Shi'Iana ran, huffing and puffing all the way over to her friend's locker as soon as classes were over. "The new guy!" she gasped. "Have you seen the new guy??"

D'Brah clasped her hands over her heart. "Oh, ye gods, he is sooooo cute!"

"Yeah!"

Soon, their other friends, Mell'Esia and M'Ream were gushing over what they had seen of the new boy in school. "He's got such gorgeous eyes," Mell'Esia sighed, fluttering her eyelashes, the most beautiful part of her face. Smallest of them all, she had a cute, round face, with sparkling green eyes with golden flecks in them, like the sun on the ocean. To make her look even cuter, her honey-gold hair was tied up in pigtails, her nose as cute as a button. She was petite with a slight stature. Anyone looking at her would just feel like hugging her.

M'Ream, tomboyish of them all, had a longing look in her own blue 'forget-me-not' eyes. "I think I'm going to wear a dress to the welcoming party." She held up her loose, shoulder-length light-brown hair. "How do I look with my hair tied up?" she asked, striking a pose, pretending she was wearing a dress even when wearing a pair of boyish trousers and a shirt. Even her form was tomboyish, though her friends would testify she really had a female body beneath those manly clothes.

"You?? Wear a dress??" the rest of them chorused.

"I hear he also has a sister," D'Brah said in hushed tones. "She's one of the new seniors in the swordplay department."

They gasped. "A girl? In the swordplay department?"

"She's very good, they say." Then D'Brah's golden-brown eyes twinkled. "I heard, to get close to him, you get close to her." She smiled smugly and preened her wavy dark mahogany hair. Voluptuous and having a sexy-spark about her, she used to attract a lot of wolf-whistles when she first came to the academy. Her aquiline profile added to her beauty.

"Cool!!"

"Where do we find her?" Shi'Iana asked, the leader of them all. Her intense gray eyes seemed to sparkle silver with excitement. She absently pushed back a lock of her silver-blond hair from her face. Tallest, most strong-featured, her body well-toned from years of weaponless training, she was quite a figure, and anytime they needed a leader, she was the first candidate.

"The welcoming party is tonight. Everyone's invited to come meet the new students. They're going to give a presentation, too. It seems, they've got special powers they inherited from their parents."

"Really? Like what?"

"Where did you learn all this, D'Brah?" Shi'Iana asked suspiciously.

D'Brah touched the side of her straight and slim nose slyly. "The rest of the girls in my class were aaaaallllll talking about him. Surprising how much you learn if you listen."

"Well, I'm getting off to my next class," M'Ream quickly adjusted her wands on her hip. Then she winked. "He's in my Fire Magics class, you know."

"Lucky!!" they all called after her as she ran off. She turned back to stick her tongue out at them, which they did back to her.

"I wish I was in M'Ream's Fire Magic class," Mell'Esia said in disappointment. "But you're all Level Three and Four, while I'm still Level Two. And he's Level Four and Five in different subjects!"

"Take it easy, Mell'Esia, and don't worry. Maybe he's got a younger brother," Shi'Iana comforted her. Mell'Esia pouted at that.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Later, they were all waiting impatiently for M'Ream to come from her Fire Magic class. She did, but she looked like she was hiding her face behind her hands.

"What's wrong, M'Ream?" D'Brah asked in concern. "Did something happen?"

"M'Ream! Your cheeks are so red! Did you blow up some fireball in your face?" Mell'Esia asked.

"Worse!" M'Ream wailed. "The new guy caught me staring at him!"

The other girls' eyes widened.

"OH-"

"MY-"

"Good grief, M'Ream!!" Mell'Esia exclaimed.

"I found out his name, too," M'Ream said in a small voice. "Oh, man, I don't think I'll ever stop blushing!"

"What's his name? What's his name?"

Suddenly the new guy ambled up past them. He had long, dark hair, a straight nose with piercing brown eyes that gave him a no-nonsense sort of look. He was quite tall, well-formed and wore a simple long sleeved red shirt and trousers. A red bandana was wrapped about his forehead and parts of his fringe peeked out or stuck out from between the folds. Every girl in the hallway paused to admire him; his symmetrical body belonged to someone who spent hours training, his hands, though delicate, well muscled.

"I think my heart's stopped, Shi'Iana," D'Brah whispered.

"Hello M'Ream," the new guy said.

"Hi, Vincenzo," M'Ream managed to say, finally taking her hands away from her face.

"Are you coming to the party?"

"Why, yes, me and my friends. Um, Vincenzo, these are my friends, Shi'Iana, Mell'Esia and D'Brah. Guys, this is Vincenzo Lagoon."

"Pleased to meet you, ladies," Vincenzo said in a very gracious manner, bowing. He glanced over his shoulder. "See you at the party later, then."

They felt a little crestfallen to see him go. "What a jerk, he could've stayed back to talk to us," D'Brah sniffed.

"He's just… intense. I overheard the teacher giving him condolences over his parents' deaths," M'Ream answered.

"That's so sad," Mell'Esia said.

They realized the entire corridor was silent. The only sounds were soft, thumping noises like… leather boot heels pounding on the floor?

"Ms. Lagoon," a junior swordplayer near them said respectfully. She turned and nodded at him. Almost exactly like Vincenzo, except distinctly female in her body-form and movements, she regarded the junior students in the corridor imperiously as if she owned them all. She wore a simple white shirt and black trousers, with a black jacket and the black boots that were making the pounding noises.

"That's his sister?" Shi'Iana asked M'Ream in a hushed voice, hardly daring to make more noise.

When the elder sister had passed, they ran after her. "Did you see where she went?" D'Brah asked breathlessly.

"Me? I thought you did!" Mell'Esia said.

Suddenly they were stopped short. They groaned as soon as they saw who it was. "Yes?" Shi'Iana asked warily.

It was one of the bigger bullies in their academy. He was thoroughly unliked by the lower Level students. "Where youse think you goin'?" he demanded.

"To… to…"

"To the ladies room," M'Ream blurted.

"No can go, girlie."

"Look, you can't simply just block out way!" Shi'Iana told him.

"As a matter of fact, I can. What else am I doin' now?" The bully said while smirking.

"Master Frendon," a low female voice said threateningly. A hand clamped down on the bully's shoulder. "You will lay off this threatening."

He swung around. "Miss… Miss Lagoon."

"Just what did you think you were doing?"

"I was just… just…"

He couldn't reply. The steady gaze so adored by the girls on the brother was feared by all others when used by the sister.

"You have my leave to go to your quarters, Master Frendon."

"Thanks!" Mell'Esia, youngest of them all and having less apprehension than the others, thanked the senior. "That was great of you!"

"You're welcome, all of you brats. You," she said to M'Ream. "You're in my younger brother's class, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Lovely!" Ms. Lagoon said in a grandiose tone. "See you at the party, then, will I?"

"Yeah, sure!" the girls said together.

"And you!" the older girl shouted behind her shoulder. "You are not going to the party looking like that!"

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Vincenzo's quiet voice asked.

"You look like a beggar. Change into something more presentable!" she snapped.

"Yeah, whatever."

Apparently, he decided not to follow his sister's orders. The girls were standing by the door, whispering among themselves and wondering what he was going to wear when he sauntered in, still wearing the same clothes he'd worn earlier.

"Hey, Vincenzo," Shi'Iana called. "Didn't your sister tell you to change?"

His answering smile was brittle. "I never take anything my sister says seriously," he said before walking off.

"Why do I get the feeling that…" D'Brah began to say, but frowned instead.

D'Brah and Shi'Iana had the ability to feel the emotions of other people, though it still had to be developed, which was why they took the same Mind Melding classes together.

"What about him, D'Brah?" Mell'Esia asked.

Shi'Iana also tilted her head quizzically. "He seems so… sad, and cautious against his sister."

"If I had a sister as bossy as she is, I'd be cautious, too," M'Ream said.

"This is different, M'Ream."

"Ladies and gentlemen! Students and teachers!" the headmistress announced. "We have among us today two most extraordinary new students from Bergarden, one whom the sword players know as the new senior called Ms. Lagoon, and Vincenzo in pyrotechnics classes! Students, meet Jha'Meia and Vincenzo Lagoon!"

Jha'Meia and Vincenzo walked up to stand next to the headmistress. The four girls ran among the crowds to get closer.

"And now, would these two incredible siblings give us a presentation of their special powers?"

Vincenzo and Jha'Meia looked at each other. "Why the heck are you looking at me?" Jha'Meia asked.

"Twilight Dawn," Vincenzo only said.

Jha'Meia held up her hands. A bright electric blue light emanated from them and floated up to the middle of the room. "Spider's Web?"

Vincenzo looked around the audience until his eyes rested on the four girls. "Pair."

Jha'Meia raised an eyebrow. "Feeling showy tonight, are we?"

He grinned. "Yes."

There was a bright light that blinded everyone. When things had darkened enough to see again, there were what looked like two glowing tightropes suspended side-by-side in the air.

"Choice of weapons?"

"Whatever comes handy, elder sister."

"Don't play dirty, Vincenzo."

"Yeah, sure."

The two siblings ran for momentum before leaping high up, their bodies slicing through the air and landing on one rope each at opposite ends.

"I choose a sword," Jha'Meia declared, holding up a hand and a light fizzled from her palm, fading away to reveal a shiny, slim and extremely sharp sword. It was small compared to the large broadswords that were in fashion.

"Fine by me," Vincenzo replied. "I choose fire."

Mell'Esia's jaw dropped as he held out his hands before him like a cup. Fire flared into his face from his hands as he closed his palms and drew them apart.

"His hands are on fire!" Shi'Iana gasped.

M'Ream nodded. "Yeah. It's a technique only a few can practise. It's really risky. He's really talented."

Jha'Meia ran forward, sword leading. Vincenzo also ran forward, hands clenched into fists and one fist drew back.

Both weapons met with a fantastic clash that sent sparks flying all over the room. Mell'Esia, being small-sized, was literally blown backwards.

"They're back to their original positions," D'Brah whispered.

"Not really, they've more like changed places," Shi'Iana said, eyes on the combat.

"Looks like a draw," Vincenzo smiled.

"I don't believe it," Jha'Meia said disgustedly.

"I'll take what I can get, sister," Vincenzo responded, his left hand fizzling again, this time to reveal another shiny sword like his sister's, this one covered in blazing fire.

"Very well, then. Come on." The sword in Jha'Meia's hand was gone in a flare of blue light, replaced by a jagged dagger.

Both opponents advanced on each other, slowly this time. "Swirl this thing, Jha'Meia," Vincenzo said.

There was an audible audience gasp. The two floating ropes were moving. Still, the two siblings continued their concentration on each other. Jha'Meia and Vincenzo were very close to each other now, and they seemed to be locked in mental combat, staring at each other balefully. She was waving her dagger like a snake about to strike. Vincenzo stood straight, waiting.

He struck first, his sword swinging down from above to swipe Jha'Meia's head off, if she hadn't brought up her dagger in time. She responded by sending her dagger tip right to Vincenzo's abdomen. He brought his sword down and knocked the dagger away just in time. He swung and delivered a high side-kick. Her torso leant backwards and when she jerked back up she kicked right up, her foot meeting his chin, throwing it back. The blow might have broken his neck if it had more force, but everyone gasped anyway.

"Some dirty tricks?" Vincenzo asked, grinning like a mad cat.

"Try some," Jha'Meia dared.

He frowned in concentration, eyes closed. Suddenly it seemed like his body was in two places and alternating between them. Then there were two Vincenzos.

"Wow," D'Brah was too awed to say anything else.

"You can say that again."

"How the heck did he do that?!?" Mell'Esia exclaimed.

"Check it out, they look exactly the same. Which one is the real him?" M'Ream pointed out.

"Dunno."

Seeing how outnumbered she was, Jha'Meia somersaulted backwards until the end of the rope. One of the Vincenzos lunged forward to send his sword into her. She nimbly jumped over to the other rope and he fell off into the empty air below. The other Vincenzo, seeing this, made a gesture with his hand, and the falling form became insubstantial and swooped into the other form.

"Are all your tricks done?" Jha'Meia asked.

"Mine are."

"Good. Are our tricks done?"

"Nope, don't think so."

Jha'Meia held out a hand before her, and the two glowing ropes joined to become one. The glow became more brilliant until both siblings were bathed in its illumination.

"They're both becoming pure energy!"

There were no longer two human forms standing on a magical tightrope but two spheres of bright light, one red, most likely Vincenzo, and the other green, Jha'Meia. They swirled about in the room, zipping past each other, swirling around each other, careening all over the place until at last they smashed into each other in the middle of the room in a grand finale that created a fireworks-like display throughout the entire room.

Everyone burst into applause as the two siblings, back in human form, floated down from the air in the levitational light. Jha'Meia was smiling, as if she was glad she had done that.

"Fabulous, wasn't it?" she asked her younger brother.

"Fantastic." He smiled at her. She raised an eyebrow again.

"That's the first time you've smiled with me in years."

"Yeah, I know. Don't think much of it, though."

Jha'Meia laughed and clapped her brother on the shoulder. "Now bow to our avid audience."

And they both did.

"Ohmigosh, ohmigosh, ohmigosh! That was soooo breathtaking!" Mell'Esia squealed as she jumped up and down.

"Cool down, Mell!" Shi'Iana said, also clapping. "You're…" she sighed. "No better than the others."

Because D'Brah and M'Ream were also screaming with excitement.

"Shall we return to our previous itinerary, then?" Jha'Meia announced.

The band struck up a song, and everyone tried to calm down enough. M'Ream, Shi'Iana, D'Brah and Mell'Esia ran to where Jha'Meia was leaning against a pillar.

"That was fantastic!" "Fabulous!" "Incredible!" "Marvelous!" all four girls said at the same time.

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it?" Jha'Meia said, smiling a little. "Haven't done it for a long time."

"What kind of magic did you use?" D'Brah got her question in first.

"Air and Blading Slice. I find them rather useful, and very suitable for me. Remember the magic you take should always suit your personality."

"Wow…"

"You're a senior in weaponry, right?"

"Naturally. Vincenzo's supposed to take Fire Magic, and Blading Slice as well, instead he went for Sword Tip lessons."

"Excuse me."

They turned around. Vincenzo stood with two glasses in his hands. His smile was crooked, as if apologetic. Jha'Meia grabbed one glass and drained it straightaway. "Here, you can go get me another one," she said, handing back the glass.

Vincenzo ignored the glass she held out and turned to the rest of them. "Did you enjoy the show?"

"It was very nice. Did you really try to kill each other?" M'Ream thoughtlessly asked.

"Oh, we don't always try to do so up in the air."

"I remember the stew, brother, I remember the stew."

"Wasn't my fault. You didn't tell me which sauce to use."

"You could've used your head."

"You said I don't have a head."

"Well, remember you got one, and ignore me when I say you don't next time."

"Hypocrite."

"It's been such a long time you complimented me, I'm not sure whether to feel shocked."

Both siblings grinned at each other. Jha'Meia laughed affectionately and hit the side of his head gently.

"Do you always do that?" "Shi'Iana asked.

"Yeap. Definitely. It's our past-time," Jha'Meia answered. "By the by, Vincenzo, how's coping with everything here? Fine, I hope."

Vincenzo sighed. "You've asked me that for the third time already. It's still our first day. Can we put on hold these questions?"

Jha'Meia gave him a thumps-up. Then a senior from the Air Magics came and asked her for a dance, which she consented, leaving the girls with Vincenzo.

"Don't do anything funny," was Jha'Meia's last words to him before she went off for the dance.

"Do you dance?" Mell'Esia asked brightly, looking at Vincenzo hopefully.

Vincenzo looked distracted. "What?"

"I asked, do you dance?"

"I… I used to," he replied, averting his eyes. "Not anymore, I don't. My parents… used to dance a lot, so you see, Jha'Meia's a great dancer."

"I'm asking about you."

D'Brah laid a hand on Mell'Esia's shoulder, shaking her head. The sadness that emanated from him was even more pronounced as he watched Jha'Meia dance. Jha'Meia, too, had a certain wistfulness about her, as if she, also, felt very sad and suffered a great loss.

"Excuse me," Vincenzo suddenly blurted and almost ran away.

"You scared him away!" M'Ream said to Mell'Esia.

"I didn't mean to!" the younger girl protested.

"It wasn't your fault," Shi'Iana said.

"What?"

"I said, it wasn't your fault. He's just sad, that's all."

"But why?"

"He lost someone," D'Brah said softly. "And did you hear him? His parents were referred to in the past tense. They must've passed away before Vincenzo and Jha'Meia got here."

"How sad," M'Ream said, and they all watched Vincenzo walk out of the banquet hall, head bowed in melancholy.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

"You want to be my friends?" one of Jha'Meia's slim eyebrows arched quizzically. "Why, may I ask, is that something to ask my permission for?"

The girls fumbled for a reply, unsure of what to say.

"Oh well, if you want it that way, then…" Jha'Meia continued with a grin. "You have to pass a test."

"A test?" M'Ream echoed.

"Yeap."

"What kind of test?" Shi'Iana asked warily.

"A test of honesty and openness."

Jha'Meia's grin grew so devilish Mell'Esia shrunk away from her and hid behind D'Brah.

"You…"

D'Brah gulped.

"Have to eat dinner at my place. Eight o'clock?"

Shi'Iana sighed so heavily the senior laughed.

"Come now, you didn't think I was going to eat you, did you?"

"It was a possibility," M'Ream mumbled.

"All right. Dinner will be served at eight o'clock sharp. I'll tell Vincenzo to watch out for the four of you."

"Vincenzo?"

"Don't tell me you didn't know he stays with me."

They didn't tell her. Later, they were clean, fresh and ready for their so-called date with Jha'Meia and Vincenzo.

"What do you think he looks like in his place?" D'Brah asked, all of them relishing their imagination.

"We'll see," M'Ream replied.

They all stood at the door of the apartment where the Lagoon siblings stayed.

"You press the doorbell, Shi'Iana. You're the leader," Mell'Esia prompted.

"Me??"

"Yeah! C'mon!"

Shi'Iana pressed the doorbell, heart thumping.

DING-DONG!

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," someone muttered from inside. The door swung open.

Vincenzo stood in the doorway, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He was wearing a rumpled cambric shirt and boxer shorts, which made Shi'Iana and D'Brah blink and avert their eyes while M'Ream hid her smile behind her hand. Mell'Esia, young and still not so circumspect, squeaked and swung about.

"My god, Vincenzo," Jha'Meia's voice floated from inside, "why the hell are you standing in the doorway wearing your underwear?"

"I'm in my underwear?" Vincenzo asked, traces of sleepiness in his voice.

To the girls' horror, he was actually sincere!

"Oh geez…." Jha'Meia groaned. "Let them in, Vincenzo."

"Come on in," Vincenzo invited them. Shi'Iana and D'Brah passed him, still not daring to look at him. M'Ream grinned widely at him, a grin which he returned sheepishly. Mell'Esia clung to Shi'Iana.

"Ah, so they've come for dinner. Nice and early, are we? We've still got five minutes," Jha'Meia said, coming out from the kitchen area with a platter in her hands.

"You wanted to know what he looks like in his place?" Shi'Iana murmured to D'Brah.

"Oh, shut up."

"You see before you an apartment which is modeled in our tastes," Jha'Meia said grandly, waving an arm around the apartment.

M'Ream peered at the living room, which had obviously had some occupants eating popcorn and such-like. There was cereal poking out from most unlikely places. But overall, though it looked dirty, they could actually smell how clean it was. There was no trace of dirt or dust anywhere. Magazines, text-books and even daggers were thrown all over the place, but it seemed organized as well.

"Vincenzo and I spent a lot of time organizing that mess," Jha'Meia said modestly. "It was the best we could do under such circumstances. We wanted to feel at home… without the feel of home."

"MAIA!" Vincenzo yelled. "I DON'T HAVE ANY CLEAN SHIRTS!!"

"It's not my fault!" she shouted back.

"Oh, hell," Vincenzo said, irked. "Is there any possibility your friends could close their eyes for the entire dinner?"

"Just come out, Vincenzo. No one is going to kill you for not having any clean shirts. Besides, dinner is served."

The girls all bounded over to the large table meant for six. Jha'Meia sat at one end, while the girls settled in the middle.

Vincenzo came into the dining area, wearing nothing more than a pair of tight black trousers. Shi'Iana and D'Brah reddened, and this time, M'Ream decided it was time to look away. Mell'Esia stared.

"Vincenzo, be a dear, get a ladle and serve the soup, please."

"Oh, so tonight we're friendly to each other?"

"It's a must. We have guests."

Vincenzo sighed and got up.

Four jaws dropped at seeing those muscles under his skin move. The arms were corded with muscles, abdomen lined with muscles, neck thick with muscles, his sharp features making him look more dangerously handsome than he first seemed. His back was sinewy, with light hairs tracing down his spine.

"I wish I could attract as much admiration as he could," Jha'Meia commented.

Four faces blushed.

"He's uncommonly handsome," Mell'Esia said in their defense.

"I know. Our father was just as handsome, and our mother was one of the belles of her time."

"You're not that plain yourself," M'Ream put in two more cents. "In fact, I wish I was as pretty as you."

Jha'Meia smiled one of those self-mocking smiles that Vincenzo occasionally used. "Vincenzo, why don't you tell them about the large mirror you keep in your room? You vain person."

"My mirror? I thought it was yours!"

M'Ream laughed. "You don't even know whose mirror it is?"

Shi'Iana relaxed. Apparently, this was what the test was about, making friends and being so open they could talk about anything. Vincenzo sent a few more barbs at Jha'Meia's direction before exchanging teasing banters with M'Ream and Mell'Esia, sitting closest to him.

D'Brah asked, "Where did you guys come from?"

"Outer space," Jha'Meia snickered. "Bergarden. It was our home for a very long time until our parents died. So to take our minds off, we came here. I'm Vincenzo's legal guardian, since he hasn't found a steady job yet and he still has to attend school."

"But… what happened to your parents?"

Jha'Meia's smiling face was replaced by an inscrutable mask. "They died in an accident. I was there and I suffered some injuries. I've got a scar that won't heal, or so says the doctor. Vincenzo and I don't like to talk about it."

After dinner, the girls all went down into the living room and began perusing the magazines there. "As you can see, Jha'Meia's stack of girlie magazines are there, and that's my stack," Vincenzo pointed out.

"Girlie magazines? I've seen you sneaking a look at the women in there!"

Vincenzo reddened, but he still laughed. They spent most of the evening discussing the current styles in the fashion magazines while Vincenzo ran around trying to get their attention, doing silly things like throwing Jha'Meia's fluffybears about the room.

"We had the loveliest evening," M'Ream thanked Jha'Meia when it was time to go home. "Thanks again for inviting us!"

Vincenzo didn't come along to see them off. He was too busy reading a letter.

"Who is it from?" Jha'Meia asked as she closed the door.

"We're going to need partners for the upcoming dance. It's got a select invitation list, though anyone not invited can come along so long as someone invited brings them along. What do you think?"

Jha'Meia peeped at the letter. "It's the socialite Jiji. If you go alone, she'll be bound to dump her latest boyfriend unless you bring along a date and prove you're not available."

"But I am available, Maia." Then he mumbled, "sort of, anyway."

The two siblings went out to the balcony. "Had a good time with the girls, Vin?" Jha'Meia asked, settling down into the bench and putting her legs on the balcony railing.

Vincenzo laughed. "Oh yeah, did you see M'Ream's face when I threw your Dollia at her? It was like this-" he made a face. "She really is a tomboy, it reminds me of Luzia so much! And Mell'Esia, she kept on squealing when she saw Loggy!"

"Speaking of Loggy, where is that lizard?"

"He's hiding under the chair. Why else did you think Mell'Esia didn't dare step on the floor when it was time to go home?" Vincenzo wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes. "I don't think I've ever had so much fun."

"That's a good sign. Which one are you going to choose to take to the dance, then?"

"Which one?" Vincenzo echoed. "Well, I haven't really given much thought about it. I mean… they're all… well… so different and it's hard to choose."

"Well, you've got four choices, you lucky dog, so you better make one."

Vincenzo sighed heavily. "I don't know." He sat up and hunched over. "Shi'Iana's got the leadership qualities Luzia used to have, D'Brah's practical, just like Luzia, M'Ream's quite the tomboy, strong-minded you'd call her, just like Luzia and Mell'Esia, she's innocent, just like-"

"Vincenzo, will you stop going on about Luzia for once? I mean, you can only choose one."

"But the thing is, Luzia was perfect for my schizophrenic personality, and well, this is like having four Luzias to choose from because they're all like Luzia and-"

"Stop! This is making my head ache. I'm off to bed," Jha'Meia got up quickly. "Why don't you just ask all of them, and then make your choice."

Vincenzo laughed, seeing how exaggeratedly cross-eyed Jha'Meia was. "I'll tell you tomorrow, then."

____________________________________________________________________________________________

"That was amazing, a-ma-zing!" D'Brah was saying as the four girls stumbled into their shared quarters. "Mell, you silly, you kept on screaming when you saw that lizard! Did you see Vincenzo? He was laughing his head off!"

"You were no better! You were dancing on the table with Jha'Meia and Shi'Iana, and M'Ream was clapping to the beat Vincenzo was thumping on his rhumba drums!"

"Well, it was fun," Shi'Iana said. "But now how are we going to sleep?"

"Easy," M'Ream piped in. "We don't."

"Why don't we try out the new experiment our teachers told us about?" D'Brah suggested to Shi'Iana. "Mind-Melding with a distant subject. We could try Vincenzo."

"D'Brah!" Shi'Iana exclaimed. "Vincenzo's just a guy! I mean, it'll sort of be like invading his privacy."

"We're friends."

"So?"

M'Ream, Mell'Esia and D'Brah were looking at Shi'Iana.

"Oh, all right, go on," Shi'Iana conceded grudgingly.

D'Brah sat cross-legged on her bed and closed her eyes. Her mind slowly began to drift out the door, through the corridors of the academy until it found her subject.

"Vincenzo's sleeping," D'Brah said in a voice that sounded like it came from far away. "Shall I enter his mind now?"

"Whatever you think best," Shi'Iana said, still thinking this was a bad idea.

"I'm entering his memories. Oh! How sad!"

"What do you see?" M'Ream asked eagerly.

"A delinquent, out on a joyride with his beloved girlfriend. She's riding pillion with him."

"What does that have to do with Vincenzo?"

"Good grief, a car's coming. He's out of control! His companion is screaming. The car!" D'Brah gasped. "It's swerving! He's swerving too! They're headed for the same tree!"

D'Brah screamed.

"The car crashed," Shi'Iana said calmly. "The delinquent was Vincenzo, and the occupants of the car were his parents and Jha'Meia."

M'Ream and Mell'Esia gasped. "It can't be!"

"It is. Apparently, that's why Vincenzo's afraid of Jha'Meia, because she tends to remind him that the deaths of his loved ones were all his fault." Shi'Iana frowned. "And Jha'Meia was no better, using their parents' deaths to blackmail him, tormenting him with guilt."

"Shi'Iana!" D'Brah protested. "You said you weren't going to-"

"If I hadn't," Shi'Iana said snippily, "you would've been trapped in his memory and gotten killed for crashing into that bloody tree. I had a fleeting glance, mind you, but it's enough. We know his pain now."

But Shi'Iana kept quiet about what she'd really seen. Vincenzo and Jha'Meia had Mind-Melding capabilities as well, and Vincenzo had detected D'Brah's presence in his mind. When Shi'Iana had gone to D'Brah's rescue, it was to see Vincenzo casting D'Brah out before anything could happen to her. He then pressed a finger to his lips, signalling her to keep quiet about it.

"He's so sad," D'Brah started sobbing. The misery in Vincenzo had overwhelmed her.

"Yes," Shi'Iana said softly, thinking of the anguish in his eyes. "He is."

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Jha'Meia was not a person to be overcome with gloominess. There rarely was reason to be; she was in her prime, certainly beautiful, with skills to match her face and lots of people liked her.

Then, she asked herself, why was she feeling sad?

She got up and walked to the window, where the wind was blowing the curtains in. She lifted up her t-shirt and stared at the mark on her chest. It was a nasty gash, as if acid had melted her flesh. She touched it gingerly.

It was healing.

"Moving on, are we?" she murmured to no one in particular.

She sighed. Vincenzo would not be pleased to hear that her wound was healing. The doctor had said it would never heal, had hinted that it was magically induced. Jha'Meia had her doubts, too about the accident that had taken the lives of three beloved people. It was too strange.

"I'm telling you, I will not have any more out of you!" she had shouted at Vincenzo. "You should not have been out motorbiking at that hour, especially when you and Luzia should have been studying!"

"I didn't mean to!" he had desperately screamed back, the tears of guilt standing in his eyes.

"I don't care," she had angrily told him. "I will never trust you ever again, Vincenzo. You will do nothing without my permission. From now on, as long as I live, you will not have your own independence!"

"Dammit, Maia! I said I'm sor-"

She had slapped him at that point. She had been to angry to listen to him, too distraught to think rationally. It was a slap that caused a rift between them that would stay until Jha'Meia made the decision to move and enroll Vincenzo into the academy. He was talented, and didn't really need any more teachers, but Jha'Meia wanted him up to his toughest level. She wasn't sure why, but she supposed she wanted to discipline Vincenzo the way their parents hadn't.

She had once told him of this, and he had responded by saying, "Well, if you want me my best, then don't bother reminding me! I can't study if you keep blackmailing me!"

And she'd sworn, "As long as this scar doesn't heal, I promise, I will not bring up our parents' deaths against you."

"And that scar will never heal," Vincenzo had noted acerbically. "Good."

It was hard not bringing up the loss of their parents, and both siblings still could hear each other cry at night. Still, pride would not Jha'Meia go to Vincenzo and tell him how sorry she was. It was pride that both siblings damned and loved, and it was all they had left in common of their past.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

M'Ream was walking so fast she nearly ran. Mell'Esia, D'Brah and Shi'Iana were waiting for her already at their usual spot, near D'Brah's locker.

"He's right behind me!" M'Ream whispered to them hoarsely, quite alarmed.

"Who?" Shi'Iana asked innocently.

"Vincenzo!"

"Oh, no," Mell'Esia fretted. "Does he know D'Brah entered his memories last night?" she asked, turning to Shi'Iana.

The silver-blond haired girl simply shrugged. "Why are you all looking at me?" she demanded.

"Hi, girls," Vincenzo actually looked cheerful when he greeted them. "Did you get invites for Jiji's party?"

Mell'Esia sighed. "I wish I had one," she said in obvious disappointment. "But Jiji said that we've got to have a boyfriend who's her age if we want to go to one of her parties."

"Jiji is such a snob," M'Ream sniffed. "Why are you asking, Vincenzo?"

"Well, I just wanted to find someone who'd go with me to the party, and since you are Jha'Meia's friends, it seemed more appropriate. After all, you're the only girls whom I've had dinner with since…" his voice trailed off. Evidently he didn't want to continue.

"I'd love to go," D'Brah said quickly.

"But D'Brah, what about our experiment? We were going to try it on each other, remember?" Shi'Iana protested.

"M'Ream?" Vincenzo asked.

"Sorry, Vincenzo, but tomorrow's test is really tough, and I need to get a good grade. In fact, I was hoping you could help me."

"Besides, you can only choose one of us," Mell'Esia added.

"Oh, that can be taken care of," Vincenzo said slowly.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

"And just what did they say?" Jha'Meia asked later.

"Well, I'm helping Shi'Iana with her experiment, and D'Brah agreed to go to the dance party with me. M'Ream, on the other hand, wants to study for tomorrow's Fire Magics class."

"And Mell'Esia?"

"She hasn't given me an answer yet."

"Why didn't you ask her for one at that moment?"

"How could I? She fainted when I divided into four."

Jha'Meia snickered. "Well, you'll get your answer. Check the mail, Vincenzo."

Vincenzo did as he was told, feeling much better than he had in months. The fact that Jha'Meia could laugh around him with ease did wonders for his emotional well-being, though he'd never tell her.

He looked through the envelopes on the table. "Maia, the records of our parents' medical history are here." He peeked into one of them. "By the gods, Maia, was I really kept in cryo-stasis when I was an embryo?"

"Yeap."

"Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Why should we? It isn't important. The important part of it is that you're living, breathing, learning and moving, right?"

A dark memory surfaced in Jha'Meia's mind for a second, then was forgotten in the next.

"Ah, Maia?"

"What is it?" she sighed.

"Did Mother really die of a heart attack during that accident?"

"What?" Jha'Meia ran to her brother's side. "Where??" she demanded.

"It says so right here. Don't you know the details?"

"Vin, I wasn't interested in details. After all the doctor told me that mother must've died the same way other people die in accidents."

Vincenzo braced, prepared for another of Jha'Meia's barbs that would draw guilt from him.

"This is impossible!" Jha'Meia exploded. "It says here that Father also died of a heart attack! His heart was found to have been contracted before the car crash into the damned tree!!" She swung to address Vincenzo. "Our father never had any heart trouble in his whole life!"

"What does that mean?"

"It means," Jha'Meia's voice grew deadly calm and serious, "that a doctor is going to loosen his tongue."

She began striding towards the door, grabbing her travelling cloak.

"Wait!" Vincenzo called after her. "What about me?"

"You can take care of yourself! What are you, a little boy?"

Without another word, she left.

Vincenzo stood by himself, feeling very foolish. Jha'Meia leaving him alone? Preposterous! Then, a smile slowly began to form on his face. Maybe this was a sign for the better, after all.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

"Thanks for coming over and helping me try out this experiment, Vincenzo," Shi'Iana said as she led him into the living room. "It was nice of you to… well, divide yourself into four and entertain all of us tonight."

"No problem, Shi'Iana. I'm quite familiar with these sort of experiments. Mind-melding was one of Jha'Meia's favourite pasttimes." Vincenzo looked at her pointedly. "You do know that, don't you?"

Shi'Iana flushed. "I'm sorry about what D'Brah did. It was nothing personal-"

"Yeah, I understand. It's okay. Jha'Meia does that to make me forget."

"Forget?"

"Yeah, it's one of the higher level tricks. The memory doesn't really disappear altogether, but it gets blanketed."

"Hmmm," Shi'Iana pondered it over. "By the by, where's Mell'Esia going?"

"We're going for a walk in the park." He winced. "Since she's in Light Magics class, she wants to play FireFrisbee with me."

Shi'Iana chortled. "Oh, yeah, I remember, she's been pestering us to play FireFrisbee with her a long time. Thanks for letting us off the hook. You're so dependable, Vincenzo."

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"Okay, this experiment deals with reading inner emotions towards the more… dramatic and exciting times of life, like, say, your first bike."

"My first motorbike was fabulous. SWD-90 engines with turbo, black-plated and alloy all over."

"That's not what I meant."

"All right, then, I'll just relax and let you wander about until you find something satisfactory."

"Would you mind very much?" she asked.

"No. Just don't… you know."

"All right."

Vincenzo closed his eyes. Another part of him was dancing, another part of him reading out the pyrotechnic art of controlling fire energy and another part of him running around the park catching a little ball of light. It was cold in his hand, and he threw it back at the little honey-blond that laughed as she jumped up to catch it.

That scene was very familiar to him. FireFrisbee was a rather nostalgic game to him, because his family used to play it when he and Jha'Meia were younger, later he played it with Luzia.

Luzia…

Shi'Iana floated about a large garden, paved pathways and took a seat on a bench under a tree. It was dark there, and she watched a couple play FireFrisbee around a fountain.

The teenaged boy was familiar; straight nose, eyebrows sitting over his eyes and dark brown eyes that burned with youthful love. The girl, however, was not. It was not Jha'Meia. She was laughing, her sophisticated beauty making Shi'Iana feel gangly and awkward with her height and full-boned features.

Her jet-black eyebrows were delicately arched over her dark blue eyes that were surrounded by sooty eyelashes. Her features were so fine-boned, she looked like a china doll. She laughed as she and Vincenzo threw the little ball of faerie fire back and forth like two children.

"Luzia, here it comes!" Vincenzo shouted.

So her name was Luzia, Shi'Iana thought. The air was rife with carefree childishness as the two of them ran back and forth.

"I love you," Vincenzo said fondly.

"I know. I love you too." Luzia smiled and opened her arms to hug him.

Shi'Iana drifted closer to have a better look at Luzia. Somehow, the scene had changed. In Luzia's place there seemed to be someone else. Had Vincenzo's memories been distorted?

She decided to drift someplace else where it would not be so distorted. There were so many wants, as if there were different people within him. So many different likes and dislikes, Shi'Iana wasn't sure if she was looking at the soul of one person. It was too contradictory.

She settled on the time when Jha'Meia brought home her first boyfriend. Ten-year-old Vincenzo had watched his sister come down the stairs looking like their mother, too much like their mother, in fact, while some strapping young man held her attention despite their mother advising them to come back before a certain time.

Poor Vincenzo watched his best friend leave with some stranger, feeling more lonely than he had ever felt before as he looked out the window at his sister getting into the car.

"I'm sorry, Maia," were the words that tended to crop up so often. Shi'Iana supposed it couldn't hurt just to have a look.

The very delinquent Shi'Iana had glimpsed in Vincenzo the other night lay in a hospital bed, his sister by his side with an angry look on her face.

"Please say you'll forgive me," he pleaded. "I didn't mean to cause this accident. I'm sorry."

"You say that to Mother and Father," she replied with a furious undertone. "And to Luzia at her grave! She's dead and gone, because you didn't have enough sense to stay home! So's Mother and Father! Do you think this would make them proud??"

"Do you think you can make them proud with that behaviour?"

"Do you think you can make our parents proud by doing this?"

"Do you think Mother and Father will be proud if you do that?"

"Shut up! I don't want to hear this anymore!" Vincenzo's inner voice screamed while he stood and quietly listened, head bowed down. Jha'Meia relentlessly went on until his psyche was reduced to whimpering and pleading, "Stop, please…"

Shi'Iana beat a hasty retreat from that particular section of his mind. She touched on a particular memory that seemed to be very vague. She realized she was near a part of memory that happened before he was born. Intrigued that he would still have it in his mind, she entered, wondering what kind of life he had lived in the womb.

Warm and fuzzy were the only words she could use. Like drifting in blissful space, she could detect no intense memories… except…

It was gone before she could reach it. She was disappointed, until she realized that the block was induced. She pressed on, determined to find some more. Instead, she found a lock. Touching upon it, she found it was placed by… his family??

But why? What was so important that they had to lock this away? Shi'Iana drifted away, all this exhausting her.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

D'Brah laughed as she danced with Vincenzo. Every so often, the other girls in the party would throw her envious looks, and she was evilly delighted to bend the noses of the elite snobs out of joint.

"So where's Jha'Meia?"

"Funny you should ask that," Vincenzo replied. "We got our parents' medical notes today and she thought she found some strange information concerning their accident, so she went off to investigate."

"Really? Like what?"

He frowned. "Apparently, our parents' died of heart attacks that occurred just before their crash. It's a rather strange allegation."

"Couldn't they have been shocked to see they were going to crash and had their heart attacks then?"

"Well, that's the strange part. They've never had any heart problems, and a shock because they were going to crash wouldn't have caused one."

"Exactly how did they crash?" D'Brah asked curiously.

Vincenzo stiffened.

"Are you all right?"

When he didn't reply, D'Brah recalled what she'd seen the other night and promptly apologized. "I'm sorry for being so thoughtless."

"It's all right. But considering the entire incident again, I really don't think they would've gotten heart attacks at the same time just because they realized I was going to cause their crash." He looked crestfallen and ashamed.

D'Brah tenderly touched his cheek. "It's over," she told him gently. "You can't change the past, but you can look forward to the future."

He smiled a little. "I just wish I knew where's Jha'Meia."

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

"Here comes the ball!" Vincenzo shouted as he threw back the ball at the laughing little girl. Silently, he bid the light to fizzle out.

Another ball came shooting right back at him, almost too fast for him to catch. While all this time they ahd been playing with a little white ball of light, this one was a glowing deep green with golden speckles in them.

"You can't try that trick on me!" Mell'Esia waggled a finger at him, much the same way Luzia had when he did it to her.

"Well, I did, and look what a pretty colour this is," Vincenzo smiled, looking at the little ball in his hands.

"Of course it's pretty. It's the colour of my eyes. My mother is said to descend from an ancient race which had golden flecks in their eyes. Actually, her eyes are light blue with those golden thingies, but my father's eyes are green."

"How charming." Vincenzo bounced the ball between his hands. "Look, Mell, there's the old basketball court."

"Our ball's too small, Vincenzo."

"Now, it isn't." Vincenzo concentrated and the ball grew bigger and bigger. "See, now it's just the right size. Can you play basketball well?"

Mell'Esia tackled the ball from him just then, running to the old hoop on the equally old pole, dribbling the ball like a pro. "Try me!" she happily shouted over her shoulder.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

The students of Fire Magics pyrotechnics filed into the classroom. "Good luck, Vincenzo," most of the girls could be heard to say sweetly.

M'Ream smiled at Vincenzo, who winked at her. Last night had been a most marvellous experience for him, since it included not just one girl, but four. M'Ream couldn't care less about sharing him with her best friends. After all, she felt she was getting the best piece of him.

The test started as the teacher went between the aisles handing out papers. Boy, is this test easy! she could hear him think. Let's see, the first answer is, DeGrayen was the one who first produced the pyrotechnic of Monarch, that butterfly shaped one…

M'Ream grinned as she quickly filled down the answers, occasionally faster than he could give them. She actually didn't need the answers, but it was fun listening to Vincenzo's mindless (or mindful) rambling.

All of a sudden, they heard Jha'Meia shouting Vincenzo's name as she ran down the hallways.

The elder sister burst into the classroom, making everyone stare at her. "Vincenzo, come here," she ordered, and without waiting for a reply, even before Vincenzo had barely left his seat, she went to him, grabbed his arm and dragged him out, nodding to the wide-eyed teacher on her way to the door.

"Where've you been? What's all this rush?" Vincenzo managed to get out even as he was catching up with his sister's irate pace.

"We have to get out of here. It's not safe for us, or anyone who knows us."

They made their way to their apartment, where Jha'Meia began stuffing their bags with essentials. "Why?" Vincenzo demanded.

Jha'Meia took a deep breath. "Remember the accident? The one you caused?"

"Maia! You promised!"

She held up her shirt. "I'm out of this promise!"

Vincenzo stared in anguish at the passport Jha'Meia had to use their parents' deaths against him. The wound, her wound had healed! "The doctor said-"

"Shut up and listen, the accident was no fault of yours."

The revelation hit Vincenzo like a hard blow. "What??"

"The accident was orchestrated!" Jha'Meia stepped up to Vincenzo and touched his forehead lightly. "Remember, Vincenzo, when you were still in Mother's womb. Even as an embryo in cryo-stasis, a demon had found you, and tried to take possession of you."

Vincenzo was seized by Jha'Meia's brute mental strength and could clearly remember trashing around in his mother's womb. A dark force had entered his little haven, surrounding him with fear and panic. "Mother! Help me! There's something in here! MOTHER!"

He was Jha'Meia standing anxiously over their mother. "Mama, is there something inside you besides Vincenzo?" she asked in all innocence. She backed away when Kaleen Lagoon stood up, doubling over and held her belly while screaming for her husband. "Mama, what's wrong?"

"Kaleen!"

"Papa! Something's trying to kill Mama!" Jha'Meia cried, running to grab her father's leg.

"Kaleen! Kaleen!" Renn shouted.

Little Jha'Meia watched as her father drew back his hand as if to strike her mother.

"BEGONE!" he thundered.

An inhuman squeal seemed to emanate from inside Kaleen. She screamed as the demon tried to further posses Vincenzo.

MOTHER! HELP ME!

Vincenzo yelled and jerked away from his sister. "It did not happen!" he shouted. "You're making this all up!"

"If I could, I would," she snapped. "Quickly, pack! We've no time to lose!"

"What does that have to do with the accident?"

"Vincenzo, don't you understand? The demon had a subtle hold on you throughout your teen years! That's why you were such a delinquent! It tried to kill us all, but it failed. If I had died with everyone else in that crash, you would've been taken totally by it! That's why my wound never healed; that.. that thing was hoping I would die!"

"But… what about M'Ream? And Mell'Esia and D'Brah and Shi'Iana? What about them?"

"You can't contact them," Jha'Meia told him with dead coldness. "If you do, they'll only be used as weapons against you!"

"But Maia-"

"Do as I say!"

Vincenzo did, but disobeyed his sister in one way. He scribbled a short note and put it into an envelope, adressed to the four girls. He didn't understand why the demon was after him, but he still had to send them a goodbye note.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

"A goodbye note? From Vincenzo?" Mell'Esia asked. "Where's he going?"

"That's the weird part," M'Ream answered, turning over the paper. "It doesn't say anything else. All it says is 'Something's come up and I can't stay any longer. Take care of yourselves. Love, Vincenzo'. He didn't say, though it must be important."

"That jerk!" D'Brah raged. "He set us up! He was just playing around with us!"

"I don't think so," Shi'Iana said thoughtfully. "If he had been just playing around, he would've chosen more popular and beautiful girls, not ordinary girls like us. We're mostly younger than him, too young for him to take notice."

"And his sister was really in a big rush when she came to get him," M'Ream added. "It was almost as if she was… afraid."

"Of what?" Mell'Esia asked.

M'Ream shrugged.

"At any rate, we can't let ourselves be distracted by his disappearance," Shi'Iana said, taking charge. "We have a new dean, and at least we know that Vincenzo's going to be safe."

"And that he likes us too," Mell'Esia piped in merrily.

"How would you know that?" D'Brah asked archly.

"Well, look at how it's signed. 'Love, Vincenzo'. How many other girls got a note like that, huh?"

"You have a point. How nice of him."

"But what are going to do without Vincenzo?" M'Ream slumped against a wall.

"Nothing."

Everyone turned to stare at Shi'Iana. She was standing by the window, her silver-blond hair shining in the sunlight. "We can do nothing. Vincenzo's gone, and I think that this will be the last we see of him. I think Jha'Meia was protecting him when she moved so fast. Good thing, too, when he could've brought danger."

"Danger? Shi'Iana, what are you talking about?"

"I was Mind-Melding with him the other night, remember?" she asked softly. "I found… certain things in his mind which he probably wasn't aware of. He had a locked memory, a memory which he had even before he was born. I thought it was odd, especially since it was locked away by his own family."

D'Brah's eyes became curiously lit. "Good grief, Shi'Iana, I… I think I know what you're talking about." She shuddered. "That night I accessed his mind? Well, I found a little piece of something which I promptly forgot about. It was dark…" she shivered and rubbed the goosebumps on her arms. "The delinquent Vincenzo was…"

"Was actually a demonic influence."

The girls swung around. "Vincenzo!" they gasped, seeing him leaning on the doorjamb of their little kitchen.

He smiled. "I had to see you one last time."

"Vincenzo! You're back!" Mell'Esia squealed and ran to him. D'Brah and Shi'Iana gasped together.

"MELL! NO!" Shi'Iana shouted, reaching to hold back her friend.

A mind-blinding arrow shot through her mind.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Jha'Meia drove the car and Vincenzo sat next to her in the passenger's seat. The two siblings were silent as the wind blew in their black hair. Jha'Meia was driving quite fast, which was all right, since it was an empty highway. She had destroyed the top of their car, hoping to throw their followers off the chase. Their car now looked like a fashionable convertible.

"You know, Mell would've-"

"Vincenzo?"

"Yes?"

"Didn't I tell you to stop talking about them?"

"Yes."

"Why won't you?"

"I didn't have time to say a proper goodbye, you know," Vincenzo defensively changed the subject. "All I could manage was one bloody note. Do you realize how bad that makes me feel?"

The car screeched to a halt. "You did what?"

"I wrote them a noooo- JHA'MEIA WATCH THE SPEED LIMIT!!!"

"No time," Jha'Meia said as she pressed the accelerator to full speed and swung the car around. "The girls are probably in danger!"

"What can one note do??" Vincenzo shouted over the roar of the engines and the howling wind.

"Lots. A new dean moved to the academy, and it was Loclus."

"Lo-who??"

"Loclus! The demon who wants to get at you!"

"So?"

"So! Don't you think those girls could fetch a handsome ransom?? Namely, in the form of your soul?? He knows, Vincenzo! He knows who you love! He knows you care for them as much as you cared for Luzia!"

"Why does he want me??"

"Vincenzo, you're the perfect product of genetical engineering! That's WHY!!! And if you ask me anymore questions…"

Vincenzo didn't hear what else she said. He now remembered his personal demon when growing up. Loclus. The demon that had followed Vincenzo throughout childhood had a name. The demon that made him go on joyrides with Luzia, risking their lives, now had an identity. The monster that made him cause the deaths of his family… it was going to die.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Shi'Iana felt herself flattened against a wall, legs and all and she opened her eyes. It was a large room, with a phosphorescent glow all over from the walls. Slime seemed to move with reason and purpose, hanging from the ceiling.

She tried moving, but found herself stuck to the icky green wall. She looked around. At least her friends were with her, though none in better circumstances.

They'rrreeeee awake, a slithering, shadowy voice whispered.

D'Brah gasped and woke up. She looked right into the eyes of a shadow form. Spider-like, it had some sort of beak, and large, owlish white eyes. It wasn't a corporeal creature, but definitely a behemoth. It was so large the entire shadow filled the room.

Mell'Esia opened her eyes and the first thing she did was to start screaming. "Shhhiiii'Iiiaaannnnaaaaa!!!!"

"I'm right here, Mell," Shi'Iana said as soothingly as she could. "Don't worry."

M'Ream also opened her eyes. She yelled, but for a second. "What the heck is that black blob??" she demanded, then in the next breath while squeezing and squirming, "And why can't I move?"

Because as long as he isn't here, you aren't going anywhere, answered the shadow behemoth.

"Who are you?" Shi'Iana demanded.

I am Loclus, came the unhelpful reply.

"And what do you want?"

I want the Lagoon sssonnnnn. I want himmmmm.

D'Brah was breathing quickly. "You're the thing… you're the thing in Vincenzo's mind that evening of that accident, weren't you?" she asked, her voice becoming shrill. "You're worse than I thought!"

Shi'Iana sent her mind flying toward the behemoth, being careful to make sure she could draw back whenever she wanted to. The shadow bememoth let her probe it, letting her see why it wanted Vincenzo so badly. But in one moment, she screamed and drew back.

"You're…" she gasped. "You're nothing but evil!"

Well, naturally. I am born of shadows and darkness.

"What does he want?" Mell'Esia sounded like she was becoming hysterical.

"A human vessel," D'Brah replied grimly. "That's why you want Vincenzo, right? Because he makes the perfect weapon!"

That much is true, but as to having a human vessel, it's not really necessary. I could choose anyone of you right now to possess. The demon suddenly hissed, as if in pain, but more like in pleasure. He'ssss herrrrre.

It didn't take very long for them to see who. Vincenzo crashed from the ceiling after blasting a hole of gigantic proportions. The shadow behemoth looked up. Jha'Meia was following close behind, falling behind Vincenzo.

You're here.

"Here to destroy you, you monster," Vincenzo growled. "Let them go."

I don't think so.

"You want me to draw first blood, Vin?" Jha'Meia asked.

The demon extended a shadowy claw and struck Jha'Meia to one side. This does not concern you, female.

"Maia!" Vincenzo ran to his sister's side. She was barely breathing. That did it. He stood up. "You tried to possess me several times. You nearly killed my mother when you attacked me in her womb. You killed my parents and my Luzia. You took my friends prisoner. I've had enough of you. I've had guilt weighing me down throughout the years, and they're going to go with you."

You are still at fault for being what you are.

"You're trying to screw my head? Telling me it's a crime to be genetically tampered with? Done!"

Vincenzo leaped through the air straight for the behemoth's shadowy form. As if the friction between him and the air was so strong he seemed aflame. Both hands fizzled, swords drew from the air and leading for what seemed to be the behemoth's heart.

No human can do that. Only you. You are humanity's greatest lifeform. Anything and everything.

Slicing the sword , Vincenzo didn't seem to hear. But the swords somehow drew blood. Loclus gave out an inhuman squeal.

"He's actually hitting the shadow…" D'Brah whimpered.

A flare of red flames shot all over the room, driving all other shadows away except for Loclus.

"Mell, let's help him!" M'Ream shouted.

"How??"

"You have Light Magics, and I'll use my Fire Magics! Hurry!"

Mell'Esia concentrated, but she was only mediocre in her talent. Only a few spheres of light appeared and they floated to the darker crevices.

"D'Brah?" Shi'Iana asked, using telepathy.

"What??" D'Brah sounded wrought-up.

"Let's help. Mell needs more power!"

Both girls focused on their power, transferring it into Mell'Esia, still concentrating so much beads of sweat appeared on her brow. More spheres of light appeared. M'Ream, always leaning toward flamboyance, blasted off a few walls in her excitement.

"Wow! I never knew I could that!!"

A piece of rubble fell on Jha'Meia, waking her up. "Wha-?"

"Jha'Meia! Jha'Meia!" the girls started calling.

"Huh?" She turned. "Oh, yeah, Vincenzo's little girlfriends…" she thought as she ran to their help.

Right in her pathway, Vincenzo crashed at her feet. Loclus made a gesture with a shadowy tentacle. The four girls floated from their immobile position on the wall, a sphere encasing them. M'Ream in particular was very displeased with the way things had worked out. She banged her fists on the circular walls around her.

I'll give you a choice, Vincenzo Lagoon. You give yourself to me, and the girls go free.

Vincenzo sat up, eyes narrowing as he rubbed his jaw. "And if not?"

You have a choice which girl to rescue. It won't be easy rescuing any of them. If you do survive the attempt to rescue any of them… I'll let you, and whichever of the girls you rescue go.

Vincenzo got up, eyes still wary.

But to make things even more interesting…

"What the-" Jha'Meia began, feeling herself lifted up into the air. Then in a second, she, too, was enclosed in the same casing as the others.

"Maia!" Vincenzo quickly extended a hand. Then he turned back to the shadow behemoth. "You double damned… I'll save my sister, and all four girls, and I'll also kill you!"

Do, try.

Vincenzo took off the bandana he was wearing around his forehead. He stared at it for a moment. "This was the bandana Luzia gave me the night of the accident… the night you killed her."

The demon's form cocked its head.

"I'm Vincenzo Lagoon. Yes, I was genetically modified to be perfect in all ways, and my DNA is interwoven pattern over pattern. But what you didn't realize is this."

He closed his eyes. As if three more forms appeared by his sides, his real body seemed to alternate between them. In moments, there were four Vincenzos.

"There are four different DNA patterns in me," they calmly explained. "And each one is a part of the man you know as Vincenzo Lagoon. They make who I am, and each one of us is an individual. They, each of them, is a single person."

"Did you come by that yourself?" Jha'Meia asked calmly.

"Yes."

"Wonderful. And since there're only four of you…"

Jha'Meia curled up into a ball, and the air around her seemed to implode. Then she released everything with a furious blaze. "You've tormented our family long enough, Loclus," she snarled. "While my brothers are busy rescuing their lady loves, you…" a sword fizzled into her hand. "You're mine."

You won't get away alive.

And the shadow fuzzed into action, sending darts of fire towards Jha'Meia.

"Save them, Vin! I'll distract him!"

Nimbly, she avoided the fire darts and the appendages that were coming for her. Loclus looked to the side, where the four Vincenzos were hacking their way to the four floating spheres.

No…

One of them leapt up, pushing a sphere to one side just before a tentacle reached to smash it into the wall. Another jumped up the walls like a cat, slashing his sword to cut open a sphere. Mell'Esia fell screaming, but was caught just in time.

"You broke the spell!" she yelled at Vincenzo, who was cradling her in his arms.

"What spell?"

"Those!" she pointed to her little firelight balls. They flickered, due to her distraction. Loclus saw this immediately and took advantage, flicking an arm to extinguish the remaining light. The room was plunged into immediate darkness.

"NO!" Jha'Meia screeched, feeling herself grabbed and smashed into the floor.

"Turn on, turn on, turn on," Mell'Esia fretted. "C'mon! I could do it just now!"

The Vincenzo standing next to her lit up a few spheres of light, all of which swerved about the room illumination the shadow behemoth. Mell'Esia, feeling more calm seeing him next to her, lit up several more quickly.

A titanic fireball blasted its meteorite way towards the demon. Loclus shrieked in its inhuman way.

"Are Shi'Iana and D'Brah loose yet?" the Vincenzo next to Mell'Esia asked the other one high-fiving with M'Ream.

"Here!" Shi'Iana responded. "Mind bolt!" she commanded, sending a massive discharge of metaphysical energy to strike the demon.

D'Brah also sent one, and Loclus screamed again.

"It hurts the monster!" Shi'Iana marveled. "Another one, D'Brah!"

Another fireball went streaking in the semi-darkness and a charred smell wafted in the room.

"Burn, Loclus," Jha'Meia could be heard as she got up.

"Maia!" Vincenzo ran from Mell'Esia's side.

"Ah, little brother. I was just resting. Light up the room and scare the shadow into becoming smaller, will you?"

"What are you talking about? You're hurt!"

"And that's my secret power, Vin," she whispered between clenched teeth. "The wound that wouldn't heal only made me stronger. My secret weapon is to draw power from my own pain. Now go and do as I say!"

All of them were in furious combat now; Shi'Iana and D'brah sending their mind bolts, M'Ream working on making the fireballs larger, bigger and packed more energy in them. Mell'Esia worked on keeping the room illuminated, adding more and more spheres of light until the room was bright than day. The four sides of the same man each used different forms of combat, one using a broadsword, another using two slim swords, another using pure magic and the last oe still helping Mell'Esia light up the room.

Nooooooooo!!

The shadow behemoth stumbled towards the four couples, intending to absorb them into it. Jha'Meia ran at it. "This is it!" she thundered, her voice augmented by her power that had become awesome through her pain. She leapt high right into Loclus' incorporeal body.

"MAIA!"

"Get down!"

And the shadow seemed cut into two.

Loclus groaned as his body seemed to break up and float away. Then the room itself began to rumble.

"Let's get out of here!" Shi'Iana shouted.

One of the Vincenzos created a sphere around all of them and it shot through the air up to the hole in the ceiling.

"Jha'Meia's still in there!" D'Brah gasped.

"She'll be fine, just watch."

The building in which they were prisoners in was crumbling. It looked old, so it would've done so anyway, they supposed. The scale of its crumbling was magnificent as the old pillars crumbled and walls crashed in. Something seemed to shoot out of the building into the air.

The sphere settled down near the destroyed building.

A hoot from the air drew their attention.

"Jha'Meia! She's alive!" Mell'Esia marveled. "Look!" she tugged on the sleeve of the young man next to her. "It's really her!"

"Didja think one little crash would defeat this one?" Jha'Meia shouted from her flight high above them. Using the remaining energy she had, she pushed all the dark clouds aside, letting the moonlight shine through. "I AM," she yelled before letting loose a deep breath, "tired."

D'Brah sighed. "It's over, right? That thing's dead."

"Yeah, I hope so," Shi'Iana also breathed in relief.

"Now Vincenzo has to join back together," M'Ream said in disappointment.

"I'm sorry," the Vincenzo next to her said.

"It's not working," another one said.

"What??"

"I'm telling you, we can't join back together," said the other one calmly.

"Oh, no, looks like the start of new problems," Jha'Meia said cheerfully. She was bloodied, wounded in many places, but she looked buoyant as she descended.

"Oh, no," a third Vincenzo groaned. "That's bad, right?"

"Bad? No, that's great!"

"Huh??" they all asked Jha'Meia, who was laughing her head off.

"You proved the scientists wrong, Vin! They were trying to make the perfect human by interlaying DNA over DNA, that's why you were in cryo-stasis for years. Well, you were their real thing, and you failed them!"

"But…"

"Look at yourselves, all of you. You have different DNAs. But when you separate yourself, you could separate your DNA patterns too, and that was the secret of your genetical engineering! But now, you can't get back together because you were too different while we were fighting! By using your different methods, you were merely making the bonds between your different DNAs weaker! And now look!"

Jha'Meia was laughing so hard she was crying. She wiped the tears from her face. "That's why it's great! You proved that humans cannot ever become perfect, no matter what happens!"

"You mean, I was supposed to be perfect?" Vincenzo asked slowly.

"Why not? You had it all: patience, a practical mind, leadership qualities, spirit, and even looks, but the thing is, you had a miserable past: you were tormented by personal demons that hounded you because you were perfect, you stood out like a sore thumb. One cannot have one thing without another. Now that each self of you is imperfect, you'll be happy! Don't you get it?"

"So that's what you mean, the start of new problems!" M'Ream exclaimed. "The scientists are still going to continue their studies and we'll have to fight some sort of legal battle to have it stopped?"

"New problems mean the new Vincenzos, silly!" and Jha'Meia was off laughing again. "How are we going to explain why these three new existing people don't have any ID cards? They technically existed as one person, and this is going to start a whole new set of problems! AND, we have to explain they were born as the same time, but not as quadruplets!!"

"This is… crazy," D'Brah said. "They're all the same person, but they're different? Explain that!"

"They're not the same," Mell'Esia said, staring at the Vincenzo next to her. "Look! They're different!"

And they were. The man next to M'Ream had more rugged features, features suitable for outgoing people and appeared more stocky. The one next to Shi'Iana had a cleft in his chin and more narrow eyes with eyebrows making them appear even darker. He seemed even taller than before. The Vincenzo next to Mell'Esia looked more boyish, playful and skinnier than the rest while he next to D'Brah was less muscled than before, more cultured with fine features. None of them looked like the original.

"Supercool," M'Ream gasped.

Jha'Meia went around hugging all the girls. "And I have you, and you, and you and you to thank for this!" She turned to address her brothers, "I don't care whether there is an original among you, but I just want to say, that Vincenzo, you were always schizophrenic, and that's the thing causing you so much trouble. Now you're all four individuals, you'll be happier, and so will I!"

She hugged all of them. "By the by, if you want to know, you were actually registered as Vincenzo Eduard Rodney Irving Lagoon."

"Why so long?" one of them exclaimed.

"Mother actually had four sons after me, all of which were kept in cryo-stasis to… well, to make you. So she decided if ever the scientists changed their minds and seperated you, those were the names to be used."

"I lay first dibs on the name Vincenzo," the one next to Shi'Iana declared.

"We don't want it anyway," another one, this one next to M'Ream scoffed. "I'm calling myself Irving."

"I'd prefer Eduard," said the one next to D'Brah.

"Guess that leaves me with Rodney," Mell'Esia's said. "Not that I mind." He flashed a boyish grin at Mell'Esia.

"It suits you," she teased.

"Who would've thought…" Jha'Meia said thoughtfully.

"Thought what, Maia?" Vincenzo asked.

"That someday, I'd get all my brothers to play with."

"Test subject has been found, over, we have found the Lagoon siblings, over," a bright light from a helicopter shone on them. "Miss Lagoon, are you all right?"

"Here we go," Eduard sighed.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

"My experiment!" a thin, sickly-looking old man wailed. He went around inspecting the young men. "My poor experiment! Look what's happened! After all that hard work!"

"I don't see anything to make a fuss about," Vincenzo muttered.

"Well, we'll just have to put you back together," the old man said. "I have just the right machine here! It'll join back your DNAs just the way it used to be."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," M'Ream said, holding up her hands. "You want to join them back together? What if they don't want to be joined back together?"

"If they wish to fight legal battles, then they can do as they please," the old man, supposedly a professor, said indignantly. "But I'm offering to do them a favour, you know. If they join back together, you'll have the Vincenzo Lagoon you once had. The prefect man."

"Why would we want to be perfect?" Rodney asked quite reasonably, though it sounded like a child's reasoning.

The professor stared it him. "All my life I have been researching, and now you ask me why one wants to be perfect? Weren't you satisfied with the way you were when you were perfect?"

"No," all four of them chorused.

"I am not getting into whatever machine you've devised," Vincenzo declared, crossing his arms.

"Doctor, is there anything we can do to compromise?" Jha'Meia asked calmly.

"No!" the professor was firm. "This is the best experiment ever, and I'm not going to give up- OOF!" M'Ream, ever the tomboy, drew back her fist and kocked him flat on his back.

"Oh, M'Ream, don't tell me you hit him hard!" D'Brah gasped.

"M'Ream, tell me you've knocked him out for at least a year," Jha'Meia grinned. "Well, doctor, that settles it, doesn't it? My parents weren't really too keen on your experiment, anyway."

The professor was too cross-eyed to answer.

"What now?" Shi'Iana asked as they all followed Jha'Meia out of the door and to the car.

"We go back to the academy."

"And then?"

"You finish your education."

"And then?" Shi'Iana pressed.

Jha'Meia smiled at her brothers, who smiled back in their own ways. "Who knows?"

_______________________________________________________________________________________________
 
 

Author's note: Well! That's for a first! Whew, switching from MSWord to HTML sure is tiring, with all that copying and pasting! I hope you enjoyed that one! I'm rather proud of how it turned out myself! E-mail me with any comment!! This one's for Shi-Ian, Mariam, Melissa and Debrah! Can you people figure out what fan fic it originally was supposed to be?