"But why do we even have to dress like elders? We aren't even elders yet!" Sunny protested to Mez.

"You have to let the sky children believe in something. There are dark times coming up on us. We need to give them hope." Mez replied. Sunny snorted

"Totally dressing all fancy will give people hope."

"You would be surprised."

Sunny had been playing around with the staff the Wasteland Elder had given her, and it turned out to shoot fireworks and double as something to whack people with. She put it on her back and walked out of the room. Everyone else was also in their 'Elder Finery' and no one looked happy about it.

"We're supposed to train. In this?" Kira complained.

Ethis shrugged. "At least you don't have a crown! Look at Edna."

"This, for a fact, is a mask adornment, not a crown," Edna replied, "I think it's cool that they gave us invisible capes."

"Oh true!" Ethis snickered "Then I can do this!" Ethis seemed to have done nothing, but Kira reeled back, apparently having been smacked on the head with Ethis's invisible cape. She growled something like I'll get you! Just then, Mez came in the door. "

Ready for some training?" She asked with an evil grin. Rayem groaned.

"Why can't we just go to the Gathering?"

"You're too recognizable. It would not turn out well." Mez replied, ushering them outside.

"Yeah, that's because you made us wear fancy clothes." Zaira snapped. Shrugging, Mez led them all to a ditch in the grass field they were in. With an evil cackle, she said

"Today, we're going to train with fire."

✵

The days blurred together. Just a mess of training, but for what? Mez finally explained. At one of their many training sessions, she sat them down in a circle and started talking.

"You may be wondering why you have to train-"

Ethis interrupted "Yeah right," He said sarcastically." Mez sighed.

"As I was saying. You might be wondering why I'm putting you through all this. Well, the Elders believe that there is a rebellion of shadow children. Quite large. And we believe that it's aiming to wipe out the elders," Mez looked at them all, "We think that this rebellion wants not power, but unbalance. Chaos. If the world is without its elders, it will tip into catastrophe."

"Wait, how is our training supposed to stop that?" Rayem asked. Mez looked up guiltily.

"They're aiming for the Elders first. "

✵

Sunny was out by herself in the dark meadow. Daylight Prairie had suddenly shifted into darkness, and no one knew why. Mez suspected the 'Shadow Rebellion' as she called it. Sunny was practicing magic, trying to figure out a way to store it in case they were ever in an emergency. Drawing the pure darkness from the sky was the most powerful, and the easiest to control. Hearing a crack of a twig behind her she whipped out her staff and turned around. She found herself face-to-face with Rayem. He squeaked and threw up his hands. Sunny lowered her staff.

"What are you doing out here?" She asked.

"Same thing as you! Trying to bottle the pure darkness!" He replied scooting away from the tip of her staff, "But I actually found out how to do it. Watch," He pulled off his mask and tilted his face up towards the sky. Sunny watched silently. A long strand of darkness twirled into his spark, coloring the opal black. He looked back at Sunny again. "Like that, now you can store it," He waved his hand in front of his face and pulled out the shadow magic again. "Pure shadow magic at your disposal."

"Where'd you learn that trick?" Sunny asked, curious.

"Mez," Rayem replied, "She said it was something my past self used to know."

"Sometimes I forget how old Mez is." Sunny mused. Then a bolt of shadow unexpectedly streaked past her head. Sunny and Rayem whipped around, only to see blackness. Sunny held out her staff and batted away the next bolt of shadow. Then, their attacker revealed themself. They were a tall shadow child, dressed in a black robe with an image of a Dark Dragon on the back. The figure's hands wielded an arrow of shadow, which they launched at Sunny. To her surprise, she absorbed it, and the energy shot back at the shadow child, sending them scurrying away. Sunny glanced at Rayem and they both launched into the air and flew towards the tents. When they arrived, Sunny saw Mez pacing in circles. She saw them and a relieved look crossed her face.

"I'm so glad you're safe!" She looked towards one of the tents, "The Shadow Rebellion came and... Eclipse's light has been drained."