FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Man, where did Kion went?" Asked Bunga as he looked around. It already made more than twenty minutes since their friend had went "who knows where" suddenly, and they still hadn't any news of him. His friends were actually starting to get worried.

"You think he might have got lost?" Asked Besteh

"In the mall?" Said Fuli "He knows this place as well as any of us."

"I'm starting to have concerns." Said Ono, as he was looking around. In fact, all the four of them were starting to get concerned with Kion having vanished like that. Taking so long to give any news was worring, specially considering that Kion had, seemingly, went after a guy who was acting suspect.

"That is it, I'm gonna call him." Fuli said, and pulled out her cell phone. She was halfway dealing Kion's number, when Bunga said. "Look, there he is!"

His friends looked to where he was pointing, and they all saw Kion.

The lion seemed well, and he was still in one piece.

"Hey, Kion!" Bunga said waving at his friend, seeming not to mind if people around were going to stare at him. Kion looked back at him, and raised his hand in his direction.

The young lion walked to his friends, greeting all of them.

"Kion, where have you went?" Asked Fuli, looking at the young lion.

Kion looked at her for a few moments, and he said. "I... I was taking a walk in the mall and I... I think I got distracted."

"Well, you could have gave us a warning." Said Besteh. "We were starting to get worried about you."

"Yeah! We were starting to think that you had been kidnapped or something like that." Said Bunga, putting a hand around Kion's shoulder, as he was still having his famous smile on his face.

Kion smiled back, and Fuli said to him. "Kion, next time you are gonna to vanish like that, you better give us a warning before."

"Oh... right." Said Kion, looking at the ground, seeming to be a little embarrassed. Ono then said. "Well, since Kion is back and well, I think we should get going now."

"Yeah, that's right!" Bunga said, excited as always. "Next stop, snack station!"

His friends all rolled their eyes as they could not help but smile. Bunga was the kind of guy that didn't let anything put him down. That was one thing that they all loved about the honey badger. He was always looking at the bright side of things, and he was always ready to forget the problems and go on for something fun or for some grub.

Sure, his friends all agreed that a snack would be very good, and that mall had some of their favorite foods in there. So, they all went along, all of them quickly forgetting the troubles and what had just happened.

It was not hard. After all, someone getting lost in the mall and getting late to meet the friends was not something as serious. They all could easily forget it.

However, Kion couldn't.

After what he had been through in the last twenty minutes, there was absolutely no way in the world that he could forget what he had seen and heard.

---

FLASHBACK

"Millie what?" Kion asked to the wolf, who was still wearing the strange outfit that seemed to be one taken from a very fancy and fantasies musketeer movie. Actually, it almost seemed like these anime things, the Japanese cartoons.

The wolf smiled at him as he said it again. "Millien Magi." He looked at Kion as he said this. "It is Latin. It means something like: 'Magic Knight'. A magic warrior of shorts."

Kion stared at the wolf, unsure of what to do or say, or what to think, actually.

Sure, he imagined that there was probably an explanation to what he had seem. However, all of them involved him having hallucinations. Or maybe having lost his mind completely. Or that he was dreaming.

Kion looked at the wolf for a few moments, and he reached out and pinched his own arm.

"Ouch!" Kion said as he felt the pinch very well, and then, he nursed the place he had pinched, and he looked around. He was still in the mall's basement. There was still an entranced shark stading right next to him with that goofy smile on his face. And there was still a wolf, his history teacher, standing in there wearing the strangest outfit for a place like that.

Kion blinked as he looked at him, and he said. "Okay, so, it seems that this is not a dream."

The wolf looked at him for a moment, and he chuckled. "Yeah, I think everybody reacts a little like that when they first come in contact with all of this. Actually, you are taking it far better than many others."

Kion blinked at him, and he said, "But... what was that? What just happened? What where these things?"

The wolf smiled at the lion, and he said, "Yeah, the lots of questions usually come right after the shock." He seemed to be taking it a something pretty natural. As if he had already gone through all of it before. "Well, I think I can give you a little introduction by explaining what was that."

Kion looked at the wolf expecting an answer, and the wolf was quick to give it to him. "Well, what happened now was that this guy." He said, pointing at the shark. "Was lured here by a creature. You probably followed him, right?"

Kion looked at the wolf, and he nodded slowly. The wolf so continued. "Well, this creature seemed not to want you around, so it sent these lesser beings, lets call them 'minions', to get you. And I... well, I only did my job. The job of a Magic Knight. To fight and defeat these things, and to protect the innocent bystanders like you and your toothy friend here from end up in their clutches."

Kion nodded, though he was barely even registering what the wolf was telling him. His mnid was still in a fuss with all that had happened in the last few minutes, and he was still trying to convince himself that it had all been for real.

"Well, it is really too much to take in a very short amount of time. I guess I'll need to explain better to you on another occasion, maybe tomorrow? Meet me after my class and I'll gladly answer all of your questions and more, okay?" Kion looked at him, and the lion nodded slowly. "Great, now I think you should go back up. I believe that there are people waiting for you, if I'm not mistaken?" The wolf asked, offering the lion a smile, and Kion nodded.

However, before going, he looked at the shark, who still had that same enthralled look on his face. "What about him?"

Howler looked at him, and after a moment, there was a brief flash of light, and suddenly, the wolf was wearing the same clothes that Kion had seen him using in the class earlier, normal clothes. For some reason, Kion didn't even got surprised by this. Maybe it had to do with all the things he had witnessed in the past minutes...

The wolf approached his face from the shark's, and snapped his fingers right in front of the walking fish's snout. No reaction. After a while, he approached his hand of him again, as if he was going to try snapping his fingers one more time. Suddenly, he moved his hand, and slapped the shark right in the face.

"Ouch! What? Who? When?" The shark cried out, looking to all sides, as if he had just woke up from a dream. He looked at Kion, and at the wolf. "W-Who are you? Where am I? How did I got here!?"

The shark seemed simply and totally lost, as if he didn't even knew what was going in there.

He doesn't remember? Kion thought to himself. Howler looked at the shark, offering a smile, and he said, "Well, I believe that you might wanna go now."

The shark looked at him, and he asked, "Who are you?"

"I'm a creation of your own imagination." The wolf said with some humor "Now, I really think that you two should be going." And without saying another word, the wolf started to walk away, leaving the lion and shark behind, both slightly shaken, Kion clearly much more than the shark.

The two shared a look as they saw the wolf walking away, and when they tried to look at him again, the canine was no longer there.

---

Back To Present...

Kion had did what the wolf said, he had got out of there and back at the mall. The shark followed him, seeming not to remember what had transpired during the time that he was acting like that, as if he was under some kind of hypnosis, or some mind control? Kion didn't really knew what to think about all of that.

The sahrk was still confused to what had happened to him, for he had, in one moment, been into the music shop buying a new CD and suddenly he was into the basement of the mall, with two people that he barely even knew. He thanked Kion for leading him back to the mall and he went his own way, still trying to make sense of what was going on and, seemingly still trying to remember what had happened.

He could not remember, but Kion doubted that he was going to forget.

Now that Kion convinced himself that he was not crazy or having deliriums, he finally thought back at what Howler had told him.

Magic Knight...

What exactly did that meant?

Kion wasn't sure, and he didn't knew if he really wanted to know. However, he knew that, after what had happened in there, he just could not go back home, tuck in his bed and pretend that it never did happened. It had all been too real and too deep. He was almost killed and he was saved by his magic history teacher (Kion could not believe that he was thinking it seriously). There was just no way that he could simply ignore it all and pretend that it never happened.

As Kion walked with his friends, and as they all talked to him, Kion found it hard to pay attention to anything that they were saying, and he doubted that he could. The images of all he had went thought replayed in his head like a movie at each few seconds, and made him think about them.

Things like the existed? Where they real? If they were, then how no one knew about them? Who could people think that it did to exist when it really did? The government kept it in secret? Mr. Howler was some kind of agent from the government? And what was that place he had been? He had been transported? But that place didn't even seemed to be real... Okay, it seemed real, but not the real that Kion was used to... Gah! All of this was making his head hurt.

The words of the wolf replayed in his head like a record again and again. The things he said answered little to nothing. Actually, they only have him more questions, questions that he wanted to see answered.

The wolf had said that he would answer his questions in the morning, and Kion planned to do it.

Kion wanted to know exactly what was going on and what it was all about, and he was going to get answers.

---

In the next morning, Kion woke up even before his alarm clock. He bathed and went down quickly, and he quickly finished his breakfast and he went on his way to school, leaving behind his family, a little stunned as they never saw Kion in such a rush to go to school before.

Kion took the bus and greeted his friends, just like he did every single day, and they all spent time together talking and chatting about all kinds of things. However, his friends could easily notice that Kion didn't seemed as interested into the talk as he usually was. As if his mind was somewhere far away from them.

And indeed, it was.

Kion passed the rest of the day regularly, going to the classes along with his friends, but unable to trully focus on any of them, as he was just looking forward to the moment that he was going to see the wolf again.

At the lunch break, Kion told his friends that he was skipping lunch this time.

"But why?" Bunga asked, the lion, as if he could not understand why someone would need to skip something as important as the time of lunch.

"I need to go see Mr. Howler." Kion said, and his friends looked at him. "Is that... I... Have something I want to ask him about, and this might be the only free time he will have to talk to me." Indeed, it was true. Kion had took a look in the schedule and the lunch break was just after Mr. Howler's class that day, the time that he said that he could talk to Kion. The lion didn't liked losing lunch time, but he wanted answers about yesterday. And as time passed, he grew more and more anxious for them.

"What is it?" Asked Ono, and Kion said, "One thing about his class. Look, I really need to go now. I'll catch with all of you later, okay?"

His friends didn't quite understood his sudden interest into the new history teacher, but they understood that Kion wanted to be somewhere else them. By the way he talked; it seemed that it was really important. So, they all bid him by and agreed to meet later on after the end of class. So, as the four animals went on their way to the lunch, Kion was soon on his own way to Mr. Howler's room.

Kion took a while to find it, for he was not used to walk into that part of school, which had the rooms of all teachers and the principal. He was rarely sent in there, but he knew it pretty well to know that he should not walk inside the wrong room.

Luckily for him, it was easy to find, once Mr. Howler's name was written in the glass of his door. As soon as he found it, Kion stood in front of the door for a few moments, only looking at it, as if he was deciding if he should or should not enter.

He approached his had from the doorknob a few times, only to push it back, as he was wondering just what kind of answers he was going to find in there, and if he was going to feel glad to have them, or if he was going to deeply regret it. After a while, Kion finally decided it was enough. He hadn't come all the way in there only to be sacred in the last moment! He wanted answers to what had happened yesterday! And he was going to have them.

So, with a sigh, the lion raised his paw, and knocked the door.

"Is open!" The wolf's voice came from the inside after a few moments, and Kion knew that there was no turning back now. He grabbed the doorknob, and turned it, opening the door, and so, he walked inside.

At first, the room didn't seemed different from the one of any other teacher. It was big and furniture with a desk and a few chairs, as well as big shelves in the sides, filled with books. It was commonly colored, and by the first glance, there was nothing interesting about it. But Kion noticed a few things, nothing too strange, but things that stood apart.

In the windows there were hanged some pieces of paper with a very strange writing in it. Kion could not identify what it was, but it seemed to be ancient. There was also some other things in the shelves, like some strange-looking crystals, and also, a few statues of figures that Kion didn't recognized, but they all seemed to be ancient. Kion could also feel the slightly scent of smoke and also some kind of perfume in the air. It didn't took long for him to realize that it was incense. Also, looking over to the desk in which Mr. Howler was sitting in, he noticed that it had some of the charms in it, with some very interesting crystals in it, and also a figure of some creature. It looked like a Chinese dragon holding an orb, and there were incenses in it, all of the burning slightly as they spread smoke, with the perfume of it that spread through the room.

The wolf looked up as he saw Kion, he had glasses in his face. He smiled as he saw the lion. "Ah! Prideland." He greeted him. "I was wondering when you were going to show up. Come in. And close the door, please."

Kion knew that this was his last chance of turning back. Something deep inside of him told him that, if he wanted to quit, this could be his last chance. It was a feeling that his previous life was just outside that door, and that if he closed it with him inside the room, he would be somehow giving up on it forever.

But, Kion had gone to there, and he was not going to turn back now. So, Kion closed the door behind himself, and he walked inside.

"Come on, take a seat." The wolf offered to the lion, gesturing to one chair that was right in front of his desk. Kion nodded, and walked to him. Soon, he was sitting into the chair in front of the desk, now face to face with the wolf.

For a moment, they both sat there in silence, as the wolf was finishing to see some papers that he had on his desk. It took around five more minutes before he finally got it done with the papers, and he finally raised his look back at Kion. Giving him a kind smile, had crossed his fingers as he looked at the lion in front of him, and he said, "Well, as I promised today, I plan to answer all your questions, and I'm sure that you must have a lot of them. So, what do you wanna know first?"

Kion looked at the wolf in front of him. The one who literally held all the answers that Kion was most likely searching for. And indeed, Kion really had a lot of them. However, Kion didn't knew exactly where to start with it. There were many doubts in his head regarding what had happened the day before, and many of them only led to more questions, all of which Kion really wanted to see answered. The problem was, among so many questions, Kion didn't know which one would be the best to ask first in a situation like that... if that was even possible.

Howler seemed to notice that Kion was troubled, and he chuckled to himself, "Yeah, I think I was around the same way you are now when I passed by this the first time."

Kion looked at him, and the wolf looked at him. The canine got up from his table. "So many doubts and you don't know which one is the most important to be asked." He said as he walked to the windows and lowered the blinds of it, and made sure they were closed, which darkened the room a bit.

"You probably are wondering what is the meaning of all of that and how it all relates to me, right?" He asked, passing by Kion in direction to the door, and Kion was following him with his eyes all the time.

"And you want to know how I can do the things I've done, and what exactly were these things we fought, and the place we have been, and you want to know what was the thing that was calling and just what on earth was all of that." The wolf them lowered the blinds of the door glass and he locked it. "Ain't I right?"

He had a kind smile on his face, and Kion could not shake away the feeling that he was somehow being cornered. However, he didn't felt scared, for some strange reason (because any smart people would get scared by the way the wolf was acting and the things he was doing), actually, he was only more curious to know about the truth. So, the lion simply nodded, and the wolf walked to him.

"Well, then I think I should start from the beginning." The wolf said, stretching his hand, and Kion noticed a small glow coming from his finger. It was a ring. Looking intently, Kion could make out that it seemed to be made of silver, and it had a white gem in it. As the wolf came closer, however, the ring itself seemed that it started to shine brighter, until light erupted from it.

Kion gasped as he saw a line of light raised from the ring and focus on a dot of light in the middle of the air of the room. The dot stood in there, and them it expanded, and Kion almost fell of the chair as it suddenly was forming images.

"Okay, Kion, may I call you Kion?" He asked, looking at the dumbfolded lion, who simply nodded as he looked at what was being cast in front of him, and the wolf continued.

"First of all, you must know that this world, the one in which you and I reside, is not the only one that there is around. And I'm not talking about planets." The wolf said, and the image showed what seemed to be a great globe of the planet Earth. No, I think the more correct term for it would be planes of existence, or other dimensions, if you prefer."

As he spoke, the image seemed to be starting to expand, as if opening the close, and it was showing what seemed to be other planets Earth, all very close to each other, and some, actually seemed very different.

"As you can imagine, these worlds are other dimensions, other places around what we call 'the Multiverse', each one with its own laws of nature and physics, which don't need to necessarily be the same as here."

Kion nodded absent-mindedly, as he was simply hearing to what the wolf was telling him, now barely even minding if he was awake or sleeping, but he knew that he was not in Kansas anymore.

"So, these worlds, which are separated from your own, are home to certain creatures that live in there." He said, and the image showed different sceneries that didn't seemed like things of Earth, and there were creatures in it, different from anything that Kion had ever seem. "These kinds of creatures are... well, let's say that they are like spiders. Some of them are harmless and don't even fight back if you attack. Some are only dangerous if they think that you are dangerous. Some of them, however, see little creatures like us as flies. Do you get my point?"

Kion nodded once again, looking at some of the creatures that appeared like that, some which seemed nice, and others that looked like came out from nightmares. Some of them actually seemed pretty familiar to him, as he had already saw them on his own nightmare a few nights ago. And that was only to add one more item into the strange things that were happening to him and making his life be turned totally upside down.

"W-what are these things?" Kion asked as he looked at some that looked rather evil.

"Well, they have received a lot of name through the centuries." The wolf said, "They have been called Youkai. Evil Spirits. Pixies. Oni. But, in my opinion, I think the better word to describe some of them would really be the word demon."

Kion looked at the wolf, with shock on his face.

"Yes, Kion, believe it or not, demons are real, as are the fairies, and ghosts and many other things you might have heard about on tv and books. Many of these things are real, and some of the things from comicbooks and movies are based on real things."

Kion was dumbstruck by that, and he seemed unable to find words after hearing that. "W-what... B-but..."

Howler nodded "Yeah, I think a lot of people act like that. Yeah, some nightmares are actually pretty real." He said, and the image showed many dangerous creatures, all of them looking to be able to kill a person with little to no effort. Kion shuttered as he assimilated that things like demons and ghosts could exist. That opened window to many more questions that popped in his head, one of them in particular...

"T-that thing in the mall yesterday... I-it was..."

"Well, it was not exactly a demon, unless you want to call it that way." Said the wolf, "Actually, that was a Siren."

"Siren?" Kion asked, and the wolf nodded.

"Yes, a Siren, like the ones that appear for the Argons, you remember?" As the wolf spoke, the image changed to show some short of creature, which looked like a mix between a fish and a bird, and it seemed to have a very long hair, the face, however, seemed to be enveloped into some kind of darkness. It had a body and long and slender arms, and the body was covered by a long dress, which showed that the body was clearly feminine.

"The Sirens are beings that use their beauty and the power of their voices to attract man to them. They may look pretty when you look at them, but don't let yourself be fooled. They are pretty violent and strong, and they are all crazy of hunger for man flesh."

Kion shuttered as the wolf talked it in a dark way. "Good thing I was in there to help, otherwise she would probably have you both for lunch."

Kion shuttered once again, and next, he could not avoid some question that popped from his head right at that moment.

"But... if these things are real and if they are so dangerous, who come people all think that they don't exist?"

The wolf sighed, and he said, "These worlds, besides existing, were separated from each other by what we call 'The Veil'. It is like a barrier that keeps the worlds from mixing together, what would case their destruction." He explained, as it was back to the many earths, and now, there were lines separating one from the other. "These veils, besides keeping the worlds away from each other as if they were a safety net, has the side effect of preventing the worlds from being perceived by each other in normal ways, and for normal individuals. It also prevents things from leaking from there to here, like energies and creatures."

"The veil has existed ever since, and it is very hard to cross by regular means, and as a result, people don't know it exist, don't see what there is on the other side, and as most people don't believe if something exists unless they see it with their own eyes, then they assume that all these creatures simply are not real."

Kion nodded, yeah, actually, that made a lot of sense. "Still, in the old times, it was possible to cross the veil or see through it by the right ways. Some creatures passed from there to here and some passed from here to there." The wolf explained to the lion, "This is where came the legends of many secret places like Atlantis and places of the like, as well as the ones of Pagan Gods and beings that came from the other side to here."

"However, as time passed, people got scared at the other world, and so, they started to act with mistrust and even violence over it, to the point that they were violent with anything that could be considered supernatural. And with the coming of the bombs, and armaments and the mass destruction weapons, it makes quite some sense that the beings from there don't want the ones from here to find that they exist and try to slay them with their atomic bombs."

Kion nodded as the wolf said that, and it actually made a lot of sense. Kion had already saw enough movies to know that the army tends to bomb first and ask questions later. I mean, if you believed in everything that went on tv.

"That is the reason why the creatures tend to don't cross the veil that separates the worlds." The wolf continued, "And that is why they don't let mortals have clues of their existences, because if they did, them it would be harder for them, and also for us, by that matter."

Kion looked at him, and he said, "And, by us you mean..?"

The wolf looked at him, and he smiled, "The Magic Guardians."

It was it, the question that Kion have been wondering since what happened in the previous day. The wolf seemed to know this, for he was now explaining. "As I already explained, some of these creatures were really dangerous, and as a result, they put the beings of this world in problems when they came here."

"That is the reason why appeared the first Millien Magi. People from here with great magic powers who fought the beings who came from outside and made sure that they could not harm innocent people from here. Basically, our job is to protect the world from a danger that they don't even imagine that exists."

"You may call us the cops from the supernatural world." The wolf concluded, as the image disappeared, and the room was left once again into a dim light, as the wolf walked to him, saying, "Though I personally, prefer the term 'secret defenders of the world', but everyone calls it as wanted. Our mission is the same."

The wolf had a kind smile as he said that, and he walked around the desk to sit back into his chair. Kion was left in silence as he took in that new information that was given... no, it was most likely that it was dumped into him. It was a lot to take in in a very short amount of time, and Kion was having to coup with all of it.

"If you want to deny and to walk away saying that it is stupid and that it is crazy, feel free to do so." The wolf said, "I did when I heard these words the first time. I think a lot of us already did."

However, Kion didn't felt like saying that it was stupid or that it was crazy, not after the things he had seen and passed through in the last twenty-four hours. Actually, everything that the wolf said sounded amazing, unbelievable, even, but after all that happened, it was the most reasonable thing that he had heard since yesterday.

And now, Kion felt himself urged to ask another question, this one moved by the things that the wolf had just recently said. "So... there are others like... like you?"

The wolf smiled at him, apparently because the lion was taking it very well, better than most people took, actually, and he continued. "Yeah, there are at least one in each big city, and some in smaller cities. I also met some that travel around from city to city, and it is not strange to hear about some that gather together and form teams. Anyway, there are Millien Magi all around the world. After all, the veil covers everything, and so, the creatures can appear in any part of the world. So, it makes sense that we are all around the globe, to make sure that people are not endangered by them."

Kion nodded, yeah, it was surely a lot to take. So, the supernatural creatures, like demons, monsters, mermaids, ghosts and God-knows-what-else were actually real, beings from other dimensions that came to the world to create havoc and chaos and to hunt on the mortals. And there were a group of people with magical powers that fought them up and saved the world from them called "Millien Magi" and his new history teacher was one of these magic people...

Kion looked over his shoulder, expecting someone to come out form a hiding place and say that he had fell for a prank, like the ones from television where they make you think that you have got rich or that you had blew up a building and them everyone comes out with the camera and everything and you laugh about it. However, this was not happening.

Kion already was convincing himself that whatever was happening was pretty real, and that it was for true.

"And... that place from yesterday..." Kion said, "That beach or whatever it was, it was another dimension?"

"Almost." The wolf said, "It was a barrier." Kion looked up at the wolf, who them spoke, "There are lots of different creatures, some of them are weak, and they can only lurk into the veil and into the nearby dimensions, however, some are pretty powerful. And, being powerful enough, they can call up the raw astral matter in the veil and use it to create their own 'demi planes', in which they can lure their victims and hide from the sight of the ones in this world while they watch it from close. We call them 'barriers'."

Kion nodded, and there was a brief silence into the room, before Kion spoke again. "So, you have magic powers?"

Okay, Kion knew that he was asking something obvious in there, for after the previous day, he had seem pretty clear proofs that the wolf had abilities that normal people didn't had. Still, the wolf seemed to be humored about it, as he chuckled, and he said, "We all have."

And he stretched his hand, and opened his paw at Kion, "Thanks to this."

Kion looked at the palm of his open hand, and he saw what seemed to have a brooch in it. It had silvery trimming and it seemed to be made of some white-colored gem, and it was shining lightly, as it was easy to notice that in the dim luminosity of the room.

"What is that?" asked the lion as he looked at the curious and shining brooch, and the wolf said. "It is a Power Gem." Kion looked at the wolf, as the canine continued to explain to the lion. "The Power Gems are the heart of our own magic. It grants us all of our abilities and it is the proof that we are Magic Guardians, and that we have the responsibility of fighting the evil beings that came to this world to cause problem and protect the beings of this world against them."

Kion nodded, and he looked at the wolf, and he said, "And what about the musketeer outfit?" Kion was really curious about that, and the wolf actually laughed rather heartedly over that. "Yeah, that actually came with the gem, yah know, I guess is part of the package, if you can say so."

The wolf passed a hand over the gem, and it glow softly, and it let go particles of shining dust as it dissolved, and turned back into a ring, which was already into the wolf's finger. Kion looked at it surprised, and the wolf said, "And this way, it is easy to carry it around without calling much attention." He showed the lion the ring on his finger as he spoke that.

Kion nodded, looking amazed at the ring in the wolf's finger, which was the source of all his magic power. So, the wolf was part of a group that defended the world and who fought monsters in a daily base, as so it seemed. Okay, now that really was starting to look like something that came out form a super hero stories. Man, Bunga would really love to be in there to hear about all of this stuff.

"So... where did you got yours?" Kion asked to the wolf, and the canine smiled at him, and he said.

"Well, as you can imagine, they are not the kind of thing you can buy around the street." The wolf said, and he continued, "They are born from the contact of someone's own spirit with the power of the magic of another Power Gem. Basically, a Power Gem can only be created by another Power Gem. A Magic Knight can only be created by another Magic Knight."

Kion nodded as he looked at him. "Oh, you mean, like they recruit others?"

"Yeah, that is like it." The wolf said to the lion as he continued. "One of the basic abilities that come with being a Magic Knight is being able to feel the presence of another Magic Knights, as well as people who have the potential to be one."

"And, how someone has potential to be one?" Kion said, and the wolf laughed a little as he said that. "God, I wish I knew." The wolf said, as he looked at Kion and continued. "Many people say a lot of different things about this thing of 'potential' and how it actually works. Some say that the people are chosen by a greater force, others say that they are chosen randomly at all. Others simply say that, if we want, we can make anyone become a Millien Magi too."

"I personally, think that someone with potential needs to have a powerful spirit."

"Powerful spirit?" Kion asked, and the wolf continued. "Yes, it means having too much ability in your spirit, or being gifted in a particular way. Like being very smart, or being naturally strong, or being very brave or determined or fierce. Or maybe having a great trait of personality that makes you suitable to be a good Magic Knight and to take on the mission of defending people and fighting the monsters who wish to create chaos and destruction in this world. The point is that not everyone has this potential. Actually, it is pretty rare."

Kion nodded, it actually made sense. He just didn't expected what the wolf was going to say next. "Just like you, Kion."

The lion almost fell of the chair when he heard that. "What!?" Kion blurted out, his voice echoing in the room as the wolf seemed unfazed at him, and soon, the wolf was saying.

"Yes, Kion. I know that you noticed the way I looked at you yesterday." The wolf said that without any worry or as if it was absolutelly nothing strange. The lion looked at him as he spoke it. "I was looking at you because I could feel the potential that has inside of you. The potential to become a Millien Magi."

Okay, now Kion just knew that it had to be a joke! He was a Magic Knight or whatever? No! There was no way! There was no _freaking _way! He was just... Kion. There was no way that he could be someone who would fight monsters and do things like what the wolf had done in the previous day, he just couldn't!

"M-me?" Kion asked, looking at the wolf, and the canine simply nodded, "Yeah, you. And yes, I'm sure." The wolf finished, as if he could sense what would be that Kion would say next. "Anyone with a nose for magic can sense the potential someone holds for being a Magic Knight.

Kion looked at him for a few moments, and he said, "Y-yesterday... When the thing that was calling the shark... The Siren... I-it noticed me there and it became angry."

"She probably felt the potential you had to become a Magic Knight, and she probably wanted to use the chance to get rid of you before you could pose a threat." The wolf said, "Actually, it is more common than you think. Some creatures really don't like the Magic Knights, for one reason or the other, and they jump at a chance to get rid of them."

Kion was still processing all of that. He wasn't even one of them and he has almost been killed and shredded into pieces just because the thing that was in there thought that he had potential to become one? What if he actually was one!? What would it have done to him!?

The wolf looked at the lion, as he was seeming to have an internal debate with himself, and sighed, "Yeah, I pretty sure that I also had this face when they told me this. I guess this is the moment where many people turn around and leave, trying to pretend they have never seen anything and that all of that never happened."

Kion looked at the canine, as he continued, "Well, I can't really blame you, after all, not everyone wants this life." The wolf looked at Kion as he continued. "It is a hard job, and it demands you not only to risk your life every day, but also to make a great sacrifice at your own personal life. This is a kind of job for the whole life, and once you accept to make a part of it, you might never be the same. If you do it, you will have little time to your relationships and to yourself, and you will have to attend to the calling when it comes. It is a hard time, but it is needed, after all, someone needs to defend the world." The wolf looked at Kion, as if he could sympathize with the lion and his situation.

The lion, on his side, only stared at the wolf in silence as he took in what was just said, and he asked. "And you... want me... to defend the world?"

Kion was at shock for this, so much that he barely knew how to react to all of that. However, it kind of made sense and would explain why the wolf seemed to take so much interest in him from the very first time they met. Actually, it also explained fairly well the things that the wolf said to him the day before, that about responsibility and about taking it or not, and about the things that he could do.

The wolf looked at him before smiling, and he said, "Yeah, according to our politics, the more of us around the better. So, if I found out someone with potential, like you, I was supposed to make the offer and then train you after you accepted." The wolf was saying it as if he was offering a job to the lion, like working as his assistant in the school or maybe cleaning things up, and not taking up some magic stone, being giving a flashy costume and fighting off monsters coming from other dimension to destroy the world.

The wolf had a kind smile at the lion as he spoke again, "After what you had been through, I should really insist for you to accept it and to become one of us. After all, you got pretty much pummeled in this world and I think now you should go with the flow."

Kion looked at him, as if he was thinking about his next decision. "Do I... Do I have a choice?" Asked the Kion to the wolf, and the canine nodded.

"Indeed, you have." The wolf said, "no one can get into this life without really wanting it. You can chose not to and to walk away from this world. However, I must warm you, if you do, then I cannot allow you to be free to tell anyone what you have seen." The tone in which the wolf said that was dark, and the suddenness of it made Kion gasp and take one step back.

But the wolf was quick to calm him down. "Relax, I'm not going to kill you, we don't do this kind of thing, we are the good guys, remember?" He offered the lion another kind smile at this, and he continued. "However, if you chose to decline I'll have to use the magic of my Power Gem to make a memory transference in you. It is one of the basic powers of the gem, it allows to wipe out specific parts of the memory of someone and replace them for a new set of memories. Basically, I'll make you forget about the supernatural things you saw and make you think that something else happened in their place."

This tranquilized Kion, and it also caught his attention as the prospect of him forgetting that all of that ever happened and going back to his usual life. It was really possible? It was really possible that he could be outside of that situation and don't even remembering that he had ever passed by it? Like a bad dream that he completely forgot soon after waking up?

The wolf seemed to notice that the lion took interest, and he said, "Yeah, it is possible to make you forget about that and remember something else in the place. I can replace your memories of following the shark to the basement and being attacked by the Siren in there for a curiosity of being in there and a boredom of having found nothing interesting. I can replace the memories of all that you seen and heard from me in this room be replaced by the memory of some discussion about your future career since I took a little interest in you. However, I'll only do so if you really want."

The wolf then looked at Kion dead in the eye, and he made the question that would most likely define all the development of Kion's future. "So, Kion, what is your choice?"

Kion knew what he was going to say, that he wanted to forget it and go back to his life. That he had no interest in risking his life fighting monsters, and that he just wanted to get away from there to get ready for his next class before it would start. However, as he opened his mouth to say these words Kion felt some doubts in it.

If he refused, then the wolf would fight on his own against these things... No! They were talking about risking being devoured by monsters! How he could even be considering accepting!? These things could have killed him!

Yes. They could.

Just like they could have killed the shark if Kion was not in there to save him. Also, they could kill another innocent bystander. Or they could kill anyone that was lured to there under their influence and would never come back.

Kion looked at the wolf, and for some reason, he asked, "These things... they are really that bad?"

"Some of them really are." The wolf said darkly as Kion asked that. "These creatures have their own motivations and agenda, and sometimes, it involves dealing straight with the beings of this world. Sometimes they want them for some kind of dark purpose, or want them as their servants, or want their life force to enhance their own powers. Sometimes they want to cause suffering and destruction only for the sake of it, or maybe even to satisfy their own needs, like feeding on someone or laughing at the cost of their tragedy."

Kion looked at the wolf, as he could take it very well by the way that the wolf said it that the situation was really a serious one. And the canine had not finished it yet, as he continued talking, "They are behind some events that happen around, like mysterious deaths and disappearing. Acts of violence without explanation and strange accidents that happen around and good people who suddenly start acting strange, freak out and act violent and evil seemingly out of no reason. Many of these things are work of these creatures."

"They really are dangerous, and if we let them do as they want around the world, then we would be pummeled into chaos and destruction. That is why the work of the Millien Magi is important, and that is why there is needed to have some of us around to protect the world. And that is why I'd like you to accept the job, but if you refuse, I understand."

Once again, Kion had on his reach the chance of giving it up. Of turning around, walking away, and leaving it all to disappear behind him without even letting a memory on its place. However, at that moment, many more things popped in his mind.

The idea of these things being let out in the loose to be able to do as they wanted with the city and with the people in it. People who were innocent and who had nothing to do with it.

But... He too didn't had nothing to do with it? He wasn't forced to take the offer only because the wolf was saying that he had the duty to do so because he got caught in the middle of it. After all, that shark also was caught in it, and he walked away calmly back to his life.

But, the shark would not have got out of there alive if it was not for the wolf, and neither would have Kion.

So what? He was going to take a job so dangerous only because he owned one to the wolf?

He didn't have the duty to do that. The wolf himself made it clear that Kion was totally free to choose what he wanted. He didn't have any kind of ties to the wolf and could very well refuse without having to worry about it. After all, he wasn't even going to remember owning the wolf one.

Still, his thoughts went back to the creatures that almost killed him.

What if these things attacked again? What if next time they went for someone he knew?

What if they went after his father? Or his mother? Or his sister? Or one of his friends?

The idea of what these creatures could do to them if they got them was a horrible thing, and it gave Kion a deep feeling of worry and fear in his heart, laced with the purest dread t a horrible feeling that it caused. He imagined what would happen if they were to be eaten or mauled because there was no one around to save them...

So what, Kion had the duty to do it because he felt worried? The lion wasn't even sure why he was considering all of the possibilities that would grant him to accept what the wolf was offering to him. He should already had refused and already be brainwashed by the wolf to forget all about that. Still, he somehow was having all these thoughts that somehow compelled to accept it, as if it was something really important that he should do. That he _needed _to do.

Kion didn't knew where these ideas were coming from, but them, he remembered his dream. The dream in which the wolf was almost being mauled over by these monsters, and he remembered the red figure and what it had said to him.

Okay, now it really seemed to be weird, as if the dream itself was making Kion consider the possibility of taking a great risk to fight monsters. Since when he gave so much attention to dreams?

However, all that had happened had left him shaken, and the lion was not sure anymore if that he had was really just a dream. It had been too intense and too real. Kion didn't even knew what to think anymore, and still, he was taking a long time to decide, as the wolf was noticing.

"Kion, your next class will start in about five minutes." The wolf said, but he was not trying to rush the lion to do something or to simply take a decision. It was more likely he just wanted the feline to know that he was taking really long to say an answer.

Kion noted it, and so, he kept thinking, for he knew that the decision he was going to take could very well define the rest of his life. It was to live a normal life, as if this thing had never happened, and leave the creatures like that to be fought by the people who were more ready for this, like the wolf?

Or should he accept the offer of the wolf, take the job of fighting these monster and protecting the world, but at the cost of taking the daily risk of being mauled and eaten by something that came out of a nightmare?

These two questions rang over Kion's head, and he knew that he had to chose one of them. He could only look to the wolf, as he opened his mouth to speak what was on his mind...