Sorry it has taken so long. I have been having a few personal problems and have been temporarily unable to write. Forgive me for that, if you please, and enjoy the next chapter.

Magic, in the wrong hands, can be disastrous to all living things. Magic and technology work similarly; where as technology is the understanding of all that is around us and (specifically) mechanics, magic is the understanding of all that is around us and ourselves. Technology can do things that would be considered magic hundreds of years ago, magic is the ability to do those things before technology allows you to, and to do it without technology.
This has been a discovery moment. Brought to you by freckle O's, the delicious little O's with freckles. And by money. It doesn't grown on trees, but it sure comes from them.
Also brought to you by the Traveler series. Buy it, read it, know it. It is everywhere (except in stores.)

Yumi:

The next day was Tuesday, the second day of school since that new teacher arrived. I still felt groggy from yesterday; having been out for part of the day and having inhaled those chemicals had taken a toll on my body. I got up and prepared myself for the day. Since I lived at home I had the privacy of living alone, and I didn't have to share the bathroom with anyone. I quickly ate breakfast and headed off for school.

The school was within walking distance, and I didn't mind walking sometimes. It allowed me to gather my thoughts, and after yesterday I had many thoughts to gather. I really didn't believe that we had simply been knocked out by the drugs, and my memory helped me with that. I knew that something else had happened. I remembered being attacked, but it was all behind a cloud of fog. I couldn't see anything as clearly as I needed to; I couldn't decide what to truly believe.

I knew one thing though; I wanted to understand my abilities better. I may have just found them to everyone else, but I felt that I had known about them for a very long time. What I couldn't understand was how everything was fitting together so well. There was something I was missing, but I couldn't tell what it was. In any case, I would be seeing that teacher today, I had science class third thing today.

I had made it to the school and I could see my friends watching for me at the bench that we usually sat at. They were talking and I couldn't quite hear what they were saying; yet somehow I got the feeling that it was about me. I focused my attention on them trying to tune my hearing, but what I got instead was a strange sensation and then I could hear them as well as if I were listening to their thoughts.

"So, you think Yumi will be showing up anytime soon?" Jeremie said, or thought...

"Hopefully, I don't want anything bad to happen to her." Ulrich said worried.

"Still, what about those powers that she showed?" Odd asked.

"What about them? We all have our secrets, even you Odd." Ulrich reminded him.

"Still, it isn't like it is a normal thing to be able to lift a shoe up like that. What if she can do other things, and, more still, what if she can't control it?" Jeremie asked.

"Well, I suppose that would be why she should see Professor Giis about her abilities." Ulrich said.

I felt warm inside as I realized that Ulrich was sticking up for me. I was happy to know that he felt the same way about me no matter what.

"Hey, do you get the feeling like we are being watched?" Jeremie asked.

"Yes, the little tingly feeling on the back of your neck thing." Odd said.

"I was just about to mention that..." Ulrich said. "Hey Yumi."

"Hey guys. I just arrived, did I miss anything?" I lied.

"Not much but first bell is about to ring." Jeremie said, lying as well.

The bell rang just as he had said and we filed out to our two separate classes. The others went their way and I went mine. As we separated without saying much I couldn't help but think about what they had been saying. I was actually hurt by their distrust of me now that I had some strange ability. I went to class and tried not to think about it.

After lunch I went to my science class. I knew that this was the first time that I would be seeing this new teacher actually teach. I would use this to influence my decision on whether or not I would accept his help, but really I didn't know what to expect from him. It wasn't like I had know him from anywhere other than the few times that we had met in the school.

I sat in my seat in the classroom and watched as he turned around. The board had a couple of really large equations on it explaining something about metamorphing. I didn't know what it was about really and as soon as he saw us he turned around again and wrote his name on the board. I'm not sure if I blinked or anything, but I didn't remember seeing him erase the board before he wrote on it and it was still clean as he wrote his name.

"My name, for those of you who haven't met me yet, is Professor Giis." He said. "Unfortunately your normal teacher met with an untimely accident, and was unable to prepare any notes on what you were doing before she went away... Oh, she isn't dead, just very ill... anyway, because she didn't leave any notes I don't know what you were working on, or were about to work on. Can anyone tell me?"

Someone raised their hand.

"Yes?" Professor Giis asked.

"We were working on the theory of magic." The student said and I heard snickers round the room.

"Very well then. If you will please pull out your books... They are teaching that earlier and earlier now adays aren't they? In my time that was college work. Anyway, please turn to page... what's the matter?"

Everyone in the room had their mouths open, including myself, and I obviously couldn't blame them. The blatant gullibility of this teacher was unbelievable. It was as though he would believe anything we told him. And the fact that words were suddenly appearing on the chalk board behind him helped as well.

"Well, is anyone going to tell me what is the matter or and I going to have to call on someone?" he asked kindly.

No one spoke, no one moved; we just kept staring at him and the chalk board. It was as though we were in a trance; the letters forming behind the incredibly dense old man was hypnotizing us into a daze that seemed to be endless. Some of us followed the letters as they formed while others just gaped at the teacher.

"Oh, very well then." He said and snapped his fingers. Suddenly the words dropped to the bottom of the board in a pile of chalk dust. "Can anyone tell me where we really are?"

I raised my hand. I knew and I didn't think we really needed something like that happening again.

"Yes, Yumi?" he asked in a warm voice.

"We had just finished a unit and were about to go onto the next one." I said. "But we were going to find out what it was today."

"Really?" He asked almost shocked. "What a smart teacher. It was almost as if she knew that she was going... (There was a brief pause) Not that she died or anything, just that she needed some time away... In any case, she did the same thing in every class. This will mean that you all get to choose what you want to learn, that has to do with science."

"Really?" someone asked startled.

"Yes, just make it appropriate and within scientific boundaries." Professor Giis said. "Now, you can discuss what you want to learn; I give you this class period to do so."

People turned around and began talking to one another. It was very strange; they all seemed so excited about the idea that we could learn anything we wanted to, within reason. I sat there astonished at this new idea. This lasted the entire class without much change until the end when we came to a decision.

After class I had only one class left until the end of the day. That class went by quickly enough, just a normal grammar class (A.K.A. English but since they are actually in France...) I began feeling the anticipation build up within me as I prepared myself for what was to come next. I didn't know what to expect, but the waiting was getting to me as I watched the clock tick away the seconds. When the bell finally rang I jumped startled that it was finally time.

I quickly packed up my stuff and left the class. Walking quickly I made my way to the science building. I didn't know where we were supposed to meet but I knew if I found Professor Giis then I would simply be able to follow him... I made my way into the building and began heading towards the room in which he was teaching, but as I passed by the locked room I stopped. There was a crowd of students staring at the door. Some of them had frightened looks on their faces, others had sick expressions, but most of them were simply gaping at it.

I looked to see what they were looking at and nearly jumped. There was blood on the door, what I could only assume to be human blood. The blood, when not dripping to the floor, was in very strange symbols. One of the symbols appeared to be a circle with three circles at triangular points; within the circle was many lines making up small triangle shapes. Someone suddenly said, "Oh, this reminds me of that game... I saw it recently, very old... I don't really remember the name, something about the end of the world, or was it Mars?"

"That would be the game, I played it when I was a child..." Came Professor Giis voice. "If this is a practical joke, who ever did it will be punished. Move along, children. You should not be hanging around this room."

I heard his voice quiver as he spoke, almost as though he were frightened about something. The other students filtered out, but a few stayed behind. Those that remained looked at the Professor expectantly. I suddenly realized that they were meeting him as well. This meant that I was not the only one who had special abilities in this school...

"Well, Gwydion, what fight have you gotten us into this time?" he asked the air as he looked at the door. "In any case, if that kind of magic is being used, this should have been sealed. I will clean up your mess this time, but..." he looked at us and suddenly I was unable to hear anything. I was, however, able to read his lips. "...hope you didn't expect... by bringing me here... This is your fight, and even though you expect that... Antavok... I still have somewhere I need to be." I was suddenly able to hear again and Professor Giis looked at us and said, "Wait for me outside if you please."

As we walked away I felt a wave of energy and a rush of wind. Alamus secritua defait... were the words I heard in the wind as it passed buy us. When we reached outside the other kids looked nervously at me, and I gazed back at them. I began wondering how they had discovered their 'abilities' and how Professor Giis had discovered them.

"My name is Yumi." I said taking the initiative. "What is yours?"

"I am Airema." Said a young girl who had longish brown hair and glasses. She was wearing mostly light green cloths with a bit of blue thrown in.

"My name is Raviena." A equally young boy said. He had somewhat long brown hair and was also wearing green.

I looked around and realized that all of them were wearing green. They had other colors on as well but the general theme was green. I began to wonder who they were, and why green seemed to be such a big deal to them. There were only seven people there, nut for some reason, the green included, it felt as though I was among much more.

"I'm Alentok, and this is my brother Jihanta." Said a young boy pointing to his younger brother.

"My name is Averais, and this is my younger sisters, Tailia and Aelias." Said a girl who seemed just a little older than me. Her sisters were standing on either side of her.

Now that I though about it their names seemed similar as well. I looked at their faces and saw the same qualities in them. I then realized that these kids didn't go to this school, and that I really hadn't ever seen them here before. They all appeared to have come from a different country, or...

"So... where are you from?" I asked Averais.

"Um... uh... Japan..." she said obviously hiding something.

"That's interesting," I said, not believing her. "Where in Japan?"

"Um, well. Tokyo?" she said, more as a question than a statement.

I knew one way of proving this false. I may not know very much Japanese but I knew enough to speak fluently. When she was unable to respond I would have proven her wrong.

"Anata wa nihongo o hanashimasu ka?" I asked.

"Hai. Watashi wa nihongo o hanashimasu." She replied, perfectly.

I took a step back. I had not expected her to be able to speak so fluently. She really did know how to speak fluent Japanese. Or did she just know how to say that one phrase. I decided to continue testing her.

"Hajimemashite. Watashi wa Yumi desu. Doozo yoroshiku." I said.

"Hajimemashite. Watashi wa Averais desu. Doozo yoroshiku." She replied.

We began speaking Japanese, starting a major discussion. The others looked interested, and almost relieved. Some of them even joined in. I was beginning to get the feeling that she really was Japanese, at least until Professor Giis came back.

"Well, children, I see you are all getting along. Yumi, how does it feel to be among a different race?" he asked. "Humanity isn't the only sentient species. Nor are they the only ones who have telepathic capabilities."

Yumi learns a few lessons, not just about her ability, but also about some other things that may become useful information. She decides to try an attempt at levitation, but is unable to bring herself to do it, at first. In the next chapter, Lesson One, the lessons will begin.