Yugo's POV
After leaving the Dojo, I headed over to my apartment.

Yeah, you heard me - I have my own place. Jealous much?

Well, it's technically my parents' apartment - the lease is under their name. When I wanted to study different styles of samurai martial arts at the world famous Shakadera Dojo, which is on the other side of Japan from my parents' house, they bought me a small apartment so I wouldn't have to travel four hours back and forth. Every couple of months, they wire me some money to keep up with the rent, so long as I don't do anything destructive to the place and keep up with both my samurai studies and my schoolwork.

So far, haven't done the first one and I try to make it work with the second one.

However, I have a big test coming up and I've been told that I have a combustible temper.

So...we'll see how long that lasts.

I walked up to the apartment building. It was in the older part of Japan - so far, untouched by the city's remodeling attempts. The outside wasn't fancy by any means; a simple puzzle of red bricks and spotty clay were its only decorations. The inside was modern by liking of the residents - each occupant was free to decorate their apartment and/or outfit it with technology if they so chose. The WiFi wasn't exactly free, but the price was significantly lower than it would be in other areas.

I waved hello to the doorman behind the welcome desk and headed to the stairs; the building was enough that the builders hadn't yet known what an elevator was. I didn't really mind, though - climbing the six flights of stairs was great workout for the calves. I felt those muscles flex as I climbed my way up to my floor, listening to the sounds of the building around me. The stairs squeaked as I made my way up, several TVs hummed the evening news, and a couple was arguing loudly somewhere in the building.

The noise was one of the many reasons that I loved my parents for putting me on the top floor.

I reached my floor and made my way to my apartment. The lights were dingy, which was a welcome respite to the sunlight I had been subjected to for a good part of the day. The place wasn't dirty by any means. but I found my nose wrinkling at the various smells that wafted through the halls. It was because of the smells that I preferred to avoid my neighbors at all costs. I had no idea what went on in their apartments, and frankly, I didn't want to know.

I got to my apartment and pulled out my key. With the kind of life I led, you could never be too careful with loose things on your person, so my jacket was customized with a zip up pocket on the inside; in it, I kept my key and Yegdrion.

With my door open, I stepped in and reveled in the comforts of my apartment. My parents were kind enough to get me one with windows that looked out onto the Japanese skyline. It was a simple bedroom that doubled as a kitchenette - I usually relied on the showers at my school for cleaning - but I made the best of it. Posters of famous Beyblade tournaments and historic samurai lined the walls, to remind me of what I strived for. The kitchenette was outfitted with a microwave and a decent size mini fridge filled with my favorite drinks and yogurts. The cabinets were stacked with ramen cups, which made up a good portion of what I ate. A small TV sat in the corner on a table - not a cube TV, but old school nonetheless. A traditional cot was rolled up in the corner with a blanket lying nearby. A punching bag was hung from the ceiling, with more than a few dents in its polyester surface. At the moment, the light of the sunset was coming through my window, bathing everything in an orange-red glow.

I sighed blissfully. Yup. Home sweet home.

Depositing my jacket on the counter, I stretched my arms above my head and debated doing a few sets on my punching bag. After the day I had, though, I didn't really feel like pushing myself anymore that I already had, so I just decided to start turning myself in for the night. I took one of the ramen cups and filled it to the Fill Line with water, then placed it in the microwave for a good two minutes.

In the meantime, I took the mysterious letter I had gotten earlier and reread it. As I did, I found myself believing its words less and less; not that I believed it very much to begin with. Elemental Masters? Power of Nature? Powerful family? Quon had been right - it seemed too ludicrous to be true. Sure, my family held some sway in the world of martial arts, but I wouldn't exactly call them "powerful".

Still - it wouldn't hurt to double check. Just for peace of mind.

So after my ramen was done and I removed it from the microwave, grabbing a pair of reusable chopsticks and settling myself down on the floor, I took out my phone and dialed my parent's number.

My mother picked up on the second ring. "Yugo - what's wrong this time?"

I balanced my ramen cup on my legs before I answered. "Why do you automatically assume that something's wrong?"

"Because you never call just to say hi," My mother reminded me, a smirk in her voice.

I thought back to my previous phone calls to my parents and realized that I only ever called them just to double check if the rent was coming through, or if my hospital bills were taken care of. "Oh, uhhh...hi?"

"Hello to you too, honey," She told me warmly, then cut straight to the point. "Now that we've gotten the pleasantries out of the way, what is it you really called for?"

I remembered the letter's suggestion to have both parents in the room. "Can you grab Dad and put me on speaker? There's something I need to run by the two of you."

"Oddly ominous...let me grab him," She relented. There was a rustling, then my mother's voice calling for my father. I took the time to take a bite of my ramen before my father's voice said gruffly, "Alright - what's the price of the hospital bill this time?"

I rolled my eyes. "Hello to you too, Father," I told him, but I had to smile. I really did love my parents.

But I had to get this out of the way, or it was going to bug me all night. "Listen, earlier today after practice, I found a letter next to my stuff - I have no idea how it got there, but the name at the bottom said PIXAL Borg Julien. I don't know who or what that is, but they said to tell you that our family has some sort of mystical connection to nature? I just wanted to check to see if I should be filing a restraining order."

I expected the pause of thinking on the other end, but I didn't anticipate how long it would last. I took another bite of my ramen and had to check my phone screen to make sure the line was still live. I could hear a quiet mumbling in the background - something along the lines of "So soon?" And "Is it time?"

"So uhhh...should I call the police?" I asked when I replaced it against my ear. "Or at least look into this person's background?"

"I don't think that would do any good, Yugo," My mother told me, sounding surprisingly faint. "Calling the police would do no good, for she is the best crime fighting force in existence. And she has no background, at least not publicly known."

"What kind of creep doesn't have a background?" I asked incredulously, then I realized what she said - or rather, didn't say. "Wait...you two know her?"

My parents were quiet once more. "Yes, Yugo," My father told me; the seriousness in his voice honestly scared me. "We do know her, for Primitive Interactive External Assistant Lifeform - or PIXAL, as she prefers to be called - taught me nearly everything I know."

That threw me for a loop. "I-I thought Grandfather taught you everything you knew," I stuttered. The Nansui martial art had been passed down through generations.

"Like I said, she taught me nearly everything I know - my father still passed on a few family moves. But PIXAL still taught me a lot. About martial arts...and about our family heritage."

A rattling reached my ears and I realized my hands were shaking, knocking my chopsticks against my cup. "Dad, you're scaring me," I told him.

Don't judge me! My fear was not unjustified.

"Don't be - it's not that bad," My father assured me. "Our family is the latest in a line of Elemental Masters of Nature. One of our ancestors was blessed with the power to control the plants of the wilderness, and that power, known as an Element, has since been passed down through generations of Nansuis. Each generation has added their own strength to the Element. I had the Element last, and it transferred to you when you were born."

"Your father could grow an entire oak tree with a snap of his fingers," My mother swooned; my father chuckled at her admiration.

I couldn't understand how they could talk about this with me and sound so calm about it. "Hold up, hold up, hold up," I butted in, feeling my fingers tighten around my phone. "How can you guys tell this to me with a straight face? You expect me to just ACCEPT the fact that you two have been LYING to me about our family's heritage my ENTIRE LIFE?" I grit my teeth to the point I thought they would shatter. "Why...WHY DID YOU LIE TO ME? Did this PIXAL person tell you to do so?"

"When I retired from my life as a Master, PIXAL told me that I could choose to tell my offspring about our heritage or not - my reasons for doing so were mine alone," My father told me, sounding defensive of his teacher. "So I chose not to tell you because the life of a Master is not all peaches and cream. I've seen things no other man should see. I've both heard and witnessed stories that should not be relayed to the ears of a child. I could not tell you, my innocent son, the horrors of the world of our ancestors."

"Really, Pops?" I was having trouble listening to this and keeping my expression neutral. "You've told me the bloody stories of nearly every samurai in history, and you think I can't handle some ghost stories?"

"There are more than ghosts that you have to worry about, Yugo - I just didn't want to scar you for life!" My father reprimanded me, and I was thankful that I wasn't sitting in the same room as him. He was my father, but his anger could shake mountains.

"So why are you telling me all this now?" I asked him meekly.

"Because something obviously happened over on PIXAL's end - maybe one of the Masters awakened their Element early or a strong villain has emerged, I don't know. Whatever the reason, if PIXAL is reaching out to you now, it means that the Masters need to regroup."

I got a trickling sensation of dread. "And what exactly does that mean?"

"It means that you, along with the other members of the next Master generation, must go to the Monastery of Spinjitzu and train under PIXAL."

That made me go cold. "I'm sorry, WHAT?" I yelled. I was aware that I was being loud and that the neighbors could most likely hear me, but I didn't care. I had to voice my disapproval. "I barely know this person, yet I'm just supposed to go this so-called 'Monastery of Spinjitzu' and have them train me? I'm perfectly fine with the teachers I have now, thanks, and they are perfectly capable of-"

"Yugo," My mother spoke up, and I was shocked by the steel in her voice - it was more than usual. "Your teachers are great and they can teach you a lot, but they can't train you on how to control the Element. PIXAL is not only the best on the subject, she's the only expert. Besides, it's not as if you'd be completely alone. There are nineteen other Masters, and if PIXAL has reached out to you, it's a safe bet to assume that she's also reached out to the other Masters."

"Who would be...?" I had to ask.

"I don't know - I didn't keep in touch with the other Masters after I retired!" My father admitted defensively.

I rolled my eyes. My old man didn't keep tabs on anyone unless they'd left him with a scar. "That still doesn't convince me that this is a good idea."

"Then there's nothing else we can say to convince you," My father told me, though he didn't sound defeated. "You'll just have to go to the Monastery and have PIXAL convince you herself."

I barked out a harsh laugh. "Excuse me, I'm trying to pose an argument AGAINST me going there," I reminded him, but he cut me off.

"Regardless if you want to go or not, it's a necessity for two reasons. One, even if you aren't trained by PIXAL, the Element will Awaken within you sooner or later, and you'll have no idea how to control it. Two, it's a family tradition. Every Nansui has trained at the Monastery under PIXAL - and we honor traditions, don't we, son?"

Great. My old man was pulling the family card. "That's low, Pops."

"I'll go as low as I need to in order to impress on you how important this is, Yugo," He told me, and I knew he meant it.

I could see that there was no getting out of this. "Fine. I'll go."

"Good. Now, uhhh..." His tone turned sheepish. "PIXAL didn't happen to give you a way to get to the Monastery, did she? I don't remember how to get there..."

My eyes rolled once again. "Yeah, she gave me a black button and called it a teleportation device."

"Black button that can teleport you across the globe?" My mother muttered. "Damn...I think PIXAL's running out of creativity."

"Good - take the button and go to the Monastery on the day that she told you to," My father told me. "She'll explain more to you and the other Masters when you get there. And don't worry - it's not as scary as it seems."

"Says the man who kept the secret from me my whole life because he didn't want me running to his room, saying I had a nightmare," I said bitterly.

I hung up after that. I ran my hands over my hair, my face, my neck, suddenly feeling even more sore than I had before. My ramen cup was cold in my lap; just as well, because I didn't think I'd be able to stomach any of it. The two bites I had already taken were starting to turn in my stomach.

I knew what I had told my father was a low blow, but I didn't give two shits. Now I had to leave all I knew of martial arts behind, go to a mysterious monastery, and train under a person I didn't even know - all because of his own selfish wishes. Besides, he had made the first low blow by pulling the family loyalty card. It was more like retribution.

I thought back to the events of the day, wondering when it was that my entire life had been turned on its head and my family had transformed into one of untold power.

That was easy: when I had gotten the letter.

Somehow the words in that letter and the person who had written them had the power to flip my whole world around.

Ukyo's POV
After departing from the Shakadera dojo, I didn't feel like going back to the cold staleness of my house. I didn't live alone, per say, but my father was a very busy man and it was most likely that he wasn't home yet.

My mother wasn't there, wouldn't ever be there.

I'd never even met her.

So I chose to do what I usually did when my father wasn't home: I passed the time by going down to the lake.

There was a small lake at about the halfway point between my house and the Shakadera dojo. It wasn't by any means a major lake, but it was popular with fishermen and sightseers. A small group of pines formed a ring around the turquoise water and the mountains in the distance formed a surreal background.

As the day was drawing to a close, no one was at the lake, so I had no problem making my way through the trees and setting my backpack down at the lake's pebble-lined shore. I sat down, slipped off my shoes and socks, and dipped my toes into the water's edge. The cold bit into my skin. I didn't mind.

I stayed like that for a while, sitting on the shore while my butt lost all feeling and my toes started to feel like pebbles of ice. I watched as the sun dipped lower on the horizon and painted the serene landscape in colors of lava and rose. The needles of the trees became golden in color while the mountains turned into twin chunks of sunstone and the water looked as though it was alight with flames.

I'd always been fascinated by light and the way it both created and shaped colors - abundance of it could make a picture breathtaking while absence of it could make the scene ominous. With the right kind of lighting, you could either make a lasting impression or fade until you were nothing more than a shadow on the edge of someone's peripheral vision.

I had discovered this knowledge long ago. Usage of the latter had given me my nickname: the Shadow Walker.

But it appeared that I had another name, if the letter I had received earlier was to be believed. I sounded it out in my head: the Master of Light. I had to admit that it sounded fishy, given my personality. However, it was worth taking a look into.

I didn't like doing it, but it was my only way to discover the truth.

I took my phone out of my pocket and dialed my father's number. I listened to the soft rings as I dragged my feet through the water, not feeling the rocks beneath my soles. Come on, Father, pick up, I silently grouched.

Finally the rings stopped and my father's eloquent voice spoke plainly. "Ukyo."

"Father."

"Are you on your way home?"

I didn't know why he bothered to ask me that since he was hardly ever there, but I chose not to voice my opinion on the matter. "Yes. However, I received something today that may be of interest to you?"

"Oh?" He sounded anything but intrigued. "Spit it out, then."

I took a deep breath and started to explain. "When I was cleaning up after practice, I found a white letter in my things. I have no idea how it got there, only the name of the person who sent it: PIXAL Borg Julien."

I waited for my father to laugh, make a noise of annoyance, but for some reason he remained quiet. Could it be possible...that he actually knows this person? I wondered.

Finally, my father grumbled with venom dripping from every word, "That motherfucking ROBOT!"

That threw me for a loop. Robot? "I'm sorry, Father...I don't understand," I admitted cautiously.

"Of course you don't," My father spat, his tone still acidic. "Look, Ukyo, no matter what that letter told you, don't listen to it; disregard the entire thing - better yet, burn the letter and anything else you found with it!"

I was shocked at the urgency in his voice. I wondered what had happened to make him react this way against this person. "Father, I don't understand," I repeated just as urgently.

"Your mother had some history with that PIXAL person, and I guess she was some sort of mystical Master of Light, but that is of no matter! You do not need to associate yourself with PIXAL, and I do not want to discuss this any further! Just disregard the letter and speak to no one about it! I'll see you at home."

He ended the call right there, leaving me staring at my phone in disbelief. I had never heard him so haggard and adamant about something, and the call had only left me with more questions than it did answers.

The sun was starting to disappear below the horizon, dousing everything in a dark veil. I pulled my numb toes out of the lake, dried them best I could with my jacket, and pulled my socks and shoes on. As the landscape completely dove into night, I picked up my backpack and forced my cold feet to walk back to my house.

As I walked, I went over what my father had told me. My mother had been the Master of Light. And this PIXAL person had known her. My father never spoke of my mother, claiming that simply saying her name caused him pain. The only proof I had that she had even physically existed was the picture atop the shrine my father had to her in his room - I was never permitted to enter, which I thought was a little unfair. I could only see portions of it through cracks in the door.

What I saw of her was beautiful, but it was not enough.

However, if PIXAL had known her...perhaps they could tell me more about her.

And the secrets my father does not want me to know.

Forgive me, Father...but a son has the right to know about his mother. Especially if his birth caused her death.

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3740 words.

Hope you guys are enjoying this so far! Sorry for taking so long to update this story!