Disclaimer: None of the MKR characters are mine. Unfortunately, they belong to CLAMP.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Each of the Magic Knights were thinking of different but same things. Each were wondering if this was truly Cephiro and if it was, where everyone else was. They walked for what seemed like ages, but truly was only a few hours, but saw no one. A gleam somewhere in the middle of the wood attracted their attention. A familiar gleam, so it was, but unfamiliar to a sense. As if under a hypnosis, each of the girls slowly turned to head for it. As they approached it, Hikaru was the first to break the trance that the rest seemed to be stuck in. She tried to snap them out of it, certain that what ever had been luring her, and was still luring them, could not be a good thing. She ran forwards, towards the source of the entrancing light. In the center of a glowing pillar stood one whom appeared to be the one who died, many years ago in a fierce battle, Princess Emeraude...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Clef woke up, sweating. His dreams lately had not been calm and clear as they normally would be. He dreamt the future and his dreams were normally accurate easily understood but in the past few weeks, his dreams were a jumble of pain and fear and of the final battle and the magic knights. So complex and jumbled that even he could not understand them and lately, he woke up fearful of them as well. In the dream that he experienced tonight, he saw Hikaru and the other magic knights being devoured by an evil magic sent to destroy the beauty of Cephiro and turn all the beings into slaves. He saw the former princess being the slave driver and he saw Ferio, Ascot, Fuu, Umi, Lantis, and himself chained together against a wall. Hikaru was beaten, curled up on the floor bleeding to death. He ran to try to heal her with his magic but was brutally stopped with a whip to his side. Then he awoke, pondering about what this dream could mean and what was in store for Cephiro.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hikaru watched in amazement as the princess lured her friends in to the light. She summoned the rest of the power that she was granted when she became the pillar. The magical vision that she bestowed on herself revealed a person who all had assumed dead but was apparently not. Her new sight revealed Alcione luring her partners in with a strong brand of magic unknown to even her pillar database. Hikaru hesitated momentarily but then ran straight into the magic rope. Her body burned as she choked back a scream as the rope burned through her clothes and into her flesh. Just as she thought that she could not stand the burn any longer, the rope broke, leaving her friends in a state of confusion and a long burn creasing her arms and stomach. "You little fool," hissed Alcione, "you will pay dearly for that." With that statement, Alcione shouted, "Ice Attack!!" Alcione laughed menacingly as the ice shards sliced Hikaru's body, just as it had Umi's many years before. Alcione's laughter ceased as Hikaru struggled, bleeding to her feet. "You won't beat me that easily Alcione," Hikaru shouted. Alcione replied evilly, "I've learned a few more tricks in the past years Hikaru so I think that I might. Lightning Blast!!!" A sizzling ball of electricity hit Hikaru straight in the stomach. Hikaru fell to the floor, writhing in obvious pain as electric bolts streamed visibly through her body, opening up many more cuts and bruises. "You are a disappointment magic knight," Alcione spat, kicking Hikaru's eye as she strode past, disappearing at the edge of the forest. "Hikaru!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Fuu and Umi shouted in unison, their frozen state broken now that the one who had them held in it was gone. "If only I had my magic," Fuu whispered, "I could have had you healed in no time." "We have to go and find Clef," Umi said determinedly, "He's the only one who can help her now."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Author's note: Wow. Even I didn't expect that Alcione would be the villain in this story! It just sort of happened I guess. Well, the next chapter will be in soon, I hope. Just hang in there.