How you taught me to care.
It was another beautiful sunny day so why did Umi feel so empty? She knew the answer to that question already: she was in love with a man who never noticed her, who was untouchable.
Umi rose up from the clear blue waters of the ocean of Cephiro, these depressive thoughts still clouding her mind.
As Umi broke the surface of the water, she heard Hikaru giggle nearby and was promptly splashed with water.
Shrieking, Umi turned to face the knight of fire.
"Hikaru!" Umi gathered up a handful of water and splashed her back. Hikaru shrieked in reply and soon girlish laughter echoed round the bay where they played. Watching them from the shore were Presea and Clef, Fuu and Kaladian having gone into the water to join in the fun.
The great mage of Cephiro climbed up onto a rock to look out over the sea. He stood there, his hair being ruffled by the wind, his robes billowing about him, the ribbons from his staff also moving in the wind.
Umi stopped playing and stared up at him. Fuu followed her gaze and then smiled at her friend. Umi had long ago confided in her about the feelings she had for the diminutive mage.
Suddenly a huge gust of wind tore across the bay, Clef wavered upon his vantage point and then fell, as he fell they all saw his head make contact with the stone and his eyes close.
He hit the water with a huge splash; Presea clambered to her feet, shouting.
"He's unconscious, so he can't swim!"
Without a second thought Umi dove under the water. She soon spotted his sinking form. Umi grasped Clef by the waist and hauled him towards the surface of the water.
When they broke the surface Umi swam quickly to the shore, where she pulled herself and Clef out of the waves. She carefully laid him on the sand and stood breathing heavily, whilst Fuu wrapped a towel round her shoulders.
Kaladian lent down next to Clef, who was very pale. "I can make out a heartbeat but he's not breathing."
Fuu looked at Umi.
"Do you know what to do?"
Dumbly Umi nodded and moved over to Clef. She pushed his chest gently and the water began to come out of his mouth. Eventually he began to cough. Umi smiled and rolled him onto his side, gently stroking his back. Clef heaved and coughed the rest of the water up. Eventually his eyes opened, and he lay still for a moment catching his breath. Then he spoke in a wan voice.
"What happened?"
Before anyone could stop her, Hikaru said, "You almost drowned but Umi-chan saved you."
Clef turned over and looked at Umi who offered him a warm smile. "Thank you, Umi," he said gently.
"You're welcome, Clef-san," Umi replied quietly.
"Umi, don't call me Clef-san, you saved my life and I'm your friend so please just Clef will be fine," Clef pleaded with a slight smile.
Umi smiled back: this was an improvement in relations between them, maybe he did have some feelings for her if he was allowing her to be the only person to call him Clef.
The mage went to rise, using his staff but Umi prevented him. She took the staff from Clef's startled grasp and handed it to Fuu. "You're not walking anywhere," she told him firmly. "At least, not until you have rested."
Before he could protest Umi gathered the miniature man into her arms sweeping Clef's clothes up with him.
Umi then turned to Fuu. "Run ahead and tell Ferio what happened. Clef will need a fire in his rooms and a change of clothes. I'll need the same in my rooms. Oh and ask Ferio to get Lantis to show me the way to Clef's rooms, I've never visited them before."
Fuu nodded and ran off. Clef was gazing up at Umi with wide dark blue eyes, he hated to admit it but he felt so pathetic right now. Clef realised that for the first time being short and having a child's strength was bothering him. How he longed to touch these blue locks of hair, to be able to hold Umi in his arms and kiss her. Clef caught himself: Umi didn't care about him like that, or did she; Umi had just saved his life and not fought over there being friends or just calling him Clef. This gave him much to think about.
Umi set off towards the castle. After a short while, she looked down at him. "Relax, Clef, lay your head on my chest or something. You being so tense in my arms is making you hard to carry."
At her words Clef instantly relaxed, and taking Umi up on her offer he laid his head on her chest. Clef found the steady rhythm of her heart comforting and was soon sleeping peacefully in her arms. Umi looked down upon the sleeping Mage of Cephiro and smiled.
When they arrived at the castle, Lantis was waiting for them. He led Umi to Clef's chambers, whilst the others went to get changed. Umi was rather surprised at the size of the room and its bed. Everything else was diminutive as it should be, but the bed was a huge four-poster.
Lantis drew back the sheets and Umi carefully placed the still sleeping Clef on the bed. At Lantis's instructions, she turned her back whist Lantis changed Clef out of his sodden clothes. Clef woke as this occurred but Lantis made a signal for Clef to be quiet and pretend that he was still sleeping. Clef did as he was told, wondering why Lantis wanted him to do that.
When Lantis was finished he coughed gently. Umi turned round and walked over to the bed. Lantis quietly left them alone together, Umi stood by the bed and covered Clef with the sheets and then very gently placed her lips to his forehead and then to his lips. "Sleep well, Clef. I love you."
One of Clef's dark blue eyes opened before the other. Umi blushed bright red as he gazed up at her.
"Um . . ." she said nervously.
"Umi," he whispered, surprised. Clef lifted his hands and cradling Umi's face, he brought it down to kiss her.
Umi's eyes went wide and then closed as she returned the kiss. After a while they parted and Clef spoke first. "I love you too." His eyes were filled with tenderness.
Umi smiled at him. "I'm glad because my heart is all yours."
"How, when I'm so small?" Clef asked, concerned.
"You were never small to me," Umi answered, her eyes shining with love. "Never." She placed her lips to his again. "I love you, I would love you if you were a giant, if you were fat or thin."
Clef smiled. "Turn round, Umi, I have a surprise for you."
Umi turned away from the mage; there was a short silence and then a deep voice said, "Now turn and see me again."
Umi turned round slowly. The man who lay on the bed was still her Clef, just older with oceans of curling lavender hair. He was tall, about six foot and well muscled, not too bulky but nicely covered.
"Clef . . ."
"Umi." He sat up, with a wave of one hand he dried her clothes and drawing her down to sit on the bed next to him, he gently took her in his arms. "Because what I was like did not matter to you, because you loved me for myself, I decided to let myself become an adult."
Umi turned her head to look at him, and with a gasp of shocked delight felt her mouth captured by his in a passionate demanding kiss. Umi responded, putting her arms round him and leaning into his form.
After some time they parted again. Clef drew back the sheets next to him, Umi settled into the bed, next to him. "Umi, I love you so much and some day I want you to be my wife." He put a finger on her lips. "You don't have to answer that question now."
Umi gently took his hand away from her mouth. "Yes, Clef, I will marry you."
Clef's eyes went huge and smiling. He kissed her all over her face, making Umi giggle.
"Why were you so certain so soon?" he whispered.
Umi smiled sheepishly. "Because I have loved you for a long time and have always wanted to marry you."
Clef smiled widely and he put his arms round her again.
"Good, I'm glad."
Umi slipped her arms round Clef and they fell asleep smiling.
It was another beautiful sunny day so why did Umi feel so empty? She knew the answer to that question already: she was in love with a man who never noticed her, who was untouchable.
Umi rose up from the clear blue waters of the ocean of Cephiro, these depressive thoughts still clouding her mind.
As Umi broke the surface of the water, she heard Hikaru giggle nearby and was promptly splashed with water.
Shrieking, Umi turned to face the knight of fire.
"Hikaru!" Umi gathered up a handful of water and splashed her back. Hikaru shrieked in reply and soon girlish laughter echoed round the bay where they played. Watching them from the shore were Presea and Clef, Fuu and Kaladian having gone into the water to join in the fun.
The great mage of Cephiro climbed up onto a rock to look out over the sea. He stood there, his hair being ruffled by the wind, his robes billowing about him, the ribbons from his staff also moving in the wind.
Umi stopped playing and stared up at him. Fuu followed her gaze and then smiled at her friend. Umi had long ago confided in her about the feelings she had for the diminutive mage.
Suddenly a huge gust of wind tore across the bay, Clef wavered upon his vantage point and then fell, as he fell they all saw his head make contact with the stone and his eyes close.
He hit the water with a huge splash; Presea clambered to her feet, shouting.
"He's unconscious, so he can't swim!"
Without a second thought Umi dove under the water. She soon spotted his sinking form. Umi grasped Clef by the waist and hauled him towards the surface of the water.
When they broke the surface Umi swam quickly to the shore, where she pulled herself and Clef out of the waves. She carefully laid him on the sand and stood breathing heavily, whilst Fuu wrapped a towel round her shoulders.
Kaladian lent down next to Clef, who was very pale. "I can make out a heartbeat but he's not breathing."
Fuu looked at Umi.
"Do you know what to do?"
Dumbly Umi nodded and moved over to Clef. She pushed his chest gently and the water began to come out of his mouth. Eventually he began to cough. Umi smiled and rolled him onto his side, gently stroking his back. Clef heaved and coughed the rest of the water up. Eventually his eyes opened, and he lay still for a moment catching his breath. Then he spoke in a wan voice.
"What happened?"
Before anyone could stop her, Hikaru said, "You almost drowned but Umi-chan saved you."
Clef turned over and looked at Umi who offered him a warm smile. "Thank you, Umi," he said gently.
"You're welcome, Clef-san," Umi replied quietly.
"Umi, don't call me Clef-san, you saved my life and I'm your friend so please just Clef will be fine," Clef pleaded with a slight smile.
Umi smiled back: this was an improvement in relations between them, maybe he did have some feelings for her if he was allowing her to be the only person to call him Clef.
The mage went to rise, using his staff but Umi prevented him. She took the staff from Clef's startled grasp and handed it to Fuu. "You're not walking anywhere," she told him firmly. "At least, not until you have rested."
Before he could protest Umi gathered the miniature man into her arms sweeping Clef's clothes up with him.
Umi then turned to Fuu. "Run ahead and tell Ferio what happened. Clef will need a fire in his rooms and a change of clothes. I'll need the same in my rooms. Oh and ask Ferio to get Lantis to show me the way to Clef's rooms, I've never visited them before."
Fuu nodded and ran off. Clef was gazing up at Umi with wide dark blue eyes, he hated to admit it but he felt so pathetic right now. Clef realised that for the first time being short and having a child's strength was bothering him. How he longed to touch these blue locks of hair, to be able to hold Umi in his arms and kiss her. Clef caught himself: Umi didn't care about him like that, or did she; Umi had just saved his life and not fought over there being friends or just calling him Clef. This gave him much to think about.
Umi set off towards the castle. After a short while, she looked down at him. "Relax, Clef, lay your head on my chest or something. You being so tense in my arms is making you hard to carry."
At her words Clef instantly relaxed, and taking Umi up on her offer he laid his head on her chest. Clef found the steady rhythm of her heart comforting and was soon sleeping peacefully in her arms. Umi looked down upon the sleeping Mage of Cephiro and smiled.
When they arrived at the castle, Lantis was waiting for them. He led Umi to Clef's chambers, whilst the others went to get changed. Umi was rather surprised at the size of the room and its bed. Everything else was diminutive as it should be, but the bed was a huge four-poster.
Lantis drew back the sheets and Umi carefully placed the still sleeping Clef on the bed. At Lantis's instructions, she turned her back whist Lantis changed Clef out of his sodden clothes. Clef woke as this occurred but Lantis made a signal for Clef to be quiet and pretend that he was still sleeping. Clef did as he was told, wondering why Lantis wanted him to do that.
When Lantis was finished he coughed gently. Umi turned round and walked over to the bed. Lantis quietly left them alone together, Umi stood by the bed and covered Clef with the sheets and then very gently placed her lips to his forehead and then to his lips. "Sleep well, Clef. I love you."
One of Clef's dark blue eyes opened before the other. Umi blushed bright red as he gazed up at her.
"Um . . ." she said nervously.
"Umi," he whispered, surprised. Clef lifted his hands and cradling Umi's face, he brought it down to kiss her.
Umi's eyes went wide and then closed as she returned the kiss. After a while they parted and Clef spoke first. "I love you too." His eyes were filled with tenderness.
Umi smiled at him. "I'm glad because my heart is all yours."
"How, when I'm so small?" Clef asked, concerned.
"You were never small to me," Umi answered, her eyes shining with love. "Never." She placed her lips to his again. "I love you, I would love you if you were a giant, if you were fat or thin."
Clef smiled. "Turn round, Umi, I have a surprise for you."
Umi turned away from the mage; there was a short silence and then a deep voice said, "Now turn and see me again."
Umi turned round slowly. The man who lay on the bed was still her Clef, just older with oceans of curling lavender hair. He was tall, about six foot and well muscled, not too bulky but nicely covered.
"Clef . . ."
"Umi." He sat up, with a wave of one hand he dried her clothes and drawing her down to sit on the bed next to him, he gently took her in his arms. "Because what I was like did not matter to you, because you loved me for myself, I decided to let myself become an adult."
Umi turned her head to look at him, and with a gasp of shocked delight felt her mouth captured by his in a passionate demanding kiss. Umi responded, putting her arms round him and leaning into his form.
After some time they parted again. Clef drew back the sheets next to him, Umi settled into the bed, next to him. "Umi, I love you so much and some day I want you to be my wife." He put a finger on her lips. "You don't have to answer that question now."
Umi gently took his hand away from her mouth. "Yes, Clef, I will marry you."
Clef's eyes went huge and smiling. He kissed her all over her face, making Umi giggle.
"Why were you so certain so soon?" he whispered.
Umi smiled sheepishly. "Because I have loved you for a long time and have always wanted to marry you."
Clef smiled widely and he put his arms round her again.
"Good, I'm glad."
Umi slipped her arms round Clef and they fell asleep smiling.