Chapter 1: Summoned

A world of light plunged into darkness

Strength sought yet forgotten

Roaring, gut-wrenching pain

All caused by a simple white dove spreading its wings…

Tokyo Tower, Present Day

Tokyo tower was as noisy as it usually was, packed with excited tourists, people ordering their drinks from the small, yet packed cafés, and chattering school girls on their field trips. There were four different schools there that day, the only way to tell them a part being their school uniforms. Although the girls in the uniforms all relatively looked the same, there were six that stood out.

The first was a tall, gangly girl wearing a dark forest green uniform with a golden M on the blazer. A small pair of round, silver framed glasses rested on the end of her nose, slightly enlarging her green eyes. Her skin was slightly tanned, a sort of dark creamy white that went well with her uniform. This girl gave off an aura of boredom, sighing every once in a while and tapping her feet against the tiled floor. It almost seemed as if she was reluctant to be there.

The second, however, seemed quite jubilant and young. She bounced up and down on her heels excitedly, causing her black skirt to rise up with her. Her long bright red hair was in a long braid and cut into a rat tail. Her skin was pale, though her face was flushed with the happiness of going to Tokyo Tower. Her uniform's blazer was as red as her hair with a giant white scarf tied into a bow, reminiscent of a sailor suit.

The third girl was increasingly similar to the second. She, too, had long red hair kept in a braid, though it was of a darker, more chestnut shade. Her blue gray eyes were half closed in a dreamy look as she leaned against the railing near the window. Her uniform was the same as the firsts; in fact, she was standing right next to her. Every so often, the red head would look up and smile at the taller girl, her own height rather small in comparison.

The fourth girl was not so short, though. She was quite tall with long, flowing blue hair that she could sit on. Her eyes were just as blue as her hair and carried a hint of a fiery temper. This theme of blue carried even throughout her uniform, which was a dark navy color. Though her skin was white as a porcelain doll's, her lean muscles in her arms and legs proved that she was not as fragile as she seemed.

The fifth girl resembled the first in both height and hair, though her hair was a brighter shade of blonde and tightly curled at the ends. She, too, wore round, silver framed glasses that made her green eyes slightly bigger, and she also wore green school uniform. However, while the first's was a deep forest green, hers was a lighter shade that was almost the color of grass. She wore a small smile, one that spoke of both shyness and intelligence.

The sixth girl was different than the others. In appearance, she was remarkably alike to look of the third. She, however, wore her hair loose and with a more tousled look. Her uniform was the same as the thirds, though the sleeves were rolled up to her elbows and the tie being used as a belt. She also wore dark ankle boots that clunked in time with the music from her blasting i-Pod. Her blue gray eyes were coated in dark eyeliner and mascara, making them into an eerie color. She seemed to have a ring of darkness around her, which contrasted greatly to the innocence of the third girl whom she resembled so much. Though they looked alike, there was a great difference between the two.

Though these girls had little to do with each other, something was pulling them towards the center of Tokyo Tower. Without knowing why or how, each of them found themselves walking towards the center of the building. Each of them found themselves looking at each other without a particular reason for doing so. And as their eyes met, there was a huge blast of light, and a soft, sad voice as sweet as a bird's song whispering, "Save our world, legendary magic knights…" When the voice ceased its song, there was no steady tile floor, nor the chattering of their fellow school girls. There was only the endless sky.

0o0o0o0o0

As they looked around themselves, five girls realized that the city of Tokyo had been swept from beneath their feet. They were now standing on a deep blue sky, brighter than anything they had ever seen before. However, how could they be standing on air? And just as that thought struck them, they were plummeting to the world below them, and they were not plummeting quietly. In fact, a couple of them were screaming their heads off.

"What happened? Where's Tokyo Tower? Where am I?!?" The blue haired girl was waving her long arms wildly about her, floundering in the sky. Her voice was loud and high pitched; it was almost squeaky. It was the type of voice that could get annoying if you listened to it long enough, or as in this case, if she would never shut up.

"Could you please just stop your incessant screaming? It's making my ear drums bleed!" The dirty blonde gave a scowling look towards the taller girl, her arms folded against her chest. She didn't seem to care that she was falling, even though it was obvious from the wind pushing up her hair and her school uniform. The only thing that seemed on her mind was peace and quiet, and she was being denied both by the annoying blue haired girl who appeared to have the brain of valley girl type cheerleader.

"Well, sorry! I'm just a little freaked out that I'm no longer in Tokyo Tower and that I'm FALLING! Did you completely miss the FALLING bit?!"

"I thought I asked you to shut your trap!"

As the two continued to squabble, both of the redheads examined the world below them. Their eyes took in the large open sea, glittering like sapphires as its waves crashed the land. The land itself was covered in large, bright green forest as well as a huge volcano and a dark cave in the very northwest corner. It might have been a normal tropical island if it were not for the small, two-tailed white birds flapping their wings beside their falling bodies, not to mention a crystallized mountain hovering in the sky. Even above the mountain, there was a glowing light upon the distant clouds. There might have been something else there, but they were too far away to see.

As fantastic and breathtaking as the world was, the fact of the matter was that they were only seeing it because they were falling down. The girl with the red uniform took to this rather calmly, only blinking rapidly as the world reached to meet her and help her down with a splat. The other redhead, however, began to whimper, and called out loudly, "Yukino-chan!!!"

The dirty blonde girl stopped arguing with the squealer abruptly and turned to face the poor redhead. "It will be alright, Tsuki-san. Don't worry." She gave the girl a smile, before giving her attention back the blue haired girl. It seemed as if she was bipolar, for the kind look she had given the redhead had been abruptly transformed to a dark scowl. "Now, I'm only going to tell you this one more time: SHUT UP!!!"

The blue haired girl opened her mouth angrily to screech again, but was suddenly silenced when she felt something squishy beneath her. Blinking, she realized that while she was still in the air, she was no longer falling. The light blonde, who had remained quiet until now, reached out a finger and poked the soft, scaly, turquoise material. She then turned her attention to the feathery wings sticking out from it. She nodded in realization. "It appears," she started in a soft voice, "that we are now on a humongous flying fish."

The blue haired girl cringed and looked disgusted, while the other blonde simply nodded in agreement. The redheads both looked straight ahead, slightly befuddled looks on their faces. The one in the red uniform spoke in a light-hearted voice that might have been bubbly had it not been filled with frustrated confusion. "What's up with this already?"

Just as the girls were getting used to being on a flying fish, or as used to it as you could get, the creature dove down towards the island in a deep angle that caused them to slip and fall off. Once again, they were falling, though this time the journey to the ground was only a few seconds. Each found this out in a slightly different way. The light blonde girl fell directly in a sitting position and came out relatively unharmed. The dirty blonde had a similar fall, though she landed in a kneeling position. The girl in the red uniform somehow managed to land perfectly on her feet, while the other redhead slipped and fell on her butt. The blue haired girl had the most unfortunate fall, landing in a splat on her back.

"Ow… That really hurt…" Rubbing her back with a wince, she slowly stood up, looking at her surroundings. "Well, we're certainly not in Tokyo, anymore…"

"Do you always state the obvious?" the dirty blonde girl asked in an irked voice. The blue haired girl gave her a glare, though she was unaware of it as she was helping the redhead with her same uniform. The redhead was trying to wave away the help; though she wasn't succeeding very well, seeing as she was wincing in pain. Shaking her head, the dirty blonde sighed at her companion.

"Actually, we might still be in Tokyo," the light blonde girl said seriously. The others turned to her at the dark tone of her voice. They all awaited her answer on the edge of their seats, if you will; their muscles were tightened and incredibly tense. The cause of their intensity raised her finger to the sky, her glasses shining from the sunlight. "It's possible that Mt. Fuji blew its top and changed the face of the planet!"

The other girls looked at her dryly, wondering why in the world she could come up with such a theory. The blue haired girl was the only one who voiced her opinion, however. "Are you crazy?! If we were in Tokyo, how do you explain that giant fish?!" She pointed a quivering finger to the almost forgotten creature behind her. Pausing, she realized that it was a giant fish, and this was indeed a cause for alarm. With her annoying shrieking voice, she fled to a rock wall to hide from it.

The light blonde girl, however, remained still, her glasses shining with the same seriousness as before. "That's not a fish," she said calmly. Suddenly, she turned on her heel and began to escape with the blue haired girl. "Fish don't have wings!"

The dirty blonde nodded in agreement and tried to run off as well, grabbing the arm of her companion. She blinked, however, when she didn't move. Turning her head, she saw she was pointing a finger at the other redhead, who appeared to be petting the fish with a huge grin on her face. The dirty blonde gave her a dry look and said, "That's not exactly what I would call my first choice…"

She blinked when she felt a tug on her shirt. Her green eyes turned downward to look at the redhead. She was wearing a small smile, her blue gray eyes somewhat pleading. "Can I go pet it too? He seems like a big sweetheart!"

Though the dirty blonde rolled her eyes and sighed, she nodded with a weak smile. As her companion bounced off to join the other redhead in petting the fish, she shook her head and sighed. "Why in the world are we friends again?" Her words seemed to voice her small smile; her eyes twinkled with what could be called an inner giggle, though she would never admit to that.

"You know," the light blonde girl started quietly, "I've felt terribly rude until now… Perhaps we should introduce ourselves?" She gave the others a big smile as they all stopped what they were doing to look at her.

"You're right," the other blonde said with a smile. Giving a small bow, she began her introduction. "I am Yukino Suzushima. I am 14 years old and in eighth grade. My blood type is O and I'm a Pisces. It's nice to meet you all..." After that statement, she gave a glare to the tall blue haired girl. "…except for you."

The blue haired girl huffed in indignation. "Well excuse me!" Returning the glare, she asked irritably, "Why'd you tell us your blood type anyway? Isn't that a useless piece of information?"

The dirty blonde retorted in a just as irritated voice, "Well it's in a case of emergency, you nitwit!"

This caused the blue haired girl to become even angrier. "Why you…!"

The young redhead in the green uniform walked over between them, attempting to break up the impending fight. "Are you going to introduce yourself or not?" she questioned in a frustrated tone of voice.

The cheerleader type girl stuck her tongue out at the dirty blonde girl before clearing her throat and beginning to speak. "I am Umi Ryuuzaki. I am also 14 years old and in eighth grade, but my blood type is A. Regrettably," she announced, "I am a Pisces like that insulting and annoying girl, who I am not glad to meet as well!"

Yukino began to march over to Umi, fury burning her green eyes. However, her journey was stopped short when her companion once again squeezed herself in between them. "Will you guys just quit it already?!" She scowled at the both of them, though her eyes danced with amusement at the quarreling. She gave a small sigh. "Honestly…"

Giving a small shake of the head, she looked up at the other girls, all of them being taller than her except for the other red head. She offered them a bright smile, one that spoke of being innocent and carefree. "Hi! I'm Tsukino Kinomoto, but you can call me Tsuki! Like the other two, I am 14 years old and in eighth grade! I actually go to the same school as Yukino-chan!" She grinned up at her friend before turning to the others once more. "My blood type is also A, but I'm a Gemini! It's kind of ironic, really, considering I have a sister…"

Tsuki looked around her. "I thought she was with us, but I guess she's not." She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "Oh well." Turning to the two girls who had not introduced themselves yet, she gave them a big smile. "So who's next then?"

Her fellow redhead jumped up and down excitedly. "Me!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. "I'm Hikaru Shidou! I'm in eighth grade, too, though everyone thinks I'm younger 'cause I'm short…" She sighed. "Oh well." With a big grin, she continued her introduction. "I'm a Leo, and my blood type is O!" Her aura of fun and happiness seemed to be contagious, as everyone in the group was smiling along with her. Except, of course, Umi and Yukino, who were too busy glaring at each other to even attempt to give a half-hearted grin.

The petite blonde stepped forward, her smile shy yet speaking of wisdom. "I guess that leaves me then," she said. Her voice was light and a bit high pitched, though it resembled more of a lark's call to Umi's screeching. "I am Fuu Hououji. My sign is Sagittarius and my blood type is A. It's a pleasure to meet you all." She bowed in a formal manner before giving her small smile again.

"Well, while it's nice to meet you and all," Umi began, still holding a glare at Yukino through half closed lids. "I just want to know…" She paused, everyone else leaning in to listen to her. "WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE WE?!" The force of her shriek was so great that it physically pushed the girls backward with their hair flying behind them.

"The answer is quite simple, really," a voice quipped from above. The five girls turned upward, their eyes darting to and fro in a search for the man who spoke. "You are in Cephiro… the land of will."

Suddenly, a blurred figure jumped in front of them, the dust swirling about them. When the dust cloud cleared, a small man stood before the girls. His face was young and smooth with not a single line crossing it. He was pale, his bright blue eyes standing out against his skin. His lavender hair was cut short, though his bangs sometimes danced in front of his eyes. The man was robed in what appeared to be white ceremonial robes, and he carried a golden staff nearly twice his height with the head of a roaring lion atop of it.

As magnificent as his appearance was, the man was diminutive, even shorter than Hikaru and Tsukino. "What are you talking about, kid?" Umi blurted out rudely.

If looks could kill, Umi would have been far past decapitated by the man's glare. "I am not a child, you nitwit!" he bit out angrily. "For your information, I am 745 years old!"

"What?!" Umi's scream seemed to only fuel his frustration. "You can't be any older than ten!"

"You think I am… ten?" The man's voice had gone eerily low, his eyes shining with his annoyance at the squeaky teen's voice. "You insolent child!" He brought his staff crashing down on Umi's head, causing the girl to whimper and seethe with anger.

"That hurt…" she whined, tears edging themselves out from under her dark blue eyes.

Tsukino sighed and stepped forward to the mysterious man. "Excuse me…" He turned his piercing eyes towards the short redhead, lifting an eyebrow in interest. "Where is it that you said we were again?"

"You are in Cephiro, the land of will," he replied coolly. "Here, willpower and belief decide your destiny. The more fierce and powerful your will, the stronger you become. Strength of heart is everything." He looked at the girls, studying them carefully with his sharp eyes. "You are from a different world, are you not?" Tsukino nodded carefully in reply. "Then you are the Magic Knights. You have been summoned from another world to…"

His voice trailed off, his left eyebrow twitching as Umi and Fuu ignored him for the flying fish. "Hey! This is important! Leave Fyula alone and listen to me!"

"Fyula, huh?" Umi turned glinting eyes to the fish, flashing him a seemingly innocent and perfect smile. "Hey Fyula, do you think you can take us home?" she said in a sickeningly sweet voice.

Fuu seemed to have adopted the saccharine tone as well when she spoke. "Yes; can you please fly us back to Tokyo? I have a project due in a couple of days…"

"And I have a fencing match, too!" Umi piped up. "So can you please take us back now? Huh?"

Angrily, the man thrust his staff in the air. "Spirit beast return!" he shouted in a clear voice. All at once, the fish seemed to be sucked into the head of his staff, leaving no trace that it had ever existed.

"So you are a mage as well?" Yukino asked, speaking for the first time in a while. Her eyes looked interestedly at him; her head cocked slightly to her right side.

"Indeed. I am the head mage in all of Cephiro. But that is not important." He looked seriously at the five girls. "First of all, you cannot go back to your own world. Secondly, you are…"

"Wait a minute! What do you mean we can't go home?!" Umi squeaked angrily.

The mage turned to her and gave her a cold look. "Just what I said: you cannot return to your own world."

"Pardon my saying so sir, but you seem pretty powerful," said Fuu thoughtfully.

"Indeed; couldn't you just… I don't know; zap us home?" Yukino asked hesitantly.

"My magic does not work that way, unfortunately," he replied.

"BUT WHY NOT?! I WANT TO GO HOME TO TOKYO NOW!" Umi wailed deafeningly at him.

"Will you stop that annoying shrieking?!" he yelled in reply, tired of all of her senseless squeaks.

While their squabble continued on, Hikaru whispered sadly, "We can't go home…"

The mage turned from his opponent to look at her. "Does that mean that I will never see my friends or family ever again?" Hikaru's voice was tight and strangled. Her normally bright red eyes were filled with distress.

Behind her, Tsukino was clenching her fists and trembling. She seemed to be holding her emotions inward, almost as if she was too shy to speak out. Her blue grey eyes hid themselves behind her long red bangs, though one could tell that she was just as melancholy as Hikaru was. Yukino tried to comfort her friend, although her eyes were downcast as well.

He paused for a moment, hesitating as if in the middle of deep thought. Perhaps he was unsure of how to answer the poor girl. Finally, he replied "Well, there is one way… But it is a dangerous and perilous task that will test every ounce of your being."

"And I will face those tests wholeheartedly if it means that I can go home and see my family again!" Hikaru stepped forward, her eyes fierce and pleading. "Please… Tell me what we have to do!"

The mage nodded. "In order to be sent back to your world, you must become the legendary Magic Knights and save Princess Emeraude from the clutches of the Head Priest, Zagato. By doing this, you will not only be sent home, but you will have saved all of Cephiro as well."

He paused, letting the girls take the information in. "However, in order to do that, we must first address the subject of your unsuitable clothing…" He reached forward and took hold of Hikaru's skirt, examining it closely. Unfortunately, he did this a little too closely for Umi, Fuu, and Yukino's liking.

"Get your perverted hands off of her skirt, you… you… pervert!" Umi yelled, tackling him to the ground.

"I don't get it…" Hikaru said in a confused voice.

"Neither do I…" agreed Tsukino.

Fuu simply patted them on their heads with a sigh, reassuring them with, "It is okay now."

Meanwhile, Umi was holding the poor mage upside down by his robes, smiling maniacally as he squirmed for freedom. "Now how do you like that, you dirty old man!"

His jaw muscles ticking, the man twisted out of her tight grip and dusted himself off as soon as he had landed on the ground. Then he promptly whacked the teen over the head with his staff, his blue eyes glaring at the while. "I am not a pervert! I was merely checking to see if your clothing would make suitable armor in battle, you brat!" He then swiftly raised his staff in the air, calling out, "Armor accept!"

Suddenly, the girls found themselves engulfed in a ferocious wind. They shut their eyes tightly as a reaction to the size of the force. When they opened them, they gasped in surprise. Small pieces of armor had suddenly appeared on their clothing! Tsuki and Yukino's uniforms had also changed colors, Tsuki's becoming a creamy white accented by a light turquoise blue and Yukino's a light sea green going deeper in some areas.

The mage nodded in satisfaction. "Much better. Now, because you are the Magic Knights, I suppose I had better give you some magic. Unless, of course, you already have some?"

"I'm afraid not, sir," Yukino replied with a shake of the head.

"Very well. Then I shall give you each one specialty." He raised his staff majestically once more, this time shouting, "Magic gift!"

All at once, flames burst from the ground to surround Hikaru's small form. She could feel them licking her and touching her, almost as if it was alive. She felt hot, yet not feverish; it was merely warmth growing inside of her like a seed. It was so wonderful, so amazing and beautiful…

"Fire."

When the man had told them he was going to give them magic, Yukino had not expected anything quite like giant sea green foam rising around her. It was hot like the thunder from the rolling clouds, yet cooling like the herbs of the earth. Yes, that's precisely what it was… It was the earth rising around, giving her thousands of tangible feelings at once… It was sensational.

"Earth."

Umi felt herself drowning in a rising flow of liquid swirling itself around her body. Yet at the same time she was fighting, she was becoming one with the current, flowing and rising like the waves of the ocean. It was such a wonderful feeling, dancing like ribbons in a single, intertwining flow.

"Water."

The instant the man had raised his staff, Fuu's feet had lifted off the ground. The hair hugged her body, flooding itself through her in such fantastic shapes. It was as fresh as a warm, spring breeze, yet it was a powerful as the harsh, cold howl of a winter's air. It was like nothing she had ever felt before, a truly incredible experience.

"Wind."

Light poured itself around Tsuki's body, consuming her petite form in its brightness. There were no shadows around, only white light like the pure morning star. It twinkled and shone brilliantly, blinding everything in its path. The light itself was warm, though not as hot as fire. It also seemed to be cool, though it was nothing like ice. It was a magnificent rush of energy and power like nothing the girl had ever felt before, like nothing she would ever feel again.

"Light."

In one instant the power was gone, and each girl stood silently in awe at what had just taken place. They could still feel the warmth; they could feel it seep through every single bone in their bodies. There was only one word that could possibly describe what they were feeling.

"Wow…" Tsuki whispered. The others had to agree. It was simply amazing.

"I have not seen such power in a long time," the mage said, his voice taking a deep and serious tone. "I had meant to give you magic, but foolishly I had forgotten that magic indeed chooses its owner." He nodded gravely. "You could really become the Magic Knights."

"Yeah, but just one thing, shrimp," The man glared at Umi's annoyed face as she spoke. "Just what are we supposed to do with our magic? Turn boys into toads?"

The mage answered irritably, "No… Your magic does not work that way. I suppose I should teach you how to use your powers…" Looking through the five girls thoughtfully, he beckoned to Yukino. "What is your name?" he asked.

"I am Yukino," she replied politely. She paused for a moment, and then questioned, "What do I have to do, sir?"

"Kneel before me and close your eyes," he told her. Yukino nodded and did so, feeling a small touch of warmth in front of her eyes. "Do you feel it? You are different now, Yukino."

"Yes," she murmured huskily. "I am different… I feel this warmth radiating inside of me, so strong and powerful I can almost put it into words… What is that, sir?"

"That is your magic, the power over the earth," he responded. "We are done now, Miss Yukino." The girl nodded her thanks, and then walked over to the side to watch the others gain control over their power.

The man turned to Hikaru, his lavender hair swaying in front of his blue eyes. "Your name is…?"

"I am Hikaru, sir," she answered cautiously, kneeling down before him as Yukino had done. She closed her eyelids softly in a hesitant manner, almost as if she was apprehensive about what she was about to undergo.

"Don't be afraid," he said with a kindly smile, though she could not see it through her closed lids. "Now, Hikaru, you are different now. Can you feel that?"

"Yes… This warmth bursting inside of my heart, rising to my lips, forming words…" she replied breathily.

"That is your magic, the power of fire," he told her.

She opened her eyes and smiled gratefully at him, then bounded over to join Yukino.

Next, the mage beckoned to Tsuki. "What is your name?"

"My name is Tsukino, sir," the girl said with a smile. "But you can call me Tsuki."

The redhead's warmth spread into the man's smile. "Very well. Close your eyes, Tsuki." She did so. "Reach into your heart. Do you feel your power?"

"Yes… It's so warm and kind. It fills my heart with such passion. I can almost…" Her quivering hands touched her lips. "I can almost describe it in words."

"That is your magic, Tsuki. You have the power of light," the man told her.

The girl opened her twinkling blue eyes and smiled at him in a grateful manner. "Thank you, sir." Still holding her smile, she walked over to Yukino.

As the mage turned to Fuu, there was a loud shriek. The wind seemed to pick up violently, and the birds rushed out from the forest behind them. One, small owl flew over and landed on the mage's shoulder. He hooted and shrieked loudly in seemingly incomprehensive squawks. However, the mage seemed to understand them perfectly, for in response he yelled, "What?! One of Zagato's minions is approaching?!"

The girl's turned in shock, echoing his words. "Zagato?!"

Umi rushed herself over to the mage and began to tug on his sleeve. "Quickly, teach me and Fuu magic as well!"

The man shook his head. "It's too late. You'll have to flee from this place." Raising his staff in the air, he called out, "Spirit beast summon!" Suddenly, a giant griffin appeared in rays of light, seemingly arising from the mage's staff. The man turned to them, his clothing flying in the violent wind. "Get on. His name is Gulivan, and he will take you to Presea."

"Presea?" Hikaru questioned. "Who is she?"

"She is the Pharle in Cephiro, and she will make you the weapons of the Magic Knights," he said gravely. "Now quickly! You have to flee while there is there some time left!"

Although Umi, Fuu, and Yukino obeyed his command immediately, Tsukino hesitated. She seemed torn, as if she wanted to stay with Clef and perhaps help in some small way. However, she held herself back and shook her head; it was almost as if she had convinced herself she wasn't strong enough to help him. Then, almost begrudgingly, she pulled herself on top of the griffin.

Hikaru, however, had to be dragged on by Umi and Fuu. She squirmed horribly in an attempt to get to the mage. No matter how hard she kicked or yelled, she could not break free of the other girls' strong grip. She looked at him with tears in her eyes, concern evident for the man, strong concern that should not be there for a man she had spent so little time with. Still, it was there, and still she fought to run to his aid.

"Wait! I want to help you! Stop!" Hikaru cried out, squirming as violently as she could in an attempt to get to the man. "Please! Can't you at least tell us your name?"

The mage turned and pointed a finger at himself and blinked. Then he laughed, shaking his head with a smile. "My name is Clef," he said kindly. "Now go!"

Slowly, the griffin flew away, and Clef's already small form shrunk until it was only a dot in the distance.