Iuvenes Magi Magicae

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Karou had been sitting peacefully at her desk, drawing on the corner of her paper, when the nurse charged into their classroom, her eyes wild, both her hands wrapped tighty around an assault rifle. Karou swallowed when her eyes landed on her. Her pupils were dialated, her knuckes white from holding onto the gun so hard.

She got up slowly from her seat, her hands up to show that she meant no harm. Her back was stiff as she poked the barrel against her back. Sweat dripped down her neck as she, along with two others, were led onto the roof. The wind tugged at her school uniform and her aqua hair slapped her cheeks.

She was probably going to die, either by the fall or by the insane school nurse holding the gun which looked like she didnt even know how to use properly.

She swallowed and shut her eyes before Eiji burst through the door. A blush heated up her cheeks. Eiji was decked out in black, his eyes bright with a fire that she never saw before. He also knew so much more than they did, and she had feeling that it would save their lives. She wanted desperately to know what he was thinking.

She opened her mouth to speak before the wind wrapped around her like tentacles and made her lose her footing on the roof. This was where she died.

She waited to hit the ground, to feel her bones shatter and her blood splatter all over the ground below, but it didnt. Instead, Karou floated to the ground much like a leaf in autumn. What?
 
As Eiji explains this realm, one could see the color drain from Yuzuki's face. These things were frightening, and Eiji fought them. That explains why he disappears often, and Yuzuki begun to respect him more; he was only protecting everyone. But that respect also paved way for worry. It seems like he fights specters by himself. No one helping him or looking out for him.

"I'm sorry." Her presence here must have made it harder for him. Not only did he have to fight this specter, but he had to keep her safe. Another thing for him to worry about.

They approached a stairwell and at his request, Yuzuki climbed onto his back. With one leap, They ascended upwards, as if flying. At his question, she shook her head; this particular part of the building was forbidden to students and most of the staff. They landed in front of a very large door covered in chains and locks. It seemed impossible to get through, yet Eiji was able to open it with one hard kick.

Inside was a humongous monster covered in wings. In the center of it was a very large eye, bright beams emitting from it. Little winged creatures flew closer to them. To Yuzuki's horror, the creatures were disfigured, bloody body parts. She wretched in disgust. This was even more frightening than the ruined school hall.

"Stay still . . . I'll take care of this," he said. An unrecognizable letter appeared above her, encasing her in what looked like a magical barrier. She watched him move towards the large monster, moving from place to place as he fought it, leaving runes wherever he went. Finally, he cast one large rune and the light from the monster went right through before appearing in various places all around them, hitting the creature. Once it was gone, the dungeon was gone too and Yuzuki realized they really were on top of the roof.

"You aren't to tell anyone what you saw here . . . And don't ever make any strange deals with anyone either . . . trust me, it's in your best interest," he told her as the magical barrier around her disappeared.

"I―I won't," she promised.

There was a yell and on the other side of the roof was the nurse, pointing a gun at a group of people whom Yuzuki recognized as part of their class. They looked like they were about to jump.

"No don't jump!" she cried, following Eiji to save them.

There was a gust of wind, strong enough to send them toppling over. Yuzuki feared the worst, until Eiji suddenly dived after them. All of them returned moments later, being lifted by the same kind of letter Eiji used to keep her in.

"Are you guys alright?" she asked, helping others to stand up.

"What the bloody hell just happened!?" screamed Kaoru.

Yuzuki started, turning back to Eiji. He was still in his odd costume, his secret even more exposed. She gestured at his outfit; maybe if he hid before anyone noticed, no one would suspect anything. Though she doubted any of her help could save his identity now.
 
"That's a good question... Hiding the facts from you will just get you into more danger. I don't know why you were targeted, but, if something like this happens again, you may not get so lucky...", he sighed, and helped them up off the ground. "You know I'm Eiji, of course. And I know you, Kaoru, Karou, Amelia, and Yuzuki. Despite what you all may think, the nurse isn't crazed. She was being mind controlled, but that can't be proven to normal humans... she'll likely be jailed despite her innocence.", he turned to the unconscious faculty member, and frowned, shaking his head. "It might be confusing to you all, because you've had no experience with specters before. Specters are sort of background entities that will exist as long as humans do. Wherever and whenever a human feels sorrow, or rage, or despair, the dark energies that humans emit condense and create a specter. A specter's entire reason for existing is to cause more grief, increasing the numbers of it's kind. What you've seen today are the effects a specter could have on the real world. It will manipulate emotionally weakened humans to commit murder, or suicide. I have no doubts that your deaths, and the panic caused by the nurse would have done quite a bit to further the specter's plan. But I killed it. I am a magi. It's my duty to act in the background and stop these sorts of things from happening. Of course, I can't just state that I'm going to hunt a specter when I leave class. You all are probably aware of what would happen. I must act in the background. Other magi would have let you all perish to protect their identities, but even if it's detrimental to me... I have all your best interests in mind.", he stopped speaking for a moment, and waved his hand at the door to the roof, putting a seal over it to block it shut. Authorities would likely show up soon, possibly even helicopters. "I haven't got much time... I'd like you all to meet me later to discuss this. In the mean time, do not accept deals from strangers.", he transformed his costume back to the school uniform, and pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket with a pen. He wrote something down, and handed it to Yuzuki. "It's my phone number. Please contact me if you run into inhuman trouble. Your experiences today could only lead to further danger.", he stated, and rose a rune circle behind him, putting his hands in his pockets and walking into it. The circle disappeared, along with the rune blocking the door to the roof. Police poured onto the roof, and a helicopter arrived. They were alone and safe, with the nurse.
 
Ameila was on top of the roof along with a few other students. She wasn't too far from the edge. "I can't believe I'm going to die before I cpuld actually make a few more memories." Amelia thought. A few tear drops came out of her eyes. "Just when I had something going for me." She had finally admitted something to herself. Soon enough a voice rang out that caused her to turn around only to let the wind take advantage of the confusion and sweep her off her feet and towards the ground. She waited for the never-ending sleep to finally come, but nothing did happen. Instead she was still living like she had hoped.

Amelia listened to Eiji's explanation to what was going on. "In the mean time, do not accept deals from strangers" He said. That line in his explanation got her attention. "Isn't that common sense?" She wondered. Eiji soon disappeared and the police came to take his place. "What do we do now?" She asked the other girls.
 
When Eiji started talking, Kaoru didn't know what to think. She had just been through some of the craziest stuff imaginable, but all this? Mind control? Specters? Dark energy? Magi? It was as though they had stepped into some kind of fantasy realm. She barely processed what Eiji said, since every word just made a thousand questions pop into her mind. Perhaps the worst thing he said was to 'not accept deals from strangers'. What kind of statement was that? 'Strangers'? Were they going to draw attention for their part in this? For all the things he had just tried to explain, he didn't even attempt to elaborate on what was probably the most ominous and serious sounding statement he had made.

Last thing he did before leaving was to give his number to Yuzuki. What, he didn't care to let the others have his number? Or did he expect them all to stay together? The latter was probably a good idea, but then again, they all had lives to get back to. What the heck were they supposed to do, now that they had inadvertently involved themselves in this? Could they keep living without being in fear of visits from 'strangers'? There was just so much they couldn't possibly figure out on their own.

"Hey, let me have that number too." She said to Yuzuki, now that Eiji had left. It couldn't hurt to have it on her own phone, in the case the group all got split and something happened. Eventually, the police turned up on the roof. Some paramedics took Midori and Keisuke away, so she didn't need to worry about them....unless they got a 'stranger' visiting them sometime soon. And they hadn't even been awake to hear Eiji explain anything. For now, Kaoru was just going to go with the flow. Heck, maybe the police would take them into protective custody or something like that...
 
Karou
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Karou looked at Eiji, trying to disguise her intrest. He basically just murdered a... Thing, and tried to brush it off like a piece of lint. How odd. She cocked her head to the side, her blue ponytails brushing against her cheeks. Eiji was something different, and he had never wished harder before that she could know what was bouncing around inside his head.

No. There was no way she would meet him later. Not with these other girls. She didnt even like them all that much. She nodded at Eiji.
"Thanks, but ill pass. I have.. Something I need to do later."
She turned on her heel and left before he could say anything else. She didnt want him to see the envy in her eyes. She wanted to be the one who walked Eiji. Karou never felt so lost before.

When she was out of sight from the girls and Eiji, she took off at a brisk run, tears pricking her eyes. She hated not knowing so little when she had just seen so much. Her legs were burning and her lungs were aching, but the pain felt nice after everything she just witnessed.

When she made it home, her throat was raw, which made it difficult to breathe. Karou leaned against the door frame, holding her sides and crying. She wanted to know what just happened. She wanted to be a part of Eiji's world, but she had no idea how.
 
"Aah, thank you," she said as Eiji handed her his number. Karou immediately denied his request for a later meeting and ran away before anyone could say anything. Eiji left right after, leaving Yuzuki, Kaoru, and Ameila.

"Hey, let me have that number too," said Kaoru

"Oh, sure. Let me also get your numbers, just in case." She exchanged numbers with the two others. Officers appeared moments later, surrounding them. "Listen, whatever they ask you, don't tell them what Eiji told you. It's really important we keep what Eiji does a secret, okay?" she hoped the other girls could understand why this needs to be kept under wraps.

Yuzuki was guided by the police into an ambulance with the other unconscious victims, checking her for injuries on the way to the hospital. She was then taken to an empty waiting room where an officer asked her a series of questions. She told them after taking Eiji to the nurse's, the nurse told her to wait so she can write her a pass back. She was gone for a while, and when she did return, she had three other students with her, all from her own class. The nurse, preaching something about letting them fly free, forced her and the others to the roof, pointing a gun at them in case they didn't comply. Yuzuki made sure to omit anything related to Magi, specters or any of the bizarre things she had seen today. She was let go afterwards and her mother was waiting for her, frantic over what she heard happening at Yuzuki's school. They drove home where a call from her father was waiting for her.

"Yuzuki, are you alright? Your mother told me what happened. Are you hurt?!"

"I'm okay, Papa, I'm okay," she told him, retelling the same story she told the cops.

"I'm so glad you're okay. I was so worried, Yuzuki."

Yuzuki had to agree. She swiftly changed the subject with her father and asked her how the observatory was and Hawaii. He told her everything he has been doing at the observatory, all the things he has been seeing and the data gathered so far. Hawaii was remarkable too, but it was nothing compared to what he has been seeing in the telescopes.

"And with how things have been going, I should be home this weekend. Just in time for the meteor shower."

"Can't wait!" she said elatedly. "I'll talk to you later. Love you, Papa."

She hung up and Yuzuki changed out of her uniform into regular clothes. She lay on her bed, one arm over her eyes as she settled for a nap. Except she couldn't. She was exhausted and wanted to just move on, but after everything today, a nap seemed impossible.

What was supposed to be an ordinary day, turned out to be anything but.

On her bedside table was the number Eiji gave her. Still lying down, she picked it up, holding it above her. "Magi . . . ," she murmured.

What exactly are Magi? And what did Eiji mean by not taking deal from strangers? It was common sense not to, but Yuzuki felt there might have been more to it.

Having given up on that coveted nap, Yuzuki opted to go for a walk, telling her mother she really needed some fresh air. Her mother reluctantly agreed, but gave her a very tight curfew, one earlier than normal. Yuzuki couldn't blame her; after all, her mother had almost lost her today.

The sun was already low in the sky when she got out. Once she was off her house property, she took out her cell phone and punched in Eiji's number for a text.

{To: Eiji, 6:33pm: Eiji? It's me, Yuzuki. Where do you want to meet?}
 
Shortly after Karou stopped crying, something spoke. It wasn't an actual sound, but more of a mental message. "Hello. You appear to be in some distress... but, I can fix all that, if you'd like. My name is Kyuubey, and I can grant you the insight you are seeking if you wish it. But to wish, you must become a magi. You'd share Eiji's fate, and get to truly understand him, if that's what you wanted...", the creature said, and hopped down off of her bed, padding over to her. "Well, hat do you think? Will you become a Magi and take your wish? You certainly have some potential as a Magi. With experience, I'm sure you'd lighten Eiji's load considerably.", the creature said, then remained silent, just staring at her with it's pink eyes.
 
Karou​
Karou jumped. What the hell? She heard a voice? No. Impossible. Karou lived alone, and it was the middle of the day. Nobody would be around here at this time. She was delusional. Maybe she got the same thing the nurse had. Seeing things, making her do things she didnt want to do. Something was wrong with her. Maybe she just needed to eat and sleep. Yeah.

Karou turned and saw a pink creature walking torward her, with eyes much like a rat. Fear pounded in her viens. What the hell was this thing? It wasnt a rat. No way. This thing was too big to be a rat... Did it just talk? Oh Gods, she WAS going crazy. She turned and looked at the pink creature. IT was glaring at her with those jewel eyes, reading her, analyzing her.

Karou was going to ignore it until it mentioned Eiji, and lightening his load. She could always tell when he was burdened, the way his shoulders sagged, the tempest behind his eyes. She wanted to know what sort of information was bouncing around inside his head.

"A wish? You aren't some sort of... Genie, are you? I don't believe in crap like that... I dont quite understand what you mean by... Magi. Do I need to kill people?"


"Yes, a wish. I'm not a genie, Karou. A Magi is not specifically meant to kill people. A magi's purpose is do hunt down Specters, which are creatures that do harm to humans, and bring hope to humans in theprocess."

"You're saying.. I could help Eiji?"

Karou looked at the little thing expectantly. She wanted to get closer to Eiji. Anything to do it. If she could get closer to him as well as help.. She would do it.

"What do I need to do?"

"Indeed. Simply make your wish so we can fulfill the contract, and I'll turn you into a magi."


Karou swallowed. If this was real... It was probably equivalent to signing your soul to the devil. If it was fake, well, it wouldnt harm anybody. If anything, it would be a dissapointment. She wanted to be closer to Eiji... Wanted him to look at her without passive eyes, despite the storm raging behind them.

"I-I want to read minds. I wish I could read minds."

"Then so be it.", Kyuubey replied, and took a few more steps forward. The appendages from it's ears reached in side her, straight through her chest, and slowly pulled out a sky blue gem. "You are now a magi. Your wish has come true.", it said, and backed up, before crawling under her bed and disappearing. Karou was left with her gem.
 
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Finally, the day was over, and Kaoru found herself at home. She had told the police what she expected everyone else had; the truth up until the point where Eiji intervened. As for what happened to the nurse, rather than make some kind of story, she just told them she didn't know what caused her to collapse. The police were skeptical, but they had no reason to question her account. After all, it did appear as though the nurse had just plain collapsed at some point. After their questioning was done, she was released, and her parents arrived to take her home. They fussed over her, naturally, but Kaoru kept her cool. Not to mention that she would rather not worry them, but she was also more concerned with mulling over what she had learned today. The existence of supernatural phenomenon and people called "Magi", and especially Eiji's vague warning about 'strangers' and their offers.

When she arrived home, Kaoru asked to be left alone to work out. While her parents didn't like the idea of leaving her alone after an event like that, they understood that her exercise was usually her way of releasing stress and calming down, and so left her to it. Alone in her room, going through her routine, she continued to think about today's events. She tried to put her thoughts into a logical order; first asserting that what she knew was that there were apparently supernatural creatures called 'specters' in this world, or so Eiji had told her. Apparently they could influence people into going nuts, like the nurse had done. Eiji was also apparently something called a 'Magi', that was capable of fighting these creatures and, again according to Eiji, had a duty to do so.

Now was where she started to make assumptions. She could only assume that there was more than one specter in the world, possibly countless specters. In that case, it was more than likely what happened today could happen again. Heck, events like this could be happening around the world as Kaoru sat here doing push ups and sit ups. Of course, terrible things happened all the time, and Kaoru knew this. She kept up with current events an awful lot. But if nothing else, this particular situation had been brought close to home, and she might still be in danger, if Eiji's ominous warning was more than common sense. If more of this was to come, what could she do about it? She wasn't a magi, that was for certain. Was it possible to become a magi? She couldn't answer that by herself. For all she knew, it could be a bloodline thing, or you might have to make a demonic sacrifice, or just put on a silly outfit. Anything could be true.

But she also wondered if she would really want to be a magi. It would apparently mean taking on a responsibility to hunt those creatures. Did she want to live a life full of nothing but fighting? When she thought about it... she kinda did. Not that she wanted to fight things for the sake of it, but she always found herself drawn back to the fact that this could be a danger to herself and others. If a magi was the only kind of person that could defeat these creatures, then perhaps she should try to become a magi. Then she could help people out, just as Eiji had helped them today.

It occurred to her she hadn't actually thanked him for that. They probably would have all died if he hadn't got involved. Of course, she acknowledged that being grateful was the last thing she had in mind in the mess of everything that had happened that day. Oh well. She also remembered she had his number, as well as those of the others, excluding Karou. But rather than leap into contacting him, she felt like resting for today. She would probably benefit from thinking on this more....
 
[fieldbox=Karou, teal, solid]

Karou blinked as the creature dissapeared. So it was real.

In her palm rested a small gem, decorated with intricate designs on the edges of the little thing. Inside swirled something opalescent, but she guessed with was the lighting.

Karou sat on her bed and leaned back, pressing the little gem to her heart. Something told her that this little item needed to be protected at all costs. Something to be cherished or something... Horrible would happen. She paused. Didnt... Didnt Eiji said not to make any deals? She didnt understand then, and was even more confused about it now. She had no idea what it meant, but... She made a wish, not a deal. Wasnt that finding a loophole? She hoped so.

She sat up and swallowed. She had no idea what to do. Had no idea how to go out and fight these things called 'specters'. She didnt even know how to fight in general, let alone fight something that could possess and make a junior school nurse go haywire with a rifle.

Karou groaned. Something told her she was in for something way over her head.

[/fieldbox]
 
Eiji watched Karou leave... That might be problematic but... he left the scene without another word to them. He could find her later and try to settle things. For now, he laid low, going home, and re-charging his gem with the newly obtained grief shard. What was left he put with other empty grief shards for later. After that he did another sweep of a section of town and found no specters, so he got something to eat at a cafe. That's when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Yuzuki had texted him.

{To: Eiji, 6:33pm: Eiji? It's me, Yuzuki. Where do you want to meet?}

He finished his food, and paid for it.

{To: Yuzuki, 6:47pm: There's a bridge not too far from your house. The one that crosses over towards the industrial area. You must know of it, right? I'll be there at around 6:50.}

He shut his phone, and placed it in his pocket, before walking out of the cafe. He had waited a little long to give her a reply back. Their time might be a little shorter than he had hoped... the sun was sitting on the horizon, and she would likely have to be back by dark. It was understandable, but not fortunate for either of them.

Her phone buzzed fifteen minutes later with Eiji's reply, providing her with the designated location. Indeed it wasn't too far from her house, but she had gone in a different direction as she waited for him to respond. She walked back the way she came then took a different route to the bridge Eiji described. It was already seven by the time the bridge came into view and there he was, waiting for her.

"Sorry I'm late," she apologized, jogging up to him. "Um, so, what did you need to discuss?"

Yuzuki showed up a little later than he had expected. He waited for her though, and as she arrived the sun was dipping below the horizon. It was seven o' clock now... there were some things he'd have to do later on tonight, and possibly even another hunt.

"That's fine. You wanted to discuss magi and specters, and the events of today, correct? Well, please ask any question you need to," he replied, leaning his back against the railing. "The topics are sort of convoluted to regular humans, but when you've become a magi, and lived as one for a while, it's as simple to understand as breathing. You've gotten a little taste of what really exists, and survived, so I believe you'd be able to understand me a little better than the others.... but exposure to these sorts of things without actually being a magi makes you more susceptible to their effects. You should try not to worry about them too much."

Yuzuki tried to follow as best as she could, but it seemed even more complicated and only raised more questions on the subject. She wasn't even sure Eiji would answer them. But he was right about her understanding him better. Skipping school, leaving in the middle of class, disappearing for long periods of time, it all made so much more sense to her now. A lot of rumors were proved wrong too, at least to her. Eiji isn't the bad person everyone says he is.

"You mean those things will come after me now?" she looked everywhere around her, as if expecting a Specter to suddenly show up. "I guess it's a good thing you gave me your number, so I can call you in case I'm in need of a rescue." She laughed, trying to cheer up the mood.

"It's very possible. The only way to be certain to avoid them is to not fear them... and try to remain positive. It sounds silly, but that's what they feed on... you can't be weak, or they'll eventually find you. It is very fortunate for you all that I supplied my number. I can only hope you have the opportunity to contact me," he noticed her laugh, and smiled, nodding at her attempt at humor. Yuzuki grinned at Eiji's smile, feeling more relaxed and starting to be more comfortable around him.

So to protect herself all she had to do was be positive. That's something she could do. Everything was alright in her life, she wasn't miserable or suffering, she had friends, a warm home, and parents she loved. Well, she missed her father, but that shouldn't last for too long. This should be easy, and if what Eiji said was true, then she might not even need to call him. She'll still keep it, just in case. You never know.

"Eiji, you say the life of a Magi is one full of hardship and I would be better off not becoming one." She too leaned against the railing, staring at the calm waters below; along with the reflections of her and Eiji she could see stars twinkling through the wisps of clouds. "So then why are you a Magi? If you hate it, can't you just quit?"

"It is very much a hard life, but there are some things... some things that are worth sacrificing your life for. In time, some of you may see no choice but to make a deal... you might be at your very lowest. That is when you must decide if life as a magi is worth the thing you wish for. In my case, I don't hate being a magi. It's difficult, but I chose this path, and I will walk it without regret. Some day I may die for my wish, and if that's the way it must be, then I'll accept my fate. Looking back on my wish, It was, and always has been something I've never regretted. That isn't to say that I wanted to give up my life, but... the cause was something I believed in, and still do."

A wish, huh? What could have made Eiji want to make such a wish? If she were faced with the same situation what would she even wish for? Yuzuki couldn't help but fathom the possibilities. "You know, you kinda remind me of a superhero. Fighting evil, protecting everyone, all for a good cause. And you have powers too. It makes you look really cool." She grinned again.

"Ahhh... yes, most normal people would think that. Trust me, if I could be a super hero instead of a magi, wishing would have been a lot easier. There are sometimes things a magi must do that would seem incredibly inhuman just to survive... and when you've been a magi for a long time, you begin to lose touch with humanity. You'll never get any recognition for anything you do... and despite your trying, you'll lose everybody you love around you if you don't die yourself eventually. It's not something I'd wish on anybody," he folded his arms.

"Wait, when you said I might be targeted by the specters because I've seen them, did you also mean by the others? Kaoru, Amelia and Karou?" She pulled out her phone, scrolling through her contacts. "I didn't get Karou's number, nor was I able to get her yours. She might be in danger, especially if she doesn't know!"

"That certainly is a problem... the sun is almost gone... I think it's time you head home. Please contact me if you run into any trouble, human or otherwise. I'm going to go check on her. Tell your friends I'll be speaking with them tomorrow as well.", he said, and bowed his head, then jumped off the side of the bridge into a rune circle below. Summoning one in public in plain view would not be wise. He'd much rather it be this way.

Yuzuki nodded and bid Eiji goodbye and to be careful, watching him jump over and disappear into another rune. She made her way home, having a quick dinner with her mother before working on homework. Midway through her reading, she stopped, her mind wandering to the others. She opened her phone and sent a group text to Amelia and Kaoru.

{to Amelia, Kaoru, 8:17pm: Hey, you guys okay? You don't feel anything weird . . .?}
 
Eiji soon arrived in Karou's room, falling through a mark in the ceiling. "I've come to speak with you....", he paused. "You didn't...?", he clenched his fist. He didn't have any right to berate her. He hadn't been fast enough. What the hell was she thinking? What was so worth throwing her life away? That was a stupid question... she didn't understand what her wish meant. She didn't know how badly she had messed up. He would have to take responsibility for letting her do this. "What did you wish?"

Karou jumped as Eiji suddenly just appeared in her room. Her cheeks heated up immediately. Oh Gods, Eiji was in her room. The moon cast a glow around him, giving him the impression of having a halo. She mentally swooned. If any other time, she would have chosen this time to try and win him over... Under different circumstances.

She opened her mouth to speak until something slammed against her head. Christ, did Eiji just throw something at her? Jerk.

No. It was inside her head. Images. Flashes of color. Was this her wish? Were these Eiji's feelings? Emotions? They were inside her head, a tempest, a whirlwind, hitting against the edges of her skull and making her groan.

She managed to get out a few words, but with the pounding in her head, she barely knew if she said it in a way Eiji could understand.

"T-Tell me what you wished for... And I'll tell you.."

"That isn't something that matters at the moment. Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand...", he replied, frowning. "I guess it doesn't matter what you wished either. As of now your life is forfeit.", he sighed. Kyuubey had tricked her in a moment of weakness, hadn't he? That little bastard... Sadly, killing him wouldn't fix any of his problems. He had failed once already, letting her become a magi. He had to at least save her from her fate if he could. "You're a magi now, so there's no sense in wasting time discussing our wishes.", he raised his hand, and a circle appeared behind him. "Step through here. We're going to figure out your powers before you have to fight a specter.", he told her. The circle lead to the top of the high school. They had locked the doors earlier today, and nobody would disturb them. The roof was large, so there would be enough room to use their powers.

Karou was holding her head, looking at Eiji through the long lashes of her eyes.

"Why on earth would I go anywhere with you? I have no reason to trust you."

Even as she said it, she knew it was a lie. The man had saved her from becoming part of the asphalt, as well as being a human version of swiss cheese. She sighed and stood up, walking into the circle with hesitation.

"Fine. Lets go."

"Hmph. You've made it perfectly clear before that you'd rather not listen to me, but as of now, I don't care. You don't need a reason to trust me, even if there are good ones. You have no choice.", he lead her through the circle, and closed it behind them. The moon was out now, and the afterglow of the sun's presence was turning a small bit of the horizon pink, while the rest of the sky was dark. The moon and stars could have been romantic for a couple, but Eiji wasn't thinking of that. "Well, you should at least have an instinct of what you can do, Kyuubey is kind enough to provide that. show me what you think you can do."

Karou stepped out of the circle and onto the roof. Judging from the view she had just earlier today, they were on top of the school. Ironic he would bring her here.

He was right, she had atleast a little instict. It was itching all across her body, untapped power that was begging to be free.

She closed her eyes and pressed her little egg-shaped gem to her heart. The air around her flashed a light blue before turning her clothes to a soft clay material and morphing aorund her body to produce a cute ass uniform. Her hair changed, too, a style that allowed mobility but also gave some sort of style. Something long and sleek materialized next to her, and out of instict, she reached out and grabbed it.

In a flash of blue and sparks, a scythe with a serrated edge formed, glowing with a strage cobalt glow. She hefted the scythe, and no matter how heavy it looked, it was light and managable.

That was it. She had no idea how to use the damned thing, and there was something buzzing around in her head, some sort of power that she had no idea how to release.

She looked at Eiji pleadingly, hoping he could help her in some way, shape, or form, to get the annoying buzz from her skull.

She transformed, and summoned her weapon, and the nature of her powers was revealed to him."Ah, so it's that wish....", he sighed. She had asked for mind reading. "Deafen yourself to the thoughts to remove the buzz, or focus to make it not hurt so bad. Your choice.", he said. He'd have to bury his thoughts around her. Letting her catch him thinking too deeply would be dangerous for everybody.
He summoned a sword, and brandished it. "You can summon multiple scythes and change their sizes. For now we'll try to familiarize you with your weapon. Attack me."

"A-Attack you? No way!"
She stammered, her hands tightening around the pole of her scythe. The blade seemed to pulse on the rod, the sharpened edge seeming to flash each time she got angry or upset. She looked at Eiji. No way she would attack him. Not a chance.

"Are you sure..?", he raised his sword to Ko Gasumi stance. "Then defend yourself.", he brought the sword low to his side, blade facing the ground, and ducked his head, rushing her surprisingly fast with the sword ready to attack. When he reached her, he slashed the sword up with both hands. She had three choices. She could guard, dodge, or get cut. The last result wouldn't happen due to him stopping the blade before it reached her. She wouldn't know how to heal just yet.

Karou screamed and dropped her scythe, sheilding her face with her hands, falling to her knees as Eiji raced at her. The blade seemed to stop in midair, Eiji hovering over her. She fell back on her knees, her legs falling out from under her as she landed on her back.

Embarassed, she stood up and brushed off her new clothes.

"What the hell, Eiji?! You could have killed me!"

"I could have. But you don't have the luxury of choosing not to fight. The moment you made your wish, your life became dedicated to this. You cannot and will not have a normal life. Your free time is to be entirely spent on defeating specters and becoming a better Magi. If you know what's good for you, you'll distance yourself from your loved ones before you hurt them too. If you choose not to fight, you will die.", he gave her a cold stare, and lowered the blade. "You aren't ready for this, but you have to be. Attack me, or, the next time I attack you I won't stop the blade.", he turned his back to her, and walked a few paces away, before turning back to her and readying his blade. "Go."

Karou stared at Eiji's back in disbelief. Had she made a mistake in her wish? Should she have turned her back on the little pink rat? Probably. The cold gaze Eiji was giving her made chills run down her spine.

She leaned down and picked up her Scythe, feeling the power pulse in her viens, as if the weapon was a part of her. In a way, it was.

Karou swallowed and looked at Eiji. She had no idea what to do, but if she didnt do something, she was going to get up close and personal with his blade, and that was the last thing she wanted.

Karou wanted to move, but her feet were rooted to the ground. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. What was she going to do? Tears burned her eyes. Eiji wasnt in his right mind if he thought she was actually going to attack him

Shit. Eiji was still looking at her. Time to move. She raised her Scythe above her head and ran at Eiji. Karou had about as much grace as a newborn horse. The scythe wobbled above her head before the blade fell forward, burying itself in the ground near Eiji's feet. Crap.

"So... How was that?"
She said sheepishly, trying to pull her blade from the concrete, but miserably failing. More than half of the blade was buried in the roof. She looked at him and offered him a small smile. Didnt he know he was wasting his time? She sighed and looked at the ground, still weakly trying to pull her scythe out.

"You don't have to worry about living very long as a magi with skill like that.", he replied, not smiling. He picked her scythe up out of the ground with ease, and twirled it. "If you have so much trouble attacking me...", he used a circle to summon a mannequin. "Attack that. But keep in mind that you won't ever run into an enemy that will not attack you back, or even try to get the first hit...", he sighed, and looked at the watch under his school uniform's sleeve. It was about time...

"Actually... go home. Your first task is to make it home using your new powers. if you can't do that, then you aren't even worth training.", he said, rather coldly. "Karou, I regret to inform you that your wish will bring you no closer to me. You'll have to act for yourself, and gain my respect to even have a chance. As of now, I expect much of you. Don't disappoint me.", he walked to the edge of the roof and dropped off, leaving her there. She had the ability to summon small barriers she could step on. She even had enough agility to hop roof gaps, and she could probably heal herself if she got injured. Being kind to her wasn't the way for her to learn. It might be for some of the other girls, but she required this goal to achieve better results as a magi. Even if she ended up hating him.
 
Kaoru had been in the middle of a set when her cellphone went off. Figuring it was better not to ignore it with everything that had happened, she dropped what she had been doing and took a look at the phone. Unfortunately, it was just Midori. It seemed she had recovered.

Midori: "omfg Kaoru wtf did u tell the police? O_o"

Kaoru had no idea what she meant by that, but she had a bad feeling about where she was about to go.

Kaoru: "Nothing other than the truth. Why?"

Midori: "i tried to tell them eiji was behind EVERYTHING. but they told me no one else mentioned him and that my story was INCONSISTENT! OMFG
(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻"

Kaoru: "Well maybe he had nothing to do with it after all?"

Midori: "nowai I KNOW he was in cahoots with teh nurse!!11"

Rolling her eyes, Kaoru was about to return to what she was doing before she received another message. This one was from Yuzuki.

Yuzuki: "Hey, you guys okay? You don't feel anything weird . . .?"

Now this got Kaoru's attention. It made all the paranoia she had been feeling about something coming after them come to a head again.

Kaoru: "No. Is there a reason we should feel something?"

Kaoru could only hope that this would turn out to be nothing, but she had a strong feeling Yuzuki wasn't texting just to check up on them. She had to have a reason to be concerned. Only time would tell...
 
Karou​
Karou stared after Eiji, her mouth hanging open. He did not just leave her on the roof of the school with no idea how to get down. The door to the stairwell was locked, and it was a three story drop. She'd most likely break her neck if she tried to jump and come out unscathed. She paced the roof, her scythe pulsing with a multitude of blues and whites, mixing with her emotions.

The next time she saw Eiji, she wouldnt hold back. Do her best to slice him finer than sandwich meat. How could he do this to her? He had no reason to be so cold. Just because she made a wish and became a Magi meant that she knew everything he did.

Karou sighed and looked up at the stars. She wished she had people to talk to, but the only person she could ever confide in now was Eiji, the same one who left her on this roof. Did she even want that wish? Or did she simply want to get closer to Eiji? Probably the latter. Her eyes burned with tears, all of the emotions building up at once. Her parents left her a house and took off. She had no idea where they were. Karou hardly had any friends. She kept mostly to herself. Karou was glad Eiji told her that she would need to distance herself from those she loved. That part was easy. There was nobody left she cared about.

She would probably die. This wasnt her thing. Would that be such a horrible thing? To give up? Atleast Eiji woudnt need to train her, to look after her. Maybe that was best.

Karou walked to the edge of the roof and looked down. Yeah. She would die if she dropped. That was the plan. They always said the first step was always the hardest. That was true. Karou swallowed and lifted her foot.

And dropped.

The air flew by in a whirlwind. She waited until she hit the ground. Waited to feel and hear her bones shatter. Would they make a sound? Would they sound like breaking glass? Or like stones? She waited. And waited.

She had stopped falling. The air wasnt pulling at her hair. She was suspended. No. A platform. What? No. That was wrong. The ground was still a few yards away. When she looked down, a light blue disk was below her, supporting her feet. Why hadnt she felt it? She wasnt even concentrating on making a platform. When she took a step, it shattered into billions of little pieces of glitter, sparkling and spinning in the air. Her feet touched the concrete below softly.

She wasnt dead, and that was awesome! Karou jumped, and her stomach flipped when she gained a lot more air than a normal person. Initially, she wasnt exactly 'normal' anymore. Another platform flickered to life below her, and it seemed a little stable. She was now in the air two stories up. With another jump, it shattered and another formed below her, level with the roof.

With a laugh, Karou jumped the roofs, platforms flickering and shattering if the gap was too large. She continued to laugh, her shoulders shaking as she bounced from roof to roof. The wind tugged at her hair and her clothes, her scythe pulsing with a bright cyan color.

Too soon, she landed at the front door of her home, out of breath. Her clothes shifted back into the ones she was wearing before, and her scythe shattered like her platforms. Taking out her egg, she noted that the blue was not nearly as bright, this time, it was a darker blue, mold looking spots floating inside. Karou shrugged and slipped it back into her pocket. She would ask Eiji about it later.

With a sigh, she slipped into bed, not even bothering to change, and passed out.
 
Amelia didn't understand what she was suppose to do, but a police office came to her for questioning. She was answering the questions without giving much insight on what happened when her parents showed up in a car. They excused her from the officer and escorted her back to the car so she could go home.

The car ride home for Amelia was quiet. Well, her parents were talking, but she was in her own thoughts. When she got home she did her nightly deeds and went to bed. Almost being killed tired her out.
 
Eiji hadn't slept that night. It was a very busy one, and soon enough another key player would come in, even if they didn't know it... He'd have to pre-emptively do something about her, before she made a wish on her own. He'd have to talk to her today as well, along with the others, so, he hurried along to school, purifying his gem, and carrying some extra shards with him just in case today turned out bad... He walked to school after cleaning up and eating, arriving in his class before anybody else as usual. Today he'd have to be extra watchful of the girls, and watch out for any more surprise specters that would pop up. He hadn't planned on the specter taking control of the school nurse and doing what it did... had it known about him and his plans? Why did it appear all of a sudden when he had never had to plan for it before? The questions bounced around in his own mind as he waited for class to begin.

{To: Yuzuki, 7:28 am: Karou contracted last night. I didn't arrive fast enough to prevent her from meeting the contract maker... I failed one of you. I'm not blaming you for having kept me... you needed that information. I had plans to protect all of you, but they keep getting messed with. You all need to be self-aware in case I can't stop something from happening.}
 
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Karou
​
Karou had fallen asleep in the clothes she wore the previous day. She had woken a good hour before school started, and decided to take a shower. The steam seemed to wash away the filfth, and had half hoped the night before was a dream. It all shattered when she saw the little gem, still cloudy and muddy looking, sitting on her nightstand.

After showering, dressing, and eating, Karou walked to school, carrying her gem in her skirt pocket. She had decided that putting it in her bag would be risky, so she opted to cut a makeshift pocket in the side of her school skirt.

Arriving at school, Karou walked into Homeroom, shooting daggers at Eiji as she did. Swiping her ID card into her desk, it folded out and she planted herself in it, slamming her books onto the desk. When class ended, she would give Eiji a piece of her mind.
 
{From: Kaoru, 8:30pm: "No. Is there a reason we should feel something?"}

{To Kaoru, 8:35pm: Yes, actually. I met up with Eiji and he told me we need to be more careful from those specters. All we just need to do is think happy thoughts. It's hard to explain, but you should talk to Eiji about your concerns. I promise, he's not as bad as you think he is! Stay safe and have a good rest.}

Next morning, yesterday's incident was all anyone could talk about. In fact, the moment she walked in, she was bombarded by questions from fellow students and friends, all of them asking if the nurse really did just snap and go crazy. She barely made it out of the small crowd surrounding her, escaping into a single user bathroom and locking the door behind her. As she caught her breath and waited for the students to leave, her phone buzzed.

{From: Eiji, 7:28 am: Karou contracted last night. I didn't arrive fast enough to prevent her from meeting the contract maker... I failed one of you. I'm not blaming you for having kept me... you needed that information. I had plans to protect all of you, but they keep getting messed with. You all need to be self-aware in case I can't stop something from happening.}

At that moment, the school bell rang and students began to disperse. Yuzuki left the bathroom and made her way to her own class, getting stopped by students every now and then but dismissing them and saying she had to get to class. The moment she entered the room, her eyes immediately went to Karou. She looked normal really, mad at something but nothing too out of the ordinary that Yuzuki could see. She didn't really know the blue haired girl that well, but it's still hard to believe she made a contract. She glanced briefly at Eiji, worry etched in her features as she sat down for class.
 
Yuzuki's reply was really quite baffling. "Think happy thoughts"? What was this, a children's story? Could these creatures be repelled by the power of positive thinking? She supposed that given the supernatural aspects of all this, it was hardly beyond possibility these creatures would have such odd behaviour. Still, it just made her feel silly to consider thinking "happy thoughts". Yuzuki also seemed to feel the need to assure Kaoru Eiji wasn't a bad guy. She wondered when she had ever made it apparent she hadn't thought that much of him. After all, she didn't actually have anything against him, and she couldn't recall ever making her thoughts clear around Yuzuki. Maybe she was just added that in consideration of Eiji's reputation. It probably wasn't worth fussing over.

It was time to hit the hay. Hopefully her dreams would suffice as "happy thoughts" to ward off these specters.

---

Needless to say, Kaoru did not sleep well. Thoughts of specters kept her awake, and when she did sleep, her dreams weren't terribly pleasing. She could tough it out though. When she arrived, some of the other students saw fit to try and ask her about what happened yesterday. Kaoru just glared at them, and they dispersed. She had no patience to put up with their nonsense after all that had happened. When she got to class, it seemed that most of her new little group of pals had arrived. She sat herself down at her own desk, where she was immediately contacted by Midori.

"Haha, Kaoru, can you see it?"

"What?" Kaoru braced herself for something stupid.

"I think Bluey over there has seen the light." She pointed at Karou. "You can tell she hates Eiji now! See, I told you he had something to do with it!"

"Even though I was there and know he wasn't involved?"

"Pfft, you probably just didn't see him. Don' worry, he'll be found out eventually."

Ignoring Midori's continued bile, Kaoru had to wonder about what was up with Karou. She had been acting odd since yesterday, when she said she didn't want to meet with Eiji later. She expected that under normal circumstances, a person would want to find out as much as possible about what they had gotten into, so there had to be something to it. Could she really just hate Eiji or something? Or maybe something more? She would have to wait and see.
 
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