This is a FULL-LENGTH Fan Fic. At least the same length as Harry Potter. Do Not try and read in one session. You have been warned!

This is a Joint Fan-fic between Haru 93 and Me. Haru's viewpoint is in italics and mine (Gildas) is in underline and Normal type. Sorry for any confusion!

The first thing I was aware if was a thumping inside of my head. Ouch… What time was it? I flung my arm out from the warm cave I had burrowed into as I slept, and felt around my table to find my clock. After managing to knock off half of the random things collecting there, I found my clock and pulled it into my hole. I pushed the button to turn on the backlight and was momentarily blinded by even that soft light. Squinting at the clock face, I eventually worked out that it was just past seven am. So then. Now all I had to do was work out what day it was, and how to get out of the quilt that was tightly wrapped around me.

After a few minutes of struggling frantically, I found a gap to escape my bed through, and fell out of it – and onto the floor. Of course, I landed on my head, which did no good for my already pounding headache. I managed to stumble down to the kitchen to grab a glass of orange juice, which I took back up to my room and set it precariously on the top of a tall stack of books so I could turn on my mobile.

Scrolling through my address book, I wondered who would be awake this early on a Saturday – or who I could wake up. My eyes caught on one name, and I sent a quick text to my mate Gildas. ‘Hey. You awake? X’ – nothing special. Moments later, I got a reply: “I am now, you crazy freak . So, how come you’re up so early?’ I sent one back saying, ‘Dunno. Think it’s cus of this killing headache. Since we’re both up, d’you wanna meet up? One hour, in the park?’ He said yes, so I downed my orange juice and got dressed.

Gildas had been my friend for as long as I could remember. My mum used to work with his mum – the usual story. Then, my parents both died in a house fire while I was out, and Gildas and his parents took me in. They were so good to me; they gave me food to eat, a place to sleep, and a loving home. I couldn’t have been any more fortunate in that situation. But now I was sixteen, and with my job I was able to pay to rent my own flat, just down the road from Gildas.

I got to the park just on time and saw Gildas standing under the big oak tree. He looked so out of it that I couldn’t resist creeping up behind him to make him jump. He shouted so loudly that I couldn’t help but collapse on the grass in helpless stitches. “H-Hey,” I managed to stutter as I pulled myself together, taking deep gulps of the cool, morning air. “Hi,” he muttered back, clearly a bit annoyed, as well as tired. “Are you alright?” I asked.

Looking at Gildas properly, I noticed big, dark circles under his eyes, and his face was whiter than chalk. “Yeah, I’m fine – just tired. And you?” I didn’t believe him, but I knew that pushing him on it would do more harm than good. “Yeah,” I replied, “Except I have a really bad headache.” I rubbed my forehead with one hand. “My head feels like it’s on fire!” I let my hand drop, but didn’t open my eyes until Gildas gasped audibly. “What?” I groaned, and he pointed to my left hand – the one I had used to rub my head. I gasped then, too – I couldn’t help it. For sitting in the palm of my hand was a ball of fire!

I didn’t know what to do. I just stood there, staring transfixed at the crackling fire in my hand. Strangely, though, I could feel no warmth coming from it. “W-What?” Gildas stammered. I looked up at him – he looked as shocked as I felt. I clenched my fist and opened it again, but the fire remained, burning as brightly as ever. Panicking, I shook my hand, only for the fire to shoot out and set a patch of grass ablaze. Gildas somehow managed to keep a cool enough head to stamp on it until the flame went out.

“Let’s get out of here,” I whispered shakily, watching my left hand as I flexed each of the fingers in turn. Gildas nodded, and led me by the hand away from the patch of still smoking grass. But he stopped suddenly, and I bumped into him, almost knocking both of us over. “Sorry,” I laughed, trying to act carefree. Gildas didn’t answer; he just bent down. I kneeled down beside him, and looked at what had him so focused. There, lying in the grass, was a black, leather bound notebook. He picked it up and turned it over, on the front were the words, ‘Death Note’ in spindly writing. I couldn’t help but stroke the writing, it was sunk in, as though it had been inscribed rather than written on. Gildas pocketed it silently, and started walking off. I scurried after him.

Whilst walking away, I noticed something that stood out in the vast field. Looking at it properly, I could tell it was a figure wearing a long, black coat, with a hood pulled over their face. He was standing under the oak tree, where me and Gildas had been not five minutes ago. “Gildas…” I said. “What?” He turned to look at me while I looked back at the person. But he had gone. I was seeing things – not surprising considering what had just happened. “What?” Gildas asked, more urgently this time. “Nothing,” I muttered, and we walked off in the direction of my flat.

So me and Haru walked back to her flat. I could see by the look on her face, she wasn’t feeling comfortable with what’d just happened. And then she thought she saw... something... she never mentioned what. But all I could think about was that ball of fire, did we both imagine it, both imagine the smouldering grass? It was possible, we were both terribly tired. But Haru didn’t know just how tired I was, just why I was whiter than usual today...

Last night... I can’t even think of words to describe what happened. I was... sleeping... or was I? It’s all such a blur... but never mind. I was in my room, and in bed. That’s what counts. The lights were off, everyone else was asleep, leaving me to contemplate my life. Then, as usual, I started talking to myself. I always have done, me being a general Loner. So of course, being so engrossed in conversation, I didn’t notice the light softly shining through my window... or the silent creaks as the window latch unlocked, squeezing open a tiny gap to the outside world.

And that’s when it happened. I was totally engulfed in it. I say ‘it’, because I have no idea what ‘it’ happened to be. The darkness (or was it light?) enveloped me, and I felt a sense of weightlessness. I shut my eyes, tried to block out the darkness, or light, and counted. 1...2...3. Open. And what I saw shocked me to my very core. Gone was my bedroom, gone was the old figures of Dragons on my desk, the computer sat in a dusty corner... And in it’s place, the vast fields of

“Hey, are you okay?” asked Haru, “Your eyes went all blank...” I groaned. Now I’ve lost my train of thought. “Yes, I’m good, how far till your flat again?” Haru looked at me quizzically. Then she laughed, a long, Haru-style chuckle that I was used to. But her laugh had an undertone...Confusion? “Don’t be silly, Gildas. We’re already inside!”

My eyes darted around. She was right. Without even thinking, I’d taken at least a hundred steps, continued conversation, walked through a door, shut it behind me... What was going on? Before I could answer, however, Haru turned the palest shade she’d ever been. She was looking down, at my hands, clasped in my lap. Now what? I couldn’t be spouting fire as well, could I? So I looked down to. No fire, no... but something had happened. My hands... were glowing!

Haru was going ballistic. She looked frightened, confused, worried, annoyed, excited... every emotion you can think of was on her face, and in her body language. But I wasn’t. I was quite calm... and as I looked at my hands, my mind swept me back to last nights’ vision... I stood up from the chair I was sat on. Walked into the living room, Haru following behind. I needed space. I pushed her sofa to the back wall, ignoring her questions, which were becoming shouts quite quickly.

With enough space in the centre of Haru’s living room, I brought my arms above my head, and just like in my vision...began to dance. I knew I looked foolish. I knew that Haru was laughing in confusion behind me. I knew that she hadn’t turned off her webcam from last night, her Messenger flashing wildly with new messages. But that didn’t matter. All that mattered was that I kept up the beat, kept swaying my arms, flicking my hips. I knew I looked a fool. But I also knew that I had to do this. I had an innate ability, what it was I was unsure of, but something important, and this dance had something to do with it.

The beat in my head...no, my soul finished. I brought my arms down to my sides. Haru looked at me, confused, smiling, but the look in her eyes was one of complete shock. Silence. Neither of us spoke. Minutes, maybe even Hours passed. I heard the flapping of wings. Then two things happened at once. First, the water in Haru’s glass turned to ice. The glass shattered, and a lady in (well, not much really) appeared. She began to speak, in a sing-song voice. “Hello, Master. My na-"

Smash. Haru’s eastern window exploded. A black shaped tumbled through, wings seemingly broken. It stopped in the middle of the room, and I jumped back as it unfurled itself. Its face was grey, two large yellow eyes looked up at me and blinked twice. “Oh no!” the thing shouted. “I dropped my Death Note!”

I didn’t have a clue what was going on, but since these…people? Well, since whatever they were turned up, I suddenly felt a lot calmer. Actually, when the black figure fell through the window, my first thought was to offer them a drink. I looked at Gildas, and saw he was trembling slightly. I stepped forward, and spoke to the flying creature on the floor, who was breathing heavily. “Are you okay? You look hurt,” I said, kneeling down and examining the giant, leathery wing. He said nothing, but looked at me with his piercing eyes. I thought he was trying to scare me, and so simply stared back, unflinching. Eventually, he gave in, and spoke to me and Gildas. “Not really, I already told you, I’ve dropped my Death Note!” Gildas and I swapped confused looks. Noticing this, the creature began to talk again. “My name is Sha’dak. I am a Shinigami – a god of death – and I’ve lost the book that I use to kill people! Without it, I‘ll die, too!”

Noticing that me and Gildas still mirrored each other’s uncomprehending gazes, Sha’dak continued. “I am a Death God. I’ve come here from the Shinigami Realm because I lost my Death Note. The Death Note is a notebook, and when a human’s name is written into the Death Note, that human dies. Then, we death gods take their remaining lifespan and add it onto our own lifespan. That’s how we survive! So, I had to come down and find it, but on the journey down, I got tangled on a tree and did something to my wing, so now I can’t fly…” I still didn’t fully understand, but I didn’t need to. I ran my hands over his wings, checking for breaks. The Shinigami flinched at my touch, but didn’t try to stop me.

Gildas spoke then, and even if he was still shaking ever so slightly, his voice was steady and his words were sure. “We’ll help you look for your notebook, Mr. Death God. Tell us what it looks like and we can go check around for it.” Sha’dak turned his yellow eyes on Gildas, but his gaze seemed softer now. “Well, it just looks like a college notebook, I think…It’s black, and leather bound, with the words ‘Death Note’ written on the front. Inside it has a black page filled with the rules of use, and then an unlimited amount of lined pages. But there’s one thing I don’t understand. Humans can’t see us death gods without touching our Death Notes, so something strange is going on.”

I turned to Gildas, stunned, as he pulled the notebook from the park out of his pocket. It seemed to match the description we had just been given perfectly. Sha’dak made to grab it out of Gildas’s thin fingers, but I pulled him back. “You shouldn’t move,” I explained calmly, even though he was glaring at me, hatred coursing through his veins. “You’ll only hurt yourself more. You’re going to have to stay still until we sort this wing of yours out, and you’ll want to be calm so it can heal quickly. So can you tell me, is that your ‘Death Note’?” He nodded, and licked his lips quickly with a flick of his pointed tongue.

Gildas hung onto the Death Note. “I’m going to keep hold of this for a while,” he said quietly, “because I don’t trust you yet.” He put the Death Note back into his pocket, and now turned to the woman whose arrival had been unnoticed since Sha’dak fell into our lives – quite literally. She had a blue tint to her skin, and was probably taller than me and Gildas put together. Her hair – if it could be called that – hung in loosely curled tendrils around her face, and looked like fresh snow. Since she was interrupted by the Shinigami, she had not said a word, but when she next spoke, I found her voice was tinkling and light. “My name is Shiva,” she explained, “and I am the aeon of ice.” I stood by Sha’dak, applying cold water to a cut on his wing with a towel I had found nearby, and figured that Gildas’s dance must have called her here, for she was concentrating all her energy on him. She seemed to not even notice me and Sha’dak.

“Master, I will do as you please. What did you call me for?” Gildas seemed shocked to be addressed as ‘Master’, and just stared at her blankly. She smiled then. “I see this is your first summoning. Well, I am under your control, and whenever you call me, I will do my best to help you by obeying your every command. My element is ice, and so when I attack, every attack of mine has an ice effect.” Gildas was still confused, judging by the look on his face. “Summoning?...Ice?...Attack?...What is going on? What are you?” Now his voice betrayed him by shaking as he spoke. Shiva smiled even wider. “I am an aeon, Master.”

So there I was. I’d just performed some psycho dance, my mind not knowing what I was doing but my body moving by itself, then a nearly naked woman appears in front of me. Then, some winged freak calling itself a Death God crashes in, and asks for a notebook. MY notebook actually, as I found it. And after what he said about it, I wasn’t about to give it back straight away.

So. First things first. This woman, this ‘Shiva’ is... what was that word? Ayon? Ae-on? I don’t have a clue. She says her ‘element’ is Ice. So, she feels at home with Ice? I’m quite confused here. Before I even think, words start tumbling out of my mouth.

“So why are you here? What do you mean ‘Element’? Why aren’t you wearing any clothes? And why,” I continued, “Are you calling me Master?”
The woman / Aeon-thing just smiled. “So you ARE a first-time summoner. Interesting choice, Ice... They normally go for Wind. But no matter, you obviously seem a trifle confused. In answer to your first question, I am here purely to serve you, Master.” I shook my head in disbelief. “Next, by ‘Element’, I mean a primary force of Nature that commands certain powers over certain objects or even people. Ice, for example, freezes water and can heal with its cool, soothing touch.”

My head had stopped shaking. I was staring at the wall behind her, which, though blank, had begun to look... almost frosted. “Third, Master, I wear no clothes purely because I am unaffected by the chill of Wintery winds. On the contrary, they soothe me. And finally, I call you Master because you summoned me here. By performing the ‘Dance of the Diamond’, you have called me from the Ethereal realm to do your bidding. Are there any tasks you have for me, Master?”

By now I was shaking once more. I was drinking in everything that she said, and it all began to make sense. I still considered myself insane, but... not as much. I decided to put her abilities to the test. “You freeze water, right?” I asked, making sure I had things correctly.

“Correct, Master.” “Could you not call me that? Gildas is fine. So...Haru, could you get me a glass of water?” Haru nodded, and ran off to the kitchen. The... thing on the floor crept towards me. “Not so fast!” I shouted. “This notebook’s important to you, yes? If you don’t want it to be frozen, then smashed to a million bits by... Shiva here, then you’ll stay right where you are!” The Shinigami stopped its advance. Haru came back from the Kitchen with a glass full of water.

“Shiva... what’s the name of your attack? Or does it not have a name?” The Aeon tilted her head to the side, as if trying to recall the name. “ Hmm... Last I used it was 347 years ago... Aha! I’m pretty sure it was Diamond Dust. Or was it Diamond Trust? Either way, Mas...Gildas, say those words and the ability is yours to command.” I looked at Haru. She placed the glass on her table, and backed away.

I threw my right arm in front of me, palm forward, fingers outstretched. “DIAMOND DUST!” I called, and from my fingers came a bright blue, aquamarine glow. Within seconds, the glass smashed from pressure, and on the table lay a perfect replica of the water... but frozen solid. The water had turned to Ice, and I’d discovered a new power that I was certain I’d use again.

“Come on, Mr. Sha’dak,” said Haru, “Let’s get you off this wing.” As soon as he stood, the Shinigami lunged for me, determined to regain its Notebook. I grabbed its arm, twisted, then leapt backwards, taking the Notebook out of my pocket. “DIAMOND DUST!” I called once more, and the notebook was encased in a prism of pure Ice.

I couldn’t take my eyes off of the block of ice lying on the table. “This is so cool, Gildas!” I giggled. He didn’t say anything, just looked at me with an angry glare, and threw Sha’dak away from him. I stopped laughing at once. This was the first time Gildas had ever blanked me, and it was scary. I pretended to be fine, and went to find some bandages for Sha’dak’s injured wing. When I went back into the living room, Gildas was playing around with his new skills still, and took no notice of me. I led Sha’dak over to the two seat sofa, and sat him down, careful to mind his wing.

As I bandaged up the mass of black leathery skin, Gildas was freezing anything he could. I wasn’t going to stand it anymore. “Gildas, quit it. In case you forgot, this is my house and my stuff. Stop freezing everything.” He rounded on me again, and walked towards me until we were just centimetres apart. His eyes were glowing dangerously, and his mouth was twisted. “Don’t you dare,” he hissed, in a voice much unlike his own, “…don’t you dare tell me what to do! I could freeze you right here, right now if I wanted to.” I didn’t say anything, but kept my eyes trained on his.

Gildas turned away almost immediately, and I knew then that there was a problem if he couldn’t even look at me properly. I tied the bandage on Sha’dak’s wing neatly, and then turned to survey the room. The walls were distinctly frosty, and smoke was swirling around the carpet. It was…so cold. Everywhere I looked I could see more things that had been frozen…photo frames, light bulbs, coasters, books…Then I saw it. He had frozen the one picture I had of my parents, standing proudly in the centre of the coffee table. Something snapped then. I could feel the anger building up inside me, could feel the pressure rising.

“Fire!” I yelled, not knowing exactly what I expected. Again, there was a ball of fire in my hands, but this time there was one in each, and they were larger, brighter, and fiercer. I used the fire to melt the ice everywhere, and then closed my fists. I wasn’t sure how to get rid of the fire without throwing it at something – or someone – now though. I concentrated hard, willing the fireballs to go out. When I opened my fists, I was surprised to see that they had gone. “That’s enough, Gildas…That’s enough.” I felt drained, and yet in control. I knew how to use fire. That set me off wondering if I could control other…elements, was it? But before I could think about it properly, I felt a sharp pain in the side of me head that forced me to fly backwards.

I opened my eyes blearily to see that I was lying on the floor…I was momentarily confused, but then everything rushed back, and I forced my self to stand up. My legs were threatening to give way, but I managed to stay upright somehow. “What the hell was that for?” I yelled, determined not to give in to the feeling that I was going to be sick. Gildas was striding around the room, muttering – more to himself than to me.

“I can summon an…aeon…and freeze things. But she mentioned other elements, so that must mean…That must mean there are more things that I can summon! I could use this to rule the world…” Shiva had been watching him the whole time, and now began to speak. “Yes, there are more aeons. However, there is something I fear I have forgotten to tell you. There is a maximum time that we aeons can be with you. You can dismiss us before this time, but if you haven’t after ten minutes, we must leave you to recuperate our strength. Unfortunately, this time is up, and more than that. Therefore, both of our strengths have been depleted too much…If I stay with you any longer, there is a possibility one of us will die. So, this is goodbye for a while…” With that, she twirled on the spot, and vanished amongst a flurry of ice crystals.

Gildas watched her go, and I watched Gildas, whilst Sha’dak, still seated on the sofa, still had his gaze caught on his frozen Death Note. Suddenly, with not even the slightest warning, Gildas collapsed onto the floor. As I ran over to him, I could see that the fire in his eyes was fading as his eyelids slowly sank, and he slipped out of consciousness. I felt for his pulse frantically; thankfully it was still as strong as ever, and so I carried him into my room and laid him on the top of my carefully ironed sheets. His chest rose and sank rhythmically, and I watched him breath for a while. I prayed in my heart that he’d be back to normal once he woke up.

While he was resting, I decided to play with my powers for a while. But first I fetched the Death Note from the living room, and told Sha’dak to sleep for a while. I got out my laptop and did a little research into the different elements, and found a (very short) list; fire, thunder, ice, wind, water and holy… “Thunder,” I whispered, and I was shocked to see an electrical current running around my hand. On impulse, I touched the lamp, and the bulb flickered in to life. Next, I tried ice. Nothing happened. “Ice,” I whispered, more urgently. Still nothing. What words were associated with ice? “Snow, hail, umm…blizzard?” I whispered hopefully. At the last one, my hand glowed pale blue, and crystals formed in my palm.

All this magic was wearing me out. I decided to go and get a drink, and checked in on Sha’dak on the way through. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully – as far as I could tell, anyway. Do Shinigami even need to sleep? In the kitchen, I ran a glass of cool tap water, and enjoyed the refreshing first few gulps before sinking to the kitchen floor, placing the glass beside me. What was going on? I wondered…Should I be shocked? Proud? What should I be feeling? I pulled my knees up under my chin to try and block out these thoughts, and just sat on the kitchen floor, curled up in my protective ball.

Darkness... Nothingness... a swirling abyss... threatening to swallow me... I could see... nothing.... feel... nothing... dizzy... shaking... someone shaking... what?... I don’t... can’t hear...

“Gildas! Please Gildas, get up!” I... I know that voice... Haru? Is... is that you? Shaking... someone shaking me... Haru? Wait... darkness...

The light returns. I can see the light from the eastern window. The smashed glass... the water soaking the laminate flooring... when did that get there? Haru knelt above me, her eyes wet with tears. “Don’t... don’t ever do that to me again, Gildas.. I... I thought you’d...” I sat up. Each muscle was aching, each movement stabbed like a knife. I remembered... Freezing... the ice felt warm, was that the Aeon’s power? Shiva disappearing... power fading, and falling... then I was here... Did I do something wrong?

“Did I... dismiss Shiva?” I asked, painfully. It hurt to talk. “No,” replied Haru, “She left for your own safety. You almost... you could’ve...” Haru looked down. I’d upset her. Frozen something... And then the magnitude of what I’d done sank in.

I’d frozen the only picture of her parents. And now it was smashed, on the floor. “Wait... I can mend that” I said quietly. I walked over to the picture, picked it up, the frame bent and worn, twisted in my clutch. I waved my hand over. “Diamond Dust.”

Nothing. “Diamond Dust...” the photo frame remained broken, no ice was forming. “Diamond DUST!” Still nothing. My power had gone. Did that mean... Shiva had left me for good? No. It couldn’t be! I had supreme power over Ice, I couldn’t just lose it! I thought about the Dance. What parts seemed unnecessary? What parts could I shorten, or remove? The second arm twist didn’t feel important, and the fifth head-flick was obviously for show. I devised my own ‘Dance of the Diamond’ and moved the rug in the middle of Haru’s floor out of the way.

“No, Gildas! You can’t summon again, it’ll drain you too much!” I ignored her. I needed this power back. I’d had a taste... Now I would have the entire meal. I began the dance again, wishing it was a little less... feminine. But this was hardly a sacrifice. One dance, in exchange for Elemental Control? I kicked up my left leg. Twisting it round to the right, I followed it with my hand. Shiva would come to me again!

Haru grabbed my arm. “You can’t do this, Gildas! You aren’t strong enough!” That really angered me. How DARE she say that I wasn’t strong enough! How dare SHE, who only had control over a measly little fireball? I pushed her away. She would not stop me getting what I wanted.

“I’m sorry, Gildas... You leave me know choice. Take a deep breath!” I looked around, and Haru had her hands outstretched towards me. “Water!” she cried, and before I knew it, I was within a blue, liquid sphere, unable to move... or breathe. “Blizzard!” she cried, and the water turned to Ice. I couldn’t move, and without Shiva... this Ice was so cold... it wasn’t just Ice. This Ice had emotion, feeling... Haru had done it. In a mere day, she had accomplished what I’d always dreamed, ever since that day when I was only 4 years old... She’d become a Black Mage. She could wield the Four primary elements.

And she had me trapped.

I felt like every part of me was screaming out. I’d acted instinctively, and now would have to undo it – and fast, or else Gildas would die…”Listen up, and listen well, Gildas. We have a very short amount of time, seeing as you can’t breathe in there. You can’t summon again, not yet anyway. Give it time, okay? You just need to rest up a bit first. Understood? Good. I’m going to get you out now, but if it hurts then…I’m sorry. Ready?” I said all of this very quickly, with no pauses and no time to spare. “Fire,” I said, as calmly as possible, and used the small, soft fireball to melt away the ice nearest to his head. Once his face had been freed, he began drinking in air quickly.

I snuffed out the fireball with a click of my fingers, and Gildas looked at me, puzzled. “Give me an answer. Are you going to rest for a while before summoning?” Gildas nodded, still unable to speak due to the lack of air in his lungs, and sneezed violently. “Oh!” I exclaimed softly, and conjured up another fireball to melt away the rest of the ice. When I was done, Gildas stood, shivering, in the middle of a very cold puddle in the middle of the living room. “T-thanks,” he whispered, his teeth chattering together. I just nodded at him.

I sent Gildas for a shower to warm him up a little, and walked into my bedroom to find out some clothes for him. Somehow, I always had some of Gildas’s clothes lying around somewhere. I found a pair of his jeans in amongst the mess at the bottom of my wardrobe, and dug a t-shirt of his out from under my bed. I put them outside the bathroom door for him, like I had said I would, and went back to my room, where I sank down onto my bed. I finally knew what the feeling coursing through me was; it was fear. I was scared of what I could do – and of what Gildas could do. I didn’t know what to do, I couldn’t stop now, I didn’t want to! But what if I hurt somebody? I couldn’t do that; I couldn’t use this…this magic, on other human beings. I wanted to hurt someone – or maybe I wanted to feel better…I wanted to run – but I didn’t want to have to leave… I wanted to be alone, but I wanted someone to hold me close…

I hadn’t realised, but I was cradling my head in my hands and trembling. A sound at the door made me jerk my head up, so fast I hurt my neck. “Oh, Sha’dak, it’s you…I didn’t know you were awake already. What’s the matter? Is your wing feeling any better?” I asked, shaking my head to try and clear the fog. He nodded. “Yes thanks, much better. And nothing’s the matter, really…I was wondering…about your magic, actually. Can you control it? How strong is it?”

I contemplated his question carefully. “Well, I can make it happen, and go away, but I haven’t tried manipulating it yet…And it isn’t that strong yet. I guess I could train it…But do I want to? What if I become dangerous or unstable, and hurt somebody…What if I hurt Gildas?” I was talking to myself more than Sha’dak, so it surprised me when he replied. “Well…I’ve heard of this guy…well, it’s actually more like I saw it in the Shinigami realm – but anyway, he can use magic, too! I mean, what you do is black magic while he uses White, but it’s the same in theory, right? So why don’t you go talk to him about it, ask him for his help?” I thought about it…

“I think you should do it.” Gildas’s voice floated over from the doorway. “I think it’s a good idea. You should become the best black mage you can.” I nodded, but I wasn’t totally certain still. Gildas smiled at me. “Hey, I-I’m sorry about earlier…I should learn my own limits, you know? I didn’t mean…I…Yeah. And I’m sorry about your photo, too. Do you want me to fix it?” I shook my head. “No, that’s okay. It…doesn’t matter. Not compared to the fact that you can summon, I can use ‘black magic’, and there’s a death god sat on my bed.” I attempted a shaky laugh, and hugged Gildas tightly. “Just don’t do it again,” I whispered.

“I promise!” he said, and we both laughed. “I’ll hold you to that.” I felt a lot better, now. “So who is this ‘white mage’? Where do they live?” I asked Sha’dak. “I don’t know his real name; unfortunately…Everyone just calls him L. But I do know where he lives. It’s kinda far away though, so we’ll have to catch the train. Pack a bag, too, in case we’re away for a while, I would suggest. We’ll leave today.” I was surprised that he wanted to leave so soon, but I nodded. “Right.” My voice was stronger now, I felt more confident in myself. “You think you can get away for a few days, say you’re staying at mine or something? Tell your parents I had…I dunno, a burglary or something, and you wanna make sure I’m okay?” Gildas nodded, “I’ll try. But you know me; I can get anything out of anyone.” He chuckled, winked, and left to grab a bag and tell his parents he wouldn’t be back for the next few days. No problem. I almost laughed at the unlikelihood of all this that was happening today.

I shut the door quietly. Haru would probably have a headache about now, all that magic in so little time. She was a quick learner, but, thankfully for me, a tad naive. Good thing I went to Drama school. I could even put on the right tone of voice. Everything was going according to plan.

I didn’t anticipate the vision, though. I walked across the road, and round the corner. Crash. “Oh, my god I’m so sorry, sir!” I exclaimed, before looking down. The man (I think, the shape was male) was wearing a black robe with a hood. The hood obscured his face, so I couldn’t see who he was. But he looked just like the man in the park... He walked off without saying a word, and I continued my journey home. 37... 39... 41... ah, 43. My house.

I walked in, Mother always left the door unlocked. “Mum? I need to go, Haru’s been robbed, she’s not feeling good, okay? I’ll be a few days, don’t worry about me!” I called, as I ran upstairs to pack. Enough money for a few days worth of dinner, my mobile phone dad got me as my last birthday present, house keys (just in case), a few bottles of water and two packs of biscuits. That should do me.

I left the house, and shut the door. If anyone was watching, they’d have seen me shut the door, call goodbye one last time and run down the road. Any normal teenager would do it. My parents were not very social, anyway. As I got to Haru’s house, I felt the strain on me. Not physically, but mentally... I shouldn’t have summoned again. But no-one knew. No-one but my frozen, decaying parents, that is.

They’d always held me back. Always forced me down paths I never wanted to take. And ever since I was 4, ever since I visited the Ethereal Realm myself and saw what Magic could do, I was certain they’d get their doom, and from my own hands it had come.

“Haru, I’m back!” I called, “And I have all the supplies we’ll need!” I walked into the kitchen, were Sha’dak sat eating Banana after Banana. “Where’s Haru?” I asked. He looked up, but didn’t stop eating. “She’sh upshtairsh. Why do you want her?” I ignored it. Disgusting thing. Not only did it look like a pig but ate like one too. As soon as I earned Ifrit, I would melt the permafrost around the Death Note and burn it myself. Of course, if Haru knew that, I’d never be allowed Ifrit, and the Death Note, my only means of convincing this Shinigami to come with us, would be back with it, and then it’d go for good.

As I walked up the stairs, I saw Haru was hugging her knees. I leapt over and hugged her tightly. “What’s wrong, Haru?” I asked, in the sweetest, most heart-melting voice I could manage. “Come on, we gotta pack for this journey.”

Haru looked up at me. She couldn’t have found out. There was no way. But for some reason... there was Fire in her eyes...

“What’s up?” Gildas asked from where he sat. I shook my head quickly. How was I supposed to tell him what I had done? “Don’t lie to me, Haru. What happened while I was gone?” When I didn’t answer, he grabbed my shoulders, and shook me wildly. “What the hell happened in the last sixty minutes while I was gone?” Something snapped inside of me. “What do you want me to tell you? What is it? What could you possibly know about me or anything that goes on in my head? Well? Answer me; you usually have a lot to say!” I was screaming at him, and I couldn’t turn the volume down.

I turned toward the wall. “I…I had an accident is all.” Thankfully, my voice was a lot quieter now. But that didn’t mean I could tell him what happened, still. “What kind of accident, Haru? What kind of accident?” I still didn’t tell him, so he jumped up and grabbed my shoulder, spinning me around, so he could shout into my face. “Tell me, god damn it! We’ve never had any secrets before now! Tell me, I need to know, Haru!” I shrugged his hand off of my shoulder. “Fine,” I hissed, like an angry cat, “Fine, I’ll tell you. I went down to the park while you were gone.”

This was it. I was finally telling Gildas what happened. I couldn’t stop the film from running around in my head, and now I was going to plant it into his head, too. “I went down to the park, to…to try and clear my head a little. I know this must be hard on you, and I’m trying to help you, but you won’t let me…and it’s hard on me, too! So I was down at the park, and…” I tailed off. I could still feel the breeze that had played over my face; I could still smell the pollen from the freshly mown grass. And then he had come over. “There was a man, this morning, in a long, black coat, when there was the whole…fire thing.” I saw a flash of recognition in Gildas’s eyes, but didn’t stop to think about it.

“Well,” I continued, “he was in the park again. Only I didn’t notice until he came over. So I was sat under the oak tree, and he came over. So I jumped up, and said, “Who are you?” Only he didn’t answer me properly. He just goes, “That really doesn’t matter. The important thing is who you are. A little birdie tells me you can finally use black magic. Isn’t that right, Zexion?” And then there was another voice behind me going, “I told you not to tell her our names, Axel.” So the first guy says, “Whatever. She was bound to find out at some point. So anyway, there was a reason we came to talk to you about your magic.”

“Here, the second guy cut him off, and said, “Yes. We’re here to unleash the darkness in your heart.” So I was all confused, and started walking away, but suddenly Axel was in front of me, so I couldn’t go anywhere, and then this other guy, Zexion, he starting saying all these horrible things…He was talking about…” Here I swallowed before continuing. “…he was talking about you, mostly. About how you hadn’t listened to me, and how it was because you didn’t trust me, and I couldn’t help it – I didn’t believe it, but I got so angry, and…”

“…And that’s when it happened,” I said, needing a gulp of air before I carried on. “I couldn’t help it…There was this really loud roaring noise…and then all I could see was fire. It was everywhere – and it all seemed to be coming from me…I couldn’t do anything to stop it – I didn’t even mean to start it! So I just closed my eyes…And when I opened them again, it was quiet again…The park was totally charred, but you know, at least the fire had stopped, right? But those two guys were still there. And Axel, he goes, “So you like playing with fire? Well, I’m something of a pyromaniac myself,” and he starts spinning these big spiky things around – chakram I think he called them…But then the Zexion one, he says, “Don’t bother, Axel. We don’t want to break her now, do we? Put those stupid things away before you hurt yourself. We’ll see you again, Haru. Very soon, I promise.” And then they just disappeared!”

I could tell Gildas wanted to laugh. Thankfully, he managed to keep it inside. “I was scared, Gildas. Scared by what I’d just done. That was a huge fire thing, and now there’s two guys saying they’ll come after me and a big smoking heap of ash where the park used to be.” I fell onto my bed, but when I thought of what I’d seen on my way home from the park, shaking violently, I couldn’t help but pull myself up to a sitting position. “And then…I was on my way back when I got to your house, and checked in through the window without thinking, and there you were in your living room, with Shiva…” Gildas looked shocked. “That’s right.” It was barely audible.

“How could you?” My voice was low and harsh, and sounded like someone else to me. “How could you do it?” I repeated, much louder this time. “How could you?!” I yelled, standing up and shoving Gildas backwards. “Those were your parents! They love you! Or, should I say they loved you, before you encased them in a block of ice and left them to die! I…I don’t know who you are right now, Gildas, and it’s…it’s scary. The Gildas I knew before today was kind, and sweet, and wouldn’t even dream of doing something like that! You don’t get to decide who lives and who dies! I lost my parents in a fire, and now you, who know what it’s like to have the stability of a home and a family, go and kill your parents! You…you disgust me! So, what, if I ever got in your way, would you do the same to me? Huh? Would you just get rid of me once I did the slightest thing wrong?”

Then Gildas was yelling back. His eyes bulged, and his face turned pink. “Who the hell do you think you are to judge me? You don’t know what it was like, living with parents who choke you, parents who suck all the colour out of life and all the air out of your wings! How could you possibly know what it feels like to have your parents – who are supposed to love you more than anything or anyone else in the world – to prefer the stupid little orphan they as good as adopted, to you! My own parents preferred you to me! They stifled me, forced me to be someone I wasn’t! So yeah, I put them in a block of ice! Big deal! That isn’t anywhere near as bad as what they did to me over my whole life! So don’t stand there with that look in your eyes! Stop it! Stop looking at me like that!”

With that, Gildas stormed out of my room into the living room. I knew he hadn’t left though. I wasn’t sure what I was doing, but it turns out I had grabbed a bag out of the wardrobe, and started packing it for our trip. I didn’t know whether Gildas was still coming or not, but I had to go. I needed help controlling my magic. I packed several changes of clothes and all the money I could dig out from my room. Then I grabbed a few of my prize possessions, just in case; a locket that used to belong to my mum, my dad’s favourite book – even though it was Latin, a language neither I or Gildas could understand – and a photo album of my parents across the whole of their lifetimes. I grabbed a load of packet food from the kitchen and stuffed that in my bag, and a pack of tissues. My mum’s old habits had rubbed off on me. I grabbed my coat from the hall and slung it over my arm. Then I walked into the living room to see Sha’dak and talk to Gildas.

“Hey, Sha’dak. I’m ready to go when you are. And I figured we could pickup a load of bananas on the way to the train station for you. And, Gildas?” I asked politely. He didn’t even look at me. “Are you still coming with us?” Then he looked at me. His eyes seemed sad, somehow. Not as though he had been crying, not sad like that…They just…It was hard to put into words. His usually bright eyes seemed dull and droopy. It was strange…

I could’ve shot her. I could’ve just turn around and shot her. She dares to tell me what I’ve done is wrong? Filthy Wretch. She thinks that just because her powers have grown... immensely... in the past day means that she can tell me what to do? My summonings have been ordained since Five millennia ago! I read the Book and the Prophets, I know what I will achieve, I know my future, it was carved in page and carved in stone and carved in soul. My life has been ordained... And I won’t let some half-wit girl get in my way.

Play the guilt card, Gildas. Play it and you win the game. “No...” I said, hardly believing the skill which my voice could achieve. “No, I’m not coming. I need to think some stuff through... and now that you control three elements, what do you need me for anyway...” I’m good.

“Huh? Four, actually. All four. Sha’dak says I’m a Black Mage... and this L can help me. If you’re not going to come... don’t waste away or anything.” Haru picked up her bag and left. The Shinigami just walked through the wall. Perfect.

I was alone. Alone, with everything I needed. The pawns are in place, and for my first move, I think I’ll take a pawn. A pawn… that is, an Aeon. I’m not content with Ice. If Haru can control the four primary elements, so can I. But which one first? Ifrit, the fire demon, Ramuh, God of Thunder, or Leviathan, Dragon of the Water… I have a human Aeon, Ramuh is out. Fire or Water… Water is encompassed by Ice, and Ice is weak against Fire… so Ifrit it is.

It’s gonna be a long journey. Thankfully, I’m already all set. Blackfire cave. That’s not too far, about four miles. Across three fields, and a small lake. Seeing as I have Shiva, that’s not a problem. So, I grab my bag and walk out the door. Why bother to shut it? She can be burgled for real for all I care. Wait. Stop. Back up. I’ll need a map…

Map in hand, I turn left from Haru’s house. This is folding out quite nicely. A few turns later, I realise that I’ll get hungry performing that summoning. Biscuits in my pocket, open, I continue, snacking all the while. Then I stop. Haru. She looks this way, and I duck behind a lamp post. This isn’t the way to the train station!

Haru keeps walking. The Shinigami follows. He saw me, of that I’m sure. She turns left. Thankfully, I must turn right. I creep out, and take the path I must follow… I can’t stop, I’ve only just started. But I don’t want to go that way. For there, in the middle of the road, stand two men in dark cloaks. Hoods in front of their faces. They walk forward in perfect unison. Axel and Zexion. It must be.

“You. You’re Gildas.” The man on the left says. He lowers his hood. Long blue hair falls into place. An Emo-fringe. “Name’s Zexion. I know all about you.” He walked forward, taking my hand. “You’re friends with Haru, and we want your assistance.” The other, Axel, took down his hood. Spiky red hair shocked out from his head. “Name’s Axel.” He said. “Got it memorized?” He tapped the side of his head. He obviously thought I was stupid. “You know,” I said, simply, “I know about you, too. I know you caused Haru to unlock Firaga, thankfully she doesn’t know the word. And I know who you work with.” Axel was stunned. Zexion looked curious. Both took a step back. “Of course,” I continued, “I won’t go around telling anyone. However, I want your assistance too. I’m seeking further Aeons… And I can’t do it alone, now can I? Zexion, you’re a master Tactician, and Axel, and Elemental Warrior, correct? You, Zexion, can find out an Aeon’s exact weak points and YOU,” I pointed to Axel, “Can help me defeat them. If I gain enough power, I may reward you, but right now, you two… Zexion, you cannot fight, and Axel, your flames have nothing on Shiva’s frozen fury.”

The two looked absolutely shocked. Zexion let go of my hand, and walked back, dragging a confused Axel with him. They muttered for a few seconds, Axel obviously unhappy with Zexion, and returned. “We accept your help,” Zexion stated, in a tone of voice that really showed how big his ego was, “On one condition. You help us eliminate Haru.” I thought for a moment. Haru was a thorn in my side, but did I really want her dead? Of course I did! She was more than a thorn in my side, she was a dagger in my back and I would not let her keep me from my destiny! “Deal.” I stated, and began walking once more.

It wasn’t long (only a few hours) before we reached Blackfire Cave. I head inside, and asked Axel for some light. His power over fire was surely great, he didn’t even need to use the Invocation word for it to spring from his hands and into the torches embedded in the walls. I asked the two men to head outside. First I summoned Shiva. She entered with her traditional “How may I serve you, Master?” which was becoming rather tedious. I asked her, as she was the arch-rival of Ifrit, what his dance was. All I needed was a name to be able to re-call the Dance.

“His is the ‘Dance of the Demon’. It brings for primal rage in the user.” She stated, in an almost monotone voice. I thought back, probing the inner reaches of my mind… Demon… DEMON…. Aha! Found it!

I clutched my fists and began the dance. Without realising, I was swinging my head to and fro and jumping about wildly. But it was necessary. One dance was all it took. I knew that Zexion was watching me. What I didn’t know is just how much he was watching me, and his intent for doing so. My dance finished, Ifrit came before me, melting the rocks at his side.

“NO MAN MAY CALL ME SLAVE!” He shouted, and leapt at me. “DIAMOND DUST!” I cried, and Ifrit became totally encased in a block of ice. I closed my palm slowly, increasing the pressure. Finally, I snapped my fingers and the Ice smashed itself, shattering into hundreds of pieces. Ifrit clutched his burning throat, gasping for air. “Now, Ifrit, Demon of Fire, I have passed your test. I can come no closer to killing you. You are finished.” He looked up, rage in his eyes. “Bow to me.” He looked at me one last time, resignation in his eyes. He knelt forward. Bowed his head.

Checkmate.