Head . . . hurts . . . too much writing . . . . I really got into this story over the past couple of days, and I know exactly where it's going, but I think that I may need a day or five to recover from the 5-10 hour writing marathons. My eyeballs are falling out . . . .^^;

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Thursday, November 6: New York City, 3AM

Hikaru stood frozen in disbelief, shocked eyes taking in the inconceivable sight of the magical armor. "This is not possible . . . ." she breathed aloud . . . .

*CLANG!* The bemused Knight jumped nervously, her ears assaulted by the sudden discordant cacophony. Attention effectively returned to the battle, she watched in fascination as the deadly greatsword, the fateful weapon she had somehow escaped in her impossible transformation, scraped uselessly against the pavement in a shower of sparks. The dim-witted beast striking the blow snorted in confusion at the sudden disappearance of his target. "Huh?" It grunted stupidly, cocking its head to the side and regarding the empty space, unaware of Hikaru's presence only meters away, hidden in the shadows.

"Where is she, you bastard?!" The newly-armed Magic Knight swiftly shifted her gaze at the rage-filled roar of challenge, eyes widening in helpless horror as she watched Zach charge unswervingly into the evil behemoth, swinging his fists in a berserker fury. "NO!!" she screamed, unheard in the melee. She raised her arms in panic-stricken determination and gritted her teeth, struggling frantically recall the words that would send the magic coursing through her veins . . . .

The creature, completely unfazed by the attack, snarled at Zach with an irritated grimace of hatred and shoved him into the alley wall with a negligent sweep of its heavy arm. Zach's head smacked painfully against the bricks, and he slid noiselessly to the alley floor, unconscious. "HEY!!" Jo screamed, sprinting seconds behind her brother. She clenched her teeth in helpless anger, tears leaking from her furious blue eyes, drum sticks at the ready . . . .

"Hono no YAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!" Hikaru's voice echoed throughout the alleyway as a giant, flaming arrow ripped through the air and smashed with lethal force into the huge monster's torso. ""RRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!" It bayed in startled agony, dropping its weapon and falling helplessly onto its side, attempting to smother the stinging fires creeping over its greenish skin.

Jo halted in her steps, her arms lowering slowly, and turned her head stiffly along the arrow's trajectory until she could see the red-haired woman, dressed like a fantastic knight in a fairy tale and standing with gloved hands outstretched. "H-Hikaru . . . .?" Jo trailed off, backing up several small steps, her face locked in amazement and terror.

Hikaru's heart ached at the sight of Jo's terrified expression, but she pushed the sensation to the back of her mind as she caught a hint of movement out of the corner of her eye. The other two monsters had regained their feet, callously ignoring their screaming, scorched comrade, yellow eyes glowing with anger and frustration at the sight of their prey yet standing. The leader, minus one eye and missing his sword, sprang forward and slashed at the exhausted Knight with his inch-long claws, roaring in fury. Hikaru stumbled backwards in panic, and instinctively summoned her magic sword from its resting place inside the magical ruby inset on her glove. The broadsword obeyed her command at once, appearing in her hands as though she were fourteen again and had never left Cephiro. She had no time to think - the beast was ruthlessly lunging towards her, gaping maw leading to rake her with jagged teeth and tusks - so she surrendered to her lifelong training, her kendo-honed reflexes sending her diving to the attacker's blind side in a controlled tumble. The rampaging beast thundered past her, barely missing her unprotected back with a vicious snap of its jaws. She smoothly rolled to her feet and pivoted on her heel, using the force from the motion to swing her weapon around and chop heavily into the creature's exposed neck with all her strength. The magically- wrought blade sheared through muscle and bone like there was naught but air in its path, cleaving the monstrous head from its shoulders with a single stroke.

Her instincts screamed at her halfway through the maneuver - the other enemy was too close!! She shifted her weight as she completed the powerful swing and spun in a tight half-circle, crying out loudly in pain as her shoulders screamed protest, and then shoved the gory tip of her broadsword into the expansive chest of the charging third giant. The monster bellowed an enraged death cry, stumbling over its suddenly unresponsive legs and crashing onto the swiftly-cooling corpse of its comrade, forcing Hikaru to tear the sword through its ribs and leap aside quickly to avoid being crushed by its bulk.

Hikaru stood in the dim light of the back alley, loosely gripping her weapon. Her breath heaved in and out, her legs trembled with exertion and shock, and sweat poured unchecked down her face, but she straightened with an effort of will and staggered across the alley to the charred hulk attempting to rise. It snarled weakly at her approach and snapped its teeth together in a feeble effort to intimidate her. Hikaru gagged at the scent of crisped flesh and quickly shoved her sword through its skull. She released the hilt and stepped shakily back, dropping suddenly onto the ground as her legs refused to hold her up any longer. She sat for several minutes, shivering uncontrollably, arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

* Zach . . . Jo . . . they could have died . . . they could so easily have died . . . and those - those THINGS - were after me.*

She winced at her thoughts, and then forced herself to glance at Jo.

The young girl was still standing uncertainly next to her fallen brother, staring in confused horror at the woman in fiery-red armor sitting on the ground. Their eyes met for a moment in silence, then Jo seemed to wake up a little. "H-Hikaru?" she whispered. "Are you - are you OK?" Her face was still pale and her eyes red from crying, and it seemed she would break down at any moment. Hikaru shoved aside her own shock and anxiety and rose, forcing her legs to obey, striding quickly to the girl and wrapping her in a tight hug. Jo resisted for a fraction of a second, unsure of the blooded warrior her friend and pseudo-sister had become, but her need for comfort in the face of the recent chaos was too great. She leaned into Hikaru's embrace desperately, sobs shaking her small shoulders. "Shhh, it's OK," Hikaru whispered, rocking slightly. "They can't hurt you. They're gone." She glanced down to see Zach lying prone on the cold asphalt, and gently persuaded Jo to release her. "I have to make sure Zach's OK, Jo," she said soothingly, and removed the girl's arms. She knelt beside her fallen friend, landing heavily as her abused muscled protested, then looked up again with a weary, resigned expression when she heard Rev's shocked voice exclaiming, "What the HELL is going on out here? Hikaru? Zach? Jo, there you are, where's . . . ." He halted in amazement when he passed around Wheeler's shielding bulk, viewing the carnage in the alley.

Rev stepped timorously forward to the stiff corpses of the massive beasts, recoiling in horror when he got a good look at them. He spun around again to Hikaru and Jo, speechless in the face of this horrific scene from a sci- fi thriller. Hikaru forced herself to ignore both him and Jo, removing her gloves and smoothing Zach's black hair from his face. She knew next to nothing about head wounds. *What should I do now?* she thought tiredly, disheartened tears rising, unchecked in her expressive eyes. Zach suddenly groaned in pain and shifted slightly, his eyes opening to slits. "Hikaru?" he rasped, his head throbbing painfully with a searing headache. "Where's Jo?"

"She's right here, Zach," Hikaru answered in heartfelt relief, reaching up to grab Jo's hand and gently tug her down so Zach could see. He smiled faintly and brought a hand to his pounding head. "Wha' happened?" he muttered, attempting to sit up with uncooperative limbs. Hikaru and Jo gripped his arms and lifted him enough to rest his back against the alley wall he had been slammed against earlier. "Hikaru got them, Zach," Jo replied, her voice getting stronger as the reality of surviving the ordeal began to penetrate her distress. "Huh?" he asked, looking up at his sister in confusion. His eyes widened as his memories returned. "Those things? Where are they? Is everyone alright?" he asked swiftly, craning his neck to see past the two females. "No, Zach, they're dead," Jo answered again, grabbing his chin and making him look at her. "Hikaru killed them. They're gone."

As Zach sat dumb in amazement, taking in Hikaru's bizarre costume for the first time, he opened his mouth . . . .

*VOOOOSH!!!* Whatever Zach had been about to say was lost forever in rapidly rising winds that gusted powerfully through the alley, forcing the occupants to protect their faces from loose debris. "Rev!!" Hikaru yelled over the noise, catching the shocked man's gaze. "We need to get Zach behind Wheeler!" Rev hesitated, then nodded in agreement and fought the crushing gales to her side. They threw their friend swiftly over their shoulders and dragged him to the sheltering mass of the van, Jo following close behind. As soon as they reached a position of relative safety, Hikaru untangled herself from Zach and crept along Wheeler's flank, squinting desperately through the whirlwind.

Then an ear-splitting popping noise, like a massive balloon exploding, abruptly echoed throughout the alley and the winds halted instantaneously. Hikaru jumped up and ran to the front of the van, ignoring Rev's cry and Jo's loud protest. *I have to protect them . . . .* was her only thought as she prepared to unleash Akai Inazma, her powerful Ruby Lightning, upon any new intruders.

She stopped short, skidding slightly in her rush to halt, and gawked at the new arrival in amazement, unconsciously relaxing her defensive posture. "Rayearth . . . ." she breathed.

The large red mashin looked at her impassively from its tremendous height, the red, white, and gold of its metallic body shimmering vividly even in the uncertain light of the alley. "Hail, Magic Knight of Fire," it said, its deep voice resonating, as though sounded from the bottom of a deep well. "I summon thee now to thy duty. Cephiro is in need." It bent down and reached out a huge hand as if to take hold of her. Hikaru was too astounded to protest, standing silently as the giant fingers swooped towards her . . . .

"NO, HIKARU!!!" Jo shrieked and rushed out from behind Wheeler, dodging Rev's quickly outflung hand and running smack into the Magic Knight, hugging her tightly. The mashin hesitated at this unexpected behavior, and Hikaru wrapped one arm around the sobbing girl. "Don't worry, Jo, this is . . . a friend," she whispered reassuringly, and turned once more to the giant robotic figure. "Rayearth, if I go with you, will my friends here be safe from further attacks?" Rayearth regarded her mutely for a long moment, then shifted its gaze to the young female attached to his counterpart's arm. "I know not the answer to your query, Magic Knight of Fire," it responded finally. "I have been prevented from appearing on thy world, until thou called upon the powers of thy armor and sword in battle. There are forces mightier than I at play in the realms of Earth and Cephiro." Hikaru hissed impatiently at the evasive answer and thought furiously. *I can't just leave them here, they could still be in danger . . . and none of them know how to fight . . . .*

"Magic Knight of Fire." The mashin interrupted her thoughts. "There is little time if thou wouldst go to the aid of thy fellow Knights."

"My - WHAT?" Hikaru exclaimed in disbelief. "You mean these things . . . ." she gestured to the bodies scattered on the pavement with her free hand. "There's more of them?" Her eyes widened. "And they're after Fuu? And Umi?" She shook Jo loose and strode quickly to her sword, still embedded in the thick skull of the burned beast. She grasped the hilt and yanked it out with a sharp *jerk,* then spun back to Rayearth with a determined, frightened face. "Let's go, Rayearth."