AN: Here's next bit. Story rated for language and violence. This is based on the Manga. Italics either mean Mashin speaking, mind speaking, thoughts, notes, or empathized words. Um… I love the Mashin as much as you do, but… well, I'm gonna have them be a bit mean to Samantha in this chapter. It will be explained.
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DayDreamer9: Thanks for the review! Peagsus and the others are going to explain… bit by bit… eventually. Hee, hee, I just love dragging out the suspense.
Disclaimer: Rayearth was created by Japanese people and I'm as Japanese as apple pie. I own only Samantha and Pegasus, the Pillar before Emeraude aka Matilda, and the past Knights.
Excerpt from last chapter:
Um, excuse me, Fuu interrupted timidly. But what does Samantha have to do with this?
She is a Magic Knight, replied the new voice. And was before you three ever came.
That was Pegasus, Selece explained. H e is the Mashin of Earth and likes to be a bit more blunt than the rest of us. This sent the girls into a shocked silence.
End excerpt
Lectures
What do you mean, Selece? Umi asked. There's a Mas hin of Earth? Do you mean the planet, or the element; soil and dirt?
There are Mashin of Wind, Fire, Water, and Earth, Rayearth explained. The four elements. There are no Mashin of planets.
Speaking of Earth, Pegasus a dded. Magic Knight, we need to talk. Everyone who could hear the conversation (Rayearth, Selece, Windom, Pegasus, Mokona, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu) could clearly hear someone groan. Then blazing light surrounded them and Presea, Clef, and Gardina cried out in shock as eight living creatures vanished. Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu along with the creatures they were hugging vanished in a flash of light. (Remember, Clef and Presea haven't seen the animal forms of the Mashin. They were in the castle when Mokona too k the Mashin away and those in the castle were too far away to see clearly. Ascot may have seen Selece in the Water Shrine or Gardina might've seen Windom in the Shrine of the Wind, but that's it. So they're virtually clueless as to who or what the 'creatures' are.) Samantha and the unicorn who had returned to nuzzling her from the girl's bed also vanished. None of those vanishing cried out, but those watching did. The humans cried out in shock and Mokona said, "Puu!" which sounded like a good luck wish. Gardina and Presea began to chase him, trying to catch him so they could punish him or get an explanation. (They couldn't care less that he's the Creator; old habits die hard.) Clef just stared into space until they knocked him over, at which he left to r eturn to his study. The females continued to harass the creator down the halls.
Meanwhile, the three Magic Knights found themselves floating in a huge fog. They all grabbed hands for comfort. They heard a deep voice booming, but couldn't make out th e words. They felt that was the intent. They were surrounded by a globe of light. Slowly the fog cleared and they found figures standing (or floating) around them in a circle. Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu each laid eyes on a familiar face.
"Rayearth!" Hikar u cried, but didn't let go of her friends' hands.
"Selece!" Umi shouted, with the same reaction.
"Windom!"
With her friends' grips on her hands, Fuu couldn't possibly get lose from her friends even if she'd wanted to. Suddenly, the young women looked down and discovered they were wearing the armor they wore while inside the Mashin, without their swords. That was what was producing the light.
"What's going on?" one of them voiced. None of them knew for sure which said it aloud; they were all thinking it. Then the fog cleared so they could see two more figures. The unicorn, Pegasus, was speaking and Samantha was in front of him, head bowed, hands clasped behind her, the exact look of a child expecting a lecture.
What really sho cked the Knights was Samantha's clothing. Flowing robes, of not just pale brown, but also with a mixture of green, red and blue along the edges. She wore knee-length boots of pale brown, almost tan. The symbol of Cephiro inscribed on the top. She wore a short dark brown skirt and a pale and ripped skirt, a mixture of the four colors over it. It had tears almost up to her hips on either side of each of her legs so she could move easily. The top was skin tight and large shoulder pads with amber jewels were the straps for the top. Part of her belly was exposed when the shirt was flapped in the wind. A burnished-gold metal sun was over her heart, the same color as the shoulder pads. A ripped and torn cape still flowed from her shoulders, attached to the shoul der pads, mostly hidden by her flowing gold hair which framed her serious and slightly sad face. (For a good description of the armor, look in Rayearth 2 of 6 when Ferio is explaining the Legend of the Magic Knights and the page behind him is mostly black where white should be. You see three faceless girls in weird-looking armor. It's that style. Or check the cover of the first three Manga-style Rayearth books. Or go to and look under Rayearth. Find the girls in their Magic Knight robes and change the co lors and slightly the design. There's the basic pic. It isn't linked here. Go there on your own. The pics are great!) In her hand was a naked broadsword. The girls goggled at it. Slowly, the words Pegasus was speaking began to sink in.
You are th e one who must train them. We cannot. If we attempted to do so, they would be killed and this country without Knights, Pegasus was lecturing. You must teach them the skills and bonding that you and the other three obtained. We can teach them to bon d with us, but not with each other. Not on the level they need to survive.
Your behavior back in the castle was despicable. You shame the former Magic Knights. I would expect this sort of behavior from a lowborn, spoiled brat, not a Knight t rained in a time where everything held a heavy price. Your self-control from that time seems to have evaporated. I hope not all our teachings have vanished so quickly from your head. Do you have anything to say for yourself? he demanded icily.
Yes, Samantha answered softly. None of the Knights were expecting what came next. Anger blazed in the young woman's eyes and her head shot up so she was facing her partner.
Her arms stiff at her sides, she explained what she had to say for herself. Did you ever even try to see it my way? My best friends die to protect me, to save my life! I never want to return here because I'll have finally accepted their reasons for dying and this world will bring my questions back up again! I'll question and nearly drive myself insane over that time over and over again in my head. No matter how many times this world is remade, the special places remain the same. I get dragged here and am suddenly told that these three children are new Knigh ts. I'm told to forget my friends and what they did and let these kids take their places!? I can't do that! I can't accept them as Knights because in my heart the Magic Knights of Fire, Water, and Wind are Marie, Kathy, and Sam! Unless someone erases my m emories, they are the Knights. Are you trying to torture me?! Because that's what you're doing! I can't train them! I don't care how much you want me to, I can't The other young women stared in shock across the fog at the tears and rage evident on Samantha's face.
Be silent, Windom ordered her. She opened her mouth to say something back and Selece kept her silent by slamming her in the stomach with his tail. She went flying off into the dark shadows. The other three Knights were shocked.
"What was that for?!" they demanded.
She forgot her place, Rayearth explained. The only one aside from Sam who could make her silence herself was occasionally Pegasus. When she gets truly upset, Sam was lucky to make her calm down. But now is not the time to blow off steam.
"So why are we here, in the dimension where you sleep?" Hikaru questioned. "And who is this 'Sam'? This 'Sam' can't be Samantha."
You need training if you are to face this enemy and chanc e survival, Pegasus told them. At your current level, you would not last two minutes in a true battle. Samantha is the only one who can teach you and you not risk permanent physical damage and will conduct your training. Samuel is one of the former Knights.
"Why do we need training?" Umi demanded. "Hikaru and I are great with swords and Fuu's much better than she used to be. Our magic has only gotten stronger! What more do we need to learn?"
To hold your tongue, for one thing, Pegasus lazily told her. Then he turned to Selece. Is she always like this? Selece shifted uncomfortably.
No, Lord Pegasus. Only when she does not understand something or is truly worried. You have to admit, if you were in her place and knew so little, you might act the same.
True, Pegasus conceded. Now, we can teach you the basics of what Samantha shall train you in. We can teach you to bond with your Mashin partner, and no more. Samantha shall teach you to bond to e ach other.
Is teaching them to bond with each other truly wise? Windom asked. The bonding is part of what caused the last Knights' fall.
And what kept us alive through most of the battles, Samantha shot back out of the darkness. Without it, we would have fallen long before making it to Matilda.
I thought we sent you back to the castle, Rayearth commented in an offhand tone.
You did, Samantha told him. But I'm back now. The Guru and t he Pharle won't get off my back about their precious friends. Could you get them back soon? I can't evade people forever, you know.
As you wish, Pegasus agreed. We shall send them back shortly.
Good, she replied. Oh, and Pegasus…
Yes? he asked calmly. What is it?
Are Clef and Presea related to Rondo and Monica?
Yes. They are their descendants.
So Clef is Rondo's son and Presea is Monica's daughter?
Correct.
Oh. That explains a lot of things. See ya later. With that, Samantha left them entirely. Soon the Mashin began to teach the Knights to bond themselves with their partners, so the two could fight better together and so it woul d be easier for the Knights to ride in the Mashin. After what felt like hours of exhaustion, the Mashin returned their partners to Formerly Cephiro's castle.
The young women were dropped off in the room where they'd been taken from in a flash of light. Samantha wasn't in her bed. So they went looking for her for some answers. They had to go through enthusiastic hugs from Presea and Gardina and some relief from Clef that almost scared them before they could get an answer on where the girl might be. They finally found her on the roof of one of the towers (spires? Those pointy things on top of the castle,) sitting with her legs drawn up to her chest and her chin resting on them as she gazed out at Formerly Cephiro.
"What are you doing up here?" Umi demanded. "We had to ask the Mashin since we couldn't find you anywhere inside. Then we had to recruit one of Ascot's pets to get us up here. How'd you manage it?" The only sign Samantha gave that she'd even heard was a shrug of her shoulders.
"Do you think the sunset is pretty?" Hikaru asked. No answer.
"Do you want to come in?" Fuu asked. "It's getting dark." Samantha just shook her head. Hikaru sat down and looked in the same direction as Samantha. She noticed something, a dark spot aga inst the bright sunset. She pointed it out to the others. They agreed it was odd and they should probably check it out.
"Are you coming?" they asked of Samantha. She stood up and stretched. They took that as a yes.
"Then come on," Umi said.
"Wait a moment," Fuu told her. "How are we going to get there? We can't just leave without an explanation. Clef and the others will worry and we can't use the Mashin. They're too conspicuous." They had to admit she had a point. Then the three friends noticed Samantha's forehead and the ground beneath her sparkling faintly with multicolored light.
"What's going on?" Hikaru demanded as they were surrounded by white light and lifted off the ground. They couldn't see for a moment and then the light vanished. They were standing near a dark spot with a radius of about fifty meters. Everywhere outside that radius was bright and cheerful.
"Where are we?" Umi asked loudly. "Are we near that spot we saw from the castle?" Samantha clapped her hand over Umi's mouth and motioned for them to be silent. Samantha crouched and silently creeped through the underbrush toward the dark spot. Upon closer examination, they could tell it was a large group of dark ships and adult people. The people were strange. They looked like normal humans apart from the fact that they had scars everywhere and short spikes protruding from their joints. There was chattering coming from the people, but they suddenly went silent as Fuu took a step forward and stepped on a twig. I t broke with a loud snap. They felt a feeling of foreboding as all eyes but Samantha's turned toward them.
Before any of them could draw their swords, Samantha was in motion, weaponless but deadly, attacking the aliens. Many silently fell from blows to their throats. Others took a fatal blow and died a bloody and painful death. The other Knights stood still in shock and horror. As Samantha rolled away from a return blow and came up in a crouch, the rest of the opponents ran to their ships, leaving their companions behind.
Samantha let them go. As they closed the boarding ramps, the ground opened up and swallowed the ships so only the tips of the tops were above ground. Then she turned and began to walk toward Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu. A few paces from them, her legs collapsed beneath her. They ran to her but didn't touch her.
"Are you okay?" Fuu asked. Samantha didn't look up, but nodded. She was on her hands and knees and had the blood of her opponents dripping from her body. She was pantin g and trembling slightly.
"I just used up too much energy," she rasped. "I got careless."
"Can you stand?" Hikaru asked. "If you need us to, we can carry you."
"Or I could heal you," Fuu offered generously. Samantha shook her head.
"As much as I'd like that, I've got to say no. I don't think you can heal exhaustion and the rest of my injuries are really minor. I can stand in a minute anyways. Do you want to go back to the castle?"
"Yes," Umi answered for them all. The same li ght surrounded them again and when it faded, they were in the Throne Room, Samantha sitting next to them on the polished floor, still covered in blood, head in hands. Noticing their looks, she clumsily got to her feet.
"I'm going to bed," she told t hem hoarsely and walked off. They shrugged and went to find their loved ones, Lantis, Ascot, and Ferio, before going to bed themselves. None of them noticed that the dripping blood never made it to the floor or the blood's effect on Samantha's skin. She n ow had enormous boils where the blood had touched her.
AN: Sorry for such a short one! Send me reviews so I know how much to give away in the next chapter! There's going to be many, many chapters, FYI. Yes, there were Knights before Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu. Otherwise how could Emeraude have become Pillar? Mokona said she choose to continue the cycle of sorrow, meaning there had to be a Pillar and, thus, Knights before the ones we know. The rules between the Mashin and Knights were very di fferent and the Mashin still treat Samantha according to the old rules.
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