Three years ago, a toaster killed my brother.

It exploded and started a fire. My brother was trapped inside the house. Me and my dad were at the grocery store.

We needed bread.

Sometimes life has a cruel sense of irony.

But that was three years ago. Now I'm twelve.

The coming age. The age I get something I've wanted my entire life, the thing I've waited for.

My element.

My Shinju.

.   .   .

I stand behind the curtains, taking deep breaths, feeling my stomach tighten with nerves and my heart quicken.

"Welcome friends, to the twelfth birthday of Blitz Ann Boardel!" A handsome, tan man with a small beard and twinkling green eyes says from the stage. My father.

There is a couple small claps and someone coughs as I walk onto the stage and over to my dad, trying not to look at the audience. I didn't want a crowd. I wanted it to be a small event, maybe in our backyard, but Dad insisted. He said he wanted such a special day to be shared with everyone.

Ugh. Parents.

He turns to me, smiling, his clear green eyes wet.

"Here." He says, holding out the Shinju.

My Shinju.

I look from his eyes to the legendary pearl and gasp slightly as I see it. A tiny, perfectly round orb, swirling with several different colors is resting on the little purple pillow that my father holds in his hands. It is the size of a small pearl, but ten times prettier. I stay frozen in my spot for a minute, hypnotized by it's beauty.

This is it. This is the Shinju. This is the pearl me and all the other kids of my city have tried to picture until the day of our coming age. I am transfixed as I look at it. I see oranges and reds, dark blues and a light blues, greens and browns of all different shades and a yellow so vivid it seems to radiate power, all swirling around, lightly blanketed with a foggy white. It's so beautiful, but looks so fragile. I look back up at my father and he grins at me encouragingly.

I give him a weak smile and look back at the the pearl. This is the most important moment of my life. This could decide my future. This will decide my future.

Please be earth, please be earth, I think as I take a deep breath and reach out, letting the tip of my finger lightly rest on the top of the perfectly smooth sphere. I feel the cool pearl seep through my finger. It feels good and for some reason wakes me up.

Slowly, the colors spin faster and faster until it is spinning so fast I can't tell green from red, blue from orange, when suddenly it stops. All the other colors are gone, replaced by a calm, black color. I hold my breath.

This is the moment. This is when I get my element. Fire, water, lightning, earth, wind, ice, or metal.

I stare at the Shinju, not breathing, my eyes wide, when a small color starts to spread from my finger over the entire stone, sparking and crackling. I feel a power shoot up my arm to my body from my finger.

Yellow. Lightning. I'm an eel.

I watch in amazement as the sparking, vivid yellow covers the entire pearl, feeling a sadness hidden under my sudden electric enthusiasm.

I look up at Dad. He was earth. I thought I would have earth too.

I wanted earth, it would mean I would get to stay with him, but now I have to go to the place all the lightning elementalists stay. Dendo City.

"Lightning!" My father calls out for the benefit of the audience. There is some clapping as Dad beams at me, his tears leaving trails in his dirt-covered face.

I grin at him, trying to hide what is going through my mind right now. Lightning? No! I wanted earth! I don't want to leave Dad. He's all I have left.....

Since my brother died, I became quiet and not a very good speaker. Depressed. Dad always wanted me to go out and play with the other kids, but I didn't want to. I would just make myself look stupid, and then what? I hope, I hope so hard that the old me will come back at Dendo City. The fun, enthusiastic one, but what do I have to be fun and enthusiastic about?

My brother was my fun and enthusiastic generator.

Me and Dad walk off the stage, hand in hand. Once we're behind the curtain I open my mouth to ask if I can stay with him, but before I can he drops to his knees and gives me a hug.

"I'm so proud of you, Go Go." He whispers into my hair.

I get choked up and hug him back. Go Go. My brother's nickname for me, given because I was always running, never walking. I'm to impatient to walk. He always did say that patience was not one of my virtues. I didn't know what it meant so he ruffled my hair like he always does and told me. After that I tried hard to become patient, but it never worked.

Tears start to crawl down my cheeks now as I hug Dad, trying to permanently etch this moment in my mind. His earthy smell. His warmth. The way his hair tickles my face.

But it's over sooner than I want.

Dad pulls away and smiles sadly at me, "Today's our last day. Let's make it worthwhile."

That's right. I was unlucky enough to have my birthday the day before the pickup day. The day every transfer and non-transfer gets on the bus to Dendo City. I don't completely understand why the Dendo City natives join the transfers on the bus, but I guess it's so they can greet the newbies and make them comfortable.

I nod to Dad and start running to the car, "Beat you to the car!" I call. He laughs and starts running, too. I beat him, but he says he won in heart and spirit. I roll my eyes and jump into the passenger seat. He climbs into the drivers seat and starts the car.

"Let's go to Miota's." Dad suggests, cranking the lever and starting the car.

I gasp in shock, "Miota's? That place is so expensive!"

Dad grins at me, "It's for a good cause." He leans over and kisses my cheek before turning back around and focuses on driving.

I sit back in my seat, shocked. Miota's! Wow! I have never even been in that place before, that's how expensive it is. Nobody in the earth city--Chikyu City--has ever been in there. It's mostly the fire and ice elementalists. There's one in Chikyu City and the water city, Mizu City.

Wow. Miota's. My mind starts to drift as I try to imagine what's it will be like.

A castle pops into my head.

"We're here." My father says, parking the car. I eagerly look out the window to see the famous store, and when I do my jaw drops. The store is....not what I expected. It isn't big, just a simple store, but the design of the building is what gets me. The whole place is made out of a shiny metal I can't place and the doors are sheets of flawless glass, probably made by fire and earth elementalists. At the top of the building I can see a couple of scattered windows, adding to the perfect effect. It is so shiny and new....like when you get a brand new pair of shoes and you can't help but just sit and stare because they're just so....new.

"Wow...." I whisper in awe.

"I know, right?"

I jump and almost fall out the window as a squeaky voice whispers behind me. I hastily turn around and see a younger girl watching me.

"I have never been inside. I just like to sit and watch it." The girl says. I look her up and down, not responding. She looks around ten with short black hair and large eyes that match her hair. She has dark skin and large, thick framed glasses sliding off her nose.

"That's...that's great." I say awkwardly, confused by the mysterious girl.

"Oh! Have you made a new friend, Blitz?" Dad asks, coming around the car to my side, grinning.

"Hello!" The girl says, grinning at Dad. I fidget slightly and the girl notices my Shinju. She gasps and turns around, her small hands going to her mouth, "Is that a Shinju?" She asks in a whispery voice.

I nod awkwardly, trying to hide the yellow orb, but the girl is at my side in an instant, admiring my Shinju.

"Oh my gosh! Is today your birthday? Lightning, huh? Are you here to buy the accessory for it?" She asks, her voice slightly higher in contained excitement.

I take a step away from her, "Erm...yeah, and we need to get there now so..." I say, trailing off and walking slowly backwards away from her and around the car, pulling Dad with me. I glance at him and run toward Miota's, my excitement rising again and really wanting to get away from the strange girl. What is wrong with her? Was she hiding beside our car?

I wrinkle my nose. Well, that's weird.

I shake it off as I get to the doors and stop, staring up at them in amazement. Glass isn't a very common thing to find in Chikyu City, only the more experienced earth elementalists can conjure sand.

Dad appears at my side and puts his arm around my shoulders. We stand there for a couple minutes in silence, just taking in the store, before Dad moves toward the building, pulling me with him. The doors slide open with a quiet 'shoom' and a small breeze of cool air washes over me. We step into the store and look around.

There are about only two floors from what I can see. Two escalators are leading up and down, packed with people who have big hair and tight jeans. I look up and see one level above me, more people everywhere, coins flashing and heels clicking. I see fiery orange hair mostly, and maybe a couple light blue-haired people. Fire and Ice. They come here because it's closer than Mizu City and easier to get to.

I look up at Dad, my heart beating a million miles an hour in excitement. He looks down at me. I grab his hand and pull him to the left toward a group of shiny gadgets, "Come on!" I exclaim.

He rolls his eyes, as he pulls me toward the escalator, "Or we could just go to the top and look at the accessories now so you can put your Shinju in it and not drop or lose it, hmm?"

I look down at my hands to see my fragile Shinju sparking slightly. I guess I could lose it....better safe then sorry.

I sigh and look at Dad, my arms folded, "Why do you have to ruin everything with logic?" I whine.

Dad grins and ruffles my hair, stepping onto the escalator and pulling me gently by the hand with him, "Because I have the gift."

I roll my eyes as we start moving slowly up. Something touches my arm and I turn to look. There is a woman with big, grey eyes and orange hair with a small fire dog in her arms behind me. The dog is sniffing my arm. I stare at it in fascination for a minute. I have never seen a fire animal before, just earth ones. The small dog has fiery orange fur streaked with yellow and red. He has big ears and a fluffy tail.

I'm a sucker for cute animals.

I coo and reach out to pet the cute creature.

"Whoa!" The woman says, stopping my hand.

I look at her curiously and she smiles, "Don't you know not to touch a fire animal if you aren't a fire elementalist?" She says with a small laugh. I blush. I had forgotten. Anyone can touch every kind of element animal except for fire and electric. They burn or shock you if they're not your element.

"Sorry." I mutter, feeling my cheeks warm.

She chuckles again and looks up the escalator. We are reaching the top.

"Well, nice chatting with you. Got to go!" She exclaims as we get to the top and step off. I fake a grin and wave goodbye at her as she leaves.

"Everybody just loves talking to you!" Dad comments to me as we start browsing the area accessories.

I walk over to a group of glittering bracelets as I respond, "Yeah."

I look through the pile, gently brushing my left hand over the metal, rolling my pearl-sized Shinju in my right. To think that someone had created these....wow.

"Look at these, Blitz!" Dad says from behind me. I turn and walk over and away from the bracelets.

Dad is marveling at a couple of shiny earrings. "You could make earrings with your Shinju!"

I look over them but decide against it. It just doesn't feel....right.

Dad sighs as we move over to another section, "Back in the old days, people had to carry their Shinju's around with them. Most broke before the age of eighteen. How lucky we are now...."

I nod in agreement as I move on to the necklace section. I walk along the long table, gently touching each one. I pass green ones, blue ones and red ones, I pass white ones, brown ones and orange ones, but none of them really catch my attention. I sigh. I'm not exactly what you would call 'a patient person.'

Me and Dad stay there for a long time, looking and searching. I was just starting to give up hope, regardless of Dads constant encouragement, when I find it.

My index finger grazes a yellow necklace and I feel a zap. I jump back in surprise with a shout and almost drop my Shinju. Almost. I quickly put it in my back pocket so I don't break it.

"Blitz?" Dad asks, coming over.

I rub my right hand gently as I peer into the mass of necklaces, trying to find the one that hurt me.

"You okay?" Dad asks. I nod. He stares at me for a couple minutes before shrugging and walking off. I watch him walk away before moving toward the table and starting to sift through the necklaces timidly. I push away a blue one to see a gold necklace, sparking slightly. I am hypnotized by it. There are four small prongs at one end where a metal Elementalist can attach the Shinju.

"Dad?" I call, not turning away from the beautiful metal. I reach out and pick it up, shivering slightly as the electricity hits my skin.

Dad comes around the corner, "Yeah?"

"I think I found one." I say as I turn around, brandishing the gold necklace.

Dad smiles at me, "Great! Lets get it and we can go look around on the first floor."

We walk around tables of jewelry to the counter.

"We'd like this." Dad says to the woman at the counter, placing the gold necklace in front of her. The woman has a name tag that says, 'Hello! My name is Platina!'

Platina smiles at Dad and takes the necklace.

She scans it. "Would you like us to attach your Shinju?"

Dad looks at me and I nod.

"Yes please." He says politely, turning back to her.

She hold her hand out and I am about to place my Shinju onto it, when she pulls back.

"Whoops! Almost forgot!" She exclaims as she bends down and grabs something under the counter. When she straightens up again she has a glove that looks like it's made out of a thin, flexible metal.

"Don't want to kill myself!" She comments.

"Kill yourself?" I ask in astonishment.

"Yep!" She says as she sets the necklace in a way that the prongs are facing the ceiling. "Only you can touch it without getting a horrible zap." She tells me while gently putting the yellow pearl into the center of the prongs.

I watch in interest as she pulls her gloves off and puts her hands about a foot away from each side of the Shinju. Her fingers curl slightly, and I watch the necklace, my eyes wide, as the prongs slowly bend and turn around my Shinju. When Platina is done, the prongs are holding my Shinju firmly in place. She drops her hands to her sides and smiles at me as I grab my necklace.

"That will be 500 dollars." She says, still grinning. My breath catches in my throat and I look at Dad.

500 dollars...that's a lot. Do we even have that much money?

To my surprise, Dad smiles at Platina and reaches into his back pocket, pulling out a wad of cash.

I blink. And blink again. Since when did we have this much money?

He hands it to the woman and we wait a moment for her to count it. I wait for her to say it's fake, or isn't enough, but once she finishes she smiles at Dad again, "Thank you. Have a good day."

Dad nods at her and walks away. I look at him, then the woman, then him, and then I snap out of it and run after him.

"Whoa whoa dad!" I exclaim, catching up to him as he reaches the escalator.

"Yeah?" He asks.

"Where did you get that money?" I question him half suspiciously.

He scratches the back of his neck, "Well....I have been saving money for this." He says and we get to the bottom of the escalator. He steps off the moving steps, "You still want to look around?" He asks me.

I nod and Dad starts walking toward a section with multiple glass tables set up, all sorts of shiny things on top of them.

I feel something. I can't place it....a mix of guilt, love, gratitude and excitement. Guilt because Dad spent so much on me, love and gratitude for him being willing to do that, and excitement for....well....I have my Shinju!

I run the rest of the way to the tables and start looking over everything. For the rest of the day me and Dad just browse the whole mall. Touching and oooing and ahhhing. I swear everything in this entire store is shiny and brand new.

Finally Dad looks at his watch and calls me over. I come and he ruffles my hair, "Got to go."

I begin to protest but Dad raises a finger, "Ah ah ah!" He says, waggling his finger, "No. We've already seen everything."

He raises and eyebrow. "Twice."

I reluctantly comply and follow him as he walks out the sliding glass doors into the night. We get to the car and I look around. The girl from earlier with the big glasses is gone.

We get in and drive home in silence. I watch out the windows as the buildings pass by. Farms and stores zoom by the window. I try to memorize every single bit, but the shapes move to fast, just coming out as blurred colors. Blurred shapes....

We get home and Dad parks the car. For a minute we just sit there in the silence. I sigh and look at my hand with my Shinju and the necklace. I haven't put it on yet. I don't want it to be official that I have to leave Dad tomorrow. My only family.

I close my eyes, feeling the peacefulness of quiet, like the whole world has stopped. Paused. Just for me.

A warm weight lays on my shoulder and I look over to see Dad watching me. He gives my shoulder a light squeeze and pushes open the door, stepping out. I sigh again and do the same, stepping onto the familiar gravel of our driveway. I look up at the stars for a minute.

I wonder if the stars look the same in Dendo city....

"Come on Blitz!" I hear Dad call to me from the door. I walk over and let him gently lead me to my room.

We get to my room and my dad kisses me gently on the cheek before saying goodnight and leaving, the door clicking softly as it closes. I walk over to my bed and fall onto the blue bedspread, sighing, my Shinju and necklace clutched in my hand. I study it for a couple minutes before putting it on my bedside table and turning on my side.

I let my eyes roam around my room, taking it all in. My light pink walls, the half done scarf I started but never finish, my cute puppy posters and a family picture. I stare at it for a while. The picture was taken four years ago. I am standing with my dad on one side and my brother on the other. I have one arm around both of them and am grinning my face off, showing my two gaps where my front teeth should be.

I stare at my brother. It was two years before his coming age. He never got his Shinju. He was a handsome boy with tan skin and strong features like my dad, but he has white-blue eyes like me. Like my mom.

I feel my eyes start to get wet and squeeze them shut. No. He's gone. Stop hurting yourself. Get over it. Don't cry. You can't cry. Stop.

But the problem is....I can't. I can't stop the tears.

I open my eyes again and allow one, silent tear to roll down my cheek and drop onto the blue bed.

Blue like my eyes. Like his eyes.

I roll away from the picture and pull my covers up to my chin, forcing the tears back. No. That isn't me anymore. I hide my feelings. I protect them. Why do I protect them? Why not let them out?

Because last time I did my brother died.

I'm tough now. I don't cry.

Eels don't cry.
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Hi guys! Thanks for reading my story! If you have any constructive criticism it would be greatly appreciated, just make sure you know what you're talking about.

Also comments are each read but I apologize if I don't get around to replying.

Until next time,
XOXO
Rascal