Umi filed into the hospital room with a parcel of
cake. "Fuu!" She smiled at the bed. "You arent hurt
that bad are you?" She sat the cake down on the table
next to her bed. "I brought you some cake...
and... well.." She looked over to where Emeruald was
entering the room. "A surprize..."
"Hello, Magic Knight...or rather, Fuu," Emeraude
smiled faintly, trying to hide the emotion in her
stomach, pretending everything was okay. "It's been
awhile..."
"Fuu!" Hikaru happily cried bounding into the room
with a boquet of flowers, "Can you believe it?
Princess Emeraude is here...and alive! We have to find
a way to get back to Cephiro, Fuu. Ferio and the
others will be so happy to see her!!"
Red eyes flashed in the night. The pathetic party was
going on but four guests were gone. He sighed and
leaned against a pillar, ironically supporting his
weight. "Shadow..." He called out softly letting the
name float on the breeze. He had found the man who had
searched the night sky for him. The one that might
pose a problem. "But best let sleeping lions lie..."
He laughed and vanished.
His being flew infinitely through space. It wasn't a
dimension that seperated Cephiro from Earth but
thousands of millions of light years. Space was what
seperated magic from reality like pages in a book from
the begining to the end of a story. His lips curled
back.
Cephiro. Home. Or rather more like home than any other
world. He paused out side the castle gates stopped by
two guards. Pity, what a pitiful world Cephiro was
turning out to be. Guards were actually being used to
stop people from entering.
"Halt who goes there?" One guard lowered his spear
before the other pointing at the man's throat.
"Ragyn..." He smiled. "Ragyn and I am a friend of
Emerualds... the old pillar and you could say I am a
friend of the new pillar as well." After all he was
watching her all the time. Registering her growth. If
only she would... but never, no.
He waved his hand dismissing the two. He watched their
bodies fall to the floor and he continued into the
palace, hiding.
Fuu s head shot up from its limp position of near
sleep caused by Kobe-san s wonderfully exciting
lecture on the finer points of knitting. She nodded
dutifully as she felt that was the only polite thing
to do in such a position, occasionally adding an Oh,
really? or Is that so? into the conversation to keep
the woman animated and happy. She peeked over at the
next bed noticing how much she had knitted in such a
short while.
How about you?
Excuse me, Fuu asked dazed.
I said, what do you do for fun, Kobe-san repeated
patiently.
Oh, nothing really, I do enjoy archery though.
Mrs. Kobe leaned as close a possible to Fuu,
surprising her somewhat.
Really, Kobe-san asked with intense interest.
Y-yes, Kobe-san.
I didn t mean to frighten you, it s just my late
Husband enjoyed archery as well, he was the best back
in his day.
I m sorry to hear of your loss.
I m not, it was an arranged marriage, he was really
very snobby, his passing was like a blessing to me. I
eloped with my lover to Europe, Mrs. Kobe giggled. Fuu
smiled in interest.
I take it then he was the one who gave you the title
of Kobe?
Yes, indeed he did. Oh, my Shinjo was quite the man,
one hundred times the man Kakoi ever could dream of
being. Sure, money has it s perks, Social standing has
it s advantages, but they mean nothing compared to
love, remember that Fuu-kun. It took me years to
figure that out and by the time I got out of one
marriage it was to late for me to carry on the legacy
of the man who I adored more than anything. I would
kill to be able to go back and change the past, bear
the child of Shinjo and give that awful Kakoi a good
kick in the. . ., Kobe-san s sentence was interrupted
by Fuu s giggling.
And what is so funny, Fuu-kun?
I-it just seemed like y-you were actually picturing
torturing Kakoi-san, you w-were maniacally waving your
fist in a way that just screams r-revenge, Fuu managed
to speak out between fits of laughter.
Indeed I was, Indeed I was.
The duo sat in a comfortable silence, the only sound
was and occasional sputter of laughter from either
side. Kobe-san eventually went back to her knitting
and Fuu eventually went back to counting the ceiling
tiles. Fuu lost her count at two hundred and eleven
when a gentle knock rapped at the door.
Come in, Fuu announced.
She sighed in relief as Umi entered the room, finally,
a familiar face among the seas of strangers and oddly
beeping machines. Fuu s smile grew as Umi shouted out
her name enthusiastically and stepped further into the
room and offered Fuu some cake and asked about her
condition. Fuu s mouth was practically drooling; she
hadn t eaten much since she got here, not that she
wanted to touch the abomination of rubber substances
they referred to as a meal .
Fuu looked up at the new entry in the room, she had
missed the last thing Umi had said, apparently a very
important thing considering a person she had helped
kill was standing in the doorway introducing herself.
Her eyes widened as she took off her glasses and
rubbed them on the coarse hospital linens and placed
them back on the bridge of her nose. She was still
there.
The Wind Knight looked from one person to another in a
continuous pattern.
Emeraude.
Umi.
Emeraude.
Umi.
Finally her deep green eyes rested on the Princess.
Fuu, trying to act as normal and polite as humanly
possible, smiled gently and whispered a gentle
Hello
Which was naturally followed by a
How is this possible?
Fuu waited on batted breath for an answer.
-------------
Two figures stand in the midsts of a burning village.
'How can you live with yourself...' The first figure
said sadly 'I had no choice!' The second figure
shouted 'Your past will never let you have peace...' A
third figure approched the others. 'Please Kaine.
Just leave! There's nothing left for you here.' The
new arrival said quietly to the second figure.
'Alright, I guess you're right. I'll leave.' Kaine
said. He turned and walked out of the village center.
When he reached the top of a nearby hill he turned to
watch to the village burn. Kaine glanced down at his
hands, the light of the fire staining them red...
...Kaine rolls over in his sleep. the edge of his
cloak falling into the fire. He wakes up almost
instantly and starts beating at the flames. once he
had finished the task he raised his arms to stretch.
He shuddered when he saw he saw the shadow cast on his
hands by the fire. "You were right, Old man. My past
will never let me rest."
"I'm sure we're all glad to be able to meet the sister
of the great commander Eagle Vision." Clef said
returning her bright smile putting the sudden surprise
of the news away for later. He gestured to the magical
chairs nearby beckoning them to sit. "I'm glad to have
been able to meet you Arista, as well as Leala. Thank
you again for coming here as well as you, Zazu. You've
grown into quite a handsome young man since I've last
seen you. As Ascot has asked though, you do know of
our dilemma do you? Has your country also been
experiencing similar occurrences?"
Suddenly his visage, being more relaxed after seeing
Arista's cheery attitude, turned into a look of sudden
worry as he spun around to face the giant doors now
closed. What was it he felt just now? It almost felt
like someone's portentous presence was inside the
castle.
Arista noticed that mage's features harden with
tension as his blue eyes reflected worry, his lips
forming a straight uneasy line. However, instead of
saying anything of it, she grinned at them. "Well, to
me, it is a pleasure to meet you all..." the cuddly
pet also responded happily. Arista smiled brightly.
"As does Leala..."
She placed her gray-violet eyes upon the mage, willing
him to meet her eyes. However, he was too occupied
with something on his mind to do so. Arista placed a
soft hand on Zazu's shoulders. "Handsome, eh? Maybe I
should start calling you that," she teased.
The pretty silver-haired girl's eyes betrayed her
smile as worry filled them quickly. "Sir Clef...are
you alright?"
***
Emeraude looked at Fuu Hououji's emerald eyes that
could not have been any greener. Other than the
confusion in them, a tense expression on the pretty
knight's lips formed automatically. Even she, the most
polite of the three, could not keep on smiling
politely.
"I do not know," was all she could say after her
silence. Emeraude's blue eyes held on to her green
ones. "There must be a purpose for my coming
back...and please, as I told your two friends"--she
gestured to Umi and Hikaru--"I am sorry about all that
has happened and please do not worry yourself upon my
death..."
A gust of night wind flapped in from one of the open
windows, ruffling Lamont's head as he glanced up in
alarm. That presence...the one he knew was responsible
for the destruction done to the Tokyo Tower and all
that had been happening to the three Magic Knights.
Before his mind could establish contact, it faded away
again, just like it had back in the Sanctum.
Damn.
The Magic Knights friends and families were certainly
in danger here.
At the current moment there did not seem to be any
personal danger to Hikaru and Umi and their friend
Fuu, as well as the Princess Emeraude. The two Knights
and the Princess had suddenly left the party, likely
to visit the hospitalized Fuu. Lamont wondered if she
would return to the party, take up his offer of
providing lodgings for her.
The party would be ending at midnight, the actual
document signing between him and Mr. Ryuuzaki would be
in a few days time. He'd be looking into these matters
soon.
Very soon.
And then his old friend could rest in peace.
Within the blackness of his heart came a chilling
mocking laugh.
Nova felt a happiness in Hikaru's heart, something she
had not felt since she was born again. "It's because
you know your friend is all right now, right, Hikaru?"
Then, she got a sad look on her face. "I know this may
be selfish, but I wish we could go to Cephiro, Hikaru.
Then I could see and talk to you again."
--Lamont-- Emeraude tried to contact him telepatically, her grim
expression seeming worried. --Lamont, if you can hear me, do you
think you can come here to the hospital? I have to go back home
soon...and I have a feeling it wont be long until then...--
*
Emeraude's voice touched his mind as Lamont stood by the balcony's
railing, hoping once more to catch at least the offworlder's
presence. Slightly startled, Lamont set down his martini, nodded and
thought back to her. "I cannot go to the hospital, and I feel you and
your friends are in grave danger, if not now, then in the coming
days. To you I can provide shelter,to your friends only an unspoken
assurance of the Shadow's help. I will make arrangements for your
transport. You must not mention anything about what you know about me
to the Magic Knights.
Lamont felt he'd have to leave a little earlier. He could always tell
the guests he had to rest after the flight to Japan. Besides, he felt
the party would still continue even with his absence.
"A cab will be waiting outside the hospital for you in ten minutes.
The driver will be wearing a green headband, that will identify him
to you as one of my own. You can trust him. He wil bring you back
here to the hotel and then I will join you shortly after that."
***
Emeraude lips slowly lifted themselves into a faint smile. --Alright,
I shall be down to meet your driver...and I'll try to keep that
promise to you.--
The princess slowly placed her eyes on the three knights. "Magic
Knights, I must go...We shall meet again soon." She bowed to
them. "It was nice seeing all of you again...I have a feeling we'll
all be elsewhere sometime in the near future..." Emeraude told them,
not bothering to explain she meant Cephiro as she once more said her
goodbye and left.
As she turned to exit the front door, Emeraude saw a cab waiting for
her. Her deep blazing eyes looked at the driver who was indeed
wearing a green headband. "Good evening sir," the golden-haired
maiden greeted him, getting into the back passenger seat. "Might I
have the pleasure of having your name, stranger?"
Chad walked down the hospital hallway searching around. He had to
practically sneak in after the guards questioned his arrival. To
them,he was visiting an injured friend named Hiryu Shotenha. The
guards weren't all that bright,but he figured the people behind those
desks might be. So it was time to think up of a better plan if he
wanted to find out what happened at the school. This idea came to him
in a dream the previous night,when he visioned a school and the three
magic girls from the strange land. Were they dead? Did someone from
the school plant a bomb and kill them? He had to know. But...Were
these girls even real? Were his dreams truly meaningful? He
remembered the hospital name and address from the dream. So far,he
had never seen this particular hospital,and he was correct on
everything. The three girls had to be here! He walked around looking
at room after room,until at last,he reached the hospital room of Fuu
Houjii. He didn't know of this was going to be her room,or possibly
some crazy old man's,or something. Maybe,with luck...It would be
empty,and all of this psychotic mess was a mere dream. He finally
took a deep breath,and knocked lightly on her door....
On the Black Lotus ship,Skyhawk studied different ways of eluding the
elusive,and eventually apprehending them. However,his thoughts were
interrupted by a sudden energy disturbance on Earth. He looked over
out of a window of the ship down to the blue sphere and placed his
hand on his chin. "Hm....This isn't good. Something is making Earth's
energy balance disrupt badly. There are beings that should not be
there. I might want to warn the Admiral." The white haired young man
said trailing off. He would have to put the Shadow on wait...More
important matters have seemed to come up!!
*
The driver swiveled around and raised his cap in greeting as a woman
with long curly blond hair and piercing blue eyes stepped into the
cab. So this was who the boss wanted him to pick up. "Komban wa!" His
words caught in his throat as his eyes met hers. She was BEAUTIFUL.
His mouth was hanging open, when suddenly he shut it and put the cab
in gear. "I...didn't realize the one I was supposed to pick up was
gonna be someone as pretty as you." His cheeks flushed a litle.
She asked for his name. "Ah, atashi wa Yamazaki Jubei! Jubei'll do
for me. The boss asked me to bring you back to the hotel. Strap
yourself in!"
Minutes later, the cab pulled up in front of the hotel, where a
number of the party guests were already lined up waiting for
tranport. Weren't a whole lot of them, even with the celebrant
leaving, the party was still very much in full swing.
Jubei got out and opened the door for Lamont. The Shadow smiled and
clambered in next to Emeraude, carefully setting his briefcase
aside. "So," he said cordially as he settled down and the cab started
again. "Had a good evening?" His tone went serious just a little
bit. "How was your friend?"
Emeraude flushed at the driver's compliment. "Thank you," her soft
voice told
the man, a smile forming on her lips. "But you flatter me, Jubei."
As Lamont climbed into the car and seated himself next to her, he
asked her
how her evening, as well as the wind knight's condition, was.
Emeraude
noticed a slight serious shadow pass his features as well as the tone
of his
voice. She looked out the window of the city lanterns on the
street. "Fuu
seems to be recovering...however I left before i could really talk to
them.
HIkaru and Mr. Ryuuzaki's daughter, Umi seem to be glad to see her."
Soon,
the maiden added, "And I was glad that they are safe...for now."
"Lamont..." Emeraude turned away from the beautiful lights of Tokyo
to face
him, her crystal eyes a bit worried. "I need to come back home to
Cephiro,
they need me....and I'm afraid they need those three lively girls as
well..."
A sigh escaped her. "But...the question is...Are they willing to go
back with
so much against them here?"
*
The Shadow nodded, hearing Fuu Hououji was fine. He paused at the
Princess' next words. That was quite something to think about. Would
they come back? Yet in delving into Hikaru Shidou's mind, he had
learned something else.
"Yes, I think they would...their love for their family and other
friends they have here on Earth is very strong. They would never
leave them. I am certain of it."
The minutes passed in near silence, when finally the taxi pulled up
in front of a pair of ebony black gates. Jubei got out and opened the
door for both of them, Lamont got out first holding his hand out to
Emeraude's and smiling. "We're here." His other hand gestured to the
mansion behind the gates. "My little home away from home here in
Japan. The best I could get. Not as nice as some of the other big
people in this country, but it's still something. Do please make
yourself at home here."
Emeraude took Lamont's hand and helped herself out of the car. She
tilted her head at the mansion, looking at it for a moment. The
golden-haired maiden nodded as he told her to make herself at
home. "It's a beautiful structure...this world seems so different
from where I come from..."
The princess looked at Lamont. "There's less of nature here and more
of man-made structures...and some are quite beautiful, like this
palace of yours and those hand-made lanterns on the streets..." Her
deep blue eyes positioned themselves above her as they looked at the
stars and a beautiful full moon that lit the night.
Lamont walked her towards the gate and into the elegant house.
Emeraude followed quietly, and moments later, saying, "Would you like
to discuss a few things after we get settled? Or...would you rather
wait until morning?"
The thought of waiting made her feel unsettled inside and somewhat
impatient. Then another thought occurred to her. "Umm...Lamont? I,
uh," Emeraude started unsure as she looked at her elaborate gown. She
grimaced slightly, wishing not to be a bother. If only she were in
Cephiro, then she could make herself something suitable. "I do not
have anything to wear for comfort..."