Chapter 1: The Coming Storm

Master Mage Clef stood in the castle observatory, staring at the ceiling. At present, it showed a vast starry expanse, the vast universe that lay beyond Cephiro. He had been staring at it for countless hours, searching. Searching for what, he didn't yet know. However, for nights he had been plagued by nightmarish visions of a coming threat. Yet, he had found nothing to suggest that anything was amiss. But, he knew to trust his instincts by now.

"What could it be?" he wondered aloud as he scanned the stars with his eyes. "There's something out there, but I still cannot see it. I- Wait, what is that?" He focused on one section and magnified it. A quick gasp left his mouth as the image clarified itself. Now he had his answer...and he felt that his heart would freeze in his chest.

It was a mass of ships, like a wolf pack crossing the field of the night sky. Ranging from light scouting vessels to battle-ready leviathans. Each emblazoned with the same symbol: a ravenous lightning yellow wolf head on a red diamond.

"It...can't be" he whispered as he stared at the encroaching fleet. "The Zill are coming for Cephiro."

Several Days Later, Tokyo Tower

"Hey, Hikaru!"

"Miss Hikaru!"

Hikaru turned when she heard her friends calling to her. "Hey, Umi, Fuu, I'm over here" she called, waving to them.

"Sorry we're late," said Umi. "Things were a little hectic at home."

"Yes, it was the same for me," added Fuu, adjusting her glasses.

"Don't worry about it, I only just got here a little while ago myself," said Hikaru. "So, are you all ready?"

Her friends nodded and they all joined hands. There was a brief, intense light and the girls found themselves transported to the land of Cephiro. They were standing in the castle courtyard, beneath a clear sky with sunny weather.

"Feels good to be back again," said Umi. "Looks like things are still going well here."

"That's wonderful," said Fuu.

"Plus you'll get to see your prince again," Umi teased, nudging her with her elbow and laughing as the blonde girl blushed.

"Come on, let's go see everyone," said Hikaru excitedly, already running for the courtyard doors.

Her friends followed her and they all headed for the castle's main chamber. There they found their old friends gathered: Ascot, Caldena, Presea, Lafarga, Lantis and Ferio.

"Hikaru, Umi, Fuu, you're all here," said Presea with a warm smile, giving the girls a group hug.

"It's great to see you all," said Hikaru. She paused, noticing something was off. "Is something the matter?"

"It's Master Mage Clef," said Ascot. "He's been in the observatory for a few days now, and he won't say why. But everytime we see him, he looks like he's seen a ghost."

"We've tried asking him what's wrong, but every time he always says he needs more time, needs more information," said Caldena. "Honestly it's unsettling, seeing him like this."

The girls all looked at each other. "What do you suppose he's doing?" asked Umi.

"Coming to a decision," said a voice from behind them all. There stood Clef, looking completely drained.

"Master Mage Clef, are you okay?" asked Ferio. "You've been distant for several days now."

"Yes...and now it's time to tell you why," said Clef. "Please, join me in the observatory."

Everyone looked at each other, concerned, and followed Clef to the observatory. Once there he raised his staff and the ceiling once again changed to the expanse of space. "For the last few days I've been watching for something," he began to explain. "I witnessed something...something troubling. And for the last few days I've been watching it, hoping that I was somehow mistaken. Unfortunately, that is not the case. A grave threat is coming for Cephiro, and this time I don't know if we can stop it."

"What do you mean a grave threat?" asked Umi. "What is it?"

"Observe," said Clef, looking up at the ceiling.

As everyone watched, the image on the ceiling changed. Now it once again showed the massive fleet of ships that Clef had seen days before. Only now they had grown in number.

"What...what are those ships?" gasped Fuu, feeling an immense sense of dread.

"They are called the Zill Imperium," said Clef, "and they're coming for Cephiro."

"The Zill Imperium? What are they?" asked Ferio, glancing at the mage.

"An empire that consumes entire worlds in a never-ending campaign of conquest," said Lantis, his voice grim. "I've heard of them before, during my time in Autozam."

All eyes were immediately on him. "You've seen these guys before?" asked Ascot.

Lantis shook his head. "No, but I've heard stories about them. Apparently years ago, before I was even born, Autozam encountered a Zill battle fleet. They fought...and Autozam was forced to surrender in a matter of moments. The only reason the Zill spared them that day was because they had another target, a more worthwhile one. But the scars from that battle still linger in the minds of their people."

"Just how bad are these Zill?" asked Hikaru. "What do they even want with Cephiro?"

"The Zill are said to be conquerors," said Lantis. "That's all they know is warfare and domination of all other life. They conquer planets, strip them of their precious resources, and then move on to the next. As for the people of the worlds they conquer, they either become slaves...or they face complete destruction."

His words hung in the air like a black cloud. The reality of the situation was setting in hard. These Zill were coming for Cephiro and they didn't have diplomacy on their minds. Worse yet, if what Lantis was saying was true, then Cephiro was facing the worst crisis it had ever faced.

"But how are we supposed to stop them?" Umi suddenly cried. "The Rune-Gods are gone, and so is Mokona! We can't fight them off like we've done with the last threats to Cephiro!"

"Don't think that way, Umi," said Hikaru. "Remember, Cephiro is the land of the will. If we will it to be so, I'm sure Mokona and the Rune-Gods will return and we can become the Magic Knights again!"

"Miss Hikaru is right," said Fuu. "We just need to be strong now, and wish for them to be returned to us!"

"You're...you're right," said Umi. "They'll come back to help us, and then we can help save Cephiro yet again!"

"Young girls from another world, thank you," said Clef. "Time and again, we have faced calamity, and you have never let us down. Now in our darkest hour, you step forward again without hesitation, to save our world yet again."

"Just leave it to us, Clef," said Hikaru brightly. "We've saved Cephiro before, and we can save it again!"

Spirits in the castle were much higher now. In the face of coming darkness, hope was shining brightly.