Pretear Fan Fiction ❯ Constant Rhythm ❯ Leafeania ( Chapter 1 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

LeafeKnight: Oi minna! I guarantee you'll have a good time reading this story. (It's not a money-back guarantee, though... ^^") This is not my first Prétear fanfic posted. Another, "The Glorious Edge of Defeat," is also posted. Yes, it is another original... but I'm not planning on keeping that streak. I have in the works chapter one of "Transparent," which is Kei-focused along with tons and tons of Mawata and tons of the others too! One thing I like about Pretear is that I like every single character! *wink*

This original Prétear fanfic is about the legend of the Knights, how they came to be. The first seven Knights ever are featured in this story, along with the first two Prétears. Much creative liscence is taken in the making of this fanfic, do forgive me!

Announcement: I would like to form a Prétear fan club... my first intention was to make it a Kei fan club but then there would be about two members so if you would like to join, please email me (hikaru@earthlink.net) or contact me through my IM (KisekiKenshin)! If I get enough responses, I will dish out the rules and we will all work together to have some Pretear-related fun! Mostly this will consist of chats, forum clubs, email connections, etc. If all goes well, I'll see about creating a webpage, but first I'll need a course in basic htmls! (Not to mention some cash!) I'm hoping we'll be able to send each other fan art, rants, questions, etc, everything you'd have on a webpage, just through email. That way the webpage won't be necessary. Also, collaborative fanfiction is a must. I'd love to hype up Prétear and keep the fans a-burning! XD

Random note: The funniest and most disturbing thing that happened to me yesterday was when I was reading up on Prétear seiyuu info and I found out that... THE SAME GUY WHO DOES THE VOICE FOR TANAKA ALSO DOES THE VOICE FOR RUROUNI KENSHIN'S SANOSUKE! *dies* I forgot to write down the names though... stupid me... ^^" Anyway isn't that crazy? In the Japanese version I mean, of course. (That's the only version of anime I like.) Lol!

Now, on to the story!

Title: Constant Rhythm

Author: Ryuujin Dragon King

Rating: PG

Synopsis: Seven Knights of Leafé, representing Wind, Sound, Light, Fire, Ice, Water, and Nature, combine strengths with the Pretear to protect the world from evil. But how did the legend of "Shin Shirayuki Hime Densetsu" begin? What first caused a Prétear to be needed? How were the Leafé Knights created? What are the inner sanctums of Leafeania like? Believe it or not, the tale begins not even two centuries ago, when one sixteen-year-old boy from Leafeania found the courage to stand against the cruel leader oppressing his people and become a standard that inspired his fellow Faer. Even when faced with dire consequences for his rebellion, his true friends stood beside him and faced down the enemy together. As one horrific trial after another came their way, these seven brave young Faer worked together to protect the world from evil, until the threat grew to serious and there became a need for more power. Thus, the first Prétear was chosen to harness the true power of Leafé. But the story didn't end with Misato as Prétear. Saihi must first make her appearance...

Disclaimer: I don't own Prétear, but most of this is original anyway so... heh... I don't own the song "Daybreak" by Hamasaki Ayumi either. ^^- Also, the lines of "Daybreak" that are translated into English were translated by me, so I apologize if they aren't 100% accurate. Also, "Shimo" actually means "frost," not "ice" but I didn't like any of the translations for ice that I came up with so I used "shimo" instead.


Constant Rhythm

Chapter One
Leafeania


Leafeania; a mystical realm inseparably linked with Earth itself, emitting a river of life that flows through both worlds. A great tree and pure blue sky reflect in the terrestrial realm; two parallel universes entwined together, becoming one. A single melody resounds between them, the song of life that plays on and on through all time, never stopping, never ceasing, as time winds down and the earth crumbles. Leafeania is the birthmother of all that lives and breathes, and its inhabitants are the guardians of the citizens of the earth.

Humans have no vague idea that the realm of Leafeania exists anymore, while the people of Leafeania are constantly watching over the earth. The people of Leafeania, the Faer, are created by life energy, Leafé. They are divided into seven clans - Kaze, Oto, Hinote, Shimo, Kusaki, Hikari, and Mizu. Wind, Sound, Fire, Ice, Nature, Light, and Water. Each of the seven Faer clans control a type of Leafé, their designated power.

There was once a time when Earth and Leafeania existed as comrads, centuries ago. The power of Leafeania was the power of the Earth, and within Leafeania humans with enough Leafé of their own could wander. Faer could often be found roaming through the earthen wilderness. Men and Faer were involved with political matters on both sides of the universal plane. How, then, was such a relationship severed? By the one aspect of life that destroys friendships more than anything else - distrust. Corrupt men brought prejudice into the hearts of the humans, and slowly it leaked into the Faer's minds as well.

The prejudice was not limited by hatred from men to Faer, however. Soon, Faer began to turn against one another, clan against clan. At this time, the power of Leafé began to abate as negative energies between Faer grew. Leafeania was dying, and no one knew.


I don't believe in destiny, Yukari decided.

She paused, and placed a hand on the trunk of a large tree, feeling its rough bark. Stretching her arms out, she couldn't even reach the other side of the tree's wide breadth.

Attaining my future is as impossible as wrapping my arms around this tree. I'm just one Faer in the midst of all Leafeania and Earth combined. I'm trapped within the society of the Oto. As much as I want to get out and spread my wings, I can't leave the boundaries of the Oto clan. Getting a job in the government will give me money, power, and prestige... maybe even some interaction with the terrestrial plane. But not with other Faer. "Oto stick with Oto," Satoru always says. I don't even know the names of the chieftains of the other clans...

She was alone in the middle of a patch of forest, surrounded by moss-covered rocks and thriving grass. Sunlight beamed down through a canopy of leaves, alighting on the ripples of a nearby crystal-clear river. There wasn't another soul for miles. The rustling of the tree branches as they swayed in the wind was the only sound to be heard. As a member of the Oto clan and therefore of the Sound, Yukari would hear any unwanted guests approaching her long before the arrived.

She settled down on the edge of the muddy riverbank and slidded off her sandals. Slowly she dipped her feet into the water and sighed as its refreshing coolness swept over them. The wind lightly kissed her face, playfully tossing her platinum blonde hair around her neck and shoulders. Content, she closed her eyes and perked up her ears to listen.

She parted her lips and let out a long breath. Taking another gulp of air, she began a song of the Oto clan's just passed summer festival.

"Konna jidai no sei ni shite
Kao wo nakushita mama
Zutto umarete kita koto ni
Sugaritsuki ikiteta

Saa ima koso tomo ni tachiagarou yo
Kimi wa kimi wo kachitorun da

Donna ni tooku hanarete itemo
Bokura wa onaji sora no shita de
Itsuka no ano hi no yume mita basho e to
Tabi shite iru doushi datte koto wo
Wasurenaide..."

She let the last note trail off and listened as her voice pleasantly echoed throughout the enclosure. A songbird chirped overhead in response, and Yukari couldn't suppress a smile before beginning the second verse.

"Kitto hikari to kage nante
Onaji you na mono de
Sukoshi me wo tojireba hora ne
Onozu to mieru sa

Yorokobi no ura ni aru kanashimi mo
Kurushimi no hate ni aru kibou... mo..."

She grimaced and shut her mouth. Those last two lines... "At the back of joy, there is also sorrow... at the extent of pain, there is also hope..." She sighed, leaning back in the grass. Where is this so-called hope...?

Suddenly her lavender eyes grew wide and she shot up, looking around wildly. Her ears had identified a sound, footsteps sounding dangerously close. How had she not heard them before? She told herself to calm down. I'm not past the border, no one can accuse me of trespassing... not legally anyway...

She quickly pinpointed the direction the footsteps were coming from. Standing up straigh and tall, she kept her eyes on a large tree on the other side of the river. Was the intruder hiding behind that tree?

To her immense surprise, no one emerged from behind the tree - rather, from underneath it! Yukari watched in shock as the head of a young man appeared from between the tree's thick roots, followed by two arms and a torso as the young man pushed himself out of his hole. His hair was thick and a rich brown color, falling gently around his shoulders. His eyes were large and luminous, as green in color as the lush grass he now knelt in. Standing, he was short and skinny, and dressed in the unmistakeable garb of a Light.

Yukari sucked in her breath. A member of the Hikari clan! What would a Hikari be doing in this area? He was certainly the trespasser!

... Although he hardly looks dangerous, Yukari thought, as the Hikari caught sight of her with smiling eyes. The roundness of his face makes me certain that he's young... fourteen at most.... but what business he has here...

He was grinning at her and making his way towards the river. She pursed her lips and glared at him, not even bothering to be cautious. What could a child do to her?

The boy raised his hand in greeting. "Hello," he said pleasantly, looking at her from across the river.

"Hello," she replied curtly.

"Nice weather today, isn't it?" he continued.

"Yes." Yukari watched his eyes take in the violet uniform of the Oto clan. Good, she thought. Maybe he'll leave when he realizes I'm from a different clan.

"I heard your song back there," he continued, jerking his thumb in the direction of the tree he had climbed out from underneath. Yukari could only guess there was a hole or something back there, but what it was for was a mystery to her. A mystery she would rather leave unsolved. "It sounded very beautiful. Is it a traditional song of your clan?"

Yukari raised her chin. "As a matter of fact, it is," she replied, not bothering to keep the coldness out of her voice. "We sing it every year at the Summer Solstice festival."

"It's lovely."

The Hikari knelt down and splashed some of the cool river water onto his face. Unable to control her curiosity any longer, Yukari blurted out, "What are you doing here? You're a Hikari!"

The boy blinked, then smiled. "Yes, I am," he said as if Yukari had merely stated that the sky was blue.

She shook her blonde head furiously. "You're in enemy territory! You're trespassing! The side of the river I'm standing on belongs to the Oto clan. The side you're on belongs to the Kusaki clan! There isn't a piece of Hikari territory in this entire area! You can't be here!"

The Hikari was silent for a moment, head tilted as if considering Yukari's outburst. Then, to her dismay, he began hopping across a pathway of rocks in the river towards the Oto territory.

"Wh - What are you doing?!" Yukari cried in disbelief. "At least the Hana are somewhat tolerant of trespassers, but if you're caught in Oto territory, you'll be arrested!"

"Are you going to turn me in?" he asked her. Yukari caught something of a playful tone in his voice.

"N - not right at this moment!" she snapped impatiently. Her stomach flipped when he arrived safely on her side of the river. He stood at the banks, looking at her expectantly. She took a breath. "How did you pop out from under that tree?!"

"I came through the tunnel," he answered. Sensing this wasn't a satisfactory answer, he continued, "There's a gap in the roots big enough for a person to crawl under. We dug a hole there, which connects to a tunnel, which connects to an underground room we constructed."

"'We'?" Yukari repeated suspiciously.

"Me, Sen, Takeru, and Hideya."

"Who are they? Other trespassers from your clan?"

"Well, Sen is a Kaze, Takeru is a Shimo, and Hideya is a Hinote."

Taken-aback, Yukari stared at him incredulously. "You mean you make it a habit to associate with Faer from other clans?"

He shrugged. "Why shouldn't I? We're all Faer, aren't we? We all live here in Leafeania, we're all created from Leafé... not to mention that it wasn't that long ago that there were no boundaries, no 'clan territory.' Everyone was free to come and go as they pleased, visit other clans, make friends with anyone they wanted. Things changed once Proconsul Nakao came into power."

Yukari bit her lip when he mentioned the Proconsul. Nakao Ryuichi was the human elected to represent Earth in the Faer government. He usually had as much power as a Faer chieftain, but Nakao had somehow collected much more than any Proconsul had ever attained before. He ruled Leafeania with an iron hand, but no one could accuse him of attemps to conquer Leafeania because he had never openly tried anything. He always worked in secret with a few trusted helpers, and it was true that the Faer had been much friendlier with each other before his arrival.

Still, Nakao was a personal friend of Yukari's guardian, the Oto chieftain, Satoru. It was important for the chieftains to remain on Nakao's good side, but it was especially important for Satoru because the Proconsul currently resided within the Oto territory. Living with the Oto clan, Nakao watched their every move and pressed the rules harder on them than on any other clan, saying they were to be an example to the other Faer. Being the youngest charge of Satoru, Yukari wouldn't do anything to jeopardize the chieftain's position with Nakao.

"You should be ashamed for talking about your Proconsul in such a manner," she said stiffly, turning her back on the Hikari. To her surprise, he laughed.

"You're right... we are supposed to respect authority where it is given. However, in this case I feel the authority was misplaced."

"You have some audacity, Hikari!" Yukari cried, cutting him off. "My sister warned me that the Hikari are self-absorbed, narrow-minded, rebellious fools, but I have never seen such bull-headedness!"

"Fair enough," answered the boy, nodding. "And might I add that my sister told me that the Oto are selfish, rude, obnoxious idiots... but I find you to be most charming."

Heat rose to Yukari's face, but she found herself feeling strangely flattered. He spoke in such a gentle, courteous voice... But she musn't let herself get side-tracked.

"So, you and your trespassing friends hide out in that hole under the ground like a group of moles... what do you do down there, talk about how much you hate Proconsul Nakao?"

"Some of that does go on," the Hikari said, mouth tilting as if he were remembering something funny. "But it's safer not to comment on the Proconsul, in case untrustworthy ears happen to be listening."

"Speaking of which, why are you telling me all this?"

"You asked me."

"I could turn you over to the police just on the information you've already given me."

"Would you, though?"

"Are you accusing me of being cowardly?"

"Not at all, Yukari-san."

Mouth opened to retort, Yukari suddenly clamped it shut as she realized what he had just said. "H-how... how..." she stammered. "How... how did you know my name!?"

"Lucky guess?" he replied, grinning. "Don't you recognize me, Yukari-san?"

"No!" she cried dismally. "I've never associated with anyone other than fellow Otos up till this moment ever since the Uniformity Edict came out! I shouldn't even be here talking to you! Good-bye!"

She took off into the woods in clear distress. Her ears were ringing with his words. "Don't you recognize me, Yukari-san?"

I don't recognize you! I've never before laid eyes on you! Go away and leave me alone!

"Donna ni tooku hanarete itemo
Bokura wa itsu demo soba ni iru..."

Yukari came to a dead stop, eyes widening as she heard the rest of her Summer Solstice melody sung in a clear tenor voice from the riverbank. It can't be...

"Tatoeba kimi ga kujikesou na hi ni wa
Ai shite kureru hito ga iru koto wo
Omoidashite..."

She turned around and saw the boy still standing by the river, hands on his hips, smiling and singing her song. No one but the Oto know that song in its entirety! Frantically she raced back to the river, face white in panic. She came face to face with him and stared at him in astonishment, panting.

For the first time, his smile dropped and he looked at her seriously as he sang.

"Subete wa guuzen nanka ja naku..."

She closed her eyes as the sound of his voice sounded throughout her body, stirring an old memory. Before she knew what she was doing, she was harmonizing along with him. Together they finished the Oto clan Summer Solstice song.

"Subete wa hitsuzen na koto bakari
Ka mo shirenai!

Donna ni tooku hanarete itemo
Bokura wa onaji sora no shita de
Itsuka no ano hi no yume mita basho e to
Tabi shite iru doushi datte koto wo
Wasurenaide..."

Yukari felt as though she were falling into a pit as a long buried memory surfaced with the last line. An old memory, from ten years earlier...

FLASHBACK

"Wasurenai kitto mabushii manazashi wo bukiyou ni kotoba eranda koe mo... Certainly I'll never forget your radiant look, even the voice you chose with awkward words..."

Seven-year-old Yukari sat in the middle of the forest with her eyes closed, listening. A new sound caught her attention and she put one small hand around her ear. "I've never heard that sound before," she said to herself, and wandered off in search of it.

Coming to a large boulder, she stopped for a moment, troubled. Her senses told her the sound came from above her, but she could hear no bird or critter of any kind. She scanned the skies but still found no one.

A rustling from atop the boulder caused her to whirl around more in curiosity than fear. Looking up, she caught sight of a young boy with brown hair and emerald green eyes crouched on top of the boulder, watching her.

"Hello," she said, deciding to be friendly.

"Hello," he answered, waving.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Nothing," he replied with a shrug. "What are you doing?"

"Listening."

"For what?"

"I'm not sure."

"Oh... well, I'll come down and help you look."

He slid down the boulder and landed on his rear in the dirt. She giggled and then blushed at her inconsideracy. Fortunately, he was laughing as well.

"Take my hand," she said, reaching out to him. He wrapped his fingers around her wrist and she pulled him to his feet.

"My name is Yukari," she said once he was upright. "I just turned seven years old."

"I'm Akira," inserted the boy. "I'm six, but I'll be seven in almost a month."

"Then I'm older than you. Hey, are you from the Hikari clan?"

"Uh-huh!"

"They don't sing much in the Hikari clan, do they?"

"... Well... sure we do..."

"Do you know any songs by heart?"

"... No..."

She grinned at him. "Well then, I'll teach you one! Listen..."

She proceeded to sing her favorite melody, the Oto clan Summer Solstice song. It was overwhelmingly long and complicated and when Akira tried to repeat it, he forgot the words and kept hitting the wrong note. It took some time and effort, but eventually Yukari and Akira were singing the song in harmony.

"Yay!" Yukari cried as they finished. "You're not too bad, Akira!"

"Thanks, Yukari-san," responded the smiling boy. "You have such a pretty voice!"

"Thank you!"

"Want to play in the river with me?"

"Okay!"

The two children splashed around in the river water for a while, Yukari's mystery sound utterly forgotten. It wasn't until a shrill whistle rang out through the forest that Akira jumped to his feet, becoming alert.

The hairs on the back of Yukari's neck prickled. "That was the sound I heard before!" she gasped. "What was it?"

"Oh, that?" Akira said, staring into the woods. "It was my sister's wooden whistle."

"Whistle?"

"Don't you have whistles in your clan?"

"Of course but... wooden whistles?"

The sound echoed throughout the forest again. Akira winced. "My sister is calling me to go home. I'd better go find her... sorry Yukari..."

"That's okay. My sister is probably worried about me too. I wandered off."

They clambered out of the river and tried to shake themselves dry, to no avail. Laughing sheepishly, Akira suggested they follow the whistle. "My sister Hoshi will help you find your sister," he promised Yukari.

They had only wandered through the woods a few minutes when a teenage girl with dark skin and even darker hair flung herself at Akira and hugged him tightly.

"Akira!" cried the girl, obviously Akira's older sister, Hoshi. "You made me so worried! Why didn't you come the first time I called?"

"I was playing with Yukari," Akira answered.

Hoshi blinked and looked down at the small blonde girl in front of her. Her eyes clouded. "An Oto?"

"What's going on, Hoshi?"

A tall boy with golden blond hair and silver eyes, dressed in yellow like Hoshi and Akira, now also joined the threesome. He noticed Yukari and his eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Sei!" Akira cried happily, reaching out to hug the boy. "Big brother, this is my new friend Yukari! She needs to find her way to her sister. We'll help her, right?"

Sei and Hoshi exchanged a dubious glance. "... I guess so, Akira," Hoshi said slowly. "After all, we can't just leave her here... but you shouldn't be around strangers so much."

"Yukari's not a stranger," Akira persisted. "She's my friend."

"Whatever you say, little one," Hoshi said in a mollifying tone. She looked over at Yukari and smiled gently. "Where do you think your sister might be, Yukari?"

Yukari looked at her feet, embarassed by all the attention she was receiving. "Um... well, she told me to stay by the pond with all the little tadpoles in it..."

"We can help you find it," Sei assured her. Hoshi nodded. "Follow us."

Yukari and Akira had a difficult time keeping up with the two older Hikari. Eventually Hoshi noticed that they were lagging behind and alerted Sei. Soon Sei had Akira riding on his shoulders and Hoshi clutched Yukari in her arms. As they walked the two younger ones talked and giggled, and the older Faer couldn't help but smile.

"Hoshi, Yukari taught me a song," Akira said proudly. "Want to here it? 'Konna jidai -'"

"It'll have to wait till later, Akira darling," Hoshi interrupted as they walked between two tall trees. "We've arrived at the pond."

Sure enough, before them was a dark pond with pink lilies and pussywillows dotting its surface. Many frogs and tadpoles frolicked in the water, along with some dragonflies and water striders. The pond was at the bottom of a small drop where the land looked liked it had suddenly collapsed and formed this pond and cliff. However, the cliff wasn't even high - Sei could see over it if he stood on his toes - and at the top of it, a girl gave a shrieked and came bounding down to the pond.

"Yukari!" she exclaimed, and snatched the girl from Hoshi. She embraced Yukari in much the same way Hoshi had hugged Akira. "I'm so glad you're safe."

Her eyes flashed and she was standing again, keeping Yukari's hand clutched in her palm. She glared fiercely at Hoshi and Sei. Her eyes were icy blue, her hair carrot red and streaked with blonde. "What did you think you were doing?"

Sei looked confused. "We were -"

"Kidnapping her? No one gets away with trying to harm my little sister!"

"We weren't trying to kidnap her!" Hoshi exclaimed, shocked.

"Sure you weren't. I know better. Why else would a Hikari be seen with a young Oto? Were you going to sell her to the humans as a slave? Or make her your own slave? I've heard Hikari do that to anyone who comes into their camp."

Both Hoshi and Sei wore equally horrified and insulted expressions. Nervously Yukari tugged on her sister's sleeve. "Tamae," she said in a pleading tone, "they helped me get back here... I went down to the river and didn't know how to get back, so they brought me back here."

"Don't stand up for them, Yukari!" Tamae said harshly. Yukari shrank back.

"You shouldn't yell at your sister like that," Hoshi said darkly. "You treat her more like a slave than we ever would!"

"That's a laugh! Here you try to kidnap my sister, and I'm the slave driver! Ha!"

"Knock it off, Tamae," came an annoyed male voice from behind Tamae and Yukari. A boy with black hair and hazel eyes dressed in the violet Oto garb was standing with crossed arms by the pond.

"Joben-kun," Tamae said.

"That's my sister's boyfriend," Yukari whispered to Akira.

"Oolala," Akira sniggered.

Joben situated himself next to Tamae, keeping his eyes fixed on Sei. "We don't want any trouble," he said firmly.

"Neither do we," Sei answered. He tapped Hoshi's shoulder. "Come on, let's just go."

"We'll leave too." Joben gestured for Tamae and Yukari to follow him.

Hoshi looked back and forth between Sei and Joben, her expression quizzical. Finally she sighed and raised her hands. "Boys have some weird sign language..." she muttered.

"What was that?" Tamae hissed, whirling around and pinning Tamae where she was with her icy glare.

"What was what?" Hoshi responded in exasperation, glaring at Tamae with equal loathing.

"Don't play innocent with me! I know you just said something about us under your breath!"

"Oh, don't even start! You're the one who completely insulted my entire clan!"

"I speak nothing more than the truth, you ugly hag!"

"Who are you calling a hag, you witch!"

"Watch it! I don't want to end up with a mud-splattered face like you!"

"How dare you! Just because my skin is darker than yours - You probably burn in the summer sun, don't you? Your porcelein white skin turns red as a tomato because you can't take the heat!"

"That's better than already being fried to a crisp like you!"

"All right, all right, enough," Joben interceded, trying to separate the two girls. Tamae and Hoshi were now in each other's faces with their insults. Sei grabbed Hoshi's arm and began to drag her off. Steaming, Tamae allowed Joben to lead her away also. The two younger kids stood at the edge of the pond, bewildered.

"Akira! Time to go!"

"Get a move on, Yukari!"

The younger kids looked at each other.

"Um..." Akira said. "Bye..."

"Yeah, see you," Yukari said hurriedly, turning and dashing after Tamae and her boyfriend. "Later!"

"Bye!"

Akira raced over to his brother and sister. Not wanting to bother Hoshi when she was in such a sore mood, he poked Sei in the side and whispered, "Sei... do you think I'll get to play with Yukari again?"

Sei made an I'm-thinking sound and looked at his little brother sympathetically. "It's probably better if you don't see her again, Akira..."

"Definitely!" Hoshi remarked, fuming. "That girl! That horrible, loathsome, obnoxious -"

"Hoshi, we're talking about Yukari, not Tamae..."

"Don't even speak her name!"

"It's cold," Akira said, shivering. He pressed his body against Sei's. The older boy squinted at the sky.

"Man, it got dark fast," he commented. "Feel that wind..." A strong gust nearly swept the three off their feet. "I'm guessing a storm's coming in. We'd better hurry home."

He led them through the forest, clutching Hoshi's and Akira's hands tightly. The wind began to howl through the trees and a flash of lightning illuminated the sky. A moment later torrentous rains were soaking the three Hikari through.

"Perfect, just perfect," Hoshi groaned. "Now we're lost, miserable, and wet."

Sei frowned and continued through the forest. The trees quickly became thicker and denser, a sure sign that they were heading in the wrong direction. Darkness began to close in around them. Sei stopped where he was.

"Where are we?" Hoshi asked fearfully.

It was a moment before Sei answered. "I... don't know..."

Akira tucked himself in between Sei and Hoshi. Trembling with fear and cold, his eyes darted around the forest swiftly. A flash of lightning and a loud crack of thunder sent him falling face-first into the mud.

"Akira! Are you okay?"

Shivering, Akira got to his knees. He balled his hands into fists, trying to stop the shaking. "K-Konna jidai no sei... ni shite kao wo nakushita mama... zutto uma... umarete kita koto ni su... sugaritsuki ikite... ikiteta..."

He hugged himself. "... I'm scared..."

A harsh gale sent him tumbling down a small hill and into a pile of mud. He could barely hear Hoshi's hysterical shouts for him through the rain and wind. He curled up in a ball, crying.

"S-Saa ima koso tomo ni tachiagarou yo
Kimi wa... kimi wa... kimi wo..."

He felt another strong wind blow over him. However, the wind suddenly seemed to change its mind and came back in Akira's direction. It encircled him, going faster and faster until it had lifted Akira into the sky, forming a sort of cage around him. Screaming and crying, Akira watched as he was lifted high into the air and then sent flying far away from his brother and sister. As the wind cage pelted downward, Akira shut his eyes, waiting for death to come...


Constant Rhythm

Chapter One
Leafeania

End


LeafeKnight: Well, that's that! How did you like the first chapter? Cliffy! ^^- Is good, is good! (Reviews are good too!) I know it's slow-moving so far, but it gets better, honest! Each is going to have their time in the spotlight, I promise, so whichever knight you are most fond of, rest assured that their predecessor will make them glow! ~_^--*

This story is supposed to take place mainly within Japan's Meiji Era, only because I'm not up on Japanese history so what little I know, I mostly know from Rurouni Kenshin. XD Sorry about that!

Any questions, comments, praises, or insults - throw them at me all at once! I like it! Mwahahahaha!