on? Why did I get pulled here? / Thoughts ran around in circles, as I generated a wind buoying myself in the water.

I tentatively opened my shields, thinning to a paper's width. Sadness emanated from one direction, and it was fading fast. A feeling of urgency overwhelmed me, spurring me toward the emotion. I paddled wildly, striving to reach whoever needed it. It wasn't long before I reached a spluttering figure, attempting to swim without much success. I finally reached him...her? I didn't know their gender, until I finally wrapped my arm around a masculine body. I concentrated on bringing us both back to the Ship.

Wind swirled above us, as we vanished in a static burst. A tendril of thought entered my mind.

[ What the hell? ]

As we materialized onto the Ship, sodden, and bewildered...at least one of us anyways. The unknown male gazed around in wonder, and gasped. Megabyte and Jade gazed at the stranger with caution, and curiousity, hidden from the stranger's view.

"Whoa." He gazed at the Ship's Core, which pulsated gently with warmth, as if welcoming him.

Slicking my damp hair backwards, out of my eyes, I spoke. "Hello..." He whirled around, staring at me, almost stumbling over a foot panel nearby.

"W..what ? Where...am I? Who...are you?"

"I'm...." I barely spoke, when he answered with my name. "Jonas. And I'm..."

"Yes...Kyle." I finished for him, slightly amused at his startled reactions.

A curve formed at the corners of my mouth as his mouth fell open, then spoke, "How the hell..? What? Who are you? How did I know your name, or you mine?"

"That's a little hard to explain, Kyle.", spoke the redhead, who emerged from the other side of the room, tugging Jade along with him. Kyle whirled around, to see Megabyte smiling uncertainly.

Putting both hands in a prayer position by his mouth, with his thumb under his chin, he stood there silently, for about a minute, deciding how to explain this new situation.

At last, Megabyte spoke softly. "Simply put...you're the next step of evolution. Of mankind. You can teleport, telepath, and move things around. We're called Tomorrow People. At least that's what we call ourselves."

"Huh?"

Megabyte grinned in amusement. "I'll show you." Kyle gazed at him with puzzlement.

I felt Megabyte extend a mental tendril toward Kyle. A sudden premonitory feeling gripped me, and before I could think, or react, the Ship shook violently, as Kyle screamed, clutching his head.

I moaned in pain, as waves of emotion flung me backwards against the wall, with a solid thump.

Megabyte stumbled backwards onto the floor in shock. Jade flung out her arms, trying to keep her balance.

Groaning with pain, I stood up gingerly, leaning on the wall behind me. I peered at Megabyte's form on the floor, and sighed softly. "Megabyte... damn... Don't do that again."

Megabyte chuckled ruefully, as he got to his feet, with Jade's help. He nodded.

Kyle was still on his knees, clutching his head, but starting to come out of his fit.

A whisper was heard from Kyle's mouth. "W..what was that?" He gazed at me with wide, frightened, intense silver eyes.

Jade slowly knelt before Kyle, and took his hand into hers. She looked pale, but composed.

"Uh...Your Element, Kyle."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Part 3
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"My WHAT?", shouted a distressed boy, dressed in damp casual clothes, jeans, and a t-shirt. He slowly stood up, and gazed around in awe. I was surprised that I could feel his awe mingled with caution, and wrapped up in nervousness. I reached toward Kyle with an outstretched hand, to reassure him in an obvious way.

"Uh, yeah. 'bout that... I've got an element too.", were the words I finally spoke. I spoke gingerly, so to not startle Kyle too much, but something in the back of my mind whispered that it was too late anyways.

Kyle gazed at me, skepticism written in his features, and his emotions. He stood up slowly to stare at me, as if waiting.

I simply held my hand up, and demonstrated by summoning a wind that swirled around the Chamber gently.

His mouth fell open, as the wind died away. "Is that for real?"

I nodded with a small smile. "It's a whole new world here." Now I had to prepare him for his next shock. Little did I know I was going to get one myself. I looked up at the Ship's glowing pillar.

"This is the Ship, where all of us Tomorrow People tend to come, after breaking out. Or at least nearby..."

My arms swept out to encompass the entire room. I smiled as Kyle stared at the Central Pillar.

I spoke quietly, but continued, "And The Ship really helped me to adjust. Megabyte, um, tried to touch your mind, telepathically, to welcome you, and um, that triggered the earthquake."

I went on, as Kyle's attention became focused on me, with curiousity etched on his face. "Apparently...We Elementals are more sensitive to telepathic conversations, that seem to fade in and out. The Ship can help adjust it, so you can talk with the others."

He glanced at me with puzzlement. "Others? Oh. Megabyte...and...Jade? They're not like us?"

I forstalled his questions with a look, and smiled. "Yes. They are like us, with one difference. They cannot handle Elements. We can."

He continued, after a moment's silence. A thought seemed to occur to him.

"How can the Ship help me adjust? Wait? You're saying that as if the Ship's alive?"

A dry metallic tone, emanated from the Ship's Core, to touch each person's mind.

[ Not exactly, but yes, I do have self-awareness. Hello Kyle. Welcome. ]

Kyle's head snapped up toward the Pulsating Core, and gaped with shock. "The.. The.. Ship talks?"

A slight chuckle emanated into their minds, as the Ship continued.

[ Yes. I converse. Although I only recently acquired enough language from the other Tomorrow People. ]

After a moment's pause, the Ship spoke again.

[ I can help you adjust, Kyle. ]

Kyle nodded slightly, after considering the choices. The Ship promptly then reached for Kyle's mind, subtly attempting to alter the sensitivity thresholds to accomodate natural telepathic conversations, and drew Kyle into a merge more intimate than any of the Tomorrow People and I could ever achieve. As the Ship inlaid the adjustments, Kyle smiled brightly as he suddenly perceived us all in a constant link, rather than sporadically. The look on his face made me chuckle for a moment because I knew exactly what he was going through.

A thought sobered me to seriousness. My solemn gaze encompassed everyone in the Ship.

"Also...how did you break out so far from the Ship?"

Kyle looked at me with a tinge of interest in his voice. "What do you mean?"

Megabyte stepped forward, with a not-so-Megabyte expression, scratching his head. "We don't know. Normally...when we fully realize our abilities, or 'break out' as we call it, we normally land in the water outside here. Not some unknown ocean."

Kyle stared at Megabyte, the strangeness penetrating his awareness, for the first time.

There were a few moments of tense silence, that awkwardness seemed to pervade the Ship's interior.

An unexpected source broke the silence with a speculative thought.

[ I believe I have a partial answer. After digging through my database, I have discovered that, despite gaps within my files, one answer lies there. Elemental Tomorrow People seem to not answer my beacon at times. ]

I gazed at the Ship in puzzled wonder. "What do you mean, answer your beacon?"

The Ship seemed to hesitate for a moment before voicing its thoughts. I never could figure out what gender the Ship was, or assumed, when it spoke. It sounded as if it had mingled female and male voices, to blend it into one unique voice, neither masculine, nor feminine.

[ When any Tomorrow Person 'breaks out', I can register their psionic signature, and attempt to bring them close to the Ship, which is usually why everyone lands here. However, my beacon files are slightly flawed. I can bring them here, but only into the Ocean. ]

Jade interrupted with a small outburst, "But I teleported into the chamber the first time!"

The Ship emitted a musical tone that seemed to translate as amusement wafting through my mind.

[ Yes. You have remarkable will, Jade. This will of yours was what helped you teleport here the first time. Most Tomorrow People...in the past, and recently, end up near the shore, only because of an uncontrolled teleport. Yours was a deliberate attempt. ]

The Ship continued, after taking a moment, seemingly to pause for breath, although I knew that was impossible.

[.....And Elemental Tomorrow People seem to have an unique brain wave pattern, even different from a Tomorrow Person's. So I don't always catch them when they initially break out. ]

Megabyte was the first to speak up, and in a hushed voice.

"You mean there could be more by now and we don't know it?"

The Ship's voice transitioned from lecturing to soothing.

[ No, Megabyte. I can tell if there are other Elementals, if they are fully broken out, but sometimes they are blocked to my sensors during their breaking out. ]

Megabyte ran his hand through his reddish-blonde hair, and sighed softly.

Jade stepped into the foreground, and laid a hand on Kyle's shoulder, who had a somber expression on his face, and seemed to be struggling inwardly, with his newfound life.

Jade's smile curved softly. "We all cope, Kyle. In our own way. I remember how hard it was for some." Jade's eyes seemed to reflect some personal issues about a certain TP or two, with sadness, and loneliness.

Kyle glanced at each of us, with an intense expression.

[ Are you sure you are OK with this, Kyle? ], Jade 'pathed to Kyle, with slight worry permeating her thoughts.

"I think so." Kyle said, looking around with uncertainty, and a slight shadow in his eyes, unnoticed by us.

"Yes, I will be fine." He smiled again, as if thinking about the future.

Megabyte did not miss the clouded expression, but pasted on a smile. Keeping his thoughts tightly shielded, he clapped his hand on Kyle's shoulder.

"Good. We have a lot to tell you!"

[fin] For Now :)