Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ Call of the Heart ❯ Homestead ( Chapter 6 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

STUDIO X PRESENTS

MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH:
CALL OF THE HEART

A Story by Miyu, Vampire Princess



Episode Six - Homestead




Aarn felt like he was flying. Air slapped against his face, blowing his hair
into a frenzied mess. His eyes were mostly closed, but he fought to keep them
open in the eye of the storm. What he could see was plain white. Not cloudy,
but white. Finally the white exploded, then all he could see was blue.

//I have found you.//

Aarn's eyes snapped open. The wind had stopped and all was calm. He took a
moment to take in his surroundings. But there was little to look at. There was
nothing but blue on all sides. A ceiling of black lay overhead, while the
ground under him remained white.

//You are the one.//

Aarn wasn't sure if it was real or a dream.

//Where am I?//

//You have finally come. You are the one.//

//Me?// Aarn was thoroughly confused. Where was Zan? Where were Emera and his
sister? They should've been close by, fighting the monster.

Suddenly the white floor turned gold. Aarn looked down to see Zan, sword in
hand, trying to fend back the strange beast. Neiven cowered behind the young
man, shouting encouragement. Emera picked up the nearest stone, rock or twig
and began to throw it at the monster.

//Your friends are in danger.//

//Tell me about it,// Aarn replied. //But how do I help them? And who ARE
you?//

A gust of wind seared past Aarn, causing him to throw his arms in front of his
face for protection. He closed his eyes, ducking his head. When the wind
finally subsided to a calming breeze Aarn uncovered his face, opened his eyes,
and gasped at the sight before him.

A machine...no, Aarn corrected himself, a monster stood before him. It could've
passed for human...with two arms and two legs, a body and a head. But it was
too huge, and metallic to boot.

The beast was awesome, Aarn thought, craning his neck to look at its face.
Thanks to some imaginary light, the monster's metal gleamed a brilliant green
and silver. Its face, if you could call it a face, was passive, unresponsive.
The boy gawked at the metallic beast, fear gripping him as it craned its neck to
look down.

//I am Windam,// the beast stated.

'Windam?' Aarn thought, confused. 'Wasn't Windam one of the fabled Rune Gods?'

//It is as you've heard,// Windam replied, shocking Aarn from his thoughts.
//And you have awakened me.//

//Was I supposed to?// Aarn asked.

//Yes.// With a large finger, Windam pointed back at the floor. //You must
prove the strength of thine heart. Only then may I be of assistance to you.//

//The strength of my heart?// Aarn looked back at the floor. His friends were
still fighting the monster in the valley. He wanted to help. Truly he did.
But Zan was a much better fighter than he was. He'd only get in the way, he was
sure of it.

//But...I don't know...how, I mean umm...what am I supposed to do?// Aarn
replied.

//You will know,// Windam answered.

The light dimmed and the monster faded into the blue surroundings. Once again
Aarn was left standing amidst the strange blue walls, black ceiling and white
floor, which glowed ominously with pictured from the battle in the valley.

//When the time is right, you will know. Aarn.//




"Aarn, snap out of it! We need you!"

"Neiven, stopping hitting him. It won't help."

"Pu puu! Pu puu!"

"Mokona stop that. Aarn's stomach is not a trampoline."

"Puu pu?"

"What's a trampoline?"

"Oh, never mind, just give me a hand. Please, Neiven."

"Oh, all right."

Emera grabbed Aarn's arms while Neiven tried to get a grip on his legs. He had
passed out as soon as the key had activated. The monster was pushing the kids
back the way they came, and Aarn was in the way of moving. Besides, Emera had
pointed out, passed out or not, they couldn't just leave him there.

"Is he *umph* supposed to be this heavy?" Emera asked. She struggled to hold
him up for more than a minute as they moved him back several feet so Zan could
fight the monster without obstacles.

"If he'd stop *ugh* stop eating those sweets at night he wouldn't *umph* weigh
this much," Neiven told her. She too was struggling to move the young man.
They finally found a clear spot near a large rock and dropped him - literally -
behind it.

"Puu pu!"

"Mokona wait!" Emera cried, reaching out to stop the little creature from
bouncing away, but it was too late.

Meanwhile, Zan tried slicing into the monster for what seemed like the hundredth
time, but still could not hit anything. His patience was wearing thin and he
was becoming rather annoyed. The monster was fast and well hidden. How was he
supposed to fight such a monster?

"I could use a little help," Zan stated flatly.

"What do you expect us to do?" Neiven called from behind the rock.

"Yeah, throwing stones hurt it about as much as your sword," Emera replied.

"And I'm only making it angrier," Zan replied, dodging another forceful blow
from the beast. The boy could feel the wind blow across his face and the blow
barely missed by inches.

"What about magic?" Emera asked Neiven.

"If the creature is pure magic, magic will not harm it," Zan called back.

Emera frowned. "I didn't ask YOU."

"But he's right," Neiven replied, also frowning. The two girls had taken up
residence behind the rock with Aarn. "Magic can not harm magic."

Emera leaned against the rock, watching as Zan continued to duck blow after blow
from the monster. "He can't keep this up much longer."

"What else can we do?" Neiven asked. "We can't even find Mokona in all this
fog." She sunk down to the ground with a sigh. "Where did the little monster
run off to anyway?"

Emera sighed, looking down at the unconscious Aarn. The red glow still
encompassed him, although the brightness had died down a bit. He wasn't as
fitful as before. Perhaps whatever dream he'd been having was over. She bent
down, kneeling on one knee, and placed a hand to his forehead. His fever had
gone down as well. She leaned back against the rock, wishing he'd wake up.

Then she got the most wonderful idea. Well, perhaps not wonderful, but it just
might work!

"Emera? Emera, what are you doing?" Neiven asked as the other girl quickly
stood and took off into the fog. "Emera!"

"I'm going to help Zan," Emera stated. From the waistband of her pants, Emera
pulled out the hilt of her mother's sword. Clef had shown her how to shrink the
escudo so it would fit with her travel things. The handle felt awkward in her
hands. She had to hold it with both hands as the sword grew. Once it was
finished, it was the same size she remembered it being when Clef first gave it
to her. They both examined it before looking at each other.

"Oh no," Neiven said, shaking her head. "You can't be serious?"

"You got a better idea?" Emera asked with a frown. "Zan needs the help."

"Can you even fight with a sword?" Neiven asked as Emera took off again.

The other girl shrugged. "I guess we'll find out."

"Oh, by the Great Mage himself!" Neiven cursed, slumping back to the ground.
She stared at her unconscious brother, reaching out with one hand to slap him in
the face. Not hard, but hard enough to hopefully wake him up. "Aarn! Wake
up!"

"Umph! Ouch, Neiven. I'm awake! I'm awake!"

Aarn sat up slowly, one hand on his head, the other on the ground for support.
His head was pounding the reverberating voice of Windam still echoing in his
mind.

//When the time is right, you will know.//

"Neiven, what's going on?" Aarn asked, trying to stand.

"Now hold on," Neiven said, standing with her brother, both hands on his
shoulders to offer support. "What happened to YOU?"

"Never mind that," Aarn said angrily. "There are more important things to worry
about."

"Like food," Neiven teased.

"Like getting past that monster and getting out of the valley," the young man
replied, leaning against the rock. He looked out into the fog. It was
beginning to thicken again. He could not see, but he could hear the sound the
metal and the people using it.

"This is getting us nowhere," Emera's voice cried through the dense fog.

"Keep *umph* trying," Zan's voice replied.

Without hesitation, Aarn climbed around the side of the rock and headed for the
sound of his friends' voices. "Hold on Zan! Emera! I'm coming!"

"Wait Aarn!" Neiven called, following him around the rock. "What do you *ouch!*
think you're going to do?"

"I'm not going to stay here and watch them die," Aarn replied.

"But you don't even have your sword!"

//To help you friends...show me your strength.//

"I don't care." Aarn turned to his sister. "Wait here."

"Wait here, are you nuts?" Neiven asked. But it was too late. Aarn had already
taken off into the fog.

Aarn struggled to move through the fog. He kept his ears trained for Emera's or
Zan's voices. He didn't like leaving his sister back there by herself, but she
was a big girl. And she knew magic. She could take care of herself if she had
to.

'Besides, I don't want my friends to die. I can't let that happen. I won't!"

//You would be willing to sacrifice yourself for them? You? The coward?//

"I've been a coward long enough, hiding in Zan's shadow as a warrior. No more.
They need my help, and I am going to give it, whatever it may be!"

Windam sighed heavily in Aarn's mind. //You...are the chosen one. Call on me
when the time arises.//

"The time," Aarn said, clutching the key tightly in his hand. "The time is
now."

//So be it.//

A light breeze blew past Aarn, making him stop. He lifted his hand to his
chest, staring at the intense red glow. The breeze that blew past him picked up
in intensity, swirling the fog around him and dispersing it, pushing it high
into the air. He watched, amazed, as the fog around him cleared. He had been
unsure of what to do at first, but he knew now what had to be done.

The wind blowing through the valley began to intensify. Zan and Emera halted
their attacks, using their arms to shield their eyes. The wind also affected
the monster a sit howled into the dense fog. The creature's footsteps could be
heard as it backed away, then stopped.

"Keep going Aarn!" Neiven shouted from her place near the rock. "The fog is
lifting! Keep it up!"

Emera uncovered one of her eyes. Indeed the fog was lifting. Or rather, it was
being blown away. The fog tried to push against the wind, but failed, being
pushed backward more forcefully. Emera smiled, lowering her arms. Perhaps they
stood a chance now.

Zan lowered his arms, watching the fog recede in utter amazement. He looked
first left at Emera, then right at Aarn. The boy glowed green now, he noted.
And he was using the power of the key. Windam had chosen him as his successor.
It was a bit disappointing, Zan thought. He had hoped to be the first. But the
master mage had warned him that the rune gods were fickle. Perhaps the next key
would be his.

Now that the fog was lifting, he gripped the hilt of his sword tighter and
waited for the monster to appear. He motioned for Emera to step closer to him,
wanting her to be as close as possible if the beast attacked again. He had to
admit, she wasn't bad with the sword, even if she could barely hold it upright.

It took but moments for the fog to recede enough to uncover the beast. It was
tall and hairy, with long arms and short legs. Its hands and feet were huge as
well. The only part of the monster not covered by hair was its face. It
would've passed for human if not for the extended nose, the bushy eyebrows, the
long jawbone and the huge canine teeth.

"Gross!" Neiven called. She approached the others, stopping just behind Zan and
Emera. "It's a mountain ogre."

"A what?" Emera asked, confused. She'd never seen a creature quite like it.

"A mountain ogre," Zan reiterated. "They like to live in dark places, usually
caves in the mountains. Seems that this one preferred the underground caverns
here a little more."

"How do we defeat it?" Emera asked.

As if in answer, the winds picked up again. Aarn winced as he could feel the
power soaring through him. He knew now what he had to do to defeat the monster.
As if pushing against the wind effortlessly, he reached out a hand, his palm
pointed towards the monster.

The air formed tiny twisters around Aarn, but he knew he was in no danger. As
if drawing on their strength, Aarn forced the air to do his bidding. The tiny
twisters began to form ribbons, first vertical, then horizontal. He closed his
eyes to focus, and when he opened them the power burst forth.

The ribbons launched themselves at the beast. The ogre had little time to
react. It was still in disarray over the departure of the fog. When the first
ribbon hit the beast, the blast of air threw it off balance. The ogre yelled in
horror and anger, trying to regain its footing. The second and third ribbons
hit the monster square in the shoulders, cutting through the fur and scoring the
skin underneath. The next few attacks did much the same, focusing on the ogre's
arms and legs. Several waves of air hit the beast before it finally fell,
unmoving.

Aarn dropped to one knee, the power within him dissipating. His breathing was
labored, but his body was amazingly without pain. He checked his hands and his
feet, touching his chest and face just to be certain.

Mokona, now aware that the coast was clear, bounced from his hiding place behind
another rock. "Puu pu! Puu pu pu puu!"

"Aarn, you did it!" Emera exclaimed happily.

Aarn laughed, struggling to stand. He managed with Zan's and Neiven's help.
"Yeah I guess I did." He smiled sheepishly at his friends. "Does this mean we
can stop to eat?"

"Honestly Aarn," Neiven replied, rolling her eyes. She let go of her brother's
arm, placing her hands on her hips. Her hair had been totally disheveled by the
wind, but then so had everyone else's. She didn't look pleased about her
current state, but didn't complain. "Is food all you think about?"

"Right now? Yeah."

"Pu puu pu pu puu," Mokona said, bouncing up and down.

"I agree," Emera said. "We should get out of the valley."

Zan nodded his agreement. He ran a hand through his unruly hair, then dusted it
off on his now torn pants. Fighting a monster you couldn't see had taken its
toll. "True. But without a map, which way do we go?"

Mokona stopped bouncing. "Pu puu." His jewel lit up, a beam of red light
shooting forth and stopping in midair. A small map appeared. Emera and Zan
moved forward to inspect it.

"It's a map of Cephiro," Zan stated. "If what the master mage told us before it
true, then...." He squinted, examining the map. "We should head south."

"We should head to wherever there's food," Aarn stated, clutching his stomach.

"I just want a nice comfortable bed right now," Neiven said.

"According to this map, there's a small town southeast of here," Emera said.
She tilted her head to get a closer look at the map. "It looks to be a few
hours walk from our current location. And it would be past dark till we got
there."

"The path looks safe enough," Zan told the others. "And we should be able to
find an inn."

"Great," Neiven said, latching onto one of Zan's arms. The sound of staying in
an inn with Zan made her happy all over. She sighed contentedly, resting her
cheek the arm she was holding. "Let's get moving."

"The further away we get from this place the better," Aarn said with a nod.

"I agree," Zan said, trying to get his arm back from Neiven and failing. He
sighed, rolling his eyes. "We must move quickly. Once we're out of the valley
we'll stop for some food, then be on our way again. Can Mokona...uh...cook?"

"That shouldn't be a problem, ne, Mokona?" Emera said, looking down at the
little creature.

Mokona jumped up and down at her feet, waiting for her to open her arms. Once
she did so, the little creature jumped up and snuggled into her secure embrace.

"Puu pu!" Mokona added.

Neiven looked at the little white creature curiously. "What did he say?"

Emera smiled. "He said 'let's go'!"


**M*K*R** **M*K*R** **M*K*R**


"Finally! I think my feet are going to fall off if I have to take another
step."

"Puu pu."

"Hush," Aarn told his sister. She hadn't stopped complaining for the past
fifteen minutes. Even after they reached town she wouldn't let up with
complaints. Of course, she was just trying to get Zan to carry her. But he
stated the Emera was walking just fine, and that she didn't have much further to
go.

The inn was in the middle of town, and easy to find. It was the biggest
structure in town. Standing three stories high and two blocks wide, the
building was built with the finest wood in the area. The veranda surrounding
the inn was empty, save for a few patrons of the local pub. Most of the windows
were dark, but it was late.

It had been an hour since sundown and the sky had turned from dark blue to
black. They had made good time walking from the valley. As agreed, they
stopped for some food courtesy of Mokona. It seemed like a feast, although it
wasn't very much: some fruits, several raw vegetables, some kind of meat, and a
delightful fruit juice to drink. They stuffed themselves as full as possible
before continuing on their way.

"May I help you kids?" said an old woman from behind a small wooden desk.

"We'd like two rooms please," Neiven said with a smile.

"I think we have two open," the old woman said, glancing down at a book in front
of her. "Yes, yes. Two rooms available. If you would just sign here please."

Zan took the proffered pen and scribbled his name in the book while the old
woman went in search of the keys. He, too, was tired. It would be nice to take
a long, hot bath and sleep in a warm bed tonight, he thought. Aarn probably
felt the same, now that his stomach was full.

The old woman returned with the keys, handing one to Zan and one to Neiven.
"How long will you be staying?"

"Just the night, I think," Zan replied, looking back at the others. "Until we
can get some provisions at least."

"My, my," the old woman said with a frown. "The four of you aren't traveling
this countryside by yourselves, are ye?"

Zan opened his mouth to reply but Emera beat him to it. "Yes, we are." Emera
hugged an unusually quiet Mokona to her. "But we haven't far to go.
We're...uh...running an errand for our parents."

"Oh, what devoted children ye are," the old woman replied, the smile returning.
"We don't have many guests so you're welcome to stay as long as ye like." She
pointed to a rickety staircase. "The rooms are on the second floor. Turn left
at the top of the stairs and go down to the end of the hall."

"Thank you," Aarn said kindly.

As soon as they reached the second floor, Neiven tossed her key to Emera.

"What's this for?" Emera asked, catching the key between her fingers without
dropping Mokona.

"You and Aarn can take the second room," Neiven stated. "Zan and I will take
the first room."

Emera, Aarn and Zan turned to look at her, surprised.

"I don't think so," Aarn stated.

"I agree," Zan added quickly, hoping to deter Neiven's argument. "You girls can
sleep in one room. We'll sleep in the other."

"Hmph," Neiven muttered, hands on her hips. She opened her mouth to talk then
snapped it shut. Turning, she snatched the key from Emera's hand and stomped
down the hall.

"*whistles* At least she didn't argue," Aarn whispered.

Emera and Zan both nodded, watching the girl pout as she walked down the hall.

"Well, see you in the morning I guess," Emera said, flashing a smile to the boys
as she followed Neiven down the hall. Mokona waved to the boys, smiling happily
from the comfort of Emera's arms.




Pounding woke Emera just after sunrise. She rubbed her eyes sleepily, groaning
something incoherent as she turned on her other side and tried to go back to
sleep. But the pounding was too insistent.

"What now?" she muttered, rolling to lie on her back.

Strange things had happened all night. Pounding on the ceiling. Stomping down
the hallway. Glass breaking. Chains rattling. Incoherent whispers at the foot
of her bed. Emera couldn't have gotten more than three hours worth of good
sleep...and even that was now being interrupted.

She'd gotten up twice to go to the bathroom, hoping Neiven would hear one of the
strange noises and wake up. But the other girl was sound asleep, a smile on her
face as her dreams took her someplace happy. Even Mokona, who still lay snoring
on the pillow beside her, never awoke.

Sighing, Emera propped herself on her elbows, craning her neck and stretching
her legs to help wake her up. The pounding noise continued, and the girl slowly
climbed out of bed to investigate. She walked to the window, gazing out into
town. They hadn't had much of a chance to actually look at the town, since they
had arrived after dark. But now that the sun was shining brightly over the
eastern valley, the town was alight with activity.

And the pounding noise? That was an old man, trying to hammer a nail into a
wooden pole just downstairs. He noticed Emera in the window and waved, smiling
apologetically.

"I didn't mean to wake you, miss," he called up to her. "I'll be done here
shortly. Please, go back to sleep."

"Joseph, don't bother our customers," called an old woman. Emera recognized the
voice as that of the old woman who waited on them last night. "That can wait a
few more hours."

"I'll be done in a minute," he called back, the smile turning to a frown.

Emera merely shook her head and stepped away from the window. At least THAT
noise had been explainable. The others she had heard through the night were
not. There had been no one in the hall when she checked. And who in their
right minds would walk around with chains?

Sluggishly, she walked towards the bathroom with the intent of showering. But
then she remembered something important. She no longer had a change of clothes!
Sighing, she attempted to wake Mokona. No easy task, she knew. But the tiny
creature opened his eyes quickly, sitting up on the pillow. He still looked
tired, but he was smiling. He gazed up at Emera expectantly, waiting for her to
say something.

"Mokona, I need you to whip me up another set of clothes. Can you do that?"

Mokona nodded quickly. "Puu pu puu."

"Just make sure it fits," she told him with a small smile. "I'm going to take a
shower."

"Puu pu!"

Emera showered quickly, giving the extra hot water little time to work into her
still tired and achy muscles. She still moved sluggishly in the bathroom.
Blinking through the haze the hot water had left, she looked at her reflection
in the mirror.

'Still same old me,' she thought. 'I suppose this isn't all dream after all.'

She pulled her damp, brown hair into a ponytail then cracked open the bathroom
door. Neiven was still sound asleep, the covers pulled up over her head.
Mokona was bouncing on Emera's bed, his work already done. Her new outfit lay
on the edge of the bed. The little creature seemed very pleased with his work.

With a towel wrapped around her, Emera walked over to the bed and examined her
new outfit. It was almost an exact copy of her last outfit, only in blue. The
pants were a darker color, lined in silver. And a better fit, Emera though as
she put them on. The shirt was lighter, trimmed in the same silver. She
slipped the shirt over her head, folding the towel neatly and placing it back in
the bathroom. As she was putting on her boots, Neiven awoke.

"Why are you up so early?" Neiven muttered, rolling over onto her stomach, her
face buried in the pillow. "What time is it?"

"I'm not sure," Emera said, searching the room. "There's no clock. The sun's
above the horizon so I'm guessing it's still early."

"Wake me up in about an hour," Neiven muttered.

"Do you want Mokona to make you another outfit for today?"

"Puu?"

Neiven shrugged under the covers, waving a hand as she rolled onto her side, her
back to the other girl. "Whatever."

"Mokona, keep an eye on Neiven. And prepare another outfit for her, too."
Emera found her mother's sword and placed the hilt through the silver cloth belt
around her waist. She turned to the creature, which was bouncing on the bed.
"I'm going to check on Zan and Aarn."

"Pu pu puu?"

"Breakfast sounds wonderful," Emera replied with a smile. "But we'll see what
the local have to offer first, all right."

"Pu puu!"

"I'll be right back," she told Mokona. Carefully she opened the door and looked
out into the hallway. Seeing no one, Emera left the room, closing the door
softly behind her.

"You're up early."

The girl started, turning on her heel and leaning against the door for support.
She calmed down slowly as she realized it was only Zan. Didn't he know how to
make noise?!

"So are you," she countered.

Zan nodded, as if this was nothing unusual. "I'm always up at sunrise. I just
came from the innkeeper's kitchen. She's cooking us some breakfast."

"That's not really necessary when we have Mokona," Emera replied.

"True, but we need to blend in," Zan said. He lowered his voice and continued.
"While magic may be prevalent in Cephiro, it's not always welcome. So we need
to be as normal as possible. We don't want to draw unwanted attention to
ourselves."

"Like four teenagers traveling alone in the dark isn't unusual," Emera muttered.

Zan crossed his arms over his chest, examining the girl. "Where'd you get the
clothes?"

"Mokona," she stated, examining the boy in return. "Looks like you could use a
little something yourself."

"I'm fine for now," Zan replied off-handedly. "But I will keep it in mind." He
turned suddenly, walking back to the room he shared with Aarn. "Wake Neiven and
meet us downstairs in an hour."

"Yes, sir," Emera replied with a small salute. She then opened the door to her
and Neiven's room.

Zan merely rolled his eyes. 'Girls.'



AN HOUR LATER....

They gathered for breakfast as Zan requested. The innkeeper's wife had prepared
a marvelous breakfast for the four of them. Once the children were served, the
innkeeper and his wife joined them for the meal. They chatted, the innkeeper
wanting to know more about the children and their parents. The children
obliged, doing their best not to totally lie to the older couple.

As the group prepared to leave, Emera paused, bowing to their hostess. "Thank
you for breakfast," she said before leaving the room.

Emera made her way back upstairs. The room she shared with Neiven was empty, so
she walked two doors down to Zan and Aarn's room. A loud crashing noise made
her break into a jog until she reached the door. She knocked before entering.

"Hello?" she asked, entering the room. It was a mess! The bed sheets had been
stripped. One of the mattresses had been flipped over. A table was overturned,
half blocking the door to the bathroom. Emera stared wide-eyed at the scene.

"It's not here! I can't find it!"

Emera blinked at the sound of Aarn's screaming. She looked to Zan and Neiven,
who sat side by side on the second bed. Mokona pouted in between them. "What's
going on?"

Neiven looked at Zan then Emera. "Aarn's lost something. It's not unusual."

Zan gave the girl a disapproving look. "But he should've had the sense not to
loose this."

"Puu pu puu," Mokona muttered miserably.

"What did he loose?" Emera asked, still confused.

Neiven and Zan looked at each, replying in unison, "The Key of Knowledge."


**M*K*R** **M*K*R** **M*K*R**


Neiven sighed wearily, falling onto her bed face first. She wanted to scream
into the pillow. Emera wasn't in the room, but she thought better of it anyway.
Sighing instead, she rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling.

They had split into two groups. At Neiven's insistence, she was paired with
Zan. The boy rolled his eyes like always, but didn't complain verbally. Aarn
and Emera were left to search the room at the inn again while the other two went
off into town to find some clues.

Of course, Neiven had other thoughts in mind. The girl stopped at every shop,
insisting it would be good to talk to the owners to see if there was anything
else strange happening in town. Her logic was sound, and she knew Zan wouldn't
disagree. But once in the shops, the only thought on Neiven's mind was
shopping. Never mind the fact that they didn't have much money between them.

After the third shop, Zan insisted that Neiven wait outside while he went
inside. The girl pouted on a nearby bench, irritated by the fact that she
couldn't get Zan to show her any consideration...well the kind of consideration
a boy shows a girl at any rate. Zan was always the gentleman whether it was
warranted or not. Neiven wanted him to like her, but was at a loss on how to do
it. Everything she had tried so far had failed. Miserably.

But, all things considered, she was happy she got to buy a few new things. At
least she wouldn't have to rely on Mokona to keep making her clothes. And it
took her mind off of Zan for a few seconds.

Finally, after talking to fifteen people, and checking three streets, the two
headed back to the inn. Aarn, Emera and Mokona met them on the veranda. They
had gone through both the boys' and girls' rooms with no luck. They had also
spoken to the innkeeper and his wife, but learned very little. The barber next
door had plenty of stories to tell. Again, nothing that was of use.

Neiven excused herself to go back up to the room while the others headed towards
the kitchen in search of lunch. She hadn't been hungry before, but now that she
thought about it, food sounded very good.

Slowly, she pushed herself up, sliding off the bed gracefully. With another
sigh, she walked to the bathroom to check her reflection. Twisting her hair
back into a ponytail, she walked back into the room to find her barrette. She
had left it on the stand next to her bed when she fell asleep the night before.

And it was gone.

'What in...?' Neiven wandered. She searched the area around the stand, under
the pillows on the bed, and under the bed itself. Nothing but mothballs and
dust. She stood, walking towards the door. 'I could've sworn it was there this
morning. Hmm....' As she walked to the door she noticed something else
strange.

The door was ajar.

"Okay, now I know I closed THAT," she told herself, rushing out into the
hallway. The soft sound of footsteps could barely be heard. But looking in
either direction, there was nothing to be seen.

When Neiven made it to the kitchen, the others were already eating. The
innkeeper's wife smiled to the young woman as she entered and motioned for her
to sit down. Neiven sat down next to her brother who was gulping down a glass
of juice.

"Ugh, Aarn, where are your manners?" Neiven muttered.

"I'm thirsty," he replied, setting the glass back on the table.

"Are you feeling better?" Emera asked with a smile.

'Does she always have to be cheerful?' Neiven asked herself. Aloud she replied,
"Yeah, I suppose."

Zan raised an eyebrow questioningly. "She's probably still upset I wouldn't let
her shop some more," he commented.

Neiven shook her head. "No that's not it. Thank you," she said as the
innkeeper's wife sat a bowl of stew in front of her.

"Dan vaht ist?" Aarn asked, his mouth full of bread.

"My barrette's missing too," Neiven said, staring into her bowl of stew. She
picked up the spoon and stirred it slowly. "It's no big deal. I can just buy
another."

"This is really odd," Zan said, sitting up straight. "Emera, didn't you say
that when you checked your room earlier that your watch was missing?"

The other girl nodded. "Y-yes, it was." She looked at Zan out of the corner of
her eye, then across the table at Neiven and Aarn. "I thought I had misplaced
it, but we searched the entire room and found nothing."

"No sign of my barrette either, huh?" Neiven said.

"Nuh-uh," Emera replied.

"I'm sure they're around here somewhere," Zan said. The boy frowned into his
drink before taking a sip. "They didn't sprout legs and walk away."

"Oh, around here many strange things are possible," the innkeeper's wife added,
taking away Aarn's empty bowl and placing another in front of him. The boy
didn't complain as he began to eat it too. The old woman smiled happily.

"Little things go missing all the time. Usually nothing of importance, but it
does happen. Gots ourselves a ghost I say. Jeb there," she pointed outside to
where he husband was sitting, smoking a pipe, "He won't here a lick of it."

"A ghost?" Zan said, uncertain. "There are no such things."

"How do you know?" Neiven countered.

"Never seen one," Zan stated haughtily.

"Do you only believe what you can see?" Emera asked. "I thought people who used
magic believed in all sorts of things."

Zan only cocked an eyebrow at Emera's statement.

"Well I think it's totally possible," Aarn said, patting his stomach as he
finished off the second bowl of stew in record time.

"And I did hear things last night," Emera added. "There was this thumping on
the ceiling. And I could've sworn someone was walking out in the hall, but when
I looked I didn't see anyone."

"I heard some noise as well," Zan said with a confirming nod. "I mistook it for
Aarn's snoring, though."

Aarn glared at his friend. "I do not snore."

"Yes, you do," Neiven stated, glaring at her brother.

"Is something important missing?" the old woman asked.

"A key," Aarn replied, motioning with his fingers the size of the key. "It
doesn't look like much, but it is very important to us."

"Why don't I help you look for it? Two more eyes couldn't hurt, even if they
aren't very good," the old woman offered.

"We couldn't trouble you like that," Emera said.

"I insist," the old woman replied, waving her hand at their protests. "If we
don't find this key of yours, we can call in the local authorities." She
paused, smiling. "Now eat up. I make enough to feed an army."




After three more hours of exhaustive searching, the children and the innkeeper's
wife could find no trace of the missing items. The old woman apologized,
willing to pay them back for their trouble, but the kids refused. Besides, one
couldn't put a price tag on a magical item like the Key of Knowledge. At the
very least, the old woman insisted on making them a special dinner, which they
did accept. Gratefully.

While the innkeeper's wife prepared for dinner, the boys and the girls separated
to their own rooms. Aarn snoozed, while Zan tried to put together a plan.
Perhaps he would stay awake that night and see if someone sneaked into their
room. But then, what about the girls? He couldn't watch both rooms. And what
if there was more than one thief? He sighed, tossing aside his ideas and lying
down on his bed.

What were they going to do? They had to get the key back. Master Mage Clef
would not be pleased.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

Zan sat up immediately, his eyes glued to the door. He checked a nearby clock
and found that it had only been an hour since they had split up again. Was
dinner ready already?

KNOCK! KNOCK!

Zan stood slowly, carefully making his way towards the door. He grabbed his
sword from beneath his pillows and held it at the ready. Eyes focused on the
door as it opened, his hand carefully turned the knob.

"Pu puu!"

Mokona bounced into the room, shocking Zan into silence. He hadn't been
expecting the little creature. Did he even know how to knock? The boy's eyes
quickly went back to the doorway. Emera stood there, hands on her hips,
scolding Mokona lightly.

"Mokona, don't be rude." She sighed shaking her head. "I swear...."

"What do you want?" Zan asked.

Emera blinked, turning to the young man. "I thought I'd come over and see if
everything was okay. Neiven's sleeping and I'm bored."

Zan nodded to her wearily, motioning for her to come into the room. She
followed the bouncing Mokona into the room, sitting in a chair by a small table
in the corner. The little white creature bounced into her lap, where he quickly
settled down.

"So, what are we going to do? About the key I mean," Emera asked. "Maybe we
should contact Clef and let him know...."

Zan quickly shook his head. "No, Clef does not need to know. Yet." He sighed,
returning to his bed. He sat on the edge, his elbows resting on his knees.

"Well, then, what do we do?"

"Why are you asking me?"

Emera shrugged. "You're the strategist here. At least that's how I see it."

Zan snickered. "A compliment?"

"More or less," Emera said with a small frown, leaning back into the chair.

The boy eyed the foreign girl from beneath half-closed eyelids. She had changed
a bit since he had first met her. She wasn't as clumsy as he first thought. He
certainly didn't expect for her to jump into the middle of a fight with a sword
that she didn't know how to use. And she wasn't quite as annoying as Neiven.
That was one BIG point going for her.

Besides, she was determined, willful, a quick thinker, and not bad looking to
boot. Zan's eyes widened at the last thought, frowning to himself. And where
had THAT thought come from?

"We've exhausted most of our logical options," Emera said, breaking the tense
silence between them. She, too, had been observing Zan. He wasn't quite as
arrogant as she first thought. And he was good in a fight...better than her
aunt had claimed.

He looked tired for the first time since they started their journey. His
clothes were still worn, torn in some areas. She wished he had agreed to let
Mokona create a new outfit for him. But he was a stubborn boy. He'd probably
go until the clothes were ripped from his back. She quickly blanked out her
thoughts before something else entered them and set her mind back to the task at
hand.

"What do you suggest we do tonight?" she asked squeezing Mokona lightly.

"Set up a watch," Zan stated. "Perhaps we should all stay in one room tonight."

"Oh, I'm sure Neiven would LOVE that," Emera said, the sarcasm dripping from her
voice.

Zan sighed. "Do you have a better idea?"

Emera sighed too, shaking her head.

"Okay, then," Zan said. "After dinner we'll move the two of you over here and
take the night in shifts."

"Works for me," Emera said, standing. She walked towards the door, looking back
at Zan as she opened it. "Wanna go check on dinner?"

Zan stood from the edge of the bed and shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

Emera left the room, allowing Mokona to jump to the ground and bounce off. She
called after him to wait, but the little creatures, as always, did not. She
gave Zan a backward glance before taking off after Mokona.

Zan merely shook his head. He turned in the doorway, looking back into the room
one last time. Aarn was still sound asleep, and would be until someone woke
him. Some nights Zan wished he could sleep like that. The setting sun caused
the shadows in the room to grow longer and more numerous. No matter how hard he
stared, nothing stirred.

With another sigh Zan walked into the hallway, closing the door behind him.




~~TO BE CONTINUED~~