Sometimes, I wish I could dream.

Oh, I do dream, all right -- normal dreams.  That regular nightly
excursion into the land of imagination and the subconscious doesn't pass
me by.  No, when I say dream, I mean about things to come.  And not like
Judou's knack. I don't want to know things, I want to anticipate them.

To dream, to wish, to have something of the future, sitting in the palm
of my hand and teasing me to simply claim it as my own.  That's all I
want.  It isn't so much -- the security and comfort of the unknown.

What, you don't see what this has to do with anything? Look, I'll tell
you my story, but what you have offered in exchange is not enough for
you to dictate how I do so.  I will tell it as I do everything I do.

On my own terms.

- = -

Wings of Fate
Chapter 2:  A Murder of One
by Raviprasad Duvvuri
created by John Evans and Ardweden

- = -

I mention dreams because I was just waking up.  I never remember my
dreams, I just get a general feeling of what they were about.  Which
makes it hard to set a tone.  It just isn't very evocative to say "I
woke up, feeling dread." But that's how it was.

Well, dread isn't the right word.  Maybe "cautious anticipation of
something going seriously wrong" would be closer to the truth.  I could
make up how I saw creatures looming in the darkness, red teeth
glistening as they circled around me, but that would be artificial, and
nowhere as bad as what I'd actually dreamt.  I knew that much.

I got out of the bed in the guest room and slipped into a robe.  It
wasn't my regular one; that was in my room.  I stretched lazily, trying
to work the stress from my shoulders.  As I made my way down the hall, I
peeked my head into the open door of my bedroom.

Shuukou was sleeping peacefully within, the sheets pulled around her.
She had a light smile on her face, a rare event that warmed my heart.  I
think a solid night's sleep in a real bed had done wonders for her --
chalk one up industry and civilization.  She'd never want to admit it
out loud, but I'm know for a fact she misses some modern conveniences.

Truth be told, she had needed it.  The rest, that is.

We had all been shaken by the events of the previous night.  I'll admit,
for a while I'd been a bit scared.  For almost a half-hour after Soshi
more or less admitted to using us as part of another of his experiments,
the five of us sat in relative silence.  I don't think any of us had
anything to say; I hate to say it, but it wasn't that surprising.

Soshi's revelation, I mean.  I was still in shock over finding out about
Judou.  Now that I look back at it, there were little things about him,
clues to his little secret.  I guess I would have picked up on them, if
I'd been willing to acknowledge the existence of such things.  Why I was
so hasty to discount the mythical, when we had proven the existence of
magic, I'll never know.

There was also an air of apprehension still in the room.  I don't think
any of us knew if another one of those creatures would be coming.  None
of us really wanted to say it out loud.  We stayed in the basement,
though, unprotected.  Soshi's act seemed a challenge to the rest of us,
daring us to choose whether we were going to face whatever Fate had in
store for us head-on, or if we were going to run away, hiding from the
truth and waiting for it to catch up with us unawares.  The smug bastard
knew what he was doing, I'll say that much.

After a while, Akari finally spoke up.  She was still sitting near me, a
fact that was making Judou uncomfortable.  "So," she started softly,
"Now what do we do?"

"I don't know," Shuukou answered, finally uncrossed her arms and taking
a seat.  She'd been standing the entire time, and frankly, it had
started to unnerve me.  More than I was already.  "None of do, unless
Soshi feels like sharing the rest of his master plan with us."

Soshi blinked in that chafing manner he's perfected.  "You think I have
some larger scheme at work here? I assure you that I don't."

"We know you better than that, Soshi.  You yourself said it." Judou
stood. He shook his feet experimentally, frowning at his ruined shoes.
He looked up to glare at Soshi.  Not that it got any reaction out of
him, but I understood his need to do that.  At least, after the fact.
At the time, I was still angry at the both of them -- Soshi because he'd
used us, and Judou because he'd managed to get one over on me.

"This isn't going to get us anywhere," Akari interjected, breaking up
the fight because it had a chance to begin.  Not that it would have.
I'd have given almost anything to have the chance to see Soshi driven to
anger and violence back then.  One or the other was possible, on
extremely rare days. But not both.

I made the suggestion that we all just head upstairs.  Akari flashed me
a brief smile of gratitude, and I think I saw something similar flicker
across Judou's face as well.  As we filed up the stairs, I noticed
Shuukou lagging a bit behind us.  I paused half-way up the stairs,
absolutely quiet, and watched as she reached out and touched the
blackened vines that were all that remained of the nightmare creature.
A look of disorientation contorted her features for the briefest of
moments before she regained her composure.  I decided I didn't want her
to catch me spying, and quietly made my exit.

I headed straight for Soshi's kitchen and poured out a tall glass of
water. I opened some of the cabinets, looking for some aspirin, but they
were cluttered with jars filled with various herbs.  I recognized some
of the names, and knew they weren't all for cooking with.  Finally
finding the small plastic bottle, I popped off the lid.  I nearly
spilled the whole bottle as I tried to shake a tablet out.  I was
suddenly very glad no one was around to see that.

I dry-swallowed the tablet and then drank some water, willing my nerves
to calm themselves.  I studied the sparse decor, not very surprised by
the scarcity of cookware and well, food.  I smiled at the memory of
Soshi's occasional week-long fasts back in college.  He always claimed
it was because he got too busy to remember to eat, but I still think he
did it to keep himself grumpy, so he wouldn't lose his edge of
nastiness.  I refilled my glass from the pitcher in the refrigerator.

Coming back out to the living room, I found the others had already taken
all the available chairs.  So, I just sat on the arm of the sofa and
sipped at my glass as nonchalantly as I could manage.

"I think we're safe for now.  If another one of these things was going
to come, it would have by now, right?" Judou was asking Soshi.  He was
sitting on the sofa with Akari, though not right next to her; instead
there was a carefully empty space between them.

Soshi was in a high-backed armchair, sitting with his legs crossed and a
wry smile on his face.  "I honestly have no idea if we are to have
another visitor.  But, it does seem unlikely."

Shuukou was still absently rubbing her fingertips.  I wondered what she
had felt when she touched that vine, and if she was going to tell us.
"Then we really have nothing more to do here tonight, do we?" There was
anger in her voice, but it wasn't for us, or even Soshi.

"What about these other magicians?" I asked.  Someone had to ask it, and
they were all avoiding the question.  "Who are they and what do we do
about them?"

Akari was still studying the patch of carpet just to the right of her
feet. Without looking at the rest of us, she spoke quietly.  "Why us?"

"Who knows?" Judou answered.  He rubbed his nose, one of his habits that
I was now kicking myself for not having noticed earlier.  "Magic is a
thing of secrecy.  There have always been sorcerers of some sort, but
you don't see them walking about in broad daylight.  So what do you
expect them to do when someone starts throwing spells around casually?"

"That's not what I mean!" she blurted.  Looking around at us, she
sighed. "Why do _we_ have to be the ones to attract their attention? We
can't have been the only ones to discover magic on our own.  So why us?"

"Why not us?" I found myself saying.  Even to this day, I don't know
what prompted me to speak.  Everyone's eyes shifted to me, and I became
uncomfortably aware that they'd been trying not to look at me.  "What I
mean," I managed, after taking another sip of water, "Is that someone
has to be the first.  So why couldn't we be the first one? We found a
shortcut, and we used it.  I don't know if it's fate or just chance -- I
don't have the Sight like our yamabushi friend over there -- but I don't
think it really matters."

They still were all silent.  Judou had flinched when I'd mentioned his
Gift, which made me feel happy and hollow at the same time.  Akari
scooted to the side, and I slid down into the sofa beside her.  I took
another sip, and steeled my courage.

"We're new to this, at least I'm guessing we all are." I looked
pointedly at Soshi, who had a mischievous glint to his eyes.  "But I
don't see why we can't be the first."

Akari folded her legs up under her.  "There have to have been people in
better position to do so.  Smarter, or more knowledgeable.  I don't like
pinning things on luck."

"We had help," Soshi offered, smirking.  "Not every group of researchers
has their own mythological beast throwing out choice tidbits of wisdom
to them. It seems almost coincidental that we fell in with Judou here."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Shuukou asked.  She sounded
irritated, which meant that she was probably in a good mood again.

"That perhaps we met because we were meant to be together like this,"
Soshi replied, grinning.  "Meant to be who we are and become what we
have.  Fate? Well, call it what you want, but I rather enjoy the
possibility of being the product of prophecy."

"I think you enjoy making an ass of yourself," Shuukou retorted.  She
crossed her arms again and sat back in her chair.  She glared at Soshi,
which only served to make him preen even more.

Soshi raised an eyebrow.  "So you don't find it the least bit strange
that we all just _happened_ to meet up.  Well, then I suppose we could
just be pawns, then! Part of some elaborate scheme being played out by
some jokester spirit." He was looking straight at Judou, and I have to
admit, the idea made me very, very nervous.

"If you are going to accuse me of something, Soshi, just outright say
it. I'm--"

Akari yawned then.  Loudly, bless her heart, enough to interrupt Judou
from his rant.  Looking down, she blushed furiously.  She can be quite
the actress, when the situation calls for it.

I put my hand on her shoulder to reassure her, and yawned as well.  I
looked around sheepishly, and chuckled.  "I think they're contagious."

"Well, this has been a long evening, my friends," Soshi declared.  He
stood up and walked over to where I'd set my glass down on the floor.
He bent over and picked it up.  I almost missed him sniffing at it.
Almost.  "A most informative evening, but a long one." He set the glass
down on the table in the center of the room.  "I suggest we reconvene
another time, and soon.  I would offer you a place to stay, but I
won't."

We all agreed, and things only would have gotten worse if we'd stayed.
Saying our goodbyes, the four of us left Soshi's house and started the
trek back to where Akari had parked her car.  Looking around at the
surroundings, I was glad I hadn't offered to drive.  Akari had an older,
unremarkable sedan; mine would have been stolen before we were halfway
down the block. Besides, my car is only a two-seater, and Shuukou would
have thrown a hissy-fit about the leather interior anyway.

We let Shuukou take shotgun, with Judou and I in the back seat.  The
girls chatted animatedly up front, and Judou and I chipped in when we
could, none of us wanting to bring up what we'd just gone through.  I
knew I needed time to fully digest it.

My place was the closest to Soshi's, as it turns out; only two wards lie
between the affluence of my neighborhood and the squalor of his.
Akari's car rolled to a stop in my driveway, and I made sure Judou had
my phone numbers before getting out and walking around to the other side
of the car.

"We'll see you tomorrow, then," Shuukou told them as she opened her own
door.  She flashed Akari a brief smile and squeezed her hand as she got
out. Judou was taken aback, but Akari had a look of utter shock on her
face.  I think she'd automatically assumed that Shuukou would be staying
with her, and if she wasn't going to, well, the last place she'd stay
was with me. Neither Akari nor Judou said anything more beyond their
goodbyes, but Judou gave me a very stern look of warning.  I almost
laughed.

They left then, and I could almost hear Akari complaining to Judou about
my predations.  My hearing isn't that good, but I know her well enough.
Shuukou was, of course, expressionless.  We didn't really say anything
to each other -- we just went inside.  I pointed out the bedroom to her,
and we both went to bed.

Which leads us to where my story starts.

After checking in on Shuukou, I made my way to the hall bathroom and
took a long, hot shower because I enjoy them, I can afford them, and at
the moment, I needed one.  It was doing a wonderful job of getting the
last remnants of tension to melt from my shoulders.

I sing in the shower, I'll admit it.  For some reason, Queen's "Gimme
the Prize" was stuck in my head.  Yes, I know, bon vivants like me are
supposed to listen to independent folk artists and other relative
unknowns, but I've always had a special place in my heart for the
electric guitar.  That's probably what got me into doing concert
promotion and PR.

Toweling off, I slipped back into my robe and decided to hunt down
breakfast.  From the smell, it seemed Shuukou had reconciled with my
coffee maker.  I drifted into the kitchen, heading straight for Mr.
Coffee and pouring myself a mug of rich, black coffee.  Closing my eyes,
I inhaled the vapors, enjoying as they tickled my nose hairs.  I was a
bit disappointed that she'd used the cheap stuff that I save for my
less-important guests, but I wasn't going to complain.

I joined Shuukou at the dinner table and grabbed some toast.  She was
eating an orange and frowning at the morning paper.  I noted with
satisfaction that she had taken her coffee with milk -- that meant she
was off her vegan kick.  We sat and ate in comfortable silence.

Shuukou and I have a...  unique relationship.  Unlike the others, we
didn't meet in college.  I'd known her since junior high, at least in
passing, but we didn't really meet until our first year at high school.
We were in the school library, although I can't remember for the life of
me why I was there.  Anyway, back then she wasn't quite the extremist
she is now, though she was a bit of a rebel.  She had just hennaed her
hands, and I'd made some comment as to the authenticity of the design.
This apparently impressed her enough to acknowledge my presence, and we
spent the afternoon just talking.  I think we disliked each other from
the very start, but we still stayed friends.

Through all three years of high school we maintained a careful
association.  No one would have imagined we knew each other.  She, the
delinquent ecology freak, and I, the most popular man at school?  Never.
But we were friends, of a sort, bonded by our misanthropy.  Even when we
ended up going to the same college, we never told anyone that we knew
each other before; there wasn't really any point to it.  Not even Akari
or Judou knew.  (Soshi, however, might have known.  He creeps me out
sometimes.)

Anyway, where was I?  Oh, that's right.  Breakfast.

I was busy finishing off my fourth piece of toast -- Maman had always
said there was nothing wrong with a healthy appetite.  Shuukou had
finished growling at the newspaper, and was now sipping from her mug.
Since she was done with it, I grabbed the paper and flipped it open to
the weather forecast.  Clear today, but rain was on its way.  I joined
Shuukou in frowning, just for a bit.

Shuukou set down her coffee, and turned to face me.  She waited until I
looked up and made eye contact with her.  "I'm going shopping with
Akari."

I nodded slowly, turning my attention back to the editorial pages.  "I
didn't hear the phone."

"I called her while you were in the shower," she answered.  She gathered
together the orange peelings and held them in cupped hands.  Clasping
her hands together, Shuukou slowly pressed the peelings and whispered
softly.  I could feel the warm flow of power in her hands from across
the table.  She looked up at me and smiled lightly as she draw her hands
apart, the whole orange skin resting in her palms.

She set the hollow orange down on the table, and it rolled a bit.  I
reached out for it, touching it curiously before actually picking it up.
I ran my fingers over the surface -- there wasn't a mark to be seen.
This was a new manifestation of Shuukou's Gift, or at least one I hadn't
seen before.

I guess that I'm the only one of our little group who doesn't think of
what we do as Magic.  I've always used the term "Gift."  I used to use
"Knack," but I always got foul looks whenever I said it out loud, and
after a while, the word itself didn't really feel right anyway.  But
yes, Gifts.  Oh, they are magical, that's for sure, but what we do is
too limited for me to consider it full Magic.   Our abilities are
limited, matched to our personalities, to things that we value.  Shuukou
has abilities dealing with plants,  Akari has the ability to heal, and
Soshi... well, I don't think the others fully appreciated the
significance of Soshi's affinity for barriers.

I supposed we may eventually have Magic; Soshi may already, with
everything he's put into it.  After him, I know I'd done the next most
experimentation with my powers, pushing my abilities and trying to
abstract the core gift to learn new ones.  I was still learning new uses
for them, and while I didn't know how much more was possible, I knew
that someday I'd be able to say "These are not the droids you are
looking for," and have the other person smile as if there was nothing
wrong.

I realized then that Shuukou and I had been smiling for nearly two
minutes, something that hadn't happened since... well, in a long time.
I chuckled at that thought.  She probably mistook my laughter for
appreciation of the act of restoring the orange.

She reached out and plucked the skin from my hand.  Setting it squarely
in the center of the table, she stood.  "Going to shower."

I had to fight to suppress the automatic "I'll join you," that sprung to
my lips.  Minor faux pas averted, I just nodded and turned back to my
coffee.  The sound of rushing, cascading water started up a few moments
later.  I closed my eyes and listened to it, letting the sound relax me.

My cell phone rang then, from the living room.  I swore softly and got
up.  I fumbled a bit, trying to find where I'd put the damn thing.  I'm
usually good about these things, but I'd been a bit flustered the night
before.  I finally found it half-wedged in the cushions of the loveseat.

"Hello?" I answered in English; only my business associates ever call me
on my cell phone at this time of day, and that sort of thing impresses
them for some reason.  Well, English at least.  They're less receptive
to other languages.

It turned out to be Soshi.  I didn't know how he'd gotten the number --
it's unlisted -- but I wasn't really surprised.  Maybe he'd just gotten
it from one of the others.  That was the easiest answer.

"So what time are the girls going shopping?" he asked.

"Shopping?"

I could swear I heard him raise his eyebrow in that moment of silence.
"I see."

"What's up?"

"Meet me at Takadanobaba Station."

"What's up?" I repeated, this time less conversationally.   I know it's
his usual manner, but I don't have to like his way of ordering his
requests.

He almost managed to sound offended, but it was probably just
interference on the phone.  "Why, Kenchi, can't a person want to just
spend time with a friend he hasn't seen in nearly a year?"

"Right."  Much as I didn't want to, it probably was for the best to just
see what he wanted.  "So what time do you want to meet up?"

"Whenever you can make it.  It's your time, after all."  And with that,
he hung up.

I stared at my phone for a half-second before shaking my head.  Perhaps
Soshi could dawn some light on what was going on, but after the previous
evening, I didn't quite feel safe around him -- I didn't feel like being
a human guinea pig any time soon.  So I called Judou.  He wasn't there,
but I left him a message asking him to come to the station and that
Soshi had asked to meet there.

I sank back into my couch.  I glanced at my wrist, curious as to the
time.  I had forgotten to put on my watch, but didn't feel like getting
up to retrieve it.  The curse of comfortable furniture, I guess.

Taking a moment, I looked around my living room.  I was surrounded by
the trappings of a good life, a far cry from my childhood.  Here, I had
comfortable furnishings.  I owned expensive artwork.  I had tasteful
decorations.  Maybe I didn't deserve it all, but it was mine, and no one
could take it from me.  But, still, there was something missing...

My Rubik's Cube!  That was it!  I cursed Judou under my breath.  He'd
probably walked off with it.  Again -- it's a bad habit of his.  I've
probably lost a few dozen of them to his kleptomania.  Frowning, I began
coming up with ways to get back at him.

I was interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell.  I chuckled as the
tune played.  Akari was waiting just outside, an anxious look on her
face.

I smiled warmly, because it seemed appropriate, and because Akari has
that effect on people.  "Good morning," I greeted her.

In response, the edges of her mouth turned tightly upwards and she
nodded.  Before she could speak, I was being pushed roughly aside as
Shuukou made her way past me out onto the front porch.  The girls
hugged, something more than mere salutation in the act.  The last night
was still bothering them, too.

Letting go, Akari stepped back.  "Shall we go?"  Turning to me, Akari
smiled fully.  "We'll see you later, then?"

"You want to meet up for lunch?"  I asked her.  I quickly explained how
I was meeting up with Soshi, and would be near where they were going
anyway.  Shuukou looked unhappy, but Akari seemed pleased at the
prospect of everyone just hanging out together.

We said our goodbyes, and they turned to leave.  From the sidewalk,
Akari turned back and waved at me, Shuukou joining her out of
politeness.  I returned the gesture.  As they waved, my eyes were drawn
to Shuukou's elaborate tattoos.  I'd gone with her when she got them.
We went to an artist who primarily did work for the yakuza, but I
convinced him to give Shuukou a fair price.  I had once teasingly told
Judou that those tattoos went all the way up.  He was so completely
flustered, he couldn't talk to her for a week.  They don't, of course --
but I suppose you knew that already.

I went back inside and killed some time.  After about ten minutes, I
figured that sitting around the house wasn't going to do me any good, so
I decided to head out to meet with Soshi.  Akari's car was in my
driveway, so driving there was out of the question.  It was a nice day,
though, so the walk would be a pleasant one.

As I stepped lightly down the streets, a song wormed its way into my
head.  Yes, I sing while I walk, too.  I do have a rather nice voice.  I
could have had a singing career, but I lack the patience.

The song was an old one, one I'd heard during one of my trips with my
father into the Aomori prefecture. I didn't think I actually registered
the words back then, but there they were, clear in my mind.

             In the dark night
             When I hear the voice of the crow
             Who never sings
             What kind of fruit would grow
             On a spray of the mysterious tree named Zuiki
             There would grow the Six Characters
             Of Na--

What, you don't like my singing?

Good.

As I was saying, I was on my way to Takadanobaba.  It wasn't even noon
yet, and already the streets were crowded with the bustle of foot
traffic.  Business men on their way to meetings, shoppers on the hunt for
a good bargain, children out enjoying the freedom of a day away from
school.  And me.  I made sure there was a neat little pocket of space
around me, with no one coming too close.  It took me the longest time to
figure that trick out, but once I did, I wondered why I had found it so
difficult.

"Kenchi."

I turned to see Soshi on the other side of the street from me, sitting
on a bench.  The street traffic wasn't too bad, so I jaywalked, cutting
across the road in the middle of the block.

Soshi stood as I got near, and grabbed my arm.  Turning, he drew me
away, down a side street.  We walked briskly, not speaking.  I was
wondering where we were going and wishing I'd had a chance to meet up
with Judou.  I wrested my arm from his grip, but I was content to let
him lead my follow.

I've always liked that expression.  Hmm...  where was I?   Oh yes...

We kept walking for a few blocks, making a turn here and there, until we
found ourselves in a much quieter area.  It was still a commercial zone,
but the street was lined with a number of smaller shops, as opposed to
the glitz and shine of downtown.

"Where are we going?" I finally asked.

"Here," he announced, as he came to an abrupt stop.  We were standing in
front of an old bookstore.  The window was filled with posters and
announcements, and the sign above was faded by time.  Soshi gestured
toward the door, and we entered.

The smell of old books...  It's something I've never really been fond
of. I'm a modern man, a product of my times.  I appreciate the classics
as much as the next person, and perhaps a little more, but book snobs
irk me.  I can't begin to count the number of times I've had someone
tell me how heavenly the smell is, how that sense alone can transport
them to new worlds.  To me, it just smells like sweetish mildew.

As we entered, Soshi smiled at the shopkeeper.  Some spark of
recognition passed between the two of them, but they didn't know each
other and they had never met before.  I think I would have caught that
even without my Gift, but I did have that as confirmation.

I waited as he browsed a shelf by the windows and chatted with the
shopkeeper for few minutes.  Their discussion didn't particularly
interest me, so I decided to check if the store had a copy of one of my
favorite books (an engaging tale about the revolt of the angels, but
also very out-of-print).  Unsurprisingly, I couldn't find it.

Wandering back up to the front of the store, I saw that they were
wrapping up.  Soshi concluded his business, purchasing a slim volume
that looked to be written in English.  With a nod to the shopkeeper, he
turned and left out the door.  I followed.

"He's a magician-in-training, you know." Soshi told me with a smile.

I turned and stared at him in dumbfounded disbelief.  "You have to be
kidding."

"Do I now?"  He kept walking, continuing after five more paces.  "He
very well could be.  Do you have any way of knowing?"

I considered that for a moment.  "I would have been able to tell."

He smirked.  "Would you have?  Are you so confident in your abilities?"
He waited for me to get half-way through a  nod before he continued.
"Then why did Judou surprise you?"

I blinked.  He had a point.  I could try to explain it away, with the
claim that Judou's true nonhuman nature kept him able to mask it, but I
knew it wasn't true.

"There's something you're going to need to address, Kenchi," Soshi said,
a grim look on his face.  "You are the weak link in all of this.  You
know this, and we know this."  He went on to further lambast me,
speaking a mix of untruths and stinging accusations.  I could repeat
them for you, but I don't care to.

We had been walking all this time, and we continued to walk in silence.
I was lost in thought about what Soshi'd said, that I had been the most
visibly affected by the attack the previous night.
He kept talking, and I only picked up the barest hints of what he was
saying, something about tradition and order.

Soshi stopped.  "And here we are.  I believe Judou is supposed to be
awaiting us?"

I looked around.  We were in front of Takadanobaba Station, and I hadn't
even realized it.  I searched the crowds, since Judou was supposed to be
there.  At the back of my head, something itched.

I caught sight of Judou, waiting at the top of the stairs.  I waved my
arms, hoping to get his attention.  I did.

He forced his way through the crowds and made his way over to where
Soshi and I were waiting.  "Sorry, I didn't get your message until a
little while ago," he told me.

I shook my head to reassure him.  "Don't worry about it."  I looked at
my wrist.  It was nearly the time I'd arranged to meet up with the
girls.  "Shall we go?  Shuukou and Akari are going to meet with us at a
cafe nearby."

Judou agreed, and if he had any complaints, Soshi didn't mention them.
I lead the way, turning to start down the street.

"Kenchi-kun?" a voice called out from behind us.  I turned, coming face
to face with a familiar, well... face.  I couldn't put a name to him, which
bothered me.  He was short, but solidly-built.  A foreigner, with dark
brown hair and brilliant green eyes.  The accent is his voice tugged at
me.

"It's been forever!" I greeted him, clasping his hand in my own and
shaking it vigorously.  "When was it?"

"Three years," he answered, and suddenly I remembered.

Philippe.  He'd been an exchange student back at the university.  I'd
been assigned to be his contact at the school while he was there.  He'd
been really attached to me, almost to the point where I suspected he was
attracted to me.  I think it was just that he was homesick for France,
and I was the closest to a full-blooded Frenchman that he'd find on
campus.   Akari had never liked him, which puts him in a very small
number of people.  I remember how she could never get his name right --
it always came out as "fear".  In any case, I only had to mentor him for
a semester before he had to go back to Nice.

I was surprised to see him in Japan again.

"So what brings you back to Tokyo?" I asked, because it was only polite,
and because I was curious.

"This and that," he said.  "I've got a job here, now.  Transferred over
a couple of months ago."

I didn't want to really get stuck chatting with an old acquaintance,
because if things went the way they had in the past, Phil would find a
way to drag the conversation on for hours.  And if there's one thing you
don't want to do, it's making Akari and Shuukou wait.  I'd pulled that
stunt with Akari, once.  Once.  My gut still aches when I think about
that date.

Apparently, I wasn't the only one who felt that way, as Judou stepped
forward and put his hand on my shoulder.  I felt his pinky slide lightly
against the back of my neck.  "I'm sorry, Philippe," he said.  "But
we're in a bit of a hur--"

And suddenly I was flying, soaring, falling... A blackness swept around
me and crashed.  My ears filled with the deafening roar of silence.  I
looked down to find I was kneeling.

Philippe was there, in my arms.  He was coughing, his breath ragged.  He
was dressed in a long black outfit, I'd almost call it a robe, except
that it wasn't.  Around his neck was a dully glowing purple stone.

"Blood, heal me; fear, change me.  Belief will always save me," he
chanted.  I stared in horror as something behind his face twisted and
writhed.  He grew flush, but showed no change in expression, still
staring straight ahead.

And with a sudden flash, I snapped back, my senses returning.  I
blinked; the others were looking at me in concern. Well, Philippe and
Judou were, at least.  Soshi was studying me with a look that was
somehow clinical and shark-like at the same time.

Sometime later, we would come to the decision that Judou and I had
somehow combined our Gifts, his Sight and my Empathy, when he'd touched
me.  But at the moment, I had no idea what had just happened.

"Are you all right?" Philippe asked, hovering over me.  I pushed him
away, trying to get some room to breathe.  I sat up and scrambled back,
still dizzy.  Standing up, I pulled a business card from my pocket.

"Sorry," I apologized.  "Just a spell of dizziness.  I have them
sometimes.  Look, we're in a hurry, but I'd love to get together, get
caught up."  I handed him my card.  "Call me sometime?"

He looked at me, the confusion evident on his face.  I'm sure the look
on my face was the same.  I forced myself to smile and steadied myself.
"I'm fine."

Judou smiled as well, and almost elbowed Soshi to get him to do the
same.  I think he realized how pointless that would have been, because
he stopped in mid-swing.  We nodded to Philippe, and he walked past us,
still unsure.

I took a tentative step forward, reassuring myself that I wasn't so
shaken that I couldn't walk.  Judou stood nearby, ready to give me a
hand.

Thankfully, the cafe I had arranged to meet the girls at was only a
block away, and getting there was no real problem.  None of us spoke,
although Soshi occasionally made an odd noise or two from behind us.  I
ignored him.

When we got to the cafe, we commanded a table out by the street, so that
we'd be sure to see the girls when they arrived.  We weren't long in
waiting.

Judou caught sight of them first, as they came around the corner.  He
waved at them, and after realizing what he was doing, I turned around
and did the same.  Akari and Shuukou walked briskly over to where we
were sitting.  As they approached, I noticed that Akari had her arms
clutched tightly around her sides.  Shuukou was standing straight,
perhaps a bit too straight.  Both were pale and looked shaken.  Akari
was even shivering slightly.

"What's wrong?" I asked, standing.  I looked from Akari to Shuukou, and
back again.

Shuukou sighed and put her arm on Akari's shoulder.  "First, let's get
some tea," Shuukou said.  "Then, we'll talk."


FIN (chapter 2)

- = -

AUTHOR'S NOTES
[or, In Which Ravi Makes an Apology]

First off, I'll say that I didn't want to write this.  Not just the
followup chapter, but Wings of Fate in general.  But for reasons I
won't go into here, I did sign up, and got the second chapter.

But I've changed my mind, since then.  I'm glad I signed up, and glad
I was able to take the second chapter.  I hope it turns out well.
There's a lot going on here, and I hope the authordom of this story is
able to progress the story slowly.

I'm sorry for the delays in getting this story written.  There was
some... nastiness last week that left me rather devastated, but since
I had a good third of the story already written, I was allowed to
finish it.  I wasn't able to write too much, but I think I covered
enough.

Massive thanks go to John Evans, for being there to bounce ideas off,
and to a lesser degree, Ardweden and Phoebe.  All three of them also
preread for me, for which I am grateful.  Remember, however, all ideas
and plot decisions in this chapter are mine, so blame me for any
glaring problems.

I referred to a couple of sources, the most notable being Hori Ichiro's
"Folk Religions of Japan -- Continuity and Change."  This work is where I
found the Aomori shamanistic hymn that Kenchi sings in the chapter.

This chapter also features all three stims from last week's Sunburst
Project.  Don't know what that is?  Hop by Beware the Radish and find
out!  http://www.chaoseed.com/btr/sbp/

Any and all comments are welcome.  Email me at duvvuri@uiuc.edu

-r


Tracks in Heavy Rotation on Ravi's Winamp Playlist:

Brother Cane:  "Lead my Follow", "Rise on Water"
Kiroro:  "Chance", "Himawari", "Ao no Jumon"
Queensryche:  "Spreading the Disease", "Eyes of a Stranger"
The Cure:  "Lullaby", "Burn"

- = -

And now!  Wings of Fate Omake Theatre!

Special thanks to John, Ard, Phoebe, and the #HHHitSquad Irregulars


OMAKE * OUTTAKES * OMAKE

Kenchi: "Oh no! That pill...I'm turning into...Soshi!"
*schplurnt*
Kenchi: "*smirk*"
Soshi: "*smirk*"
Kenchi: "*evil grin*"
Soshi: "*evil grin*"
Kenchi: "Heh heh heh."
Soshi: "Heh heh heh."
Akari: "I don't think I can handle two of them."

OMAKE * OUTTAKES * OMAKE

"We've secretly replaced Shuukou's brains with Folgers' Crystals. Let's
  watch!"
"Don't make me hurt you, Kenchi."

OMAKE * OUTTAKES * OMAKE

As I made my way down the hall, I peeked my head into the open door of
my bedroom.
"Hentai!"
*WHAM*
"Ow!  What'd you do that for?"

OMAKE * OUTTAKES * OMAKE

As I made my way down the hall, I peeked my head into the open door of
my bedroom.
"Gimme some sugar, baby!"
*WHAM*
"Ow."

OMAKE * OUTTAKES * OMAKE

As I made my way down the hall, I peeked my head into the open door of
my bedroom.
"Kenchi! Take me!"
Unable to resist the temptation, I facefaulted.

OMAKE * OUTTAKES * OMAKE

Suddenly the toaster began to glow.
"Does anybody want any *toast*?!?"
Kenchi stared at it. "Nobody here wants any toast."
"...Nobody here wants any toast."
"These are not the droids you're looking for."
"These are not the droids I'm looking for."

OMAKE * OUTTAKES * OMAKE

Apparently, I wasn't the only one who felt that way, as Judou stepped
forward and put his hand on my shoulder.  I felt his pinky slide
lightly against the back of my neck.
"Wonder Twin powers, activate!"

OMAKE * OUTTAKES * OMAKE

Apparently, I wasn't the only one who felt that way, as Judou stepped
forward and put his hand on my shoulder.  I felt his pinky slide
lightly against the back of my neck.
"Not in front of Soshi," I muttered. "Later."

OMAKE * OUTTAKES * OMAKE

I had forgotten to put on my watch, but didn't feel like getting
up to retrieve it.  The curse of comfortable furniture, I guess.
I suddenly felt my face start melting again and swore under my breath.
Cursed furniture wasn't very practical, but *damn*, it looked good!

OMAKE * OUTTAKES * OMAKE

"Kenchi! Take me!"
I facefaulted. Judou appeared from offset, laughing so hard he
practically couldn't breathe. "Gotcha!" he gurgled.

OMAKE * OUTTAKES * OMAKE

I hope you enjoyed that.  ^_^