Umi slide off the flying fish and onto the ground, falling. "Why does this always happen to me?" She stood up wincing. "We're home!" She chuckled and looked around the front foryer of the castle. "Anyone?" She walked in further past the doors. "Cadina? Ascot? Clef?"

Ascot looked up from the hall, momentarily distracted from the strange presence that had held him captive only moments before; the sound of a familiar voice... stabbed him hard into shifting consciousness. That was.. then the familiar presences hed felt..

Catching his breath, he jogged lightly down the hall, his heart racing. Could it really be..? As everything was.. the arrival of THEM seemed so into place, he nearly slapped himself in the forehead.

Coming to the great arching entrance into the foyer, Ascot halted soundly, and caught the words he was to say in his throat. What WAS he supposed to say..?

".. Umi-san..?" he responded to the voice that had called, having set eyes upon the taller, slender form of She. her eyes were set, and she scanned the walls of the Palace she'd come to know so well from her previous adventures in Cephiro, those bright, glinting blue eyes. Ascot spied the other two Knights not far behind her.. they were here.. were they here to bring order back among the people..? Their problems were far less complicated now... and sheer force wouldn't... But then he rememebred the man. Could he be the threat the Magic Knights were to oppose..? Ideas and notions flew through Ascot's mind, too many, too many to consider all at once.

His mindset shifted back to the fully-earth-clothes-clad girl whom had called out through the halls of hte Palace, and had brought Ascot to attention. He knew... that.. Ascot swallowed his voice as he felt his heart skipped, and he was angry with it. HE wasn't going to be the bumbling idiot he was before, he wasn't going to let his emotions drive him as blindly as they had before. Umi had found a love in her for Clef before she had left... and.. she was happy with it.. What sort of a friend would he be to step in the way of it? Not one at all.

"Magic Knights!!" he called out, shaking the apprehension from him, "You've come back!!" The thoughts of the mysterious man flew from his mind, rightfully so, and he simply acknowledged that three long ago friends had finally returned, and he was happy for the moment. A hesitant smile lit his face, and colour rose to his cheeks.

"Prince Ferio, I believe the Magic Knights really are here. I'm sure that you'd like to go greet them wouldn't you?" Clef smiled warmly knowing how much the young man must have missed Fuu. Fyula was flying around happily in the sky overhead the room everyone had been in telling Clef how he had saved the Knights just in the nick of time and confirming it was really the girls in his flapping around. "Zazu, Arista, if you'd like, then please go out and meet them yourselves," Clef offered. "They're three very friendly girls and I'm sure they'll be very glad to meet you."

In a slight wave of his hand, the slightly ajar doors from the coming in and out earlier opened all the way for anyone that wished to go out and meet Cephiro's new guests. "I'll stay here and talk to Fyula since he's mentioned a fourth passenger," Clef told them. But as happy as he was with the Knights' arrival, the strangers words threatened to dim it which he had to think on as well. Those were all right excuses from seeing Umi right now. It's not that he didn't want to see her and the others. But there were more things so common that even the wisest Madoushi in Cephiro didn't know how to explain. Eight letters, three words, one meaning for eternity...

This was when Fyula started flapping around in a change of happy temper to a pouty one wanting him to come see them with everyone else.

"It's all right Fyula, I want to talk to you," Clef smiled nervously trying to get the fish to come back from flying away to get petted by Hikaru. "Besides, we can't keep everyone standing in the halls to talk. I'm sure they'd rather meet somewhere else then this plain room...Please tell everyone that I'll have some tea and chairs made in the castle gardens by the fountain," Clef asked of the others thinking the throne room might have been a bit too desolate. "I'll go soon and quickly fix up a room for the girls as well as for our other guests." Clef finished referring to the people from Autozam and maybe Ascot too if he was staying. The thought of Ascot this time brought another thing to ponder on that he hadn't really done when the Knights weren't there, Deciding to think about that among other things later though, now that he had a few things to do, Clef waited for the others to make their decision before he left.

Fyula flew back and in failure of getting in through the ceiling bumped his nose. With an unhappy exhale he went around to find another way to get inside and flapped in greeting again at the girls as he passed by to get to Clef.

At the moment Hikaru felt happier than any other time in her life. Being here, in Cephiro...just thinking about it made her smile widen. "Hi everyone!! Thank goodness you're all okay, I was getting a bit worried." Hikaru said, "Anything interesting happen while we were away?"

Before Arista could leave, three young ladies entered the palace doors. She tilted her head as many came to greet them. Even the young bal that had escaped her. They did not seem to notice her.

She observed them for a moment longer but then, she felt her eyebrows lift themselves as the fiery-haired maiden caught her attention. Her smiling face and her features. Then it hit her. The girl was one of the ones engraved on the walls only younger...

Arista then smiled amused at herself. So rude of her to just stare at them. She walked over, grinned, and bowed respectfully, but warmly, to them. "Hello," her voice, very much like a soft sweet instrument, greeted them. "I don't believe we've met before..."

"I'm Arista Celeste Vision, might i have the pleasure of having your names?"

Nova could feel the happiness in Hikaru's heart when she got the chance to see all her dear friends again. For that, she was happy for Hikaru. But at the same time, she felt a little hesitant to enter the castle, knowing full well that some people may not forgive her for what she had done in the past. As much as she wanted to go inside, she could not gather up the courage to do so and ended up leaning against the wall outside the palace. She looked down to the ground and said to herself, "Those people are Hikaru's friends...and though I love them as Hikaru does, they could never be my friends. Not after what I've done." Then, she sat on the ground and buried her head in her arms.

Ferio had stayed relatively quiet, or rather silent, throughout the conversation between the others. When Ascot suddenly hastened out of the room, he made no attempt to pursue the young Bal. People had reasons for doing things and he didn't have any right to go about interfering. Not that he had the chance to do so anyway. A few splitseconds later, Madoushi Clef summoned Fyula--for the Magic Knights?! It was indeed those three girls, tumbling out of the sky... Fortunately the giant fish was there just in time.

The prince felt his heartbeat quickening. Fuu was in Cephiro. Eagerly, he nodded when Clef addressed him once more and went to greet the Magic Knights along with everyone else. For the moment, the fact that Fuu and her two friends had returned to Cephiro seemed to be all that mattered. He had missed the golden-haired Knight... It was incredibly nice to see the girls again.

However... Ferio's face clouded over. If the Magic Knights were back once more, it must have some sort of reason. Something was definitely up, or they wouldn't be standing here... Nevertheless, no time to think about that right now.

"Great to see you all again!" the young swordsman exclaimed cheerfully, flashing a grin at the girls. His gaze lingered on Fuu for a little while, then he turned his attention to include everyone else. "How about we all go into the gardens to talk? It's a lot nicer than standing out here in the hall. Apparently Clef is arranging to get some tea ready as well. There are chairs to sit on too." Ferio grinned.

"Arista...Vision? Wow, you must be related to Eagle! I'm Hikaru Shidou. Oh, and that tea thing sounds great too!" Hikaru exclaimed. She turned around to look for Nova, but didn't see her. 'Where is she?' she thought. "Um, excuse me you guys. I'll join you in a few minutes." Hikaru said before running back down the hallway and out the doors. Looking around she saw Nova crouching on the ground. "Nova? Why don't you come in with me. No one is going to blame you..." with that she went over to her and pulled Nova into a hug. "Let's go in!"

Nova hugged Hikaru back, but was still uncertain if everyone could really forgive her. "How could they not blame me, Hikaru? I did so many terrible things. I hurt you and your two friends. I even hurt Lantis, who you loved with all your heart." Then, tears began to well up in her eyes. "No...they could never forgive me, Hikaru. Not after all I've done."

"Nova, please don't cry...I love you, you're a part of me. They won't blame you. Come on, we're going to have tea in the garden. You can start over with a new slate." Hikaru pulled Nova up and took her hands and smiled. "Please come in with me."

Nova looked at Hikaru, still with tears in her eyes. But she saw the cheerful expression on Hikaru's face and smiled. Then, she nodded and said, "All right...let's go, Hikaru."