Dynasty sisters

A/N: Thank-you everyone who reviewed. I'll name you all with comments next chapter, ok?

[Insert usual disclaimer here]

"A week? Well, it's better than a day…. but it'll take months until we find the manshin!" Clef was pacing the dining room, his staff clicking on the marble ground as the others sat at the table, also thinking. Now and then someone would raise their head, but would re-think and look back down to the table again, before long, Fuu raised her head, "Why don't we split up and go look for out manshin ourselves? Like, we can go in pairs or triplets and search for the sleeping places…then we can meet back here. But we have to keep track of days, so then if we don't find them, at least we'll be back to decide what we'll do…"

"Fuu, though it is a wonderful idea, it's impossible… We have no way of locating them…" Clef smiled weakly, but Fuu has thought it out more that as she continued, "Well, in theory, our spirits are connected to our manshin, correct? Well, if we learn to harness our spiritual connections, we may be able to follow instinct, like telepathy!" Fuu stood and admired her plan in its brilliance as the others nodded and agreed. Clef smiled, "I'm not surprised your not a strategist, Fuu Hououji, you have a marvellous talent!" Fuu blushed deeply, sitting back down again, Ferio smiling widely. Umi laughed, "She probably would be if she liked the army…it's not that she wouldn't survive, she just wouldn't cope with killing people…" Fuu's face faulted with her comment, and Umi looked at her worried, "Fuu-chan, what's wrong?"

"N-Nothing, Umi-chan, just had a bad thought…" as Ferio understood what that thought was, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, keeping her close. Hikaru was looking around her in a board manner, not meaning to be rude or anything, but she didn't really like talking about depressing matters like death and such. Lantis noticed her shift in her seat, and he smiled at her, before taking her hand. Hikaru gasped in surprise, but didn't say anything as he stood, taking her with him as they walked out to the gardens quietly, no one noticing their departure.

"Lantis, where are we going?" Hikaru asked him as they walked deeper into the garden, before coming to a hedge maze. "To my garden…" he replied softly, before leading her inside the maze, holding her hand gently. He led her on in silence for a while, before he let got of her hand, "Give me a moment…" and he reached into the bush in front of them, taking hold onto a large branch. Hikaru watched on with curiosity, as Lantis twisted the branch, making a 'click' noise as he now pushed the bush, the wall now turning into a door. Hikaru gasped and her eyes widened with happiness at the garden in front of her. It was full of wildflowers, a pretty fountain and a bench underneath a tree. Lantis stood at the 'door' and lifted a guiding hand inside, that sunshine smile on his face. She hugged his waist and ran inside, looking at the statue on the fountain, watching the slightly foamy water trickle down. As Lantis followed her in quietly, a bird flew down onto his shoulder, twittering and singing as birds so. He raised and hand and stroked its chin, before letting it perch on his finger, and the bird continued to sing, the melody soft and sweet. Hikaru turned around and saw this, before walking up to the songbird slowly, blinking all the while. Lantis chuckled, and Hikaru looked up at him, eyes filled with marvel. "That's the first time I've heard him do that" she thought, and smiled, chuckling herself also. He whispered to the bird, and it flew away, before he suddenly swept Hikaru off her feet. She giggled, before humming a little, and giggled again. Lantis looked down on her, "My little songbird…" and tickled her ribs, making her squirm and wriggle in his arms, laughing all the while, "Ahhh! L-Lantis! St-St-Stop it! Ahahahaha..." and squirmed even more, arms automatically holding his neck. After this movement, he slowed down, before stopping, Hikaru still laughing, trying to catch her breath. When he looked down at her face, it was red from laughing, the colour setting off her eyes as they looked back up at his, before a deeper shade of red set in, and this wasn't from laughter. Lantis smiled widely before leaning down quickly, stealing a kiss. When he lent back up, Hikaru was wide-eyed at him again, lips slightly apart. She blushed once again, before closing her eyes slowly, as Lantis broke his gaze and filled the gap between their lips.

"Hey, Karu-chan, where have you been?" asked Umi when the pair returned, and Hikaru's face flicked on like a neon light, "Lantis showed me his garden…" Umi smirked, "I have a feeling that wasn't all he was showing you…" at this point, Fuu elbowed Umi in the ribs gently, "Umi-chan, don't be so rude…" but she also couldn't help but having a scarlet blush on her cheeks. Umi giggled, changing her strategy, "So, what was this garden like? Big and long, or was it only small-"

"UMI!" Fuu exclaimed, doe-eyes round like dinner plates, her blush now beating Hikaru's. However, Hikaru hadn't caught onto the joke, "Um… the garden was big, and was kinda round, like a circle, and it had this really pretty fountain in the centre, and this foamy water spurted out the top of it…" This description only sent Umi into a fit of giggles; while Fuu's face had gone two shades deeper off the colour chart. "Guys, what's so funny about a garden?" Hikaru asked, neko ears appearing on her head. Umi sweatdropped, her laughter slowing, "you'll understand one day, Karu-chan…" and smiled softly, like a mother to a child. At that point, Ferio walked in from the entrance, holding a book in front of him. Umi glanced at him, back to Fuu, and back to Ferio again, before nudging Fuu, muttering to her, "I wonder if he'll show you his garden…" and Fuu's blush went off-scale as Umi laughed un-controllably, clutching at her sides. When Ferio reached the three, her looked at Umi and sweatdropped, "Did I miss something?"

"No, koi, you didn't…" and took his hand, leading him away from the hysterical Umi, and hopefully out of trouble.

When the pair were a reasonable distance from the other sisters, Fuu turned to face Ferio, "I'm sorry about Umi, she can be so embarrassing sometimes…" and a blush encored on her face. Ferio only chuckled, "It's alright, I know how sisters can be…" and kissed her softly, before his face saddened slightly, "We must all head off tomorrow, we haven't got much time left to find these manshin…" Fuu's eyebrows knitted together, her gaze falling to the floor, "I know, but I'm even doubting my plan now…I don't even know the name of my manshin, let alone trying to scout it out with my spirit…" Ferio cupped her cheek, "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll find it…"

"Thank-you, Ferio-kun"

"Your welcome, Fuu-chan"

"So your telling me…we named our horses after our manshin?"

"That's exactly what I'm telling you…" Clef stated, and Hikaru piped up, "How did it happen?" Clef smiled softly, "Influence…your mind told you to…" Clef answered, "Though it is quite strange…I didn't see that in my dreams…"

Fuu bowed her head in thought, "Yes, it did seem like we didn't think to much about naming them…it simply came up in my head…"

"Yes, it was the same for me," added Umi, her chin pursed between her thumb and forefinger, elbow resting on the table in front of her "It just came to me, and said, 'name your horse this.' I've never heard the name used anywhere else…" Hikaru nodded, "But I like the names, they suit our horses, I thought"

Fuu smiled to herself, "Windom is a lovely, gentle horse…I wonder if that's what the manshin will be like…"

"More than likely" Eagle spoke, ever so softly, "But they will also be tough, and strong…their personality will be like of your horses…" Umi smiled, "Ah, I see…" Clef's face looked almost grave when clapped his hands together loudly, "But now, I fear, this will be our last meeting… The maids have packed most of our things, and we must all depart by nightfall. Your horses will know the way, as well as your spirit. Godspeed to everyone…" and with that, Clef stood from the table, Umi pursuing, to have a last look at their rooms, before making the journey to the un-known.

Fuu crooned to Windom as they rode with the others to their points, before the horses stopped in the fork of a road. One road seemed to head towards a volcano, the other the ocean, and the last to a forest covered mountain. The three girls dismounted, and they hugged tightly, weeping, "We'll all make it out alive, won't we?" Hikaru sobbed, her tears rolling off her leather armour.

"You will with us by your side" Ferio spoke tenderly, and pulled Hikaru into a bear hug, messing up her hair, while Hikaru laughed wildly, the others chortling. When they parted, they all hugged then, Clef pulling Hikaru into a soft hug, "When all of this is over, I'll finally talk to you…if you still want to, that is…" Hikaru smiled, "I'd love that, Clef-sama…please take care of Umi…"

"Don't worry, she's in safe hands…"

Fuu was currently in Lantis's arms, "…Lantis-san, please look after Karu-chan, I'd hate to lose her…" she looked up into Lantis's eyes, and Lantis let the smallest of smiles slip, "Nothing to fear…"

"…And if you even put one scratch on her, I swear…" Umi was putting Ferio in his place, but he pulled her into a hug all the same, "Fuu's strong, she'll be fine." And Umi went quiet, now knowing why Fuu was so attracted to him. Umi lent up and whispered in his ear, "Keep her safe, Ferio…" Ferio nodded in reply, and let her go, before mounting his horse, "We should get moving, it's almost dark…" and he looked out to the horizon, the gold earring on his left ear sparkling with the dim sunset. The rest of the party followed suit, mounting their horses with deep concern in their eyes. They simultaneously kicked their horse's flanks, and they split onto the three roads, Fuu and Ferio to the mountain, Umi and Clef to the ocean and Hikaru and Lantis to the volcano.

I'm soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo seriously sorry about not updating sooner; writer's block has cramped my brain. I forced my brain to write this, but I'm not sure how long it'll be until I update...sorry everyone =sobs near her compie=