Disclaimer: I don't own anything and it would make no sense if I did cause if I did I would be taking them to a publisher or something and even if I was putting it here, why would I have a disclaimer in the first place? Author's Note: I haven't decided who gets Hikaru's attention yet. Eagle or Lantis? I don't know. Hopefully I can figure it out by the next chapter.

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Fuu had forgotten the feeling of soaring through the sky in a mashin of her own. Her eyes roamed freely in search of the palace. Her thoughts wandered to a certain person she was to meet inside. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts and concentrate on finding the castle but her mind kept thinking of him. His eyes, his hair, his face, anything about him. She fingered the band on her finger. He gave it to her long ago. Was there someone else? There had to be. A person couldn't be the prince of Cephiro and not have girls throwing themselves at your feet, especially if you were as good looking as he was. His name slipped through her lips as tears welled at the corner of her eye. "Ferio..." she whispered as a single tear coursed down her cheek. She shook her head abruptly. Telling herself that if she was even to see him again that she must find the castled first. What happened would happen. She could deal with all of that later.

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Ferio shot straight up in bed. His dreams had been tormented with images of her and of her finding happiness with another man. Ever since they had stopped coming back. What had happened? Had they gotten tired of Cephiro? Or was it that they became tired of the people in it. He missed her face, her hands. But most of all he missed her smile and bright personality. Every time she smiled at him, he felt his heart soar. She was enough to brighten his day anytime. He missed her so much. He wasn't the same after she left. Withdrawing into himself. Not letting any one come close to him. He was hurting too much inside. But this night, it was different. He could feel her presence, as if she were standing right next to him. He heard her voice whispering in his ear, feel her lips brushing against face. He saw her face in his mind, he felt a tear sliding down her face. He wanted to hold her to him tight. He wanted to brush away that tear and banish what was troubling her. But he couldn't. It was only a dream. But still...he could feel that she was close even though he was fully awake...

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Clef hadn't slept since he had felt the strange presence in the magical network of Cephiro. It was as if there was a strange force dulling he senses. He couldn't pinpoint it nor could he view it in his crystal, no matter how hard he tried. Trying once again to see what was going on, Clef left his chair and gazed into is crystal. His brow furrowed. He poured all of his concentration into the stone which was cloudy in appearance, as if something was happening but it wasn't sure what. Clef was so preoccupied that he didn't notice s his staff started to levitate to the balcony. He didn't notice that the balcony doors swung open on their own. Or even when his staff started to spin wildly. He noticed when his staff started to glow. He noticed and stared in shock as the glow extended up into the sky, as if creating a beacon. He ran to the doors. Only to be repelled by a force unknown to him. What was going on?

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Umi was the first to see it. A thin strand of light extending to the stars. "Hikaru! Fuu! look at this!" she shouted to her friends. They flew towards it as fast as possible. A feeling stirred in Umi. There was something familiar about that light, strangely familiar. Racing towards the beam, it shifted slightly, thin lashed out like a whip towards them. in an instant it was upon them, reaching out to grab them. The tried to run, only to find that they were stuck in the air. They were helpless as the beam wrapped itself around them. The mashins had disappeared. The three of the magic knight were towed along, towards the source and whatever was there. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

No one was more surprised than Clef when he saw the three magic knights being pulled towards him by a beam of light, emitting from his staff. A frozen look on their faces. He had watched helpless as the cord has swerved suddenly and then just as quickly pulling in. The mage cried out as the barrier disappeared and the girls had been dropped on his balcony, motionless. They remained in their trance like state, slumping on the floor, eyes open and that glazed look. It was almost as if they were dead. But he could tell that they weren't. Their chests rose with their breathing. But still they remained motionless. Even as he amplified his voice to stretch through the castle, shouting for the people to come, and quickly. Presea, Caladina and LaFarga came running at once. Ascot and Lantis came next, with striding in. Ferio came last, slouching and mumbling to himself. He like the others froze in the doorway to stare. He broke into the stunned silence by lunging forwards, crying out, "FUU!" He slid towards their unmoving bodies, cradling Fuu in his arms, sobbing softly.