TL: This is one of the best chapters! The last chapter is the next one, and well...you can all probably guess what happens because I gave everyone a clue near the end of this chapter. I don't think there'll be an epilogue, because what can I do it on?
SR: Yay! Hurrah! TL's finally writing angst!
TL: *mutters* And she's only really happy 'cause this is angst.
SR: ^_^ Angst is good! Optimistic fics get really boring after a while!
TL: --sweatdrop-- Please excuse my friend here. She is a big fan of angst...so, I'll take her away now. --grabs SR's collar and drags her off--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Way Fate Meant It To Be
Chapter 6-Hard Decisions
Eagle was prepared. He had prepared for his speech last night, phrasing and rephrasing sentences so that they sounded most meaningful and grammatically correct.
The crew with him would be shocked, of course, because they knew that he loved the job of commander and being everyone's "father", and of course, he loved the special privileges of being a commander. It would be difficult for him too, because he would not be seeing the crew that he had grown to know as family for a loooooooooong time, and he would have to go away knowing what caused his downfall and how tragic life can be.
Eagle, himself, felt somewhat ashamed that he was resigning. Firstly, he was so young. Only people who are too old to maintain a job resign, or retire, but he has barely reached his thirties, and he was quitting already. Secondly, he had broken the promise he had kept all until now. When he meets his father again, which will be soon, he would have to be punished. He would have to be punished for his love for another, and he would have to be punished for quitting the mission. He would be defined as a coward.
But it was the only right thign to do. How could he fight on to become the Pillar if his heart was no longer desolate and empty but full of love and affection for someone else? He couldn't. No one could, but Pillars cannot love.
Someone knocked on his door. It was Geo. Geo was not wearing his uniform for the first time, but wearing something that looked like a suit, except it looked a bit crinkled. Eagle smiled to himself. I was just like Geo to wear crinkled clothes to a ceremony. Geo had no ironing skills whatsoever. "Good afternoon, commander. The crew is waiting for you in the first waiting room," he said rather coldly. They had had a fight this morning Eagle would not give in, and Geo could only back down, for if the commander wished, he can give the order for the arguing with him to be destroyed.
"Can you help me with my suit? I don't think the bow tie is on right..." Eagle said. He was trying to reconcile with Geo.
Geo grunted something like "sure" and started to fix Eagle's bowtie, except he did it without words. He would not look at Eagle and avoided his eyes always.
The silence was uncomfortable, but the way Geo, somewhat like a second father, was treating him was even more unnerving. "Geo, are you quite done yet?" he asked ratherly snappishly.
Geo looked up. For the first time in a day, he looked straight at Eagle without looking away a split second later. But he still wouldn't speak to him. The second-in-command just gave the commander a long, hard look, which Eagle tried to decipher something from.
There were many mixed up emotions Geo was trying to tell him, Eagle assumed, but Geo was not the type to express his feelings through talking, so he was trying to tell him through eye contact. Geo looked...not entirely sad, but melancholy and "hard". Eagle had no idea why Geo would look melancholy, but he knew why he looked "hard". Geo was approving of the way Eagle was handling the situation, and he approved of Eagle resigning, although he didn't want to show it.
"Good luck...Eagle Vision of Autozam," Geo said. He chose not to say "commander" on purpose. Afterall, Eagle was about to resign very soon.
"Thank you...my trusted second-in-command." They were being very formal and cold to each other, Eagle knew, but he didn't want to be the first one to apologize or give in. If only Geo was not as determined either. Now, their disagreement could go on forever until they both died, and they still wouldn't have forgotten each other even if they wanted to because each was waiting for the other to apologize first. It was odd how human nature worked.
Geo left the room swiftly without a second look back, and Eagle was alone again. The speech would start in a few minutes, so Eagle gave a last look around his room before closing the door softly behind him. He would never see it again, because the second part of his plan would have to occur right after the speech, and he would have no time to come back.
*
The handful of the crew that was abroad Autozam's warship glanced at each other with puzzled expressions. What was happening? Why were they all called to gather in this room? Why was podium erected? Where was their commander and Geo, the second-in-command?
Zazu was supposedly in charge of the directing the crew while Geo was away. "Everyone! Settle down! Please settle down! Please sit down in your chairs! No seating arrangement! Please be quiet, your commander, Eagle Vision of Autozam will be here in just a minute!" he called, cupping his chubby hands to his mouth.
Good, their commander was coming. Everyone felt relieved, and they went back to chatting quietly with their neighbors. However, some were still uneasy. Why did Zazu, their chief mechanic, call Eagle "your commander, Eagle Vision of Autozam"? It was such a formal title, and courtesy was not required upon this ship. Everyone could call each by their first names, so why was he calling Eagle such a long fancy title? Something was up...and they were about to find out, because Eagle had entered.
A hush fell over the audience. Those who had felt relieved looked up in expectance. Most of them were expecting something like a reward, or a prize for their faithful dedication, which Eagle did give out once in a while. But the more cautious ones among them did not let their hopes rise. Their commander was wearing a suit...something that he normally did not do, and they were required to wear their best clothes as well to this assembly.
Eagle raised his hand, palm facing the audience. It seemed to be a sign of silence, as earthlings would have thought it, but it was a gesture for a polite and formal greeting.
By then, everyone knew something was wrong. The commander never used formal gestures with them. They were his family, and he, the father. They respected him, but they never had to use formal gestures with him, and neither did he with them. Their ears perked up for any bits of grim news, or for news from home.
"My good people, and crew, that I have taken with me from Autozam, I address you now, as your leader and commander of this ship, but soon, I will not be so. As you may all understand, I ventured into the castle of Cephiro, and I did not come back for many days, and something remarkable and something dangerous happened to me back there."
Everyone disregarded the first sentence, because they knew it was only an introduction, and it was not important. However, little did they know that the first sentence had given them a clue as to what was coming up during the speech.
"I will not tell you what I did, or what happened to me, because it is a personal experience that I will remember for as long as I live. All of you might have already experienced it at home, or will be experiencing this when you go home, which will be very, very soon, unless your second-in-command does not wish to do so."
This time, everyone heard it loud and clear. They did not think that he was resigning, but they definitely got the hint that they were going to be going home very very soon. "But sir!" an amateur called out.
Geo swiveled his head around to glare sharply at the speaker. He shook his head slightly and turned back to staring listlessly out the many windows.
Eagle did not mind, though. He encouraged young people, like him, to ask many questions. "You may speak."
The speaker felt abashed, because he had called out, and because he had only finished his training aboard the ship, and was not high in rank, but he continued all the same. "I was just wondering if you are still keen to become the Pillar of Cephiro. If you are, then I don't understand why we would be going home any time soon. There is a war going on between us and Cephiro, is there not? And for you to become the Pillar, then we must fight on and win."
"You are very right, but your original question was whether I still wanted to become Pillar, and the answer is no. I realized that I cannot ever be the Pillar now, because I toyed with something dangerous, and it just hapenned to be my luck that I fell into its trap. And the reason why I am here with you today is because I want to let you all know that I am resigning." He stopped there for a few seconds to let the words sink in.
And sink in they did. Some people immediately got it, but for others who were more than faithful to the commander, it took them a little while longer. But at last, everyone understand. Now they understood why he was addressing them so formally. Now they understood why they were so dressed up. Now they understood the meaning of what he had said before the youngster spoke up. Now they understood.
"Some maybe disappointed, some may not regard it as a heavy matter, and some might even be happy. Of which one of those categories you fall under, I do not care. I am officially resigning, now, and none of you can stop me from doing so, because I am higher in rank than any of you, and no one may defy the commander."
There were a couple of people who wanted to stand up and shout, "You can't resign, though! We need you!", but their bottoms remained in their seats. They didn't want to know the consequences they would have to suffer. They all just nodded, stood up, and saluted their former commander. "Thank you, Eagle Vision of Autozam, for being our commander. We salute you," they recited. Then they sat down again. When someone resigns a job, usually they present the next person to take it.
"And now, as you can all guess, Geo, who used to be the second-in-command will now take my place. Geo, come here. I must but these pins on you to mark you now the official commander."
Geo obeyed the order if it could be called that, and allowed Eagle to pin them to his collar. He shook Eagle's warm hand firmly, and saluted the crowd.
The crowd stood up and saluted the new commander. They weren't particularly happy about the new commander, because Geo was much harder than Eagle, but it was by Autozam law that they salute him, so they did.
*
Eagle wiped his moist brows with a handkerchief that Geo had lent him a long time ago, almost before they went to war...and he still hadn't returned it. He was standing in the middle of a deserted hall, about to carry out his the last part of the plan. Everyone should be in the big dining room now, feasting...and saluting their new commander. The former commander could do as he wished.
Though all the crew was still feasting, Eagle knew that time was precious, and right now, it was his friend and enemy. The way he planned it, it would take a rather long time to lure the Magic Knights out of the castle, and yet, it would be cowardly to do it the other way...
Eagle straightened himself and raced to the docked FTO. It's engine was still warm, but it didn't matter. Nobody would care about it after this adventure. The former commander smiled secretly to himself when he found that the password would not work. Geo must have changed it while he was asleep to keep him from going anywhere else. How considerate of him, but Eagle knew another way still.
Behind the blank and smooth face, a great mind was always at work. During his training years in the Autozam military, Eagle had taken a hacking course, which little people took or knew about, because everyone thought hacking of little use. However, it came in very big use right now. Eagle punched in a jumble of letters and formulas, and the screen flashed bright green.
Perhaps he wasn't as rusty at hacking as he thought he was...then, a red alert went off. Luckily, it was inside the FTO and the sound was not shrill enough to penetrate the FTO's armor. Eagle then typed in the same jumble of letters and numbers, and the screen turned black, and on the screen were ten tiny little numbers and letters. "4e9a1g7l2e"
Eagle restarted the computer, and typed in the correct password this time...and it obviously worked, for Geo knew nothing about hacking, and of course, Geo had no clue that Eagle could hack.
"FTO, go." Those words that he had said so many times before in his life seemed to sound different in his own ears that night. It rang like a clear bell across a prairie, signaling something ahead. Something good, perhaps, and something bad, perhaps. Of course, Eagle knew which one it was.
The FTO, having no mind of its own, could not tell that its master was flying illegally, without the permission of the commander, and soon, its master would do something even crazier according to Autozam standards.
Eagle dodged from spot to spot in the sky, always avoiding the windows on the ship that faced east. He did not know where in the world the Magic Knights would be, though most likely they were somewhere together.
***
It was Umi who saw Eagle first. She was staring blankly out of the window. The FTO had appeared several times before her eyes already, but she was so deep in her thoughts, that she did not notice it, until this time. She was thinking of Hikaru, Eagle...and what was that mashin doing? And MASHIN! It was the Autozam commander's giant robot!
"Hikaru-chan! Fuu-chan! Look! It's Eagle, he's in his mashin!" she shouted excitedly.
Hikaru wanted to make sure that she had heard right. Eagle was out there? And when she looked out the window, Eagle was indeed in his FTO, racing around in the sky. But what was he doing?
"Umi? What's he doing? Is he trying to make war?" she inquired uneasily. Why is it that she had an awful feeling that something not pleasant was coming up?
"I think we should go out, or else we'll never find out. Interesting how he's just flying around in the sky, ne?" Fuu cocked her head and smiled the sweet smile she always reserved for her friends and Ferio.
"I think you're right, Fuu. I'm going!" Hikaru didn't even bother waiting to see if the others were coming with her. Something was not right, and she needed to know, or she would never forgive herself.
"Wait! Hikaru-chan! You can't go!" Fuu called after her.
"Hikaru! Come back here! You can't go after him!" Umi yelled. She grabbed Fuu's hand, knowing that Hikaru wouldn't come back, and started to race after her friend.
Hikaru was surprised at her own speed. She had reached the main entrance in less time than she thought it would take. Hmm.
"Rayearth!" She summoned her Rune-God and flew into the sky, just as Umi and Fuu reached the entrance.
"HIKARU!" Umi hollered, although she knew it was useless, because Hikaru couldn't hear her. "Fuu, we're joining her. Selece!"
"Windam!" Fuu called obediently. What could she do anyway, except follow Umi's actions? She couldn't let Umi and Hikaru alone, afterall, she was a Magic Knight too!
Red, blue, and green streaks appeared all over the dark sky. It was like some airshow, except more serious.
***
Eagle knew he had the Magic Knights in his trap now. They would go after him and try to fight him. Exactly what he had planned from the beginning.
He sometimes sent missiles zooming after them to keep them from guessing his real purpose. Sometimes, he pulled out his sword and shield and pretended to stay still, but he never stayed in one place for more than fifteen seconds.
Eagle finally led them to a rocky (though which part of Cephiro now is not rocky?) area that was not often observed. It would be just the four of them, fighting a glorious battle.
"Magic Knights! I challenge you!" he cried.
Hikaru heard. Umi heard. And Fuu heard. They set their mouths in a grim line and knew that this was mostly like a fight to the death.
But Hikaru couldn't stand that thought. Why, she had just expressed her love for him only hours ago! And now, she must either kill him or be killed herself? "Eagle! What are you doing? This is crazy!"
Eagle laughed for once, though a cheerless laugh. It sounded more evil than cheerful. "I know! And that's what I intend!"
SR: Yay! Hurrah! TL's finally writing angst!
TL: *mutters* And she's only really happy 'cause this is angst.
SR: ^_^ Angst is good! Optimistic fics get really boring after a while!
TL: --sweatdrop-- Please excuse my friend here. She is a big fan of angst...so, I'll take her away now. --grabs SR's collar and drags her off--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Way Fate Meant It To Be
Chapter 6-Hard Decisions
Eagle was prepared. He had prepared for his speech last night, phrasing and rephrasing sentences so that they sounded most meaningful and grammatically correct.
The crew with him would be shocked, of course, because they knew that he loved the job of commander and being everyone's "father", and of course, he loved the special privileges of being a commander. It would be difficult for him too, because he would not be seeing the crew that he had grown to know as family for a loooooooooong time, and he would have to go away knowing what caused his downfall and how tragic life can be.
Eagle, himself, felt somewhat ashamed that he was resigning. Firstly, he was so young. Only people who are too old to maintain a job resign, or retire, but he has barely reached his thirties, and he was quitting already. Secondly, he had broken the promise he had kept all until now. When he meets his father again, which will be soon, he would have to be punished. He would have to be punished for his love for another, and he would have to be punished for quitting the mission. He would be defined as a coward.
But it was the only right thign to do. How could he fight on to become the Pillar if his heart was no longer desolate and empty but full of love and affection for someone else? He couldn't. No one could, but Pillars cannot love.
Someone knocked on his door. It was Geo. Geo was not wearing his uniform for the first time, but wearing something that looked like a suit, except it looked a bit crinkled. Eagle smiled to himself. I was just like Geo to wear crinkled clothes to a ceremony. Geo had no ironing skills whatsoever. "Good afternoon, commander. The crew is waiting for you in the first waiting room," he said rather coldly. They had had a fight this morning Eagle would not give in, and Geo could only back down, for if the commander wished, he can give the order for the arguing with him to be destroyed.
"Can you help me with my suit? I don't think the bow tie is on right..." Eagle said. He was trying to reconcile with Geo.
Geo grunted something like "sure" and started to fix Eagle's bowtie, except he did it without words. He would not look at Eagle and avoided his eyes always.
The silence was uncomfortable, but the way Geo, somewhat like a second father, was treating him was even more unnerving. "Geo, are you quite done yet?" he asked ratherly snappishly.
Geo looked up. For the first time in a day, he looked straight at Eagle without looking away a split second later. But he still wouldn't speak to him. The second-in-command just gave the commander a long, hard look, which Eagle tried to decipher something from.
There were many mixed up emotions Geo was trying to tell him, Eagle assumed, but Geo was not the type to express his feelings through talking, so he was trying to tell him through eye contact. Geo looked...not entirely sad, but melancholy and "hard". Eagle had no idea why Geo would look melancholy, but he knew why he looked "hard". Geo was approving of the way Eagle was handling the situation, and he approved of Eagle resigning, although he didn't want to show it.
"Good luck...Eagle Vision of Autozam," Geo said. He chose not to say "commander" on purpose. Afterall, Eagle was about to resign very soon.
"Thank you...my trusted second-in-command." They were being very formal and cold to each other, Eagle knew, but he didn't want to be the first one to apologize or give in. If only Geo was not as determined either. Now, their disagreement could go on forever until they both died, and they still wouldn't have forgotten each other even if they wanted to because each was waiting for the other to apologize first. It was odd how human nature worked.
Geo left the room swiftly without a second look back, and Eagle was alone again. The speech would start in a few minutes, so Eagle gave a last look around his room before closing the door softly behind him. He would never see it again, because the second part of his plan would have to occur right after the speech, and he would have no time to come back.
*
The handful of the crew that was abroad Autozam's warship glanced at each other with puzzled expressions. What was happening? Why were they all called to gather in this room? Why was podium erected? Where was their commander and Geo, the second-in-command?
Zazu was supposedly in charge of the directing the crew while Geo was away. "Everyone! Settle down! Please settle down! Please sit down in your chairs! No seating arrangement! Please be quiet, your commander, Eagle Vision of Autozam will be here in just a minute!" he called, cupping his chubby hands to his mouth.
Good, their commander was coming. Everyone felt relieved, and they went back to chatting quietly with their neighbors. However, some were still uneasy. Why did Zazu, their chief mechanic, call Eagle "your commander, Eagle Vision of Autozam"? It was such a formal title, and courtesy was not required upon this ship. Everyone could call each by their first names, so why was he calling Eagle such a long fancy title? Something was up...and they were about to find out, because Eagle had entered.
A hush fell over the audience. Those who had felt relieved looked up in expectance. Most of them were expecting something like a reward, or a prize for their faithful dedication, which Eagle did give out once in a while. But the more cautious ones among them did not let their hopes rise. Their commander was wearing a suit...something that he normally did not do, and they were required to wear their best clothes as well to this assembly.
Eagle raised his hand, palm facing the audience. It seemed to be a sign of silence, as earthlings would have thought it, but it was a gesture for a polite and formal greeting.
By then, everyone knew something was wrong. The commander never used formal gestures with them. They were his family, and he, the father. They respected him, but they never had to use formal gestures with him, and neither did he with them. Their ears perked up for any bits of grim news, or for news from home.
"My good people, and crew, that I have taken with me from Autozam, I address you now, as your leader and commander of this ship, but soon, I will not be so. As you may all understand, I ventured into the castle of Cephiro, and I did not come back for many days, and something remarkable and something dangerous happened to me back there."
Everyone disregarded the first sentence, because they knew it was only an introduction, and it was not important. However, little did they know that the first sentence had given them a clue as to what was coming up during the speech.
"I will not tell you what I did, or what happened to me, because it is a personal experience that I will remember for as long as I live. All of you might have already experienced it at home, or will be experiencing this when you go home, which will be very, very soon, unless your second-in-command does not wish to do so."
This time, everyone heard it loud and clear. They did not think that he was resigning, but they definitely got the hint that they were going to be going home very very soon. "But sir!" an amateur called out.
Geo swiveled his head around to glare sharply at the speaker. He shook his head slightly and turned back to staring listlessly out the many windows.
Eagle did not mind, though. He encouraged young people, like him, to ask many questions. "You may speak."
The speaker felt abashed, because he had called out, and because he had only finished his training aboard the ship, and was not high in rank, but he continued all the same. "I was just wondering if you are still keen to become the Pillar of Cephiro. If you are, then I don't understand why we would be going home any time soon. There is a war going on between us and Cephiro, is there not? And for you to become the Pillar, then we must fight on and win."
"You are very right, but your original question was whether I still wanted to become Pillar, and the answer is no. I realized that I cannot ever be the Pillar now, because I toyed with something dangerous, and it just hapenned to be my luck that I fell into its trap. And the reason why I am here with you today is because I want to let you all know that I am resigning." He stopped there for a few seconds to let the words sink in.
And sink in they did. Some people immediately got it, but for others who were more than faithful to the commander, it took them a little while longer. But at last, everyone understand. Now they understood why he was addressing them so formally. Now they understood why they were so dressed up. Now they understood the meaning of what he had said before the youngster spoke up. Now they understood.
"Some maybe disappointed, some may not regard it as a heavy matter, and some might even be happy. Of which one of those categories you fall under, I do not care. I am officially resigning, now, and none of you can stop me from doing so, because I am higher in rank than any of you, and no one may defy the commander."
There were a couple of people who wanted to stand up and shout, "You can't resign, though! We need you!", but their bottoms remained in their seats. They didn't want to know the consequences they would have to suffer. They all just nodded, stood up, and saluted their former commander. "Thank you, Eagle Vision of Autozam, for being our commander. We salute you," they recited. Then they sat down again. When someone resigns a job, usually they present the next person to take it.
"And now, as you can all guess, Geo, who used to be the second-in-command will now take my place. Geo, come here. I must but these pins on you to mark you now the official commander."
Geo obeyed the order if it could be called that, and allowed Eagle to pin them to his collar. He shook Eagle's warm hand firmly, and saluted the crowd.
The crowd stood up and saluted the new commander. They weren't particularly happy about the new commander, because Geo was much harder than Eagle, but it was by Autozam law that they salute him, so they did.
*
Eagle wiped his moist brows with a handkerchief that Geo had lent him a long time ago, almost before they went to war...and he still hadn't returned it. He was standing in the middle of a deserted hall, about to carry out his the last part of the plan. Everyone should be in the big dining room now, feasting...and saluting their new commander. The former commander could do as he wished.
Though all the crew was still feasting, Eagle knew that time was precious, and right now, it was his friend and enemy. The way he planned it, it would take a rather long time to lure the Magic Knights out of the castle, and yet, it would be cowardly to do it the other way...
Eagle straightened himself and raced to the docked FTO. It's engine was still warm, but it didn't matter. Nobody would care about it after this adventure. The former commander smiled secretly to himself when he found that the password would not work. Geo must have changed it while he was asleep to keep him from going anywhere else. How considerate of him, but Eagle knew another way still.
Behind the blank and smooth face, a great mind was always at work. During his training years in the Autozam military, Eagle had taken a hacking course, which little people took or knew about, because everyone thought hacking of little use. However, it came in very big use right now. Eagle punched in a jumble of letters and formulas, and the screen flashed bright green.
Perhaps he wasn't as rusty at hacking as he thought he was...then, a red alert went off. Luckily, it was inside the FTO and the sound was not shrill enough to penetrate the FTO's armor. Eagle then typed in the same jumble of letters and numbers, and the screen turned black, and on the screen were ten tiny little numbers and letters. "4e9a1g7l2e"
Eagle restarted the computer, and typed in the correct password this time...and it obviously worked, for Geo knew nothing about hacking, and of course, Geo had no clue that Eagle could hack.
"FTO, go." Those words that he had said so many times before in his life seemed to sound different in his own ears that night. It rang like a clear bell across a prairie, signaling something ahead. Something good, perhaps, and something bad, perhaps. Of course, Eagle knew which one it was.
The FTO, having no mind of its own, could not tell that its master was flying illegally, without the permission of the commander, and soon, its master would do something even crazier according to Autozam standards.
Eagle dodged from spot to spot in the sky, always avoiding the windows on the ship that faced east. He did not know where in the world the Magic Knights would be, though most likely they were somewhere together.
***
It was Umi who saw Eagle first. She was staring blankly out of the window. The FTO had appeared several times before her eyes already, but she was so deep in her thoughts, that she did not notice it, until this time. She was thinking of Hikaru, Eagle...and what was that mashin doing? And MASHIN! It was the Autozam commander's giant robot!
"Hikaru-chan! Fuu-chan! Look! It's Eagle, he's in his mashin!" she shouted excitedly.
Hikaru wanted to make sure that she had heard right. Eagle was out there? And when she looked out the window, Eagle was indeed in his FTO, racing around in the sky. But what was he doing?
"Umi? What's he doing? Is he trying to make war?" she inquired uneasily. Why is it that she had an awful feeling that something not pleasant was coming up?
"I think we should go out, or else we'll never find out. Interesting how he's just flying around in the sky, ne?" Fuu cocked her head and smiled the sweet smile she always reserved for her friends and Ferio.
"I think you're right, Fuu. I'm going!" Hikaru didn't even bother waiting to see if the others were coming with her. Something was not right, and she needed to know, or she would never forgive herself.
"Wait! Hikaru-chan! You can't go!" Fuu called after her.
"Hikaru! Come back here! You can't go after him!" Umi yelled. She grabbed Fuu's hand, knowing that Hikaru wouldn't come back, and started to race after her friend.
Hikaru was surprised at her own speed. She had reached the main entrance in less time than she thought it would take. Hmm.
"Rayearth!" She summoned her Rune-God and flew into the sky, just as Umi and Fuu reached the entrance.
"HIKARU!" Umi hollered, although she knew it was useless, because Hikaru couldn't hear her. "Fuu, we're joining her. Selece!"
"Windam!" Fuu called obediently. What could she do anyway, except follow Umi's actions? She couldn't let Umi and Hikaru alone, afterall, she was a Magic Knight too!
Red, blue, and green streaks appeared all over the dark sky. It was like some airshow, except more serious.
***
Eagle knew he had the Magic Knights in his trap now. They would go after him and try to fight him. Exactly what he had planned from the beginning.
He sometimes sent missiles zooming after them to keep them from guessing his real purpose. Sometimes, he pulled out his sword and shield and pretended to stay still, but he never stayed in one place for more than fifteen seconds.
Eagle finally led them to a rocky (though which part of Cephiro now is not rocky?) area that was not often observed. It would be just the four of them, fighting a glorious battle.
"Magic Knights! I challenge you!" he cried.
Hikaru heard. Umi heard. And Fuu heard. They set their mouths in a grim line and knew that this was mostly like a fight to the death.
But Hikaru couldn't stand that thought. Why, she had just expressed her love for him only hours ago! And now, she must either kill him or be killed herself? "Eagle! What are you doing? This is crazy!"
Eagle laughed for once, though a cheerless laugh. It sounded more evil than cheerful. "I know! And that's what I intend!"