Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ Call of the Heart ❯ To The Pond of Lost Dreams ( Chapter 7 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

STUDIO X PRESENTS

MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH:
CALL OF THE HEART

A Story by Miyu, Vampire Princess



Episode Seven - To the Pond of Lost Dreams




Aarn and his appetite were the first to arrive in the kitchen for dinner. Emera
followed him into the room, Mokona calm and quiet in her embrace. The old woman
had even set a spot for the little creature next to where Emera had sat for
lunch. Zan trailed the group, thanks to Neiven. The girl would not let go of
his arm. He was clearly irritated, but said nothing.

The old woman motioned for them to sit, bringing kettle after kettle to the
table. When she said she would treat them to a nice dinner, she wasn't kidding.
The first kettle she brought to the table was full of cooked potatoes. At
least, that's what they looked like to Emera. The second was filled to the rim
with soup. A large plate of chicken steak followed that, which thrilled Aarn to
no end. There was also a basket of rolls and a small tray of cheese and
crackers. To drink, the old woman prepared freshly squeezed strawberry
lemonade.

It all looked so delicious; Emera wasn't sure where to begin. The others didn't
seem to have that problem however. Aarn was the first to dig into the chicken
steak. Neiven reached for the potatoes first, while Zan poured himself a bowl
of soup. The old woman placed a freshly baked roll in front of Mokona. The
creature sniffed at it, smiling happily.

Dinner was eaten in silence. The children had decided before the meal that they
would move the girls into the boys' room for the night. They didn't want to
tell the innkeeper or his wife for fear that they'd think they were being rude.
But it was the best they could do to try and catch the thief.

Two people would handle each shift. And to be democratic, they drew straws.
Neiven and Aarn had pulled the smallest straws, earning them the first watch.
Zan and Emera would take over just after midnight. Neiven wasn't thrilled with
the pairing, glaring at Emera every once in a while at dinner. Aarn seemed a
bit displeased himself but he, like his sister, said nothing.

As the sun set behind the mountains, the girls carried their meager belongings
to the boys' room. After some rearranging of furniture, the group settled in
for the night. Zan allowed Neiven to sleep in his bed, while he seated himself
in one of the small chairs near the table. Emera took the only other available
seat in the room, several feet away from Zan.

Aarn laid on his bed, but didn't fall asleep. Instead he laid awake, listening
to Zan and Emera. The two said very little at first. Then Emera asked Zan a
very interesting question.

"Do you ever wonder...I mean, is there a time when you thought your mother might
just up and disappear?"

Zan sat quietly in his chair, his left leg crossed over his right. One elbow
rested on the arm of the chair while the other arm rested on the table beside
him. He looked so much like his father for a moment, Emera thought in wonder,
that she nearly forgot she asked him a question.

"Not really," Zan answered truthfully.

His mother had spoken very little of their lives in the other world, before they
entered Cephiro. Neither Umi nor Fuu would expand on the subject either. Sure
they talked about Fuu's daughter often enough, but then his mother talked about
him a great deal too. They're past life seemed like such a bad thing, that
there was never a doubt in his mind that his mother would stay.

Until now.

"Why do you ask?" he wondered aloud.

"I don't know...I guess I was hoping I could decide," she said with a sigh.

Zan looked at her curiously. The room was dimly lit, just a candle sitting on
the table between the beds. It was hard to see the girl's face, but he thought
he saw a tear falling down her cheek.

"Decide what?"

Emera sighed again, this time more loudly. "Whether or not I should hate my
mother for leaving."

"Oh." Zan stared at the table, wondering if there was something he should say.
"Do you?"

Emera looked down at Mokona. He rolled over in his sleep, hitting the girl in
the stomach. He muttered something incomprehensible, and then fell back to
sleep.

"Do I what?"

"Hate your mother."

Emera looked at Zan, then back down at Mokona. Did she hate her mother? She
thought she had given up those thoughts when she reached Cephiro and saw her
mother again. Perhaps there as still a nagging doubt. Or was she upset that
her mother hadn't taken her along for the ride?

"I don't know," she answered honestly, frowning. "I used to think so, but...."

"What changed your mind?" Zan asked.

Emera sighed again. "I...oh, I don't know! I wish I...knew."

The girl was clearly frustrated, but she was holding something back. Zan could
see it in her eyes, now shedding tears. She did her best to wipe them away
quickly, but she wasn't fast enough.

The boy leaned forward about to stand when a noise across the room caught both
of their attentions. Mokona's eyes snapped open. He bounced off of Emera's lap
and towards the corner of the room where the noise had occurred.

Aarn, who was only half-asleep, bolted upright in bed. He wiped the sleep from
his eyes, searching through the darkness for the source of the noise. Neiven
stirred, but had to be coerced out of sleep by Zan.

"What was that?" Emera asked.

SCRATCH! SCRATCH! SCRATCH!

"I don't know but it's quick," Zan answered, drawing his sword. "It's moving
around the room like lightening."

"It's hiding in the shadows," Aarn stated.

SCRATCH! SCRATCH! SCRATCH!

"Well it's not leaving this room," Emera said, standing from her chair and
moving to stand in front of the door.

"Maybe it can walk through walls," Aarn stipulated thoughtfully.

"He's right," Zan said angrily. "We didn't even see it come in."

SCRATCH! SCRATCH! SCRATCH!

"AH! It's over here, against the wall!" Neiven called, finally waking up.

"Now it's coming over here," Emera said. Her hearing was tuned to the
scratching noise.

SCRATCH! SCRATCH! SCRATCH!

"Pu puu puu pu pu!" Mokona stated a she jumped over the bed Neiven had been
sleeping in and towards the door. He bounced once more before landing on
something.

"SQUEE!"

Emera closed her eyes tightly, then opened them once Mokona had stopped
bouncing. She looked down at the white creature, wondering what it had landed
on. Mokona seemed awfully proud of himself, smiling happily.

"SQUEE!"

"Oh my," Emera said gasping. "It's a mouse!"

Neiven, Aarn and Zan gathered around Mokona. Low and behold, the little
creature was sitting on top of another little creature. The mouse was brown and
of average size. It's big ears twitched, it's tail swinging as it tried to
escape Mokona's grasp. They all stared at it bewildered.

"SQUEE!"

In its teeth was Neiven's barrette.

"Little thief," Neiven said. She kneeled down to retrieve her hairpiece, but
recoiled as the mouse attempted to escape again. "Ick!"

"It was probably trying to find things to build a nest with," Aarn said,
chuckling.

Emera pondered the idea. "That would explain some of the noises I heard last
night. He could've been searching the rooms upstairs. And in the hallway."

"But did it have to take my barrette," Neiven said, pouting.

"Let him have it," Zan said. "You bought enough in town today that it can be
replaced."

Neiven sighed, standing. "I suppose you're right."

"But, my watch," Emera whispered.

"And the Key of Knowledge," Aarn muttered.

"THAT," Zan stated, "We will look for." He looked down at Mokona. "Can you
follow the mouse and see where its nest is, Mokona?"

Mokona nodded, his whole body shaking with the movement. He leapt into the air,
allowing the mouse to escape. It made a quick dash for the door. When it
realized it couldn't escape there, it ran towards the opposite wall, under the
table and then disappeared. Mokona bounced after it, following the mouse into
the shadows.

The group gathered around the table. A small hole could be seen through the
shadows under the table. But there seemed to be no sign of the mouse or Mokona.

"Where did he go?" Neiven wondered aloud.

"He's too big to fit into the wall," Aarn stated.

Did the white creature shrink to fit into the hole in the wall? Or had he
disappeared all together? They continued to watch the hole in the wall,
wondering if Mokona would come back.

Suddenly a large eye appeared in the hole. The group stepped back, startled.
Zan reached for his sword, unsure of what it was. Aarn did the same. Neiven
cowered behind Zan, while Emera stayed kneeling at the table.

"Mokona, did you find it?" she asked.

"Pu puu!" The eye vanished. As if by magic, Mokona was sitting under the
table. He waddled from the shadows towards Emera. In one hand he was carrying
her watch. In the other, he held the Key of Knowledge.

"You go, little guy!" Aarn said happily as he took the Key from Mokona.

"I guess this means we can settle back in for the night," Zan said as Emera took
her watch from Mokona.

"Does this mean we have to move BACK into our room?" Neiven pouted.

"We should all stay in the room," Zan said. "In case the mouse comes back."

"You girls take the beds," Aarn said, grabbing one of the extra pillows from his
bed. "We can sleep on the floor."

"Puu pu pu?"

Neiven sighed, crawling into Zan's bed again. "What did he say?"

"He wants to know if you guys want sleeping bags or anything," Emera told the
boys.

"We'll be fine," Zan stated evenly.

Emera blinked. "All right then," she said, lying down on Aarn's bed. Mokona
hopped up onto the bed, snuggling into the pillow. He was asleep almost
instantly.

"Good night," Emera said sleepily.

"Good night," the others replied, drifting into dreams.




The following morning, the group trudged downstairs for a bit of breakfast. The
girls had slept fine on the beds, even though Neiven tossed and turned all
night, mumbling in her sleep. Aarn's snoring wasn't much help either. Zan
wished he had allowed Mokona to conjure up a sleeping bag, while the creature's
snoring awoke Emera every so often.

The old woman frowned at them as they entered the kitchen. Neither teenager
looked like they'd gotten much sleep. She asked if it was because of the ghost,
but the kids shook their heads. They briefly related what they had learned.
The woman seemed very relieved.

"Oh, I'm so glad you were able to find your missing items. I do hope it wasn't
too much trouble."

"It could've been worse," Neiven commented.

"Yeah, it could've been a cave troll," Aarn said, spooning a large amount of
eggs onto his plate.

The old woman shook a finger at the young man. "Don't even joke about that.
Cave trolls aren't populous in these parts, but they can still be a nuisance."

"And dangerous," Zan added, taking a bite of his eggs.

Emera only took small portions for herself: a spoonful of eggs, a spoonful of
potatoes and a glass of milk. The sausage looked tasty, but her stomach simply
did somersaults at the thought of food. She didn't think she was getting sick.
Her temperature was normal. But then, she couldn't stop worrying about her
mother.

Whatever had brought on the sudden onslaught of feeling she couldn't say. She
had thought her feelings were resolved on the matter of her mother leaving for
Cephiro. It was clear that she was needed, and that what happened was
dangerous. The current state of the Magic Knights was proof of that.

Still, Emera couldn't help but wonder what her life would've been like if Fuu
had brought her along. Or if Fuu had never left at all.

'How long are you going to torture yourself over this?" her mind asked.

"Pu puu?"

Emera started at the sound of Mokona's voice. He was sitting next to her at the
table, a small plate of food sitting in front of him. He looked up at the girl,
concerned.

"Emera, are you feeling okay? You haven't touched your food."

"Hmm? Oh I'm all right," she answered Neiven's question. She shifted
uncomfortably under the weight of her friends' stares. "I'm just not very
hungry right now."

"You'll need your strength for the trip today," Aarn said with his mouth full.
"Eat up!"

"Yeah, or he'll eat your share," Neiven said with a giggle. Aarn glared back at
her, making her laugh even more.

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day," the old woman stated, patting
Emera on the shoulder. "If you're going to be on your way, you should eat. The
next town is some 20 miles from here. If you leave after you eat, you should be
able to make it there before sundown."

"Thank you," Zan said with a nod. They needed to consult Mokona before making
their next move. But he was certain they would not be heading for the next
town.

The girls went back to their room to clean up and dress. Mokona was once again
useful as the girls were dressed in something different from the day before.
Even Aarn and Zan opted for new clothes, knowing that they may run into more
trouble today.

The group gathered their old belongings and their new supplies. Each of them
had a small backpack now, filled with different provisions. The boys cleaned
their swords while the girls were getting ready. Once they were finished, the
group did one last check to make sure everything was in its place. Satisfied
they had everything they headed downstairs.

The old woman met them at the front desk. She smiled, bowing to them as they
paid their bill then left. She had been easy on them, Zan thought as he counted
the money they had left. She had charged them for both rooms, but none of the
meals. They had enough left for one more town and some provisions. They'd have
to be mindful for a while.

So as long as they didn't lose any more of there things, they'd be fine.

The group left town and entered the forest to the south. According to Mokona's
map, there was a trail through the woods leading to the next town. But they
would take a short cut halfway there and head west. There were a couple of
farms along the path, but no real towns.

"Where will we sleep tonight?" Neiven complained.

Zan glanced at the girl out of the corner of his eye. She was clinging to his
arm again. He had the strong urge to shake her off, but the voice of his father
was strong in his mind. He simply rolled his eyes like a child and went on.

"We'll figure that out when we get there."

Emera held back the urge to laugh. Neiven was so annoying sometimes it was
funny. And Zan put up with it. Emera shook her head slightly in wonder. There
didn't seem to be a mutual attraction there. After all, Zan was younger than
Neiven. He was younger than Emera as well. It was difficult to remember that
sometimes, especially since he had such a keen mind and lightening fast
reflexes.

Not to mention a great form.

Emera quickly tossed all her thoughts aside as they entered the forest. The
trees were old, the trunks thick and splitting in some places. There were
several varieties of trees. Aarn pointed each of them out to her, explaining
the different uses for their leaves and sap. There were also a variety of
flowers lining the path, but Aarn knew little about flowers.

Neiven started complaining again two hours into the walk. She tried to get Zan
to carry her, but he refused. Instead he suggested they take a break. There
was a small brook nearby, and a large amount of shade. The sun was now high in
the sky, and the heat beneath the cover of the trees seemed to be rising.

There was a clearing near the brook's edge. Aarn settled himself into a small
patch of moss under a tree. Lifting his arms over his head, he closed his eyes.
It was obvious what he would spend his break doing.

Zan sat on a large rock next to Aarn. He too stretched his arms over his head,
but unlike his friend he didn't close his eyes. The young man was too alert to
sleep. He was anxious to get to his final destination, and anxious to get a few
minutes away from Neiven.

Thankfully the girl settled beside Emera on the bank of the tiny brook. Both
girls cupped their hands in the water and splashed their faces with it. It was
certainly cold, causing both of them to shiver slightly. It was also clear and
clean. The cool water felt good against their warm skin. Once they were
finished, they settled against the trunk of another tree, opposite the boys.
Mokona bounced from the brook to sit between them in the shade.

"You know I've been wondering," Neiven said, breaking the silence. "How is it
that Aarn was able to use the Key of Knowledge? I mean, we all had a chance to
hold it, and it didn't work for any of us."

"Simple," Zan replied with a shrug. "Windam chose Aarn as his new champion."

"Come again," Neiven said, huffing. "My dolt of a brother?"

"I heard that," Aarn muttered, opening one eye.

"I think he may be right," Emera said. "Mother once told me that she had been
chosen to be a Magic Knight. That's why she came to Cephiro in the first
place." She paused a moment, thinking. "Of course, I didn't really understand
the concept of the rune gods. I still don't." She frowned.

"Zan's hit it right on the nose," Aarn said. "Well, in a matter of speaking."
The young man opened his eyes, sitting up from his resting place under the tree.
"Windam talked to me. I could hear him in the back of my mind. It seemed so
odd, but so natural at the same time." He shook his head. "I'm not sure I can
really explain it, the feeling. But I know Zan's right."

"So what does it all mean?" Neiven asked uncertainly.

"It means that the other two keys will choose their champion from the three of
us remaining," Zan stated evenly. He frowned, not sure that he liked the
thought. It would be an honor to be chosen to become a Magic Knight. But that
meant that he had little say in the matter. He wanted it to be his choice, not
the Rune God's. Yet, how could he turn them down if it meant saving his
mother's life?

It was quite the predicament.

The thought made Emera nervous as well. 'Certainly they won't pick me,' she
thought, wrapping her arms around her middle as she slouched further between the
tree and the ground. 'I'm not even from Cephiro. I have no idea how to use
magic. I can barely walk through the woods without tripping over something!
They'll never pick me. Will they?'

"Well then, I guess the next key is mine then," Neiven stated, jarring everyone
out of his or her thoughts. They stared at her, gaping.

"How can you be so sure?" Zan asked, narrowing his eyes.

Neiven shrugged, relaxing against the tree. She smiled to the group. "I don't
know. I just got this feeling."

"Are you sure it's not just the tree slug sitting on your shoulder?" Aarn asked,
stifling a chuckle.

Neiven looked at her shoulder. Low and behold and tiny little tree slug sat
there, staring back. Her nerves sent messages through out her body. She did
her best to bite back a scream, but failed. Her cries seemed to echo in the
forest as she quickly stood, swiping the little slug off her shoulder. She
glared at her brother and the others as they failed to hold back their laughter.
Even Mokona joined in the merriment.

"At any rate, we should be going." Zan jumped down from the rock. He
readjusted his sword on his belt and dusted off his new pants. He looked at
Mokona seriously. "You still know where you're going, right?"

"Pu puu!" Mokona said happily, bouncing back into the woods and onto the trail.

"Let's go then," Emera said, standing. She checked her pants for any sign of
grass stains then hurried to follow Mokona. "With any luck we can get closer to
the key before supper."


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


Cephiro castle seemed quiet of late. Dark clouds loomed overhead, foreshadowing
rain. It was not as uncommon in Cephiro these days. Not since the fall of the
pillar system and the institution of the power of the people. Still it was
enough to make one gloomy, just by the weather.

Mathis closed the doors to his chambers. The room was dark as he entered. With
a snap of his fingers, lamps lit all around the room. He'd just finished a
training session with the Master Mage. And a very interesting one at that.

The young man was able to match the Master Mage in power. It was the first time
since he had begun training in Cephiro that he had been able to do so. Of
course, he knew it was inevitable. Clef should have known it too. The greatest
honor is to have the student surpass the master.

But the little wizard refused to cave.

Their power had created a huge dome inside the castle, shaking it to its very
foundation. The quake only lasted several minutes, but it was enough to unnerve
even Clef. With a last ditch effort, the little wizard's power grew to an
incredible height, crushing Mathis' power almost instantly.

The blow did not come without a price for both magicians. Mathis was stunned to
say the least. He felt something snap in the back of his mind, like a finely
tuned harp string coming loose of it's binding suddenly. He flinched, his
concentration broken. He choked back the scream in his throat, accepting his
defeat.

The effort had clearly made Clef short of breath if nothing else.

Mathis was disgusted by the display. Why couldn't he surpass Clef? Surely his
magic was greater, far better than his was! He'd been able to bewitch the Magic
Knights without the little wizard knowing. So why couldn't he best HIM?!

With a noise between a grunt and a sigh, Mathis sat at his desk. The top had
been cleaned of all books and papers earlier in the day. There was only a
mirror. Encased in silver and gold, the mirror was small enough to fit into
both of Mathis' hands. Taking a deep breath, he lifted it from the desk.

"Let's see what those...children are up to."

The mirror shimmered in response. A dense white fog clouded Mathis' reflection.
When it cleared, the young man could see a forest. The four children were
walking along a path, laughing and smiling amongst themselves. They looked well
rested, and no worse for where. After closer examination he recognized the
woods.

"The Forest of Hope. So, they managed to get through the valley. Interesting."

Even more interesting was the power he could sense from Aarn. The boy had never
been good with magic, even with the proper training. He was more of a soldier,
a knight. Yet there was a clear rise in his power. But from what?

That's when he saw it. Aarn held up an object in one hand, waving it in front
of his sister's face. It looked like a large skeleton key, but it glowed a
faint red in the boy's hand.

"The key. They've found the key!"

Mathis sat back in his chair, placing the mirror face down onto the desk. So
the brats had found the first key. They now had the power of Windam behind
them. But did they know how to use it? Probably not. It was unlikely that the
Master Mage had explained the use of the keys to the children. Still, should
Aarn's power been augmented so much? And why weren't the others affected?

All questions he would have to save for another time. His help would be needed
in the infirmary soon. If he wasn't mistaken, Fuu was about to fall terribly
ill. She had spent almost every waking hour worrying about her precious Emera
that she had disregarded her health. And the fact that Windam's key was now in
the hands of a new champion.... He smiled, an evil, leering smile.

"You can not stop me," he said to no one in particular. "Not you, not the
knights, and certainly not a bunch of children."




"Send for the Master Mage!"

A servant's footsteps could be heard pounding down a hallway as Hikaru and Umi
came running from the opposite direction. Ferio's voice sounded frantic. And
the look on Lantis' face, who stood just outside the door, spoke volumes.

Fuu Hououji had collapsed.

She was barely breathing.

And there was little they could do to help.

Umi entered the room first. The red-haired woman stopped briefly as her husband
placed a hand on her shoulder. She smiled up at him reassuringly, patting his
hand. Then she followed Umi inside.

Fuu laid in bed; the sheets pulled up to her chin. Her eyes were closed. A
small smile played upon her lips. She appeared to be resting comfortably, but
the wheezing sound indicated that she was having difficulty breathing. She
shivered under the covers, startling Ferio. But once she was calm, so was
Ferio.

Well, as calm as he could be.

Ferio was sitting by the bedside. He held one of Fuu's hands tightly in his
both of his. Tears stung at the man's eyes, but he refused to let them fall.
Not while he was by her side. He looked up as the other Knights entered. He
tried to smile, but failed miserably.

There was some brief discussion, Ferio trying to explain what had happened. But
the man was still too frantic to make much sense. He was still in a haze when
Clef arrived. The Master Mage asked Ferio to stand outside in the hallway,
Lantis accompanying him.

It was nearly half an hour later when Clef emerged from the room. The pull of
magic was very strong around him. Apparently he had been using his magic to
help make Fuu comfortable. He huffed a little as he moved; showing that the
effort he'd given had taken much from him.

"Master Mage," Ferio asked hesitantly, "Is she all right?"

"It is as I feared," Clef stated sadly.

"What?" Ferio asked. The man looked harried and tired. He ran an unsteady hand
through his disheveled green hair. "What is it, Master Mage?"

"The Knight's illness," Clef stated with a sigh. "It's getting worse."

"But how can that be?" Lantis asked. He, too, looked tired. No doubt both men
had been up worried about their wives. "The children have found the first key,
have they not."

"Indeed," Clef said, clacking his staff against the smooth, stone floor as he
walked. He paused in stride, looking at both men sadly, shaking his head. "But
this is only the beginning. For the Knights and for the children. There are
still two more keys to be found. There is little I can do until they have
retrieved them and brought them back."

"But your magic...?" Ferio insisted.

"Is still being blocked." Clef sighed audibly, closing his eyes. When he
opened them, he looked as tired as the other two men. "There is dark magic
about. Every time I come close it pulls away. Whoever is doing this doesn't
want to be found, but I WILL find them."

Lantis looked back at the door to Fuu's room. He wondered briefly how long it
would be until Hikaru would join her. She wasn't in the best of health either.
All of the Magic Knights had been pushing themselves lately, even with the
children absent. Perhaps all that was needed was rest.

"Then what would you suggest we do, Master Mage?" Lantis asked.

"Pray," Clef replied. "Hope and pray."


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


"According to the map, there are several ponds in the area. One of them HAS to
be the one we're looking for," Zan said.

The group had been walking for hours, stopping only once more for a snack,
courtesy of Mokona. Even Zan had to admit that the creature was becoming
useful. Mokona took that as a compliment, bouncing around happily.

Also during their respite, Clef had contacted them. He told them to look for
the Pond of Lost Dreams. There was a temple there that could lead them to the
second item: the Key of Nobility. His image disappeared from sight before Zan
or Emera could ask about their mothers.

They continued on the trail after consulting Mokona's map.

"What exactly is this Pond of Lost Dreams," Emera wondered aloud.

"It's a magical pool of water," Neiven said, tossing her hair off of her
shoulder. "Supposedly anyone that falls into the water falls asleep and must
come to terms with their greatest nightmares."

"Most people don't wake up," Zan added.

Aarn shivered. "I don't think I like the sound of that."

"Puu pu," Mokona agreed, shivering in Emera's embrace.

"And what about the lucky few?" Emera asked uncertainly.

Zan looked at the girl over his left shoulder. "They die."

"Ew, gross!" Neiven said, hugging herself with her arms. "And we have to find
this place?"

Zan nodded, walking forward. "That's what the Master Mage said."

Two hours later they had reached a clearing. There was a set of three ponds,
forming a small triangle in the center of the field. Since there were no trees,
the sky loomed all black and blue above them. The moon shone down on them
clearly and the starts twinkled brightly.

It was decided they would stop there for supper and camp for the night. No one
complained, unloading themselves as quickly as possible. Emera and Aarn hung
back as Zan and Neiven approached the nearest pond.

"I could use a good bath," Neiven stated, kneeling down to touch the water.
"Even if I have to go in with my clothes on."

"We'll need some water for cooking," Emera called.

"Not a problem," Neiven said, standing. In one fluid motion, she dove into the
pond. When she emerged, she was giggling. "Gods but this water is cold!"

"That's what you get for jumping in," Aarn said with a laugh.

"Whatever," Neiven replied with a shrug.

She swam from one side of the pond to the other. One her way back to shore, she
began to slow down. Her legs started to feel heavy. So did her arms. Her
eyelids were half-closed as well. It was like she was fighting to stay awake,
but she wasn't even tired. Finally her body gave out and stopped swimming. She
bobbed up and down in the water until Zan finally saw her distress.

"Neiven!"

Aarn and Emera had just finished setting up a small campfire when they heard
Zan's shout. They turned in time to see the young man dive into the pond.
Neiven was floating just feet away. He swam to get her, dragging her back to
shore.

"Neiven, are you all right?" Aarn called, walking towards the pond's edge.

"I think she'll be fine," Zan replied, lying her just feet from the edge. He
blinked several times, then shook his head. "I think she
just...she...just...passed...."

Then he collapsed.

"Zan!" Emera called, startled. "Neiven? Aarn, what's going on?"

Aarn kneeled down beside Zan. There didn't seem to be anything physically wrong
with him, or his sister. Yet they both managed to pass out. Was the water
really THAT cold?

'The water!'

"Are they all right?" Emera asked, her voice near cracking.

Aarn carefully laid Zan next to his sister. He tapped them both lightly on the
cheek. He even shook Zan's shoulder. Hard. Neiven stirred only a little while
Zan didn't move at all.

They were both sound asleep.

He stood, shaking his head at Emera. "I think...we've found what we were
looking for."

"Found what?" Emera asked. She gazed at the water, then back at Aarn. "You
mean...?"

"This is it," Aarn said with a nod. "This...is the Pond of Lost Dreams."




~~TO BE CONTINUED~~