AN: Well, here's a MKR story. My first actually. Gomen if people are OOC. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy.
SUMMARY: Kumori, Kusaki, and Hakumei are three girls, all daughters of the Magic Knight. After fighting over a galss orb, Kuiki no Toki with a would-be thief, they land in the past. U/C H/L F/F
Unrolling the Future
Chapter One- Kuiki no Toki
In a violet colored room, sat three ten year old girls. They were all bored.
"There's nothing to do," Kumori said in a bored tone, twirling her lavender locks with her index finger.
"I wonder where Okasan has been," Kusaki commented. She looked up to the ceiling with bright green eyes. "All of our mothers has been away for a while."
"Yeah," Hakumei replied. "I haven't seen since last week."
"Otousan wasn't any help," Kumori said in an annoyed tone. "All he said that it was something important."
"Mine too," Hakumei said. She then slumped back in a violet leather chair. "Cephiro is boring. We can always sneak off to the Forest of Silence."
"No!" Kusaki nearly yelled. "I'm still forbidden to enter the library!"
Hakumei sweatdropped. "What's with you and books?"
"Literature isn't bad," Kumori replied. "Although i prefer to write them then read them."
There was a long silence, before Kumori said, "I'm gonna go see my dad."
"I'll come with you!" Hakumei said cheerfully. "I hadn't seen Clef-san in ages! I think I'm starting to forget his hair color..." she added quietly.
Kusaki giggled. "Your so forgetful, Mei-chan!"
Hakumei scowled at Kusaki. "Am not!" she snapped. She added quietly, but sheepishly, "I just hadn't seen since forever."
"I haven't either, and I remember my parents hair colors!" Kusaki replied. "Actually I think we seen Clef and Lantis last week."
"Well, I'm going now," Kumori said. "You can follow me. I hope he isn't grouchy this morning. This important buisness is tiring him out, I just know it!"
"All the other times I saw Ferio-san lately he was sleeping, even in library," Hakumei said. "I think the title of the book he was reading was called something like Kuiki no Toki: The Legend."
Kumori and Kusaki looked at each other.
"We'll look that up after we visit Otousan," Kumori said. "I need to know what's going on! The suspense is practically killing me!"
~*~
After what seemed like a minature journey through hallways, doors, and kitchens for a snack, they finally made it to the door to Clef's study.
The three girls stood there for awhile then looked at each other. After a second, Kumori scoffed and lifted a hand to knock on the door. "Fine, I'll knock!"
She knocked. No answer. SHe knocked again. No answer. She knocked louder. And she was answered. ^.^
"Yes?" came a gruffy voice. "What do you want?"
"Otousan!" Kumori chirped. "It's me, Kumori, and Kusaki and Hakumei! I'd like to ask you a question!"
"Door's open."
Kumori opened the door, and the first things she saw were...
...books. Stacks of books. Mounds of books. What did Otousan do? Bring the whole library here? Kumori thought as she queezed inbetween the small gaps betweent large stacks of books to get to her father. Heh, maybe being small isn't so bad afterall.
After what seemed like eternity, she was able to reach the desk her father was reading at, or used to be reading. He was slumped back in his chair and looked like he was gonna fall alseep at the moment. ANd something on his desk caught her eye. There was a glass orb sitting on a velvet pillow.
"Otousan, what's that?" Kumori asked, pointing to the orb on his desk.
"Huh? Oh, that's the Fois Orbis," he said, stiffling a yawn. Noticing the confused look on Kumori's face, he added, "Kuiki no Toki, better known as."
Kusaki and Hakumei, who managed to get through the books, looked at each other. Wasn't the title of the book Ferio was once sleeping on?
"Oh? What's it do?" Kumori asked, peering intently at the orb.
"All I know is it has something to do with time," Clef answered, then yawned. "What was it you wanted to ask?" (#@&$, now I'm starting to yawn!)
"Oh, when will mom be home?" Kumori asked. "I really miss those picnics and fencing lessons!"
"A few days I beleive," Clef said groggily, then stood up. "I think I'll get a bit of sleep." he added, leaving the girls in his study alone.
After a few seconds, Hakumei said, "But it's eleven in the morning!"
"He looks tired. Who wants to bet he'll sleep in until tommarrow?" Kumori asked.
And that's exactly what Clef did. ^_^
Past midnight later that day, Kumori, Kusaki, and Hakumei were tiptoeing to Clef's study, all because Kumori wanted to see the orb again, and maybe sneak out a book or two they could actually read, who had to drag her best firends with her.
"I don't know, Ri-chan," Kusaki said nervously. "It's late and we should be asleep, not up and about to look at some orb!"
"There's something about that orb," Kumori paused, "THere's just some strange feeling I'm getting from that thing."
"I don't know why," Hakumei said. "But I feel all shaky and scared when I look at it." She looked down and a tint of pink appeared at her cheeks.
"There's nothing bad about that feeling," Kumori assured Hakumei, "I'd get that feeling if I didn't expect it to bring back evils from the past."
"Well, we're here," Kusaki announced quietly.
Kumori nodded and quickly open the door so it wouldn't squeak so much. Once they got in, she closed the door and held up a flashlight. Turning it on, she and her friends managed somehow to get through the books without ruining the stacks.
She could see the glitter of the orb withoutthe light of the flashlight in her hand. Handing her flashlight to Kusaki, Kumori went and picked up the orb from the soft pillow. Then she could hear voices...
"...what? You are still children!"
"Wait. What do you mean by children? You don't look a year older than 10 yourself!!"
"A child, what do you mean?" There was a loud thud. "I'm 745 years old."
"Ehhhh?"
"...Kumori? Kumori, answer me!"
Kumori snapped back into reality. "I thought I heard something...voices..."
"Huh? Voices?" Hakumei asked in a nervous tone.
"They sounded like..." Kumori paused. "...like my parents...only, my mom sounded a tad bit different..."
"Did you catch anything?" Kusaki asked.
"Something about children, ten year olds, and being 745 years old." Kumori answered. "B-"
Kumori was interupted by the door squeaking open. Scared out of their wits, they hid behind stacks of book near one corner.
There was silence, then sounds of the books falling from their neat stacks and a gruff voice. "I know it's here somewhere...now where's that stupid orb of time?"
Kumori eyes widen when she realized something. She was holding the freaking orb! Kusaki and Hakumei shot terrified looks to her. Quietly, Kumori slipped the orb into her vest and prayed that they wouldn't be found.
"Look what we have here?" a high female voice said, knocking down the books that hid the three girls. "Children? In the Guru's study? That's something we don't see everyday."
"But we don't go wondering into the Guru's study everyday now, do we?" said a muscular man.
The two laughed.
"..." The girls cowered back as far as they could into the corner.
"Oh, scared?" the woman said haughitly. "Not that that matters. You are only children..."
The woman abruptly stopped when the girls mustered enough courage to run out of the study, and into the hall and lock themselves into the nearest room. Panting slightly, they leaned against the door. Kumori looked up and saw her father snoring softly in an armchair.
"Dad!" she cried, running toward him and shaking him. "Dad! There'samadeviloldladyandsomewierdguymessingupyourstudyandIthinkthey'relookforsomething!" she said really fast. "DDDAAADDD!"
"huh?" Clef stirred and sleepily is eyes. "What is it this time, Kumori?"
"There's someone-actually two people-out in your study!" Kumori shouted. "At least I think they're still there!" Clef was now wide awake.
"Shh! I think I hear footsteps!" Kusaki said, and placed her ear against the door. "And they're talking...and..." she never finished. The door was forced open, almost hitting Hakumei and Kusaki if they hadn't jump back in time. The two girls screamed and, with Kumori, hid behind Clef, who was already standing.
At the door frame was the woman the man who were in the study. The woman stepped foward. "Where's the orb, Guru?"
Kumori edged back slightly, and put her hand over her side where she could feel the lump of the orb in her coat. Trying to keep her cool, she looked up to glare at who she called, the old lady.
Clef raised an eyebrow. "And you trashed my study to look for it?"
"If it's not in there, then maybe on of those children has it?" she edged on.
"It sure took you long enough to find out," Clef retorted.
Kumori bit her lip and scooted closer to the window, her hand never leaving the lump in her vest. She never felt so scared before. Hakumei and Kusaki scooted back to, but they were in front of Kumori.
The woman snarled and lifted her hand high up and started to glow a golden-brown color. "I want the blasted orb! GIve it now!"
Clef grabbed his staff that was leaning against the armchair and held it up. "No."
"Now which one..." the woman's eyes darted between each girl until she stopped at Kumori, who leaned back. "Ahh...so th-" the woman was cut off when Clef sent a surge of magic and it knocked her out of the room.
The man next to fallen woman charged at him, and Clef, with the wave of his staff, also sent him flying. The Guru truned to the girls. "You need to get out now!"
"Hai!" The three girls quickly ran out and try to avoid the two people outside the room. They stopped in front of Ferio, Lantis, and Lafarga who were coming out when the heard all the noise.
"What happened?" Ferio demanded.
"Two people!" Kusaki said. "Trying to get an orb! And I think she knows which one of us has it!"
"YOu have the orb!?" Ferio shouted. He shoved them down the hall. "Go! Caldina should show up any minute!"
The trio nodded and ran up ahead. After awhile they encountered Caldina, who was frantically rushing foward. When Caldina caught sight of the three girls, she sighed in relief.
"COme on," She urshered the girls inside a room, and making sure the door is locked tight.
Kumori looked around the room and saw a dark corner. Before she knew what happened, a figure emerged, revealing the woman from earlier. In her hand, was the glass orb.
"Hey!" Kumori shouted. "Give that back!" She wasn't scared anymore, more liked pissed. How the heck did the wacky lady get the orb from right under her nose? Kumori grabbed the orb and gave a tug. The woman growled and tugged back, more forcefully.
"Hakumei, Kusaki! Help!" Kumori snapped, trying to ge4t the orb back. SHe could feel the orb slowly slip from her hands.
Hakumei and Kusaki, though nervous, helped Kumori. With one big tug, the girls and the woman fell back, screaming. In a flash of white light, they were nowhere to be found.
Oh, and Caldina screamed.
~*~
Hakumei opened her eyes, and sat up, and observed her surroundings in awe. SHe had no idea what happened, but she had a good idea where she was. Clef's study, only cleaner. she thought, as she realized that the study was missing stacks of books that had fallen over.She looked out the window to see it was a bright sunny day, around the afternoon, she beleived. I guess we were knocked out.
She turned to look at Kumori and Kusaki, who were waking up.
"What happened?" Kumori moaned, rubbing a sore spot on her head. "Where is she?" she asked frantically, jumping up.
"I don't know," Kusaki answered. "This looks like your dad's study. Demo, I'm not quite sure if it is.
"NANI??" Kumori nearly shouted. "How can, but not be?!"
"I am not quite sure," Kusaki answered. "But if we look around, maybe we will find out."
"Should we split?" Hakumei asked. The trio looked at each other for a moment, then nodded.
"Hai, let's." The girls split up. While Hakumei and Kumori searched the castle, Kusaki searched the gardens.
KUmori watched the backs of her retreating friends, before starting the search. Roaming down the hall, she was quite frightened when one second she realized she could not move.
"Who are you?" came a voice from behind. Kumori somehow managed to turn her head, and watched, her jaw dropped, as she saw what looked like her parents approach her.
There was a small crash, and Kumori turned her head to see what it was. But all she saw was a small figure darting off, a black braid trailing after her.
"Who was that?" Umi asked.
Diverting her parents' attention from Hikaru, she screamed, "LET ME GO RIGHT THIS INSTANCE!"
~*~
It all happened too fast for Hakumei. One second she was hiding behind a statue from Kumori's parents' clones, the other she was lifted up by the back of her shirt and looking into familiar violet eyes.
"Who are you?" the man asked, then it hit Hakumei. That was her father! Maybe Kumori was right, maybe she was dense.
"Hakumei, sir," Hakumei's voice was cracked, she was scared. Something has happened all right. 'Who are you?' was some of the last questions he would ever ask her.
"What are you doing here? I don't remember seeing you here."
Hakumei swallowed hard. "I think I'm lost. This is Cephiro's palace, isn't it, sir?"
He nodded. He abruptly turned his attention from Hakumei was a short rehead came bouncing in, litterally. "Ohayo, Lantis!" she stopped when she spotted Hakumei and asked, "Who's she?"
"H..h..hakumei..." the small brunette said, shifting, trying to get comfortable. "Errr...how old are you, ma'am?"
"Huh? I'm fifteen, why?" the redhead answered, confused.
Hakumei watched her, gaping. If she remembered correctly, her mother was around 37, and the girl in front was definitely her mom, only...shorter.
~*~
Kusaki had been sneaking around in the garden. Her friends were searching the castle for a possible clue, since she had to be what Kumori called paranoid.
No one's here, Kusaki thought as she began her search through the garden for the second time. What happened? Okasan adn Otousan love to spend time together in the garden at this hour. She squinted her eyes as she looked up. Or so it seems. Or maybe...oh my! I shouldn't have thought of that! Kusaki thought blushing. Maybe I've been hanging around Onnisan too long.
"Oi, who's there?" she heard a voice say. She stopped in her tracks and stiffened. "I thought I heard someone..."
"Ferio, are you sure you heard something?" she heard a another voice asked. "Maybe it's an animal..."
"Gotcha!" Kusaki nearly screamed when she felt someone grabbed her arm. She swirled around to face a familiar face.
Kusaki screamed, and stumbled back, tripping over her own nervousness.
"Woah! Hey, are you okay?" Ferio asked, or at least he sure looked like him, except younger.
Kusaki bit her bottom lip to keep from screaming again. She tried to think things out logically. Ever since Kumori and that wacky lady pulled over the orb, they had landed in Clef's study. The difference? No stacks of books all over, it's the middle of the day, and the wacky lady and her henchman was gone. Oh, and waht else? Clef was three feet tall, their rooms were empty and unoccupied, and no signs of their siblings and friends. SOmething happened, and she wanted to know what.
"Uhh...miss, are you okay?" Fuu, or what looked like Fuu asked Kusaki.
"Huh, wha? Oh, I am!" Kusaki said quickly. "I was just thinking that's all. "Eh heh, you haven't heard of the Kuiki no Toki?"
Ferio and Fuu looked at her blankly.
"Oh....okay?" Kusaki decided another approach. "YOu haven't had any troubles with evil people lately?"
Ferio and Fuu shooked their heads.
"Umm...miss..." Kusaki started, it felt weird calling her mom miss. "How old are you?"
"Fifteen," Fuu asnwered. "Why?"
Kusaki, with her jaw hanging, looked at Fuu with utter disbelief, before passing out.
~*~
"Gah! Let me go!" Kumori demanded rather loudly at the Guru. "I'm not gonna do anything bad!"
"Why are you here?" Clef demanded.
"That's what I like to know, shorty!" Kumori snapped, loosing her patience. "Look, I just appeared there with my friends okay?"
"So, there's more of you?" Umi asked quietly.
"..." I need to know how to keep my mouth shut. Kumori thought. "Look! I don't know how I got here, okay? If I did, I wouldn't be here shouting at you right now! I don't even know exactly when adn where I am!" The ultimate question has to be when. My parents don't know me, my dad shrunk, my mom deaged, what next? Lafarga and Caldina don't have a child?! ...hmm, maybe they don't...
"Maybe you should tell us what you know before you came," Umi suggested lightly.
"Look! All I remember was trying to keep this orb thing from a pyscopath, and me and my friends ended up in the study! Happy?!" Kumori barked. "Just let me go! I'm not gonna steal anything!"
"Orb thing?" Clef inquired. "Do you know it's name?"
"Uhhh...something like Fois Orbis, or was it Kuiki no Toki? I think it's both," Kumori answered. "Why?"
Clef has a thoughtful look and Umi was lost.
"What the heck is Kuiki no Toki?" Umi said irritably.
"It's this small orb glass thing," Kumori answered. "Dad siad it had something to do with time though...I wonder..." Kumori paused, then screamed. "Gah! I think I know now!" Kumori satyed quiet while she mentally cursed.
~*~
Hikaru looked at the gaping child. What the heck was wrong with her? Everyone has to be fifteen once, if they wanted to get older.
"Is something wrong?" Hikaru asked.
"N..n..no!" Hakumei stuttered. "I mean...yes...no...uh...yes.." she stopped to take a breath. "Yes."
"Who are you?" Hikaru asked cheerfully.
"Hakumei," the little girl muttered. "Uhh...Mister Knight sir, can I be released? This isn't a comfortable position."
Lantis remained silent and dropped Hakumei to the floor, who managed to barely land on her feet.
"So what's your problem?" Hikaru asked brightly, bending over to Hakumei.
"I don't beleive I know what time-no wait, I mean when-I am," Hakumei asnwered. "or something like that...I think..."
Hikaru titled her head to the side. "When?"
"If it's what I think it is," Hakumei muttered. She suddenly looked up and shouted "Ku-chan!" before running toward Ferio and Fuu, who were entering the castle, Ferio holding a little girl.
Ferio jumped back in surprise when Hakumei ran up to him.
"Mr. Ferio, is Kusaki gonna be alright?" Hakumei asked anxiously. "is she?"
"Kusaki? Is that her name?" Fuu asked gently, leaning foward to Hakumei. "Yes she is. What's your name?"
"Hakumei," Lantis answered absent-mindly. "You have any ideas what's going on?"
Ferio shook his head. "No. I wonder if Umi and who ever else ran into a kid sneaking around?"
"Actually, yes."
All heads turned to see the Water Knight drag in a screaming lavender hair girl, follwoed by the Guru.
"Lemme go, lemme go!" the lavender haired girl, which is Kumori, screamed. "I can walk, BAKA!"
Umi let go of Kumori and whirled arund to face her. "I AM NOT a baka!"
"I know you're not," Kumori said nonchalantly. "I needed you to let go of me. Thanks."
Umi lifted a finger to say something, but Kumori ran past her shouting, "Hakumei!" and embracing the small brunette in a tight hug.
To be Continued...
AN: This is one of the longest chapters I've ever written. I'd appreciate it if you review and tell me what you think. Thanks!
Kumori Ryuuzaki
SUMMARY: Kumori, Kusaki, and Hakumei are three girls, all daughters of the Magic Knight. After fighting over a galss orb, Kuiki no Toki with a would-be thief, they land in the past. U/C H/L F/F
Unrolling the Future
Chapter One- Kuiki no Toki
In a violet colored room, sat three ten year old girls. They were all bored.
"There's nothing to do," Kumori said in a bored tone, twirling her lavender locks with her index finger.
"I wonder where Okasan has been," Kusaki commented. She looked up to the ceiling with bright green eyes. "All of our mothers has been away for a while."
"Yeah," Hakumei replied. "I haven't seen since last week."
"Otousan wasn't any help," Kumori said in an annoyed tone. "All he said that it was something important."
"Mine too," Hakumei said. She then slumped back in a violet leather chair. "Cephiro is boring. We can always sneak off to the Forest of Silence."
"No!" Kusaki nearly yelled. "I'm still forbidden to enter the library!"
Hakumei sweatdropped. "What's with you and books?"
"Literature isn't bad," Kumori replied. "Although i prefer to write them then read them."
There was a long silence, before Kumori said, "I'm gonna go see my dad."
"I'll come with you!" Hakumei said cheerfully. "I hadn't seen Clef-san in ages! I think I'm starting to forget his hair color..." she added quietly.
Kusaki giggled. "Your so forgetful, Mei-chan!"
Hakumei scowled at Kusaki. "Am not!" she snapped. She added quietly, but sheepishly, "I just hadn't seen since forever."
"I haven't either, and I remember my parents hair colors!" Kusaki replied. "Actually I think we seen Clef and Lantis last week."
"Well, I'm going now," Kumori said. "You can follow me. I hope he isn't grouchy this morning. This important buisness is tiring him out, I just know it!"
"All the other times I saw Ferio-san lately he was sleeping, even in library," Hakumei said. "I think the title of the book he was reading was called something like Kuiki no Toki: The Legend."
Kumori and Kusaki looked at each other.
"We'll look that up after we visit Otousan," Kumori said. "I need to know what's going on! The suspense is practically killing me!"
~*~
After what seemed like a minature journey through hallways, doors, and kitchens for a snack, they finally made it to the door to Clef's study.
The three girls stood there for awhile then looked at each other. After a second, Kumori scoffed and lifted a hand to knock on the door. "Fine, I'll knock!"
She knocked. No answer. SHe knocked again. No answer. She knocked louder. And she was answered. ^.^
"Yes?" came a gruffy voice. "What do you want?"
"Otousan!" Kumori chirped. "It's me, Kumori, and Kusaki and Hakumei! I'd like to ask you a question!"
"Door's open."
Kumori opened the door, and the first things she saw were...
...books. Stacks of books. Mounds of books. What did Otousan do? Bring the whole library here? Kumori thought as she queezed inbetween the small gaps betweent large stacks of books to get to her father. Heh, maybe being small isn't so bad afterall.
After what seemed like eternity, she was able to reach the desk her father was reading at, or used to be reading. He was slumped back in his chair and looked like he was gonna fall alseep at the moment. ANd something on his desk caught her eye. There was a glass orb sitting on a velvet pillow.
"Otousan, what's that?" Kumori asked, pointing to the orb on his desk.
"Huh? Oh, that's the Fois Orbis," he said, stiffling a yawn. Noticing the confused look on Kumori's face, he added, "Kuiki no Toki, better known as."
Kusaki and Hakumei, who managed to get through the books, looked at each other. Wasn't the title of the book Ferio was once sleeping on?
"Oh? What's it do?" Kumori asked, peering intently at the orb.
"All I know is it has something to do with time," Clef answered, then yawned. "What was it you wanted to ask?" (#@&$, now I'm starting to yawn!)
"Oh, when will mom be home?" Kumori asked. "I really miss those picnics and fencing lessons!"
"A few days I beleive," Clef said groggily, then stood up. "I think I'll get a bit of sleep." he added, leaving the girls in his study alone.
After a few seconds, Hakumei said, "But it's eleven in the morning!"
"He looks tired. Who wants to bet he'll sleep in until tommarrow?" Kumori asked.
And that's exactly what Clef did. ^_^
Past midnight later that day, Kumori, Kusaki, and Hakumei were tiptoeing to Clef's study, all because Kumori wanted to see the orb again, and maybe sneak out a book or two they could actually read, who had to drag her best firends with her.
"I don't know, Ri-chan," Kusaki said nervously. "It's late and we should be asleep, not up and about to look at some orb!"
"There's something about that orb," Kumori paused, "THere's just some strange feeling I'm getting from that thing."
"I don't know why," Hakumei said. "But I feel all shaky and scared when I look at it." She looked down and a tint of pink appeared at her cheeks.
"There's nothing bad about that feeling," Kumori assured Hakumei, "I'd get that feeling if I didn't expect it to bring back evils from the past."
"Well, we're here," Kusaki announced quietly.
Kumori nodded and quickly open the door so it wouldn't squeak so much. Once they got in, she closed the door and held up a flashlight. Turning it on, she and her friends managed somehow to get through the books without ruining the stacks.
She could see the glitter of the orb withoutthe light of the flashlight in her hand. Handing her flashlight to Kusaki, Kumori went and picked up the orb from the soft pillow. Then she could hear voices...
"...what? You are still children!"
"Wait. What do you mean by children? You don't look a year older than 10 yourself!!"
"A child, what do you mean?" There was a loud thud. "I'm 745 years old."
"Ehhhh?"
"...Kumori? Kumori, answer me!"
Kumori snapped back into reality. "I thought I heard something...voices..."
"Huh? Voices?" Hakumei asked in a nervous tone.
"They sounded like..." Kumori paused. "...like my parents...only, my mom sounded a tad bit different..."
"Did you catch anything?" Kusaki asked.
"Something about children, ten year olds, and being 745 years old." Kumori answered. "B-"
Kumori was interupted by the door squeaking open. Scared out of their wits, they hid behind stacks of book near one corner.
There was silence, then sounds of the books falling from their neat stacks and a gruff voice. "I know it's here somewhere...now where's that stupid orb of time?"
Kumori eyes widen when she realized something. She was holding the freaking orb! Kusaki and Hakumei shot terrified looks to her. Quietly, Kumori slipped the orb into her vest and prayed that they wouldn't be found.
"Look what we have here?" a high female voice said, knocking down the books that hid the three girls. "Children? In the Guru's study? That's something we don't see everyday."
"But we don't go wondering into the Guru's study everyday now, do we?" said a muscular man.
The two laughed.
"..." The girls cowered back as far as they could into the corner.
"Oh, scared?" the woman said haughitly. "Not that that matters. You are only children..."
The woman abruptly stopped when the girls mustered enough courage to run out of the study, and into the hall and lock themselves into the nearest room. Panting slightly, they leaned against the door. Kumori looked up and saw her father snoring softly in an armchair.
"Dad!" she cried, running toward him and shaking him. "Dad! There'samadeviloldladyandsomewierdguymessingupyourstudyandIthinkthey'relookforsomething!" she said really fast. "DDDAAADDD!"
"huh?" Clef stirred and sleepily is eyes. "What is it this time, Kumori?"
"There's someone-actually two people-out in your study!" Kumori shouted. "At least I think they're still there!" Clef was now wide awake.
"Shh! I think I hear footsteps!" Kusaki said, and placed her ear against the door. "And they're talking...and..." she never finished. The door was forced open, almost hitting Hakumei and Kusaki if they hadn't jump back in time. The two girls screamed and, with Kumori, hid behind Clef, who was already standing.
At the door frame was the woman the man who were in the study. The woman stepped foward. "Where's the orb, Guru?"
Kumori edged back slightly, and put her hand over her side where she could feel the lump of the orb in her coat. Trying to keep her cool, she looked up to glare at who she called, the old lady.
Clef raised an eyebrow. "And you trashed my study to look for it?"
"If it's not in there, then maybe on of those children has it?" she edged on.
"It sure took you long enough to find out," Clef retorted.
Kumori bit her lip and scooted closer to the window, her hand never leaving the lump in her vest. She never felt so scared before. Hakumei and Kusaki scooted back to, but they were in front of Kumori.
The woman snarled and lifted her hand high up and started to glow a golden-brown color. "I want the blasted orb! GIve it now!"
Clef grabbed his staff that was leaning against the armchair and held it up. "No."
"Now which one..." the woman's eyes darted between each girl until she stopped at Kumori, who leaned back. "Ahh...so th-" the woman was cut off when Clef sent a surge of magic and it knocked her out of the room.
The man next to fallen woman charged at him, and Clef, with the wave of his staff, also sent him flying. The Guru truned to the girls. "You need to get out now!"
"Hai!" The three girls quickly ran out and try to avoid the two people outside the room. They stopped in front of Ferio, Lantis, and Lafarga who were coming out when the heard all the noise.
"What happened?" Ferio demanded.
"Two people!" Kusaki said. "Trying to get an orb! And I think she knows which one of us has it!"
"YOu have the orb!?" Ferio shouted. He shoved them down the hall. "Go! Caldina should show up any minute!"
The trio nodded and ran up ahead. After awhile they encountered Caldina, who was frantically rushing foward. When Caldina caught sight of the three girls, she sighed in relief.
"COme on," She urshered the girls inside a room, and making sure the door is locked tight.
Kumori looked around the room and saw a dark corner. Before she knew what happened, a figure emerged, revealing the woman from earlier. In her hand, was the glass orb.
"Hey!" Kumori shouted. "Give that back!" She wasn't scared anymore, more liked pissed. How the heck did the wacky lady get the orb from right under her nose? Kumori grabbed the orb and gave a tug. The woman growled and tugged back, more forcefully.
"Hakumei, Kusaki! Help!" Kumori snapped, trying to ge4t the orb back. SHe could feel the orb slowly slip from her hands.
Hakumei and Kusaki, though nervous, helped Kumori. With one big tug, the girls and the woman fell back, screaming. In a flash of white light, they were nowhere to be found.
Oh, and Caldina screamed.
~*~
Hakumei opened her eyes, and sat up, and observed her surroundings in awe. SHe had no idea what happened, but she had a good idea where she was. Clef's study, only cleaner. she thought, as she realized that the study was missing stacks of books that had fallen over.She looked out the window to see it was a bright sunny day, around the afternoon, she beleived. I guess we were knocked out.
She turned to look at Kumori and Kusaki, who were waking up.
"What happened?" Kumori moaned, rubbing a sore spot on her head. "Where is she?" she asked frantically, jumping up.
"I don't know," Kusaki answered. "This looks like your dad's study. Demo, I'm not quite sure if it is.
"NANI??" Kumori nearly shouted. "How can, but not be?!"
"I am not quite sure," Kusaki answered. "But if we look around, maybe we will find out."
"Should we split?" Hakumei asked. The trio looked at each other for a moment, then nodded.
"Hai, let's." The girls split up. While Hakumei and Kumori searched the castle, Kusaki searched the gardens.
KUmori watched the backs of her retreating friends, before starting the search. Roaming down the hall, she was quite frightened when one second she realized she could not move.
"Who are you?" came a voice from behind. Kumori somehow managed to turn her head, and watched, her jaw dropped, as she saw what looked like her parents approach her.
There was a small crash, and Kumori turned her head to see what it was. But all she saw was a small figure darting off, a black braid trailing after her.
"Who was that?" Umi asked.
Diverting her parents' attention from Hikaru, she screamed, "LET ME GO RIGHT THIS INSTANCE!"
~*~
It all happened too fast for Hakumei. One second she was hiding behind a statue from Kumori's parents' clones, the other she was lifted up by the back of her shirt and looking into familiar violet eyes.
"Who are you?" the man asked, then it hit Hakumei. That was her father! Maybe Kumori was right, maybe she was dense.
"Hakumei, sir," Hakumei's voice was cracked, she was scared. Something has happened all right. 'Who are you?' was some of the last questions he would ever ask her.
"What are you doing here? I don't remember seeing you here."
Hakumei swallowed hard. "I think I'm lost. This is Cephiro's palace, isn't it, sir?"
He nodded. He abruptly turned his attention from Hakumei was a short rehead came bouncing in, litterally. "Ohayo, Lantis!" she stopped when she spotted Hakumei and asked, "Who's she?"
"H..h..hakumei..." the small brunette said, shifting, trying to get comfortable. "Errr...how old are you, ma'am?"
"Huh? I'm fifteen, why?" the redhead answered, confused.
Hakumei watched her, gaping. If she remembered correctly, her mother was around 37, and the girl in front was definitely her mom, only...shorter.
~*~
Kusaki had been sneaking around in the garden. Her friends were searching the castle for a possible clue, since she had to be what Kumori called paranoid.
No one's here, Kusaki thought as she began her search through the garden for the second time. What happened? Okasan adn Otousan love to spend time together in the garden at this hour. She squinted her eyes as she looked up. Or so it seems. Or maybe...oh my! I shouldn't have thought of that! Kusaki thought blushing. Maybe I've been hanging around Onnisan too long.
"Oi, who's there?" she heard a voice say. She stopped in her tracks and stiffened. "I thought I heard someone..."
"Ferio, are you sure you heard something?" she heard a another voice asked. "Maybe it's an animal..."
"Gotcha!" Kusaki nearly screamed when she felt someone grabbed her arm. She swirled around to face a familiar face.
Kusaki screamed, and stumbled back, tripping over her own nervousness.
"Woah! Hey, are you okay?" Ferio asked, or at least he sure looked like him, except younger.
Kusaki bit her bottom lip to keep from screaming again. She tried to think things out logically. Ever since Kumori and that wacky lady pulled over the orb, they had landed in Clef's study. The difference? No stacks of books all over, it's the middle of the day, and the wacky lady and her henchman was gone. Oh, and waht else? Clef was three feet tall, their rooms were empty and unoccupied, and no signs of their siblings and friends. SOmething happened, and she wanted to know what.
"Uhh...miss, are you okay?" Fuu, or what looked like Fuu asked Kusaki.
"Huh, wha? Oh, I am!" Kusaki said quickly. "I was just thinking that's all. "Eh heh, you haven't heard of the Kuiki no Toki?"
Ferio and Fuu looked at her blankly.
"Oh....okay?" Kusaki decided another approach. "YOu haven't had any troubles with evil people lately?"
Ferio and Fuu shooked their heads.
"Umm...miss..." Kusaki started, it felt weird calling her mom miss. "How old are you?"
"Fifteen," Fuu asnwered. "Why?"
Kusaki, with her jaw hanging, looked at Fuu with utter disbelief, before passing out.
~*~
"Gah! Let me go!" Kumori demanded rather loudly at the Guru. "I'm not gonna do anything bad!"
"Why are you here?" Clef demanded.
"That's what I like to know, shorty!" Kumori snapped, loosing her patience. "Look, I just appeared there with my friends okay?"
"So, there's more of you?" Umi asked quietly.
"..." I need to know how to keep my mouth shut. Kumori thought. "Look! I don't know how I got here, okay? If I did, I wouldn't be here shouting at you right now! I don't even know exactly when adn where I am!" The ultimate question has to be when. My parents don't know me, my dad shrunk, my mom deaged, what next? Lafarga and Caldina don't have a child?! ...hmm, maybe they don't...
"Maybe you should tell us what you know before you came," Umi suggested lightly.
"Look! All I remember was trying to keep this orb thing from a pyscopath, and me and my friends ended up in the study! Happy?!" Kumori barked. "Just let me go! I'm not gonna steal anything!"
"Orb thing?" Clef inquired. "Do you know it's name?"
"Uhhh...something like Fois Orbis, or was it Kuiki no Toki? I think it's both," Kumori answered. "Why?"
Clef has a thoughtful look and Umi was lost.
"What the heck is Kuiki no Toki?" Umi said irritably.
"It's this small orb glass thing," Kumori answered. "Dad siad it had something to do with time though...I wonder..." Kumori paused, then screamed. "Gah! I think I know now!" Kumori satyed quiet while she mentally cursed.
~*~
Hikaru looked at the gaping child. What the heck was wrong with her? Everyone has to be fifteen once, if they wanted to get older.
"Is something wrong?" Hikaru asked.
"N..n..no!" Hakumei stuttered. "I mean...yes...no...uh...yes.." she stopped to take a breath. "Yes."
"Who are you?" Hikaru asked cheerfully.
"Hakumei," the little girl muttered. "Uhh...Mister Knight sir, can I be released? This isn't a comfortable position."
Lantis remained silent and dropped Hakumei to the floor, who managed to barely land on her feet.
"So what's your problem?" Hikaru asked brightly, bending over to Hakumei.
"I don't beleive I know what time-no wait, I mean when-I am," Hakumei asnwered. "or something like that...I think..."
Hikaru titled her head to the side. "When?"
"If it's what I think it is," Hakumei muttered. She suddenly looked up and shouted "Ku-chan!" before running toward Ferio and Fuu, who were entering the castle, Ferio holding a little girl.
Ferio jumped back in surprise when Hakumei ran up to him.
"Mr. Ferio, is Kusaki gonna be alright?" Hakumei asked anxiously. "is she?"
"Kusaki? Is that her name?" Fuu asked gently, leaning foward to Hakumei. "Yes she is. What's your name?"
"Hakumei," Lantis answered absent-mindly. "You have any ideas what's going on?"
Ferio shook his head. "No. I wonder if Umi and who ever else ran into a kid sneaking around?"
"Actually, yes."
All heads turned to see the Water Knight drag in a screaming lavender hair girl, follwoed by the Guru.
"Lemme go, lemme go!" the lavender haired girl, which is Kumori, screamed. "I can walk, BAKA!"
Umi let go of Kumori and whirled arund to face her. "I AM NOT a baka!"
"I know you're not," Kumori said nonchalantly. "I needed you to let go of me. Thanks."
Umi lifted a finger to say something, but Kumori ran past her shouting, "Hakumei!" and embracing the small brunette in a tight hug.
To be Continued...
AN: This is one of the longest chapters I've ever written. I'd appreciate it if you review and tell me what you think. Thanks!
Kumori Ryuuzaki