Note: I usually keep my writing to myself, but I wanted to share this one with all of you on Please bear in mind that I'm not a professional writer, and that I make mistakes. If you find a horribly embarrassing one, though, please tell me about it. Heheh. Anyway, on with the show. The disclaimers still apply.

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What should have been a peaceful morning had suddenly erupted into chaos.

The men of the village scrambled over one another to grab their weapons, yelling. Women screamed, children squealed, all the more when their parentsﾁf fear made everything turn upside down. Abruptly, the panic was cut by a comet of red that slammed into the roof of the village shrine.

Slowing enough to belie its true form, the figure clad in red put a sleeve over its face, shielding it from the debris, dust and sparks from the shrine roof it had just ruined. The eyes narrowed as they stilled upon what they had been seeking - a bright, glowing pink jewel on the altar of the shrine.

Wasting no time, the figure grabbed the jewel from the surface, even as arrows and shouts flew past. One arrow that came particularly close was dodged, sending it clattering into a candelabra, knocking it over and setting the wooden shrine ablaze in a whoosh of flames. The figure shot upwards, becoming what seemed a bolt of pure crackling power, and slammed a new skylight in the roof of the shrine. Moments after the departure, the fire hit the oils around the altar.

The shrine exploded.

Dodging sparks and debris, the red streak made quick progress as it lightly touched over the village, heading towards the safety of the forest in the distance. It was when it seemed entirely home-free that a shout came out of nowhere.

There was the ZING of an arrow. The light THWACK as it hit. The figure in red stilled once more, and the shining jewel fell away. A whispered name. Tortured words. The cries of a young girl, and then flames.

All-consuming flames…

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"Kimiko-san!"

"Huh? Wha?" Kimiko sat strait up in her seat, her eyes wide in surprise. The sensei tapped the pointer to the board, frowning at her. Several of the students giggled.

"Thank you for rejoining us. Would you read this sentence out loud?"

Blinking the fogginess of the dream away, Kimiko focused on the sentence written in the English alphabet, clearing her throat and pushing a strand of her thick black hair out of her eyes. "The dog..." she started, and frowned at the board, pushing her lips into strange shapes to properly pronounce the foreign words. ﾁgﾁc barked... a..." she stopped again, and tilted her head. "War... neen."

"Warning," the sensei corrected. "Can you tell me the definition of the word 'warning'?"

Kimiko felt her ears burn a little as several more students giggled, but she tried to ignore it. "No, sensei."

"Warning; to alarm or alert of danger," the sensei said pointedly as he walked towards her desk. He tapped the pointer on her notebook once, drawing her attention to a small drool stain on the paper. In a disarmingly friendly manner, he leaned forward, looking strait into her eyes. "This," he said with a little smile, tapping her notebook again, "is a warning."

Feeling her ears burn, Kimiko sank down in her seat a little. "Yes, sensei." More giggles. She clenched her fists slightly until the sensei turned away, then scowled at her notebook, leaning forward so her hair covered her face.

It was only when the bell rang that her spirits lifted. Staring at the fluffy white clouds dotting the sky, Kimiko meandered out of the building amidst the swarm of students. A light breeze made her green uniform skirt flutter, and she scowled, clamping it down with her fingers. Stupid thing was always flying up.

Stretching her cramped arms above her head, she let out a sigh, then gave herself a shake from head to toe, as though she were shaking off the hanging gloom of the school day. She hooked a strand of her long, thick hair behind one ear, though it just fell down her shoulder again. That was kind of annoying, she again mused as she hopped up onto the low wall beside the sidewalk, above the students, so she could walk at her own pace. They were all so slow.

Kimiko hooked her thumbs loosely into the straps of her backpack, and walked briskly along the wall, ignoring the other students. Soon she was past the front of the stretch, and she hopped back to the walk, heading for the track field farther out on the school grounds. Taking out her frustration on running would help a bit, keep her focused. There were much more important things at hand.

After she changed into her white sweatshirt and black gym shorts in the empty locker room, she walked out to the track, toeing the white painted lines on the dirt. As she knelt against the start, her fingertips resting lightly on the earth, she let the exhilaration flow freely through her veins.

This was her world.

The track went silent. There was nothing but her, the earth, and the painted lines that marked her way. Situating her foot against the metal start plate, she stared intensely ahead at the finish line. She licked her lips, parting them for a single whispered word:

"Bang."

Her foot slammed against the start panel as she spread her wings to fly. The finish line sped towards her, air whipping by her ears, tossing her hair. The speed consumed her as she sailed like an arrow. With a breath she had all the power in the world.

It was rapture.

All too soon, she passed over the line, slowed, and stopped, and breathed. The air was sweet and revived her tingling muscles. She smiled. Or, came as close as she ever did. Her honey-colored eyes sparkled and one corner of her mouth lifted just a little. It was more like a smirk.

"Kimiko!"

Blinking, she looked up, then crossed her arms, giving the man a half-assed scowl.

"Souta-ojisan..." she muttered. Her uncle smiled back at her, then hopped down from the bleachers.

Higurashi Souta was a good-looking man in his mid-twenties, with deep chocolate eyes and stylishly cut black hair. His smile matched his attitude; easy, approachable and friendly. He had a rare ability to make anyone comfortable enough to say nearly anything. Right now though, there was a muscle on his brow that was clenched tightly, meaning he was worried about something.

"Jii-chan is sick," he said softly before she could ask. The breath left her, her eyes widening. Gently, her uncle made put an arm around her shoulders, but she was already scooping up her backpack with her clothes, heading wordlessly towards the car.

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Never fear. The next chapter will be up soon, that is, as soon as a review or two comes in. If no one's reading, then why update? So, review? Please?