For those that are startin' to enjoy this fanfic…great. Anyway…as each chapter progresses on…it's startin' to get closer to the end. The next chapter is the first part of the climactic battle scenes between the antagonist & my characters, with the help of the Magic Knights. Oh…and just to let you know, there's a battle between my 2 characters in the next chapter as well. The chapter after that is the second part of the battle & the dramatic resolution. (Thinks: Better not give too much away). Hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I had much fun creating it. Like I said…this one reveals a bit of the relationship between Tsuki & Hikari, Hikari's feelings for Tsuki, a dream that she has & somehow manages to interpret it, as well as the legend behind the actual legendary sword of Triforia, & what part it plays in this new conflict.

Disclaimer: Yami Kero doesn't own Rayearth or any of its characters, they belong to CLAMP, except for the following: Tsuki Akari, Hikari, Yami Ryu, Yue (no…not the one from Card Captor Sakura), Honou Hi, Umi Yubi, & Yasashii Kaze. (Sorry if the last 3 characters' name's sound a bit lame…demo…I had a hard time trying to come up with names for these 3…they play a vital role in my character's world).

Enjoy.

Chapter 3: Secrets Revealed: The Mystery of the Legendary Sword of Triforia

As soon as the sun rose over Cephiro, Tsuki slowly got up from bed & squinted a few times, for the sun's rays was shining through the balcony that was in the room. He then looked over his shoulder & noticed that Hikari had fallen asleep while watching him. He attempted to smile & gently stroked her hair. Afterwards, he then got out of the room & walked around the castle to the third floor to only bump into Mokona, who looked happy to see him.

"What are you doin' here Mokona?" he asked.

"Puu, pu, puu, pu," it said. (Just wanderin' around the castle).

"Causing mischief again?" Tsuki guessed.

"Puu, pu, pu, puu, pu, puu," it said, sheepishly. (I guess you could say that.)

"GET BACK HERE YOU BALL OF FLUFF!" someone yelled faintly. "I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET!"

He then turned & saw Umi running down the hall, really ticked off for some reason.

"Pu, puu, pu, pu," the white fluff ball said (Uh-oh…I'm in trouble).

"Doushita, Umi-chan?" he asked.

"Eh…y-you must be Tsuki, ne?" she asked. "Eh…how'd you know?"

"Oh…truth be told……I was nearly asleep. You see…when you guys came in…my right eye was narrowly closed, while my left eye was completely closed. So you see…when you guys introduced yourselves…I was quickly able to tell who was who, mostly by looks," he explained.

"Sou desu. Your…Hikari-san's partner, ne?" Umi asked.

"Hai," he answered. "Ano...what's with the mallet?"

"That stupid ball of fluff surprised me again by sneaking behind me & got under my skirt," she said, slightly blushing, but also ticked off.

"S-sou desu. That can tend to be a bit annoying at times," he said.

"Sou ne. Eh…doko Mokona?" she asked, as she looked around. "Grrr…got away again! A-ano…nice meeting you."

"Likewise," he said. Then he watched as Umi continued to search the castle until she pounded Mokona. "He he. That's quite embarrassing…not to mention perverted. Can't do much about that though."

Meanwhile, back at the room that Tsuki & Hikari was staying in, Hikari was saying things in her sleep, & tossing & turning.

'You will do as your are commanded to do. Now finish him!' said a voice.

'I-I…I can't. I can't do it,' she said.

'You WILL do it or you'll die by your own hand,' it said & started to move the sword towards her chest.

'Don't do it,' yelled Tsuki.

'Tsuki-sama…tasukete,' she pleaded.

'If you won't do it…then I'll do it myself!' it yelled, angered.

Hikari could only watch in fear & horror as she watched the blade about to strike Tsuki.

'DAME!' she cried.

"NO," she said suddenly, and then sat upright when she realized that Tsuki wasn't in bed. She then breathed heavily & thought to herself, 'It was just a dream. Demo…it looked so real. I better find Tsuki-sama & fast.' In a sudden panic, she rushed out of the room, & started to search the second floor of the castle. As she was searching, she accidentally bumped into Fuu.

"G-gomen nasai, Fuu-chan. I wasn't looking," said Hikari.

"There's no need. Why are you in such a rush anyway?" she asked curiously.

"Have you seen Tsuki? He left the room a while ago & I was still asleep at that time," she said quickly.

"Hmm…now that you've mentioned…I actually saw Umi chasing Mokona with a mallet…and she told me that she saw Tsuki on the first floor," answered Fuu.

"Arigatou, Fuu-chan," Hikari said, and started her way down to the third floor of the castle.

'She must be really worried. Seems to me that those 2 have a crush on each other,' thought Fuu, & giggled at the thought.

As soon as she reached the first floor, she thought she heard someone speaking down the hallway.

'Could that be…' she wondered.

"This place is really huge. Wonder how they built a place this big?"

The voice was a bit faint, but she quickly recognized it immediately.

"Tsuki-sama," Hikari called out & ran to where Tsuki currently was.

"Eh…was that Hikari-san?" he wondered.

"Tsuki-sama!" Hikari called out again.

'That is her. But…what is she doing here?' he wondered. 'Oh…I remember now. I woke up & wandered off a bit. Must've been worried about my condition. Heh…typical. That kinda reminded me of my mom when I was little.'

As soon as Hikari found Tsuki, she just hugged him tightly with tears falling from her face. Tsuki, a bit surprised, asked, "Doushita?"

"It's just…you woke up & started wandering around the castle. At the condition that you were in…" she started.

"Mou daijoubu, hontou desu," answered Tsuki.

"You just got me all worried that's all," said Hikari.

"Gomen nasai. I'll try not to do that again," answered Tsuki.

"Anyway…since your up…I was thinking of introducing you to Guru Clef," said Hikari.

"Who's that?" wondered Tsuki.

"Oh…almost forgot. You haven't met him yet. He seems to be one of the guardians of Cephiro…or something like that," explained Hikari.

"He's a mage, is he not?" guessed Tsuki.

"Hai…and…wait a second…how'd you know that?" asked Hikari.

"Because he's standing right behind you," answered Tsuki.

And by the time Hikari turned around, Tsuki was right. He was standing behind them.

"My apologies if I seemed to have startled you, Hikari-san," said Clef.

"There's no need," said Hikari.

"And who's this?" asked Clef.

"Watashi wa Tsuki desu. Tsuki Akari," he answered. "Dozo yoroshiku."

"Likewise," answered Clef. "I just need to talk to you both for a while in the hall about something."

"What is it about?" asked Tsuki.

"It has something to do about both of you being here…as well as what the enemy wants," explained Clef. "The 3 Knights, Ferio & Presea are already there."

"Hai…wakarimasen," answered Hikari.

As the 2 were led by Clef to the hall, Tsuki himself couldn't help but wonder to himself, 'Does it have something to do with the story that Hikari-san told me once before when we first met?'

When they arrived, Tsuki was greeted by the Magic Knights, Ferio, & Presea. Tsuki bowed & did the same. After the pleasantries, Clef stood in between the Magic Knights & Presea.

"I have both called you here for a reason. It seems that enemy recognizes you somehow. I'm not sure how…but…your presence here…has caused another fight to erupt," said Clef.

"If so…don't you guys have any allies?" asked Tsuki.

"We do…but…" started Ferio.

"But what?" wondered Hikari.

"We're not sure if they would understand the current situation we're facing. Like Hikaru said…this is your fight," said Presea.

"But even though it is……shouldn't we help them out? I mean…they're also our allies as well," said Hikaru.

"That may be true…for the time being…but still…we're not sure what their enemy wants," said Clef.

"That's where you wrong," said Hikari.

At that moment, all eyes were on Hikari. Unknowingly to them, someone was watching from below the castle of Cephiro. Hikari…feeling not nervous, heaved a big sigh & asked, "Do you guys not remember me telling you about a sword that defeated my enemy some time ago?"

"Yes," they all said.

"Wasn't it the same sword that defeated the origin of Yami Ryu as well?" asked Tsuki.

"Chotto matte…what do you mean by…the "origin" of Yami Ryu…& who is he anyway?" asked Hikaru.

"There was some reference to this character in Hikari's story…still…there's not much information about what he's capable of," said Fuu.

"Unless…there's a sword way more powerful than that," said Umi.

"There is…though…I use to think it was a myth my father told me," said Hikari.

"Well…then I guess we'll just have to fill you guys in on it," said Tsuki, as he began to explain one-half of the story.

'After the creation of Triforia & its first inhabitants, the 3 nations managed to live in peace & harmony for 6 millennia. At that time, the 3 deities were the guardians of that planet. They also had a prophesy. That one day…the same war, will repeat again & again. As long as the enemy doesn't create a clone of himself, then it won't come to pass. Then…one day, it all changed. For a citizen of the mountain colony stumbled across a huge rock that contain strange symbols, somewhat similar to that of Triforia. On the top of the rock, there was a huge serpent symbol with wings. They brought it back to their colony & tried to examine it,' explained Tsuki.

"So…this…I suppose…is what started it all…right?" asked Hikaru.

"That's right," answered Tsuki. 'Once they examined it & realized that the markings was similar to that of their language, they decided to decipher the meanings of the strange markings to find out what was in that rock…………big mistake. For when they did so, a strange purple light emitted from the rock, & hypnotized most of the scribes of Triforia. They were forced to turn back on their deity guardians, but the others tried to stop them, yet they too became hypnotized by the enemy's power. The 3 deities however…foresaw this & tried to prevent it. Many lost their lives, & very few returned to the rock. Those that failed…were cursed & turned into serpents. After that happened, the next few turn of events would then set the course for the 2nd war of Triforia to begin. The 3 deities fought against the creator of the serpent race, Kuroi Ryu. His power was nearly matched by the 3 deities. But the only thing that he didn't know was that there was another that would eventually defeat him & also make him leave a small remnant of himself. The battle raged on for 2 millennia, nearly without any end in sight. Then…out of the battlefield, a young boy from the mountain tribe, armed with only a blue pendant came forth & sided with the deities. His courage was unbelievable & his heart was so pure that the 3 deities then created a legendary sword, forged from their own powers. And with it…brought the creator's downfall. Yet before he left…he vowed that a descendant of his would rise & destroy this planet & with that…he disintegrated. With the threat gone, they then transformed into the sages of Triforia.'

"And as you already know that lead to where I came in," said Hikari.

"But…I thought you said that your world was destroyed, even with their help," said Hikaru.

"Yes…that's true…but…they also left something else behind," said Hikari.

"And…what is that?" asked Umi.

"The essence of the deities. Their powers together forged the legendary sword that defeated Kuroi Ryu, the creator of the serpents," explained Hikari.

"And just…where is this…essence?" asked Tsuki.

"Heh…you might be surprised about something that I know that you didn't," said Hikari.

"And…do tell…what is it that I missed?" asked Tsuki.

"The essence of the deities…was sealed in a blue pendant," said Hikari.

"That's what I mentioned a while ago," said Tsuki. Then it hit him. "Wait a second…you're saying that…"

"Yup. You see this pendant that's around my neck?" asked Hikari.

Tsuki looked closely at what Hikari was wearing…and it seemed to be another pendant.

"That's the green pendant that you sealed yourself in," said Tsuki.

"WHAT?" replied the others in shock & surprise.

"You may not know this Tsuki-sama……but…in order to release the legendary sword, you'll have to combine the powers from the pendant around your neck, along with mine," said Hikari.

"So…from what you guys told us…it seems that this…Yami Ryu…wants the legendary sword of Triforia, correct?" asked Fuu.

"Yes…that's right," said Hikari. "And…if it were to fall in the wrong hands…it would not only endanger this world…but also your world as well."

"NANDATTE!" asked the Magic Knights & Tsuki together.

"It's true. If he manages to control this world, then he can easily gain access to your world, w/o the need of the Pillar to open it," said Hikari.

"Whoa…that's harsh," said Tsuki.

"We can't let that happen though," said Hikaru.

"So…how do we prevent him from getting it?" wondered Umi.

"We separate the key from the lock," said Tsuki.

"Huh?" the 3 girls wondered.

"He means to separate both of the pendants. As long as they both have the pendants separated…he can't summon the legendary sword," explained Clef.

"Now you're catching on," said Hikari.

Then, as soon as the whole situation was figured out, the spy left the castle below & went to inform its soldiers about the plan & how to get Hikari.

"In the meantime, we should take turns keeping watch for the enemy. In case we spot something out of the ordinary, whistle 3 times & be prepared for anything," said Tsuki.

"Good idea," said Fuu.

"I should probably start. Considering that I'm familiar with the enemy," said Hikari.

"Uh-uh…no way. There's no way I'm leaving you alone so easily that the enemy can spot you & grab you when you aren't looking," answered Tsuki.

"Heh…that's why I packed this, silly," said Hikari. Her pendant began to glow & it released another sword, different from Tsuki's however. It had a golden hilt w/the 3 virtues of Triforia engraved on it. Wisdom, Trust, & Courage. It was also a bit more heavier than Tsuki's sword.

"Why didn't you tell you also had one?" asked Tsuki.

"Because…like I said…if they managed to get their hands on both swords & find out how to have them create the legendary sword, great disaster may befall both worlds," explained Hikari. "And…it's like you said, separate the key from the lock, is it not?"

"Hai," answered Tsuki. "Anyway…I'll just be in the room where I'm currently staying for now & watch from there."

"Not alone you're not," said Hikari.

"I'll be fine," answered Tsuki.

"Demo…"started Hikari.

"I can handle it," said Tsuki & headed off in the room where he currently resided in.

As Hikari stood there & watched, Hikaru, Umi, & Fuu began to notice the sad & worried expression that was on her face.

"You ok?" asked Umi.

"Hai," answered Hikari, looking down.

"Iie. There has to be something bothering you. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been the way you are now," said Umi.

"We're your friends as well, Hikari. We can help," said Fuu.

Hikari, heaving a huge sigh said, "I foresaw what would happen later."

"And…" started Hikaru.

"There was tragedy," said Hikari.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Umi in concern.

"It doesn't concern you 3 & world…it…was about me," said Hikari.

"What happened?" asked Hikaru.

"I was……forced to fight Tsuki …by the hands of my enemy," said Hikari.

"Say what? That is just downright wrong," said Hikaru.

"You don't understand. His hypnotic powers are powerful even for you girls to comprehend. He tried to make me kill him…and…" started Hikari.

"And what?" wondered Fuu.

"I resisted," said Hikari.

"Then what happened?" wondered Umi.

"He said…he said…" started Hikari, trying to hold back tears.

"What did he tell you?" asked Hikaru.

"He told me…if I didn't kill Tsuki-sama…then he'd…he'd do it himself," answered Hikari, who started to break down.

"That's just crazy. There's no way that would happen to him," said Umi.

"There's something else as well," said Hikari. "Demo…promise me you won't tell Tsuki?"

"Hai," said the trio.

"If…if he manages to somehow get the sword…and he forces me to use it on Tsuki…he'll…" started Hikari.

"He'll have to do what?" wondered Hikaru.

"He'll have to kill me," answered Hikari.

At those words, the 3 girls fell completely silent for a moment, realizing that it was as if they were thrust back into the same dreadful, emotional scenario in which Princess Emeraude told the 3 girls to do the same thing to her.

"Demo…he…he wouldn't do that. I know he wouldn't," said Fuu.

"How do you know, Fuu-chan?" asked Hikaru.

"Wakanai. It's just…something tells me that…Tsuki…might be able to help you somehow. I don't know how…but…something tells me…he might stand a chance against this foe…&…he might find a way to save you both," said Fuu.

"I agree. You may not realize it…but…a while ago, when we met…I knew you had something for Tsuki. So…I'm pretty sure he'll be able to win this fight," said Umi. "Knowing him…he'd do anything to save you."

Having said that, Hikari began to feel a sense of warmth & comfort from their words & said, "Arigatou."

"Dou itashimashite," said Hikaru. "Just don't give up on him…and he won't on you."

"Hai," answered Hikari.

As Hikari went back to the room where she & Tsuki was staying in, she couldn't help but keep worrying about Tsuki.

'They're right. I know Tsuki-sama wouldn't do such a thing. Still…I can't stop worrying about him. Every time I get close to him…I get this warm, fluttery feeling in my stomach, like it's tying my insides into knots. Could this be…love?' she wondered.

As soon as she entered, she saw Tsuki leaning against a beam that supported the balcony.

"I had a feeling you'd show up," said Tsuki.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing," answered Hikari.

"It's ok, really. I'm fine," said Tsuki.

"I'm glad," said Hikari.

As she walked closer to him, that warm fuzzy feeling that was within her started to grow as she got near him. They both looked over the fields & beautiful grassy plains of Cephiro as the day started to come to a close.

Tsuki started to notice Hikari was acting a bit…unusual & asked, "Daijoubu desu ka?"

"Hai," answered Hikari.

"Oh…you just seemed…troubled by something," said Tsuki.

"I-it's nothing, really," said Hikari.

"Oh…ok," answered Tsuki.

After a few moments of silence, they both faced each other, with a look of longing in each others eyes. Finally, Hikari broke the silence.

"Do you remember when we first met?" asked Hikari.

"Yes…you were a small winged lioness when I first saw you," answered Tsuki.

"And…when I saw you for the first time…there was something about you that seemed familiar to me," said Hikari.

"I see," said Tsuki.

"Do you remember what I told you once, when we were at Tokyo Tower one time?" asked Hikari.

"You said you'd bind yourself to me," said Tsuki.

"And to that I hold. I would rather spend a lifetime with you, than face all the ages of this world alone," said Hikari.

Suddenly, Tsuki felt something in his hand & looked down. It was like a small necklace. It had a white flower within a circle & a green gem right in the middle of the flower.

"It was a protective charm that my mother gave to me when I was little. She passed it on to me after her mother passed away," said Hikari.

"You cannot give me this," said Tsuki. "I can't accept something as important as this. It means so much to you."

"I don't need it anymore," said Hikari.

"But…"started Tsuki.

"It is mine to give to whom I will," said Hikari. Then she added, "Like my heart."

Tsuki gasped at what Hikari had just told her & they both just looked into each others eyes for a moment. Tsuki had a sudden urge to kiss Hikari, but hesitated for a moment. Hikari…the same feeling. Then, slowly…their heads moved closer together & their lips finally touched. Tsuki was surprised at first, considering that this was his first kiss. Same thing with Hikari. Yet the moment lasted was quite brief. Then they quickly separated, their faces bright red & turned away from each other for a moment.

"I-I'm sorry," said Tsuki.

"I-it's ok," said Hikari. "Tsuki-sama…"

Tsuki stared at her & wondered what she was trying to tell him, but knew that it wasn't easy to find out.

"Watashi wa……watashi wa…" started Hikari.

But before she could continue, a long yellow tail grabbed her from above & carried her away.

"Hikari-san!" Tsuki called out.

"Tsuki-sama!" yelled Hikari.

Just as he tried to follow her, a huge force wave pushed him back & hit the back of the door hard. When he regained his footing & rushed back to the balcony, she was already gone.

"Kuso! I've failed her," cursed Tsuki. "DAMN IT ALL!"

A few minutes later, he heard the door open & saw the 3 Knights, Ferio, Lantis, & Clef enter his room.

"What's happened?" asked Clef.

"She's gone…"stated Tsuki.

"Who's gone?" asked Umi.

"They took her. They took Hikari," said Tsuki.

sighs. I'm going to end it there for now. The next 2 chapters are going to be a big challenge for me to write. I still have part of it down in my head…the only thing that's going to be a challenge is the battle scenes. I mean, yeah…description's one thing, visualizing it in your mind is another. Anyway…I'll see what I can do about it…and…in the mean time…I've also got to prepare for back to school. So…if I manage to get this fanfic done before school starts…then lucky me. Oh yeah…and this month is going to be my birthday. So…like I said…hopefully I'll be able to have this done before the month is over. Now that Hikari has been captured by the enemy, how will Tsuki & the others be able to find her? What new surprises await them? Here's a small preview of the next chapter:

'We HAVE to find a way to cross this bridge,' said Umi.

'There's not much time. We have to solve this puzzle & fast,' answered Fuu.

'So…I see you've managed to make it this far…foolish mortal,' said a voice.

'You must be Yami Ryu, Kuroi Ryu's descendant,' guessed Tsuki.

'Yesssssss,' he hissed. 'I've been anticipating your arrival for some time now. I ssssupossse you're here for your…friend.'

'What have you done to her? Where's Hikari!' Tsuki demanded.

'Don't worry…she's ssssafe. Jussst…not in a good mood,' he snickered. Then…out of the shadows, red eyes appeared.

Next chapter: "The Serpent's Presence: Yami Ryu's Sinister Trap (Tsuki vs. Yami Ryu pt. I)

Here's some of the terms I used:

Hai – Yes

Ja nai - used as a negative

Hontou - really (also used as a question)

Chan – used when referring to a friend

Wakanai – I don't know

San - referred to as Miss (mostly female)

Sama - referred to with a higher rank/owner/master

Sou ne - That's true

Arigatou – Thank You

Dou Itashimashite – You're welcome

Dozo yoroshiku – Nice to meet you

Demo – But

Doushite – How? (Also means "why" (Which can also be used by saying "Naze" (this also has the same meaning).

Hontou – Really (Also used as a question)

Watashi wadesu – I'm…

Kuso – Damn

Daijoubu desu ka – Are you all right?

Nandatte – What did you say?

Chotto matte – Wait a minute…

Kuroi Ryu – Black Dragon

Wakarimasen – (formal way) I understand

Mou daijoubu – I'm all right

Sou desu – I see

Doko – Where?

Tasukete – Help

Dame! – No

NOTE: Anything that seems wrong in my interpretation or meaning of the word…please feel free to correct me. (Like I said…I only know some words/phrases/short sentences).

Laterz!