Chapter Five

When Hikaru opened her eyes she was in an unknown room. She sat up and stretched. Where was she? She looked around and scanned the room. She was in a bed with a red and pink bread spread. There was an almost transparent red silk drape that fell on all sides of the bed. She carefully separated it and looked around her. The room was decorated beautifully with red paintings and symbols of joy and happiness. There were paintings of a strange world. She walked toward one painting and looked at it. It depicted rolling hills and valleys, a phoenix soared overhead. Waves crashed in the distance and a dragon roamed the sky nearby. The mountains were in the distance with a lion standing on the top. She had seen this image before, in a book about the legend of Emeraude and Zagato. She shook her head and looked around again. The carpet was white and was comfortable beneath her feet. This wasn't anywhere near the university, so where was she and what happened?

There was a knock at her door, and Hikaru answered it. It was that strange man from the campus, "Where am I?" she demanded. "My family is poor, there won't be a ransom."

He looked distressed and shook his head, "Come with me Princess," he instructed, and she followed him, feeling she had no other alternative.

*

Lantis looked around him and wondered where he was. He was in a strange garden somewhere, asleep in a tree. He jumped down and looked around him. There was a gorgeous fountain and selections and combinations of flowers he'd never even imagined. Some of these flowers didn't even exist, but here they were. He bent down to touch one, but a sharp voice stopped him.

"They're deadly, don't touch them."

He turned and looked at a small girl in a red robe with hair like cat ears coming from the sides of her head. "Who are you and where am I?" Lantis demanded, and she smiled.

"Why you're home of course," she responded cheerily. "Come with me, and I'll show you to breakfast being's how you don't remember where it is," she offered a hand which he bent down and took.

*

Eagle opened his eyes and blinked in the sun. He was outside a huge palace with Geo and Zazu next to him, "Where are we?" Eagle whispered, this place seemed so familiar.

"We're in Cephiro," Geo muttered, and he seemed afraid that he knew that.

"Cephiro," Zazu's eyes seemed clouded.

"Our new home," Eagle added with sudden passion. He was home; he no longer lived on Autozam, but in Cephiro, after the treaty. He had moved here to serve the Princess of Fire, the Magic Knight. They had had some kind of problem and the Princess' couldn't be safe on Cephiro, so they went to Earth to save them. That's right, everything came flooding back to them. There had been war, civil war, after Emeraude's death and the invasion of the countries was over, there had been horrible civil war. The people had been scared and fought each other. The Princess' could not stop it; the Guru could not stop it, so they fled. Yes, everything came flooding unhappily back. Now, it seemed though, that everything was fine and good and nothing had happened. How had Cephiro survived leaderless? Then his mind wandered-the Princess!

At the same time he began to run inside, Geo and Zazu followed fast on his heels.

*

Ferio looked around her and blinked heavily, where was he again? The apartment was not that of anyone in the university that he knew. He hadn't been at a party; he had been at a…concert. Yes, and there had been that man and…Fuu!

He jumped up and threw open the door to be greeted by three other men running down the hall. He noticed them from the concert last night and decided to follow them. Quickly, he began to race after them.

"Prince!" one with dirty blond hair and secretive eyes called, and Ferio looked confused.

"What? Is this some kind of prank? Where are we?" Ferio questioned as they ran.

"We are in Cephiro; you are home, you just don't remember. Don't worry Prince, you'll know soon enough," a short man with a green hat commented.

Ferio had no other choice it seemed, but to heed their word and follow them into the darkness.

*

Fuu stretched and sat up. She looked around, and fright gripped her. So last night had not been a dream, she had been captured by the man with purple eyes. The place he held her was elegant enough. The bed she was on was huge and feathery soft. The blankets were a warm green and there was a translucent kind of greenish clear drape that fell across it. She could see out, but no one could see in. Strange, she commented to herself as she pulled back the curtains and found a world of beautiful artifacts and paintings. It looked like she herself had decorated the room, but that clearly wasn't possible.

"Princess," there was a knock on her door, and a little boy entered the room.

"Yes?" she asked softly, and tried not to seem too frightened. She didn't know what they wanted, but she wasn't going to let them get the upper hand.

"Prince Ferio and the others are just arriving at breakfast; they're waiting," the little boy told her, smiling, and she nodded and followed him down twisting halls that she wondered how anyone could navigate. She knew she could never find anything in this place without someone showing her; it was a gilded cage.

*

Clef opened his eyes and smiled at the room around him. He was surrounded by books and was lying in a large comfortable chair next to a large oak desk in the middle of the room. He was home, finally. He was home in Cephiro.

"I should go see Lafarga," he said softly, then thought about it. "Wait, no…" he smirked. "Then I should go fetch the Princess'." The thought made him smile.

He stood and walked out of the room, in search of them.

*

Umi opened her eyes and flew out of the bed. She threw back silk blue covers and jumped from the waterbed and through silk blue curtains. She screamed and began to shake; where was she? She remembered a weird light, that man…that sick man from the party before. The room was colored in blue and covered with scenes of the ocean, but she didn't get much time to look around. The first thing she did was run to the door.

She fumbled with the handle; her hands were shaking so badly. When she threw it open she was met with the lavender haired man from school. She flew out of the room and accidentally ran into him. She almost screamed again but then she saw who it was and bit her tongue, "What's going on? Where are we?"

"You're home Umi-hime, you just don't realize it," he answered.

"What?" she whispered.

"Home," he responded and gently let go of her wrists.

"What's going on? Why are you doing this to me?" she looked around and did the only thing she could think to do in a situation like this-she ran.

He sighed and nodded to himself. He raised a hand, and she froze. Slowly, he approached her, and she stared at him with wide, frightened eyes.

"What did you do to me?" she shrieked.

"Do you promise to stay quiet?" he asked softly. "And to stay still, you won't run?"

She slowly nodded and with a flick he let her go, "Who are you?"

He bowed, "Guru Clef, Master Mage of Cephiro and your personal protector. Each of the Princess' is protected by an element, you are Water, Hikaru-hime if Fire, and Fuu-hime is Wind."

Hikaru and Fuu, who were they?

"Come with me, we'll fetch them now. It has been a long time…."

*

Caldina stretched and turned around in the bed, pulling the covers up close to her, keeping their warmth. She shut her eyes and breathed in strange scent, but she was too tired to notice it.

She felt a gentle touch along her hair, and her eyes snapped open. Wasn't she at a concert?

She shot up and met purple eyes. She screamed and fell back. The sheets tangled around her legs and she hit the ground.

"Caldina are you okay?" he jumped up, and his eyes were worried.

She scrambled back and pulled the covers up to her as a kind of shield, "Who are you?" she screamed. "Where's Umi? Umi!"

"Sh…Umi-hime is safe, I've just seen to them. I came to you as soon as I could. You slept in, it's okay."

"It's not okay! Where the hell am I?" she was frantic at this point. "And how did you see to Umi, where is she? If you hurt her I swear to any god out there…"

"No, no, no, it's okay, Cal, it's me," he pulled his hands into his chest. "It's Lafarga, you have to remember me."

"I don't know who you are, but please don't hurt me or Umi. We'll give you anything you want, but please don't hurt us."

"Caldina," he came forward, and she trembled against the wall. "Come with me, I'll show you," he offered a hand.

She was scared that if she didn't do what he said he'd kill her, so she took the hand. When she touched his hand she felt warm and tingly. Why did this feel right?

He took her to the balcony of the room and opened the doors. The breeze from the ocean drifted in.

She looked out, and her eyes widened. This was not Earth; this was nowhere in the world. The mountains were…floating! "Oh my God," she almost passed out, but he supported her, and she slowly regained herself. "Where are we?"

"You're in Cephiro," he answered and bent down to her. "And we were engaged," he touched her lips with his, and she melted in her arms. His kiss melted away everything, and when she pulled away everything had fallen back into place.

"Hey."

"Hi," he responded and smiled. He kissed her deeper, and she fell into his arms perfectly. She leaned her head on his chest, and he sighed. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," she answered, and somewhere in her heart she had. There had been a hole where he had been supposed to be.

He took her hand and led her down to breakfast, so she could see the others.

*

Presea was awakened by a soft sound against her bed. She looked down and was greeted by a strange stuffed animal that was powder pink and had a bright gem on its forehead.

"What is this?" she muttered and grabbed it. She quickly realized it wasn't a stuffed animal when it shrieked and began to move.

"PUU!"

She screamed, "Mokona! I'm gonna get you!" she grabbed it and ran out of the room. "Clef!" she shouted as she saw him coming down the hall with Umi. "This rodent is really going to get it this time!"

Clef chuckled softly, and Mokona bounced over to him, "Take him to Ascot if he's bothering you Presea."

She sighed heavily, "Come on Mokona," she beckoned him, and he hopped after her at a safe distance.

Umi stared with wide eyes.

"I guess everyone is all ready back in place then," he looked behind him and saw that maybe not everyone was back in place.

*

"Tatra, do you know where we are?"

"Um…no…"

"That's a problem."

"I think we're home."

"Are we?"

"Yeah, we're in Cephiro."

"Finally!"

"Let's have breakfast!"

"Let's."

(A/N: don't remember which one is nasty which one is nice, too lazy to get the manga right now, sorry. There will be more of them in later chapters)

*

Ascot didn't understand when there was a girl at his door telling him to take a small creature off his hands. "What is that thing?" he demanded.

"It's Mokona, the creator of the world…" Presea quickly grasped the fact that he hadn't yet recovered his memory.

"Where are we?"

"Famous question I'm sure," she muttered and took him outside. "We're in Cephiro."

His eyes grew wide as he was led through the palace and finally outside, "Not possible."

He looked down when he felt something rub up against his leg. Sitting there was a strange animal with the head of a lion and the body of an eagle, a backward Phoenix. Its head was too big for its body, and it walked awkwardly on long claws.

"Oh, Sphinx," he shook his head and picked it up as everything came back to him. "I missed you too…"

*

"So, wait, you expect me to believe that I'm a ruler of this other world?" Umi was in hysterics. She hated Earth, but she was just scared here. How could she be here? This had to be a dream, a crazy dream; that was all.

"Yes…" Clef said hesitantly, careful not to set her off even more, knowing how she was.

"Not possible," she threw herself into a chair. "This is just a dream and I'm going to wake up, and everything is going to be fine and…"

"Shuddup Umi," Caldina hissed, and Umi turned to her.

Umi looked at the girl who had her hands interlocked with the man from the party, "Who are you?" she demanded. "Right, a dream…"

"That must have been the reason I thought he was telling the truth," Fuu muttered softly and looked down into her hands. She seemed to be somewhere between thought and confusion, maybe depression.

"Okay, okay, let's say…" Umi began, and everyone waited. She gulped and started. "Well if this wasn't a dream per say, if this was really, well, real, why don't- wouldn't we have our memories back too?"

Clef smiled softly and shook his head, "Because you've seen nothing or done nothing to revive them. It will be hardest to revive your memories because the experience was most traumatic for you three. It will take a powerful event to bring your memory back."

Hikaru until then had stayed silent, trying to lap it in, "What…what happened to us?"

"Princess!" Eagle burst into the room followed by Geo and Zazu.

"Eagle?" Hikaru asked softly, and he ran to her and took her hands.

"Are you okay?" he demanded.

"Another stunt Eagle?" Lantis growled.

"What? Lantis!" he smiled. "I'm so glad you're both okay."

"She doesn't remember Eagle," Presea said softly, and Eagle looked at Hikaru, pained.

"Of course not," he muttered and dropped the girl's hands. "We'll see about that though, we'll see."