Well this is the final chapter for this story, and due to the fact that I'm losing my internet connection I wont be posting anythingelse for a while. But when I do it will be about Lantis and Hakiru and what happened to them int his story. Smile So for nowgood bye andthanks for all the fish!

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Dawn once again came, and with it was the bright unforgiving light. Which will penetrate any obstacle in its way and assault your sleep befuddled mind. This happens to everyone whether you're a King, peasant, or Master Mage. Clef groaned as the pearly light of dawn shone without mercy unto his face. Still groaning Clef rolled over, and instead of encountering another body like he thought he would, the other side of the bed was empty. Cracking open an eye Clef saw a piece of paper on the other pillow.

Damnit! He thought. Opening his eyes he sat up rubbing his face and read what was on the paper.

Clef,

I'm sorry about leaving you like this. I wished I could have stayed longer, but I need to stick to the plan. I thought about it last night and I realized that I needed to tell you a few things. The whole scenario I gave you last night was bullshit. As you probably already know. But what you don't know is that—

"Clef!" A voice shouted from the other side of the door. Ascot came rushing into the room, worry etched onto his face.

"Thank the gods Clef you're awake."

"What's wrong?"

"It's Fuu. She's gone."

"Gone? What do you mean gone?"

"She had fallen asleep in Ferio's room last night, and when I went in there this morning she was gone."

"Are you sure she didn't just go back to her room?"

"No I've looked every where. I even did a scan of the castle. I couldn't find her aura . . . I also couldn't find Umi's."

"Umi?" His eyes widening Clef quickly finished reading the letter Umi had left. He crumpled the note in his hand, closing his eyes he let a pained look cross his face.

"Alright Ascot. Let me finish getting dressed and we'll go talk to His Highness."

"Yes Master." Ascot quickly turned and rushed out of the room.

Gods Umi you say to trust you . . . but you don't make it easy.

An abandoned inn stood some miles away in the not so nice region of the city. The locals said that the inn was haunted, but in reality it was the 'hideout' of the Duchess. The reason people thought it was haunted was because of the rumors Karla started. The Duchess also had a few shield spell up that deterred people from being nosey. Right now the shields were mainly used to keep all the noise from getting out.

"You can't keep me here! Damnit Piru I can't believe I ever trusted you! Let me go!" Was the usual amount of noise coming from the old inn.

"Will you be quite!" Karla yelled at their captive. "You're giving me a headache!"

"You could always threaten her." Umi replied nonchalantly.

"You are not a lot of help!" Karla snarled at Umi.

"Was never trying to be." She said shrugging, from her position. Which was leaning against the bar, a mug of ale within easy reach.

"Well then start being a help, or the Duchess will have both our hides." Karla yelled at Umi her patience obvious gone.

"Fine." Umi shrugged as she pushed herself off the bar, walked over to Fuu, and slapped her. "Now be quite." She calmly said before going back to lean against the bar.

"Wow Piru . . . what brought all this out?" Karla asked as she eyed the stricken Fuu.

"What do you mean?"

"You were never like this when you were just a thief."

"Says who? I wasn't some stupid skipping happy trickster you know."

"True, but you also weren't so . . . calm and . . . ruthless." Umi shrugged and looked away from Karla to stare at Fuu. Fuu looked up and Umi caught her eyes.

"People change all the time. Some times they change because they want to. But some times they change because they were forced to." Umi broke eye contact with Fuu and gave Karla a smug smile. "Am I right?"

"Yes you are Piru." The Duchess said as she made her way down the stairs.

"It seems that Piru has done her side of the bargain perfectly. The Prince, Master Mage, and his little student are on their way here. I'm very proud of you Piru."

"Thank you Duchess." Umi said bowing her head.

"You wont get away with this." Fuu whispered.

"I beg to differ sister dear. I will rule this kingdom, and no one is going to stop me."

"Ferio will."

"Oh please little girl. He's wounded, and you know you can only heal somebody once without disastrous results."

"Clef can still defeat you." The Duchess and Karla laughed, Umi smirked.

"I have something special planed for him." The Duchess smiled evilly at Fuu, her right eye twitching. Suddenly there was a loud pop.

What did her eye finally give out? Umi thought, then realized that the shields were gone.

"They're here." Umi stated, never moving from her position.

"Excellent. Right on time." The Duchess moved to stand closer to Fuu. While Karla moved next to Umi. Right then the door burst open and Lantis came charging into the room sword drawn. Clef and Ascot right behind them. The Prince was no where in sight. The three originally in the room were too stunned to move. Until Clef raised his hand to invoke a spell. The Duchess shook off her surprise and screamed.

"No! You're messing everything up!" She raised her hand it glowed a sickly green. "I wont let you mess everything up!" She moved her hand around aiming it at Clef. But before she could Umi reached over and grabbed the mug of ale, throwing its contents into the Duchesses face. She screamed in outrage.

"Piru! How dare you!" But Umi wasn't listening because she suddenly wiped her arm back, and smashed Karla's nose with the bottom of the mug.

"Grab her Lantis!" Umi screamed at the Captain of the Guards. Who quickly caught Karla's arm and pulled it up behind her back. Umi turned back to the Duchess who hadn't moved.

"How?" She asked her skin turning a rather unflattering green.

"You said in the carriage that I can see magic. I can also feel when someone is placing a spell on me. Do you really think I would hang around with a Master Mage without some sort of protection on me? No offense Clef."

"None taken." He muttered.

"I have a friend that's a hedge-witch and is an expert in making amulets." Reaching into her shirt Umi pulled out a dark disk of glass, it had some symbols painted on it. "I had this beauty made up, and guess what . . . it repeals magic."

"No. That spell . . . you are mine!"

"I highly doubt that. Since I've interrupted that lovely spell of yours."

"No." She whispered in disbelief, her skin starting to glow.

"Yes. It all comes back to you three fold."

"NO!" The Duchess screamed as her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Her whole body, including her eye, started twitching. The glowing intensified until everyone had to shield their eyes. There was aloud pop and the Duchess vanished.

"That was . . . strangely appropriate." Fuu muttered. "Though if we're all done here I'd like to be untied now!" Grinning sheepishly Umi drew one of her knives and cut Fuu's bonds.

"Sorry about the whole slapping you thing." Fuu smiled at Umi's discomfort.

"Not a problem though you so owe me for it." Umi laughed and nodded her head.

"Well if all this bonding is over. I believe His Highness and Hakiru will want our help." Lantis said dryly.

"Right." Umi said and grabbed Fuu's arm, and they both walked out of the inn.

Some time after the previous events was over everyone demanded to know what had happened. And they we not going to leave Umi alone until she told them, so they all gathered into the Princes chambers and Umi told her side of the story.

"The Duchess, though insane, was not stupid. She had come into the city to kill the Prince and use her new spell on Clef. Then when the royal family and their councilor were gone she was to go and get her army. Who would then take care of all other opposition in the city. She would then take over the city and with it the kingdom. But she wasn't counting on the fact that:

Umi or Piru would be able to get around her Obedience spell and stop her.

That Umi would be able to get word to Lantis and Hakiru.

Who then gathered their own army and came up behind the Duchesses forces. And of course she also didn't expect Ferio to gather his guards and take the army head on. Which caught the Duchesses army in a pincher, destroying them."

"But what was that spell she was going to use on Clef? And why are you talking in third person?" Fuu asked from her position on the couch besides Ferio.

"Probably because it sounds more dramatic. The spell was a Leaching spell. Its intent was to leach my powers away and place them in her. But because Umi threw that ale in her face the spell back lashed." Clef said entering the conversation.

"Which means?"

"Which means instead of leaching Clef's powers it was leaching her own. Kind of like trying to turn yourself inside out." Umi finished.

"But how did Hakiru and Lanits defeat the army? How did you get word to them?" Ascot asked.

"Well that is a story all in itself and one I believe that Lantis and Hakiru will have to tell." Clef said smiling. Everyone turned towards the couple who blushed and looked indifferent, guess who did what.

"Come on guys spill it." Ferio ordered. Umi smiled at the distraught couple, glade to be out of the limelight. Quickly she slipped out onto the balcony before anyone asked her another question. Sighing she leaned against the rail and contemplated her life so far.

Well life didn't really start out that great but . . . well now it's not so bad. I have friends that actually don't want to turn me to the dark side. I would be nice if I could live here with them . . .

"I wish I could stay."

"So stay." Startled Umi jumped and quickly turned around there was Clef standing right behind her. He came to stand beside her, leaning his weight against the rail.

"I didn't mean to say that out loud." Umi said going back to her original position.

"But you did, and now it's out in the open."

"I can't stay."

"Why not? Everyone wants you to. I heard His Highness say he was going to make you his Spy Master."

"He did?" Umi said with hope in her voice.

"You want to stay Umi . . . I know you do. Why can't you just accept that you have a home here?" Clef said turning to look at Umi, his face serious his eyes full of pleading.

"But—"

"Umi!" He cried grabbing both her hands in his. "You have saved the Kingdom, Fuu, and even his Highnesses life. You help find the Queen though she wont be coming back."

"Why not?"

"What?"

"Where is the Queen now?"

"In a small village somewhere with the love of her life. Prince Ferio will be crowned next week. But my point is that we want you to stay . . . I want you to stay. Umi I . . ."

"You what?" Umi asked moving closer to Clef.

"I love you." He said looking into her eyes.

"I . . . love you too." Umi smiled tears falling unnoticed down her cheeks.

"So you'll stay?" He asked pulling Umi close to him.

"Yes." She whispered still smiling. Clef smiled as well and leaned his head down to captured her lips with his own. Sealing the promise Umi had made.

The End

Thank you for all your wonderful reviews I hope that I will be getting more. I really like the fact that all of my reviews were good, and helpful. Thank you again.

Lodur