"Wait."
Eagle stopped, turned his head, moving in tandem with Lantis. Hikaru was staring at the hallway in front of her.
"Hikaru?"
Hikaru looked at Eagle, then at Lantis.
"I am going to fight."
Instantly, the other two froze. Going to fight? What did she mean? How could she possibly-
"Hikaru, you can't! In your condition-"
"In my condition," Hikaru broke in, "I don't have any other choice. Umi and Fuu…" she looked down for a moment, then continued, "Umi and Fuu need my help. I have to defeat Nova before they get to Debonair. I'm the only one who can do it."
"Hikaru-" Lantis started, but Eagle interrupted him.
"No, wait. I think she's right."
Lantis stared at him apathetically. Though a hint of surprise had shown on his face when Hikaru had first spoken, his face seemed unaccustomed to emotion. But Eagle knew him well enough to see, deep within his eyes, a hint of astonishment. Eagle spoke again.
"We all know that Nova will defeat the Magic Knights because they won't fight her for fear of Hikaru. Hikaru is the only one who can do it."
Lantis only stared at him.
"And anyway," Eagle continued, a hint of derision in the fake smile he pasted on, "if she stays here and Nova defeats them, she'll die just as surely, won't she?"
Lantis shifted a bit at the word 'die'. Moments passed, Hikaru waiting breathlessly until finally Lantis nodded. Then Hikaru sighed and sagged against her helpers, and they started off towards the front of the castle.
"No, wait." Lantis said, face solemn. "The other Magic Knights will see us from there. We need to go to the back entrance."
Eagle nodded and added, "That's good, since my FTO is there as well."
Hikaru looked from man to man. "You can't come with me!"
Eagle glanced down at her. "Why not?"
Hikaru stuttered a bit before answering. "Because…Because you can't!"
Eagle laughed his strange little laugh, not looking at her. "Not a very convincing argument, Magic Knight." And they kept on.
Hikaru continued to look from man to man in amazement. Every once in a while she would let out a huff of air, indicating shock, but mostly they went on silently.
When they finally reached the entrance, they allowed Hikaru to limp the last few feet, so that she could have room to call her rune-god. But when she slid the glove on her arm, and raised her hand towards the sky, she paused. She looked at the glove, the red jewel glimmering dully in the faint light, and doubt after doubt ran through her brain. She looked back at the two men waiting behind her.
Lantis gave a faint nod, the same flicker of a smile that Hikaru had learned to look for flittering across his face. Eagle tilted his smiling face to the side, and gave her a thumbs-up.
Somehow, those two gestures served to give her more energy than all the reassuring words of the others. She nodded at them, raised her arm, and with a mighty cry summoned her Mashin from where it waited.
"RAYEARTH!"
Instantly, the bolt of red lightning shot down from the sky, enveloping her in a blood-red light. When they could see again, Hikaru was dressed in her flowing cape and headdress, her eyes fierce and determined. Lantis nodded again as Eagle moved towards the FTO.
"Eagle!" He called, catching his one-time friend's attention. Eagle looked back, already halfway up his machine. "I will stay here. I no longer have my Mashin, so I will stay and tell the others of your whereabouts."
Eagle smiled and waved. But for a moment, just before he turned, their eyes met, and suddenly Lantis gasped, shock on his face. Then Eagle was closing the cover of the FTO and firing the engines, and Lantis could no longer see him.
"Lantis…" Hikaru said, turning back towards him. Lantis looked at her. But she said nothing, simply staring at him. And then she shook her head, lowered her outstretched arm, and said softly, "Never mind."
Lantis nodded a third and final time, and the beam of red light shot from Rayearth to encase Hikaru in it's glow, and she was gone.
So it was that even as the shining figures of Celes and Windam swept away from love and safety, carrying the hearts of two dear ones with them; two other glimmering lights dashed from the other side of the castle, the blessing on one of them the strength of two hearts.
So the Magic Knights went to do battle with the forces of evil that threatened their land, the land of Cephiro.
The land of their heart.
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"At least we know what is happening. I'm not sure I could take this pressure if I did not know that Hikaru, at least, was safe."
Presea's statement was met with murmurs of assent. Caldina, beside the smith, clasped her hands in front of herself, her normally smiling face solemn. Ascot, Clef, Lafarga, and Ferio were all stationed about the globe Clef had summoned, some peering into intently, some staring off into the distance contemplatively. Lantis simply stood, calm and silent. He had entered the council chambers just after watching Hikaru and Eagle leave, and there had discovered that the crowd which had so recently dispersed from the other two Magic Knights had reassembled here to watch them from a distance. Now they were all settled tensely, talking in muted voices or simply staring at nothing.
"What the-" Lafarga growled.
Everyone turned back to the globe as suddenly, inside the perimeter, a second bubble appeared, also with two Mashins within it. Everyone stared at the new bubble for a moment, then suddenly Presea cried out.
"That's Hikaru!"
Everyone gasped.
"But who…" Clef murmured, moving closer to the globe and staring at the unfamiliar white Mashin. He had set it up to monitor the actions of the Magic Knights outside of the protection of the castle. Somehow Hikaru must have escaped…or perhaps…
"Isn't that…Eagle's?!?"
They all turned to Lantis. He stood, silent and solemn, as they leveled accusing and curious stares at him.
"Lantis, what is going on?" Lafarga barked.
Lantis bowed his head. "I allowed Hikaru to go and fight. Eagle accompanied her."
The whole room erupted into shouts, denials, and accusations. It took all of Clef's formidable force of will to settle them down, though Caldina refused to let go of Lafarga, who had tried to rush Lantis. Finally, Clef turned to the one in question and asked,
"Lantis, why did you do this?"
Lantis stared the Master Mage straight in the eye before answering, "Because Hikaru is correct. Only she can defeat Nova. Without defeating Nova, the other Magic Knights have no chance at defeating Debonair."
At the simple logic in this statement, the others settled somewhat. It seemed to them that Lantis was right.
"But why did you allow the Autozam commander to go with her?"
Lantis' face, if possible, grew more solemn at Ferio's question.
"He will not harm her."
"How do you know?" Ferio pressed.
"He will not harm her." Lantis replied, stoic. Clef, also curious and even more worried, stepped forward to look into Lantis' eyes and, if possible, into his mind. Lantis met the Master's questing gaze, and allowed a sliver of truth to pass his formidable shields.
"What…" Clef gasped, stepping back. The others turned to him, but he gathered himself together swiftly, and only responded, "Lantis is right. Hikaru is safe with Eagle."
They all turned their attention back to the globe with the twin bubbles in it.
"All we can do is wait."
Silently, however, one of the group slipped away, flitting through the shadows as quietly as possible.
You won't fight alone, Hikaru.
The figure reached the door, slipped through it, and ran down the hallways like a shadow.
I will fight beside you.
Down a corridor of like doors, stopped at one, pulled it open.
Though it cost me my life.
Presea knelt on the floor of her chambers, slowly chanting the words that would bring her heart into contact with Hikaru.
I will not let you die.
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They flew in near silence, not knowing what to say. They searched all the areas Debonair had been sighted, finding nothing but barren earth and desolate rock. Once, when the stopped after yet another fruitless search, Umi turned to Fuu, unusually serious.
"Fuu…"
The other Magic Knight turned to her foster-sister. "Yes, Umi-san?"
Umi's brow wrinkled. "Do you truly believe we can win against Debonair…?"
Though she did not say it, both girls heard the silent "without Hikaru" within her words. Fuu paused a bit before answering.
"I have to believe, Umi-san. Besides, the strength of a believing heart is power in Cephiro. If we believe we can win, we shall."
But Umi looked dubious. "I believed we could win this whole time. But…I never thought we wouldn't have Hikaru with us. I don't know for sure, anymore."
For a moment, Fuu determined exterior melted and she looked uncertain for the first time. "I know, Umi-san. I just don't know what I may do about it." Then she smiled, and her usual self reemerged. "I believe our next location is to the south, Umi-san. We should go."
Umi nodded, but her face was solemn, and when they took off, she found no joy in the travel.
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"Nova!"
Hikaru's cry echoed around the barren plain, her eyes scanning everywhere for some flicker of her alter-ego.
Nothing.
Eagle turned from where he was looking, focused on Hikaru. "Perhaps we should wait for her to come to us."
Hikaru shook her head. "No, we don't have enough time. We have to defeat her before Umi and Fuu reach Debonair."
But even as she finished talking, there was a spark of golden light, then a glimmer, then Nova was standing on a high precipice, laughing her grating half-laugh.
"Hikaru! You want to play with me?" Her childish face darkened, her smile turning terrible. "Fine!"
She gave a haunting cry, and out of the darkness her Mashin emerged. As the light shot down to envelope her, her face dissolved into something like happiness.
"Oh, Hikaru…cute Hikaru, I'll let you find out your question…Hikaru!"
And then she was charging, her Mashin dark and terrible even in the half-light of the day. Hikaru jerked and tried to draw her sword, but she was too shocked, and did not move fast enough.
"Hikaru!" Nova growled as she charged.
And then Eagle was there, blocking the blow with his own energy-sword.
"Hikaru!" he shouted over his shoulder, straining against the Shadow. "Hurry up!"
Hikaru nodded and put her hand over the glove, concentrating. A second later, the deadly sword emerged, flowing like fire into her hand and then solidifying. She gave a heave, and then she was in the air, with a clear shot to Nova.
"Ruby Lightning!"
Her magic sped towards the embattled pair, but then Nova leaped away, sending a barrage of energy bolts towards the inferno. It dissolved, and Nova let out a shout.
"RUBY LIGHTNING!"
The bolts of blood-red death sped towards Hikaru, but she raised her sword, and blocked the barrage. Then Eagle appeared behind Nova, slicing down with his blade. Nova blocked it, and the battle was joined.
Blow after blow was blocked, strike after strike deflected. Nova continued without a scratch, and Hikaru, though tired, was the same. But Eagle did not have the magic that the other two had, and time and again a little bit of Nova's lashing power would penetrate his shield, strike him. He kept moving, seeming relentless. But he was tiring.
"EAGLE! Look out!"
There was a blast, and Eagle was flung away, crashing against a rock.
"EAGLE!" Hikaru screamed, then turned in a rush to confront Nova. Her sword clashed, and Nova went skidding backwards under the force of her blow.
Again and again they ran, clashed, and fought. But Hikaru was growing stronger through fear, love, and a desperate need to win. Nova was forced back, forced to block blow after blow that Hikaru rained down on her head. But block them she did, and not one slipped through her guard.
"Hikaru…" she smiled even as she battled, "You cannot win. You cannot win!"
"Neither will you!" Hikaru cried.
And then Eagle swooped in, his energy-whip thrusting forwards, and no more words could be spoken.
For a time, it seemed well. Nova was kept on the defensive, shielding herself from blows coming from both sides. But in a fallen instant, Hikaru faltered, and Nova let out a victorious shout and let off a thousand bolts of energy from her arm, all swooping with vicious intent towards Hikaru.
But then Eagle was there, kneeling in front of her, his body shielding hers. Bolt after bolt hammered into his back, and he gritted his teeth and took it. In the slightest pause, he turned with lightning swiftness and sent a blast of his own hurtling back at the pink-haired Shadow. She cried out and sped away, dodging the homing missile. Eagle watched for a split second, then turned to Hikaru, smiling through his pain.
"Are you alright?" he asked, with the same kindness and strange feeling within his eyes. Hikaru nodded mutely, unable to grasp what he had done.
"Eagle…your back…"
Eagle just smiled and shook his head. "I'll be fine. Come, let's go!"
He stood and reached down. She looked into his eyes for a moment, then took the hand. But when she stood, she scarcely used the support it offered, for even in the brief contact she could feel how much control it was taking him just to stand.
"Eagle…" she said, soft, sad. But then she smiled warmly through her tears and pain. "Thank you."
And then Nova was there again, and no more words could be spoken. The battle rejoined, the two fighters continually trying to find the weakness that was not there, expose the flaw which seemed not to exist.
And then Nova let out a shout, thinking she could finally take down her creator. She lunged forwards, twin blades flashing, and tried to strike. Hikaru blocked, and they stood for a split second, locked in a terrible moment.
"Hikaru…" Nova whispered, smiling cherubically.
Hikaru just pulled back and let out a vicious cry as she came in for another strike. Nova slipped under her guard and began to stab upwards with her sword, aiming for Hikaru's unprotected chest.
"HIKARU!"
Everything seemed to slow, to stop. Time froze, eternally holding this terrible, final moment.
"Uhng…"
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It was but a few minutes later that their quarry appeared, and the battle began.
"Magic Knights, I have no fear of you. Where is your last member? How does it feel to have no one to fight for you, and protect you?"
Umi and Fuu didn't respond, but took the time to ready their weapons.
Debonair let out a screeching laugh. "Yet you will still fight? How amusing. Very well."
Her smile turned into a snarl. "Die, Magic Knights!"
And so began the hopeless fight of the Magic Knights.
