Note: This happens before the Magic Knights go to Cephiro a second time. My
take on how Ascot grew up in the Second season. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own MKR. Never have, never will.
~Dreams~
/flashback/
Tears spilled out of our eyes as the white light engulfed us and dropped us in Tokyo Tower. For comfort we hugged each other, our very souls shattered into innumerably small pieces. We must've looked strange, standing there, when a few moments before we had (to them anyway) never seen each other. But we didn't care, not when the land we had grown to love and cherish had not changed; not when what we were fighting for so hard turned out to be so wrong, and so sad. The Final Battle and the Final Tragedy have been imprinted in our minds, as Princess Emeraude's dying words echoed within the silent chambers of our minds. We will never forget.
Hikaru voiced it perfectly for us: "It's not fair! It's just not fair!!"
We will never forget Princess Emeraude, or Cephiro.
/end flashback/
"Umi!" I turned around at the sound of my name. One of my classmates waved to me to slow down. I stepped aside and waited for her. She soon caught up, having to hold on to the nearby railing as she regained her breath.
"My goodness girl, what's with you today?" She asked bluntly.
I looked at her in surprise. "What do you mean, Karin?"
Karin put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips. She could do a good imitation of Mrs. Mizuno when she wanted to. "You know exactly what I mean. I yelled your name five times and you still didn't hear me. You always have this glazed look in class. You've even been slacking on the fencing team!! Is that anyway for the team captain to act?!"
I chuckled at Karin's tirade, but it quickly faded. Was it that obvious? Was it that obvious that my heart had been ripped out and smashed, so quickly and suddenly?
"Umi, Earth to Umi!" Karin waved her hands frantically in front of my face. I smiled at her.
"You've got that look on your face. It's so sad. I think my heart will break…" I was startled when I looked at Karin. For a moment, I thought she was going to cry. I tried to reassure her.
"Listen Karin, it's nothing. Honestly. I'm just going through a bit of a rough time, but you don't need to worry about me. I'm fine." /I sound like Hikaru/ I thought. I waved goodbye and began walking away.
"It has something to do with Tokyo Tower, doesn't it Umi." I whirled around, looking at Karin with wide eyes. She can be pretty shrewd at times.
Karin smiled at me sadly. "I see I was right. Then I won't push it." She walked past me, but not before saying, "I don't know what went on between those two girls and you, and that bright flash of light, but if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here, okay?"
I smiled. "Thank you, Karin."
****
"I'm home!" I yelled as soon as I walked into the front hall. Mom gave a muffled reply from the kitchen. Undoing my shoes and taking off my coat, I walked into the kitchen in hopes of finding a snack for my protesting stomach. I'm not surprised; I barely ate anything today. The last time I cleaned my plate was a week ago, before the field trip. Come to think of it, I haven't seen Hikaru or Fuu since then. I guess we need our space to think things through. Lord knows we've been through more than anyone should ever have to.
As usual Mom was her perky self. She bustled around the kitchen as I sat down to eat the cookies set in front of me. I know she and Daddy are worried about me: they always exchange concerned glances when I don't finish my plate. She told me to eat up and to tell her about my day.
I munched on a cookie as I gave her a five-minute blurb of the day's events. Grabbing another one, I ran upstairs and shut myself in my room. Which is also highly unusual for me. Normally it takes me half an hour to tell Mom about first period. I don't mean to worry her, but I needed time to myself.
A few hours later I was done with my homework and I was randomly drawing in my sketchbook. I'm actually a pretty good artist, if I do say so myself. In any case, it's a good way to relieve the tension I'm feeling. I've been taking time off from the fencing team, so it provides a creative outlet.
I draw the strangest things when I'm not thinking. Most of the time it's a sickly looking flower or something like that. But other times my best drawings are done when I'm not paying attention to what I'm doing. My art teacher says it has something to do with my sub-conscious. I always thought that was a load of crap: everyone knew she was crazy.
I heard the door open behind me. Startled, I turned around to see who it was. Mom was standing there hesitantly. I sighed with relief. I was still a little shell-shocked from fighting all those monsters. I had to be on my toes when I was in Cephiro. Oh my, I couldn't seem to not think about Cephiro, even when I was talking to my mom!!
"Umi, honey, is everything alright?"
I nearly laughed out loud at that. Yes Mom, I'm just fine. I'm just like every other normal kid, except that I can use magic and I was summoned to another world to kill someone. Yep, everything's dandy. What a load of crap.
"Yeah Mom, I'm fine." I smiled weakly at her.
She didn't seem convinced. Instead of leaving, she came over and sat on my bed. "Umi, I know something's wrong. I don't know what it is, or if I should even ask you about it, but I know my Umi. And my Umi would come and tell me what's wrong."
I sighed. I wanted to tell her so much, about all that had happened, but I was afraid that she wouldn't believe me. Check that. I KNOW she wouldn't believe me, and she would get all worried and tell Daddy and the next thing I knew, I'd be in one of those reclining chairs while a psychologist asked me what ink blots looked like.
"Its just stress Mom. We've got midterms coming up. I really want to get a good grade." That seemed to satisfy her. It wasn't a complete lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either. I was dealing with a lot of stress, but it definitely wasn't over midterms.
She got up from my bed and stood next to my chair, placing her hands on my shoulders. For a moment she looked thoughtful, then she smiled. "I like your drawing, Umi. Who is it?"
I glance down at my mindless drawing, and nearly yelped aloud. Ye gods, even my sub-conscious wouldn't let me rest!! It was actually a pretty good drawing, and it wasn't the first time I had drawn someone from Cephiro in the past week. I had Guru Clef and Presea on my bulletin board; Princess Emeraude and Sol Zagato were in a drawer in my desk. I drew it the night we got back.
This person however was completely different from anyone else I've drawn. For one thing, it was a little kid.
"Ahh, his name is Ascot," I said without thinking.
Mom nodded and smiled. "I like his outfit, the jewels and the trim and whatnot. His hat is adorable!! But why don't you draw in his eyes?"
"That's because his bangs are so long, you can't see his eyes clearly," I mumbled.
Mom paused and looked at the picture for a little while longer. "He looks lonely," she finally said.
"Eh?" I looked up at her in surprise.
Mom waved her hand at the other two drawings on my board. "He looks sad, like he's hiding a great secret and a great tragedy. She looks lost and scared and sorrowful. And he looks lonely. Like he's been alone all his life."
I almost started to cry then. I really did. Mom couldn't have possibly known what she had done, but I was still close to tears anyways. I didn't realize that she could see what I saw. The only ones who look truly happy are Emeraude and Zagato. Clef loved Emeraude like his own daughter, Presea wanted to help for the peace of Cephiro, and Ascot wanted to be accepted for who he was. It was if Mom had read my mind.
She broke out of her revere and exclaimed, "Oh I'm sorry Umi. I didn't mean to upset you."
I gave her a small smile. "It's not your fault Mom. You didn't know."
Suddenly the smoke detector went off downstairs. Mom went rigid, then cried hysterically, "DINNER!!" She raced off to try to salvage what she could from the oven. I followed her downstairs, and laughed while she tried to fan the smoke away. She looked up at me helplessly.
"I guess we're doing take-out tonight," I giggled.
Mom just sighed and opened the windows. I grabbed the phone. Daddy was coming home soon.
*****
I crawled into bed and immediately shut the light off. After the fiasco in the kitchen, we ordered pizza. It wasn't that bad, actually. It's one of the few American foods I do like.
Dinner itself was quiet. Mom and Dad chatted about their days, and I gave them the run-down on mine. I can tell they're worried, but right now, I just didn't care.
The Ascot picture is now hanging on my bulletin board, right beside Presea and Clef. It's strange, that out of all the people we met in Cephiro, I remember him the most clearly. I mean, I remember the Guru (he was so annoying, how could you NOT remember him?) and Presea was the one who made our weapons. Why would I remember a little boy like him? I guess it's because he was one of Zagato's minions. Fighting him was one of the most painful battles I had ever faced. But we both made it through okay, and both made a new friend. He's really sweet once you get to know him. And it's adorable how he calls his monsters his 'friends', and he really was fighting for their sake. A total "Aw" factor.
I soon drifted off to sleep, which was a first because lately it's been taking me forever to get to sleep. I guess I was super tired or something, but I conked out as soon as my head hit the pillow.
For a while, I was just drifting in a comforting wave of darkness, floating above a beautiful galaxy and a sea of twinkling stars all around me. I began to fall towards the galaxy in question, coming upon a tiny system with four oddly shaped planets. Three I didn't recognized, and I couldn't really describe them. One I think looked like a squashed glass ball with spikes jutting through holes. Another looked like a ball with two asteroid belts circling it, and the last one looked like a tennis ball wedged between two cones.
The one I was heading for seemed oddly familiar, yet I was sure I had never been there in my life. For one thing, it was flat like a table! I chalked it all up to my dreamy sub-conscious.
For a little while longer I floated down towards the planet, before a white light swept me up and away. If I was awake, I would've panicked, but I just let the dream carry me where it may. It seemed fairly pleasant too. Too often in the past week I've woken up in a cold sweat after a particularly nasty nightmare.
I opened my eyes to find myself in a clearing in a forest. Sunlight was streaming down from the clear blue sky and the wind was tugging playfully at my skirt. I then happened to look down. I nearly screamed.
I was wearing my school uniform and Armor!!! I'm serious! The armor Clef first gave us glimmered brightly in the sun as I glanced at it. That meant I was somewhere in Cephiro. Had I been summoned in my sleep to this place?
I quickly threw out that option on the grounds that I hadn't gotten here like the first time, Cephiro looked plenty peaceful from when I fell from the sky, and what I had been summoned to do in the first place had been completed. So I guess I was just dreaming about Cephiro. I figured I might as well enjoy it while I could.
Suddenly I heard the sound of laughter ringing out somewhere to the left of me. I turned and started. Two monsters were playing in the stream that cut across the clearing! I almost summoned my sword when I finally figured out where the laughter was coming from.
"Ascot?!" I breathed.
And there he was, standing on his flying rock like always, attempting, I guess to give two of his monster friends a much-needed bath. But it looked like he was the one getting the bath, not his friends!
Then his friends must've sensed me because they went all tense and Ascot whirled around at the sign of danger. I saw his eyes widen beneath his long, brown bangs.
"Umi?!" He cried.
We stood there staring at each other for several minutes before Ascot grinned widely and reassured his friends. "Don't worry Moyu, Chiuki, it's only Umi, my friend that I told you about!!" He laughed, then ran to me and looked up. His friends became visibly relaxed and watched their friend.
"Hello Ascot," I smiled down at him.
He blushed. I always found that endearing about him. I remember Fuu and Hikaru teasing me about him. They seemed to think he had a crush on me. I don't see why that is, Ascot is one of my friends!
Then Ascot frowned at me. "What are you doing here Umi? I thought Guru Clef said you went back to your own world after you kill- I mean, after you granted the Pillar's wish."
"Ah, I don't know. I think I'm dreaming. I mean, I know I'm asleep at home, and I wasn't in my uniform or anything…" I looked around, wondering at how peaceful Cephiro looked.
Ascot smiled at me. "Well, I don't care. I'm glad you came back."
I looked down in surprise. Then I smiled softly. "What was that Ascot?"
Ascot turned pink as he mumbled, "Well, you and Hikaru and Fuu were my first human friends, and you don't mind my other friends. You guys helped me see that I was wrong and that I was hurting my friends." He stared at his shoes.
I chuckled. "Well Ascot, I'm glad I came back too." I glanced up at the sky. "I've grown to love Cephiro and the people who inhabit it. I miss everyone, including you, Ascot."
Ascot smiled shyly. I think his face was permanent shade of red.
Just then, a gust of wind swept through the clearing, sweeping away Ascot's hat. He gave a shout and scurried after it. But I have longer legs then him, so I ran past him and scooped up his hat, keeping it teasingly out of reach. After trying to jump for it for a few seconds, he wised up and called for his floating rock. That began a merry chase around the clearing as I leaped over boulders and tree trunks and even a few monster limbs. The air rang with Ascot's protests and our laughter.
At one point Ascot tried to enlist the help of his two friends, but they wouldn't move. I swear, if monsters could laugh, I would've thought they were cracking a few ribs over our behavior.
"Some help you are!" He shouted at them.
"Ho ho ho! They know they can't outrun Speed Demon Umi!" At that moment I chose to trip over a rock by the stream and went flying forward. I waved my arms wildly in all directions.
Ascot managed to catch one of my hands and tried to keep me from diving headfirst into the water. For a brief moment we tittered on the edge, yelling at the top of our lungs before we managed to balance out. But of course, just when we were ready to breathe a huge sigh of relief, we toppled over and plunged headfirst into the stream!
"Arrrgghh!!" I yelled, spitting out a mouthful of water.
Ascot wasn't in any better shape either. We were soaked! I chanced a glance at him and burst out laughing. His bangs were plastered to his forehead so had to part his hair to see. His outfit was dripping all over the place. I still had his hat, which was now a crumpled mass of wet fabric. He glared up at me and then began to laugh.
"What's so darn funny?" I suddenly glared at him.
"You!" He replied, holding his ribs.
I looked myself over. I was dirty, had grass stains on my knees, twigs in my skirt and grass in my hair. To top it off, I was wet. If it had been in any other place, I would've had a hissy fit to high heaven. But at the moment I found it funny. I giggled.
I don't really know how long we sat in the stream laughing. Every time we got our giggles under control, we'd look at each other and crack up all over again.
Finally our laughter began to subside. I wiped a tear from my eye and smiled. Letting out a sigh, I fell back into the water, the liquid flowing over my body as I watched the clouds go by. It strangely wasn't cold, though it was in Cephiro, and that explains a lot. If you wanted a cool drink, you got it. If you wanted a warm bath, you got it.
"That was fun," I muttered.
"Yeah, a ton of fun," agreed Ascot.
For a while we remained where we were, content with just watching the clouds.
"I wish I didn't have to go back," I sighed, not meaning to say it out loud.
I heard Ascot shift suddenly. I blinked and turned towards him. "What's wrong Ascot?" I said as I sat up.
He had a strange look on his face as he looked at me. He had somehow stolen his hat back and was threatening to crush it in his grip. "U-u-u-Umi, I d- don't want y-you to g-go!" He stuttered.
I smiled at him. "I don't want to go either Ascot. I miss Cephiro and everyone in it. But I don't belong in your world. My place is on Earth, in Tokyo, with Hikaru and Fuu."
He seemed to be thinking very hard about something, which I could tell because he had his eyes shut tight. I always found that very cute when he did that.
"U-u-u-Umi, I w-want to t-tell you something," he said finally.
"And what would that be, Ascot?" I asked.
For a moment he hesitated, then opened his mouth to say something but almost immediately shut it again. He stared at me for a few seconds and then sighed.
Then, with out warning, he got up, ran over to me and gave me a kiss.
I was shocked. I mean, a few weeks ago we were out for each other's heads. When did it leap from that into this?
He pulled away, embarrassed. He was surprised then, when I hugged him close.
I don't know why, but all the emotions I had been keeping inside for the past week broke out and I began to sob. I think for a moment Ascot was a bit frightened but he put his arms around me as I buried my head in his shoulder. He held me as long as I cried.
Finally, the tears began to dry up and I could bring my emotions back under control. "Thanks Ascot," I murmured as I wiped my eyes.
I drew away, feeling a lot better, a weak smile gracing my face. I needed that cry a lot more than I realized, but I couldn't exactly start bawling for no reason at home. Mom and Dad would've wondered.
Ascot looked at me, concern plastered on his features. "Are you okay Umi?" he asked timidly. "Did I hurt you?"
I shook my head. "No, you didn't hurt me. If you mean did I hurt myself physically, I am all right. It's my heart that aches." I put my hand over my chest, feeling with a pang a sense of deep sorrow.
Ascot placed one of his tiny hands over mine. He then spoke in a small voice, "Guru Clef told us."
I blinked at him in surprise.
He continued. "After you left, he told us. He told us about what the Magic Knights were summoned for. He also told us he had known the whole time, that he had led you into that battle without telling you anything." Tears began to fall down his face, his hand tightening around mine. "I understand what it must've felt like. You lost a friend, even though you didn't know each other very long. I know you hurt, but I can't do anything about it!" He said the last part angrily.
"Ascot…" I smiled gently at him. I hugged him close while he cried, stroking his hair. "No one could've done anything. It was Princess Emeraude's wish. She is finally with her beloved."
"I know…" Ascot hiccupped, "But if I was more powerful, I could've done something… I could've done something…" He fell silent.
" You did all you could, Ascot," I tried to reassure him.
Ascot drew away violently. "But it wasn't enough! I couldn't protect you! I couldn't do anything! I couldn't protect the one I love!" Ascot stopped, his eyes wide while he clamped his hands over his mouth. His face was as red as a tomato.
I was a little shocked, but it explained some things, like his willingness to protect us, and the kiss a moment ago. It was all done out of love. Of course this meant that Fuu and Hikaru were right. I vaguely wondered what else I failed to pick up on.
I guess Ascot took my silence for rejection, because he refused to look at me. Those long bangs, which I normally found very cute, were at the moment very annoying. I could not for the life of me see his eyes. Which meant he was upset.
"Ascot…" I began, but he ignored me, instead leaping up and dashing towards the forest edge. I yelled his, begging him to stop, but he shut me out, running blindly into the forest.
I stared after him, then glanced up helplessly at his two friends. "I've made a mess of things, haven't I?" They simply stared at me. "Oh gods, I've got to go after him!" I leapt up, ready to follow Ascot, when I noticed his hat lying on the grass. I guess he had dropped it in his haste to get away and now I clutched it close to me. I began to worry: Ascot never went anywhere without his hat. What I had done to him had touched him deeper than I realized.
I mentally cursed myself for being so careless about Ascot's feelings and plunged recklessly into the woods. All that mattered now was finding Ascot and apologizing to him.
It felt like hours as I raced through the undergrowth. Every so often I would yell his name, listening frantically for an answer, any kind of sound that would put my fears to rest.
I was worried beyond belief. What if he had gotten hurt? What if he was wandering around lost, all alone and scared? But then I realized that line of thinking was foolish: Ascot was quite capable of taking care of himself and he could always call on his friends for help. No, I was afraid I had lost a dear friend.
But racing around with no idea where I was going was not exactly the best idea I ever had. I was exhausted, so I leaned against a tree, only to wince in pain. My back felt like I had been attacked by a deranged cat. It probably had something to do with the prickle bushes I fell on a while back. Weren't dreams supposed to be painless? This one felt real.
Then I remembered a conversation I had with Fuu while we were in Cephiro. Fuu had this theory that the reason we felt a vague, even a sharp pain in our dreams was because of a 'memory overlap'. I guess it meant that the brain registers the injury and then supplies the memory of the pain of a similar injury. In short, the brain thinks we should feel pain when we get hurt. If I could've I would've strangled my brain. I didn't need this on top of everything else.
After catching my breath I glanced around, trying to get a bearing on where I was. Which was hopeless because I had no idea where in Cephiro I could be.
I sighed heavily. I figured it was best to keep going, but I felt so tired. It took all of my will power to move one foot in front of the other. But I pushed ahead, clumsily trying to find my way when a tree root tripped me up. I landed flat in my face with a yelp, getting a mouth full of leaves for my trouble.
I don't know why I was trying so hard to find him. I had nearly killed myself with the effort, and yet I was still fighting to move on. The only reason I could think of for this madness was that I had changed. If this had happened before I went to Cephiro, I would've given up long ago. But I learned a lot about friendship during my stay in Cephiro, and I wasn't going to give up so easily. But my body ached so much!
Then I heard it. A small sniffle, like someone had been crying. Ascot. Summoning the last of my strength I pulled myself up and inched my way to where I thought the sound was coming from.
I found myself at the edge of a small clearing, a mere break in the tree line. Ascot was hunched over, wheezing sobs racking his whole body. I immediately felt a wave of pity, followed closely by a rush of shame: I was the cause of his unhappiness.
I attempted to shuffle forward quietly, but I winced as I stepped on a twig, sending out a sharp crack. So much for trying to be quiet. Ascot whirled around at the sound.
For a moment we didn't say anything, then I managed a weak smile and tried to make light of the situation. "Hey Ascot, that wasn't very nice, running off like that. What if you had gotten hurt-." My knees gave way, sending me crashing to the ground.
"UMI!" Ascot cried. He attempted to stop my fall but all that accomplished was getting him knocked off his feet.
I breathed heavily, not even trying to get up. I felt like I had just ran a marathon, except it wasn't through a nice flat street. Oh no, it was through a forest filled with prickle bushes, ravines, and god knows what else.
"Umi, you're bleeding!" Ascot yelled, clearly terrified.
Ah, that explains it. I'm so weak because I lost a lot of blood. I tried to turn my head to smile up at him but I thought better of it when pain jolted through my head. I decided to stay put.
Ascot muttered something that I didn't quite catch in time. "Huh?" I asked intelligently.
"Why?" I couldn't see his face but by the tone of his voice I could tell he was upset. Great. I did the exact opposite of what I was trying to accomplish. I got him even more distressed.
"I don't know," I answered rather honestly. "I guess I didn't want you to be sad. I wanted to apologize, I think."
Ascot was silent for a few minutes. I began to think he hadn't heard me when he whispered, "Do you think I could turn you on your back?"
I tried to nod but once again I was reminded that my neck was sore. I settled for a muttered yes.
Ascot's hands gently turned me over onto my backside, wincing slightly as my back came in contact with the ground. I didn't need to look at my body to know the extent of my wounds; just gazing into Ascot's face was all I needed to know. I was pretty beat-up.
I heard tearing sounds and glancing over I saw Ascot ripping his robes into thin strips. Then he methodically bandaged me up, keeping silent the entire time. He would glance up every once in a while to see if I was feeling any discomfort, but that was it. I was touched by his concern.
When he finished he made himself comfortable and cradled my head in his lap. He didn't say anything, just began stroking my hair, pulling out the twigs and leaves and whatever else had gotten tangled in there. It was very soothing, and I stared blankly off into space, thinking about nothing in particular.
Ascot's sigh brought me back down to earth. I then remembered what I had come for. I mentally kicked myself for my selfishness.
"Ascot?" I ventured.
He blushed. "Y-y-yes U-u-umi?"
"I'm sorry." He looked at me wide-eyed.
"What are you apologizing for?!" He nearly screamed.
I winced. Great. Now I've got a lovely headache to go along with my ripped up body. If this was a dream, I'd hate to see the nightmare.
I decided to continue. "I'm sorry for not being aware of your feelings," I felt my eyes beginning to water, "I've been careless, but I didn't realize until a little while ago how much your friendship, your feelings meant to me. I don't want you to be sad, but it seems all I ever do is hurt people that I love, but not anymore," I glanced back up at Ascot, giving him a small smile. "So please don't cry. I want to see your smile. I'll do anything to see you smile again."
"Umi…" Ascot looked like he was barely holding back his tears. He through his arms around me and began to cry on my shoulder. I tried to soothe him, whispering it was all right and that everything was going to be okay while stroking his hair. I planted a kiss on his forehead.
The tears that streamed down his face dripped off and fell onto my shirt. I made a move to wipe his tears away when he caught my hand. He looked at me, his vision blurred by his tears. His eyes looked different. They were the same bright emerald green that I remembered, but they now held a hidden depth to them. He leaned in real close and whispered, "I love you Umi."
He kissed my cheek, allowing his tears to run off onto my face as he murmured, "I don't ever want to see you hurt. I want to protect you from your pain. I don't care if we're worlds apart, I'll always love you. I'll always be there by your side; I'll be there when you fall, when you cry, when you laugh. I want to always be there for you."
As Ascot spoke his tears continued to fall onto my body, but they glowed! I watched in amazement as my body was healed right before my eyes!
"Eh?" I uttered, shocked. This was almost as good as Fuu's Healing Winds spell! I should know, I was the first person she used it on.
Slowly I began to test out my body, flexing my hands and stretching out my legs. Satisfied that everything was in working order, I chanced a glance back at Ascot, trying to gauge his reaction. He looked at surprised as me, but he was smiling.
"You're healed!" He exclaimed happily, tears still flowing down his face.
"Yeah…" I nodded, still a bit confused, but figured in dreams anything is possible.
I slowly sat up, fingering the soft material that was Ascot's hat. Wait a minute! Glancing down I realized that I still had the darn thing, my fingers clenching it tightly.
"Heh, here Ascot," I passed it to him, chuckling while he fiddled with it to get it into a somewhat decent shape. He jammed it on his head when he was finally satisfied with it. He mock-glared at me when he heard me giggling, but he ended up smiling and snuggling against me. We sat quietly like that. /What a bizarre dream/ I thought. But it was real. Real to me anyway.
"Hey Umi?" Ascot asked.
"Yes?" I replied, peering curiously down at him.
He gulped, then sat up. Again he looked nervous, but he held my gaze. "I'm going to try something. I'm not sure it'll work, but if it does, I think you'll like it." He closed his eyes.
"I believe in you Ascot," I reassured him, "you can do anything you want to if you put your mind to it."
Ascot smiled. "Thanks, Umi."
He kept his eyes closed, so I waited for something to happen. For a moment, it was silent, but then the wind came whistling through the forest, gently lifting Ascot off the ground. He floated there, his hair tossed about and his clothes streaming out like he was caught in a gale. He began to glow a bright yellow as I watched, his lips moving like he was chanting something. The ground glowed beneath his feet, forming a six-pointed star. The wind picked up, wrapping itself around Ascot until all I could see was his face being caressed by the breeze, then even that disappeared. I had no idea what was happening, but magic tingled in the very air, weaving and reweaving threads of colored lights. It was in a word, beautiful.
Then a dozen twinkling green lights shown out from the swirling vortex Ascot was incased in, dispelling the winds. Ascot came into view and I gasped.
What stood before me now was not a little boy, but a young man!
"Ascot?!" I breathed, wondering if my eyes were deceiving me.
"Yes Umi, it's me," Ascot smiled at me, blushing slightly at the expression on my face.
"This is w-w-what you w-w-wanted to show me?" I tried to calm myself down but my heart chose to ignore my brain's commands. I could feel it pounding in my chest.
He nodded his head, though his smile faltered a bit. "Umi, do you like me like this?"
"Yes!" I cried, startling both him and myself. Embarrassed, I quickly mumbled, "I mean, yes, you look nice. Very handsome." Flustered, I played with the hem of my skirt.
"Really?" I nodded.
He crouched down by me and took my hands in his, his larger hands engulfing my own. He gave me a kind smile, his eyes still sparkling with the same warmth he had before.
"That's good, because I grew up for you," he said.
"You grew up for me…" I was touched. He nodded his head, so I continued, "I rather like this new you…" I trailed off.
We leaned forward.
But, just as we were about to kiss, my stupid alarm went off and woke me up.
I rose groggily and sent a death glare to the offending machine. I was really ticked that I had woken up at the best part of my dream, so I grabbed it and hurled it with all my might at the wall with a yell. It landed with a thud on the floor, now silent.
I sighed dejectedly and figured I'd better get up. I grabbed my uniform and headed for the bathroom. As I past my desk, I glanced at my bulletin board. The three drawings were still hanging there, but the Ascot one drew my eyes. I paused, remembering the events of my dream. It was only a dream, wasn't it? I hadn't really gone back to Cephiro and found Ascot, nor did I really see him grow up, right? But then I placed a hand over my heart. There was still a dull ache from my return, but it seemed muted, somehow. I felt warmer, lighter, and happier. The sorrow was not so sharp. Maybe it wasn't a dream after all. I smiled softly and then felt my lips. /He kissed me right here/ I thought. I touched my lips to my fingers, then pressed them to the picture. I turned and walked out of the room.
"I think I love you too, Ascot."
****
I awoke with a start to find myself in my own room in the castle. Sleepily, I wondered what I was dreaming about. I think I was enjoying myself because I was incredibly happy. I felt so tired that my eyes began to flutter shut, my mind drifting from thought to thought… /Long, silky, blur hair…/
I sat up with a start. Umi! I had been dreaming about Umi! Something had happened, I was sure of it.
The sheets must've twisted around me in the middle of the night, because I felt confining fabric. Then it hit me. I leapt out of bed and ran to the closet door. I have a full-length mirror hanging on it, so I anxiously peered in to see my reflection. Two bright-green eyes stared back, but I was taller, much taller. I looked a bit scrawny in my opinion, but hey, I definitely looked older. A big silly grin crossed my face.
"I grew up!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. I probably would've turned a few flips if I could've. To say I was happy was a gross understatement: I was ecstatic! I could've cared less that my clothes pinched me or were four sizes too small. I had grown up!
Then I heard a knock at the door. "Ascot, what's with the racket? Breakfast is ready." I froze. It was Caldina.
"Ascot, are you alright?" She yelled through the door. I thought about diving into the closet, but too late.
She already opened the door. "Ascot, what is go- AAAAH! Who are you and what have you done with Ascot?!" The look on her face was priceless. I immediately unfroze and started laughing.
"It's me Caldina," I choked out.
"Ascot!?" She yelled in surprise.
I nodded my head.
"How did this happen?" She was nearly hysterical.
"Aaah…" I scratched my head. I wasn't really sure. I was pretty confident that it had something to do with my dream, of which I remember little except that Umi was in it.
Suddenly the ground lurched and a great rumbling filled the air. We both grabbed frantically for something to steady ourselves with. Slowly the rumbling receded and the castle no longer rocked unsteadily. Caldina and I glanced at each other and nodded: another part of Cephiro had crumbled away.
Caldina bolted for the door and peered out. She apparently saw someone because she yelled something and cursed in Chizetan. Whatever the person had told had upset her extremely, because I could feel my face burning. With Caldina as an older sister I got pretty fluent in Chizetan curses. Caldina doesn't approve of it though.
She turned and looked at me. "We've been summoned to the mirror room. Get some clothes on. I'll wait for ya outside."
I hurriedly complied. The clothes weren't a problem. You could change the size just by using your will.
Dashing out, Caldina and I had an impromptu race to the mirror room, but our faces were grim. We all knew that unless a new Pillar was found, Cephiro would be lost. My home would be destroyed forever. I felt a pang of sadness at that.
The door to the mirror room was wide open, so we just ran right through, coming to a screeching halt at the small group gathered around the center of the room. We didn't say anything for a few moments while we caught our breath. No one had seemed to notice us.
Then Guru Clef turned and said, "Good morning Caldina, Ascot, sorry for disturbing your sleep-." His eyes widened as he looked at me. Instantly I felt all eyes on me. I looked embarrassedly at my shoes.
"I know guys are prone to major growth spurts, but this is ridiculous!" Prince Ferio exclaimed.
"What happened?" Lafarga looked at Caldina, I suppose thinking she knew what was going on.
She shrugged her shoulders. "I went to wake Ascot up and found him like this."
"Well Ascot," Guru Clef gave me a piercing look, "would you like to tell us how this happened?"
"Aaah… Well I don't really know. I think it has something to do with a dream I had," I answered.
Prince Ferio whistled. "That must've been one heck of a dream."
Guru Clef nodded his head in agreement. "It takes extreme force of will to change one's appearance, even in Cephiro. The person in question must be mentally mature enough to initiate such a change and have a very strong wish to do so. Do you remember anything about your dream?"
"Well…" I stared down at the floor again, my face becoming a rather lovely shade of red. I paused for a few moments, mentally sifting through my mind in an attempt to drag up images from my dream. Then I found something.
"Umi. I was dreaming about Umi."
"Eh?" Everyone blinked at me in shock. Then Caldina grinned widely. I sincerely did not like that smile; I've lived around her long enough to know she was plotting something, and somehow it always involved trouble. Yessiree, right that minute I wanted to be as far away from her as possible.
"Ooooh!" She drawled, sauntering around me before flinging herself onto my back and draping her arms over my shoulders. "Ascot loves Umi! Ascot loves Umi!" She chanted in a singsong voice.
Guru Clef and Pharle Presea looked at each other and smiled. Prince Ferio slapped my arm, muttering something about good taste. Cail Lantis and Lafarga both had smiles on their faces.
"So, are you going to tell her?" Caldina casually asked me.
My face turned a brighter shade of red then I thought possible.
To Be Continued…
*~*~*~*~*~*
SE: So, what'd you think?
Ascot: Waah! Umi got hurt!
Umi: Yeah, that wasn't very nice!
SE: /Sweatdrop/ Well, Ascot healed you, didn't he?
Umi: Yeah, but still!
SE: (To Ascot) You like her because?
Ascot: She was my first human friend!
Umi: /Sniffle/ I never knew you cared Ascot!
SE: What 'bout Caldina?
Ascot: Older sisters don't count
Caldina: Hey! That's it, next story I'm gonna tease ya big time!
SE: (Looks at Umi and Ascot snuggling) I don't think they heard you…
Caldina: Young love
SE: Yeah… Oh, Review please!
Caldina: Yeah! Tell us what ya think!
Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own MKR. Never have, never will.
~Dreams~
/flashback/
Tears spilled out of our eyes as the white light engulfed us and dropped us in Tokyo Tower. For comfort we hugged each other, our very souls shattered into innumerably small pieces. We must've looked strange, standing there, when a few moments before we had (to them anyway) never seen each other. But we didn't care, not when the land we had grown to love and cherish had not changed; not when what we were fighting for so hard turned out to be so wrong, and so sad. The Final Battle and the Final Tragedy have been imprinted in our minds, as Princess Emeraude's dying words echoed within the silent chambers of our minds. We will never forget.
Hikaru voiced it perfectly for us: "It's not fair! It's just not fair!!"
We will never forget Princess Emeraude, or Cephiro.
/end flashback/
"Umi!" I turned around at the sound of my name. One of my classmates waved to me to slow down. I stepped aside and waited for her. She soon caught up, having to hold on to the nearby railing as she regained her breath.
"My goodness girl, what's with you today?" She asked bluntly.
I looked at her in surprise. "What do you mean, Karin?"
Karin put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips. She could do a good imitation of Mrs. Mizuno when she wanted to. "You know exactly what I mean. I yelled your name five times and you still didn't hear me. You always have this glazed look in class. You've even been slacking on the fencing team!! Is that anyway for the team captain to act?!"
I chuckled at Karin's tirade, but it quickly faded. Was it that obvious? Was it that obvious that my heart had been ripped out and smashed, so quickly and suddenly?
"Umi, Earth to Umi!" Karin waved her hands frantically in front of my face. I smiled at her.
"You've got that look on your face. It's so sad. I think my heart will break…" I was startled when I looked at Karin. For a moment, I thought she was going to cry. I tried to reassure her.
"Listen Karin, it's nothing. Honestly. I'm just going through a bit of a rough time, but you don't need to worry about me. I'm fine." /I sound like Hikaru/ I thought. I waved goodbye and began walking away.
"It has something to do with Tokyo Tower, doesn't it Umi." I whirled around, looking at Karin with wide eyes. She can be pretty shrewd at times.
Karin smiled at me sadly. "I see I was right. Then I won't push it." She walked past me, but not before saying, "I don't know what went on between those two girls and you, and that bright flash of light, but if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here, okay?"
I smiled. "Thank you, Karin."
****
"I'm home!" I yelled as soon as I walked into the front hall. Mom gave a muffled reply from the kitchen. Undoing my shoes and taking off my coat, I walked into the kitchen in hopes of finding a snack for my protesting stomach. I'm not surprised; I barely ate anything today. The last time I cleaned my plate was a week ago, before the field trip. Come to think of it, I haven't seen Hikaru or Fuu since then. I guess we need our space to think things through. Lord knows we've been through more than anyone should ever have to.
As usual Mom was her perky self. She bustled around the kitchen as I sat down to eat the cookies set in front of me. I know she and Daddy are worried about me: they always exchange concerned glances when I don't finish my plate. She told me to eat up and to tell her about my day.
I munched on a cookie as I gave her a five-minute blurb of the day's events. Grabbing another one, I ran upstairs and shut myself in my room. Which is also highly unusual for me. Normally it takes me half an hour to tell Mom about first period. I don't mean to worry her, but I needed time to myself.
A few hours later I was done with my homework and I was randomly drawing in my sketchbook. I'm actually a pretty good artist, if I do say so myself. In any case, it's a good way to relieve the tension I'm feeling. I've been taking time off from the fencing team, so it provides a creative outlet.
I draw the strangest things when I'm not thinking. Most of the time it's a sickly looking flower or something like that. But other times my best drawings are done when I'm not paying attention to what I'm doing. My art teacher says it has something to do with my sub-conscious. I always thought that was a load of crap: everyone knew she was crazy.
I heard the door open behind me. Startled, I turned around to see who it was. Mom was standing there hesitantly. I sighed with relief. I was still a little shell-shocked from fighting all those monsters. I had to be on my toes when I was in Cephiro. Oh my, I couldn't seem to not think about Cephiro, even when I was talking to my mom!!
"Umi, honey, is everything alright?"
I nearly laughed out loud at that. Yes Mom, I'm just fine. I'm just like every other normal kid, except that I can use magic and I was summoned to another world to kill someone. Yep, everything's dandy. What a load of crap.
"Yeah Mom, I'm fine." I smiled weakly at her.
She didn't seem convinced. Instead of leaving, she came over and sat on my bed. "Umi, I know something's wrong. I don't know what it is, or if I should even ask you about it, but I know my Umi. And my Umi would come and tell me what's wrong."
I sighed. I wanted to tell her so much, about all that had happened, but I was afraid that she wouldn't believe me. Check that. I KNOW she wouldn't believe me, and she would get all worried and tell Daddy and the next thing I knew, I'd be in one of those reclining chairs while a psychologist asked me what ink blots looked like.
"Its just stress Mom. We've got midterms coming up. I really want to get a good grade." That seemed to satisfy her. It wasn't a complete lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either. I was dealing with a lot of stress, but it definitely wasn't over midterms.
She got up from my bed and stood next to my chair, placing her hands on my shoulders. For a moment she looked thoughtful, then she smiled. "I like your drawing, Umi. Who is it?"
I glance down at my mindless drawing, and nearly yelped aloud. Ye gods, even my sub-conscious wouldn't let me rest!! It was actually a pretty good drawing, and it wasn't the first time I had drawn someone from Cephiro in the past week. I had Guru Clef and Presea on my bulletin board; Princess Emeraude and Sol Zagato were in a drawer in my desk. I drew it the night we got back.
This person however was completely different from anyone else I've drawn. For one thing, it was a little kid.
"Ahh, his name is Ascot," I said without thinking.
Mom nodded and smiled. "I like his outfit, the jewels and the trim and whatnot. His hat is adorable!! But why don't you draw in his eyes?"
"That's because his bangs are so long, you can't see his eyes clearly," I mumbled.
Mom paused and looked at the picture for a little while longer. "He looks lonely," she finally said.
"Eh?" I looked up at her in surprise.
Mom waved her hand at the other two drawings on my board. "He looks sad, like he's hiding a great secret and a great tragedy. She looks lost and scared and sorrowful. And he looks lonely. Like he's been alone all his life."
I almost started to cry then. I really did. Mom couldn't have possibly known what she had done, but I was still close to tears anyways. I didn't realize that she could see what I saw. The only ones who look truly happy are Emeraude and Zagato. Clef loved Emeraude like his own daughter, Presea wanted to help for the peace of Cephiro, and Ascot wanted to be accepted for who he was. It was if Mom had read my mind.
She broke out of her revere and exclaimed, "Oh I'm sorry Umi. I didn't mean to upset you."
I gave her a small smile. "It's not your fault Mom. You didn't know."
Suddenly the smoke detector went off downstairs. Mom went rigid, then cried hysterically, "DINNER!!" She raced off to try to salvage what she could from the oven. I followed her downstairs, and laughed while she tried to fan the smoke away. She looked up at me helplessly.
"I guess we're doing take-out tonight," I giggled.
Mom just sighed and opened the windows. I grabbed the phone. Daddy was coming home soon.
*****
I crawled into bed and immediately shut the light off. After the fiasco in the kitchen, we ordered pizza. It wasn't that bad, actually. It's one of the few American foods I do like.
Dinner itself was quiet. Mom and Dad chatted about their days, and I gave them the run-down on mine. I can tell they're worried, but right now, I just didn't care.
The Ascot picture is now hanging on my bulletin board, right beside Presea and Clef. It's strange, that out of all the people we met in Cephiro, I remember him the most clearly. I mean, I remember the Guru (he was so annoying, how could you NOT remember him?) and Presea was the one who made our weapons. Why would I remember a little boy like him? I guess it's because he was one of Zagato's minions. Fighting him was one of the most painful battles I had ever faced. But we both made it through okay, and both made a new friend. He's really sweet once you get to know him. And it's adorable how he calls his monsters his 'friends', and he really was fighting for their sake. A total "Aw" factor.
I soon drifted off to sleep, which was a first because lately it's been taking me forever to get to sleep. I guess I was super tired or something, but I conked out as soon as my head hit the pillow.
For a while, I was just drifting in a comforting wave of darkness, floating above a beautiful galaxy and a sea of twinkling stars all around me. I began to fall towards the galaxy in question, coming upon a tiny system with four oddly shaped planets. Three I didn't recognized, and I couldn't really describe them. One I think looked like a squashed glass ball with spikes jutting through holes. Another looked like a ball with two asteroid belts circling it, and the last one looked like a tennis ball wedged between two cones.
The one I was heading for seemed oddly familiar, yet I was sure I had never been there in my life. For one thing, it was flat like a table! I chalked it all up to my dreamy sub-conscious.
For a little while longer I floated down towards the planet, before a white light swept me up and away. If I was awake, I would've panicked, but I just let the dream carry me where it may. It seemed fairly pleasant too. Too often in the past week I've woken up in a cold sweat after a particularly nasty nightmare.
I opened my eyes to find myself in a clearing in a forest. Sunlight was streaming down from the clear blue sky and the wind was tugging playfully at my skirt. I then happened to look down. I nearly screamed.
I was wearing my school uniform and Armor!!! I'm serious! The armor Clef first gave us glimmered brightly in the sun as I glanced at it. That meant I was somewhere in Cephiro. Had I been summoned in my sleep to this place?
I quickly threw out that option on the grounds that I hadn't gotten here like the first time, Cephiro looked plenty peaceful from when I fell from the sky, and what I had been summoned to do in the first place had been completed. So I guess I was just dreaming about Cephiro. I figured I might as well enjoy it while I could.
Suddenly I heard the sound of laughter ringing out somewhere to the left of me. I turned and started. Two monsters were playing in the stream that cut across the clearing! I almost summoned my sword when I finally figured out where the laughter was coming from.
"Ascot?!" I breathed.
And there he was, standing on his flying rock like always, attempting, I guess to give two of his monster friends a much-needed bath. But it looked like he was the one getting the bath, not his friends!
Then his friends must've sensed me because they went all tense and Ascot whirled around at the sign of danger. I saw his eyes widen beneath his long, brown bangs.
"Umi?!" He cried.
We stood there staring at each other for several minutes before Ascot grinned widely and reassured his friends. "Don't worry Moyu, Chiuki, it's only Umi, my friend that I told you about!!" He laughed, then ran to me and looked up. His friends became visibly relaxed and watched their friend.
"Hello Ascot," I smiled down at him.
He blushed. I always found that endearing about him. I remember Fuu and Hikaru teasing me about him. They seemed to think he had a crush on me. I don't see why that is, Ascot is one of my friends!
Then Ascot frowned at me. "What are you doing here Umi? I thought Guru Clef said you went back to your own world after you kill- I mean, after you granted the Pillar's wish."
"Ah, I don't know. I think I'm dreaming. I mean, I know I'm asleep at home, and I wasn't in my uniform or anything…" I looked around, wondering at how peaceful Cephiro looked.
Ascot smiled at me. "Well, I don't care. I'm glad you came back."
I looked down in surprise. Then I smiled softly. "What was that Ascot?"
Ascot turned pink as he mumbled, "Well, you and Hikaru and Fuu were my first human friends, and you don't mind my other friends. You guys helped me see that I was wrong and that I was hurting my friends." He stared at his shoes.
I chuckled. "Well Ascot, I'm glad I came back too." I glanced up at the sky. "I've grown to love Cephiro and the people who inhabit it. I miss everyone, including you, Ascot."
Ascot smiled shyly. I think his face was permanent shade of red.
Just then, a gust of wind swept through the clearing, sweeping away Ascot's hat. He gave a shout and scurried after it. But I have longer legs then him, so I ran past him and scooped up his hat, keeping it teasingly out of reach. After trying to jump for it for a few seconds, he wised up and called for his floating rock. That began a merry chase around the clearing as I leaped over boulders and tree trunks and even a few monster limbs. The air rang with Ascot's protests and our laughter.
At one point Ascot tried to enlist the help of his two friends, but they wouldn't move. I swear, if monsters could laugh, I would've thought they were cracking a few ribs over our behavior.
"Some help you are!" He shouted at them.
"Ho ho ho! They know they can't outrun Speed Demon Umi!" At that moment I chose to trip over a rock by the stream and went flying forward. I waved my arms wildly in all directions.
Ascot managed to catch one of my hands and tried to keep me from diving headfirst into the water. For a brief moment we tittered on the edge, yelling at the top of our lungs before we managed to balance out. But of course, just when we were ready to breathe a huge sigh of relief, we toppled over and plunged headfirst into the stream!
"Arrrgghh!!" I yelled, spitting out a mouthful of water.
Ascot wasn't in any better shape either. We were soaked! I chanced a glance at him and burst out laughing. His bangs were plastered to his forehead so had to part his hair to see. His outfit was dripping all over the place. I still had his hat, which was now a crumpled mass of wet fabric. He glared up at me and then began to laugh.
"What's so darn funny?" I suddenly glared at him.
"You!" He replied, holding his ribs.
I looked myself over. I was dirty, had grass stains on my knees, twigs in my skirt and grass in my hair. To top it off, I was wet. If it had been in any other place, I would've had a hissy fit to high heaven. But at the moment I found it funny. I giggled.
I don't really know how long we sat in the stream laughing. Every time we got our giggles under control, we'd look at each other and crack up all over again.
Finally our laughter began to subside. I wiped a tear from my eye and smiled. Letting out a sigh, I fell back into the water, the liquid flowing over my body as I watched the clouds go by. It strangely wasn't cold, though it was in Cephiro, and that explains a lot. If you wanted a cool drink, you got it. If you wanted a warm bath, you got it.
"That was fun," I muttered.
"Yeah, a ton of fun," agreed Ascot.
For a while we remained where we were, content with just watching the clouds.
"I wish I didn't have to go back," I sighed, not meaning to say it out loud.
I heard Ascot shift suddenly. I blinked and turned towards him. "What's wrong Ascot?" I said as I sat up.
He had a strange look on his face as he looked at me. He had somehow stolen his hat back and was threatening to crush it in his grip. "U-u-u-Umi, I d- don't want y-you to g-go!" He stuttered.
I smiled at him. "I don't want to go either Ascot. I miss Cephiro and everyone in it. But I don't belong in your world. My place is on Earth, in Tokyo, with Hikaru and Fuu."
He seemed to be thinking very hard about something, which I could tell because he had his eyes shut tight. I always found that very cute when he did that.
"U-u-u-Umi, I w-want to t-tell you something," he said finally.
"And what would that be, Ascot?" I asked.
For a moment he hesitated, then opened his mouth to say something but almost immediately shut it again. He stared at me for a few seconds and then sighed.
Then, with out warning, he got up, ran over to me and gave me a kiss.
I was shocked. I mean, a few weeks ago we were out for each other's heads. When did it leap from that into this?
He pulled away, embarrassed. He was surprised then, when I hugged him close.
I don't know why, but all the emotions I had been keeping inside for the past week broke out and I began to sob. I think for a moment Ascot was a bit frightened but he put his arms around me as I buried my head in his shoulder. He held me as long as I cried.
Finally, the tears began to dry up and I could bring my emotions back under control. "Thanks Ascot," I murmured as I wiped my eyes.
I drew away, feeling a lot better, a weak smile gracing my face. I needed that cry a lot more than I realized, but I couldn't exactly start bawling for no reason at home. Mom and Dad would've wondered.
Ascot looked at me, concern plastered on his features. "Are you okay Umi?" he asked timidly. "Did I hurt you?"
I shook my head. "No, you didn't hurt me. If you mean did I hurt myself physically, I am all right. It's my heart that aches." I put my hand over my chest, feeling with a pang a sense of deep sorrow.
Ascot placed one of his tiny hands over mine. He then spoke in a small voice, "Guru Clef told us."
I blinked at him in surprise.
He continued. "After you left, he told us. He told us about what the Magic Knights were summoned for. He also told us he had known the whole time, that he had led you into that battle without telling you anything." Tears began to fall down his face, his hand tightening around mine. "I understand what it must've felt like. You lost a friend, even though you didn't know each other very long. I know you hurt, but I can't do anything about it!" He said the last part angrily.
"Ascot…" I smiled gently at him. I hugged him close while he cried, stroking his hair. "No one could've done anything. It was Princess Emeraude's wish. She is finally with her beloved."
"I know…" Ascot hiccupped, "But if I was more powerful, I could've done something… I could've done something…" He fell silent.
" You did all you could, Ascot," I tried to reassure him.
Ascot drew away violently. "But it wasn't enough! I couldn't protect you! I couldn't do anything! I couldn't protect the one I love!" Ascot stopped, his eyes wide while he clamped his hands over his mouth. His face was as red as a tomato.
I was a little shocked, but it explained some things, like his willingness to protect us, and the kiss a moment ago. It was all done out of love. Of course this meant that Fuu and Hikaru were right. I vaguely wondered what else I failed to pick up on.
I guess Ascot took my silence for rejection, because he refused to look at me. Those long bangs, which I normally found very cute, were at the moment very annoying. I could not for the life of me see his eyes. Which meant he was upset.
"Ascot…" I began, but he ignored me, instead leaping up and dashing towards the forest edge. I yelled his, begging him to stop, but he shut me out, running blindly into the forest.
I stared after him, then glanced up helplessly at his two friends. "I've made a mess of things, haven't I?" They simply stared at me. "Oh gods, I've got to go after him!" I leapt up, ready to follow Ascot, when I noticed his hat lying on the grass. I guess he had dropped it in his haste to get away and now I clutched it close to me. I began to worry: Ascot never went anywhere without his hat. What I had done to him had touched him deeper than I realized.
I mentally cursed myself for being so careless about Ascot's feelings and plunged recklessly into the woods. All that mattered now was finding Ascot and apologizing to him.
It felt like hours as I raced through the undergrowth. Every so often I would yell his name, listening frantically for an answer, any kind of sound that would put my fears to rest.
I was worried beyond belief. What if he had gotten hurt? What if he was wandering around lost, all alone and scared? But then I realized that line of thinking was foolish: Ascot was quite capable of taking care of himself and he could always call on his friends for help. No, I was afraid I had lost a dear friend.
But racing around with no idea where I was going was not exactly the best idea I ever had. I was exhausted, so I leaned against a tree, only to wince in pain. My back felt like I had been attacked by a deranged cat. It probably had something to do with the prickle bushes I fell on a while back. Weren't dreams supposed to be painless? This one felt real.
Then I remembered a conversation I had with Fuu while we were in Cephiro. Fuu had this theory that the reason we felt a vague, even a sharp pain in our dreams was because of a 'memory overlap'. I guess it meant that the brain registers the injury and then supplies the memory of the pain of a similar injury. In short, the brain thinks we should feel pain when we get hurt. If I could've I would've strangled my brain. I didn't need this on top of everything else.
After catching my breath I glanced around, trying to get a bearing on where I was. Which was hopeless because I had no idea where in Cephiro I could be.
I sighed heavily. I figured it was best to keep going, but I felt so tired. It took all of my will power to move one foot in front of the other. But I pushed ahead, clumsily trying to find my way when a tree root tripped me up. I landed flat in my face with a yelp, getting a mouth full of leaves for my trouble.
I don't know why I was trying so hard to find him. I had nearly killed myself with the effort, and yet I was still fighting to move on. The only reason I could think of for this madness was that I had changed. If this had happened before I went to Cephiro, I would've given up long ago. But I learned a lot about friendship during my stay in Cephiro, and I wasn't going to give up so easily. But my body ached so much!
Then I heard it. A small sniffle, like someone had been crying. Ascot. Summoning the last of my strength I pulled myself up and inched my way to where I thought the sound was coming from.
I found myself at the edge of a small clearing, a mere break in the tree line. Ascot was hunched over, wheezing sobs racking his whole body. I immediately felt a wave of pity, followed closely by a rush of shame: I was the cause of his unhappiness.
I attempted to shuffle forward quietly, but I winced as I stepped on a twig, sending out a sharp crack. So much for trying to be quiet. Ascot whirled around at the sound.
For a moment we didn't say anything, then I managed a weak smile and tried to make light of the situation. "Hey Ascot, that wasn't very nice, running off like that. What if you had gotten hurt-." My knees gave way, sending me crashing to the ground.
"UMI!" Ascot cried. He attempted to stop my fall but all that accomplished was getting him knocked off his feet.
I breathed heavily, not even trying to get up. I felt like I had just ran a marathon, except it wasn't through a nice flat street. Oh no, it was through a forest filled with prickle bushes, ravines, and god knows what else.
"Umi, you're bleeding!" Ascot yelled, clearly terrified.
Ah, that explains it. I'm so weak because I lost a lot of blood. I tried to turn my head to smile up at him but I thought better of it when pain jolted through my head. I decided to stay put.
Ascot muttered something that I didn't quite catch in time. "Huh?" I asked intelligently.
"Why?" I couldn't see his face but by the tone of his voice I could tell he was upset. Great. I did the exact opposite of what I was trying to accomplish. I got him even more distressed.
"I don't know," I answered rather honestly. "I guess I didn't want you to be sad. I wanted to apologize, I think."
Ascot was silent for a few minutes. I began to think he hadn't heard me when he whispered, "Do you think I could turn you on your back?"
I tried to nod but once again I was reminded that my neck was sore. I settled for a muttered yes.
Ascot's hands gently turned me over onto my backside, wincing slightly as my back came in contact with the ground. I didn't need to look at my body to know the extent of my wounds; just gazing into Ascot's face was all I needed to know. I was pretty beat-up.
I heard tearing sounds and glancing over I saw Ascot ripping his robes into thin strips. Then he methodically bandaged me up, keeping silent the entire time. He would glance up every once in a while to see if I was feeling any discomfort, but that was it. I was touched by his concern.
When he finished he made himself comfortable and cradled my head in his lap. He didn't say anything, just began stroking my hair, pulling out the twigs and leaves and whatever else had gotten tangled in there. It was very soothing, and I stared blankly off into space, thinking about nothing in particular.
Ascot's sigh brought me back down to earth. I then remembered what I had come for. I mentally kicked myself for my selfishness.
"Ascot?" I ventured.
He blushed. "Y-y-yes U-u-umi?"
"I'm sorry." He looked at me wide-eyed.
"What are you apologizing for?!" He nearly screamed.
I winced. Great. Now I've got a lovely headache to go along with my ripped up body. If this was a dream, I'd hate to see the nightmare.
I decided to continue. "I'm sorry for not being aware of your feelings," I felt my eyes beginning to water, "I've been careless, but I didn't realize until a little while ago how much your friendship, your feelings meant to me. I don't want you to be sad, but it seems all I ever do is hurt people that I love, but not anymore," I glanced back up at Ascot, giving him a small smile. "So please don't cry. I want to see your smile. I'll do anything to see you smile again."
"Umi…" Ascot looked like he was barely holding back his tears. He through his arms around me and began to cry on my shoulder. I tried to soothe him, whispering it was all right and that everything was going to be okay while stroking his hair. I planted a kiss on his forehead.
The tears that streamed down his face dripped off and fell onto my shirt. I made a move to wipe his tears away when he caught my hand. He looked at me, his vision blurred by his tears. His eyes looked different. They were the same bright emerald green that I remembered, but they now held a hidden depth to them. He leaned in real close and whispered, "I love you Umi."
He kissed my cheek, allowing his tears to run off onto my face as he murmured, "I don't ever want to see you hurt. I want to protect you from your pain. I don't care if we're worlds apart, I'll always love you. I'll always be there by your side; I'll be there when you fall, when you cry, when you laugh. I want to always be there for you."
As Ascot spoke his tears continued to fall onto my body, but they glowed! I watched in amazement as my body was healed right before my eyes!
"Eh?" I uttered, shocked. This was almost as good as Fuu's Healing Winds spell! I should know, I was the first person she used it on.
Slowly I began to test out my body, flexing my hands and stretching out my legs. Satisfied that everything was in working order, I chanced a glance back at Ascot, trying to gauge his reaction. He looked at surprised as me, but he was smiling.
"You're healed!" He exclaimed happily, tears still flowing down his face.
"Yeah…" I nodded, still a bit confused, but figured in dreams anything is possible.
I slowly sat up, fingering the soft material that was Ascot's hat. Wait a minute! Glancing down I realized that I still had the darn thing, my fingers clenching it tightly.
"Heh, here Ascot," I passed it to him, chuckling while he fiddled with it to get it into a somewhat decent shape. He jammed it on his head when he was finally satisfied with it. He mock-glared at me when he heard me giggling, but he ended up smiling and snuggling against me. We sat quietly like that. /What a bizarre dream/ I thought. But it was real. Real to me anyway.
"Hey Umi?" Ascot asked.
"Yes?" I replied, peering curiously down at him.
He gulped, then sat up. Again he looked nervous, but he held my gaze. "I'm going to try something. I'm not sure it'll work, but if it does, I think you'll like it." He closed his eyes.
"I believe in you Ascot," I reassured him, "you can do anything you want to if you put your mind to it."
Ascot smiled. "Thanks, Umi."
He kept his eyes closed, so I waited for something to happen. For a moment, it was silent, but then the wind came whistling through the forest, gently lifting Ascot off the ground. He floated there, his hair tossed about and his clothes streaming out like he was caught in a gale. He began to glow a bright yellow as I watched, his lips moving like he was chanting something. The ground glowed beneath his feet, forming a six-pointed star. The wind picked up, wrapping itself around Ascot until all I could see was his face being caressed by the breeze, then even that disappeared. I had no idea what was happening, but magic tingled in the very air, weaving and reweaving threads of colored lights. It was in a word, beautiful.
Then a dozen twinkling green lights shown out from the swirling vortex Ascot was incased in, dispelling the winds. Ascot came into view and I gasped.
What stood before me now was not a little boy, but a young man!
"Ascot?!" I breathed, wondering if my eyes were deceiving me.
"Yes Umi, it's me," Ascot smiled at me, blushing slightly at the expression on my face.
"This is w-w-what you w-w-wanted to show me?" I tried to calm myself down but my heart chose to ignore my brain's commands. I could feel it pounding in my chest.
He nodded his head, though his smile faltered a bit. "Umi, do you like me like this?"
"Yes!" I cried, startling both him and myself. Embarrassed, I quickly mumbled, "I mean, yes, you look nice. Very handsome." Flustered, I played with the hem of my skirt.
"Really?" I nodded.
He crouched down by me and took my hands in his, his larger hands engulfing my own. He gave me a kind smile, his eyes still sparkling with the same warmth he had before.
"That's good, because I grew up for you," he said.
"You grew up for me…" I was touched. He nodded his head, so I continued, "I rather like this new you…" I trailed off.
We leaned forward.
But, just as we were about to kiss, my stupid alarm went off and woke me up.
I rose groggily and sent a death glare to the offending machine. I was really ticked that I had woken up at the best part of my dream, so I grabbed it and hurled it with all my might at the wall with a yell. It landed with a thud on the floor, now silent.
I sighed dejectedly and figured I'd better get up. I grabbed my uniform and headed for the bathroom. As I past my desk, I glanced at my bulletin board. The three drawings were still hanging there, but the Ascot one drew my eyes. I paused, remembering the events of my dream. It was only a dream, wasn't it? I hadn't really gone back to Cephiro and found Ascot, nor did I really see him grow up, right? But then I placed a hand over my heart. There was still a dull ache from my return, but it seemed muted, somehow. I felt warmer, lighter, and happier. The sorrow was not so sharp. Maybe it wasn't a dream after all. I smiled softly and then felt my lips. /He kissed me right here/ I thought. I touched my lips to my fingers, then pressed them to the picture. I turned and walked out of the room.
"I think I love you too, Ascot."
****
I awoke with a start to find myself in my own room in the castle. Sleepily, I wondered what I was dreaming about. I think I was enjoying myself because I was incredibly happy. I felt so tired that my eyes began to flutter shut, my mind drifting from thought to thought… /Long, silky, blur hair…/
I sat up with a start. Umi! I had been dreaming about Umi! Something had happened, I was sure of it.
The sheets must've twisted around me in the middle of the night, because I felt confining fabric. Then it hit me. I leapt out of bed and ran to the closet door. I have a full-length mirror hanging on it, so I anxiously peered in to see my reflection. Two bright-green eyes stared back, but I was taller, much taller. I looked a bit scrawny in my opinion, but hey, I definitely looked older. A big silly grin crossed my face.
"I grew up!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. I probably would've turned a few flips if I could've. To say I was happy was a gross understatement: I was ecstatic! I could've cared less that my clothes pinched me or were four sizes too small. I had grown up!
Then I heard a knock at the door. "Ascot, what's with the racket? Breakfast is ready." I froze. It was Caldina.
"Ascot, are you alright?" She yelled through the door. I thought about diving into the closet, but too late.
She already opened the door. "Ascot, what is go- AAAAH! Who are you and what have you done with Ascot?!" The look on her face was priceless. I immediately unfroze and started laughing.
"It's me Caldina," I choked out.
"Ascot!?" She yelled in surprise.
I nodded my head.
"How did this happen?" She was nearly hysterical.
"Aaah…" I scratched my head. I wasn't really sure. I was pretty confident that it had something to do with my dream, of which I remember little except that Umi was in it.
Suddenly the ground lurched and a great rumbling filled the air. We both grabbed frantically for something to steady ourselves with. Slowly the rumbling receded and the castle no longer rocked unsteadily. Caldina and I glanced at each other and nodded: another part of Cephiro had crumbled away.
Caldina bolted for the door and peered out. She apparently saw someone because she yelled something and cursed in Chizetan. Whatever the person had told had upset her extremely, because I could feel my face burning. With Caldina as an older sister I got pretty fluent in Chizetan curses. Caldina doesn't approve of it though.
She turned and looked at me. "We've been summoned to the mirror room. Get some clothes on. I'll wait for ya outside."
I hurriedly complied. The clothes weren't a problem. You could change the size just by using your will.
Dashing out, Caldina and I had an impromptu race to the mirror room, but our faces were grim. We all knew that unless a new Pillar was found, Cephiro would be lost. My home would be destroyed forever. I felt a pang of sadness at that.
The door to the mirror room was wide open, so we just ran right through, coming to a screeching halt at the small group gathered around the center of the room. We didn't say anything for a few moments while we caught our breath. No one had seemed to notice us.
Then Guru Clef turned and said, "Good morning Caldina, Ascot, sorry for disturbing your sleep-." His eyes widened as he looked at me. Instantly I felt all eyes on me. I looked embarrassedly at my shoes.
"I know guys are prone to major growth spurts, but this is ridiculous!" Prince Ferio exclaimed.
"What happened?" Lafarga looked at Caldina, I suppose thinking she knew what was going on.
She shrugged her shoulders. "I went to wake Ascot up and found him like this."
"Well Ascot," Guru Clef gave me a piercing look, "would you like to tell us how this happened?"
"Aaah… Well I don't really know. I think it has something to do with a dream I had," I answered.
Prince Ferio whistled. "That must've been one heck of a dream."
Guru Clef nodded his head in agreement. "It takes extreme force of will to change one's appearance, even in Cephiro. The person in question must be mentally mature enough to initiate such a change and have a very strong wish to do so. Do you remember anything about your dream?"
"Well…" I stared down at the floor again, my face becoming a rather lovely shade of red. I paused for a few moments, mentally sifting through my mind in an attempt to drag up images from my dream. Then I found something.
"Umi. I was dreaming about Umi."
"Eh?" Everyone blinked at me in shock. Then Caldina grinned widely. I sincerely did not like that smile; I've lived around her long enough to know she was plotting something, and somehow it always involved trouble. Yessiree, right that minute I wanted to be as far away from her as possible.
"Ooooh!" She drawled, sauntering around me before flinging herself onto my back and draping her arms over my shoulders. "Ascot loves Umi! Ascot loves Umi!" She chanted in a singsong voice.
Guru Clef and Pharle Presea looked at each other and smiled. Prince Ferio slapped my arm, muttering something about good taste. Cail Lantis and Lafarga both had smiles on their faces.
"So, are you going to tell her?" Caldina casually asked me.
My face turned a brighter shade of red then I thought possible.
To Be Continued…
*~*~*~*~*~*
SE: So, what'd you think?
Ascot: Waah! Umi got hurt!
Umi: Yeah, that wasn't very nice!
SE: /Sweatdrop/ Well, Ascot healed you, didn't he?
Umi: Yeah, but still!
SE: (To Ascot) You like her because?
Ascot: She was my first human friend!
Umi: /Sniffle/ I never knew you cared Ascot!
SE: What 'bout Caldina?
Ascot: Older sisters don't count
Caldina: Hey! That's it, next story I'm gonna tease ya big time!
SE: (Looks at Umi and Ascot snuggling) I don't think they heard you…
Caldina: Young love
SE: Yeah… Oh, Review please!
Caldina: Yeah! Tell us what ya think!