Rose awoke from the vision or whatever it was a few hours after dawn. She was no longer lying in the middle of nowhere. The icy walls of Fire's palace enclosed her while a thick blanket was wrapped around her body. She shifted a bit before her gaze landed on a boy sitting not too far from her, fiddling with his fingers to keep him occupied.

"Morning," Rose yawned as she stretched a bit. 

He immediately glanced up and smiled softly.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" 

"Not really but you were probably just asking to be nice."

He chuckled a bit.

"What if I'm genuinely interested? You were moving a lot in your sleep and making weird noises."

"Was I?" Rose asked, flushing with embarrassment. "I just... Where's Lynn?" She changed the topic.

He instantly got the hint that she didn't want to continue discussing it and dropped the topic.

"She went out with Sage to learn a bit about the Fire Kingdom. Fire assigned us in pairs to work together and learn a bit about both kingdoms. So there's Lynn and Sage; you and I."

"Oh really? You could have woken me up earlier to get a move on. Why didn't you?"

"I didn't want to bother you... Besides, we don't really know each other."

And that's why it hit her. She didn't even know his name.

"Oh, I forgot. My name is Rose," she held out her hand for him to shake. He smiled a bit at the gesture before shaking her hand.

"My name's BamBam, but everyone just calls me Bam. You can too if you want."

Rose grinned widely at him.

"How about I start with showing you around the school building first. How does that sound... Bam?"

His smile grew at the sound of his name slipping off her lips.

"Sounds amazing."

***

"How about I teach you a bit about fire foxes for starters? They are amazing! You'd love them," Rose grinned as she dragged BamBam behind her. He let it happen, watching as the corner of her eyes crinkled and smile reflected a side of her Bam longed to see more often. Maybe catching this perspective of her was too early. I mean, they only meet a few days prior but maybe it sparked from his admiration for her. Firstly, she saved him, and now he finds out that she is an Embidan.

Everything about her screamed different. And he liked that.

"Slow down," he chuckled a bit, the heat outside of palace beginning to become overwhelming.

Rose immediately did so, turning back when she heard the weakness in his voice.

"Are you alright? Too hot?"

He nodded but she didn't need the response. The ends of his hair were already turning blue.

It made Rose think back to Lynn and how she looked as the Water Queen. Maybe the reason the Icicles were turning blue when they melted were because of that. Maybe that's the reason Chan was still alive, in poor condition, but alive nonetheless.

"Thought you'd be," Rose sighed as she pulled a little block of ice out of her red duffle bag. "So I got this. It won't last long but it will do some good for now."

Bam took it thankfully and smiled.

"Thanks. No one has ever saved a block of ice for me."

Rose giggled slightly before turning back in the direction of the fire foxes, grabbing Bam's arm and dragging him as she headed in that direction again.

***

"It's simple really," Aidan shrugged, stroking his beloved fire fox, Magma. The towering creature looked nothing like a fox. It had razor sharp canines the length of an average ruler, fur made out of fire that constantly had embers falling out of it, and it's eyes were like black holes: dark and endless.

Bam shivered.

"I'm not going anywhere near that death machine," the Icicle refused profoundly.

Magma made a snorting sound as he lay down, lying height still taller than the average human.

"No, Magma. Bad boy!" Aidan scolded him, only to have the fox snort again.

"What's happening?" Bam asked Rose.

"They are communicating," she replied, earning a confused look for the boy so she explained further. "He was born to be a fire fox trainer and so he was born with the skills to understand it. Not everyone can do it."

"Can you?"

"Of course! I'm an Embidan. I was born with any fire skill you can think of. Just like how Lynn was probably born with every ice skill."

"What are they discussing then?"

"Magma says you're a coward."

"What?" Bam shrieked, slightly offended. "I'm sorry I'm just not comfortable with melting!"

Magma made another snorting sound which made Aidan roar with laughter, stopping abruptly upon seeing Rose's glare.

"What lovely fur you have, Magma. I wonder how beautiful of a blanket I can make with it," Rose glared, crossing her hands over her chest. "One more foul word from you and I swear to you, I will make myself s blanket. And as for you, Aidan, control your tiger."

Magma growled at Rose.

"Excuse you!" The Embidan's glare intensified. "If you are going to act as bitter as a tiger, I will call you a tiger."

Another growl was heard on the fox's end but Bam knew it was just the fox equivalent of angry mumbling.

"So what if I sound like Fire. Be nice and I won't have to."

Magma slumped his shoulders in what Bam guessed was a sulk.

"You hurt his feelings," Aidan pouted, stroking the fox's fur. "Don't listen to her, Magma. Don't listen to her."

Rose rolled her eyes slightly before turning around to Bam.

"How about we start off at the fire sculpting area, huh? We'll come back when Magma's feeling better," she beamed as we walked off, Bam following close behind.