"It's all been like a dream," Miata murmured, "but yet, I'm so afraid..."

"Maybe you could work some spell to set this forest away from Time," Clef replied, "so we wouldn't have to live with this shadow over us."

"Despite that, it's still been wonderful. Happy birthday, Clef," Miata said, and kissed his forehead.

"Happy indeed," Clef muttered sarcastically. "I'm 745 today. Now will you believe me when I say I'm too old for you?"

"You say that every year," Miata replied. "But there seems to be a shortage of men in the Forest of Songs, so I guess I'm stuck with you."

"I don't know," Clef replied. "You do seem to find the trees pretty good company..." Miata laughed and slapped him playfully.

Every morning they woke up further under a shadow of uncertainty. They knew their time together would soon come to an end. It had been so many years-and yet they had never grown tired of each other. There had been conflicts between them, of course, some lasting for several days, but the majority of the time they were simply happy together.

How much longer can this last? Miata wondered.

"I'm leaving the forest," she announced.

*

"Miata..." Emeraude sighed. "why have you come here?" The princess's voice sounded weak, and she lay in bed, her face pale. She was a feeble wreck. How could Miata have not known that the Pillar of Cephiro had come to this?

"I can kill you," Miata replied. "Without the need for the Magic Knights, without chaos and bloodshed. I do not depend on you. I can give you a poison that will kill you painlessly, and put an end to the age of the Pillars. Then, with the Return, you and Zagato will be reunited."

"But...the legend..."

"To hell with the legend! It isn't right. This is the best way. Look at you, already so weakened. What must be happening to Cephiro?"

"There has already been so much bloodshed..." Emeraude sighed. "I have hidden the location of Clef, but all the other mages have been killed, or cannot be found. Even Guru Sable has been murdered...I really did not know how much suffering I would bring. I do not want to cause a war that will rip my world apart, simply because I love him. Please, Miata, just kill me. Ferio will know, and you will be able to show him to the Cathedral...it will be enough."

Miata nodded. She produced a vial of poison, and gave it to the Pillar. Emeraude looked at it, thinking.

"When we were young, we thought we'd live normal lives, didn't we? I don't know what gave us the idea that we could, but we did. Now look at us. I envy you, to be allowed to continue to live...and allowed to love...but this is not my destiny. Good-bye, Miata."

She held the vial to her lips, but that was when the walls began to shake. The poison slipped from her weak fingers to spill on her dress. Miata spun around to see Sol Zagato in the doorway.

"So, we meet again, Byrde."

"Please...don't do this...Zagato..." Emeraude whispered.

"I cannot go on any longer," Zagato replied. "Now...Miata, where are you hiding Guru Clef?"

"Somewhere you will never find him," Miata replied. "Zagato, why? You know the legend. You know that in the end all you will cause is suffering."

"The Magic Knights will not awaken the Mashin," Zagato replied. He strode to the bed where the pillar lay and lifted her with ease.

"Zagato...you can't..."

Zagato shot a fireball at Miata from his palm. She dodged it and chased after him, but someone else jumped down in front of her.

"I knew we'd meet again, Mazda Miata," a silky voice said. Miata rolled her eyes.

"Alcione. I should have realized that wherever Zagato was, you'd be hanging on to the edge of his cape. You do realize that he loves her, don't you?"

Alcione laughed. "Zagato does not love that child. I suppose you're still hanging on to that old man?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Miata replied.

"Our teacher, if you do recall correctly. Guru Clef always had a thing for you."

"Don't bring Clef into this!" Miata cried angrily.

"You always were a bitch, weren't you?" Alcione said. "So immature. You never cared for your studies, only for parties and men."

"You weren't such a model student yourself," Miata replied. "I didn't care about my studies because I already knew more than they were trying to teach me!"

"Oh, did you? Allayah!"

Miata was thankful for her training sessions in battle magic with Clef in the Forest of Songs. "Sheiro!" she cried, and Alcione's ice attack dissipated.

"How did you...Arile!"

"Tyandet!" Not only did the ice spear disappear, but the light also went out of Alcione's staff. She gasped.

"How did you do that? Guru Clef taught me his most powerful magic!"

"Clef himself couldn't stand a chance against the woman second in power to the Pillar herself. Do you care to try me?"

"Zagato needs me, dear," Alcione replied condescendingly. "Give my regards to our former professor." The sorceress dashed off, but Zagato was out of sight.

Miata disappeared from the halls of the Palace, reappearing in the home she and Clef had made in the forest. Seeing it nearly made her cry.

"Miata! Where have you been?" Clef gasped. "I-"

"It's over. Zagato has kidnapped the Princess."

"Zagato-how did he-"

"Emeraude was in a weak state. All the mages of any importance in Cephiro are dead. You are the only one left. Soon the Pillar will summon the Magic Knights, and you will be needed to guide them."

"Then we're going? To help them?"

"No. You are, alone. I have to do this, Clef. I'm sorry."

"Miata, no! We've been together too long. I can't go on without you, Miata. You're everything to me. I won't go."

"You're being just as selfish as Zagato," Miata replied through clenched teeth, struggling to keep tears from falling from her eyes.

"Love is a selfish thing," Clef replied. "Love is destructive. But you can't expect me to willingly be separated from you."

Miata looked at him. "But I can make you forget," she said softly. "Like I knew that I would have to, from the beginning. And there is no time to waste."

She stepped towards him slowly. "Clef, I love you more than anything. But I know what I have to do. Perhaps I am the only one." He stood with his face inches away from hers, motionless, watching for her to do something. She kissed his lips, and he held her so tightly it was difficult to breathe. Miata called on the magic of the Forest to do what she had to do, and after a long moment she broke the kiss and smiled at him. Clef's expression went from contemplative to horrified, and Miata released the spell.

"You-" he began, but then the world was too bright to see, hear, or feel. Miata saw him collapse, and could no longer stop the tears from flowing.

Clef awoke on the crest of a hill, a feeling of urgency instilled in him-but also the regret one feels when he wakes up from a particularly wonderful dream, and realizes that reality is not the same. He looked at his hands-and realized there was something wrong with them. Everything looked too tall-

How had he been put into the body of a child? There was no time to worry about that now, though-more urgent pressures were at hand. Such as the three Magic Knights that appeared in the sky...

Clef didn't know how he knew to summon Fyula, or how he knew that the Magic Knights were the ones plummeting down from the sky. Neither could he find the source of inescapable sorrow that plagued him. Images of the dream escaped him, taunting him with thoughts he could not define.

But it must have been a wonderful dream indeed.