I lifted my head and thew metallic dust into the candles surrounding the summoning circle, making them flare green. The silence of the dark room echoed around me and my subordinates as they watched me work. This was a very intricate process. One mistake could cost not only the lives of all those present, but the resulting re-bound could destroy the city.

I dared not even wipe the beading sweat from my brow; my throat was parched from the hour long ritual I had been chanting in loop and only just finished before throwing the dust.

Abruptly the green flames exploded into a blue rage, throwing all but me, who had seen this kind of reaction before, to the floor. The summoning circle enveloped around the subject in the centre; wrapping the subject as if in a bubble. It slowly shrunk closer and closer to the subject, as if becoming a second skin and I walked between the candles into the circle. The subject dropped daintily into my eagerly waiting hands.

My stuffed rabbit, Yami-kun, was now impervious to any and all kinds of damage from the five elements.

The first one to regain consciousness sputtered at me. "W-what! That's the subject?! I thought you were supposed to use one of us! The stupid doll was just to make sure there wasn't going to be a rebound!"

I turned to her with cold eyes and hugged Yami-kun closer. "His preservation is worth more than you could ever imagine." I took a step closer to her, Yami-kun hanging limply over my arm. "His life is worth more than your pathetic existence could ever hope to be. Keep that in mind the next time you question your superior."

I stepped over her, and left the dark room. Holding Yami-kun up to look at me, he glimmered under the freshly completed protection spell, but his softness was still everlasting. It was the first spell I had placed on him. No matter how many times I washed him, he was still soft. Pulling the ritual robe off me and folding it before placing it on the floor, I stepped into the hall.

The people around me split the halls. They could feel the aura of death surrounding me I suppose. I wasn't surprised. That was how it went. My spells, despite my...stature... proceeded me. It didn't matter what I had to say. My likes, my dislikes. I was my mothers daughter. Part of my clan. However untrue that was; that's all there was to it. That's all they cared about.

As I stepped into the school parking lot a car drove up beside me. "Xion, get in."

I recognized the voice that came from the black cadillac, and as I climbed in I couldn't help but ask. "What's up dad? You never pick me up."

The tall man looked at me with expectant eyes, and pulled away from the curb. "Considering the circumstances I thought it appropriate."

I raised a questioning eyebrow but didn't heed it, I knew he would tell me.

"We're moving."

My eyes widened and I nearly dropped Yami-kun; I slowly turned to him. "Moving?"

He didn't look at me, and turned his blinker on to turn into our estate. "To Japan. Our line-" He glanced at me quickly. "-of work has been in high demand in Japan. Our influence will be greatly appreciated there."

Though I didn't know the meaning behind his glance, I let it slide due to the news of higher consequence. When we pulled in front of the house, a large gothic manor, I moved to get out but he gently gripped my wrist to keep me from leaving. I looked back at him, and he let go.

"You know Xion. You're sixteen now. This move... it's a fresh start in a new country. It's a sign from the forces below. And I know you've had it for years, but..." He pointed to the black rabbit in my arms. "The stuffed animal needs to go."

I immediately clutched him to my chest and turned almost imperceptively away from him; as if my father's accusatory finger would incinerate my friend, despite all the protective spells surrounding him.

He sighed and retreated back into his seat. "I'm not trying to attack you Xion. I'm only trying to protect our family. The Masagawa dark magic clan can not afford to have it's heir carrying around a stuffed rabbit. It would ruin our image. Especially in Japan. I must insist that you get rid of him before we leave."

I glared at him, just enough that he would believe that I was angry beyond belief. "Yes dad."

Yeah, right.

I got out of the car, making sure to slam the door, and walked into the house. On the main floor, and into my room, I was immediately bombarded with the sight of boxes strewn about. Moving boxes being filled by imps, some half-full others just being taped up, others being labeled. When I opened the door they all stopped moving and turned to look at me.

The imps, flying or walking, came up to me and insisted on touching some part of my body. Whether it be hugging my legs, holding my hands or sitting on my shoulders or head. I didn't summon them, they couldn't directly absorb my lifespan, however just touching me gave them energy. Chattering at me in different dialects of impish; I smiled gently and answered as many questions as I could. Once the initial greetings were finished I helped them continue packing my belongings. I gently snuck Yami-kun with a quiet apology into a box underneath my imp communication scroll, while no one was looking.

My room. My only haven. Now unwelcoming, desolate and drowning in boxes. I didn't have a chance to think on it much though; the imps carried the many boxes down to the waiting moving van.

"Xion!" My father called.

"Coming." I returned. Taking one last look at my room, I closed the door behind me.

We drove up to this house when we got to Japan. I looked up at the house from the passenger window, it was bigger than our old house. Not wider but taller, three stories in total. That doesn't include how many basement floors it has, at least three knowing my family. The lawns stretched for at least half a block in either direction and our house was the smallest and the simplest on the block.

Dad commented on the house's appearance. "Due to social restrictions, we couldn't have the same style of our old home; at least not on the outside or on the ground and upper floors."

I nearly sighed in relief. But I couldn't.

We pulled into the driveway, and he turned to look at me. "I'm going to wait here for the moving van to arrive. Until then why don't you choose a room? It's the start of summer vacation here, so there's no panic for you to get settled in today. Your supplies and uniform for your new school should be in within the week."

I nodded, and got out of the car.

He had told me about Ouran Academy during some of the flight over. Apparently it was much more 'my pace' than the public school I had been attending. Though I had just finished grade ten back home, the people my age here were already three months through grade eleven; I would have to spend at least a week on pure catch up once I got my schedule. This school did have a better black magic club though, I assume it was because of the high funding and aristocratic families, at my other school it was necessary for me to provide the materials for the spells and enchantments. However that was always alright by me because that meant that everyone had to listen to me for once.

I stepped up the stairs to the double doors and turned the skeleton key in the lock. The door creaked eerily open, and I was greeted with a gorgeous foyer, twin white marble staircases leading up to the second floor, and a mirroring pair going up to the third. The floors were black granite with rivers of silver running through them. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, and torch-like lights sprouted from the walls, running up to follow the staircases. Directly in line with the main doors, I could tell were the doors to the basement levels; because even from the entrance-way, I could see that the doors were ornately carved and molded from the best wood and were over 8 feet tall to comfortably accommodate my family's unusually tall stature. I could smell the dust in the air from disuse, but the house looked beautiful nonetheless.

I squeaked across the floor with my shoes on, and took note that despite the dust coating everything, I could see my reflection in the floor underneath. Up the staircase, the hardwood railing, which had been sanded to near perfection, left no splinters, only dust on my hands.

I had opened all the doors on the second and third floors. Some rooms were just a little too small. Some rooms had no en-suite bathrooms or closets. Some were bathrooms. Some were closets. Until I came to the door directly between the two staircases on the third floor, so I was directly above the main door. It was locked. I grimaced and tried the skeleton key. No luck. I was very curious now. Looking quickly over my shoulder to ensure the movers had not yet arrived I turned back to the lock. Speaking quietly and quickly.

"Barrier of iron and wood. Though I know you have long stood. I ask you now to open yourself and reveal all that is classified. For I am no foe but a friend to all inside."

The knob and door responded to my plea; respectively unlocking and opening by itself. The words didn't matter, it was the power behind them, the rhyme that linked them, and the purpose of which the caster spoke that truly mattered. It was what non-magic folk didn't understand about us, they thought we memorised thousands of spells for every situation, such was not the case.

I walked into the dark room, whose air was even mustier than the rest of the house, it also smelled of old rot. With a familiar crunch underneath my foot I looked down and understood the smell; littered throughout only this room, were the corpses and bones of dead animals, ranging from mice to bluejays. Pulling my shirt over my nose to block out the thick and repugnant air; I walked over the window, which was so caked with dust the light did not shine through and opened it, the musty air billowed out like the carbon dioxide in a too long re-sealed bottle of pop. The light splashed and flooded on the walls as if the windows and door that sealed it out, had embarrassed the rays, and they were making up for lost time.

Outside the windows, which overlooked much of the neighborhood, there was a balcony built into the roof, and bench seat. Good reading spot. A large walk in closet, with a dresser, a small fireplace with a chimney, tucked into the corner, and a large en-suite bathroom, with a clawed tub and the same granite tiling as the entryway.

It was all in all a perfect room. But... why was it locked?

"Xion?" Dad called from downstairs.

Breaking from my train of thought, I walked from the room and yelled back. "Yeah! I found my room!"

"Alright! Come show the movers where it is!"

I nodded despite his inability to see me and turned to close my new bedroom door. I moved to walk down the multitude of stairs; but then I noticed that the staircases banisters were connected to it's mirror on the lower floor. A smirk split my lips and I hopped on the wooden slide. Hey I'm saving the imps some dusting. With a jet of air at my back I was off.

I felt the musty wind though my hair as the metres disappeared behind me. Luckily because of the immaculate sanding I received no splinters, and I slid along only gaining speed. My hip length black hair whipped out behind me, as I pushed myself faster with jets of air. I didn't giggle or laugh. But I sighed. The adrenaline pulsing through my veins was a practiced peace. And my eyes slid closed.

Abruptly my body disconnected from the bannister and my eyes snapped open.

I could see was there was a small boy directly in my path of destruction, he couldn't tell what was going to happen. He was just standing there dumbly staring at me. I couldn't use magic, so I had to use the next best thing.

"Hey, Kid! Move it!" I screamed.

Unfortunately it was much to late, especially for a child; and I slammed into him sending us both skidding across ground.

When my head stopped spinning, I looked down at the poor boy I had taken down like a human missile. He was probably around eight or ten years old, based upon his size and what he was holding. With these huge doe-like brown eyes, blinked innocently up at me. He had short, but thick blonde hair of spun gold; and held what looked like a handmade stuffed pink rabbit, it had an apathetic expression. The boy however, did not; his expression spoke volumes. He was... unsurprised by me shooting him across the floor. He wasn't crying or panicked or even breathing unevenly. He just looked at me with innocence masking his features, that seemed almost...practiced. But I couldn't think on it for long.

A man's voice who I didn't recognize sighed. "And that is my oldest, Mitsukuni."