5This was edited on 7/06/2020 to enhance the appearance of the characters.
Enjoy!
In a world called "Sekai", 20 years had passed since the Queen of the world was overthrown by the Dark King. The King's Dark Soldiers, who were his minions, helped him to conquer the world. The Queen's champions, the Explorer Girls, named for their use of the Cave of Teleportation and travels, fought for the Queen as hard they could.
But they still lost.
Each Explorer and the Queen went into hiding. Meanwhile the King and his Dark Knights searched for them.
After the 20 years, the Explorers' and the Queen's Protection Stones, which hid them, lost their remaining power and forced them out of opening.
Now, it would be time for the next group of Explorers and Knights to take up the fight. The girls would be forced out of hiding, and their children with them.
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A young 18-year old girl was trudging up a mountain, through a snow storm. She was weighed down by bundles of firewood, but was used to this kind of exercise.
She trudged through the deep snow in her heavy pink parka, complete with a hoodie, a pink hat, pom pom straps, comfortable blue, insulated snow pants, and waffle snow shoes. She had pale skin and blue eyes and her hair was a caramel brown.
"I'm glad Mom let me wear my best clothes, today! I told her I wanted to use my handmade clothes from now on! They're just as good as keeping out the cold and they're more fashionable! 'You should only use your talents when you need to, Asama! You'll run out of materials and designs'!"
A cabin was not far from where she walked. It was old but made of sturdy lumber.
"I'm home!" Asama yelled.
Asama entered the cabin and removed her brown boots at the door exposing her white socks. She left her parka on a coat rack. What remained was a bedazzled pink top with beads in the shape of a heart and the leftover blue pants.
She noticed something strange on the rack. There was a purple parka, a green parka, and a flimsy blue jacket with a small hood. Two pairs of the boots were brown while another pair was black.
"Dad and mom's parkas are here, but what's this third coat here for?" Asama asked aloud. "Shouldn't there be more than three coats? We're supposed to have more people for company! Maybe more will come later?"
She heard voices coming from the living room.
Asama walked towards the voices and was met by the soft warmth of the dimming fireplace.
"I brought back more firewood like you wanted!" Asama announced.
Asama saw her mom and dad seated with a stranger. They were all drinking hot coco.
Her mother matched her daughter's pale skin and pale blue eyes. She had on brown slacks, a red sweater, and white socks.
Asama's father's skin was pale, but not nearly as pale as the rest of his family. His eyes were rather dark in comparison. He had on blue jeans, a red polo, and grey socks.
The stranger, was an elderly woman, with grey hair, grey eyes, and paler skin even more so than Asama and her mother. She wore a green T-shirt, blue jeans, and grey socks. She shivered in the cold.
Asama's family was used to the cold. They were dressed for the mountain weather.
"Hi, Sweetie!" Asama's mother called to her. "We have a guest!"
The grey-haired woman waved hello.
"Would you like some more wood on the fire?" Asama's father asked the stranger.
"Yes, please, Miya, Mr. Haruto," said the stranger.
"Asama, you know what to do," Asama's father, Haruto directed.
"Um. Mom? Dad? Who is this?" Asama asked, placing more wood in the fireplace.
"This is an old friend of mine," her mother, Miya explained. "And a guest for your birthday party."
"But my birthday's today!" Asama complained. "And you said only MY friends and our other family were coming over for my birthday! Where are they?"
"You'll find your new friend is good company," Miya interjected. "Hon, this is Kana."
"Well, I don't care who she is. I'm 18 and will make other friends. So, I can leave for the city and lead my own life. I mean, I'll still call you, text you, email you, but-" Kana cut her off.
"Young lady-and I must say you still are a young lady, even though you're 18-you will be doing lots of traveling all over the world," the elderly woman, Kana said with a sudden change in tone. "But only under my guidance."
"I don't even know you!" Asama said forcefully.
Kana turned to Miya. "Doesn't she know?!"
Asama's mother wore a guilty expression on her face. "We were only trying to protect her. We wanted to give her a normal life,"
"'Normal.'?!" Asama scoffed. "But I live and go to school out in the middle of nowhere!"
Asama's mother put up a hand to prevent Asama from speaking further. "But we trained her to make her own clothing," she continued. "She could make disguises for and during missions!"
"'Missions'?! OK! What's going on?!"
The adults looked at each other. After some silence, Miya finally spoke.
"Honey. You're an Explorer Girl,"
Kana tried to explain, "Explorer Girls are-" but she was cut off.
"I know what an Explorer Girl is!" Asama retorted. "The Explorer Girls help the world, wear cute outfits-which is the only thing I like about them-and fight bad guys. I'm not stupid! I just refuse to believe I am one! Besides how can I be an Explorer Girl? The last of them were defeated by the Dark King ages ago!"
"No, Sweetie," her mother began. "We just went into hiding."
Asama's eyes grew wide. "What do you mean, 'we'?"
"I am one of the four Explorer Girls who once served the Good Queen," her mother began. "20 years ago, the last sparing match we ever sparred was held. It ended with us failing. We each fought the four Dark Knights, but it ended in a tie. ALL of our powers were sapped as a result, even the King and the Queen's. The King wished to win by cheating, so we fled. The only thing that kept us hidden was the four Protection Stones. Now, their power have run out, days before your birthday. In fact, the first Protection Stone's powers are already gone. Your Protection Stone. You should know that we planned on having birthed all you girls with our remaining magic at nearly the same time. You are the first to be born, and the other 3 girls followed. We planned it so that 2 years would go by, making it 20 years would pass by. All of us women lost our powers completely, but you girls were born with new powers. YOU are ready. Unfortunately, the Dark Knights' children will also be ready. We need to prepare."
"Yes. We must begin your training right now," said Kana . "Since your mother never taught you magic, you'll be vulnerable and will have trouble using your powers. I will be your sensei.
"Can't you just take her to the Cave of Teleportation?" Miya begged. "Just until she's ready?"
"'Teleportation'?! Asama yelped. "Scientists say they're supposed to be dangerous! I learned that in school."
"It's not science, it's magic! It's perfectly safe," said Kana.
Asama slumped into the nearest arm chair and placed a hand over her face. "Do I get a say in this?"
The adults looked at one another.
Asama's father finally spoke up.
"No, Hon, you don't,"
Asama put her hand down and smiled. "I guess I don't really mind it, mainly because of the travel, the fashion, the fighting. Oh! And the magic!"
Kana smiled back at Asama. "Excellent way of looking at things. Come outside. We begin, now."
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Kana stood outside with Asama in a brand new coat.
"I have to thank your parents again for giving me this jacket," she said.
"It's a woman's down sweater hoody pullover," Asama explained. "See? I already know plenty."
"Forget about it. On to your training. First you must use your wand to manipulate the environment around you."
Kana handed Asama a stick with pink rune stones on it.
"What is this?" Asama asked.
Kana said, "It is your wand. The Wand of Winds."
"The Wind Wand?" Asama asked as she looked it over.
"'The Wand of Winds'," said Kana." With this, you can transform into an Explorer Girl. You will be the Explorer of Winds. Now, hold the wand aloft and shout, 'By the Power of the Queen, I am the Explorer of Winds!'"
"By the Power of the Queen, I am the Explorer of Winds!" Asama repeated.
Asama began to transform. She had on a pink blouse with a red bow, a red skirt with pink lace around it, red boots, and to top it all off, pink hair. She had pockets on either side of her skirt. She took out a compact mirror and admired her new look.
"Wow. I. Am. Amazing! And I don't even feel col.." Asama was cut off.
"Your clothes-your transforming clothes, anyhow-are good for any weather," Kana explained. "Now, back to your training-"
"Eeeeeeeee!" Asama squealed.
She clapped her hands and then twirled around. Then she took out a cell phone and began taking pictures.
"NO!" the woman called. "NO PICTURES!"
Asama stopped. "How am I able to keep my mirror and my phone, though? I mean, it was the only thing I had in it, but-Why? You jealous of my swag?"
"Of course not. I've got more 'swag' as you call it in my pinkie than in your whole body," Kana said with hands on her hips. "And anything that can fit in your pockets gets to stay in it. Your larger objects will disappear until you transform back."
"Riiight," said Asama with a back wave. "Now why do you think I shouldn't show all my friends?"
"Because," Kana began. "No one outside close members of your family can know you're an Explorer Girl. They'd figure out where you live and get the jump on you in your sleep. Then they could start a fight while you're unprepared. Didn't you know that?"
"Uh. Of course I did!" Asama said through clenched teeth, clasping her hands behind her. "But why don't we go after the Dark Knights the same way?"
"Because WE don't play dirty!" Kana went on. "Now, let's get to work."
Asama gave a smile and a salute. "Whatever you say, coach."
"That's SENSEI!" Kana said.
"Yeah, sure," Asama said as she went back to admiring herself.
"ASAMA!"
Asama snapped to attention. "Yes?"
"Pay attention!"
"And they said training a teenager would be easy," Kana remarked. "Now, wave your wand around in a circle."
Asama complied. She felt a surge of energy pass through the hole in the wand.
"Now, Asama. You must know that the Wand of Winds holds the most versatile of powers. It can control elements like water, earth and even fire. It can blow out fire."
"So, I'm the strongest?!" Asama grinned.
"No. Water and earth can crack open objects and fire can burn things. You're powerful, but not the most powerful," Kana explained.
Kana gestured in another direction.
"Now, aim that wand at that snowman over there."
Through the misty snow, Asama could make out, indeed a snowman.
"Who put that there?!" Asama yelped.
"I did. For your training," Kana explained.
"I'm not going to practice killing anybody, am I? " Asama asked.
"Nope. We ONLY ever spar," Kana said. "Now. Concentrate on your right arm and aim for IT'S right arm."
Asama concentrated. She caught it's left arm.
"IT'S right arm! You shot your power at the LEFT arm! You are so BAD at directions!" Kana said.
"Well, SO-RRY!" Asama teased. "Maybe you are just bad GIVING directions! Hold on. Why didn't the snow man's arm fall off?"
"We'll never do anything with loads of strength. How many times must I tell you?" Kana reminded.
"I guess that makes sense. Fine," Asama conceded. "Have it your way."
Asama and Kana were interrupted by the sound of twigs snapping. A whirlwind of snow effected their sight and a sharp cackling noise followed.
A young man appeared from the freezing air.
"Ahahahahahahaha! I have found you!"
The man appeared in a cape. He had green eyes and tan skin. He was dressed in red. A red shirt, red boots, red gloves, and red shorts. He had a red stone stitched to his shirt.
"I am Kyo, I am here to fight!"
"I don't care who you are! I'm gonna kick your butt!" Asama challenged.
She grabbed the wand from it's sheath and twirled it. The wand picked up snow.
The young man, Kyo, pressed the red stone to his chest. Only this time, he picked up the snow man and plopped his body inside.
Then the snow turned into a black ooze.
It circled around the snowman, and headed for Asama and her guardian.
"What?!" Asama yelped. "Can I do that?" she said as she whipped her head around to ask her teacher.
"No. You have the powers that come from the inside. The Dark Knights powers come from the environment. Well, yours, too, but not as good as his," Kana explained.
Asama kept twirling her wand, which shot air towards her opponent, but the young man kept jumping from one place to the other. He threw sludge balls at Asama. She fell after the eighth volley.
The young man began counting.
"One. Two. Three."
Asama struggled to stand.
"Four. Five. Six."
Asama shook from the pressure of the snow ooze.
"Seven. Eight. Nine."
Asama got up and threw a sludge ball at him.
"T-"
"Bullseye!" Asama shouted in delight as she pumped her fist in the air.
Kyo fell backwards.
The young man stood back up almost instantly. He roared like a lion as snow ooze spat in all directions, powdering Asama and Kana.
The sludge landed on Kana.
"NO!" Asama yelled.
Asama twirled her wand in the air and flung wind at her. She managed to scrape off the sludge.
Asama turned to face her opponent.
"Now's your chance!" Kana called. "Use the snow against him!"
Asama shook her wand and the powder kicked up a storm.
Kyo covered his head with his arms. He fell over.
He fought to get up but the wind was too powerful.
"I count now, right?!" Asama said over the gale's wail.
"FORGET IT! I'm not waiting to be mocked over being defeated! I quit. FOR NOW!"
The snow settled.
The young man disappeared in a puff of black smoke.
Asama's uniform disappeared, too, restoring her former clothing.
The sludge returned to snow.
"Hey! What gives?!" Asama complained.
"You mean the young man or your outfit?" the old woman asked.
"Both," Asama said.
"He was a Dark Knight," the old woman explained. "And your clothes go back to normal after each battle."
"But what about that gooey stuff he fought with?" Asama questioned.
"His 'ooze' or 'sludge'?" Kana pointed out. "That's how they fight."
"Well, it's gross!" Asama conceded.
"One more thing: You notice the stone on your wand and his chest, right?" Kana pointed out.
"Yeah. What are they?" Asama asked.
"They are your Power Stones," Kana explained. "They hold your true powers. If anyone ever takes yours from you, you'll never be able to fight again."
"And you tell me this, now?" Asama complained.
"Never mind that. We must go," Kana said, suddenly cheerful.
"We're not going home, are we?" Asama asked, frowning.
"Nope!" Kana said as she raised her right arm skywards and pointed. "We're going to see your cousins!"
"My cousins'?" Asama repeated.
"Yes! Your cousins!" Kana said. "But first, delete those pictures!"
'Well, I don't know why she's so happy, but here we go.' Asama said in her head.