Disclaimer: MKR and all its characters belong to CLAMP. I do owe only Hoshi Ryuuzaki and the new bad guy.
Notes: This is kinda shorter than the others, but really I couldn't think anything else. I still hope you'll like it...
-CHAPTER 10
He was worried, the Forest of Silence was like home to him, and it was the same to Ferio, but he wasn't calm. She was safe that afternoon with him but, what if some monster had attacked her during the night?
His sigh was covered by the noise of the heavy raindrops falling among the trees.
"Wait" Lantis said stopping
"there's something in the deep of the forest" he said
"yeah, I can sense it" Ferio answered.
He startled, why did he took her there earlier? Maybe if she didn't discover the Forest she'd stay somewhere else and she'd be safe, maybe one of his monsters had attacked her, maybe...oh, he had to stop it!
"let's go then, what if she's there and we don't make it in time and..." he exclaimed running away, but Ferio grabbed his arm
"Ascot, calm down, we don't even know if she's here and anyway we must be prudent..."
"he's right Ascot, we'll go there but we can't rush in like that..." Lantis agreed with the King, the summoner nodded
"ok...but let's go" he said, Lantis and Ferio sighed and followed him.
Clef 's head was aching, he couldn't understand how this energy could be so strong, as far as he knew Cephiro was a calm place now so if anything mean would have appeared it had to be very weak since habitants had no more doubts of fears.
He tried to focus on the aura, it was coming from the Forest of Silence. A thunder roared outside making tremble the glass of the windows. He had a terrible feeling and, though it had made Umi even more mad, he had to tell her, he snapped his fingers and teleported himself in her room.
She was wearing her armour, and gasped seeing Clef in front of her
"are you crazy? Using you magic in these conditions?!" she rebuked him, he bitterly smiled
"I had to reach you as soon as possible..."
"what's wrong?" he sighed
"promise me you'll stay calm..."
"Clef, damn it, what the hell is your problem?!" he sighed, of course she wouldn't do it.
"ok...I think that the dark aura has to do with Hos..."
"don't even say it!"
"Umi, try to understand! There are clear signs! Thunders, rain, and the dark energy comes from the Forest of Silence, it's the first place where a person goes to hide..."
Umi felt like her heart had stop beating, her legs refused to sustain her anymore and she collapsed on the floor, head in her hands.
Why the hell did she agreed to that folk? Why in the world did she accepted to come back?
Clef kneed next to her holding her tight
"Umi, calm down..."
"calm down?! My daughter is outside possessed by who knows what damn dark being and you tell me to be calm?!" she yelled, he sighed and snapped his fingers, a red vial appeared in his hands
"drink this..." he said
"no!" she yelled launching it on the floor, the red potion made a large stain on the marble floor.
"Umi, please..." she sighed burying her face in his cloak, he caressed her back and she moved closer. She was terrible, her daughter was in trouble and she just wanted for Clef to hold her tight and comfort her.
But she just couldn't help doing it, she was tired of being like a stone, always strong and rational. Love wasn't suppose to make people act that way.
Clef sighed and raised her head making her looking at him
"Umi, stop it. You know I hate seeing you like this" she breathed deeply and nodded, he smiled
"good..." then he placed a soft kiss on her lips. She felt her stomach fluttering, chills running down her spin, goose bumps forming on her pale skin...it was the same old story.
Just like every time they were together.
She passed her arms around his neck, savouring the sweet feeling given by their closeness and his lips playing with hers, she pulled closest to him brushing her fingers through his hairs.
Clef softly caressed her back and, with the other hand, smoothed her slender neck as she made the kiss more fervent.
Suddenly Hoshi's image came to Umi's mind, her sweet beloved daughter, the most important person to her. She started crying under the kiss. Guilt overwhelmed her and soft sobs escaped from her parted lips.
Clef understood it and broke the kiss
"shhh...it's ok..."
"no, it's not...what kind of mother is one who leaves behind her child in this way?" he wiped away the tears
"Umi, you just needed comfort...it's natural...I don't know what happened with Hoshi, the reason why both of you got so shocked in a second...but I promise you that everything will be alright. And you know that I do always maintain my promises." He said kissing her forehead, she sniffled and nodded, then she breathed deeply
"thank you" she whispered, then she shook her head covering her eyes with her hands
"ok...I'm fine now...." Clef nodded
"good...do you feel like going?"
"yes, of course..." the Mage smiled sweetly and took her hand helping her to stand up
"perfect" he said snapping his fingers and disappearing with her from her room.
Hoshi was walking around the forest, suddenly a loud noise made her turn. A giant creature with two dark red pincers and a lizard head was gonna charging on her
"defend yourself...you can" the husky voice said inside her head
"how?" she asked
"with your powers...my powers..." the voice answered in a laugh.
Suddenly the girl's eyes turned red, a black aura surrounded her.
Hoshi smirked and unfolded her sword launching herself against the monster.
It was matter of a second. A thin hiss came from the weapon while it drowned in the chest of the creature, then the girl just placed a finger on a pincer and a shining red light came out from them, then there was an explosion and the creature got in pieces letting out a desperate cry.
When it was over the girl laughed enjoying the potency of her news powers. Suddenly her head ached and the voice laughed, then Hoshi abandoned herself to the sweet imagine of the Magic Knights' lifeless body lying on the floor of the Forest of Silence.
A roared captured Ascot's attention
"that was one of my monsters!" he exclaimed, then a flashing light came from the place where the cry was heard
"something is attacking him" he said running inside the forest
"Ascot, stop it!" Lantis and Ferio yelled at one voice, but the boy didn't heard them
He run faster, he knew that whatever had just attacked the creature of his had something to do with Umi's daughter. He didn't know how he could be so sure, but he knew it was so.
You may call it a sixth sense if you like it.
Once there, he stiffened seeing how his creature got blew up, he took in his hand a piece of what was its pincer and looked around trying to find the guilty. An husky laugh made him turn
"who's there?" he asked aloud, rage in his voice
"that's me beanpole" a voice said, he looked around trying to find the owner of a such irritating voice, suddenly a red magic light came from a tree, he dodged it and the light strand crashed on a rock who immediately got in pieces. Then a tall slender figure jumped down from a tree branch.
"hi Ascot" she said, he looked horrified at Hoshi who was standing in front of him.
"Hoshi...what...what did you do?" he asked shocked, the girl laughed again
"do you like my new powers?" she asked smirking
"what does this mean?" he asked angry, Umi's daughter looked straight in his eyes and he gasped.
That beautiful blue pool were now two small red slits
"You aren't Hoshi..." he said stepping back, she moved forward stepping close to him
"of course I am...have you already forgot me?" she asked grabbing his robe, he pulled away
"no, that's not you..." he said furious
"whatever you are, let her alone!" he added yelling, Hoshi laughed shaking her head, then she raised a hand and a black wind came out from her palm surrounding the summoner lifting him up.
Ascot yelled, his limbs ached so much.
"I think you are the first one who will give in to me..." she said taking off from the ground and putting herself at Ascot's same level, she took his face in her hands, a bright lighting enlightened her now more pale and pinched face
"it's a shame...a so handsome boy...oh well, you are by the Magic Knights' side so I'm really sorry but I can't let you live..."
The summoner shook his head, the black thing was now holding tight on his throat forbidding him to breathe
"Ho...Hoshi..." he tried to say, she laughed
"Hoshi?" the girl asked shacking her head
"I'm Yoru..."
"Yo...Yoru?"
"yeah...the Lady of the Fury. I found this nice girl, her heart was such a pretty temptation that I couldn't resist..."
"you..." he said between rage and pain
"let...let her go..." she laughed
"or what? You are almost done, and when the other will come here will be their turn...especially that Magic Knights...Cephiro will be mine..."
"n...no, never!" he said trying to set free, but the more he tried the more that thing wrapped around him hurting him
"I'm tired of you, tall guy...I'll be kind and I'll let you die in a quick way...have you a last word?"
"Ho...Hoshi..."he said trying to reach out to touch her, he knew that she was somewhere there, he just have to bring her out.
She laughed
"what a fool" she whispered
"bye bye beanpole" she added, Ascot shut his eyes expecting the worse.