Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ The Ramarian Crisis ❯ Chapter 13: The Battle for Earth ( Chapter 13 )

The Ramarian Crisis

By DarkHorse

Chapter 13: The Battle for Earth

Ryuuzaki Residence, Tokyo, Japan

Lantis watched as the families of the two Magic Knights gathered around their daughters. Umi and Fuu were lying side by side on thick mattresses laid out in the spacious Ryuuzaki living room. A doctor was attending to them both. Satoru and Masaru were standing beside him, a good distance away from where the two girls were. He did not know where Kakeru was at the moment.

Umi began to stir. She was most likely going to wake soon. At the moment, she was moving her head from side to side, a distressed expression on her face. It was as if she was fighting to not wake up.

The magic swordsman's eyes fell on Fuu. She, on the other hand, was still completely unconscious. It was probably going to take some time before she wakes. It was his fault. The Wind Knight was shot right before his very eyes and he wasn't able to do anything about it. The alien who shot her was still alive...with Hikaru...out in deep space. That was his fault too. Lantis clenched his fists in anger and frustration.

He glanced at Satoru, Masaru and Kakeru. Their faces were all lined with worry and anxiety. He almost wished they would take out their own anger and frustration at him. He failed utterly. His task in life was simple: to protect the Pillar. And he couldn't even do that. Perhaps he shouldn't have listened to Hika--

"Hikaru!"

Everybody turned to look at Umi who began thrashing in her bed, calling out her friend's name.

"Please don't hurt Hikaru! She's my friend! Don't hurt her!"

Umi's parents tried to restrain her, speaking soothing words but the blue-haired teenager continued to writhe, alternately spasming and arching her back, her eyes tightly shut.

Lantis was stunned by what he saw. He was riveted by the sight of her thrashing about on the mattress. When he averted his eyes, he noticed that Umi's parents were looking at him. Scanning the room, he saw that everybody was looking at him. It was then he realized that Umi was screaming in Cephirean.

Galvanized, he stepped forward and knelt on one knee by Umi's head. "Umi...Umi! Listen to me. It's Lantis." The Water Knight began to gradually calm down, her head tilted to the side, straining to hear more. She wrenched her one arm from the father's firm grasp and thrust it towards the magic swordsman, gripping his arm desperately. She began to weep.

"L-Lantis...I had a...a terrible dream..."

"Everything's all right now, Umi," the magic swordsman said, covering Umi's hand with his own.

"But...it was so real. It-it was as if I was there. They had Hikaru s-strapped naked on some kind of upright table and...and they were electrocuting her...oh, Hikaru!" Umi broke down in wracking sobs. She took her hand from Lantis' arm and covered her face with it, trying to bury her sorrow.

Lantis signalled gently to the girl's mother that it was okay to release her other arm. Umi immediately buried her face in her arms and continued to wail, curling up into a fetal position. He turned his focus back on the distraught teenager. "It was a dream, Umi. You must wake up now. We need your help. I need your help." He reached out to rub her shoulder.

"I-I'm afraid to open my eyes," the girl said between hiccups.

"Why, Umi?"

"The last time I opened my eyes there was...awful pain in my head," she answered in a piteously soft voice that reminded the magic swordsman that the girl in front of him was only fourteen years old.

Lantis felt a hand on his arm and turned to see that it was Mr. Ryuuzaki. He was speaking to him but he couldn't understand. Damn this language barrier! He thrust his thoughts into the other's head. "What is it, Mr. Ryuuzaki?"

He could see the astonishment register on his face. He was about to say something.

"No, Mr. Ryuuzaki. Speak to me here so we can understand each other. Just think of what you want to say and then focus it to me. I'll be able to pick it up. It's not that difficult."

Umi's father nodded slowly and made an effort to concentrate. "Hello?"

"Yes, Mr. Ryuuzaki, I can hear you."

"This is astounding!" The father's eyes went wide. He quickly turned to look down at his daughter and then back at him. "What was my daughter saying?"

"She said she's afraid to open her eyes. She said that when she tried to open them the last time, she felt great pain in her head."

Mr. Ryuuzaki's eyes widened and then nodded before calling the attention of the doctor. The two spoke for a few seconds and the latter began to rummage through his bag for what Lantis could only assume to be more medication.

The magic swordsman rose slowly to his feet and walked back to where the Shidou brothers were. Satoru stared at him inquisitively. "She's going to be all right," he said mentally to him. "She just had a bad dream."

"I see."

Both returned their focus to Umi who had calmed down significantly. She was also already able to communicate normally with her parents in the native language. Lantis didn't realize that he was holding his breath as he watched the teenager slowly open her eyes. She blinked a few times and let out a breath of relief. He took that to mean that she was no longer feeling any pain.

Slowly, with her parent's aid, Umi rose to a sitting position. She turned to her side to see Fuu and tears began to well up in her eyes again. She averted her eyes, scanning the room. Her expression turned into a deep frown as her blue eyes settled on the magic swordsman.

"Lantis, where is Hikaru?"

* * * * *

Hikaru Shidou slowly opened her eyes...and blinked...and blinked again. She began batting her eyes furiously. She felt her eyelids move up and down but all she saw was the same gray color as when her eyes were closed!

Her anxiety rose several notches when she realized that she could not feel any of her limbs. It was as if her arms and legs didn't exist. Where was she? Why couldn't she feel anything? Was she dead?

She began to work her mouth. She could feel her teeth with her tongue. She felt relieved. She bit down hard on her tongue and felt pain! Yes! She was alive. But other than that, she couldn't feel anything.

The Fire Knight began to shiver uncontrollably. She had to fight to calm herself. She had to try to stay calm...try to think. She closed her eyes and her terror began to take over once again. She could not even feel whether she had her eyes open or closed.

Calm down and think, she repeated the mantra over and over in her head. She fought to regain a modicum of control over her emotions. When she finally regained her composure, she struggled to remember what happened. She remembered negotiating with the aliens for the release of her friends. She recalled conjuring up the portal. She had a plan. She would allow herself to be captured, giving Lantis, Umi and Fuu time to figure out a way to either get to her or find a way back to Cephiro and get reinforcements in the defense of Earth.

At the last moment Hikaru changed her mind. She decided to blow up the alien ships as soon as she crossed through the gateway. If she died in the process, then so be it. She was prepared to do that if it meant saving her friends and loved ones...if it meant saving Earth.

However...the moment she crossed the threshold...she couldn't remember. Try as she did, she couldn't remember anything beyond stepping out of the portal. What happened? She repeated the question to herself over and over again. She began to feel agitated. Her anxiety grew and grew. When the answers didn't come she screamed.

* * * * *

"I can't believe you let her do this," she said between gritted teeth, throwing accusing looks at both Lantis and Satoru.

"Calm down, Umi," Lantis urged, reaching out with both hands to hold her shoulders. The blue-haired teenager shrugged his hands off and began pacing briskly in front of the magic swordsman and Hikaru's eldest brother, her fists clenched at her sides.

"I'm not going to calm down! Hikaru is in trouble right now. And worse, you've placed Earth, and even possibly Cephiro, in jeopardy by allowing those...those aliens to take her!"

"She assured me that she knew what she was doing," Lantis countered, feeling anger beginning to rise within him as well.

"That's exactly what Hikaru always says. I can't believe she would do this. Knowing her, she'd probably just blow up their entire fleet in space," the teenager spared the swordsman a withering glance as she walked past him a few steps only to turn back and continue the whole process all over again. "Yes, she would do that all right, even if it killed her," tears of rage and frustration began to spill. Umi angrily brushed those away as if they were an annoyance.

"Well, she didn't do it," Lantis said firmly. It was enough to cause the other to stop dead on her tracks right in front of him.

"How would you know that?" she snarled.

"Because I'm a Cephirean," he said, defiantly staring right back at the blue eyes that conveyed accusation and anger so vividly. "The death of the Pillar is something that all Cephireans would feel."

Umi brought her eyes low, finally unable to match the unflinching intensity in the magic swordsman's gaze. After a while she brought them up again briefly, just to show the other that she wasn't through with him yet. Turning completely around, she walked briskly towards the unconscious Fuu.

Everyone who was on her path widened his or her eyes and stepped back, giving the frighteningly determined teenager a clear path. Even Fuu's parents did not hesitate to give way to the girl. Upon reaching her friend, Umi knelt by her side and gathered her hands into her own. "Fuu, wake up now, girl. You can't be sleeping at a time like this." She reached out and shook the other's shoulder.

Umi felt a restraining hand on her shoulder causing her to look up. She shot a quick, angry look at Fuu's father, startling him so effectively that he very quickly retracted his hand from her shoulder as if electrocuted. She looked back down at her friend and saw that her eyes were now open, gazing up at her.

"Miss Umi?"

"Thank goodness, Fuu. How are you feeling?"

"Like steamed, soggy vegetables."

"How imaginative of you," Umi said dryly. "Can you get up?"

Fuu frowned as she cast an eye as far down her body as she could without raising her head. "I don't know."

"Well, let me help you."

Fuu nodded and using Umi's hand for support, she pulled herself up to a sitting position. The movement caused her head to spin. She lifted her other hand to her temple, massaging it gently.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, Miss Umi. It was just passing dizziness." She looked up and was gratified to see her parents smiling down at her. After reassuring them that she was fine with a smile of her own, she began to scan the room.

Umi watched her friend without uttering a word, waiting...knowing that she would ask the same question she asked of Lantis.

"Miss Umi, I don't see Miss Hikaru around," Fuu finally asked as her eyes finally came to rest on her friend's.

Umi let out a sigh. "Hikaru's been captured by the aliens."

Fuu's eyes widened, her hands painfully squeezing Umi's. Her eyes searched and found Lantis. The magic swordsman seemed to flinch and tense up. "Sir Lantis, where have they taken Miss Hikaru?"

"They forced her to open a portal to their fleet of ships just outside of your solar system."

"No power on Earth or Cephiro could force Miss Hikaru to do anything," the Wind Knight protested, her eyes darting between the Cephirean and her friend.

"Seeing her two best friends at gunpoint would," Umi said matter-of-factly.

"Oh no," Fuu's eyes fell to her lap. After several heartbeats, she looked up. "What do we do now?"

Lantis stepped forward as he reached behind and took out a medallion. "I'm not sure what Hikaru had in mind, but she gave me this." He dangled the Fenestra by its chain in front of the two girls. Both sets of eyes widened. Perhaps the situation wasn't as hopeless as they thought.

* * * * *

"The stasis field is weakening again, Ma'am!"

"Increase power to stasis field."

"It's barely holding, Ma'am."

"She can't continue this onslaught indefinitely."

"Stasis field integrity down to sixty percent and dropping."

"This is unbelievable."

"Forty-five percent..." Pause. "Thirty percent..."

The scientist Lezle let out a sigh. She didn't want to do this. She watched the human strain vigorously against her restraints. The transparent material separating the human and the scientists was made of their planet's toughest crystal--it was virtually unbreakable. Or so they thought. Ever since the girl regained consciousness, she had been exuding tremendous amounts of heat, causing microscopic cracks to form in the chamber. It was necessary to reinforce the structure through the use of an electromagnetic force field. However, even that wasn't working. The chamber had already begun to rupture. When the force field failed, the room would immediately be flooded with fatally high levels of radiation and thermal energy.

It was time to use something more drastic. The female Ramarian scientist approached her console and touched a button, which opened a small panel; it had a single red button on it. Lezle glanced at her assistant.

"Fifteen percent, Ma'am."

Lezle nodded, took one glance at the chamber and pressed the red button.

* * * * *

"In the short time we have known Malor, he has proven himself to be resilient, courageous and loyal. All qualities befitting a Magic Knight. For that was what he was." Lantis paused, his eyes staring off into the distance. "But Malor was more than a Magic Knight to us. He was our friend." The magic swordsman turned to face the gilded casket levitating over a rectangular hole in the ground. "We honor your sacrifice today, Malor, by laying you down here," he first looked up to the golden obelisk constructed in honor of Princess Emeraude and then back down towards the casket.

"You will never be forgotten," Lantis concluded. He raised his eyes to Master Mage Clef.

The highest ranking mage nodded almost imperceptibly and waved a hand. The floating casket gradually descended into the opening in the ground. Once inside, the earth magically swallowed it, finally laying the elder Fire Knight to rest.

Sniffles here and there could be heard. Lantis swept his eyes over those assembled to pay homage to the warrior. Tears were streaming freely from Umi's eyes but she stood tall, bearing her grief with dignity; Mrs. Ryuuzaki was behind her, holding her daughter's shoulders. Fuu, on the other hand, was sobbing openly. Her parents move to comfort the Wind Knight, encircling her in their loving arms.

After a few moments, the gathered crowd began to gradually disperse in groups. Umi and Fuu found each other and clutched tightly. Their arms were wrapped around each other as they walked, giving comfort to one another. The parents of the two Knights trailed them quietly.

The Shidou brothers and Kuu followed closely behind, speaking in soft tones. La Farga, Caldina and Ascot, after lingering for a while, decided to leave as well.

Lantis felt Master Mage Clef and Ferio approach him. He looked up into the dark skies, eyeing the roiling thunder clouds, before turning to face the two.

"It has been this way for a few months now," Clef answered Lantis' unasked question.

"The lack of sunlight has begun to adversely affect plant life," Ferio offered. "All the mages in the land have been working hard to sustain them." He didn't have to say that the entire ecosystem of the planet was in serious jeopardy.

The magic swordsman let out a sigh. The good news was that the land was not starting to break up. That meant only one thing. "The Pillar is alive."

Clef nodded sagely. "We need to find her and bring her back. She is suffering and because of that, Cephiro is suffering."

Lantis clenched his jaw at the mage's words. He couldn't bear the thought of anyone hurting Hikaru. "Is there any way at all we could use the Fenestra to open up a portal..." He left the sentence unfinished, looking the mage in the eye, hoping that perhaps he had found a way for them to rescue the Princess.

Clef could only shake his head sadly. "Even if we combined all the magical powers of the land, it would be too risky. The power to open portals was meant for the Pillar and the Pillar alone."

"But--"

"The Fenestra is to be used sparingly, only in dire emergencies."

"This is an emergency."

"Lantis, listen...we do not possess the fine control that a Pillar has over this power. To be able to create a portal to open up across such great distances requires pinpoint accuracy, not to mention tremendous magical reserves."

The magic swordsman shook his head slowly and then let out a breath. "Then we are left with just one option."

Ferio, who had been content to just listen to the two, spoke up. "I'm not sure whether the Autozam High Council will agree to it," he said, already knowing what that option was.

"The High Council might not agree to it, but I know of at least two Autozamians who we can count on for sure," Lantis said firmly, giving both Clef and Ferio a passing glance before walking away.

* * * * *

They were gathered in the Grand Hall of the palace. Every single person (or in Mokona's case, creature) who was involved in the conflict that nearly destroyed Cephiro was present. Once enemies, now good friends, sat in peace around a long, ornate oval table. All eyes were at the moment focused on two battleship commanders from Autozam.

"Of course we will do it," answered Geo Metro, who was now the commander of the NSX, the latest and most powerful battleship in the Autozam armada.

"You didn't even have to ask," Zazu offered. "I'd do anything for Hikaru," he said in a much toned down voice.

Lantis pretended not to hear that last comment and instead focused on Geo. "No matter how powerful the NSX is though, it cannot hope to stop an entire alien fleet by itself."

"Count the Bravada in," Princess Tarta of Chizeta declared, searching and finding support of her decision in her elder sister's eyes. Tatra could always be counted upon when it came to noble causes.

"And the Dome of Fahren as well!" First Princess Aska of Fahren joined in. Sanyung nodded vigorously in affirmation.

"Thank you all," Lantis said, nodding gratefully to the foreigners. "Unfortunately, those still will not be enough to defeat the alien forces." The magic swordsman glanced at the Wind Knight. "How many ships do these aliens have, Fuu?"

"A little over five hundred." She looked up only briefly to answer before focusing once more on the holographic image of the Milky Way in front of her.

Lantis nodded and then turned to the Autozamians. "Geo, is there any way the High Council can mobilize the Autozam armada for this cause?"

"I don't think convincing the High Council is going to be a problem. I've already had preliminary talks with them and they fully understand that these aliens pose a threat to the security of Cephiro as well.

"What is going to be a problem is refitting our ships for battle. Except for the NSX, all the other ships have been converted into transport vessels."

"How long are we talking about?"

"Months."

"Good. We have time for months, but not years. Fortunately, the time flux will work in our favor."

"But even if we can get all these ships ready, how are we going to transport them to Earth?" Zazu piped in.

"We are working on that problem," Lantis said, gesturing towards Master Mage Clef. "We have every confidence that we will be able to transport all ships over." The magic swordsman didn't say that coming back is going to be a bigger problem if they did not successfully bring back Hikaru.

"So I guess we do this," Zazu said, clearly excited about the prospect of engaging a hostile enemy into battle.

The feeling was obviously shared by Geo. "I'll schedule a dialogue with the High Council and we should have an answer and a timeline by this time tomorrow."

"Thank you, Geo," Lantis said meaningfully. "Again, thank you, everybody for your help."

The assembly rose and slowly filed out of the hall. Umi and Fuu stayed behind. When everyone left, they approached Lantis and Clef, who were conferring with each other.

"We need to get back to Earth," Umi began.

Clef turned to regard the two Magic Knights, his eyes already conveying his question.

"The people of Earth need to prepare for this threat. They need to truly understand what they are up against," answered Fuu.

Lantis and Clef glanced at each other.

"What?" Umi asked, seeing the way they both exchanged knowing looks. "Is there going to be a problem?"

"Opening a portal isn't easy. It takes a lot of mental and physical energy," the mage paused and let out a sigh. "But, I suppose that your quest is important. When would you like to leave?"

It was girls' turn to exchange glances. Both of them planned a visit to their respective Rune God. "Tomorrow should be soon enough."

* * * * *

Fuu gazed at the immense being approaching her. He knelt on one knee, resting his massive forearms on the bended knee, and regarded the Magic Knight. To most, the Rune God would appear completely robotic and mechanical. Nothing could be further from the truth, for the being in front of her was more biological than anything else, possessed of great power and wisdom.

"Hello, Windam," Fuu said, smiling tentatively.

"Fuu...it has been a long time," the Rune God replied.

"Yes, it has." The Wind Knight sighed deeply, lowering her head.

"Something upsets thee." It was a sentence. Fuu could only nod in reply.

"This Pillar is powerful. We feel her influence...even across space and time," Windam admitted, his glowing eyes unwaveringly taking in Fuu's form. "Take heart, Magic Knight from another world. Thy friend is alive."

Fuu finally looked up. "Yes, she is. But for how long? How much suffering is she going through? What else can you tell me, Windam, besides the fact that she is alive?"

"I can tell thee this, Magic Knight: the Pillar will not give up so easily."

Fuu's eyes widened in surprise at the rebuke. Windam was correct. Her thoughts went back to those times before Hikaru became the Pillar, before they even became Magic Knights. Her redheaded friend was relentless and unwavering, pushing ahead when she and Umi were just about to give up, battling incredible odds and sustaining injuries in the process that would pale even the staunchest of warriors. All that to fight for a cause she believed in, for the welfare of a planet that was not hers, for people she did not even know.

Several emotions swirled inside her: shame, concern for Hikaru's safety and fear for the uncertainty of the future. A single tear fell from the Wind Knight's eye. At that very moment she felt weak and she began to doubt herself. Surely a Magic Knight should not be having these kinds of feelings.

"Thy emotions are what makes thee human, Fuu," the Rune God said after a while, "but what makes thee a Magic Knight is how thee deals with them. Never forget that."

Fuu was taken aback. She gazed up at the face of Windam and gave him a small smile. "Can you read minds too now, Windam?"

The massive head moved as if cocking an eye at the teenager. Fuu was convinced that he was actually smiling at her. "I have existed for eons, little one. I have learned a thing or two in all that time."

* * * * *

"Supreme Commander--!"

"At ease, scientists," Higon commanded, his eyes focused only on the transparent chamber holding the prized human who could create wormholes. "Is her body still rejecting the neural implant?"

"Not anymore, Sir. It took us several days to adjust the frequencies to match those of her brain. We've also had to strengthen the implant's outer shell to withstand the intense heat the human was exuding."

"Good. So, how is she doing now?"

"Her anxiety levels were dangerously high in the last few days but we were finally able to stabilize her," Lezle reported. "We've begun external stimuli testing on her--"

"And?"

"She has responded well. It took a while but I believe she is beginning to trust us."

"Have you been able to gather some information from her yet?"

"We were just about to begin probing her now, Supreme Commander."

"Well done. I want to be the one to probe her."

"Of course, Sir."

* * * * *

The Voice intruded once again into her consciousness. Hikaru slowly opened her eyes, or at least, focused her awareness to it. In her current state, it was difficult to determine whether her eyes were open or not.

She eagerly welcomed the Voice. Her starving brain craved external stimuli and this was the only source of it.

"Hello?" Hikaru called out when the Voice did not return. "Please talk to me...hello?" The Fire Knight began to get agitated again when the voice returned.

"Hello, Hikaru."

"Yes! Thank goodness you've come back!"

"I am here now, Hikaru. How are you?"

"I'm still not well. I think I'm trapped in some kind of alternate dimension...please, you've got to help me!"

"We have the power to help you--"

"You do? Oh please help me!"

"--but we are not sure we should."

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"You are obviously a very powerful being. We need to be sure you will not harm us."

"I will not harm you. I promise! I'll do anything you ask!"

"All we need from you for now is information."

"If I give you the information you want, will you help me?"

"Of course we will help you."

A small voice inside Hikaru told her not to trust the voice. But this was immediately quelled by her greater need to escape this gray prison. "What is it you want to know?"

"Well, we understand you can create...portals..."

"Yes, yes I can!"

"Tell us how you do it..."

* * * * *

"Miss Umi, please stop fidgeting and just focus," the Wind Knight whispered to her friend for the hundredth time.

"We've been standing here for more than two hours now, waiting for the mages to open a damn portal," the Water Knight retorted, clearly nearing the end of her patience.

Fuu, however, knew the real reason why her friend was so restless. They were planning to go and see the Prime Minister of Japan. To reveal to him who they were. To prepare him, essentially, for the arrival of another alien force, not to invade this time, but to help defend Earth. When the aliens did attack, it was necessary for the people of her planet to not mistake the combined forces of Cephiro, Autozam, Chizeta and Fahren as not another hostile enemy.

This whole idea of revealing themselves to all and sundry on Earth frightened her blue-haired friend. The truth was it frightened the blonde teenager as well. However, they didn't have any choice. She did have a plan, however, of parlaying the information she had about the aliens against a guarantee from the Prime Minister that they would still be able to live their lives normally on Earth when all of this was over and done with. It was reasonable to expect that the Japanese leader would agree to it.

If not, difficult as it may be for them to think about it, they could always permanently relocate to Cephiro. The thought was not especially difficult for her to imagine. Ferio was here, after all. She wasn't too sure about what either Umi or Hikaru felt about it though. Neither did she want to dwell on what her parents would say to the idea.

Fuu focused her attention on the mages in the distance who had formed a circle around the Fenestra, which was propped up on top of a round table made entirely of white marble. She didn't realize conjuring up a portal would be so difficult. It didn't seem to take up too much effort from Hikaru.

The Wind Knight lowered her head. The thought of her petite friend tugged at her heartstrings. She missed the bubbly redhead terribly. Glancing at the Water Knight, she was sure that Umi was missing Hikaru as well.

Fuu glanced once more at the mages and noticed that their concentration seemed to have gotten more intense. The Fenestra began to glow more brightly.

"Finally!" Umi exclaimed, also noticing the progress. "I still don't understand how something so obviously complicated seems easy for Hikaru to do." The side of Fuu's mouth curved upwards in a small smile.

"I was thinking the same thing, Miss Umi," the blonde offered.

The blue-haired girl sighed. "I really miss her, Fuu."

"Me too, Miss Umi. Me too."

* * * * *

The Prime Minister of Japan sat behind his large, very official-looking desk and regarded the two members of his cabinet who were seated in front of him. "Still no movement after several days?" he asked, directing his question to the Minister of Defense.

"That's correct, Sir," the Defense Minister replied apologetically, looking first at the head of state and then at his colleague, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, seated across from him.

"Is it too much to hope that they're not going to be able to exploit the girl's power, after all?" asked the PM, briefly eyeing both his ministers but not really expecting an answer.

"It's too early to say, Sir."

"How are the preparations?"

"We've mobilized our entire force. We are all on yellow alert, that is to say, a higher state of readiness."

"And the United States?" This question was directed at the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

"They are in DefCon Three, Sir. It's the highest state of readiness they've ever been during peacetime."

The Prime Minister nodded thoughtfully. After a while, he faced his Defense Minister. "So, do we have a chance against the aliens if they attack?"

The Defense Minister hesitated. "It's hard to sa--"

"I don't want bullshit," the PM said firmly. "Give it to me straight."

He shook his head, a grim expression on his face. "Not likely, Sir. We did not stand a chance against thirty of their man-sized ships...Sir, there are over five hundred spaceships, each the size of a small city, just outside our solar system."

"Well, I'm not just going to accept that. There must be a wa..." the Prime Minister's eyes suddenly narrowed, focusing into the distance. "What in the world--?"

The two ministers turned to see what had distracted the other. They all slowly stood, faces registering their astonishment as they saw tiny motes of twinkling light begin to gather in the middle of the stately office. The Prime Minister walked around his table and approached the part of his office where the tiny lights seemed to be coalescing.

He raised his hand, attempting to touch them but he felt nothing.

"Sir, I don't think it's wise for you to be standing so close to those...things," said the Foreign Affairs minister.

He stepped back, not because of what the other man said, but because he began to be aware of the gradually quickening movement of the lights.

The Prime Minister felt a firm grip on his arm, pulling him back. He couldn't take his eyes off the strange apparition even as he took one hesitant step after another away from it. Before his very eyes the tiny dots began to take the shape of an oval the size of a narrow doorway. It then occurred to him that this was the wormhole that he was briefed about.

"Sir, it looks like a worm--"

"Yes, I know," the PM waved his hand impatiently to silence the other.

Every head of state around the world had already been told by the United States about the now very real possibility of the aliens invading Earth using wormholes. It already occurred to the Japanese leader that this wormhole was going to spew out alien invaders. However, after just a few seconds of thought, the PM decided this was unlikely. But then again, what if the aliens found away to open a wormhole in the office of every country's leader?

"Call the guards, quickly!" the PM barked. He promptly heard quick steps walking away in response to his command. He turned his head to see one of his ministers already using the phone on his desk.

In seconds his door burst open admitting several members of his security detail.

"Sir," his head of security said urgently, "we need to get you out of here now."

"No," the PM said firmly, his eyes riveted on the sight before him. "But be prepared." Hi-powered machine pistols rose as soon as he said that. All of them aimed at the slowly forming wormhole just a few meters away.

After what seemed like eternity, the apparition took its final shape, growing brighter and brighter. Everyone present already knew from the briefing what to expect and so they shielded their eyes. The men bearing weapons did this with only one hand, keeping their guns trained at the center of the wormhole, their trigger-fingers quivering.

As expected, an explosion of light marked the completion of the wormhole.

When the Prime Minister and the rest of the men opened their eyes, they could see behind the bright layer of churning light the silhouettes of two girls drawing nearer. The layer seemed to stretch outward as the girls casually walked past the threshold. It was as if the wormhole did not want to release them. When at last the tension was too much, the layer burst in a shower of multi-colored light, revealing the two girls.

Both were stunningly beautiful; the one with blue waist-length hair strikingly so, while the blonde in an unassuming way. The girls were similarly attired, wearing blue and green capes, respectively, clasped at the neck. Underneath that they both wore white form-fitting body suits, gloves and calve-high boots. The glove that they wore on their left hand had a gem-like orb, the color of which matched the cape that each donned.

For two seconds, a dozen wide-eyed, gaping men faced two almost equally surprised teenaged girls. The silence was broken only when the statuesque blue-haired girl shook her head, glanced at her companion and muttered, "I did say to open the portal outside the office, right?"

* * * * *

Fuu used her elbow to nudge her friend sharply in the arm. When Umi turned towards her, she quickly mouthed the word "bow".

Umi's eyes widened and she nodded briskly. In a seemingly orchestrated fashion, they both faced the Prime Minister and bowed formally.

"Forgive this inappropriate visit, Mr. Prime Minister," Fuu began after she completed her bow. She had rehearsed three different speeches for this but because of the unexpected change in circumstance they all seemed so inadequate all of a sudden. I guess it's time for the direct approach, Fuu thought. "We've come to give you vital information concerning Earth's defense against the aliens."

* * * * *

Col. Scott Biggs watched as one of his lieutenants walked out of the Ryuuzaki residence and approached him. There was a general wariness in the junior officer's gait that spoke volumes about the kind of news he bore. What else could it be but bad news?

Unable to mask his displeasure, Biggs' eyes narrowed and his lips became thin lines. In his nervousness upon seeing the colonel's dangerous expression, the lieutenant almost fumbled his salute.

"Sir--"

"Don't tell me," Biggs said dryly, not bothering to return the sloppy salute, "the house is empty."

"Yes, Sir. It's as if they just vanished into thin air."

The colonel nodded. "Okay. They're bound to return from whereever goddamned place they went. I want every possible egress watched. I want a man on the roof at all times. I want to know the moment someone returns. You got that?"

"Yes, Sir!" the lieutenant executed a smart salute this time and did a quick about-face. Biggs, however, was no longer paying attention.

I have never before failed in any of my missions, the Marine colonel thought bitterly. And yet, here now, he had done so twice. The first was to neutralize the aliens. Not only did he fail miserably, but he also lost majority of his men. His second was to take the three girls into custody. Well, he was about to do just that only to realize that the subjects have disappeared!

Biggs clenched his fists in frustration. He was obviously dealing with powers he had never dealt before but in his mind, that was no excuse. At this point there was only one recourse. He would have to report his inability to accomplish his two objectives. This was something he had never had to do before.

He took one last look at the big house, narrowing his eyes in determination as he did so. After a while, the Colonel walked away. If there was a way for him to salvage this mission, he would find it. Even if he died trying.

* * * * *

Carl Parsons, Director of the National Security Agency, paced nervously around his office, puffing incessantly on his cigarette. He had just learned that the remaining two girls were very close to being kidnapped. It was just by some stroke of a miracle that they were able to elude their would-be captors.

He raised a hand to rub his temple. He had been operating with very little sleep for a couple of weeks now. This, he suspected, was the cause for the massive headaches he had been having.

He wished he had never attended that meeting with Warner and Masterson then he wouldn't have the welfare of three girls on his weary conscience. He had to do something. Either warn the President or stop that Col. Biggs somehow.

* * * * *

Tanaka trailed Lam through the labyrinthine corridors of the starship Weret, keeping a few meters between them for good measure. It was going to be another grueling strategic planning session.

He glanced at the alien in front of him. He couldn't decide which was worse: their foul-smelling stench or their hideous appearance. If it weren't for the device they attached just under his left earlobe, he would've fainted from the strong and copious pheromones they excreted, just like he had that first day Lam brought him to what he believed was their "war room."

On the other hand, he continued to have nightmares about the way they looked. Overall, they resembled lizards except the aliens had orange eyes; walked on two legs and they had scales that were blue-green in color. Hard ridges lined their foreheads and spine. And to think these aliens could very well end up ruling Earth. Tanaka gave an involuntary shudder.

Each day he spent in the war room, as he watched these hideous creatures plot and scheme the downfall of his planet while waiting to be consulted upon, he became more and more convinced that Earth had simply no defense against the military might of the Ramarians. He may not understand their language but the highly detailed holographic visuals they used to simulate the systematic conquest of Earth conveyed what he suspected all too clearly. The Ramarians were an unstoppable force.

"Do not be overly concerned, Mr. Tanaka."

Tanaka stiffened. Lam stopped walking and turned to face him. The Japanese cursed his inability to read the other's expression.

"Once we have conquered Earth, you will be given authority over your people. Think of the good you can achieve then," Lam said evenly.

The Yakuza bit back a scathing retort. It wouldn't do him any good to antagonize them. He did, however, recognize the lie in Lam's statement. During the several days he was confined to quarters, he was given hundreds of electronic pages of translated text containing the history of the Ramarian race to read. He did not find any reference of the Ramarians giving any form of leadership to a member of an "inferior" race. No, now was not the time to antagonize the aliens. There had to be a way...

Tanaka looked up as he realized that he had not responded to the alien's verbal baiting. He gave a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I look forward to that time then."

For several moments, Lam did nothing but eye him. "That time, Mr. Tanaka," the alien said, "will come sooner than you think." The alien abruptly turned and started walking.

The Japanese let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. He clenched his fists in frustration as he followed the other. He had no reason to hope and yet, for some reason, something in his gut told him that there was hope. Well, he had survived this long by following his gut. He wasn't about to stop now.

* * * * *

A weary Commander Zazu Torque sat in the operations console of the starship DSX monitoring the various ship systems. Although not as state-of-the-art as the NSX, the DSX looked every bit as menacing with its sleek lines and quicksilver hull.

Zazu stifled a yawn as he noticed a shield harmonics anomaly appear on one of his monitors. He tapped a few buttons to run the diagnostics. He raised a hand to his temple and closed his eyes briefly. He had had less than eight hours sleep total in the last three weeks.

Never before had Autozam attempted to overhaul close to three hundred and more than double that number of mecha fighters simultaneously. For one thing, they only had enough qualified engineers to do only three starships at once!

These last three weeks have been pure hell for Autozam's top engineer, as Zazu had to dash back and forth dozens of starships, troubleshooting the work of less experienced engineers they'd had to recruit. Many of the mages of Cephiro offered to help but there wasn't anything they could do. Zazu wasn't about to allow them to use their magic on his starships. He couldn't trust what he couldn't understand.

The soft beep on his console broke into his reverie and brought him back to reality. "Damn!" he muttered loudly.

This caught the attention of his fellow officer and the captain of the DSX, Commander Eko Dodge. Dodge was a full head taller than Zazu and twice as wide but he had an unusually child-like face. Ever since he got promoted, he began to grow a full beard, which did little to hide his cherubic features. "What did you find?" Dodge asked as he approached, his brows furrowing in concern.

The younger commander jumped in surprise. He turned to look at the other inquisitively.

Dodge laughed. "Yes, Zazu, you said it aloud. The entire bridge heard you."

Zazu sighed and shook his head slowly. "I must really be losing it."

"Look at the bright side, after the DSX we're all set to go, right?"

"After the DSX," Zazu began, putting up a hand and putting a finger for every point he made, "we'll be ready to take our entire fleet through an untested wormhole, clear across the galaxy into an unchartered region of space, battle against an unknown enemy to save an alien planet." He looked the other commander squarely in the eyes. "It's not much of a bright side if you ask me."

"Well, if you put it that way even I'd be depressed too. But think about it, we'd be able to engage our entire fleet into an epic battle. We've never done that before."

"That's one more point right there," the younger commander shook his head once more. "Anyway, it looks like you have a malfunctioning prysmic conduit," he said, taking his attention back to the console.

"That doesn't sound so bad."

"Just a moment," Zazu's fingers danced over the buttons of the console as he brought up the parts inventory on his monitor. "Just as I thought," he said, grimly, "we're out of prysmic conduits." He stood up and began walking out the bridge.

"Hey!" Dodge called after Zazu. "Where are you going?"

"To Engineering, to fix your defective conduit," the other said without looking back.

"Oh, okay. Looks like you've done this before," Dodge said, relief visible on his face.

Zazu turned to face his fellow commander just as he reached the exit. There was a smile on his face. "Actually, I haven't done this particular kind of repair before. But not to worry, I've learned quite a bit these last few weeks about 'making do' with what you have." With a wink and whirl of his robes, the youngest commander of Autozam disappeared through the hatch.

Dodge watched him leave with eyebrows raised. Casting his eyes around the bridge, he realized that the junior officers were all looking at him. He stiffened his back and puffed up his chest to project a confidence he wasn't sure he felt. "He knows what he's doing."

* * * * *

Warner lightly pressed the button on his tiny earphone to end the call and then removed the device from his ear. Parsons, you fool! he thought vehemently, shaking his head. He realized that it was typical of the NSA Director to react this way. Parsons had always been a sentimental bastard.

The Director of Central Intelligence swivelled his high back leather executive chair so that he faced the window overlooking the entire complex. It was good thing the President was not available to take Parsons' call. Otherwise, it would have been a complete disaster. Now he was forced to deal with him. It was an undertaking he did not relish.

A discreet knock on his office door intruded into his thoughts. "Come," the head of the CIA said. He heard the door open and the soft footfalls on the thick carpet. He could tell a lot from the sound of a person's walk. This person was not likely to be able to go the distance. Warner allowed the man standing in front of his desk to stew for awhile before swivelling around to face him. "Yes," he said, finally.

"Flash report, Sir," the man before him said, handing over a single sheet of paper.

Warner quickly scanned the page, his frown deepening with each moment. He looked up slowly. "Please get General Masterson on the phone."

"Right away, Sir," the man said and quickly left the room leaving the Director in deep thought.

* * * * *

"Why have you taken me here?" Tanaka asked as his eyes scanned the hallway he was in and the door that was before him. He had never been to this part of the Weret before. He wasn't quite sure whether he was on the top or bottom part of the ship. All he knew for certain was he was now located towards the forward part. Other than that, the door and the hallway were unremarkable.

Rogo, who was tasked to escort the human this time, smiled in amusement as he glanced sideways at him. "You've always expressed curiosity as to the welfare of the only other human we had in our custody."

"You mean the girl? Hikaru? She's in there?" The Japanese asked pointing towards the entrance.

In response, the alien stretched out his scaly hand to touch the equally scaly and slimy wall to the left of the door. The barrier to the room began to move as if alive, sliding noisily to the side to reveal a cavernous chamber, the proportion of which took Tanaka's breath away.

The human stepped forward, his eyes sweeping through the expanse. It was then that he noticed a silver sphere that was about ten meters across. It hung suspended about 25 meters up on the chamber connected to several tubes. The tubes themselves reminded Tanaka of human arteries except that they were huge; each of them pulsating rhythmically with energy as if they were sucking something out of the sphere.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Rogo asked, his eyes also taking in the magnificence of the chamber.

"What is it?"

"We call it the Amplification Chamber. Come, this way," Rogo said abruptly and began walking towards the far end.

Amplification Chamber? Tanaka scowled. What did they want to amplify? He noticed that Rogo was already several steps ahead of him. He hurried to follow. He allowed his eyes to continue to roam. Overhead, the silver sphere passed above them. When he looked forward he noticed that there was a room high up the chamber, at about the same height of the sphere. Rogo was leading him to what looked like a lift that would take them to the room.

As the lift ascended it afforded the Japanese with a closer view of the sphere. There was a door that marred its otherwise perfectly smooth and round exterior. Inside, Tanaka glimpsed the red-haired girl completely covered from the neck down with a gray form-fitting suit, sitting on a metal chair. She seemed unconscious. But before he could ask about it, he found himself already in what appeared to be the control room, filled with other aliens busy manning equally alien-looking consoles.

Rogo stepped commandingly forward and was met with another alien. This one was smaller than Rogo and seemed to defer to him. They spoke briefly. To Tanaka, it was all clicks, whistles and hoots. The smaller alien glanced his way, its expression unreadable as always. This alien seemed to shrug resignedly, looked away and returned to its console. The human turned to Rogo.

"Come, Mr. Tanaka, don't be shy."

Tanaka gave the other a smirk in reply. He was called many things in his life but never "shy." "So, let me guess, this is the room where you control the 'Amplification Chamber'," he made little quotes with his fingers in the air.

"Have a care, Mr. Tanaka. It was you who wanted to see this," Rogo said, shaking his head in a patronizing way. It was unnerving to see such a human gesture on such an alien face.

"I was curious about the girl."

"Well, step forward then," the alien said as he stepped backward as he kept an eye at the other, leading him towards the transparent material that separated the room from the rest of the chamber.

Tanaka stepped forward and true enough, he could see the sphere just slightly below the room. His initial height assessment was off by a few meters. Looking down, he could see the girl...what was her name? Hikaru Shidou, unconscious and strapped securely to the metallic chair she was sitting on. "What are you going to do to her?"

"She is the key to our salvation, Mr. Tanaka. Through her, we will be able to open a wormhole that will lead to your world."

Tanaka's throat constricted at that and suddenly had a hard time swallowing the sudden build up of saliva in his mouth. "Wouldn't you need a much larger wormhole than the one she opened for us?"

"Hence, the Amplification Chamber," Rogo said expansively, his arms and hands spread out.

"So, this whole thing is going to amplify the girl's power to create, what? A wormhole large enough to move your entire fleet all the way across the solar system to Earth?"

Rogo nodded confidently, a feral smile on his hideous blue-green lips, showing off some pretty nasty fangs. "As a matter of fact, Mr. Tanaka, we should be ready to do just that in..." he turned to the alien that greeted him at the door and spoke briefly. "Well, according to our esteemed scientist, Lezle, we should be ready to start in exactly one minute."

Tanaka's eyes widened. One minute? Just then, the door of the sphere disappeared, the fate of its sole occupant now hidden from his eyes. He looked at the alien standing beside him who seemed to be studying his reaction with amusement. Rogo cocked his head towards something over his shoulder. The human turned around and was surprised to see a holographic image that showed the nose of the Weret and the emptiness of space beyond.

He heard the scientist, Lezle, utter something to Rogo. Rogo, in turn, nodded and began counting down: "Ten...nine...eight..."

Tanaka's heart began to beat faster. He stole a glance over his shoulder at the sphere. It was beginning to glow brightly. "...five...four..."

He faced forward once more to the holograph. A dim but gradually brightening light was also beginning to form just under the nose of the starship. "...two...one-"

A deafening, bloodcurdling scream came out from the sphere. "Jesus!" Tanaka breathed as he turned to look at the sphere. He had to immediately shield his eyes with his hands as the globe burst into a blinding flash of crimson light. Peeking through his hands to look at the holograph, he saw a beam of light shot forward from the starship into a point in space. Amidst the continuous screaming of the little girl, he saw, to his horror, the point grow bigger and bigger, until it covered the entire image.

It looked like the beam was cutting a path through space. A rift.

The beam finally stopped and so did the screams. What remained was a swirling whirlpool of light. It was the wormhole.

Chills ran up and down Tanaka's spine as he stood erect to behold the path to his world's destruction. "God," he began to pray, "if you do exist, save us all..."

* * * * *

Mr. and Mrs. Ryuuzaki looked out the view port of the starship DSX. They could see the bright planet of Cephiro in the distance, suspended in space amid the stars. Everything looked serene. The configuration of the stars and the planet itself was alien to them but they hardly noticed. Instead, their thoughts were on their headstrong daughter, Umi.

She was their baby, their only child. That she was now endowed with great power was of little consequence to them. Right now, all they knew was that their child was in harm's way. To Mr. Ryuuzaki, nothing could be more unnatural than that.

And yet, in their hearts, they knew they were being selfish. Mrs. Ryuuzaki stole a glance towards the Shidou brothers. They were standing a few meters from them, also looking out the view port. Their little sister, Hikaru, was taken hostage by the aliens. What could be worse than that?

The opening of the door to the ship's lounge interrupted everyone's thoughts. A woman in uniform came in. "I'm sorry to interrupt," she said in a pleasant voice. "Commander Dodge requests that you all find your seats and strap yourself securely. We are about to get underway."

Umi's father looked down at his wife and took a deep breath. "This is it."

Mrs. Ryuuzaki smiled gently at her husband and held his hand. "Everything will be okay."

Mr. Ryuuzaki nodded, giving a brief reassuring smile of his own. I hope you're right.

* * * * *

Fuu surreptitiously glanced at Umi whose body language still clearly indicated that she was mad and completely irritated with her. The blonde teenager's shoulders slumped in dismay. She could not remember a time when she had been the object of someone else's anger. And yet here, now, one of her best friends seemed to think she was to blame for their predicament.

All she wanted to do was warn the Japanese Prime Minister of the aliens' attack and the arrival of the Autozamian fleet. Now here they were in a limousine, which was going to take them to the helicopter, which in turn would take them to the plane that would fly them all the way to the United Nations building in New York. Nice going, Hououji.

The Wind Knight decided to stop stealing glances at her friend and look out her window. She was surprised to see that they had already arrived. She could see the helicopter in the distance. Her door was opened for her and she got down. She turned to see that Umi had also gotten down and was, in fact, already walking towards their transport with an escort by her side. Fuu sighed once more as she and her escort followed.

Just as they were approaching, the door to the helicopter burst open, revealing two soldiers pointing automatic weapons at them; red beams streaking out of a tube atop each rifle, painting a dot on each of their escort's foreheads. Fuu suppressed a gasp as several more armed men streamed from behind the aircraft, their guns and beams this time aimed at her and Umi. "All of you, hands up!" It was in English.

The escorts of the girls complied immediately.

"What is the meaning of this?" Umi demanded, her fists clenched at her sides, ignoring the red dots that danced on her chest and the couple that were on her forehead.

"Don't try anything funny, miss," came the harsh answer. "I've got guns aimed at your head. If you even so much as move a finger the wrong way, we're dropping you. Understand?"

Fuu saw Umi's body stiffen as terror suddenly took over. The Wind Knight stepped closer to her friend.

"Freeze!"

Fuu gasped and stood stock still as she heard the command. "W-what do you want?"

Instead of an answer, the two soldiers that were in the helicopter dropped down and herded the escorts away. One soldier came forward and grasped Fuu's arm, leading her inside the helicopter. She glanced to her side and saw that another soldier was also dragging her friend.

Once inside, Fuu glanced forward. Seated in front of them was a big, burly man, wearing a black beret. He was armed with a single pistol, which was strapped in place at his waist.

The man smiled benignly. "Don't be afraid--"

"Easy for you to say, Mister Whoever-You-Are," Umi snarled. "You have your soldiers and guns pointing at us!"

Fuu shook her head. Here we go again...

"Shut up, Miss Ryuuzaki," the man snapped, all gentility gone from his face. "You are now in the custody of the United States government."

Umi and Fuu exchanged worried glances. Their eyes communicated with each other. There was no way they were going to be taken hostage. Both braced themselves as they mentally prepared their own assault when suddenly images of a burning and screaming Hikaru seared through their minds!

Fuu's last thoughts as she lost consciousness were of her parents and how everything seemed to have taken a turn for the worse.

* * * * *

Onboard the NSX, Zazu tapped a few buttons as he made a few adjustments on his scanners. "The portal seems to be stable," he announced.

"Have all the ships reported in?" seated in the Commander's chair, Geo asked as he stared at the anomaly several hundred meters in front of his battleship. This is crazy, he thought to himself over and over again.

"All ships have reported in. Everything is a go. We're just waiting for your signal, Commander. And, yes, we are crazy," Zazu said before turning to look at his old friend, giving him a quirky smile.

Geo raised his eyebrows in surprised and then realized that he must have said out his thoughts out loud. "Well, I guess there's no turning back now. Proceed."

All eyes on the bridge stared ahead. Every crewmember of every ship in the fleet held on tightly to their respective seats as they braced for what could only be a bumpy ride to the other side of the galaxy.

"And so the battle for Earth begins," Geo whispered to himself as the swirling lights of the portal engulfed the bridge.

NEXT: Chapter 14 - Fighting Fire with Fire

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

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