Hi guys! So, I did well in New Plymouth, got a 53rd, but if you minus all the Aussies that beat me I probably would have gotten 30th or something.... Anyways! Just so you know, I am basing the main characters off real people, like Flameheart is based off me, but she is way cooler and prettier. Kennaspark is based off my best friend/sister Maria. @RiaRia27 is writing a book that also has the name Kennaspark in it - we came up with the name together. Now she is obsessed with it. The other girl Apprentices are based off my old friends from primary, when I was in year 5, and Reddust is off my boyfriend who is now my exboyfriend. he was my boyfriend when i firsy wrote this chapter, a long long time ago. Ok, so you probably don't want to hear me rambling on and on, so I've just got one request - I kinda want a nickname to call my readers, but I am stumped. So, if you could all give me ideas and I will choose the three I like best and I'll put them in the next chapter, and you guys can vote on your favourites. Preferably something to do with horses or candy (I've got a major sweettooth) but it really doesn't matter. Oh, and I didn't reach my 5 votes! :( So I'll try again: 5 votes if you want the next chapter. Thanks!

That's enough of me - onto the story!

Everyone froze for a split second, before it erupted into chaos. Alarms were ringing and the air was filled with the sounds of Guarders shouting and the clash of steel on steel. Flameheart glanced in panic at Kennaspark and the others, but they were all in the same state of terror and worry as she was.

"What do we do?" Oceanfrost whispered. "We're not trained properly, none of us can take on a Night Rider."

Kennaspark took charge. "Hide." She said firmly. "We have to hide. If anyone you don't recognise comes for you, run. Only fight if you have absolutely no choice. Keep you weapons at the ready." She drew her sword and quietly crept off. Flameheart followed her, and noticed out of the corner of her eye that Willowheart had faded into the background, so that she was barely visible to the naked eye.

Kennaspark led them to a secluded room. She waved everyone in. Flameheart was trembling in fear. She had only just arrived at Camp, and her life was already at risk. A thought struck her.

"Where are the Companions?" she whispered at Kennaspark.

Kennaspark shrugged. "They're probably protecting the foals. Besides, they wouldn't be able to help us in here."

Kennaspark suddenly clamped her mouth shut and stiffened.

Flameheart fell silent and listened intently. She could hear the faint sound of footsteps, slowly coming closer to where she and the other Apprentices were.

"Run!" Breezestorm whispered/yelled and they all took off in the opposite direction.

The footsteps grew louder as they started to chase after them. Flameheart could now hear several other pairs overlaying the footsteps.

The Apprentices skidded to a stop as they reached an intersection. Flameheart spun around, trying to choose which way to run, when they were suddenly surrounded.

Human figures shrouded in black capes and armour appeared and completely encircled the young Guarders.

Flameheart's heart was pounding in terror. She instinctively knew who these mysterious cloaked shapes were.

Night Riders.

One of them stepped forward. "So, what do we have here, hmm? Seems like new prey." He hissed.

The other Riders hissed out inhuman sounds, as if agreeing with the Rider. There were around 25 Riders in total. Too many to fight even if Flameheart and her friends had been fully-fledged Guarders.

The Night Rider's gaze landed on Flameheart. She swallowed dryly.

"So, you are the one he wants. I can't imagine why, as if a scrawny mortal like you could pose any threat to him." He chuckled.

A ripple of evil laughter ran around the circle of Riders.

A wave of fury rose up in Flameheart when she heard the word 'mortal'.

"I am a Guarder." She growled.

The Rider snorted. "What, and you've only be here for about three hours and you're already calling yourself a Guarder? Too bad you won't live past tonight. But if you surrender peaccefully, we'll let your friends go."

Flameheart hesitated. She didn't want to die, but if it meant letting her new friends live... The decision was made for her.

Kennaspark stepped forward protectively in front of Flameheart. "If you're going to kill Flameheart, you have to go through us to."

Oceanfrost, Breezestorm and Willowheart nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, Guarders don't abandon each other to cowards and traitors." Breezestorm declared.

"As you wish." The Night Rider hissed. "Kill them."

The other Riders sprung forwards, and the Apprentices immediately leapt into action.

Flameheart drew her sword and parried a sidecut that one of the Riders aimed for her. The sword felt natural and right in her hand.

The Rider came at her again, this time thrusting with his sword. Flameheart side stepped it and slammed to pommel of her sword into his temple. The Night Rider crumpled to the ground, unconcious.

"Flameheart!" Kennaspark called. "Stay behind us, at least we know a few fighting skills. You're going to get yourself killed!"

Flameheart shook her head and grinned. "I don't think me not knowing how to fight is the problem."

Kennaspark threw her a puzzled look, but at that moment, two more Night Riders came after Flameheart.

She spun to face them, and started to fight. Everything was a blur. She instinctively knew what was going to happen, and her sword was there at just the right moment. She remembered how she felt when she had that skirmish with Courtney. Stars, it felt like a million years ago. But the same thing had happened then. She automatically knew what was going to happen, and what to do. Flameheart flicked aside one Rider's knife, and stabbed him in the shoulder. He screamed and fell to the ground in agony. The remaining Rider tried to slice her in half, but Flameheart slipped out of the way at the last moment and kicked him in the back. The Rider stumbled, and fell onto the ground, accidently stabbing himself in the side with his knife. Woops.

Flameheart turned to where Kennaspark and the girls were finishing off the rest of the Riders.

She watched as Oceanfrost knocked out one Rider, then impaled the other in the throat with her trident. Willowheart was beating three Riders black and blue with her greenwood staff, and Breezestorm, well Breezestorm lived up to her name. Flameheart couldn't even see her. All that was visible was a moving blur that was spinning around everybody and snapping off arrows at the Riders. In a matter of seconds, two Riders were lying on the ground, groaing in pain with arrows sticking out of them in various places. Three other Riders were on the floor not making a noise, silver shafted arrows in their throats, chest or stomach.

There were still seven Riders left. Flameheart's gaze flitted over to Kennaspark, who was fighting desperately for her life against six Night Riders.

Her eyes narrowed. Where was the seventh one?

She spotted him sneaking up on Kennaspark. It was the leader of the group, the one who had been talking before. His sword was poised, ready to sink it into Kennaspark's back.

"KENNASPARK!" Flameheart and the others shouted.

Kennaspark turned and parried the sword. But she was still out numbered, and tripped, falling to the ground. She looked up at the Rider, fear in her eyes as the Night Rider grinned in triumph. Flameheart and the Apprentices started running towards their friend, but Flameheart knew that they woudn't make it in time.

That made her angry. Kennaspark had welcomed her, made her feel safe like no one ever had. She was not going to let Kennaspark die, when she could have prevented it.

Flameheart flung out her hand and focused on her anger. She didn't know how to control her powers, but she had to try. It was her that the Night Riders had wanted, after all.

"No." She whispered.

She imagined flames coming and absorbing the Riders, making them pay.

Flameheart squeezed her eyes shut and released her fury.

Flames erupted from her hand and wrapped around the Rider. He screamed in surprise and pain, as the fire burned through his armour.

Flameheart snapped her eyes open and flicked the inside of her wrist upwards. Flames shot up from the floor and devoured the Night Riders.

When the screaming of the Riders had stopped, Flameheart closed her fist and the fire immediately died down.

She glanced up and saw all five Guarder Apprentices staring at her in shock.

"How - how in the name of the Four Royal Stars did you do that?" Kennaspark exclaimed.

Flameheart shrugged. "I don't know." She admitted. "That Night Rider was going to kill you, and you guys were the first people to actually treat me nicely for a while. You didn't know me, but you welcomed me. I thought it would be a pretty poor thankyou if I just stood by and watch him kill you."

Kennaspark gave a small smile. "Well, I'm glad you did, but you've never touched a sword before, nor even seen a Fire Guarder in action, yet you defeated three Night Riders and controlled that fire perfectly. How?"

Flameheart glanced at where the Riders had been. All that was left were piles of charred ashes.

"No idea. When the first Rider came at me, I instinctively knew what to do. I didn't even think. It was like I had been using that sword all my life. And the same with the fire. I just knew what to do."

The Apprentices glanced at each other, then back at Flameheart.

"Well, I think we just discovered one of your Talents." Oceanfrost informed her.

"Talents?" Flameheart asked puzzled.

"Each Guarder has at least two speacial skills, called Talents. You can have more than two of course, but that's rare. There are all different types of talents. I can fade into the background, so I'm pretty much invisible. You can move so fast that all you can see is a blur, like Breezestorm. You can be super strong, like you could break someones back as easily as a twig. You can cast spells, read minds, cast illusions, flash on something's past, see the future, see what's happening far away, and many more. One of yours seems to be that you can pick up anything and automatically know how to use it in a fight. You also have some primary control over your powers. That is a very rare Talent ot have, but it is an extremely useful one." Willowheart explained.

Flameheart was astonished. "Wow. That is scary, but cool at the same time."

Kennaspark nodded in agreement. "It is. But it also means that you are very powerful, and if you're not careful, you could kill yourself and us."

Flameheart gulped. "Uhh... I won't lose control then."

Kennaspark smiled wryly. "You'll try not to. But it's hard. Everyone here has lost control of their powers at one time or another. It's natural, don't worry."

Flameheart smiled tentatively back. Oceanfrost clapped her hand onto Flameheart's shoulder.

"Now come on. The senior Guarders will be wondering where we are."

They made their way out of the room they had taken refuge in, not that it had helped hide them though, and jogged to the main courtyard.

When they finally appeared, sighs of relief could be heard all around.

"Thank the stars! Where were you guys?" A young Water Apprentice rushed up to us, his eyes a dark blue with worry.

"Calm down Snowrush. Everything's fine, thanks to Flameheart here." Oceanfrost gestured to Flameheart.

Snowrush inspected her. Flameheart noted that he had the same bright blond hair and peircing blue eyes as Oceanfrost. This must be her brother.

Snowrush folded his arms. "And what exactly did you do?" he asked icily. Flameheart got the feeling that Snowrush didn't like her very much, though she had absolutely know idea why.

Kennaspark answered him. "Flameheart saved our lives." She said quietly.

Everyone in the courtyard froze. "How?" Lightningstar asked finally.

Kennaspark started telling the story, starting from when they heard the alarm call to when Flameheart released the flames., but she missed out the part about what the Night Rider had said - something about 'he' wanting Flamheart to be dead.

Lightningstar narrowed her eyes. "Well, you're obviously very powerful. You will need to be careful, Flameheart. You're lucky that your Talent gives you some instinctive control over your powers, or you could've made things worse."

Flameheart gulped and nodded.

"However," Lightningstar continued. "Kennaspark is right. You saved her life, your friends and yours today. From this moment, you will be training with Reddust. He will be able to help you master your powers and skills, and find out what your other Talent is, and if you have anymore. Meet him at the entrance to Regulus Hall at the tenth hour tomorrow."

Flameheart nodded again. She noticed that Fireflame was standing in the corner, and when the crowd of Guarders dispersed she made her way over to him, with the others trailing her.

:|Are you okay, my Chosen?|:

Flameheart nodded. "Yes, Flame. I'm absolutely fine. Really, I am. I'm just wondering how they got past the enchantments."

:|I don't think that anyone knows except for the Riders themselves. All of the senior Companions are utterly perplexed. That includes Lightningstar and her Keepers.|:

Flame snorted and nuzzled her, as she absent mindedly scratched his forehead, as she thought randomly about the matter, until something else struck her mind.

"So Kennaspark, how come you didn't mention what the Night Rider said to Lightningstar?" She questioned.

Kennaspark sighed.

"Flameheart, obviously a very important Night Rider wants you dead, and the only person I can think of is the Dark Leader, Nightstar. He is the leader of the Night Riders, and his son is Darkmoon, the successor. If Nightstar wants you out of the way, then he thinks you're a threat. If you're powerful enough to be a threat to Nightstar, who can only be killed by Lightningstar, then you would be able to destroy the Element Guarders.

"Flameheart, from now on, you must be very, very, very careful."