Disclaimer: I do not own Magi

I stared blankly at the world around me. Currently, there was absolutely nothing. I took in a deep breath, not worried if I were to suffocate, before letting it go. I saw something flapping to the side and I looked to see the Rukhs. The strange half bird and half butterfly creatures flew excitedly. Their wings brushed against my fingertips and I giggled, for it tickled. Smiling, I petted them gently and they pulsed in glee.

I heard squeaks and I looked to the side to see the Black Rukhs. They seemed a bit shy but I stretched my hand out more, smiling at them. They pulsed in happiness before they all charged to my nimble finger tips. I hummed in glee before singing a tune while I walked along the light covered path.

It seems there was only one path I could walk on. Walking along the line, I started to tilt myself left and right while I sang, the Rukh following me.

More and more Rukhs started to appear as I walked before I came before three paths. From my vision, I could see two different doors at each end of the path. One was Gold and Grand and the second was Silver and Elegant. The third was a door of pure bronze and bold. The Rukh buzzed around me as I complemented my decision.

This was a first.

Usually, when I died and headed off for re-birth, there was only one door for me to choose. Not three.

I petted the Rukh absent mindedly, choosing which was the best. "Hm…what do you guys think?" I asked the Rukh.

The White Rukh flew to the Silver door and the Black Rukh flew to the Golden door.
I sighed and placed my hands on my hips, groaning. "Not helping." I said. I glanced at the Rukh and the doors as some of the black Rukhs flew to the silver while some of the White Rukhs flew to the golden door. None to the bronze door.

At this point, the Rukh were telling me either choice was acceptable.

"Well, I lived an elegant life. Probably time for some grand I suppose." I said, a bit uneasy with my choice.

The Rukh flew over to me as I went to the golden door.

My feet walked along the left side of the path, the silver door becoming larger and larger while the Silver and Bronze Doors started to disappear.

I placed my hand around the handle and took a deep breath. I looked at the Rukh as they were going to send me off. "I'll see you guys later. Take care of me as usual, okay?"

The Rukh jumped and buzzed at me, kissing my cheeks as I smiled. I faced the door as light hit me and I jumped through.

As I started to lose sight and felt my conscious seeping away, I glanced upwards and the disappearing door. "Now what kind of role, you want me to do…Ugo?"

Then there was Darkness.

Chapter 1

The newly reborn child opened her eyes and looked around. She was surrounded by people as they were filled with happiness.

Her father, that she presumed, picked her up gently and cupped her head, bringing it to his heart. She closed her eyes and felt soothed by her father's hard and steady heartbeats. This told her, her father was a dependable man. "Finally, a girl." He whispered to her.

Her mother, merely choked back a sob and she quickly opened her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows. She babbled to her mother, about to cry as the Rukh were telling her mother's feelings but she mistaken it for despair. Her mother smiled warmly at her as she held her only daughter as she cooed, "Welcome to this world…Althea."

Althea blinked her eyes as one of the birth mothers gasped. "Oh my, look at her eyes…." She said, staring at them in wonder.

Her mother and father were unfazed by this but everyone else was. Althea looked around as she held out her newborn hands to her father as they saw her eyes. They were changing colours as it flowed like the waves as Althea drifted off to sleep.

After a few years had passed and Althea made use of her past life memories and her gifts. It started out as little because as much as Althea wished to use her powers to the fullest, there was only so much her current body could take.

So she made predictions. She had help from the Rukh, telling the events of bad and good. Of course there was nothing major. Little things that would benefit her family but not on a large scale. It started out with the crops.

She pestered her dad to grow these crops along with other crops that her family grown. Her father, who loved his only daughter, gave in. Some crops were better but the ones Althea wanted to grow? They sky-rocketed because there was a low supply of them.

She always stared outside watching the weather. She felt the humidity and everything. Her family always had a feeling that their daughter was special but they didn't know half of it.

Althea saved a couple of fisherman from the sea after telling her father to use their strongest boat and go off to sea. At that moment, there was storm and they had quickly found overturned boats with drowning sailors.

Althea saved them. Althea knew she had to keep these things to herself but she couldn't watch people die when she had the ability to save them. Althea saved a bunch of kids when they were about to be sold off as slaves- kidnapped.

She was 10 at the time. Her father decided it would be best to teach his children fighting skills and worried for them. Despite their good matureness, many of the kids bullied them because they were favored while they simply did this every day. Althea was born with a frail body and she knew it.

However, with her multi coloured eyes, her grandparents begun to teach her many things. They knew there were child thieves and people from the black market that would capture their precious grand-daughter. Althea inherited her parent's black hair that was long and thick. It grew fairly quickly and it became waist length like hair.

Her complexion was between pale and tan, making her youthful and her face was shaped into an oval shape. Despite the firm belief women would be raised dainty and obedient, it was not the case for them. Her grand-parents and parents encouraged her to be what she wanted. If she wanted to wear boy's clothes, then she would be able to. If she decided to be independent, it would be better. No one would be able to take advantage of their daughter.

That's how Althea met Sinbad, who would later become the King of Sindria.

…

Althea wandered through the village that her parents were travelling through. The enlistment of the Partevia Empire was becoming cruel. Most of Althea's older brothers; which were her cousins but she called them brothers because that she saw them, were enlisted by the Partevia Empire. At that time, she was only a few years old.

Some where lost in the useless journey to conquer the Dungeon and some managed to help out in another way that didn't sacrifice their lives immediately. Now, their family had dwindled and they seek refugee in other countries. Some went as far to the North and some went as far as going to the Reim Empire. Anywhere other than the Partevia Empire.

Her brothers were sent off to live with their uncle and an old friend of her father, who would take care of them and teach them the skills of being a merchant.

Althea and her parents finally decided to move away from the Partevia Empire as their family was almost non-existent. They sent a letter to their families of their plan and set off. However, all ports were being monitored so they decided to go a port in the country side.

Althea had her hair pulled into a ponytail with a metal clip holding it together, with two strand of hair on either side but were attached to said pony tail, curving them. Her multi-coloured eyes looked around, as they switched colours, as they rode a carriage forward. She wore a black turtle neck shirt and dark pants with a pair of boots on. She wore a red vest that went to her waist and had yellow trimmings with simple pattern. Over her black shirt and underneath her vest, was a white shirt that covered her entire arm as it flowed freely. There was another shirt that was wrapped around her waist to look like a dress as she carried a belt and pouch, with two curved swords that were half of her arm with two daggers strapped underneath her vest. Two thick bands of metal were attached to her wrists as Althea wore a dark cloak around herself. Being young and inheriting her father's face (as many of relative commented) it was easy to pass by as a male.

She tucked in her scarf closer to her mouth, to cover most of her face as they saw a crowd. She stopped the horses as her father looked, "What's going on?" he asked.

"I don't know but I'll investigate." Said Althea, "For now, you guys hide."

"Be careful." Said her father. Althea nodded and kissed her mother by the cheek before jumping off the cart. She headed closer and saw glanced around. Her eyes stopped on a man who looked feminine with light hair and wore a green hat. The Rukh around him fluttered and Althea widened her eyes.

'Magi…?' she thought in shock.

"Hmph…this village is nothing but women and children, huh…" said a boy that Althea knew was a general, "There isn't much work force left in this village that we can use. We should report this to the Higher-ups." He said to the two soldiers.

"Yes, sir!" they responded.

She saw a boy with dark purplish-blue hair lying on the ground as he gripped the ground, "Hey….wait…just women and children…? Not much work-force…? Just what do you take us for?!" he said angrily, getting up and gripped his wound.

Althea widened her eyes as she saw the Rukh around them fly as she stepped back slightly in shock. 'This boy…?!'

"Exactly as I said…? For a country, its citizens are a valuable work force. Isn't it only natural for everyone to work blood, sweat, and tears for war?" said the General.

Althea gritted her teeth and gripped her sword, drawing it slightly.

"You too, should learn what a real workforce is from observing other citizens…which means military service." Said the General.

Althea growled.

"The real work force is military service, you say? That's not a work force at all! My father was deployed and never came back along with all the other men in the village. We aren't just some tools for this war! I…There's no way I'll ever enlist!" yelled Sinbad.

Althea widened her eyes in shock as she gripped her chest, her heart hammering. 'Just what is this feeling…?!'

The soldiers were about to react as the villagers started to protest, "That's right…"

"Just what Sin said!"

"We've always felt this way!" yelled an elderly woman.

"We aren't just tools for this war!"

"This war just causes suffering for us!"

The general grinned, "You can fuss all you want, but you can't escape drafting orders when they come…right Sinbad?"

Althea glanced at the boy, 'So he's Sinbad?'

"Understand? Partevia requires your services. "You all should know already by the now, the existence of the Dungeon. This country's magicians says there is a power residing there that far surpasses that of human intelligence. It is a power that can greatly influence the direction of this war. We must get our hands on that power, no matter what! That is an imperial order from his majesty!"

"SCREW THAT!" roared Althea. The crowd in front of her stepped away from her in shock as they just noticed her presence as Althea stalked forward. The general glared at her, "What?"

Althea paled in her mind. 'here I go, spouting my mouth here and there.'

"For his majesty? For the Partevia empire?" said Althea coolly. "If his majesty is so desperate for the power of the dungeon, then he should just do it himself."

"What?" growled the general.

Althea raised her arm, "I mean think about it. More than 10,000 men have died in conquering this dungeon. Yet none of you have any information about it. If your country's magicians know there is power, why don't they go in themselves? If you're so desperate, how about you go in there and feel about it? No wait, why doesn't his majesty get his ass off that throne and do it himself? He is a pitiful ruler if he just blindly thrusts his own people into something that is clearly suicidal. More-ever, if one does manage to say complete this dungeon, than he is far superior than the majesty himself!" she roared.

The soldiers stepped back and glanced at each other, doubting the Empire now. The general glared at her, "Who are you?"

"My name is no importance if you're just throwing every single male that is of age into a suicidal enlistment." Said Althea flatly. "More-ever…you're just a stuck up brat."

Drakon growled and pulled out his sword as Sinbad grabbed Althea's arm, "What are you doing?" he hissed at her.

Althea hooked a finger on her scarf and pulled it down, only giving Sinbad a look of her face. He widened his eyes and gaped as she smirked, "Sticking up for myself."

Althea pulled out her twin swords and charged, shocking Drakon. He blocked it but there was a sword blocking his and a sword around his neck. If he moved, he was dead.

"Leave." She ordered, "Or I'll kill you."

Drakon narrowed his eyes at her before lowering his arm. Althea jumped back before he could swing his sword and sheathed it. "In the end, his father was deployed. In the end, that's how it is. You should know this." He said before leaving.

The villagers begun to cry as Althea sheathed her swords before covering herself with the cloak. She went over to Sinbad and looked at him, "I overstepped my place." She said.

"No…it's fine." Said Sinbad, "Thank you."

Althea held out her hand to him, "My name is Althea."

Sinbad stared at it and shook hands with her, a small smile on his face "My name is Sinbad." The two shook before Althea left back to the carriage. She jumped on and grabbed the reins and looked at Sinbad, "I have a feeling this isn't the last."

Sinbad grinned at her as her eyes turned a shiny blue before she took the carriage to the port, where they had a boat ready to go.

Yunan saw her and he widened his eyes as the Rukh were flying around her, both black and white. The Rukh between Sinbad and her were glowing as he smiled to himself. 'So you've arrived…guardian of the Rukh'