Title: Night Light
Fandom: Magic Knight Rayearth
Rating: G
Length: 1000 words
Content notes: Very pre-canon.
Author notes: Ferio and Clef, back when Emeraude starts her training. (ahahahaha back to last-moment fanfic oops)

oOo

The door to the library creaked slightly as it opened, and Clef glanced up from the book which lay across his lap, leaning forwards to look between the shelves. It took him a moment to recognise the boy clinging to the handle, still mostly hidden in the shadows of the corridor. This time of night, there were only a few lights on in the library, but that was still more than in the corridor – and Clef had whispered light into a small globe of crystal which sat on the shelf behind him, casting shadows out into the corridor.

But there weren’t many children in the castle, at the moment. A good thing: most of the children here were orphans, under the care of the Pillar. But not all of them. Some, instead, were like this boy’s sister, here to study. Emeraude had a strong gift for magic, and a stronger will. With time and practise, she was going to become an exceptional mage.

…For now, though, she was still too young and inexperienced to really have control of her power. It wasn’t surprising that her home had seen more demons dreamed up by children’s nightmares in the past year than anywhere else in Cephiro; to keep her and her family safe, she had come here to study with Clef and the other mages who wandered in and out of the Pillar’s court.

Her brother was quite possibly just as stubborn, from what Clef had seen – but showed no interest in magic. Still, he was even younger than Emeraude, there was time. In fact, he was young enough that at this time of night he should have been fast asleep, unless something had woken him. And it couldn’t be anything Emeraude had dreamed up. Clef had set the shields about her room himself, he would have felt if they were disturbed.

(If he did develop an interest in magic, he was likely to remain in Emeraude’s shadow all his life. Perhaps it was only sensible that he be interested in other things.)

…And he still showed no sign of moving. Clef lifted his book up again, settling back in his chair. “You can come in, Ferio.”

The boy slipped inside and padded across the room, hesitating a few paces away from Clef’s seat at the desk, his eyes drawn to the light in the crystal. His shock of hair was wilder than usual, the tie at the nape of his neck mostly undone; he’d probably slept a little, at least.

“My sister tried to do that once.” Ferio said, and Clef set his book down. He reached out and took the crystal from the shelves, the stone cool in his hand; Ferio watched him, focused sharply on the glow.

“To put light in a stone, like this?” Clef held it out to Ferio, and watched him hesitate again – but then step forwards, and take it, gingerly. When nothing happened, he turned the sphere around in his hands, studying it.

“It got really hot.” Ferio muttered. “Then the bed was on fire and Mamma was cross.”

“…Ah.” Clef suppressed a grin. “You need the right kind of stone, for this spell. If you don’t have one, it can go wrong.” Ferio nodded, seriously, and handed the stone back – Clef took it, just as gravely, and set it on the edge of the desk.

“I guess you do know lots of things, then.” Ferio said, with a deep sigh. “Mamma said you’d be able to tell Emeraude things, and that’s why we’re here. But-“

“…Are you wondering why you are here, as well as your sister?” Clef asked, quietly. Ferio nodded, biting his lip.

“Mamma said they were making the house better after all of those creatures came. That they would be really busy.”

Ferio’s voice dropped even lower, on that. Clef had seen what was left of the village, after the last attack – it would take some time to make things right, and longer still until they could be certain nothing more was going to be pulled there by the traces of Emeraude’s power. “Your parents wanted both of you to be safe, while things were being fixed, and while they’re helping to fix things, they won’t be able to spend so much time with you – but if you are both here, then neither you nor your sister are alone.”

“And the creatures can’t get to Em’raude here?”

Ferio stared him straight in the eyes, on that, and Clef was startled again by the focus there. (Definitely strong-willed like his sister.) “No, they can’t.” He reached and patted the wall beside the desk, where there was bare stone surrounding a deep-set window. As he did so, he let a sliver of magic trickle through his fingers – just enough to make the wards in the walls react, coiled lines of power glowing to life. “I helped make these shields. I promise you, nothing will get through them.”

“…Okay, then.” Ferio said, and the tension faded from the small figure, leaving him dark-eyed with tiredness instead of apprehension. He seemed satisfied enough, but didn’t head back to the door, as Clef had half expected.

The wide window ledge beside Clef was padded with cushions enough to make someone Ferio’s size comfortable. (Or Clef’s, for that matter.) He nodded to it now. “Do you want to sit with me, for a while?”

“…Okay.”

Ferio clambered up, and curled into the cushions, watching curiously as Clef picked up his book again – and then Clef had a thought, and frowned. “Ferio, did your parents tell you that the creatures wanted Emeraude?”

“No. I saw it.”

“…Ah. I see.”

“But they can’t get her here, so it’s okay.” Ferio said, almost to himself, leaning further into the cushions, eyes beginning to drift shut and his words beginning to slur. (Interrogating your sister’s teacher to make sure they were good enough was apparently tiring.) “And I like watching the Guards. Gonna learn to fight like one of ‘em and keep Em’raude safe.” There was a smile on his face now, and that expression was exactly like the one Emeraude wore when she saw a new spell.

“I’m sure you will.” Clef said, softly.

A few minutes later Clef stood, detached the outer layer of his robes from his mantle so he could tuck the cloth over Ferio as he slept.

oOo