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Disclaimers, etc: This is the second "part" of the fourth story in my ongoing "Presea Chronicles." It's another very short story. That's why I tied it and Nao Chora Menina together, though they have nothing to do with each other. Anyway, Magic Knight Rayearth and all of it's characters (Alycione, Presea, Zagato, and Lady Debonair) belong to CLAMP and not me. Presea's Trilogy, Untitled, and To Hell and Back before you read this, so that it's not confusing. This story might also contain a few "spoilers" for the Rayearth 2 series. Looking back, I was really angry when I wrote this. Enjoy the story! ^_^
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"The end is near… darkness awaits you." The woman's blue eyes darted left to right. She was alone in a room. The room was surrounded by a dark waterfall. Water was falling… but no splashing was heard. The woman turned her head slightly. No sound from the falls? That was odd. Was something there? "Oh Alycione…" whispered a voice. She looked into the direction from which it had come. Nothing. Alycione took two steps forward. "Who goes there? I am Alycione, top sorceress in Cephiro. I do not tolerate trespassers in Lord Zagato's castle. Show yourself!" "Come closer… witness the end of the world," was the reply. Alycione was a bit nervous, but went closer to the voice. Suddenly a sharp cold wind blasted her back. She fell to the ground, but forced herself to sit up. The room began to change, the waterfalls blurring into mist. She heard a pounding… closer and closer. It sounded like a heartbeat. "The end…" the voice said. There was a flash of light. When the light faded Alycione could see a figure standing before her. It was a familiar figure. "Zagato! My Lord Zagato!" She stood up and faced him. "What are you doing here? Do you know what's going on?" Zagato looked at her with cold eyes. Alycione frowned. "Zagato can you hear me?" "Alycione… won't you save me?" "What?" "The Magic Knights… the end of the world. Please save me." "I will!" "Now!" "But they aren't even…" "Now!" Zagato's voice echoed around the room. He came forward and with one swift motion slapped Alycione. "Why…" she whispered. "Because, you're a…" Suddenly Zagato started screaming. "Zagato!" Alycione's eyes widened. Ten spears went flying…each cutting through Zagato's body. Alycione ran forward and caught him as he fell. "Oh no! Zagato!" He was dead, his blood covering Alycione. She shook her head. "Please, my dear Zagato! Please…don't leave me…" Suddenly he disappeared. "What's going on?" "The end…" the voice replied. Alycione stood, blood dripping from her body. "Where's Zagato?" "Gone forever." "This can't be…" "Oh, but it is." The waterfall began to churn and bubble and suddenly form into…a mirror. Alycione stared into it. It began to swirl…to change. The sorceress was frightened. "Ice spear!" she shouted. Icy magic flew to the mirror, but melted away when it touched it. "Do you dare challenge me?" the voice hissed. Suddenly there was an icy blast and Alycione fell to the ground. "No, I don't," she whispered. She decided that it was better to not challenge whoever the voice was. "Good. Watch." Alycione looked up through frightened eyes as the mirror clouded and then cleared, revealing a desolate land. "What's this?" she asked. "Cephiro." "It can't be." "This is what will happen soon." They zoomed in to a castle. "Look here. Princess Emeraude and Lord Zagato have died. This is the only thing left." "My dear Lord Zagato," Alycione whispered. "Look here at all of the people that you held close to your heart." There they were. Presea. Braden. Stephen and Terria. Rogue. And…her father. Presea came out of the mirror. Her face was pale. She looked fearful and defeated. "Alycione… what has become of you? Don't listen to the voice! Don't do it!" "Silence!" cried the voice. "My illusions go against me?" "Don't!" Presea warned. Alycione was confused. This powerful voice…what was happening? "All living beings of Cephiro will perish!" the voice cried. Alycione watched Braden. His eyes were wide. "Presea!" He leapt from the mirror and was blasted away. Blood sprayed everywhere. It spattered on the mirror and covered Presea and Alycione. As the blood slowly began to drip down the mirror, Presea turned to Alycione, tears in her eyes. "Alycione, how could you? How could you do this?" "But I didn't…" "You did!" Alycione couldn't speak. Then Presea let out a scream. It pierced the air and Alycione had to cover her ears. When she looked at Presea, she screamed as well. A sword…was run through her body. On the hilt of the sword was a purple stone with the letter "B" engraved into it. Braden's sword. Presea gasped and fell, her blood slowly spreading over the ground. Then everything faded. Alycione was horrified to find blood all over her hands. "What is the meaning of this? What happened to my friend?" she screamed. "The end," the voice said. Then there was another voice. "Child… my… Alycione?" "Father?" Dylan appeared in front of her. "I wish we could go back to old times. How I prayed that you wouldn't become what you are now. You betrayed the wishes of your mother and I. We thought that you'd be a mighty sorceress, not an evil one." "Oh, father…" "Alycione, let me hug you once more before you fall into the abyss." Her father stepped forward. Alycione ran to him with open arms. But when they touched Dylan let out a bloodcurdling scream, much like Presea's. He drew back, his body bloody. "I knew that it would end this way!" Then he fell and disappeared without one more word. Alycione looked at her hands once again. She held a bloody dagger. With a shriek she flung it away, straight into the mirror. The mirror cracked and the waterfall appeared again. "Oh, seven years of bad luck," the voice said. "Bastard! How dare you try to manipulate me!" "Because you need me in order to survive." "Why?" "Look…" The room went dark. The only light was that of…red candles? A table was in the center of the room and on the table was a body. Alycione approached it cautiously. The body was dressed in a low-cut black bodysuit and a cape. It was covered in blood. Alycione began to shake. Pale complexion…long black hair…a staff laid to the side. "Oh my God… that's me. What happened to me?" The dead Alycione suddenly opened her eyes and sat up. The real Alycione jumped back in surprise. The dead one laughed. Alycione recognized that laugh…her evil laugh. "What do you think has happened? We're dead. After Zagato died, Emeraude exploded the castle. And you were still inside. You can prevent everything that you just experienced if you join Lady Debonair. She will protect you from all of the pain…all of the harm." "But who's Lady Debonair?" "A being more powerful then anything else. A being created from the heart. She can help you…" Alycione thought. And a voice in the back of her head, Presea's voice, shouted "No! Don't do it!" Alycione looked at herself, tears in her eyes. "No. I won't do it." "Then you will die." "Stop haunting me!" "The world is no more!" A huge explosion ensued.
Alycione opened her eyes. She was so cold that she was shivering. Then a familiar sound returned to her ears… the sound of the waterfall. She was back in Zagato's castle. The voice was gone. Slowly and shakily, she stood up. The waterfall splashed, clear blue…mirror-like. But this time the only thing that Alycione saw was the reflection of a frightened soul. Her own. Her blue eyes were still wide, her thin form still shaking. Was that really the end? "Zagato…" she whispered and turned. He was standing at the break in the falls. "Alycione, what's wrong with you now? I can't have my minions fall weak." She bowed. "No, of course not. Nothing is wrong, Zagato-sama." "Good. Keep it that way." He disappeared. Alycione sighed as her heartbeat returned to normal. She began to feel comfortable again. Then…a voice whispered in her ear. "Lady Debonair is the only way. Do not fail me, Alycione. It's your fate… I'll be waiting for your answer."