Power flowed through them, uncontrolled and voracious.  From the six circles, a font of elemental energy sprang up around each person, engulfing them in the element they stood before.  As one, Summer watched the bodies of her friends rise slowly through the element that surrounded them in horrified amazement.  She didn’t know what was supposed to happen or if she was supposed to do anything at all.  The elements obscured most of their bodies but it did not look as if any of them were conscious…  Fear nagged at her and she looked for the Headmaster, but he was slumped over the table, unmoving just like the others.  “What…what do I do?” she asked into the power charged air.

               Almost as soon as she asked her question, a surge of power from the image underfoot startled her and a voice whispered in her mind, “What you already know how to do.”

               Summer nodded to herself and slowly reached out towards the six pillars.  When she closed her eyes, she could feel the elements there and with an effort, she willed them to go away.  For a moment, nothing happened, and then finally, the power grudgingly responded.  With eyes still closed, she could feel the strength before her diminishing, becoming more manageable until it dissipated entirely.  At last, she sagged in weariness and fell to her knees on the floor, exhaustion sapping her strength.  Never before had she tried to neutralize so much at one time…  Fearfully, she cracked open her eyes to look around, nervous about what she might see.  To her immense relief, all her friends had been set down upon the ground and appeared to be sleeping.

               She sighed in relief before trying to stand up, her knees shaky.  Her first impulse was to check on Siwon and Kyuhyun at the fore but she remembered that Eleanara had been trained in the element of light.  If she could use that ability now, she would be able to revive the rest…she hoped.  As quickly as she could, Summer stumbled over to where Eleanara was resting, kneeling beside her awkwardly and gently trying to shake her awake.  “Nara.  Eleanara,” she murmured, shaking the smaller girl’s shoulder.  “Wake up now,” she tried again, reaching up to tap the sleeping girl’s cheek with an open hand.

               Eleanara groaned weakly as hazel green eyes peeked through fluttering eyelids, the firelight bright enough to bring on a headache.  “Ouch,” she winced, turning her head into the shadow created by Summer’s body.  “What happened?” she asked softly, reaching out to grab for the Neutralizer’s outstretched hand.

              “I’m not sure,” Summer responded, trying to help her to her feet.  It was a slow process since they were both more tired than expected.  “I think it worked,” she mused out loud, taking note of the now dim sarcophagi and the others still lying on the floor.  “I figured you could try…to, umm…wake them.  You know.  If you had the element of light and all,” Summer mentioned uncertainly.  It had seemed a fine idea at the time, but now…  A hand touched her shoulder lightly and she saw Eleanara smiling at her.

               “I can but try,” she assured the other woman calmly, though she felt anything but at just that moment.  Eleanara turned to face the others and took a deep breath, recognizing that she did feel different; more powerful and assured.  For years, they had trained to memorize the abilities that would be theirs to control if this day came; general guidelines of what their full abilities would be.  There was nothing left but to try it now.  She nodded to herself and reached out, attempting to touch the power she knew was bubbling beneath the surface.  When her mental hand encompassed that source, she was filled with such joy that it overflowed and she intoned, “Restore!”  From her hands, a warm light spilled out over the figures on the floor and focused on them, causing their bodies to glow briefly before the light was extinguished.  When she lowered her hands with a silly smile plastered on her face, Eleanara reeled slightly.

                Summer hurried to support her, rocking slightly from the effort.  “Are you okay?”

                Eleanara seemed dazed for a moment as her eyelids fluttered but she remained standing and nodded slowly.  “I’m alright.  Just a bit dizzy.  It’s very draining,” she finally concluded with a confused look at her supporter.  “I hope it gets easier,” she sighed instead, focusing her gaze back on the others.  Her smile returned in full force when they started to stir slowly.  “But I think it worked.  Come on,” she urged, taking a shaky step towards the others.

                Summer let her go slowly and then smiled as the smaller girl walked on her own to Leeteuk who had been immediately next to her.  As for herself, she could see that Kharin was coming around nicely, as were the others.  She went to check on Siwon and Kyuhyun next who, like the rest, seemed a bit disoriented.  “How are you feeling?” she asked, reaching a hand down to assist them both in rising.

                Kyuhyun frowned, “I have a headache.”  At least he did reach out to take her hand.  She was only grateful that he wasn’t relying entirely on her since she didn’t have the strength to haul him to his feet without it.

                Siwon shrugged in agreement but he glanced around and could see the rest were moving about too.  “Looks like we’re all okay, though,” he smiled, taking Summer’s hand gratefully and allowing himself to be helped to stand, though he did most of the work.  He laughed when she overcompensated for both of them and nearly lost her footing.  He pulled her into a hug and murmured, “Thank you.”  Abruptly, he reached over and snagged Kyuhyun, draggin him into the embrace too at which the other man sighed resignedly.

                Eleanara knelt down beside Leeteuk and reached out to place a hand on his shoulder.  “Are you alright?” she questioned softly, smiling when he turned his head to look at her.

                Leeteuk smiled back and nodded.  “I think so.”  Carefully, he braced himself on the floor and pushed up slowly, finding everything to be weak and uncooperative.  He felt Eleanara’s grip shift to assist him in standing and he chuckled.  “Thank you,” he murmured, placing his hand on her shoulder for support and additional balance.  It was necessary since his head spun from standing too fast.

                “Any time,” she laughed lightly, hiding her smile behind her free hand.  “Come on.  Let’s see about the others,” she suggested, taking a small step forward so he would have time to react.  Leeteuk grunted in agreement and moved along with her.

                Kharin and Eunhyuk were already helping each other to stand when the others made it over to them.  They were leaning on each other for support and both were laughing at their inability to function like normal.  To the rest of the group, it looked as if it was more fun to pretend they needed to lean against each other than standing alone.  Eunhyuk stated, “I feel like I just raced Kharin around the monastery and I’m not sure who won.”

                “Me too,” Kharin agreed.  The rest nodded in agreement, though they laughed at the analogy.  Of the group, Siwon was probably the most likely to be able to attest to that since the other two were among the fastest in the group.  They all felt the power within, yet their bodies were failing to respond to it immediately which was a situation they had not anticipated.

                “It will take some time to adjust,” Yoogin explained, stepping up to them from where he had recovered as well.  The power of the intonation had drained him, but Eleanara’s healing allowed him the strength to get back to his feet.  In his hands, he carried seven amulets hanging on leather thongs.  “These are for you,” he stated, standing before Eleanara first.  “Eleanara, the Elementalist of Light.”  He handed over the diamond shaped amulet with the symbol of the sun on it.  “Leeteuk, the Elementalist of Earth.”  The amulet had the image of a mountain pressed into the metal.   “Kyuhyun, the Elementalist of Fire.”  An amulet with the image of a burning flame was handed over.  “Siwon, the Elementalist of Water.”  A water droplet was inscribed on the diamond shaped amulet this time.  “Eunhyuk, the Elementalist of Wind.”  The imposing image of a tornado was inscribed on his.  “Kharin, the Elementalist of Shadow.”  An image of the quarter moon was etched on hers.  The final amulet was given to Summer and it looked different than the rest.  Two circles wrapped around the diamond shaped amulet that had a smaller symbol of each element pressed into each point starting at the top with earth and then moving clockwise to show fire, water and wind.

                “Why is hers so different?” Kyuhyun asked, a skeptical look on his smooth face.

                Yoogin leveled an annoyed frown at him and sighed, “Summer has no power to command the elements, but she does have the ability to render them null.  In turn, she holds power over each element.”  The rest leaned in close to look at her amulet.  Kyuhyun still seemed a bit put out but he had no room to argue as it made perfect sense overall.  “Come then,” Yoogin called attention to himself once more.  “You must rest and regain your strength.  Tomorrow, we will see what sort of abilities you have with your powers.”

                “But haven’t we been learning the abilities all this time?” Kharin asked quickly, seeing a similar question in the rest of their faces.

                “Oh indeed you have,” Yoogin laughed, genuinely amused.  “But that is not to say that you know how to control them.”  He shook a slightly crooked finger at them and then beckoned them to follow him, shoulders still shaking in moderate amusement.

                If they thought he had been too slow going down the stairs, they all changed their initial assessment and felt he moved back up them entirely too fast.  “For an old guy, he’s very spry,” Eunhyuk laughed, bringing up the rear with Kharin this time.

                “Or we’re just really slow,” Leeteuk countered from the front.  He was slightly winded and that was due in no small part because the stairs were a challenge but also because he was leading the group up and as they had while they headed down, they all held hands again.  Being in the lead, it was his job to pull and if it was just Eleanara that he was helping, it would not have been problematic, but she in turn held hands with Khyuhyun and likewise down the line.  At last, the group made their slow, tired way up the stairs and stopped at the top to catch their breath.  Winded, they still managed to grin happily as the realization that they had been the keepers chosen for the power they now held finally sank in.  Some were blissfully ignorant, happy simply to have been honored as such but the others were curious.  Why them…and why now?

                Yoogin halted any train of thought by interrupting their thinking, “Come on, Elementalists.  You need food and rest.”  With a wry smile on his face, he shepherded them to the dining hall where they were fed and then made sure to guide them to their bedroom in turn.  At present, he understood better than they what their bodies needed since they were still riding the elation of this afternoon.

                “But I’m not sleepy,” Kyuhyun objected, following along with the rest.

                “You will be when you lay down,” Summer assured him knowingly with an amused chuckle.

                Siwon nudged him and added, “Your head doesn’t know how tired your body is yet.  Just wait,” he winked, grinning at Summer in agreement.  At the speech, Kyuhyun groaned and took a step towards his bed, regardless of how he felt.  His was the closest to the door and he was as such, the first one to lie down.  Coincidentally, he was also the first to fall asleep, to the general amusement of the others who watched him smile peacefully, gone as soon as his head hit the pillow.

                After a moment of shared silence, the rest broke off to their own beds.  The room had a set of seven beds; four on one side and three on the other.  It had always been regarded as the room for the keepers and so they had inherited it as well.  Siwon wandered over next to Kyuhyun’s bed with a parting pat on the shoulder to Summer who smiled and took the one opposite him.  Eunhyuk split off next, nudging Kharin playfully, who pushed back and grinned before they settled in their beds opposite each other.  At the back of the room were Leeteuk and Eleanara across the way from each other.  “Sleep well,” he smiled and nodded to Eleanara who nodded back and waved.  Briefly, she felt stuck in place as she watched him go to his own bed and with a start she shook herself free.  Quickly, she crawled into bed and sighed.

                Eleanara was not the only one to lay awake, staring at the ceiling, thoughts running rampant through her head.  Siwon, Summer and Eunhyuk seemed to have no trouble falling asleep but the remaining three were still speculative.  It had finally happened with them and they were supposed to be prepared for something…but what?  She turned her head to look over at Kharin and noticed sleepy eyes still peering at Eunhyuk thoughtfully.  Eleanara smiled and turned over, glancing at Leeteuk in the process.  With a start, she noticed that he was observing her with a smile on his face.  She smiled and felt a flush creep over her cheeks, hoping the light was not good enough to reveal it before she shyly ducked her head under the covers.

                A low chuckle to her side showed that Kharin had seen her reaction, as a peek out from the corner of the covers revealed.  The other woman winked and Eleanara relaxed.  When Kharin turned over to go to sleep, she couldn’t help but take one more glance at the man across from her.  His eyes were closed and she couldn’t tell if he was sleeping yet or not.  With another sigh, she turned over to go to sleep, joining the others in sweet oblivion.