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Chapter Four: The Truth

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His sickening fake smile faded into shock, and then he went limp as he…blacked out? The floor was no match for him, let alone me. My arms went back to my sides, and I turned and headed to the exit like nothing happened. Basically, I was in denial. The soft thump of my long hair against my back, tangled from my movements.

Two hands tightly gripped my shoulders, accompanied with a panicking voice, "Mashiro-chan, what are you thinking?"

This is Amu, the 16-year old maid, the same age as me. She's really tall, and has a body that boy's find very attractive. She has the bust size and everything. I've always been jealous of her. She has shoulder-length pink hair and big, round yellow eyes, that remind me of a waning moon. She could be my perfect replacement; she's skilled at cooking, cleaning, sports, art and fighting. She could be my Father's dream daughter, with the looks too, and even the thief-me.

She shook me a little harder, shouting in a higher octave, "Mashiro-chan?" I opened my eyes a little wider.

"Yes?" I mumbled, my voice surprisingly slurred. Was I that jealous of her to loose a grip on reality?

She spat at me, "You just punched your fiancé! This is the worst thing a lady like you can do…seriously-!!"

I growled under my breath, her hands quickly shying away from me, "You insolent maid…HOW DARE YOU SHOUT AT ME!" I didn't want to be mad at her, because she'd tried to teach me everything since I was eleven. But she was making the situation worse, and I knew even if Father thought she was ideal, he did not approve of any servant shouting at royal blood.

I stormed out of the room, the sounds of everyone worriedly fussing over Nagihiko faded out of earshot. It made me relax. But as I entered the hall, I heard Amu's knees hit the floor, and her tears begin to stream in floods. As usual, she was unkempt with her emotions. One minute she'd be fuming, and the next, she'd be weeping in her own hands, mumbling 'sorry' again and again.

The clock read '1:00 am'. I had on my Moon Clown dress, as goofy as it may seem, it is a sign of insanity and despair when seen at night. For me, well, it was just me. I opened my window to the night sky, careful not to make any noise. Usually at nights, from my young age, I had a record of running away, so Amu had always come to check on me.

Even at 1 in the morning, I could hear, very faintly, her footsteps down the hall. But the night air called to me, like a fresh breeze pulling me to freedom. I put a boot on the window sill, and braced myself. I pushed off from inside and jumped out into the air, gliding like a cloud. Even though I knew no clouds showed up at nights.

I landed without a trace of evidence, no noise, no movement…nothing. I took a step, and the bow on my head made the faintest noise. No one could possibly hear it. I didn't even realize it, until I was swooped up into the sky again.

I could feel arms under my legs, supporting me. My eye's widened; of course a thief like me would want to be captured. I tried to escape, but his hands gripped tighter, and they were dangerously close to my thighs, where, it was just perverted to be, and because I kept my egg there. I leaned my head back, still struggling. Long, purple hair lashed about behind him, glowing in the moonlight. I froze in my actions.

Fujisaki Nagihiko?

I was obviously thinking out loud, because he nodded, "Yes, the Jack of Night." I cringed, about to let out a scream, but stopping myself. My dream role-model was this ass!?

"You-!! My only role-model left…is you!?" I screeched, toning down my voice to a whisper, as he landed in a tree branch. "This is the worst day ever…or the worst life ever."

He gently placed me down, ignoring my harsh words. I stood up, brushing myself off. Why he placed me down gently, let alone place me down at all, I'll never know…pervert. He just sat down, his legs dangling. He patted the empty space of tree bark beside him, his face expressionless.

I sat. He looked at the meter distance between us, sighed, and mumbled, "Sorry…for disappointing you."

I was shocked for the millionth time since we'd met again. He…was apologizing? I swept my hair with my hands, and draped it over my right shoulder. With forced stubbornness, I replied, "A…"

He looked over at me, the weight on the branch shifted, "A?"

I quickly shouted, "A-apology accepted!"

Nagihiko looked at me, with dull eyes, and an open mouth. Then he surprised me again, and smiled at me, "You know…that Tarzan boy…the one you remember in your memories?"

I nodded, wondering where this was heading to.

"That wasn't the real me…at all. It was my would-be self." This time, my mouth was a little open, as I'd turned to fully look at him. "I have this little version of me, my would-be self, called a Chara. His name is Rhythm…but when the egg he came from hatched…he took control of me straight away, making me do daring things, really out of character and stuff…that's how I met you." A light bulb went off in my head, as I remembered the window incident.

"So…" I began, "every time we met, it was the fake you?"

Nagihiko nodded, looking away. I stared at his hair, his facing-the-sky head. He'd taken me to a tree, in the middle of the night, just to spill the whole reason of my hopes being crushed by his stubborn foot. I couldn't tell what his expression was. Suddenly, he mused, "But I enjoyed every time spent with you." He looked back at me, smirking. His knee shifted up from below the tree branch, to on top of it. His arms kneeled on his knee, and his head lay, resting on his entwined hands.

His huge, yellow eyes stared into me. I blushed, the truth spilling out, "I'm glad you e-enjoyed it! I did too!"

He gaped at me, then smiled, "It was perfect until I moved. Mother forced me to live like a girl in Europe, dancing was all I ever did, along with my school work. I never forgot you…until it was too much to ask for, years later, for you to remember me. So, regrettably, I've fallen in love with Amu."

I spat, "What!?" After it was said, I realized how jealous I sounded, and I didn't even mean to comment on that. But really, of all people he liked, AMU?

"She was my dance partner, in Europe. She taught me dance as I know it, of course with mother's help, but she even helped me learn cooking, secretly sports, and other life skills. She moved away, a few weeks before her eleventh birthday. I knew I was in love with her, so a few years later, mother had me arranged to marry someone named princess Mashiro. I never knew it was you. But, before we even met, I met Amu…Hinamori Amu as I last knew her. Here…at my would-be wife's palace, working as a maid. We had tea…and talked…but soon enough, Rhythm took over, and I…well…met you." I blushed, thinking of how he kissed me. He added, "Sorry…that came out in a rush."

I didn't know what to say. I hated him. But my heart was thumping like crazy…could I be jealous? No! Not at all! I muttered, "So that's why the headphones disappeared…" Wow, Rima! How stupid is that!

He laughed, the awkward atmosphere merely increasing, "I guess I seem like a jerk…sorry. But I don't think I can ever love you, even if we do get married."

I looked down, my legs, that had been swinging in anticipation, were hanging limply. I was shot in the heart, lying limp in the aftermath.

He stood up, waved goodbye, and bent down his knees. The tree branch bent down…he had to jump perfectly, unleashing his full power to leap upwards, I knew all this. Why didn't I say goodbye? Did I want him to leave?

Right now, or else we would go tumbling down to the ground! I leaped, my arms pulling him down, "I will never give up on you, Fujisaki Nagihiko!" The snap went under my knees, and the words tumbled out. "So-if you love someone like Amu..!! Teach me all the skills she taught you! So I can be the one in need, making you…making you…"

We fell down…the scenery flashing by.

I shouted the last words, my chest feeling light, "Making you need me more than anyone else-!!"

He whirled under me in a flash, his warm arms pressing me against him. I didn't expect an answer, as I thought over the words I hadn't said consciously. But, in the loud wind around us, I heard a faint, "Sure," His lips pressed against my ear.

The ground was then there. I knew I was going to die. I knew I was stupid, and always wrong. Definitely, this time, because under the two of us, I heard a faint whine of a person trying to support our weight. We weren't dying, stupid Rima.

Nagihiko said it after I noticed it, the pink hair, the jealously increasing, everything …"Amu!?"

Mikki: haha nobody likes amu x nagi anymore..

Amu: ... but..Nagi and me already.. (.///.)

Mikki: WHAT!? -drags nagi into the room-

Nagi: ughhh i have a headache already hearing amu talk.

Mikki: -throws nagi into room with rima and locks door- have some fun. case closed now. :P

Amu: I'm t-telling the truth!

Mikki: -yawns- ya..ya.. thinking of which part I should put in next chapter. o3e;; -noms popcorn-

Rima: HELP!!! NAGI HAS NO PANTS ON!!!

Nagi: WHAT!?!?! NO I DON'T!!!

Mikki: EW!

Nagi: WAIT! I MEAN I DO! HUH WHAT!?!? I HAVE PANTS ON!!!

Rima: LMAO!!! XD R&R!!!

Mikki: O_______________e Rima...

Nagi: o-o RAWRRRR!?R8g23f1y!!!