*how is this going so far? Good? Bad? The characters right now are OOC but don't worry as they grow closer together they'll be more like themselves. I'm going to have romance later ha ^.^ gotta love the cute stuff. But not yet…soon…I think. Anyway I'll try to have the next chapter posted but standardized testing is coming up soon yuck!*

Chapter 3 Crossing the First Hurdle; Worry

            "I still don't understand what we're to do," Fuu was saying the next morning at breakfast, "Do you guys?"

Hikaru shook her head, staring blankly, Umi just grunted.

"The least you could do would be to respond," Fuu's voice wasn't harsh, simply proper.

Umi glared but stayed silent, and they didn't push her any further. She hadn't spoken a word to them since last night, and they weren't sure if she was one of the speaking types, but she seemed that she was. It appeared that at one time she would have talked your ear off given the chance, but now all she did was sit and stare out the window absently, as if remembering something. It bothered them, but they didn't press her.

"You have to find the person or persons responsible for poisoning the people's minds and bring them to justice," the man named Lantis responded, and they nodded.

"I got that, but how do we find them?" Hikaru asked, and they shook their heads sadly.

"That's the thing, we don't know. We're not sure exactly how to find them…we were hoping…" Persea was looking at them, her eyes gleaming with hope, "That you would know what to do."

Their jaws dropped.

"Are you kidding me?" Hikaru asked, and their hopes were dashed with her words, "We don't even know where we are. How are we supposed to judge people we've never even met before in an unfamiliar world?"

"It is said that once you don the Rune-Gods you will know," Clef said absently, and they looked at him curiously.

"What's a Rune-God?" Umi inquired softly, and the people in the room stared. She wasn't sure if it was because she talked or because her question was stupid, but either way their eyes made her blush, and she turned back to her food, this was her third helping.

"A Rune-God is your guardian, someone to watch over the true Magic Knights of Cephiro. There are three of them, Rayearth, Windam and Celes," Clef answered patiently, and they nodded.

"Well then we'll simply find these Rune-Gods don them, find the person, defeat them, and save Cephiro, then be headed for home," Fuu's smile lit up the room.

"Where can we find these Rune-Gods then?" Hikaru questioned, and they received blank stares.

"Only the Magic Knights know where they are located," Zagato informed them, and they muttered curses under their breath as they looked to each other.

"Any of you know where we can find three Rune-Gods?" Hikaru asked, and both shook their heads, "I don't either."

"Oh great," Umi muttered.

"Well the most logical explanation in this situation would be to go out into Cephiro and travel the countryside, maybe the people will be of more help then you. No offense meant to any of you, but they live out there and possibly they know the land better," Fuu added quickly.

"No one knows the land better than I," Ferio flashed a grin at her, "I must be your guide."

"But you're needed here Ferio," Emeraude put a small hand on his arm, but he shook his head.

"You have Zagato," he replied, and she nodded and moved her hand from his arm as if giving him permission to go.

"All right," she gave in, and he grinned.

"Shall we leave tomorrow when the sun comes up then?"

"That sounds good," Fuu smiled at him, then blushed and turned away. He felt a sense of triumph as he turned back to his sister.

"Persea," Clef turned to her, and she nodded and left without another word as the talk turned away from what they must do, and they began to hear more and more about Cephiro and its wonders. The subject once strayed close to war, but Clef's eyes caught Umi in turn, and a tear fall down her cheek and quickly he changed it.

§§§~~~

A scream from the Magic Knight of Water sent him running to her room. What he found was the girl was sound asleep tossing and turning and muttering.

"Dad," she whispered gripping the sheets so tightly that her knuckles were white, "What are you doing?! It's not worth it! Stop! Leave him alone! Dad!"

He looked at her softly and pulled the covers up to her chin trying to calm her. Slowly he raised his staff and let her sleep soundly. She would need the strength.

§§§~~~

The next morning they were grooming their horses when Ascot found them and ushered them inside. When they went in they were greeted by all the palace inhabitants.

They noticed that Persea looked tired and worn, but she was beaming all the same.

"What is this about?" Umi asked warily, ready to dart like a rabbit being hunted by a fox.

"This," Persea clapped her hands, and three swords appeared out of nowhere along with three sets of armor. They looked at them in wonder as the armor appeared on their body along with a gem, and the swords were in their hands.

"I don't understand," Fuu said softly looking at the beautiful weapon in her hands. She wasn't quite sure how to use it but knew that she would be learning…soon.

"They are yours, they will evolve with your hearts. Persea made them," Clef explained and smiled at Persea who was grinning in an almost boastful way.

"How?!" Hikaru burst out then blushed and apologized.

"That is my duty, my purpose. I craft weapons, and these three are the best I have ever made, the weapons for the Magic Knights of Cephiro. The weapons that will grow with their hearts."

"Arigato," they all whispered and all in turn gave her a small hug. When everything was said and the astonishment only half gone they looked around and saw that dawn was approaching, and they had to leave.

"We will be seeing you soon," Hikaru said confidently as they fled the safety of the palace and went to meet Ferio who had their horses.

§§§~~~

They stopped that night in the forest. There was still an hour of daylight and Ferio was trying to teach them how to use their swords to no avail. Fuu had never even held one, and Hikaru had only used practice swords in kendo. Umi was a completely different story, she refused completely to take the lessons Ferio was giving and gave no explanation except a grunt before she turned around and walked into the woods.

"She shouldn't go out there alone," Ferio muttered but wasn't about to stop her. He didn't know her barely but knew that they probably wouldn't get along and didn't want to make it so she did start talking.

In an hour when the lesson was over Ferio looked around and turned to the saddlebags.

"I'm starving what's for dinner?" Hikaru asked, and with that word Umi emerged from the shadows and sat down with them staying silent as always.

"I don't know," he pulled out a small round pinkish thing with long ears and what looked to be eyes.

"We're going to eat a stuffed animal, great," Umi muttered sarcastically, and Ferio looked at her confused.

"This is Mokona, Mokona these are the Magic Knights," he introduced them.

Umi groaned but the others said hesitant hellos.

"Puu Puu!" the thing jumped from Ferio's arms and onto Umi's head.

"You little fluff ball thing! I didn't know you were alive! No one jumps on my head and gets away with it! Come here!" she screamed and chased it making the others laugh. When she came back she was panting, and the thing was dancing behind her in a mocking way, "How are we going to eat it if we can't catch it?"

"We're not going to eat it!" Ferio scolded, "He's going to give us food, and shelter for that matter."

"Uh…"

"Watch, Mokona, dinner and a place to sleep please," Ferio asked the creature, and the gem on its forehead began to glow.

When it was through there was an egg like tent and food enough for a feast in front of them. They stared, shocked, amazed and thankful.

"Oh!"

While they ate they talked about where they were going.

"I'm not sure, we could keep going this way through the forest, or we could go north toward the mountains or south toward the sea or…"

"I want to go to the sea," Umi said quietly, "I haven't seen the ocean in so long…"

That didn't seem to be anything any of them wanted to challenge, so they quickly agreed.

"There's a fishing village near here not too far, maybe two days ride. We'll ask them what they know, maybe we'll get lucky," Ferio added, and they agreed before walking into the tent and finding that there was one huge room for the girls and another slightly smaller one for Ferio. He said goodnight to them and let them get some sleep.

§§§~~~

He turned in his sleep as images of a bloody girl flashed in his mind. The three of them, bloodied and panting, on the verge of death with a shrill laugh behind them.

"This is what you created, by your war from your world, by your suspicions and doubts, by your own hatred for one another you have killed yourself and brought down Cephiro…"

He sat bolt upright and slowly walked to the castle gardens sitting near the fountain.

"Did you have it too?" Clef appeared from the greens of a grove of trees.

He nodded, staying silent, there was no explanation of what 'it' was.

"It is not set in stone. There is much yet to come. They are strong of heart, I could feel it, they will overcome these differences," he assured him, and he nodded again.

"Of course they will…" but he wasn't completely sure.

§§§~~~

"Daddy!" the word escaped her lips sending the other two bolt upright and looking across the room at her. As their eyes swung cautiously they met each other's gazes and smiled slightly both approaching different sides of her bed, "Daddy no! Don't do it please! Don't! Stop saying that! We'll get to America we will! You don't need to do this! DAD!"

Subconsciously both put hands out, Fuu's went to Umi's forehead and Hikaru's went to Um's hands and with their touch she calmed and her thrashing became less desperate, her murmurs quieted until they were non-existent.

"She's hiding something," Fuu said softly, and Hikaru nodded in agreement.

"I don't know where she's even from. We don't know where she's from or who her parents are or where she lives, nothing," she shook her head causing her braid to whip around her shoulders.

"I know, but I don't think we can push her. Obviously something is really wrong that she doesn't want to talk about, but it wants to come out otherwise she wouldn't not talk. She's afraid she'll slip or something, we'll just wait and she'll say something," for a split second the worry for this girl was so overwhelming that they both forgot their conflicts and acted together. As if realizing it at the same instant they said goodnights and went to bed scowling at one another, though this time the scowl wasn't as deep.

*I really hope this isn't too wild of an idea. If it is please tell me. Gomen if there's too much history but I couldn't avoid it! Until next chapter! ^.^*