Chapter 6
Ayane glanced around slowly after recovering from her shock. The others seemed pale and somewhat afraid as well. Even Seki. Ayane felt a smirk cross her face upon noticing this. In her opinion and, without a doubt, Nanase and Jin's, he deserved to be just as confused and alarmed as they had been the entire time. Not that he didn't seem worried about their present situation of being in what was apparantly another world, he just seemed much more at ease because, to the annoyance of Ayane and their younger comrades, he seemed to know where they were.
Just as Ayane brushed these thoughts from her mind her eyes fell on a young man. He appeared to be in his late teens or maybe even his early twenties. He had shaggy, moss green hair that fell over his face and shining blue eyes. His face seemed to be trapped in a perpetual frown that put Jin and Seki's grandfather Lantis to shame. The young man's clothing was a forest green tunic with a white cloak and matching white pants. After a moment he finally spoke.
"Are these the knights that were summoned Ascot...?" His voice seemed to resonate through the large room but seemed quite and pensive at the same time.
"Yep!" Ascot said with a smile. Turning to the four he introduced the young man as Neyeke, the mage who had taken over Master Clef's responsibilities when he left to be with Umi. He then introduced Neyeke to Ayane, Seki, Jin and Nanase.
"I didn't know there was a fourth." Neyeke said, his voice seemed strained. Like the weight of the world was on his shoulders and had increased just by the fourth knights unexpected presence, or rather future knight.
The group was momentarily diverted from Neyeke as a smaller door to the earthlings right opened and a tall woman entered. Her long, sandy blond hair was kept up in a high ponytail and she wore a headband with a red jewel in the center of her forehead.
"This is Sierra." Ascot said, "she is a reviver of weapons."
"Reviver of weapons?" Ayane asked.
Sierra smiled and explained that she had the ability to revive escudo weapons, which were almost a part of their owner seeing as no one but the owner could use it.
"Oh!" Ascot cried out suddenly as he noticed the shock on confusion on everyones face but Seki's, "I forgot to tell you Neyeke. Seki already knows about the Magic Knights but none of the others do."
"Oh, thank you for telling me Ascot." Neyeke said stiffly. He clearly would have liked the information sooner.
Ayane felt her blood run cold at the mention of the Magic Knights. It was clear that when they talked about the Magic Knights they were talking about the four from Tokyo. It was becoming even more apparent that she was the fourth. She was the one everyone gave the weird look to when they saw four instead of what was expected to be three children.
"Perhaps I should tell you why you are here?" Neyeke said.
"Wow he'll gives us information but my own brother won't..."
"Jin this isn't really the time to be figh-"
"Oh let him go, Nanase. We're all being way to nice to Seki considering he won't tell us jack shit anyways."
Neyeke cleared his throat and glared at Ascot who was now laughing loudly. Sierra smiled at the four clearly she found this just as amusing as Ascot did.
"Well we are..." Ayane muttered causing another eruption of giggles from Ascot.
"Maybe you should leave Ascot." Neyeke said sternly.
Ascot started for the door a smile still on his childish face. Neyeke turned to them once Ascot was gone and began to tell them about the previous Magic Knights, their adventures, the pillar system, and how Hikaru had done away with the Pillar System.
"Now that you are all brought up to date with the important history of Cephiro I can begin to really explain why you're here. As I have already told you only the Pillar can summon Magic Knights but the system has been done away with. Someone with amazing will power has brought back the pillar system and is using their power to prevent the present pillar from ridding Cephiro of the Pillar system as Hikaru did. I did not know that direct decencents of the original Magic Knights would be summoned however..."
"What about me...?" Ayane asked softly, "I am not related to the Magic Knights or Cephiro. It doesn't make any sense."
"Umi, Hikaru and Fuu were in no way related to the Magic Knights that preceded them."
"Has it always been three Magic Knights?"
"No one really knows. The legends have always refered to three. Those who would be old enough to remember that far into history are in your world, or have passed on." Neyeke said honestly. "I am sorry I have no more information for you, Ayane." He added upon noticing the fruterated look on the girls face.
"What are we supposed to do now...?" Jin said coldly. "Save the world?"
"If I had roots here like you did Jin I sure as Hell would. I am gonna anyways." Ayane said sharply. She had a slight tendancy to think with her heart in these matters rather then her head.
Seki sighed and said he would too followed by Nanase.
"I hate you guys...." Jin muttered as he agreed to help too. He had no other choice. He would feel awful if he didn't help them.
A relieved and grateful smile flashed across Neyeke's face. It disappeared within moments however. "I had better give you armor then." He then raised his hand in the air and a glowing ball of white light appeared in the palm. "~Bestow Magic~!"
Ayane felt as if the world were flashing past her in a swirl of golden hues. When the light vanished she found she was wearing armor. Her boots reached her knees and had a golden jewel at the top matching the jewel on her breastplate, wristguard and glove. Looking up she saw armor on the others. Nanase had pale green jewels and her boots came only halfway to her knees. Jin and Seki's armor was almost identical to Ayane's except the breat plate covered their chest and stomach unlike the girls whose armor ended under their breasts. Jin's armor had blue jewels and Seki's had ruby red jewels all of which matched the future knights eyes.
***
Jin, Ayane, Nanase and Seki were led to a room where they were to spend the night. The room was large and had a picture window but no beds. They soon discovered four doors each leading into a private bedrooms and a fifth door which led to a small bath. In the main room there were two sofa's and three chairs. Each of the teens immediatly fell onto a peice of furnature except Seki and Jin who argued over who got the second sofa (Nanase had gotten the other one) and the two seemed ready to physically hurt one another over this matter.
"Guys," Ayane said in mock exasperation, "I am sitting in a chair. Chairs are in no way evil and will not hurt you."
"I want to lay down on the couch though." Jin whined.
"Let him lie down on the couch Seki." Ayane said grinning. Having kids her own age speaking kind words and being friends with her was doing her attitude some good. Usually she would have just given one the death glare until he sat in a chair.
"You're just taking his side because he liked The Neverending Story..." Seki said with a smile.
"No!" Ayane said defensively. "Well... Yes." She said with a laugh.
Nanase giggled as she lay curled up on the sofa. Then she stopped. A grim expression on her usually cheerful face. The others stopped upon seeing this look and became very concerned.
"I'm hungry."
They all glared at her and Jin growled good naturedly as her threw a pillow from his sofa at her. "Geez. You had us worried for a second. And all because of something as unimportant as being hungry?"
"It seems like a very important matter to me..." Nanase said childishly.
"Me too." Ayane agreed.
Their thoughts were interupted by a strange 'puu' sound. Without warning a white fluff ball with long ears and a red jewel on it's forhead appeared out of nowhere. They immediatly recognized it as Mokona from the descriptions they had gotten from Neyeke and Sierra.
"Isn't he supposed to have food?" Nanase said exitedly.
Her companions immediatly laughed and Mokona created a spectacular meal for them. They seemed to enjoy the rest of the evening before going to their rooms for what they thought would be a restful sleep.
Ayane glanced around slowly after recovering from her shock. The others seemed pale and somewhat afraid as well. Even Seki. Ayane felt a smirk cross her face upon noticing this. In her opinion and, without a doubt, Nanase and Jin's, he deserved to be just as confused and alarmed as they had been the entire time. Not that he didn't seem worried about their present situation of being in what was apparantly another world, he just seemed much more at ease because, to the annoyance of Ayane and their younger comrades, he seemed to know where they were.
Just as Ayane brushed these thoughts from her mind her eyes fell on a young man. He appeared to be in his late teens or maybe even his early twenties. He had shaggy, moss green hair that fell over his face and shining blue eyes. His face seemed to be trapped in a perpetual frown that put Jin and Seki's grandfather Lantis to shame. The young man's clothing was a forest green tunic with a white cloak and matching white pants. After a moment he finally spoke.
"Are these the knights that were summoned Ascot...?" His voice seemed to resonate through the large room but seemed quite and pensive at the same time.
"Yep!" Ascot said with a smile. Turning to the four he introduced the young man as Neyeke, the mage who had taken over Master Clef's responsibilities when he left to be with Umi. He then introduced Neyeke to Ayane, Seki, Jin and Nanase.
"I didn't know there was a fourth." Neyeke said, his voice seemed strained. Like the weight of the world was on his shoulders and had increased just by the fourth knights unexpected presence, or rather future knight.
The group was momentarily diverted from Neyeke as a smaller door to the earthlings right opened and a tall woman entered. Her long, sandy blond hair was kept up in a high ponytail and she wore a headband with a red jewel in the center of her forehead.
"This is Sierra." Ascot said, "she is a reviver of weapons."
"Reviver of weapons?" Ayane asked.
Sierra smiled and explained that she had the ability to revive escudo weapons, which were almost a part of their owner seeing as no one but the owner could use it.
"Oh!" Ascot cried out suddenly as he noticed the shock on confusion on everyones face but Seki's, "I forgot to tell you Neyeke. Seki already knows about the Magic Knights but none of the others do."
"Oh, thank you for telling me Ascot." Neyeke said stiffly. He clearly would have liked the information sooner.
Ayane felt her blood run cold at the mention of the Magic Knights. It was clear that when they talked about the Magic Knights they were talking about the four from Tokyo. It was becoming even more apparent that she was the fourth. She was the one everyone gave the weird look to when they saw four instead of what was expected to be three children.
"Perhaps I should tell you why you are here?" Neyeke said.
"Wow he'll gives us information but my own brother won't..."
"Jin this isn't really the time to be figh-"
"Oh let him go, Nanase. We're all being way to nice to Seki considering he won't tell us jack shit anyways."
Neyeke cleared his throat and glared at Ascot who was now laughing loudly. Sierra smiled at the four clearly she found this just as amusing as Ascot did.
"Well we are..." Ayane muttered causing another eruption of giggles from Ascot.
"Maybe you should leave Ascot." Neyeke said sternly.
Ascot started for the door a smile still on his childish face. Neyeke turned to them once Ascot was gone and began to tell them about the previous Magic Knights, their adventures, the pillar system, and how Hikaru had done away with the Pillar System.
"Now that you are all brought up to date with the important history of Cephiro I can begin to really explain why you're here. As I have already told you only the Pillar can summon Magic Knights but the system has been done away with. Someone with amazing will power has brought back the pillar system and is using their power to prevent the present pillar from ridding Cephiro of the Pillar system as Hikaru did. I did not know that direct decencents of the original Magic Knights would be summoned however..."
"What about me...?" Ayane asked softly, "I am not related to the Magic Knights or Cephiro. It doesn't make any sense."
"Umi, Hikaru and Fuu were in no way related to the Magic Knights that preceded them."
"Has it always been three Magic Knights?"
"No one really knows. The legends have always refered to three. Those who would be old enough to remember that far into history are in your world, or have passed on." Neyeke said honestly. "I am sorry I have no more information for you, Ayane." He added upon noticing the fruterated look on the girls face.
"What are we supposed to do now...?" Jin said coldly. "Save the world?"
"If I had roots here like you did Jin I sure as Hell would. I am gonna anyways." Ayane said sharply. She had a slight tendancy to think with her heart in these matters rather then her head.
Seki sighed and said he would too followed by Nanase.
"I hate you guys...." Jin muttered as he agreed to help too. He had no other choice. He would feel awful if he didn't help them.
A relieved and grateful smile flashed across Neyeke's face. It disappeared within moments however. "I had better give you armor then." He then raised his hand in the air and a glowing ball of white light appeared in the palm. "~Bestow Magic~!"
Ayane felt as if the world were flashing past her in a swirl of golden hues. When the light vanished she found she was wearing armor. Her boots reached her knees and had a golden jewel at the top matching the jewel on her breastplate, wristguard and glove. Looking up she saw armor on the others. Nanase had pale green jewels and her boots came only halfway to her knees. Jin and Seki's armor was almost identical to Ayane's except the breat plate covered their chest and stomach unlike the girls whose armor ended under their breasts. Jin's armor had blue jewels and Seki's had ruby red jewels all of which matched the future knights eyes.
***
Jin, Ayane, Nanase and Seki were led to a room where they were to spend the night. The room was large and had a picture window but no beds. They soon discovered four doors each leading into a private bedrooms and a fifth door which led to a small bath. In the main room there were two sofa's and three chairs. Each of the teens immediatly fell onto a peice of furnature except Seki and Jin who argued over who got the second sofa (Nanase had gotten the other one) and the two seemed ready to physically hurt one another over this matter.
"Guys," Ayane said in mock exasperation, "I am sitting in a chair. Chairs are in no way evil and will not hurt you."
"I want to lay down on the couch though." Jin whined.
"Let him lie down on the couch Seki." Ayane said grinning. Having kids her own age speaking kind words and being friends with her was doing her attitude some good. Usually she would have just given one the death glare until he sat in a chair.
"You're just taking his side because he liked The Neverending Story..." Seki said with a smile.
"No!" Ayane said defensively. "Well... Yes." She said with a laugh.
Nanase giggled as she lay curled up on the sofa. Then she stopped. A grim expression on her usually cheerful face. The others stopped upon seeing this look and became very concerned.
"I'm hungry."
They all glared at her and Jin growled good naturedly as her threw a pillow from his sofa at her. "Geez. You had us worried for a second. And all because of something as unimportant as being hungry?"
"It seems like a very important matter to me..." Nanase said childishly.
"Me too." Ayane agreed.
Their thoughts were interupted by a strange 'puu' sound. Without warning a white fluff ball with long ears and a red jewel on it's forhead appeared out of nowhere. They immediatly recognized it as Mokona from the descriptions they had gotten from Neyeke and Sierra.
"Isn't he supposed to have food?" Nanase said exitedly.
Her companions immediatly laughed and Mokona created a spectacular meal for them. They seemed to enjoy the rest of the evening before going to their rooms for what they thought would be a restful sleep.