Subject: [FFML] [FF] [MKR] Reunions and Tragedies Chapter 7
From: "Nikholas F. Toledo Zu" <niftol@i-manila.com.ph>
Date: 8/19/2000, 3:11 AM
To: Anime/Manga Fanfiction Mailing List

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Nikholas "elf" F. Toledo
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DiScLaImEr!!!

RAYEARTH is the property of CLAMP/ Kodansha

elf is a semi-delusional, often frustrated, and all-around schizophrenic
denizen (read: property) of the infamous NFTZu.

If you're thinking of suing me for this fic
then you guys are worse off than I am.
                                             ;p elf

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                           Reunions and Tragedies

                                CHAPTER VII

                          Of Sciamachies and Masks

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             The brass doors, regardless of their gargantuan size,
       hardly made a sound when they closed behind him. The
       cavernous hallway was soon plunged into darkness. He was
       about to reach for his sword when a voice thundered within
       the crystalline hall.

             "WELCOME, KAILU LANTIS." The torches lining the
       passageway suddenly came to life. The glassy gray-black walls
       reflected the flickering blue flames.

             His hollowed footsteps echoed eerily down the lighted
       path. At the end of the hallway, he came upon an archway that
       led to a cylindrical room. Ancient writings, arranged in
       concentric circles, were carved into the floor. At the center
       of these scripts was a stone pedestal, on which sat...

             "Puupupu!"

____________________


             The Twin Blades inn was one of the more respectable
       haunts in town. But even respectable haunts like this one has
       its own share of brawls every now and then...

             "... and don't even dream of coming back!" Presea
       hissed as she booted what she hoped to be the last batch of
       troublemakers out the back door.

             She slammed the door shut and marched back to the bar.

             _What a great time for my bouncer to be calling in
       sick,_ she thought grimly. This was the second fight she had
       to break up this evening.

             Unknown to her, her bouncer was currently resting six
       feet under an unmarked grave just outside the city. His body
       parts were found this morning in some conveniently dark and
       filthy back alley where he was hacked to pieces for his
       attempt on the Pillar's life yesterday afternoon.

             "Illana!" she practically growled as she approached the
       bar, "Pour me a drink!"

             The busty green-haired barmaid looked at her mistress'
       dark scowl. "Miss Presea, I don't think..."

             "Don't! I didn't pay you to think!" she cut her off
       ruthlessly. "Just pour me that drink, and be quick about it!"

             "Y-yes, Miss." Illana did as she was told. After
       sneaking a peek at Presea's moody expression, she decided to
       leave the bottle on the bar as well.

             Just then, the door opened to admit a cloaked figure.
       The man scanned the crowded hall, his eyes coming to rest
       upon the blond woman who was tossing off a drink near the 
       bar. His right hand tightened unconsciously on the hilt of
       his sword, his golden eyes narrowed in scrutiny.

             Presea felt a prickling sensation at the back of her
       neck. She carefully placed the empty shot glass on the bar
       and turned around, her eyes locked with a pair of golden orbs
       glinting within the shadow of a cowl. She experience a
       momentary wave of panic as the cloaked figure made its way to
       her, those golden eyes watching her with piercing intensity.

             "Good evening, my lady." The figure bowed down and
       flipped back his cowl.

             Presea wanted to sigh with relief; she almost expected
       to see silver tresses framing a delicately handsome face
       graced with a thin smile. Instead, she got a rich thatch of
       blond hair atop a rugged but openly smiling face.

             "I must say, it is truly an honor for a military reject
       like me, to find himself in the esteemed presence of the
       Mistress of Armors," he said, bowing down with flourish.

             "You seem to be mistaken, my good man," she said,
       mentally forcing herself to relax and explain. "Sierra, my
       twin sister, was the Mistress of Armors - she died in a fire
       a few years back." The bitterness in her voice lent a gloss
       of credibility to the lie.

             The man looked at her with surprise. "The Pharle...
       dead?!" He shook his head dejectedly. "I'm truly sorry to
       hear that, miss. Your sister IS a very fine woman."

             "Yes, she was," Presea wistfully said, pouring two
       shots of whiskey. "Here, this one's on the house," she said,
       placing a shot glass filled to the brim in front of him.

             The ex-military soldier grinned sheepishly. "I don't
       mean to be rude, Miss -"

             "Call me Presea - everyone does. And, by the way, I
       also run this place."

             Then, as if on cue, another brawl erupted between a
       group of traveling merchants and a pack of mercenaries.

             "Aww, hell! Not again!" she cursed under her breath.

             She was about to draw her sword when he placed a hand
       over her own and smiled down at her.

             "Allow me, my lady."

             Presea simply inclined her head. "Be my guest." She
       took a sip off her glass and settled on the barstool to
       watch.

             The man was either stupid or had no sense of self-
       preservation whatsoever. He simply stepped into the fray and
       immediately had his face punched in.

             The swarthy mercenary who delivered the blow soon found
       out that he picked the wrong guy to trifle with. Presea
       flinched at the sound of shattering glass as the mercenary
       sailed out of her front window.

             She was halfway through her drink when he leveled
       another guy with a mean right hook and delivered a roundhouse
       kick that sent another one crashing against a nearby table.
       Twirling the remaining amber liquid in her glass, she
       mentally tallied the cost of damages and decided to add a
       whopping 30% of the original expenses to the final amount.

             She finished off her drink just as he was kicking the
       last of the troublemakers out her front door.

             After that, he came back to the bar, took the seat
       beside her and casually said, "I actually wanted to ask if I
       could rent a room here for the night."

             Presea nodded. "You can have one of the rooms here,
       downstairs."

             "Is it always this rowdy around here?" he asked.

             "No." She placed her glass down on the table and
       grinned at him. "It's usually much worse."

             She frowned when she noticed that he did not come out
       entirely unscathed from the ordeal. "You're bleeding." Her
       fingers reached out and wiped the thin trickle of blood from
       the left corner of his bottom lip.

             _Why does this feel so familiar?_

             His eyes widened in surprise. He immediately caught her
       hand before her touch turned into a caress. "It's nothing,"
       he said, taking in her bewildered look. Then, as if he could
       not help himself, he gallantly brought her hand up to his
       lips for a kiss. "Thank you, Miss Presea."

             "Don't thank me yet. Wait till you see your bill in the
       morning!" She turned and motioned to the barmaid, "Illana,
       kindly show this gentleman his room."

             The man brought out a small pouch and placed it in her
       hand. "If this amount should fall short of the expenses,
       kindly inform me tomorrow. For now, I must bid you good
       evening, my lady."

             "You haven't touched your drink," Presea pointed out.

             He brought the drink up to his lips and eyed her over
       the rim of the glass.

             She met his golden gaze without wavering.

             He placed the glass back on the bar and said, "Sorry, I
       don't drink."

             Presea sat there, watching his retreating back as
       Illana escorted him down the hall. She stared at the shot
       glass filled to the brim and muttered, "No sense in letting
       such fine damn whiskey go to waste." And with that, she
       tossed it down her throat before she had a chance to change
       her mind.

______________________


             "Gryff, what is wrong with you?" Fuu whispered,
       balancing a tray on one hand and holding a mug of ale in the
       other.

             "Hmm?" He blinked and smiled down at her. "I was just
       wondering how much that glass window cost," he said, pointing
       at the mess behind him.

             Fuu frowned. "There wouldn't had been any problems if
       you didn't flirt with those drunken mercenaries in the first
       place."

             Gryff managed an unladylike snort. "Hmph! It's not my
       fault that I'm too sexy for my own good," he said, thrusting
       his ample, but fake, bosom out in profile.

             "Hello, Cutie! Care to share a drink with me?" A beefy
       fellow from a nearby table grabbed hold of Fuu's apron and
       gave her a rakish grin.

             "I don't drink. And please do let go. I have other
       customers to attend to," she replied politely.

             "Ahh, so you like to play hard to get." He grinned at
       his cohorts, who were obviously enjoying the exchange. "Good,
       I've always liked a challenge," he said, his grin turning
       malicious.

             Fuu was starting to get annoyed. "I said--"

             "Really!" Gryff said in his shrill falsetto,
       unceremoniously plopping down on the guy's lap and slapping
       his hand away from Fuu's apron. "So, tell me big boy...," he
       crooned, batting his eyelashes and rubbing his 'breasts'
       against the guy's chest, "am I big enough a challenge for
       you?"

             Ferio watched the whole scenario in tense silence, his
       hand now slowly moving away from his dagger hidden under his
       cloak. It was a pretty close call, he almost revealed himself
       because some bastard dared to touch his prey. He was sitting
       near the windows, the ones that survived the past ordeal,
       with the wall behind him; one can never be too careful,
       especially in a place like this.

             Fuu placed the ale and the platter of food on the
       table. Holding the empty tray to her chest, she forced a
       smile on her tired face. "Will that be all, sir?"

             In the depths of his cowl, Ferio stared at her,
       transfixed by her tired but sweet smile. Something tugged at
       his memory - it was vague and intangible but it was there
       nonetheless.

             "... you alright?"

             He mentally shook himself, angry at being distracted by
       nothing more than a smile from a slip of girl.

             "I'm fine," he snapped.

             She frowned then, clearly affronted by his abrupt tone.
       She was about to turn away, only to have someone grab her
       wrist and jerk her back. Something fell out from her skirt
       pocket and clattered to the floor. It landed between the
       stranger's feet.

             He never meant to reach out. Hell, he never even
       thought of doing it! One moment he was sitting down, the next
       thing he knew, he was towering over her and absently noting
       how fragile her wrist felt in his grasp.

             He looked down and watched the seemingly unaffected
       expression in her green eyes.

             "Let go."

             The words had nothing to do with it -- it was how she
       said them. Her voice did not have the shrill of panic nor the
       cold tinge of threat; it was the calm of reason.

             Calm. The word echoed in his head and brought him back
       to reality.

             "I'm sorry," he murmured, letting go of her hand.

             Ferio bent down to retrieve what she just dropped. He
       stared at the earring in his hand and was instantly filled
       with uncertainty.

             "Here," he said, placing the earring in her hand and
       closing her fingers around it.

             _Why do I feel like I've done this before?_ he asked
       himself, looking at the girl warily.

             Fuu accepted the stranger's apology and the earring
       with a nod of her head, and then finally turned to leave.

             Ferio watched her cross the hall. He reached deep
       inside his shirt pocket and brought out an exact replica of
       the girl's earring.

             His forehead creased in a frown as he stared at what
       was obviously the other half of the pair. He came here to
       carry out the Pillar's orders, not to find out about his
       forgotten past. The sooner he gets the job done, the sooner
       he can get on with his life.

____________________


             Lantis frowned, "Mokona?" and stared at what could
       probably pass, by a great stretch of the imagination, as a
       rotund white rabbit.

             "Pupupuupuu!"

             The creature started bouncing around. It leapt in his
       arms and started motioning towards his sword.

             Lantis drew his sword, the blade flashing to life.

             The bluish-white energy from the blade triggered
       something inside the stone pedestal, causing a light to
       appear and shimmer along a narrow crack on the center of the
       stone surface.

             Mokona jumped back onto the pedestal and pointed at the
       crack, "Pupupuuu."

             He lifted his sword and thrust it down into the
       opening.

             Light spilled down the pedestal and flowed into the
       strange writings on the floor, making them glow. Mokona
       scampered away from Lantis, who was standing inside the
       circle.

             A blue shaft of light shot up from the perimeter,
       surrounding Lantis with a wall of crackling energy.

             "STATE THE PURPOSE OF THIS VISIT, KAILU," the voice
       demanded.

             "I've come to awaken the Guardian," Lantis answered.

             The light flickered for a moment.

             "FOR WHAT REASON?"

             The voice seemed to have taken a life of its own,
       swirling around him like a tangible force. It took shape
       before his eyes, absorbing the light that radiated from the
       circle, as though an invisible mould was being filled with
       energy.

             "DO YOU THINK YOURSELF WORTHY OF ITS POWER?"

             It became a man made of golden fire with wings of
       light. The magnificent being turned its head. Its beautiful
       blank gaze fell on Lantis and studied him carefully.

             "YOUR WILL IS STRONG LIKE THE OTHERS BEFORE YOU. YET -
       LIKE THEM - YOU ARE NOT COMPLETELY CERTAIN OF WHAT IT IS YOU
       ARE SEARCHING FOR. YOU HAVE YET TO KNOW YOURSELF AND YOUR
       PURPOSE. I AM NOW ASKING YOU TO LEAVE THIS SHRINE."

             Lantis felt a surge of anger at its words. He took a
       deep calming breath, but it did little to ease his temper. "I
       refuse to leave without being heard. And just who are you to
       dismiss a Kailu that easily?"

             "I AM HILUX," it declared in a thundering voice. "AND
       YOU ARE JUST WASTING MY TIME."

____________________


             Presea reluctantly let herself out of the tub, toweled
       herself dry and slipped into her robe. It had been a hell of
       a night and all she craved at the moment was sleep. She shook
       her hair loose from its knot and went out of the bathroom.

             No sooner had she passed the door when a hand suddenly
       clamped around her mouth and she was bodily pinned against
       the wall.

             "I won't hurt you. Promise me you won't scream."

             Presea nodded as she desperately tried to gather her
       wits about her. Outside, the moon emerged from behind the
       clouds, its hazy light creeping into her room, chasing away
       the shadows, showing her the face of her assailant.

             It was the man from the bar.

             She stared into his golden eyes reflecting moonlight,
       as his features transfigured into the face of her beloved
       enemy.

             _How did he find me? And how could I have not known
       that it was him all along?_

             He slowly pulled his hand away from her mouth. His eyes
       falling on her lips, down her throat, watching her muscles
       work there as she swallowed her fear. His gaze finally rested
       on the upper slopes of her creamy white breasts, where her
       birthmark was there for him to see.

             He heard her sob and immediately looked up to see a
       single tear streaked down her left cheek.

             "Did you think I wouldn't have known?" he whispered,
       wiping her tear away as he lovingly cradled her jaw in his
       hand. "How you carried yourself as you stood there, the arch
       of your throat as you drank that whiskey, the way you turned
       your head to look behind you -- to look at me." He shook his
       head and laughed bitterly. "I knew it was you even before you
       began to speak, my dear, even before you can tell me those
       lies."

             "What do you want, Innova?"

             "What do I want?" he repeated incredulously, he placed
       his hand over her left breast, rubbing his thumb against her
       birthmark. "This, Sierra,..." He started kissing her neck, 
       working his way up to her ear and whispered, "... This is
       what I want..."

______________________


             A bolt was slid and a stable door was opened. The horse
       neighed, rearing back a little from the glare of the lamp.

             "Easy, easy now," a soothing voice whispered as it led
       the horse out of its box.

             With a sharp slap on its rear, the horse was sent
       galloping into the night.

             "That's the last of them," the voice murmured to
       itself.

             The young assassin glanced at the second window on the
       first floor of the inn. No lit candle, no flashing light from
       a mirror -- nothing. There was nothing but blackness.

             He looked up at the sky. The moon had almost reached
       its zenith, and Lord Innova has yet to give his signal. He
       found his thoughts wandering back to the serving girl at the
       inn and immediately squashed the memory with a muttered
       curse. He was getting impatient, he realized, which was not
       like him at all.

             "Another fifteen minutes," he murmured to himself,
       walking back inside the stables to wait.

______________________


             Lantis glared back at Hilux. "You know nothing about
       me. I'm not leaving this place until I've proven you wrong."

             "EVEN AT THE RISK OF YOUR OWN LIFE?"

             "If it need be," Lantis answered flatly.

             The being's eyes glowed malevolently. "THEN HOW ABOUT
       HERS?" it asked, touching the wall of light, causing it to
       flicker.

             Lantis blanched as he stared at the scene before him.
       "Hikaru."

             "YOU SEEM TO KNOW HER WELL, KAILU."

             "Leave her out of this."

             "HOW ABOUT HIM?" Hikaru vanished to be replaced by
       Zagato. "YOU DESERTED YOUR OWN BROTHER, BACK WHEN HE NEEDED
       YOU MOST."

             "The land demanded that I kill the Pillar. I left
       Cefiro back then so that he and Emeraude might live."

             "YOU LEFT BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T FACE UP TO YOUR DUTY!"
       Hilux accused. "THE LAND SUMMONED THE MAGIC KNIGHTS TO TAKE
       UP WHERE YOU LEFT. YOUR BROTHER DIED TRYING TO SAVE THE WOMAN
       HE LOVED AND SHE DIED TRYING TO AVENGE HIS DEATH."

             "Zagato and Emeraude knew the consequences," Lantis
       said bitterly. "It was inevitable."

             "INEVITABLE, YOU SAY - IS THAT WHY YOU DECIDED TO
       MERELY WATCH FROM THE SIDELINES BECAUSE THE WHOLE TRAGEDY WAS
       INEVITABLE?"

             Lantis seethed in silence.

             "AND HOW ABOUT YOUR DEAR FRIEND, EAGLE?"

             "Stop it." Lantis whispered icily.

             "HE SAVED YOUR LIFE, DIDN'T HE? AND YOU FAILED TO
       RETURN THE FAVOR. YOU WERE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO KEEP HIM FROM
       DYING. WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO PROTECT
       HER?"

             "I said, stop it."

             "THAT'S IT, ISN'T IT?" the being taunted him in a
       jeering voice, "YOU KNOW THAT YOUR POWERS AREN'T ENOUGH - NO,
       WAIT - " It swooped down and hovered in front of him, face to
       face. "YOU'RE AFRAID - YES! AFRAID THAT YOU CANNOT KEEP HER
       SAFE."

             "That's enough!" he grated between clenched teeth.

             But it simply ignored him and continued on with its
       tirade. "THAT IS WHY YOU CAME HERE, THINKING THAT, IF YOU
       COULD AWAKEN THE GUARDIAN, YOU'LL BE STRONG ENOUGH TO PROTECT
       HER AND HER FRIENDS FROM THE PILLAR."

             "That is--"

             "THE TRUTH!" Hilux shouted, ruthlessly cutting him off,
       pointing a finger at him. "I DARE YOU TO DENY IT, LANTIS."

______________________


             He eased his weight off her and shifted to his side,
       taking her with him. Still intimately joined with her, he
       rested his chin atop her head, reveling in the sensation of
       being held within her and the feel of her lips as she brushed
       a kiss against his collarbone.

             "Why, Sierra?" he whispered, "Why did you let me go on
       believing that you were dead?"

             "I thought it was for the best."

             "Best for whom? You or me?" he asked, trying to keep
       the anger from creeping into his voice.

             Sierra heard anyway and chose her words carefully.
       "There are people who wanted Princess Asuka dead, people who
       wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone who got in their way. I took
       over my sister's identity after the fire. It was the only way
       I can keep Princess Asuka safe, as well as myself."

             "I don't understand it." Innova shook his head and
       frowned. "What would that Autozam spy gain by doing all
       this?"

             She leaned back to look him in the eye. "Innova, that
       'Autozam spy' risked his own freedom to save our lives. Gryff
       would've gone back inside the burning workshop to save
       Presea, but the roof collapsed and-"

             "Hush-" he whispered, stopping her words with a finger
       against her lips. He knew that she and her sister were close
       -- twins usually were, but he couldn't help being selfish and
       thankful that Sierra was alive in his arms. "I saw it happen
       and thought it was you." Tipping her face up to his, he
       angled his head and kissed her lips. "But that's over now.
       And as far as I can tell, you're very much alive."

             "I could very much say the same for you," she sighed,
       loving the way he felt under her hands.

             "Come back with me, Sierra," he whispered in-between
       moist kisses. "We'll bring Princess Asuka back with us."

             The words hit her like a douse of cold water. She
       immediately broke away and turned her back on him.

             "I'm sorry, but I can't. And Asuka is not with me."

             He was silent for a long time. His voice was devoid of
       all emotion when he finally spoke. "Would you care to explain
       why, Sierra?"

             "I broke my vow of loyalty to the Pillar the moment I
       entrusted Asuka to Gryff." She looked at him defiantly. "I
       will not have Asuka cheated of her legacy, nor of her
       rightful place as the heir to the Dragon Court of Fahren,
       Innova."

             Innova contemplated everything she just said and simply
       held out his hand to her.

             "Come here, Sierra."

             He could see that she was very reluctant and very much
       afraid.

             "Look at me."

             She shook her head, "I don't-"

             "Forget about them for the moment, this is just between
       you and me," he pleaded. "Please, won't you at least meet me
       halfway?"

             She stared at his outstretched hand and slowly placed
       her hand in his grasp.

             "I love you, Sierra," he reverently said. "We may not
       agree -"

             He would have said more, if circumstances allowed it.
       Unfortunately, the explosion that shattered the peace was
       just too near for comfort.

             "The stable is on fire!!!" someone shouted from below.

             Sure enough, Sierra and Innova could see the fire from
       her bedroom window.

             "Damn it! I told him to wait for my signal," Innova
       cursed under his breath as he absently waved his hand and was
       immediately clothed.

             He turned around to see her, still standing by the
       window, clutching the thin blanket to her breast in horror.
       "Sierra! Sierra, listen to me! You've got to--"

             It was only then when he realized that she didn't hear
       him, that she was staring at the flames paralyzed with fear.

____________________


             "SAPPHIRE WATERSPOUT!"

             Umi summoned forth a whirling funnel-shaped column of
       water above the flames. She closed her fist and the column 
       collapsed, raining down on the burning building and
       extinguishing the fire.

             "Too late," she muttered to herself, staring at the
       charred remnants of the stable.

             Gryff, now dressed in his own clothes, felt the urgent
       need to leave the place as soon as possible. He placed a hand
       on Umi's shoulder, "At least you were able to put out the
       fire before it spread. But I doubt that this was just an
       ordinary fire."

             "You're right," Fuu stated, looking at the jagged edges
       of the wooden posts that lay broken on the ground. "This was
       caused by an explosion."

             _And whoever did it, wanted to lure us out,_ Gryff
       silently concluded.

             Dark clouds drifted across the starless sky, obscuring
       the moon. Gryff felt the hair at the back of his neck rose,
       his eyes narrowing into hazel slits.

             "Look out!!!" he warned, bringing Umi down on the
       ground with him.

             A great force, like an invisible claw, plowed into the
       earth, missing them by mere inches.

             "Fuu, get out of the way!" Umi screamed.

             But Fuu decided to hold her ground.

             "GUARDING WIND!"

             The air barrier was ripped apart, but it managed to
       stop the attack.

             _That was close,_ Fuu thought to herself.

             "Impressive," the attacker murmured to himself as he
       watched the blond girl from his high perch. Moonlight slowly
       filtered through the clouds, illuminating her worried but
       beautiful face.

             "Show yourself!" the blue-hair challenged. "Only a
       coward would attack an opponent from behind!" He realized
       that the one speaking was actually a girl in boy's clothing.

             "So, she's a Magic Knight as well," he said, watching
       her extract a thin-bladed sword from the smooth, round stone
       at the back of her hand.

             He had no intention of revealing himself just yet. It
       would be better if he could manage to take them out one at a
       time. He waited for the moon to disappear from behind the
       clouds before making his move.

             "I heard something!" Umi cried out and pointed at the
       moving shadow, "THERE! It's heading for those trees!"

             Fuu, who was standing near the edge of the clearing,
       was the first to give chase, followed closely by Umi. Gryff
       heard something whizzing by his ear and struck the bark of
       the tree beside him with a thunk.

             "What the-?"

             Something managed to wrap around his left leg. He saw a
       shadow, then as the moon once again emerged, a flash of
       silver.

             He fell to the ground, then, just as quickly, he was
       hoisted up into the air.

             Bending from the waist, he tried to reach his leg. But
       his assailant managed to knock the saber out of his hand
       before he could cut himself free.

             "This is quite a surprise, Gryff. I didn't know you
       were with the Knights."

             "Innova!"

___________________


             "Presea!" Hikaru pounded on the door. "Wake up! The
       stable is--!"

             It suddenly swung open. Hikaru almost lost her balance
       and stumbled inside. She saw Presea wrapped only in a
       blanket, sitting on the floor, huddled in a corner near the
       window.

             She knelt beside Presea and shook her out of her
       catatonia. "Presea, please, try to snap out of it! We have to
       move somewhere safe!"

             "Hikaru?" she hoarsely called out, turning to her with
       a lost and haunted look. "Hikaru, is that you?"

             Hikaru's brow knotted with worry as she stared at her.
       "What's wrong?" She could clearly see that Presea had been
       crying.

             "It's nothing, I'm fine. But you and the others will
       have to leave. Now. The Pillar's men might be arriving any
       time soon. Take what you need from the cellar... food,
       supplies; there's bound to be enough there to last you at
       least a day on the road to Eterna."

             "B-but, we just can't leave you here!"

             She pulled Hikaru into a hug. "Don't worry about me.
       I'll be alright."

             "We really appreciate everything you've done for us,
       Presea."

             "Don't mention it." She smiled, wiping the tears from
       Hikaru's cheeks. "Promise me that the four of you will take 
       care of each other. And, whatever happens, don't ever lose
       hope."

             Hikaru nodded.

             "Good." She stood up and turned Hikaru towards the
       door. "Now, go and warn them."

             Hikaru stopped at the door and looked back. "Thank you,
       Presea. I hope to see you again, sometime soon."

             "Yes." She nodded.

             Then, she was alone once more.

             _I'm sorry, Innova. It would seem that I've betrayed
       you once again,_ Sierra thought to herself as she lay down on
       the bed and started to cry.

____________________


             Moonlight pierced through the leafy canopy of the
       woods.

             He crouched low behind the dense undergrowth, using the
       shadows to his advantage. Reaching behind him, he unsheathed
       his huge scimitar from his back. He took out the glass sphere
       that Innova gave him; he broke it and retrieved three paper
       talismans hidden within. There was no room for error and he
       was determined not to make any.

             "Where'd it go?" Umi asked, skidding to a stop behind
       Fuu.

             Fuu motioned for her to keep quiet and just listen.

             The two girls turned around, keeping their backs
       against each other. They stood, swords ready, searching for
       any signs of movement in the trees that surrounded them.
       Behind them, the leaves rustled, but there wasn't any wind...

             "Umi, move! It's--!"

             No sooner than Fuu called out her warning when the tree
       behind them toppled to the ground. Fuu came out in a sideways
       roll, only to be narrowly missed by another tree that came
       crashing down beside her. The branches tore away at her
       sleeves.

             Fuu felt a searing pain against her arm; she touched it
       and felt something warm and wet.

             _I'm bleeding._

             "Fuu," Umi called out from beyond the foliage. "Are you
       alright?"

             "Yes," she lied without hesitation. _No sense in
       letting the enemy know the extent of the damage,_ Fuu thought
       grimly to herself.

             The hunter saw his chance; he gripped his scimitar with
       both hands and launched himself at his prey. She must have
       heard him move, for she was able to turn around just in time
       to parry his strike. Still, she was no match for his strength
       and the momentum behind the blow; her sword went flying out
       of her hand and struck the ground behind her.

             He took out one of the talismans and approached her.

             < FUU >

             < Windham, is that you? >

             < YES. DO NOT LET HIM TOUCH THE CRYSTAL ON YOUR HAND
       WITH THAT SEAL. IF HE SUCCEEDS IN DOING THAT, YOU WILL NOT BE
       ABLE TO SUMMON ME. >

             "Give it up," he said, glancing at her injured arm, "If
       you value your life."

             Fuu glared at the unseen face behind the cowl. "I will
       not let you seal Windham from me," she said. Lifting her hand
       she called upon the power of the wind: "JADE GALE!"

             A strong gust of wind shot forth, reducing the paper
       talisman to tatters and forcing her enemy to back away.

             He felt a sharp stinging sensation against his cheek.
       But he didn't even flinch nor bother to wipe away the blood
       from the cut. He simply swung his scimitar and unleashed a
       force to counterattack her spell.

             Fuu quickly cast a spell around herself: "GUARDING
       WIND!"

             "Do you honestly think that this barrier can stop me?"
       he asked, taking out another talisman from within his cloak.

             "Maybe not. But I will," Umi declared. "BLADES OF ICE!"

             A cold blast of razor-sharp icicles tore at the shadow,
       shredding it to pieces. Umi soon realized that she had been
       tricked. It was just a cloak.

             The attacker deftly wove through the torrent of
       icicles that streaked pass him.

             "No one can move that fast!"

             Apparently, this one could. From a flat run, he
       launched himself into the air, sailing through it, with his
       huge scimitar ready to deliver the final blow.

             But it was not directed at her.

             "Fuu, behind you!" she screamed, but it was too late.

____________________


             Innova looked at his handiwork and smiled coldly.
       "You've been a thorn in my side for far too long." He held
       the sword to Gryff's neck, applying just enough pressure to
       stress his point. "Tell me where you hid Princess Asuka and I
       just might find it in my heart to grant you a quick, painless
       death."

             "What heart? The one you keep in a jar hidden under
       your bed?" Gryff snorted. "Go to hell, Innova."

             "No, thank you," he said, sliding the blade and
       watching the blood drip out from the small cut. "You, on the
       other hand, may want to see it for yourself."

             "BLAZING ARROW!"

             Innova was forced to leap away as a torrent of fiery
       shafts flew straight at him. He landed on top of a boulder
       and regarded the Fire Knight carefully.

             The young woman placed herself between him and Gryff,
       clearly intending to take him on, if necessary.

             Gryff finally managed to untie his leg and deftly
       landed on the ground. He picked up his thermal blade and
       glanced at Hikaru. "Stay out of this."

             Umi's scream split the night. A sudden blast caused the
       ground to tremble followed by a flight of birds coming from
       within the woods.

             "Umi!" Gryff glanced towards the path at the edge of
       the clearing and cursed under his breath.

             Hikaru turned pale. "Fuu could be hurt."

             "Looks like my apprentice seems to be handling the two
       Knights quite well," Innova smugly supplied.

             "Damn you, Innova!" Gryff grated, brandishing his
       thermal blade. He managed one step forward before Hikaru
       barred his way.

             "No, Gryff." She shook her head. "I need you to go help
       Umi. Fuu might be seriously injured."

             Gryff scowled. "I can't leave you here to fight HIM!"

             "Trust me." Hikaru summoned a double-edged sword from
       within the red crystal at the back of her hand. "I can take
       care of myself."

             Gryff briefly remembered Fuu telling him that Hikaru
       happened to a kendoist and an excellent one at that. He
       studied Innova's guarded expression as the man watched
       Hikaru.

             "Alright, but you'd better be alive when we get back."

             Hikaru smiled, "Thank you, Gryff."

             _The Pillar was right. The Knights should not be taken
       lightly._ Innova could sense the immense power within her and
       had no doubt that she was very much capable of wielding that
       power as well.

             "Finally, a worthy opponent," Innova said, drawing
       forth his blade. "This would be a very interesting duel,
       indeed."

___________________


             Lantis had always prided himself on his impeccable
       calm. Most people find it quite unnerving, and would rather
       describe it as an austere indifference. Now, standing in
       front of his imperious anthropomorphic prosecutor, he was
       feeling anything but calm.

             "WELL?"

             Lantis was almost at the end of his proverbial rope and
       was slowly slipping down an inch at a time. Mentally tying a 
       knot at the end of that line, he managed to hold on to his
       temper and quietly admitted, "Yes. That is the truth."

             Hilux's smooth forehead creased in a slight frown, the
       only indication that it was caught totally unprepared by the
       Kailu's answer. It sat at the edge of the pedestal, propped
       its elbow on the sword's hilt and regarded Lantis
       thoughtfully.

             "AT LEAST YOU'RE MORE HONEST THAN MOST."

             "What is that supposed to mean?" he asked, careful to
       keep his expression blank.

             "ABSOLUTELY NOTHING," Hilux stated, gesturing at the
       battle scene that suddenly appeared on the wall, "THEN AGAIN,
       IT COULD ALSO BE JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING -"

____________________


             Innova's sword flashed down even as she escaped it,
       unleashing a power that sliced in a full killing arc.

             Hikaru ducked and kept her distance. He may have a
       farther reach but she was willing to bet that she was faster
       on her feet.

             Hikaru tried to keep her balance, focusing on his
       intent instead of his blade. He lunged, thrusting his sword
       forward. She twisted sideways, narrowly escaping his blade,
       and brought her sword down his back.

             Innova hissed in pain and quickly fought to regain his
       center. He blocked her next strike with the flat edge of his
       sword. Sparks flew as steel gnashed against steel. Hikaru
       flinched as the sound grated on her nerves.

             Innova noticed her momentary distraction and
       immediately took advantage of it. He shifted his weight
       backwards, rendering her off-balance, and slashed upwards
       with his sword.

             She barely managed to pull back as Innova's blade
       sheared a few inches off of her bangs. _He almost got me
       there._

             Innova smiled coldly in spite of his bleeding back.
       "Next time, it will be your neck."

             "You can try," Hikaru threw back.

             Innova launched a series of attacks that placed Hikaru
       on the defensive. She zealously parried each of his fatal
       blows, intending to draw it out until she found an opening.

             It was, however, a serious oversight on her part. One
       that eventually cost her the result of the match. She grimly
       noted that she was now backed against a huge boulder with
       nowhere left to run.

             "SCARLET LIGHTNING!"

             Innova merely summoned a shield to deflect her attack.
       He pointed his sword at Hikaru and regarded her with a
       reluctant admiration of one swordsman for another. "I have to
       admit, you handle that sword quite well. Pity, that I have to
       end--"

             "CHRONOS!"

             A sudden flash of crackling bluish-white energy cleaved
       through the darkness. Hikaru closed her eyes and willed
       herself to block out her enemy's cry of pain...

____________________


             Umi rushed to Fuu's side, her eyes narrowing in anger
       at the sight of her friend's wounded arm. "He'll pay for
       this!" she vengefully swore under her breath. She quickly
       tore off her own shirtsleeve and began to bind Fuu's wound.

             "Umi! Where the hell are you!" Gryff called out.

             She looked up to see him emerge from the shadows. "Over
       here, Gryff!" she said. "Hurry, Fuu's badly hurt."

              "Umi," Fuu whispered, "H-he sealed...," and flinched in
       pain as Umi tightened the knot to stop the bleeding.

             Gryff knelt down beside Umi to check Fuu for any other
       injuries. "Don't talk, Fuu. Save your strength."

             "No," Fuu implored urgently, shaking her head, "you
       have to listen to me!"

             Umi felt her friend's desperate grip on her hand, her
       nails digging into her palm.

             "It was Ferio--" Fuu whispered brokenly, tears of
       anguish pooling in her leaf-green eyes. "--it was like he
       never knew me at all, Umi." She held up her left hand to show
       the broken crystal. "He sealed away Windham."



                          - end of chapter vii -



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     find previous parts at http://nikholas-f-toledo-zu/reunions.html
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