*I just saw the first video of the Japanese Anime! YEY! I'm so happy *grins* now I just have to watch the second one…grrr… hey did you know the girl, yes girl, that voices Eagle, voices Haruka in the Japanese Sailor Moon? Is it just me or is that oddly creepy??? Anyway here's my next chapter! Enjoy*

Chapter 5 The Return of the Water Knight

She opened her eyes but couldn't feel the pain of her injuries. There was something abnormal about that and why was it all black? She wanted to call out but her throat was stuck, she couldn't speak. She had to put all her concentration into breathing, am I dying? She asked. No, I can't die, she assured herself, I haven't killed her yet, I haven't seen if Umi-san is going to be okay, I couldn't leave Hikaru-san, I can't…she didn't get a chance to finish because a voice in the blankness pulled her from her thoughts.

"Magic Knight of Wind."

"Windam?" she found her voice as she looked around, well look, things are improving she thought grimly, that could be bad though. What if that means that I'm more dead than I was before, what if…

"You're not dying Fuu," he relieved her of her worries.

"How did you…"

"We're connected, especially here, this is a void where we can speak almost mind to mind, 'See,' his voice appeared in her mind making her jump.

'That makes no logical sense, that…' she didn't have to finish, she was in Cephiro, nothing made sense, 'Nevermind,' she shook her head.

He laughed slightly filling her with warmth, and she smiled, 'You protected your friends well,' he commented still in her mind.

'I did what they would have done for me,' she blushed, 'What they deserved.'

'You are strong Wind Knight, but I fear are you strong enough to defeat this?' he sounded suddenly tired, as old as he was, ancient…

'We are as strong as we have to be, together we could defeat the world,' Fuu said feeling stronger with her words. They were the Legendary Magic Knights of Cephiro, they could do anything so long as they stayed together.

'This is true, and you must always stay together, let nothing separate you, never,' he urged, and she nodded.

'Never.'

'Take this then, go to the sea you will find one there called the Sapphire Stone, Umi will join you on your way. Don't be hasty so you make mistakes, but be quick, she's on her way now. You have to defeat her,' he was deathly serious and Fuu nodded again.

'Of course, for Cephiro and the people we love,' she clenched her fists.

'Good, now remember I will always be here for you,' his voice faded out.

'Wait!' but he didn't respond, "Windam!" she shouted out loud, "Who is she?!"

No answer, and her eyelids grew heavy as she fell into the darkness…

§§§~~~

"Umi, I'm still not sure you're ready to go…" Persea was telling her, more like lecturing her, as she finished dressing wincing as she did.

"I'm fine, I'll be fine, I have to get to them," Umi smiled through her pain at the craftsman in front of her.

Persea shook her head but wasn't about to argue, she threw up her hands and walked out. She heard her mutter, "You talk her out of it."

Umi looked at the door smiling and shaking her head then went back to polishing her sword.

"Umi," Clef said from her door, and she looked up and her sword disappeared.

"Not you too!" Umi moaned.

"Yes me too, you're not healthy enough to leave. You've still got bruises and gashes, if you open them back up you might be in a worse condition than you are now," he began, but she cut him off.

"I don't plan on falling again, not on solid rock. I'm going to the shore, to the ocean, they're on their way there. It's soft, I won't open anything up," she ended it.

He muttered but wouldn't force her to stay, she was a Magic Knight and he couldn't say he didn't want her out there helping the other two. But he could say he definitely didn't want her hurt, "I told you that if you could stand without doubling over I'd let you go, I'm not one to go against my word so I'm not going to force you to stay," he gave her a glance that said, but I could if I wanted.

"Arigato," she turned and ran from the room her armor appearing as she did.

"Oh Umi!" Clef shouted after her, and she spun expecting another 'Don't be stupid,' lecture, "Ascot left you that Pegasus of his!"

Umi smiled gratefully and ran out to the stables to find the Pegasus.

§§§~~~

Fuu awoke with Hikaru looking curiously over her, shaking her, Ascot stood just behind her.

"Wh…What?" Fuu mumbled, and Hikaru smiled and let out a breath that she seemed to have been holding.

"Fuu-chan," she sighed.

"How long have I been out?" Fuu asked sitting up and feeling a headache beginning to surface.

"Not long, but if you had been out much longer Hikaru might have run out of breath," Ascot told her, and she laughed when Hikaru blushed and looked away.

"Hikaru?!" someone demanded from behind them, and they all spun. They saw a boy about Ascot's age with dark blue hair and sapphire colored eyes standing in front of them. He carried a long silver sword, simple in nature implying he wasn't very rich.

"Uh…yes?" Hikaru was wary but didn't want to draw her sword on a complete stranger, that didn't seem like a good thing, not now.

"The Magic Knight of Fire?" he laughed, "Nevermind," he was turning when Hikaru's temper flared.

"Yes?!" she demanded impatiently.

He turned slowly, then examined her and laughed again and turned, "The Magic Knight of Fire, isn't so… how can I put this nicely?…Short."

"That wasn't very nice," Ascot muttered.

"I am so! I mean…" Hikaru blushed, "I am the Magic Knight of Fire."

"If you are then fight me," he turned again.

"I'm not going to fight you!" Hikaru protested.

"Then you're obviously not the Magic Knight of Fire," he said simply.

Hikaru glared and summoned her sword causing him to think twice when he saw it engulfed in flames and her stone and body begin to glow red, "You asked for it."

He shakily stepped forward, and they bowed to each other as the other two moved out of the way.

At first they just paced each other, and then he lunged forward, Hikaru parried but didn't fight back. He was nervous, she was only blocking, not swinging. What was she planning? As he swung Hikaru moved her sword out of the block and underneath his sword. She flipped it out of his hands in a maneuver Umi had taught her as the sword flew through the air and landed with a soft, thump on the ground.

She grinned as he went and retrieved his sword, "It would have been unfair if I had fought back," she told him, and he nodded numbly, "Umi-chan taught me everything I know," she felt she had to give the other girl credit. Here he nodded again unable to speak, "This is Fuu-chan, she's the Magic Knight of Wind," that was okay because Hikaru talked enough for all four of them.

"Pleased to meet you," Fuu said politely, and he nodded.

"Is that all you're going to do?" a voice from behind them whined, and they turned. A beautiful young girl with long blue hair and slender figure with dazzling blue eyes riding an equally beautiful beast was behind them.

"Umi-chan!" Hikaru shouted as she embraced the girl as she dismounted. Umi winced.

"Hikaru! That hurts!" Umi shouted, and Hikaru let go.

"Why are you out of bed then?" Hikaru asked narrowing her eyes.

"Because first of all you need me," Umi wasn't one to be modest, "And second of all I didn't want to miss all the fun."

Hikaru grinned, but Fuu glared as Umi smiled innocently at her.

"Now," she pointed at the newcomer, "You introduce yourself and tell us what you're doing here. Hikaru," she looked to the shorter girl, "Good move."

Hikaru smiled, "I had a good teacher."

Umi blushed then turned to Ascot, "Arigato, for leaving her with me I mean," she added hastily, and he blushed and looked away.

"No problem," he managed to mutter.

"Now," she looked back to the newcomer who stared at her dumbfounded, "Explain yourself."

He nodded and began, "My name is Kio," he started, "And I live in a village outside this one. I heard, I can communicate with animals, it's my only form of magic, I heard that there were beautiful girls in the forest using magic and swords. I thought you were the Magic Knights, and I came to find you."

Umi nodded, it sounded reasonable enough, sincere and trustable, "And you came to find us because?" she drew the last word out.

"Because I need your help of course, and I'm hoping I can be of help to you," he grinned at her, and Ascot got defensive.

"I doubt it," he muttered under his breath causing Kio to spin and glare, "What?! They're the Magic Knights!"

"You're here helping them," he said coolly, and Ascot shook his head.

"I'm a summoner, I'm being trained by the Master Mage of Cephiro," Ascot countered.

"You're being trained by Guru Clef?" he almost laughed out loud.

"Yes," Ascot clenched his fists.

He shook his head, and Umi glared.

"You're not making a good impression," she informed him, and he turned to her.

"I thought she was supposed to be the leader," he pointed at Hikaru, and Hikaru glared.

"I am not the leader!" she shouted, "We work as a team! No one is the leader!"

"Okay sure," he brushed them off, and Umi got angry as she clenched her fists and blood trickled out onto her pale skin. She had been sick and barely eating before she came back to Cephiro. Her skin was a milk white, and the red stained it deep.

"Are you trying to piss me off?!" she demanded, and everyone stared at her, amazed.

He smiled, "No I'm testing you," he came closer to Umi and whispered in her ear, "You're beautiful."

She stood shocked, "You're full of yourself."

He grinned and stepped back as Ascot glowered openly.

"Come on, we're out of here," Umi mounted as Ascot summoned the other animals, and they all followed her example, "We have no time to deal with this."

"Please, let me come with you," he was almost begging.

"Why?" Ascot demanded.

"Because my village needs help, there are people starving. You have to help them, you're the only ones that can," suddenly he looked desperate.

"You have to take that up with Prince Ferio, it's not our duty," Umi said coldly, but Fuu touched her shoulder gently as she moved the Unicorn closer to her.

"Yes it is Umi-san," she whispered, and Umi grimaced.

"But…but…" she tried to protest, "Fine we'll help your village after we recover the Sapphire Stone and save Cephiro deal?"

He nodded, "But that means that I'll have to come with you to make sure you stick to your word."

Umi muttered under her breath.

"We will," Ascot assured him.

"I can't be sure, you Mages can be tricky," he flashed a grin at Umi who rolled her eyes, "So who am I riding with?"

Ascot pointed at Fuu, Fuu pointed at Umi, Umi pointed at Ascot, and Hikaru pointed at Umi.

"Hey two for the Water Knight, seems you're stuck with me," he got up behind her, and she moaned.

"Hikaru, Fuu I'm going to murder you!" she shouted as the Pegasus took off, and they smiled at each other sheepishly.

*If you've read any of my other writing I like interferences in my plots, especially when I'm doing romance I think it makes everything a bit sweeter. This is going to go a different way though and won't be in the way for long trust me. So until then ja ne! ^.^*