"Class, settle down. Let's begin math class. I am Mr. Restrictions." The teacher said, as his eyes met the gaze of a girl scribbling her multiplication tables.
   I whispered to Joy with amusement in my eyes "He sure restricted them from talking."
   But, after I said that his mean gaze shot over to me. "I said be quiet!" he demanded.
   "Excuse me, but if we are to be quiet, how can we do our oral math problems?" a girl named Bliss asked. I gave her a big smile, and soon after she became our good friend.
   "Shall I send you to the principal?" Restrictions asked. At this Bliss was quiet.
   Two hours later. "Class is over. Next is history." Restrictions said.
   I leaped with pleasure as we left the room, but felt sorry for the next class entering.
   "You seem happy class is over." Joy remarked.
   "I really am! Mr. Restrictions is very mean! I wonder why our teacher is a Nega..." I said before I quickly stopped myself. Joy didn't know of the Negative, and I figured it best that way.
   For the next three weeks, Mr. Restrictions always bullied me in class, until I finally ran out of patience. I exclaimed in a loud, clear voice, meeting my teacher's gaze so steadily one would think I was about to punch him.
   "I Will Not Tolerate This Anymore! You! You, Negative Impostor, Have No Right To Bully Or Teach Us! Look At My Hand! It Is Turning Orange, And One Day I Am Going To Stand Up To You Full Power With The Positive Behind Me!" I shouted from atop my desk.
   The principal was never alerted of my outburst, except when I requested a new Positive math teacher, and Mr. Restrictions was replaced.
   Joy had been quietly sitting with her eyes wide, and on the way home, she asked "What made you blow?!?"
   I sighed, and showed her my hand, which was almost completely orange now.

"My hand is orange, because one day I must save the world, and Mr. Restrictions is one of the bad guys. I tired, I really did, but I'm not like you. I can lose it unlike other emotions."
   The next day we arrived, and both restored to normal cheerfulness. We walked again into math class, and sat down as if yesterday's events had never happened. But I got more than one look, because Gossip had been gossiping.
   "Good morning, everyone. I'm your new teacher, Miss Smart. Since the events of yesterday, I'd like to ask Love to come up, and explain her rightful outburst." Miss Smart said, looking at me.
   I went to her side, a bit nervous, and also asked Joy and a timid girl named Hope to come up with me.
   We stood together, and each held up our right hand while I explained "There is an old legend that a hero, a friend, and a ruler will rise up. I am the hero." I said.
   Everyone including Hope gasped as they had all heard the legend.
   "And I am the ruler." Joy said.  
   "So... am I the friend?" Hope asked shyly as I nodded, and continued.
   "There are bad emotions in the world who want to do harm and wrong to you. Be glad you are not one of us, because we're gonna get the worst of it." I said, glancing at Hope and Joy with a look that said 'Sorry.'
   "These are the Negatives. Every one of you is going to have to face your opposite. Except Gossip. She is a middle, and will join the Negative. I'm a middle too. I want you to remember this, but just treat us like you did before. We aren't special yet." I finished.
   "Thank you, Love. Yes, she is right, but please just go on normally with your lives." Miss Smart said.
   I replied "They will. Positives keep stuff like this close to heart. But, I will be changed. Into a better emotion ready for the battle of life."
And Miss Smart started the class.

One day a new kid arrived... a boy middle.
   "Hi, what is your name?" I asked.
   "Despair." the boy replied with a sigh.
   I was much alarmed, and was glad he didn't ask my name. History started, so I couldn't tell Hope, who I was now almost as good friends with as Joy, my worry for her.
   Four hours later: "Hope!" I called "Hope!"
   She squeezed through the crowd, and asked "What is it?"
   "Your opposite just started going to school here!" I exclaimed.
   Hope turned pale, and asked in a hushed tone "Who is it?"  I pointed at Despair, and Hope did her best to avoid him.
   He flunked, and was kicked out. I was sorry for him, but glad both he and Hope were out of danger.

One day as Joy and I arrived, Hope looked sad. So, Joy walked over to her, and asked "What's wrong?"
   "My parents can't take care of me anymore." Hope said, looking down.
   "Why not?" I inquired.
   "Because they're following the Alabama Amethyst Rush." Hope answered. We comforted her as best we could.
   I had a mom, and Joy had a dad. We both discussed Hope's news with our parents, and our parents told us they had fallen in love, and we're about to get married. Well, that news literally knocked our socks off, to our parents infinite amusement. Then they said that Hope could come live with us.
   Two weeks later: We three of us, now sisters, walked to school together and talked about the events of late.
   "This is very strange. I thought that in the legend we were just friends." I said, the main one affected by the changes.
   "Well, we don't know what'll happen between then and now." Hope shrugged.
   "True, but we'll still be sisters. Maybe our hands are different for some other reason, such as too marker?" Joy suggested.
   "You can't speak that way of your gift!" I protested.
   "I thought you said the other kids were lucky they aren't us." Hope persisted.
   "I didn't use those words. Plus, it depends on their opinion of what they like. I'll bet Gossip is jealous of you, Joy. And I believe Bliss wants to be you, Hope. And there are millions of kids who would never dream of wanting to be us." I said.
   Hope sat down on the sidewalk, and cried.
   "I love you, Hope." I said, and my hand glowed bright pink.
   "How did that instantly make me stop crying?" Hope asked.
   "I used my power. Everyone can use their power. And Positives like us use our powers to help each other." I said as we arrived. We saw the sign on the door that said math is done for the school year due to a problem in society. Joy, Love, and Hope please meet in the Art room.
   "Huh, I wonder what that's about." Joy said.

"Something isn't right about this." I murmured to myself "I have math homework."
   "Well, let's go." Hope said.
   "I need to use the restroom." Joy said.
   "We'll catch up." I told Hope. She walked over to the Art room, and opened the door.
   There stood Gossip in front of a curtain cutting off the middle of the room. She had a sly smile on her face. One of Gossip's friends dashed past Hope, locked the door, and retreated behind the curtain. Hope's heart started thumping wildly, and she used her power to give herself hope.
   Meanwhile, Joy and I were coming out of the bathroom, and couldn't open the door to the Art room.
   "Hello, is anyone in there?" Joy asked, as I continued tugging on the handle.
   I heard a small voice come from inside, so I peeped through the keyhole, and saw a moving curtain. I watched as the other emotions slid behind the curtain, then I was barely able to slide under the door. Joy and I both tugged on the door at the same time, and it swung open. Unfortunately and hilariously sending Joy flying backwards, but she popped right back up.
   "Hope?" I asked. Gossip looked out from behind the curtain, then motioned for others to follow her.
   "What are you doing here?" I asked in a suspicious tone. I noticed as my words came out, both my hand were orange.
   "Miss Smart couldn't make it. She stayed home today." Gossip cooed.  
   "I know a LIAR when I see one. Where are they? And you still didn't answer my simple question, you fool." I said angrily, ready for a fight.
   A leg kicked behind the curtain. In an instant, Joy disappeared behind it too.
   Then Gossip said "Come on, girls. Let's give this 'hero' some fighting practice." she said, putting quote marks around hero.
   The curtain opened, but I didn't see Joy.
   "I knew it was a trap." I mumbled to myself. When a door opened, I saw Mr. Restrictions come out holding Joy's hand. She was not too happy about that. She tugged and pulled, but his grip wouldn't loosen. At that moment, I turned completely orange.
   I lunged for Gossip, and pulled her long, curly braid, and jerked her down. And she stayed down there, out of fear or pain, but I'll never know which.

"Who's next?!" I cried, and all the girls cowered back, and retreated behind the door taking Joy with them.
   I stood face to face with... "Sorrow." I hissed.
   "How do you know my name?" Sorrow asked, and swung around to hit me.
   "Oh, you know well and good. That was a sneaky plan. I suppose you were confident you would come out on top?" I asked, filled with fury.
   Bliss silently watched from the doorway with eyes as big as dinner plates. Suddenly Sorrow did hit me. I flew backward, and held my leg in my hand. I looked up to see Sorrow approaching. I shook my head to Bliss, and struggled up. At that moment, I turned completely pink. I held out my hand, and shot out a blast of my power at Sorrow.
   That is something only kids are able to do when and after the time comes. It knocked him over, and I buried most of him before I slowly stopped my power.
   I limped over, held out my hand, and asked in a loud, clear voice "Where are they?"
   Sorrow pointed to the door. I held out my other hand, making a bubble around him, which I blew far away from the school.
   "How did you do that?!?" Bliss asked.
   "Not sure, come on!" I replied as we ran over to the door, but Bliss lagged a bit. And when I opened the door, she too was gone.

I went in the door, and looked everywhere for my friends. But, I was soon knocked down with someone else's power, which also knocked me out. When I came to my senses, I looked around. I saw Joy, Hope, and Bliss all looking at me. "What happened?" I asked, and tried to stand, but somehow couldn't. Probably the fact that there were piles of bricks on my feet. I simply blasted them away, and got up. The bricks, however, would not give up so easily. They again made a pile on my feet. Again I blasted them away. This happened three times, before I put them in a bubble, and crashed it into a wall, breaking the bricks. Then the bricks from the others' feet covered mine. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE BRICKS!!!!????" I cried, and destroyed them all. Hope shrugged. Suddenly Gossip somehow walked through the wall. I could tell by her face she meant trouble, so I put her in a bubble, and sent her after Sorrow. I could tell she was turning blue. One of my acquaintances was Crazy. That was her name, Crazy. She too has been with my friends, and she said "Bye." I looked quizzical, and asked "Bye?" Thirty minutes later: "If that deserter hadn't left, I'd have this under control." I complained. An emotion can only use their power so much, before they must wait quite a while to return to full strength. It was 9:47pm, and the four of us were still in the same spot. I was glad Joy's hand got brighter and brighter as she could almost use her power, otherwise the room would be pitch black.

When I woke up the next morning, I found I was standing. "Interesting." I mumbled to myself. I leaned forward, but then I stopped. Something was different. I looked around, and I couldn't see a difference. But, it felt like something was tugging on my clothing. One thing you must know about emotion clothing is that it's all one piece. So my dress, stockings, and shoes were all one big piece, this particular dress had a belt. I realized the tug was coming from the belt. I looked behind me, and saw the brick behind me had been made, and my belt was made into it. This was rather alarming. None of us girls in my class had been evil till Gossip did a number on them. But, none knew how to make bricks. "Hey, girls! Wake up! I called to the others. Hope rubbed her eyes, Joy yawned, and Bliss stretched her arms. "Can you guys get away from the wall?" I asked. All of them stepped forwards. I sat down, and thought, which was hard, since the tug. Why could the other move? Was it because they couldn't use their powers yet? "Can't you?" Bliss asked, and I shook my head. I noticed I was starting to turn pink again, and tried to blast the brick. I still didn't have enough strength to use the magic. "Can you hand me that rock?" I asked, pointing to a sharp looking stone. Hope did, and I began chipping away at the brick. "How can it just be bricks?" Joy asked "There must be a secret door." They began feeling the wall, because in stories a brick was usually a switch for a door. I hit something in my brick, and I felt it get very VERY hot. "This bricks is going to melt!" I cried. It was glowing with heat, but then I noticed... It was glowing pink.

"Hey! Wait a cotton pickin minute! This bricks is absorbing my magic!"  I exclaimed, cut my belt, and said "Stop touching the walls! They're going to try and steal all of our power!" We backed away from the walls, and met in the middle. I used all my magic I had left to suck my power out of the brick. The others did the same. Suddenly, I glowed bright pink, Hope glowed bright purple, Joy glowed bright yellow, and Bliss glowed bright white. Then, our magic blended together, making a light green looking bubble. "We must all pop it at once." I said. We all reached forward, and there was a ear deafening POP! It knocked us all back, and the walls collapsed, leaving the empty school in rubble. "Well, that went well." my thoughts  scoffed. Ten years later: Joy, Love, and Hope had become popular names. Now us four were in college. "I have something to tell you guys. I should've told you while we were trapped back at school. My real name is Encouragement." Bliss said. Encouragement was also a popular name. Today was the day we would graduate, and go our separate ways. "Good job girls!" Mom and Dad told us. I simply smiled a sad smile, and said "I hope you're still here when my time comes." I said. For fear my parents wouldn't let me go, I hadn't told them I was the hero, or about Joy's close escape with Sorrow.

Down the road, five years later, everyone recognized me, and I was tired of all the attention. So I moved to a village far away from where I was known. I met a girl named Joy. I personally hadn't the slightest suspicion she was my sister. Joy had also moved away from the people, into the woods, and built a little farm. Hope stayed with our parents, and got a job in the city. Encouragement asked Miss Smart if she could teach her to become a teacher. Miss Smart gladly agreed. The four of us thought about each other every day, and missed each other terribly. As we grew to adults, we were surprised we could still use our magic and powers. We called ourselves The Longed for Four. But, I was forgetful, it's my weakness, and other a matter of years, I forgot all about this battle, until you see this code: xcymb. Read "The Search for Joy" to find out what happens next.