Elementals – Season 1: New Heroes
Freestyle Arc
Morning, 7:30 AM — January 2nd, 2205
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The sunlight came first—thin bars of gold slipping through the gaps in the curtains, cutting across Blaze's face in warm, insistent stripes. He stirred, eyelids fluttering against the brightness, then groaned softly as consciousness dragged him up from sleep.
His room was small but lived-in: posters of tournaments pinned crookedly on one wall, a desk cluttered with half-finished homework. The air smelled faintly of fabric cleaner and something vaguely burnt; probably from yesterday's training session in the backyard.
Blaze sat up slowly, moving with the sluggish weight of someone who'd rather have another hour. A yawn tore through him, jaw cracking audibly.
"Mmnh…"
He rubbed at his face with both palms, trying to scrub the grogginess away, then swung his legs over the side of the bed. His feet touched cool synthetic quartz—temperature-regulated flooring, standard in Solarpunk homes. It helped wake him up a little.
Standing, he padded toward the bathroom attached to his room, movements still slow and automatic.
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Blaze emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel, hair damp from moisture. He rubbed himself down briskly with the towel, then tossed it onto a hook near the door.
His closet stood against the far wall, plain white paneling with magnetic seals. He opened it and reached for the one thing that mattered: his scarf.
Bright red. Knee-length when unworn. Soft synthetic-organic weave that never frayed, never faded.
Blaze lifted it carefully, and draped it around his neck. The moment the fabric settled against him, it activated. Spreading outward in a smooth motion like liquid fire. The cloth rippled across his body, wrapping him completely except for his head. Within seconds, he was fully dressed: red shirt, red pants, red sleeves. All seamless, all one continuous garment generated by the scarf's embedded nano-threads.
He flexed his fingers, rolled his shoulders. Perfect fit. Always was.
Grabbing his backpack from where it slouched against his desk chair, he slung it over one shoulder and headed for the door
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The staircase was narrow, wooden steps creaking faintly under his weight. The walls were lined with framed photos:
Blaze as a kid with his dad, Blaze at his middle school graduation, Blaze standing awkwardly next to his dad at some family gathering. Memories frozen in synthetic glass.
The kitchen was warm. Literally—temperature regulation kept it a few degrees higher than the rest of the house, something his mom insisted on because "a cold kitchen feels wrong." Pale yellow walls, countertops made of recycled composite stone, a small dining table with three chairs. Only two ever got used in a few years.
Solenne stood at the stove, her back to him, wearing a simple green Accessory band around her wrist that had spread into a casual work outfit; blouse and slacks, practical and clean. She was plating food.
"Good morning, Mom," Blaze said, dropping his backpack onto the couch in the adjoining living room with a soft thump.
Solenne glanced over her shoulder, a small smile touching her face. She was older, lines at the corners of her eyes that came from years of working long hours, but her expression was kind. Warm.
"Good morning, sweetheart," she replied, setting a plate down at his spot. "You excited to go to school?"
Blaze pulled out his chair and sat, the wood scraping softly against tile.
"Kinda."
"Hey," Solenne said, turning fully now, one hand on her hip. "You shouldn't do that, y'know." She nodded toward the couch where his bag had landed. "Anyway, here's your breakfast."
She slid the plate in front of him.
English breakfast. Scrambled eggs, baked beans, sausage, toast, and, oh God, bacon.
Blaze's expression flattened.
"…I don't like bacon."
"Doesn't matter," Solenne said breezily, turning back toward the sink. "Eat it fast."
"Man…"
He picked up his fork with a resigned sigh, stabbing halfheartedly at the eggs. Solenne glanced at him again, her tone softening.
"Did you sleep well?"
Blaze answered mid-chew, mouth full of scrambled eggs and toast.
"Yeah."
"Great."
The rest of breakfast passed in comfortable silence—the kind that only exists between people who've shared a thousand mornings just like this one. Blaze ate steadily, if unenthusiastically, working his way through the plate while Solenne moved around the kitchen, prepping her own things for the day.
Finally, Blaze pushed his plate forward, empty except for the bacon he'd smartly avoided. He stood, grabbed his backpack from the couch, and slung it over his shoulder again.
"Not thanks for the breakfast since it's your duty to feed me," he said, grinning slightly as he headed for the door. "Bye!"
"What did you—?"
The door clicked shut behind him before she could finish.
Solenne stood there for a moment, staring at the closed door, one eyebrow raised.
"…That kid."
Then her phone buzzed.
She wiped her hands on a dish towel and pulled the device from her pocket, glancing at the screen. Her boss.
She swiped to answer.
"Yes, boss?"
The voice on the other end was clipped, professional. "Solenne, can you come right now? We need someone who's graduated in Economics."
She straightened slightly, already mentally shifting gears. "Yeah, sure. I'll be there in five minutes, boss."
"Yeah, thanks, Solenne. And hope you and your kid's okay."
A small, genuine smile. "Yeah, we're doing good, boss. Thanks. Anyway, I'll be right there."
"Yeah. Come fast."
The call ended.
Solenne exhaled slowly, pocketed her phone, and turned back to the sink. She started doing the dishes faster now, focused, efficient. Her hands moved through the motions faster, while her mind was steps ahead, preparing for whatever crisis was waiting at the office.
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The polished quartz pathway stretched ahead like a ribbon of crystalline light, its surface gleaming faintly under the morning sun.
Flying cars carved smooth arcs through the air, their sleek bodies glinting chrome and color, propulsion systems emitting low, harmonic thrums.
Below them, land cars hovered mere inches above dedicated lanes, anti-gravity fields rippling the air beneath them like heat waves. The whole city moved in layers: ground level, mid-air, high altitude.
Blaze walked with his hands in his pockets, backpack bouncing lightly against his shoulders with each step. The wind picked up suddenly, cool and fresh, carrying the scent of Lavendar. Thanks to Scent-Pores spread around the City, occasionally releasing the scent of Lavendar.
He closed his eyes.
The breeze hit his face directly; cool, clean, perfect. For a moment, everything else fell away. No thoughts about homework, no pressure. Just the feeling of forward motion and open air.
Relaxed.
𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘥.
He collided with someone, and both of them stumbled forward.
"Oh uh I'm sorry!" Blaze blurted, eyes snapping open as he steadied himself.
The person he'd bumped into barely reacted. Aqua stood there, expression unbothered, one hand casually adjusting his sky-blue scarf while his backpack floated beside him; held aloft by a tendril of liquid that extended from his forearm like a translucent arm. His actual hands rested lazily at his sides.
Aqua blinked slowly, his gaze drifting from Blaze to the path ahead, then back again.
"Why do you walk so fast?" he asked, tone flat.
Blaze straightened, brushing off his scarf. "Why do you walk so slow?"
"Because it feels better to walk steadily." Aqua resumed walking, his pace unhurried. "Feels like just flowing with fate."
Blaze fell into step beside him, tilting his head. "…Why do you use so many philosophical lines?"
Aqua didn't answer. He just kept walking, the liquid tendril swaying gently as it carried his bag.
They moved together in silence for a few steps, the sounds of the city filling the gaps: distant engine hums, footsteps on quartz, the occasional shout of greeting from other students heading toward the school.
Blaze glanced at Aqua. "Man. Bad how we all couldn't celebrate New Year together, right?"
"I guess."
"You're always so disinterested and lazy."
"Cool." Aqua's expression didn't change. "I like being lazy. False interest isn't great at all, anyway."
Blaze frowned slightly. "You could still participate more. And you don't even train that much."
"I train just fine," Aqua replied evenly. "You just train too much."
"I don't. I'm not even that strong."
"Doesn't mean you don't train too much." Aqua yawned, covering his mouth with one hand. "Now shut up. I'm still half-asleep."
Blaze sighed, shaking his head. "You're the opposite of Vento."
Aqua's lips twitched—almost a smile. 𝘕𝘪𝘤𝘦, he thought.
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Solarpunk National High rose ahead of them like something out of a dream.
The campus sprawled across acres of land, a seamless blend of nature and architecture. Buildings rose in curves, their walls made of solar-glass panels, absorbing sunlight even as they reflected the world around them.
Elevated bridges connected the structures, arcing gracefully through the air like veins of light. Greenery spilled from rooftop gardens, small vines trailing down walls, trees planted in courtyards that glowed softly with bioluminescent moss.
And at the heart of it all: The Cherry Blossom Park, visible even from the entrance, its luminescent trees glowing faintly pink in the morning light.
Students poured through the main gates in clusters, a chaotic mix of movement and energy. Some walked normally. Others floated a few feet off the ground, levitating lazily with telekinetic powers.
A few teleported in bursts of light, reappearing closer to the doors with grins on their faces. Two students near the fountain were play-fighting, fists wreathed in harmless sparks as they threw exaggerated punches at each other, laughing.
Blaze and Aqua kept walking, weaving through the crowd.
Then—
𝘞𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘩.
A sudden gust of wind slammed into them from behind, strong enough to make them stumble forward several steps, arms flailing for balance.
"Whoa—!" Blaze caught himself, whipping around.
Aqua just sighed.
Vento landed a few feet behind them, arms crossed, light-gray scarf billowing dramatically around him despite the fact that the wind had already stopped. He struck a pose—chin lifted, one hand on his hip, the other pointing skyward.
"The King of the Skies is here, simpletons."
Blaze grinned. "Hey, Girl-Chaser."
Vento's pose shattered instantly. "I don't chase girls! 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 chase 𝘮𝘦."
Aqua turned slowly, expression as dead as ever. "You're living in your own world."
"What did you say?!"
𝘉𝘰𝘯𝘬.
A hand came down lightly on Vento's head, just enough to interrupt. Vento yelped and spun around.
Terra stood behind him, grinning, his green headband catching the sunlight. His wristbands and anklebands gleamed faintly as he retracted his hand.
"Shut up, Airidiot."
Blaze blinked. "You mean Air Idiot?"
"No," Terra said plainly. "I just made a special word for my special Chaos Friend."
Vento puffed his chest out. "I'm chaos incarnate."
Blaze stared at him. "…"
Aqua's deadpan voice cut through. "You're living in your own world."
"You're so boring, Aqua!" Vento jabbed a finger toward him. "Using the same words again and again."
Terra patted Vento's shoulder. "Maybe he's just relaxed, unlike you."
Blaze rubbed the back of his head, glancing toward the school entrance. "Guys, let's just go to class."
Terra nodded. "He's right. Come on."
Vento opened his mouth to argue, then closed it, scowling. "Fine. But only because I decided to."
Aqua's liquid tendril shifted, adjusting his bag as he started walking again without a word.
School was waiting.
Or maybe Volt and Oscuro, since they're always so early.