Chapter 10 Horrible Realization

"We fell in love…"

"No!" Umi screamed, "You lie! I would remember something as important as that!"

"Let me finish," he snapped, but his voice wasn't hostile.

She nodded weakly though she felt, as she was going to be sick. What was he doing playing with her like this?

"We fell in love, but we could never truly be together. I was the one destined to bring Cephiro down, to aid my sister. I never thought I could, never thought I had any reason to hate Cephiro until that day.

"The Master Mage of Cephiro saw Emeraude falling in love with Zagato and knew that something was going to happen. He knew the only ones that could kill Emeraude were the Magic Knights, but they lived in Cephiro, and no one from Cephiro could hurt the pillar. The only choice he had was to erase their memories of Cephiro and send them away to be reborn and raised on Earth. When the time came that they would be needed once more he would call them back, but he would never give them back their old memories. He knew that the love of the Fire Knight and the Wind Knight would slowly be rekindled and had no reason to give them back their old memories. He sent Prince Ferio out of the palace to be raised ignorant of his birth until he was needed; he would certainly be safer that way. As for everyone else he erased their memories of the Magic Knight's old lives and replaced them with myths and legends of the coming of the Knights. Emeraude wept for days upon days missing the Magic Knight's company. Zagato did everything he could to console her and when he did they grew closer together.

"The only thing the Master Mage forgot to do was erase my memory, and I was left with the pain of loosing you. It made me hate him and Cephiro. My pain made my sister's heart grow cold, and she plotted revenge against the Magic Knight who had broken my heart, and the country that had stolen her from me.

"When you came back I heard but there was no way for me to reach you, and then when you came back once more I tried to reach you but found that the Master Mage had put a spell up to keep me away. He remembered too late the love we shared.

"My destiny was not the only reason you were not allowed to be with me. I was a simple village boy. I had strong magic and was trained by my sister. She was the village healing woman, but neither of us were good enough. You were the Magic Knights and the Princess' of Cephiro. They wanted you to marry nobly not to some peasant in an unknown village. Being the rightful heirs to Cephiro after the Prince I mean…"

"What did you just say?" Umi choked.

"You three girls were chosen by Princess Emeraude to inherit Cephiro if something ever happened to Prince Ferio. You are royalty," he looked at her seeming confused, "You had to have known that…"

Umi shook her head, "We're…we're royalty?"

"Handpicked by the Princess. She loved you three like sisters and wanted you to always be happy. She saw the love between her brother and the Magic Knight of Wind and knew that someday she would be Princess. She wanted you two to have that privilege as well."

Umi looked shocked, "So they know?"

He shook his head, "If he didn't bother to put your memories back I doubt he put theirs back," he spoke of Clef harshly, and at that moment Umi couldn't blame him.

"But Ascot said you're the Magic Knight of Water and… And then he stopped. He's being trained by Clef; he must have known. They both knew all this time, maybe even the rest of them, and they never said anything? Never did anything?" Umi was suddenly very angry with her friends.

"Then you understand," he looked down, "You understand why I hate them? I wish…" he stood and walked to her kneeling beside her to move a piece of her hair out of her eyes, "I wish you could remember."

In a compulsion she reached out and took his hand, "Kio…"

§§§~~~

"Where could they be?" Hikaru paced. It was late, and Clef still hadn't emerged with news for them, "What could be taking him so long?"

"Calm down, if anyone is going to find them it's Clef," Persea assured her, but it didn't help any.

"I'm so worried," Hikaru said softly and resumed her pacing.

"But you're making everyone else nervous, sit," Lantis ordered and slowly she obeyed.

"Umi-san."

"Umi-chan."

§§§~~~

She slammed the door behind her and crawled up on the bed. What was going on? Why was her heart racing? What did this mean? No! she screamed at herself, what he says isn't true! It can't be! But somewhere deep in her heart she believed him and remembered.

§§§~~~

"So you told her?" she asked gently as he walked back into the room.

He nodded slightly, "Hai."

"What did she say?" she snapped impatiently eager for news.

"She just said she had to lay down," he muttered, and her eyes narrowed.

"Of course, she's going to break your heart again why do you bother? We should just kill her and take her stone now."

"No!" Kio snarled, and she withdrew. She was the leader, but she loved her brother, that was the only thing she had ever truly treasured. In this one thing she would never speak back to him in, "You've always hated her because I loved her, but I will never let you touch her." With that he turned and left the room.

"Oh Water Knight for the pain you've caused him you and your precious country will suffer. But not only will Cephiro suffer, but the land you were taken to, the land that you've learned to love. The people you love will be tortured in front of you, and you will wish you never laid eyes on my brother."

§§§~~~

"He's lying!" she screamed in anguish as he walked in, "Why would he have treated me so cruelly before if it wasn't all a lie?!"

"Umi," he put a gentle hand on her shoulder, and she jumped, "Gomen naisai… for the way I behaved before, but I was angry at you."

"What?"

"The way you acted around the Summoner I thought…I thought that there was something going on. I wanted to die, I hated him right then, and I was so angry with you. I never wanted to see you with anyone else. I didn't know how to react. I knew you wouldn't remember me, and I was just going to be the enemy and pretend that I never knew you, and hopefully forget about you. But everything about you brought me back to the time we shared, I just couldn't see it end like that," he explained, and Umi was awed. She felt that same heat rush into her body with his touch. She got a sick feeling in her stomach and got dizzy as she passed out on the ground, "Umi!"

§§§~~~

Clef stood shakily, "That should stop him from hurting her for awhile," he hadn't wanted to do that to Umi, but he couldn't see any other way to prevent what Kio was going to do to her. He had to stop her from hearing anymore. He walked out, and the two Magic Knights jumped on him.

"Where is she?!" they demanded.

He smiled weakly at them, "In some kind of dark palace near the ocean I think. I had to put her to sleep. She knows what I feared she would learn. He told her everything about her past, told her the parts that he wanted her to hear anyway. He made himself look like the saint and made me look like the bad guy as I knew he would. I had to stop her from hearing anymore, from letting him get his claws any further into her."

"What did he tell her?" Fuu whispered, "What's wrong Guru? Why do you look like that? And I know Umi would never believe you the bad guy there's no way. She would never shy from you or from the rest of Cephiro. She loves this place and the people in it too much."

"Don't doubt her Clef, you can't," Hikaru said encouragingly, "It's Umi-chan, she's smart."

"I have to ask you two a question, something possibly personal about Umi," his eyes were serious as he seemingly disregarded their attempts to lighten his spirits. Deep inside though he was grateful for those encouraging words; it was Umi they were talking about.

They stayed silent giving him the impression they wanted him to continue.

"Was there anyone ever in your home that she loved?"

They thought for a long time and shook their heads.

"Never," Fuu whispered, "She always was so shy around boys; her confidence failed her, and she seemed hostile. She was never approached. The only time she's truly been herself is here in Cephiro. Almost as if she was a part of it, we all are like that."

Clef grimaced, "I was afraid of that."

"Why?" Hikaru seemed worried, "Umi-chan will have her time."

"She already has," Clef mumbled, and they barely caught it.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Fuu's eyes narrowed.

"Nothing," he shook his head, "Another question, who would she believe? Me or someone she used to love and possibly still does?"

They stared at him confused and intrigued as they managed to answer.

"Umi-san is a hopeless romantic. She believes that no one she truly loved would betray her. She would stick with them to the end of the world if she had to," Fuu told him, and he winced.

"What I thought," he turned.

"What is this about?" Hikaru sounded frantic.

"You will learn in time," Clef waved them off and walked back into his study; he needed time to think.

"Time, of course," Hikaru muttered, and Fuu nodded in agreement.

§§§~~~

"Damn you Clef," Kio picked up her motionless body and set it on the bed, "You've always been jealous of what I stole from you. If you hurt her…I'm going to have my revenge either way. As soon as you're out of the way Cephiro will be ours to conquer."