The moment our hands touched, the blue light of our surroundings became harsher. I had to close my eyes when it began to hurt me. The sensation of her hand in mine slowly faded and once the light stopped, I opened my eyes again. I was again within the darkness. The clouds and the blue light were gone, much like the air core version of myself. However, things were different. The darkness, which had been simply just that, now felt more threatening. My stomach fluttered and a shiver ran over my spine. For a second I thought I saw something in the corner of my eye. I turned quickly to it, extending my arm as if protecting myself. My sparks lit up and I heard how air rushed out from my movement. My heart had picked up the pace, much like my breathing. However, nothing was there. It was just my mind playing tricks on me. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. It didn't really worked, as my eyes strained against the darkness in an attempt to see through it.

I gritted my teeth. I hadn't thought this would happen. I'd hoped to travel as two separate beings. Now air's fears were playing with me. And while it was incredibly interesting that this happened only after she'd been convinced to continue, it certainly made the trip a lot more complicated. I swallowed the formed bile away and straightened my back. I couldn't go back, even if I wanted to. Air's place had disappeared and we had to go on if we would ever get back home. The only thing I dreaded was probably running into my potentials.

The moment I felt my heart rate settling down a bit, the same rumbling voice of before echoed.

"So reasoning is one of your skills."

This time I reacted with a loud and high-pitched yelp. I jumped into the air, feeling the current picking me up and keeping me lifted from the ground. A deep chuckle followed. I desperately tried to pinpoint the location of the voice, but as the chuckle died down, so did any indication of it. Still that didn't soothe me. My heart was in my throat and tears pricked in the corners of my eyes. I shouldn't have convinced my air self. This all suddenly seemed like a really bad idea. My breath hitched and my shoulders shot up to my ears. My throat ached and my stomach turned, all the while my breathing became more and more shallow. The thought of passing out occurred to me. I couldn't pass out here. No one would find me. What would happen with my real body if I did? The thoughts weren't necessarily helping me in calming down, but they did help me focus. I couldn't succumb now. I had to continue. I had to get out.

My air magic dropped me to the ground and I forced myself to walk. It at least helped me to get a grip on my breathing. Slowly my shoulders unclenched and my heartrate went down. I even realized that this time, the walk was a lot more interesting. When I wasn't needlessly scaring myself with self-made phantoms and monsters and running to escape them, I'd be thinking about what my potentials would be like. In between the hundred scenarios I was thinking of, I would sing or hum out loud. If only to calm some of my nerves. When I'd run out of lyrics, I'd just go back to thinking on my scenarios, sometimes muttering them out loud, if only to hear something aside my own breathing. Somewhere along the line I noticed that my thoughts were far more focussed than they'd been when we'd been two separate beings. Or at least, the thoughts of air had become far more focussed. We still had the habit of jumping from one point to another, ending somewhere so completely different without remembering what we'd been thinking in the first place, but that first thought would return far sooner than before.

"Who's there?"

I stopped with going over the different things I could probably do with my designated cores and potentials. In fact, I'd nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard the voice. A yelp left me, which I tried to cover in a cough. The pitch and timbre were familiar. I was meeting my first potential.

"Don't worry!" I shouted back, hurrying my step. "It's just u..me!"

"Who is me?"

Again light began to filter in, this time as a plethora of colour. The lights came from gems, large and small ones. Some were embedded in the ground, walls or ceiling, while others jutted from the ground like large stalagmites. There were several plateaus jutting out, blocking the path into the darkness. Standing on top of one of the higher ones, was another version of me. This time she didn't look that different. There were several small gems interwoven in her hair from what I could see at this distance. Her brow was knitted together and her nose slightly lifted as she watched me come closer. Her eyes widened a tad and a frown formed on her face. She pursed her lips together.

"Who are you?" she said again, though this time her voice sounded more hesitant.

"You. Us. Zephyra, or better said, a part of her," I replied as confidently as before.

I watched how she slowly got closer. The plateau she stood on started to lower itself until it reached the ground floor. It definitely proved my thoughts about us being split into cores and potentials. Earth slowly approached until she and I were a few metres apart. There she stood with crossed arms while still looking down at me. I could now see that her blouse and skirt were smudged with dirt. I tried a smile, one a lot less dazzling than when it had been done by my air core. It only made her raise her eyebrow even more.

"You're telling me you are a part of me?" she said.

I shrugged. "Or you a part of me, but I discussed that already with the air core. In short, I think that the Ritual split us and I'm trying to make my way to the end of this cave."

She pursed her lips. "Do I really sound like that to other people?" There was a note of judgement in her question.

I looked surprised at her. I hadn't necessarily taken note of how I sounded. I hadn't recognized it the first time, but because of her I realized we indeed sounded differently than I'd thought before. The look on her face told me she didn't particularly like it.

"Is that bad?" I asked.

She looked incredulous at me. She slowly circled me, taking me in. She spoke up and it was again with a clear contempt in her voice.

"If you're supposed to be me," she said, clearly ignoring my attempts at correcting her. "Why are you sparking? And I'm certain I'm taller. And why is your hair so chaotic?"

My hand ran through my hair, which I now realized was indeed a lot more chaotic than it had been before meeting Air. The only logical conclusion I had was that it happened when we merged. I hugged my arms in response to her piercing gaze. My earth potential was incredibly nit-picky if I said so myself.

"As I said, I'm a part of her just like you are," I tried. "I'm her magic cores, lightning and air - I sparked for good measure and made a small breeze go in her direction - and I hate to break it to you, but we aren't that tall."

Her eyes narrowed for a moment. She took me in and for a moment there was silence. I began to feel uncomfortable, fidgeting with the hem of my skirt. I tried to straighten my shoulders when I saw her raise an eyebrow. The silence continued and I wished she too had the habit of speaking her thoughts. Right now the only thing I could read was the judgemental gaze she gave me. Whether that was a good one of not, was up for debate. Finally she showed her thoughts in the form of a firm nod. A platform raised behind her and she sat down without looking back when it came to the right height. It rose a little higher. She crossed her legs and placed an arm on them, before leaning her head on her hand.

"Well then. Nice to meet you. I don't think I need to introduce myself. Make yourself comfortable."

She waved her hand lazily. The ground shook again, this time lifting a smaller platform for me. I frowned at it as it came to halt at sitting height. I then looked at her.

"You can do this without a circle?" I asked. I'd at least expected her to. After all, she was a potential. Earth didn't have nearly the power air - and technically lightning - would have.

There was an obvious smug grin playing on her lips. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and looked sideways at me.

"Why yes. Is it surprising?"

I felt the urge to explain to her why it was. I then realized how much it had overwhelmed me when Air had done it to me. Somehow, Earth didn't strike me as someone who was open for a lengthy explanation with a number of insults. Instead I nodded and decided to curb my enthusiasm to another subject.

"May I ask why you're here?"

Her eyes narrowed again. For a short moment, they flicked to the back of her cave, before turning to me. I dared to sneak a look myself, only seeing a large slab of stone at the end of the cave. Interesting. I turned my gaze back on her, seeing how she looked nearly bored with me.

"I woke up here. Made it a bit cosier," she said, pointing at the different plateaus.

Now that I looked more directed, I could see things sticking out on top. I gathered it was probably something like Air had done. A way to spend her time without being bored. Her clacking her tongue made me look back at her.

"Besides, didn't you just explain that yourself? The Ritual split us up, apparently", she said with a new shrug.

The abundant energy my air core had had, was clearly not here with my earth potential. It explained why the real me never jumped so actively as my air core. I doubted it was solely controlled by the lightning core. Now I realized that earth was also an aid in taming my enthusiasm. She was certainly dampening my enthusiasm now.

I looked up at her. I disliked it that she was sitting higher than me. Or that she was clearly comfortable with everything here. It made me feel like I should watch what I was saying. It felt incredibly suffocating. I tried a weak smile.

"I meant more like, why didn't you investigate? Find a way out?"

Whereas my air core's attention had been drifting, earth was still focussed. She stared me down and I was certain her face could have been a mask if I hadn't seen her eyebrow twitch. For the shortest of moments, her eyes drifted away from me and towards the large wall further down. A crack appeared in that mask as she gritted her teeth. Her hands tried to straighten her skirt, something which was incredibly unnecessary. She seemed to realize this as well. A deep sigh left her and her hands stopped their work as she forcibly crossed them.

"There is no need to do that. I'm safe here. Everything I need is here."

The way she spoke made it clear she wasn't having this discussion. I pressed my lips together. She wasn't going to move. I nodded to myself and looked at the wall. The action alone was answered by a raised eyebrow from Earth.

"If that's what you think, fine. Thank you for your hospitality, but I need to go on."

My next step however was deeper than I expected. My foot was entrapped in the ground and I nearly stumbled over myself when the ground wasn't giving it back. I looked back at Earth, who had lowered herself to my level. She slowly moved in front of me, her arms still crossed. With her nose slightly tilted did she look at me.

"Where to?" she said.

I shrugged, half looking at her and half focussing on my foot. Pulling wasn't really helping me other than cause strain in my leg. "Further? I don't know. I just know I can't stay here."

I grunted when I nearly twisted my leg. That hurt. It didn't deter me from stopping though. I kept trying to pull it out. As I did, I started to feel warm. What if she was trapping me here? I didn't leave the safety of my clouds to end up in this restricting prison. Was I even making the right choice anyway? I was going to a place even Earth didn't want to go. I could very well die there. I felt my heart quickly picking up the pace. My attempts at breaking my foot trap became even more frantic. I could also die here. Or break my leg. It would stop me. I would have a reason to stay, if only for a little while. I'd probably be safer here with a broken bone than out there. But if I didn't go, I would never see my family again. I wouldn't have a familiar. I wouldn't be able to grow stronger. I had to, or I would never be really safe. By Nether, I wasn't even safe from myself!

It took a touch on my shoulder to stop me and my thoughts, if only for a moment. I looked up in surprise, right into my own set of deep green eyes, only these were staring sternly into mine.

"Calm down," she said, her voice harsh. "Take a deep breath."

She started doing just that, gesturing with her other hand to copy her. I obeyed and followed her example. With every deep breath I felt myself calming down. It helped that I had her to steady me. The moment my heart rate was dropping, I tried one more time. Sparks flew down my leg and I broke out. Perhaps it was because she was focussing on calming me down, rather than keeping me here that I managed. It was clear neither of us had expected it. I lost my balance and grabbed on to her to steady myself. I expected the both of us to fall down, but she kept standing. And prevented me from hitting the ground. Instead I hung clumsily on her arm. I struggled up and flashed her a sheepish grin.

"Thanks," I said.

She scoffed and pushed a strand of hair back behind her ear. "Don't mention it."

"I wouldn't have to, if you hadn't done that," I said, pointing at the foot shaped hole in the ground.

She crossed her arms again. "You can't go."

Now it was my turn to frown. "Why?"

Again her gaze flitted to that wall. Her eyes narrowed as she focussed on me.

"It's too dangerous."

"Dangerous?" I repeated.

She nodded. "Listen closely."

She pointed at the wall. I frowned at her, but she nodded at me to continue. I took a few steps closer when I heard it. It was muffled, but I could make out dim thumps against the wall from the other side. Along with what sounded like a guttural screech. My eyes widened and I looked back at earth, who stared grimly at the wall.

"This is the reason I believed you so easily. I've seen our fire potential," she said.

Her voice was again filled with what sounded like disappointment.

"And?" I said.

She tutted her lips. "Someone has to protect us from her. She was busy burning everything to the ground. And I'm afraid she wasn't that articulate about it."

"Did she attack you?" I asked.

"She tried to," Earth said. "Blaming me for holding her back. For trying to reason."

"So now you've locked her away?" I said.

"I had to do something!" she said, now turning her back to me. I winced at her shout. "You and Air weren't around. And now that you are, I'm not letting you get any closer. She's dangerous."