That Which Must Be Shielded

- "To protect means to shield, to shield requires acceptance of having to suffer for others. To Grow up means to leave parts of one's old self behind"

[Nine days prior to the test | The Republic of Sefa]

A muscular, dark-blue haired young man leaned against a concrete rail and stared at the night sky. He could make out various constellations, despite being in the middle of a giant city.

"Are you alright, Alto?" Alto turned around and saw a tall young woman with the build of a track and field runner. Accompanying her was a pale young man. Strands of deep red hair poked out of his hoodie.

Alto's eyes shifted back toward the sky. He sighed as he thought about what to do. His best friends had decided to go to Kyuu Seishin's Nine Petal Academy. Normally he would've followed them, especially as it had been his dream to attend that school; to follow in his brother's footsteps.

Yet... there was something holding him back.

"I'm just thinking of how to break it to them," he responded, his eyes glittering as they reflected the radiance of the stars.

"I'm sure that they will understand, eventually," said the pale skinned boy.

The young man smiled. "Yeah, eventually is the keyword."

He lowered his head, now staring at the near darkness below. Only a few street lamps lit the empty streets. Though even their light wasn't permanent, going on and off at every three second interval.

He stared at his best friends; Arima and Ulissis. "I'm going to go for a walk. I need some time to think"

"At this time?" Arima asked, grabbing him by the arm. "It's dangerous."

Alto gave her a smug grin. "I'll be fine. I have magic to protect me."

Her eyes darted around. "Yeah. But..."

He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring grin. "Trust me. When have I ever lost a street brawl?"

She flinched and slowly loosened her grip on him. "Never, but—"

He freed himself from her weakened grip and shrugged. "See? You're worrying for nothing. You two should worry about yourselves.

Arima's turned away. Her gray eyes gazed at the stars. "I hope that you're right."

***

Alto walked across the barren streets, feeling the cool afternoon breeze against his face and arms. He covered his hands with dark blue electricity, lighting up the dim streets. Doing so was a double edged sword. It allowed him to see with ease and scared away those without magic. But on the other hand it proved to be a magnet for those who had magic. Or who weren't frightened at the possibility of fighting someone with it.

"What should I do?" Alto asked as he came across a park. The place was covered in weeds with only the areas under the abandoned equipment avoiding said fate. The place hadn't been in use since his father was a child, which was scores ago.

Calmly, he made his way toward a rusted swing and kicked it. The thing still swung as if new, though with a decent amount of rust and a notable creaking sound.

Alto shrugged. He sat down and slowly swung back and forth, allowing the wind to flow across his wavy hair. 

"Perhaps I should stay and try to rebuild this place for the kiddos," he said to himself. 

He closed his eyes and tried to imagine the children and their parents enjoying a day out at the park. The smiles on their faces at having a wide and safe place to play at or for their loved ones to do so. Parents talking about their kids, competing against one another by pointing out how good their son or daughter was at swinging across the monkey bars.

"Hey!"

The dream shattered. In front of him was reality. A cruel reality. A white-haired young man his age gave him a yellow smile. "Hey, if it isn't Alto Opus! Long time no see. What's Mr. Goodie-Two-Shoes doing out here at this time?"

He grimaced at the smell of smoke being blown his direction by the young man.

"Aban. You should really quit that stuff."

Aban chuckled and raised his arms. At that moment several other guys closed in on the lightning mage.

The young man stood up from his swing and smiled at Aban and his friends. "Quite the meeting. What brings all of you to this here park?" He crossed his arms. "Ah. Let me guess, you fools are selling that nasty stuff."

Aban belly laughed. "And you?"

Alto shrugged as sparks crackled through his hands. "I was on a walk and decided to rest." He walked toward the yellow toothed young man, causing the others to draw closer. He smiled smugly. "Really guys? What's with that reaction?"

The white haired young man nodded. "Right. Do you shit-heads really think that I'll lose to this bastard?" He smiled at Alto again. "Besides, we're not going to fight. Right, Opus?"

Alto walked past him. "No." He stopped and turned around. "Though I do ask that you find another place to do your stuff. This here is my turf, got it?"

Aban laughed once more. "I see that you still haven't lost that sense of humor."

The dark-blue-head leaned his head back and grinned. "Who says that I'm joking?" He took one step forward and lit up the darkness with two brilliant dark blue spheres of raw energy. "Now get out!"

The white-haired young man glared at him. "So this is what it comes down to. I wanted you to join us, Opus. You could've been my right-hand man."

"Tsk. Like I would want to work for a shitty bastard like you," Alto said, grinning as he removed his shoes. He closed his eyes and focused his attention on the grass and dirt below his feet.

"What the heck are you doing?" his old acquittance asked.

Alto stepped forward and opened his eyes. They were deep cyan and gave off a strong electrical pulse. He punched the air, unleashing several weak volts worth of lightning. All of Aban's gang collapsed to their knees in seconds. All... but Aban himself.

The white-haired gangster moved his neck left and right as he took a step toward the bare-footed lightning mage. "What was that?"

He smiled at the gangster. "I should've known that you weren't going to go down with a little jolt."

Alban raised a meaty arm into the air and punched the ground, sending rocks flying at Alto. "Don't mess with me shit head!"

Alto jumped into the air, dodging the wave of earth. He watched as it buried the rusted equipment. "Tsk. I planned on recycling that!" He kicked the air, unleashing a curved wave of energy.

Aban ducked the wave and watched it cut through the grass and destroyed the swings behind him. He snickered watching at the now unrecognizable melted equipment. "What were you saying?"

"Damn it!" he yelled, partially at himself. He descended from the air and put both hands together. He held the middle and index fingers out like a child playing cowboys and robbers. Blue and white energy circled around the 'barrel' of the 'gun'. "Quit this fight while you're still ahead."

Aban let out a snicker as a wall of earth formed around the blue-head.

A blast of blue lightning destroyed the thick rock of earth and lit up the entire neighborhood as it barreled its way toward Aban.

Alto smiled as he walked out of the crumbling earthen structure. "Looks like I—" Holding his bullet of lightning was a white-haired, dark-skinned young woman with golden eyes.

Aban was on the ground, whimpering as he stared at the bullet of densely packed energy. As soon as he saw Alto emerge— he stood up and turned tail, leaving his unconscious gangsters behind.

"Tsk. Coward," Alto barked, spitting at the burned grass. He glared at the white-haired woman. "Who are you anyway? Are you in league with these bastards?"

"You need to control your power," she said, staring at the bullet she held. Curling the fingers of her right-hand, she extinguished the bullet in the palm of her hand as if it were a candle being blown out.

He eyed the charred swings which now looked like some sort of post-modern artwork than swings. "I'll get it under control one day. I just need more practice."

The lady starred at her right hand, it was bleeding slightly, but beyond that showed no signs of damage. "What school will you attend?"

"Zinnah high school."

She continued to stare at her hand as if puzzled. "A mundane school? Someone with your power and control should attend a magic academy. I recommend Kyuu Seishin's Nine Petals Academy. In nine days' time, they'll be hosting their annual exam at Mahpiya high in Caelum, Wahkan."

Alto turned around, his face serious.

Nine Petal Academy, eh?

"I better get going. My family must be worried."

She put a hand on her hip. "Alright. Just don't try to fry any more gangsters, huh?"

Alto turned back and watched at the white-haired woman put a hand on top of one of the unconscious gangsters. "What are you doing?"

"I'm healing them," she responded as a light ethereal glow emitted from her hands. "I'll be herding them over to the police station once I'm done."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "They'll just run away."

She snickered as she formed a water string out of thin air and had it wrap around the ganster whom she had just healed. "There. Now they won't be able to escape so easily."

Alto snickered. "You're weird."

The young woman's face flushed under Alto's light. "Go already!"

He laughed again and started to run. "Bye..." He stopped and glanced behind him. "The name's Alto. What's yours?"

"Sonata."

Sonata? That name sounds... familiar.

"That's a beautiful name. See ya around, Sonata!" Alto said, waving.

The girl smiled back. "Thanks." She reached into the grass and pulled something out and threw it at him. "You forgot these!" Alto caught a pair of white sneakers in his hands. "Those are bound to cost a lot. Try not to lose them."

Alto smiled gratefully and sped away, leaving Sonata alone with the gangsters.

***

"Sonata," Alto said the name to himself as his dull apartment complex came in sight. He closed his eyes and thought about the emblem on her white coat. It was of two foxes. One red and one white. The emblem belonged to those who attended or worked at Nine Petal Academy. He smiled. "She truly was an interesting woman."

The image of the dark-skinned, white-haired girl flashed before his eyes.

"A mundane school? Someone with your power and control should attend a magic academy. I recommend Kyuu Seishin's Nine Petals Academy. In nine days' time, they'll be hosting their annual exam at Mahpiya high in Caelum, Wahkan."

Should I go ahead and apply to Nine Petal? But Ulissis still appears split. I'll need to convince him to go.

"Welcome back," a voice called out. He glanced up and saw that it was Arima who had called out to him. She waited by the concrete stairs. She looked at the scratched on his arms and reached for the white box by her side and sighed. "I knew it."

Alto looked away and chuckled. "Sorry, I sorta had a run in with a certain gang."

"Who?" Was it the Yellow Crows again?" she asked as she opened the box. She took out some cotton and alcohol.

He shook his head. "No, it was Aban's group."

Arima's eyes widened upon hearing the name. "Aban? Is he alright?"

He winced as she rubbed a cotton swab on his arm. "Y-yeah, but... Ouch, easy there."

She narrowed her eyes. "Don't be such a big baby. Now, if you had listened to me this wouldn't have happened."

He pulled his hand away. "I know, no need to rub it in. Uh, no pun intended."

She snickered. "Well, go get some rest."

He smiled. "Alright, 'Mom'!" he said before rushing up the concrete stairs.

***

Alto tossed and turned in his bed. He pulled the navy blue blankets over his body and then tossed them aside. He ruffled his dark blue hair to calm down his roaring stream of thoughts. He was trying to figure out how to convince Ulissis, but he wasn't sure if he would be able to.

What do I do?

He took a deep breath and opened his eyes. Verdant light from 'Anola', one of the three moons of their world, lit the room—giving the place an otherworldly sensation. He assumed that was why it was Arima's favorite moon.

"Arima," he said, staring at the white-framed picture on his nightstand. It was of Arima, Ulissis and him as children grinning in a picture taken when they were in elementary. It was one of the few pictures he owned.

His eyes shifted toward the child standing to Ulissis' left, holding a yellow balloon after having celebrated the kid's birthday with the class. Aban. He grimaced as he recalled their most recent battle. I failed to keep the four of us together...

***

[Years Ago]

"Aban, Ulissis!" Arima yelled, waving at her friends from across the road. She and Alto had made it to the old park.

"S...should we really be here?" Ulissis asked as he crossed the road. Shivers spread throughout his body as he stared at the tall grass standing between them and having fun. "We might get in trouble."

Aban put an arm around Ulissis and nudged him forward. "Of course it'll be. Let's go, buddy!"

"Ulissis is right," Alto said, tilting his head.

Aban sneered. "Come on Alto. Don't be such a goodie-two-shoes."

The blue-head rolled his eyes. "I don't care what you call me."

"Alto," Arima said, glaring at him. Her grey eyes felt as if they could push the soul out of his body. Perhaps she could if she ever trained her magic to that level. "You're the one who wanted us to come here in the first place."

Alto whistled. "No idea what you mean."

Aban smiled as he shook him. "Come on! Let's go!"

Alto sighed. The two of them weren't going to give up all day long... "Fine!" he responded, grinning.

Ulissis emerged from the grass. His face was paler than usual. Arima grabbed him, supporting him so that he wouldn't fall face first against the concrete.

"Hey. You alright?" Aban asked, his deep orange eyes wide. "I didn't mean to push you too far."

Their pale friend stumbled forward and raised his arm. On it were deep bite marks. All three of the other kids faces grew paler.

'It was my fault... If only I hadn't told them to come here then none of this would ever have happened,' Alto thought.

"Here you are!" Alto's throat tightened upon hearing who it was. It would've been better if it had been any of their parents... but Ulissis' father...

Standing on the other side of the road was a tall, pale, red haired man. He wore his usual stoic frown. He jumped over the incoming cars like some sort of ninja and took his son from Arima who was desperately trying to heal him.

"We... We can explain," Alto said, his face contorted. Tears and snot covered his face.

"My magic," Arima said, falling to her knees. Tears wet the cracked concrete sidewalk. "It won't close the wound or even remove the poison." Her small, slim fingers curled around her face. "He's going to die..."

Ulissis' dad stared at the wound, it was still the same size as before. "I'll treat him." He glared at the three kids. "I told him multiple times not to get himself involved with the likes of you mages. You only ever bring trouble." With those words, he left the three alone.

Alto stood there, dumbfounded. How were they the ones responsible for 'bringing trouble' over others? When those hurting others consisted of both mages and non-mages like him.

"Are we really trouble?" Aban asked, glancing at the concrete with sad eyes.

"We're not!" Alto affirmed, shaking his head. "Ignore him. He just dislikes mages, for whatever reason. Even though the world is ruled by them."

Aban turned around and stared at the thick grass. "I shouldn't have nudged him forward... My parents are right, I'm nothing but trouble... To them and to my friends."

"Don't say that!" Arima yelled, laying her stern eyes on him.

Aban flinched. "S...sorry," he stammered. "But... are you really fine with having someone like me as a friend?"

Alto put a hand on his friend's shoulder and snickered. "Of course! The four of us have been friends since kindergarten. If we had any issue with being your friends then we would've broken our friendship by now. The four of us will remain as such. For now, and forever!"

The white-haired boy beamed a radiant smile. "Yeah!"

***

The young man snickered cynically as he looked at the emerald moon directly. "Forever? Yeah, right." He closed his eyes and put his pillow over them. "We couldn't even remain friends for a few more years after that." And now Arima, Ulissis, and I might go our separate ways. But If I do go with them... then what will become of the kids growing in this environment? Would they become like him?