Having been given the task of getting backup by Lantis, Primera had quickly flown back to the Sanctuary. Mokona had followed suit, bouncing quickly behind the little fairy. While Mokona was used to leading people to different places, it struggled to follow behind someone faster.

"Move it you fluff ball!" Primera yelled behind her, flying up the crystal stairs to the front door.

"Puuh, puuh, PUUH!" Mokona panted, trying to keep up.

Once the two of them got inside, Primera quickly started looking for people to ask for help. She flew up and down the different staircases and corridors, checking out the different rooms of the Sanctuary. But no matter where she went, she was unable to locate anyone she considered useful.

After about ten minutes of flying at full speed around tight corners, Primera's wings began to ache from all the flying. She was getting exhausted herself and was making no progress, as she didn't know where other people than Lantis lived. Eventually, she noticed she was going around in circles, and decided to take a rest.

"Gah! This is hopeless!" she complained, landing atop a windowsill. "How am I supposed to find anyone!"

While sitting down, she spotted a pair of green double doors being opened. From the brightly lit room behind them, she saw a few ordinary citizens walking out, carrying baskets of Cephiroan fruits. Peeking into the room, Primera could see a lush indoor orchard, filled with dozens upon dozens of fruit trees, vines, and plantations.

There were trees with soccer ball sized cherries growing from them. Palm trees with huge green fruits with spiky hard shells. Grapevine-like plants with hard shelled, brown berries growing in bunches. Handball sized yellow fruits that looked like cheese, grew on vines on the ground. Large leafy trees with golden yellow, shiny skinned, mango-looking fruits. Several plantations with some halfway dug up crops, revealing soccer ball sized grapes.

While there was a wide selection of different kinds of fruit and vegetables, Primera's stomach grumbled as she looked at the cherry trees. Around the trees grew vines with basket ball sized, strawberry-like fruits. While they were almost the size of her whole body, they looked extremely juicy and red.

"Plugs~!" Primera drooled in an enamored fashion, flying over to her favorite fruits.

She landed on top of one of the fruits, sitting atop the leaves of its stem. She reached down and grabbed a piece off of the plug fruit, before starting to nom on it happily.

While she was eating, she was soon interrupted by familiar chirping, "Puu-pupupu puu!"

Looking down angrily, she spotted Mokona, "Go away fluff ball! I am taking a break! I haven't eaten in three days!"

"Pupupu puu pudu puu puu!" Mokona yelled out, pointing to the direction of the orchard's door.

"I said go away! Lantis is a big boy, he can take care of himself for a few extra minutes!"

Being ignored, Mokona started bouncing around impatiently, hopping first from branch to branch while chirping. As Primera kept ignoring her, Mokona bounced like a superball between the different trees. Eventually the fluffy bunny fay started rolling around on the floor, throwing a tantrum.

"Pupup puppuu pupuppup PUPU PUPUUU PURU PUPUPU PURU!"

Trying to eat slowly and gracefully, Primera eventually had enough before turning to Mokona angrily, "Oh shut up! Why are you being so persistent today!?"

While Primera was yelling, she almost missed someone talking outside the door, "Hay look, someone left the Orchard's door open."

"Better close it before animals get in," another voice spoke out, before the door started closing.

"Hey wait! We're still—!" Primera yelled, as the door slammed shut, "in here…"

With the door closed shut, they were sealed within the sound proof walls. The two small fays looked at each other, Primera turning pale and Mokona sweating nervously, before they started running around in circles in a panic.

"WE'RE TRAPPED!"

With only lightning lighting up the pitch-black skies of what remained of Cephiro, two red-eyed combatants stared each other down. Standing tall in their armors and uniforms, Nova and Hikaru faced one another as if looking into mirrors. While the two girls were quite short, the pressure of their presence was immense enough to scare the nearby monsters away.

Hikaru's hands were sweating as she stood still firmly. She remembered every single word Hotaru had told her about Nova, her personality, abilities, and history. If she let her guard down, she would be killed slowly and painfully. However, Hikaru knew that Nova was as much of a victim in all this as she was.

"I've been wanting to meet you, Hikaru," Nova smiled confidently and excitedly. "After all, we've only been able to talk in our dreams up till now. But finally, Mother said I could come and meet you, Hikaru."

"Mother?" Hikaru asked, before remembering. "You mean Debonair?"

"That's right," Nova smiled happily, as lightning flashed above them.

As Hikaru watched, she could see a yellowish aura enveloping Nova, as her magical powers gathered. Though it had been a while since she last faced off against a magic-using opponent, Hikaru could tell that Nova's powers truly did rival hers. Gathering magical energies into her fist, Nova threw it forward.

"Hikaru… Let's play!"

A yellow beam of energy fired from Nova's fist, flying right past Hikaru's head. She could feel the heat and pressure of the explosion, see the light flashing from behind her, and yet, Hikaru stood still without flinching.

Looking at Nova, Hikaru spoke sternly, "I'm not going to fight you, Nova."

Giggling with a girlish smile, Nova spread out her arms, "That's fine, then I will kill you quickly!"

As Nova conjured a glowing yellow sword of light in her hand, Hikaru interrupted, "Wait! Don't you understand! You are being manipulated by Debonair! She is lying so you help her end the world!"

"Hehe, Mother isn't lying," Nova smiled happily, conjuring another sword. "Momma is going to end the world in order to put an end to all the suffering. Isn't that what you wanted, Hikaru? I was born because you wished for the pain to go away!"

Before Hikaru could talk more, Nova jumped high into the air, a height that not even she could muster. She spun around in a sideways flip, swinging her right sword down in a wide arch. Hikaru barely had the time to summon her own sword in order to block it. As the blade of light struck the blade of Escudo, it caused a bolt of lightning to strike down upon them. The impact pushed Hikaru back, forcing her to step away from Nova.

Smiling widely and innocently, Nova yelled out, "Hikaru! I love you!"

Unwilling to lower her guard, Hikaru asked, "Then why do you try to kill me? I know I may have wished for the pain to go away after I killed Emeraude, but I still want to live!"

As Hikaru yelled at Nova, the elf just laughed and swung her energy sword, forcing Hikaru to dodge, weave, and block.

"Because you still hurt!" Nova grunted, trying to cut Hikaru down. "And as long as you continue living you will continue hurting! Big brother Romeo told me that!"

"R-Romeo?" Hikaru's eyes widened,

Remembering the name of Hotaru's shadow, Hikaru was caught off guard as she tripped on a rock behind her. Landing onto her backside, Hikaru only had a fraction of a second to roll to the side, as Nova brought down her swords. As she did, Nova's left sword nicked the tip of Hikaru's ponytail, searing it off. As she stood up, Hikaru could see the red bow of her ponytail on the ground, as her braided hair came undone.

Despite her hair being a mess, Hikaru stared at Nova vigilantly, knowing she couldn't afford further mistakes.

"What did Romeo tell you?" Hikaru asked, demanding to know.

"Big brother told me that humans go through their lives in pain and misery, searching for happiness," Nova said, bringing her swords together into a cross of light. "And if they do find it, they will live forever in the fear of losing it!"

Seeing Nova combine her swords and throw them at her, Hikaru paid full attention to the attack, having been briefed on it. As the spinning energy weapon approached, Hikaru swung her sword from a lower angle, countering the rotation. The light cross was deflected and flew back into Nova's hand.

"Only in death can people find true peace and happiness!" Nova declared, standing proudly. "And it is up to monsters like us to take you there!"

"And why do you think Romeo thinks that way?" Hikaru yelled, somewhat unnerved by such philosophy. "Debonair has filled his mind with lies and twisted logic as well!"

Nova shook her head with a smile, "No Hikaru. Big brother Romeo is wise and cute! He even advises Mother from time to time! Aside from you, they are the two people who I love the most."

"Love the…" Hikaru couldn't believe her eyes, seeing Nova's happy smile.

Dammit Hotaru! Even your shadow is messing things up for us! What kind of a pit of darkness and despair did they crawl out of to have such a twisted view of the world!?

As her energy swords proved ineffective, Nova decided to turn up the heat. Dispelling her swords of light, Nova pointed her right fist towards, the red gem on glove glowing brightly.

"Flame Arrow!"

Seeing a mass of fire soaring her way, Hikaru pointed her hand forward, "Flame Arrow!"

As the two fire spells struck one another, they swallowed each other up before condensing into a bright ball of fire. As the heat and pressure grew too great, the fireball exploded in a massive spinning pillar of orange flames. The flames lit up the nearby area for a while, casting long shadows behind the tall rocky peaks. As the two combatants stared at each while waiting for the fire to die down, Hikaru knew that it was time for her to get serious.

After the meeting held by Master Mage Clef and Hotaru, Lafarga had seen it best to clear his head. He had split off from the group and headed outside, taking the opposite direction as Lantis and Hikaru, in order to do some training. He could spot some of the new guards he had been training outside as well, doing their daily drills.

As they all greeted him happily and cheerfully, Lafarga tried his best to greet them back in his usual dutiful way. Deep down inside, he couldn't help but look at them all with a heavy heart, knowing what he knew. Ignorance was bliss, so he decided not to share his baggage with the members of the guard.

Instead, he focused on his training, starting off with his daily five hundred swing warm up. Swinging his curved Escudo sword, Lafarga couldn't help but feel uneasy as he remembered Hotaru's words. He had thought he could always trust in his blade, as Escudo was unbreakable as its wielder's heart and will. But if Hikaru's sword could be broken so easily, what chance did he have? Never before had the sword in his hand felt so brittle.

Once done with his warm ups, Lafarga took further distance from the others, before facing the mountains surrounding Ford Valley. It was time for him to hone his special attack, his wind cutting technique. Taking aim at the mountain side and swinging with all his might, Lafarga brought down his sword, followed by a flash of light. The light shot out in a straight line, carving the ground below it, before dissipating.

While what he was capable of was unnatural, something still seemed off. The blade of wind pressure hadn't reached as far as it usually did, which was all the way to the mountain side. Instead, the blade of wind had dissipated only a third of the way to its target. As he swung again, this time paying closer attention to his form, the flash of light only reached quarter of the way.

As he continued swinging more and getting more and more frustrated, the members of the guard started turning in his direction. They had never before seen Lafarga struggle in this manner with his technique, making them wonder if he was alright?

Dammit… all the things that Hotaru said are messing with my head! Just relax and remember, the heart that believes becomes power… AAAGH! No wonder it makes no sense!

With his mind, heart, and even stomach all arguing with one another, Lafarga decided to call it a day. If he was going to have an argument with himself, he would do so away from bystanders. After all, the captain's lack of morale should not be apparent to his soldiers, lest he risk his entire platoon losing hope.

With him returning inside the Sanctuary earlier than expected, Caldina was surprised to spot Lafarga. She was used to seeing the warrior in blue armor wearing a stern and brooding expression, but today, it seemed to lean closer to moping. He was looking at the ground in front of him instead of straight forward, and his posture was ever so slightly off.

Wondering what was worrying her knight in shining armor, Caldina decided to follow him quietly. After all, Lafarga had been very analytical during Hotaru's briefing and then opposed Lantis's and Hikaru's trip outside the sanctuary grounds. Perhaps he felt like his grasp over the situation was slipping?

Maybe he has a plan of sorts in mind? Perhaps he is thinking of a strategy to try and help everyone out? Or maybe he is just going to ask Hotaru for more information on the state of things… I should do that myself at some point.

But as Caldina followed Lafarga, to her disappointment he just walked straight into his apartment. Lafarga slammed the door shut behind him, apparently not even noticing Caldina as she looked around the corner.

"Oh, come on, that's it? Turnin' early for the night?" Caldina shook her head disappointedly, before realizing something. "…He doesn't slam doors that often, does he?"

Having lived next door to Lafarga for about a week now, Caldina had never heard him do that before. In fact, he was almost a boringly good neighbor who never bothered those he lived next to. Even in the morning he was courteous enough to be as quiet as possible when going out to train.

Without a moment's hesitation, Caldina knocked on the obsidian door, "Lafarga, ya in there?"

Waiting behind the door, Caldina's patience started wearing thin quickly. She was about to knock again, this time louder, when the door suddenly opened. She was greeted by an unusual sight; Lafarga without his armor and cape. The blonde blue-eyed warrior was only wearing a pair of grey pants, a white belt, and a dark, short sleeved turtleneck top. His muscular body was visible through his clothes and she could tell he had worked up a sweat.

"Why are…" Lafarga snapped, before calming down and talking more politely. "What brings you here, Caldina?"

"Y-Ya seeme—" Caldina stuttered, not wanting Lafarga to realize she had been tailing him. "…Ya seem stressed, ya want to talk 'bout somethin'?"

Realizing she was worried for him, Lafarga sighed before standing aside, "Come on in."

Walking inside, Caldina noticed how simplistic Lafarga's apartment was. Rectangular rooms with silver-colored walls and light fixtures, with round sapphires as decorations. The living room and kitchen only had a few counters splitting the two, and there was only a single bedroom and a bathroom. The living room was furnished with grey, floating arm chairs and a square wooden coffee table, with multiple levels.

In such a simple and modest apartment, Caldina's extravagant and revealing golden leotard stuck out like a sore thumb. Though she was confident in her own body and was used to showing it off, she felt slightly immodest in such a stern room. Despite this, she confidently walked over to one of the chairs, before sitting down and crossing her legs. Following suit, Lafarga slumped into his chair, causing the floating seat to bounce in the air.

"So, what's got ya so down, Lafarga?" Caldina asked, trying to act casual.

Trying to stare thoughtfully without staring directly at Caldina's cleavage, Lafarga turned his head to the side, "…I've been trying to process… no, to come to grips with what Hotaru told us."

Seeing he was truly struggling, Caldina nodded understandingly, "Right, it is kinda hard to believe that he knew ahead of time everythin' that was 'bout to happen. Makes ya wonder what else he knows is going on."

"That is true…"

"Are ya worried 'bout the enemy he talked 'bout?" Caldina inquired, leaning towards Lafarga. "It must be hard to be in control of things when the foe is so unpredictable."

Lafarga let out a single chuckle, more than Caldina had ever heard from him before, "I have never been in control of things. As of right now, the supreme command belongs to Master Mage Clef and Prince Ferio. My job is to serve and protect the people, no more or less. I gladly let those smarter than myself worry about strategy."

"Then really. What has got ya so upset?" Caldina tilted her head, trying to get a read on the big hunk of a man.

Sinking deeper into his chair, Lafarga crossed his arms across his chest, "…For as long as I can remember, foreigners who have visited Cephiro have always said that the country was like straight out of a fairytale. Every day was peaceful and sunny, with magicians, knights, monsters, and castles."

Caldina thought about what he said, pressing her finger against her cheek, "Now that I think 'bout it, I do remember the old folks back on Chizeta sayin stuff like that about Cephiro when I was a kid. Though when I arrived here it was a lot less glamorous, but ya don't have to tell me why."

"Absolutely," Lafarga nodded, before sighing deeply. "…I used to chuckle at such notions. I knew the world wasn't perfect and that people even then had their own forms of hardships. It was still better than in other countries, don't get me wrong, but I knew it wasn't a fairytale, it was reality. But now…"

"…You mean the thing about Hotaru hearing about all this from a story?" Caldina perked up, finally realizing what was bothering him.

"Yes, and I cannot help but to think I have been sorely mistaken," Lafarga said in a grim tone, before staring at the ceiling. "The more I think about my life, the more connections I can see. A young man being chosen as the captain of the guard. A princess being captured by an evil magician. The young man being brainwashed and made to fight the heroes, before broken from the curse."

"It does all seem very storybook…" Caldina admitted awkwardly. "But most stories are based around events of great importance."

"Maybe, but then there is my entire life," Lafarga facepalmed exasperatedly. "I wake up, train, eat, train, wash up, sleep, repeat. If something of importance happens, make necessary changes. I live like a side character in a story, Caldina. I do not know where the character I was written to be ends and I begin. Do I even have agency? Free will? Are all of my actions predetermined unless someone like Hotaru is involved?"

Caldina thought about Lafarga's words and while she herself had lived a more extravagant life; the existential question of her freedom also weighed on her. She may have cheated in most games she played in, but even then, she had extraordinary luck in what came to games of chance. It was only once she came across Hotaru and the Magic Knights that she had lost. Had her luck run out? Or had someone decided she would be lucky until that specific point?

Knowing this sort of a topic wasn't going to cheer Lafarga up, Caldina clapped her hands together, "I know! How 'bout ya try varyin' things up a bit? Do a few wild and wacky things? Get out of your comfort zone and really push boundaries!"

You can start off by asking me out…

Lafarga thought about the suggestion, before sighing again, "Even if I did that, it wouldn't fix my weakness."

"Weakness?"

"'The heart that believes becomes power in Cephiro'," Lafarga quoted the motto of his country. "A simple phrase that the citizens of Cephiro live by. However, isn't it all too simple? Doesn't it sound like a line written by a children's author?"

Caldina was about to object, but the realization of it all hit her like a truck, "Oh…"

"How is my heart supposed to believe, if I myself do not even believe that I am a real person?" Lafarga asked, forcefully gripping the arm rests of his chair.

"That… that I don't know," Caldina answered, staring down in front of her as well.

The battle between Hikaru and Nova seemed to rage on without an end. Both sides were exchanging blows and firing spells at one another. As both girls were extremely acrobatic, the clashes ravaged the battlefield in almost every axis.

During the fight, Hikaru was constantly trying to reason with Nova, but with every argument she threw, Nova countered them with twisted logic. It didn't help that the longer the battle lasted, the more impatient and battle hungry Hikaru got.

"Ruby Lightning!"

"Ruby Lightning!"

Red balls of lightning struck one another, creating a bright crimson explosion. With two Ruby Lightning spells creating a massive crater between them, Nova jumped further away from Hikaru.

"This has been fun Hikaru, but let's step it up a notch!" Nova yelled with an excited voice. "Let me show you what Mother made for me!"

The earth shook as Nova finished talking, a massive sphere of pure darkness manifested behind her. Its edges were dark red in color and dark lightning crackled around it as the sphere grew. Once the sphere reached its maximum size, a massive, clawed, jet-black foot stepped out of it. The foot had five claws, one in back, one on the inner side, and three in front with the middle toe being blood red. Next a jet-black arm reached out of the orb, with a bloodred arm band and wrist spikes.

"This is my Mashin!" Nova declared excitedly. "Regalia!"

As the sphere of darkness faded, a black and red Mashin stood in its place, still surrounded by dark lightning. Its knees, feet, tassets, topsides of its forearms, chest, crotch, and shoulders had reinforced red armor pieces. Red armored spikes flared backwards from its forearms and calves. It had a helmet with three black horns, one pointing forward and two backwards, with two long, red braid-looking tendrils extending from the back of it. Its face was dark silver in color and had yellow eyes. It had bulky and sharp, shield shaped pauldrons and tassets, as well as two black scythe-blade shaped wings. The giant mech had several purple orbs on its body: one on each knee pad, crotch plate, tassets, forehead, back of its hands; two on each shoulder and forearm; and three on its chest.

"Regalia…" Hikaru trembled, staring at the Mashin.

Back at the Sanctuary, Hotaru had shared a short summary of Regalia's description. He had said it was larger and more intricately designed than the Mashins of the Magic Knights. Supposedly it looked somewhat similar to Zagato's Mashin, but twice as scary. Staring at the black, demonic Mashin face to face, Hikaru felt like Hotaru had understated its intimidation factor.

(Call my name…)

Hikaru snapped out of her thoughts, as she heard a voice in her head, "Rayearth?"

(Thine enemy is as powerful as thou fear. Call my name!)

Without hesitation, Hikaru' armor transformed into its final form before she raised her sword and summoned her Mashin.

"Rayearth!"

The red, flaming, bestial Mashin appeared behind her in a pillar of fire. Its body was fully intact, despite the earlier fight against the FTO. A red beam of light shone from Rayearth's chest, transporting Hikaru inside it. At the same time, a purple light shone upon Nova from Regalia, lifting the pink-haired elf. With the pilots in place, the two towering robots stared each other down.

The desire and the promise to run away for backup was knocking at the back of Hikaru's mind. But now that she was piloting Rayearth, she knew she couldn't run. A Magic Knight shouldn't run away, shouldn't break her promises, and shouldn't give up. Her, Umi, and Fuu hadn't passed these tests for no reason in order to wield the Mashins.

Furthermore, as Lantis and Hotaru had told her, fear only made monsters in Cephiro stronger. If she were to run away from Nova, it could potentially make her stronger in the long run. So, as a certain paladin would say…

"Bring it," Hikaru whispered under her breath.

"It comes!" Rayearth warned her.

Like Nova, Regalia summoned a yellow sword of pure energy, before dashing straight towards Rayearth. Instead of running or flying, Regalia seemed to slide across the ground in a straight line, kicking up a cloud of dust behind it. Rayearth barely managed to dodge to the side, as Regalia rushed right past them.

Summoning the giant version of her Escudo sword to Rayearth's hand, Hikaru activated its flames before bracing with her shield. Turning around, Regalia dashed forth again, swinging its sword wide, only to be blocked by Hikaru's sword. The flaming and energy swords clashed together, creating a storm of electrical arcs around them.

As the sparks filled her field of view, Hikaru thought that she was doing alright, holding back the sword of the larger opponent. But while she was focused on the glowing blade, she didn't notice the jet-black left arm swinging right towards her. The left straight struck her like a runaway train, sending Rayearth reeling back from the force of it.

Despite being sent back a quarter of a kilometer; Hikaru managed to keep her balance and stay standing. This was only a momentary victory, as Regalia charged at her and jumped up right after, ready to bring her sword down. Reflexively, Hikaru brought her large shield up, blocking the energy sword. There was another eruption of electrical sparks, before the build up of energy pushed both Mashins away from one another.

"More!" Nova yelled excitedly, extending Regalia's left arm forward. "Let's play some more, Hikaru!"

A massive beam of yellow energy surrounded by black and red lightning fired from Regalia's hand, directly at Rayearth. Hikaru moved her shield in front of her to block it, but as the beam struck, she was overwhelmed by pain. A massive explosion blew over Rayearth, pushing it back and extinguishing the flames on its back. As the smoke left behind by the explosion faded away, there were only shattered remains left of Rayearth's shield.

As the pieces of the shield turned into small pillars of fire, Hikaru was clutching her chest, barely conscious.

This power… Hotaru was right… I should've run away and called for backup. First Eagle… Now Nova... When did fighting become so difficult? Did I get weaker? No… No, I was always this strong. But I had friends when I fought. We made up for our weaknesses by working together.

As Hikaru saw Regalia approaching her menacingly, she gritted her teeth as tears began to roll down her cheeks.

Umi was always there to provide cover fire and apply pressure, to allow me an opening to finish them off. Fuu always healed our wounds and supported us, while sometimes keeping the enemy still. And Hotaru… Hotaru was always there to protect us… putting his life on the line for us!

"It's a shame it has to end this shortly," Nova giggled, summoning her other sword. "But big brother Romeo wants you to die as soon as possible!"

Gripping the handle of her sword with both hands, Hikaru forced herself to stand up straight. She wouldn't die today, she refused, for she still had unfinished business.

Hotaru, it doesn't matter if you lied! You fought alongside us and risked your life regardless of your previous knowledge! The amount of times you took blows that would've killed us all, I cannot even count! I cannot give up, until I have told you I'm sorry!

"Sayōnara, Hikaru," Nova smiled, combining her swords, before throwing them.

As the giant cross of light flew towards her, it looked like one solid disc when thrown by Regalia's immense power. Hikaru was about to sacrifice her own arm in order to stop it, until a bright flash of light appeared before her. Nova's light cross was deflected and sent back at Regalia, as a white figure stood in front of Hikaru.

"Auto Shield!" echoed from the sky above, as Eagle's words finally caught up with FTO's hypersonic speed.

"Eagle!" Hikaru yelled out in amazement.

"Kisama!" Nova yelled, dispelling her swords. "How dare you interrupt my fun with Hikaru!"

Nova raised Regalia's fists up in the air, causing yellow sparks to fly out of them, before throwing them forward. Two massive blasts of yellow energy and dark lightning shot out of Regalia's hands, before combining together. The two energy masses twisted around each other, forming a drill of energy, ready to destroy everything in its path.

Right as the blast of energy was about to hit, a shining white circle of light appeared in front of FTO. As Regalia's attack struck it, it was absorbed and then reflected back at the black Mashin. A massive explosion enveloped Nova, causing the elf to scream out in pain.

As the explosion faded, Nova quickly stood up and stared at the FTO angrily. She could see that the mech's cockpit was open, with two people inside it. One of them was a white-haired man sitting behind a control panel. The other was a taller, dark-haired man who stood at the edge of the cockpit, holding a sword of white energy.

"Lantis!" Hikaru yelled happily.

"I told you that the enemy was real, Eagle," Lantis said, panting slightly from reflecting the attack.

"Yeah…" Eagle nodded, staring at the evil looking war machine. "I will acknowledge at least that much."

As Lantis summoned his horse and jumped on it, and Eagle closed FTO's cockpit, Regalia was already moving again.

"You…" Nova seethed in anger, summoning her swords again. "Hikaru… she likes you two… Good timing, I will rip you to shreds in front of Hikaru's eyes!

The Sanctuary's dining hall was an elegantly decorated room with white marble walls and ornate golden pillars and support struts. The walls were decorated with pink flowered vines and paintings of Cephiro's former lush landscapes. The purple crystal floor and ceiling were lit up by broad, single-tiered, crystal chandeliers. Although its refectory table had been extended to host thirteen people, the immaculate hall was—

"THAT BASTARD!" A loud yell rang throughout the dining hall.

…only hosting two people. Umi and Fuu were sitting next to each other, having decided to get something to eat while Hikaru was away. Today's meal was a Cephiroan dish which consisted of round, grilled slices of cheese-like fruit, tomato-like fruit, pureed sausage patties, and small savory pancakes. The slices were placed right next to each other, so that they formed a striped log of different flavors and textures. While the two Magic Knights were very hungry, having not eaten anything since yesterday, they were just as angry.

Stabbing her fork angrily into her food, Umi shoved a slice of fried cheese into her mouth, munching down on it hungrily. In contrast, Fuu was politely eating with a knife and fork, but was just as upset as her friend.

"I still cannot believe Hotaru knew everything all this time!" Umi huffed angrily, with her mouth full.

"Same, all this time I naïvely thought he had good intuition," Fuu grumbled, gathering a neat pile of ingredients onto her fork. "But instead, he just knew all the right answers without deciding to share with us."

Swallowing the cheese before gobbling down a pancake, Umi pouted, "Honestly, I would think he was trying to show off for us, if it weren't for the whole 'I would try to start a family with Mokona', line!"

"Oh right, that…" Fuu groaned before covering her eyes with her hands. "I can't believe I had a crush on him when we first started this journey…"

Seeing her friend cringing, Umi patted Fuu on her shoulder, "There there, at least you still found love with Ferio."

Fuu blushed slightly at the thought of this, before remembering how she and Ferio first met. She had been suspicious and had only started trusting Ferio because of Hotaru's 'intuition'. Thinking back on what Hotaru had said about the original timeline, Fuu wondered if she and Ferio had even gotten together in the beginning? The line between what was the original set of events and what was new, was blurry and confusing. On one hand she wanted to talk to Hotaru and ask for details, but could she trust him? But on the other hand, did she want to tamper with the happiness she had with Ferio?

Eventually, Fuu took another bite, chewing slowly before sighing, "In any case, what hurts the most were all the lies that he told us."

Umi thought about Fuu's words, before objecting, "I'm not so sure. He never really told us any lies that were meant to hurt us. For me the worst part was having an old creep traveling together with us without us even knowing…"

"That just isn't a fair way of looking at it. Hotaru may be old, but at least he was courteous," Fuu corrected her friend. "When we slept, he kept his distance. When we bathed, he respected our privacy. And he did not try to lead us on."

"…I guess that is true…" Umi relented, before thinking back on their journey. "Then again, he could have just been pining after Alcyone. No wonder he kept insisting she wasn't that old!"

With their moods lifted slightly, Fuu and Umi started laughing together at all the times Hotaru had defended Alcyone's age. Then they began to exchange stories about times when their bodyguard had made them laugh. Either via his jokes, antics, comeuppances, or the like. This led to them reminiscing about old battles, which made them both realize how much they had been through.

"You know… I used to think my old attitude was insulting to Clef," Umi admitted, remembering her talk with Ascot and Clef last night, "but Hotaru also put up with my antics just as much."

"…'The intent behind the lie means more than the lie itself'," Fuu quoted her old comrade. "I thought he was just covering for his own tracks, but he really wasn't trying to harm us, was he?"

"He did what he thought was right, and faced every danger head on to achieve his dream," Umi said, placing her fork down.

Holding back a guilty tear, Fuu smiled, "We should go ahead and give him one more chance, before casting judgement. After all, I did give Ferio the same courtesy. It would be terrible if he thought we were all abandoning him outright."

Umi smiled, before waving her hand, "Yeah, but let's not forget this is Hotaru. He will find it in him to bounce back no matter what."

With his life in shambles, Hotaru was trudging his way through the corridors of the Sanctuary, as if he were drunk. After finding out about the true severity of the damage caused by his lies to his relationship with Alcyone, he hadn't had a drop of liquor. No, the feeling of hopelessness and regret from hurting Alcyone that way, was enough to make Hotaru stagger.

It was hard for him to find the strength to keep on walking forward, but if he didn't, he would be consumed by his self-loathing. It was like he was trying to get away from the mental image of the way Alcyone had looked at him. He had done a lot of underhanded things during his lives that he either was or wasn't proud of. But having tricked Alcyone into giving her first time to a man she barely knew, was an unmeditated new low.

"At the very least… we had some good times together," Hotaru muttered to himself, trying to stay positive.

As he wobbled onwards, he came to a stop when he heard a voice from behind, "Hotaru, may I speak with you?"

Turning around, Hotaru saw a blonde woman in a cream and orange dress, "Presea… no, wait… Sierra. What do you want?"

Placing her hands together, Sierra bowed politely before speaking formally, "On behalf of my sister, I would like to thank you for saving her life. I cannot imagine what I would have done if she had perished in the hands of Ascot…"

Feeling slightly better about himself, Hotaru straightened himself up, before speaking politely, "I am… done lying to people. Me saving her was mostly an accident. I was prepared for her to die, but circumstances came to her rescue."

"…Is that so," Sierra lowered her head, her voice sounding uneasier. "Then… could you tell me, did the story tell what happened to me?"

Hotaru placed his hands into his pocket, before looking up at the ceiling, "At Clef's request, you took up your sister's place in order to spare the feelings of Ascot and the Magic Knights. The only one who knew of your secret, was Clef… And Alcyone."

"I see," Sierra nodded, trying to stay strong. "It makes sense that I would try to spare the feelings of those children."

Feeling down again, Hotaru asked, "So, was there anything else? I can tell you are forcing yourself to be nice to me."

"I just wanted some closure," Sierra answered honestly, "before I relay my message. Master Mage Clef wants to meet with you in private."

"…Alright," Hotaru accepted hesitantly, "lead the way."

With Sierra taking the lead, the two of them walked back to the Sanctuary's throne room. As the golden doors opened up, Sierra took her leave, respecting the Master Mage's request for privacy. Once she left, Hotaru realized this was the first time he and Clef had shared a private conversation. While he could guess what the short, lilac-haired, multi-centennial was going to say to him, it still felt like being called to the principal's office.

"I'm glad you managed to arrive on such a short notice, Martin," Clef addressed him politely, before swinging his staff, "have a seat."

A floating egg-shaped chair appeared in front of Hotaru, on which he sat down carefully. He hadn't expected Clef to be so nonchalant about their meeting, and had expected him to be a lot angrier. But instead, he seemed calm and maybe even slightly sympathetic.

"I know it hasn't been long since we last met, but how are you doing?" Clef asked gently.

"Cut the pleasantries, I'm not in the mood for small talk," Hotaru snarked tiredly. "Let me guess, you want next week's lottery numbers? Who will the lucky winner of the Pillar raffle be?"

With Hotaru clearly being upset, Clef summoned himself a chair and sat down as well, to make him feel more at ease. As his feet didn't touch the ground when sitting in his chairs, Clef usually preferred to stand. But he needed to make it clear to Hotaru that this wasn't an interrogation.

"Martin, if there is one person in this world who knows the importance of keeping secrets, you are looking at him right now."

Looking at the young face of the Master Mage, Hotaru sighed and lowered his shoulders, putting his guard down. He couldn't argue that he and Clef hadn't walked similar paths of secrecy, for their own reasons. Even during the revelations of his secrets, Clef seemed to have been the calmest person in the room, aside from Lantis.

"I am not angry at you, nor am I disappointed," Clef confessed, placing his staff on his lap. "In fact, I would like to thank you."

"For what?" Hotaru asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You knew the truth about Emeraude and Zagato from the beginning," Clef explained in a firm yet grateful tone. "And yet, you chose not to reveal it to the Magic Knights. While it was rotten of me, I was planning on keeping the truth secret even before I was turned to stone…"

"Not surprised," Hotaru admitted in a melancholic manner. "You weren't turned to stone in the written version and yet chose to keep the secret anyway. Not that I blame you, it's not like those girls were awfully willing in the first place."

"And they were far too young," Clef admitted with a heavy heart, squeezing his staff tightly with both hands. "Magic Knights… they're not usually this young. Last time they were adults, easy to reason with, and able to sympathize with our predicament."

"I take it last time also didn't involve a world-shattering love story?"

"Precisely," Clef nodded. "The previous time before that was more… cataclysmic in nature, just like now. But back then I was only 10 years old."

Hotaru nodded back, now understanding Clef's side of things. Despite their difference in age, they were both dealing with circumstances that they had very limited experience in. They were both flying by the seat of their pants when navigating through these dangerous times. The only difference was that Hotaru had a map.

"You told us that you wouldn't tell who the next Pillar will be, since the information could leak into enemy hands," Clef said understandingly, getting down from his seat. "But can you at least tell me, from what country they are from?"

Hotaru thought about it for a moment, before sighing deeply, "Truth be told, I don't even know if the enemy already knows who the next pillar is or not at this point. However, I still do not think it is a wise decision for me to reveal it just yet."

"Why is that?" Clef asked calmly.

"Like I said, there is no one worthy of becoming the next pillar on Cephiro yet. In order for the person I am thinking about to become the next pillar, they must first grow as a person. To do so, they must encounter and overcome hardships that put their life on the line. If I told you who it was…"

As Hotaru paused, it took Clef a moment to realize what he meant, "…We would try to protect them, which would prevent them from growing…"

"Exactly. And, to be perfectly honest, I'm not even sure if they can reach that state anymore, but I have hope."

Clef sighed defeatedly, before looking up at the blue ceiling, "Hope is the only thing that is keeping this Sanctuary a float these days. Tell me, have you spoken with Alcyone yet?"

Almost falling out of his chair after taking critical emotional damage, Hotaru slowly stood up, towering over the mage, "I did… and she is… has all the reason to be angry with me."

"I see," Clef nodded understandingly. "My former student has always had the tendency to hold a grudge, with almost nothing being able to change her mind. Is it true that she became our enemy, when you weren't around?"

"Yes…" Hotaru nodded, the memory of it weighing on his mind. "It was a sad fate for her. After Zagato's passing, Debonair got her claws on her…"

Clef squeezed his staff again, lamenting the fate of his former student, "Her infatuation over Zagato was no ordinary one-sided love. It drove her into committing innumerous atrocities in his name, so I can see how losing him would have pushed over the edge. It is amazing you managed to make her fall in love with you in the first place."

"I knew her character well," Hotaru admitted, not particularly proud of having used a guide in his romancing. "It also helped that I managed to make Zagato break her heart early. In any case, it was a good romance while it lasted…"

"While it lasted?" Clef tilted his head.

Glaring at Clef annoyedly, Hotaru spoke as if explaining to a small kid, "I doubt she is going to take me back after the way I hurt her. It's fine, I deserve it. Not the first time I have messed up a relationship…"

"So you're just going to give up?" Clef asked, staring at him with a serious expression.

"No, I'm going to learn my lesson," Hotaru said, placing his hands in his pockets again and looking up into the ceiling. "I get into a relationship, I mess it up, I learn my lesson, get over with it, move on, and try again with newfound wisdom. If things go as they usually do, I won't even remember her name anymore in a few years..."

Despite his jaded attitude and words, Clef could see tears forming in the corners of Hotaru's eyes, even from his point of view. Though he didn't like Hotaru's attitude, he also could tell that the young man in front of him had far more experience dealing with relationships than he did. Maybe this was how mature adults dealt with broken hearts?

But despite it all, Clef couldn't betray his former students, "And do you think Alcyone will be fine with that? Just being left and forgotten?"

With tears running down his cheeks, Hotaru tried not to let his lip tremble, "I don't even know if she wants to see me again…"

Realizing Hotaru couldn't be comforted with words of compassion, Clef spoke with authority, "Do you remember when the Magic Knights came back and they were summoned by their Mashins?"

"That was yesterday…" Hotaru sniffed cynically.

"Do you know what Alcyone told me when you left to go look for the girls?"

"I assume to 'go fuck yourself' after keeping Zagato's and Emeraude's relationship a secret from her?"

With a nerve pulsating on his forehead, Clef tried to remain calm, "Yes… but she also said she was fortunate to have you around and that she could rely on you to tell her the truth."

"Are you trying to rub salt in my wounds or are you just that dense!?" Hotaru roared directly into Clef's face.

"And are you going to abandon the woman who said that!?" Clef roared back with equal fury.

"But I already…!"

"Hotaru," Clef stared into his eyes determinedly, "did Alcyone say that she was going to break up with you?"

"N-! No…"

"Then you can't just run away," Clef shook his head. "She may be angry and disgusted by your actions, whatever they have been. But you are in no position to leave her unless she herself says so. You may have screwed up but she still trusts you to do the right thing."

Taking a moment to calm down, Hotaru looked deep in his heart, before asking, "And what would that be?"

With a soft voice, Clef said while looking him in the eye, "Only Alcyone knows that. Go ask her."

Hotaru nodded confidently and was about to take his leave, when two figures rushed in through the open golden doors.

"BRUUUUTE!"

"Pu pupu pu PU!"

Hotaru and Clef looked at the two fays with their eyes wide, as they started bouncing and flying around them quickly. Primera was talking a thousand words per minute while Mokona was pulling and pushing Hotaru along.

"Lantis told us to come and get backup since Autozam attacked and he and the little girl were taken by a big white robot so we came here and looked everywhere but then got trapped inside the orchard but we got out once we realized the door wasn't locked and—!"

"Slow down Primera!" Hotaru yelled, grabbing the fairy by her legs.

Seeing Mokona and Primera calm down, Clef asked, "From the top, what happened?"

"Lantis and Hikaru were attacked by Autozam and taken aboard their ship," Primera explained, wriggling free from Hotaru's grip. "They told us to come and get some backup in case things turned hairy."

"Oh, is that so," Hotaru sighed in relief, before his eyes started to slowly widen.

"Yeah, anyway we then got lost in the Sanctuary and trapped inside the—"

"YOU LET HIKARU GO OUTSIDE!?"

With the arrival of Eagle and Lantis, the battle against Regalia had turned in Hikaru's favor. While Regalia was insanely strong, its speed was no match for the upgraded FTO's maneuverability. Whatever blows Nova managed to land on Eagle, Auto Shield was able to block without issue. And while FTO's weapons were unable to harm Regalia, Rayearth and Lantis were able to apply offensive pressure.

"Lightning Bolt Onslaught!"

"Ruby Lightning!"

Nova yelled out in pain and frustration, as red and white lightning bolts shocked her and her Mashin. As she was about to charge at them, the FTO moved in her way, swinging at her with its plasma wrist sword. Nova managed to block the blade with one of her swords, while attacking with the other. Her blade struck a streak of white light, right before hitting FTO's head.

Frustrated, Nova threw away her swords of light, before grabbing FTO's shield with her bare hands. The Auto Shield activated just fine, but before Eagle could react to this show of brute force, Nova threw the FTO back.

"Look out!" Eagle yelled, as he was sent flying back at Hikaru and Lantis.

There was an earth-shaking thud as FTO struck the ground, the Auto Shield not registering the natural terrain as an attack. Still, the damage to the white mech was minimal and the FTO quickly got back up on its feet. With all of her enemies standing in a row, Nova raised her hand up into the air with her finger extended.

"Hikaru is mine," Nova declared angrily. "I will not let her heart belong to anyone else!"

"Wait… what's going on?" Eagle asked, seeing the world around them grow darker.

"Beware. An evil presence is growing," Rayearth warned them.

Despite night having already fallen in Cephiro, their surroundings grew ever darker, until Eagle, Lantis, and Hikaru couldn't see anything. This lasted for only a moment, before they found themselves in a rocky wasteland. Not too dissimilar to Cephiro as a whole, but the stone around them was unnaturally black, and the skies were covered by crimson red clouds. And Regalia was nowhere to be seen.

"This is…" Hikaru's eyes widened.

"An alternate dimension," Rayearth answered in a deep voice.

"Wait… Are you telling me that girl just transported us into another world?" Eagle asked, unable to believe his ears.

"This is Cephiro, but not Cephiro," Rayearth explained. "This is an alternate dimension she hath created. All thy powers of magic are halved."

"Just like Hotaru said…" Lantis swallowed, gripping his sword tighter.

"Well it's a good thing that I don't… WATCH OUT!" Eagle yelled.

At Eagle's signal, Lantis, Rayearth, and FTO all dodged out of the way, as Regalia flew down from above at high speed. Regalia's clawed right foot tore its way into the ground, as its energy sword slammed down as well. While Rayearth and FTO were able to dodge out of the way, Lantis's horse lagged behind, due to the reduction in their magical abilities. Lantis's steed was struck off balance and both it and the rider were sent tumbling on the ground.

"Lantis!" both Hikaru and Eagle yelled at once.

Seeing the tripped rider, Nova quickly raised her sword and stabbed it down, trying to impale the magic swordsman. But just before the giant blade of yellow energy hit, Lantis managed to teleport out of the way.

Laughing at the top of her lungs, Nova asked, "Hey, why are you guys running away? Where did you go little man?"

As the giant black mech looked around, Lantis was hiding underneath its squatted legs. Since his magical powers were halved, he had only managed to teleport a short distance in a hurry. He was trying to think of a strategy while Nova was busy looking for him, until…

"Lantis! Mashins don't have a blind spot!" Hikaru warned him.

Lantis gasped in horror, right before Nova saw him through the glass-like orb of her cockpit, which had a red twisted frame. Nova dispelled one of her swords, before aiming her hand straight down. A blindingly bright blast of yellow energy struck the ground point blank, creating a massive explosion, engulfing both Regalia and Lantis.

As the smoke cleared, there was no trace of Lantis, only Regalia who was standing in the middle of a shallow crater. Eagle and Hikaru stared at the devastation, shock, grief and anger gripping at their hearts.

"Why you…!" Hikaru's anger flared up, until a voice in her mind interrupted her.

(Hikaru, don't say a word and don't turn around.)

(L-Lantis?)

(I am currently hiding behind Rayearth's head. I will try and catch Nova by surprise, you and Eagle continue fighting.)

(Right…)

Laughing maniacally, Nova summoned her swords again, "Now, who's next to die?"

"You... You little punk!" Eagle yelled, firing the Vulcan in FTO's right arm at her.

The blue glowing bullets mostly bounced off of Regalia's armor, but they delivered nasty shocks straight to Nova. This forced the pink-haired elf to form a barrier around her mech, which gave Hikaru an opening.

"Ruby Lightning!"

The red ball of lightning struck Nova's barrier, exploding in a massive red flash. As the smoke cleared, Nova was ready to attack with her blades, but was surprised as FTO and Rayearth charged at Regalia instead with their swords. As flaming orange, plasma blue, and glowing yellow blades clashed, Regalia was pushed back, its clawed feet tearing the ground.

"HAAAAAAAAA!" the commanders of Autozam and the Magic Knights yelled out in unison.

"NOW THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!" Nova screamed bloodthirstily, causing Regalia to glow yellow.

Regalia spread its scythe-like wings, eventually coming to a stop as it pushed back. Using its brutish strength, Regalia slammed its open palms against Rayearth's chest and FTO's Auto Shield. The two smaller mechs were knocked back, but with minimal damage. Nova then placed her arms to Regalia's side, heightening her magical powers to their maximum, as she charged up a red ball of energy.

"Ruby- LIGHTNING!" Nova yelled, pointing her arms forward.

A continuous blast of ruby red energy erupted from Regalia's hands, lightning up the dark wasteland around it. The air around the attack warped from the heat and density of the energy. As Eagle tried to scan its power, he was terrified by what he saw.

It's… It's almost as strong as the Ragna Cannon!

Just as the attack was about to hit, Lantis clutched a magic pendant around his neck. A white circle appeared right in front of Hikaru and FTO, absorbing Ruby Lightning into it. Putting all he had into it, Lantis received the spell, feeling the strain caused by the dimension they were in. With barely enough power, Lantis reflected the super charged up Ruby Lightning back at Nova.

Realizing only at the very last second that Lantis was alive, Nova yelled, "You BASTAAAAARD!"

The reflected spell collided with Regalia, blasting the demonic Mashin back and damaging it severely. Small shards of armor chipped off of the black and red mech, as the damage was spread throughout its body. Nova screamed out in pain, but managed to tough it out and remain standing, as the blast wave dissipated.

"Hikaru… You cannot live…" Nova grunted, before gasping with her eyes wide.

While the smoke still surrounded Regalia, a green barrier of energy appeared around it, as FTO activated its magnetic field. With their foe restrained, Hikaru and Lantis launched their second salvo. Swinging her flaming sword down with both hands at full force, Hikaru sent out a burning blade of wind, similar to Lafarga's technique. At the same time, Lantis aimed his magic sword at Regalia, firing off a powerful beam of blue energy.

As the two attacks struck Regalia's shoulders, Nova screamed once more, as a paralyzing pain ran down her arms. Had her dimension not weakened her enemy's magic, she would now be missing both of her arms. But despite being injured, Nova didn't relent.

"Hikaru… Hikaru! Hikaru, play with me!" Nova yelled, pushing herself forward. "Look at me and only me!"

"Nova… please stop," Hikaru begged, not wanting to hurt her any more than this.

"Something comes!" Rayearth warned her, causing Hikaru to flinch. "An enormous, evil power approaches."

Hikaru and Lantis shivered, as the temperature seemed to drop and the air felt unnatural. Even Eagle could feel the hairs of his arms standing on end, as the space behind Regalia began to twist and turn. As the wind began to blow slightly, they could hear it carry a cruel and cold laughter that would make even the most battle-hardened warriors shiver in fear.

"Muhah-hahahahahaha… Aah-hah-hahahahaha!"

As they stared towards their enemy, a massive shadow formed behind Regalia, towering over the already huge Mashin. At the very top of the shadow, they could see an oval purple light shining, before the laughter became louder. Starting from the light, the shadow gained color and form, until it transformed into a see-through figure. A demonic woman with pale blue skin, hair, and cape, and a regal black dress stood before them.

Lantis and Eagle, despite having already received second hand descriptions, were frightened by the monster's size and appearance. But this was nothing compared to the trio's youngest member. Hikaru's heart felt cold and in shock, as she recognized the laughter. Her throat ached as she saw the creature's long claws. Fear almost overcame her, as she saw the lifeless eyes staring at her.

The one in my dreams… Debonair.

"Yes. I am the one who appeared in your dreams and your friend warned about," the ghostly giant woman spoke in a smug voice.

Impossible… I just thought that and yet… Why?

Debonair chuckled complacently while grinning widely, before continuing, "To me, seeing into someone's heart is trivial, girl from another world."

"I guess that's why Hotaru didn't tell us who the next pillar would be…" Lantis whispered, still standing on Rayearth's shoulder.

As Lantis mentioned that name, Debonair's brow furrowed slightly, and her eyes grew sharper, "That man and his secrets… He continues to be a thorn in my side. But he is also a great asset. Thanks to him, I have so many wonderful children! It is ironic that his influence is what will spell Cephiro's doom!"

Hikaru's eyes widened as she gulped, "What do you mean?!"

"It will be his destiny to watch this world crumble to dust!" Debonair laughed ecstatically.

The massive monster's laughter was interrupted by gunfire, as Eagle aimed his arm at Debonair. But even with his upgrades, his ammunition just passed right through the ghostly figure. However, he hadn't been aiming to hurt the she-devil, only to get its attention.

"You! What are you and what do you want?" Eagle demanded to know, the guns of his arm still smoking.

Looking down at the white machine before her, Debonair chuckled cruelly at Eagle's spontaneous outburst. As she looked into the NSX's commander's heart, a wicked and gleeful smile spread across her face. Seeing how pitiful the young man truly was, she decided to humor him.

"With Cephiro's pillar gone, I am the answer to Cephiro's prayers. My existence is wished for by those in the land of Cephiro," Debonair smiled cruelly, her voice echoing throughout the crimson dimension. "The time of ruin is near. Everything in the land will die out in a span of time as short as grains of sand are small."

Bringing her clawed hand up to her chin, Debonair continued laughing, "Ahahaha~! My wish is complete annihilation, an absolute darkness. To turn this world into an elegant void."

Gritting his teeth, Eagle gripped FTO's controls harder, "As if I will let that happen!"

"Ah-hah-hahahahahahhaa!" Debonair laughed cruelly while tilting her head back. "You speak as if you are even a nuisance to me! My dear daughter Nova. Please get rid of this pest for me. Then make sure to spill the blood of that Magic Knight to your heart's content."

"Yes, Mother dear," Nova smiled, standing up as if she was never hurt in the first place. "I cannot wait to see what Hikaru's blood looks like…"

Hikaru, Lantis, and Eagle all stared in horror as the damage done to Regalia began to heal before their eyes. Its armor was repaired and it stood up defiantly. Despite their best efforts, their enemy was back to full power after a few minutes of rest.

"Ah-hahahaha! My dear Nova," Debonair giggled amused. "Crush the legendary Magic Knight that even the Pillar of Cephiro couldn't."

"Yes, Mother," Nova nodded excitedly.

As Debonair's visage began to fade behind Regalia, dozens of spinning, bullet-shaped brass tops appeared around the Mashin. They spun at high speeds, with their tips pointed down, ready to fire off at any minute. Right before Debonair disappeared completely, she let out a few last parting words.

"Tell that man with many names that his efforts to change destiny have only hastened my plans! Aaaah-hah-hahahahahahahahaaaa!"

With Debonair gone, Nova looked at the red Mashin before her longingly, "Hikaru, I love you. But… Everything you love, Hikaru, I hate!"

Spreading her arms wide, Nova summoned her energy swords before flying straight towards Hikaru. As the jet-black Mashin approached quickly, the spinning tops followed suit, seemingly moving ahead of Regalia. Before this arsenal of weaponry could reach Hikaru, Eagle dashed in between the two girls.

"Auto Shield!"

As the energy swords and the bullet tops struck the shield, the bullets seemed to shatter against it. With Nova bringing down her swords time after time, the Auto Shield blocked each hit. But as the bullets started colliding with it as well at a rapid pace, warning lights started going off inside FTO's cockpit.

"Nani?!" Eagle gasped, almost biting his tongue.

With barrages of attacks from multiple different directions, the assistant computer struggled to calculate all the angles of attack. With Regalia's attacks growing even stronger, the shield generators began to overheat.

"Eagle! Get out of there!" Lantis yelled, as one of the shield engines blew.

Listening to his friend, Eagle backed away quickly, but as he tried to gain distance, he was halted. Regalia pierced the Auto Shield with a punch, causing a shield generator to blow, and grabbed hold of FTO's left ankle. With a massive force, Regalia slammed the white mech against the ground with its right arm, while bringing its sword down with the left.

With only a moment to spare, Hikaru managed to block Nova's sword, using all her strength to prevent FTO from being sliced in half. Despite Hikaru's save, Eagle had almost been knocked unconscious inside his mech and the FTO had suffered major damage throughout its torso.

Still able to move, Eagle flew backwards against the ground to get some distance. He then activated FTO's plasma sword, hoping to charge against the black Mashin again. But as he was about to attack, Regalia grabbed hold of Rayearth, using the red Mashin as a human shield. This sudden motion knocked Lantis off balance, forcing him to jump off of Rayearth.

As the two old friends stared at the captive Magic Knight, Nova charged up an energy attack against Rayearth's back, "Hikaru, it was nice knowing you, but now, it is time to say goodbye."

Unable to get out of Regalia's grip, Hikaru's life was about to flash before her eyes, when she suddenly heard a thud. At first only Hikaru felt it in her skin, but as it was followed by another thud, even Nova's ears perked up. Concentrating, Nova could hear something banging against the sides of the dimension she had created.

"Im… Impossible!" Nova gasped.

With a loud, unnatural cracking sound, a bluish black fissure spread across the red skies above them. With each thud, the cracks kept widening, until they could hear an ear-piercing screech.

"HIKARUUUUU!"

"Ms. Hikaru!"

As the red dimension created by Nova shattered, two Mashins entered, blue and green in color. Seeing Selece and Windam approaching them, Lantis and Eagle felt a sudden moment of relief. Nova, unhappy to see more people trying to get between her and Hikaru, gritted her teeth until she felt something warm.

With Nova's dimension shattered and her friends having come to her rescue, Hikaru could feel her magical power rising up once more. As it did, so did the jet engine-like sound coming from Rayearth's back.

"HAAAAAAAAA!" Hikaru yelled, making her fighting-spirit rise.

Before Nova had time to charge up a new attack, the thrusters in Rayearth's back flared out. Massive plumes of fire covered Regalia at point blank range, their heat searing the surface of the black Mashin. Being engulfed by the flames of her human shield, Nova screamed out before letting go of Hikaru. Released from Regalia's grasp, Hikaru flew forward quickly, reuniting with her friends, almost hugging their Mashins.

"Umi! Fuu! You found me!" Hikaru yelled out happily, almost ready to cry out in joy.

Fuu nodded, "Mr. Hotaru and Mr. Clef told us where to find you and how to get to you."

"He told us that Mashins can break dimensional barriers when paired with Magic Knights," Umi said, feeling quite smug about her accomplishment.

"Hotaru…" Hikaru blinked, looking around. "Where is he?"

Fuu and Umi looked at each other awkwardly, before Umi answered, "He said he had more important things to take care of."

Before Hikaru could ask again, Lantis teleported next to them, riding atop his horse once more, "Be careful! The enemy is still present!"

The three Magic Knights quickly turned around, pulling out their weapons. As they stared down at Regalia, the FTO flew over to them, joining their ranks. While Regalia seemed unharmed and raring to go, holding both of its swords, it stayed still.

"More people… More and more people keep getting in the way!" Nova gritted her teeth, seething with anger.

Looking down at Regalia, Hikaru stood up straight while floating in the air, and spoke calmly, "Nova, it is over. You are outnumbered and we are at full power. Surrender and let us talk".

Going through several ways to try and fight against her foes in her mind, Nova couldn't find a way around it.

My dimension is broken, they still have that annoying man who can reflect my attacks, and it is five against one! Where… where are my sisters? Where is my backup! Luna, Terra, Stella, they are all going to laugh at me!

Eventually, Nova could do nothing but grip her swords so hard that they shattered, as she screamed out in frustration, "NOT FAAAAAIIIIR!"

As Nova screamed, Regalia started to fade away and disappear, just like Debonair had earlier. While their foe's exit wasn't the most elegant one, the outcome was still clear.

"We won…" Hikaru sighed, leaning back against her friends, all out of energy for the day.

"Hold on Hikaru! We are still inside the Mashins!" Umi yelled out, trying to support the more heavily armored mech.

"It is no use Ms. Umi! When Ms. Hikaru falls asleep there is no waking her up!" Fuu pointed out, helping Umi out.

As the Magic Knights were trying to take care of their tired comrade, Lantis looked up from horseback at the chest of the FTO. The white mech had received heavy damage throughout the fight, however its pilot was still fully hidden inside it. The robot leaned forward, looking directly at Lantis before the two old friends stared at each other silently. To not interrupt the girls, Lantis talked to Eagle telepathically.

(You saw it, didn't you? That monster is our true foe, the one that we must defeat to save our worlds. What we witnessed was but a fraction of its full power.)

(That may be so, however, you heard what it said. Cephiro needs a new pillar if it is to have any chance of being saved from Debonair. And I promise you, I will be that new pillar.)

By the time Eagle finished his sentence, the engines of the FTO had already warmed up. The white and green mech took off in a white streak of light, flying back to NSX. While it saddened Lantis to see Eagle still insist on being the Pillar, he couldn't say that he was entirely surprised.

Stubborn as ever…

For several hours now, Alcyone had been sitting alone in her apartment, having not moved from the armchair. She had thought of getting up on a few occasions, but each time it felt pointless. She had nowhere to go, no drive to do anything, and her mind was hazy from anger and sadness. After crying for almost an hour, she no longer had the energy to continue and her eyes felt swollen.

She was tired and wanted to fall asleep, but each time she thought of it, she felt a detestable longing. For the vast majority of her life, Alcyone had slept alone, but now, it felt so wrong.

Every time I close my eyes, I am reminded of what is not there…

The warmth of his body, the security of his presence, the embrace of his arms, all of it was gone. While Alcyone had acknowledged that Hotaru was the only thing she had left in the world, she hated how true that statement had been. When Hotaru first entered her life a few months back, her old life had slowly crumbled to dust around her. Once it had fully collapsed, the young man… No, that man had scooped her up into his arms and asserted himself the Pillar of her own little world.

And now, just like Cephiro, her world was collapsing in the absence of that Pillar. Worst of all, despite being angry at him, she couldn't find it in herself to hate him.

"It was so easy to hate you before… It was so easy to hate Zagato. Every time someone has scorned me, I have hated them to the point of wanting to kill them…" Alcyone muttered to herself. "You knew all that and yet you still said you loved me…"

Memories of their time together flooded her mind, both from when they were enemies and when they were lovers. The amount of times her plans had been predicted or foiled by Hotaru. His unwavering confidence when speaking with her and how he always knew what to say to her. It had always come across as suspiciously perfect, but now she knew he had just been aware of every move she would make.

The memories of their time together in the frozen pocket dimension she created, were especially prevalent, and especially painful. She reached for her forehead gem, removed it, and gazed at it in her hand.

I see you huddled up in some dark ruins, broken, betrayed, crying. It saddens me to see you like that, but I am unable to help you. My words cannot reach you; my hands cannot grasp you. Despite having lost everything, you still keep clinging to life, whether through anger, bitterness, or hope. I don't want you to end up like that.

"Was that my fate without you? To fall to darkness, despair, and hatred after being betrayed by Zagato?" Alcyone whimpered while gazing at her gem. "Without you or Zagato, my life would have no goal, no future, and no meaning. Only vengeance and hatred… Perfect for the villainess of the story."

As she pictured her life in the past order of events, Alcyone's grip on the gem kept on tightening. This gem which she had lost back in the Spring of Eterna, and had later been returned by Hotaru. Would she have ever recovered it without him? What would have become of her without it, Hotaru, and Zagato? A bitter, cold-hearted villainess, wanting to destroy Cephiro? A villainess, who had been lied to by every person she had ever looked up to…

Because if not for him, I don't know what I would do to you and this Sanctuary!

Pressing the gem against her heart, Alcyone gritted her teeth, as tears started slowly streaming down her cheeks again.

Despite crying, Alcyone's lips curled up into a bittersweet smile, "…Then why am I still sitting here? Why aren't I trying to destroy everything? What hope am I still clinging to…"

Turning her head to the left, she looked at the couch next to her. She pictured earlier today, as her and Hotaru had slept on the couch right before the meeting. By then, he probably had already made his decision to come lean with his lies. Thinking further back, she remembered him warning her how she shouldn't blindly love someone again like Zagato. She had brushed it off back then, but now she understood the true weight behind those words.

Were you trying to spare my feelings in case something like this were to happen? Or did you try to rescue your own lying ass…

As she closed her eyes trying to think of the answer, there was a knock on the door. Not sure who it would be, Alcyone quickly placed her gem back on her forehead, before wiping away the tears. Despite everything that had happened, she still refused to show weakness in front of others.

"Come in," she said, trying her best to hide the soreness of her throat.

Once the door opened, her body tensed up, her mind started racing, and her heart ached. Alcyone couldn't help but feel her anger flare up once more, seeing her former knight in shining armor, step in. In some sense, she was happy to see him, almost as if by reflex. But also, she couldn't believe the gall he had to show his face again so soon. She was going to call Hotaru out on that, until she noticed the way he looked at her. Sad, defeated, yet he gazed her in the eyes relentlessly.

"Alcyone I… I've come to tell you something," Hotaru spoke in a clear, yet drained voice. "You were right, I should have trusted you more and I should have told you before I suggested us sleeping together. I was inconsiderate and blind to as to how much it all meant to you. I am sorry…"

"…Is that it?" Alcyone asked sarcastically, seeing that Hotaru still seemed to be holding something back.

"No, you just deserved an apology beforehand," Hotaru said heavy heartedly, before inhaling deeply. "The truth is, there was something I didn't tell you yet, since you stormed out of the meeting before I could get to it."

Alcyone's eyes widened, unable to believe there was still something that this man hadn't told her.

"The truth is, when I first decided to come to this world, I wasn't even sure if I would be able to get in," Hotaru admitted, thinking back on the day he met the Magic Knights. "Only the Pillar can summon people from another world to Cephiro, but I clung to the hope, and the Magic Knights, to be able to come as well."

While Hotaru was feeling very nostalgic about his tale, he could see that Alcyone wasn't amused by his storytelling. Hence, he decided to cut to the point.

"When Princess Emeraude appeared, she asked me to protect someone. At first I wasn't sure who she meant. Presea, the Magic Knights, Clef, Ferio," Hotaru listed off the usual suspects. "But when I saw you, the answer became clear to me."

Alcyone shifted in her seat a little, having mixed feelings about Hotaru's story. At first she wondered if he was making this up, but they both knew this wouldn't help Hotaru at this point. Furthermore, it truly was necessary for Emeraude to be the one to summon Hotaru to this world. But then the question was…

"Why would Emeraude have wanted you to protect someone like me?" Alcyone asked skeptically, tilting her head. "You sure she didn't mean the little Magic Knights?"

Hotaru shook his head, "They never needed my protection in the first place. But you, you needed all the help you could get. I'm sure she knew you were in love with Zagato and didn't want you to suffer because of it. And…"

"And what?" Alcyone asked huffily, not liking the implication that she was helpless.

Despite Alcyone's snappy reaction, Hotaru found it hard to say it outright, "…You know how I said there were multiple versions of the story?"

"Yes…" Alcyone nodded.

"In some of the versions, some characters die while in others they live. For example, while Presea died in this version of the story and Caldina lived, there is a version where the opposite happened," Hotaru explained, trying to lengthen his explanation.

"Get to the point," Alcyone snapped, squinting her eyes. "You can say it! I died in this one, didn't I?"

With several painful memories flashing before his eyes, Hotaru yelled through a lump in his throat, "No, you died in every version!"

Albeit Alcyone's skin was naturally pale and her languishing had made it more so, Hotaru's words managed to drain all the color from her face. She didn't know which shook her to her core more, the news of her fate, or Hotaru's tears.

"You were killed by Zagato for failing him twice! Strangled by Eagle Vision for the same reason!" Hotaru yelled, crying as he recounted Alcyone's many fates. "And in this life, you were erased by Debonair for betraying her, as you revealed her location to others so they could continue fighting!"

Images of her deaths flashed before Alcyone's eyes, as she was reminded of Zagato trying to kill her in this life. The idea that she had been killed so many times, was mortifying, but also made sense to her in some way. After all, she was the type of person to deserve it…

"So… you just felt pity towards a villainess such as myself and sought to protect me," Alcyone snorted, standing up from the armchair finally. "Is that also why you told me you loved me?"

Without a warning, Hotaru rushed in front of Alcyone, grabbing her by her wrists. At first, she was shocked and thought he was using some of his spells, but from his grip she could tell this wasn't the case. Despite still tearing up, Hotaru was staring unflinchingly into her eyes, a flame burning behind his lime-green gaze.

"I am not nice enough to say things like that out of pity," Hotaru said in a serious tone, before relenting slightly. "I may have tried to protect you because of what Emeraude said and I may have kept my true identity a secret. But I promise, the only thing I lied to you about, was my identity. I may have ruined the world in hopes of saving you, but I have no regrets doing it. And if given the chance to do it all again, the only thing I would change is tell you who I am earlier."

Alcyone squeezed her eyes shut, finding it unbearable to meet Hotaru's gaze, "…How do I know you aren't lying now?"

Hotaru looked down as well, slowly letting go of Alcyone's arms, "That's the sad part… you can't. I have no way to prove to you how sorry I am and how much you mean to me, as the trust we once shared is gone. All I can say are the words that come out of my heart and hope you can trust them one more time."

Having let go of Alcyone fully, Hotaru slowly turned around and started walking towards the door, "With that said, I understand if you want to break up and never see me again. I won't hold my mistakes against you or have you bear responsibility for them. I will go, and I will find a place to sleep in the residential quarters."

Hearing Hotaru's armored footsteps drawing away from her, Alcyone's heart ached. Her mind was a mess of feelings and Hotaru's words had stirred them up without mercy, making her unable to think straight. She was still mistrusting of Hotaru and his words, for she knew he was a bold-faced liar. Yet she felt drawn to his confessions of love and regret. There were only two things she knew for certain. They both wanted the same thing; to go back to the way things were yesterday. And she needed time to think.

"Hotaru!" Alcyone interrupted him, halting the armored man in his tracks. "I… I haven't yet decided if I will break up with you or not. I-I need time to think…"

Turning around, Hotaru was met with a stern yet flustered Alcyone, who seemed to try her best to keep a tight upper lip.

"I also… I cannot throw you out of an apartment given to both of us. So, I will let you sleep here, but in the guest room, for tonight."

"…Sure," Hotaru smiled, trying to suppress how happy he was. "I will respect your privacy."

Turning around, Alcyone smiled slightly, as she headed towards the master bedroom, until she was interrupted.

"So… not to bother you or anything, but have you eaten anything yet?" Hotaru asked, trying not to make it sound like he was asking her out on a date. "I hear crying all day and not having anything to eat can be bad for your health, so we should go grab a bite…"

"…I suppose we could."

Purple lightning flashed across the pitch-black sky over a massive tower made out of dark, obsidian black crystals. From the ominous and gaudy structure, screams of frustration echoed for miles on end.

Inside the tower's single intact room, a pink-haired elf was smacking the purple floor with her fist. A winged woman followed this happening from atop a giant hourglass with a frame made out of smoothly curving stone. In another corner, a tall vampiric woman in a foul mood was working on a block of ice, trying to shut out the wailings of her younger sister.

"It's not FAIR!" Nova screamed, punching the ground until her knuckles bled. "I just wanted to play with Hikaru and everyone kept getting in the way! There were so many of them I couldn't kill them all in time!"

"Nova, you should calm down before you open up your wounds," Terra advised her in a sisterly manner. "You will not be able to play with Hikaru when the opportunity arises otherwise."

"Shut up!" Nova yelled, firing a beam at Terra, but missing completely. "If you are so keen on helping, why weren't you there fighting Fuu!"

As she mentioned Fuu's name, Nova was forced to cover her pointy ears, as an ear-splitting sound filled the room. Even Stella had to cover her ears, as Terra ran her talons down the side of the hourglass. It wasn't until Nova begged for her to stop that Terra pulled away her hand.

"Mother still has not completed my Mashin," Terra spoke politely, despite being a bit huffy about it. "Luna could have helped you out, but she is still out doing her own thing for Mother's sake."

"Well, what about Stella?!" Nova yelled, her ears still ringing. "What was stopping her from lending a hand in killing Hikaru's loved ones!"

"I am not in possession of a Mashin either," Stella answered coldly, having lost her angle of surprise with the enemy as well. "Besides, big brother Romeo told me to stay here in case I were to be needed and to watch over him while he molted."

Due to her anger, Nova was about to fire upon the block of ice Stella was working on, when her words finally registered.

"Molted?" Nova tilted her head.

Before she could get an answer, Nova heard a heavy thud behind her, as the floor underneath her shook. Turning around while staggering, Nova came face to face with a tall, horned figure, standing in two small craters.

Six feet tall, handsome, youthful, and athletically built man stood before her. He had black hair that reached his neck and lime-green eyes that glowed like toxic waste. His horns were half a foot in length, an inch thick at the base, and curved backwards while tapering to sharp points. The young man wore an outfit consisting of a tight shirt, a pair of full-length trousers, and a trench coat. The pants and shirt were simple, black, and well fitting. They were decorated with a pattern of silver triangles around the sides and a golden hexagon on the chest with red gems. The open trench coat was white leather with a few vertical black stripes along the sleeves. On his feet he wore black armored boots with silver trim.

"B-Big brother?" Nova stuttered, looking up at Romeo with narrowed irises.

The tall young man reached down and patted Nova's head, ruffling her bushy pink hair, "Better luck next time, Nova-chan. By then, I should be able to help you out in keeping the riffraff away from Hikaru."

Although the tall man spoke in a loving familiar manner, there was something off putting about it to Nova. She was used to Romeo being this cute and lovable smaller older brother, whose cheeks she could pinch. But this, new form or something, had an air that creeped her out.

"Ro-Romeo, w-what happened to you…" Nova asked nervously, a shiver running down her body.

"Oh this?" Romeo smiled warmly, looking at his own hand before clenching it into a fist. "Thanks to our friend spilling the beans about our existence and his past to his friends, the darkness in his heart has allowed me to have a growth spurt."

Before Nova could ask further questions, the room was filled with devious laughter that echoed from all the surfaces in it. One by one, Romeo, Nova, Terra, and Stella got into a row, before bowing politely, as Debonair appeared in front of them. Their mother seemed to be in a good mood, her bluish-purple lips curving into a cheerful smile.

"Well done, Romeo. This means that you will be able to join us during Coronation Day," Debonair smiled at him.

"It will be my pleasure to bring down the Sanctuary in thine name, Mother dearest," Romeo smiled back confidently, while bowing in a dandy manner. "When all is in place, we will make short work of their defenses."

While Debonair was flattered by Romeo's gestures, something about him seemed off. While she was able to see into the hearts of people without issue, she couldn't fully perceive Romeo's heart. This didn't surprise her, for she also couldn't perceive the heart of the man he had come from. But now, it felt as if she could see something, a dark aura of sorts.

Wiping any doubts from her mind, Debonair congratulated Romeo, "Your intel has always been a great asset to me. I hope you will prove just as effective in battle, my sweet boy."

Finished with adulating Romeo, Debonair's benevolent and motherly expression soured quickly. Turning her gaze down at Nova, Debonair's solid blue eyes narrowed into blue dots with white surroundings. With Debonair baring her fanged teeth at her as she scowled, Nova couldn't help but take a step back, as her breath seemed to catch in her throat.

"Nova, how dare you embarrass me like that!" Debonair snarled at her angrily. "Running away mid battle, after I gave you more power and healed your injuries?"

"It's… It's not my fault! Hikaru's friends were…" Nova insisted, but as Debonair looked at her disappointedly, she couldn't help but bow her head. "I'm sorry Mother… I'm sorry I failed you…"

Seeing her repent, Debonair reached down, wrapping her clawed fingers around Nova. At first the little elf thought that she was going to be punished, until Debonair stroked her gently. Responding in kind, Nova nuzzled against the large ghostly hand's fingers. After about ten seconds, Debonair pulled back her hand, before standing up straight once more.

"That was the last drop of compassion you will see from me, until you prove yourself worthy," Debonair said in a cold tone, before turning to her eldest. "Romeo, I am placing you in charge of Coronation Day. Make sure your sisters do not let me down."

"As you wish, Mother..." Romeo grinned, as Debonair started laughing once more.

Author's Afterword: For the first time in… a very long time, we have a chapter that covers the events of only one episode of the Anime. Episode 10 to be specific. While personally I like being able to speed through the episodes of season 2, sometimes one needs to let things breathe. And boy did this chapter have plenty of additions…

One of the most important additions was showcasing the effects of Hotaru's words on the defenders of Cephiro. I hope I did a good job in showcasing how different characters react to their existence being put into question. The many scenes also helped to break up the meat and bones of this chapter as well. That being the battle against Nova.

Due to the changes in the previous chapter, I couldn't just have Fuu and Umi join Hikaru in the battle from the get go. Instead, I figured with the extra information they were privy to, Lantis and Eagle would make it to her much faster. It was an unusual team up, but with FTO's upgrades and Lantis's spell reflecting pendant, they could more than make up for the absence of two Magic Knights. And with Hikaru being more aware of what was going on, it was easier for her to keep a level head.

Finally, when Fuu and Umi did join and break the dimensional barrier, it made sense that Nova would seek to retreat. As for how they did it, well, you need to read the manga for that one.

As always, reviews and speculations are welcomed and appreciated. My thanks go to merendinoemiliano, and our recurring anonymous Guest for your reviews on the last chapter! I would also like to thank Antoinette Veronica for plenty of feedback via private channels!