She plunged into the water and the breath ripped from her lungs. Instinctively she gasped for air even as she thought don't, watching life boil away from her in huge silver bubbles--
And as abruptly as it had began, it stopped. She found herself crouching on a smooth floor. There were no walls and no apparent source of light, but she could still see the featureless room around her.
"Is this... the bottom of the spring?" she murmured. "Well, Umi did call it the weirdo fountain of Eterna..."
Two footsteps. She rose and spun, instantly drawing her bow and arrow from her glove jewel, remembering Ferio's words: nobody had ever returned from this place. She took a deep breath in and out to steady herself as the dim figure drew closer and gasped as its features resolved. "You're..?!"
The mirror image stood in the same pose, ready to fire. Fuu smiled, hoping to look friendly, but she couldn't imagine a reflection being dangerous to herself.
The other grinned. Then the arrows came.
She flung herself away as the sharp metal snapped and clacked against the floor around her, shooting faster than any human could reasonably do. A slash of pain opened on one arm as an arrow struck home. Weirdo fountain didn't cover this!
Fuu couldn't dodge forever; she needed to go on the attack. She rose and fired, aiming for the shoulder. The arrow struck home, splintering its pauldron--and she cried out in pain and clutched her own. Blood ran through her fingers. "The arrow only hit her! Then why...?"
The doppleganger continued to grin and fired again, opening another cut on Fuu's cheek. She watched as the same cut appeared on its own, but it showed no sign of pain. "When I get hurt, she gets hurt..." she realized. "Which means she's not another me... she is me!"
She dodged, she fired again, trying to make her other self dodge--but it stayed standing, always ready to return fire. She winced as she inadvertently nicked it again. "I take every attack... and I keep on coming." She slumped to the ground, exhausted. "But I'm fighting only myself. When I attack, I only hurt me... the wounds don't bother her. Look, she's eager to fight."
Fuu wasn't sure who she was talking to. But she had to work this out--
The bow twanged again. Two arrows shot through her sleeve, nailing her to the wall. Another thudded right next to her ear.
Magic Knights!
Fuu looked around frantically for the voice. "Where is it coming from?
Young women from another world... A girl appeared, blond hair flowing around her like water, a crown of round gemstones on her brow. I am... Emeraude of Cephiro. Magic Knights, you must not let your hearts be ruled by grief. Young women from another world... gather your courage and think. Tell me of those who stand before you... those who are your loved ones.
Women? Ones? Hikaru and Umi were fighting too! But Fuu couldn't hear them... she took a deep breath. "I care about what happens to me. Because if anything happens to me, my mother, my father, my sister--everyone who loves me would be sad. I'm still a child. I can't do all the things for them I'd like. But the least I can do is not hurt myself!" Her injured shoulder throbbed as she tightened her fist. "I... c-care..."
You care about those you love so much... but this love has become a weapon turned against you. You would ever hurt them, but would they ever hurt you? Would they cause you pain? Consider the truth... and you will have the escudo.
And just like that, Emeraude was gone.
Fuu ripped the arrows from the wall. "You strike at me, but I can heal these wounds! For the sake of my family, leave my self alone! EMERALD TORNADO!"
She flung her arms upwards, summoning her will. The brilliant green winds crashed into the doppleganger, and it hissed into incorporeal shreds.
An enormous serpent made of water crashes into the Sorceress Alcyone. She shrieks, then she vanishes, leaving her circlet to clang to the ground. For a moment, a girl stands up straight, her long blue hair slowly settling around her.
Then she collapses into Fuu's arms. "Umi-chan!" Fuu cries, a rare mark of intimacy--her friend is covered in blood, barely able to open her eyes. Scuffed and scraped, Hikaru runs over with her red braid flying behind her, yelling Umi's name.
"Hikaru... you're all right?"
"Yes! And it's all thanks to you! Your magic... you saved my life, Umi!"
Umi smiles, somehow. "I had to... I had to look out for my cute little sister... it's what a big sister is for." She tilts her head back, looking into Fuu's worried eyes. "You're not hurt either, are you, Fuu?"
"No, thanks to you." Her voice is steady, somehow. "You defeated that witch with your magic."
"I'm so glad... I don't know what's going to happen... but I know we were all called here... to save Cephiro." Her eyes drift closed. Hikaru reaches out, pulling Umi into her arms.
"Umi! Umi, no...!"
She needs stitches, she needs disinfectant, she needs bandages, she needs painkillers, and there is not even a band-aid to be had. Fuu draws back and stands up as Hikaru cradles their friend, powerless... But they aren't, are they?
"Umi saved our lives. She used her magic and sacrificed herself... and now it's my turn to help."
She turns towards an odd, incongruous creature. It looks for all the world like an egg, with stubby little limbs and rabbit ears, and a round red jewel in its forehead. Fuu kneels in front of it. "A light shone from Mokona's jewel. It gave Umi her new magic. Mokona, please give me magic! For Umi's sake... I need magic to help Umi!"
The jewel glows green. The world becomes green, filled with gentle winds. Fuu...
"Clef... is that you?"
Yes.
"Please teach me magic..."
Your magic is already within you. She can see him now, holding his staff, though her eyes are closed.
"I feel words in my heart," she says, as the breezes swirled around her.
Yes. That is your magic. Your compassion is powerful--it is your source. Don't forget. The power of your will is everything. Belief is the greatest power in Cephiro.
She opens her eyes into the world again. The words rise from her heart as she stands, raising her arms. "HEALING WIND!"
The white-green breezes wrapped themselves around Umi, lifting her from the ground. Her wounds shrnk and vanish in the light, the blood evaporates. Even the rips in her clothing mend. She sits up, touching her unblemished face. Fuu holds still, catching her breath as Hikaru flings herself into Umi's arms, and smiles. The evidence of her eyes--and her heart--can't be denied. "Our belief... is our greatest power!"
They rose slowly into the air, on a circular platform with wings. The girl with long blue hair glared at an egg-shaped creature with rabbit ears. Then she burst into a rage. "MOKONA!! I'm gonna get an answer out of you once and for all!"
She grabbed Mokona and shook it as it went Puu? in an overly-innocent manner. "Exactly where do you disappear to every time we have a battle? You'd better not be getting a kick out of watching us fight for our lives!"
Fuu, sitting next to the redhead with the long braid, cupped her cheek in one hand as they giggled. Mokona's tightly-shut eyes furrowed into a glare.
"Wha--?" said Umi. "What's wrong?"
It hummed in concentration. Then it launched forward and planted a kiss on her cheek.
"MOKONA!!"
It ducked behind Hikaru, leaving her in the middle as Umi lunged. "This time you're not getting away! I'm gonna see what kind of jelly is inside that fluff! Let's take you apart, shall we?"
Then the flying platform shook. Umi and Hikaru yelped in shock. Fuu leaned forward. She smiled brightly at what she saw and cupped her cheek in her hand again. "Oh my... look how high up we are..."
Umi and Hikaru joined her at the railing. Fuu pointed towards the ocean, growing more and more distant. "See? We've climbed all the way to the top."
At once, Umi and Hikaru shrieked in alarm. "Too high! TOO HIGH!"
The wind howled as they climbed even higher. Fuu kept smiling. "Oh, it'll be fine," she tried to say, but Umi wasn't paying attention.
"Mokona! This craft is safe, isn't it? It wouldn't be too funny if we fell from this height!"
Well now, this panic wouldn't do. Fuu put a reassuring hand on Umi's shoulder. "It's all right... if we fell from way up here, we'd black out in seconds. Next thing we know, we'd be fitted for halos."
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
The Spring of Eterna
And as abruptly as it had began, it stopped. She found herself crouching on a smooth floor. There were no walls and no apparent source of light, but she could still see the featureless room around her.
"Is this... the bottom of the spring?" she murmured. "Well, Umi did call it the weirdo fountain of Eterna..."
Two footsteps. She rose and spun, instantly drawing her bow and arrow from her glove jewel, remembering Ferio's words: nobody had ever returned from this place. She took a deep breath in and out to steady herself as the dim figure drew closer and gasped as its features resolved. "You're..?!"
The mirror image stood in the same pose, ready to fire. Fuu smiled, hoping to look friendly, but she couldn't imagine a reflection being dangerous to herself.
The other grinned. Then the arrows came.
She flung herself away as the sharp metal snapped and clacked against the floor around her, shooting faster than any human could reasonably do. A slash of pain opened on one arm as an arrow struck home. Weirdo fountain didn't cover this!
Fuu couldn't dodge forever; she needed to go on the attack. She rose and fired, aiming for the shoulder. The arrow struck home, splintering its pauldron--and she cried out in pain and clutched her own. Blood ran through her fingers. "The arrow only hit her! Then why...?"
The doppleganger continued to grin and fired again, opening another cut on Fuu's cheek. She watched as the same cut appeared on its own, but it showed no sign of pain. "When I get hurt, she gets hurt..." she realized. "Which means she's not another me... she is me!"
She dodged, she fired again, trying to make her other self dodge--but it stayed standing, always ready to return fire. She winced as she inadvertently nicked it again. "I take every attack... and I keep on coming." She slumped to the ground, exhausted. "But I'm fighting only myself. When I attack, I only hurt me... the wounds don't bother her. Look, she's eager to fight."
Fuu wasn't sure who she was talking to. But she had to work this out--
The bow twanged again. Two arrows shot through her sleeve, nailing her to the wall. Another thudded right next to her ear.
Magic Knights!
Fuu looked around frantically for the voice. "Where is it coming from?
Young women from another world... A girl appeared, blond hair flowing around her like water, a crown of round gemstones on her brow. I am... Emeraude of Cephiro. Magic Knights, you must not let your hearts be ruled by grief. Young women from another world... gather your courage and think. Tell me of those who stand before you... those who are your loved ones.
Women? Ones? Hikaru and Umi were fighting too! But Fuu couldn't hear them... she took a deep breath. "I care about what happens to me. Because if anything happens to me, my mother, my father, my sister--everyone who loves me would be sad. I'm still a child. I can't do all the things for them I'd like. But the least I can do is not hurt myself!" Her injured shoulder throbbed as she tightened her fist. "I... c-care..."
You care about those you love so much... but this love has become a weapon turned against you. You would ever hurt them, but would they ever hurt you? Would they cause you pain? Consider the truth... and you will have the escudo.
And just like that, Emeraude was gone.
Fuu ripped the arrows from the wall. "You strike at me, but I can heal these wounds! For the sake of my family, leave my self alone! EMERALD TORNADO!"
She flung her arms upwards, summoning her will. The brilliant green winds crashed into the doppleganger, and it hissed into incorporeal shreds.
[Page 119 to 147]
My turn to help
An enormous serpent made of water crashes into the Sorceress Alcyone. She shrieks, then she vanishes, leaving her circlet to clang to the ground. For a moment, a girl stands up straight, her long blue hair slowly settling around her.
Then she collapses into Fuu's arms. "Umi-chan!" Fuu cries, a rare mark of intimacy--her friend is covered in blood, barely able to open her eyes. Scuffed and scraped, Hikaru runs over with her red braid flying behind her, yelling Umi's name.
"Hikaru... you're all right?"
"Yes! And it's all thanks to you! Your magic... you saved my life, Umi!"
Umi smiles, somehow. "I had to... I had to look out for my cute little sister... it's what a big sister is for." She tilts her head back, looking into Fuu's worried eyes. "You're not hurt either, are you, Fuu?"
"No, thanks to you." Her voice is steady, somehow. "You defeated that witch with your magic."
"I'm so glad... I don't know what's going to happen... but I know we were all called here... to save Cephiro." Her eyes drift closed. Hikaru reaches out, pulling Umi into her arms.
"Umi! Umi, no...!"
She needs stitches, she needs disinfectant, she needs bandages, she needs painkillers, and there is not even a band-aid to be had. Fuu draws back and stands up as Hikaru cradles their friend, powerless... But they aren't, are they?
"Umi saved our lives. She used her magic and sacrificed herself... and now it's my turn to help."
She turns towards an odd, incongruous creature. It looks for all the world like an egg, with stubby little limbs and rabbit ears, and a round red jewel in its forehead. Fuu kneels in front of it. "A light shone from Mokona's jewel. It gave Umi her new magic. Mokona, please give me magic! For Umi's sake... I need magic to help Umi!"
The jewel glows green. The world becomes green, filled with gentle winds. Fuu...
"Clef... is that you?"
Yes.
"Please teach me magic..."
Your magic is already within you. She can see him now, holding his staff, though her eyes are closed.
"I feel words in my heart," she says, as the breezes swirled around her.
Yes. That is your magic. Your compassion is powerful--it is your source. Don't forget. The power of your will is everything. Belief is the greatest power in Cephiro.
She opens her eyes into the world again. The words rise from her heart as she stands, raising her arms. "HEALING WIND!"
The white-green breezes wrapped themselves around Umi, lifting her from the ground. Her wounds shrnk and vanish in the light, the blood evaporates. Even the rips in her clothing mend. She sits up, touching her unblemished face. Fuu holds still, catching her breath as Hikaru flings herself into Umi's arms, and smiles. The evidence of her eyes--and her heart--can't be denied. "Our belief... is our greatest power!"
[Page 69 to 76]
Don't worry!
She grabbed Mokona and shook it as it went Puu? in an overly-innocent manner. "Exactly where do you disappear to every time we have a battle? You'd better not be getting a kick out of watching us fight for our lives!"
Fuu, sitting next to the redhead with the long braid, cupped her cheek in one hand as they giggled. Mokona's tightly-shut eyes furrowed into a glare.
"Wha--?" said Umi. "What's wrong?"
It hummed in concentration. Then it launched forward and planted a kiss on her cheek.
"MOKONA!!"
It ducked behind Hikaru, leaving her in the middle as Umi lunged. "This time you're not getting away! I'm gonna see what kind of jelly is inside that fluff! Let's take you apart, shall we?"
Then the flying platform shook. Umi and Hikaru yelped in shock. Fuu leaned forward. She smiled brightly at what she saw and cupped her cheek in her hand again. "Oh my... look how high up we are..."
Umi and Hikaru joined her at the railing. Fuu pointed towards the ocean, growing more and more distant. "See? We've climbed all the way to the top."
At once, Umi and Hikaru shrieked in alarm. "Too high! TOO HIGH!"
The wind howled as they climbed even higher. Fuu kept smiling. "Oh, it'll be fine," she tried to say, but Umi wasn't paying attention.
"Mokona! This craft is safe, isn't it? It wouldn't be too funny if we fell from this height!"
Well now, this panic wouldn't do. Fuu put a reassuring hand on Umi's shoulder. "It's all right... if we fell from way up here, we'd black out in seconds. Next thing we know, we'd be fitted for halos."