Pinkshuchan: LALIHO! Hiya everyone! It's Pinkshuchan! Last chapter I left you all with a cliffhanger. Well, now you get the chance to see what Hiro told Shuichi. Also, by the title of the chapter you can tell that a truth will be revealed. What truth? This is definitely the longest chapter so far in The Pissed Prince and the Perverted Pauper. I'm positive of it this time. In fact, this is the longest chapter I've ever written for any of my stories. So I hope you've got lots of time. If you wonder why I didn't just separate all this, it's because all this is connected together. Anyways, here's the chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 8

The Truth Is Revealed

Eiri sat on the couch near the fireplace; planning about how he was going to tell Shuichi. He knew he had to do something to get Shuichi's mind off the kiss in order to tell him, but the question was how. Suddenly, he saw Hiro walking in. He looked like there was something weighing in his mind. Curious, Eiri got up from the couch and walked over to him.

"What's wrong Hiro?" he asked.

Hiro looked at him and just shook his head. "I just had something to tell Shuichi." he said "I'm beginning to wonder if it was a good idea to tell the truth." He then walked away. Eiri didn't know what he was talking about. Nevertheless, he had to go see Shuichi. He walked through the halls until he reached Shuichi's room. When he reached for the door, he heard sobs from the other side.

He opened it to reveal Shuichi sitting on his bed crying while holding Mr. Meow in his arms. After seeing Eiri, the cat meowed to show he was aware of the prince's presense. Eiri walked over to the bed and placed his hand on Shuichi's shoulder. Shuichi looked up at him with red swollen eyes. He put Mr. Meow down and began to wipe the tears away before avoiding Eiri's gaze.

"What the hell do you want?" Shuichi sobbed.

"I wanted to know if you were ok." said Eiri.

"Well, I'm not... ... ... All this time...sniff... ... I never... ... I had a feeling about it but... sob... ... I wouldn't believe it... but now... I see it's true... ... Why?... ... Why did it have to be like this?... ... ..."

"What is?" Eiri brought Shuichi closer to him. "Please Shuichi. Tell me. I want to help."

"There's nothing you can do to help... It's impossible."

"I won't believe it's impossible unless I hear what it is."

Shuichi looked up at Eiri. The tears ran down his face. "I never realized it fully until now... ... ... Riku... his illness is worse than I thought..."

"How bad?"

"He may not make it through the winter."

Shuichi hid his face in Eiri's shoulder and let all his tears out. Eiri couldn't believe it. There was a chance that Riku could die? He didn't want to believe it either. Even though he didn't know Riku as well as anyone else, he still felt like he wanted to cry. He knew how much the child meant to Shuichi and he knew that if Riku actually died, Shuichi may never smile again.

"There has to be someway we can prevent this." said Eiri.

"There is... ... ... but it's impossible." Shuichi cried.

"Tell me."

"We'd have to get one of the greatest doctors in the land to come see him... ... but... ... ... we barely have enough money to keep the orphanage running... ... If we use the money we have now to help Riku... ... all the other orphans would be in trouble... ... ..."

Eiri continued to hold Shuichi in his arms until Shuichi had stopped crying and fell asleep. He then got Shuichi into the bed and under the covers. Shuichi's face was completely wet from all the tears that fell. Eiri ran his fingers through Shuichi's soft pink hair and laid a kiss on the beautiful slightly parted lips.

"I need to do something." he whispered to himself "There is something I can do. I just know it." Mr. Meow meowed. Eiri walked over to him, kneeled down and stroke the cat's fur. "Take care of Shuichi." And so, he walked out of the room, out of the orphanage and out into the town. When he got to the square, the scene shocked him.

It wasn't just the orphanage in need of money. Almost the entire town was poor. Everyone was out on the streets begging for money. How was it the entire town was poor? Suddenly, he saw a few townspeople over at a carriage. He noticed that the carriage was the tax carriage. Eiri walked over to see what was going on.

"Alright you dogs." said the tax collector "Pay up!"

"But sir, we don't have any money." said a young man "The town's completely broke."

"No money eh? Well then, sell some things!"

"We've already sold as many things as we could." said a middle aged woman "We don't have anything left."

"Oh, then I guess you're all going to prison."

People began to scream. Eiri knew he had to put a stop to it. "Stop right this instant!" he yelled at the tax collector "Don't you get it? The people are poor. They can't pay for anything. The tax is too high!"

"Not according to Master Kitazawa." said the tax collector "He said that this amount of money is enough for anyone to pay. These people here are just too stubborn to pay up."

Kitazawa? Why did he make the order? It didn't matter. Eiri needed to help his people. "Well, Kitazawa is wrong. The people are starving. They are all in poverty. I demand that you give them their money back and lower the taxes."

The tax collector jumped down from the carriage. He was a very big fat guy with a smug face. He grabbed Eiri by the shirt and threw him on the ground. The throw caused Eiri to gain a few small cuts on his face and one big cut on his arm; allowing blood to flow down. "Who are you to order me around, you little punk?" yelled the tax collector "You have no power over me. What makes you think you can order me around like you're the prince?"

Eiri knew he had no choice. Besides, he knew today would be the day he would have to return to the castle. He might as well reveal himself. He stood up and grabbed his left sleeve. "This!" He lift the sleeve up so the purple pentagram could be seen. Everyone was shocked; including the tax collector. The big guy fell to his knees and bowed. After all, the purple pentagram could only been seen on the arm of royalty of the Kage Kingdom.

"I'm terribly sorry Your Highness. If I had known, I wouldn't have done what I just did. Please forgive me!"

Eiri crossed his arms; being careful not to hurt his injured arm some more. "I'm not sure you deserve it. You sure look very guilty."

The tax collector grabbed his legs. "Please Your Highness! I beg of you! I never meant to. I didn't even know it was you. Honest! Please!"

"Alright. On the condition that you give the townspeople the money you took from them. If I catch you doing something like this again, I will get my father to have you executed."

The big man gave one final bow before he ran away. Eiri walked to the carriage. "People of the Kage Kingdom." he announced "No more will you have to pay high taxes. I give to you the money that was stolen from you!" He opened the carriage and gave everyone back the money they lost. The people cheered and chanted "All hail Prince Eiri!" over and over again. They were happy that their prince cared for them. After giving all the money to the people, there was a few bags of money left. He knew that not only would it be enough to keep the orphanage running, it would be enough to get a doctor to help Riku. This would also be the best way for him to tell Shuichi he's the prince. He rushed back to the orphanage in order to complete his business before he goes back to the castle.

Meanwhile in the castle, Tatsuha was wandering around the castle; searching for Ryuichi. He knew he had to be around somewhere. He had to find him quick so they could sneak out of the castle, find Eiri and Shuichi, and tell them the truth. However, he couldn't leave Ryuichi.

"Ryuichi!" he called "Ryuichi where are you?" There was no luck. He couldn't find Ryuichi anywhere. He was so worried about the jester that he didn't realize where he was going and he bumped into someone. That someone he bumped into was Kitazawa.

"Oh hello there Master Kitazawa." he said "How are you doing tonight?"

"I'm good Your Highness." said Kitazawa. He leaned into Tatsuha's ear and as an addition he whispered "Or should I say 'Tatsuha'."

Tatsuha's eyes widened at the shock. "How do you know?"

Kitazawa snapped his fingers and his three accomplices came with Ryuichi and Kumagoro trapped within their grasp. Ryuichi was crying as he was struggling to get out.

"I'm sorry Tatsuha." he cried "I'm so sorry. It was an accident!"

Tatsuha knew he was in trouble. What was he gonna do? He needed to get to Shuichi and Eiri. But he couldn't leave Ryuichi. "Let him go!" he spoke with his teeth clenched in anger.

"Not unless you do what I say." said Kitazawa "If you cooperate, I'll let him go."

"What the hell is it you want?"

"Simple. You are going to go through the corronation and then make me heir. I won't assure you your life will be safe after you do so, but I can assure you the jester would be spared. And his little rabbit too."

Tatsuha knew he had no choice. "Alright. I'll do it. Now let him go!"

"I'm not going to let the idiot jester go that easily. If I let him go right now, you both may escape me. He will stay with me until you complete your task." And so, Kitazawa and his minions took off with Ryuichi; leaving Tatsuha alone to suffer.

Meanwhile back at the orphanage, Shuichi was just waking up after a short nap. He must've been very tired. He got up and walked around the orphanage until he got to the couch near the fireplace. There he saw Judy drinking some tea.

"Hello Shuichi." she said "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes thank you." said Shuichi "But... is Riku really...?"

She lowered her head. "I'm afraid so. Hiroshi had given him checkups everyday and we saw that his illness was fatal. I'm sorry Shuichi."

Shuichi sat down beside her. "I don't want to believe it."

"I know you don't want to but it's the truth. You'll get over it."

"HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT? There's no way I'll ever get over Riku. I love him. I love him as if he really was my son. No one can ever bring that kind of love to me."

"What about Tatsuha?"

Shuichi raised an eyebrow. "Tatsuha?"

"Yes. I've seen the way you both have been looking at each other. You like each other. That may explain why you both have been arguing for a long time and now have been mature to each other."

"Miss Judy you've got it wrong. I don't think of Tatsuha that way."

As Shuichi and Judy were talking, they were unaware of Eiri walking through the door with the bags of money. He was ready to tell Shuichi the truth when he could overhear the conversation. He couldn't help but hide behind a wall and listen to the conversation.

"So, there's nothing going on between you and Tatsuha?" he heard Judy.

"No, there isn't." he heard Shuichi's voice "I don't even like Tatsuha. Sure he's become a sweeter guy to me, but he told me himself it was possible he would no longer be that way. The truth is I don't care if he became a sweeter guy or not. I still don't like him. I wouldn't even like anyone who was similar to him in any way."

Eiri became hurt with what he heard. Shuichi said he doesn't anyone who's similar to Tatsuha in any way, and if he remembered correctly, he was practically Tatsuha's twin. He began to believe that maybe Shuichi wouldn't care if he was the prince or not. He left to put the money away before he would head back to the castle. It wasn't a good idea for him to leave because Shuichi continued talking.

"However, there is someone I like. Before I met him, I never thought I would find a man I love. But now, I know I've met him."

"Really? Who is he? What's he like?"

"Well, he's really sweet and kind and he looks like Tatsuha except with different colored hair and eyes."

"I thought you said you don't like anyone who's similar to Tatsuha in any way?"

"I meant personality wise. I got to admit Tatsuha is cute, but I don't like who he is."

"I see. Well then, continue."

"Well you see, I really like him Miss Judy but I don't think he may feel the same for me."

"How do you know?"

"He's got a fiancee."

"You should at least tell him how you feel. And even if he doesn't feel the same, it would be a good thing to get it off your chest. But, it's up to you Shuichi." Judy got up and went into the kitchen. Shuichi walked into his room to think things over. He really did want to see Eiri but he was scared. What if he didn't feel the same for him? As he walked into his room, he noticed some bags sitting on his bed. He opened the bags to see that there was money. It was enough to keep the orphanage running and get a doctor to cure Riku. But who would leave it there? Mr. Meow walked over to Shuichi. In his mouth was an envelope. Shuichi took the envelope and opened it.

Dear Shuichi,

You are a very amazing person and I thank you for everything that you have done. In return, I have managed to get a hold of some money so you and your beloved family can stay together. I wish you the best of luck.

Sincerely,

His Highness Prince Eiri

Shuichi couldn't believe his eyes. The prince himself came by to give the money he needed? But why? Now that Shuichi began to think about it, how did Eiri know where he lived? And more importantly, how did he know his name? Now Shuichi knew his answer. He had to see Prince Eiri and figure out everything. He grabbed his cape, ran out the orphanage and ran to the castle; determined to see Eiri and get to the bottom of the mystery.

Little did Shuichi know that Eiri was nowhere near the castle. He sat by himself on a wooden box in sorrow as Shuichi's words ran through him. He didn't want to believe that Shuichi didn't have any feelings for him but he had to face it. He was a prince and Shuichi was a pauper. They could never be together no matter how much he wished it. Before he was ready to go to the castle, Hiro found him. He looked really worried about something.

"Tatsuha!" said Hiro "I'm glad I found you." Eiri realized he was still wearing the wig and contacts that made him look like Tatsuha. He knew he had to clear the confusion.

"Look Hiro." he began "I'm not..."

"Tatsuha, Shuichi's disappeared."

That got Eiri's attention. Even though Shuichi said indirectly that he didn't like him, he was willing to find him. "How did Shuichi disappear?"

"I don't know." said Hiro "But all I know is that we have to hurry. Those guys from before could be searching too."

"Then let's go!" And so, Eiri and Hiro ran off in search of Shuichi. They searched every nook and cranny of the town. Eventually, they had checked everywhere they could think and gave up. That was until they heard a scream. It was Shuichi. They ran to the direction of the scream to find Shuichi tied up against a pole with Taki beside him.

"Let her go!" Eiri yelled.

"I don't think so." said Taki "Ken! Maa-kun! Get them!"

Before Eiri and Hiro could do anything, Ken and Maa-kun grabbed them from behind and made it so they couldn't move. Taki walked up to Eiri with a smirk on his face. "It's nice to see you again Mr. Tatsuha. Or should we say..." With his fingers, he poked Eiri in the eyes to remove the contacts and snatched the wig from his head. "Your Highness Prince Eiri!"

Hiro and Shuichi couldn't believe their eyes. All this time, the Tatsuha that was with them since the first attack was actually Prince Eiri in disguise. At that moment, Shuichi began to regret what he said. If he knew that it was really Eiri, he wouldn't have said that he didn't like him. He didn't like Tatsuha but he was in love with Eiri. Also, Shuichi began to feel relieved that he kissed Eiri instead of Tatsuha. He just wished he knew sooner.

"Just one question that keeps echoing in my mind." Taki continued "Why would the prince of the Kage Kingdom decide to switch places with a lowly pauper? Was it to get away from all your duties as prince? Was it to explore the life outside the castle? Or is it simply because a certain beautiful maiden has captured your heart?"

"There was a maiden who captured my heart until she told someone behind my back that she didn't like me." said Eiri as he glared at Shuichi.

"You're wrong!" Shuichi cried "It's not you Your Highness. I don't care if you had to appear in front of me as Tatsuha to show me your feelings. I love you!"

"Then how come you said that 'you don't like anyone similar to Tatsuha in any way'?"

"You heard that? I meant similar to him personality wise! That doesn't mean you!"

"Aww. How touching." said Taki in a mocking voice "You really love her that much Your Highness? Well then, why don't you enjoy a little show starring her. And no, she's not going to sing and dance for you." He leaned in towards Shuichi and began to lick on his neck. Eiri struggled to break free and save Shuichi but he couldn't. It hurt him to see the one he loved being sexually harassed. Taki began to undo Shuichi's dress and have his way with him. When he was able to pull the top half of the dress down, the sight he saw caused him to throw Shuichi onto the ground and onto his back; giving everyone a good view of Shuichi's chest. It was then they now knew.

Shuichi was a boy.

"Eww! That's disgusting!" said Taki "This little wench is no woman. She's a boy!"

Shuichi sat up; covering his chest. "I am a woman." he yelled "I just have a really flat chest."

"Yeah but you're supposed to have at least something. Having a really flat chest at your age means you're male."

"I. Am. A. Woman." He looked over at Hiro. "Hiro, you believe I'm a woman right?" Hiro just avoided eye contact with Shuichi. "Hiro?"

"I'm sorry Shuichi." said Hiro "But, you really are male. You just kept thinking you were a girl and we didn't bother correcting you."

Shuichi couldn't believe it. "No. No! I'm a woman! I know I am! I just know it!" Hiro just kept shaking his head. Tears began to well up in Shuichi's eyes. "You mean to tell me that my entire life was a lie? I HATE YOU!" And so, he managed to run off. Taki began to curse himself for not thinking that Shuichi could actually run away. While everyone's attention was on Shuichi's escape, Eiri flipped his captor and ran off in a different direction than Shuichi did. Hiro took that as his own opportunity to kick his captor in between his legs and ran off in another direction.

"Forget about the red haired pauper!" Taki yelled "Get the prince and the princess! Master Kitazawa is more focused on them. Then again, we should tell him about the princess' true identity. It may appear useful to him." And with that said, Taki and the others left to tell Kitazawa the news.

Eiri was running for what seemed to be hours. He knew he had obviously ran out of the kingdom and out onto the land. He knew he had to find some shelter. He could tell there was going to be a big snowstorm. He tried to look around but the snow was getting into his eyes. After a long way of searching, he finally found an abandoned barn in which he knew he could use. He managed to walk over there and get inside to avoid the storm. Now that he was safe from the storm, he began to remember what just happened back there. All this time Shuichi was male. He had a feeling Tatsuha knew it the entire time and didn't bother telling him. No doubt if he did, Eiri wouldn't want to switch places with him; therefore the reason why he lied to him. He was so furious he began punching on the walls to release his anger. But then he got to wondering. Why was he angry? Was it the fact that Shuichi was male? Or was it because he wasn't told so until that moment? Another question ran through his head. If he was angry at Shuichi for being male, what did he love about Shuichi before finding out the truth? Was it because he thought Shuichi was a girl? Or was it because he just loved Shuichi? He found his answer. He was always calm around him. It didn't really matter if Shuichi was male or female. Before any more thoughts ran through his head, he heard sobs come from the other side of the barn. He followed them until he saw a familiar figure sitting on a bundle of hay.

It was Shuichi. It amazed Eiri to see that he and Shuichi had gone off in different directions and yet ended up at the same place. He was about to walk closer until he stepped on some kind of branch. It got Shuichi's attention and they stared into each other's eyes. Eventually Shuichi realized what he was doing, got up from his seat, and began to walk away.

"Wait Shuichi." Eiri called out to him.

"Just leave me alone." Shuichi cried "I'm not worthy enough to talk to you."

"That's not true. You are worthy enough. For anything you want. You don't have to run away."

"You're only saying that to make me feel better. I know that deep down you hate who I am. That I'm... ... male."

"You're wrong Shuichi. Male or female, none of that means anything to me."

"SHUT UP!"

Shuichi began to run out of the barn. Eiri followed; making sure that Shuichi didn't get hurt. Unfortunately, the snowstorm had begun. Both Shuichi and Eiri couldn't see a thing except each other. Eiri grabbed Shuichi's arm and tried to bring him back to the barn but Shuichi kept trying to run away. Eiri was bigger, but for some reason Shuichi was stronger and he ended up dragging the prince forward. It surprised Eiri that Shuichi was really strong for someone of his size. Shuichi kept moving until he tripped on something; dragging Eiri with him. It was a sleigh. And unfortunately, it was on the edge of a hill. Both males' weight caused the sleigh to move forward and ride down the hill with the two on it. And because of the storm, they couldn't see where they were going. It wasn't until they got closer that they saw that they were riding to the edge of a cliff. Eiri tried to get the sleigh to stop but he was too late. The sleigh had rode off. Luckily, Eiri still had hold of Shuichi's arm and with his other hand, he grabbed the ledge of the cliff.

"Just let me go!" Shuichi yelled at Eiri to be heard "You're important. You deserve to live unlike me!"

"Quit saying that!" Eiri yelled back "I'm not going to let you go! There's no way I'm planning on losing you again."

Then, the ledge that Eiri was holding on to broke off and they began to fall... ... ... ... ... ... into a big soft pile of snow that was only fifteen feet below them. You didn't really think I was going to make this a tragedy did you? Anyways, Shuichi and Eiri were saved by a giant soft pile of snow. When they finally got out, Eiri brought Shuichi back to the barn after hours of trying to find their way. When they got back, Eiri closed the doors so the snowstorm wouldn't come in. Shuichi just stood in silence with his back facing Eiri; still angsting over the fact that he was male. After closing the doors, Eiri walked over to him so there were very close and moved his hands up the feminine looking boy's back, onto his shoulders and down his arms. Shuichi moved himself away from the touch.

"Don't touch me!" Shuichi sobbed. But Eiri would not listen. He just brought Shuichi closer to him and wouldn't dare let him go. Shuichi kept struggling to break free from Eiri's grasp; yelling at him to let him go, but after a while he just stayed in his arms, letting all his tears fall. Eiri didn't dare to leave Shuichi's side. He didn't want to. He couldn't bear it. He kept Shuichi in his arms until he couldn't cry anymore.

"Shuichi." Eiri began "You're not alone. Don't think that because you found out you're male it means that everything gonna change. You can still think of yourself as a girl."

"That doesn't mean I am." Shuichi spoke in a soft voice after all that crying "I have to face the facts. I'm male. Nothing can change that. Everyone must hate that about me. That I'm male and I can't change it to be female."

"You're wrong. Everyone who knew you were male still care about you. They wouldn't have went through all the trouble of worrying about you if that wasn't true."

"It's just that... there had been times in my life when I'd like a guy and then after getting to know me, I find out he doesn't feel the same way. Now I know that I'll never find a guy who I like and who may feel the same way."

"You already have."

Shuichi's eyes widened as he looked up at Eiri. "What do you mean?"

"Back there you said you love me right? Well I... I... I... You see I..."

But before he could say another word, Shuichi kissed him. It was only five seconds before he pulled back. Eiri pulled Shuichi close to him and they stayed that like that for a while. There was nothing but silence until Shuichi walked over somewhere.

"What's this?" he asked "It looks like some colorful star."

Eiri walked over to where Shuichi was and looked at it. It was a piece of paper with a giant pentagram in the middle. The triangles were all colored in different colors except for the middle which stayed plain. The top triangle was colored red, the triangle on the left was colored yellow, the downleft triangle was colored green, the downright triangle was colored blue, and the triangle on the right was colored purple.

"This looks like a map of all the kingdoms." said Eiri.

Shuichi looked up at him. "Really?" he asked.

"Yes. The entire land is shaped like a giant star and the kingdoms made it become a pentagram. The red triangle is the Homura Kingdom, the green triangle is the Hana Kingdom, the blue triangle is the Kaze Kingdom, the yellow triangle is the Hikari Kingdom, and the purple triangle is the Kage Kingdom. The Hikari Kingdom and the Kage Kingdom were such good friends because they were across each other. That was until the war started it all. Now, all they want is to destroy one another and I don't even know what that reason is."

"Wow. I never knew any of this."

"Well, it's not really that interesting."

"Are you kidding? It sounds amazing. It must be wonderful to know many things such as this."

"Ok then. Whatever you say."

Shuichi looked down. "Your Highness... I..."

Eiri grabbed Shuichi's chin so he faced him and leaned forward to kiss. "Don't you remember what I told you the first day we met?" he asked as soon as he pulled away "I want you to call me Eiri."

Shuichi's eyes sparkled as they looked into Eiri's. "Eiri." he breathed out before another kiss was placed on his lips. They pulled each other closer to each other as they made the kiss deeper. They moved around the barn until they saw a big soft looking haystack; never breaking their kiss. They then fell onto the haystack with Eiri on top. Shuichi broke the kiss to let up a yelp and moved a little to the left.

"What's wrong?" asked Eiri.

"I felt something pointy in the haystack." said Shuichi "It hurts like hell."

Being a little curious to what could've hurt Shuichi so badly, Eiri dug through the haystack to find what it was. When he got to the very bottom of the haystack, he found the tiniest needle he'd ever seen. "How are you able to feel this?" he asked "This is a very tiny needle and it was right in the bottom of a giant haystack. What are you? The princess who could feel a pea under twenty mattresses?" He began to laugh.

"It's not funny." Shuichi turned around so his back was facing Eiri. Eiri leaned his head into the nape of Shuichi's neck.

"I'm sorry Shu. I didn't know you were so sensitive."

"Of course I am. I feel like I've become black and blue."

Eiri turned Shuichi back around and kissed him. "Do you want to sit somewhere else?"

"No, this is fine. It was just the needle." He leaned back so he was lying down on the haystack. "Eiri? I have something I want to ask of you."

"What's that?"

"I want you to make me yours. All of me. My body, my heart, and my soul. I want you to have all of it."

"Are you sure? If you were so sensitive to the needle just now, I don't want to cause you any more pain."

"I'll be fine. If it's you, I wouldn't give a damn if I feel pain you give me."

"Just so you know, I won't be able to stop the moment I start."

"I'm aware of it. Please. I want you to take me."

Eiri leaned forward so his lips were close to Shuichi's ear. "Very well." he whispered "I'll make you mine as if you really are a woman. Get ready." And so, Eiri began kissing Shuichi's neck as they began to make love.

Meanwhile back at the secret lair, Kitazawa was getting ready for when he would become king. Ryuichi and Kumagoro were put in two separate cages far apart from each other and the keys; Kumagoro's being the smaller one. It didn't seem like there were going to be any problems until the three accomplices ran in.

"What the hell is it now?" asked Kitazawa "This had better be good."

"Well Master Kitazawa, we have very interesting information concerning the princess of the Hikari Kingdom." said Taki.

That caught Kitazawa's attention. "Oh? And what is that?"

"It turns out the princess is not who she seems to be."

"And what's that?"

"She's a boy!"

Kitazawa's eyes widened. "WHAT?"

"That's right. The princess of the Hikari Kingdom is actually male. And Prince Eiri looked really disgusted when he saw it for himself."

"You mean you actually found and caught him?"

"Well, yes and no."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, we did catch him and the princess, but then they managed to escape. But the good news is that they won't get married to each other and combine the Kage Kingdom and the Hikari Kingdom right?"

Kitazawa marched right over to him and began to strangle him. "YOU IDIOT!" he yelled "OF COURSE THEY WILL FALL IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHER! THEY ALREADY HAVE! EVER SINCE THE TWO WERE JUST MERELY BRATS! AND I GAVE YOU EXACT ORDERS TO KILL THEM! IT WAS ONE THING! JUST ONE THING! AND YOU ALWAYS SCREW IT UP!" He then let go of Taki's neck and sighed. "If you want something done, you have to do it yourself. This time I will be coming along with you and make sure you three don't screw up. Again!" And so, Kitazawa and the three accomplices left to find Eiri and Shuichi.

Back at the barn, the two lovers had already finished their love making and were currently lying beside each other. Shuichi was rubbing Eiri's chest with his hand and Eiri was stroking Shuichi's hair. They were perfectly content with each other; it was almost as if they were a puzzle that was finally put together. It was all silent until Shuichi spoke up.

"Eiri?" he asked "There's one more question about the map I want to know."

"What's that?" asked Eiri.

"Why are all the kingdoms different colors?"

"So they could be told apart. That's the same with royalty."

"How so?"

Eiri sat up and turned so his left arm was facing Shuichi. "You see this pentagram? It is purple; symbolizing that I am a prince of the Kage Kingdom. If it were red I'd be from the Homura Kingdom, if it was blue I'd be from the Kaze Kingdom, if it were green I'd be from the Hana Kingdom, and if it were yellow..."

"You'd be from the Hikari Kingdom?" Shuichi asked in a non-believing voice.

"You're catching on." Suddenly, he noticed Shuichi sitting up. "What's wrong."

"Eiri? You may think I'm crazy but... I think I may be royalty."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Shuichi faced him. "I'm royalty. I have to be royalty. I have a pentagram on my left arm the same as you." He brought his arm close to Eiri. "See? And it's yellow. That means I must be from the Hikari Kingdom!"

Eiri couldn't believe his eyes. Right in front of him is the yellow pentagram; the symbol of the Hikari Kingdom. He never thought it possible. Then something occured to him. Could the war have started because...? No, it couldn't be.

"Shuichi. How old are you?"

Shuichi raised an eyebrow. "Why? Do I have to be a certain age to be with you?"

"That's not what I meant. I'm trying to figure out something and I need your age to confirm if it's right or not. What's your age?"

"Sixteen."

It was official. Eiri walked over to his clothes that were in a pile, put them on and walked to the door. It looked like the storm was over. He walked out of the barn with Shuichi; who already put his clothes on, and followed him.

"Eiri what is going on?" asked Shuichi as soon as he caught up "Will you please tell me?"

"I figured out how to stop the war." said Eiri "Everything makes sense now."

"What does? What is it?"

"You have the yellow pentagram on your left arm which means you are royalty of the Hikari Kingdom. The war started sixteen years ago which is how old you are. During the time you were living in the orphanage. Then there are those guys that keep attacking you. I think they have something to do with the fact that you were taken from the Hikari Kingdom and brought to the Kage Kingdom to be taken care of in an orphanage. The question is why?"

"Perhaps I can explain it." The two turned to face Kitazawa. "However, I'd like to wait until after we get back to the castle. Men, grab them!" And so, Ken and Maa-kun grabbed Shuichi and Eiri and held them hostage. They were then being dragged back to the castle where Kitazawa's plan was taking shape.

Pinkshuchan: Whew! I thought I'd never get this chapter done. What's gonna happen to Shuichi and Eiri? Will Tatsuha be able to save Ryuichi while at the same time saving himself? Read and Review!