Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ Magic Knight Rayearth: Medieval Mystery Series ❯ Emerald Knight ( Chapter 16 )

Chapter 16

"Why?" Ferio thought as they ran, "Why had it been after Fuu?"

There was no doubt about it, their being attacked in the clearing had not been a random act. Animals like that could only be summoned by powerful magicians, but why would a magician want Fuu dead? She was just a simple girl after all. He couldn't understand.

"Figure it out once we're safe inside the castle," He told himself as they ran. His arm throbbed and the burn on his stomach stung with every sudden movement. Ignoring that, he looked back to see how Fuu was. She was breathing hard, but the look in her eyes told Ferio that she was more worried about him.

He grit his teeth as he looked away. No one was going to harm her, he would make sure of that. She was too kind, too sweet, too wonderful for that. He would protect her, no matter what.

"We're almost there." He yelled relieved as he saw the forest thinning out to reveal the castle gates. It wasn't much farther now. They could make it...

"Arrow of Fire!!"

"Crysta Shield!!"

The pair stopped dead and looked out at what seemed to be a living nightmare. Smoke filled the sky from various spots all over the city, screams could be heard in the distance, and wreckage from various buildings was strewn about everywhere. Fuu brought her hand to her mouth and whispered, "Hikaru-san." They had come out directly into the middle of the battle.

Hikaru's flame attack passed harmlessly around the woman's magic shield. Alicione grit her teeth in rage and summoned a another spell in counterattack.

"Alaiya Ice Shard!!"

Hikaru yelled in surprise as ice shards, some as big as Hikaru herself, came flying at her with incredible speed.

"Hikaru-san!" Fuu watched the small girl twist and weave, miraculously dodging most of the ice chunks. She landed on her feet, breathing hard and bleeding from her arm, but still in one piece and able to fight. After a moment, she directed her attention to Fuu.

"Fuu-chan! Umi-chan's been hurt. Help her." And she turned back to the fight. "ARROW OF FLAME!!"

Fuu spotted Umi lying on the ground near the crumpled ruins of the castle wall. Without a second thought, she ran to her.

"Fuu!" Ferio cried, hot on her heels. She reached the injured girl and gently lifted her head into her lap. Umi's clothes were so drenched in blood she couldn't even tell where it was she might be bleeding from.

"Umi-san." Fuu called to her in a gentle voice, but there was no response. Fuu bit her lip, holding the tears back.

"Alaya Ice Spear!"

"Look out!" Ferio jumped between Fuu and the hailing onslaught of ice brought on by the magic attack. He yelled in pain as it slit through his skin and clothes, doing almost as much damage to him as it had done to Umi. Fuu watched with glistening eyes as he sank forward onto his knees, using his sword to keep himself there.

"Ferio!"

"It seems underestimated you, if my two headed pet wasn't enough to bring you to your untimely end, magic knight." Alicione said, addressing Fuu.

Fuu stared back, a confused, horrified look on her face. "Why...what are you saying?"

"So it was you!" Ferio accused through ragged breaths. "You're the one who summoned that thing to attack Fuu."

"How very perceptive of you." Alicione laughed, "Now die."

"Alayia Ice Blast!"

A cold blast of invisible air shot out and hit Ferio in the stomach. It threw him back with such a violent force that he landed directly beside Fuu, flat on his back, shuddering in pain and unable to breathe.

"Ferio!" Fuu cried, tears spilling over her emerald eyes. Why was this be happening to all the people she cared so much about? Why were they being hurt?

"Now to finish the job." Alicione aimed her staff.

"Fuu!" Hikaru cried from the side. Injured as she was, she was trying desperately to stand, digging her sword into the ground for support.

"Hikaru! Umi!" Fuu thought. "Ferio!"

"Alaiya Ice Attack!"

*~*~*~*~*

Clef woke up with a start, gasping in pain. The chapel was quiet, filled only with the sounds of a quietly bubbling Eterna. It took him a moment to remember what had happened.

"Zagato, Emerald," he whispered through clenched teeth. Using his staff for support he forced himself to his feet and staggered towards the fountain, blood seeping from his wounds.

Nothing had changed. It looked the same as it always had, clear, calm, pristine, offering Clef no answers as to what was going on.

"Dammit" he swore in pain and frustration as he gripped his staff tighter, struggling with dizziness. "What's happening? How do I stop it?" he gasped aloud. There was no answer.

"...rio..." A faint, delicate whisper reached his ears. Blinking several times, he forced his eyes to focus straight ahead at that sound.

"Why...What are you saying?" The Escudo gem asked.

Clef stared at it, bewildered. "The green knight..." he breathed.

"Ferio." It said again, and in an instant, the jewel began to glow, faintly. As Clef watched, a girl appeared. A girl with short fawn coloured hair, and emerald green eyes...

"Fuu!" he whispered. Was she the green knight? How could he have missed her? She had been right under their noses the whole time.

"That's not important now," Clef chided himself. "I have to get this to..."

Painfully he focused his energy upon the gem, calling it to him so that it floated above his hand. Then, leaning heavily upon the staff, he hobbled over to the nearest window and smashed through the glass. Nearly at his strengths end, he held the gently glowing gem in his hand and spoke to it.

"Go," he said, "find your master, her life depends on you..."

On command, the gem flew off, taking to the breeze like a firefly into the night. Clef collapsed against the stone wall, fighting consciousness.

"Presea," he whispered before blacking out, "be safe..."

*~*~*~*~*

Fuu watched as the ice attack hurled at her, and she hated herself. Hated herself for being able to protect neither her friends, nor herself, when they needed her most. These people had taken her in, given her life meaning and happiness, and now, she felt useless. Powerless against the enemy that threatened everything precious to her. If only there was a way, if only she had the power...

~Whoooosh~

Fuu closed her eyes as the wind suddenly began spinning protectively around her, creating a glowing, whirling pillar of green light. Deep, deep within her, something was calling to her, calling to her soul, telling her to stand up and fight.

Slowly Fuu opened her eyes to find herself staring at the green escudo gem, which floated calmly in the center of the turbulent cyclone. "That gem," she thought, "only the magic knight it belongs to may touch it." She stared at it a moment longer, it's light encompassing her, reflecting off the emerald orbs that were her eyes.

"It has the power to save Umi, Hikaru, Ferio, and everyone. But if I'm not the knight, if it wasn't meant for me, I'll..."

She shook her head. "I've got to try, for everyone's sake." She yelled to herself. Slowly she brought her hand up towards the gem.

"If I believe with all my heart, if I'm not afraid, than surely..." She reached out.

"I can find the power..."

A blinding green light exploded from her as her hand met the surface of the gem.

"What!?" Alicione gasped and hid her eyes at it's radiance. When she looked up again, there was Fuu, ready and armed, her emerald green eyes set with determination.

"No!" Alicione shouted, enraged that she had let the final knight awaken right before her. "Alayia Ice Spear!"

"Green Gale!" came the response. The wind attack instantly threw all the ice pieces off course, nullifying the effect.

"Fuu...chan...." Fuu looked down as the weak voice reached her ears.

"Umi-san!" Fuu gasped as the blue Knight slowly got to her feet. "You shouldn't move!"

She stopped as a blue light enveloped Umi, changing her into her knight's armor.

"Can't let you and Hikaru have all the fun, now can I?" was the response. She smiled and looked up as Fuu. "I knew you were one of us, I knew all along..."

"Umi..." Fuu whispered.

"UMI!!" Hikaru yelled from across the battle field.

"Hikaru!" Umi yelled back, "Let's show this old hag what we're made of!"

There was a simultaneous nod from all three girls as they turned to face their opponent.

"ARROW OF FLAME!"

"WATER DRAGON!"

"GREEN GALE!"

The first two attacks flew at Alicione, doubled in speed, strength and size by the force of Fuu's wind attack. In panic, the evil sorceress raised her arms.

"Crysta!" She shrieked, but never had a chance to finish. There was a resounding ~BOOM~ as the attacks hit their mark, then a sound like rain as the dust settled to the ground.

Then nothing.

Fuu stood in amazement, no trace was left of Alicione.

"UMI!" Fuu was brought back to reality by Hikaru's scream. The beautiful blue hared girl lost consciousness again as she crumbled back down to the grass. Judging by the extent of her wounds, Fuu guessed it would be for the last time...

"Umi-chan!" Hikaru ran to her side and lifter her head gently into her lap. "Hang on Umi-chan! Please, don't die!" She sobbed. Her eyes filling with tears again, Fuu let her gaze wander from Umi, to Ferio, and then back out over the city as it lay in smouldering ruin.

"No..." she whispered, as the tears streamed silently from her eyes. "I won't..." She swallowed and wiped the tears away from her eyes. "I won't allow it to end like this. I won't!"

She stood up tall, and closed here eyes for a moment. Then, her face set in determination, she summoned a new spell.

"Healing Winds!"

There was a brief pause, and then slowly the air began to stir.

It spun, around and around in a twister of green light that expanded out to encompass the entire city. Slowly, everything began to move, as if it was being blown back into place. The buildings, the houses, the walls, everything flew back and set itself into it's proper position again, and then, slowly, the blood began disappearing from Umi's clothes. Ferio opened his eyes...

"Fuu," he thought as he lay there, "Fuu...no..." She was beautiful, everything perfect was in her, and here he was, a lowly nobody, a fool. He had fallen, stupidly, he had let his heart be taken away by someone he knew he could never have. It was her fault, why did she have to be so kind, why did he have to be a gypsy. "Why did you have to be a Magic Knight?" he whispered.

The spell ended, and Fuu, drained of all her energy, felt her knees buckle beneath her. As she fell, she imagined someone catching her in strong, gentle arms. Someone calling her name...

Then everything was forgotten.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~