Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ Call of the Heart ❯ Confrontations ( Chapter 12 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

STUDIO X PRESENTS

MAGIC KNIGHT RAYEARTH:
CALL OF THE HEART

A Story by Miyu, Vampire Princess



Episode Twelve - Confrontations





Soft footsteps hurried down the hallway. The runner panted as he went. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Cephiro castle was shaking to its very foundation. He had never felt anything like it.

His first instinct was to look for Clef. Unfortunately, the Master Mage was absent from all of his usual rooms. Even his quarters did not look like they'd been used since that morning.

There was power in the air. He could feel it coursing through him as he stopped to catch his breath. There was magic at work. It convinced him even more that something was very wrong.

"Ferio!"

The young man looked upward to see Lafarga chasing after him. He too had been searching, but only for the prince. The blonde man stopped when he reached him, leaning against the wall for support. Apparently he'd been running the whole time. After a quick moment he caught his breath and pushed himself away from the wall.

"Your Highness, I need you to come with me. It's an urgent matter," Lafarga said with a small bow.

Ferio glanced at Lafarga, almost frantic. "Is it the Master Mage? Is he...?"

The taller man shook his head, his blonde ponytail waving behind him. "Ascot has located the Master Mage. He is apparently talking with Mathis. It looks to be a serious matter, but Ascot believes it best not to interfere at this time."

Ferio frowned, shaking his head. This wasn't good. "Then what--?"

Lafarga sighed sadly. "Caldina has informed me that there has been a change in the Knights' condition. She wished for you to come back to the infirmary right away."

Ferio's eyes grew wide. He'd only left there a little while ago to search for Clef. What could've happened?

Lafarga watched as Ferio, without a second thought, turned on his heel and ran towards the infirmary. He felt sorry for the young man. Of course, if it was Caldina in Fuu's place he would certainly go mad as well. And secretly, he knew that Ferio was worried about Emera.

Since Clef's "disappearance", there hadn't been any word from the children. Pictures of his own two children wondered through his thoughts. He only hoped that they'd return soon,

With another sigh, Lafarga focused himself on what lie ahead. He jogged after the prince towards the infirmary.




Lantis looked up as the door to the infirmary opened. He had hoped that it would be the Master Mage, or perhaps Zan. Instead, Ferio walked through the doorway, frazzled as ever. The smaller man ran a shaky hand through his green hair as he made his way towards Fuu's bedside.

"What's happened?" He asked Lantis, not looking away from Fuu's face. She looked so peaceful lying there. Just like he had left her only an hour ago.

"There has been a disturbance," he answered. He stood from his seat next to Hikaru's bedside but did not walk away. Instead, he looked down at the sleeping features of his beloved. "Caldina is speaking with Ascot. She believes that the spell put on the Magic Knights has gotten stronger. They've slipped deeper into a coma. Clef's current situation with Mathis may be to blame."

"You mean Mathis may be to blame," Ferio stated evenly.

Lantis nodded. He had always thought the boy strange. But he had a love for his country and his cousin that Lantis admired. Eagle had been his best friend for many years as well.

But as time passed, he realized that there was something darker inside Mathis. He had hoped that the Master Mage would've seen it sooner. Perhaps the time he spent trying to heal the Magic Knights had blinded him.

"Clef is speaking with Mathis now," Lantis answered just as evenly as the prince. "The magical pull of the castle is growing. It will not be a pretty engagement."

"That's the least of our worries right now."

Both men looked up as Lafarga entered the room. He seemed much more agitated from when either had seen him last.

"What news?" Ferio asked seriously.

"I just received a messenger from Revellee." He paused, uncertain how to phrase his words. "Several...mashins...have suddenly appeared."

"Several mashins?" Ferio asked curiously. "You mean, like the Rune Gods?"

Lafarga nodded. "We believe that three of them ARE the Rune Gods belonging to the Magic Knights."

"Then the children have succeeded in their quest," Lantis answered with a hint of a smile.

Larfarga was able to smile back, but it was a bit forced. "But we have no idea who or what the fourth mashin is. The messenger said it bares the insignia of the royal family of Autozam on its left shoulder."

Both Ferio and Lantis were shocked into silence.

"I don't recall Autozam ever having a mashin," Lantis replied.

"Stranger things are happening," Ferio added. He nodded to Lafarga. "Gather several of your best men. I want to see what's happening for myself. We'll leave immediately."

"Is that wise," both Lafarga and Lantis asked in unison.

Ferio sighed, shaking his head. "Probably not. But I can't sit here any longer."

"Nor I." Lantis nodded in agreement. "I will accompany you."

"I'll meet you at the gate," Lafarga said with a small bow. He turned quickly and left the room.

Ferio looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Lantis looked down at him seriously. "They'll be all right," he told the smaller man.

The prince sighed, looking over his shoulder at the sleeping form of his beloved. "To whom do you refer?" he responded. Slowly his eyes moved to meet Lantis'. "The children or the Magic Knights?"


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


"Neiven, wake up!"

"Wha--?"

"Pu puu! Pu puu!"

"Morning already?"

"No, we've got trouble."

"Trouble?"

BANG! CRASH! SCREAM!

Suddenly, Neiven's eyes widened and she was awake. Well, at least she looked awake. She still moved a bit slowly as Emera threw back the covers on the bed and told her to get up for the umpteenth time. The commotion outside was horrid. People running and screaming. Things breaking. And the heavy footsteps of what sounded like a mountain troll. A very LARGE mountain troll.

Only it wasn't.

"By the Master Mage!" Neiven stood from the bed and walking to the window. Her eyes fell upon the Demon of Autozam and widened again. "What the hell is that?"

"It's a mashin," Emera stated. She was already heading for the door. "We've got to stop it before it destroys the entire town."

"Looks like it's doing a good enough job of that already," Neiven muttered. But contrary to her sarcastic tone, she hurriedly dressed herself and followed Emera and Mokona out into the hallway. Other residents at the inn had already evacuated. But to where was uncertain.

Zan was standing the hallway just beside the door to the boys room. He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. Head bowed and eyes closed, the girls thought he had fallen asleep.

"Zan," Emera stated with a sigh. "Now's not the time for a nap."

"I wasn't sleeping," the young man replied, one eye opening to look at the foreign girl. "I was thinking."

"Where's Aarn?" Neiven asked, her voice louder than normal. The commotion outside was getting worse, the demon getting closer. "Don't tell me you couldn't wake him up!"

"I'm awake," a voice, muffled by a yawn, came from the doorway of the boys room. Aarn stood there, fully dressed, even if his hair was still disheveled and his eyes droopy. The boy was obviously not awake yet. "So what's going on?"

"I'll explain on the way." Zan pushed himself away from the wall, head up and eyes open. He looked at each of the other three in turn. "You all have your keys, right?"

"Now's not the time to be worrying about our room keys, Zan," Aarn said with another yawn.

"He doesn't mean the room KEY, baka," Neiven nearly shouted at her brother.

"Oh, right," Aarn said with a nod.

Zan led the way downstairs, followed closely by Emera then Neiven and Aarn. Aarn wasn't easy to wake up out of the blue, they discovered. While his eyes were open and his body functioning, his brain was not quite up to par. But all that changed when he set eyes on the mashin, now trampling building on the outskirts of town.

Aarn gawked at the thing. "Where did that come from?"

"We don't know." Emera held a very nervous Mokona tightly in her arms. "It just...appeared. But we have to stop it."

"You're the only ones who can," Zan added. He nodded to the mashin who was ripping through small houses with its bare hands. "You have to call the Rune Gods for help."

"Donne the suits," Aarn wondered allowed. "All three? Wouldn't that be overkill?"

"We don't know how strong the enemy is," Zan stated evenly.

"But we've never been in a battle before," Neiven replied nervously.

"A first time for everything," Emera repeated aloud what her aunt had always told her. She was nervous, too, but she knew what she had to do. "There isn't much choice,"

BOOM! BOOM! CRASH!

There wasn't much time left. The mashin was getting closer. Without a second thought, Emera handed Mokona to Zan and dashed for the stairs. He didn't speak a word, too afraid to know what she had planned.

"Emera, wait!" Aarn called after her.

"Yeah, wait up," Neiven yelled, running to catch up.

By the time Emera made it downstairs, the town had been deserted. There was very little sign of life left. Laundry still hung on tattered lines. Buildings were smashed, the roofs and walls gone. Even the chickens at the corner store across the street were no where to be seen.

All she could see was the mashin.

Up close it looked like a truly hideous monster. The body was bulky and covered in red and violet armor. The mask of a demon covered its face while blank white eyes stared back at her. It almost resembled something she'd seen in an anime once. Hopefully it wasn't a flesh-eater.

"Emera, are you ready?"

The girl nodded, realizing for the first time that her friends had joined her. She clutched the key of Rayearth in her hand. There was no time to figure out how it worked. Was their a special code? A password or phrase?

//Take what is rightfully yours. Simply call my name.//

"Rayearth!"

"Soleice!"

"Windam!"

Blinding light filled the streets as the three chosen ones held their amulets high above their heads. One by one they were filled with incredible power. Their clothes were changed, their bodies transformed. Dust rose to cover them and loose pieces from buildings nearby fell to the ground.

When the dust settled and the light faded, three large mashins stood in their place.

"Pu puu..." Mokona stated. He smiled happily, his ears flopping up and down while in the circle of Zan's arms.

"I must agree," Zan said with wide eyes. The mashins looked majestic, even in the dust filled air of the town. 'But will they be enough?'


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


"Ooo. They've managed to call upon the Rune Gods." Applause. "Good, very good. Soon your precious Rune Gods will meet their end, and with them, the Magic Knights."

Clef managed to look at the orb floating just above his head. The children had indeed called upon the Rune Gods. Rayearth, Soleice and Windam were welcome sights to his old eyes. But any hopeful thoughts faded as he realized that the mashins were fighting futilely against the Demon of Autozam.

Struggling with his bonds, Clef gave a sigh of defeat. The cage Mathis had placed him in was weakening his magic. The glowing bars were specifically designed to contain magic. Mathis had planned for every contingency.

Or did he?

As Mathis' concentration on the cage waned, so did it's containment field. Just a glitch in the energy field that gave Clef a small reprieve. It wasn't enough to let the master mage slip free easily, but he could use it to his advantage later.

"Justice will prevail," Clef said, relaxing himself within the confines of his prison. He would have to bide his time.

"Yes, yes," Mathis said, nodding his head. "Justice will prevail!" With glazed eyes he turned towards Clef. "And you, Master Mage, will only live long enough to see it for yourself."

Clef winced as the power of the cage increased, causing him to drop to his knees. Too much, he thought. He was loosing too much power this way. After a moment, the pain subsided and he was able to stand again. With weary eyes he glanced at Mathis.

"We...shall see," Clef said, gasping for breath. Straightening himself he said more confidently, "We shall see."


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


"Is this...real?"

"I'm...not sure. Fuu-chan?"

"I do not know either, but it feels...wrong."

"Are we dead then?"

"Hikaru! How can you say that?!"

"Gomen, Umi-chan...."

"She may be closer to the truth than we're willing to admit."

"Nani?!"

Floating, that's the feeling Hikaru remembered the most. Floating in a void space. Color didn't exist, neither did light. It was simply an empty slate that no one had dabbled with yet.

She blinked, trying to get her bearings as she floated towards what looked like solid ground. She was followed by a curious Fuu and a concerned Umi. When the all landed safely the began talking at once.

"Wait!" Umi shouted, exasperated. "Let's do this one at a time." She motioned to Fuu. "Fuu-san, why don't you go first."

"All right." The woman nodded and gave her best assessment of the situation. "I do not believe we are dead, Hikaru-san. We're merely unconscious because of the illness."

"I felt really drained before I passed out. Like, one last bit of energy was taken from me," Hikaru commented, both hands over her stomach. She didn't feel nausea. She didn't feel anything at the moment!

"Me, too," Umi said. "Although I could feel Clef's presence. I couldn't see him, but I could...feel him."

"Same with Lantis," Hikaru added, nodding enthusiastically.

"I could feel Ferio, too. He seemed really tense and...concerned." Fuu was silent for a moment, contemplating a theory. "I think it's because of the children."

"Nani?" "How's that possible?"

"The mashins," Fuu stated more clearly, eyes widening. "The children found the mashins. Because of our bond with them -- they sustaining us and vice versa -- they must've taken the last bit of energy they needed to help the children."

"Good point, Fuu-chan," Hikaru said. "I can feel Rayearth's life. But it feels, odd. Hurt."

"And Windam's."

"Yeah, yeah, and Soleice." Umi sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. She could feel the water god's strength waning, feel the hits it was taking in the real world and realized with a frown that the children were involved in a fight. One look told her that Hikaru and Fuu had realized the same.

"So where does that leave us," Umi asked unenthusiastically. "Besides here?"

Hikaru brightened, an idea forming. "Maybe we can help the children."

It was Umi and Fuu who blinked in surprise. "How?" they asked in unison.

"We can feel a connection to the mashins, right?"

Both women nodded intently.

"So we can lend them the last of our energy, give 'em a power boost."

"But that could drain us completely," Fuu pointed out.

"Don't remind us, Fuu-san," Umi scolded lightly. Her friend was only pointing out the obvious but....

"Cephiro needs our help," Hikaru said pleadingly.

"Our children need our help," Fuu said more definitively.

Umi sighed, straightening her shoulders. "So what do we do?"

That's where the plan was stuck. Hikaru frowned and scratched her head. How DID they do that?

"Perhaps," Fuu suggested, "If we concentrate on the mashins, create a circle of energy from them to us and them back to them. Like moving ki in martial arts." This earned her confused looks from her friends to which she sighed. "Just think about Rayearth and Soleice, imagine your energy flowing through them."

"All right," Umi said with a nod.

"Let's give it a try," Hikaru replied with a smile.

The three magic knights formed a small triangle. Joining hands, they looked at each other one last time before closing their eyes. Each thought of their rune god. Rayearth. Windam. Soleice. Pictured the mashins in their mind's eye. Imagined their energy flowing to them, to the children, creating a shield of hope.

And love.

There was a scream somewhere in the distance. Then everything went black.


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


"This feels GREAT!" Aarn said from inside Windam. "And check out my clothes!"

"Probably one of the best outfits you've ever worn, big brother," Neiven replied, eyeing her own costume. Blue was definitely a good color for her. She smiled, lightly trailing her fingers over the new material. "Of course, mine's better."

"This is pretty neat," Emera said from inside Rayearth. She felt like she'd been thrown into a fairytale. But then again, hadn't she? With a smile she looked to her friends. "We can argue over who has the better costume later. Right now, we have a fight to win."

Soleice and Windam both turned to look at Rayearth. Their heads nodded while their hands gripped their weapons. Windam was the first to draw its sword. The mashin became a bit tipsy, but Aarn was able to right himself quickly. Even Emera, who'd never drawn a sword in her life was able to pull the weapon and hold it at the ready. It took some effort for the sword was heavy, but she managed.

Neiven, however, was having a very difficult time.

"I'm not going to break a nail, am I?"

"I'll personally see to it that you get a manicure, Neiv," Aarn said with a sigh. "Now come on!"

"I'll go on ahead," Emera stated. Rayearth took off towards the opposing mashin.

By the time Neiven was able to draw her sword, Emera was already launching an attack. "Emera?! Wait!"

The Autozam mashin turned, it's blank red eyes focsuing on the approaching Rayearth. Quickly searching it's databanks it began waving it's arms wildly. There was an eerie glow from the two red eyes and suddenly beams of light were shooting forward, straight at Rayearht.

"Whoa!" Emera cried, raising her own sword to help deflect the shots. She had a hard time stopping the mashin -- it had some get up and go to it -- but once she did, she fell into a crouching position, taking hit after hit from the evil mashin.

"Hang on!" Aarn said, charging straight for the demon. With a sword in each hand he managed to deflect the eye beams enough to get in close. He slashed downward with the left, then with the right. Neither hit connected with the mashin, but with a force field.

Emera took the opportunity to launch another attack. With her sword raised, she ran at the mashin, screaming. She was surprised when the demon reached out with a hand and caught her wrists, halting her attack. Very slowly it began to squeeze and Emera's screams of determination turned to screams of pain as it tried to pull her arm off.

Thanksfully, Neiven mounted a surprise attack from the rear. With several slashese of her whip -- yes it was a whip -- she drew the monsters attention away from Emera. The girl managed to pry herself loose and retreated to a relatively safe distance.

It was Neiven's turn to be surprised as the demon unleashed a whip of his own. She raised her arms to deflect the blow, but only succeeded in hurling herself backwards with the force. She landed unceremoniously on her back in an already condemned building.

"That thing's stronger than it looks," Emera winced, grabbing her right arm and making Rayearth do the same.

"Sis, you all right?" Aarn asked, trying to find a position that would allow him to help both injured mashins.

"I want the number of the cart that ran over me," the other girl replied. She and Soleice slowly sat up, recovering from the last blow. The building she'd been knocked into was totally demolished now.

"Let's try this again," Aarn said, readying his weapons for another attack.

"No," Emera said. "We have to come up with a plan."

"Well then you can come up with a plan. We're running out of time," Aarn replied. With a hoarse battlecry he charged the mashin again.

"Aarn, you idiot," Neiven called after him. Once she was righted she followed him into battle.

"Emera?!"

Looking down the girl noticed Zan and Mokona looking up at her. The look in his eyes was pleading. But she couldn't just charge in there. They were all going to get killed that way.

"Shimatta," she muttered to herself, charging in after her friends.

"Pu puu?" Mokona asked Zan as Emera joined the battle.

"She wants to form a plan," Zan told the white creature. "But the only way to do that is to find it's weak spot." The boy shook his head. "And I have no idea how to do that."

"Puuu," Mokona pouted, slumping in the circle of Zan's arms.

Attack after attack, nothing seemed to work. For all their weapons, neither Soleice, nor Windam, nor Rayearth could put a dent in the demon of Autozam. The monster though had stopped all attacks on the city and had focused solely on the mashins.

Soleice had been badly damaged in several area, one very close tot he cockpit. Windam had managed to escape harm, save for the razor cut in it's left shoulder. Rayearth had the most extensive damage. It's right arm was near inoperable. The left arm was hard to operate because the pilot wasn't left handed. It's left foot had been crushed and Rayearth sported three razor cuts of its own, two on its back and one on its chest plate.

"This can't be it," Neiven whined from Soleice. "I agree with Emera, now. We need a plan."

"There has to be more to it," Aarn added. "Where's the power? The magic?"

"It's here," Emera said. Her voice was confident but her face wore a frown. "Somewhere. We just need to learn to unlock it."

As if in answer, the three mashins were engulfed in white light. The light poured into their structures, their pours, opening up locked doors and awakening a sense of power that was near incomprehensible. Emera closed her eyes, felt the power surge through the mashin, through her. And on the breeze was the sound of three woman -- her aunts -- wishing them all luck.

"Can you feel that?" Emera asked opening her eyes.

"It feels like I'm being recharged, but...." Aarn looked around him, confused. "Where is it coming from?"

"Don't question it, brother," Neiven warned. "That last thing we need is a jinx. Besides, we can't let it go to waste, now can we?"

"All right," Emera said, sticking out her chest confidently. Words in a language she barely comprehended whispered in her head. She smiled, fists clutching the controls of Rayearth. "Let's see what we can do now."

The renewed energy of the mashins seemed to recharge the children as well. With a fervor they didn't know they had, they pounded on the demon mashin.

"Wind Tunnel!" "Water Laso!" "Fire Lance!"

"Ice Needles!" "Fireball!" "Hurricane Punch!"

"Fire Sword!" "Wind of Fury!" "Water Cannon!"

But after several rounds, it turned out to be, again, pointless.

"It's deflecting our attacks," Emera said with a frustrated groan.

"We need to get rid of its shield," Aarn stated. In his head, Windam spoke. He nodded his agreement. "Emera help me out here."

"Right," the girl replied, stepping beside Aarn. Then she looked at him, confused. "What do you want me to do?"

"I need you to shoot a line of fire straight across it's shoulder, close to its neck," Aarn explained. "Drill through it's shield. Meanwhile, sis, I'll need you to form a barrier of your own, around the three of us...in case it decides to attack us."

"Wow, a thought process that actually might work," Neiven chimed in skeptically. "Will it work, Em?"

Emera nodded. She and Rayearth agreed. "Yes."

Aarn nodded, again agreeing with Windam. "It'll work."

"Okay then, let's do it."

The Demon of Autozam screamed, an eerily screeching noise, as it halted it advance into the city. As if sensing that something was wrong, its power level increased, the metallic skin glowing with a iridescent presence. Its eyes glowed brighter and is screamed again.

"It's strengthening its shields!" Aarn said in disgust. "Em, shoot now! Now!"

From her position directly across from Windam, Emera called upon the power of Rayearth from within her very soul. She could feel it surge through her, hear Rayearth's voice inside her mind telling her what to do. Bracing herself, Emera raised her right hand, pointing a finger at the demon.

"Emera!" "Em!"

"Fire Tornado!"

As if a volcano had erupted, fire poured from Rayearth's finger, flying in a straight line towards the invading mashin. The force of the blast pushed it back several feet, but the shield surrounding it still held.

"Come on," Emera muttered under her breath. "This has to work."

//It will work.//

Emera blinked. Normally the voice would've been that of Rayearth. Instead she had heard Hikaru's voice in her head.

"Aunt Hikaru?"

//Hold on.//

With a loud crack, Rayearth's power increased causing the blast to increase in power as well. The mashin was pushed back even further, trying to regain its footing to move forward.

"Oh no you don't," Neiven said, seeing its attempted escape. She and Aarn immediately took up positions on either side of the demon, opposite Rayearth, to cut off any hope of escape.

As if by magic, the demon screamed again, dropping to one knee as it's shield was dropped and the fired seared part of its head from its shoulder. Encased in shadow and sparks, the mashin dropped it's other knee and fell to the ground. It screamed, as if in pain.

"The demon's...weakening," Aarn commented curiously.

"Don't question brother," Neiven shouted. "Just attack it!"

In unison, the mashins joined their magic into one final blast. Rayearth fired another blast of the Fire Tornado. Windma reinforced the blast with a strong gust of Wind Tunnel. The blow was enough to punch a hole in the demon's chest as it tried to rise again. Its eyes went blank as Soleice's Water Laso took off its head. With a loud groan, the remaining heap fell to the ground.

"They did it!" Zan said, squeezing Mokona in a tight hug.

"Pu puu! Pu puu!"

"Yes! That so rocked!" Aarn said, giving his sister a high five.

"It's really...over now." Emera stared out at the burning remains of the city. People were slowly sneaking back into the ruins, cheering with joy in the destruction around them.

The Rune Gods had been resurrected.

And the demon of Autozam was no more.


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


"They're powered up. They're levels are much higher than estimated!"

Clef smiled knowingly. "You created this predicament you know. It is because of the Magic Knights that the mashins have grown stronger."

"You lie! The Knights are dying! They cannot help! They cannot do anything!"

Mathis was clearly frustrated now. His power was weakening without his knowledge. Clef used this to his advantage. He'd bided his time and now his patience was about to wear off.

In a flash of blinding light, the shackles on Clef's arms and legs were dematerialized into nothingness. The cage that surrounded him began to sizzle and fade.

"What are you doing old man," Mathis yelled. "You cannot escape."

Clef smiled sadly. "In that, my young pupil, you are wrong."

Grimacing, Clef raised hi magic, pressing it against the confines of the cage. The magical bars tried to absorb all of the energy, but eventually they hit their limit. Straining from the overload, the bars snapped into pieces, giving the Master Mage his freedom.

"That's not possible!" Mathis howled in anger. Raising his hands he tried to come up with a counter spell. The bars of the cage slowly came back together, but Clef was already out of reach. The smaller man was floating in mid air, his magic a cushion all around him.

"Perhaps you need to take another look at what is possible and what is not," clef stated evenly. With one hand he brought the glowing orb in front of Mathis' face.

The young man's eyes widened as he saw the Demon fall, it's arms and legs sparking from damage. The head piece had been destroyed to reveal the truly horrid face of the beast. Both the demon and Mathis howled in pain and anger, dropping to their knees in defeat.

But Mathis wasn't finished yet. His cousin's death had not been avenged yet. He glanced wildly about the room, his mind trying to think of a spell. Then it struck him, the perfect plan. He smiled devilishly, but the smile disappeared when he realized he couldn't move his arms or legs. Glancing down quickly, he noted that they had been bound by magic, much the same as Clef had been.

"How can this be?! What are you doing?!"

Mathis struggled with his bonds. Unable to move his hands or reach his babble, his magic was next to useless. Still, Clef didn't want to dally in locking him in a room he was certain not to escape. The boy was mad now, and not just with anger. He hoped that time could heal his wounds, but was skeptical if the boy could indeed be redeemed.

"I do believe," the Master Mage said with a sad smile, "that the student has a few more things to learn."




~~TO BE CONTINUED~~


AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Okay, so I could've done more with this particular chapter. I actually had great plans for it, but push came to shove and writer's block did not help. *sigh* I apologize if this chapter sucks, but I didn't want to the story to die just two chapters before the end. Perhaps I can get back into the fandom enough to do a re-write later on. Please send comments to me. The help is appreciated. ^^