Hana waved as Vivi donned his top hat and descended into the demon world. But as soon as he was out of sight, Hana let the façade slip and went to her room to sulk.

I miss him already. How was she to survive a few days? It hadn't even been a few minutes! "Toni, I'm going to sleep some more," Hana called as she trudged up the stairs.

The butler shook his head sadly. He couldn't blame Hana for her mood, but Vivi was doing what he thought he had to. If it was up to him, Toni wouldn't have given up the chance to spend even a few days with her, since her fragile days were numbered. Unlike a demon's...

"That's it!" Toni cried out, suddenly realizing what it was he had been missing. "Oh, this changes everything!"

Vivi sat slumped in one of Moritz's library chairs, reading a book. But not just any book. No, it was a book about a romantic relationship between a human and a demon. Or rather, a lack thereof.

While it is to be noted that many demons have claimed to have claimed a human partner, it is untrue. Long ago, it was thought to be a symbol of great power to take a human bride, but it soon became known the dangers of such relations.

No matter the demon, nor the human, the result was always the same: the human never survived the first night.

It was depressing, to say the least. Hana would not- Vivi couldn't even think the words. Well, no matter. I just won't touch her. Much like it used to. He felt significantly better after having made up his mind, but the deepest part of his heart shattered at what was to happen. But he had to do it. Those three years were not going to have been wasted.

The days passed slowly for Hana. They were as exciting as if she had spent the time watching grass grow. In fact, she had tried that to see if it was indeed as boring as her friends claimed. And indeed it was.

Vivi returned after three days in the demon world. But Hana didn't see him until the fourth. He had not come to tell her he was back, nor did he take his normal place at the supper table. In fact, she wouldn't have even known he was back if she hadn't seen him walking through the stone courtyard. But he paid her no mind, except to dart out of the way when she ran up to hug him. No words were exchanged; no cheesy 'I missed you' lines were spoken aloud.

So Hana found herself once again locked up in her room. She refused to speak to any anyone, and her food was left untouched outside her door where Toni would leave them at regular intervals.

Toni tried to open the subject to Vivi. He merely grunted in response. "It's none of my business what the brat does. If she doesn't want to eat, don't force her. And stop interrupting me when I'm working!" He threw a book at Toni's head, who from there on, didn't attempt to talk to Vivi again, except to bring in meals. But much like Hana's, those too were left untouched.

"It's just plain ridiculous! Those two should just be honest with each other. And I thought they were making progress, too!" Toni grumbled as he donned gardening gloves. As he was picking some roses to put alongside Hana's food, Toni found one of Hana's drawings. It was a few years old, but it had a picture of the other humans Hana had befriended during her time at school. "I know exactly what to do." If Vivi wouldn't make up his mind, Toni would do it for him. And already a plan was forming in his mind. All he needed was a telephone number...

"Mom, I'm going!" Momo pulled on his shoes and was about halfway out the door when his mother came up.

"Not to that mansion again. Momo, I told you. It's dangerous to go there at all, much less as often as you did. I was hoping you'd finally outgrown that rebellious phase..."

Momo sighed. "I told you, it's not haunted. Besides, there's a friend of mine that's living there now. Remember Hana? The girl from school I brought over sometimes? The one who fell in love with our flowers? Well, she was living with a woman named Ayame for a while, but moved back to the mansion as soon as the owners came home. And anyway, she really needs my help, Mom. So please, I have to go. It's important!"

The middle-aged woman sighed. "If it's that important to you, I guess you can. But be home buy dinner." Without another word, Momo was out the door and racing to help the girl he had fallen in love with all those years ago.

Toni waited anxiously by the door. What was taking that human so long? Maybe he should have taken the carriage. But it was much too conspicuous...

There was a light knock on the door, and Tony sighed with relief. He wasn't sure how much longer he could've been kept waiting.

A tousle-haired boy came dashing into the marble-floored foyer. "Where is she?" he demanded, not caring what the butler thought of him. As it was, Toni merely rolled his eyes and started up the stairs. After a moment's hesitation, Momo followed up after him.

Time seemed to stretch as Toni led the way up to Hana's room. What was only a few minutes became a few hours. At last, the butler stopped outside a mahogany door. "Here we are. But I warn you now boy, if my master finds I have invited you here for her, neither of us will live to see the light of day." Toni halted for a moment before continuing. "But please, do what you can to help her."

Step 1, complete.

All he needed was to get Vivi to talk. And live through the day, of course.

Toni hesitantly knocked on Vivi's bedchamber door. No response. Ever so slightly, Toni pushed open the thick oak door and peered in at the bed. Instead of a Vivi-sized lump in the middle, and no broken vases at Toni's feet, the impossible must have happened. Or Hana's early mornings had just rubbed off on Vivi, for he was nowhere to be found.

It was a significant setback, but nothing the talented butler couldn't handle. And so Toni went in search for Vivi.

Momo knocked insistently on Hana's bedroom door. He heard a muffled "go away," from her room, but decides to ignore it. Toni had given him a task, and the means to complete it. The doorknob turned easily in his grasp. Pocketing the key, Momo stepped into Hana's usually bright room.

Having only been in it once, Momo couldn't make exact comparisons, but the changes he saw were significant. The velvet drapes that used to be pulled back to let in the sunlight were now tightly shut. The vases that once held flowers of all colors held now only cobwebs and spiders.

When he first walked in, he had completely missed Hana. But a second look made him stagger back. If only Toni had come to him sooner.

Hana was curled up on her side in the corner clear across the room, right next to her nearly empty dresser. Her silky white nightgown hung limply on her bony shoulders. The sparkle of youth and laughter that had made Momo fall in love with her was gone, replaced with hopelessness and heartbreak.

And it was all Vivi's fault.

Toni searched high and low for Vivi, but he was nowhere to be found. As a last effort, Toni checked outside Hana's room. But even that was empty. I just hope that boy will do as he should. He bowed his head in defeat. Even if the boy somehow managed to encourage Hana, it was all for naught if Toni couldn't find Vivi.

Once again pulling on his gloves, Toni picked up his watering can and proceeded to give his beautiful flowers life. As he was making the rounds, a hand darted into the sun and grabbed his ankle. Toni landed painfully on his rear, the watering can bouncing away uselessly.

"Unhand me, you miscreant!" Toni tried shaking off the hand, but to no avail. Why wasn't the boy upstairs with Hana? And why was he attacking Toni, of all people.

"Shut up Toni."

Suddenly, it made sense. The hand that held his ankle slowly released him, the long, elegant fingers retreating back into the sweet darkness.

"Vivi, what are you doing out here? In the garden, of all places! It's already noon." Toni slid under the plants to sit beside his master. This was just the opportunity he had been waiting for. "And what's going through that head of yours? You're both the same, you know. You and Ha-"

The hand that just had a hold on Toni's ankle curled itself around Toni's neck. "Don't you ever," Vivi growled, "say that name in front of me again."

Toni managed a small nod, and let out a sigh of relief once Vivi had removed his hand. "But still, something must be done. Vivi, you're just sitting around, doing absolutely nothing of consequence. Even if Ha- she isn't around, you're still a high-ranking demon. You have certain responsibilities that must be taken into consideration. Such as choosing a wife."

Vivi growled under his breath, a slight warning for Toni. He continued, but watching his words as he spoke. "All I'm saying, Vivi, is that power as great as yours should be passed on. Both as a duty, and a sense of pride."

"Who cares what everyone else thinks? Moritz has given me orders to stay here. It's not like I can just go to the demon world long enough to choose a bride, and besides, who would be willing to come up to the surface for so long?"

Toni looked at him pointedly.

"Alright, I get it. But I got bored, okay? It wasn't even supposed to have gone on this long. I would've left already if not for H-" Vivi cut himself off before he could mention Hana. But Toni jumped at the opportunity.

"But she's found someone, Vivi. That boy Momo has started to talk to her again."Vivi sat in silence, so Toni pressed on. He was almost there. "In fact, he came over, just a little while ago. I couldn't find you, so I let him in and led him to Hana's room." A slight twitch, which would've gone unnoticed by Toni, had he not been keeping such a close eye on Vivi. "I think this'll be good for her. In fact, Momo has told me of his plans to take Hana as his own."

In less than the blink of an eye, Vivi had Toni up against the side of the greenhouse. "What. Did. You. Say?" With each word, Vivi's chokehold on Toni got stronger.

Somehow, Toni was still able to talk. "He wishes to marry her."

Vivi dropped Toni unceremoniously as he ran into the blinding sun. The leathery wings on his back burst free as he flew to Hana's third floor window.

Toni smiled weakly as he rubbed his sore neck. It would bruise, but it was well worth it.

Step 2 of his plan was complete.