Okay..so it's been a hot minute. Or two. Or a gazillion (how many minutes are in 10 years again?) Cough. Not important. The important thing is, is that there is a new Rayearth anime coming out and in light of this fact, as well as a fellow fanfic writer returning after a similar gap, which gives me courage…..I am also returning. And determined to actually finish this fic! So. Here you go. Another chapter. Enjoy. (I'm sorry for the very, very, very long wait).
"Sir Lantis? Oh yes, he's such a nice young man, always popping over to the village and checking up on us old folks. You know he came and personally made sure we all got to the castle when Cephiro was crumbling? I tell ya, it got my blood flowing again being carried by a strapping young man like that, reminded me of when I was young hahaha."
"Lantis? The magic swordsman? Yeah I know him, he's the leader of the Pillar's Guard but he helps the Hunters out all the time too. They go all over Cephiro hunting the monsters that appear and making sure all the villages are safe and protected. He even helps us practice sometimes. I wanna be a Hunter like him when I grow up!"
"Lantis hmmmm? Don't know too much about him myself, I'm not from around the castle you know. My village is across the mountains. I know he was the younger brother of High Priest Zagato though. Poor lad, must have broken his heart to lose his brother like that. Still I think everyone lost something or someone in all the uproar. Glad the Lady Fire Knight and her companions have finally got things settled down now. It was a bit hairy for a while there I can tell you."
"Lantis? Sure everyone knows Lantis, silent kinda gloomy chap, face like stone or at least he used to. The Lady Fire Knight sure turned him around though, my sister swears she actually saw him smile last week, don't know if I believe her though."
"That's Sir Lantis I'll have you know! He is the leader of the Pillar's Guard, Protector of the Lady Fire Knight and you'd best treat him with respect when you see him young man. You have no idea what he's been through, no idea the burden he's had to bear and all by himself too and while yes he's a bit standoffish now, you should have seen him before he met the Lady Fire Knight. I tell you no one deserves the happiness she's brought more than he does and that's a fact. Now run along and mind you don't get into trouble. I'm a lot less forgiving than even Sir Lantis used to be."
Kakeru held onto his temper by a hair as the soldier turned away, Masaru close behind. "Dammit. That makes how many good reports this morning?" he asked his brother.
"I lost count after the first twenty." Was the glum reply.
"Ugh, barely a handful of people with anything bad to say about him and most of that was only because he didn't return from that Autozam place sooner! Why does he have to be so disgustingly 'good'?" Kakeru emphasised the last word with air quotes.
"I know right, it's just not normal. And anyway how can one person even manage to do all that? He needs to get his priorities straight. Isn't he supposed to be protecting Hikaru? How can he do that when he's gallivanting off all over the world all the time? He needs to either protect her properly or let someone who actually cares about her do it."
"Yeah, I refuse to give Hikaru to someone who won't make her his number one priority –"
"Hey guys how's it going?"
The brothers jumped as Ascot's voice came from somewhere behind them. The summoner had offered to take them down to the village with him when they asked if they could leave the castle for a while. He'd been asked to take care of a small creature that had migrated from the nearby forest to the village and which had been causing a few problems. The boys had taken the opportunity to grill the villagers about Lantis. With dismal results.
"Oh, Ascot. Hi." Masaru replied as the summoner came over, his arms full of a child-sized feathered creature which blinked at them sleepily. "We're fine, just looking around the village and stuff."
"Oh good, thanks for waiting while I ran my errands, I'm all finished now so is there anything you'd like to do or see?"
The brothers traded looks and then shrugged indifferently.
"Not really. We've seen pretty much everything we wanted to." Kakeru replied.
"Alright then, shall we head back to the castle? If we leave now, you can probably catch everyone before they leave for the hunting trip."
"Hunting trip?" Masaru thought back to the people he'd talked to that morning, "You mean hunting monsters right?"
Ascot nodded "Yeah, Clef called while I was with the villagers. It looks like a group of monsters have banded together and are causing major damage to several villages in the forest near the Wind Shrine. They're smart and hunt in a pack so we'll need more than one or two to take them out. Hikaru heard about it through Lantis and she and the girls volunteered to help. They'll be leaving in an hour or two. I imagine you'll want to see them off so let's –" Ascot realised the boys where no longer with him and turned to see them stopped several metres behind him with identical expressions of shock and horror on their faces.
"Masaru? Kakeru? What's wrong?"
The boys' mouths snapped shut. "Hikaru is going to do what?" Kakeru asked in strangled tones.
"She's going on the monster hunt." Ascot replied, puzzled until the penny dropped, " But she's got the other Knights with her and the Hunters will go with them as a matter of course, they'll be perfectly fine." He said reassuringly, trying to rectify his blunder but the boys were beyond listening.
"We have to stop her!" Masaru cried.
"Quick let's go!" Kakeru answered and they pelted up the path that led back to the castle.
Ascot stared after them and groaned, "Oh dear, I forgot that they might react like that." He looked ruefully at the Castle spire which could be seen rising into the sky to the East, "Sorry Hikaru I guess you'll have to deal with them now."
Half an hour later….
"Hikaru please tell me you're not actually going to go fight these things?" Masaru said. "I talked to the guy who came here and do you know what he said? It's a pack of three metre tall monsters that absorb whatever they stick their tails into and then fire it at you through their mouths! Not to mention the claws and fangs they have naturally!"
"Yes. I know Masaru and no I can't tell you that because it's exactly what I'm going to do." Hikaru replied as she checked her pack and then summoned her armour and sword to make sure both were in good working order before dismissing them back into her ovum gem.
Masaru winced as cloth and metal disappeared and reappeared around his sister with a casualness that implied far too much familiarity for his liking.
"Don't worry I've got my friends with me and Lantis is coming along as backup plus a couple of Hunters, we'll be fine."
"But Hikaru how exactly are you going to fight a pack of monsters which are all bigger than two of you combined. They're three metres tall for crying out loud!" Masaru cried. "Kakeru help me talk some sense into her."
Kakeru shoved off the wall he'd been propping up as he brooded/listened and came over to lend his support. "Masaru's right Hikaru. No one can beat something like that, especially not a group of them together. It's like trying to take on Godzilla."
Hikaru stopped and looked at them. "I have magic remember." She made an annoyed sound. "I know you haven't seen Rayearth yet but have a little more faith in my good sense." She picked up her pack and opened the door to her room. "I'm the pillar of this world remember. There's no way I'd put myself in mortal danger."
Her brothers followed her out still protesting but she ignored them. The rest of their party was waiting in the main hall and she groaned inwardly as Masaru and Kakeru continued their vehement protests right up to the point when Umi decided to step in.
"If you're so concerned about her why don't you come with us?" she asked with false sweetness. "Then you can protect her if she's ever in danger. That's your job as her brothers, right?"
Hikaru gaped at her friend's sudden change in attitude. "Who are you and what have you done with Umi?" she asked as the boys also stared at the blue haired beauty, their arguments suddenly derailed.
"Whatever do you mean Hikaru?" Umi winked at her friend, "I thought your brothers cared enough about you to make sure you were never in danger. But I guess if they can't do it Lantis can always take over the job." She said airily, nose in the air.
Well that put the cat among the pigeons.
"We don't need him." Masaru blustered. "We can do just fine on our own."
"Great!" Umi clapped her hands, "Clef would you lend us Fyula for the day?"
Puzzled, Clef nodded, not quite sure where she was going with this but not seeing any harm in it. "Thanks, now you'll have a great platform to watch from and jump to the rescue if Hikaru needs it."
"Wait. What?"
"Oh, didn't you hear?" She asked innocently "We'll be flying over to the Wind Shrine rather than walking, we'll jump off a little way away from the monsters and then go on foot from there. We were going to use the flying machines but Fyula makes things much easier. You're fine with that right? You can be our backup if we get in trouble. We'll be counting on you."
Kakeru looked dubious, "How can we fight if we don't have weapons?" he asked, "No way they'd let us take real katanas into Tokyo Tower even if we could get back there from home in time."
"Not a problem." Umi flicked away the stumbling block with a careless hand motion, "Presea!" She called over the Mastersmith who'd been checking the Hunters' weapons and equipment before they left.
"Yes?"
Umi winked at her behind the brother's backs, "These two want to come on the hunting expedition with us, you couldn't lend them a weapon for the occasion? Just this once?"
Presea had heard about Hikaru's brother's tendencies and immediately caught on to Umi's plan. A slightly malicious smile crossed her face at the thought of the surprise the two were about to get and she nodded.
"For you Umi, I'll allow it. Right this way boys, let's get you geared up!" She put a hand behind each boy and propelled their unresisting bodies to her workshop. Once inside the two youths stopped to gape at the vast array of weapons carefully stored in aisles of racks and stands.
Presea let them be for all of two seconds before loudly slamming the door and bringing the slightly dazed boys back to themselves.
"Alrighty boys, I want you to close your eyes and concentrate. Think about the weapon that would best suit you." She told them briskly.
"Uh what? How will that help us choose a weapon?" Masaru asked.
Presea shook her head in dismay, didn't these boys listen to anything Hikaru had told them? "Here in Cephiro the will and the heart rule all. Think in your heart about the weapon that will most suit you and will it to come to you." She said, patiently. "The weapon will respond to your call if your will is strong enough.
They hesitated, unwilling to put their faith in such an airy fairy method.
"Just do it!" Presea ordered them in her best drill-sergeant voice.
The brothers shared a doubtful look but dutifully closed their eyes and concentrated. Nothing happened.
"I said concentrate and will it boys." Presea tapped her foot, "Stop pussyfooting around and focus. Your sister and her friends had a monster out for their blood and pounding on the door and they took less time than you. Hurry up, you're wasting mine."
Stung, the boys cast aside their doubts and focused. Seconds later and much to their own astonishment two katana like weapons rose from the racks and floated into their unbelieving hands.
"It worked." Masaru said in surprise, gazing at the weapon in his hands as if it might suddenly come to life and bite him. "It won't float around like that all the time will it?"
"No." Presea told him with a hidden smile, "It won't, otherwise I wouldn't have to store them in racks. Now time for armour, come on, it won't be the same as your sisters I'm afraid, Clef gave the Magic Knights special armour but mine does just fine for everyone else so it'll suffice for you as well."
She led them to another room, this one lined with stands of armour.
Presea leaned against the door, "Same drill as before boys." She told them. "Concentrate on the type of armour that will suit you best. You know how it works now so hop to it."
"Yes ma'am." The boys chorused, a little taken aback by the Mastersmith's brusque manner with them when she'd seemed so nice before. They closed their eyes and concentrated and soon found themselves clad in light, comfortable armour that bore no resemblance to any substance they knew on Earth but was tough and flexible and would take a blow from a monster without significant damage according to Presea.
"The tougher stuff would be too heavy for you right now," she noted, looking at them up and down, "You'll have to work up to it and strengthen yourselves but what you have will do for now, especially with the level of monster you'll be hunting today." She clapped her hands, "Right then. You've got your weapons and armour so now you can take part in the hunt. You don't need me to hold your hands, go show off your new armaments."
She pushed them to the door and then shut it behind them, giving them no choice but to return to the others, weapons in hand and no longer feeling like they were in control of things anymore.
"Very nice." Umi applauded as the boys walked through the open door, katanas now properly sheathed at their waists. "Now you look like real warriors, I feel safer already." She looked around at the others who were ready to go, eagerly anticipating the hunt to come. "Are we all set then?" she asked and received a chorus of affirmations. "Then let's go!"
Fyula soared over the tree tops, keeping well above the forest so that their prey would have no warning of their approach. The hunters kept a sharp eye out for any unexpected monster attacks while the Magic Knights discussed their attack and defence strategies one last time to make sure everyone knew what they were supposed to do. Masaru and Kakeru worried.
Off to one side of the group they looked at the forest below and nervously wondered what the future had in store for them. It was one thing to say they'd be the ones to protect Hikaru it was quite another to hear exactly what you were going to go up against in order to do so. The people at the village they'd stopped at just before entering the forest area had been all too detailed in their descriptions of the pack of monsters and neither Kakeru nor Masaru had liked what they'd heard.
Aside from what they'd learned from the man who'd come to petition the castle for help the villagers had told them that the monsters had armoured skin which deflected all but the sharpest blades and let them ignore arrows, even crossbow bolts. They were also equipped with razor sharp claws and teeth as long as a man's hand which were serrated and no doubt brimming with bacteria and other nasty microbes. And they were smart. Smart enough to set up a defensible lair and evade any and all traps the villagers had set to catch them so far. They were truly a formidable enemy. At least that's what Masaru and Kakeru thought. No one else seemed to agree though.
The Hunters were all boasting about the monsters they'd killed before, bragging about where this and that scar came from and showing off their unique weapons. Hikaru was with the other two girls talking animatedly about something that had nothing to do with monsters or hunting or anything her brother's might be interested in. Lantis just stood behind her saying nothing and occasionally nodding or shaking his head when Hikaru asked him something.
"How can they all be so calm?" Kakeru whispered. "They heard what we'll be fighting right? Those are not things to take lightly!"
"I don't know, maybe here it's not such a big thing. I'm sure if we stick together we can take one down. And you heard the plan, it will only be until we can get them in the cave. With the amount of people here that shouldn't take long, we just have to hold out till then."
"Yeah. You're right, we can do this, we should at least be able to do that much."
Ferio lead the way silently through the forest, creeping towards the cave the villagers had described. According to them the monsters kept to the area around the cave during the day, sleeping and eating or rough housing with each other. They used the cover of night to hunt since they could see perfectly in the dark. The plan was to quietly pick off any monsters around the back side of the hill the cave was dug into and then encircle the area around the mouth before tightening the noose and driving them into the cave. Once that was done the Magic Knights' spells could create an explosion which would either collapse the cave on top of them or destroy and wound enough of the monsters to enable the hunters to finish them off. Secrecy was paramount as they needed to catch the monsters unawares in order to keep them from forming any sort of defensive unit before they were forced into the cave.
As the most skilled and silent of the hunters slipped round to ambush the monsters behind the cave, the others formed their circle and scouted out the area, making sure no monster slipped through the net. Masaru and Kakeru were on the left side of the circle near the middle, positioning themselves as close to Hikaru as they could without leaving a gap in the circle. Moving carefully they nonetheless stole frequent glances at Lantis who was just in sight of them to Hikaru's left with Lafarga on their right, envious of the men's ability to move so silently in what looked like bulky and heavy armour.
Slowly they closed the circle, a bird call from behind signalled the return of the ambush party and then all was ready. At a piercing whistle from Ferio they sprang into action, swords flashing and battle cries sounding. Caught unawares the monsters didn't react for a second but that was more than enough time for the attackers to reach them and start doing damage.
Hikaru sliced the arm off of one and it let loose an ear shattering roar before swinging at her with its tail but Lantis was there to block it before either of her brothers even got their swords clear of their sheathes. Hikaru didn't even pause in her attack as she lopped off the limb he'd trapped against his sword, trusting him to watch her back as she fought. Working in tandem with the magic swordsman Hikaru swept out a low strike at the monsters legs while Lantis used his superior height and strength to leap up and cut off its head in one smooth move. Barely pausing they moved on to the next monster, driving it back towards the cave.
Masaru and Kakeru stood frozen at the tableau in front of them. Hearing about monsters was one thing. Seeing battles and fights on tv and at the movies was one thing. Practicing katas and having matches at the dojo was one thing. But this. Actually seeing a battle happen in real time, in real life right in front of them. This was entirely another.
It was so much more real and vivid than any mental image they could have come up with. The sight of the monsters with their horrifying animalistic faces, the smell of their blood as it flowed all around them and the inhuman screams they made as they fought and died. It both sickened them and froze their blood at the same time.
They couldn't move, the terrible reality they faced paralyzing them with gut-wrenching fear. Hands trembling they desperately tried to shake off paralysis as their minds screamed at them to move, to fight, to do anything but stay as the sitting ducks they currently were. They stood, weapons half-drawn as the circle moved forward without them and watched in a daze as their sister fought in a nightmare they'd never imagined. The death scream of Hikaru and Lantis' opponent finally brought them to their senses but not before one of the monsters had sensed their weakness. Zeroing in on the dazed boys and the hole in the circle they represented, it darted toward them, a claw raised to strike them down.
Masaru and Kakeru desperately raised their swords in a futile attempt at defence, only to hear hear a scream of pain a second later as Ferio's sword chopped the offending limb off above the wrist.
"Winds of Protection!"
A shield of hard air surrounded by rushing wind appeared around the boys as Ferio continued fighting outside it. They turned to see Fuu standing behind them her hand still outstretched from casting the spell. She smiled gently at them, "Are you alright?"
They nodded. "Oh good. I'm glad you're not hurt." The smile faded, "Battles are ugly, terrible things to be a part of aren't they? It was the same for Hikaru, Umi and I too at first you know. It's scary, don't feel ashamed for freezing up during your first battle. It shows that you understand how truly horrible it is."
She placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "Please, we don't want to lose anyone else. If you don't think you can fight right now please stay in here. My magic is strong and the monsters won't get through, you'll be safe here until the battle ends."
Masaru shook himself out of his stupor, Fuu's amour had changed to its fully evolved state just before the battle and her huge sword which she wielded as if it were a feather bore the proof of the ugliness she spoke of. He met the Wind Knight's gentle gaze and saw the understanding and compassion in her eyes. Her green orbs bore no hint of scorn or blame but he couldn't help but feel ashamed of himself for freezing up at his first experience of the reality of battle. Determination filled his heart and he took a deep breath and let it out. "Thank you Fuu." He said, "But we'll be fine now. Thank you for protecting us." He looked to his brother and saw the same resolution on his face as he nodded in agreement. Fuu nodded, "Very well," and raised her hand once more as the barrier vanished.
In the time that their exchange had taken place the hunting party had moved almost out of sight. Ferio, breathing a little hard as he finished off another monster trying to escape turned to Fuu as she ran to his side and blocked an attack he hadn't seen coming.
"You guys all right?" Ferio shouted over his shoulder as he nodded his thanks to Fuu.
"We're fine!" Masaru answered and ran forward to form a line with them, Kakeru beside him. Quickly they moved to catch up and complete the circle again.
It was a nasty fight.
The monsters sensed the danger in the ever shrinking circle and fought back viciously against their attackers. Long minutes passed but finally they pushed the monsters back to the clearing in front of their den and the end was in sight.
With a last heave or push the attackers forced their opponents back before leaping out of the way as the Magic Knights stepped forward, Lantis beside them and each brought forth their most powerful magic:
"Ruby Lightning!"
"Emerald Cyclone!"
"Icicle Blades!"
"Lightning Call!"
The four attacks blasted out from the four, bowling the monsters over and tumbling them into each other past the cave entrance and then imploding under the power of their own colliding forces. Fuu cast her shield spell over the mouth and then they all watched as the explosion, unable to expand any further because of the shield and the solid walls of the cave vented its fury on the monsters trapped inside. It was like watching a firework go off inside a bubble.
It took several minutes for the largest fires to go out, starved of fuel by Fuu's shield which blocked more air from being sucked in. Of the smaller fires and any of the monsters, nothing could be seen thanks to the thick cloud of smoke which the explosion had produced. It filled the cave and roiled up against Fuu's shield, twisting and curling in on itself like a cat. The Wind Knight waited for a few more minutes and then let a small gap form at the top of the shield where it met the top of the cave entrance. Air was sucked in but no fire sprang back to life so she took the rest of the shield down and they waited for the smoke to disperse.
Once the haze was clear enough to see through, the party moved cautiously into the cave to finish off any surviving monsters.
Determined not to let their fear get the better of them again Masaru and Kakeru advanced as well. It seemed impossible that anything could have survived that magical assault and the flames after it but amazingly many of the monsters that had been caught in the cave were still alive, albeit not kicking. They staggered dazedly to their feet with arms or legs hanging uselessly, broken, twisted and burned and yet still they leaped forward to attack. The hunters were quick to put them out of their misery.
Masaru and Kakeru fought side by side together and felt their confidence sputter back to flickering life as the skills they'd learned and practiced for years allowed them to hold their own. Like their sister before them they squashed their fear and charged in to attack (others in the group were later quick to point out the similarity and note with grins that this must be where Hikaru got her recklessness from.) As the last few monsters were defeated they turned to check their surroundings and saw the final monster taken down by Lantis. With a massive overhand blow he cleaved it practically in two, even as Hikaru came around his side to hack off the tail that was about to try and skewer him.
The two brothers watched the pair as they turned to each other after making sure the beast was dead. Hikaru touched a smudge of dirt on his brow gently, obviously asking if he was alright. Lantis nodded and then drew her to him, holding her close for a moment as if to reassure himself of her safety. Hikaru smiled up at him and then rested her head against his chest, her arms going around him too, neither of them aware of their audience or if they were, they didn't care.
The sight of them like that, just holding each other with matching expressions of love and relief, as if no one else existed in that single moment was enough to make even the most stubborn of brothers start thinking. And Masaru and Kakeru were by no means idiots. At least about some things.
Masaru breathed in and let it out with sigh forcing himself to look away from the man currently touching his baby sister, "Well, I guess we can't fault his fighting skills." He said glumly, thinking back over the fight, "Look at him. Not even breathing hard and not a scratch on him." He glared at his shoes. Hearing Lantis was a good fighter and then actually seeing how much better he was than them was a bitter pill to swallow. Lantis had taken down many more monsters than them by himself and that number increased even more if you added the one's he'd teamed up with Hikaru to beat. Not to mention that he'd been watching Hikaru's back and they'd barely been able to protect themselves. They hadn't even done that right at the start, what with Fuu having to give them a pep talk and all.
Kakeru nodded, his face looking like he'd sucked a lemon, "Can't fault their fighting technique or form either, they make a perfect fighting pair together and you saw the way they moved, how they knew exactly what the other was going to do." His fists clenched, "We've lost on that count but he still doesn't have Hikaru as his first priority and she deserves someone whose focus will be solely on her."
Masaru nodded, "Yeah." He said through gritted teeth, hating the fact they had to concede even on one point that Lantis wasn't a complete and utter bastard. "No way we're leaving Hikaru on this stupid world with only her girl friends to protect her. She needs us here whether she realises it or not and we're staying until Lantis gets the point that he's not good enough for her."
"Exactly."
The two brothers cleaned and sheathed their weapons and headed back to the front of the cave where Fuu was seeing to the wounded.
"Winds of Healing!" she called out, her hands raised to the sky. A warm gentle wind began to blow around them and any cuts or bruises the brothers had faded away to be replaced with warmth and renewed energy.
"Feel better?" the Wind Knight asked.
"Yeah, thanks." Masaru answered for the both of them.
"That's good, why don't you go wait over there, I'll be done soon and then we can head back to the village.
Fuu gave them an encouraging smile and then waved at Hikaru who was standing off to one side, Lantis having gone with the other men to drag the bodies of the monsters killed outside the cave back into it. Once that was done Hikaru checked everyone was clear and then lifted a hand toward the cave.
"Fire Arrow!" she cried and flames shot from her palm, engulfing the bodies piled inside and burning them to ash so that they wouldn't harm the forest creatures as they decomposed.
And with that the hunt was officially over. The party flew back to the village on Fyula to give them the happy news and then headed back to the castle.
All the way there Masaru and Kakeru were quiet, only venturing the occasional comment when they were addressed by others. Hikaru noticed but stayed silent, she really didn't want to have to deal with an outburst from her brothers after the fight. Maybe she could head one off before it happened?
She went over to talk to them but Masaru held up a hand before she could speak.
"We get it." He said, "You and Lantis can hold your own in a fight. Point made. End of discussion."
Kakeru nodded, "But that's all." He added, "And fighting prowess isn't everything."
Hikaru made as if to reply but then decided to take her victories where she could find them. "Fine." She said, "thank you for at least acknowledging that." And with that she returned to her friends standing further forward, the wind blowing past them refreshingly cool as Fyula returned them to the castle.
After a wash and some food everyone was feeling more cheerful, the removal of the blood and gore of battle already making the task seem less grim. Soon the hunters began retelling the tale of their hunt to the curious castle inhabitants, each retelling increasing the monsters' numbers and strength and the battle prowess of the fighters. As the evening wore on tales of other battles were told and expanded upon as several people competed to see who was the best hunter (or rather tale-spinner) in Cephiro and soon no one could tell truth from fiction. It was late at night when everyone eventually sought their beds, the energy spent in battle finally catching up with them. However a good nights' sleep was not to be, for some.
An hour after midnight the Magic Knights were brought to abrupt wakefulness as Clef's voice echoed in their minds.
"Hikaru, Umi, Fuu I'm so sorry to wake you but there's an emergency we need your help to solve. We may only have a short window of time to act so I'm transporting you to the Great Hall immediately, please prepare yourselves."
The girls traded looks and nodded, their ovum gems flashing as they changed into their normal clothes. A moment later they were in the Great Hall and Clef was gesturing for them to look at the image projected above them.
"That Autozam ship is on fire!" Hikaru cried.
Clef nodded, "The new engines they have been using malfunctioned several minutes ago and one has caught fire. They're doing their best to contain the blaze but aren't having any luck and with the loss of power they have been unable to stop their progress along the road to Cephiro. If we don't do something the ship will either burn itself to ashes or crash into Cephiro, neither option will leave anyone alive. Can you help them?" Clef asked, "No magic that I possess can stop this but you three may be able to save them with your Rune-Gods and the spells you possess."
The Magic Knights nodded and as one, drew their weapons. Fuu glanced at Clef, "Could you please let our families know where we are when they wake?" she asked, "They will want to know." Clef nodded. "Of course."
Fuu turned back to her friends and held up her sword.
"Windam!"
"Rayearth!"
"Selece!"
In a flash of light they stood once more on the great pillar of stone in the world that the Rune-Gods slept in until they were summoned. Their Rune-Gods stood before them ready to lend their chosen ones aide once more. Hikaru turned to her friends.
"So. What's the plan?"
Umi raised a hand, "Okay. I'll get inside and deal with the fires. But we can't just grab the ship and start hauling on it to slow it down. We need some way to slow it down without pulling it to pieces between us and whatever passes for gravity on Cephiro.
Fuu nodded, "I can use my shield to protect the ship while we try and slow it down." She said. "As to how to slow it down…." she thought for a moment, "For starters we need a continued resisting force to absorb its speed and momentum slowly enough that the ship doesn't break up from the competing forces. My shield will help spread the impact but it's not a miracle protection either."
"Well if your shield is going to protect it why don't we just blast it with my water dragon?" Umi asked. "If I keep up a continual column of water at it it'll be cushioned while its slowed. Once I've got the fires under control I can come out and do that but what about while I'm inside?"
"hmmm…atmosphere…gravity…wind resistance…Drag!" Hikaru shouted excitedly, pointing at Fuu. "If you expand the shield as much as you can that will make more mass which equals more wind resistance and more drag on the ship from the atmosphere! Aw, but what can I do then? You and Umi will be doing all the work…" Her face fell.
Umi hit her on the head. "Are you crazy!" she asked, "You've got the most important job you idiot. You're the Pillar remember. You can affect what happens in Cephiro. Make the atmosphere around us thicker for more air resistance, fill the air with water I can use and wind for Fuu so we don't have to create it, stabilise the road they're using or better yet lengthen it so we have more time to slow down the ship. You've got a whole of things to do Hikaru and that's when you aren't spelling me on the 'continued resisting force' area. Lightning will work just as well as water, it sure hits with as much force. You'll have to start that while I'm in the ship anyway. I can't be in two places at once."
"Oh. Yeah. Right then, let's get to it." Hikaru held out her hand to her guardian semi-deity. "Will you help us save them?" she asked Rayearth. Thou hast only to ask. He replied and she was taken inside the Rune-God in another flash of light.
Looking out she saw Umi and Fuu beside her and the Autozam ship falling like a star above them, trailing a cloud of thick poisonous smoke. Splitting her focus she began to concentrate her power as the Pillar while keeping track of what her friends were doing.
Umi moved first. Speeding towards the ship she headed directly for the flaming engines. Having no knowledge of engines or what had originally caused the fire she opted for the brute force approach and decided to freeze everything and find the cause of the problem later. Grateful that she'd spent some time on the new Autozam ships since they first started making them she headed directly for the engine which was pouring smoke and great sheets of fire.
"Come on girl, you volunteered for this so let's get it done." She scolded herself, "No hesitating. Here we go. Please god let us all get through this in one piece." She apologised in her mind to the ship builders for the damage she was about to cause and then cast her most powerful spell. "Icicle Blades" she cried and a storm of ice and snow swept out from her to cover that entire section of the ship in ice.
With the outside fires contained, her will keeping the ice from melting, Umi set her sights on the internal ones. With a grimace and another silent apology to the shipmakers, she punched a hole in section closest to her, exited Selece and jumped inside the corridor she'd just opened up to space. A quick Water Dragon at minimal power sealed up the hole and with one job down and another massive one next on the list. She began the arduous task of bringing the internal fires under control. It was going to be a long night.
She hoped they all had the strength to make their slapdash plan work.
As Umi had dived toward the ship Hikaru and Fuu had sprung into action as well. As Hikaru mustered her power as Pillar, Fuu gathered her own magic and then cast the biggest shield she'd ever made.
"Winds of Protection!" she cried and the wind answered in a tornado of power. It tore through the space between her and the ship like a speeding bullet then split into a thousand fingers of moving air that wove around the spaceship like living threads, surrounding it in a protective and supportive web of air currents which cradled it within an enormous outer globe of air she made as hard as steel.
"Hikaru go!" she cried. "It's ready!"
"On it!" Hikaru, pointed her sword at the falling ship and shouted. "Ruby Lightning!" Crimson bolts of plasma arced from her to the ship, slamming into Fuu's shield and unlike normal lightning these bolts didn't disappear after the first instant. Electricity surged from her to the ship continuously, a living rope of crackling light and energy that pounded against the falling object like a never-ending series of hammer blows.
The globe shuddered, losing a little speed but not stopping. Not even close.
"Keep going!" Fuu cried, "You can do it!" as she held the shield against Hikaru's strongest attack.
Neither of them could tell how much time had passed as Hikaru kept up a continuous torrent of lightning and Fuu held the shield and ship together. Slowly they saw the amount of smoke coming from the ship reduce, and the white of ice beginning to dominate the angry red of fire. The two outside gained new strength from the thought that Umi was winning inside and could soon join them.
After an eternity of making her way through a fiery hellscape the Water Knight finally reached the engine room and extinguished the main fire there. With the entire room coated in ice and knee deep in snow she apologised silently to the crew for the water damage that was going to be inevitable once they landed but reasoned that water damage was better than complete destruction. And beggars couldn't be choosers. You couldn't complain about damage if you were dead.
With the main source of the flames gone and the ships own fire control systems now being more effective it took less time to work her way through the rest of the fires and soon the Captain of the ship via Clef was able to report they had the fires under control. Time to join her friends.
Busting open a nearby airlock she called to Fuu.
"I'm done in here Fuu so I'm coming out. Make a gap for me!"
"Right!"
Umi summoned Selece again and followed the path Fuu opened for her through the twisting web of air currents until once more she rejoined her friends outside the shield.
"Sorry I took so long." She apologised.
"No problem." Hikaru replied, her breath and Fuu's coming heavily. "But we really need your help here now."
"Got it."
Umi flew to Hikaru's side and called forth her magic too. "Sapphire Whirlwind!" A torrent of water shot towards the ship like a missile, hitting the globe next to Hikaru's lightning bolts with all the force she could muster.
The ship slowed a bit more.
The energy and strength needed to keep up their spells got harder and harder to muster.
A few more minutes crawled by and with a groan Hikaru felt her spell falter, her strength running out but Umi kept going, holding the pressure until Hikaru was able to start again. A few minutes later she did the same for Umi and so it went. Alternating rest periods while the other held steady as the ship surely began to slow.
Fuu had no such luxury. Holding the ship within the globe and the shield against her friends was the hardest thing she'd had to do since the fights against Emeraude and Debonair.
The strain of maintaining such energy intensive spells was enormous but she held on with all her might, determined to save the people on the ship, as they hadn't been able to save Emeraude or Eagle.
A crack appeared in the shield.
"Fuu? Are you okay?" Hikaru asked, panting with exertion as she spelled Umi for a few seconds.
Fuu, breathing heavily, grimaced and fixed the crack, feeling the strain as Umi took up the fight again. She gritted her teeth and forced the winds to keep their shape. "I can keep going." She said.
"We can do this. Just hold on a little longer." Umi encouraged them all.
The ship was very close to Cephiro now, the planet filled their field of vision. But hey were still falling too fast.
Fuu saw the planet looming and made a decision. "Hikaru! Umi drop beneath it and keep going." Fuu ordered, "I'm going to go up and use my Winds of Admonishment to drag it back."
"Okay."
"Got it."
Neither of them questioned her ability to hold another spell. Both had faith in their friend and themselves. Windam would help her too. Hikaru prayed for more wind but couldn't keep her concentration going as it was all she could do to keep the lightning going to give Umi a break.
"Ugh" she groaned, "Sorry Fuu, I can't make you more wind. But I think I can help strengthen the shield. It's easier to concentrate my will in one area."
"Then do that, I'll manage the rest." Fuu swung out sideways and up as Hikaru and Umi kept going. The ship shuddered and slowed a little more, falling past her as she sped upwards. Turning back she took a deep breath and then cast. "Winds of Admonishment!"
From her outstretched hands a thin cyclone sprang into being, moving swiftly it darted down, under and then back up, a chain of air which she could use to act like an anchor.
Holding the end of the cyclone in her hands like reins she pulled back and then flew up with all her strength. Gravity and the momentum of the ship dragged her down but she could feel that they were making headway. As Cephiro grew bigger and bigger in front of them they redoubled their efforts.
"It's working!" she called to the others, "Keep going!" all their breaths came in ragged gasps now and they were close enough the ground to start being able to discern individual buildings. But they were going to make it.
A minute or two later and the ship had slowed enough that Hikaru and Umi stopped their bombardment and instead rose beneath it, and with Fuu pulling with all her might from above, pushed against it to slow the ship to a final gentle stop.
It hung in the sky, supported by three Rune Gods.
"Okay. Now what?" Umi asked between gulps of air.
"Okay. Okay. Um. We didn't think that far ahead but we can't land in the middle of any old field. The villages need the crops." Hikaru thought out loud. We need a wide open space somewhere. Any ideas?"
"Well it was heading for the castle anyway…." Fuu suggested even as her heart sank at the thought. "The landing field is made for it and it will be close to the castle for the injured and mechanics for the engine."
"But that's a long way away." Umi replied nervously, "Can we make it that far? This thing is really heavy and we used a lot of energy slowing it down."
"Don't worry we can do it." Hikaru said emphatically. "We can and we will. We can do anything together."
"Yeah. We can do it Umi. Together we will save these people and their ship. Failing is not an option for us. Selece, Windam and Rayearth will lend us their strength." Fuu shook off the intolerable burden of weariness, determined to see this through. Even though she was more than aware of the perilously low level of her strength at the moment, and that of her friends.
Umi took heart from her words. "You're right." She said. "Let's get this done.
Carefully and slowly the three girls turned in the direction of the castle.
It was hard to fly carrying such a heavy burden but the girls managed. Fuu had the hardest job, maintaining her shield spell and carrying the weight of the ship as well, but she refused to give up. "We can rest when we get to the castle." She told herself over and over. "Not before. Not when people still need us."
The other two encouraged her, keeping her going as the ground slowly flowed beneath them until finally the tip of the castle spire came into view.
"I see the castle!" Fuu shouted, being the highest of the three she caught sight of it first, the others quickly following.
With their goal in sight they felt a last burst of strength rush through them and managed to speed up a little as they flew past the castle to the landing field beyond.
"Nearly there. Nearly there." Hikaru chanted as they hovered over the empty space. "Careful. Careful."
Slowly they eased the ship down. As the ground came up to meet them, Hikaru and Umi moved out of the way, leaving the last few meters to Fuu and her winds. Seconds later the globe touched the ground and Fuu banished her shield.
They'd done it.
Exhausted the girls landed to one side of the ship and gratefully exited their Rune Gods.
As soon as they were relinquished to gravity by their respective guardians Hikaru, Umi and Fuu dropped their swords and reached for each other for support, sinking to their knees. Exhausted beyond measure, relieved and not quite able to believe what they'd done they rested a moment before raising their heads to grin at each other.
"We did it." Hikaru breathed.
"Yeah." Umi's expression matched the other girls, relief, exhaustion and exhilaration all at once. Somehow (and none of them were quite sure how) they'd managed to pull off their crazy harebrained, last minute plan and boy were they glad it had worked.
"Now all we have to do is make sure the crew is fine and get them back to the castle and then let the engineers and mechanics have a look at the ship." Fuu murmured tiredly. "Just let me catch my breath for a second. I'll get right on it….." her eyes glazed over.
The other two were no better and for a few moments, with the crew members still exiting the ship and celebrating with each other, the ordinary girls with extraordinary power just rested.
Fuu was the first to jerk herself out of her stupor and get her body moving, conscious of the responsibilities of her future position and concerned for those who had just been put through a harrowing ordeal. Fatigued muscles protesting she patted the other two on the shoulders to rouse them and with a great effort got to her feet. And found she couldn't stay there.
With an "oof!" of surprise she found herself back on the ground, her knees now barked and her hands stinging from where she'd automatically used them to break her fall. And even as she contemplated this her arms trembled, threatening to collapse as well.
What the? How did I end up back on the ground?
Hikaru and Umi looked at her face, then each other and simultaneously burst out laughing. They laughed and laughed and soon Fuu joined in, sitting there in the field with people all around them as relief and nerves finally got the better of them.
From the moment that the Magic Knights had appeared outside the falling ship, the crew had been in awe of their power and strength. Everyone knew about the Magic Knights and the awesome power of their Rune Gods. No one had expected to see it in action in person. They'd seen the shield of wind and felt the shuddering jerks as spell after spell hit. They'd seen the fires disappear from the back of the ship and the temperature gauges lower out of the red zone. No one was ready to believe that it was all happening right here in front of them.
The captain had relayed Clef's words through all the speakers on the ship as he'd talked them through what was happening outside. It seemed too fantastic to believe and yet here they were actually living an event that tales were made of.
One final jolt occurred and then the wind around the ship disappeared, allowing their monitors and sensors to function properly again. When the reports came back they were astounded to find that they were safely on solid ground. The captain relayed the news in stunned tones and for a moment the ship was silent as its crew absorbed the news. A second later and it was filled with noise as people hugged, kissed and laughed. The captain quickly gained control of himself and turned the volume on his speaker to max before bellowing "Alright that's enough! I want everyone off this ship until we figure out what the hell went wrong with the engines! Everyone head to your nearest emergency exit. That's an order!"
The deafening silence that was left in the wake of his announcement didn't last very long as people rushed to the exits and the safety and freedom of the outside world.
Those first out were privileged to see the Rune Gods landing and stopped in awe to see the enormous living machines descend gracefully to the ground. Standing in a semi-circle to one side of the ship they straightened to their full height and then stopped. Moments later a murmur spread through the ever growing crowd as the centre gem on each of the Rune Gods glowed brightly. The murmur changed to shocked exclamations as a young girl appeared in front of each of the gems and then, encased in coloured light, floated down to the ground to face the other two.
The sailors, unsure what to do remained as they were as the girls reached for one another and sank to their knees, speaking among themselves for a few moments and then leaning forward to embrace one another. After such a display of power no one wanted to disturb them.
They stayed like that for long minutes. The sailors, unwilling to break the fragile silence that had fallen and wary of what such powerful beings might do next, remained as they were as the girls knelt unmoving. Finally one of the girls raised her head, tapped the other two on the shoulder and then rose to her feet. Only to immediately collapse back onto her knees. The other two took one look at her face and then burst out laughing holding onto each other for support as they convulsed in mirth. After a moment the other joined in and the sailors let out their collective breath.
"They're just normal girls." Someone said in surprise.
"Normal my ass." Another replied. "You saw what they did. That's anything but normal. Still, nice to know they can act normal at least."
"So what do we do now? Looks like they can't stand up." Yet another person noted, as Hikaru and Umi both tried to get up and likewise found they couldn't. Fuu kept right on laughing, which set the other two off again and then none of them could seem to stop.
"Well we can't just sit around doing nothing forever. I'm going to go ask if they need help." One brave young soul said. And shouldered his way through the crowd to walk cautiously towards the girls.
Fuu didn't know how long she laughed but when she finally calmed down she found that a young man was waiting a little way off with a slightly nervous expression on his face.
"Hello," she called out, still smiling, "Sorry but we can't get up at the moment, we're a bit tired after all the excitement. We'll do our best to help if you need anything though, we've still got a little bit of energy left. Right girls?"
Hikaru and Umi nodded.
"Well. Um, we were sort of wondering if we could do anything to help you?" the young man said. "As far as I know we've only got a few scrapes and bruises all round, maybe one or two breaks cause someone was doing something stupid or not strapped in, and not meaning any disrespect ladies but you don't look so good."
He was right too. Upon closer inspection he could see that all the girls were pale, their hair and clothes damp with sweat and their limbs shook with fatigue when they moved –which they weren't doing much.
"Oh." Fuu traded looks with the others, "Well, a hand up would be lovely." She said, "People from the castle should be here soon but our families are probably worried sick about us. We need to get back to them as soon as possible and you should all be checked over as well."
The young man absorbed the fact that the Magic Knights had families that might be worried about them (so they weren't fantastical beings summoned from heaven or hell) and then grinned and waved to the crowds still hanging back, beckoning them forward. "The Lady Knights need a hand!" he called, "They can't get up on their own."
As if that was a switch that suddenly turned them on, the still and silent crowd flew into action. In short order Fuu found herself sitting in a chair two young men had made of their linked hands, her arms draped around their backs and a young women trying valiantly to lift her sword and bring it along behind her.
"Wait! Don't touch that!" she heard Hikaru shout to her left and lifted her head in time to see Hikaru summon her sword back into her glove just in time to prevent another sailor from burning their hands trying to pick it up. "Sorry I should have warned you," she said tiredly "Presea made it so no one can pick it up but me. You'd have burned your hands to the bone if you picked it up."
The woman trying to lift Fuu's sword immediately stopped doing so and directed a questioning look at her. Fuu nodded, "Mine's the same" she apologised, "one moment," and then summoned hers back to her own glove.
Umi's helper had already discovered her sword's way of discouraging thieves and was looking on curiously as Umi bent down from her 'chair' to pick it up and put it away. The instant she touched it, her sword solidified into hard metal once more and then disappeared into her ovum gem.
A few appreciative claps sounded and Umi smiled tiredly at the crowd. "And for my next trick," she said theatrically, eliciting a few laughs which then turned into oohs and aahs as she changed her armour into its less evolved state and her clothes back to normal. Fuu and Hikaru did the same, sighing in relief as they relaxed into the more comfortable garments. Their carriers also straightened slightly as the extra burden of the armour was lifted.
"Wow, that stuff actually weighs quite a bit" one of Umi's carriers commented, looking at her with new respect.
"Yeah, not even magic can make it completely weightless.'' She replied. "Thanks for the lift by the way. We really appreciate it."
Her carrier looked ahead a bit, "Oh no problem My Lady, ah heads up here comes the captain."
They all looked forward and saw a figure wearing a captains uniform come striding towards them. As was his duty and responsibility, he'd only exited the ship after ensuring every single person under his command had safely made it off.
All sailors stood to attention as the captain passed. Stopping before the three girls he bowed deeply to them.
"My Ladies," he said "You have our utmost gratitude and heartfelt thanks for that incredible rescue. Not a single one us will ever forget what you did. We owe you our lives, please allow us the honour of escorting you back to the castle. It's the very least we can do."
Fuu smiled, "We are very grateful for your assistance captain. Before you do though, one of your men said you have people with you who are injured. Please bring them here, I would like to see them if I may."
The captain, who bore a nasty bruise on his right cheekbone was puzzled but could hardly refuse a request from one of their saviours and so ordered all the injured to be brought forward. It wasn't a huge number of people but all three girls still felt bad. Maybe if they'd been faster and more careful it wouldn't have happened. Still Fuu wasn't about to make any injured person walk all the way back to the castle in that state. Gathering herself and her will, she cast one last spell before her energy completely ran out.
"Winds of healing" she said softly, and set the magic loose.
The injured crew members cried out in shock as bruises faded, burns healed and cuts and broken limbs restored themselves. The men holding her stiffened in surprise but thankfully didn't drop her. Grateful, she continued to hold the spell until all the injured were well again then broke it with a sigh and sat back. Unfortunately she forgot where she was sitting and would have pitched backwards onto the ground if a quick thinking woman hadn't leapt forward to prop her up.
"Thank you," she said to the woman blushing pink with embarrassment.
"Gods bless you My Lady," she replied as she gently raised Fuu up and helped her lean against one of her carriers' shoulders. "May the skies always be clear above you and the wind strong beneath you Lady Wind Knight. We are forever in your debt."
"Please, you owe us nothing." Fuu said quickly, looking to Hikaru and Umi to confirm her words. "We wanted to help and did so willingly. We didn't want to lose people when we could do something about it."
The other two, who'd been brought over to check on her agreed, "It's true. And besides you'd do the same for us if our positions were reversed." Hikaru said.
The woman looked like she wanted to disagree but Umi forestalled any argument. "No buts." She said as firmly as she could given her physical state and position. "We don't deal with owing stuff and favours and all that. This was just us doing what we wanted to do for reasons of our own."
Hikaru cocked her head to the side as if listening for a moment and then nodded. "And to change the subject entirely, Clef just contacted me. He's woken up everyone and they're getting things ready for you guys at the castle. It's a bit of a walk but by the time you get there they'll have gotten rooms and food and medicine ready for you."
"You hear that boys?" Umi grinned tiredly, "Rejoice. You don't have to lug me too far and you get food and bed straight after."
Her carriers shook their heads, "My Lady Water Knight, after what you and the other Magic Knights have done for us, we would carry you to the other side of Cephiro and back." One of them said seriously. "We would not be here if not for you. It is an honour to bear you to the Castle and even further if you wish."
Umi blushed and Hikaru and Fuu stifled giggles.
"Well if you put it that way." Umi mumbled.
"But this is unnecessary My Lady. We can stay on the ship now that the engine block has been shut down." The captain protested.
Hikaru shook her head, "No. Until we figure out what went wrong with the engines the risk is too great that something might cause the fuel lines or tanks or something to rupture or worse. You've all been granted rooms at the castle until we can get this sorted out. Besides, the landing and Umi's fire extinguishing efforts might have caused even more damage and we won't know how much for a while. We can't have you all camped out here until we know it's safe as there's no knowing how long that might be."
The captain nodded, "Very well, then we will gratefully accept your hospitality." He turned to the crew. "All right people let's get this show on the road." He roared. "Everyone report to your Section Leaders, I want a head count before we march. Let's show our thanks to the Magic Knights for what they've done for us by getting them home quickly. Now get to it!"
"Yes sir!" Came the deafening reply.
15 minutes later the girls found themselves being carried towards the castle amidst a sea of dishevelled but animated faces. The crew members, happy and relieved to have made it to solid ground again chattered back and forth around them, good naturedly teasing each other about being scared or describing the Rune Gods to those who had missed them.
The Magic Knights listened and tried their best to stay awake and answer any questions directed at them, it was a titanic effort but they made it to the castle awake and conscious. It was close though.
They were soon glad they'd made the effort because as soon as the first foot hit the stone of the castle courtyard the doors burst open and a flood of people rushed out. Lantis and Ascots long leg's let them sprint ahead of the crowd but Ferio was only a few steps behind at most in spite of his shorter stature.
"–you three alright?" he heard Ascot asking as he practically skidded to a stop next to his friends.
Umi raised a weary but humorous eyebrow, "Aside from being afraid that these handsome lads will run off with us and parade us across Cephiro?" she asked. "We're fine."
"We did say we'd carry you anywhere My Lady." One of her carriers quipped, "We never said we'd put you down again."
Everyone around them laughed as Umi made an expression of mock terror "Oh no, quick Ascot save me!"
Her fiance smothered a laugh and reached to take her into his arms with a respectful nod to her carriers.
"Thank you for getting her home safe." He said seriously.
"No thanks are needed." The sailor on his left replied, "It was an honour to carry the Lady Water Knight."
"Well thanks anyway." Umi said with a yawn as she snuggled into Ascot's embrace. "I think I need a sleep now though. And you guys probably need one too after all that's happened. Just let me rest for a bit and I'll be fine…." She leaned her head against his shoulder and promptly passed out.
"Well I'd better get her to bed." Ascot said with a sigh and then stopped as he realised how that might sound.
Giggles and snickers came from the crowd and grins were everywhere. "Aye you'd better do that and no funny business while she's asleep lad. Save that for when she wakes up eh." The captain said with a guffaw and a slap on the shoulder that didn't even make Umi twitch.
Blushing bright red Ascot just nodded and then turned to walk smartly back into the castle.
Lantis followed immediately after him, a sleeping Hikaru nestled in his arms and a peaceful smile on her face.
Ferio took Fuu from her carriers and she gave them her thanks before turning to her fiancé.
"They have food and rooms waiting right?" she asked him, concern for the sailors in her eyes. Tough as they might try to look they'd all just had a harrowing experience and a long walk on top of that. They needed looking after just as much as she and the other Knights did and she would make sure they received it before she let herself rest.
Ferio nodded and looked to the captain. "We have rooms and food prepared." He told him, "Please follow ah Meara. Meara! Wave so they can see you. Yes, her over there. Follow her and she will take you to the dining hall and then others will show you where your rooms are. If you need anything please don't hesitate to ask."
The captain nodded and some of the tension went out of his frame as he was told in no uncertain terms that his crew would be cared for. "Thank you." He said with sincere gratitude. "That is most generous."
Ferio shook his head, "It is the least we can do for you, please, you must be tired. There's no need to stand on ceremony." He glanced down as Fuu, whose eyes were glazing over even as she struggled to stay awake. "Indeed I would be grateful if you didn't."
The captain smiled at that. "Very well. Then if you don't mind." He turned to his crew, "Alright people we've officially got shore leave and the lovely Miss Meara is going to lead us to the grub." He bowed to Fuu and Ferio and then walked smartly over to Meara. "Miss if you would be so kind. Lead on." He said with a small bow which made Meara stifle a giggle.
"This way." She said and led them off, the crowd of sailors quickly disappearing into the castle towards the promised food and rest.
Fuu sighed in relief, "That's that then." She smiled up at him, "Thanks for looking after all that. Take me to my room now?" she pleaded.
"Your wish is my command."
Fuu rested her head on his shoulder, "thanks." she replied, and finally allowed herself to rest.
The three girls slept for the rest of the day and through the night. Waking the next morning refreshed and mostly recovered from their efforts. Coming down for breakfast they enquired after the ship's crew and were relieved to find out they'd all settled into their rooms and were either working to solve the ship's problems or making themselves useful around the castle under orders of the Autozam Ambassador. They didn't get time to do much else before their families descended on them to interrogate them about the previous night's events, the girls telling and then retelling their adventure as they were peppered with questions by worried family members.
Masaru and Kakeru were unusually silent throughout this time. After reassuring themselves that Hikaru was alright they asked barely any questions and merely sat silently attentive as everyone else talked. The previous night had been very eye-opening for them. It was one thing to see their sister fight in battle and use a few cool magic spells, quite another to see her summon and don a Godzilla sized living armour powered by a semi-deity of unknown origin and use it to catch a falling spaceship!
They'd been awakened by a hail from Clef (and that was an unnerving experience to say the least) and gone to the great hall to find a mirror floating in the middle of the room depicting what looked like three monsters attacking a spaceship. Finding out that Hikaru was not only inside one of them but controlling it was the most shocking thing they'd heard all week. It just did not compute and even after hours of first watching the event and then waiting for Hikaru to wake up the two boys were still having trouble accepting it. Not to mention what her actions meant for them.
When Hikaru had gone off to fight (figuratively speaking) she hadn't called on them for help or support. Hadn't called them period to tell them where she'd be going or why. Hadn't thought that they would be helpful enough to warrant waking in time to do so either. She'd left in the middle of the night without a word and gone with the two other girls who she'd obviously decided would be useful.
Umi and Fuu. Masaru and Kakeru still didn't know them very well but they knew Hikaru had a special bond with them due to the experiences they'd shared in Cephiro, that they had the same powers Hikaru did, that it was them she had turned to when she was unhappy all those years ago and that it was them who had allowed and encouraged her relationship with Lantis.
Lantis. It always came back to him. He hadn't been there in the Great Hall watching the mirror like they had but he must have been watching from somewhere because even before they could get up to race to the courtyard to greet her when she was brought in, they'd seen in the mirror he was already there ahead of them. And when he took her in his arms they'd seen every line of tension in her face ease, every muscle relax, every cloud of worry in her eyes disappear like magic. She'd wrapped her arms around him, felt his arms around her and instantly known everything was alright.
It used to be that only happened for her brothers. Now it didn't even happen for them. And yet somehow it happened for him. Why? Why did she need him and not them?
Wait.
She needed him.
The realisation hit both brothers like a physical blow and they fought to stay on their feet, faces impassive. That couldn't be it, could it? Hikaru needed them not him! But logic, cold insidious and undeniable wormed its way through that shout of denial and showed them otherwise.
Hikaru didn't need them here, where she was now. What could they do here? They had no magic, no special abilities, no Rune Gods, no strength or powers or position. She could protect herself in battle and even then had legions of incredible fighters to step in when she couldn't. They already knew Lantis could fulfil that role. All she could need them for was emotional support –not that they'd been doing that much lately, they had to admit –but now even that role had been taken away from them.
Hikaru had made it quite clear that if they weren't willing to support her she'd find others who would. And that was exactly what had happened. It had happened before they'd ever discovered Cephiro existed. They just hadn't known it then.
Here the only power they had was in their relationship to Hikaru and that was merely status and not even one they had earned themselves. It was hollow power, if it gave them any at all and nothing they could use to help her. If they were back on Earth things were different, their dojo was respected and as its heirs they had status in their community. They could have helped her, supported her on Earth. But she lived here now, even they could see that. Cephiro was where her heart and future lay. Earth would always play a distant second to it now.
As the discussion wore on the boys excused themselves and left the room. Hikaru made to go after them but Satoru waved her back. Let them go his expression told her. So she did and turned to answer the question Kuu had just fired at her.
Masaru and Kakeru went to their room and sat down on the bed. They sat in silence for a long time before Masaru finally spoke.
"She doesn't need us anymore." He said softly. Looking straight ahead.
"Yeah." Kakeru replied.
There was silence again.
"Remember when we were little and she found Hikari as a puppy?" Kakeru asked finally.
"Yeah, she couldn't even pick him up she was so small. We had to do everything for her. Feed him, wash him, train him, everything. But it was always her he ran to. Always her he followed around. Like he knew she needed looking out for."
Masaru fell back onto the bed. "She doesn't need him to do that anymore. Or us."
Silence.
"Remember when she tried to clean the dojo and knocked all the armour stands over? We were picking bits up for hours after."
"Yeah. And when we took her for her first day of school? She ran straight to the kid the others were bullying and decided they'd be friends. She hasn't changed a bit."
"…What are we going to do now?"
Masaru clenched a fist in front of him and then let it relax. "What we have to. We let her go." He said softly. "She's outgrown us now."
Kakeru gritted his teeth. "She's our sister." He said wanting to deny the truth but powerless to do so, "They've got no idea how precious she is. What if they let something happen to her?"
Masaru looked at his brother. "I think you and I both know after yesterday that's not going to happen." He replied, "We've just been doing our best to convince ourselves otherwise." He sighed, "It's time we faced the facts."
Kakeru sat up and looked away, "I hate that we have to." He said vehemently, then softened "But she's already so far away. I don't want her to go further. If we make her choose, it won't be us will it?"
Masaru shook his head. "No. She's going to stay here with him whether we like it or not. All we can do is support her now. We can't carry or shield her anymore."
Kakeru turned to his brother. "They'd better appreciate what we're doing for them. Especially Him." He said fiercely. He could accept the new world their sister was living in and even her new friends with relative equanimity but Lantis was a whole different ball game. He'd never be good enough for their sister, no one ever would be.
Masaru nodded then an idea occurred to him and his energy came back to him. "He'd better appreciate it and take the best care of Hikaru because if he makes one mistake he's history. We get to do whatever we want and she can't do a thing because we'll have a legitimate reason to come down on him like a ton of bricks!" he exclaimed "No one can fault brotherly wrath!"
Kakeru brightened. "Hey you're right! No one can call foul if he messes up first! All we need to do is keep an eagle eye on him and wait. No one can go forever without making a mistake….can they?" he wilted a little, remembering how they'd never once seen Lantis make a mistake where Hikaru was concerned.
"No, definitely not!" Masaru reassured them both. "All it's gonna take is a little patience." We've only been here a few days if you add everything up. That's nothing!"
Kakeru punched a fist into the air. "Yes. We need to plan exactly what we're going to do to him when it happens so we're completely prepared. Who knows when we'll get another opportunity?"
"Exactly. Let's get planning."
The next morning Masaru and Kakeru made a point of waking up in time to catch Satoru and Lantis' morning practice. When it was over they came up to Lantis.
"Listen up." Kakeru commanded. "We have decided to give you and Hikaru our blessing but we have conditions." Lantis's face didn't even twitch but Satoru struggled to hide his smile at their attitude to one who could break them in half in two moves. Luckily he was partially blocked by Lantis' frame so the two boys couldn't see it.
"First you must look after Hikaru better than we ever could. If she so much a gets a scratch when you're on duty –"
"And you will always be on duty." Kakeru ordered.
"–We have the right to inflict whatever punishment we desire on you without input or interference from anyone." Masaru continued. "Second. You will provide for her everything that we have at home plus everything she ever asks for or even hints at wanting. It's your job to see that she's properly cared for in every way. If you don't it's the same as before."
Satoru was really struggling not to laugh now.
"And third. You will make her happy." Masaru said simply. "You are taking her away from everything she knows and everyone she loves on Earth to come to Cephiro. You will make sure she never ever for one moment regrets that in any way shape or form. You will devote all energy not spent on protecting her to filling her every waking hour with happiness, whatever form that takes."
"Are we clear?" Kakeru demanded.
"Yes." Lantis said.
"Then that's all we have to say to you," Kakeru finished and the boys turned and left.
Satoru came over and clapped Lantis on the shoulder. "Well I'm impressed." He said, "I bet they spent all night making that speech. Must have taken them ages."
Lantis nodded, "They love her." He said simply, recognising the same willingness to go through hell for Hikaru in them that also resided in him.
Satoru nodded, "We all do." He replied. "And because you love her too that makes us brothers, soon it'll be official so welcome to the family Lantis. We're so glad to have you." He pulled the swordsman into a hug.
Lantis froze, for the first time since he'd left Cephiro for Autozam he felt the embrace of someone other than Hikaru who he could truly call family. Satoru's calm, mature aura was like and yet unlike Zagato's had been but it shared his late brother's warmth and sincere affection and it warmed a place inside him that he hadn't known was still frozen.
His brother's death had rocked him to the core. Even when he'd known it was coming, to receive the news that Zagato was dead had knocked his feet out from under him and left him floundering in deep water. He'd been lost and battling to find his way when he came to Cephiro, finding a goal and an anchor in his mission to make sure the tragedy of Emeraude and Zagato wasn't repeated. Then he'd met Hikaru and she'd thawed the ice that had grown around his heart since that day. But even with her presence there was still a tiny part of him that continued to keen with the loss of the older brother who had been an anchor for his world, his existence a foundation.
And now Satoru was offering him the chance to be part of a family again. Not just the tolerated husband of their sister but a true younger brother once more. It was a gift whose value he would never be able to express. The small part of his heart that had frozen at his brother's death warmed a little as Satoru squeezed him tight. It would never truly heal, Zagato's place in his life could never be filled but now Satoru held a new place alongside that one, his new younger brothers would hold others and Hikaru had the rest of his heart. He would do his best to make sure they never experienced the loss that he had.
"Thank you." Was all he could get out past the emotions choking his throat. Old grief and new joy warred inside him and he barely managed to keep a lid on it.
Seeming to sense his internal conflict Satoru gave him one last squeeze and then let him go.
"Come on." He said, "Let's get some breakfast."
For the rest of the week Masaru and Kakeru were civil to Lantis and considerably warmer to everyone else they met. The mood of the castle lifted slightly now that the looming threat of brotherly wrath had been somewhat lifted. The remaining days of Golden Week passed all too quickly and soon it was time for the Magic Knights and their families to leave once more. The entire crew of the ship they'd saved came out to say farewell, the ship wasn't fixed yet but when it was they told the girls they were officially going to rename her 'Magic Knight'. The girls all turned bright red with embarrassment, much to the amusement of the crew.
Everyone came to the castle courtyard to see them off and with much well wishing and a flash of light they were gone once more. As the mob of people began to drift off to the four winds, Clef knew he now had a decision to make that would determine the course of both his and Presea's lives.
Aaaaand that's it for this chapter. I won't laugh evilly because you guys can go read the next chapter right away so hurry up and stop reading my note already and go. R 's make the world go round leave one if you like