Where It All Began

Four girls were destined to meet, one day, when destruction would rule their world. Their names were, Feng, Bing, Shen, and Dien (pronounced Dee-en). Each one became an orphan when one-way or another their parents died, either through poison, an accident, grief, or suicide. Though they were all old enough to remember, that their parents had given them a piece of paper, ripped, on two of its sides, before their deaths. Each of them had a guardian who took them in and taught them how to develop their magic. They lived with them till one day they were ready, and the guardians knew it.

Feng

"I'm back, Shoren!" yelled Feng as she entered her home. The first room was nice and clean, with a soft sofa in the middle. The organization of it ended at the next room. This one was cluttered with potions and racks of bottles and herbs. Pots of steaming liquid made the small place reek with a putrid smell. At the entrance a woman of 36 stood with her hair up in a bun and her forehead beaded with sweat. Strands of hair were always falling in front of her face, keeping her look young. In her hands, she held a jar of healing herbs and another of a thick brown liquid.

"Hold this Feng," she told the girl, "You'll be leaving soon."

The girl held the two jars and asked, "To where? You never mentioned anything about leaving."

Handing over more herbs this time wrapped in tissues, Shoren replied, "I never knew it would happen this early, I expected maybe around 20 that you would have to leave, but 13? Are they crazy?"

"Who's 'they'?"

"Oh never mind, go get your backpack, stuff some shirts and pants inside. Bring a coat too. Don't get anything too dressy; I doubt you'll need those. Sorry, but I don't know where you'll be going, and when you're going come back, if you ever will."

"But…"

"Go!"

Feng ran over to her room and got out her leather backpack. She went over to her closet and stuffed as many clothes inside, it was easy to pick out the non-dressy stuff because she had almost none. Going out of her room, she saw Shoren caring a small knife and a medium sized sword. "Here take these, you'll need 'em," said the woman handing over the two weapons. "Don't forget the paper!"

"It's already in the pack."

"Okay, you got the herbs and the juice right? I taught you enough for you to fend for yourself? You have the weapons, I know that."

"Yes, yes, and of course," the teen replied.

"Good, then what am I forgetting? Oh yes, information. You'll be meeting three other girls of your age, each with magic so don't go blowing people away, some might be able to fight back and beat you for once."

With that, Feng began to blush, remembering the time she blew away a whole picnic area when she was young. Some boys came over to 'teach her a lesson' and they were carried by a gust of wind into a creak filled with algae.

Ruining the flashback, Shoren said, "Now go on, I'm sorry I can't go with you."

They waved goodbye and the teen was left alone. Most people along the street avoided her, throwing a couple glances her way or muttering to their neighbors. She didn't mind having the reputation in the village of being the most powerful windmaster. What she did care, was that she wouldn't be able ask for help. Without knowing where to go she felt hopeless. So she decided to go on chance. She picked up a stick and marked one end with scratches. Threw it up in the air and watched it fall. The scratched part pointed to the forest and so that's where she picked to go. After all, what else could she do?

Bing

Bing, a teenage girl with white blond hair, pale skin, and cold blue eyes, was reading a book in her study, enjoying the nice day. It was bright and sunny, but little did she know, today was the day, that the world would change, and she would join three others to fulfill a destiny.

A woman walked in carrying a bulging medium-sized sack. Tears began to run down her face. The girl stopped reading and turned around. "Oh, Hannah, what's wrong? Shouldn't you be closing shop about now?" Surprisingly, the woman came over and hugged her.

"I cannot say, I cannot say…but that is not important now. It is time for you to go," said the woman as she handed over the sack.

"Go where?"

More tears ran down her face, but she wiped them away. "The sack should have everything you need, food, a canteen of water, and clothing. I'm sorry I can't provide you with more information, but it is time for you to leave."

"But how will you survive? I won't be able to make ice sculptures for you anymore. After all, you practically named your shop after it."

"I'll manage, don't worry. Though I do know one thing that may help you. There was an old legend among this village, so old, that only some know it. My mother past it down to me and…"

"Hannah…"

"Oh yes, it was a riddle or poem. I only know the first verse," she said with an apologetic voice.

"That's good enough, as long as I have some clue."

"Ok, here it goes,"

In a forest,

Four shall meet,

To learn of an evil,

They must defeat.

"…" She did not continue.

"? That's ALL you know?" Bing asked, stunned.

"I'm afraid yes," the older woman replied, blushing.

"I guess that will have to do. Is there anything else I may need?"

"Oh yes, of course, you know that ripped piece of paper? You'll need that and let me get a few things for protection."

Bing put her book down onto the desk and searched through the drawers that were connected to it. There were papers after papers and once in awhile a dead bug that never ceased to creep her out. Then she found it, under a bunch of old newspapers and documents. "I got it," she said as she stood up and inspected it.

As the girl put it away, Hannah came in carrying one pocketknife and one dagger; the dagger came with a sheath. "Here you go, I think I better show you a few tricks with the knife first. The small one is just for little tasks like eating."

"Okay… Are you sure it's safe doing it in here?" asked Bing, who was somewhat scared of violence, and usually hated it.

"Yeah I'm sure, I learned these tricks when I was younger than you were. Ok now I'll do the movement and you copy them using the knife."

They did this for a couple minutes, till Bing memorized all the moves. Afterwards she promised she would practice for a while each day, even though she hated it.

Finally, when they were completely done, they said a teary goodbye, and a couple of 'I'll miss you' 's and they separated, going along their own paths in life.

Recalling the poem, "Well it did say 'In a forest, four shall meet,' right? So to the forest I'll go! Hope they don't have spiders…" She shuddered at the thought of walking alone in the dark, surrounded by tall trees and then having a big black hairy spider climbing down on a string of its nearly invisible web, appearing in front of her horrified face.

All of a sudden, Bing arrived in front of a tree, the beginning of the forest. "I hope I know what I'm doing," she muttered under her breath as she entered the forest.

Shen

The third girl of power loved plants, though the surrounding forest did little to soothe her hot temper. She had bruises along her arms and one on her leg. That fat ass old man! Who does he think he is! I should have showed him a little of my power before I ditched him. Her tanned hands began to clench and her fingertips started to glow a dull green. Then a small voice whispered in her mind. Saying that won't get you anywhere and you know it!

"Yeah, I guess…" her stomach began to growl. "Time for breakfast!"

She coaxed up some edible mushrooms from the ground, and began to feed on the appetizer. For the main coarse she located a berry bush, using her magic for guidance. The sweet juices dripped from her mouth and stained her hands. Cutting some vines down with a pocketknife and weaving them into a small basket, using the leftovers to make a lid, made up for not having a portable carrying thing. Picking some extra berries and mushrooms; she put them in the basket.

Once she was satisfied, she decided to go find some water or at least a stream. Since she was good, very good, with plants she looked at each one, to see if they got greener, or if marsh plants grew by. That led her to a nice fresh stream in less than 6 minutes. She quickly made a reed bottle and smudged clay around it, then letting it dry hanging from a tree branch. Finally she could truly relax. Taking a few drinks first, then decided to wash up. No one was around, plus she could get some plants to hide her if she wanted to, but she liked the fresh air, and open space compared to her old conditions in a stubby room, with no windows.

She hung her clothes on a different tree branch and jumped into a deeper part of the stream. The water was ice cold, but she was used to it.

It was soothing to swim in the water, sometimes just floating along with the slow current, and then swimming back up once again. The water was clear and cold, mountain water. There weren't any pieces of dangling foam or algae, nothing murky.

When she was done, she gathered a couple of old grasses and made a nice mat ten feet away from the shore. Taking more grasses and a couple of soft branches she made a pillow. Lying down to take a nap, she noticed a blue jay hop over from branch to branch. A squirrel scrambled ups a tree, stopping once in a while to inspect its surroundings, and hurrying up once again. The scene calmed her, along with the sound of rushing water and the scent of pine air in the early morning. She finally drifted off to sleep, dozing in a wave of serenity.

Around noontime, she woke up, slightly sore from the pebbles and sticks underneath her. She got up and walked over to the hanging bottle. The clay on it was completely dry. Walking over to her resting spot, she dug a small pit three feet away from the bed, away from the stream. She stacked a couple of dry branches inside it and cleared the rest away. Then taking a matchbox from her pants pocket, she took a match out and stroked it. Tossing the lit match among the branches and setting them ablaze, created a nice campfire. Picking up the bottle, she held it over the fire, hoping to bake it.

Shen sat there for a while, and then decided that the bottle was done. She waited till it cooled down a bit more, then brought it over to the stream and filled it up. Good, she thought, no leaks. The girl drank some water, to test out the bottle; it tasted slightly sweet but was still extremely cold, even after its exposure to the sun. She looked up to see what time it was, judging it was a little past noon; she went searching for a fruit tree.

Wow, I didn't actually expect to find fruits in this forest, hehehe…all for me. Goodie! She hurriedly picked at the dangling cherries from the tree, and put them in her basket while at the same time eating them, spitting the pits onto the rocky ground. Filling up the basket with more food.

Dien

The Rose Wolf, or RW for short, was what Dien was called among her group of thieves. She was quick and agile, and she was also able to summon fire. Rose, was added because she was pretty, in a tough way, and because she was the youngest among the Karshel Gang. Her hair, rarely was not braided back, her eyes always bright and alert.

Today, the group was hiding from the government, after robbing a very rich bank. The name of Dien's gang was on every wanted poster for a mile away. They were the best of the best, and were led by one man, Teru.

Dien was busy sharpening up her skills. She threw ninja stars at a tree from a distance of twenty feet, by having a star between each finger, and then pointing her hand at the trunk, as if banishing someone, while letting the stars go at the same time, adding a spiral of fire around the star as she threw it. Each one hit the target that was drawn as an X on the tree trunk, though they didn't burn the tree, just leaving a slight scorch mark. After a couple of hits, she changed position and attacked the target once again, but from a different angle. Never once did she miss.

Teru walked over while the girl was lying on the ground, still throwing stars at the tree. He wore his usual garments, a long black coat like thing (like what lord Aoshi wears in rurouni kenshin or I think what that Neo guy wears), pants, and a red ribbon tied around his head (also like lord Aoshi!). Walking over to her, he cast a long shadow over Dien's body, causing her to look up. He put a hand on her shoulder and she shifted to a sitting position while Teru squatted, his ribbon, knotted at the back, letting out two ends blow around his face in the wind. "Rose," as he called her, "you must leave."

"Why? You know as much as I do, that I'm perfectly fine tagging along with you guys," she responded, smiling at her guardian that proved good enough to be her dad, after taking her in when her parents died in a fire incident.

"It's not that, or I would've never considered you leaving. You're like a daughter to me, but it is time for you to go," he said, as his face scrunched a bit from frustration. "I knew one day you would have to leave me. It's a feeling more than anything else, I believe fate commands that we go our separate ways…for now."

The forest was silent around them, as Dien sat there speechless. Leaves blew by, tumbling across the ground, but the wind cradled them once again, and they flew off.

Teru spoke again, "Yes, I know it's tough to believe…but…trust me…like you've always have."

"I'm not small anymore, Teru…but I will believe you…"

He gave out a noticeable sigh, and they both got up. "You'd better pack up. Bring your stars, I'll get you some extras and a small sword and dagger."

"Okay," she left and went over to her private tent.

Dien gathered every belonging she had. Digging through some junk she found a square of paper, about to throw it aside, her eyes caught a glimpse of the drawings and scriptures on it. A flashback went through her mind.

"Dien! Come over here honey," her mom called out to an eight-year-old girl.

"Coming, mommy!" Dien called out. She entered her mother's room, and walked over to the woman she loved dearly that was sitting on the bed.

"Here have this," her mom said as she handed a rather old looking piece of paper to her daughter.

"What is it, mommy?" the child asked.

"Keep it, it will come in handy some day…"

The next day, the house caught on fire while Dien's family was still inside and she was out playing. A passerby caught her as she was about to run in, as a small ray of hope told her that she still might save her parents, though the odds were against it.

She stuffed the sheet into her pocket and carried the rest of her stuff in a pack. Then putting her ninja stars into a leather bag that was always hanging from her belt. Meeting Teru outside, she put more inside, and added a dagger to her belt, stuffing the sword in the pack on her back.

"I'll never forget you, Teru."

"Neither will I forget you, my Rose Wolf."

"So where do I go now?" she asked, looking up into his face.

"Head towards the forest, there will be police searching for you, they might let you off easily because your young, but they may torture you for information. That's how it is in this era," Teru replied, with a look of worry in his face as he gripped her shoulders.

"Good bye then," her eyes began to sparkle.

"I'll see you again, I'm sure of it!"

"Bye, Teru," they waved at each other as Dien left, passing the tree with the X.