Chapter 12 Captives

"Clef?" Umi looked up and stood, "Hikaru? Fuu? Ascot?"

They looked at her shocked, stunned. They came to rescue her from the enemy, and it looked as if she didn't need it. Is this what Clef had been talking about? What Persea said he knew?

"Umi-san, what is this?" Fuu managed to choke.

Umi's eyes never left Clef's as she answered Fuu's question, "This is the man I was in love with before the Master Mage of Cephiro forced us apart."

Now everyone in the room was staring at him, but his eyes were locked on Umi.

"So you know…"

"How could you do this to me?" she demanded trying to keep the tears in, trying her best to not let him see her weakness.

"I suppose you gave him the Sapphire Stone too then," he went on softly.

"Answer me!"

"Then all is lost…"

"Answer me!" she clenched her fists, and out of nowhere Water wrapped around her, and she was standing in her armor, her sword in her hand.

"Umi-chan!"

"Umi-san!"

"Did you want me to be alone?! Do you hate me that much?!" she couldn't hold her tears in any longer as they streamed down her cheeks; her grip on her sword tightened.

Her words and tears brought him back to reality, "I don't hate you, far from it."

"Then why?"

"If Princess Emeraude fell in love and there was no one to save her then all of Cephiro would be destroyed, the place you loved, the people you loved. It would become barren and eventually be nothing at all. I knew if I sent you to Earth with memories of Cephiro when you came back you wouldn't be able to kill Princess Emeraude, you were like sisters. It would be just as hard to kill her as it would be to kill each other. I knew that we couldn't afford that, so I erased your memory," he explained never once glancing at the sword that was dangerously ready to use, never letting his eyes leave hers.

Fuu and Hikaru looked stunned as their swords went limp in their hands, "Are you saying that we're really from Cephiro? That we were just taken to Earth to kill Princess Emeraude when the time came?"

Clef nodded, "You three are the Princess' of Cephiro. Princess Emeraude said that if ever something would happen to Prince Ferio she wanted the three Magic Knights to have control of Cephiro."

The two Magic Knights stood there, shocked almost to the point of letting their jaws drop open.

"Ascot did you know?" Umi demanded looking to Ascot, tearing away from Clef's intent gaze, "Did you know this?"

"I knew…I knew that you three would inherit Cephiro if something happened to Ferio, but as for the rest…I knew nothing," he responded, and Umi turned to Clef again.

"You hurt me in a way that I didn't think you were capable of. That's something I thought only my worst enemy would do, could do. I thought you were my friend, but I guess I was wrong."

"Umi you have no idea what he did to you. He doesn't deserve you, he never has," Clef responded quietly.

"Liar!" Kio shouted drawing his own sword, "Say another word I dare you."

"You don't scare me," Clef informed him, "You're a Master Swordsman yes, the best of the best, but your magic is weak compared to mine."

"But your magic hasn't had time to recover. I'm not stupid I know how your magic works, and I know this palace. It took a lot of energy to get this far," he said with venom dripping from his voice.

They all looked from Kio to Clef, sworn enemies, fighting over the same person.

As they glared at each other the woman appeared in the room, and Fuu and Hikaru pulled their swords into a ready stance. Umi glared and gripped her sword so tight she thought that she wouldn't ever be able to let it go again; her muscles would be frozen there.

Kio looked up at his sister and saw her injuries then turned glaring to the Magic Knights, "You did this?!" It didn't require an answer, the burns and slashes were unmistakable.

"Umi," the woman seemed gentle as she called for her, and Umi's glare softened only a tiny bit, "Please come with us. You'll be safe with us, we'll find a way to bring your memories back. You can have what you lost."

Umi looked from Kio to the two Magic Knights.

"Umi-chan," Hikaru said softly, pleadingly.

"Not unless you promise not to hurt them," she responded, "They're my best friends, and I won't see them hurt for anything."

She scowled, but Kio's look was enough to make her nod in agreement. Umi smiled back and walked to Kio who held out a hand to her. She took it gently.

"Umi-san what are you doing?!" Fuu demanded.

"You'll be safe, Cephiro will be safe," Umi responded simply, "But now…" she looked at Clef and shook her head, "Now I can have back what he stole from me."

"Umi stop it!" Clef shouted at her, "I didn't steal him from you! He almost killed you!"

"What?" Umi whispered as her eyes grew wide at Kio's grimace.

"Did he conveniently leave that part out?" Clef asked coldly, glaring at Kio.

"What is he talking about?" Umi looked into his eyes.

He wouldn't respond, so Clef did.

"No one in the palace knew about you two because you both thought that we wouldn't approve, but I guessed that there was someone because you always snuck out in the night. When you came back one night you were in tears and there was blood everywhere," his eyes became bleak trying to push the image away. It had haunted him for years, the beautiful Water Knight covered in her own blood, her hair soaked in it, with gashes and cuts all over her body, scarring her forever. Her eyes were full of terror, and the only place there wasn't blood was where her tears had washed it away, "I took you in and healed you. When I asked you what happened all I got was jumbled phrases and inaudible mutters, so I went into your mind, to your memories."

"Stop it!" Kio raised the sword.

"Don't want her to know the truth?" his eyes were deadly with rage, "Don't want her to know that the person that attacked her was the one she thought she loved? Don't want her to hear that he was on a power trip and that having a Magic Knight under his control would be the ultimate power?"

"That's not true," Kio looked at Umi, "Umi that's not true, I would never…"

"I don't know who to believe," Umi whispered, "I don't know…" she put her hands to her ears as a screeching sound rang in her head. She screamed and tried to get it out of her mind, out of her head as visions and flashes hit her.

* "Stop it! Kio what are you doing?!"

"I'm sorry Umi, you cannot be let to bring back the Sapphire Stone, you can't. I could never get what I wanted that way."

"I thought I was what you wanted!"

"Your power."

"No!"*

When she looked up she was on the ground and there were many concerned people all around her. She looked up at Kio, into his dark blue eyes and stared, horrified.

"My power?" she whispered.

"Umi, I was so much younger, I didn't see, didn't realize until it was too late that it was you, not what you could control," he pleaded with her.

She thought back to a few moments ago, 'You're so strong.' Her eyes widened, and she held up her sword, "Liar!" she screamed, "You used me for my power and then almost killed me. For those things I can never forgive!"

Umi pulled her sword down on him, and it met with a clang and a crash as he almost lost hold of the sword. Umi jumped away from the parry, and he stumbled back,

"You were always the best of the Magic Knights, but this…this is a new strength," he said quietly blocking each attack but refusing to fight back. Hikaru knew the strategy and wanted to say something but found her mouth too dry and her words missing; her eyes were locked on the fight.

Apparently Umi knew the trick too, and she wasn't at all thrown off when the sword came crashing down onto her. She met his sword, and everyone in the room clenched their teeth for the impact. It rang so clear they thought they could hear it from miles away, and the ringing made them clutch their hands to their ears.

They went back to pacing, "Umi stop it, please," he was begging with her.

Suddenly she knew this wasn't the person in her dream, this wasn't her true love; he had hurt her, and he would pay. He had betrayed her, hurt her heart and for that he must die.

They all saw murder flash across her eyes as she thought of what he'd done to her.

The fight began to reach its climax with clanging and metal ringing in her ears.

Once her sword slid across his arm making a long thin slice, but he never once flinched or faltered as his blade slid across her cheek then down her exposed arm as he played with her, his eyes gleaming insanely.

She screamed as he drove the blade into her leg where there was bare flesh.

"Umi!" the others screamed from the door.

Her eyes flashed to them as she blocked, her leg burning.

He tried to push away the images in his mind;

The battered Knight collapsing into his arms weakly pummeling him with her fists demanding why her. Why was she betrayed?

He tried to push them away but the blood on her face now brought him back to past events:

* "I don't understand, why me?"

"Oh Umi."

"Is it because I'm that stupid? Trusting him?! Is that it?!"

"No, it's because…I don't know."

"You're supposed to know! I want answers and I want him dead!"

"So do I…"*

"She's going to die if that leg isn't fixed!" he heard Persea shout, but he couldn't register just exactly what she was talking about, "She can't possibly fight with a leg like that! Not fairly!"

"She won't stay still, she'll be killed if she does. How am I supposed to do anything?" Fuu demanded, and they all shook their heads. It seemed the Water Knight had only one fate, and the woman laughed happily.

"I won't let her die like this!" Ascot summoned the Pegasus, and it reared and spread its mighty wings swallowing the room. It lay down partially, and Umi mounted as it stood. Now the fight was uneven but in her favor, and she fought him from the rearing and screaming Pegasus as the blade swung close but never struck it.

"Damn you!" the woman screamed for her brother and struck Umi in the back throwing her from the Pegasus as he approached, that mad glint in his eyes. He reached down and touched her hand where the Sapphire Stone was as her body began to fade. He was going to wait for her to die and then take it.

"Umi-san!" Fuu raised her hands, but the woman hit her, and she fell to the ground unconscious.

Ferio raised his sword, and they battled as the girl on the ground began to mutter.

"Why me? You should know, tell me, why me?"

Clef's eyes widened, and a fierce anger grew inside him. Why her?! What had she ever done to anyone?! "Step away," he told Kio, his voice dangerous enough to kill.

Kio simply laughed and pulled at the stone that wouldn't budge. He sighed and sat down to wait.

Clef raised his staff and threw Kio against the wall with the little strength he had and then knelt near Umi and put his hands on hers trying his best to keep her alive.

When she had Ferio on the ground panting and struggling to stand she saw her brother, limp in the corner, and her eyes began to flare up directing their hate at the Master Mage. When she saw the hands she gained a smug expression, and her brother's eyes followed hers.

"You always were the jealous type," she said slyly, and Clef looked up and glared fiercely.

"Don't like hearing that?" she mocked, and he looked back down.

"What has she ever done to you?!"

"Everything," she responded and opened her hands sending a dark stream of magic toward the girl.

"Umi-chan!" Hikaru screamed and hit the woman hard with her sword sending the magic in another direction. She screamed as she felt the blood begin to trickle down her back. She spun and faced the girl that had fire in her eyes.

"Akai Inazuma!" it was a spiral of fire and steel as her sword grabbed the attack and hit the woman as she fell to the ground, barely alive.

With both of the enemies unable to fight Clef stood and helped Fuu as much as his magic allowed. When she was up she revitalized Umi who stood shakily and swayed, but with a few hands managed to stand again. She looked around her at the two.

"What do we do with them?"

"Kill them," Clef said disgustedly, and they all stared at the sudden anger in his voice, "Would you rather them live?"

"No," they shook their heads, "But I won't kill them like this," Umi said softly.

"What do we do with them then?" Lantis asked, and Umi looked around.

"Take them back to the palace and put them in a dungeon and hold them until we find something better to do with them," she responded, and they complained but wouldn't argue as they found rope and tied them up before taking Kio's sword, and Clef put restraints on her magic.

When they were finished they took them back to the palace forcing them forward no matter how exhausted they were. When they reached the palace they threw them in the dungeon and sat down, tired but knowing there was still much to come.