Miata grumbled to herself as she headed for the edge of the forest. She knew that Emeraude would have to come eventually, but her timing left much to be desired. She just wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible, then get back to Clef and—

Oh, Miata, what a shameless fool you are! This is important, she told herself. After all, this meeting would give her an idea of how much—or how little—time she had left, and she would have to teach him…

"You went to the Cathedral," Emeraude accused the moment that Miata came into view. Miata shrugged.

"I have the right," she said. "Or do you deny that?"

"I—" the Pillar began, but no more words came out. Her mouth snapped shut. "It is your right," she said through clenched teeth. "But you have stolen my very best magician."

"I have taken him to the only place where he will be safe. I know as well as you that the Legendary Battle is coming, and—"

"There is time," Emeraude interrupted stubbornly.

"There has been an attack on his life—in your castle, Princess," Miata replied. "And you know who attacked him, and would not have stopped him. Time is much shorter than you think."

"Miata—you understand, don’t you? How this time has to come to an end." Emeraude’s tone had become sad and pleading. "We are more alike than I once thought. We both carry the burden of generations of loneliness—"

"That’s no excuse for the destruction of the world!"

"What use have you for Cephiro? The Forest of Song will remain untouched by the Legendary Battle. Would you give up Clef to save a world you don’t have to live in?" Miata drew in her breath indignantly, but Emeraude went on. "I’ve seen the way he looks at you! At least I have managed to hide my emotions. The whole court is discussing your elopement, Miata. Elopement." The Pillar looked as if she might abandon dignity and spit on the ground.

"I will keep him here." Miata crossed her arms, staring levelly at Emeraude. "If you have forgotten the Legend, let me remind you; for the Magic Knights to learn magic, the one destined to teach them had better be a live. And he’d better be around to guide them, or Cephiro is truly doomed."

"I know that," Emeraude said. "I know that you must teach him, when the time for the Legendary Battle comes. But there is still plenty of time, and he is needed at my court. There are also rumors that you have not eloped, but Clef is dead, killed by you. The most powerful magician—the last great magician—in Cephiro gone, and the people lose faith in me."

"He is staying with me." Miata’s icy glare matched the chill of her voice. "Explain it to your people how you will—Clef remains her with me."

"But—I can keep it from happening for so much longer, Miata…"

"How long? You are the product of a system that is failing. Cressida died so that her love would not destroy our world. You—"

"Cressida died because no Pillar can survive childbirth!" Emeraude burst out angrily. "And if she hadn’t, she would have brought about the Legendary Battle, instead of me. You hold Cressida up so high, but if she was so perfect, why did she fall in love? Why did she let herself bear a son, when she knew that it would kill her? Why—why did she have to abandon me so soon?" Her anger had turned to sadness, and tears flowed from her eyes.

"Her voice still speaks through the Cathedral," Miata said softly.

"I wasn’t ready for this. It isn’t fair! Do you think I don’t know what will become of me? I know damn well where this leads! And it isn’t fair!"

"That’s why the system must end. That is why Ferio was born."

Miata could remember a time when Emeraude and she had been as close as sisters—two times, in fact, but both had seemed equally lost into the mists of time. But now that Emeraude was showing her fear and sadness, rather than hiding it behind the aloof Pillar facade, a kinship between the two of them was returning.

"But you will return," Miata said.

"I only want to be where he is," Emeraude replied simply, her voice dull. "That’s all I want."

Miata simply stared back at the Pillar, wishing the words did not strike so deep a chord with her own feelings.

*

"Miata?"

Clef found the Byrde and the Pillar at the edge of the forest, but though he had watched for some time they had not noticed his presence.

"Guru Clef, Chief Magician of Cephiro." Emeraude addressed him formally, even though Clef’s appearance wasn’t particularly formal. He wore a large, untucked white shirt and dark pants that were intended to be tucked into the top of his boots, but when they were not they dragged on the ground, and were already stained and dirty at the edge.

"Princess Emeraude," he replied, bowing.

"So, Miata is to be your teacher," the Pillar said. "As you are here with us, we can on longer keep it secret from you that I am in love, and eventually I will bring about the Legendary Battle."

Clef froze, his expression that of a man stricken with horror. To his surprise, Miata reached out and squeezed his hand. He noticed Emeraude eyeing the motion with envy and sadness, and Clef knew what she must feel. Clef and Miata could find temporary sanctuary in the Forest of Songs, but the Pillar of Cephiro could not even have that.

"The Legendary Battle…" Clef said softly.

"You are destined to give magic to the Magic Knights," Emeraude said. "To guide them. Miata will teach you how to do this."

"To help them kill you? I—"

"It must be this way," Emeraude insisted. "For Cephiro."

Clef nodded reluctantly. "I see."

"Miata, I will leave you with him, now," the Pillar said. "You will know when the time comes. I envy you."

Emeraude turned and walked away, fading with each step, until she had vanished.

"The Legendary Battle…I have to help the Magic Knights to kill the Pillar?"

"You knew it had to happen, eventually." Miata began walking.

"Where are you going?" Clef asked, following her.

"I haven’t bathed in two days," she replied. "I’m going to do so now, if you don’t mind."

"I—I guess," Clef replied, realizing that he felt rather grubby, too. "Where?"

"There’s a spring in the forest for just that purpose," Miata replied. "I’ll show you."

They continued walking, following a stream that wove through the forest. Clef could hear something. "Is that a waterfall?"

Miata nodded. "You should see it. It’s one of the few things I like about this place—it’s beautiful."

Clef’s breath was suitably taken away by the sight. The water was crystal clear, reflecting the morning sunlight into his eyes. A waterfall cascaded off an overhang of about five feet or so into a small pond with few weeds. Miata had begun to strip, and Clef averted his eyes, blushing. She laughed.

"What’s funny?" he asked, not looking at her.

"You," she replied. "If it makes you feel better, I’ll leave this on." She was wearing a white slip which, though sheer, covered up enough of her that Clef could look at her, though he still blushed. Miata stepped into the water, but Clef just stood on the bank, not sure what he wanted to do.

"Why does Emeraude have to be killed?" he asked.

Miata ducked underwater and came up, shaking out her hair. "So her love does not bring about the complete destruction of Cephiro," she replied. "If she devotes herself to one person, she cannot properly pray for Cephiro, and the world will fall apart."

"But if she is killed…"

"The people of Cephiro are strong enough to survive without a Pillar, now. When she is killed, her soul will go back to the Cathedral, and wait for the Return."

"What is the Return?"

"When a child born of both Pillar and human blood reopens the Crystalline Cathedral for everyone, and the Priests and Priestesses are returned to life."

"The Priests and Priestesses—the Pillars?"

Miata nodded. "Yeah, their souls are the same. Just like I am part Aurora."

"I don’t like to think of you as being someone else," Clef replied uncomfortably. "You’re just Miata, that’s enough for me."

"I am Miata. My soul was at one time Aurora, but now I am Miata. Are you coming in?"

"Well, I…um…" Clef stammered, trying to buy time.

"Nobody’s watching," Miata said. "The forest just belongs to you and me, now. And the water’s plenty warm enough."

Clef shrugged and stepped gingerly into the water, while Miata watched him thoughtfully. "I guess the water’s pretty warm," he said.

"You can’t even take off your shirt in front of me?" Miata wondered teasingly.

"Sheesh, Miata, I—" Clef removed his shirt, tossing it onto the bank. "—There," he said. "Happy?"

"Sure," Miata replied. "You’ve gone all rigid again, but I should have expected it. Welcome back, Guru Clef, Chief Magician of Cephiro." She saluted him and ducked underwater again.

Clef strode deeper into the water, until it was at his waist. "Miata—"

"Yes?" she replied, springing up in front of him.

"Maybe…maybe I should come back and bathe later…" he stammered. Miata frowned and splashed him mercilessly.

"Oh, no you don’t," she said. "We don’t know how much time we have left here, and I’m not going to let you waste it being all uptight. There’s no one here to care what you do, Clef. Just me. The trees aren’t going to tell anyone."

Clef hesitated—then began splashing back at her. "Weren’t you talking to the trees?" he accused.

"Never mind that," Miata replied. She turned and headed for deeper water, and Clef followed.

"Oh, so you can swim, after all," Miata said.

"Of course I can swim!" Clef replied.

"Good for you." Miata continued swimming away from him—towards the waterfall. She went under one last time and did not surface.

"Miata?"

"Hello," she replied, her voice soft and distant.

"Where are you?"

"Back here." Clef finally realized that she was speaking from behind the waterfall, and he ducked under it, to find a tiny cave carved out under the overhang from which the waterfall plummeted. Miata, curled up in a corner of the cave, reached out towards him.

"Is this place safe?" Clef wondered. Hearing so much water rushing over his head didn’t make him feel very secure.

"It’s safe," Miata replied. "The ceiling won’t cave in on us. It’s been here almost as long as the forest, and there’s magic to keep it from falling."

"You’re sure?"

"I—oh, Clef, there’s no need to be so paranoid!" Miata said. She crawled from the back of the cave to where it met the water, where Clef still waited uncomfortably. Her hair dripped beads of water onto the mossy floor of the cave. "What are you waiting for?" she asked, her face inches away from his.

"Oh, I don’t know, it just seems so—awkward—"

Miata laughed softly. "Clef, there’s no one here to care what we do, no one to spread rumors, no one to separate us. We love each other, and I don’t know how much time we have. Here, we can do anything that we want."

Clef pulled himself out of the water onto the ledge beside her. "Miata, I—Miata—" He looked aside sadly. "How can you expect me to forget you? I don’t want to forget you, please, I—" He was cut off as Miata kissed his lips, pressing him down to the floor of the small cave, and he soon lost the will to protest. She finally pulled her face away from his, looking down at him as water still dripped from her hair onto him, and smiled.

"You were saying something?" she asked softly.

Clef shook his head and wove his fingers through her hair, pulling her face back down to his.

*