Chapter Two: Welcome to Cephiro!
When the flying fish had descended close enough to the ground, it bucked wildly, sending the six befuddled teens tumbling.
"Oww, my back!" the blue-haired girl muttered.
"What're you complainin' about? You landed on me!" Kamui grumbled, as he gave the girl an unreadable look.
"Yipe! Sorry!" the blue-haired girl yelped, quickly getting up off of Kamui's back so he could sit up.
"Are you two okay?" the blond girl asked, with honest concern.
"A little stiff, but otherwise all right." Kamui replied.
"Good to hear, but you should take better care of yourself." The blond girl again said, getting a deadpan look from Kamui as a response.
"Well, putting that aside, does anybody know where we are?" the silver-haired boy said, as he readjusted his glasses, stood up, and dusted himself off.
"I haven't the slightest idea." Subaru stated, honestly wishing that he'd remained at home.
"I never knew Tokyo had such beautiful foliage!" the blond girl chirped happily.
"Tokyo?! Have you even been listening to the conversation?! There's no buildings, no smog, and no cars! This isn't Tokyo!!" the blue-haired girl shouted, impatiently.
"She's right. This isn't Tokyo." The redhead said, calmly.
"I don't understand……Where are we?" the blond girl asked.
"I dunno." The redhead replied, completely at a loss, while everyone around her, including Subaru and Kamui, face-faulted.
"Yet, when we were falling, you pointed out six landmarks; an ocean, a floating mountain, an obelisk, a midday moon, a crystal forest, and a volcano. That doesn't sound like anything I have ever seen in Tokyo." The silver-haired boy said, matter-of-factly.
"You're right, that doesn't sound like Tokyo at all. Not even the floating mountain or the crystal forest." The blond girl agreed, thoughtfully.
"Duh! When's the last time you saw a volcano?" the blue-haired girl asked.
"Hey! Maybe Mt. Fuji blew its top!" the blond girl suggested, brightly.
"Gimme a break, whydoncha?" the blue-haired girl snapped, impatiently.
"I think the only thing that's comin' close to blowin' is Little Girl Blue's top!" Kamui whispered, with a snicker.
"Now, now, Kamui-kun! If you can't say something nice……..!" Subaru started, but was cut off by Kamui.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Don't say anything at all. Sheesh, you're worse than my mother!" Kamui muttered, jumping about ten feet in the air when the girls let out startled cries and the giant flying fish reappeared.
"Whoa, that's one big fish!" the blue-haired girl exclaimed, as she tried to calm her racing heart.
"No kiddin'" Kamui muttered in agreement.
"I don't think it's a fish. Fish don't have wings!" the blond girl stated, logically.
"Then what is it, then?" the silver-haired boy asked, his mahogany eyes curious and skeptical at the same time.
"Beats me. Besides, can you imagine trying to buy that at Tsukuji Fish Market?!" the blue-haired girl added, not noticing when the redhead approached the fish, reached out, and touched it. Everyone, except the redhead, was startled when it started flapping its wings like crazy in response to the redhead's gentle touch.
"It's okay, minna! He's a big sweetheart!" the redhead chirped, happily.
"Petting it would not have been my first choice." The blue-haired girl muttered, giving the silver-haired boy an odd look as he strode over and scratched the giant fish on the chin, getting an appreciative nod from it in return.
"He's kind of like a pet dog, only he has scales, fins, and wings." The silver-haired boy said, as he gave the redhead a kind smile.
"Well, at least now we don't have to run away……" the blond girl murmured.
"Yeah, and at least we're not getting cows thrown at us either." Kamui mumbled, getting a collective 'Nani?' from the rest of the group.
"Never mind." Kamui again grumbled, embarrassed that he'd been heard.
"Well, I've felt terribly impolite up until now. We haven't properly introduced ourselves!" the blond girl said, cheerfully, then added, "Hi, I'm Houoji Fuu. I'm fourteen years old and in eighth grade." The blue-haired girl rolled her eyes and sighed. Might as well.
"My name's Ryuuzaki Umi. I'm also fourteen and in eighth grade." The blue-haired girl continued, a little surprised that the three boys hadn't said anything yet and appeared to be patiently waiting their turn. Then the redhead bounced over and introduced herself.
"Well all right! I'm Shidou Hikaru! I'm an eighth grader and fourteen as well!" the redhead shouted. This got yelps of disbelief from Umi and Fuu.
"You and I can't be the same age!" Umi yelped, shocked by this.
"Quit foolin'! You've got such a baby face!" Fuu added, also shocked. Subaru chuckled when a deadpan expression crossed Kamui's face. The silver-haired boy noticed it too.
"You've heard that sort of thing before, haven't you?" the other boy asked.
"Hai. Since grade school." Kamui replied, dryly, as the girls turned their attention to them.
"So, what're your names, guys?" Umi asked, leaning forward slightly, expecting a response. Subaru was the first to comply.
"I am Sumeragi Subaru. I am sixteen years old and a sophomore in high school I'm also home-schooled." Subaru said, calmly.
"I'm Shiro Kamui, also sixteen years old and a sophomore in high school. I go to CLAMP Academy High, though." Kamui stated, then turned his attention to the silver-haired boy.
"It seems that I'm the last one. My name is Tsukishiro Yukito. I am also sixteen years of age and am a sophomore in Seijyu High." The silver-haired boy said, at last.
"Good to meet you, minna!" Hikaru shouted, cheerfully, getting smiles from just about everyone in the group.
"Man, you six sure can gab!" an unfamiliar male voice muttered, from overhead.
"Who said that?!" Umi yelped, as Subaru, Kamui, and Yukito got in front of her, Hikaru and Fuu in an effort to shield them. No sooner had they done that, a man in ornate white robes landed gracefully in front of them. He was of average height, a little bit taller than Kamui, Subaru, and Yukito, and had a slight build. Lavender hair drifted silently over a golden circlet and deep blue eyes carefully scrutinized the group standing before him.
"I'd heard Princess Emeraude had summoned the legendary knights from another world, but you can't be them. You're just a bunch of kids!" the stranger said, disparagingly.
"Well, sir, you don't look that much older than Yukito-kun, Kamui-kun, and myself." Subaru stated, matter-of-factly.
"Yeah, who're you callin' 'kids'?" You look like you should be a junior in high school yourself! What gives you the right to sound all high and mighty?" Kamui asked, impetuously. This earned him a smack on the head from the man's staff.
"Age. I may not look it, but I am seven-hundred and forty-five years old!" the man retorted, indignantly.
"Nani?!" Subaru and Kamui yelped, in unison.
"Well, you've certainly aged well!" Fuu murmured, thoughtfully.
"He certainly has!" Yukito said, quietly agreeing with Fuu on that point.
"Yeah, plastic surgery must be real cheap in this town!" Umi chortled, as Kamui snickered and nodded in agreement. The man gave Umi an unreadable look before collecting himself and speaking again.
"Instead of gratitude, you give me ridicule? After I summoned Fyula here to help you out?" the man asked, a she motioned to the giant flying fish with a wave of his hand.
"Help us out? Is this your flying fish?" Hikaru in turned asked, curiously. The man slowly nodded and walked over to the fish, putting a hand on its chin and stroking it thoughtfully.
"So to speak. This is Fyula. We're friends." The man replied, quietly.
"Does that mean you're from here? If so, can you tell us where here is, and why we're in it?" Subaru asked calmly, though with some anxiety in his voice. The man turned and gave all of them a grave look.
"You're in Cephiro. Princess Emeraude brought you here. You six are her champions; the Legendary Magic Knights." The man said, in all seriousness. This got a number of different reactions from the six teenagers. Subaru and Yukito exchanged looks of honest confusion, and Umi and Fuu were skeptical to say the least. Hikaru and Kamui, however, showed ample amounts of enthusiasm.
"Yeah! All right! Legendary Knights!" Kamui shouted, eager to have a good excuse to beat something up.
"Wow! Legendary Magic Knights…….." Hikaru murmured, also looking eager, but having no idea why. In the meantime, Fuu and Umi had tried sweet-talking Fyula into taking them home, and were now being chased by a somewhat miffed mage, much to the amusement of Subaru and Yukito.
"Quite energetic for a seven-hundred forty-five year old, isn't he?" Subaru asked. Yukito chuckled and nodded.
"Yes, he is. Probably a far cry from what Fuu-san and Umi-san were expecting though." Yukito agreed, then went silent when the mage raised his staff into the air, shouted 'Spirit Beast, Return!' and sucked the giant fish into his staff by a tremendous whirlwind.
"You cannot return to your world." The mage said, and all movement around him ceased. Hikaru, Umi, Fuu, Yukito, Kamui, and Subaru all stared at the mage in shock. They couldn't go home?!
"What?!?" the six shouted, in unison.
"I said you cannot return to your world!" the mage repeated, calmly.
"W-we can't go home?" Fuu asked, shakily.
"Why? Why can't we go home?" Subaru in turn asked.
"You're in Cephiro now….summoned from another world. Your will alone is not enough to return you there." The mage said, seriously.
"What?! You mean I'm stuck here forever?! With giant flying fish and freaky old-man bishonen?!" Umi screeched, spazzing out for the first (and destined not to be the last) time.
"Please, tell me you have Haagen-Dazs, Denny's, or Mos Burgers!" Kamui added, the novelty of being called a legendary knight having worn off when he heard this bit of news.
"We can't go home." Hikaru murmured, looking sad now that the news was sinking in. As Umi, Fuu, and Kamui continued to bemoan their situation, Subaru and Yukito sank into contemplative silence. Everything was happening so fast, and they had had no time to truly absorb all that was happening to them.
"My grandparents will be so worried." Yukito whispered, as sadness dulled his mahogany eyes.
"I know how that is. My sister and best friend will be worried too." Subaru stated, relating very well to how Yukito was feeling.
"Are you sure? Because that means we'll never see our folks, friends or loved ones ever again." Hikaru said, sorrowfully, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. The mage saw the sorrow in Hikaru's eyes and his heart softened; he could sense how important her family and friends back home truly were to her.
"Well………there is one way….." the mage murmured, and subsequently got several years scared out of his life when Fuu, Umi, and Kamui growled at him.
"Why didn't you say so?! Please tell us!" Fuu demanded.
"That's pretty dirty, bishonen!" Umi shouted, furiously.
"You may be a senior citizen, but I'll bet I've got more stamina than you! I could still beat you to a pulp!" Kamui threatened, angrily. The mage gazed about him in shock; he hadn't expected this!
"Please, don't be mad. It's important to us that you tell us how to get home." Hikaru said as she kneeled before the mage, beseeching him with her eyes that he give them the information they so desperately desired. The mage sighed, took a deep breath, then looked directly into the teens' eyes.
"If you wish to go home, you must save Cephiro." The mage said, seriously; his gaze and words penetrating deep into the six young hearts.