"It appears that the men who attacked us were working
closely with the aliens that entered our atmosphere several
days ago," Fuu replied evenly. Her parents have calmed down
considerably, thanks to the support that Kuu gave. When she
transformed, she allowed herself to levitate in the midst of
a small whirlwind she created. Looking back, it was almost
hilarious the way her parents had freaked out. Kuu was
instrumental in a large part for making sure they understood
that the girl floating in mid-air was truly their younger
daughter.

  "So what do we do now?" Mr. Hououji asked, still worried
about the danger his daughter was still in.

  "Father, this is our problem," Fuu answered, firmly
returning her father's gaze. "We cannot allow you to be
involved. It's too dangerous."

  Mr. Hououji started to frown deeply. "And you're saying
it's not too dangerous for you? If you think I'm going to
allow my daughter to go out there and face this threat alone-
-"

  "But I'm not alone!" Fuu surprised her family with her
tone of voice. They have always known the youngest Hououji
to be mild-mannered and calm. The Fuu in front of them now
was frightening in her intensity and resolve. "Hikaru and
Umi are there and will be there with me always."

  "Fuu, you've always been rational," Mrs. Hououji spoke
for the first time, "think about this clearly. There are
police officers stationed just outside our hotel room right
now. I'm sure that police officers are also assigned to
watch over your friends Hikaru and Umi. Do you understand
what that means?"

  Fuu glanced at her mother with uncertainty in her eyes.
"I'm afraid, Mother, that you've lost me."

  "What she's saying, Fuu," Mr. Hououji took over, "is that
based on what your friend Umi discovered, the Japanese and
the United States governments may now be aware of your
abilities. Your Mother fears that in addition to fending off
aliens and thugs, you will also be fending off government
officials."

  The last statement threw Fuu off. It was clear that the
implication did not even occur to her at all. "I didn't
realize."

  "Of course not," Fuu's father countered, "I don't care
how powerful you or your friends have become. You are still
*just* fourteen years old!"

  Fuu had always considered her father to be wise. She had
allowed her own bloated sense of self-importance to make her
forget that, to make her feel that she no longer needed
anybody to watch out for her. She hung her head in shame.

  Mrs. Hououji rose to her feet and approached her younger
daughter. "Oh Fuu, no need to feel ashamed." She hugged Fuu
to her. "You are still a child. You and your friends did not
deserve to go through the trials and hardships you endured
while in Cephiro."

  "I was also concerned about you, Mother," Fuu insisted
although without the defiance that marked her earlier
statements. "There was one situation we had to face in
Cephiro where we couldn't subdue our enemy because she held
one of our close friends as hostage. That same thing could
happen to you."

  Fuu pulled back slightly from her mother to meet her
father's eyes. "So what do you suggest we do, Father?"
                              
                          * * * * *
  
  The Shidous were once again kneeling on the wooden floor
of the dojo. Satoru gazed at his sister, wanting to go to
her and comfort her and yet something held him back. He had
just learned that Hikaru was the new Pillar of Cephiro, the
goddess of that world. Hikaru flinched when he used the word
"goddess" but was there a better term for what she was?

  On top of that, he learned that aliens were after them
because of Hikaru's ability to open portals, which allowed
them to travel great distances in such a short span of time.
It wasn't common knowledge yet but there have already been
numerous speculations on television and print about an
impending alien invasion. The mini-invasion that occurred
several days ago had already flustered both the Japanese and
American governments. If the rumors were true that a whole
fleet of these aliens were just waiting outside the solar
system, then it would take years before they even reach
Earth. But if they are successful in getting a hold on
something or someone with that capability, then.the very
concept made Satoru shudder.

  For her part, Hikaru had begun to feel extremely
uncomfortable in the presence of her brothers. The way they
appraised her with their eyes was different. She was no
longer just Hikaru, their sister. If there was a way for her
to reveal the possible intent of the aliens without
revealing her Pillar-hood, it escaped her for the moment. At
any rate, it was useless to ponder on that. She gazed
longingly at Masaru and Kakeru. They were her demonstrative
brothers, quick to hug and comfort. Now they returned her
gaze warily, as if uncertain whether such a behavior was
still appropriate. Just one more thing to not like about
being the Pillar. Hikaru sighed inwardly.

  Satoru cleared his throat, causing everyone to look at
him expectantly. "Okay, we have a problem that is not going
to go away. We need to find a way to resolve this and
frankly, a resolution escapes me at the moment."

  "One thing is for sure," Kakeru interjected, "we need to
prepare to defend and fight."

  Hikaru narrowed her eyes towards Kakeru. "Wait a minute,
what do you mean 'defend and fight'? I did not tell you
about our secret because we needed your help. With all due
respect Kakeru, but I cannot involve you in this problem."

  Kakeru frowned at his little sister. "Little sister, we
are involved whether you like it or not. What are you
expecting, that we just let you fight the battles? Don't be
too cocky, Hikaru."

  "I'm not being cocky! These aliens are dangerous and--"

  "Hikaru," Satoru interrupted calmly, "no matter how
powerful you and your friends have become, you cannot deal
with this alone."

  "But Elder Brother--" Hikaru protested but stopped when
Satoru raised a hand.

  "Please listen, Hikaru," Satoru dropped the hand and
began speaking in his usual calm voice. "On the one hand,
you've got aliens and possible members of our very own
criminal network after you, on the other hand, it is very
possible that either the Japanese or the American government
or both will want to exploit your capabilities. Have you
stopped to consider that?"

  Hikaru meant to shake her head, insisting that this was
her problem and therefore she was the one to solve it. But
she couldn't shake the feeling that there was wisdom in her
brother's words. The truth was she had *not* considered the
possible involvement of the governments in question. If they
joined the mix, could she, Umi and Fuu handle it by
themselves? The other question to ask is, could she in good
conscience involve her brothers, allow them to risk their
lives to fight? Will it not hinder her the way that she was
hindered when Lantis was taken hostage by her alter-ego
Nova?

  When Hikaru did not respond, Masaru thought to press the
issue. "Hikaru, I know you are worried about us. I know you
are afraid of what might happen if we fall into danger. But
we are warriors too. Perhaps not the kind of warrior that
you have become, but we are warriors nonetheless. We can
promise you that we will be careful--"

  "Yeah, no heroics," Hikaru said firmly, her brows
furrowed.

  "Yes," agreed Masaru, "no heroics. But if we get hurt,
then so be it. Such is the life of a warrior."

  Hikaru's fists were clenched on her lap. "Since I cannot
stop you, then so be it," she said, her voice taking on a
steely quality. It was the first glimpse the brothers have
of the Pillar in their little sister. "But don't expect me
to like it, because I don't."

  Satoru nodded thoughtfully. "So it's agreed then. The
first thing we need to do is meet with the parents of both
Umi and Fuu to start planning. Let's do it tomorrow
afternoon. Hikaru," he said glancing at the youngest Shidou,
"please arrange it, right here in the dojo."

  "Very well," the Fire Knight replied monotonously. The
brothers glanced at each other once more. It was not going
to be easy.
                              
                          * * * * *
  
  Tim Warner studied his two visitors behind the report he
was perusing. The first was General Roger Masterson,
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. He was every inch an officer,
which showed in the way he kept up his physique. The blue
eyes behind thin-rimmed glasses was every bit as alert and
intelligent as one could ever want in a general. His second
visitor was Carl Parsons, Director of the National Security
Agency. He had a kind of mousy look about him. He was a
typical nerd, which probably explained why he had three
failed marriages.

  Finally, he dropped the thick bound report on his desk
and leaned forward. "So, Roger," Warner said facing the
general, "you asked for this meeting."

  "Right," Masterson agreed as he glanced at both the DCI
and the NSA Director, eager to begin. "I assume both of you
read my recommendations about what to do about the three
girls." When he got nods from both men, he continued. "Okay,
I feel it's my job to consider all possibilities, hence the
report. In that report I've outlined two possible scenarios
that we use to neutralize the threat to our national
security."

  "I agree that it's a roundabout way of telling us that we
either have to kidnap the girls or dispose of them," Parsons
countered irritably. "I mean, c'mon guys, aren't we too old
for fairy tales? How could you possibly take this seriously,
General?"

  Masterson leaned back on his chair as he considered the
man before him. "Have you not been reading the reports on
the Tokyo investigations? There is enough circumstantial
evidence in there that we cannot ignore. If those girls
truly have the capability to open up wormholes.think about
the possibilities, Carl."

  Warner picked up a pencil on his desk and began toying
with it, his focused on the object in his hand. "And the
reason why we're meeting here in secret is because we don't
want the President to know?"

  The general glanced at the DCI warily. "He would never go
with my recommendations."

  "Of course not," Warner confirmed, "because it's
illegal."

  "That has never stopped the United States government from
taking measures to ensure its security. You, Tim, should
know that."

  "I still don't like it," insisted Parsons earning a glare
from the general.

  Warner, on the other hand, was still toying with the
pencil but obviously in deep thought. "It could be a black
bag operation."

  Masterson had to control himself. He didn't want to
appear to be too eager. But the truth was, he *was* eager. He
could already imagine the various possibilities if the U.S.
possesses the capability to travel great distances in a
blink of an eye. And if those girls possess that capability,
who knows what else they can do?

  Warner was eyeing the general surreptitiously, already
guessing at his thoughts. He would have to agree with the
general. This was too good an opportunity to pass up. He
loved his country and he would want nothing more than to
ensure that it remained to be the one superpower on Earth.
He glanced at Parsons and realized that the NSA Director had
caught him eyeing the general. He raised his head and stared
hard at Parsons. "What will you do, Carl, if we decide to go
through with this?"

  "Dammit Tim! You can't do this!" Parsons slammed his hand
on Warner's desk. "It's illegal! Plus those are only girls.
Am I the only one sane here?"

  Unable to hold himself back, he leaned forward, resting
his elbows on his knees as he faced Parsons squarely. "You
aren't looking at the big picture, Carl. Our national
security depends on this."

  Parsons jumped to his feet and started pacing. His left
hand snaked into his pocket while the other going through
what little hair he had left on his head. "Jesus Christ!
What are you asking me to agree with here? First, we are
going to invade a sovereign country, an ally for crying out
loud! And then you want to kidnap three *innocent* fourteen-
year-old girls." He stopped pacing and turned to stare down
Tim Warner. He was returning his stare coolly. Warner knew
he couldn't refuse. He had helped him out of a jam fourteen
months ago and so he owed him. Now he was collecting. Fuck!

  Parsons closed his eyes tiredly and then immediately
opened them. "Alright. But you better make sure that the
person you assign to this knows how to use his head."

  "Of course, Carl. After all, it's our necks that's on the
line here," Warner replied matter-of-factly.

  With a wave of dismissal, Carl Parsons turned and stormed
out of the office. Warner and Masterson were left looking at
each other. "Okay," Warner finally said, "let's do it."

  He lifted the phone.
                              
                          * * * * *
  
  Master Mage Clef was returning to his working chamber
sufficiently buoyed by the earlier festivities he had
joined. The village of Scythia located in the southern part
of Cephiro had honored him with a luncheon as a token of
their gratitude for helping them settle what would have been
a major territorial dispute. Now that the welfare of Cephiro
rested on the shoulders of its citizens, the sorcerer had
found himself more and more involved in the day-to-day
activities of the people. He realized that he actually
enjoyed it. During the time of the last two Pillars, there
were hardly any disputes because peace and tranquility were
part of what the Pillar prayed for. But looking back on
those times, Clef realized that what may have existed before
were not true peace especially if it was forced upon the
people.

  The people themselves seem more confident and assured
because they were the ones responsible for shaping their
future. It gave them a sense of importance and well-being.
Like so often these past months, Clef thanked the powers
that be that Hikaru was the current Pillar and that she had
the courage and strength to change the Pillar System in
Cephiro.

  The massive doors to his chambers automatically opened as
he neared it. The moment he stepped in, he noticed another
presence in the room. It didn't take long for Clef to
recognize the tall black clad man waiting for him at the
center of the cavernous room.

  "Ah, Lantis," Clef said by way of greeting, "it has been
many days since I last saw you."

  "Greetings, Master Mage Clef," Lantis replied, not so
much as a smile on his face. Clef could see that he looked
very haggard as if he hadn't slept in days.

  "It seems this is not a social visit then," Clef said, a
slight furrow appeared on his brows. He conjured up two
chairs and gestured to Lantis to take one of them. Clef
seated himself opposite the magic swordsman. "So, you have a
question."

  "Master Mage Clef," Lantis began, looking directly at the
sorcerer, "what can you tell me about the Fenestra?"

  Clef nodded solemnly as he averted his eyes from Lantis'
penetrating gaze. He had expected that Lantis would ask
about the medallion. He was aware, because of Mokona's
reports, that it was information about the medallion that
the man before him spent days chasing after in the central
archives. Finally, he met Lantis' eyes. "First tell me what
you know and then I'll you what I know."

  "Very well," Lantis said, straightening slightly. "I know
that the medallion has been in our family for thousands of
years now. I know that there is inherent magic in it. I just
learned that the word 'Fenestra' comes from an ancient
language used on Earth and it means 'window'.

  "Based on my research, reflective surface on the
medallion is made of Escudo and was imbued by one of the
earliest Pillars with the power, among other things, to
create a portal between Earth and Cephiro. This was given to
the First Magic Knight as a reward so that the Knights could
go back and forth between our worlds at will.

  "It is not clear when our family got hold of it and why,"
Lantis concluded. His eyes now search those of the Master
Mage.

  "I'm afraid I don't have much to add to your story. I do
know that the Fenestra was passed on from Magic Knight to
Magic Knight. When a trio of Knights would retire, they
would surrender the medallion to the current Pillar. The
Pillar would always use it to reward Magic Knights for their
deeds." Clef paused, his eyes narrowing in deep thought. "At
one point, the Magic Knight that currently had the Fenestra
decided that he would no longer return to Earth and instead,
make his home among us in Cephiro. That Magic Knight is one
of your ancestors. Since that time, your family kept and
treasured the medallion."

  "You know I gave the medallion to Hikaru, right?" Lantis
asked.

  "Yes, I know," Clef said with a slight smile on his
serene face.

  "Is the Fenestra the reason why Hikaru is able to create
portals?"

  Clef shook his head. "No."

  "How can you be so sure?"

  "Two reasons: first, you still had not given her the
Fenestra on her first return to Cephiro before she begame
the Pillar. And second, she was not wearing the medallion on
her last visit," Clef stated simply. "When we met her in the
Grand Hall carrying Kuu, I probed for the medallion and was
surprised to note that she was not wearing it. I naturally
asked her about it later and she said she kept it in a safe
place in their home."

  "Crazy girl," Lantis said shaking his head in
frustration. "She's supposed to wear it for protection."

  Clef smiled, amused at the concern the magic swordsman
had for the Pillar. So like his older brother. It was when
he remembered the fate of Zagato did his expression turn
somber. "Don't be too hard on the girl, Lantis," urged the
sorcerer, "she obviously values it highly."

  "I have one last question."

  The mage nodded. "You want to know whether you can open a
portal from here even if the Fenestra is on Earth." Lantis
nodded in answer. "Theoretically, if you focus hard enough
on it, the same way you did when you created that shield
around Hikaru when Debonair attacked her. However, it could
be dangerous."

  "I'm willing to take the risk."

  Once again, Clef nodded. "You make your own decisions,
Lantis. I can no more stop you than I could stop the sun
from rising."

  Lantis rose from his seat. "Thank you for your help,
Master Mage Clef."

  Clef stood as well. "I wish you good fortune, Magic
Swordsman."

  Lantis nodded and began to walk out of the chamber. Just
before he reached the doors, he turned once more towards the
sorcerer, a smile growing on his face. "You knew all along
didn't you?"

  The highest-ranking sorcerer in all of Cephiro merely
smiled.

--------------------
NEXT:
Chapter 9 - Casualties of War

--------------------
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Again, I've used the term "rune-god". Please bear in
mind that this fanfic has been influenced by the
English-dubbed version of MKR. I now know that the
proper Japanese word used for these immense beings
is mashin but I don't like using this term because
these beings seem to be more than just "machines".
For those of you who feel they need to be strict
about this, my apologies. To the others who don't
mind, after all, it's just semantics, please enjoy.

All C&C are of course welcome! I am accumulating all
C&C and will make one final revision for the entire
story before posting it in my upcoming web page. I
may decide to post it again in FFML when that time
comes.

To those who have given C&Cs already, many thanks to
you.

--------------------
DISCLAIMER:
Magic Knight Rayearth and all the characters in that
anime/manga are properties of CLAMP.  These are used here
without permission.

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