ELEMENT

Chapter Thirteen: Robin Drops The Bomb

The kingdom border, where the walls of the Element Kingdom met the sky. This is where the next part of our story begins.

Dark particles scattered around the area, as Sage and Ethan materialized at the border. They weren't used to teleportation, so as soon as they arrived, their legs felt like jelly as they landed on the ground.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" Ethan kicked at the ground, gasping, and slowly realizing his surroundings. "That was a close one!"

"What the fuck was any of that?!" Sage's voice cracked, being just as surprised and freaked out as Ethan was. "Meadow, and—and that fucking—and the other—what?!"

"...I just killed a man. I just fucking killed a man!" Ethan's solemn reminder of Harry crept on his mind again.

"I just killed Meridian!" Sage responded with the same energy, like she didn't remember anything but red in her own anger. "She didn't even try to fight back—I didn't know Amber was dead!"

"And Cole Daley killed her?!"

"Precisely!"

"...And Meadow?" Ethan's voice went quieter. Not angry, just upset. Sad. "Meadow's not...?"

Sage huffed. "...I don't get it." They turned, nearly as hurt and conflicted as Ethan was, or as much as they allowed themselves to show to him. "She didn't try to kill us, she... she saved us. Didn't she? Or was that planned too?"

Ethan looked into Sage's eyes again. "She can't be happy. That's all I know. She didn't look happy."

"Her arms, did you see her arms?" Sage brought out her own, running a hand up the arm as an example. "They were black. Up to her wrists."

"Something is going on. Something worse than the stupid prophecy." Ethan nodded. "Meadow can't possibly be on their side, could she?"

Sage Stonewing and Ethan Hawk did not think of their friend, Meadow Keynote, as an evil Dark Element plotting to take over the world, because she wasn't.

To them, Meadow Keynote was a shy, dark-haired girl, with a constant chill. She was the kind of person who learned from her mistakes and applied them to everything she did, everything she might do.

She was the kind of person who'd never give up on anyone, even if her own self was exempt.

Meadow wasn't evil. Not by her own choice. She was a friend.

Even still, the world seemed darker the moment she stepped foot in it. That couldn't have been her choice, either.

The world, in fact, seemed darker every second Sage and Ethan stood and mediated about their friend.

"Sage."

"Mm?" And as Sage looked up, she too was nearly speechless.

The sky ran black with an unnatural, unforgiving storm. The darkest of all the clouds thundered like a mountain over the castle, winds whipping only slightly strong, like you could tell it was only going to get worse.

Sage and Ethan both knew already, but now they really felt it. The world was ending.

Maybe it was the severity of the moment, or maybe it was a feeling of necessity. But one way or another, as the two teenagers looked up at this horrifying threat, they could feel the only warmth in this cold and dark storm. The only warmth, found in their hands holding each other's, a tight and comforting grip, like neither were prepared to let go.

A bird sat perched on the wall, cawing intently.

"I feel like we shouldn't have killed Meridian and Harry." Ethan said quickly, his breath catching up to him.

"They were the only people keeping the Dark Elements away." Sage noted, a hint of sorrow and regret in her voice. "I don't feel like we're the good guys anymore."

The bird's cawing grew louder, and more intent.

"How do we fix this?" Sage tsked to herself. "Meadow wasn't even the real third one. But we have to get her back."

"And we have to find the actual third one—"

The cawing from the bird sounded more like angry screaming.

"GODDAMN- What the fuck is up with that bird?!" Ethan flapped his other hand up, finally realizing consciously that his right one was in Sage's left.

A yellow puff of smoke revealed the actual teenager, Robin, in place of the bird. "WELL MAYBE IF YOU FUCKING LISTENED TO ME WE WOULDN'T BE HERE."

Sage's eyes went buggered. "JESUS FUCKING CHRIST-"

"SO, now that I finally have your attention," Robin started as they slid off the wall, walking closer to Sage, and noticing the Light Emblem glowing, "I'm Robin Turret. The kid you've been looking for. And, unsurprisingly, I've been keeping an eye on you."

Robin held the pendant of the necklace in their hand, and a yellow burst of energy exploded. The gem was no longer green, again its perfect purple. A triangle was burned into the ground, perfectly in front of the gate.

"Nice to meet you, Sage and Ethan."

Sage pointed at them. "You're the bird that Meadow-"

"Yeah. Yep." Robin put their hands on their hips, laughing to themselves. "That chick's a real fucking fighter. It's surprising you didn't notice she was a Dark Element, or even a Celestial, beforehand."

"Well, there were some hints, but—" Ethan started, before the words registered in his brain. "Wait. A fucking what?"

"You didn't recognize her name? Or catch on to her powers? Goddamn, you both are slow." Robin waved their hands up. "Okay. You guys don't even know who Peter, or Eileen Keynote is? Never heard of them?"

A very blank expression from Sage and Ethan.

"...Experiment 193? The reason for the Dark Exile?"

Rocks for brains.

They sighed, rubbing the temple of their nose: "ALRIGHT. Listen up. I feel like this'll help you in the long run."

To Be Continued in Chapter Fourteen