An Elemental Destiny
A month and a half later, on September 1st, 9AM, both Amara and Serena stood
outside the downtown entrance to the Tokyo Subway. Both of them carried baggage and
their tickets.
"Ready 'Mara?"
"Ready as I'll ever be." Amara replied and walked down the stairs, careful to stay
to the left.
Serena wasn't sure how it happened. One moment she was walking down to the
crowded terminal and the next, she was on an open platform, surrounded by a crowd of
people, all with heavy English accents. Looking around for Amara, she spotted her, a
couple feet ahead. She readjusted the weight of her bags and went to catch up with her
friend.
"Hey Amara, where's the platform? Oof!" Serena fell down as a body bowled into
her side.
"Neville! Watch where you're going and apoligize to that poor lady?"
Amara and Serena looked at each other and grinned as an elderly lady with faintly
blue hair, an oversized fur stole, and a highly noticeable purple top hat, complete with
stuffed vulture, continued to scold the boy.
"Excuse me," Amara interrupted, "but could you help us? We're looking for
platform 9 ¾."
The old lady looked up.
"Oh, you're going to Hogwart's, are you? Are you new teachers? You look
awfully young to be teaching. Neville! Stop squirming!"
"I'm sorry Gram, but Trevor just got down my shirt!"
Serena and Amara looked at each other and shrugged. After much squirming,
Neville produced a toad from under his shirt and held it up.
"This is Trevor."
Amara bent down slightly to inspect the toad.
"Hello Trevor, a pleasure to meet you."
Trevor croaked and jumped out of Neville's' grasp and straight into his
grandmothers purse.
"Go and talk to the Weasly's." Neville's grandmother instructed as she held on to
her now hopping purse, " I have my hands full at the moment, but they'll help you. The
whole lot has flaming red hair and freckles. You can't miss them."
It didn't take long to spot them and even less time for introductions and
explanations. Mrs. Weasly, ever calm in the face of the imminent chaos that was her
family, pointed to the wall and explained how to pass through the barrier. Amara and
Serena thanked her and moved on.
"So, let me get this straight, 'Mara. We just lean against the wall and we'll be
there?"
"That's what she said, isn't it?"
Serena made a sound of exasperation.
"Amara, it's a wall!," She retorted, slapping her hand against it, "it's as steady as
a roc-AH!!!!!"
Amara rolled her eyes as Serena 'fell' through the wall.
"I just hope she didn't land on anyone" she muttered.
Serena landed on the ground with a thud. Her things followed a moment later,
scattering about her.
"Oh no!" she cried, scrambling to pick up the mess.
"Here, let me help you." A voice interrupted. Serena looked up and experienced
an extreme sense of déjà vu as she gazed into a pair of deep violet eyes. Somewhere in
the back of her head, a cross voice calling "Odango Atama" echoed. Serena shook off
the feeling as she realized that the stranger was giving her an odd look.
"Um…thanks."
"No problem. I'm Rei Hino, from Gryffindor."
"I'm Serena Tsukino."
"What house are you in?"
"House?"
"Yeah, house. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw…oh, I get it! You haven't been sorted yet!
I'm sorry, it's just that you look too old to be a first year."
Serena raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not."
"It wasn't meant as either, so don't be so touchy!"
Serena was taken aback at the sudden outburst of temper.
"Rei, chill." A new voice interrupted. Serena turned and found she had to look
up. Meeting deep blue eyes, she nearly staggered backwards. 'He looks just like the guy
from my dream!'
"Sorry about that. Rei can be a little fast with her temper," he chuckled as she
made a sound of disagreement, "but she's not so bad once you get to know her. My name
is Darien Shields. Is this your first year?"
"Uh….My name is Serena Tsukino. Yeah, it's my first year. I think…"
"You think?"
"Serena! There you are!"
Serena turned to see a rather annoyed looking Amara heading her way.
"Where'd you disappear to, you blonde ditz?"
"I didn't disappear to anywhere, you overbearing oaf. Stop being so rude and
introduce yourself."
Amara glared and thwapped Serena's head before extending her hand toward
Darien.
"Amara Te'nou."
"Darien Shields."
Amara held his hand for a moment, studying his face.
"I think I'm going to like him." She said to Serena in Japanese, "much better than
your last boyfriend."
Serena blushed, but replied, also in Japanese.
"Hush. I'm not dating him."
"Hn, whatever you say." Amara replied, in English once more, "c'mon Neko,
we've got to find a seat on the train."
"Alright, alright. See ya Rei, Darien!" Serena called.
A month and a half later, on September 1st, 9AM, both Amara and Serena stood
outside the downtown entrance to the Tokyo Subway. Both of them carried baggage and
their tickets.
"Ready 'Mara?"
"Ready as I'll ever be." Amara replied and walked down the stairs, careful to stay
to the left.
Serena wasn't sure how it happened. One moment she was walking down to the
crowded terminal and the next, she was on an open platform, surrounded by a crowd of
people, all with heavy English accents. Looking around for Amara, she spotted her, a
couple feet ahead. She readjusted the weight of her bags and went to catch up with her
friend.
"Hey Amara, where's the platform? Oof!" Serena fell down as a body bowled into
her side.
"Neville! Watch where you're going and apoligize to that poor lady?"
Amara and Serena looked at each other and grinned as an elderly lady with faintly
blue hair, an oversized fur stole, and a highly noticeable purple top hat, complete with
stuffed vulture, continued to scold the boy.
"Excuse me," Amara interrupted, "but could you help us? We're looking for
platform 9 ¾."
The old lady looked up.
"Oh, you're going to Hogwart's, are you? Are you new teachers? You look
awfully young to be teaching. Neville! Stop squirming!"
"I'm sorry Gram, but Trevor just got down my shirt!"
Serena and Amara looked at each other and shrugged. After much squirming,
Neville produced a toad from under his shirt and held it up.
"This is Trevor."
Amara bent down slightly to inspect the toad.
"Hello Trevor, a pleasure to meet you."
Trevor croaked and jumped out of Neville's' grasp and straight into his
grandmothers purse.
"Go and talk to the Weasly's." Neville's grandmother instructed as she held on to
her now hopping purse, " I have my hands full at the moment, but they'll help you. The
whole lot has flaming red hair and freckles. You can't miss them."
It didn't take long to spot them and even less time for introductions and
explanations. Mrs. Weasly, ever calm in the face of the imminent chaos that was her
family, pointed to the wall and explained how to pass through the barrier. Amara and
Serena thanked her and moved on.
"So, let me get this straight, 'Mara. We just lean against the wall and we'll be
there?"
"That's what she said, isn't it?"
Serena made a sound of exasperation.
"Amara, it's a wall!," She retorted, slapping her hand against it, "it's as steady as
a roc-AH!!!!!"
Amara rolled her eyes as Serena 'fell' through the wall.
"I just hope she didn't land on anyone" she muttered.
Serena landed on the ground with a thud. Her things followed a moment later,
scattering about her.
"Oh no!" she cried, scrambling to pick up the mess.
"Here, let me help you." A voice interrupted. Serena looked up and experienced
an extreme sense of déjà vu as she gazed into a pair of deep violet eyes. Somewhere in
the back of her head, a cross voice calling "Odango Atama" echoed. Serena shook off
the feeling as she realized that the stranger was giving her an odd look.
"Um…thanks."
"No problem. I'm Rei Hino, from Gryffindor."
"I'm Serena Tsukino."
"What house are you in?"
"House?"
"Yeah, house. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw…oh, I get it! You haven't been sorted yet!
I'm sorry, it's just that you look too old to be a first year."
Serena raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not."
"It wasn't meant as either, so don't be so touchy!"
Serena was taken aback at the sudden outburst of temper.
"Rei, chill." A new voice interrupted. Serena turned and found she had to look
up. Meeting deep blue eyes, she nearly staggered backwards. 'He looks just like the guy
from my dream!'
"Sorry about that. Rei can be a little fast with her temper," he chuckled as she
made a sound of disagreement, "but she's not so bad once you get to know her. My name
is Darien Shields. Is this your first year?"
"Uh….My name is Serena Tsukino. Yeah, it's my first year. I think…"
"You think?"
"Serena! There you are!"
Serena turned to see a rather annoyed looking Amara heading her way.
"Where'd you disappear to, you blonde ditz?"
"I didn't disappear to anywhere, you overbearing oaf. Stop being so rude and
introduce yourself."
Amara glared and thwapped Serena's head before extending her hand toward
Darien.
"Amara Te'nou."
"Darien Shields."
Amara held his hand for a moment, studying his face.
"I think I'm going to like him." She said to Serena in Japanese, "much better than
your last boyfriend."
Serena blushed, but replied, also in Japanese.
"Hush. I'm not dating him."
"Hn, whatever you say." Amara replied, in English once more, "c'mon Neko,
we've got to find a seat on the train."
"Alright, alright. See ya Rei, Darien!" Serena called.