"Good afternoon, class. For those of you who don't know me, I am Doctor Nora Strangefate, the head of the questing department at this Academy."

     Doctor Strangefate looked out at all the eager students seated in front of her in the lecture hall. Some of them she recognized, others she did not. "As most of you know, all high school students that attend this school are periodically assigned to "missions", or "quests". The danger level and difficulty of these missions vary greatly, depending on the capabilities of those assigned to them. The goal of this class is to help you do better on your assigned missions. First, we will go over a few of the most famous quests throughout history, and discuss what made them successful. After your individual skill levels are determined, you will be assigned to questing groups. You and your team members will be required to participate in few additional quests, as part of this course's requirements."

     Nora Strangefate noticed that a few students looked a bit worried at this point. There were always a few that didn't know what they were getting into when they signed up for this class. Sometimes they stayed in, but usually they got a schedule change. It didn't matter to her. She didn't want to force anyone to do anything they didn't feel they were ready for.

     "That being said, I want each of you to take this class very seriously. This school has a reputation to uphold, and the success of these missions plays a vital role. It is important that we use our talents to help those who are less fortunate than ourselves."

     A tendril of Doctor Strangefate's blonde hair escaped from its neat bun, and she brushed it aside, absently. "I will not be your regular professor for this class, since I have other duties to attend to as department head. Your regular instructor will be Ignacious Gump, but since he is busy preparing the labyrinth for the start of testing tomorrow, I will dismiss you early. Remember to check the bulletin board in the assembly hall tomorrow morning to see when you are scheduled for the labyrinth. I urge all of you to prepare yourselves for this test of your skills. For new students, there is information available in the library and on the campus's online database. If you have further questions, feel free to visit me in my office, room 123 of this building. Now, you are dismissed."

     Fiore was seated in the second row, between Pyra and Ren. Jinx sat in the row right behind them, between Alaska and Chanse. They stood up and started heading for the exit together.

     "Yay! Now Squinky and I can enjoy the beautiful day outside!" Jinx rejoiced, running ahead.

     The others followed him more slowly.

     "So, Chanse, did you have a labyrinth back at Corinth?" Alaska asked.

     Chanse shook her head. "No, we didn't have anything like it. The closest thing we had to questing was a volunteer program during the summer. I was usually too busy helping out on the farm at home to participate very much."

     "You grew up on a farm?" Pyra asked. No wonder she looks like such a tomboy, she thought.

     "Well, yeah," Chanse shrugged. "It's owned by some friends of my mother. When she died, I was left an orphan, so they kind of adopted me."

     "I'm sorry... to hear that about your mother." Fiore said, gently. "Jinx and I lost our parents when we were young, so we know what it's like."

     "Thanks, but it was a long time ago... about seven years. I never really knew her very well, either." Her mother had been a restless soul, always off someplace looking for adventure. The few times she had come back to visit Chanse, she had been reluctant to talk about her travels. All I have really is the flute she gave me when I turned eight, and her sword, Chanse thought.

     There was a long, awkward pause in the conversation.

     Ren saw that it was a sensitive subject for Chanse. "We have almost an hour until next period," She said, breaking the silence. "I think I'm going to spend it in the library studying."

     "I'm going to the kendo hall to practice for the labyrinth," Fiore decided. There was an outraged yell coming from the direction Jinx and Squinky had run off to. "After I check up on my brother, that is. Please excuse me." He sighed and ran ahead.

     "Are you up for a quick fencing match, Alaska?" Pyra challenged.

     "You bet I am!" Alaska retorted. "Would you like to come along and watch, Chanse?"

     "Maybe some other time," Chanse answered. "I think I'm going to go to the temple right now." She always felt a little depressed when she thought about her mother.

     "Um, sure..." Alaska said, awkwardly. She could tell Chanse was upset, although she was trying to hide it.

     "It's not far from the library," Ren said, gently. "If you like, I'll show you the way."

     "Sure." Chanse said, nonchalantly.

...

     "Mother... it seems that no matter what I do, I cannot escape the memories..." Chanse prayed softly, in front of the alter. "I still wonder... why you abandoned me the way you did."

     The earliest memory she had of her mother was being carried in her arms when she was very young- perhaps three. She had been sad and afraid for some reason, and her mother had comforted her, told her everything would be all right. Then came the memories of the farm. Her mother had brought her there to live with some friends. "Aunt Joanie" and "Uncle Hank" treated her very kindly, as if she was their own daughter. Just as she was starting to feel more secure, her mother had left her to go wandering. At first, she came back to visit every few weeks, then it was every few months. Finally, it would be about a year between visits.

     The very last time she had seen her mother alive had been on her eighth birthday. Spring was quickly fading into summer, and she had been working in the barn gathering eggs for breakfast. The sound of footsteps in the straw behind her made her turn around, and there stood her mother in the doorway.

     "Mommy!!" Chanse had yelled, running up to hug her.

     "You're getting very big," She had said, lifting her up in her strong arms.

     "I know! Today's my birthday! Is that why you came?"

     "Yes, my only daughter. I brought you a present." She had handed Chanse a simply-carved wooden box.

     "Oh boy!" Chanse had cried, accepting it. The box contained a beautiful silver flute. "Wow! I love it! Will you teach me how to play it?"

     Her mother had looked at her, sadly. "I'm afraid I cannot. I must leave soon."

     "But... why mommy? Why do you always have to go away? Don't you love me?"

     "Of course I do, Chanse! I'll always love you! You're all I have left!"

     "I don't believe you!" Chanse had snapped at her. "If you really loved me, you would stay!"

     "I really wish that I could... Perhaps someday..."

     "Why not now!?" Chanse had yelled, starting to run away, as tears streamed down her cheeks.

     The tears from her memory spilled over into the present. Still kneeling at the alter, Chanse wiped them from her cheeks.

     Before her mother had left her that last time, she had promised that she would return again. She never had. A little over a year later, a stranger had come to the farm, carrying a bundle and a message: her mother would never be coming back. Grief stricken, Chanse had forgotten all about the bundle until a few days later. When she had finally opened it, she discovered it contained her mother's sword.

     The sword... Chanse thought, suddenly remembering. Fiore was supposed to have one that looked a lot like it. He said he was going to the kendo hall... Maybe if I hurry, I can still have time to talk to him about it before my next class.

     She wiped away the last of her tears, and stood up, hurrying for the door. Out of the corner of her eye, a movement in the shadows caught her attention.

     "Who's there?" She called, making out a faint shape. Something about the aura in the room was familiar.

     The shadows appeared to solidify, taking the form of Jacob Whitewind.

     "Were you spying on me?" She snapped. She thought she had been alone. She hated to let other people see her cry.

     Jacob didn't answer her question, instead asking one of his own. "How... did you do that?"

     "Do what?" Chanse asked, taken aback by his tone.

     "How did you know I was there? You shouldn't have been able to see me."

     Chanse snorted. She really wasn't in the mood to talk to him right now, especially if he had been watching her when she was crying. "I really don't know," she replied, coolly. "Sorry to disappoint you. And it's really rude to spy on people."

     She turned to go. Jacob didn't do anything to stop her.

...

     Fiore maneuvered the bamboo practice sword through a complex fighting pattern. Thankfully, the problem with his brother had been minor this time. Another student had overreacted when Jinx and Squinky had nearly bumped into her as they ran through the hallway.

     Now, his mind was on Chanse. She really did seem depressed about her mother, although she tried to hide her feelings, Fiore thought. It must be a very painful memory. He had been about five and Jinx about three when their own parents had died. He remembered very little about it, only an image of his mother's face, telling him to be brave and to watch over his little brother for her. His father had handed him his sword. Then, there was a blank, a time where the memories faded away completely. The next thing he knew, he had woken up one morning to realize he was in a new setting, with his parents nowhere to be found. The Mystic family had treated he and his brother very kindly, and broke the news about their parents' deaths gently.

     Soft footsteps behind him caused him to turn, quickly. Chanse stood in the doorway, looking at him a bit nervously.

     "Umm... sorry to interrupt your training," She said.

     "It's okay," Fiore replied, putting down the practice sword. "I was about finished anyway."

     They stared at each other uncomfortably, each of them unsure what to say.

     Chanse finally broke the silence. "So, umm... Alaska tells me you like swords?" Lame, Chanse, very lame, she thought.

     "Yes, I do. Why do you ask?" Her eyes are a bit puffy, like she's been crying, Fiore noticed. Best to ignore it, he thought. She didn't seem like the type who wanted a shoulder to lean on.

     "Umm... well..." She stuttered. "Because she says you have a sword with a phoenix carved on it. I have one that looks very similar, only with a thunderbird..."

     "Really?" Fiore replied, interested. He had never before seen a sword like the one given to him by his father. "I would very much like to see it... If it is all right with you, that is."

     "Sure... It's in my dorm right now, though. May I... see yours as well?"

     Fiore smiled. "Of course, but I also left it in my dorm. I only use it for real battles."

     "The same with me... it was my mother's and her mother's before that..."

     "A family heirloom, then. Mine was also handed down through my family. Tell me..." He paused, almost embarrassed to say it. "Does your sword have a name?"

     Chanse stared at him, surprised. Naming swords was an old tradition. "As a matter of fact, it does... What about yours?"

     "Yes, mine has a name as well."

     "You go first..." She blushed.

     "My Grandfather named it "Wildfire", and it has kept that name ever since."

     "Mother called mine "Skyfire". I thought it was a pretty good name, so I call it that too."

     Fiore's golden eyes met Chanse's green ones.

     Although they had just met, something about her held his attention. When he was around her, he got a comfortable feeling, as if they had met somewhere before. Perhaps in another life, he though, whimsically, although he really didn't believe in reincarnation.

     Why couldn't she just speak plainly in front of him? Chanse thought, frustrated. What was it about him that made her tongue turn to jello? Usually it was really easy for her to talk to guys.

     The bell rang, suddenly shattering the moment.

     "Ummm.... err... that was the bell." Chanse stammered.

     "We had better get to class then..." Fiore said, but he stayed where he was.

     "Umm... How about we meet here after dinner, and bring our swords?" Chanse suggested.

     Fiore nodded. "That sounds like a good idea."

     "Ummm... Okay. I... really should go to my class now."

     "And I should go as well."

     Reluctantly, they departed.

...

     Alaska and Pyra were starting to get along again, just as Jinx had predicted, Chanse noticed. After classes were over, they had completely cleaned up the mess in the cafeteria together. Now, at dinner, she noticed that the two of them weren't glaring at each other every time they crossed paths, as they had throughout the day.

     Still, Alaska thought it would be best if they continued to sit at separate tables for a while. Which meant that Chanse didn't get an opportunity to really talk to Fiore at dinner.

     Their eyes met once from across the room, though, and unnoticed by the others they shared a secret smile.

     "Hey..." Alaska said, waving her hand in front of Chanse's eyes. "Earth to Chanse..."

     "Huh?" Chanse said, breaking out of her thoughts.

     Alaska gave her a quizzical look. "What's up with you? You're suddenly acting like a space cadet, or something..."

     "I am?"

     "Well, yeah. And your elbow is in your dinner."

     "Oh... So it is," she smiled, wiping it off with a napkin. "Sorry, guess I just have a lot on my mind..."

     "Whatever you say..." Alaska said, skeptically. She thought she recognized the dreamy look in Chanse's eyes, though. I wonder who the boy she likes is, she thought.

...

     "I'm going to the kendo hall to practice a little, and then to the library to study for the labyrinth," Chanse announced, carrying her sword case. "I'll be back in a couple hours or so."

     "Okay," Alaska said. She was painting her toenails with aquamarine polish. "I might meet you at the library later. I think Hiro may be working there tonight..."

     "Hiro?" Chanse asked, curiously.

     "Yeah!" Alaska's eyes turned starry. "He's a senior who works as a library aid. He's sooo cute!!"

     Chanse smiled. "Maybe I'll see you there, then."

...

     "I'm going to the kendo hall." Fiore told his brother, picking up the case that contained his sword.

     "That's cool," Jinx said, flipping through a comic book. "I think I'm gonna go to the photo lab in a little bit to develop some pictures I took over the summer."

     Squinky was chewing on a peanut. The two of them looked like they were trying to act innocent in order to cover something up. For once, Fiore decided not to care.

     "See you later, then," he said, heading out the door.

     Jinx looked after his brother, confused. "Hey! Waitaminute!"

     Fiore paused. "Yes?"

     "What, no 'Stay out of trouble, Jinx', or even a warning glare from you?" Jinx joked. That's usually what his brother did, whenever he left him alone. "Something's up with you..."

     "What? What are you talking about?" Fiore asked.

     "Oh, nothing..." Jinx smiled. "I just bet it's a girl or something..."

     Fiore stared at his brother, shocked. How did he know?

     Jinx did a double take. "Wait, you mean it really is a girl? I was just joking about it too! What a lucky guess!"

     Fiore started to turn red with embarrassment.

     "Hey, you're blushing! You must really like her! Way to go, bro! So, who's the lucky girl?"

     "I'm not at liberty to say..." Fiore replied.

     "Aww, C'mon! Please!? I won't tell Pyra..."

     "Sorry. I don't know exactly what my feelings are for her yet, or how she feels about me. When I find out, then I might tell you." Pyra... That was a problem he hadn't thought of, yet.

     "Well, okay..." Jinx said. He had planned on doing a little reconnaissance around campus tonight, anyway. Now he knew exactly who he should spy on.

     Fiore was too distracted to notice the mischievous look in his little brother's eyes.

...

     "Ahh... It's quite beautiful," Fiore said appreciatively. "May I?"

     "Sure, go ahead," Chanse said, handing her sword to him, carefully. It was really quite incredible how similar the blades actually looked, even at a first glance.

     "They do, indeed, look very similar," Fiore nodded. "The carvings on both blades look as though they were done by the same artist. But the most telling marks are these..."

     Fiore pointed to the kashira, the very tip of both swords' handles, where an artist's seal was surrounded by an intricate pattern on each of them- lightning in the case of Chanse's sword, and fire in the case of Fiore's

     "Yep... They're the same all right," Chanse nodded. Thankfully, her tongue seemed to have thawed a bit now.

     "And to further confirm it, there are similar markings partially hidden by the ito on both of them." He pointed to the silken cord wound around the handle of each sword. The cord was blue on Chanse's sword, and red on Fiore's, but there were dragon carvings and identical artist seals under each of them.

     "Yes, and the tsubas look a lot alike, too," Chanse said, pointing to the sword guards.

     "Whoever crafted these blades was a master. I'm afraid I don't know a lot about the history of swordmaking. I couldn't tell you anything about the artist who made them."

     "I wonder who he or she was?" The artist's seals gave no name, they were simply a trademark, a symbol of recognition.

     "Perhaps a friend of mine could tell us. Her father is a master artesian. Even if she doesn't know, he probably would."

     "What's her name?" Chanse asked, curiously.

     "Kris Brightmetal. Her specialty is making magical amulets, but her father makes magical weaponry. I'll ask her the next time I get an opportunity."

     "Hmm... it's kinda cool that one of the first people I meet here has a sword made by the same person who made mine." Now that she had been around Fiore a little more, she was feeling a lot more comfortable.

     "Yes... It isn't often that I meet someone who appreciates a finely crafted blade as much as I do." Even rarer was a girl who was really into kendo.

     The two of them gazed at each other.

     Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light about two feet away from their faces.

     "What the?!" Chanse cried, blinking.

     Jinx Masamune materialized in front of them, holding his camera. Squinky was perched on his shoulder. "Gotcha!" He laughed.

     "HEY!!" Chanse cried. She hated being spied on.

     "JINX!!" Fiore cried, angrily. "Give me that camera!"

     "Gotta catch me, first!" Jinx laughed, running away.

     "Oh no you don't!!!" Chanse yelled, following after him. No one was getting their hands on that picture! It would be totally embarrassing if everyone saw her getting all 'goo-goo eyed' over a boy.

     "Give me the film, at least!" Fiore hollered, joining the chase. If Pyra somehow got wind of this, there would be a lot of trouble.

     Still running, Jinx glanced behind him, frantically. "Oh, crap, they're gaining on us, Squink!" Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, after all. His brother looked really pissed!

     Squinky squeaked with alarm, and jumped off Jinx's shoulder to land in a nearby tree. Then, he vanished from sight.

     "HEY!! You traitor!" Jinx called after him.

     "Come back here, you weirdo!!" Chanse yelled.

     "Oh, crap, oh crap!" Jinx cried, looking behind him again. They were getting even closer.

     Looking behind at his pursuers, instead of the direction he was running, Jinx collided with something hard. The camera fell from his hands, and the film bounced out. There was still just enough light left in the day to insure that the negative was ruined.

     "Aww, man..." Jinx grumbled. Something had broken his fall, at least. Not that it would matter, once Chanse and his brother got ahold of him.

     "HEY!!! Get offa me!!" A black robed figure complained, from beneath Jinx.

     Jinx realized that the 'thing' that had broken his fall was actually Jacob Whitewind. "Whoops!" He stood up. Chanse and Fiore were standing a few feet away, glaring at him. Great, now he had three people angry at him.

     "Why don't you watch where you're going, you idiot!" Jacob yelled.

     Chanse looked at the broken camera and the ruined film. "If you ever pull a stunt like that again, I'll hit you so hard you'll wish you were never born!" She threatened, holding up her fists.

     "And I won't do anything to stop her, either," Fiore added. "I may even help."

     "Aww, c'mon, it was just a joke!"

     "A joke? Do you realize how angry Pyra would be if she happened to see that picture? She would definitely get the wrong idea!"

     The wrong idea... Chanse thought, her heart starting to sink. I guess he just wants to be friends, then. Stupid of me to think that such a smart, interesting, beautiful guy could fall for a tomboy like me.

     "Ummm... guess I didn't think about that," Jinx said. He had been too involved with the idea of spying on his brother. Now he realized that Pyra would have gone ballistic, taking out her anger on both Fiore and Chanse.

     "Look, Chanse... I'm really sorry. It won't happen again," Jinx said, earnestly.

     Chanse sighed. "Apology accepted. I guess we should just forget all about this little incident." Most of her anger had already evaporated, anyway. She wasn't the type to hold a grudge.

     Jacob glared at the three of them. "Look, can't a guy walk alone in peace without being bothered? I really have no interest in your stupid argument. I'm outta here!" He chanted a spell, and vanished in the shadows.

     Jinx picked up the broken camera. "So, now what?"

     "I was headed to the library to study for the labyrinth," Chanse said, quickly. First she had to retrieve her sword from the kendo hall, though. "See you guys later!" If he just wants to be friends, then I guess there's no hope for it, she thought, heading off by herself.

     Fiore looked after her, feeling a bit disappointed. She was acting so indifferent. I thought there was something between us, but maybe I was wrong. It figures that the first girl I feel a real connection to just wants to see me as a friend.

...

     From the roof of the boy's dorm, a white cloaked figure looked into a crystal ball.

     "Interesting..." He said, having just witnessed the entire exchange between Fiore and Chanse, and the events that followed.

     He smiled. "It would appear that we have a new player in the game..."

...

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

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