APPLICATION: Magic Knight Rayearth - Shidou Hikaru
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PLAYER INFO
NAME: Mochi
LOCATION/TIME ZONE: US, Central time zone.
CURRENT CHARACTERS, if any: N/A
CHARACTER INFO
CHARACTER NAME: Shidou Hikaru
SERIES: Magic Knight Rayearth
RESERVED: No
WISHLIST: No
PERSONALITY:
Upon first meeting Shidou Hikaru, there are a few things you're bound
to notice. First: she is short. Hikaru is by far the smallest girl in
her class at her all-girls' middle school. Secondly: she is hyper. Her
energy levels are through the roof, so she can sometimes wear down
those around her with her persistent exuberance. The third thing
you'll learn is that her joyful attitude is absolutely contagious, and
if you were in a bad mood when you met her, chances are you'll be
feeling much more cheerful by the time you part ways. Hikaru makes
fast friends with virtually anyone she meets (apart from those who are
trying to kill her) because she genuinely cares about people and wants
to be their friend.
Because of her petite stature and tomboyish nature, people frequently
mistake Hikaru for a much younger girl and subsequently underestimate
the ancient can of whoopass she's capable of unleashing on a moment's
notice. When she's not wiping the floor with evil-doers, however, she
is extremely cheerful, hyper, excitable, and easily amused. Since she
is so often mistaken for a grade-schooler, Hikaru knows that she can
get away with things that "older" girls really couldn't. Not that she
would take advantage of that, of course! She's as honest and guileless
as they come. More often than not, her size just means that people
don't take her seriously, so she has to work extra hard to get others
to listen to her before they get to know her and realize she's not
actually ten years old.
Although Hikaru can't really be considered the brains of the outfit
among the Magic Knights, she has a surprising intuitive sensitivity to
the feelings of others (unless they happen to be romantic feelings
for her-- those she rarely picks up on). She can't stand to see
others in pain, and will do anything in her power to fix whatever is
wrong. The one caveat is this: if you hurt her friends, she will make
you regret it dearly. Hikaru is willing to go to any length to
protect the people she cares about, braving every danger and
overcoming every obstacle. She will push herself to - and even beyond
- her physical limitations to accomplish the tasks that she sets for
herself; this is especially true when it comes to her friends, but
Hikaru has often leapt to the defence of nigh total strangers,
sometimes at the risk of her very life.
Hikaru is probably far too trusting for her own good, but her ability
to have faith in people and give them the benefit of the doubt has a
way of bringing out the best in them. She can still be a bit
oblivious, though, and frequently Misses The Point of what's going on.
This is most likely because of her sheltered life; before she met her
best friends Umi and Fuu, Hikaru had never even played a video game!
This has made her very naive in many ways, and also extremely
innocent. She nearly panicked when she thought another woman was going
to disrobe in front of her, and double entendres go right over her
head. She knows next to nothing about what boys find attractive, and
is largely unaware of her own charms, believing herself to be too
small and tomboyish for guys to find interesting. Again, this is
probably because she's been sequestered away most of her life by her
three zealously protective older brothers, and since she attends a
school only for girls, she hasn't had many dealings with males outside
her family unless they are facing her in a kendo match.
Hikaru's caring nature can sometimes be a source of great pain for
her, since she'll carry guilt for even perceived wrongdoing against
others. She never means to insult anyone or cause them grief, and
she'll beat herself up over it if she thinks she has. On top of that,
she will never confess to feeling sad or upset. Those that become
close to her learn to watch out for her assurances of her own
wellbeing, and that when she says "everything is all right!" it is
definitely a guarantee of the contrary. She simply doesn't want to
burden anyone else with her own troubles or worries. Moreover, even
when she's in tough situations, Hikaru will rarely ask for help,
choosing instead to rely on herself. Sometimes it takes a reminder
from a friend that she doesn't have to carry the weight of the world
on her own.
All in all, even though Hikaru is a tiny ball of energy with no
apparent concept of an "indoor voice," she is a fast friend who will
stick with you through thick and thin and a loyal ally who won't back
down from even the most impossible of odds. She is perceptive and wise
beyond her years, despite the fact that she sometimes lives with her
head in the clouds.
TIMELINE: Hikaru would be drawn from directly after the
conclusion of the second season/episode 49 of the anime. A year has
passed since her friends and she returned from their second battle in
Cephiro, and she is fifteen years old.
BACKGROUND:
While not much information is given about Hikaru's life before she was
suddenly whisked away to an amazing, heartbreaking adventure in the
magical world of Cephiro, there are a few things one can glean from
her interactions with her friends and brief scenes of her home life.
Hikaru is the youngest child of her family, and has three older
brothers who love her and dote on her rather shamelessly. She lives in
a large, tranquil dojo, where her family teaches kendo; she apparently
never played video games, but spent time learning how to wield a
blade, since she's extremely proficient at swordplay. Her husky Hikari
is one of her best friends, and they were raised together from a very
early age. She attends an all-girls' middle school.
It was on a school field trip where she met her two new best friends
and embarked on a life-altering journey. When her time ran out on a
set of pay-binoculars at the Tokyo Tower, Hikaru was given more change
by a student from another school. Hikaru dashed off to find the young
girl when she walked away before she could thank her. Another group of
students got in the way and Hikaru was unable to make her way through
them, but at that moment, the entire lobby was flooded with light.
Hikaru heard a voice calling out to her, pleading for help. "Please
save our world, legendary Magic Knights!" The floor gave way, and
three girls were suddenly plummeting through the sky toward an ocean
that hadn't been there moments before.
Fortunately, their fall was broken by something other than the ground:
a giant flying fish. The girls were spirited safely to land, where
they took a few moments to collect themselves and make introductions.
The two other girls were Ryuuzaki Umi and Hououji Fuu, both
eighth-graders from other schools. Naturally, they were perplexed by
their situation, but quickly concluded that they weren't in Kansas
anymore, so to speak. The flying fish disappeared in a flash, and the
girls were approached by a strange, short man called Master Mage Clef.
He explained that they were now in a world called Cephiro, and had
been summoned by its princess, Emeraude, to help save the land from
disaster by reviving the dormant Rune-Gods (powerful spirit animals)
and becoming the Magic Knights of legend. The princess was imprisoned
by a priest named Zagato, and they were to rescue her so stability
could be restored to the land. He also told them that they wouldn't be
able to return to Tokyo until they accomplished the task for which
they had been summoned, and then imbued the girls with magical powers
and gave them armor, claiming that they would need these things to
achieve their quest.
Their time with Clef was cut short when the group was attacked by one
of Zagato's minions, Alcyone. Mage Clef summoned a giant griffon and
told the girls to escape, instructing them to flee to the Forest of
Silence and seek out Presea and Mokona while he stayed behind to fend
off their attacker, who was, in fact, one of his former pupils. Clef
was unable to detain her for long, though; he was ambushed and turned
to stone by Zagato himself, and the girls were left to deal with
Alcyone on their own. Hikaru was able to repel Alcyone's ice attacks
with her fire magic, and the trio made it safely to the Forest. There,
they found the home of Presea, the master weapon smith, and met Mokona
(a strange and oddly happy-looking rabbit creature) as well. Presea
loaned them weapons and sent them off into the monster-filled woods to
locate the Spring of Eterna, where they would find a special ore
called "Escudo," which in turn could be made into their own magical
swords.
Along with Mokona, the girls embarked on the first leg of their quest,
making their way through the forest. They encountered and befriended a
wandering "hunter" named Ferio, and after cutting their way through
swaths of monsters, they finally made it to the Spring. Diving into
the waters, each girl had to face a challenge before receiving their
Escudo. Hikaru was pitted against a vicious doppleganger of her dog,
Hikari. Realizing that Hikari would never hurt her, Hikaru was able to
attack and defeat it. With the ore in hand, the girls returned to
Presea's manor, and she began to forge their swords.
Presea had barely begun her work when her home came under attack by
Ascot, a beast summoner sent by Zagato. Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu were able
to fight off and eventually kill Ascot's summoned monster, but a part
of the roof collapsed in the process, fatally wounding Presea.
Luckily, she had been able to finish their magic swords in the nick of
time, and so with heavy hearts the three buried their friend and moved
on with Mokona in tow, knowing that their time was limited. Clef was
able to communicate to them through Mokona, guiding them despite
having been turned to stone.
Over the course of their journey, they faced more of Zagato's lackeys:
Caldina, a dancer and illusionist; Lafarga, a master swordsman; and
Innouva, a lightning hound-turned-human. Each enemy they faced taught
them valuable lessons about the strength of their own hearts, helping
them to evolve the armor and weapons given them and bringing them
closer to their goal as they awakened the Rune-Gods and proved their
worth to become Magic Knights. In the Water Shrine beneath the ocean,
Umi revived the Rune-God Celes, a dragon. In the Wind Shrine located
in the floating crystal mountain, Fuu revived Windam, a phoenix. After
a battle with Zagato in the volcano that housed the Fire Shrine,
Hikaru was able to revive Rayearth, a fire wolf. They discovered that
the Rune-Gods weren't only beasts, but could become giant robots as
well.
With all three Rune-Gods finally awake, the girls sought out Zagato to
finish their quest and rescue Princess Emeraude. By combining their
powers, they managed to kill Zagato, but the princess went mad with
grief and - in a Rune-God created by her own heart - attacked the
Knights that had come to save her. They had been misled from the
beginning! Emeraude had not summoned them to rescue her, but to end
her life because she had fallen in love with Zagato and couldn't focus
only on the needs of Cephiro.
The girls didn't want to fight her, but Emeraude attacked them
mercilessly. When they had nearly lost hope, they heard the voice of
what was left of the princess' sane mind speaking to them, pleading
for them to fulfil her wish and liberate her from her sad existence
without the man she loved. She plead for them to end it quickly,
before she prayed for the total annihilation of Cephiro.
Grief-stricken, the Magic Knights could only comply. They joined their
Rune-Gods together into one powerful spirit and struck Emeraude down.
Now that the task for which they were summoned was completed, the
girls were returned to the lobby of the Tokyo Tower, deposited
directly where their journey had begun.
In the weeks and months that followed, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu remained
close friends since only the three of them shared the memory of their
time in Cephiro and the bonds they created there. Each of them learned
to cope with the trauma in her own way. The experience definitely
affected them, even mellowing Hikaru's indomitable cheer. She began to
have disturbing nightmares about a dark, menacing woman who foretold
of the eradication of Cephiro. She didn't share her dreams or her
feelings with her friends and family, wanting to spare them the
concern it would cause, but they could all tell that she wasn't as
bright or tenacious as she had been before her trip to the Tokyo
Tower.
Umi and Fuu understood the reason for her melancholy-- or at least
part of it. When they met up at the Tokyo Tower once again to visit
and talk, they were drawn a second time into Cephiro, falling and
being caught by Fyula the flying fish. This time, there wasn't a
beautiful ocean or green scenery. Cephiro was a wasteland in chaos,
falling apart at the seams, with only a single castle as an oasis
amidst the darkness. At the castle, the girls were reunited with all
the friends they made before, including Presea, who was magically
resurrected by the final wish of Emeraude, and Ascot, who had quite
literally grown up, becoming even taller than Umi.
Clef informed the Knights that he did not know who summoned them,
since only the Pillar knew the spell to bring people from other
worlds. They learned that without a Pillar to uphold it, Cephiro was
slowly but surely crumbling away, and that it would soon vanish
entirely. He showed them the magically shielded room that held
Princess Emeraude's crown, the Proof of the Pillar, which would change
its shape to suit the new Pillar when one worthy of claiming the title
appeared. The situation looked even more dire when it was revealed
that three other countries had decided to invade Cephiro in its moment
of weakness. Not wanting them to risk their lives a second time for a
country to which they do not belong, Clef told the girls that they
didn't have to take up arms again in Cephiro's defense. They countered
his statement by arguing that they wanted to fight. This time,
however, they would fight for themselves and for their own hearts, so
they could live without regrets.
Clef acquiesced and gave them their magic armor, which allowed them to
speak with their Rune-Gods. Thusly attired, the girls donned their
mechs and headed out of the castle, desiring to meet with the leaders
of the invading armies to find out why they wanted Cephiro. They faced
the leaders of Autozam, Chizeta, and Fahren, duking it out with
mechas, macho genie spirits, and strange illusions. Alcyone appeared
to attack as well, riding a strange monster. Upon their return to the
castle, the girls met a newcomer: Lantis. They were told that not only
was he the only magic swordsman in Cephiro, but he was also the
younger brother of Zagato! He left Cephiro some time before the
Knights arrived, and returned only after Emeraude's death. He had
apparently been staying in Autozam until the time of his return,
causing several people to call his loyalty into question.
Hikaru, on the other hand, felt that she had to make amends with him.
When she happened to meet Lantis alone, she offered herself up to
receive punishment in place of her friends, saying that she was sure
Lantis was angry that they killed his brother, but that he should only
hurt her for it and not Umi or Fuu. Lantis refused to lift a hand
against her; he's sure that having to kill Zagato made her cry, too.
Hikaru was obviously shocked by his response. Later, Lantis gave
Hikaru a magic necklace that belonged to his mother. She initially
refused to take it, but he insisted that she keep it, asserting that
it would protect her someday.
Hikaru continued to have dreams of the dark woman, Lady Debonair, and
a girl called Nova, who said she was born just for Hikaru and that
they would soon meet. Fearing the destruction of Cephiro, she decided
to search outside the castle for one worthy of becoming the Pillar.
Her friends didn't want to let her go alone, but she argued that it
would be a bad idea to have more than one Magic Knight leave the
castle in case of an attack. Lantis agreed to accompany her, and the
two set out together. During their search, they were accosted by Eagle
Vision, the leader of Autozam's army, who duelled with Hikaru in
Rayearth using his mech, the FTO. He managed to disable and capture
her, taking her back to his battleship, the NSX, where she was held
hostage.
Despite being a prisoner, Hikaru was treated kindly by the citizens of
Autozam, Geo Metro and Zazu Torque, and even had tea and sweets with
Eagle as he explained the plight of his native country. Autozam's
atmosphere was deteriorating due to terrible pollution, and he wanted
to use the Pillar system to devise a way to save his land. Their
interview was cut short when Lantis, riding a summoned horse, burst
through the bulkhead of the ship to rescue Hikaru. Before he could do
so, however, she was spirited away to a gloomy pocket dimension by
Nova.
Nova looked and sounded almost exactly like Hikaru. She claimed she
was born for Hikaru, and that she loved her deeply, and would make her
happy by killing everything she loved. Nova also possessed a black
Rune-God, Regalia, and she and Hikaru fought until she shattered
Hikaru's blade, causing Rayearth to disappear. Laughing, Nova said she
thought the Magic Knights would be stronger, and instructed Hikaru to
grow more powerful so they could play again in the future.
Now powerless, Hikaru could only stand by and watch as her friends
stood in defence of the castle when Chizeta and Fahren attacked. The
situation seemed hopeless when Umi and Fuu were defeated and captured
by the invading countries, until Presea approached Hikaru with an
offer. She knew the spell that could revive the broken Escudo sword,
but Hikaru would have to be willing to risk her life to obtain it.
Hikaru agreed immediately, willing to face any danger in order to help
her friends. During the ritual, Nova returned and entered Hikaru's
soul, mocking and taunting her. She distorted Hikaru's memories of her
friends, skilfully chipping away at Hikaru's determination. Until Nova
confronted her about it, Hikaru hadn't even begun to realize that she
was falling in love with Lantis, but Nova reminded her that he would
never love her in return because she had slaughtered his brother.
Hikaru fell into despair, but Presea's voice broke through the
darkness to encourage her, and she remembered that she was fighting
for herself and for her friends and absolutely could not lose.
Resolutely, she drove back Nova's encroaching presence and was able to
revive her sword, and Rayearth along with it. Lantis, sensing Nova's
presence and Hikaru's waning life force, had rushed to the room where
the ceremony was taking place. Awakening from her trance, Hikaru
confessed her love to him before fainting from exhaustion, although
she would later not recall having done so.
While she fought to revive her sword, Umi and Fuu were able to escape
their captors, even befriending them in the process. This hadn't done
much to dissuade the invaders from their goal of becoming Pillar, or
so it seemed, but now the girls all had a better understanding of the
ambitions of their adversaries. They only had a short time to regroup,
however, before Eagle and company launched another attack against the
castle while Debonair sent a host of monsters to wreak havoc and
terrify the people to increase her power. Eagle managed to infiltrate
the magic barrier that surrounded the castle, but he didn't get far
before a blast of energy from Emeraude's crown incapacitated him and
vanquished other attacking monsters from the castle.
Nova reappeared to Hikaru, this time threatening to kill Lantis before
dashing off. She found him conversing with Eagle in the room where the
latter was being held captive, and tried to kill them both, declaring
that Hikaru didn't hate Eagle because he was her enemy, but cared for
him quite a bit. Hikaru drove Nova away once again before anyone was
injured.
Later, Eagle managed to escape from his cell, and searched the castle
for the Proof of the Pillar, hoping to seize it while no one wass
aware. He needed Lantis' magic sword to enter the protected room,
however, and he found the man interrogating Alcyone as to Lady
Debonair's location. Because Clef sensed that Eagle was free, he
alerted the Magic Knights. Hikaru intercepted Eagle, but the two of
them, along with Lantis, were unexpectedly transported to the hall
just outside the room housing the crown of Emeraude. When Eagle ran
for the door and Hikaru followed, both were allowed to enter. They
each had a vision of the deceased princess before being teleported
outside again. Lantis, who had been waiting by the door, was confused;
only the one who was worthy of becoming the Pillar could enter and
leave the room alive, meaning that either Hikaru or Eagle would be the
future Pillar. But which one was it?
Relentless in her pursuit to exterminate the people Hikaru loved, Nova
re-entered the castle and abducted Lantis, ferrying him into the
pocket dimension she'd used earlier to fight against Hikaru. Clef
attempted to follow, but was unable. He reached a startling conclusion
concerning Nova's identity, however: she was created by all the regret
and sadness that Hikaru felt after the deaths of Zagato and Emeraude.
She was, in essence, a part of Hikaru's heart. When Lantis learned of
this, he was unable to fight against Nova, fearing that if she were
killed a part of Hikaru's soul would be gone forever. Subsequently,
Nova overpowered and captured Lantis.
Heartbroken over the revelation of Nova's identity and overcome by her
feelings, Hikaru visited and confided in Eagle because she knew he was
Lantis' friend. Eagle comforted Hikaru, but a sudden, bloody coughing
fit made it clear that he was gravely ill, and nearly out of time. He
struck a deal with Hikaru and Clef, promising to remain in Cephiro as
its Pillar if he were chosen, so long as his countrymen could examine
the system to try and devise a solution to save Autozam. As the castle
began to crumble, Eagle was released to return to his ship. Before
flying off in his FTO, he told Hikaru not to worry, assuring her that
Lantis did love her, and unlike his brother, he would return alive for
the one he loved.
Umi and Fuu rallied around Hikaru, letting her know that they would
support her if she became the Pillar, but that they didn't want her to
sacrifice herself in the way that Emeraude had. She promised them that
such a thing would never happen: Hikaru didn't want anyone to suffer
or feel he remorse that she did because of the princess' death. Before
she could tell them the course of action she'd decided upon, the
voices of the Rune-Gods interrupted and prompted the girls to look
outside. A massive portal was forming outside the palace, and Nova
emerged, ready for combat inside of Regalia. The girls donned their
spirits and flew out to meet her, and Umi and Fuu unveiled new magical
attacks to combat her. Frustrated and upset, Nova exclaimed that
everything she did was for Hikaru's benefit, and that her attempts to
kill all of Hikaru's loved ones was because, after killing Emeraude
and Zagato, the young Knight wondered if people could only truly be
united after death.
Hikaru revealed the nature of Nova's birth and identity to her friends
as they continued to fight. They didn't have much time to digest the
new information before Nova attacked again, using one of Lantis'
lightning spells. She had him imprisoned and unconscious within
Regalia!
Eagle, who had arrived safely at the NSX, saw that the Knights were
fighting Nova and decided to aid them against the wishes of his
subordinates. He knew that they would hesitate to attack since Lantis
was also aboard Nova's Rune-God, and feared that they would be killed
if they didn't have help. His health was failing fast, however, and it
seemed unlikely he would return. Realizing his time had expired, he
resolved to die as a warrior. He transferred command of the ship to
Geo and requested that his friend use it to help save Cephiro before
launching the FTO.
When Eagle joined the three Knights, Nova gleefully teleported the
entire group to her pocket dimension, letting them know in a
surprisingly gentle voice that she was going to make sure all of them
could be together with Hikaru forever. Things seemed grim; the Knights
weren't faring well against Nova, not wanting to harm Lantis or,
indirectly, Hikaru. Eagle's FTO was heavily damaged by an attack when
his movement was impeded by a bout of coughing, and Nova declared that
Hikaru is more in love with him than ever.
Hikaru tried to explain that she wanted all of her friends to live and
be happy together, but this only caused Nova to lash out in anger and
confusion, since Lady Debonair had raised her to believe that Hikaru
would be happy if Nova killed all her loved ones. She decided to kill
Eagle first, and practically decimated the FTO, but he still managed
to tell Hikaru that her voice could awaken Lantis if she called out
his name. Once awake, Lantis asked Eagle to directly attack Regalia,
echoing Eagle's earlier statement: he was not like his brother, and he
would not die with the one he loved because he could not be with her.
Eagle agreed and attacked Nova with startling speed, retrieving Lantis
when Nova's powers weakened. Lantis summoned a lightning attack, which
resulted in the group being transported back to Cephiro.
Lady Debonair appeared, enraged, and shot a bolt of dark energy at the
FTO, causing it to explode and killing Eagle instantly. Hikaru and the
Magic Knights combined their Rune-Gods to attack the towering figure
of Debonair, but were intercepted by Nova. Furious, the Knights plowed
through Regalia, and when Nova turned to Debonair for help, she was
rebuffed and told to die along with them. Debonair fired another shot
of dark energy at them, which the Knights countered with their own
powerful spiral flash attack, destroying Regalia in the crossfire.
Nova escaped its destruction, however.
Acknowledging that Nova was a problem that she herself had to handle,
Hikaru left the ensconcement of Rayearth's armor and directly
confronted her heart's shadow. Terrified, Nova unleashed a barrage of
attacks against Hikaru, but all of them were effortlessly deflected.
Rather than lashing out, Hikaru reached out to Nova. She believed she
could learn to love herself, even the part that felt pain and regret.
Even Nova. Hikaru accepted her, and when they embraced, Nova
disappeared, finally having found her place in Hikaru's heart.
Meanwhile, Presea convinced Alcyone to share the location of
Debonair's secret lair. Armed with this knowledge, the Knights suited
up and travelled to the Underside of Cephiro where Debonair was
waiting for them. She transformed into a hideous monster, fueled by
the fear of Cephiro's citizens. It might have been impossible for the
Magic Knights to defeat Lady Debonair on their own, but the NSX
arrived to reinforce them, followed by Chizeta's Bravada and Fahren's
Dome. Back at the palace, Ferio, Clef, and the others rallied the
courage of the people of Cephiro, increasing the strength of the
Knights with their willpower. They united their Rune-Gods one final
time and struck the killing blow, piercing Debonair through the heart.
With Lady Debonair gone and Eagle deceased, there was only one person
with the ability to become the new Pillar of Cephiro: Hikaru. She had
already decided that she did not want to repeat history, though, and
so her first and final act as Pillar was to eradicate the Pillar
system entirely, creating a new Cephiro in which everyone could use
the strength of their will to form the land into a beautiful and
peaceful place. The voices of their Rune-Gods explained to the girls
that it had been their own wish that had brought them back to Cephiro.
They had fought for their own hearts, and could now return to Tokyo
with no regrets.
Before disappearing from Cephiro, Hikaru admitted her feelings to
Lantis and he confessed that he loved her as well. In a flash, the
three girls were returned to Tokyo Tower as before, but this time,
they weren't crying tears of regret. One year later, they returned to
the Tower to recall their adventures and saw a vision of Cephiro, more
beautiful and prosperous than it had ever been with a Pillar.
ABILITIES:
Swordsmanship: Hikaru's family owns a kendo dojo, and Hikaru
has practiced with the blade since she was very young.
Agility: Throughout the series, Hikaru displays the
ability to leap extremely high and use a surprising nimbleness to
evade attacks.
Animal communication: Hikaru confesses to her desire to be a
dog trainer, and easily communicates with several of the creatures
native to Cephiro, claiming that animals, like her dog Hikari, are
easy to understand.
Magic: A gift granted by Mage Clef and developed over the
course of her adventures in Cephiro, Hikaru possesses the ability to
use fire magic, and does so with great alacrity. It is possible that
her magic powers are limited to Cephiro and the nearby countries, as
she is unable to use it upon her return to Earth.
Willpower: Although this might not seem like an outstanding
ability, Hikaru's will and the strength of her heart were the deciding
factors in many battles throughout her quests in Cephiro. In addition,
her willpower was strong enough to help send her back to Cephiro and
make her a candidate to become the Pillar, the one responsible for
maintaining peace and prosperity across the land through force of will
alone.
GAME INFO
EDENSPHERE NAME: Nova
BIRTHDAY LOG: Yes, I'd like a birthday log.
DREAM:
Nova didn't know why, but she was crying. Her hands trembled, her legs
shook. Hot tears trickled down her face. She didn't know where she
was, but it was dark and there were stars all around her; swirling
galaxies that seemed to be within arm's reach, yet still so far away,
and beneath her feet, a cloud that looked like a glittering nebula.
Strong winds buffeted her for a moment, but quickly died away.
A thought formed unbidden in her mind ("This is all my fault")
- and Nova felt herself go limp, dropping to her knees. Her head hung
in anguish and shame. "This... this can't be true!" Tears dripped from
her chin onto her skirt and her thighs, but she didn't move to brush
them away. There was no way to keep track of how long she remained
there, still and silent save for the sound of her own heartbeat and an
echo the echo of her exclamation. Can't be true! Can't be true!
Can't be true... Be true... True, true, true. It occurs to her
that she would give anything for that thought, for those words, to
disappear forever, but she knows that they won't because it is
true, and she'll have to live with the burden of that for the rest of
her life, even if she doesn't know what that truth is.
The silence was broken.
Laughter filled the air, but not the pleasant kind: the kind that made
your skin crawl, that made you want to hide for fear. Nova lifted her
head with a start, straining to see who was there with her in the dim,
star-speckled void.
"The Pillar of Cephiro has been eradicated. The people of this world
will soon turn toward darkness." The voice that spoke was female, both
deep and smooth and laced with menace. Jumping to her feet, Nova could
make out a towering, shadowy silhouette. Her gaze was captured by its
glowing red eyes. There was another peal of laughter.
"Who-- who are you?" Nova asked, balling her fists. Whoever she was,
the shadow-woman's words were washing away Nova's bitter sadness,
replacing it with alarm and indignation.
"Soon, everything will fall to extinction," the woman said, ignoring
Nova's question. "Everything will disappear. Not just Cephiro;
every world will become mine." She laughed once more, and Nova
could see another small, black figure emerge from the much larger
shadow. Only, this one looked familiar. It looked almost like...
herself? Before she could react, both of the shadow warped and
twisted, growing and growing, stretching out to envelop her in its
pitch-black folds.
Nova woke with a start, breathing hard and clutching her comforter in
a death-grip. Light streamed into her room through shoji windows. "A
dream..." It hadn't felt like one. She stood and opened the window,
wincing at the bright morning light until her eyes adjusted. A pair of
birds chirped and hopped from branch to branch in the tree outside her
window. "But that wasn't a dream," she said to herself. "What happened
in Cephiro wasn't a dream," she repeated.
Stepping out onto the engawa, she entered a grassy, fenced-in
courtyard. Unlike in her dream(?) everything was peaceful here. There
was a pond. Trees. Everything here was real. A large brown and white
dog trotted up to her and she knelt to pet it, letting it lick her
face as she wrapped her arms around its neck. "Good morning, Hikari!"
She grinned, wanting to laugh and play with her dog, but the memory of
her dream still gave her chills. "Who was that? Who in the world was
that?"
Later, she found herself sitting seiza in a large room. It was silent
and still save for the sound of her breathing and the periodic hollow
tapping of the bamboo shishi odoshi in the pond outside.
The silence was broken.
She could hear murmuring from the doorway, low and conspiring. It
sounded like young men talking to each other, and although Nova
couldn't make out exactly what it was they were saying, she had a
feeling it was about her. She lifted her head when the sound of
padding footsteps approached, and stopped before her. A tall man in
dark blue garments stood before her smiling gently. He sat in front of
her, taking the same seiza posture. "Satoru-niisama." Her brother. He
reached out and affectionately stroked her hair, ruffling it slightly.
"Won't you tell me why you aren't as cheerful as usual?" he asked. Her
face fell and she closed her eyes; he patted her hair again. "I
understand," he said. "Then I won't ask." He withdrew his hand and she
clenched her fists into the fabric of her hakama.
"I'm sorry, Satoru-niisama," she said, staring at his knees.
"You wish to rid yourself of your doubts on your own. If that's what
you decide, Hikaru, follow through until the end."
She looked up at him and nodded, feeling relieved that her brother was
so supportive of her. "Yes!" she said. Almost as soon as the word had
left her lips, she was snatched up into a surprise hug.
"You're not being fair, Satoru-niisan!" said her second brother as he
gathered Nova into his arms and rested his chin on her shoulder.
"Hikaru, I'm worried about you, too."
"Masaru-niisama," she said, finally smiling, patting his arm
obligingly. A third boy came sliding to a halt in front of her and
yanked her out of Masaru's arms.
"I'm worried about cute, little Hikaru, too!" he exclaimed, wrapping
her in a bear hug while she flailed in surprise at the suddenness of
it all. Releasing her, but still grasping her shoulders, he sniffled
dramatically. "If something troubles you, cry on big brother's
shoulder!"
"Kakeru-niisama." Looking at the three of them smiling at her, Nova
knew that there was no reason to be afraid. She could overcome
whatever difficulty she faced, whatever dreams plagued her, as long as
she could lean on her brothers' shoulders. "Thank you. Thank you, my
dear brothers."
JOURNAL SAMPLE:
Hi everyone!!! Nova here. I know I've been gone for a
little while. I hope I didn't make you all worry on my account. I'm
definitely back, for sure! [A little drawing of Nova's face
appears, followed by a grinning husky dog, both surrounded by
sparkles.]
If it's all right with Miss Bastet, I'd like to get back to work as
soon as possible. Krile, are you still here? Do you maybe still have
my journal?
Did I miss anything important? I hope everyone else is all right.
Would someone fill me in?
ASPIRATIONS: Hikaru is one of my favorite characters from
Magic Knight Rayearth, and I'd like to see her make lots of friends
among the inhabitants of the Sphere. She loves people, and would be
happy to bring a little light into everyone's lives. Losing all of her
memories will set her back a bit, so I'd like for her to grow and
mature as she regains them, even if it's a painful process for her.
Hi, Mochi!
After reviewing your application, it appears that you want Nova to retain her Edensphere memories. If this is the case, we would like to request that you write a summary of her previous stay in Edensphere. Please feel free to submit this and we will continue processing your application.
( PLAYER RESPONSE)
Moderation requested that all of the names from the dream be removed when it is used in play.
PLAYER INFO
NAME: Mochi
LOCATION/TIME ZONE: US, Central time zone.
CURRENT CHARACTERS, if any: N/A
CHARACTER INFO
CHARACTER NAME: Shidou Hikaru
SERIES: Magic Knight Rayearth
RESERVED: No
WISHLIST: No
PERSONALITY:
Upon first meeting Shidou Hikaru, there are a few things you're bound
to notice. First: she is short. Hikaru is by far the smallest girl in
her class at her all-girls' middle school. Secondly: she is hyper. Her
energy levels are through the roof, so she can sometimes wear down
those around her with her persistent exuberance. The third thing
you'll learn is that her joyful attitude is absolutely contagious, and
if you were in a bad mood when you met her, chances are you'll be
feeling much more cheerful by the time you part ways. Hikaru makes
fast friends with virtually anyone she meets (apart from those who are
trying to kill her) because she genuinely cares about people and wants
to be their friend.
Because of her petite stature and tomboyish nature, people frequently
mistake Hikaru for a much younger girl and subsequently underestimate
the ancient can of whoopass she's capable of unleashing on a moment's
notice. When she's not wiping the floor with evil-doers, however, she
is extremely cheerful, hyper, excitable, and easily amused. Since she
is so often mistaken for a grade-schooler, Hikaru knows that she can
get away with things that "older" girls really couldn't. Not that she
would take advantage of that, of course! She's as honest and guileless
as they come. More often than not, her size just means that people
don't take her seriously, so she has to work extra hard to get others
to listen to her before they get to know her and realize she's not
actually ten years old.
Although Hikaru can't really be considered the brains of the outfit
among the Magic Knights, she has a surprising intuitive sensitivity to
the feelings of others (unless they happen to be romantic feelings
for her-- those she rarely picks up on). She can't stand to see
others in pain, and will do anything in her power to fix whatever is
wrong. The one caveat is this: if you hurt her friends, she will make
you regret it dearly. Hikaru is willing to go to any length to
protect the people she cares about, braving every danger and
overcoming every obstacle. She will push herself to - and even beyond
- her physical limitations to accomplish the tasks that she sets for
herself; this is especially true when it comes to her friends, but
Hikaru has often leapt to the defence of nigh total strangers,
sometimes at the risk of her very life.
Hikaru is probably far too trusting for her own good, but her ability
to have faith in people and give them the benefit of the doubt has a
way of bringing out the best in them. She can still be a bit
oblivious, though, and frequently Misses The Point of what's going on.
This is most likely because of her sheltered life; before she met her
best friends Umi and Fuu, Hikaru had never even played a video game!
This has made her very naive in many ways, and also extremely
innocent. She nearly panicked when she thought another woman was going
to disrobe in front of her, and double entendres go right over her
head. She knows next to nothing about what boys find attractive, and
is largely unaware of her own charms, believing herself to be too
small and tomboyish for guys to find interesting. Again, this is
probably because she's been sequestered away most of her life by her
three zealously protective older brothers, and since she attends a
school only for girls, she hasn't had many dealings with males outside
her family unless they are facing her in a kendo match.
Hikaru's caring nature can sometimes be a source of great pain for
her, since she'll carry guilt for even perceived wrongdoing against
others. She never means to insult anyone or cause them grief, and
she'll beat herself up over it if she thinks she has. On top of that,
she will never confess to feeling sad or upset. Those that become
close to her learn to watch out for her assurances of her own
wellbeing, and that when she says "everything is all right!" it is
definitely a guarantee of the contrary. She simply doesn't want to
burden anyone else with her own troubles or worries. Moreover, even
when she's in tough situations, Hikaru will rarely ask for help,
choosing instead to rely on herself. Sometimes it takes a reminder
from a friend that she doesn't have to carry the weight of the world
on her own.
All in all, even though Hikaru is a tiny ball of energy with no
apparent concept of an "indoor voice," she is a fast friend who will
stick with you through thick and thin and a loyal ally who won't back
down from even the most impossible of odds. She is perceptive and wise
beyond her years, despite the fact that she sometimes lives with her
head in the clouds.
TIMELINE: Hikaru would be drawn from directly after the
conclusion of the second season/episode 49 of the anime. A year has
passed since her friends and she returned from their second battle in
Cephiro, and she is fifteen years old.
BACKGROUND:
While not much information is given about Hikaru's life before she was
suddenly whisked away to an amazing, heartbreaking adventure in the
magical world of Cephiro, there are a few things one can glean from
her interactions with her friends and brief scenes of her home life.
Hikaru is the youngest child of her family, and has three older
brothers who love her and dote on her rather shamelessly. She lives in
a large, tranquil dojo, where her family teaches kendo; she apparently
never played video games, but spent time learning how to wield a
blade, since she's extremely proficient at swordplay. Her husky Hikari
is one of her best friends, and they were raised together from a very
early age. She attends an all-girls' middle school.
It was on a school field trip where she met her two new best friends
and embarked on a life-altering journey. When her time ran out on a
set of pay-binoculars at the Tokyo Tower, Hikaru was given more change
by a student from another school. Hikaru dashed off to find the young
girl when she walked away before she could thank her. Another group of
students got in the way and Hikaru was unable to make her way through
them, but at that moment, the entire lobby was flooded with light.
Hikaru heard a voice calling out to her, pleading for help. "Please
save our world, legendary Magic Knights!" The floor gave way, and
three girls were suddenly plummeting through the sky toward an ocean
that hadn't been there moments before.
Fortunately, their fall was broken by something other than the ground:
a giant flying fish. The girls were spirited safely to land, where
they took a few moments to collect themselves and make introductions.
The two other girls were Ryuuzaki Umi and Hououji Fuu, both
eighth-graders from other schools. Naturally, they were perplexed by
their situation, but quickly concluded that they weren't in Kansas
anymore, so to speak. The flying fish disappeared in a flash, and the
girls were approached by a strange, short man called Master Mage Clef.
He explained that they were now in a world called Cephiro, and had
been summoned by its princess, Emeraude, to help save the land from
disaster by reviving the dormant Rune-Gods (powerful spirit animals)
and becoming the Magic Knights of legend. The princess was imprisoned
by a priest named Zagato, and they were to rescue her so stability
could be restored to the land. He also told them that they wouldn't be
able to return to Tokyo until they accomplished the task for which
they had been summoned, and then imbued the girls with magical powers
and gave them armor, claiming that they would need these things to
achieve their quest.
Their time with Clef was cut short when the group was attacked by one
of Zagato's minions, Alcyone. Mage Clef summoned a giant griffon and
told the girls to escape, instructing them to flee to the Forest of
Silence and seek out Presea and Mokona while he stayed behind to fend
off their attacker, who was, in fact, one of his former pupils. Clef
was unable to detain her for long, though; he was ambushed and turned
to stone by Zagato himself, and the girls were left to deal with
Alcyone on their own. Hikaru was able to repel Alcyone's ice attacks
with her fire magic, and the trio made it safely to the Forest. There,
they found the home of Presea, the master weapon smith, and met Mokona
(a strange and oddly happy-looking rabbit creature) as well. Presea
loaned them weapons and sent them off into the monster-filled woods to
locate the Spring of Eterna, where they would find a special ore
called "Escudo," which in turn could be made into their own magical
swords.
Along with Mokona, the girls embarked on the first leg of their quest,
making their way through the forest. They encountered and befriended a
wandering "hunter" named Ferio, and after cutting their way through
swaths of monsters, they finally made it to the Spring. Diving into
the waters, each girl had to face a challenge before receiving their
Escudo. Hikaru was pitted against a vicious doppleganger of her dog,
Hikari. Realizing that Hikari would never hurt her, Hikaru was able to
attack and defeat it. With the ore in hand, the girls returned to
Presea's manor, and she began to forge their swords.
Presea had barely begun her work when her home came under attack by
Ascot, a beast summoner sent by Zagato. Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu were able
to fight off and eventually kill Ascot's summoned monster, but a part
of the roof collapsed in the process, fatally wounding Presea.
Luckily, she had been able to finish their magic swords in the nick of
time, and so with heavy hearts the three buried their friend and moved
on with Mokona in tow, knowing that their time was limited. Clef was
able to communicate to them through Mokona, guiding them despite
having been turned to stone.
Over the course of their journey, they faced more of Zagato's lackeys:
Caldina, a dancer and illusionist; Lafarga, a master swordsman; and
Innouva, a lightning hound-turned-human. Each enemy they faced taught
them valuable lessons about the strength of their own hearts, helping
them to evolve the armor and weapons given them and bringing them
closer to their goal as they awakened the Rune-Gods and proved their
worth to become Magic Knights. In the Water Shrine beneath the ocean,
Umi revived the Rune-God Celes, a dragon. In the Wind Shrine located
in the floating crystal mountain, Fuu revived Windam, a phoenix. After
a battle with Zagato in the volcano that housed the Fire Shrine,
Hikaru was able to revive Rayearth, a fire wolf. They discovered that
the Rune-Gods weren't only beasts, but could become giant robots as
well.
With all three Rune-Gods finally awake, the girls sought out Zagato to
finish their quest and rescue Princess Emeraude. By combining their
powers, they managed to kill Zagato, but the princess went mad with
grief and - in a Rune-God created by her own heart - attacked the
Knights that had come to save her. They had been misled from the
beginning! Emeraude had not summoned them to rescue her, but to end
her life because she had fallen in love with Zagato and couldn't focus
only on the needs of Cephiro.
The girls didn't want to fight her, but Emeraude attacked them
mercilessly. When they had nearly lost hope, they heard the voice of
what was left of the princess' sane mind speaking to them, pleading
for them to fulfil her wish and liberate her from her sad existence
without the man she loved. She plead for them to end it quickly,
before she prayed for the total annihilation of Cephiro.
Grief-stricken, the Magic Knights could only comply. They joined their
Rune-Gods together into one powerful spirit and struck Emeraude down.
Now that the task for which they were summoned was completed, the
girls were returned to the lobby of the Tokyo Tower, deposited
directly where their journey had begun.
In the weeks and months that followed, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu remained
close friends since only the three of them shared the memory of their
time in Cephiro and the bonds they created there. Each of them learned
to cope with the trauma in her own way. The experience definitely
affected them, even mellowing Hikaru's indomitable cheer. She began to
have disturbing nightmares about a dark, menacing woman who foretold
of the eradication of Cephiro. She didn't share her dreams or her
feelings with her friends and family, wanting to spare them the
concern it would cause, but they could all tell that she wasn't as
bright or tenacious as she had been before her trip to the Tokyo
Tower.
Umi and Fuu understood the reason for her melancholy-- or at least
part of it. When they met up at the Tokyo Tower once again to visit
and talk, they were drawn a second time into Cephiro, falling and
being caught by Fyula the flying fish. This time, there wasn't a
beautiful ocean or green scenery. Cephiro was a wasteland in chaos,
falling apart at the seams, with only a single castle as an oasis
amidst the darkness. At the castle, the girls were reunited with all
the friends they made before, including Presea, who was magically
resurrected by the final wish of Emeraude, and Ascot, who had quite
literally grown up, becoming even taller than Umi.
Clef informed the Knights that he did not know who summoned them,
since only the Pillar knew the spell to bring people from other
worlds. They learned that without a Pillar to uphold it, Cephiro was
slowly but surely crumbling away, and that it would soon vanish
entirely. He showed them the magically shielded room that held
Princess Emeraude's crown, the Proof of the Pillar, which would change
its shape to suit the new Pillar when one worthy of claiming the title
appeared. The situation looked even more dire when it was revealed
that three other countries had decided to invade Cephiro in its moment
of weakness. Not wanting them to risk their lives a second time for a
country to which they do not belong, Clef told the girls that they
didn't have to take up arms again in Cephiro's defense. They countered
his statement by arguing that they wanted to fight. This time,
however, they would fight for themselves and for their own hearts, so
they could live without regrets.
Clef acquiesced and gave them their magic armor, which allowed them to
speak with their Rune-Gods. Thusly attired, the girls donned their
mechs and headed out of the castle, desiring to meet with the leaders
of the invading armies to find out why they wanted Cephiro. They faced
the leaders of Autozam, Chizeta, and Fahren, duking it out with
mechas, macho genie spirits, and strange illusions. Alcyone appeared
to attack as well, riding a strange monster. Upon their return to the
castle, the girls met a newcomer: Lantis. They were told that not only
was he the only magic swordsman in Cephiro, but he was also the
younger brother of Zagato! He left Cephiro some time before the
Knights arrived, and returned only after Emeraude's death. He had
apparently been staying in Autozam until the time of his return,
causing several people to call his loyalty into question.
Hikaru, on the other hand, felt that she had to make amends with him.
When she happened to meet Lantis alone, she offered herself up to
receive punishment in place of her friends, saying that she was sure
Lantis was angry that they killed his brother, but that he should only
hurt her for it and not Umi or Fuu. Lantis refused to lift a hand
against her; he's sure that having to kill Zagato made her cry, too.
Hikaru was obviously shocked by his response. Later, Lantis gave
Hikaru a magic necklace that belonged to his mother. She initially
refused to take it, but he insisted that she keep it, asserting that
it would protect her someday.
Hikaru continued to have dreams of the dark woman, Lady Debonair, and
a girl called Nova, who said she was born just for Hikaru and that
they would soon meet. Fearing the destruction of Cephiro, she decided
to search outside the castle for one worthy of becoming the Pillar.
Her friends didn't want to let her go alone, but she argued that it
would be a bad idea to have more than one Magic Knight leave the
castle in case of an attack. Lantis agreed to accompany her, and the
two set out together. During their search, they were accosted by Eagle
Vision, the leader of Autozam's army, who duelled with Hikaru in
Rayearth using his mech, the FTO. He managed to disable and capture
her, taking her back to his battleship, the NSX, where she was held
hostage.
Despite being a prisoner, Hikaru was treated kindly by the citizens of
Autozam, Geo Metro and Zazu Torque, and even had tea and sweets with
Eagle as he explained the plight of his native country. Autozam's
atmosphere was deteriorating due to terrible pollution, and he wanted
to use the Pillar system to devise a way to save his land. Their
interview was cut short when Lantis, riding a summoned horse, burst
through the bulkhead of the ship to rescue Hikaru. Before he could do
so, however, she was spirited away to a gloomy pocket dimension by
Nova.
Nova looked and sounded almost exactly like Hikaru. She claimed she
was born for Hikaru, and that she loved her deeply, and would make her
happy by killing everything she loved. Nova also possessed a black
Rune-God, Regalia, and she and Hikaru fought until she shattered
Hikaru's blade, causing Rayearth to disappear. Laughing, Nova said she
thought the Magic Knights would be stronger, and instructed Hikaru to
grow more powerful so they could play again in the future.
Now powerless, Hikaru could only stand by and watch as her friends
stood in defence of the castle when Chizeta and Fahren attacked. The
situation seemed hopeless when Umi and Fuu were defeated and captured
by the invading countries, until Presea approached Hikaru with an
offer. She knew the spell that could revive the broken Escudo sword,
but Hikaru would have to be willing to risk her life to obtain it.
Hikaru agreed immediately, willing to face any danger in order to help
her friends. During the ritual, Nova returned and entered Hikaru's
soul, mocking and taunting her. She distorted Hikaru's memories of her
friends, skilfully chipping away at Hikaru's determination. Until Nova
confronted her about it, Hikaru hadn't even begun to realize that she
was falling in love with Lantis, but Nova reminded her that he would
never love her in return because she had slaughtered his brother.
Hikaru fell into despair, but Presea's voice broke through the
darkness to encourage her, and she remembered that she was fighting
for herself and for her friends and absolutely could not lose.
Resolutely, she drove back Nova's encroaching presence and was able to
revive her sword, and Rayearth along with it. Lantis, sensing Nova's
presence and Hikaru's waning life force, had rushed to the room where
the ceremony was taking place. Awakening from her trance, Hikaru
confessed her love to him before fainting from exhaustion, although
she would later not recall having done so.
While she fought to revive her sword, Umi and Fuu were able to escape
their captors, even befriending them in the process. This hadn't done
much to dissuade the invaders from their goal of becoming Pillar, or
so it seemed, but now the girls all had a better understanding of the
ambitions of their adversaries. They only had a short time to regroup,
however, before Eagle and company launched another attack against the
castle while Debonair sent a host of monsters to wreak havoc and
terrify the people to increase her power. Eagle managed to infiltrate
the magic barrier that surrounded the castle, but he didn't get far
before a blast of energy from Emeraude's crown incapacitated him and
vanquished other attacking monsters from the castle.
Nova reappeared to Hikaru, this time threatening to kill Lantis before
dashing off. She found him conversing with Eagle in the room where the
latter was being held captive, and tried to kill them both, declaring
that Hikaru didn't hate Eagle because he was her enemy, but cared for
him quite a bit. Hikaru drove Nova away once again before anyone was
injured.
Later, Eagle managed to escape from his cell, and searched the castle
for the Proof of the Pillar, hoping to seize it while no one wass
aware. He needed Lantis' magic sword to enter the protected room,
however, and he found the man interrogating Alcyone as to Lady
Debonair's location. Because Clef sensed that Eagle was free, he
alerted the Magic Knights. Hikaru intercepted Eagle, but the two of
them, along with Lantis, were unexpectedly transported to the hall
just outside the room housing the crown of Emeraude. When Eagle ran
for the door and Hikaru followed, both were allowed to enter. They
each had a vision of the deceased princess before being teleported
outside again. Lantis, who had been waiting by the door, was confused;
only the one who was worthy of becoming the Pillar could enter and
leave the room alive, meaning that either Hikaru or Eagle would be the
future Pillar. But which one was it?
Relentless in her pursuit to exterminate the people Hikaru loved, Nova
re-entered the castle and abducted Lantis, ferrying him into the
pocket dimension she'd used earlier to fight against Hikaru. Clef
attempted to follow, but was unable. He reached a startling conclusion
concerning Nova's identity, however: she was created by all the regret
and sadness that Hikaru felt after the deaths of Zagato and Emeraude.
She was, in essence, a part of Hikaru's heart. When Lantis learned of
this, he was unable to fight against Nova, fearing that if she were
killed a part of Hikaru's soul would be gone forever. Subsequently,
Nova overpowered and captured Lantis.
Heartbroken over the revelation of Nova's identity and overcome by her
feelings, Hikaru visited and confided in Eagle because she knew he was
Lantis' friend. Eagle comforted Hikaru, but a sudden, bloody coughing
fit made it clear that he was gravely ill, and nearly out of time. He
struck a deal with Hikaru and Clef, promising to remain in Cephiro as
its Pillar if he were chosen, so long as his countrymen could examine
the system to try and devise a solution to save Autozam. As the castle
began to crumble, Eagle was released to return to his ship. Before
flying off in his FTO, he told Hikaru not to worry, assuring her that
Lantis did love her, and unlike his brother, he would return alive for
the one he loved.
Umi and Fuu rallied around Hikaru, letting her know that they would
support her if she became the Pillar, but that they didn't want her to
sacrifice herself in the way that Emeraude had. She promised them that
such a thing would never happen: Hikaru didn't want anyone to suffer
or feel he remorse that she did because of the princess' death. Before
she could tell them the course of action she'd decided upon, the
voices of the Rune-Gods interrupted and prompted the girls to look
outside. A massive portal was forming outside the palace, and Nova
emerged, ready for combat inside of Regalia. The girls donned their
spirits and flew out to meet her, and Umi and Fuu unveiled new magical
attacks to combat her. Frustrated and upset, Nova exclaimed that
everything she did was for Hikaru's benefit, and that her attempts to
kill all of Hikaru's loved ones was because, after killing Emeraude
and Zagato, the young Knight wondered if people could only truly be
united after death.
Hikaru revealed the nature of Nova's birth and identity to her friends
as they continued to fight. They didn't have much time to digest the
new information before Nova attacked again, using one of Lantis'
lightning spells. She had him imprisoned and unconscious within
Regalia!
Eagle, who had arrived safely at the NSX, saw that the Knights were
fighting Nova and decided to aid them against the wishes of his
subordinates. He knew that they would hesitate to attack since Lantis
was also aboard Nova's Rune-God, and feared that they would be killed
if they didn't have help. His health was failing fast, however, and it
seemed unlikely he would return. Realizing his time had expired, he
resolved to die as a warrior. He transferred command of the ship to
Geo and requested that his friend use it to help save Cephiro before
launching the FTO.
When Eagle joined the three Knights, Nova gleefully teleported the
entire group to her pocket dimension, letting them know in a
surprisingly gentle voice that she was going to make sure all of them
could be together with Hikaru forever. Things seemed grim; the Knights
weren't faring well against Nova, not wanting to harm Lantis or,
indirectly, Hikaru. Eagle's FTO was heavily damaged by an attack when
his movement was impeded by a bout of coughing, and Nova declared that
Hikaru is more in love with him than ever.
Hikaru tried to explain that she wanted all of her friends to live and
be happy together, but this only caused Nova to lash out in anger and
confusion, since Lady Debonair had raised her to believe that Hikaru
would be happy if Nova killed all her loved ones. She decided to kill
Eagle first, and practically decimated the FTO, but he still managed
to tell Hikaru that her voice could awaken Lantis if she called out
his name. Once awake, Lantis asked Eagle to directly attack Regalia,
echoing Eagle's earlier statement: he was not like his brother, and he
would not die with the one he loved because he could not be with her.
Eagle agreed and attacked Nova with startling speed, retrieving Lantis
when Nova's powers weakened. Lantis summoned a lightning attack, which
resulted in the group being transported back to Cephiro.
Lady Debonair appeared, enraged, and shot a bolt of dark energy at the
FTO, causing it to explode and killing Eagle instantly. Hikaru and the
Magic Knights combined their Rune-Gods to attack the towering figure
of Debonair, but were intercepted by Nova. Furious, the Knights plowed
through Regalia, and when Nova turned to Debonair for help, she was
rebuffed and told to die along with them. Debonair fired another shot
of dark energy at them, which the Knights countered with their own
powerful spiral flash attack, destroying Regalia in the crossfire.
Nova escaped its destruction, however.
Acknowledging that Nova was a problem that she herself had to handle,
Hikaru left the ensconcement of Rayearth's armor and directly
confronted her heart's shadow. Terrified, Nova unleashed a barrage of
attacks against Hikaru, but all of them were effortlessly deflected.
Rather than lashing out, Hikaru reached out to Nova. She believed she
could learn to love herself, even the part that felt pain and regret.
Even Nova. Hikaru accepted her, and when they embraced, Nova
disappeared, finally having found her place in Hikaru's heart.
Meanwhile, Presea convinced Alcyone to share the location of
Debonair's secret lair. Armed with this knowledge, the Knights suited
up and travelled to the Underside of Cephiro where Debonair was
waiting for them. She transformed into a hideous monster, fueled by
the fear of Cephiro's citizens. It might have been impossible for the
Magic Knights to defeat Lady Debonair on their own, but the NSX
arrived to reinforce them, followed by Chizeta's Bravada and Fahren's
Dome. Back at the palace, Ferio, Clef, and the others rallied the
courage of the people of Cephiro, increasing the strength of the
Knights with their willpower. They united their Rune-Gods one final
time and struck the killing blow, piercing Debonair through the heart.
With Lady Debonair gone and Eagle deceased, there was only one person
with the ability to become the new Pillar of Cephiro: Hikaru. She had
already decided that she did not want to repeat history, though, and
so her first and final act as Pillar was to eradicate the Pillar
system entirely, creating a new Cephiro in which everyone could use
the strength of their will to form the land into a beautiful and
peaceful place. The voices of their Rune-Gods explained to the girls
that it had been their own wish that had brought them back to Cephiro.
They had fought for their own hearts, and could now return to Tokyo
with no regrets.
Before disappearing from Cephiro, Hikaru admitted her feelings to
Lantis and he confessed that he loved her as well. In a flash, the
three girls were returned to Tokyo Tower as before, but this time,
they weren't crying tears of regret. One year later, they returned to
the Tower to recall their adventures and saw a vision of Cephiro, more
beautiful and prosperous than it had ever been with a Pillar.
ABILITIES:
Swordsmanship: Hikaru's family owns a kendo dojo, and Hikaru
has practiced with the blade since she was very young.
Agility: Throughout the series, Hikaru displays the
ability to leap extremely high and use a surprising nimbleness to
evade attacks.
Animal communication: Hikaru confesses to her desire to be a
dog trainer, and easily communicates with several of the creatures
native to Cephiro, claiming that animals, like her dog Hikari, are
easy to understand.
Magic: A gift granted by Mage Clef and developed over the
course of her adventures in Cephiro, Hikaru possesses the ability to
use fire magic, and does so with great alacrity. It is possible that
her magic powers are limited to Cephiro and the nearby countries, as
she is unable to use it upon her return to Earth.
Willpower: Although this might not seem like an outstanding
ability, Hikaru's will and the strength of her heart were the deciding
factors in many battles throughout her quests in Cephiro. In addition,
her willpower was strong enough to help send her back to Cephiro and
make her a candidate to become the Pillar, the one responsible for
maintaining peace and prosperity across the land through force of will
alone.
GAME INFO
EDENSPHERE NAME: Nova
BIRTHDAY LOG: Yes, I'd like a birthday log.
DREAM:
Nova didn't know why, but she was crying. Her hands trembled, her legs
shook. Hot tears trickled down her face. She didn't know where she
was, but it was dark and there were stars all around her; swirling
galaxies that seemed to be within arm's reach, yet still so far away,
and beneath her feet, a cloud that looked like a glittering nebula.
Strong winds buffeted her for a moment, but quickly died away.
A thought formed unbidden in her mind ("This is all my fault")
- and Nova felt herself go limp, dropping to her knees. Her head hung
in anguish and shame. "This... this can't be true!" Tears dripped from
her chin onto her skirt and her thighs, but she didn't move to brush
them away. There was no way to keep track of how long she remained
there, still and silent save for the sound of her own heartbeat and an
echo the echo of her exclamation. Can't be true! Can't be true!
Can't be true... Be true... True, true, true. It occurs to her
that she would give anything for that thought, for those words, to
disappear forever, but she knows that they won't because it is
true, and she'll have to live with the burden of that for the rest of
her life, even if she doesn't know what that truth is.
The silence was broken.
Laughter filled the air, but not the pleasant kind: the kind that made
your skin crawl, that made you want to hide for fear. Nova lifted her
head with a start, straining to see who was there with her in the dim,
star-speckled void.
"The Pillar of Cephiro has been eradicated. The people of this world
will soon turn toward darkness." The voice that spoke was female, both
deep and smooth and laced with menace. Jumping to her feet, Nova could
make out a towering, shadowy silhouette. Her gaze was captured by its
glowing red eyes. There was another peal of laughter.
"Who-- who are you?" Nova asked, balling her fists. Whoever she was,
the shadow-woman's words were washing away Nova's bitter sadness,
replacing it with alarm and indignation.
"Soon, everything will fall to extinction," the woman said, ignoring
Nova's question. "Everything will disappear. Not just Cephiro;
every world will become mine." She laughed once more, and Nova
could see another small, black figure emerge from the much larger
shadow. Only, this one looked familiar. It looked almost like...
herself? Before she could react, both of the shadow warped and
twisted, growing and growing, stretching out to envelop her in its
pitch-black folds.
Nova woke with a start, breathing hard and clutching her comforter in
a death-grip. Light streamed into her room through shoji windows. "A
dream..." It hadn't felt like one. She stood and opened the window,
wincing at the bright morning light until her eyes adjusted. A pair of
birds chirped and hopped from branch to branch in the tree outside her
window. "But that wasn't a dream," she said to herself. "What happened
in Cephiro wasn't a dream," she repeated.
Stepping out onto the engawa, she entered a grassy, fenced-in
courtyard. Unlike in her dream(?) everything was peaceful here. There
was a pond. Trees. Everything here was real. A large brown and white
dog trotted up to her and she knelt to pet it, letting it lick her
face as she wrapped her arms around its neck. "Good morning, Hikari!"
She grinned, wanting to laugh and play with her dog, but the memory of
her dream still gave her chills. "Who was that? Who in the world was
that?"
Later, she found herself sitting seiza in a large room. It was silent
and still save for the sound of her breathing and the periodic hollow
tapping of the bamboo shishi odoshi in the pond outside.
The silence was broken.
She could hear murmuring from the doorway, low and conspiring. It
sounded like young men talking to each other, and although Nova
couldn't make out exactly what it was they were saying, she had a
feeling it was about her. She lifted her head when the sound of
padding footsteps approached, and stopped before her. A tall man in
dark blue garments stood before her smiling gently. He sat in front of
her, taking the same seiza posture. "Satoru-niisama." Her brother. He
reached out and affectionately stroked her hair, ruffling it slightly.
"Won't you tell me why you aren't as cheerful as usual?" he asked. Her
face fell and she closed her eyes; he patted her hair again. "I
understand," he said. "Then I won't ask." He withdrew his hand and she
clenched her fists into the fabric of her hakama.
"I'm sorry, Satoru-niisama," she said, staring at his knees.
"You wish to rid yourself of your doubts on your own. If that's what
you decide, Hikaru, follow through until the end."
She looked up at him and nodded, feeling relieved that her brother was
so supportive of her. "Yes!" she said. Almost as soon as the word had
left her lips, she was snatched up into a surprise hug.
"You're not being fair, Satoru-niisan!" said her second brother as he
gathered Nova into his arms and rested his chin on her shoulder.
"Hikaru, I'm worried about you, too."
"Masaru-niisama," she said, finally smiling, patting his arm
obligingly. A third boy came sliding to a halt in front of her and
yanked her out of Masaru's arms.
"I'm worried about cute, little Hikaru, too!" he exclaimed, wrapping
her in a bear hug while she flailed in surprise at the suddenness of
it all. Releasing her, but still grasping her shoulders, he sniffled
dramatically. "If something troubles you, cry on big brother's
shoulder!"
"Kakeru-niisama." Looking at the three of them smiling at her, Nova
knew that there was no reason to be afraid. She could overcome
whatever difficulty she faced, whatever dreams plagued her, as long as
she could lean on her brothers' shoulders. "Thank you. Thank you, my
dear brothers."
JOURNAL SAMPLE:
Hi everyone!!! Nova here. I know I've been gone for a
little while. I hope I didn't make you all worry on my account. I'm
definitely back, for sure! [A little drawing of Nova's face
appears, followed by a grinning husky dog, both surrounded by
sparkles.]
If it's all right with Miss Bastet, I'd like to get back to work as
soon as possible. Krile, are you still here? Do you maybe still have
my journal?
Did I miss anything important? I hope everyone else is all right.
Would someone fill me in?
ASPIRATIONS: Hikaru is one of my favorite characters from
Magic Knight Rayearth, and I'd like to see her make lots of friends
among the inhabitants of the Sphere. She loves people, and would be
happy to bring a little light into everyone's lives. Losing all of her
memories will set her back a bit, so I'd like for her to grow and
mature as she regains them, even if it's a painful process for her.
Hi, Mochi!
After reviewing your application, it appears that you want Nova to retain her Edensphere memories. If this is the case, we would like to request that you write a summary of her previous stay in Edensphere. Please feel free to submit this and we will continue processing your application.
( PLAYER RESPONSE)