*Sorry about the delay *grins* lots of homework problems grrr…I hate having to deal with school. Oh well! Anyway about my other story for any of you who might be wondering, I'm having some trouble with writer's block, but I'm hoping to have the next chapter out within the week or so. As soon as I can finish my ecology lab report and finish my English report and…maybe I should think about starting these things…well anyway! Next chapter!*

Chapter Ten: Alamo

She looked around her wearily and shook the unconsciousness from her tired body. Her heart clenched, and she had to be dreaming. The trees here were much greener, the sky much cleaner and a flash of silver sent her running. She flew into a valley and saw a glimmering palace shaped like three swords. No, this couldn't be right, she was dreaming and would wake up and…she stopped. No way a dream could be this real. She was definitely in the Tokyo Tower wasn't she? She was for sure there, and now she was…home…her mind sighed. Before she knew what she was doing she was running, sprinting toward the palace. She forced weary legs on, urging them toward their home. She forced her starving fragile body into a full-out run. She was finally home.

Alamo

She sprawled into the halls of the palace and searched the glimmering rooms for signs of any kind of life. The palace was just as gorgeous as she remembered it, even more beautiful. The world seemed to glow around her, and her energy slowly flew back into her body; it was as if she had never left.

Heard all about your fandango

"Hello?" she called. "Anyone?" she giggled helplessly and wouldn't let anything get her down, not even the sinking feeling that was rising in her stomach. What if this was a cruel dream, and no one was going to greet her?

Soon, the notion took hold of her, and she was sprinting once more. She ran down the winding halls and through the castle. She stopped and looked up. Looming in front of her were two tall wooden doors. They had scenes of lightning and fire, water and air, all intertwined in the wood. It looked ancient, and was opened only a crack. A lump gathered in her throat as she gently pried them open and hesitantly walked inside.

Banged on my knees on your back door

"Hello?" she asked meekly. "Hello? Anyone here?"

The sick feeling in her stomach was replaced with butterflies when she approached a large wooden table overlooking Cephiro. In the chair sat a man with lavender hair, but she couldn't see him entirely. She smiled softly and turned the chair around.

She jumped back and tried to suppress the scream that gathered in her throat at what she found. It looked like the Master Mage, but he was taller and older looking. His robes had changed too, and he had shed his ever-present horn. She put a hand over her mouth and stared for quite some time.

As if noticing her present somewhere in his subconscious, Clef stirred and opened his deep blue eyes. When he opened them he saw something that he thought was only brought by dreams. A girl stood in front of him, tall for her age, with long blue hair. It was pulled into a messy bun, and her clothes hung loose on her depressingly skinny frame. He stared in shock for a long time.

"Hey," Umi whispered softly, and he shook his head.

Only to wake you to

He had to be dreaming, and he would wake and be alone. For now though, he would just stay silent and maybe she would stay for awhile longer.

When long minutes had passed, and Umi thought the shock had vanished she spoke, "Clef, it's me, Umi."

He shook his head and tried to calm himself, this was the most real dream he had had thus far; she was so skinny.

"Why won't you say something? It's Umi, the Magic Knight of Water," her eyes began to well with tears. Didn't he want her back? Had they moved on? Or what if this was only a dream? "Please say something," a tear fell down her cheek, and he wanted to answer her, but maybe this was a test, maybe he couldn't fall into his desire.

To blues on the way

"Why won't you say something? Anything? Clef," Umi begged. "Don't you want me back?"

He shook his head in weariness, and she took it the wrong way.

"I hate you then! I hate all of Cephiro! I never should have cried for this place!"

Blues on the way

She turned to run, and Clef couldn't let even a dream end like this, "That's not who I meant," his voice surprised even him, and she turned back to him. His voice was gentle despite everything and filled with pent up passion and desire. "I didn't even think you could be real but…"

She touched his hand and smiled. Now her tears were of relief, "I'm real."

"I'm glad," he hugged her tight and didn't want to let go. He felt sick when he could feel her individual vertebrae through her clothes.

When they pulled away Umi looked him over, "You've changed."

"So have you," he shook his head but didn't say what was on his mind, afraid that it might hurt her.

"Where are Hikaru and Fuu? They got called back too, right?" Umi asked cheerily, changing the subject.

"Umi, you weren't called back," Clef said softly.

"W-what?" her face paled. "You mean I'm here alone?"

Blues on the way

She fell into a chair and sighed, "What am I going to do?"

"I don't know how you even had the strength to get here like that," Clef commented dryly.

She turned her head, and he felt badly for what he said.

"Gomen," he mumbled, and she shook her head and smiled.

"No problem, besides, now is not a time for anger, it's a time for finding."

"Finding?"

"Yes, finding, you're going to find a way to get Hikaru and Fuu here."

"Have you seen anyone else yet?" he inquired.

She shook her head.

His heart leapt; she had come to see him first.

"I knew I had to make sure this wasn't a dream, the only one strong enough would be the Master Mage of Cephiro," she added, and his heart sank. Her and that mouth, he thought to himself.

"Well, we'll take you then, and see if we can get some food into you," he sighed and picked up his staff.

"Yes dad," she grinned and giggled, and he smiled sadly back.

Embarcar

Figures you'd see me as older

They walked silently through the long halls and into the dining room. At the long table no one was present, "Where is everyone?"

"They enjoy their time alone. The Prince in his room, Ascot in the stables, Presea in the weapon room, Caldina and Lafarga around and about, Lantis in the gardens, and Eagle just everywhere," Clef explained.

"Eagle?" Umi asked.

"He's come to live here," Clef answered.

"But for who?" Umi's eyes twinkled, "Lantis or Hikaru?"

Clef looked down sadly, "He sees neither. Today was the first day he'd seen Lantis in ages."

"They're jealous," Umi sighed. "Well we'll figure all that out when we call the other two back."

"I'm not so sure…"

"Give you a couple days and a few needy wills, and they'll be here in no time," Umi smiled; her confidence heavy in him.

"Sure," he muttered, not so sure.

Twenty-three hours to the border

"Let's go down to the shore," Umi suggested, and he nodded and snapped a finger. When they appeared only outside the palace Umi was startled. "Uh…"

"Spells just aren't what they used to be," he mumbled, and she nodded.

"I know how you feel."

"Aren't you hungry?" he realized that they hadn't gotten anything to eat.

"Not really, just happy," she sighed, contented, and listened to the sea crash onto the shore. "Happy to be home."

"Home?"

Don't think I'll be going as fast as I came

"Home," she responded. "If you give me permission to stay."

"Of course," he said quickly, and she smiled.

"Good, then I believe that Hikaru and Fuu will make the same decision too, as soon as we get them here."

Fast as I came

"I don't know how you got here though," Clef muttered, and she looked disappointed. He didn't want to disappoint her.

"You'll figure it out," but she didn't sound so sure when he was skeptical.

"Yeah…Well, how did you know to get here?"

"There was this feeling…"

"Feeling?"

"Yeah, I don't know, like all the magic appeared, and all the sadness disappeared. I grabbed my stuff and ran toward the Tokyo Tower. When I got there I wished to be here, and here I was. I was pulled down, and when I looked around I was in Cephiro," she responded and smiled at the remembrance. That was one of the greatest feelings in the world, being pulled back into this world. She had almost forgotten it, but now it was fresh in her mind.

Fast as I came

"Hm…" he began to think, and she smiled at him.

"You'll figure it out," she encouraged.

He waved his staff, and they were in his study once more. "Yes…"

She sighed heavily and walked from the room; she didn't think her departure was even noticed…but it was.

She wondered the halls aimlessly, and soon she found herself in the gardens. She sighed heavily and sat on the fountain.

Only a looming shadow covering her light made her look up. She strangled a gasp at the lumbering man above her.

"Umi…" his voice was deep and dark, secretive.

"Lantis," she responded softly, regaining her breath.

"It is you, I felt it coming," his eyes twinkled softly, and Umi caught the hint of a smile on his lips. "Where is Hikaru?"

"She…" Umi faltered. "She's not here."

"What?" his voice was like a small clash of thunder, and she shuddered.

"She's not here," Umi repeated softly. "But don't worry!" she added, afraid he might strike her down. "Clef is working on it."

"I think I'll pay the Guru a visit, arigato, sayonara," he turned and walked from the gardens. Umi thought that might have been the most she had ever heard him speak.

She sighed when he left and hung her head. Now that she was back old problems were arising, problems that she recently remembered. She had to flee from Clef; her old feelings were bubbling to the surface. She knew she loved him, but she thought that she loved Ascot too. She didn't know how to act around either of them, and she couldn't be alone with either of them in her last days in Cephiro. She sighed. She loved Ascot, and she knew that Ascot felt for her, probably in the same way, but she loved Clef too, and she was unsure of his feelings. Her heart ached, and her head swam.

She was in Cephiro and Hikaru and Fuu were alone on Earth. She needed to be alone. She turned and ran from the garden and didn't even notice the looming figure watching her in the darkness.

She ran to her room and slammed the door. She threw herself onto her bed and let her emotions overtake her. Her tears were of joy and sorrow and confusion. She didn't understand what was happening.

Tears on my pillow

A knock at her door startled her; she dried her tears and walked to answer it.

"Umi, I…" Clef stopped and pretended he didn't know that he had seen her crying in the gardens. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, "Nothing! I'm just so glad to be back!"

Of course they're not mine

He looked at her skeptically, but continued. If she didn't trust him enough to open up then… "I think I may have it."

"Really?" she grinned and there was true happiness in her eyes.

"Yeah, listen, the only one that can use the summoning spell is the pillar right?"

She nodded attentively.

"Well, there is no pillar now, so the only other one that can use it is me."

"Nice modesty," she muttered, and he smiled.

"But the summoning spell hasn't worked, trust me I've tried," he added, and she smiled, glad to be wanted. "Now though, since you tore through the fabric it will take awhile to rebuild itself, so while it's doing so, we'll pull the other two through."

"Great!"

"But…" he shook his head sadly. "There are downs."

She urged him to continue, knowing that there was nothing that was so bad as to not let them come.

"You won't be able to go home. Once the fabric has rebuilt itself you will have to stay here, forever."

This information hit her hard, though she wanted to call this world home she didn't want to give up her family.

"We've got about a day in Cephiro time to perform the spell in, so I'll give you some time to think it over," he turned and left; she stood, stupefied.

Alter that altar

She found him late that night, "They love the people here too much. The life they're living on Earth is not life at all. They're worse than me…"

Here he raised his eyebrows but said not a word.

"So, we should do it."

He nodded, "The spell is hard and long, I think that we'll need to get the others with magic in here."

She nodded, "I'll go get them."

"No, I'll go. They'll be too confused if you go individually. Might as well bring them all back and explain once."

She agreed, not wanting to waste any time in re-explaining.

Making a play

She waited in his study and walked around, looking at one thing or another. She stopped when she saw a large crystal hidden behind a bookcase. She had never seen this before. She pulled the cover off of it and gasped.

Inside was a swirling vortex that was colored and full of magic. What was this?

'A magic portal to see thine wishes,' a voice echoed in her mind.

'Celes?'

'Welcome back Magic Knight.'

She looked back to the crystal, and thought, 'I want to see Hikaru and Fuu.'

The vortex turned into blurry images, and then into sharp ones. Hikaru was on one side, Fuu on the other. Fuu was running toward the Tokyo Tower, and Hikaru was watching a light.

She just stared as the image faded. A smile swept across her face, they were coming.

Somebody invent the telephone line

She walked from behind the bookcase and smiled at those in the room. Among them were Presea, Caldina, Lantis and Ascot. They just gaped

"U-umi," Ascot stuttered.

"How?" Presea inquired.

"Well…" Umi plunged into the story.

When she was finished, tears were shed, and she was crying herself.

"So that's why we need you," Clef was slightly choked himself. "To bring the other two home, where they belong."

"Of course Guru," Presea wiped away her tears.

"No!" Umi protested, and they looked at her, more confused than angry.

I'll take mine

"What?" Ascot whispered.

"No, they're on their way," Umi told them.

"How do you know?" Lantis demanded.

"I-I saw them," Umi stuttered and glanced at Clef.

"You what?" Ferio burst out, walking briskly into the room.

"Prince," Umi bowed slightly, and he pulled her up with a hand; he had been practicing his magic.

"What do you mean you saw them?"

"In the…" she looked at Clef who had a paled face, "in the crystal thing."

"The crystal thing?" now all eyes were on Clef.

"The desiderium visum, the wish seer," he answered softly. "It allows you to see the things you want, only, it shows them, as they really are, not like a dream. It shows you the things you want to see as they are, no distortions."

My chances

Ferio's hands clenched, and Lantis looked so ready to jump Clef that Clef held his staff in front of him.

"You've been seeing them this whole time, and you never told us?" Ferio's voice was as cold as anyone had ever heard it. "You let us go on wondering how they were and what they were doing? You let us go on worrying about them?"

Umi's eyes widened; she didn't know anything about this.

"You would have hated what you saw," Clef said calmly, despite the threatening presence of the two.

"That's not for you to decide!" Ferio burst out.

"It is my every right to decide. I am the Master Mage of Cephiro and this instrument is at my discretion. I felt no reason to let you see them," Clef shot back; his eyes were flaming up with every word.

"And I am the Prince!" Ferio shouted back. "And my…" he stopped and looked down. "Fuu-chan…"

"Ferio, what's all this noise?" she walked into the room, and Umi's eyes narrowed.

"Nothing," he muttered.

"Come, come Natsumi," Presea ushered her from the room.

"Who's that?" the girl asked as Presea led her out.

"No one, no one," Presea answered. When she returned Clef threw the door shut with a hand, and the look Umi gave Ferio was deadly.

"Who's that?" she demanded.

"No one," Ferio muttered and wouldn't meet her eyes.

"I demand an answer!" Umi's anger was fierce.

"No one" he shouted back but still wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Who the hell was that Ferio?" her voice was quavering. Why wouldn't he tell her? She was getting angry and worried. If he did anything that would hurt Fuu she would kill him.

"It's no one Umi, drop it!"

"I will do no such thing! Tell me or I'll have your head on a plate, Prince of Cephiro or no!" she clenched her fingers tighter, and her armor appeared. She immediately drew her sword and challenged him with her eyes. "I will do it Ferio, I swear on all of Cephiro."

Alamo

"My fiancée," he mumbled.

"What was that Ferio?"

"My fiancée!" he shouted at her, and she flew at him.

"Umi, Umi," Ascot and Caldina pulled her back off their Prince.

"I swear to any god out there Ferio you'll pay for what you've done," her eyes were the angriest anyone had ever seen them. She ripped free of the hold of the two and walked from the room. She contained her rage and stopped in front of him. "You will pay." With those last words she turned and walked from the room. "I'll see to that."

Wish I could do what gold does

She closed her eyes and looked at the stars. Night was here in Cephiro; she mused at the idea that it had only been a few minutes on Earth. A few hours and a few minutes, she thought to herself and sighed.

She wanted to scream at the stars. They were so mocking, so cruel to her. When she thought that coming home couldn't bring her anymore problems she was granted this. If only they had permitted them to come earlier, none of this would have happened.

"Oh Fuu," she mumbled and put her head in her hands. "What are you going to do with this news?"

Heard that the stars were in order

"And what am I to do?" seeing Ascot had made her feel that same unease. She had barely said two words to him all night. She had made a sentence maybe between them both. And what about Eagle? She had yet to see him, or any of the others for that matter. It seemed like they all had problems that had to be dealt with. She just hoped that they wouldn't have to be more pain to her friends. She loved them too much to see them in more pain.

Got yourself dealt a hand with

Two queen of spades

She put her head in her lap and cried. How could Ferio do that to her? How could the two of them cause her pain? How could any of this be happening?

To blues on the way

She was so excited to be back that she had, for a few blissful moments, believed there would be no problems. Now it seemed as if there were more here than on Earth. At least on Earth she didn't have to worry about caring so much.

Blues on the way

She fell into bed, and her armor disappeared and was replaced with a light bluish-white gown that was like silk to the touch and fell loose around her body. It was simple yet elegant and was comfortable most importantly.

She lay down and bit her lip, trying to hold back tears. Her attempts were unsuccessful, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

Tears on my pillow

Why was she crying when she was finally here? Why did she have to be this way when she was finally where she belonged? Why did they have to go and mess her return up?

Of course they're not mine

Alter that altar

Making a play

They would be better off at home. She wanted to call out to them and tell them to stay. She wanted to tell them how much better it was not caring about them. Especially Fuu, she wanted to let Fuu know that she was wasting her time. Umi had never liked Ferio, and now she loathed him with every part of her body. For Hikaru it was too hard; it was too much worry and sadness. She knew Hikaru was too innocent to have to deal with the conflict between two best friends over her. She should stay on Earth; they should all stay safe and happy in Tokyo.

Somebody, just somebody, invent the telephone line

But were they really happy in Tokyo? Would they truly be happy here? If Ferio loved Fuu he would let her know; he was the Prince. He could do as he wished. Somewhere, she knew that Ferio loved Fuu. She trusted that it would work out. And Hikaru would have no problems deciding which one she loved. She loved them both, and they loved her too much to argue. And what about her? She knew she would rather be crying in Cephiro than crying on Earth.

I'll take my chances…

*Oh jeez, I lost the next chapter that I started *sighs* well it may be awhile until I find that or I get motivation to start over. Gomen nasai I'll try my best! ^.^*