Author's Notes. I've done it again, arrgh! I've been very bad, not putting up new chapters. Oh, I'm a terrible author, keeping you poor people waiting... you're probably very bored with this story. Sigh, I'm so sorry. In any case, here it is! I had a lot of trouble with it, so I hope you enjoy it to some degree.
Hee hee, sadly no mechas in this version, Lady of Genesis. That would be interesting, though. But no... the girls won't be fighting as Magic Knights. They will have adventures, though... adventures that begin in this very chapter!
Thank all of you so much for your continuing support and reviews - it's precious to an author to know that people read and enjoy their stories. But please, if there's something that needs corrected, let me know! That's half of good reviewing, you know. Keiko did that once, thank you very much for that, I appreciate that as much as the nice stuff.
Again, I'm sorry the chapter was so long in coming and I hope you enjoy it more than Chapter 3, which was rather boring.
Disclaimer. Magic Knight Rayearth and all related characters are © CLAMP. I'm just a silly little girl who loves the characters and loves writing about them, and I am in no way associated with CLAMP. Also, because this is an alternate-universe story, some of the details of setting and character have been changed for plot purposes (for example, instead of being a Farl, Presea is a woman who lives in a forest and tends her mystical gardens). These details do not necessarily reflect the original ideas of CLAMP. Many of the plants referred to are imaginary and do not necessarily exist.
The Swallow Sang It to Me
Chapter Four
When a year had passed and Zagato hadn't returned, Ferio had given up hopes of reuiniting him with Emeraude. It broke his heart, though not nearly so much as it broke his sister's. When she had lasted, only a wisp of a being, throughout that last painful night, hope had begun stirring in everyone once again, but Zagato had vanished after Clef had told him she wouldn't live. When Emeraude opened her eyes after a few days and asked for tea, please, Lantis had ridden out in search of his brother and returned empty-handed. And when Emeraude was well enough to sit up and ask, "Where is Zagato?" everyone had looked away.
"He will come back," she said now, gazing thoughtfully at her brother from across the room. "Zagato will return someday."
Ferio turned from the window and went to sit on the edge of his sister's bed. "Emeraude..." He smiled sadly, taking her hands in his. "You always read my mind."
"Of course. You're my dearest little brother." She planted a kiss on his forehead, then handed him the large book lying open in her lap. "My eyes are beginning to ache. Will you read to me, sweetest?"
She still tired so quickly. "Of course." Ferio peered down at the page. "What part are you at?"
"Where she opens her eyes."
"All right." Ferio helped Emeraude settle back on the pillows, then ran his finger down the page until he found the spot. "'When Hasatia opened her eyes, Titalae was gone. She looked about for him, but he was nowhere to be seen. There was instead a little skylark in the snow. Hasatia knelt before it, inquiring of it, "Little bird, did you see where my love has gone to?" The skylark chirped politely at her before flying up to her shoulder and taking the fringe of her scarf in its beak and flying up into the sun.'"
Emeraude laid her thin hand over Ferio's. "Skip ahead to the next story," she said softly. "I've read this one too many times."
Ferio held back a sigh. "All right." He flipped ahead through the pages.
----------------------
The advantages to Presea's year-round garden were many; a present one was that since the girls began learning to garden in February, they were fairly skilled by the time summer, the most difficult and laborious of seasons in the garden, came. They still had a lot to learn, however, which Presea soon found out.
"Ack! Umi, no!" Presea dashed down the cobblestone path to the area the girls were working together on. "Please don't climb on the tigerflash!"
Umi blinked innocently. "Why not?"
"Because it's too young and fragile, you'll break the stem."
She stared up at Presea, unintimidated. "Well, it's it the only way I can cut back the leaves, isn't it? I can't reach from the ground."
"We tried standing on one another's shoulders," Fuu said helpfully, "but when Hikaru put her toe in Umi's eye we thought it might be too dangerous."
"I suppose you need a ladder." Presea sighed, shaking her head. "For now, why don't you come over and take care of these dahlias, they're beginning to sprout up."
Teaching her trade to the tiny girls was far more difficult than Presea had anticipated. Despite their innovativeness and cleverness in dealing with their size, it was still difficult for them to care for flowers. Presea sighed as she returned to the spot where she was planting. These lovely ones wouldn't bloom till September.
She glanced back over her shoulder towards the bush underneath the window. It still bore four perfect flowers just as it had when it bloomed that cold winter morning. The flowers never withered or grew diseased or discolored like some were always bound to, and no more buds ever sprouted. Sometimes Hikaru, Fuu, and Umi would sit in the white flower till its petals nearly closed for the night, and they sighed when Presea had to lift them out.
Presea understood, though. They were born from flowers, their hearts were in the soil. That's partially why she wanted to badly for them to learn gardening - they loved it, despite how difficult it was with their size.
She shook herself from her thoughts and surveyed the gardens. There wasn't much more to be done, at least not that the girls could help with. And she ought to be getting on to making supper soon...
"Supper!" Presea clapped a hand to her forehead. "I can't believe I forgot. Girls!" She took a few hurried steps over to where they were working diligently (as best they could) with the dahlias. "I'm so sorry, I know I promised to make blackberry pancakes for supper, but I forgot to pick the blackberries." Presea squatted down, a frown wrinkling her forehead. "I'm sorry. What would you like instead?"
"You wanted blackberry pancakes too, Presea," Umi said.
"Well, yes, but it can't be helped. I need to get washed up now if I want supper on the table in time, so I don't have time to go pick any berries."
"We'll go!" Hikaru offered, a smile on her face. Presea began to object, but Fuu put in, "Oh please, Presea. It isn't your fault you forgot, but we know that you love blackberries as much as we do.
"And besides," Umi said, poking her face over Fuu's shoulder, "we haven't had a chance to go out in the woods for weeks. It'll be fun."
Hikaru gave Presea her best you-know-you-love-me-and-cannot-deny-me-anything face. "Please?"
A sigh escaped Presea as she hung her head in defeat. "Well, I suppose there's no harm in it... but be quick, and don't bother getting too many. I'll make something else to go along with it." She patted each of their heads with a fingertip. "Just put them in your gardening baskets and hurry home. I'll have everything ready when you get back."
"Thank you, Presea!" they said together, turning and running as fast as their tiny legs would carry them off down the path to the forest.
"And be careful!" she called after them, her eyes worried. She didn't turn to go inside until the girls had vanished into the trees.
----------------------
"Umi, you're supposed to put the berries in the baskets," Hikaru said, watching with wide eyes as Umi licked blackberry juice off her fingers.
"Well, I've already gathered five and my basket's full," Umi replied. "What's the harm in eating one?"
Fuu carefully placed her last berry in her basket. "It will spoil your supper," she said. Umi stuck out her tongue and Fuu laughed softly. "Come on, Presea wanted us home quickly." She picked up her basket, staggering a bit at its weight before catching her balance. Hikaru grabbed her basket as well; Umi was in a particularly silly mood for whatever reason and placed her own basket on top of her head, one hand up to steady it.
Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "Um, what are you doing, Umi?"
"Carrying my basket on my head."
"Well... why?"
Umi gave a little indignant huff, but the smile in her eyes showed she was only joking. "Because I can, that's why."
"Well, that's not the best reason to---"
"Hikaru, look out!"
Hikaru spun around to face Fuu, who was pointing up in horror. Hikaru began to turn again to see what Fuu was pointing at, but before she could she found herself snatched up from the ground. She cried out, but the cry was lost as claws curled around her and her breath rushed from her lungs.
Umi and Fuu stood terror-stricken on the forest floor as the crow carried Hikaru up past the tops of the trees. Umi's knees trembled and buckled and she collapsed; Fuu managed to catch her, and they slowly sank to their knees, still staring up at the distant black point that was Hikaru's fate.
Hee hee, sadly no mechas in this version, Lady of Genesis. That would be interesting, though. But no... the girls won't be fighting as Magic Knights. They will have adventures, though... adventures that begin in this very chapter!
Thank all of you so much for your continuing support and reviews - it's precious to an author to know that people read and enjoy their stories. But please, if there's something that needs corrected, let me know! That's half of good reviewing, you know. Keiko did that once, thank you very much for that, I appreciate that as much as the nice stuff.
Again, I'm sorry the chapter was so long in coming and I hope you enjoy it more than Chapter 3, which was rather boring.
Disclaimer. Magic Knight Rayearth and all related characters are © CLAMP. I'm just a silly little girl who loves the characters and loves writing about them, and I am in no way associated with CLAMP. Also, because this is an alternate-universe story, some of the details of setting and character have been changed for plot purposes (for example, instead of being a Farl, Presea is a woman who lives in a forest and tends her mystical gardens). These details do not necessarily reflect the original ideas of CLAMP. Many of the plants referred to are imaginary and do not necessarily exist.
Chapter Four
When a year had passed and Zagato hadn't returned, Ferio had given up hopes of reuiniting him with Emeraude. It broke his heart, though not nearly so much as it broke his sister's. When she had lasted, only a wisp of a being, throughout that last painful night, hope had begun stirring in everyone once again, but Zagato had vanished after Clef had told him she wouldn't live. When Emeraude opened her eyes after a few days and asked for tea, please, Lantis had ridden out in search of his brother and returned empty-handed. And when Emeraude was well enough to sit up and ask, "Where is Zagato?" everyone had looked away.
"He will come back," she said now, gazing thoughtfully at her brother from across the room. "Zagato will return someday."
Ferio turned from the window and went to sit on the edge of his sister's bed. "Emeraude..." He smiled sadly, taking her hands in his. "You always read my mind."
"Of course. You're my dearest little brother." She planted a kiss on his forehead, then handed him the large book lying open in her lap. "My eyes are beginning to ache. Will you read to me, sweetest?"
She still tired so quickly. "Of course." Ferio peered down at the page. "What part are you at?"
"Where she opens her eyes."
"All right." Ferio helped Emeraude settle back on the pillows, then ran his finger down the page until he found the spot. "'When Hasatia opened her eyes, Titalae was gone. She looked about for him, but he was nowhere to be seen. There was instead a little skylark in the snow. Hasatia knelt before it, inquiring of it, "Little bird, did you see where my love has gone to?" The skylark chirped politely at her before flying up to her shoulder and taking the fringe of her scarf in its beak and flying up into the sun.'"
Emeraude laid her thin hand over Ferio's. "Skip ahead to the next story," she said softly. "I've read this one too many times."
Ferio held back a sigh. "All right." He flipped ahead through the pages.
The advantages to Presea's year-round garden were many; a present one was that since the girls began learning to garden in February, they were fairly skilled by the time summer, the most difficult and laborious of seasons in the garden, came. They still had a lot to learn, however, which Presea soon found out.
"Ack! Umi, no!" Presea dashed down the cobblestone path to the area the girls were working together on. "Please don't climb on the tigerflash!"
Umi blinked innocently. "Why not?"
"Because it's too young and fragile, you'll break the stem."
She stared up at Presea, unintimidated. "Well, it's it the only way I can cut back the leaves, isn't it? I can't reach from the ground."
"We tried standing on one another's shoulders," Fuu said helpfully, "but when Hikaru put her toe in Umi's eye we thought it might be too dangerous."
"I suppose you need a ladder." Presea sighed, shaking her head. "For now, why don't you come over and take care of these dahlias, they're beginning to sprout up."
Teaching her trade to the tiny girls was far more difficult than Presea had anticipated. Despite their innovativeness and cleverness in dealing with their size, it was still difficult for them to care for flowers. Presea sighed as she returned to the spot where she was planting. These lovely ones wouldn't bloom till September.
She glanced back over her shoulder towards the bush underneath the window. It still bore four perfect flowers just as it had when it bloomed that cold winter morning. The flowers never withered or grew diseased or discolored like some were always bound to, and no more buds ever sprouted. Sometimes Hikaru, Fuu, and Umi would sit in the white flower till its petals nearly closed for the night, and they sighed when Presea had to lift them out.
Presea understood, though. They were born from flowers, their hearts were in the soil. That's partially why she wanted to badly for them to learn gardening - they loved it, despite how difficult it was with their size.
She shook herself from her thoughts and surveyed the gardens. There wasn't much more to be done, at least not that the girls could help with. And she ought to be getting on to making supper soon...
"Supper!" Presea clapped a hand to her forehead. "I can't believe I forgot. Girls!" She took a few hurried steps over to where they were working diligently (as best they could) with the dahlias. "I'm so sorry, I know I promised to make blackberry pancakes for supper, but I forgot to pick the blackberries." Presea squatted down, a frown wrinkling her forehead. "I'm sorry. What would you like instead?"
"You wanted blackberry pancakes too, Presea," Umi said.
"Well, yes, but it can't be helped. I need to get washed up now if I want supper on the table in time, so I don't have time to go pick any berries."
"We'll go!" Hikaru offered, a smile on her face. Presea began to object, but Fuu put in, "Oh please, Presea. It isn't your fault you forgot, but we know that you love blackberries as much as we do.
"And besides," Umi said, poking her face over Fuu's shoulder, "we haven't had a chance to go out in the woods for weeks. It'll be fun."
Hikaru gave Presea her best you-know-you-love-me-and-cannot-deny-me-anything face. "Please?"
A sigh escaped Presea as she hung her head in defeat. "Well, I suppose there's no harm in it... but be quick, and don't bother getting too many. I'll make something else to go along with it." She patted each of their heads with a fingertip. "Just put them in your gardening baskets and hurry home. I'll have everything ready when you get back."
"Thank you, Presea!" they said together, turning and running as fast as their tiny legs would carry them off down the path to the forest.
"And be careful!" she called after them, her eyes worried. She didn't turn to go inside until the girls had vanished into the trees.
"Umi, you're supposed to put the berries in the baskets," Hikaru said, watching with wide eyes as Umi licked blackberry juice off her fingers.
"Well, I've already gathered five and my basket's full," Umi replied. "What's the harm in eating one?"
Fuu carefully placed her last berry in her basket. "It will spoil your supper," she said. Umi stuck out her tongue and Fuu laughed softly. "Come on, Presea wanted us home quickly." She picked up her basket, staggering a bit at its weight before catching her balance. Hikaru grabbed her basket as well; Umi was in a particularly silly mood for whatever reason and placed her own basket on top of her head, one hand up to steady it.
Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "Um, what are you doing, Umi?"
"Carrying my basket on my head."
"Well... why?"
Umi gave a little indignant huff, but the smile in her eyes showed she was only joking. "Because I can, that's why."
"Well, that's not the best reason to---"
"Hikaru, look out!"
Hikaru spun around to face Fuu, who was pointing up in horror. Hikaru began to turn again to see what Fuu was pointing at, but before she could she found herself snatched up from the ground. She cried out, but the cry was lost as claws curled around her and her breath rushed from her lungs.
Umi and Fuu stood terror-stricken on the forest floor as the crow carried Hikaru up past the tops of the trees. Umi's knees trembled and buckled and she collapsed; Fuu managed to catch her, and they slowly sank to their knees, still staring up at the distant black point that was Hikaru's fate.