The Hooded Figure Emerges

Ane opened his beast-like eyes with a determined look. "Chaaaaa!" he chanted as he punched the water but his body lunged through the water and over Conner where he then slammed into a wall. "Ow." he groaned as he fell to the ground. Conner casually sipped tea as he eyed the boy.

"Too much speed." the man remarked calmly.

"Where are you even getting all those stuff from!?" Ane yelled while eying the cup of tea.

"Want a cup of coffee?" Conner asked casually.

"Yes please." Ane said as he sat across his uncle who then handed the boy a cup. "Wait no! I have to continue training!" Ane yelled; flinging the cup away.

"Oh, right. Training." Conner said as he continued sipping his tea. Ane groaned and face palmed.

Ene, Sid and Lisa were walking through a village. "How is this all located in one building?" Lisa asked.

"Teleportation." Ene replied.

"Spatial Abilities to be more exact. It's Conner's doing." Sid remarked.

"Spatial...huh." Lisa thought whilst holding her chin. The teens then passed by a hot spring that had a mixed bath sign on it. Ene smirked to then skip inside; laughing idiotically. "That...ugh!" Lisa scolded.

"What's wrong?" Sid asked as he calmly pulled out high tech binoculars.

"Even you're a perv!?" Lisa yelled in genuine shock.

"It's the way...of the teenage boy." Sid said proudly.

"Don't act so proud!" Lisa scolded to then sigh. "Anyway; I wanted to ask you about that technique you used back there in the hall." she said.

"It's called Shadow Step. It's one of the many moves Conner's taught me." Sid replied.

"Conner, huh." Lisa thought; staring into the sky. "He seems so strong." she whispered. Ene's bruised body soared from the doors of the mixed bath.

"Totally...worth it." he groaned doing a thumbs up.

Ane got hit down by the waterfall. "Too slow." Conner called. Ane got hit by the water again. "Too weak." Conner stated. Ane got hit by the water once more. "Too strong." Conner remarked. Ane tried futilely to land a proper hit on the water for several turns until he stopped next to it; soaked and panting.

"Freaking..." he began as he fired a punch but this time he slipped and missed to then fall into the water and get pulled below yet again. Conner yawned as Ane floated underwater. "I wonder if..." Ane thought as he closed his eyes. "I wonder if the others went through such difficult training also." he continued as he lay under the water calmly. "Oh right, I can breathe underwater now because of Lana." he remarked out loud; laughing to then float to the top of the water. Ane opened his eyes to see the huge cage with the large dragon eyes staring right at him.

"Why are you here boy!?" the creature boomed causing an intense wind to vibrate across the room; flinging Ane away.  The boy flipped to his feet and held the ground until the wind stopped.

"Duuude." Ane said in amazement.

"Quit the flattery." the dragon remarked roughly. Ane shook his head.

"It's not flattery." he said. "What's your name? Mine's Ane." the teen remarked while raising his fist for a fist bump. The dragon laughed but Ane didn't budge which made the dragon's grin grow. It's hand then became visible behind the cage door and a finger then poked out and approached Ane's fist.

"Die!" the dragon yelled lunging two claws at Ane which stopped inches from the boy's body thanks to the cage. Ane gulped as the impact hit him before jumping away. "That is the reason I hate this SEAL!" the dragon roared as it seemed to stand causing everywhere to shake. The dragon was now fully visible as it stared at Ane viscously. Everything began to turn white from Ane's perspective and he then opened his eyes to see he was back in the stream below the waterfall. He lay there calmly as he washed to the shore and Conner stepped on the boy.

"Yo! You alive!?" Conner asked.

"Yes." Ane replied as he shoved Conner off him and stood up. "I give up for now. Let's get out of here." he stated sighing.

"Okay." Conner said hurriedly before running to the glass. "Sweet freedom!" he yelled as he jumped through the glass which opened up for him. Ane facepalmed.

Lisa, Ene and Sid strolled onto a bridge and Sid pointed at the forest next to them. "That's the proper exit." he said just before his shadow formed into Conner who had Ane tucked under his shoulder.

"What in the world?" Ene asked.

"Shadow Link. You don't honestly think you can learn ALL my abilities." Conner stated.

"Well I sure can't get used to any of them." Lisa stated. Ane flipped out of Conner's arm and landed onto the railing.

"Training went well?" Lisa asked.

"Nope." Ane answered; eyes shielded.

"So what now?" Ene asked.

"We get outta here." Ane answered.

"Why so soon though?" Conner inquired.

"I have school which I honestly haven't attended in quite some time now." Ane explained. Conner rose an eyebrow and Ane cleared his throat. "Ignore that last part." the boy added. The other teen chuckled.

"Well you can come back to train anytime." Conner said; eyes shielded. Ane nodded.

"How do we exit this place?" he then asked.

"There's only one way to find out!" Ene said before kicking Ane into the forest. Ane nodded at Sid and the boy smiled back.

"Bye Sid." Lisa said as she hopped out as well. Sid blushed and then unintentionally morphed into his adult form.

"Get that fixed pronto." Ene said as he pointed at Sid as he hopped after his friends.

"Send the jackets and jeans to Ane." Conner then said as he turned away from the forest. Sid nodded and then vanished.

Ene was sitting on some sacks with bumps on his head. "You could've killed me!" Ane yelled.

"I knew it would teleport you." Ene replied; pouting.

"I don't buy it." Ane scolded.

"Hey guys." Lisa said. Ane and Ene turned to her.

"Thanks for today but I'll be leaving now." she said. Ane nodded and the girl then hopped off the train the three were on.

"I wonder what's her relation with Lana." Ene remarked.

"How'd you?" Ane asked; eying the boy. Ene smiled.

"I have my ways." he remarked as the train came to a stop.

Conner strolled through a dark alleyway to then stop abruptly. "Come out already." he remarked.

"You sensed my presence; even in your current state? Just what I'd expect from "The Shadow Master"." a male voice remarked as a hooded figure with a black enclosed robe and a dark grey and black mask with spaces for the eyes stepped from the shadows above; landing calmly.

"I don't go by that name." Conner replied. The hooded figure(THF for short) laughed.

"You can't escape the destiny you casted on yourself unknowingly." he remarked.

"Who are you?" Conner asked.

"Nobody special." THF replied while watching Conner; dragon's eyes gleaming within the mask.

"You're..." Conner began and THF appeared above him; swinging a kick. "Damn; can't counter." Conner thought frowning before the kick launched him away through a couple buildings. THF began to walk to the man slowly.

"Out of elemental energy...are we?" the figure joked; laughing.

"You coward!" Conner yelled.

"Watch your mouth." THF said as he stopped besides Conner and stare down at the man with the intent to kill.

"Shit." Conner said to be kicked away.

"Is that all you've been reduced to?" THF asked as he braced to sprint. He paced forward; slicing at Conner with two curved blades that appeared in his hands. Blood sprayed from Conner as he fell forward.

"So this is it, huh." Conner thought as he lay on the ground.

"It's a shame, really." THF commented as he kicked Conner into the air. "Didn't even need an elemental attack." he remarked laughing. Kunai flung at him and he casually smacked all away with his blades without even turning towards their direction. "Finally gained the balls to show yourself?" THF asked as he turned to a dark house where Sid then stepped out from shakily with his weapon in hand.

"S-step away from him." he stuttered. THF laughed.

"Won't make much of a difference doing so now." he remarked before vanishing spirally into a black hole that disappeared after him.

"Conner!" Sid yelled running to Conner who lay on the ground; spitting blood as Sid knelt next to him. "I'm sorry. I just stood there while he..." Sid cried.

"It's alright." Conner said.

"No it isn't. You're bleeding like crazy! At this rate you'll..." Sid began but Conner placed a finger to the teen's lip weakly and smiled.

"Tell Ane that he has to defeat that guy...." Conner began to then close one eye as he coughed out more blood. "And tell him that he should never give up either." he continued weakly.

Don't speak like that! You'll make it through. I just gotta...heal you somehow." Sid stated as his body morphed between ages. Conner smiled and watched the sky clear up.

"I really suck at dying words huh. Look after Ane until he gets strong enough...will you?" he asked; turning back to Sid. "And tell Ane that hard work will never beat pure skill if the hard worker slacks off even a little bit in this reality of elementals.....so...." Sid began as he rose a hand. "Don't slack off." he whispered; flicking Sid's forehead. Conner chuckled softly and his hand then fell to the ground slowly. Sid began to cry as Conner got dragged into the ground by a shadow.

"Shadow Burial." the shadow said as it and Conner vanished from sight.

"DAMN IT!" Sid yelled as he punched the ground and rose his face. Ane turned and he and Ene were walking to his house.

"What's up?" Ene asked. Ane shook his head slowly and continued walking silently.