The Ramarian Crisis

By DarkHorse

Chapter 5: An Assault on the Pillar

Yoyogi Park, Tokyo, Japan

U mi and Fuu were standing behind Hikaru in the middle of Yoyogi Park. Neither of them knew why. All they knew was that Hikaru had decided to transport them here. When they stepped out of the portal, they were shocked to find several people lying on the ground motionless. Didn't the government tell these people to not go out? They immediately rushed to the nearest of them to determine whether they were still alive. Each Knight breathed a sigh of relief when they found them to be merely unconscious. There were almost a hundred of them, all over the park. People who had decided to go out and picnic, ignoring the broadcasts that told them to stay in their homes. The sounds of ambulances in the distance told them that it was probably the same story all over Tokyo and who knows where else.

"What are we doing here, Hikaru?" Umi asked, still stunned by the sight of all the prostrate people.

"I don't know," Hikaru replied, looking down, thinking. "I somehow willed us to come here." She raised her head and looked at Umi and Fuu in turn. "I didn't will myself to go to Yoyogi Park, just 'here'." She turned to look at her surroundings. "Somehow I think this is where they landed."

"If that were true, Miss Hikaru," Fuu said, stepping closer to Hikaru. "Then shouldn't there be some sort of evidence of a landing? I would imagine that when objects enter our atmosphere like that, they would be extremely hot. In which case, there should be massive scorching in this area."

"I can't explain it, Fuu, but I know deep down, that this is where they landed."

Fuu knew better than to doubt the First Knight. She looked up towards the general direction that the alien objects entered into Earth. "If these are truly enemies, then they are formidable indeed."

"How can they not be enemies, Fuu," Umi protested, walking up to the blonde. "They have brought death and injury with them!"

"That is true, Miss Umi," Fuu insisted. "But it could have been unintentional." Umi frowned at her fellow Knight. Intentional or not, to Umi it was extremely rude to enter a planet in this way.

"We need to go back to Cephiro."

Both Umi and Fuu whirled to look at the Fire Knight.

"Now?" It was Umi who asked, a mask of incredulity on her face.

"No," said Hikaru, finally turning to face her companions. "Tomorrow. Fuu, I need for you to find out exactly what happened here today." Fuu nodded. Hikaru focused on Fuu. "Also, is it alright if both Umi and I stay at your place tonight?" Umi's eyes widened as she heard this.

Fuu, on the other hand, smiled brightly. "I would be delighted and honored for you both to stay at my place tonight!"

Before Umi could voice out her question, Hikaru turned to face her. "I have a feeling that man who visited me last night, will visit me again. Tonight."

"In that case, why don't we stay at your place?" Umi queried. "After all, that's where he appeared to you."

"He'll appear wherever I am," declare Hikaru confidently. She took one more gaze around the park. There was nothing she could do for the people lying seemingly peaceful on the ground. She could, instead, make sure that this does not happen again. With that, she turned and led the others from the park.

* * * * *

"Are you trying to tell me that after traveling billions of miles to get here, after killing off some of our best pilots, they simply exploded over Tokyo?" the President of the United States fumed.

"Is there any possibility, General, that these objects offloaded something before exploding?" it was the Chief of Staff asking this time.

"There is no evidence that they did. There are no witnesses at all," General Masterson lamented. "However, it is highly illogical for these objects to come here only to vanish. It is for this reason, a thorough investigation should be mounted." The General glanced meaningfully at the Director of Central Intelligence.

The President, having seen the eye contact between the General and the DCI, decided to speak up. "Can we do this, Tim? Do we even have assets in Japan?"

The DCI turned towards the President. "Mr. President, we only have one agent who is of Japanese descent that we can set up in Japan. With all due respect," the DCI paused, obviously trying to find the right words. "I believe that the Japanese government will cooperate with us fully in getting to the bottom of this."

The President considered this thoughtfully, his unseeing eyes centered on the stack of paper in front of him on the conference table. Finally, he looked up, shaking his head. "Those alien spaceships just outside of our solar system worry me, gentlemen. I do not think they mean to just sit there. I want more information about them." He said forcefully, looking at the two astrophysicists that were still present in the room. "Finally, I need to talk to the Japanese Prime Minister again to make sure that they allow us to help them in the investigation. Are we clear on this?" He looked at every face around the table. Satisfied that he got everyone's assent, he stood. "Let's get to work then."

* * * * *

Rogo and Lam arrived at a busy warehouse filled with boxes upon boxes of electronic appliances that Japan was known all over the world for. They were led to the back portion of the warehouse where they waited. This meeting was surprisingly Lam's idea.

As soon as Rogo sped them away from the park where they landed, Lam insisted they be briefed on all information gathered by Rogo's team thus far, as well as necessary information that would allow them to adapt to the local culture. This, of course, included the language and customs of the Japanese. Because a Ramarian could easily plug himself into a computer terminal and merely download the information directly into his cerebrum, this task was completed within an hour.

Immediately thereafter, Lam took Rogo alone in a room and engaged him in a discussion on how best to capture the girls. And here again, Lam surprised Rogo.

"In your report to Higon," Lam began, speaking in Japanese, almost idly. "You mentioned that every major country in this planet has a criminal network." Rogo nodded cautiously. He was still unsure as to where Lam was taking the conversation. "You said that a criminal network also exists here in Japan, called the Yakuza. Am I correct?" Lam's eyes bore into Rogo's, his face inscrutable.

"That is correct," Rogo replied, also in Japanese. "What of it?"

"Well, from what I've read of your report, these girls we are supposed to capture possess energy at uncharted levels. If this were true, then I would rather see with my eyes first exactly what these girls are capable of before committing my men to engaging them directly. My men will disagree, of course. But these are some of the very best we have. I'm not about to gamble their lives and skills so carelessly."

It was difficult for Rogo to hide his pleasant surprise at his counterpart's insight and…maturity. Finally, unable to hide his astonishment, he shook his head, smiling. "You surprise me, Lam."

Lam gave a half-smile back to Rogo. "You think I don't know what you and many others think of me." It was a statement. "Who do you think selected me for this mission?"

Rogo's eyes narrowed. All this time, he and his team assumed it was his father. "Are you trying to tell me Higon selected you?"

Lam leaned back, crossed his arms on his chest and smiled smugly. "A lot has changed since you left us, my friend." Lam looked away, his face, a mask of deep contemplation. "I grew tired of the constant war games. Restless from being cooped up in battle ship, no matter its size." Lam turned to eye Rogo. "I decided to spend a considerable amount of time with our old friend, Higon." Lam suddenly slapped his thigh and laughed. "You know what's funny, Rogo? I was already good at war games but after learning from Higon, I became even better, virtually unbeatable!"

Rogo had to laugh with him. "Well, using your head, instead of just your muscles, can be pretty useful in battle." He decided that he liked this new Lam.

Lam turned serious again all of a sudden. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table between them. "Our race is dying. Unless we do something about it, we will disappear. Already the ships we have in our fleet are breaking down. Do you know that we hardly go into hyperspace anymore?"

Rogo could only shake his head. Enraptured was he by Lam's passion.

"If those girls are truly able to create a wormhole, it will save us almost 50 years of travel time. A wormhole could bring our entire fleet just outside of this planet in a second, and we can beat these puny humans into submission easily."

"You don't have to convince me, Lam," Rogo said, leaning forward as well. "That's why I reported them in the first place. What do you want me to do?"

"Let's talk to the Yakuza."

Rogo made the necessary calls and was able to arrange the meeting. He also made arrangements for the three girls to be watched by Grat and Crata. For the meeting with the Yakuza, Lam decided to bring one of his lieutenants while he brought Dasma.

Rogo was now looking at the face of the warrior Lam decided to bring along. He was relatively young and yet his face was devoid of nervousness or even the eagerness that characteristically marked a young Ramarian warrior's face. Rogo wondered if it was just the synthetic dermis that they had to put over their real skin to blend with the humans. But then he looked at Dasma. Her face was the exact opposite. Now there was a typical warrior. He said time and time again that her anxiousness for battle would be her undoing.

The sound of footsteps interrupted Rogo's thoughts, causing him to turn. Approaching them were four Japanese men wearing expensive business suits. They seemed a bit burly to be merely businessmen. The four stopped in front of Rogo.

"Good evening," the lead Japanese said, bowing his head ever so slightly. It was of course a breach of etiquette to not perform a complete bow but then Rogo was a gaijin, and these were criminals, after all. "You may call me Tanaka. How can we be of service?" The man got right to the point quickly.

In response, Rogo reached inside of his jacket and retrieved a fairly large brown envelope, which he gave to the man in front of him. The man received the envelope and took out three enlarged photographs, a sheet of paper and another, smaller, envelope obviously containing cash. This last item, he merely passed to the one on his right. The photos he examined. Rogo saw his eyebrows rise slightly.

"These are mere girls."

"Yes. The instructions are on the sheet of paper. The remainder of your fee will be paid after we have custody of the girls."

The right side of Tanaka's mouth curled upwards. "These girls are extremely pretty. But," he said, glancing at the man on his right before looking back at Rogo. "We already have girls like these who are as pretty, and some even younger. At a lower price." Tanaka winked.

The thought of sexually violating three human females did not even occur in the Ramarian's mind. It was for this reason the meaning of Tanaka's wink did not register. "We do not want your girls. The one's in the photos are the ones we want."

Lam smoothly stepped forward. "These girls are, shall we say, very special," Lam said in very literate Japanese.

Tanaka looked back blankly at the newcomer and then smiled. "Very well. May I just say that you gentlemen have excellent tastes." He passed the photos and the sheet of paper to the man on the left. "It will all be taken care of."

"Tonight," Rogo said.

"Tonight?" Tanaka clearly did not expect this.

"Yes. We already have their location." Rogo told them the address.

"Indeed." The Japanese nodded contemplatively. He then turned to the man on his right and whispered on his ear. This one began nodding in earnest and then walked briskly away. Finally, he faced them. "Very well. It will be as you wish. We will be able to deliver the girls tonight. Please wait for our call."

"Thank you, Mr. Tanaka." Rogo said, duplicating the slight bow he received from the Yakuza earlier. Without another word, their four hosts turned and left. Rogo glanced at Lam.

"Well done, Rogo," Lam smiled and slapped Rogo's shoulder good-naturedly.

Rogo smiled inwardly and then caught himself. I'm behaving like a schoolboy receiving commendation from a teacher. "I guess it's our turn to go." With that, Lam and Rogo, together with their two lieutenants walked to their van.

Upon entering the van on the driver's side, Rogo took out his cell phone and punched a number.

"Grat here."

"We're on our way there." Rogo said and promptly hung up.

"The girls are all in one house?" Lam asked. Rogo nodded, smiling as he started the engine. "Well, if I was an earthling, I'd say this was Luck smiling down on us."

"Earthlings believe in the silliest things," was Rogo's amused reply as he drove the van to rendezvous with his surveillance team.

* * * * *

Fuu was already busy on her computer when the doorbell rang. She heard her elder sister, Kuu get the door. In a minute she heard two sets of heavy footsteps running towards her room. Fuu took one glance at her monitor before standing and walking to her door. She opened it just as Hikaru was about to knock.

"Hey Fuu!" Hikaru rushed forward and embraced Fuu. Even though Fuu wasn't normally demonstrative, she welcomed the hug from her petite friend.

"Fuu!" Umi said enthusiastically before joining in the group hug.

"Miss Hikaru! Miss Umi!" Fuu eagerly hugged her best friends back. She felt her heart swell. She truly cherished any time they spend together.

"So, find anything useful?" Hikaru asked as they disengaged.

"I found something," Fuu replied walking back to the computer on her desk. "I don't know if it's useful." She gestured to her bed. "Make yourselves comfortable and I'll tell you what I've found."

Like the schoolgirls they really were, past adventures notwithstanding, they bounded to the bed, dropping their bags in the process. Umi and Hikaru were wearing denim shorts and white sneakers. The former had a blue top tucked into her shorts while the latter had a white halter-top that only barely hid her navel. Fuu, on the other hand, was already in her pajamas.

"I'm simply amazed at how neat your room is Fuu!" Umi enthused, looking around Fuu's room. "And I didn't realize green could be a good color for a room."

Fuu grinned at her azure-haired friend. "Well, your room has a blue motif. It's only fitting that mine has a green motif."

Hikaru smiled at her friends. She flopped on the soft bed, on her stomach, facing forward. "So tell me Fuu, whatcha got?"

"Oh c'mon, Hikaru," wailed Umi. "Can't we just relax for a while and stop being Magic Knights for once?"

"Well, what do you want to talk about, Miss Umi?" Fuu grinned, turning her swivel chair away from her computer to face her friends.

"Oh I don't know," Umi said coyly. "How about boys?"

Hikaru rolled her eyes and turned on her back. Umi caught her expression and threw a pillow at her redheaded friend. "What's so wrong about talking about boys?"

"Nothing," Hikaru said, her voice full of mirth. "Except that you talk about boys all the time!"

"I do not!" Umi cried indignantly. "Just because both you and Fuu already have boyfriends." Umi turned to look at Fuu just as she said the word "boyfriends". As expected, Fuu's face was turning pink, causing Umi to grin. She turned to Hikaru who was covering her face with the pillow she threw at her. Umi reached out to Hikaru and yanked the pillow from the latter's grasp.

"Hey!" Hikaru bellowed, giving Umi a mock glare.

Umi was grinning defiantly at the Fire Knight. "Have there been any guys trying to pick you up lately?"

"Oh you mean besides that totally gorgeous Mr. Simmons?" Hikaru teased.

"Oh puleeease! He's not my type at all," the Water Knight huffed causing both Hikaru and Fuu to chuckle. "Seriously, though, nothing?" Umi pleaded for Hikaru to reveal something, anything.

Hikaru flopped back on the bed. "Well, there's this guy…"

"Alright!"

Even the usually reserved Fuu leaned forward, eagerly waiting for Hikaru to provide more details. Hikaru paused to look at the eager faces of her friends and then giggled.

"Oh you guys, you should see your faces!"

Umi's response was to throw another pillow at Hikaru, which the latter easily caught. "Hikaru!" Umi cried, threatening to throw another pillow at her.

"Okay! Okay!" Hikaru giggled, her hands blocking her face preparing to block another pillow throw by Umi. "It's really no big deal. He goes to school at a nearby all-boy's school."

"So how did you meet him, Miss Hikaru?"

Hikaru's face fell and her shoulders slumped. She expected a discussion about many things tonight, but not this! One look at her friends' faces told her that she was not going to escape at all. "I had a feeling he was watching me for quite some time now. Then one day," Hikaru explained, shrugging her shoulders, "He just came up to me and asked for my name, although I think he already knew it."

"And…?" Umi was totally engrossed.

Hikaru shot her a look of disdain but continued. "And then he asked me out."

Fuu was nodding vigorously, urging her to continue.

"And…and I said I was busy," Hikaru shrugged yet again, helplessly, a sheepish smile on her face.

"Aarrrgh!" Umi hollered in frustration.

"What was I supposed to do? It's not like I have time for boys, you know?" Hikaru insisted.

"Was the boy handsome?" Fuu persisted.

"Well, he was tall." Hikaru said tentatively.

"Hikaru, everyone's taller than you," Umi said, rolling her eyes and sinking back against the soft headboard of Fuu's bed. Hikaru shot her a withering look this time.

"Hey c'mon guys. Let's just talk about what happened today," pleaded Hikaru impatiently.

"Oh alright!" Umi conceded.

With a sigh, Fuu turned to face her desk again to collect the reports she printed off the Internet. She turned once again and passed the reports to her friends. "These are all the information I was able to gather. Apparently, not much is known. The extremely bright light and the very loud thunderous sound rendered unconscious anyone who would've been a witness to the event."

"That figures," Umi noticed. Hikaru, on the other hand, was busy reading the reports Fuu handed to her. After a while, she looked up and stared blankly at Fuu.

"What is it, Miss Hikaru?"

"They couldn't have just exploded," Hikaru stated after a few more moments of thought. "I'm sure they left something behind."

"I do not doubt that, Miss Hikaru," Fuu said, nodding in agreement. "Except that there are no witnesses nor evidence to support that."

* * * * *

"Well, it's not like we're a court of law," the voice of the tallest one insisted. "All we need to do is just look at the logic of the situation."

Both Grat and Crata had been listening to the endless chatter of the girls in the room across the street for over an hour. They were using a special hi-powered microphone mounted on the edge of the roof facing the house to eavesdrop on the unsuspecting teenagers. Both looked up when they heard footsteps coming towards them. It did not alarm them in the least for they recognized the sound signature of the footfalls. After a few seconds, both Grat and Crata saw Lam and Rogo as they crested the apex of the roof.

"There're still all in there?" Lam asked as he reached the two members from Rogo's team.

Grat merely nodded in response. He had not gotten the opportunity to know Lam and therefore was still wary of him. For his part, Lam did not seem to notice anything but just peered over the roof at the window to the room that held the three targets.

"I'm curious as to how the Yakuza is going to manage this." Lam said out loud to no one in particular.

"Me too," this was from Rogo.

"Well, I guess we'll have to just wait and see."

"How long before they try anything?" It was Crata who asked.

"No telling," Grat opined. "I'd wait till the girls were actually asleep before I try anything."

Nobody had a rejoinder to that. As one, they settled down and decided to listen to the ongoing conversation across the street.

* * * * *

Tanaka was nothing if not careful. In the privacy of his office, he was examining the photographs of the three girls he was supposed to abduct. The guy that was with this "Roger Simmons" character did say these girls were "special." He decided to do a background check.

It turned out the girls were all from well-to-do families, especially the Ryuuzaki girl. Could this be a kidnap-for-ransom thing? It didn't fit. This Roger Simmons seemed not to want for money. He could tell. He prided himself in being able to identify the really rich types. And this guy seems to have access to a substantial amount already. So therefore, this couldn't be about money.

Could it be about sex? Tanaka shook his head. No, because again, the Simmons guy was totally clueless. Besides, why go to the trouble of kidnapping girls, when nubile and pretty girls for hire were readily available. Although, these girls do seem to be extraordinarily well endowed. Nah, it's not for sex at all either.

Then what? With a grunt, Tanaka set down the pictures and picked up once more the three sheets of paper that contained background information about the girls. Each of them seems to be skilled in one form of martial arts. The Shidou girl is a Kendo champion; Ryuuzaki just won a fencing championship for herself and her school; and finally, Hououji is a member of her school's distinguished archery team. He should remember to caution his men about these girls. He had gotten to where he is now by making sure to never underestimate anyone, outward appearances notwithstanding.

Tanaka picked up the phone. "It's me. Assemble the men."

* * * * *

Hikaru fought to stay awake. On either side of her lay Umi and Fuu. Umi's arm was draped over Hikaru. She looked at her Water Knight with affection. Umi was the demonstrative one, always quick to provide comfort through her touch. She turned to look at Fuu. Although in very close proximity to her, she kept to herself. Both of them were sleeping peacefully. Hikaru longed to be in that state also. But she couldn't. She had to wait for the cloaked stranger who appeared to her the other night.

Hikaru raised her head a bit and strained to see the digital face of Fuu's clock on the desk. It read 1:45am. She allowed her head to drop back down and yawned mightily. Maybe if she just closed her eyes for a while…

…with a start Hikaru sat up and flung open her eyes again only to be greeted by the bright blueness of the sky. She had to quickly avert her gaze and blocked the brightness with an arm. After blinking a few times, Hikaru lowered her arm and looked around her.

She was in Cephiro again! Turning her head from side to side, she examined the meadow she was sitting down on. It was the same meadow, or at least it looked like it. Finally, Hikaru realized that she was dreaming again. Slowly, she stood. Just like in the previous dream, she was in her flannel nightgown and she was barefooted.

Now where was that village? Hikaru turned towards the direction where she thought the village was. Suddenly, she heard a rustle behind her. Whirling around, she instinctively adopted a defense stance only to be surprised by what she saw just a few meters in front of her. It was the cloaked stranger!

The stranger pulled back his hood to reveal the face of a wizened old man. He was smiling gently at her. Slowly, he dropped to one knee and bowed his head. "Princess."

"Please…" Hikaru said tentatively, causing the man to look up at her. Slowly, with much effort, the man pulled himself up using his gnarled staff and faced her. "W-who are you?"

"My name is Malor. I know you have many questions, Princess. I will endeavor to answer all your questions. But first, please know that even now as we speak you are in danger."

"What kind of danger?" Hikaru asked, suddenly tensing.

"There are beings who have access to awesome technological powers," Malor answered, his mien taking on a deathly seriousness. "They are here on Earth with the intention of abducting the Magic Knights."

"What!?"

"Yes, Princess," Malor said, nodding slowly, confirming her worst nightmare.

"But why?" Hikaru's fist were clenched at her side.

Malor shook his head slowly. "I am not sure, Princess. But you have to be careful. I cannot help you for I am now at the foot of Mount Asama."

"Is that where you live?"

"Yes, Princess. Even if I were close by, I'm afraid I am not of much use to you."

Hikaru nodded slowly at this, her eyes directed at the space between them. She certainly didn't want to endanger this old man. She looked up at Malor. "Malor, how is it you know about the Magic Knights?"

At this Malor smiled. "I was once a Magic Knight myself."

Hikaru smiled brightly, pleasantly surprised. "You were? Wow!" For a while, the redhead was speechless. "How is it you can do magic? Were you the Pillar?"

Malor laughed heartily. "No, young Princess. I was not the Pillar. As for magic, well, there is magic here on Earth too, you know. You become sensitive to it over time and then learn to harness it. Nevertheless, my powers are nowhere near yours, Princess. Or, for that matter, the other two Knights."

Hikaru blushed at the compliment. She was about to make a comment when she suddenly noticed Malor looking over her head, his brows furrowed. "What is it Malor?"

"Princess," Malor said with some urgency. "You must wake now!"

"Malor--"

"Now, Princess. Now!" Malor jumped to his feet and without ceremony, grabbed Hikaru's arm and pulled her up as well. Malor glared at the Princess who seemed to still be dazed. "You and your friends are in--

--danger!" Hikaru bolted upright. For a second, she was disoriented and wondered why it was dark. Then she remembered she was in Fuu's room.

"Hikaru…" Umi mumbled, very reluctantly opening her eyes. The arm she had draped over Hikaru was so suddenly flung aside that it woke her. Hikaru noticing that her blue-haired friend was already awake began nudging her blonde friend this time.

"Fuu!" Hikaru fought to keep her voice down without removing the urgency. "Fuu, wake up!"

Umi, sensing the tension in her petite friend, began to come to complete wakefulness. Fuu also woke and sat up, rubbing the sleep from eyes. "What is it Miss Hikaru?"

"Get your gloves, quickly!" Hikaru said as she eased out of the bed and walked on tiptoes. Her whole being alert and attuned to her environment. She turned to look back at her friends to make sure that they were getting their gloves. In two seconds, both Umi and Fuu were on either side of their leader, their gauntlets already over their left hands. They were crouched down facing the door.

"What's going on?" Umi whispered without taking her eyes off the door.

"There are men in the house." Hikaru whispered back.

"Oh no! My sister, Kuu!" Fuu was about to rise in an attempt to head out the door towards her elder sister but Hikaru's hand on her forearm stayed her.

"Just stay calm, Fuu," the redhead said firmly.

Fuu's eyes were wide as saucers. "But--"

"--I won't let anything happen to Kuu." Hikaru looked hard into Fuu's green eyes, trying to project her confidence to the Wind Knight. "Trust me."

Fuu blinked and began nodding her head vigorously, anxious to trust her leader. Hikaru turned back to face the door and took a deep breath. Think, Shidou, think!

* * * * *

There were in fact, ten men in the Hououji residence. All of them wore completely black clothing. Each of them wore a black ski hood over his head, with holes for the eyes and mouth. Three of them, including the leader, were armed with Glocks while the rest had katanas and tantos. In spite of what they were wearing that night, none of them were ninjas. However, each one of them was a martial artist in his own right, able to wield both katana and tanto with deadly skill.

After one of them defeated the lock on the front door, they moved stealthily into the living room, fanning out into strategic areas throughout the house. All the lights were of course out not only because they were really switched off for the night, but also because they had already cut out the power leading to the house.

The leader, together with two others, already had their guns out and cocked. Using his left hand, he gestured to the other seven to break up and head in two different directions. Because the mission had been hastily put together, they had no idea as to the layout of the house. Therefore, they had to play everything by ear. That was okay, the leader thought, since they were all professionals. Despite Tanaka's warning to not underestimate the three fourteen-year-old girls they were supposed to kidnap, the leader couldn't stop himself from being confident about the mission.

Within a minute, the two groups returned to the leader and silently communicated the fact that there were no bedrooms in the ground floor. The leader nodded slowly at this and then looked up. Using his left hand again, he gestured to the rest of the team that they should head up the stairs into the second floor. With him in the lead, they moved cautiously up to the second floor. Upon reaching the top, he gestured to the left and then again to the right. Immediately, the group broke into two once more, one searching the left side and the other the right. The leader himself headed straight. He could already glimpse a bedroom door up ahead.

* * * * *

"Kuu!"

Kuu stirred and waved a hand in front of her face as if warding away an annoying insect.

"Kuu! Wake up!"

Kuu bolted upright, suddenly awake but not clearly knowing why.

"Kuu! Can you hear me?"

Her eyes widened with fright. "W-who's there?" She instinctively brought up the sheets up to her neck. "Hikaru? Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me Hikaru--"

"Where are you? I don't see--"

"There's no time for that Kuu. There are men in the house!"

"Men in the house?" Kuu's brows furrowed, unable to comprehend the situation at all.

"Is your door locked?"

Kuu shook her head, still not realizing that the voice she was hearing was in her head.

"Kuu. Is. Your. Door. Locked?"

The older girl looked around her, starting to realize that there was no one in the room with her. How is Hikaru talking to me?

"It's called telepathy. KUU! Answer my question!"

"No, I don't keep my door--"

"Then lock it! Do it quietly but quickly."

"Okay," Kuu whispered back. She slowly peeled off the covers and planted her feet silently on the floor. Telepathy?Hikaru can do telepathy? As she crept to her door, several thoughts were churning around in her confused mind. What in Kami is going--

Suddenly, to Kuu's absolute horror, the doorknob began to twist. Like a deer caught in the headlights of an onrushing car, she found herself rooted right where she was and could only stare as the door slowly opened. The first thing she saw was a small, dark, rectangular object followed by a fist. When she realized it was the barrel of a gun, she gasped.

The person holding the gun must have heard the sound because the door was suddenly flung open. Before Kuu could do anything, the person was upon her. As she opened her mouth to scream, she felt a vise-like grip on her neck that stifled whatever sound she would have made.

With wide, frightened eyes, she looked up at her assailant. It was a man.

"Shhhhh," the man whispered and then leered. While keeping his tight grip on her neck, he positioned himself behind her. She then felt the cold barrel of the gun touch the right side of her head. Finally, the man whispered hotly into her ear. "Move."

* * * * *

The three Knights were poised to go outside and meet the threat head on. All three had their armors on and their swords out. Hikaru's sword, though, was on her left hand. Both Umi and Fuu were surprised to note that Fire Knight's armor was different from what they were used to. It was so…matured.

"On my count," Hikaru projected her voice to the minds of the two other Knights. "One…two…three! Flame arrow!" A huge gout of fire exploded from the Fire Knight's outstretched right hand and rushed towards the door. In less than a second, there was an enormous hole where Fuu's bedroom door used to be. There appeared to be men just outside the entrance. These were thrown all the way back and down to the living room, already unconscious before they even hit the floor one story below.

The three Magic Knights rushed out of the bedroom through the impromptu orifice only to be met with five men all clad in black with equally black katanas drawn. Both sets of combatants immediately engaged and a raging sword battled ensued. Hikaru engaged two of the assailants; Fuu had two while Umi took on one.

Fuu could not fully concentrate on her battle. So desperate was she to locate her sister. In an effort to be rid of them quickly, she attempted to parry two lethal slices aimed at her with one block. One of them, however, was too quick, changed direction and connected, cutting a gash on the Wind Knight's left arm.

"Aaaaaah!" Fuu screamed in pain and distress.

"Fuu!" Umi cried her friend's name in the split second she turned to see Fuu's plight. She turned back to her opponent and narrowed her eyes. "You bastard!" She locked swords with the man, holding both their swords above their heads. Umi could see from the eyes of the assailant that he was surprised by Umi's strength. Here he was, a full-grown man easily weighing almost twice more, and he couldn't bring his sword to bear. With a sweet smile, Umi brought her knee up hard, hitting him on the groin. With a loud groan followed by a shudder, the man's eyes went into his sockets and keeled over.

Umi spun towards Fuu who was up against the wall, desperately parrying and blocking the strikes of her two attackers. She could see that the blonde girl was cut in two more places. As she rushed forward to aid her friend, a blur of red swept past her.

"Hiiiiyaaa!" Hikaru leapt high up in the air, surprising Fuu's attackers. The two made the mistake of looking up. This gave Fuu the opportunity to stab her sword in the right arm of one of her attackers. As the man screamed and dropped his sword, Fuu turned to see whether Hikaru had gotten the other one. True enough, the other attacker was already without his sword and down on his knee. A well-placed kick by Hikaru on the chin threw the man over the railing, crashing down on the living room to join his other companions.

Fuu was about to smile at the Fire Knight when a shot rang out. Fuu's head snapped towards the origin of the sound. There, another black clad man held a gun aimed at Hikaru. Oh no! She immediately realized two things: the first was that Hikaru would not have enough time to dodge the bullet, and second she was the closest to Hikaru.

With one more look at the projectile, Fuu dismissed her sword, which immediately disappeared into the gem of her gauntlet, and dove towards the Fire Knight in a race against death. Why is everything moving in slow motion!? She saw Hikaru whirl and her shocked expression as she realized that a silver death was rushing towards her. In that split second, Hikaru turned to face another object rushing towards her in the form of her best friend.

It was Fuu who collided with Hikaru first, effectively tackling the latter to the floor. The bullet whizzed past the former, just a millimeter away from the nape of her neck. Everything was still moving so slow. Fuu had time to look past her to see the bullet continue on its course…towards Umi! "Umi!"

Time had also slowed from Umi's perception and she had no trouble seeing the bullet move towards her at what should be indiscernible speed. She gracefully twisted to the side, pushing her left shoulder back to allow the bullet to harmlessly pass by. She was amazed at the fact that she could track the movement of the bullet with her eyes. She didn't bother to watch the bullet once it past her, knowing that the only thing it will hit was the far wall behind her.

At that point, time seemed to restore itself. Just as she heard the bullet that barely missed her ricochet off the wall, Umi turned to face the shooter. Even though hooded, she could clearly see the shocked expression on his face. She knew that if she didn't act quickly, the shock would be replaced with a determination to shoot again. She raised her hand up and cried out her spell. "Sapphire whirlwind!" She stretched her arm out, pointing her hand towards the shooter. Immediately, a surge of wind and water sprang out of her hand and began buffeting the man senseless and eventually pushing him over the railing as well.

"Don't move!"

Umi spun to face the new threat only to be taken aback by what she saw. There were two more gunmen. One held Kuu while the other had his gun alternately aimed at Umi, and Fuu and Hikaru who were on the floor. Kuu's eyes were bulging in fear of her predicament and shock by what she just witnessed.

"Well, well," said the man holding Kuu hostage. "That was very impressive. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes." The man smiled and then all of a sudden turned deadly serious. He turned to Umi. "Drop your sword," the man said, and then cocked his head towards his hostage. "Or she dies." Umi glanced at Fuu and Hikaru who were slowly disentangling themselves but otherwise remained on the floor.

"Do it, Umi," Hikaru said aloud. Umi lowered her sword and then distinctly heard her leader's voice in her mind. "You take the man holding Kuu. Fuu, protect your sister. I'll take the other shooter. We attack on my count. One…two…three!"

"Winds of protection!"

"Water dragon!"

"Flame arrow!"

Translucent power spiralled out from Fuu's hand towards her sister, effectively encasing her in a dome that seemed to be made out of swirling air. At that very moment, the man holding Kuu was pushed away. This sufficiently surprised him but out of reflex, was still able to fire his gun. The man would never know what happened to the bullet aimed at his hostage's head because a force of water crashed into him and pushed him back, lifting him off the ground like he was nothing more than paper, ultimately slamming him against the wall.

His other gun-wielding companion fared worse. He, too, had fired his gun. The bullet that had just escaped the barrel was immediately engulfed by a wall of white-hot flame that rushed to meet it, instantly disintegrating it. The man attempted to dodge but it was too late.

Hikaru rushed to his side and dropped to one knee. He was twitching from the pain. His body was blackened in several areas from severe burns. The man seemed to be trying to say something until, with one last heave, his chest rose, fell and with no more than a gasp, he died. "Oh no," Hikaru whispered silently. "What have I done?" Her eyes were still locked at the dead man's wide open ones, frozen with shock.

For a second, both Fuu and Umi were rooted were they stood until the latter nudged the former. "Fuu, take care of your sister. I'll take care of Hikaru."

Fuu nodded mutely and walked towards her sister who had long since fainted from the excitement. She checked her to make sure that she was not injured. Apparently, her shield protected her from the bullet that would have surely killed her. She picked her up, cradling her sister's head in her arms. Fuu looked up to see how Umi was doing. She knew that Hikaru was devastated by what happened.

Umi had gathered Hikaru in her arms. Hikaru's eyes were still wide open as she allowed herself to be embraced. With one hand, Umi reached out and gently closed the eyes of the man who would no longer harm another. Having accomplished the grisly task, she brought her arm around her friend once more to fully embrace her.

"Hikaru," Umi said gently. "It was either him or us. You had no choice."

"I know Umi," Hikaru replied, as she wiped away the tears in her eyes with her hand. Slowly she pulled back and looked at Umi squarely. "I'm okay, really. It's just that you never get used to taking someone's life." She turned to Fuu. "Hey Fuu. Are you okay?"

"I'm okay, Miss Hikaru," Fuu said cheerily. "Nothing that my 'Winds of healing' can't cure." She looked down her sister. "I'm worried about Kuu though."

"She's not hurt is she?" Umi asked.

"Not that I can see, Miss Umi. Although I think she's in shock. What do we tell her?" The last question was addressed to Hikaru.

The Fire Knight gazed into Fuu's eyes. "We'll have to tell her the truth."

"Is that wise?"

Hikaru nodded slowly. "Yes. Eventually, we will have to tell everyone. Kuu, my brothers," she looked at Umi. "Your parents."

Umi's eyes widened at that but then slowly nodded. "I guess you're right. Their lives are all in danger now because of us."

In the distance the wailing of police sirens could be heard. The three perked and then looked at each other. "Oh no, what do we tell them?" Umi asked referring to the police.

Hikaru's brows furrowed in deep thought. She sighed. "I'm not prepared to answer their questions." She looked at her friends in turn. "Let's go to Cephiro." The two looked at each other before turning back to their leader, slowly nodding their agreement.

"What about--" Fuu began.

"We're taking her Fuu." With that, Hikaru stood and stretched her hand in front of her. In a second a bright light appeared, momentarily blinding them. When the light subsided, a simmering oval portal appeared, its sides crackling with energy. Hikaru turned around, walked towards Fuu and promptly picked up Kuu in her arms.

"Miss Hikaru! I can carry her," insisted Fuu.

"You're wounded. I can carry her," the redhead said simply. She turned once more and then headed straight into the portal, disappearing into the vortex that would take them to Cephiro. Umi followed shortly after. Fuu took one more look around her home and sighed. She faced the portal and stepped through it.

At that moment, the erstwhile leader of the failed kidnapping opened his eyes. His eyes widened as he saw the back of one of the girls he was supposed to kidnap disappear through a doorway that seemed to be crackling with electrical energy, and whose center was filled with an iridescent liquid-like substance. Finally, the doorway itself disappeared, collapsing into itself. His last thought, just before entering oblivion again, was how he was going to explain this to Tanaka.

* * * * *

Lam lowered the special "binoculars" he was using to watch the battle. All four of them were equipped with them. The device, which Lam smuggled into Earth, was able to "see" through walls by instantaneously creating images in real-time based on infrared and motion signatures.

"A very impressive display of fighting skill and power," Lam said stoically. He glanced at the person beside him who apparently could not summon the will to show the same kind of detachment. "Don't you think Rogo?"

For his part, Rogo was totally unsuccessful in hiding his amazement. "Those three girls were magnificent!" He said breathlessly, lowering his binoculars as well. The two others with them were simply nodding. The display they had just witness had rendered them speechless.

After a minute, the four saw a bright flash in the house. Within another minute, it disappeared. Lam once again turned to look at Rogo. "I suppose that was the wormhole you were talking about." It was a statement. Rogo could only nod mutely.

"It seems they are quite formidable. From my studies of humans, I don't believe it's normal for them to possess the kind of speed and power we saw just now. Being able to dodge a projectile traveling that fast…" Lam trailed off, the meaning already clear to his companions. "And yet," he continued. "I already know what their weakness is."

Rogo looked at Lam, frowning. "What weakness? I did not see anything that we can effectively counter."

Lam was careful not to sound condescending to Rogo. He needed his support. "They value the lives of their fellow humans." Lam watched for Rogo's expression. He saw his companion's eyes widen with realization. Finally, Rogo smiled.

All four looked down as the police finally arrived. "Well, we've seen everything that needs to be seen." With that, the four moved stealthily away from the edge of the roof and disappeared into the night.

* * * * *

Lantis was atop his magical black steed trotting towards a village called Thespa located south of the palace as part of his scheduled rounds. He slowed down when he discerned a soft but steady beeping. He reined in his black steed and reached behind him to retrieve his magic sword. True enough, the gem on the sword's hilt was blinking steadily. Lantis looked up towards the castle and smiled. He felt butterflies in his stomach as he realized the significance of the blinking gem. The Pillar has returned.

Turning his steed around, he galloped towards the palace.

* * * * *

The gem on Clef's magic staff began blinking as well. Although not as exuberant as Lantis', Clef smiled nevertheless in anticipation of seeing the Pillar once again. He turned towards his companion.

"What is it Master Mage?" Presea, the Master Smith of Cephiro, asked, noting the mage's expression.

"The Pillar has returned."

"Really?" Obvious pleasure registered on the armorer's face.

"Come," the mage said. "Let us meet them."

NEXT:

Chapter 6 - Return to Cephiro

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

C&C are very welcome. Please e-mail them to darkhrse0714@yahoo.com

DISCLAIMER:

Magic Knight Rayearth and all the characters in that anime/manga are properties of CLAMP. These are used here without permission.