Before we get started, i'd like to personally welcome you all to Your Power for a Kiss, a Date a Live story in the making for almost three years. Granted, most of that time was just spent waiting, but this story has stuck with me for a very long time, and I'm excited to bring it here today. First things first, some context.

This story was first conceived around the release of Volume 11, and a lot of details on various characters' backstories has been revealed since then. However, since I worked on this story before all that came out, I will not be including a lot of canon information from the recent light novels. Rather, this story will be more like "how I think it should've happened." On top of that, I really want to emphasize what the summary said. This story is very... very OC-centric. With all that said, you could probably call this an AU, and it would be an accurate descriptor.

If you have any tips, advice, or criticisms, feel free to tell me in the reviews. I'd like to improve as I write this story, and your help would be much appreciated.

Without further ado, let's get this show on the road.

A void. That's all there was. The very lack of thought constituted the space, the abyssal darkness stretched into unfathomable horizons, and it lied far underneath the deepest depths. One could not call this reality, for it required tangibility to be real. Yet, it couldn't be called a dream, because no imagination could deem it as such. Forever the emptiness stretched, far beyond the cosmos, yet not constituting any of it.

Despite the fact, the blankness had… no, was everything. Every conceivable shape and form occupied every corner, and the infinite horizons shown with indescribable color. Unbridled collective thought built the very perception of it. One could find everything they wanted, as well as everything they didn't want. It wasn't just a void, it was also fullness.

Surely, such a thing could only exist outside of existence. Perhaps it was what created existence.

Amongst the surreality, a figure floated amid the metaphysical concepts. Despite the very nature of the realm, the singular individual remained completely visible, conceivable, and ultimately, real.

This person was cloaked in a fabulous assortment of cloths and fabrics, seemingly composed of the endless multitudes within the realm. It displayed stunning varieties of color and boasted of fine craftsmanship, yet remained meek and humble in appearance. Something so elegant could only be worthy of a goddess.

Her joyous laughter echoed into the vast nothingness, sounding nothing less than pure. Her crystal eyes trained on something she cradled in her arms. A smile formed on her face of pure ethereal beauty. "You're finally here!" she cried, twirling around. "You're finally with me!"

She cradled an object swaddled in silky clothing, not unlike her own. A newborn's head poked out of the top, eyes squinted shut and not making a sound. The woman continued to giggle, suiting of a new mother.

"To see you… touch you… you have no idea what joy that brings me," she spoke softly. The baby cooed in response.

"Shh…" she told it, softly stroking the baby's head with dainty fingers. "You are going to accomplish great things. You will be the one to restore what was lost, and vanquish those who sought to destroy. Through you, divinity will be reborn."

The baby shifted itself in its swaddling clothes, causing the woman to laugh quietly, and brought its forehead up to hers. "Yes, that will be you..." she declared. The infant's eyelids slid open, revealing the little brown orbs underneath, and she smiled.

"My little Shido."

On the beautiful morning of October 10th, a teenager slept soundly in his bed. The sun slowly crept upward into the sky, light beams crawling up the sides of the houses and creeping into his room. However, the sun wasn't what woke him from his slumber.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEE-click

The annoying chirps of the alarm clock were silenced as a hand slammed on the "off" button. The teenager sat upright in the nearby bed, stretching and yawning while his groggy eyes stared at the clock. It read a clear 8:00 AM.

That's strange… he thought, running a hand through his messy brown hair. Usually Seraph or Shadow wakes me up before eight o'clock. What happened?

Oddly disappointed at the lack of rude awakening, he stood up from his mattress and wandered to his door, where he found a yellow sticky note attached to it. Peeling it off, he mumbled what was written on it.

Hey Aviar!

Shadow and I had to go run an errand this morning, and we won't be back until around noon. Breakfast's on the stove. Also, remember to put it away this time. Don't want all that delicious food going to waste, do we? :)

-Seraph

"Oh… that's what happened."

Aviar crumpled up the note and tossed it into his trash can. "Wonder what they're doing…" he muttered. He shook his head and chuckled. "Seriously, can't you wait a single day before leaving me hanging?"

Moving to his dresser, he began to pull out freshly unpacked clothes to replace his pajamas. We just moved here for crying out loud, give me some time to adjust.

Looking at the unfamiliar surroundings through his windows, he sighed deeply.

My name's Aviar Dinistro. Sixteen years old, and freshly moved to the city. I've been living with Seraph my whole life, and I can't remember anything about my early childhood or my real parents, so she's the closest thing I've had to a mother. Shadow is the nickname for Velia Amileen, my best friend. She essentially grew up with me, and we're rather inseparable.

Recently, Seraph released some big news on a short notice. Rather typical of her.

Aviar's thoughts became lost at the memory.

"We're moving!?" Aviar exclaimed.

The room he stood in was far more elaborately decorated than any ordinary house. Lamps illuminated the room, and the shelves were littered with books and items that could only be considered as arcane. No doubt, this was Aviar's old home.

A woman sat in a chair across from him, looking to be in her thirties. She sported blonde hair, and brown eyes shone from behind her glasses.

"You heard me," she replied. "We'll be heading out in a couple days."

"And…" Aviar struggled for words. "...why couldn't you tell me this earlier?"

The woman sighed, her face turning apologetic. "I'm sorry, but it recent news for me, too. I didn't know we'd be moving, either."

"Remind me. Why exactly are we moving?"

"Well…" the woman started. "...it'll be easier to explain once we get there. For now, let's just say it's work-related."

"Great," Aviar muttered. He fell silent, staring vacantly at the door to the room. The woman almost looked pained, and spoke up. "Are you okay, Aviar?"

"Seraph… I'm sure you already know, but this place means a lot to me," he said while gesturing to the door. "I grew up here, and everything's so special to me. Leaving everyone behind is gonna be difficult."

Seraph took off her glasses and chuckled, standing up from her chair. "Come here…" she said, pulling Aviar into an embrace. "This is my home, too, remember? You won't be the only one missing it. But, that doesn't mean it's going away forever."

They pulled apart and their eyes met. "We can always come back and visit. Just because we're moving doesn't mean we'll never see it again," she ensured, caressing Aviar's cheek.

"I... guess that's right," he acknowledged. He hugged Seraph again, and they broke apart fully. "Oh!" she exclaimed, remembering something. "If it helps, Shadow will be joining us."

"Really?" Aviar perked up. Seraph smirked at his reaction. "Hmm? You suddenly seem a lot more excited about it now."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he said with an eye roll. "At least she'll make it more bearable."

Seraph merely chuckled at Aviar's response, who shook his head. "Anyway, I told her earlier today, and she'll be joining us on the move."

"Sounds good," he responded with a shrug. Before Seraph could chime in, he asked one last question.

"Tell me, where are we moving to?"

Snapping out of the flashback, Aviar vigorously shook his head and ruffled his hair to clear his thoughts. "Well… better get to my morning routine," he said and walked out of his bedroom. Navigating to the upstairs bath, he began to undress to take a shower.

I found out that we were moving to Metroplex City, a population center in a country called Halo. For Mediums like us, moving into normal society was just unheard of.

Mediums. Simply put, Mediums are people who possess otherworldly abilities. No one really understands what makes us special, not even Mediums ourselves. Many years ago, normal people and Mediums coexisted peacefully. However, the simple that they were different drove many normal humans to fear them.

Mediums became the target of prejudice, persecution, and harsh treatment. People were ostracized, families were separated, and whole towns were burned. Eventually, they were driven out of normal society entirely. The remaining Medium populations set out and created sanctuaries isolated from human contact, and continued their practices to this day.

According to what Seraph told me, tensions have mostly faded since then, and the two are starting to communicate with each other again. While it isn't a huge rarity to find a human in a sanctuary or a Medium in normal lands, it's still uncommon.

Aviar turned off the shower water and opened the glass door. Grabbing a towel, he stepped outside and started drying himself off. "I just feel so out of place…" he muttered, wrapping the towel around his waist and walking back to his room. "Everything's so unfamiliar and strange."

His eyes drifted to outside his window, and he studied the modern-looking houses present in his neighborhood. Further out, he could he could see the skyscrapers towering above shorter buildings in the city. "Seraph wasn't kidding when she said it was matter of getting used to," he chuckled.

Looking down, he examined his open palm, letting out a small laugh. "I bet I'll fit right in. Not only do I look human, I can barely use my powers."

A Medium's powers are nebulous in nature. They are best described as being able to manipulate reality, but the way the powers manifest is unique to each Medium. We call this effect "filtering," since the raw ability to manipulate the universe is "filtered" through the Medium's soul. In that sense, no two Mediums are alike.

For example, one Medium might have powers over electricity, and another may have power over plants. When we figure out what our powers are, we're taught how to control them, and how to harness them in different ways.

Unless you're me. Because when you're me, you can barely conjure the smallest amount of power. Why? No one knows.

Aviar's thoughts turned to when he first summoned his powers.

A 12-year-old Aviar stood on a small grassy field, the ocean toiling and tumbling not far away, giving a wonderful view. He stood with a girl of the same age, blue-grey eyes sparkling underneath her copper bangs. Aviar's brown ones looked determined.

"Are you guys excited!?" Seraph exclaimed. "We're gonna see your powers for the first time!"

"Yeah!" the girl zealously agreed, launching a fist into the air.

Aviar shrugged. "I hope it works," was his answer.

"C'mon, Aviar! We've been talking about this for weeks, you need more energy than that!" the girl said to him.

The older woman chuckled at the girl's enthusiasm. "Shadow's certainly ready," she laughed. "Alright, you two. Let's get started."

Seraph formed a ball with her hands in front of her, and her students followed suite. "Remember what I taught you. Take a deep breath, clear your mind."

She inhaled through her nose, and exhaled through her mouth. Aviar and Shadow did the same.

"What do you want right now? Find that desire, and focus on it. Let it consume your senses and be all that you perceive. Nothing else matters right now, only this."

Her eyes slid shut, and the listeners eagerly kept watching.

"Picture what you want. Imagine it, visualize it, and yearn for it with all your heart. Believe with everything that your wish will come true. Do this, and your power will be summoned."

Aviar's and Shadow's eyes widened when they saw Seraph's hair waving, and they awed when a pulsating sphere of light conjured between her hands.

"That's so cool!" Shadow exclaimed, and Aviar laughed at the sight. The light sphere dissipated, and Seraph reopened her eyes.

"You guys ready?" she asked them.

Quickly agreeing, they assumed a similar stance that Seraph did, forming a ball with their hands and concentrating. After a minute of silence with no power manifesting, they looked disappointed.

"It's not working," Aviar frowned.

Seraph laughed. "Well, you can't expect it to work first try, can you? Here, let me help you."

Now with their mentor's assistance, the students continued to follow her directions, concentrating on manifesting their powers. Both turned out unsuccessful for some time, but remained diligent at their work. They heeded to Seraph's advice and counselling, being ushered to keep trying.

The tiniest dot of purple formed between Shadow's palms, and her eyes shot wide open at the sight.

"Don't lose it!" Seraph reminded. "Keep that image in your head, and desire it with your whole being."

Shadow's eyes closed shut, and the dot morphed and grew into a black-purple ball of wispy darkness. When she finally saw her handiwork, to say she looked pleased was simply an understatement.

Her orb dispersed into smoke, and she immediately fell into Seraph's embrace. "I did it!" she cried. "I did it, Seraph! I summoned my powers!"

"I know, and I'm so proud!" the teacher declared. Aviar applauded for his friend, evidently happy for her success and wearing a smile to prove it. Behind his eyes, however, one could see just the slightest wick of envy.

"Powers over shadow, huh?" Aviar commented as the two pulled apart.

"Looks like it," Seraph responded, looking back to him. "Makes me wonder about you."

"Yeah, now I want to see what your powers are!" Shadow exclaimed, still giddy at the discovery of her abilities.

Aviar exhaled heavily at his friend's words. "Well… here goes."

Shutting his eyes, he assumed the same posture he was in. Expelling his breath, he wiped his mind clean of all thoughts, and focused purely on the space between his hands. He pictured his power materializing, and set his heart on that image.

His heart sank into that desire, and he concentrated with all his will for that to come to pass.

Nothing.

"Come on," he muttered, feeling disheartened. Pushing his intent even further, he tried to feel the energy in his hands and force it into the open air.

Nothing.

He gritted his teeth. This would be it. Pouring his entire body and soul into it, he perfectly visualized his wish, and pleaded for it to come to fruition. He yearned for his power to answer his call, and he put the entirety of his energy into materializing it in between his palms.

Nothing.

"Stop."

Seraph's touch jolted Aviar out of his trance. His eyes fell, and his hair shadowed his features from view. "Why isn't it working?" he quietly asked. "Do I not have powers?"

"Of course, you do… you just can't force it," she answered. "You're trying to grab hold of it and pull it out of you. Don't wrestle with it, just let it happen. Here…"

Seraph kneeled behind Aviar and cupped his hands in hers, guiding them back to the empty ball position. "Still your heart and relax," she whispered in his ear. "I'm right here, you have nothing to be afraid of."

Aviar exhaled through his mouth, and let his eyelids fall. Only Seraph's words penetrated his ears.

"Find the desire in your heart, and cling to it. Envision it in your head, and let it become all you can see. The world doesn't matter, only this does. Believe with all your will that it will come to pass, and your powers will be made manifest."

A little speck of energy conjured in Aviar's hands, and it grew to the size of his palms. Opening his eyes, Aviar gasped at the sight of it. A dark blue orb of nebulous, cloud-like energy swirled in the empty space between his hands, sparkling with a little lightning.

When he couldn't contain his focus, the globe collapsed back into nothing, but it was enough for him. For the first time, tears of joy welled up in his brown eyes.

Not even Seraph knows why I have so much trouble with my abilities. Four years of practice later, I'm still struggling to summon them consistently while Shadow continued to be adept with her own. Just got the short end of the stick, I guess.

Snapping out of his daydreaming, Aviar remembered that he needed to get dressed. He reached for the clothes he prepared earlier, and speedily put them on. "Eating breakfast is probably better than reminiscing," he chuckled.

Aviar walked down the stairs of the empty house and navigated to the kitchen, where he found the breakfast that the note spoke of. Pulling the lid off the pan, he saw what he would be eating: eggs cooked with broccoli and ham.

"Eh, could be worse," Aviar remarked.

He scooped a portion of the food into a plate and grabbed a glass of water, and ate by himself at the table. "I still don't understand why Seraph brought us here," he mumbled before taking another bite.

What exactly would Mediums be doing in a city like this?

No matter how many different approaches he tried, he couldn't think of an answer to that mysterious question.

"Leave it to Seraph to do the unimaginable," he concluded and took his plate to the sink, where he rinsed it and placed it in the dishwasher.

"An appliance that washes your dishes for you…" he marveled at the unfamiliar tech. "Now that's something I can get behind."

Chuckling at his own joke, he took the pan off the stove and threw it into the refrigerator. He held a recently prepared slice of toast in his mouth and checked his phone. 9:00 he thought. Turning his head, he looked outside a nearby window.

It'll be a while until Seraph and Shadow get back… so what am I going to do until then?

Weighing out his options, he took a bite of the toast and chewed it. I think I'll walk around a few city blocks, get myself familiar with the area. Not much harm in doing that, I suppose.

"Just how many people are there?" Aviar thought out loud. To someone unfamiliar with it, the sight of the city was certainly intimidating. Towering structures loomed over him, and crowds of people walked by on the sidewalks. It was completely unlike his closely-knit and sparsely populated homeland.

"Is all of normal society like this?" he continued to wonder, gazing around at the different buildings, shops, and restaurants. I guess it does suit a much larger sum of people, with all the shops and whatnot.

Aviar continued to maneuver around the people coming his way, and tried not feel smothered by the closely-packed buildings. He noticed a car trying to inch forward in the street, letting the people in front separate and give it room to move. Hey, Seraph told me about those. It's cool to see how technology has advanced here, I'll give it that.

The teenager broke out of the dense pathway and found himself on the sidewalk of a much wider street, with more cars zooming by. He liked the breeze that blew through, and the less cramped walkway also pleased him. "Maybe this place isn't so bad, after all."

[WARNING! THERE HAS BEEN ROGUE ACTIVITY DETECTED IN THE NEARBY VICINITY! PLEASE EVACUATE THE AREA IMMEDIATELY! I REPEAT!]

I spoke too soon...

The warning message blared from various alarms stationed on the buildings, and Aviar watched as pedestrians bolted away from the area in a surprisingly manner, or hurried to their cars and sped away. He simply stood, dumbfounded by the series of events that took place.

"Uhh… what just happened?" was all that came out of his mouth. His street had been completely vacated, and he stood awkwardly while the alarms continued to broadcast their message. The confused teenager pulled out his phone and opened up the map he set for himself.

"Well… if the alarm is anything to go by, I should probably get out of here…" he noted and jogged down the street, following the directions to his house from the map on his phone.

As Aviar turned the corner and sprinted down the road, questions flooded through his mind. What was that all about? Why did everyone leave in such a hurry? What was the 'rogue activity' the alarm mentioned? I don't get it…

He made another turn and dashed along the new streetway. Alright, nearly there… just gotta "What the—!?"

A blinding light flashed only a few blocks down, and a colossal purple sphere materialized. It launched huge gusts of wind down the pathways, knocking Aviar a few feet backward. The phenomena expanded outward, destroying all it touched and rendered the nearby buildings to rubble.

"Aaugh…" Aviar grunted, crawling to his knees. "...what in the ever-living hell was that?"

Dusting himself off, he shakily rose to his feet and looked back down the road. Dangerously close to him, the road depressed into a sizable crater filled with mangled piles of asphalt and concrete. The neighboring structures barely stood, if at all.

I would've been caught in that if I was any closer!

Aviar's face paled at the sight, having never seen such destruction before. "I don't like this city anymore…"

Walking up to the raised edges of the crater, he got a better look inside. There wasn't much to see, just the mark of destruction caused by whatever that weird purple thing was. "Doesn't look like anyone got hurt. That's good," he observed, noticing the lack of people in the area.

I should probably get back home Aviar thought, still barely able to comprehend the sight. Before another one appears… wait, who's that?

Someone descended into the epicenter of the crater. The figure appeared to be a teenage girl with long flame-colored hair cascading down her back. More interestingly, she appeared to wear an ornate and brightly-colored suit of armor, standing out against the grey backdrop.

Aviar eyes enlarged at the sight, recognizing the strange attire.

That girl… is she a Medium!?

Almost as if the girl heard his thoughts, her head rotated to look in Aviar's direction. His eyes met her fire-colored ones, and even at a distance he couldn't sense a single bit of amiability in them.

Oh crap…

At the sight of him, the girl thrusted her arm to the side. A thin stream of fire burst from the ground beside her, and it solidified into a sword shape. Gripping the newly-formed handle, she heaved it out of the ground and leapt toward Aviar with frightening speed.

Without any time to think, he stumbled backward before the girl appeared in front of him. He gasped when a sword was thrust at him, only stopping inches away from his neck. At first, he noticed the weapon's composition, seemingly comprised of orange flame that danced a little in the breeze. Then, his eyes were drawn to its wielder.

If the sword wasn't stunning enough, then its master certainly was. Her wild red-orange hair appeared even more glamorous up close, and her matching eyes also flickered like flame. Now that she stood right in front of him, Aviar could more easily identify her outfit.

She was wearing an armor-plated corset with accompanying gauntlets that went up to her elbows. Her shorts were covered with an armored skirt that went to her knees and split into three coattails, but didn't cover her front. Finally, she wore thigh-high armored boots that stopped a few inches below her shorts.

All the armor pieces were colored in the brilliant shades of fire, with her chestplate being cream-colored and shorts charcoal with some cream highlights. Aviar confirmed the attire as a Medium's magically-conjured armor, but he really couldn't admire it, considering the circumstances.

Gritting his teeth, he drew his head back as he felt the sword inch closer. Adrenaline shot through his system, yet every nerve in his body completely froze. His eyes stared forward into hers, completely unsure on how to react, and painfully aware of how defenseless he was.

Her eyes remained cold and unchanging. Not emotionless, but distant, and concealing something underneath. Aviar was sure of that. She parted her lips, and in a gruff voice, asked one very simple question.

"Who are you, human?"

I told you this story was OC-focused.

Now, don't you worry, this story is definitely connected to Date a Live. How? Why, that's all part of the mystery. It'd be a shame if I gave it away immediately :P. Although, I was nice enough to give you a little clue in the beginning. Make of that what you will.

I don't think I'll be doing these author's notes for every chapter. Only when I deem it necessary. That being said, I hope you guys enjoyed, and be sure to tell me your thoughts. I'll see you in the next chapter!