Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ Call of the Heart ❯ The Key of Nobility ( Chapter 8 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

STUDIO X PRESENTS

MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH:
CALL OF THE HEART

A Story by Miyu, Vampire Princess



Episode Eight - The Key of Nobility




"Winds of Healing!"

Emera Hououji closed her eyes against a huge gust of wind. The wind was
ferocious, blowing her hair into her eyes. It nearly blew her through a tree.
Thankfully she was already leaning against it. Using one hand to shield her
eyes, she opened them to see if Aarn's attempt to wake up Zan and Neiven had
worked.

Aarn was breathing heavily, glowing an ominous green color. His eyes were
focused on the two unconscious bodies lying on the ground. The wind swirled
around him, blowing his hair in all directions. He forced it to blow over his
friends.

It was the third spell he'd tried, but the first using Windam's Key of
Knowledge. He wasn't sure what he was doing. Emera had told him that her
mother used to use that spell. At least, she thought that's what it was. It
had been in a story she'd heard as a child. Well, it might work, he'd said. So
they tried it.

And just like the other spells, it failed.

Zan and Neiven laid, unconscious, on the ground just feet away. Neiven, with
both hands lying flat on her stomach, looked like she was enjoying a peaceful
sleep. Zan was much the same. He looked more like his real age when he was
asleep. His hands and arms rested at his sides.

Neither had moved a muscle.

The glow around Aarn faded and the wind died. The boy looked tired, his knees a
bit shaky from the effort. He'd never tired from using magic before. But then,
he'd never performed this powerful a spell. He sighed, closing his eyes and
sucking in a deep breath. Then he opened his eyes and looked sadly at Emera.

"I don't think it worked," he told her.

"I think you're right," she said, also sighing. She pushed herself away from
the tree and approached Aarn. She stopped next to him, looking down at their
friends. "Perhaps we should contact Clef. He might now what to do."

Aarn shook his head. "I don't want to bother him with anything this trivial."

"Trivial?" Emera asked, confused. She looked up at Aarn, wide-eyed. "Nothing
about this is trivial, Aarn. What if they don't wake up at all?"

"Why don't you try a spell?" he asked.

Emera blinked. "A spell? Me? But...I don't know any."

"Sure you do," Aarn said with a small smile. "The Master Mage would never have
entrusted you with magic and not given you any spells."

"Well, he didn't actually TEACH me anything," Emera said. "He
just...kinda...awakened the magic within me, I guess."

"It's the same thing," Aarn assured her. "Just think of what you want to
accomplish. The rest should come easily."

"Well all right," she replied with a shrug. "I suppose it's worth a try."

"Just concentrate," Aarn instructed.

Emera nodded, closing her eyes to help her focus. She wanted to wake up her
friends. It seemed simple enough. But the usual prodding and nudging already
wasn't working. What was left to do?

As if in answer, she felt something fly from her. It was difficult to describe.
It was more of a sensation, a thought, than a real feeling. Whatever it was
earned her a gasp from Aarn. Her eyes flew open immediately, wanting to see
what she had done.

Neiven and Zan were still asleep, but now their bodies were standing up. Emera
gasped, unsure of what she'd even done. She looked at her two sleeping friends,
then at Aarn.

"I guess it takes a bit more practice," she told him, blushing in embarrassment.

"I guess so," Aarn replied with a nod.

What Emera hadn't seen was how she'd done it. It was a simple enough spell.
He'd been learning to levitate things since he was a boy. But Emera's spell had
been different. Both Neiven and Zan disappeared for a split second before
reappearing, standing upright. It was like the spell had tried to wake them up,
but didn't quite make it.

"So now what?" the young girl asked.

"I'm not sure."

"Puu pu puu!"

Both teens looked down at Mokona. The little creature had run off into the
woods. He returned carrying a small pile of sticks under one arm and a piece of
fruit in another. He bounced happily, stopping only inches from the two kids.

"What does he have there?" Aarn asked, confused.

"Looks like food," Emera said, kneeling. She took the piece of fruit from
Mokona and inspected it. "It looks fresh enough. But what are these sticks
here."

"Looks like some kind of spice," Aarn said, scratching his head. "But where did
he find it?"

"Does it matter?" Emera stood, holding the piece of fruit up to the dimming
sunlight. "We're stuck here until we can wake Zan and Neiven." She turned to
Aarn. "We might as well make the most of it."

"Puu pu!" Mokona dropped what he was holding and bounced further into the
clearing. His jewel began to glow. There was a puff of smoke and a crack of
lightening. When the smoke cleared, there was a small hut in the middle of the
clearing. It looked big enough to house all four of them. Mokona had come
through again.

"I think he has the right idea," Aarn said with a small smile. The little guy
never ceased to amaze him. He nodded to Emera. "Help me get them inside. We
can figure out what to do from there."

Emera nodded. "Right."


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


Neiven rubbed her head as she sat upright. The ground was cold beneath her.
The air smelled stale and her throat tightened in response. Every muscle achec
and she groaned with every movement. Her vision was hazy at first, but the
light faded to reveal her darkened surroundings.

She remembered swimming in the pond. Zan was by the river's edge watching her
while Aarn and Emera were setting up camp. She felt sleepy, felt her eyes
closing of their own volition. But that was the last she could remember.

Had she drowned?

Had she been kidnapped?

Her vision still clearing, her eyes frantically searched for any sign of the
others. There were stone walls to either side. The ceiling was made of ornate
stone, beautifully decorated in tones of blue and green. The floor was made of
concrete, slimy concrete she realized, quickly taking her hands away. She
suppressed a shiver, her eyes finally adjusted to the darkness.

She was alone.

She hated being alone. Ever since she was little. Aarn had left her alone in
the castle garden. He was only supposed to be gone for a minute. Instead she
watched the sun cross the sky and eventually set. He never came back.

It wasn't intentional, she told herself, hands rubbing her upper arms. It was
an accident. He just forgot.

But how can someone forget about his little sister?

Her father had found her, just before supper. She was sobbing, crying silently.
He told her everything was all right, carried her back inside the castle. Aarn
had been scolded, and apologized profusely. Neiven remained angry at her
brother for nearly a week before the incident faded from her mind. She swore
she would never be left alone again.

"Zan? Aarn?" she tentatively called out. She crawled to her knees, standing.
"Emera?"

There was no answer. Only the howl of the wind.

"Just great," she muttered, starting to walk down the hallway.

She walked straight. Turned right. Then left. Then right again. It was like
walking through a dimly lit maze. Every corridor was the same as the last. No
doors. No windows.

No way out.

'Where am I?' she asked herself, continuing her walking, although it seemed
pointless.

//You are here.//

Neiven paused in mid-stride, a large gray shadow looming over her.

//Finally. You have come.//




Running. Down a long hallway with white stones on either side. There were no
torches or fireflies. No lamps and no lights. He could see where he was going,
even if he didn't know where he was.

Running. Along a darkened path in the forest. The trees loomed over him. They
looked threatening in the darkness. Leaves fell like rain, pelting him as he
went. Branches blew in an imaginary breeze, trying to stop him.

Running. In a heated desert with sand under his feet. There was no left, no
right. No forward or backward. No up or down. Sweat beaded his brow as he
ran, the heat penetrating his skin, making it burn.

Running. Running. Running.

Then he stopped.

Why was he running?

Zan turned to look behind him. There was nothing there but a gathering of
shadows. Black fingers slithered along the walls, chasing after him. They drew
closer and closer, but always kept a distance.

There was no apparent sign of danger. No beasts, no opponent to battle. Yet,
there was the sound of metal on metal. The sound of terrified screams and
horrified shouting. The voices were muffled, soft. It was difficult to make
out what they were saying.

He started running again. As he did, the voices sounded closer. The shadows
receded, the path up ahead bright. The light was blinding but Zan pushed on,
wanting to know where the voices where coming from.

What was going on?

The light flashed brightly, burning his eyes. He covered his face with his
hands, turning away. When the light faded, he turned, lowering his hands from
his eyes. His movements were not deliberately slow, but the sight before him
caused him to pause.

Bodies. Tens of thousands of bodies lay strewn all over the hillside. Many
were twisted, impaled with spears. Others had swords and axes sticking out of
their backs. Blood trickled like tiny streams, seeping into the ground. The
heavy sound of clashing swords echoed in the distance.

'Where am I?' Zan asked himself. 'What is this?'

"Over here," someone called. "There's one still alive!"

Zan's eyes widened as he saw three men on horseback riding towards him. One had
a sword raised high in the air. Another was armed with a long-range gun. The
last swung his ax high in the air and he charged. The boy wasn't sure how to
react at first, were they friend on foe. Then he recognized the emblems
emblazoned on their chests. A small shield with a snake and falcon wrapped
around a pillar.

The Pharuks.

He had only been a baby when the armies attacked. His father and mother had
fought in the war, as had the other Magic Knights. He'd been sheltered with the
Master Mage, along with Neiven and Aarn. So why was he seeing this now? Was it
a look into the future? Would there be another war? Or was this merely his
imagination?

Zan seriously doubted it was the latter. He couldn't remember the last time his
imagination tried to kill him. Even still, what was it he was seeing?

He ducked quickly as the first of the riders - the man carrying the ax -
galloped past him swinging his weapon. Rolling onto his right shoulder, Zan
avoided the blow from the second rider - the one with the sword. Without
waiting, he got to his feet, running for the nearby forest, hoping to escape the
bullet chasing after him.

The bullet split the bark of a tree as Zan hid behind the trunk. He waited only
a split second before moving on. Several more shots were fired, embedding
themselves into the forest trees.

Zan continued to run, never looking back. His legs began to tire, too quickly
he thought. His arms felt heavy, his shoulders laden with scratches from brush
branches. Vines fell from the trees, trying to stop him, but he pushed on
dodging and cutting at them with his own sword. He knew escape was only a few
feet away. He only had to make it to the clearing where the Magic Knights were.

Hold on! How did he know where the Knights were?

Stopping, Zan kept his sword drawn. He could still hear the clomping hooves of
the horses as they charged through the woods. Barely catching his breath, he
waited for them to appear, to attack. They would never make it to the clearing.
He had to make sure of it.

Wait a second, hadn't he heard this story before?!

Zan's eyes snapped open. A dream. It had all been a dream.

He bolted upright quickly, his eyes still trying to focus on his surroundings.
He felt his body with his own hands. There were slashes, no cuts, no bruises.
His clothes were still intact, as was the rest of him. The white haze slowly
faded, the voices of his friends flooding his ears.

"Zan, you're awake!" Aarn cried out joyously. "You did it, bro. You did it!"

"Did what?" Zan asked uncertainly. He raised a shaky hand in front of his face.
His vision was still clearing. Finally his hand came into view. Then he looked
from Aarn to Emera. They appeared to be all right, and that was a good thing.

He vaguely remembered pulling Neiven from the pond. Then...nothing. Even the
dream he'd just had was gone. His memory felt like a piece was missing, but
he'd try and figure it out later.

"Are you all right?" Emera asked. She was sitting next to the bed on a small
stool. She leaned over to look Zan in the eye. Her eyes were showing her
worry. "You were out for nearly three hours."

"Three hours?" Zan blinked. "Is that all?"

"'Is that all,' he asks," Aarn said sarcastically. "We weren't sure you'd wake
up at ALL."

"You dove into the Pond of Lost Dreams," Emera tried to explain. "You and
Neiven."

Well, that explained quite a bit. Zan's mind began processing the new
information and comparing it to recent events. That would explain the dream, he
thought with an inward nod. But why can't I remember it?

"What about Neiven?" Zan asked, looking around for her.

"She's still asleep as far as I can tell," Aarn replied sadly. He looked behind
him to the cot where his sister was lying. "She hasn't moved since we brought
the two of you inside. But her heart rate and everything is still good."

Zan shifted his legs until he was sitting at the edge of the bed next to Aarn.
He inspected Neiven quickly. She was indeed asleep, breathing normally. She
looked very peaceful that way, much better than her usual annoying behavior.
Even still, they had to try and wake her up.

"Have you tried waking her?" Zan asked.

"Shaking, clapping, screaming, even the bullhorn in the ear didn't work," Emera
said with a shake of her head. She stood from the stool and walked to the end
of the bed, standing next to Aarn. "Everything conventional and unconventional.
Nothing."

"Didn't work on you either," Aarn added.

Zan sighed. "What about magic?"

Aarn nodded. "Everything I could think of. Even used the Key of Knowledge."
He shook his head. "Still no luck."

"Perhaps if we could find the next key, Neiven would wake up," Zan suggested.

"It's possible," Emera said with a nod. "We won't know until we try."

Zan turned to Emera. "Keep watch here. Watch over Neiven and let us know the
minute anything happens." He clapped Aarn on the shoulder. "We're going back
to the pond and finding the key."

"Right," Aarn and Emera answered in unison.




"Who's there?!"

Neiven backed herself against the nearest wall. It was cold and wet like the
floor. Did this place have leaky pipes or what? But it mattered little. She
was more concerned with the dark shadow the hovered around her.

//You have come.//

"Wha--?" Neiven shook her head. The shadow wasn't physically threatening, but
she was still scared. It lowered itself from above, surrounding her, pressing
her closer to the wall. "Who are you?"

//I have been waiting a long time.//

"Waiting?" Neiven was even more confused. She tried moving to her left, but
the shadow stopped her. Biting her bottom lip, she suppressed the urge to
scream. "Waiting f-for...me?"

//Yes.//

"Why?"

//You are the chosen one.//

The chosen one? 'Oh this is weird,' Neiven thought. Didn't Aarn tell them
something like this happened to him when he spoke to Windam?

"I'm...I'm honored...I guess," she stuttered, pressing as close to the wall as
humanly possible. She closed her eyes as the shadow pressed against her, bowing
her head so that her hair covered her face. "But what have I been chosen to do?
Who are you?"

//You will be my Champion, Neiven. Selece's champion.//

Neiven's eyes snapped open. Selece's champion. Selece! Had she found the Rune
God himself?

Black turned to white, flooding her vision. She screamed out, not in fear, but
in surprise. Using her arms, she covered her eyes, closing them again. Her
hair covered her arms, spraying across her shoulders and back. She felt light
for a moment, as if the gravity in the room had lessened. Then she hit the
floor again. Hard.

When she opened her eyes again, Neiven found herself in yet another strange
place. She lowered her arms, combing her hair back into place with her fingers.
Tucking the last stray piece behind an ear, she stepped away from the wall
behind her.

But it wasn't a wall. It was a waterfall.

The shadow reappeared, this time inside the waterfall. It moved slowly, pushing
its way through the water. The further forward it came, the bigger it got.
Finally, part of it broke through the water, spattering water in different
directions.

Neiven hurriedly backed away from the waterfall. She used one hand to cover her
mouth while the other searched the air behind her. This is a dream, this HAS to
be a dream, she kept telling herself. But the longer it went on, the more she
doubted she could have a dream such as this. She certainly wouldn't dream of
something this terrifying.

'Zan! Aarn! Emera, where are you guys?'

Her heart beating in her ears, Neiven finally hit a large rock and stopped. She
was at least a hundred feet from the waterfall. She stared at the shadow as the
passed through the water, eyes wide in both fear and curiosity. She pressed
herself closely to the rock, slowly moving around it until it hid half of her
from view.

The shadow continued to move forward, emerging from the water. It towered in
the water, standing nearly as tall as the waterfall itself. It also took on
human characteristics. There were two arms, two legs, a torso and a head. Its
hands were made of three gold claws. The head was oddly shaped, the eyes hollow
and the lips slightly open to reveal nothing but white. Blue metal gleamed in
the dim light of the cavern. Streaks of gold and silver also glistened, still
wet from the water.

It stepped away from the waterfall once it had emerged, then stopped.

//Do I frighten you?//

Neiven thought about the question. Did he frighten her? If this was indeed the
great Rune God Selece, there was nothing to fear. It was a surprise certainly,
and she was definitely in awe of her luck. But....

"No," she answered honestly, stepping from behind the rock. "But I do think you
need a better way to introduce yourself to people. It's a bit...umm...much."

Selece chuckled, although he made no physical movement of the sort. The sound
was strange in Neiven's ears, but she smiled nonetheless.

//I have been waiting a long time.//

"I'll bet," Neiven said, some of her confidence returning. "But, where am I?
What is this place?"

//This is my castle,// Selece replied. One arm raised slowly to point into the
waters below. He was still standing in the pond created by the waterfall.
//There is something you must see.//

"All right," Neiven said, stepping forward. She moved slowly, her eyes
carefully watching the Rune God. When she reached the water's edge she looked
down. "I don't see anything. It's just...water."

//Keep watching.//


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


Aarn wiped his forehead with the back of one hand. He was exhausted, not to
mention hungry. He wished they were closer to the hut Mokona had built. The
smell of dinner permeated the air towards the pond. It made his mouth water
just thinking about it.

He and Zan had been searching the area for nearly an hour. There was no sign of
the castle Master Mage Clef had mentioned earlier. Nor was there any sign of
the key.

Zan sighed, kneeling down beside the Pond of Lost Dreams on last time. He
stared into its water, hoping to find some clue as to what to do next. Perhaps
the castle was merely a legend, a myth. Perhaps key was buried under the pond
itself. It was too risky to try to swim the pond, after what happened just
hours before.

"We'll have to wait until morning," Zan announced, standing. He sighed again,
turning to Aarn, who was standing at the edge of another pond. "Let's head back
and get some rest."

"I thought you would NEVER come to your senses," Aarn said with a smile.

"Humph. You're just hungry," Zan replied.

"Whatever," Aarn said, waving a hand in the air. "Let's just go."

Turning, both boys started walking back towards the hut. They didn't see the
water in the Pond of Lost Dreams churning. Didn't see the water spinning into
the air. Didn't see the spinning water as it turned into an ugly creature,
similar to the ogre they had fought in the valley. They didn't see any of this
happening in the other ponds as well. Soon there was a small army of water
ogres surrounding them.

And they didn't know until....

"Guys, look out!" Emera called from the doorway of the hut. Mokona was bouncing
excitedly at her feet.

"Uh-oh," both boys muttered as they turned around.




"Water demons," Neiven called in surprise. "But how?"

//It is all in your destiny,// Selece told her. //You are the chosen one.//

"I still don't understand what that means," Neiven muttered, pushing herself
away from the water's edge.

//You must prove to me, the strength of thy heart.//

Neiven blinked. Aarn had said that Windam had told him the same thing. Prove
the strength of her heart? Sounded easy enough. How bad could it be?

She looked back into the pool. Aarn and Zan had started fighting the water
ogres. But they were having no luck in defeating them. Their swords did no
damage. Zan's magic had no effect, nor did Aarn's. The key of Knowledge helped
to only keep them at bay. The blowing winds slowed them down but nothing more.
And Aarn was exhausted, she didn't know why, so the power of the key would only
last a short time.

"Send me back," Neiven told Selece. She stared up at the Rune God. "Send me
back to my friends. I want to help them."

//I cannot send you back,// Selece answered. //You must find your own way.//

She blinked. Find her own way back? How was she supposed to do that? She
didn't even know where she was to begin with.

"I don't understand," Neiven said. She was clearly frustrated. She balled her
hands into fists and pounded into the air above her head. "You speak in
riddles. I don't understand!"

//You will.//

Suddenly the ground began to shake. Neiven quickly lost her balance. She tried
to regain it, but ended up falling into the pond of water instead. She managed
a quick intake of breath before hitting the water. She closed her eyes as she
hit the water, kicking her arms and legs, trying to swim. A hidden current
pulled her under.

It was difficult to say how long she was underwater before she opened her eyes.
She was no longer in the water, but standing inside another chamber. This one
was brightly lit with hidden sunlight. Beside her was a small pedestal. An
ornate box sat atop a bright blue pillow. The box opened of its own accord,
light spilling forth to fill the room with white light.

Once it faded, Neiven could see something sitting inside the box. It was small,
no bigger than her hand, she figured. It glowed a strange green color. Slowly
Neiven approached the box. She reached out a hand to the tiny object, picking
it up. She stared at her hand, amazed that the object was so light.

It was a key.

Neiven smiled to herself. She knew one of the keys was meant for her. It was
destiny. She gripped it tightly in her hand. In a flash blue light engulfed
her, making her close her eyes.

When she opened them again, she was staring into a mass of white with floppy
ears and a red mark on its forehead.

"Gah! Mokona, what are you...what--?" Neiven sat up quickly. Too quickly her
body thought. Every muscle was still tired. Her arm felt heavy as she lifted
it so she could touch her forehead with her hand.

A dream. Had it all been a dream? Not quite, a small voice said in the back of
her mind. She opened her closed fist in her lap to reveal a small silver key.
A smile crept to her lips, despite the pounding headache she now felt.

"Puu puu!" Mokona exclaimed, seeing the key. "Puu pu pu!"

"I have no idea what you just said," she told the small creature, "but I'm glad
you think so."

She looked at her new surrounding briefly. She was inside one of Mokona's
makeshift homes. And she was alone. No sign of Aarn, Zan or Emera.

'Duh, they're fighting the water monsters,' she told herself.

"Let's go help the others," she told Mokona, swinging her legs over the side of
the cot.

The creature bounced up and down happily in response.

"Pu puu!"




"Emera watch out!"

The girl screamed, running as fast as she could to avoid the stream of water
coming her way. If it hit her, she would be knocked out for sure. She'd
managed to dodge several strikes. But the last one had knocked her into a tree.
Hard. The whole of her body ached as she ran. If Zan hadn't called out, she
might've gone THROUGH the tree.

Zan had already been injured: his right shoulder ripped open by a blast of water
from one of the demons. It was bleeding badly. The boy had to run, covering
his wound with his right hand and using his sword with his left. He wasn't as
good with his left hand, and the sword didn't damage the demons. He was
fighting a losing battle.

Aarn was doing as well as both of his friends. If he wasn't running from water
streams, then he was trying to slice the demons with his sword. He had
attempted to use the Key of Knowledge, but no spell worked. The wind would
disperse the water, but once the wind died, the water came together again to
form another demon, this one more hideous than the last.

And stronger as well.

"These things are worse than that ogre," Aarn said, out of breath. "We can't
even hurt them."

"Keep trying," Zan called out, swinging his sword one more time. "Something has
to work."

Emera yelped as she jumped out of the way of another blast. "But we've
exhausted every option we have."

'Not all of them,' Neiven thought. She stood in the doorway of the hut,
watching the battle. Her friends were fighting a losing match. They tried
everything and the demons continued to pound them.

She looked down at her hand. In it was the key. She had no real idea how to
use it. Selece hadn't given her any directions of that sort. But she assumed
she didn't have to know. It would just come naturally.

And it did.

There was another rush of water as the ponds once again came to life. The water
demons stopped in their attack, uncertain what was happening. Zan, Emera and
Aarn stopped too. Emera was the first to see Neiven standing in the doorway.

"It's Neiven," she cried out, smiling. "She's all right."

But the other girl was more than all right. Her determination activated the key
in her hand. A faint blue glow covered her from head to toe. Her eyes were
open wide, glazed over, clearly focused on nothing.

The power built around her, causing the water around her to respond in kind. A
swirling pillar of water extended from the base of each pond. They stretched
high into the air, rising with the level of power. Once the power level peaked,
the pillars exploded, shooting large chunks of frozen water towards the demons.

The demons responded, screaming out in unearthly howls. They groped at the
icicles sticking from their bodies. Apparently ice worked as metal on flesh,
slicing and cutting the demons into pieces. As they fell they became puddles of
water, bleeding back into the earth.

Neiven was engulfed in a bright blue glow, her body floating nearly a foot off
the ground. Her body was arched, her hair swirling around her like the water.
She was seemingly unaware of what was happening to her, but her subconscious was
keenly aware of her surroundings.

She could hear the demons screaming out in horror and agony as the icicles
pierced through their diluted bodies. She could hear Aarn's voice calling out
to her, encouraging her to continue. She could hear Mokona bouncing next to
her, also shouting encouragement.

Finally she heard the pillars of water as they dissipated, crumbling back into
the ponds as the demons began to disappear.

As the last demon collapsed, the water seeping back into the earth, Neiven's
body fell limply to the ground. She became consciously aware once again,
quickly trying to cushion her fall with her hands and feet. Thankfully she
wasn't high enough in the air to cause any major damage upon landing.

"Neiven, are you all right?"

Neiven looked up to see Emera kneeling beside her. She smiled up at the other
girl, sitting back on her heels and placing her hands on her knees. "I think
so. Wow, that was amazing."

"You can say that again," Aarn said. He and Zan moved to stand behind Emera.

"You found the key," Zan stated.

"I had some help," Neiven said. She looked at the ground in front of her. The
key laid there silently, returning to its once faint glow. Her smile grew as
she looked back up at the group. "Told you it was mine."

"Selece's key," Emera muttered, staring down at the key.

"The Key of Nobility. You have all done well."

Zan and Aarn turned to see the image of Master Mage Clef standing in the doorway
of their modest hut. He was dressed in his usual attire, but he looked more
tired than normal. Mokona stood behind him, partially in view through the
hologram, projecting his image.

Neiven stood with Emera's help. She picked the key up from the ground, turning
with the other girl to look at the Master Mage. All four stood transfixed,
surprised by his appearance.

"Master Mage," Zan said, startled. "Is there news?"

Clef's image nodded solemnly.

"You have two of the three keys. That is very good indeed." He paused,
offering them a small smile. "And you have endured much. You are all to be
commended.

"But I'm afraid things here are worsening. Fuu has fallen unconscious. She has
been asleep for nearly a day now. Neither Ferio nor myself could awaken her.
And now that you've found Selece's item, I believe the same will happen to Umi
within a day."

Emera had to place a hand over her mouth to keep from shouting. It was getting
worse? Her mother was unconscious. But how could this be, her mind shouted for
her. They found the Key of Knowledge. Shouldn't Fuu be getting better instead
of worse?

Zan asked the exact same question of the Master Mage.

Clef visibly sighed. Apparently he had thought so as well. But that was not
the case.

"My magic is still being blocked," he told them. "I believe I am coming closer
to breaking through, but it is taking too much time. And my resources are
beginning to dwindle."

"If you keep it up, you'll fall ill as well," Neiven said uncertainly.

Clef nodded. "I have done all I can. And I will do my best to make sure Fuu's
condition doesn't get worse."

"But there are no promises," Emera said, her voice barely a whisper. She stared
at the ground, tears forming in her eyes.

The Master Mage smiled sadly at the girl. "I'm sorry, Emera."

"It's not your fault," Aarn said. "You're doing what you can. And so are we."

Clef nodded again. "Yes. And now you must find the third key and return to the
castle. I am certain my news has only made you all more eager, but please don't
let it cloud your judgement. Get some rest. Mokona has the location of the
third item. He will show it to you in the morning."

With that, the image of Master Mage Clef vanished.

Zan sighed, turning to the group. "You heard him. Let's get some rest."

"Can we eat first? All that fighting's made me hungry," Aarn said with a
sheepish smile.

"And you hardly did any work," Neiven replied, shaking her head. She had to
admit she was hungry too. It had been a long time since lunch. She stared down
at the key in her hand, then looked at Emera. The other girl was crying, and
trying to hide it. The news of her mother had hit her pretty hard.

"Are you going to be all right, Emera?"

Emera looked up to see Neiven, Aarn and Zan staring at her. Each of them showed
concern. She wiped her tears away with the back of one hand and offered them
each a small smile.

"I'll be fine," she said with a nod. "Let's get some rest."

Mokona's hut had four bedrooms, one for each of them. Neiven claimed the one
right next to Zan's. Aarn waved to everyone before turning in. Zan said
nothing, closing his door as quickly as possible to avoid Neiven sneaking in
behind him. After two failed attempts to enter Zan's room, Neiven returned to
her own, falling onto the bed and asleep almost instantly.

Emera was the last to turn in. She carried Mokona with her into the last
available bedroom. She sat on the bed, placing Mokona in her lap. The creature
looked up at the girl sadly.

"Puu pu?"

"I'll be fine," she said to Mokona. But they both knew she wouldn't. Not until
they found the third key and returned to the castle.

"Pu pu puu pu?"

She sighed. "I'm not sure. No matter how I feel about her leaving me behind,
Mokona, I know I still love her."

"Pu puu pu."

"You're right. I should get some sleep."

Mokona bounced off of Emera's lap, allowing her to stand and pull back the
covers. Once she was done, Mokona hopped back onto the bed, snuggling up to the
pillow. Emera laid down beside him. He was asleep instantly as usual. The
girl watched him sleep awhile, crying silently.

'Hang in there, mother,' she thought. "Hang in there, aunt Umi, aunt Hikaru.
We'll return soon with all the keys. Then you can get better. Then it will be
all right.'

With that thought, Emera fell asleep.




~~TO BE CONTINUED~~