The Birth of the Legendary Magic Knights!
Tokyo Tower, Tokyo, Japan.
Our story begins on a day like any other. The sun shines high in the sky, families look out over the city of Tokyo in awe from their view in Tokyo Tower. The only thing that would seem out of place would be the multiple students wearing three different uniforms representing three different schools. It was already rare enough for one field trip to occur, but three at the same time? It couldn't of been a coincidence.
"I can believe they chose Tokyo Tower for our Social Studies field trip..." A random female student muttered. She wore a uniform with a red blouse over a white-button up shirt, a white bow over the chest. A black skirt finished the look off. "Our school is just so weird."
"We're not exactly in grade school anymore..." Another girl, wearing an identical uniform tried to counter.
"Don't you think so too, Hikaru?" The first girl asked, turning around to face one Hikaru Shidou, one of few standouts in the crowd with her light red and braided hair and crimson eyes, a giant smile on her face.
"Haha! We're so high up! Don't you think it's totally cool that they'd bring us to a place like this for our field trip, huh?" Hikaru questioned, looking up from the pair of observation binoculars that she was using.
"She's excited..." The first girl muttered, clearly used to this behavior from her classmate. Speaking of, it was right then that Hikaru let out a rather sudden and loud scream. "What's wrong, Hikaru!?"
"The binoculars ran out..." Hikaru muttered, making her classmates fall to the floor due to how ridiculous it was. "Okay now, money... Money?"
"Hey." A new voice said suddenly, and as Hikaru turned, she found icy blue eyes meeting her gaze. The young man was maybe a foot taller than she was (which wasn't saying much, she already knew she was short) and holding two coins out to her. "You look like you're having a good time here. I probably would be if I'd had the foresight to bring my phone and listen to a couple of tunes..." He muttered, shrugging.
"Uh..." Hikaru muttered, looking at the coins. The boy was lightly tapping his foot in impatience, and then he suddenly used his free hand to grab Hikaru's wrist, pull her hand over, and set the two coins in said hand, turning and walking away, slamming right into a new girl. This one had chin-length, sandy blonde hair, which was curled inwards at its ends. She wore a pair of round glasses over a set of emerald green eyes. The uniform she wore was the same color as her eyes, green jacket and skirt with a red bow a white shirt underneath the jacket.
"Oh, sh- I'm sorry about that!" The young man apologized immediately as he got over the slight pain of hitting the floor. He looked up at the girl in green, and noticed that she seemed to be having trouble seeing. He looked around briefly, and found her glasses on the floor by his foot. He lightly scooped them up and placed them in her hands. "Here you go."
By the time the girl in green had put her glasses back on, the young man had already gotten to his feet and was walking away, quietly whistling a rather quick tune [What I'm Made Of] as he walked away.
"E- Excuse me!" The girl in green called, getting up and walking in the young man's direction. "I just wanted to repay you!" She explained as she left the sightline of the girls in red.
"That hair color can't be natural..." The first girl muttered to herself, referring to the young man's snow white hair. "And that girl... She had the uniform of a famous private school."
"That one with so many geniuses?" The second girl asked.
"Oh! I should go thank them!" Hikaru suddenly said, running off into the crowds of people, quickly getting trampled by another group of girls, this time all wearing blue jackets over a white blouse, with an orange necktie, light blue skirt, black tights, and blue boots adding a bit more flair to the design. One girl in particular caught a lot of people's attention. Long, light blue hair with a blue headband and sky blue eyes. Pretty much if Hikaru had gone blue instead of red.
"She's so small, she got stuck!" The second girl in red giggled, watching Hikaru try to free herself from the stampede.
"Hey, isn't that the real snobby all-girls junior high? The one only daughters of bigwigs and politicians can attend?" The first girl wondered.
"You're right..." The second girl agreed. "It seems all the famous schools are at Tokyo Tower today."
"Look how pretty that girl is, she looks like a model..." The first girl said, referring to the blue-haired girl.
Just then, Hikaru, the blue-haired girl, the girl in green, and the white-haired young man all stopped as a sort of ringing filled their ears. And then a bright light filled the windows. Spectators all screamed in confusion, not knowing what was going on.
"AH! SHIT! I JUST GOT LIGHTMODED!" The young man screamed.
"Please, help us..." A young girl's voice then pleaded, although it was unclear who had and hadn't heard it. "Please, save Cephiro! Oh, Legendary Magic Knights!"
And then the floor vanished beneath the feet of three people in particular. Our four recently-met strangers. The young man, girl in green, blue-haired girl, and Hikaru.
"Huh?" The young man stated as the four of them were now in the air, high above the ocean. "OH SHIT!" He yelled as he and the three girls all began plummeting to their apparent deaths. However, their fall was broken by something soft and rather bouncy.
"What...?" The girl in blue started. "What is this?"
"It appears to be a giant flying fish." The green girl noted.
"Somebody tell me what's going on..." Hikaru muttered.
"Ouch... Coulda warned me before sending me to the dropper..." The young man cursed, getting up and dusting himself off. The landscape around them was like none they'd ever seen. Floating mountains and volcanoes. They clearly had gone quite the distance in those few seconds.
"Where in the world are we!?" Hikaru shouted, her voice echoing across the vast expanses of nature below. Moments later, the fish turned by a cliff face, and threw off the four teens.
"Oof-!"
"Ow-!"
"Ouch-!"
"aaAA-!"
"What kind of place is this?! What in the world just happened to us!?" The blue girl demanded.
"Well... I don't think we're in Kansas anymore..." The young man muttered as he once again got up off the ground.
"It's certain we're not in Tokyo." Green surmised.
"It's definitely not Tokyo. When we were on that giant fish, I saw a mountain floating in the sky, and a volcano far away..."
"But I have to practice for an important fencing match next week! What am I going to do about that!?" Blue shouted.
"O-kay... One a more logical note: Howz about we make introductions?" The young man suggested, "'Cause if I'm gonna be spending the next god-knows-how-long with you lot, I at least wanna know your names."
"Introductions?" Blue questioned, getting right up into the young man's face. "Is now really such a good time for that!?"
"I think so." Green agreed. "I think it is a wonderful idea."
"Wait, someone's actually listening to me?" The young man muttered. "Damn, can't remember the last time that happened, heh heh..."
"It seems that the four of us were the only ones to arrive here from Tokyo Tower. We need to stick together and help each other find our way in this uncertain territory." Green explained, as if the young man hadn't spoken at all.
"That makes sense." Hikaru agreed.
"I guess I'll go first, since I suggested it." The young man sighed. "Name's Logan Handley. Fifteen years old. Tenth grade."
The girls looked a bit shocked at that, assumedly because Logan looked like he'd be around maybe seventeen or eighteen, what with how tall he was and the bits of barely-noticeable peach fuzz growing on his chin.
"Umi Ryuuzaki. Junior high, eighth grade." Blue revealed.
"My name is Fuu Hououji. Also in junior high, eighth grade." Green said.
"Hikaru Shidou! Fourteen years old, eighth grade!"
"..." A brief moment of silence as Umi, Fuu, and Logan all looked at Hikaru in shock. "Hold up." The latter requested, holding his hands out in a 'slow down' motion. "You mean you're only a year younger than I am? You don't look a day over eleven!" He laughed, much to Hikaru's frustration.
"And you're only a year older than we are!?" Hikaru countered. "You look like you should be starting your first year of college!"
"Hey, I don't look that old..."
Just then, the giant flying fish that had saved the group's lives returned, startling Umi and making her run behind the nearest tree. "Hurry! Run!" She demanded.
"Oh, it's alright!" Hikaru revealed. "This guy's really tame!"
"Yeah, just look at him!" Logan agreed. "Big guy's harmless."
"Creature, return!" A new male voice called, and the fish was pulled towards a spot somewhere in the woods. More specifically, a staff, held by a boy with light purple hair and way too many white robes who was probably even shorter than Hikaru. "There is no way for you to go back." He stated.
"Huh?" Logan asked, sounding genuinely confused. "Sorry, I'm having a bit of trouble hearing with how low to the ground you are." Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu all simply stared at him while the robed boy groaned. "What? If I can make short jokes, I'm going to make short jokes."
"In any case..." The robed boy muttered. "I am Master Mage Clef. I have come here to act as your guide. You will not be able to return to your world... Until you save this world, Cephiro."
Meanwhile, in a very dark and definitely evil-lair looking place, a pale man with long black hair, a gray headpiece and pauldrons, clad in a black robe hummed to himself. Behind him stood his right hand man, a male elf with an ashen-gray cloak and white hair stared on. The most defining feature of this elf was the purple gemstone on his forehead.
"The Legendary Magic Knights have been summoned!"
Voices from behind the nearby waterfall.
"What? The Magic Knights were-"
"Legendary Magic Knights were summoned? What does this mean?"
"It can't be."
"Just what you'd expect from Princess Emeraude, to possess that much power, even while imprisoned..."
"Are there four of 'em, just like in the legend?"
"Are they going to revive the Rune God?"
"Do ya really think one of them is gonna pull-"
"Quiet down!" The elf demanded. "Lord Zagato is about to speak."
"The four summoned from another world are still children. There's no chance the Rune God will be revived, nor will one have the strength to retrieve the Sword. However, they are currently with Master Mage Clef." Zagato, the man in black, stated.
"They're with that obnoxious guy?"
"Now that's a tad problematic."
"However, it would be foolish not to prepare for any contingency. Alcyone." Zagato said.
"Yes?"
A section of the waterfall pulled back slightly, revealing a black-haired, red-eyed woman in a crimson leotard, white cape, and red boots. The sorceress, Alcyone.
"It's always best for weeds to be pulled out early."
"As you wish, my lord."
Back with the Magic Knights, Clef was explaining the situation.
"This is Cephiro. You were summoned here by Princess Emeraude to become the Magic Knights and save this world."
"Who do you think you are, anyway?" Umi asked, pulling on Clef's robes. "You look even younger than us!"
"Get offa me! Lemme go!" Clef demanded, whacking Umi on the head with his staff. 'Seriously. What was Princess Emeraude thinking when she summoned such children?'
Just then, a small claw burst out of the ground behind Umi, who was too busy clutching her head to realize.
"Umi! Behind you!" Hikaru called out, and Umi turned just in time for the gigantic, spider-like monster to tear itself out of the ground. She screamed in alarm as the grotesque monster glared at the five of them.
"Lightning Ball! Come forth!" Clef chanted, and as he said, he summoned a lightning ball and sent it at the creature, which vaporized it instantly. Clef, on the other hand, looked completely indifferent.
"Cephiro was nothing like this when Princess Emeraude ruled over us. Human beings, spirits, creatures of all kinds shared this world happily. However, after the High Priest Zagato imprisoned Princess Emeraude, Cephiro lost its innocence. Cephiro has become a world full of war and destruction. A place where monsters freely roam. And now, only the Magic Knights can save Cephiro. You four are the Magic Knights."
"The Magic Knights..." Hikaru muttered, starting to look a bit pumped up.
"If that story's true, then you've got a pretty big problem. But I don't see how it's our issue. The problems of this land should be solved by the people of this land.
"You said it." Logan chimed in. "This really isn't anything we should have to concern ourselves with."
"The people of Cephiro cannot solve this problem." Clef stated. "If we could, we would not need to ask for your help. Several magicians and swordsmen have fought Zagato to rescue Princess Emeraude in the past, yet each has failed."
"I'll do my best to become a Magic Knight and save Cephiro!" Hikaru suddenly declared.
"Woah. Slow your roll. You do realize that this seems really dangerous, like, probably-going-to-get-us-all-killed dangerous."
"Yeah." Umi agreed. "You can't just go and make a decision like that so lightly."
"But I can't just ignore it when people right in front of me need my help!" Hikaru countered.
"Ugh. Fuu, back us up here! Tell her not to do such stupid things!" Logan requested, turning to the green-clad girl. Fuu took a breath, ready to respond, but then Clef stopped her.
"There is only one path for you to choose. Unless you become the Magic Knights and save Cephiro, you four will never again be able to return to your world."
"Quit joking around!" Umi demanded. "I have a very important fencing match next weekend and I can't miss it!"
"I still can't get over the fact you're a fencer..." Logan muttered to himself.
"Princess Emeraude is the one and only Pillar of our world." Clef explained. "She sustained peace and order here in Cephiro with her prayers. In Cephiro, the power of one's will... Is the greatest of all. The heart which believes becomes the greatest power in Cephiro."
"The heart which believes..." Fuu trailed.
"It was the Princess' prayer that brought you here." Clef revealed. "Until her wish is fully granted, you will not be able to return to your world. And in order for you to do that, you must first become the Legendary Magic Knights and revive the Rune God."
"Rune God?" Logan asked.
"Are you four able to use magic?" Clef wondered, and the four teens all deadpanned and/or facepalmed.
"I think we'd have already been back home if we could..." Logan sighed, shaking his head.
"So you can't even use magic..." Clef muttered. "And I guess I should also do something about that equipment of yours..." He then raised his staff as if casting a spell. "Bestow Magic!"
Light would fill the visions of the four teens, power surging through their bodies, and when the lights cleared, the four of them had on identical (well, mostly) white armor with gold highlights. A shoulder pad (yes, only one) a chestplate, an armored sleeve on their right forearm (yes, still only one), fingerless white and gold gauntlets, and armored boots. At least, that's what the girls wore. Logan had largely the same, just missing the bit of armor on the forearm, shorter boots (while the other girls' went up to their knees at minimum, Logan's crawled to only about the middle of his calves.) The major differences were the gems. Hikaru had rubies, Umi, sapphires, Fuu, Emeralds, and Logan, diamonds.
"Whoa..." Hikaru muttered.
"Woah, what is this?" Umi wondered.
"Oh my..." Fuu trailed.
"Holy shit..." Logan told himself.
"I also tried to choose magic for each of you, but it seems that the magic has chosen you instead." Clef revealed.
"So you're saying we can do actual magic now? And not just like, quickly tossing cards up our sleeves or hiding a second person in the other half of a box? Straight up magic?" Logan asked, clearly having seen a 'magic show' before, and likely having not enjoyed it.
"If you cast a spell." Clef explained. "You must do exactly as I say."
"Oh! Oh! Can I try?" Hikaru wondered, and, after a moment of consideration, Logan let her. Clef then made some sort of gesture with his hand as Hikaru kneeled before him. The mage then put his finger to Hikaru's forehead.
"What is this, some kind of play...?" Logan muttered to Umi and Fuu as he backed towards them. Clef heard this and glared at him, and he grinned sheepishly and waved slightly.
"Close your eyes." Clef instructed. "Do you feel it? Do you feel the power that you have inside you? A power different from anything you have ever felt?"
"I... I feel it." Hikaru confirmed, the rubies on her armor glowing. "Something burning deep inside my heart... It's impossible to describe this feeling in words."
"Yes. That's the magic living within you." Clef explained. However, as this sort of ritual was going on, the skies would darken, and the animals in the woods would flee in terror.
"What's that!?" Umi asked, staring at the dark clouds.
"One of Zagato's minions has already arrived!" Clef cursed, backing away from Hikaru, the glowing on her gems stopping as she got back up and looked around in alarm.
"Already!?" Logan wondered, turning to the other girls, and finding a bit of resolve to hide his own worry upon seeing their nervous expressions.
"Creature! I summon thee!" Clef chanted, and some sort of griffon appeared from his staff. "Get on! Quickly!" The four teens didn't argue. Logan was easily able to hoist himself on top of the griffon's back, and he then turned back and helped pull the three girls on as well.
"Clef, are you sure you'll be okay?" He wondered.
"I'll hold them off!"
"But you can't!" Hikaru cried as the griffon took to the air.
"Enough! Go on!" Clef demanded.
"I'll stay and fight them with you!" Hikaru declared, trying to throw herself off the griffon, but then Logan wrapped his arms around her stomach and tried pulling her back, eventually receiving some assistance from Umi and Fuu.
"No! You're not!" He said. "I've known you for all of an hour and a half, and I'm not going to let you go and get yourself killed trying to help a guy who clearly knows what the hell he's doing! Now sit the fuck back down! We're leaving!" This was nowhere near the first time Logan had used profanity, it seemed second nature to him. But it was the first time he'd directed it at someone, and Hikaru looked a bit hurt at that, and his defensive glare dropped. However, Hikaru conceded, and moved back towards the center of the griffon's mass.
"If you really want to help, then become the Magic Knights as quickly as you can and save Cephiro!"
"Clef!"
"Head to the west! You'll find Presea in the Forest of Silence! And Mokona!" Clef called, and then he was out of earshot.
As Clef watched the four young Magic Knights fly off into the distance, he couldn't help but smile. They would need all the help they could get. But soon, the sound of hooves on the ground caught his attention, and he turned to see Alcyone, his former apprentice, riding a magically-summoned unicorn with a mane and tail made of blue fire.
"It has been a while, Master Clef." Alcyone remarked.
"Joining forces with Zagato... I am disappointed in my pupil, Alcyone."
"I am very grateful to you, Master Mage. For you have given me such wonderfully perfect magic... Magic such as this: Icicle Assault."
Multiple icicles appeared around Alcyone, and they all flew out towards Clef, who held out his staff and bellowed "Barrier Shield!", creating a protective barrier in front fo him that shielded him from the icicles.
"Just as I'd expect from the highest ranked magician in Cephiro." Alcyone said.
"The reason I taught you magic was so that you could stand by the side of Princess Emeraude and protect her always, Alcyone. Not so you could become a threat to Cephiro.'
"Hahaha! As serious as always. But I do not have time for idle chatter, Master Mage Clef. Creature! I summon thee!" This time, two large spectral wolves leapt from Alcyone's staff, blocking Clef's path to her. "I know I do not have a chance if I fight you myself. My mission is merely the eradication of those Magic Knights!" Alcyone laughed as she flew off on her steed, heading in the direction of the Magic Knights.
"Hold it! Alcyone!" Clef called, hoping in vain his former pupil would turn around. But instead, the two spectral wolves lunged at him, and he used his lightning ball spell to destroy them with ease. 'If... If they are to fall to Alcyone... It would be impossible for them to pull the Sword, much less revive the Rune God and become the Magic Knights...'
What the Master Mage was unaware of, however, was a cold glare from a man clad in black watching him from the distance. Zagato himself had observed the scuffle between Alcyone and Clef, and was pleased that the latter had played right into his hands.
'The true enemy of the Magic Knights makes Alcyone seem like nothing...' Clef mused as Zagato pointed towards him, the clanking of his armor catching the mage's attention just in time for Zagato to fire a blast of magic too fast for Clef to shield himself from. There was a large explosion, blowing away a chunk of the cliff face, and a stone statue of Master Mage Clef with it.
"To sense my presence is impressive, Master Mage. But it was a trifle late. You shant be saving Princess Emeraude in your condition." And Zagato gave an evil laugh as he teleported himself back to his castle.
Meanwhile, the Magic Knights were completely unaware of the altercation between Clef, Alcyone, and Zagato. They assumed that their trip to the Forest of Silence would go without issue.
"Hey, Hikaru...?" Logan asked.
"Yeah?"
"I just wanted to apologize for shouting at you earlier. I just thought you were going to get yourself killed by running back to help Clef, and I was acting on impulse."
"Oh, It's okay!" Hikaru giggled, wrapping her arms around him in a light hug. "I guess I was being pretty stupid, too. I should actually thank you for stopping me."
"O- Oh, it was nothing..." Logan muttered, hoping the red on his cheeks would be chalked up to the cold air around the group. However, it seemed like it was not, as Umi and Fuu simply giggled.
"In any case, I'm sure Clef will be okay." Fuu said. "He's extremely powerful."
"If that's the case, then what's that!?" Umi shouted, noticing Alcyone (although they didn't know her name just yet) approaching on her flaming unicorn.
"Icicle Assault!"
"Get down!" Logan shouted, and the four of them laid flat against the Griffon's back just in time for the barrage of icicles to fly right over them.
"What was that about holding them off!?" Umi demanded. "He's all talk and no action!"
"We need to go back and find Clef!" Hikaru declared. "We might still be able to save him if we hurry!"
"Not a chance! We'll be flying right towards our attacker!"
"But we can't just abandon him at a time like this!"
"If we really want to help Mr. Clef, it's essential we do not go back! Don't you remember what Mr. Clef said to us!? Didn't he say it was up to us to save Cephiro?! And as quickly as possible!? I am certain that Mr. Clef would want us to keep going, no matter what!" Fuu countered.
However, just as Fuu finished speaking, a bunch of icicles appeared in the griffon's way, leaving the group as sitting ducks for Alcyone as she rode around to meet them head on.
"Pleased to meet you. Four little eggs that would have hatched into Magic Knights. I know we just met, so I do abologize, but you must die." Alcyone threatened.
"She said Magic Knights..." Fuu whispered.
"We can't just die like this..." Umi said quietly.
"If... If we die..." Hikaru muttered.
"If I die, I'll never get to catch a Crush 40 concert..." Logan sighed, earning a few looks from literally everyone.
"...I bid you farewell." Alcyone continued, recovering from her brief shock at Logan's comment. Her staff glowed, but just then, Hikaru stood up, holding her hand out. The ruby on the back of her glove glowed a bright red.
"Flame Arrow!" Hikaru bellowed, and a bullet of fire shot out, hitting Alcyone and exploding. Both Alcyone and her creature vanished, retreating to the safety of Zagato's castle. Hikaru then promptly collapsed, yet was caught by Logan (who had been right behind her) with a bit of help from Umi and Fuu.
"Heh heh, I guess we're even on the supportive hugs now, huh?" Logan joked, making the girls laugh at how quickly he seemingly got over the whole thing.
"That must have been the magic Mr. Clef was talking about." Fuu guessed.
"Seems like it."
A moment of silence between the group, and then Umi spoke up. "Hey! Whaddya say we ask this weird bird to take us back to Tokyo?"
The griffon itself was against the idea, shaking its head in denial.
"We cannot. I'm against that too." Fuu stated.
"How can you say that after all this!? Don't tell me you actually trust that irritating little guy!"
"I do." Logan said calmly. "I mean, after we watched Hikaru here do actual fucking magic, it's hard for me not to."
"Not to mention our pursuer also mentioned Magic Knights." Fuu added.
"Are you saying you believe that old witch!?"
"Anyway, what's wrong with following Mr. Clef's orders, just this once? It's a lot more dangerous to go wandering around aimlessly without a plan."
"And what if Clef was a big liar?"
"There's no way that could be true!" Hikaru objected suddenly.
"Lies will be revealed. And even if it is a lie, it's better to follow something than nothing, don't you think so?"
"Ditto." Logan said quickly.
"Thank you, Mr. Logan."
"Please, just Logan is fine."
"Oh, you're both insufferable!" Umi groaned.
"Do you have a better idea, Miss Umi?" Fuu asked, a smug tone in her voice.
"Even if we wanted to do what Clef asked of us, we have no idea which way to go."
"Just ask the b-" Logan started.
"West!" Hikaru interrupted. "Didn't Clef say to find Presea in the Forest of Silence?"
"He did. And while we're going, we can drop Umi off somewhere and forget we ever met her." Logan said, making Umi gulp. "Ha ha! The look on your face! I'm kidding, Umi!"
"Oh, you are simply the worst!"
"Thanks."
"Fine. I'll go with you!" Umi conceded, and then whispered under her breath "I'd be worried about you if I left you alone..."
"Aww, you do care!" Logan laughed.
"I'd be worried about everyone except you!"
"You really remind me of my sister, y'know? And that alone lets me know that you'll change your mind by the time this is all over."
Umi simply huffed in frustration as the four of them kept flying along, sharing lighthearted banter on their way to the Forest of Silence.
Chapter Word Count: 4,854.
Yeah. That's like, almost five times the amount I usually write in a chapter. As it turns out, writing full episodes is hard. Not to mention I had to rewrite the entire scene with the squad on the griffon after my work refused to save (twice). But yeah, if you were wondering why it took so long, the answer is school and the ADHD I'm convinced I have being distracted by Undefeatable from Sonic Frontiers.
magic knight rayearth is a cool anime you should watch it (it's on youtube) byeeee-