A/N: I decided to put memories in italics. That's about it, sorry for the wait, but I finally figured out where to go with this. Oh, and I have gotten a lot of requests for more Umi/Clef. I honestly didn't know that they were that popular of a couple, so gomen nasai, but stick in there, there will be some. For now, I hope this works a little.

Chapter Thirteen

Clef was sitting in his study, thinking. The night had been difficult and painful, the pain was still haunting, but he was safe once more. His magic had restored itself, and he was close to health. He held a dagger in his hand, its hilt was silver, but it held teardrop sapphires in it. Inscribed in the base of the hilt were the Japanese characters for 'Sea of the Dragon Blossom.' Both his pointer fingers were one on the hilt, one on the tip, and they twirled the blade around as he thought. The steel tip was digging into his finger but not breaking the skin. He was looking out onto the ocean, his eyes would stray to the rest of Cephiro, but they kept mostly concentrated on the ocean. "If only…" he whispered and looked back to the dagger in his hands. He set it back on a shelf in his study and clapped as the shelf disappeared. His mind threw him into a memory.

"Guru," her long blue hair fell over her shoulders, hiding her eyes from his.

He smiled warmly and invited her in, "What's wrong Umi-hime?"

"I'm not sure Guru, I feel…troubled," she kept her eyes on the ground, and his eyes grew concerned.

"Troubled?"

"I…" she threw her eyes up to look into his deep blue ones, "I…what if…what if Ascot was not meant for me?" her head fell down again, ashamed with herself.

"Umi-hime," Clef sighed. "What makes you ask this?"

"Because I feel…my heart wandering…what if it belongs with someone else?" it seemed she was struggling with herself to get the right words out to describe her feelings.

"Sometimes," Clef tried to understand the complex emotion of love himself, "sometimes you cannot return the feelings others have for you. Sometimes, you find yourself on the other end, and your feelings are not being returned. That is not a fault, it is simply human."

She looked up and smiled, "Arigato."

"It is my pleasure, you know I'm always here."

She nodded and exited the room; her dress trailed behind her, her slender body was agile like a dancer's.

"Sometimes," Clef mumbled. "Sometimes, you find yourself on the other end. Why do I have to be so right?"

*

Umi got up and found Ascot sleeping in a chair by her bed, sound asleep. Not wanting to disturb him, she rose and stumbled to breakfast; she had a pounding headache, but that was all that she had, thankfully.

She sat at the breakfast table, but quickly jumped up when she realized Eagle was still dining with them, "What are you doing here?" she demanded as Clef entered the room. He exchanged glances with Lantis and went to stand next to Umi.

"What are you talking about Umi-chan?" Hikaru inquired gently. "Why wouldn't Eagle be with us?"

"He's evil!" Umi backed away from him and ran into Clef.

"Evil?" Eagle asked innocently. "Are you sure you're feeling all right Umi-hime?"

"Last night you took me to the fencing rooms, and Clef stopped you from doing something, but I passed out right after you left. You're evil," Umi's eyes were cold and fearful.

Eagle shrugged and shook his head when Hikaru looked at him confusedly, "You might as well call Guru Clef evil Umi-hime. He was the one who was there when you passed out, I had already left, remember?"

Umi's eyes widened, was it Clef, or had Eagle had this all planned? Her eyes turned to Clef's, and she held them. They were gentle and understanding, there was a darkness lurking in Eagle's eyes that she couldn't bypass. "You lie."

"Umi-chan, are you sure you're still feeling okay? Maybe you should go rest or something," Hikaru insisted, but she shook her head.

"I don't think that I need to rest Hikaru," she answered simply. "I think I need to find out what's going on here."

They all grew silent, and Umi realized she wasn't going to get answers, so she screamed, aggravated, and left the room.

"Umi-hime," Ascot walked into the room as she stormed out; his eyes were confused.

"Leave her be Ascot, she needs her time to work things out," Clef's eyes met Eagle's. "And if you ever accuse a Master Mage of hurting a Mag…of hurting a palace inhabitant again, you'll wish you hadn't."

"I was just trying to prove a point Guru," Eagle bowed. "I will be more careful in my words at later occasions."

"You will not have later occasions, I do not want to see you around Umi or Fuu ever again. Do I make myself clear?" Clef's voice was venomous, and Eagle's shocked expression tricked most of them. Lantis and Clef both caught the danger in those flashing eyes though.

"Guru!" Hikaru shouted and stood. "Why are you accusing Eagle?"

"Hikaru-hime, it is time you opened up your eyes," Clef whispered and walked from the room.

"Open my eyes?" Hikaru asked, and Lantis pulled her aside and explained in hushed voices what Clef thought. "That can't be…" her face paled as she threw a glance at Eagle who looked back at her, pained. "He wouldn't…"

Lantis stayed silent, letting her make her own judgments before they went back to their meal, though it was awkward and most of the food wasn't eaten.

*

Clef found Umi in the gardens, sitting on the stone fountain. Her eyes were in deep thought. "Umi-hime," he sat next to her carefully, and she looked up and smiled, but her eyes were glazed and far away. Her hands were clenched tightly in fists, and her face was pale.

"I suppose you're here to tell me I'm crazy like the others right?" Umi smiled weakly and tried to laugh it off, but it wasn't at all funny.

"No," Clef shook his head. "I'm here to tell you that Eagle won't hurt you again. I've banished him from your sight, and if I see him pulling any stunts again I won't hesitate to banish him from the palace."

She looked up, startled, and her hands unclenched, "You-you believe me?"

"Of course," Clef smiled and put one hand over hers. "I've always believed you Umi."

She blushed slightly, but something in his touch made her feel guilty, "I…" she didn't want to pull away, but her mind was telling her she had to, so she stood and bowed. "Arigato, for understanding," then turned and walked from the gardens. She put a hand on her head and tried to keep from getting dizzy. What was going on with her?

He watched her leave and shook his head sadly, looking at the beauty around him. He tried to force the thoughts away, but they kept surfacing. What if she didn't remember? What if she never remembered Ascot, what if he had a new chance with her?

"No," he scolded himself. "She must remember, for the protection of Cephiro."

Eagle's eyes glinted, and he laughed to himself, so the Master Mage of Cephiro was in love with the Magic Knight of Water.

*

Fuu found Ferio lounging in the library. She blushed when he looked up and saw her, quickly banishing something he had been playing with to a chain around his neck. She tilted her head, trying to see what it was as she approached, but it had vanished beneath his shirt before she was able to see just what the object was.

"Funny I find you here," Fuu grinned, and Ferio looked at her curiously.

"Why?" he inquired.

"Because this is where we first met, well…not really met, I just saw you for the first time. Only, it was in our college," she lowered her head, but he didn't remember that did he?

"Oh," he mumbled and after a moment of silence he offered her a seat next to him.

"What are you doing inside on a day like today?" she smiled brightly, and his eyes darkened.

"Thinking," he muttered.

"About what?" she looked concerned, and it made his heart pound.

"You," he responded, and she blushed deeply.

"Why would you be thinking about that?"

"It's a long story," he answered and looked out the window. "From long ago, I guess…"

"You haven't always been so sad," she reached up and touched his cheek and an image began to flash back to her. They were in this very library, she was wearing a long, flowing green gown and an emerald tiara. Tears were pouring down her cheeks, and he was trying to comfort her. "You…" she stopped when his hand fell over hers, and she looked into his amber eyes. "Ferio?" she tried to remember, concentrated, but the images began to fade. Her hand fell to his chest, she was breathing heavily. She felt the object under his shirt and pulled the chain from around his neck. He bowed his head a little so it would come off, and she looked at it. It was a tiny ring, made for a woman. It was an emerald that glittered with sparks of what could have been magic. She reached out and touched it, and she was almost thrown to the ground with the images that began to soar through her head.

{She was sitting in the gardens, Ferio had found her there; he was grinning. They sat there together in silence for a long while, just enjoying one another's company, then he kneeled down. Fuu's head was racing, she was already crying.

"Fuu-chan, will you marry me?" he asked softly, and she nodded as he slipped the ring on her finger, then picked her up and spun her around.}

{"Come on Fuu-chan, we've got to go," Ferio urged her from their room.

"Ferio, we can't leave them like this," she pleaded, but he shook his head.

"We cannot save them if we die, come," he pulled her out and into Clef's study where everyone was waiting except for Umi.

"Where's Umi-san?" she demanded.

"Ascot's gone to get her," Clef answered; his voice was very tired. "We must leave right away; they're just outside the castle."

Fuu heard the screaming and ringing in her head as people fell victim. They called for a Healing; they called for the Magic Knight of Wind. "Windam!" Fuu screamed and tried to summon her armor, but Presea wouldn't allow it to come. "Presea, they're dying," she begged as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Lafarga is staying, it is his duty. They will be victorious," Ferio put a hand on her shoulder, and she looked into his amber eyes. There were tears there, but he couldn't hear what she could. They were screaming for the Magic Knights, and she was fleeing.

"I'm not going without him!" Caldina protested.

"You are," Clef answered calmly as Umi and Ascot walked into the room. Umi was screaming and clenching her fists, Ascot was basically dragging her into the room.

She ran to Umi as Hikaru did, and the three girls stayed close, praying for the wellbeing of Cephiro.}

"Ferio," she whispered and buried her head in his chest. His eyes rose, but he didn't want to get his hopes up once more. "We abandoned them."

He closed his eyes and stroked her hair, closing his eyes as tears ran down his cheeks, "But not this time," he told her softly. "Not this time, come, we must see Clef."

*

"Then it is time," Clef smiled, and his staff began to glow blue as it engulfed her, and she felt magic surging through her veins once more. She smiled blissfully, and Presea raised her hands, and Fuu was pulled into a gust of Wind, and when she reappeared she was wearing her armor once again. She ran her hand over her ovum and smiled, "Windam," she whispered through her tears of happiness, and the Phoenix spirit tore through the skies, materializing as he did. He landed in front of her with a shriek of joy, and she ran to him, holding his head in her hands.

"Good to see thee once again," he called, and she smiled and nodded.

"You too," she whispered.

"Call if thou hast need," he instructed and flew back into her ovum before she fell to the ground in happiness.

*

Umi looked around at dinner when Fuu showed up wearing a long flowing green dress, much like Hikaru's red one, and sporting an emerald tiara. "What?" she whispered.

"She has recovered her memory as well," Ascot told her softly, and she shook her head.

"Then…I'm alone," she turned and ran from the room, unable to bear the pain.

Clef watched her go, distress in his eyes, but stopped Ascot once more. "You must give her time Ascot."

He glared and shook his head, "She's had enough time! She needs someone there for her!"

Clef nodded and let him go, 'But were you always the one?' he couldn't help but remember that day, that day years ago, when she confessed her darkest secret to him.

*

"Dammit," she hissed in the shadows. "You," she pointed at Eagle when he bowed and walked from the shadows that she lived in. "You cannot make another wrong step. Clef is onto you already; I knew he would be, but not this soon. You will get expelled from the castle, and all our plans will be fouled. You must watch your step."

"Yes milady," he bowed and disappeared back into the shadows.

"Another Magic Knight and Rune God revived. Then it is only the weak Water Knight that I have yet to tempt. Eagle, you must do this," she called after him, and he nodded and left, hate gleaming in his eyes. He would destroy Umi, and then take Hikaru as his own. He would bathe in the blood of the Water Knight.