…
Born from the light and joy, the lock protects all beings in its domain
Without question, with no selfish motive or desire, the lock sacrifices its own happiness for others'
Born from darkness and sadness, the key helps protect the lock.
No happiness can be felt, nothing but loneliness and misery as it takes it in all the pain aimed for the lock
…
Miki fanned herself as she opened the door to her shop, doing her best to get rid of the red flush from her cheeks. She only prayed that Amu wasn't awake, for the pink haired girl's sake. Even though they were a year apart, the poor girl simply wasn't mature enough to handle such adult topics.
The blue haired girl paused in her step, sniffing the air curiously. It smelled like the leftover lamb stew she had prepared for Amu's lunch that morning. Surely the younger girl had already eaten; why would she be cooking at this hour?
Miki cautiously opened the door to her loft, stunned by the sight in front of her. There was Amu sitting on their sofa, talking quietly to an unknown girl curled up in a blanket while lying on her side. A glance at the dining table showed that the lamb stew had been served as well.
Amu looked up in surprise, only raising a finger to her lips as she stood and gestured the older girl to follow her into their shared bedroom. The artist had no choice but to obey her request, her sapphire blue eyes glancing at where the small blonde haired girl slept peacefully on her sofa.
She sat on the edge of her bed tediously, waiting until Amu carefully shut their heavy wooden door before demanding, "What is going on?"
Her seamstress of a friend sighed wearily, sitting next to her. "I'm sorry I didn't ask for your permission, Miki, but…"
"Start from the beginning…now."
So Amu quickly explained what had happened earlier that day, and Miki sighed as she took off her infamous blue beret. "I guess I can't fault you for wanting to take care of her, Amu, but I want you to be careful. That El girl may seem sweet but she owes her life to the Hoshina family, and her loyalties will be unclear. Don't try to do anything, alright?"
"But you didn't see her, Miki," protested Amu. "You didn't see how they treated her!"
"No, I didn't," agreed the older girl, pinching her nose. "She can stay here for tonight, alright? Go change; you're going into town tomorrow." Amu squealed, throwing her arms around her best friend's shoulders before grabbing a nightgown from her dresser and dashing away. Miki shook her head, wondering why she had left her boyfriend's house that night.
…
"Are you sure, El?" Amu asked again the next morning. The blonde nodded her head, smiling while Miki sighed.
"Amu, if she wants to go back home then let her," said the artist firmly. Amu was about to argue when Miki snapped, "Don't you have chores to do?" The pink haired girl frowned and stuck her tongue out at her as she grabbed her cloak and basket, walking out of the shop with El.
The two girls stood and faced each other, already missing their new friend. Finally, El sighed. "I have to go now or no one will be there to help Lady Utau get dressed; do promise to stay in touch, Amu." The seamstress winked.
"We'll see each other again," she promised, hugging the young blonde. "Have a safe journey back." El nodded and began walking, turning around a few feet later to wave at her friend before jogging down the crowded street. Amu giggled as she watched the blonde nearly crash into somebody, before turning in the opposite direction.
She greeted some of the villagers cheerfully, having a bit of a hop in her step as she walked through the town. Seeing that she was approaching a certain street, Amu decided to step inside the bakery. She ducked inside, immediately feeling welcomed by the warm air and aroma of freshly baked bread.
The green haired girl placing scones on the shelf looked up and her face lit up, seemingly flying across the room to hug her favorite person. "Amu-chan!"
Amu laughed at the eleven year old's tactics. "Hello Su; it's been a while, hm? Sorry about that. How is Musashi; are you taking good care of him?" The younger girl turned scarlet and Amu giggled, patting her head. "I only kid, lighten up Suanna." She wrinkled her nose at her full name. "Where is Yaya?" Su brightened at the mention of her boss.
"Yaya-senpai went out to get more supplies from the farm," she replied, offering a piece of sweet bread to Amu who took it gratefully. "I personally think she went out to see her daughter, or rather, intimidate her son-in-law. I don't get why she doesn't like Kiseki; he seems alright."
"Kiseki…is very controlling," said Amu carefully. "He and Pepe make a good pair though."
"Like you and Tadase-kun," replied Su offhandedly. The older girl narrowed her eyes slightly at the mention of the blond male. "Has he approached you yet?"
"No," snapped Amu. "Personally, I hope he doesn't; I already told him that I didn't like him that way."
"Did you now?"
Amu and Su turned around, startled to see Kiseki in the doorway. He took a dinner roll from a shelf and sniffed it curiously before shrugging, taking a bite while his blue eyes glanced at the two girls. "You didn't answer my question, Hinamori; did you really tell that kid you didn't like him or did you play dumb?" Amu's sputtering was enough of an answer. "Come on, Hinamori; just because he's the Duke of Embryo, doesn't mean that he's not invincible to rejections." The twenty three year old licked his lips, finishing off the piece of bread.
"You say it like it's so simple," scoffed Amu. "What are you doing here, hiding from Yaya?" The purple haired male blushed, scowling as he crossed his arms and pointedly looked away.
"Of course not," he exclaimed indignantly. "The old lady is just a nuisance."
"The old lady can kick your butt," said a voice behind him, making Kiseki stiffen and pale considerably as he turned to see the elderly woman. Although she was in her mid forties, she had the energy of someone much younger. "Kiseki, what are you doing here? I thought you were at home with Pepe; how will you know if she goes into labor? Are you leaving her alone all the time?" The fading brunette poked his chest with the handle of her broom. "You're not messing around with other maidens are you?"
"N-no ma'am," sputtered the violet haired man, making his way around her and bowing repeatedly. "I-I was just stopping to say hello! Uh, I'll be going home right now!" He bolted out of the bakery with a terrified expression.
Amu shook her head. "Yaya, isn't it normally the father who intimates their daughter's partner?" The forty-five year old grinned cheekily.
"Kairi can't scare a bunny, even with his sword collection," she replied, using her broom as a cane to walk towards the pink haired girl. "Amu-chan, you've grown so much! I haven't seen you a while; how have you been? Is Miki being nice to you? If not, I'll go and show her how to play nice!" She shook her fist threateningly and Amu laughed.
"Yaya-senpai, you can talk but everybody knows you can't do anything," remarked Su, giggling behind her hand. "I finished decorating all the pastries, and gave the stale ones from yesterday to the alley cats."
"How many were there today?" Yaya asked as she made her way behind the counter, apparently counting her profits. "Was that black cat there too?"
Su nodded. "Only seven today, and yes, but he seemed like he was in a rush." She turned to the fifteen year old, who looked lost. "Whenever there are leftovers at the end of the day, we toss them out to the alley cats in the back. The numbers vary each day, but there is always one that comes every time. He's a black cat and even though he's obviously the leader, he sticks to the shadows like a loner. I think he has an owner because he looked better kept than the other cats." Amu nodded.
"Where's Nana?" Yaya asked suddenly, noticing that the other girl wasn't in the bakery.
"She ate too many sweets and is lying upstairs to settle her belly," replied Su, causing her employer to shake her head.
"She reminds me of myself when I was younger," was all Yaya said. "It was nice seeing you again, Amu-chan, but I think I should go have a word with that lazy girl." She waved to Amu, who smiled, before disappearing behind the back curtain.
"I should go too," said Amu to the green haired girl. "Miki is making me run around town, probably to keep me from the house so she can have time with her boyfriend."
"Oh, you know about Yoru?" Su asked, surprised. The older girl grinned.
"I do now," she replied, causing her friend's eyes widen. "Bye Su!"
"I had no hand in this," called the green haired girl, panicking. Her sister was going to kill her.
Amu laughed as she slowed down, avoiding the mid morning crowd as she made her way towards the docks. She stood near the docks, looking around until she saw the oak colored vessel. As expected, swinging down from the crow's nest by a loose rope was eighteen year old Ran Amulet (soon to be Souma). The older female grinned as her bright pink eyes landed on her friend, swinging down so that she landed near the docks.
Ran waved her hand excitedly, her magenta colored hair flying wildly in the wind as she pounced on her childhood friend. "Amu-chan, hi! I haven't seen you since…last week!"
The other pinkette giggled. "Hi, Ran; how are things? Did you manage to find some time to plan the wedding?"
"Somehow," replied the preppy female, stepping back as she settled down. "Daichi is more stressed out than I am, though." She frowned. "His family doesn't really approve of us, saying that we're still so young and that we're rushing into things." Ran replaced her frown with a bright grin. "I know it should bother me more, but I don't mind! I mean, I know Daichi loves me as much as I love him so as long as we have each other I don't really want to hear what anyone else says!"
Amu smiled warmly. "Good for you, Ran," she replied, reaching into her basket. "I bought some sweets from the bakery; I thought maybe you and Daichi would be hungry."
"Wow, thanks Amu-chan," exclaimed the female sailor, happily taking one of the sweet buns from her friend. "It's nearly noon; do you want to join us for lunch?"
"I would love to, but I'm actually doing errands for Miki," replied the seamstress. "Or rather, she wants me out of the house so she can invite Yoru over."
"She told you she's dating the prince's royal advisor?" Ran exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise. Amu giggled.
"Nope," she replied. "You and Su are easily tricked, you know." The magenta haired girl paled; Miki was going to kill her. "Don't worry; I won't tell a soul. Anyways, is your offer still available?" Ran beamed.
"Of course," she replied, grabbing her childhood friend by the wrist and dragging her onto the Seven Seas Treasure. "I hope you don't mind that Rhythm and Dia join us."
"Of course not," exclaimed Amu as she was led into the captain's cabin. The other three were already seated at a table near the window, a moderate but delectable looking meal already placed in front of them. "Morning!"
"Hey, Amu," greeted the males while the ginger haired girl simply smiled, standing to give her friend a hug.
"Hello, Amu," said Dia, holding the younger girl at arm's length as Ran placed the sweets with the other food. "I haven't seen you in a while; I'm glad you could join us today though."
"Miki has been keeping me busy, especially with this ball coming up," apologized the seamstress as she took a seat between the two sisters, noticing a gap between Daichi and Rhythm. "Is there someone else coming?"
"My sister," replied Rhythm, removing his feathered pirate hat with a grin. "Temari said she would rather be handcuffed to me for the rest of her life than eat on our ship, but I am certain she'll show."
"How do you know?" Daichi asked curiously as his fiancé kissed his cheek in greeting, gripping the magenta haired girl's hand lovingly. Dia rolled her amber colored eyes at her own fiancé.
"Darling, you stole her favorite priceless fan and threatened to feed it to your pet alligator if she didn't show up," she remarked, earning a sheepish look from the ship's captain. "I do wonder why I agreed to marry you sometimes, so childish…"
"It's because you love me," replied Rhythm cheekily, only to have someone whack him across the back of his head. "Ouch!"
Temari rolled her eyes as she took her seat beside her brother, careful not to ruin her kimono in any way. She always had a flare for the traditional lifestyle. "You have always been a flirt; thank you, Dia, for taming this animal." She smiled. "Hello, Amu; it's been quite a while."
"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Amu exclaimed, crossing her arms. "It's not like I don't visit you."
"Yes, but we've all been so busy that we've rarely had time just to socialize with our friends," assured Dia, patting the younger girl's arm comfortingly. "We're not blaming you for wanting to take a break, especially with this upcoming ball. The prince only turns twenty once, after all. It's his last birthday before his parents choose a bride for him, and the young maidens in the kingdom are all eager to be the next queen. It's very troubling since they have no clue as to what type of girls he will like, since he has never been seen with any other girl."
Amu narrowed her eyes. "Are you implying something to me, Dia?"
The ginger haired girl smiled knowingly. "No; I say what I say, but you can interpret it however you like."
"It's as if I open a fortune cookie with you," muttered Temari.
"Anyways, we know Temari enjoys being a bachelorette," started Daichi. "However, I wonder about you Amu. It seems the only gentlemen you loiter with is us, not including those village boys who crowd you with confessions."
"And you know this because…?" Amu questioned, recalling the fact that he lived on the edge of the kingdom on the docks with little contact with the main village.
The green haired sailor grinned. "I have my ways, my dear Amu."
"Seriously though," stated Ran, peering at her friend. "You just turned fifteen, the proper age for a maiden to begin looking for a husband. If you don't choose one by the time you turn twenty, your parents will have to select a husband for you."
"I would certainly like to be in a relationship," admitted the youngest of the room's occupants. "However, I seek one out of love not power or status and none of the young men in the village catch my eye."
Temari raised one delicate eyebrow as she ran her hand absently through her lavender colored hair. "Don't you have Hotori Tadase chasing after you?" Amu nodded slowly, not understanding what her point was. "Amu, he's the Duke of Embryo! How can he not catch your eye?"
"He seems much too…feminine for my taste," replied the fifteen year old pinkette. "I also find him rather persistent, considering I already told him I have no feelings for him."
"You…rejected the Duke of Embryo," said Daichi slowly in disbelief, blinking twice before he exclaimed loudly, "Are you out of your mind?!"
Amu glowered at him, "I don't love him or return his feelings, so I won't lie to him and lead him on just because of some dumb title."
Ran swatted her fiancé, giving him a warning glare before turning to her friend. "Amu, I can't believe you turned down such an important person…but you are right. It is better to marry for love than status…" She glanced at the muttering sailor. "Even if the person you love is an idiot."
"I agree with Ran…on all of it," added Dia, glancing at the captain who merely grinned at her. "Why don't you at least give him a chance or any of them really?"
"No," immediately said Amu, shooting the idea down. "The males in this kingdom are all the same. One date, and they think they're good for the rest of their life. They'll never let me go if I give them even the smallest chance of hope." Daichi and Rhythm exchanged looks before nodding sheepishly, agreeing with her statement. "Why are all of you so interested in my love life, all of a sudden?"
Temari sighed, delicately picking at the chicken on her plate. "It's just that we don't want you to be left out. I may or may not remain single forever, if I find the right person, and nearly all of your friends have a partner. The only exception would be Su, and even she has found interest in that young man Musashi."
"Yes," agreed Amu, tapping her nail against her chin absently. "That reminds me…why did none of you tell me that Miki is dating the prince's royal advisor? I already know that Daichi is cousins with the Duke of Seiyo, Souma Kukai, so what could be so bad about telling me something like that?"
Dia sipped her tea, sighing. "Miki has always been the conservative one in our family, you know Amu. Perhaps she just didn't feel comfortable telling you."
"Yes, but why did all of you have to hide it from me?" The pink haired seamstress questioned. Her friends remained silent, and she sighed. "In any case, I have to return to my chores for Miki. I will see you all another time." She stood, gathering her things.
"Amu…" protested Ran, but the other girl was already gone. "Oh dear."
Amu stormed from the ship, a furious expression on her face. She knew her friends had their reasons, and maybe it was because she hadn't seen them in a while, but even Su had known and she talked to Miki the least. Not that they disliked each other, it's just that the four sisters' personalities occasionally clashed with each other.
It wasn't even the fact that they had hid it that had Amu so mad. No, it was the fact that all of them were in happy relationships and she was still lonely. All those boys that had come up to her in the village had all been of age already and just simply wanted a bride to produce an heir. Even Tadase, the charming duke, had strongly implied that he needed a bride since he had turned fifteen six months previously.
"Oh, how I hate love," muttered Amu, brushing past the people in the now crowded market. "It's nothing but trouble!" She would have complained more, but she ran into something hard and felt herself falling to the ground. Her eyes immediately shut as she prepared for impact, only for it to never come. One topaz orb opened and after realizing someone was holding her, she opened the other and came to meet the most beautiful pair of indigo eyes she had ever seen. An amused smirk was on her savior's lips.
"Are you alright?" He asked. "Nearly hit that fish vendor, you did." His smirk seemed to grow when she didn't respond, too stunned to even move from his grasp. "I don't suppose you know where the seamstress is, do you? I need my suit tailored…and I think you will do just fine."
Amu fainted, right in Prince Ikuto's arms.
…
Of course, I own nothing!
Ah, so Amu and Ikuto meet! How charming; I wonder how that will play out?
We also meet the other characters, so I hope you like what I've done with them. Don't worry; we'll see more of them, and El (and Lady Utau), in the next chapter.
Thank you for the reviews!