Disclaimer: I don't own Rayearth, nor do I own much of anything...

Yay! Chapter 9! Once again, yay! ^_^ Let's add romance in this chappie, shall we?

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"It has been a long time since I, myself, have laid eyes upon the Prophecy," Clef began. "But, unless my memory deceives me, the Prophecy talks of... maidens, set on saving the demon kind after a change in heart. It tells of saving the demons, and of victory."

"But..." Eagle said. "I thought you said the Prophecy told of the slaughtering of the demon kind."

"That's what is confusing me," Clef's brow wrinkled in thought. "The Prophecy first tells of three maiden saviors who lead the demons to victory. However... the end of the Prophecy tells of the demon kind perishing..."

"How is that possible?" Hikaru asked. "To be victorious, yet parish..."

Clef sighed. "I don't remember the entire thing... something about the moon... fire... a battle..."

"Those three maidens..." Umi interrupted. "Do you think the Prophecy is talking about us?" Umi motioned to herself, Hikaru, and Fuu.

"Perhaps," Clef nodded. "That's another thing that concerns me... the Prophecy, so far has had amazing accuracy. I worry our efforts are futile."

"Tell me about the maidens," Umi demanded.

Clef nodded. "Three maidens, set on saving the demons, fight along side their companions. They lead the demons to victory through their hearts, and save them from darkness..." Clef paused. "That about sums that part up... the words aren't exact but..."

"Can I look at the Prophecy?" Umi asked. "All of it?"

Clef nodded. "Sure..."

"You said you ruined the page in the book, though!" Ferio protested.

Clef grinned. "Never destroy something that might come of use later unless you have a backup copy! Now where did I put that thing, anyway?"

"Backup copy?" Ferio asked through clenched teeth.

Clef nodded and took hold Umi's hand. "Let's go," he said. "I think it's in the library."

Umi nodded and followed him out of the room. Everyone just stared until they were gone.

"Well," Ferio said, then cleared his throat. "Perhaps we should be preparing for the upcoming battle."

Everyone only nodded.

"Well then," he said. "Fuu. You and I shall discuss strategy." he grinned at Fuu. She blushed. "Lantis—you and Hikaru go take care of the swords in the armory. Presea and Eagle, you two go make sure the soldiers are all prepared for battle. And Ascot, you go tend to your monsters. Am I clear?"

Everyone immediately responded with a loud "Yes!" and scurried in their different directions.

~*~*~*~*~

In the library, Umi and Clef were searching for the other copy of the Prophecy. Clef would occasionally knock on the walls, checking for hallow places.

"Are you sure it's in here?" Umi asked, checking the highest bookshelves.

"Yes," Clef replied in a distracted sort of way while still pounding on the walls.

Clef finally knocked on a section of the wall next to the bookshelf to hear the hollow thunk of an empty space.

"Here," he mumbled as he picked up his staff. Umi looked up from her own search just to see Clef bash his staff into the wall. She scrambled down the ladder on which she stood and rushed to his side.

"Is it there?" she asked as Clef reached into the hole his staff had created and pulled out a thick, and very dusty, book.

"It's here," Clef replied. He propped his staff against the wall and brushed the dust off the book to reveal the title Ancient Demon Prophecies. He picked up his staff and led Umi over to a large table at the far end of the room. He dropped the book onto the table dropped to the wooden surface with a loud BAM. Clef sat down in a worn leather armchair and opened the book, flipping through pages and skimming the text.

Umi looked over his shoulder at the pages and saw elaborate calligraphy among some passages written in some strange language unknown to her. She turned her attention from the book and began to study Clef's face. His brow was creased in thought and his mouth was drawn into a thin line.

"You know," she said suddenly. "If you don't relax your face a little, you'll get wrinkles!"

Clef looked up from the book and raised an eyebrow at her before shaking his head slightly in bewilderment and returning to the book. His shoulder tightened and his left hand clenched into a tight fist as page after page in the book failed to carry the text he sought.

"Enough! Relax!" Umi said again as she placed her hands on Clef's shoulders and began rubbing them gently. She could hear Clef breathe a tranquil sigh. His body loosened and he swayed forwards and backwards slightly under the pressure of Umi's hands. Umi moved over and sat down on the armrest of the chair, and Clef reached over his shoulder with one hand and fingered her hand gently. Umi immediately stopped massaging his shoulders and curled her fingers around his hand. Clef's thumb stroked the side of her hand tenderly. With his free hand, Clef reached up towards Umi face and touched her jawbone, slowly tilting her head towards him. Umi leaned down and Clef kissed her lips softly. He allowed light blue hair to fall through his fingers. Finally, Clef pulled away and laughed lightly.

"Maybe we should get back to work," he laughed softly.

Umi shrugged. "I got distracted," she pouted innocently.

Clef laughed again and turned back to the book. He flipped through a few more pages and then found the Prophecy. He froze and Umi peeked over his shoulder.

"Clef?" Umi asked. "What's wrong? Did you find it?"

Clef nodded slowly and Umi studied the page. She frowned to see that it was written in a different language.

"It's written in code," Clef said. "It was used among demons hundreds of years ago."

"Can you read it?" Umi asked.

Clef nodded and began to read the Prophecy out loud to Umi. "On the black night, the red curse shall upon the earth, declaring a never-ending battle. Magic users of great strength shall be robbed of their abilities, humans robbed of their technology, to leave only brute strength for a battle of species to end it all.

"Three maidens shall arise from the darkness of conflict, hearts swayed in a different direction. Bound by love, they shall lead demons to victory, a species saved—" Clef froze at the next line: 'However, a sacrifice from a love not returned shall be made.' That line had never appeared in the first copy of the Prophecy he had laid eyes upon. He bit his lip and decided to skip that phrase.

"On the night when the moon is full, the Final Battle shall rage, the moon will shine as red as the blood shed by the warriors. As the battle ensues, the moon shall slowly diminish as lives fall. And, when the moon has turned into a ring of fire, blazing in the blackened sky, the demons shall fall, and as the moon is reborn, the demon race shall perish."

Umi could neither speak nor move after Clef finished reading the Prophecy aloud. They sat in silence before Umi spoke. "It isn't possible to be victorious but parish... is it?"

Clef shook his head, a sign that he didn't know the answer any more than she did.

"The moon shall diminish, turn to a ring of fire, and then be reborn..." Umi murmured. "That sounds like an eclipse!"

Clef raised his head and looked at her. "You...you're right!" he said. He suddenly rose from his chair and darted towards a moon chart on the wall. "The next full moon is fourteen days away!"

Clef rushed back to the table and snatched up the book. "Come on!" he called to Umi. "We need to go tell the others!"

And then ran from the library to hastily share their information.

~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, Hikaru and Lantis approached a large door in the lower parts of the castle. Lantis pulled the door open with slight difficulty to reveal a large room, filled with weapons: swords, bows and arrows, axes, rapiers, clubs, crossbows, maces, and even cannons.

"Wow..." Hikaru stood in awe at all of the weapons. She turned her head to see Lantis rummaging through a wooden box in the corner. "Lantis?" she asked. "What are you doing?"

"Getting the rags," Lantis replied as he pulled two white rags from the box. "We have to clean the swords."

Hikaru's grin faltered. "Clean?"

Lantis nodded and tossed her a rag. She caught it easily.

"Get a sword," Lantis instructed as he found a broadsword with a black hilt and sat down on the floor. Hikaru found a sword with a golden hilt and sat on a wooden crate. She watched Lantis as he rubbed carefully at the hilt and then she began to clean her own sword. Lantis was quickly finished and he swung the blade in the air a few times. The blade shone brightly and it hissed as it sliced through the air. Hikaru finished as well just as Lantis began to move on to another sword. Once he finished that one, he fingered the bandage on his cheek, then quickly ripped it off. Hikaru looked up to see that the cut on his cheek was completely gone.

"Y-you're cut... is gone!" Hikaru stammered.

Lantis looked at her and nodded. "We demons heal quickly. It's rather convenient, really."

"Oh," Hikaru said as she gently touched her wounded shoulder. Lantis moved towards her and sat beside her.

"It'll heal," Lantis assured her as he pointed to her shoulder. "At least it's not the arm you carry your sword with."

Hikaru laughed and Lantis smiled a little.

"Oh, look!" Hikaru cried suddenly and pointed to a tiny window near the top of the wall. A little bird was perched at the window, pecking at the glass that blocked the entrance.

Lantis stood and walked towards the window. He opened it slightly and the bird flew in, landing on Lantis's outstretched finger. Lantis smiled tenderly at the bird and walked back towards Hikaru. He sat again and Hikaru reached out to the bird before stroking the back of its head gently with her index finger.

"This bird really seems to like you," Hikaru said to Lantis as the bird chirped merrily at him.

Lantis nodded. "They just show up and I just sit with them. I don't understand why they don't like Eagle instead."

"Perhaps you have a certain allure to you," Hikaru said softly. "Because I like you, too."

Lantis looked up and stared at Hikaru. They slowly leaned forward and kissed, the bird still happily chirping on Lantis's finger. Lantis reached up with his free hand and brushed a few strands of fiery red hair from Hikaru's cheek while Hikaru fingered the place where Lantis's cut had been. When they pulled away, Hikaru looked back at the bird, who had abruptly stopped chirping and was staring at them as if they had grown another head.

Hikaru giggled. "What?" she playfully asked the bird. It squeaked, then flew from Lantis's finger and onto his head. Lantis made an annoyed face and plucked the bird from his hair. It squeaked in protest before flying out the open window.

Hikaru laughed. "I don't think it approved."

Lantis smiled. "Who cares," he said before leaning in and kissing Hikaru again.

~*~*~*~*~

Back in Ferio's room, Fuu and Ferio had sat down on Ferio's bed, and Fuu had begun to give Ferio suggestions on battle formations. Ferio stared at her with a vacant look on his face, having a great deal of difficulty following the conversation.

"So, when the battle begins, we should have the—" Fuu stopped abruptly in mid-sentence when Ferio laughed lightly and shook his head as if in disbelief.

"Ferio!" Fuu scolded. "What are you—!" she was interrupted when Ferio placed two fingers on her lips, silencing her.

"Shh..." he whispered. Fuu blushed as he closed in on her.

"Ferio!" Fuu gasped as he began to kiss her playfully.

"Shh!" Ferio gently hissed again.

"Ferio, I—thought we—were going—to talk—strategy!" Fuu gasped in between kisses.

Ferio pulled away and shook his head. "Strategy! I was only kidding!"

Fuu made a rather annoyed face. "Do you want to survive this war, or not!"

Ferio pouted. "You're no fun," he teased.

Fuu folded her arms at her chest. "You already have a strategy, don't you?"

Ferio shrugged. "That's Lafarga's job."

Fuu laughed and Ferio laughed with her. The two sat in silence for a while before Fuu spoke. "Ferio?"

Ferio raised his head while he traced the bandage on his temple with a finger. "Hmm?"

"What if this war really does end like the Prophecy says?"

"What do you mean?" Ferio asked.

"What if you all..." Fuu couldn't choke out the word.

"Oh, Fuu..." Ferio whispered and pulled her close to him. He felt hot tears soak through his shirt. "I don't believe one's destiny is decided ahead of time. If we try, I know we'll succeed."

Fuu nodded, her face still buried in Ferio's shirt. "You're right," she murmured. "It was foolish of me to think otherwise."

"No, it wasn't," Ferio assured her. He pulled her from his body and lifted her chin upwards so he could look into her eyes. He leaned closer to her and they kissed. Ferio touched Fuu's cut and bruised arms gently and Fuu ran a finger down his cheek. When they parted, Fuu rested her head on Ferio's chest.

"You don't mind?" Fuu asked suddenly.

"Mind what?" Ferio asked.

"You don't mind that I'm a human?" Fuu asked.

"Mind?" Ferio repeated. "If I minded, I would be racist, wouldn't I?"

Fuu laughed and there was a knock at the door. Ferio called for the person at the door to enter, and Fuu lifted herself from Ferio. Ascot stuck his head inside the door.

"Prince Ferio," Ascot said. "Umi and Master Clef just returned. They said they had an important discovery. They're in the Main Hall."

Ferio nodded. "We'll be right there."

Ascot nodded and left the room. Ferio offered his hand to Fuu after he stood and Fuu took it, standing.

"I suppose we should get going," Fuu said.

Ferio nodded and they headed towards the Main Hall. They walked down the dimly lit hallways until they reached it. They were greeted by everyone: Hikaru, Umi, Clef, Lantis, Ascot, Presea, and Eagle.

Clef stood at the front of the room, a large book in hand and Umi by his side.

"Everyone," Clef addressed the group. "Umi and I have found the Prophecy, and I believe we should all pay close attention to it."

Everyone nodded and Clef began to read the Prophecy from the book, skipping the sacrificial sentence, of course. When he was finished, everyone began to talk among themselves.

"Does this mean we should all train especially for the night of the full moon?" Lantis asked Clef.

"Perhaps," Clef said. "But the full moon is approximately fourteen days from now. When the time comes, we should use the utmost caution."

"I believe the ring of fire foretold is an eclipse," Umi said.

Eagle brought a hand to his chin. "There is an eclipse on that day..." he murmured. "Or so my research says."

"Then I suppose that's settled," Clef said. "We all know that we must be best prepared on the night of the full moon."

Everyone nodded and Hikaru involuntarily let out a yawn. Umi and Fuu couldn't help but yawn as well.

"You three must be tired," Eagle suggested. "I believe there is another room in the west wing. Perhaps you can sleep there?"

Eagle turned to Ferio and he nodded his approval.

"Thank you!" Hikaru exclaimed sleepily.

"Let me show you to your room," Eagle said as he left the room with the three Demon Slayers.

~*~*~*~*~

In their new bedrooms, there were three beds. Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu fell asleep quickly, without so much as removing their armor.

~*~*~*~*~

Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu were awoken in the late evening with a loud banging on their door.

"Hikaru! Umi! Fuu!" Ascot's voice came through the door. "Please! Wake up!"

"Huh?" Hikaru mumbled groggily.

"What's going on?" Umi yawned.

Fuu got up and opened the door. "Ascot!"

"Come on!" Ascot pleaded. "They're here! More soldiers!"

"What?!" Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu were immediately awake.

"How did they rebuild so quickly?" Umi was practically on top of Ascot.

"I-I don't know!" Ascot stammered.

Suddenly, dozens of flaming arrows came flying through the windows. They all screamed and back into the wall before darting from the room.

In the Main Hall, they met up with Lantis, Eagle, Clef, and Ferio.

"Ferio!" Fuu called. "What's going on?"

"There are more human soldiers outside," Ferio's voice was rushed and panicked. Lantis rushed over and shoved the Demon Slayers' swords into their hands.

"We must hurry!" Clef called nervously.

"Right! Let's go!" Hikaru exclaimed as they all rushed into the battle, swords and hearts ready.

~*~*~*~*~

Yatta! That chapter was longer than usual, ne? ^_^ Yay! Well, I'm just going to say that I'm going to be leaving on Wednesday for a few weeks, but I'll be back around August 2. I'll have plenty of time to write while I'm gone, so I'll have something ready to post when I get back! OK, well I'm just gonna do a few responses to Chapter 8's reviews:

Virginia Choir- Cliffie? Really? I didn't know I was capable at making cliffhangers... O_o;; I'm really not good at that sort of thing...

Iarly- If you really wanna know, I got the demon/demon slayer idea from Inuyasha, another anime I love. I was watching Inuyasha one day and kinda just imagined Umi in Sango's demon slayer outfit... and the rest of the plot came from my rather messed-up imagination. (Perhaps I should put a disclaimer for Inuyasha, too... I don't own Inuyasha!!!)

Everyone else- Thanks everyone for all your nice reviews! You're awesome!

Well, that's about it! I'll be back in a few weeks! Until then! R&R kudasai!!!!

~*Yume no Kokoro*~