Disclaimer: MKR belongs to CLAMP blah blah blah
Notes: thank you for the lovely comments, I didn't expect people to read this story again! Hope you're actually finding it better than the old version!
- CHAPTER TWO: Changes -
Perfect.
Umi looked at her reflection in the mirror and swung her hips. Then she turned her back to it to check the actual lenght of her skirt and smirked, saisfied. Her moment of self appreciation was cut off by an insistent knocking at her door
"Umi chan, it's late!" Hikaru's voice exclaimed from the hallway
"just one moment!" she said, unbottoning her shirt to make her neckline even more plugging.
"Umi!" Fuu's voice was impatient, so the bluette fumed
"oh come in already!"
"What the-?!" Hikaru's mouth hung open
"isn't it cool?" the bluette asked, placing a hand on her hip.
Fuu looked at her and breathed deeply.
"What is this...outfit...supposed to mean?"
"I wanted to get rid of my spoiled schoolgirl look...you know, I want to look more sophisticated" the Water Knight nonchalantly explained.
The blonde girl slowly rose an eyebrow
"right" she said, gracefully sitting on her friend's bed. Then she exchanged a glance with Hikaru, who did the same
"hem, I'm not trying to kick you out or anything but weren't we late?" Umi asked, confused
"we have still a little bit of time" the Wind Knight said, beckoning her friend to join them on the bed. The bluette rolled her eyes and sat down between the two girls.
Fuu gave a disappointed look at the edge of Umi's skirt, barely covering her upper thighs "what, mom?" the Water knight spat, the blonde was going to reply but Hikaru stopped her
"Umi chan, are you sure there's nothing you want to tell us?" the bluette rose an eyebrow
"what should I tell you exactly?"
"I don't know, maybe the reason why you literally disappeared for the whole evening right after you went to pay a visit to Clef?" Fuu sarcastically asked back
"do you really think that old mage has this influence on me?"
"hem...yes?" Hikaru answered. Umi just glared at her
"bullshi—"
"this is not the way a sophisticated young lady talks" Fuu rebuked her
"oh please, can we just get over this nonsensical stuff and go downstairs to meet the others for dinner?"
" 'nonsensical' is exactly what I was thinking about this look" the Wind Knight muttered aloud
"I heard you!"
"well, I wanted you to do it"
"Umi chan" Hikaru interrupted them "don't you think your clothes are a bit too...extreme?"
"it's not only a matter of clothes" Fuu poined out
"what do you mean?" the Water Knight asked, almost indignant.
The Wind Knight rolled her eyes and took a tissue
"stay away from me!" Umi exclaimed
"shut up, I'm trying to help you!" Fuu lost her temper and grabbed her friend's arm
"no! no! please this make up took me hours of work! No!"
Too late.
Fuu quickly brushed it all over her face. It got a huge bronze stain.
"too much even for some gyaru" she commented, shaking her head.
Umi look at her reflection in the mirror: there was a pale stripe right on her right cheek
"watch what you did!" she shouted
"I was going to say the very same thing to you!" the Water Knight yelled back
Hikaru looked in shock at the two of them
"please, stop this!" she exclaimed, her hands covering her ears "we should all be happy to be back home!"
"open your eyes little girl, this is not home!" Umi shouted.
An icy silence spread inside the room
"Ryuuzaki Umi, wear proper clothes and come to dinner" Fuu hissed
"or what?"
"or don't bother to come around again, next time"
"well, maybe there won't be a next time! I could even go back to Tokyo!"
"if that's what you want I won't beg you to stay here" the Wind Knight replied
"Fuu chan!" Hikaru was clearly upset
"if she doesn't feel part of this country there's no reason to stay, right?"
"Fuu chan this makes no sense, what are you saying? We should stay toge—"
"Enough with all this, Hikaru. Now let's go, Ferio and Lantis are waiting for us" she put emphasis on the last part of the sentence "have a safe trip back home and call us when you are able to reason again without behaving like some bitchy schoolgirl" she added, glaring at Umi and leading the Fire Knight out of the room.
Clef sighed.
Arguing with Umi wasn't exactly what he had in mind for their first encounter after so many years, but keeping calm with that girl around was a real challenge to him.
Umi was blunt and temperamental, outspoken and irritating. And still she was so fragile and insecure that she needed to yell at everyone to somehow feel safe.
The mage locked his corn around his forehead and grabbed his staff. For the first time in centuries, he felt extremely embarassed to look up at the lion shaped edge of the his bestow. Being the most powerful sorcerer of the country he surely didn't have to use his physical look to make people remember what his magic skills could do, so he was fine with looking a twelve years old boy. But lately, seeing how the Magick Knights had grown through the years, realizing how Umi was no more a little schoolgirl but a beautiful young woman, it made him feel so…so…inadequate.
A lot of things had changed in Cephiro, maybe it was time to make a change himself.
He looked at the huge mirror on the wall of his chamber and almost felt piety for the little kid staring back at him.
After seven centuries it was time to change.
Slowly, he walked to his cupboard and opened a small drawer. Inside it there was only an elaborate silver chest, with azure and purple gems on it and a lion head shaped golden lock.
It's time he thought, lightly waving his staff and making a lion head shaped golden key appear in his hand.
With a trembling touch, he opened the chest. Inside there was only a small vial filled with a golden liquid.
Slowly, the Master Mage uncorcked it and small sparkles formed on the top of the vial.
Clef stared at the potion for a good minute before finally drink it in one sip.
There's no turning back now he thought, forcefully shutting his eyes.
Warmth spread across his small body. It was like having waves forcefully crashing in the inner depth of his soul. His bones started hurting so much that for a moment the thought that even death would have been a good escape to that kind of pain.
Suddenly, a bright flash wrapped around his tiny body and the pain got sharper. He felt like screaming with all the air in his lungs but no sound came out of his mouth.
The warmth left place to a piercing cold and finally the flash dimmed and the pain ceased.
He found himself panting and shivering on his knees.
Clef looked at his hand resting on the marble floor of his inner chamber: his fingers weren't small and plump anymore, now they looked long and tapered. Slowly, almost afraid of what he'd felt there, he rose them to his face: he could perfectly sense his now prominent cheekbones under his touch.
The Master Mage breathed deeply and gathered all the courage he had, then he rose his stare towards the mirror.
There was no twelve years old kid to look back at him.
"Good evening" Fuu politely bowed as she stepped inside the dining room.
Everyone turned to look at her and Hikaru, who was standing behind her.
Before the girls knew it, Caldina literally jumped in their arms, bombardind them with a lot of how I missed you! You grew up so much! I'm so happy you're back!
Struggling, the Fire Knight got free from Caldina's hug and walked to Presea.
The smith smiled to her favourite Knight and welcomed her with a warm embrace
"you look so beautiful now" she commented in a motherly way, while stroking Hikaru's ruby mane
"thank you, I missed you so much" the girl answered
"me too darling, I'm so happy to have you here with us again" .
"Hey, is it just me or someone is missing?" Ferio asked aloud
"ah yes, Umi isn't exactly in the right mood now" Fuu explained, approaching him and holding his hand
"what?! She comes back after so many years and she isn't in the right mood?! C'mon girls, go upstairs and bring her here!"
"I don't think it's a good idea" Hikaru sadly replied.
"What is not a good idea?" a deep voice asked.
Everyone turned to look at the tall figure standing in the doorway. An awkward silence filled the room.
"you did it" Presea whispered. All the people in the room turned to look at her
"Presea, what does this mean?" Hikaru asked, clearly confused, hiding behind Lantis as the tall man approached her.
"it's me" he just said. The Fire Knight looked at the man before her and then looked at Lantis. The swordsman nodded and a thin, rare smile formed on his lips.
"Clef?" the girl asked in awe
"yes, it's me"
Curious, Fuu approached the Master Mage and looked at him straight in the eyes
"this was unexpected" she eventually commented with a wide smile.
"sorry everyone, I didn't mean to startle you" he apologized aloud. His eyes searched Umi among the crowd but the Water Knight was nowhere to be seen.
What happened? Where was she? Maybe she was just late and...
Presea's stare on him ended his thoughts. He smiled to the woman and slowly walked towards her
"you used the potion" she whispered "you know there's no turning back now" the Master Mage nodded
"it was time"
"why right now?" the woman asked
"everything is changing, we must look forward" he answered, lightly placing a hand on her shoulder.
The dinner was served and everyone sat at the table.
"Where's Umi?" Clef suddenly asked, biting a slice of bread
"she isn't feeling well" Hikaru answered
"didn't you say she wasn't in good mood?" Ferio asked
"hem...she isn't in good mood because she wasn't feeling well?" the Fire Knight stammered
"you tried" the King said, then looked at Fuu "what's wrong?"
"she stayed in her room that's all" the Wind Knight explained, sipping some water.
Clef studied the expression of the two Knights at the other side of the table, then looked at the empty chair in front of him. Something wasn't right.
When the dinner ended, the Master Mage approached Fuu
"excuse me, may I talk to you in private?" he asked
"yes, of course" the Wind Knight answered.
They went outside, in the garden, and Fuu sat on the edge of the fountain
"so, I suppose it's about Umi" the mage nodded
"you've always been the smart one" he proudly commented
"ah, there's no need to be smart to understand you're worried"
"indeed I am, what happened?"
"we argued" the sorcerer looked at the Wind Knight with diesbelief in his eyes
"you don't simply argue"
"well, apparently it happens, sometimes"
"how can you talk so lightly about this?"
"you know Umi better than me, better than anyone in the world, the only way to make her reason is talking straight to her"
"what did you tell her?"
"to call us when she is able to behave like any normal girl instead of a bitchy schoolgirl"
The Master Mage sighed aloud
"I kind of told her the same thing this afternoon"
"I knew it"
"did she talked about it?"
"no, but she blabbered something about looking like a sophisticated young woman" Clef shook his head and looked up towards the Water Knight's balcony.
"Umi is trying hard to show that she changed, that she isn't the complaining little girl you met the first time we landed here" Fuu commented
"I know" the Master Mage replied, and for a brief moment his eyes showed the deepest affection for the Water Knight.
The Wind Knight sweetly smiled
"You know, Clef, she cherishes you so much" Fuu admitted "she just doesn't know how to deal with all this" the mage stayed silent, musing over those words.
Eventually, he spoke
"you and Hikaru are very precious to her, please don't leave her. Stay by her side"
Fuu nodded
"everything will work out tomorrow, I'm sure" she mused aloud
"I know it will" Clef agreed, placing a hand on the Wind Knight's shoulder and keeping his eyes on Umi's balcony.
