Lives at Stake - Presea's Weapons!
The four Magic Knights had been walking fairly uninterrupted for a few hours now. There was occasionally a monster here or there, but after all they'd been through, they were nothing. However, the mundanity had been broken, alongside the stability of the ground.
"Ah! Earthquake!" Umi cried as the shaking began. It only lasted for a few seconds before going still again.
"Oh my..." Fuu muttered. "It seems in Cephiro's case, it's more likely to encounter a monster than an earthquake."
"We've been over this, Fuu." Logan groaned. "This is a fantasy world, you're not allowed to be realistic!"
Undenounced to them, the nearby grass was rustling as Mokona snuck around in it, getting behind Umi and leaping out at her. She screamed and started flailing the instant he made contact, eventually flinging the fluffball towards Hikaru, who was just giggling and laughing.
"What!? Do you think it's funny catching people off-guard like that!?" She demanded. "Hikaru, you gotta discipline that thing!"
"Aww, but Umi...!" Hikaru said sheepishly as Mokona hopped to the ground, then fired a beam from his head, letting out a long, droning puu. At the beam's end, a small window of magic appeared, and the image of Clef was visible within.
"Clef!" The four Magic Knights said in unison.
"The earthquakes are a sign that Cephiro is beginning to crumble..." Clef explained. "You must hurry, children of another world. If Cephiro should be destroyed, you shall never be able to return to the place you come from."
Gasps of shock from the four teens. While Hikaru, Fuu, and Logan handled this information fairly well, Umi... didn't.
"You have got to be kidding! You want me to stay in this world where there are no ice cream shops, no record stores and no convenience stores forever!? I won't stand for this!" She shouted.
"And I thought the bit about fencing was weird..." Logan muttered. "How the hell are you thinking about convenience stores at a time like this!?"
"Miss Umi truly is something, isn't she?" Fuu agreed, giggling slightly.
"You can say that again..."
"You must hurry, but take the utmost caution." Clef continued. "One of Zagato's minions is awaiting you inside the Forest of Silence. If Cephiro should crumble completely, you will not be able to return to your world..." And then Clef's image vanished, leaving the four teens and Mokona there to take it all in.
"Clef!" Hikaru called, dropping to her knees and holding onto Mokona. "I wanted to hear more! And I wanted to ask you how you are..."
"Hikaru? You okay?" Logan wondered, kneeling a respectable distance in front of her, noticing a bit of water coming from her eyes. "Oh... Cheer up, Hikaru. I'm sure we'll get a chance to talk to him again." He told her, wiping away those tears so gently that she could barely even feel his finger.
"R- right..." Hikaru muttered, shifting from hugging Mokona to hugging Logan for just a moment before he helped her to her feet. "Let's hurry back to Presea's place!"
"Right!" Umi and Fuu agreed, and the four teens set out once more.
Night had fallen over Presea's abode in the Forest of Silence. The Master Smith stared out at the peaceful forest, bathed in moonlight. Just like the past couple days, not one monster was even heard near the property. "There don't seem to be any monsters at all around here lately..." Presea said to herself. "I wonder what's going on..."
Her train of thought was interrupted by another tremor, nearly knocking her off her feet. "There is no doubt that Cephiro is beginning to crumble, just as Master Mage Clef said!" She realized, and then her mind began to go back in time to when this all started...
"Really, it just seems like all the soldiers just order weapons from me, and then never come back to pick them up!" Presea groaned, polishing a broadsword as there was a sort of magical whirr behind her. Whipping around to face this potential customer, she recognized his short stature and white robes immediately. "You are... Master Mage Clef!" She stammered, kneeling before the mage.
"Was the previous Master Smith able to teach you everything?" Clef inquired, causing Presea to look up at him in confusion. "I am talking about the Magic Knights."
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Presea said in alarm. "Of course I've heard of them. I was told I would make weapons for them at such a time when Cephiro was in dire need."
"Unfortunately, that time has come."
"Oh..."
"Are you sure you're ready for this?"
"Yes." Presea responded without hestiation.
"Alright. Take my hand." Clef commanded, holding his hand out for Presea to take. The second she made contact, there was a flash of light, and she found herself in the stone structure that would soon become her home for the forseeable future.
"Where... Where are we?" She asked.
"The Forest of Silence." Clef explained.
"You mean... The place that's full of monsters?"
"High Priest Zagato recently imprisoned Princess Emeraude." Clef revealed.
"What!?"
"You alone are able to make weapons out of Escudo. It is imperative that I keep you protected from Zagato and his forces."
"Yes... I understand."
"The Forest of Silence is a horrible place, but magic does not work here. Because of that, it will not be so easy for Zagato to get his hands on you. Only the Magic Knights are able to open the door to this house. But if Zagato put his mind to it, I just know it will be as easy as taking candy from a baby for him to break in."
"I promise you that nothing will happen to me." Presea assured him.
"Presea-"
"Until I am able to create the weapons made of Escudo for the Magic Knights."
"I am glad you are the Master Smith." Clef remarked. "I don't doubt that you will be able to fulfill your responsibilities."
"I am honored..." Presea stated, kneeling before Clef once again and kissing the gem on the back of his hand, and then Presea's flashback ended.
"Master Mage Clef..." Presea muttered to herself, unaware of the figure watching from a distance.
"Okay. I wonder what kind of game would be fun to play with those kids." Ascot stated, despite appearing quite a bit younger than even Hikaru. "I got it!" He called, then held up his hand, the gem on his gauntlet making a giant summoning circle. "Beast! I summon thee!"
It was then that a giant, caterpillar-like creature melted from the ethereal circle and crashed to the ground. "Adalante. I'm glad you came." Ascot remarked. "You and I are gonna have some fun together. Now, look at my hands." The creature didn't react, but Ascot knew his faithful summon was watching as he summoned a red, glowing ball of energy in his hands. "Good. Now, go get it!" The summoner commanded, tossing the ball and using magic to enhance his throw to the point that sailed all the way onto Presea's property, colliding with the Master Smith and sinking into her back, making her drop the piece of candy Hikaru had given her.
Adalante immediately began scuttling towards the ball (Presea)'s location, although she didn't know this.
"I wonder if those four children are alright..." Presea muttered, picking up the candy, which she hadn't even taken out of the wrapper. "I hope nothing's happened to them..." She then chuckled to herself, unwrapping the treat at last and examining it. "At first, it was hard for me to believe that they could be the Magic Knights!" And then she popped the piece of candy into her mouth, savoring the taste.
"Puu!" Mokona suddenly cried, flying through the air and landing on Presea's back.
"Oww! Mokona!" Presea shrieked. "You just made me waste all that delicious food!" She explained, grabbing the fluffball by the ears. "Now, what would be a fitting punishment for you? Should I pull on your funny ears to see how far I can make them stretch!?" And then she realized something. She was talking to Mokona. Nothing else. Mokona. "Wait a minute, if Mokona's here, that can only mean..." And when she turned, there stood all four Magic Knights, safe and sound. "Hikaru! Umi! Fuu! Logan! I'm so glad to see you're okay! But... Hey, your armor..."
"It just changed all on its own when we touched the Escudo for the first time!" Hikaru explained with a smile.
"Master Mage Clef provided you with that armor, did he not?" Presea asked.
"Yeah." Hikaru confirmed.
"Master Mage Clef provided you with armor that will evolve as you do, so it will grow along with your weapons!" Presea realized.
"That... Makes a lot of sense, actually." Logan conceded.
"We should get going right away. I wanna get started making the ultimate weapons for you Magic Knights immediately!" Presea said, beckoning the four teens forward.
"Right!" They all said in unison, following the Master Smith.
"This is the Creation Room." Presea revealed as she and the four Magic Knights stepped into a room that was almost a pure white void due to the crystalline walls constantly reflecting light.
"Here? Not exactly what I was expecting..." Logan muttered.
"I suppose you do not need any tools, do you?" Fuu inquired.
"That's exactly right." Presea confirmed. "All I need is a strong will. Now, take out your Escudo!"
"Okay!" The four teens agreed, holding their hands to the sky and calling forth the crystals of Escudo they obtained from the Spring of Eterna. Presea smiled in admiration, and then clicked off her shoulder pad, dropping the few bits of cloth over her tunic and the rest of her outfit away.
"Ah! Presea!" Hikaru said with shock as Presea changed into a long, flowing white dress almost like magic.
"Watch closely now." She commanded. "The ultimate weapons are created like so."
She then started... Dancing? It was a slow and elegant ballad, and veils of white silk appeared from Presea's dress as she moved, wrapping themselves around the four crystals of Escudo.
"I see... So this is how Presea makes weapons..." Hikaru muttered, watching in awe. But then, there was a sort of roar in the distance, and Presea stopped short.
"What is that sound?"
"I dunno. But I don't like it." Logan said. "Hikaru, Umi, Fuu. We should check it out!" No words had to be shared between the four, and they all turned and started running out of the Creation Room.
"Hold on a moment! I'll go with you!" Presea called after them.
"No, you stay there and make those weapons. The four of us can handle everything ourselves. That's why we're here, isn't it?"
"What you're saying makes a lot of sense, Logan." Presea conceded. "Alright then, I'll leave it all to you four."
"Great, don't worry about us." Logan reassured her. "Oh, and one last thing." He added, grabbing the Master Sword from his gauntlet. "Make a new shield for me, 'kay?"
Presea stared at the legendary blade in awe, but then shook her head. "I see. Once you are finished with this disturbance, it shall be ready for you."
"Good to know. Alright girls, let's go!"
And the four of them continued on their way outside to face whatever had the audacity to appear.
"They've already grown so much stronger than the last time I saw them..." Presea remarked as Mokona started puuing at her feet. "Yes, I understand. There is a lot of work yet to be done."
The four Magic Knights got outside just in time to see the gigantic caterpillar monster that Ascot had summoned make its arrival. Ascot himself was nowhere to be seen. The monster attempted to crawl over the wall and get inside and get to Presea, who still held its target.
"What do you think he wants?" Hikaru asked, only for a bunch of golden energy to erupt all around the creature as it crossed the property line, and it dropped to the ground, partially melting into it. But before the four teens could let their guard down, red energy crackled around the defeated monster, and it reconstructed itself, standing up tall and shooting a sort of corrosive fluid from its beak, breaking apart the ground that the Magic Knights had been standing on moments ago.
"Ready, everyone? Here we go!" Hikaru called.
"Ready!" The other three teens confirmed.
"Flame Arrow!" Hikaru called, launching out the flaming bolt.
"Sapphire Whirlwind!" Umi continued, the swirling vortex barreling right for the monster.
"Emerald Typhoon!" Fuu shouted, launching her blades of wind.
"Crackling Thunder!" Logan finished, balling his fists and then throwing his right hand out, the lightning bolts zipping towards the monster alongside the other attacks. One after another, they all collided, and the hideous beast collapsed again. But nobody assumed the fight was over that easily. Their suspicions were confirmed when the crimson aura returned, and the monster got even bigger.
"We've got to try one more time!" Fuu decided.
"Right!" Hikaru agreed, and all four of them once again cast their spells, this time having no effect.
"Hm... It seems to be able to build up a resistance to spells after the first time!" Fuu guessed.
"Now's not the time to be impressed!" Logan called as the four of them dodged another volley of acid. This time, there was a bit of splatter, and Logan was barely able to raise his shield in time to block it... Which instantly corroded it.
Presea once again stopped her dance as she felt the tremors outside.
"Hikaru!" She called, knowing she couldn't be heard. "No. I must stay and complete these weapons!"
And reluctantly, she went back to it.
"Ruby Lightning!"
"Water Dragon!"
These attacks had minimal effect on the giant monster, just making it evolve into an even more hideous and massive form.
"Magic clearly doesn't work!" Logan called. "Looks like we have to go for physical attacks!"
"Got it!" Umi acknowledged as she and the others drew their weapons. Fuu went first, firing an arrow that was simply disintegrated in a blast of acid. The monster charged at them again, knocking them away like bowling pins. Once they were back up, Hikaru went in with a slash to its side. It almost seemed to have worked, but then the crimson aura returned, and the monster evolved again.
"Oh you've gotta be fuckin' kidding me!" Logan groaned. "Not even weapons work!?"
Ascot watched the battle from a distance, hearing the sounds of combat and watching the dust kick up from his floating rock.
"Fools. Don't they know that they don't stand a chance against Adalante?" He muttered to himself, yawning. He jumped off his rock and to the ground below, sitting against a tree. "I'm feelin' kinda sleepy. I think I'll just take a little nap 'til Adalante wins." And then he kicked back and fell asleep.
Each of the Magic Knights had been defeated, watching as Adalante closed in on them. However, instead of running them over, it moved right past them and into the wall, allowing the teens to get back up.
"He's got another target." Logan guessed, and all it took was a glance for them to come to the same conclusion. Presea. They immediately took off after the monster, hoping to at least slow it down, but they could barely keep up.
"It's a caterpillar! How does it run so fast!?" Umi groaned.
"Hikaru and I will run up front and try to distract it!" Logan decided on the fly. "Umi, Fuu, you two can attack it from the rear!"
This plan, however, would not come to fruition. Right as he finished his sentence, all their weapons (with the exception of the Master Sword) vanished in a flash of white light.
"Why did my sword...?" Hikaru muttered. "The Creation Room!"
"Come on, let's go!"
Presea fell to her knees as she finished making the weapons. "Finished..." She muttered, staring at the awaiting weapons (and shield). However, she wouldn't get the time to recover her strength as Adalante crashed through the ceiling, caving it in and making a piece of debris land on her.
"Presea!" Hikaru cried, running towards the ruined Creation Room.
"Wait! Magic won't work!" Umi called after her.
"I'll stop it with my willpower!" Hikaru declared, facing Adalante head on. She leapt out of the way of some incoming acid, and then once again cast Ruby Lightning. The attack downed the giant monster, but it was just a feeble attempt. Adalante once again evolved, now having wings alongside its size increase, acid-spitting, and tusks. It took to the air, kicking up an updraft that almost knocked the Magic Knights off their feet.
"The wind is so strong!" Umi stated, trying to stay upright.
"How... How am I supposed to save Presea now...?" Hikaru muttered, watching Adalante take off. Punctuating her sentence was four golden beams. The weapons made of Escudo resonating with their owners. "The weapons have been finished!" But, looking at them, Hikaru was able to see Presea, laying motionless under a giant piece of debris. "Presea!" She cried, running over to the fallen Master Smith.
"Escudo..." Presea's voice echoed in Hikaru's head.
"Presea! Presea!" Hikaru wailed, tears welling up in her eyes as Adalante's updraft finally sent her and the others flying. She managed to support herself by holding onto a nearby chunk of debris, and once again looked at the weapons. "Escudo!" She called, reaching her hand out. The sword closest to her, this one being much sharper, far more balanced, and being a bit more ornate. A red hilt with a rounded, half-red, half-gold guard with a violet gem in the middle.
"Miss Umi, Logan. We should join her!" Fuu declared.
"Right!" Umi agreed.
"Don't need to tell me twice!"
As the three of them called for their items, they appeared in their hands. Fuu's sword was like a cross between Hikaru's sword and the Master Sword. Green handle, gold trims, green and gold guard, this one having its ends facing towards the blade, much like the Master Sword. Umi's was also quite similar, but was leaning more towards Hikaru's. Blue handle, blue-gold guard, ends facing her hand.
Logan's shield was dark blue in color, shaped much more like a traditional shield. It was lined in a silver color and had some sort of crest in red. It resembled a sort of winged creature (a phoenix, maybe?) flying towards a shape resembling a triangle, made of three other triangles, all in gold.
Speaking of, Logan moved first, sprinting forward and leaping into the air with a yell. The Master Sword flashed as he sliced off each of Adalante's wings, forcing the giant monster to the ground, making it completely at the mercy of Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu. They sliced into it mercilessly, and by the time Logan reached the ground, the monster had been reduced to nothing, finally allowing the Magic Knights a moment of rest.
Immediately, they rushed over to Presea. Who was still buried under the rubble. It took all four of them, but they eventually got her out.
"Presea! Hang in there!" Hikaru cried as the Master Smith finally started to stir.
"Those weapons..."
"Yes, we got the weapons!"
"I'm glad... I hope you'll become the Magic Knights... And save Cephiro..." And then Presea closed her eyes again.
"Oh no you don't!" Logan demanded. "Fuu! You have healing magic, don't you?"
"Ah! That's right!" Fuu realized. "Winds of Healing!" She called, that same green breeze that healed Logan picking up, and Presea's wounds disappeared, and she slowly opened her eyes again.
"Huh...?" She muttered, staring at the four Magic Knights.
"Hey, you're gonna be okay. Maybe a little winded, but you won't die!"
"Healing magic... Quick thinking, Logan." Presea muttered. "I... I'll be okay. As for this old place, I don't need it anymore. My old shop should still be there... With my mission complete, Zagato won't gain anything from targeting me."
"That's good. Don't stress yourself, though."
"Don't worry, I won't." Presea reassured him, slowly getting up. "Maybe you two can stop by once you save Cephiro, and give me more of that candy. If you have any, that is."
"We'll keep that in mind, but we should get going."
"Yes, you should." Presea advised. "Don't let me keep you."
"Alright." Logan agreed, getting up and facing Umi and Fuu. "You heard her. There's nothing left here, and Cephiro isn't gonna save itself. So, are you ready to- huh!?" He had been interrupted by Hikaru latching onto him, burying her face in his back. "H- Hikaru?!"
"Oh, thank you, Logan! Thank you so much for helping her!"
"W- why are you thanking me? Fuu healed her."
"I know, but if you hadn't reminded her... Then Presea... Presea would've-"
"Shh, hey. It's okay now. Everything's fine." Logan told her, returning the hug. "Once we're out of this pit, we'll have Mokona bring out our home away from home so we can get you off to bed. It's already pretty late."
"Y- yeah... You're right..." Hikaru agreed, stepping away from him. "Let's go."
And with that, the four of them bid farewell to Presea, hoping to get a decent night's sleep after the past hectic minutes.
"Adalante! Come back! Adalante!" Ascot called into the darkness, hoping for his beloved monster to return to his side.
"No matter how much you call for it, your monster will not return." Inouova told him coldly, appearing next to him.
"Adalante always obeys everything I say! If I call him, he'll always come back!"
"That is... If it is still alive." Inouva said, not a hint of emotion in his voice.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Go and see for yourself." Inouva commanded. "And avoid that blacksmith. If she catches you, do not expect us to bail you out." And then he vanished into the shadows once again.
Once Ascot descended into the ruins of the Creation Room, he called out for Adalante once again. With no response, he started to search the rubble, his eyes eventually falling on a pile of black goo drying on the floor.
"Adalante! Adalante, what has become of you!?" The young summoner cried over the remains of the beast. "I promise I will avenge your death! I swear I will never forgive them even if I live until the end of time!" He swore, knowing he would need to bring his full fury if he wanted to crush the Magic Knights...
Word Count: 3,867? huh. could've sworn this was longer.
well... another major character death i sidestepped with the intervention of a new character. call it a trend i guess :p anyway i actually have a bit more merit this time instead of 'oh they're one of my favorite characters'. you see, in basically every bit of mkr media that isn't the anime (the manga and games), presea doesn't actually die. and she's basically resurrected as her twin sister in the second season, and there's no real reason for that, so i just decided to give her the mercy treatment. oh and also she's one of my favorite characters but that isn't important-