Magic Knight Rayearth 3
Chapter 1
Author's Notes: Everyone looks and sounds like they did in the movie series (except for changes that naturally come with age). However, the Fuu in this story looks like the Fuu from the series, but talks like the O.V.A. Fuu.
A great view of Tokyo tower is provided. The scene then flashes to a busy street full of shops and an occasional apartment home. It finally changes to a quieter road, where there is a long driveway leading to a house and a Kendo dojo. Surrounding the large premises is a black iron fence. At the front, where the gate is, there is a gold nameplate that reads "Shidou". Inside, a girl with a pony-tail-braid of long red hair is seen, bokken in hand, white martial arts uniform on, fighting a tall teen of about nineteen years.
"Satoru! How am I supposed to beat you? It's practically impossible, and even Matoru couldn't beat you, and he's the second best fighter we have at this dojo! Hiyah!" Hikaru took a slash at Satoru, who easily jumped out of the way.
"You have to focus your energy and your concentration on your sword and on me. Do not let anything else distract you, all right, little sister?"
"I told you you'd never beat him sis!" Masaru said as Satoru ran forward, did a high jump, and grunted as he swung his own bokken at Hikaru, who didn't dodge it in time. The black maple bokken connected with her arm, but did not go light on her arm like it was supposed to.
"AAAHH!" Hikaru cried out in pain, just as a sickening snap was heard. Hikaru's bokken clattered to the ground, and she fell to her knees, grasping her arm.
Some people outside in the yard and on other spots on the Shidou property lifted their heads when they heard the scream, but they figured they just heard something, and they went back to work. However, one person passing by the Shidou's house, heard the scream distinctly well, and understood what they had just heard....
"Hikaru!" her three brothers yelled as they ran over to her. As Masaru and Kakeru hovered over her anxiously, Satoru bent down, put her arm around his neck, and helped her up as they all quickly walked toward the house.
"What's wrong with her Satoru?!" asked Kakeru as they helped her up to her room.
After briefly rolling up Hikaru's sleeve and inspecting the limb he hit, he answered simply, "Her arm is broken." With that said and done, he lightly placed Hikaru on her bed.
"I'll get the ice!" Masaru yelled, sprinting out the door. Kakeru followed closely behind. "I'll get the splint!" He, too, left her room at full speed. Meanwhile, Satoru told Hikaru that he was sorry he injured her, and then he sat in a chair near her bed, waiting for her other brothers.
Hikaru was only dimly aware of all this, and despite the fact that her arm was paining her badly, she couldn't help but think the whole situation was funny. 'Great,' she thought to herself. 'Just another reason for my brothers to be even more protective, *if that's even possible*.' Then, as she laughed at the thought of their new level of defensiveness, her eyes slowly closed, and she fell into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, at a mansion about 3 miles from Hikaru's home, a girl with long blue hair ran out of her room, picnic basket in hand. She was wearing her customary spring school uniform, which consisted of a white short-sleeved blouse and a thin blue vest and skirt.
"I'm going!" She called to her mother and father as she bolted out the front door. Her parents looked up from their gardening.
"Out to see your dear friends, Fuu and Hikaru, I suppose?" her mother asked.
"Or maybe you're going to see a nice young man this time, Umi?" asked her father, with a sly grin on his face.
"FATHER! Really!" Umi gave an anxious glare to her father. She hated it when he started in like that about boys and her. "Mother was right, Dad. I'm meeting Hikaru and Fuu at the park. You know, the one that is right in between our three neighborhoods?"
Umi's mother and father nodded their heads and waved as Umi raced out and caught a bus to the park.
"I wish that daughter of ours would stop turning down all those nice men who ask her out," her mother said, shaking her head worriedly. "I do get this strange feeling, though. Like maybe there's someone who she can't stop thinking of.."
"..but just can't tell us about; or someone or something is on her precious mind." Umi's father nodded, finishing what his wife was saying. "I get just that same feeling, dear."
"I love you, honey."
"I love you two, dear."
Umi sweat-dropped as she watched her parents through the back window of the bus. As they hugged and kissed each other for what she thought to be the millionth time, she closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. "I've said it once, and I'll say it again," Umi stated out loud to herself. "Those two are *some* lovebirds!..*sigh*..I hope I'm not going to be late."
At the same time, a girl with bright, short blond hair was waiting at the park. She sighed, and walked over to a park bench, obviously bored from waiting. She was wearing a spring school uniform as well, and it resembled Umi's a lot. The only major difference was that her uniform was green. Suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder. She spun around.
"Kuu?!" "Well, you are Fuu, aren't you?" Kuu laughed, as she saw the surprised look on her sister's face. "Aren't you meeting Hikaru and Umi today?"
"Well, yeah."
"Don't you usually go to Tokyo Tower with them? I mean, what are you doing in the park?"
"I'd have to ask the same of you, Kuu. And anyway, we only got to Tokyo Tower every now and then. We meet up more than you would know, because you're usually out yourself."
"Oh, yes, silly me. I'm out here on a date, if you need to know."
"Oh...*sorry*," Fuu apologized in a small voice. A pink-ish tinge crawled up her face.
"Why are you blushing, Fuu?" Kuu asked with a quizzical look on her face.
"Oh..I, uh..I didn't mean to invade your personal life." Fuu innocently answered.
"Oh, it's OK. It's not a bother to me, all right? So don't worry yourself sick about hurting my feelings. You just worry about your personal life, OK?"
"All right." The blush left Fuu's face as relief swept over her.
"Well, I guess this is my Que. to leave. Have a good time," Kuu said as she turned to go.
"Why are you leaving?"
"Well, first off, my dear boyfriend is probably getting impatient, and I think I see Umi getting off that bus over there."
"huh? Oh, OK! I'll see you later Kuu!" Fuu called, as she scrambled to get up and meet Umi over by the park gates.
Meanwhile, back at Hikaru's house, people were all over, training in several martial arts, and it was fairly noisy. But inside the house, it was quiet.
Hikaru woke up in her room, confused because of the hint of pain in her arm. As she strained to think about what had happened so far that day, she suddenly remembered what had happened. Upon doing so, she rolled up her white sleeve, and looked down at her arm. It was swollen and had a dark- colored bump where Satoru's bokken had hit. "Speaking of Satoru," she mumbled aloud, "where are my brothers?"
She carefully got out of bed, and searched around for a note. She knew that Satoru, Kakeru, and Masaru wouldn't have left her without leaving a note. As she searched her bedside table, she found what she was looking for. "Yeah!" Hikaru read the note carefully. It said that she had a green- stick fracture in her left arm, and that if she really, really wanted to, she could finish her training with Satoru if she took it slow.
"Green-stick fracture?", she asked herself. She thought back to her more recent health classes; they'd been talking about fractures and tears. Upon remembering what a green-stick fracture was, she concluded her decision aloud.
"If I have a green-stick fracture, that means I have a crack in my bone. Well, at least it doesn't seem to serious to me, and it's in not in my dominant arm. I guess I'll finish my training."
She ran out of her room, and into the equipment room two doors down the hall. After quickly but carefully inspecting her equipment, she put it on. Then, she grabbed her best bokken, which she had used earlier that day while fighting Satoru. Then, she raced out to the training center in the Dojo. In the Shidou Dojo, there were seven huge sections in the training center alone. Each section was divided into various numbers of rooms or sub- sections. All of these seven major sections used to be for public use, but the Shidou family changed, and so did the Shidou Dojo.
More recently, two sections were for public use, one section was for Satoru, one section was for Masaru, one section was for Kakeru, and the two largest sections were for Hikaru's parents. As for Hikaru, she either used the public sections, or, when they were around, she trained with her parents in their section. However, more recently, Hikaru's parents had decided that she, too, deserved a section. So, they gave Hikaru one of their sections to have as her own. Hikaru clearly remembered all this as she half slid and half ran down the smooth-floored halls. She finally turned around the corner and into the hall that led to her section. She reached her section, and from there, she went to her favorite room, for she knew that her brothers would be there.
As she slid open the doors to her special room, she was greeted by her the sight of her three brothers at the far end of the room, near a small scenic garden that Hikaru had put there. Masaru and Kakeru looked up as they heard the doors open, and they both sweat-dropped. Then, they turned around to glare at Satoru.
"We told you so," they mouthed angrily at Satoru, who just simply nodded his head in response. Hikaru sweat-dropped, understanding what her brothers meant. Knowing them, she could tell that Satoru had written the letter, and Masaru and Kakeru were angry at him for letting her decide that she wanted to continue that day's training, for they knew that she would. 'Oh, brother...*sigh*..literally,' Hikaru thought in her head. "Well, judging from all the dirty looks Satoru is getting, you know why I'm here," she said as she took her place on the other end of the room.
"Yeah, you bet we do," muttered Kakeru through gritted teeth. "Yeah...are you sure you still want to train? I mean, jeez, Hikaru, doesn't your arm hurt?" "At all?" Masaru finished.
"It's fine!" Hikaru said with a little giggle. "Are you sure your arm just isn't numb from so much pain?" Kakeru asked her as he and Masaru cast quick little glances at Satoru again.
This time, Hikaru laughed out loud. Just as she had suspected, her brothers were going into overdrive with their protective mode. Not to mention with their glares at Satoru as well.
"I'm sure, so don't worry, you two," she said, still laughing a bit. When she stopped laughing, she got into a fighting stance on her side of the room. Satoru got up and got into a fighting stance as well. Masaru and Kakeru finally gave up on worrying and gave their older brother apologetic glances. Then, Masaru walked to the sideline, and Kakeru walked to the middle of the room.
"Fighters, bow to your opponent."
Hikaru and Satoru bowed to each other with their hands folded, and Hikaru gave a quick nod to her brother. "Are the two challengers ready to fight?" He questioned. "Hai!" Hikaru responded. From her tone, it was obvious that she had enthusiasm, and wanted to do well. "Hai." Satoru answered with a flat tone. "Then, let the fight commence!"
The battle was on.
Back at the park, Umi and Fuu were walking around a small woodsy area of the park. It was a very beautiful place, especially today, with the sun shining through the foliage, making splotchy shadows on the ground. As Umi and Fuu walked, they chatted about what had been going on since last month, when they last met up.
"...So, Umi, you're a local model now?" "Yeah! Isn't that great?" "Hai,.." Fuu replied. Then, though she meant to say it to herself, Fuu quietly sighed, "..I guess."
"Huh...!? Hey Fuu.." Umi gently implied, "Now don't get me wrong; I'm not being stuck up or begging to be showered with praise or anything. But Fuu, I really thought you'd be happy for me...". Umi looked slightly sad, but that was mostly covered up by the worried look that now spread across her face. "Is something wrong, Fuu? Did something bad happen? Does it have something to do with that professional software company that you somehow managed to get into?"
Fuu had only been partially listening, but she lifted her head when Umi asked about the software company. "Huh? Oh, no, it isn't anything like that. Don't worry." She smiled at Umi.
"You know, Fuu? That reminds me..I still don't get how you got into that professional software company. I'm not saying that I think that you're stupid, or don't qualify, but..."
"I know, I think about that myself. It's like a miracle that I got into that company. I told them they had the wrong person, but they insisted that I'd fit right into their company, so I finally gave in."
"Yeah? That's good, Fuu."
There was a brief pause. "Fuu?"
"Yes?" "What was it that made you sad a minute before? You know, when I was telling you about my new job?"
"Oh that? Well, it's just that..well...any idiot knows that you're pretty, Umi, especially the guys. And that's good, right? But if you are a local model now, you're bound to move on to be a world-wide model. And then.then you.."
"Then I wouldn't be around, and I wouldn't see you or Hikaru anymore," Umi flatly finished. "I understand what you were thinking Fuu, but don't worry!" Umi said, looking at Fuu and smiling. "I wouldn't want to be a national model anyway; I'd miss my family and friends too much."
"Oh! That's good, then!"
"Yeah." Umi suddenly got a sly grin on her face. "Plus, I wouldn't travel because I wouldn't be able to know when you or Hikaru would go to Cephiro!" "Yes, Umi; usually we all tell each other when we're going to go there. Also, we usually don't go separately, anyway. And you can't go separately until you bring back an item from Cephiro." "Uh-huh!"
The two girls fell into a deep silence. Suddenly Umi snapped her head up and gasped.
"Oh my gosh! We totally forgot!"
"Gomen?" said Fuu, looking slightly confused.
"We have to meet Hikaru at the fountain, remember?! We came on this walk in the first place because we were early, and we were walking off the time till we had to meet her!"
Fuu looked at her watch and nodded at Umi "You're right! It's already 2:37 and we told Hikaru we'd meet her at 2:40!"
The two Magic Knights started running on the paths in the woods that led to the fountain that few people knew about. Those who did were lucky; it was very peaceful there. There were not many people who came there, because few knew it even existed, so therefore, it was not very noisy there either. Hikaru had been the person who found it; she had gotten lost in the woods, even though she was mapping what paths she took. Then, she came to a small circle where there was no trees. She saw a kind old sage building a fountain. He told her not to tell many people about it, and she kept her promise. She only told Umi, Fuu, and a couple other friends of hers. A few people found it on their own, but the paths could somehow only be seen by those people. Ever since then, Umi, Fuu, and Hikaru always met there when they went to the park.
When Umi and Fuu arrived at the fountain, they were somewhat relieved to find that she was not there. They knew that she hadn't come yet, because if she had, and she left the fountain area, she always left a flower in the fountain. And there wasn't a flower in the fountain, except for the cherry- tree blossoms, which fell off of the Japanese Weeping Cherry Tree that grew right next to the fountain.
"Well, at least we aren't too late to meet her," panted Fuu as she and Umi sat down underneath the Weeping Cherry Tree, thankful that they could rest. They then took the time to look around the area. There weren't many people there, just a boy, his husky, and two women who looked like they were twenty-one.
"Hey, let's go sit by the fountain, Fuu," Umi suggested. "All right," Fuu agreed.
They walked over to the left side of the fountain, where the Cherry Tree began to hover over it. Just as they were sitting down, three girls walked in from behind the Cherry Tree. They seemed to be good friends, as they were walking in a straight line, one next to the other, next to the other. As they walked past to sit on the right side of the fountain, the two Magic Knights couldn't help but notice them; it was just that there was something about them..maybe their obvious friendship reminded Umi and Fuu of the friendship that they shared with each other, and with Hikaru....
The left girl of the three had reddish hair that reached down a bit below her shoulders. She seemed to have skin that had a nice bronze tone to it. Her body was well built, and she seemed like she was hiding some strength beneath her good looks. All together, she was very pretty. She did a little twirl before sitting on the right side of the fountain. "She's probably good at dancing," whispered Fuu to Umi. "Yeah, she probably is,...she reminds me of Tarta and Tatra." Umi whispered. "You're right, Umi! She reminds me of them too!" Fuu squeaked back. Umi was right; she resembled the Chizetan princesses a lot.
The girl on the right side was a black. She was beautiful, just like the girl on the left. She was tall and thin, and had an almost royal look to her. She had beautiful, long black hair, which gently flowed around her with every step she took. Her eyes were an aqua green, which made her look very stunning. She had a fragile air to her, but Umi and Fuu could tell that she was fit, and her fragile look was obviously deceiving. "SHE reminds me of...*my gosh*! She resembles Princess Emeraude!" Fuu exclaimed under her breath, as Umi silently yet vigorously nodded in agreement.
Finally they came to the girl in the middle, who was just as beautiful as her two friends. She had a skin tone that had a tiny hint of a tan color. Her hair was a golden blond, and it came down an inch or two below her shoulders. It shone like the sun, and added to her appearance. She had a good body as well; obviously she was physically fit. Her eyes were a beautiful crystal blue. She walked with confidence to the fountain before she took her seat amongst her friends.
Umi and Fuu looked at each other for a moment, and then they sighed and relaxed. Fuu got up and walked to the base of a Japanese Willow, which was directly opposite the three newcomers. She then sat down and relaxed, eyes closed. Umi walked along some stairs that were by the fountain. The clear stairs were made out of crystal, so you could see through them. This was because they wound around the base of the fountain for a little bit, and then, they went into the fountain. This fountain was actually made up of several fan-like fountains, which made a circle of water that was hard to see through. People sometimes swam in the pool that was in the center. Others sat in the three chairs that were lined at every 1/3 of the fountain's inner perimeter. Umi was going to do just that: sit in one of the chairs. Without knowing it, she sat in the chair behind the part of the fountain with the ledge that the three girls were sitting on. When Umi and Fuu both realized that they could hear the girls, they couldn't help but overhear their conversations.
They were talking in normal tones, but they seemed as though they were troubled; it was as if they were trying to figure something out, and quickly, for that matter. There was a hint of that in their voices.
The blond girl had something in her hand; since Umi was on the inside of the fountain, she could tell what it was. It was a yearbook from the school that Hikaru went to.
"I know that it's in here somewhere! It's just got to be in here!" exclaimed the blond. She was frantically flipping through the pages, obviously searching for something, or someone.
"Hey Yunari? Are you sure that you've seen this girl once?" asked the girl with the bronze hair.
"ONCE!? She's in my class, Shira!" replied Yunari.
"What did you say her name was again?" questioned the girl with the black hair.
By now, Fuu and Umi weren't really listening anymore. Umi was listening to the water from the fountain, Fuu was listening to the wind whispering through the branches of the Japanese Willow, and both girls were listening hopefully for the sounds of pounding footsteps; someone running. That would mark the arrival of Hikaru. But the Magic Knights' thoughts were interrupted by the words that next escaped the three girls' lips.
"Her last name is Shidou. I'm sure of it. That was what the gold lettering on the fence said. Does that answer your question enough, Diamond?"
"Yeah. So you said you heard a scream coming from her house?"
"No. It came from the Dojo; from the inner area. I could tell because the scream echoed briefly."
"So how do you know it wa." Diamond was cut off by a yelp of anguish and happiness.
"HIKARU!" Yunari yelled rather loudly. Loud enough for to make Umi and Fuu snap their heads up and listen in.
"What!?" Diamond said in surprise. "You mean she really is that girl from your class?" "Yeah. Her name is Hikaru Shidou! I remember now! And...oh SHIT!" Yunari just barely got the words out. "What is it, Yunari?" Shira got in the question before Diamond. Fuu and Umi leaned in a little so that they could hear better.
"Oh, God no! You guys, you remember what she trains in?"
"Yeah," Shira said, slightly puzzled by Yunari's change in attitude. "She does Kendo...."Her voice trailed off a little as she thought.
"Right. And you usually train Kendo in Dojos. That scream had to be Hikaru's, I just know it. And it was coming from the Dojo..from the inner Dojo sections, where the family sections are. And right before the scream I heard a snap. That means..."
Fuu quickly walked over to the fountain wall so she could hear their words clearly. Umi, on the other hand, tried leaning closer to the water so she could hear better. However, as she continued leaning in, she lost her balance, fell off her chair, and ended up sitting water-logged in the fountain. Luckily for her, no one had heard or seen her. She scrambled out and quickly ran along the fountain stair-paths so she could reach Fuu.
"Oh my gosh." Shira froze up before she continued. "She probably was injured while training!"
"Exactly!"
"No wonder you were so dang worried, Yunari. You always put everyone before yourself!" sighed Diamond, shaking her head slowly. "Yeah, right," snorted Yunari. "Anyway, we better haul on off to Hikaru's house right smart qui.." Yunari said as she, Shira, and Diamond got up to leave. But before she could leave or finish her sentence, she was stopped by two restraining orders..
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" Fuu and a soaking-wet Umi Ryuuzaki walked up and stood in front of the three girls. "You are going to see Hikaru?" "Yeah, we are," stated Yunari, standing up tall and proud, making it clear no one was going to stand in her way. "Well, then, we have to go with you," Umi said flatly. "Yes, Umi's right. We're friends of Hikaru's, and if she's injured..By the way, my name is Fuu Hououji. And this is Umi Ryuuzaki."
"Oh, I'm..."
"We know, we heard you talking with each other."
"Oh..OK."
The five girls ran off through the woods. They ran past the Cherry-Tree and through a *huge* Weeping Willow. This was where the secret path was. They literally ran *through* it. They ran through gardens and on paths until they reached the park entrance. They just made it in time to grab a bus, which they rode to Hikaru's. When they reached her home, they all jumped off the bus, ran up the driveway and into the Dojo, which had an open door to a room in which the sounds of fighting could be heard. With Umi and Fuu in the lead, the party of five skidded to a halt at the entrance of the room, only to run into Hikaru, who was on her way out.
"AH!" Hikaru yelped as Umi slammed into her, hitting her injured arm and knocking her to the ground. "WHERE ARE YOU GOING, OH INJURED ONE?" yelled Umi in Hikaru's face. "Gee, don't be so harsh on her Umi, she's hurt," Yunari quelled. The five girls entered the room, and as Yunari helped Hikaru up on her feet, they all observed the scene in the room. Satoru, Masaru, and Kakeru were all staring at a broken bokken on the floor, their mouths agape. Hikaru's armor was flung on the floor, and her bokken was carelessly thrown aside. Hikaru had obviously run to the locker room in the back and changed, because she was wearing her spring school attire.
"I was just coming to meet you guys; I'd totally forgotten about how we were gonna' meet up. Now, come on; we have to catch that bus that I got for us. You know, the one that's going to take us to the main park over by the tower. Have you two got your stuff?"
"WHAT?" Umi was screeching so loud that she could have broken a crystal mirror. "You're hurt, Hikaru! You can't just run off now! You need rest, and care, and."
"Hey, give her a break, Umi. She's obviously fine if she broke that bokken in half. That's the strongest kind you can have. And also, if you look at her arm, it seems to be mending quite well, and quickly, for that matter. "
Everyone turned and stared at Yunari. Their jaws dropped slightly. Then, they briefly turned their gazes on Hikaru. Then they looked back at Yunari.
"Yunari? Since when did you know about all this? Shira, did you know she knew this?"
"Nope!"
"What do you guys mean? Do you think I'm that stupid? I train in Kendo, you know."
"Yu.nar..i?"
"Yeah, Hikaru?"
"You're my friend from class?"
"Yeah!"
"Oh, it's good to see you...but what ARE you all doing here?"
"WELL, Hikaru," Umi began, "we're all here on behalf of this bright little friend of yours, Yunari. By the way, you never told Fuu and I about her."
"We're more acquaintances?" Yunari guessed.
"No! It's not that! We are friends, it's just that I never really thought of telling you about Umi and Fuu, or telling them about you, that's all. By the way, are we going to go or what?"
"Yeah, yeah, we got are stuff; you just take it easy on that arm, you hear me Hikaru? 'Cause I know you can act like you never heard a thing that Fuu or I said, you've done it before, especially in Cephiro, and usually about..."
"Oh, OK then, I guess we should go now," Yunari said, interrupting Umi's tantrum as she got up and moved toward the door, signaling for Shira and Diamond to follow. Her two friends were investigating the pretty little gardens that surrounded the inside walls of the room.
Finally, just as Yunari and her friends were organized and ready to go, a restraining order once again blocked their paths.
"Hold up you three; Hikaru?"
"Yeah, Umi?"
"These fellow-teenage-girls of ours seem nice enough; do you think they could come with us and sleep over too?"
Shira, Diamond, and Yunari all dropped their jaws, and their eyes popped.
"Yeah, I don't see why not; I do know Yunari, anyway, and her friends are in my gym class, so it's OK!"
By now, Hikaru's brothers were sick of hearing the girls talk, so they left the Dojo.
"You're kidding, right?" asked Yunari, mouth open still.
"No! Now let's go call your parents, and Shira and Diamond's, too!" Hikaru said in her normal, cheery voice.
The girls all got up to leave, and as they did so they didn't notice that the water in the garden stream was glowing...
The girls started walking out, but before they even got a yard, the garden- training room suddenly dissappeared, giving way to nothing but blue skies. Far below the area the girls were falling in, a volcano, an ocean, and a mountain floating in the sky were visible...
Chapter 1
Author's Notes: Everyone looks and sounds like they did in the movie series (except for changes that naturally come with age). However, the Fuu in this story looks like the Fuu from the series, but talks like the O.V.A. Fuu.
A great view of Tokyo tower is provided. The scene then flashes to a busy street full of shops and an occasional apartment home. It finally changes to a quieter road, where there is a long driveway leading to a house and a Kendo dojo. Surrounding the large premises is a black iron fence. At the front, where the gate is, there is a gold nameplate that reads "Shidou". Inside, a girl with a pony-tail-braid of long red hair is seen, bokken in hand, white martial arts uniform on, fighting a tall teen of about nineteen years.
"Satoru! How am I supposed to beat you? It's practically impossible, and even Matoru couldn't beat you, and he's the second best fighter we have at this dojo! Hiyah!" Hikaru took a slash at Satoru, who easily jumped out of the way.
"You have to focus your energy and your concentration on your sword and on me. Do not let anything else distract you, all right, little sister?"
"I told you you'd never beat him sis!" Masaru said as Satoru ran forward, did a high jump, and grunted as he swung his own bokken at Hikaru, who didn't dodge it in time. The black maple bokken connected with her arm, but did not go light on her arm like it was supposed to.
"AAAHH!" Hikaru cried out in pain, just as a sickening snap was heard. Hikaru's bokken clattered to the ground, and she fell to her knees, grasping her arm.
Some people outside in the yard and on other spots on the Shidou property lifted their heads when they heard the scream, but they figured they just heard something, and they went back to work. However, one person passing by the Shidou's house, heard the scream distinctly well, and understood what they had just heard....
"Hikaru!" her three brothers yelled as they ran over to her. As Masaru and Kakeru hovered over her anxiously, Satoru bent down, put her arm around his neck, and helped her up as they all quickly walked toward the house.
"What's wrong with her Satoru?!" asked Kakeru as they helped her up to her room.
After briefly rolling up Hikaru's sleeve and inspecting the limb he hit, he answered simply, "Her arm is broken." With that said and done, he lightly placed Hikaru on her bed.
"I'll get the ice!" Masaru yelled, sprinting out the door. Kakeru followed closely behind. "I'll get the splint!" He, too, left her room at full speed. Meanwhile, Satoru told Hikaru that he was sorry he injured her, and then he sat in a chair near her bed, waiting for her other brothers.
Hikaru was only dimly aware of all this, and despite the fact that her arm was paining her badly, she couldn't help but think the whole situation was funny. 'Great,' she thought to herself. 'Just another reason for my brothers to be even more protective, *if that's even possible*.' Then, as she laughed at the thought of their new level of defensiveness, her eyes slowly closed, and she fell into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, at a mansion about 3 miles from Hikaru's home, a girl with long blue hair ran out of her room, picnic basket in hand. She was wearing her customary spring school uniform, which consisted of a white short-sleeved blouse and a thin blue vest and skirt.
"I'm going!" She called to her mother and father as she bolted out the front door. Her parents looked up from their gardening.
"Out to see your dear friends, Fuu and Hikaru, I suppose?" her mother asked.
"Or maybe you're going to see a nice young man this time, Umi?" asked her father, with a sly grin on his face.
"FATHER! Really!" Umi gave an anxious glare to her father. She hated it when he started in like that about boys and her. "Mother was right, Dad. I'm meeting Hikaru and Fuu at the park. You know, the one that is right in between our three neighborhoods?"
Umi's mother and father nodded their heads and waved as Umi raced out and caught a bus to the park.
"I wish that daughter of ours would stop turning down all those nice men who ask her out," her mother said, shaking her head worriedly. "I do get this strange feeling, though. Like maybe there's someone who she can't stop thinking of.."
"..but just can't tell us about; or someone or something is on her precious mind." Umi's father nodded, finishing what his wife was saying. "I get just that same feeling, dear."
"I love you, honey."
"I love you two, dear."
Umi sweat-dropped as she watched her parents through the back window of the bus. As they hugged and kissed each other for what she thought to be the millionth time, she closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. "I've said it once, and I'll say it again," Umi stated out loud to herself. "Those two are *some* lovebirds!..*sigh*..I hope I'm not going to be late."
At the same time, a girl with bright, short blond hair was waiting at the park. She sighed, and walked over to a park bench, obviously bored from waiting. She was wearing a spring school uniform as well, and it resembled Umi's a lot. The only major difference was that her uniform was green. Suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder. She spun around.
"Kuu?!" "Well, you are Fuu, aren't you?" Kuu laughed, as she saw the surprised look on her sister's face. "Aren't you meeting Hikaru and Umi today?"
"Well, yeah."
"Don't you usually go to Tokyo Tower with them? I mean, what are you doing in the park?"
"I'd have to ask the same of you, Kuu. And anyway, we only got to Tokyo Tower every now and then. We meet up more than you would know, because you're usually out yourself."
"Oh, yes, silly me. I'm out here on a date, if you need to know."
"Oh...*sorry*," Fuu apologized in a small voice. A pink-ish tinge crawled up her face.
"Why are you blushing, Fuu?" Kuu asked with a quizzical look on her face.
"Oh..I, uh..I didn't mean to invade your personal life." Fuu innocently answered.
"Oh, it's OK. It's not a bother to me, all right? So don't worry yourself sick about hurting my feelings. You just worry about your personal life, OK?"
"All right." The blush left Fuu's face as relief swept over her.
"Well, I guess this is my Que. to leave. Have a good time," Kuu said as she turned to go.
"Why are you leaving?"
"Well, first off, my dear boyfriend is probably getting impatient, and I think I see Umi getting off that bus over there."
"huh? Oh, OK! I'll see you later Kuu!" Fuu called, as she scrambled to get up and meet Umi over by the park gates.
Meanwhile, back at Hikaru's house, people were all over, training in several martial arts, and it was fairly noisy. But inside the house, it was quiet.
Hikaru woke up in her room, confused because of the hint of pain in her arm. As she strained to think about what had happened so far that day, she suddenly remembered what had happened. Upon doing so, she rolled up her white sleeve, and looked down at her arm. It was swollen and had a dark- colored bump where Satoru's bokken had hit. "Speaking of Satoru," she mumbled aloud, "where are my brothers?"
She carefully got out of bed, and searched around for a note. She knew that Satoru, Kakeru, and Masaru wouldn't have left her without leaving a note. As she searched her bedside table, she found what she was looking for. "Yeah!" Hikaru read the note carefully. It said that she had a green- stick fracture in her left arm, and that if she really, really wanted to, she could finish her training with Satoru if she took it slow.
"Green-stick fracture?", she asked herself. She thought back to her more recent health classes; they'd been talking about fractures and tears. Upon remembering what a green-stick fracture was, she concluded her decision aloud.
"If I have a green-stick fracture, that means I have a crack in my bone. Well, at least it doesn't seem to serious to me, and it's in not in my dominant arm. I guess I'll finish my training."
She ran out of her room, and into the equipment room two doors down the hall. After quickly but carefully inspecting her equipment, she put it on. Then, she grabbed her best bokken, which she had used earlier that day while fighting Satoru. Then, she raced out to the training center in the Dojo. In the Shidou Dojo, there were seven huge sections in the training center alone. Each section was divided into various numbers of rooms or sub- sections. All of these seven major sections used to be for public use, but the Shidou family changed, and so did the Shidou Dojo.
More recently, two sections were for public use, one section was for Satoru, one section was for Masaru, one section was for Kakeru, and the two largest sections were for Hikaru's parents. As for Hikaru, she either used the public sections, or, when they were around, she trained with her parents in their section. However, more recently, Hikaru's parents had decided that she, too, deserved a section. So, they gave Hikaru one of their sections to have as her own. Hikaru clearly remembered all this as she half slid and half ran down the smooth-floored halls. She finally turned around the corner and into the hall that led to her section. She reached her section, and from there, she went to her favorite room, for she knew that her brothers would be there.
As she slid open the doors to her special room, she was greeted by her the sight of her three brothers at the far end of the room, near a small scenic garden that Hikaru had put there. Masaru and Kakeru looked up as they heard the doors open, and they both sweat-dropped. Then, they turned around to glare at Satoru.
"We told you so," they mouthed angrily at Satoru, who just simply nodded his head in response. Hikaru sweat-dropped, understanding what her brothers meant. Knowing them, she could tell that Satoru had written the letter, and Masaru and Kakeru were angry at him for letting her decide that she wanted to continue that day's training, for they knew that she would. 'Oh, brother...*sigh*..literally,' Hikaru thought in her head. "Well, judging from all the dirty looks Satoru is getting, you know why I'm here," she said as she took her place on the other end of the room.
"Yeah, you bet we do," muttered Kakeru through gritted teeth. "Yeah...are you sure you still want to train? I mean, jeez, Hikaru, doesn't your arm hurt?" "At all?" Masaru finished.
"It's fine!" Hikaru said with a little giggle. "Are you sure your arm just isn't numb from so much pain?" Kakeru asked her as he and Masaru cast quick little glances at Satoru again.
This time, Hikaru laughed out loud. Just as she had suspected, her brothers were going into overdrive with their protective mode. Not to mention with their glares at Satoru as well.
"I'm sure, so don't worry, you two," she said, still laughing a bit. When she stopped laughing, she got into a fighting stance on her side of the room. Satoru got up and got into a fighting stance as well. Masaru and Kakeru finally gave up on worrying and gave their older brother apologetic glances. Then, Masaru walked to the sideline, and Kakeru walked to the middle of the room.
"Fighters, bow to your opponent."
Hikaru and Satoru bowed to each other with their hands folded, and Hikaru gave a quick nod to her brother. "Are the two challengers ready to fight?" He questioned. "Hai!" Hikaru responded. From her tone, it was obvious that she had enthusiasm, and wanted to do well. "Hai." Satoru answered with a flat tone. "Then, let the fight commence!"
The battle was on.
Back at the park, Umi and Fuu were walking around a small woodsy area of the park. It was a very beautiful place, especially today, with the sun shining through the foliage, making splotchy shadows on the ground. As Umi and Fuu walked, they chatted about what had been going on since last month, when they last met up.
"...So, Umi, you're a local model now?" "Yeah! Isn't that great?" "Hai,.." Fuu replied. Then, though she meant to say it to herself, Fuu quietly sighed, "..I guess."
"Huh...!? Hey Fuu.." Umi gently implied, "Now don't get me wrong; I'm not being stuck up or begging to be showered with praise or anything. But Fuu, I really thought you'd be happy for me...". Umi looked slightly sad, but that was mostly covered up by the worried look that now spread across her face. "Is something wrong, Fuu? Did something bad happen? Does it have something to do with that professional software company that you somehow managed to get into?"
Fuu had only been partially listening, but she lifted her head when Umi asked about the software company. "Huh? Oh, no, it isn't anything like that. Don't worry." She smiled at Umi.
"You know, Fuu? That reminds me..I still don't get how you got into that professional software company. I'm not saying that I think that you're stupid, or don't qualify, but..."
"I know, I think about that myself. It's like a miracle that I got into that company. I told them they had the wrong person, but they insisted that I'd fit right into their company, so I finally gave in."
"Yeah? That's good, Fuu."
There was a brief pause. "Fuu?"
"Yes?" "What was it that made you sad a minute before? You know, when I was telling you about my new job?"
"Oh that? Well, it's just that..well...any idiot knows that you're pretty, Umi, especially the guys. And that's good, right? But if you are a local model now, you're bound to move on to be a world-wide model. And then.then you.."
"Then I wouldn't be around, and I wouldn't see you or Hikaru anymore," Umi flatly finished. "I understand what you were thinking Fuu, but don't worry!" Umi said, looking at Fuu and smiling. "I wouldn't want to be a national model anyway; I'd miss my family and friends too much."
"Oh! That's good, then!"
"Yeah." Umi suddenly got a sly grin on her face. "Plus, I wouldn't travel because I wouldn't be able to know when you or Hikaru would go to Cephiro!" "Yes, Umi; usually we all tell each other when we're going to go there. Also, we usually don't go separately, anyway. And you can't go separately until you bring back an item from Cephiro." "Uh-huh!"
The two girls fell into a deep silence. Suddenly Umi snapped her head up and gasped.
"Oh my gosh! We totally forgot!"
"Gomen?" said Fuu, looking slightly confused.
"We have to meet Hikaru at the fountain, remember?! We came on this walk in the first place because we were early, and we were walking off the time till we had to meet her!"
Fuu looked at her watch and nodded at Umi "You're right! It's already 2:37 and we told Hikaru we'd meet her at 2:40!"
The two Magic Knights started running on the paths in the woods that led to the fountain that few people knew about. Those who did were lucky; it was very peaceful there. There were not many people who came there, because few knew it even existed, so therefore, it was not very noisy there either. Hikaru had been the person who found it; she had gotten lost in the woods, even though she was mapping what paths she took. Then, she came to a small circle where there was no trees. She saw a kind old sage building a fountain. He told her not to tell many people about it, and she kept her promise. She only told Umi, Fuu, and a couple other friends of hers. A few people found it on their own, but the paths could somehow only be seen by those people. Ever since then, Umi, Fuu, and Hikaru always met there when they went to the park.
When Umi and Fuu arrived at the fountain, they were somewhat relieved to find that she was not there. They knew that she hadn't come yet, because if she had, and she left the fountain area, she always left a flower in the fountain. And there wasn't a flower in the fountain, except for the cherry- tree blossoms, which fell off of the Japanese Weeping Cherry Tree that grew right next to the fountain.
"Well, at least we aren't too late to meet her," panted Fuu as she and Umi sat down underneath the Weeping Cherry Tree, thankful that they could rest. They then took the time to look around the area. There weren't many people there, just a boy, his husky, and two women who looked like they were twenty-one.
"Hey, let's go sit by the fountain, Fuu," Umi suggested. "All right," Fuu agreed.
They walked over to the left side of the fountain, where the Cherry Tree began to hover over it. Just as they were sitting down, three girls walked in from behind the Cherry Tree. They seemed to be good friends, as they were walking in a straight line, one next to the other, next to the other. As they walked past to sit on the right side of the fountain, the two Magic Knights couldn't help but notice them; it was just that there was something about them..maybe their obvious friendship reminded Umi and Fuu of the friendship that they shared with each other, and with Hikaru....
The left girl of the three had reddish hair that reached down a bit below her shoulders. She seemed to have skin that had a nice bronze tone to it. Her body was well built, and she seemed like she was hiding some strength beneath her good looks. All together, she was very pretty. She did a little twirl before sitting on the right side of the fountain. "She's probably good at dancing," whispered Fuu to Umi. "Yeah, she probably is,...she reminds me of Tarta and Tatra." Umi whispered. "You're right, Umi! She reminds me of them too!" Fuu squeaked back. Umi was right; she resembled the Chizetan princesses a lot.
The girl on the right side was a black. She was beautiful, just like the girl on the left. She was tall and thin, and had an almost royal look to her. She had beautiful, long black hair, which gently flowed around her with every step she took. Her eyes were an aqua green, which made her look very stunning. She had a fragile air to her, but Umi and Fuu could tell that she was fit, and her fragile look was obviously deceiving. "SHE reminds me of...*my gosh*! She resembles Princess Emeraude!" Fuu exclaimed under her breath, as Umi silently yet vigorously nodded in agreement.
Finally they came to the girl in the middle, who was just as beautiful as her two friends. She had a skin tone that had a tiny hint of a tan color. Her hair was a golden blond, and it came down an inch or two below her shoulders. It shone like the sun, and added to her appearance. She had a good body as well; obviously she was physically fit. Her eyes were a beautiful crystal blue. She walked with confidence to the fountain before she took her seat amongst her friends.
Umi and Fuu looked at each other for a moment, and then they sighed and relaxed. Fuu got up and walked to the base of a Japanese Willow, which was directly opposite the three newcomers. She then sat down and relaxed, eyes closed. Umi walked along some stairs that were by the fountain. The clear stairs were made out of crystal, so you could see through them. This was because they wound around the base of the fountain for a little bit, and then, they went into the fountain. This fountain was actually made up of several fan-like fountains, which made a circle of water that was hard to see through. People sometimes swam in the pool that was in the center. Others sat in the three chairs that were lined at every 1/3 of the fountain's inner perimeter. Umi was going to do just that: sit in one of the chairs. Without knowing it, she sat in the chair behind the part of the fountain with the ledge that the three girls were sitting on. When Umi and Fuu both realized that they could hear the girls, they couldn't help but overhear their conversations.
They were talking in normal tones, but they seemed as though they were troubled; it was as if they were trying to figure something out, and quickly, for that matter. There was a hint of that in their voices.
The blond girl had something in her hand; since Umi was on the inside of the fountain, she could tell what it was. It was a yearbook from the school that Hikaru went to.
"I know that it's in here somewhere! It's just got to be in here!" exclaimed the blond. She was frantically flipping through the pages, obviously searching for something, or someone.
"Hey Yunari? Are you sure that you've seen this girl once?" asked the girl with the bronze hair.
"ONCE!? She's in my class, Shira!" replied Yunari.
"What did you say her name was again?" questioned the girl with the black hair.
By now, Fuu and Umi weren't really listening anymore. Umi was listening to the water from the fountain, Fuu was listening to the wind whispering through the branches of the Japanese Willow, and both girls were listening hopefully for the sounds of pounding footsteps; someone running. That would mark the arrival of Hikaru. But the Magic Knights' thoughts were interrupted by the words that next escaped the three girls' lips.
"Her last name is Shidou. I'm sure of it. That was what the gold lettering on the fence said. Does that answer your question enough, Diamond?"
"Yeah. So you said you heard a scream coming from her house?"
"No. It came from the Dojo; from the inner area. I could tell because the scream echoed briefly."
"So how do you know it wa." Diamond was cut off by a yelp of anguish and happiness.
"HIKARU!" Yunari yelled rather loudly. Loud enough for to make Umi and Fuu snap their heads up and listen in.
"What!?" Diamond said in surprise. "You mean she really is that girl from your class?" "Yeah. Her name is Hikaru Shidou! I remember now! And...oh SHIT!" Yunari just barely got the words out. "What is it, Yunari?" Shira got in the question before Diamond. Fuu and Umi leaned in a little so that they could hear better.
"Oh, God no! You guys, you remember what she trains in?"
"Yeah," Shira said, slightly puzzled by Yunari's change in attitude. "She does Kendo...."Her voice trailed off a little as she thought.
"Right. And you usually train Kendo in Dojos. That scream had to be Hikaru's, I just know it. And it was coming from the Dojo..from the inner Dojo sections, where the family sections are. And right before the scream I heard a snap. That means..."
Fuu quickly walked over to the fountain wall so she could hear their words clearly. Umi, on the other hand, tried leaning closer to the water so she could hear better. However, as she continued leaning in, she lost her balance, fell off her chair, and ended up sitting water-logged in the fountain. Luckily for her, no one had heard or seen her. She scrambled out and quickly ran along the fountain stair-paths so she could reach Fuu.
"Oh my gosh." Shira froze up before she continued. "She probably was injured while training!"
"Exactly!"
"No wonder you were so dang worried, Yunari. You always put everyone before yourself!" sighed Diamond, shaking her head slowly. "Yeah, right," snorted Yunari. "Anyway, we better haul on off to Hikaru's house right smart qui.." Yunari said as she, Shira, and Diamond got up to leave. But before she could leave or finish her sentence, she was stopped by two restraining orders..
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" Fuu and a soaking-wet Umi Ryuuzaki walked up and stood in front of the three girls. "You are going to see Hikaru?" "Yeah, we are," stated Yunari, standing up tall and proud, making it clear no one was going to stand in her way. "Well, then, we have to go with you," Umi said flatly. "Yes, Umi's right. We're friends of Hikaru's, and if she's injured..By the way, my name is Fuu Hououji. And this is Umi Ryuuzaki."
"Oh, I'm..."
"We know, we heard you talking with each other."
"Oh..OK."
The five girls ran off through the woods. They ran past the Cherry-Tree and through a *huge* Weeping Willow. This was where the secret path was. They literally ran *through* it. They ran through gardens and on paths until they reached the park entrance. They just made it in time to grab a bus, which they rode to Hikaru's. When they reached her home, they all jumped off the bus, ran up the driveway and into the Dojo, which had an open door to a room in which the sounds of fighting could be heard. With Umi and Fuu in the lead, the party of five skidded to a halt at the entrance of the room, only to run into Hikaru, who was on her way out.
"AH!" Hikaru yelped as Umi slammed into her, hitting her injured arm and knocking her to the ground. "WHERE ARE YOU GOING, OH INJURED ONE?" yelled Umi in Hikaru's face. "Gee, don't be so harsh on her Umi, she's hurt," Yunari quelled. The five girls entered the room, and as Yunari helped Hikaru up on her feet, they all observed the scene in the room. Satoru, Masaru, and Kakeru were all staring at a broken bokken on the floor, their mouths agape. Hikaru's armor was flung on the floor, and her bokken was carelessly thrown aside. Hikaru had obviously run to the locker room in the back and changed, because she was wearing her spring school attire.
"I was just coming to meet you guys; I'd totally forgotten about how we were gonna' meet up. Now, come on; we have to catch that bus that I got for us. You know, the one that's going to take us to the main park over by the tower. Have you two got your stuff?"
"WHAT?" Umi was screeching so loud that she could have broken a crystal mirror. "You're hurt, Hikaru! You can't just run off now! You need rest, and care, and."
"Hey, give her a break, Umi. She's obviously fine if she broke that bokken in half. That's the strongest kind you can have. And also, if you look at her arm, it seems to be mending quite well, and quickly, for that matter. "
Everyone turned and stared at Yunari. Their jaws dropped slightly. Then, they briefly turned their gazes on Hikaru. Then they looked back at Yunari.
"Yunari? Since when did you know about all this? Shira, did you know she knew this?"
"Nope!"
"What do you guys mean? Do you think I'm that stupid? I train in Kendo, you know."
"Yu.nar..i?"
"Yeah, Hikaru?"
"You're my friend from class?"
"Yeah!"
"Oh, it's good to see you...but what ARE you all doing here?"
"WELL, Hikaru," Umi began, "we're all here on behalf of this bright little friend of yours, Yunari. By the way, you never told Fuu and I about her."
"We're more acquaintances?" Yunari guessed.
"No! It's not that! We are friends, it's just that I never really thought of telling you about Umi and Fuu, or telling them about you, that's all. By the way, are we going to go or what?"
"Yeah, yeah, we got are stuff; you just take it easy on that arm, you hear me Hikaru? 'Cause I know you can act like you never heard a thing that Fuu or I said, you've done it before, especially in Cephiro, and usually about..."
"Oh, OK then, I guess we should go now," Yunari said, interrupting Umi's tantrum as she got up and moved toward the door, signaling for Shira and Diamond to follow. Her two friends were investigating the pretty little gardens that surrounded the inside walls of the room.
Finally, just as Yunari and her friends were organized and ready to go, a restraining order once again blocked their paths.
"Hold up you three; Hikaru?"
"Yeah, Umi?"
"These fellow-teenage-girls of ours seem nice enough; do you think they could come with us and sleep over too?"
Shira, Diamond, and Yunari all dropped their jaws, and their eyes popped.
"Yeah, I don't see why not; I do know Yunari, anyway, and her friends are in my gym class, so it's OK!"
By now, Hikaru's brothers were sick of hearing the girls talk, so they left the Dojo.
"You're kidding, right?" asked Yunari, mouth open still.
"No! Now let's go call your parents, and Shira and Diamond's, too!" Hikaru said in her normal, cheery voice.
The girls all got up to leave, and as they did so they didn't notice that the water in the garden stream was glowing...
The girls started walking out, but before they even got a yard, the garden- training room suddenly dissappeared, giving way to nothing but blue skies. Far below the area the girls were falling in, a volcano, an ocean, and a mountain floating in the sky were visible...