Chapter 1

           “Oh my God! I can’t believe that I’m turning eighteen in exactly one week!” Bella runs into her room and flops down on the bed. Her long, black hair spread out on her pillow and in her face, covering her light blue eyes.

            “So being alive for eighteen years is a big deal for you humans I guess,” said Mika from the corner of Bella’s room.

            “It’s not about being alive for eighteen years, Mika. It’s about the freedom and independence that comes with being eighteen. Next month, I am officially a woman,” Bella said dramatically as she faced Mika. “And the fact that you guys bring me awesome presents from Guardinia.”

            “I had a feeling this joy ran deeper than basic freedom and independence.” Aiden leaned against her door frame, a small smirk playing at his lips.

            “Hey Aiden,” Bella said as she ran over to give him a welcoming hug. “How was your trip?”

            “It was pretty uneventful, actually, just your normal information report. How were things here?”

            “Oh, I was just telling Mika of a certain someone’s birthday that’s coming up.”

            “Really? Who’s birthday, Mika? I don’t recall anyone important who has a birthday coming up,” Aiden said slyly as he went to sit next to Mika.

            “Could it be Count Lemminly’s? He’s a fairly important man,” Mika said as he lay flat on the floor.

            “Or it could be Princess Escah, maybe,” Aiden said while trying to control his coming laughter.

            Bella, still standing in the doorway, crossed her arms across her chest and glared at the two men. “You boys are intolerable, I swear!”

            “Bella, please watch your emotions!” cried Mika, cringing in pain. 

            “Well you deserve it, Mika. And so do you Aiden,” she said, pointing an accusing finger at the silver haired man.

            “Yes probably, but unfortunately I’m not as sensitive to emotions as Mika is,” he said with a smirk.

            “You know I have my ways.” Bella took a challenging step toward Aiden, who stood to meet the challenge.

            “Come now, Bella. My little princess, you could not even hurt a fly.”

            “If the fly is buzzing loud enough in my ear, then it will get squished,” Bella said as she quickly took his pendant from around his neck and leaped out of arms length.

            “Bella, return that at once!” Aiden cried as he made an attempt to reclaim his pendant.

            “Unfortunately, you have to catch me first,” Bella said as she made a break for her door and down the stairs.

            Bella ran through the house, with Aiden following close behind.

            “Come on, oh great Guardian of the Green Dragon. Having some trouble catching a simple human?” mocked Bella as she ran around her kitchen and into her dining area.

            “Bella, do not test me,” said Aiden as he and Bella faced off across the table, “You know I could take you down if I wished.”

            “Then how come I’m still standing?” Bella retaliated.

            Aiden sprinted around the table and Bella took off into her living room. Once she got in front of the couch, Aiden pounced, taking Bella down onto the couch with him, who let out a surprised yelp.

            “Because I was waiting for the right moment,” laughed Aiden as he pinned Bella’s hands to the couch with one of his. He grabbed the pendant from her hand and smiled triumphantly, while she managed to put on a grumpy pout. Since he held his pendant firmly in his hand, he released Bella, but still hovered over her.

            “Well done, Aiden, I see you’ve caught her, Mika said casually as he walked into the room. Then he comprehended their position on the couch and said with a blush, “Oh, well, I can see you’re busy. I’ll just go back to your room Bella.” He slowly began backing out of the room, laughing quietly to himself. “Try to keep all your romantic, mushy, kissy goo goo feelings to yourselves though.” Mika quickly said before fully exiting the room.

As if finally realizing the position they were in, Bella and Aiden jumped apart with light blushes on their faces.

“My apologies,” said Aiden as he stood off the couch, “I did not mean to imply…”

“You didn’t imply anything,” Bella said smiling up at Aiden. “It was Mika who just assumed. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go teach that damn empath what happens to people who assume.” Bella left the room with an evil face and walked calmly up the stairs to her room.

“With that face, Mika is in a lot of trouble,” laughed Aiden. Looking solemnly down at his pendant he said quietly “All in due time, Bella,” and followed Bella upstairs to her room before much harm could befall Mika.

Aiden walked into the room to find Bella sitting angrily on her bed, glaring at a squirming Mika in the corner. The sight was almost comical to him.

“Aiden! Thank the Goddess,” said Mika desperately, “Call her off already, this is killing me.”

“What’s wrong, Mika?” smiled Bella evilly, “I’m just sitting here.”

“You know why, Bella! Damn it, my head is going to explode”

“Why don’t you just block me out then?” Bella shifted to cross her legs as she smirked quizzically at Mika.

“Because you’re too loud, I can’t even think. Please, Bella, I’m begging you. I’m sorry about the comment, okay?” Mika clutched his head, and then suddenly, his pain seemed to go away.

“You are forgiven,” smirked Bella triumphantly. “So if you guys didn’t forget my birthday, what did you get me?”

“Now Bella, is it really the gifts that matter, or the fact that we are happy you were born and here with us now?” smiled Aiden as he walked into the room.

“Cut the philosophical crap Aiden,” said Bella as she returned Aiden’s joking smile, “I know you both go out of your ways to show your ‘appreciation’ that I was born.”

Mika and Aiden smiled at each other than pulled out 2 small, wrapped gifts.

“I’ll go first,” Aiden said stepping forward and placing his gift on Bella’s lap.

Excitedly, Bella tore through the wrapping paper and pulled out a small box. She looked quizzically at Aiden, who encouraged her to open the box. Bella gasp as she pulled out a beautiful bracelet made of intricately woven green thread. In the middle was the loveliest green stone that had a dragon wrapped around it.

“Aiden,” smiled Bella, “this is beautiful.” Bella attempted to put it on herself, but Aiden stepped forward to help her.

“It’s more than just a bracelet,” said Aiden as he clasped it around her wrist.

Bella admired the bracelet on her wrist and then looked confusingly at Aiden. “What else is it?”

“Hold it out and say it’s name, Enrah.”

Bella held out her wrist and said, “Enrah,” and a light came out of the green stone and formed a long pole in her hands.

“This is great, Aiden,” said Bella hesitantly, “What is it?”

“It’s a weapon. Or, rather, multiple weapons.”

“Ok you got me. What’s the catch?” Bella looked up to Aiden with a puzzled look as she tried to determine if it was a prank or not.

Aiden laughed and answered, “This weapon was made in Dremeland by the best magi-smiths in Guardinia.”

“Still waiting for the punch line,” smiled Bella.

Aiden laughed and said, “Alright. Say ‘Enrah, dagger’.”

“Okay,” Bella said and hesitantly said, “Enrah, dagger!”

            The pole glowed and then turned into a dagger.

            “Woah,” was all Bella could say.

            “Yes, it can turn into any weapon you want, as long as it exists on my world.”

            “Hold on a second, Aiden,” Mika said as he stood up. “Why are you giving her a weapon, and one as valuable as that? She would have no use for it in this world.”

            “You never know what can happen. Plus in this world, people won’t be able to see Enrah as anything but a bracelet.”

            “Thank you Aiden. I love it.” Bella got up to give Aiden a hug.

            They released from the hug and Aiden instructed, “Now say ‘Enrah, disperse’ to make it return to the bracelet.”

            Bella did as she was instructed, and with another show of light, Enrah disappeared, returning to a green bracelet.

            “Who named it Enrah? And why?” asked Bella curiously, as she continued to admire the bracelet.

            “It is a custom for our people to name their weapons. It started with the magi-smiths naming them for easy summons and commands and such, and it grew to other people and their weapons. It is usually the makers of the weapon that name the item.”

            “Now that the history lesson is over, it is my turn.” Mika pulled out his gift and presented it to Bella, who took it eagerly. She unwrapped it to show another box.

            “Let me guess, another bracelet?” smiled Bella.

            Mika laughed and said, “No. This gift is a present to you, and myself.”

            Bella looked at Mika confusingly and opened the box to show a beautiful necklace with a green stone that matched the one on her bracelet.

            “Wow, Mika, this is beautiful. I didn’t know you had a taste for fine jewelry.”

            “It is more than just a necklace, Bella,” said Mika, who stepped forward to help her put on the necklace.

            “Oh really? What’s this ones name?”

            “This is not a weapon. This is a magic item that, when worn, blocks the wearers thoughts and emotions from others.”

            “Now I get why you said it was also a gift for you,” smiled Bella as she examined the necklace’s appearance on herself in the mirror across from her bed. 

            “Yes, I have not heard this silence in a long while,” laughed Mika.

            “You can block out most of my thoughts and emotions already. You don’t need me to wear this.”

            “Yes, well as we currently witnessed, I can’t block out the more stronger thoughts and emotions. And this is also just in case you happen upon someone who doesn’t want to block you out.”

            “Well then, I guess I will wear it to keep your prying mind out of my thoughts and will only unleash my wrath on you when you deserve it,” smiled Bella. “But thank you Mika, it is lovely. And both your gifts match perfectly.” Bella went and gave Mika a hug in appreciation.

            “I have to ask though,” Bella said as she released Mika from their embrace. “Why the weapon and the mind blocking necklace? Are you guys really that nervous about people finding out about me?”

            Mika and Aiden looked at each other briefly and Aiden responded, “Like I said, you never know what could happen.”

            “Aiden is right. You are a very rare person to be able to see our kind,” responded Mika who had suddenly turned serious.

            “I thought Guardians were the only ones able to go through the portal?”

            “That’s true, along with the occasional Darkling…” Aiden started to say.

            “Oh so that’s why!” interrupted Bella. “You guys have some big mission or something on the other side so you’re going to be away for a while and want me to be able to defend myself!”

            Mika and Aiden looked astonished at Bella’s assumption but made no move to correct her.

            “I tell you guys all the time I’m able to protect myself.” Bella smiled confidently and continued, “The Darklings don’t even know I can see them so if anything were to happen, I have surprise on my side. And I’m a lot more resourceful than you think.”

            Bella managed a look at the clock behind Mika and, upon seeing the time, shouted, “Oh no! I’m late!” she scrambled around her room looking for her things. “Aunt Dana is going to kill me!”

            “I highly doubt that,” smiled Mika.

            “You know what I mean, Mika,” shouted Bella as she rushed out of the room.

            “What time where you due at the station?” asked Aiden.

            “10 minutes ago!” shouted Bella from downstairs.

            “Well then, you better get moving,” Mika commented.

            Bella quickly gathered her things and was about to go out the door, and shouted over her shoulder, “Bye guys! I’ll be back later!” Then she was gone.

            After a few moments of silence, Mika broke it by saying, “Well, that was entertaining.” Aiden smiled and began walking downstairs. “So you want to tell me what has been going on back in Guardinia?”

            “I’m not sure, Mika. I feel something is brewing. And something is wrong with Koishi. He disappears so often…”

            “Like you?” laughed Mika. “People are not starting to question why you are away so often?”

            “Not that I am aware of. However, the other Guardians are able to get hold of me while I am here. However, Koishi is unreachable wherever he goes off to.”

            “I have never heard of that before. You Guardians are supposed to always be in contact with one another." Mika stated. "So no one is catching on to Bella?”

            “Not besides the random rumors, which are more like stories. No one believes of a human who has the power to see us.”

            Aiden opened the back door and him and Mika stepped out into the back yard and started walking towards the forest.

            “So you are going back then?” Mika smiled.

            “Yes, but only for a little while. I shall be back before Bella returns. I want to see what the other Guardians think of Koishi’s disappearances.”

            “I’ll go with you. I want to stop by the market-place for some herbs.”

            Aiden closed his eyes and mumbled a few words. His amulet began to glow and a portal opened up.

            “Then we will meet back at the usual spot before sun down." Aiden instructed.

            “Alright. Be safe my friend.” Mika clamped his hand on his friend's shoulder and offered a smile.

            With their farewells, they stepped through the portal that lead back to their homeland, unaware of the glowing eyes that were watching.

Author's Note

Just be honest! I like all constructive criticism!

Also, I haven't really thought about how I want to divide up my story into chapters. Currently, it is all one big piece. So this is one option I considered, so if you continue reading on and find another way for me to end (like I should have ended it sooner or later) please let me know!