Romance: n: (1) a medieval tale in verse or prose
	  based on legend, chivalric love and adventure, or
	  the supernatural. (2) something that lacks basis
	  in fact. (3) a passionate love affair.

				-Webster's Seventh Collegiate Dictionary



	Just as every breath possess an instance that can be brought 
to life in words, the event becomes a chapter in a book, a story for 
others to gaze upon and be swallowed whole within the tale.
	A realm beyond the waking hours, forged from the magik of a 
thousand dreamers and their dreams. Within every soul lies a story 
to tell, each event a tale to give unto others.
	These tales, both surreal and sensual, are but a few of many 
chapters in a world given breath by a creator. Her name is Naoko
Takeuchi. The people and their lives are of her heart and soul. 
They belong in her embrace. But the raven angels, these knights and 
warriors and their Dreamworld belong to another, and they are of my 
skin and soul. I embrace their world and their shadows as my own 
children.
	I ask that none may steal any of them away from their 
creators. The world of the Moon Princess and her royal court belong 
to Naoko Takeuchi. Their hearts and souls belong to her; they are a 
part of her stories. But the realm of the waking dreamers, and both 
the angels and the demons that exist within them, are a part of my 
own story.  Milady Naoko's princesses belong in their castles 
beyond the moon, and my raven warriors belong with the Torii's 
beyond our dreams. 
	One of honour does not become a petty thief; I ask for your 
requests if you wish my raven angels to wander into other worlds 
and other stories.

	-His lordship Chaos  (hislordshipchaos@hotmail.com)




	"To sleep, perchance to dream."
				-Hamlet


	"I stole forth dimly in the dripping pause
	Between two downpours to see what there was.
	And a masked moon had spread down compass rays
	To a cone mountain in the midnight haze.
	As if the final estimate were hers;
	And as it measured in her calipers,
	The mountain stood exalted in its place.
	So love will take between the hands a face. . . ."

				-Robert Frost, "Moon Compasses"



	I have heard legend of a realm that exists beyond the borders 
of the world we know and live within. Beyond our sleep and our 
dreams there lies another world forged of magik and honour.
	Very few have ever awoken within this realm knowing that they 
had crossed through boundaries and gateways. Yet those who are 
gifted with the chance to glimpse into such a beautiful dream 
possess a magik themselves.
	For over a millennium I have wandered through this place, 
hearing tales of both wonder and horror. My own two eyes have 
looked upon heaven and hell, and their familiars. And sometimes I 
hear of those who find the power to cross through the gateways.  
	Sometimes if they find themselves in the world of waking 
dreamers, they encounter the souls who are forever standing guard 
to protect such beautiful dreams from a darkness of evil bent on 
consuming everything.
	These guardians are solitary, both warriors and mages, with 
human hearts and human souls. Their feelings are ours. So too are 
their struggles, their pain, their fears.
	They are the raven angels.
	Let me tell you a story...


	THE RAVEN'S TALE


	It was raining, though what fell was not rain. Petals. Cherry 
blossoms. Hundreds of pink, fragile blossoms swirling all around 
her. They were the only true colour here.
	A strange, dark realm. There was no visible beginning or end, 
no walls or ground or sky. There was only a darkness that was not 
black but of a deep evening blue or of the water in the depths of 
the oceans.
	One solitary shaft of light emerged, and she could see 
herself. The cherry blossoms became a pale white as they rained 
down, decorating her long, chestnut brown hair.
	She slowly turned a full circle, her body moving with swift, 
graceful elegance. Her feet dangled in the darkness. There was the 
sensation of being liquid, as if the air was hers to control. As if 
she could hover or fly--or was already floating.
	Could such a place on earth exist?
	Or was this even reality?
	"A...dream?" she asked herself.
	The blue darkness melted away, and a horizon stretched out 
before and beyond her. In the far distance were jagged peaks of 
mountains, their sides a hazy grey from the light of a full moon 
barely over the highest peak.
	The rays of moonlight also cast an eerie crimson glow upon the 
massive torii at the base of the mountains. Alone it stood, the 
gateway between worlds. The sensation of floating faded slowly, and 
she could feel her feet once again touching solid earth. A pathway 
of ancient cobblestone led down the slope to the torii, but she did 
not choose to follow it.
	Instead she waited.
	The night skies were clear and rippling with hues of blue. 
Only one solitary cloud ventured across the expanse of such a sky, 
the cluster of mist sluggish if not frozen in space. And from 
distant worlds in distant galaxies a thousand stars sparkled like 
grains of sand in the sunlight.
	It was still raining cherry blossoms as she settled onto the 
cobblestone path, her weight shifting about to the sudden pull of 
gravity. The midnight wind was cool, causing her to shiver slightly 
underneath her diaphanous nightgown. The folds of virginal white 
fabric rustled in the breeze, and her long brown hair billowed out 
behind her shoulders.
	"What...is this place?" she whispered.
	If this was dream, then it was the most realistic one she had 
ever experienced in her life. This seemed to move beyond the 
borders of awake and asleep; she felt as if she had crossed through 
the boundaries between realms.
	The cobblestones beneath her bare feet were cold, though not 
harsh as she took one cautious step down the pathway. She took 
another, clutching the collar of her nightgown protectively as if 
it was a talisman.
	The torii seemed to loom before her, still bathed in an eerie 
crimson glow from the moonbeams. Then appeared a silhouette, a 
figure cloaked in a darkness that matched a sky without stars. 
	She froze.
	In this realm, dream or otherwise, she was not alone. Another 
soul had joined her--or else had called her to join and walk down 
the same cobblestone path.
	The figure turned, the rays of moonlight exiling the shadows 
and revealing a young man. Alone he stood beneath the torii, the 
delicate petals falling around him. 
	He could be no older nor younger than she. His face was 
beautiful, almost like a girl's. Strands of raven wing hair covered 
his head, growing into a slender, tapering braid that dangled at 
his chest. Within his eyes was a crimson colour to match the torii, 
yet there was no hostility. If anything, there was sadness.
	He was dressed in a loose, sleeveless vest that was tied at 
his waist by a crystal blue sash. The vest was white, outlined in 
black, the front loosely opened to display a tight-collared shirt 
that was silver, sparkling the like the distant oceans when struck 
by rays of the moon. His pants were midnight black, as were his 
boots.
	Around his arms were guards, black fabric holding thin armour 
plates to deflect blades and combat weapons; his fingers were left 
open and free. The armour plates shone brightly, casting 
reflections of light across the grassy slopes.
	His eyes blinked. The wind seized his garments, ruffling them 
in ripples and waves. His lips parted as if trying to speak but no 
words could be heard. There was hesitation in the effort, a 
question of acceptance.
	The cherry blossoms became water, cold and sad like the tears 
a broken soul cried. Her nightgown became damp, then soaked, 
clinging to her skin and bringing to light what was being near 
revealed by its diaphanous nature. She was oblivious to her body 
contours that the nightgown clung to.
	It was the young man she found herself gazing upon.
	"Who are you?" she called out.
	He turned his head, eyes locking onto hers. Within those 
crimson eyes was sadness, a longing that bridged realms but not 
lives. He stretched out a hand, trying to reach for her, trying to 
call her. One last chance, one to intertwine destinies and to cheat 
fate.
	Suddenly two enormous things spread out from his back, 
unfolding with a dull 'thwap'. She recoiled, stepping away as she 
realized they were wings. Feathers of a dove, the colour of a 
raven. And with them a fury of feathers that scattered in the winds 
and the rain, swarming past her.
	A tempest erupted, cold and harsh against her wet skin. The 
gales were biting, and the feathers seemed to be attacking her. She 
threw up her arms to shield her face, trying to move away. The 
onslaught continued.
	Then for one heartbeat she lowered her defenses as she saw the 
young man stretch out his hand further, trying to rescue her and 
pull her closer into his longing embrace.
	The boy's lips parted, forming a single word.
	"Makoto," he whispered.

	
	When she awoke, it was with a nightgown damp from the sweat 
that had poured out from her own body. Her heart was pounding 
fiercely within her ribcage, ready to explode. The threat of danger 
filled her body with adrenaline.
	She shivered.
	A place where it rained down the petals of the cherry blossom, 
where at the base of a mountain range there stood a lone torii, and 
with it a solitary soul. She had walked down that path, smelled the 
pure air, witnessed his wings.
	Yet this room was her own, the exact room she had seen when 
last she closed her eyes and pulled the covers up to her shoulders. 
Nothing had changed but the hour on the bedside clock.
	"A...a dream," she whispered hoarsely, trying to convince 
herself it was only that. That it was only that which was fantasy, 
which never truly existed.
	She gripped the sheets of her bed, and felt something crush 
within her balled fists. 
	Slowly she lifted her hands, opening up both palms before her 
face. A dozen of black, raven wing feathers were caught by a draft 
and lifted into the air, drifting across the room.


	Her friends noticed the changes in her later that day, when 
the darkness of an early morning had given way to the soothing heat
of a September sun. 
	A morning filled with classes had passed by like a distant 
dream, yet it was such a distant dream that filled her mind. Those 
raven feathers were still laying on her floor, a reminder of 
something crossed during the night. Nothing else could capture her 
attention save the young man beneath the torii.
	"Mako-chan?" the long-haired blonde asked. "Are you alright?"
	She looked up from the grass, nodding. It was a nod purely 
derived from a habitual action. Her true thoughts hidden inside, 
she tried to rediscover her friends.
	"I'm fine," she said.
	"You seemed...distant from all of us," the blue-haired genius 
said. "You've been that way all morning."
	"Are you sure nothing is bothering you?" the odango-haired 
blonde pressed. There was a genuine concern in the voice, concern 
directed to her.
	She nodded once more. "I've just been thinking."
	"About what?" the long-haired blonde asked.
	His eyes flashed before her mind. Crimson sadness, and strands 
of raven black hair that danced in the wind. She straightened away 
from her propped-up legs.
	"Someone I met," she answered.
	"Oh!" the long-haired blonde exclaimed in a teasing tone. "A 
new boyfriend?"
	She shook her head. "No..."
	"A new crush?" the odango-haired blonde asked.
	Again she shook her head. "No..."
	"Then who was it?" the blue-haired genius asked.
	She looked up at the rays of sunlight trickling down from the 
tangles mass of leaves held high in the tree over their heads. "I'm 
not sure I can describe it," she told her friends. "I'm not even 
sure if it really happened. It was a dream."
	"You dreamed of a cute guy?" the long-haired blonde pouted. 
"I'm jealous."
	"There was more," she countered, shaking her head.  
"Mountains, and a lone torii at their base. He was there, and he 
had a pair of raven wings stretching out from his back. Such 
sadness in his eyes..."
	Her voice trailed off.
	The three friends sat there next to her, eyes quizzical and 
hearts caught by the unfolding dream.
	"He called my name," she finished. "And when I awoke, I was 
holding the down of his wings in my palm."
	Silence reigned until the blue-haired genius spoke: "Perhaps 
it wasn't a dream."
	"How else could you explain it?" the long-haired blonde 
countered. "Mako-chan fell asleep and then woke up after this 
encounter. It had to have been a dream."
	"But when you wake up from a dream there should be no feathers 
in your hands that existed only within the dream," the blue-haired 
genius countered.
	"So romantic," the odango-haired blonde sighed. "Did he tell 
you his name?"
	She shook her head. "He could only call my name before the 
winds came. There was no time for anything else."
	They all fell silent once more.
	A solitary raven landed down next to them, stared in turn at 
every one of them. When its eyes fell to her, the raven's gaze 
held. And within those eyes she could see crimson sadness. Her 
breath was held in, and she leaned forward with a hand 
outstretched. She was beckoning for the raven to come closer.
	But with a loud caw the raven spread its wings and took to the 
air. She opened her mouth to call after the raven, but it was all 
but a shadow in the sky now. Their meeting, like the dream, had 
ended.


	Nothing more had been said of the dream for the remainder of 
the day, but everything else had faded in her memory. All she could 
think about was her dream, and the mysterious soul beneath the lone 
torii.
	A gateway.
	But a gateway to where? What did it bridge?
	She brushed out the last of her chestnut brown hair, let down 
from the ponytail for the night. Setting down the brush she pressed 
her hand against the fabric of her nightgown. Smooth and silken to 
the touch, she felt the warmth of her hand caress her breasts.
	Would he come tonight?
	Would she dream tonight?
	The time on the bedside clock read thirty minutes until the 
midnight hour. She gave it only a second glance, walking over to 
the window and peering out between the blinds.
	Like it had been when she walked up the steps after school, 
the raven still perched itself on the outside railing. The solitary
bird watched over her, flying away when she got too close and 
called it closer. 
	At this hour, in this night, she did not wish to try one more 
time and venture outside. The raven would surely take flight once 
again. She let it watch over her.
	Her eyes felt heavy, her body weary and full of fatigue. 
Though as she slipped underneath the covers of her bed, there was a 
new sense of anticipation. A question of returning to the 
mountains.
	The lights of the city outside managed to get a few stray 
beams onto her floor, but they were dim and scattered at best. As 
night settled into her apartment, she could feel herself slip away 
from the conscious world.
	Her eyes slowly closed and she slept.


	It was raining delicate petals of the cherry blossoms once 
more. She found their soft touch all over her body as she stood 
there once more at the top of a slope. Beneath her bare feet was 
the cobblestone path.
	Before here were the grey mountains, and their moonlight. The 
skies were clear again, though this time the moon was in its first 
quarter, a mere crescent now. It still was beautiful.
	Far off down the path laid the torii, its crimson outline 
catching her attention. The breeze was cool and she shivered 
slightly. The diaphanous nightgown pressed tightly against her 
chest with the winds, the contours of her breasts and belly 
revealed amidst ripples of fabric.
	The rain of petals came to a gradual end, and the air was 
clear once more. Yet many of the petals were still in her hair, 
pale and glistening with evening dew.
	Slowly she followed the cobblestone path down to the base of 
the mountains, to where the torii stood. As she neared it, the 
silhouette of a human figure emerged.
	It was the young man.
	He stood motionless beneath the gateway, head bowed in 
reverence, arms passively at his sides. She could see the large 
raven wings rustling at his back, the feathers fluttering in black 
shadows.
	His head tilted upwards, eyes opening to meet hers. There was 
joy in seeing her once more, yet there was still the crimson 
sadness that consumed if not devoured the joy moments after.
	This time she stretched out her hand, calling to him.
	He hesitated.
	"Please," she asked of him.
	Tears pooled in his eyes, his soul torn by emotions she could 
not yet understand. "Makoto," he whispered, turning away. Placing a 
hand against one of the Torii's poles he cried. His tears struck 
the cobblestones, soaking in.
	She approached.
	Tenderly she placed her hand in his shoulder in the hopes of 
comforting his fragile soul. He whirled at her touch, angrily 
slapping aside her gentle hand. Wings unfurled, sending up another 
cloud of dark feathers. For a moment his eyes were dark and 
vengeful, his chest lifting with heavy breaths.
	And then sadness returned, accompanied by regret. 
	"I'm sorry," he said. "Please, forgive me. It was uncalled 
for."
	His wings rustled, folding in behind his back. He seemed hurt, 
though more by his own actions. One hand gripping his other arm, he 
shifted positions. Eyes avoided hers.
	"It's alright," she assured him, holding out her hand. 
"Please," she asked once more.	
	Uncertain that her hand would melt away like water if he dared 
touch it, he slowly lifted his fingers to her palm. They touched, 
and it was smooth and gentle.
	Hands clasped, fingers laced together.
	The crimson sadness seemed to lift for that one shining 
moment, and she felt her own soul rise. This was a feeling unlike 
any other.
	Both hands now clasped, and they stared into each other's 
eyes. Looking into hers was like walking amidst a great forest, and 
into his witnessing a purifying blaze.
	Unclasping one hand, he ran his fingers though her long brown 
hair, slowly lifting them out to caress her cheek. He smiled, the 
tip of his index finger brushing against her lips. She sighed, her 
own free palm soaking up the warmth of his cheek.
	Suddenly a cold wind swept past them.
	For a split second he pulled her close to him, arms 
protectively around her waist and a defiant look in his eyes. The 
wind died out, but in its wake a gathering of ravens took to the 
skies from the grass.
	Like a dark cloud they settled atop the torii, staring down at 
the two. He could read what they had to say in their eyes, and it 
was a message he wished he could have never seen.
	He stepped back, the warmth of their two bodies pressed 
together fading and replaced with the cool night air. Sadly he 
lowered his head and turned away. "You must go now," he said 
quietly, hating the words he spoke.
	At first she was unable to understand. Then when she did, she 
was unable to accept them. "Why?" she asked, taking his hand in 
hers.
	"Because that is the way it has always been," he answered 
grimly. Whether it was by his own force or her own release, his 
fingers slipped free of hers.
	Already he was growing distant, the mountains fading into 
darkness as the moon and stars were swallowed up. The torii 
disappeared and all that remained was him.
 	He stretched out his arm to pull her back, but their fingers 
were met with passing, hers through his. He was becoming a ghost, 
unable to cross into her realm.
	"Makoto," he whispered sadly, desperately trying to reach out 
beyond the boundaries.
	But it was no use, and he too was slowly fading. 
	She tried to step forward and found herself only stepping 
back. They were separating, lost in solitude. And with it was lost 
that warm feeling of his touch.
	"Tell me your name!" she called out.
	Though his lips never moved, she heard his voice in her ears, 
inside her mind, before he vanished.
	"Sora," his voice came. "Please, Makoto, forgive me...."


	There were no feathers when she awoke this time. But her skin 
was tingling from his touch, warm and excited all over. She 
shivered, feeling a cold breeze pass her by.
	She had left a window open because of the sweltering heat, but 
at night the temperature had dropped. Had this roused her from her 
sleep, tearing her away from the dream?
	The bedside clock proclaimed four and a half hours into the 
morning.
	She rubbed her hands against her chest, her fingers tracing 
her breasts and belly beneath the nightgown. Reaching up she 
touched her lips; she could still feel his touch on her skin.
	"Sora," she whispered. Sora....


	There was no return to the mountains that night, and when 
morning came and the sun arose she found herself in the same bed in 
the same apartment as before. Nothing had changed.
	When she opened her front door to leave for school the raven 
was still there. It had kept up all through the night and when she 
approached it took to the skies in a fury of wings and feathers.
	Her world was like walking through another dream, and this did 
not go unnoticed by her friends. They were only able to confront 
her once more during the lunch hour when they had time to be alone 
and talk.
	"You're just like you were yesterday," the long-haired blonde 
said. 
	"Was it another dream?" the blue-haired genius asked.
	She nodded, pulling her knees up closer to her chest. "It was 
different this time. Our hands touched, and for a moment I thought 
I saw him smile."
	"I would love to have such a mystery guy in my life!" the 
odango-haired blonde sighed.
	"You already have Mamoru," the long-haired blonde stated. 
	The odango-haired blonde laughed in embarrassment. "Oh, 
right!"
	"He has a name," she spoke up.
	Her three friends leaned in closer.
	"What is it?" the blue-haired genius asked.
	"Sora," she answered. "The skies, the heavens; that is his 
name. He's like an angel."
	"Angels aren't supposed to have raven wings, are they?" the 
long-haired blonde asked, turning to the blue-haired genius.
	"I don't think so," the blue-haired genius said. "Mako-chan, 
what would make you think he was an angel?"
	"He was watching over me," she replied quietly. She turned her 
head and saw the solitary raven standing at the edge of a pathway. 
"He always has been."
 	"This is very strange," the blue-haired genius said. "Perhaps 
we should see Rei-chan about this."
	"Good idea," the long-haired blonde agreed. "Maybe the fire 
will help us find this cute guy."
	She smiled at the mention of Sora being cute. He was handsome, 
yes; beautiful almost to the point of appearing like a girl. Such 
tranquil compassion and frailty in his soul. She wanted to meet him 
again tonight, underneath the pale moonlight.
	She wished to feel his touch again, for his wings to enfold 
her and make her feel secure. Just as she had felt long ago as a 
child in her darkest hours...


	"I won't make you any promises," the dark-haired shrine girl 
said, leading the foursome down the halls of one of the Shinto 
shrine's buildings. "This is a strange request. I don't know if the 
fire will be able to tell us anything."
	"Any attempt is better than nothing," the blue-haired genius 
spoke up.
	They came to the chamber housing the sacred fires that burned 
day and night. The dark-haired shrine girl sat closer to the fire 
than the other four.
	She hoped her friend could read something from the fire 
anything.
	Eyes closed, powers focused, the black-haired shrine girl 
began to whisper words coming in a rapid chain that was a chant. 
Suddenly the eyes were open, staring into the fire as it erupted 
and burned higher than usual.
	Yet there was nothing within the flames.
	"Gomen," the dark-haired shrine girl said, shaking her head. 
"But the fire cannot find anything about this guy you meet in your 
dreams."
	She sighed at her friend's words, accepting the fact that only 
Sora could give her the answers she wanted. But the chance might 
only come tonight when she slept. So many hours were before these 
two times.
	"Well," the long-haired blonde asked. "Now what do we do?"
	"I have no suggestions," the blue-haired genius spoke up. "I 
don't know what else we possibly could do. These events, this 
guardian angel are completely unprecedented."
	"Hai, but where does he come from?" the odango-haired blonde 
asked.
	The black-haired shrine girl rolled her eyes. "Usagi, you can 
be so stupid sometimes."
	The odango-haired blonde whimpered. "Rei-chan, you're so 
mean!"
	They all started to talk amongst themselves after that, but 
she found their conversation growing distant. She walked closer to 
the fire, hand at her breast. Slowly she opened her hand and 
reached out towards the sacred flames.
	"Mako-chan?" the odango-haired blond asked.
	She glanced back at them, but then returned to her hand when 
she felt something soft and light fall into her palm. It was a 
single black raven's feather.
	And then another drifted down past her.
	And then another.
	All the girls whispered to each other in awe as the room 
became witness to a gentle rainfall of raven feathers. They floated 
down to the wooden floor, collecting in numbers.
	"Incredible," the blue-haired genius exclaimed.
	The odango-haired blonde laughed, catching a large handful of 
feathers and then flinging them up in the air. The long-haired
blond joined in the sentiment until the black-haired shrine girl 
snapped that unless they stopped they would be cleaning this mess 
up.
	There was so much magik in the room.
	It couldn't have been just a mere dream she had felt.
	She smiled, staring into but not at the fire. She would return 
again tonight to see him.
	"Sora...." she whispered.


	The pale crescent moon was shining overtop the peaks of the 
mountains once more, as it always had been and always would be. The 
cobblestone path was still cold on her bare feet.
	Her diaphanous nightgown rustling in the breeze, she journeyed 
down the path towards the distant torii still glowing with a 
crimson aura brought on by moonbeams.
	She was not far from the gateway when she saw him, a shadow 
rippling amidst other shadows that danced and played by the torii. 
Two deep crimson eyes slowly opened, the only visible colour of his 
darkened outline. And then he stepped out from the shadows.
	"You came!" he said, a smile touching his face. For a moment 
the clouds of sadness left his eyes, and they were beautiful. He 
moved as if to close the distance and embrace her, but once more 
hesitated.
	His eyes clouded over again.
	"You should not have come," he said finally, looking away. It 
pained him to look into her eyes.
	"Sora," she said quietly, her hands caressing his cheek and 
lifting his head. He was pulled into her gaze, his features 
softening. As if uncertain whether or not he himself was inside a 
dream, he lifted a hand to her skin, gently brushing against it.
	She sighed at the warmth of his touch.
	"Makoto," he whispered.
	"How is it that you know my name?" she asked.
	"You have been here many times," he said quietly, his arms 
wrapped around her neck. "I have seen your beauty cross the borders 
of this Dreamworld."
	His fingers caressed her face, moving from forehead to cheek 
to chin in slow, rhythmic motions. She could feel her breathing 
grow more like sighs or quiet moans.
	"Such beautiful green eyes," he whispered. "Like walking into 
an emerald forest. One day I might journey into there and become 
lost inside forever. Such a fate I could only hope for, Makoto."
	His smile faded, as if harsh reality had come crashing down 
and destroying his fragile hopes. He moved away, possessed by 
crimson sadness. Though his hand languished at her cheek, until it 
too was pulled away, his fingers stretching out in the longing to 
feel her skin once more.
	"Sora..." she whispered, reaching out for him.
	Darkness stole him away.
	"I am sorry," his voice whispered with the winds. "Makoto, 
please...."


	Her eyes were open yet unfocused, as was her mind the same 
way. The morning had been a blur of forgetfulness, lost to her in a 
gentle rainfall of raven's feathers.
	"Mako-chan?" the odango-haired blonde asked, waving a hand 
before her face. "Mako-chan?"
	She managed to shake herself out from the dreamlike state, 
eyes finally focusing on her friends. Once more they were sitting 
beneath the shade of a tree to escape the heat of a September sun.
	"You saw him again, didn't you?" the blue-haired genius said.
	She nodded.
	"Ah, I'm jealous!" the long-haired blonde exclaimed. "Why 
can't I meet a guy like that in my dreams."
	"It was more than a dream," she answered quietly. It felt like 
destiny, or something that went even beyond destiny. A magik, one 
she had never felt before--not even in a distant life far apart 
from this one.
	"It could just be a dream," the blue-haired genius suggested. 
"A very real dream. We all have them. I mean, I can't explain it 
any other way."
	"How do you explain all those feathers yesterday at the sacred 
fire?" the long-haired blonde countered.
	The blue-haired genius could find no response.
	Despite their words of encouragement, she was still lost in 
troubling thoughts. Her angel kept himself a step back, longing to 
step forward yet hesitating. Was this the dilemma of the raven?
	"Mako-chan?" the odango-haired blonde asked, noticing her 
expression. "Is something wrong?"
	She nodded, drawing her knees up closer to her chest.
	"Every time we get close," she said quietly. "He pulls away 
with sadness. As if we're not supposed to be together. I don't 
understand."
	The long-haired blonde leaned over, aghast. "Don't say things 
like that, Mako-chan! You have to keep fighting to reach him! After 
all, life is short and love's a battle!"
	"That's 'life is short so love while you can'," the blue-
haired genius corrected, sighing at the failed quote.
	She smiled at their efforts to make her cheer up; they were 
not in vain. Her hopes lifted just as the raven familiar took to 
the skies, leaving a few feathers to drift through the air.
	Hand outstretched, she caught a black feather and closed her 
fingers around it. Soft against her skin, cool and compassionate. 
The others fell silent as they saw her clutch the feather and then 
release it to the winds.
	Something seemed to be stopping him, drawing him away when all 
he seemed to wish for was to draw closer to her.
	She had to try.
	The winds seemed to whisper his name as they drifted past her. 
Even the rustling leaves of the tree seemed to speak of the raven 
angel. His magik was spreading.
	"Sora," she said quietly. She was lost from her friends, from 
her world. The mountains and the lone torii, the cool breeze 
against her skin, the touch of his soft skin. 
	"Mako-chan..." the odango-haired blonde whispered. They were 
being drawn into his world; no one remained untouched. His magik 
was spreading to them all.


	That night, without words, she slipped out of her clothes. For 
a long while she stared at her naked form caught in the mirror's 
reflection. Her hands gently brushed against her skin, tracing the 
contours.
	For a time she paused at her breasts, and then continued. 
Every pore of her body seemed to be tingling like a gentle shower 
of rain was falling upon her. She looked down at herself, wondering 
if this was Sora's magik.
	The mirror watched her move before it, fingers running down 
her body. And then the mirror let her watch. Her eyes widened, her 
breath a rapid inhale. Within her reflection she saw her form fade 
to black, Sora inside. With downcast, trembling eyes he looked 
away, arms crossed over his chest and clutching his shoulders.
	"Makoto...." she heard him whisper. He was calling out for her, 
in an hour where he was the lone angel in the darkness.
	He faded, and only Makoto was within the mirror. 
	She walked up to the mirror, hands touching the cold surface. 
Her reflection mimicked her actions, eyes within a dream, long 
brown hair dangling over her shoulders and chest. Slowly she moved 
away and reached for her nightgown. The silken gown seemed to 
caress her with that same magik. From somewhere beyond the window a 
raven called out to the moon.
	The bedside clock read fifteen minutes past the eleventh hour. 
And then the lights fled and darkness rushed into the room like a 
flood, sweeping away sight and thoughts and the waking hours.


	It was a gentle shower, the rainfall not enough to soak her 
nightgown right through, but enough to dampen both her hair and her 
garments. The storm felt of sadness. Quiet, lonely tears were 
falling down around her, at her feet and washing into the cracks of 
the cobblestone path.
	The half moon was burning a bright glow across the skies and 
the mountains. Shadows were cast in shimmering silver all around 
her save for the crimson aura that was the torii.
	With steps made uncertain by her heart, she made her way down 
the slope towards the gateway. The rains were still falling but 
there was no wind; even still she found herself shivering. The 
dampened folds of her nightgown glistened around the form of her 
body, the pale colour of her skin showing through the diaphanous 
fabric.
	Sora was standing beneath the torii, waiting. But his back was 
turned, still clutching his shoulders. His tapering braid was 
soaked with the water, almost hidden by the folds of his raven 
wings.
	He turned, the rain leaving a strange sparkle around his 
figure. Crimson sadness. His arms slowly lowered to his sides. A 
bittersweet smile managed to carve itself onto his face.
	"Makoto," he said, watching.
	She was only a step away, face to face and eyes gazing into 
each other's soul. His wings rustled, feathers noiselessly shifting 
around. Her mouth opened to say something, anything. Nothing came, 
and no words could find a voice to claim. Yet her eyes spoke more 
than her lips, even when he gently reached out and ran his finger 
across her lower lip and chin.
	"You came once more," he whispered. He tried to separate 
again, but she snatched his wrist and held it tightly in her grip. 
Unable to leave, he was left with no choice but to return forward. 
	He smelled of the sweet and moist evening air, of racing 
through the skies on raven's wings and the fragrance of a garden of 
roses. It was something that she wanted to breathe and be a part 
of.
	"Why do you keep pushing me away?" she whispered, trembling 
eyes pleading out to him. "Why do you hide when I can see you wish 
to come to me?"
	He stared at her, torn between two dreams. And then he stepped 
forward, arms around her shoulders as he caught her up in a tender 
embrace. His head tilted, cheek to cheek.	
	"Why won't you let me in?" she asked.
	"Fear," he answered softly. "Fear of what happens every time 
you wake up. I remain, and you return to that realm of the waking 
souls. The fear that I may be doomed to love you from beyond our 
dreams forever."
	She felt something cool and wet, something apart from the 
rain, hit her cheek. The raven angel was crying through closed 
eyes. 
	Another of his tears fell, his arms trembling as he held her. 
He was pleading that he could never let go, to see her disappear 
and become lost from him. 
	"You found a way to me," he whispered. "I know that this will 
end when your eyes open in another world, and all I can do is to 
pray that you find your way back the next night."
	The gentle rainfall became instead a breeze. No more water and 
no more tears. Instead a cool wind floated past them, and she drew 
closer to him, shivering. His wings wrapped around her even 
tighter, her breasts against his chest.
	He lifted a hand to brush away the bangs of chestnut hair from 
her face. So cool from the rain yet so warm from her heart. He 
lingered with his palm against her cheek, finally resting it around 
her neck to lace with the other.
	"I have seen the beauty of your dreams." He smiled, staring up 
at the stars. "It is like the radiance of your face. You don't know 
how many times I have reached out in the hopes of touching your 
dream."
	Her arms trailed down his sides, his vest damp and clinging to 
his form. A sensitive area caused his wings to rustle with sound. 
	"Looks like I found a tender spot," she said.
	He laughed, wings folding back behind him. "Beautiful Makoto," 
he whispered, one final tear streaking down his face. "For years 
have I watched you dance within your dreams, to watch you from my 
gate. I could only call out to you and hope you would hear me."
	 His words choked, crimson sadness threatening to overtake his 
eyes once more. It was hard for him to admit to his dreams, knowing 
how fast they would fade and how forever would pass before they 
returned.
	"I'm here," she said, taking his hand in hers.
	His features softened. "We are guardian angels, lords of the 
dream realm," he said, tilting his head to the eerie glow of the 
torii. "Within these borders we are to watch but never join. Always 
with you, yet always apart."
	He led her down the cobblestone path, her footsteps taking her 
beyond the gateway. Overhead the half moon shone its pale kiss down 
on them, and the cool wind brought them closer together.
	"Our time together is short," Sora said. "I can only hold you 
in my arms for one shining heartbeat before you are stolen back to 
your world."
	He smiled, caressing her cheek. 
	She sighed. "This all feels like a...."	
	"A dream?" he finished with a smile of amusement. "You are 
between realms of the waking and the dreaming, and only a handful 
of souls have ever walked this path and remembered it."
	Giggling echoed across the mountain base, content and excited. 
The wind itself seemed to frolic in the childlike laughter; her 
hair and gown rippled with every breeze.
 	"What is this?" she asked.
	A chorus of laughter arose from the grasses and flowers. 
Fleeting images, ghosts and memories played and danced around the 
path. 
	"The dreams of souls such as yours," he said. "I seek to 
preserve their beauty, and to defend them from the eternal darkness 
and its minions."
	She watched as flickers of dreams passed her by. A child on a 
swing with only seat and chains but no frame; a young man curled up 
in a chair, silently ensnared in the world behind the pages of a 
book.
	A girl with long blonde hair and odangos sighed, laying in the 
embrace of a young man with short, dark hair in a bed of roses, both
lovers staring up at the half moon.
	This was a dream she knew, the dreamers she cared for deeply. 
"Usagi-chan," she whispered, watching to two. "Mamoru-san."
	"A rare dream," Sora said quietly, whispering into her ear. 
"Only a few find their way to each other within their dreams. Such 
love is destined for eternity."
	She held in her breath as he pressed into her back, arms 
wrapping caringly around her neck. Such a sweet fragrance that 
embodied him. Her skin tingled at his very touch.
	"It is time for you to go," he said reluctantly. "But for the 
first time, I won't be alone as I stand."
	She turned, eye to eye and face to face. He leaned forward, 
eyes closing. His breath felt warm and reminded her of these nights 
beneath a pale moon. Her own eyes closed. Lips met and became one 
as passions and magik fused together. Her body tingled with the 
sensations of the wind caressing her dampened body. She could feel 
his hands loop around her waist, pulling her in closer. She stroked 
his sides, feeling his wings rustle around her.
	Lips met and finally parted with the parting.
	Sora drew back, his hands slowly running up her sides and 
over her breasts as they were pulled away. She stretched out her 
hands, brushing against his arms and then clasping fingers.
	The mountains grew distant, the torii all but forgotten. 
Dreams of those she knew and souls unknown were lost within a grey 
mist that rose up from the cracks of the cobblestone path.
	She could feel his grip slipping away, his image fading.
	"Mako-chan," he whispered. "I love you...."


	She sighed, staring outside at the dream of reality. The 
September sun was hot, the air thick, the day still bright and blue. 
Yet she longed for night. Cool or hot, she didn't care. Just one 
more chance to be with her raven angel.
	The grounds of the Shinto shrine were serene, trees swaying 
lazily in a gentle breeze just beyond the open paper-screen 
dividers and the outside porch walkway that encircled the building. 
If she turned fast enough, she could still catch his smell in the 
air, of evening dew and roaming fields.
	"Mako-chan?" the dark-haired shrine girl asked, trying to 
catch her attention. "She is really out of it today."
	They were seated together at a low table in one of the shrine 
building's rooms. All friends wanted to talk, but she was oblivious 
to much of it.
	"She's been like this ever since this morning," the odango-
haired blonde replied. 
	"It's like she's awake yet still walking in a dream," the 
blue-haired genius said.
	"It's that guy again," the long-haired blonde said, shaking a 
fist and pouting. "Why can't I find a guy like that?"
	They all turned to the sound of flapping wings. Two ravens 
came to rest upon the porch, cocking their heads at the open room 
before them.
	"Phobos! Deimos!" the dark-haired shrine girl exclaimed, 
calling out the names of the attending ravens. "What are you two 
doing here?"
	The two ravens simply stood at the edge of the groove for the 
paper-screened sliding door. Expectantly they searched the room, 
looking from girl to girl, two pairs of eyes settling upon her.
	She was already watching them, expectant also.
	Another raven flapped down, alighting the porch and standing 
in between the two other of its kind. Crimson eyes of hope and 
magik seemed to shine as they found her.
	"Mako-chan?" the odango-haired girl asked. "What's going on?"
	"Sora...." she whispered in response. 
	Her raven angel.
	Abruptly all three birds opened their wings and in a loud fury 
took to the skies. No shadows were left behind, no feathers to 
drift in the wind.
	She would go to him again tonight, to answer to his call.
	And he would not pull away in fear.


	With the setting sun came the rising moon, and with it came 
the night of a thousand stars. Night had emerged supreme and the 
hour was drawing later in the sands of time.
	Time found her once again staring at her reflection in the 
full-length mirror before her. Skin alive with tingling magik, she 
caressed her skin and found warmth in a dreamlike wraith who seemed 
to be behind her, her own hands becoming his as they ran down her 
body.
	She smiled as her reflection faded, the mirror opening up to 
her a realm beyond consciousness. She saw a face looking back 
though not her own. 
	"Sora-chan," she said.
	He nodded, lifting up a hand and pressing his palm against the 
glass wall between them. Her hand moved to match his, fingers 
longing to lace together yet confined by a window that was not a 
gateway.
	Wings outstretched, throwing raven feathers across his side of 
the mirror. The winds of magik blew them through the watery portal, 
and she closed her eyes as she felt the caress of their rainfall, 
drifting past her face and around her room.
	"Mako-chan..." he whispered, feeling the warmth of her palm 
despite the barrier between them. 
	The raven's down swept her away, electrifying her body with a 
thousand sensations. She could almost feel him standing around her, 
arms laced around her shoulders as he kissed the base of her neck. 
Wings folding around them, she wanted to be there next to him, to 
touch and be touched.
	The magik overwhelmed her, and she slowly lowered herself onto 
her bed. No covers. No nightgown. With a dream to cling to she 
slipped from the waking hours and walked towards an ancient gateway 
she knew so well.  


	A cool breeze that marked the night drifted past her, sweeping 
with it strands of grey mist along the grasses. The cobblestone 
path was no longer cold beneath her feet for now her feet were in 
boots.
	Everything had changed with the bonding of magiks, the 
conjunction of realms. There was not a nightgown around her but a 
flowing white blouse tied at the waist with an emerald sash. 
Beneath the billowing folds of her blouse was a skirt cut from the 
night sky that strived to touch the ground but fell short by a 
hand's length.
	Around her collar draped a cloak of emerald found in the same 
shade as her sash. It too fell short of touching the ground, 
rippling with each push of the winds. A bracelet forged of gold 
wrapped around her right arm, decorated with runes and gemstones 
that glittered when caught in the moon's gaze.
	There she stood, in clothes becoming of this realm's magik.
	No longer was she standing atop a slope, the cobblestone path 
leading her down to the torii. Here the scarlet gateway towered far 
above, its shadow forming around her upon the stones.
	And here he was waiting.
	Sora stood before her, a warm smile and crimson eyes of serene 
flames having found a purpose to burn. Raven wings behind him 
fluttered slightly.
	"My princess," he said, taking her hand in his and gently 
kissing it. "Milady of the forests."
	She wrapped her arms around his waist, drawing him closer to 
her. They stood eye to eye, drawing warmth in a cool night from 
each other.
	"I have been afraid for so long," he said quietly. "Now 
instead of fearing the sunrise I wait for the next sunset, when we 
can be together once again."
	"How long have you been watching over me?" she asked, resting 
her head against his neck. She felt his gentle hands stroke her 
tresses of chestnut hair, let down and playing in the winds.
	"For every tear you cried," whispered an answer. "For every 
smile you made. For every time you looked up at the moon and asked 
the stars if your soulmate was dreaming upon the same moon. I have 
been there, Mako-chan, and I shall always be with you." 
	"Sora-chan..." she said, heart moved and tears slipping down 
her cheek.
	He tilted her head up and wiped away the stray droplets. The 
torii seemed to capture his vision for a moment, the gateway 
looming before them. He slowly broke away from her, though not in 
fear or sadness.
	But now he beckoned to something else.
	Something of his world.
	She gasped, mouth behind hand as it came into the light and 
burst forth from the rolling mists. A creature of shimmering pale 
moonlight emerged with a fierce clapping of hooves against 
cobblestone. Moist breaths of air steamed from its nostrils, and it 
threw its head about to let its wild mane of silver dance 
possessed.
	Sora whistled to the steed, holding out his hand and calling 
it forth. The steed responded, slowing its gallop and trotting over 
to the lord of the gateway. Nose nuzzled against his arms and into 
his vest.
	"What is it?" she whispered in awe.
	"A Silvermane," he answered, stroking its nose. "They exist 
only within this realm, wild and untamed unless we the gatekeepers 
ride with it."
	With a gentle but firm hand he seized the flowing mane of the 
silver unicorn and pushed off the ground, mounting the steed.
	Leaning over, he stretched out his hand to her. "Ride with me, 
Mako-chan. I ask you."
	She took his hand and found herself atop the mighty back of 
the steed. She sat in front of him, and Sora moved his arms 
underneath hers to take the Silvermane's hair and steady them both.
	He whispered something to the Silvermane, a string of words 
she was unfamiliar with. This was still his realm, and thus his 
language of the dreams. Being a living beast forged from such 
dreams the Silvermane understood, shaking out its mane.
	He tucked his arms around her, reaching out to grip the locks 
of the steed's silver hair. She felt safe in his embrace, running 
her hands down his arms and then taking the mane close to his own 
grips.
	"Careful," he cautioned. "They're fast."
	His point was proven a heartbeat later as the Silvermane 
reared up, kicking out its front legs and giving a fiery breeing to 
shatter the stillness of a dreamy night. The silver creature took 
off with incredible speed, galloping away from the torii and its 
cobblestone path, across grasses and slopes and plains.
	She could feel their bodies pushing into each other, rubbing 
as they were jostled and shook by the incredible pace set by the 
Silvermane. Sora nestled his chin against the base of her neck; she 
tilted back her head and rubbed cheeks.
	They rode beyond the torii and into the mountains. Stone gave 
way to forest and trees encircled them the further down the path 
the Silvermane galloped. Sounds echoed past them, of trees 
breathing with the wind and of animals hidden amidst the shadows of 
the forest.
	Finally the Silvermane slowed of its own accord, trotting a 
brisk pace as it snorted hot, misty air from its nostrils. They 
were journeying into the heart of these mountains, the realm now 
alive with the sounds of other souls.
	"Where are we going?" she asked.
	He smiled. "Someplace like home."
	Rushing water met her ears, and the trees bent back to reveal 
a clearing at the side of a mountain's base. The grasses were low 
and dew-covered, surrounding a pool of crystal moonbeams that 
danced in shades of blue. From the jagged rock face poured down 
water, thick and wet and sloppy.  
	The Silvermane came to rest, and he helped her dismount. She 
sighed; such a place was where her dreams seemed to lie. A 
sanctuary to call her own yet she felt so familiar with this forest 
and its magik.
	Had she been here before?
	Perhaps, in another dream.
	"We are not alone," he remarked, walking hand in hand with her 
into the clearing. Their steed weaved itself into the trees and 
vanished with the green vegetation and dark shadows.
	Two young women were seated next to the water's edge, one 
laying in the embrace of the other. The girl on the grass let a 
hand drift in the current of the pool, aqua-green hair being 
stroked by one with blonde hair that held the golden sands of a 
beach or an hourglass.
	Her mouth was slightly agape as she saw the two seated on the 
grass. She knew them in her world, with their own brand of magik. 
They were her friends, her warriors, her fellow dreamers.
	"Good evening, Sora-san," the sandy blonde said courtly. "A 
beautiful night, is it not?"
	He cast a smile. "Haruka, Michiru...I thought you two might be 
here."
	"You know them?" she asked, surprised.
	He nodded, more to the two women than to her. "We've met 
before on occasion within my realms." He eyes darted to the one 
with the wavy aqua-green hair. "You're the only dreamer I know who 
has tamed a Silvermane enough to let you ride it across these 
fields."
	"It is an honour to see you once more," the aqua-haired one 
said, head bowing with respect. 
	"Of the rarest to tame a Silvermane," he said, turning away 
from the two girls to her. "They are the few who wake and walk 
through this realm rather than dance in their dreams. Their magik 
is strong, their love even stronger."
	He looked into her eyes, lost amidst the emerald forest 
within. Lips touched her forehead with a gentle kiss, his warm 
feathers fluttering to caress her sides. She giggled, ticklish.
	"They seem to be seeking a moment alone," the sandy blonde 
said quietly.
	"It would be rude of us to intrude so," the one with the aqua-
green hair agreed. "Young love deserves such a place to exist."
	Then they vanished like wisps of mist fading in the moonlight. 
She stepped forward, ready to cry out in fear that they had been 
stolen or taken to a strange place now.
	"Don't worry," he reassured her. "They have simply taken to 
another sanctuary within this realm. They care for you, and for me 
just as I care for their dreams."
	His lips touched hers, and there they stood. The moon seemed 
to reach a new pale colour, shining with brilliant white light. For 
a time they laid side by side, her head in his lap as they watched 
the waterfall churn and froth. When he wished to cleanse himself 
in the clear waters of the pool, she remained upon the shore, 
content to watch him frolic in the waters.
	Stripping of everything save his pantaloons, he splashed about 
in the pool, diving and surfacing and swimming. Sometimes to show 
off to her, other times to release his own fears and pain.
	There came a time where he disappeared beneath the surface. 
She watched from the edge, his form gliding beneath the waters 
effortlessly. He emerged from the depths like a dolphin borne of 
the water, eyes closed, mouth open as he breathed in the crisp air 
of his world. As if for the first time he was breathing the ecstasy 
of a dream, her dream.
	The droplets of water splashed onto the surface like rain, 
some resisting and clinging to his body. They wanted a chance to 
glisten off his skin as the beams of the crescent moon blanketed 
the realm.
	With that final action Sora retreated to dry ground. He began 
to wade towards the grassy shores. Tresses of soaked, raven black 
hair flowed about like the very winds of air, his braid lost to let 
his shadows dance free with his spirit. Halfway was the furthest 
to shores he reached as she stepped into the waters to meet him. 
Cloak and bracelet removed she pushed away the unbuttoned folds of 
her white blouse, the damp sleeves clinging to her arms. 
	Naked chest met naked breast. The water lapping at their 
waists, they embraced, souls meeting with their passionate kiss. 
Damp feathers touched her naked back, and she shivered at their 
touch.
	"Sora," she whispered, calling out to him. 
	"Mako-chan," he answered. "I love you."
	Their souls and bodied melted together, hands caressing and 
exploring. She was vaguely aware, as she closed her eyes and rested 
her head against his chest, that the waking hours were calling her 
back.
	Cold water and warm skin sent her mind to a dream of angels 
and silk, of rainfalls, of feathers and cherry blossoms. Of a single 
touch that set her soul on fire as her skin tingled with 
excitement.
	She drifted away, content in his embrace.
	"Mako-chan," she heard his voice whisper. I love you....


	She awoke to the warmth of her covers and comforter. Sometime 
in the night she has slipped beneath her sheets...or had he found a 
way to carry her into bed after she slept in his arms?
The September sun was streaming in through her closed blinds, and 
from somewhere outside she could here the morning caws of a raven 
searching for food.
	Picking up her folds of nightgown from the floor, she moved 
about to dress. Magik tingled within her skin, rushing about her 
body. Everything seemed to possess his crimson eyes. A reflection 
in the mirror. The whispers of a wind. The rustling of the trees. 
The shadow beneath her feet.
	Facing a day of dreaming amidst school's lectures, she stepped 
out into the sunlight of her apartment's veranda. A bird called out 
to her from the railing.
	"Sora-chan," she said quietly, smiling as she saw the raven. 
She smiled, hand outstretched to the shadow bird. The raven 
alighted her palm, perching on her wrist. It cocked its head, 
crimson eyes of tranquility looking up at her.
	"I remember the waterfall," she told the raven. "Arigato."
	With a nod of its darkened head the raven spread its wings and 
soared beyond the trees, having disappeared but not vanished. It 
would return to watch over her, to simply be near her.
	As her guardian angel always had and always would.


	"Mako-chan," the odango-haired blonde said, resting against 
her shoulders. "Ne, Mako-chan?"
	She was still somewhat oblivious to their words or their 
voices. Last night continued to pass before her, the magik 
unfolding before her like sheets of dark silk. Smooth and exotic, 
not entirely real yet not entirely a dream.
	"She's really fallen hard for this Sora," the dark-haired 
shrine girl remarked. "Just look at her. Her eyes are between 
worlds."
	"Are you going to tell us what happened last night?" the long-
haired blonde asked playfully, nudging her in the sides.
	The blue-haired genius blushed slightly at this. "Those things 
really should be kept to the two lovers, shouldn't they?"
	"You were the one who kept on saying last night how much you 
wanted to know," the long-haired blonde replied with a growing, 
mischievous smile.
	The blue-haired genius turned a deeper shade of red.
	"We were at a waterfall last night," she said abruptly. "He 
led me there atop a silver unicorn, and we rode far into a forest 
of living emeralds. When I left, it was in his embrace as we 
kissed...."
	Her voice trailed off.
	The other four around her sighed longingly, the magik still 
reaching out to touch them as it had for her. She had seen fleeting 
images of them before when Sora had shown her glimpses of the 
beautiful dreams he guarded.
	"Makoto," came a new but familiar voice.
	The young women turned to the two newcomers standing at their 
table. Her eyes widened, almost trembling at the precious memories, 
as she saw the sandy blonde and the aqua-green haired woman.
	"Haruka-san!" she exclaimed. "Michiru-san!"
	The sandy blonde winked at her. "Did you enjoy last night 
after we left you two alone?"
	She nodded slowly, still overjoyed to see them so soon after 
the waking dream.
	The aqua-haired woman smiled demurely. "It's been a long time 
since he began watching over you, Mako-chan. And he is a very 
beautiful young man."
	"Are you saying that to make me feel jealous?" the sandy 
blonde inquired.
	"When was the last time you went bathing beneath a waterfall 
with me?" the aqua-haired one playfully answered, turning to her. 
She felt herself blush slightly.
	"You were bathing with him?" the odango-haired blonde 
exclaimed, voice carrying across the cafe. 
	The dark-haired shrine girl sighed. "Usagi, lower your voice, 
please. At least give her some privacy to give us the details of 
this. Baka."
	"We really shouldn't be hearing this," the blue-haired genius 
said, staring down at the table.
	"I noticed you haven't left the conversation yet," the long-
haired blonde remarked. That drew another blush in response.
	The two older women turned and departed with a friendly wave 
of souls who had shared the same glimpse of heaven. She hoped that 
they could meet again in either world. Either realm didn't matter 
to her anymore. Both were merging in her eyes as the magik spread 
through her heart and soul.
	"So," the long-haired blonde asked with a mischievous smile. 
"When are you going to introduce us to your new boyfriend?"
	"It's not exactly like he lives in our world," the dark-haired 
shrine girl said. "He belongs inside this dream realm he guards. We 
can't simply tear him out; I don't know what damage we might do."
	"Can we meet him in his realm?" the blue-haired genius 
inquired. "Mako-chan has already, as well as Haruka-san and 
Michiru-san. Perhaps he can pull us into his world tonight while we 
sleep."
	The magik was with them all, but its power was still cloaked 
in a veil of mystic enigma. There could be no certainty save the 
words coming from the lips of her raven angel. Only he would know 
for certain. Confined to his own realm, only he had the magik to 
draw them in.
	"The most I can do," she answered her friends. "is ask."

	
	Once more, as she had done in the nights passed on before her, 
she stood and watched the reflection of the mirror. Silken sheets 
flowed around her body, breathing with a life of winds and shadow 
fire. They were her own pair of raven wings, causing her skin to 
tingle and her body to shudder at the caress.
	Her raven angel appeared before her, moonlight from beyond the 
glass trickling down onto his dark hair. Wings folded behind him, 
he looked upon her with caring eyes and a fragile spirit. In his 
hands held a single red rose adorned with jagged thorns. 
	The flower had closed against the moonlight, but under his 
fingers the petals moved away and the flower breathed in full 
bloom. He blew upon the rose, a fury of petals sent out from the 
mirror and encircling her. Silk and silken flower met with her 
body's warmth, and she felt as if she were drowning in the magik.
	"Sora...." she moaned softly.
	The black silk, fluttering like the flames of an ancient fire, 
became his wings that encompassed her. He seemed to be with her 
beyond the mirror where the untamed Silvermanes roamed. She could 
feel his fingers stroke her skin, circling and touched with such 
tender passion that she became lost.
	Eyes closed she surrendered to his embrace, the silk folding 
around her as she laid her back upon the bed and let the rose 
petals rain down. 
	"Mako-chan," his voice whispered. "I love you...."


	In the distance was a cobblestone path that led to a towering 
gateway. But that was far away, and here she stood with the grasses 
at the edge of a forest where ranks of trees and shadows stretched 
out from one horizon and curved into the mountains.
	At first she found herself alone; her raven angel was not 
standing and waiting for her. She turned, worried, and then found 
him. He was paying respects, laying down two white roses before two 
grey stones that marked the resting souls of those he once knew. 
Crimson eyes of compassion and gentleness spoke silent words of 
hopes and of dreams.
	The cloak forged of silken emerald billowed out in the wind 
behind her as she approached. His silence asked for respect, for a 
moment to let the memories come and go.
	By their epitaphs she knew who was at rest.
	A long time ago they had been her parents, gone when a plane 
lost its power of flight. Wings clipped, they had died without pain 
or regret or a chance to say goodbye. Sadness now possessed her 
eyes, and though she shed tears she could not fully understand why 
she was crying.
	"Sora," she whispered.
	He turned and took her in his embrace, wings folding around 
her with the warmth of an angel. For a long time he held her there, 
letting her cry as she had once let him cry. So much undiscovered 
pain.
	Such were the scars they all bore.
	"I first met you as a child," he said quietly, stroking her 
loosened hair. "You were six." His eyes trembled at the memory. 
"Your world became lost at this site, and for many nights I found 
you here. Your tears called out to me, pleading for someone to hold 
you. Many nights you slept within the folds of my wings.
	He smiled. "Ever since then I loved you. Many times you played 
and danced among your dreams, Mako-chan, and I was there with you. 
Never again did I want to see such a beautiful face cry, stained 
with tears. Not until you came to me could I hope for this much."
	His grip around her tightened, fear of losing her rising. Not 
the fear of long ago, but of losing her to the sadness that had 
once claimed him. There was no need for the raven angel to fear; 
her hands laced around the back of his neck and she rested against 
him.
	"Promise me you will never leave," she asked of him.
	"Not until the waking hours takes you back," he whispered. 
"And then I shall be watching...and waiting."
	Waiting for the chance to step through the waters that was her 
mirror, to soar through the clouds that held boundaries between 
worlds. For a time, even if it were just a heartbeat, when they 
could be one soul together.
	She lifted her head and they stared into each other's eyes, of 
crimson waters and emerald forests. Cheek to cheek they touched, 
nuzzling in the warmth of touch until their lips found one another. 
Slowly, passionately, they kissed.
	Her hands moved into his vests, unbuttoning the billowing 
folds of his white shirt until her fingers met with warm skin. 
Wings folded and faded in a rainfall of raven's down. This was the 
first time she had seen him without wings. Sora still looked as 
beautiful as when she had first seem him.
	With a gentle pull he released the cloak from around her 
shoulders, the emerald garment drifting to the grasses of the land. 
Her own buttons fell apart, and once again they absorbed the heat 
from each other's body.
	The raven down floated all around her, caressing her tingling 
skin and causing her to shiver. She felt protected as his arms 
wrapped around her naked back, drawing her closer to him.
	Such was the magik shared between them beneath the pale glow 
of a full moon. They listened to the heartbeats beating against 
their skin, two rhythms soon becoming one in harmony. His wings 
returned, carefully folding around her to fend off the cool breeze 
that blew in the night air.
	"Mako-chan," he whispered, stroking her hair.
	"I have a request," she said.
	He nodded. "Go ahead, Milady."
	"My friends would really like to meet you, to see your world 
and to feel your magik. Can you bring them here?"
	With a smile Sora glancing up at the stars, and to the moon 
that ruled the night. Over a millennium had passed since first 
encountering their dances within the dream realm. Had it been so 
long since their magik had captivated his kind?
	"Your friends mean a great deal to you; they are souls I have 
never known yet have watched all my life," he answered. "They have 
been here many times, but within their own beautiful dreams. From 
time to time you all have played together in one dream."
	He stepped back, wings closing around his body. His vest and 
shirt were suddenly whole and covering his chest, as were her own. 
Arms outstretched, his palms opened to reveal a shimmering crystal 
orb in each. Moonlight caught their form and flashed before her. 
	"I can grant your request," he said, drawing his arms to his 
chest. The crystals seemed to merge with his body, disappearing 
into his skin with a sparkle of magik. 
	The grey mists rose up with a sudden burst of tempest, 
billowing clouds drifting across the grasses of the dream world. As 
abrupt as they rose, the mists faded. She looked to the skies as a 
number of solitary ravens flew past, disappearing in the shadows of 
the distant trees.
	Their shadows passed to give way to two new shadows emerging 
from the dying mists. The moonlight caught them, girls with long 
flowing hair of night and day.
	"Mako-chan?" the long-haired blonde said groggily, rubbing a 
pair of drowsy eyes. Folds of nightgown dangled near the grass. 
"What are you doing here?" 
	Her eyes seemed to find joy in finding her friends once more. 
"He's brought us all together within our dreams," she answered, 
embracing Sora at the waist.
	"I thought dreams were supposed to be a private matter!" the 
dark-haired shine girl exclaimed, flustered and pulling at the ends 
of a kimono, hiding the lace garments beneath.
	Sora smiled at the remark. "You are the one who gazed into the 
fire," he said. "I saw you days ago when you searched for me. You 
almost crossed the boundaries."
	"And you littered the room I was in," the dark-haired shrine 
girl replied. "Next time do it outside."
	He laughed. "Ara, next time I will," he conceded.
	The mists parted to reveal a nightgown of flowing oceans hues 
and shades. The blue-haired genius walked with uncertainty in this 
new realm. Crystal eyes lit up as they saw the raven angel and his 
lady of the forest.
	"An honour to meet you face to face," he said, taking the 
blue-haired girl's hand in his. The blue-haired genius blushed as 
he bowed and kissed it, and was still blushing even after he had 
done the same with the others.
	"Where's Usagi?" the long-haired blonde asked, searching the 
plains.
	"Her magik is unique," he answered. "unlike anything my fellow 
guardians have encountered. She shares a dream of love and 
moonlight with another soul much like hers. Give her time, and give 
us patience."
	The odango-haired blonde emerged from a billowing cloud of 
mist that ran along the ground, serene and safe in the arms of a 
dark-haired prince. They were dressed in silken white and black, a 
flowing dress of moonbeams and shimmering armour of the night.
	"My lord, Endymion," he said, bowing to them. "Milady 
Serenity. An honour to have you with us."
	Lady Serenity smiled, as did the dark-haired knight.
	Sora stepped back to join with her, looking at all the friends 
she had asked to be brought into the realm of the walking dreamers. 
Such a long time since he had seen them all together like this.
	"Let me show you an ancient dream," he said quietly, closing 
his eyes. A vortex of water erupted from beneath his feet, 
sparkling diamond white. It cascaded down upon the girls, and they 
closed their eyes in preparing for the touch of wet water.
	Yet they were met with the warmth of a moonbeam.
	Nightgowns had become flowing garments of ocean blue, crimson 
red and sunlight yellow; billowing cloaks and folds of white 
blouses with dark skirts and boots. They were in the midst of a 
dream of old, of lives once lived.
	A palace, ancient and lunar, stood out before them. They 
walked amidst the sparkling lights of the towers and parapets, down 
crystal white pavilions and along shimmering waters of clear ocean 
blue. High up in the sky there was a sliver of earth looking down 
at them.
	Such an ancient magik, their magik. She smiled as she saw the 
wonder and tranquility on the faces of her friends as they walked 
with her. A warmth caressed her skin.
	"I fear my powers will be unable to hold this for long," he 
said with regret. "But showing you this is the least I can do for 
the friends of my angel of moonlight."
	She looked to her guardian angel. "How did you do this?" she 
asked him quietly.
	"Memories can be forged from our magik," he answered, stroking 
her cheek. "This memory has long since been hidden, brought to 
light with instances few and far between, always with blood and 
tears in battle. Here is a chance for you to walk amidst an ancient 
dream without the pain."
	"But the Moon Kingdom existed over a thousand years ago," the 
blue-haired genius said aloud, pivoting to take in every sparkle of 
moonlight aura. "How could you create something so lifelike from 
forgotten memories?"
	He paused, turning back to the girls who were walking with 
their own paces of awe. "We have been guardians of this realm since 
long before the moon sparkled with waters of life and the pillars 
of serenity. You can't imagine our fear when we suddenly felt 
thousands of dreams disappear from our borders, wiped out of 
existence. In one instant we found the dancers cut down from us."
	Crimson sadness of long-lost pain surfaced. "For centuries we 
searched in the hopes of finding your souls once more walking 
through our realm. For centuries we flew between worlds...and found 
nothing. Your magik was different back then. Everything was 
different back then. Now your magik, though the same, has changed 
with your new world. And we raven angels are uncertain of where we 
stand in your eyes."
	Raven wings fluttered, rustling with the emotion. Crimson 
sadness threatened to overtake his fragile heart, but was washed 
away with her touch. She brought his eyes to gaze into hers, to 
find comfort in her gentle smile.
	Clouds of grey mist were blowing across the ocean blue waters, 
steadily moving throughout the ancient palace. It was starting to 
fade. The lonely night was returning, with it a dreamlike day and 
a September sun.
	"Sora," she whispered. "Rest your raven wings."
	The realm of a once whole moon faded, the mists ushering it 
away to allow the grassy plains to take root once more. Mountain 
peaks in the distance reached out for the pale half moon in a 
starry night sky.
	Slowly, reluctantly, he parted from their company, his fingers 
tracing their way down her arm until they clasped hands together. 
Finally he drew back to his realm, his outstretched hand still 
calling to her.
	"If I could wish upon any star out there that might grant a 
request," he said. "it would be that I could wake up in your world, 
your face the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes to a new 
life."
	Closing his eyes he raised one hand to the night, the magik 
becoming real as a crystal orb materialized in his open palm. Raven 
wings were stretched out their full length. The crystal shone, 
catching the rays of the half moon. Beams of gentle blue light shot 
out across the fields, striking the grasses. 
	She held her breath as up from the grasses rose a multitude of 
blue, red, orange and green. Tiny wings beat with tiny beating 
hearts as in one accord these fragile bodies lifted themselves up 
to the heavens. Black bodies and rainbow wings surrounded her.
	"Butterflies," the odango-haired blonde exclaimed, in the 
embrace of the dark-haired knight.
	"How beautiful," the blue-haired genius whispered.
	Her eyes fell upon Sora, already lost in the wave of hovering 
colours. But she saw his eyes. Crimson serenity; that was the 
warmth she felt when the darkened forms of the winged rainbows 
ushered her into the realm of the waking souls.
	"Sora," her whisper echoed across his world. "I love you..."


	The next day followed like the others with the rising of a 
September sun to usher in a hot, sweltering day. Yet the fires of 
sun paled in comparison as five young friends gathered together in 
the front of a Shinto shrine in the dying hours of sunlight.
	Their eyes shared a newfound wonder of the magik within a 
dream, possessed by its gatekeeper and guardian. Something was in 
the air tonight, blowing with the winds of change.
	"Such a warm night tonight," the dark-haired shrine girl said 
quietly, hands held out to catch the fading light of the sun before 
it gave way into another night of dreams and dances.
	"What are you going to do, Mako-chan?" the long-haired blonde 
asked.
	She stared up at the crimson embers of the setting sun, 
shielding her face in the shade of her raised hand. "I don't know. 
I want to believe that we can be together forever, but..."
	Her voice trailed off, knowing how the surface of a mirror 
stood between them, the sealed portal between his world and hers. 
The walking dreamers and the sleeping angels were fated to stand on 
opposite sides of the gateway.
	"Believe in love," the dark-haired knight said, tenderly 
embracing the odango-haired blonde. "I think that is half the magik 
that exists within the realm of our dreams." 
	"Mamo-chan," the odango-haired blonde sighed, blushing as she 
stared into his eyes.
	"He's right," the blue-haired genius agreed. "You've come this 
far, and you can't give up now. None of us will give up on you, 
Mako-chan."
	And suddenly a solitary raven unleashed a sound as it landed 
in the midst. Crimson hope stared out at her, and then to her 
friends. It knew there was something in the tempests of the night. Two 
more ravens settled next to it, familiars to the dark-haired 
shrine girl. They cocked their heads from one girl to the next. 
	"Phobos," the dark-haired shrine girl said quietly with an 
extended arm. "Deimos." The two ravens alighted the beckoning hand, 
delicately resting their black bodies on her skin.
	"Look," the blue-haired genius said, turning around.
	Even more ravens were emerging from the trees, revealing 
themselves from their shadows on branches, roofs, pathways and atop 
the shrine's massive torii. The silence of the birds spoke more 
than anything else.
	"Sugoi," the long-haired blond whispered.
	"What does this mean?" the odango-haired blonde asked aloud.
	She smiled at her friend's question, the answer standing 
before and around them all. "He's spreading his wings," she said 
quietly. "From one night into another."


	The magik seemed to be touching every last part of her body as 
she stood before her full-length mirror. Every touch became his, 
every breath of the wind became his warm kiss against her skin.
	She moaned softly, arms clasped over her naked breasts as she 
gazed into the reflection from beyond day and night. Crimson eyes 
of compassion looked out to her, longing to touch her and keep her 
warm in love.
	The mirror rippled slightly, as if the glass had become water 
and was struck by a tremor of magik. The power that held back 
realms was slowly falling.
	She turned as the fluttering of wings entered her room. Doors 
closed and open windows screened, these wings found a way to enter 
her sanctuary.
	A solitary raven alighted the frame of her mirror, staring 
down at her with a quizzical cocking of its head. Crimson eyes 
looked, but not the eyes she loved. For those eyes were before her 
from beyond the mirror's edge.
	Within the mirror Sora watched the gathering begin, eyes 
passive. His own raven wings folded back, slowly fading as the grey 
mists swirled behind his form in the reflection.
	Fluttering began anew, a second raven taking a perch at the 
edge of her bed. It too looked, but with different eyes yet 
possessing the same magik. The raven said nothing but turned first 
to the angel in the reflection, and finally to her. 
	"Go to her..." she heard a quiet voice whisper.
	A wind of wings began, more ravens entering and perching. She 
was standing in their midst, among a sea of shadow feathers and 
warriors of dreams.
	"Go to her," the ravens whispered. "You dreams have become her 
reality."
	The mirror's surface rippled like the ocean, glassy waves 
distorting their view. A droplet seemed to splash out towards her, 
letting out a cascade of small waves that coursed across the 
mirror.
	He slowly reached out towards her, his palm touching the 
barrier between their realms. More ripples blurred his form, and 
hers from his side of the gateway.
	"The line no longer remains for you," the ravens whispered. 
"Follow your heart to her." 
	His fingers slipped across the boundaries, lacing with hers. A 
gentle pull led him through the mirror. Slowly he pushed across 
realms and boundaries, releasing with him a storm of raven's down 
that rained all around them.
	The ravens gazed upon him with the sadness of leaving an old 
friend. Yet there was a pleasure to see one dream come true, one 
destiny come together.
	"Sayonara...Sorata-sama."
	And then they were lost within the storm of shadow feathers, 
disappearing just as ghosts of a fading dream soon to be forgotten. 
Yet the magik was still his to call upon with a touch or thought, 
for he was by blood one of their world. 
	He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. Tears 
streamed down his cheeks, and he could not understand why. A 
turbulent sea of emotions raged within his heart, overwhelming his 
fragile soul. 
	"Mako-chan," he cried, burying his face into her long hair, 
filling his world with her scent. "So long have I searched and 
waited for this moment."
	She gently wiped away his tears. "Sora-chan," she whispered. 
"Through destiny and dreams have I searched for someone like you to 
love, and now I have found my raven angel. I love you."
	He took her hands in his, kissing them. Magik swirled 
throughout the room, taking them both away yet together as one. 
Tender hands met warm skin, caressing, exploring. Bodies tingling 
they came together, with kiss and caress and rhythm of two bodies 
making love.	
	She cried out at that climactic moment, her body glistening 
with sweat. He scooped her up in his arms and held her against his 
warm body as they came as one, one last kiss to mark the end of a 
time together, the first of many.
	That night she slept in the warm embrace of his arms and 
raven's down falling around her body. And when she awoke the next 
morning, she found herself lost in raven feathers and the loving 
eyes of crimson serenity.
	"Mako-chan," he whispered. "I love you..."


	The September sun rose up into the city like a beating heart 
stirring life into the people. It was a day of rest for those who 
were with lectures and studies, and so it was that four girls and 
one young man met together at the grounds of a familiar Shinto 
shrine.
	"Did you feel it last night?" the dark-haired shrine girl 
asked the others. 
	They nodded, having sensed a powerful explosion of magik flow 
past them, both exotic and erotic. Their bodies had tingled and 
felt the hungers of the heart.
	"I can't help but wonder what they did last night," the long-
haired blonde remarked. "I barely got any sleep from all the charge 
my body felt."
	The blue-haired genius blushed slightly. "Minako-chan," she 
said nervously.
	The long-haired blonde leaned her with a coy smile and a 
playful grope. "Oh, Ami-chan, don't tell me you didn't feel so 
excited last night."
	The evoked a deeper blush.
	The odango-haired blonde simply sighed peacefully, leaning 
into her dark-haired knight. Last night they had been together when 
they felt the surge of the magik, and even today they were still 
basking in the afterglow.
	"Do you think he was the only one?" the dark-haired shrine 
girl asked, looking out to the trees beyond. "Do you think there 
are others like him out there...searching?"
	None had an answer.
	Then eyes turned as two figures walked up the steps of the 
Shinto shrine, traveling beneath the towering red torii. A young 
man and a young woman, hands clasped together, leaning against 
each other with gentle smiles.
	He was dressed as they had always seen him before within the 
dream realms, his long braid of raven dark hair fluttering in the 
winds. The wings were no longer visible, though he still held the 
magik to make them appear.
	She was dressed in more formal attire than usual, of a 
vibrant, shoulderless shirt of silken emeralds, and dark jeans of 
night. Tresses of chestnut brown hair flowed out from her large 
ponytail, and around her neck shimmered a pendant shaped like a 
pale white rose blossom.
	Wide and sparkling eyes looked out to each of them. She 
smiled. "Everyone," she said to them all. "I would like you to meet 
Sora."
	Sora nodded to them all, crimson compassion looking into each 
of their eyes. "Tell me of your dreams," he asked.