Preordained Destiny
It was the first day of a whole new experience, the first of school for every young student at the age of five. It was the day they started kindergarten and broke away from the bosom of the caring parent that had been watching after them. It was the first day in which two girls would meet with each other, binding a destiny that would keep them for eternity.
Coming into the school yard, after leaving her mother's car, a young girl, dressed in the sailor uniform that was the dress for the school ran into the school yard. Behind her trailed two small pigtails with russet strands of hair hanging in her face. She had wide, eager green eyes that drank in everything around her.
Placing the new backpack she had with her on the ground, she ran for the swings, sitting on one. Pumping her legs, she moved slowly, gazing around at the new life around her, seeing what awaited her in this next stage.
Smiling, she gazed around, catching sight of a forlorn looking blonde girl. The girl sat on a bench, clutching her school bag, not really talking to anyone. She was in the same boat as the others around. Wondering about the girl, the russet haired girl jumped from the swing. Grabbing her bag as she ran over, she slung it over her shoulder.
Stopping in front of the blonde, she leaned in. "Ohayo gozaimasu! Atashi no wa Yuuki Miaka desu!" she bowed as she spoke. She brought her eyes up, hopefully and eagerly awaiting a response from the blonde girl. "O genki desu ka?"
The blonde glanced up. Thin strands of hair fell in her face, slightly shielding her bright cerulean blue eyes. She blinked once, watching this outgoing girl introduce herself. Then returning the courtesy, she gave a bow. "Ohayo, watashi no wa Hongou Yui desu. Hai, genki desu." She couldn't but to smile at the friendliness of the new girl.
Nodding, the shorter of the two girls, Miaka, smiled brightly. "Nice to meet you, Yui-chan! Why are you seating alone?"
"Oh. I don't know." Yui replied, still holding her bag, as her big eyes gazed up at Miaka. She blinked, then smiled at the use of the honorific. The girl was very friendly.
"Well, at least we don't have to sit alone at lunch today!" Miaka replied happily. She then glanced up as the bell rang. Reaching, she grabbed the blonde's hand. "C'mon!"
She nearly pulled Yui along behind her to the school's entrance. Stopping, she looked around, looking for the class she had been assigned to. Gazing at her new friend, she asked, "ne, Yui-chan, what class were you put into?"
"I believe it was twenty-O-two... Hirokawa-sensei's class." Yui replied after a moment of thought. Her lips had been pursed in thought as she tried to remember whom her mother had mentioned. She had heard too many names to remember right away.
Miaka grinned gaily. "I'm in your class!" She declared, as though someone told her she had free access to a whole banquet of food. Her face lit up much like a string of lanterns. She was easily pleased, the smallest bit of good news brought a smile to her already jovial face.
Yui only cast a wane smile. She couldn't help it; Miaka made her smile, whether she wanted to or not. It was just one of those things that was inevitable, just like becoming friends with her. It seemed both logical and easy, for the girl was so open and optimistic.
She nodded, as she let Miaka pull her along to where the listing for the classes were and where the sensei had gathered, waiting for the young masses yearning to learn and let their wings spread. She didn't stop the girl from doing that, it felt nice to have such a nice person show such an interest in her. In pre-school she felt so alone because she had been a faster learner than the other pupils had and they almost secretly resented her.
It seemed her new friend was without prejudice. Associating with people came so easily. She wasn't turned off by the fact that Yui had seemed gloomy for a five year old, sitting along, along the analogy of a dog with its tail between its legs, slinking, looking unhappy, asking for pity. Even if she hadn't seemed that pitiful, she still radiated an aura of sadness.
Once Miaka had popped along, skipping in frolicsome, coming to stare her straight in the face like a light in darkness, Yui felt a flutter of happiness. The girl wasn't afraid of anything different. Unlike the others who hadn't stopped, Miaka had been the first to.
Miaka had also been the first to treat her like a friend so readily. The other children had been nice, but not as nice as this one had. She had even insisted that Yui sit next to her in the class at the semi-circular desks. There were four chairs at each table.
At the moment, the two sat alone, as Hirokawa-sensei began to welcome the students to the start of their education. He stopped, as two other young girls peeked into the room. Smiling, he motioned for them to come in and take a seat.
"There are two chairs over where Hongou and Yuuki are seated."
The two bowed, then hesitantly walked over. Sitting, they turned to the two girls; the first with short blonde hair and cerulean blue eyes. Yui introduced herself, before the two turned to the russet haired girl. Miaka happily introduced herself and bowed, asking for the girls' names.
"Watashi no wa Hayami Mori desu."
"Watashi no wa Mizuno Foo desu."
The first one had light brown hair and greenish-blue eyes. That was Mori, the slender of the two. She was a little tall for her age. Foo on the other hand, was shorter and slightly pudgy, but it was simply baby fat.
Both girls were also dressed in the same sailor suit that Miaka and Yui wore, which was the one assigned to all students in kindergarten. It was a white top with blue trim on the tie, matched with khaki navy blue shorts, ankle high socks and matching shoes.
The first, Mori sat next to Miaka, and Foo took a seat next to Yui. That is to include Miaka and Yui sitting directly next to each other.
Following Hirokawa-sensei finishing the introduction, he announced that it would be a good chance to see if everyone had some knowledge of how to write. He indicated for the students to pick up the strips of paper from the desks. He then further instructed for them to draw an animal or figure from their imagination.
Miaka eagerly reached for the red crayon, wishing to draw a bird. She had heard her brother frequently talking of Chinese mythology and brought up the Phoenix, the bird of death and resurrection. She had seen pictures of such creatures in his books and had fascination for the mythological creature.
While Miaka worked fervently on the bird, Yui had selected a more subdued blue, sketching out a long snake like creature, which slowly cam to evolve into a dragon. She had a keen interest in fantasy and was an avid watcher of shows that featured such creatures. The elegant dragon oft captured her fancy.
Foo and Mori had each select less fanciful animals and more purely imaginative creatures. Each came out with something almost demonic. It was purely a figure of the imagination.
Glancing over, Miaka watched Yui zealously working on the image. She arched an eyebrow. The dragon was crudely drawn to the adult eye, but to the eye of the child it was pretty. The image sparked her imagination.
"Ne, Yui-chan."
"Hai, Miaka?"
"I like your dragon. He's cool; looks like something out of Oniichan's books." She replied, smiling.
"Your bird is red. Are there red birds?" Yui asked, studying the image.
"Hai! Oniichan says it's a phoenix." Miaka eagerly explained.
Ten Years Later...
An extraordinary bird, a strikingly elegant Phoenix, fiery red feathers, rose from the flames of death, from almost nowhere, capturing the attention of Yuuki Miaka as she fiddled, searching for change in the pockets of her school uniform. She had dropped the coin.
"Mou..."
Overhead the sound of flapping was heard, as the phoenix soared majestically upward, a trail of red sparkling dust left in the midst of its awakening. The trail led up to a room.
Miaka couldn't help but to stare in shock, her mouth open in shock, her eyes wide in awe, as she watched this creature. It was truly beautiful, just like the phoenix that was pictured in her brother's mythology. She never though such a bird could ever exist.
Nor that any foreign world would exist beyond the portals of a simple book that had fallen from the shelf. To believe that she would soon been the Miko for a foreign country that she would have the burden of saving, she never dreamed of. She only knew her day to day existence as a junior high student studying for her upcoming exams, as she studied hard, wishing for the tiniest miracle. She had no idea that the tiniest miracle that she desired lay just beyond the portals that would soon open, taking her and Yui on a quest that would forever change them...