Frozen Fire
Linh.C

"Miss Atawaki!" A mellow voice boomed overhead.

"Yes sir!" Viper Atawaki stood up quickly from the icy ground, shakily carried the two heavy buckets of water.

The teacher sighed aloud, and rubbed the navel of his nose, "That's the third time you've fallen asleep during detention, class is almost over, you have two extra days of cleaning to do."

"Whaaaaaaaat!" Viper protests, "But but, Iruka-sensei! It's my birthday today, can't you be easy on me?"

Iruka-sensei narrowed his eyes, and crossed his arms, "I'm surprised you have so many birthdays, how old are you now? If I'm right you'd be around sixty-seven? Am I correct?" Sarcasm filled his voice.

She blinked, then drooped her head in defeat. But today really IS my birthday..

Iruka smiled wryly, his gentle features suggested his soft heart, "Fine, but you have to come early tomorrow to make up for it, and happy birthday." Iruka handed her a small box from his pocket as he rubbed her head.

She was a good student, top of her class, and athletic. But had a bad sleeping habit.

Viper Atawaki, sixteen years old.

"Vi! Come walk home with us!" Voices of cheerful teenage girls filled the air.

Or Vi for short, that's Vee.

"I'll be right there, I have an overdue book." Vi hollared back, shrinking in sight as she retrieved to the other end of the hall.

Suzaku..

"Hello?" The lights flickered a crimson hue, but flared its normal fluorescent color in a mere second. Well this is odd..

"Is anybody there?" A soft voice spoke, her name was Sakura. Sakura Bae, seventeen years old.

Seiryuu..

"Helloooooo?" Vi poked her head into the soundless library. The lights didn't flicker this time, but blacked out completely.

"Aww geeze.." she sighed in the dark, and turned to leave.

"Wait! Wait for me!" Sakura reached out for Viper, as soon as Sakura took a step forward, she tripped and fell face first onto the carpeted floor.

"Ohh! Are you alright?"

The two girls laughed meekly at sudden confrontation, and became quick friends. Destinies revealed as they walked home that afternoon.

"What were you doing at the library?" Sakura asked.

"I have an overdue book, I've been trying to return it, but everytime I visit the library, something was bound to happen. Like today, the power went out."

"Really? I have an overdue book too! I'm surprised the librarian hasn't said anything about it. What book were you reading?"

"Well.. It sounds silly, but I never got to read it, I forgot about it for months and now I just lost interests."

"Ehh? I never got to read mine either.." Sakura mumbled.

They stared at each other weirdly, but soon laughed together, again.

"Okay.. coincidence ehh? Well I'm reading the Shi Jin Tenchi Sho. Now that I think about it, I don't even remember how I got it in the first place.." Vi scratched her cheek, pricking her head for information about borrowing the book.

"Me too!" Sakura bellowed. Coincidence has no place in this conversation anymore. Was it.. fate?

The books suddenly fell out of their hands, clashed onto one another. They stared at the books oddly, uncertain whether or not to pick them up.

"Umm, do you want stop at my house so we can read them once and for all?" Vi offered, this was way too strange.

"Sure.." Sakura answered sheepishly, she too, was curious as of what was in store as well.

"Now that I take another look at your book, they look like your eyes!" Vi stated, pointing at Sakura's torn book cover.

"Hey, your book matches your eyes too!" Sakura said.

Vi inspected her own book, scratching its sandy cover, "Yeah, you're right.." The light blue cover flared under the setting sun. Vi's short, messy, pearl white hair reflected off the pure white snow, as her icey-blue orbs beamed at the ragged book.

Sakura, on the other hand, had a red-brown book cover, that matched her eyes and wavy hair.

"Wahh, I love this weather!" Vi exclaimed as she entered the small but comfortable apartment.

"What are you talking about? It's murderously cold!" Sakura said, and placed her thick jacket in the closet.

Vi grinned, placing two glasses of hot chocolate on the table, "I like the snow, it's so pure and beautiful." She said.

"It's okay, I prefer the warm weather." Sakura mumbled, sipping the burning liquid.

"You're no fun, at times like this I like to stay home and watch TV all day." Vi laughed, poking the books with her toe.

"Where are you parents?" Sakura asked.

"I live alone." That was all Vi said, she sounded hurt and lonely.

"Ohh.."

"Do you want to start reading?" She changed the subject, "It's almost 6 pm, we better get going."

"Alright."

They each opened their own book, it was blank, nothing in sight.

"What the hell?" Vi flipped through the pages angrily, this has got to be a joke. Her book suddenly frozed in place, icy cold air enveloped the book. "What?" The temperature decreased rapidly, causing Vi to drop the book. "What.. the.."

"Thus, the girl of the legend opened the door of another world. This is the story of a girl who gathered the Seven Seighi of Suzaku. She obtained omnipotent power, and made every wish come true. The story itself is an incantation. Whoever finishes reading it will recieve this power. As soon as the page is turned, the story will become truth and being." Sakura recited the short introduction in her book, a crimson aura captured her little frame.

Vi ran quickly to her friend, taking short glimpses at the book.

"Suzaku no Miko was fated to lose her life in this epic battle. I, as the guardian of Death summon you, the Gatekeeper to save, and protect the Priestess throughout her journey. The burning fire of hell is rising, calling out for her death. As soon as this line is read, the task will become truth and being." Vi finished reading, a demonic blue aura captured her body, and pulled her forcefully into the book. Vi reached out for Sakura, but she was sucked into the abstract book as well.

FF..

DISCLAIMER: I don't own what I don't own.
CLAIMER: I own what I own.

Frozen Fire.
Prologue.