Chapter One [Plot]

In the world of Fiore, the world of magic, battles and fame; where war became a child's play; and when it reached to the point of the guild being destroyed and rivalry is common. After all the great power of magic is everywhere, one must be fearless to survive without magic or lucky enough. Luck and instincts were that, what saved the girl many times but she was not going to risk her life believing in it. She would only officially join her guild after she had obtained what is hers and what she deserves. Her Zodiac Key.

The girl want to be stronger, she want to accomplished what she had promised, but to do that, she need to survive dozens of obstacles thrown at her and she need her keys to do that. She was no longer going to wait for her horrendous aunt to think she deserves her key. She was going to make that woman see it. She was not scared of that scary woman anymore. She had survived things worse than those. It was time to stand up for her own.

However, it was not easy finding that woman. She need to solve the painting first. She found the painting on her trip and it was a hint her brother had left for her. She was going to solve it. The girl stared at the painting hung on the wall.

The painting is poetical, fanciful and profane. The two emblems of lust and ferocity, the dragon and tiger. They kneels before this embodiment of chastity, and guards the woman in the cloak. These two wild creatures have become, in the heraldic sense, her supporters. There is even nature domesticated goldfish bowl on the cushion. It was the most refined yet confusing painting.

The key was in that painting, take note of the double meaning in it. The girl tried to solve it, she know her aunt had a twisted sadistic sense. It was in it but she could not find it, just then, she realized, the gold fish in a bowl was indicating Aquarius, bowl…? Aquarius is caged? Her aunt would not do that, right? Or would. Knowing her mind, she would. The girl's heart was torn. The key was supposed to be with her since her mother passed away but her aunt had stole it and she was to young to defend it. However, she was now no longer a defenseless, naïve girl. She will take back what is supposed to be hers in the first place. She just hoped, Aquarius would not take out on her later when they reunited once again.

She reminisced about the past, how she poked at the spirit, making the spirit annoyed and spit fire at her but still the spirit always accompany her lonely self, always tending the girl's wounds and teaching her about the unfair life and her past. It was how the girl and the zodiac Aquarius spirit connected. The spirit told her things she never did to anyone, thinking the little girl would forget it but the spirit did not know the girl never forget anything, her intelligence and almost photographic memory did not let the girl forget.

The girl was wearing an all-black outfit to camouflage in the dark and according to the painting, the walls were black too, confirming the decision the girl had was right. She brought a pack of cards that were especially made for this kind of days. She had made the poker cards from the thin sheet of metal, meaning, it can draw a wake of red when slashed. She also brought daggers as a backup plan but she was hoping she could sneakily attacked and finished it off. Since she could not win the old woman fairly.

"Just bear a bit, Aquarius," the girl whispered. The girl had figured out where the old woman was hiding after staring at the painting for two consecutive days, she had solved the puzzles in it. It was quite simple, actually. There was no water in the bowl, meaning the old woman was on land and not near water, she just need to find the town with no water surface but she found that already. She realized the ceilings and the floor was green, so the girl decided to trust her instincts and walked into the Danky Forest. Danky forest is not popular because there was nothing apart from maze of thick trees.

The girl decided to travel from trees to trees instead of walking on the ground because she has the feelings that there would be traps underneath. Moreover, that hag woman never look up and she could not climb tree to save her live. The girl was tired after an hour of getting lost due to the maze. She decided to use her brain. She remembered the structure of the maze, she decided to close her eyes and moved from place to place and in a moment, she was on crouching on a branch of oak tree that was a stone's away from the gothic house. The girl moved slowly, trying to avoid any noise, anything to alarm that lazy bum woman.

The girl climbed the tree that was just next to the house. She found out that her aunt was careless, must be her age. She was sure the woman must have thought she would never found her because she was sleeping like a baby with the woman open, without any guarding. She was also sure this was not a trap because, the girl's hawk eyes found the woman's black keys already. The girl then took out her pack of cards then, brushed with colorless liquid with care. She then threw it straight at the woman's neck.

The woman shrieked as she plucked out the card and stared straight at the girl. "Itsuka? Hah. Girl, you still sucks. Huh. Your aim is still so bad. You lost your one chance. What you going to do?" The woman mocked but stopped as she saw the girl's smirk and the hearty laugh.

"Oh dear aunt, I'm sorry but I won this round. I'm no longer the little girl you used to know. I changed and for your information, it's no longer Itsuka. Itsuka is dead," the girl told the woman with dead-serious face.

Just then, the woman choked her own neck, "What's happening to me? What did you do to me?" the woman shrieked. The girl gave a small smile as the woman fell unconscious.

The girl jumped into the room and whispered into the empty room, "I aren't like you. I'm not going to kill you. Don't worry. You don't deserve a quick death. I'm going to give you up to the council. You killed many people and you are wanted, aunty. Bye Bye. the girl said as she left the place and whistled. The little white dove flew over, the girl tied a slip of paper on it's leg. It was a map of the maze and that, the woman would be unconscious for a day. She had gave her a huge potion of sleeping pills.

The girl then, took the black keys and placed it safely. She will meet the spirits later but the important thing is Aquarius. She need to find her. The girl found the key at last, hidden quite well, but she found it. The girl then contacted and an angry spirit that was going to threw an urn at her appeared. The girl quickly raised her hands and shouted, "It's me Aqua. Don't you remember me?"

"Itsu? What the heck? You are still so tiny," the spirit scoffed at the girl. The girl could not respond but hugged at the spirit, tearing up a little. She missed that spit-firing spirit.

She then took a step back, "It's Kona now," the girl said with an absolute voice. The tears she had teared up no longer visible, her façade up but the spirit can see past as she talked in a hush tone, "It's all over now baby girl.

The spirit then, started whining at the girl saying how angry she was, her just now hushed voice seemed like her imaginary but she knew it was not. The spirit did not express herself well so was she. That's why they are a perfect match.

"Come on. You are now my responsibility. Don't you dare cause trouble," the girl jokily and half-seriously said. The spirit mocked-saluted the girl and with that, they left the maze and walked towards the girl's room.

Now everything was back to its place, if only her brother was here beside her. All would be perfect. As if the spirit hear her thought, the spirit patted her "We will find him. Don't worry." The girl gave a nod and a smile. Indeed, they will.