Chapter 7 Fire, Wind and Water

"Hello?!" she bellowed in the dark. Where was she? Was that woman gone? Was she in this darkness ready to spring on her like a cat pounces on its prey? Somehow she doubted it; this place was oddly soothing, almost like the water.

"Magic Knight of Water," a voice from the shadows called to her.

"Celes?!" she demanded joyfully. She felt reenergized by this place.

"Umi," he responded calmly.

"Where are you? Why can't I see you?" she questioned.

"This is a third dimension, you can hear me but cannot see me as I can hear you but cannot see you," he explained, "Now listen to me, this is important. Now you have all the stones needed to defeat the new enemy, use them wisely and learn their true power. Go back to the palace and wait for her there. She will find you, train hard."

She nodded, "Tell me who she is."

"The time will come and all will be revealed to you," his voice began to fade, and Umi was choking. She was too weak and couldn't kick, couldn't reach the surface…

§§§~~~

"Umi!" Ascot shouted as he watched her fall to the depths of the ocean. He was only thinking of Umi as he dove into the water and swam after her, his eyes screaming from the salt. He had to keep going…Then a flash of pale blue as her limp body sank to the ocean floor. He kicked hard using his last burst of energy and grabbed her wrist pulling her close to him as they burst on the surface gasping for breath. He pulled her onto the animal that was floating on the surface and in a gasping breath begged it to go at full speed toward the shore.

He looked at the Magic Knight's helpless, unconscious body and felt anger and self hatred run through him. He should have said something before. She might be okay if he had. He shook his head and looked back at her as she coughed. They had to get back to shore…fast. No proper procedure could be taken until they did. He felt her pulse and got panicky; it was barely there.

§§§~~~

"Fuu!"

Fuu turned and saw Ascot shouting for her, "Hold onto her mane. Be careful with her she's inexperienced," Fuu spoke first to Hikaru then to the Pegasus as it swooped over, and Fuu jumped onto the beast that looked like a giant seat turtle and knelt near Umi. She checked her pulse and cringed. She put her hands across one another and beat Umi's chest. Umi coughed up water, and her breathing stabilized a bit as Fuu bent down and listened to her breathe, "There's still water in her lungs because she tried to breathe while submerged, nothing my magic can't handle. We have to get to shore quickly though so I can work," Fuu looked at the rapidly growing tree line.

§§§~~~

"Iyashi no Kaze!" Streams of Air wrapped themselves around Fuu as she directed them toward Umi. They lifted her gently and teased her hair while healing her weak body. As they set her down she cautiously opened her eyes.

"Umi-chan!" Hikaru shouted gleefully as Umi struggled up and coughed.

"Umi-san," Fuu sat on her knees near her.

Umi smiled, "Ar…" she cleared her dry throat and began again, "Arigato Fuu."

Fuu smiled, "It was my pleasure, but you should be thanking Ascot-san."

Umi looked at Ascot and saw him blush as her eyes ran him over. His hair was soaking wet and thrown back, so she could see his amazing eyes. His hat was gone, and his clothes clung close to his body.

"He saved you," Fuu told her smiling.

Umi gasped, "Arigato Ascot!" she jumped up and wrapped her arms around him hugging him fiercely which only caused him to blush more.

"It was the least I could do," he told her when she let him go, "I did let you fall into the hands of the enemy," he grimaced, "I should be apologizing."

"You knew and didn't tell me?" Umi whispered.

"Not until he forced me to Summon and then I was too stunned to speak. You left before I could say anything," Ascot tried to explain.

"Oh okay," Umi didn't take it nearly as bad as he thought she would.

"Umi-chan," Hikaru pointed to Umi's hand, and her eyes found the stone that ran with blue Water colored magic and was shaped as a mighty wave; she breathed in sharply.

"Is…is this m…mine?" she fumbled, and Fuu smiled.

"Of course Umi-san."

"But why?!"

"Because you are the Magic Knight of Water and…" Ascot stopped himself, "Worthy of it," he said instead.

"Oh," Umi said softly looking at it again and then to Fuu's which flashed with green and white Air magic, then to Hikaru's that leapt with red, yellow and orange Fire magic.

After a long silence Hikaru asked where they were headed next.

"Celes said that we should go back to the palace; he said that eventually she would find us there and that we needed to train. Until then we could use a break, brief as it may be," Umi told them, and they nodded in agreement.

They mounted their respective animals and headed toward home not even realizing a certain someone following them back to their safe haven. 

§§§~~~

"Magic Knights," those in the palace bowed low to them as they returned.

"Um…" Umi looked at them curiously.

"Uh…" Fuu was stunned.

"Why?" Hikaru asked.

The people in the room raised stiffly and looked at Clef who sighed, "Not now, they will learn in time, but it is not my story to tell."

"I'm confused!" Umi whined, and they laughed as she glared but slowly began to laugh with them.

They were thrown into a discussion of what they'd been through and what they had done over a huge dinner which they accepted gratefully.

"Ascot what happened to Mokona?" Persea asked, and Ascot's eyes got suddenly worried.

"Um…"

"Yeah where is that little cutie?" Caldina added.

"I…uh…I'm not sure," Ascot stuttered, and Persea's eyes got huge.

"You're not sure?! What do you mean by that?!"

"Calm down Persea I'm sure he's fine," Umi tried to console her.

"Puu, Puu," Mokona was soaked as he jumped onto the table.

"Mokona!" Hikaru grabbed him and hugged him tight.

"Puu?"

"Where have you been?" Persea's eyes narrowed, "You're soaking wet! That means I'll have to give you a bath and dry you and…oh you'll get it for this one Mokona, leaving us all worried like that. Now let's see what kind of punishment…"

"Let's eat him! I'm still hungry, and Fuu's made tea for the meal and…" Umi was grinning viciously.

"Puu?" Mokona inched away.

"Don't worry she won't eat you," Hikaru assured Mokona for the hundredth time since he'd met Umi, "What would happen if you ate God?"

"He would live in my stomach and I would become God!" Umi laughed, "Sounds good to me, come here you little…" she lunged for him which sent him scurrying and caused her to run into the table.

Fuu shook her head as Hikaru watched and sweat dropped, "Umi-chan…"

"Well I guess she's feeling better," Fuu said softly laughing hesitantly, and Hikaru nodded.

"She's been much happier since we got back to Cephiro," Hikaru agreed as Umi slowly regained herself and walked back to the table.

"Oh you just wait," she warned Mokona who cowered in a corner, "Because I know where you eat and where you sleep and where you live. I'll creep up on you when you least expect it and…bang!"

"Umi-chan don't scare him," Hikaru scolded.

"Gomen Hikaru," she looked back to Mokona and smiled maliciously.

"Puu," he darted from the room.

"Shouldn't someone go after him?" Caldina asked.

"Nah, he'll stay here," Persea assured her, and they all looked at the Magic Knights once more as their serious expressions got put back on, and the three got that uncomfortable feeling of secrecy again.

"We should begin your training," Clef sighed, and the other three nodded.

"But what is there to train? We know everything we can," Umi said what no one else dared.

"Yes you do know all for now, but we can make you stronger with practice, come we'll go to the indoor practice rooms since it seems to be raining today," Clef instructed, and everyone followed.

*So what do you think so far? I just got a really odd idea for a new fanfiction that probably hasn't been done before, but I'm going to finish this one first. I can't seem to finish things if I do more than one thing at a time. Hmmm…maybe that's why I can't ever do my French and my Math at the same time…*