Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ Magic Knight Rayearth III: Clash of the Mashin ❯ Ni: Awakening ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Magic Knight Rayearth. I own Makato (Forge), Ronin, Amberfox, Thunderfrost and Storm-Steel. Thank you.

||| Magic Knight Rayearth III: Clash of the Mashin |||

By Grandsabre of Hearts

|| Ni: Awakening |||

I watched as a shape fell from the sky, watched as its speed decreased as it neared the ground, watched it make contact with the ground, and waited for it to move. It did not.

After several minutes of consideration, my overly curious nature took hold of me and it was then that I had the strong urge to investigate this new shape. Even in Zen'ei (the Knights call this land New Cephiro) where everything is odd, it is very strange indeed to see something fall from the sky. As I came closer to the figure, I realized that it was human, and wearing strange clothing. Maybe it was not from this place. I came to a stop before the face and my heart leapt.

Staring back at me, although very feminine, was my own face.

* * *
Amberfox was angry, although one who did not know her could not tell. Her face was schooled into a calm discipline, but her eyes betrayed her. They were blazing in fury. "ROUNIN!" She screamed in rage, nearly spilling the contents of the stew she was stirring. Where was he? Always gone when there was work to be done. That lazy boy! She thought to herself in frustration. The irony of her thoughts hit her after she thought them. "Boy," was not a term to be used for Rounin, although many times he acted as one. No, nor was "girl" a term to be used for herself. Although only fourteen, Rounin, servant of Prince Ferio, stood as tall as Lord Ascot, and his whole snow-white being spoke maturity. Amberfox herself, stood as tall as Lady Umi, but with a slightly more muscled build. Amberfox's hair was a deep shade of purple, and her eyes were as green as spring grass. For only being fourteen, Amberfox was very mature looking and had a rather motherly air about her. Her appearance was neat, long green servant's dress, not a smudge on it, not a thread loose. Over her dress, she wore a brown apron, and even this was nearly spotless. Her hair was tied back into two braids that fell somewhere near her waistline, and retained a smooth perfect look.

As for who Amberfox and Rounin were, they were servants under the castle of Ferio and the Magic Knights. Amberfox had come only half a year ago, when she and her five other siblings (she was the oldest) had come looking for work because they were orphans. Amberfox was a cook and servant, and Rounin was manservant to the prince and his male friends. Amberfox was the in charge of all the castle's servants, she directed everything because she was well-organized and knew how to get things done. Chaos and disorder were her enemies. But Rounin! She became angry just thinking about him. He was such a dreamer! Imagining he was also a Magic Knight (what had he called himself...? Of Storm and Space...?) and he would fight off great evils, when reality said that he was a servant, and the only evils he had to fight off were the dust bunnies collecting under places, and the dust upon the curtains and book shelves. She shook her head. Boys.

* *

Guru Clef sat in the Zen'ei Castle's center courtyard on the side on the fountain when suddenly blazing white lightning bolt shot through his vision, causing him to fall into the water from the shock. As water poured on his head, images went through his mind. A young female, pale of skin and hair, motionless. Was she dead, or alive? A male, who looked identical to her, looking over her in concern. A large, white griffin. A large black and gray griffin. A scroll. A cavern. And last, a darkness--no, an evil so great, it besmirched the soul to see it. Shock laced through Clef's very being.

Memories...? He questioned. Why are the memories coming back? I thought that since the Magic Knights had come, I wouldn't need the memories... Why now?

Clef looked up to see the concerned faces of his friends.

"C-Clef? Are you all right?" Umi questioned him.

Clef nodded, pulling himself out of the fountain.

"Perhaps we should go inside to the library... I think the sun is getting to you, Clef." Ferio said, looking concerned.

"Yes... Perhaps the library would be a good place to go..." Clef thought aloud.

* *

She looks so similar to me. But who is she? Where does she come from? Why is she here...?

*

Makato woke up to stare into eyes way too similar to her own. She couldn't help herself. She screamed.

"WHO ARE YOU??!" She yelled as she sat up, crab crawling away and then wavering as her vision went black for a moment.

"Sh... Now, don't you worry, I'm a friend, unless you're an enemy. Its me who should be asking you the very same question. And another one for you, why do you wear my form?" Asked the person, clearly male.

She surveyed him. He was right, she did wear the same form. Although he was extremely tall, he was albino, like she was. He wore a black jacket, similar to her own, left open to reveal a muscled chest, and black pants that reminded her of the ones martial artists wore. His hair was cut into an identical cut and his eyes were her own same shape. She calmed down slightly.

"There now... That's better. I'm Rounin Arashi, I live at Zen'ei castle. I've never met anyone in my life who looked so much like me..." He mused, grinning.

For some reason, Makato felt trusting and very safe in Rounin's presence so she relaxed a little. Then a realization struck her. "Arashi? Arashi?! I'm M-" She stopped herself. Zen'ei--that must mean she wasn't in Tokyo anymore... This was a chance to start life a new. One name popped into her head at the moment, and it felt very right. "I'm Forge Arashi!"

"It appears that you and I share a common last name. Maybe this explains why we look alike. Could it be that you and I are related?" He questioned.

Makato--or Forge as she was now called--nodded. "How old are you?" She inquired.

"Fourteen."

Forge's heart leapt. "Same. What sign?"

"Taurus."

Forge grinned, tears nearly coming to her eyes; when was the last time she had done that? She wasn't alone anymore. She had real family. It was so strange, she had come to a new world and in the first few minutes of her waking moments, she had found family. "Well, Rounin, that explains it. We either cousins born under the same sign, or we're twins. Me, I think I'll settle for the latter rather than the former, it makes me feel better about myself." She said rather softly, but with a touch of humor.

Rounin nodded, comprehension dawning, a slow grin coming forth. "Sister. I have a sister. I--I'm not alone!" He muttered to himself, "But I'm sorry to tell you that my--our parents died when I--we were four..." He said, letting his grin die.

"That explains why my parents didn't feel like they were my parents... But I loved them. I loved them and I miss them... What did they look like--our real parents, I mean?" She questioned.

Rounin smiled. "Well, mother was blonde haired and blue-eyed, and father was green-haired, and red eyed."

Green-haired and red eyed...? The face of Forge's Uncle, Inejiro, popped into her head. When her uncle wasn't covered from head to foot in soot, he had green hair and red eyes. But what could this mean? Surely he was not their father... She stopped her trail of thoughts and then looked up at her brother. "Tell me, Brother, where are we?" She questioned.

"We are in Zen'ei."

"Where do you live, and with who?"

"I live at Zen'ei Castle, with the other servants."

"Castle? Other servants--?"

Rounin sighed. "Yes, I regret that I am no more than a servant, not a Knight as I wish I could be."

"Do you know anyone who could tell me why I've come here? This doesn't look like any part of Tokyo, plus, it was early morning when I was there..."

"I believe that Guru Clef can tell us everything."

Forge smiled. "Well then, dearest newfound-brother, lead me to him!"

Rounin laughed and they started to walk towards a humongous castle.

* *

From a window in the castle's generously proportioned kitchen, Amberfox saw Rounin, his arm around a smaller figure, walking towards the castle. He's probably bringing home another girl... ARGH! THAT STUPID--IDIOT!! She yelled at herself. Although she denied it heartily to anyone who asked, Amberfox had a very large crush on Rounin, and it hurt her to see him bringing home pretty girls, and flirting with them. During those times she became moody and treated the new girls harshly and with dislike. And Rounin--well, Rounin was clueless about any secret crushes a certain maid would have on him.

Just like him, Amberfox thought, miffed. I'll just ignore him when he comes back... She told herself, and began her tedious work of cleaning the Dinning Hall.

* *

Rounin entered the castle through a secret door in the kitchen. Lucky for him Amberfox was not there. She could be a dragon when she was angry at him. Leading his new-found sister through the kitchen and to the servant's quarters, he went to see Lorina, the girl under Amberfox, to see what work he could get for his sister.

Lorina was one of the girls Rounin had brought back from a village once, and she had found work (much to the displeasure of Amberfox) under Amberfox, as the girl who, when Amberfox was not present, gave people jobs and oversaw work. She and Rounin flirted shamelessly as she searched for something for Forge to do.

"Have you ever cleaned rooms before?" Lorina asked, as she looked at papers on the "To Do" wall.

"Yes." Forge answered, thinking about her old home in America.

"Well, I'm being very trusting with this for a first-timer..." Said Lorina, "But I think you can handle it. All you need to do is mop the wooden floor and dust the room. There is a body in there--the sleeping body of Eagle Vision. But don't worry, he wont wake up, he's got a disease that keeps him asleep." Like a coma, Forge thought. "Rounin, you know where Master Eagle's room is. Will you please take her there?" Rounin nodded. "Oh, and Old Lioness is positively steaming. You better find a discreet room to dust and pretend you were there all along... Off you go!"

And with the dismissal, Rounin grinned, thinking of the other servants and his private joke about Amberfox. She could be as angry as a Lioness when something wasn't done. He took Forge to the servants supply room and gave her mops, a water bucket with some odd solution in it, and two rags. As he led her up towards Eagle's room, Forge asked who "Old Lioness" was.

Rounin tried very hard to look serious and failed--badly. "Its Amberfox. A girl who runs the servants. She can be crazy when she's angry. Especially at me. I don't think she likes me. You see," His eyes, devoid of the sadness Forge's held, so unlike her own, were a light with mischief. "I am rather lazy and I like to escape work to go into the forests and just sit and think..."

Forge laughed. "Rounin, you are not unlike me. You and I have more in common than you know, although we grew up apart." She told her brother.

Rounin smiled. "It is good to see you laugh, sister. Your eyes--they are so sad and troubling. I wish I knew what caused it..." He said, eyes glinting.

Forge managed a tiny smile.

They reached Eagle's room in no time and Rounin opened the door. "Good luck," He said grinning mockingly, "I'll leave you to your devices."

"Gee, thanks, Rounin." Forge said with sarcasm as she opened the door.

Rounin saluted her and then walked away down the hall, whistling.

Forge grumbled softly and then set to work, all the while avoiding the bed where the sleeping body lie. Opening the windows, and dusting the shelves and such, the room began to attain a bit of grandeur. Once the floors were scrubbed, Forge felt that this room would be a nice place to be, if the occupant were not sleeping a comatose state. She sighed and shot a look at the bed, and then inhaled sharply.

Upon the bed, lay the most handsome man Forge had ever seen.

She walked up closer, intrigued, studying his features. Something inside her jolted, another feeling came like surge, near her heart. She felt compelled to touch the face of this handsome man, to trace his lines, to feel his texture, just to prove he was alive. As soon as she touched him, she felt a surge of heat through her finger, and a bit of a zap. She saw white lighting jump into the man's face, and she shrieked. WHAT THE HECK?? HOW HAD SHE CAUSED THAT??

* *
Blackness, but healing sleep. I was unaware, just floating in empty bliss. My body was cold and motionless. But suddenly, I felt a surge of heat, a jolt, sending me to awareness. I realize now, that somebody is very near me, and they have used magic to awaken me. I feel myself slipping into reality, feel my hand move, and my fingers move. This presence outside of my awareness... It is not Hikaru, although it is female. Who is my savior? I shall open my eyes...

* *

I gasped as the man's fingers began to move, as his eyelids shuttered and then graced me with his eye color. Eyes brown, like the earth. Strong, caring eyes, eyes of a person with a strong heart. I gasped again. He was awake. How?

GH: WELL, THERE IT IS!! I AM SO PROUD! So, what'd you think??

ryuKON: REVIEW AND TELL!! n_n

GH: Bad news, leaving on a family camping trip for a couple days (DANG THOSE TRIPS) I LOVE MY REVIEWERS--THANK YOU!!