(Quick Author Rant: I couldn't remember if Ura was female or male. I asked around the Internet, checking websites, chat boards and I even asked some of my friends and the general census was 50/50. Some said Ura was female while others said male. I finally concluded for now that he is male in this story. NOTHING AGAINST WOMEN OR FEMALES IN GENERAL If I start receiving e-mails questioning my knowledge of El Hazard or berating me for being a narrow-minded male pig, I shall respond back by sending evil viruses to blow up their computers!!! They DARE mock the GREAT LACROLIX! THE FOOLS! THEY SHALL FEEL MY WRATH!!! MWA HA HA HA HA!!!! *ahem* nah just kidding! ^_^ P.S. I know that my grammar cries out for help and I hopefully will be having some help with proof reading but I've noticed that other fics on the site have their text aligned properly and with indentations and even have the .space between their words and bold print and italics and and.well you know what I mean. I am using M$ Word 2000 and I have bold and italics in my copy but when I upload to the fanficition.net site it looks all plain jane and the indentations are gone. Am I doing something wrong or is this part of the you pay $$$ we allow your stories to look like how you want them to? If anyone knows please let me know! Anime.heaven@home.com See? That was quick, wasn't it? What do you mean long? I said quick! Well I think it was quick!)



Crouching low from the high tree branch, to avoid being seen, she silently watched as the tall, man with pack in tow, faded in the distance towards the mountains, and then the brown-haired boy disappear into the forest. When she made certain that neither were going to return, she dropped down to the ground and walked towards the door. Looking around to make sure no one was around to see her she opened the unlocked door and let herself in.



'This is too easy.' She thought quietly as a small smile formed on her lips. Her purple eyes scoured the small room. A bed that was semi-neatly made was to her immediate left. In front of her was a small table covered with papers and trinkets she did not recognize. Next to the table was a bookcase that was stuffed with various books.



'Where could it be? Where could the missing artifact be?' She bit her upper lip thoughtfully as she began to carefully search Makoto's room for it. Deciding that the table would be the best area, she started there first. Quickly she searched, not wanting to be here when and if the boy returned. She fumbled through papers and the various objects with no success.



'Damn I was positive it would be here!' she cursed to herself silently as she placed things back as she had found them. She didn't want to leave any suspicion that someone had been here. Turning her attention towards the bookcase a small sparkle from the single windowsill caught her eye causing her to turn her head. The sunlight shined on a small round object.



'Could this be.' Her heartbeat quicken with anticipation that she might have found the artifact. She wasn't sure if it was the real thing since the sunlight blinded her from seeing it's color so she walked towards it. As she began to take her first step her body froze upon hearing voices nearing her.



"Wow Ura! You have such great senses to be able to track me all the way here from my room in the Roshtaria palace! But really, you needn't to come out this way. I am fine Ura." Makoto's voice was in awe as he talked to his feline companion. The cat paced along Makoto's side.



"Ura no see Makoto. Ura worry. Ura look for Makoto." He replied in his third-person broken speech.



"Ahh Ura really I am ok!" This time the feline didn't reply verbally but instead simply smiled at Makoto.



'Damn. Damn it all to hell! If I am discovered now.it will be all over.' Strands of her dark, emerald-colored hair started to fall into her line of view. Drops of sweat slowly began making their presence felt as they dribbled down her forehead. 'No, now is not the time to panic.' The door opened and in walked Makoto and the cat Ura. Another strand of hair fell obstructing her sight even more. With great caution to not make noise, she softly brushed the strands away with her hand. It didn't really help considering that all she could see is feet.



"Now where did I put it?" Makoto searched around his new room.



"Ura help Makoto." Ura jumped on the bed.

"What this?" Ura asked.



"What? Let me see. Oh yes I need that as well. Wow I forgot quite a few things today!" She could hear, Makoto's feet move from one area to another.



'Just whatever you do, don't look under the bed. Just don't look under the bed.' She prayed to herself over and over again in her head. Holding her breath as if it would somehow have helped in not being found, the minutes that had passed seem like hours as she lay underneath Makoto's bed.



"I think that is everything Ura." Makoto said to Ura. Upon hearing those words she quietly exhaled. It was a miracle sent from the heavens. So close she was to have it all be ruined. The footsteps approached the door when a scarcely audible beep came from her lower front pant leg.



'NO! Not at a time like this!' It was pure instinct her hand moving to the sound, trying her best to muffle the beep. At that same moment they stopped moving. She froze. Not daring to move, to breath, to think.



"What's wrong Ura? Why'd you stop?" The cat's ears twitched and his nose wrinkled ever so subtle. All the cat would have to do is look down underneath the bed. She closed her eyes tightly, expecting to hear the worst. Ura looked at Makoto and smiled "Ura smell good food. Come! Makoto follow Ura!" with that said the cat walked outside and was followed by Makoto, the door closed behind them.



She stayed a few more minutes underneath the bed before quietly crawling out from underneath. The beeping continued. She reached in with her hand the pant pocket and pulled out a round device that was black all over except for a few red and green colored buttons She opened it and pushed a small green button that had been blinking. A 6- inch bluish hologram of woman with long dark hair in a dark, tight- fitting dress materialized.



"Kira, what took so long? Was there trouble?" the hologram asked. Kira took out a white cloth from one of her pockets and wiped her face. "Nothing I couldn't handle." The hologram let out a sigh. "Did you find it?" Kira looked over to the empty windowsill. "Yes I believe I did, but young Makoto took it before I could get my hands on it."

"You weren't detected, were you?"



Kira returned her gaze to the hologram. "No. I've been careful." Kira replied. "I know how important it is that my identity not be known." The hologram nodded in agreement. "Yes. You must be like a ghost. If you were to be discovered or if the artifact were to be activated improperly.there would be grave consequences. Well carry on and please let me know if anything further develops. I shall pray for your safety as well as your success." The image of the woman evaporated.



Kira closed the device and placed it back the pocket she had pulled it out of. As an afterthought she removed it yet again and pressed one of the red buttons, causing it to silently vibrate before putting it back again. She fumbled for a bit through her other various pockets on her shirt and pulled out a cube that fit comfortably in her hand. Carefully placing the cube on the table, she pushed a blue button. It hummed and slowly unfolded to a rectangular shape. Many buttons surrounded the screen that now lay on the table. Biting her lip, Kira's fingers gracefully danced over the buttons. 'I am pretty sure that Makoto has the artifact on him. I need a disguise so I can get close to him.' She reassured herself. Pictures with text spilled on to the display.



There wasn't much she did not know already. Prior to accepting this mission she had weeks to study the world of el Hazard. She practiced the language, lived the culture, and studied the inhabitants. She especially concentrated on Makoto and the three girls that fought for his attention. Nanami, the childhood friend who had also came from the alien world called 'Earth' into el Hazard just like Makoto. She grew up with Makoto and was the first of the three that had feelings for Makoto. Nanami would sometimes treat him like a child, scolding him for doing something that she did not approve of. There was also the fire priestess of Muldoon, Shayla-Shayla. From what she learned, she had a wrist device that gave her the ability to shoot out flames at will. Shayla was also a hothead and dealt with unpleasant things in a physical manner, most of the times. At last was the youngest of the group, the new water priestess, Qawool. Of the three, Kira remembered she was the quietest and not as vocal as the other two. All the girls were close to Makoto in one way or another, and all loved him. Kira knew that. So it didn't matter which one she chose. She could get close to Makoto being any of the three.



The fingers ceased their fluid movements across the board. Kira's lavender eyes had traveled around the room and stopped their journey on a group picture they didn't notice before. It was a picture of Makoto and the three girls. It appeared to be had taken at some sort of a water resort or beach because the girls were wearing bikinis while Makoto was in shorts and a sleeveless shirt. Nanami and Shayla each had an arm of Makoto and were leaning in close to him. Qawool must have been standing on a mound of sand or something because she appeared above Makoto. She had her chin resting on top of Makoto's head; her arms were gently folded around Makoto's neck. Her face showed complete happiness. In fact the other two girls had looks on their faces that said the same thing. 'These girls are in complete bliss.' Kira thought. She then looked at Makoto, he too was smiling but it wasn't the same way. He looked like he had been forced to pose for the picture. Her eyebrows crinkled into a puzzled state. 'How could he NOT be happy? He is surrounded by 3 beautiful women and looks like this!' Kira studied the picture some more when suddenly her eyes widen with realization. "Of course why didn't I think of it sooner!" she said happily to herself. Kira finally decided on which girl she was going to masquerade herself as to get close to Makoto, and retrieve the artifact.



She pushed a orange-colored button on the screen and the device folded itself neatly back to it's original state. Kira placed away the cube in one of her inner shirt pockets and withdrew a frail looking piece of wire that resembled a crown and placed it on her head. Running her hands through her green hair, she played with it until the crown blended in with her hair. She then closed her eyes, relaxed her body, and cleared out all other thoughts. Kira stayed in this peaceful state for a few moments. After a bit she ran outside, not forgetting to close the door behind her and headed toward a small lake close by. She feared it wouldn't work. She approached the lake, her eyes closed. To afraid to open them and see herself in the lake. Taking a deep breath she calmed herself 'Come on now! Be brave! If it doesn't work there are other ways!' Kira opened her eyes, stared into the water, and promptly fainted.



A tiny vibration woke Kira up. Someone was paging her. She immediately sat up and took out the circular device. Kira pushed the button like she had before and the bluish hologram of the same woman appeared again. The hologram woman let out a cry and fell to her knees weeping. "It's over. It's all over." She said with defeat in her voice. Kira shook her head. She didn't understand what was going on.



"What do you mean? I haven't been told anyone anything nor have I. or did Makoto unwittingly activate the artifact?" Kira asked the hologram. The woman stopped crying. She looked up at Kira. "How do you know about the artifact?" Now to Kira this made no sense. "What do you mean how do I know? It's me Kira!" The woman looked at Kira again, wiping tears from her eyes.



"My dear god.. It looks so real. if I could only touch you right now.our systems here indicated barely any brain patterns from you Kira. We thought only two things, either you were dying, or you had fainted." The hologram woman only stared at Kira after saying that. 'What is she talking about has she lost her marbles?' Suddenly it hit her. She got up looked at the pond. She traced her face with her hands. The eyes, the skin, every blemish, every tiny hair it was all there. Her hair looked like hers. Her hands looked like hers. She caressed her bosom, her waist, and her legs. It didn't feel like hers, she didn't expect it to. It felt like she was touching another woman.



"KIRA!" The voice returned her to reality. The hologram was concerned. "Kira! Are you ok?" Kira turned to look at the hologram. "Yes. I am fine. I'm just in a bit of shock." After reassuring the woman that she was all right, Kira shut off the device. Pocketing the device, she started to walk towards the palace. The crown had worked. Kira couldn't help but smile, as she went on her way.