The Heart Of Time

Chapter Two "The Flip Side" On the other side of The Heart of Time, two years later… and over a thousand years into the future. The letter was addressed to the Hogo shrine. Grandpa Hogo looked at the elegant envelope the messenger had just handed him as he carried it back to the table where he had been sipping tea. Before the knock on the door, he had been enjoying the peace and quiet of the usually over active house. Everyone else had gone out for the evening. Tama was at the game room in town with friends, and Kyoko had gone to the library to study, while Mrs. Hogo had taken off to do some grocery shopping. Picking up a small knife from the table, Grandpa slid the sharp blade through the gold-rimmed envelope carefully. He reached in, pulling out a notarized letter on heavy-duty gold-rimmed paper, and started reading it. The more he read, the wider his eyes became. It was a scholarship, a full scholarship to a very expensive school on the outskirts of the other side of the c

Chapter 4 "Pay Attention" Kyoko jerked back from him, all of a sudden feeling vibes coming off him that she wasn’t supposed to feel. Something was going on here and she felt like she was the last one to know about it. "I need answers," she whispered in a nervous voice, biting her bottom lip in hopes of getting rid of the tickling sensation Kyou had created. She wished briefly that she could get rid of the breathtaking shivers that decided to take the bullet train through her nervous system. Inhaling her scent and feeling his blood instantly heat, Kyou leaned back. He had seen the girl’s small body shiver but not in revulsion. Glancing down, he almost smirked when he saw her arms come alive with goose bumps. “Why are you suppressing your power? You need to be aware of your surroundings before the past is repeated." The slightly arrogant voice told her. Kyoko gulped, "What do you mean by that?" She tensed up. "You are aware there are immortals here at the school, are you

Chapter 6 "Enemy’s Touch"   He didn’t say a word as he drove and she almost fell asleep on the way back to the dorm. When he got her out of the vehicle, she looked up at him and for a moment they stood still, Toya holding her to him to keep her steady. Kyoko gazed deep in his golden eyes and whispered, "Toya, I missed you,” her voice sounded so truthful. Toya suddenly got the strangest feeling that he had missed her too, somehow, before now. He touched her cheek, frowning as something flashed in his mind. He saw her lying outside, under a tree, sleeping on a blanket… and him above her, sitting in that tree watching her sleep. Toya closed his eyes for an instant, and the image disappeared but left him with a warm feeling. He steered her toward the building, knowing they really wouldn’t be safe until they were inside. He could feel shadow demons hidden within the darkness watching them and he wondered why they didn’t attack. Kyoko looked up at all the stairs and groaned

Chapter 8 "Flames of Friendship”   Hyakuhei took a step behind the tree when Toya entered the gym area. His black eyes widened as the silver guardian drew closer to Kyoko. This was the guardian who was a force of his own. The mere thought of Kyoko in danger would heighten Toya’s power… making him very unpredictable during battle. Even Toya did not know the extent of his own strength, but Hyakuhei knew… when Kyoko was in danger… Toya’s power becomes limitless. Even the other guardians were unaware of this fact. Toya had been the one to receive the power of the one true guardian and that made him the fiercest during combat. The more he wanted to protect her, the stronger he would become… such power was disturbing. Hyakuhei’s hand fisted as he remembered the curse he’d put on the boy. He had hoped that one day the curse would destroy Toya and his limitless power but to this day, the silver guardian seemed unaffected. 'One day Toya… the curse will take you by surprise.' His

Chapter 10 "Heat of Memories" Kyou had calmed down after ridding the room of the sofa. He now lay in his own bed under control, thinking about what had just happened. Her scent was still fresh within the thick blankets that covered the mattress. He closed his eyes, tapping into the memories of the past. He remembered a time about a month before the final battle when.... within his mind’s eye, he could see it all as if it had only been yesterday.... Kyou stood on a hill overlooking a small canyon when he caught the scent of Toya, the priestess, and the other guardians that traveled with them. A burst of golden feathers rent the air as the shadow of his wings shattered into existence. He closed the distance quickly to find them in the heart of the canyon, in the middle of a battle with a nest of snake-like demons. Quickly, he began to assess the situation before him. Shinbe was helping the dark haired girl Suki fend off several snake demons that were seeping out of the ground a