-1Magic Knight Rayearth
Left in Cephiro
Chapter IV: The sorrow of those who had been separated! The pain of the one who was left behind!
Note: I've been trying to keep the suspense going as long as I can, but it looks like this is it. I have to reveal who it is sometime, or else how could I continue writing this story? It's not like you guys haven't already figured out who was left behind anyway.
The two girls stand side by side as they look out towards the Tokyo Bay. Going back to Tokyo Tower only proved to be too painful for the two girls who had been separated from their companion. A few days prior to meeting near the bay, they had searched Tokyo Tower for their missing friend. They found someone who had resembled her, but it turned out not to be her after all.
"We hardly know anything about her," the shorter of the two remarks.
"Yah, so how can we even begin to look for her? Where else could she be?"
"It would not make any sense for her to have appeared at her house while the two of us were returned to Tokyo Tower."
"Do you really think that she could still be in Cephiro somewhere? How could she still be there," the taller girl remarks half-angrily.
In Cephiro, Master Mage Clef arrives at the Recovery Wing, and enters the room where the Magic Knight lies unconscious. Upon seeing the Master Mage, Lafarga excuses himself in order to begin a search for the remaining two Magic Knights. Although, not trusting Lantis, he clearly feels that Clef can more than handle the situation.
As soon as the miniscule mage takes notice of the young girl lying in the bed, his eyes widen. He confirms for himself that one of his worst fears has happened.
"Hikaru!"
Clef quickly makes his way to her bedside. He looks down at the young red haired girl, his eyes deeply saddened. He turns to face Lantis as he is about to leave. Primera, however, has already darted out after Lafarga, whom she is currently holding responsible for Lantis' apparent inability to pay any attention to her at the moment.
"Thank you Lantis. This Magic Knight here is very dear to my heart. She was the first one I had taught how to use magic. She was always so happy to help, even though this was not her own world. She was always so naive and enthusiastic. I have done her such a terrible wrong. Of the three, I'm sure that Hikaru has suffered the most."
"Will you be able to heal her," Lantis inquires of his former instructor.
"That is what I hope to find out. The cuts and bruises on her body are much more easily healed...but the wound to her heart will be much harder to cure. I will have to use my power to reach her through her heart in order to restore her consciousness. Even if she awakens, however, I have not the means to return her to her own world."
"I understand. Please excuse me, Master Mage."
Lantis continues to make his way out as Master Mage Clef begins his attempt to make contact with Hikaru's heart.
Back in Tokyo, Fuu is desperately clinging onto an irrational Umi. She tries to restrain her hysterical young friend.
"Don't you understand Fuu," Umi insists, "We have to find a way back to Cephiro!"
"I understand how you must feel, Miss Umi, but there simply is no way for us to return to Cephiro. When we had first arrived there, we had been summoned by Princess Emeraude. Only Cephiro's Pillar possesses the power to summon us back. There is no way we can get there ourselves. Cephiro is the land of the will, not Earth."
"That may be true, but surely there must be some other way. Just because the Pillar is the only one who has the power to summon us to Cephiro, doesn't mean that there isn't another way to get into Cephiro! There could be some sort of portal that can take us there! We have to find it! We can't give up!"
another way to cephiro? we can return to cephiro? we can make things right again! we can truly help the people of cephiro! umi, fuu, let's all go back to cephiro together!
"Clef!"
The short, white haired man looks up from the floor at Lantis and Presea. The mysterious swordsman helps him back to his feet.
"What happened to Master Mage Clef? Why are the Magic Knights still in Cephiro," Presea demands of the dark young swordsman.
Lantis briefly closes his eyes before answering the resurrected Master Smith.
"I do not know," he replies then speaks to Clef, "what happened?"
"I was...unable to make contact...with Hikaru," Clef replies weakly.
"What's wrong with her Clef, and why hasn't she returned to her own world," Presea asks.
The Master Mage shakes his head as he looks towards her.
"I do not know. I tried to make contact with her heart, but I was unable to reach her. Instead, I found myself in a dark and dismal void. There was a terrible aura of pain...and anger. I was unable to progress any further. I felt as if I was being attacked when I tried. I fear that is I who is responsible for her current condition," Master Mage Clef confesses.
"Master Mage," Presea pleads, "please don't push yourself so hard anymore. There are others here who can help treat her. You're already overexerting yourself supporting this castle and the area around it."
"Allow me," Lantis simply speaks.
"You," the Master Smith questions.
"Lantis, are you sure? It's quite dangerous."
"I fully understand the risk I am taking, Master Mage. I will not allow myself to be hindered by the pain or the darkness. I should be able to make contact with the young Magic Knight," Lantis explains.
"Very well. If anyone can help her, it would be you, Lantis. Already your skills appear to have surpassed even my own," Clef acknowledges.
"You can't really mean that", Primera remarks, taken aback by Clef's compliment of Lantis' skill.
"I have by no means surpassed you," Lantis responds, "I would not even be on par with my brother's magic. I still have much to learn."
"You are as humble and as confident as ever."
"The girl's name," Lantis begins to speak, "you said it was, Hikaru, did you not?"
"Yes, that I did," Master Mage Clef answers.
"Very well," Lantis notes as he begins meditating beside the unconscious Magic Knight.
Near Tokyo Bay, the sounds of an ambulance can be heard coming from the distance. Fuu gently holds onto Umi, who has suddenly fallen unconscious.
umi! fuu, is umi going to be okay?
"It is going to be alright, Miss Umi. I can hear the ambulance coming this way. Please try not to worry yourself so much. If you keep working yourself up like this, and worry so much that you can't take care of yourself, you'd only make Hikaru sad. Hikaru wouldn't be able to bear it."
fuu? can you hear me? why have you two been acting so strange ever since we got back? i'm right here. can't you see me? i'm not missing, i'm not stuck in cephiro or anything. i'm right here with you. why can't you see me? can you even hear me?
Lantis finds himself standing in never ending blackness. His armor and even his sword appear not to be with him.
"I see. So this is what he experienced. Her heart is filled with such terrible darkness. Her pain makes it difficult even to breathe. It would also appear that there is nothing to protect me from the full force of her sorrow. I must reach the center of her heart quickly. It would not be wise for anyone to remain in such a dismal place as this for long."