Well, this long and climatic story, is reaching its climax for Kouki and Akio. And since winter is on it's way, I seem to be more eager to write and upload stories. I've been a little distracted writing 'Shadows' lately. I recommend following me and keeping an eye out for it. I think it's my greatest story yet. Also, I thought I'd upload this story in commemoration for my birthday next week :) :) Voila!

A Falling Star
Chapter 18: The Light among Man

Kouki jumped up with a gasp, her dark black hair flying forwards across her face. Big blue eyes almost bulged out of her head. Hands quickly scrambled across her face, dragging back her hair that felt as thin as silk. Strange...she hadn't remembered brushing it.

Where was she? It was all...so white. Everywhere she looked was the ashen color. It made the world around her feel endless but also so small. Did she die? Her body felt oddly light, wrapped in white silk that hung from one shoulder and traveled all the way over her feet. Kouki found herself full of strength as she lifted her body up to stand. Golden sandals strapped comfortably to the bottoms of her small feet. Her pale skin was almost flawless, and looked a little tanned in contrast to the whiteness.

The last thing she remembered was seeing Akio, his arms around her. She heard his voice whisper in her ear again. "I love you." it echoed. She'd confessed and they'd...kiss! She'd actually kissed Akio. Her fingers reached over to sooth of her soft, red lips, letting them tingle under her touch. Akio...loved her! But...where was he? Panic rose in her chest, pushing heavily on her lungs. She hadn't really thought about it until then but...she was alone. If it really was heaven wouldn't Akio be there with her. Of course he wouldn't. Akio must still have been alive. The horrifying thought of his face holding her dead body crossed her mind. It hurt to think about it. She quickly dismissed the thought from her mind, moving back to the previous topic. If this was heaven, she wouldn't be alone. Her family, childhood friends, they'd all be here. Even some of the villagers. But there was no one.

Maybe it really wasn't heaven. Could she have been in hell? Kouki couldn't seem to imagine a worst place. To be alone...for eternity. That, was hell.

"This is heaven, my dear." A old, powerful voice echoed around her. Kouki spun searching for the source. Once again...there was nothing. She had begun to go crazy, creating voices in her head as a substitute for company. She would rather hear Akio or Amira's voice rather than some old geezers.

"I find that offensive." It spoke again.

"I don't care." Kouki pouted, sitting down and crossing her legs. "You're just a voice inside my head. What do you know?"

"A lot more than you think, Kouki." The voice replied.

"Yeah, Yeah. You only know my name because you're in my head." She retorted. The voice reminded her strangely of an old grandfather. All her family had died when she was a young child. The closest she had ever gotten to a grandparent was Akio's grandfather who died when he was eleven and she was nine. He was nice and respected for getting to 30, nevermind 50.

"Actually, If you look up you'll see me." The voice spoke with ease but tingling caution.

Kouki heaved a huge sigh, turning to look up. "If you're in my head, why-" the rest of her words dropped off her tongue as her jaw dropped open forming a huge 'O'. "You...YOU'RE HUGE!" She squealed. A tall head towered high above her head like a sky scraper. He was taller than even mount. Taboo. A long white cape hung from his shoulders, sweeping the floor at his feet. Huge white boots blended too much into the background, grabbing his tree trunk legs in white pants. A white vest hung from his huge muscles and something silver dangled from his neck. A long sweeping beard swished in the breezeless air as it brushed his knees.

An echoing laugh rumbled. She expected his voice to boom, but he only sounded as if he was right next to her. "To you, I must be so. One moment."

Suddenly, his body shrunk with shocking speed. One second he was a billion miles tall, and now he was but a few foot taller than Akio. To her small size, he looked like a giant. Just, not as colossal. Kouki was able to get a better look at him now. His face was weary and old. His beard a white silk. Eyes an almost translucent grey. Lines ran across his face and wrinkled at the corners of his eyes. A big smile pulled apart his lips brushing his spiky white mustache. She realised what the chains around his neck were. They were two stars, closed in a little capsule that dimmed it's light so it was visible. Clear eyes gave her a look of seriousness, contemplating her absolutely shocked expression. A second later, he was barking out a contagious laugh that cause Kouki to chuckle. When she recovered, she asked the inevitable. "Who are you? And what do you mean 'this is heaven'?"

"I mean exactly what I said dear." The man smiled. How old was he? His body said about 60, which counted as the eldest person she'd ever seen. But his eyes stored away millions of years of history.

"Then you are..." Kouki began, speaking as the thought slowly dawned on her.

"Yes, child. I am a God." He replied, picking at his white beard nervously. It was like it needed any preening it almost blinded her it was so white. What shocked her the most was the truth. It wasn't like he was lying. There would be no point not believing him in the situation. He was truly a God. Finally, she had met one. "I am the God of the Stars. The Star king, as I'm known to legend."

"But...why? Why did you bring me here?" Kouki asked. She had a strange difficulty about grasping her situation. It was like trying to pick up jelly with a pitch fork. It was just so...

"Because you call did you not, child. I am here to answer your prayers." He smiled, his eye wrinkles doubling. Suddenly, that ease of strength sapped out of the her, as she collapsed against the white floors. Hot tears began to pour out of her eyes, racing down her face. Her heart raced a million miles a minute. They heard it. They actually heard it. They had listened to her calls. God exist they're there. They were always there. "My, My, are you alright?" The man slipped a finger under her chin, turning her to face him. Ocean blue eyes stained with tears bubbling down her face, stared at him with so much joy, so much relief. The man couldn't help but crack a smile.

"Thank you, I'm just so glad, so glad you heard me." She whimpered, drying her tears on the back of her palm.

"I've been watching over you for a while, Kouki." The man announced. He piled his beard up into his hands, crossed his legs and sat. The white threads of beard fell into his lap like a white, furry cat.

"You have?" Kouki asked, sitting back and crossing her legs. She sniffled as she tried to dry the tears that refused to stop falling. The man kindly handed her a handkerchief. It felt like sugar and soap as she pressed it close to her face.

Kouki had no idea where he got it from, but a cup of tea appeared in his hands. He stirred it with a little silver spoon. A jagged star was engraved like a scribble on it. 'To daddy' it read. The god was a dad. Strangely, he looked like he could be one. "I've known about your existence since you were born." The king smiled, looking distantly into his tea. The look on his face made Kouki expect the story was going to be long. Best get comfortable. "You see, humans have a little light inside their hearts, they are apart of your soul. The stronger and more faithful your soul, the brighter your light. As centuries had passed, the lights humans had began to dim, until I was barely able to see them. However, when you were born, I saw it. Your light. It glowed like a beacon illuminating everything. Even the lights around you would glow brighter. You were a star, Kouki, a star among humans. I made sure to keep an eye on you. To me, who had once lost faith in humans, was my hope. I decided to help you if you needed me."

"But, what about when the plague started, why weren't you there then? Why now?" Kouki interrupted, feeling too many questions rise in her heart. "Why wait until now to meet me?" A painful expression crossed his face, showing a hundred more lines on his face that weren't there before.

"When I found out about the plague, I wanted to rush down there and help you. The only problem was the alignment of the stars. And my power is weakens as it draws closer." The star king admitted, sorrowfully. He looked angry at himself which made Kouki feel bad. He was one of those people who, if you tried to cheer them up or relieve them of blame, they'd just feel worst. So, she didn't say anything.

"So how is it I'm here now?" she asked.

"Because in five minutes time, all the great stars of this universe will be aligned. That is when my power is the greatest." The man announced. Grey eyes flattened on the girl, making the seriousness of the situation sink in.

"If we only have five minutes, we need to get ready to save the village!" Kouki exclaimed, jumping up to her feet as adrenaline jolted through her veins. Five minutes. With the way he talked, it seemed like a once in long time chance to work. So why was is, that he was just sat there. His gaze failed to lift to meet hers as she towered over the man. The look on his face said it all. It was a once in a long time chance, so...what was the price?

Kouki lowered herself down onto her knees, her gaze leveling at his. "The price-" the man began.

"I know." The girl interrupted. The man didn't look surprised, instead he seemed hesitant. His weary eyes looked up to her with so much sadness. A cast of confusion rolled over his face as he shook his head gently at her with a pleading stare.

"Little light, why do wish to save others at the cost of sacrificing yourself?" The man asked, as if he was genuinely puzzled by the girl who sat in front of him. His eyes looked at her, not as a human, but a person. He was looking at her, at her light now at her, as a child of man.

"There is no other way, is there?" Kouki replied, a sad smile turning up her lips. "My life is only a little thing in comparison to others." There were no tears in her eyes, but he could see the sadness and sorrow buried underneath those layers of brown. She was going to miss her family, her friends, her love, her life and her future. Those things which we so precious to her would be taken away. But, she was also happy. Happy to let her village live again and be the breath of every villager she knew.

"I see." The star king set down his tea with a clink. A blink later, and it had disappeared into the whiteness. The God stood, dusting off his white beard and tightening his coat. "Shall we?" An old, wrinkled hand opened up to her, offering her village sanctum. She took it as everything once again dissolved in white.

Wind brushed over her body, skimming over her senses. The rush of air whistled in her ear. Cold breaths of oxygen caught in her mouth. She felt like she was falling. Or it was more like flying. Except, all she saw was white. She couldn't even see the palm of her hands, just white. "The Star alignment will last for five minutes, then it is over. You have just this time to do what you must. Do you understand? You'll be needing help and I have provided it. It already knows what it is doing." Star king's voice echoed in her ear with clarity. There was a moment of silence before he added "Good luck."

Kouki had no time to reply as she was sent balling out of a cloud of white, landing against something hard and wet. A hand roped around her arm almost instantly, lifting her to her feet with ease. The face she turned to almost knocked the breath out of her. "AKIO!" She exclaimed in surprise. Except...it didn't look like Akio. His skin glowed with a white translucency. He looked like a ghost that she could pass through. Except, to her he was solid. Or else he wouldn't have been able to have picked her up. His dark hair fluttered in an absent breeze, his eyes a paler brown. A florescent glow lined the edges of his body like he was emitting his own white light.

"There's no time to be looking like such an idiot." Akio scolded, flicking his finger at her forehead. He even though he looked stern, Kouki could see the edges of a smile creeping up on the corner of his face. "We've got work to do right?"

"Yup." Kouki smiled, feeling a burst of heat tickle inside of her. So where were-

All of Kouki's thoughts came to a crashing halt. A collection of small wooden cabins with palm leave thatched roofs, empty windows and doorless doorways were centered in a large opening. Wet sloppy mud oozing up out of the ground, a coat of dry mud crisping over the top like a overbaked brownie. "We're...home..." Kouki whispered, feeling her voice shatter. Everything was just like they left it. Akio looked around nostalgically.

"Yeah..." he agreed. As soon as he said it, a squelch of mud caught their attention. It...was a person. But it was weird. It was like there was a film stretched between them. Like she was on one side and the person was on the other, but they were walking the same land. Long black hair floated in wavy curls down her back, bouncing as she moved. A simple brown dress tightened around her curves, complimenting her small, beautiful face. Her skin was almost flawless, contrasting to her almost black eyes. Recognition his her like a stone wave. Hot tears burned in her eyes, feeling suddenly overwhelmed.

"Amira!" Kouki cried, breaking into a sprint forward. It was her. Sure, she was older, Akio and Kouki must have been gone years. Nevertheless, it was her. There was no mistaking it. Kouki's arms swung out in the air, reaching to catch the girl in a surprise embrace.

"Kouki! Don't!" Akio tried to warn her. At the same moment, Kouki was sent hurtling forwards, crashing against the mud floor. She'd missed. No, that wasn't right. She was aiming directly at her, there was no way she could have missed. Nope. She had flown straight through her. Like she was a ghost. She remembered her thoughts earlier, looking back at Akio. 'He looked like a ghost' she remembered. Kouki looked down at herself for the first time.

The same lining of light radiated white around her, making her illuminate a paler color. The mud which should have her imprinted shape buried into it, didn't even look like an ant had crossed it. Amira wasn't they ghost...they were.

"Kouki," Akio spoke softly, helping her up from the floor.

"What's going on, Akio?" Kouki asked, her eyes turning up to him with such burning intensity, he was sure his heart would break. He couldn't dust this one off. His gaze watch Amira as she moved through the village, sitting beside the old fire pit, looking up at the mountain. She looked pale. The rain had stopped it seemed, but dark clouds still loomed overhead.

"Okay." Akio sighed. "I'll explain this quickly, so you have to get it. This is no time to be stupid."

"Stop calling me stupid and get on with it then!" Kouki snapped defensively.

"We're in spirit form. Human bodies are too weak to support the magic we're about to use, so the Star king had to separate our body and soul. Therefore, right now we are souls, so Amira can't see us." Akio explained. Kouki nodded instantly. She probably didn't get it fully, but enough. "We don't have much time left." Urgency he tried to keep out had slipped back into his voice. Kouki noticed it and gave him a firm nod.

"I got it." Kouki said with absolute determination. "Let's get to it."

"Good, what do I need to do?" Akio asked.

"Draw a circle around the outside of the village and ten lines, zig zaging from the edge of the circle to the circle I'll draw now." Kouki directed. Akio didn't wait. He drew his sword and jogged out to the edge of the village. Luckily it wasn't big. His sword dug in easily into the mud as he dragged it along. Kouki turned away from him, moving to the old fire pit in the center of the village. It was right next to Amira, but the girl forced herself not to look at her.

Ashes spread evenly in the small fire pit, only about five feet wide. Kouki got to work straight away, digging in deep to draw lines with her fingers. Kouki drew a circle, touching the edge of the pit. It was a simple design and she'd known exactly what it was meant to look like. It was just like any other shape to her, like a square. She didn't even have to think about it to draw it. By the time she was drawing the lines of the middle, Akio was coming up to the end of his lines. Kouki quickly finished up drawing hers, standing to face Akio.

Akio was stood frozen. His sword held stiffly half in, half out of the ground. He was half done with his last line. But his eyes were wide with a mild case of shock, one where his eyes could draw away, nor his attention. She realized why. At the end of his gaze, was Amira. The Amira that's jaw was dropped open, staring at the ground like she'd seen a ghost. It took seconds for Akio to decipher as he came flying back into the world of the living. "She- She can see the lines. It's not use she can see. It's the lines. We're changing the village right before her eyes and she can't see us."

There was a hope gnawing its way into Kouki's heart. It was instantly smothered. Ocean eyes snapped sharply away from Amira, whirling on the dark-haired boy. "Akio. It doesn't matter. Hurry up. There's only moments left!" Akio snapped out directly, turning back to Kouki. His attention towards Amira was shot out of him like a bullet.

The long face of the sword quickly cut through the mud like butter as it came to touch the edges of Kouki's circle. "That's it. It's done." Kouki gasped.

"Not yet." Akio interrupted. He moved over to the other edge of the little circle Kouki had drawn. He held the sword out front of him, pointing the tip down into the center. "Are you ready?" he asked. There was no time to contemplate it. So, Kouki just moved. Her small hand grabbed the handle of the blade and through all her weight into it. It cut through the earth piercing the center of the circle.

Suddenly, pure light began to erupted out of the lines, rushing though the lines like a wild river. It was like an infection, turning the muddy brown lines into streams of white. The light moved across the lines until the two ends collided with each other. Their mud lines, now a brilliant magical circle.

A burst of air, magic and light erupted from the lines. Kouki's hair blew wildly along with Akio's as magic began to explode from their body. Ivory white tattoos glowed on the small girl's body. Matching tattoos crawled up the sword. Around them the village had been immersed in a pale light and Amira had been swallowed in light. Only the two of them remained visible in the ashen glow. Ocean eyes stared at the forming shapes on her body with a calm gaze. As her eyes traced back to Akio, she saw similar patterns appearing around his forearms, spidering up from the hilt of the sword. Sky blue leaked from Akio's bold eyes, swirling into a beautiful, bright hazel. The power was immense, such pure magic funneling through their mind, soul and body. Even so, their bodies were like feathers. Bathing in the light was completing their existence. All they wanted to do was shine. Shine like a star.

Kouki could feel it. The power that built like an invisible cocoon, coating the village around in a unpenetrable shell. Part of her soul was being binded, built into the foundations of the village. There was another strange feeling mixed in with all of it. It was felt like...all of this, was the beginning of a legend.

So the reason behind the illumination of magic in the village from Natsu and Lucy's visit was this. But what will happen to Akio and Kouki now? Will there be any more? Or is this their end? Find out in the next chapter.

I hadn't actually expected this story to go this far. It was origionally just suppose to be Lucy falling off the cliff and Natsu rescuing her, and spending a night together in a cave before Fairy Tail found them. Yep, I went AWOL with that plot. Aha. Well, I think this is better. I hope you guys did too.

If you liked falling star try checking out some of my other stories.

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-A-ccentric