There was a gentle breeze in the afternoon spring air. It blew through the long hair of a teenage girl, jet black and reaching all the way to her upper thighs.

She stood in front of a small shop, staring up at the name: Anya's Boutique. There were beautiful dresses on display in the windows, and even more inside.

However, her friend wasn't right behind her like she was two seconds ago. With a frown, the teen turned her body around and placed her hands on her hips.

"Come on, Mia. It'll be fun, I promise!"

Around the same age, this girl stood a few feet behind with her arms crossed over her chest. Stubbornly looking away, her fiery red side ponytail flipped.

"Your definition of fun is way different than mine, Scarlett. You know I don't like wearing dresses, they make me feel... weird. What makes you think I wanna go pick one out?"

"Because—" Scarlett rushed in her direction, uncrossing her arms and holding her hands. There was a sort of pleading in her eyes that was just irrefusable. "—you know that the party tonight is formal dress only. And I just have to go, they invited all the models! What's more, I just don't know what I'd do without my plus one there."

Mia sighed, giving her friend a somewhat irritated look. "Yeah, speaking of, you better not abandon me tonight. I'd have no one else to hang out with."

"Of course not! I don't like many of those people anyway, they're all snobby."

"Then why the hell are you going in the first place?"

"Food, drinks, dancing... oh, I can't wait to make you dance."

"I hate you. Like, a lot."

"But I love you! Let's go, I'll help you pick stuff out if you need." The older teen began dragging the redhead by the hand, bringing her into the shop.

¤ ¤

Scarlett's apartment complex wasn't too large. For somebody who earned possibly too much for her age, she lived very modestly.

That was one of the reasons Mia didn't dislike her at first. She wasn't egoistical nor did she brag about her job.

The redhead stood in the bathroom, staring at herself in the mirror above the sink. Her hair was no longer in its ponytail, instead falling down her back up to her waist. The waves were far more noticeable now.

She donned a short green dress with transparent sleeves that stopped at her elbows. The length itself wasn't exactly scanty, ending at her knees. She felt heeled ankle boots were the way to go.

Something didn't really feel right though. It just wasn't her.

"Hmm..."

Mia hurried out into the living room for a moment. She shuffled through her little backpack and found a pair of black leggings along with a t-shirt.

Taking off her boots for a few seconds, she slid on the leggings before putting them back on. Now when she stood up and looked in the mirror, there was a bit of relief.

That felt more like her.

Almost as if on cue, Scarlett yanked open her already ajar door and stepped out. "Okay, how do I look? Wait, aw, you look so cute."

Her attire was far different than her friend's. Her dress was a bit shorter, a black strapless bodycon that nicely hugged her curves. She didn't seem to mind her ample cleavage as she gently tilted her head to the side in order to clasp her black choker on her neck.

Mia blinked. "You look great. For some reason you look kinda different than how you did in the fitting room, though."

"Oh! It's probably the hair." Scarlett pointed to the top of her head, showing that she had grabbed two large strands of hair at the top, tying them back with a smaller tie. "And the shoes. It's been a while since I wore heels like these, so if I fall don't question it."

The redhead glanced down at the black high heels she wore and simply wondered how. Four inch near-stilettos were no joke.

"Right... anyway, are you sure I look okay?" the younger teen asked. "I'm really out of my element here."

"Well, I'm not really a big fan of the leggings if I'm being honest," Scarlett admitted with a small smile. "But I dunno, it looks pretty good on you. Especially if it makes you feel more comfortable."

This did relieve Mia a little. Her friend was kind, but nowhere near a liar.

"Okay, let's go! I don't wanna be too late," she chirped, grabbing her black purse and her phone. Scarlett looked down at the screen. "Our Uber's gonna be here in a bit."

The redhead looked around to see if she forgot anything, simply taking an ivory-colored purse; small, like Scarlett's, enough to carry just her phone.

And maybe a pocket knife. Because you never know.

Scarlett hooked an arm through hers, leading her to the door. "After the party, we can get into our pajamas and watch movies like The Town all night until we fall asleep. I have so many snacks."

Mia smiled as they walked through the door. "Sounds way more fun than this, honestly."

The former locked the apartment door and they walked down the hall toward the elevator. "It probably will be."

¤ ¤

Due to Scarlett's generous tip, the driver felt inclined to at least open the door for the two girls. Scarlett stepped out first and then Mia.

"Thank you, sir," the former acknowledged.

Mia was too focused on the size of the edifice in front of them. "Oh wow..."

It could very well have been over thirty stories tall with shiny walls that resembled mirrors. The inside was completely shielded, though there were a few windows.

Inside was even grander. The floor was spacious with many tables set up with different types of drinks and food on them. Some were things neither Scarlett or Mia had ever even seen before. A bar also stood in the far right.

In the back was a large stage with a podium. Perhaps somebody was going to speak. There was also a fountain in the center of it all, water pouring out of a glass statue of a phoenix.

"You live this life?" the redhead asked her friend ludicrously.

Scarlett's eyes were wide. "Absolutely not. I'm just as shocked as you are. I save my money."

But nevertheless, the two linked arms once again and walked toward the tables. Mia helped herself to some punch, grabbing the large spoon in the bowl and pouring it in a glass.

She felt eyes staring at her. Looking up, she saw multiple people glancing her way.

Her gaze dropped to the ground. For a moment, she regret going out, hair down and everything.

Scarlett noticed her lonesome expression and the failed attempts at hiding her hair. What could she hide it with, anyway? Not her hoodie right now, that's for sure.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"They're all staring at me, Scar... they know I don't belong in a place like this."

"M, what did I tell you?" Her friend placed a hand on her hip, eyebrows furrowed in slight irritation. "Your hair is gorgeous! I mean, you have to see it from my perspective. And all those people that thought you were a freak for it are literally nobodies. Like, I bet they were lanky with brown hair. Not that that's bad, but it's bad when they're rude."

She then smiled softly. "Besides, red hair's a big trend lately. People used to bug you about it a few years ago, but now it's popular. Have you seen how many people dye their hair red? At least you can flaunt how natural it is."

"I mean... I guess." Mia now lifted her head, letting go of her hair. "Well, if you're sure."

"Miss Chen!"

The voice of a middle-aged man made the two teens turn around. He grabbed a hold of the redhead's hand, shaking it with both of his. "My, you look stunning... though I didn't think you'd be the type to combine clothing like that. And your hair, it's grown in the last... two weeks? I've never seen such a thing!"

"Oh, the poor thing," Scarlett muttered with a frown. "He has the wrong person."

Mia snatched her hand away. "Excuse me? My name is Mia Brooklyn. I don't know anyone named Miss Chen."

The former placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling nervously. "Mia, it wouldn't hurt anyone to be a little nicer? He made a mistake."

"Well you shouldn't just grab anyone like that out of nowhere. It's rude."

"Oh, I'm sorry... but you do resemble her quite a bit." The man awkwardly hurried away, just a tad embarrassed at his mistake.

"That means there's somebody else here that has red hair like yours," the older teen observed. "See? You were being stared at because people think you're this Chen lady."

"The resemblance might not be the red hair, Scarlett..."

"M. you don't have a twin. And I know I said all that about your hair being normal but even in this lighting you can see that deep red. Somebody else has to be a redhead here, my love."

"If you say so..."

"Excuse me. If I may have everyone's attention, please."

A woman who seemed to be in her thirties announced her presence through the mic on the podium. The entire room suddenly went silent, the only sound being Scarlett's heels as she adjusted her positioning.

"Thank you." The woman sent the crowd a warm smile. "Before the party continues, it is with honor that I announce a few of the invited guests that have contributed generously to our cause and have them speak a few words."

Soft claps were heard among everyone. Scarlett didn't really know about said contributions, but lightly clapped anyway. Mia simply sipped the juice from her cup, far from amused.

"This shit is stupid," she mumbled.

The older teen gently smacked her upper arm. "Be nice, M."

"For the spoiled rich people? No thanks. They'll be just fine."

The woman continued on with her first introduction. "Our youngest entrepreneur here and possibly ever recognized in Ninjago, far too wise and knowledgeable for her age. Celestia Chen, if you could please join us."

The claps were far louder now, some even whistling. On stage walked a beautiful young woman wearing a long, fitted blue dress that hugged her entire body. A slit in the dress started from her upper thigh and ended at the bottom, leaving her entire right leg exposed. Her shoes were champagne colored, and her cherry red hair was tied up in a bun. Two strands framed her face.

What stood out about her was the fact that she was really young. The teens didn't expect her to look their age when the woman described her as such.

Mia almost spit out her drink as she recognized the name the man accidentally called her by. "That guy confused me for her?"

"Wow. She's, like, stunning." Scarlett blinked as if needing to refocus her vision. "I'm insanely jealous."

"So... dignified."

But Scarlett was right; this girl had red hair, just like hers. Real red. In truth, this actually made her feel a bit better.

"Thank you, everyone." As soon as this Celestia started speaking, the room fell silent once again. There was complete grace and calmness in her voice. "Truly, it was my pleasure..."

An unexpected turn of events took place mere seconds later.

A large flame came flying from above, shooting right toward the crystal clear fountain. On impact, a bit of an explosion sound rang throughout the entire hall. The phoenix momentarily lit up.

Everyone screamed in fear. Some people were already running away toward the nearest exit. Others were actually nice enough to help those around them to said exits.

Believing the culprit was inside the hall, Mia unzipped her purse and pulled out her pocket knife. She knew there'd be a reason to use it.

Scarlett looked around and grabbed her friend's arm. "Come on, let's go... that movie night sounds really good right now."

"Right!" The redhead nodded in agreement. At the same time, the dim lights started flickering on and off at a rapid pace.

As many were heading toward the emergency exit in the back, it may have been much easier to make their way out through the front entrance.

The girls began running as well. They were not going to stay for the rest of the possible ambush.

On the way there, a few women bumped into Scarlett in a hurry. Accidental, but that made the teen lose her balance right in front of the flaming, slowly melting fountain.

With a small gasp, she fell backward. Through the flames her body went and splashed into the water.

"Scarlett!" Mia cried, struggling to get to her through the scurrying people that started to push her toward the exit—seriously, how many guests were there?—and the crazy lights.

Scarlett lifted her head to the surface, coughing before catching her breath. She swiped her bangs out of her face, completely ignoring the fact that her body was touching the fire.

A hand was extended out to her. Thinking it was Mia, she grasped it tightly and was pulled up.

She was surprised to find a more mature appearing redhead staring at her in worry.

"Are you alright?" Celestia questioned, holding her wrist with one hand and her arm with the other to make sure they weren't accidentally separated by the crowd. "Do you have any bad burns?"

"Bad burns?" Scarlett repeated, looking down at herself. "My back kinda stings from falling in the fountain..." But other than that, she felt nothing.

"Come, we must leave!"

Celestia led the teen toward the entrance. Fortunately, Mia was found trying to get back in.

"Scarlett!" she called upon seeing her unscathed, stopping and waiting for her to get there. "You're okay!"

Finally, they reached the doors. It was much less crowded outside, as many had begun to go anywhere but the building.

Scarlett and Mia quickly embraced, thankful for the other's safety. The former then turned to Celestia, who stood next to her with a small smile.

"Thank you. Really," she acknowledged, taking a deep breath.

The woman in blue waved her off. "It truly wasn't a problem. I couldn't just sit there and watch you burn in there. That would be vile."

"Oh." Mia grabbed her arms, fully examining her. "Where are you burned? We'll treat it right away when we get back to your apartment."

But she simply stood there, glancing down at her entire body once again. "I... I didn't get burned. I feel okay."

The redheads glanced at each other, somewhat concerned. Her skin was perfectly smooth, pale; no sign of fire. That was unusual, especially for someone who had been in direct contact with it.

The sound of police cars were heard in the distance. Blue and red lights began flashing at a rapid pace.

Unbeknownst to the three, this was only the beginning of a long and hard coming battle.