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Disclaimers, etc: This is the fourth story in my ongoing "Presea Chronicles." It's very short, as it will be a connecting story to the fifth story. Anyway, Magic Knight Rayearth and all of it's characters (Presea, Hikaru, Umi, Fuu, Makona) belong to CLAMP and not me. Rogue and the rest of them do belong to me though. ^_^ OH yeah, and the title "Nao Chora Menina" is actually a name of a song from the Final Fantasy soundtrack, "Pray" (by Nobuo Uematsu). The translated lyrics are included in this story as Melena's lullaby (so the words are obviously not mine). The song is beautiful, and I do recommend that you download it if you can. AND it's recommended that you read Presea's Trilogy, Untitled, and To Hell and Back before you read this, so that it's not confusing. And that's it. Enjoy the story! ^_^
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A swift form moved through the woods. Dashing through the trees… the figure was stealthy and sure. He was as he should be. Glittering black eyes and hair…slender figure. Master of movement he was…a swift and sure thief. Well, that was before he began working at the palace. He was supposed to be an ambassador…and part of the secret guards at the palace. The real reason he was there though…was to watch over his friend Presea. Ever since they were children he had looked out for her. Now was no different. The man was Rogue, former thief of Questria. They had lost the city. And he had almost lost Presea, his closest friend. If she hadn't made it out of the Underworld…he would have never have forgiven himself. He still felt guilt…knowing that he might have been able to help when Tristan had attacked Presea and Braden. He might have been able to prevent all that had occurred within the last few months. But that was the past. Things were going smoothly now. There was no Questria to return to though. Braden now lived in Stephen and Terria's home. Presea was living in the Forest of Silence; the time of the Magic Knights had arrived. And Rogue…was a wanderer. He wandered the Forest of Silence as a silent bodyguard. He would be there for Presea…just in case anything should happen. Rogue walked through the trees. There were many monsters in the Forest of Silence…more then anybody could ever count. Rogue couldn't even remember how many he had defeated. Now he stopped to rest. Perched on a branch, Rogue scanned the forest. Nothing much was happening. There was the usual sounds of the monsters, nothing new to Rogue. He leaned back on the branch. Things were so different now. If Questria still stood…he'd be in the castle swinging up to the ceiling or in the city playing games with the children. Maybe he'd be traveling to another kingdom to form an alliance. But all of that was the past. A crunching sound made Rogue snap to attention. He listened quietly. It sounded like footsteps…but they weren't heavy enough to belong to a monster. They sounded human. Rogue had sharp instincts from living on the streets for so long. Suddenly a thing bounced below him. It was a pinkish white color…and looked almost like a rabbit. It seemed incredibly happy. Then Rogue heard a shout. "Makona!!! Wait for us!" The voice was fairly young. Three girls came into Rogue's view. One had long blue hair. She was tall and thin and wore a blue outfit with some kind of armor. There was another girl of the same height. She had brown hair and wore glasses. Her outfit was green and she wore the same type of armor. She looked very smart. The last girl was slightly shorter then the other two. She looked younger, with fiery red hair. Her outfit was red and she also wore the armor. The girls looked different to Rouge. "The Magic Knights?" he whispered to himself. Suddenly the rabbit thing turned and bounced up the tree. "Makona!" came the shout. The thing popped right in front of Rogue. "Puu!" it cried. "Ahhh!" Rogue screamed and fell from the tree, Makona on top of him. He looked up to see three swords pointed at him. The three girls stood, seriously before him. "Who are you?" asked the red head. "Permit me," Rogue said. "My name is Rogue. I'm a traveler." "Makona get off of him!" shouted the girl with the blue hair. The Makona bounced away. "What are you doing in this forest Sir Rogue?" asked the brown haired girl. "Protecting my friend." He looked at the swords. "You got those from Master Smith Presea…didn't you?" The girls were taken aback for a moment. "How do you know Presea?" asked the red head. "She's the friend I'm protecting." The girls exchanged glances and slowly lowered their swords. Rogue stood and brushed himself off. "We're sorry, Sir," said the brown haired girl. "Yes, we thought that you might be a minion of Lord Zagato," added the blue haired girl. "Well I'm not. Who are you three anyway?" "We're the Magic Knights! I'm Hikaru," said the red head. "And I'm Umi," said the blue haired girl. "I'm Fuu," said the brown haired girl. "I see. Where are you headed?" "The Spring of Eterna," said Hikaru. "We have to get escudo so that Presea can make our weapons." "So the legend has indeed begun," muttered Rogue. "But you said you know Presea," said Umi. "I do. We grew up together. We've been through a lot. It's been about a month since her kingdom fell. Thank goodness that she still has her husband Braden and Stephen and Terria." "She's married?" the three girls asked simultaneously. "Of course. Presea was the Queen of Questria as well as the Master Smith of Cephiro." "Questria? Where's that?" "It used to be not far from this forest. It was destroyed though." "Poor Presea," said Hikaru. "Yes, who would imagine that Ms. Presea in full of pain?" Fuu added. "She was so nice and friendly when we talked to her," said Umi. "That's a natural thing. Presea doesn't show her pain. She likes it when others are happy." "What's this?" asked Hikaru. She had a book in her hand. "Oh! That must have fallen from my bag. It's a book of stories." "Stories?" "I started writing stories…of events that happened starting right after Presea became Queen. It goes right up to when she left to come to the Forest of Silence." Hikaru jumped up and down. "Would you read us some? Please?" "Hikaru, we have to get the escudo," reminded Umi. "I know, but I want to hear some of the stories. It won't take long." "You may read them," said Rogue. "Yay!" Hikaru plopped down with the book. Fuu sat on one side of her and Umi sat on the other side. The three peered into the book. Rogue leaned against the base of the tree. He had a feeling that he'd be there for a while. "Look!" said Umi. "A wedding! I've always dreamed of having a huge wedding. We have to read this one."

The Wedding of Kerry and Jacq. AKA: Presea gets pinned.
It was a calm and peaceful morning in Questria. It had only been a few months since Braden and Presea's wedding. The happy couple was getting along wonderfully. Questria had been at peace since Braden had taken his place as King. The people loved him and their Queen. Presea had become a very well known and respected person. She was constantly out with the people, and hardly ever in the castle. She liked keeping away from the "official" business as much as possible. It was breakfast time now and a sleepy Presea wandered into the dining room. "Good morning!" Stephen shouted from across the room. Presea gave little wave. Stephen was such a morning person…she didn't understand it. Terria was already at the table eating. Braden was there as well. "Morning Presea," he said. "Hey Braden." Presea sat down. "What's up?" "Nothing much. Lots to do today." "Yippee," Presea said sarcastically. "What kind of tone is that Queenie?" inquired a voice from behind. "Good morning Rogue." "How did you know it was me?" "Uh…something about the word Queenie." Rogue sat across from Terria. "I can never fool you Presea. You're too smart for me." "Naturally," she muttered. "What was that?" "Nothing." "You were saying something about me. I can tell." "Was not." "Was too." "No." "Yes you were!" "Hey children! Cut it out," said Terria. "She started it, mom," said Rogue. Presea stuck her tongue out at Rogue. Stephen laughed as he sat down. "Terria, how do you deal with all of these children?" he asked. Then they all laughed. It was true. Though Braden, Presea, and Rogue were perfectly capable of taking care of themselves, they jokingly referred to Terria as their mom. It was appropriate though. Rogue had never known his parents. Presea's parents were dead, as were Braden's. Terria, they had decided, was the ideal mom. They all calmed down and began to eat. "So where's Kerry and Jacq?" asked Braden through mouthfuls of food. "No idea," said Presea. "Usually they're up early. Wonder what's keeping them." Rogue didn't say anything. They all ate in silence until the door slammed open. In rushed Kerry and Jacq. Their eyes were bright and it was obvious that they were very happy and excited. "What's going on?" asked Braden. Kerry took a few deep breaths. "Well…Jacq asked me to marry him! And I said yes!" she shouted. Presea leapt up, knocking over her chair. "There goes the tile…again," said Braden. Presea hugged Kerry. "Congratulations!" Everybody was up at once, congratulating the couple. "When's the wedding?" asked Stephen. "Could we have it in a few weeks…maybe a month or two…or three…" said Jacq. "Presea will you make my wedding dress?" asked Kerry. "Me?" squeaked Presea. "I can sew a bit, but don't you want a…uh…nice dress?" "But you're my best friend. Please?" "Oh all right." "Thank you! Terria will you help her?" "Of course." "Yes! This is so exciting. We've got to start right away! I've already gotten all of my measurements from when I got fitted for Presea's wedding." "Can we eat first?" Presea asked. "Oh yeah! Eat, but hurry!" "What about you?" "I can't eat. I'm too excited!" Presea laughed and picked up her chair. Kerry pulled out a piece of paper and began to discuss things with Jacq. "Ok Jacq, we need to figure out who's gonna be in the actual wedding." "All right, but calm down please." "Ok! How about Presea as the matron of honor. Terria as one of the bridesmaids…hey Presea do you think that Lily and Caitlin would want to be in the wedding?" Presea nodded. Kerry and Presea's sisters had bonded since they had met. It was almost as if Lily and Caitlin were Kerry's sisters too. Kerry began to scribble down notes on the paper. "Who's going to 'give you away?'" Asked Jacq. "Good question," said Braden from across the table. Kerry's parents had been killed. She had grown up in the Underground Society…so… "Dylan," Kerry said. "He was like a father to me. Especially since his daughter went off to Mage School…he was happy to have me around." "Sounds good," said Jacq. "I want Stephen to be my best man. Hey Braden, Rogue, will you be the ushers?" "No problem," both said at once. Presea stood. "I'm done…" she was almost knocked over by Kerry. "Good! Let's go! Come on Terria! We have to go into the city to get materials and stuff!" Braden gave a little wave to Presea as he watched she and Terria be dragged out by Kerry. Then he turned to Rogue and they all up.
Once in the city, the three women decided to visit Presea's sisters. Lily and Caitlin had set up a dressmaker shop in the heart of the city. As they walked through the city, Kerry and Terria noticed how calm Presea was. Though she was queen, she walked around like a normal person. The only difference was that some people turned and stared for a moment. Not only was Presea queen, but she was a legend. The three had to stop once when Presea was mobbed by a group of children. "Your Highness Presea!" they cried and knelt. "Come on, get up. Don't kneel to me, there's no need," Presea said. One girl with bright eyes said, "Oh, but that's not true! You saved us all!" "May we hug you?" asked another child. Presea laughed and took all of the children into a big group hug. "She'll be a great mother someday," Terria commented from the side. "Presea's great with kids," said Kerry. "All right you guys," Presea said to the children. "I've got to run an errand so that means that I have to go for now. Don't worry though, I'll visit again." The children parted and Presea joined Terria and Kerry again. As they walked on they heard the shouts of the children; "We love you Presea!"
The three finally reached the dressmakers shop. "Lil? Cait? Are you guys here?" called Presea. Lily came out. "Hi Presea! Kerry…Terria." She smiled. "What are you guys doing here?" "Kerry's getting married," said Presea. "Congratulations!" said Lily and hugged Kerry. Caitlin came out. "What's going on?" "Kerry's getting married." "Wow!" "I'd like you two to be in the wedding if you don't mind…" Kerry said. "No problem," both said at once. "I need help… What color should your dresses be? I need material for mine. Presea said that she'd make it." "Presea?" both of her sisters said at the same time and glanced at Presea. Presea shrugged. "She asked me to." "Come inside," Caitlin said. "I'll help you pick out something." She led them all in. Presea and Terria sat while Lily and Caitlin took Kerry to look at designs and fabrics. A few hours passed and Kerry finally returned, holding a bundle of fabric. "I've decided on light blue for your dresses. Lily and Caitlin are going to take care of those. I've got the fabric and design for my dress so now all we have to do is put it all together!" "Ok," Presea said slowly. In the back of her mind she kind of regretted the agreement to make the dress. Presea could sew, but she wasn't nearly as good as her sisters were. Still, Kerry was counting on her, and Presea would make sure that the dress would get done…and that it would be the most beautiful dress that any bride could wish for.
"Ooooow!" Terria glanced across the room. Presea was wincing in pain…for about the tenth time. "You did it again didn't you?" Terria asked. Presea held up a finger. A small drop of blood dripped from it. "You guessed it. Hurry up and take the fabric before I drip on it." Terria took the fabric and Presea went to wash her finger. "I don't know how I do it. I was actually making progress, but it happened again. It hurts!" Presea wrapped a bandage around the finger. "You're going to look like a mummy soon if you keep that up," commented the familiar voice of Rogue. "Well why don't you try to do this? It's enough that I keep stabbing my fingers, but then I have to stop the bleeding before it gets on the dress." "Hey, I'm sorry. I know that you're working hard on the dress." "Thank you." "How is it that you can get run through with a sword…but you can't handle a pin prick?" "It's all in the mind I guess. When I get hurt with weapons…I can shut it out. But not this." "It's almost funny. The Master Smith…the one who works with the sharp blades constantly…falls to a needle. I can do something with that." "Do it and I'll hurt you!" "I'm kidding. Is there something that I can do to help though?" "Make the dress?" Terria suggested. Rogue got a look of panic on his face. "I just remembered that I had something to do. Yeah. See you guys later!" He bolted from the room. Presea laughed and soon Terria was laughing too. Then Presea sighed. "All right. Let's get back to work." They began working again. Meanwhile Kerry and Jacq were walking down the hall with Braden. "She and Terria have been in there for days," said Braden. "They're really working hard on that dress." "Do you think they've gotten a lot done?" asked Jacq. Braden shrugged. Suddenly they heard a shout from the room. "Ow! Damn this! I did it again! Terria, help me!"
Weeks passed and a wedding day had been set. Now with only a day until the wedding, the castle was abuzz with activity. Rogue had been laying low with the witty comments for once. Stephen was busy arranging the accommodations for the Underground Society…since the whole organization had been invited. Lily and Caitlin had arrived with the dresses. Presea's brothers, Gavin and Trent, had come with their families as well. Jacq had been pacing a lot and Braden had been trying to calm him down. Kerry was excited and nervous at the same time. Terria and Presea had finally finished the dress…on that day. Presea sighed at the bandages that were on her hands. She really did look like a mummy…at least her hands did. Most of the cuts were gone by now though. It was time to give Kerry her dress. "All right," Presea said, once she, Terria, and Kerry were alone. "It's time to present your dress, which we spent weeks working on." Terria laughed. "Presea's sweat and blood almost literally went into it." "Thank you for your witty remark. You're beginning to sound like Rogue," Presea teased. Terria rolled her eyes. Kerry looked at them anxiously. "Close your eyes," said Terria. Kerry obeyed. They quickly got the dress out. "Ok. You can look now." Kerry slowly opened her eyes and gasped. Presea was holding the most beautiful wedding dress she had ever seen. "You...did this for me?" she asked. Presea nodded. "Presea always comes through...even if she can barely make it," said Terria. "There you go again," Presea muttered. Kerry had tears in her eyes. "Thank you…both of you. I'm so happy to have you guys." "We're happy to have you as our friend too," Terria said. "Group hug!" shouted Presea, and the three of them hugged in a sea of laughter…and Kerry's happy tears.
The wedding day came quickly. Presea remembered her own wedding. It had only been a few months, but it had seemed like years. Still, Braden and Presea loved each other with all their hearts. Presea sincerely hoped that it would be the same with Kerry and Jacq. After all, both were very excited about the wedding. Presea was sure that they were ready to commit to each other for the rest of their lives. She had talked about it with Braden and he had agreed with her. Now people were milling about the castle. Presea dressed in her gown. It was beautiful. Kerry really was good at picking dress designs out. Presea made sure that she was ready and then went to find Kerry. Kerry was dressed, but extremely nervous. "Kerry, everything's going to be fine. You won't even feel nervous when you get up there." "But I'm nervous now. Is this how you felt at your wedding?" "Yes, I did feel pretty nervous. But do what you told me to do. Breath." Kerry breathed deeply. "Feel a bit better?" "Yeah." Caitlin, Lily, and Terria had arrived by then. It was time for the wedding. The ceremony flew by, as Presea's had. Now at the party, Kerry came up to Presea, her face shining. "I'd just like to thank you again Presea." "It was nothing." "No, look. You went through a lot to make the dress. I saw your hands…" "Yeah, but it only hurt then." "I'm happy that you're my best friend." "Me too." "So, uh, how about making another dress for me sometime?" "Not on your life!" Kerry's face cracked into a big smile, as did Presea's. Then they linked arms and went back to the party.

"That was so cute!" said Umi. "So Ms. Presea really went through all of that for her best friend?" Fuu asked. "She did," said Rogue. "She goes through a lot for her friends. And even for people she doesn't know. Presea has come a long way since I met her." "When did you meet Presea?" asked Hikaru. "We were children on the streets. I guess you could say that I saved her…she was pretty helpless after losing her family." "How old was she?" "Eight." "Only eight years?" the girls whispered. Rogue nodded. "I brought her with me to the group of thieves. They adopted her as one of their own and she became one of the best. Presea was really distant during those first few months. It was probably because she had lost her family. It's quite a burden for a child…even for an adult." There was a hint of sadness in Rogue's voice. "You've lost many things too…Sir Rogue?" Fuu said. "I never knew my parents," Rogue said softly. "The thieves were my only family until Presea came along. She was so sad… but luckily one of the women, Melena, cheered her up quickly. Presea would cry a lot…mostly of anguish, but we could all see the strong girl in her. She was overcome by her loss and didn't understand why her parents had been taken. She was sad, but Melena brought her out with this lullaby: Don't cry, little girl, don't cry any more. Someday you'll know. Life always has a reason, And even sadness is worth something. What puts tears on your face Is the kindness in your heart. And a girl who knows this kindness Will be a most beautiful, beautiful woman. A star appears, Smiling for you, little one. And a girl who knows this kindness Will be a most beautiful, beautiful woman." Rogue was silent for a moment as the three knights absorbed the lullaby. "That's beautiful," Umi finally said. "It's not only beautiful, it's the truth," said Rogue. "Presea…has risked her life for many people. But the time that stands out in my mind was when she rescued a little girl named Kaylee." "What happened?" asked Hikaru. Rogue smiled. "It's in the book. Read it and find out."

Danger! Icy Conditions Ahead!
"Hey Presea!" shouted a voice. Presea smiled and laid down the weapon she had been practicing with. "Hi Braden." He swept her off her feet and into a hug. "Whoa…sudden affection there," Presea said. Braden indicated the window. "Look, it's snowing." "Yeah? And?" "And I think you've been practicing too much. So, as your husband, I say that we go out and go skating." "Ice skating? Now?" "I'm concerned. You've been in here too much lately." "Uh it's my job." "I know. Time to take some time off Presea. We're going skating." "Right, if you say so." "I do so let's go!" Presea couldn't protest… She could barely put on her coat as Braden ushered her out of the forge. "Hey guys," said Terria. She was standing with Stephen. Each of them had two pairs of skates. "Ready to go?" asked Braden. "Yup. Let's do it!" said Stephen. "By crikey, I haven't skated in a while." Presea couldn't even speak as Braden and her friends swept her out of the castle.
"Ahhh! This is great!" Braden said as they neared the skating ponds. "Winter is definitely one of my favorite times of the year!" Presea rolled her eyes. "Why's that? So you can freeze?" Braden put an arm around her. "You wouldn't let that happen, now would you?" Presea pretended to think about it. "You little rebel," Stephen said from behind. Shouts of children were heard. "They must be at one of the ponds," commented Terria. "I think so," said Presea. "I liked skating when I was a child. Lots of children do. That's why I'm happy that I'm going." Once at the pond, Presea put on her skates quickly. She loved skating, and was actually very happy that Braden suggested it. She was the first one on the ice. "Hey!" Braden shouted. "Wait for me." Presea turned to see him slowly skate onto the ice…and then fall. She also saw Terria turn away, a huge grin on her face. Presea shook her head and skated over to her husband. "Come on," she said, and pulled him up. "I thought you liked to do this." "I do but I forgot to mention that I haven't in a while." Terria and Stephen came up on either side of them. "We'll take care of him," Terria said. "You go skate," added Stephen. "I…" "Go, Presea. You've been working day in and day out. It's break time for you so go skate." "All right." Presea left them and began skating on her own. Childhood memories flooded back to her. She remembered skating with her family when she was only six years old. Her brothers and sisters were all great skaters. Rusty happened to be one of the best. But he was gone… as was Sierra, her mother, and her father. Presea decided not to think about the sad times. She remembered the happy times when her whole family was together. Lily had taught her how to jump on the ice. Slowly, the memories came back… and then Presea was off the ice, spinning in the air. She landed and stopped suddenly. Applause rang out from the other side of the pond. "Presea! Where'd you learn to do that?" shouted Braden. Terria and Stephen kept applauding. Presea skated over to them. "My family taught me. We loved to skate." Suddenly a cry of panic was heard. "What's that?" asked Stephen. "It sounds like…" Terria began. "The children!" Presea shouted. She began to speed skate. Two young boys came running over one of the hills crying, "Help! Help! Somebody help us!" Presea dashed up the hill, skates and all. "Boys! What's wrong?" The two boys almost fainted. "Queen Presea?" "Yes, what's the matter?" The boys snapped back to reality. "You've gotta hurry," one of them said. "Kaylee fell through the ice!" "Kaylee?" Presea inquired, trying to remember. There were so many children in Questria that it was hard for her to keep up with them, though she tried. "Yes, she's the daughter of one of the bakers. She's little! The ice cracked and she fell in!" By that time Terria, Stephen, and Braden had joined them. Presea turned. "Somebody calm these two down. I'm going in." Presea slid down the hill and ran as best as she could to the children's pond. Panicked children were everywhere and Presea could clearly see a hole in the ice. Without a second thought, she skated across the ice and slid into the freezing water. The ice cold water stung her skin. "Please, child," she thought as she ducked under. "Please be alive…" Presea ignored the coldness and dove deeper. She had to find the child.
Braden had run down to the hole as well. "Presea!" he shouted. "She went in," one of the children said. "Queen Presea has gone in to get Kaylee!" Braden nodded, but was panicking inside. It was dark underneath the ice. Presea might not be able to find her way back…"Please," he said. "Come back Presea…" Presea felt around blindly… and suddenly bumped into an object. She looked frantically in the dark water. It was the child. Relief swept over Presea as she grabbed the girl and started for the surface.
Braden stared at the hole. "Come on…" he muttered. Suddenly the water rippled. And then Presea surfaced with the child. "Kaylee!" the children cried. "Get her," Presea said. Braden obeyed and lifted Kaylee from Presea's arms. Meanwhile, Stephen pulled Presea from the icy water. She stumbled and slipped, but her concern was for Kaylee. "Is she breathing?" "Yes," said Terria. "Just extremely cold." "Hurry," Braden commanded. "They need warmth." He took off his coat and was about to hand it to his wife, but she shook her head. "The child comes first." Braden saw that Presea was shivering, but didn't protest. He covered Kaylee with his coat. Stephen and Terria did the same. "Somebody show us where Kaylee lives," Presea said through chattering teeth. "I will," said one of the girls. "Follow me." Braden picked up Kaylee and they all followed the girl through the city. Finally they reached a door. Presea knocked. A woman opened the door. Her mouth dropped open. She was shocked to see the King and Queen… and her little girl. "What happened?" she whispered. "The ice cracked," Presea said. A man appeared. "Hurry and come in," he said. The group obeyed. "Sit by the fire," the woman said. "Tsed, take Kaylee." The man took his daughter. Presea, Braden, Stephen, and Terria sat by the fire. The woman offered them cups of hot tea. "My name is Dara and my husband is Tsed. We're very grateful to your highnesses for saving our little girl." Presea nodded. "It was no problem…" she sneezed. "I hope you're not getting sick," Braden said. "It's a small price to pay," Presea replied. "You're so gracious," Dara said. "We're grateful for our people," Braden said. "Yes," Presea agreed, and shivered involuntarily. Braden put his arms around her and turned to Stephen and Terria. "You guys go to the castle and tell Kerry, Jacq, and Rogue that we might be late tonight?" The two nodded and bid their host good-bye. Tsed came into the room. "How is she?" Presea asked. "Cold, but fine. Thank you. Kaylee is our world." Presea smiled. "You're welcome to stay as long as you wish." "Thank you for your hospitality," Braden said. Presea nodded, her vision blurry. "You ok?" Braden asked. "Yeah just tired." "Sleep then. I'll wake you if necessary."
Presea woke some time later. A blanket covered her. Braden was talking quietly to Dara and Tsed. He smiled when he saw that Presea was awake. "Kaylee woke up a few hours ago," he said. Presea leapt up. "Really? May I see her?" Dara laughed. "Yes of course. She's been asking for you, but we told her not to disturb you." Presea drew the blanket around her shoulders and went to the little girl's room. "May I come in?" she asked. "Yes!" a little voice said. Presea pushed the door open. Kaylee was lying in her bed. Presea sat down beside her. "How are you feeling Kaylee?" "Good," she answered. "Well, I guess I don't have to tell you this, but I'm Presea." "Queen Presea…" "You can just call me Presea." "Does that mean that we're friends?" Presea smiled. "Yes. It does." The girl's face lit up. She was a very pretty little girl, with auburn hair and blue eyes. "How old are you Kaylee?" "I'm eight years old. How old are you?" Presea laughed. "I'm nineteen years old." "Nineteen? You could be my big sister!" Kaylee looked out of her window and then back at Presea. "Thank you for saving me. I know that you ran a big risk." "No risk is too great for somebody I care about." "You care about me?" "You're my friend… aren't you?" The girl sat up and threw her arms around Presea. "Thank you! Thank you so much," she repeated over and over again. Presea smiled and hugged the girl back. It was moments like these, she had decided, that made life worth living.

"Wow," the three Magic Knights said in unison. "She's so awesome," Hikaru muttered. "I want to read more!" "Hikaru," Umi said. "We've gotta go get the escudo. Presea is waiting for us you know." "Ms. Umi is right," Fuu said. "But… Rogue, what else is in the book?" "Just more stuff about our lives. Like one time when everybody got sick or the time when Terria announced that she was pregnant. You should have seen Presea's face. She was looking forward to having a baby in the castle." "I wish we had time to read them all," Hikaru said, a bit sadly. "Well, I'm sure that we'll meet again. However, you girls have a mission." "I know. Wait what's this," Hikaru had found another section of the book… full of sketches. The three knights peered at the drawings. "Did you do these?" asked Umi. Rogue nodded. "They're very good." "Look! It's Ms. Presea," Fuu said and pointed to one of the drawings. It was one of Presea when she was very young… maybe eight or nine years old. She was holding a rapier and looked very determined. "Ooooh! That must be Braden," Hikaru said as the looked at another drawing. It was the wedding portrait that once hung in Questria… Rogue had been the one to do it. "This one says 'Kerry and Jacq," Umi said. "This one is of Stephen and Terria and their baby!" The girls looked at every single drawing, commenting on their beauty and so on. Then Rogue said gently, "Magic Knights, you must go get the escudo." "He's right," Umi said and stood. The other two followed. "Thank you for sharing your stories and drawings, Rogue," said Hikaru. "Yes, thank you," said Umi and Fuu. "It was no problem. Good luck on your journey. Say hello to Presea for me." "We will! Good-bye!" the girls called as they took off into the forest. Rogue gathered his things and flipped back into the trees. He sat down and was as he had been before.

A Few Weeks Later…

Rogue was awakened by his nap by a loud crash. "Probably more monsters," he muttered to himself. He stood in the tree he had been sleeping in and climbed higher. Perhaps he could pinpoint where the racket was coming from. He scanned the land around him. The noise was coming from the direction of… the old house… "Presea!" he shouted. "No way! Not again!" Rogue reached the old house, out of breath. There was a huge hole in one side. It looked as if a monster had… "No!!!" Rogue screamed and dashed inside the house. "Presea!" he called. He ran through the house and finally entered the forge. It was totally destroyed. In the middle of the huge room were the Magic Knights… and Presea. Rogue took a step back, in shock. Hikaru was holding Presea. She looked as if she was about to cry. Presea was… no, she couldn't really be… dead. She was too strong to just die. Rogue closed his eyes. His mind pulsed. Telepathy never came easy for him, but now he shouted into the minds of Dylan and Braden. "Both of you, I need you to put your minds and hearts together. Presea is injured and it might be fatal. Still, we may have a chance. Transport her to Stephen and Terria's house. Then get her some help immediately!" Rogue opened his eyes, hoping that his message went through. It must have because suddenly a light surrounded Presea. Slowly, her unconscious form faded away. The Magic Knights cried out in surprise. The only thing left of Presea was her headband. Then Rogue entered the room. "Hikaru! Umi! Fuu!" he shouted. "Rogue," Hikaru said. "Presea's gone… she just vanished. This is all that's left…" she held up the headband and handed it to Rogue. "Keep it. She was your friend." "Now girls, Presea will be just fine," Rogue said. He took the headband. "I've got to be going! Safe journey!" Then he was gone. "Ms. Presea's fine?" Fuu repeated. "But she's dead!" Umi protested. Hikaru stood with her friends. "I don't understand…" she whispered.
Rogue banged on the door of the house in the swamp. Terria opened it. "Terria! Is she here? Is she ok?" "Presea's here. She's in pretty bad condition, but I think she's going to pull through." "Thank God!" Rogue entered the house and waved to Stephen and Braden. Then he went straight to Presea's room. He sat beside her bed. She was breathing steadily… that was a good sign. However, her arm was bandaged and she was covered in scratches and bruises. Rogue shook his head. Presea… was always getting hurt. Suddenly she stirred and opened her eyes. "Magic Knights! The swords!" she cried and bolted upright. Rogue gently touched her shoulder. "Lay down." "Rogue?" Presea asked, clearly confused. "What happened?" He asked her. "I was forging the swords for the Magic Knights… I was about finished when this huge thing crashed into the forge. It was a monster. It looked almost like a caterpillar… All I remember after that was the roof caving in. Then Hikaru was holding me, telling me to hold on. I couldn't. All I felt was pain…" "You were transported here," Rogue said. "Thank goodness for that. And I remember that the Magic Knights got their swords… at least not all was lost." "Nothing was lost," Rogue said sternly. "You're alive." "I'm gonna be pretty useless for the next couple of weeks," Presea laughed weakly. "It seems that… my arm is broken as well as some of my ribs. I am so sore…" "You're gonna pull through though. That's what counts," Rogue said. Presea smiled. Rogue looked at the floor. "I think that the Knights presume that you're dead…" "You mean that most people are going to think that I disappeared off the face of Cephiro?" "Yup." "Goody. This should be interesting." Rogue laughed. "Well I'm gonna let you rest some more. I'll tell everyone that you woke up." "Yeah, do that." Presea settled back in the bed. "Oh one more thing," Rogue said. He took Presea's hand and pressed the headband into it. Then he rose and slowly walked to the door. Presea gasped. "You saved my life! I had a feeling… How can I repay you?" "You know that you don't have to," Rogue laughed. "Thank you," Presea said. Rogue looked at her. He saw tears of happiness in her eyes. "You're welcome." Then Presea closed her eyes. Rogue made sure that she was sleeping and left the room. He sighed. Presea was the closest thing to family that he had. He didn't know what he would have done if she had truly died. " What puts tears on your face is the kindness in your heart. And a girl who knows this kindness Will be a most beautiful, beautiful woman…" he said to himself. Rogue placed his hand on the door. "Melena was right. The girl who knows kindness is a most beautiful, beautiful woman… Yes, Presea, I truly believe that Melena was right…"