Dreams

Dreams

By: Shada

Disclaimer: This ain't mine, so don' sue me.

Summary: Sequel to 'Nightmares'. Umi's in Cephiro, what next. Starts right where the other one left off.

Note: I was reaching out blindly for a storyline so please don't be too mad with me. Oh yeah, this part was being worked on before I even posted 'Nightmares'. I was gonna put it one whether you wanted me to or not, sorry.

Sorry if this was too long getting posted, I think I'm coming down with strep and I've been trying to sleep it off.

~*~

Clef stared after Umi long after she was out of sight. There was more than she had told him, he was sure of it, but she might not even have admitted it to herself. She seemed confused, lost even. He only wished he could somehow help her find her way.

Then there was the other problem, Earth versus Cephiro. She loved this place more than she could any other, but she would have to return home. Unless . . .

Clef shook his head, Umi would never agree to that, she cared for too many people back home. She would never become one of Cephiro and stay here forever, leaving Earth entirely. If she did, her situation would be flip-flopped, she would only be able to visit Earth when summoned. But maybe, just maybe, he had been right and Umi had been born into the wrong life in the wrong place. She even looked like a native Cephiren, what with her dark blue hair and elfish face. No, he decided, he wouldn't press the idea on her, she could have to mention it first.

"Okay, I turn right here, walk down this hall and make the first left, and my room should be at the end of . . . ah ha! Found it!" Umi exclaimed as she rounded a corner and found herself facing a short corridor with a door at the end. As she walked down the hallway, new instructions appeared on the screen she held. After studying them carefully, she rested the box against the doorknob and heard a distinct 'click' as the lock disengaged. One hand against the door, she gently pushed it open.

The room held only the bare essentials, a bed, desk, and chair, but Umi still felt it was perfect. The walls were painted a blue so pale it looked white and ivory drapes surrounded the bed. A light blue, comfortable-looking chair sat in one corner. She crossed the room and parted a pair of thin, white curtains to reveal a set of tall glass doors leading out to a marble balcony.

But, she realized, she was too tired to care. Exhausted, she crawled onto the huge bed and was out of it the moment her head touched the pillow, sinking deep into the sort comforter. And, for the first time in years, her sleep was dreamless.

Umi had been so tired she slept until well past midnight, it had been five in the afternoon when she had arrived in Cephiro, time ran different here. When she finally opened her eyes it took her a few moments to remember exactly where she was. Painfully slowly, she sat up and got to her feet. As she walked to the glass doors, she noticed the wall to her right suddenly contract and stretch into the room. when it flattened out again, there stood a mahogany dresser with a tall mirror above it.

Once her initial surprise had faded she walked towards it. Umi jumped back slightly when she saw her own reflection, her hair a tangled mess and her clothes completely wrinkled. *And there's nothing I can do about it,* she thought glumly, *I could really use a brush and different clothes right about now.*

There was a slight grinding noise beside her. Startled, Umi twisted her head and saw a closet in the wall next to the dresser. *I'm positive that wasn't there before.* As she walked towards it, a brush melted out of the top of the bureau. She opened the closet to find several outfits hanging up- a skirt, a few nice tops, a formal dress, several more comfortable shirts and tank tops, and many pairs of pants. All of it her size.

Folded and placed neatly in a corner were some pajamas. *Those look comfy,* Umi thought as she picked up a pair of pajama pants and got down a loose-fitting t-shirt. After changing clothes, she pulled the scrunchie from her hair and set it on top of the dresser, picking up the brush in the same motion. She blew through the double doors and stepped onto the balcony, the marble cold against her bare feet.

Clef was walking through the castle grounds when he spotted the solitary figure alone on her balcony, balanced precariously on the edge. One leg was curled against her body and she hugged it with one arm, the other dangling over the edge as she perched on the railing, running a brush through her long hair with her free hand. She looked deep in thought as she stared off into space. Clef found himself just watching her, rooted to the spot. *What's she doing up this late?* he wondered until he realized that she had probably just awakened instead of not having slept at all. *I'm glad to see she discovered how to manipulate the room.*

Umi stared off over the castle at the stars, but they barely registered in her mind. She wondered why she had really come, why she had left her life behind. Could she stay in Cephiro forever, or did she have to return at a certain time? If she did have to go back to Earth, could there possibly be a way that she could, perhaps, become a Cephiren, if that was what you called it? She found that she didn't care that she had left behind her two best friends, merely five minutes here was worth anything. She sighed softly under her breath, eyes downcast. Her brush ran through her hair in a repetitive motion, never straying. Her eyes raked the gardens below and caught on one moving figure. "Clef?" she called out, only half-seeing him in the dark.

Oh, shit, she had spotted him. Clef immediately stood still and disguised himself from view. He was rewarded when she made a face and quit looking for him. *That was a close one,* he warned himself, *You were pretty careless that time. Don't let it happen again.* Once he was sure she couldn't see or hear him, he snuck off, feeling vaguely guilty for reasons unknown even unto him.

Raking her fingers backward through her hair, Umi swung her legs over the edge of the balcony and stood. She walked across the small, cool surface to the glass doors, pulling them open and striding into the room. There was really nothing to do was go back to sleep and wait until morning when everyone else was awake so she climbed back onto the bed, relishing the feel of the soft, down comforter and pillows. Her eyes had barely closed when she fell back asleep.

She awoke early the next morning, but not so early that she would be the only one up. Quickly changing into pants and a t-shirt, she left her room and used the map to guide her through the castle, hoping to find Clef and ask him if it would be at all possible to become a 'citizen' of Cephiro. "God, this thing is so hard to use," she whispered under her breath, "Left here, right here, why can't it just be more clear!" Head down, she plowed into another person coming the opposite way.

"Umi?" the person asked, "You're really here?"

She looked up at Ascot, slightly puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"

Ascot hugged her briefly, a huge smile on his face. "You're here! You see, rumor's been going around that a girl with long blue hair arrived at the castle yesterday on the back of a flying dragon. Supposedly, she knew Prince Ferio and General Lantis and I thought it might be you, but I wasn't sure."

She smiled. "Yep, its me. And I arrived in style, like usual."

"You mean you really flew Selece over here?" Umi nodded and Ascot's mouth fell open. "Now that's an entrance I never expected."

Umi put on her best little girl face as she asked, "Do you know where I can find Clef? I need to ask him something."

His face fell. "What do you need to ask him?"

"Just something."

Frowning slightly, Ascot pointed to the map she held in her hands. "That's run by your thoughts. Think your question and it'll show you." Having coldly said that, he walked off. *So that's why she came back,* he thought bitterly, *Keep dreaming, Ascot, she's got her eye on people higher than you.*

*Wonder what's gotten into him,* Umi thought as she followed the map as best she could. *Think Clef,* she told herself and a picture of the guru appeared in her mind. Looking down at the map she saw a new blinking light, one in the Wizard Room. She swallowed a laugh, where else could she have thought to find him.

Sure enough, there he was. Umi failed to keep a small giggle to escape her when she saw the Head Guru of Cephiro sitting sideways in a chair, his legs swung over the side, as he read through a packet of papers, a pen in his mouth. Startled, he dropped the papers and tried to sit strait, nearly falling out of the chair in the process. Umi couldn't help it, the laughter bubbled out of her and she couldn't stop it. Clef blushed bright red. "To what do I owe the honor of this visit?" he asked, trying to cover his embarrassment.

She immediately cut off her laughter. "I needed to ask you about something." The look on his face told her to go ahead and ask already. "I've been thinking," she finally said, "About Cephiro, and Earth. I know that I have to go back home someday whether I like it or not because its just that, home. But I've really been thinking about what you said last night, about how some people are living in the wrong place and I couldn't help but wonder if maybe that was what had happened to me and-"

"You want to know if there's a way for you to stay here permanently?" Clef asked, finishing her sentence. She nodded and he smiled. "Yes there is, but it's rather complicated."

"I don't care!" she exclaimed, "I don't think I could live another day on Earth knowing I could be here."

Clef raised one hand toward her as if warding off her outburst. "I just said it was complicated, not impossible. There are only three people with the magic to complete the spell and luckily I am one of them because at least one of the three has to be a native of the planet of transfer, as it were. It takes days of preparation and much energy, but it can be done."

Umi raised a suspicious eyebrow. "And you know all that off the top of your head?" Without waiting for his answer, she bent down and picked up the papers he had dropped. There on the first page was what he had just summarized. "You've been reading up on this, haven't you?"

Clef put his face in his hands to avoid her seeing him blush all over again. "Yeah, well, seemed a possibility and I figured I'd get ahead, so-"

"Fine with me, the sooner the better."

He studied her closely. "You really have to think this over carefully Umi because it can't be undone. What about people back on Earth, friends, family? How would you feel about leaving them behind. If we go through with this, your only way back is to be summoned by the Pillar and Hikaru will no longer be a simple phone call away."

Umi sighed softly. Walking over to the desk, she sat on the corner and kicked her feet above the ground as she played with her hair. "I'm really not that close to anyone there, to tell you the truth. Lexie, maybe, she was a good friend, perhaps Jason as well. Hikaru and Fuu could always visit me here and as for family? Well, neither of my parents have any siblings and their parents were hell to be around. They've been married for over twenty years and they still act like newly-weds, they wouldn't miss me at all."

The pain in her voice was mirrored in Clef's eyes. "I'm sorry, Umi, I never knew about all that."

She brushed it aside with a wave of her hand. "There's nothing that can be done about it so I figure why waste time on it. So," she said, her eyes lighting up, "This whole making me a Cephiren thing, when can we start?"

Clef laughed and they got to work immediately.

~*~

It was several days later that the preparations were finished. The other two magicians Clef had mentioned had to be called to Cephiro to take part and several mages of Cephiro had to be brought in. All together, there was going to be quite a crowd of people. Participating were Clef, of course, Ascot, Estopo, Gymbi, Sobel, and Dava. Gymbi and Dava were the two from outside Cephiro. Dava was an ancient looking woman with long, flowing white hair and swept silver eyes, one of immense height and bearing. Gymbi, on the other hand, was a short little man, hunched over and forced to use a cane while walking, but powerful none the less. Despite his age of over eight hundred, his green eyes still sparkled and his jet black hair had yet to gray. Sobel lived in the far West regions of Cephiro, he was a man of average height was ragged purple hair and eyes to match. Estopo lived within three miles of the castle, he was a tall man with curly yellow hair, but was blind and wore a bandage over his eyes. Umi had jumped a little upon first meeting him, unsure of how to deal with it, but had since then discovered that Estopo was a pretty nice guy.

The ceremony itself was to take place late at night far from the palace, in almost the exact spot Umi had arrived a week earlier. The spell itself would transmit her real self from Earth to Cephiro and was relatively simple. Each person in the circle would say a few words and then it was done. It was the getting prepared that took forever, but when everything was ready, the ceremony was spectacular.

Each of the six magicians dressed in their best clothes, Dava and Gymbi in the colors of their respective planets. Umi herself was wore the traditional white robes of a Cephiren. She allowed her long hair to fall free, cascading down her back in waves of blue. The whole thing was so simple, yet looked so beautiful, Clef found it hard for him to take his eyes off her.

Clearing his throat, he began the ceremony. "This young woman of another world would be a part of Cephiro, and Guru Clef of Cephiro complies." He stepped forward into the circle and laid one finger on Umi's forehead, his silver magic transferring his part of the spell into her.

Ascot was next. "This young woman of another world would be a part of Cephiro, and Trainee Ascot of Cephiro complies." He did the same, black light sparkling through his hand and then across her face.

Dava spoke in her quiet, yet commanding voice. "This young woman of another world would be a part of Cephiro, and Guru Dava of Biran complies." As the red magic flowed through the magician's fingertips to her, Umi felt as if a wave of fire had washed over her.

"This young woman of another world would become part of Cephiro and Mage Sobel complies." The purple-eyed man stepped forward, giving up his part of the spell. Umi found it hard to keep still as the violet magic combined with the other powers consuming her body.

The bandage over his eyes making him look ever so much more foreboding, Estopo spoke his part in his deep, baritone voice. "This young woman of another world would become a part of Cephiro and Mage Estopo of Cephiro complies." She shuddered as the yellow sorcery ingnited in her blood.

Umi knelt as Gymbi stepped forward to make it easier for him to reach her forehead. "This young woman of another world would become part of Cephiro and Guru Gymbi of Thhyfera complies." Blue light flowed through her body, coming out the ends of her hair as Umi collapsed to the ground, fighting to keep control of herself and not succumb to the power thrashing around inside her.

All six magicians took a few steps back out of the circle as the ground began to shake. Clef watched urgently. Now the planet itself would test her to see if she was worthy, and out of the five times this spell had been attempted, not one person had passed. Had he been allowed he would have told Umi about this, but if he had the Ancient Magic would kill them both.

A huge jet of fire suddenly shot from the ground and he had to suppress a scream, Umi was sure to have been incinerated. The fire had been going for less than a second when a thick stream of water appeared in the center, where she had been sitting. The water gradually spread until the flames had been entirely extinguished. When they were gone, Umi knelt in the middle of the circle, completely unharmed.

Gymbi's mouth fell open. "W-what?" he stammered out, "No one has ever survived before!"

Ascot grinned mischievously. "Yeah, but those 'no ones' weren't the Legendary Magic Knight of Water."

The ancient sorcerer looked as if he had been smacked. Frowning slightly, he turned on Clef. "Guru Clef, why did you not tell me this?"

But Clef wasn't listening, he had run to the middle of the circle. "Umi, are you okay?" he asked as he gently lifted her chin in one hand. She nodded and he could see that she had changed. A little bit of each person had been transferred to her with their powers. Like Estopo her hair was slightly curly, but longer more like Dava's as well. Also like Dava, her eyes were more swept and silvery. Sobel had given her his more triangular face and she now had Gymbi's pale skin. Like Ascot she was more gangly than she had been and her ears were now more pointed like Clef's. All together, she looked like a fairy without wings. Clef gently wrapped his arms around her and rocked her gently back and forth.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked quietly, her voice more like Dava's.

He took a deep breath. "For better or for worse, it's against the rules. If I had, we both would have been killed by the Ancient Magic and damned for eternity, me for telling you and you for knowing."

Her eyes widened in shock. "They would do that?"

Clef grimaced. "It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of how often." Umi looked horrified. "But look on the bright side," he said in a cheery voice, "You're here now, for forever. You can train under me to become a mage." He looked into her light blue eyes which were full of questions. "I don't know if Hikaru and Fuu will find out."

"Oh, they will," she said certainly, "I was on the phone with Hikaru when I left and I know she's going to know something's up when I don't answer her. I'm expecting them in a couple of days."

He laughed. "You may have just beaten me to a conclusion, Umi. Do that any more and people might suspect that there's actually brain in that head of yours."

Umi pretended to look insulted. "Some brain is better than the dust that fills the cavity you call a head." He only laughed harder and offered her a hand up. She took it and he walked her back to the palace, right past the fallen jaws of Dava and Gymbi who were both still in shock over the whole Magic Knight thing.

Clef walked her back to her room and they talked the whole way; about Cephiro and how what had happened would change everyone' lives. They stopped outside her doorway and Umi stood on her tip toes to kiss Clef good night on the cheek like she did every night. But he turned his head at the exact right instant and to the exact right spot that her kiss caught his lips. Neither of them moved for a few moments before pulling back at the same time. Umi blushed and looked down at her feet. "G'night," she whispered under her breath. She opened the door and stepped inside the room, smiling shyly at him before closing it behind her. "But y'know, Clef," she said, suddenly sticking her head back out in the hallway, "If I do train under you, this could turn into a very unprofessional student/teacher relationship." Her grin turned sly as she shut the door again.

He just stared at closed door, a slow smile creeping across his face. *Unprofessional relationship, I'll give her unprofessional-* He caught himself in mid-thought. *Okay, time to stop thinking like a dirty old man, you're over ten times her age.* Still, he couldn't help but grin as he walked away.

Umi leaned against her door, pushing it closed with all her weight, a little as it was. "I kissed Clef," she whispered. There, it was out in the open. Accidental as it may have been, she couldn't deny that she had liked it. Feeling as if she was floating on air, she crossed the room and collapsed onto the bed, sinking deep into the down comforter. Tonight she dreamed again, and of Cephiro. But now, it was of her life to come.

~*~

Part two c'est complet (at least I think that's how you say it). More romance in this part but not as well written in my opinion. But I'm coming down with something and I feel like crap, so don't throw a hissy fit over it. If you want a part three, I need a title.