Summon: I know. Haven't updated for a while. But hey! At least I finally
did right?
T-chan: Ugh.
Summon: . Well. This chappie starts out after some months. The girls went back to Earth after sometime.
The storm rolled in unexpectedly that evening. Umi woke up from her sleep, tears streaming down her cheek. She didn't know why she was crying but she allowed her tears to continue flowing until they stopped. She stood up and went to the shower. She slowly undressed herself in front of a large mirror. She looked at herself. Her bags were swelling and dark. The veins in her eyes were clearly visible and red. She has been waking up crying in the middle of the night ever since she came back to Earth with Fuu and Hikaru two weeks before. She looked at the clock. "3:46," she muttered. She went inside the shower and spent the remaining three hours of her rest time in the shower.
The phone rang and Mrs. Ryuuzaki answered it. "Yes.of course.just wait a moment please." She placed the phone down gently and called for Umi.
"Who is it?!" yelled Umi back from her room.
"It's your friend Fuu, dear!" replied Mrs. Ryuuzaki. Umi came down and took the phone.
"Umi?" came Fuu's voice.
"Oh Fuu. How have you been?" asked Umi.
"Just fine. You?"
"Fine. Something wrong?"
Fuu remained quiet for a moment. "Sorry. I was talking to my sister," came her answer after a while. "Have your parents decided what school you're going to this year?"
"Yeah. Their top choice is Kyodai but they're also thinking about Todai or Waseda."
Fuu made a sound of surprise. "Kyodai? That's so far!"
"I know," replied Umi. "But my dad wants me to stay with my relatives there. Anyway, it's not all that far. I can take the Shinkasen during my free days and visit you guys."
"Do you want to go out for a while?" said Hikaru's voice from the other side of the phone.
"Hikaru? You're there?" asked Umi. "Alright. In that case, let's go!" She hung the phone up and quickly changed. She ran out the door and soon met the other two.
"Hey! What happened to you?" asked Fuu the moment she saw Umi.
"You look like.crap," said Hikaru as she studied Umi's face. "You feeling okay?"
Umi nodded. "Haven't been getting much sleep. That's all."
"You should do something about it though," muttered Fuu.
"I will," replied Umi.
"By the way, how's the job?" asked Hikaru.
Umi was about to reply when they heard Clef's voice. "Women from another world.we need you." His voice seemed faded and weak. Hikaru, Fuu, and Umi looked at each other and they hurried to Tokyo Tower.
Umi and Fuu quickly ran towards the throne room. The castle was deteriorating and they left Hikaru to tend for some of the injured. They both ran hard, making haste to help Clef. When they got to the doors, they heard Clef talking to someone.
"Why do you want to kill her so?" they heard Clef ask. "She didn't do anything!"
"That's what you think Mage," replied the voice that Umi feared. "But you only say that because you've fallen in love with her." Umi and Fuu busted through the door. They saw a caped man, his sword pointed at Clef. The man looked at the two girls. "About time the two of you got here."
"Shinos!" yelled Fuu. Umi looked at her with surprise. "What.what.what are you doing here?" Fuu clenched her sword tight.
"You know him?" asked Umi.
Fuu didn't move her eyes away from Shinos. "Yes. He's my brother."
Clef shot his glance at Fuu. "So it is you," he muttered.
Fuu nodded. "Yes. I'm here."
Umi looked from Clef to Fuu and back. "What are you talking about?" she asked.
Shinos lowered his sword and answered, "Looks like you blew your secret, dear Naia."
"Yes brother. So I have," answered Fuu, her eyes having a darker color.
"Fuu." mumbled Umi.
"No. Please don't call me by that name. I am known as Naia," said Fuu looking at Umi. Just then, Hikaru came running into the room with Lantis, Lafarga, Caldina, and Presea.
"What happened and who is he?" asked Lantis as he drew out his sword. Lafarga drew out his sword and Caldina took out her daggers. But before anyone did anything, Clef stepped in between the group and Shinos.
"Don't," he ordered. "Caldina, you should know who this person is."
Caldina looked closer at Shinos and dropped her daggers in an instant. "You- you-you're.Shinos!" She staggered backwards, her face filled with horror and astonishment. "It can't be! You're dead!"
Shinos laughed; a cold hard laugh that filled everyone with fear. "HE told you I was. But he lied." He cackled and turned away. "Everybody who knew me- Naia, Ascot, and Naru-all lied about my death. I never did die. I lived. He hid me inside his heart. I was still a part of him." Shino laughed some more.
"That's enough!" yelled a girl. Everyone turned around and saw Kenae. "Shinos, stand down!"
"Well.Kenae Ryzenberg. Long time no see," replied Shinos. "When was the last time I saw you?"
"When you suddenly packed your bags and left me that night," replied Kenae coldly. Everyone stared at the two of them with curiosity and surprise.
"Was this the girl you told me about?" asked Fuu as she eyed Kenae. "The girl whom you said you were in love with."
Shinos smiled. "Yes. She is the one I told you about. The one I owe my life to."
"And how did you repay me?" interrupted Kenae. "You left me without even telling me what was wrong or why you left. Not even a word of good-bye."
Umi was shocked. "You mean the woman Ferio was supposed to marry was your.girlfriend?"
Fuu nodded her head. "And the reason he fought with Naru. He was also in love with her."
Shinos frowned. "You're giving too much," he mumbled. "I think I'll come back some other time." He threw his cape over him and disappeared.
"We better rest," suggested Clef. Everyone nodded and left the room.
Umi lay on her bed sleepless that night. She squirmed in her bed trying to catch some rest but something bothered her. 'How could he not tell me?' she thought. 'I thought I was his friend. But he never told me about Kenae.' She got up and went to the bathroom. She opened the faucet and washed her face slowly. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw not her but someone else. Umi closed her eyes and bowed her head. Tears dropped from her eyes and onto the floor. She turned around and went out of her room.
Umi walked for minutes trying to think about her situation. She walked into the courtyard and saw an animal she once saw Ascot playing with. It had dark-brown fur and a white streak running through its center. It seemed to have been with someone who was hiding in the shadows.
"Renchi.he's gone.but are you ready?" asked the stranger in the shadows. Umi recognized the voice as Fuu's. She crept closer and Fuu looked up. "Umi, what are you doing here?"
"I couldn't sleep," replied Umi, "so I decided to walk for a while." Fuu stood up and came to the light. "You?"
Fuu picked Renchi up and stroked its head. "Nothing much. I'm just talking to an old friend."
Umi walked closer. "What is it?"
"It's what they call a Shadow Striker," replied Fuu. "Legend has it that these animals can help grant a person's deepest desire. But for Ascot, it was a good friend."
"That's the thing Ascot mentioned in his letter right?"
Fuu nodded. "Yeah. I promised him that if he ever gets pushed into a situation where he can't take care of Renchi, I'll take care of him."
Umi stroked the animal's fur. "He's not one of Ascot's summoned 'friends' is he?"
Fuu shook her head and answered, "He accompanied Ascot, or Shinos, when he came back here." Fuu placed Renchi down and the little beast disappeared in the shadows of the trees. She and Umi walked out off the courtyard and strolled around the castle.
They continued walking until they came up to a balcony with Clef staring out to the distant mountains.
"Clef?" whispered Umi. The mage turned around and saw the two girls.
"What are the two of you doing here?" he asked calmly. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"
Fuu shook her head. "We couldn't."
"What brought you back Naia? Why didn't you stay undiscovered?" asked Clef as he turned back to the mountains. Fuu and Umi watched the fixed mage and left.
"Fuu?" muttered Umi. "What does he mean?"
Fuu looked down at the floor. "I'm Shinos's sister. You know that. But I had to keep my identity a secret."
"Why?"
"Shinos didn't want me to get hurt and experience the things he experienced in Quatren. He and our parents brought me and my sister to Earth. We decided to keep our real identities hidden."
"Your brother, he keeps talking about a boy named Naru. Who is he?"
Fuu remained silent but finally answered, "He's."
Summon: I love doing that don't I?
T-chan: Weirdo.
Summon: Yameru!
T-chan: Baka. Aho.
Summon: .No comment.
T-chan: Ugh.
Summon: . Well. This chappie starts out after some months. The girls went back to Earth after sometime.
The storm rolled in unexpectedly that evening. Umi woke up from her sleep, tears streaming down her cheek. She didn't know why she was crying but she allowed her tears to continue flowing until they stopped. She stood up and went to the shower. She slowly undressed herself in front of a large mirror. She looked at herself. Her bags were swelling and dark. The veins in her eyes were clearly visible and red. She has been waking up crying in the middle of the night ever since she came back to Earth with Fuu and Hikaru two weeks before. She looked at the clock. "3:46," she muttered. She went inside the shower and spent the remaining three hours of her rest time in the shower.
The phone rang and Mrs. Ryuuzaki answered it. "Yes.of course.just wait a moment please." She placed the phone down gently and called for Umi.
"Who is it?!" yelled Umi back from her room.
"It's your friend Fuu, dear!" replied Mrs. Ryuuzaki. Umi came down and took the phone.
"Umi?" came Fuu's voice.
"Oh Fuu. How have you been?" asked Umi.
"Just fine. You?"
"Fine. Something wrong?"
Fuu remained quiet for a moment. "Sorry. I was talking to my sister," came her answer after a while. "Have your parents decided what school you're going to this year?"
"Yeah. Their top choice is Kyodai but they're also thinking about Todai or Waseda."
Fuu made a sound of surprise. "Kyodai? That's so far!"
"I know," replied Umi. "But my dad wants me to stay with my relatives there. Anyway, it's not all that far. I can take the Shinkasen during my free days and visit you guys."
"Do you want to go out for a while?" said Hikaru's voice from the other side of the phone.
"Hikaru? You're there?" asked Umi. "Alright. In that case, let's go!" She hung the phone up and quickly changed. She ran out the door and soon met the other two.
"Hey! What happened to you?" asked Fuu the moment she saw Umi.
"You look like.crap," said Hikaru as she studied Umi's face. "You feeling okay?"
Umi nodded. "Haven't been getting much sleep. That's all."
"You should do something about it though," muttered Fuu.
"I will," replied Umi.
"By the way, how's the job?" asked Hikaru.
Umi was about to reply when they heard Clef's voice. "Women from another world.we need you." His voice seemed faded and weak. Hikaru, Fuu, and Umi looked at each other and they hurried to Tokyo Tower.
Umi and Fuu quickly ran towards the throne room. The castle was deteriorating and they left Hikaru to tend for some of the injured. They both ran hard, making haste to help Clef. When they got to the doors, they heard Clef talking to someone.
"Why do you want to kill her so?" they heard Clef ask. "She didn't do anything!"
"That's what you think Mage," replied the voice that Umi feared. "But you only say that because you've fallen in love with her." Umi and Fuu busted through the door. They saw a caped man, his sword pointed at Clef. The man looked at the two girls. "About time the two of you got here."
"Shinos!" yelled Fuu. Umi looked at her with surprise. "What.what.what are you doing here?" Fuu clenched her sword tight.
"You know him?" asked Umi.
Fuu didn't move her eyes away from Shinos. "Yes. He's my brother."
Clef shot his glance at Fuu. "So it is you," he muttered.
Fuu nodded. "Yes. I'm here."
Umi looked from Clef to Fuu and back. "What are you talking about?" she asked.
Shinos lowered his sword and answered, "Looks like you blew your secret, dear Naia."
"Yes brother. So I have," answered Fuu, her eyes having a darker color.
"Fuu." mumbled Umi.
"No. Please don't call me by that name. I am known as Naia," said Fuu looking at Umi. Just then, Hikaru came running into the room with Lantis, Lafarga, Caldina, and Presea.
"What happened and who is he?" asked Lantis as he drew out his sword. Lafarga drew out his sword and Caldina took out her daggers. But before anyone did anything, Clef stepped in between the group and Shinos.
"Don't," he ordered. "Caldina, you should know who this person is."
Caldina looked closer at Shinos and dropped her daggers in an instant. "You- you-you're.Shinos!" She staggered backwards, her face filled with horror and astonishment. "It can't be! You're dead!"
Shinos laughed; a cold hard laugh that filled everyone with fear. "HE told you I was. But he lied." He cackled and turned away. "Everybody who knew me- Naia, Ascot, and Naru-all lied about my death. I never did die. I lived. He hid me inside his heart. I was still a part of him." Shino laughed some more.
"That's enough!" yelled a girl. Everyone turned around and saw Kenae. "Shinos, stand down!"
"Well.Kenae Ryzenberg. Long time no see," replied Shinos. "When was the last time I saw you?"
"When you suddenly packed your bags and left me that night," replied Kenae coldly. Everyone stared at the two of them with curiosity and surprise.
"Was this the girl you told me about?" asked Fuu as she eyed Kenae. "The girl whom you said you were in love with."
Shinos smiled. "Yes. She is the one I told you about. The one I owe my life to."
"And how did you repay me?" interrupted Kenae. "You left me without even telling me what was wrong or why you left. Not even a word of good-bye."
Umi was shocked. "You mean the woman Ferio was supposed to marry was your.girlfriend?"
Fuu nodded her head. "And the reason he fought with Naru. He was also in love with her."
Shinos frowned. "You're giving too much," he mumbled. "I think I'll come back some other time." He threw his cape over him and disappeared.
"We better rest," suggested Clef. Everyone nodded and left the room.
Umi lay on her bed sleepless that night. She squirmed in her bed trying to catch some rest but something bothered her. 'How could he not tell me?' she thought. 'I thought I was his friend. But he never told me about Kenae.' She got up and went to the bathroom. She opened the faucet and washed her face slowly. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw not her but someone else. Umi closed her eyes and bowed her head. Tears dropped from her eyes and onto the floor. She turned around and went out of her room.
Umi walked for minutes trying to think about her situation. She walked into the courtyard and saw an animal she once saw Ascot playing with. It had dark-brown fur and a white streak running through its center. It seemed to have been with someone who was hiding in the shadows.
"Renchi.he's gone.but are you ready?" asked the stranger in the shadows. Umi recognized the voice as Fuu's. She crept closer and Fuu looked up. "Umi, what are you doing here?"
"I couldn't sleep," replied Umi, "so I decided to walk for a while." Fuu stood up and came to the light. "You?"
Fuu picked Renchi up and stroked its head. "Nothing much. I'm just talking to an old friend."
Umi walked closer. "What is it?"
"It's what they call a Shadow Striker," replied Fuu. "Legend has it that these animals can help grant a person's deepest desire. But for Ascot, it was a good friend."
"That's the thing Ascot mentioned in his letter right?"
Fuu nodded. "Yeah. I promised him that if he ever gets pushed into a situation where he can't take care of Renchi, I'll take care of him."
Umi stroked the animal's fur. "He's not one of Ascot's summoned 'friends' is he?"
Fuu shook her head and answered, "He accompanied Ascot, or Shinos, when he came back here." Fuu placed Renchi down and the little beast disappeared in the shadows of the trees. She and Umi walked out off the courtyard and strolled around the castle.
They continued walking until they came up to a balcony with Clef staring out to the distant mountains.
"Clef?" whispered Umi. The mage turned around and saw the two girls.
"What are the two of you doing here?" he asked calmly. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"
Fuu shook her head. "We couldn't."
"What brought you back Naia? Why didn't you stay undiscovered?" asked Clef as he turned back to the mountains. Fuu and Umi watched the fixed mage and left.
"Fuu?" muttered Umi. "What does he mean?"
Fuu looked down at the floor. "I'm Shinos's sister. You know that. But I had to keep my identity a secret."
"Why?"
"Shinos didn't want me to get hurt and experience the things he experienced in Quatren. He and our parents brought me and my sister to Earth. We decided to keep our real identities hidden."
"Your brother, he keeps talking about a boy named Naru. Who is he?"
Fuu remained silent but finally answered, "He's."
Summon: I love doing that don't I?
T-chan: Weirdo.
Summon: Yameru!
T-chan: Baka. Aho.
Summon: .No comment.