A purple vortex unsealed itself in the sky. It went unnoticed by the rest of the world, considering it's small size and the serene environment amongst the ground. Then a white figure was shot out of the hole, as if it was anxious to dispel him.

Solar groaned, nearly plummeting to the ground in the process. Suffering from a killer migraine, he rubbed his head and glanced at the scenery ahead of him.

He frowned.

Looking around, he disappeared in a lucid of golden sparks.

* * *

"And contestant Angin wins the semi-finals!" the commentator declared enthusiastically, the stadium lights dancing around the dark stadium. Fans cheered, all waving banners featuring Angin's face and the occasional squeal-then-pass out sort of shenanigans.

Daun leapt up and down on her seat. Her brother had finally accomplished his goal. One more round and he would be the new breakdancing champion. As much as they were plagued with guilt of stealing Petir's spot... they decided they would do this for her.

Api fistbumped the air. "Finally! This guy's finally done it!"

Air yawned among the chaos, but she was smiling. She couldn't deny that the wind manipulator had worked hard for this. She believed him that his hard work would pay off, especially when he trained for three years to forget whatever happened.

Her smile vanished.

Three years.

It's been that long, hasn't it? It's been three years since they had defeated Bora-ra, with what cost? Petir's in a coma. Cahaya was dead. All they accomplished was banish him into a black hole, with KikiTa and Yoyo-Oo on the loose. They can't find them, even after searching for a year.

They gave up, assuming they had perished during the explosion as well. They didn't show up at all.

Her grip on her arm tightened.

Tanah's gone as well...

She was the only one left to take charge. She had to be there for them. She was the only emotional pillar of support they had left.

Stay strong, Air.

They need you.

* * *

"I can't believe I won!" Angin trumpeted as they poured in the car. Api used his elbow to shut the car trunk after Angin dumped his supplies into the latter.

Sliding into the driver's seat, Air sighed as she glanced at her brother and Angin screaming at each other at the backseat. Daun was sitting next to her, sliding on her phone screen.

She sighed deeply once more. Turning up the car, she drove them to the café that they were going to celebrate.

"I've made it past the preliminaries and the eliminating rounds but I still can't believe it!" Angin shrieked.

"You fucking did it, man!" Api fistbumped him.

"Language," Air scorched impatiently.

The car was stuck in a traffic jam, which did not ease Air's nerves. The old her would fall asleep waiting, but now she was more irritated than ever. The two idiots that were behind her didn't solve matters. Oh, how she wished for a distraction that would divert her attention from this mess.

Boom!

Their heads snapped towards the source of the explosion. Well, Air's wish came true, but not in the way that she had intended it to be. A phone store across the road was being robbed, but the alarms weren't going off. The sprinklers weren't activating either, which caused the fire to be spreading fast.

"Duty calls," Api said. He was about to jump out the car, but Air locked the car door before he had the chance.

Air glared. "What are you gonna do? You can't make those fires go out."

"I can try," Angin offered.

"I'll go," Air volunteered. "My powers are the best in this situation. Daun, take the wheel."

"Hey!" Api protested before she hopped out. "Why not me?"

"I don't trust you with anything that has four wheels and an engine."

"Fair enough!" Api groaned.

Air's body was enveloped in a white glow. Walking out the car after everyone else had evacuated, she rushed towards the scene. It was deserted, and all the devices inside had been robbed. There was nothing she can do about the robbery, but she can control the fires and damage.

Focusing, two nearby hydraulic pumps answered her call. They burst in a geyser of ice and water, under Ais's control. They lunged at the uncontrolled fires, putting them out effectively. Ice blue eyes catching movement at the back of the store, she caught hostile movement and dodged before an energy bullet took her head.

Lurching for her, a bow materialized in her hand. She could hear footsteps echoing amongst the sizzling electricity, and her guard was raised. She nocked an arrow, ready to bust this criminal back to jail.

"AI, scan for targets," said a female voice.

"Affirmative," replied another. Beeping. "Single hostility located. Uploading evasive and offence maneuvers."

Ais cursed under her breath. If Tanah was still here, he would wash her mouth out with soap accompanied with a side of bleach. Her back was pressed against the wall. Her breath turned to mist. This was not going to be pretty.

Other than that, she knew those voices. She knew whoever owned those godforsaken vocal chords.

"Found you!" A green face erupted in her vision. Startled, Ais misfired her arrow onto a car outside, turning it into a carsicle. Fortunately there was no one inside, or the driver would suffer from hypothermia.

Ais rolled aside as KikiTa fired her guns. She wasn't dead. Of course she wasn't dead. Rolling to a stop, she stood her ground as she nocked more arrows in her bow.

"How are you not dead?" Ais demanded.

KikiTa smirked cruelly. She cocked both her guns, one directed at Ais's head and the other at her heart.

"You weren't powerful enough, that's what," she snarked. "You will pay for what you've done to Bora-ra."

Frost accumulated on Ais's face. This was bad. Really bad. If KikiTa was any better than she was three years ago, she wouldn't stand a chance. At least alone. She'd seen her skill at the swordfighting tournament against Petir. She had wounded her, but she was bested.

She didn't want to testify her limits.

"Why are you robbing a mobile store?" Ais quizzed.

"None of your business," KikiTa snapped. "You've seen me, and I can't afford to let you live. Say goodbye, you foolish elemental!"

She fired her guns, which Ais parried with her arrows. The arrows exploded into ice shards, which created mini glaciers wherever they landed. Sliding towards the ice manipulator, KikiTa managed to knock Ais off her feet and fall hard on her back.

KikiTa was quick to recover. Ais was not. She planted her foot on her stomach, holding the gun to her forehead.

Ais's breathing fastened. This wasn't over. Eyes glowing bright blue, ice spikes erupted on the ground beside her, all targeting the alien. The spikes continued to pursue KikiTa, backing her into the corner of the shop. Spikes rose from the ground around her, trapping the villain in an ice cage.

"You're beaten." Ice aimed her arrow at her. She could see that she was weakening due to the cold.

KikiTa managed a smug grin. "I'm not as incompetent as you are." She cackled. "AI! Now!"

The ceiling exploded, destroying the ice and frost that kept her trapped. Ais shielded her face out of instinct. When she opened her eyes, KikiTa was gone.

* * *

"What happened to you?" Api scanned Air's condition up and down. "Did the building explode? We heard it."

"No," Air breathed. Daun had parked the car in a parking lot near a mall. "KikiTa's alive."

The three exchanged grim looks. They knew this wasn't a joke. Air didn't kid around. If that wasn't enough evidence, her expression said it all. She didn't show expressions brazenly, but this was different. She looked like she was in denial.

Everything was returning to the way it had been. Everything they did was unravelling, but without Bora-ra, Cahaya, Petir or Tanah. If she was out there, she was planning something. This time, they were on their own to stop it.

"Maybe she's just a regular thief now?" Angin chuckled nervously. "Aw, man, the tournament's next week. I don't want to deal with this all over again."

"We won't," Air promised. "We'll figure this out sooner or later. For now, we have to relax and be ready for whatever she throws at us."

"What if I lose you guys as well?"

Everyone turned to the youngest elemental in the car. Daun looked like she was fourteen all over again—afraid, timid and scared for their well-beings.

Air and Api exchanged glances.

"You won't," Api promised. "We're much stronger now! You don't have to worry!"

Daun nodded listlessly, but she managed a faint smile.

God help us, Air prayed.