Chapter 6 An Alliance

            "Umi what was that?" Clef's voice was the first thing she heard as she opened her eyes.

"Huh?" she asked still tired. Then her memories came flowing back to her, and she realized what he meant, "Oh… I don't know," she said quietly.

"You need to tell me what's going on here," he informed her, and her eyes were fierce as they narrowed and glared at him. He didn't want her to look at him with eyes like that.

"I have told you! Something is wrong with Hikaru and Fuu!" she screamed angry that he wouldn't believe her.

"And the thing in the mirror?" he persisted looking at the mirror and shuddering.

"I don't know," Umi's voice was quiet again as that anger faded, "It was cold…" she hugged herself trying to stay warm, "And lonely, more so than it is here…"

He was disturbed by the way she said that, as if she was tired of Cephiro because she was lonely. Is that why she was blaming the two for her injuries? Did she despise them for having love? He wouldn't let the thought cross his mind; he had doubted her too much already. Now he would trust her to tell him the truth.

"I heard Celes' voice," her own sweet voice pulled him from the trance he was in, "He told me that I had to break the mirror. I came here to do that but when I looked in I couldn't look away. I was so angry at myself, but I couldn't grip my sword, couldn't pull it up…"

"It's okay Umi," Clef assured her.

"No it's not!" she screamed as she clenched her fists tightly, "I'm sick of being weak, and I can't even break a stupid mirror!" then she thought of something, "But I did…"

"What?" he asked still confused.

Her mind flashed back; she had hit the mirror angry with herself, and it had broken into millions of pieces. She had sat on her bed and picked the pieces out of her fist. She turned her hand over and saw the tiny wholes in her palm. She had broken the mirror so why was it whole now? 

She looked at the mirror and raised her hands as she shakily stood, "Water Dragon!" the attack spiraled toward the mirror and broke it in many pieces. She sighed and smiled but then as she turned she felt a dark energy and saw the tiny pieces recollecting and gathering back into the mirror. She watched horrified as she spun and saw the mirror was once again whole.

Clef's eyes narrowed, and he walked forward and hit the mirror hard with his staff putting both physical energy and magic into that one single swing. The mirror didn't even budge. His magic was much stronger than Umi's yet it didn't even shatter the mirror, "What?"

"There's something wrong with that," Umi whispered, and Clef nodded in agreement.

"We should tell someone about this," he told her, and she looked at him as tears came to her eyes.

"Who is there to tell?" she asked softly, "No one is stronger than you not in Cephiro. The other two aren't on the right side in this war, there is no one else."

"What war?" he demanded, and she shook her head.

"You still don't see it do you? There is some evil hiding in this palace, something that wants Cephiro and wants the Magic Knights. It has already claimed two of them and is after the third," her voice was almost inaudible as his eyes widened.

"This is the enemy I dreamt of?"

She nodded, "I think so. You don't have to help me that's not your duty," she added quickly hoping more than anything he would argue, which he did.

"My duty is to Cephiro and if it is in danger then I will be there to help," he said sharply, and she grinned.

"Good now lets get the other two back!" she shouted, and he smiled.

Somewhere inside him he couldn't believe that he was believing her. His mind told him otherwise but there was something else leading him now… something deeper. He was amazed at this new feeling toward the Water Knight but kept it to himself. She was only a child, surely she didn't think the same of him?

That evening when she couldn't get to sleep she stood and went to Fuu's room subconsciously. She slowly opened up the door and saw the girl on the floor, "Oh my God," she whispered, "Clef!" she screamed for the Mage that could heal.

The next thing she knew there was a sword at her throat as someone lifted the limp girl into their arms. The room was darker and no one could see, but she was pretty sure she knew what was going on. She heard Ferio's gentle voice.

"Fuu-chan," he whispered setting her on the bed as he turned back to Umi. Even in the darkness she could see his eyes flashing with rage, "You hurt Fuu!" he shouted advancing as Lantis pulled the sword from her throat.

"I did not!" Umi screamed back scared at his anger, but she glanced over at Fuu wondering what was wrong. She was more worried for her friend than anything else.

"Liar!" Ferio shouted and advanced as she backed away slowly.

"I would never hurt her!" she shouted and edged to the door. Before she knew what she was doing she found herself running down the hall and sprawling into Hikaru's room. She found relatively the same scene, and when Lantis and Ferio ran in Lantis had hate enough to kill her. He raised his sword, but Clef stopped him from killing Umi right there. He had heard her call for him and had come right away, but he was slower than either of the other two. Now he saw Hikaru lying on the ground; she looked pale, almost dead.

"Umi!" she screamed in her sleep.

"What?" Umi whispered and knelt by the girl.

Lantis wanted to tell her to get away but found he couldn't. He was frozen in fear, this was so weird.

Umi heard the true Hikaru in that whisper; she wanted her back, she wanted both of them back. She was sorry for anything she had ever said that had hurt someone. She didn't want to pay like this, "Hikaru," she whispered, "Hikaru wake up, please wake up come back to me," she begged.

"Umi," Hikaru whimpered again, "The mirror."

Umi and Clef's eyes widened, "What?" but Umi didn't need an answer. She walked to the mirror and looked at it directly.

"Give Hikaru back!" she screamed at it, and the other two watched afraid she had seriously gone mad, "Give Fuu back! I want them back! NOW!"

The mirror laughed and hands reached out and grabbed her, but she was ready. She drew her sword and slashed through them breaking the mirror as she did. She stood in a face off with a ghostly image as the mirror rebuilt itself, and a woman stood in front of her.

Those in the room were caught off-guard, and Ferio stumbled falling then quickly jumped up again.

"You're the one?!" Umi screamed, "You're the one who's been hurting them?!"

"You were so disgusted with yourself; you were jealous of them, and you hated yourself for it. You wouldn't look into the mirror; they were lovesick, thinking about those they loved. They were easy, but you had to go and be difficult. Your hatred for yourself was the thing that saved, but in the end I'll kill you anyway!" she shouted and opened her hands.

"Stay away from me!" Umi screamed and drew her sword as her armor appeared and caught the vicious attack.

"No I want the last Magic Knight and then I'll be free!" but the moon rose, and she was thrown into the mirror as a last scream escaped her throat.

After a long silence Umi dropped her sword and fell to her knees, "Hikaru! Fuu!" she screamed in anguish sobbing as Lantis put Hikaru on the bed, and the other two watched the girl, "It's all my fault," she whispered, and Clef shook his head.

"No it wasn't Umi, you were the one who saved us. We can't let her get out, not after all this time. I didn't think that he…I thought he killed her, but we were wrong. We have to find a way to seal her, kill her and get the other two back."

"She's using them," Umi clenched her fist and gripped her sword tighter, "She's using them during the day and leaving them lifeless at night. That's why they've been hurting me, it wasn't them. I knew it couldn't be, and we've got to get them back."

This whole time everyone had stayed silent as Umi looked away, and a storm raged in her eyes as she saw her friend. Hikaru, sweet innocent Hikaru, and Fuu's beautiful green eyes intertwined with images of her friends, the times they had shared. She was going to get them back if it was the last thing she ever did, and right now she didn't care if it was…

*sooo… any guesses as to who the mystery enemy is? you'll find out in the next chapter if you don't know already, and I'll be sure to post as soon as I can until then please R and R*