I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!


Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

'The'Thoughts


PLEASE READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!

AN: Sorry this took a while to get out, but things were piling up on me and I was stressing so much that I crashed...

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!


~A Match of Two Souls~

oO-A Possibility-Oo

"I wish I could help…" Hikaru murmured to Mokona as she watched her friends take off in pursuit of Fahren and Chizeta.

Caldina and Presea gazed at the melancholic teen. "I know, but…ya could do 'em a lot more good by stayin' here and restin' up," the pink-haired dancer placed a hand on Hikaru's shoulder.

"Puu!" Mokona cooed from his place within the fiery-haired girl's arms.

Presea gazed at the downhearted girl. She hesitated before asking, "Hikaru…what would you say if I knew of a way to get your sword back?"

Ruby eyes widened, hope shining bright in them. "Can you? I'd do anything to get my sword back! I want to help protect Cephiro! I want to fight with my friends and protect everyone!"

The Pharle smiled at the determination the younger girl showed. "Then I think I know of a way to help you with that."

"Can ya really do that?" Caldina asked. "I heard that when Escudo weapons are gone, they're gone!"

"It's true that when the weapon is gone, the owner will soon follow," Presea nodded. "But Escudo isn't called the strongest ore in Cephiro for no reason. Unless they are completely decimated, Escudo-forged weapons are often left behind by their owners after they perish."

"But what about all that stuff about Escudo creatin' bonds?" the Chizeta native put a finger to her cheek. "If the owner's gone, wouldn't the weapon go, too?"

"Not quite." The blacksmith led them over to a small couch in the corner of the throne room. "When the test within the fountain of Eterna is passed, a bond is created between the mineral and the person who obtained it. When the weapon is used and evolves as you grow, the bond strengthens, but only to one end."

"One end?" Hikaru parroted as Caldina raised an eyebrow.

"The link from you to your weapon would have grown stronger because you were reliant on the weapon. The weapon, however, is only a tool and not capable of relying on anything; it wouldn't have a reason to bond to you beyond the basic link. When whatever was forged from the Escudo is broken, the owner will die, only because of that one-way connection they had to it."

"I'm getting' the feelin' a 'but' is comin' in there soon…"

"You're right, Caldina. Weapons forged from Escudo can't be owned by anyone else. They will work for someone when borrowed, but they will never belong to one that isn't their original bondmate. Hikaru, do you remember when you and your friends first came to Cephiro, and borrowed the swords and arrows you three used to get through the Forest of Silence?"

"Uh-huh!"

"That entire armory was full of many weapons, some of which were made of Escudo and left behind by their original holders. The weapons that chose you three were also made of Escudo and sensing the strength within you all, they allowed you to use them until you gained your own partners. But they returned right back to me as I was their caretaker as soon as your quest was through."

"I think I get it…"

"Wait a minute!" Caldina broke in. "Then how are we supposed to get Hikaru's sword back? You said that Hikaru shouldn'ta lived, but here she is! So what do we do now?"

"It's true that this situation is odd in itself," Presea admitted. "But there have been situations where something forged from Escudo was very nearly destroyed. If the item isn't broken and the wielder is still alive, there is a way to mend it and the bond with its holder."

"But Hikaru's sword isn't just 'nearly broken', it's totally gone!" the dancer threw her arms up in exasperation.

"And she should have died!" the Pharle retored. "However, Hikaru is still with us, so I think there might be a way to return her sword to her!"

"How?" the teen asked.

"When an item forged of Escudo is still repairable," the blacksmith explained, "a technique is used to access the bond between the item and the holder. By mending the bond, the weapon will be mended as well, allowing the holder to survive. Your weapon is gone, but you survived, so your part of the bond should still exist within you. Using that connection, there is a good chance that you would be able to regain your sword. It will mean looking into your heart."

"I'll do it," Hikaru replied right away, much to the womens' surprise.

"A-Are ya sure, missy? Ya don't wanna think a bit?" Caldina stuttered out. "Lookin' into a person's heart and soul ain't no lil'thing!"

"But I want to do it," the ruby-eyed girl stood by her decision. "I won't sit around and let everyone around me fight to protect Cephiro while I sit around doing nothing! Umi-chan, Fuu-chan, and I came back to make a difference this time around! I can't do that if I can't fight! If I have to let someone into my heart and soul to do it, I will!"

"Puu! Puuuu!" Mokona's ears flapped as a sign of approval.

Presea nodded with a sigh. "Then I'll introduce you to the person who will help you. Come on." She walked out the large doors with the other three following her.

"Ya mean, ya can't do it?" Caldina asked.

"No," the Pharle said. "I can only forge Escudo into the items they become. Repairing them is not something within my power."

"Then who's going to help me?" Hikaru piped up this time.

"The only person in Cephiro who can: My little sister, Sierra."


Adieu,

TsukiyoTenshi