"Flame Arrow!" yelled a red haired girl. "Umi! Fuu! You guys OK?" she asked.
"Yes, Ms. Hikaru," replied the blonde haired, emerald eyed beuity, she looked at the red eyed girl and smiled. "I believe we both are."
"That's... right..." said the blue haired girl behind them, she had a hard time returning to her feet. She had a big gash in the right side of her cheek, but still gave her two friends a smile.
"U-Umi!" yelled the red eyed girl as she ran over to her friend, "Umi! Oh no! Umi!" she cried as Umi stumbled over and fell to the ground. "Oh, Fuu! Can you help her!" Hikaru cried turning to the emerald eyed girl- called Fuu- behind her. Fuu noded her head and lifted her hand and closed her eyes.
"Wind... of healing!" she chanted, green sparkles came from her hand and floated over to Umi. Her scratches and cuts began to fade. Umi's eyes slowly opened and she smiled at Hirkau and Fuu.
She tried to stand while saying, "Thank you, Hikaru, Fuu!" She helped Hikaru up after she found her own feet. "That monster was really strong... We have to hurry and save Cephiro!" Umi said gripping her sword. "Are you guys ready?" she asked looking up into the thundery clouds.
"Yes Ms. Umi!"
"Yeah! Let's go!"
All three of the Magic Knights looked up as they closed their eyes.
"Rayearth!" Hikaru cried. Her cape appeared along with her updated armor. Her red armor reflected off of the lightning that lit the sky. Her ruby red eyes opened to see her Rune God- Rayearth Lord Of Fire- appear before her. Her eyes glimmered off the red light that came down and she disappeared in it.
Umi did the same. "Selece!" she called out. Her armor appeared as she closed her eyes. Her hair was pulled back as her headband appeared. Her hair danced in the wind beuitifly and her headbands jewel gleamed off of the blue light that came down from Umi's Rune God- Selece Lord of Water. She disappeared in the blue ray of light.
'I suppose, I am acquired to do the same.' Fuu stated as she closed her eyes, "Windom!" Fuu called. Her armor did the same as the other Magic Knights, her golden hair waved as it lightly touched her face. Her glasses disappeared and her cape flowed around loosely. Her Rune God Windom- Lord of the skies- appeared and so did the stream of light. And she disappeared.
Hikaru looked at her comrades, "Alright, ready?"
"It would appear so Ms. Hikaru," Fuu said with a gentle smile.
Umi nodded, "Yup!"
"Alright... Here we go! Let's go save Cephiro!"
TT TT TT TT TT TT TT TT TT TT TT TT TT TT
Hikaru dropped to the ground, trembling. "T-then why did you summon us here!"
Princess Emeraud lifted her head to revel her flowing tears. "The... the reason I summoned y-you Magic Knights..." her voice trailed off, "the reason I summoned you... Was so that you could kill me!"
"...T-t-to k-kill you...!"
TT TT TT TT TT TT TT TT TT TT TT TT TT TT
"Nooooo! I can't!" Hikaru gasped, she awoke to find herself sweating and crying. She trembled, "It was... all a dream..." she whispered trying to catch her breath. She clasped her hands to her face and wept.
That's not true... Cephiro isn't a dream...
Hikaru glanced over at the clock. 4:29 a.m... she sighed, though it had been a whole year since they had been summoned to Cephiro, it still felt like yesterday. Like yesterday they where taught magic but Master Mage Clef. Like yesterday they fought their own hearts for the Escudo. Like yesterday they received weapons from Presea. Like yesterday they where confronted by Zagoto's minions. Like yesterday they revived the three Rune Gods: Selece, Windom, and Rayearth, and became the Magic Knights. Like yesterday they defeated Zagoto. Like yesterday... they killed Princess Emeraud.
But with the time she knew Umi and Fuu... It was the exact opposite. Hikaru felt like she had known her best friends- no, more like her sisters- since she was born. Sure to anyone else that would sound stupid. But if they knew what had happened to the now now freshman teenagers, who where once called the Magic Knights, well... lets just say they would know better than to all it "stupid".
"Hey Hikaru."
Hikaru gasped, she knew that voice, it was...
"You there?"
Hikaru smiled and closed her eyes, "Yes Umi!"
A sigh of rlief came, "Good!" she said sarcastically, "I thought you might have left the realm of the living!"
Even though Hikaru couldn't see Umi, she could tell she was giving off a grin. "I'm gonna see if I can get a hold of Fuu." she confirmed after an awkward silence.
With coming back to Tokyo after "saving" Princess Emeraud, they had been been given a special gift: Telepathic Powers. They found this out about two days after returning to Cephiro. Fuu had said that it might have been a gift from the princess. For "freeing" her that is. And the next day the received a message from Clef. Well, frankly a dream. He had said:
"Dearest Magic Knights who saved all of Cephiro, I am sorry that you where sent back to your own world, with non of your questions answered. But I'm afraid there isn't time. I must give you terrible news: Cephiro is on the verge of annihilation. It would seem that the Princess' souls was split in two: one has been put to rest and the other..." his voice trailed off, then he continued. "The other is seeking vengence against the Ledgendary Magic Knights." His eyes turned from serious to pleading, "Magic Knights, her 'evil' soul is still Emeraud of Cephiro... and she wished for the total annihilation of our beloved Cephiro." his eyes seemed to darken as he slightly lowered his head in defeat. "I simply don't have any more strength... Magic Knights... Wait for us...all of us... when the time comes... please... search for us when we a re-"
After that the dream was cut off, and the dream ended.
"Hikaru? You OK?" asked a concerned Umi, "Fuu said that she couldn't sleep either."
Hikaru gasped, "Oh! is Fuu OK?" Hikaru calmed herself and asked, "How are her burns?"
Umi giggled at her, "why don't you ask her yourself?"
"Huh?" asked a bewildered Hikaru.
"I'm alright Ms. Hikaru..." came the once intelligent, smooth and confident voice that had been replaced by a scratchy and weak whisper, "What about you?"
"F-Fuu--?" Hikaru said aloud, she gasped and clasped her hands over her mouth as Hikari, who was sleeping on the end of her bed stirred. She sighed as Hikari rolled over and sleped again. "Are you OK! Are you still in the hospital! Are your injuries getting any better!" Hikaru finally calmed herself, then quietly asked, "Are you gonna be OK like the doctor said?"
Fuu tried to clear her throat, which sounded rough and sore, which really worried Hikaru. "Yes I'm alright Ms. Hikaru, but I have to say, in comparison to your visiting with Ms. Umi yesterday, I don't think then has been a big improvment with my burns." she tried to chuckled but ended up coughing instead. After she was finished she sighed, "Ms. Hikaru, Ms. Umi, it really does mean the world to me that you two are always there for me. And I... I... I want you to know that I will not give up on you. I absolutly refuse to give up on you two." she smiled gentily. Hikaru wanted to cry. Through their telopathic powers, if Hikaru could consintrate, she could see Fuu and Umi. She had concentrated to see her friend Fuu. Her heart wanted to break. Through her powers she could see her best friend: cuts, bruises, scratches, bandages, wrapings. Fuu was in really bad condition. There had been a really bad fire. Fuu had come out in severe burns, she was rushed to the hospital right away. By the time she had gotten there she had been in mental shock- Hikaru and Umi where almost the only ones that knew why. Fuu actually hadn't been in the house when it caught fire. But her older sister, Kuu, was. Kuu had also been rushed to the hospital, but had died two days after arriving. When Kuu pasted away, Fuu was still in her coma. She had no idea that her beloved, older sister died while holding her hand.
Fuu was going on the eighth day in the hospital, and probebly wouldn't be releast for another good month. But who knows, maybe she'll get better sooner if Hikaru and Umi prayed enough.
"Ms. Hikaru, Ms. Umi, thank you," Fuu begain to cry. Her golden hair brushed the side of ehr face as she wept. "Your always there for me, even when I went through..." she paused, "things... I apologies... I'm nothing but a burden. So helpless. You even come to the hospital everyday. How could I possibly even think of asking for that?"
Hikaru let a tear slide down her cheek, "Oh Fuu! How could you call yourself a burden?"
"That's right!" Umi cried also, "When you can't blme yourself for leaning on someones shoulder when you need someone."
Hikaru closed her eyes and consentrated as did Umi. Fuu's tears continued to fall as Hikaru and Umi's images came before her.
"We love you so much Fuu..." Umi and Hikaru whispered as the three Magic Knights embrased each other. Hikaru and Umi where careful not to press down on any of her burns.
"You two are the only reason I can still move on." Fuu whispered.
Hikaru opened her eyes and looked over at Fuu's bedside table. She gasped when she saw what had been placed on it: A picture of Kuu and Fuu embracing each other. Hikaru buried her head in Fuu's shoulder, her shoulders shook as she wept. Hikaru's sudden movement caught Umi and Fuu's attention.
"Ms. Hikaru... What would be the m-matter?" asked Fuu worriedly.
Hikaru lifted her head to look at Fuu and Umi's eyes. "Remember our promise?" she asked steadly.
"What?" asked Umi amd Fuu.
Hikaru eyes as she slowely said, "My promise... was to always... no matter what... to protect... my sisters... Umi... and Fuu..."
Fuu and Umi both nodded at each other then smiled at Hikaru whole heartedly.
"That's... right..."
"M-hmm..."
The three Magic Knights fell asleep while in their embrace. It was a sign of a new life was about to begin for the thre sisters: Hikaru Shido, Umi Ryuzaki and Fuu Hououji. To search for the people they love. The of a trail that would lead to love... hatered... tears... happiness... fear... old friends... new enemies... but the magic knights would battle through it all... the out come... no one would know...