Medea, the Greek mythological figure my parents named me after, was a powerful sorceress of the ancient world. When Jason and the Argonauts sought the Golden Fleece, the great warrior promised to marry the fair Medea in exchange for her help. In legend, Medea killed her beloved younger brother and cut him into pieces, then scattered the pieces behind the ship to help Jason escape. She restored the youth of Pelias by cutting his throat and filling his body with a magical potion. Medea tricked Pelias's daughters into killing him by cutting his throat, but did not leave any of the potion to restore his youth. Jason and Medea bore two children before Jason abandoned her to marry the King Creon's daughter. Medea took revenge by killing Jason's new lover with an enchanted poisoned cloak and a crown that burned the flesh of her body. When trying to embrace his dying daughter, King Creon died as well. She helped cure the great Heracles of the insanity that drove him to kill his children and tried to have Theseus killed to stop him from taking over the throne she and her husband held. This is the story of the great enchantress whose name was given to me. Just in this name bears great power and a magical destiny. I knew the meaning of my name since Junior High, but in my third year of high school, I did not know the calling that would await me...

There was no better day in autumn than October 13 - the air was slightly chilly but warm for an autumn eve. The sun was floated above the western horizon, ready to escape the coming darkness. Medea stared at the sun noticing that instead of a small ball of white light, it was a pink disc, glowing brightly. It was one of the most gorgeous things that Medea had ever seen and this had been the first time she saw it.

She stepped inside of her house and took off her sneakers at the door. Medea glanced at the time - she had about three hours before she had to sing at her school's homecoming dance. Medea was a talented singer with an exceptional style of singing. Her music teacher would say that she could feel the emotion within song whenever Medea sang. She had just come home from singing the School Anthem at the homecoming game, which inspired spirit and support in the hearts of all her fellow students. Medea wished she would be able to stay and watch the game, but she needed to change before the dance.

Medea lived only with her uncle. Her parents passed away when she was very young, so she did not have any memories of them. Her uncle was working late tonight so Medea was home alone. Medea hopped in the shower and washed her hair. She then spent an hour straightening it. An hour before she had to leave, all Medea had to do was slip on her dress and shoes and she would be out the door. Medea began to practice singing as she finished putting on her make up. Still dressed in her pink pajamas with monkey prints all over them, Medea left the bathroom and ran downstairs.

On the table in the kitchen were a strawberry shortcake and a card. Medea smiled and opened the card "Happy 16 and 365 days - Love, your Uncle." Medea gave a small chuckle before taking a plate and a knife and fork. She was about to cut the cake when she heard a loud noise. Medea looked up quickly, but dismissed the noise and went back to cutting the cake. The sound echoed through her house again, this time louder. Medea grabbed the knife and began to walk into the dining room. The sound was now continuous, with a few breaks in between. Medea gripped the knife as she walked through the conservatory towards the library. The sound was now booming loud and it was apparent that it was coming from the library. Medea gathered all of her courage and opened the door. Nothing was there except for a trail of light emitting from the farthest of shelves. Medea followed the trial to a pink book entitled The Sakura. She pulled the book off the shelf and pulled open the seal, not noticing the pink glitter-like light that scattered from it. Inside the book was a stack of cards face down.

Medea pulled out the first card, "The Firey? Weird."

Medea put the card back into the book and closed the cover, leaving the seal open. Medea began to walk, not noticing the trail of fire she was leaving behind. Suddenly, a weird sorcery circle with a star in the middle appeared beneath her feet. An orange light emitted from the crease of the cover and smoke began to escape from the creases. The cover burst open and ribbons began to expel from inside the book leaving the house and disappearing into the sunset. Medea looked at the book and noticed that all the cards were gone, except for The Firey.

"What happened to the cards?" Medea asked, unsure whether or not she wanted to know.

In her hand, the book began to glow again, and Medea dropped it on the floor so that the back and front cover were face up. The face began to glow and a golden small stuffed animal arose from the light and cried out "Konniyachiwa!"

Medea's right eye grew small as she stared at the stuffed animal unsure of what exactly was happened. The golden beast began to talk to her in a language that she knew was Japanese, but could not decipher its meaning. "I'm sorry, I don't understand you."

"Ah, English. Clow Reed was English you know, that's how I know how to speak it."

Medea continued to stare at the animal "You are...?"

"Cerberus, but you can call me Kero. I am the guardian beast of the book of Sakura. It is my job to protect the cards placed in this-huh? Where are the cards?"

"See, it's kind of funny-" Medea began to explain.

"Lemme guess," Kero interrupted, "You opened the book and the first card was Windy, so you read its name and then a huge wind blew away all the cards."

"Not exactly..." Medea said. Kero looked at her signaling for her to continue, "You see, what had happened was...I um...came here to investigate a noise, and I saw the book, so naturally I opened it. And the first card was The Firey. I did say its name and I put it back in the book and closed it, so I think The Firey kind of...um...uh..."

"Burned the cards?" Kero finished.

"To a crisp." Medea ensured. "Then these ribbon-like things came out of the book and scattered all over the place. I don't know where they went."

"You burnt the cards!" Kero shrieked. "How could you burn the cards! What are we supposed to contain the spirits in now?"

"How was I supposed to know?" Medea argued back. "I didn't know what they were!"

"So does that mean you play around with them?" Kero scolded, "Didn't your parents teach you not to mess around with things you don't understand?"

"My parents are dead!" Medea screamed back, causing Kero to stop in silence.

Medea cut Kero another piece of cake. "Today's your birthday?" he asked Medea, stuffing a piece down his throat. Medea nodded her head. "Friday the 13th. Cool day to be born on, don't you think?" Medea sighed and looked out the window at the waxing horned moon in the sky.

"So, this Sakura girl captured all the cards, and then transformed them into her own cards? And you expect me to do the same?"

"You can't," Kero replied. "Because The Firey burnt the cards' original forms, we have nothing to contain the spirits in, unless..."

"Unless what?"

"It's risky," Kero added, "And it takes a lot of magical skill."

"What is it?"

Kero continued, "Unless, you hold the spirits within your own body." Medea looked at Kero calmly. "Completely different reaction than I expected", Kero thought.

Medea spoke, "Nope, can't do it."

Kero fell, "Why!"

"Are you serious? This doesn't make sense! This is a dream, just a really weird dream. I can't save the world! That stuff only happens in movies and in books, not in real life! There's a very real chance that I could die out there, or someone that I care about can be harmed because of me."

"You can do it, Medea."

"Yeah, why don't I just join Sailor Moon and help her and her warriors battle evil queens and demons named after gemstones and so that everyone all over the world can feel through heart crystals and dream through dream mirrors? Let me go transform now! Henshin yo!" Medea cried. "Kero, it's not happening. I understand that people have done it before, but it doesn't mean that I can do it. Being in those type of situations are not as easy as they seem. Anything could happen. I'm sorry; I wish I could help you."

"I need you to help me!" Kero begged. "Only you can do this because it was you who broke the seal. If you don't help the world, than terrible things will happen. Last time everyone almost lost the feeling of love! Do you know what the world would be like without love? Medea, I know I am asking a lot from you, and I know that this is going to be hard, but it has to be done. However, it cannot be done by anyone else! Please Medea! Please do it!"

Kero's speech brought tears to Medea's eyes. Medea's weakness was her compassion - you appeal to that and you would get her to agree to anything. "Fine. I'll help you. I know I'm gonna regret this."

Kero's tears disappeared quickly. He became solemn as if though he was never really crying, and Medea knew that she had been tricked. "Stand over there, Kero ordered." Medea stood in the center of her kitchen as Kero chanted:

Key that hides the power of the wand

On this eve, let the sacred contract be signed

Bestow your power onto the new Captor

Let the sacred key be her portal

Let the sacred wand be her connection

Let her body be the medium

By my name and honor, Cerberus, Guardian of the Sakura

I anoint you, Medea, the Captor of the Spirits of Sakura

Release!

The pink key-a circle with a star inside and two wings both sides-grew into a wand with the same head as the key. "Take the wand Medea!" Medea took the wand and somehow she felt transformed and powerful. She continued to stare at it knowing that from this moment on, she was different.

"Medea," Kero called, "You still have to capture The Firey officially."

"How do I do that?" Medea asked, still looking at the wand.

"Just let the magic of the wand guide you," Kero instructed, "and don't try to control it, let its wisdom flow through you."

Medea took The Firey card and threw it up in the air. She then raised the wand to meet the card. "Spirit of Sakura, cast off the true form designated to you and yield to my control. By the sacred contract I command you - FIREY!" Orange ribbons emerged from the card as the card dissipated into the air. The ribbons surrounded Medea's form and entered her body through her chest.

"Nice!" Kero commented, "I think you'll do just fine." At that moment, Medea's cell phone began to ring. "Hey Suraiya," she answered. "...Oh yeah! I have to go to the dance! I totally forgot! Good thing you reminded me...all right...O.K...yeah...all right...O.K...bye." She closed the flip phone and grabbed her black dress with turquoise glitter shining all over it. "I have to go to the homecoming dance tonight, and sing a song."

"Cool!" Kero exclaimed gaining excitement, "Can I come?"

"No!" Medea immediately rejected, "Suppose someone sees you now?"

"No one will see me!" Kero replied, "I've done this for years and no one has saw me yet! I'll hide in your purse so that no one sees me."

"Fine," Medea gave in, "just be very quiet."

Medea went to the bathroom to slip on her dress. When she returned to the bedroom, she began to practice the song. "Time has stopped...the earth no longer moves...nothing seems important...when I'm with you." As she sang, lavender ripples appeared behind her and absorbed the vibration of her voice. "Beyond all dreams...beyond the realms of space and time...I've never known what it is to truly love...as you have taught me this night..." She continued to sing in her best voice, allowing the ripples to receive the vibrations that neither she nor Kero seemed to notice. Once Medea completed the song, her cell phone rang. "You're outside...all right I'm coming. Let's go Kero!"

She slipped on her shoes and Kero hid inside her purse so that he could accompany her. She grabbed her purse and ran out the door. Outside the silver Mitsubishi Lancer was parked outside her house as her ride waited for her. "Hey Taran." Taran was the age twenty and in college. They have been good friends ever since he was a senior in her high school. His short black hair was scattered slightly above his hazel eyes. "You're late-"

"As always," Medea and Taran said in unison before driving off into the night.

"How is it that you managed to get stuck in traffic?" Medea scolded Taran as they both walked up and entered his college.

As one of the staff checked their tickets, Taran replied "You're always late, I'm sure they're use to it by now."

Medea and Taran walked toward the hall where the dance was held. "Yeah, but I'm usually 10-15 minutes late! Not 45 minutes!"

Medea and Taran were about to enter the hall when Taran stopped. "I left my cell phone in my car. You can go in and I'll run in get it."

Taran ran off and Medea entered the college's ballroom. The music was mellow and everyone was seating. When Medea walked in everyone applauded. Suraiya walked up to her and said "Finally! You're here! Now we can announce the homecoming king and queen and get this party started!"

So the ceremonies began, and Taran and Suraiya dominated the audience in cheers when Medea was announced to sing the dance song. Her voice seemed to echo throughout the hall as she sang every word with feeling and power. After the song was done, the dance floor started. While Suraiya, Taran, and Medea danced, Kero found his way out of Medea's purse and flew across the hall hidden from everyone's sight. He released a trail of glitter that seemed to rain from the ceiling. Kero spun around and wrote with light "Happy Birthday Medea" in the sky. No one seemed to notice it expect for Medea who smiled knowing that this was Kero's gift to her and maybe that her new magic was another gift for her as well. Maybe, it was a gift from destiny.

At that point, I knew that everything about to happen would be either be amusing or challenging, maybe even both. But as I witnessed the amazing wonders that magic could bring I knew that whatever adversity awaited me, there would be some rewards to be reaped. I knew I had made a loyal and trustworthy friend in Kero and I felt a strange sense of security with him. For some reason, it seemed to me as if though the connection that Kero and I shared was beyond time and space. Maybe, in some way, fate had caused all of this to happen. As I look back on that day, all I see is coincidence. It was a coincidence that my uncle wasn't home. It was a coincidence that I began to hear the noise in the farthest room that I could possibly hear it in. But as I walked into the library, the book seemed to call to me. I was too oblivious of it to understand it's power then, but now, as I look back, the book called to me. It said for me to open it just as I seemed to read the name of the Firey, conjuring it's power for no reason at all. It seems as if though the circumstances that occurred on my 17th birthday could not be avoided. Whatever the case, at that point, when I gazed at the message Kero wrote in light and glitter, I knew that I would not regret it.