"What if I'm not good enough anyway? What if something like this happens again and none of us are good enough? Even some of the Elements were injured this time. They're going too easy on us and i think we just got lucky this time."

Unlocking the door with magic, Suki entered the room, "The first step to losing is self doubt" She said, "Haven't you felt them, watching us, watching our power, throughout the lessons? Testing us today, I think. Tomorrow will be hard"

after noticing that Suki hadnt returned right away Sage looked at Ven, "you know if you are still trying to go back to what you were doing, now is probably your best chance"

"Huh? Oh, right. Thanks." With that, Ven takes this window of opportunity to go back to training, waving goodbye to Sage.

the Elements gthered together, speaking to each other. Finally, Spirit sighed, "Fire, we have a job to do"

Fire raised an eyebrow, "We?"

"Yes, another student. We shall go together"

Fire rose, "I can look after myself"

"Yes, but I have already neglected on student bonded to a demon" Spirit replied, "I need to see this student too"

FIre decided not to argue, and together they went to ollect Brandon, appearing near where he was

Brandon was sitting on a rock, patching up his jacket. He had torn it during a short fight with a short humanoid creature. It had managed to catch his coat with a crude spear, tearing a hole in the lower area of the jacket. Using a needle and some string he patched it, wondering what he was going to do for the rest of the day. He teased a small flame into existence in the palm of his hand and stared into it. It was a beautiful flame, and its dark blue color made it look almost like a liquid sapphire. He was lost in thought when an all too familiar voice whispered in his head. ill get this body eventually... but for now, i think ill just stick to irking you until i do. Brandon crushed the flam in his hand, ignoring the voice as he stood to start traveling once more. He was instead greeted by Two people that had appeared out of nowhere while he was busy...

"Look, if your wanting to steal my stuff, ive nothing to steal. If your going to try anyway, be warned that you shouldn't play with fire..." no sooner had he mentioned fire then his arms became engulfed in the flames like what he had just held in his hand.

Fire looked to Spirit, who gave a slight nod. Fire grinned, and his whole body burst into flames, brilliant golden flames. "I can play with fire very well, Child, and more skillfully then you" He said.

"Would you like to learn to control what you have, Brandon?" Spirit asked, calmly sitting down, "I can help, with the intruder to your body if you do come with us"

Brandon blinked as Fire burst into flames. He hadn't expected that. "Don't call me a child. Im no more a child then fire is water." It wasn't hard to tell that Brandon was impressed by this persons fire. At the mention of an intruder within his body his head snapped towards the other, eyes narrowing. He said nothing at first, looking at him for a few moments. ". . . what intruder do you speak of?" The flames that surrounded his arms lowered until they almost looked as if his arms had a blue aura around them. 'there's no way they can know of the shadow.. not unless they sent him in the first place..' he thought, his surprise slowly turning to anger, the flames on his arms rising once more as he did.
"you.. you sent him didn't you?? DIDN'T YOU?!?!" Brandon's anger was evident in his words, tears beginning to flow as images of the last time he saw his parents flashed before his eyes. The flames that had started on his arms consumes his body, growing as more images flashed through his mind, until it looked as if he was surrounded by a blue inferno....
His rash thoughts gave him no time to think of all of the mans words, all he could think was that they knew of the shadow, and that must mean that they had sent it to him in the first place.

Spirit let him yell. When he finished, Spirit rose. "I am Spirit, I specialize in spirit magic. In other words, demons angels, and anything in between" he said "I can feel it within you. And I can help"

He waved a hand at fire, and Fire let his fire die down. "We can help teach you as well"

Surrounded in flames Brandon watched as the other stood and spoke. The flames lowered ever so slightly, a small glimmer of hope shining in his mind. It was there for only a moment until the voice spoke. Lies, all lies... His mind already clouded by anger he listened, and the flames once more grew intense. "you sent him.. you sent him.." he muttered over and over, convinced that this man was the cause of all of his pain. As he glared at them, he lifted his arm above his head, a great ball of fire forming, and chucked it at the man who called himself spirit.

Spirit sighed, held up his own hands, water and wind swirling in the air, to snuff the flames out before they could touch him. His expression changed, as he bonded with the spirit that was always there, always ready to help. Ah, my love. Causing trouble for the young ones, again?

Spirit didn't reply, stepping forward, he laid a hand on Brandon's shoulder, instilling the safety, warmth, kindness of the spirit he knew as Marley. "you are safe with us, blessed one" Spirit said softly, "We will not harm you"

Fire watched, ready to intervene.

Brandon's face flashed from anger, to confusion, and back to anger as he watched his fire get snuffed out. He was just about to ready another attack when the man named spirit stepped over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, making him flinch. Suddenly The flames died off as his mind was cleared and his spirit calmed. He closed his eyes, the last of the tears falling off his face, the faces of his past replaced by warmth and calm. "im sorry.. please forgive my actions.." Brandon whispered, opening his eyes to look at spirit. "i let my feelings take over my mind, and for that i apologize."

She turned around in the chair.

"I know that we have the potential to be something great, none of us would be here if we weren't but we sure as hell aren't ready yet. We'll get there, but I don't want it to be too late."

"It is okay" Spirit said, "If you come with us, we can help. You will be safe. Well, as safe as we can make it, and with others who are learning as well"

Suki sighed, "And we can't get there on empty stomachs. Sitting, talking, sharing a meal together that's a power in itself. So. Come, sit and eat. Thirty minutes. That's all I'm asking. Or I'll come back with a bowl of soup and shove it down your throat"

Brandon nodded, Unsure what lie ahead. He was pretty sure that this path at least could possibly rid him of the shadow once and for all at the very least.

"Good then" Spirit said, held out his hand, "we will be traveling in the blink of an eye from here, to the school. It is faster and safer at the moment to do so"

Sage finished his food and returned to his room to.... well he wasnt actually sure. He was hesitant to study since Spirit told him the books were pretty much outdated. he held up his index finger, focusing his spirit magic to a single point. suddenly something dawned on him. he left his room and went to the one he remember being Pakunas. he knocked lightly before opening the door and poking his head in

Pakuna stirred at the knock, and went to sit up at once, but ended up getting tangled in the blankets, and had to fight his way out with Rhyme batting at his head.

"Who is it?"

"sage, im just checking on you"

"oh. uh. Well. I feel like a buildings collapsed on me, but otherwise I'm okay" He succeeded in extracting his head out of the blankets, pushed Rhyme out the way