Prologue:
In the forests of Cefiro, the earth was starting to move again. The land shook with fear that once again, Cefiro would be torn apart. It had been burnt and singed after Princess Emeraude had died, and after the pillar system had been replaced, the earth had hoped that never again would there ever be a trauma like that. The new democratic goverment had replaced the pillar, and now, the will of the people determined the fate. But here, in the forests, a new terror approached. There was something vitally missing from the earth...as if a vital part of the fabric of the world was now missing. The world shook in terror, hoping that its lost partner was found soon...
Chapter 1: The Voices
Clef stood on the edge of the medow, looking out over the cliff at the beauty of Cefiro. He sat, enjoying the perfect, still, silence of the forest, as his thoughts turned to the events of the recent past. After the pillar system had fallen and there was now a democratic will in Cefiro, he had resigned as the court madoshi and moved out to his sanctuary permanently. He enjoyed the silence, the perfect silence of the forest. Occasionally, Hikaru, Fuu, and especially Umi would visit him when they came to see the group, but as much as he cared for them, they disturbed his silence. He knew of Umi's affections for him, but he saw them as foolish. *She would benifit so much more if she saw that Ascot had feelings for her...* he thought. *But I think that she is beginning to see the light* He remembered the last time she had visited him here.
She had come up through the forest running, her cheeks flushed, and her hair blowing back. He saw her as she entered with Hikaru and Fuu trailing far behind her. Umi had ran all the way to him and then crashed into him to give him a huge hug. He was startled and had quickly released himself from her vice-like grip, and then smacked her on the head with his staff. After she had recovered, she looked taken aback, and then stood and looked at him for awhile. Then, before turning and walking away, she softlly said 'It was good to see you again, Master Clef-san." He looked at he closely as the other two ran up to him and greeted him. He watched her stand away from him and after the three had gone, he had wondered if he had done the right thing.
Later, he had gone down to the palace, to meet with them and the other Cefiroians that he hadn't see in a while and he had seen Umi talking to Ascot in a very serious manner. He had smiled at the two of them, but looking around at the other Knights with their loves, he felt like something was missing. Hikaru had Lantis (and Eagle), Fuu had Ferrio, and now Umi had Ascot. When he had left the party, the thought hadn't bugged him, but now, he knew that something was wrong with his life.
Suddenly, an earthquake had jolted his small frame from his reverie. He put his hand to the earth to steady himself and he cried out in pain. He could hear the voices of the spirits crying out in pain and loss for something *he* never knew they had. Clef began to feel faint and quickly drew himself up ad away from the ground. As soon as his hand left the ground, the feeling subsided, but now, the feeling of emptiness returned with even greater intensity. He felt the need to comfort the spirits, and he felt the loss of the spirits as if it was his own.
He shook his head and steadied himself on his staff. "No." he thought. "I cannot think of myself at a time like this."
" I must go and talk to the council!" he said aloud to the air around him. He lifted his staff and shouted "Pet Summon!" From out of his staff, Fyula appeared and floated at the edge of the meadow. He walked up to Fyula and petted it on his nose. He softly whispered "Please, my pet. Take me to the palace." Fyula chirped and squeeked cheerfully and bowed his fishy head so that Clef could climb on to his back. This was one of the things Clef just could not do gracefully. Fyula's head was so tall and he just could NOT get the damn fish to go any lower. He struggled up the fish, cursing the fact he was so short, which was something he didn't do often. As he flew with the fish, he mused on his heigth. *I wonder what it would be like to be tall* he thought. He didn't actually *want* to be tall, he just wondered what it would be like. He laughed as his mental picture of himself tall. He remembered how Ascot had changed and suddenly broke into hysterical laughing. He remembered Ascot before he had turned evil telling him that he NEVER wanted to be big. He laughed but stopped as he began to realize that he was going to fall of Fyula if he didn't. Sobering quickly, He steadied himself and concentrated the best he could on the problem at hand. He had felt the earth move and he had heard the spirits of the earth cry out in loss and pain. Never before had he heard them scream in such agony. And never before had he felt the same way...
