Chapter 6 - The Awakening
Submitted May 22, 2006 Updated June 27, 2008 Status Incomplete | Fairytales were never meant to have happy endings, they're warning of the past. Hidden in Cephiro's past is a deadly secret, whatever does happen to those who fail the Test? Where do they go,what becomes of them,what vengence do they seek?
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Anime/Manga » Magic Knight Rayearth |
Chapter 6 - The Awakening
Chapter 6 - The Awakening
AN: So sorry for the long wait! Evil writers block had its grip on me plus I had semester finals (of which I exempted out of mostly, thankfully) So here's the next installment of Ice and Snow. Thanks to all my reviewers. Now go read and enjoy.
Alas I don't own Rayearth.
5. The Awakening
*``There are times in life when you gotta crawl,
Lose your grip, trip an' fall
When you can't lean on no-one else:
That's when you find yourself''
Umi was running, sprinting, faster and faster. She thought her lungs would burst from the exertion. Something was wrong, very wrong. Hikaru, something had happened to Hikaru. She flew down the long corridor at break neck speed, windows and doors flashing by as streaks. Gasping for air she reached the throne room, the large doors gave way beneath her fury, and she came upon a very surprised Clef and Lafarga.
``Umi what are you doing out of bed?'' the mage scolded her, his forehead creasing in disapproval. He looked her up and down with worry either for the fact she was out of bed and running about, or the fact she was running and that meant something was wrong, either way Umi waved his concern aside.
``Forget that!'' She gasped breathless; she stopped for a moment and leaned over on her knees drawing in ragged gasps. ``Where is Hikaru?'' She demanded when she had caught her breath.
Lafarga answered her ``She went with Lantis and Fuu to see if they could find anything in the Forest of Silence where you were attacked. I'm sure there're quite fine Umi''
``No, something is wrong. I have a really bad feeling, something happened to Hikaru.'' Standing up strait she glared at both men, ``I know what I felt. Something happened to them.''
Clef opened his mouth to protest but then closed it quickly and looked away as if he had heard something. His pale eyes closed and his forehead creased in concentration. He felt Lantis reach out with his mind, when they connected Lantis' mental voice was strained.
``Guru Clef its Hikaru…'' the cail's voice echoed in his mind. Clef had never heard Lantis sound so afraid; worry was clear in his tone. ``We were attacked in the forest…''
``By another creature?'' Not another one, the mage frowned but his frown only became deeper at Lantis' answer.
``No…not a creature. A woman. Guru her strength of will… I haven't met someone with that kind of willpower since I first met the Magic Knights…'' Lantis was almost to the castle gates now. ``We will arrive shortly, Fuu is not harmed, only Hikaru.'' The next tone of his voice, despite the circumstances, made the Guru smile just a tiny bit. ``She took the magic attack for Fuu'' He sounded both outraged and expectant of Hikaru's brash act of courage.
``Bring her to me Lantis, I will do my best. Is she still conscious?'' Clef looked up to the doors of the throne room as if half expecting Lantis to already be there.
``No, she passed out right after taking the attack.'' Lantis cut off his connection with Clef then as the mage could now here the sound of heavy boots clicking down the hall, Lanits' walk was easily distinguishable from the Wind Knight's light footfalls.
``Clef, Clef?!'' Umi's frantic calls finally broke through to him. ``What's going on Clef?'' The knight became more and more worried by the look on Clef's face. Her blue eyes were wide and fearful as the mage finally looked to her.
``Hikaru has been injured, you were correct in your assump…'' was all he got out before Umi's ``What?!'' interrupted him and then the large double doors flew open, Lantis stepping through with the tiny Hikaru slumped weakly in his arms, Fuu right behind him.
At that moment all hell broke lose and everyone started talking and moving at once.
``Hikaru!'' All the color drained from Umi's face at the sight of her friend. ``Fuu what happened?!''
It was then that Caldina and Presea made their way into the throne room; Caldina had her fan in hand ready to get whoever was the cause of the uproar.
``Now what's a go'n on here? I ain't ever heard such a ruckus…'' the dancer stopped her barrage of words as soon as she saw Hikaru. ``Oh m'gosh what happe'n?!'' she exclaimed in about three octaves higher than Umi had used a moment before.
Lantis had torn his cape in pieces and tied it around the fire knights wounds in make shift bandages to try and stop her bleeding. Blood stained the cail's armor and face in streaks of deep red. He quickly went over to Clef ignoring the questions and dropped jaws around the room as Ascot and the tiny Primara came into find out what all the noise was about.
``Umi!'' Fuu ran to her fellow knight. ``We were attacked by a woman in the forest'' Fuu tried to explain in a rush as she looked frantically from Umi back to Hikaru in Lantis' arms. He had kneeled down with the girl still in his embrace as Clef said something that the two girls couldn't catch and a soft glow emitted from his staff.
``Who attacked you?'' Presea seemed confused, ``I thought a creature had attacked Umi not a person.'' Ascot also came and joined the little group of people clustering around Fuu looking for answers.
``It was a woman; I've never seen her before. She just suddenly appeared and came after us. She was so powerful…'' Fuu paused contemplating, ``Her will power…she was able to hold Hikaru back blow for blow…Her sheer power, it reminded me…''
``Reminds ya of what?'' Caldina pressed coming close to Fuu.
Fuu paused a moment longer and then added in a soft whisper, ``Of Princess Emeraude''
* * *
Sentra returned to her lady quickly. She found her mistress in her throne room her pale slender hands hovering above her mirror. ``What did do think of the little fire?'' the dark woman asked her warrior.
``She was interesting, but not at full power. Not as much of a challenge as I'd thought but then without the mashine that can be expected.'' Sentra came and kneeled by her lady's side looking up with clam, dark eyes.
``Yes, but you shouldn't underestimate her. She had the will to become the Pillar.'' ``Yes Lady Impreza'' Sentra bowed her head. ``Speaking of the will to become the Pillar,'' Impreza waved her hand above the mirror and another image appeared. ``Have you gone to see this one yet?'' a slender finger pointed to the image.
Sentra glanced down, ``No lady.''
``Ah, well then we have work to do. Why don't you go pay him a visit.''
Sentra grinned, ``Yes milady.''
* * *
Lantis paced back and forth in front of Hikaru's room. The other two knights plus Presea and Caldina had promptly kicked him out after he'd deposited Hikaru in her bed. Clef had finished healing her a few hours before, all of her wounds were closed and all she needed was rest. But this fact did little to calm his nerves. He threaded his slender fingered hand through his raven hair in a nervous gesture, his booted heels making a rhythmic clicking sound as he turned and paced the other way. ``I should have reacted quicker. I could have protected her…'' he muttered under his breath. His worrying and fretting were interrupted by Lafarga who came to meet him.
``Lantis if you keep at it you'll wear a grove in the floor'' Lafarga came and placed a hand on the distraught cail's shoulder. ``Go clean up, she'll be fine. The girls won't leave her for a minute, you know that''
Lantis looked down and finally seemed to notice his disheveled appearance. The blood smeared across his shoulder and chest plate had dried, his tattered cloak was in pieces and barely hanging on his shoulders. ``Alright'' he let a heavy sigh escape his lips and trudged down the hall toward his room.
Lafarga also sighed and shook his head and watched the retreating black figure. ``Worry himself to death…'' he mumbled and went back down the hall in the opposite direction.
* * *
``Hikaru…'' After Umi's whirlwind departure Eagle was left alone to wonder about what had happened to the fire knight he owed his life to. In his mind he owed his life to all three of the knights and the open hearts of the people of Cephiro.
``I can't even go to see if she's alright…'' The commander was understandably frustrated in his inability to do something. ``I'm sure she's fine. Lantis would never let anything happen to her.'' He tried to play his worry down as much as he could, he knew worrying was about as effective as laying there but he couldn't help himself. ``First Umi and now Hikaru…something isn't right this can't be random. What's happening to cause all of this? Sigh. I hate being in the dark'' He meant this both figuratively and literally; he hated not knowing what was going on and he hated literally being in the dark. ``I haven't seen the light in so long. It's getting so much harder to remember what some things are like…''
He gave an inward sigh, if he kept thinking about it he was going to depress himself even further. He knew it was going to be a long while before he found out what had happened, with everything that was going on it would be some time before anyone thought of him again. ``Out of sight out of mind…'' he thought bitterly. So he decided to bend his will to another matter. ``I may be useless right now but not for much longer…''
* * *
``Do you think she'll wake up soon?'' Umi asked for the sixth time. She was in Hikaru's room with Fuu, Caldina and Presea. Sitting opposite of Fuu, she held her friend's hand. The fire knight hadn't so much as shifted in her sleep.
Fuu had almost nodded off and shook her head. ``I don't know. Guru Clef said she just needed rest.'' She took her glasses off and rubbed her eyes holding back a yawn. The sun had set long ago and the sky was a rich hue of blacks and blues.
``You girls should go to bed, especially you Umi you probably haven't recovered fully'' Presea scolded both knights. ``Caldina and I will keep an eye on Hikaru, don't worry.'' The blond woman shooed Fuu and Umi toward the door.
``I'm fine'' Um rolled her eyes and gave an exasperated sigh, ``I don't even feel like I was attacked at all'' she protested. With the look Presea and Caldina gave her she gave in meekly and both she and Fuu said good night and went out the door. ``We'll come see her first thing in the morning'' Fuu nodded and they parted going down to their rooms.
Umi made it half way to her room before she remembered all her things were still in the medical wing with Eagle. `Oh Eagle…' she felt a twinge of guilt. She'd forgotten all about him, he was probably worried sick about Hikaru. Turning around she picked up her pace and hurried down the hallway towards his room.
* * *
``Lantis?'' the master mage caught the later coming from his room down the hall. Lantis turned to the mage, his face creased with worry, he looked tired. ``Lantis you need to rest yourself, you'll do no one any good if you push yourself too far'' He motioned for Lantis to join him in the throne room.
The cail only nodded and gave a quiet sigh, ``Have you learned anything new?'' he questioned.
The mage shook his head, ``I haven't sensed anything particular, even at the time when you were attacked but…'' Clef leaned upon his staff and looked up to the night sky through the viewing mirror he'd been using. ``There has been something growing at the back of my mind of late, something I can't place that just doesn't feel right. If I sense anything at all it's ill intent.''
``Yes'' Lantis agreed. ``I've also had an unsettling feeling of late. Perhaps Hikaru was correct in her assumption that the weather, monsters and what happened to herself and Umi are related…'' he trailed off.
``What's on your mind Lantis?'' Clef turned his gaze to his oldest pupil, Lantis may be very good at hiding his true feelings but the mage knew him well enough to at least sense something.
``It was something the woman who attacked Hikaru said…'' Lantis crossed his arms, his head lowered slightly in deep thought. ``While Hikaru was fighting her she asked her an odd question.''
``Odd?'' Clef's brows furrowed in confusion.
``Yes, she said ``What is most precious to you? Is it Cephiro or something else?'' '' Lantis had closed his eyes and now opened them to glance at Clef with a troubled sigh.
``What is most precious to you…?'' Clef repeated the question, ``Tell me everything, from the beginning.'' He created seats for them with a wave of his staff; it was going to be a very long night.
* * *
Eagle gave a heavy sigh; he could sense the quietness of the castle around him. Over the uncountable days he'd been in his coma he'd developed quite a strange sense for the things around him, this is Cephiro after all, and since his mind could no longer rely upon his other senses it had developed a kind of sixth sense. Everything gave off `waves' or an aura would be the best way he could put it and it was his best connection to the world around him.
Right after Umi had left the whole castle had been in chaos, he presumed it was because of whatever had happened to Hikaru. ``I do hope she's alright. Am I ever going to find out what happened?'' At this moment he felt an aura come closer, ``Who…?'' he reached out and examined the aura. He knew that one all too well, passion and power, yet all hidden behind a calm façade he was beginning to see through. ``Umi…''
* * *
Umi pushed the doors open quietly to Eagle's room at first she thought he was asleep and tip-toed across to her things as softly as she could. ``Umi?'' His voice echoed in her mind, ``Oh you're awake, I wasn't sure'' she changed direction and went over to his bed and sat on its edge.
``Is Hikaru alright? What happened to her? Was anyone hurt?'' The questions came out in a rush and Umi winced she knew he'd be worried.
``She's alright now; she was attacked in the Forest of Silence. Clef said she'd be fine after she's rested, but she hasn't woken up yet…'' the tired girl couldn't hide the extreme worry in her voice and her pale hands ran through her hair. Pulling out her headband she set it on the small bedside table and continued to finger her long blue strands in an agitated manor.
``I'm glad she's alright…'' Eagle sighed in relief. He felt Umi sit next to him, her aura was that same as it had been the night before. Confusing, chaotic, sad and… `Painful…' he thought with a pang of sadness for her. He paused for a moment, `now or never' he thought. ``Umi…what's been bothering you?'' He waited patiently for her answer, not sure if she'd open up or not.
Her breath caught for a moment. `How does he know…? Is it that obvious?' she hung her head her hair slightly obscuring her face. She then straitened up, ``It's nothing really, I'm just worried about Hikaru. That's all.'' `Come on believe it' she begged silently.
``Umi…'' His tone was melancholy holding a bit of her sadness in it. ``You know…'' he paused, ``You shouldn't lie to people like that. It makes them worry.''
`Drat, he didn't buy it' she sighed.
``Umi…'' he pressed gently. ``Whatever it is that's bothering you if you don't tell someone it will plague you until you do. You must trust me, I know you don't want anyone to worry and that's why you're hiding you feelings but Umi you should know better than anyone what happens when you hide what you're feeling…''
Umi looked up to his seemingly emotionless face. He was right; when you hide your pain it makes things much worse. She relented she really did want to tell someone. ``Lately bad things have happened…they've brought back some bad memories for me'' she hardly raised her voice loud enough to hear, as if anything louder than a whisper would shatter her ability to hold herself together.
``Do you mean what happened to Hikaru and yourself?'' he asked. That's not like you Umi. During the battle you kept your spirits up, all of you knights did…but then'' he stopped for a second as if contemplating something, ``that's not the only reason. Is it?''
She didn't answer at first and her hands squeezed the coverlet, taking fistfuls of the dark green cloth. ``No, not the only reason…''
``Last night, what were you thinking about that made you so sad?'' he asked softly.
``I thought you were asleep'' Umi smiled weakly. If he'd been awake she could have seen him grinning sheepishly.
``Well technically I was asleep…''
``That doesn't count'' she drew her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees.
``I didn't mean to intrude but you seemed so upset it was hard not to notice. Did something else happen in your world?''
``Yes'' She wrapped her arms around her knees tightly. ``I have a friend back home and she had someone close to her pass away suddenly…'' she stumbled over the words her voice cracking. ``And I was with her…when she found out he'd died. She…she just started to scream and scream. I, I couldn't take it and I ran away from her. I ran when she needed me, but her scream…just like the princess'. They were the same. I never wanted to hear someone scream like that again…'' her voice was heavy from holding back the lump in her throat and she gripped her arms around her knees even tighter.
``Umi…'' Eagle said her name gently, he could tell she wanted to cry but wouldn't allow herself. Holding it in was killing her but she just wouldn't let herself cry. `She needs someone, she can't do this alone' he wanted to reach out to her but couldn't. ``Umi it's alright you know, you can cry.''
She shook her head, ``I promised myself after what happened before that I'd be strong and I would try not to cry. I've already cried too much, so I have to be strong so I wont be the one left crying this time'' she bit her lip softly.
``But Umi, you know there's another kind of strength that's needed to be able to cry when you should'' He wanted to help her in some way, but words could only do so much. He knew she need much more. He felt her aura crack and then her tiny sobs as his words sunk in. Eagle felt a shadow in his mind pass and suddenly there was light…
Umi's shoulders slumped and her cries racked through her frame. His words had been a release and had opened up the gates for her tears which now ran uncheck down her cheeks. He'd been right again; it felt better to just let herself cry. Her worry from the last few days was finally released and fell freely. She bowed her head down and her eyes were squeezed shut, but suddenly she felt something warm against her cheek. The warmth was comforting and she hiccupped lightly, it felt like someone's hand…wait…Her eyes flew open looking for the source and met another pair of eyes staring back warmly.
``Umi.''
AN: A exta note I do tend to draw from what I'm reading at the time into my writing so if you catch something that reminds you of another Clamp title then don't be to surprised. I just started the Tubasa Chronicles and I borrowed one of Fai-sans lines, it actally pulled me out of my little slump I was in. Clamp sure know's how to inspire. Hope you enjoyed it. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone.
*Shame on me last chapter I forgot to tell where the begining quote came from. This quote is from the song "Mountains" by Lonestar.
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