Note - 1 February 2019: Hello faithful readers! I know some of you have been waiting for me to finish this story, and I would like to say that I have plans to do just that either this year or next.

But the plan is to do like I did Sanctuary. I am going to completely overhaul this story so that the storyline makes sense and the plot isn't so crowded. I tried to do too many things with this story at once, and I am not liking it. I am currently in the process of rewriting it. Unlike Sanctuary, I will not be posting the updated version as I go along. The story is just too sad to make you all wait that long. I plan to finish and edit the entire thing, then update fortnightly or weekly over on AO3 until I hit chapter chapter 8 here. At which point, I will drop the first eight new chapters over this, then I will be following the same posting schedule on this side until the end, so AO3 will have the story a full two months prior to it turning up here.

I will leave this version up until I am ready to post the new version, so if you happen to like this silly bit of nonsense that is more of a hot mess than a proper story, you are welcome to save it and keep it. I am even willing to send you a PDF of it, if you really want it.

Anyway, I hope you will enjoy the new version when I do start posting it.

Try to Wish

Prologue: Goodbyes

Umi shrugged Clef's hands from her shoulders. She was trying to pack her small suitcase, and she was not in the mood for his antics, no matter how much she enjoyed them on occasion in private.

"Not now." Playfully she shoved him away again as he began to smooth gentle kisses down her neck.

"But Umi, you are going to be gone for so very long…"

Even without look at him, the water knight could sense the want in his voice. Their romance may have started casually but it was definitely becoming complicated. Both understood that, under Cephirian tradition, they were wed. No matter how they tried to hide this from their friends, it was becoming painfully obvious. Too many nights, Umi had returned late, or not at all, to the room she still shared with Hikaru and Fuu. Hikaru, as always, was completely oblivious to the meanings behind this, but the ever wise Fuu had see through her lies many months before, but continued to keep her mouth shut. There were too many other things that were more important for the wind knight to worry with. She and Ferio were still in the beginning processes of planning the ceremony that they would officially announce their betrothal to peoples of Cephiro. Only the royals had a requirement to announce such things. Still, things were rather messy between Umi and Clef. According to the ancient law under the Pillar, the Madoshi, or supreme Yil, was to remain celibate, but many things had changed since that system dissolved.

"I will only be gone for three days." Umi laughed at Clef's plea for her to stay. She had offered him to go with her, but he had duties to attend to here. Ferio was still being trained in governing etiquette and proper government procedures.

Light footsteps approached the door. Clef promptly ceased his kissing and distanced himself from Umi. The door swayed open and Fuu stepped in. She smiled knowingly at Clef, who was standing a little too casually in the corner. He returned her gaze uncomfortably, but the girl turned to her friend. "Umi-san, Hikaru-san has asked that I remind you to take a picture with you, so you do not forget us." The wind knight handed Umi a small, framed photograph of the entire group.

"I am only going to be gone for three days." Umi repeated.

Fuu smiled. "I know. I am merely humoring Hikaru-san."

Umi laughed at the thought. Hikaru was always worried that something would separate them. She always took great precautions in planning how to stay in touch and not forget one another. With a smile, Umi placed the photograph on top of her clothes and closed the suitcase. She wrapped an arm around Fuu and hugged her.

"I'll find Hikaru and tell her goodbye. Hopefully she won't fret too much while I am away." With that said she picked up the case and walked out of the room. It wasn't too difficult to find the spunky, fire knight. The moment Umi stepped out of the bedroom, she found the girl skipping down the corridor toward her.

"Umi-chan!" Hikaru threw her arms around the water knight's neck. "Don't forget about us!"

Umi pried herself out of the girl's grasp. She still had difficulty believing that someone as small as Hikaru could have such a strong grasp.

"It's only for three days. There is nothing to worry about. How can I forget about you in three whole days? I have known you for five years." She laughed. "Haven't we spent long periods apart before? Come on. Three days."

The bus ride from her house had been just as uneventful as her trip to visit her family, but this wasn't her home any longer. She longed to be back in Cephiro, back in her own bed. Even more than that, she wanted to be back with her friends. Clef. They were her family. The castle was now her home.

It still made her feel self conscious to carry the suitcase into Tokyo Tower. A girl carrying a suitcase here was an oddity. Not many people gave her strange look; it was impolite, but she could tell that they also thought it odd. Umi stepped into the lift. The observation deck was beginning to empty out. She made her way over to the usual spot. Her thoughts drifted to Cephiro. She found her point and focused on it.

Nothing happened.

Umi closed her eyes. Her mind drifted to Clef. She could see his smiling face down on her. She could feel the gentle wind of the Cephirian summer. The chorus of birds unlike anything she had ever heard in the nineteen years of her life. She opened her eyes to smudged glass and a wide view of the city. She was still in Japan. She was still on Earth, not in Cephiro. Why wasn't she in Cephiro? What was wrong?

:Author's Note:

By Cephirian tradition of marriage, I have pulled the Eldarian tradition of physical union being the true form of marriage. In other words, from the first night they spent together, Umi and Clef were, by the laws of Cephiro, husband and wife. To me it just seems to suit the culture. I will put a much more detailed explanation on my website.

:Side Note:

Hello to all. I know it has been a very long time since I have updated any of my fanfiction. In all truth, I have been quite busy the past few years. As well as having a great deal of writers block. I am planning to at least try to update one fic a month, but I cannot promise anything. If anyone has noticed, this fic is destined to be a re-write of my old, old fic, Seven Year Separation. I would like to thank Playing Scrabble with Orcs for giving credit, even in a minimal way, for this plot idea. She has written a fine version of it, and I hope to continue reading it myself. I would like to also state that even though my first fic was not to the best of my writing ability that it was the first of its story line to be posted on this website. I shall continue to leave it for those to read who would like to see were this story originated. I also plan to rework my other fic, What Have I Done. I shall not be updating the old versions of these fics, for my steam ran out on them. The crossover was too much to keep up with, but I plan to make a small shrine to What Have I Done, and post up all of my scribbled notes, and doodles.

I hope you enjoy the story. Happy Reading.