Chapter Four: Shadows on the Path

"I can't believe that this place was once so dangerous! It's like it was only a bad dream!" Umi said, as they walked along the sunlit path.

"If you say so, Umi. But you must remember that I wasn't here when your four first made your journey." Eagle reminded, looking around when something moved away from the path.

"Did you see something, Eagle-san?" Fuu asked, when she'd noticed Eagle pause and look into the adjoining grove.

"I thought I did. It looked like a person, but I can't be sure." Eagle murmured, as Sakura also looked into the grove, her gaze nervous.

"Then let's hurry. Since Cephiro is at war, I don't think it will be safe to linger here for very long." Yukito said, breaking into a run along the well-worn path.

"Wait for us, Yukito-chan!" Hikaru shouted, as she, Umi, Fuu, Sakura, and Eagle followed close behind him. Soon they reached the exit of the forest and rushed out into the afternoon sunshine.

"It is more dangerous out here than in there. Why did you want to get out so quickly, Yukito?" Eagle asked, his senses now on high alert.

"There was something in there. Now that the Forest of Silence has lost its magic, it is now a safe haven for even darker things." Yukito said, looking distinctly worried.

"But what…………….?!" Hikaru began, and was forced to break off when suddenly something rammed into Yukito from behind, propelling him forward several feet.

"Yukito-san!" Sakura yelped, then rushed to the fallen Knight's side. Blood flowed freely from several deep gashes in his back and side, and, before Fuu could utter the spell that could heal them, the culprit confronted them.

"Eriol?! What's going on? What's the meaning of this?!" Umi asked, gasping when she realized that the mage (who had formerly been in child form) had gotten much taller.

"What do you think, Water Knight? I am removing the competition for the Sun Knight." Eriol replied, with an undertone of evil in his voice.

"But why? Why did you do this? Yukito-chan never did anything to you!" Hikaru said, trying to talk reason into a mage that had once been their friend.

"I never said he did. But he is in my way, all the same. I need the Sun Knight, and I will kill him in order to get to her, if I have to." Eriol replied, as Sakura tearfully tried to stanch the bleeding in Yukito's wounds.

"I won't allow you to do that." Eagle said, as he stepped in between Eriol and Sakura.

"Oh? Do you honestly believe that you can defeat me, Eagle Vision of Autozam? I'd like to see you try." Eriol sneered, challengingly. In a swift, fluid movement, Eagle brought his sword out of the glove-gem on his left hand and stood poised, ready for a fight.

"Fuu, try and heal Yukito's wounds. I will try to hold the mage off." Eagle said, never once taking his eyes off of the mage. Eriol smiled wickedly, then brought out his own sword; a sword whose blade was as black as a moonless night. With a loud clash, the two warriors met blades. The battle in itself was dizzying to watch; both men were at the peak of their abilities and stamina, and both were accomplished swordsmen. While all this was going on, Sakura sat in numb shock; Yukito had just been attacked and she had done nothing to protect him. She watched as Fuu used her magic to heal the ugly wounds in Yukito's back, then she turned her attention back to the battle.

"Are you all right, Sakura-san?" Fuu asked. Sakura nodded.

"Will Yukito-san be all right?" Sakura asked, in turn.

"He should be fine now. It appears that Eagle-san and Eriol are pretty evenly matched." Fuu murmured, as she watched the two men start hurling spells at one another. Then anger entered Sakura's eyes. She then stood up, looked at Eriol, raised her arms over her head and shouted the first words that came into her mind.

"Sun Lance!" Sakura shouted, as she threw her spell at the unsuspecting mage's back. Eriol let out a scream of pain as he was struck and then engulfed by the spell. He disappeared into a pall of gray smoke.

"I don't think that was the end of him. He'll be back." Eagle muttered, as he put his sword back into his glove-gem.

"I don't get it. Why did he attack Yukito? What made him change so?" Umi asked, utterly confused by the changes in the mage.

"That's another puzzle that will just have to wait until after Sakura gets her Escudo. Yukito, can you walk?" Eagle asked, noticing that the other man had awakened and was sitting there, looking about as confused as the girls.

"I believe so, since Fuu-san has already taken care of my wounds." Yukito replied, as he got shakily got to his feet.

"Good. Now let's get going." Eagle said, as Mokona reappeared, and started showing the way again. For the rest of that afternoon, they made good time across the landscape. Yet, even though this was a nostalgic trip for the first four Magic Knights, their mood was subdued by the fact of Eriol's dramatic change in character. Finally, they reached the Spring of Eterna.

"Yep, it's still the Weirdo Fountain of Eterna." Umi muttered, getting some chuckles from Yukito, Fuu, and Hikaru, and some confused looks from Eagle and Sakura.

"Where is the Fountain? I don't see any water around here." Sakura said, as she glanced around at the seemingly empty spot.

"Climb on top of those rocks, Sakura-chan. Tell us what you see when you get up there." Yukito suggested. Taking Yukito's advice, Sakura climbed onto the rocks and looked down. She let out a yelp of surprise when she saw what was there.

"Hoeee! A fountain?!" Sakura shouted, in surprise. She got knowing glances from the four accomplished Knights that confirmed her suspicions.

"Go ahead, Sakura-chan! The Escudo's in the spring!" Hikaru urged. Nervously, Sakura looked down at the water.

"But I don't know how deep it is." Sakura said, uncertainly.

"Don't worry, Sakura-san! We went down there and got our Escudo. You'll be fine." Fuu said. With a reluctant nod, Sakura jumped into the spring.

"I wish we could have told her about the test." Hikaru said, guiltily.

"Then that wouldn't have been fair. It probably would have even been dangerous if we had told her about the test of the Spring of Eterna. She's on her own now." Yukito said, as they stood watch over the fountain.

Meanwhile, the crew on board the renegade Autozamian ship nervously watched their commander. Even though she was the sister of the late Eagle Vision, Suu was extremely unpredictable. There were even rumors that the young girl had been so distraught over the death of her brother that she had become mentally unstable. Now she sat silently in the commander's chair, her cold emerald eyes burning brightly with the fires of hatred.

"Kazuhiko." Suu said, quietly.

"Yes, Commander?" Kazuhiko asked, in response.

"Whose fault was it that Eagle died?" Suu asked, her voice as cold as ice.

"The Magic Knights' and Cephiro's, Commander." Kazuhiko replied.

"And why are we here, Kazuhiko?" Suu again asked.

"To destroy them, Commander, and get revenge for Commander Eagle's death." Kazuhiko replied. This got an eerie smile from the young woman.

"Then we'll attack again as soon as the mecha are repaired. The Magic Knights will not even know what hit them." Suu purred, content in her desire to destroy the people that had destroyed her brother.

"Yes, Commander. It will be as you say." Kazuhiko murmured, then left, leaving Suu to sit alone in the shadows.

Author's Note!

Eerie ne? Well, I need some help now. Who do you think should Sakura see in her Eterna trial? Please e-mail me on who you think she should see and how she should handle it. Also, who do you think will tell her that she is only facing an illusion?

Gemini