Elemental: Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Crystal

4

At Bernie's shop the next afternoon, a couple sat at their regular table playing chess. Buckets hung overhead to catch dripping water. A trickle of water dripped on the chessboard, snuggling out a fiery piece.

"Your ceiling is dripping again," cried the fire man.

"More leaks?" Bernie grumbled, glancing up.

"Don't worry," Ember assured. She hopped onto a table and melted the leaky pipe shut with her hands. "This whole problem is going away. I can feel it."

Ember hopped down and checked the time. It was almost three o'clock. "And since we're all good, I'm also going away to do the deliveries!"

"I am also with her, too!" Kia called out, grabbing her backpack. She started to head out of the door as her feet made tiny clinking steps.

As Ember rushed past her mother, Cinder sniffed the air. Her face lit up. "Do I smell something on Ember?" she exclaimed, laughing with glee. Her daughter was finally in love. Cinder was certain of it.

Wade was waiting for her beneath a marquee that read Tide and Prejudice. When he saw Ember coming, he teared up. She had actually come! He tried to pull himself together as they headed into the theater. While Kia started to order food, Ember and Wade started to head to the room.

When the lights dimmed inside, Ember's flames shone bright. All around her, audience members scowled. She pulled her hood tightly around her flames and slunk into her seat. Kia then arrived with the food. She had picked out some of her favorites and passed them to the water and fire element.

After the movie, Wade, Kia and Ember wandered along the street, stopping at a photo booth. Kia waited outside to allow Ember and Wade to sit. Wade made goofy faces, but Ember's glow blew out of the exposure. The only thing visible in the photos were two sets of white eyeballs.

Later, they boarded an elevator to an observation deck that looked out over the city. As more people crowded into the elevator. Ember, Kia and Wade squeezed together so close they were nearly touching.

When they arrived on the deck, Kia headed over to the edge and saw the amazing view. She started to look around to see every element of the district. There was Firetown, the water district, the air district, and the leafy earth district. Meanwhile, a few kids shrank from Ember's flames but she knew how to put them at ease. She blew smoke rings that transformed into silly faces. Kia was amazed as she saw the smoke billow in the air. As the kids cheered, Ember took a bow. Wade gazed at her with watery adoring eyes. The kids seemed to like Ember almost as much as he did.

The next day at Bernie's shop, Ember sat at the counter with a notebook. Inside, she doodled ideas for a new sign. She also snuck glances at the photo strip of her and Wade tucked beneath the notebook. When a customer lit a sparkler before buying it, Ember grabbed it from him. Her flames churned but she took a breath to compose herself. She calmly handed the sparkler back to the customer. Kia was baking up some of the crystal pastry based on the ingredient list she had followed. She offered one crystal cookie to Ember. Taking her advice, she takes it and eats it. It tasted so crunchy like kol nuts and it tasted sweet and good. This crystal cookie must be a good product for the shop.

As Ember took another glance at Wade's photo, Bernie walked up, startling her. Has he seen the picture? Ember covered it up with her notebook and a nervous smile. When Bernie walked away, she sighed with relief. But Cinder had seen everything. Kia began to pull down the cookies to cool off as she motioned Ember to come along. When Ember left the counter, Cinder snuck over and lifted the notebook before she grabbed a crystal cookie amazed that Kia had baked. She studied the photo strip. "Who is this guy?" she wondered aloud, determined to find out.

Ember, Kia and Wade hung out again, this time, at an outdoor cafe. A waiter breezed past, dropping mugs of a pink drink. Wade downed him in one gulp and immediately turned purple. Ember tried to drink hers, but the liquid boiled away before it even touched her lips. Kia started to drink one, she started to glow bright pink because it affected her body.

Suddenly, people around them started dancing. It was a flash mob! Wade hopped up and bounced his sloshy stomach to the music. He waved for Ember to join him. Kia began to watch as she listened to music from her walkman.

Wade stretched like a stream around Ember's flickering moves. Then people started coupling off and dancing together. When Wade held out his hand to Ember, she froze. She wanted to take it, but how could she? Her heat would boil him. She was relieved when a couple danced by too closely, knocking Wade backward into a fountain.

He emerged seconds later, sprouting water from his mouth and posing like a fountain statue. Ember couldn't help giggling a little.

The next time they met up, they strolled around Mineral Lake, where colorful crystals grew along the shore. When Ember stepped on a crystal, her orange flame turned green.

"Whoa," said Wade. "How'd you do that?"

She picked up the loose crystal. "It's the minerals," she said. "Check this out." Ember raced along the lake, her fire changing colors based on which mineral she stepped on.

Wade laughed out loud. "Awesome!"

Kia began to step on the mineral as her lilac body turned green, too. She began to laugh as she started to dance around the minerals, changing into a series of colors.

As Ember leaped onto a high cluster of crystals, he blew out his breath. "Wow." Then he had an idea. "Watch this!"

Wade raced onto the surface of the lake and skidded across, spreading a fine mist of air. The mist caught the sun's rays and reflected a rainbow of color. When Wade came to a stop, Ember all aglow, gazed at him. He was definitely starting to grow on her. Kia was totally fascinated by the beauty. It's like all elements have a special talent. All of them are.

Later, when Ember walked home with Kia under the elevating Wetro, it whizzed overhead, sending a wall of water down from the track. But this time, Ember didn't pop an umbrella.

She longed to touch the water. She reached out her hand but hesitated a moment too long. The water vanished as the train disappeared along the tracks.

"You still nervous?" Kia asked her.

Ember stopped before she turned to her friend. Kia was still in the far end, still looking forward to her adventure in the town. Bernie's shop lay just beyond the tracks. Ember pulled her flames together and hurried after her friend through the door into the familiar shop.