Good Evening everyone, Author here.

So here is another piece, hopefully for your enjoyment. Alternate Universe, Carnival never happened.

A note on the style: This is an experiment in 1st person point-of-view. At the end/beginning/middle of each part there might be a break that reverts to the present day. This is, essentially, a conversation between two individuals with one (or both) of the individuals' recollections filling in the blanks.

Mai-Hime belongs to Sunrise

Prologue: Bye bye, Beautiful

Love is only what you make of it.

Sounds cliché, but it really does boil down to that. It can be fickle if you think it is, and it can be nice if the same attitude applies to it. As of right now I just find love to be kind of funny; not in the "haha" way but more on the lines of "the gods must have an awful sense of humor" way. And by awful I really mean that word in every sense. These past few months have not been a cakewalk despite having eaten lots of it. Come to think of it there's a lot of leftovers from the party still tucked away in the fridge, but they can wait. There are more important things to talk about, after all.

Like why I'm in this apartment, for instance. It's a rather pleasant February afternoon, three o'clock to be exact. If I look outside the curtained windows I would be able to see the general population milling around somewhere or another. Valentine's Day isn't for another week but I know that the stores are already packed with over-eager girls ready to impress this year's heartthrobs with some hopefully edible attempt at baking. Me, I'm not much of a baker myself, although we both have sweet tooths. You wouldn't have guessed it from her, really. She doesn't look the type to indulge in too many sweets. And we had already decided not to do anything this year. Why? Because it's also the Day. The Day. I tend to avoid the house like the plague, and it's not as if she complains about it either.

You know, it really isn't my fault that things happened the way they did. It's not their faults either. I'm not sure how to explain it, really. They loved each other, that much was certain. Even they were aware of how much they loved each other, which was a miracle in itself considering how amazingly stupid one of them was when it concerned things like feelings. I was amazed that it went as far as it did.

But she couldn't stop. She just couldn't stop.

So they fell apart.

It's only natural, really. What goes up must come down, and even though you shake your head and try to tell me otherwise you know that the laws of gravity can apply to abstract concepts just as well. It's not science, you know. It just isn't something to be measured, yet I can tell you right now with a straight face that you are wrong and all good things really do come to an end. In sickness and in health? Yeah, right. Well I suppose it's a good thing they never went that far down the aisle before everything began to blow up in their faces. Sad, really. Even I wasn't prepared for that big of a letdown.

How did I fall into that picture?

I know you're interested, even when you purse those lips and start shaking your head to indicate that you could care less. Despite the dirty looks you sneak in every time you think I'm not looking, I know you're just as curious as everyone else is... over what happened and why it did. Don't think I didn't notice those looks. You're obviously dying to know just how I single-handedly managed to wreck the lives of one of your most treasured friends when really I'm the one wondering the same thing. But I can't say sorry—because I did nothing worth apologizing over—and I won't be eating any humble pie. That ran out a long time ago, and in my opinion you're in need of a slice yourself.

Alright, so you made this journey back to Fuuka on some wild goose-chase to find your old friend and perhaps try to set things "right." But I'm telling you right now, that's not going to happen. You can fuss and threaten all you like, but it's not going to happen. And I'll tell you why.

I, Yuuki Nao, had fallen in love with the wrong person.

I'll even admit that I wasn't even intending on falling in love with her. I believe what I was trying to achieve was quite the opposite effect but hey, I'm not going to complain at the surprise factor. I mean, did you see that coming? No, no you didn't, don't lie to my face like that. You're not even good at it in the first place so don't even bother trying. It'll take more than two years of not seeing you to make me misread all the cues.

But I can tell you this before I give up the information you so desperately crave. I'm still in love with her, and that's all that matters. If she loves me back, then I'm smart and happy. If not, I can take 1 out of 2 for the sake of preserving my own well-being.

So ask me, if you dare.

Mai set down her tea cup with a terse frown on her face. In the dim light of the sun spilling through partially-drawn curtains she could still make out the impassively straight line of Nao's lips even after she took a sip from her own glass of cola. The ice in the glass slowly floated back up to rest against the surface of the bubbling beverage, and Mai watched it for a few more seconds before flicking her gaze back to rest upon calculating green eyes.

"Alright then," Mai said after the silence dispersed. "Then tell me. How did this happen?"

"I'm pretty sure you can answer that question, Tokiha," Nao replied with a slight grin. "It's your beginning too, after all."

Mai gave a small shrug of defeat and mildly sighed.

It was going to be a long day.

AN: Here you have the first installment. I'm not sure on the updating schedule on this one, so it may be a bit sporadic at first.

Cheers!