Light and Dark

Chapter One: Tarot Cards

Summary:

Tea is a half light who needs to find the other half of herself. Mai says that she'll help her find it. Together, the two embark on a journey, where they are confronted with Tea's past, her guardian and also, the darkness, that comes with the light…

Heheh…BIG hug to my beta codegal! My sis! Isn't she the best? LMAO!

---

Rain hailed down on the dark streets of Tokyo.

Despite the rain, a girl in her teens wandered aimlessly around, her destination known only to herself. The fringe of her brown hair, stuck to her forehead. Her plain blue shirt and jeans plastered to her lithe form.

She looked up at the cloudy sky and sighed.

It was cold in the lonely dark street, which gave the feel that something just wasn't right. The teenager put her hand casually into her pocket and felt the handle of her dagger. Looking around the deserted street, she made sure that she was indeed alone, that no one lay in wait. It was a habit that she had ingrained into her mind, so that she would never be caught unaware.

The wind whistled in her ears carrying the sound of movement; a click-clack of high heeled shoes. She whirled around, pulling out her dagger. In the moment in which she had spun, the dagger was slapped out of her hand, prompting the girl to curse under her breath.

"Hold on bunny ears." said a female voice.

"Who are you?" the girl asked getting into a fighting stance.

The female in question blew a blonde strand away from her eyes. "No need to get worried over nothing." She ran her fingers through her hair and tilted the hat atop her blonde hair up. "The name's Mai Valentine."

The girl stared at the female, sussing out her character. Pausing for a moment longer, she finally murmured, "Tea Gardner."

Mai approached her, stopping only a few feet away from her, blowing another blonde strand that flitted across her face. "Well, it's amazing how I happened to bump into you."

Tea raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Come with me." Mai ordered as she turned around and walked slowly down the deserted street. Tea stood there watching her, undecided on whether to go or not. In the end she chased after Mai.

"Where are we going to?" Tea asked as she jogged after Mai. She didn't respond but turned sharply causing Tea to almost fall over. Tea caught her footing and righted herself before she could land flat on her nose. She quickly continued walking, glancing up at Mai and tried to smile nonchalantly, when she caught a pair of violet eyes.

"What -?" but looking up at the building and squinting hard only made her hit face first into a door of a shop. "OW! Why didn't you tell me you lousy -!" Tea stopped as she looked at who she was standing in front of and who she was yelling at.

"Er…" Tea muttered as she stared at the lady standing in front of her. "Where did you come from?"

"Follow me." she ordered.

"B-but…wha..?" Tea's jaw dropped. She looked over at Mai, only to find that she was already following the lady. Tea shook her head, feeling even more confused. "Just when I think things could never get any weirder." Muttering to herself, she jogged after the two.

---

"Please sit."

Tea glanced around the shop in which they had just entered. Shelves lined the walls of the shop, all adorned with various objects such as candles, scents, globes and ornaments. Smoke filled the room, creating a hazy atmosphere. Tea's gaze refocused on the two that had led her here. Not for the first time that night did she ask herself the reason in why she was here.

Shaking her head, Tea strode over to the centre of the room, where Mai and the lady were seated at a round table, covered with various objects from the shelves and a crystal ball in the centre.

"Dear, you must sit. Already time is being wasted, and we must not mess with that particular force."

A look of confusion overcame Tea's face and she rubbed her head. "But—"

"Just sit down already!" Mai yelled yanking Tea into her seat. Tea glared at her but didn't say a word. She turned to face the lady who was busy shuffling the tarot cards. She placed five faced down on the table, shuffled the tarot cards and placed it back down on the table. Mai watched quietly but Tea looked confused.

"Choose a card my dear…" said the lady in her mystical voice. Tea shrugged, then pointed to the third card. The lady picked up the card and placed it back in the deck shuffling it, leaving four cards faced down on the table. She placed the cards down and spoke again in her mystical voice, "pick another dear…"

She pointed at the first one and the lady repeated what she did the first time and placed it back down on the table. "And another…" The second one was shuffled back into the deck. Now there were only two left. The lady picked them up and showed Tea the cards.

The first one depicted a girl coloured in half light and half dark, holding a magic book. The second was of the same girl, though without the shades of light and dark. The lady placed the cards back down on the table and switched them repeatedly, until Tea was unsure of which was which.

"Now we'll know for sure…" muttered Mai, amusement heard in her voice.

"Pick a card, Tea…" the lady asked.

Shocked, Tea looked up into the lady's blue eyes and wondered how she knew her name.

"Pick one Tea!" Mai urged. Tea took her eyes off of the lady and pointed at the first card. The lady flipped it over and it turned out to be the half-half girl with the magic book. She flipped it back over and switched them over and over again, too quickly for Tea's eyes.

"Again." she gently ordered.

For some reason Tea felt like she knew this lady, had known her from some time long ago, but shrugged the feeling away, knowing that it was impossible because she had just met her. She picked the second card, the lady flipped it and it was the same card Tea had chosen before. She flipped it over and switched them again.

"Once more."

Sighing, Tea re-chose a card. She flipped it over and Mai whistled in the background.

"The same card three times in row!" Mai grinned.

"I don't understand…what does that mean?" asked Tea looking curiously at the card she had chosen.

Grinning, Mai stood up and thanked the lady before turning to leave. Tea jumped up, knocking her chair over. "Mai…! Mai! Wait up!" called Tea as she turned and chased after her leaving the lady at the table. The lady smiled running a hand through her black hair. Then she frowned.

"I wish he was here to see her…"

---

Tea raced after Mai, huffing and puffing, just trying to keep up.

"What was that all -?"

WHOOSH

Tea wasn't fast enough to react as someone grabbed her from the back.

"Oi!" she heard Mai yell. Before Tea knew it…whoever had grabbed her had released her. There was a male's voice…the person was screaming. Tea whirled around and saw that the man who had grabbed her was now melting away into the grey cement.

"What the -?" whispered Tea as she looked over at Mai who was holding her dagger.

"You have to watch out!"

At the sound of the voice, both Mai and Tea looked up at the top of the building and saw a girl with brown hair and greenish eyes.

"And you would be?" Mai asked, staring up at the newcomer. The girl jumped off the building and landed with fluid grace, eliciting an impressed gasp from both Tea and Mai.

"I'm your guardian."

"Guardian?" Tea asked. "Why do we need a guardian?"

The girl ignored the question. "You can call me Serenity. Just Serenity."

---

Tell me what you think! And review people!!!