News flash: the Sun was bright. And hot. Just a little fun fact there for ya, in case you ever visit.

Once my eyes adjusted to the light, I could take in our surroundings. I gasped, and my jaw practically hit the floor. We were in a massive training room, with every kind of combat simulation available to practice. As I watched, an area created itself, complete with a simulator and dummies of the Guardians to practice killing. Jack was everywhere, and my heart sank. I would have to practice hurting him every day, and for real, not just in desperate situations. He was on the punching bags, the dummies, the targets, you name it, somehow he was represented as the thing for me to beat down on in every training activity. How did I know this area was mine? Besides Jack's face everywhere, my last name, Summers, was printed on the floor outlining the training space. A row of girls, about twelve of them, were standing off to the right. They were all wearing the same thing, a plain white shirt and white pants, no shoes, and a simple hairstyle. They were standing at attention, posture rigid, and I suddenly felt inadequate, slouching over like I was. I resisted the urge to stand up straight and stuck my hand in my pocket glumly, holding my staff firmly with the other hand, rebelling. The girls looked to be from about ages 10 to 15, and I looked to be the oldest, physically. Another disappointment. I had been hoping for someone to talk to. Girls looked at me with interest, like Who is this guy?

I flipped the hood back and kept a bored look on my face. I blew the hair out of my eyes, irritated. I whipped out my pocket knife and slashed my bangs shorter, faster than the eye could follow. Now that it wasn't hanging in front of my face anymore, I plastered on a slightly more pleasant expression, smiling faintly.

Mother removed her hand from my shoulder. "Girls, pay attention. This is June Summers, Empress of the Fire Kingdom. She is a new recruit, and I expect you will treat her with respect."

I flinched at the word 'Empress'. "Did you have to introduce me as the Empress? I would rather not be."

"You are a queen my dear, and must be treated as such. Now, about finding you a suitor-"

"Please, can we not talk about this, I really don't want to get married. I'm only 17."

"You should have been married by the time you were 13, and had children by the following year, but this will have to do."

I paled at the mention of kids. "Please, no, can I just start training?"

A girl snorted quietly.

I whipped my head around to look at her. "What's so funny?"

"You want to start training. It is very difficult, and only the best survive." She gestured to the rest of them.

"Yeah, but anything is better than your mom talking about marriage and having kids," I shot back.

Their slight fidgeting ceased, and you could hear a pin drop. Just to check, I pulled a bobby pin from my hair and dropped it on the floor. It made a loud clattering sound that echoed throughout the large room.

The girl who had been talking before spoke again. "You- you're an actual daughter of the Sun?"

I looked up at mom. She nodded encouragingly. I stepped forward and swallowed the lump in my throat. "Yes."

"Then- then the time has come. The battle approaches." She looked like she was going to pass out. Her knees wobbled and I caught her as she fell. She yelped when my hands touched her, and I gave her to the girls on either side of her, who wrapped her arms around their shoulders. She stared at me. "Your hands were hot. Burning hot. Nothing is hot to us other than Sunni."

My heart felt like a giant had just stomped on it. Even among these girls, who were supposed to be my equals, I was going to be a loner. My sadness switched to confusion. "Sunni?"

"That would be me." Mother raised her hand slightly.

"Ah. Well, when do we start training?"

"Now."

The girls scattered and went to their assigned training areas, and I followed suit, terrified of what would happen if I didn't get to my station in time. I used my staff and flew for my life as if fleeing from a monster that wanted to kill me. I arrived at my station in record time, and a buzzer went off a few seconds later. A small girl, who looked to be a ten year old, was still not in her training space, and she yelped and ran faster, her feet barely touching the floor. I pressed a hand flat to the floor outside of the line with my name on it only to find it heating up. Not at all hot to me, but to the others, that would be blistering. The girl tripped and almost fell, but I dashed to her, forgetting I could fly, running across the floor without a thought to myself. I scooped her up and ran her to the only empty station before running back to mine. Time seemed to slow down, and wind whipped my hair back. When I was back at my station, several girls were still looking at the little girl's station, which read Preston, as if they were waiting for me to run back to mine. A few did double takes when they saw me at my station. I ruffled my hair and stepped forward into the station, where instantly a curtain was pulled around me and clothing waiting for me to wear them. It was the same as the rest of the girls' ensemble, a plain white v-neck shirt with a pocket, white cropped leggings, and no shoes. I decided to forgo the no shoes rule and wear my own anyway. After I dressed in that, I discovered something else I needed to put on. There was a piece of red armor waiting to be worn. I strapped on the breastplate and that was about it. I was going to leave my hair the way it was, short, when I felt something tickle my neck. My hair was now longer than anyone else's, about down to the back of my knees. I sighed and braided it over my shoulder, and golden ribbons wove themselves in, twisting with my fingers. I looked at my hair, and it was flickering between red and a chocolate brown, and I frowned slightly. I really liked my hair, but red and gold clash horrifically, so I supposed it could stay. The braid trailed down to my hips, not just above my elbows like the other girls', but maybe since I was Sunny's daughter, I got longer hair? Whatever it was, my head felt heavy, and the braid would be too easy to grab in a fight. It was impractical, even if it did look good. Short hair would be better in a fight. Less to hold, less weight, more freedom. I made a mental note to tell Sunni about the flaw in our getup. I stepped out of the curtain and had a giant hammer swinging at my face.

I simply sidestepped, and it swung past me. Too easy. Dummies, which were apparently automated, started moving, trying to kill me, the experience made all the more creepy by the fact that their smiling faces never changed, Tooth and North grinning at me as they attacked me with swords. I grabbed a bow and quiver from the wall, notching arrow after arrow, hitting each dummy's sweet spot every time. They charged at me, some I shot before they even started. I jumped over their heads, my mind panicking and spazzing, screaming DANGER DANGER DANGER DANGER EXTERMINATE THREAT BURN FIRE KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL over and over again, repeating the last word until every dummy was unmoving. I sighed in relief and wiped my forehead, and, sensing something behind me, launched myself straight up in the air, doing a backflip, coming down on the dummy' shoulders and forcing it to the ground, flames flickering over my body as I ripped it's head off with my bare hands. I stood calmly and walked away, shaking out my wrists and sliding my bow and quiver over my body. There wasn't a hair out of place in my new braid, which I appreciated.

The other girls were staring at me in shock. Their training hadn't even begun yet. I snarled at them. "That's what'll happen to you if you annoy me!" I pointed to the dummy with the ripped off head. I got a better look at it and realized it was a Jack dummy. I felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. I had just ripped his head off without thinking. I could do that in battle, without even knowing it was him. But he wasn't my friend anymore. I just didn't want to kill anyone, from North to the kangaroo. Okay, maybe the kangaroo, I could kill. But not the others. I sighed and walked away, going to the archery range for my next session.