An AU story that I came up with a looooong time ago. When I posted this up, I 
was delighted with all the reviews that one small part got. I realize that it 
had to have been a once-in-a-lifetime thing, but I'm still writing for those 
who replied. Thanks to Patern, who threatened to bop me on the head if I 
didn't finish this, as well as Tram, who I swear would have strangled me had 
I not continued(happy now?), as well as those who reviewed:
madarr, Wings, Lynn, waterdragon, Ignacia, bj, Rae, The Psychotic One Psycho
Sam, cheretan, star, Asuka Kureru, browen eyes, Jess, Chaos, and Katie. 
Thank you!!!

This is the story of five boys who were prophasized to save the world. Five 
with the power of the elements, who will discover through their journey 
towards their destiny that the only monsters they had to battle was themselves
and the ones created by humanity.
Because Elements have a dark side also..... 


Elements of Magic:
"Spirit Let My Mind See Clear"
by shamera
sitafire@hotmail.com

	"There's another one," 

	Trowa looked up from the book that he had been reading to see his 
roommate look out the window worriedly. "Another one?" he echoed.

	Quatre was leaning half his body out the window to try and capture a 
piece of the conversation what had been going on on the ground level. 
"Another person here. You know how we've been followed around ever since we 
found Heero and Wufei? It's almost as if all of a sudden everyone knows who 
we are and wants to be around us," he was chewing on his lip nervously. 

	"I'm sure the people are just paranoid," Trowa said, and then went back
to the book that he was reading. 

	"I don't know," Quatre replied, voice low, seagreen eyes focusing out 
onto the figures that argued back and forth heatedly on the ground. "It's 
like there's some evil out in the world to fight, and the people would feel 
safer around us..." He shifted uncomfortably, "But the prophacies never said
anything about us having to fight some evil..."

	"It's for what we represent," Trowa said calmly. "Unity."

	Quatre continued to stare out the window. "But it doesn't feel like it."

	It was true. People didn't care so much about unity and what the boys of 
the prophacy represented as long as the monsters of the world stayed away.  
And the thought of how mindless and unthoughtful the people were when the 
tried to rid of their own fear and anxiety by placing it on others was enough 
to make Trowa angry- although the banged boy didn't get angry often. 

	There was a crash on the ground floor that made Trowa put his book down 
and look out the window with Quatre.

	There was a boy outside like Quatre had said, except this boy seemed 
different than the others. He didn't look like he was here to seek shelter or 
help. He looked like he was supposed to be here. Quite a difference from the 
ordinary passerby that wanted the safety of the Elementals. 

	The next thing that Trowa noticed was the braid.... a long rope of hair 
moved from side to side as the boy argued with the innkeeper. The boy looked 
young, as young as the Elementals that were staying here. He was wearing all 
black and carried but one bag with him. There was an air around him that told 
the banged boy that he had purpose to be here. 

	"He should let him stay." Trowa commented mindlessly.

	Quatre glanced over at his roommate for a second. "Who? The innkeeper?"

	Trowa didn't comment as he continued to look upon the arguement. A few 
moments later, he turned back and picked up his book again. 

	"This inn has too many people already. There isn't enough room. If he 
stays, he's going to either have to room with Heero or Wufei." Quatre 
commented. "Everyone else in here has already roomed up. And I don't think 
either of them would want to room with something. The innkeeper knows that. 
If he allows this boy to stay, he might be kicking us away because of Heero 
or Wufei... then his business would go out."

	"Yes..." Trowa agreed quietly with the blonde boy. "But still, there's 
something about that boy..." He shook his head. "Never mind. You're right. 
The innkeeper would be stupid if he allowed the boy to stay."

	Quatre didn't say anything at that. Anytime Trowa had a feeling about 
something, it usually turned out to be for the best. And if... no. This wasn't
something that he could decide on. 

	Shrugging, Quatre also returned the the book he had settled on his desk.
He had to worry about the rest of the Elements' sanity, not dwell on scattered
thoughts. Besides, Trowa would tell him if there was something about to 
happen. Trowa always did, after all. That was why he trusted the boy so. It 
was why he felt so safe around that boy. 

***

	The first thing that Heero noticed when he got outside was... blue. The 
walls of the inn he and the other Elementals were staying at was blue. There 
were so many people outside wearing blue. 

	Even though the grass and trees were their respectable colors, it could 
not drown out the blue of the aura that floated through the air. There was so 
much people there that faced depression, thinking that they would not be able 
to be redeemed for whatever it was that they had done. 

	What a load of bull. Everyone had a chance to be clean from their sins. 
Why would anyone think that they were sinners if they were willing to do so 
much for redemption? Anyone who wanted to help out was appreciated in the 
world, that much he knew. He had his own share of pain and suffering in his 
short lifetime. He was almost sure that everyone had. 

	Yet he was not depressed. Withdrawn, yes. Depressed? No. He knew that he 
had done many bad things, but he also knew that he would be able to make up 
for it in the many years that was to come. He was an Elemental, after all. 

	But as he walked around the simple beauty that surrounded the village 
he was currently staying at, he noticed something strange. 

	There was someone there. Someone whose spirit was not of the color blue,
was not so depressed and reeking of sadness. 

	Curious, he walked closer to the strange blackish aura that he had 
detected. Even through the color he saw was black, it held no malice nor did 
it hold any sadness or negative feelings. Perhaps the most negative feeling 
that this person had was annoyance. A great deal of annoyance. 

	"-don't understand." The person was saying, sarcasim dropping from his 
voice. Heero was shocked to note the thick chestnut braid that fell to this 
boy's thighs, a boy who could be no older than himself. He wasn't any taller 
than Heero, with a slim build and a small, black travel bag in one hand. The 
other hand was gesturing wildly as he launched into a tarrade of words, each 
more slurred than the rest. 

	He had a strange aura, Heero noted. Almost as if the black around him 
was animated and moving- a seperate entity than the boy himself. 

	The innkeeper was looking ready to cave in the whatever the boy wanted 
when he suddenly saw Heero staring that them. "Heero-san!" the old man cried 
out desperately. "I must ask you a question."

	The boy that Heero had been looking at suddenly stopped whatever he was 
saying and turned. Damn! He had wanted to observe the young man for a longer 
period of time. 

	But his grouching disappeared as he saw the confusion in the heart 
shaped face as the boy looked at his with dark violet eyes. Thick bangs 
threatened to hide the curve of the boy's brow and the top of the wide eyes. 
He was wearing all black- but did not look hot in the summer day.  

	He wasn't done admiring the boy's looks when the innkeeper came up to 
him, hands together as if afraid to ask whatever he was going to say.

	"Yes?" Heero asked, nasal voice deep with impatience. He wanted to be 
able to keep the examining the sight of the braided boy, be able to freeze 
that moment into a painting.

	The boy frowned as he heard the impatience, and crossed his arms 
stubbornly under his chest, standing in a manner that stated his confidence. 

	Yes, this boy was most certainly an interesting person... Heero was 
wondering how he would be here in this depressing town as he innkeeper asked 
his question. 

	"This traveller needs a place to stay in his journeys, and he said that 
all the others inns were full and that there was space here... yet I did not 
want him to intrude on you, Heero-san," the old man figeted. "But you and 
Wufei-san are the only ones that hold a single room in the entire inn..."

	What? This boy was to stay with him? Heero growled mentally. No matter 
how interesting this boy was, the cobalt-eyed boy valued his privacy intensely
and guarded it jealously. Just like Wufei. 

	Taking Heero's silence as a no, the innkeeper turned to the braided boy 
and shook his head sadly. 

	The boy's annoyance grew another notch. "Look," he told Heero from where 
he was standing, not even bothering to come over to address him. "I just need 
a place to stay. If you don't like me after two days, you can kick me out. 
But as for right now- I need to be here. I don't know why this place is so 
packed, but whatever the reason is- I'm not here because of that."

	Heero contemplated. Two days was alright... he could get to know this 
strange boy better, as long as this boy kept out of his stuff. What harm could
he cause in two days? Besides, he might be able to manipulate the boy into 
telling Relena that he was never home whenever she came. 

	That girl really was a nuisance. He couldn't hate her because she 
reminded him too much of his past, yet she wouldn't leave him alone, babbering 
on about how she was a princess of a distant land that needed his help and 
how she would so appreciate it if the Elementals could help her. 

	Very reluctantly, Heero gave a slow nod to the boy. "Two days," he 
reminded the braided boy. "We'll see then."

	If it were possible, the boy seemed even more annoyed.

***

	What a total bastard!

	Duo huffed as he threw his bad onto the bed. His roommate was certainly 
spoiled- everyone asked what it was he wanted, everyone followed him around 
as if he were the savior of the world. And he was so unfeeling towards every-
one! Especially that poor girl who was clearly in love with him. 

	Dropping to sit on the soft bed, Duo once again wondered why that boy 
had even allowed him to room with his-royal-majesty. It was clear that he 
didn't like people around him, and that he didn't even like those who tried 
to talk or befriend him. 

	Yet... 

	Duo paused his thoughts, wondering what *he* thought of the boy. The 
enigmatic boy had a quiet stare that was as alluring as he was frightening. 
His eyes were a deep colbalt that looked like he was either interested in 
what a person said, or irritated with him/her. 

	Grinning to himself, Duo flopped back onto the bed, letting himself 
bounce once or twice and reaching up underneath his collarbone to finger the 
necklace that Helen had given him for his fifteenth birthday. It was a silver 
cross with a elaberate pentacle engraved onto the middle. A way of reminding 
him of his responsibilities, she had said. That either and all worship were 
accepted in the eyes of whoever was in charge- the Goddess or the God. 

	His eyes grew somber with the thought of Maxwell Church. He missed 
them already. Shinigami had been oddly silent once he started on his journey,
only responding when Duo asked his friend for directions or asked an question 
in the easy chatter he had kept up all the way. It was as if his guardian had 
grown distant in the short time that he had been travelling. 

	That irritated Duo to no ends. He had listened to Shinigami and had left
his home, all that he had ever known. Yet Shinigami seemed almost guilty when
they talked now, hiding back into wherever he came from the first chance he 
got. Was something wrong? Why was Shinigami like that?

	He was broken from his thoughts as there was a knock on the door. 

	"Hello?" Called out a tentative voice. Duo stood up again, however 
slowly, and listened carefully. "Is anyone in there?"

	Yup, definately a male voice. 

	Crossing the room to unbar and open the door, Duo found himself face to 
face with a young blonde boy who was his age. 

	"Hi!" The boy said cheerfully, aquamarine eyes shining. Duo blinked at 
the other boy, wondering why he was so happy. "My name is Quatre... I really 
congradulate you on your success in making Heero let you stay!"

	Duo grinned automatically. So his roommate's name was Heero, eh? There 
was actually someone who didn't exactly follow Heero in his every step? 

	"I'm Duo Maxwell." He offered. He held out his hand and Quatre shook it 
while giving a polite smile. "And is this Heero really that much of a 
tightass?"

	Quatre laughed at Duo's description, silently inviting himself into the 
room. Heero shouldn't mind... Duo certainly didn't. "No. It's just that he's 
as pissed off as everyone else who's staying here... especially when the only
privacy he gets from others are in this room."

	Ahh. Personal haven. Duo knew all about that. 

	"I'm surprised he allowed you to stay." Quatre continued. "Not to be 
rude, of course, but I don't think he knows you that well."

	Duo shrugged, closing the door behind Quatre and walking over to a chair
by the table. Sitting down, he leaned slightly on the table and rested his 
chin on his palm. "He doesn't. Even I'm surprised."

	Quatre threw him a curious look as he also settled on a chair opposite 
of Duo. "Oh. Well, I think there was something else..." he shook his head, 
quite embaressed. "Sorry. I'm here to welcome you and I get on to nearly 
insulting you." Smiling once again, Quatre also rested his arms on the table. 
"But it you don't mind me asking, the innkeeper says that you're just a 
traveller. Are you here for any purpose other than passing through...?"

	The blonde boy looked hopeful, eyes wide with something that Duo 
couldn't decipher. Friendship, perhaps?

	"Actually," Duo admitted, wondering why he was speaking about this with 
the boy. "No."

	The change was immediant as the blonde boy looked dejected.

	"I'm not just travelling." Duo continued on before the other could make 
any comments. "I'm actually looking for people."

	"Oh?" Quatre asked, interested once again. 

	Duo nodded. "I guess you can say that I'm looking for the Elementals... 
well, actually, I *am* looking for the Elementals..."

	"And you heard that they'd be here?" Quatre's tone turned slightly 
bitter. 

	"Well, no. Are they here, though? Is that why this place is packed?"

	Quatre nodded slowly. "Everyone's here thinking that they can get 
protection by being around the Elementals. It's gotten really annoying and 
there's only more people coming in everyday."

	"That must suck." Duo's voice wasn't one of pity, but one of amazement.
"Man, I'd really hate to be a bother to them, then."

	"What do you mean?"

	Duo scratched his head ruefully with a silly grin on his face. "I don't 
believe that I'm telling you think, but I'm the Elemental of Water."

***

	"I can't believe Yuy let that boy stay." Wufei was grumbling, poking at 
his dinner with vigor. "Has he gone totally insane?"

	Trowa only shrugged as he calmly shovelled the food around his plate. No
matter that they had attracted so many customers, the food there was still 
slightly rancid and not appealing. "Perhaps he has."

	Wufei snorted. "I would have thought he'd be stronger than that..."

	"I am."

	Wufei looked up and Heero also took a seat with them, setting the bowl 
of oatmeal he had down on the table. 

	"What the hell were you thinking?" Wufei demanded. "We're not supposed
to allow others to room with us. All they'll try to do is get information out 
of us, and perhaps a few favors."

	"He doesn't know that we're Elementals." Heero said quietly as he glared
at the steaming bowl. "He was travelling."

	"That's bullshit." Wufei sighed, and looked back to his own plate of 
rice. "They all say that."

	"I saw his aura." Heero paused, then lifted a spoon full of the glop to 
his mouth, only to change his decision and set it down in the bowl again. 
"He doesn't know. He's different from everyone else."

	"You can never be sure of that." Wufei said. 

	"Is he the one who was arguing with the innkeeper this morning?" Trowa
 asked curiously.

	"Yes."

	The Latin boy nodded, realizing. "Aa."

	"I can't believe the both of you are going along with this," Wufei said,
feeling Trowa's agreement with Heero. "I thought we've been tricked enough 
times already."

	"Apparently not." Heero stood up again, leaving the bowl untouched. 
"I'm retiring to my room. Oyasumi."

	The cobalt-eyed boy left quickly, trying not to look like he was leaving
quickly. The other two Elementals glanced at him in surprise, and then almost 
sweatdropped as they saw Relena-san follow in the boy's steps quickly. No 
wonder he was retiring to his room this early.

	But too bad for Heero, he couldn't walk fast enough to beat Relena's 
small but insistant steps. 

	"Heero."

	The hushed voice brought the boy to a stop as he looked behind him to 
see the blonde girl look at him sadly. He raised an eyebrow at the expression,
wondering what made Relena seem so sad right now.

	"I need your help." she stated, voice calm.

	"Everyone needs our help." Heero couldn't help but sneer. "You are no 
exception. Why should we help you?"

	Relena was quiet for once, and she glanced down on the ground, her hands
held together delicately in front of her. "My kingdom is at stake. I came here
personnally from Cinq, hoping to seek an audience with the Elementals so I 
can find help." she raised her head, cornflower blue eyes shimmering with 
tears. "I don't understand why you hate me so! Can't you at least say that 
you'd try to help?"

	Heero wanted to turn and walk away. He really did. 

	But what people didn't know was that Heero did have a soft spot in his
heart for Relena, as intolerable as she was. And she knew it. 

	"Fine." He grumbled, berating himself for letting her have her way. 
"But it has to be after we find the last Elemental." Heero was nearly certain 
that it would take a while. Hopefully, by then, Relena would have forgotten 
the spur of the moment promise. 

	She smiled, the tears immediantly disappeared. "Thank you, Heero!" 

	He winced slightly at her high-pitched tone, wondering how a sweet girl 
like her (and he didn't like to admit that, but he had to) had such a voice 
that could make the fiercest of men back down. 

	Nodding once, he turned on his heel to return to his room. 

***

	The five of them had finally been found.

	After his initial shock, Quatre had bombarded Duo with questions about 
his life, pausing sometimes only to explain that he was an Elemantal also. 
The Elemental of Spirit.

	Quatre explained that the four Elementals were also at the inn, which 
was why there was so many people there- and that Heero wasn't really spoiled,
he was followed and practically worshipped because he was also an Elemental.

	"Heero an Elemental?" Duo had asked. "But what?"

	Quatre shrugged. "Wind. It's actually really cool to see the others 
work. Heero can create mini-tornados or make it that the wind stays 
incrediably still. It makes it very easy to hunt when the animals can't smell 
the hunter.

	"Trowa's the Elemental of Earth. He controls the growth of plants and 
other things like that. It's amazing to see him coax a tree to grow, or to 
grow food for starving animals." Quatre looked distracted for a moment, then 
shook himself out of it and smiled at Duo's curious gaze. "Then there's Wufei.
He controls the element of fire. He thinks that showing his power off is 
dishonorable, so you'll only rarely see him use fire. But from what I've 
heard, he's a pyromanic. You might want to watch out." 

	Duo grinned. "You mean I can't douse out his fires or candles?"

	"I wouldn't do that." Quatre warned. "Wufei's easily angered."

	"That's even better!"

	The blonde boy sweatdropped. "Anyway. I don't really know what I can do.
My powers don't really show... I can tell what a lot of people around me are 
feeling, if they're in pain or whatever emotion that they are currently 
experiancing. And I can sort of convince people to do what I say- although 
that's something of a natural talent that I have." He smiled apologitically.

	"I understand." Duo said. "I have a few natural talents myself..."

	"I'm curious to see what you can do, Duo. If you'd show me, that is." 
Quatre said, adding the last part in to be polite. But he really was curious.

	"I can't do much," Duo admitted. "There isn't much a person can do with 
water. Keep us alive in the desert, yes." He smiled. "But other than that, a 
few fancy-looking tricks and that's all I have."

	"But what can you do?" Quatre persisted. 

	"I can keep water from evaporating." Duo said proudly. "It takes little 
effort, but it took me a long time to learn how to do that and it's a constant
drain on my energy.

	"I can use water attacks, and shape liquid into any shape I want. It's 
actually pretty easy once a person gets a hold of the basics. But like I said,
it's just fancy-looking tricks. Helen told me that my greatest talent was 
being able to pull moisture from just about anywhere."

	Helen? Quatre didn't voice the question and said, "Like how?"

	Duo chewed on his lower lip as he comtemplated this question. They were 
both leaning across a large table and sat on opposite sides. How could he 
demonstrate pulling moisture?

	"See the candle?" Duo pointed to the small candle in the large table, 
nearing completely used up. There was a small puddle of wax on the bottom, 
and the fire was growing dim. "There's not much water in wax, but there is 
some sort for the wax to take a liquid form. If I can pull the water from 
that wax," he gave a short jerk with his fingers, "Then there's something 
that I can use against someone."

	As soon as Duo jerked his fingered over the wax, the puddle at the 
bottom of the candle dried up immediantly. It had turned back to the solid 
form that it had been before the fire melted it. 

	"That's nice, Duo." Quatre said, not really understanding the 
significance. "But what does that have to do with-"

	He paused when he felt a few drops of warm water drip into his hair. 
There was no leaks in the ceiling, Heero always made sure of that. Tilting 
his head up, the blonde boy was startled to see a thin strip of liquid 
floating above his head. 

	"It's not much," Duo admitted. "But it's something."

	Quatre didn't reply, but instead sat there stunned, then extended a hand
to try and touch the small drops of liquid. His hands went straight through 
and came out wet.

	"It's amazing, Duo." He reassured the other boy, and smiled. "It's a lot 
more than you think. Something like this can be very useful."

	Duo smiled slightly. "Yes. I suppose."

	The door opened before Duo could say anything more, and the two boys 
looked up to find a disgruntled Heero shutting and bolting the door. The 
Elemental of Air looked peeved before he turned and realized that both Duo and 
Quatre were there. 

	"Oh, h-hello Heero." Quatre managed after a moment of glaring on Heero's 
part. He was still in shock with the sudden interuption, not the mention the 
fact that it was really hard to breathe in the room. Heero really had to learn 
to control his temper. 

	Duo was visibly taking deeper breaths as the cobalt-eyed boy didn't even 
notice the others' struggle. "Yo, Heero, dude-" Duo finally managed, still 
sounding semi-normal. "Turn that thing off a bit, won't you?"

	Heero, who had been walking towards his bed, startled and looked slightly 
guilty. After a moment, the air was back to normal and left Quatre breathing 
heavier than usual. Oh, yes. Heero should definately gain more control over his 
powers. Something like this was really dangerous. 

	"You know."

	Quatre looked from Duo to Heero as the words were flatly stated from the 
Element of Air. Duo looked up to Heero and didn't respond.

	Heero's lips hardened into a thin line as he recieved his answer. And to 
think, he had just defended this boy against his own comrades. Some soldier he 
was, so trusting. Wufei was right. The boy had known all along. Perhaps he 
somehow found out a way to disguise that information in his aura, which meant 
Heero couldn't trust what he saw in a person's aura anymore. 

	"Um, Heero..." Quatre began, seeing the tension rise in the room. "He 
didn't know we were Elementals before! I just told him..."

	Heero's gaze now settled on Quatre, expression not changing. Why would 
Quatre tell this boy about the fact that they were Elementals? He wanted to be 
anonymous as much as the rest of them. 

	"Before you jump to conclusions!" Duo interrupted, sensing an impending 
arguement. He held up his hands to try and prevent the fight. "Maybe we should 
cover all the bases to make sure that no one is seeing different shades here. 
I think we might have mistakes here."

	Yes, Heero mused. Quatre must have a reason. 

	"I don't know what you're thinking, Heero, but I think I can guess. You 
wonder why I told him." It was more of a statement than a question. 

	The stoic boy nodded. 

	"Well!" Duo gave a wide grin. "Then that's easily solved." He held out his
hand towards Heero's direction. "My name's Duo Maxwell. I run, I hide, but I 
never lie." He risked a wink. "I'm the Elemental of Water."

	Heero blinked. 

	Oh shit. 

	*Relena*.

***

	The Elementals were now in place. All five, each representing a part of
nature, each representing life as it is. 

	Shinigami sighed gravely. Life. It was the one thing that he took, the one
thing that he could not prevent from ending. No matter how mortals viewed the 
God of Death, it was not his decision as to who died. He did not decide who died
and who didn't. He just knew who he could and couldn't save. 

	Contrary to belief, death was not the end of life. In fact, death had been 
circling life from the very beginning- from the first day of creation. For 
every birth, there is a death; for every creation, a distruction. 

	It was a balance- a very delicate and precarious balance. And at the 
moment, there were just too many lives. Too much evil. 

	The truth was: Life was a murderer of death. 

	So there were those who must die. There was evil that needed to be 
destroyed. That was what the Elementals were for. The Elementals who represented 
life were brought into existance so that they would be able to maintain that 
fragile balance. If they could only understand how special they were...

	...And how cursed they were. 

	Death had no influence as to what higher powers held in store for those 
young souls. He had already been ordered to back out- to continue on his way 
and let destiny lead the dance. 

	But he could not. He had gotten himself too hopelessly entangled to allow 
these children on their own. He had gotten too attached, and was now suffering 
the consequences. 

	The balance of life and death was too unsteady- the line between good and 
evil too blurred. No matter what prophacy had said, the Elementals were still 
children. Still prone to feelings such as love and hate, and unable to fight 
against this war without getting hurt. 

	All children needed guidance- and if Shinigami wasn't going to guide them, 
who would? Fate would not allow anyone who tried to teach the Elementals to stay
alive, but in Death's case, that should be no problem. 

	Without guidance, children most likely got into trouble, always setting 
themselves in a situation of danger without even realizing it. Children were 
innocent, and innocence was something to be treasured. 

	But even if Death decided to break the rules, he would still have to do 
his job. A job that he hated at times- this being one of them. It was something 
that got in the way of everything he held to be moral, until he just couldn't 
understand why he had bothered with goodness and a conscience. 

	Screw destiny, anyway. Who in the world needed some greater force to tell 
them what to do at exactly what time. Destiny sounded like an overbearing parent
or an overprotective sibling. It was something that could be done without. 

	As Shinigami grumbled and trotted along the road, he glanced up only 
slightly to see that he had arrived at his destination. 

	Kicking up some dry sand before him and watching as the dust stained his 
black robes a dull yellow, Death pulled his hood back slowly to allow the 
glaring sunlight to touch pale skin that hadn't seen light for centuries. The 
beams were both hot and burning, searing its way into pigments that were not 
meant to support any more coloring than the pale white, and quickly turned the 
skin into a flushed red. 

	Squinting slightly and facing the old church before him, Death studied 
the place. Cheap paint peeling from the walls, the bright stones underneath the 
colors faded and tired. The wooden framework was exhasted, the only thing truly
holding it up was a basic work of magic and support. It seemed as if the reason 
the wood was still intact was because it didn't *want* to fall. 

	There were sounds of distant laughter sounding from inside the church, 
sounds if life. Running water, stomping feet, and crying babes. The smell of 
hot food wafted and lingered in the air, openly inviting visitors to stop and 
take a load off for a while- to stay for dinner and perhaps tell a story. 

	The whole place gave a sense of friendliness. Of goodwill and peace-
something rarely found throughout the world. It was the Maxwell Church. 

	Not even noticing where he feet had taken him, Shinigami approached the 
front door, reaching out a hand to touch the chipped wood, feeling the roughness
and the love placed inside. There was so much good here. So much belief and so 
much happiness. 

	Not completely sure of what he was doing, Death kneeled down before the 
door of the church, his arms dropping back to his sides. Dark tossled hair 
covered the lowered head, the hood dropped back in respect. He wasn't sure if 
he was doing this correctly. He had never done this before. 

	But on the steps of the Maxwell Church, Death prayed. 







End part 1.




What do you think? I know they style is different from the prologue- but as much
as I wanted it to be the same- I couldn't do it. Maybe it's just because this 
is the way that I write and the other way was a freak accident. *sigh* I hope 
not, thought. 
Eak. I hadn't touched this story in like... forever. Not until I put it on 
ff.net, anyway. Then I started getting reviews that that was what prompted me 
to actually continue this story. See? Reviews does keep stories alive! Although
I DID write on my website that I would be writing at a really slow pace for 
this story. I hope people got the warning. 
Yes, yes, for Tram. I finally finished chapter 1, huh? Let's see if I can 
complete the entire thing. And YES, Abelard and Heloise is finished. It's just 
that for some reason, the last chapter won't update to ff.net. No worries, 
though, I'm done with that story!
Note... I currently have water dripping down my back because of wet hair. 
*shudders* It's a very strange and unnatural feeling, I tell you. 

--Shamera

Preview for next chapter:
"Fire that which Never Cowers"

	Heero keeps true to his promise and soon the Elementals are set for 
Relena's kingdom. But the journey will be a bumpy one as all the Elementals 
still have to learn about each other before they could work with one another. 
	But something unexpected turns up, and the group is forced to stop as a 
tragedy starts to unfold. The beginning of the tests is at hand, whether the 
Elementals are prepared for it or not. They MUST learn to trust each other, and 
form a bond that will allow them to withstand all that they must face. 

Next time, on "Elements of Magic"!