[center][h2][b][color=0072bc]Shuichi[/color][/b][/h2][/center]

It was a mundane end to an ordinary day. Shuichi had his backpack slung over his shoulder as he walked home from school with his sister. She was tinkering with her gauntlet as she walked, until she finally resorted to percussive maintenance. Shuichi sighed and shook his head. [color=0072bc]"You're just gonna break it. Everybody's is on the fritz. Global warming probably altered the convection currents which tricked the satellites into changing their orbits and crashing into each other which in turn disrupted the ley line configurations."[/color] His sister just gave him an incredulous look. [color=0072bc]"What, Ayumi? You don't think that could happen."[/color]

Ayumi shook her head. [color=ed145b]"Really? Satellite explosions? How does someone with a 3.8 GPA come up with this stuff?"[/color]

Shuichi just shrugged, and continued walking. Nobody had any better ideas at the moment about why things were going so crazy, so he figured it was as good as any. Though, it was a magical problem, so maybe it had a magical cause and not a scientific one. Or maybe the government had a secret project that used up too much magic and was keeping it a secret. Or maybe-- Ayumi yanked on his shirt just before he walked into a pole. [color=0072bc]"Wha? Oh, thanks sis."[/color] 

Ayumi rolled her eyes. [color=ed145b]"You'd be roadkill by now if it wasn't for me."[/color] But, just as the two of them approached their house, a women descended from the heavens with a letter for Shuichi. Ayumi's jaw hung open. [color=ed145b]"Uhh... did I miss something?"[/color]

[color=0072bc]"I don't think so. I mean, I've never seen her before in my life."[/color] Shuichi proceeded to read the letter.

[color=ed145b]"Well, what's it say?"[/color]

Shuichi read, and then reread the letter. Were the things written there true? Surely there wasn't some demon sucking out his personal magic. That had to be a mistake. But, were the recent problems really being caused by some evil being? [color=0072bc]"I... I don't know if I'm at liberty to discuss it. I mean, it doesn't say classified... and I don't see a government seal on it."[/color] 

As Shuichi rambled on about the letter's origin, Ayumi peaked over his shoulder and gave it a quick read. [color=ed145b]"Wow. What a bitch. Just because you suck at magic, it doesn't mean they have to make up crazy demon stories about it."[/color]

[color=0072bc]"But, it says they want to help me..."[/color]

[color=ed145b]"Yeah, sure. Probably for the low, low payment of whatever you got. I say it's either a scam or a prank, and it's not very good whatever it is."[/color]

Shuichi let out a sigh. [color=0072bc]"Yeah, you're probably right. Dad'll probably yell at me for even reading a letter like this. I mean, it doesn't even have a return address. Now I feel like an idiot. I'll get rid of it before they even see it."[/color] And with that, Shuichi tore the letter in half.