A/N: As promised, a new chapter is finally complete! Was it really long...? I'm sorry...I'll try my best on the next one for all the readers and the supported reviewers! Arigatou!
Oh...Before I forget, I'm sorry if any of the characters seem OOC, cause I don't really watch a lot of the anime and I'm too poor to get the manga. Gomen ne...
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"Puu Puu!" Mokona bounced into Hikaru's face out of nowhere as she gave a surprised cry when it jumped into her arms. Hikaru paused for moment, not greeting the hyper bunny and pulled its head down for her to see if the person is really Umi. But this time, it's the Guru that had blocked her path when he stood. She tried to look around but was unsuccessful as the cake was place onto their table.
"I am done for today, Ferio, I'll be leaving now." Clef excused himself, turning around to leave.
"Wait!" Sierra cried out as she stood, "Won't you be joining us for dessert, Guru Clef?"
Presea's eyes sadden, "Since you're already here, may as well stay until the end."
"I'm sorry," Clef apologized with a nod and walked.
Fuu looked up in shock when seeing her princess stood and running, ignoring the cries of the bunny that's hopping after her, "Hikaru-hime?"
"Guru Clef!" Hikaru stopped him quickly when seeing him paused and looked back at her in confusion. Without another word, she begins to search; practically going in circles around the amusing Guru as disappointment and sadness washes her figure when not spotting the blue-haired maid. Was it really Umi-chan?
Clef interrupted her thoughts when he spoke, "Something you wish to ask me, Hikaru-hime?"
Hikaru rapidly shook her head, "No...never mind. I'm sorry for stopping you."
"Please enjoy the rest of lunch, especially the cake." Clef said with a kind smile, giving a single pat on her shoulders and descends his way through the crowd. Watching him leaving, her eyes dropped while slowly walking back to her seat drearily as Mokona followed behind.
"Hikaru-hime?" Fuu asked worriedly when Hikaru sat down beside her, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, Fuu-chan," Hikaru piped, back to her cheerfulness but Fuu gave her a knowing look. Thankful that her friend hadn't say anything of her behavior, Hikaru carefully cut herself a piece a cake and held it in front of her with a large smile. "Let's eat!"
"It's quite delicious," Eagle said, chewing happily onto his own and looked over at the silent Presea, grabbing another plate out for her, "Won't you be having some, Presea? The ice cream cake is going to melt pretty soon."
"You too, Sierra." Ferio added, offering another plate.
"We'll pass." The twins chorus together as both Eagle and Ferio shrugs, swallowing another piece.
Before Hikaru can dig into her cake, she looked over at Lantis, who sat there silently to himself and staring ahead on his empty plate. Hikaru followed his gaze, wondering what seems to be so interested in it but surprised him greatly when she place a plate of cake there.
"I don't want you to be missing out, Lantis," Hikaru said with a true smile when he look up at her, "Just this piece, I promise you'll like it!"
"I'm afraid not, Hikaru-hime," Eagle said, finishing his seconds and starts to get his third, "My friend here despised sweets for some reason."
Hikaru gave him a disbelief stare, "But it's the bestest thing you can ever eat!"
"Tell that to him." He laughed, pointing at Lantis with his filled fork but stopped in surprised when seeing Lantis picking his own and held a piece in front of him. Even Ferio had to stop in mid-bite, watching him with wide eyes.
Seeing the look on his face as Lantis examine the piece he held, Hikaru's smile widen, "You'll love it, Lantis! Please try it!"
Lantis looked into her warm ruby eyes and place the piece in his mouth, slowly chewing it. A jolt of displeasure was felt from the sweet favor but watching the princess, the cake somehow becomes very delicious in his tongue as he took another bite.
That earned many astonishing looks from the whole table when watching him finishing his plate as Hikaru happily cheered while Mokona bounces around their table.
Even the normally smiling Eagle looked astonished by it, the small piece of his cake that's still on his fork falling and dropped onto the plate with a plop. Secretly, he looked over at Hikaru, wanting to meet the true face of this Princess as his eyes smiled warmly for his now new challenge.
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Umi's hand trembled on tray she's holding that carries a teapot and cup while she brought it into the large secret library that belongs to the Guru; as requested from what her boss, the Lead Chef, had said. The door opened magically once she arrive, her heart squeezing from nervousness and another she can't identify while walking inside to spot Clef, reading a pathetically large book on his table.
"Sit," Clef said as a chair appears across from him, still not looking up when Umi sat down, placing the tray on the side. The silences only made her more nervous and busying herself by pouring a cup a tea, giving a gasp as she accidentally spilled the drink.
Clef finally looked up from his book, raising an eyebrow when she cleans the mess up quickly. Before she can retry by serving him the tea properly, he pours one by himself and held it up to her surprise face, "Drink, Umi."
She nodded, thanking him silently and took a sip from the cup.
"You do know that lunch happens to be very noisy, it was no fun for me," Clef stated with a scrunched face, "I don't even know why I'd listened to you."
Umi's eyes glittered with laughter but it quickly dropped as she finished her tea.
"Still afraid from the experience of almost being caught by Hikaru-hime?" Clef asked her lightly as she nodded again with a low heavy sigh, "Don't worry so much, Umi. She hadn't spotted you yet, thanks to Mokona."
"And you too," Umi finally said, placing the cup back onto its tray, "If you hadn't blocked her path for me to run out of her sight, then Hikaru-chan would really sees me."
"Don't get your hopes too high," Clef warned, closing the large book shut, "There are many people already having some suspicion on you. I can tell when I walked past them."
Her eyes widen, "Who?"
"My assistant, Ascot, and his friend, Caldina were watching you the whole time," Clef answered, tapping his chin in thoughts, "Asuka-hime seems a bit curious on you as well."
"Great! Just what I need!"
"I suppose we both have to be careful now..."
Umi raised an eyebrow at his soft words and looked over at him, though she stopped uneasily when seeing his eyes on her. "Ano..."
"Tell me something," Clef started, standing up from his seat and walk around the table to stand besides her sitting form, "I understand you wanted Hikaru to be happy with her decision alone and choosing Lantis is an odd one. But why match Ferio-ouji up with Fuu when there are many other Princesses you can have him with?"
Umi lowered her gaze, "They both seem very close..."
"Had you notice Ferio-ouji was pretty close to Hikaru-hime for some time?"
A small twitch was felt but she can't guess if it was either anger at his question or nervous at his closeness, "They don't make a perfect match..."
"Umi, there are many couples in the world who don't make a perfect match, but find themselves living happily beyond many years together," Clef cleared his throat to hold back a chuckle. "If you can give me at least one good reason why the two should make a match, then I'll do anything in my will to help you."
"I thought you are helping me!" Umi exclaimed, standing up from her seat angrily, "You're taking back your words now?"
"I agreed to help by changing Emeraude-hime's wish to a true one," Clef corrected her, watching her stomping her way towards the door. "You get mad easily, don't you?"
"Old geezer kid!"
A small vein throbbed on his forehead, "Dare to repeat that?"
"Who gets mad easily now?" Umi stopped by the door and whirled around, both giving each other hard glares. "I guess I don't need your help after all!"
Clef raised an eyebrow, "Face it, you can't do anything without the risk of being seen and caught."
"At least I had tried!"
"And failed while doing so?"
Umi's fist clenched, holding back the urge to stomp her way back and give a good punch in the mouth on the Guru's face as she stepped on her heels, a hand at the door to leave. But she stopped, lowering her hand and slowly turned around, "The two couples make a perfect match...because that's how I feel."
He silently looked at her.
"You don't know Hikaru-chan and Fuu-chan fully yet, so their personalities are still new to you, but as I seen them alone with either Lantis or Ferio-ouji. They show much different affections towards the other."
"I see you cared for them very much," Clef whispered, "Explain to me what type of affections the two girls show for the other."
"Hikaru-chan...when she's with Ferio-ouji this morning, I can tell they enjoy each other company's but not in a way that would ever leads to love or anything close that like. They just..."
"Have the same common of their feelings to the wish that was granted to them." He finished, seeing her nod. "So talking to each other about it only helps them understand more of their situation they will have to deal with together."
"Exactly, but when Hikaru-chan is with Lantis...she's truly happy with herself. The same with Fuu-chan, she's actually talking to a guy and enjoys it. I can tell Ferio-ouji really enjoy her company at most."
"I see you've been doing a lot of spying on them."
That totally snaps a nerve as her glare hardens, "Should I be saying the same thing?"
"I'm a Guru, I should know a bit by just judging their appearances," Clef replied, returning the glare.
"Really now?" Umi scowled, walking back to stand beside him, "Then why did you ask me if you know everything?"
"I just wanted to hear your opinions..."
She stopped, giving a couple blinks at his warm expression. "You..."
Clef smiled, "I can be quite confusing to some people and I apologize for that. Right now, I suppose I got a new promise to make."
She grinded her teeth together to hold back from shouting in rage as she nodded, "To help me get those four together and to be able to change Emeraude-hime's wish. Yes, you do!"
He chuckled, raising his hand for another oath, "I-"
Clef's words where immediately caught in his throats and unable to speak for Umi had sealed his lips together with hers, his eyes widen in pure shock. Umi quickly stepped back, turning around to hide her blushing face, "Promises and making oaths can easily be broken, consider they were only words from your mouths."
His body still froze in its spot, lowering his hand slowly to his side.
"But this time, I had sealed that promise of yours – both of them – and while I'm still standing, you can never break it unless you're smart enough to know your way out of it." Umi looked back at him with angry eyes, her face still a bit red, "I'm telling you now, I'll do anything to make Hikaru-chan and Fuu-chan happy. So don't think I did that because I want too."
A smile slowly crawled on his lips when regaining from his shock, "Of course, Umi."
"Since thinking is what you love to be doing, then do something useful like think of a plan to have Emeraude-hime change her wish. I'm going back to work." With that, Umi quickly reached for the door and was immediately out the door as it slowly shuts behind it, leaving the Guru standing alone in his own library.
Forbidden... His smile then dropped, eyelids lowered sadly, "What had you done to me, Umi...?"
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What...had I done? Back leaning against the door, Umi's heart beats in a frighten pace as her body slightly trembles, descending her way through the halls, I can't possibly like...him...I cannot. He's a Guru...it's forbidden...
Too involved in her thoughts, she did not notice a pair of azure eyes staring at her as she walks. Larfarga continue to walk pass her before he stopped, watching her disappearing out of the halls while his gaze shifted to the Guru's library.
"Larfarga!" He holds his stance quickly when his love jumped at him from behind as she laughs, "I – got – ya!"
"Caldina," Larfarga greeted, helping her down, his hand still holding onto hers, "Lunch already ended?"
"Not yet, I lost impatient waiting to speak to Hikaru-hime so I left and look for you instead."
"Hikaru-hime?"
"Long story, I'll tell you when we have the time," She waves it away while looking over Clef's library, "You don't happen to see anything suspicious, do you?"
"Beside a maid walking out from there, no..."
"Maid?" Caldina perked, raising her eyes to his, "What maid? The Guru RARELY allows maid in there! Let alone his friends!"
"I think she's new since I never see her around before."
She blinked, "Turquoise hair? Pretty girl with a temper?"
"Why does that interest you so much?"
She ignored his question, scratching her chin with a deep frown, "Something is really going on here...first it was Hikaru-hime now the Guru? Why does many of my unanswered questions all start from that girl?"
"Caldina...?"
"Let's go, Larfarga!" Caldina exclaimed, dragging the tall man down the hall. "We're going to confront that maid and get this over with! Whatever she's planning, we must figure it out!"
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Another chapter! I'm getting the feeling that this story is getting boring-ER. But Read/Review anyways! Arigatou!
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