YEAH! I MADE IT! I HOPE YOU DIDN'T FORGET ABOUT ME!!!

I'm on temporary study leave, so I thought I'd just finish it and keep you from waiting any longer. And it's looooooooooong, so enjoy it, savour it, and then review it:D

So for the doubly last time: ENJOY!!!!!

Epilogue

The Next Day, Messaline

"Mai my dear, you must promise to visit me soon!" The housekeeper had tears in her eyes as she grabbed Mai for yet another hug. Mai patted her on the back, wondering if it was possible for her lungs to collapse inwards if her rib cage was squeezed any more tightly.

"I'll be back soon to take care of affairs. And you're welcome to come to the wedding!" The housekeeper seemed to be too absorbed in the hug to pay attention to anything Mai was saying. Finally Mai was allowed to breathe.

"Ah, you be a good girl now!" The housekeeper stood back to take a last look at Mai, and shook her head, smiling. "You're positively glowing! I always knew he was the one for you." Mai blushed and ducked her head, secretly wondering how the hell she could have ever known such a thing, when it had taken her bloody ages to work it out.

"Well, I've got a boat to catch," Mai said, putting a hand on her large suitcase. "I'll see you around!"

"Bye bye Mai!! Don't forget me!! Have lots of little Mai and Oliver babies!!" Mai's jaw dropped open and she blushed furiously at her housekeeper, before turning and heaving her suitcase out of the door and down the front garden path. Naru greeted her at the gate.

"Hi," Mai said shyly, looking up into the face of her fiancé.

"What did your housekeeper say to you?" Naru asked, an eyebrow raised. Mai's blush deepened and shook her head, hurrying towards the nearby docks with her heavy suitcase. Naru caught up with her easily, and took the suitcase from her, holding it as if it weighed nothing. Now Mai raised an eyebrow.

"Since when did you do chivalry?"

Naru's lips twitched. "Since I couldn't find a servant to do it for me," he admitted, making Mai sigh and shake her head. "But you still haven't told me why you're blushing."

"That's cause I don't want to tell you"

"What a shame." Naru commented, before falling silent. Mai was relieved that Naru had dropped the topic.

Once they arrived at the docks, they walked the short space towards the only vessel in the water, and greeted the captain before stepping on board.

"All aboard!!" cried the captain, and a few more people go onto the boat, going into different cabins. Naru and Mai stood on the edge of the deck, looking at the sea below them.

"This boat terminates at: Illyria!" The captain said in what suddenly sounded like that mechanical annoying women's voice that you hear on the tube (and now the buses). "Change here for Duke Oliver's court. Please mind the gap between the boat and the platform." The boat began to set sail.

Naru was silent for a long time, staring out into the ocean, and as Mai looked at him, she noticed that he wasn't looking right. As in, yeah he was still fabulously gorgeous, but he no, he didn't exactly look happy.

Maybe he was regretting his decision to marry her!?!

Panic rushed through Mai's veins, and her heart started beating quicker at the thought that this could all be one big mistake, that any minute now he would say to her that he didn't know what he was thinking- how could he possibly love her?

"Naru..." Mai began tentatively, twisting her hands together, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Naru answered shortly. Mai winced.

"Oh." At her small voice, Naru turned to see Mai looking dejectedly at the floor.

"What's wrong?" Naru asked, more confused than concerned at the moment.

"If- if you didn't mean what you said yesterday- I mean- if this isn't right- I can go back to Messaline..."

"What?"

"You're regretting your decision, right?"

"Wow. You know me so well." Mai looked up when she detected the sarcasm.

"You're not?"

"No...why would I be?"

"Because you were all silent, and annoyed looking."

"Ah. Well, that was because of...something else."

"Like what? Is it Kazuya? Or Masako?"

"You know, the more you keep trying to foist Masako on me, the more irritated I get."

"Then what's wrong?" Mai persisted, aware that Naru was keeping something from her.

"Tell me what the housekeeper said and I'll tell you."

"That's not fair! Why does it matter to you so much?! It was nothing?! Let it rest!"

"Ditto."

"It's not the same! You don't look right! Your well being is at stake here! I just blushed! I always blush! It's nowhere near the same!!"

A strong wind blew, and the boat rocked. Naru's handsome features tightened for only a moment, but Mai had caught it.

"Naru..." Mai said, before her eyes brightened and she laughed out loud. "Wait a second. Surely...you're not scared of sailing??!?! Naru the Narcissist has finally admitted he has a fear?!?!"

Naru scowled slightly and looked out to sea. "Being 'scared' isn't the way I would put it. Feeling as if your insides are about to come up would be far more accurate."

"But didn't you travel loads when you were younger?"

"Yeah, but travelling a lot only made me sick a lot. My parents believed that the countries we visited were always worth the journey beforehand." Naru smiled slightly at the distant memory.

"So why are you standing out here? Is it to like... face the enemy?" Mai guessed at the answer that seemed most man like.

"You could say that." Naru looked away from the sea and down at Mai. It looked as if he was about to say something, but a large wave caused the boat to rock violently and Mai grabbed onto Naru for support, as a sea breeze suddenly whipped harshly past them both and blew Mai's hair (which had grown recently) into her face.

"I can't see anything!" Mai moaned in a muffled voice as the wind battered the hair into her open mouth, trying to regain her balance while clutching Naru. Naru detached an arm from Mai's tight grip and brushed her hair out of her way, tucking it behind her ears. Mai blushed slightly.

"Oh. Now I can see," she said, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Naru was looking at her like he had yesterday, just before he kissed her.

Yay.

"Will you tell me what the housekeeper said?" Naru asked unexpectedly, but looking at her with an intensity that melted her bones.

Damn it.

Damn those eyes that made her want to tell him every single pointless and meaningless point in her life.

"That's cheating! I told you ages ago- I invented those eyes!!" Mai cried, clamping her eyes shut. "Ha! Now there's no chance you can get me to tell you!"

"Really?" Mai heard Naru challenge, and then there was silence. Which was when she felt something soft touch her temples, slowly trailing down her face. Which was when she realised that as usual, she was very, very wrong.

"You know," Naru murmured against her skin, "You are going to have to tell me."

"Nooo..." Mai muttered, moving her head to one side, but Naru put a hand to her neck as his mouth reached hers.

"Wait. " Mai jerked backwards as a thought occurred to her. Naru looked at her questioningly.

"Should you really be...er...doing what you're about to?" Mai stammered, reddening for the umpteenth time.

"Shouldn't I?" Naru breathed, and leaned closer, but Mai put a hand on his chest to stop him.

"No, I meant- I meant-...well..."

"In your own time."

"Are you going to throw up on me at any time soon?" Mai blurted out.

Naru laughed quietly. "I don't think I'll be getting sick this time."

"Why's that?"

"Because I have a distraction." Mai looked confused, until Naru sighed and rolled his eyes, before his lips met with hers.

Aaah.

Now she understood.

Man.

It was something she would never get used to.

"WHAT D'YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING TO THE DUKE, YOU COW?!?"

-

Captain Cullen's cabin, Illyria

Captain Cullen woke up after having a very pleasant dream where he was surrounded by beautiful women.

After stretching, he climbed out of his bed made of sand, walked through the living room and out of the door, to take his daily morning scavenge across the shore in case a ship had wrecked over night.

Captain Cullen froze outside the door. And promptly traced his steps backwards into the living room.

His dream of being surrounded hadn't been too far off.

There were a number of people in his living room.

But they weren't exactly all beautiful girls.

"What the f-" he began, wondering if he had drunk too much sea water last night.

"Fine day isn't it?" Interrupted Yasuhara, who was lifting his arms up in the small space on the floor he had.

"What are you doing here?" the poor confused captain mumbled, rubbing his eyes and wondering how much alcohol he had drunk last night.

"You gave us room at your inn, remember? Because there was none with the sheep and the oxen."

Sheep?

Oxen?

"I don't know what you're talking about," Captain Cullen heaved, "But if you don't get these people out by the time I return I'll throw you into the sea for the Kraken to feast on. Oh arr."

"Fine fine," Yasuhara grumbled. He had heard the stories about Fresh from Bed Captain Cullen, and he had no intention of dying when he still had so many other people's lives to mess with.

But where would they go?

Oliver wasn't home, so there was no chance...

Unless...

Perhaps it was time to do a bit of squatting....

-

A boat, the middle of the sea.

At the sound of the screech, the couple broke off and looked in the direction of the voice. Mai was, yes, you guessed it, blushing again, but Naru looked totally unfazed- if anything a bit annoyed.

A small woman came striding up the deck towards them, followed by a certain portly man.

"WHAT WERE YOU DOING?" yelled Lady Hara. Her husband grimaced from behind and smiled at Mai apologetically.

"Uuummm..." Mai mumbled, furiously trying to unredden her cheeks. Naru rolled his eyes at Mai's inability to speak.

"Is there a problem?" he asked coolly. Lady Hara choked.

"But- you- her- WHAT ABOUT MASAKO?" she spluttered

"If somebody tries to throw Masako on me one more time..." Naru muttered. "What about her?"

"You're engaged to her!"

"Ah. Well. Turns out I'm not."

"But your parents-"

"My parents arranged an engagement between your daughter and my brother. Gene. Sorry for the disappointment."

"Gene? The dead one?" Lord Hara winced in shame at his wife's rudeness. Naru's eyes were blank.

"That's the one."

"But- but what about Masako?" Lord Hara spoke for the first time.

"If I'm not mistaken, she already knows."

"...Oh. Well that's all right then!" Lord Hara smiled cheerily, and shook Naru by the hand. "Congratulations you two." He winked at Mai. "I told you you'd match, didn't I?" Mai smiled. Naru raised an eyebrow.

"But-" Lady Hara hadn't given up yet. "I don't believe it! It's lies"

"When we get back to Illyria I can show you the will, if you're not satisfied."

"Fine. Show me."

"Really my dear, there's no need! It's quite simple! We mistook Oliver for Gene when Oliver's parents told us about the marriage! Gene was betrothed to Masako, and Oliver was betrothed to Mai here! And a fine couple they will make too!"

"But who will Masako marry?" Lady Masako wailed.

"Whoever she falls in love with my dear," soothed her husband. "Come on. Let's get you inside." He began to lead her towards the cabins, but Naru called after them.

"By the way, what happened to your son?"

"Ah." Lord Hara stopped and turned back, his face full of disappointment and anguish. "We've left him in Messaline. We believe he'll be put into prison for fraud. For a very long time."

"I'm sorry."

"Why apologise? I'm grateful to you for finding him, and not killing him. So thanks." He shook Naru's hand again with earnest and walked away with his wife.

"Now," Naru turned back to Mai. "Where were we?"

Mai grumbled. "Fine fine. It wasn't even anything. My housekeeper just told me to- to havelotsoflittleoliverandmaibabies. And I got embarrassed."

"I'd actually forgotten about that, but thanks for telling me."

"Damn you!"

-

A few hours later, Duke Oliver's Court, Illyria.

The man who stood at the gates every day in the freezing cold was, no surprise, freezing cold.

Every day he stood outside, always watching, always waiting, always meeting the same ugly women and leading them into the house to see Naru or Mirai.

Of course, not recently.

Because something had happened, and as usual, he had been left out of it. The gossip seemed to circulate around the house, but never seemed to extend just that little bit further to the poor guy who was standing outside. All he knew was that Mirai, the small little cute guy had left a while ago, and was never seen again. And then the next day or so, Naru had left as well, and he hadn't been seen for a few days.

And nobody seemed worried.

Because they knew where he'd gone.

Damn them.

And then, earlier today, a whole bunch of people had turned up, demanded they were let in, even though Naru wasn't at home to see them.

He didn't know why he just didn't quit and find another job someplace else.

The man at the gate was stopped short from his reflections by the arrival of a carriage, which drew up outside him. The door was opened by the footman, and a young man with dark hair stepped out, to give his hand to help the other person out. The other person, a small brown haired young woman stepped down from the carriage and the two people made their way towards the man at the gate.

"Open up Laurie," Duke Oliver said to the man at the gate, who was goggling at them both. He quickly shut his mouth and swung the gate open. The lady smiled her thanks, before hurriedly looking away.

So that was it.

Naru had gone and gotten himself a girl.

But she was strangely familiar. Laurie looked away from his contemplation of the woman and found that Naru had been watching him, amused.

"You should recognise her," he said, reading his thoughts. The woman's eyes flew to Naru in shock, but Naru only smiled a little. "Who wouldn't recognise Mai of Messaline?"

"You know," Mai muttered under her breath so that only Naru could hear, "You didn't exactly recognise Mai of Messaline."

"Yeah, but you were the wrong sex. Was I supposed to assume that you had a secret love of gender bending?" Naru muttered back. Mai glared.

"Mai of Messaline?" Laurie said to himself. "But how do I know a duchess?"

"She was at the masquerade," answered Naru, beginning to walk up to the house with Mai following, when he added without turning back, "and I'm going to marry her."

-

Another part of Illyria.

Lord and Lady Hara stepped out of the carriage and were rooted on the spot. Lord Hara's jaw dropped (as many people's seem to do in this lovely epilogue) and would have fallen to the floor if his rather large neck hadn't been in the way, creating a sort of flabby cushion around his chin.

"Oh. My. God."

Lady Hara quietly fainted away onto the large pile of rubble that had once been their home.

-

"What do you think you're doing here??" Naru's eyes were glittering dangerously, his voice threatening. His servants, winced, recognising his tone.

Yasuhara however, grinned and gave a little wave.

"Hey!" he greeted. "We've come to stay." Naru had already noticed that the entire Hara household were standing behind him, looking sheepish.

"Get out." Naru walked past them to the stairs.

"Olliieee...." Yasuhara pleaded desperately. "We have nowhere to stay!!"

"Why not?" Mai asked, head tilted to one side in curiosity.

"MAI'S A GIRL YAY!!!!" Yasuhara yelled, and ran to give Mai a bear hug. (If it matters, the clever household servants have guessed already about Mai. The others just live on...)

"Come on Yasu, she can't breathe," John pushed the happy clown off Mai in his gentle way and gave Mai a hug himself.

Masako gasped. Naru had paused on the foot of the stairs to watch the commotion. His quick eyes had summarised what had happened since he had left.

"It's ok Masako," he said to her. "They've been childhood friends for years."

"Oh. Well, good. Because it looks like you've brought home the same cow that danced with you at the masquerade."

"That's right. Say hello to my fiancé. When she's allowed to breathe again." With perfect timing, John let go of Mai, whispering, "you look much better as a girl," and beaming.

"Fiancé?" Masako's mouth dropped open. Well, sure, she didn't like him anymore, but he still had to like her...

"Yeah. It's sort of been planned for well...seventeen years," Mai shrugged nervously. "Sorry."

"It doesn't really matter," John smiled. "Because I'm going to marry Masako."

Around thirty people's eyes bulged open like fishes. Minus Naru, because he would never do anything that would create a likeness between himself and a fish.

"EH?" said Mai.

"You'll be my nephew in law!" cried Takigawa.

"Aaaw," said Ayako.

"What?" cried Masako. The smile faded from John's lips.

"Don't you...want to marry me?" he asked quietly. "It's ok if you don't- I mean...I'm not sure what I mean."

"No, It's just that- you haven't proposed to me..."

John slapped his forehead with his hand.

"OH YEAH! See, I'm really not good at this love thing."

"That's because you like to be a girl in your spare time," muttered Naru. Mai, who had made her way over to him some time during the confusion, shot him a dirty look.

"You obviously don't understand the bond that friends have between each other," Mai was considering poking him, but was uncertain if she'd just get carried away by the fact that she would be touching him. Argh.

"Of course I do. Your 'bond' has no boundaries."

"That right!"

"Even gender is abandoned in your quest to keep that bond alive..." Naru smirked slightly, and Mai was about to give him some serious poking, when John spoke again.

"Masako, will you marry me? I-er- don't actually have a ring or anything, and I'm not as rich as Mai is, or as posh as Oliver is," Mai grinned at Naru who scowled, "and I'm not entirely sure what love actually is. But I'm pretty sure I love you. So...please marry me??"

"Ok!" Masako squealed, and threw herself into John's 'passionate embrace'.

"By the way," Takigawa asked Ayako slyly. "Fancy me being your hubby?" Ayako seemed to think deeply.

"Hell. Why not?" she answered, and they too went to each other's arms, regardless of all the other people standing there in the hall, watching them.

Naru cleared his throat.

"Sorry to break this- ah- touching moment, but if you don't leave my house very soon I will kick you out."

"You'd do that?" Yasuhara looked surprised.

"Well, no, but I'd get a servant to do it for me," Naru answered, irritated.

"But Ollie, we don't actually have anywhere to stay."

"What happened?"

"We-er- burnt the house down. BUT! Everything will be ok. If you just let us stay here, we can pay a builder tomorrow to re build the whole think before Masako's parents come back."

"Oh." Naru nodded, deciding not to tell them that the Hara's had already returned. "Find somewhere else to stay."

"Naarruuu," Mai whined, tugging his sleeve. "It's not sooo bad if they just stay for a feeew days? I haven't seen John properly for aaaaages...." Mai turned her puppy eyes on him for the first time (I think), and they stared at each other for a long moment. The household held their breath.

"Fine. But only for a few days." Naru walked up the stairs again, Mai bounding up behind him, beaming.

"YEAH! I told you I invented those eyes! Nobody can resist me!! I'm the most powerful person ever to have existed-" she found she couldn't speak, because Naru was stopping her lips from moving by covering them with his own.

Eventually he let go of her.

"After Naru," she finished her sentence, pouting. "That's not fair Naru!" Naru shrugged and laughed, but stopped abruptly as he noticed that a lot of people were staring at him in disbelief.

1. His will had been overthrown by somebody else.

2. That somebody else had been a woman.

3. Naru had KISSED that woman.

4. And then Naru had laughed.

For some of his servants it was just all too much and they began to go hysterical, shrieking nonsense. They were carried away by other members of the household.

In the middle of this, there was a knock on the door. A servant went to open it, as the hall fell silent.

"Give us a place to stay, and I'll forget that you put my son into prison and my daughter without a husband," Lady Hara had her hands on her hips.

"Mum?" Masako's eyes widened. "Uh oh."

"Time for some explaining, daughter of mine..."

-

Evening, the Library.

Naru had taken refuge in his library, where he had managed to get some peace for a few hours, sorting out the post and accounts since he had been gone, because he hadn't had a secretary to look after it for him. It seemed that Lin was at Madoka's, preparing for the wedding. Mai was with John. Masako was apologising profusely to her parents.

It was almost back to normal.

Except that he had changed character entirely, had lost a secretary, had gained a fiancé, and had 'guests' round. The only person to thank (or blame) was Mai.

And speak of the devil, there was a quiet knock on the door and Mai walked in.

"John's gone to explain to Lady Hara that he wants to marry Masako," she explained, shutting the door behind her and approaching Naru somewhat hesitantly.

"Oh dear."

"I know," Mai sat down next to Naru at the table, "But John's actually got quite a bit of money. He was just being modest earlier." Mai picked up Naru's free hand and began to play with his long fingers.

"At least Masako's found someone new," Naru replied, writing the total for something at the bottom of the paper and pulling another sheet towards him. Mai dropped Naru's hand.

"I can do that- for you," she hurriedly began, confused and hesitant. Naru stared at her.

"Why would you do that?"

"Well, because I used to be your secretary, and if you want, things can just go back to the way they were- I mean, you don't have to marry me- I can just be your secretary again- if that's what you want..."

"Are you so desperate to become a boy again?"

"No! It's just that, if you don't want me- like that- and I'd rather die than go back home, so I could just be your secretary...?"

"Mai." Naru was frowning.

"Yeah?"

"I told you that I love you, right?"

"Y-yeah."

"Thought so." Naru seemed to be thinking something out. "I was beginning to question my memory. But I did tell you that I love you, and I do- is it that your brain feels the need to contradict everything I say, or is that you just don't listen?"

"Uuhhh...I don't know....but it never really made sense to me. Why you would voluntarily like me. So I guess I just keep waiting for you to change your mind and tell me to go home like you did before..."

"Ah. Well, why should the past over rule the present? Especially if the present will obviously will become the future."

"I don't understand!"

"Then let me make it easier for simple Mai," Naru smiled and pulled Mai from her chair onto his lap, putting his arms around her waist. Mai leant her head on his shoulder. "I love you, and I'm going to marry whether you like it or not, (and even if I didn't like you I'd be stuck with you anyway), so you should forget anything stupid I may have said before, and should say something typically silly of Mai like 'Yay' or 'Yep'. Get it?"

"Oh. Then- yay! And for the record, I love you too." Mai smiled, and she moved her head slightly so that it would meet-

There was a loud banging on the door.

"MAI, NARU, I'M COMING IN. PLEASE PUT YOUR CLOTHES BACK ON AND AT LEAST LOOK LIKE YOU WEREN'T DOING ANYTHING FUNNY."

Yasuhara opened the door to find Naru writing at his desk, and Mai reading a book in the chair next to him. He raised his eyebrows appraisingly.

"Wow. That was quite quick. You two are definitely an efficient couple!" Mai refused to look up from her book.

"Do you want something?" Naru asked in that bored tone he used when he didn't like someone. Yasuhara recognised it and grinned.

"Actually, yeah. We all want to go to bed, but we're not sure how to arrange it."

"I have enough spare bedrooms."

"Yeah, but because you haven't actually had guests round to stay since your parents died, nobody's bothered to clean the spare rooms, so they're full of dust and clutter and that sort of crap."

-

It was decided.

Because Lin seemed to be staying at Madoka's, Lord and Lady Hara would sleep in his bedroom. The servants would share with other servants (to their delight). Mai offered to sleep in her old room, but Naru bluntly refused, so Takigawa and Ayako decided to kip there, where they would be left alone...

So Mai and MASAKO! (sorry the word got deleted by accident) would be staying in Naru's room, and Naru, John and Yasuhara would be staying in Gene's old room.

Mai and John exchanged a silent look of understanding that went along the lines of I'm switching with you in the middle of the night.

Naru and Masako exchanged a silent look of understanding that went along the lines of I'm switching with you in the middle of the night.

Oh dear.

"I'll be sleeping in front of the door, so don't even think of trying to get part me," Yasuhara threatened. "And I sleep with one eye open..."

-

Yasuhara slept like a dead person.

Conversation between John and Naru hadn't gone particularly well.

John: So you love Mai, huh?

Naru: No. I'm marrying her for the hell of it.

John: Oh.

Silence.

Naru: And you love...Masako??

John: Yeah.

Naru: Wow. Good luck with that.

Silence.

(Note to readers. You need to read this carefully. Or you'll get very very confused.)

After about half an hour, when Yasuhara was definitely asleep, John got out of the bed, (he had lost the fight with Naru about who slept on the floor), and crept to the door. Naru, staring at the ceiling he couldn't see heard John walk past him, thankfully just missing his head, and assumed that he was going to the bathroom or something.

There was a thump, as John tripped over the lump that was Yasuhara, and Naru smiled in the dark as John gave a small whimper, but then found his feet again and left the room, closing the door behind him.

---

Mai, also sleeping on the floor (Masako obviously wanted the bed and she didn't really mind) heard a rustling noise as Masako quietly got up and left the room. Mai stared at the ceiling she couldn't see, (and remembering the time she had last been here, when she had spilt tea on Naru and he had taken his shirt off in front of her), assumed that Masako was going to the bathroom or something.

---

John passed a dark shape in the hallway, and assumed it was Mai. There was no need to say anything and wake up the household, so they walked by in silence.

-

Masako walked by a dark shape in the hallway, and assumed it was Naru. There was no need to say anything and wake up the household, so they walked by in silence.

-

Mai heard the door open again, and it temporarily struck her that Masako was a super quick peeer. She heard her walking further into the room, but then she stopped.

"Masako?" Masako whispered. Mai gave her confused look which nobody saw because it was dark.

-

"Masako?" John whispered. Masako didn't answer. Maybe she had already fallen asleep.

"Masako where are you?" John tried again.

-

"Masako where are you?" Masako whispered to a growingly weirded out Mai.

Then it struck her.

"This is Mai...John..." Mai whispered.

"Oh crap." John whispered back.

---

Masako opened the door and closed it behind her, and then tripped over something on the floor.

"John!" Masako shriek whispered to John. "Help me!"

-

Naru heard the door creak open, and then a loud thump as John tripped over Yasuhara again. Naru couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips- surely you would know by now that there was somebody lying there?

"John!" shriek whispered John. "Help me!"

But Naru's brain worked quicker than Mai's.

"This is Naru, Masako," he sighed, hitting his forehead with his palm.

"How the-"

---

"How the hell did that happen?" a bewildered John asked Mai.

"I think you swapped with Masako. Did you pass someone on your way here?"

"Yeah, but I thought that was you..."

"Well. We are in a pickle..."

---

"So you swapped with John by mistake," concluded Naru.

"Well, you'd better go and swap with John then," Mai advised, struggling to get up around Yasuhara, but his arm had flung out in his sleep and she didn't know where it was.

"Fine. Don't move." Naru got up and walked out the door, stepping over both Masako and Yasuhara. (That, children, is because Naru eats CARROTS!)

---

"I'll go get Masako to swap with me," Mai decided, and got up to leave the room. "Don't move, or else I'll walk into you."

---

In the hallway, Mai heard the footsteps of somebody else, and froze.

What if it was Yasuhara?! Mai tiptoed her way past, sticking herself to the wall and being quite impressed with herself for being practically silent.

---

Naru walked into his bedroom.

"Masako?" John whispered.

"It's Naru," Naru said.

"Eh?" Then where's Masako?

"She's in the other room."

"But then why are you here?"

"Oh God." Naru put a hand to his eyes. "Mai's not here, is she?"

"No, she was sposed to swap with Masako..."

"And I came here to swap with you."

"So we're back at the beginning." John sighed.

"Right. Don't move. At all." Naru walked out again.

---

Mai walked into the other room, and tripped up over two lumps on the floor.

"Ow," Mai mumbled.

"John?!" Masako whispered excitedly.

"Nooo..." Mai was never more confused in her life. "Where's Naru?"

There was a sound from behind her, and suddenly she was lifted up in the air from the ground. Mai gasped and was about to take in air to scream.

"It's Naru, you idiot," Naru said as he carried her back to the other room.

"Oh. There you are. What just happened?"

"Something stupid and confusing that will never happen again," Naru replied as he set her on her feet inside the other bedroom. "John, Masako's in the other room. Go. And don't come back, even if she'd disappeared from the face of the earth. I don't want to know."

"Righto. See you in the morning!" John left, and Naru shut the door behind him.

"Well, that was much ado about nothing," Mai said sleepily as Naru lay down next to her. Naru laughed slightly. "What's so funny?"

"Wrong play," he answered as Mai rested her head on his chest.

"Play? What play?"

"Never mind," Naru started playing with Mai's hair.

"I mean, what a tempest! And when you lifted me up, Romeo style..." Mai continued. "But, all's well that ends well, I s'pose." She yawned. "I was ready to call up my merchant friend from Venice..."

"Really?" Naru sounded amused for a reason Mai didn't understand, and she felt his chest vibrating as he spoke. "I suppose this whole thing could just be a midsummer's night dream..."

"I was gonna say that!" Mai said in between another yawn. "By the way. When are we gonna get married?"

"Anytime you want."

"Cool. I was thinking, maybe, on Twelfth Night. That's quite soon, isn't it?" Mai shifted her position slightly.

"Yeah. But it's a bit cliché. How about... the day before?"

"The day before? Then that would make it...Eleventh Night."

"Yep."

"Huh." Mai smiled as she thought about it. "Eleventh Night. That's sounds good. Eleventh Night it is then!" She giggled.

"What's so funny?"

"Illyria is going to be so disappointed..."

TA DAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!

Did you like it?!?! Did you think it was disappointing and rubbish and not worthy of anything?!?!?!? EITHER WAY PLEASE REVIEW OTHERWISE I GET ALL SAD AND THINK THAT NOBODY LOVES ME.

Plus!

If I get...say....500 REVIEWS!!!...I may just consider a little spin off, but even if I don't, I promise to get working straight away on But I Can Transfer Back Any Moment, and the new GH story I'm planning.

You've been the best reviewers a writer could wish for

I'm getting sad now...:'(

BAIBAI!

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