The Second Rune God: Windam, the Lord of the Skies!
The light of the sun and the chirping of birds indicated that the storm had finally passed, and morning had come. Despite the more uncomfortable living situation the cave made, Logan had found his sleep was uninterrupted, for once. Although, he did feel a little more... Exposed. He could feel the material of the sleeping bag on his arms despite the fact he had been wearing a hoodie.
Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Logan yawned and sat upright, looking around the cave and allowing his brain a few minutes to process everything. The Sky Shrine, the cave, the storm, so on and so on. He was about to lay back down and try to wake up for a few more minutes when two crucial facts hit him: He was missing his right glove, and he was missing his hoodie.
"That's weird..." He whispered, hoping not to wake anyone up. "I could've sworn-" He began, only to look to his side and discover why he only felt exposed, not cold.
Hikaru was right there next to him, her arm draped loosely around his waist from when he sat up. Her silky crimson hair had been hidden by a hood courtesy of his own stolen sweatshirt. And as much as he wanted it back, she just looked so cute and peaceful like this, and he didn't want to disturb her. Instead, he laid back down and put his arm around her.
"Mmmnnngh..." Hikaru groaned lightly, and then her vibrant red eyes opened, looking directly at Logan. "Oh, hi..." She muttered. "Sorry about-"
"Shh. Don't." Logan requested, gently putting a finger to her lips. "It's okay. I would've let you sleep next to me anyway, and you look rather cute in that hoodie..."
"Are you flirting with me already?"
"You're smiling."
"Hmph. Well, I'm comfortable. So don't expect to get this back for a bit." Hikaru conceded.
"Isn't it a little big on you?"
"I'll just roll the sleeves up a bit."
"Okay, if you say so..."
The two of them stayed in silence for a moment, simply enjoying each other's presence before finally getting up fully and beginning to prepare for the day, putting their armor on and waiting at the cave entrance, looking out upon the Sky Shrine. Roughly 35 minutes later, Fuu and Umi had prepared themselves and met up with the other two Magic Knights.
"Hey, Hikaru. Something about you looks... Different." Umi remarked, blinking a few times to adjust her eyes to the sun's light. "And so do yooo- WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR ARM!?" She shouted upon turning and finding the mass snaking up Logan's arm.
"Oh, this?" Logan repeated. "Hell if I know. Considering Alcyone did it, it's probably nothing good. But so far it hasn't done anything."
"And you are trying to find a solution, correct?" Fuu asked.
"I am. We just haven't been anywhere with people who aren't trying to kill us recently, so I haven't had time to ask around."
"Huh...? What's going on out here? Why's Umi shouting?" Ferio questioned, finally having woken up, stumbling out of the cave. His face was red and his body was glistening with sweat.
"Well, aren't you looking all hot and bothered~" Logan teased upon seeing the swordsman. His taunt immediately made Ferio's face go even redder, and promptly caused Fuu to do her best impersonation of a cherry. Looking around, Logan couldn't help but notice the disappointed or embarrassed looks he was getting. "What? It was right there."
"U- Uh... I- I'm fine..." Ferio muttered, only for his legs to give out.
"Ferio!" Fuu gasped, stepping forward to try and catch him, but Sera was already there.
"Hold on there!" She pleaded, stopping Ferio in a kneel and supporting his weight to stop him from hitting the ground.
"Thanks... A lot..." Ferio said, getting up. "I'm alright..." He reassured her, only to contradict himself by falling again, this time being caught by Fuu. At the same time, Sera placed a hand on Ferio's forehead, trying to check his temperature.
"Oh, no. You have a fever!" She diagnosed. "It must be caused by last night's rain!"
'That... Doesn't sound right...' Logan mused. 'If he had a cold, maybe...'
"Uhh, Logan?" Hikaru's voice asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. "You're doing that thing again..."
"What thing?"
"Where you look like you want to say something, but you also don't want to say it."
"I will treat Ferio's condition with my herbs." Sera declared. "You all have a mission that you must not be delayed from accomplishing."
"How do we know your herbs didn't cause his fever?" Logan blurted, having made up his mind.
"What?" Sera gasped.
"Believe it or not, there is credence to his theory." Fuu agreed. "Although it isn't much to go on, Ferio was the only one of us to have any of your soup last night, and now he is the only one ill."
"How... Did you know that?" Ferio asked.
"I... May have overheard your conversation with Miss Sera before you went to bed last night..."
"T- The herbs in the soup?" Sera stammered. "No, no. I'm sure I picked out seasoning herbs..."
"That's not all. The gem on my glove has been glowing ever since we met you." Logan revealed, holding up his right hand. "The last time it did this was when we were taking care of what we thought was an innocent creature, but was actually a monster in disguise. And that was because-" He then drew his sword, holding the blade out in front of Sera. "My sword responds to the presence of evil."
"Are- Are you accusing me of poisoning Ferio!?"
"Not saying I am. But at the same time, how do we know you're not one of Zagato's minions?"
"I... I promise, when you return, Ferio will be perfectly well again." Sera stated.
"Okay then..." Logan conceded, dissipating his weapon and walking away.
"Right, we should keep going!" Hikaru agreed, mostly wanting to reawaken the second Rune God before any of Zagato's minions had a chance to stop them.
"Yeah, come on, Fuu!" Umi called, beckoning Fuu along to make sure she didn't just stay behind with Ferio. But this was for naught, as before she was even out of arm's reach, the swordsman stopped her, grabbing her by the wrist.
"Huh?"
"Please, wait a minute... I know in my heart that you can save Cephiro. Because I know that I believe in you..."
I believe in you. If Fuu had any doubts before now, she didn't anymore. She knew she had to stay determined, and be ready for whatever came next. She turned back to Ferio, a warm smile once again adorning her face.
"I understand. I promise you I will return with the second Rune God very soon." She then turned her focus to Sera, who was standing a ways back. "Miss Sera. I ask of you, please, take good care of Ferio."
"Uh, yes..."
With that, Fuu whipped around and ran up to her three companions. "Alright! Let us be on our way!" She announced, earning a single in-sync nod from the other Magic Knights, leaving Ferio alone with Sera...
Ferio, still feeling ill, began to stumble back towards the cave entrance. He was planning on crawling back into one of the sleeping bags and resting, hopefully feeling better by the time Fuu and her group returned. But instead, his body was wracked with pain as soon as he got out of the sun. He fell forward, knocking over the soup pot and spilling its contents.
"What's... What's happening...? What in the world's happening to me!? I have no control over my body!"
Sera then blocked the cave entrance, giggling as she watched the swordsman struggle and writhe in pain. "My. Isn't it so sweet that there's such a strong bond between you and Fuu?"
Ferio, gasping for breath, had to take a moment to process the woman's words. "W- What are you saying...?" He asked as Sera approached him.
"So, how will it feel to have to watch your Fuu as she dies in front of your very own eyes?"
"Huh?!" Ferio gasped, but then thought back on it... He was the only one to have the soup... "You... You did poison me!"
Sera tilted her head down, her smile full of malice. "I'm so very glad you liked the taste..." She began, only for her peasant's rags to fly off, revealing none other than Inouva, the exact opposite of the soft-spoken Sera. "Of my special herbs." He wore clothing of the highest regard, and gave off an aura of power and nobility, which could only mean one thing...
As Inouva held out his hand, firing off a gooey substance that knocked Ferio back to the cave wall, sticking him to it like a fly caught in the web of a spider. "What's this!? You... You're one of Zagato's minions!"
"Thanks to you, I now have knowledge of a weakness in one of the Magic Knights." Inouva revealed, summoning a glowing purple orb that he lightly tossed into the air. Said orb then expanded into a circle in front of Ferio, displaying the entrance to the Sky Shrine. "While you are stuck here as my captive, you have only yourself to blame for what will happen. As you watch the Magic Knights meet their deaths. As the girl called Fuu dies horribly, calling out the name of the man she so desperately loves." And with that, Inouva disappeared in a gust of wind, leaving Ferio there to watch his plan unfold...
"Please tell me this is the last time we have to ride this thing..." Logan muttered as the Magic Knights flew to the Sky Shrine in the damaged flying saucer, which teetered back and forth as they glided along.
"I'm sure this is the last time." Hikaru reassured him, lightly patting him on the back. "Once we're done here, I don't think there's going to be any more climbing or high places."
"But that reminds me." Umi stated. "Mokona, if you had this thing, why didn't you let us use it earlier?"
"Pudupupuu!"
"It doesn't seem very stable after we got attacked in it by Zagato." Hikaru remarked, referring to the wobbling it was doing. As if responding to her words, the craft then dropped like an anvil, impacting with the open doorway of the Sky Shrine before anyone had a chance to even start screaming. Recovering from the pain and shock, Hikaru, Umi, and Logan noticed the glowing green light that was emanating from the levitating Fuu, wisps of green energy swirling around her.
"Oh, Fuu..." Umi said.
"Hey, Fuu!" Hikaru called as the wisps of energy disappeared, setting Fuu back on the ground.
"I can hear it calling out to me... The Rune God... Is calling me..." She whispered, the wisps returning again. But instead of picking her up off the ground, she instead began to disappear right before their eyes.
"No, wait! Come back!" Umi pleaded, watching her comrade vanish into thin air.
"Settle down, Umi. She's okay. You were just like that back in the Water Shrine." Logan explained. "All spaced out and cryptic. And then you vanished. I'm sure the Rune God here is calling for Fuu the same way Selece called to you."
"We should go inside, too!" Hikaru declared, sprinting forward as to not miss the Rune God's revival.
"Hey, no fair!" Logan called after her, taking off as well.
"Wait for me, you guys!" Umi shouted, taking up the rear. They rushed through the hall ahead, hoping to find where Fuu had been teleported by presumably the Rune God. But they didn't get far before there was some wisps of magic, and the regal right-hand man of High Priest Zagato himself stood before them.
"Stop right there, Magic Knights." Inouva commanded, despite the fact they had already stopped. They barely needed to take a look at him to know he meant trouble, and thus drew their weapons.
"Well, I guess you can't expect everyone you meet to be friendly!" Umi quipped. Yet Inouva simply smirked, holding his hand out before him.
"Useless tactics." He scoffed, summoning a dark orb and calling forth nearly invisible shadow tendrils with wolf heads to attack. The Magic Knights raised their swords, ready to hold this sudden enemy off until Fuu returned with the Rune God...
"Legendary Magic Knight." The Rune God's voice echoed through the desolate chamber, finally snapping Fuu out of her trance. The green wisps of magic that had been following her reappeared, now ascending to a crystal formation on the ceiling, which glowed with light before revealing a massive green bird-creature with a long tail, giant wings, an extensive neck, and a small head that ended in a sharp golden beak, red eyes, and a single green gem on its forehead. "Thou hast come unto this shrine in order to don me."
"You are..."
"I am known as Windam." The creature revealed. "I am the Rune God that sleeps here, waiting for the one that will become a Magic Knight."
"This is... The Rune God...?" Fuu asked herself, looking up at the divine beast in awe. "It is this enourmous bird?"
"Thou who hast come here to don me. Show me the strength of thine heart. Display before me the proof that thy power makes thee worthy of donning me. The strength of thine heart that makes thee worthy of becoming a Legendary Magic Knight."Windam commanded, soon vanishing into the darkness.
"Show you the strength... Of my heart?" Fuu wondered. "How in the world... Do I do that?" She questioned, only for the sound of clattering metal to ring out across the shrine, snapping her out of her thoughts. Upon examining the source, her heart sank.
Hikaru, Umi, and Logan. All standing with their weapons drawn, facing the darkness. Umi had dropped her sword, and she soon fell to her knees. "Oh, Miss Umi!" Fuu cried, rushing towards her friend and supporting her. "Are you alright!? Umi, you must try and hold on!"
"Fuu..." Hikaru muttered. "I'm sorry... I can't... I can't protect you..." And then she, too, collapsed.
"His attacks... Make it spread faster..." Logan whispered cryptically, clutching his right arm. Considering Hikaru was still wearing his hoodie, Fuu could see more of his right arm because of his t-shirt. Whereas before the darkness was only about halfway to his elbow and only taking up a third of his fingers, it had now enveloped his entire hand, which now looked less human and more like a claw, and had shot just over his elbow before it appeared to have returned to his normal rate. Fuu barely had time to process this before he also went limp and silent.
"Miss Hikaru! Logan!"
"Hahaha... They are too weak." A cold, masculine, uncaring voice echoed from the darkness. "Not even worth the effort. That boy is lucky I'm feeling generous today. I could have hit him with much more potent magic."
"Who is that over there!? Who are you!? And what do you mean by 'potent magic'?!"
As the elfish attacker stepped out of the shadows, it became abundantly clear from his aura alone why her friends had failed. "My name is Inouva." The silver-haired man revealed. "I stand here with an order from the High Priest, Zagato to kill the Magic Knights. As for the boy, Alcyone afflicted him with a Curse of Corruption. Only the most powerful sorcerers in Cephiro have the power to cast it, and it has no known cure. For now, it is harmless. But if it were not for the fact that you will die here, I would tell you to hurry up. But enough talk."
"So you did this!" Fuu shouted, drawing her sword. "To Miss Hikaru, Miss Umi, and Logan!" She called, rushing forward to attack.
"Useless." Inouva scoffed, a barrier of dark magic protecting him as she brought the blade down. She screamed as the dark energy struck her, stumbling back a few feet before regaining her balance, staring at both her sword and Inouva in horror.
"My sword had no affect at all..."
"I told you, it is useless!" Inouva declared, sending out the shadowy tendrils again, nearly crushing Fuu had she not have begun running, barely avoiding the attacks right on her tail. She ran out of breath as soon as the barrage ended, once again turning to face her attacker. "Had I known it would be this easy to defeat you, I would not have wasted my time with a hostage."
"What do you mean 'hostage'?"
"I mean that stupid boy, of course." Inouva revealed, a sadistic smile on his face as he conjured a vision circle on the floor, revealing Ferio, who was still struggling against his binds within the cave.
"Ferio!"
"Just as I thought. You do have special feelings towards this boy, don't you?" Inouva questioned, stepping over the vision of Ferio's face.
"As you thought...? How did you know about Ferio?" Fuu wondered, only to look back down in the visage and see the toppled and empty basked of herbs Sera had. And then it clicked. Logan had been right, Ferio had been poisoned by Sera, she had been one of Zagato's minions. And yet she and everyone else refused to believe it. "It can't be... Miss Sera!?"
Inouva simply grinned, watching the gears turn in Fuu's head, her look of horror only increasing. "If you kneel before me now, and swear an oath to me that you will not pursue becoming a Magic Knight, only then will I spare this boy's life."
"Oh, Ferio..."
"Doesn't it hurt to see him like this?" Inouva asked, brushing his foot over the image of Ferio as he struggled. "If I truly wished to, I could tear his body apart slowly, piece by piece." He continued, watching as Fuu finally closed her eyes, not wanting to endure this torment any longer. "Swear it. Swear that you will not become a Magic Knight. Swear it!"
"Even if I... Agree to swear to you to save his life, my life, and the lives of the others, Ferio's not the type of guy that would approve of that." Fuu stated, and Ferio finally stopped struggling. Just as she could see and hear him, he could see and hear her, being forced to watch from the other side of this magic window. "And besides, Miss Hikaru, Miss Umi and Logan have all traveled this long journey with me, and are my friends! While I was communicating with the Rune God, the unselfishly guarded me with their very lives! There's no way I could desert them just so I could try to save my own life!"
Inouva sighed, his smirk dropping. "What other choice do you have, Magic Knight?"
"I will defeat you!" Fuu declared, her emerald green eyes filled with determination, once again raising her sword. "And rescue Ferio!"
Inouva's smirk returned as quickly as it left as he raised his hand to cast another spell. "Then you shall- Huh!?" His threat was interrupted by a blinding green light, and for once, it was Inouva's turn to feel dread, as he knew what was about to happen.
Windam once again appeared behind Fuu, its massive body being the source of the light. "Legendary Magic Knight." The Rune God began. "Thou hast proven unto me the strength of thine heart."
"The Rune God!" Fuu gasped.
"This... This can't be!" Inouva cursed, gazing upon the deity with both awe and terror. "Impossible!"
"I will now awaken from my slumber. And show unto thee my true self!" Windam declared, shifting from a gigantic bird to a gigantic mechanical creature with the head of a phoenix. Like how Selece had been mostly blue and gold, Windam was largely green and gold, gems adorning multiple places upon its body. Two plumes on its head resembled horns, silver talons much like a bird, five-fingered claws, and a gigantic pair of wings that would likely create miniature typhoons with a single flap.
"The Rune God... Awake..." Inouva muttered in fear. "This power is too much for me..." It was then that Windam released its power, enveloping Inouva in a bright light and forcing his retreat as he screamed in pain and fear. The light filled the entire shrine, even glowing through the crystals outside and launching a sparkling beacon into the air. The Magic Knights were successful. Windam had been revived, and now only two Rune Gods remained...
Umi could feel a nice, calm breeze blowing past her as she finally regained consciousness. With the bright light, twinkles of magic, she assumed she had died and moved on to the next life. But, no. She hadn't. Upon taking a look at herself, she realized that her armor had once again evolved, receiving its most drastic redesign yet.
Most of the gems were gone, the only one being square in the middle of her chest, right near the top of a blue sash that stuck over her much lighter, more form-fitting chestplate, which now wrapped around her entire torso. The pauldrons had also changed, now being blue broken up by gold, and reaching more to the sides than down.
"Hey, look at our armor!" Umi called. "Our armor has evolved again!" She continued, noting how everyone's armor looked identical to hers, with the only exceptions being the colors (red for Hikaru, green for Fuu, and cyan for Logan).
"Our swords, too!" Hikaru noted, watching as the spider-like formation on her blade's hilt expanded, now wrapping snugly around her fingers, with a second guard coming from off the side to make hitting her hands just a little harder. The blade itself also grew slightly bigger and longer, not to mention sharper. All this change, and it still was light as a feather, preventing her movements from being too cumbersome.
Umi's sword, alongside the length increase and sharpening, merely had the baby dragon on it's guard get bigger, protecting her fingers with one of its wings.
Fuu's sword had the least remarkable change, only getting longer and sharper, the blade now comparable to a longsword.
"All four of us now have matching outfits!" Fuu remarked, admiring the new armor.
"Legendary Magic Knight."Windam called, drawing the attention of all four of them. "Thine heart is still yet unprepared to encompass all that I am. Until that promised day arrives, I shall change my appearance, become a part of thee, and wait patiently. Alas, I still have unfinished business."
"Let me guess." Logan stated. "My sword?"
"Indeed."
Logan sighed, holding his blade in front of him and across his chest, bracing himself for the impact of the green flames. While he didn't get as close to falling, it was still a grueling endeavor. But once it was over, he took a bit of pleasure in feeling the power running through the legendary blade. "Alright. What's the deal with this one?"
"Call forth the power of the wind, and pierce the ground with thy sword."
"Okay then..." Logan muttered, closing his eyes. The Master Sword then was engulfed in a minty green light, and he swiftly raised the blade and brought it down, creating a concussive blast that knocked Hikaru, Umi and Fuu off their feet. "Oh, shit! Sorry!" He called, pulling the blade back up with the inverse effect, pulling the girls towards him and launching him into the air so he wouldn't be squished between them.
"Ow..." Umi groaned as the suction stopped.
"Uaahhh-!" Logan cried as he slammed into the ground. "H'okay... Gotta get used to that..."
"With this, my work is done. Temporarily..."Windam declared, turning into pure light and launching into the gem on Fuu's armor, merging with it and securing its presence. "Until the promised day has come..."
Roughly an hour and twenty minutes later, the Magic Knights had returned to and safely rescued Ferio. Luckily, it seemed like his fever had gone away, but naturally, not everyone was convinced.
"Are you sure that you really are completely well?" Fuu asked, leading the swordsman out of the cave.
"Yeah..." Ferio reassured her, taking a few steps away. "Listen. I'm not gonna be hangin' around anymore, so don't expect to see me again."
"Huh?"
"I don't wanna be responsible for holdin' you back. So why don't you just forget about me?"
"I can't!" Fuu told him. "Ferio, because of you, I was able to defeat Inouva, and I was able to revive another Rune God! You gave me strength when I needed it most-"
"Enough!" Ferio demanded. "I just can't... I just can't ever forgive myself. You gotta just forget about me, okay? Think only about saving this world, about saving Cephiro. I know you guys can do it." Ferio instructed, turning to run off only to be stopped by Fuu wrapping her arms around his chest.
"Ferio! Please! Don't go!" She begged, her tears sinking into his shirt. "Stay with us... Please..."
"Fuu..."
"Come on, Ferio." Logan sighed, walking up to him. "Are you seriously going to end what's-let's face it-the only long-lasting and stable relationship you've had just because some smug elf outplayed you a single time? Are you actually willing to break her heart because of some bastard who wiped the floor with us?"
"I... I really don't want to, but I really can't stay. I'll just slow you down..."
"Don't talk like that, Ferio."
"I'm serious. You guys don't have time to drag me along with you. I mean, look at your arm. If you let that darkness reach your heart, it has a chance to kill you, depending on what its caster wants. You need to revive the other two Rune Gods and save Cephiro before that can happen."
"Oh..." Logan muttered. "Well. I guess there's no changing your mind." He conceded.
"Ferio..." Fuu whispered. "Can you promise me something?"
"Yeah? What is it?"
"Please... Keep in touch, will you?" She requested, tears still leaking from her eyes.
"Yeah. Sure. I'll call every night if it makes you happy."
"Y- Yes... Thank you, Ferio..." Fuu said, burying her face in his chest, trying to take in as much of him as she could before he left. But then he picked her head up, looking her in the eye with that same confident charm that he had used to make her so effortlessly fall for him. "F- Feri-!"
At first, she didn't even realize what was happening. One second, she was uttering his name again, and the next, there was something on her lips, blocking the sound. It was soft, gentle, yet firm enough to the point where she couldn't tell where her lips ended and his began. But all to soon, it was over, but now she felt a little emptier, knowing that this could very well be the last time the two of them met.
"I figured it might be my last chance." Ferio explained, his face a little red from his own actions. "Talk to you later!" He called, finally running off and out of sight, leaving the stunned, blushing Fuu and the rest of the Magic Knights behind.
"He really just..." Umi began.
"Oh, wow..." Hikaru continued.
"Feels like I've been waiting forever for that." Logan concluded, trying to hide his smile behind his cursed fist. "Fuu? You good?"
"I..." Fuu trailed, completely at a loss for words. "I- I'm okay... Just a little shocked..." She admitted. "But... I'll be alright."
"I'm sure we'll see him again!" Hikaru reassured her. "We always do!"
"Yes, you're right..." Fuu agreed. "I cannot think that we won't meet him again, no matter what he says. I won't forget him. Not now, not ever!"
"That's the spirit!" Umi chuckled. "Looks like Logan and Hikaru have a bit of catching up to do~!"
"Oh, for fuck's sake, Umi!" Logan groaned, eliciting a good laugh from everyone. Despite everything, they remained unwavering in their cause, determined to save Cephiro and the people residing in it no matter what.
Inouva collapsed to his knees at the throne of his master, knowing that, despite the bond they had forged, Zagato would not be too pleased hearing about his failure.
"I beg for your forgiveness, Lord Zagato..." Inouva pleaded, hoping he would be given a second chance. "Please, Lord. I only ask to be turned back into my true self. That way, I can be sure to-"
"I cannot." Zagato declared, his voice firm and cold, echoing through the dark halls.
"But, my Lord-!" Inouva began, only for Zagato to stand up and face away from his loyal servant. The High Priest pointed towards the waterfall curtain that once concealed his minions during meetings, yet now was almost always desolate. "Come forth, Lafarga." He commanded, and the waterfall began to split like never before, and then exploded in a cloud of dust and water vapor. And within the shadows, Zagato was pleased to see the bulky, powerful frame of Lafarga looking towards him from the darkness, ready to follow his orders to the letter...
Word Count: 4,997
blah blah distracted by arkham knight blah blah kept getting sidetracked. typical stuff. anyway, fuurio! i fuckin adore this ship. it's amazing. and it's a damn shame they never kissed (at least to my knowledge) despite having several opportunities to do so. i was a bit reluctant to though because again, i'm still pretty new at this :p
oh and also i finally decided to at least explain what the fuck happened to logan's arm a little bit. the name is generic, i know, but i'm not a creative person and it sounded good in the moment. anyway, two rune gods down, two to go, and like, five episodes left. holy shit how did i actually get this far-