You went into Rubic. That’s like the place where all the past Manipulators go. They don’t die. They just disappear at a certain time when their duties are done. And no normal bender has ever gone in and come back alive. This proves that you are the next Manipulator.

 “Sirah just told me what happened so I’ve been caught up. Jesus I am dizzy. Do you have the clothes Jiho?” I turned to him, noting they looked pretty cool with their hair different colors wearing street clothes instead of the bulky armor.

“Equinox, you hair is back to the way it was in length. It’s a pixie cut again, and your eyes have changed as well. Equinox, yours are topaz and ruby, And the tiger stripes are gone too. You look…”

“Hot.”

“Yeah.”

I blushed at their words, ignoring their compliments.

“Can I get my clothes now?”

“Okay but like don’t get mad at me.”

“Now you’re making me all suspicious.”

Jiho walked from his place perched on a boulder towards me, getting halfway when Sirah interfered, taking the clothes on her back, not allowing Jiho to come any closer to me.

 I bowed towards Jiho and Sirah, walking behind a large tree to change. I put on the clothes, not eve caring what they were as long as I got out of the ridiculous armor.

The pants were skin tight and had a lot of holes, the shirt was neon green and lacy, I also had a bright red leather jacket in my size, and my shoes were neon green Doc Martens which were fine with me. I walked out, stretching.

“Sweet Jesus what did you make her wear Jiho?!”

“What? I think it’s fine.”

“You look like the clothes were painted onto you.”

I looked up at him confused, walking over to the river, peering at my reflection. My hair was back to its curlicue pixie cut, little thin streaks of the rainbow still in them. My eyes were topaz and ruby swirled, my pupils back to its regular black. My skin was pale, the tiger stripes gone without a trace. The shirt was bright against my skin, making the illusion I actually had s. I turned to the side profile, the clear water imitating my move, my eyes traveling down my body. The pants showed I had a . The jacket and torn jeans gave me a rugged appearance but my eyes said otherwise for some reason.

You do kind of look good. Ace can’t stop looking at you.

No he’s not looking at me.

Turn your head across the field discretely and tell me he’s not looking at you.

I did as told, turning my head a little bit as if I was looking at my to see Ace’s eyes traveling over every part of my body from the crown of my head to the tips of my Doc Martens. I turned my head back to the water, my cheeks heating up.

Girl your cheeks are heating up more than an erupting volcano.

Oh shut up.

Don’t deny it. Anyway, if you’re going to be staying and training in Isadora I don’t want you to be on the property of Damien. I don’t trust him in any way. The last person he claimed was the Manipulator was killed by night lock, a berry that can kill anything in a split second. He claims he had nothing to do with it and the Council believed him but I know what it was. It was a message that if your parents continued to hide you from him he would find you and take you forcefully and the night lock would be their punishment.

Okay. After what I’ve seen from you is enough proof that I don’t want to stay near the man who drove my parents out of their home.

“Jiho.”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t want to be anywhere near the Fire Empire or your father.”

“Whoa, where’s this coming from?”

“Everything from my past since the time I broke of my mother’s placenta has been brought to my mind and I’ve seen what he’s done and I am not going to stay in his presence or property. I am sorry but that’s how it’s going to be.”
“Do you not trust my father?”

“No I don’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because of what he did to my family! He uprooted them from their home here in Isadora, ruined their home in France, and killed my twin brother, murdered my parents in front of my eyes and and scared me! Do you really think I want to be in the presence of the man who took everything except my remaining brothers away from me? Do you really want to put me through that?”

“Why would he do that? He respects the Manipulator to the highest degree! Are you really going to believe the that little mutated tiger tells you?’

Sirah’s feral growl ripped through the silence that lingered after Jiho’s words. Jiho’s eyes narrowed at her, a slow smoke emitting from his finger tips before starting into a small flame, a fireball in the palm of his hand.

“Let’s go fur ball.”

Sirah roared, her eyes narrowing as the lake shifted, the water rising from its peaceful state into a stormy black ocean, a figure slowly rising out of it. It was large man with eyes as icy blue as Sirah’s. I stood in front of Sirah, blocking her view of him.

Sirah, calm down, he’s just defensive that I’m not taking a liking to his father.

Of which I remind you killed your parents and your twin, not to mention you both.

I turned my head as if blocking her words, closing my eyes momentarily at her harsh words. I took a deep breath before facing her, narrowing my eyes.

I know what his father did. That doesn’t mean you have to take it out on his so-

My small lecture was cut of with a piercing screech that filled the field, a strong wind forcing me to my knees, Sirah hovering over me. I looked up to see a flying contraption that seemed to be emanating the noise, a man that looked like an older version of Jiho, minus the dreads, in the front seat steering it, Sirah saw him and instantly picked me up by the scruff of my jacket, slinging me onto her back, her hackles raised to attention. That must be Damien.

No wonder Sirah was freaking out.