The Dorms and the front line

"How are you doing back there, Karin?" asked Yue.

"I'm fine, Yue-san! Rune was teaching me how to use Tarot cards!" replied Karin. It had been two days since the Niwa assistance reached the Hikari women. When they first found them, it looked like the older women were near their last breath. Now they looked like they had just started the trip!

The female Hikari with magic couldn't believe their luck! They had heard from the eldest of the women that the journey to the Dorms was perilous; and that would have been true if Dark hadn't come up with a plan to help. He figured if the women were willing to die so that their daughters could be spared, then they should at least give them a fighting chance. The healers that came with them were mostly the younger ones who needed experience alongside three of the senior girls. Every one of the female healers wanted to volunteer, and Rune picked out the ones who needed practice; which would leave the more experienced ones with the main force in case of emergency. That alone convinced their father to allow the plan to go.

The Dorms were coming into sight.

"So how far were you planning on coming with us?" asked Sonya.

"We're sticking with you until we know everyone is safe. There's no way I'm leaving defenseless women to be in harms way!" answered Dark.

"Thank you," said Sonya quietly.

Inside the Dorms, the older girls stared in shock! Instead of the usual ten or twelve coming, all the women who journeyed actually arrived! This was a welcome sight; it meant that there would be no candles for the ones who died trying to make it. They ran to tell the Caretaker the good news!

"So all the women made it this year…that is news that I haven't heard in a very long time!" said the Caretaker.

They went to greet the Hikari women at the gate. The Caretaker frowned a little due to the fact that they never mentioned the others…

"Are you the one called the Headmistress of the Dorms?" asked a silver-white haired girl.

"I am. Who are you?" she replied.

"Rune Niwa, and my idiot brother Dark. We ran to help the women get here safely. It looked like we made it to them just in time," she replied. Dark shifted uncomfortably under the Caretaker's look.

"I thank you for bringing them here…"

"How many people can live here?" asked the Silver Guardian.

"There had always been too many empty rooms here; we have more than enough."

Rune thought about asking why they had too many rooms, but decided not.

"We rarely see any Hikari mothers make it with their child alive," answered the Caretaker.

"Telepathy?" asked Rune.

"Yes, telepathy. I've had this ability since I first came here," said the Caretaker.

"I'm glad that everyone made it…" said an older girl.

"Why have you decided to help them this time?" asked the Caretaker.

"If we had known about their situation sooner, then we would have helped a long time ago…" said Dark.

"Why are all your healers so young?" asked the older girl.

"We had to bring the younger ones because of the problem with the Hikari clan…they're coming to attack us soon," Dark answered.

"We'll discuss this after everyone is situated…" said the Caretaker.

The first encounter between the two clans happened around the time that Dark and the others finally arrived at the Dorms. The Hikari were very surprised when the arrows first started raining down on their heads. They protected themselves using their shields, though it had little effect.

"Damn those archers! How'd the Niwa know where we're coming?!" roared the general.

"Maybe 'cause you idiots are so damn noisy!" retorted one of the archers.

"FIND THEM AND GET RID OF THEM!!!" bellowed the general to the flight-magic users.

But before the flight squad could get a decent shot; the arrows stopped without warning. It took the general five minutes to figure out what exactly happened.

"Front line scouts are reporting sir! They have encountered the army at the north-east end of the forest. They say that they have taken no injuries, though it couldn't be said by the Hikari clan!" said a young thief-in-training.

"So they finally showed themselves, eh? How many did they hit?" he asked.

"They didn't stop to count. During the heaviest assault, they heard the general send out the Flight-Squad and retreated as ordered."

"I told ya! I told ya that drilling that order into their thick heads was worth it!" laughed the dark-haired assistant.

"If I recall, your exact words were 'if they're so stubborn, then we'll have to knock something that makes sense into their thick heads!' and it looks like you were right."

"Only until our aerial coverage returns. Though I probably would have done the same thing if I was in their shoes…"

"Um, excuse me sir, but why did Dark and Rune leave with those healers?" asked the boy.

"We heard about what the Hikari do to the females born with magic and decided that we should at least help them when they make their escape."

Another child enters and reports.

"Sir, the Hikari are on the move again. Scouts report that at least thirty are dead and another fifty are injured from arrow wounds."

"That many?! I didn't expect the marksman to be that good!"

"There's more to the report sir!"

"Continue, and please tell me if the injuries are on the Hikari!"

"Hai, and that the scouts heard some very disturbing news."

"What disturbing news…"

"The Hikari have lost a majority of their healers before they even left, and they intend to capture ours. Not only that, but they also intend to murder all of the Niwa clan that possess even a hint of magic!"

In the Dorms, the Niwa got some good news…

"So what do you teach here?" asked Dark.

"The same things that the Niwa clan teaches of course. Most of our teachers come from your family," said the Caretaker.

"Nani?! You're kidding! I always wondered why we never saw our aunts except on holidays…" said Dark.

"So what exactly happened inside the Hikari clan that would cause them to go to war?" one of the girls asked.

"Me and Syaoran."

"Could you clarify that?" said the Caretaker, confused.

"I was originally Syaoran Hikari, younger brother to Rath. After Rune killed him, a few years later they sent me to finish his original assignment."

"Which was…?"

"To kidnap the fortune-teller of the Niwa clan or to kill her. But I didn't want to, and I left with no intention of actually fulfilling my task. They sent more Hikari to do it, but Krad stopped them. The caravan that brought them was destroyed by us, and they went to war."

"I know we didn't start the whole feud; but we definitely gave them an excuse to fight!" mumbled Rune.

"What do you plan to do with the Hikari if you win?"

"We'll leave them in peace, so long as they do the same. But only if they swear not to continue these horrendous practices on the women with magic!" answered Dark.

"Does everyone in the Niwa family believe this?"

"If they do, they'll be fighting their hardest," answered Rune.

"If that's the case, then we may be of some use…" said the Caretaker.

"What do you mean?" asked Syaoran.

"Our school teaches the girls how to fight, heal and think for themselves. Most of the girls who graduated went to lead their own lives, and the Hikari have yet to retrieve one of them."

"So, basically they're like the Niwa women…"

"Exactly! And I know the girls would want to help their mothers and future children from the dreadful fate. If you promise to get the Hikari to stop treating the magic that women have to bring life as a toy, then we'll join you in battle!" exclaimed the older girl.

"She's right, we would gladly join you if the Hikari stop treating them like they have."

And so, the Niwa clan gained a powerful and valuable ally. But would the Dorm's support Tip the scale in their favor?