Chapter One: Grief

I didn't think the three of us could ever be separated, or that we ever would. We had a bond so strong. How could anything go wrong? We used to be inseparable, but now, we've drifted so far apart. It's as though we don't recognize one another anymore. Why were we the ones summoned to the land of Cephiro? Why were we the ones chosen to bear the burden of becoming the legendary Magic Knights? The three of us were just your everyday average junior high school students who just happened to have a field trip to Tokyo Tower the very same day! What was it that made the three of us so special? What was it that we had that made us stand out from everyone else? They could have just picked out three random girls walking down the street somewhere, but no, it had to be us three. If only we were never summoned to Cephiro….If only...We probably wouldn't be in the mess that we are now! We wouldn't be feeling the way we are now! The three of us were as happy as anyone could be….all until this "Legendary Magic Knight" stuff happened….

I have to admit, I was naïve. When we first arrived in Cephiro and Guru Clef told us that we were chosen to become the legendary Magic Knights, I was ecstatic, because never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would be put in this type of situation. It was so much like being in a video game, but so much unlike it at the same time, because in a video game, nobody ends up getting hurt, and if somebody dies, you can just hit the reset button and start all over again. I was so excited. We were going to save the world and the Princess Emeraude, who was kidnapped by the evil Priest Zagato….only he didn't turn out to be so evil at all….

I went to Umi's and Fuu's houses everyday to try and cheer them up, but it seemed that every one of my attempts failed miserably. Maybe I should just give up. As I arrived at Umi's front door, I knocked on the door. I waited patiently for her to answer. I waited ten minutes. I wonder what's going on. I hope that she's not hurt. Once again, I knocked on the door. She finally answered it. Umi looked terrible. Her once radiant blue eyes no longer flickered with life, and her once beautiful shiny long hair the color of a clear blue sky had become dull. It looked as though she hadn't combed it in days.

Today was my birthday, so Umi decided to bake me a cake. I told her that she didn't have to, but she insisted. While preparing the ingredients, I noticed that she hadn't been eating because she looked so weak and frail while mixing the batter. My eyes began to water at the sight of her, but I held in the tears, because to cry right now would make Umi cry, and I just couldn't even bear the thought of seeing Umi hurt. I didn't want to see anyone hurt again.

"Here you go, Hikaru! A yummy chocolate cake for my cute little sister!"

She tried to sound cheerful to make me happy, but instead, it just made me want to tear up and die. The cake was so sloppily made as this was so very unusual of Umi. Fuu and I used to bake cakes at Umi's house all the time after school and none of her cakes ever came out like this. The reason being that it was because Umi always told Fuu and me that you were supposed to put a little bit of your heart and soul into everything you make. Because Umi always followed that, her cakes always turned out the most amazing. They were even more incredible than the ones made by the most experienced chefs. When I looked at this one, it just showed me what little she had left in her heart.

"Is something the matter, Hikaru?"

"N-no, it's nothing at all! Let's eat!

I took a bite. It was awful. It was even worse than awful, it was absolutely dreadful. It wasn't the taste that bothered me. It was just the fact that I missed Umi. I missed my big sister Umi. The Umi that always protected me and stood up for me in my times of need. I needed her now more than ever, but she was gone, and I didn't know if she was ever coming back. Umi, where are you? Don't you know how much I need you right now? I don't know how much longer I can put up this optimistic façade. Please come back, Umi. Don't leave me all alone.

"Is it good, Hikaru?

I knew that telling it was would be a lie, but I just didn't want to hurt her.

"It's delicious, Umi! As always!"

"That's good."

Umi then gave me a faint smile and then proceeded to collapse to the floor. I rushed immediately to her side to aid her.

"Sorry, Hikaru. I'm just a little tired, that's all."

Why are you apologizing, Umi? There's nothing for you to apologize about. I'm the one who should be sorry. I'm the one who should be apologizing because you're suffering so much. I'm sorry for not being strong enough to protect you. I'm so sorry.

I didn't say anything at all because I just didn't know what to say. I decided to help her up to her room. Since Umi was much too weak to climb up the stairs, I carried her on my back. I opened the door of her bedroom and I was aghast at what I saw. There were empty pill containers and beer bottles all over the place! What was Umi doing to herself? Was she really trying to kill herself? No, she couldn't be! Just the bare thought of Umi attempting suicide was making me ill to the core. I gently placed Umi's fragile body on her bed and tucked her in. I was so scared that I would tuck her in too tight by mistake and break her in half because she was so frail. As Umi fell asleep, tears began to trickle down my face. Even while sleeping, she had an aura of disturbance. I can't bear seeing her like this! What can I do to make all your pain go away?

"Umi, I'm going to go check up on Fuu now. Please sleep well, and most of all, take care of yourself. I'll be back tomorrow."

There was nothing more I could do at that point. I gathered up all the empty pill containers and beer bottles scattered throughout her room and disposed of them in the dumpster located just outside her house.

"Umi, why are you doing this to yourself? Why are you treating yourself this way?" I said this as I looked up to Umi's bedroom window.

I didn't seem to have any luck at Fuu's house either. The door wasn't fully closed, so I walked in to see if everything was all right. When I walked in, it was almost pitch-black. I felt around for a light switch. I went up the stairs and found Fuu up in her room in front of her computer. Her room was just as messy as Umi's, but rather than empty pill containers and beer bottles scattered all over, it was books and papers. I was relieved to see that Fuu was all right; or so I thought. Ever since we got back from Cephiro, Fuu had literally become a prisoner of her own home.

"Fuu, the door was open. I just came in to see if everything was all right. Fuu?"

She spun her chair around and blankly stared at me standing in the doorway. What I saw horrified me. Fuu looked even worse than Umi. She looked as though she hadn't slept or eaten in days. No, maybe it was weeks.

"Hikaru, please don't bother me right now, I have a lot of work that needs to be done."

She spun her chair back around. Her voice sounded so robotic and devoid of any emotion: not human at all. Fuu was never the same ever since Ferio was killed right in front of her eyes. She tried using her healing magic for hours upon hours, until she exhausted herself, but it was all done in vain, for Ferio died almost immediately. It was so heartbreaking when we had to remind Fuu time after time that her magic could only be used to heal wounds and that there is no such spell that can revive the dead. It also didn't help that she had to take part in killing Emeraude and Zagato almost immediately after, either.

Fuu was probably the most affected by the unexpected turn of events in Cephiro, because out of the three of us, she knew firsthand what it was like to fall in love and then to have that love taken away just as fast. When we got back home from Cephiro, Fuu locked herself up in her room and cried and cried for many days. I went to her house everyday to try and comfort her, but to no avail. She had become a slave to her computer, and it showed, because she now resembles a living corpse. When I look at her now, I just realize how much I miss the Fuu I once knew. The kind-hearted and unusually polite Fuu, whose earthly green eyes sparkled with warmth and kindness. Now, when I look through those once bright eyes, I see nothing but coldness and emptiness.

How could someone who used to be so full of life become so lifeless? I don't think the Fuu I remembered was coming back anytime soon, if not, ever, because she truly loved Ferio. He was her first true love, and now he was gone for good. I can only imagine what that would feel like. I think that I'm just going to go home, I'm tired and I just can't take this anymore. I just don't know what to do anymore.

A few days passed and I was still in bed when I received the phone call: the phone call that would change my life forever. It was Umi, and she told me to meet her and Fuu at the old cherry blossom tree behind our old elementary school. The reason was unknown, but I didn't care as long as the real Umi and Fuu that I missed so much were back.