Fan Fiction ❯ The End ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )

The Earth burned with a Black Fire. For three days and three nights a Darkness decended, seeping out from the Core of the World. Magic was consumed within the Blaze. The Black Fire was untouchable. It flowed across the Earth, searching and seeking all Magic. Thus was The End of all Magic. When the Darkness lifted, there were none left who possessed any Magic. The Earth itself was Void.

First Book of the Void,
1303 A.D.


Chapter One

September 1st, 2003,
Emerald Grove Secondary School,
United Kingdom,
8:30 am

"Settle down."

The teachers' crisp, sharp bark did nothing to deter the pupils who were currently gossiping loudly in the classroom. A few scattered students, some outcasts, some simply unfriendly, stared out the second storey window or doodled on odd bits of paper.

"Settle down!"

The teacher breathed out a large sigh as the class finally settled. There was a knock on the door.

"Yes?"

A slim youth with very dark red hair held up in a ponytail with long bangs stepped in. Large cinnamon coloured eyes wide in his pale face. He handed the teacher a slip of paper and waited patiently, his eyes trained firmly on the floor.

"Hmmn. Class," the teacher looked up, "it looks like we have a new addition this year. This is......" he looked at the paper again, "Shouji Marise Auberon." The teacher frowned. "Did I say that right?"

Shouji nodded a bit nervously. "Yes."

"Good." He looked around the room. "I'm Matthew Temerson, call me Mr Temerson or Sir, whichever feels easier." Matthew smiled when Shouji nodded his understanding. "Right, go sit down." He motioned to a seat near the center back.

Shouji sat down, adjusting the jacket of the school's mandatory uniform. It wasn't so much uncomfortable, as simply different from what he was used to. The green fabric, so dark it could have passed for black suited his hair and eyes, making him seem almost younger than he already was. The small art deco style gold embroidered tree inside a hexagon showed the school's crest.

"Hi."

Shouji blinked, looking to his right. A grinning blonde-haired youth waved. His bright blue eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Er..hello."

"You're not from around here, are you?" He whispered.

Shouji shook his head.

"Hmmn. Quiet as well." He shrugged. "Ah well, more time for me to talk." He stuck out his hand when Matthew's back was turned, the teacher occupied with writing on the large blackboard. "I'm Damian Ward."

"Auberon Shouji."

Damian looked puzzled. "I thought Mr Temerson said it was the other way around."

"Er..sorry. Auberon is my family name, Shouji is my first name. I've been living in Japan with my mother's family for the past seven years. I get a bit mixed up sometimes." Shouji whispered back.

"Ah. Cool. How come you're here then?"

Shouji looked away. He gave a small shrug. "My family don't like me very much. I'm used to being bounced around a lot. I'm living with my Uncle Auberon right now."

"Oh." Damian looked contrite. "Sorry. I guess family is a touchy subject right now, eh?"

"A bit."

"Mr Ward....? Pay attention please." Matthew called out, making a few pupils giggle.

Damian shot the teacher a cheeky smile. "Sure Mr Temerson."

Shouji smiled at the wink Damian sent his way. Maybe I'll like it here.

~*~*~

"Hey, Sho, wait up!"

Shouji paused and turned at the shout.

Damian ran up to him. "Look, some of my friends are heading out to the arcades tonight, wanna tag along?"

"Uh," Shouji bit his lip, looking uncertain, "I don't want to intrude."

Damian slung his arm over Shouji's shoulders. "Nah, you won't be intruding. 'Sides, you'll enjoy it!"

Shouji nodded. "Okay."

"Cool." He handed Shouji a piece of paper. "This is my number, got a pen?"

"Yes." Shouji pulled one out from his bag.

"Ta." Damian pulled the lid off. "What's your number?"

Shouji reeled the number off, still bewildered a bit by his new friend.

Damian wrote the number on the back of his hand before capping the pen and pasing it back. "I'll give you a ring about six-ish. If I don't, then assume I'm running late and feel free to give me a bell." Damian paused, shooting Shouji a smirk. "Just be wary of my sister."

"Sister?"

"Yep. Ruth. She's two years older, she's eighteen. Gah!" Damian rolled his eyes. "She's a pest, she'll ramble all day on the phone, so tell her it's urgent or you'll be stuck talking to her."

"Okay."

Damian stayed long enough to give Shouji a pat on the back before dashing off towards the school gates.

Shouji rolled his eyes and started walking. It would take him about fifteen minutes to get to his uncle's house.

~*~*~

Six came around faster than Shouji expected. The phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey Sho! You ready?"

Shouji smiled, even though he knew Damian couldn't see him. "Yes. Why?"

"Give us the address and we'll come pick you up."

"Aren't you too young to drive?" Shouji asked sceptically.

"Duh! Ruth is driving. She's got a date, so.....she offered to drop us off first."

"That's nice."

"Isn't it?" Shouji heard Damian snicker. "Ouch!! Sheesh. Sorry. Ruthie decided to whack me over the head."

Shouji grinned.

"Got that address?"

"Yes. It's 138 Oakley Close."

"Hey, that's just around the corner from Jamie!"

"Who?"

"Oops. You haven't met her yet. She'll be waiting at the arcade already. She hates to be late for anything. Anyway. See ya in a few. Bye!"

"Ja ne..."

Damian hung up.

Shouji went downstairs. He checked that his hair was tightly up in it's ponytail, when it was down it reached mid-back, and that his dark jeans and navy sweatshirt looked fine. He slipped on his trainers and had just finished writing a note to his uncle, just in case he got home before Shouji (which wasn't likely, but possible), when the door bell rang.

"Hey."

"Hi." Shouji stepped outside, locking the door behind him.

Damian led the way to the car, slipping in the front seat. "Sho, this is Ruth, Ruth this is Shouji."

Shouji gave a small smile and nod. "Pleased to meet you."

Ruth grinned. "Same here. You'rve got nice manners. Not like Damian here."

Damian held a hand to his heart and mock-gasped. "Oh the shock! I'm hurt, truly hurt."

"Hmmnph." Ruth snorted. "Yeah right."

The blonde rolled his eyes "Sisters."

Ruth ignored him.

"So, Shouji, do you have any family here?" Ruth frowned at the sudden abortive gestures Damian furtively made. Understanding came when Shouji's eyes darkened in pain and he turned his head away, bringing his arms around himself in an unconsciously protective move.

"Yes." Shouji's voice was quiet, flat. "My uncle."

Ruth cringed at the dull tone. "Er...how about some music?" She turned the radio on, letting it fill the silence.

The rest of the ten minute journey was spent in silence. Both Ruth and Damian shooting identical worried looks into the back of the car. Damian alternating between glaring at his sister and glancing in the mirror.

Ruth breathed in a sigh of relief when they got to the arcade. "We're here!" She chirped brightly.

"Domo arigato." Shouji said absently as he climbed out the car.

Ruth blinked. Blue eyes similar to her brother's were puzzled.

Damian leant back in the car. "He's from Japan." He whispered in explaination.

"But he speaks perfect English." Ruth protested.

Damian rolled his eyes. "Ever heard of someone being Bi-lingual?"

"Tell him sorry for me, okay? I didn't know it was a touchy subject."

Damian nodded. "Yeah, I guess it didn't help that I asked the same thing this morning."

Ruth sighed. "Look out for him." She glanced out the window past her younger brother. Shouji stood waiting patiently, his eyes aimed up at the lights on the top of the arcade. His slim form almost lost among the other pedestrians walking down the street. "He looks so small and lost."

"Yeah." Damian brushed a hand through his hair. "He kinda reminds me of a lost puppy...." He trailed off.

"Damian." Ruth said warningly. "He is not a stray."

"Oh but sis...? Can we keep him?" Damian asked grinning.

"Gah! Brothers."

"Yeah yeah, go on, get to your date, Ruthie."

Ruth rolled her eyes as she pulled away. But she had to admit, there seemed to be something awfully sad about the boy that Damian had taken under his wing. She shrugged the feeling off. I'm just being silly. He's an ordinary kid with a few family problems. That's all. She groaned at the niggling feeling of unease in her stomach. "Dammit."

~*~*~

"Come on!" Damian pulled Shouji into the arcade by his arm. "You been to many arcades?"

Shouji shook his head. "No. I tend to stay around libraries and stuff."

Damian snorted. "That's no way for a teenager to live," He caught sight of his friends.

"Hey guys. This is Shouji."

They nodded.

"Shouji, this is Daniel," Damian pointed to a youth their age with dark brown hair and green eyes, "this is Jamie," a girl with short black hair and large brown eyes, "she's with Daniel....lovebirds, yanno?" Damian stage whispered, making Daniel snort and Jamie roll her eyes.

"This is Nathaniel." Damian pointed out the last of the group, a slightly older youth with dark mahogany hair cut slightly long, framing a lightly tanned face with wary grey eyes. Delicate wire-framed glasses sat on the bridge of his nose "Don't mind him," Damian reassured Shouji, "he's just anti-social."

"Hello." Shouji greeted softly, butterflies still fluttering in his stomach from nerves.

"Right. Who's up for some fun?" Damian grinned.

Daniel and Jamie shared a look. "Sure."

"Nath?"

Nathaniel shrugged. "Whatever."

"Pfft. Sounds like it."

Nathaniel glared.

Damian snickered.

~*~*~

Shouji shut the door quietly with a small groan. His feet hurt. Once they'd gotten started, the group had meshed surprisingly well. With the exception of Nathaniel. He seemed determined not to trust the newcomer, cold glances and warning glares whenever Damian had gotten too friendly or when Daniel and Jamie had cajoled Shouji into playing whatever game they were currently absorbed in.

He spared a quick look at the clock. It was just past eleven. With luck his uncle wouldn't even be back yet. Shouji threw his note in the bin and grabbed a can of soda, opening it and taking it to his room. He kicked off his trainers and neated them beside his desk.

Shouji's room was a large L-shape. His bed was in the far right corner of the 'L', his dresser was at the foot of his bed and the desk with his pride-and-joy computer was situated beneath his window, which overlooked the back garden. The roof slanted to above his bed. A tall wooden wardrobe stood to the far left of the room, beside a low-slung comfy chair and glass-paneled bookcase.

The walls were a calming midnight blue, with cream accents. The carpet a lighter shade of navy and a long rug with cream, maroon, cerise and gold drew the eye to the centre of the open space.

The window was took up almost the entire wall, long two-toned curtains pulled to either side, they matched both the walls, bedspread and décor perfectly.

Grabbing his pyjamas, Shouji took a quick shower and set his alarm for the next morning, rolling into bed with a tired, but satisfied sigh.

And he dreamt...

~*~*~

Tbc...

~*~*~