al709382@campus.ccm.itesm.mx

                        Shards of Peace, by Jorge Pratt

Foreword
Finally, my first non-Ranma fanfic! But it was well worth the 
wait, since Magic Knight Rayearth is my second favorite 
manga/anime. This fanfic is based on the TV series, though, since 
the anime left more chances for the events of this story to 
happen. Also, while I _do_ have read the original manga, I'm more 
familiar with the anime, even though I had to watch the Spanish-
dubbed version.
        Because of this, there might be slight discrepancies in the 
dialogue I take directly from the anime. Also, I will refer to the 
Mashin as "he" and Mokona as "she" (in spite of the events of 
MKR2, the manga ^_- )
        BTW, the final chapters of this �fic were inspired by the 
music from the MKR song "Lullaby" (Best Collection CD.) That�s 
quite a dramatic score, I might add. 
        Well, anyway, read on! Comments and corrections are 
welcome, and much needed!

(Warning: If you haven't watched/read the end of MKR's second 
series, be warned that this is a continuation of it. This story 
is full of spoilers for the anime.)


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

TerBril productions present...

SHARDS OF PEACE

A Magic Knight Rayearth 2 Fanfic

Story by Jorge A. Pratt
Based upon characters and situations by CLAMP
Magic Knight Rayearth, copyright CLAMP/Kodansha

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


                        -- Remembrance --

        "It�s been a year since that happened..."
        The voice belonged to one of the three schoolgirls that 
stood by the railing, on the observation level of Tokyo Tower. 
They wore summer uniforms, each colored in a primary color of 
the spectrum. It was noon, and the trio had spent the past 
several minutes simply looking out the large windows, as if 
staring beyond the bright blue sky. Nearby onlookers were 
puzzled by their behavior, since, from time to time, the girls 
would turn to look at each other and smile, without even needing 
to speak. But finally, the silence had been broken by the 
bespectacled girl. To some of the people who had heard her 
words, the girls� actions finally made some sense: they had been 
deep in thought, apparently recalling something that had given 
them happiness.
        How short that theory fell in reality...
        "That�s right," the tallest of the three replied, "And now 
we�re �three students from another world.�"
        The girls snickered at the remark, which only brought 
confused looks from other people. But as they ceased to laugh, 
the shortest of the three girls suddenly fell silent. It was as 
though she had been reached by something, something that made 
her look forward again. As she did, her eyes widened like 
saucers and blinked several times, until, finally, she flung 
herself at the railing and pointed out to the clear sky.
        "Look up there!"
        Nobody but the three of them saw anything but a blue field 
patched with clouds. However, the blonde, the redhead and the 
blue-haired girl were met with a grand vision, a magical 
landscape that stretched out into the distance. Rugged, sharp 
peaks that threatened to scratch the clouds; floating mountains 
made of large crystals; deep oceans glistening under the ample 
sunlight; and forests and grasslands teeming with life. Yes, it 
was the life of such world what delighted them the most, as 
relief and joy took home in their hearts.
        "How wonderful..." the blonde with the glasses whispered. 
"They managed to build a beautiful world without a Pillar."
        The girl with blue hair agreed, "And it was everyone�s will 
what made it happen."
        The short girl with braided red hair sighed, "I want to 
return to Cephiro," she closed her eyes, "And this time, without 
any regrets."
        She reached into her blouse, and her hand came out holding 
an ornate medallion. It was golden, with a polished white mirror 
encrusted on it. Her eyes glistened as she looked at this 
treasure, for it brought many happy memories to her mind. It had 
been a gift from someone she shared love with, but sadly, she 
hadn�t seen him for the past year --at least, not outside her 
dreams.
        The girl sighed again, then once more looked up into the 
miraculous image spread out in the sky. She smiled, and said, "I 
want to be part of Cephiro�s future again..."
        Smiling at each other, the three girls waited a few more 
minutes before leaving Tokyo Tower. Neither of them noticed the 
powerful golden flash just outside the window, nor how three 
other people suddenly vanished...

                        *       *       *

Hikaru Shidou, Umi Ryuuzaki and Fuu Hououji; it would be very 
difficult to find a group of friends with bounds as tight as 
those that kept these three girls together. Nobody had a clue 
as to how they even met, or as to why they were so close. But 
for the last year and a half, a relationship like no other had 
grown between them, despite their diverse backgrounds and 
lifestyles. They were almost like sisters to some people, and 
little things such as attending different schools and living 
across the city didn�t seem to be much trouble.
        Few would have believed what brought them together, and 
the girls could hardly believe it themselves. They didn�t even 
know each other until they were summoned to Cephiro, and that 
was now a distant memory. All the hardships they had faced, the 
troubles they had overcome, had only become bricks upon which 
an unbreakable friendship had been built.
        Nevertheless, they still longed for Cephiro. They had 
visited only for a short time, and even while they had been 
constantly in battles, they felt like the mystical world was part 
of their hearts. It was thanks to Princess Emeraude�s summon of 
the Magic Knights that they even become friends, and... there 
were the others they had met. Presea, Lafarga, Caldina, Ascot, 
the people from the other planets. Mokona. And of course, Clef, 
Ferio, Lantis... Their dreams and thoughts always included these 
people.
        They sure missed them. Ever since Hikaru abolished the 
Pillar system, and the girls returned to Earth, they could only 
hope for Cephiro�s recovery. When they went back to Tokyo 
Tower, half a year ago, they finally discovered that the world 
of magic had been finally restored by its inhabitants. If there 
were only a way to go back, even if just for a brief visit...
        But there wasn�t much time to think about that now. As Umi 
had mentioned during that visit to Tokyo Tower, they were still 
students. And given their age, they were just about ready to 
graduate from ninth grade. Final exams were the only thing 
guaranteed to bring the trio back to Earth.

Hikaru had been studying nonstop for the last six hours. It was 
a good thing her next exam was Biology, otherwise she would 
have already dropped the book for a Kendo sparring session with 
her brother to soothe her nerves. As things were, though, it was 
close to midnight already. The book�s pages were beginning to 
blur before her, and the fact that she was lying face-down on 
her futon didn�t  help matters any. She had already caught 
herself dozing every few minutes.
        "S... so..." she yawned, rubbing her eyes, "Just another... 
page and..." She couldn�t finish as she slowly fell, her face 
plopping on the book...
        She was sitting on the edge of a grassy cliff, on Earth, 
looking out into the ocean, while a soft breeze tugged at her 
long pigtail. In her arms, the fluffy whiteness of Mokona sighed, 
as if imitating a cat�s purr. Hikaru smiled and hugged her a 
little tighter.
        A light scruffing sound caught her attention. She looked 
over her shoulder, towards the forest behind her. She saw a tall 
silhouette walking amid the foliage with confident, silent strides. 
She shifted her position slightly, so only her left leg hanged 
down the edge while she rested the right knee on the grass. Her 
eyes stared intently at the figure, so she couldn�t notice 
Mokona as she squirmed out of her hold and sent a small "Puu."
        Having her hands free, Hikaru put her palms on the ground 
and pushed herself up, standing. She had recognized the 
silhouette upon seeing it, so right now her heart was thumping 
rapidly as a smile was shaped on her face. Eager, she drew her 
fists to her chest and took a step forward, away from the cliff, 
while Mokona looked around with a contented smile.
        He stood there, at the edge of the woods, with his steel-
gray cape waving in the breeze. The dark armor he bore glistened 
in the sun, turning almost white as it cast bright reflections. 
Hikaru stood motionless;  she still felt a little nervous in his 
presence, especially having him towering high over her short 
height.
        Hesitant for a second, she stepped towards him. But she 
soon smiled and hastened her pace. She stopped short, however, 
and stood a few feet away from him. She didn�t need to go any 
further, though, as Lantis smiled and slowly strode to join her. 
Hikaru blushed very slightly when he placed a hand on her 
shoulder, then he turned her around so his arm fell behind her 
head. She felt a warm chill run down her sides, the same as she 
had felt when he first gave her the medallion; without her 
noticing, she edged a bit closer to him.
        Hikaru felt light as a feather. She barely noticed how 
Lantis was walking towards the cliff�s edge, pulling her along 
with his arm. She did notice, however, something tugging at her 
leg. She looked down, and blinked in confusion. Mokona was 
frantically trying to pull her away from the chasm, bent on 
stopping her from following Lantis.
        "Mokona...? Wha..."
        Lantis squeezed her shoulder a little, drawing her 
attention, "Hikaru, come to Cephiro."
        She suddenly felt a chill. His voice had a tinge of worry, 
and his touch felt like ice on her shoulder. She quickly looked 
up into his eyes. They were distant, cold... _pleading_. His words 
hadn�t just been a suggestion, they had been a call for... help.
        She shook her head. No, no. Everything was all right. 
Cephiro was in no more troubles, and although she had been the 
last Pillar, she had made sure the planet would survive without 
her. But she _did_ want to go back...
        "Hai," she smiled at Lantis. He nodded, and both stood on 
the very edge of the cliff. Below them, the ocean vanished, and 
all of a sudden they were standing on a floating island over 
Cephiro. Mokona�s agitation increased and she leapt for Hikaru�s 
pigtail, grabbing hold of the ribbon at its end and trying to pull 
her away. But Hikaru paid null attention. She turned to Lantis 
again, then they both reared back. With a great leap, they flung 
themselves towards the land of Cephiro.
        They descended slowly, with Lantis falling behind Hikaru. 
Taking the opportunity, she looked around, recognizing the rest 
of the world. There they were, the floating mountains, the fuming 
volcanoes and the deep ocean that had caught her attention the 
first time she was here. But there was something else. In the 
distance, smack in the middle of the sky, there was the crystal 
star of Princess Emeraude�s palace. Funny, she shouldn�t be able 
to see it from this altitude. And then, _why_ was Emeraude�s 
castle even here? Hadn�t the Knights destroyed it?
        "HIKARU!"
        She looked down. Someone had shouted her name. When she 
saw who had called her eyes went wide.
        "Nova!"
        "Don�t!" standing on the ground, Nova shouted desperately. 
She waved her hand in dismissal, trying as hard as Mokona to 
convince her not to come to Cephiro. "No! Go back! Don�t return 
to this world!"
        "Huh?" Hikaru was puzzled by Nova�s actions. The pink-haired 
girl had a look of utter shock, and her eyes were filled with 
fright. But if Nova was a part of herself, why didn�t she want to 
return to Cephiro?
        "DON�T COME!" Nova shrieked a last time just as Hikaru�s 
feet touched the ground. Almost without delay, the earth Nova 
stood on cracked and heaved upwards, trapping her in a cage of 
dirt that caved in on itself. Hikaru and her other self screamed 
as the ground swallowed Nova whole.
        "Nova!" Hikaru yelled, then reared her hand back to throw a 
Blazing Arrow and free her. But before she could even send out 
a flicker she saw Emeraude�s face, right where Nova once stood. 
With a devilish smirk, Emeraude�s eyes flashed, and suddenly a 
large hand with sharp claws was flung towards Hikaru.
        Everything went white.
        Lantis� voice, "Cephiro needs you, Hikaru..."
        Darkness.
        And Hikaru woke up with her face on a book.

                        *       *       *

        "Next up! Nakamura Akiko! Hououji Fuu, get ready!"
        Fuu nodded to herself when she heard the archery sensei 
call her name. She pushed up her glasses and put a two-fingered 
glove on her right hand, then took her bow and quiver. She had 
to be very careful now. She had finally reached the last stage 
of the regional archery tournament, and it hadn�t been easy. She 
needed to concentrate, even if there would be five more minutes 
until it was her turn. Okay, concentrate... concentrate...
        "Hi, Fuu!"
        A sweatdrop rolled down her head.
        "Um, hello, Umi-san."
        "Sorry... we�re late..." Hikaru placed her hands on her knees, 
panting.
        "Don�t worry, Hikaru-san," Fuu smiled, glad to see her 
friends here. "But... Are you alright? Did you sleep well last 
night?"
        "Uh, yeah..." Hikaru straightened herself, rubbing her eyes 
in an attempt to hide the bags beneath them. Although the actual 
studying hadn�t been too harsh, it had been the dream what had 
kept her from sleeping soundly. "But I�m alright. Fuu-chan, you 
have to get ready!"
        "Okay," she began to head back to the practice area, "Oh, 
and I saved you a pair of seats over there."
        "Thanks, Fuu," Umi said, then placed a hand on Hikaru�s 
shoulder, "Come on, let�s go find those seats."
        The pair waved to Fuu and walked to join the rest of the 
audience. They quickly found a pair of available places. Hikaru 
and Umi had to smile; the seats had a piece of paper each, with 
the kanji for their names written on it.
        "These seats are great," Umi said, seeing how their 
position dominated the entire tournament area. In the distance, 
she saw Fuu shoot an arrow at one of the practice targets. 
"Don�t you think so?" she turned to Hikaru, "Huh?"
        Hikaru covered her mouth as she released a small yawn, 
"Uhm... Eh? Oh, sure, Umi-chan..."
        Umi grimaced a little, "Are you sure you�re alright? You 
didn�t stay up all night studying, did you?"
        "No," Hikaru groggily shook her head, "It�s just..." she 
recalled the dream she had the previous night. "No, it�s nothing."
        "Nothing?" Umi knew Hikaru too well to be convinced by 
those empty words. And now that she looked closely, she realized 
her red-haired friend was more than just tired. She looked 
almost afflicted by something. However, Fuu had just been called 
through the loudspeakers, and neither of the two girls wanted to 
miss her performance. "Look, Hikaru, why don�t you tell us what�s 
wrong when she�s done?"
        Hikaru drew a hand to her chest, unconsciously placing it 
over her medallion, and sighed. "Okay, Umi-chan."
        Shaking herself out of her drowsiness, she widened her 
eyes to keep them from closing and concentrated on what Fuu 
was doing. Umi shrugged and followed suit, but still placed her 
hand on Hikaru�s.
        Meanwhile, Fuu stood silently before the target. She waited 
for the crowd�s cheers to quiet down, then took an arrow from 
the quiver and placed it on the bowstring. She pulled back until 
she could almost feel the guiding feathers on the skin of her 
face. In front of her, all of the world vanished except for the 
center of the bull�s eye, which already had the holes left by the 
previous participant�s arrows. She moved her fingertips slightly, 
aiming, and then, after a brief tensing of her fingers, she 
relaxed her hand and the shaft went flying.
        The arrow pierced the target just a few inches off-center 
--and farther than the arrow sent by the other contestant. Fuu 
pursed her lips for a second, and without pausing she took her 
second arrow. The crowd fell silent again. She repeated the 
procedure slowly, carefully. But when she pulled the bowstring 
she paused. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. Her mind 
set itself at ease, reminding her that everything was all right. 
        In that state, she couldn�t help but remember that other 
time when she had put all her concentration into firing an arrow: 
in the Forest of Silence, when she destroyed the dark rock that 
turned the forest�s creatures into monsters. She smiled. That 
memory also made her think of Ferio. "Use your will," he had said 
back then, "In Cephiro, everything�s possible when you have a 
strong will."
        "All right," Fuu thought, still keeping her eyes closed. In 
the Forest of Silence, she had put her will into sending the 
arrow all the way to the rock. Now, she was doing it to pierce 
the center of the target. She pictured it on her mind. There it 
was, complete to the last detail; it even had the first arrow 
she had sent. In her mind, she contracted the image until the 
bull�s eye was just a small red dot. She aimed the arrow for 
that dot. She was about to let go when a slight breeze pushed 
her imaginary arrow to a different direction; she quickly 
readjusted her aim, but taking into account the breeze that had 
also made her miss the first shot. She couldn�t tell how much 
time had passed since she closed her eyes; she felt the tension 
in the environment, as if the audience were more nervous than 
she was. She took another deep breath.
        Fuu opened her eyes. In a split second the arrow flew 
straight. With a low thunk, it sunk deep into the target...

                        *       *       *

        "Thanks for inviting us to your house, Umi-chan," Hikaru 
said as the trio walked out the front door, with the golden hues 
of twilight stretching out before them. While Umi stayed behind 
when they reached the large gate, Hikaru and Fuu began to head 
out to the street.
        "Hey, anything for our new archery champion!" Umi smirked.
        Fuu blushed a little, "Thank you, Umi-san, Hikaru-san," she 
turned over to the shorter girl, who was helping by carrying the 
quiver on her shoulder. All the excitement after the tournament 
had finally awakened her.
        "That was amazing," Hikaru said, smiling. "Did you see the 
look on that girl�s face when your arrow hit the center of the 
bull�s eye?"
        "I�m sure it wasn�t as amazing as Umi-san�s fencing match," 
Fuu said.
        Umi flashed a proud smirk, "Heh. That tournament was a 
piece of cake." She frowned a little, "But when I find out who 
set the day of the match right during finals..."
        "That reminds me..." Fuu said, "How are you doing with your 
exams, Hikaru-san?"
        "Eh?" Hikaru blinked, "Oh, fine, I guess..." Her gaze dropped 
slightly. Umi was about to ask her what was wrong once again 
when Hikaru beat her to it. "Umi-chan, Fuu-chan, I have to talk 
to you about something."
        "What is it?"
        Hikaru sighed. She knew from experience it was better to 
tell them what the problem was right away, before she was 
forced to, like when they had to battle Nova. Besides, given the 
sort of dreams she had had lately, it was probably something 
very important what she had to tell them.
        "Well, lately I�ve been having these strange dreams... about 
Cephiro." Umi and Fuu gave her their full attention. "At first, 
they were just..." she blushed a little, "Well... about Lantis... But 
then I started having nightmares about something awful happening 
in Cephiro, and everyone suffering because of it..." She paused 
for a second, then continued, "Last night, in my dream, I saw 
Nova again... and she was telling me to stay away from Cephiro."
        "Nova?" Umi blinked.
        "Do you mean the Nova that was created from your heart, 
Hikaru-san?" Fuu asked.
         "Uh-huh," Hikaru nodded, "And that was just last night... I 
mean..." she put her hand on her chest, "...sometimes I _feel_ 
there�s something wrong in Cephiro."
        "Well, Hikaru-san, you _are_ the last Pillar," Fuu said, 
"Maybe that has something to do with those dreams."
        "But how long have you been like this?" Umi asked. "Why 
didn�t you tell us sooner?"
        "I�m sorry," Hikaru said, "I just thought it was all the 
stress from my finals that was making me feel that way."
        "Now that I think about it," Fuu said, "I�ve been feeling a 
bit like Hikaru-san also."
        "Huh?" Umi turned to her.
        "Well..." Fuu shifted the weight of the bow on her shoulder, 
"I�m not sure why, but, a few days ago, I found myself worrying a 
lot about Cephiro, and Ferio..."
        "You too, Fuu-chan?" Hikaru looked up at her.
        "Are you sure about this, guys?" Umi asked. "Don�t you 
think it _is_ just stress, like you said?"
        "Maybe," Fuu said, "But even if Hikaru-san abolished the 
Pillar system, she seems to be linked to Cephiro in some way. If 
she has been feeling like this..."
        "I think you�re just worried about your finals, that�s all," 
Umi said. "Hikaru, you�ve been studying for that Biology test for 
two days in a row, and since you have to take it tomorrow 
you�re feeling anxious." She turned to Fuu, "And I know _my_ 
fencing tournament got me worried. You�re probably going through 
the same thing because of yours."
        Hikaru grimaced and looked away. Fuu glanced seriously at 
Umi and said, "I hope so, Umi-san. I really hope so."

                        *       *       *

After saying good-night to her parents, Umi went straight for 
her room. She was silent. Even though she didn�t show it openly, 
she was beginning to worry deeply about what her friends had 
told her.
        She changed into her sleepgown and went to bed. She liked 
to just lie down, with the lights turned off, and think about 
what had happened in the day. And this time, she seriously 
wanted to think about what was happening to her friends.
        Umi closed her eyes. Even though she was already sixteen 
years old, she could clearly remember the day when she was 
summoned to Cephiro to become a Magic Knight. Meeting Clef; 
learning magic; the evolution of her weapon and Selece�s 
awakening. Back then, they had thought that it was Emeraude�s 
suffering what caused Cephiro�s downfall. But even if that wasn�t 
entirely true, it was certain that the world was very closely 
linked to its Pillar. That might be the other way around as well. 
As Fuu had said, Hikaru _was_ Emeraude�s successor. Neither of 
them was very sure about how the Pillar system worked, but it 
was disturbing to see Hikaru suffer because of something 
related to Cephiro.
        Now, Umi wasn�t too sure it was simply stress from the 
exams. Yes, she had been quite pressured by having both finals 
and her tournament at the same time, but they weren�t something 
to fret over. Besides, Hikaru and Fuu were more likely to shrug 
off something as minor as exams, given how well they dealt with 
crisis.
        She would have to talk with them tomorrow. But right now, 
she needed her sleep. Her school had just come out of finals 
that day, so she deserved a good rest...
        Umi walked along with her schoolmates, on the field trip 
that her class had taken to Tokyo Tower. Two other schools had 
come this day as well. It was awkward to see their green or red 
uniforms contrast with her class� blue suits. Snickering, she 
turned back to her friends, "Look at those... huh?"
        She blinked, then swallowed hard. Everyone was suddenly 
frozen in place. Before she could even wonder what was 
happening, she heard a low chime that compelled her to look out 
the window. She was nearly blinded by a powerful green glow that 
came from the sky, and then...
        She stood in a strange landscape. The grass that covered 
all of the ground was a cold gray, while the sky was completely 
black. There were no trees, no other signs of life other than 
herself and the few rare squawks from unseen ravens. Even the 
clouds were dark, almost blending in the sky.
        Umi shivered. She didn�t like being here, wherever "here" 
was. But... _why_ was she in this strange place anyway? She held 
her arms: it was cold here, very cold.
        Up ahead. A shaft of light came down to the ground. Umi 
looked around, then made a break for that light. She felt it 
would be warm in there, even if it was a very thin ray. Finally, 
she reached it. Compared to the frozen air around her, the light 
had a soothing warmth that made her smile a little. In 
appreciation, she looked up. Oh, so that was it. The darkness in 
the sky had parted to reveal the sun above her.
        But the delight lasted no more. A gigantic black sphere 
appeared before her, with red sparks coursing along its surface. 
A single, pale hand with large claws stretched from it, then it 
released a wave of energy that captured the gap in the 
darkness and crushed it.
        "Hey!" Umi yelled with a big head, popping a vein. Her "rage 
mode" always worked wonders when getting what she wanted. But 
what she got was the creature�s attention. The hand went back 
into the sphere, replaced by the large violet eyes of a demon. 
Umi gulped and changed back to normal. The sphere growled. She 
took a step back. It reached for her. She took another. 
Unfortunately, there was a stone in the way and she stumbled. 
The hand stretched again. Umi stared at it wide-eyed.
        "Sandasu!"
        A whip of lightning fell upon the sphere, destroying it. And 
then, just before a second orb could appear, a huge griffin 
swept towards Umi and carried her away on its back. She could 
only blink in confusion at all that was happening, "Wha... wha..."
        "Umi..."
        "Who�s there?" she looked up, hoping to find the origin of 
that voice.
        "Umi, please... I can�t... I�m using my last strength to reach 
you..."
        Umi�s eyes widened, "C... Clef!"
        "Cephiro... needs the Knights..."
        "Where are you?" Umi shouted.
        "We need you. Princess Emeraude..."
        "Eh?" she blinked. Why was he referring to the Princess?
        "Umi! Emeraude...! Princess Emeraude is--"
        A bolt of purple lightning cracked the sky and broke off 
contact. Umi felt a frozen void in her chest, as if something 
terrible had just happened. She heard a frightening laughter, 
with Emeraude�s voice.
        And she opened her eyes to a rainy Friday morning.

                        *       *       *

It was a gray afternoon in Tokyo, but quiet and serene like few 
had been. To its inhabitants, the downpour had been a godsend: 
it had left the polluted city with a clean, fresh air, plus the 
special scent that rainfall always left.
        That was one of the things she liked about rain. It 
cleansed the landscape, refreshed it. The gray skies were not 
depressive at all, but they served to enhance the peace that a 
rainy day brings. And now, Hikaru needed to feel that peace.
        She sometimes wondered how a world like Cephiro could have 
lived in natural harmony without a thing as simple as a 
rainstorm. According to some of Cephiro's inhabitants, it was 
until Emeraude was "abducted" by Zagato that the weather 
changed, and climate such as rain arrived to that world. Why, 
even now, the memory of seeing Ferio puzzled by a storm seemed 
funny to her. "I thought a monster caused it," he had said. Too 
bad it had been Cephiro�s slow devastation what had caused that 
first storm.
        Cephiro... How she missed that mystical world. Sighing, 
Hikaru rested her elbows on the railing and looked out to the 
sky. At this hour, and especially with this weather, the 
observation level of Tokyo Tower was completely deserted. So, 
Hikaru looked around, making sure she was alone, and slowly took 
out her medallion. She could still remember with perfect clarity 
the moment when Lantis gave it to her. His mother, he said, had 
given it to him first. It had saved her twice also, first from 
Nova and then from Debonair. But she hardly considered what it 
had done for her. She thought about how _he had given it to 
her_.
        She turned around, leaning against the railing, and closed 
her eyes. She grasped the medallion close to her heart. Behind 
her, outside the window, the constant patter of the raindrops on 
the glass drowned the sounds of the busy megalopolis, immersing 
the hall in soft silence.
        She recalled her last moments in Cephiro, after becoming 
the Pillar. How she had professed her love for Lantis, and then 
his reply... He loved her back. She could still feel her chest 
receive that special warmth every time she thought of his 
answer...
        "Lantis..." she thought, with a smile. He had seemed to cold 
at first, when she thought he would try to avenge his brother. 
But she discovered his true self. It was the little details what 
showed how he really was --how he had been so protective of 
her in the beginning, and how his sentiment slowly changed to 
affection. Why, he had almost let himself be killed rather than 
let her be hurt.
        The silent warrior, who cared for her. And she loved him.
        Yes, she loved him. That�s why, now, all she wanted was a 
chance to see him again, and make sure Cephiro was in good 
hands.
        There was a voice, "They always say great minds think 
alike."
        Hikaru smiled and opened her eyes, "Hi, Umi-chan."
        Umi smirked and greeted her. Next to her, Fuu took off her 
raincoat�s hood and bowed. "We thought you�d be here," she said, 
pushing up her glasses.
        Hikaru nodded, "I just needed to come here for a while." 
She sighed, "It was a rough week."
        "We can tell," Fuu said, "So, how was your test today?"
        "Nothing to it," Hikaru smirked, then added sarcastically, 
"At least those dreams kept me up so I could study." At the 
mention of the dreams, Umi grimaced slightly and Fuu looked 
nervously at her. "What? What�s wrong?"
        "Hikaru-san, in your dreams..." Fuu started, "...have you 
seen anything about Clef-san?"
        Hikaru shook her head, "No. Why?"
        "Well..." Fuu turned to Umi.
        "Last night it was _my_ turn to have a weird dream," Umi 
said. She looked up at her friends, "I don�t feel like talking 
about it right now, but now I believe what you said about 
Cephiro." She paused for a second, her eyes gazing downwards, "I 
_know_ there is something wrong."
        "But what could it be?" Hikaru wondered. She shook her 
head, "I wish there was a way to know what�s happening in 
Cephiro..." her gaze went to the sky, "I _want_ to go back..."
        "It has been one and a half years since we came back," Umi 
said. "I wonder how much time has passed in Cephiro."
        "I�m sure a lot has changed," Hikaru leaned against the 
railing again. "Even if there�s nothing wrong, I�d like to see 
Cephiro again."
        A long silence fell upon them. They knew in their hearts 
that they really wanted to return to that wonderful world again. 
They missed all their friends from Cephiro, and those from the 
other countries as well. But how would they be sure of their 
friends� safety, if the only contact they had now was through 
foreboding dreams?
        Finally, a voice was heard. "There is a way to find out." 
Hikaru and Umi looked up at Fuu, puzzled. "We could go back to 
Cephiro."
        "How?" Umi asked.
        "Remember what the Mashin said? Last time, we sent 
ourselves there," Fuu reminded, "Maybe we can do the same thing 
now."
        The three of them looked at each other, and nodded. They 
joined hands. When they went to Cephiro for the second time, it 
had been because they wished strongly to return. It was their 
heart what sent them precisely to the place where _will_ 
determines all.
        They closed their eyes. As they concentrated on going back 
to Cephiro, they failed to notice the faint golden hue that 
slowly detached from Hikaru. It made sense: even on Earth, she 
still had the Pillar�s ability to summon the Magic Knights.
        Gradually, her glow covered Umi and Fuu. There was a 
yellow flash just outside the window, and then, as before, the 
three girls became small dots of light. These swirled around, 
dropping a few glimmers; then they vanished into the air, leaving 
no trace in Tokyo Tower but an abandoned umbrella and a few 
droplets of water...

        They reappeared, floating in the sky... about three miles 
above the ground.
        "Waaaaah!" Umi calmly said.
        "That�s odd," Fuu said, "I thought I concentrated on 
appearing on ground level..."
        "Don�t worry!" Hikaru said, "I bet Clef already sent that 
flying fish to pick us up!"
        "Well I sure hope it gets here before we hit the ground!" 
Umi yelled.
        Unable to do much else, they waited. And waited. And waited 
some more. The ground seemed awfully close now. The flying fish 
would show up any second, right? Well?
        "Looks like Fyula is busy right now," Fuu shrugged. "Why 
don�t we follow Umi-san�s example...?" she asked. Hikaru blinked 
and nodded.
        "WAAAAAAAAH!" the three girls screamed. But all of a sudden 
they bounced off something soft and feathery. They grasped the 
feathers tightly and clung to the creature like glue.
        "Phew..." Hikaru sighed in relief. They had fallen on top of 
a roc, a huge bird of prey. But then the roc noticed the three 
girls and shook wildly, trying to get them off of its back.
        "What the..." Umi started.
        "What�s wrong?" Fuu said.
        The bird squawked and flapped its wings strongly, then it 
swooped down towards a forest. It gained such speed that the 
girls were nearly torn off by the wind, but without warning it 
pulled up. The momentum, added to the sudden jerk, simply left 
the trio floating in space for a second or two.
        "Um..." a cat-eared Hikaru said, "Shouldn�t we... fall?"
        "What did you remind us for?!?" Umi yelled while they fell 
into the forest. Fortunately, the branches and leaves were soft 
enough to cushion their fall. At last, they fell into a pile of 
dry leaves.
        "Oww..."
        "We made it to Cephiro, all right," Fuu smiled, "Where else 
would we get to appear high over the ground?"
        "But where are we?" Hikaru looked around. "Wait... I know 
this place..." They were in the edge of a familiar forest, with a 
road stretching into a valley... Of course!
        "Look!" she stood up, with a wide smile on her face, "We�re 
just outside the Forest of Silence!"
        Umi and Fuu looked around, "Are you sure?"
        "Uh-huh!" Hikaru nodded happily and pulled her friends to 
their feet. If the Forest of Silence was here, then there were 
pretty good chances for the rest of Cephiro to have been 
restored as well!
        "Come to think of it, I remember this place also," Fuu said. 
"Isn�t there a town just down that road?"
        The girls looked at each other. Smiling, they began to walk 
away from the woods. It was all as they remembered, but with 
the major difference that there were no monsters in the 
countryside anymore. It was wonderful. Not only had the people 
of Cephiro brought their planet back to life, but they had even 
recovered its former glory. The flora thrived, and the 
inoffensive creatures of the field cautiously approached the 
three visitors. Hikaru, Umi and Fuu had finally seen Cephiro as 
they wanted: a peaceful country, with the natural harmony that 
Clef had often referred to.
        They reached the valley. The town wasn�t exactly as they 
remembered, but then again the people probably wouldn�t rebuild 
precisely as before. The houses, though, had the same 
architecture they had seen when they first arrived here.
        When they went into the town, they immediately became 
cynosure of all eyes. Of course, clad in their raincoats and 
wearing terran clothes they wouldn�t escape from sight easily. 
All around they could hear people whispering, gossiping. Some of 
the older ones seemed to recognize them as the Knights, but 
they were either too shy or too awed to approach them.
        "This is strange," Fuu said, "Why are there so many 
soldiers here?"
        The other two looked around. She was right, there was a 
detachment scattered throughout the town. And among the 
batallion, a few soldiers seemed to be royal guards, since they 
wore armor very similar to Lafarga�s.
        "Hold," one of these guards suddenly stood before them. He 
wasn�t too tall, Umi was only a few inches shorter. But he 
seemed familiar for some reason.
        "Um, hi," Hikaru said. "We�re--"
        "I know," the soldier beamed. "You�re the Magic Knights, 
aren�t you?"
        "The Magic Knights?" Nearby, a young woman smiled widely.
        "Yep," Hikaru smiled and nodded, "But how do you know...?"
        "Don�t you recognize me?" the soldier took off his helmet. 
It took a few moments for them to identify him, but when they 
did they couldn�t help but gasp. He was one of the children they 
had met in the palace, the small boy with silver hair!
        "Wow, you�ve really grown," Umi said. He beamed in pride.
        "It _is_ you!" the young woman came out of hiding and ran 
towards them, stopping short in front of Hikaru. She was the 
same height as the red-haired Knight, and also had her light 
brown hair bound in a tight pigtail. Her dress was one piece, 
with soft beige and pink colors, and she wore dark cloth boots.
        "Huh?" the girls blinked in confusion.
        "Come here, everybody!" she called, looking all around while 
beckoning with her hand. "It�s all right! They _are_ the Knights!"
        "Excuse me," Fuu said, "Who..."
        "It�s me!" the girl said excitedly, "Hikaru, I�m Lira!"
        "Lira?" Hikaru blinked a couple of times, but then her jaw 
went slack as she remembered the little green-eyed girl with her 
hair in a bowl-cut that she had befriended, during her stay at 
the palace. But she had really grown! She seemed barely six 
years old back then, and now she was the same age as the 
Knights!
        Soon there was a crowd gathered around the girls, 
welcoming them to the town and already recalling their exploits. 
Even the soldiers joined the multitude. All the girls could do 
was smile and nod every now and then, but they didn�t mind. Their 
dreams had been wrong, and it seemed their apprehension had no 
reason to be. There was nothing wrong, and Cephiro was all right.

Since they had arrived in the early morning, they had been 
invited to Lira�s house later in the day. A messenger had 
already left to spread the news of the Knights� arrival, so it 
was very likely someone from the palace would come to greet 
them more properly. In the meantime, however, the trio was 
greeted to a very warm welcome.
        They were still marveled by the change in the children they 
had met. The little kid -whose name was Dimas- and Lira had 
grown indeed, but this was Cephiro. Growth wasn�t a matter of 
age, but of will instead. Just like Ascot had grown after 
Cephiro�s devastation, many of the young people had matured; 
however, their growth was still unlike Clef's, who had chosen to 
keep a child-like appearance in spite of his real age.
        But what surprised Hikaru the most was the way Lira had 
followed her example. She had left a great impression on the 
Cephiran girl. And as it turned out, Hikaru had become somewhat 
of a role model for Lira, a hero she could look up to. That 
explained the pigtail, of course, and sometimes Hikaru saw 
herself reflected in some of Lira�s attitudes and expressions. It 
was flattering, in a way, and Lira still saw her as an honorary 
sister.
        But there was something odd in the town. There was a 
strange tension in the air, particularly among the soldiers. No 
one would speak a word about it, so the girls preferred to keep 
quiet.
        Finally, after dinner, the messenger returned.
        "Hey, Magic Knights!" Dimas called, outside Lira�s house. 
Beside him there was a modest wagon, provided by the town�s 
elder so the girls could have transportation.
        "Why the rush, anyway?" Umi asked, coming out the door. 
Hikaru, Fuu and Lira followed.
        Dimas smirked, "We received news from the palace." He then 
added, "Princess Emeraude wants to see you."
        The three Knights stared at him wide-eyed.
        "Princess Emeraude?!?"


                        -- Schism --

The girls from Earth stood in total bewilderment before Dimas. 
They couldn�t believe what they had heard. Princess Emeraude? 
_The_ Princess Emeraude they knew?
        "Um, I thought you already knew..." Dimas said. He looked at 
Lira, but she shrugged. The Knights had been away for so long 
they probably didn�t know much about what had happened these 
last years. "All right, I�ll explain on the way. Come on," he said, 
motioning for them to climb aboard. They were still too surprised 
to turn down the offer, so they agreed and climbed onto the 
wagon. Dimas leapt into the driver�s seat and whipped the reins, 
making the horses neigh and pull the barrow down the road. Lira 
stayed behind, waving good-bye, while Hikaru replied in kind. They 
could see twilight begin to descend upon the valley, and the 
shadows stretched far along the ground.
        They spent a few minutes in silence, with just the constant 
clatter of hooves against the road as the background noise. But 
after some time, that sound was mixed with chatter, shouts, and 
the general disquiet of a nearby population. The girls looked 
around
        The wagon was passing by military grounds.
        There were many dark tents sprouting all over the area, on 
both sides of the road. Normal animals and mystical beasts, all 
ordinary for Cephirans, were being outfitted with battle armor. A 
few wheelbarrows arrived, bringing supplies to the soldiers. 
Although there were many war machines, they were outnumbered 
by the amount of sorcerers and magical warriors.
        At one point, the wagon met up with a larger cart. Its 
wheels and platform were made of steel, just strong enough to 
withstand the load it carried: a monumental cannon, shaped like 
the head of a dragon and apparently made of eskudo.The girls� 
faces were reflected on its smooth surface --the mere sight 
made them swallow hard.
        Finally they left the campsite. The dread of those armed 
forces was left behind, but the images of war they projected 
were seared in the girls� mind. Why in the world were they here? 
And on Cephiro, of all places? This was a peaceful planet. The 
closest thing it had to enemies was in the form of the three 
invading countries, and the Knights had helped make an alliance 
with them. With whom was Cephiro waging war?
        "You�re sure quiet back there," Dimas said.
        "Hm?" Fuu looked forward again. Brought back to earth, she 
was about to ask him about the soldiers but Hikaru spoke first.
        "Dimas, is Princess Emeraude really here?"
        "Sure," he smiled. "You really don�t know why, do you?" The 
girls shook their heads. "Okay, from the beginning."
        He began to narrate. As it turned out, the equivalent of 
five Earth years had passed in Cephiro, which gave sufficient 
time for the recovery of the land and the restoration of the 
kingdom. At first, after the light was brought back by the Pillar, 
it was Clef who guided the people. With help from Autozam, 
Fahren and Chizeta, the brittle ground was slowly fertilized 
again, and life sprouted freely. But it was awkward. Since the 
Pillar was on another planet, nature began to revive itself 
without any limits. However, it was still the people�s will what 
was making it happen. They had lived without peace for a long 
time, and now they only wanted to go back to the way everything 
used to be... Like when Emeraude was the Pillar.
        It began slowly, but after a year or so most of Cephiro 
was being rejuvenated to the way it had been before the fall. It 
was just as Emeraude had seen it. But it didn�t end there. 
Exactly twelve hundred days after Hikaru became the Pillar, the 
will of the people became so great it produced a miracle. 
Something unbelievable happened.
        The people�s will brought Princess Emeraude back to life.
        Everyone was overjoyed. They had their Princess again. She 
was back up there, in her crystal castle. Although she wasn�t 
the Pillar anymore, she was still a sort of political figure, 
someone to rule over Cephiro. Clef became her advisor once 
more, and Lafarga returned to his post as her prime guardian.
        And then the troubles started. No one was sure of what 
happened, but after a few days the Guru suddenly antagonized 
Emeraude. Prince Ferio sided with him, along with the Bal Ascot 
and the governments of the three countries. There were rumors 
that the Pharle, Presea, was about to join the insurgents when 
war erupted on Cephiro.
        During the years of recovery, the people had come to know 
of Autozam�s plight, while Clef lead the way to harmony. He had 
promised the commander, Eagle, that regardless of who was the 
new Pillar he would help Autozam�s inhabitants. Thus, people from 
the advanced planet came to Cephiro. They mingled freely among 
the native inhabitants, and they had been an important factor of 
the restoration. But when Clef resigned his position and 
challenged the Princess, the populace was divided: most of 
Cephiro�s original dwellers remained true to Emeraude, while a 
few minorities and the people from Autozam immediately backed 
Clef. They returned to the abandoned palace, the refuge they 
had used in the past, and formed a new country there.
        Dimas knew little more about the conflict. Autozam and 
Fahren had declared war on Emeraude�s kingdom, while Chizeta 
simply broke off all relations with Cephiro. Given the isolation 
of Dima�s town, the last thing they had heard was that Emeraude 
had summoned the Knights once more to help battle the renegade 
wizard and the powerful countries. And that was about six 
hundred days ago.
        The girls were completely silent. Too many things had 
happened during their absence. They knew Cephiro had been 
revived, but Princess Emeraude... And Clef! What caused Clef to 
stand against the Princess?!
        "What went wrong...?" Hikaru thought. The Emeraude they 
knew was a peaceloving girl, who only wanted the best for 
everyone even if she was in love with Zagato. Also, Hikaru knew 
what her relationship with Clef had been like. A long time ago, 
when she and Eagle entered the Crown room, they were both given 
the same dream, in whch Emeraude showed them how she had 
become the Pillar... and what had happened when she fell in love 
with Zagato. Clef had been her faithful advisor back then. But 
more than that, he was her friend. He became worried about her 
when she was about to summon the Knights, and he tried to make 
her see that being in love was all right. Something awful must 
have happened between them to make the head Guru of Cephiro 
rebel against the former Pillar.
        But that wasn�t all. Ferio and Ascot had also joined him. 
Ascot must have had his reasons, but Ferio, against his own 
sister?
        Hikaru looked at her friends. There was no telling what 
they had in mind. Umi had an air of shock about her, as her gaze 
was absent and hollow. Hikaru knew Umi felt something for Clef, 
but she had never seen her like this. Meanwhile, Fuu had her 
hands clutched to her chest. It was obvious she was deeply 
worried about Ferio.
        Those thoughts reminded her of something. What had Lantis 
done while all that happened? Had he stayed with Emeraude or 
had he joined Clef? Where was he?
        Now, all that armament they had seen made more sense. 
Even if Clef wasn�t here, most of Cephiro�s magic-users had 
remained loyal to Emeraude. However, Autozam had very powerful 
weaponry, given the high level of technology reached by that 
world. Fahren�s sorcery was up to par with Cephiro�s, not to 
mention the special magic used by the Imperial Family which was 
also quite powerful.
        But then, the Princess had summoned the again... hadn�t she? 
Dimas said it had been six hundred days ago... And even if she 
had called them, would she expect them to fight their own 
friends?
        "We�re here," Dimas said. Still silent, the girls looked up. 
They wouldn�t have spoken, anyhow. Looming just above them, high 
up in the sky, they saw the castle. It was identical to the one 
they had seen in the past --a huge crystalline formation, shaped 
like a star. It had, however, something new in its structure: a 
large waterfall sprouted from the very bottom, forming a river 
beneath it and in a way joining the fortress to the earth.
        Dimas helped them climb down to the ground. They were 
surprised to find a flying chariot nearby, just like the one 
Mokona had let them use a long time ago: a metal bowl with 
wings. Seeing this was the only way up there, they boarded the 
odd vehicle.
        "This is where I stay," Dimas said. "I have to go back to 
the town."
        "Thanks for bringing us," Hikaru said, "And... about what 
happened..."
        He sighed, "I know it looks bad, but I�m sure peace will 
return soon." He smirked, "Especially with you guys here." After 
boarding the wagon, he waved good-bye and guided the horses 
away from the chariot.
        The girls looked up. From their position, the urchin-like 
shell of crystal was enormous, imposing. It almost seemed to be 
made of topaz, since the golden twilight shone over its surface.
        The chariot began to move. It flapped its large wings, then 
pushed itself up into the air. It flew straight up for several 
minutes, surpassing even the height at which the girls appeared. 
Of course, by now the chariot�s orb had to produce the clear 
dome around the "cockpit" to protect it from the cold winds that 
reached this altitude. The girls watched the great landscape the 
whole time, trying to imagine how and why this wonderful realm 
could be in the middle of war. Everything looked so peaceful...
        The chariot aligned itself horizontally with the middle of 
the fortress, then it flew onwards. The small vehicle was slowly 
concealed among the large prisms; the crystalline tendrils seemed 
to stretch eternally into the dark blue penumbra of the shell�s 
core.
        They finally reached the center. They immediately saw a 
large crystal spike, colored black, aimed right at them. The 
chariot quickly moved out of the way and flew below it, headed 
for a wide entrance. Contrary to what they expected, it was 
bright as day in the inner chamber. But it was the bustling 
environment what surprised them: griffins and rocs flew all 
around, with their riders being royal guards or servants. The 
floating island where the castle stood released waterfalls all 
along its edge; beneath it, the water formed a great lake in the 
bottom of the chamber. That explained the column of water that 
fell out of  the crystal shell and into the river, on ground 
level.
        Without a word, several of the griffins approached the 
chariot and escorted it. The royal guards smiled and greeted the 
Knights. They waved back, and noticed how their transport was 
slowling down. It flew over the main gates, then hovered above 
the courtyard for a few instants before touching down softly.
        A tall ward stood by the door, waiting. As soon as the 
three girls approached, he bowed and said, "Welcome, Magic 
Knights. The Princess has been expecting you."

                        *       *       *

        "I can�t believe it! You�re back!"
        The girls couldn�t see who had pronounced those words, but 
whoever it was could barely contain her excitement since she 
simply crushed them in a tight welcoming hug.
        A deep voice then said, mocking, "Caldina, please don�t 
smother our new guests before the Princess sees them!"
        The trio stepped away from the suffocating hold only to 
gasp in delighted surprise.
        "Caldina! Lafarga!"
        "Welcome back," Lafarga smiled. The master swordsman still 
towered over them, although his armor was slightly different, 
with larger shoulders. Beside him, Calding was the same as ever. 
Her outfit remained unchanged except for the baggy Arabian-
style pants she now wore. But her demeanor was special. The 
girls saw why almost instantly. The way she and Lafarga stood 
by each other spoke out loud how their relationship was 
evolving. That made them smile. It was good to see their friends 
give space to love despite the troubles faced by Cephiro.
        "It�s been a long time," Hikaru said.
        Caldina smiled, bowing her head, "Yeah, a long time..." she 
looked up again, "But you�re finally here again."
        The hint of sadness in her voice, mixed with newborn hope, 
didn�t escape their ears. But they knew what had brought that, 
so they preferred to just nod and smile at them. The ward that 
had greeted them walked past, and beckoned for them to follow. 
The girls resumed their walk through the castle�s corridor with 
Lafarga and Caldina escorting them.
        The interior of the castle was huge. The floor was made of 
dark blue tiles, and often resembled a black mirror from how 
polished it was. The corridor was flanked by sky-blue pillars 
that sustained tall arches. Also, atop these arches there was a 
second floor, which looked down at the corridor and was on the 
same level as the crystalline chandeliers that were suspended 
above the hall.
        "So, how long have you been here?" Caldina asked.
        "Just a few hours," Hikaru said, "We arrived in the 
morning."
        "Then I take it you�ve heard about the situation," Lafarga 
said. The girls nodded silently.
        "Lafarga, don�t trouble these girls with those things!" 
Caldina smiled, "They�ve just arrived and I�m sure they want to 
rest!"
        "Well, actually..." Hikaru said.
        "We want to meet Princess Emeraude," Fuu continued the 
phrase. Caldina stared quizzically at them for a moment and 
shrugged.
        They reached a large door, made of dark blue wood. Caldina 
shivered a little, but the Knights didn�t notice. The ward stood 
before the gate and waited. After only a second, the door 
opened by itself.
        Lafarga placed a hand on Caldina�s shoulder, in a 
protective manner, and tried to show no emotions as he looked 
into the throne room. Meanwhile, the three girls found 
themselves mesmerized by the sight. The chamber was quite large, 
and there were loads of white crystals lining the walls and 
corners. At the far end there was a short flight of stairs , 
which lead to an elevated level that sported even larger 
crystals. Nestled on the platform there was a huge flower 
blossom. And seated on the center of the flower, was Princess 
Emeraude.
        Innocence radiated from the small child, as she stood up 
and out of the blossom. She was short, more so than Hikaru, but 
her presence alone towered over everyone in the room. Her 
flowing hair fell all around her, forming a small pool of gold at 
her feet. Her eyes were blue and glistening, as bright as the 
smile she showed when she saw the three Knights.
        "You... you�re finally here..." she sighed, clutching her fists 
over her chest. The sound of Emeraude�s voice brought warmth to 
the girls. They wanted to run and hug her, to apologize for what 
happened before, to say how glad they were to see her well; and 
yet something kept from doing so. Thus, they could only smile in 
reply to the Princess� greeting.
        Hikaru was the first to speak, "P-Princess Emeraude, we... 
we�re happy so see you�re alright... We�re sorry about--"
        Emeraude shook her head, "No, please, don�t say that. You 
didn�t do anything wrong back then. If anyone should apologize 
then it�s me. I�m sorry I caused you so much pain..."
        "It�s alright. If Cephiro has been restored, then it doesn�t 
matter."
        The Princess smiled, "Thank you, my Magic Knights. You�ve 
done so many things for Cephiro... There must be a way to repay 
you." She came down the stairs and looked up at them, "But for 
now, would you join us? We have prepared a special greeting for 
you."
        Lafarga and Caldina gasped and looked at each other, 
apparently frightened. Not noticing, Hikaru, Umi and Fuu smiled 
and nodded.

                        *       *       *

        The grand dining room of the castle was very different 
from what they would have expected. Instead of the dark blue 
atmosphere that filled the rest of the castle, this chamber was 
warm, cozy. Its walls were made of auburn wood while the floor 
was black stone. Suspended above the table there was a pair of 
chandeliers, which had bright white balls that seemed to be the 
source of light.
        While they waited for the servants to bring the food, 
Emeraude had the girls immersed in a long, slow narration of how 
she had become a Pillar. Seeing them like that, Caldina took the 
chance to sneak away to the kitchen.
        "You," she turned to the first cook she saw. "Tell me, which 
of those servings will go to the Knights?"
        The cook stammered nervously for a second, caught by 
surprise, "Th-those ones." He pointed at the cart where four 
courses and a trio of teacups were set.
        "Hmm..." Caldina analized them, ignoring the frightened cook 
that tried to pull her away. "Let's see now, how should I do 
this? Ah, I know." She suddenly spun on her feet and came face 
to face with the cook. She tapped her shoe and waved her hand. 
Low tinkles came from her bells.
        "Huh?" the man was instantly caught in her mesmerizing 
tune. He just stood there, staring blankly.
        "Perfect," Caldina smirked. She bent down and sniffed the 
meals, but she had to pull back up almost immediately as she 
picked up an odd scent. Shocked, she quickly reached into her 
clothes and produced two small vials and a pack of fine powder. 
While she poured the contents of the vials into the teacups, 
mixing it with the drink, she sent a glance at the cook. "Make 
sure these two go to Umi and Fuu. And this one..." she dropped 
the powder into the third cup, "...this one _HAS_ to reach Hikaru. 
Understood?"
        The cook nodded slowly .
        "Good," Caldina showed him her wicked dagger. "'cause I'll be 
watching you."
        He nodded again, and all of a sudden he snapped out of the 
trance. He hurriedly headed for the cart and pushed it out of 
the kitchen. She watched him make the deliveries before 
stealthily sneaking back to the dining room, making sure Emeraude 
didn't see her.
        "Then that is how _you_ became the Pillar?" the Princess 
asked, turning to Hikaru.
        "Uh-huh," she nodded. "Princess Emeraude..." she looked up, 
"We have something to ask you."
        "What is it?"
        "Well..." Hikaru found it difficult to get the words out, 
"What... happened... with Clef?"
        Everyone in the room fell silent, and most people stared at 
her in disbelief. Hikaru looked around nervously, wondering if she 
should have kept quiet.
        "Hmph," Emeraude looked away. For once, the innocent 
expression vanished from her face and was replaced with a fierce 
scowl. "You don't need to know." A smirk appeared on her face, 
"Especially now."
        "Huh?" Umi and Fuu looked at her, puzzled.
        "He challenged the princess," one of the vassals said. "His 
actions brought great pain to the people of Cephiro, and to the 
princess herself."
        "He certainly will not be missed," another one said.
        Lafarga shot the vassal a scowl that could have frozen a 
flame, "I assume he is not your problem anymore."
        "Lafarga..." Caldina tried to calm him down.
        Emeraude's new advisor showed a flashed a malicous smirk, 
"Lafarga, you know very well that dead people cause no more 
problems."
        Hikaru, Umi and Fuu felt something freeze inside their 
hearts. They immediately became paralized, even though they 
began to tremble uncontrollably. C-Clef? The Guru Clef that had 
guided them, taught them? H-He was...
        "No!" Umi yelled out, standing up. Caldina quickly stood 
beside her, trying to comfort her. "No! He couldn't... I... He can't 
be dead!"
        "Umi-chan..." Hikaru looked up at her, feeling her own eyes 
welling with tears. Fuu followed the example.
        "He can't be..." Umi shuddered, then she looked up at 
Emeraude and gave her a venomous look, "I... I don't care to know 
what happened between you, but you... couldn't have killed him!"
        Emeraude said nothing.
        Caldina turned to Lafarga. They hadn't planned on this. 
They didn't know it would come to this.
        "No..." Umi let her tears fall to the table. "Clef, no..." All 
of a sudden, she felt her legs giving out. The dream... it made 
so much sense now... If only she had listened to Hikaru and Fuu 
sooner!
        She put her hand on her head, and slowly sank to her 
knees. Fuu tried to help her, but she too was suddenly afflicted. 
Although it took a little longer for Hikaru, she also felt her 
strength abandon her body.
        As the girls fainted, Caldina sent a quick glance at the 
three cups. They were empty.
        Looking at the unconscious girls, Emeraude smirked.


---Next time...
Clef's not really dead, is he? But why is Emeraude acting so oddly? What
are Lafarga and Caldina's _real_ intentions?? And just where is
everybody else???

Here's a little spoiler for some of the chapters:
Three new Magic Knights, each with his/her own Mashin.
Alcione returns.
Nova resurfaces from Hikaru's heart.
New magic spells for Umi and Fuu.
And a whole slew of plot twists!


The Zephyr
(just call me Zef.)
___________________

Jorge A. Pratt
al709382@campus.ccm.itesm.mx