Cross Chapter XVII: Testing the Waters
Clef stood watching from high above the Colosseum. He floated above the stands in a summoned platform where he would be officiating the beginning ceremony. Mokona made little noises by his feet, seeming fully interested in the goings on below. "Ah, welcome back LaFarga." The Mage turned to meet the newcomer having sensed LaFarga's approach. "I trust things went well?"
"Indeed," LaFarga, gave pause as he looked over the Master Mage. He was taller since he had left him to recover. He had aged up and now looked like that of an adolescent.
Clef sighed over LaFarga's scrutiny. "Is it really so horrifying?"
LaFarga blinked. "Forgive me, I did not mean to stare. You caught me off guard is all."
Another sigh, "The change in appearance was not by my choosing. I woke up this way." He made a quick gesture. He suspected the transformation had something to do with his recent expenditures of magic as he had used everything he had right down to his reserves when he had communed with Mokona. Only two years ago he had done the same thing when Cephiro faced destruction. Perhaps so much over exertion was finally catching up with him. But he wasn't about to voice that and make those around him more nervous from his weakened state than they already had been. "I cannot revert to my younger self but it seems at least that I am not aging anymore than I already have."
Taking that that was the end of the conversation, LaFarga offered a nod and continued. "The journey was uneventful. Monsters are no greater in number than usual. The Elder Corolla wishes you good health. She sensed your weakening. You are in her prayers."
"I would rather she continued prayers for Cephiro and its stability. We don't need anymore strange disturbances. Particularly with the Royal Families here. What of the scrolls?"
"Ah," LaFarga produced a satchel brimming with rolled parchment. "There are several, she cautioned decoding may take time. There is no direct translation from our old script to our current writings."
Clef nodded. He feared as much. Cephiro did not have consistent recorded history. There were gaps; the Master Mage not being a literary scholar had only so much knowledge in the matter. It seemed that the gaps coincided with previous Pillars the Magic Knights and the placing of new Pillars. He would have to use magic and his strength of will to learn the content of Mokona's book. This endeavor would take time and energy. The only other magic user that came close to the aptitude needed would be Ascot, currently predisposed. He would have to summon the young man to his study after the ceremonies to see what he could make of the writings.
"Puu!" The small creature held a stern expression flicking its ears this way and that.
Clef and LaFarga looked down at the occasional trouble maker and eyed it curiously. Mokona's strange behavior bothered them. It didn't seem at all now that the creature was following the crowd of people as Clef had previously surmised. Never before, even with Cephiro crumbling around them had they ever seen the creature look so cryptic.
Hikaru was very lucky that above both her natural and honed fighting skills, she was also an instinctual fighter. She had been completely stupefied by the revelation of Sakuya's lineage; frozen in place with horror and nausea. Her past transgressions not only brought up just before hand through painful memory but also by meeting the descendant of her victims. She knew the young man's pain, his loss, his ire. She felt it right down to her core. She was lucky the warrior within her reacted before she could even comprehend what was happening, before she registered the gun. Unfortunately she was not so fast as to escape the attack unharmed.
A hot burning sensation exploded across her upper left arm. She cried out in pain. Her hand covering her wound in an attempt to stop the blood flow. Sakuya stared at her clearly amazed that he'd missed his target. Deftly, Hikaru thought that gunshots sounded a lot different up close compared to the movies and then the man was firing at her relentlessly, covering their distance. Hikaru's eyes were trained on the gun barrel adjusting her movement to the wild shots, narrowly evading; a feat that amazed them both.
It took less than a minute for the man named Sakuya to empty the clip. There was ringing in her ears. It was disorienting but she didn't have time to regain her senses. The moment the splay of bullets stopped she sprang into action. For the first time in more than two years she felt her magic build at her fingertips. Her left hand shot up, drew the flame around her and then she shifted it into her right hand to fire.
Hikaru had intended it as a warning shot to blow past him and impact the ground. She did not want to fight this man; wasn't even sure if she had the right to. He was entitled to his vengeance but then something tricky happened. The downward arc her hand usually made at executing the spell, changed course. Her arm twisted raising her hand palm up and flicked her fingers towards the sky. The arrow of fire exploded just as it passed her aggressor. He hollered in pain and staggered forward.
No... She stared disbelieving; from fingers to her wrist and attempting to grow up her arm was a black material. She recognized it instantly as the material that made up Nova's body suit. "No!" The fingers of her left hand dug under the growing shadow and pulled as hard as she could until it slid off like a glove. She sent it to the ground only for it to burst into flames.
"Stop messing around!" Sakuya barked drawing her attention back to him. He was preparing a spell when her pendant appeared over her shirt again flashing him with a bright light that even she had to cover her eyes from.
Hikaru felt their presence before she could see them; Lantis, Umi and Fuu. Before they were fully materialized in this dimension, a beam of light shot towards Sakuya. First leaping out of the beam's path, the young man yelled, "You again!?" a ball of electricity vaulting from his hands towards the group.
There was a simultaneous shout. Water and Wind swirled around each other creating a tall column ricocheting the Lightning based attack.
Cape billowing behind him, Lantis used the ensuing commotion and charged Sakuya, "You dare to harm her!?"
Blade of light met Sakuya's quickly drawn foil.
"Fuu!" Hikaru cried as her friend turned towards her. In spite of everything she offered her fellow Knight a happy and relieved smile. A proper greeting would have to wait until they were out of battle.
Fuu came up to Hikaru's side. Taking in the blood flowing down the Knight of Fire's arm, she called out. "Hikaru! Your-"
"I'm okay, Fuu. Listen, Sakuya's-"
"Lantis!" Both girl's heads shot up. It was Umi who made the call, water was flowing around her outstretched arm. The Swordsman glanced back at her and jumped away. It wasn't her Water Dragon spell, nor was it her Sapphire Whirlwind. What she released was faster and more pressurized, like the water from a fire hose. The power nearly tossed Umi backwards. "Wha?"
Sakuya brought up a barrier but it wasn't strong enough to endure the attack. He dove out of the way rearing up for another when he realized who it was that he was facing. "U-Umi?" He paled and looked between Lantis, anger emanating from him, the Pillar and her brunette Magic Knight, and Umi-no their Umi.
Sakuya hissed. He lowered his sword. He wasn't prepared to fight her even if it wasn't the Umi that had mentored him and honed his abilities. "Forget this." He turned and vanished.
The Water Knight cracked her knuckles, "yeah you better run!" A breath later she was walking back towards Hikaru and Fuu. "How's she doing Fuu?"
"Well..." Fuu had her eyebrows scrunched together. She had attempted her Winds of Healing but little had happened. The wound had closed some but not enough to stop the bleeding. It was like the words were weak. Unbelievable considering how strong her offensive magic been.
Hikaru was making an effort to stand apart from Fuu. Again said, "I'm okay." offering one of her trademark smiles, "I'll be fine even without your magic."
The shadows began to recede returning them to the Shidou yard and finally Lantis broke his position. His stride longer than Umi's, he made it to Hikaru's side faster than the Water Knight, his eyes bore concern at the look of his beloved's arm. He turned to Fuu, "Can you not heal her?"
She shook her head unsure.
His Fire Knight looked up at him with wide eyes, "Lantis, Sakuya is-" There was a shuffle of feet and Hikaru's brothers were approaching.
"Hikaru!" Satoru pushed passed Lantis. He saw her arm and fought down the bit of bile that surged up his throat. He'd never seen her so injured and he was just about at his wits end with this night.
"Everyone I'm fine!" Hikaru said trying to get through the enclosing circle of people. "Really!" She looked to Umi and Fuu knowingly. "I've been through worse."
Masaru, looking very ill shook his head, "you need a Doctor."
"No. There's things I need to tell you guys. Everyone we need to get inside." She started walking.
"Hold on!" Satoru wasn't having any of it. He fell into step with her. He attempted to guide her but she shirked his touch, "whatever you need to say can wait until you're treated Hikaru."
"We can clean the wound up inside and I can try another healing spell," Fuu offered.
"Healing Spell?" Kakeru who had been in a state of shock since Hikaru's disappearance, joined in the conversation.
Hikaru sighed, "get back." She raised her bloody hand, hesitated remembering the shadow clothing that had tried to move up her arm. Pushed the thought aside and focused until a fire ignited in her hand, startling everyone.
Lantis caught on to her plan first, "Wait." He called out but it was too late. Hand of fire met injured arm and she grunted. There was a horrible burning smell and then she dropped her hand to her side. Her skin still sizzled where she'd burned the wound closed. It would sting until she could pull the heat out of it.
Everyone gaped. Her brothers by far looking the queasiest of the group. "If Fuu can't heal me the rest of the way, it will heal itself." She said this with a certainty she didn't know until she had spoken the words. She continued her trek to into the house. She needed time to process everything that had happened, everything that had been said. Both during the battle and before. And then there was her vision-nightmare it was all too much at once. "I'll... need a few minutes to get cleaned up but then we all need to talk..."
Umi looked to Fuu and they both nodded, "We'll give you a hand Hikaru."
"I can't take much more of this..." Kakeru cried.
Masaru's contribution to the conversation at this point was dwindled down to a disbelieving shake of his head.
She looked to Lantis before walking through her homes threshold. He was not happy. He was concerned for her, she could tell he wanted to go with her and tend to her wounds personally. She slowly shook her head at him. The heaviness in her heart became that much more when she spoke, "The man we fought," she swallowed and looked forward, unable to meet her lover's eyes. "Lantis, he says he's the son of Princess Emeraude and High Priest Zagato."
TBC
Author's Notes: Special thanks to LadySaturn257, AdiaSkyFire, Okamiaka and for everyone else over the years that reviewed that they wanted to read more. Your feedback means a lot!