Authoresses Note:

I apologize for the long wait. I had the dreaded disease commonly known as writer's block, plus, since I am pursuing a role in writing outside of fanfiction, was busy working on some stories set in my own little universes. And oh yeah, just a little disclaimer here: I have no idea where Ascot really comes from. The manga details him as a wanderer. I'm just making this up. Making stuff up is fun. ^___^ BTW, if there was any confusion, the reason Ferio was down about Fuu leaving him was that they live in different worlds - hell, some couples have trouble staying together just being in different states. Of course, this two are -special- , and they shall overcome! C'mon, that couldn't have been that much of a spoiler.

***Part Six of Forbidden: Promise Me This ***

"What? You know where they are?"

Ascot nodded under Lantis' sharp gaze, looking away to the sky that eluded him from beyond the canopy. After a moment he looked back to the swordsman atop his horse, his eyes resting right on the others and not straying. "We'll need one of my monsters, but I can't summon him here. I'm not sure how Clef was able to use that magic with Presea despite the fact that he was in the forest - some trick, I guess - but I can't do it."

Lantis and Eagle exchanged glances, Lantis pausing to study his friend's masculine beauty before returning his ponderings to the monster summoner that stood before him, stood before him with an offer and a plan. All Lantis had to do was agree and give the shady traveler full authority, a task that, considering the summoner's past, was not all that easy. But worth it? Yes, worth it, if they could recover their friends. And would the summoner lie? Perhaps not, especially when the summoner, as he did now, held the sword that dripped of the Magic Knight Umi's blood.

He couldn't help looking at the unconscious Clef that lay on the forest floor. Habit demanded the guru sort out all such problems, but now the guru, after pulling Presea out of empty air, had fallen asleep very soon afterwards, only heard to mumble some incoherent words that Lantis could not decipher, and then fall victim to the extreme fatigue that had laid siege to him. Presea then fell into her own descent into sleep - different circumstances would have very quickly titled the whole affair as comical, but under the definitely realistic circumstances it seemed anything but.

"How could you know where they are?" Eagle asked, gentle voice cascading over the same question that had been taking an underdeveloped form in Lantis' mind.

Ascot's expression took that of almost a scowl. "They're taken by the Sheki, right?"

Silence lapsed between the three. At last, Lantis nodded. "That's what we suspect."

"Then," And Ascot's voice had an annoyed edge to it, rising and falling with the escalating fury that carried his words, "I know where they are - I just know. Come on, we can't waste anymore damn time!" He paused, turning around, his back now to them, and started walking - a silent sign that, regardless of what they did, he was doing this, and they could either follow or not.

I'm not losing you now, Umi. I have to at least tell you how I feel; I'm just that selfish.

They followed.

Clef and Presea were rode out of the forest as circumstances dictated they should be, their state of unconsciousness obviously not helpful were any enemies to pull an underhanded attack on them, and since it seemed underhanded attacks had become the rule not the exception, such precautions had to be taken. The castle wasn't that far so they were taken there, and then they allowed Ascot to lead them.



Fuu stirred where she was on the floor, memory drifting back to her across the abyss of sleep she'd plunged into. As fitful dreams fell away to a fitful reality, the aide of sight told her that she had not gotten that much further since their temporary escape. Yes, no longer in the hut tied to the floor besides Presea and Umi who had also been just as shackled - well, she now found that she was outside, in the presence of night, of course, with the canopy of trees above her head and the shrubbery of a forest scene all around. By no means, however, had she escaped, as she realized with a cold chill as logic and awareness came back to her, helping her survey the grounds.

A blurry façade of ache and weariness hindered her search for understanding, but she was able to surmise that she was still in the village, as the hundreds of native villagers crowded into the - town square perhaps - proved. While not exactly a town square, it was a clearing that had forbade grass to grow, letting somewhat muddy dirt proclaim the spot, with a backdrop of huts and various housing units set against the crowd of people around the area, fencing it in to be a circle. She was toward the side of that circle, looking outwards to the middle, held in her position by a number of the villagers/savages that had seized her arms and were very efficiently keeping her where she was, as a backwards glance then proved.

What exactly -had- happened? She had been tied up on the ground in a hut with Presea and Umi beside her, that was true, with men hovering over them certainly under none other than the role of captors and/or guards, and then - and then Ferio had burst in. There had been fighting, and then someone had shown a fire ability of a superior kind - when they couldn't possibly have a fire attack, at least not of that quality, for it equaled Hikaru's - perhaps even surpassed Hikaru's - and then the whole hut had been ablaze and Presea had disappeared into thin air, while Ferio had somehow managed to get both Umi and herself out of there.

'I was so worried,' She could recall him saying, bent over her with his head in his hands as they both sat on the forest floor a good distance from the village, 'I was worried sick. Don't ever worry me like that again, Fuu. Please. I don't want to be like her.'

And even though he made no explanation of who 'her' was, Fuu needed to only think of Ferio's own beautiful kindred that had been the supporter of a world only to have her downfall be the world's most basic rule and the ebb from which she gained all her power: love.

And then...

And then their captors had found them once more, and their depleted strength was forced to succumb to them.

Which brought him to where she was now, she supposed. She wasn't really sure what that was, though. She wasn't sure of anything anymore -

Ferio.

"FERIO!"

The cry was dragged from her throat as four guards entered the impromptu arena, in front of them none other than Ferio, whose leg injury had only worsened and now forced him to limp. He turned as she let out the yell, smiling softly and casting her a little wave before one of the taller guards gave him a gentle little shove of the shoulder, reminding him to continue onward, and of course he obliged. These people, she realized, weren't savages, just money-grubbers. Yes, that was what they reminded her of - money-grubbers, or perhaps power-grubbers.

They were treated with respect, for the most part. Things could be worse. Much worse. Thing could always be worse. That was the train of thought of one of the world's greatest optimists, Fuu, and it was a train of thought that many could benefit from.

What was going on? So there was Ferio here, but what about Umi? And what was that with Presea - had Presea yelled out Clef's name before she had gone, or was it just her? She strained to see, trying to move forward but stopped by the massive block of muscle that held her arm down.

A new figure stepped in now, a man of young age and, she had to acknowledge it, definite handsome nature. His long red hair that flowed to his knees, accompanied by his sharp green eyes, allowed for a feminine vulnerability that reminded her a bit of Eagle or even of Clef - but there was, she had to note, a sort of vengeful glint in his eyes, a malignance that she would have never had matched with the kind heart of neither Clef nor Eagle. Also, his clothing differed exceptionally from the primitive nature of the other's attire around him, donning a long white robe with several earrings of varying natures clipped to his ears, which definitely added to the aura of mystique and doubtless power.

Ascot.

Yeah.

He looked kind of like Ascot. He was, in essence, what she imagined Ascot's big brother might look like, were Ascot to have a big brother.

As Ferio was forced to kneel in front of the young man, the young man began to speak.

"It seems that our company carries with us royalty, eh? Look as before you it is seen to be the Prince Ferio of Cephiro, brother of our fated beloved!"

Fuu could not hide the evident surprise portrayed in her facial expression as the young man clearly and surely spoke these words, not even trying to hide the mocking tone, nor the tinge of - hatred? Fear gripped her stomach like a vice, and she began to form a plan.

Ferio's face, which she could see all too well from this position, never wandered from its mask of controlled disinterest, while his eyes burned with an indescribable passion and mutual resentment.

"Well Prince Ferio, behold! I am a royal as well! The royal prince of the Sheki tribe, the noble wanderers and plungers of this fair country."

Ferio laughed.

A hushed silence fell upon every one around, for while before a whispered conversation was perfectly all right, now the only acceptable thing was to direct attention to Ferio.

"Yes. You're a very smart group of people, that's for sure. Hiding out in the Forest of Silence, where there's known to be no magic of any kind, and few can defend themselves. Do you know what would've happened if you had caught the Pillar? Why do you think the sky is an eternal black right now, because it's no mere tri - urgh."

There was a forced grunt as the young man let out a kick that caught Ferio neatly in the side and sent him the ground. Fuu felt her fist unclenching and clenching again, her fear translating now into her own anger - goddammit, if only she had the capability of magic.

"Of course," Ferio said on the ground after a moment, "Kick a man when he's down. Though it strikes me that the only power you people have is taking advantage of others' weaknesses."

A smile, half-mocking but not quite a smirk, worked its way onto the man's seemingly gentle face. "That's a sorry opinion to have, my Prince."

He turned from Ferio and waved over some of his fellow tribesmen, and within a moment was presented with two long swords, one of which he presented to Ferio, kneeling on the ground and holding it out to him. Ferio took it after a pause, a little confused, and then finally understanding when the young man jumped backwards with a spin in midair and landed in a fencing position. Having gotten the hint, Ferio, wincing a little because of his leg, got gingerly to his feet and took a slightly different position, but of fencing origin nonetheless. The silence that existed within the 'arena' and around it was to be seen, or rather heard, to be believed.

Fuu, meanwhile, watched with extraordinary interest, her gaze not about to be swayed for anything or anybody.

"Never mistake me for a coward," the young man said, "Did you know, Prince, that you seriously injured an uncle of mine when you were fighting back there and trying to get your friends out?"

Ferio kept silent.

"Or did you know that I lost two brothers to the upheaval caused when your sister had an identity crisis? That was what it was, right? Why else would she plunge Cephiro into such chaos?"

A long moment of tense silence then passed, Ferio not even bothering to hide the scowl that crept over his expression.

"Nobody understands what happened," Ferio said then through clenched teeth, except that Fuu understand it as she stood there listening and watching with an anxious heart, "So stop talking and fight, if that's what you're going to do!" And he positioned his sword in a stab-like manner without even a trace of a wince, though waiting still for the young man to make the first move.

The young man did, choosing aggressive over defense, charging forward with a sort of poised grace that befalls only the most experienced in this particular form of combat.

"STOP IT, NORI!"

The next few moments passed in a blur for the audience of Fuu, and the only thing she was sure of when it was all said and done was that the young man, having been called Nori by the sudden attacker, had been struck to the ground, and that Ascot stood over him, breathing hard with the effort that had helped him strike the blow. Ferio stood a yard or so away, untouched and just as shocked as Fuu was, and, it seemed, the whole crowd of villagers, who had started to mumble among themselves and exchange glances of mutual surprise.



Ascot, standing over his older brother Nori on the ground, drew out a few laborious breaths, his mind spinning and his heart aching.

"Ferio, Nori, " He said, after a moment's pause, "You couldn't possibly know that this man was Ferio. Who told you?"

Nori winced, pushing himself up on his one arm; his sharp eyes having lost their piercing glint in place of a wondering gaze that dwelled on his supposedly long lost brother. "Ascot. Ascot, is it really you? You've....grown." Any trace of the malignance had seemingly left.

Ascot, however, couldn't look his brother in the face. It hadn't been his intention to ever come back here. So he allowed his own gaze to travel to the very confused Prince, who merely stared on at the two of them. "Where's Umi?" He asked while he looked on at Ferio, though it was obvious his words were intended for Nori.

Behind him, Nori grunted a little as he got to his feet, holding the arm that had been somewhat cut. "Umi?"

"She'd be the one you captured with the long blue hair and blue eyes."

"We capture a lot of people, little brother."

"Dammit, Nori!" And Nori soon had a blade at his throat, though this one was different than the one he had used to sever the fight between Ferio and Nori, both in lightness and the fact that it was noticeably stained with blood. "This sword is hers, and as you can see, blood is on it."

Nori smiled, despite the fact that he was currently under his brother's mercy. "So you found a woman."

Ascot said nothing, steady hold on the sword and steady gaze on his brother.

Then Nori did the one thing that Ascot couldn't possibly defend himself against, as it is something every citizen of the human race longs for and often does not get, a simple yet vital form of love - Nori reached out and before Ascot could react, swung his arm around his little brother and pulled him in for a hug. That was it; the coldness Ascot had been professing to so easily have towards his brother gave way to the truth, which was that, despite the past, Ascot still loved his brother as brothers should, and he'd missed his brother, as brother's, after a long distance of miles and time, should. The warmth that cascaded over him, his brother's definite existence being proved, Ascot allowed Umi's sword to fall to the ground and even hugged back a little.

"I've missed you, little brother. Despite past affairs, I love you and I've always loved you. That's the only good big brothers are for sometimes. But that's why - "

"Nori, what're you -"

" - I cannot allow you to - "

"Wha - "

" - get in my way."

"Ascot, look out!"

And Ascot was forced to send a kick to his brother's groin and jump backwards, not knowing it in the blur of activity and jumbled voices, but just barely dodging a sword stab his brother had been busy positioning during all his talk of brotherly love.

He hadn't changed a bit.

"Are you alright, Ascot?" Asked Lantis as he appeared by Ascot's side.

Ascot nodded quietly, looking up to the taller man. "You took long enough."

"You were hard to follow."

"Quite a brother you have." Said Ferio coming up on the other side of Ascot. "And quite a rescue." The prince nodded to Lantis.

"Where's Eagle?" Ascot asked, watching Nori as his brother got to his feet after recovering from the kick to the groin and, holding both his own sword and Umi's now, faced the three of them in a fighting position, still cocky in despite of the fact that he could never face off with the three of them and even have a ghost of a chance of winning.

Lantis nodded backwards, so Ascot chanced a glance there, to see that Fuu, who he hadn't noticed before, was now standing over a trio of unconscious guards and Eagle seemed to be helping her untie a rope around her wrists. But even though he saw Fuu, he could not find Umi for all the looking he then did.

"The one that you described, with the light features, was a very pretty one. Yes?" Nori's voice attracted Ascot back to the main thrall of the activity. Nori shrugged almost lazily, a smirk befalling his handsome features. "Donpa made a request. You know I never refuse him."

"Donpa?" Questioned Ferio.

Damn.

"Donpa the..Donpa the bastard." Ascot shot a meaningful glance at both Ferio and Lantis. "I've got to go. You get out of here. I'll meet you back at the castle."

"What about -" Began Ferio, but stopped, as Ascot had already left, taking a gigantic bound over the crowds and disappearing into the distance.



Donpa the bastard.

His deserved nickname described him so absolutely that, in this situation, Ascot's worry and anger reached an uncontrollable peak. If Donpa had lived up to his name this time with Umi, Ascot promised himself, as he walked up the steps to the man's forest 'mansion' - if Donpa had, he would no less than kill the man. In all honesty, it was a sort of mansion, for instead of being made out of sticks and straw like the rest of the villagers, Donpa's living quarters had been situated about a mile or so away from the rest of the throng of housing, and was a sturdy cabin to boot, the architectural design reminding him immensely of Presea's place. Ascot couldn't really remember why Donpa got such special treatment from the village, but he was sure there was some long story to tell about it, the details of which he didn't really care for.

Donpa always left the door unlocked, so it was a simple matter of opening the door and running down the long hallway that met him then, checking each room to see if the denizens of it were Donpa or Umi or both.

It didn't surprise him, but it did horrify him, when he found Umi in the bedroom.

She was on the bed in her ordinary 'school' garb (he wasn't sure what a school was but the three Magic Knights talked of it often) her gaze downcast onto the bedding.

"Umi! Umi," He yelled out, making his presence known from where he was in the room's threshold, "Are you still a virgin?"

She looked up, and chuckled, one of those beautiful smiles of hers breaking over her face, reminding him of how the sun breaks over the horizon at the arrival of a new day. Since the sky was such an absolute black now and everything, that sort of smile was worth its weight in gold, and so much more.

"That," She said, smiling still, "Is a very unique entrance to make, after all this time."

"So he didn't touch you?" Ascot asked earnestly, walking to her on the bed and sitting next to her.

She pointed.

Donpa, the large man he was, was tied up in a corner with a gag in his mouth. He made a few piggish squeals as he recognized Ascot, for during Ascot's childhood the summoner had been a frequent visitor, because Ascot had a penchant for throwing rocks at things in that day and age, and the windows of this place had often played as victims.

"Aw shut up or I'll cut it off. No Ascot, no, he didn't. He's such a disappointing fighter too. Shows what you get when you mess with a Magic Knight! Ascot? Ascot, what's wrong?" And her gaze went back to him as she noticed that he had went unnervingly silent.

That thought he had had before, when he hadn't known what was going to happen to her, or what had happened to her:

I'm not losing you now, Umi. I have to at least tell you how I feel; I'm just that selfish.

"Umi, I." Nervously he clutched at her fingers, her touch delighting him in a way he couldn't really describe with any usage of the human language, "Back there, when I wasn't sure what had happened to you, if you were alive or dead, harmed or unharmed..I just remember thinking to myself that.."

"Do you remember the time we kissed on the hill?" She asked, interrupting him unexpectedly, although he supposed it wasn't really an interruption because his words had trailed off and his thoughts had become so jumbled he didn't know what to do with himself.

He nodded weakly. "That was such a happy time."

She seemed about to say something, but then stopped herself. Finally, he spoke, in essence speaking for her, not understanding totally his words or why he said them, other then they clamored to be said somewhere in the pit of his stomach and then spread from there, coming to a climax in his chest where his heart was, and then bursting forth in quiet, steady vocalism.

"Promise me this. Promise me that you'll let me protect you."

It took a moment for him to realize that she was crying. He winced, wondering if he had said something wrong, but when he opened her mouth to question her she stopped him with a shake of her head, looking down at the bedding.

"God, Ascot, there are several things in this world that a man can say to a woman and have it be wonderful - then there are a couple things that are just the most romantic thing you can ever possibly say, and..."

He blinked. She raised her head; obvious tears were trailing down her pretty face. "So I guess all I can say is, what I mean is.. I promise, if only you'll let me do the same for you, and we can protect each other."





Authoresses Last Word: Details on Ascot and Nori's relationship to be elaborated on next chapter, which can be expected in the course of a week.