The palace was beautiful and Umi got to wear a dress of Caldina's that was relatively modest. After she had changed Clef offered to take them on a tour of the palace while Caldina put her daughter down for a nap.

"So how many people live here Clef?" asked Umi.

"Oh, myself, Lantis, Caldina & her family of course."

"Don't forget Mokona!"

"Puu, Puu!"

"And Mokona. Ascot. Most of Cephiro's population lives in small villages here and there. Really beautiful places. Presea moved to the mountains I'm afraid."

"But I haven't moved away Master Mage Clef." said a familiar roguish voice, "You forgot me in your list of palace inhabitants."

"Ferio!" gasped Fuu.

"Fuu. Umi. Good to see you again. I must say I wasn't expecting it."

"Well, we weren't really either!" said Umi in a cheerful voice. She wasn't exactly sure how Fuu felt about Ferio but she was resolved to help this meeting go as well as possible.

"Oh, well now. Is there any trouble?"

"We're here because Hikaru needed to see Cephiro again. She's here too but she's with Lantis at the moment." clarified Umi.

"How did you get here?"

"Will power!" said Umi pumping her fist, "Don't you know that that's something the Magic Knights have in droves?"

"Anyway," she added, "I think you should show Fuu around the palace Ferio. That way you can both catch up."

"Come on," she said as she grabbed Clef's hand and pulled it forward.

I'm beginning to be glad I never had a serious love interest in Cephiro thought Umi. Sure I had that little crush on Clef, and Ascot had that little, ok, huge crush on me. But it isn't the same. I never thought I was supposed to be with either of them. They weren't right for me, and anyway falling in love with a guy from another world would just be too painful. Losing my two best friends would be just as painful though. Ok, stop it Umi! You will not feel sorry for yourself!

Miss Umi is certainly not a master of subtlety thought Fuu. She was left behind in the hallway as Umi dashed off dragging Clef. Mokona had hopped off behind them.

"So Fuu, how have you been?" asked Ferio.

"I have been well. And you?"

"I've been pretty good. Cephiro is a beautiful place now. You can almost forget it was ever anything different."

"Indeed."

They walked for awhile, Ferio giving her interesting details about the palace and how life was for the people of Cephiro. It did sound like a wonderful place. Finally when they got to the entrance to the courtyard Ferio stopped.

"Listen Fuu, I know maybe this doesn't seem like the right time to say this, but now that you're here I feel like I have to. I've never forgotten you and I always wished that I had asked you, but everything happened so quickly at the end. And maybe I felt like you belonged somewhere else, like Cephiro didn't deserve you after all you had done for it already. But you've proven that you can come back, that to some extent you wanted to come back. And I wonder if maybe even a little bit that has to do with me."

"Ferio…" Fuu said breathlessly. Ferio clasped both of her hands.

"I'm asking you…to consider….not going back….staying here….with me."