"She is ours," they said.

"I still do not understand," he answered. "I don't understand why you're getting me caught up in this. What is my purpose in your twisted plan?"

The older one with the limp black hair put her hands on her hips. "It has been your destiny your entire life, although you never knew it. It's your destiny to protect the Magic Knight. If you don't protect her, she will die at the hands of Farl Presea."

"But... I though you wanted her to die," he said.

"We do," the younger girl answered. She fixed her blood-red eyes on his face. "But we know that you do not want her to die. We know you will protect the Magic Knight. That's why you know all about this."

"Besides, your blood is satisfactory if we don't get the Magic Knight's," the older sister said with a grave grin.

"So I tell you again, she is ours," the younger said. "Farl Presea is in our hands. She is learning more lies about herself every day."

"Farl Presea has come to believe that she is a terrible person." The older girl spread her hands apart. "That isn't our fault. But in learning to touch her anger and discover more about herself, she invented lies that she was an awful, cruel person.

"Also, Farl Presea has been training in battle. It has been a week since we took her, but she is already accustomed to killing other creatures." A pained look crossed the girls' face. "We had to sacrafice a dear friend of ours so that Farl Presea might grow stronger."

"But," the younger said, "we are pleased with the results. So are Papa and Mama. Farl Presea is ours. She is ready. The Magic Knights will soon die."

The older girl walked up to stand directly in front of him, her gold eyes narrowed. "Our parents died because of the Magic Knights' actions," she said in a dangerous voice. "Because of them, our lives were ruined. Now, you, and all those you care about, will suffer the same hell we did.

"I will watch all of you in your pain as the Magic Knights die before your eyes, and I will laugh. And should any of you get caught in the crossfire, I'll laugh." Her voice cracked, and he could see tears in her eyes. "You deserve it. Every one of you deserves it."

She stepped back, taking the hand of her sister. "Wake up," she said coldly. "Wake up, and think about all we've said. The time of death is near."

Lantis's dark eyes opened. He knew that this was the last dream of this kind he would ever have. He knew the words of the dark-haired girl were true. They would send Presea to kill the Magic Knights soon.

He ran his fingers through his hair. He had fallen asleep leaning against a pillar on the steps outside the castle. With a sigh, he started up the stairs.

He needed to warn the Magic Knights.

Meline faced the mirror on the wall. She cleared her throat, smoothed out her skirt, then said, "Create an illusion for me."

Her reflection shimmered, disappeared. A wavy, unclear image took its place on the glass.

A dark smile spread across Meline's face. "Now is the time for action," she said coldly. "Now, the Magic Knights shall die."

"It's just outside," Ferio said.

Fuu bit her lip, hesitating. "Ferio... it's nearly lunchtime. I'm not sure we should go out. They're expecting us..."

"This is our last chance," he protested. "Fuu, the doctors are going to pick all these flowers tomorrow morning. There won't be any left. I know you love Cephiro's flowers, so I want to show them to you." He smiled. "They're beautiful."

"Well..." Fuu considered a moment. "I... I guess so." She smiled. "What harm could it do?"

"Exactly."

Ferio took her hand, leading her out the main doors. They walked down the steps, and Ferio took her over to the edge of the gardens. He stood in front of one of the walls surrounding it.

"See this vine?" Ferio pointed to a dark, dark green vine that was crawling all over the brick wall. Fuu nodded. "It's called a dramacus. You see those flowers on it?" Fuu nodded again. "They're called tulathels."

Ferio picked a tulathel off the vine, holding it close for Fuu to see. The petals came to a sharp point. They were black, with red streaked through. "Doctors pick these right after they bloom. A lot of the time, animals eat the flower. The black part is toxic. It'll kill a man in two days, a dreygen in one. That's one reason the doctors take them off the vine.

"The other is for more medical reasons. The red part of the petals is an antidote. If a person ever wanted to poison someone, a tulathel would do the trick. So the doctors have to keep medicine made from the red part in case that happens. It works on a lot of toxic things, really, but it's most effective with tulathels."

"Why would they grow them here if they're so poisonous?" Fuu asked.

Ferio shook his head. "Dramacus vines grow everywhere. You can't really control them. They're a weed."

"Oh... like dandelions."

"What?"

Fuu smiled, shaking her head. "Nothing, Ferio. Never mind."

She delicately picked a tulathel from the vine, cupping it in her hands and tracing the red streaks with a fingertip. Fuu began to turn around to ask Ferio if he knew anyone who had ever been poisoned by the flower, but she had only just begun to speak when his fist connected with the side of her face.

Fuu fell to the ground, landing painfully on one elbow. Pressing her hand to her cheek, she looked up at Ferio, bewildered. "Na... naze?" she asked softly, frightened by the wicked grin on his face. "Ferio, why?"

He didn't answer. Instead, Ferio --- or, at least, what she had thought was Ferio --- vanished from sight. A moment later, a familiar voice behind her said, "How foolish of you, Magic Knight."

Fuu sat up straight, turning around to face the speaker, her eyes wide. The blond girl let out a small gasp. "Presea-san!"

Presea smiled wryly. "Cerise-san told me you'd know my name."

"Cerise-san?" Fuu got to her feet, walking over to Presea. "Who's Cerise-san? Presea-san, where have you been? We have all be so worried."

Presea narrowed her chocolate eyes, hissing in a dangerous tone, "Get away from me, Magic Knight."

A confused expression crossed Fuu's face. She didn't move, but looked up at Presea, puzzled. "Presea-san, what's wrong with you?"

"I said, get away!" The blond woman shoved Fuu away roughly, causing her to stumble back a few steps before regaining her balance.

"Onore," Presea spat harshly, glaring at Fuu. "Don't come near me again."

Fuu stared at her in disbelief. This was not the Presea she knew. What happened to her? Oh, Presea-san, what happened while you were missing to change you like this?

Presea grinned, causing a shiver to run down Fuu's spine, because the grin was far from happy. It was bitter, hard, and cruel. "Scream, Magic Knight," she said in a tone as bitter as her smile as crackling electricity began concentrating over her open palm. "Scream, and draw your companions so they might meet the same fate you will."

The blond woman hurled what looked like a solid ball of lightning at Fuu, who had no time to react before the electricity hit her, racing through her body. She let out a shriek of pain, involuntarily dropping to her knees.

"Aw, does it hurt?" Presea mocked.

Fuu gritted her teeth as Presea began shooting small pellets at her. They pelted against her arms, legs, and back. Opening her eyes, she saw one fall to the ground, recognizing it as a hailstone.

She passivly waited until the bombardment of hailstones passed, then got to her feet slowly. She ached all over from the icy pellets, but stood tall all the same. Drawing a deep breath, Fuu asked, her voice unsteady, "Presea-san, why are you hurting me?"

"Because you're a filthy bitch," Presea snapped hotly. "You're a murderer, a heartless murderer."

"What are you talking about?!"

"You killed Cerise-san and Meline-san's parents!" Presea's coffee-colored eyes were firey, full of anger. "Do you know how many lives you Magic Knights have taken, or have you lost count?!"

"Presea-san!" Fuu's voice trembled. "I've... I've only taken two lives in my own life, and you know that wasn't my choice!"

Presea narrowed her eyes. "Liar!" she bellowed, snapping her hand forward.

A wave of thick air and rumbling thunder slammed into Fuu's delicate body, throwing her back and causing her to land with most of her weight painfully upon her shoulders. She lay in the cool grass for a moment, trying to catch her breath through the sharp pain. She couldn't seem to get enough air into her lungs, though, and was still laying there when Presea came to stand over her.

"You will die," she hissed. "I only regret that I wasn't able to kill you all earlier."

Fuu cried out as Presea's boot connected with her ribs. She struggled to summon up a spell, but she couldn't manage it --- firstly because she couldn't bring herself to harm Presea, and secondly because she couldn't seem to find the energy while she took painful breaths and her body ached as it did.

A ball of lightning was forming itself over Presea's palm again when both of them heard, "Fuu!"

Ferio --- the real one --- burst out the heavy doors of the palace, running down the stairs with Umi and Hikaru dashing behind him. He ran past Presea, who had stepped back after she had kicked Fuu, and knelt next to the fallen Knight, gathering her gently in his arms. "Fuu, what happened?" Her gaze shifted wordlessly to Presea, and his followed. "P... Presea?"

"Go away," the woman responded, her voice void of emotion again. "If you get in the way, I'll kill you as well."

"Presea, what are you talking about? Where have you been?" Hikaru asked as she came to stand by Umi near Fuu and Ferio.

The tall woman's eyes narrowed savagely. "Magic Knight," she hissed. She flung the electricity that was in her hand towards Hikaru. The petite redhead dodged it, but narrowly.

"Hikaru-san," Fuu said quietly, her gaze focused on Presea, "something has happened to Presea. She does not seem to be her normal self."

"Why did she hurt you?" Umi asked, warily watching Presea, who was shifting her weight from foot to foot, a scowl upon her face.

"She wants to kill us."

"Nani?!" Umi's sapphire eyes grew wide. "Presea, why?"

Presea rolled her eyes. "For the Pillar's sake..." She sighed impatiently, still shifting her weight in an antsy way, as if she wanted to just get on with killing them. "You Magic Knights killed Emeraude-hime, which was horrible enough. But you had full knowledge of the fact that Cephiro crumbled further when you did. Do you know how many people died as a result of that? Cerise-san's parents were only two of them."

"Who's Cerise?"

"Enough stupid questions!" Presea snapped, unfolding her arms.

Ferio lifted Fuu in his arms as he stood. "I'm taking you inside," he whispered.

"But Umi-san and Hikaru-san..."

"They can take care of themselves. You aren't hurt badly, you only need to get your breath back and rest. I just want you safe until you can come back."

"Ferio, that's stupid!" Fuu protested, but the look in his eyes made her stop. She sighed, nodding. Ferio smiled slightly, hurrying back up the steps.