Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ Spirit of Cephiro, Heart of Cephiro ❯ Act 3: Something Rather Strange ( Chapter 3 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Author: Sparkling Moon Phoenix.

Genre: Anime, Adventure, Fantasy.

Rating: T just to be safe.

Status: Work In Progress.

Chapter: Act 3.

Standard disclaimers apply. Clamp, Sunrise Television owns the rights to MKR. I am just using the characters for a fiction of my own devising and the enjoyment of Rayearth fans everywhere. Any original characters, spells etc are © Sparkling Moon Phoenix 2012.

Author’s Note: Bold italic speech indicates radio conversations.  *Starred Italic script like this indicates telepathic speech.*

Author’s Note 2: Quite soon in this fiction, a Magic Knight I have created. Alethia Devon, Magic Knight of Prophecy will appear in this fiction.  I’ll be telling the story of the fourth Magic Knight in a re-imagining of MKR Season 1: Magic of Cephiro, Fate of Cephiro.

Summary: This new MKR fiction begins just after Hikaru Shidou is kidnapped by Eagle Vision.  The once mystical realm of Cephiro is falling apart far faster than anyone could ever have imagined.  But the meeting of two people could save Cephiro, and possibly more than one world.

Geo, his second in command was correct.  Events were going to be on the interesting side once the Magic Knight regained consciousness.  That thought flitted through the mind of the young Commander as the Mecha Bay door shut with a clang, cutting off the rather stringent protests of Zazu.  A faint smile curved his lips.  The reaction of his young Chief Mechanic when any of his beloved Mechas were damaged was well documented amongst the crew of the NSX, as well as his love for all matters mechanical.  This very instance he wasn’t exactly the favourite person of his Chief Mechanic.

All too soon the smile faded as the seriousness of his mission returned full force.  The capture of the young Magic Knight was an unexpected occurrence, but a lucky one and he had taken it.  He had requested Geo keep him appraised of the status of the Magic Knight.  He had other tasks to do whilst waiting for the lady Knight to regain to a state of full wakefulness.  The data from his last battle should have been uploaded into his personal computer for his perusal.  The medical technicians couldn’t give a precise estimate for when the young woman would awaken.

Until then he would fully study the information garnered during the confrontation with the Magic Knight.  Upon vacating the Mecha Bay the young Commander noted a waiting hover bike.  Settling himself down on the padded seat, he programmed the destination; the lift shaft leading to the officers quarters.  Half way to his destination, his personal communicator chimed.

Eagle decided to let the device continue ringing.  Whomever was calling could wait.  Operating a communications unit and a hover bike was most inadvisable.   The entrance to the officer quarters was now in plain sight.  Pressing various switches on the control panel of the hover bike, he brought the vehicle to a halt.  Stepping away from the bike and onto the lift platform, Eagle retrieved his frantically chiming com unit from its holder on his uniform belt, flipping the lid.  He saw the code of the person attempting to contact him: Geo Metro, First Officer of the NSX.  The fact Geo hadn’t cut the call short indicated that whatever he wished to impart to his commanding officer was most important.

Perhaps the Knight has regained consciousness.  Considering the strength of the magnetic field I used to subdue her, she might not awaken for a full day.  Hmm, still whatever he wishes to report must be serious indeed.  He will be angry unless I answer.


Deciding to see what Geo wanted, Eagle entered the lift, selecting the deck where his private quarters were located.  The lift would afford him privacy for this call.  He activated his communicator.


‘Eagle Vision here, you were calling Geo?’


‘Yes Commander I was.  You took your sweet time replying.’


Eagle snorted.  ‘A hover bike and com unit do not exactly mix Geo.  Remember what happened to Zazu?  Leaving that matter aside, what do you wish to report?’



A short laugh was transmitted by the miniscule radio.  ‘The Magic Knight you brought back with you hasn’t awakened as of yet.  The medical technicians report they are still ridding her of the after effects of the Energy Net.  All of her injuries have been tended to.  The medical scans have unearthed some interesting facts.  Those reports are in the process of being uploaded into the data banks.’



‘What about the status of the FTO?’  Eagle knew there were two more Magic Knights.  He would need his fighting Mecha repaired as soon as possible.



His question brought a whistle from his second in command.  ‘The Magic Knight caused some fairly extensive damage.  The shield generator is unsalvageable.  All of the ruptures are repaired.  Both the generator and laser weapon are being replaced as we speak.  My advice is to keep away from Zazu for a while.  He is still angry with you concerning the damage.  On another matter, the long distance sensors have detected a trace of something rather unusual. Once there is more information concerning what the scanner array has picked up, I’ll transmit the data to your console.   There is nothing else of interest to report.  I’ll alert you once our young guest awakens.’



Eagle was just about to disconnect, as the lift began to slow down, when a notion struck him.  ‘Ask the medical technicians to implant a tracker chip, just as a precaution.  Until we know for certain the capabilities our young prisoner holds, keeping a close watch on her would be most wise.  Also attach a security bracelet; this will limit her movements.’



‘Will do Commander.  Geo Metro logging off.’



A click was transmitted, signalling the end of the conversation.  With a faint hiss, the lift doors opened revealing a corridor.  Radiance spilling from florescent tube lights stained the passageway a dappled shade of uniform gray.  Portals leading to myriad quarters rapidly passed by as Eagle strode down the passage leading directly to his private chambers.  After a few moments the young Commander came to a stop in front of a pair of doors more ornate than the preceding ones.  Graceful flowing script spelled his name and rank, carved onto a name plate fixed onto the wall opposite the entrance to his private quarters.

 

Nestled underneath the small plaque was a softly glowing panel.



Removing his glove, the young high commander placed his left hand, palm facing forwards onto the pane of glass.  Minute clicks, whirring and chimes briefly sounded as the apparatus performed its assigned function.



‘Identity confirmed, releasing security lock.’



With a faint hiss the door moved, sliding back into its housing within the wall.  Darkness lay beyond.  Pulling his glove back on, Eagle strolled into the dim chamber, uttering one word only.



‘Lights.’



At his voiced instruction radiance flooded the room.  The entryway hummed, closing behind the commander.  Despite the fact he was the high commander of Autozam’s invasion fleet, his quarters were rather austere, with only the minimum necessary furniture in the room required for personal comfort and the completion of daily tasks.  There were other doors, hinting at connecting areas.



A large bed swamped with pillows and blankets took up most of the available space in the room.  Every scrap of fabric was dyed in myriad shades of black and gold.  A small nightstand was tucked in a niche beside the bed, a dark gray lamp standing on its utilitarian surface.  Various cabinets were scattered about, utilized for the storage of clothing and other personal effects.  A desk stood a few feet away from the bed, a computer chiming away.  The activity of his personal console reminded Eagle he had reports to sort through.



On the way to his desk he removed his cloak, carelessly discarding the garment along with his headgear and arm weapon, tossing them in an untidy heap on the bed.  Running a hand through his short pale blond hair, Eagle sighed.  His short mop of palest blond hair was lank and greasy.  His need for a shower was more than marginal, especially since the strenuous battle with the young Magic Knight.  Unexpectedly a feeling of satisfaction came to him.  The encounter with the young Knight was the first time he had actually had to get rather serious when facing an opponent.  That sense of deep satisfaction reminded him of the only other occasion he fought against someone he considered to be a worthy rival; a certain Kailu now once again residing within Cephiro.  



A deep pang of guilt rushed through him at the thought of Lantis, someone who had once been a close friend and confidant of his before the decision had been made to invade Cephiro and acquire the Pillar System to save dying Autozam.  Eagle pushed the unwanted emotion aside, just another matter to be dwelt with once the acquisition of the near limitless powers of the Pillar was accomplished.



Right now, the reports Geo sent to his computer were his main priority.  Switching the machine on, he instructed the computer to access and upload all pertinent reports onto his personal screen.  Eagle frowned at the amount of data that had been garnered and collated.  It would take some time for the information to fully stream into the hard drive of the computer.  Deciding he might as well take that much needed shower, he retrieved a clean uniform and bathing essentials from a cabinet nearest his main work station.



On the way to the bathroom he made a brief stop at the food replicator keying in his personal preferences for his evening meal.  The breakfast he had eaten at 6 am Autozam time, early morning; seemed a long time ago.  Eagle showered quickly, disposing of his dirty clothing and towel by the simple action of throwing them down the nearest laundry chute, located nearby outside the entrance to his personal bathing facilities.



The catering mechanism chimed; signalling his food was ready.  Juggling myriad platters of food and containers of liquid, the young commander slowly made his way to his desk.  Sighing in relief, he placed plates of steaming food within easy reach of his computer.  Picking up a tumbler of what appeared to be fruit juice he drank, preparing to work.



Flicking the monitor on, he seated himself, making careful not to spill any fluid.  Various report titles flickered across his screen.  Medical reports, the data pertaining to the young Knight currently being treated on in the confines of the Medical Bay met his interested gaze.  The young Knight appeared to be similar to, at least in physical form to that of a native of Autozam.  Her age was determined to be sixteen rotations in age.  Her body brimmed with a strange type of mental energy, a force similar to that utilized by certain members of the Autozam populace.  However the readings went off all scales.   The existence of a third Code buried within her Matrix of Life was indicated to be a possible cause of this.  Her Codes were all intact, not even fragmented.  The third resonated with power.



Eagle’s eyes widened when he saw this.  What world is she from?  Only those of Autozam possess three Codes, albeit fragmented.  Eagle made a mental note to confer further with the medical staff about this.

 

Perhaps there was even something about this discovery which could help him.  His own third Code had been whole, unblemished until the day after he had turned fifteen rotations in age.  His third Code began to degrade, causing his illness.  Yet here was a Magic Knight of Cephiro; similarities between her Matrix and that of a native of Autozam were noted in the medical reports.  He just hoped there would be enough time to make use of such knowledge.  He was faced with the certainty that ultimately, time was running out for him.



He ignored the reports concerning her clothing and armour.  The only item that could be a possible danger was her glove.  Upon his orders, the gauntlet was placed in a secure lock up, with the access codes known only by his second in command and himself.  Her clothing had been through some vigorous testing and was now in the process of being thoroughly cleaned.  The items would be returned to their original owner; once she woke up.



Putting aside the medical reports for now, Eagle closed the document holding such information.  He quickly perused the log pertaining to his fighting gear, the FTO.  The damage noted was rather extensive.  A wry smile came to his lips, accompanied by a rush of chagrined surprise.  The battle between his young opponent and himself would have been an interesting one, if a certain Magic Swordsman hadn’t interfered.



My encounter with her was not an easy one.  For one so young, her skills with the sword are impressive.  I must be careful not to underestimate her or the other Magic Knights.  Outward appearance does not correctly denote the amount of power one possesses.  That holds doubly true for Cephiro.  I know the Magic Knight is strong of will.  She must be, to display the potentiality for magic.



Eagle sighed.  The other reports concerning the Rune God’s battle data were not yet available.  Any information hinting at a weakness displayed by the Rune Gods he would make use of.  The Magic Knights and the Rune Gods at their command was one obstacle he didn’t expect to face upon arrival in Cephiro.  The young commander silently cursed as the FTO’s data storage device was amongst the damaged parts.  Extracting the information would be problematic, but it could be done.



He turned his mind to other matters.  He knew Chizeta and Fahren were sending invasion fleets of their own; their specific intentions to also seize control of the Pillar System of Cephiro.  No sign of the other two armies had as of yet been detected, but it was only a matter of time.  One final report caught his attention – something rather unusual had been detected by the long distance scanner array.



Reaching for a plate of sweets Eagle selected one, then turning back to his console.



‘Computer, open the Sensor Logs and display the reports of late afternoon Autozam time.’



‘Complying.’ Came the response from the computer.



A starscape, flanked in certain places by traces of cloud, flickered onto his personal screen, the time of discovery evident in the runes of the native written language of Autozam visible in the bottom right-hand corner.  Eagle idly watched the first few minutes of the scan.  Growing impatient he fast forwarded the recordings until something rather interesting appeared on his computer.



A crystalline structure similar to Cephiro Castle appeared before him.  There were slight similarities between the two buildings, although the differences were apparent.  The castle of beleaguered Cephiro was comprised of three towers.  This one had four, arranged in a perfect square pattern.  Levitating within the four lofty spires was an enormous crystal, light and energy spilling from its core.  Radiance would at certain intervals arc outwards, striking what appeared to be a shield of great immensity encapsulating the entirety of the citadel.  Symbols flowed across the transparent surface of the barrier, their paths ever-changing.



Well, well this is unexpected.  Typing rapidly on the keyboard, Eagle accessed the other information garnered by the scanner arrays.  The force emanated by the large crystal had been indicated to be off all scales of measurement.  This must be a power source of some kind.  There is a mystery here.  That structure appears to be similar to the castle in Cephiro.  



Eagle magnified the picture, concentrating on the lower regions of the recording.  Barely visible to the naked eye, was an opening which appeared to be an entrance portal of some kind.  Then the recording terminated.  Deciding there was more to this, Eagle reached for his personal communicator.  Flipping the lid of the miniscule device, he dialled a number.  After a few moments, the com unit chimed indicating connection to another communicator on the NSX.



‘Geo Metro here.  Finished looking over the reports?’



‘I have Geo.’ Eagle replied, quickly taking a sip from the nearby tumbler of fruit juice.  ‘That edifice bears a striking resemblance to Cephiro Castle.’



‘Thought you might find that interesting Commander.  The building just appeared out of thin air.  When you brought the Magic Knight aboard, the long distance sensors detected a massive flare of mental energy.  I ordered the Bridge crew to perform continuous scans of the structure.  The mental force has slowly gathered in strength.’



Eagle was silent for a moment.  It seemed to him there was a connection between his taking the Magic Knight captive and the inexplicable emergence of the castle upon the scanner arrays of the battleship NSX.  He was rather curious about the events now occurring.  ‘Continue the scans Geo. Is our young guest awake yet?’



‘No Commander.  The medics sent a status report concerning her about an hour ago.  Apart from a few bruises and one medium sized cut, now bandaged on her left arm, she appears to be fine.  The energy from the weapon has nearly been eradicated from her system.  The small amount left behind should dissipate on its own during the next few hours.  The technicians think she will regain consciousness soon.’



‘Move her to suitable quarters.  Make sure to check on her at regular intervals.  Inform me the moment she regains consciousness.  Keep the shields raised and at full strength.’  Eagle took another mouthful of juice.



‘Will do Commander.  One last item to mention; the data extraction from the databanks of the FTO is nearly complete.  Zazu is working on the repairs as we speak.  It will be another day or so before the FTO is back to full operational status.  Do you have any other orders for me Commander?’



‘No, Eagle Vision logging off.’



He shut the communicator, ending the call.  Glancing quickly at the timepiece on his bedside table, he decided to rest for a few hours.  Excitement would surely follow once the young Knight regained consciousness.



Walking briskly over to his bed, he ordered the lights to dim.



Machines burbled; a discordant accompaniment to the quiet murmuring of voices.  Medical technicians garbed in the green and white uniform of the Medical Corps conversed with one another in soft tones, so as not to disturb the few patients under their care whilst in the Sickbay.  There was one individual who wouldn’t stir, no matter how loud the nursing attendants and doctors spoke.  



In a curtained alcove lay a young woman, oblivious to the events occurring around her.  Still within the dark hold of unconsciousness she was unaware of what had been done.  Her original clothing and shoes were gone, stored in a nearby laboratory, undergoing thorough scanning.  Her knightly gauntlet was in a secure weapons locker, the opening code known only to a few.



She was now dressed in something else.  A blue, long sleeved tunic covered her upper body to mid thigh.  The collar was a high, slightly open at the base of her throat, barely covering a strange mark in the hollow of her throat.  A pale yellow belt cinched the tunic in slightly around her slim waist.  Trousers of the same hue covered her legs, stopping an inch or two above her ankles.  Small white boots were on her feet.  Resting just above her right boot, a black bracelet with a computer tag attached, bleeped and chimed every few seconds.



Light footsteps approached the shadowed cubicle.  A woman, blonde hair confined in a short plait, tugged at the heavy cloth partitions until there was a gap just big enough for her to slip through.  Once inside her green eyes resolute, she gazed down at the slumbering teenager.  Reaching inside her uniform she pulled out a small white and gold pouch.

 

Untying the strings holding the bag closed, she retrieved a small white bracelet, a softly glowing gem affixed in the centre.  She placed this adornment upon the young girl’s right wrist, smoothing the sleeve over it.  Reaching again into the bag, a crystal pendant, about the size of a thumb was suspended from a golden chain.  Unfastening the delicate clasp, the gem was placed around the neck of the unaware Magic Knight.



Leaning over her, the strange woman whispered.  ‘I know you cannot hear me, Bearer of Light and Fire, last Daughter of the Bloodline of Da’Fai.  You are not alone here.  I cannot yet reveal my presence to you.  You are not alone here.  When you need me I will be here for you.’



Tucking the small sack back into her clothing, she opened the curtains again just enough for her to vacate the cubicle unnoticed.



Author’s Note: the Matrix of Life is the Autozam term for DNA.  Code equals a single strand of DNA.  I know I changed Hikaru’s clothes!  If I was her age and in her predicament I wouldn’t want to wear that ridiculous dress they put her in!