Here's Chapter 8! Let me warn you, this is really long! So, please review!

Disclaimer: LoviScarlett does not own MKR. If she did, she'd make a season 3.

Chapter 8: Heartbreaks Everywhere

It was a bright and sunny day in the small village of Deon.

The women waved their goodbyes to their husbands as they went off to work. The children were busy finishing their chores so that they could hurry off to play. All in all, it was a typical morning in Deon. Peaceful and serene.

Even though there were rumours of Cephiro being at war once more, the people had faith in the returned Magic Knights. They had saved them twice and gave them back their life. They knew in their hearts that they will be able to save them once more. All they have to do is believe in them.

A little girl of 10 with long dark brown hair and amber eyes was playing infront of a small house. She was holding a stick and was waving it around like a sword. She was playing 'Magic Knight' and she was her favourite, the 'Fire Knight'.

"Take that, monster! HaaaaYaaaa!" the girl said as she brought the stick down over her head.

"Nika, will you please stop playing for a while and help me hang these?" A woman with wavy dark brown hair tied in a loose ponytail asked. She was wearing a red top and a brown long skirt. She was carrying a wooden woven basket full of wet clothes.

Nika looked up at her mother and pouted. "Do I have to? Can I continue playing for a while more?"

"If I let you, I will end up doing it all by myself. Besides, all you have to hang are your clothes." The woman handed Nika a small wooden basket, dropping her stick sword in the process. She sighed. "Fine. But can I play as soon as I finished?"

The woman smiled. "Of course."

Nika ran off towards the empty line. She dropped the basket and got the ladder as she was too small to reach the cloth line. She first took a white skirt but the wind was too strong and it blew right off her hands into the forest. "Ah..."

"Oh no, the wind blew it away. You should hold it more firmly. But, it shouldn't be too far off. Nika, would you mind getting it?" the woman said as she watched the skirt enter the forest. "Sure, I was the one who lost it. I'll be right back." Nika said as she jumped off her ladder and fetched her stick. She ran towards the forest after the skirt.

In the past, Nika would have never even thought of entering the forest. The monsters that roam in it were deadly and dangerous. But now, the forests were safe from any danger. The number of Palus has increased so most of the monsters are now tame. If only they could fix the forest's light problem... Nika thought.

Nika pushed away some of a tree's low branches as she entered. As she walked, she looked from left to right for her white skirt. The forest consisted of only green and brown so finding something white might be easy. And it was. Nika soon spotted something white on a bush.

"There it is!" Nika said as she ran towards the skirt. She grabbed it by its hem and was about to leave when she noticed something moving behind the bush. Curiosity overcame her so she decided to look. With the skirt on her shoulder and stick at hand, she peered through the bush.

It was dark and she couldn't see quite well, but she knows that something was moving. She took a step forward towards the thing, skipping through the green foliage. As she did so, the thing immediately turned around. The light coming from the patches of space between leaves made it bright enough for Nika to see the creature.

The thought that crossed Nika's mind when she first saw the creature was DEVIL. It was some sort of human-sized bat. It was as thin as a twig and its rib cage could be seen moving up and down with its breathing. Its skin was as black as dried blood. Its wings were pale and full of holes. Its eyes gleamed blood red and its teeth were yellow with green nerves near the gums. Light glistened off its black claws and the stench of raw meat and blood emanated from him.

When Nika's eyes met the monster's, something sparked in her heart. She didn't know what it was. It was something that froze her to the spot and made tears fall on her face. It captivated and frightened her at the same time. She just stood there while the monster with hungry eyes jumped towards her. She felt no fear, no desire to run, nothing.

~*~Back at Nika's house~*~

Nika's mother had started to worry. Her daughter was taking a long time in fetching a mere skirt. Did the wind blow the skirt too far? Did Nika get lost? I shouldn't have let Nika get it.

While she was lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice someone moving behind her. When she did finally hear it, she turned around thinking it was her daughter. "Nika..." Instead of her daughter's sweet and childish voice, the answer she received was a clawed hand piercing through her heart. The last word to enter her mind was Nika.

~*~Cephiro's Royal Castle~*~

"A monster attack on Deon?" Ferio said. He was sitting on his throne while Clef, Lantis, Primera and Lafarga were on his right and Caldina, Ascot on the left.

A kneeling soldier wearing silver armor and a golden cape with the Cephiro insignia of Celes, Rayearth and Windam in animal form all put together respectively with the background of a silver shield, replied. "Yes, your majesty. They attacked 3 days ago. Many of the villagers have been lost. The ones who have survived are either injured or half dead. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that a platoon was nearby, we would have lost the whole village."

Ferio glared. "And how come this news came so late?" With everything that's going on, this is just what he needed. He can't sleep at night as he kept on asking himself exactly what he has done to make Fuu act that way towards him. Due to his insomnia, there were now black rings under his eyes and he's always tired whenever he was awake. He even tried to ask Clef for something that could remove the black rings. Luckily, Clef had some cream to make them invisible for the time being but he still needed rest. And he will never be able to do that unless he could talk to Fuu.

His mind drifted a little to the green knight. Ever since she came back with Hikaru and Clef, she had been avoiding him. She would always be either with the other knights or at the library. She would also always eat in the kitchen. When he would actually catch her, she would always either say she was busy or would just disappear into thin air. When did she learn to use her magic like that? Ferio sighed inwardly. Fuu, why won't you talk to me? He was switched back to reality when the soldier replied.

"Yes, well, the platoon who had saved the village had a mage who was only powerful enough to contact another mage from another platoon 3 miles away. This pattern soon continued until my platoon was able to receive the information, your majesty."

Clef stepped forward, grim in the face. "This continued for 3 days?"

"Yes, master mage. Deon is rather far away from the palace. It's at least a week away. And unfortunately, in these last 3 days, the monsters keep on attacking the village and no matter what the soldiers do, they keep on appearing. Our theory is that they have like a hive somewhere in the forest. At this rate, the platoon won't last long."

Ferio's amber eyes darkened. "How long do you think they will last?"

"I would say, for another week, sire. Just enough time for the palace to send reinforcements."

Caldina looked at Ferio, eyes full of determination. "Ferio, who're you gonna send to Deon? I'd like to volunteer. I'm gonna beat those monsters back to where they came from!" Lafarga looked at Caldina while sighing quietly. "Caldina..."

Ferio sighed. He needed to make a decision of who he's going to send to Deon. But with everything that's going on lately, he can't afford to leave the castle unprotected. When Emeraude attacked the castle, only the magic knights could fight on par with her. However, two thirds of the Magic Knights are unable to fight and the one who can fight is not on speaking terms with him. So, technically, the castle's only line of defence is the Royal Army. But, if he doesn't send help to Deon, the village might cease to exist. And he's not the type of king to sacrifice a village just to protect his own skin. He's definitely not that type. But, the castle... The reality is which one is more important: the castle or the village?

The king's battle with himself was apparent on his face to Lantis. He knew what was troubling the young king and he was half happy and half sad. Happy because he was glad that he could serve under such a noble king, though he kept this mostly to himself as Ferio could be a bit childish at times. And sad because Ferio would never be able to decide which one to protect as both was very important to him. There's only one thing left to do. He took a step forward and spoke, "Ferio, I would like to propose to send the Black Knights as reinforcements to the village Deon."

Primera flew up from her sitting position on Lantis's shoulders and shrieked. "The Black Knights? Are you sure, Lantis? I mean, they are your personal guard."

The Black Knights were soldiers, chosen and trained by Lantis himself, to be the castle's main warriors in place of the Magic Knights. They are masters on both the sword and magic. Their swords and armor are made by the finest smiths and most valuable resources. Their training is 10 times harder than the average soldier. They are trained specifically for emergencies such as this.

Lantis shifted his eyes towards Primera. "The reason I trained them are for this type of situations." He turned back towards Ferio, "If we don't send them now, their training would be for naught."

"Yes, what you say is true, Lantis. However, if you recall, the last monster that we have encountered, only a Magic Knight was strong enough to beat it. Not to mention that it left one severely injured. I'm not saying that I don't trust the Black Knights or anything but I would like to avoid pointless deaths." Ferio said firmly, immediately rejecting Lantis's idea.

Lantis's eyes narrowed a little. "Then, are you going to let Deon get destroyed into the ground?" Clef leaned his staff a little towards Lantis to stop him from advancing. "Lantis, stop it." He knew why Lantis proposed the idea but angering Ferio in his state right now was not a good idea. But apparently, Lantis didn't get the message.

"Let him be, Clef." Ferio waved his hand towards Clef and he immediately removed his staff. Lantis stepped right next to the kneeling soldier. Ferio looked at Lantis as he stood before him. "Lantis, I have told you that I do not want pointless deaths. And I have also told you of how strong these monsters are. They also have a hive in the forest which means that we have no idea how many they are. Under these circumstances, what makes you say that your men will be able to exterminate, each and every one of these beasts?"

Lantis looked firmly into Ferio's eyes. "My belief in their training and my belief in them as Knights."

The soldier kneeling next to Lantis let a single drop of sweat fall into the red carpet. He could feel the fire burning inside Lantis and the fire inside the king as well. Neither was willing to back down. He gulped wondering who was going to lose in this battle of spirits.

Ferio tilted his head up and sighed. He faced his audience in an exasperated and bored sort of face. His serious tone was replaced with his boyish voice that when heard, you know he's up to something. "I really can't beat you when you're this serious, Lantis. Or scary, I guess. But fine. I will send the Black Knights on this mission but you must also go as their leader. Somehow I can just imagine those monsters running away if you show them that kind of face." Clef cracked a smile at that. So much more like the Ferio he knew. Lantis was about to let out a sigh of relief when Ferio added something else in his kingly voice. "But, as I have said, I don't want any pointless deaths so I expect each and every one of them to be back alive, not in coffins. Or I'll be regretting my decision of sending them instead of the wind knight."

Lantis bowed a little. "I understand. We shall leave first thing tomorrow."

~*~Ascot's room~*~

Ascot was sitting quietly in his room watching the waves roll back and forth into the ocean through his window. He had wanted this room as he could see the ocean whenever he wanted. He grew to love the ocean very much due to a particular someone. That someone is the water knight.

Umi was unconscious in her room. She has been ever since she came back in Clef's arms. Hearing what happened to Umi that night, his anger towards Clef increased in triple fold. He just knew that he has done something to her. It was always like that. As he watched the waves, he was filled with immense sadness. No matter how much Clef hurts Umi, the one in her heart was always him. Even though he loves her so much, it doesn't matter because He was there. It's just like the waves. The ocean would always push the waves away but no matter how many times it's pushed, it will still come back. The waves would never stay with the sand. Though you try to stop it, it would always go back to the ocean.

In Ascot's heart, he knew he should just give up but how could he. He changed his figure just for her. But, Clef had to go and copy him and now, Umi has completely forgotten about his change. She probably thinks that he was the one that copied Clef.

Clef... Exactly what does she find in that guy? He's as cold as ice and thinks that Umi is just a child. He doesn't know how much Umi has grown into a woman since she was last here. She's grown more mature and not just personality-wise but also in body. Her body had grown curvier and Ascot blushed as he thought this but, in certain areas, she has really grown. If she was a beauty now, then after a few years or so, she'll be irresistible to anybody. Yet, that guy wouldn't even give her a second look.

Ascot sighed. Exactly what is the use? Even though he can complain as much as he wants, what's going to change? Umi's the one who has to choose who she likes and she has chosen him. That's it. All he can do right now is wait and catch her if she falls. And he knows she will, if the one she loves is the mage without the heart, Clef.

~*~Umi's room~*~

Fuu was sitting beside Umi, her hand firmly grasping the other's pale, white hand. She watched as her friend glowed a slight light green. She hasn't woken for the last few days and she was getting worried. Fuu turned around when she heard someone knocking on the door. The door opened and Clef entered. He showed slight surprise when she saw him. "Oh, you were here. I had thought you were with Hikaru."

Fuu smiled as Clef closed the door. "Yes, I had just finished visiting her."

"How was she, Hikaru, I mean?" Clef said as he stood next to Fuu, watching the sleeping face of the water knight.

"She's fine. Her wounds were quite severe but they're healing quite fine. I think she'll actually be waking up a little later today. But, of course, she still needs to rest." Fuu was smiling the whole time she was speaking but her smile disappeared as soon as she changed the subject. "The one I'm worried about is Umi."

Clef was glad to hear that Hikaru was doing well. But... "Fuu, you said before that she didn't have a single scratch on her. Then, why isn't she waking up?"

Fuu's grasp on Umi's hand tightened. She knew what he was implying. Everytime she would visit Umi, Clef would always be there. She knew that he had always been watching her, waiting for her to open her eyes. "I don't know. I just don't know. I've been healing her non-stop for the past few days. If she had any wound on her, it should've healed by now."

Both of them didn't say anything. They kept quiet for a little while as their minds try to understand exactly what was wrong with Umi. Then, Clef remembered something. "Fuu, if there's nothing wrong with her body, what about her mind?"

Fuu looked at him, puzzled. "You mean, mentally?" She looked at Umi again and considered the possibility. She had been healing her non-stop. Every hour, a mage looks her over so it's impossible for a wound to have been overlooked. If there's nothing outside, there has to be something wrong inside. How could she have missed this! "I can't believe I missed something like this." She looked up at Clef, still a little bit confused. "What made you think of it?"

"When Presea and Emeraude were controlled, the shadows possessing them immediately came out when they had finished their purpose. But, with Umi… not a single shadow came out of her. Now, I can only assume that the shadow is still inside her."

At Clef's last sentence, Fuu let go of Umi's hand and immediately jumped up. "What do you mean inside of her?"

Clef sighed, quietly. "If I'm right, that damned shadow that tried to kill Umi is still in her mind and that's probably why she isn't waking up."

Fuu calmed down a little as she looked at Umi once more. It wasn't like Clef to swear, he must really be frustrated. On the other hand, if what Clef is saying true, then maybe when Umi wakes up, she might try to kill herself again. But, now that she think about it… He mentioned her.

Clef had already explained what had really happened that night with Presea to her and Caldina. When he had told them the misunderstanding, Caldina apologised with no end of trying to attack him. Even Fuu apologised as she said a few impolite words to him. She still feels a little guilty even now. Her train of thought was ended when she felt something on her shoulder. She turned and saw Clef looking at her. "She will wake up, don't worry."

Fuu's eyes widened when she realized what he was talking about. "Oh no. I wasn't thinking about that. I was… I was just thinking about Presea." As if she had heard her name being called, the person in question herself appeared at the door.

For a person who has been asleep for the past week, Presea looked awful. Her eyes were droopy and heavy. Water residue could be seen all over her face as if she splashed a whole bucket of water in her face. Her hair was tied in its usual ponytail but instead of its golden sheen, it looked like a dirty-yellow mess of tangled thread. She was wearing her usual orange and white clothes but she had forgotten her headdress. It was obvious she tried to look more presentable but failed miserably. Her voice was raspy and tired as she spoke, "Can I speak with you, Clef privately?"

Clef looked at Fuu, his eyes clearly saying will you leave us? Fuu nodded solemnly, clearly knowing why Presea was there. As she was leaving, she stole a glance towards her. She knew that she will look more awful than she is right now after this. But, she had to know, even though Presea might already have a clue to what his answer might be. Fuu sighed as she closed the door behind her. Why is love so complicated?

As soon as the door banged shut, the air in the water knight's room turned heavy. No sound was made as both Clef and Sierra waited for the other to say something. Anything that can make conversation between them.

Clef couldn't take the silence between them. So, he thought he might as well speak up. "Sierra, you just woke up right? How are you…" He couldn't continue as Sierra bowed and said, "I'm sorry!"

Clef blinked in surprise while Sierra straightened up. "I'm really sorry. To think that I would try to forcefully kiss you… and even in front of Umi…" Clef's eyes softened as Sierra spoke. He was hoping she wouldn't remember but this was better than telling her himself of what had happened. He took a breath to steady himself as he prepared his mind for his question.

"Sierra…" She looked at him through her unkept hair. Clef met her eyes and as he did so, Sierra got a tugging feeling in her stomach telling her she knew exactly what he was going to ask. "Is it true that you and Presea had feelings for me?"

The moment he asked that, Sierra's world came crashing down. She felt like the barrier she put in her heart had come falling down and exposed the wound she had been trying to hide for all these years. "I never thought you would find out but, it's true." She tried with all the strength she could muster to smile, even a small one. Just as long as it hides even just a little bit of the pain she's feeling. "Both me and my sister were in love with you."

Clef tried to say something but he was cut off by Sierra. "I already know, Clef." She shifted her eyes to the girl sleeping on the bed and Clef's eyes automatically followed. "I never had a chance from the very beginning. I mean, she's the only one who can match your stubbornness." She said with a chuckle. Even Clef had to laugh at that. Indeed, almost everyone says that. In fact, it made him remember their first meeting. "So, you don't need to say anything. I had long decided to give you up and look for a man who would love me back with all his heart." She said as she clasped her hands together on her chest.

Clef smiled. "That man is definitely out there. I'm sure of it." Sierra nodded while smiling. No words need to be spoken to know that she would be crying her eyes out later today. Both of them, even just slightly, even through a lie, tried to reduce the pain in her heart.

~*~Eagle's room~*~

"Aaahhh!" Eagle shouted as he threw a book into the mirror, shattering it into a million pieces.

Eagle's room was dark and bare. There was not a single window to let the light in and the only thing making up the room were a dresser, a bed and a bookcase. The bookcase was rid of its contents and thrown around the room. The bed was undone and the blanket was falling off the bed. The dresser had its cabinets pulled out and the mirror just shattered. All in all, the room was a mess, considering the little amount of items there were in the room, it was a feat.

Eagle clutched his hair and sat on one corner of the room. He was as much as a mess as the room. He was half naked, only wearing white cotton pants. He had black rings under his eyes and his hair was messy. He whispered, "Please go away…"

-That's sort of mean to say to the person encouraging your love.-

"No, please, stop it. I don't want to hurt anyone."

-Hurt? Why would you hurt anyone? Haven't you heard? He's leaving… This is your chance! Go for it!-

"But, it's hopeless… You know, who she's in love with. It's him… not me…"

-Are you giving up, just like that? Didn't you say to him that you won't give up? Was that a lie?-

"You were controlling me that time. That wasn't me. That was you…" Eagle whispered. This wasn't the first time he heard or talked to the voice in his head. At first, he thought it was just his imagination but it grew stronger every single day. Enough for him to be controlled by it. Every time he would go up to someone to ask for help, he would black out and he would be in his room. Worse more, he could feel an entity inside him, other than himself.

This voice in his head seemed to have a lot of knowledge about a particular person. Namely, Hikaru. It would know everything about her, when she first arrived in Cephiro, her first spell and even where she is all the time. Except their personalities are the exact opposites.

There was also the fact that it keeps on telling him to pursue his hopeless love towards Hikaru. To achieve that, the voice advises him to actually kill Lantis. His best friend. If he was to try again with Hikaru, he wants to do it fair and square. But, the voice is able to control his body anytime it wanted. Eagle was afraid it could do something he didn't want to Lantis so he has not been sleeping for a few days and has kept himself locked up in his room. He had asked the maid to deliver his food to his room and leave it at the door since he wasn't feeling well. The noise he has made was left unnoticed as his room was in the opposite wing of the others. This was a counter measure in case he was to go rogue just like Emeraude which he completely understands. He now knows that there is a very high chance of that actually happening.

-Eagle… Why are you punishing yourself? You have every right to fight for her. Remember the saying, all's fair in love and war.-

"I know that. But I have already decided that I would give up. Both Hikaru and Lantis are quite special to me and I don't want to hurt either of them."

The voice didn't say anything for a while. When it did, it spoke with a tone of disappointment and regret. –I never thought of you as a coward, Eagle. I thought that you really loved Hikaru but I suppose I was wrong. Oh, well. Hope you find happiness in that decision. - With that, Eagle felt the entity inside him fade slightly. It was still there but the presence has reduced to a mere shadow in his heart.

Eagle sighed. Was that a goodbye? No, it's definitely coming back. Until then, I have to persevere. His mind was trying to encourage his very sleep-deprived body but to no avail. His eyes, as if being pulled down by gravity, became heavier and heavier. His fast breathing became slow and more relaxed. His tense muscles became loose and that was the point of no return. He had drifted to a cold and very much needed sleep. What he didn't know was that when he wakes up, he would have woken up to a nightmare.

~*~War room~*~

The war room was large circular room with white walls and a red carpet that was soft enough to sleep in. There was a wooden circular table in the middle having the map of Cephiro on it. On the ceiling, on top of the table was a golden chandelier, lit by many candles. On one side of the table was a golden chair with red cushions. Behind the chair was the proud insignia of Cephiro.

Primera was standing on the map of Cephiro, over the village of Deon. Now that she has looked at the map, it seems really far away. She turned around to see the door opening, revealing Lantis.

Primera brightened up quickly as she saw him. "Lantis!" She flew towards him as fast as she could. "What are you doing here?"

Lantis closed the door as Primera sat on his shoulder. "I was going to devise a plan against the enemy. What are you doing here?"

Primera smiled up at Lantis. "Oh, nothing. I was just seeing exactly how far Deon is." When Lantis was close enough to the table, Primera flew down to it. She pointed to the small little dot on the map. "See, in the map it looks so far. You even have to cross mountains."

"It really is quite far, isn't it?" Lantis said, leaning forward to the table. He glanced over to Primera's back. She hadn't said anything for a while as if she was waiting for him to ask her that question. "Are you sure about your decision?"

Primera smiled quietly. She had given this decision a lot of thought and knows this is the absolute right decision. "I'm sure. I've decided to stay behind while you go to Deon." She turned around to look at Lantis's eyes. As usual, she still can't figure out what the swordsman was thinking. "Why? Are you going to miss me?" She chuckled. "As if, right?"

A few minutes had gone by before Primera spoke again. "Hey Lantis, did you notice?"

"Notice what?" Lantis said as he touched the map with his fingertips.

"Hikaru has really grown as a woman." Lantis stopped what he was doing and thought about it. Indeed, Hikaru has grown. She was much taller and much fuller. He had noticed the first time the Magic Knights had come back. "That's why, I will stay."

Primera turned around fully to face Lantis. "You're worried, right? When you go, Eagle might do something to Hikaru. That's why I will stay and protect her." As Primera said those words, she felt like gagging. She loved Lantis, more than anything. She always says he belongs to her but the truth was that he belongs solely to Hikaru. This is a fact and if she's the one who can bring him happiness, then she would gladly step down.

Lantis was about to say something when Primera cut him off. "Just promise me something." She looked deep into Lantis's eyes with tears at the corners of her eyes. "You'll come back safely."

Lantis was a bit surprised but it was immediately replaced with sadness. The truth was that he wasn't sure at all whether he would be able to come back, alive even. But the way Primera was looking at him and the fact that he was, in a way, protecting Hikaru made him say the next words. "I promise."

That's it. Long, right? Anyway, please review!