AN: It's been so long since I've updated. He he… Too much academic pressure and my anatomy subjects sucks. Anyway, it's my sem break so I'm allowed to write two chapters at least. Here's the first one. It is sort of too fast paced for me and all. Anyway, enjoy reading! But before that, the Thank You list:

1.Silvanus16 2.yellowREN33 3.Mokona-chan 4.M.D.K. Ragon 5.kasuima 6.Shikai-sama 7. justblue 8. hikaru29 9.Kain Grey 10.lightyearsaway

all I can say is that I love you all for reading my story! Thanks! And a million more thanks!

Reflection In Glass

Chapter

Missions and Challenges

Hikaru's POV>

"Hikaru!" They called out to me but everything turned into darkness. What was happening? I have fainted. But how can I think?

Suddenly there was a blur of colors. I was sitting on the ground, leaning on a massive tree with beautiful, shimmering emerald leaves, strong, glossy branches, bearing blue fruits that were as shiny as glass. The birds sang a very wonderful but equally sad tune. I found hot tears falling down my face. Why?

Flower petals. Incessant laughter.

"He's mine. I will see to it that he dies. And you, you will suffer the pain of it all." It was a voice so clear and I knew I had heard it before but I just can't remember. What did she mean?

The birds' voices cracked and I saw, colorful delicate feathers fall in massive amounts. I looked up and saw the tree stained with the bird's blood. And I saw him there too. He lay clumsily on one branch, arms limp.
Lantis!

I reached my arms towards him and he fell on the ground. I could not hear his heartbeat.

He was dead!

No!

Again the lilting laughter filled my ears. The surroundings suddenly became dark and it was filled with whispers so soft it was almost inaudible.

End of Hikaru's POV>

3rd person POV again>

Lantis rode on his magical horse, determination burning in his eyes. He had to get to the floating mountain and fast. Time was running out. He pushed the horse's speed to its limit until he saw a familiar speck in the distant horizon. He was even more encouraged as the speck grew bigger and at last revealed a mountain filled with thorn bushes and sharp crystal wedges that protruded out of boiling lakes.

He rode even faster but he was surprised that once he reached five meters of the mountain, he was thrown of his horse by a strong invisible barrier that surrounded the mountain.

It wasn't there before, he thought as he clung to the horse and heaved himself up the horse again.

"Lightning, come forth!" he called out as he merged his power of lightning with the strength of his sword ad he sliced the barrier so that he could enter.

He immediately landed on a safe zone and started his search. There were thorn bushes everywhere and as he made his way through the thickets, he was cut by the sharp thorns. He didn't mind it because if he tried to avoid the multitude of thorns it would cost him time. And every second wasted was a risk in Hikaru's life.

A sharp pain coursed through Lantis's arm and he felt it become paralyzed. The thorns had paralyzing poison, he realized as he looked at his blood left arm. He was still trapped in the labyrinth of thorn bushes when he heard the sound of a wolf. He readied his sword for a fight. A small wounded wolf revealed itself to him and it ran away. Lantis followed it, realizing it wanted to show him something.

He reached a small clearing with a small pond filled with sparkling blue water. The wolf was drinking the water and Lantis watched it as he leaned on a tree. The pain was already rushing to his head. His vision was getting blurry but he tried to focus as he watched the wolf jump to the pond. It disappeared for a second and then its head popped out of the water and it swam to the shore. Lantis noticed that the large wound on the animal vanished. The animal shook its fur vigorously, aiming all the water at Lantis's face. Some of the droplets wet his lips and it slid on to his mouth. He instantly felt a bit better and he realized that the pond must be magical. He focused all his strength and dragged his half-paralyzed body to the pond and threw himself there. He lost consciousness for a moment and when he opened his eyes, he was on the bottom of the pond. The pain was gone but he apprehended he couldn't breathe. He was turning his position for upward swimming when his hand came in contact with a metal. He looked at what he touched and it was a metal handle. He pulled it and it started to suck everything in, including him.

Lantis found himself inside a castle dungeon. He looked around and there was nothing but walls and a distant spark of light up. He tried his spells to break the walls but he couldn't. The only way was up. With no another moment to lose, he used his sword to climb up of the dungeon. Only when he had come out that he realized it was not a castle dungeon but a well.

He looked around and was surprised. The surroundings were filled with all sorts of beautiful flowers as far as the eye can see. No doubt, this was the place he was looking for. He started scanning the flowers, careful not to come in contact with some of them because although they gave off a sweet scent, most of them were toxic. He ran and he searched but he could not find the violet flower he was looking for. Until he came to a cliff and he saw the shining purple flower dangling in one of the hanging rocks. It was out of reach and he had to climb down and pick the flower up. He carefully placed it in a glass container and he climbed up.

However, as he reached the top, a strong wind blew and with it came the pollen grains of the infamous Salix flower. Lantis covered his face too late. An overpowering urge to sleep was in him and his legs were beginning to be paralyzed. If he did not do anything fast, he would fall and he could not bring the antidote to Hikaru. He quickly did what he thought would help him and he pulled himself up. He lay on the ground and tore cloth from his cape with his mouth and wrapped it in his bloody legs. He had punctured both legs with his sword so he would not be completely paralyzed and the pain would keep him from sleep.

He breathed heavily and he called out to his horse but it didn't materialize as it usually did. The Salix pollen had affected even his powers. He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder blade. It wasn't the effect of the flower. Someone had stabbed him and he felt blood trickling on his back. He turned around and saw a young girl, holding the dagger that was still dripping with his blood. The girl smiled and dematerialized. In her place, a creature with large bat wings and a body like a lion's appeared. Its roar was almost deafening.

Lantis could hardly hold his sword as he felt his shoulder blades were about to disjoin. The creature had released a ball of magic from its mouth. Lantis hardly evaded it as the injuries he sustained were slowing him down. Blood dropped from a cut in his forehead. He immediately decided he had to take a risk by attacking the monster first.

For the last time lightning, he pleaded.

What he did next was all but a haze to him. He saw himself cut the monster, his lightning, brighter than ever. When he regained some of his vision, he was standing on were he first landed. He called his horse and hurried towards the direction of the Cephiro castle.

He jumped down from his horse as soon as he reached the castle. He hurried to the room where Hikaru lay and Master Clef, Fuu and Umi was there. They looked at him in relief. He handed Clef the container and looked hopefully at Hikaru. He touched her forehead and it was burning hot that it scorched his flesh but he did not mind. He went out of the room, paying no attention to Clef's voice telling him he had to be healed. He made his way to his room at the top of the tower, opened the door and fell. The poison was now unstoppable. His throat was burning and he couldn't breathe. His right arm! The monster had bit his right arm! His legs were now too weak due to the loss of blood.

"Hikaru." He whispered softly as he drifted to sleep. Or death.

Somewhere, a pair of lips curved into a smile.

TBC…

AN: Well, that's all for now!I got this huge crush on my Genetics classmate and it's 7 amtomorrow so I better not be late... Hehe..Hope you liked it and the characters were not too OOC. Ciao! Until the next chapter! Ciao!