Umi grabbed Ascot's hand and dived for the dance floor. Fuu and Ferio
walked calmly over to the dance floor, unlike Umi and Ascot. Tai tapped Kuu
on the shoulder and offered her his hand. She took it and they made a mad
dash to the dance floor. LaFarga and Caldina were doing the tango, Clef
grinned and sat down, pulling out 'War and Peace' read a few chapters
before giving up entirely; found Presea, Lantis blushed as he went over to
Hikaru. "Umm.errr.Hikaru?" Hikaru took his hand and pulled him on to the
dance floor. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him close.
Kuu passed by and winked in Hikaru's direction. Clef came by with Presea
and threw Lantis a look. Presea smiled then tripped; Mokona was following
her heels. Suddenly the song ended and. "Right Now!" yelled Umi grinning.
After a few dances, the group was worn out. "After the banquet ends, I'd
like to see all of you in the library please!" Called Presea over the mic,
"The matter needs everyone's help."
**Later**
"So, Presea what's wrong?" Hikaru asked as they all sat down on armchairs.
Presea had allowed Caldina to go to bed, because she was on kitchen duty
the next day. "We have a slight problem on our hands, you all know about
Escudo, correct?" Kuu shook her head, Tai quickly explained about the
evolving mineral Escudo. Presea nodded, "and what happens when it is
touched by someone other than the owner?" Fuu raised her hand, "it takes on
a separate form?" Presea nodded, "now these swords can be touched by the
creator or artisan; me, the owner, and Guru Clef." She pulled out the
sword, handed a white glove to Ferio, and handed him the sword. It burst
into a white light, Presea took it back quickly. Ferio looked at the glove
it was burned black, he took it off and it fell into ashes. He looked up
quickly at Presea, she smiled. "Thank you for that demonstration, now then.
I remember every weapon I make and this one belongs to Tai here." Lantis
glanced up quickly, Presea continued. "But, a strange occurrence has
happened, someone besides my self, Guru Clef and Tai has been able to use
the swords power without it reacting at all, and this person is Lantis."
Everyone turned, Presea nodded as she told them about the history of the
sword.
**Flashback**
"Presea?" A brown haired boy around 7 came into Presea's house,
"Hello. Are you Tai?" He nodded; she stood "I'm Presea, artisan of Cephiro.
What can I do for you Tai?" "How did you know.?" Presea smiled, she was
only about 9 herself. "Guru Clef informed me, he said you were hunting for
a weapon." Tai nodded, his hair falling into his face. She grinned then led
him to a large vault, he looked at a sword, it was silvery, with red handle
and ribbon. Hints of gold bounced off the top.
**End Flashback**
"I'll show them." Clef said suddenly, he raised his staff and a red light
shown from the gem, "Summoner! Light Beam!" he shouted. The image of the
sword bounced off the walls, Hikaru gasped. "Does it look familiar Hikaru?"
Hikaru nodded "That's the sword, that I used.before I got the Escudo."
Presea nodded. "Yes I told you that the weapons are not yours, and that
each weapon has an owner. Well, this was not Tai's either but he used it to
get the Escudo." "At this time, Cephiro was at peace but Escudo still
wasn't easy to come by." Clef said, "It was amazing that an 7 year old
managed."
**Flashback**
"You are a great warrior, but with this power there is great
responsibility, it is not just a petty thing. You have great magical power
within you, and you will be able to do great things. Now go find the
legendary mineral escudo, and I will make you your weapon." Presea said
slowly as Tai looked up at her, he nodded then went off down the road.
Confused at Presea's words he traveled through forests, plains and rivers.
Finally he arrived back at Presea's with the Escudo, Presea seemed not the
least bit shocked he had returned, and made his sword. Handing it to him
she said, "no one will ever be able to use this sword but you. Good Luck
Tai."
**End Flashback**
"It was kind of a lie, after all both Clef and I could both surface the
swords power", Presea said grinning sheepishly. Tai nodded, "I learned that
when I saw Clef again, he taught me how to use my Magic as well as basic
sword work. "But, how can Lantis." Hikaru began. "I didn't try to use it, I
didn't know it was made of Escudo." Lantis said a bit confused, "Yes, that
is a mystery to us as well Lantis, but we may never know, it could be
because Tai had not been with the sword for a long time, and the Escudo had
worn thin from not having use." Clef said slowly. "Lantis," Presea started
quickly, "We're you wearing any kind of hand protection when you took Tai's
sword?" Lantis shook his head, "I only was thinking." blushing he muttered,
"I was only thinking about how to save Hikaru." Hikaru blushed, Kuu looked
up, "Maybe that was the reason I could use Magic." She said quietly. Clef
glanced up, "What do you mean?" he asked sharply. "I used my Magic when I
wasn't thinking, I was only concentrating on how to save Tai.Kuu paused for
a moment, "and everyone else of course." She finished hurriedly, "But,
still.if no one ever gave her a Magic gift then.how." Clef interrupted, "I
can answer that.I gave Kuu a Magic gift when she was summoned here.
Although I never thought that she would be able to use it with such a
strong force against the Zehra troops." Hikaru thought, "If the sword
belonged to Tai, and Lantis could use it.and Kuu could use Magic and ." She
drifted off to sleep, Lantis jumped up. "Bedtime I see." Said Tai smiling,
he glanced at his watch, " 2.00am! Time fly's when you're having fun,
doesn't it." Kuu nodded then looked around, Ferio was asleep in a chair,
Clef was trying to stay awake, suddenly feeling very sleepy herself, she
put her head on a pillow and went to sleep. Umi, Fuu, and Lantis went and
hunted down blankets for everyone. Ferio was in a chair, he glanced up when
Umi, Fuu and Lantis had returned, he nodded to them, curled up and went
back to sleep. Lantis threw a blanket over Presea, then Clef; who actually
was still up reading 'War and Peace'. Finally he gently picked up Hikaru
and went out the door. Tai smiled as Umi brought him a blanket, he sighed
and went back to his room. Ferio managed to wake himself and he trudged off
to the West tower. Umi woke Ascot and they marched off in their separate
ways. Clef sat reading until the sun rounded the hills and came into the
room, he sat and thought, while finishing 'War and Peace'. "Maybe.this.was
all a dream."
