Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ Call of the Heart ❯ Family Reunited ( Chapter 3 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

STUDIO X PRESENTS

MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH:
CALL OF THE HEART

A Story by Miyu, Vampire Princess



Episode Three - Family Reunited




Warm water.

Mounds of soft, sparkling bubbles.

This was DEFINITELY heaven.

Emera Hououji sighed as she leaned back in the bathtub. Resting her head against the back of the tub, she sunk deeper into the water, lifting one foot out of the water far enough to bare her toes. She wiggled them, giggling softly.

After a romp in the woods, she was happy to be clean. She scrubbed everywhere she could see, and everywhere she couldn't. She could almost literally feel the dirt, mud and yuck leave her body. Finally she relaxed in the warm tub, trying to put her thoughts in perspective.

She was in Cephiro. Cephiro! The place her mother often told her about as a child. The place where all her fantasies happened. The land of magic. The world of dreams. Oh, the list just went on and on. It was incredible.

And she got to see her Aunt Hikaru again. And her Aunt Umi. She just couldn't believe it. Not even after they hugged her. After all this time she was finally reunited with her family.

Well, not quite.

She had yet to see her mother. She kept asking how she was, but Hikaru and Umi would only skirt the question. Answering with things like, "Oh she's in the palace, you'll see her later," or "She'll be so surprised you're here." But she wanted to see her mother: hug her, sit with her, talk with her. She had missed her mother so much in the past years. Her aunt was a great comfort, but it was little compared to her mother's love and affection.

Maybe it was a good thing they didn't tell her, she told herself, lowering herself further into the tub. Perhaps her mother was upset with her for coming to Cephiro. But then, it wasn't like it was Emera's fault. Maybe she was upset with her for something else, but Emera couldn't figure out what. She hadn't seen her mother in 11 years. What did she have to be mad about?

Besides it was Emera who was mad! How dare her mother leave her alone?! How dare she run off to dangers unknown and leave Emera behind?! Why didn't she contact her? Why didn't she come home? Was Cephiro more important than her own daughter?!

Emera felt the tears forming and tried to hold them back. For as much as she loved her mother, she also hated her. It was often confusing and frustrating. Now was no different. The questions she had so wanted to ask couldn't be answered. But now, here in Cephiro, they could be.

Correction, she told herself with defiant determination, they WOULD be.

A knock at her bedroom door brought her out of her thoughts and back into the world around her. She tried reaching for a towel, crawling out of the tub and calling to the person to wait a minute. But the door opened just as the towel was tightly wrapped around her.

She had expected it to be one of her Aunt's checking up on her. Instead a graceful young woman entered the room, carrying what looked like clean clothes. Not her school uniform, Emera noted, but others.

"I'm sorry," the woman said with a polite smile. "I wasn't aware you were still in the bath. I've brought you fresh clothes.""

The woman's accent was different from any she'd heard before. That wasn't bad, mind you, just different. She was rather tall, taller than Emera remembered her mother being, and slim. Her pink hair was cut short in the front, pieces framing her face while the rest was curled on top of her head. A tail of pink hair also trailed down her neck and down her back.

The outfit she wore was also different from any Emera had seen. It was a dress, she assumed, cut very low in the front and hung loosely from the woman's waist to the floor. What fabric there was shimmered, and was nearly translucent.

The young girl didn't mean to stare, but she couldn't help it. "Thank you," she managed to stutter, relaxing a bit. "Ummm...."

"Oh, I should've introduced myself," the woman said, placing her new clothes on the bed in front of Emera. "My name's Caldina, dear."

"Thank you, Caldina," Emera said again, a small smile forming on her own lips.

"I'll let you finish up," Caldina said. "Then I'll take you out to the garden. You'll love it. It's absolutely beautiful." She paused, offering her best smile. "Your mother will meet you out there for some dinner. She loves dining in the garden. I'll be back in a little while, okay?"

"O-okay," Emera said as Caldina left the room as wistfully as she had entered. The girl blinked at the doorway for several moments before taking a better look at her new clothes. Keeping the towel tucked neatly under her arms, she lifted the garment in the air.

There were three pieces. The first was a blouse of some type. The neckline scooped widely from shoulder to shoulder. The sleeves looked like they would come just below her elbow and opened wider at the bottom than at the top.

The second piece was a skirt. There were no pleats like in her school uniform. This skirt was freer flowing, swirling at the bottom. Holding it to her waist, it stopped almost mid-thigh.

The last piece resembled a pair of spandex shorts.

The blouse and the shorts were the same light color purple. The sleeves of the shirt were as translucent as Caldina's outfit. The skirt however was darker, bluish purple in color.

She donned the outfit. The shirt was a bit shorter than she was used to, stopping at least two inches above the skirt. And form fitting, too! There was even a pair of boots for her feet. She thought they would be too big, but they magically fit.

Pleased with her new look, Emera smiled at her reflection in one of the mirrors. She fluffed her hair a bit, then took a comb through it. There was no mouse or gel, so she just let it lay flat. Then she cleaned up the room a bit, folding her towel and placing it over the side of the tub. There was nothing for her to drain the water, so she left the bathtub alone. As she lay on the bed to rest, Caldina returned.

"Oh, I knew that color would look good on you," she said happily. "Are you ready?"

Emera nodded, feeling more like herself and a bit more adventurous. As they walked through the castle, Caldina pointed out some of the artwork and described some of the rooms. The young girl found it all very fascinating, trying to match it with something her mother may have told her so many years ago. There were many similarities, she noted, yet there were many differences. Perhaps things had changed since her mother was a teenager.

Before she returned.

As they exited the castle and entered the garden, Emera's dark thoughts returned. What would her mother say to her? What would she say to her mother? She had practiced so many times the words and feelings she wanted to express. But they all seemed to disappear from her memory.

"Heads up!"

Emera looked up just in time to see a glowing orange ball heading straight towards her face. There was no time to duck or dodge as it hit her square on the forehead. The young girl quickly put a hand to her forehead, stumbling back a few steps. The ball bounced until it became motionless on the ground.

"Are you okay?" a young man's voice asked.

Emera blinked, regaining her balance. There was a strong hand on her shoulder, helping her to stand straight. She smiled briefly, grateful for the help. When she finally looked up, her green eyes locked with a pair of blue eyes. She thought it was Zan at first and had a retort on her lips when she noticed it wasn't Zan.

He was a little taller than she was, and about the same age. His hair was cut short, and blonde. His eyes were the brightest blue she'd ever seen. She tried not to blush when she responded to his question.

"I'm...fine," she said.

"Sorry about that," a young girl's voice said. "I'm afraid Aarn here kicked it too far."

Emera looked around the boy to see a smiling girl no older than herself. They were about the same height, same build. She had the most piercing black eyes, and contrary pink hair.

"Again," Aarn said sheepishly, scratching his head with his hand.

"Neiven, Aarn? I thought I told you to get inside and clean up for dinner," Caldina said.

Both teenagers looked at her with small smiles and nodded. "Yes, mother," they replied in unison.

"See ya around," Aarn said as he followed his sister into the castle.

Caldina smiled as Emera waved good-bye. "My children. Got to love them, that you do."

"Are there any other children in castle?" Emera asked.

"Not many," Caldina replied, leading Emera by the hand further into the garden. "Aarn and Neiven are the oldest. Zan is the youngest."

Emera wrinkled her nose in confusion. "But he looked older than me," she said. "Zan, I mean."

Caldina chuckled. "All done with magic," she explained. "Zan may appear to be an adult, but sometimes he acts far from it."

"I'll vouch for that," Emera muttered.

Caldina paused to think. "Then there's Clef's newest student, Mathis. I believe he's Zan's age." She stopped herself and corrected, "Well, he'd be the oldest at any rate."

Emera nodded, focusing her attention on the gardens around her. There was just so much life there. Trees, flowers, grass, it was wonderful. Caldina was leading her towards a clearing where she could see a picnic table sitting under the shade of a willow tree.

"Your mother said she'd meet you here," Caldina said. She turned to leave. "She'll be here shortly."

Emera turned with her. "Won't Aunt Hikaru and Aunt Umi be joining us."

Caldina shook her head. "Not today. But I'm sure you will be able to see them later."

Emera nodded, turning back towards the tree. She reached out tentatively to move the branches of the tree, but she didn't have to. They moved for her! She stared at them in wonderment before stepping inside. After a few steps, they closed behind her.

She sat at the table, watching several birds as they flew past, landing on the ground in a small puddle. Or was that pond? They splashed around quite a bit before taking off again.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Emera immediately stood as a new voice called from the other side of the tree. The voice was soft, eloquent. A voice she had heard as a child, and in her dreams. Her blood froze and any thoughts of what to say were completely gone.

She turned slowly to see the branches of the tree opening again. The sun blurred her vision momentarily as someone entered the seclusion of the tree. A woman she noted. After a moment, recognition dawned on her.

Her mother.

Fuu smiled her usual happy smile. She carried a basket in both hands, covered by a blanket. She tilted her head to the side, regarding her daughter. Neither one spoke. Neither could find the words to say. So it was a surprise when a third voice broke the silence.

"Here let me take that."

A young man followed behind Fuu. He reached over to take the basket from her without interrupting. He was dressed in the same garb Zan had worn, only instead of black his clothes were white. White with a touch of green and gold. His hair was the same color green, and so were his eyes. He smiled briefly at Emera, his eyes carefully taking in the look of her. Then his smile brightened as he spoke again.

"She looks just like you," he said.

Fuu had the grace to blush lightly. She would've ducked her head, but she didn't want to take her eyes off of Emera. It had been so long since she'd seen her. She had indeed grown up as Hikaru and Umi had said. She reminded her of how she was when she first came to Cephiro, aside from the clothes of course. She had been leery to let Caldina chose her daughter's attire, but she was glad she had.

Emera's eyes started to water, no matter how hard she tried to stop them. A single tear ran down her cheek as she managed a quiet, "Mother?"

Fuu smiled as well, not bothering to hide the tears that came to her eyes. She opened her arms, hoping Emera would come to her. And she did. They embraced tightly, holding each other close. Both cried as they were reunited, trying to hide their happiness and worries behind muttered words and nonsensical phrases.

The man watched them with a smile of his own. He had never seen the girl before. Only heard of her through Fuu, Umi and Hikaru. They each had such exciting stories to tell that it only made him anxious to meet her. When Fuu and the others had been called back, he was as saddened as she that she had to leave her daughter behind.

Their daughter.

"It's so good to see you," Fuu said, holding Emera close. The girl was taller now, almost up to her shoulder. She stroked Emera's hair as she talked. "I've wanted to see you for so long."

"Then why didn't you come home?" Emera asked between sobs.

"Oh sweetheart, it's a long story," Fuu began, not sure where to begin.

"And we've got all the time in the world," the man said with a smile. He had been holding back tears of his own.

Emera stepped back from her mother and looked up at her. "Momma?"

Fuu smiled sadly. "Do you remember those stories I told you as a child."

Emera nodded.

Fuu's smile brightened. "Do you remember the handsome prince?"

Emera nodded, something finally connected in her mind. She looked from her mother, to the man, and back to her mother in disbelief. "You mean...him?"

Fuu nodded. "Emera, this is Ferio." She looked at Ferio a bit lost for words, but he nodded in encouragement. She looked back at Emera her smile never fading. "Your father."

The world stopped around Emera for one brief moment. Or was it that she was just holding her breath? In either case, Emera lost all train of thought, deeply shocked. The prince in her mother's stories?! Her father?! Fuu had only mentioned him a few times outside the context of stories, and then only because Emera asked. Emera tried to recall how her mother had described him, and the man before her fit the description perfectly. She blinked, trying to think of something to say.

"I think perhaps you should sit down, before you fall down," Ferio told Emera with a chuckle. He motioned for her to sit opposite him at the table. The girl blushed, ducking her head. 'How like your mother,' he thought.

Emera sat down at the table across from Ferio. "I'm...ummm...wow," she managed to stutter. Then more coherently she said, "Mother never actually told me your name."

"We had agreed that it was for the best," Ferio told her. "We weren't sure you'd ever see Cephiro, or even if your mother would return here. Although...." He paused to look at Fuu, who had opened the picnic basket and was emptying its contents onto the table. "I had hoped she'd bring you with her when she did come back."

"And I explained to you why I did not," Fuu said with a smile. "We had also agreed that Emera would be better off in Tokyo than here." She placed a dish in front of her daughter, urging her to try it. "At the time, you were safer there," she told Emera.

"What happened here that was so dangerous?" Emera asked, eyeing the food. It looked like chicken salad with ramen noodles. The thought alone was unpleasant, but it was drowned out by the heavenly smell it emitted. She fingered one of the utensils, tentatively scooping up a small amount and tasting it. "I thought everything was fine after you, Aunt Hikaru and Aunt Umi got rid of the pillar system."

Ferio looked at Fuu oddly. "You told her about that?"

Fuu nodded, but it was Emera who responded. "She told me a lot of things about Cephiro. Of course, I never actually thought...they had been real...." She took another bite of the food and smiled. "I mean, it did sound pretty fantastic. But there was just something in the way mother told the story that made me want to believe."

Ferio smiled. "She has that way about her." He chuckled as Fuu blushed again, occupying herself with her own food. He took a bite of his own food, his expression becoming serious. "The Magic Knights did rid Cephiro of the pillar system, and for quite a while there was peace. Agreements were made with Autozam, Chizeta and Fahren in regards to trade and exchange. Things were going splendidly and all of us were thriving.

"But then we were attacked by the Pharuks." Ferio placed his utensil back on the table, folding his hands in front of him. "They had been an ally of Autozam for hundreds of years. They saw our pact with Autozam as a traitorous act."

"The battle was much harder, even with the allied forces of the four worlds," Fuu said, smiling sadly. "We won, but the cost was great. There was nothing but hardship for several years following that war. Your Aunt's and I...we took it upon ourselves to help rebuild what was destroyed of Autozam as well as Cephiro. We were able to use the power of the Rune Gods and restore what was destroyed, but...."

"It left no power with which to send them home," Ferio finished. At Emera's questioning glance he offered, "Oh, Clef had tried. But even he did not have the ability."

"So that was it?" Emera asked her mother. "You just decided to stay here?"

"The story is far from over," Fuu told her, her smile fading. "By the time Clef had figured out how to send us home there was one other problem."

"Who attacked?" Emera asked.

"Not who," Fuu corrected, setting her utensil aside as well. "What."

"The Knights had stayed in Cephiro for too long," Ferio said. "We've never had otherworlders on our home before. We had no idea what kind of effect it would have on them."

"Nor did we consider the possibility," Fuu said. She sighed. "By the time Clef was able to send us home, Hikaru, Umi and I had discovered that we had contracted some kind of virus."

"Virus?" Emera was confused. "But you don't look sick. And neither did Aunt Umi or Aunt Hikaru."

"Clef has speculated that it has to do with the destruction of the Rune Gods and the magic of this place compared to Tokyo," Fuu tried to explain. "We stayed, because we didn't want to take it back with us and cause an incurable epidemic."

Emera stared at her food, sitting her utensil on the table as well. Something turned in the pit of her stomach and she could feel the pent up anger in herself begin to swell to the top. She clenched her hands into fists under the table, trying to assimilate all the new information.

"So you wanted to die here, is that it?" The words came out before Emera could stop them.

Fuu looked at Ferio, concerned and worried. She was afraid Emera would be hurt by this information, but they had agreed that Emera deserved to know. Fuu had expected her to be hurt, to be upset. But she was not expecting the anger she had heard in her daughter's voice.

"Didn't you want to see me again?" Emera asked, holding back tears which only served to make her even angrier.

"Emera, that's not it at all," Fuu replied, reaching over to place a hand on Emera's shoulder. But the girl stood before she could touch her, startling both Fuu and Ferio.

"I...I can't...." Emera stuttered between sobs. Finally she turned and ran.

"Emera! Wait!" Fuu called to her, but it was already too late. She slumped down onto the bench covering her face with her hands. Ferio immediately sat beside, comforting her. "That didn't go as I had hoped," she told him. "I knew she'd be upset, but...."

"It's all right," Ferio said, hugging Fuu tightly. "She'll be all right."

"But...?"

Ferio placed a finger over her lips. "She hasn't seen you in a long time. She's only been able to assume you were alive, and now that she knows...." He squeezed Fuu lightly. "She has to deal with a lot of emotions she didn't have to deal with before."

"I want to be there with her," Fuu said. She started to cry again, burying her head in Ferio's shoulder. "I've missed her so much."

"I know, my love," Ferio said, kissing Fuu on the forehead. "But she has to sort it out on her own. She'll understand. You'll see."




Emera made it back to her room with little interruption. Closing the door behind her, she flung herself onto the bed and cried.

'That was just horrible,' she thought to herself. 'I've wanted to see her for so long, and I have to run away.'

'Well who's fault is that?' her mind asked.

'I was angry!' Emera replied

'She was trying to answer your question," her mind said. 'It's what you wanted, isn't it?'

'Yes, but....'

'You would've been mad if she DIDN'T tell you,' her mind said.

'How do I know she's telling the truth?'

'How do you know she's not?'

'Is she really sick?'

'Well if she really is sick, you've probably just killed her,' her mind retaliated. 'She told you she missed you. Do you doubt that?'

Emera shook her head against the sheets. 'No.'

'Do you think she would've gone to you if she could have?' her mind asked.

'But she COULD HAVE," Emera retaliated. 'She could've come home. Clef had the power.'

'She's sick,' her mind stated. 'She could've made you sick, as well as your aunt. You don't know what the illness is. You didn't bother to listen!'

'I wanted to see her again!'

'And all you did was succeed in making her cry,' her mind said. 'You saw the way she smiled at you. The same way she always smiled at you. Why do you have all these doubts in your mind?'

Why, indeed. Emera slowly sat up on the bed, wiping her eyes with the back of one hand. It had been great to see her mother again. It was what she had always wanted. She had never believed she was dead.

And she got to see her father. He wasn't just a fairy tale, he was real. They had looked so happy together. And they were happy to see her. They answered her questions, held nothing back.

So what WAS her problem?

Fear. Emera knew it even if she didn't acknowledge it. She was afraid of the answers she had wanted to hear for so long. And now that she had some of them...she didn't want to know the rest. She wanted the things the way they used to be, knowing full well that they never could be that way again. She had sworn she wouldn't let her anger get the better of her, and she had failed.

Her mother was sick. Maybe dying. She had no way of knowing. She hadn't let them explain it to her enough to understand. She wondered if they would explain it to her now, after running away.

Sighing Emera stood from the bed. The sun was lowering itself below her window. It was already close to sunset. Her parents probably weren't out in the garden anymore. Perhaps she should look for one of her aunts.

She wondered to the door and opened it slowly. Without really looking she stepped back out into the hallway. She didn't know her way around the palace, but that wasn't about to stop her. She walked down the hallway in the opposite direction of when she had left earlier. Perhaps she would run into Caldina or one of her children.

Emera wasn't sure how long she had been wondering around when she finally found herself in front of another set of large double doors. They were different from the ones she had seen at the great hall earlier, but just as large. And there was noise coming from inside, the sound of metal on metal.

Was someone fighting?

Carefully she pushed open the doors. They were much lighter than they looked. Through a crack she peered inside. Indeed there were two people fighting. Two young men. And there were spectators. One, two...five of them, Emera counted. And one of them was her Aunt Hikaru! Her father was also present. Curiously she pushed the doors open a little wider to get a better look.

Mokona was sitting beside Hikaru when his ears popped up. Quietly he bounced away from Hikaru and moved towards the door. He stopped in front of the crack at the doors, bouncing up and down happily.

Emera placed a finger to her lips, motioning for him to be quiet. Mokona nodded quickly, his entire body moving with the effort. Emera slid into the room and against the wall. She held her arms out for Mokona, who jumped into them happily.

It was then that Hikaru noticed Emera standing by the doors. She motioned for the girl to come over and sit beside her. Emera walked slowly, trying not to hide her face when her father noticed her presence. She was afraid he'd be upset with her about supper. But he smiled at her as she sat down beside Hikaru, Mokona on her lap.

"I was afraid you may have gotten lost," he said lightly. "Are you all right, Emera?"

The girl nodded, managing a small smile in return. At least he wasn't angry with her, but she was still angry with herself. A loud clang of metal drew her attention to the center of the room. After a moment she recognized the two combatants.

Zan stood just inside the makeshift ring, his sword held at the ready. Aarn stood opposite him, breathing hard from his last attack. Both of them looked serious, Emera thought. Were they that serious about hurting each other?

"Zan and Aarn practice like this everyday," a young female voice said. Emera looked beside her to see Neiven also sitting on the bench, just on the other side of Hikaru. The young girl smiled, then looked dreamily at the two warriors.

"It's part of their training," Hikaru tried to explain further.

"What are they training for?" Emera asked.

"To be knights," Neiven replied, still smiling as if she were in the middle of a daydream. And a good one at that.

Emera looked confused. "But Zan said he was already a knight of the realm."

Hikaru laughed lightly. "No, not yet." She smiled proudly. "But he's close. With a bit more training, he'll be a knight in no time."

The conversation had drawn Zan's attention from the ring for a moment. He hadn't realized that the girl was there. Emera, wasn't it? She looked different when she was clean, he thought. And she was talking to his mother. He frowned. Did they know each other? Of course, fool, he told himself. Your mother met her earlier.

A small thud caught Zan's attention, bringing him back into the ring. Aarn was close. Too close. The boy had managed to charge him without him knowing. It was a mistake Zan vowed he'd never make again. Before he could block, Aarn's fist came flying at him, knocking him backward and out of the ring.

"Well done!"

Aarn smiled at his father, glad he had finally managed to beat Zan. "It wasn't that easy."

"Nor was it supposed to be," Aarn's father replied.

"LaFarga," Hikaru said. "The boy's getting better. It's about time he beat my son."

Emera looked at Hikaru, shocked.

"Did you just say 'son'?" she asked Hikaru.

The woman nodded, eyeing Emera curiously. "Didn't your mother tell you?" She smiled. "Zan's my son."

"Our son," another male voice added. He had joined the others from the opposite side of the room. He was the spitting image of Zan, or was that the other way around? He was taller than the boy, and much taller than Emera. His clothing was similar to her father's, only different in color. He nodded down at Emera.

"Lantis, this is Emera," Hikaru introduced her.

Emera blinked in surprise. Standing quickly, Mokona still in her arms, she bowed in greeting. "Pleased to meet you."

"I lost thanks to you," Zan said as he approached. He frowned at Emera.

"It is your own fault for losing your concentration," Lantis told him. "There will always be distractions and interruptions in battle."

"Hmph," Neiven muttered with a frown. She stood crossing her arms over her chest. "I've never been considered a 'distraction'."

"I didn't mean to interrupt," Emera muttered, sitting back down on the bench.

"Lantis is right," Hikaru said, wrapping an arm around Emera and giving her a brief hug. "It was his own fault." She smiled at Zan. "You'll do better next time."

"Have you two met?" Lantis asked, breaking a moment of silence.

Both children frowned. "We've met," they said in unison.

"When?" Hikaru asked, confused.

"I found her in the woods just below the hills," Zan explained. "She was attacked by a Gawloch."

"A Gawloch?" Lantis questioned with an odd look. "They're not common to these parts."

Zan nodded.

"That explains why Whimsy came back alone," Hikaru said with a frown.

"Whimsy?" Emera asked. "Oh...you mean the flying fish?"

Hikaru nodded, her face still serious. "Why did you leave Whimsy?"

"I was thirsty," Emera said sheepishly, embarrassed. She ducked her head. "I kind of missed lunch with my class at the tower, and I was getting hungry. I just thought...that if I got a drink of water I'd be fine." She paused. "I wasn't expecting to be attacked."

Hikaru gave her a small smile, patting her knee. "It's all right. It was just strange. I didn't know Clef had sent Whimsy out until Zan returned to tell me that we had a guest." Her smile grew brighter. "I'm just glad you're both safe."

"I believe we should call it a night," LaFarga said. His arm was around Aarn's shoulders. He smiled proudly as they approached the group. "We'll continue after your magic lessons tomorrow morning," he told Zan.

The boy nodded.

Neiven pouted, tired of being ignored. A plan formed. She smiled slyly, walking up to Zan. Wrapping one of her arms around one of his, she said, "I want to take one last walk in the garden before bedtime." She smiled at the boy innocently. "But I'll need an escort."

"Of course," Zan replied. His voice was monotone as he spoke. And if she wasn't mistaken, Emera could've sworn the boy rolled his eyes. Apparently he wasn't thrilled by the idea of being with Neiven. But being a gentleman, he didn't say anything.

'Serves him right,' Emera thought smugly.

"I guess it's all right," Hikaru said. She smiled at Emera. "Emera, would you like to go out to the garden too? It's beautiful under a full moon."

The girl took one look at Neiven and decided it was the worst idea her aunt had ever had. The other girl glared back at her, eyes narrowed in warning.

"No, no," Emera said shaking her head. She smiled sweetly at her aunt. "I should probably get some sleep. It's been a long day."

"I'll walk you back to your room," Ferio offered.

Emera opened her mouth to disagree, but then snapped it shut. She nodded, smiling briefly. Standing from the bench, she carried Mokona in her arms. "Arigato."




"I'm sorry."

Ferio looked sideways at his daughter. They had walked only several feet from the chamber when she spoke. He was glad that she did, not wanting to walk her to her room in silence. Mokona bounced down the hallway between them.

"For what?"

"For running away earlier." Emera flushed slightly, her eyes staring at the floor as they walked. "I...I don't know...why I did it. But I am sorry."

Ferio smiled slightly. "It's all right. You've been through quite a bit for one day."

"Puu pu pu," Mokona said, agreeing with Ferio.

Emera sighed. "I really missed her."

"I know. And she missed you too." Ferio smiled at a past thought. "She was very happy when she heard you were in Cephiro."

Emera dared a glance at her father. "Really?"

Ferio nodded, smiling.

"Puu puu!" Mokona called. He had gone ahead of them, bouncing up and down in front of Emera's room.

"I must've upset her pretty badly when I left," Emera said, her voice getting lighter.

"Yes," Ferio replied, thoughtfully. "But she expected you to be hurt and angry. We knew it wouldn't be easy. It is quite a bit to swallow."

Emera looked back down at the floor. "Is she...is she really sick?"

They had stopped in front of Emera's room when she asked the question. Ferio's smile turned sad. He lightly gripped Emera by the shoulders, turning her to face him.

"I wish I could say no," he told her. "You mother, as well as Umi and Hikaru. All three of them are ill. You won't see it right away, but give it a day or two."

Emera thought a moment, averting her eyes to the door of her room before looking back at Ferio. "Come to think of it, Aunt Hikaru used to have so much energy. She does seem...less energetic."

"That's part of the illness," Ferio said, his smile fading slightly. "They sleep less and try to hide it behind cheerful smiles. They don't eat as much and say they're full." He stopped himself, trying to hold back tears that threatened to fall. It tore his heart to know Fuu was ill and that she may never recover. But perhaps, now that Emera was here....He smiled down at his daughter. "But maybe now that you're here, they'll feel a little more like themselves."

Emera nodded, but couldn't smile back. "Why?"

Ferio looked at her questioningly. "Hmm?"

"Why did they get sick?"

It was a good question, and one he wished he had the answer to. "I don't know. Clef has been trying to come up with a cure, but...."

Emera looked away as Ferio's voice faded and he was lost in thought. "Is it...fatal?"

"Don't ever think that, Emera." Ferio gripped her shoulders tighter, but not enough to hurt her. Quickly he pulled her into a hug, holding her close. More tears threatened to fall, and only one managed to escape. "Please, don't ever think that."

He wiped away the tear before releasing Emera. He held her at arm's length, smiling down at her. "Get some rest. You can join Fuu and I for breakfast in the morning." He patted Mokona on the head. "Mokona can show you the place."

He eyed Emera questioningly. "Will you do that?"

The girl managed a small smile and nodded. "Yes. I'd like that."

"We can talk more then." To Emera's surprise, Ferio leaned over just enough to kiss her on the forehead. She closed her eyes, wanting to remember the moment forever. He smiled down at her as he stepped away. "Good night, Emera."

"Good night," she said softly as Ferio turned and left. She entered her room slowly, lost in her own thoughts.

Mokona immediately jumped from her arms and bounced over tot he bed. He bounced up and down on the mattress until Emera had finished changing into her bedclothes. As she was changing she noticed that there were several more outfits laid out for her, probably Caldina's doing. She smiled to herself, fingering the fabric lightly. She'd try them on in the morning. Mokona stopped bouncing as Emera walked towards the bed.

She sighed, throwing back the covers and sitting on the bed. During her first day in Cephiro, she had managed to get attacked by an ugly monster, saved by a handsome knight, meet her father, upset her mother, and get on Neiven's bad side.

Not her best day on record.

"Please, please, PLEASE don't let it get any worse," she muttered, crawling under the covers. She sighed again, pulling them tightly around her. Mokona wiggled his way up to the pillow and lay beside her. She smiled, patting him on the head.

Closing her eyes, Emera fell fast asleep.




~~TO BE CONTINUED~~