El Hazard: Fire and Thunder

By Lane Kramer

Prologue: Love and Sadness

Makoto Mitzuhara looked into the night sky wondering about his lost love Ifurita. He should feel so happy having found a way to use the Eye of God to retrieve her at last. However he was only filled with sadness. In his hut he had told everyone about the limited portal he could create to enter through and find Ifurita. Using her power key it would lock on to her biorhythms and allow the person holding the key to get her. He had left out the fact the portal was unstable and that for it to be properly in tune a person would have to go through the portal and allow it to stabilize for a person to get Ifurita. He had left that part out. As he finished this thought his mentor and friend sensei Fujisawa entered his hut. "Hello Mr. Fujisawa." He said trying to sound upbeat until he told Fujisawa of his plan.

"I can't let you do this Makoto. If anything Miz will never forgive me if I knowingly help you." Fujisawa spoke wishing he had a drink at the moment.

"Sensei I can't do this without you. I want to bring Ifurita home and it's the only way." Makoto said sternly.

"No I won't let you through your life away on this. What good does it do you to bring Ifurita home if you are lost forever?" Fujisawa spoke trying to reason some way of preventing Makoto from doing this foolish idea.

"There is no other way, I have researched for the last few months and this is my best option. You don't understand when Ifurita sent us here she was really weak and I won't see her suffer any longer than necessary. I will find some way back; I know that in my heart. Please Mr. Fujisawa I am begging you...You would do the same for Miz." Makoto finished trying to play his guilt card.

Fujisawa was stopped in his tracks at that thought and resigned himself to fact this is what his student wanted and if Makoto said he would somehow get back Fujisawa believed him. Makoto was right he would do the same for Miz. "All right I will help you, but what about everyone else like Nanami..." Fujisawa knew this would hurt her.

"Don't tell them till after we return and tell Ifurita not to worry I still love her and will return for her like I promised." He said solemnly. "Ok then tomorrow we do it." Fujisawa knobbed then exited Makoto's hut to try to get some sleep and see Miz to remind himself why he was going to do this. Makoto meanwhile hoped in bed and was left to wonder what would happen tomorrow.

What neither knew was that another had heard their conversation. Shayla-Shayla the priestess of fire had been outside the door listening in her curiosity getting the better of her. She was huddled on the ground with her knees to her dress in shock at what Makoto was going to do. She heard him say Ifurita and love in the same sentence and wanted to run in there and demand he stop. She wanted to tell him she loved him and hoped it would bring him to his senses. Someone already loved him there; he didn't need to go off and got lost in dimensions. A few tears fell down her face. She could not bear the thought of Makoto being lost in time and space. She could wonder what could she do and then found an answer.

Makoto looked a the portal he had opened using the mysterious compass he had found in a set of ruins that had a direct connection to the Eye of God. It formed a variance that used the Eye's power opening the unstable portal. The only one with him was Fujisawa carrying Ifurita's power key. Makoto turned to Fujisawa and smiled at his teacher and friend. "This is it. I just wanna say I never had a better teacher then you sensei." Fujisawa looked on with a stoic face, while on the inside he felt himself quaking inside.

"Just be well Makoto and make sure to get back to your lady and us as fast as you can."

"I will. I promise." Makoto said with confidence. There was no more time to be wasted. It was time to make their move. Makoto set to enter the portal and Fujisawa prepared to follow right after. Until a wall of flames shot out at Fujisawa and surrounded him. A quick pair of hands grabbed the power key from Fujisawa and Makoto found himself looking into the eyes of the priestess of fire Shayla-Shayla. She had been only one he had not said good-bye too. The sadness in her eyes and the determination in her voice spoke of somehow she knew what he intended to do. "Sorry Makoto but I can't let you do this. I...We couldn't live without you...all of us Nanami, Miz, Afura...could not live without you around. I won't let you do this." Shayla spoke definitely.

"Please Shayla don't interfere anymore. Clam the flames and let Fujisawa and I do what we have to do."

"One question...do you really love her that much Makoto? Are you willing to through away your life for Ifurita?" Shayla asked hoping he would not give the answer she expected.

"I would." Makoto said with out hesitation. Shayla slowly moved towards him until she was only a foot away from him and looking into his eyes. "Then you give me no choice." Shayla suddenly kneed Makoto in the gut causing him to double over and then hit him on the face staggering Makoto. Shayla then put the power key of Ifurita under Makoto's arm and started to drag him towards the portal. Makoto barely managed to get out "Shayla...wha.t...are...yo..u...doing...?" Then he realized what she intended to do. "No Shayla don't."

As they neared the portal she mouthed "Shut up before I changed my mind." They were right next to the portal. "Why Shayla are you doing this...this is my sacrifice to make not yours." Shayla looked to him with a look or sorrow, but also a smile for at this moment she could say what she always wanted to say "Because you idiot I want you to be happy and I wish it was I who could do it...and mostly because I love you." She said pushing forward leaving Makoto only a millisecond to comprehend her statement before he was on his way to meet his destiny.

Two years later....

On a cold night the Eye of God hand no movement on it until suddenly a figure landed on it. She put her hands into her red hair and smiled. "Ah its good to be home." Then she smiled a very wicked and twisted smile "I just hope that bitch Ifurita is around so I can kill her painfully." She was dressed in a skin tight out fit that was red on one side and black on the other covered her body completely except for her stomach and belly button which were bear. Her dark skin glistened in the moonlight. She looked down towards Florisitica and then put her hand onto a jewel that had once been part of her priestess outfit and placed her other hand on her right cheek trying to cover the large scar on it. She closed her eyes and a tear fell down her face. "Finally Makoto, my one true love, I will be with you for all eternity." Then she jumped of the Eye and disappeared into the darkness.

In Makoto's bedroom in the bed he shared with Ifurita he laid awake at in the darkness wondering like he had often and then noticed the compass glow green for a second which caught his attention for just a second and then went out again. He believed he was just tired and dismissed it as he fell asleep.

To be continued....