*Rape is an act of violence, rage and hate. It has nothing to do with love, lust or sex. It should never be taken lightly. The victim of rape is never at fault. Every two minutes someone is raped or sexually abused. Only 32% of rape cases are ever reported.*
Chapter Four Flashbacks
"I'm sorry I made you leave your home," he said after a long time.
She looked up at him, "What?"
"You left your home and stopped coming to Cephiro because of me. It wasn't the job; you're brilliant enough to get a job anywhere. I assumed it was because you thought I didn't love you," he looked down, five years wasted.
She shook her head, and he stared curiously. Her voice was choked, "Clef you're not the reason I left."
The dark in her eyes scared him, "W-What was?"
She closed her eyes, "I was nineteen when I met him, in college. We went to the same university. He was going on to be a lawyer; I was going to be a vet. He was gorgeous, star-student, rich family, nice car. Every girl chased him, every girl except me. My thoughts were on someone else," she smiled, and he kissed her neck, "And that vexed him I guess. I think it drove him insane that he couldn't have me, so he chased me. Everyone was envious, everyone except for Fuu.
"We went out for almost two years, but I could never give myself to him completely because I still loved you. Every time he touched me…" he winced, and she kissed him, "I wished it was you. Every second in his arms I felt yours around me. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't help it.
"One night he came over and proposed."
"Proposed?" he asked softly.
"Told me he wanted to be with me and only me forever, only it's on paper so it's hard to take it back," she explained, and his eyes widened. Did she have another commitment on Earth?
"W-What d-did you say?" he stuttered.
She smiled weakly, "I knew about him. He assumed I was weird and wouldn't sleep with him unless he promised me his life. He would give me his life but have others on the side. And I loved you, through everything I always did, so I told him no."
* "Why?" he choked in the perfect tenor voice, "Umi, please tell me…"
"My heart was stolen by another," she smiled softly at him.*
"He thought I was cheating on him," Umi closed her eyes, and tears fell down her cheeks, "He was so…angry."
* "How long?!" he grabbed her wrists and threw her against a wall, "How long you little tramp?!"
"There's no one! I just can't be with you because there's someone else I love. I'd never do that," she protested.
"You're a whore nothing better! I don't believe you!" he ripped up her hair, and she screamed as he hit her.*
"He called me names and-and…"
"And what Umi?" he inquired softly, "Did he hurt you?"
She nodded, "He threw me against a wall and beat me till I could barely move let alone fight back. The blood was all over my apartment. It was on the walls, in the carpet, everywhere."
He clenched his fists as he watched his angel sob. He stroked her hair and held her as she cried, "Sh…it's over, and I'll never hurt you like that."
"I know," she nodded and wiped away teas that wouldn't stop coming, "But Clef that's not it."
"What?" he didn't think it could get worse but judging by her eyes it did…much worse.
She closed her eyes once more and let the visions eat her while she tried in vain to search for the right words.
*He was going to have her either way as he approached, a demonic glow in his eyes.
"Please," she begged on the ground, "Leave me alone."
"I could have given you everything; you could have had it all," he whispered and ripped her from her spot on the ground, "I thought you were a good girl and once I offered everything to you I could have everything too. But you're not a good girl are you Umi? So who is he huh? Maybe I'll spare you if you tell me. Someone on campus? A high school boyfriend? A Professor?" every time he said a word he kissed her, then hit her as he forced her onto her bed.
She screamed, and he hit her. She struggled, and he forced her down.*
Her struggle for words got her nowhere as she looked into his gentle blue eyes, "He-he…" What if he didn't understand the phrase? Could she explain it?
"What?" He took one of her hands in both of his and squeezed it gently.
She closed her eyes as the tears came faster now.
"Please don't do this if it hurts you," he begged.
"It needs to come out," she tried to get it out now. "He raped me."
She knew by his eyes that he understood the phrase. Suddenly he felt very dizzy and sick as he looked at her trembling body. It was his fault this happened; if he had told her sooner she wouldn't have been with this other guy. If she hadn't loved him she wouldn't have turned down the proposal, and an overwhelming guilt overtook him. He was trembling now too; he couldn't speak.
*He pulled himself back with guilty eyes as he looked at her crippled form. She had been a virgin; she wasn't lying. Then, as if just realizing what he had done, threatened her, as a criminal would threaten a victim, because now that's what he was, and what she had always been in his arms, "If you ever tell anyone I'll be back, and you won't want to see me then."*
"He felt bad afterwards," she said quietly.
His heart filled with rage, "Bad? He did not! He didn't because if he truly cared about you he never would have touched you," he clenched his fingers together, "Did he threaten you?"
"How did you know?" she looked deep into his eyes.
"Cephiro isn't perfect and when things like this happen I'm the one who judges the cases. I know the signs; I've seen them again and again. I never in a million years thought something like this would happen to you though," his voice was quiet. He wasn't sure how to react, how to tell her how guilty, how horrible he felt, for her, for her loss.
She smiled, "Me neither."
*There was a knock, but she didn't have the strength to answer. There was another knock followed by the last voice she wanted to hear, "Umi-san? Hyobe-san? Hey guys come on."
"Fuu," she choked and tried to move, but she hurt everywhere.
"Hey enough of this; I'm out of here," Fuu called, "You two have fun. I'll tell Scarlet hi for you Umi-san."
She saw her chance fading, "Fuu!" she screamed.*
"We were going to see Scarlet and Bleeding Heart. They were born the week before on a farm Fuu and I were working part-time at," Umi explained.
"Fuu told us, when you got that job. You were coming to Cephiro less frequently," Clef said quietly.
Umi nodded and swallowed, "We were going to show them to him; we loved them but could never afford them."
* "Oh my God," Fuu whispered as she walked to the bedroom and found Umi covered in her blood.
"Fuu," Umi raised her hands as she cried, completely helpless.
"Sh…okay…" Fuu didn't know exactly what to do, but the doctor instinct they both had kicked in, "First you have to tell me what happened," she told her when she back in with a cloth and warm water.
"He-he-r-raped me," she had no idea what was happening, all she could do was answer the questions.
Fuu closed her eyes, regretting the questions, "We have to go to the police."
"N-no," Umi shook her head, "He'll come back."
Fuu got scared for Umi then, "Okay Umi-san, okay."
Umi smiled, "Arigato."
"Let's get this cleaned up then," she gently cleaned Umi's wounds and looked disgustedly at the water full of her best friend's blood.*
"Fuu saved my life; she cleaned me up and got me healthy. I was twenty then. I finished school in London and then Fuu and I started our clinic. After that night I never came back to Cephiro; I could never look at you," Umi finished, "Because now I knew what I would give for my love, and it scared me."
He held her as she cried and fumbled for his touch, "Gomen nasai," he kissed her softly on the top of her head as a few tears streamed down his cheeks, "Umi I'm sorry I hurt you, and I wasn't there for you. I'm sorry you loved me."
She looked up into his shimmering blue eyes and kissed him hungrily, "I'm not."
§§§~~~
"Clef! Umi!" Mieko burst in the room and looked around her. Her eyes first landed on Umi's bed; it was still made and empty. Then her eyes drifted to Clef's bed. Umi was pulled close to his chest; her head nestled near the nape of his neck. He had his arms wrapped tight around her; his head was gently placed on top of hers. She whined slightly in her sleep, and he, without opening his eyes, kissed her head.
His staff and her armor were placed next to each other; two weapons of war sleeping peacefully.
She turned and left quickly, heartbroken. She had thought she would have a chance to win the Master Mage's heart once and for all, but it seemed that that would never happen. She closed her eyes and said a spell.
'Clef wake Umi and hurry; the monsters are approaching,' she said in her mind and his. She would never want harm to come to either of them; she loved him too much.
§§§~~~
Clef jumped at the voice in his head. He looked down at Umi who was blinking sleep from her eyes.
"The monsters are headed this way," he told her softly, "Are you okay to fight?"
She nodded, "Yep."
"I won't let anything hurt you ever again," he vowed, and she smiled.
"There won't be anything to hurt me if we don't get there now," she laughed and donned her armor as he picked up his staff.
She flipped her hair over as she began to put it up. He caught her wrists.
"Don't," he instructed softly, and she looked at him, "Leave it down."
She shook her head and laughed, drawing her sword.
"One more request."
She turned.
"Don't get yourself killed," he was solemn.
"Don't let me get killed," she turned and ran out; he sighed and followed her, saying a silent prayer.
They met Hikaru and Fuu, and the three Magic Knights made a triangle, scanning all horizons.
Clef found Mieko and looked scared for her, "Shouldn't you be inside with the others?"
She shook her head, and magic flew from her fingers. Her eyes glinted in the early morning light, "Healing wasn't the only thing you taught me."
He nodded and looked around.
"They're strong," she commented mildly, "Their bond is tight."
"You have no idea," he muttered.
She couldn't hold it any longer, "A bit much, even for you."
"What?"
"You've always like beautiful girls, but I never would have thought you'd end up with the most beautiful of all. Not just beautiful though, strong, smart, you're perfect for each other," she said it without spite, only a sense of detachment, "But the Magic Knight of Water…the people would eat that up. The Head of the Guard and the Fire Knight well…The Prince and the Knight of Wind…that was something! But…"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," and he didn't even look a little tense.
"Fine, but I know you, and I know how your mind games work."
He shook his head and tried something else, all the while scanning the trees for the slightest movement, "Jealous?"
"Extremely," she replied casually, "I've been trying for years to win you over."
"You never could have done it, ever since Emeraude first began falling for Zagato I was watching the Knights. I loved her long before she even came here," he said softly.
"I'm glad you're happy."
"I'm sorry you're not."
She smiled, "I am."
"You were always one of my best students, and I'll always love you for that," he bent down and kissed her forehead.
She grinned, but fear gripped her, "They're almost here."
He nodded and held his staff firmly in his hands, "Umi, Fuu, Hikaru, be on your guard!" he called to them.
"What do you think we've been doing?" Umi snapped back.
He smirked and searched; his eyes caught movement coming from the forest, "Fuu!"
She stepped forward, "Hai," she looked at the monster face to face and tried not to scream in fear. In front of her sat a huge spider, twelve feet high with ten eyes and all eight legs.
"Jesus," Hikaru whispered.
He raised his staff, but the voice of his angel stopped him.
"Clef!" she was standing in front of a fifteen foot tall crab with blazing red claws.
"Go help Umi; I'll go help the other two," Mieko put a gentle hand on his shoulder.
He nodded and took off, 'As if I was going to do anything else,' he thought to himself.
"What the hell has this thing been eating?" she asked as she heard him approach, "Well I know one thing for sure; we're having crab tonight," she raised her sword and swung it down on one of the crab's feet. She had the strongest sword, and it cut through the shell like butter.
The creature roared in pain and brought one of his giant pinchers down on her.
Clef raised his staff and said a spell. A beam of white light shot from his staff and burned a hole through the claw.
"Arigato," she mumbled as she looked at him quickly.
He nodded and itched to touch her; he was worried.
She closed her eyes and looked at the creature. She nodded to herself.
He sensed her mood, "Umi what are you doing?"
She shook her head and ran forward, under the belly of the crab as it pulled a large claw upon her.
"Umi!" he shouted, and Fuu turned.
"Hikaru," Fuu's frightful words made Hikaru spin.
"Akai Inazuma!"
Umi spun with the words and saw the giant claw approach her. A stream of lightning and fire hit the crab, and it reared in anguish as the Magic Knights slowly destroyed it. Umi gripped her sword tightly and pushed it deep into the underbelly, ending the animal's anguish. She closed her eyes as it fell, then ran back to the other two.
"Oh well this is pleasant," Umi muttered when she saw the spider.
"Two years of residence and three in practice, and I have never seen anything quite like this," Fuu looked at Umi.
"You mean a twelve foot spider with ten eyes never came into the practice for a check-up?" Umi asked sarcastically.
Fuu glared, and Umi grinned as she raised her hands, "Mizu no Ryuu!" the water easily destroyed the creature, and they looked around; nervous.
"Too easy," Fuu whispered as Clef and Mieko came near.
"Looks like we're about to meet your summoner," Umi turned to Clef, and he nodded.
"A real honor," Hikaru muttered.
Tori:
"You'll know quite soon what my mistake was
For those on horseback or dog sled
You turn on at the bend in the road
I hear she still grants forgiveness
Although I willingly forgot her
The offering is molasses and you say
I guess I'm an underwater thing so I
Guess I can't take it personally
I guess I'm an underwater thing I'm
Liquid running
There's a sea secret in me
It's plan to see it is rising
But I must be flowing
Liquid Diamonds Calling for my soulAt the corners of the world"
~Tori Amos, Liquid Diamonds, From the Choirgirl Hotel