Welcome, to another chapter of Flower in... The screen goes blank and a young man with green hair steps up to a microphone. "Hello?" he asks, tapping the mic. "Is this thing on? It is? Good." He takes a deep breath. "This is not Flower in Ice; it is related but it is not exactly the same. A parody, if you will, an homage. Why do I do this you ask? Simple, because I didn't appear until chapter 11!" screams the boy. "This is a paid advertisement for a parody that BlackRose108 is doing of 'Flower in Ice (she pays 2000 monopoly bucks a day to keep this ad up).'"
Flower on the rocks (A Flower in Ice parody)
Original concept by Merodi-chan
Parodied by BlackRose108
Please read her fic:)
Okay… Instead of getting hijacked by Ferio, here's the real story.
The pressure on his arm disappeared as the girl left. Ferio struggled visibly with himself until he was sure that she had really gone. Then, he collapsed to the ground, blood staining the glove covering the hand he pressed to his mouth.
He hadn't spoken of Fuu at all.
-0-0-0-
"Give the order to attack." Emeraude told Hikaru, who now commanded Zagato's army, but many of the soldiers were resentful of a female commander. "I've taught you all you need to know now, dear Hikaru. It's up to you how you use it." Of course, the princess meant that Hikaru should use her magic to impress her, and everyone knew it. The princess's new favorite won't be her favorite for long if Emeraude didn't get some results, and soon. But all of the officers and soldiers expected, no, hoped Hikaru would mess up, so that they could jump in and possibly procure a promotion for themselves. It was too bad that they wouldn't see anything like this happen, at least, not yet, Hikaru hoped.
Their spy in the rebel camp really did make things a lot easier, for Hikaru and for Emeraude. After all, he told them locations, strategies, and numbers. An assault on the camp would be so easy, and the best part was, the Royal armies knew how to counter each rebel trick. Emeraude's mouth curved in anticipation. It was time to flush out the mice!
-0-0-0-
The horn blew long and loud across the still morning air. All activity in the rebel camp halted at the sound. Presea, Syaoran, and a few others rushed out to see what was happening. The sentries wouldn't sound the horn at just anything. That meant…
"We're under attack!" A scout slipped through the trees to stand in front of Presea. "It's the Royal armies, coming to wipe us out!" The fear showed in his wide eyes.
A murmur began to ripple through the crowd as panic set in. If they were under attack, how would they escape? Emeraude would only send out the Royal armies if she was sure of success. How would she even know where the camp was, anyway? Presea held her hand high in the air to silence them.
"Quiet, please! There's no need to panic." Her clear voice cut through the noise of the crowd. "Remember, in the forest, we have the upper hand. We should use the first plan; it should give us the most time to get the noncombatants out of here," Presea ordered.
She really has the skills of a general, thought Syaoran, as he fell into step with the other fighters. If he was just here to lend confidence, he wasn't doing a very good job. I need to find Sakura…
As the rebels split off into their respective groups, Umi and Fuu were swept up along with them. Each team, as they were called, consisted of at least two sword-users, at least one mage or summoner, and a few archers. The girls filled the gaps as they were directed; because they were here for the first time, they didn't know what was going on. They decided to just go with the flow, and any other questions were sure to be answered afterwards. After all, the camp was going into battle, right?
Fuu's nerves were on end as she tried to settle in with her group. She and Umi had been separated, and she didn't know any of the others with her. Her particular team had three swords, two mages, and four archers, including her. Most of them had already been in battle before, so Fuu naturally felt very young and nervous. Aside from the monster that had attacked her, Umi, and Hikaru, she had no military experience at all. One of the other archers smiled reassuringly at her.
"Don't worry; we're the snipers. That means we probably won't be in direct danger. By the way, my name is Imien. What about you? You're the newcomer from yesterday, right?"
"Y-yes, my name is Fuu."
Imien had thick plum hair, held back with a leather headband, that was cut just below her earlobes. Her clear green eyes were set slightly above a tiny nose, and her giant bow that she strapped on her back seemed entirely too large for the short girl. Her aura was strong and confident, Fuu sensed, as she unconsciously reached out with her magic. Suddenly realizing this, Fuu quickly drew back, but Imien didn't notice.
Now, Umi was in the same sort of situation that Fuu was in, but her group was just a little different. They numbered 7, with the bare minimum, and the two swordsmen were constantly arguing. She watched timidly as they began what seemed like the hundredth shouting match this morning.
"What? Why am I paired with you again, Koren? Don't you have better things to do than following me around?" the black-haired warrior yelled
"Why, Ganel, I didn't know you liked me so much." Koren returned with a sappy grin. His sandy blond hair was tied back in a ponytail that reached his shoulder blades. "Dear cousin, you overreact far too much. But I'll gladly listen to your words of brotherly affection. Just don't take too long. We have a battle to fight, remember."
"Argh! How do you always do that?"
"Do what? Perhaps you're just jealous of my quick wit and humor."
"Stop that!"
-0-0-0-
Hikaru, unlike other army officials in Emeraude's inner circle, opted to travel on foot instead of riding, on a horse or any other mode of transport. She preferred the feel of the ground, steady beneath her feet. It was somehow calming, as she walked amidst her troops like one of them. This was her first time in battle, and even though she herself wouldn't be doing much fighting, she was still nervous, for the sake of her soldiers. Skeptical of a female commander (and a young one at that), the troops had not acknowledged Hikaru's authority at first. But as they got to know her, they soon accepted her as at least an equal.
As the Royal Army swept across the land to the forest, the significance of this initial fight hit her. She had to do well here; she'd seen what had happened to Zagato. In order to keep Emeraude's support, and, eventually, to find her home, Hikaru knew she had to win.
A soldier approached her. He was wearing the yellow gauntlet that indicated promotion and skill, namely, of the troop leader's level. Hikaru made it a point to learn all of their names, but this one escaped her for the moment. "Y-yes? I'm sorry; I've forgotten your name…"
"Noure, miss. I bring a report from Commander Lafarga. He has received word that the rebels have abandoned their camp. They have split into hunting parties, so you must be careful. I hear these rouges pack quite the punch while they're concealed amidst the trees."
She thanked him, and he continued on his way to the captains under her authority to give them the same warning that he gave her.
In the forest, strategy was important, because the rebels had the upper hand. Unless they were stupid enough to just jump out and say "Here we are; come and kill us," it would be a tedious task to find them all. Hikaru had originally planned to send two troops to each of the rebel hiding spots, but since the rebels were split up in the foliage, she couldn't tell how many men would be needed to secure each landmark. It was time to ask for a senior opinion, she decided. General Lafarga had been with the army for quite some time now, so it was a probably a good idea to ask him. Didn't that soldier just say that he was off to see the General?
-0-0-0-
By now, Clef was almost the only one sitting alone. No one had dared to ask the great Guru Clef to join their party. But it was no time for wistful thoughts now; he had to return to the sacred fountain. Scraping his staff in the dust, he traced the lines of a teleportation rune, which glowed with white light when he finished. Then, he disappeared into his magic.
He reappeared in front of his humble abode, dusty, rickety, and faded. It had been 15 years since the house had first been built, and he'd done it with the apprentice's magic he had wielded then. Considering how weak apprentice's magic is, Clef had done a really good job. The only problem was that the house now needed a major remodeling job. After 15 years, the supporting magic runes had deteriorated and they were in danger of dissipating altogether. But enough of reminiscing; he'd get to the repairs later. Now, he had to protect the Sacred Fountain and make sure Emeraude didn't find her way here.
The Fountain, just outside his house, faintly glistened with magic, as usual. Clef positioned himself in front of it and sat down at the base of the Fountain, staff at the ready and a nonchalant expression on his face.
-0-0-0-
Syaoran found himself isolated after the formation. He supposed it was because he hadn't been with the rebels for a significant amount of time yet; after all, he had just arrived this very day. Still, no one had even seemed to get the idea to approach him at all. For the past fifteen Clow years he had been trying to come back to his country, and to Sakura. But now, he was back, only to discover that Sakura was nowhere to be found and Emeraude had already secured Clow in her cold, greedy, grip. Though he wasn't completely accepted into the camp yet, he had to try his best to rescue Sakura, if she was still alive. Luckily, he spotted some stragglers walking around; he knew some of them.
"Presea! You're not in a party?" he called.
She was just about to enter a large orange tent-like structure by the central building. The door that was partway open clanged shut as she turned to face him. "Oh, I usually don't fight. I'm an artisan, not a warrior. I have to finish my in-progress weapons soon, and I'm also the one who usually stays behind to take care of the camp."
"I see."
"But you're not in a party either?"
"No, everyone just left. But," he confided, "I really don't want to fight. Right now, I just want to see Sakura again." He leaned against a nearby tree, lost in his memories of Sakura. They'd been through so much to come home, and once they'd arrived, Emeraude had to ruin everything. It just wasn't fair!
About to enter the tent, Presea paused and turned back to him. "I think," she began hesitantly, "I think that Guru Clef may know something important about our princess."
"Really? Where is he?"
"He usually spends most of his time at the Sacred Fountain, just through the trees on the right and past the big stump- Oops!" Presea clamped a hand over her mouth. "I wasn't supposed to tell anybody that…"
"I-is that so? Well, I suppose it should be okay, in this situation," Syaoran reassured. "Thanks for telling me!" He waved at her and darted through the trees, leaving Presea to her work.
"Wait!" she called. Syaoran halted and spun back around. Presea reached out and grasped the small hand of a young boy lingering nearby. He wore baggy robes that seemed too large for his stature. The short boy looked lost, now clinging to Presea's hand. "This is Ascot. He's one of our youngest, but he's a very talented summoner. Because he's so young, not many people will take him along into battle, so I want you to take him with you." She gently guided Ascot toward Syaoran.
"Sure!" Syaoran agreed. His good mood was infectious, as Presea smiled down at Ascot.
"Now, you go with Syaoran, okay?" She bent down near his ear to make sure he heard her. Ascot nodded silently; he released her hand and ran toward Syaoran, slowly at first, but quickening his pace soon enough. They slipped into the trees together.
After she watched them go, Presea quickly disappeared into the tent, muttering. "I really have to finish those special swords soon. But I don't have much metal left."
-0-0-0-
Ferio sat in his usual position: up on the highest branches of the nearest tree. He was torn between running away and killing himself. He'd probably die either way; on Clow, there was no way to escape Emeraude's magic. He would need to find someone who knew the art of time-space travel. There was no way around it: he was a traitor to the rebels. If he asked any of them for help, they'd kill him in an instant. It was better to end it himself, where no one else had to know. But he still had that nagging feeling, as if Life wasn't done with him yet. It was the same kind of feeling that had forced him to keep quiet about the new girl. He'd felt that she would be in grave danger if Emeraude had found out about her. Like she wasn't in danger now. From what he'd seen so far, this would be her first real fight. The way she'd reacted to the flower monster had told him that she was new to the concept of war. A cute girl like her shouldn't have to face circumstances like this.
He blushed. Cute? He'd just called her cute. That didn't mean anything, he argued with himself. After all, he didn't even know her name yet. She was just another addition to the camp. But she had to be something special, or Guru Clef wouldn't be teaching her, or her friend.
The sound of clanging metal and twanging bowstrings reached his ears. The skirmish had already begun, and it sounded pretty close. If the girl was caught up in a particularly bad string of fighting, she might not survive! This thought sent Ferio scurrying down the tree like a frightened squirrel. He had to find her, and fast!
-0-0-0-
Fuu stood with her back pressed to a thick trunk while clutching the longbow formed from her aura. Thanks to her studies with Guru Clef, albeit short, she was able to call the mystical bow with almost no effort at all. Right now, though, she was in the heat of battle with no idea of what to do. The screech of metal on metal was deafening, even as Fuu clamped her hands to her ears. Above her, Imien had leapt into the tree to practice her art: sniping. From the sounds of the swishing arrows, Fuu marveled at Imien's deadly accuracy and speed. Her party was embroiled in one of the thickest conflicts in the first stage of the war, though they didn't know it yet. But Imien and the other archer fought with a cool confidence that Fuu wasn't sure she would ever be able to match. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a group of soldiers circling around to where the rebel mages fought. No one else saw them, it seemed. It was up to her to stop this threat. She was a member of this party, after all.
She gulped and raised her bow. Fuu had never shot at people before. Well, there was always that monster back on Earth, but it hardly counted. Trembling, she nocked an arrow and drew the bowstring back. She sighted down her left arm, trying to get the best shot she could. Letting the arrow fly, Fuu released the pressure with some relief. She had taken the first step to becoming a true archer. The arrow, guided by the magic of wind, flew straight into the chest of the front-most soldier, who fell noisily. His comrades stared in a moment of surprise, allowing Fuu to strike down the next one, and the one after that.
Her own skill surprised her. Sure, Fuu had always been the best archer in the Kyudo club, but she'd never dreamed she was this good. Gaining confidence, Fuu sent a volley of her arrows into the enemy ranks. To her satisfaction, she saw more than a few of them fall.
"Good work!" Imien called down to her. Fuu grinned back, glad to have the praise of a senior. Suddenly, though, the plum-haired archer's face changed.
"Behind you!"
Fuu whipped around to find a lone fighter leering at her from under an upraised sword, ready to strike. She froze, nerves running on overload. In order to fight on her left side, she had forgotten to watch her right, a fatal beginner's mistake that many make only once too much. Somehow willing herself to move, Fuu ducked as the heavy blade came down. It sheared off one golden curl as it imbedded itself in the tree behind her. Fuu dimly heard Imien's shout as the attacking soldier struggled to free his sword. Imien cocked her bow, planning to shoot him in the neck, but had to change targets when a lightning-fast curved blade struck the soldier down.
The vessel of wind blushed a deep red when she discovered that she had been saved by the handsome Prince Ferio. Again. It wasn't that she disliked being rescued, just, it got embarrassing after a while. But, she had to admit, Fuu was glad that he had decided to show up here. Strangely, she liked having him around. The rest of the world seemed to fade away when he smiled at her. Was it… love?
Long chapter, eh? Merry Christmas, everybody! And don't forget to review!
Merodi-chan, 12.24.05
