*Okay so Fanfiction has been down forever, I feel bad for them. Anyway, so I've been able to write almost this whole fanfiction. I think that it turned out very well, I only have a few chapters left. The only setback is that my chapters are each 10 or 12 pages in word. I hope you don't mind. Anyway here's the next chapter ^.^*

Chapter 6 Storms, Sun and Earth

"What?" Fuu asked, and they just stared at him, completely horrified.

"Wait, go back, Magic Knights?" Zack asked, and they all looked at the other three, as if noticing them for the first time.

"Protectors of Cephiro, sworn to protect and defend it," Hikaru explained absently.

"Wow I'm lost," Jake had given up trying to understand.

"Cephiro is our home," Mizuuma explained.

"And you're sworn to protect your home? Well that makes sense," Brian smiled, "That's nice and everything, but that really doesn't explain why our whole world is frozen."

"But they're not sworn to Cephiro, they're sworn to Earth. Like you were from Earth and sworn to Cephiro, they're from Cephiro and sworn to Earth," Clef explained, looking from the original Magic Knights to the new Magic Knights.

"Okay then!" Mizuuma had heard enough; she turned and began to walk the other way when Clef's staff began to glow. It turned a bright blue color, and in a flash they were pulled up into streams of purple, light green and pink magic. When they were set down they were wearing armor much like their parent's original armor and had gems on their hands.

"Mizuuma you are now the Magic Knight of Storms," Clef said almost regretfully, "Kojishi you are the Magic Knight of Sun, and Fuuchou you are now the Magic Knight of Earth."

"Okay," simultaneously all three touched their gems and were thrown to the ground.

"Thou will control the psyche of the mind, being a master of psychological knowledge, knowledge of the heart, and seeing into the future," a voice echoed into Mizuuma's mind, "With each gift there is a curse, and thine will come respectively."

"Thou will be a master of spells and have magic almost as strong as the Master Mage of Cephiro," there was a voice in Kojishi's mind that burned into her head, "Thou will be cursed and blessed, and so it has been said."

"Thou will be a master of healing and nurturing. Thou will be caring and kind as is thine nature," a strong voice told Fuuchou, and she didn't even have the strength to nod or thank the person, "But thou will be cursed as well, for every good thing there is a price."

When it was over they all stood shakily; their new gifts bearing weights that were hard on them.

"Are there other Rune-Gods?" Mizuuma asked finally.

"Yes," Clef said softly.

"No," Hikaru whispered, and they all looked down.

"They will not be required to find them," Clef took a great weight from their shoulders, "They will make themselves known when they are worthy of donning them."

"Rune-Gods? What's a Rune-God?" Jake questioned.

"We have a lot to explain," Fuu smiled, and Brian saw the resemblance immediately.

"Okay," they agreed and went inside to talk everything over and try to explain to the three who they were and where they were from without taking all day to do it. It was hard, but they finished in a few hours with a lot of luck.

When everyone was caught up they were completely amazed, and weren't afraid to show it.

"And to think this whole time scientists have been looking for something like this, and it's been right under our noses," Brian was dumfounded.

"Amazing," Zack added.

"Wow," Jake was breathless with admiration.

"So please explain to us what you've been up to," Clef's question was not a question, it was an order, so they sighed and began their story.

"Let me get this straight," Umi's voice was cold, "You were in a room with people that were taking drugs?!"

"Um…" Mizuuma cowered, "I didn't know it, but I guess."

"Don't worry," Jake assured Umi, "It was completely cool. She's fine, and she'll know better next time."

"Don't even get me started on you," Umi warned, and he stopped short.

"Mom, it's not a big deal, I really am okay, I didn't even know what it was. You can't blame it on me, come on," Mizuuma pleaded, and Umi sighed heavily.

"Just don't do anything like that again, I was so worried. I'm just glad to see that you're all all right. We have bigger problems to worry about anyway. We'll have to fight this," Umi said quietly, "If it's strong enough to do this it's strong enough to destroy Earth entirely. This must be what Yukito was warning us about."

"He could have been a little more obvious about it," Hikaru muttered, "I mean he was with everything else."

"Ferio, Lantis, go back to Persea and have her make six swords, three for the new Magic Knights, three for these boys," Clef instructed, and they nodded.

"Clef we don't have six days," Umi sounded worried.

"Don't you remember? Time passes differently here. They'll be back in about an hour," he smiled at her relieved look, "In the meantime, do any of you know how to use swords?"

"What?" Brian asked, "Swords? We're peace loving."

"Not anymore, if you want to live to be peace loving you'll learn to use a sword real fast," Umi told him, "You all will. Okay, let's start with you," she pointed to Jake.

"Woah there! Why me?!" he demanded, and she glared, "This is so the last time I save someone's life," he muttered.

"Now," she closed her eyes and summoned her sword to her hands. In a rush of Water it was there, and they gasped, "This is a sword from Cephiro, but," she turned to Hikaru and Fuu, "They come in many different sizes."

Simultaneously the other two drew their swords, and Umi winced.

"Where are we going to get practice swords?" Mizuuma asked.

"For now we'll use sticks. You six go and find some and come back here, quickly," Clef instructed, and they nodded and ran off.

§§§~~~

"Soon, very soon, my plan will be complete and the Earth will be mine and my love will be resurrected," she let go of the image in her mind, "And his Water Knight will be stained red with her own blood."

She looked at the ground as a man walked in, "But neither Clef nor Lantis will be hurt, for they were my teachers."

"As you wish," he bowed and walked out, snarling as he did.

§§§~~~

"Your mother is very beautiful, but ah…" Jake began, and Mizuuma raised her eyes from the stick she was examining, "Ah…very…ah…dominant," he finished quickly.

Mizuuma glared, but then sighed heavily and nodded, "With everyone except my father," she agreed, "She would do anything for him, he saved her life. She loves him with everything she is, but now," she looked down, tears in her eyes, "I just found out that there is someone else for them. It worries me, that he may threaten them. I love them so much, and neither deserves to be hurt, not when they love so deeply. But more than anything I'm scared for myself," she looked up and smiled, "Never mind."

"But…" she shook her head and ended his protests, and he stared at her curiously.

"I shouldn't have said what I did. Please, don't ask questions, it's not your place. It never will be," she shook her head and picked up another stick, "Here," she put it in his hands, "Feel this."

He touched her hands and found they were freezing cold, "What's wrong with you?" he asked, and she pulled away.

"Nothing," she said quickly, "Swing the stick, is it too heavy?"

"Mizuuma!"

She looked into his eyes and turned away from them, "Stop! I don't even know you; you have no right to ask those questions."

"I saved your life, I have every right. I ask no reward…" he began.

"And you shouldn't, doing the deed should be enough," Mizuuma's eyes were like ice.

"Except I want to know the answers to these questions," he finished, and she shook her head.

"Come on, they'll be waiting by now," she instructed, but he stayed still, "Do you want to die out here or what? There's an evil force out there, and if we're not ready for it all you know will be destroyed. I understand you're not used to our ways, but this is our game now, and you'll play by our rules."

For a long time there was silence, and he nodded, "This is also the last time I try to be a friend," he muttered as they walked back toward the others.

§§§~~~

"I'm not sure about this," Zack seemed uneasy as he looked around him, "Should we have separated from the others?"

"We'll be fine," Kojishi said brightly, grabbing two sticks, "Besides Brian and Fuuchou needed some bonding time. I don't know though, Jake shouldn't have followed Mizuuma; she needs her time alone or she gets cranky, kinda like Guru Clef."

"It's not them I'm worried about. What about us? About our world?" Zack questioned and looked around, "It's too beautiful to lose."

"I know," Kojishi sighed, "But we have the most powerful swordsmen and magicians on our side, plus the Magic Knights."

He grinned at her, "That's true. I trust you with my life."

She blushed and looked down, "Thanks."

"Hey no problem," he tasseled her hair, and she laughed.

 "How about this?" she handed him a medium-sized thick stick, and he swung it, "Perfect," she grinned.

"Okay then," he looked skeptical.

"Don't worry Umi-san is the best of the best; she'll be a good teacher," Kojishi assured him.

"I sure hope so…"

§§§~~~

"So you're the new Magic Knights," Brian breathed the word in awe.

"I guess so," she was confused by this new fact. She didn't know much about the legend of the Magic Knights, but the one thing she did know was that there were only three.

He sighed and looked over to her; the conversation was slim, and he was running out of ideas, "So…?"

She looked up and blinked; he stared into golden-colored eyes, "You like me don't you?"

"Uh…" he blushed and looked down, "I think so."

"Why?" she asked, and he blushed deeper.

"I'm not sure," he admitted.

"I bet I know," she sighed and jumped into a nearby tree. She loved the forest; she had inherited that from both her parents. She sat against the trunk and looked at him through the trees.

"What?" he held onto one of the branches and looked up at her.

"The same reason everyone else does," anger flared in his heart when she everyone else, like she was used to saying, like there were many others.

"What reason is that?" he clenched his fingers.

"My looks," a tear streamed down her cheek; she had so much more to offer, but no one wanted it.

"That's not true," he protested.

"But it is; you just don't know it yet, but you will. You will and then you'll move on, just like the others."

"That's not true though. It might be true with a lot of guys, believe me I know, I've met my share of them, and I'm not perfect either, but I'm not like that. I don't know, you're beautiful, yes, but if I wanted beauty alone I would have first looked at Mizuuma."

She glared as her eyes darkened, "Are you saying Mizuuma has nothing more than beauty?"

"No, she just comes off that way."

"Good, because I'll have you know her father is the Master Mage of Cephiro, one of the smartest, strongest people alive, and she has a lot from him."

"Let me start over," he begged, this had completely turned around.

She nodded her approval.

"You're obviously smart, and you're gentle and somewhat shy. You remind me of me but at the same time you're distinctly your own. You have this radiant smile that lights up the room, and a personality that accompanies it. Your eyes show a knowing that's ancient; something I can't even describe. You're strong for yourself and others, just everything about you makes me l…ike you," he poured his heart out to her and never once faltered.

She stayed still a moment, abashed, before she grabbed two sticks, jumped from the tree and glared fiercely, "You think you have me all figured out don't you?"

"W-What?" he stepped away from her glowing cat eyes, "N-no, it's just what I see in you."

She turned and walked back toward where they came from; he followed her, completely numb.

§§§~~~

When they reached camp Umi inspected the swords/sticks. She laughed at the variation. Mizuuma had chosen two narrow, long but strong sticks, Kojishi had selected shorter with a bigger width and Fuuchou had picked long and wide, "Well," she chuckled softly, "Let's get started then." She pointed to Jake and Mizuuma, and they stepped out, facing each other. Mizuuma bowed, and Umi shook her head.

"No Mizuuma, this is not a match; dealing with the enemy don't bow, they certainly won't," Umi corrected and closed her eyes, "Far from it."

Clef watched, he was worried, all this fighting was bringing back difficult memories for Umi.

"Okay now, Mizuuma do some easy swings, and test him, see how he responds," Umi instructed, and Mizuuma nodded and gripped the stick tighter. She brought the stick around to the right, and Jake put his up. The two sticks met with a crash, and some pieces flew off.

"Reflexes," Umi grinned, "Are a wonderful thing."

"Yes they are," Jake wiped a hand across his forehead and sighed heavily.

"Sometimes though," Umi nodded at Mizuuma who swung her stick and made contact with Jake's side. He doubled over in pain, "Sometimes the enemy takes us by surprise."

"Jesus!" he shouted and bit back the other words on his tongue.

Umi raised her brows, "Don't waste your breath," she scoffed, "I've heard them all."

"Mizuuma do you have to do what your mother says all the time?" Jake whined.

"No," Mizuuma laughed maliciously, "Only when it involves a trade."

"Trade?" he winced as he stood straight once more.

"Pain for stupidity," she said cheerfully, and he glared.

"Should've just left her there," he muttered, and Mizuuma casually swung the stick under his feet, causing him to fall, and everyone to laugh. He glared once more when she smiled at him innocently.

"Enough enough," Umi laughed and grinned at Mizuuma, "You show him as much as you can."

"Okay," she nodded and led him into the forest once more.

"Now you two," Umi pointed at Kojishi and Fuuchou, "They fight ne?" she turned to Hikaru and Fuu and spoke in Japanese, so no one understood.

"No," they answered.

"Oh God," Umi whispered, "You take the four out, and Clef and I will wait for the other two."

"Hai," Hikaru and Fuu nodded.

"How do you know Japanese?" Brian's eyes narrowed.

"We're from Earth, Umi and I from Japan, Hikaru born into a Japanese-American family," Fuu answered.

"We were summoned as Magic Knights from another world, and now we live in Cephiro. Haven't we been through this? Can we please get some practice in before the enemy gets here preferably?" Umi asked aggravated.

"Yeah okay," they all turned and walked into the woods.

"This is going to be a long battle," she sighed and looked at Clef, "One that I don't want to fight."

"None of us do, none of us ever have, but for our children we will."

§§§~~~

"Sword fighting is my specialty," Mizuuma grinned boastfully as she taught him maneuvers and swings.

"So," he panted and stopped when the stick broke, "Is your whole body that cold or only your hands?"

She glared and refused to respond.

"Really, enlighten me, because," he walked up to her and touched her hands before she could pull away, "I've never met anyone who's hands could be freezing cold after all that work."

"Why should you care?" she snapped.

"Because I want to know you," he responded angrily, "Is that so bad?"

"Yes!"

"Why?!"

"Because…" she stopped, "God you're annoying."

He smiled slightly, "I get that a lot."

"And you haven't taken a hint?"

"Nope."

She sighed and looked at her hands; they gave everything away.

"I'm trusting my life and my world to you; I want to know you," he said quietly.

"Legends don't have names," she answered, "We should be going."

He nodded and followed her, another failed attempt at friendship with this secretive Knight.

§§§~~~

Kojishi and Fuuchou took sword fighting like ducks to water, the other two on the other hand were a different story.

"I still don't understand why we have to learn this," Zack whined; Brian took the punishment silently.

"I'm surprised you're not speaking," Fuuchou mocked, taking on her father's cruel side, "I mean, after all you're losing to a fickle girl."

"As if I'd want to speak to you," he snapped, "And by the way, remember you called yourself that, not me."

Fuu and Hikaru exchanged glances and there were a few moments of silence before Hikaru changed the subject, "So, enough practice; you two are good though not as good as Mizuuma, but then when we first because Knights Fuu-chan had never held a sword before. You've done good, very good in such short time," she beamed.

"Is that true Fuu-hime? You'd never held a sword?" Kojishi questioned, and Fuu nodded.

"Sword fighting isn't common on Earth, not when you have guns," Zack explained and clenched his fists.

"Hime?" Brian's eyes narrowed, "That must mean you're a…"

"She is the Princess of Cephiro," Hikaru jabbed Fuu who grinned; she had gained Umi's confidence over the years, "But how did you know?"

He paled as he muttered, "Friend that's Japanese."

Zack snickered softly, and Kojishi kicked him, then smiled innocently.

"Well then," Fuu stumbled for another topic of conversation.

"Who's the president now? I mean what year is it anyway? What's with this war?" Hikaru questioned.

"That fascist son of a…" Zack stopped and contained his anger, "Johnson, Lyndon B. Johnson, the year is 1965."

"Fascist is not the right word," Brian corrected, "More like American Nazi."

"What's wrong with Nazi's?" Fuu asked and almost kicked herself, coming back to Earth was bringing her extensive brainwashing back, "I wonder what happened to father anyway…"

"She didn't mean that," Hikaru tried to keep them from killing her Princess and one of her best friends.

Zack lunged, and in a fiery whisper Hikaru drew her sword.

"I swear on Rayearth and the names of the Magic Knights if you move so much as one more step I will strike you down," she hissed and stood in front of Fuu.

"Really Hikaru-san; I'm quite capable," Fuu smiled.

"What the hell kind of monster are you?!" Zack demanded.

"Don't call her that!" Fuuchou shouted back.

"Six million Jews were killed by the Nazi's and you ask what's wrong with them?" Brian tried to keep his anger contained.

Hikaru's sword fell from her hands and would've clattered to the ground except it was sucked back into her gem, "What?" she just stared, dumbstruck. In all these years she had never heard the outcome of the War.

"We need to go back to Umi-san, and you need to tell us all about the end of the War," Fuu informed them.

They nodded, glad to be rid of lessons and extra anger, and walked from the forest.

§§§~~~

"Clef I want to go home," Umi whispered, and he put his arms around her back and pulled her close.

"This is hard on you," it was a statement.

She nodded, "God Clef, we were right there and couldn't do anything!" she turned and cried as he hugged her tight, "We couldn't move. I just stood there, while he died for me."

Mizuuma walked up, Jake behind her and saw her mother. She began to walk forward, but Clef sent her a dangerous glare, and she stopped.

"Sh…Umi," he stroked her hair, "You've got to let it go, let him go."

Mizuuma's eyes narrowed, and she looked down.

"You couldn't have done anything; he chose his path."

"No," she shook her head, and more tears fell, "We create our own destinies."

"The Will of Cephiro did," he told her softly.

"I can't bring myself to believe that," she whispered as the other four showed up, "I don't want to fight, what if I lose you too? And the girls, Magic Knights? What if I lose Mizuuma?"

He pulled her away slightly and touched her cheeks, "You'll never lose me; I promised, remember? And we'll keep the girls safe."

"I thought I could keep Yukito safe too," she whispered, and he smiled.

"But I never did."

"You never had to," she laughed slightly.

"I never pretended to be his keeper," he grinned.

"Umi-san, let him go," Fuu said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Hai," Umi dried her tears and realized until then everyone had been hushed by the strange combination of extreme pain and intense love.

"What are we all just standing around here for?" Ferio asked, grinning his infamous grin as he scooped Fuu up and kissed her.

"Lantis!" Hikaru threw her arms around his neck, and he hugged her back.

"Hikaru," he said quietly.

"You're late," Clef informed them, "And where are the swords?"

Suddenly both their eyes grew very bleak, "Guru, we must speak to you…alone," Lantis told him, and he nodded and followed them a bit further away where all you could hear were murmurs;

"You're sure?" Umi heard Clef's voice and saw them nod.

"Selece, Windam and Rayearth are…" Lantis began an explanation.

"But…not forever," Ferio muttered.

'Where is she?! Damn you Selece!' a voice screamed in Umi's mind, and she fell back.

"No," she whispered, "CLEF!"

He ran to her and grabbed her arms, terror in both their eyes, "What?"

"You heard it!" she screamed, and they looked confused.

"It's like that time in the forest when she told us, or her, to shut-up, and Yukito stopped our questions," Hikaru mumbled, and they suddenly understood.

"But how?!" Umi tried not to sound too panicked, "He's not, no, he's not…" she pleaded.

"No, he's not," Clef assured her, then after a moments debate with himself turned to the others and answered all their questions in a few words.

"The Dark Blade has been found and has been wielded."

"Yukito destroyed it when he destroyed the Dark One, how then was it found?" Umi whispered, "Please don't tell me he died for nothing."

"I don't know how it was found, but there is no doubt that it's any other sword," Clef answered, and tried to look at her when he spoke, "He didn't die for nothing; he just didn't die to destroy the Dark Blade."

"Clef," Umi's eyes flashed an image in her mind, "Yukito has the Blade of Cephiro in my dreams."

"It was destroyed," he answered solemnly.

"Guru how are we to defeat the Dark Blade without the Blade of Cephiro?" Fuu asked.

He shook his head, "I don't know."

"There is a terrible danger in Cephiro, and I fear that this," Lantis looked around at the frozen people, "Might have something in common with the problem at home."

"Trouble?" Hikaru inquired, and Lantis turned his head and tried not to glare at Umi.

"The wielder of the Dark Blade came to the palace and attacked; Ascot recognized the One, but I will not say more," Lantis then looked at Clef.

"Attacked the palace?" Fuuchou's face paled.

"Luckily we fended them off; there was a servant, a very good swordsman; no one was hurt," Ferio reported.

"What do they want?" Kojishi protested.

"We're not sure," Ferio said quickly.

"You very well do," Mizuuma spat, but she stopped. How did she know that?

Ferio sighed and shook his head, "You'll know soon enough."

"I guess you'll get to see Cephiro then," Kojishi smiled, but quickly it was darkened, "No, wait."

"What?" Brian looked confused, still angry with the Princess' daughter he didn't want to lose sight of her.

"You all believe in not standing up for other people," Kojishi glared, "And you wouldn't be of much use."

They were all silent; they didn't know how to respond, then finally Jake spoke.

"He," he pointed to Clef, and the people of Cephiro couldn't believe his lack of formality, "Said that this Earth bad guy and your Cephiro bad guy are one in the same; we're simply defending ourselves."

"Nazi Germany was invading Scandinavia and moving into Western Europe. We stayed silent and then Pearl Harbor was bombed. Would you like to see that repeated?" Hikaru asked mildly.

"Think before you speak," Umi warned, when Jake opened his mouth.

"More soldiers are being killed in Vietnam now than were killed in Pearl Harbor," Brian protested.

"But not," Fuu corrected, "Not in World War II, and America was a whole then."

"Tell us of the end of the war," Hikaru reminded them, and they nodded.

"When we get to Cephiro. A long time has passed already," Clef hurried them, "at this rate the enemy might come and go before we even get there."

They nodded and closed their eyes, teleporting themselves back in a flash of blue, green, red, pink, yellow-green, and purple.


Tori:

"Everybody wants something from you

Everybody want a piece of Mary

Lush valley all dressed in green

Just ripe for the picking

God I want to get you out of here

You can ride in a pink Mustang

When I think of what we've done to you

Mary can you hear me?"

~Tori Amos, Mary, unreleased