Just in time for the holidays! Merry Christmas everyone! 8D

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters except for OC's

Flowers are Always Looking Up

Masato lets out a sigh of relief as the others stand from their seats and file past him.

The meeting had finally come to an end. However, he couldn't say how successful it was.

It was obvious that the Western and Eastern Kingdoms downright refused to see eye-to-eye. While the Western Kingdom wanted more land to accommodate their growing population, the Eastern refused to move any borders.

There was also the issue of the Western Kingdom chasing out the wolves off their land. This did not sit well with the Eastern Kingdom, considering the wolves originated from the east.

Not much was said by the Northern Kingdom Representatives due to their neutrality. Though they did seem mildly anxious about how the Eastern and Western Kingdoms' battles were getting close to their borders. However, it was more of the fact that the North did not want to risk any of their already vast land.

The Southern Kingdom expressed concern about the recent activity around their borders with the West. The West denied the claim though Masato was still suspicious. Especially since the two cat twins grinned through the whole discussion.

There was no way that Masato could argue against the claim since he didn't have enough valid proof.

Once all the Representatives had exited the room, Masato slowly stood from his seat to follow them out.

Before he could exit the room, his father stopped in front of him. Masato immediately froze. He quickly took a step to the side to let the King walk past him. His heart thudded pounded against his chest anxiously as he felt the cold gaze of the older man looming down on him.

After a moment of painful silence, the King finally proceeded out of the room.

Once the man was gone, Masato let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding. He felt his hands trembling by his sides and tried desperately to get a hold of his nerves.

'Why is it always like this…?' Masato wondered to himself.

Another moment passed before Masato was able to take another step. He let out a frustrated grunt before finally exiting the room.

Instead of going to the front gates, Masato decided to go take a walk through the garden to calm his nerves.

'I guess I'll deal with the grief of not seeing off our guests later.' Masato thought grimly.

With how things went, Masato didn't have the emotional capacity to watch the Representatives walk away. He glanced up at the sky, watching as the clouds slowly rolled by. A bird flew in and out of his line of sight, leaving Masato envious of the creature's ability to sour through the sky.

If only he could be like the birds of the sky and fly without a care in the world. However, he was aware of the chains that bound him to the earth.

Masato cursed under his breath and placed a hand over his forehead. He tried to fight off the depression and helplessness sinking into his consciousness. He wouldn't lose himself to those feelings again. It did him no good to be dwelling on such.

However, the image of the two Western Kingdom princes laughing at him hung deeply in his conscious, mocking him. More than that however, was the feeling of his father's disapproving gaze on him.

He felt himself sinking deeper and deeper into uncertainty. Was he wrong about the entire situation with the Western Kingdom? Was he even fit to take over the Kingdom one day?

Someone singing suddenly broke him out of his thoughts. A rush of emotions fluttered through Masato's chest upon hearing the familiar tune, lifting his spirits and out of the hole he was sinking in. He whirled around to see a familiar redheaded servant standing in the middle of the garden.

Haruka swept the pathway leading deeper in the garden while humming a tune she made up.

By all the commotion that was going on in the front, Haruka assumed that the meeting had finished. She wondered if things at the meeting went well. She settled on asking the prince about it later, hoping things would go back to the way they were.

Haruka paused and looked over the expanse of the garden. The leaves were turning a light reddish-orange, the usual green slowly seeping away. Many were already falling off the branches and littered the pathway.

It had been nearly five months since Haruka had started working here at the palace. She almost couldn't believe how long it had been since she last saw her grandmother. They exchanged letters on a weekly basis to check up on how the other was doing.

Haruka had been delighted to hear that her grandmother was doing well under the care of the medical clinic she was moved to. As long as Haruka continued to pay back the amount she owed dutifully, everything would be all right.

Thinking about her grandmother reminded Haruka about how grateful she was to her. If it weren't for her, she probably wouldn't be where she is right now…

Flashback

Growing up was difficult. Haruka grew up never really knowing her parents. They had died from the epidemic that had been going around the Kingdoms when she was really young. Thankfully her grandmother was there to take her in.

"Here, take this." Haruka's grandmother said, placing a pendant around Haruka's neck.

"What is this, grandma?" a five-year old Haruka asked.

Haruka's grandmother smiled. "It's our family's heirloom."

The pendant was gold and in the shape of a star with a crystal blue middle and held up by a thin gold chain.

"It's so pretty." Haruka said, holding up the pendant in her tiny hand.

"Take good care of it now. It's been passed down our family for generations."

Haruka smiled brightly. "I will!"

Her grandmother had become the mother figure in her life and Haruka couldn't ask for a better guardian. While she always had fun with her grandmother, Haruka had always wished to make friends.

However, due to Haruka's poor health, she wasn't allowed to leave the house very often. But there were times where her grandmother would take her on a special trip through a nearby town to stock up on supplies. Haruka loved seeing all of the activity in the town and would sometimes wander away when her grandmother wasn't looking but never for a long period of time.

However, the days of fun and carefree had to come to an end…

"Grandma! I collected all the herbs you wanted from the garden!" a fourteen-year-old Haruka called happily, closing the front door behind her.

When she didn't get an answer, Haruka called again. However, there was still no answer from the older woman and anxiety started flooding in.

"Grandma?" Haruka called as she briskly walked through the house.

Glancing from one room to the next, Haruka felt her anxiety levels steadily rise with each passing moment she didn't see her grandmother.

It wasn't until she made it to the kitchen that she broke out into cold sweat. The herbs she had been carrying slipped out of her grasp and scattered across the floor.

"Grandma!" Haruka cried in panic at the sight of her grandmother collapsed in the middle of the floor.

She raced to her grandmother's side, helping her onto her back. Her forehead was damp with sweat and her breathing was sporadic. Haruka felt the woman's head and gasped upon how hot it was.

Acting quickly, she helped her grandmother off the floor and slung her arm over her shoulders. Getting her into the bedroom was a challenge as Haruka was a rather small girl. However, she managed to drag her grandmother onto the bed and covered her with a blanket.

Rushing back into the kitchen, she found a clean cloth and dampened it with cold water. Back at her grandmother's side, she placed the cloth over the older woman's forehead.

Once she got her confortable, Haruka raced out of the house and over to the neighbors. Her hand hammered against the wooden door, desperately calling out for help.

After a moment or two, she could hear hurried footsteps. The door finally opened, revealing a dark haired man with a red scarf around his neck.

"Can I help you?"

"P-Please, do you have any medicine you can spare? My grandmother collapsed from a fever!" Haruka cried.

The dark-haired man wasted no time and rushed back into the house. Haruka heard several cabinets being opened and objects being pushed around. The man emerged a few moments later with a small container and a wet cloth.

Haruka then lead the way to her house, desperate to help her ailing grandmother. Thankfully when they arrived, her grandmother's condition had not worsened while she was away.

Her neighbor helped apply the medicine and said her grandmother just needed to rest now. While Haruka was relieved to hear the news, she couldn't help but remain worried.

As the days went by, Haruka started to notice that her grandmother's health was still declining. She was not as energetic as she was and would rest in her bed for longer periods of time.

Haruka did her best to try and take care of her grandmother, but knew it was only a matter of time before it just wouldn't be enough.

Just as Haruka had feared, a few weeks later, her grandmother suffered from another fever, but this time it was several times worse. She was forced to move into the clinic in the next town over.

After the change of circumstances, Haruka took it upon herself to find work to pay for her grandmother's stay. For the first month or so, Haruka was able to work some small jobs around the village such as picking vegetables and cleaning the different merchant stalls.

There were times that she had to clean the stalls of the farm animals. While it wasn't the most glamorous job, Haruka needed the money. It was for the only family member she had left, she couldn't afford to complain.

However, the longer her grandmother stayed at the clinic, the more expensive the bills became. The jobs that Haruka was working weren't enough anymore, forcing her to search elsewhere for higher paying jobs.

Much to Haruka's relief however, the neighbor that had helped her the first time worked at an orphanage a few towns over and graciously got her a job there.

Unfortunately, Haruka had to travel through several villages and into town before arriving at where she worked. The trek took almost a day, forcing Haruka to stay at the orphanage during the week and having to be away from her grandmother more frequently. At the end of the week she would return back to where her grandmother was staying and turn in her payments.

While her grandmother was grateful that Haruka was trying so hard for her, she would constantly worry whether she was pushing herself too hard. However, Haruka would always reassure her that she was fine.

Working at the orphanage was no easy feat, but Haruka learned to enjoy herself. She loved working with the orphans and would play with them during her free time.

Haruka became especially close with one of the orphans. He was often by himself in the corner reading a book and Haruka would always go and sit next to him and talk to him about different things.

"What are you reading?" Haruka asked one of the orphans.

A small boy with green hair was sitting in the corner of the room, reading a book. He glanced up at Haruka before quickly looking back down at his book.

"…Night on the Galactic Railroad." He said simply, his voice just above a whisper.

Haruka smiled warmly before taking a seat on the floor next to him. "Sounds interesting. What is it about?"

While he didn't talk much in return, Haruka could tell he appreciated her company from the soft look in his yellow-orange eyes.

Whenever Haruka had to leave to go back to check on her grandmother, the orphans would plead for her not to leave.

"Don't leave, Haruka-oneesan!" a small girl cried, tugging on Haruka's sleeve.

"We want to play more!" a small boy pleaded.

Haruka giggled before she knelt down to their level.

"I have to go home for a little bit but I'll definitely bring back some treats." Haruka reassured.

"Really?"

"Yay!"

"Haruka-neesan is the best!"

Haruka smiled. "Don't worry, we'll see each other again soon."

Winter had come and covered the ground with a thin layer of snow. Haruka trudged down the icy path, a small breeze ruffling her orange locks. The air was crisp, cold enough for Haruka to see her own breath.

It had been almost two months since her grandmother had been admitted into the small medical clinic. Haruka was on her way back to the orphanage, holding a nicely wrapped basket full of sweet buns in her arms. The walk over took nearly three days so Haruka had to gauge her time wisely.

Haruka paused and looked around. "Where…am I?"

With the ground covered with newly fallen snow, the landmarks that Haruka was so adjusted to seeing were different.

Haruka started to panic before a gust of wind hit her full force, blowing her hair and obscuring her vision. She immediately brought up her arms to shield her face before the passing breeze swept past her.

When she opened her eyes again, the path was completely covered in snow.

"Ah…"

It was almost nightfall when Haruka neared the town's entrance.

She had always been terrible with directions and now that all her visual markers were gone, she took nearly the entire day to find her way. Though it was mostly thanks to some traveling merchants who pointed her to the right direction.

'I hope they won't be too upset about how late I am.' Haruka thought to herself with a small smile, thinking of how the kids at the orphans would reprimand her for being late.

Glancing off into the distance towards the town, several thin billows of smoke caught her eye. At first she didn't think much of it, believing they were smoke coming from chimneys since it was rather chilly out.

However, when she got closer, she immediately paused and her eyes widened in horror.

Many of the buildings had collapsed and were now piles of rubble. Several large craters littered the ground, a small trail of smoke streaming from some. Small flames still flickered in some parts, the worst of it having passed.

'What…'

It was if a massive fire struck the town. However, judging from the craters in the ground, Haruka felt that wasn't the case.

Someone, no…something did this.

'Don't tell me…a Guardian did this?' Haruka thought.

Guardian attacks had been on the high in recent years so the assumption wasn't out of the question.

Considering the state the town was in; the attack seemed to have happened only hours before her arrival. No one was around, the town completely abandoned.

The image of the orphanage flashed across Haruka's mind and she immediately dropped her basket, the contents spilling out onto the ground as she ran full sprint towards the orphanage.

'Please…' Haruka pleaded. 'Please…let it still be standing…'

When she rounded a corner, Haruka came to a sudden halt. What used to be the orphanage was now just a pile of burning rubble. It looked as if something had smashed through the building and let the fire destroy what little remained.

'This can't be happening…'

Haruka collapsed to her knees, her gaze never leaving what used to be the orphanage. Tears stung her eyes before spilling out and down her cheeks. She covered her face with her hands, stifling her sobs.

"Yay!"

"Haruka-neesan is the best!"

"Onee-san!"

The image of the kids' smiles flashed through Haruka's mind causing a choked sob to escape her mouth.

Tears were streaming down her face. She wrapped her arms around her middle and bent over as if she were about to throw up. Her whole body was trembling uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" Haruka sobbed.

A sudden groan sounded from somewhere, causing Haruka to pause. She slowly looked up and turned her teary gaze to the side.

'Did I imagine that…?'

The groan sounded again and Haruka immediately perked up.

'Someone is still…?!'

Haruka wiped away her tears with her arm and shakily rose to her feet. She walked along the side of the burned down orphanage and over to the destroyed storage house next to it.

She couldn't hear the groaning anymore and wondered if it really was her imagination.

However, upon closer inspection she noticed something sticking out from underneath a pile of debris in the storage house.

She let out a gasp when she realized that it was someone's arm.

There was still someone she could save. She quickly wiped her remaining tears away and shot forward towards them.

"Hold on!" Haruka cried as she immediately tried to dig out the buried person.

There were many wooden planks cluttered on top of them with a layer of rubble settled as well.

The person groaned in pain as Haruka dug as fast as she could.

She couldn't be there to save the others. However, she was going to do everything she could to save this person as a newfound determination sparked inside of her.

"I'm going to get you out. Don't worry!" Haruka reassured.

From the looks of things, Haruka could tell that the person could be dug out. However, it seemed as if the lower half of their body was buried pretty deeply. Not only that, but there was a beam that was precariously hovering over him from the main building. If it were to be disturbed, it would fall on top of them.

Haruka shook her head. She wasn't going to let this person die.

Carefully pushing away the rubble and the wooden planks to the side, Haruka finally was able to manage enough room to take hold of the upper half of the person's body.

Haruka grabbed hold of their waist and tried to pull them out. Her first attempt caused the beam above them to creak slightly.

This was bad. If she didn't get this person out fast, that beam was going to crush them. Their legs must be caught on something and Haruka wasn't sure if tugging would get her anywhere.

Deciding to continue and try and dig them out, Haruka went further down to try and free their legs.

The beam creaked once more and Haruka's heart hammered against her chest.

'Come on!' Haruka internally cried as she desperately dug.

Deciding to try once more, Haruka grasped the person's sides and tugged as hard as she could.

Relief flooded through her when she felt the person come free from the rubble. However, relief was quickly replaced by dread when the beam gave an elongated groan before giving into gravity and fell straight for them.

Without thinking, Haruka threw herself on top of the person to shield them before a disturbing crack sounded and everything went black.

Haruka awoke to a pounding headache and the smell of herbs and wood.

'Where…?'

As she became more aware of her surroundings, her hands twitched, feeling the softness of the mattress she was laying on. A light blanket was covering her that kept her warm but not too hot.

She winced when a killer headache pounded against her skull. Slowly opening her eyes, she found herself looking up at a young woman with dark hair.

Upon seeing that she was awake, a relieved and excited smile spread across the young woman's face.

"Father! She's awake!"

A bald, older man appeared at the door and walked over to her.

"How are you doing?" the man asked softly.

"I-Ngh!" Haruka started but was cut off from another pounding from her head.

The man's face turned to concern. "Chizuru, go get some more pain killers."

Chizuru nodded before hurrying over to a shelf on the other side of the room and began rummaging through the different jars.

"You're very lucky to be alive, miss," The man said as he sat down in the chair that sat next to the bedside. "Do you know who you are?"

Haruka nodded. "I'm Haruka Nanami."

"Good. Now, where are you from?"

"From Eakon, the village at the bottom of the mountain in the country-side."

"Doesn't look like you have amnesia," the man said, deep in thought.

"Where…"

Chizuru walked over to them and passed a small jar to the man. The man nodded a thanks to the young woman before opening up the jar and pouring the powdered contents into a cup of water.

"Here," the man said, offering the cup to Haruka. "Drink this. It'll help with the pain."

"Thank you." Haruka said with a smile before taking a sip.

She recoiled slightly from the bitter taste but continued drinking.

"You're in a small clinic in Umo now, miss," the man answered. "You were found buried underneath the rubble of the orphanage in Geiru. I'm amazed you and the other person were able to survive such a feat."

Haruka snapped her attention back on the man, remembering that she wasn't the only one in the wreckage.

"Where are they? Are they all right?" Haruka cried.

A worried came across the man's face as he glanced to the side. "Well…"

Though Haruka was advised to stay in bed, Haruka stubbornly refused, wanting to see the person for herself.

The young woman known as Chizuru guided Haruka to the room the other person was staying in.

Once Haruka entered, she was horrified at the sight of the person covered in bandages. Their legs were in casts and Haruka sadly wondered if they would be able to walk after this.

Though the damages were disheartening, Haruka was sill relieved that they both were still alive.

"Their head suffered from mild damage and seems to have a small concussion. Though they should be fine after some rest. Though it seems as if the bottom half of their body sustained a lot of damage. They're going to need quite a bit of physical therapy to recover." Chizuru said.

Haruka pulled up a chair by their bedside, glancing at their face covered in bandages. The person looked to be resting peacefully, causing a small, relieved smile to work its way onto Haruka's face. She gave a prayer of thanks to anyone listening, grateful for allowing her to save this person's life.

'I'm glad I was able to do that much.'

Taking a breath, Haruka started singing her grandmother's song. Though the person was asleep, Haruka hoped they could still hear her.

Her singing came to an abrupt stop when a sudden pain coursed through her head. Haruka winced and quickly brought up a hand to her head.

Chizuru placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Miss, you should really rest. Your injury will only get worse if you push yourself."

"I-I'm fine," Haruka said as she glanced at Chizuru with a soft smile. "My grandmother always told me I was a fast healer."

During her time at the Yukimura clinic, she made it a point to visit the other patient as often as she could through out the day. They had still not awoken from their coma-like state, but Haruka would talk to them as if they were awake to keep them company.

Whenever she would visit, she would always sing her grandmother's song to them. Though it seemed pointless to sing to an unconscious person, Haruka wanted to express her concern and relief towards them. Their serene expression as they slept was enough to convince her that they did hear her.

With each passing day, Haruka's headaches grew less and less. While they were still evident, they didn't burden her by the week's end.

By that time, Haruka was free to leave the clinic. She was happy that she was now able to return back to her grandmother, who was probably worried sick by this point.

Haruka paid her stay fines with the leftover money she had earned from working at the orphanage and looked over at the other patient, still fast asleep.

"What is going to happen to them?" Haruka asked.

"I'm not sure," Doctor Yukimura replied, crossing his arms. "This is such a small clinic, I'm not positive about how much longer we can keep them here. Especially since more wounded or sick come in everyday."

Haruka's eyes widened. "But…"

Doctor Yukimura sighed. "There's not much more we can do for them. Considering it doesn't seem as if they have someone to cover their costs of staying here…"

Haruka touched her pendant around her neck and froze. A thought struck her and she quickly detached her necklace from around her necklace. She clutched the pendant tightly in her hand.

'I'm sorry grandma.'

She took the doctor's hand and placed the pendant into the palm of his hand.

"Will this cover their expenses to stay here until they have recovered?"

Doctor Yukimura stared at the pendant in surprise before his glance drifted back up to Haruka.

"What-?"

"This is my family's heirloom. I'm sure it will go for a high price." Haruka said in complete determination.

"I'm not sure…"

"Please!" Haruka cried as bowed. "I'm begging you!"

Doctor Yukimura and Chizuru glanced at each other uneasily.

"If you don't mind me asking," Chizuru started. "But why are you doing so much for them? I mean, you don't personally know them, right?"

Haruka paused. Chizuru had a point. Why was she doing this? Especially considering she didn't even know the person. For all she knew, the person was a criminal or a psychopath.

She glanced back at the person still lying unconscious in bed. However, when she looked at them, she couldn't help but feel a powerful sense of wanting to help them.

"I'm not sure myself," Haruka said slowly. "Even if nothing comes out of it, I want to at least offer them some hope. To let them know that someone cares about them."

She pauses.

"Though I guess it could also be selfishness on my heart. I might be viewing them as the last part of that orphanage, so that by doing this I could somehow preserve the orphanage's memory. But make no mistake, I'm doing this because I do want to help them."

Doctor Yukimura let out an exasperated sigh before closing his hand around Haruka's pendant. "You sure are a strange young woman. I will accept this as their payment to stay here."

Haruka broke out into a bright smile before she bowed again. "Thank you so much!"

End Flashback

A small breeze swept through the garden, blowing through Haruka's orange locks.

She smiled fondly up at the sky, bringing a hand up to tuck a strand behind her ear.

'I wonder if that person is all right,' Haruka wondered as she continued looking up at the cloudless sky. 'I wonder if I'll meet them again…'

However, ever since that incident, her memories of that time were a little hazy. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't recall the person's face. Not to mention she couldn't remember the trek back to her village. It was if there was something important among all of that but couldn't recall.

Pausing from sweeping, Haruka took a deep breath before starting to sing the first few lines of her grandmother's song.

"Lost in a labyrinth in the dark of night…"

"I don't know my true feelings…"

"Surely it'd seem a little selfish…"

"Answer me, my so-"

Before she made it to the bridge, someone suddenly came up behind her and wrapped their arms around her.

Haruka's heart nearly leapt out of her chest and nearly screamed if not for turning to the side and seeing blue.

"Y-Your Highness…?!" Haruka squeaked, her cheeks growing warm.

His arms were wrapped securely around her, one of his hands clutching her shoulder the other around her waist. Haruka felt her blush creeping down her neck upon feeling how close they were. Her back was pressed directly against his chest.

'W-What is he…?!'

"It really is you…" Masato said a little above a whisper, pressing his face against her shoulder. "I…"

Haruka felt as if her whole body was glowing from embarrassment. However, she couldn't help but notice how warm the prince was. It felt nice…

"A-Are you all right?" Haruka stammered, desperately trying to sort out her feelings. "Is something w-wrong?"

Masato let out a gasp before immediately releasing Haruka from his hold. His face was completely flushed and tried to hide it with the back of his hand.

"I-I apologize. That was out of line." Masato said, running a hand through his hair nervously.

"I-It's fine. You just startled me." Haruka said, looking down at the ground.

"I apologize for that as well. I don't know what came over me. I suppose I am just tired from the meeting."

Without thinking, Haruka reached out and placed her hand over Masato's forehead. Upon contact, Masato's eyes widened and his cheeks became a dark shade of red.

"You've been pretty stressed lately. Not to mention you've been working nonstop since the meeting was announced. I hope you haven't caught a fever." Haruka said in concern.

"I-I'm fine!" Masato said a few more octaves higher than he wanted. His blush increased out of embarrassment as he took a step back and out of Haruka's reach.

"Are you sure? You're face is red. Maybe you should lie down for a little bit."

"…I'll be fine," Masato said as he turned his head to the side. "In any case, you should get some rest yourself. You and the other servants have been working hard for the past few months. Thank you for all of your hard work."

Haruka looked up at him in surprise before smiling brightly up at him. "It was my pleasure. Oh! Does this mean I'm going back to being your assistant?"

"Well, I would think so considering the meeting is over…"

"I'm glad," Haruka said with a light blush on her cheeks. "I really missed working for you."

Masato's eyes widened in shock as his cheeks reddened. The two stood there in silence staring at one another until Haruka, feeling her embarrassment grow, turned away.

"Well, I better head back in," Haruka said shyly. "I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early."

With that, Haruka quickly made her way down the path and back towards the palace.

Masato kept his gaze on her leaving form. He unconsciously lifted his hand towards her. Upon realizing what he was doing, he quickly retracted it and brought it to his chest.

"..."

A/N: Yes, I am a terrible person. XD (I applaud you if you get any references I added) Anyways, you're probably wondering why this took so long to cough up. Well, school and finals happened and the chapter before this just recently got 100 views. Like I said in a previous chapter, 100 views lets me know when to update. Though because it took so long to reach 100 views, timing was perfect since I had no time to work on it beforehand.

Hope you all enjoyed and I thank you for keeping up with this fic. Reviews are much appreciated (tell me what you think works or isn't working). Thank you so much for reading!