Author's Note:

Hello everyone! –dodges tomatoes- I have pretty much given up on Worth, though I may come back and finish it later on. Advice to all: Never try to write Clef figuring out that he's in love. It's… not pretty. –sheepish- At least when I try to write it.

Well, this is my new story. This will be… fun to write. I still haven't figured out why I love seeing Clef in pain… -falls over- This is a Clef-torturing story, unlike most other stories, which are more Umi-torturing. –grins- Well, this is the prologue.

Ah, yes. Another thing. Watch out for a high school AU fic coming up soon. It will probably be on a different account, as Shimmering Rose Petals and I have teamed up to author it. It's going to REALLY fun to write… -chuckles evily and poked Clef-

Well, read and review! (definitely review!)

Prologue

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Tokyo
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Each one of them felt it at the exact same time.

The Fire Knight Hikaru staggered back, her kendo sword tumbling to the earth, her hands grasping for her head.

The Wind Knight Fuu panted in pain, her chair flying back onto the floor as she lurched up, her knuckles a pale white as her fingernails dug into the surface of the table.

The Water Knight Umi hurled the book across the room as she writhed on the bed, not even hearing the thump that shook the house as the textbook slammed into the wall.

Then there was an invisible chain that wrapped itself around their heart, pulling them toward… toward Tokyo Tower… toward… Cephiro.

Understanding came to each of them all at once. Something had happened in Cephiro. Something bad. Before they realized exactly what they were doing, despite the pain, they were out the door and sprinting down the street- toward Tokyo Tower.

As they reached the top of the observation tower, their eyes met, and they knew that the others had felt the same thing that they had. Without words- no words were really necessary- they joined hands and willed themselves toward Cephiro.

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Cephiro
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"Rilen!" The name tore from the lips, and suddenly he was not aware of his pain, nor the rubble that surrounded him, nor the cries of pain that echoed throughout the remains of Cephiro's Castle. Only the girl named Rilen, the girl that stood before him now, existed to him in that delicate moment.

"Clef!" She said happily, genuinely pleased to see him.

"Rilen. Rilen. Why did you come back? Why are you here?" He asked her, though he already knew the answer. No… please, Mokona! Please! Don't make me do this! Oh, Rilen, why did you come back?

"Why? Why did I come back?" She repeated, her cheerfulness of the moment before completely vanishing, a look of hate taking its place in her eyes. "You know damn well why, Clef! I swore that I would destroy them!" He slowly shook his head.

"You swore to kill the old Magic Knights, not the new ones! Rilen, they had no choice at all! They wept for months over what they did! It was either that or die!" He said earnestly, trying desperately to make her understand, even though he knew deep inside his heart that it was futile. She just looked at him.

"I swore to destroy all the Magic Knights. And they are Magic Knights. I will kill them, Clef." She said coldly.

"Rilen! Please, don't do this!" He begged her. She said nothing for a moment, then just snapped her fingers and disappeared, leaving her last words hanging in the air for his ears only.

"I'm sorry, Clef."

Hmm... I'm not totally happy with it... I may come back later and edit it some more...