"We have to stop her."

Lafarga spoke with the absolute certainty that characterized his whole being. Around the large table, heads nodded and murmurs agreed.

"Our present crisis, however, is the weakening of the castles defense." Clef was reclined in his chair and very wan, but his voice was strong. Again, the others agreed.

"But…we've tried everything to find Lady Debonair, with no success." Ascot's words were followed with wrinkled brows and something like consternation.

Clef looked up.

"But… we must."

The rest of the council did not respond. They were all seated around a larger version of the table Clef had summoned for the earlier council, the one which was interrupted by Lantis. Now, the council had nearly doubled in size, all those who had any importance at all gathered there. Ascot was seated on one side of the table, with three chairs on each side and one at each end. Lafarga had, near the beginning of the council, run out of patience, and now he was pacing up and down the length of the table. Caldina had not arrived. Ferio was seated at Clef's right elbow, the Mage himself at the head of the table. Presea, at his other side, looked tired and worried, but she smiled at them all. Two others occupied the last seats on the sides.

"Perhaps…." A quiet voice spoke from beside Ferio's chair.

"What is it, Fuu?"

The Magic Knight of Wind looked up, face contemplative.

"Perhaps we simply have been using the wrong tactics."

Heads cocked and eyebrows quirked as, around the table, questioning glances were aimed at Fuu.

"That's right! We shouldn't attack head on. We should use a trap!"

Now the eyebrows and foreheads were angled towards Umi, who was sitting beside Ascot on the opposite side of the table from Fuu. Umi smiled at them, and gave Fuu a thumbs up.

Clef frowned. It had been a hasty decision, and perhaps not a very good one, to allow the two Magic Knights into the council. With Hikaru's continuing ill health, no one would even think of letting her go out and fight. But Clef had thought that perhaps Umi and Fuu would feel not quite as useless as Hikaru did at the moment if they were allowed to be present. Now, however, he wasn't sure he liked how smart they both were.

"A trap?"

"Yes! We should put someone with strong will out as bait!" Umi nodded firmly.

Heads nodded.

"But what bait could we use? Though it is obvious she's after the strong-willed, and none of us could really be spared." Presea spoke quietly, questioning.

"I will go." Lafarga stopped pacing, sitting in his chair and then staring at them with his customary intensity. But heads were shaking around the table already.

"No, Lafarga, other than Lantis you are the only real – "

"Oh. Lafarga, ya ninny! Ya can't go 'cause I won't let you!"

Caldina came dancing into the room, skipping over to Lafarga and plopping herself down on his lap. She pecked him on the cheek, smiling at his surprised expression.

"After all, ya can't go and get killed; then I won't have a groom on my wedding day!"

Around the table, gasps were heard. A moment of silence, then, while Caldina smiled cheerily at them all, then a cacophony of questions, congratulations, and well-wishes exploded. Lafarga blushed faintly, but Caldina simply nodded and smiled.

After a short time, however, Clef called them back to order, and they got back to answering the important question.

"Well, I guess that rules out Lafarga, Caldina…" Ferio glanced at Caldina, looking for something. The pink-haired illusionist gave a sharp shake of her head. Ferio nodded. "…and Ascot."

"So what are we going to do?" Umi's exasperated question went unanswered.

Finally, Clef spoke up. "Our real problem right now is Nova."

The others nodded.

"However…"

Everyone looked at Fuu. She was staring at her lap, hands folded.

"I do not believe it is right for us, or anyone, to fight her yet. After all, we do not know why she wishes to fight us or what her reasons are. I swore when I came back to Cephiro that this time I would fight with no regrets." Fuu raised her head to stare defiantly at the others. "I will not fight Nova without knowing who she is and what she wants. No matter what she has already done." Everyone glanced unconsciously at the last chair of the council, still distinctly vacant.

Umi nodded. "I was so sad, last time, knowing that I had killed both Zagato and Princess Emeraude without knowing why we had been summoned. It hurt my heart…" She put her hand over her chest, her eyes sad. Ascot glanced over at her, his own face mirroring the water Knight's sadness. Umi looked back up, determination back in her face. "So unless I can talk to Nova, I will not fight her."

Caldina sighed noisily. "But, Umi, no one even knows who Nova is!"

"I do."

The words echoed and faded around the chamber, and everyone looked to see who this newcomer was.

Presea gasped. "Hikaru!"

Hikaru stepped out into the light, Lantis at her shoulder.

And then Eagle stepped into the room.

Instantly, half the council was on its feet.

Hikaru held out her hands, placating them.

"No, no! Eagle has agreed to fight with us!"

Though this kept the swords from being drawn, the tension was still thick in the air. Eagle glanced at those gathered and then smiled his habitual, strange smile.

The council, to a person, frowned.

Hikaru, face set, stepped forward, but her legs gave out from under her and she began to collapse. Instantly, Eagle swept her up into his arms. At this, however, those who had begun to settle down were back on their feet again, swords drawn.

"Put her down!" Shouted Lafarga, his huge broadsword at the ready. But Hikaru was already talking.

"No! He's trying to help! Please, let me explain!"

Slowly, ever so slowly, the others of the council resheathed their weapons. Lafarga, however, simply stood there, unmoving. Caldina touched his arm.

"Lafarga…" she said quietly. Lafarga's frown deepened, but then a moment later he let out a humph and sheathed his sword, carefully sitting in his vacated seat. Eagle then set out across the chamber, reaching the empty chair at the far end of the table. The one that had been placed there for Hikaru before the others realized she would not be there. He set her carefully in the chair, backing away to stand by her side. Lantis walked up on the other side, quiet and immovable.

Everyone waited.

"I am Eagle Vision of Autozam." When Eagle spoke, every eye except Hikaru's and Lantis' was turned on him. "I came to Cephiro to obtain the Pillar System that would grant my people the mental power that we need to survive. I broke into the castle to get into the Crown Room so that I might test whether I am worthy or not to be the Pillar. That is why I am here."

"But both Eagle and I survived the test of the Crown Room." Hikaru interjected. "Eagle has agreed to certain terms if he should become the Pillar. And I have agreed to others should I be the next Pillar."

Gasps erupted from around the table. Most were in astonishment. Their Hikaru, the Pillar of Cephiro?

"Eagle has agreed," Hikaru continued, stoic, "that should he become the Pillar he will stay in Cephiro and rule as best he can for the good of Cephiro."

No one spoke.

"And I…I have agreed to allow Autozam engineers to study the Pillar System so that they may gather data and perhaps find another way to get the energy they need." She concluded. The others stared at her, unable to understand what she was saying. Finally, Presea spoke.

"But…But what about Debonair?"

Hikaru glanced at Eagle before answering. "We have agreed that neither of us can become Pillar before we defeat the mutual threat of Debonair. So Eagle has agreed to use his FTO to fight Debonair."

Everyone was silent. There didn't seem to be anything wrong, and certainly Eagle had given a very good reason for his invasion. But Umi and Fuu realized that Hikaru had something else to tell them.

"Hikaru…" Umi said softly, "you said you knew about Nova."

Hikaru met her foster-sister's eyes for just a second, and then looked away. "

"Yes." She said shortly.

"Please, Hikaru-san, we need to know before we fight."

Hikaru nodded unhappily. She glanced, strangely, at Lantis just before she began. Then she took a deep breath and said,

"I am Nova."

Utter silence. The statement was so ludicrous, so impossible, no one knew how to respond. And yet…it seemed so right.

"But…but Hikaru…" stuttered Presea, "How can that be?"

Hikaru eyes were shadowed when she answered. "Nova is the shadow of my heart."

Everyone but Umi and Fuu gasped. Umi glanced at Clef, searching for an answer. Clef was silent for a moment, then spoke.

"A shadow is a part of someone's heart who has strong will. It is an imprint of themselves. However, if the shadow is created by hate, all it will know is hate. And so…I suppose she was created when you killed Princess Emeraude?" He looked to Hikaru to answer. She nodded. Everyone was silent a moment, then Hikaru spoke again.

"I am the only one who can defeat Nova. I must fight her."

Instantly, everyone was on their feet, yelling, soothing, talking, reasoning. Eventually, Umi screamed over the rush, "HIKARU IS STAYING IN BED! AND THAT IS FINAL!" And then they settled down. Hikaru looked surprised at the vehemence in their actions, but then let out a stout and unwavering stand that she would too go and fight, and they could not stop her.

Of course, what followed was a long, tedious battle that ended with Umi trying to force Clef to magick Hikaru back to her bed and lock her door.

Presea was the one who finally brought things to order.

"Hikaru," she said gently, "We don't want you to fight only because we care about you. If you would just wait until you're healed-"

"But by then Cephiro could…Cephiro…" her protest trailed off, her eyes on the verge of tears. Presea nodded understandingly.

"But, please, Hikaru, at least another day? Then go." Umi protested, but Hikaru looked solemn. Finally she said,

"Lantis, Eagle…could you help me back to my room?"

The two men nodded, and slowly Hikaru was half-carried, and half-limped, out of the hall. The others watched her go with something resembling caution, but when she was gone they all relaxed.

"So…." Umi said eventually, "What is going to happen from now….Is that me and Fuu will go out and fight Debonair. Even without Hikaru, we have new magic and I am sure we can win."

She smiled confidently as she said this, and Fuu nodded with her. Most everyone looked like they would like to refute this statement, but the recent argument had sapped their strength, and no one knew what else to say.