Chapter 2

Clare has been through much as she took in Teresa's arm and became a claymore, surviving the rigorous training to become one of the 47 claymore that get assigned a territory. Earning her rank of number 47 and considered the weakest due to her being ¼ yoma instead of the usual ½ however the gifts she inherits from Teresa's flesh become apparent as she battles and gains more experience. While her skills grow from her many encounters, she learns the limits of her yoki power and with the addition of the quicksword from Irene to her arsenal she matches each of her opponents no matter how fierce along with the help of her allies she had made. These allies being the no. 6 Phantom Miria, no. 22 Helen, no. 15 Deneve, no. 9 Jean, and even to some degree the revered no. 3 God Eye Galatea. All of them sharing one thing in common accept for Galatea which is the fact that they are all half awakened beings so they can go beyond their limit and come back when normal warriors would change into awakened beings. Being half awakened beings caused them to become targets for the organization as they tried to get rid of them. But to no avail, the warriors were too cunning and avoided their almost imminent deaths by the hands of many awakened beings in the north gathered by Isley. It was there that the team faced there most deadly opponent Rigaldo, who Clare managed to defeat by allowing her legs to awaken. The team suffered many casualties to Rigaldo but they survived though most of the other warriors were not so lucky. Clare was close to awakening when Priscilla appeared on the scene causing Clare to forget about being killed before she awakened and concentrated on fighting against Priscilla to avenge her fallen Teresa. The titanic battle ended in a draw after Jean sacrificed herself to stop Clare from fully awakening, and Isley interfered before Priscilla could be struck down by the other claymore after she reverted. Isley called off the invasion in the north for now after rendezvousing with Raki another person whom Clare met in her travels. He is a boy close to Clare's heart the one who saved her from awakening the first time, and was traveling with her until Clare's battle with Ophelia separated them. Swearing to meet again however Raki had decided to stay with Isley and Priscilla not wanting to see Clare until he was stronger and not knowing what had happened between Clare and Priscilla. After the battle the four meet where Clare set up Jeans sword as a grave marker, Clare is broken up over Jean sacrificing herself to save her and is in tears. Once Clare calms down she meets with the others where they all decide to disband and head their separate ways, Deneve decided to train to become stronger in order to fight the organization while Helen decides to tag along. Miria decides to live amongst the citizens gathering intel on the organization in order to get proof of their wicked ways while honing her own skills for battle. Lastly Clare decides she will continue her search for both Raki and Priscilla whichever one she finds first shall decide her fate. The four hold up their swords once again in a sign of comradery and then head their own separate ways down different paths, but though they have different paths they all lead to the same goal. Little does Clare know that there is a third path which she can take besides the other two she is currently following, however her choice to follow that path shall be made soon as that path is rapidly approaching.

Where it all began and where it shall begin again

It has been 3 month since her battle with Priscilla and the events that transpired in the north and Clare has been traveling, searching high and low for signs of Raki or Priscilla, revenge or a nice quiet life raising Raki. "She was practically searching for her own fate" she thought while walking through the forest on her way to the next town, where she could ask questions and get something to eat. It had been about a week she spent walking through this forest and she had no clues to go on besides the fact she had heard Isley was no longer in the North and had left with Priscilla to some unknown location. She spent a little time in the north searching for Priscilla and only getting that one clue she decided to head back to where she last searched for Raki. Thinking he might not have been too far from where the statue of the twin goddesses were, since those children said they saw him, but no one had seen him since. She was very worried but patiently she searches knowing he would not die so easily. The town she was heading for was one of great importance to Clare both in her mind and heart since it was the stage of Teresa's final battle. As she comes to a cliff Clare peers out and see's the town that's location is forever burned into her head and memories that shall never be forgotten.

"Well Teresa I've come back" she says while looking on the town and she bounds down the cliff and reaches the edge of the town in a matter of seconds. She had taken a yoki suppression pill so her eyes were brown in order to hide the fact she was a claymore and was dressed similarly to the time when her and Raki had infiltrated the holy city of Rabona. She had hidden her blade in a hollow tree near the edge of town and carried two daggers with her concealed under her clothing. She had scoped out the town before hand and hadn't sensed any yoma or fellow claymore around so she had figured it was safe and could take it easy. While she was walking through town people just passed by without batting an eye figuring she was just a regular person and who would question it. She was searching for an inn that she could stay at while she searched the town for Raki and visit Teresa's final resting place. While walking she didn't pay much attention to the crowd of people circulating around her while she circulated around them too, but then dead center right in front of she noticed someone who caught her attention. She was walking towards her in a graceful manner beautiful black hair flowing behind her about shoulder length and she was wearing a nice white dress not too showy but accentuated her fine features but the most breath taking quality were her eyes. They were an ashy grey so beautiful they almost looked silver in the sun. So captivated by this unknown beauty that Clare froze in the middle of the street and watched as this person got closer and closer and then they locked eyes for a moment and Clare suddenly felt this warm and familiar feeling not felt since "No impossible it can't be" Clare thought as she shook her head to get out of her daze. Then returning her gaze the glamorous girl had come even closer to Clare then before and as she passed by she gave a warm smile and giggled a bit at the fact Clare had so obviously been staring. Then she just walked on by and disappeared into the crowd, Clare was unable to make heads or tales of the situation as she just stood there not able to shake that familiar feeling and the fact that that woman had Teresa's face and features but was not Teresa. Though they were both woman Clare was captivated by that beauty as well and blushed a little at the thought of her losing herself to that beauty though that had never happened before.

"Teresa?" Clare said as she watched the crowd a bit before realizing she was in the way. When all of a sudden an old man about as tall as Clare and was hunched over a bit said.

"You know Teresa?"

"What, her names Teresa?" Clare said looking surprised as she snaps her head in his direction facing the old man.

"Yes she's the town's inn keeper and a curious case although not too many people really remember how she came to be here."

"Please can you tell me about her." Clare pleads with the old man. The old man looks at her with a surprised look then smiles and nods.

"Her names Teresa, that's what she told us when we found her, near the site of that horrible battle with those claymores all those years ago. When she came to, the only thing she remembered was her name, not where she came from or where she lived or if she had any family. So of course we took her in and helped her get back on her feet, after she recovered we gave her a job at an inn and after a while the inn's owner retired and turned over ownership to her. She is a kind hearted woman, who cares much for the people of this town, and feels she owes us. She's very beautiful too many of the villages finest men proposed to her but she turned them all down saying that she already loved someone though she didnt know who it was or where." Clare looks as if she had seen a ghost once the old man had concluded his explanation. She then thanks the old man and asks him to point her in the direction of the inn and begins walking towards the inn while her thoughts are in a whirl.

"Could it be true? No Teresa is dead this person just resembles Teresa, not only was Teresa a claymore but she lost her arm that's how I became a claymore. I'd understand her regenerating it but the hair and the eyes don't make sense, well guess I'll know when I get there." She thought making her way down towards the inn. She's looking around at the town as she goes by and she notices the town is all repaired from the big battle that happened those many years ago, Clare thought of course it was since it was so long ago. Then Clare saw the sign for the inn and walked up to the door reached for the doorknob and with her heart jumping into her throat she turned the door knob and opened the door. Upon walking in it was your typical inn with a front desk and stairs leading up to the rooms with another doorway leading probably to a dining hall. She looked to the front desk and who else was standing there but the one she was looking for with her back turned as she was watering a plant. Clare slowly approached the desk and was staring at the person who still didn't notice she had walked in until she was at the desk.

"Teresa?" she said questioningly causing the girl to jump a little in surprise and turn around quickly but then recovers just as quickly and smiles a bright smile and says.

"Yes, hello how may I help you? Oh do I know you, you look familiar and you knew my name."

"Her name is Teresa." Clare thought then quickly responded.

"Yes well we had passed by each other in town and I asked where I could find a place to stay and someone told me I could find rooms here." Clare half lied not wanting to let on she had asked directly about her.

"That's right I remember now you were staring." Teresa said giggling causing Clare to blush again. "Well you're in luck it's the slow season, not many visitors so we have plenty of rooms. Will it just be you and for how long will you be staying?"

"Yes and I don't really know yet some business has come up that I must attend to." She said awkwardly scratching her head.

"Ok you may stay as long as you want as long as you can pay." Teresa said taking a pen opening a book and asking for her name.

"It's… Clare." She said slowly.

"Clare what a pretty name, you know that's one of the twin goddess's names, just like mine." Teresa said once again smiling her warm smile and looking at Clare and their eyes locked once again. Clare was once again immersed in that warm familiar feeling as she stared into Teresa's eyes and Teresa stared back neither moving. The only thing they seemed to care about was staring at each other when Clare started moving closer to her as if by impulse, she never broke eye contact as she reached a hand out and caressed Teresa's cheek causing her to blush a deep crimson. A bolt of lightning was sent through both of them and they were knocked out of their trance.

"I'm sorry I don't know what came over me." Clare said as she backed up and looked a little shocked Teresa looked just as surprised then she blushed and looked to the side.

"It's ok, I'm sorry you're very cute and I feel drawn to you but you see I'm waiting for…" then Clare interrupts.

"For someone from your past?" Teresa's eyes widen as she said that and in surprise she asks.

"How do you know that?"

"The old man I asked about the inn told me about you."Teresa's surprised look went away and for a second she looked disappointed then went back to a smile.

"Right well yes you are correct I just know there is one person out there who knows who I used to be." Clare doesn't know what to do at this point so to regroup she asks Teresa to show her to her room and when Teresa shows her she is left alone in the empty room. Clare is lost in thought as she sits down on the bed.

"I don't know what to do; if she is Teresa then I can't let this chance slip by but if she isn't then I risk meddling in this woman's life. All the pieces fit together accept that Teresa of the Faint Smile was a claymore and nothing that I know of could change that… I have decided that I will take this chance and get closer to this woman and figure out whether she is truly the Teresa I knew.