Disclaimer: MKR belongs to CLAMP everyone knows that.

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- CHAPTER 3: Enemies -

He sighed.
That law was so old and pointless by now, who cared about Pillar's duties when now there was no Pillar around?
The thought of his former pupil made him smile. Was she happy now?
Without even realizing it, he stood up and walked outside, to his balcony.
Did your wish come true, Emeraude?
A gentle rain started to fall.
His eyes drifted to the other side of the Palace, to the wing where the Magic Knights' chambers were. If Fuu's words were true, Umi had to be pretty upset.
The girls were so young the first time they came to Cephiro, and yet they menaged not only the save the world, but even to tie up a strong bound between them.
How many years had passed now? How many things had changed?
How much he was changed?
He looked at his hand, so different from the chubby and childish hand he was used to.
At a certain point in life, change was the only option left. It was the natural thing to do.

Suddenly, his magic sensed something in the air. Or was it someone? Well, whatever it was, its aura was strong.
Strong and dark he thought, lifting his head up to look at the sky, searching for the source of that new, disturbing presence.
A loud shriek made him turn.
A huge, black griffin heavily landed in front of him and a man, all wrapped up in a black cloack, climbed down from the beast. Only his eyes were visible: they were green and bright and the shadow the Master Mage read in their depth wasn't a good sign.
"King Ferio?" the man asked, walking towards him.
Clef smirked
"who's looking for him?" the stranger smirked back and briefly bowed his head.
With a fast movement of his arm, the man got rid of his cloack, revealing his identity
"Arashi, King of Iris"
The sorcerer studied his guest: by his posture and body, he had to be a warrior. And a very strong one.
The purple gem on his staff gleamed as the stranger approached him. Definitely, it wasn't a good sign, now it was clear the man also possessed very powerful magic skills.
"Iris you said? I heard of it, your Country is close to Chizeta isn't it?"
"Not many people know about it, looks like the rumors about you aren't reliable" Arashi smirked
"rumors?"
"ah yes, well, people say that the King of Cephiro is...how can I say it without sounding rude? Uneducated"
Clef glared at his guest
"I don't know who told you so, but I can assure you that our King is a learned man. Just like each one of my pupils, after all"
At those words, Arashi's eyes lit up with new interest
"so you must be—"
"Madoushi Clef, right"
Much to the Master Mage disappointment, the King nodded and smirked, then walked right inside the study and sat in front of the desk
"I don't remember I ever let you in" Clef commented, walking in as well
"oh but I'm sure you won't kick me out, causing a huge diplomatic incident"
The sorcerer gave in and sat at his desk
"so, what do you want?"
"how can I say it? Ummm...I want this" he opened his arms, suggesting their whole surronding. Clef rose an eyebrow
"my library?" the King laughed
"Cephiro"
Clef looked at him with wide eyes
"excuse me?"
"you heard it, Master Mage"
the sorcerer hardly kept a laugh
"this is ridiculous"
"not really. Now, follow my reasoning: Chizeta is getting new colonies so it's just matter of time before they attack us."
"no offense, but your Country is very small and the territory is not the ideal place to build up an organized society such as Chizeta's, so I doubt the Princesses would be interested in making you one of their colonies"
"wrong. There's a lot you don't know about Iris, our Country is an endless well of resources, you just have to discover how to get their benefits. Anyway, if Chizeta attacks us, we have no chance by now, if you consider that Cephiro would line up with the Princesses, and this would bring in Eagle Vision's army and Princess Aska's sorcerers as well."
Clef sighed
"I can assure you that Cephiro has no intention to face a new war. This Country already suffered enough"
"it maybe as you say, but as King I must think to the good of my own country and you are clearly a menace. Give me this country and no one will get hurt"
"this is pointless, Cephiro belongs solely to its habitants, what makes you think we'll bent to you like this?"
Arashi smirked and with a gesture summoned a dark puff of smoke in his palm
"look, Master Mage" a lot soldiers appeared inside the puff: they were training with huge swords and magic as well "this is my army, one of the most powerful of this dimension, you don't really want to challenge my men" Clef glared at the man
"I won't be impressed by an army, I saw and fought so many wars that it almost bores me"
the King smirked and nodded, then clenched his palm, summoning back the puff
"and what about magic? My powers are beyond human imagination, Clef" the gem on the staff gleamed again, so the Madoushi held it tight, until it dimmed
"I am Master Clef, and probably you forget that no one can touch the powers of the Master Mage of Cephiro, I could kill a thousand of men just by snapping my fingers"
"you could, but you won't do it"
"what makes you think so?"
"your spirit. I can sense it, it is too pure for all this"
Clef clenched his fist
"you said yourself that Iris can't afford a war"
"I said Iris can't afford a war against Cephiro, Chizeta, Autozam and Fahren, it's different"
"our army is very powerful"
"I don't doubt it, I had the pleasure to meet Lantis years ago...if he's the leader of your army, your men are surely dreadful"
"indeed they are. And we have the—"
"Magic Knights? Three little girls are very fearful" he sarcastically commented
"they have the power of our deities within them"
"Too bad that I've never been a religious man"Arashi replied in a smirk.
Clef slammed his fist on the desk
"that's enough! Out of my library and out of my Country!" the King didn't move from the chair
"I won't go away until I've talked to Ferio"
"His Majesty is sleeping, there's no way I will disturb him for such an idiocy!"
"this is not an idiocy, this is a war" Arashi coldly replied with a smirk on his lips "but I'm a reasonable man, so I will accept to be your guest until morning, when I am able to talk to your King"
"what makes you think I will give you hospitality?"
"you are already on the verge of a war, I'm sure you are smart enough not to make things worse"
The gem on the staff gleamed again, this time more brightly.
Clef clenched his fist
"I'll show you your chamber".


Umi turned over her bed again.
She wasn't sure if she was feeling cold or hot, but the thing is that she was sweating and chilling at the same time.
She reached out to the water pitcher on the night table and, without even bothering to pour the water in a glass, drank a huge sip. Then she hid her head under her pillow and tried to sleep again.
Useless.
No, not the first night here after ages.
And not right after an arguement.
Maybe she only needed some fresh air.
She wore her nightgown and walked outside to her balcony.
All the lights in the castle were turned off. All the lights but the dim ones coming from the windows of the hallways and the one of Clef's library.
When will he stop working this late?
There was a part of her who desperately wanted to burst in his study and make him stop reading those damn papers. She wanted to go there, sit in front of his desk and watch him preparing the potion he used to give her.
She nostalgically remembered the nights spent in his library. During those times she could allow herself to be nothing more than a fourteen years old girl.
And he never teased her. He never made her feel inadequate. He was always supporting, gentle, kind. He was the only one who bothered to look deep inside her, the only one who didn't stop at her icy façade. He walked through her walls and teared them down.
When he was beside her she felt alive. She was herself.
She looked down at her hand and for a moment she could feel the warmth of his palm.
A gentle rain started falling from the sky and she bitterly smiled.
Falling in love was so easy, why dealing with all those feelings had to be so hard?
Umi sighed.
A lot of things have changed since the last time they met. Why couldn't she change as well? She was trying so hard, but every attempt was useless.
Even Clef, being the patient man he was, now was sick and tired of her.
What if, despite her feelings, leaving Cephiro forever was the only solution?

A loud shriek caught her attention.
She looked up and saw a black griffin landing on Clef's balcony.
Two tall figures were arguing, until one of them retired in the library.
Immediately, the other one walked after and closed the door of the balcony and the curtains. Now she couldn't see anything.

Who were those people? What were they doing in the castle? Where was Clef? What if he was in danger?
Without thinking twice, she grabbed her magic glove and, placing it in the pocket of her nightgown, run to the library.


She burst in wthout even knocking on the door
"Clef!"
but much to her surprise, the library was empty.
"Clef? Where are you? Clef!" she looked for him everywhere, but the Master Mage was nowhere to be seen.
Umi bit her lower lip and wore her glove, then left the room.
There was something wrong going on there, and she had no intention to let it go. If Clef was in trouble, she wanted to help him.
Suddenly, a tall figure appeared in the distance. The Water Knight held her breath and summoned her sword
"Who's there?" she asked, sticking her rapier out
"Umi?" the figure stepped closer, in to the light of the chandelier.
There was a clanging noise as Selece's sword fell on the floor and Umi's hands flew to her mouth
"you..." she whispered, he gently smiled
"yes, it's me" he bent down to pick up the sword, but it turned in to water "ah, right...I forgot it" he said.
Umi lightly moved her hand, summoning the weapon back. Clef looked at the glove
"why are you wandering around the castle in the middle of the night and with your magic glove on?"
"I...I saw something strange and I wanted to make sure everything was ok"
"something strange?"
"who came to your library?" she asked
"ah. I...well, you see..." he hesitated
"Clef, what's wrong?"
"nothing is wrong, Umi. Don't worry"
"who was that man, then? The one with the gryffin?"
"just a diplomatic visit"
"in the middle of the night?"
"I told you everything is alright, stop it" he mentally cursed himself, he did it again.
"sorry, I didn't mean to be rude to you" the sorcerer apologized, lightly placing a hand on Umi's shoulder. He felt her tensing under his touch.
"it's ok, I shouldn't be so nosey" he smiled
"come with me"


He led her to his library and summoned a chair for her
"thank you" she said, gracefully sitting down.
Clef studied her: she looked pale and there were dark circles under her eyes
"what's worrying you?" she bitterly smiled
"some things will never change, right?" he sighed
"sometimes changes are good, but it doesen't mean we are forced to do it"
"you did it" she whispered, the Master Mage smiled
"maybe in this way you will think twice before yelling at me" she smiled as well
"I'm sorry. I'm so loud and blunt and bitchy and sharp and..." Clef's hand on hers made her silent
"it's you and it's perfectly fine"
Umi looked at him, then at their hands. It seemed perfect, but somehow her heart crashed and she retired her hand
"liar" the Mage looked at her in disbelief
"what?"
"liar" she repeated "it's not fine! It has never been! I know what everyone thinks, I'm sorry to be like this!" now she was almost shouting
"Umi, what are you saying?"
"I swear I want to change, but I can't, ok? I'm trying, but all my efforts are useless!"
Clef held her hand again
"No" his eyes pierced her "this is you, and there's nothing wrong with it, Umi. You can't force yourself to change, it happens gradually. There's nothing you have to change about you"
"lies!" she exclaimed, breaking free from his hand and standing up "sorry for disturbing you, it won't happen again"
"Umi wait!" the sorcerer grabbed her arm
"let me go!"
"Umi, look at me!"
Maybe it was because now he was way taller than her, maybe because his grasp was way stronger than it used to be when he looked like a kid, maybe because his voice now was lower and deeper than how it used to be, but she found herself obeying.
As her eyes met his, she shivered.
"Clef, please" she whispered
"Umi, listen..."
"please...good night" he sighed and gave in, letting her go
"good night, Umi."