Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction / XXXHolic Fan Fiction / X/1999 Fan Fiction ❯ The Four Forges ❯ The Temple of Water ( Chapter 2 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: kunoichiyumemi 
From the Temple of Wind, the Night Wizards travel to the Temple of Water. There they are met by the Water Forge, who is none other than Cephiro's Magic Knight of Water! At the entrance of the Temple of Water, the Water awaits them, and there offers advice and gifts from the beneficiary before she sends the Night Wizards away. Their departure is filled with questions which cannot be answered, and questions that may be answered in time...
Anime/Manga: Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction / XXXHolic Fan Fiction / X/1999 Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Fantasy / Romance | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 01.30.2008 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.1K | Visits: 627 | Status: Work In Progress
From the Temple of Wind, the Night Wizards travel to the Temple of Water. There they are met by the Water Forge, who is none other than Cephiro's Magic Knight of Water! At the entrance of the Temple of Water, the Water awaits them, and there offers advice and gifts from the beneficiary before she sends the Night Wizards away. Their departure is filled with questions which cannot be answered, and questions that may be answered in time...
Anime/Manga: Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction / XXXHolic Fan Fiction / X/1999 Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Fantasy / Romance | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 01.30.2008 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.1K | Visits: 627 | Status: Work In Progress
Title: The Four Forges
Author: kunoichiyumemi
Fandom: Magic Knight Rayearth
Pairing: LantisxHikaru FerioxFuu UmixClef
Disclaimer: Magic Knight Rayearth belongs to all producers and companies that produces Magic Knight Rayearth, including but not limited to Clamp.
Summary: The world of Cephiro has been saved, and as the years pass, the visits from the one time Magic Knights become less and less common until they stop altogether. One day, when a sudden burst of light appears, Clef, Lantis, and Ferio find themselves caught in another world and are given a heart breakingly familiar ultimatium which had once been delivered to the former Magic Knights when they first encountered the denizens of Cephiro almost seven years prior: Save a world which they have nothing to do with and return home safely, or fail and die with as the world around them crumbles into shadow and void.
Note: Extreme OOCness and very AU along with hints of crossovers from xxxHolic and X/1999. Follows both Manga and anime.
Fandom: Magic Knight Rayearth
Pairing: LantisxHikaru FerioxFuu UmixClef
Disclaimer: Magic Knight Rayearth belongs to all producers and companies that produces Magic Knight Rayearth, including but not limited to Clamp.
Summary: The world of Cephiro has been saved, and as the years pass, the visits from the one time Magic Knights become less and less common until they stop altogether. One day, when a sudden burst of light appears, Clef, Lantis, and Ferio find themselves caught in another world and are given a heart breakingly familiar ultimatium which had once been delivered to the former Magic Knights when they first encountered the denizens of Cephiro almost seven years prior: Save a world which they have nothing to do with and return home safely, or fail and die with as the world around them crumbles into shadow and void.
Note: Extreme OOCness and very AU along with hints of crossovers from xxxHolic and X/1999. Follows both Manga and anime.
Prophesy of the Four Forges
Four Forges Dire in the sky
Terra's Silent Guardians.
Wind, Water, Fire, and Earthen Forge
Together guard Seven Seals.
When Earthen Forge made her own world,
Terra lost a Forge and gained a Seal.
When Wind, Water, and Fire Forge
Come to seek the Earthen Forge
Earth Forge and her world shall fail.
If Earthen Forge should fall
Then Fire Forge must remain
Gathering the Shards of her heart,
And save the world of Earthen Forge.
Yet when Earthen Forge falls,
So too do the Seven Seals,
And the remaining Forges Dire
Will summon the Three Night Wizards.
Three sorcerers from another world
To the remaining Forges Bound,
Shall destroy Terra's Pillar
And give rise to new Seals.
When this is done, Fire Forge shall depart
And leave Wind And Water to rebuild.
When Terra has been reborn,
Wind and Water shall follow Fire
To their hearts dear love
In the World where Fire is Pillar.
Terra's Silent Guardians.
Wind, Water, Fire, and Earthen Forge
Together guard Seven Seals.
When Earthen Forge made her own world,
Terra lost a Forge and gained a Seal.
When Wind, Water, and Fire Forge
Come to seek the Earthen Forge
Earth Forge and her world shall fail.
If Earthen Forge should fall
Then Fire Forge must remain
Gathering the Shards of her heart,
And save the world of Earthen Forge.
Yet when Earthen Forge falls,
So too do the Seven Seals,
And the remaining Forges Dire
Will summon the Three Night Wizards.
Three sorcerers from another world
To the remaining Forges Bound,
Shall destroy Terra's Pillar
And give rise to new Seals.
When this is done, Fire Forge shall depart
And leave Wind And Water to rebuild.
When Terra has been reborn,
Wind and Water shall follow Fire
To their hearts dear love
In the World where Fire is Pillar.
Previously on Magic Knight Rayearth 3: The Four Forges
---"Look out over this city and know that this will be your battleground. There is much that you must learn before the battle actually begins so you may survive in this world. The Wind Forge will tell you all you need to know, however," Miyaka turned and stared into Ferio's eyes and said seriously, "What you must know is that the Night Wizards are chosen because of the bond that they have with the Four Forges. The Three Forges you will meet here in Terra have the most difficult positions in all Terra, and only Princess Hinoto's duty is more of a shackle to this world."---
---"We are not impressed by your display, oh, Legendary Night Wizards," the familiar voice said as the fabric of a skirt, so light a green in color that it was almost white, came into veiw along with a green stone that adorned the base of a staff, "We are aware the Master Mage Miyaka informed you of the futility of attepmting to access thine Cephiran Magic while in Terra. It is clear to Us that you are not prepared in the least for the battles which awaits you."---
---"Welcome, Oh, Legendary Night Wizards," a familiar female voice said, "to the Temple of Water."---
Chapter2: The Temple of Water
"Welcome, Oh, Legendary Night Wizards," a familiar female voice said, "to the Temple of Water."
The three turned left to see standing before the sixty foot tall ornate metal double doors was their missing Magic Knight of Water...
Umi was clad in pale blue and held in her hands the empty frame of an exquisite hand mirror shaped by two dragons with navy tassels hanging from both sides. It was the Water Mirror, the proof of the office of the Water Forge.
"Umi!?" was Clef's reation.
"That is one name by which We are known," the Water Forge said, nodding her head gravely. "Oh, Legendary Knight Wizards," she intoned, "Your coming was foreordained, and so too, was foretold that your arrival in this Temple of Water would mark the next stage of your destiny. Have you nothing to ask Us?"
"Should we have something to ask?" Clef said carefully.
"You choose your words with care," Umi said, "Water is more free flowing than wind though wind has more freedom than water. Speak freely, for the question you wish to ask, to you may be insignificant, but to the plans of the Creator of Worlds, is very important. If you have a question, ask freely."
"The Knight of Wind is the Wind Forge, you, the Knight of Water are the Water Forge. Is Hikaru the Fire Forge?" Clef said suddenly.
Umi's eyes brightened. "Yes. Of the Forges you will meet in Terra, the current Fire Forge has held that position longest, and she is the Knight of Fire and the Last Pillar of Cephiro."
"When will we see her?" Lantis asked.
Umi's eyes darkened. "Only the Princess Hinoto and the Fire Forge knows. It is highly likely that you will not see her until the end of all things, for the Fire Forge has not mentioned any interactions with you in the near future."
"What?!" Ferio cried, "But she's our Pillar!"
"And that would be precisely why she won't interact with us, isn't it?" Clef said, "Because this is the Pillar or Terra's business, and neother Princess Hinoto or Princess Hikaru want to accidentally stunt our growth here in Terra by interacting with us too much."
"It is possible," Umi agreed.
Clef glanced at Lantis, noting the darkening of the Magic Swordsman's eyes.
Umi sighed. "Is there nothing more that you wish to ask Us?"
"Where are we supposed to go and how are we supposed to go about completing whatever task is laid before us?" Lantis said suddenly.
"You go out and explore," Umi said, "Meet your potential allies and enemies. Learn the layout of the city. Put that information that Wind Forge gave you and the resources that have been provided to you by your benefactor to good use. Remember to never let down your guard, and always expect the unexpected."
"Is there anything else we might need to know?" Lantis said finally.
Umi suddenly smiled. "You will have to change clothing. Your armor and robes may be normal in Cephiro, but in Tokyo, you will stand out, which would not help you in the least. What you must do is blend in. Your benefactor left identification, money, a list of people you can trust, how to find them, where you can safely stay the night without having to pay too much, where you can find sustenence, how to come to this Temple for succor or refuge, and directions as to where to go and who to watch out for. However, clothing would be an issue as that was not left with Wind Forge."
Ferio looked confused while Clef and Lantis looked worried. Umi laughed.
"Don't make such a scary face!" she said, "For your benefactor has entrusted to Us a gift to give to the Night Wizards when they finally come to this Temple." She lifted a hand and pointed to three doors and said, "Behind those doors will be some clothes. dress and come back out with whatever is left over. Choose carefully! You will not want to walk down the street dressed in night clothes."
The three men exchanged looks and opened the doors one by one, and after switching as necessary, walked inside. Umi lifted the empty frame of the hand mirror and studied it. Swirls of color materialized in the frame, and Umi watched them intently, reading fom the movement and the colors and their movement a story that only she could understand, and she sighed.
"What a path that has been laid out before you," Umi whispered. She lowered the mirror as the colors vanished and she gazed at the three doors that Clef, Ferio, and Lantis had disappeared behind. "How will you cope in a world that is so different from what you are used to? How will you cope when those who have fought so often for you can do nothing for you when you did so much for us? Oh! Sorcerers from another world! Do not hate us for actions we cannot take!"
A single tear fell from her eyes and hit the floor with a dim splash.
---
Behind the door that he had entered, Clef closed his eyes and reached out with his mind. "Lantis."
"Yes?"
Clef held up a blue t-shirt. "Did you hear Umi's appeal?"
"I did."
"What do you think?"
"You believe that the Magic Knights were forced into a position where they cannot effectively help us?"
"It is a possibility." Clef thought as he picked out a pair of black slacks. "Fuu did mention that we were selected because of our bonds with the Four Forges. It is possible that because of those bonds, they were set in those positions so they could not help us no matter how much they may want to."
".... Fuu and Umi both said that Hikaru has been a Forge longer than them."
"What are you trying to say, Lantis?"
"Do you think it would be too far-fetched if Hikaru was already a Forge when she first came to Cephiro? Lafarga and Eagle both said that she has the eyes of a veteran to many conflicts when they fought her."
"You think that the Princess Hinoto purposely made Hikaru a Forge before sending her in answer to Princess Emeraude's plea for the Magic Knights to force us into a debt for the use of this world's resources?"
"It is possible," Lantis' mental voice conveyed a hint of doubt.
"Then you really think our actions in this world have been scripted?"
"What was it that the Master Mage Miyaka said when she sent us to the Temple of Wind? "In this world there are no such things as coincidences, only the inevitable.""
Clef's eyes narrowed as he dressed. "If that is the case, then we are being used, just as the Magic Knights and the Pillar are being used."
"But for what purpose?" Lantis questioned.
"Perhaps we should ask Umi," Clef suggested.
"If she is being used, she may not know the answer to the question that we would ask."
"We will have to take that chance," Clef said. When he recieved no reply from Lantis, the Master Mage reached with his mind toward Ferio.
"Ferio."
"What is it?" Ferio asked.
"Are you done?"
"Yeah. Just about."
"Be careful when we leave the Temple," Clef ordered, "It's possible we've bcome involved in something much larger than we were led to believe."
Ferio made a noise of assent and Clef withdrew his powers as he quickly gathered the remaining three sets of clothes and made his way to the door.
---
Umi was still standing where they had left her, and the cerulean haired girl smiled when she caught sight of them.
"You have all cleaned up very nicely," she said gently. "In the time that you have been seperated from Our sight, you have discussed things in the privacy of your own minds. Have you no other questions for us?"
Silence fell, the Ferio burst out, "You were eavesdropping!"
A carefully crafted eyebrow arched and Umi said lightly, "I did no such thing. It's more than simplicity for a Forge to be able to tell when Mind Magics are used, especially when said magics are used in the Temples where the Forges are Preistess."
Clef closed his eyes and shook his head before asking, "Have you no advice for us?"
Umi studied them and said quietly, "We have given all the advice that could be given. Merely remember, in this world, there are no such things as coincidences, only the inevitable. However, keep in mind that the future has yet to be decided, and follow your heart. If your hearts are true, then your enemies will find it difficult for you be led astray."
She lifted the mirror into the air where it glowed with a pale cerulean light before the empty frame filled with darkness, and three lights drifted out of the void to hover before the three from Cephiro. The lights pulsed slowly before fading to reveal three lockets.
"These also were left with Us for you by your benefactors," Umi said as she lowered the mirror, "And into these lockets you may place your belongings. Your benefactor has arranged for a home for you, and it is there that We will send you when you are ready to depart."
The three hardly blinked when the wrapped bundles in their arms and the clothing glowed and vanished into the lockets, which dropped into the hands that the three had raised.
"Keep them with you always," Umi said. "We are sorry we can give you no guides, though you will have no lack for them. However beware! Not all who approach you can be trusted! In Terra, nothing is what it seems, so expect the unexpected!"
Silence fell, and as the three put the lockets around their necks, Umi closed her eyes, tilting her head as if listening to some unheard voice. After a moment, she nodded, and her eyes opened once more to fix on the three from Cephiro.
"It is time," her voice was quiet, "for you to go. Please know that you are welcome to the Temple of Water if you are in need of healing or succor. We will send you to the home arranged for you by your benefactor."
"Wait!" Lantis called, "Our benefactor... Is it Hikaru?!"
Umi closed her eyes. "We cannot say." The silence stretched a moment longer and Umi said quietly, "You have no other questions?"
"No," Ferio answered.
"Very well," Umi clasped the empty mirror frame in both hands and raised it over her head as the frame glowed blue. "Mirror, Mirror!" she called, "Oh, Sacred Mirror! Become a Key to many doors! Gates through the World be cast open wide! Through Sacred water, these three guide, To the place they shall reside! Water Spirit! Selece!"
The cerulean light grew brighter and brighter, filling the empty frame before bursting forth to envelope Clef, Ferio and Lantis. There was the sensation of being carried away by rushing water, and all the three could see was the blue light, and then as the light faded, so too did the sound and feeling of rushing water. When the light had faded altogether, Clef, Lantis, and Ferio found themselves in a foyer at the base of a grand staircase leading to the second floor.
"Welcome, Oh, Legendary Night Wizards," a familiar female voice said, "to the Temple of Water."
The three turned left to see standing before the sixty foot tall ornate metal double doors was their missing Magic Knight of Water...
Umi was clad in pale blue and held in her hands the empty frame of an exquisite hand mirror shaped by two dragons with navy tassels hanging from both sides. It was the Water Mirror, the proof of the office of the Water Forge.
"Umi!?" was Clef's reation.
"That is one name by which We are known," the Water Forge said, nodding her head gravely. "Oh, Legendary Knight Wizards," she intoned, "Your coming was foreordained, and so too, was foretold that your arrival in this Temple of Water would mark the next stage of your destiny. Have you nothing to ask Us?"
"Should we have something to ask?" Clef said carefully.
"You choose your words with care," Umi said, "Water is more free flowing than wind though wind has more freedom than water. Speak freely, for the question you wish to ask, to you may be insignificant, but to the plans of the Creator of Worlds, is very important. If you have a question, ask freely."
"The Knight of Wind is the Wind Forge, you, the Knight of Water are the Water Forge. Is Hikaru the Fire Forge?" Clef said suddenly.
Umi's eyes brightened. "Yes. Of the Forges you will meet in Terra, the current Fire Forge has held that position longest, and she is the Knight of Fire and the Last Pillar of Cephiro."
"When will we see her?" Lantis asked.
Umi's eyes darkened. "Only the Princess Hinoto and the Fire Forge knows. It is highly likely that you will not see her until the end of all things, for the Fire Forge has not mentioned any interactions with you in the near future."
"What?!" Ferio cried, "But she's our Pillar!"
"And that would be precisely why she won't interact with us, isn't it?" Clef said, "Because this is the Pillar or Terra's business, and neother Princess Hinoto or Princess Hikaru want to accidentally stunt our growth here in Terra by interacting with us too much."
"It is possible," Umi agreed.
Clef glanced at Lantis, noting the darkening of the Magic Swordsman's eyes.
Umi sighed. "Is there nothing more that you wish to ask Us?"
"Where are we supposed to go and how are we supposed to go about completing whatever task is laid before us?" Lantis said suddenly.
"You go out and explore," Umi said, "Meet your potential allies and enemies. Learn the layout of the city. Put that information that Wind Forge gave you and the resources that have been provided to you by your benefactor to good use. Remember to never let down your guard, and always expect the unexpected."
"Is there anything else we might need to know?" Lantis said finally.
Umi suddenly smiled. "You will have to change clothing. Your armor and robes may be normal in Cephiro, but in Tokyo, you will stand out, which would not help you in the least. What you must do is blend in. Your benefactor left identification, money, a list of people you can trust, how to find them, where you can safely stay the night without having to pay too much, where you can find sustenence, how to come to this Temple for succor or refuge, and directions as to where to go and who to watch out for. However, clothing would be an issue as that was not left with Wind Forge."
Ferio looked confused while Clef and Lantis looked worried. Umi laughed.
"Don't make such a scary face!" she said, "For your benefactor has entrusted to Us a gift to give to the Night Wizards when they finally come to this Temple." She lifted a hand and pointed to three doors and said, "Behind those doors will be some clothes. dress and come back out with whatever is left over. Choose carefully! You will not want to walk down the street dressed in night clothes."
The three men exchanged looks and opened the doors one by one, and after switching as necessary, walked inside. Umi lifted the empty frame of the hand mirror and studied it. Swirls of color materialized in the frame, and Umi watched them intently, reading fom the movement and the colors and their movement a story that only she could understand, and she sighed.
"What a path that has been laid out before you," Umi whispered. She lowered the mirror as the colors vanished and she gazed at the three doors that Clef, Ferio, and Lantis had disappeared behind. "How will you cope in a world that is so different from what you are used to? How will you cope when those who have fought so often for you can do nothing for you when you did so much for us? Oh! Sorcerers from another world! Do not hate us for actions we cannot take!"
A single tear fell from her eyes and hit the floor with a dim splash.
---
Behind the door that he had entered, Clef closed his eyes and reached out with his mind. "Lantis."
"Yes?"
Clef held up a blue t-shirt. "Did you hear Umi's appeal?"
"I did."
"What do you think?"
"You believe that the Magic Knights were forced into a position where they cannot effectively help us?"
"It is a possibility." Clef thought as he picked out a pair of black slacks. "Fuu did mention that we were selected because of our bonds with the Four Forges. It is possible that because of those bonds, they were set in those positions so they could not help us no matter how much they may want to."
".... Fuu and Umi both said that Hikaru has been a Forge longer than them."
"What are you trying to say, Lantis?"
"Do you think it would be too far-fetched if Hikaru was already a Forge when she first came to Cephiro? Lafarga and Eagle both said that she has the eyes of a veteran to many conflicts when they fought her."
"You think that the Princess Hinoto purposely made Hikaru a Forge before sending her in answer to Princess Emeraude's plea for the Magic Knights to force us into a debt for the use of this world's resources?"
"It is possible," Lantis' mental voice conveyed a hint of doubt.
"Then you really think our actions in this world have been scripted?"
"What was it that the Master Mage Miyaka said when she sent us to the Temple of Wind? "In this world there are no such things as coincidences, only the inevitable.""
Clef's eyes narrowed as he dressed. "If that is the case, then we are being used, just as the Magic Knights and the Pillar are being used."
"But for what purpose?" Lantis questioned.
"Perhaps we should ask Umi," Clef suggested.
"If she is being used, she may not know the answer to the question that we would ask."
"We will have to take that chance," Clef said. When he recieved no reply from Lantis, the Master Mage reached with his mind toward Ferio.
"Ferio."
"What is it?" Ferio asked.
"Are you done?"
"Yeah. Just about."
"Be careful when we leave the Temple," Clef ordered, "It's possible we've bcome involved in something much larger than we were led to believe."
Ferio made a noise of assent and Clef withdrew his powers as he quickly gathered the remaining three sets of clothes and made his way to the door.
---
Umi was still standing where they had left her, and the cerulean haired girl smiled when she caught sight of them.
"You have all cleaned up very nicely," she said gently. "In the time that you have been seperated from Our sight, you have discussed things in the privacy of your own minds. Have you no other questions for us?"
Silence fell, the Ferio burst out, "You were eavesdropping!"
A carefully crafted eyebrow arched and Umi said lightly, "I did no such thing. It's more than simplicity for a Forge to be able to tell when Mind Magics are used, especially when said magics are used in the Temples where the Forges are Preistess."
Clef closed his eyes and shook his head before asking, "Have you no advice for us?"
Umi studied them and said quietly, "We have given all the advice that could be given. Merely remember, in this world, there are no such things as coincidences, only the inevitable. However, keep in mind that the future has yet to be decided, and follow your heart. If your hearts are true, then your enemies will find it difficult for you be led astray."
She lifted the mirror into the air where it glowed with a pale cerulean light before the empty frame filled with darkness, and three lights drifted out of the void to hover before the three from Cephiro. The lights pulsed slowly before fading to reveal three lockets.
"These also were left with Us for you by your benefactors," Umi said as she lowered the mirror, "And into these lockets you may place your belongings. Your benefactor has arranged for a home for you, and it is there that We will send you when you are ready to depart."
The three hardly blinked when the wrapped bundles in their arms and the clothing glowed and vanished into the lockets, which dropped into the hands that the three had raised.
"Keep them with you always," Umi said. "We are sorry we can give you no guides, though you will have no lack for them. However beware! Not all who approach you can be trusted! In Terra, nothing is what it seems, so expect the unexpected!"
Silence fell, and as the three put the lockets around their necks, Umi closed her eyes, tilting her head as if listening to some unheard voice. After a moment, she nodded, and her eyes opened once more to fix on the three from Cephiro.
"It is time," her voice was quiet, "for you to go. Please know that you are welcome to the Temple of Water if you are in need of healing or succor. We will send you to the home arranged for you by your benefactor."
"Wait!" Lantis called, "Our benefactor... Is it Hikaru?!"
Umi closed her eyes. "We cannot say." The silence stretched a moment longer and Umi said quietly, "You have no other questions?"
"No," Ferio answered.
"Very well," Umi clasped the empty mirror frame in both hands and raised it over her head as the frame glowed blue. "Mirror, Mirror!" she called, "Oh, Sacred Mirror! Become a Key to many doors! Gates through the World be cast open wide! Through Sacred water, these three guide, To the place they shall reside! Water Spirit! Selece!"
The cerulean light grew brighter and brighter, filling the empty frame before bursting forth to envelope Clef, Ferio and Lantis. There was the sensation of being carried away by rushing water, and all the three could see was the blue light, and then as the light faded, so too did the sound and feeling of rushing water. When the light had faded altogether, Clef, Lantis, and Ferio found themselves in a foyer at the base of a grand staircase leading to the second floor.
---
TBC
TBC
Magic Knight Rayearth 3 The Four Forges Cephiro will repay her debt to Terra