The Death of the Emerald Forest

Part 1
Occurs after Magic Knight Rayearth season 2.
By Neoqueen

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One day Ferio glanced out the windows of the palace. It was a beatiful morning in the middle of the spring, and the sun was shining brightly over Cephiro. The palace gardens were flourishing under the bright sunlight. Ferio decided to see how they were doing, and walked out into the vast valley of ivy and bushes. In the center of the garden, stood a large fountain, which was pouring its crystal clear contents into an enormous basin. The marble statues on and surrounding it were carved into the shapes of faeries, dragons and large cupping leaves.
Ferio took a look around and noticed something unusual, several of the normally green leaves, looked a flouresant emerald color and shone with the magnificance of diamonds. "Whoa..." Ferio breathed and took a step closer.
Gently he touched the leaf, and as he let it droop again, it seemed to sigh, as if it was relieved. And a long blossoming flower sprouted underneath it, almost immediately. When the flowers leaves were fully extended the flower seemed to crystalize. It became completely encased in diamond.
Ferio drew back in surprise, then stepped back towards the palace. He then turned and rushed towards the palace, to inform Guru Clef of the situation. As he drew closer he heard a shout of surprise, "Clef?!!"
Ferio rushed down the hall to see Clef and Lafarga. But Clef was different, he was...taller? Not only that, but his face and body had matured as well. "What the...?" Ferio started.
"Nevermind that!" Clef muttered, "Get me a new robe, this ones too tight!!!"
Ferio couldn't help laughing and Lafarga was trying not to, but that didn't help at all. It took them awhile but they managed to find Clef some clothes that fit. But even that took awhile considering Clef was almost as tall as Lafarga now. "What happened Clef? You grew up." Ferio asked as Clef finally left his room.
Clef glared at him and muttered, "I don't understand it, I didn't mean too..."
"Well thats wierd but not as wierd as whats happening to the garden!" Ferio replied. "The flowers are turning into diamond!"
"Your joking!" Lafarga exclaimed in surprise.
"Wish I was." Ferio sighed.
"He's not joking, Lafarga. So it's finally happening..." Clef murmured.
"Whats happening, Clef?" Ferio asked.
"The Emerald forest, it's dying." Clef responded, his adult face looking worried and saddened.
"The Emerald forest? Thats just an old legend." Lafarga replied.
"No, it's not. The Emerald forest is dying, and it's life force is surfacing and entering the plants, animals and people of Cephiro." clef explained.
"Will it harm Cephiro?" Ferio asked.
"No, unless the caretaker of the forest seeks revenge for its death, then Cephiro would be endangered." Clef replied. "The same for it's animal Gods."
"Is there anything we can do?" Lafarga asked.
"Yes. We could go to the Emerald forest and try to convince the caretaker and the Gods to come and live in Cephiro." Clef suggested.
"What if they still have ill intentions for Cephiro?" Ferio asked.
"Then we will protect Cephiro to the best of our ability." Lafarga agreed.
Clef nodded in agreement, turned and said, "We will require the help of the Magic Knights, however. I will contact them."
After Clef had left, Ferio asked Lafarga, "Are the odds against us?"
"It is well known that the Gods of the Emerald forest are each more powerfull than the strongest magician of Cephiro." Lafraga explained.
"That means Clef...." Ferio realized.
"And he knows it too, he's worried, thats why he's summoning the Magic Knights." Lafarga sighed.
Meanwhile, Clef stood in the throne room, summoning his magic to call for the magic knights. Magic Knights Clef called If you can hear me come to Cephiro, quickly, It's a matter of great importance.
It wasn't much longer till the knights came and Clef explained the situatiuation. "Well, you've explained to us whats happening to the Emerald forest, and about the powers of it's caretaker and the Animal Gods, but what exactly is the Emerald forest?" Umi asked.
"The Emerald forest is a place that exists 10,000 feet within Cephiro's outer layers. Amazinly it is unaffected by the heat at that level. However it's a mysterious place, the most interior garden within it is totally made up of diamonds and other rare stones, and Emerald trees, that is why it is called the Emerald forest. Emerald trees are highly valued as they can heal any sickness or wound and even bring someone back to life. The rest of the outer forest is composed of trees, larger than the palace's tower itself. And the caretakers of it's precious gardens are the Gods of the animal and Plant spirits and the over raining caretaker, a human, destined to protect it until the day it dies. Few people have ever been there, but now it is dying. And if the Plant and Animal Gods wished to, they could Destroy Cephiro along with it." Clef paused for a moment. "In case there is a battle, I summonded you, you 3 knights have saved Cephiro before, and I am only asking that you help us one last time. If you do not wish to fight, I will understand, and I won't ask you of it again."
"Of course we'll fight! We're not going to back down yet, Clef!" Hikaru replied enthusiastically.
"Yes we are always here to help Cephiro." Fuu agreed smiling.
"Thank you!" Clef said happy to have their assistance.
"But Clef, didn't you just say this would be the last time? How do you know Cephiro won't be attacked again?" Umi asked.
Clef smiled and responded, "Because if the Gods and the caretaker of the Emerald forest come to Cephiro they will have to protect it, as it will become their home as well. And the Gods of the Emerald forest are immortal, and very strong."
"But what about the caretaker?" Fuu asked.
"The caretaker is only allowed eternal life as long as the garden exsists, and then would lead a normal life as some one of Cephiro." Clef explained.
"Every thing in Cephiro came from the Emerald forest, it is the birth place for all the living things in Cephiro." Clef continued.
"What?!!" Umi exclaimed. "You mean even you came from the Emerald forest Clef?!!!"
Clef laughed, "No, that was a long time ago, way before I was born. My Ancestors migrated from the Emerald forests."
"Oh, then was the caretaker left behind?" Hikaru asked.
"Yes, I'm afraid they were, they had to protect the forest since no one else would. The people of the Emerald forest left in search of a more intresting life than the one they had there, though I don't know why they sought hardships and mortal life, compared the the luxurious and immortal one they held there, but people are always foolish, it is their nature." Clef sighed and turned towards the window. "The true location of the Emerald forest is known by only those who would hold onto the ancient writings that told of Cephiro's early history."
"Foretunetly for us, I have a small record of these writings, they are locked in a hidden closet underneath the castle, as they were very precious to Princess Emeraude." Clef said and his voice saddened.
"She...they meant something to her?" Hikaru asked Clef.
Clef nodded and said, "Yes, they were her favorite things to read when she was a child, I was told, that was before I came to be in her service."
"Yes, then we will take special care that they don't get damaged." Fuu said and smiled.
Clef seemed to snap out of his trance and smiled back, "Yes," He murmured.
"Clef? Whats wrong?" Hikaru asked.
"I thought that there was another set of books...somewhere else in the castle....." But then Clef stopped speaking again.
//What am I thinking? Clef thought to himself of course theres not another set of books, but why did I sense there was?//
"Hello! Cephiro to Clef!!! Come in Clef!!" Umi shouted in his ear.
"WHAT?!" he snapped and was brought back into reality again.
"Geez, Fuu only asked you the question twice Clef, where'd you fly of to, the moon?" Umi asked sarcastically.
Clef shook his head in annoyance, and sighed. "I'm sorry, Fuu what was it you asked?"
"I was wondering when we should leave for the Emerald forest..." Fuu repeated a third time.
"As soon as we find those books. Tomorrow we'll go and get them and the next day we'll leave just as soon as we find out where we're going." Clef responded and headed towards his room.
"You girls can stay where you did last time when the 3 country's attacked us. I believe you know where that is. Oh and Umi?" Clef continued.
"Yeah?" Umi asked.
"Ascott wanted to see you I think, same with Ferio and Lantis too, Fuu and Hikaru." Clef said smiling at them.
The girls all got excited looks on their faces and rushed off to find their other friends. Clef simply chuckled, why they might have been the three magic knights they were still just teenage girls. It was times like this when Clef could meditate on the days events and think of what was to heppen next. He walked to his room and glanced at his books, he felt like doing some reading. Clef picked an old favorite and settled down in his favorite chair. After a while of reading his mind began to wander...//This is so boring// Clef thought but then realized something, //That doesn't sound like something I'd say...//
Clef sat up and looked at the book again, but soon lost intrest, and felt like walking in the garden for a bit. He soon lost himself in the large gardens of the palace and came to it's center, where the elegant marble fountain sat. //This must have been where Ferio saw that flower..// Clef looked around, the sun had set, but it was not totally night out yet. The lights on the fountain came on and made the garden look even more beautiful than it already was.
Clef spotted the small patch of Emerald green leaves and that flower Ferio had mentioned. Clef carefully picked the diamond flower and examined it, When it suddenly began to change. It glowed white and it reformed into a tiny green fairy,//An Emerald faerie,// Clef realized.
It flew out of Clef's hand and smiled kindly at him, then turned to touch the other Emerald colored leaves which also changed into flowers and then faeries. The area where the faeries had sprouted out of was now a desolate bush of brown dead leaves. The faeries seemed saddened by this and flew back to the bush.
Each one of them were only a few inches big and had pale green skin. Their dresses were made of leaves and flower petals, and they each had long green hair and a rosebud sticking out of it. They each glowed green for a moment and gathered around the bush, and within a few seconds the bush had regenerated into the lusch plant it had once been. Clef looked on in awe and watched the faeries as they turned to leave.
"Wait!" He shouted to them as they turned to go, one of the faeries stooped and looked at him, "What is it?" she asked in a voice that sounded much like a song.
"Are your intentions to Cephiro friendly?" Clef asked.
Most of the faeries giggled and the one faerie answered, "We have nothing against Cephiro, we plant Gods of the Emerald forest are here to protect plants, and thats what we do, though you may have trouble with the animal Gods, especially the wolves, they are easy to temper."
Clef smiled and watched the small fleet of Faeries leave. //The animal Gods? I thought as much they have always been easy to temper.// It was then Clef realized what he was saying, //What am I saying? I've never met the animal Gods...how can I know that?//
Clef pondered these things in his mind as the shadow of night quickly drifted over Cephiro and the rest of the plant God's emerged from gardens and forests all over Cephiro to bid it welcome.

End Part 1