Chapter 12 will take a bit longer. I'm spending extra time on it, 
because it's my personal favorite chapter so far, and I want to make 
sure it's absolutely perfect.

   ***interlude: pillow talk***

   <So, we're goin' to a volcano tomorrow?> Ranma asked.
   Hikaru nodded. <Yeah. It's time to wake up my Mashin.>
   Ranma smiled. <You must be excited.>
   <Yeah. Fuu-chan and Umi-chan are so happy with their Mashins. It 
must be nice, to have that kind of power to help people with...>
   <Are you nervous?>
   <A little. We have to go through some kind of test of heart for 
the Mashin to accept us.>
   <You'll pass. You've got a good heart.>
   Hikaru blushed. <Thank you, Ranma-kun.>
   <So,> Ranma said, <just remember to keep us in one piece.>
   <I will, Ranma-kun!> Hikaru giggled.

   Chapter 11: Gearing Up

   Hikaru yawned loudly as she awoke. She padded out of the room 
she'd slept in, and sought out signs of activity in the palace.
   She passed by the door to Emeraude's bedchamber, and scowled 
slightly. She'd not by any means forgiven either her or Zagato for 
the hell she'd been put through, but she did care about the rest of 
Cephiro, so she'd help out any way she could.
   She found Umi and Fuu just leaving the chamber they'd slept in. 
"Ohayou, Umi-chan! Ohayou, Fuu-chan!"
   They smiled back at her. "Ohayou, Hikaru-chan," they chorused. 
   "Are you ready to awaken your Mashin, Hikaru?" Umi asked.
   Hikaru nodded. "More than ready! This'll be great!"
   "I have to warn you," Fuu said, "The tests aren't exactly easy."
   Umi nodded. "That's right. You were there when I got Selece, 
remember?"
   Hikaru nodded, frowning slightly. "I remember." She'd never felt 
like *slapping* anyone as much as she had little Ascot, when he 
claimed the monsters he was sending after them were his dear friends 
that he cared for very much. Smiling, she said, "I think I can handle 
it though."
   "You seem awfully confident," Fuu commented.
   Hikaru thought about that. "Yeah, I guess I am." <Could that be a 
result of my contact with Ranma-kun? It's definitely one of his 
biggest traits...> 
   Grinning inwardly, she headed for the armory. The others followed 
her.
  
   It's said that some artisans, when possessed of the skill and the 
technology to ply their trade in a faster, more efficient, and less 
painful way, often prefer to step away from their conveniences, and 
get their hands dirty, doing their work in the time-honored way their 
ancestors did.
   Inside the armory, Presea was hammering away at Hikaru's armor on 
a crystal anvil. "Damn stubborn...what the hell happened to this 
thing in the other world?" she groused. While she was up to a 
challenge, whatever magic existed in the other world had really done 
a number on the magical armor Clef had given the fiery girl.
   The Magic Knights entered. Presea looked up, and smiled, brushing 
a lock of damp hair out of her face. "Good morning, girls," she said. 
"Hikaru, I almost have your armor ready. It's taking a little bit 
longer than I expected. The other world did something to it."
   Hikaru nodded, and smiled. "Okay, we can wait a bit."
   "I'll give you all your armors after I finish," she said.
   The Magic Knights thanked her and left. 
   Presea returned to her anvil. As she grumbled and pounded, she 
managed to hit herself on the thumb with the magical mallet she was 
using. "Gah! Dammit that hurt!" She hopped around the room like an 
insane woman for a few minutes, then calmly returned to her work.

   Clef briefed everyone over breakfast. "Alright, this is the agenda 
for today. Magic Knights, you will go to the Shrine of Fire, in a 
volcano, where you will find the last Mashin."
   The Knights nodded.
   "The rest of the warriors from the other world will train with 
Presea and myself this morning. I'm assuming none of you know much 
magic, so I'll be teaching you a few things, and Presea will provide 
you with armor and weapons of this world." 
   The warriors nodded.
   Presea commented, "Keep in mind, that the weapons are only on loan 
to you..."
   The Knights groaned.
   "You're not going to send THEM after Escudo too, are you Presea-
san?" Fuu asked.
   Presea smiled brightly. "Of course!"
   "Aiyah! What Escudo?" Shampoo asked.
   "It's a mineral of this world that makes powerful weapons which 
grow according to your experience," Ferio said.
   Hikaru frowned. "Why do they need Escudo weapons? They aren't 
going to have to awaken Mashins..."
   Presea grinned. "Because Escudo weapons are so much COOLER, don't 
you think?"
   Everyone facefaulted.

   After breakfast, Presea presented each of the Magic Knights with a 
felt-wrapped package, in their respective colors. "I upgraded your 
armor slightly," she noted. "The altered state of Hikaru's armor gave 
me the idea for it."
   The girls unwrapped their packages, retrieving the jeweled 
gauntlets for their left hands. "All you have to do is put those on," 
Presea noted, "And your armor will appear when you will it to. Remove 
the gauntlets, and your armor will return to them."
   "Arigatou, Presea-san!" the girls chorused.
   "And, of course, your weapons are inside the gems, as always," the 
master armorer finished.
   The Nerima bunch entered the vast foyer of the palace at this 
moment, to bid the Knights farewell and good luck. The Knights slid 
their gauntlets onto their arms. 
   A pale green body armor with a flowing green cloak, short white 
boots trimmed in green, and enormous white-trimmed green 
shoulderguards appeared on Fuu, with a soft breeze rippling her hair 
and cape. A shimmering green gem flickered into existence on her 
chestplate, and an obscenely long sabre appeared in her hands.
   With a watery ripple, a gleaming sapphire armor with dark blue 
shoulderguards and full-length sky blue boots formed on Umi. A blue 
gem rippled onto her chestplate, and a jet of water formed in her 
hand, solidifying into a slim rapier.
   A bright red flame engulfed Hikaru. When it settled, she was 
encased in a light scarlet chain mail, with white shoulderguards, and 
knee-length white boots. An elegant broadsword with golden accents 
flared into her hands.
   "Your armor will upgrade to a full plate when you awaken your 
Mashin, Hikaru," Presea informed her.
   "Sugoi..." she said. 
   The other Knights were no less impressed with their own armor.
   The bunch from Nerima was simply astonished.
   "Aiyah...is magic armor..."
   "Indeed, child. Isn't it wonderful?"
   "Wow..."
   "Ditto on that, sugar."
   "It's incredible."
   "Wish I could see it better."
   After a moment, Clef approached the Knights. "Good luck, Magic 
Knights. Remember that the will is the strongest force in Cephiro, 
and let your will guide and protect you."
   The three Knights nodded. Mokona hopped into the room, and said 
"Puuuu" appreciatively. Then its gem flared yellow, and a large 
crimson bird appeared outside the chamber.
   "Clef-san, when did Mokona learn to use spirit beasts?" Fuu 
wondered.
   Clef chuckled. "I don't know. Mokona is still a bit of an enigma 
to us, to tell the truth."
   "Puu, puu!" Mokona hopped on the spirit bird. "Puu!" it said 
insistently.
   Clef clucked his tongue appreciatively. "I have to admit, this is 
a great choice of beast. What better way to enter a volcano than 
riding a Phoenix?"
   Everyone gasped. "That's a real phoenix?" Umi asked.
   Clef nodded. Mokona said, "Puu!"
   "Sugoi!" the three Knights chorused. They hopped on the phoenix, 
and took off for the shrine of Fire.

   The warriors from Nerima stood around, in a loose semicircle, in 
Presea's new armory. 
   "I've developed new and advanced methods of creating armor in the 
days since the Magic Knights arrived here, and I'm going to test my 
prototype armor on you guys, okay?" the armorer of Cephiro said.
   They looked at each other, shrugged, and nodded.
   Presea smiled and produced a container, which held six fist-sized 
crystal globes. 
   "Each of you take one of these, and concentrate on it. Think about 
what you like to wear to fight in, what works best for you in a 
battle situation. Focus on that image and hold it."
   The six each took a crystal, and closed their eyes, concentrating.

   After a few minutes, Presea closed her eyes as well, concentrating 
on the six orbs. Each began to glow as Presea was surrounded with a 
barely perceptible aura.
   The first to be affected was Cologne. Her orb flared dark green, 
and disappeared into her chest. Her usual green robes were replaced 
by a dark green chainmail cloak which shrouded her body. A 
shoulderguard appeared on her left shoulder, trimmed in green. The 
emblem which had adorned her old robes was still present, but it was 
encrusted in small gems. Her staff disappeared, and reappeared in an 
empty rack along one wall.
   Mousse was next. His robes became white chainmail, again with a 
shoulderguard on his left shoulder, the same design on the front of 
the robe, and a gauntlet on his left hand, which had a pair of 
gleaming white blades protruding from the handguard, surrounding a 
white crystal. Once the new armor formed, a veritable shower of 
weapons skitted out of his robes and even from his hair, and flew 
into the rack next to Cologne's staff.
   Akane followed. She now wore a variation of her yellow karate gi, 
with armor replacing the top of the gi, and midcalf white boots. A 
white bracer appeared on her right wrist, a white shoulderguard 
appeared on her left shoulder, and a gauntlet with a yellow gem 
formed on her left arm. Her usual headband was replaced with a small 
gold circlet resembling the one Presea wore. A large mallet appeared 
out of nowhere, and flew into the rack with the others' weapons.
   Ukyou went next. Her bandolier with all of her spatulas flew away 
and landed in the weapons rack. Her tunic became a light vest of blue 
armor. Her leggings remained unchanged, but white knee-length boots 
formed on her legs. The obligatory shoulderguard formed, as well as a 
bracer and a gauntlet with a dark blue gem. She also gained a 
metallic weapons harness, where her old bandolier would be.
   Shampoo's armor formed next: an open-skirted, short purple Chinese 
dress, with tight white armor on her torso. She also sported knee-
high boots; the shoulderguard, bracer, and guantlet formed as well, 
with a purple gem. A pair of bonbori floated away from her and landed 
in the weapons rack.
   Finally, Ryouga had his turn. His yellow tunic was replaced by a 
light vest of yellow armor, while his trousers remained unchanged. 
His leather ties and shoes became ankle-length white boots, with 
leather ties up to the knee. The obligatory shoulderguard, bracer, 
and gauntlet appeared, with a bright green gem on the gauntlet. His 
umbrella flew into the weapons rack, and his bandana transformed, 
becoming a metal band around his head, yellow with black studs.
   They looked down at themselves and around at each other, and made 
murmurs of approval. 
   Presea examined their weapons, and blinked. "Pardon me for saying, 
but a couple of you use some very strange weapons." Clearing her 
throat, she said, "Alright now. You must choose a weapon to use here 
in Cephiro."
   "Why can't we just use our own?" Ukyou asked.
   Presea closed her eyes. "All weapons and armor in Cephiro are 
enhanced with magic, and are much stronger than simple weapons. Your 
weapons, no matter how skilled you are with them, would be destroyed 
the second you struck anyone's armor here." She smiled. "Don't worry. 
Your own weapons will be safe here, and when you retrieve the Escudo, 
I will forge weapons matching the ones you're accustomed to. But for 
now, close your eyes, and concentrate. Weapons suited to you from my 
armory will come to you."
   The six closed their eyes.
   Cologne chose a shiny staff, three times as tall as she was. 
   A large, extraordinarily heavy cudgel became Ryouga's weapon. He 
took a few practice swings with it, and grinned.
   Shampoo selected a pair of studded metal maces. "Aiyah! Is almost 
like bonbori! Shampoo like!"
   A gigantic metal mallet flew into Akane's eager grasp. Presea shot 
a concerned glance at the girl upon seeing her reaction. <If she was 
any more excited, there'd be a mess on my floor,> she thought. The 
thought gave her a brief, strange mental image, and she had to shake 
it off before she made a mess herself.
   Ukyou received a large battleaxe, and looked at it curiously. 
"Well, I guess I can spatula someone with it," she remarked. She also 
selected several impressive-looking shuriken, and loaded them into 
her harness.
   Finally, Mousse made his selections. Everyone hit the deck in 
alarm as a swarm of weapons of all shapes and sizes flew towards him 
and disappeared into his voluminous armored robe. Presea scowled. 
"What the hell was that?"
   "Mousse is master of hidden weapons. See big pile of chains and 
stuff in case? Almost every weapon there is Mousse weapon," Shampoo 
explained.
   Presea blinked. <This guy really likes weapons,> she thought. Then 
she grinned inwardly. <I really like this guy!>
   With the warriors geared up and ready to go, they left the armory 
and sought out Guru Clef.


____
------------------------------------------------------------
Ryodachi Kouma
"The Eternal Lost Lurker"
squn29a@prodigy.com
My Web Page is UPDATED! Check it out!
http://pages.prodigy.com/EtLostLurker

no da.