I repeated each word back, every one feeling wrong in my mouth. My parents had wanted me to say them perfectly, so they had made me practice for weeks. We'd been waiting for a little over a year for this day, when a second full moon would grace the sky in a month. My parents said there was magic in the blue moon. That the moon's light would carry power through individuals and let it grow to its full strength. They wanted me to carry on both of their powers and become the most powerful elemental master of my generation.

     "Why do I need to be powerful?" I had asked. "I'm just a normal kid."

     "Someday there might be a big bad monster who starts attacking the city," Mother replied, brushing curls of dark hair off my forehead, "and the world is going to need a hero."

     "Our job is to prepare you to be that hero," Father smiled, tucking me in and turning off the light.

     Two years later, we sat in the open moonlight, Father on my right and Mother on my left. They clasped my hands in theirs, chanting a mysterious message that none of us understood. I imagined there was someone out there that knew what the words meant, but that person was probably some monk living in solitude.

     My parent's voices brought forth light from their bodies, as mist and sparks of lightning flew around, ready to leave their previous masters and enter into me. Mother's eyes were squeezed closed with concentration as her short black hair whipped around in the wind. Father's various facial freckles were very noticeable in the blue light. When their voices finished their half of the chant, the lights and mist slowly disappeared, becoming one with the air once again.

     Both of my parents opened their eyes, looking at me with anticipation.

     "Can you feel it?" Father asked, leaning forward. His knees bounced up and down in a childlike fashion.

     I closed my eyes and tried to feel the lightning or water flowing through me, but all I felt was a convoluted mess inside. It was all numb and lifeless. Was this a normal side-effect of the transfer... or was this signaling something else?

     "Don't push yourself too hard," Mother squeezed my hand. "It will come to you in time."

     I tried not to think about that day anymore. Every day since had been a disappointment; every day since had seen nothing but failure. I went through the practiced ninja form alongside my mother outside of our house, trying to sharpen my poses and master the moves. I could do the form, but I couldn't work the powers with it. Even after so many years, the elemental power did not call to me.

     Mother and I punched forward, with one arm tucked into our side, then punched forward with the other fist while tucking the outstretched arm in. We turned and side-kicked in unison, making sure to square ourselves when our feet returned to the ground.

     Turn again.

     Another round of punching and blocking.

     Turn again.

     Jump kick.

     Turn again.

     Mother said if I ever did my forms extremely quickly, I could start to make a Spinjitzu tornado. Her and Father could do them quite easily, but they had years of practice. All I'd ever been able to come up with was a flimsy tornado; it was Spinjitzu too weak to do any damage. I kept practicing though, because Spinjitzu was the closest thing I was ever going to get to elemental power.

     As Mother and I finished our routine, the mouthwatering smell of a fresh baked cake drifted out of the house. Mother's eyes lit up with a familiar light. She always looked that way on Picnic Day, which was literally every Saturday. The last Picnic Day was at our house, but this time it was going to be at Lloyd's. Father always gushed over Picnic Day with sappy speeches about preserving his friendships. Mother claimed she only went for the food, but I doubted that was the only reason she liked to go.

     I wiped the sweat off of my forehead and ran into the kitchen to join in. Father ruffled my hair as I washed my hands.

     "I hope you didn't come in here to slack off the baking business," Father teased, setting now empty bowls in the sink, which was already overflowing with dishes. "But I guess oventually the taste of cake is in the eating of it."

     Mother coughed to cover up a laugh.

     We both adored Father's puns, which he made all of the time, especially during Picnic Day. When I was younger, Aureole and I would sit next to Dad during Picnic Day and listen to him go on and on about random topics. It was always fascinating, because even if the story was about him reading a newspaper, he would make it seem like the funniest event that ever happened. All of the adults and eavesdropping kids would laugh so hard that our eyes would water. Mother adored Father for that reason, even though sometimes she had to tell him to straighten up.

     "I heard of a kid who kept getting heartburns after eating birthday cake. He was told to take off the candles before eating it," I returned, turning on the sink.

     "Some of us dream of cakes, while others bake it happen in real life." Mother elbowed Father in the side, a warning to cut the punny train off.

     "Stop it with the jokes," she teased lightly, "but in all seriousness, why are you baking a cake? I thought you were going to bring your famous apple pie."

     Father went over to rinse the dishes I was scrubbing. "Cole called while you were out. He's coming today, so I thought I'd make his favorite treat."

     Mother nodded, understanding the situation immediately.

     Years ago, a terrible virus had spread throughout Ninjago. It wasn't the most contagious virus ever conceived, but if you caught it, it had a fifty percent killing rate. It had killed the famous Cyrus Borg, leaving his company in the hands of his robotic daughter. And it had become a very personal thing when Cole's wife caught it.

     Seliel had been injured years earlier due to being caught in a burning house. Her lungs never fully recovered from the attack, leaving her permanently with a breathing problem. A lot of times when we visited her, she'd have linked herself up to an oxygen tank. When she was diagnosed with the virus, I remember both of my parents going so pale they almost looked translucent. And Cole, the strong, the brave, the unmovable Ninja of Earth, he started crying, burying his head into Seliel's mousy brown hair, while she weakly clutched onto him.

     She died less than a month later. We did our part to help out Cole's family—Father bought a minivan to carry Cole's four children around in—but no effort ever seemed to be enough. Cole barely ever came to Picnic Day gatherings; he was always busy with his job and trying to provide for his family. Today truly was a special day, then, if he was going to come.

     We spent the rest of the morning cooking and baking. I loved this part of Picnic Day since baking with my family was one of my favorite activities. Only faintly did I remember the days when Bea used to be there with us. She'd always complain about cookie batter getting trapped underneath her fingernails. But Bea was gone now; she had her own family to attend to.

     In the evening, as we expertly fitted all our treats into the van, I asked about her.

    "Is Bea coming today?"

    Bequeath had always been an oddity, and like Cole, she barely ever came to Picnic Day. She was my older sister, and please don't ask me how Father got away with naming her that. I never really understood it. We used to be close when we were younger, but in her high school years she drifted apart from the rest of us. She was engaged before she turned eighteen, married before she was twenty, and was now living deep within Ninjago City.

    Mother slyly grinned at me through the rearview window as Father backed the van out of our driveway.

    "I think you're in for a surprise today, Storm," she said, leaving me ponder as we began the drive.

>(<>)<

Lloyd had the kind of house that made you wonder if he was rich, even when you knew he wasn't. The city had paid for tall, electrical gates to be put up around the perimeter of the large property, so fangirls would be dissuaded from trying to break in. A smaller ranch-style building sat in the middle of a lot of grassy land, making it seem like a farmer's dream. There weren't a lot of trees on the nearly flat property, making it the perfect place to run and train. Lloyd had installed a lot of training equipment outside, which was put to good use every time Picnic Day was held at his house. A small river ran near the edge of the property, making a fun outlet for mischief on a summer day.

     We parked our van near the house and started to unload the armfuls of treats we prepared. Just as I had lugged the first round of cookies inside, I saw Aureole's brown and red head bob through a window. Upon closer inspection, she was talking to a short girl with bouncy curls—

     "Bea!" I cried in delight, rushing outside to meet them.

     Bea screeched in surprise when I barreled into her, causing Aureole to buckle over in laughter. Soon, I was laughing, Bea was awkwardly patting my head, and Aureole was grinning so wide it hurt.

     "Good to see you too, little cousin," she said.

     I clapped her red-clad shoulder. Aureole wasn't dressed in a kimono today, which was rare. Normally her entire family was always dressed formally, but today seemed to be an exception of all sorts. Cole was coming, Aureole was dressed casually, and my sister had shown up.

     "I take it Mother didn't tell you I was coming," Bea ruffled my hair again with laughter in her eyes.

     Bequeath was an odd mixture of Father and Mother. Her hair was raven black like Mother's but had somehow gained Father's curls. Her face was round and her eyes were sharp, making her look much younger than she appeared. She worked as a makeup model for her husband, so her face was almost always highlighted with extravagant colors. Today she was wearing cerulean eyeliner with violet packed into her creases.

     Bea always stood out due to her strange fashion sense—I suspected her husband was a big influence on that factor. Trust me when I say he dresses even stranger than she does. However, today I could tell something about her was... off.

     She was still smiling, practically glowing with delight right in front of us. Aureole watched me with a knowing smile, exchanging glances with my sister every now and then. So obviously my cousin had figured it out.

     "You cut your hair?" I guessed.

     Both of them burst into giggles. Bea's laugh was high-pitched, like a breeze blowing through windchimes. Aureole slung an arm around my shoulders.

     "No silly," she laughed.

     Bequeath stepped forward, taking my hands in hers. Then, gently, she guided them to her stomach. Her round stomach. My mouth dropped open.

     "I'm going to be an uncle?"

     "Mom never told you?" Bea ruffled my hair. "I've been pestering her with questions for months."

     "To be fair, you haven't been to Picnic Day in a while," Aureole pointed out.

     Bea laughed again. "I've been busy getting ready to move."

     Aureole merely retained her grin, but I often wondered if she hid any regrets behind her calm façade. Aureole was about a year younger than Bea, but she hadn't even dated anyone yet, much less gotten married. When Bea announced she was to be married at nineteen, my parents didn't even blink an eye (at least in my knowledge). Aureole said my parents got married early on, so it made sense they wouldn't care if their kids did the same. It made me feel awkward when I thought about it, seeing as I was getting older and still hadn't found a partner yet. Then again, Bea was more of the outgoing type. She never wanted to train as a ninja; she always wanted to go out and live a somewhat normal life. The day after she turned eighteen, she moved out of the house. It had been only me and my parents ever since.

     Father and Mother showed up after that and stole Bea away from the conversation. Father was delighted he was going to be a grandfather, Mother was both exuberant and stressing, and when Aureole's parents showed up, the happy words soon turned to shouts of congratulations. I personally never understood Aureole's parents. They wanted to be formal and respected, yet they both could be so immature at times. Harumi showed up at some point and gave her congratulations in a much quieter tone than the rest of us.

      I felt a bit weird just standing there, but Aureole was good at dealing with people.

     "How has your training been coming along?" she asked, fiddling with the ends of her hair. She'd dyed the ends of her brown hair a bright red. I still wasn't sure if she did it to match her mother, or to defy looking perfectly formal all the time.

     "Um..." I would talk about anything but that. My elemental powers had always been weak since the transfer, and had never fully developed, no matter how much effort I put into training. Aureole was waiting for an answer, so I decided to switch the subject away from me. "Do you think you can beat Shade today?"

     Aureole laughed, a sweet noise that definitely came from her mother. "I wish. Maybe if we use no powers in our little tournaments."

     She held out her hand, letting a spark of fire ignite in the center. "I have been working on a little trick for the triplets." The small ball of fire started to rise off her hand, hovering high in the air. I watched it with keen interest. Aureole had always been impressive with her powers, always very strong and controlled.

     "AHH! AUREOLE'S DOING MAGIC!"

     Three blurry bodies jumped on top of my startled cousin, making her extinguish the flame.

     "Do the magic again Aureole!" The oldest dark-haired girl, Avery, squealed, tugging at Aureole's hands.

     "Make the super cool fire!" Her brother Yuki smiled, helping my cousin to her feet.

     "Yeah!" The littlest triplet, Lilly, joined in, her small voice standing strong.

     "Nice to see you all too," Aureole grunted, pulling them into a bear hug. The triplets beamed at her, all of them supremely excited to be here.

    "Do the magic!" they pleaded again.

     Aureole smiled, letting the fire spark on her fingers. Two separate flames controlled by two hands. They twirled in her palms, flipping around each other and doing tricks in the air. The triplets watched with delight, squealing whenever the flames did something extraordinary. I couldn't help but feel bitter with the display.

     "She's really good with them," another boy joined me, only a few years older than his triplet siblings. Peak wiped his black hair out of his eyes. "I can barely keep them in line even when we're at home."

     I forced out a laugh. Regret was hitting me behind the eyes harder and harder as I watched the flames dance. All the Ninja's chosen children were so skilled with their elemental powers. Only I was the weak one. Only I could barely command my elements.

     "Where are my favorite triplets?" Shade's voice boomed into the air as he popped out from behind Aureole. Peak's siblings immediately abandoned the fire show to tackle him.

     Morro watched the scene from far behind his brother, his demeanor icy. I knew him well enough to know he felt uncomfortable in people-packed settings. I didn't see Ver anywhere; she must still have been in the house. I barely knew Lloyd's youngest child, since she never liked to interact with anyone. Every time I was with her, she always seemed angry or unsettled, like a pot ready to boil over. I had heard the rumors that she was a diagnosed schizophrenic, but she never acted abnormally. She just seemed like she had a major chip in her shoulder.

     Aureole smiled as she helped Shade entertain Avery, Yuki, and Lilly. She and Shade got along quite well, despite the few years difference between them. Rumors had been floating around that they would get together when they were older, but Aureole always denied that whenever I asked. She told me Shade was simply a good confidant.

     "Are they bothering you too much, Aureole?" Peak's father, Cole, stepped up to our little group, giving his triplets a stern gaze. They automatically stepped away from the older teens.

     "Nah," Aureole smiled, glancing at the triplets. "We're just having fun."

     Shade tapped Yuki on the shoulder, "Tag!" They took off running across the lawn, with the other triplets following soon after. Aureole gave Cole an apologetic shrug and jogged off after them.

     Peak looked about ready to fall asleep, so we made our way over to one of the lawn chairs sitting on the house's back porch. Morro followed us over, his walk both clunky and ungraceful. He never seemed at ease with himself, always acting like someone was going to point him out as a freak. I never really understood it. He was the son of the most famous ninja ever. His powers actually worked. If anything, he should be just as, if not more, popular than his brother.

     "Did your dad get the day off of work?" he asked Peak when we were all situated.

     "Yeah," Peak swung back and forth on the porch swing, "Some of the parents started hassling him about never taking a break, so he finally saved up enough money to take the week off. He's excited to see the mini tournament today."

     Both Morro and I cringed at the word 'tournament'.

     Peak gave us both sympathetic half-smiles, showing his mother's dimples in his face. I never knew Seliel that well. Mother told me she was as vivacious as the triplets, with a heart so big it rivaled her husband's. It'd been years since I last saw her face, so when I looked at Peak, it was easy to see a stranger.

     Peak had dark hair like his father's, but it was thin and stringy instead of thick like Cole's. His grey-brown eyes didn't look a thing like Cole's, and his frame was leaner compared to his father. While it was noticeable that Peak was Cole's son, his features were also so starkly different that I would try to use them to piece together a picture of his mother. The thing he had in common with both of his parents, however, was how tall he was. Peak was young compared to the rest of us—next semester would be his first year of high school—yet he was already taller than me. Granted, I was short, but still.

     The most notable thing about Peak was the constant stress that pooled beneath his eyes. He was ten when Seliel contracted the virus. Upon Seliel's sickness and death, Cole was forced to choose between providing for the family for being a good father. Cole worked at Seliel's old dojo, and had to work long hours in order to provide for four growing mouths. Thus, Peak was forced to step up and take on the role of a parent. He walked his siblings to school, prepared their meals, did the laundry, etc. Combined with the weight of being the next elemental master of earth, Peak was constantly tired. I wondered how he handled it all without snapping. Maybe what my parents said was true; an elemental master of earth is an unmoving foundation.

     We all made small talk for the next few minutes as Shade and Aureole chased the triplets through the yard. Peak talked about some new ninja moves his father had been teaching him, and Morro told us he completed yet another sudoku book. That seemed to be his exciting news every week. Then, Morro's mother called us for dinner, and we all went to fill our plates and bellies. 

I twisted and turned as fast as lightning, shooting fire out of my fists at the incoming rice-filled bags. Machines randomly shot the fire-proof packages at me, hard enough to hurt but soft enough to refrain from breaking something. Each bag I hit fell lifelessly to the ground, thumping against the stone-cold mat. Three bags shot out at the same time, and I planted my feet to avoid the baseball-sized containers. As they neared, it flashed through my mind that I should use the new move dad had been teaching me. I hadn't perfected it yet, and not executing it properly could result in injuries. Still, a flicker of audacity went through my brain, and I launched myself into the air, using my fire to propel myself upwards.

     I tilted my head backwards, pulling my body into a backflip, before covering my fists in fire. Right as the bags slammed against each other, I fell straight down, landing on my palms and letting the fire shoot off. Instantly, the flames ricocheted across the floor, setting the machines on fire. The bags immediately stopped firing.

     I cartwheeled back into a standing position, surveying the damage I had caused. My wrists ached a bit, since I hadn't landed on them right, but they weren't broken. Across the room, a timer started buzzing. Training was over.

     Heavily breathing, I grinned at my successful attempt and turned to the viewing window where my parents usually stood.

     All I met was my reflection, my face slowly fading from a triumphant grin into cold rejection.

     Father laughed from his picnic blanket, throwing his arm around Mother's shoulders as all the adults hung onto Jay's every word. I averted my gaze, turning back to the sticky bun I held between my fingers. Picnic Day was the one day they weren't caught up with meetings and tastings and training. It was the one day we were a normal family, instead of a functioning business unit. But Picnic Day was also the day I was expected to socialize with all my future teammates. So, like always, most of it was spent pretending our to-do lists weren't getting any bigger while we were away.

    Shade and Storm discussed the latest video game they had been playing together across from me. Storm was enthusiastically waving his hands around, grinning his crooked smile. Shade was pretty much haloed in the sunlight, looking like a deity among men. Meanwhile, Morro silently chewed on a carrot, watching them. The rest of the children were eating on another mat, talking their mouths off, not even pausing to consider adding the newly arrived Cypress into their conversation.

     Zane and PIXAL had been a few minutes late, claiming their famous pot stickers had needed a few extra minutes to cook. It had been worth it to wait; those pot stickers were always gone within the first few minutes of the food being brought out. I know Shade had eaten eight of them, and I had five. The rest of the company stacked the pot stickers on their plates, enough to fill each person up alone. Yet their plates were also piled high with other amazing foods from the potluck.

     Cypress had come with her adoptive parents, like she always did, but I was surprised she wasn't sitting with them like usual. They must have promised her some reward if she sat with us, since she normally never left their sides.

     Cypress was far from the youngest of the group. She was only a few years younger than Ver, which made her slightly older than Peak. Since they had a small age gap, one might assume they'd get along, but Cypress didn't talk to anyone. She was like Ver in that respect, though Cypress was more shy than antisocial. I wish I could understand her a bit more so we could have something to talk about. But Cypress always backed away from conversation starters, practically hiding until it was time for her family to leave.

     Her backstory was more than tragic. She had lost her parents at a young age in a terrible accident and lost most of her body along with it. The only way to save her was to do cybernetic surgery, which left her nearly around forty-five percent robotic. Even worse, she wasn't ever able to get skin grafting to hide the bolts and wires. In the midst of this tragic time Zane and PIXAL decided to adopt her, seeing as they were nindroids who could help her get settled easier into her new life. They were the extent of how far Cypress was willing to go to know people.

     "Do you think you can beat me today, Aureole?" Shade smiled in my direction, his eyes alight with excitement. He enjoyed Picnic Day the most out of all of us.

     "I can certainly try," I replied, temporarily losing focus on the sticky bun in my hands. I had been attempting to discreetly heat it up, but it became so hot that I accidentally yelped and dropped it.

     Later, the parents gathered together to watch the mini tournament that came with each Picnic Day. Shade insisted on having it to show the parents how far we had come with our training, but I suspected he liked it partially because it gave him a chance to face off against different opponents. He had mentioned to me that he only sparred with Morro, day after day. Lloyd gathered all of the elementals, excluding Zane and Skylor, together to face off. There were only five of us.

     Shade and Morro could manipulate energy, Peak could move the earth, I could create fire, and Storm could manipulate the weather if he was amplified. I thought how clever it was that his name was Storm, since when he was boosted, he could gather storm clouds. Still, five was five, and we needed a sixth to have a proper match. Lloyd called Ver over to face off against Peak. She didn't protest at being chosen, but I could sense her heavy irritation from across the clearing.

     I was paired up with Shade since Storm was almost always paired up with Morro. Morro had an uncanny way of amplifying energy without thinking about it, which caused him to boost his opponent's elemental strength. That was why everyone hoped I would defeat Shade during our duel. Shade's powers when amplified by Morro were terrifyingly dangerous. I had heard a rumor Shade once sucked the life out of a meadow, though I wasn't sure how true it was. Shade had an impressive level of control over his powers. There was no way someone like him would willingly destroy any life.

     Ver and Peak were going to go first, since they were the youngest. All the other competitors started stretching as the two started their duel. The parents gathered around the small ring Lloyd had created for these events, cheering on the kids. I watched with a particular interest. Ver didn't usually compete in these events; someone would either duel the parents (usually Shade) or sit out. I was curious to see how a non-elemental would face off against someone as skilled as Peak.

     Peak had a superb level of control on his power for his age; I assume it came from his father's steady guidance. While the triplets took after their mother in their vivaciousness, Peak was as steady as his father in his demeanor.

     That steadiness showed through as Peak and Ver circled each other. Elemental powers had been allowed this round. That felt unfair especially since weapons weren't allowed, but I went along with it. If Lloyd trusted his kid enough not to get totaled by Peak, then I guess I'd have to trust that decision.

    Peak's steps were light but stable, while Ver bounced with an unsteady energy. They stepped around each other, paused briefly, then continued circling over and over again. Ver watched Peak's every move with narrow eyes, while Peak continued to take deep breaths.

     In one of the stopping moments, Ver bounced forward, narrowly avoiding the rock that shot out of the ground right next to her. She ran towards Peak, who was now carefully guiding the earth with his hands. Ver leaped, missing another rock, and landed beside Peak, throwing a sidekick at his face. Peak dodged, trying to summon more earth to aid him, but Ver attacked his hands as viciously as she could muster so he would be forced to use them to block her. Ver was able to obtain a grip on his wrist, which turned out to be a mistake. With a turn of his feet, Peak sent the earth below them rocketing skyward, knocking Ver off of her balance. She fell off of the five-foot tower, tucking and rolling to avoid being hurt.

     Now, on top of his platform, Peak could fully manipulate the ground without being in danger of Ver's fast attacks. Ver was forced to dodge rock after rock as it shot towards her, yet while she was dropping to avoid the aerial attacks, she grabbed a handful of the sandy earth. When she was back on her feet, she threw it at Peak, creating a blind spot for him as she rushed to get behind the platform.

     When the dust cleared, Ver lunged over the side of the tower and knocked both of them off. Right as they smacked against the ground, she prepared to pin him to the ground. That, again, was her mistake. Peak was a master of the earth. As Ver stuck her hands to hold him in place, Peak waved his arm to shift the ground. The small tower moved forward, smacking them both and giving Peak the opportunity to roll away from his pinned state. When the dust cleared again, Peak and Ver had returned to circling each other. The tower had returned to dirt and had covered them in dust and grime.

     Ver looked like a cat attacking her prey. Peak was as calm as someone meditating on a mountaintop. They circled each other, Ver's pants getting angrier and angrier with each complete rotation. With a primal scream, she launched herself forward again, only to see a pillar shoot out of the ground before her. By the time she jumped back to get out of the way, another pillar shot out behind her. Before any of us could process what Peak had done, he had already created two more pillars, pinning Ver in a cage of earth. He slowly walked towards the cage, seeming way too calm to have just been in an intense battle. Ver screamed for him to let her out, but Peak only asked if she yielded.

     "Yes, I yield," Ver puffed, her words muffled by the thick rocks. "Now get me out of this infernal cage or I will personally—"

     Her words were cut out by the sound the crumbling pillars made as they fell. Lloyd declared Peak the winner of the match, and Peak bowed to the parents, his eyes alight with excitement. He went over to his father, whose smile was bigger than anyone else's. Ver merely sulked off towards the house. No one tried to stop her.

     "Next up, Morro and Storm!" Lloyd announced, sitting back down beside his wife. The parents cheered again as the next two competitors stepped into the circle. I was distracted from the fight by Shade, who had made his way over to me.

     "You seem to have been improving in your elemental mastery," he murmured, pulling his leg behind him to stretch the muscles.

     "That news should be unimportant to you. You always tend to have the upper hand," I replied, noticing the clouds that were gathering rather quickly. It would start raining soon if Storm had his way.

     He shot me a grin. "Improvement always makes for an interesting match."

     I couldn't help but feel my cheeks warm. Shade had that look about him that would make anyone blush. His face was endearing and sweet, yet also showed a maturity beyond his years. When he smiled, the world seemed to light up. I fondly recalled the times I would watch the girls around him swoon just because he laughed. He knew he had that effect, but he didn't try to abuse it. At least, not with people he hadn't known his whole life.

     Golden light flashed through the air as Morro gathered energy to himself. He was avoiding Storm's jabs with practiced skill. Storm was on edge, like usual, not being able to rely on pure elemental power to win the fight. A gentle rain started to fall, causing the adults to cheer in delight. Everyone knew Storm struggled to summon his elemental powers, so when he was able to succeed, everyone was happy for him. I cheered for my cousin as the air started to get warmer.

     I gently held my hand up to the moist breeze, feeling the flames leap beneath my skin. If it were a bit drier, they would love to break free and swirl around my palm. Father had warned me that fire was dangerous in that respect. Flames were beautiful and comforting, but if they lost control, they could become quite scary to those who feared their potential.

     As Storm dodged direct blasts of energy, the sky above us rumbled. The rain started falling rapidly, causing Jay and Nya to share their smartly packed umbrellas. I didn't mind the rain, though it was funny to watch small amounts of steam rise off of Morro as he continued to fight. Shade had stopped stretching beside me to let the rain fall into his open palms. The smile on his face was so big it was contagious. He loved Picnic Day so much; to this day I still wasn't sure why.

     It wasn't long before lighting hit the ground right next to Morro. The problem was, Morro was unconsciously amplifying energy around him, so when the lightning hit, its overpowered electricity blinded everyone temporarily with its bright light. When the light faded, Morro was practically glowing with his elemental power working, and Storm had fallen over. Morro stuck his foot on top of Storm's stomach; Storm was too frazzled to get up. Lloyd declared Morro the winner.

     The clouds started to lessen as I went to stand in the circle. This was all practiced routine. I faced Shade every now and then, always bringing new techniques with me. Every time he found a new way to beat me. I think our friendship became a game of who could one-up each other in duels, except no amount of creativity could get me around Shade's natural ability. I called the fire to my hands as Shade stepped into the ring.

     The temperature dropped a few degrees as he squared himself.

     "Fight!" the parents called, ready to start the round.

      I shot blast after blast of fire at Shade immediately, not even giving him time to power up. That was the only weakness of Shade's I had discovered over the years. It took him a little while to fully be able to manipulate the energy I sent at him. That gave me a small window of time to take him down.

     It was hard to see his actions through the fiery haze, but I could tell he wasn't in serious danger. I rushed forward, relishing the heat, and lunged to tackle Shade. I always feared this part. Somewhere inside me I was terrified of him. I knew the myths about the drained meadow were probably false, but I'd watched him drain my fire out of the air. I didn't want him to deplete my lifeforce whilst trying to take out my fire. Shade had promised me he never used his powers on people, but his word wasn't enough to comfort me.

      Shade knocked me back with a set of moves that started to surround him in violet streams of light. I knew what was coming. In a few seconds, he spun so violently that it created a tornado of pure power. Spinjitzu. Shade knocked into me, making me fly backwards across the mud. He could only hold the power for a few seconds, and quickly descended back into his normal form.

     I scrambled to get to my feet as the temperature continued to drop. Shade held his hands up in the air, as if he was testing the wind. He grinned as I readied more fire. This time, I shot the fire at the ground, baking the mud around his feet. If I could trap him in the mud, then I could pin him down with ease. I already had mud dripping down my back; it was time Shade learn how that felt. Shade quickly realized what I was doing, but by then the mud had hardened into a clay-like substance.

     Dark strands were gathering around Shade as he struggled to escape the mud. I prowled closer; fire gathered in my hand. I had to take him out soon, or I would stand no chance at all.

     With a well-placed kick, I knocked Shade backwards into the mud. His feet became free with a squelch; mud splattered upwards when he hit the ground. He yelped in surprise as I blasted fire straight at his face. In that second, it looked like I could actually win this fight.

     Shade stuck up his hands to shield himself—and the fire vanished.

     The coldness went straight into my left hand, causing me to retract it in shock. It was always numbingly cold, the darkness of Shade's power. I knew what was happening, and it was too late to stop him now.

     I shot more flames at Shade from my right hand, hoping to keep Shade on the ground, as I shook my left hand to awake more flames inside of it. Shade kept his own hands stuck up as he got to his feet, extinguishing any fire before it hit his rising form. Panic settled in as the cold touched my right palm.

     Shade leapt at me, causing us both to fall into the mud. It splattered all over his face, yet he refused to let go of his grin. In one last desperate attempt at victory, I pulled a large strand of flame to launch at his face, but he caught my wrist before I could get his face. The cold spread throughout my arm, taking away any fire I might have left.

     I knew defeat was inevitable, and surrendering was the best way to ensure the life-draining power didn't touch anywhere else. I was pinned; everyone was chanting the three second countdown. I closed my eyes so at least I didn't have to see Shade's face when Lloyd declared his second-born the winner.

     Out of nowhere, the earth shook so violently I thought something was going to attack. I raised my head to see the sky suddenly light up with a plethora of colors. The whole sky was filled with the rumbling light, causing everything to be cast in a halo of a rainbow. We watched this with an open-mouthed expression, none of us sure of what this was.

     As soon as it came, the great flash was gone.

     All of the kids turned to their parents for explanation, since we had never learned about this type of phenomenon in any science book.

     Except, all of the parents had gone white with an expression that suggested they knew more about the mysterious flash than we ever could have.

     It seems this was only the beginning signal to an adventure that would change everything.