Morning came quickly. Not needing sleep, Piccolo and Sixteen kept a vigilant outside while the others slept in the cottage. There wasn’t enough room for them all anyway. Always an early bird, Goku was up at dawn, doing stretches. Vegeta, Krillin, Gohan, Dende, and Eighteen soon followed suit. Their dragons had all learned to fly by now and perched in some trees nearby to watch their partners curiously as they conducted their early morning exercises.

"So, is our new ‘teacher’ going to get up sometime today?" asked Eighteen, unusually grumpy. She preferred sleeping in.

Goku paused in the middle of a stretch. "Well, usually she’s up before I am. But sometimes she sort of gets, uh, ‘lost in nature’. I could go wake her."

"So why don’t you do so?" snarled Vegeta.

Goku shrugged and walked over to the tree Kyloa had slipped into yesterday afternoon. With a loud THWAP!, Goku gave the tree a good whack with his fist. A second later, Kyloa stumbled out of the tree, appearing quite startled. She glanced wildly around until she spotted Goku standing by the tree, grinning sheepishly.

Kyloa straightened out her clothes, a frown marring her usually peaceful face. "Goku! I would really prefer that you not do that. It really startles me. I could have come out with no clothes on in my hurry, like last time."

Goku blushed a deep red as the others snickered. "Sorry! But everyone is kind of anxious to begin."

"We could have waited Goku. Some of us do have some patience," said Dende, glancing meaningfully at Vegeta and Eighteen.

Becoming serious, Kyloa called Embyr to her as she began walking towards the center of the meadow again. Beginning to learn her ways, the fighters followed her until she stopped. Again she sat Indian-style on the ground and floated up to face them. But this time she did not begin to glow. Goku stood to the side of her as if he was her pillar.

Before she could begin, Kyloa knew she better explain one point. "There is something you must understand before we begin. These lessons usually take three years. But I will have to hurry them, since the warriors will only have about year to prepare before Queen Frozena arrives. Goku also had to do the quickened version and he only made it through just barely. They will be hard and tough. If you want out, now is the time."

No one spoke. Kyloa nodded. And so she began the second lesson. "The power the Earth will give you will increase your speed and your strength. But it mostly involves commanding control over the four elements: Water, Earth, Air, and Fire. That is why there are four Chi warriors. One to represent each element. Your training will involve you becoming more familiar with them, to see which one you are more attuned to. Goku here represents Air."

Gohan looked up, a questioning look on his face. "But you said I am already a Chi, although I have not gone through the training. What element do I represent?"

Kyloa looked pleased. "Good question. That is what we need to find out." She turned her head to look at Dende. "For this next part, I will need your help so I do not get too tired to do them all. You must learn this anyway."

Dende nodded in understanding. Copying her position, he floated up to face her. "What do I do?"

Kyloa held out her hands and closed her eyes. "Take my hands. It is important that you learn how to speak with her right away. The others will not need to yet."

Dende, completely trusting, took her hands and began concentrating. Soon they were both aglow with a strange aura of power. The fighters were forced to wait only a few moments before something happened. Off to their left an enormous rock grew to double its size and a large hole opened within, like a cave. Their eyelids flew open and they turned to stare at the fighters with ethereal pupils. In identical eerie voices, they spoke.

"Each of you in turn will take a journey deep into this cave. Your yuudragon will accompany you. Inside you will each face four challenges created by the elements. The element you are able to master is the one you are most attuned to. This is the elimination round. Those unable to master an element will be unable to continue and your dragon will be returned to the earth. This will not be easy. Trust your dragon. Good luck." Kyloa and Dende then swiveled their head toward Gohan. "You will be first."

Gulping, Gohan called his dragon to him. Chirping reassuringly, Niko perched upon his shoulder. Squaring his shoulders, Gohan entered the cave. Once he was in, the cave sealed up behind him. The darkness didn’t last long. A sudden unearthly light illuminated the cave, revealing that it was very deep indeed. Shrugging, Gohan continued on.

It was some time later when he spoke. "I wonder what the first challenge will be." Niko chirped a reply, making Gohan jump in surprise. "Hey, I was able to understand that! You don’t know either!"

This elation was interrupted however by a strange sound. Suddenly they were both enveloped in fire. Niko began squawking in panic, clawing Gohan’s face and shoulders, hindering him. The heat was intense, blistering his skin and singeing his clothes. "Stop it, Niko! I’ll figure a way out of this. Hopefully."

The fire reached to the ceiling, so he couldn’t leap over it. He could try walking through it and risking a few burns. But Kyloa and Dende had said they had to master the elements. So what should he do? Than Gohan remembered a story his grandfather had told him once about Fire Mountain, where he used to live. Bracing his feet, he began the chant. "KAME-HAME-HA!"

Letting out just a small burst, Gohan was able to put out the flames. "Alright! I did it!" His celebration though was interrupted by Niko, who was trying to tell him something. "What? Slow down. What do you mean I wasn’t supposed to do it that way?"

Suddenly the voices of Kyloa and Dende filled the cave. "You have failed the first challenge. Move on to the next."

Outside the caves, the others had heard the same thing Gohan had. Piccolo gave Goku a concerned look, who was quick to reassure. "Don’t worry, Piccolo! No one passes the first challenge."

"Darn!" said Gohan, thinking out loud. "So how am I supposed to do it?"

He continued into the cave, deep in thought. Without warning the ground fell out from under him and he fell. Before he could fly back up, the hole was sealed. "Now what?" cried Gohan. His question was answered a few moments later. Water began pouring in at a fast pace and Gohan realized he was going to drown if he didn’t do something. Raising his arm, he prepared to blast his way out. Niko stopped him by biting his ear. "OWWW! What did you do that for? We’re going to drown."

The water was still rushing in and was now past his waist. Niko squawked at him, determined to get is point across. "I have to master the water. But how?"

And then Gohan felt something. It was as if something was trying to reach out to him but couldn’t because his mind was closed to it. Is the water alive? Closing his eyes, he began concentrating. Opening his mind to the being he felt, hoping it was the water, he asked it to return to where it came from. There was a loud gurgling noise and the water began disappearing! He had done it! Niko trilled, extremely relieved and happy. As well as proud. The hole they were in opened back up as the last of the water disappeared. As Gohan flew out, he saw that the cave opening had unsealed itself. As he walked back into the sunlight, Kyloa and Dende spoke again.

"Congratulations. You have passed the second challenge. The element you will represent is Water. It is yours and yours alone. If anyone else is attuned to it, they will be eliminated."

Goku grinned and patted his son on the back. "Good job!"

Gohan smiled modestly. "Thanks, Dad."

Kyloa and Dende turned their attentions to Piccolo. "It is your turn."

Piccolo turned to look at his dragon who was perched in a tree nearby. "Well, are you going to accompany me?"

The little green creature studied him, as if waiting for him to make some great concession. Piccolo sighed, figuring him out. He stepped closer to the tree and said in a low voice so the others wouldn’t hear, "I would prefer to have your help."

Byrn rustled his wings and gave a chirp. It seemed he had accepted his plea as the best he was going get from the green alien. He glided from the tree to take up perch on Piccolo’s shoulder. Piccolo grunted, not really liking having him there. They entered the cave and watched as it closed up behind them. Just like with Gohan, the path was suddenly illuminated for them.

Unlike Gohan, the first challenge appeared immediately. Several leafy vines appeared out of nowhere and quickly entangled Piccolo and Byrn ‘til they were unable to move. Annoyed, Piccolo made an impulsive decision without really thinking. He quickly prepared to make a ki blast. Realizing what he was going to do, Byrn shrieked in protest and tried to stop him. But he was too late. With a few seconds, Piccolo had them both free from the vines. Once free, Piccolo turned to glower at the dragon. "What’s the matter with you?"

All of a sudden, Kyloa and Dende’s voices filled the cave, answering his question. "You have failed the first challenge. Move on to the next."

Piccolo growled and looked at Byrn in surprise. "You knew I was doing it wrong, didn’t you? Fine. Next time I’ll listen."

Byrn gave a smug chirp as he resettled himself on Piccolo’s shoulder. Sometime later, Piccolo was growling again, this time in impatience. "Is there even a second challenge?"

Piccolo spoke too soon. Within the blink of an eye, they we’re surrounded by the same wall of fire Gohan had faced. Piccolo looked all around him, assessing his situation. "I can’t jump over or walk through. Blasting didn’t work with the first challenge." He turned to his fiery companion. "What do you suggest we do?"

Byrn gave a very lengthy and chirpy reply. Listening carefully, Piccolo found to his surprise that he could understand some of it. Huh. Kyloa was right. "Now let’s see. You said something about ‘master’. Kyloa had said to master it. How? Does she want us to talk to it?"

Piccolo and Byrn looked at each other in shock as the same idea dawned on them. Worth a shot. Piccolo closed his eyes and began meditating. Reaching out, Piccolo was shocked to sense a presence reaching out to him as well. It was as if the fire was alive. And he was attuned to it. Comprehending, Piccolo commanded it to stop burning. Opening his eyes, he was astonished to see it had obeyed! The fire was gone! Byrn trilled, bragging how he had been the one to save them. Piccolo snorted and replied, "I was the one who did all the work, rogue."

The opening of the cave appeared as Byrn shrieked his protestations. Piccolo did a double take as he realized he could completely understand Byrn’s shrieks and squawks. Grumbling over this new development, Piccolo told Byrn to stop hurting his ears as they walked back into the sunlight to hear Kyloa and Dende congratulating them.

"Congratulations. You are attuned to the element Fire. But you are not a Chi warrior yet. You still have many lessons to learn. And if someone else is attuned to Fire, you will have competition." They swiveled their heads towards Vegeta. "You are next."

It was quite some time before Vegeta emerged and he was in bad mood when he did. He had failed all of the challenges. All of the fighters wisely did not make any remarks. "You will not continue any further with the lessons." And that was the last they said to him. "Scorn. Return."

As if in a trance, Scorn left Vegeta and landed upon the ground. Slowly he disappeared into the earth as if it was quicksand. And he was no more. Unnerved, Piccolo reached up to make sure Byrn was still upon his shoulder. It was amazing how quickly he had grown accustomed to having the little dragon upon his shoulder, chirping his opinions, wanted or not, into his ears.

Sixteen was next. He succeeded on the first challenge, much to Piccolo and Goku’s chagrin, remembering the remark he had made earlier. "Congratulations. You are attuned to the element Earth. It is a rather picky element."

It was Eighteen’s turn next. It turned out she was attuned to the element Air, which Goku already represented. She was eliminated and her dragon Beauty was absorbed just like Scorn. Krillin was last. He failed the first two challenges before passing the third one. He was attuned to Fire, just like Piccolo, which meant there would be competition.

Kyloa and Dende spoke in unison one last time. "It is done. The real training can now begin. Now we can see who can handle it and who cannot. The two who have failed must leave. They cannot watch or participate."

Vegeta had already left awhile back. Eighteen had only stayed to see if her husband would make it. Kissing his cheek, she wished him luck and then flew away, to return to their daughter, Marron. The glow around Kyloa and Dende disappeared and they floated back to the ground. Kyloa was pale again but other than that, she seemed all right.

"What do we do now?" asked Krillin.

Wiping sweat off her brow, Kyloa took a minute before answering. "Well, how about taking a break for lunch? Afterwards, Goku should take Gohan into the mountains to begin his training, so it won’t distract you. That’s where they should spend their days, until I say otherwise. You three will stay here with me to train in the mornings and afternoons. In the evenings, I should spend time teaching Dende. There is much he needs to learn." Turning to him, she explained, "I think I overwhelmed you a bit today. From now on we’ll take it slower." Turning back to the others, she said, "Is that agreeable?"

"I agree. I don’t know about the rest of you but I’m starving," blurted out Goku. Everyone else rolled their eyes but they seemed to agree. And so they went to have lunch.