A man in earth brown robes gazed at the stars. He had a feeling something great was going to happen, something that would change all that he knew, something that could not be prevented . . . but what it was he knew not. The answer he would learn that night, and he knew it lay in the stars. All he could do was wait and watch.

He suddenly jerked his eyes to a particular section of sky as the hair on the back of his neck prickled with a charge. The sky he had been watching had suddenly changed. There, streaking the sky with incredible brightness and power were not one, but two comets running parallel to each other. They were not ordinary comets for the power they held was not normal or of the world he knew. They were Soulfire, a fire of the very soul burning bright in the heavens. Suddenly both comets veered from their trajectory, not away from each other but towards. Together they came in jolting explosion as another much smaller comet appeared suddenly and seemed to place itself in a place directly in front of the crash. Not an explosion of destruction but one of joining. The one resulting comet, much brighter than any of the two original, continued across the sky, following the smaller, outshining any and all other stars until none could be seen, including the other comet.

Then they were gone as soon as they had come. They had just disappeared, but he knew not out of existence, only out of his world. The smaller, late arriver, continued across the sky on another trajectory.

"The foretold come . . . from another world . . . ." he murmured. He knew what he had to do for he was the only one who knew the significance of the sky's message. He was the only one capable of doing what needed to be done. He was destined to be one of the the Guides, but they could not know. There was another who would help them.

Melli packed everything in her red hiking backpack except for the knife and water bottle which she strapped to her belt. She laced up her hiking boots tightly then straightened out her blue denim shorts and forest green t-shirt before she hoisted her pack onto her back and secured it. Almost as an afterthought, she reached for her Walk-man, secured it to her belt as well and put on the headphones. She stopped and glanced into her large mirror surveying herself. The large blue eyes everyone seemed to envy stared back at her, the green circles in the center complimented and enhanced by the shirt she wore. She had her mid-back length, curly, dark brown hair with the natural gold highlights pulled back into a ponytail so it would stay out of her way. She thought she looked very rustic and woodsy with her clothing and pack. She kind of liked the genuine feel. No make-up, no special care as to how to look, just carefree and natural. It was a nice change and she liked it, enjoyed it rather.

"Well, here goes practice hike #1 of Melli's plan to get ready for Wilderness Survival . . ." She murmured to herself. She wrote a note to her mother saying where she was going and that she would be back by 5.

Melli walked outside and with a steady comfortable gait made her way to Blackhawk State Forest Preserve and onto one of the many long hiking trails.

"Big Bang it hit me like a Boomerang . . ." the melody of the music she was listening to fell on her ears only. She was so absorbed in the song, she didn't realize all sounds of birds singing or animals moving . . . . . had stopped completely.

Soon he slowed down and just walked. The forest soon worked it's natural soothing effects on him and he calmed. He felt at peace for the first time in a long while, taking in all the beauty, the smells, the sights of nature. But the turmoil was still within him, unknown at the moment, ready to rise to the surface once more.

He let himself go, and sang, it didn't matter what. It was just for himself and the pure joy of it. Something he hadn't done in way too long a time.