I have no idea why this particular story is giving me such a hard time but lately it is. Anyway I'll have to try and update more if I can. Onto the story…

Chapter 3 Shattered Glass And Shattered Friendships

Umi didn't know quite what to do when Fuu and Hikaru walked into her room. She backed away from them toward the window. When she ran into the window seat she looked behind her and realized she had run out of room, "Stay away," she warned, and they looked worried.

"Umi-chan what's wrong?" Hikaru walked forward, and Umi saw a black glint in her eyes.

"Stay away Hikaru I'm serious," Umi warned.

"Umi-san this is madness, please just tell us," Fuu came beside Hikaru just a foot or so away from Umi as she tried to dodge them. They stood in her way.

"Stop it!" Umi shouted tears coming to her eyes.

"We tried to be nice and tell you to stay away but you couldn't handle it. We've given you your chances," Fuu told her hatefully.

"Fuu stop it! Hikaru please! You're my best friends!" Umi begged going to her knees.

"You're still in that delusion?" Hikaru laughed scornfully, and Umi's mind flashed back to all the things they'd done together. They shared tears with Emeraude's death, and they had shared joy upon coming to Cephiro again. They had helped each other when they had all been going through depression because of everything they had been through, and now…now this?

"No! I won't believe that you'd hurt me like this!" Umi stood defiantly, "You're not the friends I know! Not the friends I've come to love! When we first came to this world I only cared for myself, I was selfish but now…you've taught me more!"

"Baka!" Hikaru ripped out her sword, and Umi gasped.

"Hikaru no!" she screamed as Hikaru brought the sword down onto her shoulder as her armor appeared just in time. Hikaru's sword dented it but nothing more, and she laughed at Umi's weakness.

"Now fight us or die," Fuu looked amused at Umi's pain.

"I won't fight you," Umi whispered looking down, "I'd rather die than hurt my best friends.

"So naïve," Fuu pulled out her sword and raised it as they heard footsteps coming down the hall. Someone knocked on the door and called.

"Umi? You in there?"

They scowled and put away their swords glaring at Umi then turned their glares into sweet smiles as Hikaru muttered under her breath, "Go answer it and don't try anything funny because you know who's side they're on."

Umi walked over to the door and dried her tears as she did. She put on a weak smile and slowly opened the door a crack, "Hi Ascot," she said quietly.

"Umi can I come in?" Ascot asked softly, and she looked back at the two who nodded, and she opened the door for him, "Magic Knights," he bowed to them, and they bowed back and scurried out with another mumbled threat.

Umi turned back to Ascot and tried a smile that worked well enough, "How can I help you?"

"I wanted to talk to you about today, at breakfast," he said quietly and for once the blush was absent, and Umi grimaced, "I'm not sure completely what's going on, but I thought that you should know that there are people here that care for you. We all do, very much," now he blushed slightly, and his bangs hid his face.

Umi looked at him sadly wishing that was true but knowing it wasn't, "Thank you Ascot, but as soon as I can I'm going home. The other two may stay,  but I can't."

He nodded, "I wouldn't stop you; I just thought that maybe…" he didn't finish.

Now she smiled slightly, "You're a great friend, but I can't think of you like that," she brushed the bangs from his face as his eyes died, "Please don't be hurt. Ascot, you deserve someone who can be here for you all the time. Someone who doesn't come with as many problems as I do. You'll find her someday I promise," she laughed at his blush.

He smiled at her and turned to leave.

"Ascot?" he turned around, and she smiled, "Arigato."

§§§~~~

"Dammit!" she screamed from the mirror, "Sundown again!" she looked at the lifeless Hikaru on the floor and scowled, "You don't need your body during the night why do I have to stay in this fucking mirror?!" She hit the mirror hard but it didn't even flinch. She couldn't break it no matter how hard she tried; not until the Magic Knights were dead, the ones who put her in that damn cell.

"Hikaru?" she heard a male voice at the door. She winced, "Please don't come in," she whispered and a few minutes later she heard the footsteps fade down the hall, "Good," she sighed and looked back at the girl, "Aw not even your boyfriend can save you now. He looks so familiar; like he's got a part of Zagato in him. His eyes are so intense, so deep, like my loves. I think I'd like him as my own once you're out of the way. Until then I can enjoy him in your body."

§§§~~~

Umi didn't come to breakfast that morning, and Clef sent the other two after her.

"Do you want me to come Fuu?" Ferio asked gently.

"No thanks," Fuu smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"Okay then," he let her and Hikaru go as they smiled viciously off to find their pray. This time they wouldn't let her get away.

§§§~~~

The door slammed behind her, and she spun to see the two Knights in the doorway, "Oh God," she whispered.

"Now we get back to where we left off from," Hikaru and Fuu simultaneously pulled out their swords, and Umi shuddered.

"No!" she screamed looking out her window as they approached. She watched the sun slowly rise. It seemed they grew quicker with the light. She dodged around them and ran from the room. She ran to the breakfast table looking afraid and everyone looked at the fresh cut on her arm that Hikaru had made when she glanced her sword running.

"Umi," Caldina said quietly.

"They're trying to kill me!" she screamed sounding pure mad. She was she feared for her life by her two best friends? Was there something not right with that?

"Umi," Clef walked over to her and touched the wound; it seemed to be deep. She wouldn't have to have stitches, but it had to be stopped. He tore off a piece of his robe and made a tourniquet for her.

The two Knights walked in swords put away. Fuu had tears in her eyes, and Hikaru looked so confused.

"Umi-chan," Hikaru said softly, "I don't understand. How did you hurt your arm?"

"You did it Hikaru!" Umi shouted pointing and wincing realizing when she moved her arm it hurt.

"Umi-san, please you can't hurt yourself like this. It's not healthy," Fuu tried to begin, but Hikaru stopped her.

"Umi wouldn't do that!" she shouted sounding angered.

"First thing you've said that's right all damn day!" Umi screamed, and they stared at her surprised.

"Hikaru-san I'll explain later," Fuu assured her softly, and Hikaru looked from Umi to Fuu frantically but nodded.

"Oh you have this act nailed don't you Hikaru?!" Umi demanded tears welling in her eyes again.

"Umi stop this!" Lantis shouted standing up.

"Of course you'd defend her!" Umi shouted then looked to the only one that she knew she could get to see, "Ascot please, you know I wouldn't. I would never," she whispered, and Ascot looked away.

"I don't know anymore Umi," he said quietly, and she shook her head in disbelief.

"I thought that, no one believes me anymore," she whispered and ran from the room.

"Umi!" Hikaru was about to chase after her, but Clef stopped her.

"Let me go you two; those wounds need looked after and I don't think she's going to take too kindly to you just now."

They nodded and let him go, but Fuu managed a scowl before Ferio put a hand on her shoulder.

"She'll be fine, Clef will find out what's wrong with her," he assured her, and she smiled back at him.

"I sure hope so," she whispered.

§§§~~~

Clef caught up with Umi amazingly quickly. He put a hand on her shoulder and looked down at her. Umi was still getting used to looking up to him.

"Go away," she ripped away, "I don't need your lectures right now."

"Umi," he began.

"What does it take to get it through to you that I'm not doing any of this?!" she spun in tears as her light blue hair flew in front of her.

He felt his heart jump into his throat as he tried to speak to her. He didn't want her angry with him, "J…just," he wasn't quite sure what to say. How was he going to tell her he didn't believe her because the other two were more reputable? He knew she would just hurt herself again, "You…you…see…"

"Save it!" she screamed and ran,  but he wouldn't let her go. He stopped her with a hand, and she spun and glared wanting more than anything to pull out her sword but not wanting to stoop to her friends level, "What?!"

"Umi I can't let you leave. Not after what happened last time," he began, and she glared.

"Oh you mean last time Fuu dug her nails into my flesh or they pulled their swords on me, or the last time Hikaru glanced my side with her sword. Oh I remember now," she said sarcastically, "You think I pulled my own sword on myself!"

"I don't know what to think! Umi you three are the Magic Knights. You are the three who have saved Cephiro time and time again. Now I see you separating you blaming them for something like this," he looked at her arm. The blood had soaked through onto the white of the tourniquet, "And I'm supposed to decide who to believe? Excuse me for being a little tongue tied," he hadn't expressed his feelings like this in a long time. It startled both him and Umi.

She looked away, "Well it's good to know where my word lies with you," she turned and walked away and this time he let her go.

She stormed back to her room locking the door tightly behind her then turned to her mirror. She couldn't stand it anymore; she couldn't look at herself. She screamed and hit the mirror hard breaking it and cutting up her hand. She looked at her hand numbly not feeling the pieces of glass imbedded in it. She smiled grimly to herself, "Well Clef now you're correct. I am hurting myself only because you won't believe me," she sat down on the bed and began the painful procedure of pulling the glass out of her fist.