Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ Echoes of Destiny ❯ Dramatic Autumn ( Chapter 1 )

Echoes of Destiny
Dramatic Autumn

***

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again," said Zazu with an unnatural scowl. "You're crazy."

But the mechanic said nothing more as he retreated to the hangar, leaving Geo alone with the nameless soldiers on the bridge. He knew that when everything was over, Zazu would be demanding payback for everything he made him do. Geo made a mental note to check how much money he had; imported wine would be the only way Zazu would be satisfied. After all, he had no clue what was going on and why Geo was so desperate to get Eagle out of battle; luckily, he understood something -- whatever it was -- about Geo's feelings, and for that, Geo was grateful.

The screen in front of him flickered for two seconds, went blank, and divided into two squares. It was a private television; Geo refused to make a public broadcast out of what he was about to do.

"What is it now?" the younger princess of Chizeta, Tarta, demanded as two screens flashed into images of hers and the princess of Fahren's faces. "You've stopped attacking, and now you are contacting us again?"

"Tarta, wait," a gentler voice spoke up. Tarta was pushed to the side as the elegant elder princess, Tatra, came forward to face Geo. "You are the sub-commander?"

He nodded. "Geo Metro. It'll be less time consuming if you just called me Geo."

"Less time consuming, yet casual," said Tatra. Her eyes narrowed, but there was no malice in them; only curiosity.

"Is this another attempt to get us to stop going to Cephiro? If it is, you're wasting your time," said Aska. "I think I speak for all of us when I say that."

Geo shook his head. "No, that's not it. You should know by now how we Autozam soldiers think." He grinned weakly. "We only ask once."

"Then what do you want?" Tarta asked as her face popped back on the screen.

"I want to call a peace... and make a request."

All three women blinked.

"I take it this is without your commander's permission," said Tatra slowly. He nodded. "Do you two have different agendas?"

It took a moment of thought before Geo finally answered, "Now we do."

Before then, before Geo discovered Eagle's disease, he had devoted himself to following Eagle's orders and requests, staying by his side throughout everything, just like a good friend should. But in a situation like this, wouldn't a good friend ignore the orders in order to save his companion's life?

Even so, Geo no longer knew anything about Eagle's plans to become Pillar of Cephiro. It couldn't be for Autozam's sake; he discovered that with the first talk with the other two countries, and it was confirmed with Eagle's medical data.

There was something else, and before Eagle went into an eternal sleep, Geo wanted to find out what it was.

"A peace and a request," said Tatra. "If we do not carry out your request, is the peace over?"

"No."

Tarta blinked again. "You're different from the other Autozamians I've come across."

"Isn't the NSX's commander the only 'Autozamian' you've come across?" Tatra teased, to which Tarta blushed. She laughed softly, but when she turned back to Geo, her features were solemn. "What is your request?"

Geo took a deep breath -- this wasn't going to be easy. "I want you to save Ea--er, our commander's life."

The three princesses just stared at him.

"I know it sounds crazy," he continued, "and I know it will take more than a lot to convince you, but he will die if he isn't stopped. It's more complicated than you think, really. He is dead set on this, and he knows that he will die if he pushes himself, but..."

Geo cringed, realizing that he was speaking before he chose the right words to say. This wasn't going over so well; why were his diplomatic skills failing him at the worst possible time?

"But he wants it," Tatra finished for him. "He isn't afraid of death, but am I incorrect when I say that death is possibly what he wants?"

"I wish I knew," Geo admitted. "But I wouldn't have come to you if I could do anything to stop him myself. He changed the password to our fighter mecha, and no one knows what it is. I cannot chase after him, and attacking with this battleship will destroy the FTO and kill him."

"So," said Aska, "you've come forth to us and plead to your enemies to save your best friend's life."

Geo nodded. "Yes -- wait." He frowned. "How did you know that--"

"That your commander is also your best friend?" she replied with a small smile. "The way you asked us, and how you're risking everything for him tells me enough. You wouldn't have done it if he was just your commander. I understand. I will help."

"That quickly?" he asked, and Aska nodded in response. Geo smiled. "Thanks."

Although, apparently, the princesses of Chizeta and the princess of Fahren could not see each other, they could certainly hear each other, and Tarta was not pleased with Aska's decision.

"He is still the enemy though!" Tarta protested. "Nobody has yet to call a formal peace--"

"Then I will now," Aska announced. "A peace and an alliance will be made between Autozam and Fahren. There will be no treaties; this is about friendship now. If the princesses of Chizeta insist on being enemies of Autozam, then they will also be enemies of Fahren."

Age certainly did not matter when it came to politics and royalty, Geo noted. Princess Aska of Fahren certainly was more mature for her age than she should really be.

Tarta's reaction to Aska's announcement was bitter. "This could be a trap."

"I don't think so," said Tatra, her face solemn in thought. "Your commander's battle robot stopped attacking the Bravada and the Dome, and he is now fighting the Cephiro warriors. From our previous conversations, he is so determined to become Pillar that he is not afraid to die; when did you discover that you wanted differently than him?"

Geo cringed. Time was running low; if he didn't hurry...!!

"When I discovered that he was sick," he said hurriedly, in case Zazu came bursting back into the bridge. He needed to find out about Eagle's disease from Eagle himself. "It was only ten or fifteen minutes ago that I discovered it, although he showed the symptoms beforehand. It's a disease caused by using too much of our brain power, but it springs more from heredity than anything else. His mother died from the same disease because she pushed herself. If he overworks himself, like he is now, and like he has for the entire invasion... he will die."

"I've heard about that disease," said Tatra. "The Audi TT is what you call it, isn't it?"

He nodded.

"That makes a little bit of sense, but how will his becoming Pillar with that disease help with curing Autozam's pollution problem?"

"I don't know, but I doubt it'll help at all. But that's not why... I can't let him die out there. If the disease conquers him, he's just as soon as dead. I wouldn't be able to save him like I did last time when he almost fell into the eternal sleep."

"You would sacrifice yourself for your commander? Your friend?" Tatra asked, her eyebrows raising slightly.

Geo hesitated. "No," he said, "but I would do anything within my power to make sure that he keeps himself out of trouble... to make sure that he stays healthy... I can't fail him now."

Tatra smiled gently. "Very well then. We, the princesses of Chizeta, will make an informal peace with the NSX for now, and we will give you back your commander alive."

"Neesan!" Tarta protested but was silenced with a look from her elder sister.

"Thank you, all three of you," said Geo with a grin. "I am indebted to you--"

"No, you are not!" Aska snapped. "I'm not doing this as a favor or for anything in return other than that I will not have any blood on my hands. Maybe if you were your commander, your friend, I would have to ask something in return--" She smiled, and Geo knew that she was just joking. "--but I like you better. You're not as demanding, and you're nicer."

"And Princess Tatra and Tarta--"

"I already received what I wanted," said Tatra as the screen went blank from Chizeta's end. Aska gave Geo one last smile before Fahren's screen turned gray, and Geo found himself being stared at by three soldiers who were right below him.

"Sir, are you sure this is okay? The Commander--"

"I am the sub-commander, and I am in charge of this battleship when the commander is not onboard," said Geo, "so yes, this is perfectly okay. Do not fire until I give the orders."

Geo prayed that Zazu would crack the new password to the battle mecha as soon as he possibly could. Being helpless was the last thing Geo wanted at this particular moment.

***

Lantis was baffled.

He thought he knew Eagle all too well, he thought that he could predict anything Eagle would decide to do... but due to recent developments in the battle, Lantis no longer knew what to think of Eagle and began to doubt their relationship.

It was understandable why Autozam had engaged in an altercation with Chizeta and Fahren, and why Eagle left in his FTO to ensure victory for Autozam. He knew why Geo didn't follow in his GTO; the NSX had to be left in control by somebody. If Lantis remembered Eagle and Geo, and if the two of them were the same as he left them, then Geo must hold a high position on this mission, especially if Eagle was in command. Everything about the battle had made perfect sense, even as to why Eagle decided to attack Lantis and ended up fighting the Magic Knights.

But when Lantis looked back at the three Roads, he was shocked and bewildered. Nobody was firing at each other; there seemed to be some sort of cease-fire.

That observation had been made only a little while ago, just as the Fire Knight managed to get herself in a one-on-one battle with Eagle.

Eagle was a very good fighter. The Fire Knight had not convinced the other two to stay put while she handled things; first of all, she wasn't like that, and even if she was, Eagle was one step ahead of her. Although it had been three against one in the Knights' favor (Lantis only counterattacked whenever Eagle fired at him), Eagle managed to disable the Water Knight, thus leaving the Wind Knight to take care of her.

The Prince and Ascot couldn't do anything, and Lantis ordered them to go back to the castle. They had refused, but soon they realized the same thing and reluctantly left. They took Mokona with them, but Primera stayed. Lantis needed her to enhance his magic if Eagle were to attack him again.

Again, the Fire Knight demanded out of Eagle, "Why do you want to become Pillar?"

Eagle answered only with firing the gun at her, to which she easily shielded.

Why?

That was exactly what Lantis wanted to know, too. Why did Eagle want to try to become Pillar? Lantis told him everything, absolutely everything, about Princess Emeraude's position when he was in Autozam. It did not repel him?

You're going too far for it to be for Autozam's sake, and even if it was for Autozam, you know you wouldn't be able to become Pillar. There is another reason. Could it be...?

From the corner of his eye, about where the three groups of invaders had parked, a bright flash of light emerged. By the time Lantis could recognize where it came from and what it was, the new enemy had reached the battle skies.

The Water Knight regained consciousness at the entirely wrong time.

"Not THESE things again!"

***

Back on the NSX, one of the bridge members looked at his commanding officer nervously. "Uh, sir...?"

"I'm not even going to ask," was the only reply he was given.

***

"The Djinn of the Royal Family of Chizeta," Eagle noted quietly from the dark cockpit of the FTO. "How did they manage to gather enough time and energy--"

A large blow knocked Eagle out of his reverie, and he realized that the Djinn were after him. He was more surprised that he didn't realize it sooner; after all, the NSX and the princesses of Chizeta and Fahren were currently in battle with each other, while Eagle was taking care of things outside of that battlefield, but...

"But how...?"

Eagle turned his attention to where he had left the NSX and was shocked to see that nobody was firing.

"A cease-fire? How did this happen? Why?"

'Don't go, Eagle! I saw your medical data; you are--'

Eagle's eyes widened with realization as he dodged another attack from the Djinn.

I should have known that changing the password wouldn't stop him, Eagle thought. And this is exactly the reason why I never told him, even if he IS my best friend!

He maneuvered out of the way of a flash of light the Djinn fired and counterattacked with a laser cannon. It hit one Djinn, but the other managed to dodge it, but in the end, the laser cannon had not done that much damage. Both Djinn attacked again.

Why, for my sake, do you do this? Eagle asked, although he knew that he would never get an answer from Geo.

***

Sang Yung was surprised to see that Aska reacted differently towards the Djinn of Chizeta than she had during the last battle. This time, a concerned yet determined face watched the fight as she contemplated what to do.

The elderly Chang Ang, however, seemed quite pleased with the maturity Aska had been showing ever since the commander of the NSX asked for her to stop going to Cephiro. She had plenty of time to think about her goals and how she was acting towards it, and she must have not been pleased at all with her behavior. Sang Yung was only older than her by a few months, yet he held a higher age than her at eleven, while she was still ten years old. Still, deep down, Aska certainly was more mature than even Sang Yung.

After all, had Sang Yung been in Aska's place during the talk with the sub-commander, he knew that he would have persisted on fighting the NSX.

Finally, Aska spoke up, "The Djinn are not enough to defeat the commander."

Sang Yung and Chang Ang simultaneously turned to her.

"What do you plan to do, Aska-sama?" asked Chang Ang.

"None of my techniques have been truly successful; I would only be hurting the princesses if I were to use them," she continued. "I need something stronger... but the only thing that would work is one that nobody has mastered for one hundred years. I've only started learning it."

Sang Yung was puzzled. What technique was there that nobody had mastered for an entire century? He looked at Chang Ang, who had a concerned feature on his snowy bearded face.

"Aska-sama, you can't possibly be thinking about--"

"Yes. The Maboroshi Chikara."

Sang Yung blinked. "The Maboroshi Chikara? I thought that was only a legend!"

Aska smiled. "It's a secret only been passed down in the Royal Family, and the only person outside of the family who knows is the Royal Advisor. The Maboroshi Chikara... the Phantom Power."

"It could kill you if you are not strong enough," Chang Ang said. "You better just stick to what you have mastered... maybe together with the Djinn you can capture--"

"Chang Ang," Aska said sternly, "this is the only way. But I'll need your help. The Maboroshi Chikara is the strongest when manipulated by a member of the Royal Family, but the reason why the Royal Advisor knows is because he supplies the power. Can you handle it?"

Chang Ang nodded. "Of course I can. I was the last person to master it, after all."

Sang Yung turned to his teacher. "But Aska-sama said that nobody has mastered it for one hundred years," he protested.

"I am one hundred and fifty years old, Sang Yung," said Chang Ang. "But Aska-sama, it's not a question of whether or not I can handle it. It's about whether or not you can survive it. You are the heir to the throne... the only heir to the throne. If you were to die--"

"I won't," said Aska. "I promised Geo-san that I will get his friend back, and I will do everything possible to do so. I will not die. For the sake of Geo-san, his friend, and my country, I will not die."

Sang Yung again stared at Chang Ang with anxiety. The elderly man sighed.

"Very well, then, Aska-sama," he said. "Sang Yung, it will be best if you depart this room, and take the other servants with you. I will call you in when we are finished, or if we ever need you."

Sang Yung widened his eyes, and Chang Ang's kind face turned to him.

"She will be fine," said Chang Ang. "Her heart is too strong for this to fail."

"H-hai!" Sang Yung replied and bowed, departing the room with full faith in his princess.

***

As soon as Umi recognized the Djinn and moaned in distress, "Not THESE things again," she jerked out of Fuu's grasp so as not to hinder her when the Djinn attacked, and so that Umi could be of better use than having someone holding on to her.

"Umi-san, are you all right?" asked a concerned Fuu.

Umi pouted. "Considering nearly having my arm torn off by that Autozam commander, I'm FINE. Now, why are the Djinn here? And where is Hikaru?"

As if right on cue, Hikaru flew back to Umi and Fuu from wherever she had come from. When Umi looked, it seemed as if Hikaru had just battled the mecha. There were no winners or losers; the Djinn were concentrating on fighting the mecha, and Hikaru could no longer fight without getting into battle with both the mecha and the Djinn in the most complicated sort of way.

"Umi-chan, are you okay?"

"Just peachy, considering."

"What happened to your battle with the robot?" asked Fuu. "Couldn't you have allied with the Djinn?"

Hikaru shook her head. "I don't know their intentions, and since they are spirits, I can't ask them," she answered.

The three girls turned back to where the action was taking place. Umi knew that there was no way any of them could take this battle seriously, although it was supposed to be something of a solemn battle. But how could they, when a Gundam-like mecha was fighting a couple of muscled ballerina genies? It was too weird to be hilarious, so Umi or Fuu or Hikaru let out not even a giggle. Simply put, Umi was at a loss for words.

"The three invading mobiles have stopped firing at each other as well," Fuu noted.

Umi and Hikaru turned to Fuu and saw that she wasn't even paying much attention to the battle, but rather, indeed, where the Roads of the invaders have halted. Sure enough, nobody was attacking.

"As I remember," Fuu continued, "all three were fighting each other."

"Yeah," Hikaru agreed. "I noticed that, too, a while back. I wonder what's going on..."

Umi sighed. "Sheesh, why are those people making the situation more complicated than it already IS and OUGHT to be?"

"What should we do?" Fuu asked.

"We can't do anything right now," said Umi. "It looks like the fight is only between Autozam and Chizeta."

Before anyone could say anything further, the sound of a hundred rolling bass drums sounded through the air, but there had been no bright flashes of light within the last minute; Umi knew that it was not thunder. She frowned and turned to the Roads, but none of them had moved or were moving. She glared at the battleship from Autozam, but there were no signs of it getting ready to fire, and judging by the stillness of the other two mobiles, there was absolutely no way that it had just fired. Umi arched a brow.

"Hikaru, Fuu, did you hear that?" she asked.

"Hear what?" Fuu replied, and Hikaru gave her a quizzical look.

Must have been my imagination.

"No, never mind."

The Knights again turned back to the battle, but it was long before Hikaru shouted:

"Umi-chan! Fuu-chan! Look!"

Umi snapped her head to where Hikaru was pointing -- the sky -- and gasped.

The dark clouds spiraled and were fluctuating between hues of crimson and charcoal. Lightning and thunder came simultaneously and held the same rumbling sound that Umi had heard earlier, except this time, it was ear-splitting.

Umi cringed and threw her hands over her ears.

"Umi-san, are you all right?" asked Fuu.

"You don't hear that?!" Umi demanded. Fuu shook her head.

It's just me then. But why? Why would I only hear it?

From somewhere, the answer came straight to Umi, although it had only baffled her more.

FAHREN?!

A bright cylinder with the intensity of the sun descended from the swirling clouds, trapping the battle mecha within it. Umi, Hikaru, and Fuu shielded their eyes, and Umi caught a glimpse of the Djinn being cast aside by some sort of barrier meters from the cylinder itself. The Djinn managed to gather themselves back up quickly, but they dared not try to get past the barrier and into the cylinder; besides being impossible, it was most likely fatal even for the supernatural beings.

"What is that?" Hikaru asked.

"'Maboroshi Chikara,'" explained Rayearth. "'The strongest spell Fahren's Royal Family has ever developed.'"

"But why can I only hear the thunder from it?" Umi demanded.

Selece answered, "'Because those who have had spells cast on them by a member of the Royal Family within the past five years can hear it. The sooner, the louder.'"

"Great. I feel honored."

"'It is not over yet,'" Windam announced as the thunder died down and the cylinder vanished.

"Eh?"

***

It wasn't long before Eagle realized that he was blind.

When the bright, shining barrier enclosed the FTO within it, Eagle tried his best to not let the light hinder him. He realized that it couldn't be helped, he shielded his eyes. It had been too late. When he opened his eyes again, all he could see was an ebony void, and no matter how many times he blinked, his vision would not return.

But he was not yet ready to give up the fight, especially when he had kept his hands on the vital controls and the FTO was controlled mostly by voice command.

Just like fighting blindfolded, he thought, except this time, I have no annoying cloth over my eyes. I never thought that the bet I made back during my school years would actually have come to my aide.

So he kept still as absolute silence dominated the cockpit.

Before long, the FTO shook rapidly before floating calmly in space. Eagle frowned. What happened to the noises the computer was supposed to make whenever something happened? He couldn't be deaf as well!

Those princesses are far stronger than I imagined, he thought with a grin. I'll keep in mind to not underestimate their powers next time.

A jerk from both sides reminded Eagle that he was still in imminent danger. He bit his lip and tried to free himself from the grasp from whatever it was that held him, but it did no good. He soon realized that he was trapped, and that whatever it was that blinded him had also disabled the FTO.

He was certain that he would feel much better if he were blind and deaf, rather than blind and having the FTO absolutely useless.

There will be another opportunity, I suppose. Not all is for loss.

***

Mokona watched the battle's end from the window inside of the palace and frowned.

The Djinn of Chizeta has captured the FTO, He noted before He sighed. I wonder if I have made a mistake...

Chapter Two: Incensed Winter