'Lo, everyone! Sorry it's been a while, but what with the proficiency tests, bad grades, and a major stress out time, I haven't had time to write. Plus, this chapter has been hard to come up with because it's dealing with characters that I know little about. To tell the truth, I've only seen the Axcess series, so I know only what I've read about these characters. I hope that I don't butcher them too much. Ok, now, on to chapter 5! Yay, yay, yay!

D/C: Dude, if you haven't gotten it by now, there's nothing we can do. Read the earlier ones.

Chapter Five

Today's forecast: Windy with a touch of . . . earthquakes?

"Oh yeah! Who's the ace Net battler? Huh? Huh?" the large boy cried. His defeated opponent slunk off to stew over the humiliating defeat by a grade schooler. The victor chuckled. He was doing really well today. He was maybe even better than Lan today, although if Lan ever heard him say that, he would most likely have slapped him. However, at this moment Dex was having too much fun gloating.

It was at this moment that Dex's navi, Gutsman, reminded his net op that he did, indeed, have homework. Dex grumbled as usual, but he couldn't deny the fact that his grades were slipping and it was important for him to do his homework before his grades got so low that it would take him several years to get them back up. He muttered and mumbled, but grabbed his PET and headed off towards home.

As he was passing the large glass window of a large department store, the window exploded around him. He ducked to shield himself from the flying splinters of glass. A furry creature burst out amidst a shower of glass shards and electric sparks. It shook itself, and turned to Dex. It looked like a weird sort of wolverine, except that its fur was a weird golden color and it sparked and sizzled. It bared its teeth, and leaped at Dex. One thought jumped into the boy's mind: run. And run he did, as hard and fast as he could.

He ran harder than he had ever run. In his mind, a primeval survival instinct had triggered, and he was running as if his worst nightmare was on his heels. He tried an attempt to lose it, but it was faster than he thought, and would often cut him off or find another way around and jump out in front of him. Desperate, Dex raced into an apartment building and up the stairs to the roof. The wolverine creature shrieked at the closed door, then it unfurled from its back a pair of bat-like wings, and sprang into the air, headed towards the roof. On the roof, Dex realized that he was in serious trouble as he backed up closer an closer to the edge in an attempt to escape the beast. Finally he had nowhere to run. He closed his eyes in preparation of the doom fast approaching.

-

A slender girl raced up to the door of the apartment building. She lifted her gaze up to the roof, and a determined expression crossed her face. She pulled out a glinting crystal pendant with a tornado detailed on it in silver. She raised it over her head, and cried, "AIR POWER TRANSFORM!" There was a huge swirl of wind, and suddenly, the girl was changed. She wore a silver dress with a large sash tied in a bow in the back. The dress was a gauzy and delicate as wind, and a silvery circlet rested upon her pale blue hair.

Gathering up the winds around her, she floated up to the roof. "Shadow Fiend," she shouted, "leave that boy alone! I am your challenger! With the swiftness of Air, I, Sailor Hurricane, will punish you!" She spun and landed gracefully on tiptoe on the rooftop. "Sagittarius" she shouted, and began to twirl on her toe, raising off the ground and holding her arms out. "Air!" she called, and the winds gathered around her body, and with a shout of "Turbulence" she threw the winds, which lifted the wolverine-bat into the air and threw it about twenty feet.

However, her attack only stunned the beast, for it somersaulted and flew towards her, and with a sweep of its wings, shot several bolts of electricity at her. She cried out, and slammed into the ground. The lightening came faster, and she raced along, dodging the blasts. Finally, one hit at her feet, and threw her up and on top of Dex, who had been standing nervously by the edge of the roof. As she hit him, a bright flash enveloped the two, surrounding them in a bubble of bronze-colored light. Dex gasped as Gutsman's symbol appeared on his right arm, etched in bronze light. Sailor Hurricane smiled.

"Earth Keeper," she murmured. Dex looked at her as if she were nuts. She rolled her eyes. "You're one of my kind," she said with a slight hint of exasperation. Dex blinked stupidly. "Oh good grief," she murmured. "Of course I have to get the remedial one . . ." Dex took offence and began to stand up, pushing Hurricane off in the process. Hurricane hit the floor with a loud thump, then stood up, her high-heeled boots clicking. She snapped her fingers, and the winds around her hand solidified, and formed a circular brown pin with Gutsman's symbol etched in it in bronze. "Here," she snapped, tossing it to him. As he touched it, words sprang into his head. He held the pin out in front of him.

"EARTH POWER TRANSFORMATION!" Suddenly, he was surrounded in a bronze bubble of light. He began spinning, and his normal shorts and t-shirt disappeared. A brown tunic with bronze trim appeared on his body, along with a bronze belt, bronze gloves, bronze boots, and brown shoulder armor with bronze trim. He wore a pair of brown breeches, and a waist-length bronze cape. A bronze circlet rested on his head, and a raised piece of bronze metal with Gutsman's symbol on it appeared. Then the bubble broke, and he was standing back on the rooftop.

"Well, so you figured it out, did you?" Hurricane said sarcastically. "I didn't know you were that bright." Dex would have found some scathing comment to reply with, but the wolverine-bat creature, which was no longer watching with a bored expression, began to fly at them. Hurricane grabbed Dex's wrist and yanked him along the edge. Finally they were cornered.

"What do I do now?" Dex moaned.

"Well, you can either attack or pray for a miracle. I can't hurt that thing," Hurricane answered.

"Oh."

"WELL, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?" Hurricane shouted. Dex glared at her, then stepped forewards. Just like the pin, words sprang into his mind, and subsequently, came out of his mouth.

"Boulder Memorial Blast!" He slammed his hand down into the roof, and about seven or eight large rocks came up from where his hand had hit, then flew into the beast. With a loud cry, it shuddered, then collapsed into dust.

"BOOYAH!" He shouted, leaping into the air. Hurricane rolled her eyes.

"Not too bad, but you need training. If you just smash your way through battles like that, you're going to wipe yourself out."

Dex glared at her. "So what? I'm tough enough to handle it . . ."

"You still need training, Guardian Crag" Hurricane snapped. "And it is my inexpressible joy to tell you that I have to be your tutor," she told him, sarcasm dripping from every word.

"Wha . . . what did you call me?" Dex asked, surprised.

"Guardian Crag. That is your official name as a Elemental Warrior, like it or not. You are the warrior of Earth."

Dex stared at her. "You say I need training?"

"Yes. You will meet me at this location tomorrow afternoon," she said, handing him a piece of paper. "Be there, or I will find you and drag you there on my own." She glared so fiercely that Dex stared at the floor, slightly cowed by this impressive older girl.

"Uh . . . how do you . . . change back?" he asked, after several minutes.

"Simply say de-transform," she said, and a gust of wind transformed her out of her warrior costume and into a pretty light blue mini skirt, silver hoodie and tall boots, "and you're back in your regular clothes," she concluded. Dex did as she told him, and was soon wearing his usual clothes.

"Don't forget, tomorrow as we agreed," the girl said. "Oh, and by the way my name is Gwendolyn Maier, Windy for short." And with that, she flounced off, leaving a stunned Dex to stare, slack-jawed, at his new tutor. It was definitely going to be a bumpy ride.

-

Yai tapped her toe impatiently as she waited for Electra Powers to show up outside of the school gates as agreed. Yai was actually kinda scared about this. She wasn't sure if she would be able to handle it. It was a lot of responsibility to put on an eight-year-old, even one who was a genius.

After about five minutes, Electra walked up. She waved, and hurried over. "Sorry to be late. I was . . . detained. Nothing serious," she said offhandedly, waving it off. "Just boring old business. Speaking of business, ready to get going?"

"Sure," Yai said, and followed as Electra began walking. "So, where are we going?"

"We have to go somewhere open. We'll go to my place." She walked over to a black car, and ushered Yai in the passenger seat. They drove out of the city to a large house that was a ways back from the road.

"This is your place?" Yai asked, slightly surprised. Electra didn't seem to be very rich, but the house said differently. "It's really nice."

"Oh, this old place? It was left to me by a rich and recently departed uncle. It provides a good place to train." She walked to the backyard. "We'll be training out here." It was a fairly large and open area, with some random targets and a few rocks scattered around.

"Ok, you need to transform," Electra said, and transformed into her costume. Yai pulled out her pin and transformed.

"What next?" she asked Nova.

"Well, I was talking to Windy, she's the senior Air guardian, and she gave me some tips. She said to concentrate with your mind, and try to move some of the air around. Try something simple, like a breeze." Zephyr chewed her lower lip, then put her hand out and moved it across her chest from left to right. She was rewarded by a current of air blowing by.

"Did you see that?" she asked cheerfully.

"Yeah, you're learning. Once you can control the winds well, try to move some objects around." Zephyr practiced creating things out of air like breezes, gales, updrafts and downdrafts, plus a circular disc that was practically solid enough to stand on, as well as a small tornado that nearly got away from her. Luckily she stopped it before it did any harm.

Then, she tried to lift some objects. She got a rock a few feet off the ground, when she swooned, and dropped it.

"Are you ok?" Nova asked, catching her before she could fall.

"Yeah, just tired," Zephyr said.

"I think that's enough for today. You're exhausted. But you did a good job today."

"Yes, Miss Yai," Glyde said in her head. "Most impressive indeed."

Thanks, Glyde, she thought, and de-transformed. Electra did the same, and then the two headed back to the car and Electra drove her home.

"I'll see you next week," Electra said, and waved as she left.

"Bye!" Yai said and walked up to the huge house.

"Miss Yai, won't everyone be wondering where you were today?" Glyde asked.

"Oh, they're always worried. I don't care today. Besides, the only exercise those people get is jumping to conclusions." she giggled as she heading inside.

Well? What'd ya think? Sorry that it's taken me so long to write. I've been lazy. Bad Petal-chan, bad. YAY! Only one more scout to befound! SOO HAPPY! So please, REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! And come back next installment!