Electric Blue Rose - Book One. [COMPLETED] Undergoing Edits

Chapter Fifty-Two - A Month of Training Later...

Jade came out of her meditation as her alarm sounded. She reached over, turned it off, and stretched before moving in towards practicing her movements. Her aura remained as bright as ever while casting her different abilities. A smile overcame her at the strength she had gained in such a short time. Princess or not, she would give these battles her all, starting with training. She and Joe had restarted their training sessions since they returned. A few weeks back in and she never felt stronger. Grabbing the staff, she began to implement the movements in her hand. Jade started the timer smiling at the tremendous change in her workout. She stopped when a letter slid under her door. She dropped the staff and rushed to it. Emanuel's name embedded on the front of the envelope sent a rush of happiness into her. They exchanged letters for several weeks while she trained for the upcoming competitions. Jade took a swig of water as she crossed to the desk to read the letter. Opening it, she swooned at the opening.

My Dearest Princess,

It's in the stars. I see you the most. The clouds part and show nothing but glistening stars for miles. My heart warms at thoughts of you. My hands shake, so eager to hold you in my arms once more. Perhaps, it's unfair that I've written so many letters telling you of my feelings without a single appearance. I wish I could sweep you off your feet by being there right now, but my students may disapprove. You've brought out a different side to me. I'm smiling more and enjoying the morning sun that wakes me. Selfishly I wish your presentation wasn't approaching. Another month closer to me having to watch beautiful suitors sweep you off your feet while my eyes will only remain on you. Fair warning, Sebastian has been practicing since the last time we saw each other. Wear some protection for your toes.

With my complete heart,

Emanuel

Jade sighed, staring at the letter. She wasn't sure if writing letters to him was something she should be doing, but each one she got brought her a level of happiness never attained before. She envisioned him sitting at his desk writing to her. The way his world must appear around him. Plants and flowers are scattered amongst a room of books. It was so detailed in her mind that sometimes she envisioned herself there with him. Though, he was right. Another month had passed, and she started to settle into the role of Princess in an Omega full of wide-eyed dreamers approaching her at every opportunity they had. Despite the distractions, her new title has sprung on her, she managed to work around it. Today would be the last team training they would have before the battles began. Something that made her stomach turn. The challenge she held off thinking about would finally start. Jade hoped that her position wouldn't compromise how the other teams battled her. Topaz said he had an idea and would be at the first competition. So, she hoped whatever he had up his sleeve would be persuasive enough.

Jade glanced at the clock before grabbing her bag. It was time to meet the guys for one final training. Jade refused to show weakness, and she had to present herself as the strongest. Alex waved to her when she arrived.

"No, Ray, yet?" Alex shook his head. "Strange."

"Sorry, I'm late!" Ray exclaimed, rushing. "I was picking up these," he reached into the bag and pulled out their uniforms. "They came out better than I expected!"

"Those are great!" Jade enthused. The blue uniform was made with breathable material and had a giant lightning bolt on the front, and a rose inside it. Their names are at the top on the back, and their team name, Electric Blue Rose, is underneath it. She folded it and placed it along with the matching pants in her bag.

"Alright, so," Ray said, crossing in the middle of them. "Today, we're just going to review some of our attacks. Especially "The Storm." They nodded and began their positions. "Alex, you will be the one to queue the attack. Demonstrate a sheet of rain above us." Alex planted his feet and started by rotating his hands parallel to each other. Alex moved with that same movement left and right until he lifted his arms straight up. A sheet of rain started to fall on them. "Okay, now me," Ray said, lowering himself to the ground, drawing energy in his hand while stabilizing himself. Electricity began to crackle from his palms. He raised his two hands in the air, shaking them before raising them upward, casting the lightning quickly. Lightning crackled in the rain. "Okay, Jade, tornado." Jade focused on the wind. She spun while it built up. The height of the tornado grew gesture by gesture until it stood as tall as the trees around them. She held onto it like a vine and started moving it around, sucking the rain and lightning. She bettered her standing position, feeling the heaviness of the powers within her own. Jade regained balance and stood firm. She flicked her wrist, sending the tornado around the battlefield.

"Sometimes I forget how amazing your abilities can be," Alex said, staring in awe.

Jade reeled it back in, focusing on the wind and letting it return to her. Her aura lit bright around them. She ripped it apart, water and electricity falling like embers around them. She shot a significant barrier around them. Letting the remainder of the abilities die out before removing the barrier.

"Nicely done, Jade," Ray enthused. "While in battle, we're sending that straight to the enemy team, so we will not have to worry about reeling it back in unless they can mirror it. Now, speaking of those barriers. Let's talk shields," Jade nodded, taking a large breath. She focused. A large shield formed in her hand. She threw one to Alex and one to Ray. It was entirely made of kinetic energy, one of her new abilities, making it opaque and difficult to see but easy enough to hold.

"This will hold?" Alex asked.

"It just did against chaotic water and electricity from a tornado," Jade said. Alex shrugged and chuckled.

"Okay," Ray hooked the shield to his back. "These will last as long as Jade's focus doesn't falter." Jade nodded, the kinetic shield barely making an impact on her aura. "Now we're going to practice blocking attacks with the shields. Since I know Jade already has some movements, she should be the one to send attacks."

"Okay," Jade adjusted her stance.

"But what attack is she going to use?" Alex asked, "Wind?"

"Kind of," Jade stated, shooting wind underneath her, taking her into the air. Alex's eyes widened. She pulled herself closer to the trees with the vines, grabbing pinecones and acorns. She used her wind to send forceful acorns and pinecones at the two of them. She was constantly switching angles. They both blocked several attacks but were hit with about 3-4 each. Jade continued pulling back the acorns and pinecones from the ground and repeating this until they were blocking with much better speed.

"Okay!" Ray called out. Jade caught her breath and used the wind cloud under her to lower her to the ground. She jumped off when low enough. "Excellent work, Jade. You too, Alex." Ray and Alex were catching their breath. Jade stretched, ready to continue. "Alright, Jade, what else can you do?" She smirked.

Jade shoved her hands into the ground, it breaking beneath her. Her aura glowed, vines formed from her hand, and she rushed to Ray and Alex. They used their abilities to attempt to crack them, but she was too quick. Jade wrapped them around the ankles and brought them to the ground. They continued until they finally both managed a dodge. She pulled the vines back in, focusing on her breathing, recentering her energy.

"Your turn," Ray said to her, "are you ready?" Jade took another large breath and nodded. "Alex, icicles, like I told you to practice."

Alex stood firm on the ground in front of Jade. She bounced side-to-side on her feet, ready to dodge. He raised his hand, a giant orb of water forming. He clapped his hands together, several droplets of water in the air around him. He then sent them towards her, blowing the cooling breath onto them. Jade focused on the icicles; she used a kinetic shield to block them. Jumping up with her wind, she dodged low flying ones. Others sent from above, she crashed to the ground, holding her shield above her as they crashed onto it. While those fell, another set came towards her. Using her other arm, she brought forth another, blocking in front of her. She rolled on the ground, moving away from the ones falling above her. She focused on listening to the sounds of icicles shattering on the ground. She leaped, hearing a group behind her. She tossed one of the shields like a frisbee, breaking them, the shards falling to the ground.

"Good," Ray said, gesturing for Alex to stop. "Those are impressive dodging skills, Jade.

"Thank you," she said, panting. "I need to practice my endurance more."

"You? Geesh, then I need to practice everything," Alex scoffed.

"Jade has multiple abilities in her arsenal," Ray said to Alex, "what we need to do is focus on ways we can use our single ability in multiple ways. Like your rain and your ice. We will call it here since we don't want to overdo it before tomorrow. Alright, let's go shower and get some rest." They all panted and nodded in agreement.

"See you tomorrow," Jade said, reaching for her bag and making her way back to her room.