Chapter 3: How.?
Umi and Fuu waited outside the road, staring at it as if they could draw their friend back out that way. After their first startled reactions at Hikaru being admitted into the road they had waited for her to be blasted back out. When she wasn't, they had demanded the spirits to tell them why. The only answer was that the road was blocking them from speaking to Rayearth.
That had gotten them even more panicked. Umi had tried to enter the road then, and been thrown back about twenty yards. They hadn't tried to enter after that. Now, all they could do was wait.
"Umi-chan? I think we should go back to the castle now," Fuu was worried, but now she was beginning to analyze the situation in her usually calm and detached manner. "I do not think Hikaru-chan will be coming out anytime soon."
"No."
"Umi-chan, Clef-san will need to know what happened. There is no more time to waste here, there is nothing we can do."
"No."
"But-"
"No."
They went back to staring at the road in silence. Neither one spoke for a long time, and
when they did, it was cries of astonishment as Rayearth in his animal form came tearing angrily out of the road.
"Hikaru is wounded," it was a flat statement; Rayearth showed no emotion as he said it.
"How?!" both girls immediately crowded around him, rushing forward.
"It takes a great deal of power, mental and physical to enter a road. Hikaru was fortunate that the enemy was not prepared, otherwise it could have killed her. The power to pierce two roads is rare. Autozam's commander is either very lucky or very powerful, or both. She was fortunate that they appear to want her alive, she could have been killed."
"Will she be all right? I'm gonna kill her when I see her again, that idiot!" Umi's concern was written all over her face.
"Is there a way to get her out?" Fuu's calm voice quietly drew their attention.
"She will be all right, I would know if she were dying. But I do not think we can get her out. Not without Autozam releasing her first. You should go back to the castle, I must speak with my brothers. There could be something we can do." Rayearth began to fade.
"Rayearth-sama is correct, Umi-chan, we are of no use here. And Clef-san might be able to do something," Fuu looked at Umi calmly. "We can not help Hikaru-chan here."
"You're right, Fuu. Let's go back." Umi reluctantly turned and, because Rayearth intimidated her just a little bit, sped away from the road, Fuu following close behind.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Ten minutes later they were back in the castle, Umi pacing worriedly as Fuu explained what had happened to Clef and the others.
I can't believe Hikaru did something that stupid! How could she? It was stupid of me not to try to follow her immediately. If I had maybe I- "Maybe you'd be stuck there too." An annoying little voice smirked from the back of her mind. If I'd been there maybe we could have made it! Who knows! "Well, you didn't and now you can give all the excuses you want."
"Young women from another world, we have found a way to speak to Hikaru." The spirits voices' broke into their thoughts.
"How?!" Umi and Fuu leaped up, startling Clef, Ferio, and Presea, who couldn't hear the spirits.
"It would take too long to explain, but it will hurt you greatly. The simplest explanation is that we will be able to use our powers to send parts of your souls into the road. You can find Hikaru easily, it will look like part of the ship is on fire. In the center will be Hikaru."
"We'll do it!" they said at exactly the same time, Fuu back to the others,
"The spirits have found a way to let us speak to Hikaru!"
"What?!" three startled faces stared at them.
"I'll explain later," Fuu closed her eyes. "Stand back."
"We are ready. Do whatever you need to do." Fuu spoke for both of them as they stepped away from the group. In a few moments, they began to glow with an odd yellow glow, the light swirled around them, hiding them from sight.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
She was watching him tensely as she drank her water, waiting for him to say something else. He started to speak when she suddenly screamed, scaring Eagle into taking a step backwards. Geo and Zazu opened the door, very cautiously.
The Knight was floating over the bed, apparently in great pain. The glass of water had fallen from her limp grasp to shatter on the floor. Swirling around her was an strange yellow light that changed to green and blue as they watched.
The light began to fade, dropping her back on the bed, but now two indistinct, ghost like green and blue forms were hovering over her. Eagle watched as they solidified a bit, showing them to be two young girls dressed in weird clothes and armor.
Who or what are they?! And how the Hell did they get here?
"Umi? Fuu?" Hikaru's voice faded as she stared at them in shock.
Eagle was just as confused as she was.
Could those be. the other Magic Knights? That would make sense.
The green one smiled and gestured, and looked like she was talking.
"Oh. oh, I see," the Magic Knight smiled suddenly, her whole face lighting up. "But how long do you have?"
The blue one butted in suddenly, frowning and glaring, appearing to be telling her off.
"But- Umi-chan." her voice faded as the other looked ready to explode. "I'm fine! Really! I'll be all right. That's not true!" she looked indignant as the other shook her head and frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. The green girl smiled and laughed at them, shaking her head.
"You're right, Fuu, that's completely off subject." The blue girl frowned as the yellow began to swirl around them again, "See if you can talk to Rayearth for me, I can't seem to be able to! I'll see you both later," she smiled again. Frowning, the blue girl began to protest again, but she disappeared in a flash of yellow light. The other nodded, waved and vanished, leaving a happy Hikaru and three very confused men behind.
The girl looked at them, standing as if they had all been hit over the head with a 2x4. She giggled and said, "Oh, I forgot about you." she frowned suddenly, looking serious as she considered whether she should explain or not.
Uh-oh! Now I'll have to find some way of explaining this. They would have to be in here when Umi and Fuu show up. Hikaru sighed; this wasn't going to be easy.
Umi and Fuu waited outside the road, staring at it as if they could draw their friend back out that way. After their first startled reactions at Hikaru being admitted into the road they had waited for her to be blasted back out. When she wasn't, they had demanded the spirits to tell them why. The only answer was that the road was blocking them from speaking to Rayearth.
That had gotten them even more panicked. Umi had tried to enter the road then, and been thrown back about twenty yards. They hadn't tried to enter after that. Now, all they could do was wait.
"Umi-chan? I think we should go back to the castle now," Fuu was worried, but now she was beginning to analyze the situation in her usually calm and detached manner. "I do not think Hikaru-chan will be coming out anytime soon."
"No."
"Umi-chan, Clef-san will need to know what happened. There is no more time to waste here, there is nothing we can do."
"No."
"But-"
"No."
They went back to staring at the road in silence. Neither one spoke for a long time, and
when they did, it was cries of astonishment as Rayearth in his animal form came tearing angrily out of the road.
"Hikaru is wounded," it was a flat statement; Rayearth showed no emotion as he said it.
"How?!" both girls immediately crowded around him, rushing forward.
"It takes a great deal of power, mental and physical to enter a road. Hikaru was fortunate that the enemy was not prepared, otherwise it could have killed her. The power to pierce two roads is rare. Autozam's commander is either very lucky or very powerful, or both. She was fortunate that they appear to want her alive, she could have been killed."
"Will she be all right? I'm gonna kill her when I see her again, that idiot!" Umi's concern was written all over her face.
"Is there a way to get her out?" Fuu's calm voice quietly drew their attention.
"She will be all right, I would know if she were dying. But I do not think we can get her out. Not without Autozam releasing her first. You should go back to the castle, I must speak with my brothers. There could be something we can do." Rayearth began to fade.
"Rayearth-sama is correct, Umi-chan, we are of no use here. And Clef-san might be able to do something," Fuu looked at Umi calmly. "We can not help Hikaru-chan here."
"You're right, Fuu. Let's go back." Umi reluctantly turned and, because Rayearth intimidated her just a little bit, sped away from the road, Fuu following close behind.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Ten minutes later they were back in the castle, Umi pacing worriedly as Fuu explained what had happened to Clef and the others.
I can't believe Hikaru did something that stupid! How could she? It was stupid of me not to try to follow her immediately. If I had maybe I- "Maybe you'd be stuck there too." An annoying little voice smirked from the back of her mind. If I'd been there maybe we could have made it! Who knows! "Well, you didn't and now you can give all the excuses you want."
"Young women from another world, we have found a way to speak to Hikaru." The spirits voices' broke into their thoughts.
"How?!" Umi and Fuu leaped up, startling Clef, Ferio, and Presea, who couldn't hear the spirits.
"It would take too long to explain, but it will hurt you greatly. The simplest explanation is that we will be able to use our powers to send parts of your souls into the road. You can find Hikaru easily, it will look like part of the ship is on fire. In the center will be Hikaru."
"We'll do it!" they said at exactly the same time, Fuu back to the others,
"The spirits have found a way to let us speak to Hikaru!"
"What?!" three startled faces stared at them.
"I'll explain later," Fuu closed her eyes. "Stand back."
"We are ready. Do whatever you need to do." Fuu spoke for both of them as they stepped away from the group. In a few moments, they began to glow with an odd yellow glow, the light swirled around them, hiding them from sight.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
She was watching him tensely as she drank her water, waiting for him to say something else. He started to speak when she suddenly screamed, scaring Eagle into taking a step backwards. Geo and Zazu opened the door, very cautiously.
The Knight was floating over the bed, apparently in great pain. The glass of water had fallen from her limp grasp to shatter on the floor. Swirling around her was an strange yellow light that changed to green and blue as they watched.
The light began to fade, dropping her back on the bed, but now two indistinct, ghost like green and blue forms were hovering over her. Eagle watched as they solidified a bit, showing them to be two young girls dressed in weird clothes and armor.
Who or what are they?! And how the Hell did they get here?
"Umi? Fuu?" Hikaru's voice faded as she stared at them in shock.
Eagle was just as confused as she was.
Could those be. the other Magic Knights? That would make sense.
The green one smiled and gestured, and looked like she was talking.
"Oh. oh, I see," the Magic Knight smiled suddenly, her whole face lighting up. "But how long do you have?"
The blue one butted in suddenly, frowning and glaring, appearing to be telling her off.
"But- Umi-chan." her voice faded as the other looked ready to explode. "I'm fine! Really! I'll be all right. That's not true!" she looked indignant as the other shook her head and frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. The green girl smiled and laughed at them, shaking her head.
"You're right, Fuu, that's completely off subject." The blue girl frowned as the yellow began to swirl around them again, "See if you can talk to Rayearth for me, I can't seem to be able to! I'll see you both later," she smiled again. Frowning, the blue girl began to protest again, but she disappeared in a flash of yellow light. The other nodded, waved and vanished, leaving a happy Hikaru and three very confused men behind.
The girl looked at them, standing as if they had all been hit over the head with a 2x4. She giggled and said, "Oh, I forgot about you." she frowned suddenly, looking serious as she considered whether she should explain or not.
Uh-oh! Now I'll have to find some way of explaining this. They would have to be in here when Umi and Fuu show up. Hikaru sighed; this wasn't going to be easy.