Umi froze in place, her fingers as yet outstretched across her secretary's tidy wooden desk towards the phone. *My armor . . . what's going on here?* she thought in bewilderment. She lowered her hand slowly, gazing with wonder at her azure accoutrements, then shook herself out of the funk with mild exasperation and rapidly pondered her new options. *Wake up, Umi. You still have a bit of a problem, here. Hm. I suppose I could call security . . . not that they'd be here in time to save me or anything.* She shrugged one shoulder and sniffed in derision. "Like they'd believe me anyway," Umi berated herself, leaning against the desk and drumming her fingers. "Excuse me Security-san, but there are three large monsters with horns and big swords in my office that just flew in through the windows," she said mockingly to the empty room. "Yes, that's right, I am on the twenty-fifth floor. Oh, and I've already taken care of one of them with my sword, and it seems I have this magical armor now . . . ." Umi rolled her eyes. *Yeah, right. Well, I suppose I really have no choice . . . .* The advertising exec's face lit in feral joy and she clenched a gloved fist with a thrill of anticipation. *Besides, how can I pass up a chance like this?*

"RAAAARRRRRRLLLL!!" A harsh bellow of anger sounded behind Umi as she ruminated. The demonic invaders in her office stumbled maladroitly through the remains of the door she had demolished in her previous unorthodox and hasty exit. The fierce elation in Umi's sapphire eyes burned with a cold fire as she turned casually to meet the oncoming threat. She smirked derisively, flipping her cerulean hair over her shoulder, and called her ostensibly delicate longsword to her capable hand, disdainfully saluting the beasts before sitting comfortably in a ready stance. "You guys want to fight, eh?" she drawled, her voice thick with sardonic sarcasm. The brutes snarled, unable to understand the woman's words but cautious in the face of their partner's death and the strange magic she was wielding. They lifted their greatswords threateningly and advanced, instinctively attempting to flank their prey.

"Hah!" Umi barked, and to the creatures' surprise, she leaped backwards gracefully, putting more distance between herself and her brutish enemies. "You know," she began conversationally (although she never quite lost that smirk . . . .), "I almost forgot that I have magical powers in this setup." She raised her right hand and spread her fingers dramatically. "I wonder if this still works?

"Mizu no RYUUUUUUUU!!!" she shouted, an immense rush of power immediately surging through her body like water flowing through a conduit, filling her with a sense of exultation. A gigantic, aqueous dragon obediently appeared before her and grinned with malevolent intent upon its mistresses' enemies, its eyes glowing with the frigid cobalt blue of the ocean depths. The monsters screamed in despair, dropping their swords in panic as the tsunami- like power of the water dragon hit them, sweeping them helplessly back into the office. Umi laughed merrily and followed, stumbling slightly as her muscles trembled. *Wow. Magic takes more out of me than it used to,* she thought, straightening her limbs with a will and continuing on her way into the office.

She stepped cautiously into the room, a sliver of sense penetrating her heady rush of power. *These things are still extremely capable of tearing you limb from limb if they catch you, stupid!* she reminded herself, shuddering faintly at the thought. She raised her sword defensively and crossed the soaked gray carpet, eyes meticulously scanning the dark room. The broken windows allowed a crisp autumn breeze to enter, which playfully whipped her long hair wildly about her head as she slipped past the lifeless beast she had dispatched earlier. It was a huge shadowy lump in the dim light, lying stiff and bloody, propped against her drenched desk. *There's one.* Umi's brow creased in puzzlement; where could the other beasts be? There was no sign of life in the still, murky room, save for the lively sounds of a busy city carried up by the dynamic wind.

She heard a faint groan and snapped her blade up, crouching quickly, ready for action. *Where . . . .* She stalked warily to the windows and peeked over the edge, conscious of the painful death that awaited her if she fell, and gasped in surprise when she espied one of the creatures hanging desperately by one hand. It growled angrily at the sight of her face and attempted to swipe at her with its free hand. She easily avoided the blow by stepping back and moving slightly to the side, so she could see it but was out of its reach. "So, ugly, where's your friend?" she asked, quickly scanning the limited area she could discern below her for any sign of the monster. The beast hanging precipitously on the edge of the building bared its teeth and scrabbled with its free hand on the ledge, though it was unable to find any grips on the smooth, fashionable carpet. "Don't know, huh?" Umi asked absently, raising her sword. "Well, goodbye." She chopped her sword down smartly onto the creature's fingers, severing them without difficulty and sending the malevolent brute flying helplessly to the ground hundreds of feet below. She turned away so as not to view the grisly mess she had made, and paced along the edge of her demolished office, looking eagerly for signs of the missing giant.

*Uh oh,* she thought when she reached the opposite wall with no evidence of the other creature's whereabouts. *I have to find that thing before it causes some damage.* She began moving decisively towards the ragged hole in the wall that was the only other exit from the room, then paused in dismay, remembering her armor. "I can't be seen like this!" she wailed. "No one will ever take me seriously on a business deal again!"

*FOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!* A shockwave of blasting winds suddenly burst through the shattered windows, picking Umi up and throwing her brutally against the opposite wall. She was unable to prevent her head from cracking nastily against the barrier, and her sword fell out of her limp hand as she succumbed to the beckoning darkness.

Outside, the busy citizens of Tokyo, most recovering quickly from the sudden strong gusts, were astonished to behold the massive blue-chrome mashin now standing stoically in between several of the tall buildings in the area. At its feet, a broken, bloody form lay, and those closest to the gargantuan mecha would later swear to their friends that the body did not look close to being human. The mashin, ignoring the astonished populace scurrying on the streets like so many ants, lifted its great arm and reached into a broken window several floors above its head.

Seles grasped its Magic Knight carefully in its huge hand and drew her out of the building, shielding her from the jagged shards of glass remaining in the window. With a thought it returned the Knight's weapon to its interdimensional resting place, where it stood ready to be summoned if Umi were ever again in need - and Seles knew that need would come sooner than its Knight was aware. The giant mecha turned its head slightly as explosive winds once again filled the streets and Seles' brothers, Rayearth and Windom, appeared beside the Water Mashin. The newly-arrived Magic Knights swiftly appeared on their respective mashins' shoulders.

Hikaru called to Seles urgently, "Seles! Where is Umi? Is she alright?"

Seles remained silent, but brought his hand to viewing distance of the new arrivals and opened it, allowing them to see the figure lying comatose therein. "Umi!!" The two girls gasped together. Hikaru whipped her gaze to the blue mashin, anger and concern visible in her expressive eyes. "Is she alright? What happened to the creatures?" she asked swiftly. Seles gazed at her impassively for a moment, then answered, "The Magic Knight of Water was injured upon my coming. The winds which brought me to her caused her current state of unconsciousness. Two of the beasts of the Enemy were dispatched ere mine own arrival; I know not of the third." Seles fell silent.

"Uh oh," Hikaru murmured, glancing at Fuu. The Magic Knight of Wind gazed back at her with her brow creased in concern; both for Umi and in knowledge of the destruction the monster could cause while running about Tokyo. "Perhaps we should split up and search . . . ." Fuu began, when suddenly she was cut off by a monstrous bellow of rage. The girls discerned the source of the roar quickly and looked up in tandem to see the missing beast flying downwards from its hiding place on the rooftop towards Seles' open hand, where Umi lay helpless and unaware. Fuu swiftly called upon her wind magic, "Imashime no Kaze!" The verdant winds flew up at her command and bound the plummeting brute well above her sister-in-arms. Hikaru immediately summoned her fire magic for the third time that night, "Hono no YAA!" The flaming arrow sped across the still night air and struck the beast in the throat, cutting off its air supply. As Fuu dropped the burning corpse in disgust, allowing it to drop to the pavement far below, Hikaru clamped her hands hastily onto Rayearth's metallic shoulder, unable to stand any longer as the magic took its toll on her exhausted body.

"Hikaru!" Fuu cried in anxiously, appearing ready to leap to her friend's side. "What's wrong?"

Hikaru wearily raised a hand to halt Fuu's impetuous hurdle and rasped, "It's nothing, Fuu. I think - I think I may have just overdone it a little." She drew in a deep breath. "I'll be fine," she finished firmly. The Wind Knight nodded a little doubtfully, but let Hikaru be, since the night's danger seemed to be thoroughly dealt with. Hikaru looked up into the face of her mashin and asked tiredly, "What now, Rayearth? What does Cephiro need us for so badly, and what were these things that attacked us?"

Rayearth gazed at his counterpart and replied, "All will be answered, Magic Knight of Fire. Guru Clef, who bestowed upon us the power to retrieve our Knights in Cephiro's time of need, will better be able to satisfy thy queries." Hikaru sighed in exasperation and muttered to Fuu, "Just once, I'd like a straight answer out of him . . . ." Fuu smiled slightly, covering her mouth with her hand. The Magic Knight of Wind then asked her own mashin, "Do we go to Cephiro now, Windom?" The Wind mashin nodded its huge head in affirmation. "Do link with me, Magic Knight of Wind. Thy journey will be safer thus." Hikaru and Fuu smiled at each other in farewell, then concentrated momentarily, their forms dissipating slowly and joining with their respective mashins. Seles looked down at the Knight he held in his hand. "Thou must forgive me for mine impertinence, Magic Knight of Water." Umi's still form disappeared from the mashin's palm and joined with her mecha, safely ensconced within its massive armored body. Without further ado, the three mashins triggered the magic imparted to them by Clef and vanished in a fury of tornado-like winds and explosive bursts of light, leaving behind a slightly hysterical, bemused populace . . . .

&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&^&

Ferio paced pensively through the white-marbled palace corridors, his smudged white cloak swirling behind him with each step like a leashed gust of air. He had not yet changed out of his bloody, grimy battle armor, though the combat was hours ended. The King had not bothered to bathe upon returning from the field of battle; the heavy metal plate on his chest, fitted perfectly by the Master Smith, attempted to emit its customary brilliant shine through the dents and gore marring its surface as he walked, but to no avail. He had allowed a squire to remove the matching vambraces and greaves protecting his arms and legs, but he needed time alone to plan with the skirmish fresh in his mind, and the huge sheet of metal shielding his broad chest just took too much time to remove properly. He had taken time to slip his boots off before entering his palace only because he was unwilling to track the lifeblood of friends and enemies accumulated in the hours of battle throughout his home. Instead, he wore soft leather half-boots designed for him personally by . . . some admirer or another. He snorted softly and clasped his hands behind his back, gratefully setting aside the pictures of the dead and dying that played incessantly in his mind, reminiscing almost an entire decade into his past . . . .

"Your Majesty!"

"Good day, Your Highness."

"How are you today, Highness? Would you care to stroll the gardens with me?"

The sweet, coquettish voices surrounded him, invading his privacy, following him throughout the daily routines of running a peaceful, productive Kingdom. He couldn't keep all their names straight; they had seemed to come at him in droves of five or more at a time so as to make sure their 'competition' wouldn't score more time with him than they had managed themselves. His eyes had been ever filled with silk pastels and delicate lace; his nostrils with the seductive scents of predatory women seeking the most effective route to his bed . . . and from there to the throne.

However, that torment was thankfully over, what with the War. Ferio sighed. He never seemed able to disregard thoughts of the War for more than a few seconds.

The palace had swiftly been emptied of all persons but those with skills to contribute to Cephiro's effort against the enemy who had attacked so suddenly . . . killing without warning. Ferio's fist clenched at his side as he recalled those first few days, so many years ago, the days of panic and bloodshed, when the people had nowhere to go, the tentative monarchy still in its infancy after the abolition of the Pillar system. The newest allies of Cephiro had recently departed, unknowingly leaving Cephiro unaided in its struggle against the unknown monsters that attacked without notice and without mercy, beasts which were fiercer and harder to defeat than anything Ferio had ever fought. They had the uncanny ability to appear suddenly in one place and disappear just as easily, only to appear once more a hundred kilos away, out of the reach of Ferio's armies. Even after ten years of bloody, desperate battle, little was known about the creatures. His spies were unable to penetrate any defenses, and most never returned.

Ferio yawned and stretched his leather-clad arms over his head, strolling to a nearby open window and gazing out at the paradoxically beautiful, green landscape bathed in starlit twilight. He was tired. Tired of the fighting, the uncertainty of victory, the loss of precious life. His head lowered almost unwillingly into large, scarred hands. He closed his eyes and tried, just for a moment, to remember what it was like to be at peace. What it was like to ride circuit of his Kingdom and see the happiness and prosperity of his people spread throughout the land. What it was like to have time to himself to read a book, or practice his swordwork merely for fun and exercise. What it had been like to gaze upon Fuu with the knowledge that she was his alone . . . .

"Gah!" he berated himself, fingers clenching in dirty locks of verdant hair that had not seen barber's shears in too long. His amber eyes squeezed tighter as he attempted to hold in the tears he knew were coming at his foolish thought. *You always knew she was going to have to go back to her world,* he reminded himself, as he had done uncounted times in the past ten years, as he ruled his kingdom and fought the War lonely and unhappy, trying to put his woman's happiness over his own. *She's forgotten all about you, idiot. She probably got married years ago and has a houseful of kids now. And what if she had stayed? Would you have her suffer through all the blood and loss with you, probably get herself killed because her nobility would not allow her to remain in safely, just because you're too stubborn to let go?* Tears leaked down his cheeks despite his best efforts; he was just too exhausted from the recent skirmish to hold them back.

*Besides, she would probably run screaming if she saw you now,* he thought bitterly, gazing unseeing out the window and recalling the face he now wore, the result of nearly a decade of fighting hopeless battles with impossible odds. Several scars had joined the one lying across the bridge of his nose. One ran in a white line down his cheek from the corner of his left eye to his jawline - the consequence of a greatsword coming too close to dodge. A second stretched from the middle of his forehead and up through his hair, creating a rakish white lock of hair that often hung irritatingly in his eyes. There were several other, smaller ones, each with a history, violent reminders that he was only human. *That's not even counting the ones people can't see,* he thought morosely, absently tracing the scar that ran down his cheek with a calloused finger.

He sighed and squared his shoulders, unconsciously checking the corridor for onlookers as he cleared his throat and wiped the tears from his unshaven face. *I suppose I should check on Clef, see if he's ready to come out of his chambers and actually help us with this War.* His thoughts left the far past and ran swiftly into the present, musing on Clef's insistence that he be uninterrupted for the past few days. He recalled the scene they'd had in the War Room only three days ago . . . .

"You want what?!" Ferio asked in astonishment, forgetting his generals and the plan he had been displaying over the 3D map on the projection table in his shock. The King gaped at the little Guru and awaited his reply, almost sure that he had misheard the request. Clef gazed back at him serenely and replied, "I must be left alone for the next few days while I am working in my rooms. I cannot have any disturbances. The magic I will be controlling is very delicate and dangerous; any interruption may prove fatal to myself, the intruder, and perhaps everyone in the palace." Ferio just stared silently, unable to comprehend Clef's need to do this magic stunt now. "Clef, if you haven't noticed, we're in a bit of a war, here," The King remarked dryly. "I need you."

Clef bowed slightly with respect, but remained firm. "I am aware of that, Your Majesty. However, I believe my spell may bring about our victory in this Endless War." The King of Cephiro sighed and rolled his golden eyes, a hint of the brash, cheerful young man he had been shining through the tough shell he had forcibly built for a moment. "Fine, Clef. You may have your three days. I just don't know how we're going to get anything done without you around." Clef merely smiled wisely and said, "I suppose you're going to have to think of something, Your Majesty," and tapped his omnipresent staff on the marble floor. There was a poof of lavender smoke, and he was gone. Ferio shook his head ruefully and returned to the matter at hand, speaking once more to his patiently waiting generals. "I apologize for the intrusion, ladies and gentlemen." He pointed once more to the Khaal Mountains several hundred miles south of the palace, "Here is where we can score a real victory over the enemy . . . if we just place the dragon riders here . . . ."

Ferio tapped diffidently on the ornately crafted white door. If the Guru was ready to come out, all well and good, but Ferio didn't want to be the one caught in any magical mishaps if he wasn't! There was no answer for several minutes, and just when Ferio was getting ready to move on, the door opened a crack. Clef's lavender eye peeked out, seeking the intruder, then upon seeing his King, he reached out a small arm and snagged Ferio, pulling him into the room. "Hey," Ferio protested at this abrupt action, though he did not struggle as he entered. "What's going on, Clef?" He looked down at the little Guru, and gasped. The vibrant man, so fit and vital only days before, now seemed a living, breathing skeleton. His flesh had wasted away, leaving only skin, muscle, and bone, anything unnecessary burned away, apparently used as the energy source for the mysterious magic that the Guru been conducting. Ferio swiftly caught Clef in his battle-hardened arms as the magician swooned, overcome by the immense efforts he had put into the magic. "Bed for you, little man," Ferio said, easily scooping the weak Guru into his arms and striding though the well-appointed reception area to the bedroom on the right. The king entered and switched on the light, then set Clef down gently on the bed. Clef gazed blearily at Ferio and said faintly, "T-thank you, Your Majesty . . . it is done." Ferio was in the process of removing his wizard's boots and glanced up questioningly at the ambiguous statement. "Hm?"

Clef lay back at the King's gentle insistence, closing his eyes as soon as his head hit the pillow. "They are coming," was all he said before falling asleep. Ferio snorted and covered the exhausted mage with a thick blanket before switching off the lights and quietly removing himself from the chamber. "They're coming," he repeated quietly to himself as he shut the door with a quiet *click.* "Who in Cephiro could that crazy Guru be talking about?" He shrugged helplessly and stroll down the shining white hallway, turning up the stairs at the end and rushing up them two at a time, surprisingly agile despite his weariness and the weight of the armor that had yet to be removed. He strode down the short passage at the top of the stairs to the immense doors at the end, the only relief in the stone walls. He nodded to the saluting guards and entered as Chauna opened the door, sighing with relief as he stepped into his chambers.

Ferio paused and gazed impassively about the room, feeling almost as though these rooms, the rooms of a warrior King, belonged to someone else. They had changed drastically since the War had begun. Gone were the innocuous books of learning, the cheery paintings which had decorated the wooden walls, the musical instruments he had been learning to play. They had been replaced by tactical maps, multitudinous weaponry, and books by famous strategists from several different worlds. "And so, war makes soldiers of the mightiest," he said reflectively. He stood for several more minutes, then turned and opened the outer door once again, beckoning Rolf within easy speaking distance. "Yes, m'Lord?" Rolf asked diffidently, glaive held at the ready. "Go and fetch my squire, please," Ferio ordered. "I need to get out of this armor." Rolf saluted sharply and strode quickly to the stairs. Ferio nodded politely to Chauna and shut the door. He staggered to an overstuffed chair that was upholstered in one of his favorite shades of green and tossed the various weapons and pieces of armor that were resting therein onto the richly carpeted floor. The King sat with relief, leaning back and closing his eyes. *I hadn't realized I was so tired . . . .* he thought absently before he felt sleep sneak up from behind and ambush him.