"A week has gone by," Magnus said, standing at the podium in the assembly hall for the morning announcements. "All of you who are new here should be getting accustomed to the facilities at this institution, and hopefully by now you have made some friends as well."

     "Hey, did you hear?" A boy with brown hair and glasses whispered.

     "Hear what?" Another boy, who had purple hair, whispered back.

     "I heard that Fiore challenged Jerith to a duel- and won! He's captain of the kendo club, now!"

     "No way! Really? He's usually so... well... quiet. I wonder what set him off?"

     "I wasn't there, but a friend of mine was," The boy with glasses answered. "He says it was over a girl."

     "A girl, huh? Are you sure? That's kinda hard to believe. I mean, I always got the idea that he didn't like girls. Not in that way, at least."

     "What about Pyra? I thought they were dating."

     "If you ever saw those two together, you'd know what I mean. Pretty one-sided, if you ask me."

     "You're not... jealous... are you, Cho?" The boy with glasses asked, startled.

     "Who me?" The purple-haired boy laughed, innocently.

     "Now, for this morning's announcements," Magnus was saying. "We still have a few more groups of students that need to complete the labyrinth. Everyone's scores should be posted by the end of the week."

     "I heard a rumor that Pyra and Fiore broke up yesterday!" A purple haired girl with tan skin announced to a group of her friends.

     "Yeah, I heard that rumor too," A girl with brown pigtails and glasses replied, excitedly. "Oh, I hope it's true! That would mean he's available now!"

     "Me too," A girl with wavy aquamarine hair agreed. "Next to Jerith, he's the coolest, most kawaii guy in school! Pyra is so selfish to keep him to herself like she does!"

     "I know! I'm his biggest fan!" a blonde haired girl sighed, dreamily.

     "Now, I will turn the speaker over to Doctor Nora Strangefate, the questing department head," Magnus continued. "She has a few announcements to make regarding questing groups and missions."

     The young, blonde haired professor took to the podium. "As you should know by now, all of you high school students will be required to participate in a certain number of quests, as part of your final grade. You will be assigned to questing groups once everyone has been tested in the labyrinth, and your missions will begin shortly after that. I will be making more announcements throughout the week to keep you updated. If you have any questions, please visit me in my office."

     "But it's true, I tell you!" Jinx was saying, in the back row. "I had pictures!"

     "So where are they?" A boy with blonde hair asked, skeptically.

     "Well, they kinda just... disappeared. But it really happened! Honest! Pyra, Candy, and Alaska were there, too!"

     "So why isn't there any proof, other than what you tell me? For all I know, Pyra, Candy and Alaska may be in on the joke, too. I admit, I don't like Jacob much, but it's not right to spread false rumors like that."

     "Aww, c'mon Quatre! It's not a joke! I'm telling the truth, this time!! Just ask Scarlet! It was her potion!"

     Doctor Strangefate stepped down from the podium, and Magnus reclaimed it. "That being said," he concluded, "I urge all of you to prepare yourselves both physically and mentally for the challenges that lie ahead. Now, you are dismissed."

     Alaska, Chanse, and the two younger Mystic sisters were standing together near the middle of the assembly hall. The other students around them were milling about, taking advantage of the ten minutes before classes began to catch up on the latest gossip.

     "Yayy!" Candy said, happily, bouncing up and down. "It's about time he stopped talking! I was getting bored!"

     "You said it, squirt." Alaska agreed. "He sure can ramble, sometimes."

     "Hey Ren... um... you wouldn't happen to have seen Fiore this morning, would you?" Chanse asked. She hadn't seen him around much at all since Saturday night, when they got back from their trip to the city. Maybe he's still upset over yesterday, she thought.

     "No, I haven't," Serenity answered, shaking her head. "It's not like him to be late."

     "Yeah, and where's Pyra?" Alaska wondered. "Not that I miss her company, or anything," she muttered, under her breath.

     "She stayed in bed this morning," Serenity said. "She told me she wasn't feeling very well."

     Jinx approached the group, with a disappointed look on his face.

     "I tried telling some people about yesterday, but no one believes me," He sighed.

     "Do you blame them?" Alaska asked. "You do have quite a reputation for your practical jokes, you know."

     "Just let it rest, you guys," Chanse insisted. "You don't want word to get back to the headmaster, do you? Scarlet and Pyra would get into trouble for sure, and the rest of us could too for not telling him about it." Scarlet had already told her that she planned on covering up any evidence that the 'love potion incident' ever occurred.

     "Yes, that would probably be the best thing to do," Serenity agreed.

     "I guess you're right," Jinx sighed. "But I still can't figure out what happened to all of my film."

     "Yeah, it was weird!" Candy agreed. "One minute it was there, and poof! The next it was gone! I wanted to earn lots of money from selling those pictures, too," She pouted.

     "Umm... By the way, Jinx, where's your brother?" Chanse asked, changing the subject. Hopefully they would never discover her part in the film's disappearance. She still wasn't completely sure why she had felt so compelled to give it to Jacob.

     "He woke up really early this morning and went to the temple," Jinx answered. "He said he had a few things he wanted to think about. It's not like him to miss an assembly, though."

...

     Fiore knelt in front of the shrine dedicated to the element fire in the school temple. A small, eternally burning flame flickered in front of him. Its warm glow and soft crackling calmed his spirit. If he concentrated, he could feel the element pulling at him gently, waiting for him to wield its power. Joining the call of the fire was the softer pull of the element earth.

     He sighed softly. It was the first sound he had made in over an hour of meditation. Although he was sure he had done the right thing by confronting Pyra, he still couldn't help but feel a bit guilty.

     If only I had told her sooner, perhaps she wouldn't have taken it so badly, he thought. Jinx had informed him of yesterday's love potion incident last night. He was relieved that there had been no permanent damage done. And, although he was a bit angry over Pyra's attempt to sway his heart with magic, he also felt partially responsible for her actions.

     Then there was Chanse.

     I have never felt such a connection with anyone else before, he thought. Could it be love I am feeling? But we just met a week ago. Is it really logical, to fall in love that fast?

     No matter what, I would like to get to know her better, he decided finally. If it really is love, it will reveal itself in time.

     As these thoughts crossed his mind, the fire flickered, appearing for a moment to take the form of a phoenix, like the one on his sword. Startled, Fiore observed the pattern, watching it shift into the form of a dragon before it vanished.

     A vision, he thought, breaking out of the trance. But what does it mean? It didn't seem ominous- just mysterious. He didn't have long to ponder the odd occurrence, because just then he heard the first bell ring.

     Oh, no! he thought, dismayed. I must have lost track of the time! I missed the assembly, and I'll be late for class if I don't hurry!

     Fiore stood up, giving the fire one final glance. Then, he hurried away from the temple. Outside, the sky was starting to turn gray with clouds. We may be getting some rain later, he thought, as he ran.

...

     "Where did he go?!" A female voice yelled, disappointedly.

     "I don't know, Stacy!" Another girl cried. "He was just here!"

     "Maybe he went that way?" A third suggested.

     "Let's split up and look!" A fourth said.

     "Oh no, you don't, Tracy! We're sticking together!" The first voice insisted.

     "Yeah, What's the big idea?!" The second voice agreed. "If you find him first, you may try to keep him all to yourself!"

     "Okay, okay! Chill out, Miranda. Jeeze."

     From inside the janitor's storage closet, Fiore sighed with relief as the four voices faded into the distance.

     It seems that word has gotten out that I'm 'single' he thought. How irritating. Those four girls had been following him around all morning, to the point where he felt as if he were being stalked. Stacy, Tracy, Amanda and Miranda, he sighed, remembering their names. All of them were Freshmen. The four of them seemed to have the crazy notion of starting some sort of fanclub dedicated to him. And they weren't the only ones following him around, either. Quite a few other girls, and even a couple guys had approached him as well. How embarrassing.

     A sudden knock on the storage room door made Fiore tense. They've found me, he thought, dismally. Most of the others had taken his polite hints that he wanted to be left alone, but these four girls were being persistent.

     The doorknob turned, and Fiore blinked as a ray of light entered the otherwise dark room. To his relief, it was only his brother that was peering in at him.

     "You can come out now, bro," Jinx said, laughing. "Although I think you're crazy to run away from all those pretty girls like that. I wish I was that lucky!"

     "Funny, I don't feel very lucky." Fiore said, ironically. "Unless, of course you mean bad luck."

     Jinx shook his head in puzzlement. "I never could figure you out. If all of those girls want to date you, why fight it?"

     Fiore remained silent. He hadn't expected his brother to understand.

     "Anyway, it's time for lunch now," Jinx continued. "So are you coming, or are you going to hide in there all day?"

     Fiore was tempted to do just that, but his stomach betrayed him. He had skipped breakfast that morning, and hadn't eaten much for dinner last night, either.

     "I'm coming," he sighed, stepping out. "Although I'd be happier if I could just vanish from everyone's sight, like you can. Want to trade powers?"

     "Stop complaining! You don't mean that!" Jinx scolded, dragging him along towards the cafeteria. "Honestly, Fiore, what would you do without me?" He teased.

     Fiore gave his younger brother a look.

     "Nevermind, don't answer that!" Jinx laughed.

     It was an ongoing joke between them. Fiore couldn't help but smile.

...

     Pyra had intended to stay in bed all day, moping. She had gotten hungry, however, and decided she might as well go to the cafeteria for lunch. Or at least some chocolate. Yes, lots and lots of chocolate, she decided. Then, she would probably return to her room and sulk some more. Hopefully I won't run into anyone, she thought. Especially Fiore. She just couldn't face him right now.

     As she walked across campus, she noticed how gray the weather had turned. Ominous thunderclouds hung in the distance, threatening to spill over with rain. Just like my mood, Pyra thought, sadly.

     She still couldn't believe that yesterday had taken place. That Fiore, the one she loved most dearly, had told her he had no more feelings for her than he would his own sister. Why couldn't he just love her as much as she loved him? Would he ever change his mind? Perhaps some sort of spell would work.

     Then, she thought of yesterday's incident with the love potion. Or perhaps not, she decided. Besides, was that what she really wanted? Chanse's words yesterday had struck her much harder than she had let on. 'How could you be so selfish, as to try and control his heart,' she had said.

     Selfish. That was how she was feeling right now. Selfish, and guilty as well.

     I guess... I'm just lonely, she thought, miserably. She felt a bit of dampness on her face. Must be raining.

     "Hello, beautiful," A familiar voice came from behind her, suddenly. "You're looking a bit glum today. What could cause such a lovely face to look so sad, I wonder?"

     Pyra turned. Jerith Whitewind, in his usual white owl feather cloak stood in front of her. His blue-gray eyes regarded her calmly, and he was smiling, faintly.

     "It's nothing much," she sniffled, not wanting to talk about it. My face is probably all puffy from crying, she thought, embarrassed.

     "Nonsense," Jerith said gently, brushing a stray tear off her cheek. "I can tell something has upset you. It troubles me, to see such sorrow in your beautiful eyes."

     "I... I'll be all right." Pyra stuttered. Did he just say I was beautiful? It sounded like he did, she thought. Although Fiore had always watched out for her, he had never told her that. Her heart thumped. Come to think of it, he is very handsome, she observed. His well-tailored clothes showed off his tall, lithe figure. And his hair is so cool, the way it's cut. It surprised her that she had never noticed before.

     "Are you sure?" Jerith asked, his face full of concern.

     "Um... well..." She replied, uncertainly.

     There was a rumble of thunder, and then it began to rain in earnest.

     Great, just perfect, Pyra thought. She was getting drenched.

     As if from nowhere, Jerith pulled out an umbrella. He popped it open, and offered it to her.

     "Thank you." Pyra blushed, gratefully.

     "It's nothing." Jerith said, dismissively. "It wouldn't do to have you catch a cold, now would it?"

     "What about you?" Pyra asked, feeling guilty. "You're getting soaked. At least come under here with me."

     "Don't worry about it. I'd do anything to help a beautiful girl in need." He turned to go.

     "But... your umbrella," Pyra protested, calling after him.

     "Keep it," Jerith said, waving. That went well, he thought, satisfied. He turned a corner, and felt a familiar presence as he did so.

     "Just what are you up to, Jerith?" His younger brother glared at him, coldly. His black robes were spelled to keep out the rain. The water slid down the dark fabric and collected in puddles at his feet.

     "Jealous?" Jerith smirked. By now, the rain had soaked completely through his clothing, but he paid it no heed.

     "Why should I be?" Jacob snapped. "Both of you are self-obsessed morons. You deserve each other."

     "Silly me," Jerith grinned. "I forgot. It's her younger sister you really like, isn't it?"

     "That's none of your business." Jacob glowered.

     "I know! We can go on a double date. Me and Pyra and you and Serenity. Won't that be cozy, brother dear?"

     "Sorry, I'll have to decline," Jacob retorted, sarcastically. "No girl is worth having to put up with you."

     Jerith smoothed a stray lock of damp hair back into place, calmly. "No need to be rude. If you feel that strongly about it, I'll just date them both by myself."

     "Damn you!!!" Jacob cried, lashing out in anger. The fist he had aimed at his older brother's jaw passed right through his face, to his astonishment.

     "Tch! Very amateurish, to be caught off guard like that, my dear brother." Jerith mocked. "If you had been paying more attention, you would have noticed that the real me left about a minute ago."

     "You jerk!" Jacob growled. "Just like you to leave behind one of your illusions, while you go hide somewhere. Coward!" I should have been able to tell, he thought, dismayed. Was it because I lost my temper? Or are my brother's powers getting stronger? He had to admit, the illusional image was perfect, from the cocky grin to the little droplets of rain sliding down its hair. The only difference, now that he noticed, was that it gave off a residual power signature, rather than a direct one.

     "Never call me cowardly," Jerith snapped, loosing his cool for the first time during their little exchange. But it was only briefly. The cocky grin returned. "I simply had better things to do with my time than waste it with you. And I'll waste no more of my magic, either. See you around, brother dear." Thunder rumbled, as the illusion faded into a blur and vanished.

     "Hopefully not anytime soon!" Jacob yelled. Several students, who happened to be passing by just then, gawked at him for apparently yelling at the rain.

     "What are you looking at?!" Jacob snapped. He chanted a spell, and the shadows gathered around him, carrying him away.

...

     Chanse watched the rain sheet down the windows of the cafeteria. She had always liked rainy weather. If she listened closely enough, she could hear music in the raindrops. It was a song that not many could hear. Only those with certain types of water-based powers had the privilege of being audience to the tuneful melodies played out by that element.

     Adding itself to the tune was the song of the element wind. Rarer still, was an individual who could hear both. If she wanted, she could listen to one element, or the other, or both at once. Or, by simply ceasing to pay attention, both melodies could be easily ignored.

     "What do you see out there?" A familiar voice asked her, gently. Fiore.

     "It's not so much as what I see," she answered. "It's what I hear." That's right, she thought. His powers are Fire and earth based. He can't hear it.

     "And what do you hear?" He asked, curiously. Through his studies, he had heard that certain water and wind based magic users perceived the power of those elements as music. Chanse must be one of those people, he thought. What must it be like, he wondered, to hear such a symphony? Fire and earth elements, for some reason, did not have a discernible song. Instead, he felt their power more as gentle tugging, which could be focused through written images and careful movements.

     "Beautiful music," she answered.

     "I wish... that I could hear it, too." He said, wistfully.

     "Maybe... maybe you can, a little," She said, thoughtfully, pulling out her flute.

     Fiore watched, closely. Chanse put the flute to her lips, and began to play, softly. It was a strange tune. Strange, but beautiful, nonetheless. It reminded him of the rain itself.

     Chanse stopped playing. She had merely summoned the power this time, and hadn't given any instructions to focus the magic.

     "That's... the song the rain is making right now," She explained. "Well, sort of, at least," she blushed. "I'm really not good enough to play it exactly how it really sounds. And, it's always changing. But I guess it was close enough."

     "It was beautiful." Fiore complemented. "I've never heard anything quite like it. You're a very talented player."

     "Thanks," Chanse blushed.

     The two of them continued to watch the rain until the bell rang.

     "Time for our questing class," Chanse said, hopping to her feet.

     "Shall we go together?" Fiore asked.

     "Sure," Chanse answered, smiling.

...

 

 

This story and its characters are © Chibi Ningyo (Cara V.), 2000.

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