Part Five.
Later that day she stood looking at herself in the mirror. She twirled once and walked towards the door, at which point there was a knock. Umi looked startled. "Come in."
The person who entered was quite small, wearing a white tuxido, a purple waistcoat embroidered with a white pattern, a tall top hat with a purple ribbon and a purple flower on his lapel. His blue eyes lingered on her, eyes ringed with a lavinder mask. A purple fringe fell over his right eye. He took of his top hat and bowed to her, revealing a long lavender braid of hair that ran down to his knees.
Umi curtsied to him. "Yes?"
"Umi, would you come with me to the ball?"
Umi's heart lept with joy.
"Only if you are the one who sent me those blue flowers, only if you are Clef will I go with you."
He smiled at her and took off his mask, revealing Clef's face. "Does that satisfy you, Umi?"
"Yes, it does." They walked side by side down to the ball, where they joined their friends.
"Care to dance, Umi?"
She looked down at her companion.
"Yes."
Clef took hold of Umi's waist, she put her hands on his shoulders and they circled the floor. Lots of people watched them dance, but no one was laughing, though there were many smiles being shared. Umi realised suddenly that Clef was a very good dancer.
Once the dance was finished, Clef took Umi over to the edge of the ball, where she was instantly asked to dance by another man. Umi kissed Clef's cheek and whispered 'thank you' to him.
At the end of the dance the man suddenly kissed Umi and there came the sound of something smashing as Clef dropped his cup. Umi shoved this man back from her and sharply slapped him. Umi then looked in the direction of the noise, where she saw Clef retreating into the gardan.
Umi ran after him, but Clef saw her coming and retreated into the castle; again Umi continued to follow him. Clef retreated to his tower room, but when Umi followed him up there, the door was shut and locked. She heard Clef cry out in pain.
"Just because I'm short. I can't have the woman I love. I don't want to be small any more."
A huge white light came from under the door with such force that the door flew open. Umi had to hold onto the stair rail and shut her eyes tight. When the light died down, Umi ran into Clef's room to find the master mage now very tall, lying on the bed in an ocean of purple hair. Fortunately, his clothes seemed to have grown with him. Clef's eyes were closed tightly in sleep. Umi shook him but Clef didn't wake up.
Umi discarded her mask and stayed with him all night, but when the sun rose Clef slept on. Umi sighed, got up and went in search of the only person who would know how to help her. The problem with looking for this person was that you couldn't find him if you deliberately looked for him, you had to wait for him to come to you. So Umi sat in the garden, amongst some beautiful roses, and sure enough, she soon heard him arrive, singing to himself.
Seeing that she was all alone, Mokona bounced up to Umi.
"Puu."
"Mokona, I need your help: Clef is asleep and I need to know how to wake him up. Please."
Mokona looked as thoughtful as he could manage, then said, "Puu pu puuuu puu." It sounded like singing.
"I have to sing to him," Umi guessed.
Mokona nodded.
"OK, anything else?"
Mokona touched her lips.
"I have to kiss him?" Umi asked incredulously.
Mokona nodded again. Umi thanked the small forget-me-not pink creature and went back up to Clef's tower. Umi stroked his hair gently and sang to him about love and life. Once she had sung her heart out, she gently placed her lips on Clef's. Clef began to kiss Umi back. Umi knew that she should stop now that he was awake, but she found it impossible to do this. Slowly, Clef's lavender-lashed eyes flickered and opened. Finally they stopped kissing and looked at each other.
"Can you stand?" asked Umi gently.
"I don't know," came his reply.
Umi stood away from the bed.
Clef swung his legs off the side of the bed, and slowly stood up. Once certain that he could stay on his feet, he called his staff to him. He was nearly as tall as the staff and the staff was six foot three. Umi guessed that made him about six foot. Clef walked over to Umi and looked down at her, Umi looked up at him and couldn't help herself.
"I love you, Clef."
Umi clapped a hand over her mouth. Had she really just said that? How could she be so naïve as to just blurt out something so precious and private?
Clef looked shocked for a moment and then smiled.
"I love you too, Umi."
She gasped and looked up at him, her eyes shining with happiness. He drew her hand away from her face, and leaning down he gently pressed his lips to hers. Umi sighed and put her arms round him, feeling his arms suddenly circle her waist. His hair fell forward and surrounded them. When Umi's eyes finally opened again, she smiled up at Clef wonderingly.
"Umi, I know it's sudden and you don't have to answer me now, but I would like it very much if you would marry me." His eyes spoke his sincerity.
Umi gasped at his request but knew her answer. "Yes."
Clef drew her close. "Umi." It was all he could say, this wonderful name, it was all he needed to say.
"Clef," she replied softly, snuggling in his arms. "Why don't we make it a double wedding with Fuu and Ferio?"
"If you wish, my love."
"I wish."
(During this time Lantis had finally convinced Hikaru to marry him and they were blissfully happy, despite all of Primera's protests.)
When they had to leave, there were many long goodbyes between the couples and the wedding had turned into a triple affair. Hikaru and Umi's families had been a bit shocked at their daughters' decisions to marry. Umi and Hikaru explained that they had loved the friends of Ferio for a long time, but hadn't said anything because they hadn't know of the men's feelings until they had proposed.
Hikaru's and Umi's families were actually quite pleased with their future son-in-laws, especially since they both had government positions like Ferio, which meant their girls would be given the best of everything. They agreed to the matches without hesitation and the girls were very very happy.
A year later, they returned to Rayearth, where they married their three men of Cephiro.
Umi was in a beautiful blue dress and veil, Fuu in green and Hikaru in red. Fuu and Ferio were married first, followed by Hikaru and Lantis. Clef and Umi came last. They said their vows strongly and confidently, and then Clef kissed his new wife with great joy. Umi kissed her new husband and wished to live happily ever after.
Needless to say, considering Umi's strong will, the wish was granted.
The end
Later that day she stood looking at herself in the mirror. She twirled once and walked towards the door, at which point there was a knock. Umi looked startled. "Come in."
The person who entered was quite small, wearing a white tuxido, a purple waistcoat embroidered with a white pattern, a tall top hat with a purple ribbon and a purple flower on his lapel. His blue eyes lingered on her, eyes ringed with a lavinder mask. A purple fringe fell over his right eye. He took of his top hat and bowed to her, revealing a long lavender braid of hair that ran down to his knees.
Umi curtsied to him. "Yes?"
"Umi, would you come with me to the ball?"
Umi's heart lept with joy.
"Only if you are the one who sent me those blue flowers, only if you are Clef will I go with you."
He smiled at her and took off his mask, revealing Clef's face. "Does that satisfy you, Umi?"
"Yes, it does." They walked side by side down to the ball, where they joined their friends.
"Care to dance, Umi?"
She looked down at her companion.
"Yes."
Clef took hold of Umi's waist, she put her hands on his shoulders and they circled the floor. Lots of people watched them dance, but no one was laughing, though there were many smiles being shared. Umi realised suddenly that Clef was a very good dancer.
Once the dance was finished, Clef took Umi over to the edge of the ball, where she was instantly asked to dance by another man. Umi kissed Clef's cheek and whispered 'thank you' to him.
At the end of the dance the man suddenly kissed Umi and there came the sound of something smashing as Clef dropped his cup. Umi shoved this man back from her and sharply slapped him. Umi then looked in the direction of the noise, where she saw Clef retreating into the gardan.
Umi ran after him, but Clef saw her coming and retreated into the castle; again Umi continued to follow him. Clef retreated to his tower room, but when Umi followed him up there, the door was shut and locked. She heard Clef cry out in pain.
"Just because I'm short. I can't have the woman I love. I don't want to be small any more."
A huge white light came from under the door with such force that the door flew open. Umi had to hold onto the stair rail and shut her eyes tight. When the light died down, Umi ran into Clef's room to find the master mage now very tall, lying on the bed in an ocean of purple hair. Fortunately, his clothes seemed to have grown with him. Clef's eyes were closed tightly in sleep. Umi shook him but Clef didn't wake up.
Umi discarded her mask and stayed with him all night, but when the sun rose Clef slept on. Umi sighed, got up and went in search of the only person who would know how to help her. The problem with looking for this person was that you couldn't find him if you deliberately looked for him, you had to wait for him to come to you. So Umi sat in the garden, amongst some beautiful roses, and sure enough, she soon heard him arrive, singing to himself.
Seeing that she was all alone, Mokona bounced up to Umi.
"Puu."
"Mokona, I need your help: Clef is asleep and I need to know how to wake him up. Please."
Mokona looked as thoughtful as he could manage, then said, "Puu pu puuuu puu." It sounded like singing.
"I have to sing to him," Umi guessed.
Mokona nodded.
"OK, anything else?"
Mokona touched her lips.
"I have to kiss him?" Umi asked incredulously.
Mokona nodded again. Umi thanked the small forget-me-not pink creature and went back up to Clef's tower. Umi stroked his hair gently and sang to him about love and life. Once she had sung her heart out, she gently placed her lips on Clef's. Clef began to kiss Umi back. Umi knew that she should stop now that he was awake, but she found it impossible to do this. Slowly, Clef's lavender-lashed eyes flickered and opened. Finally they stopped kissing and looked at each other.
"Can you stand?" asked Umi gently.
"I don't know," came his reply.
Umi stood away from the bed.
Clef swung his legs off the side of the bed, and slowly stood up. Once certain that he could stay on his feet, he called his staff to him. He was nearly as tall as the staff and the staff was six foot three. Umi guessed that made him about six foot. Clef walked over to Umi and looked down at her, Umi looked up at him and couldn't help herself.
"I love you, Clef."
Umi clapped a hand over her mouth. Had she really just said that? How could she be so naïve as to just blurt out something so precious and private?
Clef looked shocked for a moment and then smiled.
"I love you too, Umi."
She gasped and looked up at him, her eyes shining with happiness. He drew her hand away from her face, and leaning down he gently pressed his lips to hers. Umi sighed and put her arms round him, feeling his arms suddenly circle her waist. His hair fell forward and surrounded them. When Umi's eyes finally opened again, she smiled up at Clef wonderingly.
"Umi, I know it's sudden and you don't have to answer me now, but I would like it very much if you would marry me." His eyes spoke his sincerity.
Umi gasped at his request but knew her answer. "Yes."
Clef drew her close. "Umi." It was all he could say, this wonderful name, it was all he needed to say.
"Clef," she replied softly, snuggling in his arms. "Why don't we make it a double wedding with Fuu and Ferio?"
"If you wish, my love."
"I wish."
(During this time Lantis had finally convinced Hikaru to marry him and they were blissfully happy, despite all of Primera's protests.)
When they had to leave, there were many long goodbyes between the couples and the wedding had turned into a triple affair. Hikaru and Umi's families had been a bit shocked at their daughters' decisions to marry. Umi and Hikaru explained that they had loved the friends of Ferio for a long time, but hadn't said anything because they hadn't know of the men's feelings until they had proposed.
Hikaru's and Umi's families were actually quite pleased with their future son-in-laws, especially since they both had government positions like Ferio, which meant their girls would be given the best of everything. They agreed to the matches without hesitation and the girls were very very happy.
A year later, they returned to Rayearth, where they married their three men of Cephiro.
Umi was in a beautiful blue dress and veil, Fuu in green and Hikaru in red. Fuu and Ferio were married first, followed by Hikaru and Lantis. Clef and Umi came last. They said their vows strongly and confidently, and then Clef kissed his new wife with great joy. Umi kissed her new husband and wished to live happily ever after.
Needless to say, considering Umi's strong will, the wish was granted.
The end