Level 5 + Miracles In The Making
Sublevel 2 + All Fall Down



Ferio had gone, but Fuu still sat in the little white room. She was no longer afraid, though. Everything was over at last. The game --- though it really wasn't a game at all --- was finally finished. Now she could return home...

But the deaths of Umi and Hikaru were heavy upon her heart. How could she return to her normal life, knowing that they had died? They hadn't been friends, really, but there was a sort of strange bond between them, one that might have evolved into friendship, had it been given time.

Fuu sighed. Nothing was ever easy.

As she sat thinking upon this, one of the white walls vanished. She sat up, startled. Through the hole that now existed across from her, Fuu could see a small meadow full of posies, daisies, and countless other flowers. In the distance, though not too far away, a huge castle that seemed to be constructed of a kind of gray stone was enclosed within a huge, white marble wall.

Fuu rose to her feet shakily. She stepped forward to the opening in the box, gazing out. Nearby, just slightly to her right, were a group of small children. Their hands were joined, and they danced in a circle, singing a song that Fuu knew very well.

"Ring around the rosy,
Pockets full of posies,
Ashes, ashes,
All fall down!
"

As they uttered the word down, the children flung one child out of the circle. That one remained standing while the rest collapsed, pretending to be dead. The child who stood, a pale little girl with long, golden blond hair, surveyed the ones on the ground carefully. At long last, she tagged all but one of them. Those she tagged got to their feet and joined her in the forming of another circle. The child who had not been tapped, another little girl but with flaming orange hair tied in two pigtails, remained lying on the ground as though dead.

Something about the innocent game made Fuu uneasy. All too well, she could see a similarity between the children's play and the events that had just transpired in her life.

As a little boy with dark, shaggy hair was left for dead on the grass, the game halted. The children turned to stare at Fuu; they whispered amongst themselves. Then, after a moment, a few of the boys and girls came forward, taking Fuu's hands. "Must come to the castle," the insisted. "Must see the Princess."

Fuu didn't argue. She allowed the children to lead her across the flowered meadow, through the white wall, across a courtyard, and into the great gray castle. They walked through many passages and chambers, eventually emerging in another courtyard that Fuu recognized. She had come here when she and Hikaru... had walked through that very long hallway from the chapel.

After going through more hallways and rooms and passageways, the children eventually led Fuu to the huge doors that she knew led to the hall where she and Hikaru had been presented to Lantis. It felt like so long ago...

The children, surprisingly, pushed the doors open and motioned for Fuu to go inside.

The blond girl began the long walk up the white carpet. She took in the scene before her, which was much different than it had been the first time she had been in here.

The platform with the five chairs was still there. In the center chair sat the woman Fuu had seen in the mist in the fountain where she had found the Light of Emeraude. This must be the White Lady, the Owner of the Light of Emeraude, the Princess. This must be Emeraude herself.

At Emeraude's right hand, to Fuu's left, sat two men in dark gray robes, their hoods pulled down over their faces. On the other side, two men in black robes sat.

Two tables flanked the platform, arranged to form three sides of a square, with Fuu standing where the fourth side should have been. There were three people at each table, all wearing light gray robes, the hoods low.

What most astounded Fuu was the girl sitting at Emeraude's feet. She wore a dark red dress with a pink underskirt and a deep, almost black red mantle. Her long, dark pink hair was wild; her cranberry eyes were familiar. Fuu knew who she must be.

"Nova?..."

Emeraude nodded, one hand resting on Nova's head gently. "Nova is to take my place as the Owner of the Light and governor of this land."

Fuu stared at Nova, dumbfounded. "But... but I heard you. I heard you inside Hikaru-san!"

"Hikaru and I were the same, once," Nova answered, her voice very soft and shaky. "But Emeruade told me how that couldn't be, how it was Hikaru who had to... play the game, I guess. I was the one who had a destiny to fulfill here."

Emeraude stared at Fuu for a long moment in silence. Then, at last, she commanded, "High Council, remove your hoods."

The people in the robes obeyed immediately. Fuu stared, astounded.

The man to Emeraude's immediate right hand, one in the dark gray robes, was none other than Ferio. But his eyes told Fuu to remain silent as the others lowered their hoods.

The man next to Ferio had a thin, kind face and pale blond hair. On Emeraude's other side, the man at her immediate left hand in the black robes lowered his hood to reveal narrow eyes and long, jet-black hair: Zagato. Next to him sat Lantis, and the two looked so similar, Fuu concluded there must be a relation.

At the table on the right, the person in pale gray who sat nearest the platform revealed herself to be a woman with deeply tanned skin, bright blue eyes, and cotton-candy pink hair. In the middle was a young man with bushy brown hair that hung low over his eyes, and at the end sat a young girl with pale skin and dark hair that Fuu immediately recognized as Aska.

At the left table, the one nearest the platform was the small, lavender-haired Clef whom Fuu had met earlier. In the middle was Presea, her deep brown eyes still warm but very narrow and serious; on the end sat the muscular figure of Geo.

"Present yourselves," said Emeraude.

All of the members of the High Council stated their names. The man with the light blond hair was Eagle; the tan woman was Caldina; the boy with the bushy hair was Ascot. Fuu was already familiar with the rest of their names, but she was startled at how calm and serious and stately their voices sounded now.

"You have been called before this Council," continued Emeraude, "because you have a choice to make, Hououji Fuu. It will not be an easy choice, not for someone of your character, but it is a very important one, so I pray you to think it over before answering.

"Nova here must stay in this world. I cannot handle my position much longer. I have grown too weak to manage the Light properly, and I need someone younger and stronger of heart to replace me. Nova is the best applicant, for her spirited nature and strength of heart."

"But what about Hikaru-san?" Fuu interrupted, feeling as though she shouldn't have spoken. "Hikaru-san is both spirited and strong. Why did she have to die? Why could she not have taken your place along with Nova, if they are one?"

Emeraude shook her head slowly. "They had to be permenantly separated. Hikaru's heart is strong, but she is not realistic in her thoughts and feelings and decisions. She believes in fairy-tale endings and world peace. I know that those are good things, but they are unrealistic. Hikaru does not have a proper grasp on reality. Nova does.

"And aside from that, Hikaru, while certainly strong of heart, is not capable of handling the Light. Please, dear Fuu, do not question my judgement."

Fuu swallowed nervously, curtseying a bit in apology. "Of course, my Lady."

Emeraude nodded. "Now. Your decision.

"You have the option of returning to your own world in peace and living your life out normally. However," the blond woman continued slowly, "if you choose to do this, Umi and Hikaru will die."

"Wait." Fuu snapped her head up, surprised. "I thought they had already died!"

Emeraude shook her head. "No, but they were close to it. As their lives were leaving them, I took them away from their situations and transported them to a safe place. They are held in suspension there. If you choose to leave, the suspension will be lifted, and they will truly die. However, this is your second choice.

"If you should choose to stay here, in our world, and spend the rest of your days seated upon my High Council --- which will be Nova's Council soon --- then Umi and Hikaru will both live, and they will have the choice of remaining here or returning home."

Fuu was silent a long moment before asking, "If Umi-san and Hikaru-san decide to stay, what will they do?"

"Hikaru will be my personal caretaker," Emeraude explained, "as I will be much weaker without the Light supporting me. Umi may be apprentice to one of those upon the High Council so she may join one day, or she may join the Royal Guard as a protector of the Light and its Owner."

"And if they return home?"

"They will have no memory of this place, nor of the so-called 'game.' They will live out their lives in your world in whatever way they choose."

Fuu let out a deep sigh. Her eyes swept over the High Council, meeting each of their eyes briefly. Geo was encouraging; Presea was calm and indifferent; Clef was begging her to be wise. Eagle was pleading something from her, something she couldn't quite understand; Ferio... Ferio was asking her to stay; Emeraude's gaze was unreadable; Nova's was sad, somehow, not asking anything of Fuu; Zagato was grateful to her and encouraging; Lantis was unreadable, as always. Caldina was smiling, her eyes telling Fuu to be calm; Ascot's eyes were hidden, but his expression was similar to Eagle's; Aska was beaming and begging Fuu to stay.

A heavy, still silence settled over the great hall as Fuu battled with herself.

You must stay. It is not fair to let Umi-san and Hikaru-san die.

But it is not fair to you to stay. You have a right to a life of your own!

But how could you do this to them?


Her eyes met Ferio's again, and she found herself unable to look away. He was trying to tell her something...

Fuu closed her eyes, concentrating, and reached out mentally, taking Ferio's hand in her mind. As their minds slipped together, she heard him.

I don't know you well, Fuu. But I want to. You're the most amazing person I've ever met. You'd do so much good for us here. I know it's your decision, but... I want you to stay. I think we need you. Can... can you consider it?

She broke out, opening her eyes and sending him a quiet gaze. Fuu then glanced at each of the people before her once more, then locked her eyes with Emeraude's, drawing a deep breath.

"I will stay."