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The world was a divided one, known as Tansa. It was not divided up by elemental, or land mass, but province and country. The provinces would war endlessly with each other, each trying to capture the most land and be declared the winner. But there was no person to declare a winner, for all were biased in one form or another. Whether it be for religion, element, or homeland was different for each person. Some would pass grudges down from generation to generation, others would forgive and forget. Always trying to find the inner harmony, and focus on that. Not caring for who claimed what land, for in their eyes, the land owned itself. Just as any person cannot truly be owned by another.
There was a land on this world of Tansa that was unlike any of the others. Inside this small nation there was no hunger, no want, no ignorance, and no war. This small country was called Ea. It was a paradise to all that set foot in it, and no other nation attacked it. It was decided by all that this place was to be left untouched, and pristine in existence.
Ea was located high in the mountains, in a snow ridden part of Tansa. People would grow their gardens inside their homes, and spend their days in thought. The people of Ea thought of the world as in three parts, Land, Plant, and Water. And many of the people of Ea could, after many years of study and work, could control one of these elements.
But there was, at that point in time, an exception to the three elemental way of thought. In Ea, death was not unheard of, and accidents happen where ever people choose to live. It is natural, and no one is to blame. During the winter, when more snow falls and the ice becomes thicker, there had been an avalanche. Three people had been caught in its terrible wrath, a small family. The Mother and Father had been Plant, both with green hair and eyes. And both had been killed instantly, like a rose in a hail storm. But their four year old daughter, Akia, had survived.
Akia had had no relatives to turn to, and most people in Ea had thought of it a little strange, how a four year old had survived what two thirty-five year olds could not. People were afraid that Akia, with her flaming red hair and odd ember eyes, was bad luck. And no one came to claim the girl, except an old man.
The old man, Itoro, had been an old friend of the family since long before Akia had been born. His once blue hair had turned shock white with age, and adaptation. When his sleigh had turned up at the old lodge, where Akia had been taken after the accident, people hoped that he might take the little girl in. He did.
"Grandfather!" Akai said excitedly when she saw the old man come in through the front door. A neighbor followed the young girl over to Itoro.
"I heard what happened." Itoro said softly to the neighbor. He bent down and handed Akia a piece of candy. Akia scuttled off to eat the candy. "Who's going to be taking care of her?" Itoro asked, concern etched his face.
"Well, we don't know. She doesn't have any relatives. And how she survived, and all that doesn't help much." the neighbor, Kete, just shrugged his shoulders. Implying to the old man that, as long as Akia didn't end up with his family, he didn't care.
"I'll take her in, then. She has no where to go, and I can offer her a roof and food. Besides," Itoro added, grinning, "I need some one to test my candy every now and then!" Akia ran over to Itoro at the mention of candy. Looking for more. "Akia, how would you like to live with me?" Itoro bent down and asked the four year old.
"Yes!" Akia answered almost immediately, and then a scowl crossed her face. "But what about Mommy and Daddy?" the little girl asked innocently, looking into Itoros blue eyes.
Itoro stared at Akia for a second, and then realized that she didn't know what had happened. "I don't think your parents will mind. They're going to be going on a long trip, and asked me to take care of you. Okay?" Itoro said to Akia, faking a smile. He would tell her when she was older. But she was just to young to realize what death was. Itoro got up, and brushed a fleeting tear out of his eyes. He turned back to face Akia, his long beard almost catching on a chair. Akia started giggling. "Well, now that you know where you're to be going, how about getting your coat on, and come to my house. We can have some nice soup for dinner, and come back in the morning for your stuff." Akia rushed off to pull on her outdoor clothing.
"How are you going to take care of a child, Itoro? You can barely take care of yourself." Kete gazed threateningly at Itoro.
"And how can you not offer to take her in? You have a son her age. Maybe you should be considering how you take care of him, not how I'll take care of her." Itoro snapped back at Kete, and then left to sled Akia to his house.
When they got to Itoros house, Itoro was glad for the heat inside. Akia, not caring that she had just been moved from one house to another, went exploring. She zipped through bonsai gardens, streams of warm water, and steaming lakes full of fish. She found all the rooms, and memorized where they were by the time Itoro had set hot broth on a table, and called for her to come and eat.
"Grandfather, there was fish, and gardens! And all the water was warm, and..." Itoro sat and ate, listening to the child go on about all that she had found, and all that she found utterly amazing.
Winter passed, and so did Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Ten years passed in such a manner, and Itoro watched the little girl go from four to a girl of sixteen. Itoro taught her math, reading, writing, spelling, and other education. She was as intelligent as most people twice her age. And because of this, the other children shied away from her sometimes. But they were still her friends, though she had no real close friends. Akia had just come back from a gathering, and was headed to one of the bonsai gardens when Itoro stopped her.
"Akia, it's time I told you what happened to your parents." Itoro said, leaning heavily on the cane in his hands. He watched her reaction carefully, nothing in her face changed.
"Grandfather, you told me when I was ten, remember? They got caught in an avalanche, and I just happened to be thrown out of the way. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a garden to attend to." Akia was about to go around Itoro, when he stopped her once more.
"Akia, come with me to the sitting room. I have something to tell you, and you might need a chair." Itoro said, walking slowly to the sitting room. He had laid out tea a few minutes before, and now poured himself, and Akia, a cup. He sat down in a soft chair, and started sipping.
Akia drank a few sips, and then spoke to Itoro. "You said you had something to tell me, Grandfather."
"Yes, and forgive me for keeping it from you for so long. You remember the three elements I told you of?" Itoro asked Akia, and she nodded. "You also remember me mentioning how all people belong to one of these elements?" Akia nodded her answer once more. "You also remember me not allowing you to find your element?"
"What has any of this got to do with my parents!" Akia snapped angrily, almost spilling her tea.
"What this has to do with your parents is how you survived, and they didn't." Itoro watched the blood drain from Akias face. "You, too, were caught in the avalanches path. But you were not thrown from it. You went down the entire cliff side with your parents no more than ten feet away from you. But your elemental instinct..."
"My what!?" Akia cut Itoro off in mid sentence.
"Elemental instinct is when your element automatically springs in to save itself. No one notices it until after the dangers passed. Your elemental instinct kicked in and..."
"But that would mean I'm Water, wouldn't it? And you said my parents were Plant, so how am I water?" Akia interrupted Itoro once more.
"No, you're not Water, Akia. You're Fire. The snow around you melted, and you were kept warm." Itoro listened to Akia gasp, and sit up in her chair.
"But that's impossible, you said there was only three elements!" Akia snapped angrily at Itoro, trying to deny what he had told her.
"No, I told you once that there were four elements, and that one of them was extremely rare. You must, where are you going?" Itoro asked Akia as she threw her cup into the fire place and ran out of the room. Itoro sat there for a minute, just staring at the shattered porcelain mixed with the black ashes, and then got slowly up. He hobbled as best he could to Akias room, and opened the door. Akia was putting on her warmest cloak, and was ready for outdoor travel.
"What are you doing!" Itoro demanded, looking at Akia. "Just cool down and think for a second, you've just let your temper run away with you."
Akia stared at Itoro, and then brushed by him, carrying an over full duffel bag. "How can I stay here, after you told me that nonsense! There's only three elements!" Akia yelled, and then ran out the door crying. She slammed the door shut, and Itoro saw her start walking down the mountain, toward their neighboring country, Tahya.
Tahya was the most dangerous spot in all of Tansa, it was war strewn. People would kill each other over scraps of bread, money, and anything else they could think of. It was a dangerous place for anybody, especially a sixteen year old from Ea. But within a year of crossing into Tahya, Akia had learned the basics of survival, and Fire. If people attacked her, or even surprised her, they would be toasted.
Akia shed her thick, noticeable garments for more decent clothes. Black pants, and a black shirt. The shirt had long sleeves, and Akia had sewn a silver leaf on it to blend in with people of Plant. And she had dyed her hair a soft green, because sticking out could get you killed in Tahya.
"Akia, goonies at half past!" Cerson shouted as her ducked down by Akia, an arrow just missing his green hair.
"Not for long!" Akia shouted over the clang of arrows against the metal junk heap of a wall. She raised her hand and tossed a fireball their way. People shrieked and the arrows quit clanging. Akia peaked cautiously over the barrier, and only saw a burnt body. She got up and stretched. "Yawn! Man, Cerson, if you had took any longer, I would have fallen asleep. What took you so long, any ways?" Akia asked suspiciously, Cerson usually lured goonies, people of Land or Water, into the trap within minutes. Akia stopped questioning Cerson when she heard the trampling behind them. At least twenty goonies were headed their way. They ducked and ran, losing the goonies.
"Man, what next?" Cerson asked, putting his head against a brick wall.
"How about dinner, the suns nearly gone." Akia pointed at the setting sun, and got up. She weaved through the streets, finally arriving at a large metal door. She knocked.
"Who is it?" asked a gruff voice. A small panel was moved, and a pair of sunglasses stared down at her.
"Come on, Kalen, we don't have all day! I'm hungry, so open up!" Akia snapped angrily at the person behind the door.
"Sorry, Akia, but you know the rules. No open until you give the password." Kalen chuckled deeply on the other side of the door. He loved getting Akia mad.
"I'll give you a password if you don't open up this door right now!" Akia pulled out a small knife and held it threateningly at the eye hole. Cerson couldn't hold his giggles in much longer. Akia shot him a look that stifled his laugh. Cerson really thought Akia might have used the knife on him, if Kalen hadn't opened the door.
"Give it a rest, Akia. And loosen up. We're in the middle of a war, and sometimes everybody just needs a good joke now and then. But you know that don't you, you said your parents were killed in North Tahya, and I would hate for you to lie to me. Because then I'd have to wonder on how much you told us was true, Akia." Kalen said, his deep bass voice rumbling threateningly. He had suspected from the instant Akia had joined with the Plant that there was something odd about her. Her uncanny ability to control fire had set a lot of people on edge, and now she was paying for the consequences for leaving her peaceful mountain home. Kalen closed and locked the thick steel doors behind her and Cerson.
"Kalen, if I were working for the goonies, do you think that I'd let you know, or make it so obvious? I just rigged up some flame equipment to save my life, and then you guys are all over me. It's not like I've done anything stupid, or something." Akia rolled her eyes and tried to act as if she were joking, but she was desperately afraid that someone would find out about her power over Fire, and make sure that only three elements existed. Cerson walked passed her and started talking to an old friend of his out of ear range.
"No, you haven't done anything stupid. But one of these days, Akia, one of these days your going to slip up. And when you do, I'm going to be there to make sure Plant doesn't get the brunt of whatever your hiding." Kalen glowered at her, and then turned back to the door.
"I'm not here to do anything but help in this little scheme you people cooked up, Kalen. I'm no threat to Plant, and nothing more to worry about than a girl with a blade." Akia said to Kalens back, and then ran to catch up with Cerson and his friends. She didn't hear Kalens last words.
"Sure, firefly." Kalen said, half under his breath. He grinned evilly, and his dark blue eyes flashed beneath his sunglasses.
"So, what deep dude have to say? You guys looked a little deep there for a second." Cerson asked, trying to make it look like curiosity, but failing.
"Why, Cerson, I do believe you have a crush on Akia." said a voice with a soft southern accent. Akia turned around and smiled when she saw that it was Tasyen. Tasyen had joined with the group a month before Akia, she had emigrated from southern Tanala, where most people had ran to, and then run from. Water had unleashed a tsunami on Tanala, and had washed most of the country clean in consequence.
"No I don't!" Cerson insisted, his cheeks turning bright red. Then he noticed that both Akia and Tasyen were laughing, and that he had become the brunt of a cruel joke.
"I swear, Cerson, if you fall for that joke one more time I'm going to split a seam! Tasyen, you know the perfect times when to break into a dull conversation!" Akia said between laughs.
"And when to make Cerson look like a decorated tree!" Tasyen burst out giggling, and started Cerson blushing anew.
"Cruelty will get you nowhere!" Cerson said madly, and then stomped off.
"Oh dear, I think I've made him mad." Tasyen said, looking at the ground sadly.
"Tasyen, he'll be back in a few minutes, eating like a pig, and would have forgotten everything you said. Besides, it was funny to see his face clash with his hair!" the comment from Akia started the two friends laughing anew. But Akia still starred longingly at Cerson.
The days passed, and Plant fought with Water and Land within the small city. None ever coming any closer to controlling Tansa than the others. Battles were fought, blood was spilled, and tears were shed. And two years passed before anything changed. But something did change, and the outcome of Tansa was changed with it.
A battle had been fought the night before between Plant, Water, and Land. One of the few battles where all were at each others throats at once. Halfway through the battle, one of the Water people had yelled to Kalen, mentioning that his mother was sick. When Plant had finally withdrawn from the onslaught, they had tied up Kalen. And everyone had known he was doomed when his sunglasses had been removed to reveal bright blue eyes.
"So, Kalen, now it's you who was discovered. And it was you with the deep secret. Maybe you should think twice before threatening someone next time. Oops, I forgot. You aren't going to have a next time." Akia told Kalen, no one was around, and Akia liked threatening the bound prisoner. Kalen growled at her back as she was leaving the room.
"You are lucky I have to much honor to take you down with me, Fire element!" Akia stopped dead in her tracks when he said that. She turned around slowly, facing Kalen, starring at the wicked smile that was covering his face.
"What are you talking about? There's only three elements, and Fire isn't one of them." Akia was staring at Kalen head on now, her eyes were piercing into his like poison tipped arrows.
"I do know that you aren't from northern Tahya, and that you sure aren't Plant. Or Water, or Land. You mark the beginning of the prophesy. And that's bad news for us three elementals. But you know that, don't you. You know all about what we do, what we say, and when we say it. You're just here to take our world! But guess what, we aren't giving up without a fight!" Kalen started shouting, and laughing, loudly.
"Shh, shut up, someone will hear you! What are you talking about? What prophesy?" Akia asked nervously, she could already hear people shouting at her as a traitor, a fiend. Kalen just stared at her in disbelief, and the small room seemed to echo the silence.
"You really don't know, do you? Run, Akia. Run to Ea, you'll be safe there. No one attacks Ea, no matter who's hidden in there." Kalen spoke the words fast, and harshly. Akia saw, written across his face and in his eyes, that he was telling the truth. He wasn't just threatening her anymore, he looked concerned for her safety. And about a prophesy.
"If you care about this prophesy so much, tell it to me. Please!" Akia was practically begging, but Kalen shook his head.
"No, you're safer not knowing, now go! Run!" Kalen pleaded with her.
"No, I ran from Ea once, and I swore I'd never go back!" Akia snapped at Kalen, and left the room, closing the door silently, but firmly, behind her. Kalen started screaming.
Akia left the Plant compound and went walking around the city. Even though Tahya was most dangerous at night, Akia had to walk what Kalen had told her off. All she knew was that she was part of some prophesy she had never heard, and that she was being told by an enemy to flea home. Not home, but to Ea. Something Akia would never be able to do, no matter what was going on.
Akia didn't notice the club swing until it had hit her head. She went out like a light, and a bald man picked her up, and carried her through a steel door.
Akia woke up days later, her head throbbing. She was about to sit up when she noticed that she was in a large, comfy bed, inside a richly decorated bedroom. People were talking right outside the door, so she put her headache aside, and listened.
"Are you sure that's the girl Kalen suspected?" a deep voice asked.
"Positive. I've seen her messing around with Fire myself. Nearly fried me in that squeamish the other night, she did!" answered a lighter, high pitched voice.
"Good, Kalen was always jumping at flames, but seems he did something right before they killed him." the deep voice replied with an evil tone.
Akia stopped listening, she had heard enough. They were working with Kalen, so they must be Water. But the thing Akia couldn't figure out was why they had such nice quarters for hostages. Plant certainly didn't. A good, solid, chair had always worked for them. The door started to open, and Akia closed her eyes and pretended to still be out. It worked.
"I told you not to hit her so hard, you oaf! What good is she to us if she's dead!?" the man with the deep voice yelled at the other. He saw Akias eyes twitched, and caught on to her fake. "So, my dear, you are awake. Please let me introduce ourselves." he bowed with a grin on his face the could kill a lesser person. Akia wasn't a lesser person. "I am Zhiren of Land, and this is Conler of Plant. And you are Akia of Fire, I take it."
Akia was rather confused. None of the elements had ever worked together on anything. They were now, apparently. And worse, they knew who she was. "What do you want with me!? And Land and Plant?" Akia asked them, her confusion showing through her voice.
"Well, my dear, since it has been said that the fourth element shall destroy the world, we want to kill you. You see, even though the three are at war, we can work together toward a common goal. The saving of our lives, that is." Zhiren grinned evilly once more, and Akia shuttered.
"I don't know what you're talking about. There are only three elements, I'm Plant!" Akia insisted, hoping they believed her. They didn't.
"I'm sorry, my dear, but your eyes give you away. What!!" Zhiren gasped as he looked into her eyes. They were green. A light, even, grass green. Akia had put in a pair of contacts she had come across, they made her eyes look as green as the next persons. "I am so sorry, that fool Kalen must have mistook you for someone else. My deepest apologies."
"Does that mean I can go?" Akia asked nervously.
"Why, of course not! You know too much. But know that you died saving your world." Zhiren pulled out a knife.
"Then I am sorry, too." Akia whispered harshly at them. They paused, and looked at her with a confused look on their faces. And then, when the fire engulfed them, killing them before they could scream, they knew they had not been wrong. And that they'd never catch Akia again.
Akia ran silently down hallways, like a rat in maze, looking for a way out. Finally, after hours of hunting, she found the door out. To her surprise, no one was guarding it.
"See what happens when you under estimate your opponent!" Akia said out loud to herself.
"Yes, see!" someone said behind her, but Akia had already fallen for that trick once, and was not about to fall for it a second time. She ducked, and kicked low. A woman with blue hair fell on the floor. Akia needed no second urging, she opened the door and ran back to the Plant compound.
Akia knocked on the heavy metal door, and Cersons eyes appeared. He took one look at Akia, at gasped in surprise.
"Akia! Man, you've been gone for days! Where you been?" Cerson asked, but forgetting to open the door in all the excitement.
"I'll tell you when I get inside, Cerson. Could you open the door now? I don't feel like holding a conversation with a pair of eyes." Akia said, sounding annoyed, and very tired.
"Sorry, Akia, you know the rules. No password, no admittance. You could be a quick sketch, an impostor." Cerson said, stating it like he was reading a dictionary.
"Fine, I'll give you a password if you don't open the door right now." Akia sounded less than enthusiastic. Cerson eyed her carefully.
"Where's your knife? You never go anywhere without it!" Cerson was beginning to think the person in front of the door wasn't Akia.
"Cerson! I swear, if you ever open this door I'm going to gut you from tooth to toe!" Akia screamed at Cerson. The door opened.
"Man, only you would threaten the door keeper, Akia. You should have done it earlier, and I might have opened the door sooner." Cerson grinned at Akia after he locked the door, he stopped grinning when he saw Akias face. Akia just brushed by Cerson, and headed into the room.
"Akia, duce! We thought you were dead!" Tasyen shouted from across the room. "And you'll never guess what happened!" Tasyen said excitedly.
"What, and if has anything to do with anything, I don't care." Akia sat down on a chair and closed her eyes. She didn't care about anything but a pain killer and a long sleep.
"A truce has been called!" Tasyen burst out. Akia sat up straight, and starred at Tasyen.
"What!? But how, when I left everyone was at throats, and death, and blood..." Akia trailed off, trying to forget the memories of dead friends that had floated into her head.
"I don't know, exactly. Something to do with the end of the world." Tasyen rolled her eyes at the suggestion about the end of the world. But she knew that the world would end if the fighting continued. It could only hold itself together without the three elements for so long.
"The end of the world, you're kidding right. I mean, I know it's in the dumps, but that bad?" Akia questioned her friend, wondering if had anything to do with the people who had tried killing her. Probably.
"This group, the Protlons they called themselves, started saying something about if we didn't all work together, new elements would come and kill us. We had to end the war, or die." Tasyen rolled her eyes once more. But Akia didn't. She knew who the Protlons were, and knew what they were up to. Their hearts were in the right place, because the war did need ending, but Akia didn't want to die for it.
"So, has anyone listening to what they're saying?" Akia asked nervously. Tasyen nodded her head in answer.
"Yeah, all the bands are meeting at Capitol Square to sign a treaty, or something. We're all tired of the killing, Akia. Ending the war could be the best thing ever done, and ever to be done." Tasyen said, and then walked off, Akia fell asleep promptly.
The next day, people started gathering at Capitol Square. At first they were wary, and looked around them for what they thought was a trap. But no trap was seen. But Akia saw it. Standing by the podium, was Zhiren. He grinned at Akia, and Akia felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. They had arranged this truce, this treaty, to kill her. The leaders of each party got up and signed the paper, and clapping arose from the crowd. As did the explosion. Akia was standing on the bomb.
Akia would never forget what happened next. Screams erupted from the crowd, and Akia felt the cement shatter and rise upward, carrying her with it. She flew through the air, watching the events fold out around her in slow motion. The people who had been standing next to her seemed to fly by, they were coated in blood. Akia noticed that she, too, was bleeding. She hit the cement, sharp rocks and glass fell on and around her, cutting into her burnt flesh.
"Akia!" Akia heard Cerson scream, and then run toward her. "Akia! Don't die, please don't die! I love you!" Cerson cried, and started wiping blood of her face. Akia blacked out.
"She's waking up! She's waking up!" Akia heard Cerson screaming. She moaned, and tried sitting up. Flashes of pain flickered in front of her eyes, and she blacked out again.
A few days later, Akia woke up once more, and opened her eyes. She looked up and saw Cerson sleeping in a chair, in her room, at her Grandfathers house.
"What. But how?" Akia whispered weakly. Cerson was up like a jack rabbit, and ran out of the room. He came back in a few minutes later with her Itoro and Tasyen in tow.
"So, you're finally awake!" Tasyen said with a giggle. "I was beginning to think you'd sleep the year away."
"Year?" Akia asked, confused. She wondered how long she'd been out, and how she had gotten back to Ea.
"Hush, drink this." Akias grandfather said, and held a tea cup to her lips. Akia took a few sips, and fell back asleep. She woke up again a few days later, and sat up carefully.
"Better lie down, Akia. You might hurt yourself." Cerson said when she sat up.
"No, not until someone tells me what's happened." Akia said stubbornly. Cerson brought Itoro and Tasyen back into the room.
"She wants to know what's happened. And since you won't tell me, tell Akia." Cerson said to Tasyen, and Tasyen nodded. She sat down, and started talking.
"Well, I guess you know about the bomb, and the treaty. Though the bomb blew, people still followed the treaty. So the wars over, I mean really over. They even renamed the world. They call it Ea now. Cool, eh? But I guess what you really want to know is how you got here." Tasyen said guiltily.
"That would be nice." Akia said, her voice was raspy.
"Well, you were on top of the bomb, and you got the brunt of the pack. And were the luckiest. Everyone around you died of burns. But I guess we know why you didn't." Tasyen glanced at Itoro. "You were out of it for weeks, no one thought you'd make it. But you started mumbling something about a grandfather in Ea. No one knew where in Ea, but then I reminded them you didn't know about the renaming. That left Ea, and about fifty people to choose from. We loaded you in a sled, and hauled you up here. The first house we hit was Itoros, so we stayed. He explained to us about your element, and you know the rest. Sort of." Tasyen finished her story, and sat quietly.
"Thanks." Akia said, and then lay down and fell asleep.
Akia slept and talked for months. Then, one day in the winter, she got out of bed. She took a cane that had been by her bed, and walked to her favorite bonsai garden. Itoro was sitting in the middle of it. He motioned for her to sit down on a cushion he had set out.
"So, where's Cerson and Tasyen?" Akia asked.
"Tasyen left for lower Ea two days ago. Cerson is taking care of some chores for me. Sit, you have something on your mind." Itoro was older, and his face was a bundle of wrinkles. But Akia still recognized his voice.
"I'm really sorry that I yelled at you when I left. You were right." Akia said, apologetically.
"Pay it no heed. You just needed to discover it for your self. But, what else." Itoro did not ask, but told, in his gentle but firm voice.
"Back in Tahya, some people mentioned a prophesy. About the world ending. Do you know what they were talking about?" Akia asked hopefully. The question had been bugging her for months.
"Yes, they spoke of something of which I have knowledge. The prophesy of which they speak tells of how..." Akia interrupted Itoro.
"English, please."
"The prophesy they mentioned tells how the world, and the three basic elements, will be destroyed, or recreated, by a Fire. The prophesy suggests that a person controlling Fire might do this." Itoro took one look at Akias face, and shook his head.
"You mean that I..." Akias voice drifted off.
"No, I think you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Itoro told Akia, and Akia brightened up.
"So, I just got unlucky. What a relief." Akia smiled happily.
"But if you do destroy the world, could you give me some advance warning. I'd like to make sure the fish have food first!" Itoro chuckled, and Akia shot him a glance before catching in on the joke. "But what are you going to do about Cerson." Itoro asked Akia, a sparkle glimmering in his eyes. Akia remembered what Cerson had yelled at her after the bomb went off.
"I'm not sure yet. He is kind of cute..." Akia trailed off with a hint of laughter in her voice.
"Yes, what are you going to do about me!" Cerson said, entering the room as if on cue. Itoro got to his feet and left, leaving them alone.
"You and Grandfather planned this, didn't you!" Akia said with a giggle, getting to her feet. She stumbled, and Cerson helped her up.
"Well, you could say that. It is rather nice up here. A person could grow to like it." Cerson said, and Akia picked up a hint of what he was about to say.
"Yes, you should see it in the summer." Akia answered Cerson.
"I guess you got a hint of what I was saying, Akia." Cerson said nervously.
"Yeah, you never could hide anything from me." Akia said softly.
"Then, will you marry me?" Cerson burst out, holding out a ring.
"Of course!" Akia said, and kissed Cerson. Itoro had been listing from behind a wall, and chuckled to himself.
Cerson and Akia were married in the summer, Akia still
needed a cane to walk. Though, within a few months, Akia was as
healthy as she had always been. But she tried to never use her
talent with Fire. She always held the hidden fear that she would
destroy the world. She had three children, a girl and two boys,
Akisa, Intlo, and Kesly. None of them ever developed a talent in
Fire. But Akisa always seemed to have an odd fascination with
flames. And when Intlo and Kesly were killed in an avalanche,
Akisa moved on to the planes. She never knew about her mothers
strange ability, and after thousands of years of peace, the Great
War broke out. And a little girl with red hair named Akina never
knew about the prophesy her ancestor Akia had feared...
Flames? Comments? Contact me at denki@angelfire.com
