Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ Just Visiting ❯ Concerns ( Chapter 8 )

Currently the young fire Knight found herself humming a happy little tune as she strolled through the inner palace garden. She'd occasionally stop, bend down and take in the scent of the various flowers wildly strewn about. They were unlike any she'd ever seen on earth, and they looked even more beautiful than she'd remembered-if that was possible.

Premira and her had spoken only a short while ago. Hikaru had been saddened by the fact that the poor fairy had had to give up her "man" but was also happy fore she had received the pixie's blessings. Well, not exactly, but at least the two were friends now.

"I wonder where he is…" she mumbled absently. After wondering for a while, she decided to sit down and relax. She listened to the chirps of birds off in the near distance and began to hum again as she played with a few blades of grass.

"Hikaru?"

She jumped and shot up right, taken by surprise. Her heart was racing and every muscle in her body had gone incredibly tense. She heard her name called again and when she calmed her nerves, she looked up to find the one who was looming over her. "Lantis! You scared me half to death!" He was fully decked in his armour. However, he reached behind his back and drew forth his sword, then recalled it. She marveled at the difference; with his armour on, he seemed much more fierce, powerful, a creature to be admired for his greatness in strength and when he wore only the black suit, he seemed more gentle, more approachable still one to be admired, but for his vast beauty.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." There was something about his voice. She studied his eyes carefully but they told her nothing.

"Is something wrong?" she asked with a worried expression.

"Maybe…" He sighed and took a seat beside her. Where to start? His stare was intense, though he focused on nothing. What to say? How to word it? The fire Knight waited patiently as he tried to come to some sort of decision.

"Hikaru?"

"Yes?"

More Silence.

"The others know…" he stated bluntly.

She swallowed hard. "A-Are you angry with me?" The fear in her voice was evident. She stared at the side profile of his face.

"I'm not angry." He responded. Finally turning to face her, crimson eyes were meet by sad violet. "Just worried."

Again there was silence and again she tried to read him.

"What… what is there to be worried about?"

"As I'm sure you well know, Cephiro has very strict laws when it comes to matters regarding the Pillar."

She thought back and remembered the sad and shamed look Emeraude Hime had when she'd admitted to being the lover of Zagato and the extremes the high priest had gone to. "Yes, I'm aware… somewhat-you aren't going to take over the palace and plunge Cephiro into a chaotic war are you?"

"What?" He looked at her as though she'd grown five heads then realized why she'd asked that. "Oh. No, I'm not going to do anything like what Zagato did. What I'm trying to say though, is that we may have a problem."

With the confused look on her face, he decided to continue. "Hikaru, do you know what the penalty is for involving one's self with the Pillar?"

She shook her head. "Is it serious?"

He hesitated, "In certain instances, it's meant death."

Her eyes widened in fear. "Then… you're…" She felt her eyes brimming with unshed tears.

He outstretched his arm and ran the palm of his hand over her cheek. "I don't think I'll die. I said only in certain instances. Besides, Master Clef wouldn't stand for that and neither would I." There was a slight hint of arrogance in his voice as he said the last part.

He hadn't really calmed her any. So he tried to explain the situation better. "It's an age old law that has existed since the dawning of the first Pillar, to ensure, peace and stability through out the land. That's what Pillar was, but you've changed what it means to be the Pillar and no longer is the Pillar required to support this country."

"I don't want you to die," she said quietly.

He smiled in reassurance. "I'm not going to die. I'm certain the law will be wavered."

"But you'll still have to suffer some sort of penalty won't you? Because of me?"

"Probably, but I'm willing to live with that." He leaned into her. His arms encircled her from behind and he held her close. He pulled her up to straddle his lap and he lightly kissed her forehead. "I didn't want to bring this up, but I thought you deserved to know."

She nodded. He went to say something else but her fingers came to his lips hushing him. He grasped her hands and kissed them, then her lips. "No more tears now," He continued and somewhere, along the way, he'd gone from trying to comfort her, to trying to pleasure her. He probed her mouth and ran his right hand over the smooth skin of her abdomen.

"Lan-Lantis…" She moaned at his touch, her previous fears and worries far behind her. "Someone-" Her back arched when he'd hit a sensitive spot. "Someone might see us!"

"I don't care," he'd whispered. "You'll like this."

"But-"

Lantis then lifted himself off of her slightly and he gazed lustfully into her face, and then pouted. "I suppose you're right." He rested his head lightly against her chest and breathed a sigh. She still had her world's scent on her, but Cephiro's was replacing it. He released her from his hold and then kissed her gently once more. "Then grant me the honor later on in private."

Her voice was barely a whisper, "Okay."

He smiled, rolled off of her and lay beside her.

"What are you looking at?"

"You." He took her hand and rubbed it gently. Both simply lye there for a while: neither speaking, neither finding the lack of conversation uncomfortable.

"Oh." Suddenly Lantis sat up. "I nearly forgot." Reaching behind him he produced a small gift carefully wrapped in deep violet cloth.

She gazed down at his hands for a moment "What's this for?"

"I told you I had something to give you. So…" He gestured for her to take it. "Open it."

She took it and he watched her intently as she unwrapped it. Then studied her expression once she was able to see what he'd given her. In her hands lye a small figure of a wolf-beast sitting atop the small base of rockish terrain. She ran her eyes and her fingers over the elaborate detail and noted that it felt very much like jade. It was cool and very smooth despite the many bumps and indents. The rock in which it was formed from was ebon and was surprisingly light. The piece was so realistic it almost felt like it would come to life at any given moment. Truly a rare admirable beauty in its own…

"Do-Do you like it?" He asked anxiously.

"I love it." She answered blankly still entranced by her gift's magnificence. She then pulled her eyes away to look up at him. "But how did you know to get this? I mean why bother if you weren't even sure that I'd come back?"

"I knew you would return."

"Hmmm…"

"What's wrong?"

"We'll need to return soon. Umi, Fuu and me, I can feel it. We need to go back to our families." Her eyes began to fill with sadness again. "When we do, I don't know when we'll be able to come back-or if we'll even be able to come back. It's not like Cephiro needs our protection and I'm not a hundred percent sure how I-we managed to come back to Cephiro. I know I have power now-lots of power, but I don't now how to use it. Or how to fully control it. Earth doesn't have magic and physical rules are very restricting. I can't hone my abilities there…"

He said nothing but rubbed her shoulders reassuringly. She closed her eyes and took hold one of his hands and guided it to the side of her face where she then rested against his warm palm.

A thought occurred to him. "Let's go riding."

"Eh?"

"Horseback riding."

"But I don't have a horse and even if I did, I don't know how to ride."

She was surprised to actually see him look well, surprised. "Don't you have horses in your world? Or creatures similar to horses?"

"We have horses. Just not where I live."

"I'll teach you then."

Before she'd even had the chance to respond, he'd drawn his sword and raised the hilt above his head. He called out and instantly the energy flew wildly up in the air, then arched and shot downwards: His black stallion stood before them waiting for its master's command.

"Whoa, big horseie," was all Hikaru seemed to muster. She'd never seen the spirit beast this close before- she'd always seen it from a distance- and it was quite bigger than she'd expected.

"He can be very temperamental." Lantis began as he walked over to his horse. He rested his head against the side of the stallion's neck and whispered into its ear as he stroked the soft fir, and its blue flamed mane. "As you can see, he's also very gentle too."

"Like you." He then guided the horse over to her.

"He's so pretty." Hikaru said happily. She motioned to pet it but stopped. "May I?" He nodded. She then directed her attention towards the stallion. "Is it alright if I stroke your fir?" When she believed the beast had given her permission, she began to run her fingers through its fir. When she touched the blue flames she smiled; the fire felt cool. "Do you have a name?"

"Denkou. His name is Denkou."

"How appropriate."

"Shall we go?" He went to move but stopped staring off into the distance.

"Lantis what's-" She stopped when he made gestures for her to be quiet and she waited until he'd finished with whatever he was doing.

"I must leave," He said abruptly. "Sorry, but it seems we'll have to postpone our riding lesson."

"What? But, where?"

"Apparently I must go and deal with the monster infestation right now." He motioned to leave but she caught his arm, stopping him.

"Matte! Can't I go with you?"

"This is a problem that has nothing to do with the Magic Knights. So don't feel obligated to-"

"I'm not just a Magic Knight Lantis, I'm Pillar too. Cephiro's problems are my problems. Besides I want to come." There was a flare in her eyes. A flame that always seemed to light up whenever she was determined to do something.

Lantis held out his sword horizontally and there was a brilliant flash of light. Hikaru covered her eyes and when the area dimmed back to normal, she opened her eyes again, and discovered her ovum glove was on her hand. "How did?"

"You left it behind before." He hooked his sword back onto his belt, and then headed over towards a section in the wall. He motioned for her to follow and gave a high-pitched whistle for the horse.

I never knew there was a secret exit… "Whoa." She stumbled forward as Denkou lightly nudged her. Then they both went through the wall where Lantis had been.

They came through one of the large crystals at the base of the palace and found Lantis waiting.

"Neat." Was all she said as she looked back, up at the palace; they'd been several stories above mere seconds ago.

The Mahou Kenshin grinned at her delight, then mounted his horse and held his hand out for his beloved.

She shook her head and drew her sword. She then whipped it over her head and held it erect. "Rayearth!" Flames quickly wrapped around her sword, then around her and the Fire mashin responded to her summon. It appeared in its wolf-form and quite a bit smaller than it had been when Hikaru had first encountered the fire deity. "It'll be faster if we ride separately."

Rayearth crouched low to the ground allowing her to climb onto his back. When he stood, she leaned inwards, as a motorcyclist would lean inwards. She pressed the palms of her hands against her mashin and they were absorbed into the godly being. It made for an odd sight, but it was her equivalent to reins. "Ready?"

The Kailu nodded. He snapped his reins harshly and kicked the stallion's side, taking the lead. Hikaru fallowed in close pursuit.