"Master Clef!" said Ferio in a regal tone. "Its good to see you here!" The taller figure that jumped off the flying fish first waved at the green haired man walking towards him.

"Prince Ferio. Its good to see you too." Clef walked up to Ferio and patted him on the back, leaving Emerria to jump off the fish by herself. She walked quickly to catch up with them, her footsteps resonating in the entrance bay, but lagged behind the two figures and walked silently. Ferio turned around and looked at the silent figure behind him, then stopped.

"Emerria. I haven't seen you in a long time." he said as he warmly embraced the girl.

"I know, Prince Ferio" Emerria stepped back from the embrace and looked shyly down at the floor. She was wearing a long white gown with deep purplish-red embroidered vines and flowers running around it. She also wore a deeply coweled pristine white robe that befitted a master's apprentice. She felt so out of place all of a sudden.

"What's with all the formality!?" said Ferio with a laugh. "Emerria, you're Clef's student. Just call me Ferio." Emerria just looked up and smiled.

Suddenly, three voices cried out in unison, "Master Clef!" Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu all ran towards the sorcerer, but barely stopped short of hugging him.

"Clef-san!" said Fuu happily. "We haven't seen you since last year!"

"Yeah! Its been that long?" said Hikaru as she made a cat face.

"Silly...." sighed Umi. "We're glad to see both of you."

"I'm glad to see all three of you." Clef said, smiling. "Are the others all here?"

Hikaru nodded happily, but was busy hugging Emerria. "Eme-chan! I've missed you so much!"

"Hai, I've missed you too." Emerria looked at the other two girls. "Its nice to see a fresh face after being around this grouch for a year." As she finished her sentence, she spryly ducked to miss the flying staff that was aimed at the back of her head.

"OOH! Eme-chan! You haven't met the others yet!" Hikaru grabbed her by the wrist and began dragging her towards the main hall with the other two girls close behind.

"She hasn't met them has she?" said Ferio to Clef as they followed the girls, but at a slower pace.

"No, and I'm sort of afraid. She's not good with other people that she hasn't met yet."

"You haven't told her about the delegates from the other countries yet?"

"Well, I've told her, but that's not the problem."

"Are you sure you wanted to bring her here?"

"She insisted. I would have left her back in the woods if I could have had my way."

"Let me guess.....she doesn't take your way very well." Ferio dodged another swing from Clef's staff. "You know, that thing is entirely too convenient."

"Well, I'm set in my ways..."

The two men reached the main hall and the doors opened to reveal a large crowd of familiar faces crowded around one small person with burgandy hair down to her calves. A familiar voice could be heard saying "Eme-chan, this is Eagle Vison. Eagle, this is Emerria, Clef's apprentice." The uproar died when they heard the sound of the bottom of Clef's staff hit the floor and echo throughout the hall.

"Master Clef." said Lantis in his deep baritone. "Its good to see you again."

Clef walked up to the man who was now only a few inches taller than him. "It is good to see you too." The crowd around Emerria moved back to allow Clef to move towards his friend. Emerria stood a little shaken from all the new people. Clef put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and then turned to the large crowd. Many familiar faces could be seen, though he hadn't seen most of them since his....transformation.

A familar blond man walked up to Clef and Emerria and bowed deferentially. "Master Clef. I am glad to see you and your new student. It has been a *very* long time."

"Yes, it has Eagle. I am glad to see that you have fully recovered."

"And I am in a bit of shock to see you in such a form. I hardly reckognized you." He motioned at Clef's body.

Clef looked at the body he had finally become comfortable in after nearly a year. "This old thing?" Emerria facefaulted beside him, while Clef laughed silently.

Eagle turned to look at Emerria. "Master Clef, you are very lucky to have such a lovely apprentice." Clef nodded and watched as Eagle kissed her hand. Eagle moved back to show Emerria the rest of his delegation. "Geo! Zazu!" Two faces popped up looking curiously at the two figures in the middle of the large crowd. "You remember Clef?"

"Eagle....that doesn't look like Clef." Zazu said.

"Don't worry, dear Zazu. I am Clef."

"Geo, Zazu....this is Emerria, Master Clef's apprentice."

"Hello." Emerria said shyly. She felt like she was choaking in the large crowd.

Clef reckognized a pair of redheads in the circle. "Tatra, Tarta....its nice to see you again."

"Its very nice to see you again." said Tatra as her sister gawked at Clef.

"You....you......" Tarta managed to spit out.

"Yes....I know." Clef briefly introduced Emerria to the twins, noting the sick look on Emerria's face. He leaned over briefly between introductions. "Eme-chan, dajoubou?" he whispered.

"H..Hai. There's so many people!" Emerria grasped Clef's free hand and squeezed as if trying to squish it.

"The others from the other countries didn't come last year because of the trauma to Cephiro." He winced as his hand began to turn blue. "Eme-chan, can you relax your hand a little?"

Clef braced himself and Emerria for the assult from Princess Aska. "Y..Y...YOU USED TO BE MY SIZE!!!!!" wailed Aska as she ran towards the sorcerer. "WHEN DID YOU GET BIG?!?"

"Aska, come back here." wailed Chan Ang. The old man and San Yung were in pursuit of the little princess as she stopped to face off with Clef.

"Aska-hime. You haven't seen me in a while. I got bigger."

"Yes....I can see that." She said in a frustrated tone of voice. "Now, who is *that*." she said as she rudely pointed at Emerria.

"This is Emerria. She has partial credit for making me big."

"REALLY?!?" Aska began to jump up and down around a very tired looking Emerria. "I wanna make people big!" She cried as she pulled on the robe Emerria was wearing.

"I can't make anyone big, Aska-hime. Clef is just joking around." Emerria sighed as the little princess began to wail. She suddenly put her hand on her forehead and clenched her hand tighter around Clef's.

Noticing this, Clef put his arm behind her and saw that her pupils had dilated. "Eme-chan!" he whispered frantically. "What's wrong!?"

"Too....many....people...." she whispered before she fainted on to the ground.