http://clampfix.fanworks.net/kenichi/magi4-1.txt </head><body><pre> "From what Iv'e tasted of desire I hold with those who favour fire..." Robert Frost Fire and Ice Chapter One The mists came. Their light gray color flowed translucent in the interplay of light and shadow. Though the mists were slight, it was stilll difficult for me to see. The light and shadow played along the curls of vapor, further destroying whatever I could make of the backround surrounding me. "Do you wish to see more clearly...?" I nodded silently. The voice was the soft, pained murmur of a young man. Obviously he was in great pain. I did not see; rather, I felt the mists part for me. Light shone in. Ever inviting it called. I walked toward it. What I saw astounded all my senses. To my surprise, I saw something that defied all laws of physics. Floating islands! My jaw ceased to defy gravity and dropped. It seemed as if I stared at those skybound lands forever. From the misty perch I stood upon, I then gazed at the land below. "Tell me, boy. What do you see?" The gentle yet bitter voice helped me gather back my senses. I let my eyes pan the entire scenario. The entire view was fantastic to me, the land below me, and the floating islands above... And the sea that was a most beautiful blue...like a perfectly cut jewel. "I see islands floating...I don't know how, but they are... I see the sea, blue as a perfect sapphire... " The sight of a mountain caught my attention. No, no mountain. A volcano. tall, majestic and frightening. The fire from the earth itself. The voice once again broke my reverie. "A fire from the earth indeed...but it is not the true power of the earth that it holds..." "Hunh?" I rolled my head in the voice's direction. I turned to see a tall figure in the shadows next to me. He was dressed entirely in a purple cloak, wearing ornaments...no, armor... on his head and shoulders. He had finely chiseled features in a smooth, almost feminine face. Jet-black hair framed his visage, complementing his height and looks. It made him look all the more regal and imposing. But about his personage...it was the eyes that struck me the most. Ever since I was a child of four, mother had taught me to look straight into a person's eyes. She always said that the eyes said the most about a person's true nature. From all that I had experienced, I believed she was right... It was a skill that proved essential in my day-to-day life. The eyes set me aback. At first, I thought I registered a darkness in them. A darkness that frightened me. Upon closer inspection, however, the darkness in his eyes became all the more clear. I mustered the courage to speak. "You have lost someone, haven't you?" The eyes sharpened, almost as if they were to bore through me. "That is none of your concern." "It IS my concern. It's why I was brought here, wasn't it?" The dark form edged closer. "She is mostly with me." "What do you mean by that? Wait, first of all, why are you doing this to me?" I bit my lip hard. That was so cliche. The cloak rustled as an armored gauntlet emerged from its depths. It pointed to me. "I need you...to finish what I started." I couldn't hide my indignance. "Swell...", I spat. "You will understand some of it soon, boy." "Stop calling me boy." The great dark face softened into a smile. "You are so much like my younger brother." His mien then returned to its seriousness. "You must understand, as well, that the physics of your world do not apply to mine." I was perplexed. "What do you mean by that?" The caped figure turned. "When you awaken, you will understand." "I still don't know what you mean by 'The physics of my world'!!" The figure chuckled. "Look down." I looked at my feet to see that the mist had parted. There was nothing holding me up. Like a cartoon character who had just realized the theory of gravity, I just as suddenly dropped like the proverbial rock, screaming at the top of my lungs. In two seconds I would be one with the land, literally. I fell out of bed with a very audible THUD. Shaking off the effects of the fall, I gazed around to the sight of my room. Another nightmare, I thought. I groggily massaged the bump on my head, wondering why the dream was so different this time around. Realization hit me like a streak of llightning across the clouds. My mind waqs suddenly filled with visions... Spirit of Fire. Spirit of Water. Spirit of Wind. Three Saviours. Three Knights. Three young ladies who would, and did, make a difference in a land that was once and ever will be hidden from the sight and minds of other men. One of them was my beloved. Shidou Hikaru. A name that I was unlikely ever to forget. A story I wish I never knew. A story which was not at all finished yet. A story the dark man wanted me to end. Zagato. I wasted no time in getting dressed. I was halfway into my school uniform when I realized it was a Sunday. Cursing, I tossed my clothes into the laundry bin and fished a black turtleneck out of my closet. I picked up my jacket, to repress the cold outdoors. Apprehension gripped my soul when I left. What if she wasn't there? I grit my teeth and marched on. She would be there. In my heart I wished she would not be. I wished I was wrong, and that it was all just a crazy dream. "My Hikaru", I chuckled. My mirth pained me further. She belongs to no one, least of all myself. I simply could not accept it. Shidou Hikaru. Girl with the sweet smile and flashing eyes. The one person I cared above all else in the world. A murderer. </pre><p><a href="./">Back</a></p><p><a href=http://www.dreamhost.com/donate.cgi?id=216><img border=0 alt="Donate towards our web hosting bill!" src=https://secure.newdream.net/donate1.gif></a></p></body></html>