http://clampfix.fanworks.net/kenichi/rayfic08.txt </head><body><pre>"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." BIBLE, Ecclesiastes 9:10 "Whatever you do, do with all your might." Cicero, De Senectute Chapter Seven: Tree I stood on the shores of the crystal-blue sea. A huge blue dragon's head soared out of the surf. Menacing though it was, somehow I was unafraid to face it. Large reptilian legs trode the surface of the beach as it crawled out onto the shore. It was huge, like some madman's nightmare. It looked at me with stern, glowing eyes as I knew its name. Seles. Dragon of the Sapphire Blue Sea of Cephiro. The voice was cold and firm, as if it was set in ice. <For others to believe in you, you must first believe in yourself.> "I believe." The great head shook with disdain. <I think not. You have yet to master a single spell.> The lizardlike head slithered down to my position. <How can you be a "Magic" Knight if you do not know even a shred of a Magical spell? You cannot even do a party trick...> "Okay, Seles... Can you teach me?" The words that emanated from my mouth were wrong. Though respectful in word, they were mocking in tone. The great dragon gave a mighty roar and stomped the ground with great force from one huge, clawed foot. I felt the earth tremble as I struggled to keep my balance. Suddenly, a pillar of water burst upward in front of me. The force was strong enough to knock me off my feet, sending me toppling to the beach. The geyser rocketed to the stars, then died away silent as the stars themselves were. <I grant you this ability. Now, learn to use it!> Ability? "What ability? All you did was knock me over!!!" <Precisely. Figure it out yourself.> Black mists rushed in like jets of oil in a pond. The blackness shut out the images of the sea and the Dragon. The black then conformed into a brighter, but no less ominous scarlet color. The red room again. I turned and came face to face with Zagato's stern countenance. "Your heart has still not grown as strong as the three knights before you. Why do you fight against it?" His tone was reproachful, like father used to be. "I'm NOT a Knight!!!" "You say you believe but in your heart, you do not. THAT is why you are not. Although you have faith enough in the people you wish to protect, you have no faith in what you can do." "No faith in...? None of what any of you say makes sense!!!" Zagato brushed his cloak to his side. "Only because it is your mind that muddles it all. I try to be clear, you perceive it as nonsense." I was about to retort, but something bit it back. Have some common sense. My arguments would just run out of steam on him. "What must I do to understand...? "By acepting without question... For now." I couldn't beleive he was asking me to do this. "Believe, Kenichi Kaeda. Believe." =================================== Sunlight stirred me from my slumber. I drowsily dragged myself into a sitting position looking out at the sea. The cloaks Mira brought helped keep the sand out of our clothing as we slept. I could not help but notice how much they looked like beach towels. Beach towels indeed. If my current trip was any observation, the Cephiro tour was hardly going to win any more vacationers. There were no dragon or lizard imprints on the beach. Of course there weren't. It was a dream... I pondered again the words of the mysterious wizard. Zagato had said to accept without question. But why? That had been the reason that Hikaru... I ceased my train of thought. No philosopher was I. There was no way I could give any kind of logical explanation for my being here or why I even choose to stay and help. Why are all my decisions so mixed up? Rafaga was already up; I could see his figure pulling in another seafood catch for the day. Mira still slumbered. Absently, I brushed a stray lock of hair from her face. Something precious... A smile came to my face without any conscious thought. Much as I hated to admit it, Mira was that precious thing. It draws me to her. It was what drew me to Hikaru. Innocence. Something I had, until recently, always faked or falsified. I put up such a convincing show of innocence that many thought it to be true. But in reality, it was something I lost a long time ago. When my Father died. =================================== After a quick breakfast, we made our way further across the shoreline. Mira and I talked most of the way. Her mother had passed away due to an illness. She never saw her father, but said he died fighting a monster long before the Magic Knights arrived. I told her about my own loss, and she seemed to feel less insecure about the pendant she wore. Nothing much. Just small talk. =================================== There was an area in front of us that was filled with trees, a verdant forest, yet it stretched into the sea, cutting off our path. Rafaga pointed to a large outcropping of rock ahead. "Gara makes his home there. Close to the trees that are his honor." He then put a fist to his heart, and the look on his face seemed wistful as his head hung low. "Caldina used to make fun of Gara's love of trees. He would come out every day to care and water certain plants that struck his fancy. He even went and planted some..." My eyes widened. "Gara planted trees?" That was the explanation. Why nontropical trees grew so close to the shore. The burly Chizetan warrior must have planted them all... It was hard to believe that the body of a warrior would possess such incredible care and patience. Speak of the devil... Gara's huge form appeared on the rock. "It is time, Magic Knight." I nodded. Only one of us would win. I had to have an answer to everything. =================================== We settled to fight on top of the rock. Gara wielded a large sword that seemed to rival Rafaga's in size. Yet he brandished it as easily as one would a knife. The great warrior smiled. "I still think you should turn back. It isn't too late." "No, it is too late." I shook my head and drew the Lance from my gauntlet. "I have to know. What am I fighting for?" Gara frowned. "That is one of the reasons you must fight me." =================================== Mira and Rafaga were observing in the distance. Gara had strictly told me that the fight was between the two of us alone. He did not wish to involve his brother-in-law or the little Nar. I felt a strong apprehension being separated from them both, but I knew this was for the best. Gara uttered a few words, and out of the sky fell translucent walls, sealing us off from everyone but ourselves. I was jolted by the thought of a trap, but the Chizetan warrior put my fears to rest just as quickly. "It is a form of psionic shield. I do this so as not to harm anyone or anything outside of our battle." Gara's eyes narrowed. "But it will lift only if one of us is defeated." I looked to Rafaga and Mira, standing outside the barrier. Rafaga nodded his support. No turning back now... =================================== We stood staring at each other for what seemed like days instead of hours. My impaience was growing. Why dosen't he attack? Gara stood like a rock, tall and firm. Or was it a tree? In any case, youthful impatience got the better of me, and I lunged forward, thrusting the lance at him. I hoped that the action would prompt him into action, hopefully to scare him a bit (as if!) into just letting us have the crystal. It proved to be a grave mistake. I saw a silver wave flash upward in a perfect arf, knocking the lance and myself backward, into the solid lower ground. I regained my footing. Gara sheathed his blade and stood unmoving fom his point. It would be suicide to try that tactic again. Gara was obviously taking advantage of his firm defensive position. I was about to attack again, but something stopped me. It was as if a cold hand clamped hy heart in a vise. Fear. My body shook involuntarily, and a cold sweat broke out on my forehead. Had I had more to drink this morning, my pants would have been well-watered by now. I hadn't been this scared since... =================================== It was when father was still alive. My dog Pants was in great pain. Father said his friend was a very good vet, so we took him there. And a nice man he seemed to be. He was very gentle, with very expressive eyes. Yet I couldn't understand why those very same eyes frightened me. He always liked it when Father insisted I call him "uncle". Uncle. It pains me to even think of the man's real name. Father died not long after that. Ironically, he was in "Uncle's" company when he had his heart attack. "Uncle" was at father's funeral as well. He acted mournful, but Mother and I distrusted the look in his eyes. Somewhere in his mournful eyes he was laughing at us. It was as if the angelic face hid a devil's soul. I never again saw Uncle Seishirou since that fateful day... =================================== The heat of the midday sun brought me out of my memory. One of the few memories I can still call my own. The great man's face was firm, set in granite. My fear was not at all shared by him, a warrior who must have seen death too many times in his life to fear it. And yet... Yet his eyes seemed tinged with a sweet melancholy. Honest, undecieving. They seemed to be pleading. Pleading with me to just give up. Something I knew I could not do. I pushed fear aside like a rag doll, throwing my whole body into the attack. Like a dance, I spun around, twisting the lance around like a bladed dervish, in deadly semicircles aimed towards Gara's unprotected head. If he has to die, Lord, let it be painless... =================================== I was almost upon him. The right end of my blade swung down to meet him when Gara swiftly struck into my stomach with the butt of his sword-hilt. I felt the wind rush out of my lungs like a geyser. Red and purple spots danced happily about my field of vision. In the back of my mind, I could hear Mira whimpering for me. Out of reflex, left arm jerked and swung the lance upwards, barely cleaving into Gara's breastplate and chin. The big man was surprised but did not utter a word. Wait... He IS saying something... But what..? It was so arcane, so weird I... My heart sank. Incantation. A magical attack. It had to be. I saw a huge smoky fist rush at me. Only fter it hit did I realize that it was coming from Gara. Another blow. And another. Both times, I tried to slice at it with the lance, but I just as well could have tried cutting water. It was made of dark smoke, yet it hit just as hard as any physical blow. Each strike fell like a sledgehammer to my chest, but without the forewarning image. A third blow sent me sprawling backwards into the sand. Had I had any energy left, I would probably have been screaming. "Why did you have to insist on fighting?!?" I lay on the ground in pain as large boots walked up to me. "Now I'll have to kill you..." Gara's voice was full of regret, but not a tinge of malice. "Your life was wasted. Why did you have to do this?" I tried to move. Pain tore into me like a million needles in my gut and lungs, ripping into my spleen. <Do you still not know how to use the ability?> Seles...? An unnatural energy flowed through my veins. From the soil. From the earth itself. It was flowing through my feet and hands like water up the roots of a tree. The pain was still there, but my mind shut it out. Gara was stupefied. "...No..." I stood straight, not even bothering to use my lance as a crutch. I didn't need it. The earth was flowing through me. You must prepare to strike. You have only one chance. Zagato's thoughts. My thoughts. My right fist clenched. I could feel the energy rising through it. Gara was already muttering his spell. Him or me. Now or never. Figure it out yourself, Seles had said. Took me a while, but it made sense now. Seles used that technique right after I made him angry. Anger. Rage. I sent my fist crashing into the ground in front of me. <<RAGING GEYSER!!!>> At first, nothing happened. Gara paused, thinking that my attack had failed. It was to be the last mistake of his life. The earth crumbled inward as the power raced towards Gara. Like a fault line when the earth shakes, fast and jagged. It ceased when it came to Gara's position. The blast came without warning. All of Gara's massive weight was shot straight up into the heavens, borne on a huge pillar of water. Just as suddenly, the water ceased, and Gara fell to earth like a meteor. Headfirst. I had expected Gara's head to explode like a melon on impact, but it was not the case. In fact, the Chizetan warrior was very much alive. I ran to his body. Alive, yes, but not for very long. The psionic walls he had laid down collapsed into the ether, allowing Rafaga and Mira to approach. Gara smiled. "You did it. Damned if you couldn't, but you did..." A wet cough expunged itself from his lips. "You deserve to get the final Mashin, boy. You won..." "Gara, I..." A weak hand patted my wrist. "...You are strong enough for it..." I propped the heavy head up to a sitting position. Rafaga knelt at Gara's side and helped support the dying man's torso. Mira laid her hands on Gara's chest, but the great man gently brushed her away. "Don't waste your strength on me, little one. You are not an accomplished enough healer to save me." He turned to Rafaga. "I never blamed you for Caldina's death, Rafaga. Never worry." Rafaga's mien was pained as badly as Gara's. Finally, Gara turned to me. He groped inside his cloak, and pulled out a blue orb. It was about the same size as the black orb that I myself posessed. He stuck it into my palm. "This is the first piece... You must have all four orbs in order to gain control of the Fourth Mashin..." Another cough. He was weakening fast, and his repeated attempts to prevent Mira further aggravated the problem. "Let me die. It's all over now... It is your responsibility..." His eyes turned blank as he looked to the sky. "I... I'll... be able... to see... my sister agai..." He stopped as his lungs ran out of air. Reluctantly, Rafaga and I laid him to rest. The blue orb glowed as it rested in my hand. It seemed to drain the energies that flowed into my body earlier. In a sudden flash of strange pain mixed with pleasure, The orb transmuted itself. Escude. The substance powered by strong hearts. I opened my eyes to see that I had somehow gained armor; a chestplate and shoulder guards not unlike the early armor the Knights once wore. Suddenly, my own injuries became apparent, as the power of the earth left me. The pain was too great; I collapsed into Rafaga's arms. I, however was the lucky one. Gara... His face stared blankly upward, a relieved smile on his lips... =================================== Rafaga and I buried the great man in the dense undergrowth of the forests he so loved. Upon returning, We found Mira brooding over the death. She was disconsolate about it all. "I could have saved him." Rafaga put his arm around the little Nar. "He wouldn't let you. It isn't your fault." I tried to smile, for Mira's sake, but it came out weakened, and so I dropped the subject entirely. We decided to get the rest over with, and try not to let Gara's death pall us down in our quest. Yet it could not be done away with that easily. Rafaga lost the strength of poise he had kept throughout the journey. It was like he had lost Caldina all over again when her brother died. Mira walked a step behind us, hgging herself. She seemed like a lost child, an Orphan all over again. And what of I? Magic Knight. The name was more of a curse than a title. I had never killed a man before. Somehow, I felt it would not be the last time.</pre><p><a href="./">Back</a></p><p><a href=http://www.dreamhost.com/donate.cgi?id=216><img border=0 alt="Donate towards our web hosting bill!" src=https://secure.newdream.net/donate1.gif></a></p></body></html>