matured greatly in the past few moments. They too, like Erik, could feel the tangible

presence of their own Element. And they, too, knew their weapons, and found them.

Rachel suddenly sported a flaming Katana, the ancient weapon of samurai. Matt

held in one hand a round, sky blue ring, razor sharp with a handle through the center. He

also sported shiny Ninja stars on his belt, three held ready in hand. Josh had mahogany,

fingerless gloves that were cut at the knuckles, where short, dangerous spikes protruded.

Isako held twin sais, the three blades of each held in a traditional stance.

In response to the calling of weapons, the malevolent feeling extruded from the

other five, cloaked men, a single command was given from the Dragon trainer.

"Ready yourselves for victory."

The voice was deep, commanding, but almost raspy. It was not what Erik had

expected; the face looked nearly the same age as Erik guessed he himself was.

The Water trainer facing Rachel raised her hands, fingers outstretched, towards

Rachel. A blue, aqua glow surrounded them, until it formed into a liquid sword. The

Electric trainer facing Matt drew throwing knives, crackling with electricity, and his own,

electric ring. The Poison trainer formed a javelin, as well as short daggers on the belt.

The Bug trainer facing Isako slowly rose several feet off the ground, as did Isako. The

Bug trainer was using the part flying he may have had, probably because he had been

with a Butterfree or Beedrill for so long. Isako was using her mind. The bug trainer,

now that he was in the air, sported large, sharp needles over both forearms.

Erik knew that because they could use the elements, they would have the same

weaknesses as the elements. And the same strengths. But still, physical was physical,

and a blade was as deadly to a Bug trainer as a Ghost trainer.

Finally, slowly and dramatically, the Dragon trainer formed his weapon from the

bright green mist. It was a whip, light green, alone and powerful. It was a metallic

green, which hinted Erik that he could not cut it with his blades.

The Dragon trainer began by raising his whip, then thrusting it forward. It

extended fast, almost too fast for Erik to dodge. Nevertheless, a bright bolt of light green

struck out where Erik has been moments before. Erik had dodged forward and twisted,

so he used his position to try and slice at the trainer. Reversing Gassiter, Erik quickly

sliced downwards, but the dragon trainer dodged as well, pulling the whip around, which

Erik blocked with his sword, sparks flying from the metallic clang.

Rachel’s sword could not deal with a blade formed from water, so Matt had taken

on the job of fighting the Water trainer, and Rachel had taken on the Electric one. The

odds were evened.

As for Isako, she took on Rachel and Matt’s strategy and switched with Josh. All

together, they were giving the enemy a beating.

Erik however, could not use Grass techniques. They were not very effective on

the Dragon trainer; unfortunately, it was not vice versa.

Erik lunged, blocked, parried, twisted, and dived, but the Dragon Trainer, whom

Erik had come to label as DT, had successfully attacked and counter-attacked everything.

They were in the same boat; Erik was fast and good in close combat, even with the

bladed staff, while the dragon trainer was strong, forceful, and could take a beating. He

also sported concealed metal plates on his arms; Erik saw them only after he had sliced

through the DT’s arm and ripped away the cloak, letting the metal shine through.

The battle raged, trainers one-on-one, odds even—except for Erik. Erik’s team

was forcing the enemy back. Rachel was firing bolts of flame towards the electric

trainer, who retaliated with crackling bolts of lightning. Isako was having an easy time

with the Poison trainer, her element strong against the other; the trainer of Poison was

soon unable to fight. Isako released a bright purple beam of pure Psychic energy, one

that finished the Poison trainer.

His screams echoed as energy poured into his element-weakened body, and faded

as he suddenly dispersed into a fine, light purple mist. The battle paused for a moment,

all mourning over the needless cause of death.

War is a terrible thing.

Erik jumped, barely dodging the lightning fast crack of the whip, cutting the air

where his head had just been. He flipped away, landing a dozen feet distant.

At the same time, Josh finally landed a blow on the Bug trainer who had avoided

his swings by taking flight. Josh quickly followed suit with two quick jabs. Finally,

before the Bug trainer could react, Josh jumped, fell, and landed a killing blow with both

fists. Small spikes jabbed into a screaming trainer’s flesh; a moment before it was

nothing but a mist, echoing with a scream of late understanding.

Two down, three to go. Erik mentally ticked the remained figures off. He swept

powerfully with his sword, straight at the DT’s neck.

He missed, but Erik caught something else. It was a chain, which snapped and

fell, thrown across the field.

"No!" the DT cried, reaching towards the necklace.

Erik took the opportunity to thrust, but the whip lashed out and struck home. His

chest throbbed and burned as Erik was thrown across the field, slamming into the hard

trunk of an oak tree. Unfortunately, his brief flight did not end there; Erik smashed

through the trunk, before landing and sliding in the hard packed dirt.

The tree fell, but it was hardly noticed as it crashed among Masters fighting one

another. A quick, simultaneous strike from all of the DT’s forces knocked Erik’s group

to him.

All of the others lined up facing Erik and company, glows surrounding each as

they prepared to annihilate their enemies.

"Why?" Erik managed to choke out, the universal question haunting him in the

last moments of his existence.

"Revenge." Was all the DT said. "Revenge, for—"

He was cut off as a beam of ice-white slammed into him, not even screaming as

he was killed, mist becoming his body.

The beam, a half dozen feet thick, proceeded to slam into all of the DT’s other

forces.

"He was not killed." Isako whispered, and Erik knew that it was true. "He is

elsewhere."

Erik stood up as the beam ended and fizzled out. A lone form dropped from one

of the trees, ice-white cloak fluttering above, and collapsed onto the earth, breathing

deeply.

Erik ran over to the person who had saved them, and stopped, kneeled, beside

them.

A slim, feminine form was draped by the ice-blue cloak. The pulled back hood

showed chin-length, brown hair.

She slowly rose up to a sitting position, looking Erik in the eye.

Glowing blue eyes, a shade almost as rare as Erik’s own green eyes, looked into

him. Gentle features formed a perfect face. Their eyes locked, until hers fluttered to his

back.

She whispered a fluid, soft sound. "Thanks for keeping my pack."

Erik grinned; she smiled weakly. Helping her to her feet Erik looked again into

the eyes that held him. She too looked at him, probing him. It was as if they held no

secrets from each other, as if they had known one another all their lives. Erik looked into

her eyes, and she looked into him.

The others stood by the side. Matt had an arm around Rachel’s shoulder,

shrugging an ultimate battle off as if it were as trivial as eating lunch. Josh himself

blushed as Isako gave into her feminine instincts and lay her head against his shoulder.

"Anybody up for pizza?"

Erik laughed, along with the others, at Matt’s nonchalant comment. But he never

broke his gaze into Laury’s eyes.

Erik’s cloak formed into mist and disappeared, his normal clothes retaking the set.

He was still almost fourteen, having aged suddenly, along with his maturity. He brushed

aside a stray lock of hair from the sparkling blue eyes that held him captive.

He leaned close, and kissed her, closing forever the prophesy he had unleashed.