"Well well well. If it isn't the otherworldly worm that has wriggled its way into our soul." Said the ancient ice elemental crossing his arms with a frown as he stared at the little ice elemental in front of him with a disapproving gaze. "Feeling proud of yourself?"

Diligence chuckled nervously with a weak smile as she fidgeted with her fingers. "Nooo-" she said nervously trailing off as she monitored Urgence's stoic expression for any sign of approval, yet the ancient elemental's frowning expression remained unchanged. "-yeeessss? No? I mean, yes! Wait, I pick no! Wait- is this a trick question?"

The elder elemental cross hopped the little girl's head causing her to hold the top of her head in pain. "Stupid." Deadpanned Evergreen, causing young Diligence to scratch her snow hair in embarrassment as she flushed deep blue. "Luckily, I've taken pity on your situation. I'll teach you the ways of magic."

Diligence's eyes widened in surprise before she smiled. "Really? That was easy." She said cheerfully. "When do we start?"

"Slow down, ingrate." Replied Evergreen crossing his arms in displeasure. "I have some conditions first. Three to be exact. Number one, don't talk so casually to me. It's Master Evergreen to you." He said with a prideful huff, causing Diligence to cringe before pausing as she stared at the ice platform beneath them intently before a determined expression made its way onto her face

"Pride doesn't feed you on the streets." She said calmly. "I agree, Master Evergreen."

"Good." Replied Urgence calmly as he puffed his chest in pride before holding two fingers up to his student's face. "Number two, I expect you to live up to your name. I want diligence not lollygagging. Get your head in the game." He demanded in a serious tone, prompting Diligence to nod. "Now, last but not least, number three. Defeat the Lich."

Diligence froze. "What was that again?" She asked unable to process what she had just heard. He wants her to WHAT?! The Lich?! The guy who would stop at nothing to kill everything?!

"I've peeked into your memories. And found many interesting things." Said Evergreen calmly as he put his hands in front of him and cast an illusion of a writhing comet falling towards a mini Evergreen. "That thing killed me. I want to prove that was just a fluke of circumstances." He said before pointing at Diligence. "When that fiend gains a body, you must defeat him."

Diligence's jaw almost hit the floor hearing the request. "B-but it's the LICH! Do you know how hard it is to even HURT that guy?!" Exclaimed the young elemental, worry and anxiety clear in her voice. "I can't do that!"

"Don't worry, child." Said the ancient elemental confidently. "With my guidance, you'll be able to easily kick his raggedy butt AND show that I'm better." He said gesturing towards himself proudly before extending his hand towards the younger ice elemental. "Do we have a deal?"

Diligence paused as she stared at Evergreen's hand. She racked her brain, weighing her options. It was either run around like a headless chicken in this dangerous world full of monsters, unable to utilise her powers or accept Urgence's offer and be forced to fight a world ending threat. It was clear to the young elemental what she should choose. "Master Evergreen, I accept." She said shaking the her fellow elemental's hand.

"Good. Now let's get on with our first lesson. How to use your ice powers." Declared Urgence calmly as he zapped a chair of ice for himself with his powers and sat down, not bothering to give little Diligence one or even time to process the lesson starting. It took a few seconds for the girl to recover from her surprise and quickly focused on her new teacher. "Magic is madness manifest. To use magic, a being either has to be born magical with the madness being their existence itself like elementals or has to be consumed by madness. Your problem is that only your body contains madness. As a being from outside this world, your mind is severely lacking in this department. Luckily, after rummaging through your memories, I have the perfect solution to this."

"Really?" Asked Diligence, her wide with shock. "That was fast." She said blinking in amazement before the area around her starting shifting wildly causing her to lose her balance. She quickly turned to Urgence hoping he'd have an answer only to find the ancient elemental missing. The area and surroundings continued shifting wildly, causing Diligence to fall onto the ground in a dark alley. "Huh?" She let out a sound of confusion as she looked around her. It was no longer the void with the ice platform, but an alleyway that seemed to be from her old life. "Why does it feel so familiar?" The girl suddenly noticed that her clothes and skin were back to how they were before.

The girl began to hyperventilate as fear gripped into her heart. "What? Was- was all that just a dream? B-but-" She asked clutching her own head, not believing that it was all just a dream. "Evergreen. EVERGREEN! Can you hear me?!" The girl called out, but nobody answered before her body suddenly collapsed onto the pavement. A familiar feeling of weakness spread across her body as blood escaped her mouth. The coldness of death wrapped around her body like snake venom seeping into her veins. Her brain was barely able to think through the pain of the frost assaulting it. It was only then that girl realised what was going on.

This was the day she died, except it was different. She couldn't remember being this cold last time. It was equal parts painful and reassuring. She wasn't back to her horrible old life. She was still Diligence Snowflakes, the ice elemental. Taking refuge in this belief the girl stopped struggling, letting the coldness of death take over and accepting it as her own.

xxxxxxXxxxxx

Meanwhile, in the apartment where Diligence and Marceline chose to settle for the night, a small half demon woke up with a long yawn. Through the window, one could see dark clouds extending to what seemed to be forever. This weather seemed to never change recently. The little black haired girl rubbed one of her eyes tiredly as she held Hambo with her other hand before she suddenly felt a sudden wave of cold air brush past her. The little demon quickly hugged her doll to warm up before turning to the source of the cold wind. It was Diligence. Her mouth letting out cold white vapor with each breath. She could see the elemental's face dark blue as if she had her version of a fever.

Marceline quickly approached the ice elemental, ignoring the cold wind around her and put her hand over the older girl's forehead. It was even colder than before! A lot colder! It really was as if she was having a fever! "A reverse fever." Marceline muttered with a frown, hugging Hambo before a determined expression made its way onto her face. She quickly dashed towards their bag of supplies and pulled out a box of chicken soup mixture. "Dilly said it helps with fevers."

With great determination, the little girl cut open the box and poured some of the mixture into a bowl along with some water before mixing them together vigorously. Marcy frowned as she stared at her 'soup'. She looked around the apartment until she found the kitchen or more precisely, the oven. The girl quickly placed her soup on the stove and turned up the heat.

As the soup started to heat up, Marceline paced around anxiously before rushing to the living room to check on her sick friend only to find the area covered in a thin layer of ice and snow. Little Marcy quickly rushed back to the kitchen and turned the heat up to the max on the stove. The flames of the stove grew large as they encompassed the soup. Growing so much they touched some tissues next to them, setting them on fire. Marceline yelped in fear as the flames spread from the tissues to the cabinets to the rest of the kitchen.

Surrounded by fire and flames, little Marceline hugged Hambo tightly, protecting him from danger as the flames gluttonously encompassed the kitchen leaving the little half demon nowhere to run. Marceline shut her eyes tight as she hugged Hambo hoping for a miracle to save her as tears fell down her cheeks. And that miracle manifested in the form of a powerful gust of icy wind burst through the kitchen door like a hurricane. The howls of icy wind attacked the flames like a vicious beast, putting it all out in one swift move.

"MARCY!" Diligence burst into the room with a worried expression, quickly searching the room for the half demon before finding her crying in the middle of the ashes. The ice elemental dashed towards Marcy with a tight hug before speaking. "What happened?!"

Marceline looked at the ground in shame before she spoke. "You were having a fever so I made you chicken soup." She said dejectedly, causing Diligence to turn to the now burnt soup.

"I guess this is a good time to teach you how to handle fire." Remarked Diligence calmly as her hand was covered in a blue glowing light. "Especially now that I can control my powers."

Marceline gasped at the sight of Diligence's powers. She couldn't help but stare in awe as a little Marcy made of ice appeared on top of the ice elemental's palm.

"so cool!" Marcy exclaimed, not knowing the consequences of Diligence's choices. But for now, she and Diligence had a long talk about cooking and the dangers of fire.

xxxxxxXxxxxxx

Later that night.

Marceline layed on a couch with Hambo next to Diligence in a new abandoned apartment where she and the ice elemental settled down for the night. The little half demon slept soundly and peacefully under a blanket with her doll until she felt a wave of freezing cold air brush over her skin. Unable to handle the unbearable coldness, little Marcy quickly wakes up to hear a grunt of pain coming from next to her. From Diligence. "Dilly?" Asked the little half demon in concern before a blast of ice was fired from Diligence's hand towards the wall, freezing it. Marceline's eyes widen in shock upon seeing Diligence cast magic in her sleep. "DILLY!" Exclaimed Marcy, trying to wake up the unconcious elemental before shaking her around to no avail.

Suddenly, ice began encroaching onto the couch tearing it apart as it summoned icicle over it. Marceline screamed as she jumped off the couch, away from the cold's influence. The desperate screams finally reached the elemental's ears as she woke up with widened eyes. "MARCY!" She exclaimed examining the area for threats only to see a terrified Marcy shaking in the corner and ice covering the walls and the couch. She quickly realised what was going on. "Oh no. Marcy, I'm so sorry. I don't know how this happened." Said the ice elemental clutching their hair. "I- i was just practicing with Evergreen and-"

Diligence went silent as she saw Marceline fear was not subsiding. She stared at the floor in shame she heard the little girl speak. "You have to stop!" Exclaimed Marcy with a small sniff that caused Diligence's lips to quiver. "Whatever that was, stop!"

Diligence paused before she clenched her fists. "I- I can't." Replied the ice elemental calmly. "Training with Evergreen is the only way I can get a grip on magic. I can probably ask him for a spell to stop whatever that was."

"But he's hurting you, Dilly!" Exclaimed Marceline, sadness and anger swirling inside her like a hurricane as she hugged Hambo. Diligence froze as she averted eye contact, unable to refute the little half demon's words. "Evergreen's bad!"

"I- I need to do this Marcy." Replied Diligence with a dark expression as she stared at the floor. "Before I became an ice elemental, I was human." She said dejectedly as tears began to fall down her cheeks like waterfall. "I was a street rat who couldn't do anything to change her fate. I was weak." She said clenching her fists and teeth in anger before a determined expression made its way onto her face. "But now, I have power. I can help us both. I want to keep learning. I want to keep getting stronger. I NEED this, Marcy. Please!"

Marceline stared at Diligence's face through her tears. A million thoughts racing through her mind. Interrupting her thoughts was a hug from said elemental. "You're like the sister I never had, Marcy. Please, for the two of us, let me do this." Pleaded the ice elemental, causing the half demon to sniffle anxiously.

This unknowingly lit a fire inside the little half demon's soul. A fire to grow stronger along her older sister.

xxxxxXxxxxxx

I think I overdid it with the descriptions in this chap, but what do y'all think? Also, is abusive mentor Evergreen too much?

Toodles.