Magic Knight Rayearth 3: The Magic Guardians
Disclaimer: CLAMP owns Magic Knight Rayearth and all the characters in it. The anime is licensed by Anime Works a division of Media Blasters in the United States. The manga is licensed by Mixx Manga and the TokyoPop press in America. I do not own it or license it. I am only borrowing them for this story on which I am not making any money in any way.
WARNING: You probably won't understand this story unless you have seen the first two seasons of the Magic Knight Rayearth TV series or if you are very familiar with the story and characters. Knowing about the OAV will not help. You will probably be able to understand it if you have read the six manga written and illustrated by CLAMP, but the story is a continuation of the TV show story as far as details.
Suddenly the air around them was filled with golden light.
"We're going back," Hikaru said through tears of joy.
Flash! Tokyo tower slowly disappeared leaving them surrounded by clear blue sky stretching out as far as the eye could see. It took a minute for the three girls to realize that they were falling fast toward the ground of continent they knew so well.
"Isn't this the part where a giant flying fish saves us from falling to our doom?" the suddenly super deformed Umi screamed in the whiney voice she only used when she was scared out of her wits but didn't want anyone else to know it.
The other two girls looked around also expecting one of Master Mage Clef's animal friends to catch them like they had the first two times they visited the land of Cephiro.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!" they all screamed in unison.
Fuu, who had always believed a superior intellect could come up with a solution to any problem, abruptly let out a cry of desperation as she noticed the earth speeding up at her dangerously close. "No!"
Just as the word left her mouth the three girls' speed slowed and then diminished to nothing. They had been caught by a strong wind before the unthinkable happened. The girls were deposited lightly to the ground where they fell over into a bundle of sighs.
"Whew. We've fought monsters and evil wizards and lived, but we were almost defeated by the absence of a breeze." Umi said sarcastically, but in her mind she knew her statement was scarily close o the truth.
It had been two years since the three junior high school girls left Cephiro after defeating the evil Lady Debonair. Hikaru had claimed the proof of the pillar and gotten rid of the pillar system. Hikaru decreed that from that point on Cephiro would belong to the people and the land would be governed by their hearts.
On the reunion of the day the girls first me, they convened at Tokyo tower and made the decision to return to Cephiro to catch up with their friends and see what the people had made the kingdom into.
Fuu opened her eyes. In all her relief she had not noticed their surroundings.
"We appear to be in front of the great castle we stayed in last time," she said matter-of-factly.
"That's right."
The girls turned at hearing the familiar voice.
"Presea!" they cried as they ran to hug their old friend.
"Its so good to see you and so unexpected. How did you get here?"
"How are you? Where is everyone?" Reunited the old friends showered each other with questions.
"Please come inside and I will tell you everything that has happened over a nice lunch."
On their way into the castle Hikaru noticed a large statue of Clef in the garden out front. She smiled thinking of everyone she had come back to. The statue seemed to smile back.
The party entered a large dining room with several giant wooden tables that stretched across the length of the chamber. They all took a seat.
"Shouldn't we call the others in before we eat?" Fuu asked politely.
"Perhaps I should start from the beginning then," Presea sighed. "I am the only one left here at the palace. After the final battle our little group was disbanded. It never occurred to me while we were together but we were all very different. If it had not been for the hard times we probably would not have been friends. There was also the fact that you were gone. It broke Ferio's heart to know that he might never see you again Fuu, so he left to go back to the Forest of Silence and resume his nomadic ways. Caldina decided to go back to Chizeta and see her family so she left with the two princesses. Ascot stayed here with me for a time, but eventually he left for a manor in the forest where he could be with his 'friends.' Lantis left for Autozam immediately after the castle was rebuilt to organize the research of the pillar system because it was eagle's dieing wish. I haven't heard from him since. Lafarga disappeared to who knows where. Without the pillar he was out of work. I haven't heard from anyone. I'm not even sure they're still alive"
The girls were shocked "But what of Clef...and Mokona?" Umi asked trying to cover up her concern for the wizard.
"After the restoration of the country, Mokona disappeared and Clef became depressed. He moped around the castle in a melancholy mood all the time. He felt that he was unneeded, and eventually his will left him and he turned to stone. The statue outside is all that remains of him. But don't be sad. Cephiro has been turned into a utopia. Everything is perfect here."
This was too much for Hikaru. She had thought that getting rid of the pillar system was the only thing to do, and she had seen from the air what a beautiful and prosperous country Cephiro had become. More beautiful than she had ever seen it, but now he began to second-guess her decision. She had caused her friends so much pain, and now it seemed that they weren't even friends anymore. She couldn't stop a tear from rolling down her cheek.
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The girls handled the news in different ways. Hikaru stayed to herself walking around the castle. Her perfect reunion day had not been as good as she had hoped. Umi spent a lot of time in the garden staring at the remnants of her love. Fuu seemed to take it all in stride though. She discovered that the third tower of the castle had been turned into a library in her honor. She had been up there for a week pouring over every book when Presea went to see how she was doing.
"Fuu you've been up here for almost six days. Don't you need something to eat or maybe a hot bath?"
"Why didn't you tell us?" Fuu said coldly without turning to face her.
"I wanted to. You know I did, but I didn't want to cause you anymore pain. I never wanted to cause you girls any pain."