Chapter 10 Conflicts

            The next day had a better promise of going out. They took advantage of that and those who lived in the castle made it a day trip, and it had its political purposes as well. Prince Ferio and the Master Mage going to mingle with the commoners sounded very appealing to the people. Because Cephiro was based on their wills it was important for them to love their leaders as much as the country.

They went to a small village near the castle and walked into town. It was hard not to mistake Clef because of his staff and headdress, but the others were not so easily recognized though they all knew them well, or at least knew what they had heard about them well.

A little village girl ran up to Umi, "You wear funny clothes," she commented.

"Shush," her mother hushed her then apologized to Umi who smiled back telling her it was no problem, and she got that a lot.

"Guru," a young boy bowed low to Clef catching Umi's eye. He had dark black hair and bright green eyes that flashed with life. He was her age or maybe a bit older, and she was struck; he was handsome, "What are you doing in our village?"

"We are showing these three around Cephiro," he pointed to the three girls that stuck out because of the clothes they wore and the air that seemed to surround them.

"Aren't they from here?" he persisted and grinned at Umi who smiled graciously back.

Clef's eyes narrowed, and Fuu had to elbow Hikaru in the ribs to keep her from laughing, "No, not exactly," he looked considerate as he smiled softly at Umi. She kept her smile and turned to the boy.

"Umi," she introduced herself.

He looked shocked, and she tilted her head, "Not the Umi?"

"Uh is there more than one?" she looked thoroughly confused.

"Umi!" Ferio moaned.

"What? I'm confused!" Umi whined.

"You guys are extremely well known Umi," Ascot whispered behind her, and she spun.

"Us?" she pointed to her chest.

"No the other Magic Knights," Ferio winced because he spoke too soon, and Lantis muttered under his breath.

"I don't believe you," the boy said simply.

"You what?!" Umi looked and sounded insulted, "You want me to prove it to you?!"

"Yes," he shot another grin at her.

"Okay then…you asked for it…CE…" she stopped when Fuu put a hand over her mouth, "Mmm…"

"Umi-san you can't call him here!" Fuu scolded, "He would trample their village!"

Umi laughed hesitantly, "True, thanks Fuu," she turned back to the boy and thought, "I know!" she closed her eyes and willed her armor to her. When she opened them she had a village around her looking at her.

"It is true!" he shouted, and Umi looked satisfied.

"I don't lie," she informed them all as they looked at the other two and admired them as well.

"Then you must be Hikaru and Fuu, welcome, please come in come in," what seemed to be a mayor or head leader of this tiny village ushered them into a cramped restaurant where drinks and food were ordered as Umi closed her eyes, and her armor faded.

Not long after everyone had been shoved in there Umi decided she was cramped and had to get out. She told Hikaru and Fuu she'd be back soon and then slipped from the restaurant and out to a nearby creek. She sat by the water and let her fingers dangle in it.

"Umi?" the boy said her name hesitantly, and she turned and smiled.

"Oh hi, we were never probably introduced, what's your name since you know mine?"

"Yotaka," he responded and looked at the beautiful girl in front of him. Her blue hair hung down loose and blew in the slight breeze. She had a perfect figure and dazzling ocean blue eyes, "Wow," he whispered.

"What?" she asked worried about what he was thinking.

"I just can't believe I'm talking with the Magic Knight of Water," he responded, "I never thought you were as beautiful as they say, but you are."

This caused her to blush, "Thank you, have a seat," she offered the grass beside her, "It makes me nervous when people stand over me. I'm the tallest you know," she smiled.

"So why aren't you inside with the others?" he asked as he sat beside her.

"Oh I don't know, nothing to talk about I guess; I haven't been in the greatest of moods since we got back to Cephiro."

"Are you okay?" he wasn't prying; he sounded genuinely worried, and Umi decided she should give him the truth.

"Oh I'm fine, just a bit lonely."

"Lonely?" it sounded as if he was going to laugh, "Why? You're beautiful and kind and one of the Magic Knights! Anyone would do anything to be with you," he blushed and looked down, "I mean uh…"

She smiled, "Trust me I don't have the best personality all the time. You're sweet," she added, "But see Fuu has Prince Ferio, and Hikaru has Lantis, basically I'm alone, but it's okay because with those two I can't be lonely. They're like the sisters I've never had; we're close, really close. I guess it would be hard to not be."

"After all you've been through," he whispered and looked up into her ocean colored eyes, "You're saved Cephiro so many times. Arigato."

"It was our duty and our honor. We love Cephiro as much as we love our homes, maybe more. We wanted to help in any way we could."

He seemed awed, and she blushed again.

§§§~~~

They talked for a long time until the others started to get worried.

"Shouldn't someone go check up on Umi?" Persea asked, and the other two nodded.

"We'll go," Hikaru jumped up.

"No don't worry about Hikaru I'll go," Clef stood, and Fuu and Hikaru exchanged glances and didn't object as he left.

He walked down to the water where he knew he would find her. He stopped short when he saw that Umi wasn't the only one he found. Sitting close to her was the boy from that morning. He glared and was about to interrupt, but something the boy said stopped him as he ducked out of sight and listened.

"I haven't known you but a few hours, and I feel as if I've known you my whole life," he told her, and his eyes were sincere.

Come on Umi, Clef begged her in his mind, he's just feeding you a line.

Umi blushed again; she had always avoided guys. She wasn't completely sure how to react, "Um…"

He took her hand in his and looked into her eyes, "Meet me here tomorrow morning okay? Just after the sun rises."

"Ha…Hai," she didn't realize she had spoken in Japanese until he looked at her confused, "What?" she whispered. There was something wrong. When she was here she always spoke in the tongue of Cephiro. It was automatically converted for her. Did that mean that she was fading back into Tokyo? She wasn't ready to go back, not now. "I mean okay," she added hastily.

"Okay," he grinned, then dared to touch her. He reached in and kissed her softly. Her face grew red; she had been kissed before but not this suddenly, "See you here." He turned and walked off leaving Umi there stunned, and Clef ready to kill somebody. He didn't want to see her hurt, and he knew that that was all that he was going to do. He was going to hurt her; he couldn't let that happen.

After a few minutes he walked behind her, "Umi."

She turned, "Oh hi Clef," her heart still leapt into her throat. She knew that she would always love him, but she had to look elsewhere; it was impossible.

"We're almost ready to go."

She smiled at him, and they walked back together. How could he tell her that he had been spying on her and that that boy was all wrong for her? He was ripped from his thoughts when she began to speak.

"Clef?"

"Hm?" he looked down at her.

"You know how I can tell you anything?"

Perfect, he thought as he nodded expecting her to tell him what he already knew and thinking he could use it as an excuse to tell her what he needed.

"Can I ask you anything?"

"Of course."

"What do you look like without your headdress?"

He was shocked for a minute, that was not what he was expecting, "What kind of question, may I ask, is that?"

"Dunno," she shrugged, "Come on let me see!" she reached up to grab it off his head, but he moved out of the way, "Come on!" before she knew it she was chasing him around trying to get it off him, "Oh it can't be that bad!"

"No way!" he swerved from her grasps again.

"Water Dragon!" she hit him softly enough to not hurt him but hard enough to drench him and knock him down, "Ha," she laughed as she walked up to him and reached down to take the headdress.

"Do you want me to hit you with this like I used to?" he dared holding out his staff, and she looked shocked.

"You wouldn't?!"

"I would!" he stood and chased her back to the village as she laughed and screamed the whole way bringing him joy and lifting his heart.

When they got back to the village they were greeted by basically everyone there. Some seemed to look down upon the girl as she laughed.

"Um…hi?" she offered, and the other two Magic Knights snickered.

Rumors began to circulate, and Umi could feel her face grow red as she heard someone whisper, "The Guru has a young lover, and she's a Magic Knight?"

Umi laughed nervously trying to find the words to explain to them, "Not like that," she muttered and walked to the other two with her head down leaving Clef to explain as he watched her leave wistfully.

"Aw it's okay," Hikaru tried to soothe her as she patted her shoulder, "Don't worry about it," she tried to stifle a laugh.

"Clef'll fix it," Fuu assured her, and Umi shook her head slightly.

"Oh God," she muttered as she felt someone standing behind her and turned, "Eek…" she managed to squeak when she saw it was Yotaka glaring at her.

"I heard what they were saying! About you and the Guru!" his eyes were fierce.

"Yeah about that…" Umi stopped and saw Clef approaching, "You see it's not really like that," she begged Clef to back her up, but he shook his head and walked away.

"That really doesn't seem like it's not like that!" he shouted sounding angry, and making Umi angry.

"If you don't trust me then I can't be friends with you!" she yelled back.

Clef stopped to listen, good Umi, you're not stupid, don't let him get to you.

"Did we um…miss something?" Hikaru asked sounding thoroughly confused.

"I think so, let's go Hikaru-san," Fuu suggested as they tiptoed away.

"Real supportive," Umi muttered, "Look," she looked into his eyes, "Clef and I have been through a lot together, and we're close. He's a great friend, but it's never been anything more; it never will be."

Clef closed his eyes cursing her and walked after the other two.

"You're sure?" he asked skeptical.

"I'm positive," she smiled, and he grinned.

"Okay, see you tomorrow then."

She nodded and ran off after the others.

§§§~~~

Just as the sun rose Umi walked out into the gardens getting ready to leave. She walked around and found Clef looking off into space.

"Funny I'd see you here," she commented, and he looked down at her. He couldn't hold it back.

"Umi you're not seriously going are you?" he stared at her intently, and she looked shocked.

"How did you know…?"

"Should it matter? He's leading you on; you have to know that," he would let her assume it was some kind of magic or spell if he could.

"Were you listening?" not Umi, she wasn't stupid; he should have known better, "Clef that was personal!"

"It was for your own good! I don't want to see you get hurt," he added quickly, and she looked at him curiously, "You don't deserve that, no one does, especially not you."

"You can't protect me. There's no one else Clef; no one else has ever said anything like that. Not even in my world, there's been guys, but no one has even once seemed sincere. Maybe it's just because I'm a Magic Knight, but I have a better chance with him than anyone else," she looked down; she had never told anyone that before, and the rush of feelings stopped his heart. He hadn't thought that she didn't have anyone on earth. He was almost positive that she had someone, but now…

"I…I…don't know what to say," he stuttered.

"There's nothing to say. I don't need you to feel bad for me. I brought this upon myself," she turned and saw the sun, "I've got to go," she ran from the garden letting her tears trickle down her cheeks.

"Umi!" he shouted, but she kept running. She didn't stop until she ran into Yotaka.

"Umi," he grabbed her shoulders and looked at her tear streaked face, "What's wrong?"

"Clef and I got in a fight," she muttered miserably, "He's one of my best friends I don't want him angry at me."

He glared, but it wasn't for her. She spun and found herself being held protectively by Yotaka as Clef neared.


*I will not leave it hanging like this, in fact I'm almost finished the next chapter now. Does anyone have any objections with me breaking Yotaka's heart? If you do stop reading this now…hint hint…but I'm not going to say anymore ^.^ oh, and don't forget to Review! Arigtato!*