Umi filed into the hospital room with a parcel of cake. "Fuu!" She smiled at the bed. "You arent hurt that bad are you?" She sat the cake down on the table next to her bed. "I brought you some cake... and... well.." She looked over to where Emeruald was entering the room. "A surprize..."

"Hello, Magic Knight...or rather, Fuu," Emeraude smiled faintly, trying to hide the emotion in her stomach, pretending everything was okay. "It's been awhile..."

"Fuu!" Hikaru happily cried bounding into the room with a boquet of flowers, "Can you believe it? Princess Emeraude is here...and alive! We have to find a way to get back to Cephiro, Fuu. Ferio and the others will be so happy to see her!!"

Red eyes flashed in the night. The pathetic party was going on but four guests were gone. He sighed and leaned against a pillar, ironically supporting his weight. "Shadow..." He called out softly letting the name float on the breeze. He had found the man who had

searched the night sky for him. The one that might pose a problem. "But best let sleeping lions lie..." He laughed and vanished.

His being flew infinitely through space. It wasn't a dimension that seperated Cephiro from Earth but thousands of millions of light years. Space was what seperated magic from reality like pages in a book from the begining to the end of a story. His lips curled back.

Cephiro. Home. Or rather more like home than any other world. He paused out side the castle gates stopped by two guards. Pity, what a pitiful world Cephiro was turning out to be. Guards were actually being used to stop people from entering.

"Halt who goes there?" One guard lowered his spear before the other pointing at the man's throat.

"Ragyn..." He smiled. "Ragyn and I am a friend of Emerualds... the old pillar and you could say I am a friend of the new pillar as well." After all he was watching her all the time. Registering her growth. If only she would... but never, no.

He waved his hand dismissing the two. He watched their bodies fall to the floor and he continued into the palace, hiding.

Fuu s head shot up from its limp position of near sleep caused by Kobe-san s wonderfully exciting lecture on the finer points of knitting. She nodded dutifully as she felt that was the only polite thing to do in such a position, occasionally adding an Oh, really? or Is that so? into the conversation to keep the woman animated and happy. She peeked over at the next bed noticing how much she had knitted in such a short while.

How about you?

Excuse me, Fuu asked dazed.

I said, what do you do for fun, Kobe-san repeated patiently.

Oh, nothing really, I do enjoy archery though.

Mrs. Kobe leaned as close a possible to Fuu, surprising her somewhat.

Really, Kobe-san asked with intense interest.

Y-yes, Kobe-san.

I didn t mean to frighten you, it s just my late Husband enjoyed archery as well, he was the best back in his day.

I m sorry to hear of your loss.

I m not, it was an arranged marriage, he was really very snobby, his passing was like a blessing to me. I eloped with my lover to Europe, Mrs. Kobe giggled. Fuu smiled in interest.

I take it then he was the one who gave you the title of Kobe?

Yes, indeed he did. Oh, my Shinjo was quite the man, one hundred times the man Kakoi ever could dream of being. Sure, money has it s perks, Social standing has it s advantages, but they mean nothing compared to love, remember that Fuu-kun. It took me years to figure that out and by the time I got out of one marriage it was to late for me to carry on the legacy of the man who I adored more than anything. I would kill to be able to go back and change the past, bear the child of Shinjo and give that awful Kakoi a good kick in the. . ., Kobe-san s sentence was interrupted by Fuu s giggling.

And what is so funny, Fuu-kun?

I-it just seemed like y-you were actually picturing torturing Kakoi-san, you w-were maniacally waving your fist in a way that just screams r-revenge, Fuu managed to speak out between fits of laughter.

Indeed I was, Indeed I was.

The duo sat in a comfortable silence, the only sound was and occasional sputter of laughter from either side. Kobe-san eventually went back to her knitting and Fuu eventually went back to counting the ceiling tiles. Fuu lost her count at two hundred and eleven when a gentle knock rapped at the door.

Come in, Fuu announced.

She sighed in relief as Umi entered the room, finally, a familiar face among the seas of strangers and oddly beeping machines. Fuu s smile grew as Umi shouted out her name enthusiastically and stepped further into the room and offered Fuu some cake and asked about her condition. Fuu s mouth was practically drooling; she hadn t eaten much since she got here, not that she wanted to touch the abomination of rubber substances they referred to as a meal .

Fuu looked up at the new entry in the room, she had missed the last thing Umi had said, apparently a very important thing considering a person she had helped kill was standing in the doorway introducing herself. Her eyes widened as she took off her glasses and rubbed them on the coarse hospital linens and placed them back on the bridge of her nose. She was still there.

The Wind Knight looked from one person to another in a continuous pattern.

Emeraude. Umi. Emeraude. Umi.

Finally her deep green eyes rested on the Princess. Fuu, trying to act as normal and polite as humanly possible, smiled gently and whispered a gentle

Hello Which was naturally followed by a

How is this possible?

Fuu waited on batted breath for an answer.

-------------

Two figures stand in the midsts of a burning village. 'How can you live with yourself...' The first figure said sadly 'I had no choice!' The second figure shouted 'Your past will never let you have peace...' A third figure approched the others. 'Please Kaine. Just leave! There's nothing left for you here.' The new arrival said quietly to the second figure. 'Alright, I guess you're right. I'll leave.' Kaine said. He turned and walked out of the village center. When he reached the top of a nearby hill he turned to watch to the village burn. Kaine glanced down at his hands, the light of the fire staining them red...

...Kaine rolls over in his sleep. the edge of his cloak falling into the fire. He wakes up almost instantly and starts beating at the flames. once he had finished the task he raised his arms to stretch. He shuddered when he saw he saw the shadow cast on his hands by the fire. "You were right, Old man. My past will never let me rest."

"I'm sure we're all glad to be able to meet the sister of the great commander Eagle Vision." Clef said returning her bright smile putting the sudden surprise of the news away for later. He gestured to the magical chairs nearby beckoning them to sit. "I'm glad to have been able to meet you Arista, as well as Leala. Thank you again for coming here as well as you, Zazu. You've grown into quite a handsome young man since I've last seen you. As Ascot has asked though, you do know of our dilemma do you? Has your country also been experiencing similar occurrences?"

Suddenly his visage, being more relaxed after seeing Arista's cheery attitude, turned into a look of sudden worry as he spun around to face the giant doors now closed. What was it he felt just now? It almost felt like someone's portentous presence was inside the castle.

Arista noticed that mage's features harden with tension as his blue eyes reflected worry, his lips forming a straight uneasy line. However, instead of saying anything of it, she grinned at them. "Well, to me, it is a pleasure to meet you all..." the cuddly pet also responded happily. Arista smiled brightly. "As does Leala..."

She placed her gray-violet eyes upon the mage, willing him to meet her eyes. However, he was too occupied with something on his mind to do so. Arista placed a soft hand on Zazu's shoulders. "Handsome, eh? Maybe I should start calling you that," she teased.

The pretty silver-haired girl's eyes betrayed her smile as worry filled them quickly. "Sir Clef...are you alright?"

***

Emeraude looked at Fuu Hououji's emerald eyes that could not have been any greener. Other than the confusion in them, a tense expression on the pretty knight's lips formed automatically. Even she, the most polite of the three, could not keep on smiling politely.

"I do not know," was all she could say after her silence. Emeraude's blue eyes held on to her green ones. "There must be a purpose for my coming back...and please, as I told your two friends"--she gestured to Umi and Hikaru--"I am sorry about all that has happened and please do not worry yourself upon my death..."

A gust of night wind flapped in from one of the open windows, ruffling Lamont's head as he glanced up in alarm. That presence...the one he knew was responsible for the destruction done to the Tokyo Tower and all that had been happening to the three Magic Knights.

Before his mind could establish contact, it faded away again, just like it had back in the Sanctum.

Damn.

The Magic Knights friends and families were certainly in danger here.

At the current moment there did not seem to be any personal danger to Hikaru and Umi and their friend Fuu, as well as the Princess Emeraude. The two Knights and the Princess had suddenly left the party, likely to visit the hospitalized Fuu. Lamont wondered if she would return to the party, take up his offer of providing lodgings for her.

The party would be ending at midnight, the actual document signing between him and Mr. Ryuuzaki would be in a few days time. He'd be looking into these matters soon.

Very soon.

And then his old friend could rest in peace.

Within the blackness of his heart came a chilling mocking laugh.

Nova felt a happiness in Hikaru's heart, something she had not felt since she was born again. "It's because you know your friend is all right now, right, Hikaru?" Then, she got a sad look on her face. "I know this may be selfish, but I wish we could go to Cephiro, Hikaru. Then I could see and talk to you again."

--Lamont-- Emeraude tried to contact him telepatically, her grim expression seeming worried. --Lamont, if you can hear me, do you think you can come here to the hospital? I have to go back home soon...and I have a feeling it wont be long until then...--

*

Emeraude's voice touched his mind as Lamont stood by the balcony's railing, hoping once more to catch at least the offworlder's presence. Slightly startled, Lamont set down his martini, nodded and thought back to her. "I cannot go to the hospital, and I feel you and your friends are in grave danger, if not now, then in the coming days. To you I can provide shelter,to your friends only an unspoken assurance of the Shadow's help. I will make arrangements for your transport. You must not mention anything about what you know about me to the Magic Knights.

Lamont felt he'd have to leave a little earlier. He could always tell the guests he had to rest after the flight to Japan. Besides, he felt the party would still continue even with his absence.

"A cab will be waiting outside the hospital for you in ten minutes. The driver will be wearing a green headband, that will identify him to you as one of my own. You can trust him. He wil bring you back here to the hotel and then I will join you shortly after that."

***

Emeraude lips slowly lifted themselves into a faint smile. --Alright, I shall be down to meet your driver...and I'll try to keep that promise to you.--

The princess slowly placed her eyes on the three knights. "Magic Knights, I must go...We shall meet again soon." She bowed to them. "It was nice seeing all of you again...I have a feeling we'll all be elsewhere sometime in the near future..." Emeraude told them, not bothering to explain she meant Cephiro as she once more said her goodbye and left.

As she turned to exit the front door, Emeraude saw a cab waiting for her. Her deep blazing eyes looked at the driver who was indeed wearing a green headband. "Good evening sir," the golden-haired maiden greeted him, getting into the back passenger seat. "Might I have the pleasure of having your name, stranger?"

Chad walked down the hospital hallway searching around. He had to practically sneak in after the guards questioned his arrival. To them,he was visiting an injured friend named Hiryu Shotenha. The guards weren't all that bright,but he figured the people behind those desks might be. So it was time to think up of a better plan if he wanted to find out what happened at the school. This idea came to him in a dream the previous night,when he visioned a school and the three magic girls from the strange land. Were they dead? Did someone from the school plant a bomb and kill them? He had to know. But...Were these girls even real? Were his dreams truly meaningful? He remembered the hospital name and address from the dream. So far,he had never seen this particular hospital,and he was correct on everything. The three girls had to be here! He walked around looking at room after room,until at last,he reached the hospital room of Fuu Houjii. He didn't know of this was going to be her room,or possibly some crazy old man's,or something. Maybe,with luck...It would be empty,and all of this psychotic mess was a mere dream. He finally took a deep breath,and knocked lightly on her door....

On the Black Lotus ship,Skyhawk studied different ways of eluding the elusive,and eventually apprehending them. However,his thoughts were interrupted by a sudden energy disturbance on Earth. He looked over out of a window of the ship down to the blue sphere and placed his hand on his chin. "Hm....This isn't good. Something is making Earth's energy balance disrupt badly. There are beings that should not be there. I might want to warn the Admiral." The white haired young man said trailing off. He would have to put the Shadow on wait...More important matters have seemed to come up!!

* The driver swiveled around and raised his cap in greeting as a woman with long curly blond hair and piercing blue eyes stepped into the cab. So this was who the boss wanted him to pick up. "Komban wa!" His words caught in his throat as his eyes met hers. She was BEAUTIFUL.

His mouth was hanging open, when suddenly he shut it and put the cab in gear. "I...didn't realize the one I was supposed to pick up was gonna be someone as pretty as you." His cheeks flushed a litle.

She asked for his name. "Ah, atashi wa Yamazaki Jubei! Jubei'll do for me. The boss asked me to bring you back to the hotel. Strap yourself in!"

Minutes later, the cab pulled up in front of the hotel, where a number of the party guests were already lined up waiting for tranport. Weren't a whole lot of them, even with the celebrant leaving, the party was still very much in full swing.

Jubei got out and opened the door for Lamont. The Shadow smiled and clambered in next to Emeraude, carefully setting his briefcase aside. "So," he said cordially as he settled down and the cab started again. "Had a good evening?" His tone went serious just a little bit. "How was your friend?"

Emeraude flushed at the driver's compliment. "Thank you," her soft voice told the man, a smile forming on her lips. "But you flatter me, Jubei."

As Lamont climbed into the car and seated himself next to her, he asked her how her evening, as well as the wind knight's condition, was. Emeraude noticed a slight serious shadow pass his features as well as the tone of his voice. She looked out the window of the city lanterns on the street. "Fuu seems to be recovering...however I left before i could really talk to them. HIkaru and Mr. Ryuuzaki's daughter, Umi seem to be glad to see her." Soon, the maiden added, "And I was glad that they are safe...for now."

"Lamont..." Emeraude turned away from the beautiful lights of Tokyo to face him, her crystal eyes a bit worried. "I need to come back home to Cephiro, they need me....and I'm afraid they need those three lively girls as well..." A sigh escaped her. "But...the question is...Are they willing to go back with so much against them here?"

* The Shadow nodded, hearing Fuu Hououji was fine. He paused at the Princess' next words. That was quite something to think about. Would they come back? Yet in delving into Hikaru Shidou's mind, he had learned something else.

"Yes, I think they would...their love for their family and other friends they have here on Earth is very strong. They would never leave them. I am certain of it."

The minutes passed in near silence, when finally the taxi pulled up in front of a pair of ebony black gates. Jubei got out and opened the door for both of them, Lamont got out first holding his hand out to Emeraude's and smiling. "We're here." His other hand gestured to the mansion behind the gates. "My little home away from home here in Japan. The best I could get. Not as nice as some of the other big people in this country, but it's still something. Do please make yourself at home here."

Emeraude took Lamont's hand and helped herself out of the car. She tilted her head at the mansion, looking at it for a moment. The golden-haired maiden nodded as he told her to make herself at home. "It's a beautiful structure...this world seems so different from where I come from..."

The princess looked at Lamont. "There's less of nature here and more of man-made structures...and some are quite beautiful, like this palace of yours and those hand-made lanterns on the streets..." Her deep blue eyes positioned themselves above her as they looked at the stars and a beautiful full moon that lit the night.

Lamont walked her towards the gate and into the elegant house. Emeraude followed quietly, and moments later, saying, "Would you like to discuss a few things after we get settled? Or...would you rather wait until morning?"

The thought of waiting made her feel unsettled inside and somewhat impatient. Then another thought occurred to her. "Umm...Lamont? I, uh," Emeraude started unsure as she looked at her elaborate gown. She grimaced slightly, wishing not to be a bother. If only she were in Cephiro, then she could make herself something suitable. "I do not have anything to wear for comfort..."