Prologue

She was on her way home when she heard a loud, indistinct chatter and commotion from one of the street corners. She stopped for a moment to see what the thing is. It is somewhat her habit, meddling with other people's lives. That might be the reason why she's always got into lots of trouble but it's never been a burden to her. She knew that life itself has many great surprises, waiting just to be unfolded. Embracing and facing it with courage, either it's a lucky thing or ill fortunes, it's still a gift. How would you gonna fix it is the challenge of life.

"Give that to us, you dumb head!" barked one of the bully to a disabled girl who's carrying a bag of something.

All of them are wearing a school uniform different from hers so they're definitely not her schoolmates, maybe from a private institution — an aristocratic one. They were tall and apparently came from a social class. It's just their habit to make fun of someone inferior to them.

She was pitied upon the poor girl. Aside from her ragged clothes, she was lame and filthy in looks. Her face is somewhat hollow. By the look in her eyes, it could be seen clearly that she's frightened and starving. The girl was carrying a bag of goods maybe given by someone with a good heart. Now, these scoundrels want to made fun of this puny girl? Kazumi looked piteously upon the girl.

One of the rascal bullies, the fat one snatched the bag from the girl's hand, inspecting its contents. Suddenly, his eyes glistened and shouted, "I've got something here! Great! I'm hungry!"

"I'm sure it's a damned food. Are you sure you wanna it that garbage?" jerked the other.

"P-Please don't. I haven't eaten for weeks and that's all I've got. Give that to me please," begged the little girl almost in tears, trying to get her bag back.

"Hey, did you hear that? She hasn't eaten for weeks. But, what do we care? There is nothing we could take from her though. So, I say that the food is yours!" one of them said mimicking the girl, pointing to their fat comrade.

"Ok then," the fat one responded, biting greedily a piece of bread which is the only one left then finally said, "Thanks."

The whole gang laughed and shook their heads, "What a dirty pig?"

The girl started to cry helplessly, she wants to snatch the food but her hands were caught by the two of them. She's nothing but a puny creature, certainly no match to these men. However, she shouldn't give up to this. She already encountered lots of things but she had never given up. She could feel that what she's searching is nearby. All she need is just a little patience. It is strictly forbidden to use her divine gift on this world. And she doesn't know why she accepts this kind of thing. She had this ability but it is now useless with that rule! If only she was on her own body, she would have probably made these guys paid for everything that they've done to her. But she was nothing but a small girl. If only the Oracle made her a bit worthy and not at this rate!

"Hey" Kazumi interrupted, resting her hand on her waist. She can't keep her silence anymore. What these guys doing is merely vicious. She might be tricky sometimes but she's no heartless person.

They all turned to her, frowned by her intrusion. "Who are you?" one of them asked sarcastically.

"Ugh. I-I just think what you're doing isn't right anymore," she replied quite stammered, looking directly at the group. "You shouldn't made fun of her not just because you're rich you can do anything you want."

They just sneered at her. "Do you know what you're saying?" the gang's boss asked and walked coyly towards her. "Let me explain it to you then. You, poor people are merely puppets to us. You see, your lives are in our hands. Without our money you're nothing… You know, you make me laugh with your silly heroism."

The rascals start encircling her, freeing the little girl. Kazumi felt her legs trembled a bit. Her heart was beating fast. There were five of them? Hmn. Quite a ratio. Five is to one? She set a wry smile. Five men against a girl, isn't it a little unfair?

The boss drew near her with both hands tucked on his pocket. He scanned her from head to toe, measuring her standard in detailed. "Poor people are like cockroaches… and rats to us that should be only made fun of."

That's the most insulting term she heard in relation to their life's status. Her eyes narrowed in annoyance. Hmn! Is being poor our mistake? And what he's minding of? It's not his life! Like cockroaches? Rats? The words echoed on her mind. They might be poor but they've got decent jobs!

Kazumi glanced at the girl who's sitting frightened by the corner, looking at her indifferently. It seems like she's saying something that she doesn't aware of. She just set a comforting smile, not minding the uneasy look on the child's eyes.

What is she doing? Why is she meddling? Why is she helping me? Should I help her out? But, using it here is forbidden. I think there's going to happen something that I just can't explain. The girl ran towards Kazumi, clinging to her waist and worriedly shook her head.

Kazumi force to smile. "You shouldn't be afraid of them. Look, they're just cowards…much of talk," she whispered, ruffling the child's hair.

"Are you saying something, rat?" he asked, grabbing the lining of her collar. He looks desperate to hurt both of them. His gripped grew tighter that she almost choked.

She harshly shove his hand away from her, "Don't touch me!"

"You're really making me mad!" the rascal knocked her hard upon the wall, pinning her both hands. She tried to fight back but the other two restrained her both sides. He touched her chin and scoffed, "I pity you. You know, I might be considering not hurting you but your filthy mouth forced me to do so. You have quite good looks. What a waste! Now, let's see how your heroin attitude could help you."

"You're just bragging because you have your dogs behind you but without them you're nothing but a coward. Not only you actually, all of you! What are you so proud of? Your money…? Nonsense!" she blurted out.

He slapped her. "You're talking too much! You make my ears bleed!"

"Don't hurt her!" the girl snapped and pushed him with all her might, causing the rascal to fall. She started pulling Kazumi out to escape but the others grabbed her, lifting her up. She began to kicked, taking off their hands on her.

Getting up his feet, the rascal asked, "What are you trying to do, you little bum?"

The young girl bit her tormenter causing her to be freed. She tried to run and get some help but she was still caught. He went near the girl and slapped her too, causing her to fall helplessly to the ground. Her knees got bruise and bleed. He didn't get contented and pulled the poor child's hair. "Maybe you learned your lesson now, huh!" he growled.

Turning to Kazumi, he said "See? This is how rats like you, should be treated!"

He started to kick the girl. "Rats should only be played upon….!"

"Stop doing that!" she commanded sharply. She can't bear what she's seeing. The situation got even worse. She should be helping not this. Kazumi watched as he made fun of the girl. All the gang laughed, enjoying how their leader tormented their prey.

"Is that your way of happiness?" Kazumi asked almost in tears. "You scamp!" she reproached.

The rascal glared at her, as if hearing nothing he continued on torturing his victim, provoking her anger more. He slapped and kicked the lass, hitting its head on the wall. The girl sobbed, spitting drops of blood from her lips as she lay dead beat on the ground. She can't bear it anymore. They're tormenting her too much.

"Stop, you idiot!" she whined, tears fall from her face. "She's gonna die!" Kazumi start to fight back desperately but they're too strong.

"If she die….why should I care then?" the rascal remarked, glowering wickedly back at her.

She felt her heart beating with anger, her breath is tightening almost to the point that she could barely breathe. There is something inside her she felt to be exploding at that very moment. Something she wasn't sure of. She felt so different. It is the first time that she got this anger swallowed her completely. If she dies….why should I care? What's all that about? He doesn't even care about the life of this young girl? She felt her gripped tightened on her palm.

The girl glanced at Kazumi. To her surprised she could see the bright lights that once took over her too. But this one is different. She never saw one so bright before. She's wondering why she didn't notice her at the first place. The spell hid her very well. It seems like she never wanted to be found at all.

"You bastard…." Kazumi uttered silently. She felt her weakness perished and replaced with indefinable strength. They seem not to notice her though. They just laugh and shook their heads.

"I said stop!" she yelled out. A fierce gust of wind swamped towards them, causing everyone to fall except her. The old tires at the corner along with other thrash flew one by one by the sway of her very own fingers. Only the place where she was standing wasn't moving at all, the wind seemed to obey her. Everyone was shocked by what had happened. They want to run away but they can't move their bodies, as if they were pinned to the ground. The garbage began to pile at them yet they didn't seem to care.

What's happening? Am I the one who's doing all these things? She can't believe on what she's seeing. To her delight, the burden inside her was gone. She felt light and powerful. Kazumi closed her eyes and imagined the fat guy on her mind. Opening her eyes, she directly looks at him.

One of the tires flew and landed exactly on the fat guy's head. "What-!" the guy shrieked and ran away followed by the others who were almost tripped in their hurry. Another container flew and landed on the gang's evil leader's head. He ran and bumped on the electricity post, losing his consciousness.

After everyone was gone, the fierce wind finally stopped. She ran towards the girl who's still lying on the ground. She aided her to sit. "Are you alright?" Kazumi asked and saw the bruise on her knees bleeding. She drew her handkerchief and tied it to the bleeding spot.

"Thank you." the girl managed to speak but can barely be heard. "Why you're so kind?"

Kazumi just smiled. She really is that kind of girl. She never speaks much if it's about her cause she ran out of words. "I'll take the part of saying "sorry" for what those guys back there have done to you. They're just bully but still a bunch of cowards," she said ending up with a smile.

The girl softly nod, "There's nothing for you to be sorry about. It is never your fault." She smiled silently. This one is so benign. She might be the one that I was looking for. If I'm not mistaken then I should be glad, she is a worth seeking entity. And also she is not like the others even she grew up in this cruel world. At last, if this lady doesn't fail me, I can go back to Keikoushu now. I am sure everyone's waiting particularly Seiri but I know their wait won't be wasted. I wonder if she knows about who she really was. I think, I should ask her though.

"What did you just do earlier?" she asked puzzled, concealing her true motive.

Kazumi paused for an instant. What did I do? She doesn't know. There were many rare things had been happening to her since she was a child and it keeps on happening till now. As a fact, back when she was a young girl, she had witnessed a baffling meteor shower one evening when she was so sad when her father left them for his work on the nearby town. The weird thing is, she just wished for it to happen, to see a dozen of falling stars. And at that very moment there it was! Not only a dozen but millions of stars fell from the sky! Though for her, she knew that things like it really took place. It might be had happened at the same that she had wished for it, might be a so called coincidence. Or maybe she just skipped the news about this meteor shower on that night, it could be her other reason. A little bit factual at least.

The second weirdest thing is when she dreamt of having her long desired dress. It was a day before Christmas, might be four years ago. She and her mother went to the market to buy some fruits and other foodstuff for her mother's dish. The atmosphere brings a freezing chill to her spine. The streets were covered with thick snow and well-lighted that harmoniously charmed her wandering eyes. It is filled with lots of people both young and adults that brings commotion on every corner of it. Her mother was busy chatting with someone when she spotted that dress, displayed on one of the store at the corner. It was a simple yet pretty, Sunday red dress with a huge snow-colored ribbon on its side that was perfectly binding its waist from one end to another. On its fringe was a light red lace with a feminine pattern, matching the shade of the dress. It may be a pricey one as she suspected. But being a girl, she really craved for that fluffy red dress! Although, she never told her mother about that dress for she knew that her mother doesn't have enough money to pay for it. On that same night, she had dreamt of having it as her parent's gift for her the next day. And when she woke up the next morning, there it was! Her parent's gift for her! The fluffy red dress! She was greatly surprised but she doesn't quite focus on it because of her excitement. Well, those are just few of her weird experiences, but the most unexplainable. Until this one occurs. She sighed deeply. If I tell her, she wouldn't believe me. She might think I'm losing my mind. I think perhaps, better not to.

Kazumi finally said, "I-I, myself, don't know what it was… My mind was filled with different thoughts now… I just felt that I must do something, for what they're doing isn't right anymore. And there it came. I don't know what to call it. It was the first time actually. Maybe just an erratic phenomenon as you name it. You should forget that it happened."

It was the first time? Which means she doesn't know everything? That great aptitude… The Oracle never talked too much about the lost knight whom she was entitled to seek. Is she really the one? Does she know she was no ordinary mortal at all? Is she aware that she holds an eminent responsibility? She was one of the Light knights, one that is needed to fulfill the prophecy and end up those idiotic wars! All Himiko knew is that this earthling is one of them, was cast in this mortal world and it's her mission to find this person at all cost, aside from that… nothing else.

Kazumi noticed that the girl was staring at her apathetically. She felt introverted and confused. Setting a cynical smile on her face and changing the topic, she said brightly "My name is Toushi Kazumi. You are…?"

"Ugh. I-I'm Himiko," replied the girl, smiling back at her.

She nodded and smiled. "Does it still hurts?" she asked referring to the bruise on the girl's knees.

Himiko shook her head. She looked at her for a long moment before saying, "Kazumi, can you do me a favor?" The girl took off a golden bracelet from her little wrist. It is a fascinating one yet cryptic in nature, perfectly made of pure silver. On its center was a pearl-shaped emerald green gemstone along with two tiny shimmering moonstones on both sides, showing its magnificence. A closer look on it will reveal a perceptible image, a symbol that was ardently inscribed on the precious gem, a familiar one though she can't recall when and where she had seen it. "Will you accept this simple gift as a sign of my gratitude?"

"I-I…" she stammered by the enthralling jewel on her face but she still managed to refuse, "I can't accept that. It seems very important to you. And I demand nothing in return."

"I insist," Himiko persisted, reaching for her hand. "I know you could take care of this, more than I could."

She looked at Himiko confusingly but the girl smiled at her showing no sense of reluctance. She felt a little awkward. She doesn't want this girl to think that she was too abusive, demanding a high-priced payback for what she had done. Having it is far much for a reward. And by the size of it, she knew it wouldn't fit hers. By that thought, she set a childish smile on her face.

Himiko noticed it as she daintily put the jewel on Kazumi's wrist. It suddenly glowed but only her clever eyes could saw it. She was right, she found the right person! She had found the person that she had been looking for… for almost five hard years. She was proud of herself. She hasn't failed her mission! Keikoushu would be pleased. She had saved her world more than she could imagine. Although, her expectation doesn't meet hers, expecting that she was finding a guy yet she found quite cute lass instead.

Kazumi raised a quizzical brow, widening her eyes. It just did! She absolutely had no idea why it had fitted her. Comparing the size of her wrist by that of Himiko, it was really a miracle if it fitted her. It couldn't be! She thought to herself. Hmn… but it does! It wasn't tight nor loose, just perfect! Kazumi managed to hide her astonishment and earnestly faced her new found friend.

"I don't know why you gave this to me but… this is too much. A simple "thank you" is enough for me. You can still have it back," declared Kazumi urging Himiko to take it back from her.

Himiko shook her head. "That one belongs to you now. I can't take it back."

"If you really want me to have this, I will gladly accept it. I promise. I'll take good care if this like the way you did," Kazumi confided.

"I know you will."

She smiled. She was glad that even she is a complete stranger, Himiko willingly entrusted her with something that she had treasured just for a little act of help. It is just a bit weird. She just can't understand why she felt this feeling of having this bracelet as her own, as if it is somewhat belongs to her that just got lost and now she had it back. Or in one way or another, this thing might belong to someone closed to her heart. But she never saw one of her parents worn something like this one, neither her mother nor father. Maybe it's just her partly ridiculousness. Himiko is just really a generous one. And this generosity must also be repaid even in a little way. She never needs anything in return yet Himiko had offered her with all that this girl had.

"You must be hungry. I will buy something for you to eat. I know you're starving." She hurriedly went back to her feet. "Wait for me, alright?" Kazumi finished with a smile and started on her way.

Himiko nodded. I'm looking forward on meeting you again. Though it might take a while we'll still be waiting for you. When she can no longer see Kazumi, she silently utters a spell of desertion that made her vanished bit by bit. She knew they will certainly meet once again in some other time… might in a more diverged world.

"Where did she go?" Kazumi asked herself. It just took her a few minutes and Himiko just perished in an instance? I swear, I never seen her passed by. Where in the world she might be? Then, a thought flashed on her mind. Maybe she had a reason why she left without saying "goodbye". She painted a soft smile on her face, looking at the precious ornament on her wrist, uttering a little prayer. Be careful wherever you are…

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