"Woohoo! I still can't believe that we can still go to the same school!" exclaimed Jacky. Jacky and Tzu were walking down a hallway to a conference room. There, Ms. Shoji would explain life at Combat School.

"Yeah, I still can't believe it myself," said Tzu. Tzu wasn't sure if he would ever believe his name would come out of Ms. Yumiko Shoji's mouth. He didn't have the aptitude, the mentality, or the strength. Now that he thought about it, what did he have? Nothing, nothing of use, Tzu thought sadly.

They turned the corner and walked into their designated room. Tzu, being Tzu, immediately started to hide behind Jacky. The room was small, only about the size of a classroom. There was a podium in the front of the room, where Ms. Shoji was standing. A few chairs were lined neatly in front of the podium.

"Just on time," said a boy in one of the chairs. He was a tall and lanky American boy, with brown eyes and choppy dirty blond hair. He was leaning back on his chair so it was only on two legs. He smiled mischievously.

There were two other kids in the room, another boy and a girl. The boy, who was Japanese, was shorter than the others but held himself with more confidence. His hair was bleached white, which contrasted with his dark eyes. The girl had short, curly black hair. Her skin was the color of dark chocolate. She was quite tall for an 11-year-old. She took one glance at the pair, then turned away in disgust.

"Please take a seat," said Ms. Shoji. They obliged. "Congratulations for making it into Combat School. There are a few things you will need to know. First, you will get to the school by pod train. A pod will come to pick you up from your house. Combat School is located in Colorado, specifically in between the Twin Peak Mountains, so everyone on the East Coast, prepare for a long wait. The pod train will come on August 25th and school will start on August 26th. You each have your dorm and there is a men's and women's bathroom on each floor. Your year, A10 is one of the smaller years, but we will still split you into two groups, 1-A10 and 2-A10. By coincidence, everyone here is in 1-A10."

"That is such a lame name," said the boy with white hair.

"How dumb are you," said the girl, casting an angry look at the boy. "It is just our class number. The year labels are in a specific order. W.A.T.A was established in 1784 and it has been nine 26 year periods since then. We are the first in the tenth 26 year period."

"Wait, why is it 26 year periods?" asked Jacky.

"Because there are twenty-six letters in the alphabet. 1-A10, idiot."

"Hey, there is no need to be rude," Tzu retorted, stepping out behind Jacky. He was shy, but the urge to defend his friend was much more powerful.

"Glasses boy is right," said the American boy. "Tori, just because your family is one of the greatest commanders and soldiers in US history doesn't mean you can hold yourself above others."

"Well, Ms. Diagon is the most powerful person in this room, besides me," said Ms. Shoji. "I am not going to pretend that you are all on the same level, and you shouldn't pretend that too. I want you to strive to exceed your classmates. The competition fuels determination and determination fuels ambition."

"Ha, take that Nixon," Tori said to the American boy. "The only reason I am here is to live up to my family name and become a great commander."

"And?" implied Ms. Shoji.

Tori sighed. "And crush Keith Corum." Everyone in the room inhaled sharply except for Ms. Shoji and Tori. The Diagons and the Corums, thought Tzu. The two most famous military families in the country, maybe even the world. But what was more famous than their family names was their rivalry.

"You must have a water-based aptitude if you are a Diagon!" Tzu blurted out. He immediately regretted it.

Tori slowly turned to look at Tzu. Her eyes were ablaze and her face was contorted in rage. "Figure that all by yourself, impressive," she hissed.

"Um, no, so sorry I'll leave you alone-" Tzu stammered. He had no idea why Tori was so angry.

"Who are you," Tori asked, venom drowning her words.

"Um, Tzu San, Tori, I mean Ms. Diagon, uh." Tzu withered under her gaze.

"You'll be the first person I will crush at Combat School," said Tori. She looked at Ms. Shoji. "You better pair us up in our practical lessons."

"But more importantly," interjected the Japanese boy, "your last name is San!?" Tzu nodded slowly. The Japanese boy got out of his chair and stuck his face in front of Tzu's. "Listen, buddy. There can only be one San, and that is me, Akio San. So you either drop out now, or I will make sure you will always be the lesser 'San'." Tzu was stunned. Two enemies in less than 5 minutes, that has to be a new record. Tzu dipped his head and Akio walked away smirking.

Jacky, who was sitting next to him, nudged him slightly. "You alright?" she whispered as Ms, Shoji droned on about Combat School. Tzu nodded, but Jacky had been his best friend since they were born, she knew when he was feeling down. But to Tzu's relief, she didn't push the topic or beat up Tori and Akio.

Ms. Shoji chuckled. "Save that competitive energy for Combat School. You are all dismissed."

August 25th, 2019

"Got everything?" Tzu asked Jacky. They were in Jacky's room, which was a bit like being inside a kaleidoscope. Each wall was multicolored, painted in bright colors. Light streamed in from tall windows.

"I think so," Jacky said, furiously rummaging through her giant duffle bag.

"Even your parka? It is going to be cold in the Rocky Mountains." Tzu asked.

"Oh shoot." Jacky ran downstairs and came back up with a silver parka. "Thanks, Tzu," she said as she stuffed the parka unceremoniously into her bag. "How long till the pod train arrives?"

Tzu pulled out his phone and checked the pod train map. Their location, St. Louis, pulsed orange slightly. A little white line that symbolized the pod train was slowly moving west."It is just coming out of Chicago. It will probably arrive in an hour."

Jacky let out a sigh. "So I can make sure I have everything again."

Tzu looked around the colorful room. Every shelf, closet, and drawer was empty and barren. "I think you got everything. Just a hunch," Tzu said. "Wanna take a walk? It will be the last time we are here for at least a couple of years." Jacky nodded and they headed outside.

Tzu and Jacky lived on the same street. They lived in one of the suburbs surrounding the St. Louis Metropolitan Area. Nothing special, just rows of houses and a nearby park. But it was their home. "I can't believe that after living here for almost all our lives we are just... leaving."

"Yeah," replied Tzu, staring wistfully at their surroundings. Tzu didn't fully realize how attached he was to his home until then. His eyes welled up with tears. Stop it, he thought. Please don't cry. His body ignored his silent pleas as hot tears streamed his face.

"I am excited for Combat School. We finally get to-" Jacky stopped mid-sentence as she stared at Tzu's tears run down his cheeks and drop off his chin. "Tzu," she said in a soft voice, "what is wrong?"

"I am sorry," he said between sobs.

"I told you to not be sorry for your feelings! I am not mad, I just want to know what is wrong. Now," she handed him her water bottle, "take a drink and calm down." He obliged.

"Why are you crying," Jacky asked after he had calmed down.

Tzu took a shaky breath and sat on the curb. "I guess... I don't want things to change. We have lived here for so long. We know what to expect. That will all change in Combat School."

Jacky took a seat next to him. "You are right. But things change, they have to otherwise, the world would just be at a standstill."

"But here, we will be equals, and I don't want that to change." Jacky was very shocked at this answer.

"Equals? We will always be equals."

"Did you not listen to Ms. Shoji? 'I am not going to pretend that you are all on the same level, and you shouldn't pretend that too.' You are so much more powerful, so much more skillful than me."

"Didn't you hear what else Ms. Shoji said? 'I want you to strive to exceed your classmates. The competition fuels determination and determination fuels ambition.' Sure you might start at the bottom of the standings, but if you care so much about being equal to someone, you have to compete."

"I don't deserve to be in Combat School. I don't deserve to compete with anyone there," Tzu said.

"You have always wanted to get into the school, right? Well, why are you suddenly denying the thing you wanted the most? You want to save others, you want to command armies, but most of all... you want to compete. You might deny it, but you know it is true. But Tzu, listen to me, the first person you need to prove yourself to right now is yourself! If you want to compete with others, first you must win against your demons! Confidence is key!" yelled Jacky. She got up and started walking back to her house. "If you ever stop pitying yourself, the train is coming in 15 minutes." And with that, Jacky left.

A hot breeze ruffled Tzu's hair as he sat there in shock. Win against your demons. Confidence is key. Those words had sent a shockwave of emotion through his body. What were his demons, his insecurities? Think, think, think, he thought to himself. He had never tried to analyze himself. Sure, he analyzed others, but he never really questioned the way he acted. I can't do this, he thought, giving up. I am just not worthy to go to Combat School. Then, it struck him like a bolt of lightning. His self-worth, his self-confidence. Tzu didn't think that he was worth anything or deserved anything. He didn't believe in himself or his abilities. He could almost see them, a mass of a black substance that was chuckling at him, getting ready to consume him. Alright I have found my demons, but how do I win against them, he thought. The demons were getting closer. He felt like he was going to kneel over and die. He wasn't worthy of anything. He deserved to get consumed by these demons.

Suddenly a bright light shone next to him in the midst of the black mass. It was the ghostly form of Jacky. "Remember Tzu, confidence is key." Confidence is key, confidence is key, he chanted in his mind. The more he said it the more he believed it. He deserved to be in Combat School. He deserved to compete, to earn his worth. I can't fret about not having any worth if I never give myself the chance to earn it. He believed in himself, he believed that he could succeed. And that afternoon, he made a promise to himself: He would earn his spot in Combat School and become the best commander the world had ever seen.

He stood up and smiled. Tzu checked his watch and almost fainted. Only 7 minutes till the pod train came, and it would take him 5 minutes to get back to his house and get his stuff. He sprinted, running as fast as he could toward his house.

As he ran, the demons inside of him withered away.