"Sophie, I have a question for you" Keefe said, running down the hall towards her.

"How many times do you think you'll go to the Healing Center this year?" He said with a laugh. Sophie rolled her eyes.

"Too many times. Have you started your pool yet?" Sophie asked. Keefe nodded. Sophie had just started her fourth year and Keefe, his sixth.

"So, why are you going to the Foster Center this time?" Keefe asked, pointing at the Healing Center down the hall. It was obvious that Sophie was headed there.

"Another alchemy explosion. Blah blah blah. Just the usual. Y'know. Boom, splatter, another cape gone" Sophie said, starting to walk.

"Wow. You've destroyed two of her capes now. If she didn't despise you before, she will now" Keefe said.

"Trust me, she probably despised me even before I came here. A lot of people did. Like Bronte" Sophie said. Then they walked into the Healing Center and were greeted by Elwin.

"Why is it, that you guys always come here in a pair?" Elwin asked. They both shrugged. Elwin chuckled.

"So, what did you guys do this time?" Elwin asked. Keefe backed away.

"This was all her. I ran into her in the hall. Another alchemy explosion. Another cape was destroyed" Keefe said. Elwin chuckled. Sophie giggled. Then she sat on the cot and held out her arm. There was a huge welt there.

"Wow, Sophie. I don't know how you handle all of that pain and not react to it" Elwin said.

"Oh please. This is nothing compared to everblaze burns, being shot with something your allergic to and having an ability restrictor on your head that cuts into your skin" Sophie said, laughing. Keefe laughed.

"Yeah. I was there for two of them. That's why we travel in a pair" Keefe said. He picked up Sophie's hand and she felt a sure of energy run through her body. He quickly let go and they both jerked their backs straight. Elwin gave them a funny look.

"Do that again" Elwin said.

Keefe picked up Sophie's hand and the surge of energy happened again. He let go again. This time, sparks were visible. Sophie and Keefe were both taken back. Elwin just stared in amazement.

"What is it Elwin?" Sophie asked. She was getting worried.

"I haven't seen this in a couple hundred years" Elwin said in admiration. That confused Sophie.

"Seen what? What does this mean, Elwin?" Sophie asked with more urgency this time.

"Hug. Hug each other" Elwin said.

Sophie and Keefe embraced in a hug, only to feel a zap of electricity run through their bodies again. Sophie jerked backwards, and Keefe did too. They were on either side of the cot. Afraid to touch each other.  Then Elwin whistled.

"You need to touch each other longer. Let the spark surge through your entire body. Not just a spark" he said.

"The surge has already gone through my entire body. But what does the surge mean?" Keefe asked.

Sophie nodded, agreeing about the surge. Elwin's eyes widened at this.

"JUST TELL US WHAT IT MEANS!" Sophie yells. She was so loud, she was sure the whole school heard her. Keefe touched his ears as if it physically hurt. Maybe it did.

"Sorry" she said, barely a whisper.

"It's okay. If you don't mind, I'm going to experiment with this. Now hold hands until I tell you to release, got it?" Elwin says. They both nod and take each others hands.

A surge of electricity shoots through Sophie's body. At first it feels like a zap, then it's like a charge. And now, it doesn't hurt. It never really did. Her insides get warm and fuzzy. She could run a hundred miles with this energy. She has the urge to sprint off, but something is holding her back. Her legs long to run, but her heart and brain need to stay. Then she realizes. She needs to stay because of Keefe. If she runs off, Keefe might be left behind. Then she hears Elwin tell them to let go. Both hesitate, but eventually let go. The energy in Sophie's body lingers, but not for long. She looks at Keefe, and the look he's giving her tells her that he felt the same sensation. They are longing for each other.

"Okay. What do you feel?" Elwin asks.

And as if they were reading each other's minds, they say in unison, "love" and they both look at each other for reassurance.

"Okay. Kiss" Elwin said.

Time stopped. Or it seemed to. Sophie and Keefe shared a look, moved closer to each other, and placed their lips on each other's. Time was now gone. It didn't exist. Electricity, everywhere. Fireworks were visible. It was a passionate kiss. It felt long overdue. They didn't care that Elwin was watching them. He told them to do it. And now that they have, it becomes real. Seconds turn to minutes. So much energy has formed, that they had to stand because their feet couldn't stand to not move. Sophie's body isn't warm. It's hot. Almost burning. Burning with love, passion, longing, energy, admiration and realization. This is real. Fireworks of different colors go off in the room. Tiny sparks fly around. The northern lights dance at the top of the room. Sophie isn't sure if it's Elwin or them doing it. Finally they pull away from each other, still holding hands, and they look up to admire what they have done. It's one of the most beautiful things Sophie has ever seen. And they were the cause of it.

"How did that happen?" Keefe asked.

"Your both flashers now" Elwin answered.

Sophie let go of Keefe's hand, and held out her own. Inside was a dancing purple light. Keefe opened his hand and a firework exploded into the air.

"How did this happen?" Sophie asked.

"The surges of electricity running through your bodies is because you have found each other. That only happens when you have found your soul mate. And it only happens when your young" Elwin explained.

Soul mate. Soul mate. Soul mate. The word rang in Sophie's head. She made another purple light and projected it into the air in the shape of a heart.

"We have touched each other before. Why didn't it happen then?" Sophie asked.

"Because you have to have full trust in the person before it happens. That's why it only occurs every once in a while" Elwin answered.

"Then why are we flashers?" Keefe asked.

"The electric surge traveled to your limbic system and it settled there, having you manifest as a flasher" Elwin explained.

"Okay. So, me and Keefe are soul mates. What do we do now?" Sophie asked.

"Well, you can ignore this, or you can do something about it. Now, let me treat your burn" Elwin said.

Sophie and Keefe looked at each other and they both knew what they had to do. Elwin treated her burn and let them go. Once they were outside the room Keefe grabbed her hand to stop her. They looked at each other.

"You know what we have to do" Keefe said. Sophie nodded. Then she leaned in, and kissed him again.

"Just what I was thinking" Keefe said.

"Come on. We should go tell Magnate Leto about our new ability. Maybe when we work together we can be even more powerful" Sophie said.

"Come on" Keefe said.

"Wait. One more thing" Sophie said. She stopped and made a curve in the air with light. Keefe caught on and made another curve. Together, they made a perfect blue heart in the air. Then they ran off to Magnate Leto's office.