The girl inhaled sharply as her eyes widened with tears. "M-Mai..?"

Mai ran, tackling the poor girl onto the floor, tears of joy running down her face as she did so. "I've finally found you!"

Zed and Lucas couldn't help but smile at the two. The whole scene was touching really, especially the fact that this will most likely be the only time in their lives they would see Mai cry.

"So what just happened?" Asked Lucas.

"I have no idea." Answered Zed with a wave of his hand.

Elizabeth sat up, patting Mai on the back to try and calm her down, even though she was crying herself.

They stayed that way for a while until the two finally calmed down. After they stood, Elizabeth noticed the two boys who were waiting patiently against the wall.

She glanced to Mai. "Friends of yours?"

Mai shrugged. "Something like that..."

Elizabeth smiled to them. "Well Hello, I'm Elizabeth."

Zed nodded. "Yo."

Lucas smiled. "What's up?"

Mai sighed. "Seems I'll have to introduce them. That's Lucas and the other one is Zed." She gave the boys a slight disappointed look. "Give some respect will you? I bet you don't even know who you're talking to, do you?"

They raised a brow and looked over the girl. "Nope." Mai could only face-palm.

The Captain gestured to the girl with her hand. "Morons, the girl who stands before you is Princess Elizabeth. The owner of the crown you tried to steal yesterday, and next in line to rule our country."

The princess giggled at their shocked faces, deciding to ask about the incident with her crown later. After a few long blinks they yelled. "She's THAT Elizabeth!?"

Elizabeth turned to Mai with an angry pout on her face. "Mai! I told you a long time ago to call me 'Lizzy'! L-I-Z-Z-Y!"

Mai sank slightly. "I-I'm sorry Lizzy..."

The two boys turned their head to her again with shock. "S-She apologized!?"

Mai yelled in embarrassment. "S-Shut up!"

  ~ ✿ ♥ ✿ ~  

Elizabeth explained everything that had happened to her after she was kidnapped in the garden.

Mai thought it over. "Okay, so you were captured by a crazy old woman who swore you were her lost daughter?"

"Then to keep you from getting lost again, she trapped you in this tower?" Added Zed.

"And when you got older she realized you weren't her daughter, claimed that you had tricked her into thinking so, thus leaving you up here to die alone?" Lucas finished.

Elizabeth nodded sadly. "The only way out was the way you came in, but it can only be opened from the outside. It's been about a year since she left me up here. Thankfully I had enough food to last me until now. That's why I'm very grateful to you all." She gave a smile and they returned it..

Zed looked around the room again. "So...What's with all the stuff?"

She giggled again. "Well, I've made quite a few friends among the birds, I spare them some food and they bring me things from around the kingdom. Though they still haven't managed to bring me a rope."

There was a sudden tapping noise on the window. Lizzy stood and walked over to it. "Speaking of which, there they are now." She opened the window to find two blue birds carrying a very long, and seemingly heavy...

She reached and grabbed it, blinking at it as she held it up for her company to see. "...Rope."

Silence filled the air as the birds took their food and fled. That's about the time the boys started laughing, finding the situation hilarious. It wasn't long before the girls joined in though.

She came back over and set the now useless rope next to her. Mai looked to her. "Maybe they were waiting until your birthday?"

Elizabeth blinked. "Oh yeah, that is today, isn't it?" She seemed to be asking herself more than those around her.

Mai laughed, nodding. "That's right." That's when a thought came to her. "I have something for you too." Elizabeth looked to her curiously. Why would she have something for her when she didn't know she would even see her today?

Mai took her satchel off and handed Elizabeth the bag. "I believe this should fit you now. Happy birthday, Lizzy."

Elizabeth took the bag, opening it with curiosity. She gasped when she held her very own crown in her hand. She gave Mai a warm smile. "Thank you, Mai." She looked down at it again, her gave looking towards the two boys. "Why do you have it with you?" She asked aloud even though she could guess.

Mai also glanced to the two thieves, who started glancing around the room innocently. She looked down with an amused smile. "I was keeping it safe from some idiots."

The boys seemed to be okay with that answer and let it go for now.

Mai stood up then. "Anyway, we should probably get going, from this high up we can see the castle, so we should have a good idea on which way to go from here."

They nodded and made their way down the steps.

  ~ ✿ ♥ ✿ ~  

"Where did the door go!?" They shouted as they found themselves trapped in the tower together.

"The door must be automatic or something..." Said Lucas.

Zed looked to the princess. "Shall we use the rope then?"

She nodded. "Alright!"

After going back up the stares, Zed took the rope and tied it to where it would hold. When done he tossed the rest out the window where they could climb down. Thankfully the window was above the wooden bride, so when they climbed down they wouldn't end up in the pink moat. 

He turned and started going down the rope. "I'll go first and test it."

After Zed reached the bridge, he waited for the others to come down. One after the other they reached the wood safely. Lucas helped Elizabeth off of the rope, stepping outside of the tower for the first time in ten years. 

She started twirling and humming. The other three watched, letting her have her moment before they started towards the castle. It turned out that there was an opening in the cliff other than the cave they came in at. It was hidden behind long hanging bright green vines. Once on the other side of the vines, they ended up in the middle of the Enchanted Forest, an area they're all familiar with.

Mai's jaw dropped. "Really!? You were right here the entire time? Do you know how many times I've passed this very spot!?"

Elizabeth looked around. "So this is where the opening led. I had no idea."

Zed and Lucas glanced to each other. They've also passed this opening many times without knowing it.

Mai grit her teeth, angry with herself. Elizabeth noticed and thought to cheer her up, but temptation was too great. "Hey, Mai?" The upset girl looked to her best friend. "Yeah..?"

She leaned over to where they were the only ones who could hear. Mai followed along, interested in what was so important. "So....Which one is your betrothed?"

A few seconds passed as Mai's face turned red. Why? Well, not because the question was asked. Oh no, it was because a certain black and white haired thief came to mind when it was asked.

Thus, after slamming her head into the cliff wall a couple times, Mai started to chase Lizzy towards the castle, yelling her name.

The thief and thug slowly followed. Lucas raised a brow. "What do you think that was about?"

He shrugged. "No clue. I stopped trying to understand women a long time ago."

Lucas smirked. "Oh? Is Mai that special?"

Zed glanced to him dangerously. "What's that mean?"

Lucas gave him the 'really?' look. "I may just be an outsider, but dude, you study her like a book."

"I-I do not!" Carp, he stuttered.

The sidekick shook his head. "Right, and Allen dances ballet with a pink tutu on the weekends."

A silence filled the air between the two before they both busted out laughing at the image.

  ~ ✿ ♥ ✿ ~  

Allen was helping Macy with decorations when he suddenly sneezed. "Great, someone must be spreading lies about me again....Bloody townspeople...I am not a thug..."