Fringe of Dreams

Author's Note:

Hi!--this is my first posted story...I've written others, but they're all lying around the house somewhere heh... do me a favor and don't copy my work, okay? You will not believe how long it has taken me to think up of this plot...

Here is some background info...

For some strange reason, only 2/5 of the inhabitants on the world of Reverie are able to use nadias (a.k.a. magic). Some are hated for their special powers, and some are awed, but overall, the world of Reverie has managed to live in peace until recently...

Anyway, sit back, read and enjoy!

~ aznistic

Chapter One: Entry

Where angels are born,

And secrets kept;

Where time flows,

And dreams have slept,

The prophecies begin

Past the labyrinth,

Over the open fields,

And out to sea.

"Akira!" Trenton scowled as Akira snuck another spoon full of French vanilla ice cream.

Akira glanced up innocently with her spoon stuck in her mouth and swallowed the rest of her ice cream quickly. "What?"

"What do you think you're doing?" He demanded.

"It's just one more!" Akira protested.

"Yeah and the next scoop will be just one more too."

"So?"

"So you're not supposed to have that much! It's six `o' clock in the morning, Akira." Trenton laughed. "Or can't you tell?"

The two were sitting outside on a large slab of stone next to Loja Sea. The sun was just coming up over the horizon, and behind them, their hometown where they'd spent all their childhood years growing up and playing still lay silent. Before long though, the fruit sellers and other market owners would be awake to greet the morning.

"Don't start sounding like my brother." Akira teased as she ducked under Trenton's arm and swiped another scoop of the ice cream.

"Hey!"

Akira deftly avoided his reach and again, swallowed the ice cream before he could knock the spoon out of her hand.

"Master Etrough will be looking for us soon." Trenton warned. "He'll know what we've been eating."

Akira laughed a light and joyful sound that always made everyone around her smile. "Master Etrough knows our tradition too. Come on, Trenton. This is going to be one of our last days in Intra. Don't you want to have fun?"

"We are having fun." Trenton pointed out.

"Yeah, and in the midst of all this `fun' we're having, you're always there to be my older brother." Akira teased.

"I'm not--"

"Let's go take a walk. Come on!" Akira slid off the stone slab and her feet landed on the river stones lightly before she took off at a run in ankle deep water.

"We can't take a walk if you're running!" Trenton shouted as he abandoned the ice-cream carton and ran off after her.

Akira didn't stop running. It was still early morning, and there was nothing that she liked better than to run down the shoreline when it was deserted. It gave her the feeling that the world was peaceful and that she could run for miles if she wanted to.

The wind blew through her chocolate-colored hair with honey and caramel streaks and the air was fresh from the storm last night. Akira breathed it in as she ran and smiled to herself as she slowed to a stop, letting Trenton catch up with her.

Trenton had always been her friend since before they could talk. It was hard to believe that it had been years ago since they'd been making mud pies in the ground after the storm, and fought over the last cherry in the bowl.

She wished that things could always stay the way they were, but everything was bound to change; it always did. Yet she also knew that the core of what had been would always be there, as Trenton would always be the way he was even though he would change in the future, and as she herself would change, too. As long as the most important things remained, everything would still be all right.

"Hey Trenton...are you nervous?" Akira asked as he neared her. She wasn't looking behind herself, but she could hear the water splashing as he pounded his feet on the ground.

He didn't say anything for ten long seconds, but she knew that he knew what she was talking about.

Just last week, their parents had told both of them that they were leaving Intra to go to a school on the Isle of Vermilles. The school was called Travin Academy, and it was known for being among the top schools of Reverie.

At first, Akira had been a bit angry with her parents for telling her so soon before she would leave, but on afterthought, she didn't have anything holding her to this town anyway except for her home. Besides, if Trenton was there with her, it wouldn't be all that bad. She was actually looking forward to it. She wanted to leave the town forever never to look back, and go on to bigger things in life, but she also wanted to stay in Intra forever, just talking and joking with Trent and the other villagers that she knew so well. All in all, she didn't really know what to think; her feelings were too mixed.

"Trenton?"

"I heard you." He sighed. "I don't really know. I guess I'm nervous. It's not like I haven't left Intra before..."

"So what's wrong?"

"I don't know, Akira. It's like, if we go to Travin then we can't come back. That's how it feels like. You ever get those feelings? You don't know where they come from... but you know them all the same."

"We... we'll be able to come back." Akira said. "There's always the season breaks, I heard."

"I guess... I don't really know what I'm saying." Trenton said. "But I don't think anything will ever be the same."

"You're right though--nothing ever will be the same." Akira said. "But only because we've been to Travin. That's all."

Trenton just looked at her. "Does Travin have anyone like Master Etrough? You know, to teach us how to use our nadias and everything..."

"I don't know. Probably not." I shook my head. "We've learned a lot already. It'll probably be enough."

"Yeah. Maybe now we can ask him that question."

"Which one?"

"Why he mainly taught us how to fight."

"Well it's probably because we need to know." Akira figured. "The world is... sort of..."

Trenton inhaled sharply and she fell silent for a while. The two looked at the waves until the sun was completely over the horizon. When the first sunbeams touched her feet, Akira looked up at him.

"You're nervous, right?"

"Yeah. What do you have in mind?" Trenton looked at her suspiciously. Akira always had the strangest ideas, the strangest plans. He had to admit they were almost always one of a kind, and well thought out...almost always causing something to gossip about in Intra, but still due to past experiences he had the right to be suspicious.

"Just name some things about Travin that you'll look forward too." She insisted. "I promise this'll work. I read the-"

"The what?" he asked.

"Nothing." Akira said hastily. "Just name `em."

Trenton thought. "We'll get smarter."

"Uhuh. And?"

New people to meet?"

"Uhuh...and more specifically..."

He grew even more suspicious. Akira was always trying to get him to meet some girl or another. "Akira, if this is what I think you're talking about-"

"What?" Akira sounded offended.

"I'm not interested!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Then tell me what you are getting at."

"Well...I just want to test something."

"Like what? Akira, if this is anything close to what I'm thinking about, then if I have to go through another experiment of yours, you will too."

"It's not like you ever get hurt or anything."

"Oh you mean like that time we used the nadia shields to race on top of the hill? And your brother caught you and you fell?"

"That was me, not you."

"Luckily, I managed to fall in a nice, big pile of brambles and thorns, so they cushioned my fall somewhat."

"And I'm glad about that." Akira grinned.

"You, on the other hand, only managed to heal so quickly because you're... a nadia prodigy or something."

"I'm so flattered, Trent. I just learn fast..."

"Yeah and your nadia levels just happen to rise just as fast."

"You catch on quick."

"I don't believe it."

"You want me to tell you or not? It doesn't involve physical activity... in a way."

"Fine. Just tell me what you have in mind." Trenton sighed inwardly. He always went along with her plans anyway, at this point. It gave him something to remember: Akira was right about that.

"Okay." Akira had tossed her hair back over her shoulder and looked out to the sea, smiling. "You ever read up on Travin ever since your parents told you about it?"

"No." he confessed.

"I have." Akira said. "Apparently, they are a bit...err, old-fashioned."

"Wha-" Trenton began.

"They separate the boys and girls in different dorm buildings." Akira went on. "But in their Code of Conduct, you can switch with any other student if you aren't satisfied with your dorm, as long as they agree to it also. We're making a deal right now."

"You're not serious. This is TRAVIN we're talking about." Trenton said disbelievingly.

"Yeah... and?" Akira tried to sound nonchalant. "Will you let me finish?"

"I guess..."

"So we switch dorm rooms." Akira said cheerfully. "For three months, minimum. Either that, or till one week after you find someone, and until then, you better hope they have a private adjoining bathroom for you or something."

"Do you know how many people will be talking about it??" Trenton said.

Akira smiled. "Yeah. We'll go into Travin with a bang, won't we?"

He laughed. "Has that been your goal this whole time?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Akira said innocently.

"Aren't you afraid the other girls will say you're a slut or something?"

"Not really." Akira confessed. "It's not like I'm doing this for myself." She grinned at Trenton cheekily. "Don't you worry bout me."

- - - - - - -

A few days later, a girl of around seventeen years old who had chocolate brown hair with streaks of caramel and honey, and big brown eyes sat without speaking next to the window of a shuttle bound to the Isle of Vermilles.

Below the shuttle, the lands of Reverie passed by. She saw countless homes, villages, hills, and valleys, all full of lush life. It was hard to imagine that is was on this world that a possible war could be brewing between the two most powerful powers that had once led the world in peace.

The Societies, which made up the towns of the nymphs, dryads, elves, and sylphs alike, each had leaders to represent themselves. They had been known to be forming an even bigger alliance among themselves with each of those leaders as a member. They were also being known to dislike the High Orders, who led the world of Reverie, because of recent decisions that they were making concerning their military operations, and the High Orders were being known to dislike the Societies for a similar reason. The world was becoming an unpleasant place to live in, especially for those who had nadias and did not live in an all-nadia town.

- - - - - - -

Trenton glanced at Akira from across the cabin of the shuttle. She was looking out the window too. He wondered what Travin would make of her, and then tried to remember what he had thought of her himself when they had first met. They had known each other almost forever, and were as close as a sister would be to her brother, and vice versa.

Travin would soon find out how spontaneous she was, for one thing. She was a spur-of-the-moment kind of person, and that made her appealing to most people, also mainly because she was so likeable. She could be stubborn at times, but she caught on quickly to most important topics and was loyal to her friends. Now that Trent thought about it, she was attractive too. Her shoulder-length hair was always straight and perfect, her skin was always smooth, and her other features weren't bad either, but to him, that was only part of what made her attractive. He blushed and looked away at that thought.

- - - - - - -

Master Etrough observed both of his pupils from behind his spectacles in the back of the cabin. He'd had years to train the both of them, and he wondered if it would be enough. Too many things were hanging in balance to wonder if anything he had done would be enough. He'd taught Akira to be able to defend herself, and that was among one of the most important things. But when the time came, would she be able to do what the oracles had stated over and over again?

So far, Master Etrough's only regret was that he hadn't yet met the boy who the oracles had also spoken of the last time he had been visited.

- - - - - - -

*thump* Kieran watched, a bit amused, as Clark's head finally slipped out of his palm and hit the desk in front of him. He didn't blame Clark for falling asleep--the class was ridiculously easy, but then again, he was one of the few who thought so.

"The class would thank Mr. Crinn for his interesting display of the forces of gravity." Professor Monteril glared at Clark as he woke up with an embarrassed expression on his face.

"Sorry sir." He muttered.

"And just what do you recall we were talking about before your fascinating demonstration?" Professor Monteril said.

No way will he guess, Kieran thought.

"Err... Clark glanced at his best friend, Shard Garion, who was deeply engrossed in something that was happening outside on the school lawn. Shard looked up at the Professor and his mouth hung open slightly in bewilderment.

Somewhere in a corner of the room, the girls who were clustered in their groups began to giggle uncontrollably.

"Mr. Crinn?" the professor prompted.

"You were telling us about..." Clark looked at what was written on the board furtively. "The theory of relativity?"

The girls giggled even more loudly.

"Actually no." Mr. Monteril slammed his pointer down on a random desk. The girl who was occupying the seat jumped up in surprise and fear. Mr. Monteril was known to be a bit stricter than needed. "As I was saying..." he continued. "We have two new students joining Travin today. No doubt you will have many classes with either of them. I want you all to show them what a wonderful school Travin is, and be on your best behavior. Now then, please welcome Akira Mitsuki and Trenton Oaks, both from the town of Intra."

The whole class waited expectantly as the teacher paused dramatically, but nobody came in through the door.

Shard coughed in his seat and somebody sneezed.

Kieran wondered if Professor Monteril had mixed up the dates of the students' arrival. How long would it be until this class was over? It was one of the most boring ones throughout the day... or maybe that was just because he was looking forward to the lunch break.

"Err... Miss Mitsuki? Mister Oaks?"

Kieran looked up from the window in interest to see who would be coming into the school year so late--whoever they were would have to do a lot of catching up, that was for sure. Would they fall behind and completely apart, or catch up?

"Yes sir--We're here!" A light, feminine voice came in from the hall and a pretty girl with long brown hair and caramel streaks strode into the room. Akira's big brown eyes surveyed the room innocently, as everyone else looked her over either critically or approvingly. She wore the school's uniform: a preppy, white close-fitting top and a short navy skirt, and her skin wasn't pale like all the other girls in Travin, but not too dark either, showing that the village she came from was close to a shore.

"Sir." Trenton Oaks came in after her. His skin was a little paler then Akira's, but still showed more color than half the class. He was of average height and lean, with gold hair and sky blue eyes.

Kieran knew from the silence that carried on for a few minutes that the girls were shocked that two villagers from the shores had managed to get into such a famous school. The guys were still gaping at Akira. Kieran found himself amused at this too. Why did his friends always fall for the new students? It was getting old now. It seemed that this always happened in every book he'd ever read. Student comes into school year late and falls in love: there was never anything new, never anything interesting to complete the story with an added twist.

He looked at the girl in the eye. She didn't reveal anything of what she was thinking, but after a moment, she looked at him too and he spotted a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Hello." The girl looked around the room at everyone, and glanced at Trenton briefly. She gave a slight smile and Kieran heard the girls whispering in the corner.

"Now, Miss Akira and Mister Oaks, if you would just take your seats--any one you find empty is fine." Professor Monteril said.

Akira and Trenton both proceeded towards the back of the room, and to Kieran's mixed surprise, they didn't sit next to each other. Akira sat diagonal from him and Trenton sat in front of the giggly group, next to Shard.

"Welcome to Travin." The professor announced.

- - - - - - -

"The subject has moved."

"Is she being followed?"

"We have already sent someone. He should arrive at the destination soon."

"Good. See to it that he finds the second human as well."