Deepening Bonds - The Magic Knights and Ferio!
We check up on the Magic Knights with an explosion. Literally. At the foot of the mountain they actually needed to climb to reach the second Rune God, the group had encountered a gigantic, three-headed dragon monster. The previous day had been spent just climbing the other mountains. Without powerful summoned monsters, dastardly illusions, and evil ice sorcerers going after them, the climbs were uneventful. But that isn't important.
The dragon roared, shooting fireballs from two of its heads (which were jutting out of the ground) that would've incinerated Hikaru and Umi had they not been so used to leaping out of the way by now. In their movements, they sliced off a head respectively, which only caused more to appear. These new heads also spit fire, which collided with them and sent them both hurtling to the ground.
"This thing's like a fuckin' Hydra!" Logan cursed, holding his arms out to catch Hikaru specifically, almost falling onto his back as she slammed into him. "Fuu! This is the part where you're three steps ahead and already have its weakness!"
"Then it seems I am three steps ahead of you!" Fuu shouted, readying her sword. "As the monster... Is actually right here!" She called, driving her sword into the ground and exposing the core of the beast that was hidden beneath the other three.
"Sound us off, Hikaru!" Logan instructed as the three of them jumped away.
"Right!" She agreed. "Flame Arrow!"
"Water Dragon!" Umi continued, adding another bit of pain for the monster to inevitably have to deal with.
"Emerald Typhoon!" Fuu added, as if it wasn't enough.
"Crackling Thunder!" Logan concluded, just for good measure.
Fire, water, wind and lightning all simultaneously connected with the robotic core of the dragon heads and blowing them all up with a giant cloud of smoke and dust. The Magic Knights all waited for some sort of extra surprise that never ended up coming. Upon realizing the danger had passed, they all put their weapons away, sighing in relief.
"Logan! Logan, are you okay!?" Hikaru asked upon realizing he was clutching his hand again. "Does your wrist still hurt from the other day?"
"What? No. No. I just... Cracked it, that's all. Shot my hand out a little too fast with that spell." He lied, hoping she would believe him. Although by now both he and Fuu knew that it was that dark mass that his glove was just barely hiding. "Anyway, what about you guys? Are any of you hurt?"
"Oh, that was nothing! Heh." Umi chuckled, clearly okay.
"I am fine as well. But what about you, Miss Hikaru? Did you get hurt?" Fuu stated.
"I'm just fine!" Hikaru reassured her, the giant smile on her face never wavering.
"Hm... You are truly a kind and caring person, Miss Hikaru." Fuu noted. "No wonder Logan managed to fall for you, and you reciprocate those feelings."
"Oh, haha... Really? I guess I wasn't thinking much about it..." Hikaru giggled.
"You're never gonna leave me alone about that, are you?" Logan sighed.
"Not until you stop with Ferio and I."
"Damn..."
"That aside, it has been some time since the four of us were summoned here to Cephiro, is it not?" Fuu continued. "Yet you still get a tearful look in your eye whenever any one of us is injured, Miss Hikaru."
This finally got Hikaru to drop her smile, especially once a rather large amount of blue filled her vision. "That's true." Umi agreed. "I'm really glad you're here to look out for us, y'know? But you have to make sure you take care of yourself as well..." She advised, holding Hikaru's hand up slightly so that she could see the tiny cut on the back of it.
Hikaru's shocked/confused look turned to a rather downtrodden one at this information. "Hey..." Umi muttered.
"I... I just don't want anyone to die..." Hikaru admitted, the tears already starting to sting her eyes. The other three Magic Knights gasped in slight shock as she uttered these words, staring at her with concern. "Presea... We couldn't protect her... If we were stronger, faster, and could use more magic... Maybe she wouldn't of gotten hurt... Maybe her home and her shop would still be here... And Alcyone, too... If we just talked things out with her like we did with Caldina and Ascot... Knowing Zagato, she's probably dead..."
The other three teens just stared with sympathy, feeling the same. "I know." Umi agreed. "When we first defeated Alcyone, I thought it was worth it. I thought she was just pure evil. But after getting Caldina and Ascot to change, I'm staring to wonder if it was the right choice..."
"The Magic Knights..." Hikaru muttered. "Way back when, everything seemed to be moving so fast... I was just doing what I thought I was supposed to be... And then when Clef told us about the Magic Knights, I wanted to become them more than anything. It was just out of curiosity and excitement. I never stopped to think about what it actually meant..." Hikaru then got to her feet, her eyes still watery, but once again filled with that determination she was known for. "But now... I really do wanna become a Magic Knight. For everyone who's helped us here in Cephiro. To fulfill the wishes of Clef and Presea and Ferio! The Magic Knights!"
It was then that Hikaru felt a pair of arms wrap around her, her eyes widening in surprise. She didn't even need to turn her head to know who it was, his larger hands feeling gentle and comforting. Immediately, she could feel her face getting red again.
"Is now really the time for introspection?" Logan sighed, his voice soft as it entered her ears. "But damn, if I didn't love you before..." He whispered, gently wiping away the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. "I'm so glad you were brought here with us. I don't know what we'd do without you."
"I am very glad you are here with us as well, Miss Hikaru." Fuu agreed, giving a warm smile.
Logan opened his eyes once again, expecting to maybe see Hikaru or the beauty of the Cephirian landscape (a win either way as far as he was concerned), yet was instead greeted by fluff. And a stupid grinning face. "Dammit, Mokona! Can't you see we're having a moment here!? Again!?"
"Haha! You always show up after the battle's over, don't you?" Hikaru asked, giggling at the familiar's antics.
"I guess there's no way around it." Umi sighed, patting Logan on the shoulder. "We're just going to have to continue putting up with this long-eared annoying little ball of fluff..." She groaned, putting a finger to her forehead. "Let's get going! We've got a long ways to go."
"I find myself wondering... Just how far do we need to travel before we can become Magic Knights?" Fuu wondered, making Umi stop in her tracks.
"Huh... Me too..."
"Pupupupuu!" Mokona hummed, leaping out of Hikaru's arms and to the ground below.
"Mokona!?"
Mokona hopped away from them a bit, singing and humming as another beam of light shot from his forehead gem. But instead of Clef appearing, it seemed to be...
"A map?" Logan wondered, staring at the illustration.
"It seems like it." Umi agreed. "But what's that glowing light?" She questioned, referring to the light that was flashing red, blue, green and white in that order.
"Hey! It's moving!" Hikaru exclaimed, watching as the light moved from close to the shore to a nearby forest, then by a circle that looked oddly familiar, then to a small desert where it seemed to linger.
"Eterna... The Forest..." Fuu muttered. "Hey! I think I've got it! It must be us!" She confirmed, retracing the light's path. "There's where we were first summoned. Then the Forest of Silence, then the Spring of Eterna. See how it's changing colors? It represents us! And it must be taking the same path that we have so far!"
"Hey, I think she's right!" Logan agreed, watching the dot fly into the ocean, only for a blue and gold circle to appear, engraved with a sort of dual wave pattern. "That's where we found Selece!" And as the dot started moving again, it continued to move almost uninterrupted until reaching the mountains and finally stopping for good. "That must be where we are now... Having a map like this just makes this feel even more like some sort of game."
"Magic Knights... Armor and weapons that evolve... It does seem like we're in some kind of role-playing game." Umi added.
"Save the princess and save the world from destruction..." Fuu continued. "This is actually a rather familiar story, don't you think?"
"Yeah, but... This is reality." Umi concluded, watching as Mokona dissipated the map. "So Mokona, if you could bring up a map like that this whole time, why didn't you do it from the very beginning?" Mokona made more puus and hums as an approximate response, turning away from Umi. "You just didn't wanna pull it out!?"
"I swear to god, I'm going to punt that thing like a football one of these days..." Logan sighed, watching the tiny familiar bounce away.
"Oh, that reminds me." Hikaru said suddenly. "Hey, Logan? What's a role-playing game?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...That's it. We're breaking up."
"HUH!?"
It was then that Logan's uproarious cackling once again filled the area. "Oh, hahaha! The look on your face! I really got ya with that one, didn't I?!"
"You're mean!" Hikaru pouted, lightly punching him in the arm. "Say you're sorry!"
"Fine, fine. I'm sorry, I still love you. I just couldn't help myself. But still, did you seriously just ask me what a role-playing game is?"
"Yeah?"
"Uh, video games in general?"
"Never played one."
"Alright. I know what we're doing as soon as we get home. But, seriously, do you have any siblings? Older brothers, maybe?"
"I have three, actually."
"And none of them play any games?"
"My family runs a kendo school. So I take lessons with the students, and help clean up the school with them."
"Oh... That explains a lot. Your tomboy spirit, for one."
"So you practice kendo, Miss Hikaru?" Fuu asked. "I am on the archery team at my school."
"I'd love to see you and your archery team uniform, Fuu!" Hikaru admitted.
"We have a big match coming up if you want to come and check it out."
"Wait, how soon?" Logan wondered.
"About two days from our trip. Why?"
"Just curious. On the subject of team sports, Umi, when's your fencing tournament?"
"Well... It was the day after our Tokyo Tower trip..."
"Damn... You people are really filling up my schedule. Taking Hikaru to my place to get her to play some games, Umi's fencing tournament, Fuu's archery match, probably have a more genuine day out with Hikaru. And then I guess my vacation's over after that..."
"Ah, I see." Umi noted. "You're really that interested?"
"I've clearly got time."
"Oh, I just remembered. Logan, are you in any extracurricular activities back at your school?"
"Uh, haha... Me? Well, I'm part of the drumline of my school's marching band..."
"Woah... Your school must be pretty big to have its own marching band!" Hikaru giggled.
"We're... Not actually that big. And besides, we're not even in season right now."
"Oh..."
"But I'm also a part of our school play this year!"
"A school play?" Fuu inquired. "American schools have things like that?"
"Yeah. We do. And ours are actually some of the best in our area. We spend almost an entire year working on 'em."
"May I ask what you are performing?"
"Uh, it's based on a board game... I doubt you've heard of it. Clue. I'll be Mr. Green."
"Ah, it sounds rather interesting."
"Yeah. I would recommend you go and watch it, but I feel like it'd be a little excessive going overseas and maybe even learning a new language just to watch some school play."
"Hm... We'll see about that." Fuu stated. "And when is your performance?"
"It's still about two months out. But we also have three different performances. If you're really crazy enough to go, I can give you the dates once we're back home and I can look it up."
"Alright then! We've all got plans! So let's just do our best and get back home as soon as possible!" Umi cheered, starting to run towards the mountain once again.
"Wait!" Fuu called.
"What now!? We just got our hopes to keep going back up, you better not ruin them!" Umi groaned.
"Let me heal your wounds at least." Fuu explained, referring to the minor injuries they'd faced in the previous battle.
"O- oh, right." Umi stammered, slightly embarrassed.
While Fuu went about her work healing Umi (as she happened to be closest), Hikaru took a seat on the ground next to Logan. "Uh, Logan?"
"Yeah?"
"Uh... You said something about wanting a day out with me... Was... Was that your way of asking me on a date?"
"...Maybe..."
Hikaru just sighed, smiling and blushing slightly. "Oh, you. I guess I'm gonna have to get used to you speaking in riddles, huh?"
"That's right."
Zagato's throne room was illuminated by a measly two blue candles next to his throne. However, Inouva had come to both respect and enjoy this aspect of his master. He could tell the High Priest knew he was about to warp in when his cold voice echoed through the dark room. "What is it, Inouva?"
"Forgive me for having disturbed your rest." Inouva replied courteously, kneeling before the High Priest. "The Magic Knights are getting closer to the Sky Shrine. And I am certain you know what is there."
"Windam..." Zagato growled.
"I beg you for permission to go and face them. To finally defeat them once and for all."
Zagato stared down at the goblet of wine in his hand, then back at Inouva and his pleading golden eyes. "Alcyone, Ascot, and Caldina have each been overcome. Please, send me to go and fight the Magic Knights."
"Inouva..." Zagato trailed.
"I swear that I will return with word of their defeat. To achieve your ultimate wishes, my lord, I beg you to let me go to where the Magic Knights are now." Zagato then set his goblet down on the armrest of his throne, snapping Inouva back to his senses. "I'm sorry, my lord. I have forgotten myself..."
"Inouva." Zagato said tersely, standing up straight. "Are you saying that you have been at my side this whole time, despite knowing the true intentions of my heart?"
"Yes, Lord."
Zagato looked back down at his most loyal servant, and gave a brief smile. At least Inouva wouldn't betray him. "Go then."
"Yes, Lord!" And Inouva vanished in a gust of wind, nearly blowing out the candles that illuminated the room...
About an hour after their discussion and healing, the four teens had begun the climb to the Sky Shrine. And a few hours after that, they had reached the top, barely a kick of a pebble away from their destination. However, the weather had been progressively getting worse, and as soon as they tried to make their way there, lightning flashed and rain began to pour. Super incredibly conveniently lucky, a small cave sat at the top of said mountain, big enough for the four of them to rest in until the storm passed.
Mokona had summoned a tiny teapot that served as a source of warmth and light. Well, it would, if all of the Magic Knights had been sitting around it. Fuu stood at the entrance of the cave, partially in the rain.
"This is some storm..." Hikaru remarked. "We're lucky we found this cave..."
"Pu puu!" Mokona hummed in agreement.
"Hey, Fuu! If you keep standing there, you'll get all wet!" Umi called, watching Fuu staring out into space.
"Yeah, come by the fire, Fuu!" Hikaru requested.
"Alright..." Fuu conceded, only to not come by the fire, instead attracting the other three to also look out at the raging storm.
"It's so strange... It was nice weather up until a few moments ago..." Hikaru muttered.
"Maybe it is a sign that Cephiro is crumbling..." Fuu trailed, only for Umi to grab her by the arm.
"Fuu, can't you stop being so depressing!?" She groaned, dragging Fuu into the cave and sitting her down at the fire by force. "I remember when Clef told us that Cephiro used to have such nice, mild weather..."
"I wonder if he's okay..." Hikaru said in agreement. "He hasn't communicated with us in a while..."
The four teens sat around the fire in silence after that, the only sounds being the howling wind, falling rain, crackling fire, and the occasional rumble of thunder outside...
"Uah!" Ferio yelped as he felt a bit of the cliff fall under his foot. Thankfully, he managed to re-adjust and maintain his grip despite the pouring rain and howling winds. "This isn't funny... This is not how I wanna go..." He muttered, watching the loose ground he'd knocked free tumble several hundred feet and below the low cloud barrier. He never heard the impact due to how far of a drop it was. He reached into the tunic of his pocket and pulled out the magic communicator orb, immediately knowing who and what to ask.
"Fuu! Ya hear me!?" He shouted, just to be heard over the chaotic weather.
Meanwhile, Fuu's orb went off with the telltale sign it was receiving a message. "Fuu! Fuu!" Ferio's voice echoed, immediately gaining her interest.
"Ferio! I'm so glad to hear from you! Where are you calling from now?"
"Let's just say it's got a great view." Ferio explained, unwilling to tell her that he was currently hanging from the side of a mountain where one mistake spelled certain doom. "But things could definitely be better. I'm having a bit of trouble 'cause the wind's so strong. Mind if I join up with you guys?"
"Of course." Fuu agreed in a heartbeat, surprising absolutely nobody. "We are taking shelter in a cave just below the base of the Sky Shrine. Be careful, I hope you will get here safely..."
"Thanks. I really appreciate it! See you soon!"
And the orb gave the chime indicating the end of the conversation. Fuu stared at the orb momentarily, clutching it close to herself with a tiny smile. That was until she felt something nudging her in the arm.
"Well, don't you look happy?" Umi teased, only causing the girl's face to flare red.
At the same time, Ferio reached the top of the mountain, hoisting himself to safety so he could stop and take a break. After taking a second to catch his breath, he was about to finish pulling himself up onto stable ground and heading to where the Magic Knights were sheltered, he looked up. And upon doing so, was met with a surprise.
"A woman!"
A lithe and pale woman was laying there, in this completely random location far from any known civilization. She wore the rags of a typical peasant. In one hand, she clutched a small, pink flower. And sitting discarded on the opposite side of her was a small woven basket with herbs of all different kinds. Ferio knew next to nothing about potion-making, but he could tell what it was for. Judging by her blue hair and clothes being completely soaked, she must have been here for quite a long time.
Ferio pulled himself up onto the ledge fully, running over to the woman lying prone on the ground. "Hold on!" He pleaded. "Hang in there!"
"Medicinal herbs..." The woman muttered as Ferio picked her up.
"Medicinal herbs?" Ferio repeated, now having a pretty good clue as to what all the plants were for.
Twenty to thirty minutes later, Hikaru, Umi, Fuu and Logan were all alerted to someone else entering the cave due to the squelch of soaked boots on the cave floor. But they weren't alarmed. Far from it, actually. They knew (or at least thought) only one person was coming their way.
"Ferio!" Hikaru called as she and the others turned/looked up to see him. Fuu especially was the happiest, seeing that the person who was essentially her boyfriend at this point was alive and well. But her smile soon turned into a look of horror and despair as she saw what was in his arms...
While the aggressive flashes of lightning made it difficult to see initially, Fuu could eventually make out that Ferio was carrying someone. A woman. And to say she was less than happy would be the understatement of the century.
"Fuu, what's-" Logan started, only to see what she was seeing. "Oh... Mario. It's good to see you again." He said rather awkwardly. "I'll go wake up Mokona so we can make sure your... guest... is comfortable." He explained, walking over to the tiny fluffball dozing in the corner and resisting the urge to kick him awake.
Within minutes, the five of them had the mystery woman wrapped in a sleeping bag by the fire, hanging what clothes they deemed acceptable nearby to dry. Hikaru removed her hand from the woman's forehead, smiling slightly. "Her fever has gone down quite a bit... I think she's going to be okay."
"So who even is she, anyway?" Umi wondered.
"I actually don't know." Ferio admitted. "I found her barely conscious once I got up here."
"Real shit?" Logan asked. "Anyway, what's happening in your world? Why are you just following us around?"
"I, uh... I wanted to see the lovely Fuu!" Ferio half-lied, looking over at his girlfriend, only to see her staring into the small fire beneath the teapot with a downtrodden look on her face, and also receiving a somewhat disappointed look from Logan. "Actually, there was something else I wanted to talk to you guys about. I-" Ferio started, only to be interrupted by a light groan from the mystery woman as she finally started to wake up.
"She's awake!" Hikaru noted.
"Where am I...?" The woman muttered. "My medicinal herbs... Where are my medicinal herbs?"
"Right there." Logan revealed, pointing towards Ferio's sword that was propped up by the entrance. Propped around the hilt was the woven basket of herbs. Logan's movements were easy to follow because of the fact the gem on his glove was glowing again. "You can thank Ferio for gathering them up. So anyways. What's your deal? Who are you?"
"My name is Sera." The woman revealed. "I live in the town at the foot of these mountains. My brother suddenly developed a high fever, so I came to collect medicinal herbs for him... All of a sudden, it rained so hard I just couldn't find my way back... I don't know where I would be if you weren't here to help... Thank you all so much." Then she turned to Ferio. "And I especially thank you for saving my life..."
"N- Not at all." Ferio stammered, his face going red. At this point, Logan got up and walked over to him.
"Not cool, Mario." He sighed. "Not cool."
"W- What are you talking about?"
"Ferio. Your girlfriend is literally right there." He restated, accentuating the 'right there' by pointing at Fuu, who still outright refused to look their way. "I don't think my girlfriend would like it if I came home with another woman."
"O- Oh... Yeah... My bad. I just-"
"It's fine. I would've done the same thing. Just give us a heads up that you found someone half dead on the way here next time."
"Right, right."
"Now go and apologize to Fuu. I'm sure she's at least a little mad at you." Logan's face then grew a devious smirk. "Maybe you could make it up to her with a kiss~?"
"Uh-" Ferio stammered, going beet red. "N- Not until you confess to Hikaru!"
Logan's smile just grew wider. "Wanna hear something funny?"
Ferio stopped and stared, waiting for Logan to say his punchline. But as he realized the implication was the punchline, his eyes widened. "You mean... You actually... And she said yes?"
"Yep! Sure did!" Hikaru confirmed, draping her arms around Logan's neck lightly. "He can be a bit of a pain sometimes, but I wouldn't have him any other way."
"I don't know whether to be offended or flattered..."
"Woah..." Ferio trailed. "I, uh... Good job, Luigi!" He finally said, getting over his shock.
"And thank you, Mario, for giving Umi the means to leak the contents of my heart. Now go console your girlfriend. She hasn't moved an inch since she got into that position." Logan stated, nodding towards Fuu, who was still sitting with her knees tucked up slightly, staring into the small congregation of flames beneath the teapot.
"Yeah. Yeah. Right. Oh, but before I forget. It's about the weather."
"You mean this storm? Or how sudden it was?" Umi questioned.
"Uhm... What's a storm?" Sera asked, breaking her silence. This question just caused the four-minus-one Magic Knights to blink in surprise. Did Cephiro not have storms?
"You mean... You don't know what a storm is?" Hikaru elaborated.
"No, I'm afraid not..."
"Shit... How do I put this in simple terms..." Logan muttered. "Think of basically what's happening now. You know, lots of wind and rain with thunder and lightning and- You still don't get it, do you?"
Both Ferio and Sera shook their heads, vacuous expressions on their faces.
"Well, someone else can fill you in then, I'm shit at describing stuff. But before we get sidetracked again, Ferio, you had something to tell us?"
"Oh, right! Question: Have you guys communicated with Clef recently?"
"Nope. Shortstack's gone dark on us."
"I figured." Ferio sighed. "Cephiro has always had monsters, even in times of peace. But never this kind of weather. Over the past few days, Cephiro has been crumbling more and more, and at a much more alarming rate." He revealed, his sentence punctuated by a bright flash of lightning. "You need to hurry. Cephiro simply does not have much time left. That's what I came to tell you."
"Yeah, okay." Hikaru confirmed. "Once this storm passes, we'll enter the Sky Shrine and awaken the second Rune God. We'll save Cephiro in time, we promise!"
"That's good to hear." Ferio agreed.
"Mario. You're forgetting something." Logan noted, once again nodding towards Fuu.
"Yeah. Okay." Ferio nodded. "You guys might wanna get some rest. I might not be able to see the sun, but I'd assume it's going down right about now. I'll go talk to Fuu, so don't worry about a thing."
"Couldn't of said it better myself. I'm beat." Logan chuckled. "Hey, Mokona." Silence. "Mokona?" More silence. "MOKONA!"
"PUPUUU!" Mokona screamed as he finally woke up from his hearty nap. Looking around, the tiny fluffball could tell from his sense of time and the fact he was woken up that he was likely needed to summon more sleeping bags, as the Magic Knights' normal shelter was too big to fit anywhere nearby.
As Mokona and the others went about their business of setting up camp for the night, Ferio took a seat next to Fuu, who remained unmoving. "Hey... Fuu?"
"...Yes?"
"Look. I'm sorry for not telling you I found Sera. I was just so focused on getting to safety that I didn't stop to consider what you would think."
"...I understand." Fuu conceded. "As Logan said, he likely would have done the same thing, and if I am being honest, so would I."
"Then why the long face? There's no hard feelings, right?"
"No. I just feel I overreacted when you arrived with Miss Sera. But then I saw her advances and felt justified... And then Logan almost spoke my exact thoughts, and I went back to being unsure."
"Ah. So you don't know how to feel about yourself now."
"Indeed."
"Well, don't beat yourself up over it." Ferio told her. "I get it completely. But sometimes, you just have to go with what your heart tells you, y'know? If you keep mulling things over, you'll never get anything done."
"I... I see." Fuu muttered, getting up to go and set out her sleeping bag. "So... You truly meant no harm?"
"None. I only have eyes for you, Fuu."
That last line made the girl's face flare red. She knew that Ferio liked getting her all flustered like this, and a part of her liked letting him do this. "Okay. I trust you. But..."
"But what?"
Fuu's face went even redder as she realized what she was about to offer. Something she'd thought of in her private time since Ferio confessed to her. "Would you... Uhm... Ah..."
"Fuu? Is everything alright."
"Y- yes. I- I'm just trying to find the right words... Would... Would you want... T- To stay... With me tonight?" She finally said, her face completely crimson. She could feel the stares, both from her friends and Sera. At the same time, Ferio was just as flushed.
"Y- you mean like... Sleep n- next to you?"
"I- I understand if you do not want to..."
Just then, Ferio placed a hand on Fuu's shoulder, and she looked up at him with wide eyes, the dim light of the fire making the reflected like dance in the sea of green. "I think I'm gonna stay awake for a little bit, just to observe this 'storm' thing the others brought up." He told her, and she looked down again, sighing in defeat. "But after that, I'd love to."
Fuu's face somehow got even more beet red after that, and she was definitely sweating a bit just from her nerves. "R- Really?"
"If it's what it takes to make it up to you."
At this point, Fuu was a blushing, giggling mess as she unfurled her sleeping bag, laying it out. Due to the rather open nature of the cave and the massive downpour outside, there was no real room to change into proper nightclothes in a way that wouldn't make at least all six total people present uncomfortable. So instead, the group elected to just take their armor and a few layers off.
"Oh boy, let's hope I don't wake up in a flooded sleeping bag tomorrow..." Logan muttered, having decided to not even take his hoodie off (mostly because it would expose the growth on his arm, which had spread to be at the first joints of his fingers and about a quarter of the way to his elbow).
"Huh? What do you mean?" Hikaru asked, sliding into the bag next to his.
"Even in my generic pajamas I sweat buckets in that shelter. I'm hoping it'll be better because of the wind outside, but I guess we'll just have to see."
"Oh, really? I actually tend to get cold..."
"Then why'd you take your jacket off?"
"It would be uncomfortable to sleep in..."
Later that night, when most of the Magic Knights were asleep, Sera sat up in her sleeping bag, immediately making Fuu, the odd Knight out, suspicious.
"Sera." Ferio remarked. "What's the matter? Can't get to sleep?"
"Yeah... Truth is, I'm afraid. Is it true that Cephiro is crumbling?"
"It's true..." Ferio admitted halfheartedly. "But it's gonna be alright. You'll feel better after we get some warm soup in ya."
Sera giggled lightly, looking down at the boiling pot of water where the teapot had been prior. "Then use some of the seasoning herbs I picked along with the medicinal ones." She instructed, helping Ferio with making said soup. Once it was completed, she served some to him, and he drank it down with little issue.
"It's delicious." He remarked.
"I'm glad. It's just a small token of my appreciation." Sera told him.
"I'll say. You got any way I could have the recipe? I think Fuu might be interested in trying to make some." Ferio chuckled, turning Fuu's face red as she overheard his comment.
"Maybe later." Sera said. "Although I am sure she would do a splendid job."
"Yeah. From what Luigi and the others have told me, her meals are usually the best."
"Luigi?"
"Oh, that would be Logan."
"Ah. I see." Sera noted as Ferio got up, stretching. "Welp. It's gettin' pretty late, and I promised Fuu I'd sleep with her tonight, and I don't wanna let her down."
"I understand. It was nice talking to you." Sera stated. Fuu could hear Ferio's footsteps approaching her, and quickly turned her head to the side and closed her eyes, wanting to make it look like she had been sleeping. Although she could feel the bag being opened slightly as Ferio fit himself next to her. Without his armor, his clothes were soft, and the bagginess made him feel a little squishy, yet his actual body was firm and solid, yet not aggressive, and Fuu couldn't help but turn to face him.
"I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" The swordsman wondered, noticing her eyes were open.
"No." Fuu lied, her worries eased. "Not at all."
Around half an hour later, Hikaru woke up shivering. Sera had doused the fire after Ferio went to sleep, and so now the cold wind was filling the cave. In the bag to her left, Logan was sleeping (as he would put it) like a rock, a small dark spot had formed on the pillow near his mouth. Apparently he drooled in his sleep. Hikaru just smiled at the sight, glad that at least someone was having a good night's rest.
But then she noticed something. A faint light from underneath his bag. His phone, maybe? She wasn't sure if he even had it with him when he was transported to Cephiro. But that was weeks ago, why would he have it on? It wasn't like Cephiro had reception.
Curiosity getting the better of her, she grabbed his arm lightly and tried to pull it out of the bag and closer to hers. While she had to struggle as to not accidentally wake him up, she eventually fished his right hand out, finding the source of the light. The gem on his armor's glove. It was still glowing faintly. But that just raised more questions: Why was it glowing? The last time it did this was when she had foolishly taken in Hikari before it was revealed that the little cutie was a monster summoned by Ascot. If it was a similar case now, where was the danger? Sera? Doubtful, she had the chance to kill all of them in their sleep right now and wasn't taking it. But Hikaru just shoved these thoughts aside, realizing the implications and smiling again.
"Silly boy... Forgot his glove." She whispered, slowly beginning to lift it off...
She had to cover her mouth to keep from shrieking at the sight. The huge, veiny, dark mass that engulfed almost his entire hand and part of his arm. How long had he been hiding this? When did he get it? Did anyone else know? What even was it? She knew he would have trouble getting back to sleep if she tried asking, so she'd confront him about it likely tomorrow. "Logan..." She muttered, brushing her hand over his and shivering again (partly from fear, partly from the cold) as the wind picked up outside. She couldn't worry about that now if she wanted to get her rest.
As she looked around, she could see Ferio right next to Fuu, who seemed to be enjoying the closeness. And Hikaru had to admit, it looked pretty warm...
She turned her head down to Logan, who was still sleeping peacefully. She'd worry about his hand later. She slowly got out of her sleeping bag, basically crawling over to his, as it would make no sense to stand up fully just to move a few feet, and then she reached for his hoodie sleeves, pulling at them. She had to lift him up slightly and turn him on his back, but eventually, his arms sank into his sleeves, and then his head disappeared into the depths of the hoodie as she finally slid it off of him, revealing the black T-shirt he had beneath. Hikaru had no idea what the logo said, as she had no experience reading English, but it didn't matter as much as almost everything else.
Holding the hoodie in her hands, she rustled around with it until she found the bottom, and then she slid her head and arms through it, basically enveloping herself in a cocoon of warmth. His body heat lingered within it, already warming her up. But then she felt nice and toasty as she slid next to him in the sleeping bag, pulling the hood over her head (with some difficulty due to the braid she kept in at all times) and leaning into Logan a little bit. Without warning, he rolled over onto his side, so now he was facing her. Initially, Hikaru was worried she had woken him up, but upon closer inspection, he was just moving.
She grabbed his arms one more time, taking a moment to look at his right arm again. While it certainly couldn't be good news, she had to admit it looked at least a little interesting with its faintly glowing purple veins. Snapping out of her trance, she wrapped Logan's arms around herself, and soon found she was returning to the realm of sleep...
Word Count: 6,486
what? two chapters in a week? yeah, turns out i forgot something in the notes of last chapter like the dumb stupid idiot i am. i won't be able to update next weekend as i'm going on vacation, so i'm going to be nice and put this out now.
i was originally going to put all of episode 15 here, but i realized that if i did, this chapter would be well over 10,000 words, and i do not feel like going that long. not to mention it's late again and i feel like this is a good stopping point. the cave scene in this episode is probably one of my favorites in the series, and so i couldn't help but just go on and on with it. we naturally have some lighthearted teasing between the two couples (poor umi) about the other, developing said relationships (especially since we spent a majority of last chapter under mind control)
i also liked the moment of relative peace at the start of episode 14, so i put it in here to add an extra 2,000 or so words.
anyway i hope yall enjoyed because it's gonna be another wait until next chapter-