Author's note: Hello, dear reader! This is Koya Sakagami here for Melissa, the true author of Painting Axel. The reason why Melissa can't be here to present the first chapter of her wonderful story is because the program Pages is incompetent and I believe she probably doesn't have Microsoft Word, so she enlisted my help in uploading her first chapter. I sincerely hope that she will be able to upload her other chapters (not that I don't mind helping her), and I also hope that you would review to your heart's content for I'm sure that would make Melissa most happy.

So, without further ado, I bring you the first chapter of Painting Axel: Firestarter.

"Breathe, Soleil, just breathe," I muttered to myself as I walked down the hall. I was all alone except for two teachers conversing by the lockers. They wore the traditional black cloaks like all teachers at Rouyame Couer Academy. I looked down at my own navy blue uniform and pulled at a loose thread on my skirt and adjusted my jacket. This is so bland. I need more color.

"That boy is out of control, Leon, and you know it! Why do you defend that delinquent?" cried one of the teachers with startling silver hair. It was the color of angry clouds. That's a beautiful color, I've never seen it quite that shade before. I should use it for my next painting. I turned my palm over and for a second, a small crescent moon, the exact color of his hair, appeared on my skin. In a moment it was gone.

"He is not out of control, Ezekiel. He is just a teenager. An overly rebellious teenager, I'll admit, but he isn't bad." The man named Ezekiel stepped closer to Leon and said something I could not hear. Leon recoiled in disgust.

"You will not speak to me of those things, Ezekiel. I suggest you go somewhere to purify your thoughts." Ezekiel's eyes flashed with malice, and he appeared to want to hit him, but then suddenly there was a thunderous crashing noise, like a building had just collapsed. The two men looked down the hall and saw me. Ezekiel looked as if he wanted to say something to me, but he thought better of it and strode away with a sweep of his cloak. I stood frozen. Leon looked concerned.

"I'm Leon. Not Mr. Leon or Professor Leon, just Leon. Are you a new student?"

"Y-yes. I'm lost. I was looking for the office--"

"No time for that now, dear. Come with me. I think we should go find Axel."

"The delinquent?"

"Ah, so you were listening," he said with a half smile.

"Sorry."

"No, no. An apology is not necessary. I've been teaching here for three years and that's just long enough to know a bit about students and their uncanny abilities."

"Well, this is a school of extraordinary talent, isn't it? I mean, everyone here has a sort of...magical ability."

"Yes, that is true."

"Where is everybody? I haven't seen a single student since I got here. That's why I couldn't ask anyone." Like I would have the courage to approach anyone, anyway.

"They're at Assembly on the other side of campus."

"Except Axel" I pointed out.

"Ah, yes. Some students like Axel...Well, he is a peculiar person. And I believe that he has just fallen a tree."

"You think he fell in a tree? Shouldn't we go see if he's alright?" I asked in worry. He laughed.

"No, fallen a tree. As in cut one down. I think that was the noise we just heard."

"How do you know that?" I asked incredulously. He pointed to the side of his temple and then indicated outside. I gasped. "You can read minds! That's...awesome."

"Not all the time, I assure you. Anyway, most minds I can read, but not all of them. Some are strong enough to shield it. Not that I go around trying to read everyone's minds, mind you." I laughed this time. I liked him.

"Shall we go see?" he asked in exasperation, but with a hint of amusement.

I followed him down the hall. He had long strides that I could barely keep up with. I almost came up to his shoulder, but I was used to being short. My cousin Namine once said I look like a pixie. I didn't talk to her for a week.

"Axel is a student here at Rouyame Couer Academy. He manipulates and, as you can see, starts fires." We stopped by the stairway and he indicated a large glass window that overlooked a vast stretch of green lawn and in the distance a forest. On the lawn were two teenaged boys, both dressed in navy blue school uniforms. Their jackets and ties were thrown carelessly to the side. They both had their white shirt sleeves rolled up to the elbow and they appeared to be playing...baseball.

I turned puzzled to Leon and asked, "Baseball?"

"Watch." I turned back to the window. One of the boys was holding a large silver sword with a black hilt, his tousled blond hair gleamed as brightly as his blade in the sunlight. I was just close enough to see that he was laughing and calling to the other boy, although I could not hear anything that was said.

The other one had flaming red hair and brilliant green eyes that sparkled like gems. His pale arms reminded me of the smooth river stones I used to skip across the water back at my home in Caprilla. His hair seemed to crackle even from where I was standing two floors above him. He brought his hand back behind him, lifted his left leg in pitcher fashion, and then hurled a flaming curve-ball right in the other boy's direction. The blond swung and with a sharp thwop sent the ball of fire sailing into the forest where it crashed into a tree, which then caught fire. I looked around the tops of the forest and saw that there were actually several trees on fire.

"Axel is the redhead. The blond is Cloud, another, delinquent. When will they learn?" Leon asked no one in particular. He gazed down at me, "I have to go fix this before Ezekiel, the Head Master, gets involved."

"Won't they get expelled? I mean, as much as I enjoy a good fireworks show every once in a while, it doesn't seem like the Headmaster would condone this kind of behavior." I secretly hoped they wouldn't get expelled. I wanted to meet them. There was something about him. I jolted. What if Leon heard my thoughts? I looked up at him apprehensively. He seemed to know the look.

"Don't worry, I wasn't listening. I can control it. I only use it when I have to." He turned to leave--before I could ask him in which circumstances he would "have" to use his talent. "Oh my, where are my manners? I forgot you were lost. I'll show you to the office."

"Wait! Look. Isn't that the Headmaster?" I pointed out the window to where the boys were. Ezekiel was screaming and waving his arms like a mad man. Axel laughed and with a snap of his finger sent a little orange flame towards Ezekiel, who apparently did not see it coming. The flame hit the hem of his cloak, and he started dancing trying to get the fire out. Cloud turned away so I couldn't see his face, but his body shuddered with laughter. Axel on the other hand simply fell on the ground laughing so hard.

"Damn," Leon muttered as he hit the window pane, "I'm sorry I can't take you to the office right now. If you just stick with me I promise I will get you there, but this has to come first." We hurried down the stairwell and out onto the front steps. He turned, "You should stay here." I stood rooted to the spot.

Leon ran out to the field and commanded Axel to withdraw the fire. Without a moment's hesitation, the fire was out. Axel stood up and Cloud turned towards Leon. They were both serious now, bearing no sign that only a moment ago, both their faces were contorted with laughter.

Leon had his back towards me and I could not hear what he said next, but the two nodded in consent. Ezekiel shrieked, "Expulsion! Both of you! That is what you deserve!"

Leon turned toward Ezekiel and uttered one single word, "Remember." The boys looked at Ezekiel with pure and unadulterated loathing. The Head Master backed away and then furiously stormed back to the entrance. When he saw me, he spat, "Who the hell are you?"

"A new student!" Leon called from behind. "I'm showing her around!" Ezekiel huffed and strode away. Leon walked back towards me with Cloud at his side putting his tie and jacket back on. He was carrying the sword behind his head. It was bigger than I was.

Axel stayed behind trying to reclaim the fires from the forest. Like pinching petals, each fire went out leaving the trees charred black. As he ran to catch up with Leon and Cloud he looked back towards his tie and jacket as if contemplating whether he should get it or not. He shook his head and with a wave of his arm continued running--the tie and jacket left forgotten.

Cloud said to Axel, "Did you see that last hit? It was my farthest yet I think. Man, I'm so good I should just turn pro right now." Axel snorted.

"Umm, hate to break it to you, Cloud, but you kind of cheat. Yeah, that "bat" you have there, I don't think the league would allow that."

"Maybe I'll just beat someone up and steal the trophy?"

"Ha. Yeah, thats sounds better."

Leon came over to me with an apologetic expression, "I'm so sorry! I have to go talk to Ezekiel and make sure he's not during anything...rash. These two will show you the way. The office is right next to the detention room."

"Detention?" Axel and Cloud cried. "We still have to go to detention?"

"Of course you do, idiots. You skipped Assembly to play baseball and you almost set the entire forest on fire."

"I put it out afterwards! Plus, Assembly is boring as...I don't know, it's just boring," said Axel.

"Listen you two, I know you've had it rough and that's why I stick up for you guys."

"Oh is that why? I thought it was because you loved us," Axel said sarcastically.

"I do, actually. So please return the favor by not getting into trouble. And," he turned to Cloud, "I don't think Emory would approve either." With that, Leon turned, nodded to me, and walked back into the building.

"Yeah, because Emory'd probably want to skip Assembly too," Axel laughed. Cloud grinned. "Aww, you want to go make out with her now don't you?"

"Shut up," Cloud said as he shoved Axel jokingly, "And yeah, I do."

"Jeez, out of all the girls in the school, you had to choose the one whose brother is a teacher."

"I like Leon, alright?"

"Or you like making out with this sister?"

"I don't like making out with Emory. I thoroughly enjoy it. And it's not as if you don't like Leon, either. He's the best teacher we know, plus he's a radical Agent."

"Oh, totally agree. But when I become an Agent, he'll have some serious competition. I wonder if they'll let me have the Training Room next week?"

"Axel, man, you need to get a girlfriend. Someone to keep your mind off of work. Why don't you go out with Luna, I mean, you guys had fun the last time."

"Yeah, but that's the thing, we only have fun."

"Sorry, you lost me."

"They all just go along with everything I do. They don't...challenge me. They're boring. It's like, when is someone going to make me crazy? Make me stop in my tracks? Make me want to randomly hold her hand when we're walking or throw stones at her window in the middle of the night?" Axel looked at Cloud who stared dumbfounded at him.

"Axel, I didn't--"

"Never mind. I don't know where that came from. Must've been the heat." They started to walk back inside.

"Umm, sorry, but I need to get to the office?" I asked nervously. They turned.

"Oh, man, we're sorry. We forgot. We're idiots." Cloud apologized.

"Ha, speak for yourself. I'm a genius," Axel said. I laughed. "Here, let me carry your bag." He leaned down to grab it and at that moment I stared right into his eyes and he into mine. His gaze was hard, but entrancing. It pierced through me and into me and all around me. All I could see, feel, hear, touch, taste was his stare. We stood there for what seemed like hours until Cloud cleared his throat and we snapped out of whatever reverie we had fallen into. He grabbed my bag, stood straight, and walked away, calling over his shoulder, "Follow me, then." And if I hadn't fainted, I would have followed him to eternity.