'Alright Smokey you can do this! For the Midnight people.' Smokey thought.

Smokey rushed at the group of trainers. They were bigger, older, and more expirienced than she. At the age of thirteen, Smokey should have only been starting her training, not trying to pass the Final Examination.

"they're thinking it too' Smokey thought as she stared into the eyes of the twelve men and women as they tensed readying themselves for her attack. 'i can see it in their eyes. They don't think i can beat them, they think I'm a child!'

Anger boiled in Smokey's veins, and a roar ripped freom her throat as she charged into the crowd of trainers. Raising her wooden blade above the man in front of her, she spun left, catching the woman there in the stomach, knocking the breath from her, and then jumped up, spun in the air adn kicked the man in the chest. Kicking off from his chest Smokey backflipped over the man who had tried sneaking up as she was preoccupied, she landed behind him and brought the wooden blade down on his head, knowcking him out.

Smokey quickly disabled the other nine trainers, and her anger dissapated and was replaced by smugness.

Smokey shouted for all those who were still conciouse to hear, "remember my name, teh name of Smokey! For you have just been beaten by your future Captain!"

Meanwhile not that far away, but in a world all their own, the SHadown cheered on Mattey. Lee, Captain of the Shadows, beckoned to Mattey.

"Come young one," Lee told her. SHe did as commanded, though Lee was only 26, he was wise beyond his years, and Mattey, only thirteen, looked up to him not only as a mentor, but as an elder. "Mattey. You have compoleted your training, with excellent marks from all your teachers. We are gathered here to swear you into Captaincy upon my death." He paused, Mattey nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"Mattey, do you swear, upon Witch's Curse, to take my place when i shall pass?"

Mattey did not hesitate in replyingh "Yes." After her answer was spoken, whispy blue clouds swirled around her, lazily.

Mattey had been training for Captaincy since she was six, and now all her hard work, dedication, and dreams were about to come true.

"Do you Mattey, swear upon Witch's Curse, to do whatever it taked to lead teh Shadow's to victory, and sacrafice your life before betraying Destiny, once you are Capatain?"

"Yes." More bblue whisps, darker this time, emmited from her, and curved about her body. Mattey could feel the bond of WItch's Curse purging her, binding her to her word.

"Then Mattey, I pronounce that upon my death, your to be the Shadow's Captain." He took her hand in his and kissed it, than bowed low to teh floor before shouting, "Hail Princess Mattey!" A loud cheer rose through the Shadows.


***
Mika held out her hand, a flame dancing in her palm. Solemnly, SMokey raised her hand, fingers splayed. She put her fingers in teh flame and when it did not burn her she smiled.

"I did it, MIka! I did- Aag!" Smokey screamed and pulled her hand out of the fire. Her skin was blistered and charred on her fingertips.

Mika shouted in frustration. "Dam.n it! Smokey. You've been training all your life! Why can't you contol your powers? Every time the fire's burnt you, which means you havn't gotten control over the powers you inherited from Witch! Dam.n it!'

Smokey had backed against the wall of the room Mika had trained her in since she was a toddler. Now she held her burnt hand against her chest and bowed her head. "I'm sorry Mia, i'll-"

"You'll leave! NOW! get out of my sight!"

Smokey nodded and ran from teh room. As hse ran out of the training grounds she fought back tears. She didn't care about the pain in her hand, she only cared, and scolded herself, for dissapointing Mika. 'I will get control over the POwers Of The Flame, or i'll die trying' Mattey thought as she reached the Medic Center.

Just as she came to teh door five if the men she had battled and defeated earlier that afternon walked out the doors.

Upon seeing her, and her blistered hand, they began to laugh.

"Ths is out future Catain!" One of the men snorted.

Smokey growled and shot a fireball out of her burnt hand. Smokey and the man's scream of pain came at the same time. teh fireball had hit the man's shoulder and had burned the blisters on Smokeys palm leaving a bloody and black circle.

"Whats going on out here?" The MEdic, Ella, ran out of the building and took in the scene before her. "Oh, what have you two done?" Ella ordered Smokey and the man, who was named Leo, to stand and walk into the MEdic.

As they walked into a Healing Room, one of Ella's many apprentices ran up to them. "No Peter. I'll take care of these two."

Peter left adn Ella turned to glare at the wounded. Smokey gulped. The Medic had been scolding Smokey for as long as she could remember, and if she was really mad than SMokey was in deep trouble. No one would stop the old lady if Ella decided to beat Smokey for her stupidity, and she would definetly not stop the old lady from hitting her either.

"I'd expect senseless brawling from other twelve year olds but, Smokey, I-"

"Um, i'm thirteen, Ella," Smokey said meekly.

"What was that?"

"I, uh, i'm thirteen."

"ARe you correcting me!"

"NO! i was just uh, informing you?"

Ella's lips twitched at SMokey's questionalble save. "As i was aying. Smokey, you know better than to fight against a fellow Midnight citizen. I htought you took teh Oath of Honor and LOyality?" She gave Smokey a stern look. " I htought you'd take such an oath serioulsy... and Queen Mika told you not to use your powers until you coudl contol them."

Ella finsished bandaging Somkey's plam. leaving her free to escape but she stayed put, anxious as Ella turned to the smirking Leo.

"As for you! Your'e 23, yet you were beat by this girl of THIRTEEN> I don't think you should be doubting her in her quest of becoming our next Captain." Ella said nothing more as she cut the cloth from Leo's burned shoulder.

Smokey left then, slipping down from her chair silently. 'Thank you Ella."


***