Prolouge

Once there was a sheet of darkness over Tapa Wanka. The spirit world, fresh with new and exciting people, was chaos. But the leader, Moshi, was confident in his ablility to rule. He took years and years, but eventually, he set things in proper order. 

The earth was something foreign to these people. They needed someone to guide them in the essence of all human kind. The Tapa's did have many abilities though; and each one had an element power. Moshi controlled fire, his wife Water, his two children earth and air, as they were twins, and the two went together. 

The elements made much sense, but they needed someone from earth to posses these powers, and they needed someone to give it to the people. Moshi went into his meditating room one night, closed his eyes, and wished and hoped with all his might that there might be one, just one person to be one with the elements. 

Well, he got his wish. But I sure wasn't prepared for it.

 

Chapter One

One second I was under my startched pink comforter, night sounds around me. My windows were open, the stars were shining, and I was completely and utterly happy. School was great, I was at the top of my class, considerably popular, and, at fourteen, I was going to start drivers ed soon. I couldn't wait. 

I closed my eyes, pulling my puppy, Zaka, closer to me. 

"You're so sweet," I cooed, snuggling up to her. The golden retriever playfully bit at my hair. 

I fell asleep that way. 

*****

My eyes flew open wildly, my heart was pounding, and I was shaking violently. My chest heaved and pulled my whole body with it. Pain slashed through be like knives, ripping into my skin and creating wounds I could not see. Everything around me was the brightest white, stretching into nothingness. 

I used to think the only magic in this world was the sun, from a poem I had read as a young child. Just now, I spoke the words, distant off my lips. 

The sun shines when it rains

At night it never goes away

And there it is for you all day

The sun is yours and mine, okay? 

It happened to be a preschool poem about sharing but, as I got older, I understood the words behind the unadvanced letters. 

The sun is there for you in the "slipperiest" of times 

It's there in your darkest hour

And in your nicest of times 

It is there for all of us, forever more 

And that's how I saw it. Everyone was depentdant on the sun, and it was there for us. And now I couldn't see it. It was like I was going into the sun, except I felt like ice and water and popcicles on the hottest day. Frost-bitten ice cream and frozen fingers without gloves. I felt like everything cold. 

"Mina," someone said from a place I could not reach. 

I bit down on my lip and swallowed. I must be dreaming. 

"I am Moshi, your spirit leader. I give you the element of fire. I give you the elemnt of water. I give you the element that can both bless and destroy. You, Mina, will save the world." 

And then I was in something where bright colors swirled around me. With disbelief apparent on my face I watched as the colors took shape--they were people! Women with long silky black hair and short gerogeous bangs. Men stood by them, their faces tanned, some pale, some chocolate brown. They all were amazingly handsome. They all moved in circles around me, and then everything stopped. 

I took a look around me. There I was, in a dark room illuminated by fire. The floor was of dirt, a steady wind blew through, and pools of water were sprinkled around my feet. 

"She's the one?" One of the younger women asked, incredulous. 

"Yes," a voice spoke from behind me. I whirled around to find my face inches away from that of a man's. His face was somewhat ancient with a faded stubble starting at his temples and ending in a gray beard. He carried himself in a stern manner. Unintentionally, I backed away.

"But she's young!" The woman complained again. 

"Quiet Tona!" One of the men commanded. "If Moshi says she is the one, she is the one. You are not in a place to question him." 

"I wasn't!" Tona sort of whined, rubbing her face. "I was only pointing the obvious out!" 

I bit my lip. As I spoke, my voice wavered. "What am I doing h-here?" 

"You have been chosen," the ancient said, nodding. "I spent many nights fasting, preparing for this. And the spirit gods chose you." 

"Not a wise choice," came a muffled voice, probable the same girl. 

"Shush!" the same man said. "Stop it at once!" 

"Fine!" Tona retored. "But papa, you know grandpapa is wrong!" With that, she spun on her heels and dissapeared, leaving a quivering mist. 

"I am sorry," Tona's father said. "She is young. And unwise. She does not know it here. She does not know the way to live." 

"It's okay," the ancient said quietly. "Go to her. Comfort her. Assure her I am not angry." 

Under the stern lines of his face I saw love and hope that was merely hidden by the way he carried himself. 

The man swept away and he left another mist. This one settled on the ground beneath my feet, sort of like a fog. 

"What is this?" I asked, clenching my fists stubbornly. 

"This," began the ancient man. "Is Tapa Wanka. The spirit world. Here, we flourish off the four elements. Fire, water, air and earth. We are having trouble managing these elements in the world. For instance, hurricanes. Earthquakes. Every hundred years, we are suppossed to allow all of these to happen, to rebuild the earth as we know it. But, as you see, it happens every day, and we need someone to possess these, and control them, for none of us is one with the earth. But humantiy is, for we were never truly human." 

His speech broke my words, sending them cascading down my throat, hitting the pit of my stomach. I was able to mouth, "I am the one?" 

"Yes," he said quickly, sharply. "And, I am afraid, you have not a choice, but a destiny to fufill."  

I shook my head. "No, no. It can't be..." 

"It is." He said softly. 

"No!" I wailed, throwing my head back. One by one, the people dissapeared, leaving me to my own controlled cries. 

Blackness enveloped me.