Mystic Grove Academy

14: Clash of Hearts

4 Weeks Later (Thursday, February 7th):

Mystic Grove Pavilion (Lunch) - Odelia Brazelton P.O.V.

"Can you believe it," Imani Moreau, my best friend and third-year Lightning Elemental, nudges my shoulder in this excitement. "Next week's is the first of the Big Three: Clash of Hearts. I can't wait to show what I've got and put those underclassmen in their place." She's looking forward to beating the second-years in particular but I'm not so sure. I look over at my soon-to-be girlfriend, second-year Air Elemental Mara Gregson, and her friends. Since last month when she told me everything regarding her and her team, we've been training for Clash of Hearts as a team/couple. I've been helping her with her Dancer Artes while she's been helping me with my moves. "Aren't you excited, girl?" Imani gets my attention again.

"Uh, sure," I hesitate answering her, "but you know I'm partnering up with that second-year in my Element."

"Oh yeah, the girl that's got you so thirsty you're fawning over for months now, right?"

"I guess. We're partners for the semester so I'm going to win her over first then have her sit on my face." I may be black but that girl has me so damn horny it's not even funny. Just looking at her makes me squirm.

"Just go over and talk to her then," fellow third-year Melvin Rollins, a Water Elemental, states the obvious. "You going out with the strongest Elemental in this school makes you two hard to beat."

I think I better introduce my team: Midnight Lancers. We're the only S-Rank third-year team that's among the seven on campus. Other than Imani, Melvin, and myself; there is Katie Albert, the only White girl and person in our group and she's a Fire Elemental; Carlos Landers, an Ice Elemental; Gary Trubeau, a Light Elemental; and Mickie Valderon, an Earth Elemental. Every one of us uses some form of spear or naginata. It makes us unique from the other groups on campus.

"Honestly, we'd make one hell of a couple but I have to bring her around to the idea," I tell my friends. "I'm going to get her in bed but that'll come after the Leaders sort this war shit out." Honestly, I fudged the last bit of that to keep my promise to my girl to keep the real situation with the Leaders under wraps. From what she's told me over the last few weeks, the Leaders are preparing to step down but this war thing has bottled everything up. The news this morning isn't all that kind either with those Nexus jackasses starting to march toward the school. It'll be a matter of when they decide to attack.

"I heard about that," Carlos implies, "and it's not good either. The whole school's talking about it. I wonder if it's still okay to hold these events for our grade?"

I'm wondering the same thing. Most of the students around here carry on like it's nothing. Unlike the other schools, we know an attack is coming at some point, but most, especially the first-years and transfers, have no idea the situation this place is in right now. "I'm sure it's fine right now but if they get any closer, don't be surprised if those provisions in the student by-laws kick in."

"What by-laws?" Gary speaks up so loud that he gets everyone's attention.

Mickie slaps the back of his head; he is an idiot. "Didn't you read the manual? If there's any threat that comes within two kilometers of this place, or there's a circumstance that threatens the entire Elemental world; then the student council activates a tiered alert system and everyone prepares for battle. Luckily, we haven't had to do that but I did hear the other schools that were destroyed had no warning whatsoever."

"Okay then," Melvin turns to me, "what do the other S-Ranks say about this?"

"Hard to say," I shrug my shoulders. "I don't have much of a read on the other S-Ranks other than that buffoon Isaac and I haven't met the team my future wife is on yet. That'll take time but," I look around at everyone on their phones watching the news, "it won't be long before our hand is forced." I am concerned about the environment around here and it's not the malevolence the underclassmen keep speaking of.