After wrapping up the Magic Knights' welcoming party, those attending went their separate ways. Clef returned to the throne room, the Magic Knights to their new domicile to get some rest, and the others to their apartments. Hotaru and Alcyone followed suit, deciding to spend the rest of the evening relaxing by their twosome.

With things having heated up by the return of the girls and the invasion of Autozam, there was no guarantee when the next big event would take place. As such, they decided to make the most of the time they were given, by partaking in their favorite pastime; spoiling each other.

"Open wide~" Alcyone smiled, holding a bunch of perfectly round teal grapes over Hotaru's face.

"Aaah," Hotaru opened his mouth before eating the bottom rung berry.

Alcyone was sitting atop their large crystal couch, with Hotaru laying across it, his head on her lap. By courtesy of the gardens, they had a bowl of freshly picked Cephiroan fruit in front of them on the coffee table. While feeding Hotaru berries called fuvets, Alcyone was caressing the top of his head and smiling gently.

Swallowing the fuvet, Hotaru requested, "Can I have the next one frozen?"

"As you wish. Is your hip feeling better?" Alcyone asked, using her magic to freeze one of the fruits.

Alcyone had had to let Fuu heal Hotaru's injury from slipping on the ice she had created, as her medicines wouldn't have helped instantly. As such, Alcyone was glad to be able to pamper Hotaru now that they had time to be alone. Taking the frozen fruit, she placed it gently into his mouth, making sure not to frost burn her lover's mouth.

Chewing the cold and crunchy berry, Hotaru enjoyed its sweetness before answering, "I am fully recovered thanks to Fuu, but I was slightly fatigued after my fight. Switch."

Feeling content in being able to help Hotaru out, Alcyone nodded before lifting her arms, letting Hotaru get up from her lap. Hotaru then sat down on the other end of the couch, before Alcyone laid on top of his lap. Instead of resting her head on Hotaru's thigh, she rested her arms and chin on the couch's armrest. With her chest and abdomen resting on Hotaru's lap, Alcyone felt Hotaru brushing her ankle length black hair aside, revealing her back.

"Your usual massage?" Hotaru asked her, running her thumbs in circular motions along her spine.

"Yes, but I would also like an ioche," Alcyone requested, closing her eyes while relaxing.

Picking up an orange fruit with a smooth shiny skin, Hotaru massaged Alcyone's back with his elbows, while simultaneously peeling the fruit. Once the fruit was peeled, he split it into seven natural slices, holding one of them in front of Alcyone's mouth.

As Alcyone ate from his hand, Hotaru asked, "So, how does it feel to have the gang back together?"

Alcyone chewed and swallowed the citrussy fruit, before asking, "Gang?"

"You know, me, you, and the Magic Knights," Hotaru explained, while massaging her back.

"Oh, that…" Alcyone thought about it. "Honestly… I feel kind of mixed about it."

Surprised, Hotaru moved lower to Alcyone's thighs before asking, "Why is that?"

Despite relaxing in his caress, Alcyone couldn't help but feel guilty, "On one hand, I am glad that Cephiro has more people defending it now. But… I also liked it more when it was just the two of us when they left."

Noticing Alcyone's ears turning red, Hotaru smiled while massaging her shoulders teasingly, "I see, you're worried that I will start spending more time with them than with you?"

"…Yes," Alcyone admitted shamefully, knowing how selfish she was being. "I know I shouldn't feel jealous after I chewed you out during the whole Lantis situation. Especially since it's just those three girls, who just want to save Cephiro. But… it just feels strange seeing you get along with them so well."

"What do you mean?" Hotaru asked, tilting his head while eating one of the slices himself.

Alcyone took a moment to choose the right words, before explaining, "Well, they are so different from me. Young, sweet, innocent, helpful, kind, merciful. Whereas I am an old, wicked, cunning crone who holds a grudge for years to come… Seeing you spend time with them makes me wonder if I am turning into the evil queen?"

With Alcyone referring to the Snow-White tale, Hotaru smiled with a slight chuckle. It was true that her and the Magic Knights were very much different people. In fact, Alcyone and Hikaru were tailormade to be opposites as far as he knew. Fire and ice, short and tall, childlike and mature, forgiving and grudgeful, modest and ambitious; the list went on. Given the choice between the two of them, Hotaru didn't have to think twice on which he preferred.

Leaning over to Alcyone's face, Hotaru kissed her on the cheek, before whispering, "I like it better when it is just the two of us as well. While they are my good friends, know that I love you more than all three of them combined."

Alcyone's heart skipped a beat, as she rolled over onto her back, looking at Hotaru with misty eyes. Without a word, she reached her arms over to him and hugged him tightly, while sitting in his lap. Without hesitation, they kissed deeply and passionately, for what felt like several minutes. After their first night "together", they hadn't been interrupted as much as before. As such, they were able to take their sweet time.

Breaking away from the kiss, Alcyone spoke with a sultry voice, "Hotaru, I promise, I will dedicate my undying love to you. No matter what may come ahead, I will always be yours, now and forever."

While Hotaru was grateful for her words and could feel the love and dedication behind them, an eerie chill ran down his spine. Seeing the almost desperately enamored expression on Alcyone's beautiful face, a number of painful memories crept in. Although this undying loving loyalty was one of her best qualities, Hotaru couldn't fully accept it with good consciousness.

Placing one of his fingers onto Alcyone's red lips, Hotaru spoke in a firm tone, "While it makes me incredibly happy to hear you say that, I want you to promise me something."

"What is it?" Alcyone asked, slightly confused.

"Promise me you will never love or trust someone as blindly and obediently, as you did Zagato. Not even myself," he warned her, before leaning closer. "Relationships are unpredictable and people change. I don't want you to get hurt because of your love for me."

Alcyone stared at him with her eyes wide, her heart beating louder than before. Having Hotaru turn down her full devotion to him stung a bit. But, doing so for the sake of her own feelings, she couldn't help but love him even more for it. Knowing what Hotaru wanted for her and knowing herself, Alcyone smiled at him teasingly, before placing her finger on his lips instead.

"No can do," she whispered with a smile. "This is how I choose to love. With all my heart, till the very last moment. Even if you break my heart, I want to enjoy our relationship to its fullest for every moment that we share together."

"But what if—" Hotaru asked, before being shushed by Alcyone.

"A wise man once said, pain is temporary, and then you move on," she winked.

Being called wise for the very first time in his life, Hotaru smiled pensively, before getting off the couch with Alcyone. It was getting late, and they both decided to enjoy the rest of the evening in bed.

White heavy mist was covering a forlorn mountainous area. There were no birds singing, no running rivers, and no light in the sky. Only the howling of the wind could be heard among the black, jagged peaks of the mountains, which caused the thick mist to move like a ghost. In this scenery of black and white, only one single dot of color could be seen. A young blonde woman, wearing a green school uniform, cream-colored armor, and a red bow and headband.

She was walking around the unfamiliar terrain, looking for anything or anybody that could guide her way. The isolation, silence, and low visibility, made her jump at shadows despite her steadfast nature. Though she couldn't remember it, she felt like she had been here before, but not how to get out.

"Ferio! Windam! Ms. Hikaru! Mr. Hotaru!" Fuu called out, trying to get at least some form of response.

Only her own echo answered, as it reflected off of the mountains. As she continued her way, she tried summoning her weapon, but was unable to. After what felt like an eternity of walking, she could've sworn she heard something among her footsteps. Standing in place, she listened to the wind, at which point, she could hear the slow flapping of large wings.

"Windam! Is that you?" Fuu asked, looking around the mist.

"Fuu…" an echoing voice addressed her from behind her.

Turning around quickly, she could see the mist draw back a little bit, showing a small mountain top. At the tip of it, stood a dark figure, wearing robes that covered its body, and a pair of wings on its back. She couldn't make out the facial features, but she could tell that it had long hair and piercing green eyes. A shiver of fear ran down her spine, as her blood turned ice cold.

Taking a step back, she tried steadying her breathing, by analyzing what she saw, "A tengu? An angel?"

Spreading its large feathered wings, the figure pointed its finger at her accusingly, "Fuu… You will pay for your crimes!"

Hearing the sheer hatred and anger in their voice, Fuu's eyes widened as she asked, "W-What crimes?"

"Have you already forgotten? You irresponsible, uncaring girl!" the figure's spiteful words rained down upon her. "But no matter… for I will always remember, and I will carry out justice!"

Before Fuu could talk, the creatures' wings expanded like a pair of shadows, as it charged right at her, its talons aiming for her throat. As its fingers wrapped around her neck, Fuu could feel sharp pain, before she opened her eyes.

She let out a sharp gasp, before quickly sitting up in her bed, her eyesight blurry without her glasses. Her pulse was elevated and her pajama dress covered in cold sweat. She turned to her side to check up on Hikaru and Umi, until she remembered they didn't sleep in the same bed.

The apartment they had been given was a simple one with four rooms and a kitchen. Three of the rooms were identical single person bedrooms, while the fourth one was a common living space. While she had at first been happy to have a room of her own, at times like this, she could use company.

After picking up her glasses and putting them on, she got off the bed and looked outside. Through an octagonal window, she could see the dark clouds and lightning outside as per usual. The white mist from her dream was nowhere to be seen. As her memory of that dream faded rapidly, all she could remember were the anger filled green eyes.

Walking out of her bedroom, she went to check up on the others. Hikaru was still peacefully sleeping next to Mokona in her room, making nary a sound. But as she checked up on Umi's room, she found it empty, with the bed unmade, and Umi's pajamas on it.

"Ms. Umi…" Fuu gasped, before noticing there were no signs of struggle. "I guess she went out for a walk."

Unable to get any sleep, Umi had left her room in hopes of getting some fresh air and clearing something off of her consciousness. While she had Hikaru and Fuu had returned to Cephiro and promised to fight, it wasn't like there were no doubts on her mind.

As she was making her way down to the throne room, a tall white figure coming around the corner surprised her. It was Ascot, who had been walking at a brisk pace, with his soft shoes muffling his footsteps. Both of them jumped as they saw each other, before calming down.

"Y-You scared me, Ascot," Umi sighed, before asking. "What are you doing here?"

"I-I was j-just…" Ascot stuttered, trying to think of something.

In reality, Ascot had hoped to bump into Umi. Having taken Hotaru's story about how he and Alcyone got together to heart, he figured that if he and Umi spent more time together, the same might apply to them. As such, he had requested Hoggar to keep track of Umi's scent and voice. This way they could bump into each other more often, if Umi were to walk around the Sanctuary.

On second thought, this seems like a really rotten approach… Think man, think!

"A-Actually, where are you headed?" Ascot asked awkwardly, awaiting an applicable answer.

"I'm just… I'm going to see Master Mage Clef," Umi answered sheepishly, finding it hard to look at Ascot. "I need to talk to him about something…"

"O-Oh! I was headed that way too," Ascot answered, trying to cover up for his blunder. "Master Clef has been teaching me a lot about magic and summons, so I had something I needed to ask him about."

"I see, then perhaps we can go together then," Umi blurted, not prepared for having an audience.

With Ascot accepting her invitation, the two of them made their way to the throne room. As they arrived at the golden doors, they opened before them automatically. Inside, they saw Clef standing in the middle of the room, observing the stormy skies through the image on the ceiling.

"Umi, Ascot, what brings you here?" Clef asked them kindly.

"May… May we come in?" Umi asked carefully.

"Of course," Clef nodded with a smile. "I am always willing to meet with my students."

Clef waved his staff, creating two floating chairs. He then waited for Umi and Ascot to take a seat, before facing them.

"Are you unable to sleep?" he asked them both.

Umi and Ascot looked at each other, before Ascot offered, "Y-You go on ahead first, Umi."

Umi nodded, before trying to think of the right words, "Um… I've been meaning to apologize to you."

"Apologize?" Clef tilted his head confusedly.

"In the beginning, when I came to Cephiro, I didn't know how you cherished this country," Umi poured her heart out, feeling awful about her past actions. "And I didn't listen to your story at all… I was really stuck-up."

Clef looked at the young girl with pity while listening to her, whereas Ascot was taken aback by this confession. He had always seen Umi as a mature and level-headed, yet incredibly passionate person. Never had he dreamt that Umi had a side like that to her.

"I've always meant to apologize," Umi continued, her eyes turning misty. "Even when I went back to my own world from Cephiro. You knew Princess Emeraude's true intent, and still helped us become Magic Knights even after you became stone. And I…"

Being close to tearing up, Umi took a break in order to gather her thoughts once more. Memories of her first few weeks in Cephiro, they all seemed so far away and yet the shame of her actions weighed on her.

"In the beginning, I always thought it was a nuisance…" she continued, swallowing deep. "Why me? I'm sorry…"

Clef and Ascot both looked at her sadly, having been unaware how deeply upset Umi was. But as they thought of her words, neither of them could blame her for her actions. In fact, hearing her apologize made Ascot's heart ache.

"Umi, you did nothing wrong," Clef explained softly. "Abruptly summoned from another world and involved in a battle you were no part of. Anyone would think as you did. You have no reason to apologize to me."

"Clef…"

"I am the one who must apologize to you," Clef admitted, ashamed. "Not only did I not tell the truth behind the legend of the Magic Knights, but Zagato turned me to stone and I could be of no help. And after that I raised my hand against you while under his control, almost eliminating you all…"

Umi shook her head, "That's not true…"

All of a sudden, Ascot stood up, towering over the two others, startling them slightly, "I too need to apologize, Master Clef."

"Ascot…" Clef looked up at him surprised.

"I… I must apologize for my actions during my time in Zagato's service," Ascot swallowed, before looking down guiltily. "I was immature and foolish, willing to hurt others so that my friends wouldn't be hurt instead. I used my beasts to sow terror and forced them to do things I wouldn't dare do myself."

Smiling proudly at his student, Clef shook his head, "Ascot, you already apologized to us for all that."

"No, I didn't!" Ascot denied vehemently. "It was Caldina who apologized on both of our behalf back then. But I cannot have her cover up for my misdeeds forever. As such, I ask for forgiveness for my actions from you and my fellow countrymen, as well as thank you for taking me in and teaching me more about magic."

"…You are such an upstanding youngster," Clef chuckled with a smile. "But regardless, as from my point of view, your misdeeds have already been paid in full. After all, it was you who freed me from my stone prison. As for what comes to others; I am sure that as long as you and your monsters keep helping and protecting the refugees in these trying times, no one will bear ill will towards you."

Not used to such compliments, Ascot was left frozen and without words to respond with. It was only as he felt Umi placing her hand on his back, that he could move again.

"You really have grown up as a person, Ascot," Umi smiled at him proudly, before standing up as well. "I'd pat you on the head, but I can't reach it anymore."

Seeing his two students getting along so well, Clef felt the need to guide them, "Umi, Ascot. While you are both fighting to protect Cephiro, please, make sure you prioritize protecting yourselves. Your spells, your weapons, your monsters and armor, make sure to use them all for your own sake."

A warm feeling spread through Umi's heart, hearing how much Clef cared about her. While she had been suspicious of the short mage when they first met, he had proven to be a person she could look up to.

"Now, I was planning on making myself a herbal infusion to help me relax. Care to join me you two?" Clef offered the two youngsters.

"Yes please," both of them nodded.

Ferio was standing in one of the outermost corridors of the crystal castle, looking outside through its round windows. As he watched the lightning flash outside, he was reminded of the time he had brought an unconscious woman to the Magic Knights' camp. Back then, he had thought of the raging storm as something exotic and rare, but now, he truly missed seeing the sunny skies.

After another flash of lightning in the distance, he could hear soft footsteps coming from the right of him. Turning around, he saw Fuu walking with her face turned down, as if looking for something she had dropped.

"Fuu, is something the matter?" Ferio asked, seeing her worried expression.

"Ferio," Fuu gasped, finally noticing him. "Sorry… I was just trying to clear my head."

"Did you have a bad dream?" Ferio asked, seeing that she was a bit pale.

"…I guess," Fuu admitted, "but it is nothing you should be worried about."

Ferio walked over to her, before looking into her eyes, "I've been worried ever since you three went back to your other world."

Fuu's eyes widened as she stared back at him, "I worried about you too…"

Without further ado, Fuu wrapped her arms around Ferio's waist, pulling him close. While Fuu being so forward came to him as a surprise, Ferio hugged her back, placing his arms around her shoulders. After embracing each other for a good minute or two, Fuu pulled back slightly, looking up into Ferio's amber eyes.

"I must know, Ferio," Fuu said with steadfast determination, "Are you mad at me, for what happened to your sister?"

"Fuu… I already told you—"

"You keep evading the question," Fuu stated, holding him tightly. "I know you understand the circumstances behind Princess Emeraude's fate better than anyone else. But please, let me know how you truly feel…"

With Fuu's eyes starting to tear up, Ferio understood that he couldn't remain quiet any longer. They both knew he had tried to spare her feelings, but Fuu wasn't a delicate girl in that manner. Knowing that she was being spared from the worst of it, made it that much harder for her to get over something.

"I… I wish I could have held my sister one last time," Ferio admitted, closing his eyes, trying to stay strong. "We last saw each other over four centuries ago. I was only knee-high back then. I wanted for her to see how much I had grown, tell her how much I've been through…"

Seeing Ferio begin to tear up as well, despite squeezing his eyes shut, Fuu's heart ached. It was a stabbing pain, but it carried with it a certain level of relief, knowing that Ferio was being honest with her. Even as Ferio began to quietly sob against her shoulder, she held onto him tight, comforting her in Emeraude's stead.

"I wish you two could have met as well," Fuu said, tearing up against Ferio's armor. "It is so cruel that siblings would have to be separated like you two were. I would be lost if I could never see my elder sister again…"

As the two younger siblings held onto each other tightly, they unraveled their pent-up feelings upon each other. As she shared her worries with Ferio, she was reminded of Kuu's words. If Ferio could share his troubles with her, she felt like she could sleep with a clear consciousness.

"Tell me, what was Cephiro like back then?" Fuu asked, wanting to learn more of her boyfriend's past.

"Cephiro was… peaceful," Ferio answered quietly, wiping away his tears. "No wars, no famine, every day bright and sunny, with flowers in full bloom and animals and humans getting along. There were some minor conflicts regarding land and the occasional monster, but nothing the nobility and the knights couldn't handle. Then when the previous pillar died, Emeraude was chosen as the successor."

"What happened to the previous pillar?" Fuu asked, having never thought of it before.

"I don't remember exactly, but it wasn't anything as dramatic as this time around," Ferio shrugged. "In any case, big sister was all but ready to take over as the Pillar when the time came. While she never complained about having to do her duty, she always had such a sad expression last time I saw her…"

With his mind at ease, Ferio reached into his pocket, and pulled out a red magical device, "So I at least want you to stay smiling. So that when I remember you, it'll always be your smile…"

"Ferio… that orb," Fuu gasped, laying her eyes upon it.

"It's the one I gave you."

"I was certain I had it, but when I returned to Tokyo, it was gone. Ms. Hikaru said the same thing about hers," Fuu explained.

"I don't know why, but both of them returned to my hands. In any case, I want you to take it back," Ferio said, placing the orb in Fuu's hand.

"Ferio!" Fuu blushed. "Your elder sister gave this to you. I can't accept something so important!"

"It's all right. I want you to have this," Ferio said with a sad smile. "I am sure sister would have wanted you to have it as well."

Seeing both the sadness and love in each other's eyes, the two younger siblings embraced once more. This time, it was Ferio's turn to comfort Fuu.

In the dark of Cephiro's eternal night, lightning flashed across the pitch-black depths of its stormy skies. In the oppressively dark atmosphere, the thunder that followed was accompanied by a cold and cruel laughter that would send a thousand soldiers running. At the very depths of the abyss, a tall figure with a billowing cape and glowing red eyes, was cackling in delight.

Casting a shadow on the void around herself, the figure had long arms, thin waist, wide shoulder pads, and a large head. Copious amounts of jewelry hung from her hair and ears, showing off her status.

"Soon… Soon," she spoke in an excited and ominous tone. "Now that it has no Pillar, the only path Cephiro has is eradication."

Teal mist began to spread out from around her ankles, as several smaller figures appeared from her shadow. A collection of shadows, each one different from one another.

"I am me, but at the same time I am not. The people are wishing for my existence," the tall figure mused, before laughing once more.

As the smaller figures stepped forth, the center one's face was lit up by lightning, revealing a twisted image of its viewer.

Hikaru snapped awake with a sharp gasp, sitting up on her bed in her new room. She panted heavily, covered in sweat, her eyes wide open, grasping her hands together. Even as lightning flashed right outside her window, Mokona was peacefully sleeping next to her.

"A-A dream?" Hikaru stuttered, as images of the shadowy figures flashed before her eyes. "What was that dream…"

She placed her hand on her neck, remembering her dream from last morning. The image of a face she thought she recognized was burnt to her retinas, and she could still see its outlines as she stared into the dark.

"That was…" she tried remembering, shutting her eyes tight in order to see the face more clearly. "Who… is that?"

As she opened her eyes, she spotted Mokona fast asleep. The little rabbit fay didn't seem to have a care in the world, and was so still that they looked like a solid egg. She felt slightly envious of her little friend, for she couldn't even imagine staying asleep at this point.

Getting up from the bed, Hikaru changed from her pajamas into her school uniform. She would take a short walk around the Sanctuary to clear her head, and come back before Mokona would even notice. Of course, she was slightly nervous about getting lost in the massive crystal castle, but figured she could always ask help getting back.

Opening the metallic door to her room, she was caught off guard by a sudden yell, "Pu-puu!"

Realizing Mokona was just talking in its sleep, she sighed deeply, "That surprised me…"

With a slight giggle, she closed the door behind her, before exiting their apartment. The corridors outside were empty and she felt a bit lonely, but it helped her clear her mind. While her dreams bothered her, she didn't want to tell others about them. It wouldn't be right if others were to start losing sleep because of her dreams. Besides, it wasn't like her dreams had ever before come true, even if she had been to Cephiro and back.

But she knew she wouldn't give up. This time around, she would make sure that Cephiro would be fixed and the people could finally be happy. But as she tried to hold onto that promise to herself, she couldn't help but wonder, would it even be possible? For Cephiro to be saved, a new Pillar would have to be chosen. And for a new Pillar to be chosen, someone had to give up on everything that they cared for, for the sake of the planet.

As Hikaru puzzled over these facts, she walked further and further down the winding corridors of the Sanctuary. She passed all the floors of the eastern tower, making it all the way down to the central section of the Sanctuary. It was only as she heard silent crying that she snapped out of her thoughts. At first, she thought she was dreaming again, until she heard someone's sobbing voice echoing.

"Um, it was a scary dream…"

"A voice…" she whispered, "I wonder who…"

"What kind of dream was it?" A deep male voice asked.

"Um, let's see…" the younger of the voice continued crying. "Um, I don't really know…"

Realizing this person was suffering from similar dreams as she was, Hikaru started walking towards the voices.

"But it was really scary," the child-like voice cried out. "Something very scary eats us all!"

"What will eat us?" the male voice asked.

"This voice…" Hikaru gasped, closing in on it, "It was…"

Turning around the corner, Hikaru arrived at a brightly lit round room. It was a dome shaped room with white walls, glass roof, and a golden framework. The room was decorated with small plantations of medium length grass as well as a small fountain at the center of it. The room had several open entryways into it, making it a crossroad for several corridors. Inside the room, there were two figures. A tall man with short black hair, wearing a pair of black pants and a high-collared, long-sleeved shirt. The other was an orange-haired, green-eyed young girl, who wore a simple red and white dress, with a yellow undershirt.

"I don't know… But I'm scared…" the little girl cried, while the man continued listening.

That's… Zagato's younger brother… Lantis.

"I'm gonna be eaten… I'm gonna be eaten by a scary dream!" the girl whimpered, terrified by the memories of her dream.

Hikaru watched from the side, as Lantis gently and patiently placed his large hand on the girl's shoulder.

"It's all right. Nothing will eat you," Lantis promised her with a friendly voice.

The girl uncovered her face, looking at him directly, "Really? Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"So, the new Pillar will protect us?"

At the sound of this, Lantis's face turned more serious, "A new Pillar…"

"Mom told me. Cephiro is like this now because Princess Emeraude, who was the pillar, went away. So, if a new Pillar comes, everything will be peaceful again," the little girl explained, until she noticed Lantis's sour expression. "What's wrong mister? Does your tummy hurt? Do you feel sick?"

"It's nothing," Lantis brushed it off, before standing up straight. "You came all the way here in a daze. Do you remember where you sleep?"

"Mhm," she nodded.

"I'll carry you back," Lantis said, before picking her up in his arms. "You won't have any scary dreams anymore, so sleep well."

As Lantis carried the child in her direction, Hikaru was frozen in place. She didn't know how to address Lantis or if she should try to run away from him. He didn't seem scary and not greeting him would be rude, but she wondered if just getting out of his way would be for the best. By the time she was going to decide, he was already standing before her. Seeing him staring down at her, the girl Lantis was carrying looked at the two of them confused.

Hikaru swallowed deeply, "G-Good evening…"

A lengthy moment of awkward silence passed as the two of them stared at each other. It was only as the little girl looked at Hikaru closely that the silence was broken.

"Oh, it's you miss!"

Hikaru snapped out of thought, as the little girl talked to her, "Its me! Remember how you saved me?"

"Oh, from when…"

Taking a closer look at the child, Hikaru could faintly remember the earliest days of her travels in Cephiro. Her, Umi, Fuu, and Hotaru had just made it out of the Forest of Silence, when they had followed Mokona to a village. The village had been attacked by a giant, red, humanoid monster, and later on by Alcyone. They had defended the mother and the child on both occasions, and as the battles were over…

"…You gave me that flower," Hikaru brightened up, remembering the little girl.

"You remember!" the girl smiled happily.

"I'm glad you were all right!"

"Yeah! I'm sorry I couldn't say 'thank you' for saving me," she apologized.

Hikaru shook her head, "That's okay… Thank you for that flower."

Ignoring the red-haired Magic Knight, Lantis walked past her, knowing he still needed to take the little girl back. After that, he would need to continue his training. Though the progress was slow, Lantis had managed to improve his swordsmanship and magic casting slightly. It wasn't enough to warrant a rematch with Hotaru, but little by little, he would get there.

That's odd… I came to Cephiro due to the Pillar system, but now I am hoping to have a rematch with him. At any rate, we won't have time for one until after Cephiro's fate has been determined.

While Lantis was deep in thought, Hikaru ran up to him, to ask, "Where are you going?"

"Residential quarters," Lantis answered shortly.

"Where I live with my mom!"

"I see. Where the people of Cephiro evacuated… U-Um… Can I come with you?"

The little girl's eyes sparkled, "Will you sleep next to me?"

"N-No I didn't mean like that," Hikaru looked away awkwardly. "I just wanted to see what the residential quarters are like."

"Oh…" the little girl gasped disappointedly. "Big sis is so strong… I thought if I could be with you, I wouldn't disappear…"

"…Disappear?" Lantis asked, raising an eyebrow.

The little girl nodded, frightenedly, "My friend Gino says that he hasn't seen his uncle around for a few days. He says he disappeared…"

"I see," Lantis sighed in relief. "I'm sure it is just because the Sanctuary is so big and there are so many people living here."

"That's what the adults said as well…"

"I'm sure they are right," Hikaru smiled warmly, trying to comfort her. "It can be difficult to keep track of people in such a large building."

The girl was quiet for a moment, before saying, "I guess it is larger than our village…"

Eventually the three of them made it to a sizable pink room with a pair of large bronze doors. The doors opened before them, revealing a large descending corridor into the lowest levels of the castle. The way to the residential quarters was dark and unlit, and seemed to go on forever.

Despite this, the girl said bravely, "It's all right. I can go back from here by myself."

As Lantis placed her down gently, the little girl thanked him politely. Despite all this, Lantis seemed as distant as during their journey here to Hikaru. Was he deep in thought, or was he not comfortable with her being near him?

"Big sis, what's your name?" the orange-haired girl asked her.

Realizing she was being talked to, she politely introduced herself, "Hikaru Shidou. Everyone calls me Hikaru."

"Big sis Hikaru!"

Leaning down to get closer to the child, Hikaru asked, "Can you tell me your name too?"

"Mira!" she introduced herself, before running down the corridor and turning around, "See you later, big sis Hikaru, big brother!"

As Hikaru waved her off, she almost forgot about the fact that she was left alone with Lantis. The tall magic swordsman hadn't seemed scary when she was surrounded by friends or when Mira was around. But now that she was alone with him, it was slightly intimidating to be stared down by the man, even if his expression was neutral.

"U-Um…" Hikaru muttered, but there was no reaction. "Um, I heard that you were High Priest Zagato's younger brother…"

Lantis's stoic expression shifted a little, before he spoke coldly, "I am."

"I…!" Hikaru bowed her head quickly, trying to speak clearly. "I killed your big brother… You can hit me if you want! No… I know hitting me won't be enough. But I want you to leave Umi, Fuu, and Hotaru alone!"

Looking up into Lantis's eyes, Hikaru continued apologizing on the behalf of her friends, "I know I sound selfish saying that… But… Umi and Fuu weren't as cheerful back in Tokyo. They tried their best to cheer me up because I got depressed. But I think they were crying when they were alone! So if you want to hit us, just hit me!"

Slightly taken aback by her confession, Lantis answered sternly, "I'm not going to hit you."

Hikaru's eyes widened, as she tried going through reasons why he didn't carry any hostility towards her. Before she had the time, Lantis spoke to her in a gentle voice.

"Legendary Magic Knight summoned here from another world, I have no reason to blame you."

"But I—"

"I'm sure you cried when you were alone as well," Lantis said understandingly. "Besides, Hotaru already told me that it was him who slew my brother."

"He did? I suppose, but it was more of a group effort…" Hikaru thought out loud, before staring at Lantis worriedly again. "Then do you hold a grudge against Hotaru?"

Lantis shook his head slowly, "We have already worked through our differences. He challenged me into a fight, proceeded to show me how he defeated my brother, then welcomed me to the Sanctuary."

"I see…" Hikaru sighs in relief before smiling, "that does sound like him. He always has a good judge of character, even though he is a bit rough around the edges…"

As Hikaru was laughing, she realized something, as an image of Hotaru flashed before her eyes. She hadn't paid attention to it before due to everything else, but hearing about Lantis and Hotaru fighting, it stood out immediately.

"The scar on Hotaru's cheek… Did you give it to him?" Hikaru asked carefully.

"Yes, he did!" a high pitched and furious voice answered, as Primera flew between them. "But that is but a small price to pay for what that brute did to Lantis!"

"Primera…" Hikaru gasped in surprise, looking at the pink-clad fairy. "What do you mean?"

"Well let me tell you! Lantis saved me when I was attacked by monsters in the Forest of Spirits! Oh, he was so handsome…" Primera swooned while fluttering her wings. "But I noticed my dear Lantis could barely move, so I went ahead and inspected his injuries! I don't know what that brute did, but his stomach was almost as blue as my hair!"

"I see…" Hikaru leaned back nervously.

"So, because of that, keep that witch and brute couple away from my Lantis!" Primera pointed at Hikaru accusingly. "I'm usually a good girl, but I'm tough against people who hurt my love and rivals in romance!"

Hikaru nodded along, apologetic about her friends' behavior, until something caught her off guard, "…Rivals in romance?"

Having enjoyed a cup of herbal infusion mixed in with warm milk alongside Clef and Ascot, Umi was finally starting to feel sleepy. As such she had said her goodbyes to the two of them and headed back into her and her friends' apartment. By the time she reached the front door, her eye lids were already drooping and she couldn't wait to get into a soft bed.

"Good night, Hikaru. Good night, Fuu," she whispered at two closed doors as she passed them.

Opening the door to her room, it was just the way she had left it. She took off her school uniform that had far more mileage than one would think and placed it neatly on a nightstand. She then put on her pajamas and crawled in bed, laying her head down with a satisfied smile before closing her eyes. Finally getting to apologize to Master Mage Clef had taken a weight off of her shoulders and hearing of her influence over Ascot, gave her a warm fuzzy feeling.

I'm so glad Ascot has managed to find a place for him and his monsters to call home. Shame that they are all in danger of losing it though, but I'm sure things will get better eventually. Clef is such a wise and understanding leader, he will surely find a way to save Cephiro. Furthermore he has Hotaru and Ferio helping him out, and those two won't let anything happen to this world. When I get home, I should bake my parents a cake, but what kind? Strawberry? Lemon meringue? Chocolate? Red bean? Green tea? Cheese— Hm? What is that sound?

Snapping out of thought, Umi got up in her bed, hearing a soft sound of some kind. As she focused on it, it became louder and more prominent. At first, she thought someone was either talking or whispering, but then realized it was singing. There were no words, just vocalizations of a female voice that echoed through the door of her room.

"Fuu, Hikaru, Caldina, is that you? …Alcyone?" she asked tiredly, but no answer.

Getting up from her bed and changing into her school uniform, Umi listened as the singing seemed to come closer. Putting on her armor, she summoned her sword, as this could have been an invasion by another country. Sneaking to the door, she grabbed the handle, before quickly opening it with her sword in front of her.

*SPLASH*

As the door flew open, the singing was drowned out by the sound of crashing waves and a brisk breeze across her face. Umi's eyes widened in awe as she gazed at the scenery before her. Large waves of a dark ocean crashing against the shore of a beach full of black sand, with a clear, starless night sky up above. The only source of illumination was a streak of red light far in the horizon.

Umi stared at the view before her with abject horror, "The sea… This can't be happening."

As she tried turning around, the door and the room behind her were gone, replaced by tall, jagged cliffs. Looking around, all she could see was the sea, sand, and mountains, with not another soul around. But before she could try and call for help, she heard the singing again.

From among the waves, a hauntingly beautiful and sad melody echoed all the way to shore. As Umi gazed into the sea, she couldn't help but be drawn into the waves one step at a time. The dark water didn't feel cold against her legs, but rather clammy and illusory. As she was up to her hips in the ocean currents, she could see a small islet in the distance.

Little more than a rock jutting out of the waves, a single figure sat atop of it. Their face was obscured by the lack of light, however, the red glow behind the figure revealed some of their features. She was female, with long wavy hair, wearing a simple white outfit consisting of light pieces of cloth. She was of lithe build, maybe a bit taller than Umi, with her head tilted back as she sang. With her neck exposed, Umi could see a short string of pearls around it, that gleamed in the red light.

Once Umi was up to her waist in water, the figure stopped singing and turned to look her way. With the crimson light behind her, Umi still couldn't see the figure's face, but did see her big beautiful eyes. With her eyes aimed at her, Umi snapped from the trance of the song, only now realizing the terror of the situation she was in. She felt like something big could have jumped out from underneath the waves to gobble her up at any moment.

Despite her terror, the figure spoke to her casually, her voice amused and snide, "So we meet at last, little Umi. I had expected more from someone like you…"

"S-Someone like me?" Umi stuttered, realizing she had dropped her sword somewhere beneath the waves.

The figure leaned her cheek against the palm of her hand as she tilted her head condescendingly, "I had expected someone with so much love in them to be a more radiant person. But I suppose your unwillingness to share it around does rob you of any potential luster…"

Starting to get annoyed at her tone of voice, Umi steeled herself before raising her voice, "And who do you think you are to judge me? Who even are you?"

"All in due time, little Umi," she chuckled, shifting her hair behind her. "You will hear my performance again soon enough."

Before Umi could ask any further questions, she felt two long, hair-like tendrils wrap around her ankles. She only had time to scream in surprise, before being pulled underneath the waves. Within the dark water, she couldn't see anything and was unable to breath. The tendrils kept pulling her across the ocean floor, until she felt her body turn completely weightless. Realizing she was being pulled deeper and deeper into the ocean abyss, she couldn't help but scream in terror, even if it filled her lungs with more water.

Just as she was about to lose consciousness, she saw two massive, glowing, white eyes open up in front of her. As they did, she screamed louder than ever before, before snapping awake.

Inhaling deeply, Umi quickly sat up in her bed, with enough force for her abdomen to cramp up. Despite the pain and shortness of breath, she was wriggling and shaking uncomfortably, as she threw away her blanket and pajama dress. Only when nothing else than the mattress was touching her ankles, did she finally calm down and open her eyes.

Staring at the ceiling of her room, she continued panting restlessly. The shock of the final moments of her dream, had overridden most of her memories of it. All she could remember was the descent into the depths and those horrible white eyes.

"What was that…" Umi's voice trembled, as goosebumps spread throughout her body.

She laid in bed in her underwear for a few more minutes, trying to figure out who she should ask about it. Clef? Ascot? Alcyone? Presea? Knowing they were all asleep by this point, she didn't want to bother any of them. With the list of possible people dwindling, she suddenly remembered.

"Selece," she whispered. "Can I ask you something?"

A blue light shone from the center of her chest, before an old fashioned and wise voice asked, "What may be thine question, Magic Knight from another world."

The Mashin's voice echoed from the walls of her room, but was quiet enough that Umi knew that only she heard it. While Selece sounded formal, their voice also carried a hint of caring.

"You slept in the ocean for a very long time, right?" Umi asked, slowly pulling the blanket over her again. "Were there any huge sea monsters?"

"Mine mind stayed in the pocket dimension during my slumber," Selece answered, reminding of the space the Magic Knights had found themselves yesterday. "But as the sea god, I am familiar with the many leviathans of Cephiro's depths."

The idea that there were several giant monsters in Cephiro's seas sent a shiver down Umi's back, but she still asked, "Did… Did any of them have white eyes?"

"Not to mine recollection. Rest assured, for all of the great leviathans hast perished along with Cephiro's seas," Selece explained to her.

"I see…" Umi sighed, realizing it had all been a figment of her imagination after all. "Thank you, Selece."

On the thirtieth floor of the central tower, Alcyone and Hotaru were laying comfortably in their king-sized bed. Basking in afterglow after rocking the bed, the two of them had wrapped around each other in their usual manner. Feeling safe and satisfied, they slowly drifted off to sleep.

As Hotaru stroked his fingers through Alcyone's hair, he couldn't help but think about Hikaru. Now that she was back in Cephiro, her nightmares should have already started. While he felt bad for her, there was nothing he could do about it.

I can take a bullet for her and laugh it off, but there is not much I can do to protect her in her dreams. I can't even protect Alcyone from her nightmares… Luckily they are both strong willed and stubborn as I am.

While doing so was cruel, Hotaru knew that if he just sat back and waited, Hikaru would surely be able to deal with her problems without him. After all, her personal growth would be essential for Cephiro's, and, by that extent, his future. However, once the battle was no longer in the dreamscape, he would not be standing on the sidelines.

I can't wait to get to punch Debonair straight in the face… That lying, conniving, arrogant, underhanded—!

Hotaru's trail of thought was interrupted, as he heard Alcyone whimpering in her sleep. At first, he thought she was having a nightmare, until he realized he was grasping her hair too tightly. Letting go of her long black locks, Alcyone soon calmed down, before she wrapped her arms around Hotaru even tighter.

Feeling her cool and soft body wrapping around him, Hotaru closed his eyes and tried to relax. But despite his lover's caring embrace and a comfortable position, his mind was on overdrive. Today's battle against Eagle Vision had left him unsatisfied as the enemy commander had escaped and their fight cut short. Realizing he was still far too high strung to fall asleep, Hotaru slowly wriggled his way out of Alcyone's embrace.

Sneaking over to the bedroom door, Hotaru planned on getting a glass of water and exerting his body in mind a bit. Planning out his next move, image training against the foes he would be facing, and practicing with his weapons, were all daily routine for him at this point. Something of which he had neglected for today due to the reunion.

Entering the dark central room of the apartment in his underwear, he closed the bedroom door behind him. He was on his way to the kitchen, when he spotted something in the corner of his eye. Turning around quickly, he was surprised to see a small, dark figure sitting sideways on the large crystal couch. As he stared at the figure, he quickly remembered seeing them before.

"Hi, it's been a while," the figure giggled with a child-like voice.

*SMACK*

The central room echoed with the sound of Hotaru's hand slapping against his cheek, as he tried to wake himself up. However, the stinging pain soon let him know that this was no dream.

The shadowy figure tilted its head towards him, before asking in an unamused tone, "You don't even want to know what I have to say to you? Harsh."

Rubbing his sore cheek, Hotaru rolled his eyes frustratedly, "If you had any intent on saying anything of worth, you wouldn't be hiding in the dark, now would you? Besides, you are not someone I would be interested in—"

Before Hotaru could finish his sentence, the small shadowy figure reached from where they were sitting over to the light switch. As the lights came on, the sudden brightness took Hotaru by surprise, but from the reaction of his guest, the same was true for them.

Once they both got used to the brightness, Hotaru chuckled, "Nice outfit."

The figure sitting in front of him looked like your typical eight-year-old male child. He had short black hair, piercing blue eyes, and light skin. The only things that made him seem out of the ordinary, were his slightly pointy ears and small horns growing up from his forehead. The horns had a slight curve to them and were colored the same as his skin.

The child wore an outfit consisting of a knee length tunic, a pair of full-length trousers, and a jacket. The pants were simple and black, and slightly baggy. The tunic was beige with a pattern of red triangles around the skirt and a golden trim along the chest. The jacket was white with several black stripes along the sleeves, gold embroidered lapels, and a wide frilly collar that looked way too big for him. On his feet he wore pointy white shoes with black bottoms. The jacket, the collar, and the shoes were decorated with crimson red gems.

The child looked at him unamused before saying, "Nice underwear."

Currently only wearing a pair of green boxers, Hotaru realized he was in no place to judge others. Despite this, he didn't bother covering up and instead looked down upon the little intruder. He seemed more well mannered than last time they had met and now Hotaru had a slight hunch as to who he was.

The hair and eye color, they are a clear match for Lantis. He must be Lantis's version of Nova, created by his defeat in my hands. Since Lantis is such a good person, there weren't enough negative emotions and he was left a dwarf… Wait, didn't I meet him before fighting Lantis? Maybe it was after… Fuck it, just ask him directly!

"Alright, spit it out, who are you and what do you want?" Hotaru asked with his arms crossed, leaning against the kitchen door frame.

Leaning back casually on the couch, the child smiled, "And here I thought you weren't interested in talking to me. But I'm sure you will figure it out soon enough. After all, you are sharp enough to know what is coming, aren't you?"

Hotaru raised his eyebrow, before thinking about it, "I may know a few things. Though not sure why you are here bothering me when Lantis is in the southern tower."

The young child-like imp started laughing out loud, his little stomach inflating and deflating with each chuckle. The laughter kept getting louder, to a point where Hotaru worried if this would wake Alcyone up. The imp stopped to breathe for a moment, before continuing to laugh a bit longer.

"La-ahahah-antis!" the child giggled, before finally stopping. "I suppose we do look somewhat familiar. But no Hotaru, I am here for you specifically, not for ol' uncle Lantis."

"As I said, who are you and what do you want?" Hotaru remained stern about it. "I am not blindly chasing you through another mirror."

"Shame, I could have used another game of tag," the imp quipped while kicking his feet. "But if you must know, my name is Romeo. And I am here to deliver you a warning."

Trying not to laugh at such a showy name, Hotaru asked with a slight grin, "And what that might be?"

(Hotaru…)

Romeo's voice turned more serious, as he stared at Hotaru with his cold blue eyes, "Things have changed far more than you could have hoped."

A cold chill ran down Hotaru's spine as Romeo spoke in clear English language. It was as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over his head, as he realized the implication behind those words. He had thought that Romeo might have been Lantis's version of Nova, but now it was clear the imp was his. Furthermore…

"I know more about you than you could imagine, 'Hotaru'", Romeo smiled at him creepily.

(Hotaru!)

"But… how can this be?" Hotaru asked, talking back in English. "I never went through anything that would warrant your creation! And why are you so small?"

Romeo shrugged playfully, before answering, "Who knows. Maybe it is something you've kept hidden for a while now. But don't worry, I will do that which you NEVER could."

(HOTARU!)

Hotaru snapped awake, as he heard a loud voice yelling in his head. As his arms were still wrapped around Alcyone, they both wriggled violently, as they hurried to get out of their lovers-embrace. In the meanwhile, a loud and angry voice spoke into their heads.

(Hotaru/Alcyone! Meet me in the throne room as soon as possible!)

"Clef, what is it?" Hotaru asked angrily, holding his head tightly to try and continue his discussion with Romeo.

"I think we're about to get invaded…" Alcyone said, staring out the window of their bedroom.

As they both looked outside, they could see a massive, red, serpentine dragon in the distance.

After putting their clothes on, Hotaru and Alcyone had rushed to the throne room, of which they lived a few floors above. By the time they arrived, in addition to Clef: Ascot, Fuu, Ferio, Presea and Sierra were already present. Little bit later, Hikaru and Lantis arrived as well, with Umi coming in last. All of them looked a bit pale and sleep deprived, aside from the two blacksmiths, and were all wearing their battle gear.

Once everyone was present, Clef swung his large staff, conjuring a floating image at the center of the throne room.

"Is that a dragon…?" Umi's eyes widened as she looked upon the image.

Upon closer inspection, instead of an actual dragon, it looked mechanical in nature, similar to the Mashins. It was huge, several kilometers long, its body mostly obstructed by the clouds. Its deep red body was made out of sharply angular, metallic, repeating segments. Its tail was so far away that they could barely see any detail of it.

It had two purple wings that looked like they were made out of Chinese lugsails and oars. As they moved, it almost looked like the dragon rowed its way across space. It had four relatively short limbs in two pairs, with three golden claws in each. The frontal pair held two massive lilac orbs in its claws.

Its head was large and elongated, with several pairs of spiky, dark red and black horns, and a pair of red whiskers. On its forehead, the dragon had a golden ornament with a large round ruby. From the back of the dragon's head, spewed out a massive flame as if it was a mane, that was twice the size of the head.

"W-What is it?" Hikaru asked, her jaw agape.

"The Dome of Fahren," Clef answered in a serious tone.

"Then someone from the royal family is on board," Ferio pointed out, knowing a bit about the neighboring countries.

"Most likely," Clef nodded.

"May I ask what we know about Fahren's royal family?" Fuu asked, fully unaware of what they were dealing with.

"Fahren is a large and prosperous country," Clef replied. "Its royal family has the power to use illusion spells that are unique to only them."

"You mean like Caldina?" Hotaru asked, trying to be part of the conversation.

Clef shook his head, "Different, and on an entirely different scale from what I've heard. Lantis, you have traveled across the different worlds. Do you know anything about the royal family and what they are like?"

Lantis shook his head gently before answering stoically, "I have not had the chance of meeting them myself. Furthermore, I last visited Fahren forty years ago. The royal family may have changed entirely since then."

"Then what about the people?" Hikaru asked him, begging to know more. "What did the people think of the royal family?"

Surprised by her insistence, Lantis thought back on his time in Fahren, "I don't remember any of the commonwealth ever complaining about the royal family. Fahren is not a country without its own problems, but the ruling elite didn't seem like one of them."

Hearing this, Hikaru nodded, after which Umi and Fuu nodded back. Before anyone could say anything else, they rushed to the throne room door.

"Where are you going?" Ferio yelled after them.

They all stopped, before Hikaru turned around, "The royal family of Fahren… We want to talk to them!"

"Talk?" Clef asked worriedly.

"I don't want to fight again without knowing what the other side wants," Hikaru answered. "We need to find out why they wish to invade Cephiro!"

"We're coming too!" Alcyone yelled, before being stopped by Hotaru. "What is it?"

Holding onto Alcyone's shoulder, Hotaru said with a stern voice, "Alcyone, please, stay here."

The room fell quiet as Alcyone stared at Hotaru with a shocked expression, "Why? Is something wrong?"

It took Hotaru a moment to figure out what to say. If Romeo had been serious about things having changed more than Hotaru could imagine, that meant anything could happen. He didn't want to risk Alcyone's life due to unknown circumstances, unless it was absolutely necessary. However, as he couldn't say that, he had no choice but to come up with something else.

"If something goes wrong, we will need backup. Also, if Fahren's royal family uses illusions, they might be able to turn friend against friend," Hotaru explained, trying to justify his decision. "If they did that to you or me, I couldn't bear the thought of us harming each other."

Seeing Hotaru's strained expression, Alcyone could only imagine how much he was worrying for her. It was true that they shouldn't put all of their eggs into the same basket. While she didn't want to spend more time with Clef than she had to, she eventually agreed to staying behind.

"Come back safe…"

The Dome of Fahren glided across the clouds like a literal majestic dragon, the flame burning above its head lighting its way forward. Its body undulated from side to side and up and down, as its wings rowed forward. Though the Dome was just a battleship, it did let out voices that sounded like those of a large bird of prey. This voice was accompanied by a pompous and shrill laughter.

Inside the dragon, there were many rooms and facilities, but none of them as important as the imperial throne room. It was a rectangular room with a curved ceiling and walls, made out of polished stone. The floor was made out of red and black stone squares and rectangles, with the sides of it made from white marble panels. The walls were formed by curving cream-colored pillars as well as red wooden lattice windows. In the center of the room, stood a massive crystal ball atop a large black and gold pedestal. At the back of the room, on top of a fairly simple wooden platform, stood a black, simplistic wooden throne. The throne's only decoration was its backrest with a golden circle and a burgundy middle. Behind and above the throne, hung a banner with the name of the royal family on it.

On top of the throne, sat a young girl with pale skin, large blue eyes, black hair, and red tear-drop shaped earrings. Her eyes had red eyeshadow applied to them that pointed to the sides of her faces. Her long hair was fashioned into two large, blunt, slightly upwards curving horns, with two strands of hair hanging down, framing her face.

She wore a red, purple, and white dress with golden embroideries and black ribbons, with long sleeves and skirt. At the front of her skirt, there was a large prominent black and white Taijitu. In her hand, she held a large fan made out of pink feathers that were attached to a golden base.

"Aa-aah-hahahahaha!" she laughed proudly. "We've finally arrived, elder!"

"Yes," an old man standing next to her bowed.

The man was of medium height, with a long white beard that covered his entire face below his nose, and matching eyebrows. He wore long purple robes and a headdress that covered his entire body, with a second white robe beneath them. From his waist and in front of his hat, hung red pieces of cloth decorated with Taijitus. In his hand, the man held a long wooden staff with a golden tassel hanging from it.

"So, this is Cephiro?" the young girl asked in a pompous voice.

"Indeed, this land is Cephiro," the man answered in a raspy voice.

Hearing this, the young girl stood up on her throne and started jumping triumphantly, "I did it! I did it! I did it!"

"Lady Aska, please watch yourself!" a young boy warned her, steadying the royal throne.

The boy had beady eyes, rosy cheeks, and short black hair. He wore a red robe with golden trims and white silk shirt and pants underneath it, as well as black shoes. He had a black hat with a red band around it, and a golden knob with a red tassel hanging from it. On the chest of his red robe, the boy had a Taijitu inside a purple ring.

Once the boy managed to calm down lady Aska, both him and the man sighed deeply in relief.

"It was a long trip! We thought we would never get here!" Aska declared, proud of her patience.

"A-As I said earlier, Lady Aska, it is a long way to Cephiro from our homeland of Fahren," the old man reminded her politely.

"Silence, Chang Ang!" Aska yelled at him angrily, before laughing again, "Aa-aah-hahahahaha! Now that we are here, we've basically won the battle! Right, Sang Yung?"

The young boy swallowed deeply while taking a step back, unsure how to respond. While he was Lady Aska's aide, he could never say no when looking into her big blue eyes.

"This is Cephiro. And we are Aska, the first princess of Fahren!" she stated matter-of-factly, before unfurling her fan and pointing it forwards. "So we've basically won the battle! Is that not right, Sang Yung?"

Sang Yung blinked a few times in confusion, before answering, "Um, I am glad that you have arrived in Cephiro, Lady Aska. But why does that lead to victory? I don't see the link…"

"Aa-aah-hahahahaha! There is no way we would lose to someone from another country!" Aska explained with her eyes closed.

"Uh, I see…"

Before Sang Yung could properly answer, Aska leaned in close enough for their faces to almost touch, "Do you not think so?"

Nervously, he nodded quickly, before shyly looking down, "You are invincible, Lady Aska."

"Aa-aah-hahahahaha! That's right! We are invincible! Aa-aah-hahahahaha! Aa-aah-hahahahaha!"

"Lady Aska!" Chang Ang interrupted her.

"Wut?" Aska stopped herself.

"Someone is headed this way. Please have a look."

Concentrating on the crystal ball in front of them, Chang Ang pointed his left index and middle fingers up into the air. He then shook them side to side before muttering a few magic words, causing his fingers to glow blue. Finally, he pointed the fingers towards the crystal ball, causing it to flash blue. An image appeared in the crystal ball, which showed four figures approaching the Dome.

"W-What is this?" Aska gasped.

Four giant figures colored crimson, cobalt, emerald, and silver flew towards them. Two of them had wings, one was flaming like the Dome, and one flew on its own. Each one was covered in golden decorations and colorful orbs. For all her life, Aska had only seen a few things that excited her as much as these giants.

"They look really strong… and really cool!"

"I agree…" Sang Yung stared with his mouth agape.

"Sang Yung, do you know what they are?" Aska asked her old friend.

"N-No…" Sang Yung answered honestly.

"Chang Ang?" she asked the old man

"I am not sure either, but I believe they are from Cephiro," he answered with a dry mouth.

"From Cephiro?"

"I have heard that Cephiro has guardians called the legendary Mashin. Guardians that have protected this land since the beginning of time."

"Legendary… Mashin," Aska's eyes sparkled, before she turned back at the crystal ball. "…What's that?"

By waving her fan, Aska caused a bunch of red-violet sparkles to emanate from it, as the Crystal ball zoomed in on one of the figures. Looking at the silver giant wielding a giant sword, the three of them all looked at it awkwardly.

"That's a guy…" they said simultaneously.

"Chang Ang, Sang Yung, do you know that that is?" Aska asked, but both of them shook their heads.

On the outside, our four heroes were approaching the giant flying dragon, all of them wearing worried expressions. Though they had all faced giant foes before, never before had one been of this size and scale. The Mashins all looked like ants next to a serpent in front of the Dome. As the dragon looked down at them, it was as if it was going to swallow them all up.

"H-How long is it?" Umi asked and gulped.

"I would estimate around five kilometers," Fuu said calmly, trying to analyze their foe.

"Think we can just fly inside and ignore fighting the dragon?" Hotaru suggested.

Hikaru, who had been nervous for a while now, calmed down a bit, "…That might not actually be such a bad idea."

Back inside the Dome, Aska was finally done wracking her head about the giant man, "At least the others look cool! We will definitely become the Pillar of Cephiro!"

Sang Yung's and Chang Ang's eyes widened again, as Aska began to shake up and down on her throne again.

"If we become Cephiro's Pillar, we can be a princess and get those Mashins!" Aska celebrated as Sang Yung braced the throne once again. "They will all be mine!"

"But Lady Aska, how do you plan on becoming the Pillar if those Mashins are here to stop you?" Chang Ang asked, stroking his beard.

"Kukukuku~!" Aska chuckled, before pointing her fan at Chang Ang and yelling, "WE WON'T ALLOW IT!"

As Chang's ears were ringing, Aska continued yelling, "We are going to become the Pillar of Cephiro, no matter what!"

Hopping off of the throne, Aska walked over to the crystal ball, before turning around, "Sang Yung! Brush and paper!"

"R-Right!"

As commanded, Sang Yung presented Lady Aska a sealed scroll and a freshly dipped paintbrush.

Finally managing to stop his ears from ringing, Chang Ang gasped, "Lady Aska, you can't possibly be thinking of doing that…"

Tearing the scroll open and placing it on the ground, Aska grabbed the paintbrush and held it over the scroll, "Secret Spell of Dragon Art Reincarnation!"

With fast and somewhat sloppy movements, Aska's brush sailed across the scroll, drawing an image on it. The further the painting came along, the more of her magic Aska could feel being drawn to it.

"Lady Aska, you mustn't! Please stop!"

"You stay quiet!"

With the image finished, Aska stood up and spread her arms wide. Fully concentrated, she then brought her hands together, before doing several hand motions in a row, while repeating simple incantations. Once she was done, she brought her index and middle fingers forth in a slightly off cross, before summoning a red magic symbol in front of her.

The scroll she had drawn on began to glow blue and the drawing on it red. Sang Yung gasped as the scroll began to float upwards, before the drawing floated off of its page. The hastily drawn squiggle grew larger and larger, before forming into a dancing lion.

Its body was made of a large brown cloth with golden trims and tassels along the edges. Its face was a red metallic mask with silver and gold decorations. It had a mouth full of jagged teeth and two curving teeth on its upper jaw. Its eyes were large with green irises and it had a forwards pointing horn growing from the back of its head. Around its face, long gray fur grew as a beard, whiskers, and eyebrows.

The drawing turned around before floating through the throne room's ceiling, as if it was a ghost. Soon after, outside the Dome, the Magic Knights came to a halt.

"What is that?" Hikaru asked.

"It kinda looks like the Spring of Eterna…" Hotaru noted, tilting his head.

A red glowing line appeared before them, before a large, red-faced monster floated up from it. It stared at them with dead green eyes, before moving towards them.

"First a dragon and now a dancing lion?" Umi gasped in surprise.

Despite being little more than a floating piece of cloth, a mask, and some hair, the dancing lion opened its mouth and let out a loud roar. Its mouth was like an empty void, though that could simply have been due to lack of lighting underneath the cloth behind the mask.

"…Is that thing alive?" Umi blinked.

"It's probably one of those illusions Clef mentioned," Hotaru said, preparing his sword. "Meaning we can probably kill it without upsetting anyone."

"But should we?" Hikaru asked uncomfortably. "It might be friendly, or perhaps it is here to deliver a message."

"…Alright, you got me there," Hotaru admitted.

Even though he knew this thing had been an enemy in the anime, it wasn't like that was set in stone. To attack it without provocation, would rob them of any chance of getting inside the dragon peacefully. Despite all that he knew, Hotaru was glad the girls knew how to be level-headed from time to time.

Back inside the Dome, Fahren's princess and her advisors were watching as the illusion stared down the Mashins.

"Aa-aah-hahahahaha! We haven't used a large illusion spell in a while, but it looks like it went well!" Aska congratulated herself proudly.

Sighing exasperatedly, Chang Ang asked, "Lady Aska, what are you doing, using such a high-level illusion right away?"

"It's all right cause it worked!"

"You cannot be so rash all the time," Chang Ang explained to her in a grandfatherly manner.

"Sheesh! You are too annoying!" Aska yelled before shoving Chang backwards. "Just sit quietly and watch!"

Turning to face her enemy, Aska brought hands together once more, taking control of the illusion, "Go!"

With a fearsome roar, the dancing lion charged at the Mashins, its beard flowing in the wind.

"So much about peaceful," Hotaru quipped before preparing his sword again.

The Magic Knights followed suit, summoning their weapons. As the lion charged towards them, its mouth opened wide, before a large yellow hot fireball shot out from it. As the fireball careened towards them, the Magic Knights flew out of its way, with Hotaru blocking it with a backhand.

Feeling the temperature of the flames, Hotaru gasped, "Oooh! That's hot! It sure packs a punch for an illusion!"

"This is starting to feel like a kaiju movie!" Umi quipped, looking at the giant monster.

Without giving them a breather, the dancing lion fired another fireball towards them. Umi was about to counter with her Water Dragon, when Hotaru flew directly at the fireball, his sword held back. Still annoyed by his previous battle with Eagle, Hotaru crashed right through the fireball, his defensive spell protecting his face from burns.

His opponent had the same idea, as the dancing lion's metallic face charged right towards him as well. Right before the impact, Hotaru steered to the right slightly while swinging his Titan Slicer forward. The sword dented the lion's mask, before cutting cleanly through the fabric that made up its lengthy body. Using his supersonic flying speed, Hotaru quickly stabbed his sword all the way through the monster.

"That should do it," he smiled confidently, as he came to a stop.

Inside the Dome, the trio of observers watched as the scroll of the dancing lion was almost cut in half, horizontally.

"Grrrrrr! Damn you!" Aska yelled out.

By doing more finger signs, Aska fed more of her magic into the illusion via the crystal ball. Everyone involved watched, as the dancing lion's injuries healed and its entire body began to glow bright red. The giant parade ornament grew larger and larger, until it went from about the same size as a Mashin, to large enough that all four of them could fit underneath it.

"W-What is up with this?" Umi stared at it wide eyed.

"…Did Ascot get his silkworm from Fahren?" Hotaru blinked in horror.

What is going on? I remember this thing being an easy kill, not Atalante two! Granted I never paid much attention to these episodes...

Hotaru was snapped out of his thoughts as he heard Fuu yell, "It is coming towards us!"

The illusionary lion fired another fireball from its mouth, this time significantly bigger. Using his speed, Hotaru quickly flew to where the others were, before Fuu got in front of him.

"Winds of Protection!"

The emerald green barrier appeared in front of them all right before the fireball struck. While the barrier was able to hold out, the fireball exploded like a giant bomb, covering them all in flames. As they waited behind the barrier for the fire to go out, the lion glowed bright red once more.

"Its growing again!" Hikaru yelled out.

"How much bigger is it going to get?" Umi despaired.

Hotaru was close to making a that's-what-she-said joke, but as the lion continued growing, he didn't feel like joking. By the time it finished growing larger, it was so big that it could have swallowed any of them whole. The dancing lion roared and charged at them once more, forcing the Magic Knights to fly out of the way.

Hotaru instead charged right towards it to shoulder tackle the behemoth, trusting in his speed, mass, and durability. As the two of them crashed into each other, despite Hotaru's smaller size, he managed to knock the lion's head back. However, after being propelled by his speed some ways away and turning around, he could see the lion had barely been affected by it.

Spotting its target, the lion charged after them all once more, seemingly without any sense of danger or pain. As the monster was large but slow, evading it seemed like the best plan, before they could come up with something.

Seeing her enemies evading her illusion over and over again, Aska was fuming, "Damn you… Scurrying about like that!"

With a few hand motions, the lion began to shoot fireballs more rapidly. This time, the blazing balls were the size of the Mashins themselves. Even Hotaru didn't fancy getting hit by one. While the behemoth was firing, the four of them took turns slashing at it with their swords. But whether they struck the cloth of its body or the metal of its face, they didn't seem able to cut through it.

"What is this stupid thing made out of!" Hotaru roared, his sword barely leaving a dent at this point.

I cleaved through the FTO like it was butter! How is this silly looking parade float giving me so much trouble!? It was a joke in the series! Just a few minutes of screen time! How did—

"Hotaru, look out!" Hikaru screamed.

Having been slashing at its body out of frustration, Hotaru had ignored its head. The giant dancing lion closed its jaws around Hotaru, trying to take a bite out of him. Using his speed and strength, he braced himself between its jaws, holding them open with his hands and feet. While the lion was trying to close its jaws with all its might, Hotaru managed to keep them open with relatively little effort. However, it wasn't like he could just laugh his foe off.

"I need to figure out how to defeat this thing before it grows again!" he thought out loud while grunting. "How is one little hyperactive girl so much trouble… Hang on…"

Using his strength and flying speed, Hotaru started dragging the lion's head along with him. It took all he got, but he managed to turn the lion so that it was facing towards the dragon. Releasing his hold on the lion, he quickly flew out of its mouth, before its jaws finally clamped shut. With its mouth free, the lion quickly spat out another giant ball of fire after him. Quickly diving out of the way, the fireball flew over Hotaru, right towards the dragon.

"Wha!?" Aska screamed.

The fiery projectile was just about to strike the dragon, before it collided with the Dome's protective barrier. Despite the flying fortress's defenses, the fireball exploded with megatons of force, causing the entire structure to shake. The tremors reached all the way to the imperial throne room, causing both Aska and Sang Yung to lose their balance. As Aska flopped onto her belly and face, a pain ran through her, causing her to lose concentration on the spell. The scroll she had used glowed with blue light, until it caught fire, burning to ashes in an instant.

Outside, the kaiju sized parade lion glowed bright red, before vanishing into thin air.

"It disappeared!" Hikaru yelled with her jaw open.

"What happened?" Umi asked.

"I have no idea…" Fuu admitted, trying to make sense of it. "What did you do, Hotaru?"

Trying to cover up for his earlier blunder, Hotaru shrugged, "I figured that if that was an illusion, then the best plan was to go for the caster."

"Quick thinking!" Umi smiled before giving a thumbs up.

"But what if you harmed the member of the royal family casting it?" Fuu asked worriedly.

Hotaru shrugged, "I feel like they will be fine, the dragon isn't even damaged."

While the dragon did indeed stand unharmed, the same couldn't be said about its owner's ego. If Aska had been fuming with anger earlier, she was now boiling over, as she gritted her teeth and clenched her fists.

"That jerk!" Aska yelled, before starting to throw a tantrum. "This is the first time anyone's broken that spell!"

"The spell was not broken. I believe it was because you attacked yourself," Chang Ang corrected her.

"SILENCE!" Aska yelled at him with her spit flying.

With fire in her eyes, Aska pointed her fan forward, "We'll charge those Mashins with this Dome!"

"Lady Aska, I don't think that's a good idea…" Sang Yung interrupted her. "If we couldn't hit them with the dancing lion, we will struggle to hit them with the Dome even worse."

Gritting her teeth, Aska forced herself to calm down, "Very well… Sang Yung, fetch me… THE STRING!"

"You mustn't!" Chang Ang yelled out in objection. "That is an illusion of even greater power than Dragon Art Reincarnation! I utterly forbid that you should use it…!"

"Give it to us, Sang Yung," Aska commanded, ignoring her old mentor completely.

"You must not, Sang Yung!"

"Give it here!" Aska demanded again, before reaching over and caressing his cheek. "Sang Yung~"

With tears in his eyes from all the yelling, Sang Yung slowly but reluctantly handed over a ball of golden yarn. Despite Chang Ang's protests, Lady Aska grabbed the ball victoriously, before unraveling it. Dozens of golden strands spread throughout the imperial throne room and around Aska's fingers. Once all the strands were in place, Aska jumped on top of some of the strands, making it seem like she was floating in the air.

With all in place, Aska gazed into the crystal orb, focusing on the giant warrior in silver, "And here we go!"

"Think we should be heading inside to talk with Fahren's royalty now?" Hikaru asked, staring at the giant dragon that remained immobile.

"It appears they have agreed to a cease fire," Fuu nodded, as all was quiet.

"Sure, let's go ahead and…" Hotaru agreed, until he noticed something, "huh?"

"Is something wrong, Hotaru?" Umi asked, seeing him looking perturbed.

"I can't move…" he said, his eyes widening.

"What do you mean?" Hikaru asked, confused. "You seem to move just fine."

Truly, without any effort on his part, Hotaru was raising his Titan Slicer and grabbing hold of it with both hands. As he tried to move, it was like his body was paralyzed, but he could still see himself moving.

Realizing what was going on, he yelled, "Everyone, get away from me!"

The Magic Knights only had a few seconds to react, as Hotaru quickly charged at them. With his Titan Slicer barely missing one of Rayearth's legs, the girls all shrieked in terror seeing Hotaru fly past them at nearly top speed. Soon after, he turned around in place, preparing for another attack.

"It is like Mr. Hotaru said…" Fuu gasped.

"They are able to turn friends against each other," Hikaru's eyes widened.

"DODGE!"

With Hotaru's forewarning, the three Magic Knights barely managed to avoid another attack. Going at full speed, Hotaru flew right past them, his sword whistling in the wind like the crack of a whip.

"What should we do?" Umi asked in a panic. "Should we call for backup?!"

"No!" Hotaru objected. "The last thing I want is for Alcyone to get mixed up in all this—!"

"Astra!"

Everyone went quiet as a giant ball of white lightning flew past Hotaru. Despite his objections, there was a moment of relief in Hotaru's mind, as he heard the feminine voice. For a moment, he thought that the familiar spell was going to hit the dragon fortress to dispel the illusion. But instead…

"AAAAAH!" Umi screamed out loud, as the lightning ball struck Selece.

"Umi!"

"Ms. Umi!"

Having taken a hit, Selece began to plummet from the sky in a freefall.

With a massive moment of déjà vu, Hotaru was fortunate that his captor turned him around to face their new foe. As his giant body turned around, he saw a sight he had probably seen a hundred times before.

Riding atop a giant brownish red crab monster with a single huge yellow eye, stood a beautiful sorceress with ankle-length black hair. She wore a white cape, black revealing leotard and matching arm length gloves, thigh high boots, and a horned headdress. In her hand, she held a golden, bident-like staff decorated with bat wings. Though there was quite a bit of distance between them, Hotaru could see that the round gems on her choker, earrings, forehead, gloves, and staff, were all crimson red.

With his lime-green eyes growing wide, Hotaru stuttered, "A-Alcyone…"

With a loving smile on her pink lips and a teasing look in her eyes, she spoke out, "Hotaru my love, I've come to free you."

Author's Afterword: Where do I ever begin with this one… Ummm… I broke 500 pages on the Word document I write this on? The title is a reference to how the Dome is called Dreamchild in the manga? This chapter also in a way covers all the events of episodes 4 through 6, as Autozam crew was driven back by an unforeseen obstacle.

On that note, this is where we are starting to see Hotaru's true effects on the plot. When you assert a character into an established timeline, it is assured to cause a butterfly effect. This chapter shows that our metagaming paladin has no idea just how much things have snowballed behind the scenes. As an author it is always fun to balance between how much characters and the readers know.

Now what remained mostly the same was the introduction of the Fahren trio. Despite shortening the scenes a bit due to the lack of Autozam involvement, it was still rough to write this part. I mentioned before how Primera and Lantis are my number 1 and 2 least favorite characters. Well Aska is my number 3. I do like the little princess with the power to match that of NSX, because of just how funny and arrogant she is and how she gets her comeuppances for it. But having to listen to her laughter over and over again when writing down her lines is sheer self-inflicted torture!

Now if ever, reviews and speculations are welcomed and appreciated. This time my thanks go to merendinoemiliano, TheMotivatedOne, and our recurring anonymous Guest for your reviews on the last chapter!