Raining Hard

Chapter 12: "In this world it is not what we take up but what we give up that makes us rich." - Henry Ward Beecher

They waited.

They watched.

Alex watched most of all.

Elemental and Shartar stood on either side of the rooftop. They were perfectly still, each studying the other. Elemental held her sword in front of her as Shartar held her obsidian staff weapon diagonal to the ground with the blade resting on the rooftop.

The spectators stood on the other rooftop watching the unfolding scene.

Shartar spoke first. "You have fought well, and I commend you for your ability to copy."

Elemental heard the cut, but did not respond.

Shartar continued. "Of course, you always were able to learn faster than I was-"

"You did not learn anything. The body you are inhabiting learned everything for you."

"When will you learn?" Shartar shook its head. "I am Shana."

"You are the being who happens to control Shana's body."

"Wrong."

"Right."

Elemental said this with such conviction that Shartar's eyes went wide. There was no hiding or hindering the truth from Elemental. She could recognize a lie a million light years away.

However, Shartar had other seeds of doubt to sow.

"You let Shana down."

Elemental's stare at her enemy did not waver.

"You condemned her to this."

"I intend to free her."

"But when will you?"

Elemental did not respond.

"The only way to free Shana is by killing me and her along with me. Is that really what you want?"

Elemental did not respond.

On the opposite roof, Alex bristled at the harsh words. He could feel Elemental's stance weakening. Shartar was bringing up the past purposely. It was bringing up the past so that Elemental would doubt. "But she can't doubt," his mind screamed, but his lips were silent.

Elemental remained silent as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She let the air out of her lungs and opened her eyes suddenly. The light that was there was different from what had existed before. The light pulsed like pure fire.

"You will not make me doubt my destiny."

"And what praytell is your destiny? Do you even know what it is?" Shartar sneered as it said the words.

"Shana made her choice. Now I make mine."

Elemental attacked with the speed of lightning, and her sword found its mark in Shartar's shoulder. It screamed an unearthly howl, and blackness flowed out of the wound instead of blood. Elemental's face remained cool and calm the entire attack, as if she was immune to the pain she caused.

Shartar let go of her weapon in order to grab a dagger in her costume. Elemental anticipated the move and jumped out of the way of the swinging dagger. As Elemental jumped away lightning hit her arm and burned the forearm. She landed on her feet clutching the boiling flesh.

Shartar saw the burn and smiled. They were both wounded equally!

On the opposite rooftop, Alexander waited with the appearance of calmness. Captain Black was pacing the length of the rooftop and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the lightning burn Elemental. The rest were visibly agitated. The only question that existed was, "When will this end?"

~~~

It was 11:30. After the next half of an hour, Shartar and Elemental will have been fighting for 24 hours. None of the watchers seemed ready to believe that, except of course Alex. He was one of the few people that truly knew Elemental's abilities.

The sky was still black with rain clouds, but the rain had become a drizzle. The lightning and thunder had stopped at 11:15. But even with all of what had happened in the last 24 hours, most of them were not ready to accept what they saw next.

At 11:30, both fighters had attacked.

At 11:30, the world held its breath.

At 11:30, began the end.

From when Elemental had gotten burned, the two were content to stand in wait. Every once in a while one would attack and the other defend, but neither did anything significant until 11:30.

Shartar attacked first with its powered up staff weapon. Elemental jumped high into the air to avoid the strike. She dealt one of her own as she landed on the rooftop once more. Elemental was not ready for the blow that threw her off her feet after she had cut Shartar once more.

Shartar looked on with what seemed like intense satisfaction as she saw Elemental slowly get up. The blunt end of Shartar's staff weapon was still extended.

"You won't escape me this time."

"We still have plenty more years," Elemental responded as she drew herself up to full height.

"Yes, but you won't escape without injury"

Shartar lunged at Elemental again and Elemental sidestepped the attack. Shartar attacked again and this time found a kick from Elemental hitting its side. Shartar caught the foot and tried to pull her enemy to the ground, but Elemental anticipated the move and used Shartar's hold on her foot to leap up and kick its face with the other foot. Shartar fell to the floor as Elemental released her foot and landed on the other side of the roof.

Shartar slowly got up and faced her opponent.

"Advisor, do you not know the last rule?"

Elemental didn't respond.

"The opponent has one last strike after falling."

Elemental nodded gravely.

Shartar gathered her energy and the dark became thick in the air. Elemental leveled her head at her enemy. Rules dictated that she could not move. As Shartar began to throw its dark magick, Elemental's last thought was how Alex was going to hate her for this.

*~Jade POV~*

She was doing this for us. She was doing this for San Francisco. She was doing this for the world.

I watched the last two hours with that realization in my mind. Elemental didn't have to do anything for anybody, and she chose to.

I winced as Shartar landed her first blow on Elem. I silently cheered as Elem knocked her enemy to the ground. But nothing would prepare me for what I saw next. Elemental stood there as Shartar prepared to attack. Anyone could see it, it was incredibly obvious, but Elem didn't move.

Then it happened. Something I can only describe as a black bolt of lightning hit Elemental. I heard her scream and I looked away. There was no way, there was absolutely no way that had happened. As tears welled in my eyes I saw Alex across the roof looking away. He must have walked away from the fight. And I was certain that if I had seen his face, he would be crying.

I forced myself to look back at the fight. Elemental was still standing after the black bolt and Shartar was on her knees. I heard the simple, "You win," from Shartar and I breathed a sigh of relief. Elem was done fighting. Suddenly black smoke engulfed Shartar's form and when it cleared no one was there. Then Elem visibly untensed her body, and fell onto the roof.

I gasped, and saw a blur run past us and jump to the roof. It was Alex. It was then I realized that there was nothing Alex wouldn't do for Elem. He held nothing back from her, including his life.

*~End POV~*

Alex was the first to reach Elemental. Gently he moved her head to place her in a more comfortable position. He smiled down at her open eyes.

"I know you are going to be upset with me-"

"K-chan, I knew that would happen. I do know most fighting rules and regulations."

Elemental smiled.

"In fact, K-chan, I'm very proud of you. I'm proud of you for choosing to do what you did."

Elemental looked up into Alex's face. "Thank you, Ate-kun. You do more for my spirit than you know."

Alex smiled and smoothed part of her undone hair away from her face. "Anything for you K-chan. Anything. Any time."

By this time the others had raced up the stairs and were on their way over to where Elemental and Alex were. As Alex picked K-chan up to carry her home, Captain Black took his black coat and laid it over Elemental as a blanket. She smiled her thanks and then went to sleep, lulled by the gentle arms of her best friend.

*~switch scene~*

Early Monday morning found the entire group back at Elemental's home. Jackie and Jade discussed what they had seen with Hikari and Sakura. Captain Black and Alex watched over Elemental from the door of her room as they added bits and pieces to the conversation between the students and confused uncle and niece.

"Jackie, she had to fight."

"Gus, I appreciate what you're trying to do-"

"I'm not making this up. She fights because she has to."

Kari cut in. "The fact is, it is fate. It is destiny. There is nothing anyone can do about it, even when we want to."

The last part she snuck a noticeable glance over at Alex.

Sakura's entrance into the room stopped Jackie's next question from being spoken.

"Hot Chocolate, thee coffees, and two teas." She set the tray down she was carrying. "Alex-san, cream right?"

"Yeah."

"Captain Black, black."

"Yes."

"Jackie, cream or sugar?"

"Cream please."

Sakura, ever the perfect hostess, prepared the coffee in front of them, put a bunch of whipped cream on the hot chocolate for Jade, and put sugar and cream in the tea for Kari before taking black tea for herself.

Everyone stopped for a moment to enjoy their drinks.

Sakura looked at Jackie and gained his attention before she spoke.

"Sensei doesn't mean to be in the middle of things, she just is. That is the way things go in her life. Sometimes fate needs to be followed."

"I don't know how you both seem to know more than Uncle."

Sakura and Kari smiled. They had learned most of the Chan's secrets.

Kari simply stated the reply, "We had a good teacher."

Jackie nodded.

The room took a lighter note as silence fell over the occupants. Lamps were on, candles were lit, and the aroma of hot drinks drifted throughout the room. A sense of security and peace settled and took root. Alex kept a watchful eye on Elemental, as the others calmed their nerves, and enjoyed just being together. And even though there was not complete understanding among all gathered in that living room, an aura of peace surrounded the house now called a home.