ELEMENT

Chapter Sixteen: Sage Is Stupid But It's Fine

As the dark clouds danced over the sky like menacing ballerinas, the world around the Light Element children was dying with their hopes. Brownish grass crackled under their feet.

"The Dark Elements have really fucked everything up." Robin snapped a leaf from a tree, which dissolved in their fingers. They almost hesitated to touch another one."

"All the more reason we need to get this over with," said Sage, "and hurry."

"Meadow did say this was a good place to practice." Ethan kicked a rock from his feet, his hands in his pockets. Otherwise, they'd already be shaking from a crisp cold unlike anything he'd ever felt before. "Shame we didn't get much actual practice."

"One thing you couldn't do with Meadow is use the Light Emblem." Robin stood in front of Sage and Ethan. "This whole time, all you've been able to do with that thing is use it as glorified jewelry. In all actuality, you haven't even begun to realize what you can really do with it."

Sage let the pendant rest in her hands as she looked down at the Light Emblem, still clasped around her neck. "When Ethan and I were fighting Harry, it did something like an insta-kill. Completely oneshotted everything in the vicinity."

"Like I said, you haven't even begun to realize." As Robin spoke, the wind sped up. "Our only enemy is Peter Keynote, and it's been that way for 10,000 years. If we rely on just that panic blast, we'd take the siblings down with him, and we don't want that, do we?"

"Right, okay." Ethan was desperately trying to get to the point over Robin's superhero monologues. "So how do we not do a panic blast every time?"

"Well, for starters, the Light Emblem's magic isn't solely catered to Sage. If you don't mind?" They held their hand out to Sage.

"Alright." Sage simply unclasped it from their neck, passing it to Robin. It was the first time it'd left her body in days. She felt like weights had been put back on her soul.

"Thank you." And Robin clasped it around their neck as it started to glow incessantly. "Now, while we shouldn't rely on this, it'll be a big help. The Light Emblem relies on intuition and brain teamwork. In other words, we can win a battle by saying nothing, or simply just passing it to each other when we need a little push. Allow me to demonstrate."

Robin, closing their eyes, held Sage and Ethan's hands as they held each other's. A sharp flash from the Emblem's gem dashed into their visions, and as Robin slowly separated their hands, a force field of yellow sparks surrounded them.

"A shield. Easy as pie." Robin smiled cunningly. "If you do that just a little quicker, and sparingly, no one will be able to touch you."

"So, what?" Ethan let his hands down. "You just think about a shield and it does th that?"

"Yep!"

"Give me a shot, then."

Robin's hands came together again as the shield came down. "Will do."

The Light Emblem was tossed to Ethan. And as he caught it, he clasped it around his neck.

"Think about anything," Robin pointed out. "Positively anything to do with weapons or defense."

"What if I think about a massive sandwich?" Ethan patted his stomach.

"I'll end you."

"What if I think of ending you first?"

"Ethan."

"Fiiiine." Ethan held both his hands out, and with another flash, massive dual bright yellow and orange swords appeared in his hands with sparks. "Holy shit!"