Chapter 4 The Forest

"Where are we going Fuu?" Ascot asked annoyed pushing yet another branch out of the way.

"To the heart of the forest I think," Fuu responded causing Ascot to become more annoyed. Then he felt guilty, the Knights were loosing something important too. Umi was their best friend and fellow Knight. They would die for her and had proved it time and time again. But yet, they went on and persevered through it all; they stayed strong for her as she always had for them. He closed his eyes and breathed in ready to take it as it came.

§§§~~~

"Hikaru?! Fuu?!" she screamed running through the palace.

"Umi!" Clef shouted wanting to stop her but not knowing how. She was acting crazy; he knew that pain. He knew the procedure would have this kind of effect, but she had to be in bed where she would be safe and unharmed.

Umi spun, "Where are they?! What did you do with them?! Where are Hikaru and Fuu?!" she had no idea what was going on; she didn't even fully realize whom she was speaking to.

Clef sighed deeply, "Umi, they're gone, they…"

Umi's eyes grew wide in a look of horror, "Gone? What do you mean gone?"

As he understood what she was thinking he smiled, "Not that kind of gone Umi, they went to the forest to find the Emerald Stone. You have to stay here until you're strong enough to go after them, or until they come back. You're not strong enough to fight," he told her softly.

"I have to help them though, I have to get to them," she begged him to let her go, she knew he was the only one with the power to keep her there, and he was prepared to do just that.

"No Umi, it won't help, you stay. You'd be more of a hindrance than a help; you may leave the minute you're able, but not now," Clef told her it was over as slowly she understood where she was.

"No Clef, I have to find them, they need my help. She was so strong," Umi closed her eyes and felt herself slammed into the rocks again and again, "I don't want them hurt like that."

"And I can't see you hurt like that, you're one of the Magic Knights and you're sick. It's my duty to help you," he took her hands in his, and she looked up at him.

She knew that she was defeated and decided not to leave it off on a bad note, "Fine but the minute I'm able to stand without doubling over I'm out of here."

He nodded, "And no one will stop you."

§§§~~~

They stopped and looked around, the sky was darkening.

"We should stop here, we don't want to travel in the dark," Fuu told them, and they nodded in agreement.

The morning came bittersweet as the sun rose but they couldn't see it. It was hidden behind dark storm clouds, and thunder crashed as rain poured down. Lightning streaked across the sky and lit up the sky.

"It's raining," Fuu pointed out.

"That's okay it won't dampen our spirits," Hikaru said cheerfully.

"Uh…Hikaru-san…you hate the rain," Fuu said quietly, and Hikaru smiled.

"That's okay, you like it, and so does Umi-chan so I can deal," Hikaru smiled at her, and she smiled back.

They walked aimlessly around the forest not sure where they were going.

Ascot was getting more aggravated by the minute and was about to say something when Fuu hushed them though they had all been silent.

"What is it Fuu-chan?" Hikaru asked softly as they all came to an abrupt stop.

"I heard something," but it wasn't quite hearing. Everything got suddenly silent as if the animals tensed and stopped their merry chatting. Someone was in their home, someone dangerous, "She's here, searching."

Suddenly Hikaru and Ascot stiffened, and they were ridden with anger and determination; they wanted vengeance for their friend.

"Show yourself!" Hikaru shouted as her sword appeared in her hand. Flames engulfed it as the stone began to glow bright red like embers from a freshly dead fire. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed as if adding to the effect.

Fuu and Ascot gaped at this new power and the obvious strength that radiated from the stone.

The woman laughed as she appeared, a laugh that reminded them of stone and hate. They involuntarily shuddered which made her sneer.

"It seems that you will have difficulty recovering the Sapphire Stone without a Water Knight, and you'll be lucky to even get that far. Actually luck has nothing to do with it; I do, and I don't plan to let you get that far," she opened her hands and pointed at Fuu, but she had a barrier of wind around them all in an instant.

Her smile twisted as the dark magic intensified.

Fuu kept her barrier over the other two but dropped it around her as the steel of the sword reflected the woman's magic back onto her. She screamed as her own magic ate at her, but unfortunately did little damage. Fuu's eyes were fierce and determined as she skillfully blocked each attack with ease.

Where did Fuu-chan get that kind of skill? Hikaru asked herself, then her mind flashed back to a time she was at Umi's…

"Now both of you, try and attack me," Umi challenged playfully as she prepared for yet another fencing tournament.

"Umi-san, I don't know," Fuu was holding a fencing sword Umi had lent her, Hikaru was holding her own sword.

"Oh come on," Umi urged, and they gave in. Hikaru attacked on the left, Fuu on the right. Umi cut down Hikaru's sword, spun away from Fuu's then turned and flicked it out of her hand. The sword clanged and skidded across the ground. Hikaru was no better off, and Umi frowned, "You two!" she scolded, "Don't let me win!"

"We just don't want to hurt you Umi-chan," Hikaru said grinning.

Umi groaned, and they fought as Umi taught them all techniques from fencing. She was good, extremely good, they all had learned a lot from her, and Fuu was a fast learner. She smiled; Umi-chan must have known, she thought.

Suddenly the woman threw open both hands and a stream went on the right and on the left, Fuu thought quickly, it would be hard. She remembered Umi performing the maneuver perfectly and trying to teach it to them, but she had fallen. She would try. She spun to the left and hit the magic with her sword just barely missing the right stream. If she had been even an inch off she would have been fried in both directions. She smiled slightly as another attack came at her. She blocked this one and the next. She knew though that she was going to get tired before the woman. She had to advance before she lost all her strength. She began slashing at the magic while walking forward.

The woman screamed in aggravation as she began to walk backwards. Fuu knew she would have to make this fast. She closed her eyes and a green light surrounded her as her hair whipped around her. The woman stepped back and stopped her attacks looking terrified, what was she doing? Two streams of Air ripped out from behind Fuu and held her arms in place keeping her from vanishing. She screamed and looked to and from her arms desperately. She wanted to rip them off and leave them there as the Magic Knight of Wind opened her eyes, and they flashed with anger.

"My name is Fuu Hououji, the Magic Knight of Wind and donner of Windam, I will not see my friends hurt in any way," she opened her hands, "Midori no Senpuu!" it wasn't made to stun her or to protect Fuu, it was meant to kill the woman in front of her, and the whirlwind spiraled toward her and turned to a whirlpool as it hit as Fuu released the strands of Air. She threw her dark magic at the wind to try and stop it, but it went right through. She screamed in pain as the attack hit, but disappeared before it could do enough harm to kill her. Her dark magic hit a surprised Fuu, and she was thrown against a tree…

*Okay this chapter might seem to lean one way with Umi, but it doesn't I swear! I've decided to develop both 'friendships' and see which one I like best, so you'll have to wait a little longer while I decide. Gomen, but I'm really at a spot right now that I'm not completely sure what to do. I hope you liked this chapter though ^.^ it was a bit short, but then most of my chapters are.*