Hey everyone!

Welcome back to Double Ninja, Double Life!

Sorry again for the wait, but at least there was the shorts to read in the meantime. I haven't had ideas or time to write this chapter….

But we reached double digits! That was my first goal for this fic. Thanks to everyone whose read and reviewed on this story and kept me motivated.

Believe in yourself, Believe in unicorns, and Keep writing!

Anyway, without further ado, Chapter 10!

Chapter 10: Remembering

Adelenia's POV

As soon as Zane had followed his friends over the hill, I blocked the flow of water coming from my hands. I needed some time to myself, so I walked to the Four Weapons shop, leaving the villagers to tend to their crops. I'd done my part. As I crossed the threshold, dragging my hand against the wall, I felt a hand on my shoulder, "Adelenia." A voice said from behind me, which I assumed was connected to whoever owned the arm. I turned to face the character and stared into the face of Elgar, the town's elder. He had been my mentor for the first few years after…I couldn't bear to think about it.

"Elgar?" I asked, confused, "I just need to be alone for a little while, those girls scared me…"

Shyly, I reached over my chest to my other arm and held it. Elgar looked at me with a look of concern. I tried to shrug him off and act nonchalant, but he saw right through my charade.

"Just remember Adele," he used the nickname every in Ignacia used for me with a sharp edge to his voice; "those who act the toughest are always the weakest."

Before I could ask questions, the old man walked off and returned to tending his share of the fields, which wasn't much because of his weakening old age. I squeezed my arm, knowing that I was leaving small crescent shaped marks from my fingernails. I sighed and walked into the shop to finally have some time to myself, but sadly Elgar's riddle was on my mind now, and I couldn't not think about it. I leaned against the back counter and put a hand to my forehead. I sighed and my mind began to process the day's events. First the ninja visited in reply to my letter, which I was extremely grateful for, but then those two girls showed up. The black and purple one scared me, but the other one was nice enough. She was kind to help me, but my powers aren't particularly something I'm proud of.

I grew up with my aunt, Koko Rowne, who was deathly, afraid of elemental powers, and I didn't know why until I was 13, when two elemental masters moved to town along with their son and daughter. The minute my aunt learned they had powers, she freaked and made me stay inside as much as possible and to never talk to the parents, only the son and daughter. She didn't want me to interact with any masters of the elements. She said it was only the powerless that were hurt. Her exact words were, "When they befriend you, their powers become your weakness and their weakness becomes your power." She scared me, and refused to leave the house ever again. Later I found out that the mother may have been a water master, but she was terminally ill, and after only a few days, she died. The father – who was a fire master, opposites attract I guess – buried her behind their blacksmith shop, Four Weapons which they had opened when they moved into the building.

I tried to get answers from my aunt, but after the neighbors moved in and tried to introduce themselves the first time, she started having random episodes where she would sit in her favorite chair – which was covered in small water element symbols – and squeeze the arms. After only a few seconds, she would begin to shake and mutter words at random, barely ever forming sentences. Another thing I didn't know was why her favorite chair was covered in water elements if she was afraid of masters. I eventually decided that the only way to get any words of any sort out of her was during her episodes, so I began to write down her words and then piece them together. After almost two years and ten notepads, I had figured out that my mother was a water master as well, but I wasn't sure how because our neighbor was the water master. Maybe they were sisters? That would make the dead neighbor my aunt. I'm not sure, but my mother died over five years ago, my father following after ironically getting lost at sea. I had also discovered that my aunt had been best friends with a master of Dark Lightning. Lightning elementalists are known for having an extremely bubbly personality, though, so she befriended the Dark Lightning master by the name of Tenignis. Tenignis' biggest weakness was self-consciousness, and her strong point was hand-to-hand combat. After a few months of being friends, My Aunt Koko could barely punch, and didn't care what anyone thought, even a little bit. This affected her so badly, that she couldn't control her courage. She challenged people, but she couldn't even ball up her hands into fists. Life became too much for her and she moved as far as possible from Tenignis. It hurt both of them, but it was necessary.

As far as I know, Tenignis is alive and living somewhere far, far away from Ignacia.

I turned to the small bed of coals where Kai and Nya would heat metal. The coals had been cleared soon after the siblings left and there was only coal dust and gathering filth. Sighing once again, I moved towards it and gently placed my hands on the rim. Life just got very….interesting.

Aunt Koko now lived in Jamanakai Village. The last time I visited her, her episodes had thankfully subsided and she now has some friends that she talks to. Though she is only 45, I act like she's my grandmother. I bring her cookies and other assorted snacks once every month, and I always help her if she ever goes through any tough memories or more episodes. This has helped her considerably she said once.

I walked out of Four Weapons and returned to my home nearby. It was simple, with only one story and two front windows. The roof sloped in the traditional Japanese style with small stone dragon statues on the corners. Small stones joined together in a path to the wooden doorframe. A brass doorknob adorned the door. Rosebushes grew along the path. Inside, my queen-sized bed sat in the far right corner, and a wooden desk – handmade by the village's carpenter – in the adjacent corner. Parchment paper and an ink well with a feather quill sat on the desk for my sketching and writing habits. Red curtains covered the windows on the inside, but I left them open to let the sun in. A blue, circle-shaped sewn rug lay under a table with two chairs around it. One for me and one for my aunt when she came to visit. In the far left corner sat Aunt Koko's favorite chair, water elements and all. She did not have either the strength or the funds to move the chair to her Jamanakai home.

I flopped down on my bed with its blue blanket. Yellow flowers were embroidered onto the quilt.

I instantly fell asleep after this extremely tiring day.

Hey everyone! Sorry for not updating revently and being so patient. With school again and such things, I haven't had much time.

Anyways, I will try to keep updating!

Love and Hugs,

Flame and Kindling