A Clef and Umi Story By: Vanilla Fox

Disclaimer: MKR, all characters and related indicia are © CLAMP.

Author's Note: After reading more fics, I feel confident enough to write a fic! *laughs evilly*But poor Ascot. He dies saving Umi... I feel kinda bad... But this is, a Clemi, though it starts out as Asmi.

Chapter 1 [Goodbyes]

Blue hair, the colour of a peaceful ocean waved around in the wind, and swirled around a pale, sad face. Blue eyes a darker colour of a stormy sea looked down the cliff, into the craggy rocks. Sobs racked the young woman's body, as she remembered that fateful event... A tall man wearing all black, same as she did, caught her as she fainted. He sighed, and wiped her crying face with one of the voluminous robes that covered him. She curled up into foetal position as he lifted her clear from the ground. Clef to one look at her face, and walked out of the funeral service.

"And now, Magic Knight, your weakness has been revealed! You will die!" A pale man, the colour of chiselled white marble, laughed evilly as a bleeding Magic Knight of Water knelt before him, hugging herself. She had not enough strength to even summon her sword. Slowly, painfully, using her unbroken arm, she attempted to lever her broken body up to the point of even sitting. But to no avail.

The man, a new enemy who called himself Kane, kicked her with his boot, and she cried out in pain as she landed next to a very injured Fuu, who had fainted from the pain that she had to go through. Fuu's clothes were torn and her glasses were nowhere to be found. Her face was bruised and bloody, and her neck had several red marks left by his crushing grip. Umi tried vainly again to even stand. But she couldn't. However hard she worked, her attempts were futile. Behind her, their friends watched on helplessly as Kane advanced upon her, black feathers from his six wings falling upon every step. "Umi... the Magic Knight of Water, isn't it? Said to be beautiful... and gutsy. For once, rumours seem to be true enough." He told her, as he held her by the chin.

"Let go of her, you bas***d!" Ascot cried out from beneath the wall that kept them out. He laughed. "Do you think such petty name-calling will affect me?" He laughed again, a laugh that chilled every single one of them to the bone. And with a sigh, he looked into Umi's eyes, and forced his kiss upon her. She struggled, repulsion evident upon her face. Ascot screamed from the other side. Clef watched in horror. Finally, something broke. Umi bit his tongue, and he took a step away from her with a cry of rage. "You WENCH!" his mouth was bleeding, and his blood also dripped from her mouth. Haughtily, she looked up at him and spit a piece of his tongue out. Even Cauldina couldn't help but wince in repulsion.

With a growl, he backhanded her, and she flew a few metres, before meeting the resistance of the wall. She hit it with a loud crack, and a small crater formed on it, with blood dripping form the stones. But with his moment of anger, Kane let the shield down, and while he dove for the injured water knight, Ascot leapt in front of her, ending up with a huge gash across his middle. They all gasped at the sight of his blood flying all over the place. Cauldina screamed, and Umi stared in wide-eyed shock, her face splattered with his blood. "ASCOT!!!" With all her strength, she crawled to him, and put his head on her lap.

His bright green eyes were tearful with the immense pain, and yet, were remorseful. She cried over him, her tears mingling with his own blood, and falling on his face. He smiled up at her and tried his best to talk. "U...mi...." She sobbed harder and gasped. "Please, please, Ascot, don't talk.... I'll do something... You'll be ok... please, save your energy..." With all the strength he could muster, he shook his head. "I'm al... most...in...half..." he whispered. "I...wan...t...to...tell...you.... one...last...thing..." She sobbed more and was gasping now. "NO! Don't talk like that!" He smiled. "I...have...to...Umi...I...love...you...But...find...so..me...one...else..." She shook her head and held onto his hand in a death grip, ignorant of the fight going on between the rest and Kane behind her. "Umi... listen... PROMISE...me...it's...my last wish..." She nodded. "Yes. *gasp* I will! But you won't die! You'll see! If you do, I swear, I will strangle you!" He laughed, and coughed, this time, blood came out of his mouth. "That's my...U..mi....." Finally, his head rolled off to one side, limply. She cried harder, and let out an ear-piercing shriek. "NNOOOOOO!!!!"

Clef looked up from his book as he (and probably most of the castle) heard Umi scream the same thing she did every time she fell asleep. And they all knew what she was dreaming about. Cauldina broke into another bout of fresh tears. The illusionist's close relationship with Ascot had damaged her seriously, and every time she saw anything, or heard, or smelt or touched anything that reminded her of Ascot, she would break down. LaFarga, though, was there every time, and comforted her. Clef sighed, and stood up, much to the curiosity of everyone. Lantis, shortly after, followed him out, but headed for Hikaru's room.

Umi sat up straight, and slouched, broken, while sobbing into her hands. "It's... just.. a dream... Ryuuzaki, get a grip. It's. Just. A. Dream... Which really happened." Fresh tears made their way down her face, and she couldn't see- it was just blackness, and a splatter of red, across her eyes. Blood red- Ascot's blood. She screamed, and screamed, and screamed.

Ferio comforted Fuu, who was sobbing uncontrollably, though she couldn't say anything. Speaking would hurt her broken windpipe, and her fractured throat. But still, she was whispering, talking to him in silent, misty whispers. "She's in pain... so much pain... I can't help her... What am I to do?" Ferio hugged her close, and made soothing noises in her ear, while she started to tremble less. He couldn't think of anything soothing to say. But noises were enough. For now. He sighed as Umi continued screaming her lungs out.

Lantis looked at the broken Hikaru, lying on her bed so quietly, so peacefully, at first sight, you would think she was just sleeping through all of this. But when he got nearer, tears were making trails of water down her face. She was crying- but was so silent about it. When she finally acknowledged his presence, she opened her eyes, and there, he saw such sadness, such pain and distress.... That he felt like crying himself. "Lantis, why? Why did this happen?" He shook his head. "I do not know, Hikaru, and no one does, either. No one ever will know why such things happen." A strangled sob escaped her, and she spoke again, with such ferocity. "I'm supposed to be the Pillar, Lantis, why couldn't I stop it? I was the first one to break! I was the first one to fall... and I wasn't there to help Fuu, when he strangled her, or to help Umi, when he tortured her, while the two of us were lying unconscious. I wasn't even there, to stop Ascot." With that, she closed her eyes, and turned over, so that her back faced him. Sighing, he sat down, and began a long wait.

Warmth. There was such sudden, fierce warmth. Slowly, the coldness Umi felt began to fade, and she opened her eyes, to look up for a while. Her tears were blurring her vision, but she saw Clef there, hugging, her, protecting her, warming her. "Clef?" he nodded, but shushed her. "It's not ok, Umi. I'm telling it to you without lies, just the way you like it. It's not ok. Ascot is dead." Umi nodded, and hiccoughed. "I'm ok, Clef. I'm ok now. Thank you so much. I just needed someone to tell it to me straight. Thank you so much. But- I'm fine now, I've accepted it. I think it's time I freshened up." He nodded, and looked at her, a bit dubiously. But he knew what she was saying was true. All she needed was someone to say it straight to her face. And he did. She turned to him, eyebrow raised.

"What?"

"Clef, I would really appreciate it if you went out while I dressed."

"Oh! I'm sorry, Umi. I didn't me-"

"It's alright. I'll come down soon. If you want, you can wait for me outside." He nodded.

"I'll wait for you in my study... And Umi?"

"Hmm?"

"Take... take care of yourself. That gash on your side hasn't healed completely yet... No running."

"Huh? O...Ok..."

Umi sighed and looked out the window as she unbuttoned her blouse, and searched her closet for another one, preferably something cleaner and something black.

"Clef! Clef!" the Master mage turned around as he was walking back to his study, to see Primera. "What is it?" She flew up, down and around, frantically. "Outside! Look outside! See!" he frowned, and did so, going out of the balcony. At once, he went back in, wonder in his face. "It's raining-" Primera nodded. "It's raining ice, Guru!" He shook his head. "I cannot do anything about this." With that, he walked down the hallway, going up to his study. From Fuu's room, Ferio's eyes widened. This isn't possible. Only the Pillar can affect Cefiro! And from Hikaru's room, Lantis looked up from Hikaru's back. Umi...her feelings are strong enough to affect Cefiro?!

Inside the study, Clef faced a bunch of very concerned people.

"Clef! What's happening?"

"How can Umi affect Cefiro?!"

"Cefiro is mirroring her feelings! I can feel her aura everywhere, in every single drop of ice!!"

"SILENCE!"

They all turned to Ferio and Lantis, the former being the one who spoke. "We are all concerned. But we cannot make any conclusions as of yet. Besides, the Magic Knights need to recover from their fight first. We cannot question them as of yet." LaFarga nodded his agreement. "However, Clef, we would appreciate you telling us what is happening." Clef shook his head. "I knew that something was wrong- Hikaru might have been innocent and pure, but she didn't have enough power and love for Cefiro alone. My suspicions- they have a base. The Magic Knights are the Pillar." Silence hung in the room like a thick blanket. That was, until chaos ensued.

"WHAAAAT?!"

"IMPOSSIBLE!"

Clef held up his hand. "It is possible. Please do not interrupt. We have bigger concerns than this." Ferio frowned. "What could be more important that this, Clef?" He frowned and turned around to face them, his face a heavy, dark thundercloud. All of them were silenced, and were coerced by his look into sitting and listening. Mokona jumped off the table, into a chair, his ears flat against his head. Puu... Clef, finally spoke. "If it is raining ice, and you think Umi is causing this, then do you not think further? Why do you think this is happening, if Cefiro mirrors her feelings?" Silence. He sighed, and anger became more evident on his face. He fought to keep his voice calm, even if his face was already betraying his emotions. "If her feelings are what Cefiro is showing, then what do you think she might be feeling?"


Presea fainted, and Cauldina caught her. Lantis looked at him, his voice also passive. "She is freezing her heart." Clef nodded. Primera flew around in a flurry of wings and high-pitched voices. "The Pillar cannot freeze her heart! Even if she is only one third, what could happen? Cefiro will freeze over! She controls water! Anything water or ice is her! Water will freeze! It will continue to rain ice!" she flew and flew, and flew, until she bumped into Mokona, who looked at her. Puu,pu,pu,puu. Puu...puu.pu.pu.pupupu. She shook her head. "This isn't happening..."

Everyone looked outside at the chaos that was ensuing, and then, at the door which clicked open. Umi came out, her face copying Lantis' emotions- nothing. Her eyes were hard, and looked at everything calmly. She wore a button-up black dress and almost everything else black. Her boots reached up to her knees, were also black. And Ferio, who was closest to the door, could've sworn that her stone was slightly blacker than before. She gazed at the scene they made calmly. "Did I miss anything?"

A/N: WHOO-OOO!!! UMI RULES!!! Seriously, I know this is supposed to be about the three of them, not only Hikaru, so I'm tweaking it to make sure everyone gets equal attention, even if Hikaru gets a bit less... nah, jk. Everyone will be treated the same, though forgive me for treating Umi and Clef better, and taking their povs more. This story is supposed to be about them. Please, please, please, review!! I don't update if I don't think anyone is reading. What would be the use?

Ja-ne, Vanilla Fox