Disclaimer: We don't own the anime, characters, places, or the songs used in this fic. They all belong to their respective owners. We only own the plot and our original characters.

The song used in this chapter is called I'll Forget You from the Scarlet Pimpernel Musical. Enjoy everyone! ^^


Chapter Seven

Why Would He Love Me?

Syaoran kept stepping on Guardian's toes for a while before the alchemist found a way to keep her feet from being stepped on. The little alchemist had offered to give Syaoran and Kurogane waltzing lessons since they would need them at the Ball. She was having an easier time teaching Kurogane, but Syaoran was a different story. He looked very embarrassed as they continued to waltz and kept apologizing to her for the smallest of things. But Guardian shook her head and said, "It just takes practice, Syaoran. You'll get it."

"Maybe it would be better if I watched for a while." Guardian smiled and nodded in understanding.

"Alright, Syaoran. That can be all for the day," Guardian said before the two friends parted. The little alchemist was going to ask Tamaki if he would help her show Syaoran and Kurogane how to waltz when Fai stood before her with one hand extended to her.

"May I have this dance, Guardian?"

"Well, I was going to use this time to show Kurogane and Syaoran how to waltz. Do you know how to waltz, Fai?" The wizard nodded and Guardian grinned before taking his hand. Tamaki started up the music again as Guardian and Fai took their positions in each other's arms before Fai took the lead and started a moderate waltz with Guardian.

As they continued to dance, Guardian felt her heart beat faster whenever Fai smiled down at her, his blue eyes twinkling. The sensations made Guardian feel a little lightheaded and scared and she suddenly stopped dancing even though the music still played. Fai stopped as well and looked down at his friend with a concerned look apparent in his eyes.

"Guardian?" Guardian didn't look up at Fai and took her hand away from his shoulder before putting her clutched fist over her racing heart.

"I'm sorry, Fai. I've got to go do something. I'll be back," Guardian said, her words a little rushed, before she broke away from Fai and went out the door of Music Room 3. Fai stood there for a moment stunned before rushing towards the door after the little alchemist. He looked this way and that for Guardian, but she was nowhere in sight. No one could walk that quickly so she must have run off somewhere.

But why did she leave so suddenly? It didn't make any sense.

"Guardian…"

xXx

Guardian kept running until she reached the main library. No one was in the library at the moment, so Guardian had the entire place to herself. The little alchemist meandered to one of the window seats and sat down, trying to make her fluttering heart to calm down.

Guardian stared out the window for a little bit before she noticed the book that was next to her. She picked it up and dusted off the cover. It was a book of fairy tales, many of them stories that Guardian knew from her childhood. The little alchemist grinned slightly and opened the book, flipping through the pages before she found one of her favorite stories, Beauty and the Beast.

This wasn't the Disney version that she loved so much. It was the tale that the Disney version was based off, but still had the same general theme: learning to love despite outer appearances. And out of all the fairy tales she had read, this one was one of her absolute favorite tales ever since she was little.

Guardian read the tale from start to finish before she heard someone enter the library and come towards her. She panicked, dropping the fairy tale book, and fled behind one of the nearby bookshelves, slowly inching away from whoever had come into the room. The little alchemist finally reached the end of the bookcase and hid behind it. She was about to make a dash for the door when she heard an all too familiar voice call, "Guardian? Guardian, are you in here? Please come out. I don't know what made you run off like that, but please tell me. I won't think of you any different if you did."

It was Fai.

Guardian grit her teeth as she felt tears prick her eyes. I can't tell you, Fai…because if I did, you wouldn't think of me the same ever again…. And I don't want to risk losing our friendship over this…..ever.

The little alchemist waited until the magician was in the very back of the library, farthest away from her, before she quietly, but quickly, scurried out the door of the library and made a dash for the rose maze in the school grounds. Fai wouldn't find her there.

Guardian kept running until she reached the little gazebo in the rose maze and sat down on the stone seat, gasping for breath. The little alchemist sat in her little sanctuary for a few seconds before she gave into her emotions and started to cry. It felt like hours to the little alchemist before the tears finally stopped and Guardian was reduced to dry sobbing.

When she had calmed down, Guardian noticed that there was a blue rose among the green of the huge hedges of the maze. She carefully plucked it from the brush, mindful of the thorns, and stared at it, noticing the color. It was cerulean blue…..the same color as Fai's eyes. Guardian stared at the rose for a while and felt silent tears fall from her eyes. How could someone like him….fall in love with someone like me? Even if he was in love with me, why would it be me and not some other girl?

"So is this where you hide from your friends?" Guardian was rudely interrupted from her thoughts and she gasped, fearing that one of her friends had found her. But when she looked up, Guardian's eyes narrowed in disgust. It was Lucas.

"Leave me alone," Guardian told him quietly but sternly as she got up from the stone seat of the gazebo. She was about to head into the maze back to the school when her hand was grabbed from behind. The little alchemist turned, anger flashing in her chocolate orbs when she found that it was Lucas that had grabbed her hand, preventing her from leaving.

"What's got you worked up all of a sudden? An argument with your little friends that ended badly?" His questions made Guardian really angry. He had no business in what was going on with her. She glared at him and snapped, "It's none of your business, so leave me alone."

She tried pulling her hand away from him, but Lucas's grip on her tightened, making her wince slightly. "You can tell me what happened, Guardian. I won't tell anyone."

"Just leave me alone for once, Lucas!" Guardian cried as she wrenched her arm out of his grasp and ran with all of her might back inside the school. But he just smirked and said to himself, "Well…this has sure been an interesting turn of events. This I could probably use to my advantage."

xXx

Guardian ran until she reached Music Room 3 and opened the door. She looked around and was relieved that no one was there. She wouldn't have to explain her tears to them. The little alchemist sniffed and wandered off into one of the practice rooms. Inside was an enormous grand piano and Guardian sat down on the bench, touching the black and white keys lightly with one hand before poising them to play. She started playing a song that she knew how to play because Guardian had learned it by ear mostly and its melancholy melody filled the music room before the little alchemist started to sing, uncaring if anyone heard her.

I'll forget you; the more you stay inside of me, the weaker I grow.

I'll forget you; tomorrow I will turn and let you go.

No more shadows, no dreams of leaning in the dark above you.

I will forget how much I love you...any day.

I'll forget you; I won't remember arms that pulled me in soft and slow.

I'll forget you; there has to be a way to let you go!

I'll grow colder; I'll lose myself in anything but you now.

For there is nothing I can do now...but forget!

But every time I close my eyes you come to me again.

I swear I feel your touch against my skin!

You haunt me everywhere until I reach into the air,

Dreaming of the nights that might have been!

I'll forget you; I hear you whisper to me in the dark and still I know.

I'll forget you; God help me see the way to let you go!

I do not want you...

Guardian paused and gasped as she felt the tears fall from her eyes in her despair and heartache. She started to sing more softly than before, the tears still falling down her ashen cheeks.

...and still you steal each breath I'm breathing from me.

With just a touch... you overcome me... and I let you.

I will forget you... when I die.

The song's melody started to crescendo as the end came nearer and nearer and Guardian hung her head as she continued to play.

I will forget you...

Guardian could hardly hold in the emotions she was feeling anymore and she could feel her voice start to crack a bit.

...when I...die!

Guardian played the last few notes before taking her hands away from the piano. She looked at her shaking hands, her vision blurring with tears, before she curled in on herself and wept out of pure heartbrokenness. She didn't even notice the eyes on her or the footsteps that approached her until Guardian felt a hand on her shoulder.

The little alchemist gasped, but didn't dare look up to see who it was. They just stayed like that before a familiar voice said, "I've never heard you sing like that before, Guardian. It wasn't a recitation….you sang that song out of pure sorrow."

It was Tamaki. Guardian knew it was him just by his voice.

Guardian didn't respond to her friend. Instead she stood up from the piano and walked over to the window, not looking at Tamaki once. She could feel her body shaking so badly that she could hardly stand up and placed her hands on the window sill. Still even with the extra support, Guardian's knees buckled beneath her and she sank down to the floor, her hands still clinging to the sill, before she let all of the emotions built up inside of her burst. Tears flowed down her cheeks like two twin waterfalls and her shoulders were shaking as she sobbed.

Then Guardian felt someone wrap their arms around her shoulders and held her close as she continued to sob. She wanted to struggle, wanted to run far away from the person holding her, but her body refused to move. Instead the little alchemist gave into their embrace and cried as they stroked her hair comfortingly.

"You really had us worried, Guardian," the person holding the little Light Alchemist said. Guardian knew her voice...it was Fallin holding her, comforting her, as she sobbed. "Fai's still out in the grounds looking for you. He was worried sick about you when you ran off like you did. Why did you run? I don't understand, Guardian."

Guardian sniffed, wiping the tears from her eyes even though more tears came, and hoarsely pleaded, "Can we talk about this somewhere else...just you, me, and the other girls and Mokona, Fallin? Please?"

"Sure, Guardian. Come on. Let's go," Fallin replied before gently helping her trembling friend up from the floor. The Ice Alchemist led her friend and beckoned the other girls to follow including Haruhi and Mokona. Mokona bounced up onto Guardian's shoulder and snuggled into her cheek in an effort to make the little alchemist feel better. Guardian pet Mokona's head a little, but the tears still remained. Still she was glad for the comfort that Mokona was giving her despite her sadness.

"We're going to be a little while, Tamaki," Fallin told him and the other Hosts, Syaoran, and Kurogane. The Host King nodded and said, "Take all the time you need, Fallin. We'll wait for Fai here. Besides us guys need to talk to him anyway."

"Alright. We'll be back soon." With that, Fallin and the other girls led Guardian to one of the vacant libraries. As they made their way to the door to Music Room 3, they saw Fai coming down the hall. When he saw Guardian with the girls, the magician quickened his pace until he reached them. But when he saw Guardian's tears and noticed that she was trembling, Fai stopped short, his blue eyes betraying his worry.

"Guardian, are you all right? Did something happen?" he asked his friend, but the little alchemist just turned her head away from him to hide her tears. Fallin looked at him and said, "We're going to talk to her, Fai. But only me, Mokona, and the girls though. The guys are inside waiting for you. We won't be gone long."

The magician nodded despite his confusion and let the girls go on their way towards one of the libraries before entering Music Room 3. Fai closed the door behind him and found the Hosts, Syaoran, and Kurogane sitting on a couple couches. Tamaki beckoned the magician to them and said, "Fai, we need to talk. It's about you and Guardian."


The boys are getting prepared for the Ball and it seems like our little alchemist now finds herself smitten with certain mage. What will happen next to our heroes? Keep an eye out for the next chapter!