Disclaimer: The usual, only borrowing for my own twisted use.

Chapter 6... To Protect

For a couple of weeks, the teens lived a relatively normal life. If you consider group dating, seeing spirits, and flailing teens normal. But no truly dangerous missions, no big ayakashi attacks, nothing more awful than a few surprises tests. Teachers are so evil.

Not until the day that they ended up doing different things for a while after school. Himiwari was working on a school project, Aya was helping a teacher make some copies, and Watanuki was helping put things away in the Home economics room, while Doumeki had his usual archery practice. It had been a while since anything supernatural had attacked and Doumeki's (and unknown to Watanuki and the others, Aya's as well) spirit repelling aura had keep most spirits from even attempting the school grounds. So when the very large malevolent ayakashi attacked him (it was one of those nasty black clouds with the a huge eye, Ew) as he walked across the school grounds towards the archery field, he was caught completely off guard, and it had him pinned to the ground in no time.

Unfortunately, Doumeki was in the showers, practice having already finished when the spirit attacked. He grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist as he ran, flying out the door not even sure how he was going to save Watanuki while practically naked.

Fortunately for everyone Aya was closer, dressed and it seemed ready for action. Doumeki finally found out what she had in that long case of hers. She came at a full run, unzipping it and pulled out a long katana without missing a beat, throwing the case to the ground. Pulling the sword from its sheath, the blade flared to life, flames of spiritual energy flickered up and down the edge of the blade. With surgical precision she sliced the blade between the ayakashi and the downed spirit bait. Driving the spirit back far enough so that she could get Watanuki behind her, bringing him up against her, she let him breath in the purified air her aura created. Once she was sure Watanuki breathing was alright, she attacked.

With the sudden appearance of Aya and her burning blade, Doumeki had stopped running and sank to his knees, he watched thru the eye he shared with Watanuki the flowing grace and strength of the warrior that ripped apart the large and evil ayakashi that had attack Watanuki.

With the destruction of the ayakashi, Aya sheathed her blade and turned back to check on Watanuki. Himiwari was running towards them, and just as Doumeki got there, Yuuko popped seemingly out of nowhere. How does That Woman know to show up and always after the fighting was over.

"Excellent work, Knight of Fire" That sounded a lot like a 'Title' to Doumeki.

"Holy crap, Yuuko. Where did you come from and what are you doing here."

"Oh, I was just out shopping"

"Yeah right, whatever"

"Do you WANT to explain why your waiving a extremely sharp sword around at school over your supposedly very good 'friend' who is currently cowering at your feet, or do you perhaps have a wish you'd like to ask me for…?" One dark brow raised a query.

"Oh Hell, will the price be very high?"

"You will have to explain to your friends what you 'Are', and gift Himiwari-chan and Doumeki-kun with the sight".

[sigh]"That's doable, okay Yuuko, {taking a deep Breath} I wish that no one who is not emotionally involved to be concerned with my actions when I fight".

"Excellent wording, the price and the wish balance".

"Funny Yuuko, Keeping the Balance is what I do".

By this time Himiwari and Doumeki had joined the them, Watanuki feeling better now that the Ayakashi was gone was getting up. They heard the exchange, the confused teens waited for their friend to explain. It was the price of her wish after all. They didn't even have to ask. Yuuko eyed the nearly naked Doumeki, she looked like she was ready to eat him.

"Ah, maybe I better go get dressed first"

"Hohoho, no need for that Doumeki-kun, Why don't you just come over here and sit by me." She smiled her Cheshire cat grin

"YUUKO-SAN" yelled all four teens.

A short time later, the group had settled at their usual spot in the park, sipping tea and munching snacks. (Prepared by Watanuki, of course).

Aya had the case that held the katana sitting in front of her. A she absently ran a hand up and down the length.

She began to explain…

"I am a Wild Mage, that's the spiritual energy you feel from me" Nodding towards each boy "Shizuka, Kimihiro" (Aya wasn't real good with Japanese formality but her friends didn't mind, to be honest both boys loved the way she said their names). "You've all heard Yuuko explain about how important balance is right? Well wild mages help keep the balance. Instead of granting a wish we perform spells, such as healing, scrying or finding etc… and then the mage pays the price which is set accordingly by the wild magic, also other people may share in the price. A wild mage 'can' refuse to perform a spell or to accept a price if it is too high. My magic is completely different than Yuuko-sans, for her the Payment must be equal to the wish she is granting, keeping the balance. For a Wild Mage it is about helping to maintained the balance and correcting it where needed. More often than not we don't see the results of our prices. That's the Simple answer."

He friends listened avidly. Yuuko watched her with half closed eyes, telling her silently to finish her explanation.

[sigh]"Yeah, yeah I'm getting there, but it will be easier to explain once I complete the second part of my price. Himiwari can't 'see' anything yet" With that was said, Aya got to her knees and reaching across the blanket and placed her fingers lightly over Himiwari eye's.

"Unlike Yuuko's magic where you would be one's needing to pay a price, this spell only costs me some energy. I don't even need to ward it, Shizuka already sees a little of this thru his shared eye with Kimihiro, once I finish he will be able to see it for himself. This is the spell to grant 'Sight' to those without it. From now on you will see that which Kimihiro and I see all the time, no longer will you be blind to the other world that lives beside you."

Closing her eyes, Aya concentrated and asked the Wild Magic to grant her request. She then repeated the process with Doumeki. Sitting down she rested a moment before opening the long case containing the katana, unsheathing the sword and holding it in front of her. Himiwari gasped as for the first time she beheld the spiritual energy that gently lowed along the edge of the blade now that she was no longer in the heat of battle.

"How beautiful"

"This here is Kie, she is my friend. The being able to see spiritual energy is part of the gift I just gave you. Unlike Kimihiro, spirits will not be chasing you, your blood does not have the same attraction as his. You only have the sight with which to see." Doumeki was very grateful for the gift of this 'Sight' it meant he no longer had to rely on eye he shared with Watanuki to see what was actively attacking him. This would give him much greater freedom of movement and he would be able to see the spirits before things got really ugly. And now it seemed he also wasn't alone anymore in protecting the gentle seer.

"That sword appeared to be on 'Fire" when you were fighting earlier. Is that anything like my arrows?"

"Very observant Doumeki-kun, No less than I would expect from you. Please Aya-chan finish your tale"

Going into her school bag she withdrew 3 slender volumes. "I am not just any Wild Mage." Handing one volume to each of them, Doumeki paged thru it, pausing every now and then to read something.

"I read these books, when I was going thru the library in Grandfathers Kura. They are the Book of the Moon, the Book of the stars and the Book of the Sun, Right? I didn't find anything in them to help me with Watanuki's eye, so I put them back. These seem a little different, the handwriting is more flowery than the set I saw."

"Those are not your grandfathers books. They are yours."

"Hn"

Watanuki and Himiwari looked rather confused by the exchange. "Are these supposed to be some kind of notebooks? Let me see yours Doumeki, I don't have anything written in mine." Reaching for the book the archer had been reading Watanuki took a look inside. "There's nothing written here either..?"

"I don't see any writing either" Himiwari stated.

Aya gathered the three books from her friends, and put them back in her school bag. "No you would not be able to see anything written on the pages, and even if you could see something, it would probably appear as gibberish. Only a Wild Mage can read these books and they spend their whole lives studying the wisdom within, and using the Wild Magic to help keep the balance."

"Oi, I am not some kind of Mage"

"Actually, yes you are, you and I are specific kind of a Wild Mage known as a Knight Mage. Those who Protect. A Knight Mage uses the Wild Magic to supplement their fighting skills and the strength of their will. Once a Knight Mage sets their 'will' to something NOTHING can move them from what they have chosen to do. Absolutely nothing." And evil cannot corrupt a Knight Mage, the taint holds no power over a Knight Mage."

"Well that's you all right, a stubborn Jackass." Watanuki crowed with delight.

"Kimihiro!"

"Oh, Sorry Aya-chan, you are definitely not as pigheaded as this dolt."

"Oh I wouldn't bet the farm on that one, I can be as pigheaded as anyone" Aya chucked and winked at Watanuki. "But our 'talents, do differ in where our strengths lay. I lean a bit more towards the healing and spell casting end of the scale, while Shizuka is far more of a pure warrior. I can focus my spiritual energy thru the medium of a sword or dagger. I prefer to work with Kie. Shizuka has the ability to form both bow and arrow from his spirit. Though currently doing so drains him a lot, the more he uses it the stronger he will become. I will always need the medium of a weapon to focus my energy. Shizuka is also right in that he will never be much of a mage, though he will eventually learn the small healing spells, and a few others that all wild mages learn. He will focus mainly on the Battle Magics."

[sigh] "I better go get those books and start studying them."

"A wise choice Doumeki-kun. Well, now that we have that all out of the way… Let's have some SAKE, and Watanuki's delicious snacks too of course!"

"I'll pour"

"You're Such a good boy Doumeki-kun"

"YUUKO! IS SAKE ALL YOU EVER THINK ABOUT. AND YOU, YOUR JACKASS, YOUR UNDERAGE, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING SERVING HER SAKE!"

"Whoahoho

Later that night in the Shop, Mokona sat on Yuuko's shoulder rubbing his face against hers.

"Two of them Yuuko? Does this mean it's very bad?"

"The appearance of a single Knight Mage meant it was already very bad, there has never been two at once before, and that terrifies even me, and yet it gives me hope too. That maybe, just maybe these children and those others, will manage to change the future by the choices they make."

The Changes they make can they effect Hitsuzen.

Is it enough to restore the Balance?