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My story was originally called Jinsei Sakasa (or Life Upside-Down). I wrote it as my 10th grade Narrative and I got an A which I was very proud of. I hope you like it as much as I did.

Roughly an hour later Maiya and Ayame sat in Maiya’s living room staring at the book that lay on the gray carpeted floor. The book stuck out like a sore thumb in the very clean white house. Seeing it in this light Ayame saw that it was very grungy with mud stains covering nearly everything but the jewel. In fact the jewel was the strangest part of the book. Held to the cover by a gold casing it had no reflection. It made Ayame squirm just looking at it.
“So you say there was no writing in it?” Maiya finally said after a long while of silence.
“Well it started out with writing in it, but it all… disappeared.” Ayame answered perplexed.
“Should we have another look?” Maiya said not reaching for the book herself. “It should be safe right?”
“I don’t see why not.” Was all Ayame said. A few minutes passed before she actually picked up the book. “Let’s see what you’ve got.” Ayame finally mustered up the courage to open the book by forcing herself to believe that everything else had just been a day dream.
Ayame strained for a minute with the cover, letting out the breath she hadn’t noticed she’d been holding. She looked up at Maiya. “It won’t open.”
“What do you mean? How can it not open?” Maiya said taking the book from Ayame and trying to pry it open herself. Even after what seemed like hours of struggling the book remained shut. “I vote we dispose of it. It’s really starting to creep me out.”
“I second that motion.” Ayame said going over to one of the windows. Maiya lived on the fifth floor of a very large apartment building. “Here just toss it in to the garbage bin from here.”
“Gotcha.” Maiya said opening the window that Ayame stood next to. “Bombs away.” She said releasing the book she was dangling out the window. “Much better.”
“You know I got the feeling it didn’t want to be thrown away. I know its silly. Books don’t have feelings, but all the same.”
“I know what you mean. Hmm, I just don’t understand it.”

Maiyazawa Watase waited near her locker. Checking her watch she confirmed that her dearest friend was a half hour past the time they usually meet. She was starting to get very worried, never in fifteen years had they not meet in the morning before school. Deciding to wait a little longer the leaned against the lockers cold metal faces. Looking down the hall she rolled her eyes at a group of girls who were laughing and chatting annoyingly. She didn’t even need to strain thought on what they were talking about seeing as Toshinabekawa was present. She, being the president of the “Jiro Sato Club or JSC, talked only about the school prince. She was a snobby red head with a stuck up nose. She thrived on drooling over Jiro Sato. Jiro was just as bad, well take away the drooling part, he was the “school prince” adored by ALMOST every girl in the school and envied by nearly all the guys.
“And he smiled at me! EKKKKK!” was the loudest comment Maiya heard Toshi make. Her groupies joined in her squeal, filling the hall with their high pitched annoying voices. Covering her ears she turned away from the abomination of human time and nearly getting whacked in the face with a suddenly open locker door.
“Ahhhh,” was the only noise that escaped her lips as she stood stunned, nose inches from the blue metal door.
“Huh?” a horribly familiar voice came from behind the door. “Oh I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to scary you.” A polite looking boy stood up strait and closed the locker door. He brushed back a piece of dark plum hair that had fallen in his rich silver eyes. “Names Sato, Jiro. I don’t think I know you.” He said smiling kindly. Now Maiya new why every other girl in the school besides her and Ayame were head over heels for him.
“Watase, Maiyazawa. Now excuse me I don’t want to be late for my first class.” Maiya said pushing past him rudely.
“Well nice meeting you, Watase-san.” He said heaving his red book bag over his shoulder.
“Can’t say the same.” Maiya said to herself waving to him without turning around.

“We say you talking to Prince Jiro. Do you really think that’s acceptable?” Said Toshi slamming her books on the desk next to Maiya’s. Several of her flunkies followed suit, how pathetic.
“I wouldn’t get on my nerves today, Toshi. If you haven’t noticed Ayame isn’t her that means there’s no one stopping me from punching you in the face.” Maiya said plainly setting her own books on her own desk.
“That’s right. I hadn’t noticed your shadow was missing.” Toshi laughed and the others laughed with her. There annoying voices dove into Maiya’s ears and drove her to the point of insanity.
“Can’t say I didn’t warn you.” She whispered to herself. Standing she turned slowly towards Toshi, who was still laughing. In seconds Maiya had finally done it, what she had wanted to do for years as finally done, she landed a nice hard punch on the center of Toshi’s face. Blood gushed from her pretty little nose and she shrank to the ground with a small shriek. “Next?” Maiya asked raising her fist, daring any of the other girls to stand up for their “friend”. The all took a step back to distance them selves from her. “That’s what I thought.”
“Ms. Watase, what is all this about?” Maiya stood still hand still raised. She had expected as much, the teacher would never dare enter the room when Toshi was bugging people, but was expected to come in just in time to make Maiya look like the bad guy. Instead of trying to explain her actions Maiya just walked to the door saying, “Don’t worry, I’ll see myself to the office.”

Ayame sat up in her straw mat bed slowly eating a small breakfast. A sweet looking woman had brought it into her right after Ichiro had left. The woman was the most hyperactive she had ever seen, bouncing around straitening blankets and piling papers around the room. She was somewhere else in the house at the moment and Ayame could hear her singing off tune in what was probably the kitchen.
After finishing her breakfast she slowly got out of bed to clean her dishes. When she reached the kitchen the woman how had earlier introduced herself as Hoshiiwa, moved around cleaning everything in sit.
“Oh you’re up.” She said stopping and bowing in her direction. Ayame, confused, looked behind her. Was she bowing to me? Just to be polite Ayame bowed back. Seeing Ayame bow the girl went nuts, waving her hands frantically in front of herself. “Ahhh! Don’t bow to me, you highness!”
“Your highness, what’s that supposed to mean?” Ayame asked, hand on her hip. It obviously wasn’t just some term of interment that Ichiro had used when he called her Princess.
“You mean you don’t know.” Hoshi laughed to herself. “Well of course you don’t.”
“Really, what are you talking about?”
“You’re Princess Ookawakami. The great daughter of the river god. I thought Sato-sensei would have told you.” Said the girl still smiling.
“Sato? You mean Jiro-kun?” Jiro, the prince of the school, his last name was Sato. Could she possibly be talking about him?
“No, no, Sato-sensei. The one who saved you. Oh excuse me.” She left for the main door and Ayame followed. Seconds later someone knocked. She could her weak screaming and someone saying, “Please open the door.” How did Hoshi know someone was at the door, she had left before they knocked.
Hoshiiwa opened the door and there stood Ichiro, Maiya over his shoulder and Jiro standing behind him. Maiya has screaming up a storm and she had never seen Jiro so pensive. The entered and Ichiro dropped Maiya to the floor.
“Maiya.” Ayame said simply, rushing to her friend’s side.
Maiya merely looked Ayame up and down and asked, “What the hell are you wearing?” Ayame looked down at her own clothes. She seemed to be wearing a traditional Kimono and a very large on at that.
“I don’t know.” She said staring back up at her friend. “Wait, but that’s not important. What are you doing here?”
“Me? What are you doing here?”
“Well, I… I have no idea.”
“Good me neither.”
“You’re here,” Ichiro said interrupting the girl’s reunion, “Because you set Goro free and now you have to help me seal him again.” He sounded kind of angry.
“I told you they wouldn’t listen.” Came the distant voice and stubborn voice of the old man as he walked through the hall into the kitchen.
“Goro?” Jiro said pondering. “Isn’t that the guy you scared off at the school?”
“Yeah, what of it?”
“Well if you can just tell him what to do like that why do you need us?”
“Because he’s growing stronger and I can’t tell him what to do forever.” Ichiro moved into the living room and motioned for the others to follow. Ayame and Maiya just looked at each other for a moment, like they were talking to each other without talking. Seeming to agree that they should follow, Ayame helped Maiya to her feet and they pursued him into the room with Jiro behind them.
“So do you mind explaining what we really have to do with this?” Maiya finally asked when ever one was settled around a low table.
“Of course. Well I should probably start from the very beginning.” Ichiro said rubbing his chin.
“Yeah the beginning sounds like a good place to start.” Maiya said sarcastically.
“It all began four thousand years ago. With the creation of this land. The god and goddess, Izanaki and Izanami, bore five children. The first was sent to be the guardian of the mountains in the north, the second to protect the precious metals of the land, the third to free the waters and the fourth to guide the wind.” Ichiro paused.
“I thought you said there were five?” Jiro asked when Ichiro remained silent.
“There was. The fifth was the god of fire. At his birth he killed the goddess causing his father much grief. He was known to the others as the bringer of evil. It is said he was not the son of Izanaki and that is why she is why she died at birth, but it’s not know for sure.” Eyes cast to the floor, he continued almost reluctantly. “Goro, the fifth son, was supposedly shunned by his siblings and he grew angry. In his rage he filled the land with flames and was soon known as the god of wrath. The others, in order to return the land to peace, sealed there brother in the Chigokuin stone which they later attached to Jurei Shinwa book.”
“Wait if this guy was so evil then why didn’t they just kill him?” Ayame asked curiously. It didn’t make sense to leave someone so evil alive.
“Because of you.” Ichiro finally lifted his eyes to look at Ayame.
“Hey now, you can’t blame Ayame for something that happened four thousand years ago.” Maiya said sticking up for Ayame, where as Ayame simply looked at the floor down cast.
“Fine, it was because of Ookawakami. The goddess of the river was to kind hearted to let the others kill their own brother so they settled for sealing him away. But the other day you two broke the seal and now he his free again. As the descendents of the Izanaki and Izanami’s children you have to help me reseal him before he becomes too powerful to fight.”
“So your asking us to accept such a far fetched tale and follow you to what ever end, is that it?” Jiro stared at the suns reflection in the table.
“That is exactly what I’m asking. For the good of everyone we have to capture him and fast.”
“I won’t work with Jiro.” Maiya said stubbornly looking at the plum haired boy that sat at the end of the table like a saddened statue.
“You have no choice. Both you and Ookawakami are obligated to do this more then either of us.”
“What! Why are we more obligated then you?” Maiya yelled looking furiously at Ichiro.
“Because you were the idiots how through the book out the window in the first place.”
“Fine, but you better hope I come out of this alive.” Maiya crossed her arms and got up from her seat at the table, stalking out of the room. Moments later they heard a door slam.
“I apologize for Maiya’s behavior. Please forgive her.” Ayame stood eyes still cast at the floor. She looked as if she were going to cry, her deep blue eyes glistening with unshed tears behind the mass of black hair that had fallen in front of her face. Leaving the boys, she made her way into the room she had been sleeping in. Sitting near the single window she watched as Maiya stalked around the garden, stopping in front of a small fish pond.

They all woke early the next morning, Maiya the sleepiest of them all. Everyone was silent as they ate around the low table in the kitchen. After serving them, Hoshiiwa nodded to Ichiro and left the house.
“We better get going; Goro grows stronger the longer we wait.” Ichiro stood heading out the door. Without a word the others followed him.
By mid morning they had made there way to a vast green field. A few smooth rocks formed islands in the sea of green grass and a mall stream cut through the land. A soft wind blew caressing their skin with its morning breeze. They had everything they would need to beat Goro in there surroundings, the elements they ruled seemed to softly sing to them a different tone for each of them.
“Good you came I was starting to wonder if you would chicken out.” Goro's malicious voice filled the pleasant air before he appeared before them. He stood out like a sore thumb among the serene surroundings of the field his red cloak billowing in a wind of its own.
“We didn’t come to chat, Goro. Now let’s fight.” Ichiro glared at Goro all the hatred of the earth seemed to hover around him. “Jiro, you know the plan.”
“Gotcha.” Jiro said simple moving towards the closest rock. Placing his hands on the rock and imagining a magnificent sword the rock morphed. Seconds later the same sword he had imagined in his mind rested in his hands, a tangible object.
“You think you can seal me again. Do really expect that a bunch of watered down gods could take me down forever?” Goro let out a sharp hard laugh that seemed to physically fracture their confidence.
“We can seal you and we will.” Ayame said stepping forward fist raised. This was abnormal for her she usually was quite the pacifist, but now she felt an urge to prove herself, to show him she could beat him.
“Hmm, Ookawakami, I guess I really should thank you, after all it was you who saved me so long ago. To bad I have to kill you know, sister?” Goro grinned and held out his hand and a thick ball of fire formed just above his skin. Reeling back his arm he tossed it at Ayame. Maiya summoned her air and throw it at the ball hoping to stop it, but it only seemed to fuel the flame.
“GET DOWN DAMN IT!” Ichiro yelled at her. Seconds from impact he dived in front of her, forming a wall of dirt that crumbled when the fire ball hit it. “Come on we don’t have time for this. Ayame simply nodded and back up towards the stream.
“No book for you this time.” Maiya said summoning her air again. “No, this time you’re going strait to hell!” She yelled the last part hurling the gust of wind at Goro. The force pushed him head over heels, literally. Next Ichiro held him to the ground with roots and vines. Goro raised his hand to summon another fire ball but a down pour of rain soaked him through and through instantly.
“Take that.” Ayame yelled from her place knee deep in water. Finally Jiro stepped forward. Sword in hand he looked down at Goro. He raised it above his head to strike.
“Wait; wait, would you kill your own brother?” Goro looked at him trying to make his evil red eyes look as sympathetic as possible.
“You are no brother of mine.” With that Jiro plunged his sword through Ichiro’s vines and into Goro’s back. Jiro stared at him as the life quickly drained from his eyes. Moments later he removed the sword from his back with a sick sucking sound of the skin trying to keep the blade intact. As soon as the sword was back in Jiro’s grip their brother’s body decayed rapidly into dust that floated away in the wind.
“Thank you all.” Ichiro said staring at the place Goro had lain only moments before. He seemed relieved yet sad at the same time.
“You’re not upset that we didn’t reseal him are you?” Maiya asked.
“No this feeling is to be expected. I am thankful to see that the creature will not be haunting us any further, but then again I wish there was someway we could have freed our brother. Ah well not everything can be salvaged in times like this.” Ichiro put on a brave face and smiled at them. “Come on lets go home.”
He began down the hill back in the direction they had come from what seemed like a lifetime ago. Jiro and Maiya followed behind him avoiding any hidden rocks. Maiya turned to see that Ayame was still standing at the top of the hill staring at the empty space that was Goro’s burial spot.
“Ayame, you coming?” She called back to her.
“Yeah I’ll be along in a minute.” Ayame said looking at her and smiling. Maiya shrugged and continued down the hill with the boys.
Ayame looked at the multi-green grass and spotted a red stone lying among the weeds. Knelling down she held her hand over it. A soft warm energy crawled over its surface. She picked it up and examined it more closely. It was as she though, the same stone that had been attached to the book, But then again it wasn’t the same stone. No, this stone was different. It had the same outward appearance of the original stone, but this one had a different feel, this stone was the remains of her true brother. Its aura crawled with a loving warm feeling spreading a true smile across her face. So you were saved brother. If only we could have rid you of your burden earlier.
Fear not, sister, all things had to pass in such a fashion and I will regret none of it. Please keep me by your heart and my wishes will be fulfilled.