10A/N: Another chapter. Amazing. Told by Kaoru. Probably from now chapters with be less like diary entries and more like POVs… I'll change the last few entries maybe…
Ahh, I think I screwed up the last two chapters. Maybe after this chapter I'll take them down and rewrite them to make a new beginning.
Anyway, this chapter isn't terrible interesting. Most of it is explaining (or trying to) what the hell is going on.
I should have planned!
Don't worry, there is a plot, I've just about figured out what is going to happen. Finally!
And for those interested in will involve fantasy, fighting, magic, romance and humour, but in a fairly modern kind of way.
And thanks to the kind people who reviewed me! *waves at them* I have some messages to you at the bottom of this chapter!
"Okay," I said, as the teenagers sat in front of me wearing the new clothes they had been given. "Now, I want you just to listen to me, as I try to explain, because this is complicated, and a little bit beyond believable."
"No offense man, but everything that's happened today has been a little bit beyond believable." Akira said unpleasantly from the back, fixing me with his steady gaze. I ignored him and glanced at everyone else to check they were listening.
"Do all the people here have blue hair?" Asked Kazuka, the blonde girl, absently, a vague and slightly dreamy expression on her face.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Rei snapped at her. Kazuka looked like she'd been slapped. Perhaps she wasn't used to people talking like that to her. Then she crossed her arms, and began sulking slightly.
"Right." I began, "This is where I live. I'm an apprentice to a mage. My Master, who is also the prophet here, saw you here in a dream of his, and that is not to be taken lightly, I assure you. Have you heard of something called a vampire?"
From the looks on their faces I could tell that they had. All except Toru. His face remained emotionless and clear. The others, even Akira, had gone several shades paler.
"You mean, those creatures that drink people's blood?" Asked Sora, her face sheet-white and her eyes wide.
I couldn't help but laugh. "No. This vampire is stealing people's energy, or in the case of my master, his power. People all over town are falling sick, or have a tiredness they can't get rid of."
"But why us?" Asked Rei.
I sighed. To some people things were coincidence and to others, fate. There was no way to make these teenagers see that this had no logical explanation. I certainly couldn't explain why they were important. Especially the blonde girl.
"You weren't affected by the time-freeze." I said. "And you were able to jump between worlds with minimal thought. I don't know what it means, but it obviously means something."
"You mean you didn't engineer it that way?" Akira frowned. "You didn't put some anti time-freezing charm on us?"
"I couldn't. I had no idea what you looked like. I was very relieved when I found you all moving." I admitted
"So, why come all the way to our world?"
"My master dreamt of you, like I said. Our worlds aren't really that far apart."
"So who is the vampire? How come you haven't put a stake through his heart?" The boy asked, looking greedy for blood. I don't know what values they were taught in their own world, but I hoped they were civilised. They seemed it, but then, you never knew…
"We don't know who he is. Or she. Why would we put a…stake…. through their heart?"
"It's part of a story", Rei explained "In our world, vampires are just a myth, and that's how you deal with them."
"Or you eat garlic." Added Sora. The blonde girl pulled a face.
I didn't know what they were talking about, but I gathered it didn't taste very nice.
"So, what do you want us to do?" Asked Rei, in a final tone.
I looked straight at her brown eyes. "I want you to help me find the vampire."
She gave a half-laugh. "You know, if my day hadn't been so strange already, I might find this very weird."
Sora laughed. "Very surreal."
"It's meant to happen." I said.
"Why?" Akira asked.
"Why?!" I echoed back at Akira
"Yeah. Who said it was meant to happen anyway?" He demanded.
Sora grinned. "Kaoru-san just did." Akira glared at her and looked menacingly at me.
"Well, even if I believed in coincidence, the coincidence that this is happening is infintely small."
"What do you mean?" Asked Rei, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.
"Well, the fact that my master dreamed of you, for a start, and you exist is far too small a possibility to be coincidence, added to the fact I found you. The fact you all happened to be in the same place at the time of the freeze. The fact you all agreed to come, the fact you all made it, it has to mean something."
They were silent.
"I don't get it." Said Kazuka, "What does it mean?"
I sighed. "It doesn't matter. Anyway, tomorrow involves a lot of training, so you should all get some sleep. I got the next room set up for you."
"What sort of training?" Asked Akira, sounding interested and not rude for the first time.
I shrugged. "Some physical stuff, perhaps some Mage-work too. I want to see if you have latent abilities. I mean, I couldn't jump through a divide withour training, and I'm pretty powerful." I added, quite modestly, considering.
"So… you can do magic?" Asked Sora, trying to get her head around the idea.
I nodded. "Something like that."
"So do something." Enthused Kazuka, her shame forgotten. I looked at the rest of the group. Sora was staring at me wide-eyed and Rei looked vaguely interested, but Akira looked challengingly at me, and Toru's face, half hidden behind his dark hair, was impossible to read.
"I already stopped time. What else do you want?"
"I don't know, " said Kazuka. "Can you turn Rei-chan's hair black?"
I shrugged and glanced at Rei quickly.
"Okay." She said, raising her eyebrows.
Shutting my eyes, I imagined things, Rei, her hair, colours, a few symbols, which I then moved my hands to create.
"Woah. Rei-kun. Go for it." Commented Akira, nastily. Everyone was looking at her new black hair, and she was gingerly holding a strand of her hair to her eyes. She looked different, but it sort of suited her. It made her face seem more pale and delicate, and her brown eyes stood out. It made her more… striking.
"How long will it last for?" She asked.
"Not long. It'll probably wear off maybe tomorrow, or the day after. Or I can remove the spell if you want."
She shrugged and smiled slightly. "Nah. It beats dying my hair."
I didn't ask.
"So, unless anyone has any other questions to ask, I think you should get some rest."
"Uhm, Kaoru-san. Why can't your master just do a spell to figure out where the vampire is?" Asked Rei.
"It's not that easy." I said, shortly. I didn't add that Nicodemus was sick, old, and getting worse daily. Perhaps soon he wouldn't even recognise me.
I felt sad; he was dearer to me than a father – I had left my parents when I was only three, and he had been all my family since then. I had hated him at times, but now he would no longer scold me and punish me, I could see that it had been for my own good.
Why was it that everything came too late?
"So, uh, where are we sleeping?" Interjected Akira and even though it was a question he seemed to be glowering slightly.
I sighed. It was just as well I was so shattered,or I would probably end up fighting him. And winning. What was his problem?
A/N: I know, I know, not the best of chapters. Sorry…
So.. my faithful reviewers…
Tenni! – Hi Tenni! Thanks so much for reviewing me twice *hint*three*hint* times! The pairings are all set, and now the background's set the action and romance can finally get going! I'll probably just have three POVs, and alternate between them… ^_^
Punkispurple – I like Toru too. If you're still reading this, there's a lot more about Toru in the next chapter (half written). In fact the whole chapter is basically about him…
Lunar-Souls – glad to remind you of you and your friend. I'm not stalking you… I swear… *laughs evilly*
Lisa Guinevere-Jean – Go Spork Queen and Alonzo! Reality was left far behind in my story. You can be my official cool reviewy person of chapter 3, because you reviewed twice and Tenni has already been cool reviewy person.
*steals crown from Tenni and gives it to L G-J, then feels bad, so gives Tenni, PiP and Lunar-Souls sparkly tiaras, some chocolate and a few paperclips*
Hmm. You can have some flowers too.