Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ Just Visiting ❯ Man to Mashin ( Chapter 4 )

Man to Mashin

"Lantis! Why do you keep coming to this stupid volcano?" the tiny pixie hollered as she annoyingly hovered around his head. He however seemed to pay no heed. "The air here is all hot and moist and it makes my beautiful hair go all frizzy!"

Mira giggled at the fairies complaints and decided to answer on his behalf, "He comes here because it reminds him of Hikaru san."

"Hikaru!?" Primera shouted as she flew down to the little girl's face, "Just what is so great about that short girl?"

"Hikaru's nice, pretty and she's strong, brave and a really wonderful person!" the little girl answered. Primera simply made a fed up noise and flew up a head of the two humans.

"You think so too Mira?" Lantis asked as he looked down at the girl who nodded and skipped happily at his side.

She then let go of his hand when she saw one of her village friend's just about to enter the man made temple. "Sano-kun!" she called out as she raced off to meet up with him and his family.

Lantis smiled as he watched the two quickly enter the temple only to come out moments later and join in on the game the other children that had come with their families had started playing.

"Hikaru…" he sighed her name. He could feel her energy faintly; sensing her presence made him want her again, but his yearning would go unfulfilled fore she was in her home world and there was no way of knowing when she would return to him or if she'd even come back at all.

Primera was just about to say something to him when Mokona, appeared out of nowhere and tackled her to the ground. "Hey! What the- I thought we ditched you back at the palace!"

"PUU!!!"

"You were following us?"

"PUU!" the fluff ball said again, in confirmation.

Lantis glanced over at the Fire Shrine's entrance where the Mashin, Rayearth slept.

"Would you get off me Mokona? C'mon! Let me up!"

Forgetting that Primera and Mokona were even there, Lantis absently left the bickering duo, and headed towards the volcano's entrance. Two guards stood at attention for the Fire Shrine itself was out of bounds. It was dangerous for people to just enter the volcano as they pleased; the Mashin's time to be active had passed and now wished to be left in peace, to sleep…

"Um…" the guard to the right of Lantis began.

The one to his left continued, "You-uh, sir. It is not wise to go any further. We must ask you to turn around and go back."

"I am well aware of the dangers I face in continuing, now let me pass." Lantis said bluntly as he eyed the two. He was being drawn inside the volcano and he refused to be waved aside by mere low classed soldiers.

"L- Captain LaFarga has requested that we not allow anyone past this point."

"I will not ask you to move again," he coldly stated.

The two guards looked at each other and instantly moved over to either side of the opening and watched as Lantis passed. "Do not let anyone else pass," the kailu commanded as he continued onward into the volcano.

* * *

"No go?" Umi questioned.

"No go." Hikaru confirmed.

"Well that's just stupid. I mean, last Friday you were able to go and unlike now, you weren't even in Tokyo Tower!"

The weekend had come and the three magic knights had decided to meet up and try to go to Cephiro. However, so far they had only been successful in getting Umi really annoyed at the fact that they weren't able to.

"I'm trying as best as I can Umi."

"Well try harder!"

"This is peculiar…" Fuu interjected. "Last Friday, Hikaru san was able to go to Cephiro all by herself. And now that we are all together here in Tokyo Tower- where the chances of us being able to successfully transport ourselves should be greater- we are unable too..."

"Way to state the obvious Fuu."

"Come on guys let's go." Hikaru said in disappointment.

Both girls turned to look at her; surprised that she was willing to just give up so easily. That wasn't like Hikaru Shidou. "But Hikaru…"

"I don't feel it guys."

"Don't feel what?" Umi questioned.

"The two times we went before to Cephiro, I'd felt something. Something strange in the air; It's almost unnoticeable, but I could feel it. Now I don't feel anything."

"Uh… I'm not sure I follow you." Umi stated.

"It's hard to explain… I just wish we could have gone to Cephiro again. I don't understand why we can't…" the Magic Knight of fire suddenly clutched her head. She swayed slightly and was about to fall when Umi and Fuu steadied her.

"Hikaru?!"

"Hikaru san, are you alright?"

Hikaru suddenly pushed them back and jerked away, letting out a quiet giggle. "I know why none of you can get to Cephiro." Sounded the sinister voice of Nova.

"Nova?!" The other two Magic Knights questioned as they took up defensive stances. The last time Nova had taken over Hikaru's body, she'd nearly hurt one of Satoru's students in a sparing match. Though neither Umi nor Fuu had been there at the time, Hikaru had informed them about it. She explained that the match had gotten kind of intense and with out her even noticing, Nova had gradually taken over her body. She said she couldn't remember it very well, that it was like she knew what she was doing but couldn't stop herself from getting out of control. It was only when she was just about to execute a fatal blow that she snapped out of it and came back to her senses.

`What do you mean? You know why we can't go to Cephiro? Then tell me why-and give me back my body!' Hikaru yelled in Nova's head.

"Hey! It's my body too Hikaru!"

"Why are you talking to-" Umi began.

"Shut up!" Nova commanded as she briefly turned her attention to the Water Knight. "Can't you see I'm talking here- Besides Hikaru, I thought I wasn't supposed to talk with you."

`I take it back'

"Oh! So now that it's convenient, you want me to talk to you- better yet, you want me to help you!"

"Uh, A little louder Nova, the people on the other side of the Tower can't here your miscellaneous ramblings."

"I told you to shut up." Nova shot back as she shoved Umi into Fuu, bring both girls crashing to the ground.

"Perhaps we should not interrupt Nova san while she is talking to, whom I can only assume is Hikaru san." Fuu said as she tried to restrain Umi from getting up and kicking the crap out of the one who had taken over their friend's body. "Please Umi san, remember that if you hurt this girl, you'll just be hurting Hikaru san."

Nova suddenly clutched her head and fell to her knees. "We seem to be hurting our selves just fine with out you Blue... Okay, Okay I'll take you and these two friends of yours, but until we get there I have full control over this body."

`Fine.'

"Very good. Well if you want to go to Cephiro, you'll have to follow me." Nova declared before dashing off towards the stair well.

"Wait up Nova san!" Fuu called as she ran after Nova.

Pushing herself off the floor Umi took one look at the stair well, "Oh, come on! Don't tell me we're going to half to chase her all the way to the bottom of the Tower! Damn it Hikaru, your doppelganger's a giant pain in the ass!" she said under her breath before pursuing the two.

* * *

Sweat streamed down Lantis' face as he continued his descent into the volcano. He stopped momentarily, whipping away the perspiration then messaged his temple's in an attempt to clear his blurred his vision. This place was doing things to him and he wondered if entering had been such a good idea.

"Magic Swordsman…"

Lantis' head bolted up in an instant, his sword, drawn on instinct, it wasn't long for him to focus his energy into the sword and produce a blade of light. "Who's there?" his deep voice beamed off the cave like walls making him sound more threatening than he'd intended.

Suddenly the mahou kenshin was enwrapped in blinding bright flames. Covering his face as best as he could with his cape, he attempted to cast a shield to repel the flames. However, his mind became hazy and couldn't concentrate his energies. The fire wildly danced around him hardly even touching him, as if the flames tasted him. Once he forced himself to calm down, he discovered that he now stood in the center of an enormous cavern; a mist of reds and yellows blanketed the ground and crept up the walls. "How did I-"

"Magic Swordsmen…" the voice called again.

"Who are you?"

"Thou wake'st me from mine slumber and you question who I am?"

"The Fire Mashin?" Yes, it was Hikaru's Fire beast. He could feel its energy now surging throughout this place. It felt so similar to that of Hikaru… Though he felt that he should be leery of the fire god, he found himself lowering his guard and returning his sword to where he's drawn it.

"I am that of which you speak." There was silence, Lantis stood like a statue as fire ignited throughout the entire cavern. "Tell me, why did thou recall your weapon?"

Lantis' eyes closed as he shook his head. "I do not know…"

"You feel not the least of concern for your own life? Tell me lone warrior."

"Hikaru…"

"Thou art fond of mine mistress- the Magic Knight and lady of the land…"

The kailu said nothing merely stared off into the flames, allowing himself to get overwhelmed by Hikaru' energy force.

"Mine master's life and my being are one in the same…" the beast called out gently, finally deciding to take on its physical form. The red eyes of the wolf beast bore into his as it slowly moved towards him, radiating power and dominance. "And now perhaps you…" rayearth took a step towards him.

Without even realizing it, Lantis too stepped forwards. He outstretched his arm as the fire wolf lowered its head to the ground as though the mashin were bowing to him. Closer and closer Lantis became to the wolf, completely entranced. He stopped suddenly just as he was about to stroke the beast.

"If your heart is hesitant to take the test-"

"I didn't come here to take a test." Lantis shot back before Rayearth could finish.

"If you haven't come before me to test and see if you are truly worthy of mine mistress then why art thou here?"

`Is that why I'm here?' Lantis wondered. To prove to himself that he was worthy of her?

"Raise your hand and show to me that your heart is true to mine ladies." The mashin ordered as it moved ever so closer.

Lantis did as he was told and slowly slit his hand up to caress the back of its right ear. Fire emanated off Rayearth and crept up his extended arm. He however didn't retract his arm or question what would happen if he failed this supposed, "test". Tingles ran through him as he felt Rayearth's warmth. `Is this how Hikaru felt when she'd encountered the fire gods?'

"Our mistress searches for a way back to you, master of the sword and wielder of the great magics. Her heart cries out to be warmed once again by your own."

"Just as mine cries out to warm hers," he replied absently. And with in that moment Rayearth confirmed what he had believed to be true in the first place. Suddenly the beast's eyes shined brightly as a remotely uncomfortable burning sensation spread across his chest. He looked down to see the fading sign of Rayearh glow through his black armour.

"I have bestowed upon the me insignia, a seal of my protection and a proof of the unspoken pact now between thee and my mistress…" The fire god declared before slamming into him. Within seconds Lantis found himself on his back at the entrance to the volcano he held his chest for a moment where the wolf beast had slammed into him. "Rayearth…"

<Author's Note: I'm going to elaborate a little, a dog or wolf that bows or lower it's head before other animal's shows that they acknowledge that the other is stronger or the dominant one. Um… did you guys understand that? I wish I had a definition for that `cause my explanation's probably as good as reading gibberish. Oh, well. Basically, it's a dog thing. So, um… yeah, this is chap. Four. Did you like it? Hate it? You should know that I'm not quite sure about where I want to go with this fic, so any suggestions are more than welcome. ^_^ Ja!>