Chapter 4: The Flawed Phoenix

16 years later: Sendai, Japan

Thunder rumbled and lightning crackled across the sky over the temple as a young woman slowly walked into the massive temple. After making her way through a maze of rooms, hallways, and corridors, she finally found the room she was looking for and paused at the entrance, gazing at the young man within.

He was sitting with his back to her so she couldn't see his face, but she knew him very well. Long red hair, dark green eyes, and a voice that carried the wisdom of the ages.

"You wanted to speak to me Katara?"

"Yes, the great storm is approaching. I can see it in the clouds; they're growing thicker and darker every day. And very soon they will spread until the whole country is covered by this evil. Can nothing be done to stop it?"

Slowly he turned to look at her, his eyes large and sad. "I don't know...I just don't know..."

Okinawa, Japan

People were screaming and running everywhere as they tried desperately to get away from the black tornado of dark energy. A young woman watched everything from afar in horror as her friends, family, and home were being destroyed. And she was powerless to stop it.

Slowly Chiclaria Yuchinuba sat up in bed as tears rolled down her face. "It was only a dream..." she said softly to herself then froze as she looked out her window and saw the black clouds slowly coming towards them. "Or was it?"

Unable to sleep, Chiclaria went into the kitchen where she found her mother Akina sitting at the table. As she sat down, her mother gave her a warm and tired smile. "So what brings you here?"

"I had a bad dream and couldn't go back to sleep."

"Want to talk about it?" Akina asked as she stood up and got her a cup of hot chocolate.

So Chiclaria told her mother about the dream and when she finished, her mother smiled sadly. "You have been given the ability to see into the future, but without proper training these visions will slowly drive you mad. If only your father was still alive, he'd know what to do."

"Or if grandmother still lived nearby, she could help, for she was very well versed in dreams and psychic training."

A Month Later: Sendai, Japan

Anubis sat in his room, reading the letter that had just arrived. Slowly he stood up, turned around, and headed towards a small room at the back of the temple; this matter would require some meditation before anything happened.