KG: Ok, just so you all know what's going on here, we went into the past to tell where Mizuno and that water demon spirit came from. So don't be confused. And this is the first of 3 past stories.

A young woman walks down the dormitory hallway. "Marina!" called a voice from down the hall. "Nuriko, keep your voice down, do you want to wake everyone up?" she replied. "Well I needed to know if the rumors about you were true." He said. "Rumors? About me?" she asked confusedly. "Yeah, that now you're assigned to wait on the prince hand and foot." He said excitedly.

"Oh, Nuriko, you eavesdrop on too many conversations. And no, I just make up his room in the morning and make sure he turns in at night, on top of my dessert serving job I have now." She replied. "Still, you're so lucky to be that close to a hottie like him." He swooned. "God, Nuriko, you're such a fag." She taunted. "Did you have any doubts? Jeez, we've gone guy watching for years now."

"I have to go to work now Nuriko, I'll see you at lunch." She said kissing him on the cheek. She ran off to get to her post. She got there and waited at the prince's bed post. He looked really cute just sleeping there, but soon she noticed something weird in his face. He was looking really flushed.

"My Lord?" she said beginning to try and shake him awake. "My Lord, it's time for you to awake." He woke up groggily. "W-Who are you?" he asked rubbing his eyes. "I am your new maid, I will make sure you wake up and go to sleep on time and also make up your bed." she said cheerfully.

He got out of bed and walked over to his closet. "I hope that my services will be to your liking, My Lord." she said trying to keep a conversation. "You'll do fine." He said simply. This made Marina feel so much better. She was nervous that he might not like her, per say. He was very critical of all his servants.

Suddenly there was a thump from the closet. "My Lord, are you ok?" she called into the closet. When there was no response she opened the door to see that he had passed out on the floor. She rushed up to him; put her hand to his forehead and found that he was burning up. She brought him back to the bed and tucked him in.

She wondered to herself what to do. In the end she decided to go inform the King and Queen so they wouldn't worry. They were having breakfast so she went into the staff entrance to the kitchen where she ran right into Nuriko and they both fell over. "Oh my god, Nuriko, am I glad you're here. Can you tell the king and queen that his lord is sick?" She said quickly getting up and helping Nuriko up. "Wait… Why me?" He said dumbstruck.

"Oh please Nuriko, do this for me?" she said giving him a puppy dog look. "They are right outside that door, just walk out there and do it." He said pointing to the door to the dinning room. "Ugh, God Nuriko, you're so lazy." She said storming out the door. "I love you too." He called after her.

She came into the dinning room and quickly bowed to them. "Your majesties, I have some bad news." She said. They looked uninterested but still waiting. "I…uh, his lord has taken ill." "Well," said the king. "What do you think my dear?"

"I think some one should take him to the medical wing." The queen said as she look at Marina with bored eyes. "But he fainted. I don't think he's going to get up anytime soon my lady." Marina said keeping her eyes toward the ground. "Well, then I think you'll be good enough to look after him till he can move, right?" The king said as he started his breakfast. "I shall do my best My Lord." Marina said as she bowed and walked off to the kitchen.

But before she could leave the kitchen, Nuriko stopped her with a big smile on his face. "What?" Marina said confused until she realized what Nuriko was so good at. "No, you're not coming with me. I know what your thinking! You're not going to help me with this! You'll get me into trouble!" She said as she tried to rush past him. Nuriko's face went from excited to puppy dog sad as he followed her with his eyes out of the kitchen. "You just want him to yourself! You better give me details tonight Marina!"

He yelled out to her.

Slowly she opened the door to the prince's room. But seeing that he was only sleeping she didn't see much need to stay there any longer. " I don't wan to marry her…." The prince said in his sleep turning over violently in his sleep. Marina quickly sat next to him curious of what was the next thing to come out of his mouth. But he stayed silent after that. "How don't you want to marry?" Marina said nudging him.

Apparently she nudged too hard. "That would be none of your business." He said angrily pushing her off his bedside. "Well it has to be someone you really don't like if you talk about it in your dreams my lord. Come on tell me. I'll be in here all day anyways looking after you." She said walking back to her little spot next to his bedpost. "I don't need to be looked after. Now leave." "Now that's not a nice way to ask someone to leave." She said tauntingly. The prince gave her an annoyed look as he tried to get out of bed. " Don't be mad, I'm sorry. But I can't leave. The king told me to stay here today till you can move around." " Well I'm moving aren't I?" He said right before his knees buckled and started to fall. Luckily, Marina got there just in time before he could hit the floor and sat him back in bed.

" Looks like I'm not leaving anytime soon." She said giggling walking back to the bedpost. The prince sat there on his bed to angry to say anything to her. "Well now that I know I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. Tell me about the girl you don't want to marry." "Why, do you think I don't know that all of you damn maids have crushes on me? Why should I tell you a damn thing?" He said looking out towards the window. "I don't have a crush on you. I don't live in such a world as the others do to even think I have a chance with prince." She said looking out the same window the prince was looking out of. " You think I'm going to buy that?" " You don't have to. But don't you think that if I had a crush on you, that I would have already tried to make you like me? All I want to do is talk till I can get back to my room with Nuriko and go man hunting."

She said giggling hopping it would get the prince talking more. He sat there thinking about what she said and finally opened up. "Sounds like fun. I wish I could get out more…" "You're the prince, don't you go to like parties and dances?" Marina said looking at him with her need to know eyes. "Parties? Dances? No, I stay in the palace learning to become the next Great Water Lord." He said as he sat up in his bed. "Well tell me about that. That has to be somewhat fun." " Are you nuts? Sitting down, listening to old farts talk about crap you don't want to be hearing? I wish I could go to those parties and dances."

" Well, I guess it isn't all the great to be in your position. But what about the girls?" "What about them?" He said turning his head so that he was facing her. "What about girls?"

"You know, your love life. There has to be another girl that you know that would be willing to marry you so you don't have to marry the nightmare girl." The prince looked down sadly. "I've never had been out of the palace enough to actually meet another woman." Marina looked at him with sympathetic eyes. "Well why don't you give one of the maids a chance? There are a lot of them that like you."

"They like the thought of the title and the money they would get if they were married to me, that's all." He said looking back out the window again. "Well get out there! Go find someone. It's not that hard." The prince smiled and looked back at her. "I like talking to you. You're the first one that ever had the guts to even try to talk to me. I don't even talk to my own parents anymore." Marina smiled back at the prince. "Well I'm glad you like talking. If you didn't, I would have left along time ago."

While still in his room the prince and Marina talked and talked till it was time for her to leave when the sun set. And it went on like this for months.

One evening 3 months later:

Before Marina left for the night.

"So, I heard you're supposed to meet with your bride to be tomorrow, my lord." She said kind of regretting what she said in her heart. "What do you care?…" He said walking into his closet. "What do you mean by that? I care. You just look really mad for some reason, and I thought that would get your mind off of what you where thinking about." The prince stormed out of the closet after her comment. "What would you know what makes me in a good mood or not!" "I'm sorry…geez…" Marina said walking to her spot in his room. "Stop talking to me like I'm your friend! I'm your Lord! The prince of this palace! And you are my servant!..." The prince stopped himself from saying anymore when he saw her face.

Marina became teary eyed and ran out of the room. "Wait! … " He said calling out to her. But by the time he got to the door she was down the hall. "Damnit…" He closed his door knowing that she would be back in the morning for her post.

The next morning:

The prince woke up to see that she had not yet come in for her post. He hopped that she would be there to say sorry for what he had said last night, and went looking for her. And after almost an hour of looking, he finally found in one of the backcourts floating on her back in one of the lakes.

"What are you doing back here?" He said walking up to her. Marina only floated away from him. The prince became annoyed fast and grabber her by the arm. "You where supposed to be at your post an hour ago." Marina turned her face from him. "What if I didn't want to be there?"

"You don't have a choice." He said walking her off the water. "I don't want to go back! And I don't have to! I changed my posts last night!" She forced her arm out of his grip and ran next to the cherry tree that grew on the shore of the lake. "Why did you do that?..." "It doesn't matter! She hid herself behind the tree. The prince quickly went behind the tree to talk to her face to face.

"You were the only one that I could talk to! I trusted you!" He said pining her up against the tree. "How can you trust someone when you don't even know their name!" She said with tears in her eyes.

She was right. All these months, he never asked what her name was. He really didn't care much. She just made him happy.

He finally let go of her and walked off. "Fine…"

K.G: Oh man, I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to cry soon if something doesn't happen soon.

As soon as the prince was gone out of sight, Marina ran back to her room where she knew that Nuriko was still there.

She slammed the door shut waking Nuriko up. "Who's there?" He said startled. Marina flung herself at him crying. "I don't want him to get married, Nuriko! I don't!" "Wait a minute, Marina. What are you talking about? Why are you crying? What happened?"

"I thought I wasn't going to, but I did! I know he doesn't though… But I do! And I don't want him to get married! But I know he won't believe me Nuriko!"

Nuriko, still a little drossy, was confused at what she was even saying. "Wait, Marina, what are you talking about that you do but he doesn't? And you don't want him to get married?" Marina just sobbed away on his chest.

Finally something clicked in his head and he held Marina tightly. "Aww, Marina. Don't worry. All these months I've been listening in to you and the prince's conversations. He has to have the same feelings for you. Now stop crying and go talk to him." He said picking up Marina's face to wipe her tears away. "I can't…I changed post with you… I kindda thought you wouldn't mind. I know you like the prince."

"You did what! Marina…Well I guess I haven't told you yet anyways. I kinda met a guy 3 months ago." Hearing this got the prince off of her mind. "Really! What is he like Nuriko!" Nuriko blushed.

"Well, he just became a knight 4 months ago, and you know those parties they have every once in awhile? Yea well, I used some of your clothes and picked him up. And we've been together since." He said with a glazed over love look in his eyes. "He does know you're a guy right?" "No.. not exactly….."

"Oh, Nuriko! Why not? I'm sure he would love you anyway! What's his name?" She said looking at him with her need to know eyes.

"His name is Veranous and… wait, were off subject Marina. Now I want you to go talk to him and say you're sorry for even thinking about switching post with someone else." He said as he started pushing her out the door. "I can't do that!" "And why not?" Marina turned around and walked over to her bed. "Because, we got into a big fight. I don't think he wants to talk to me right now."

"And how would you know that? He might be up there in his room right now hoping that you'll be up there to put him to sleep." Nuriko said giggling. "I don't put him to sleep Nuriko. I don't even know why I have to go in there at night." She said curling herself into a little ball on her bed. "Can you go talk to him tonight and see what's going on? " Nuriko only sighed and kissed the top of Marina's head. "I'll only do this once. Then your on your own you hear me?" He said as he walked out of the room.

Only moments later was he standing right in front of the prince's door. I can't do this. This is insane! Maybe if I say all he's thinking about is her and only talking about her. Maybe then she'll come up on her own and talk to him. Yea, that's what'll I'll do! But as soon as he was done thinking that thought the door opened and there he was.

"Who are you?" The prince said with an annoyed and angry tone in his voice. "I-I….ummm. I'm here to take Marina's place." The prince only moved out of the way and sat down on his bed. Nuriko stood there as still as a statue hopping something would break the ice.

"Just leave. I don't need anyone here." The prince said walking to his window. "No wait, I need to talk to you." Said Nuriko quickly. "For what?" He said turning towards Nuriko while leaning back on the window frame looking uninterested. "Well… It's about Marina my lord…she all distressed about this wedding of yours, and really hates herself for leaving her post."

"Yea, well that's her own damn fault." He said looking back out the window. "But my lord! You have to reconsider! She loves you." "If she loved me she wouldn't be doing this. Now I don't want to hear anymore of this!"

"So you'd rather marry that girl than someone you really care about?" Nuriko said walking closer to the prince. The prince just stood there thinking about what he just said.

"Then what do you think I should do?" Nuriko only smiled to think of any possible way to get any kind of relationship started.

"When do you have a day off?" "A day off? Are you nuts?" The prince said looking at him once again. "No I am not nuts, I want to know if you have a day off anytime soon?"

The prince thought about this as he walked over to his calendar to check." I have tomorrow off. Wow, I should look at this thing more often." "Good, meet me tomorrow at the market. Marina and I will be shopping. And that's where you guy will be able to patch things up again!"

The next day:

While at the market.

"Are you sure he's going to be here, Nuriko?" asked Marina. "He better be," He said pouting. "I put a lot of effort into this." "Put a lot of effort in to what?" she asked. "Oh nothing." He replied. Nuriko turned looking around until he saw a tall, hansome armored man. "Veranous! Over here!" Nuriko waved to him.

"Ah, well hello there beautiful." Veranous said walking up to the pair. "Well, you're a new face." He said seeing Marina. "M-My names Marina." said a surprised Marina. "She's my best friend, so no hitting on her, alright?" warned Nuriko. "Oh, come on babe, You know I only have eyes for you." Veranous replied. Nuriko just giggled happily.

Elsewhere in the market:

Why am I doing this… thought an irritated prince. "I can't believe I let him talk me into this…" he told himself remembering what he had gone through to get here.

This morning:

"Trust me, my lord." Nuriko said reassuringly. "Somehow I can't bring myself to do that…" he said looking at himself in the mirror as Nuriko went on dressing him in a disguise. "Well with out this, anybody, much less Marina, will notice you right off the bat." He said looking at his work of art.

"Stop looking at me like that… It's making me uncomfortable…" said the prince. "I apologize my lord, I'll see you in the market!" said Nuriko running out the door.

In the market:

Marina had gotten separated from Nuriko and Veranous. Oh, man… why did have to get lost now… she thought to herself as she decided to stop in a alleyway. "Hello, Hello, what have we here?" said a voice behind her. She turned to see a large, menacing man. "A girl all on her own." He said grabbing at her seemingly to rape her. She struggled against her assailant until she felt him being pulled away from her. Marina opened her eyes to see what had happened only to find another man hidden in a clock. He pulled the mugger off of her and started beating him to a pulp. Is he defending me? Or does he want the same thing that guy did. Marina thought to herself as she watched the two fight. The clocked man got to his feet, leaving the rapist on the ground all bloodied up, and started to walk off.

"Wait!" Marina said running after him.

DF: Ohhh, the suspense we leave you with. Too bad your going to have to wait.