Chapter 9 Departure

Clef led them to his study and summoned two chairs for them. They sat hesitantly, and Umi tried to keep from squirming.

Clef sighed and kept his eyes on Umi, "Maybe for our bit of truth you should give us some answers."

Umi looked around curiously, "Answers to what?"

"We have both seen you rest, your dreams are not well," Clef said quietly.

Umi closed her eyes, "That does not involve you."

"V…" Clef was cut off.

"Well maybe this doesn't involve you," Yukito replied curtly.

Umi stared, too surprised to be angry, "What?"

"If you can't trust us how can we ever trust you?" he looked into her eyes, pleading. Was knowing this that important to him?

"Just thinking about the place we lived in," she tried to look up and lie into his eyes. She could lie beautifully to anyone but somehow she wasn't able to lie to him, maybe because he wasn't just anyone; he was her lover.

Clef shook his head, "Then it wasn't meant to be told, but this is."

"If it were anyone but him," Umi and Yukito muttered at the same time about two different people.

For a long while there was a silence until Umi reached over and took Yukito 's hand, "If it's really that important to you I'll tell you everything."

"Now don't be like that," he scolded gently, "It'll make me look bad if I say it is that important, so I'll have to say no even if it's a lie."

She smiled weakly, "You'll never look bad in my eyes."

He grinned at her, "I don't need to know, but," his expression grew more grim, "I wish you would open up to me."

"In time," she responded, "In time."

Clef cleared his throat, and the two were brought back to reality.

"Gomen," Umi blushed and looked down from Clef's piercing gaze.

"You cannot repeat this to anyone, not the castle inhabitants, not people you meet along the way, not even to the other Magic Knights," Clef warned her, and she looked up into his deep blue eyes and felt a sense of comfort, protection.

"Don't worry about that," she muttered.

"You will learn," it was a statement, or an order even, not a prediction.

"Yeah, right," she scoffed, but a quick glare had her standing, bowing and apologizing.

Clef laughed slightly, "Sit, sit, sit," he instructed, "If you don't we'll never get started."

Suddenly the mood began to get very solemn, "How long ago was it Yukito?" Clef looked at him, and he shook his head.

"Too long."

"In Cephiro times goes by slower; people age differently. We were very young, maybe only four or five when we first began our training 740 years ago."

Umi's jaw dropped, and she stared at Yukito who turned his head away from her.

"We?" Umi turned from him and looked back at Clef.

"Yes, the Son of Cephiro, the Dark One, and I," he answered, "We were best of friends torn apart by ambitions and prophecies."

She tried not to look surprised, but she was sure she could feel her eyes widen and had to clamp her teeth together to keep from letting her jaw drop, "W-what kind of prophecies?"

"When we born the old Master Mage of Cephiro made a prophecy for each of us. The eldest would become the new Master Mage when his time came; he would aid the Magic Knights and show them the ways of Cephiro. The middle child would be led astray by greed and hatred and become the Dark one. Alone in the shadows he would wait until he could wield the Dark Blade then strike out against Cephiro. The third, the youngest of the three would be the Son of Cephiro and wield a blade crafted of the land and fed by the land with this blade he would fight and…"

A quick shake of a head from Yukito made him stop.

"And?" Umi persisted not noticing anything but the prophecy.

"And aid the Magic Knights against the Dark One," he said quickly.

"But I don't understand," Umi's voice was hoarse, "If you're such good friends why are you fighting each other?"

"We were good friends," Yukito muttered, "Then I found out what each was destined to do to me, to take from me."

"What?" Umi whispered.

"Yukito stop this," Clef's voice was strong and angry, "You know you chose your path, everything will fall in its place now, but you had to take the first step."

"And you will see it fall won't you?" Yukito's eyes flared like a roaring fire.

"No, I will do everything in my power to prevent it; I would never betray you, but Cephiro has a will of its own. It takes what it demands, and I am only one Mage against the will of the world."

"I chose my path for my love of Cephiro, I walk this path because I am not void of responsibilities," Yukito lashed out.

"You're angry because you got the short-end of the stick I know," Clef said softly, "But would you rather be Kino?"

Yukito shook his head, "May we take Mokona on this journey?"

Clef muttered at the change of subject but answered civilly, "For that you must speak to Princess Emeraude, Mokona is hers."

He nodded, stood and left. Umi stayed there, completely shocked. After a moment she stood, bowed and exited quickly.

She walked around the castle, looking for him.  She stopped at the gardens when she heard voices and stayed to listen.

"Princess Emeraude, Priest Zagato," this was Yukito, just his voice made her heart jump.

"Son of Cephiro," Princess Emeraude's voice smiled.

"May I have permission to take Mokona on the journey?"

"You're not staying then?" her voice fell.

"I cannot," he answered.

'Not staying?' Umi asked herself.

"Clef?" this was the deep, powerful voice of Zagato.

"Gomen nasai, but I can't stay here with him."

"We understand," Emeraude told him.

"And the Water Knight?" Zagato persisted.

Yukito looked to the doorway where he could feel she stood though he could not see, "She'll know."

"Well of course you can take Mokona; I should have thought of sending him before," Emeraude granted.

"Arigato Princess," he turned and walked from the room.

Umi shrunk into the shadows as he passed her, and he frowned. She followed at a safe distance until he reached his room. After a moment she slowly walked to his door and opened it feeling no need to knock. She stood in the doorway and watched as he hastily put things in saddlebags, "What are you doing?" she asked from the doorway.

"Packing," he didn't turn.

She walked in the door and shut it behind her, sitting on his bed softly, "Why?"

He tried to pretend that he didn't know she had overheard, "Time to move on."

"Move on?" her eyes were full of fear, "What do you mean? You're leaving? Forever?"

"No, I'm going to the Forest of Silence, when you're ready I want you to go there. I'll find you on the outskirts. No magic can penetrate the forest except that made of the Forest," he wouldn't look at her.

"What's wrong?"

He sighed, "I know you were there Umi."

"Where?"

He muttered under his breath then burst out, "In the gardens!"

She had never him angry before, and she cowered.

"Gomen," he sat beside her and took her hand, "But I wish you wouldn't be so secretive with me."

"I don't know how to be anything but," she looked down.

"I know, just try okay?"

"Sure."

"You don't want me to leave?" he knew without having to ask.

"Honestly," she smiled slightly, "Not at all."

"Ask me and I'll stay; I wouldn't mind for you."

"I couldn't ask that of you."

They were silent for awhile as far apart from each other as they had been in what seemed like a long while. The silence would never have been broken but for one question on Umi's mind, "There are some parts of that prophecy that are missing to me."

He nodded, "Some parts you don't need to know."

"Fair enough," she stood, "May I see you out?"

He stood regretfully and grabbed the saddlebags. As they walked through the palace hand in hand she decided to ask another question, "What's a Mokona?"

He laughed, "Mokona is a creature; he's the creator of Cephiro and of your world."

"What?" she whispered.

"A shock huh? Wait until you see him," laughter shone in his eyes.

"He's the one Clef spoke of? The will of the world?"

"No," he shook his head sadly, "Cephiro is a living thing. Mokona created it, but it is controlled by nothing."

"Oh," she had hoped she could scream at this thing for causing Yukito and Clef so much pain.

"He should be with Persea, down in the storage room, that's where they are most of the time," he explained.

"Storage of what?"

"Weapons."

Umi tried to imagine that beautiful happy girl in a dark dungeon surrounded by weapons; it was an interesting picture, "Huh?"

"Persea is the Master Craftsman in Cephiro. She makes all the best weapons, she made yours," he explained, but he had expected her to be more shocked and had to ask when she only showed mild surprise, "You don't seem shocked."

"Four months ago I would have been shocked, but not now," Umi whispered.

"Why?"

"Because when the Japanese bombed America all the men were sent to war, drafted. When they left, everyone thought that America would fall because there were no more men to run the factories, but the women refused to give up. They took up the men's tools and picked up right where their husbands and sons had left off. It doesn't surprise me to hear of women making the best tools for death anymore," she explained grimly.

"Oh," he tried to change the subject, "Anyway…"

"Yeah anyway," but nothing came of the desperate attempt.

They descended steps and found themselves in what Umi had expected. A dungeon filled with swords and axes and bows. She gasped though when she saw the girl Persea in a flowing white dress chasing a little pink ball of fluff with huge rabbit ears around the room.

"When I get my hands on you! That was going to be a sword for the Lord of Embertown to fight off stray monsters! What am I going to tell him now?! Oh when I get you I'm going to stretch your ears so far!" she ranted as she chased it around the room.

"Puu puu puu!" it screamed always just a bit out of reach. After a moment it jumped on her head then went behind her. She let out an aggravated sigh and began the chase in another direction.

Umi burst out laughing and almost fell over with the sight, this was certainly not what she had pictured, not at all.

"Uh…Persea," Yukito called, "Can you not hurt him too bad? We need him."

Persea stopped and turned, sweat dropping, "Uh…hi Son of Cephiro, well you see, he ruined my dance for this great weapon, and um…"

"No need to explain," Yukito dismissed it, "But really I must be on my way. Mokona!"

Mokona happily bounced up to him and jumped into his arms almost mocking Persea with his constant, puu puu puu's.

Persea glared at the thing, "Oh just wait till you get back here."

Umi's jaw dropped, now she was shocked, "That is the creator of the world?!"

Both Yukito and Persea laughed and nodded, "Amazing isn't it?" Persea asked, "That something that's such a nuisance and so annoying, and so…is the creator the world. I'm just glad the rest of this place isn't anything like him."

"Puu?"

Persea shook her head, "So you're leaving then?"

He nodded.

"And them?"

"They'll meet me later, I just can't stay here with…" he didn't need to finish.

"Clef," Persea ended it, and he nodded, "Of course, well I hope this little fluff ball is more of a help than a hindrance."

"Arigato," they turned and walked up the steps the creature Mokona puuing all the way.

When they reached the door to the palace Umi stopped and looked outside. His eyes followed hers, and he noticed they were staring at the ocean. He clicked with his tongue, and his stallion came cantering up toward him, completely saddled, "Stableboy, that's where I went first," he explained, so she wouldn't have to ask, "You understand right?" he asked softly when he had mounted.

"Of course, it's not forever," she smiled, and he smiled back, reached down and kissed her as she stood on her tiptoes to reach him.

"I'll see you soon," he touched her cheek gently then turned and kicked the horse into a gallop. She watched him turn back and look and tried to smile. He was too far to see the tears that ran down her cheeks. All he saw was the beautiful girl standing on the steps to the Palace of Cephiro her light blue hair blowing in the wind her blue ovum gem shining on her hand.

When he was out of sight he stopped and used his connection with her, closing his eyes and watching;

She turned and ran, her tears blinding her. She ran hard through the palace and didn't even realize where she was going until she ran into Clef.

"Umi?" he held her shoulders, and she looked up into his eyes and wanted to kill him.

"It's all your fault!" she screamed and ripped away.

"What?" he looked at her confused.

"If you hadn't been so hard on him he wouldn't have left! It's your fault he left me!" she turned and walked quickly away; she needed to be alone.

"Gomen, Umi," he whispered and walked the other way.

"It won't always be that way," he muttered and took off once more for the Forest of Silence.

*Sighs* Okay! Hello again! I thought I should clear some things up right now. This is going to be long probably the longest fic I've ever written and there will be more about the other Knights starting next chapter. Sometimes it's hard for me to write about Hikaru though, I have the hardest time getting her personality because she's nothing like me. Ha, anyway… the prophecy is going to be revealed by the time they all get their Rune-Gods, and about the Rune-Gods. I can not do old English so don't ask why they're not using thee and thy and all that. There's also going to be more conflict with the Knights once Umi's past is revealed *grins* I'm especially proud of the plot of this story because I actually developed it before I started! Oh god this is really long so I'm going to shut up now. Any other questions I'd be glad to clear up! Arigato and till next chapter ja! ^.^*