Katawa Kijo

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Mirage_GSM
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Re: Katawa Kijo

Post by Mirage_GSM »

Yes, the names of the magic schools are the same as in AD&D, but don't expect the characters to make a visit to Faerûn anytime soon. The magic they're using is distinctly different from AD&D, and this is not a crossover with any pre-established setting.
My apologies to SC, though... It really is too late to remove the fantasy elements from this story...
Whether or not this is a bad thing is - in my opinion - a matter of taste. I've read or seen stories that did very well mixing Fantasy and SciFi (Scrapped Princess comes to mind) and others that failed horribly (the Rayearth OVA)...
In this case - and I know that is but a technicality - I didn't even mix two settings. I changed the KS-setting to include Fantasy elements. The genre will remain focussed on romance for as far as I have planned ahead until now, so this is going to be a Fantasy Romance like for example Shuffle.

And while I'm at it, I might as well post chapter four:

Chapter Four – The Gospel Truth
We enter a large office that obviously doubles as a conference room. There's a huge desk against the opposite wall, which is empty except for a few neatly stacked piles of paper. A few shelves line the wall behind it.

The rest of the room is taken up by a huge conference table with room for about twenty people. Kanzaki is sitting at its head, reading some files spread out in front of him. Takeshi is sitting at his right and Kenji at his left. The latter looks sufficiently cowed. I don't know what he did to get him quiet, but he has to teach me the trick...

At the window overlooking the school-yard, Mr. Mutou is talking to Ms. Miyagi and a young woman with red dyed hair. Ms. Miyagi is holding a lit cigarette in her right hand and a small portable ashtray in her left. Mutou nods to me absently.

“H-Hisao!”

I turn around and see two more people standing in the corner. “Hanako, Lilly! You're here as well?”

Hanako doesn't reply, but Lilly turns our way. “My my, Hisao. So you are a mage as well?

“Yes. I'm here with Misha and Shizune. Emi is going to be here as well, and... Oh yes, Mr. Kanzaki, the nurse had a patient to care for. He said to start without him, if he couldn't make it in time.”

Kanzaki looks up and greets us with a smile. “Ah yes, that won't be a problem. I think everyone here knows him, so he won't need any introductions...”

The door flies open and Emi storms into the room, followed by Rin and an elderly man with grey hair and a garishly coloured blazer. I've seen him around the campus once or twice. He has to be a teacher, probably that Mr. Nomiya she was supposed to find.

Kanzaki closes the file he was reading and rises. “It seems everyone is here now, so we can begin. Everybody please take your seats!”

I sit down next to Takeshi, and Misha plops down next to me. Shizune is across the table from us, probably so she can see Misha's translation of what is discussed.

When everyone has found a seat, Kanzaki speaks up again. “I welcome you all to this year's inauguration of magic students. My name is Kozo Kanzaki, and I am very pleased that this year is the largest class since the foundation of this school, and it is also one with a very wide range of talents, which is why we decided to bring in a few more teachers.

“As you know next to nothing about magic, I will start with a brief explanation of the schools of magic and introduce your new teachers along with their subject.”

He clears his throat and continues. “The ability to use magic is something you are born with, though it is not hereditary. In most people it lies dormant for their whole lives unless it is awoken by something.” He looks at me with an undefinable expression. “In your cases that would be you living in Yamaku for an extended time, because Yamaku is a place where several ley-lines – streams of magical energy – cross.”

“The art of magic is divided into seven schools. Every mage can use magic of one school only, regardless of talent or willingness to study. Those schools are Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion and Transmutation.”

“The most common school is Conjuration. Almost one in four mages is a Conjurer, although Conjuration has a very broad range of abilities, and only very few master them all.” He continues his explanation, but I tune him out, as the nurse already told me about this. Instead I wonder why he said seven schools. Didn't he say earlier that Kenji was a Necromancer – whatever that means?

My attention comes back to what Kanzaki is saying. “There is only one Conjurer among you students. Ms Emi Ibarazaki.” Emi flashes a wide grin. “She will be taught by Mr. ...”

The door opens and the nurse enters the room. “She will be taught by me. Good evening everyone, and I'm sorry I'm late.” He sits down on one of the empty chairs.

When everything has quieted down again, Kanzaki continues. “Next there are Diviners. Diviners have the ability to read minds, send mental messages, scry faraway places and in some cases they can see across time into the past or even the future. This young man is Takeshi Takakura, a very talented Diviner and himself an Alumni of this school. He will be the teacher of Ms. Lilly Satou.”

Takeshi grins at Lilly. “I'm sure you will find that Divination is a great compensation for not being able to see with your eyes.”

Lilly smiles but doesn't say anything, so Kanzaki continues. “Evokers are the third kind of mages that are quite common. They are able to manipulate energy and the forces of nature. As such their abilities are best suited for magical combat should it be required, but there are also a lot of more peaceful professions open to them. I don't have to introduce Mr. Mutou, as all of you already know him. It will be his responsibility to teach Ms. Shiina Mikado to be a responsible Evoker.”

I don't have to be a Diviner to hear the mental groan emitted by Mutou at that declaration, but Misha just flashes a big grin at him. “I bet this is going to be a lot of fun. I'm going to give it my best!” Mutou rubs his temples with both hands, obviously fighting the beginnings of a headache.

Suppressing a grin, Kanzaki turns to Rin. “Illusionists are less common among mages. They can create images to either entertain or deceive onlookers. This may seem trivial, but powerful Illusionists learn to influence all the senses of an individual. They can lock someone up in a completely imaginary world of their own creation, and it takes a very strong mind to tell Illusion from reality. Mr. Shinichi Nomiya is Yamaku's resident Illusionist and will oversee the education of Ms. Rin Tezuka.”

Rin merely nods in acknowledgement. I'd very much like to know what she thinks about this whole magic stuff, but in all likelihood, I wouldn't be able to follow her thought processes anyway.

“Enchanters have power over the minds of other creatures. They can force others to do things against their will. Obviously that is an ability that is very prone to exploitation, but there are many benign applications, ranging from domesticating and training animals to assisting the police in defusing hostage situations. Ms. Ayaka Aikawa here,” he motions to the young red-haired woman, who was talking to Mr. Mutou and Ms. Miyagi earlier, “usually works as a social worker helping criminals to reintegrate back into society.”

Shizune's face clouds over at that statement, but Kanzaki continues before she can explode. “We chose her as a teacher for Ms. Shizune Hakamichi, because she is also proficient in sign language which will facilitate their lessons considerably.”

Ms. Aikawa flashes a few signs to Shizune, grinning broadly and to my astonishment, Shizune deflates immediately, a surprised expression on her face. I look at Misha questioningly, but she just shrugs. Maybe she was looking the wrong way to catch the gestures.

“Transmuters are quite rare and have a wide range of abilities. They can alter the form and makeup of matter. They can shape stone using only magic and quite literally change lead into gold. Transmutation of living beings is also possible but mostly used on the Transmuter himself for changing into animal form or growing protective scales. Transmutaion of others is very dangerous and often causes accidents. It is considered a crime to transmute another human against his will.”

He looks sternly at Hanako, who tries to sink even deeper into her chair in response. “Ms. Hanako Ikezawa, your teacher will be Ms. Mikoto Miyagi, also a teacher at your school.” Lilly grabs Hanako's hand reassuringly and whispers something in her ear, which causes Hanako to relax somewhat. I am glad that she won't have to study under Kanzaki. He seems to be a nice person, but I can see how his stern manner would terrify Hanako to no end.

As if noticing me looking at him, Kanzaki turns to me. “And finally there is the seventh school of magic: Abjuration. While all mages who are properly trained and who aren't careless have the ability to undo their own magic – and to a limited extent the magic of other mages of their school – Abjurers are the only ones who can suppress, remove or undo the effects of all schools of magic. Abjurers are very rare. Only about one in a hundred mages has the talent to be an Abjurer, and they are much sought after as bodyguards of important politicians, or to remove the effects of magical accidents like failed transmutations.”

“I will enroll at this school as a new history teacher to handle part of his training myself.” I look at him, surprised at the 'part of'. He smiles at me. “As you are going to have to deal with all schools of magic, a large part of your training will be together with the other young mages here. In fact, you are very lucky to be able to practice your skills together with students of all other six schools.”

The room falls silent for a moment. Fourteen pairs of eyes converge on the one person in the room that has not been addressed until now. Kenji fidgets on his chair nervously.

After a while Kanzaki speaks up again. “Which brings us to Mr Setou here...” He takes a deep breath. All the adult mages are wearing very solemn expressions. “I told you before that there are seven schools of magic. That is not entirely correct. In the past, there used to be an eighth school of magic – Necromancy or Dark Magic as it was often called. Necromancers had terrifying powers, powers that could control life and death. They are the source of numerous legends that survive to this day, the best known being that of Count Vlad Dracul.”

Several gasps are audible at this statement, and I can feel a shiver running down my spine. Then I feel Misha grabbing my arm and clinging tightly to it, and I hope Kanzaki has even more frightening stories in store for us. He doesn't disappoint me. “Other Necromancers were responsible for the Death of the Egyptian Firstborn around 1600 BCE, the assassination of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE, the outbreak of the Black Death in Europe in 1348 and the Zombie Plague in Haiti in the 19th century.”

“The last known Necromancer was killed in 1879 in China after causing a famine that killed 13 million people. He was brought low by a team of two dozen powerful mages and half of them lost either their lives or their sanity during the battle.”

Kanzaki's gaze drifts across the room, lingering briefly on each of us, noting our reactions which range from fear to loathing. “Now, you may wonder why we don't simply lock away an individual who is potentially that dangerous and throw away the key. I am sure there are going to be mages advocating this course of action rather strongly. The reason lies in a question young Mr. Nakai here asked of us earlier today.”

Everyone's gazes shift to me and I squirm uncomfortably, while trying to remember which question he could be referring to. “He asked why we don't use our magic to heal the illnesses of all the students here. The answer was that this is something magic cannot do, and until three hours ago we believed it to be true. None of the seven magic schools can restore sight to the blind, regrow lost limbs or fix defective organs.”

“But as I told you earlier, according to the ancient reports, a Necromancer has power not only over death but also over life. It is entirely possible that all this could be possible for someone like Mr. Setou here.”

He pauses for a moment to let his words sink in. “So before this meeting, I contacted the council – that is the ruling body of the mages – and convinced them to have Mr. Setou educated to be a full fledged mage. Obviously his progress will be carefully supervised, and even more obviously there isn't any Necromancer around to teach him. That is why I will be responsible for teaching him as best as I am able. As an Abjurer I have at least trained the basics of how to counter Necromancy should those skills ever be needed again.”

I try to picture Kenji as a great benevolent healer but fail utterly. I fear that, should his powers ever get out of control, men might soon find themselves doomed to a solitary existence. Would a potential cure for my affliction and those of all the others here really be worth that kind of risk? I resolve to talk to Kanzaki about my misgivings later, but for now I just listen to what else he has to say. The rest of the meeting is not very interesting, mainly focusing on organisational matters like how to fit our extracurricular lessons into and around our class schedule and club activities.

After one more hour, Kanzaki dissolves the meeting, leaving each of us to our own devices. For my part, I am completely exhausted after a night of too little sleep and a day full of surprises and revelations. I return to my room and quickly fall into a deep and regrettably dreamless sleep.

********************

Please look forward to chapter five:
Poor Unfortunate Souls
Last edited by Mirage_GSM on Mon Dec 20, 2010 6:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Emi > Misha > Hanako > Lilly > Rin > Shizune

My collected KS-Fan Fictions: Mirage's Myths
griffon8 wrote:Kosher, just because sex is your answer to everything doesn't mean that sex is the answer to everything.
Sore wa himitsu desu.
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Re: Katawa Kijo

Post by Mirage_GSM »

Time for a new chapter...

Chapter Five – Poor Unfortunate Souls
My sleep is cut short by my alarm clock again. Running with Emi. I hope I get used to this someday. While I count out the pills I have to take, I remember that crazy dream I was having. Something about mages and... There's something on my hand... A ring set with a diamond. Damn, it wasn't a dream after all.

I quickly get dressed and leave the room. As I am about to close my door, Kenji's door suddenly opens and Kenji jumps out. “Hey bro!”

I nearly go into cardiac arrest from the shock. He must have been waiting for me to exit my room. “Hello Kenji, what's with the outfit?”

Kenji is wearing a black curtain draped over his school uniform. “Can't you see it, bro? That's a mage's robe, a fitting garb for a Necromancer. If I'm going to be a mage, I've gotta do it with style.” He winks at me conspiratorially. “I am also wearing my magical hat.”

A shiver runs down my spine again as I think about what Kanzaki told us about Necromancers. I'm even less in the mood for a talk with Kenji this morning than usual. “Well, whatever... I think you should ditch the robe. Totally messes up your cover.” I pause. “The hat should be okay, though.”

Kenji considers that. “Yes, I didn't think of that. Very shrewd of you. Can't have the bitches know too much...”

He trails off. I glance at my watch. “Is there something else? I have to get out to the track for my exercises. Nurse’s orders you know...” I think I'd better not mention Emi.”

He turns his attention back to me. “Ah, right, right, don't let me detain you. Just wanted to tell you that Kanzaki guy is a real bad-ass. Good to have him on our side. He's still a bit naïve about the dangers of the feminists, but I'm going to convince him sooner or later. With him on our side, we actually have a chance of winning...”

With that he retreats into his room again and locks the door. I just shake my head in disbelief and head out to the track.

***

As I arrive at the track, Emi is already running again. I wonder if I will ever manage to be here before her. When does she get here anyway? I do some warm-up exercises until Emi passes by me and lightly fall into step next to her.

Emi slows down to my pace. “Morning, Hisao! Did you sleep well?”

I grin sheepishly. “Actually I was so tired yesterday that I went to bed immediately after the meeting and slept until this morning. I feel better than I have in a long time.”

Emi chuckles. “Good for you then. I was so excited that I had a hard time falling asleep. I spent all evening trying to get bunnies to appear from my sports-bag, but I got zilch. There has to be a trick they didn't tell us about yet.”

“Well, it figures. If it were too easy, you'd probably have done something by accident sometime.”

She seems to ponder this. “It can't be too hard either. Someone must have discovered magic for the first time without anyone to teach him.”

I shrug the problem away. “It's probably no good agonizing about it. It will probably be one of the first things you'll learn in your lessons. You'll start this afternoon after school?”

“Yes. The nurse has his own office, so we can practice there. Where will your lessons be?”

“I don't know yet. Mr. Kanzaki said he was going to find himself a suitable office and get me at my classroom once lessons are finished.”

By now my breath has become a bit short from running and talking simultaneously and I fall silent.

Sensing my problem, Emi grins. “Don't overdo it, Hisao. Try to finish this lap and that's enough for today. In case you didn't notice: You did one more than yesterday.” With that she accelerates and leaves me eating her dust.

I run a hundred meters more, before stopping and slowly making my way back to the dorms and heading for the showers.

***

Twenty minutes later, I leave the shower feeling refreshed once more and return to my room to get dressed. The corridor is still empty. If I'm quiet, I won't run into Kenji again.

As I arrive at my room, I notice the door is not locked. Damn. I must have forgotten to lock it when Kenji surprised me earlier. I slip into my room closing the door quickly and silently before noticing that I am not alone. I freeze at the sight of the person sitting at my desk staring out my window.

Right at this moment, Misha turns around and sees me standing at the door, clad in only a towel. Her face turns a deep red, and for the first time she seems at a loss for words. I drop the bundle of clothes I was carrying over my arm into a corner and reach for the towel, making absolutely sure it won't slip. Still I am acutely aware of the scars plainly visible on my chest.

“Hisao!” She rises abruptly.” I... I'm sorry, the door was open, and I didn't want to wait in the corridor, because I might run into someone, and... I'm sorry. I'll leave you alone now.”

She makes for the door, but I grab her arm as she tries to pass by me. “No! Please don't.” She looks at me with surprise and I feel my face getting hot as well. “I mean... Please just give me a minute to get dressed.”

Misha steps outside and closes the door behind her. I race to find some fresh clothes to wear, get dressed in record time and open the door again. Misha is still waiting outside. Now that my first panic has subsided, I notice that she has been crying. Her eyes are red and the light make-up she's wearing is smudged.

“I'm sorry to make you wait outside, please come in.”

“No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have entered your room without asking.”

“It's okay, really.” I motion for the bed and she sits down on its edge, while I sit down on my chair and swivel it around to face her. “So what's on your mind? You don't seem like yourself today.”

Misha doesn't immediately answer. Instead her hand reaches up to my chest to trace the scars that are now hidden beneath my shirt. My first instinct is to draw back, but after a second I relax. It's no use denying anything anyway. “Those scars...” she begins hesitantly, “there's something wrong with your heart, isn't there?”

I nod. “Yes. It's called Arrhythmia. Basically it could stop anytime I overexert myself.”

She sighs. “I thought so. Shizune read the names of some of those bottles over there last Friday and looked them up later.”

Usually, I would be irritated by such an admission, but something in the tone of her voice keeps me calm. Also... “But that's not why you're here, is it?” I ask her gently.

She shakes her head. Instead of answering she takes a photo from a pocket and hands it to me. The photo shows a young girl of about twelve years sitting in a hospital bed. She is completely bald and the scrawniest girl I've ever seen. Her twig-like arms look like they could break in a soft breeze, and her dull eyes stare listlessly into the camera.

I open my mouth to ask her who that girl is, then I close it again as realization hits me. Wide-eyed I stare at the girl sitting across from me, who bears so little resemblance to the girl in the photo. Wordlessly, Misha lifts the hem of her blouse a few centimetres to expose a set of surgical scars across her abdomen.

Tonelessly she begins to talk, staring at nothing. “It's called a Sarcoma, a specific type of cancer. I was thirteen when I was diagnosed with it. The next two years were living hell. I went through chemotherapy and three surgical procedures. In one of them they cut out most of my uterus. By then I didn't care. I just wanted it to be over one way or the other. That photo was taken the day my doctors told me that I was going to live. My parents took it, hoping to see me smile that day, but I couldn't... I just couldn't.”

She takes a deep breath. “After I had recovered sufficiently, I was sent here, so the doctors could keep a close eye on me... That was three years ago. I met Shicchan, we became friends... You know the rest.”

She looks into my eyes, tears running down her face. “This morning the nurse had me come to his office to discuss the results of the latest tests. The sarcoma is back. I'm going to have to go through all of this again, and this time my chances are only about 20%.”

Misha bursts out in tears, and without thinking, I pull her to her feet and embrace her. I feel her arms linking behind my back and pulling me close. I stroke her hair, while she continues to cry on my shoulder.

When the sobbing subsides much later, I venture a question. “I'm surprised you would come to me instead of going to Shizune...”

She chuckles. Her voice sounds raw, not at all like the bubbly voice I'm used to. “I love Shizune like I'd love my sister, but she's been living with her condition her entire life. This is something she cannot understand. She could never understand how it feels, knowing you will die.”

Now it's my turn to chuckle. “Wow. None of my doctors ever put it so bluntly, but you're probably right.” Knowing what Misha has gone through I can't understand how I could have ever raged against my fate. At least when I die, it will be a few seconds of pain and then all will be over.

She pulls back a bit to look into my eyes, searching, her arms still firmly clasped around my waist. For a moment I feel like I'm going to drown in those brown eyes of hers, then her lips suddenly rush forward and close on mine.

Her soft lips on mine fell just like in my dream. For a moment I am too surprised to react, then I pull her close once more and return her kiss...

We part after what feels like an eternity. Misha takes a step backwards. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have...”

“Don't be.” I interrupt her. “Don't you dare to apologize for making me the happiest man on earth!”

“But...”

“I won't accept any 'buts' on that matter, and that's final.”

Misha blushes. “Okay... but...” she manages a grin, “I should be going now. Class has started half an hour ago.” She walks to the door and opens it. As she is about to leave, she turns to me one more time. “Thank you.” With that she closes the door and is gone.

I plop down on the bed and stare at the ceiling. Too many thoughts are running through my head to make any sense of them all. Only now I realize that my heart has not acted up once the whole time Misha was here. It can't be because I don't love her, because I am certain that I do. Maybe it's because the whole time I was thinking only about her and not myself. Everything we did just felt so natural, as if no heart defect had any right of interfering...

I chuckle again. To think that yesterday, I wanted to talk to Mr. Kanzaki about not training Kenji to be a mage. Not to take that risk. Well, yesterday there was only my own life to think about, but now the stakes have been raised. I will make sure that Kenji saves Misha's life, even if I have to beat him to a pulp with my own two hands to do it.

********************

Please look forward to chapter Six:
Snuff Out The Light
Last edited by Mirage_GSM on Mon Dec 20, 2010 6:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Emi > Misha > Hanako > Lilly > Rin > Shizune

My collected KS-Fan Fictions: Mirage's Myths
griffon8 wrote:Kosher, just because sex is your answer to everything doesn't mean that sex is the answer to everything.
Sore wa himitsu desu.
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Re: Katawa Kijo

Post by Shades of gray »

*squinted look*

Mirage... why do I feel like you've hit Misha's In-game disability on the head?

Either way, excellent writing, intriguing plot, and of caurse the all over anticipation to see what happens next

*Squinted Look again, muttering* elbissop mmh ?esiugsid ni ved
2 kidneys for sale, slightly used, non-functional, no refunds.
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Re: Katawa Kijo

Post by Devon »

...I...

...

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Re: Katawa Kijo

Post by SoulisS »

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Fluffy is pleased.
Fluffy demands you write more, and quickly.
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Re: Katawa Kijo

Post by Mirage_GSM »

Can't have fluffy getting angry, can we?
@Shades of Grey: I don't understand the language ou're using there, other than it might have something to do with 'Heroes'...

Chapter Six– Snuff Out The Light
Fifteen minutes later, I stand in front of our classroom. The first lesson is almost over, but I decide to go in anyway. Shizune is sitting at her desk, studying the textbook, but Misha's chair is empty. Mutou throws me an annoyed glance but motions for me to sit down.

As I pass her desk, Shizune notices my arrival. She looks at me with raised eyebrows, her face clearly showing the question. Rather than risking to annoy Mutou any further, I simply shrug and sit down. This is not going to buy me more than a few minutes. I hope, Misha is here by then.

Sure enough, as soon as the bell signals the start of the first break and Mutou has stopped scribbling on the board, Shizune is standing in front of my desk, placing a paper in front of me.

'Where have you been? Where's Misha?'

I try to find a way to dodge the question, but being blunt is probably the only way. I take my pencil and scribble a reply on the paper. 'I'm sorry, but I can't tell you. This is something Misha should tell you herself.'

I can see the storm brewing in Shizune's face, as she reads this, but luckily I am saved as at this moment Misha enters the classroom. She has redone her make-up and is wearing her usual broad grin. Only by looking very closely, I notice that it is not reaching her eyes, except for a brief moment when she meets my gaze.

When Shizune notices her, she immediately goes off to intercept her. I decide to remain at my desk to spare Misha from having to translate everything for my sake. From where I'm sitting I can't see Shizune's face, but after a few moments her shoulders sag noticeably and her gestures become heavy, as if she has difficulties raising her arms. When lessons resume and she returns to her desk, her face is an ashen grey.

Misha sits down in her place next to me and smiles my way. I put my hand on her arm and squeeze it slightly. Mutou resumes his monotonous drone, but today I can concentrate on him even less than usual. Every now and then my gaze is drawn to the girl sitting next to me and my mind is busy trying to think up ways to help her.

The three of us spend lunch-break eating silently in the cafeteria. Nobody is in the mood to talk and the food seems to taste even more bland than usual.

Afternoon lessons are much the same and when the bell finally rings, I can barely remember what the teacher was talking about the whole time. As our classmates leave one after the other, I notice Mr. Kanzaki standing in the hallway motioning for me to come out.

Misha has noticed him as well. “It's time for our first lesson, Hisao. Mr. Mutou said, we could use this classroom for our exercises. Will you come by here later when your lesson is finished?”

I promise to and with one more glance over my shoulder head outside to greet my new mentor.

***

Kanzaki leads me over to a small office on the second floor of the auxiliary building. There is no sign at the door and a fine layer of dust is covering the empty shelves. The only other pieces of furniture are a desk and three chairs. At least those have been dusted off, or maybe they were only brought in here today.

Mr. Kanzaki sits down behind the desk and motions for me to take one of the chairs in front. I look at him expectantly, wondering what will come next.

He takes a deep breath. “It has been quite some time since I last had the opportunity to teach someone, so if I'm going too fast or if there is something you don't understand, don't hesitate to ask.” I merely nod.

“I think I'd best start by destroying any false preconceptions you might have about magic. In novels or movies you often see mages shouting out pseudo-latin phrases or incantations to cast magic spells. All that is absolute nonsense. There are no magic spells. There are only effects you want to achieve. So if a Conjurer wants to create a flame, he simply has to concentrate on the desired effect to make it real. Some mages choose to use either incantations or gestures when doing magic. Those can serve two purposes: Some say, they help them concentrate, and some simply want to show off in front of others.”

He frowns. “Personally, I think those from the first group just want to show off as well. I'd rather you learned doing magic without such foolishness. It attracts undue attention and can slow you down at critical moments. Also, if you're used to using gestures, you will have difficulties using magic if you can't use your hands for some reasons or other.”

“The second thing I'd like to get out of the way are magical artefacts. There aren't any. Every magical effect needs the conscious effort of a mage. You cannot store magic in wands to be activated by some kind of password. Some magic effects do persist for a while after the mage has left. The more skilled the mage, the longer the effects last. There are only three kinds of effects that are permanent.”

He counts off his fingers. “Firstly, something that has been conjured or teleported does not usually return to its place of origin without further application of magic. Secondly, matter created by a Conjurer is usually stable and does not disappear again. And finally changes made to non-living materials by a Transmuter do not always revert themselves.”

I raise my hand, holding out the ring glittering on my finger. “What about this? This is a magic artefact, isn't it?”

Kanzaki smiles. “A very good question, Hisao, but no, there is nothing magical about the ring itself.” He takes off his ring and places it on the table, where it returns to its dull grey state. “This is a natural property of the stone it is set with. In fact it doesn't even change its properties. It is like a prism that focuses the aura of the person wearing it. That you can see the change at all is proof that you have magical talent. It is a special ability all mages regardless of their affinity have, the ability to see magic. It is what we are going to train first.”

He returns the ring to his finger, produces two small, red cubes from beneath his desk and places them in front of me. “Here, Hisao, please have a close look at those cubes and tell me what you see. You may touch them, they are not dangerous.”

Curious, I pick up one of the cubes. It feels like it is made of solid metal, a perfect cube with 5 cm to each side. I pick up the other one. For all I can tell they are identical. I look up at my teacher. “They seem to be two identical blocks of metal, painted red.”

Kanzaki smiles at my cautious choice of words. “Are you certain? Look closer.”

I frown and put them next to each other. Their sizes are identical. They seem to weigh the same too, as far as I can tell... Kanzaki still looks at me expectantly, but it doesn't seem like he is about to offer any hints. Well, he said this was an exercise to 'see' magic, so... I pause, mentally putting together a question. “Do you 'see' magic with your eyes or do you use some other mode of perception?”

A satisfied expression. Apparently that was the correct question to ask. “Eventually you won't need your eyes to feel it, but for now it will be easier if you use them.”

I look back to the two cubes, trying to push everything else in the room from my mind. Both cubes are red, but for an instant, there is a flash of a different colour on the left cube. I focus on that. Eventually more and more colours become visible on the cube until it is covered in a rainbow-hued aura. I pick it up. “This one is coloured like a rainbow.”

Kanzaki breaks into a grin, which looks kind of scary with a beard such as his. “Very good, but not entirely correct. It is not the cube that is rainbow-coloured, it is the magic effect. Every school of magic has its own associated colour, like the one your ring shows. Using your mage-sight, every effect you see will appear to be the colour of it's school. I had Mr. Nomiya put a simple Illusion on this cube earlier, so that is what you are seeing.”

I realize that I never got to see Rin's ring yesterday. She was probably wearing it on her foot. Kanzaki is continuing his explanation. “Now if you were a Diviner, you could also see what lies beneath the Illusion. As it is, you will have to remove it to see the truth. Try to picture the rainbow aura dissolving.”

Now that I know what to look for, I can clearly see the aura. I try to picture it disappearing, but nothing happens. “Don't worry if it doesn't work on your first try. Just keep trying.”

That is easier said then done. I keep staring at the cube willing the aura to disappear, but it is very resilient. Finally I think I detect a flicker somewhere. I probe that spot and finally the aura begins to recede gradually leaving behind an ordinary metal cube – now of blue colour.

Kanzaki strokes his beard. “Very good.” He packs away both cubes. “Now what about this one?”

He places another cube in front of me. It is the same size of the others but this time it is made from some kind of translucent material, almost like glass. I pick it up. It is almost perfectly smooth but I can't tell what it is made from.

I concentrate on finding its aura. It is different from before and it takes me a while to find it, but once I do, it shines a radiant green. I tell Mr. Kanzaki of my findings and he nods. “Yes, the green aura signifies a Transmutation. Now try to remove it... You might want to place it on the desk first.”

I try to do as I'm told, but this time it is not as easy. I probe the green aura for half an hour without making any progress. Finally I am ready to give up. “I'm sorry, but I just can't get it to dissolve.”

He sighs. “I am sorry, Hisao. This probably was too difficult for your first lesson. Takeshi said he saw an enormous potential in you, so I may have demanded too much from you. Don't worry, you are doing better than most students do on their first try.”

“It will be easier if you have an idea of what the effect you are trying to remove actually does. That way you can more clearly picture the state you want the object to return to. With more training you will be able to recognize such things. For now, I'll tell you. This cube is made from water.”

I take the cube and tap it against the desk. There is a solid thunk. Okay, so the transmutation was to solidify the water, and to remove it means... I get back to work and after a few more minutes the cube spreads out in a puddle across the desk.

Kanzaki mops it up with a rag. “Good. Let's keep it at that for now. How'd you like to look in on the progress of your fellow students?”

“I'd like that, Mr. Kanzaki, I think I'm beginning to have a slight headache.”

“That's quite normal. Using magic takes a lot of concentration, and if you're not used to it you will tire quickly. It will be gone in a few minutes. But before you go...”

He takes a small box full of cubes from a drawer of his desk and examines them carefully. Then he picks four of them and hands them to me. “That's your homework for tomorrow. Please try to remove the effects from at least three. Don't worry, if the fourth is too hard, I'll help you do it tomorrow. And now...” He thinks for a moment.” Let's pay a visit to the art room. You know where it is, don't you? I'm not too familiar with this school yet.”

That makes two of us, but the art room is a place I've been to several times now, so I pack the cubes away and we leave the office.

********************

Please Look forward to chapter seven:
Trashin' The Camp
Last edited by Mirage_GSM on Mon Dec 20, 2010 6:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Emi > Misha > Hanako > Lilly > Rin > Shizune

My collected KS-Fan Fictions: Mirage's Myths
griffon8 wrote:Kosher, just because sex is your answer to everything doesn't mean that sex is the answer to everything.
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Re: Katawa Kijo

Post by Mirage_GSM »

@Shades of Grey:
Got a tip on how to read your coded message... No Heroes reference after all...
To answer your question: No, I am not a member of the dev team. I am part of the German translation team, but I don't have access to much information beyond what is public knowledge. Misha's disability is not part of that information.
And if I knew, I would most certainly not use it as a plot point in one of my Fan Fictions.
Emi > Misha > Hanako > Lilly > Rin > Shizune

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griffon8 wrote:Kosher, just because sex is your answer to everything doesn't mean that sex is the answer to everything.
Sore wa himitsu desu.
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Re: Katawa Kijo

Post by Devon »

Mirage_GSM wrote:@Shades of Grey:
Got a tip on how to read your coded message... No Heroes reference after all...
To answer your question: No, I am not a member of the dev team. I am part of the German translation team, but I don't have access to much information beyond what is public knowledge. Misha's disability is not part of that information.
And if I knew, I would most certainly not use it as a plot point in one of my Fan Fictions.
Still, the fact that you made that kind of cancer her disability was pretty rocking in itself. One of my best friends had that cancer until it took her from us at the age of 15.

Hit close to home, man...
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Re: Katawa Kijo

Post by Mirage_GSM »

I am sorry to hear that.
When I did the research for that chapter, I was looking for a type that would affect teenagers and whose treatment methods would include both chemotherapy and surgical procedures. It was not pretty reading...
Also Sarcomas are very rare, so I didn't expect there would be any cases among the readers or their acquaintances.
Emi > Misha > Hanako > Lilly > Rin > Shizune

My collected KS-Fan Fictions: Mirage's Myths
griffon8 wrote:Kosher, just because sex is your answer to everything doesn't mean that sex is the answer to everything.
Sore wa himitsu desu.
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Re: Katawa Kijo

Post by Shades of gray »

*squinted eyes*

fi uoy rea a evd, ouy louwdn't ays os wno loudw yuo? < just for fun

Am enjoying the story so far, Kinda curious as to how the other trainees are progressing.

However, I just Finished Watching Evangelion... I shall put it simply : My Mind is full of F**K, and it didn't even answer half my questions...

Will pose questions once I un-twist my mind (probably after the next chapter)
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Re: Katawa Kijo

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Shades of gray wrote: However, I just Finished Watching Evangelion... I shall put it simply : My Mind is full of F**K, and it didn't even answer half my questions...
Assuming you watched End of Evangelion too, how did it not?
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Re: Katawa Kijo

Post by Shades of gray »

Esa94 wrote:
Shades of gray wrote: However, I just Finished Watching Evangelion... I shall put it simply : My Mind is full of F**K, and it didn't even answer half my questions...
Assuming you watched End of Evangelion too, how did it not?
watched Death and Rebirth and EOE, answer this : we know asuka and shinji (seemingly) survived, rei appears to be a giant white corpse and everyone else? well.... who knows? How did humans "bind" the EVAs? why was Gendo such a asshole to his own son? how is Yui a part of EVA 01? where did the Angels come from?
What do the Dead Sea Scrolls actually say? Did humanity (even if just for a second) actually become a God? The Lance of Longinus... how did it come to be?
will the alternate "world" (rei&shinji toast scene) be a spin-off? Lilith's Egg/Black Moon/Whatever... just... wtf? (besides being a symbol of sexuality and birth... with human souls as sperm), and the inevitable : is shinji gay?

etc etc etc...

god... so many questions, some of which may have been answered by the anime, but missed due to the mindfuck.

only to Images i could find that somewhat sum up a little of how i feel.... and seriously... shinji needs the therapy
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d129/ ... otFail.png
http://webpages.charter.net/smerrow/pos ... herapy.jpg
http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs51/f/2009/ ... o7shua.jpg < about how I feel

*Edit*My apologies Mirage, I seem to have de-railed a little bit
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Re: Katawa Kijo

Post by Mirage_GSM »

Wow, everyone's posting fanfictions today. Don't want to stand back, so...
Here's chapter seven. Merry Christmas everyone!

Chapter Seven – Trashin' The Camp
As we enter the art room, Rin is sitting in front of an easel, holding a brush in her right foot. Now that I know what to look for I can see the ring, shimmering in all colours of the rainbow like a soap bubble. Mr. Nomiya is standing a few steps behind her, looking over her shoulder. When he notices us he puts a finger to his lips and motions us to come closer.

“Shhh, she's concentrating,” he whispers. Then he moves a bit to the side to allow us to look on as well.

Rin is moving the brush across the canvas, drawing what looks like nothing more than lines and circles. I fail to be suitably impressed until I notice that she isn't using any paint. The brush is completely dry and looks like it has never been used before.

I look around the room and notice half a dozen more canvasses covered with the same black lines barely recognisable on some, bolder on others. Mr. Kanzaki has noticed them as well, and points to them giving me an encouraging smile. I look to Mr. Nomiya. He simply nods, so I pick up one of the canvasses and place it on one of the tables.

It doesn't take long for me to make out the rainbow aura. It is already fading in places, but still I start to experiment, trying to remove the lines only in certain sections of the canvas. My precision leaves a lot to be desired, but Mr. Kanzaki, who has been observing my efforts, nods approvingly.

When I have finished with the canvas, I turn my attention back to Rin. By now she isn't drawing just black lines any more. Here and there the lines change colour and right now, she is painting an actual rainbow. When she is done, she sits back, apparently satisfied.

Mr. Nomiya seems more exited than her though. “This is simply amazing! Kozo, have you ever seen one do colours on their very first lesson?”

“No, I haven't, but I don't teach Illusion, so I wouldn't, would I? I'll trust you that it is an accomplishment though.”

Rin turns around. She probably just now noticed that someone else is in the room. “Oh, hello Hisao, what are you doing here?”

Before I get to answer, Mr. Nomiya cuts in. “They are here to see how you're doing of course. And you are doing extremely well, if I may say so.”

Rin looks at him confusedly. “Of course you may. Why would anyone forbid you?”

Mr. Nomiya pauses. “Why would...? Ha, good one Rin! Always good for a joke that one is! Anyway, as I said, this is really extraordinary. I never thought we would get this far today.”

Rin stares at him. “But we're still here in the art room where we started.”

At that Mr. Nomiya bursts out laughing, which only adds to Rin's confusion. I exchange a glance with Mr. Kanzaki who seems to be slightly amused by the antics of those two. Then he turns to Mr. Nomiya. “So, I hope you're not going to have her use a brush all the time.”

Mr. Nomiya flashes him an annoyed look. “Kozo, I don't tell you how to teach your student, so don't you tell me how to teach mine. It's something familiar to help her get the hang of it, but of course she won't use it for long.” He brightens at the thought. “Not with the kind of progress she's making.” He turns to Rin. “In fact why don't you try to do it without a brush right now?”

He takes the brush from Rin, and points at the canvas. “Would you please erase that, Kozo? I'm running out of canvas.”

Kanzaki winks at me. “Now look closely, Hisao.”

I stare at the canvas. One moment there are a multitude of colourful lines, then there is a bright flash of white and I'm looking at a clean canvas again.

I blink my eyes and stare at Mr. Nomiya. His previously garishly coloured jacket is now a drab grey. Predictably he starts complaining at once. “Now that's what I call cracking a nut with a sledgehammer. Why'd you have to use so much...? Oh. You wanted him to see. Fine, no harm done. I'll just redo the Illusion later. But please leave us now. Rin has to focus on her task and cannot be distracted.”

“Well, let's go then Hisao.” He heads for the door, and after waving goodbye to Rin, I follow after him. I'm not sure she even noticed.

In the corridor, Mr. Kanzaki breaks into a chuckle. “I've known this old coot for more than twenty years now. He's really easy to manipulate.” He turns serious again in the blink of an eye. “Now what did you see just now?”

“A flash of white light.” I think of the diamond on my ring. “Was that Abjuration magic?”

He nods. “Yes. And he was right; I overdid it a little. You might try to spot the aura of your own magic when you do your homework tonight.” He glances at his watch. “I think we're finished with our lesson for today. It's too late to begin with something new anyway. So, have a nice evening.”

He shakes my hand and walks down the corridor. It's still a bit early, but I decide to head for our classroom to see how Misha is doing.

***

I knock on the door of our classroom. For a few seconds, there is no response, and I wonder if they have finished already. Then the voice of Mr. Mutou bids me to enter, so I open the door.

“Ah, it's you, Hisao, come in, we were just...”

“Hisao!” Misha lets out a squeal of delight and races to embrace me. Mr. Mutou raises an eyebrow and I feel I'm turning red again.

“Mikado, please finish your task. We'll be done in ten minutes and then he's all yours.”

Misha reluctantly lets go of me and returns to the desk. Curiously, I step closer as well. Several pieces of lab equipment are arranged on top. Currently Misha is staring at two shallow glass cylinders filled with a clear liquid.

Mr. Mutou stands next to me and explains quietly. “This is an exercise in energy management. The petri dishes are filled with water. The task is to move energy from one to the other.” When he notices my uncomprehending stare, he elaborates. “To heat one while cooling down the other. For beginners it is easier to use energy from a source other than your own magic...”

At that moment there is a loud crack and a cloud of steam rises from the desk. Misha jumps back with a yelp, and I reach for my heart to make sure it doesn't object to the shock.

When I look at the desk again, one of the petri dishes has shattered into hundreds of small shards, scattered all over the desk, mingled with little bits of ice. The other petri dish is empty, but radiating an intense heat.

Mr. Mutou swallows. “Well... Very good, Mikado. Seems you finally got the hang of it. Let's... Let's just call it a day. I'll clean up this mess and we'll continue tomorrow, okay?

Misha beams at him. “Okay. We'll be going then.” She grabs my hand and drags me from the room.

***

As soon as the door closes behind us, Misha sags against the wall of the corridor. She looks at me with a weak smile. “Please, can we go somewhere without people?”

I have to think for only a moment, then I lead her up on the roof. We sit down at one of the benches and I put an arm around her shoulder. Misha gazes up at the clock tower. “That was really fun, but it's really exhausting to keep up appearances.”

“Why do you force yourself to act so cheerful? Don't you think Mutou knows about your condition?”

“I asked the nurse not to tell anyone for now. Mr. Mutou will learn soon enough, but I don't want him to go easy on me. The nurse said, the magic training would have no effect on my condition either way.”

I grimace. “At least promise me you won't try to act in front of Shizune. She'd know anyway.”

“Maybe you're right.” We are both silent for a while, then... “Did you really mean what you said this morning? About being the happiest man on earth?”

I smile. “If there's a guy around somewhere who is happier, I don't know him.”

Tears come to her eyes again. “But... But chances are, I'll be dead before graduation...”

I interrupt her. “And if I try to do anything remotely too strenuous, I could be dead tomorrow. It doesn't matter. We're together today, and we'll be together for as long as either of us lives. Isn't that more than most people have?”

At that Misha bursts out laughing. Not the 'WAHAHA' I've grown so used to but a softer laugh, a content laugh. “Now you're the one trying to act positive for my sake. But I don't mind. I could use a bit of positive thinking right now.” She leans against me, her head resting on my shoulder.

“So what's next? You are going to fight it, aren't you?”

“Of course I will. I don't want to lose. Not to the Sarcoma in general, but I also don't want to lose my new career as a mage. I don't want to lose Shicchan. And I don't want to lose you.”

“Tomorrow I'll have to go into town to the hospital for more tests. The nurse said, they want to resume chemotherapy as soon as they've decided on the appropriate poison cocktail.” She shudders. “I can't say I'm looking forward to it.”

I continue to hold her close, as we watch the moon rising into the sky together. Finally, when the evening starts to get a bit chilly, we return to the dorms and with a kiss we say goodnight to each other as we each return to our rooms.

********************

Please look forward to chapter eight:
Let's Go Fly A Kite
Emi > Misha > Hanako > Lilly > Rin > Shizune

My collected KS-Fan Fictions: Mirage's Myths
griffon8 wrote:Kosher, just because sex is your answer to everything doesn't mean that sex is the answer to everything.
Sore wa himitsu desu.
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Re: Katawa Kijo

Post by Devon »

It's nice to see Misha laugh without the trademark 'WAHAHA~.' Chapter Seven is, by far, my favorite. Good work. :3
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Re: Katawa Kijo

Post by Shades of gray »

Nice chapter Mirage. also follows a (sort of... it is magic afterall) logical path.

Lookin forward to the next chapter

P.S I now understand NGE... After watching 1.0 & 2.22 movies/remakes, waiting for 3.0 to be released :( damnit, why are things i like never finished? Duke Nukem, KS, NGE: Rebuild, Elfen Lied (the anime, already finished the manga) etc etc... oh well... nothing but waiting for now

Merry Christmas!
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