TOURNAMENT

1 (Lloyd)

"Ouch!"

Lloyd brought his hand to his left cheek. He tenderly brushed the side of his cheek, which stung. The tip of his index and middle finger stained red with blood. A thin branch had slashed his face as he was walking.

He sighed. Lloyd couldn't stand the woods. He wasn't sure why. Something about being alone, all the little noises messing with his head. He was the Master of Energy but it didn't matter. He was still allowed to be scared.

Or, maybe, he wasn't. He kept going. 

He had to find Cole. He was right down the path. He could hear the sounds of men at work. Heavy grunts, the dry clunk of an axe against tree trunks, and electric saws. 

Once he reached the site, Lloyd gaped upwards. Men were upwards, chopping off large branches from several feet off the ground. Moon trees grew in every climate. They had strong, durable wood that was still used even in the city.

Lloyd raked his eyes over one of the tallest trees. The branches were long, and almost ladder-like. In other words: easy to climb. 

So, he took off. 

He climbed up easily, the black gloves on his hands giving good traction and grip. He scaled the tree until he was about 75% up. Then he looked down.

The height was dizzying, but he quickly drew his eyes back up. Lloyd was tucked safely away in the leaves, his green gi blending in easily. He brushed his fingers over his cheek. The cut was scabbed over and small, but he was still conscience of the pointed twigs that were close to his face.

Still, his eyes were fixed on something else. 

There was a boy, Lloyd's age. His hair was thick, unruly, and blew with the wind against the nape of his neck. But the rest of his body would not move; firm, broad, and steady. 

"Cole."

The boy looked up, his thick eyebrows furrowing. "Hello?"

Lloyd watched as Cole's muscles tensed. His dark eyes darted back and forth. 

All of a sudden, Lloyd leaped from his hiding place. In an instant, Cole ducked downwards, Lloyd soaring over his head. Expertly, he landed near the end of the branch. It wobbled a bit under his weight, but it held. 

Cole twisted around to see who had jumped him, and his eyes widened. "Lloyd? What are you doing?"

Lloyd walked slowly across the branch, doing his best not to become unbalanced. "To get you."

Cole leaned against the trunk of the tree, parting the leaves with his wide shoulders. "What for?"

The upward tilt in his eyebrows indicated he was curious, but Lloyd knew it would be hard to convince him.

"You need to come back," he said. "I--Wu--wants us back together."

Cole shook his head sadly. "I can't go back, Greenie. You know that."

Lloyd felt a pinch of annoyance. This whole situation seemed unreal. Cole was in a tight vest and beanie, his olive arms turned pale against the cold. He didn't look himself. Plus, he was in a tree.

Lloyd let out a small laugh. "The Master of Earth. In a tree."

Cole didn't smile. "You don't get it, Green Machine. Out here, nobody knows you."

"I know you," Lloyd said pointedly.

"But you aren't out here, at least not usually. That's sort of the point, Lloyd. No offense, or anything." His smiled awkwardly. 

Lloyd felt his shoulders sag. He missed Cole's awkward, up-frontness, but he could tell there was no convincing him to leave completely. 

Luckily, he had a backup. 

"If you change your mind," Lloyd said, handing him a small slip of paper. "You know where I'll be."