The muse has returned . . . alright actually it was the fact that I didn't want to do my finals homework that caused this sudden writing spree. But not like that is a bad thing right? Well I do hope that you enjoy the fruit of my labors, and I can say that it will probably take only one more chapter to finish this story. Okay now on with the show!

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Life was not fair, not like that was unusual for Umi, but it was still unfair.

"Alright if you could both step to the center of the field, and face each other, we can get this over with." Clef said.

Umi gulped and started to walk, her sense of doom building with each step. She stopped a few feet away from the Prince and drew her sword. The Prince did the same, only he then went into the proper stance. While Umi stood there holding the sword out in front of her, hoping that would keep her alive.

"Begin!"

The Prince went after Umi with all the pent up aggression he had been feeling since the Duke showed up. Umi by some unnatural chance keep him from killing, or maiming, her. He lunged, he parried, he thrusted; Umi waved her sword around in a comical manner. And then the gods decided to exercise their sick sense of humor. Umi was backing up and still waving her sword around. When the back of her foot caught on a rock, which caused her to fall backwards. Now instinct or just plain dumb luck caused Umi to continue to hold her sword straight out. This is of course where the gods sick humor comes in. At the same time that Umi fell the Prince thrusted, over extending himself, and sunk an inch of Umi's sword into his stomach.

"Halt!" Clef's frantic voice shouted over the ringing in Umi's ears.

I won! Dear gods I stabbed the Prince! Okay so he actually stabbed himself, but who is going to believe that!"

"Your Highness are you alright?" Clef asked the stricken Prince. Who gave the Mage a look that screamed what-do-you-think!

"Sorry my Lord stupid question." Clef mumbled as he gently removed the sword and began to heal the, still glaring, Prince. At this point Umi was debating whether she wanted to run like a sissy-la la, or stay and face the wrath of a wounded Prince. And from the look of things that would be on hell of a wrath. She quickly decided. She had to do the honorable, but stupid, thing and stay . . . damnit. Getting up Umi made her way towards Ascot, who stood with his mouth hanging open in disbelief.

"You stabbed the Prince!" He shouted.

"I thought that was the point?"

"Well . . . yes. But you still stabbed the Prince!"

"It's not like he wasn't going to do the same to me! Oh man what's going to happen!"

"Well either the Prince will acknowledge that you won and give up all rights to Fuu."

"Snowballs chance in hell. And what do you mean by rights?"

"Nothing . . . it's a guy thing. But the other thing is that you are put on trial for treason and hung."

"Wonderful so once the Prince regains consciousness, since it seems Clef knocked him out, he will wake up really angry; and my head will soon be leaving my body."

"Pretty much."

"Great."

Suddenly there was a bright flash of light that encompassed the field. Everyone, except for the Prince who was still unconscious, cried out in pain. Trying to blink back the spots, Umi felt something tug at her arm.

"Follow me." A familiar voice whispered in Umi's ear.

"What?" She said still a little dazed. The person who whispered began to pull at her arm. Staggering along at first, Umi quickly realized what she was doing and dug in her heels.

"Damnit Piru! Will you just follow me!" The voice clicked.

Karla

Still a little confused Umi followed Karla. It was also the lesser of the two evils, it was easier to follow Karla and figure out what was going on, opposed to explaining herself Ferio. Karla led Umi a short distance away from the dueling field to a small grove of trees where a carriage was waiting.

"Get in." Karla said. Umi didn't detect a threat in her voice, so it was a good assumption that Karla didn't know who Umi was working for.

It maybe better to just go along. If I can get in I maybe able to find some more information.

As Umi climbed into the carriage, she realized that it was not empty.

"Piru I presume. It is a pleasure to meet you." A figure in black said. "The pleasure's all mine." Umi said as she took her seat.

"Did anyone see you?" The figure in black asked Karla as she sat down next to Umi.

"No. I set off a Blinding spell. Though it took awhile to convince Piru to follow me."

The figure turned back to Umi and studied her. Umi did the same, though the only thing she could study, was her face; and then only from the nose down. Which was fortunate for Umi, since recognition is from the lower half of the face. And Umi knew this face, since she had just fought a duel over it. This must be Fuu's sister the Duchess.

Now for the question of the day. How much does she know?

"I've heard a lot of good things about you Piru." The Duchess said, startling Umi back to reality.

"Really? Are you sure they were talking about me?" The Duchess gave off a light chuckle at Umi's weak joke.

"Yes you Piru. I've also heard that you have done a nice disappearance act recently."

"A disappearance act? Oh! Yeah . . . I somehow got mixed up with the wrong people."

"Really?"

"Yeah there was this fight at the Honored Boar, which I must have lost since I don't remember the end of, but I did wake up in the palace cells."

"Then someone let you out?"

"Hardly." Umi snorted. "I wouldn't be known as the best thief in the city if I couldn't get out of a cell. And that's from a modest point of view."
"True but why have you been masquerading as a Duke?"

"Well after I got out I stumbled into this room that had all these really nice clothes, and I decided to try to make a profit. You know enter the enemies' defenses and wipe them clean." Umi knew it was a weak excuse, but the only one she could come up with. She began praying to whatever god was listening, that this woman in black thought Piru was that greedy.

"So then . . . why the duel with the Prince?"

"I don't like the Prince. I figured going after his Lady would get his nose all out of joint. I must admit though, I never expected it to go this far."

"Really? From what I remember of the Prince, he was a bit of a hot head."

"You knew the Prince my Lady?"

"Yes. I was at the court some years ago and was . . . slighted by him." The black figure reached up and lowered her hood. It was just as Umi feared. This woman's face was identical to Fuu's. Blonde hair, green eyes, blah, blah, blah. The only different was a small mole at the corner of the Duchesses left eye. And the fact that Fuu never ranted, and her mouth never twisted into a sneer, nor did her right eye twitch when she ranted. Other than that they could have been twins, which they probably were.

"The Master Mage also used me. Used me like some . . ." The Duchess waved her hand about in an attempt to find the right word.

"Dockside whore?"

"Yes! Dockside whore!" The Duchess pinned Umi with a penetrating mad look, her right eye twitching.

Wow now that is a just a little disturbing. And she is still ranting. I guess I should be listening.

"You understand me Piru I can tell. Karla also tells me that you see things no one else does."

"Well." Umi said looking embarrassed.

"You can see magic. For example you can tell if someone is a true healer, or when someone is placing a spell on you."

"It's not that useful really."

"Isn't it? How about that time when you were stealing from that merchant? You remember the one who would have had your head if you hadn't of detected that invisibility spell." Karla put in.

"Yeah." Umi knew that merchant only too well. He was paranoid beyond belief. Every night he placed an invisibility spell on himself and 'patrolled' his house. It was like the chains in the cell. A tingling sensation at the back of her neck was her only warning.

A few back-breaking, knee-twisting, death defying feats later and I was out of that house.

"The only thing I got out of that was my life. Not that I'm complaining, but I still don't see why you would need me?"

"You Piru have something I most definitely need. You know the palace, you know who is in the palace, and you have the skills I have been looking for." The Duchess sat back and smiled. Her eye, for once, was not twitching but the penetrating look was still there.

So is the madness. She really has no idea that she is doing it. I don't get it she isn't doing this for power, or for revenge. Okay so she is doing t his because she has been, more than likely, politely refused. Well I guess you can call that revenge, but it's just so . . . dumb.

The Duchesses' smile increased as she watched Umi, as if she was aware of her internal monologue.

"I can tell you're still not completely convinced."

You could say that. Umi thought, outwardly she only nodded her head.

"Then let me just say that if you were to help me I will give you power. I can give you all that you ever dreamed of. You just need to join me."

So she's going to play the old greed card is she? YES! Well two can play at that game.

"I'll join." The Duchess smiled a lecherous smile.

"Good . . . very good."

"I do have a few questions though."

"Go on."

"What happened to the Queen?" The Duchess blinked, and then started to laugh, Karla joined her.

"The Queen left of her own free will."

"What?"

"It seemed that she had fallen in love with some High Priest. Who, ironically enough, was sworn to celibacy. And since it would have been politically disastrous to marry such an individual the Queen and the Priest ran away. With some discreet help from the Duchess of course." Karla replied a smile plastered on her face.

"Oh . . . wow. Never would have though of that."

Why didn't I think of that. Oh I know because it's so . . . dumb! Damnit! What is the world coming to when you can't even trust the villains to be sly and sneaky!

"I knew you would be impressed Piru. It's like a big prank! Everyone, including you, think it was some master plan that got the Queen out of the way. Instead of her shrinking her duties and running away to elope with a Priest!" Karla gloated a creepy smile plastered on her face. Suddenly she began to laugh, which was just as creepy as the smile. The Duchess joined Karla in laughter. Adding to the rising creepiness in the carriage.

I wonder if we're going to fast for me to jump out? Umi thought as she joined her weak laugh to the others.

"Now we must return to the house and prepare for our taking over."

What are we going to do tonight Brain? Same thing we do every night Pinky. Try to take over the world! Umi thought using the tag line to the latest court joke.

"What do you mean that damn Duke was actually Umi!" Ferio yelled then grimaced and clutched his stomach in pain.

"Calm down Ferio. Umi was disguised as the Duke to get some attention off me. And because you can't keep a secret we didn't tell you." Fuu said.

"But why did you let me make such a fool of myself . . ."

"Because you act like you're the only one who can even look at me. That gets very . . . annoying. I'm sorry I never meant for you to get hurt by it. I also never meant for Umi to get kidnapped!" Fuu chocked out through a sob.

"Well what are we going to do about it? Lantis and Hikaru are still out looking for the Queen. Who can we send to go looking for Umi?" Ascot asked the room in general. Fuu let out another choked sob; Ferio reached out and gently took her hand. She smiled down at him and pulled the blanket up to cover him. Since Clef was interrupted in his healing of the Prince, the wound he received in the duel was still there. But it was still partially healed, so the Prince was bedridden for some time.

"I don't think there is anything that we can do."

"What do you mean, Clef?" Ferio asked the Master Mage. He turned his face up to answer. It was then that the other three noticed how awful the Mage looked. His eyes were ringed with red and blood shot as if he had spent all night scanning for Umi, which he probably had. His hair looked like he had ran his fingers through it a good hundred times and his shoulders had a hunched defeated look to them.

"I have scanned all night, and I haven't even found a trace of her aura. Nor do I think we are going to find her by manual search.

"So it has come down to that." Ferio said his voice low and somber.

"Yes. We must trust Umi, with out very lives."

"Would she really sell us out?" Fuu asked.

"No!" Clef said with probably more force than he meant to. But that one word, that one mono-syllable. Not only cemented their trust in Umi, but it also clarified the relationship between the Master Mage and the thief.

"Clef did you—" Fuu was interrupted by a light tap on the window.

"It has to be a bird." Ferio said his voice full of doubt. A hand appeared and gently tapped on the window again.

"Dear gods." Fuu breathed.

"Ascot I believe you better let Umi in before she breaks her damn neck." Clef calmly told his apprentice. Who being the closest to the window opened it and looked down to see Umi. Who was hanging from a few nearly nonexistent, hand and foot holds.

"You look like a barnacle." Ascot observed dryly.

"Wow Ascot you must be the clever one in your family. Now Captain Obvious if you're done with your fascinating reports, I'd like to be let in." Came the equally dry answer from below. Chuckling, Ascot reached out and hauled Umi into the room.

"Why am I not surprised that it's you Umi." Ferio said. Umi smiled and batted her eyes at Ferio.

"Why Your Highness I do believe you complimented me. In a rather unflattering backhanded way." Umi finished glaring at the Prince.

"Umi." Clef whispered. Umi stopped her glaring and quickly turned to face Clef, her eyes bright and full of mischief.

"Hey." She whispered back. Their eyes met and unlike the first time this happened, the message that passed was not hostile.

"Umi! What happened? Where did you go?" Ascot asked breaking the moment.

"Oh yeah . . . sorry. Karla set off the Blinding spell. She is also the one who guided me, through that wonderful period of blindness, to her boss."

"Her boss?"

"The Duchess."

"Oh."

"The good news is that we aren't facing a power hungry maniac."

"That's comforting. Then what are we facing?"

"Were facing a revenge seeking nut ball."

"What!" Everyone barring one, yelled.

"She's nuts, off her rocker, one fish short of a school, a few cards short of a deck, looney tooney, ready to check into the happy hotel. Need I go on?"

"No."

"Good. Now I need to go."

"What? Wait! What do you mean you have to go? Go where?"

"I have to go and sabotage a few thing, but don't worry I'll be back.

"Umi will you please explain!" Ferio said completely exasperated.

"There's not a whole lot of time to explain . . . so I'll sum up. The Duchess asked me to join her, offering me power beyond my wildest dreams. I accepted and she took me to her," Umi rolled her eyes, "hideout and told me my job would be to sneak in here and sabotage a few things." Finishing Umi crossed her arms over her chest and looked at everyone's confused faces.

"You joined the Duchess?" Ascot asked.

"Well she offered me power." Umi answered in a whinny voice.

"Umi." Clef warned.

"Fine. I was suppose to come back here as Duke Richard, and place a few things in Fuu's room. Thus making the wounded Prince think his Lady is cheating on him. Since the Prince likes to worry himself into a grave—"

"I do not!" The indignant Prince yelled from his bed.

"Alright fine. You worry until you can't stand it anymore then you go out and get yourself stabbed. And don't act like you didn't already do that." The Prince gave a sheepish grin.

"Alright then what were you suppose to do?"

"Well I was then suppose to get Fuu into a very bad position and have the Prince walk in . . ." Umi stopped and looked at every ones disgusted looks. "Get your minds out of the gutter! First!" She held up her finger counting off her point. "It's not like I was going to do it in the first place! Second! It was only suppose to be a kiss! Three! I was never going to do it!" Still steaming Umi looked defiantly into every ones face. Suddenly Fuu got a sad look on her face. She looked down then slowly looked back up at Umi.

"You mean you don't want to kiss me?" She asked shyly. Umi was shocked, then as what Fuu said sank in. Glaring Umi said a few obscenities she learned out on the streets that not only insulted Fuu's ancestors but were anatomically impossible. Everyone laughed at Umi who continued to glare and mumble curses under her breath.

"Are you done Umi?" Clef asked when everyone had calmed down.

"Yes."

"Good because I'd like to know how we are going to deal with this."

"Simple, we let it happen."

"What?"

"We have the twitching lunatic think her plan is working."

"That way we can take the fight to where we want it."

"Exactly."

"Do you think it will work?" Fuu asked.

"Probably not." Umi said shrugging her shoulders. "But—"

"It's the best we have." Everyone quoted. Umi gave them a surprised look.

"Have I said that before?"

"Only about a few hundred times." Ascot sarcastically said.

"Well then if you already know what I'm going to say . . . I'm going to bed."

"What? Umi!"

"There's nothing more we can do tonight, and frankly I'm exhausted. Let's finish this in the morning. Any objections? Good then I'm off to bed." With that Umi turned around and headed towards the door.

"Umi wait! I'll go with you." Clef caught up with Umi and gently took her arm the tingling in her arm telling her he used an invisibility spell. "It wouldn't look good if the Duke was found coming out of the Prince's apartment."

"That's true. I must be in worse shape than I thought I didn't even think of that."

"Well climbing up the side of a castle usually does that to a person." Clef said sarcastically.

"It wasn't up the entire castle. There is a tree that grows up the side of the castle. Then there is a few balconies and window that make climbing easy." Umi said stifling the urge to hold onto Clef's arm and lean on him, as they walked down the hall.

Come on Umi get your stupid head together! Stop trying to act like some love sick milk maid!

"Wait. Clef?"

"Yes."

"We're not headed towards my room."

"I know."

"We're headed towards yours."

"Indeed."

"Why?" Umi instantly cursed herself for how squeaky her voice sounded.

"I need to speak to you. Why don't you want to go to my room?"

"I didn't say that! I just . . . it's not that . . . you just . . ." Umi could feel that Clef was waiting for her to finish her sentence . . . damn him.

"We're here." She said instead.

"So it would seem." He muttered as he magically opened the door and ushered Umi through. It was dark but the room could have been illuminated by Umi's blush. She was trying, without success, to not think of the last time she was in this room. Which only caused her to blush even more.

"Umi?" He was very close when he asked. So close that his breath tickled her ear, and caused her blush to go up another notched.

"Yes?" At least this time instead of squeaking her voice sounded, almost, steady.

"If you blush anymore you'll pass out from all the blood rushing to your head."

"You dirty son of a bitch! How dare . . . I am not blushing!" He lightly chuckled by her ear. Her back suddenly went ram rod straight but it didn't help keep the shiver from running down her back.

"Do you not trust me?"

"What? I mean what do you want to talk about?" She blurted out before she did pass out from all the damn blood rushing to her face.

"I thought we were talking about what I wanted to talk about." Clef's arm came around and circled her waist. He used his other arm to magically light the lamps. "Actually I wanted to talk to you about your plan."

"My plan?" Umi tried to turn and face Clef but he tightened his arm, keeping Umi's back pressed up against his chest. "What about my plain? What's wrong with it?"

"You mean what's not wrong with it. You've forgotten about Karla Umi. She was your roommate she knows you. I can't really see you being able to trick her so easily."

"Well yes . . . but I wasn't exactly the same person there as I am here—

Suddenly Clef turned Umi around to face him his blood shot eyes boring into hers.

"I know that you are lying to me. I also know that the Duchess is also a very accomplished mage, which means she can sense lies. Your friend Karla is also talented in that area, and like I said she knows you." Clef's hands clutched painfully at Umi's shoulders, as he shook her to emphasis his point. "Please Umi. I thought I lost you once . . . it nearly killed me. I don't want to lose you again." Still clutching her shoulders Clef's head sagged down in defeat. Kicking herself out of her stunned state Umi gently laid her hands on his.

"I'm sorry Clef I didn't . . ." Pausing Umi looked away from the Mage her brow creased in frustration. "Yes your right Clef Karla knows me better than I like. She saw through some of the lies I told them. But I know how to get around that damn trick you mages do."

"What?" He asked raising his head, his hands still unmoving.

"You can sense lies but what if tell the truth . . . well part of the truth anyway. If I don't lie then you can't tell that I'm only telling you half truths."

"How did you figure this out?" He asked a little bit of awe in his voice.

"Karla she once said that she couldn't tell if I was lying this one time. I was but I did it by telling part of the truth, I also mixed in rumors and what not so I believed the lies I was telling her. If I believe that their true then to me their not lies and you can't tell."

"So then she believed that nonsense you spurted out to us?" He said doubt filling his voice.

"Well . . . no. I had to do some vocal tap dancing to get out of that situation."

"Then what is the real plan?"

"I can't tell you." Umi placed her hand on Clef's mouth to forestall any protests. "I need you to trust me . . . please. The whole stupid plan wont work if I don't get an honest reaction out of everyone. Trust me." Umi's eyes begged Clef to believe her, begged for his trust. His face softened and his hands slide down Umi's arms and caught her hands in his.

"I trust you." He gently said as he brought her hands to his mouth and kissed them. Umi gave him a dazzling smile. His eyes brightened and he grinned.

"One last question Umi." He said lowering her hands but not letting them go.

"Ummmmmm . . . okay." Umi said her earlier nervousness returning.

"Will you stay tonight? Will you stay here . . . with me?" The grin vanished to be replaced by a serious look, and eyes that begged her to say yes.

"Yes." She whispered. Clef smiled and pulled Umi into his arms to give her a kiss that promised so much more to come.

Hope you enjoyed that . . . and please stop yelling at me. At least it isn't a cliff hanger. I really can't stand those damn things either. Oh and if you have to ask that was a Pinky and the Brain reference. Please do not sue me I don't own them I swear!