*This chapter suggests, no more than suggests some self-damaging things so if that kind of thing bothers you I don't think you should read this chapter. I just thought I'd let you know before you read it.*
Chapter 17 Lost
"What now?" Hikaru whispered.
"We tell our families and meet back here in two days, this time," Umi responded, and they nodded, "Then we'll go back to Cephiro together."
They turned and walked out together until they had to part and go to their separate homes.
§§§~~~
"I'm home!" Hikaru called walking in as her dog, Hikari, jumped on her and licked her face. She laughed, "Down boy, down."
Her three brothers rushed in and tried not to look relieved, "Where were you?!"
She looked confused, "Huh?"
"You've been gone for three days!"
"Oh," she blushed, "I have to explain everything, sit."
They did as she said, and she began, "Four years ago we were summoned to another realm called Cephiro…"
§§§~~~
"Fuu!" her sister ran up to her and hugged her fiercely, "Mom and dad were going crazy where have you been?! There's been a search out for you, and for Umi and Hikaru too! Have you seen them?"
Fuu nodded, "Could you please go and get mom and dad? I have a lot to explain."
She nodded and ran off. Soon her parents were hugging her and telling her how much trouble she was in even though they were laughing and crying at the same time.
She looked down; this was going to be hard, "Mom, dad, Kuu, I have to leave."
"What?"
"Forever," Fuu finished, and they stared at her, obviously confused.
"We don't understand," her father told her.
"Please, let me begin from the beginning. Four years ago the Princess of a land named Cephiro summoned Umi, Hikaru and I to go and save her country…"
§§§~~~
Umi stared at her ceiling, where were her parents? There was a note on the table for her. They had told her when she left for the Tokyo Tower with Fuu and Hikaru that they were leaving for a few days on her father's business trip, but she had thought they would be back by now. Where could they be?
She needed to get out of the house, needed to breathe. She wrote a note telling them that she was out and would be back shortly and walked out.
§§§~~~
"So you're not coming back?" Masaru whispered.
Hikaru shook her head, "I don't think so."
"Why are you leaving?" Kakeru protested.
"Because I…" she blushed, this was going to be harder than she thought, "Because I fell in love, and I can't leave him there."
They stared, shocked.
"His name is Lantis, and he's a master swordsman, you would like him. He takes good care of me," she assured them before they could begin their onrush of questions that normally followed when she said a guy's name in the house.
They looked at her skeptically and weren't sure what to say.
"This is hard to believe Hikaru," Satoru said finally.
"I know," she said softly.
"Is there anyway we can you're not lying?" Masaru asked.
Hikaru looked hurt, "Don't you trust me?"
"It's not that we don't trust you, it's just that this seems extremely impossible," Satoru told her gently.
"I know, but I don't know if there's anything I can do to prove it. Unless," she closed her eyes and concentrated hard, trying to find that string of magic, trying to get a piece of Cephiro through the portal. Sparks of fire flew off of her hands, and they stared, shocked.
"We wish you the best sister," Satoru said softly, and the other two nodded.
"I'm staying for another day or so, I want to spend as much time with you guys as I can," Hikaru told them, and so they spent their last days together practice fighting and playing with Hikari in the park. It was the best couple days in Hikaru's life, and she knew that leaving them was going to be hard, but she knew even more that if she never went back to Lantis she would regret it. She had spent her whole life with her brothers, and knew that she would never forget them as they would never forget her. They would always love her, but it was time to move on to a love of a different kind. They understood, she saw it in their eyes, the way they encouraged her despite the pain they felt at loosing their little sister.
When it was finally time to leave it would be hard, but they would not try and stop her, and she was grateful.
§§§~~~
"So that's why we came back, to spend a few days with you, once the portal closes there is no way to come back," Fuu said quietly, trying not to let tears slip.
"Fuu," Kuu said softly, "We'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too, but I have a life there now, I had a past there, and a future. You understand don't you?" she needed them to understand. She wouldn't be able to go back if they didn't.
"Of course we understand, we didn't think we could keep you forever," her mother said softly.
"This Prince, he better take care of you," her father smiled at her.
"He will."
They had no need of proof, they knew she was telling the truth. There was something that shone in her eyes, like a piece of that unknown land still embedded in her heart, that land that she truly belonged to.
"It's going to be hard to lose you little sister," Kuu said softly.
"And you too," Fuu responded, "But I'll hate myself always if I don't go back, I can't pretend I wouldn't."
"We know, and we wish you a good, happy life there," her mother said quietly, "We're proud of you."
"Arigato," Fuu said quietly. There was no more talk of leaving for their family. They spent the day doing Fuu's favorite things. There were some things she knew she would never be able to forget, and her family was the major one. She tried to be with them every moment she could.
She looked up at Tokyo's skyline and pictured Cephiro's rolling hills and light breeze. The immense forests and placid lakes, even the dreaded volcano's. She thought about Ferio, and as much as she hated leaving she knew that it was with him that she belonged.
§§§~~~
Umi got back to the house and found no one there. There was a message on the phone, and she found it was her parents.
"We're on our way home now, we'll be there tomorrow afternoon or so," her mother's voice told her, "Can't wait to see you, we missed you. I hope you're okay. See you soon."
Tears slipped down her cheeks, tomorrow afternoon. That was too late. She had to be there in the morning. She had to make a choice, and she couldn't find herself making it. She tossed and turned all night trying to decide between the love for her parents and the love of her life.
§§§~~~
"Where is she?" Hikaru was pacing, "She should have been here by now."
"I'm sure she'll get here," Fuu said quietly, but she wasn't so sure.
"Why wouldn't she want to go back?" Hikaru looked desperate for answers that Fuu couldn't supply.
"I don't know."
§§§~~~
Umi watched the Tokyo Tower and cried. Tears rolled down her cheeks, she had to stay. Her parents deserved the truth, she had to let them know. It wouldn't be fair to leave them hanging. She closed her eyes and saw his face in her vision, the soft lavender hair and deep blue eyes. Blue eyes that she had been pulled into, "Gomen nasai."
§§§~~~
"The portal is going to close," Hikaru could feel it fading.
"I know," Fuu muttered and took one last look around, "We've got to leave. We can't wait any longer."
"Goodbye," they both looked to the people who were standing not far from them, "We'll miss you."
"We'll miss you too," they chorused, "We love you."
"What is Clef going to do?" Hikaru whispered.
"I'm not sure," Fuu whispered as the two stood across from each other and closed their eyes. When they opened them they were in the palace.
§§§~~~
"Umi, what's wrong?" her mother asked setting down her bags and looking at her daughter's distressed face.
"Mom!" Umi cried, "Dad!"
"Glad to see you too," her dad smiled.
"We have to talk, now," she told them hoping, praying there was still time.
"Can I just put this stuff away?" her mom asked, but she shook her head.
"There's no time."
§§§~~~
When he felt Cephiro lurch he knew that he couldn't keep it open any longer. He let it go and went down the halls slowly. When he saw Fuu and Hikaru he smiled, he should have trusted them. They were okay, and home, where they belonged.
They turned from speaking with the others and saw him; their faces paled.
"Hello," he smiled trying to avoid the horrified looks they gave him.
"You let go of the portal?" Persea whispered, and he nodded.
"It didn't need to be open any longer. It's shut now, forever. The Magic Knights are home, it will never again need to open."
"No!" Fuu screamed and looked at Hikaru who had the same scared expression.
"What?" Clef asked and for the first time realized what was going on, "Where's Umi?" he tried to avoid it.
"She…she didn't come, so we…we went without her. We thought that she'd catch up, her will is strong she could have come by herself, but…but," Hikaru tried to explain, but his expression that never changed was too much for them to bear.
"What do you mean she never came?" he choked on his words.
"She never met us at the Tokyo Tower," Fuu answered softly and looked down, "Gomen."
§§§~~~
"And if I don't go now the portal will close and I'll never see him again," Umi's face was desperate, "But I couldn't just leave you like this. I couldn't just let you think I was killed her something. I won't leave without your permission either, you raised me whether or not I am truly born of Cephiro."
Her mother cried softly, and her father held her, "Umi, we love you more than anything, and we only want to see you happy. Go to him," he told her, and she hugged them and kissed them both.
"I'll miss you both, I love you," she grabbed her bag and ran toward the Tokyo Tower.
§§§~~~
He turned and walked away. He didn't want their sympathy; he wanted Umi. Why would she do that to him? Didn't she care? He didn't understand, but he knew nothing mattered anymore. He had lost her forever, and just now he needed to be alone. He turned and walked to the shore and sat near the water just looking into it placidly. A tear fell down his cheek as he saw her beautiful smile. He heard her laugh, and his heart leapt into his throat. The fact that he would never hear her again killed him, and he just wanted to jump into the sea and never emerge. The people of Cephiro needed him though, they always would, so he would have to go on.
He didn't want to go on without her though; he wanted to curl into a ball and die. He didn't understand why she would ever hurt him like that. He had thought that…
§§§~~~
"No!" Umi screamed feeling the magic had completely vanished, "Clef!" she sunk to her knees and couldn't even feel the eyes on her. She didn't even barely notice when there were hands on her shoulders. She looked up and into blue eyes. Her heart leapt, but when she saw the dirty blond hair her spirits sunk.
"Umi," the voice was soft.
She looked up and met the eyes of one of the boys on her fencing team.
"Who did this to you?"
She shook her head and stood, "No one, I'm just a bit under the weather."
"Do you want me to walk you home?"
"No, thanks though," she turned and walked from the Tower, but home wasn't where she was headed. She didn't think she could face her parents just then.
§§§~~~
Two weeks passed, and the people in the castle didn't know what to do. They had barely seen Clef, and they knew he wasn't eating or sleeping. When they did see him he never spoke, just turned and walked away. He spent long hours at the ocean and near the woods, places she loved. He never even pretended with them. He had always acted unaffected when truly he was effected, but now it was just emptiness. They were afraid that if this kept up he wouldn't last much longer.
"Damn her," Persea muttered.
"It's not her fault I'm sure," Fuu said softly.
"Why didn't she come with you? She knew didn't she?" Ascot questioned, "I've never seen him like this."
"She knew, but…" Hikaru didn't finish, there was nothing to say. None of them knew why she hadn't shown up, none of them could feel the pain she felt.
§§§~~~
She closed her eyes and cried as she had done so many nights before. Her parents were glad to have her home, but it was too hard for them to see her in so much pain. She stayed away from them, locked in her room most of them time, "Damn you Clef!" she screamed and hit her wall, "Why did you let it go?! Why did you let the portal go!? Did you want me to stay here?! I thought…" she clenched her fists and blood trickled out. She looked down at her arms and traced the cuts up and down them. She sat on her bed and pulled out the knife hidden beneath her pillow. She ran it down her skin and let the blood come out as her tears eased.
"Umi," her mother knocked on her door, and she hid the bloodstained knife and put on her sweater.
"Yeah?" she opened the door and tried to smile.
"I thought maybe you were hungry," she handed her a bowl of soup and a glass of tea.
"Arigato," she took it and was about to shut her door, but her mother's words stopped her.
"Gomen," she turned and walked down the hallway, and Umi watched her.
"Me too."
She had tried to assure her parents it wasn't their fault when she had gotten back. They had no idea; they couldn't be blamed. She knew that they still blamed it on themselves though. She sat on her window seat and took a sip of the soup then dumped it out the window and sipped at the tea quenching her thirst before she dumped that out too. She went back to her pillow and with shaking hands pulled out the knife like so many times before. The pain brought her calmness, and she savored the feeling.
§§§~~~
He sat in his study and tried to picture what she was doing now. He wondered if she was happy. He wondered if there was already someone else for her. He knew that her family would be glad to have her, and that thought brought him comfort. He hoped that her life was happy and she found someone even if there would never be anyone else for him.
He just wanted to see her again. Just once. He closed his eyes and could see her in his dreams as he had so many nights before.
§§§~~~
She cleaned the blade off in the sink and slowly slipped it back in its spot. She didn't know where everything had went so wrong. She had never thought that it would come to this. She wanted to be in his arms.
She filled up the bathtub with steaming water and slipped in. The hot water and bubbles in the bath cut at her wounds, but it felt good. Soon the blood from her many cuts had stained the water red, but she didn't even notice as she let her mind slip back to him. She just wanted to see him. She closed her eyes and the steam from the bath erased any signs of tears. The only thing that showed her pain were the red slashes over her arms.
*I'm REALLY sorry if that upset some people, but it was effective I think. I probably have a couple chapters left in this story yet. This is really long, hm… I didn't think that I would let it get this long, but I guess I was wrong. I don't know but I for some reason have a problem with writing 'short stories'. Oh well. Until next chapter ja*