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Imagine... a mountain.
Not just any mountain. A mountain at the farthest reaches of the universe. More vast than the greatest star, it rises into the mists of infinity, pure and inscrutable. Clouds of stardust swim around its massive peaks. Not even the gods know how far this mountain reaches.
Except for one. Look closer. On the side of the mountain, a temple. A temple of white, so pristine it moves beyond mere whiteness to become the essence of all colors and none. Pillars rise into the mists above, forming a gateway to the interior within.
Now picture a wheel, a wheel as great as the temple housing it. The wheel of the universe. It hangs on air itself, spinning out the essence of time. Threads whirl out from the center, one for every life that is ever lived in all the worlds in existence.
There is one who tends the threads. This goddess, one and at the same time three, young girl, woman, and elder, minds the spinning of the world wheel. Here, a hand slows the spin or speeds it as necessary; there, a thread needs must be cut or another moved. The triplicate goddess on the mountain tends the tapestry of the ages.
Now she sees a peculiarity. Four threads, diverging from the rest. A luminescence radiates around them. Four souls, reborn through time and united by Fate, ignorant of what their future holds. These individuals hold the fate of not just one world, but many worlds in their hands. To the goddess an eon can pass as a moment, but even she knows how long it has been since she has last seen threads like these.
And they do not know. The possible ramifications of these changes they bring; who knows what they might do? Four guardians, one for each direction, unaware of the role they were fated to play, the link they had to all these worlds....
The goddess watches, tending her wheel, maintaining her eternal vigil as she waits to see the spinning out of these destinies.
And far away from that temple on the mountain, in the land of Taran, the web�s center, the Priestess of the Four Directions dreamed.
She stood alone in the dark, a dark so deep she could barely make out the shape of her own hand held before her eyes. The whole landscape was awash in blue of the deepest midnight, dark enough to render it vague and unclear, as though in fog. No stars or moon illuminated the vast expanse above her head. She had never seen this place before, yet it felt familiar.
Then a streak of light, a white so pure it nearly blinded her, shot across the sky. A shooting star?... But no, the track remained, never fading. Another streak crossed the first one, and a third crossed them both, and another, and another, coming from all directions until the bands of gleaming light made a web across the sky....
That was when the priestess realized it was not light she saw, but threads. She knew not where she stood, but she watched the threads of the world weave their destinies in the sky above.
At that moment the direction of the threads... changed. Before her very eyes the threads branched. No, not branched, not the threads themselves, it was their path which altered. Even as they filled the sky, other threads moved beyond that confining space. One reached its luminous finger to the ground at her feet; another stretched over her head to touch the space behind her. Two more braced her on either side. Belatedly, the priestess realized she herself was being worked into the weave, the threads of fate were weaving themselves in an inescapable net all around her, she was now a part of them....
As the threads grew closer and closer still, they... whispered. That was all she knew to describe it. It first sounded as a vague hissing, a chance susurration like the rustling of wind through the cattails at the edge of a lake. The priestess whirled; the threads came at her from all directions, she could not move. Then words started to emerge in the murmur of fate surrounding her.
�They come... they come... four together, forever united and eternally reborn, as the world wheel weaves and as the world wheel wills, their time comes again....�
The priestess longed to cry Who comes? but the words would not emerge; they stuck in her throat, bound in place by the inexorable pattern surrounding her.
�Their time has come, their time is needed; it has been long since they were called, the balance teeters on an edge, they must come to rebalance the fate of all worlds, the pattern will change, and change it must, else it will break, and the world wheel shatter, and all will be lost.... To restore the world and to save it, they come....�
The pattern drew closer, ever closer; the priestess turned wildly, searching for the break in the pattern, the path to freedom, but the weave of fate was too tight, it drew closer still. Wind whipped her clothes, her hair; she was blinded. The threads closed in, and just as she felt she was to be strangled in the weave, the pattern burst apart, scattering like fog in the wind, releasing at the moment with one final cry of all the voices of fate. �They come!�
The priestess came awake with a start. She sat up with a slow sighing breath; but for the streak of moonlight coming in through the window her room was black as the still night outside.
She ran a hand across her face. It was all a dream.... Yet she knew not to ignore her dreams; to do such would be folly. The single strand of moonlight served as an eerie reminder of the threads of fate whispering to her in the world of dreams only seconds before. She knew not what the dream prophesied; the reason was unclear, but she knew what she had been told. The Priestess of the Four Directions, the conduit, must prepare.
And all around her seemed to whisper the faint echo of those final words. �They come... they come.....�
It was a clear day, bright and sunny, with only the occasional cloud skimming across a sapphire sky. Green leaves danced in the light September breeze, giving Rinji Park an air of lightness and almost magic. Birds rustled through tree branches like little feathered sprites as they went about their business, unconcerned about the people confined to walking on the ground.
A girl in her middle teens flopped out on her stomach in the grass below the tree, wearing a gray straight skirt and tailored gray vest over a long-sleeved white blouse and a bright red tie. The colors contrasted with the green and brown of her surroundings. Her head propped on one hand as she stared into the distance, feathery sky blue locks fluttering in the delicate wind. A bundle of white and red cloth rested beside her on the ground on top of a backpack, a wooden sword laid across both with an unconcerned air.
She glanced up to see a boy not much younger than herself all but clinging to the side of another nearby tree, staring; his face reddened when he realized she saw him. A mischievous grin spread across her face. The girl kicked up one foot behind her, playfully twirling it in the air as she fluttered her eyelashes. The boy�s face turned a deeper shade of crimson, sweat beading all along his forehead. A look of embarrassed panic crossed his face before he fled down the path. The girl�s impish, musical laughter followed behind.
�Ayame, that wasn�t nice.�
Greenish-blue eyes rolled upward. �Well, he shouldn�t have been checking me out like that if he didn�t want a response.� She turned over a little to regard her new companion. �Hey, Reiko.� Another girl, of an age with herself, clad in a green martial arts uniform with black accents. Aqua hair bundled back in a careless ponytail at the nape of her neck, full yet spiky bangs falling down around either side of a narrow black band encircling her head to wildly frame her upper face. She dropped to her knees next to Ayame.
�Hey. Long time, no see. How goes it?�
�As well as can be expected. Can�t believe we�ve been in school- high school- for a month already.� Ayame rolled over on her back. �Seems like summer just started, and now we�re back there. I�m already bored.�
�You and me both.�
�You just like summer because you can spend more time at that super-intense dojo of yours. Honestly, you�d be there all day if you could.�
The other girl grinned as she let out a good-natured snort. �And you wouldn�t?� She gestured towards the cloth bundle and sword beside her friend. �You�ve been practicing almost obsessively these past couple years. Ever since you started, in fact. I was kind of surprised to see you here first. Where�s Shizuka and Kagami?�
Ayame gave a one-shouldered shrug. �You know I want to be good. And you�re sure no one to talk, what with all that Karate for over twice as long as I�ve been at it. I sure don�t see a black belt in my uniform.�
�That�s just because you don�t use formal belts in Kenjutsu.�
�But anyway, I dunno where they are. At one of their meetings or practices, most likely. I think that�s what they said.� Ayame suddenly craned her head up, shading her eyes with one hand. �Hey, I think I saw Kagami!� She gave a vigorous wave. �Yo! Over here!�
The approaching girl in question wore a school uniform consisting of a
mahogany-colored skirt and hip-length jacket, the jacket worn unbuttoned over a plain
pale yellow top. Lavender hair drifted in thick, heavy waves over her shoulders. A
bulging satchel dangled from one hand. She returned with an enthusiastic overhead wave
of her own, bouncing up on one tan-booted toe. �Whew, glad I�m not late!� She dropped said satchel on the grass by
Ayame�s uniform before settling herself in the shade, knees pulled up before her.
�Well, you beat Shizuka, anyway,� said Reiko. �Hey, I was expecting you to
be later because of some meeting or ten.� �It was just one meeting, the Antiquities Club. It ended early.� Reiko angled her head to one side. �Seems like you�re in half the clubs at
school already, and an officer in most of those. Don�t know how you do it. Especially
with all those high-level classes you take, too.� �I can�t imagine not doing it. I like the challenge. Why else would I go to a
school like Hideaki?� She fiddled with the yellow pendulum crystal dangling from a
chain around her neck for a moment, then only just seemed to realize Reiko was still in
her Karate gear. �Wait a minute- I thought you karate people didn�t usually wear your
uniforms around places.� Reiko grimaced briefly at the appellation �you karate people� before
speaking. �I just came from the first Karate Club meeting. Captain has to be in uniform.
That way all the people who want to join know who I am. I�ve got to be last to leave,
too, so it didn�t exactly give me lots of time to change. Not that I�d want to put that
stupid uniform back on anyway, but still....� Ayame�s head popped up. �Oh, yeah, I forgot you got captain! So, is Goro
still sulking about that?� �Yeah, and the Great Lummox can keep sulking for all I care. It�s his own
fault for spending all last year bragging to anyone who�d listen and everyone who
wouldn�t that he was gonna be Karate Captain at Yasashiku- or wherever he ended up
going- this year. I beat him in the challenge test fair and square, and if he�s still mad
over being beaten by a girl, tough. I�m sick of them expecting to win all the time just
because they have testosterone and I don�t. I can�t help it if I�m practically the only girl
black belt around, can I?� Ayame gave her wooden sword a nudge. �Hey, today I wanted to try out for
the team at Minoru, and they wouldn�t even look at me. Just �cause I do Kenjutsu instead
of Kendo! Honestly, you�d think they expect me to go nuts as soon as I get in their
dojo just because my version doesn�t stick to a few watered-down sport
points.� �Well, all I can say is I can�t understand the appeal of all that
hand-to-hand combat anyway.� Kagami rummaged in her satchel. �Why anyone wants
to get all sweaty and mussed just to learn how to hit other people is beyond me.� Reiko started ticking off points on her fingers, face bearing the expression of
one who�s had this conversation before and knows she probably will again. �Well,
there�s the challenge of learning the art, and knowing you can defend yourself if you ever
have to, and keeping yourself in shape instead of sitting inside with a book all the
time-� �-And the opportunity to meet hot guys,� Ayame chimed in. Reiko rolled her eyes. �I couldn�t care less about �hot� guys. They�re not so
attractive once they get a chip on their shoulder after you beat them in a sparring
match.� �I sure haven�t had that problem!� �That�s because they think you�re not high enough in the rankings yet to
challenge their precious egos. They�ll change soon enough.� Kagami broke into the debate by thrusting the box she had just pulled out of
her satchel between them. �Pocky, anyone?� She bit one of the skinny chocolate-coated
biscuit sticks in half. Ayame�s grin widened as she munched on the proffered treat. �That�s our
Kagami, forever the diplomat.� She pointed to the crystal Kagami wore. �Hey, where�d
you get that? Never seen it before.� �I picked it up in my antique shop about a month ago. For some reason my
intuition told me to buy it, and well, I learned a long time ago to trust my hunches.� She
got into the front pouch of her satchel this time. �But it�s strange- ever since I bought it,
my dreams have gotten different. I keep having the same one over and over again. I
dream I�m going into our shrine- you know, the old abandoned one we always used to go
to when we were younger- and this big glowing gateway opens in the wall, and I have to
go into it. Then it all goes kind of fuzzy.� A new, fourth voice chimed into the mix. �Maybe you should try to figure
out what those dreams are trying to tell you.� Their newest companion proved to be a small, young-looking girl in a tan
box-pleated skirt and pale blue long-sleeved blouse, buttoned up to the neck and
decorated with a small dark blue tie. A briefcase dangled from the hands clasped behind
her back; one loafer-clad toe trailed along the paved pathway. Matching light blue knee
socks showed no sign of even so much as a wrinkle. Her thick, smooth violet ponytail,
pulled onto one side of her head, waved just a little in the breeze. �Shizuka!� Kagami waved the pocky box. �It�s about time you got
here!� Shizuka surveyed the ground around them for a moment as though searching
for the most innocuous seating spot before settling herself carefully on the grass, knees
demurely turned to the side. �Oh, I do hope I don�t get grass stains, this uniform is
new....� She glanced up from arranging her pleats. �I told you I had rehearsal. This is
only a little recital, but even the smallest show is still important when you dance,
especially when you�re the newcomer.� She gave a little smile, eyes downcast. �Not to
mention that in one number I get to dance with a partner, and he�s a complete
dream....� Ayame clapped her hands once, crowing, �Another one bites the dust!�
Reiko just groaned, hand over her face. �What?� Shizuka�s expression darkened just a little. Ayame shrugged, spreading her hands in a mock-innocent gesture. �Just
wondering how long this one�ll last before the tables turn!� �Hey, you�re no one to talk, I remember when you-� Again, Kagami broke up the debate. �Take a look at this!� she said brightly,
holding forth two objects. One was the little crystal they�d all just been talking about.
The other was a peculiar conglomeration of silver, or at least some silvery metal. A little
setting served as the apex for what looked to be a pair of highly stylized dragonfly-shaped
wings, flat strips of silver jutting out and up, curving around and back into the original
setting, the sides mirroring each other in a smooth, never-ending pattern. Shizuka picked it up, holding it up to the light. �Ooo, how pretty. What is
it?� She twisted it to one side and the other, letting the sunlight ripple over the natural
curve of the shape like a living thing. �That�s part of my crystal. It�s been loose for a while, according to the shop
owner, and it keeps falling off. Dropped off on the way here, in fact. Oddly enough, he�s
had this little thing for years and I only just now saw it. Maybe that�s part of the reason
why I had to buy it. That and the intuition, which I follow even though it�s not
logical.� �You can�t always be logical.� Shizuka continued to play with the silver
setting. �Those feelings you get shouldn�t be underestimated.� She paused for a
moment. �You know can talk to Mom about it whenever you like, you really should, she
does know about these things, after all-� Kagami�s gaze abruptly snapped to one side. �Did you see that?� �See what?� Shizuka glanced up from her study of the crystal�s setting. �That- that shape. Out of the corner of my eye. Like someone�s
shadow.� �There was some boy checking me out before you all got here,� said Ayame.
�Maybe it�s him again, trying to be sneaky.� �No...� Kagami looked thoughtful. �No, I don�t think so....� She dropped
the crystal back onto its chain and refastened it around her neck. Her hands moved in an
almost instinctive gesture, trying to fix the decorative setting back on. �So anyway,� said Shizuka, �now that we�re here-� She cut herself off as
Kagami�s head suddenly whipped around a second time. �What?� �I saw it again!� This time her voice came out almost a whisper, an odd
thread of intensity running underneath. She squinted into the greenery, concentration
plain as she tried to discern what it was she had seen. Her hands continued to fiddle with
the crystal. She hardly seemed aware of what she was doing. The two pieces came
together with a brief, audible click. Kagami�s head shot up. Her spine suddenly grew ramrod straight, almost
rigid. Shizuka leaned around to the side; her friend�s eyes had gone wide, staring, a
peculiar glint in the gray orbs. �Kagami?...� she said hesitantly. She glanced back at
Ayame and Reiko; they were just as confused as she. The girl wiggled her fingers in
front of her friend�s face. No response. Kagami blinked once, twice. The same strange gleam stayed in her irises.
�I... I see now.� When she spoke, her voice came out... distant. It was as though she no
longer even knew they were there, speaking only to herself- or to someone none of the
others could see. She rose in one swift, fluid movement. One hand wandered down to
grab her satchel, almost like it was an afterthought. Never once did she look anywhere
other than straight ahead, eyes fixed on an unmoving, invisible point. Slowly,
deliberately, she started to walk forward. Shizuka grabbed at her arm. A light of alarm reached her own eyes. This
was far from normal behavior for any of them, let alone Kagami. �What?... Where are
you going?� Her voice bore a faint tremor of uncertainty. Kagami didn�t speak. She simply disengaged her arm from her friend�s hand
and continued forward, walking at an increasingly faster pace. Shizuka looked back at her friends helplessly. �I- I don�t know what�s going
on with her! She�s- it�s-� Kagami chose that moment to break into a run. Reiko muttered something that could have been a curse; it was hard to tell.
�Don�t stand there dithering!� She snatched her backpack up from the ground and
sprinted after, slinging her arms through the straps even as she ran. Ayame quickly
followed suit, leaving Shizuka no choice but to chase them both in turn. Kagami sprinted between the trees, her friends barely able to keep pace with
her. This was perhaps the strangest thing of all. Kagami never ran except when strictly
necessary or when extreme enthusiasm took hold, and she had certainly never moved this
fast. Wherever it was it had suddenly gotten into her head to go, she was obviously
taking the fastest- and straightest- possible route to get there. Ayame pulled herself up on a level with Reiko, no mean feat, considering she
was wearing a straight skirt. �Where- the heck is she heading?� Reiko took in a couple gulps of air. �I- I don�t know, but-� Even as she
spoke, Kagami started to slow. She never stopped moving, only bringing her impromptu
run down to her original steady, deliberate walk. Shizuka came up behind the other two. She clutched her knees for a moment,
catching her breath. �Look.� One finger pointed forward. It seemed they had found their destination. Kagami was going into the old
abandoned shrine. It stood in a small clearing of trees in the most isolated part of the
park; it was obvious that not many people came this way. The four of them had used this
as their secret gathering place some years ago. The fact they were told to keep away
from the place made the appeal to use it as their clubhouse all the stronger. Besides, they
were guaranteed a lack of disturbance due to the fact that they were the only ones among
their peers who didn�t find the place creepy, broken-down and long disused as it
was. None of them even considered any of this at that moment. All they knew was
that Kagami was mounting the steps to the entrance in a gait similar to a priestess
entering a ritual site. Without a second thought, they followed. Kagami made her slow, steady way to the raised platform that had once been
the altar; now, paint peeling, carving chipped, it was an image of disrepair and
abandonment. Once painting had graced the paneled walls. Now that, too, was faded
and worn with time. In the center of the altar stood a stone. Like the altar, it was etched
with ancient carvings, now so old they looked like nothing so much as the random pattern
of grooves worn into a surface by centuries of narrow flows of water. Kagami, still moving so strangely slow and deliberate, unfastened her crystal
from around her neck. She brought it to rest against a hollowed groove in the stone. Suddenly, they were all blinded by a brilliant flash of light. Arms
instinctively flew up to shield eyes. After a moment, vision cleared. The blinding
brightness came from a glowing portal now open in one of the panels along the far wall.
Even as they watched, Kagami entered. Left without any other alternative, the three followed. It felt like the inside of a prism held, spinning, before the sun. Light brighter
than anyone could believe possible flashed past them in a dizzying whirl, flickering and
swirling like a kaleidoscope of colored lights. Though they themselves never moved
muscle, they swept continually forward. It was like being carried along by a tidal wave.
The sensation might have last hours or seconds. It was hard to tell for certain. The next thing they knew, it came tumbling to a stop. The three of them
landed in a heap on the ground- a distinctly colder, harder ground than it had been before.
What had once been old wood now changed to black stone, highly polished, swirled with
some kind of glimmering tracery pattern that seemed to alter by the moment. Reiko got
to her feet first, whirling back towards the mysterious passage they had come through
before, only to find herself coming up against a door. A massive door, carved out of dark
heavy wood, utilitarian but for some unclear etching around the frame that could have
been lettering, could have been simply a random scratched-in pattern. �Blast! We�ve got
to- to-� She wrenched the handle. Nothing budged. �Hey! Lemme a hand here!�
Ayame all but dropped her uniform and sword in her haste to aid yanking on the now
firmly closed portal. Shizuka pointed, hand shaking just a little. �Um... guys?� she said. �I... think
we�ve got a bigger problem on our hands....� The two glanced back from their work on the door. They saw Shizuka
gradually backing closer to the wall behind them, mouth open in a silent gasp, eyes wide
and staring. That was nothing compared to what stood before them. The only word to describe them would be living shadows. Vague,
ever-shifting, yet all too real, they floated in the air, just skimming the floor. Their shape
was only barely human. They had what could broadly be called heads, and arms and
legs, but other than that humanoid was a generous descriptive term. It was hard to tell
how many of them there were. The only fixed thing about them was the eyes. They
gleamed, crimson and malicious, as the creatures- for simple lack of a better term- drifted
towards them in a movement of otherworldly intent. Kagami stepped forward, still moving in that slow, meditative walk. Ayame
grabbed for her shoulder. �Hey, wait a sec! What do you think you�re-� She didn�t get any further than that. Kagami took one more step forward,
drew her arm back crossways across her chest, spreading her fingers. She paused, then
swung the arm back out in a sweeping arc. A gust of swirling wind swept forth from her
outspread digits. The shadow creatures swirled away into the vastness of the chamber.
Kagami ran on in silence. �Yo! Kagami!� Ayame gasped as the three set off again in pursuit. �What
the heck did you just do?! You know something we don�t? Where are we?� �I don�t think- she�s gonna answer!� Reiko spat as they sprinted up a circling
staircase. The room, vast as it was, had passed in a blur; all they got was a sense of
gleaming white walls and more doors than any of them had seen before. �I ain�t got a
clue what�s up with her, but it sure isn�t normal!� �She�s- in a trance!� Shizuka panted from behind them. �Mom�s- seen
people in those before! They- they act like that- I only just now realized it! She seems to
know- where she�s going! We�ve got to- follow!� It seemed that staircase would never end. It spiraled ever upwards, never
changing. No doors led outward, no windows offered any glimpse to what might lie
without. It simply went further and further up, as though the builder had been trying to
build a stairway to the sky. The three somehow managed to find the reserves within
themselves to keep going, no matter how long it got or endless it seemed. All that
mattered was not losing Kagami. As for her, it seemed as though the trance state- if
Shizuka were correct- gave her some kind of endless reserve of energy. She certainly
wouldn�t have managed this feat normally. Then the passage started to broaden out. A door came into sight at the end of
a landing. Kagami showed no sign of slowing; if anything, she took on a burst of speed,
throwing open the portal into the passage beyond. Once beyond that door, she slowed. Ayame and Reiko both slouched against
the wall to catch their breath. Shizuka slumped forward, clutching her knees again. All
three of them looked towards their trancebound friend. She stood there quietly, oddly
shining gaze perusing the passage as though determining which way to go next. �Hey,�
Ayame said. �How long do these trance things usually last, anyway?� Shizuka straightened, clutching a stitch in her side. �It varies,� she replied,
still wheezing just a little. �They can go for a few minutes or several hours. There are
stories of people who lasted for days-� Reiko jabbed Ayame in the side. �Hey! She�s off again!� Sure enough,
Kagami had apparently determined the correct direction and resumed her smooth,
flowing trance-run. Hitching up her backpack, Reiko led the pursuit. �Let�s hope this isn�t one of those days-long trances, then!� Ayame tucked
her uniform more firmly under her arm. �Well, if it is, then our calf muscles are gonna be unbelievable!� Reiko added
from her spot right behind Kagami. Shizuka froze. She�d just felt a sensation like a column of ice spearing down
her spine. Breath quickening in apprehension, she glanced behind her. She was unable
to stifle the small shriek that escaped. It looked as though more of the shadow creatures had apparently caught up
with them. Even though their ever-shifting appearance still made numbers unclear, there
appeared to be less of them. Apparently whatever Kagami did before took some of them
out, but not all. �What the-?� Ayame spun around, seeing their new pursuers. �Oh, God!�
she spat. Reiko stopped in her tracks. But Kagami kept running. Ayame pointed. �Stay
with her! Catch you in a minute!� Tossing her uniform and bag aside, she brought her
sword up into fighting stance. �Are you sure that�s a good-� �And you�ve got a better idea at this point?!� The shadow beings drifted towards them. Shizuka backed up, briefcase
clutched in front of her, staring at the things with the same look of dread as the first time
around. Ayame centered herself in the middle of the hallway, bracing her feet apart.
�Right, boys- let�s see what you�re made of.� Then a strange thing happened. The things drifted right past her- and straight
towards Shizuka. Ayame whirled. �Run! Run, you idiot, run!� But the things seemed to have a peculiar effect on Shizuka, one that passed
the others by. All she could do was give a strangled gasp, backing further and further
away... right into the wall. Letting out a mad yell, Ayame charged, wildly slashing out at
the creatures. She reeled back in horrified shock as the sword met the creature�s midriff-
and passed right through. It didn�t even seem to notice her attack.
�Shizuka!� Shizuka seemed to be in some kind of odd state of her own. Eyes tightly shut,
she swung her briefcase wildly, in wide, panicked arcs, no rhyme or reason. The
creatures drew closer and closer still. One more mighty heave, and the case flew right
out of her hands, thumping into the wall beyond. Shizuka�s eyes snapped open. The
creatures surrounded her; Ayame, beyond the circle, could do nothing. A strangled cry rose in Shizuka�s throat. �No.... No! No!� She thrust
her hands out in front of her, a movement born of instinct and desperation.
Shizuka sagged against the wall, staring at her hands in amazement. Her breath came in deep, heaving gasps. Light blue eyes came up and sought Ayame, who was just getting up from where she had dove out of the way. Ayame gulped. �Um, Shizuka- what the heck did you just do?�
Shizuka stared from her friend to her hands and back again. �I haven�t the faintest idea,� she said, voice weak. �It�s just that- those things- they gave me the most awful feeling of dread- they radiated evil- but I- that was-�
Ayame gave a sigh. �Never mind. Let�s get going.� The two of them gathered their things and set off in the same direction they had seen Reiko and Kagami go. �Let�s just hope there are no two-ways until we catch them.�
Within a few seconds, they met Reiko tearing around a corner from the opposite way. �I heard a scream! What was-�
�Never mind.� Ayame pointed with her sword. �Where�s Kagami?�
�Just ahead. She started walking as soon as we reached the corner, and now she�s completely stopped.... That was fast.�
Ayame gaped. �Wait a sec- fast?�
�We were split up only a minute or two, max. What�d you do?�
�We- oh, never mind. We�ll explain later.�
When they got there, Kagami hadn�t moved. She stood stock still in the center of the hall, swaying just a bit. �I think she�s coming out of it,� said Shizuka.
Ayame slanted her a glance. �How can you tell?�
�I just know. I- well, you know I sometimes pick up on things-�
At that moment, Kagami took a few shaky steps forward. Only then did they realize that she had stopped in front of a pair of great double doors. One wobbling hand reached for an enormous, elaborately wrought silver handle set with a large yellow jewel, a massive pair of these being the only ornamentation. Giving a push, she sent the portal swinging open and tottered in, now barely standing upright. The others ducked inside with her, not quite sure what to expect by this point.
The room proved to be quite large, possessing of a high, sweeping ceiling and broad, white tiled floor. It also happened to be circular. They had come in through one of four sets of doors placed at even spaces about the room; it appeared that the single continuing wall also bore what looked to be a series of murals, placed at equal distances between the doors. It was hard to tell just what they were of, seeing as the room was lit by candle sconces flanking the doors, their lights flickering and ever-changing. A raised dais stood in the middle of the floor, empty. The place appeared to be deserted. They paced a few steps forward, staring around them. Then they all looked at Kagami, who simply stood in one spot, swaying.
�And who might you be?�
Whoever had spoken was definitely in the chamber. That was certain. Where, though, was impossible to tell, seeing as the room seemed empty.
�Up here!�
Three pairs of eyes followed the voice upward to the double doorway behind them. Specifically, to the wide ledge apparently above the door, upon which perched a girl. She looked to be about the same age as them, although they couldn�t be sure. She wore some sort of high-collared bright yellow shirt with sleeves that draped down out over her forearms. Her pants appeared to be dark green, as did her strapped slippers. She rested an elbow on one knee drawn up before her; the other leg pulled in across in front. Yellow-green hair pulled up into a high, thick ponytail on top of her head. It swayed as she tilted that head one side, regarded them like a curious bird. �Where did you come from? How did you get here?�
The three of them looked at each other nervously. How the heck were they supposed to answer a question like that? They only barely knew how they�d gotten there themselves. Ayame swallowed, indicating Kagami. �Well, we kinda- followed her-�
The �her� in question chose that moment let out a moan and sink to her knees. She slumped forward, just barely managing to catch herself on her hands.
Shizuka dropped down next to her, an arm across her friend�s sagging shoulders. �Kagami! Are you- are you-� She swallowed her words. It felt rather ridiculous to ask someone who had just come out of an apparent trance if she was all right.
Kagami�s head came up. Her eyes had lost the wide, staring look, along with the strange gleam they�d carried before. Now the look they bore was one of pure confusion. �Where... where are we?� she gasped.
Reiko knelt down in front of her. �But- but you led us here! We followed you!�
�You did?... But how?... I....�
Shizuka rubbed her shoulder in a comforting gesture. �It�s all right,� she said, voice deliberately soothing. �Just take a few deep breaths, and we�ll explain everything. It�ll all be all right in just a minute. Then you can tell us what you remember, and we�ll tell you all about what happened.�
�Hopefully, if we get the chance,� Ayame muttered. She looked up at the girl still watching them quizzically from over the door. �Yo! Can you tell us what the heck this place is, and where we are, and all that? We�re kinda clueless here.�
The girl leaned forward, somehow managing not to tumble off her admittedly small perch. �You mean you really don�t know?� For some reason, excitement laced underneath her words. �Where are you from?�
Reiko crossed her arms, standing beside Ayame. Behind them Shizuka still sat with the drained and confused Kagami. �Tokyo. How do we get back there?�
�Tokyo?...� A look of confusion crossed the girl�s features. �What�s that?�
Reiko snorted. �Only the biggest, busiest city in Japan, and one of the best known cities in the world.�
The girl looked even more confused. �Japan? But....� Suddenly, her whole face lighted up. �Oh, now I understand! I�ve got to tell you you�re nowhere near where you came from.�
�Then where,� Reiko spat, voice testy, �are we?�
�Generally, Taran. Specifically, Trevelyan.�
Ayame and Reiko exchanged baffled looks. �You ever heard of a Taran?�
�No way. Or Trevelyan.� Ayame looked back up at the girl over the door. �Yo, sister, we don�t feel any more enlightened, so you�d better be a little more elaborate. How exactly did we get to this Taran-Trevelyan? Wherever the heck that is.�
She cocked her head to the side again. �How did you get here? It�ll help me explain everything if I know.�
The two of them looked at each other again. �Well, it was kinda like this-�
�We�re all best friends, see-�
�And we were meeting in this park we always do, �cause we hadn�t hung out in a really long time, so we all met there after school, and were just sitting around gabbing-�
�Then- well-� Reiko trailed off at that point, looking at Ayame again. Neither of them was really clear on exactly what had happened with Kagami after that. Nor did either want to be the one to explain it if Shizuka were right. Telling a stranger your friend had gone into a trance and led you through a glowing door would most likely cast doubt upon your mental stability.
Shizuka solved the problem. Apparently Kagami had relaxed more, because she abandoned her spot on the floor, rising and walking forward with the poised grace only a trained dancer can have in such circumstances. �She went into a trance state,� she said, indicating the still-huddled Kagami. �She said she kept glimpsing shadowy figures out of the corner of her eye; she�d been doing so for some time-�
�Excuse me- did you say shadowy figures? And a trance, too?�
�Yes, that�s right.�
�Interesting....� The girl regarded them silently for a moment. �Do go on....�
�Well, one minute she was staring into the trees, trying to figure out what she had seen; the next, the trance came down.� Shizuka explained the sudden change, the pursuit across the park, and the arrival at the abandoned shrine. �When we followed her inside, she touched a big ancient stone on the altar, and this big glowing door opened up in the wall and she went into it, and we didn�t have any choice but to follow her. Then-�
This time the girl nearly did fall off her perch in her excitement. �You say she touched a stone, and a gateway entered? Did- did she touch it with anything?�
Ayame held up a hand. �Hey, didn�t she take off and use that crystal she was fiddling with right before she went into that trance thingy?�
�Crystal? Did- she had a crystal? Does she still have it? What does it look like? Can I see it?�
�It�s narrow, yellow, and has a silver decoration on it. She was clutching it in her hand when she collapsed a minute ago. She�s still holding it-�
�What about my crystal?� Kagami�s voice was stronger now; apparently the aftereffects had worn off. She got to her feet, still a little shaky. �And what�s this about me going into some kind of trance state? I don�t remember anything about that.... All I remember is seeing these odd little shadowy figures, like people, then the next thing I knew, I was in here....� She wavered a little, catching at Ayame�s shoulder for support.
Reiko stared at her. �But- but how can you not remember?� she exclaimed, aghast. �You ran all over the place- we could barely keep up with you! And you blew away all those big shadowy guys with a wave of you hand-�
�What do you mean by �shadowy guys?�� the girl from on high called down.
�Just what I said. These big- shapes- they looked kinda human, but were all made out of shadows, and had these shiny red eyes-�
This time, she gasped. �Red eyes?� A hand went up over her mouth. �Where did you see them?�
�I dunno where it is- it�s the place we came out after the weird glowing door, this great big room with shiny walls, all full of doors and stuff-�
�Yeah, and we met some more of �em right before we got in here, and she-� Ayame indicated Shizuka- �got all freaked out and then just kind of blasted them with this blue light and they all disappeared-�
The girl�s eyes widened. �But- but- that means- they got in- but how!� She seemed very much distressed by the idea. In a movement of feline grace, she kicked her legs over the ledge and, pushing off with her hands, vaulted lightly to the floor. �You have to come with me! This- this is very important! Come on!�
�Hold your horses.� Reiko crossed her arms again. �Where you taking us, and when you going to explain what�s going on here?�
�You�ll find out in a minute! We�ve got to go tell- oh, just come on, will you? You�ve got to come with me- it�s even more important!� She looked at Kagami. �Make sure you bring that crystal with you!�
Kagami picked up her satchel. �Well, I�m not about to leave it here.�
The girl threw the big double doors open. Light flooded in from the hallway beyond. Ayame tapped her on the shoulder on the way out. �Hey, before we go any further, would you mind telling us what that place in there is? Our friend came outta her trance thingy there, so it�s probably kinda important. And how�s about a name?�
�Oh, yes, of course. You�ll need to know that. This-� she gestured back towards the chamber- �is the Temple of the Four Directions. And my name�s Miara.� At that, she set off at a brisk pace down the hall, letting the others trail behind her.
�Temple?� Kagami muttered to Ayame. �Do you think she�s a shrine maiden or something, then?�
Ayame shrugged. �Who knows? I thought shrine maidens wore long robes and stuff, but you never know.�
Reiko poked her head between them. �I dunno about you lot, but the �Temple of the Four Directions� doesn�t mean a thing to me.�
As they progressed through the house- it appeared to be quite extensive- Shizuka waved a tentative hand at the back of the girl leading them. �Um, excuse me Miss- Miara, but- where are we going?�
Miara flickered a glance over her shoulder. �To talk to my father. We�re almost there now. In fact-� She stopped before yet another door carved our of dark wood. �I believe this is where we�ll find him.� Then, without even bothering to knock, she turned the knob and entered.
The four of them clustered in the door, not sure of either their welcome or what they were about to see. Thus far, the rest of the house had a deceptive simplicity, largely pale walls relieved only by the occasional austere table or sculpture, and of course the distinctive dark wood doors. The rest of the dark seemed to have made it�s way into this room, along with the elegant simpleness. The walls were paneled in the same dusky wood out of which the doors were made; an enormous fireplace of deep red stone- or was it brick?- dominated one wall. A dark burgundy rug muffled the floor, and matching drapes hung at the floor to ceiling windows. Two chairs, carved out of still more dark wood and upholstered in burgundy fabric, stood in front of the fire, currently occupied by two men.
After this initial perusal, four sets of eyes returned in second glance to the wndows, where the curtains were pulled aside. The view showing through revealed a landscape not awash in late afternoon sun, like the one they had left, but deeped by the blanket of the night.
The revelation of apparent passage of time barely had a chance to sink in before one of the men, a tall, spare figure narrow of feature and bald of head, rose from his seat before the fire. �Lady Miara, I must protest-�
Miara hurried forward, her own words all but drowning out those of the indignant speaker, gesturing towards the other man, a solidly built older gentleman with a beard, mustache, and receding graying hair. �Iwouldliketointroduce-� she took a deep breath, as though in preparation, then continued with the formal introduction. �The Semsios Thuroros, Keeper of the Gateways and loyal servant of this land, His Esteemed Lordship Raeran Kadoward.� She shuffled back and forth for a moment, then added, �My father.�
