Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ Let Me Stay With You ❯ Let Me Stay With You ( Chapter 1 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Grey Fox 
See the summary for the story.
Anime/Manga: Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance | Type: One Shot | Uploaded On: 01.29.2003 | Updated On: 09.25.2003 | Pages: 4 | Words: 5.1K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Completed
See the summary for the story.
Anime/Manga: Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance | Type: One Shot | Uploaded On: 01.29.2003 | Updated On: 09.25.2003 | Pages: 4 | Words: 5.1K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Completed
Let Me Stay With You
a sappy Magic Knight Rayearth romance fic
by Grey Fox
1-29-2003
Disclaimer: I don't own Magic Knight Rayearth; the talented ladies of CLAMP do. All hail them for their brilliance.
Note: This is my first attempt at an MKR fic and a romance fic, so my apologies if it sucks.
*****
There was a soft knock at Umi's bedroom door, followed by the voice of her mother.
"Umi! Your two friends are here, and they're ready to go now," she told her.
"All right Mom!" she shouted back. "Tell them I'll be out in a minute!"
"Very well," her mother replied. Umi listened to her mother's soft footsteps fade away. Her mother didn't show it, but Umi knew that she was a bit upset by the brusqueness of her reply. Umi didn't mean for her reply to come out so harshly. It's just that she was so frustrated -- preoccupied about several things. One of which was just what to wear for her little "trip" with her best firends, Hikaru and Fuu.
It had been about a year after that final battle against Debonair in Cephiro, after Hikaru became the new Pillar, and then instilled that power within the hearts of Cephiro's populace, abolishing the Pillar system. Hikaru had discovered that she still had the Pillar's ability to transport herself and others from Earth to Cephiro and back. In this way, Hikaru, Umi and Fuu, the three legendary Magic Knights, were able to return to Cephiro to see all the friends they made there; friends that were impossible to forget about; friends whose spirits would be with them in their hearts forever.
Sighing, Umi turned to once again look at herself in the full-length mirror in her room, frowning at her reflection. She was wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans. Not that they didn't look good on her ( on the contrary, they hugged her slim figure very well ) , but it was just that she wanted to wear something a bit more.... fancy. To her, all the trips to Cephiro were special occasions and she always wanted to look elegant whenever she went. But this time, she couldn't decide on anything to wear.
*Ah, screw it,* thought Umi, resolving to just go with what she had on. She then headed out of her bedroom and toward the front door. On the way, she caught the sight of her parents in her peripheral vision. As usual, they were openly displaying their affection for one another with the way they talked. This used to induce nausea in Umi every time she had to see this display of gooey-gooey gushy mushiness.
But lately, seeing it made her feel...... jealous.
*****
The cab ride to Tokyo Tower had been quiet and uninteresting. After all, the three girls couldn't talk about going to some magical world where your will determined everything without the driver thinking there was something wrong with them. But once they got up into Tokyo Tower - the same spot where they were summoned without warning to Cephiro twice before - all the girls could talk about was how they would soon be seeing all their friends again.
And for Hikaru and Fuu, something more....
Ever since they found out they were able to go back to Cephiro, Hikaru and Fuu had become closer with some old friends. Much closer. Fuu had pursued a relationship with Ferio, the boy she met during the first time the three girls were summoned to Cephiro, who turned out to be a prince, Emeraude's little brother. Likewise, Hikaru had gotten a lot closer with Lantis, the man she met during the second time they were summoned, who turned out to be Zagato's little brother. Neither of the girls had gotten.... quite that far yet in their relationships; they were taking it slowly. But there was chemistry there, that's for sure.
But not Umi. Oh no. Despite having the skill and power to battle vicious, hideous beasts and powerful adversaries, despite having the strength of heart to fight untold dangers for Cephiro's very existence, she still lacked to courage to come forward to the man she had had feelings for for so long a time.....
"All right, I say it's time we go!" cried Hikaru in her usual perky voice. Fuu nodded in approval.
"Yeah, I guess it's time," sighed Umi.
"Umi-chan, is there something wrong?" inquired Fuu in a concerned tone.
"Wha?" replied Umi. "Oh no, nothing is wrong! Really!" She tried to sound like she meant it, but she knew that it wasn't true, and figured Fuu was able to see through the lie.
"Well, alright Umi-chan, if you say so," said Fuu, although she still sounded dubious.
Hikaru then put one arm around Umi's shoulder, and another around Fuu's shoulder. And then, she willed the three back to Cephiro, back to that place where their lives changed forever......
*****
The three Magic Knights materialized in the entrance hall of the crystalline castle of Cephiro, the same place where Clef's giant pet flying fish safely brought them after they were summoned to Cephiro that second time. At least Hikaru managed to be able to bring them directly into the castle now, instead of several kilometers in the air and having to rely on one of Clef's pet beasts to come and fetch them.
Clef...... It was no use. No matter how hard Umi tried to not think of Clef all the time, her thoughts always seemed to return to him......
"Puu puu puu!"
Umi's musings were abruptly interrupted by that loud "Puu puu puu"ing which could only come from Mokona, the fluffy, bouncy little creature that always had a habit of annoying her. She quickly glanced around, trying to spot Mokona. "Where are you, you little fluffball?!" she cried.
"Puu puu!" Mokona screamed again. Then, without warning ( as usual ) , Mokona jumped up on top of Umi's head, and leaned over to look Umi in the eyes. "Puu puu?" he shrilled again.
Umi just stared at the upside-down Mokona for a few seconds. Normally, Umi would attack Mokona with a heavy object for getting in her face like this, and right now she certainly wasn't in the best of moods. But for some reason, she could not bring herself to get mad at Mokona. So instead, she reached up and plucked him off her head and held him in front of her. "Hi there, Mokona," she said to him.
"Puu puu puu puu puu puu!!!" shrilled Mokona happily.
"He says it's good to see you again, Umi," said Hikaru, the only one of them who could understand the cute fluffy creature.
"I'm sure he is most delighted to see you. You always do seem to be the object of his attention, Umi-chan," Fuu pointed out in her usual matter-of-fact way.
Umi gave Fuu a wry smile, then turned to Mokona and said, "It's good to see you again too, Mokona."
"We're all glad to see you again," came a low, deep voice, echoing from the other end of the hallway. The girls knew immediately who it was.
"LANTIS!" yelled Hikaru, running toward the magic swordsman and jumping into his arms. "Oh Lantis, it's been too long."
"I've missed you too, Hikaru," Lantis replied, hugging Hikaru close to him. As Fuu and Umi walked over to join them, another voice then beckoned another one of the Magic Knights.
"Fuu! My, you look good today," said the Cephirian prince Ferio. Upon hearing Ferio's compliment, Fuu blushed beet red. "Even after all this time, you still blush whenever I say how pretty you are?"
"Coming from you, it has the same effect every time, Ferio-kun," Fuu said. With that, she threw herself into Ferio's arms, and the two warmly embraced one another.
Umi looked away from the two couples, unable to bear the sight. Although she knew it was wrong to be jealous of her friends, she couldn't help but feel envy because of what they had; someone to love. And the only one she truly had such feelings for.....
"Hello again, Magic Knights."
That voice. There was no mistaking that voice. Clef. The most powerful sorceror in all of Cephiro, the mage that trained all the other sorcerors of this land in the magic arts. Umi could feel him approaching her, his soft footsteps gradually getting louder. Umi turned and looked down at Clef - way down. Clef hadn't changed one bit. Despite his 745 years of age, he had the body of a ten-year old boy. For a while, Umi just stood there, staring at him. God, he was such a cute little man. Those locks of lavender hair, that adorable little face, those sparkling eyes. "Uhhh, h-hi Clef," she managed to finally get out.
"Umi, is there something the matter?" asked Clef.
*Oh no, just the fact that I don't have the courage to tell the man I love about my feelings for him,* thought Umi bitterly.
*****
The first few hours the three girls' visit was relaxed and lazy, spent in the castle, simply talking with all their friends. Of course, not all the friends they had made were there. Their adversaries-turned-friends from Chizeta, Fahren and Autozam were nowhere around. Being able to see them was a rare occasion indeed. Umi couldn't help but wonder how Tatra and Tarta, the princesses of Chizeta, were doing.
However, since it was early in the morning in Cephiro when the girls arrived, there was still plenty of time to go outside the castle while there was still daylight. Hikaru suggested that they all go out for a picnic, and everyone agreed.. So the three Magic Knights headed outside, with Mokona, Lantis, Ferio...... and Clef.
Umi really hadn't been hungry and therefore really didn't eat all that much during the picnic. Instead, she just decided to take a little stroll through the grassy meadows and forest surrounding the castle. *It's so serene and beautiful,* she thought to herself. Of course, it hadn't always been so beautiful. During the time Cephiro had no Pillar, Cephiro had turned into a desolate wasteland, and almost came to the point of destruction. But they had been successful in the ensuing battles and restored the land. *It was all worth it,* she thought as she took in the sight of the tranquil landscape.
Suddenly, the quiet was disturbed by the sound of forceful footsteps and uncontrolled giggling. Umi turned to see Fuu running through the outer edges of the forest, who was playfully being chased by Ferio. Both were smiling broadly as their little chase went on. Then, out of the corner of her eye, Umi caught a glimpse of Hikaru. Umi turned to see that she was sitting at the base of a tree next to Lantis. The two were talking, about what, Umi couldn't hear, as they were too far away. But judging from the amused expressions on Hikaru and Lantis' faces, Umi guessed that Hikaru was telling Lantis about how her three elder brothers had gotten their asses handed to them by her in kendo training. Again.
That reminded her of her own successes in her fencing club. *I wish I could talk to Clef about that, like Hikaru is able to talk to Lantis,* she thought sullenly. She looked at Hikaru and Lantis again; they looked so happy together. She then looked back at Fuu and Ferio, still busy with their playful little game of tag. How she longed to be able to have this kind of relationship with Clef. But how would he react if she told him just how she felt? What if he didn't return her feelings? *I couldn't bear the pain of rejection,* she sobbed inwardly, looking down at the ground. But she picked her head up and saw the two happy couples again. *No, it'll be worse if I don't tell him at all. I've got to try, at least.* Having made up her mind, she started walking again.
Knowing Clef, he had probably found some peaceful place to meditate or something. He wasn't exactly antisocial, but he still valued quiet and privacy. It took a while before Umi could locate the master sorceror; just as she expected, he was sitting in the middle of a lush, grassy meadow, staring up at the cloudy sky, obviously thinking about something. *Well, now's a good a time as any,* Umi thought to herself as she slowly approached the mage.
She was now only about five meters away from Clef. He had not noticed her, as he was facing away from her. After a brief moment of hesitation, Umi worked up the courage to speak. "Um, Clef?" she said softly.
"Hmmmm?" Turning around, he saw Umi standing a short distance away from him. "Oh, Umi, I didn't notice you were there," he said.
"I'm not... bothering you, am I, Clef?" she asked, hoping she hadn't annoyed him in some way.
"Err, no, you didn't. It's just..." Clef paused for a second. "Well, there's been a lot on my mind lately."
*That makes two of us,* thought Umi. Out loud, she said, "What's on your mind? Nothing serious, I hope. I mean, everything seems fine here in Cephiro now."
"It's true that a good number of our problems are now solved, thanks to you Magic Knights," said Clef. "It's just, there are other things to take care of."
"Like what?" asked Umi. She was interested in what Clef had to say.
"Nothing that would really interest you," replied Clef.
"No, really, it's OK," said Umi. "If there's something troubling you, you should talk about it." She would know, for there was something greatly troubling her that she had come to talk about.
"Well, for starters, I've been having some difficulty with the training of Cephiro's aspiring mages," answered Clef. "I'm starting to think my ability to teach is beginning to slip."
"Oh, that can't be true," said Umi comfortingly. "You're the best mage I've ever known. Granted, where I come from there aren't any mages, but still...."
A soft chuckle escaped from Clef's throat, interrupting Umi. "Well, thanks for the support, Umi. But it's not just that; there's other tasks I've had to attend to. Fulfilling the promise I made to Eagle Vision and helping his people out, for starters. That hasn't been the easiest thing. Also, there's the Chizeta colony on Cephiro now that...."
"The WHAT?!" yelled Umi. She hadn't heard anything about people from Chizeta living in Cephiro.
"Oh, I guess I haven't told you about that yet. It started shortly after your last visit. Well, I'm sure you learned from your time with the princesses of Chizeta that their homeworld has become too overpopulated. The princesses came to me and asked if they could establish a colony here in Cephiro," Clef explained.
"Really?" gasped Umi, surprised by this news. "Did you let them?'
"There was no reason not to," answered Clef. "But it's been kind of a hassle. I've had to handle much of the details. I'm no diplomat, and some of the Chizeta people can be a bit..... rowdy." At that, Umi smiled. If Tatra and Tarta were any indication, the people of Chizeta weren't the most orderly bunch in the universe.
"At least that'll help Chizeta's overcrowdedness," sighed Umi. "I remember how much the problem troubled Tarta."
"I spoke to both of the princesses recently, by the way," added Clef. "They both said they would like to see you again."
"Do you think there will be a chance before we have to go back?" asked Umi excitedly, for she too wished to see Tatra and Tarta again.
"Perhaps Umi, but...." Clef started to say, but was interrupted by Mokona, who had just jumped atop his head. "Hey! What the...."
"Puu puu puu puu puu!!" cried Mokona, staring down a peeved Umi.
"Hey, get out of here!" fumed Umi. "Go eat Primera or something!"
"Puu puu puu?" inquired Mokona, although he knew that Umi couldn't understand him. Irritated, Umi lunged forward and tried to grab hold of Mokona. But the bouncy little creature simply hopped off Clef's head, and Umi ended up clumsily falling over onto Clef. Both of them fell down onto the ground, with Umi lying on top of Clef, who had began flailing underneath Umi, being crushed by her larger, heavier form.
Umi hastily got up off of Clef and helped him stand up. "Oh Clef, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! Are you alright?!" she asked him in a worried tone.
Clef brushed the dirt and bits of grass off his robe, then turned to Umi and said, "I'm fine Umi. No harm done. Besides, I don't blame you. I know you and Mokona still don't get along quite so well."
"That's an understatement," mused Umi.
Just then, Primera flew up to the two. "Umm, Clef-sama. One of the representatives from the colony needs to speak with you," she told Clef.
Clef let out a heavy sigh. "Fine. I'll see him shortly," he said to Primera. Turning toward Umi, he said, "My apologies, but I must attend to business."
"It's OK Clef. I understand you've got duties to attend to," she said. Clef just smiled, then turned and walked away.
*A chance to see Tarta and Tatra again. Well, that'll be interesting,* Umi thought to herself, feeling happy about the possibility of seeing more of her old friends.
That is, until she remembered why she had come to speak with Clef in the first place. And how she had totally forgotten to say what she really wanted to him.
"Gah!" shouted Umi, smacking herself in the face with her hand. How could she have been such a baka? She got so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice Mokona had tried to eat Primera. Again.
*****
For the rest of the day and that evening, Umi never had the chance to talk to Clef again. His business with the people of the Chizeta colony had taken up most of his time. Even worse, people from Autozam had shown up as well, and Clef had to work with them on Autozam's continuing problem with mental energy. To say their arrival was bad timing would have been an understatement. Well, at least Hikaru and Lantis got to see Geo Metro and Zazu Torque again. But unluckily for Umi, neither Tatra or Tarta were there during the meetings with Clef.
It was the middle of the night when all the meetings were finally over. Clef had immediately retired to his quarters once it had all ended. Umi thought that since he had had such a stressful day, she wouldn't bother him again until tomorrow morning.
That was fifteen minutes ago, and Umi was starting to think otherwise. She lay on the bed in the room that was reserved for her, staring straight up at the ceiling, deep in thought. *Damnit,* she thought to herself, *I had gotten so close to finally being able to let out my feelings for him, and I totally blew it! Now he's probably fast asleep, and I'll have to wait until morning.*
Trouble is, she was in no mood to wait for the morning to come to finally open up to the man she loved. After finally working up to courage to tell all to Clef in the park that day, she didn't have the patience to put it off any longer.
Umi jumped up off the bed and walked out of her room. She then headed straight for Clef's quarters.
*****
Clef stepped out of his bathing room and put on his bathrobe. A nice, long, relaxing bath was exactly what he needed after today. Having to deal with both the engineers from Autozam and the colonial representative from Chizeta in the same day was extremely taxing on him. Then again, he had no choice but to attend to his duties. After all, he had made a promise to Eagle Vision before his death to aid his world, and he had promised the princesses of Chizeta to help the colonists in any way he could.
The princesses of Chizeta. Umi certainly seemed delighted about the opportunity to meet with them once again. Shouldn't be surprising, considering how they bonded during the events that transpired when the Magic Knights were summoned to Cephiro for the second time.
Now that he thought about it, he realized he really didn't know all that much about those two. And he really didn't know all that much about what happened between them and Umi during the attempted invasion. She never really talked about it much with him.
*Come to think of it,* Clef thought, *there have been few times Umi and I have simply talked with one another alone. It was nice the way we did today....*
Clef's thoughts were interrupted by a loud pounding on his door. Damnit, who would have the nerve to disturb him this late at night, and after such a stressful day?! "Enter!" he shouted angrily.
His bad mood melted away once the doors opened and he saw who it was: Umi. She was still dressed in the same clothes she wore since she arrived this morning, and had that same troubled look on her face that she had earlier when they talked. Clef hadn't really noticed it earlier, but now, seeing how she came to talk to him so late at night, he was curious, and concerned. It reminded Clef of when she came to see him that night, after she was summoned to Cephiro for the second time.......
"Um, Clef-san," she said softly, trying to sound as respectful as possible, "errr, I'm not.... bothering you, am I?"
"Well, er, no, not really," replied Clef. Actually, Umi's untimely arrival did in fact irritate him at first, but he didn't want to make Umi feel unwelcome. Then he noticed that Umi was staring at him. At first, Clef wasn't certain why. Then he remembered he was wearing nothing but a bath robe. "I, er, just got done taking a bath," explained Clef.
"Oh, OK," said Umi, her gaze still fixed on Clef.
"Umi, if there's something troubling you, please tell me," said Clef.
Umi knew it was now or never. "Well, earlier today, out in the meadow, there was something I wanted to say, but forgot to, and......" Her words trailed off as she continued to stare at Clef's barely-clothed little body. *God, he's so adorable!* she thought to herself.
"Yes, Umi?" said Clef. He could sense from her aura now that this was something she had been wrestling with for the longest time. "It's alright, you can tell me."
At that, Umi's confidence returned to her. This was it. But as she tried to think of exactly what to say, she now found that she simply couldn't put put her feelings into words. She closed her eyes, tried to concentrate, but the words still wouldn't come.....
"Oh, the hell with it!" Umi exclaimed. And before Clef could react, Umi bent down, snatched him up in her arms and pulled him towards her. Her lips crashed against his as she kissed him passionately. Clef's eyes were wide open with surprise; this was not at all what he expected! Umi's arms held Clef tighter, hugging him closely to her, as her tongue forced his lips open. Umi deepened the kiss, and Clef found himself unable to stay in control, and returned Umi's kiss, their tongues dancing in unison. It only lasted for a minute or so, but to Umi, it seemed to last an eternity, as she finally let go and showed Clef her feelings for him with her actions instead of words.
Umi abruptly broke the kiss and set Clef back down at the floor, and for a moment, the two of them just stared into each other's eyes. Umi then turned away and covered her face in her hands, "Clef, I-I-I'm sorry. But I-I love you, and I couldn't put it into words."
"Umi," said Clef softly, his eyes widening as he heard Umi's words.
"I've wanted to tell you for the longest time how much I love you," Umi continued, tears beginning to form in her crystalline-blue eyes. "B-but, I was always afraid you wouldn't feel the same way. You've lived so long; I'm nothing more than a mere child to you. But, I just HAD to let it out, tell you. Otherwise I would have gone stir-crazy!"
Clef said nothing. He merely walked over to the blue-haired Magic Knight and stood in front of her. He lifted up and pulled Umi's hands away from her face, and looked into her tear-drenched eyes. "Umi, you don't have to be ashamed."
"Clef?" whispered Umi.
"Umi, I guess now is the time to tell you," began Clef. "For the longest time, I've felt the same way toward you. But I was always fearful of rejection too." Clef's lips then curled into a smile. "I always thought you would have thought it too weird to be with someone who looked like a little boy but was in fact over seven centuries old."
"You, you mean it?!" gasped Umi. Clef just said the one thing Umi had never dared to hope would actually be true.
"Yes, I do," replied Clef. "For the longest time, I've always kept to myself, never really letting anyone get close. It was a very lonely existence. But after I met you, I began to long for you. You.. you're unlike any other woman I've ever met, Umi."
That was it - the words Umi had longed to hear for so long. "Oh Clef!" she exclaimed as she snatched up his tiny body again and hugged him close to her, squeezing him tightly.
"U-Umi...... *cough* can't..... breathe........ *cough* " spouted Clef weakly, being crushed by Umi's greater physical strength.
"OH!" cried Umi as she loosened her death hold on Clef. "I'm sorry, Clef. Guess I'll have to be more careful around you," she said. She then brought Clef's face up to hers, nuzzling his cheek with hers as she ran her hand through his thick, lavender hair. "Is this better, Clef?" she asked sweetly.
"Um, yes, much," Clef responded hastily. No matter how hard he tried to resist, Clef found himself getting aroused from Umi cuddling him close to her. He prayed that she wouldn't notice, but that was unlikely, considering the pitifully inadequate garment he was currently wearing.
"So, er, Clef, what now?" asked Umi. After finally admitting her feelings for Clef, Umi wasn't sure what she should do next.
"Errr, I don't know," he replied, then involuntarily let out a yawn. Damn, was that ever the wrong thing to do at this point.
"Well, you're obviously tired after a hard day's work. Maybe you should just go to sleep," stated Umi. She began to carry him over to his bed, like a mother carrying her child. She then set him down on it and pulled the blankets over him.
"Thank you, Umi. I...." Clef's words trailed off as Umi climbed under the covers with him. His eyes were once again wide open with surprise. "Umi....?" asked a bewildered Clef.
"Shhhhhh," commanded Umi as she once again wrapped her arms around the man she loved. She pulled him close to her until their bodies were pressing together, Clef's head pillowed against her bosom. "No words, no questions, my love. Just please, let me stay with you."
And with that, the two drifted off into a deep sleep, fully content, finally having admitted their love for one another.
*****
Questions? Comments? Death threats because you're an Umi/Ascot shipper? Send 'em to me in a review.
So long,
Grey Fox
a sappy Magic Knight Rayearth romance fic
by Grey Fox
1-29-2003
Disclaimer: I don't own Magic Knight Rayearth; the talented ladies of CLAMP do. All hail them for their brilliance.
Note: This is my first attempt at an MKR fic and a romance fic, so my apologies if it sucks.
*****
There was a soft knock at Umi's bedroom door, followed by the voice of her mother.
"Umi! Your two friends are here, and they're ready to go now," she told her.
"All right Mom!" she shouted back. "Tell them I'll be out in a minute!"
"Very well," her mother replied. Umi listened to her mother's soft footsteps fade away. Her mother didn't show it, but Umi knew that she was a bit upset by the brusqueness of her reply. Umi didn't mean for her reply to come out so harshly. It's just that she was so frustrated -- preoccupied about several things. One of which was just what to wear for her little "trip" with her best firends, Hikaru and Fuu.
It had been about a year after that final battle against Debonair in Cephiro, after Hikaru became the new Pillar, and then instilled that power within the hearts of Cephiro's populace, abolishing the Pillar system. Hikaru had discovered that she still had the Pillar's ability to transport herself and others from Earth to Cephiro and back. In this way, Hikaru, Umi and Fuu, the three legendary Magic Knights, were able to return to Cephiro to see all the friends they made there; friends that were impossible to forget about; friends whose spirits would be with them in their hearts forever.
Sighing, Umi turned to once again look at herself in the full-length mirror in her room, frowning at her reflection. She was wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans. Not that they didn't look good on her ( on the contrary, they hugged her slim figure very well ) , but it was just that she wanted to wear something a bit more.... fancy. To her, all the trips to Cephiro were special occasions and she always wanted to look elegant whenever she went. But this time, she couldn't decide on anything to wear.
*Ah, screw it,* thought Umi, resolving to just go with what she had on. She then headed out of her bedroom and toward the front door. On the way, she caught the sight of her parents in her peripheral vision. As usual, they were openly displaying their affection for one another with the way they talked. This used to induce nausea in Umi every time she had to see this display of gooey-gooey gushy mushiness.
But lately, seeing it made her feel...... jealous.
*****
The cab ride to Tokyo Tower had been quiet and uninteresting. After all, the three girls couldn't talk about going to some magical world where your will determined everything without the driver thinking there was something wrong with them. But once they got up into Tokyo Tower - the same spot where they were summoned without warning to Cephiro twice before - all the girls could talk about was how they would soon be seeing all their friends again.
And for Hikaru and Fuu, something more....
Ever since they found out they were able to go back to Cephiro, Hikaru and Fuu had become closer with some old friends. Much closer. Fuu had pursued a relationship with Ferio, the boy she met during the first time the three girls were summoned to Cephiro, who turned out to be a prince, Emeraude's little brother. Likewise, Hikaru had gotten a lot closer with Lantis, the man she met during the second time they were summoned, who turned out to be Zagato's little brother. Neither of the girls had gotten.... quite that far yet in their relationships; they were taking it slowly. But there was chemistry there, that's for sure.
But not Umi. Oh no. Despite having the skill and power to battle vicious, hideous beasts and powerful adversaries, despite having the strength of heart to fight untold dangers for Cephiro's very existence, she still lacked to courage to come forward to the man she had had feelings for for so long a time.....
"All right, I say it's time we go!" cried Hikaru in her usual perky voice. Fuu nodded in approval.
"Yeah, I guess it's time," sighed Umi.
"Umi-chan, is there something wrong?" inquired Fuu in a concerned tone.
"Wha?" replied Umi. "Oh no, nothing is wrong! Really!" She tried to sound like she meant it, but she knew that it wasn't true, and figured Fuu was able to see through the lie.
"Well, alright Umi-chan, if you say so," said Fuu, although she still sounded dubious.
Hikaru then put one arm around Umi's shoulder, and another around Fuu's shoulder. And then, she willed the three back to Cephiro, back to that place where their lives changed forever......
*****
The three Magic Knights materialized in the entrance hall of the crystalline castle of Cephiro, the same place where Clef's giant pet flying fish safely brought them after they were summoned to Cephiro that second time. At least Hikaru managed to be able to bring them directly into the castle now, instead of several kilometers in the air and having to rely on one of Clef's pet beasts to come and fetch them.
Clef...... It was no use. No matter how hard Umi tried to not think of Clef all the time, her thoughts always seemed to return to him......
"Puu puu puu!"
Umi's musings were abruptly interrupted by that loud "Puu puu puu"ing which could only come from Mokona, the fluffy, bouncy little creature that always had a habit of annoying her. She quickly glanced around, trying to spot Mokona. "Where are you, you little fluffball?!" she cried.
"Puu puu!" Mokona screamed again. Then, without warning ( as usual ) , Mokona jumped up on top of Umi's head, and leaned over to look Umi in the eyes. "Puu puu?" he shrilled again.
Umi just stared at the upside-down Mokona for a few seconds. Normally, Umi would attack Mokona with a heavy object for getting in her face like this, and right now she certainly wasn't in the best of moods. But for some reason, she could not bring herself to get mad at Mokona. So instead, she reached up and plucked him off her head and held him in front of her. "Hi there, Mokona," she said to him.
"Puu puu puu puu puu puu!!!" shrilled Mokona happily.
"He says it's good to see you again, Umi," said Hikaru, the only one of them who could understand the cute fluffy creature.
"I'm sure he is most delighted to see you. You always do seem to be the object of his attention, Umi-chan," Fuu pointed out in her usual matter-of-fact way.
Umi gave Fuu a wry smile, then turned to Mokona and said, "It's good to see you again too, Mokona."
"We're all glad to see you again," came a low, deep voice, echoing from the other end of the hallway. The girls knew immediately who it was.
"LANTIS!" yelled Hikaru, running toward the magic swordsman and jumping into his arms. "Oh Lantis, it's been too long."
"I've missed you too, Hikaru," Lantis replied, hugging Hikaru close to him. As Fuu and Umi walked over to join them, another voice then beckoned another one of the Magic Knights.
"Fuu! My, you look good today," said the Cephirian prince Ferio. Upon hearing Ferio's compliment, Fuu blushed beet red. "Even after all this time, you still blush whenever I say how pretty you are?"
"Coming from you, it has the same effect every time, Ferio-kun," Fuu said. With that, she threw herself into Ferio's arms, and the two warmly embraced one another.
Umi looked away from the two couples, unable to bear the sight. Although she knew it was wrong to be jealous of her friends, she couldn't help but feel envy because of what they had; someone to love. And the only one she truly had such feelings for.....
"Hello again, Magic Knights."
That voice. There was no mistaking that voice. Clef. The most powerful sorceror in all of Cephiro, the mage that trained all the other sorcerors of this land in the magic arts. Umi could feel him approaching her, his soft footsteps gradually getting louder. Umi turned and looked down at Clef - way down. Clef hadn't changed one bit. Despite his 745 years of age, he had the body of a ten-year old boy. For a while, Umi just stood there, staring at him. God, he was such a cute little man. Those locks of lavender hair, that adorable little face, those sparkling eyes. "Uhhh, h-hi Clef," she managed to finally get out.
"Umi, is there something the matter?" asked Clef.
*Oh no, just the fact that I don't have the courage to tell the man I love about my feelings for him,* thought Umi bitterly.
*****
The first few hours the three girls' visit was relaxed and lazy, spent in the castle, simply talking with all their friends. Of course, not all the friends they had made were there. Their adversaries-turned-friends from Chizeta, Fahren and Autozam were nowhere around. Being able to see them was a rare occasion indeed. Umi couldn't help but wonder how Tatra and Tarta, the princesses of Chizeta, were doing.
However, since it was early in the morning in Cephiro when the girls arrived, there was still plenty of time to go outside the castle while there was still daylight. Hikaru suggested that they all go out for a picnic, and everyone agreed.. So the three Magic Knights headed outside, with Mokona, Lantis, Ferio...... and Clef.
Umi really hadn't been hungry and therefore really didn't eat all that much during the picnic. Instead, she just decided to take a little stroll through the grassy meadows and forest surrounding the castle. *It's so serene and beautiful,* she thought to herself. Of course, it hadn't always been so beautiful. During the time Cephiro had no Pillar, Cephiro had turned into a desolate wasteland, and almost came to the point of destruction. But they had been successful in the ensuing battles and restored the land. *It was all worth it,* she thought as she took in the sight of the tranquil landscape.
Suddenly, the quiet was disturbed by the sound of forceful footsteps and uncontrolled giggling. Umi turned to see Fuu running through the outer edges of the forest, who was playfully being chased by Ferio. Both were smiling broadly as their little chase went on. Then, out of the corner of her eye, Umi caught a glimpse of Hikaru. Umi turned to see that she was sitting at the base of a tree next to Lantis. The two were talking, about what, Umi couldn't hear, as they were too far away. But judging from the amused expressions on Hikaru and Lantis' faces, Umi guessed that Hikaru was telling Lantis about how her three elder brothers had gotten their asses handed to them by her in kendo training. Again.
That reminded her of her own successes in her fencing club. *I wish I could talk to Clef about that, like Hikaru is able to talk to Lantis,* she thought sullenly. She looked at Hikaru and Lantis again; they looked so happy together. She then looked back at Fuu and Ferio, still busy with their playful little game of tag. How she longed to be able to have this kind of relationship with Clef. But how would he react if she told him just how she felt? What if he didn't return her feelings? *I couldn't bear the pain of rejection,* she sobbed inwardly, looking down at the ground. But she picked her head up and saw the two happy couples again. *No, it'll be worse if I don't tell him at all. I've got to try, at least.* Having made up her mind, she started walking again.
Knowing Clef, he had probably found some peaceful place to meditate or something. He wasn't exactly antisocial, but he still valued quiet and privacy. It took a while before Umi could locate the master sorceror; just as she expected, he was sitting in the middle of a lush, grassy meadow, staring up at the cloudy sky, obviously thinking about something. *Well, now's a good a time as any,* Umi thought to herself as she slowly approached the mage.
She was now only about five meters away from Clef. He had not noticed her, as he was facing away from her. After a brief moment of hesitation, Umi worked up the courage to speak. "Um, Clef?" she said softly.
"Hmmmm?" Turning around, he saw Umi standing a short distance away from him. "Oh, Umi, I didn't notice you were there," he said.
"I'm not... bothering you, am I, Clef?" she asked, hoping she hadn't annoyed him in some way.
"Err, no, you didn't. It's just..." Clef paused for a second. "Well, there's been a lot on my mind lately."
*That makes two of us,* thought Umi. Out loud, she said, "What's on your mind? Nothing serious, I hope. I mean, everything seems fine here in Cephiro now."
"It's true that a good number of our problems are now solved, thanks to you Magic Knights," said Clef. "It's just, there are other things to take care of."
"Like what?" asked Umi. She was interested in what Clef had to say.
"Nothing that would really interest you," replied Clef.
"No, really, it's OK," said Umi. "If there's something troubling you, you should talk about it." She would know, for there was something greatly troubling her that she had come to talk about.
"Well, for starters, I've been having some difficulty with the training of Cephiro's aspiring mages," answered Clef. "I'm starting to think my ability to teach is beginning to slip."
"Oh, that can't be true," said Umi comfortingly. "You're the best mage I've ever known. Granted, where I come from there aren't any mages, but still...."
A soft chuckle escaped from Clef's throat, interrupting Umi. "Well, thanks for the support, Umi. But it's not just that; there's other tasks I've had to attend to. Fulfilling the promise I made to Eagle Vision and helping his people out, for starters. That hasn't been the easiest thing. Also, there's the Chizeta colony on Cephiro now that...."
"The WHAT?!" yelled Umi. She hadn't heard anything about people from Chizeta living in Cephiro.
"Oh, I guess I haven't told you about that yet. It started shortly after your last visit. Well, I'm sure you learned from your time with the princesses of Chizeta that their homeworld has become too overpopulated. The princesses came to me and asked if they could establish a colony here in Cephiro," Clef explained.
"Really?" gasped Umi, surprised by this news. "Did you let them?'
"There was no reason not to," answered Clef. "But it's been kind of a hassle. I've had to handle much of the details. I'm no diplomat, and some of the Chizeta people can be a bit..... rowdy." At that, Umi smiled. If Tatra and Tarta were any indication, the people of Chizeta weren't the most orderly bunch in the universe.
"At least that'll help Chizeta's overcrowdedness," sighed Umi. "I remember how much the problem troubled Tarta."
"I spoke to both of the princesses recently, by the way," added Clef. "They both said they would like to see you again."
"Do you think there will be a chance before we have to go back?" asked Umi excitedly, for she too wished to see Tatra and Tarta again.
"Perhaps Umi, but...." Clef started to say, but was interrupted by Mokona, who had just jumped atop his head. "Hey! What the...."
"Puu puu puu puu puu!!" cried Mokona, staring down a peeved Umi.
"Hey, get out of here!" fumed Umi. "Go eat Primera or something!"
"Puu puu puu?" inquired Mokona, although he knew that Umi couldn't understand him. Irritated, Umi lunged forward and tried to grab hold of Mokona. But the bouncy little creature simply hopped off Clef's head, and Umi ended up clumsily falling over onto Clef. Both of them fell down onto the ground, with Umi lying on top of Clef, who had began flailing underneath Umi, being crushed by her larger, heavier form.
Umi hastily got up off of Clef and helped him stand up. "Oh Clef, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! Are you alright?!" she asked him in a worried tone.
Clef brushed the dirt and bits of grass off his robe, then turned to Umi and said, "I'm fine Umi. No harm done. Besides, I don't blame you. I know you and Mokona still don't get along quite so well."
"That's an understatement," mused Umi.
Just then, Primera flew up to the two. "Umm, Clef-sama. One of the representatives from the colony needs to speak with you," she told Clef.
Clef let out a heavy sigh. "Fine. I'll see him shortly," he said to Primera. Turning toward Umi, he said, "My apologies, but I must attend to business."
"It's OK Clef. I understand you've got duties to attend to," she said. Clef just smiled, then turned and walked away.
*A chance to see Tarta and Tatra again. Well, that'll be interesting,* Umi thought to herself, feeling happy about the possibility of seeing more of her old friends.
That is, until she remembered why she had come to speak with Clef in the first place. And how she had totally forgotten to say what she really wanted to him.
"Gah!" shouted Umi, smacking herself in the face with her hand. How could she have been such a baka? She got so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice Mokona had tried to eat Primera. Again.
*****
For the rest of the day and that evening, Umi never had the chance to talk to Clef again. His business with the people of the Chizeta colony had taken up most of his time. Even worse, people from Autozam had shown up as well, and Clef had to work with them on Autozam's continuing problem with mental energy. To say their arrival was bad timing would have been an understatement. Well, at least Hikaru and Lantis got to see Geo Metro and Zazu Torque again. But unluckily for Umi, neither Tatra or Tarta were there during the meetings with Clef.
It was the middle of the night when all the meetings were finally over. Clef had immediately retired to his quarters once it had all ended. Umi thought that since he had had such a stressful day, she wouldn't bother him again until tomorrow morning.
That was fifteen minutes ago, and Umi was starting to think otherwise. She lay on the bed in the room that was reserved for her, staring straight up at the ceiling, deep in thought. *Damnit,* she thought to herself, *I had gotten so close to finally being able to let out my feelings for him, and I totally blew it! Now he's probably fast asleep, and I'll have to wait until morning.*
Trouble is, she was in no mood to wait for the morning to come to finally open up to the man she loved. After finally working up to courage to tell all to Clef in the park that day, she didn't have the patience to put it off any longer.
Umi jumped up off the bed and walked out of her room. She then headed straight for Clef's quarters.
*****
Clef stepped out of his bathing room and put on his bathrobe. A nice, long, relaxing bath was exactly what he needed after today. Having to deal with both the engineers from Autozam and the colonial representative from Chizeta in the same day was extremely taxing on him. Then again, he had no choice but to attend to his duties. After all, he had made a promise to Eagle Vision before his death to aid his world, and he had promised the princesses of Chizeta to help the colonists in any way he could.
The princesses of Chizeta. Umi certainly seemed delighted about the opportunity to meet with them once again. Shouldn't be surprising, considering how they bonded during the events that transpired when the Magic Knights were summoned to Cephiro for the second time.
Now that he thought about it, he realized he really didn't know all that much about those two. And he really didn't know all that much about what happened between them and Umi during the attempted invasion. She never really talked about it much with him.
*Come to think of it,* Clef thought, *there have been few times Umi and I have simply talked with one another alone. It was nice the way we did today....*
Clef's thoughts were interrupted by a loud pounding on his door. Damnit, who would have the nerve to disturb him this late at night, and after such a stressful day?! "Enter!" he shouted angrily.
His bad mood melted away once the doors opened and he saw who it was: Umi. She was still dressed in the same clothes she wore since she arrived this morning, and had that same troubled look on her face that she had earlier when they talked. Clef hadn't really noticed it earlier, but now, seeing how she came to talk to him so late at night, he was curious, and concerned. It reminded Clef of when she came to see him that night, after she was summoned to Cephiro for the second time.......
"Um, Clef-san," she said softly, trying to sound as respectful as possible, "errr, I'm not.... bothering you, am I?"
"Well, er, no, not really," replied Clef. Actually, Umi's untimely arrival did in fact irritate him at first, but he didn't want to make Umi feel unwelcome. Then he noticed that Umi was staring at him. At first, Clef wasn't certain why. Then he remembered he was wearing nothing but a bath robe. "I, er, just got done taking a bath," explained Clef.
"Oh, OK," said Umi, her gaze still fixed on Clef.
"Umi, if there's something troubling you, please tell me," said Clef.
Umi knew it was now or never. "Well, earlier today, out in the meadow, there was something I wanted to say, but forgot to, and......" Her words trailed off as she continued to stare at Clef's barely-clothed little body. *God, he's so adorable!* she thought to herself.
"Yes, Umi?" said Clef. He could sense from her aura now that this was something she had been wrestling with for the longest time. "It's alright, you can tell me."
At that, Umi's confidence returned to her. This was it. But as she tried to think of exactly what to say, she now found that she simply couldn't put put her feelings into words. She closed her eyes, tried to concentrate, but the words still wouldn't come.....
"Oh, the hell with it!" Umi exclaimed. And before Clef could react, Umi bent down, snatched him up in her arms and pulled him towards her. Her lips crashed against his as she kissed him passionately. Clef's eyes were wide open with surprise; this was not at all what he expected! Umi's arms held Clef tighter, hugging him closely to her, as her tongue forced his lips open. Umi deepened the kiss, and Clef found himself unable to stay in control, and returned Umi's kiss, their tongues dancing in unison. It only lasted for a minute or so, but to Umi, it seemed to last an eternity, as she finally let go and showed Clef her feelings for him with her actions instead of words.
Umi abruptly broke the kiss and set Clef back down at the floor, and for a moment, the two of them just stared into each other's eyes. Umi then turned away and covered her face in her hands, "Clef, I-I-I'm sorry. But I-I love you, and I couldn't put it into words."
"Umi," said Clef softly, his eyes widening as he heard Umi's words.
"I've wanted to tell you for the longest time how much I love you," Umi continued, tears beginning to form in her crystalline-blue eyes. "B-but, I was always afraid you wouldn't feel the same way. You've lived so long; I'm nothing more than a mere child to you. But, I just HAD to let it out, tell you. Otherwise I would have gone stir-crazy!"
Clef said nothing. He merely walked over to the blue-haired Magic Knight and stood in front of her. He lifted up and pulled Umi's hands away from her face, and looked into her tear-drenched eyes. "Umi, you don't have to be ashamed."
"Clef?" whispered Umi.
"Umi, I guess now is the time to tell you," began Clef. "For the longest time, I've felt the same way toward you. But I was always fearful of rejection too." Clef's lips then curled into a smile. "I always thought you would have thought it too weird to be with someone who looked like a little boy but was in fact over seven centuries old."
"You, you mean it?!" gasped Umi. Clef just said the one thing Umi had never dared to hope would actually be true.
"Yes, I do," replied Clef. "For the longest time, I've always kept to myself, never really letting anyone get close. It was a very lonely existence. But after I met you, I began to long for you. You.. you're unlike any other woman I've ever met, Umi."
That was it - the words Umi had longed to hear for so long. "Oh Clef!" she exclaimed as she snatched up his tiny body again and hugged him close to her, squeezing him tightly.
"U-Umi...... *cough* can't..... breathe........ *cough* " spouted Clef weakly, being crushed by Umi's greater physical strength.
"OH!" cried Umi as she loosened her death hold on Clef. "I'm sorry, Clef. Guess I'll have to be more careful around you," she said. She then brought Clef's face up to hers, nuzzling his cheek with hers as she ran her hand through his thick, lavender hair. "Is this better, Clef?" she asked sweetly.
"Um, yes, much," Clef responded hastily. No matter how hard he tried to resist, Clef found himself getting aroused from Umi cuddling him close to her. He prayed that she wouldn't notice, but that was unlikely, considering the pitifully inadequate garment he was currently wearing.
"So, er, Clef, what now?" asked Umi. After finally admitting her feelings for Clef, Umi wasn't sure what she should do next.
"Errr, I don't know," he replied, then involuntarily let out a yawn. Damn, was that ever the wrong thing to do at this point.
"Well, you're obviously tired after a hard day's work. Maybe you should just go to sleep," stated Umi. She began to carry him over to his bed, like a mother carrying her child. She then set him down on it and pulled the blankets over him.
"Thank you, Umi. I...." Clef's words trailed off as Umi climbed under the covers with him. His eyes were once again wide open with surprise. "Umi....?" asked a bewildered Clef.
"Shhhhhh," commanded Umi as she once again wrapped her arms around the man she loved. She pulled him close to her until their bodies were pressing together, Clef's head pillowed against her bosom. "No words, no questions, my love. Just please, let me stay with you."
And with that, the two drifted off into a deep sleep, fully content, finally having admitted their love for one another.
*****
Questions? Comments? Death threats because you're an Umi/Ascot shipper? Send 'em to me in a review.
So long,
Grey Fox