Chapter IV: Welcome, A Time of Recovery

Hikaru hadn't been able to shake the peculiar feeling she'd experienced during her gym class earlier. She had felt a strong energy like a pulse. The experience had left her feeling odd like something outside herself had been pulled and then ripped open only to seal itself.

School was now over and the only thing she wanted to do was get home as soon as possible. Instead she was in her local grocery store, looking for various items on the list Satoru had given her.

So far she'd been lucky enough to get most of the items without too much trouble. Because she was still quite short for her age, there were times she went unnoticed in crowds and would get pushed or squished. She hastily continued down the isle she was in.

"Ah, ha!" Pickled vegetables requested specifically from Kakeru. Often the family pickled food themselves but their most recent and last batch was not fully fermented. Scratching off another item on the list, all she needed now was tofu eggs and rice.

Two hands covered her eyes. Her first instinct was to shift her weight and flip her 'would-be-attacker' but this was no battle ground and she quickly realized who had gotten the drop on her

"Guess who?"

"Uhh, Masaru?"

"Yep!" he let her go and stepped back. "How's it going?"

"Actually, I just need a few more things…" they continued down the isle.

Hikaru then spotted one of her items. She stood on the tips of her toes and outstretched her arms in an attempt to obtain it. Masaru simply walked over to the shelf, raised his arm slightly and claimed the product handing it to Hikaru.

She frowned at her brother's cheeky grin. "So Masaru, what are you doing here anyway?"

"Kakeru and I decided to meet you and help carry the groceries home." He cheerfully replied.

"Where's Kakeru?" she asked, turning her head from left to right in search for him.

"He's…"

"Right here!" Kakeru announced, suddenly appearing behind Hikaru.

"Where were you? I can't take you anywhere without you getting yourself lost!" Masaru huffed.

"I was off trying some free samples." He answered as he held up a toothpick.

"That's why you ran off ahead of me?"

"Hey Masaru? Kakeru?" Hikaru called some distance away after having slipped past her brothers. "Help me with grabbing the rice? I'll met you at the check out."

They scrambled and went off to grab a bag each. Why not two bags if there were two of them to bring it home?

Once everything was paid for the two brothers divvied the bags between each other despite Hikaru's protest to carry what she could herself.

"You guys didn't need to come and meet me, I could have managed by myself." Hikaru said.

"Yeah, well… neither of us wanted to stick around the house while Satoru was stitching up that guy's arm…" Masaru explained as the trio turned a corner and continued home.

"Ne? What guy? Was it one of Satoru's students?" the curious little red head inquired.

"No, it wasn't a student," Kakeru butted in. "It was some guy we found who was lying unconscious in front of our house while Masaru and I were running home to get out of the rain."

"He was hurt pretty bad and was bleeding all over the place," Masaru continued, "neither Kakeru or I were able to find any identification on him, but when he regained consciousness, he said his name was… Lantis, I think."

Hikaru stopped, frozen in her tracks. Had her brothers' taken notice of her reaction, they would have also heard the utterance of his name. Everything around her fell away as she thought of the Magic Swordsmen who had so easily captured her heart. She hadn't imagined sensing his presence. A smile curled up on her lips. Thoughts and questions ran through her mind as she caught up with her brothers and resumed her former pace.

"Will he be okay?"

"Uh… Well, I think he'll be alright," Masaru called, over his shoulder. "He said that he had had worse injuries before and he just needed to rest for a while."

Pulling open the front door of the Shidou house the three piled in as Kakeru yelled, "Hey Satoru, we're back!"

"Kakeru, be quiet." The older boy scolded, as they made their way to the kitchen. As the three put the groceries away, Masaru noticed the cooking pot on the stove.

Just then Sataru entered the room. "Do any of you think you could get our guest an extra blanket? He appears to be running a bit of a fever…"

"I'll do it!" Hikaru declared as she dropped the bag of bread currently in her hand and dashed off to fetch Lantis another blanket.

"Hikaru's such a wonderful person! So enthusiastic to help someone she doesn't even know, what a Samaritan!" Kakeru proudly stated.

A blur of long, red hair wiped down the hallway as Hikaru silently ran towards the small linen filled closet closet. Pulling back its doors, she frantically searched for a warm comforter, afraid that if she wasted time, Lantis would disappear before she would get the chance to see him again.

Finding what she was looking for, she snatched it up into her hands and quickly ran over to the usually vacant guest room. It was only when she reached the room's entrance that she slowed into a stop. Nervousness overwhelmed her. It had been along time since she'd last seen him, last heard his deep voice… The sixteen year old girl had missed him terribly and wished to confirm his presence by seeing him herself with her own eyes. A shaky hand lightly touched the room's shoji door. She stood there for a few moments before finally sliding it back.

Quietly, Hikaru crept into the dim room. Step, by step, she made it over towards the person who lay in bed. Her blood was racing. Her blanket slunk from her side to the floor. Kneeling down, she brushed aside the black strands of hair covering a good portion of his face, only to have them fall back into place when she removed her hand. His features hadn't changed since she'd last seen him,

"It really is you isn't it Lantis?" He didn't answer her, but she knew indefinitely that it was Lantis. His aura had given him away, though it was faint, she could feel it reaching out to her own; attempting to wrap around her… Hikaru smiled lightly.

The young red head noticed a nasty gash on his left arm that had recently been stitched up; his fore head was bandaged. `Thanks for taking care of him brothers…' Hikaru wondered what or who could have inflicted such deep wounds on the Magic Swordsmen as she spread the heavy blanket over him, "How is it that you're able to be here in the first place?"

The annoying, loud ring of the dining room phone refused to cease until Umi roughly picked up its receiver, "Hello?" her tone gruff.

The voice on the other end of the line was full of cheerfulness and excitement, "Hey Umi! How are you?"

"Oh, Hi Hikaru," she deflatted, "I'm okay, you?" she choose to pull up an empty chair and sat down. Their conversations tended to be rather extensive.

"I'm good. Uh, did I catch you at a bad time?" she inquired, responding to the lack of enthusiasm in her friend's voice.

"No, not really. I was just doing my English homework," the Knight of Water distastefully answered.

"What's wrong Umi? I thought you liked English."

"Yeah, I do, I'm just struggling with the subject this year…" She explained.

"Don't tell me your grades dropped?" Hikaru questioned.

"No, I get the best marks in my class. It's just…The teacher this year is so full of himself. He taught in Europe and he's spent time in America for his studies. He's ridiculously strict and attacks our annunciation among other things." Umi huffed.

Hikaru fiddled with her phone's cord. "Loosing your love for the subject?"

"He's horrible and drains us all out. He never shuts up about how America is and how he was a translator for the consulate when he was over there, blah blah blah!"

"Well, maybe he's just trying to inspire you guys?" Hikaru offered.

"Whatever. Well, I doubt that you called just to listen to me go on about evil English man, so what's up?"

"Huh," Hikaru had nearly forgotten why she'd called Umi in the first place, "Oh yeah! Did you by any chance sense anything today, anything sort of weird at about quarter after one?"

"No, why?" she tentatively asked.

"Well, I sensed someone. Guess who it was." She excitedly ordered.

"You'll have to enlighten me."

"It was Lantis!" she screamed into the phone, barely able to contain her excitement.

"Ahh!" Umi temporarily pulled her ear away from the phone until Hikaru quieted,

"Can you tone it down a little? I don't want to go deaf!" Umi yelled right back.

"Heh, hm, sorry Umi." She said in earnest.

"Hmm… Lantis you say huh?" Umi said, getting back on topic, "that tall man in black? Are you sure? I mean he sort of lives in another dimension…"

"I'm sure. He's sleeping in the guest room as speak!" she beamed.

"He's living in your house? Are your brothers' okay with that? You're obsessed with him and - don't your brothers kinda go crazy even at just the thought of a guy being even remotely interested in you?" Umi inquired, imagining Hikaru's brothers fighting Lantis to the death.

"They don't know, and they don't have to know that…" she trailed off. There was a brief pause before she continued, "That I kinda… that I love him," she timidly finished her cheeks burning crimson.

"Oh! A secret love, forbidden romance!" Umi teased.

"Umi! It's not like that!" Hikaru defended. "He was hurt pretty badly, in a recent fight."

"Really?" Umi was serious now, "Is he going to be okay?"

"I think so." She quickly explained how Kakeru and Masaru found lying in the street and about his injuries.

"So he's just been sleeping since you came home?" Umi began after, listening to the short story, "and he didn't even wake up to say Hi? How rude!"

"That's not what concerns me. He obviously needs the rest. I want to know how he got here… I thought only a Pillar could summon people."

"Well Hikaru, even though you gave the power of the Pillar back to the people of Cephiro," Umi began. "You're still technically the Cephiro's Pillar right? Maybe you subconsciously called him here to earth so you could see him?"

"It's a possibility, but that doesn't feel right."

Looking down at her watch Umi let out a light sigh, "Unfortunately, I have to get off the phone; evil English homework and all. Want to come over after school tomorrow and we can talk about it some more? You could E-mail Fuu about your news too!"

"Sure, I'll talk to you tomorrow then. Good night Umi."

"Later."

"Good evening General Drako. You wished to see me?" Umi inquired as she entered the small room.

At the moment, the General's back was to her, "Feeling better?" he asked dryly.

"Yes, I am. Is that all you wanted? If so, then I'll be on my way," she turned to leave when the elder man grabbed her arm.

"No! I'm not finished with you yet!" He always was short tempered. He was trying to sound threatening; make her feel insecure. There was no doubt in Umi's mind that he was physically stronger than her. However, to someone whom possessed power over the elements, physical strength was nothing. He was nothing, nothing but an annoyance.

"Let me go." The young girl barely half his size warned. Her dispassionate eyes were like ice. Her voice, as usual held no emotion. Umi was serious.

He refused to let her go, "I demand you tell me where you were earlier!" he said as his grip on her tightened. Her narrowing eyes looked down on his unwelcome hand. The hairs on the back of the General's neck rose as he felt the room's temperature drop drastically. "I am your superior, answer me! You worthless bitch!"

She ignored his demand and merely told him to yet again let go of her. The General felt his hand slowly going numb as he kept a firm grasp on her arm. It had gotten so incredibly cold all of a sudden… `Was it that witches doing?' The arid room continued to drop in temperature when, it suddenly reverted back to normal. He turned to find Eagle standing in the doorway.

"General Drako, is there something the matter?" the new comer questioned.

"No, of course not Lord Eagle. Everything's fine," he replied. Finally deciding to release his hold on Umi, he straightened himself and asked, "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Umi was with me earlier," Eagle declared.

"I see," the elder man's eyes narrowed slightly, "may I inquire as to what you two were doing that was so important to pull my subordinate away from her usual duties?"

The blond haired man closed his eyes momentarily then brought them to gaze into Drako's, "I really don't think it's your place to be asking me what I was doing," he stated coolly. The General stood there disoriented and merely nodded, unable to shake the sudden hazy feeling. "It is none of your concern." Eagle was right. He was the higher ranked in authority and both men knew it.

"My apologies sir."

"You'll have to excuse Miss Ryuuzaku, General Drako. I require her assistance," he turned to leave.

"Very well sir."

"Oh, and General? I suggest that you do not disregard her advice the next time," with that said he left knowing Umi would quickly follow soon after. `So easily manipulated.'

"You are lucky that man favors you," Drako said, quietly to Umi.

"And you're lucky to still be alive," her icy cold words echoed as she left him standing there bewildered.

"Hey, Clef? You okay?" the green haired prince asked the old Master Mage. Clef's body betrayed the eye as he appeared a young boy.

"I'm fine Ferio," the incredibly short man replied. He sighed, "Actually, I haven't been able to communicate with Lantis. I have reason to believe that he is no longer in Cephiro."

"What? What do you mean Clef?!" Ferio asked, his eyes staring down on the Mage.

"The disturbances have suddenly ceased and I can no longer sense his presence…"

"I"- Ferio was cut off when the frantic Mokona came bursting into the throne room with Ascot and Caldina following closely behind.

"PUU!"

"Hey, what's going on?" Ferio questioned the group.

"Dunno," Caldina began. "Ascot and I were heading over to the dinning hall, when Mokona here came running past us."

"I was wondering what was going on with Mokona, so Caldina and I followed him here." Ascot continued as he tried to catch his breath.

Clef studied Mokona, able to communicate with the creature on the most basic of levels.

"So, it's true… Lantis is no longer in this world," Clef sadly stated. `Had Lantis been killed? Perhaps he got himself caught in the portal that opened. But, Lantis would not be so careless…'

"Puu, puu! Puupuu Puupuu!" The lightly pink colored creature yelled.

"There was a fight?" Ascot said, able to decipher some of the puff ball as well., "Lantis and… a guy named Sakuya? And they both went to another world?!"

Mokona let out a small "Puu" and nodded in confirmation.

"So then what are we going to do?" Ferio interjected, "I mean yeah, now we don't need to worry about Cephiro's well being but what about Lantis?"

"I'm afraid that there is nothing we can do for him from here." Clef stated.

"What?" Ascot questioned, surprised at Clef's declaration.

"But… Clef…" Ferio started. Both young men looked uneasy; they knew how much Clef cared about his disciples and wondered why he was able to give up on Lantis so quickly.

"There is nothing any of us can do… As far as I know, no one from Cephiro can cross worlds. Only the Pillar could fathom such high magic and even then only summoned those from other worlds not the other way around..."

"But Hikaru gave the residents of Cephiro the power of the Pillar!" The heir to Cephiro's throne protested.

"Not quite. Yes she abolished the Pillar system and gave us the power to control Cephiro's fate. But that is all she did, do you not remember her words? She did not give us the power of the Pillar; she gave us the power to will Cephiro's stability without the need of a Pillar," Clef vainly tried to explain. He knew they wouldn't get it, he didn't fully understand it himself, "Still, Hikaru and Hikaru alone can summon people from one world to another, only she has the power to do this," he looked from one dumb founded face to another.

"Then how was this Sakuya fella able to make a portal?" Caldina asked.

It was now Clef's turn to look dumb founded. "I… don't know…"

Hikaru happily sat on the Ryuuzaki's entertainment room. Actually, it was more like Umi's entertainment room. She was pretty much the only one that ever went in this room of the house; save for the cleaning maid. The room was relatively small compared to the other rooms more frequently used by Umi's parents. There was a desk in one of the far corners, which harbored a computer slightly older than the one up in the family den, a chair, a television that had few game systems hooked up to it.

Umi was currently pacing back and forth, "So Hikaru, Which do you want to play?"

"Huh? Uh, no that's okay. I'll just watch you play Umi," Hikaru answered while looking up to meet her friends azure eyes.

"I all ways play. Come on, give it a shot. Nearly two years I've known you and never once have you played any video games."

"That's not true, I've played Ping Pong on Fuu's computer!" The red head protested.

"Ping Pong doesn't count. Any ways…" She quickly browsed through her collection of playable games. "Aha! Here, try this one; it's an role playing game." She ordered, taking the game off its shelf.

"Uh, okay…"

Umi passed Hikaru the controller as she took the first disc from its case, "You just hold on to this for a minute okay?" She took a seat beside Hikaru as the game started up.

"What do I do now?" Hikaru innocently asked, slightly nervous.

Umi walked Hikaru through the game prompts.

"The graphics are pretty good eh?"

Hikaru was glued to the screen.

After several minutes, Hikaru entered her first 'battle.'

"Ah!" Hikaru yelled as she suddenly threw the controller away from her and half jumped, half flipped, and fell to the floor.

"What? What's wrong Hikaru?" Umi asked Hikaru now sprawled on the floor.

"Th- the controller was shaking!" the girl gasped.

"Hikaru, the controller is supposed to shake!" Umi sighed, "Here I can change the settings-"

"Forget it, I'm done!" she got up.

"Sheesh Hikaru, you can fight real monsters without so match as batting an eye but a controller vibrates and you're ready to jump out of your skin. Sometimes Hikaru, I wonder about you…"

"Lantis, is it fair to have one person solely responsible for sustaining an entire country?" his elder brother questioned.

"Zagato…" Why are you acting this way?

"I'm tired of seeing her like this; a prisoner to her own country! Isolated from every one and every thing she so dearly loves!" Zagato's face mirrored anger, resentment and sadness.

"What you're going to do is wrong Zagato, no matter how you try to justify your actions!" Lantis shouted back. Since when was he the voice of reason? Well at the moment, he really didn't have a choice; his brother was going to do something that would never be undone. Surely he realized that he would not get what he wanted. If Zagato spirited the princess away, he would be declaring war against the entire country of Cephiro, there would be no happy ending for anyone.

So, you would betray me Lantis? Me, your only brother?" Zagato inquired.

"I have no wish to fight with you brother." He snapped back not willing to fall into Zagato's guilt trap. "I don't want to become your enemy, don't make me."

"Then join me, fight with me, not against me," his one arm was extending towards him.

Lantis took a step back; his eyes gazed deeply into his brother's, his only family left. "Zagato, elder brother. You know that I cannot do that. I do not believe that the Pillar System is correct, as I've told you many times, but I can not betray this country like that."

"Well aren't you patriotic all of a sudden," Zagato stated.

"It's not that. If I join you, I'll be taking part in the destruction of this land ." He looked around the garden, at the flowers and trees and wildlife that peacefully inhabited the place. "Without the princess' prayers, this land will crumble away to nothing. Many innocent lives will be lost."

A light laugh escaped his older brothers lips, "and to think that most people consider you to have a heart of ice…"

"Zagato…"

"So then Lantis, what will you do?" The High Priest inquired.

TBC