Since our good friend Rhialto loves disarrayed subject tags and
extensive author's notes so much, before we get to the chapter, I'd
like to say a few things about act 4 of Onna: Red Side.
First of all, the reason this act is taking so long to write is,
quite frankly, I'm still working out ideas for the three Shadows that
Lady Mirage has unleashed upon the Magic Knights. I know *who*
they're going to possess, I'm just working out the details of the
possession, how tough they'll actually be, and things of that nature.
That's to say nothing of the event which will occur in China: the
second *major* battle of Onna: Red Side. I'm sure by now many of you
have already figured out who the Knights will be facing in China. All
I am willing to say about that right now is that I'm taking artistic
license with that entire part of the original manga storyline, so
expect a vast difference from the original. I'll be keeping the
important details...attacks, locales, the opposing team...mostly the
same as the manga, but the battle itself, and conditions and events
surrounding it, will be altered. I expect that particular battle to
last no fewer than two *long* chapters. 
Further notes: I'm taking a cue from some of the great
producer-directors of our time, so expect a cameo appearance by
Lurker in an upcoming chapter. Also, in future chapters, expect lots
of FF7 references. Also, there's a small change to an earlier chapter
of the fic which I need to mention here since it portains to this
chapter: when the group departed for Cephiro at the end of chapter 9,
I altered the departure scene slightly, so that they are leaving from
Tokyo Tower, whereas before it seemed they were leaving from Nerima.
Okay, what else can I say while I'm here...I hope to begin speeding
up production after this chapter. Chain messages and chain letters
are the same thing--don't post either one to the FFML, please. When
you flame, flame responsibly. When you reply to a flame, reply
responsibly. Posting a short spam message separately from a larger
message such as a fanfic chapter *does* consume more bandwidth than
combining them into one. Word processors are your friends--use them
to remove bothersome author's notes from fanfic chapters. No smoking
pot in the theater unless you've brought enough for everyone. All
crying children should be deposited in the receptacle in the lobby.
And now, for your reading pleasure...

--------------------------------------------------------

	***Interlude: aboard the NSX***

	Lady Mirage giggled evilly to herself as she observed her scrying
crystal. "What a crop of fools...they don't even know how to control
their magic," she laughed. "There should be no trouble in getting rid
of them." She was silent for a moment, the only sound in her chambers
being the hiss of her breathing apparatus. "Those blasted Magic
Knights, however...have returned to their own world. Why?" She
paused. "It doesn't matter. I owe the Water Knight," she spat
venomously. "I owe her a high price, indeed." 
	Mirage slid open a drawer on the desk, and retrieved a small pink
case. She sighed mechanically as she opened it. "I only have two of
these left," she said quietly. "But it's worth spending one, to get
rid of those horrid wenches." Reaching into the case, she removed a
small, perfect pink pearl, which shimmered softly. Reaching up with
her other hand, she pressed two fingers into the leather surrounding
the pink crystal in her mask, and gently pulled the gem away. There
was a slightly wet sound as the leather and crystal parted
reluctantly from the scarred, pitted flesh beneath, revealing a
small, hollow metal cylinder within an otherwise empty eye socket.
She regarded the pearl a moment longer before gingerly placing it
into the open end of the cylinder, and sealing it away behind the
crystal patch again. After a moment, the crystal lens began to glow,
and a quiet hum emitted from behind it. Amplifying her voice, she
called out, "Corsica! Camaro! Cavalier! Come forth, I command you!"
	Three shapeless forms slowly appeared in the room. "Yes, Lady
Mirage," they said in disturbing voices which sounded for all the
world like a chorus from Hell.
	"I am using a great deal of my power to send the three of you to the
world of the Magic Knights. You will possess powerful bodies, find
the wretched children...and destroy them, at all costs."
	"Understood."
	The hum from Mirage's crystal eye became louder. She glared, for
lack of a better word, at the three shadows, and a broad wave of
carnation-hued light emitted from her gaze, washing over the formless
figures. After a long moment, the beam faded away, and the demonic
presences were gone. Mirage sank into her chair heavily, the hiss of
her breathing apparatus increasing in pace. "Die, whores from the
other world," she spat. "Die, for turning me into
this...abomination."

	Chapter 22: A Grilling over Lunch
	Hikaru sat on a bench near a foodseller, smiling as Hikari happily
munched on a pork bun she'd just bought. "You were starving, weren't
you?" she asked the wolf. Hikari looked up at her, barked happily,
and returned to his meal.
	The redhead stroked the animal's back as he ate. Hikaru sighed. "I
wish...I wish I could take you with me this time, Hikari. But...I'm
so afraid you'd get hurt..."
	Hikari nuzzled Hikaru's hand, and looked up at her inquisitively.
She smiled sadly. "I know you can take care of yourself pretty well,
and you like to protect me...it's just, we don't know what we're
going to run into over there."
	Hikari seemed worried, as though he understood. Hikaru forced
herself to cheer up, and stood up. "Well, if you don't want anything
else to eat, how about we get back home to meet the guys?"
	Hikari barked happily. Giggling, the redhead led the wolf back to
the Shidou dojo.
	Unnoticed by either, a yellow light flashed briefly from behind a
hedge, and a soft sound hinted at a presence.
	"Puuu...."

	*****

	"Shouldn't they be back by now?" 
	"They did say they'd return the same instant they left...has
something happened, Tendou?"
	"How should I know, Saotome?" 
	The two father sat worriedly at the shogi board. Nabiki rolled her
eyes. "Oh, please. Do you honestly expect them to just show up in the
blink of an eye?"
	"But...remember the other two girls that went to that other world?
They did..."
	"Do things *ever* go that smoothly where Ranma is involved, Daddy?"
Nabiki said coolly.
	Soun considered that for a moment. "This is true," he conceded. He
returned his attention to the shogi board, his concern over the delay
completely forgotten. 
	The door opened, and a loud voice proclaimed, "Hark, for the noble
presence of the Blue Thunder graces this humble abode! Forthwith I
require the attention of the housemaidens!"
	Nabiki rolled her eyes. Kasumi emerged from the kitchen. "Why, hello
Tatewaki-kun!" she said as she approached the entrance. "What can we
do for you today?"
	"Ah, fair Tendou Kasumi, I bid you good day," Kunou said. "I beseech
thee, Kasumi-san, where might I find thy younger of kin, the
beauteous Akane?"
	"I'm afraid she's not home at the moment," Kasumi said. 
	"Canst thou tell me where I might find her then?"
	Nabiki groaned, and stood. "Kunou-chan, you won't find her around
here. She's gone off with the rest of the martial arts bunch on some
silly quest or other. We don't know when to expect them to return."
	Kunou narrowed his eyes. "A quest, you say? I was not made aware of
this quest. Tell me, Tendou Nabiki, did the cretinous--"
	"Yeah, yeah, Ranma's gone too," Nabiki said. "You expected
otherwise?"
	Kunou glared at Nabiki, then raised his bokken. "I bid this
household farewell, for I must journey now to discover the
whereabouts of Tendou Akane, and free her from the heinous
clutches--"
	"You forgot the pigtailed girl," Nabiki supplied helpfully.
	"What!? My innocent flower of fire is among the company of the demon
as well? I must make haste immediately! Farewell!" With that, Kunou
left.
	Nabiki sighed, smacking her forehead. "Stupid...I should have made
him pay for the info up front..."
	"Was that really neccessary, Nabiki?" Soun asked.
	"You'd rather have him hanging around *here* all day?" Nabiki
replied.
	Soun considered that for a moment. "You have a point."

	*****

	Lantis strolled down a sidewalk in the shopping district of Juuban,
looking with interest at the items for sale in the shops. Passing an
electronics store, he paused to watch a television that was playing
in the window. "They even have vidscreens on this world," he mused. 
	There was what appeared to be a news bulletin on now. He listened as
the anchorwoman described a train which had overturned on the
outbound tracks of the Juuban station. He frowned.

	"I can't believe it," Umi fumed. 
	Fuu sighed. "It happens sometimes, Umi-chan," she said. 
	"One good thing about Cephiro," Umi ranted, "spirit beasts never
derail, crash, or run out of gas." Fuu giggled.
	"Look, Umi-chan! Isn't that Lantis-san?" 
	Umi blinked. "You're right, it is. What's he doing here?" The two
girls headed towards the swordsman, who spotted them and waved. 
	"Hello, you two," Lantis said. "How did things go with your
families?"
	"Just fine," Fuu said. "Unfortunately, the train station was a
different matter..."
	Lantis nodded. "Yes, I just saw that on this vidscreen," he said,
gesturing.
	"Vidscreen? Oh, the television," Umi said. She frowned. "So what
should we do now? Take the bus, or wait for the trains to run again?"
	"It would be a shame to waste the train tickets we've already
purchased," Fuu said. "I think we should wait for the train."
	Lantis nodded. "Yes...besides, Ranma and Hikaru will be busy for a
little while, and I'd like to see more of this city..."
	"Ne, what are you doing here anyway? What's up?" Umi asked.
	Lantis made a vague gesture. "We came here to visit Hikaru's
family."
	"NANI?" Umi gasped.
	"Hikaru decided to let her brothers know she's alive," Lantis
continued. "And she's going to go out to lunch with them, before
leaving again."
	"She just met them again after two years, and they're going to let
her go again that easily?" Fuu wondered.
	Lantis shrugged. "I don't think they're happy about it, but the
eldest apparently decided Hikaru knows what she's doing."
	Umi snorted. "Satoru? I doubt it...he's the one that spent the last
two years searching for her."
	"It does seem unlikely that they'd be willing to let go of her so
quickly after all that time," Fuu noted.
	Lantis rubbed his chin. "Hmmm...maybe they're going to try to follow
her when she leaves...?"
	Umi and Fuu considered that. "It's most likely," Fuu said. Umi
nodded.
	"Yeah, I wouldn't put it past them to sneak off to the airport the
second Hikaru's out of their sight."
	"Or shadow us all the way to Nerima, and further to China," Fuu
agreed.
	"Do you think that will be a problem?" Lantis asked.
	"Most likely," Umi said. "If any trouble pops up, they'll be in
danger."
	"Maybe we can persuade them not to go after us," Fuu said.
	"Not much chance of that," Umi scoffed. "Not unless we show them a
few tricks we picked up in Cephiro, or told them some of the
truth...and then they'd *never* let Hikaru go. They'd want to put her
in a home or something."
	"This presents a problem," Lantis said.
	"Maybe Ranma will figure something out, and let Hikaru know what to
do," Fuu suggested.
	"Maybe so," Umi said. "From what I gather, Ranma's had a lot of
experience trying to hide things from people." She frowned. "Not that
it's something I'd exactly be proud of, but there's times when a
skill like that is needed."
	Fuu nodded. 
	Lantis' stomach rumbled. He blinked. Umi and Fuu giggled. "Well, as
long as we're waiting around," Umi said, "why don't we find a place
to get something to eat?" 
	Lantis grinned. "Good idea. I'd like to try some of the cuisine of
this world, at any rate."
	Fuu pointed down the street. "There's that nice little outdoor cafe,
the Akabara. Why don't we go there?"
	Umi nodded. "Yes, they have excellent food." The trio headed off in
the direction of the Akabara.

	*****

	"SASUKE!" bellowed Kunou. "Present yourself!"
	Sasuke dropped from a tree and prostrated himself at Kunou's feet.
"Sire, I have information on the whereabouts of Tendou Akane and
Saotome Ranma!"
	"Speak, Sasuke."
	Sasuke pulled out a photograph showing the group which had departed
for Cephiro, handing it to Kunou. "They all gathered near the Tokyo
Tower, and then just disappeared!"
	"Saotome is not among their company," Kunou mused. He gasped. "Ye
gods! He must have done something unspeakable to them! Oh, the hell I
can only imagine he must have banished them to. I must find the
knave, and slaughter him, to free my loves from the dimension of
evil!"
	Sasuke grew a sweatdrop three times his body weight, and was
promptly crushed beneath it.
	"More, Sasuke! I must know more!"
	Sasuke nodded. "Well, a few minutes after they disappeared, I saw
those two girls--" he pointed at Umi and Fuu in the picture, "--along
with Saotome and another fellow I didn't recognize, came down from
the Tower, and headed off in the direction of--" he checked a pad he
held in one hand, "--Juuban, I think."
	"Juuban, eh? The scoundrel thinks he can escape my justice by hiding
in another part of the city? Methinks he thinks wrongly, indeed."
Kunou disappeared into the mansion, and emerged a moment later
carrying a sheathed katana. Tucking the sheath into his sash, he drew
the blade and hoisted it over his head. "By this holy sword, I shall
dispose of the evil Saotome Ranma, and undo his treacherous magicks!
I, Kunou Tatewaki, the Blue Thunder, SWEAR THIS!" 
	A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, striking Kunou's
katana. The kendoist collapsed in a smoking heap.
	Sasuke blinked. "That's odd...there are no clouds in the sky..." He
looked up. "Well, except for the one..." His eyes widened.
"What--what *is* that?"
	A small, roiling black cloud of vapor descended towards the fallen
kendoist. It hovered ominously above Kunou for a moment, and Sasuke
felt a chill as he heard a whispered gibberish emitting from the dark
mist. Then, it plunged down, enveloping Kunou, and seeping into his
pores. 
	Sasuke rushed to Kunou's side as he began to groan. "Master Kunou?
Sire, are you alright? Master?"
	Kunou rose to a sitting position, rubbing his head. "I'm...fine,
Sasuke," he said. Groaning, he rubbed his eyes for a moment, then
opened them, blinking.
	Sasuke gasped. Kunou's dark eyes had become several shades lighter,
and were glowing faintly. "M--master..."
	"Silence, Sasuke. Guard the estate. I have a mission to carry out,"
Kunou said, rising to his feet. Sheathing his katana, he strode
purposefully off into the city. 
	Sasuke shook his head. "No good could come of this," he said
quietly.
 
	*****

	Kakeru, Masaru, and Satoru stood outside the dojo waiting for
Hikaru. All three were cleaned up, groomed, and dressed in nice
slacks and shirts. Hikaru smiled when she saw them. "You three look
nice," she said. They smiled back at her. "I'd change, but I'm afraid
I don't have anything with me other than more of the same," she said,
indicating her Chinese clothes.
	"You look just fine, Hikaru-chan," Kakeru said. Hikari trotted into
the dojo, looking back at Hikaru with a happy expression. She waved
goodbye to the animal, then said, "Well, guys, where are we going to
go?"
	"There's this nice outdoor cafe in town, the Akabara," Masaru
suggested. "Why don't we go there?"
	"Sounds good to me," Satoru said. 
	"Alright then, lead the way!" Hikaru said. The foursome headed into
town.
	As soon as they were well away from the dojo, a fat white bunny
hopped out of a bush and bounced into the building. Hikari looked up
as Mokona appeared. 
	"Puuu," the white creature intoned with a serious expression on its
pudgy face. Its gem flickered yellow. Hikari yelped and took a step
back. "Puuuuuu..." Mokona said softly as a pale yellow beam slowly
emerged from its gem. Hikari stared at it nervously, but didn't move,
sensing that the creature didn't intend any harm. The beam touched
Hikari's forehead.
	Seconds later, the wolf's eyes widened, and it began whimpering.

	"This is a good place to eat," Umi said.
	Fuu nodded. "Yes, I've been here before as well. The food is
excellent."
	The trio was greeted by a hostess, who showed them to a table.
"Welcome to the Akabara," the hostess said. "I'll have menus brought
out to you shortly."
	The Akabara was a popular hangout for teenagers and young adults in
Juuban, with its peaceful atmosphere, delicious food, and moderate
prices. The three seated themselves, and began scanning the menus,
with Fuu and Umi explaining the dishes to Lantis.
	Fuu looked up, and saw four figures approaching. "Look, Hikaru-chan
and her brothers are here as well!" 
	Umi saw the foursome, and waved. Hikaru caught sight of them, and
waved back cheerfully. "Guys, look! The friends I'll be travelling
with are here as well! Let's sit with them, alright?"
	Kakeru was about to object, but Satoru whispered to him, "We
should...we might get a better idea of what's going on."
	Masaru apparently had the same thought, because he was quick to
agree to sit with Hikaru's friends. The foursome approached the table
as a hostess greeted them. "Excuse me, miss," Fuu said, "We'd like to
change seating arrangements to sit with our friends here."
	The hostess looked up at the new foursome, who nodded. She smiled.
"Alright then, table for seven, this way." She led them to the back
of the cafe, where they took their seats at a much larger table. She
handed menus to the new arrivals, and headed off to check on other
guests.
	"I didn't imagine I'd run into you guys here," Hikaru said.
	"We couldn't get a train to Nerima," Fuu said. "The station's closed
down until later today."
	"That train accident?" Kakeru said. "I heard about it on the news
while I was getting dressed."
	Fuu nodded. "That's right."
	"Why were you headed to Nerima?" Satoru asked. 
	"We have one more member in our group, a skilled martial artist
who's traveled across China before," Hikaru said. "He lives in
Nerima. We're going to get our supplies there," she said. 
	"So, you're expecting to encounter a lot of danger over there?"
Masaru asked after everyone had ordered their food.
	Hikaru shrugged. "We hope not, but you never know, especially in the
part of China we're headed for."
	In Hikaru's head, a soft voice murmured, <Baka! You shouldn't let
them know exactly where you're going...> Hikaru blinked. 
	"Where is that?" Kakeru asked.
	"Qinghai province," Hikaru said, before she could stop herself.
<BAKA!> "Lots of mountains and such there, you know. Animals, such as
that. Maybe a bandit or two. That's all." 
	<Much better.>
	<I hate lying...>
	<You didn't lie. We'll run into all that kinda stuff there. It's
just that we'll probably run into other stuff too, considering what
else is around there...>
	<So I was lying.>
	<Well...maybe just a little.>
	"Hikaru-chan? Are you alright? You seem a little out of it," Satoru
said, leaning forward with concern.
	"Oh, I'm fine," she said. "Just thinking."
	Umi whispered to Fuu, "Something's up. You don't think...?"
	Fuu nodded, and whispered back, "I think they intend to follow us to
China..."
	"What are you two whispering about?" Masaru asked. The two girls
blushed, and stammered for a moment.
	Curiosity over their whispering was thrown aside as the food
arrived. The meal was accompanied by less intense conversation,
mostly Lantis' comments about the food, questions from the brothers
about his homeland and the kind of food there, and questions about
Umi and Fuu...mostly about the day Hikaru had vanished, which made
them both rather uncomfortable. 
	"So, why are you going to China again?" Kakeru asked.
	"There's an...artifact," Hikaru said. "We need to retrieve it and
take it to...a sage we met," she said. <I hate doing this, I hate
it...>
	<You're not lying now. The Mashin *is* an artifact, and Clef *is* a
sage...>
	"What sort of artifact? Is it related to what happened at Tokyo
Tower?" Satoru asked.
	Hikaru shifted uncomfortably. "In a way," she said quietly.
	"Satoru-san...gomen nasai. None of us...none of us really feel
comfortable talking about that just yet," Fuu said gently.
	Satoru shot Hikaru a pleading look, but decided to drop the subject.
He vowed silently to himself, however, that he would get to the
bottom of this business. One way or another.
	"What about this person going to China with you?" Kakeru asked. "The
one you're meeting in Nerima?"
	"Well," Hikaru began...

	...and was interrupted by a loud shout, and several panicked
shrieks. "FORGIVE ME, PIGTAILED GIRL!" shouted a voice, as a dark
blur crashed into and through their table. The Knights and Lantis
ducked to the side frantically as a katana sliced cleanly through the
chair Hikaru had been occupying only a second earlier.
	"What the HELL?" Satoru shouted. 
	<That's what I wanna know,> Ranma chimed inside Hikaru's head.
<That's Kunou, but somethin's wrong with him...>
	Hikaru looked at the kendoist, and blinked. There seemed to be an
aura of blackness clinging to him. He was clad in black robes, and
weilded a katana. He gazed at her with piercing green-brown eyes...
	<Hey, Ranma-kun, something's wrong with his eyes. Look.>
	<With his hair too. When did Kunou go grey?>
	Kunou's hair had become shot through with thick streaks of iron
grey. His formerly dark eyes were now a greenish-brown...and were
glowing. 
	"Hikaru-chan! RUN!" Kakeru called.
	Diners and service staff of the Akabara began fleeing for their
lives as a corona of dark energy flared around the kendoist in their
midst. "Magic Knights," Kunou said, his voice now distorted with a
nightmarish, whispering reverb, "it is my duty to destroy you, and
avenge my master."
	The three Magic Knights blinked. "Anou..." Hikaru said.
	"How could this person know we are Magic Knights?" Umi wondered.
	"He must have been sent here by our enemies," Fuu said.
	"But...this guy's *from* this world!" Hikaru said. "He goes to
Ranma's school!"
	"Maybe he's possessed or something," Umi said.
	Lantis nodded. "This boy has all the markings of a victim of a
Chevuro demon."
	"Chevuro demon?" the Knights echoed.
	"A formless shadow, summoned by evil magic," Lantis said. "They only
exist in the Intangible Mountains of Cephiro."
	"So what's it doing here?" Umi asked.
	Lantis' reply was cut off by Kunou's attack. Hikaru's brothers
screamed as the possessed swordsman charged, his katana flashing like
lightning. Lantis and the three Knights scrambled for cover.
	"Hikaru-chan! RUN! GET OUT OF HERE!" Satoru yelled.
	Kunou whirled on them. "I would fear for yourself, foolish human,
and not for the girls," he hissed. A wicked grin crossed his face.
"You care for this one, don't you? Does she care for you too? I
wonder..." He began advancing on the trio of brothers.
	Hikaru gasped. "LEAVE MY BROTHERS ALONE!" she shouted. Kunou ignored
her. She sighed, and stared at her right hand, trembling in rage.
"Alright then," she said. "Ignore THIS! HONOU NO....YAAAAAA!!"
	Satoru, Kakeru, and Masaru forgot their fear of the swordsman
momentarily and watched, wide-eyed, as a rush of flames erupted from
Hikaru's outstretched hand, searing the backside of the demonic
warrior. Kunou screeched, a disharmonic tangle of agonized sounds,
and was flung over the three brothers, crashing into the railing of
the dining area.
	"Oniisama-tachi!" Hikaru yelled. "Get out of here!"
	"What...what...Hikaru-chan? What..." Masaru stammered.
	"You must leave as well, little sister," Satoru said. "That guy's
dangerous. You mustn't fight him."
	Hikaru sighed. "You're wrong, Satoru-niisama. It's *our* job to
fight him. He's after us."
	Satoru was about to protest again, but it died in his throat as Umi,
Fuu, and Hikaru each produced a wrapped bundle of a different color.
Unwrapping them, they each removed a white gauntlet inset with a gem.

	Kunou began to rise, eyes glowing as he steadied himself and
retrieved his katana.
	"Clear out, guys," Umi said to the trio of Shidou brothers. "Things
are gonna get pretty intense." The three girls slid the gauntlets
onto their arms. The guys gasped as a different-colored suit of
full-plate armor appeared on each girl, bedecked with gems and
ornamental designs. With bursts of wind, water, and fire, a sword
formed in each girl's hand. Hikaru's face set in a determined scowl
as she faced the rising enemy.
	"I don't know who you are, or who sent you," Hikaru said, "but
you've put my dear brothers in danger. I won't forgive you for that."
	The demon cackled most unpleasantly. "Then you have decided to fight
me, Magic Knights?"
	"We sure have!" Umi called.
	"Very well then," the demon said. "It will be more sporting this
way. I am Cavalier, and I've been sent to kill you."
	"Sent by who?" Fuu asked.
	"Oh, if only you knew!" Cavalier chuckled. "But you'll never know,
because I'm about to cut off your pretty heads and add them to my
bowling ball collection." He charged.
	The three brothers, who had moved away, screamed as black energy
swirled around Cavalier's sword. 
	Hikaru gave a yell, and charged. Cavalier lowered his stance, and
attempted a rising slash. Hikaru brought her sword up and parried,
then slashed across Cavalier's torso. The demon howled as her sword
left a gash in his side. Hikaru ducked and rolled away from the
demon.
	"Be careful," Lantis said. "You don't want to injure him too much,
if he's possessed by a demon. You'll end up killing an innocent
person."
	<He's right, Hikaru. As bad as Kunou is, he doesn't deserve to die
like this.>
	Hikaru frowned. "How can we drive out the demon?"
	"Knocking him unconscious should do it," Lantis said. "If that body
is weakened without being killed, the demon won't be able to hold on,
and will have to abandon him."
	"What will stop it from possessing him again, or someone else?" Fuu
asked.
	"I will," Lantis said.
	"Alright then," Umi said. "MIZU NO...RYUU!"
	Cavalier leapt into the air as the dragon of water tore through the
space he was occupying. His sword, glowing black, slashed down into
the dragon, dissipating it.
	Fuu raised her hand. "Imashime no kaze!" The Winds of Reprimand
whirled around Cavalier, binding his arms to his sides. He roared in
rage as he struggled to break free. 
	Hikaru walked up to the demonic swordsman, and scowled. "Leave this
poor boy alone," she whispered. "And get out of our world, or we'll
destroy you."
	"Bite me," the demon hissed.
	Hikaru frowned, and raised her sword.
	"Hikaru..." Lantis warned.
	Hikaru turned her sword in her grasp, and brought the flat of the
blade down upon Cavalier's head, hard. There was a small splatter of
blood, and his eyes ceased glowing.
	Fuu released the Winds of Reprimand, and Kunou's body slumped to the
ground.
	Fuu checked his pulse. "He's alive," she said. 
	Hikaru's brothers crowded around them. "Hikaru-chan? What's going
on?" Satoru asked. "Where did that armor come from? And that sword?"
The other two brothers looked on with something akin to terror and
confusion.
	Hikaru sighed. "It's a very long story," she said.
	Lantis motioned for the group to clear away from the unconscious
kendoist. He held his hands before him, and with a flash of light,
the nautilus hilt of his sword appeared in his hands. With a sharp
crackle, the blinding beam of light that formed the sword's blade
emerged. The brothers gasped.
	"What the hell is *that*?" Kakeru asked.
	"It's some kind of lightsaber," Masaru breathed.
	"Lantis-san? What are you going to do?" Fuu asked.
	"Only this," Lantis said, as he drew a pentagram in the air above
the body with the tip of his blade. The sword left a light trail in
the air behind it. The glowing pentagram flared, and an unearthly
scream split the air. The image faded, and Lantis banished his sword
again.
	"That should take care of the demon," he said. "I trapped it in this
boy's body, and weakened its essence. If he doesn't wake up soon,
that demon will die."
	Umi looked up as a flash of motion caught her eye. "Oh, hell...we
need to get out of here, minna," she said. 
	"What's wrong, Umi-chan?" Hikaru asked.
	Umi pointed down the street, where five figures approached rapidly.
	Everyone except Hikaru and Lantis gasped. "The...the Sailor Senshi?"
Kakeru wondered.
	"I thought they were just an urban myth," Satoru said.
	"The what?" Hikaru asked.
	"I'll explain later," Umi said. "We better book." Banishing her
sword and armor, she frantically motioned for the group to follow
her. Hikaru and Fuu looked at each other, shrugging, and banished
their armor and swords as well, following the blue-haired Knight.
	Lantis said, "I suggest we clear out of here as well." He took off.
After a second's hesitation, the three brothers took off as well.
	
	"That's funny," Mercury said, scanning the area. "I'm not detecting
the dark energy anymore."
	"There's been a magical battle here," Mars said. "I can feel it."
	"So can I," Venus said. 
	"And we missed it? That sucks," Jupiter commented.
	A groan alerted them. "Hey, there's someone here," Moon said.
	"Where...am I?" a figure hunched in the center of the dining area
wondered. He shook his head groggily, sending his shoulder-length
grey hair flying about his head. He rubbed his eyes and blinked,
trying to clear his vision.
	"Hey you, are you okay? What happened here?" Mars asked.
	He shook his head again. "I...I don't know," he said. "I can't
remember anything. I don't even remember how I got...wherever this
is," he said.
	Mercury scanned him. "He checks out, I think," she said. "I'm
detecting residual dark energy...but judging from his condition, I'd
say he was a victim of whatever attacked here."
	"And you're sure it's gone?" Moon asked.
	"I'm not reading it," Mercury said.
	"Alright, we'd best scram, and discuss this back at the temple,"
Venus said. The Senshi fled the scene.

	Mere moments after their departure, the grey-haired, green-eyed
youth rose from the ground, picking up his katana. He groaned, and
his eyes began to glow faintly. "You'll...pay, Magic Knights," he
said. "You haven't seen the last of Cavalier." He staggered off into
an alleyway, and melded into the shadows.

	
	A short while later, the small group arrived at the Shidou dojo. As
soon as they were safely inside, Satoru said, "Hikaru-chan, talk.
What was all that?"
	"Does it have anything to do with Tokyo Tower two years ago?" Masaru
asked.
	Hikaru nodded. "Hai, it all started there." Everyone sat down, and
Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu gave the brothers an edited version of their
trip to Cephiro, leaving out Hikaru's banishment to China and
eventual tragedy. They simply said that she'd been banished from
Cephiro by a powerful spell, and it took her two years to get back to
her own world. 
	The three men didn't take the story very well, and didn't want to
believe it, but after what they'd seen, they couldn't dismiss the
story as a possible explanation. "So...so that guy with the sword..."
	Hikaru shrugged. "Someone's causing trouble in Cephiro right now,
and nobody's sure who it is. That's what we're going to China
for...we have to retrieve the fourth Mashin, and return with it to
Cephiro. Then we can put a stop to the trouble there, and come home
for good."
	"Someone obviously doesn't like that idea, though," Lantis put in,
"because they went to a lot of trouble to send a Chevuro demon here
to Earth to hunt down the Magic Knights."
	The brothers paled. "What--what if there's more of those?" Kakeru
asked.
	Lantis shrugged. "I don't think we'll run into any more Chevuro
demons. It takes a lot of power to send anything across the barrier
between worlds, and outside of Zagato, the Princess, and Mokona, I
can't think of anyone with that kind of power, except possibly me,
and it would put a severe strain on me to try to do it."
	"How DOES that baka bunny have that much power, anyway?" Umi asked,
scowling.
	Lantis shrugged. "Even Clef doesn't know that. At least, if he does,
he's not telling."
	"So you're saying that there shouldn't be any more of those," Satoru
said.
	"Let's hope not," Umi said. "But if there are, we can handle them."
	"Excuse us," Masaru said, tugging the sleeves of his brothers. The
three of them moved off to a corner of the dojo and talked quietly.

	"This is insane," Masaru said. "We can't possibly let her go to
China, or back to that other world!"
	"We can't stop her, either," Kakeru said. "You saw what the girls
and Lantis did to that...that demon. If we tried to stop them--"
	"Hikaru-chan would never threaten us," Satoru said. "--I don't
think."
	"Yeah? Well what about Lantis?"
	"He seems to have strong honor," Kakeru said. "I don't think he'd
try to harm us either."
	"Still," Masaru said, "we've got to do *something!*"
	"And we will," Satoru said. "We'll do what we already planned to
do." They turned to face the rest of the group.

	Fuu looked at her watch. "Hikaru-chan...the trains should be moving
again. We really need to get to Nerima," she said.
	"I know, but..." Hikaru sighed. She looked at her brothers. "I'm
sorry...she's right. We have to get going, so that we can get our
journey over with and I can come home again."
	The three brothers did not look particularly pleased. "You'll take
care of yourself?" Satoru asked.
	Hikaru nodded. "Hai. As you've seen, I can manage." She smiled
weakly.
	Satoru frowned. "You'd best come back in one piece...and don't take
too long. Get this business over with, and get yourself back here to
us."
	"Hai, I will," Hikaru said. "I promise." Hikari padded over to her,
and nuzzled her, whimpering sadly. She hugged the wolf fiercely.
"I'm...I'm sorry, Hikari," she said. "I...I don't want to go again,
but I have to. I wish I could take you with me...I just can't.
It's...it's going to be dangerous...you might get hurt..."
	Mokona suddenly appeared, and bounced over to the two of them.
"Mokona looks...solemn," Umi said, then smacked herself. "What am I
*saying!?* Mooouuu....don't tell me I'm starting to understand that
stupid bunny!"
	"Puu," Mokona said harshly to her. It returned its attention to
Hikaru and Hikari. "Puuu, puu puuuu." 
	"What is it, Mokona?" Hikaru asked, turning to the white rabbit.
Mokona looked at Hikari, and the wolf looked back, not flinching as
it had before. Hikaru looked between the two animals. 
	"What's going on?" Umi asked.
	Lantis frowned thoughtfully. "Mokona appears to be up to
something..."
	Mokona's jewel flared yellow, and a wide beam enveloped Hikari.
Hikaru gasped, but held her place, trusting Mokona. Hikari didn't
move, didn't make a sound. 
	"What...what's going on here?" Satoru asked.
	The beam from Mokona's jewel began darkening in color, through
orange, towards red. After a few long moments, the flame-red beam
faded. Everyone gasped.
	Hikari had become a bit larger, and appeared stronger. His fur had
turned the same shade of red as Hikaru's hair, and his eyes were now
red as well. The red wolf looked around, a mischevious twinkle in its
eyes. It threw back its head and barked...sending a small gout of
flame into the air. The three brothers fell over. Fuu and Umi gaped.
Hikaru blinked, then giggled. "I get it now," she said, beaming. She
hugged Hikari, then Mokona. "Mokona made Hikari stronger, so he can
come with me!" 
	"Puu!" Mokona said. The others blinked.
	"Thank you, Mokona," Hikaru said. She looked at the flame-red wolf.
"I think red is a nice color for Hikari," she said. 
	"So now we have to put up with two magical creatures?" Umi said in a
pained voice. Fuu giggled.
	
	Sometime later, the Magic Knights, Lantis, Mokona, and Hikari left
the Shidou dojo. "The trains should be running properly by now," Fuu
said.
	"Then our next stop is Nerima," Hikaru announced. She smiled
happily. "Today's been a wonderful day," she said.

	As soon as they were well out of sight, Satoru turned to his
brothers. 
	"We're going to have to gather supplies," he announced. "The best we
can do as far as getting into China is to fly into Hong Kong. From
there, we're on our own..."
	Kakeru held up an atlas of China. "I have maps," he said. 
	Masaru nodded. "I'll go shopping and get some dried foods, to make
trail mess kits out of."
	Satoru nodded. "I'll go get extra camping gear. Kakeru, you gather
up our clothing, the rest of our money, and our swords." He crossed
his arms. "We won't let Hikaru-chan out of our sight ever again," he
proclaimed. "We're going to follow her to China, to the ends of this
world, and to the ends of that *other* world they told us about."
	"RIGHT!" the other two chorused. 

	Across town, in Nerima, two shadows flitted about frantically, as
though searching for something...


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The odor that clears your sinuses is always the 
one that makes you wish they were still
clogged up.

---
The Eternal Lost Lurker
insatiably horny rampaging fanfiction demon
EternalLostLurker@worldnet.att.net
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Garden/9502

If you've ever earned frequent belcher miles,
you might be a redneck.
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