Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ Magic Knight Rayearth: Medieval Mystery Series ❯ Awaken to Ruby ( Chapter 9 )

Magic Knight Rayearth, Medieval Mystery Series...Part 9.

A note on Armor. The best pictures I have ever seen of the Magic Knights were done as 3 posters. Each one of the three shows one knight, with their evolved sword, and something to represent their element. However, the most distinct feature of these pictures is the armor that each Knight wears. They seem to be made of metal, and look heavy like the medieval armor of old. This is what I would imagine Umi, Fuu, and Hikaru wearing in this series, minus the rips and tears, put into the posters by CLAMP for dramatic effect. I suggest you use a little of your own creative imagination. ~_^

C-chan.

(Actions)

Name: Thoughts.

Name: Speech.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Girl: Mama! I can't hang on! Help me!

Hikaru: I'm coming, I'm almost there. Just hang on!

(The Orange rays of the setting sun hit the cliff as Hikaru struggles up its vertical side toward the panicked girl.)

Hikaru: Ahhh!

(She grabs a loose rock and it crumbles in her hand, her feet slip, and she hangs there for a moment by just the one arm, 98 feet from the rocky ground.)

Hikaru: That was close!

Girl: Whaaaaaaa! I'm slipping!

Hikaru: Just Hang on! I'm right under you!

Hikaru: I can't fall now! I won't fall!

(hardening her determination, she pulls herself back onto the cliff and starts climbing again. In a minute more, she reaches the frightened girl, and braces herself against the stone rock face.)

Hikaru: That's it, I'm here now. Just grab onto my arm and swing onto my back.

Girl: I, I can't. I'll fall. Mommeeee!

Hikaru: There, there, you're a very strong girl, and I'm sure your mother loves you very much. The sooner you climb onto my back, the sooner you'll be able to see her again. I know you can do it. Now come on...

(The little girl risks it, and reaches out to her right to grab Hikaru's arm. Just as she reaches grabs her with her other arm, her feet slip out, and she swings unsteadily from Hikaru's arm. She starts to scream again. Hikaru winces as the weight forces the rocks of the cliff into her hand.)

Hikaru: It's ok, it's ok. Just climb onto my back and hold onto my neck.

(Even though she is still sniffling, the girl manages to manoeuvre herself onto Hikaru's back. Her grip is a bit tight, but Hikaru doesn't complain. After a second more, Hikaru begins to climb up again to the top of the cliff, some ten feet away. She strains under the added weight, but eventually makes it. They roll onto the top of the cliff, completely out of breath and strength.)

~*~*~*~*~*~

(Meanwhile, The Shidou family race down the path to the valley on horseback, Kakeru and Lantis in the lead.)

Kakeru: Lantis, what has happened to Hikaru?

Lantis: ...She's reached the top of the cliff. She's okay...but...

Kakeru: ...but?...

Lantis: The gem is still flashing. She's still in danger.

~*~*~*~*~*~

(On top of the cliff, Hikaru has managed to catch her breath, and peel the sobbing girl off of herself.)

Hikaru: You were very brave back there! What's your name?

Little Girl: *Sniff*... Marie....*Sniff.*

Hikaru: That's a very cute name, Marie. My name's Hikaru, and I'm sixteen.

(The girl looks up at her with big, watery blue eyes, and wipes her tears away.)

Marie: I'm seven and a half.

Hikaru: Wow! Only seven. You must be incredibly strong to be able to climb all the way up that huge cliff! That's amazing!

(Marie looks down at the ground.)

Marie: I wasn't climbing up the cliff, I was trying to get down.

Hikaru: Trying to get down? But Why?

Marie: I was picking flowers for my mother, when suddenly they started to chase me. I ran and ran, but they just kept chasing me, and then I...I didn't have anywhere else to go...so I...I... tried to climb down, but I, I got scared, and...and.

(She looks like she's going to cry again. Hikaru hugs her.)

Hikaru: It's alright now. You're safe with me, but what was chasing you?

Marie: W...w....wolves...

Hikaru: Wolves!

(As if on cue, a wolf howls. It sounds very loud, and VERY near!)

~*~*~*~*~*~

(Kakeru and Lantis race around a corner, and out into an open area. Suddenly Kakeru spots a bag on the ground. He jumps of his horse without waiting for it to stop, landing neatly beside it.)

Kakeru: This is Hikaru's. She must be around here.

(Suddenly the air is sliced by Marie's high pitched scream. They look up to see Hikaru and Marie huddled in a small tree, with five or six wolves snapping at their heels. The small tree sways dangerously under their combined weight, and that of the wolves leaning on it.)

Kakeru: Hikaru!!

(Hikaru hears him and looks down.)

Hikaru: Kakeru!

(Satoru, Maseru, and Master and Mrs. Shidou arrive on horse back.)

Maseru, Satoru: Hikaru!

Kakeru: Hang on, we're coming!

Hikaru: Wait! There's a path down the trail more, it's safer to go that way!

Kakeru: Right!

Kakeru: Lantis, Wait here with Mother and Father, Satoru, Maseru, follow me.

(He leaps back onto horse and the three sons ride away. Lantis says nothing, but continues to watch Hikaru, and stare darkly at the gem. Meanwhile, up on the cliff, the tree is starting to shake dangerously as the roots are pried loose from the thin soil.)

Hikaru: This tree can't take much more! It's going to fall!

Mrs. Shidou: Hang on honey! You're brothers are on their way!

(The tree suddenly tilts violently to one side as a major root is pulled up. Marie screams, and the wolves start to snarl and snap in expectation.)

Hikaru: They aren't going to make it in time...There's only one way...

(Suddenly, to Lantis surprise, the gem begins to shimmer brilliantly before erupting into flame. At the same time, Hikaru's battle cry is heard from above. Lantis looks up...)

Hikaru: HA!!!!

(She leaps out of the tree, over the wolves, and lands neatly behind them. Grabbing a stick off the ground, she strikes at them before they have a chance to attack her. Caught off guard, the wolves are unable to launch a counter attack. She manages to fend off the snarling beasts one at a time. Lantis watches her from the ground.)

Lantis: ...Perhaps she really is the Magic Knight....

Hikaru: KIAAAAAA!!!!

(She attacks two wolves simultaneously, and kicks another wolf in the mouth as it tries to get her from the side. Then she swings her stick around behind her to block another. One wolf tears at her skirt, she attacks it and spins around to pull free, just a second to late. Another wolf leaps at her, and pushes her down.

Hikaru: AHHHHH!!!

(At the bottom of the cliff, she is seen disappearing into a mass of snarling fur. Mrs. and Master Shidou look on horrified.)

Master Shidou: HIKARU!!!!!

(On top of the cliff, we see her laying on the ground. Her stick is in the wolf's jaws, and she wrestles to keep it away from her throat. Around her, the other wolves paw at her face and bite her boots, but are unable to get at her while she lays under the big wolf.)

Hikaru:...rrrr..

Hikaru: ...I ... can't ... die ... here...

Mrs. Shidou: Hikaru!!!!

Hikaru: ... Mother.... I won't lose...

(At the bottom of the cliff, we see Mrs. Shidou being held by Master Shidou. Off to the side, Lantis watches the Escudo intently. There's a moment of silence...)

(Suddenly the jewel, which is still flaming intensely, begins to crack. The casing around it breaks and Lantis watches as the jewel falls to the ground. There, it hits a hard stone and smashes into oblivion....I silence follows as the snarling of the wolves can be heard above.)

Lantis: ...so, the magic knight is no more...

(He doesn't seem sure if he should take this as a curse or a blessing. He simply turns his back to leave when, suddenly the ground begins to shake.)

Lantis: Huh?

Mrs. Shidou: HIKARU!!!

(As he looks up, he sees the space on the cliff where Hikaru was laying has erupted into six foot tall pillar of flames. The escudo reacted to her fighting spirit and travelled through the earth to reach her. Hikaru, still lying on the ground wrestling with the wolf, begins gaining on it as the flames shoot up from under her.)

Hikaru: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

(The flames wrap around her body and solidify into heavy metal armour. The wolf jumps off of her with a yelp and Hikaru springs to her feet. From the bottom of the cliff, she seems to be on fire as she summons her evolved sword from the gem on her left hand. Then the flames quiet as she takes up her battle stance. Hikaru regards the pack of surprised wolves in front of her...)

Hikaru: ARROW OF FLAME!!!

(The fireball streaks past the wolves harmlessly. They erupt into a terrified frenzy and flee the area with all possible haste.)

( Hikaru's three brothers, who are running up the trail, stop as they see the spell go flying out from around the last corner of the path. Then they have to leap to the side to avoid the on coming rush of terrified wolves.)

Maseru: What the??

(At the bottom of the cliff, Mrs. and Master Shidou look on, stunned. On top of the cliff, Hikaru stands, an observes her new attire, a confused/disbelieving look on her face. Suddenly from behind her...)

Marie: Hikaruuuuu?

(Hikaru stops looking at her clothes and turns around to see Marie, who is gazing uncertainly out at Hikaru from her perch in the tree.)

Marie: Hikaruuu? Is that you?

(Hikaru doesn't seem too sure for a second, but then replies.)

Hikaru: Yeah, it's me.

(She smiles to emphasise her point, Marie smiles back and Hikaru goes to pluck her out of the tree.)

Marie: What happened to your clothes?

Hikaru: I uhhh, I don't know? Do you?

Marie (she shakes her head): uh-uh, but they make you look like a Knight.

Hikaru: A...Knight?

Kakeru: Not only that, a Magic Knight.

Hikaru: Kakeru!!

(She puts Marie down and runs to hug him. As she embraces him, her fighting spirit dies as she starts to feel safe and secure again. The armour vanishes, and only a gem on a left hand bracelet remains...)

~*~*~*~*~*~

(The next morning, dark clouds have filled the sky and the wind whips coldly through the valley, and past the plateau where the Shidou family is saying their good-byes. Lantis waits a ways a way as Hikaru, still dressed in a Heidi outfit, wearing a red cloak, hugs her family one last time...)

Hikaru: Mom....

(Hugs)

Mrs.Shidou: I'll always love you honey, no matter what happens

(They part, she hugs Satoru.)

Hikaru: Satoru

Satoru: I'll take care of everything here, so you just make sure you take care of yourself, okay?

(She nods and turns to Maseru.)

Hikaru: Maseru...

Maseru: Wow, my little sis is all grown up and going out to save the world. ... Do it quickly so that we won't have to miss ya for too long...

(He ruffles her hair gently, Hikaru goes up to her father.)

Hikaru: Father

(He hugs her tightly and whispers in her ear.)

Master Shidou: Watch this young man carefully, his heart is torn, and he knows more about Cefiro's trouble than he lets on. He may prove to be your enemy in times to come...

(He hugs her a moment longer, letting this sink in, then...)

Master Shidou: ...I love you...

(And he lets her go. Smiles at him, and Hikaru turns to Kakeru. He kneels down to her height, and hugs her slowly.)

Kakeru: Hikaru, believe in yourself and everything you do. A heart that believes is like sunshine in times of darkness.

Hikaru: ... Kakeru ...

(Although he tries to hide it, his eyes are full of deep concern. She smiles at him.)

Hikaru: Don't worry, I won't let you down!

(She seems so confident that Kakeru and everyone else in her family smiles. Then she jumps onto her horse and whispers in it's ear. A few seconds later it rears as Hikaru gives a battle cry.)

Hikaru: YAAA! Let's go save Cefiro!

(They take off down the trail, passing Lantis who has to gallop to keep up. Her family silently watches her go, unable to stop her from meeting her uncertain destiny...)

~*~*~*~*~