Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ Cross ❯ Portals, Swords and Injuries ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Cross: Chapter II

Portals, Swords and Injuries

Hikaru awoke to the faint beams of sunlight attempting to gain
entrance into her room through the shutters on her window. Sitting up,
she rubbed the remaining sleep out of her crimson colored eyes. She
pulled back the warm sheets and stretched as she got out of bed.
Slipping out of her pajamas, and into her training clothing, she
quietly made her way over to the unoccupied room. This was the room in
which she spent at least an hour in meditation every morning. Before
entering the room, she glanced at a nearby clock which read `5:37
a.m.'

"I'm up about twenty minutes earlier than usual..." Hikaru said to no
one in particular, as she sat down on the cool wooden floor. She
straightened her back allowing herself to sit upright. Closing her
eyes, her breathing gradually slowed, as did the beating of her heart.
Hikaru almost always found a sense of balance and peace when she went
into her daily meditation.

She new it was time to get up and get ready for school when she heard
Masaru yelling at Kakeru to `wake up' in the distance. That's how it
was every morning, she always new when to it was time to get up
because that was the time her two brothers started yelling at each
other.

"If you don't get up now, you'll end up being late for school!" Masaru
yelled into his younger brothers ear.

"Okay! Okay! I'm up already!" Kakeru shot back.

"You're impossible Kakeru! You can't even get up at seven o'clock on
your own. But Hikaru's up every morning at six o'clock sometimes even
earlier!" The second eldest brother of the Shidou household scolded.

"Yeah, well she goes to bed earlier than me!" Kakeru defended.

"And I go to bed later than you! So that's no excuse!"

Hikaru chuckled a bit at her brothers daily bickering. You could tell
time by them, she always found it quite amusing. She headed back to
her room to change for school. Then walked over into the kitchen to
find Satoru cooking breakfast.

"Good morning, Satoru ne-san!" Hikaru enthusiastically greeted.

"Good morning Hikaru." Satoru said, turning his attention away from
the stove for a moment. "You're just in time for breakfast." He passed
her a plate with eggs, bacon, toast, and hash browns on it, a very
westernized breakfast.

"Thank you!" She said as she graciously accepted the meal and set it
down on the table. Then went to retrieve four glasses and set them on
the table as well and poured orange juice into each glass. Just them
her two other brothers entered the room, "Good morning!"

"Good morning." Kakeru in turn greeted. "You're pretty happy this
morning, what's up?"

"Hikaru is almost always happy in the morning, unlike you." Masaru
taunted.

"Well, how would you feel if every morning SOMONE splashed cold water
on YOUR face?" He threatened.

"Here." Satoru said, handing Hikaru a small grocery list. "These are a
few things we need. Can you get them after school?"

"Sure." Hikaru replied as she finished the last of her breakfast. She
took the list and placed it in her pocket. Then went over to the jar
where they kept all of their grocery money. I need to go now, I'll see
ya later guys!"

"Bye Hikaru!" The three brothers said in unison, Satoru saying it in a
less enthusiastic tone. Not intending to sound rude or cold, that's
just the way he spoke...

* * *

"I fold!" The tall sandy blond haired girl declared, as she fell down
on her knees. She rested her rapier on the floor beside her, "It's to
early in the morning for this!"

A sly grin formed on Umi's face over the recent victory, "Well Mei, I
guess you should not have challenged me now should you?"

"I didn't think you'd be so tough on me!" Umi's friend protested.

"Well sorry. But when someone challenges me, I don't hold back,
regardless of the time of day! You don't become the schools best
fencer by being soft on the enemy!" The light blue haired girl
lectured. It was towards the end of today's fencing class and Mei had
been foolish enough to challenge her to a match, wagering that Umi was
only bluffing at how skilled she'd become since the last time they'd
spared. She lost that bet though, for the match had only lasted a few
moments before Umi rained victorious by Mei's forfeit. "Why'd I even
bother, that win was WAY to easy." She gloated.

"Hey, don't let one easy win between us go to your head. You've got a
big enough ego as it is already!"

"And just what's THAT supposed to mean?!" Umi questioned, as her fist
non-threateningly shook.

A whistle blew in the other end of the gym, as the instructor gestured
everyone to come over. One by one each girls returned their swords
over to the small equipment room, where they had gotten them. Then
quickly proceeded to move over to where their instructor was. After
listening to the brief announcements being made and going over the
routine steps, all the girls should practice in their free time, they
were dismissed to change and head over to their morning classes.

"Hey Mei, what class do we have first thing this morning?" The fencing
captain inquired as they left the change rooms.

"Uh..." The young girl stopped walking and took a moment to
contemplate Umi's question. "I think we have English, yup English."

"Nani? No fair!" Umi yelled.

"What's not fair?" Mei asked.

"To have English class today! I was in such a good mood too... There
should be a law against having English on a beautiful Friday morning!"

"Oh, yeah. You don't like our English class do you Umi?" Don't like
was an under statement. This year, though it was early in the school
year, she'd developed a great disliking of English class. Which was
probably all compliments to the new teacher she had.

"No, Mei. No I do not." Umi replied flatly. "Ahhhhhh!" She screamed as
she realized that to her misfortune, this morning when she was rushing
out the door, she forgot her English notes on the breakfast table.
"Shooooot!"

"You forgot your notes again didn't you?" Mei teased. "Looks like
you're hallway bound."

" Oh, shut up Mei! Sometimes you can be as annoying as Mokona!" She
accidentally blurted out.

"Mokona? Who's that?" Mei asked with raising suspicion.

"Uh, well...Uh, oh crap! We're gonna be late for class!" Umi declared
and ran off in the direction of their classroom.

Placing her hands on her hips, Mei watched Umi with a questioning look
on her face as she watched her friend run off. "Sometimes Umi, I
really wonder about you..." she said under her breathe before
following after her friend.

* * *

Lantis was nearing his destination. It was mid day now, and for the
most part, it had been a beautiful, sunny, warm day. However, for the
past hour or so, the weather had changed. The sky had become
considerably darker, the temperature in the air had dropped and an
eerie breeze had crept up. Energy fluctuations had also been
occurring. Silently Lantis ran along the pathway, deciding that his
horse would create far too much noise, and actually slow him down if
he were to ride it. The path was very narrow, rocks and tree roots
jutted out of the ground. If he were to try riding his horse, he would
have chanced injuring its legs. What ever lay a head of him; Lantis
figured it best to hold the element of surprise...

As Lantis reached the clearing he discovered a fairly tall, dark
haired young man, with blacked earth surrounding him. The clearing had
once been a field of grass and wild flower, but no longer. Now it was
just scorched ground and rock. It must have been caused by previous
attempts to open this portal that Clef had been talking about.

"Who are you?" the young man questioned as he turned to face Lantis, a
thin sword was raised and he assumed a fighting stance.

Lantis was taken a back slightly. Though he had been running, he'd
done it rather stealthily. `He should not have been able to detect my
presence,' Lantis thought. `Unless he posses some type of magical
lineage...' That would make sense, no one else appeared to be nearby,
`but no magic is emanating from him.'

Narrowing his eyes, Lantis spoke in a deep, low voice just loud enough
for the other man to hear. "I was just about to ask you that very
question" However, unlike the man standing ten feet away from him,
Lantis did not prepare to attack, he merely stood there, observing his
surroundings.

"I have no wish to fight with you. However, if you are going to get in
my way, then I'll just have to remove you." As if on que, a small
portal appeared, shooting out tendrils of electricity in every
direction. For a split second, Lantis was able to make out his face.
His features mirrored little to no emotion, his hair was predominantly
a darkish blue. This mans posture was much like his own. Lantis had
never seen this person before, and yet he felt as though he knew him
from somewhere, but where is what eluded him.

With out warning he broke in to a run towards Lantis, who in turn,
reached behind his back and brought forth his own sword. Sparks flew
as the two blades clashed against each other while the men dueled.

"Who are you?" Lantis question as he parried an attack.

"I'm Sakuya." He replied as he continued his assault.

"Sakuya?" Lantis repeated. `That name, where have I heard it before?'
The faint memory of the conversation he and Zagato had had, threatened
to resurface, but now wasn't the time... Lantis was pulled away from
his thoughts and back to reality as a searing pain shot across his
upper left arms. Stunned, he grunted in pain as he felt a warm trickle
run down his arm. The first splash of blood had been spilled across
the dead ground.

"And you are?" The proud young Sakuya inquired in an arrogant tone. He
snapped his wrist, jerking the blade of his sword to the side.
Allowing the remnants of Lantis' blood to fly off.

`He's better than I had originally anticipated,' the mighty kailu
realized. He'd underestimated this mysterious stranger. He had skill,
obviously no novice and showed promise as a swordsmen. "I am Lantis,"
he answered as he studied the young mans movements. The pain in his
arm hadn't subsided, however, the burning sensation of a fresh wound
was no longer apparent. His injury would require tending to later.

Sakuya once again took up the offensive side, forcing Lantis to once
again take defensive. The sounds of blades crashing against each other
could be heard over wild thunder in the near background. The two
weapons fiercely struck each other again, and again, each with deadly
accuracy. Lantis was steadily gaining the upper hand, becoming more
aggressive than before. Allowing himself to go along with the flow and
rhythm that had developed, which enabled him to sense Sakuya's on
coming attacks. He skillfully slashed at his opponent's neck, missing
only by inches as his blade slid across the other mans face. Sakuya
snapped his head to the side as he felt the bladed force of energy
tear into his skin. It was now Sakuya's turn to bleed.

Slowly he raised his hand up to his cheek where Lantis had just
slashed it. He gazed down at the dark crimson liquid that now ran down
his fingers. `Never have I been injured like this...' granted it
wasn't a serious wound, but it would most likely leave a scar. `How
dare a mere swordsmen...' He looked up to his adversary, a dangerous
fire in his eyes. "I've not the time to be playing these foolish games
with you." He said in a disgusted tone as he jumped back, secretly
forming a ball of energy in the palm of his hand, and firing it.

He'd yelled something, however Lantis was unable to decipher the word.
The attack released was so unexpected that Lantis had little time to
react. Seconds before impact Lantis attempted a shield. "CRYSTA!" he
called as the energy wave hit. The shear force was so strong; he felt
a sharp pain shoot across his right temple as he was propelled back
wards, his shield proving to be less affective than he would have
liked. He was engulfed in a bright light as he fell back. The last
thing he remembered was laying on cold wet ground in a small pool of
his own blood before he passed out...