A/N: You know, I thought that I would update more often over Christmas Break, but GREs and Graduate School applications seemed to rule my life... more's the pity, I guess. Anyway, even though I am currently student teaching, I found some time to post this and keep my fans happy by throwing them a bone as it was... not that you're dogs, or anything... Hmm. Maybe I should just shut my trap... Anyway, Enjoy!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

(Takes place after "Code Busters")

Theme 16: Yield

Rootcore, September 5, 2006, 4:00 PM – Briarwood, CA, USA

"Come on, Nick!" Chip exclaimed his hazel eyes watching as the Red Ranger ducked underneath a stream of water sent by Madison. The Blue Ranger was currently concentrating on trying to turn her Magistaff into its weapon form, which was a triton eerily similar looking to the one that was in the Disney© film The Little Mermaid. A picture in the Xenotome had proved that. When asked, Udonna had mentioned that the Mermaid's Triton and the Fairy's Sai hadn't been seen for generations, not since some of the first Mystics had taken up the Magistaffs; but that didn't mean that she and Vida couldn't get said weapons to reappear. Vida especially thought it unfair that Nick got a sword, Chip a crossbow and Xander a battle axe while the women were left out... and Madison agreed.

"Let him have it Maddie!" Vida yelled, deliberately choosing to support her sister instead of the new pretty boy. Honestly, just because he got to wear red he thought he was so special. She certainly didn't think so.

"Um, how are they doing?" Clare asked, speaking so softly that Xander, who was sitting behind Chip and Vida, who were now arguing over who was going to win almost didn't hear her.

Xander turned and flashed a smile at Clare and replied, "Oh, fine, I guess. I mean, we're all new to this, so I guess they're doing ok."

"They are actually doing quite well," Udonna said her green eyes tinged with sadness as she watched the two rangers call on their elements. "I am very impressed with how far the five of you have come in such a short amount of time."

As Udonna finished speaking the spar abruptly ended when Madison went flying backwards, slamming into a tree trunk, her Magistaff falling from her hand to the ground. Vida instantly took off running, followed by Chip and Xander while Nick fell to his knees, exhausted.

"Maddie! Are you okay?!"

"Yeah, I think so," Madison muttered, acquiescing when Xander and Chip slowly pulled her to her feet. "That hurt though."

"Are you okay?" Nick asked, having come over to see if his teammate was okay.

"No thanks to you!" Vida spat, her grey eyes glaring at Nick.

"Vida, calm down. It was an accident," Xander said, playing the role of peacemaker, but failing. Vida turned her anger on him.

"He did it on purpose! I saw him! He put way too much power in that blast!"

"We're still newbies at this magic stuff, V! You think he had any control over that?"

"He should! He's the red ranger, so that means he has the most power and the most control out of us all!"

"That's not true, and you know it. You're just jealous."

"What'd you say?" Vida's eyes narrowed.

"You heard me; you're jealous." Xander knew he shouldn't have opened his big trap; Vida was glaring at him in a way reminiscent of when he'd pranked her in the fifth grade... and that had turned into a six-month long prank war which she'd eventually won.

"I'll show you! I challenge you to a duel!" Vida took out her Magistaff and pointed it at Xander, the wind picking up a bit at the anger in its mistress' voice.

Xander gulped. Damn, he'd really done it now. "Um, well."

"What, you're scared?" Vida smirked. That'd get him to agree. If there was one thing that Xander hated it was having his pride called into question. Hell, he'd taken on numerous dares from Chip and her in the past to prove that he wasn't a coward.

Nick, Madison, and Chip were watching the interaction between them, with the latter two looking bored. Nick turned to them and asked, "Do they do this often?"

"If you mean argue like spoiled five-year olds, then absolutely," Chip responded, his eyes alighting on Nick. "Vida'll accept an apology for your hitting Maddie if you do so sincerely. Otherwise, you're sunk."

"I yield! I won't fight you; not now." Xander's proclamation had Chip and Madison's eyes widening. Were they in the twilight zone or something? Chip glanced at the sky and shook his head; nope, no gray sky. That must mean they were actually witnessing this.

Vida faltered. He didn't just say that… did he? "What do you mean? Are you chicken or something?"

"Vida, don't say that." Udonna decided to step in and end the explosion that was coming. "It is very honorable that Xander chose to yield to you. He knew that with your anger he would stand a very high probability of losing this battle."

Vida turned to look at Xander, who was currently scanning the horizon. She glanced at her sister, who was nodding her encouragement at Udonna's decision and, lowering her Magistaff turned to Xander said, "I accept." Xander flashed a nervous grin at her, but before he could open his mouth to say anything she continued, "But, next time you won't be so lucky."

From that moment on, each training session always featured some kind of competition between Xander and Vida, each striving to prove that they were better than the other. Oddly enough, neither one of them yielded a battle again until The Master had been defeated once and for all. That incident was because Vida decided to do something totally unlike her – she dropped her Magistaff, strode up to a wary Xander and kissed him.