Chapter Eight: Terror in the Castle
After a short conference, Lantis dismissed himself so he could go check on Eagle. Hikaru looked like she wanted to follow, but decided against it when one child started asking her questions. Yukito was the picture of contentment; he now sat on the fountain base with Mira on his lap and the rest sitting in front of him while he told a story.
"Yukito has a way with children, doesn't he?" Presea asked, as she and Caldina joined the female Magic Knights.
"Yes. He seems to be happy with them. He doesn't look as sad as he has been." Fuu stated. Before anything more could be said, laughter was heard; but it wasn't the kind of laughter one associated with mirth, it was a bone-chilling laugh that struck fear into weak hearts.
"Hikaru! Why don't you play with me?" Nova asked, as she appeared to all of those in the area.
"Nova!" Hikaru shouted, standing and arming herself, knowing that when Nova appeared, a fight was about to begin. Nova sneered at Hikaru, then looked at Yukito, who was now standing in front of the children, putting himself between her and them.
"Oh, is that your beloved 'brother', Hikaru? Well, I have a special death planned for him and for your friends! But first, I need to get Lantis! I'm going to kill him first!" Nova said, before disappearing into thin air. Right after she left, monsters started coming into the area through a black portal.
"Hikaru-san! You must go after Lantis! Nova will kill him if you don't stop her!" Yukito shouted, over the din of people screaming and monsters roaring.
"Yukito-san, you go with her! She's going to need help!" Fuu shouted.
"Don't worry, we'll be all right here!" Umi said, as she slashed at one monster with her sword. Without another word, Yukito and Hikaru both ran out of the area.
"Hikaru-san, do you have any idea where Eagle's cell is?" Yukito asked, as they both ran.
"No! Do you?!" Hikaru asked.
"Not in the slightest!" Yukito replied, as they stopped at a break in the halls. Then Hikaru noticed that something was going on with her necklace. When she brought it out, she found that it was glowing!
"Hikaru-san, where did you get that?" Yukito asked.
"Lantis gave it to me. I'll explain later, let's go!" Hikaru said, as they started following the light to where Lantis was. They got there just as an outcry of pain came from the room.
"Lantis!" Hikaru yelped, as she blew the door to oblivion and armed herself. Yukito could see that chaos was reigning supreme in the room; Eagle had obviously been asleep when the attack had begun, since he still looked a little groggy, but he held his own. Lantis was off to one side, clutching his shoulder with one arm and holding his sword with his injured one, while blood flowed freely down his breastplate. Before Nova could realize that he was there, Yukito armed himself and went over to where Lantis stood, putting himself on the defensive as soon as he got there.
"Daijobu ka, Lantis-kun?" Yukito asked.
"I'm all right……………she just got my shoulder." Lantis gasped. Yukito nodded.
"It seems that the roles are reversed now, Magic Knight." Eagle said, now fully awake.
"Yes, it does seem that way. Moon Shield!" Yukito shouted, before another fire arrow could strike either him or Lantis. Hikaru fought hard, her anger towards Nova easily seen. Both girls were equally matched, and it seemed as though the fight was going to last forever. Then Debonair interrupted the fight.
"Nova, come back, now!" Debonair ordered.
"But I don't want to!" Nova argued.
"There will be another time, listen to me!" Debonair said, angrily. Nova rolled her eyes and allowed her energy blades to disappear.
"Next time, you will belong to me, Lantis!" Nova declared, before disappearing from sight.
"Wait! Nova!" Hikaru shouted, then growled in frustration. Then she looked back at Lantis. Eagle and Yukito stood near him, supporting his weight on their shoulders.
"Are you all right, Lantis?" Hikaru asked. Lantis grimaced, but nodded.
"Hikaru-san, go ahead and get Fuu-san. She'll be able to heal Lantis-kun's wound." Yukito said, quietly. Hikaru nodded and ran out to get Fuu.
"I wonder what other surprises are in store here?" Eagle murmured.
"I don't know, but it's guaranteed that we're not going to get any more restful times like before this battle." Yukito said, grimly. The next couple of weeks were eventful for all of those that called Cephiro home. While all this was going on, Eagle was starting to respond to Sera's medicine. The coughing fits were becoming shorter and farther between, and less blood was seen during these attacks. Yet something more was developing between Sera and Eagle than just the typical patient/doctor relationship. Eagle smiled when Sera entered his cell.
"Good to see you again, Sera." Eagle said, with his usual smile.
"Good to see you too, Eagle. How are you feeling?" Sera asked.
"Better than I have felt in a long time, thanks to you. I will soon be well enough to go home." Eagle said, as Sera listened to his heart and lungs. Sera's face took on a sad expression.
"So, you're thinking about going back to Autozam?" Sera asked. Eagle nodded, somberly.
"Even though Autozam needs the Pillar System, I don't think I can go behind your back and betray you or my friends here. You, Lantis, and Hikaru have shown me what the people of Cephiro can be like." Eagle said, gently.
"I wish you didn't have to go." Sera said, mournfully. Eagle smiled gently at her and cupped her face in his hands.
"I have to. I am the President's son. I also wish that I didn't have to go, but I must. You saved my life and in return I must return to Autozam without the Pillar System. It is all I can do to keep this war from escalating." Eagle said, as tears started to come to Sera's eyes. The moment was interrupted by Hikaru suddenly entering the room, her head lowered so that neither of them could see her eyes.
"Hikaru? What is wrong?" Eagle asked, noticing that Hikaru's arm was bleeding.
"Hikaru! What happened?!" Sera asked, as Hikaru slowly walked towards them.
"I came to apologize to Eagle." Hikaru said, lifelessly.
"What do you mean?" Eagle asked, concerned about the Magic Knight.
"It's Lantis. Because of me he got hurt badly." Hikaru said, her voice wavering. Eagle exchanged a glance with Sera, then looked back at Hikaru.
"What happened? How did Lantis get hurt? Who hurt him?" Eagle asked.
"I hurt him." Hikaru sobbed. Eagle and Sera sat back, stunned by the news. As they sat there, Hikaru started relating the events of her most recent battle with Nova.
Yukito swore under his breath as he dashed down the hallway to where the residential area was, his concern for the people there overwhelming. With him were his fellow Knights Umi and Fuu, Ferio, Aska and San Yun of Fahren and Tarta and Tatra of Chizeta. They had just called an alliance and were now heading for the residential area together. Before they could get to the hallway that met the one they were running down, a huge chunk of the wall broke away, creating a vortex in the hall. Umi, who had been closest to the wall, was sucked out into the swirling darkness outside of the castle.
"Umi-san!" Fuu screamed.
"Umi!" Ferio, and the rest of the Royals from the newly found coalition yelped. But Yukito was way ahead of them. With a move that scared his friends, Yukito leaped after Umi.
"Yukito-san!" Fuu cried, as the silver-haired teen jumped out into the abyss. As he fell through the air, Yukito kept his arms close to his sides, knowing that the more streamlined he became, the sooner he'd catch up with Umi. Umi gasped, when he grabbed her, held her close, then shouted something into the wind.
"Moon Wing!" Yukito shouted, his voice echoing with power. No sooner were the words out of his mouth when two dazzling white wings emerged from his back and caught the wind beneath them. With a powerful thrust, Yukito flew back up to where his friends waited, anxiously looking for him.
"That spell………………you saved me, Yukito!" Umi said, stunned by the way Yukito looked with the wings.
"Now that was incredible, Yukito." Ferio said, clearly amazed by Yukito's new ability. Yukito smiled.
"Think nothing of it. Now, Ferio, you and the Royals head to the residential area, Fuu-san, Umi-san and I will go see Clef." Yukito said, getting an affirmative from the Royals before they ran to their destination.
Eagle couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Hikaru and Nova were one in the same?! How could this be true?!
"You two, we must go see Madoushi Clef. He'll know what to do." Sera said, getting a reluctant nod of agreement from Eagle. With that in mind, the three left the cell and headed up to Clef's observatory. Eagle, now healthier than he had been when he'd first entered the castle, ran ahead of them to where Clef waited. They all got there just as Yukito, Umi, and Fuu arrived.
"Hello again, Magic Knights." Eagle said, with a breathless smile.
"Uh………..hello……….we're kinda busy at the moment, so don't try anything stupid." Umi said, trying to put on a tough front.
"Don't worry. I won't." Eagle promised, as they all went in to see Clef.
Debonair smiled, as she watched the goings on from afar. Things were going as planned. Beside her, Nova waited. When she heard Nova shift uneasily, she looked at her 'daughter' with cold purple eyes.
"What's the matter, Nova?" Debonair asked.
"My heart…………it hurts………." Nova murmured.
"It's probably that Magic Knight's emotions flooding into you." Debonair said, as she looked closely at a man who was imprisoned in the wall. It was Lantis!
"This man has a spirit so strong it's almost frightening! He could prove quite useful." Debonair said, with an evil snicker, before vanishing from sight, leaving Nova alone with her thoughts.