The Last Rune Gods: Rayearth and Excelsus!
"Lord Zagato!" Alcyone's voice echoed through the desolate halls, praying her lord had not already departed. "Lord Zagato!" She begged, receiving not a peep in response. The only sound she could hear was her own footsteps. 'Where could he have gone...?'
However, just as the sorceress finished her musings, a familiar voice rung throughout the area, the echo of the marble and crystal halls making it difficult to pinpoint the voice's origin. Nonetheless, Alcyone could recognize said voice from anywhere. "Zagato..." Princess Emeraude's voice pleaded. "Zagato... Please..." The Pillar stated, barely above a whisper, her heart unchanging after all this time. "Isn't it time to stop, Zagato? Please, stop fighting like this..."
"Now that Inouva has been defeated, there is only one person who can defeat the Magic Knights." The High Priest explained, his tone firm and unmoving.
"Zagato, no!" Princess Emeraude denied, the concern evident through her sadness. "You mustn't!"
"I know..." Zagato seemingly agreed, only to continue speaking. "...That I will win." This declaration left the captive Pillar in silence, staring up at her captor. "Emeraude..." Zagato whispered, turning on his heel and beginning the journey to where he knew the Magic Knights were headed next.
"Please, no, Zagato..." Princess Emeraude whispered, despite knowing the High Priest would never change his mind. "Why is it that you're doing this...? Stop, Zagato! Please! I'm so afraid... Afraid that our world Cephiro will fall... Fall to ruins...!" And it was then that Alcyone, still eavesdropping, heard Princess Emeraude's voice louder than it had been since her imprisonment began. "Zagato!"
Hearing the words of the Pillar, Alcyone, too, couldn't help but question Zagato's true mission. 'Lord Zagato... Why?' She mused, staring at the projection of the captive Pillar. 'If you wanted to rule over this land, you simply have to take control of the princess! You must force her to do your bidding! The princess is the Pillar of this land, and Cephiro is a mirror of her heart. Why do you not threaten her? Why do you merely keep her imprisoned like this...?'
Either Mokona was getting faster, or the Magic Knights were starting to slow down. The fluffball bounced a decent ways in front of them, yet still conveniently turning back and waiting for them when they fell too far behind. "Mokona! Mokona!" Hikaru called, hoping their guide would slow down and allow the four of them to catch their breaths. Yet Mokona ignored her, bouncing along happily right into a cave, which with the severe lack of natural light, was almost pitch black. "He went in there!"
"Oh, great." Umi muttered, coming to a stop next to Hikaru. "Where in the world do you think Mokona's trying to take us this time?"
"Probably to the place where the third Rune God lies..." Fuu guessed, hoping her hunch was correct.
"Third one, huh?" Logan repeated, placing his hands on his knees as he kept taking deep breaths, his skin looking pale and sweaty. "It's in here of all places...?"
"Yes." Fuu agreed with relative certainty. "And something tells me there may be monsters ahead..." She continued, earning a small yelp from Umi.
"Something is telling me the same thing, but you don't have to say it out loud! That only makes it harder to go in!"
"Just two more..." Hikaru muttered. "If we revive the last two Rune Gods, we'll reach our goal! And we'll become Magic Knights!"
"Right!" Umi agreed.
"Pupu puuu!" Mokona called, having come into the light just enough to be seen bouncing up and down at the mouth of the cave, as if calling them forth.
"Well, we're burning daylight..." Logan muttered, clearing his throat and beginning to walk forward, bringing the three girls along with him. Thankfully, it was a straight shot to the light at the end of the tunnel, meaning they could walk and hopefully save their energy for any inevitable encounters within. As the orange glow came into view, Hikaru turned back to face her companions with a smile.
"The exit!" She declared, beginning to get impatient and running ahead. While Umi and Fuu managed to follow her just fine, as soon as Logan began to pick up the pace, a splitting headache hit him, and he stumbled. It felt like his lungs were frozen, unable to take in the oxygen he was breathing. He tried stumbling forward, his vision blurring slightly, his arm on fire once again.
"Hey... Wait... Up..." He pleaded, starting to cough roughly. He could hear footsteps approaching him rapidly, and just as he could feel his legs about to give out, there were two figures supporting him, green and blue.
"Logan! What's happening!? Are you okay?!" Umi demanded, her voice laced with fear and concern.
"Are... Are we too late!?" Fuu wondered.
"No... I can feel it burning... It's over a lung..." Logan explained, still coughing as Hikaru came into his sight once again.
"This is bad..." She muttered. "We can't let you fight like this! Just wait out here, we'll be back soon!"
"Yeah... Sounds like..." He began, only for another coughing fit to interrupt him. "Like..." He was unable to finish as it got worse, falling to his knees despite Umi and Fuu trying to keep him upright. Next thing he knew, there was the sound of some liquid hitting the stone floor of the cave, and screams from the others. He couldn't tell what he'd just spit up through his blurry vision, but it probably wasn't good.
"Please, just stay here!" Fuu instructed, sitting him against the wall with Umi's help. "Try not to move. We'll be as quick as we can!"
"Yeah... Okay... I think I'm just gonna take a nap or something..." Logan agreed, leaning his head back and closing his eyes as he heard the girls all rushing off to whatever was on the other side of the cave.
He was unsure how long he'd been there when he heard another set of footsteps stopping in front of him. Opening his eyes, though, he could tell that he was likely in for a very bad time.
"Well. Isn't this convenient?" High Priest Zagato himself asked, staring down at the lone Magic Knight.
"Oh, you've gotta be fucking kidding me..."
The first thing Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu noticed upon reaching the chamber was the temperature. Smoldering hot, far warmer than anything they'd felt in their lives.
"It's so hot..." Umi muttered, gazing up at the massive set of doors at the end of the small rock outcropping. Under normal circumstances, she would have been confused, but now she knew exactly where they were.
"The shrine in the volcano..." Hikaru guessed.
"It must be in there." Umi agreed. "The third Rune God must be in there, Hikaru!"
"The first things we saw when we were summoned to Cephiro that day were the ocean, a mountain floating in the sky, and a volcano. But now we know that there was a Rune God waiting in each of those places."
"So then... Where would the fourth Rune God be?" Fuu asked. "We only saw three shrines before we met Clef, so where is the fourth?"
"Oh, who cares?" Umi shrugged. "Mokona knows where, right?"
"Puu, puu!" Mokona hummed in agreement, nodding happily, implying he would guide them to the final Rune God once they were done here. And just then, the ground began to shake, and the gigantic stone doors creaked as they parted launching a gust of blazing hot wind that almost felt like fire against Umi and Fuu's skin. The two girls screamed in alarm while Hikaru merely approached the door with a blank expression, as the others had when they awakened their Rune Gods.
"Hikaru/Miss Hikaru!" Umi and Fuu called as Hikaru was wrapped in ribbons of magic fire, and pulled through the door with no resistance on her end. As soon as she was through, the flaming winds ceased, and the doors slammed shut, sealing Hikaru behind them. The two girls kept calling her name, pounding on the doors fruitlessly, begging for Hikaru to return to them.
"I've been waiting for you, Magic Knights." A cold voice declared from behind. A voice they'd only heard once before. And as they turned, they saw a face that they had only seen once before as well.
"Zagato!" They both exclaimed.
"W- Wait... If you're here, then..." Fuu trailed, her eyes widening as she remembered who they'd left at the entrance.
"Aw, that's lovely." Another voice rang. "Even at the very end, you still care." Logan's voice stated with mock-sympathy as he walked out from behind the High Priest, his skin still pale, now with cursed veins spreading onto his face, his hair dyed jet black to contrast with his complexion. And his armor was different, too. Now a dark, regal design with a few similarities to Zagato's own getup. Sharp, spiky pauldrons, a dark cape draped over his shoulders. Beneath, his armor had gone from a mere chestplate and boots to a full suit with silver highlights and black plating. It was tight to the point it wouldn't hinder movement, yet thick enough to protect against a great many attacks.
"L- Logan...?" Umi muttered with horror.
"The one and only."
"Do you wish to explain what has happened?" Zagato asked, barely glancing at the boy.
"Not to them. You know who I'm after. Lord Zagato, you may do the honors."
And without another word, Zagato held his hand towards the two Magic Knights, a bright glow emitting from it only briefly before blasting them head-on. While the attack did not harm them physically, it sapped all of their magic energy, their armor practically blowing away just before the spell ended, dropping both girls to the ground.
"And now, we wait for the main event..." Logan muttered, a small smile on his face...
The pull of the Rune God finally released Hikaru in the middle of a void of flames. Despite the appearance of the floor and the inferno around her, Hikaru felt strangely calm, the fires warm and inviting than burning and threatening. She had no clue what was going on outside, but that was unimportant compared to the task at hand.
'What's going on...?' She wondered. 'It feels like something is here...'
And so she approached the blazing vortex, spying a creature within its core. A horn sat upon its head, and a gap in the flames formed its ears. The only other parts of this mystical beast that were organic were its wolven face, and gleaming red eyes. 'A mane of fire... Red eyes... Is it a lion? Or perhaps... A wolf!'
"What is thy name?" An unknown voice boomed. Yet Hikaru was unconcerned. She had never heard this voice, but she knew what it was. It was the Rune God. Her Rune God.
"Hikaru. Hikaru Shidou."
"My name is Rayearth. I have slept in this Fire Shrine for a long, long time, awaiting the arrival of a Magic Knight. I am a Legendary Rune God."
"Rune God...? A Legendary Rune God...?"
"Young woman. Thou hast been summoned here from another world by the Pillar of Cephiro. Dost thou wish to become a true Magic Knight?"
"Yes I do. I want to become a Legendary Magic Knight and save Cephiro! I wanna fulfill the hopes and dreams of all the people who have helped us in this world! I want the four of us to become the Magic Knights!"
"If that is so, thou must display before me the proof that makes thee worthy of donning me. Prove unto me the strength of thy power. Show unto me the true strength of thine heart. Display before me that thou are truly worth of becoming a Legendary Magic Knight."
"The strength of my heart?"
"Prove unto me the strength of thine heart, that makes thee worthy of becoming a Magic Knight!"
It was then that the personification of Rayearth lunged at Hikaru, morphing once again into the gust of flames that had pulled her in here. Except now they were flinging her out. She screamed in alarm as she felt herself go weightless, flying back out into the volcano in a quite literal blaze of glory. The flames deposited her right next to the bodies of Umi and Fuu, and the doors to Rayearth's chamber sealed shut once more.
"Umi! Fuu! Hold on now! What happened to your armor!? And your gloves!?" Hikaru asked, only for the sound of teleporting to alert her to someone approaching. "Who are you!?"
"I am High Priest Zagato." The villain said, a tad astonished that she didn't recognize him.
"Zagato?!"
"You have defeated my servants. You have revived two Rune Gods. And now you have arrived at the shrine of the third. I didn't expect you to get this far, but this is the end."
"You controlled Ascot, Caldina, even Lafarga, captain of the guard who protected Princess Emeraude!" Hikaru recalled. "How could you!? And tell me why you abducted Princess Emeraude in the first place! She's the most important person in all of Cephiro!"
"Princess Emeraude will not return. And neither will this world, Cephiro."
"What did you say!?" Hikaru demanded, but instead of responding, Zagato held his hand out and fired another blast at her, and she barely managed to dive out of the way. "What do you mean by that!? Don't you care what happens to Cephiro!?"
"No, I don't. There is only one thing in this world that I wish for."
"Zagato! It's all your fault that everyone in Cephiro is suffering!"
The High Priest charged another blast, this one aimed at the unconscious Umi and Fuu. "Fuu! Umi!" Hikaru called, realizing at the last second they wouldn't wake up in time to move. So instead, she ran in front of the blast and shielded her two friends, being hit by the same spell they were. Once again, the strength provided by her magic faded, as did her armor, leaving her once again in her regular school uniform.
"Magic Knight. Understand that it is impossible for you to defeat me."
"My... My armor..."
"You are far too weak now to shield them." Zagato remarked, watching Hikaru struggle to stay upright.
"I'll protect my best friends... To the end! I swear... We will become the Magic Knights!"
But just then, someone interrupted them. Someone Hikaru was initially elated to hear, only to actually process what he meant when Logan said "No, we won't."
"H- Huh...?"
It was then that her boyfriend appeared between her and the High Priest, clad in his dark armor. "You heard me."
"L- Logan!? W- What happened to you!?"
"I realized how pointless this all is. And I made the right choice."
"W- What are you talking about!? Snap out of it!"
"You really want me to tell you? Fine. I'm feeling nice..."
Begin Flashback
"Oh, you've gotta be fucking kidding me..." Logan muttered, staring at the High Priest towering above him.
"I have met your demands. Now that I am here in person, are you willing to hear my offer?"
"Screw it... Might as well hear some stand-up comedy before you kill me..."
"Hopefully I will not have to do that." Zagato denied, his expression unchanging. "I assume you are aware this is the Fire Shrine."
"Yeah, kinda figured..."
"I see. And are you certain you will be able to find the Thunder Shrine?"
"Well, Mokona's ultimately been able to-"
"That furball you call a guide will not be able to escort you to the Thunder Shrine."
"Huh?"
"Tell me. How much of Cephiro do you think has crumbled since you arrived?"
"How much... Has crumbled... You don't mean-"
"I do. The Thunder Shrine crumbled to dust three days ago. You will not be able to revive the Rune God within. And thus, you will be unable to fulfill the legend and save Cephiro. And so I offer you a deal."
"A... Deal?" Logan muttered between coughs.
"Yes. Seeing as how I no longer need to eliminate you and your friends, and how you have been sent here by Princess Emeraude without your consent, I am offering to spare you."
"Spare us...? As if..."
"I speak the truth. I will allow you and your friends to live out the rest of your lives under one condition."
"Fine... What's your condition?"
"You must join me. Once you have, I will allow you and anyone you choose to leave Cephiro once it crumbles, and you will be allowed to start new lives under my rule."
"But... My curse-"
"Your curse will not be a problem. Should you accept my offer, I will use my magic to halt its spread. It will not reach your heart. You will be able to live out your life with your dear Hikaru..."
Logan paused. This offer... Actually had merit to it. His curse wouldn't kill him, he wouldn't have to be apart from Hikaru or his friends. They could all live long, prosperous lives as long as they worked with Zagato. And besides, if his Rune God was already gone, what chance would they have to resist him?
After a few moment's pause, Logan held his cursed hand out towards Zagato...
End Flashback
"Don't you see, Hikaru? The fourth Rune God is dead. We can't become the Magic Knights... Not anymore. But this means we won't have to fight." Logan continued, having finished his monologue. "Come on, babe..." He pleaded, stepping within arm's reach and caressing her cheek. "Just think about it... You and me, forever... I won't have to go home and be apart from you..." He continued. "We can live happily, my curse won't be an issue anymore... We can settle down somewhere peaceful and beautiful, start a family, put everything behind us..." He explained, now uncomfortably caressing her.
"G- Get away from me!" Hikaru demanded, shoving Logan back slightly. "You... You're not Logan! You can't be! He would never abandon something just like that!"
"Don't be like that, Hikaru..." Logan begged. "You're right, I would normally have stayed on the path to becoming a Magic Knight. But Lord Zagato has shown me how futile it is."
"Don't talk like that! We'll find a way! We always do!"
"I really don't want to do this..." Logan sighed, clenching his fists. "But I've been instructed to kill you if you refuse to join." And with that, he launched forward, reaching a hand out for Hikaru. Yet just before he could touch her, he looked to the side and quickly put up a barrier to block an incoming attack that seemed vaguely familiar. "Well, Lafarga. Back for more?"
"Cephiro belongs to Princess Emeraude." Lafarga stated, standing on one of the rock outcroppings jutting from the lava below. "It is not Zagato's to use as he pleases, and you know that. As captain of the guard, sworn to protect Princess Emeraude, I will defeat you both."
"Please. I kicked your ass before with less than I have now. You can't hope to win."
"Perhaps I can't win. But neither can you!"
With that declaration, Lafarga leapt from his perch and straight towards Logan slamming his sword into the ground and manipulating the wind pressure to attempt to annihilate him. Yet Logan just flickered slightly, and he vanished.
"Blast you, Zagato! What have you done to him!?" Lafarga demanded, launching another blast, this one directed towards the High Priest, yet Zagato simply turned transparent, and the blast flew right past him.
'Lafarga can't even scratch them!' Hikaru thought incredulously as the High Priest disappeared, and Lafarga began looking around for his opponent. He spotted Logan behind him, but before he could strike, the boy threw his cape across the Swordmaster's eyes, disorienting him long enough for Zagato to switch places with Logan, placing a hand on his back.
"Don't move." The High Priest instructed. "Your sword will have no effect on me."
"Lafarga, watch out!" Hikaru called as a light appeared from Lafarga's back, and then exploded, sending him flying back to the large central platform that lead to Rayearth's chamber.
"Zagato, this match is not over yet." Lafarga growled as he got to his feet, using his sword to support his weight. "Come on!" Yet the High Priest just stood on the other edge of the lava lake, staring at Lafarga. "I have been given the momentous honor of being the princess's protector! You may have defeated me once, but I refuse to allow it to happen a second time!"
"Lafarga..." Hikaru muttered.
"Zagato!"
Zagato then held his hand out again, prepared to launch another spell. "If you want to save face, you should surrender while you can. Otherwise, I am not responsible for what happens."
As Zagato finished his sentence, Hikaru rushed around Lafarga and stood in front of him, holding her arms out to the side, signaling she was willing to take whatever attack Zagato threw out to protect Lafarga. But at the same time, Logan then smacked the High Priest's hand down, clenching his fists and glaring at Hikaru. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"I should be asking you that!" Hikaru shot back.
"Puny human with no armor... Do you truly wish to protect Lafarga with your life?" Zagato asked. "As I said, it is truly impossible for you to defeat me now. However, allow me to sweeten my deal. If you give up and move away quietly, I will cure your boyfriend and send all four of you safely back to the world you were sent from. Leave this battle now, or prepare to die."
Hikaru simply kept glaring at Zagato, and also at Logan standing in attention next to him. And then Rayearth finally spoke once more.
"Young woman from another world, summoned unto Cephiro. Show before me the proof of thy power. Display unto me the strength of thine heart that makes thee worthy of donning me."
"That's Rayearth!"
"Prove unto me the strength of thine heart! Show unto me that which makes thee worthy of becoming a true Magic Knight!"
"The strength of my heart!"
"I will say this once more. If you back away slowly, I will spare your life." Zagato repeated.
"I will never!" Hikaru denied sharply, that fiery determination in her eyes returning. "I will never run away!"
"Hikaru..." Logan muttered, his aura seeming a little more like his own now.
"If I run away from here, what will happen to the hopes and dreams and hearts of all those people who helped us, and all the people in Cephiro that are counting on us!? And what will happen to the hearts of my friends Umi, Fuu and Logan, who have fought beside me all this time!? I made a promise to Clef and Presea and Ferio! And I also made a promise to all the people I met here in Cephiro! That I would become a Magic Knight and that I will save Princess Emeraude no matter what! And I will save Cephiro and return to Tokyo with my friends!"
"Hikaru..." Umi muttered, having finally woken up, though stayed silent to avoid attracting Zagato's attention.
"I'll never run away from you, Zagato!"
"So you have chosen... Death." Zagato declared, sending out another magic blast. Yet before it could send Hikaru to the ground, there was the fluttering of a cape, and the light faded as a familiar embrace wrapped around her.
"Logan!?"
The light faded as Zagato's attack ended, and to say the High Priest looked displeased was an understatement. He looked furious.
"You are aware that I hold my life in your hands, no?"
"If I die... I'm dying protecting my friends. Not working for the likes of you!"
Zagato sighed and then snapped his fingers. Instantly, Logan's dark armor shattered, his hair color turning its natural brown rather than white, and he too had lost his evolving armor that Clef had bestowed upon him. "Then you shall die with your friends."
Another blast. More burning. Spreading along his body. There was a very low chance he could take another blow. Yet as Zagato turned away, believing them both deceased, Logan and Hikaru stood back up.
"I can't..." Hikaru muttered.
"We can't..."
"We can't loose!" Both Magic Knights declared, Logan clutching his chest, and Hikaru her arm as they continued to approach the High Priest, despite their lack of armor, weapons and magic.
"Both of you, please! Run away!" Fuu pleaded.
"You can't do this!" Umi added, yet both Hikaru and Logan stayed on their course, approaching Zagato despite the latter's imminent demise.
'Magic Knights... What pushes you both to do this? A promise?' Zagato wondered. "Out of respect for the strength of your convictions, I will use my greatest spell to send you to your grave."
Instantly, there was another blast of energy, heading right for them.
"No, don't!" Both Umi and Fuu screamed as they were blinded by the light, unable to see Hikaru or Logan within the dust and debris. Yet as it all cleared, there was a pillar of flame in front of them, which had split the beam apart and protected them.
"Fire...?" Looking over at Zagato, he seemed just as confused by the sudden intervention. Lafarga didn't know any fire spells, none of the Magic Knights could use their magic currently. And Zagato certainly wouldn't have saved them. So who...?
The roaring of flames. A creature of flame. Rayearth had intervened.
"Legendary Magic Knight. Thou has shown unto me the true power of thy beliefs. Thou has proven unto me the strength of thine heart that cares for thy comrades and the people of Cephiro."
(A/N: horrior. i'm about to empathize with you. and this is coming from someone who's already absolute shit at descriptions.)
The instant Rayearth finished speaking, a quadruple helix of pure fire surrounded Hikaru, lifting her off the ground as she was soon bathed in crimson energy, her magic returning thanks to the power of the Rune God, and evolving her armor to its final stage.
Finally, her school uniform had changed, no longer residing underneath the armor, morphing instead into a sleeveless, one-piece (sorry weebs, not One Piece) armored dress with golden trims on her chest and hips. Broad red-and-white pauldrons formed with layered golden edges almost resembling wings. Her gloves had changed completely, now being slightly more conventional, reaching up a little shy of halfway to her elbows and knee-high armored boots with golden hand and knee guards. A tiara with one red horn in the middle, followed by two white horns at a roughly 45 degree angle, and then four total golden horns on both sides formed. And to top it all off, an elegant red cape appeared, flowing in the wind kicked up by the Rune God's presence.
"Hey, she's got new armor!" Umi remarked as Hikaru drew her sword, the blade reaching its final evolution, all the prongs on the hilt shooting off to the side, the golden strut expanding and gaining a new gem and beast-like eyes.
At the same time, Rayearth emerged from the lake of lava in its mechanized glory, once again with the three-clawed feet asymmetrical pauldrons, golden armor pieces to break up all the red.
Not even Zagato could hide his awe at the gigantic deity, staring up at it in awe and wonder. Yet he wouldn't lose his cool. There was still one advantage he could press, and it just so happened to remind him of its existence when Logan yelled "Ha! How do ya like that, Zagato!?"
Zagato closed his eyes, recollecting himself and giving them another cold smile. "Isn't there something you're forgetting, boy?"
"Huh-" Logan started. And then he felt it. The paralyzing feeling in his heart. His lungs felt immobile, he collapsed, struggling to breathe. His vision blurred as he hit the ground, trying to cry out, yet he simply couldn't make the sound.
"What-" Umi started. "Oh, no! Not now!"
"Oh, dear. How far has it gotten!?" Fuu wondered, and Logan could only tell she was kneeling at his side due to the sheer amount of green contrasting with the mostly black filling his view. He felt his shirt and hoodie being lifted briefly, and he didn't even have to look down to know why he felt this way. Zagato's presence had greatly sped up his curse, and now it had reached his heart.
"Logan, no! Stay with us!" Hikaru pleaded as she rushed over to him, completely ignoring Zagato, figuring Rayearth would stop any move he made. "Rayearth, can't you do anything?" She asked, her voice sounding distant.
"Unfortunately, I cannot. He is not the Magic Knight I have been assigned to. There is little that can be done without Excelsus."
"Excelsus?"
"The fourth Rune God assigned to thine comrade. Without him, there is not much hope."
"No... That can't be!" Umi denied. "This can't just be it!"
"Logan... Please..." Hikari pleaded, Logan barely able to see her face through his blurring and rapidly darkening vision. He reached up, and felt her hand on his, holding it to her cheek. "Don't go..."
"Hikaru... Come on... Smile... For me..."
"Lo..n! Ple...! Do..t l..ve us..!"
"D..'t le... C..hi.o!"
"D... ..a..e .e!"
Darkness.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
5:30 AM. My eyes shot open, my hand to my chest. Cold sweat ran down my body as I looked around. An annoyingly loud alarm clock rang from the top of my dresser, signaling the official end of my weekend. Monday already...? Reluctantly, I stood up and silenced it. While I was here, I took my belt from underneath the TV and then opened the first three drawers from top to bottom. Socks, jeans, shirt. Two steps back the way I came, and I plucked a hoodie from my closet. , I then walked around my bed and across the room to the arrow target bag I had never used, snatching my phone and earbuds from atop it.
"Hnnngh... Do you really have to wake up so early...?" A familiar voice asked from behind me, and as I looked down, I spied Hikaru and her vibrant red hair, seeming like she had just woken up.
"Yeah... I know... I wish I didn't, but I do. I won't get ready in time otherwise." She pouted slightly, looking even more adorable with her hair a mess and her tired eyes. "Just go back to sleep, we'll see each other in school later today. I promise."
"Hmm... Okay.." She reluctantly agreed, turning back over and pulling the covers slightly closer to herself, and I could hear her light snores before I had even reached the door.
'What a weird dream...' I thought to myself, reaching the corner of the hallway and kneeling down to pet my dog as her head was poking out of the door to my parents' room, aligned parallel with the kitchen just around the corner. With that, I entered the bathroom and threw on the clothes I had taken from my dresser earlier.
5:45. I walked into the kitchen. Well, dining room, I headed to the kitchen in the back of the room, reaching into the pantry and pulling out two cereal bars. By 6:00, I was heading back to the bathroom to brush my teeth, comb out my hair, and hopefully wake myself up a bit.
6:40. I saw the bus heading to pick me up, waiting in the doorway of the garage for it to arrive. I was the only person in this neighborhood who takes this early bus. Just before I could start walking down the driveway, Hikaru stopped me again, grabbing me by the back of the shirt.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" She asked, holding up my phone, which I had left on the table.
"Shit... Thanks, Hikaru."
"Don't worry about it!" She reassured me, lightly kissing my cheek and letting me walk away. "Tell Fuu I said hi!"
"Okay, okay. I will."
I boarded the bus.
7:00 AM. I arrive at my home school. I won't be here long. By 7:10, I'm leaving to get on another bus to head to my technical school, the sole reason I had to wake up so early. And likely why that weird dream ended so abruptly. What even was the place's name again? Cephiro...
My head ached. And it must have been apparent.
"Are you alright, Logan?" Fuu wondered. "You look like you are in pain..."
"I'm fine..." I reassured her. "Hikaru says hi, by the way."
8:00 AM. We arrive at the technical school two towns over. Entering through the creatively named Blue Hallway (a line on the floor guiding students to each class in this area is blue) and heading for the other end.
"Logan, are you sure you're alright? You aren't in Culinary Arts..." Fuu noted, making me realize that I was for some reason turning and changing course. It's a straight shot there, isn't it...?
"O- oh, um... I was just seeing if Umi was here." I lied, earning a skeptical glare from Fuu.
'Just what is going on here? Why does everything seem so... Off?'
10:45 AM. Dismissal. I met back up with Fuu and we made our exit. For some reason, walking in a straight line out felt far more natural than on the way in... My mind wandered again. To Cephiro, that strange dream... Did it end because I died, or because my alarm woke me up? It was strangely coherent to be one of my dreams...
"Logan, come on! You don't live in that town!" Umi stated, grabbing me by the arm and dragging me towards the end of the lot, where our bus waited. But I could've sworn it was two down...
"Alright, Logan. What is the matter? You've seemed distracted all day. Do you need to visit the nurse?" Fuu wondered.
"Yeah... Yeah, I probably should."
11:20 AM. I found myself in the nurse's office, wondering if I was going insane, or if something was truly off about today. I shut my eyes, hoping that maybe a bit more sleep would clear my head.
"...ic ...t.."
A voice. I heard them all the time. I knew I should get it checked out, but I wasn't concerned.
"Ma.i. K..igh.."
No. Something was definitely saying something. But who...?
"Mag.. Knig..."
It wasn't calling my name. In fact, it was almost like it was trying to say-
"MAGIC KNIGHT!"
Reality shattered around me, no longer was I laying on a cot in the nurse's office. I was floating in a void, staring up at a creature I couldn't even begin to describe. Lightning crackled around and off of it, and while it did not appear to be speaking, I could hear its voice crystal-clear.
"Who... What...?" I began, holding a hand up to try and block the bright light, only to see that my arm was entirely enveloped in that curse... That's right. That curse. That's... What killed me...
"I am the Rune God Excelsus, Lord of Thunder. My shrine was lost before thou could reach it."
"Yeah... Yeah that's right. Zagato told me that you... You were..."
"It would take more than the collapse of Cephiro to destroy me. Now, Magic Knight, the world thou hast found thyself in is not thine home, merely an illusion created by thine curse. Yet thou was able to discern this fact."
"Okay, but... I'm still dead, right...?"
"No, thou art not deceased. Not yet. Until thine heart were to fall into content within that illusion."
"So the reason I'm not dead... Is because my heart... Was able to find the difference between this world and home?"
"Indeed. But thou cannot return to thy comrades. Not as thou are now."
"This is your test, isn't it? The other Rune Gods asked the girls to show the strength of their hearts. And now, you're doing the same, aren't you? And I assume to pass... I need to wake back up."
Excelsus remained silent. He would not confirm or deny that guess.
'Alright. Think, Logan! Think! What do you still have to live for? What can you get yourself so determined over to bring yourself back from the dead?'
A vision appeared not far away. I gazed into it, and it all became clear...
"Logan! Logan, no!" Hikaru screamed, refusing to believe this was reality. She and the others had traveled so far, come all this way, but now... Now he was gone. Everything he had to look forward to, shattered in an instant. Even when he had been working with Zagato, he had been dreaming of a long, happy life with her. And not just that, he had a show to perform back home, family he would never see again. Family that would be wondering what happened to him...
"He brought this fate upon himself." Zagato sneered coldly. "Had he not have left my side, his curse would not have bested him."
"You... You bastard!" Hikaru shouted, tears streaming from her eyes.
"H- Hikaru!" Umi exclaimed, shocked at the sudden profanity.
"He had so much to look forward to! He had his whole life ahead of him! And now it's all gone because of you!"
"I had nothing to do with his demise." Zagato explained. "It was Alcyone who afflicted him."
"You kidnapped Princess Emeraude! You made her send us here!"
"My guilt in the matter is irrelevant." Zagato stated. "And either way, you'll soon be joining him."
"Logan..." Fuu muttered, looking down at his body, unable to stop her own tears from falling.
Within the void, Logan watched. They all cared for him, and they were right, too. There were others out there who would be heartbroken. Not just Hikaru and the others. And besides, if he didn't find some way to help, Zagato would likely find a way to kill them.
Now Playing: I'm Here (Original) - Sonic Frontiers
"I can't just leave them like this... My friends, my family, my life... Mom... Dad... Fuu... Umi... Hikaru... I can't leave a job unfinished! I can't just leave them all to grieve, wondering what happened to me and if I'm okay!"
A twitch snapped Fuu from her grief. Logan's hair began to recolor itself, to the familiar white she'd come to see as familiar from him. Another twitch from his cursed arm. "L- Logan...?"
Umi then looked over at her, distraught and furious. "He's gone, Fuu! We can't do anything about him! We just have to accept it!"
A faint glow. Something was definitely happening. "No... No, look! There's something there!"
"I'm not leaving them! Not now, not ever! And I won't give Zagato the satisfaction of bringing me down!"
His body's eyes shot open as he felt himself be torn from one reality to another. And then a lightning bolt struck down straight through the volcano and right onto his chest, the explosion even catching Zagato himself off-guard.
Logan's armor had returned and evolved much similar to that of Hikaru's. His hoodie had changed into a cyan tunic adorned with similarly-colored armor platings with white patterns, and his undershirt had become a sort of armored sweater providing him with enough bulk to make him appear well protected. His pants had changed into metallic, plated beige trousers that once again gave the extra bulk without feeling heavy or slowing him down. His boots had really only changed colors, now being brown instead of white, and likely made of a sturdier material. A billowing cape hung from his back, although it seemed to end in a tipped zigzag pattern rather than simply being a piece of fabric. And his pauldrons were small enough to not obstruct movement, yet would still protect against poorer strikes. The most eye-catching thing about them was the streamer-like extensions on the bottom, which almost resembled tiny lightning bolts. While one arm appeared normal, the arm that had once been cursed was now plated in a golden sort of armor that almost looked like it belonged to a Rune God...
"I... Impossible..." Zagato muttered, staring at the boy with alarm. "Excelsus... Excelsus is dead!"
"Yeah? And guess who else just was, dumbass!"
Getting over her shock first, Hikaru decided to capitalize on Zagato's astonishment and confusion, leaping high into the air with her newly evolved sword, shouting out in rage as the tip of the blade began glowing with a spiral of flame. Yet the High Priest was able step out of the way at just the last moment feeling the blade cut into his shoulder and watching the blood begin to soak into his own cape. But before he could even think of a retaliation, he felt a tap on his other shoulder. Turning to see, Zagato could barely process Logan's new arm reaching right for him, grabbing him by the front of the armor and slamming him into the floor.
One Rune God and a poisoned Magic Knight, the difference balanced itself out. But now two Rune Gods and two full power Magic Knights? The High Priest knew he was at a disadvantage and finally retreated, disappearing back to his fortress and leaving the Magic Knights victorious once again. Hikaru dissipated her sword, and immediately ran over to Logan, knocking him over while trying to hug him.
"Oh, you're okay! You're alive! It's really you!"
"Ah, hey..." Logan muttered. "Yeah, yeah. It's me. Through the power of a literal Deus ex Machina."
"And... You revived the fourth Rune God at the same time?"
Another lightning strike as a gigantic golden mech appeared, standing eye-level with Rayearth. Its helmet was pointed back, almost like quills. Its right arm was completely missing, yet the one it did have had a pauldron basically like a giant ball. Judging by Logan's own right arm, the other likely made it asymmetrical, being pointed out and tilting up almost like a wing. Instead of gold highlights, Excelsus had cyan ones, likely to make them stand out.
"Hey, Fuu! Umi! We've awakened the last two Rune Gods!" Hikaru announced, turning back to see that Umi and Fuu's armors had also evolved. Umi was donned in a black leotard with blue double-layered pauldrons, a big blue chestplate, and long hip-skirts with golden trims. Three armored belts were wrapped around her waist to resemble a dragon's belly. Her gloves were white, form-fitting and reached up almost to her shoulders, and her boots were quite the same, now being thigh-high. Her hair band, which had always remained unchanged, now was lined with gold, a giant blue gem on top of it, and four white dragon horns jutted from the side.
Fuu's getup was a green dress with a golden corset topped by a white collar and gold trims. Her gloves roughly reached her elbows and had golden cuffs, while her boots were ankle-length with overturned collars. Her pauldrons were golden with feather-like white extensions draped down the bottom, studded with gold. Her red hair band had changed color completely, now being green with wing-like extensions coming off of her ears. Also, her glasses were gone. Not too noteworthy, but it happened.
But that wasn't the only thing that changed. Their swords evolved too. Alongside the usual practical buffs, the baby-dragon design on the hilt of Umi's sword became an adult dragon, spreading its wings out for the crossguard. Fuu's sword, being perpetually boring, merely doubled in length, now easily having the longest reach. The gems on their chests then shot beams of their respective colors, and all four Rune Gods stood before them, having to duck slightly to avoid colliding with the ceiling.
"Finally... We have all four Rune Gods." Fuu muttered, taking a moment to adjust to her new sword's sheer size.
"Children of another world, who were summoned by the Pillar of Cephiro."Rayearth declared. "Now is the time. To don us and become the true Magic Knights!"
Beams of each Rune God's color shot out and engulfed each Magic Knight, then returned to the large gems on their chests, absorbing the Magic Knights into them.
"Rayearth!"
"Selece!"
"Windam!"
"Excelsus!"
As each Magic Knight called out their Rune God's name, each took a stance, with Excelsus' arm being returned to it with its pilot safely inside.
"Is this... The inside of the Rune Gods?" Hikaru asked, looking around the black and red void she had found herself in. "Is this what the Rune Gods meant by donning them? Is it true that we've actually become Magic Knights?"
"Pupu! Pupu! Pupuuuu!" Mokona chirped triumphantly, having succeeded in his mission of guiding the Magic Knights on their quest to revive the four Rune Gods.
"Mokona!/Sir Mokona!"
And, limping up behind Mokona, was none other than Lafarga, who had sort of taken a backseat once Rayearth had arrived. "Lafarga! You're okay!" Hikaru called.
"Please do not worry about me." Lafarga requested. "Legendary Magic Knights. Please save our Princess Emeraude, and Cephiro."
"Yeah." Hikaru accepted.
"But where in the world is she?" Umi wondered, yet Fuu simply examined the communication orb she had received from Ferio the last time they had met.
"I believe Princess Emeraude means to guide us through this magic orb we received from Ferio recently." Fuu guessed.
"Then what are we waiting for!?" Logan demanded. "Hikaru, Umi, Fuu, let's make Zagato pay!"
"Right!" Everyone agreed as their Rune Gods began to take to the sky, flying out through the top of the volcano.
"Cephiro's fate rests with you, Magic Knights..." Lafarga muttered, watching the four of them disappear into the dark sky, Mokona humming and chirping his farewells, while the Magic Knights soared off for the final battle...
Word Count: 7,824
FUUUUUUULLLLLLLLLLL SEEEEEEEEEENDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD i wrote this in a day. behold the new longest chapter, beating 13 by 768 words. probably would not have been that long if i didn't decide to do the dream sequence. lowkey thought it would've been longer. do the usual fanfic stuff and get out of my house