Chapter 3: Taking the Plunge

As the four travelers continued on their journey they soon came to a lake that was so large they decided to make their way across using a boat. While the others set about building the boat, Clara soon fell asleep by the lake's shore.

"Clara it's time to wake up." Rowen said softly as he gently shook her shoulder.

"Are we leaving already?" Clara yawned as she sat up and stretched her arms.

"It looks like a storm is coming up." Rowen said as he quietly surveyed the sky surrounding them. "I don't know if we can make it across."

"There may be a storm coming, but I'm willing to take that chance. I can sense something out there…" Clara said quietly as she stared at the sea. "Something strange and powerful…and yet…and yet familiar somehow."

"Are you sure this is a good idea Rowen?" Kento called as he paddled against the water furiously and the sky overhead turned a dark green.

"If we hurry we might beat the storm!" Rowen called back without missing a single stroke.

"That's just what I thought he'd say…" Kento mumbled to Kayla, who was watching Clara, as he continued paddling against the now choppy waves.

"Kento, right now we could use less whining and a lot more paddling!" Clara called out as she watched the foreboding clouds that loomed before them and struggled to keep her balance as the tiny boat was tossed side to side. Suddenly a huge wave rose up behind them and fell down hard on the tiny boat, capsizing it.

Silently Clara fell through the water as she struggled desperately to make it back to the surface. But it was no use; slowly the weight of her legs pulled her steadily downward into the bottomless depths. Hope… her kanji flickered briefly on her forehead before going out.

"Where's Clara at?" Kayla yelled above the howling wind as she clung limply to a piece of wood that had been their boat.

"I don't know," Kento yelled as he frantically grabbed onto a piece of wood as a wave washed over him. "but I hope she's all right." Then their kanji began flickering as Rowen had just started speaking.

Meanwhile a figure resting at the bottom of the lake stirred as a kanji symbol appeared on his forehead and shone brightly. Trust…I can sense my friends close by. Slowly the young man's eyes fluttered open and he saw Clara falling towards him.

As Rowen, Kento, and Kayla made their way onto the rocky shore, they heard a noise behind them and turned around. A young man in a white and sky-blue tipped kimono slowly made his way toward the shore carrying Clara's limp body.

"Cye! Is she okay?" Rowen asked in concern as Cye gently laid Clara down along the beach.

"I'm not sure, she took in a lot of water before I could get to her." Cye said quietly as Rowen began CPR and Kayla felt her wrist for a pulse.

"Come on girl, don't give up." Kento said softly "You're stronger than this."

After what seemed like an eternity, Cye gently put a hand on Rowen's shoulder. Slowly the young man turned to look at his friend and tried to hide the tears that shone in his eyes.

"I'm sorry Rowen, she's gone. You did your best." Cye said softly as Rowen nodded and turned back to Clara his kanji glowing brightly.

It was then Rowen noticed the kanji symbol glowing dimly on Clara's forehead, surprised he jumped back as Clara sat up and coughed up the water in her lungs. Silently she looked around at the faces of her friends then stopped when she saw Cye's face.

"Cye…my brother it's you." She murmured softly as her kanji's light grew brighter.

"Brother? What are you talking about Clara?" Cye asked as he stared at the young woman in shock.

"Is your birthday March 14, 1981?" Clara asked patiently, ignoring his response.

"Yes but how'd you know that?"

"My birthday is February 4, 1981…I was born a month earlier than you were." Clara said as she handed him a picture of two babies side by side in a playpen, one of them was a girl with silvery blue hair and dark gray eyes while the boy had reddish brown hair and dark green eyes. "When we were six, our family moved to America. During the ship's voyage a terrible storm came up suddenly and I fell overboard…" Huge tears welled in her eyes as she told the story of her childhood and started to turn away when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay to cry, sis." Cye said gently as she turned around and hugged him tightly.