“This is so exciting!” Tabitha squealed as they walked through the gates of the local park.

“For you.” Ashley complained. “What a waste of a Friday…” The three were bundled in thicker coats than their usual school-wear, their uniforms and thin sweaters back at their homes. Oak Ridge Park was largely forested, hiding a small river than ran through the property. A few sports fields, a playground, and picnic areas also dotted the area, drawing quite a crowd in the summer. Currently, it was too cold for most people to go for a walk, and the park was almost empty. Ashley, Edwin, and Tabitha walked down a barren path until they reached one of the small picnic area clearings, some distance from the main entrance. Mateo surveyed the area before allowing the kids to rest.

“Well… It looks secluded enough… and we have some room to move around. Seems like your recommendation was better than expected. Good job, Edwin.”

“You missed the most important part!” Edwin motioned to the nearby building as though it was a game show prize. “Bathrooms!”

“That’s cool and all, but show me your transformations!” Tabitha pleaded, pulling her best puppy dog eyes.

“You heard the girl, let’s get started.” Mateo jumped up on a picnic table, and Tabitha followed behind. Ashley grabbed her keychain from her pocket, while Edwin pulled his off of his cell phone.

“Soul Armor, Activate!” Once again, the duo was bathed in light and reappeared as their battle forms. Tabitha gave them frenzied applause.

“You really are magical girls!” She squeaked while bounding over to her friends. “You two are certifiably adorable! Look at how tall you are, Ashley!” She hopped on her tiptoes, trying to bop Ashley on the head.

“Tabitha, I don’t know how to tell you this, but you’re just short. You can’t touch my head normally without jumping.”

Ignoring Ashley, Tabitha drew her attention to Edwin. “Look at all this hair!” She petted his ponytail. “Can I braid it later?”

“Uh….” Edwin looked to Ashley for some form of guidance. Ashley could only snicker in response.

“Enough chatting! Show me your weapons.” Mateo grumbled, and Tabitha pouted as she walked back to her furry friend. Ashley and Edwin spun their staves around, and they formed their weapons once again. Ashley gripped her sword with both hands, shuddering due to a dangerous blade being so close to her face and the sheer weight of the weapon. Edwin attempted to pose with his revolvers pointing at Mateo.

Mateo shook his head. “Where to start… Ruby, that’s a one-handed sword. And Sapphire, I’d like to see you aim with a gun at stomach level.” Tabitha stifled back a laugh.

Ashley attempted to remove her left hand, slowly loosening her grip, and for a moment she balanced the weapon. But mere moments later, her arm gave out, and the sword dropped to the dirt. Meanwhile, Edwin practiced looking down the sight of his revolver.

“I think you two don’t understand how your weapons really work.” Mateo cringed. “Please, just put them away before you hurt yourselves."

“How do we-“ Edwin was interrupted as his guns burst into small particles, melding into his skin.

“You never told us anything about our weapons.” Ashley said as she looked over her arms, her sword disappearing in the same fashion.

“I didn’t?” Mateo tilted his head to the side.

“You left after telling us how to transform." Edwin added.

Clearing his throat, Mateo continued. "Well, your staves are meant to only amplify your natural power. Weapon forms simplify magic so it's easier to understand, by giving you a physical object to manipulate."

"So why can't I pick up my sword?" Ashley interrupted.

"I was getting there! Your sword has no actual weight, as it is a magical projection. However, you can't control even that small amount of magic, so you can't ‘control’ your sword by picking it up. Thus, we'll be starting today's training with something like a spirit pre-test, so I can find your baseline abilities." From beneath the pair's feet, a dim glow seeped through the soil, turning into a brighter magic circle for each of them. "Stay still, you two." Mateo quickly flicked his tail, causing two crystals, each the size of a candle, to appear before the pair. "Now, I want you to focus on these crystals and try to make them glow."

"What's that going to do?" Ashley shifted her weight, placing a hand on her waist.

"I said stay still! Just close your eyes and focus on the crystals." Mateo sighed, and Ashley moved back. Honestly, that fox knew exactly how to get on her nerves. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and imagining the small rock. Ashley envisioned a small light piercing through the stone, bringing warmth to the dark recesses of her mind. It was a warm red glow, pulsating like a heart beat. She found it quite creepy, and tried to keep the glow still, only to find it had taken a life of its own and continued to beat.

“Odd..." Mateo mumbled.

Ashley's eyes burst open, and she saw the crystal floating in front of her face warmly glowing. "What's going on?" she asked Mateo. The small fox was pacing on the picnic table, while Tabitha watched the two intently.

"Well, it seems you should have enough control over your abilities to wield your weapons." Mateo pondered. "So why were you having so much trouble..." he faded off into thought.

"Does that mean we don't have to train today?" Edwin hopefully asked.

"No, it just means I'll have to change my plans. Could you two try holding your weapons again?" The pair was surprised as a ball of light appeared from their hands, bursting into their respective tools. Edwin barely caught his second revolver as it fell to the ground. Ashley was shocked, as she could now easily lift the sword as if it was nothing. Edwin as well noticed his revolvers felt lighter, and more at home in his grip. "This just doesn't add up..." Mateo scratched his chin with his front paw, like an old man stroking his beard.

"I think I get it!" Tabitha hopped up from the picnic table. "See, you never told them how their magic worked. So, when they were left on their own, they had limited control over their weapons. By simply explaining things, you allowed them to grasp the concepts needed to use their magic. By the transitive property, that means the first battle would have been much easier if you had stuck around a little longer."

"That has nothing to do with the transitive property..." Ashley mumbled.

"Well, it seems you two are exceeding my expectations already!" Mateo congratulated the pair, quickly skipping over his failure. "New plan! Today we'll work on basic elemental control. Mastering pure elements will allow you to heighten your combat abilities, and with hard work these magical abilities could even be stronger than physical attacks!" Mateo brought out a match and a small bowl from inside his jacket. "Sapphire, would you kindly fill this bowl with water? And Ruby, please light this match. Oh, and don't touch them. This is a magic training ability, not a smart-ass exercise."

Edwin grumbled, his easy route taken away. He even spotted the stream he could have used! Allowing his revolvers to dissipate, Edwin sat down on the ground, taking up a meditation-style pose. Didn't they usually do magic stuff this way in movies? He took a deep breath, trying to find his inner calm, and threw out both of his hands. Nothing.

Meanwhile, Ashley stood perfectly still, her hands tightly clasped at her chest. Not breaking eye contact with the match, she barely breathed, fearing the movement. Just visualize the flame, and it will appear… if all goes well.

Despite Tabitha's original interest, she quickly grew bored of watching two fools imitate statues. The first ten minutes were fine, and she was on the edge of her seat, waiting to see some real magic. By the half-hour mark, Tabitha was almost snoring. "Can we do something else, Mateo?" she whined, burying her head in her arms.

"You think you've got it tough?" Ashley snapped. "I'm questioning my sanity here! I hallucinated the damn thing burning three separate times!"

"I can't feel my legs..." Edwin added.

"I just want something to catch on fire!" Ashley yelled as she dropped to her knees, face towards the dirt. Sadly, her position caused her to miss the flames pouring from a one-foot radius around the match that appeared after her outburst. She did not miss Edwin's frantic screaming, followed by Tabitha's frantic screaming, followed by Mateo's frantic screaming. She looked up just as a huge blob of water materialized over the fire, causing a huge cloud of steam to rush over the group.

"What am I going to do with all of you..." Mateo grumbled, his fur standing up in wet spikes after being touched by the cloud.