Chapter 10: True Love

With Kaito's death, the garden began to wither around Miku as she cradled his body, trying to hang on to what remained of his body heat. Soon even that departed and he became as cold as the winter air around them. The dead rose petals carpeted the dirt around her.

"Are you finally happy?"

Where once Miku's voice held life and hope, now her every word became a bloody dagger. The man she'd loved, the person she'd intended to fight for… now a corpse in her arms. Miku, unable to change Kaito's tragic fate, became just another weapon for Luka to hurt him with.

'Monsters break pretty things.'

Those old words Miku lived by drifted back into her head as she stared at Kaito's still face. "You spent all those years breaking him, little by little… taking away every precious thing he had…his trust… his friends… his family… his songs… his love… until you finally destroyed what was left of him."

She didn't care that she was insulting the very woman that had killed Kaito because of her anger at Miku's tongue. She didn't care about anything. Kaito was gone.

'Those with evil hearts look like monsters.'

"He wasn't a monster… you are," she said.

At those words, Luka began to walk over to her. Reflexively, Miku clutched Kaito close. Even if she couldn't hurt him anymore… she couldn't bear this terrible woman even touching him after what she'd done to him. As the fairy towered over her, Miku expected anger. She expected Luka to strike her down, and she welcomed it. She'd failed Kaito – she no longer valued the life he'd protected by sacrificing his own.

What she hadn't expected from the fairy was tears.

Luka forced herself to look upon Kaito's still form, in the arms of the woman she'd wanted dead. In the end, out of everything she'd intended to do she hadn't intended for the Prince to die. She'd intended for him to learn the folly of his actions and reform himself in light of his conduct towards her…

"You just want to keep him for yourself, whether he's happy or not!"

"You don't truly love him!"

…to love her as she loved him.

She hadn't planned for the curse to become a trap. The thought never crossed her mind in those heated moments. She'd shouted the words simply thinking that Kaito would have to search for another who loved him truly. Of course she'd wanted him to understand how difficult that would be – he'd learn nothing otherwise, and of course she wanted him to understand just how powerful an immortal's heart was next to the mortal hearts he'd forsaken her for. Yet she'd never anticipated that her careless phrasing kept the two of them bound to each other… that her own weakness of heart left him no fair way to complete her terms.

Had her kinsmen known, all along? They'd never openly decried her actions, and she received no outright punishments. But they'd also made it quite clear that she'd fallen out of favor. When the curse began, the fairies who once supported her quickly departed her side. Soon… she'd been left to wander her world alone with her memories of the man she loved and the occasional glimpses into the world of the "Demon Prince" who failed time after time to find a person who could break her curse.

But then, this lonely winter, after enough time had passed, she'd presented her plan to the Queen – a way to allow the Prince relief from his suffering whilst still not allowing him to avoid his punishment. The Queen's acceptance of her proposal only led Luka to believe she'd been right all along. The "Demon Prince" deserved his punishment, and her love for him had been just.

And yet…

Luka had wanted to prove Miku wrong about her – of course she, a mighty fairy, could not be doubted. She intended to prove the rest of the Court wrong with her. Instead, in rage over the truth of her heart being laid bare… she'd killed the man she'd professed to love so truly she'd believed only herself to be capable of it.

She knelt down on the ground, trying to reach Miku's level. "You who profess to know so much about true love…" she said quietly, "Tell me. What is it?"

What kind of question was that? Luka was the one so obsessed with it she doomed Kaito! But the fairy's eyes betrayed a rare moment of sincerity. Regret. Sorrow. And truly… Miku had nothing more to lose.

"True love… is loving someone so much, you'd be willing to give up anything for their happiness."

Miku stroked Kaito's hair. "Even if you gain nothing from it…"

Just one more time, she wanted to see him smile… fangs and all. She'd give anything to see that happen… give anything…

'Wait… I understand what she's asking…'

Miku took a deep breath and met Luka's eyes. "You're an all-powerful fairy, right?!" Miku asked her, trying to temper her anger at her.

Luka nodded slowly. "But I don't see what that has to do with…"

"Then I offer up myself for Kaito!"

What madness was this? She'd merely asked a question. Why did this human think she was asking for an exchange?

"My beauty! My voice! Anything, it's yours!"

Miku was begging her, willing to give up the things she loved for Kaito.

"What…what use are such trivial things as that?!" Luka said, in shock. What did this girl want from her?

The pig-tailed girl lowered her head. She ran her hands through Kaito's hair again. "You're right…" Miku said somberly, "I'm supposed to be trading for a person's life…"

"But I don't need – "

"…so take my life. For Kaito's."

The magnitude of the girl's request left the ancient fairy speechless. "But you'll never see him again if I take that from you!"

Miku looked up at Luka with tears in her eyes. "I… I know…" Miku said sadly, "But… you promised him somewhere safe to stay, where nobody would run away from him or hurt him. And that you'd try to keep him happy."

She clutched Kaito closer. "I can't give him those things," she said, her voice hitching, "You could even… you could just wipe his memory of me so he won't even know I'm gone."

Luka stood up and began walking away from Miku. This girl, this stupid human girl, saw nothing in the sacrifice Kaito had made. Did she not understand that if she died to bring him back, his death would have meant nothing?

But… she did in fact have the power to trade a life for a life. An equivalent exchange. Nor would taking human memories pose any challenge to her. Finally, Kaito would belong to her entirely, and he'd never again stray from her with the memories of the girl who tried to lure him away…

….yet, Luka found that for some strange reason, the thought of having the very thing she wanted brought her no joy.

In truth… Luka realized he'd never truly be happy in the Fairy Court. Sure, perhaps she would finally be welcome among them again for having tried to make amends. Furthermore, the other Fair Folk wouldn't look upon him with disgust and fear as the humans did. Yet they'd always know he wasn't truly an immortal, keeping their distance or pitying him when they did speak to him. He'd always know his presence there meant he could not live among his own kind any longer. And he'd still know that Luka had stolen something from him as she spent every hour trying to keep him close. Even if she tried to erase Miku's presence from his memories, he'd feel the hollowness in his heart. He'd always know that somehow, he'd lost something precious to him. No matter what she gave him, the man she loved would spend an eternity wandering her world in sorrow.

So many lost days ago, Kaito had been a friend to the fairy that came and visited him in his garden. He'd trusted her with his deepest secrets. She'd made him pay dearly for his kindness. The last time she saw him, after placing him under the curse, what she read as simple fear in his eyes she understood now was something deeper – betrayal. She could never erase that sense of fear from his heart, even if she tried to alter his memories to forget how he came to be. And if she did that… what would be left of him? Would any of the beautiful sentiments the Prince once held remain if she tore out every memory that brought her displeasure?

She'd sworn for all these years she wanted "justice" but in the end… the humans were right. She wanted the love of the blue-haired prince who loved flowers at any cost. That day she'd confessed her soul to him, the pain of his rejection set off something powerful in her. The thought of him finding love in the arms of another person became a poison in her heart. Maybe she didn't intend justice at all… perhaps all she wanted was for him to suffer as much as she felt in that moment. Luka possessed more than enough power to use against him in the heat of her anger. In those wounded moments, she turned from a just being to a creature of spite. She spent the next hundred years obsessed with both hating him for hurting her and still yearning for his heart.

The idea of anyone breaking her curse filled her heart with jealousy – how dare any human profess to be as pure as an immortal fairy!? Yet as Miku gained the love and affection of Kaito and came closer and closer to passing the trial Luka set for him… she'd seethed quietly, trying to find some way to prove the girl's love insincere. How happy she'd felt when the curse refused to break... she'd been proven right! Even as she appeared to Kaito to provide him comfort in his sorrow and confusion, secretly she loved planting those doubts in his heart – of stealing away his confidence in anyone but she.

Yet just in front of her stood a human girl with no power to speak of, begging Luka to kill her so that the man she loved would live a better life. This girl knew what Luka had done to him – both to curse him and to kill him. But she wanted nothing, not even the chance to see him again… just knowing before she died that he would be happy was all she asked.

'Is this how the mortals feel love?' she thought to herself, staring at her hands, 'So fragile, so painful… so beautiful…?'

Her tears fell freely again, though she tried to conceal them from Miku. No… she could not accept what the girl was asking of her. She would not kill Miku for Kaito. But while Miku could not offer up anything to revive the fallen Demon Prince… Luka could. But it would cost her dearly, and even in spite of it, the Prince's heart would still never be hers.

But he would live, with the person he loved at his side.

Luka seemed to be mulling over her request. Miku held Kaito's body close. "I'm sorry," she whispered. She knew if he'd realized what she wanted to do… he'd be so incredibly sad… she'd promised her father she would come home safe, but she would never see him again…

"Do you promise to love him? For the rest of your life? No matter what happens to him, or to you? To spend your every moment together dedicated to his happiness?"

"Yes, of course!" Miku said, "But…I thought that…"

Luka turned to face her and Miku saw the fairy's tears had returned. "Don't break that promise," she said, her voice beginning to crack.

The air crackled with magical energy as Luka raised her hands up high. "The terms are set!" she chanted, "For the price of this man's life, I offer up the lifeblood of an immortal!"

The fairy's body began to glow bright white as the magic enveloped her. Kaito's body floated out of Miku's hands and for a brief moment, he was upright, as though facing Luka. Still shining white, she lightly caressed his face, her golden eyes sorrowful.

Luka's wings began to break apart, dissolving into shining pink rose petals that swirled around her body and then fluttered around the target of her magic. The delicate petals burst over his head, showering Kaito's body with shimmering dust. After the last petal burst, Kaito and Luka both lightly landed on the ground, Luka on her knees, Kaito on his back.

Miku rushed over to them. "Kaito! Luka!" she called out. Luka rose to her feet and began to shiver, as though she finally felt the cold for the first time, but her blue eyes rested solely on Kaito. Miku quickly scooped up the prince, her heart pounding. She felt warmth return to his body and saw his chest rise and fall with his steady breaths. After a few moments, Kaito began to stir and open his eyes. "M…Miku…" he whispered, his eyes focusing on his lover.

"KAITO!" Miku shouted, "Oh… by the spirits, I thought I'd never see you again..."

She hugged him close to her and cried into his shoulder. She felt him put his arms around her, his grip strengthening as his vigor returned. As the lovers embraced, Miku glanced up as she saw Luka wordlessly walk past the couple. She thought she spied a few tears still running down the fairy's face as she quietly made her way along the grassy path into the forest. Miku planned on saying something to the departing woman when Kaito was surrounded by an odd light. "Kaito!? What's wrong?!" she said, fearing the worst.

He didn't answer as he released Miku and looked at himself in a panic. He rose to his feet as the silver light spread, slowly engulfing his entire body. Miku shielded her eyes from the brilliance, desperately trying not to lose sight of him. As he was lifted up in the air, beams of light began to pierce the dark sky, casting away the gloom and revealing the morning sunrise. Suddenly, the magic exploded out of Kaito's body, sending a powerful shockwave through the entire castle grounds.

Kaito collapsed to his knees facing away from Miku, the light no longer surrounding him. Miku approached him carefully, afraid of any more nasty surprises. As the Prince stood, turning to face her, Miku covered her mouth and gasped. Kaito's deep blue eyes filled with worry at her reaction. "What's wrong?" he asked nervously, "What just happened to me?"

"Kaito…look at yourself…"

Kaito glanced down at his hands and saw clear skin and slender human fingers. He ran his tongue through his teeth and found them flat. Filled with excitement, he rubbed his hands through his hair and found the horns completely gone and his ears once again short and rounded.

"Miku!" he shouted with joy, "It worked! I'm finally free!"

He hugged Miku tightly and spun her around. His heart, once so heavy from years of the burden of his curse, felt light as a feather. After he'd given up all hope, consigned himself to his fate… it was finally over.

As he lowered Miku to the ground, he had only one question. "How? What did you do?"

"I… I don't know… I told Luka I'd give her anything to bring you back and…"

For a few moments, Kaito feared that Miku had made some unbreakable bargain with a fairy. "What did she take?!" he asked in a panic.

Miku shook her head. "Nothing… she told me I had nothing worth giving… but… she made me promise to stay with you before she… she…"

Kaito looked past Miku and saw Luka in the far off distance, still not looking back and too far for him to call out to her. But as he watched the swaying of her pink hair, he noticed immediately what was missing upon her back… the price she paid for the Prince who did not love her.

Until one loves you as truly as I.

Miku may not have realized just how much Luka had given away. She no longer had a home. She would grow old and die. If she still possessed any magic, it would be far lesser than before. Without intending to, Miku had broken his curse by convincing Luka to sacrifice something precious in an act of true love.

…the same true love that Miku possessed for him.

Kaito drew the girl he loved back into himself, never wanting to part from her again. Miku was something precious to him, something he'd almost lost forever. He entwined one of his hands with hers, relishing the feeling of feeling skin against skin again, of how much larger her fingers felt now that his had returned to their original shape. But as he held her, a realization came over him. If he was finally free…

"Gakupo!" he called out, "Gakupo, where are you?!"

The lovers parted as both of them searched for their friend. For a few moments, Kaito began to worry that something terrible had happened…that perhaps the mighty samurai had not survived his fight with the fairy. But before his fears of the passing of his loyal friend consumed him for too long, he saw the familiar face of the samurai as he emerged from the hedges. Limping, but alive.

"Did I miss anything important?" Gakupo called out, smirking at the couple.

As the lovers eyes met, they both found themselves overtaken with uncontrollable laughter. The Prince couldn't even remember the last time he'd felt so light that he could manage such an outward expression of joy. But right now, after so much sorrow, so much torment… the release felt amazing. He had his freedom again and everything felt so hopeful and bright.

"Well, I'm glad you find my cluelessness entertaining," Gakupo drawled, "But if you'll excuse me, I'm standing outside in the cold and for the first time in a hundred years, I'm freezing. I'm going somewhere warmer."

As their laughter subsided, Kaito grabbed hold of Miku's hand. His smile was so radiant Miku barely noticed the cold air as the sun continued to light the garden. "Miku… come with me…" he invited her.

While the Prince was running as fast as he could, Miku smiled as she could finally keep up with him. He no longer possessed that incredible speed and strength. All around her, the roses appeared healthy and light, not the dried up husks from that brief period in which their keeper passed on. She glanced out over the trees and her eyes became wider. "Kaito! Where did all those houses come from!?" she shouted, as suddenly instead of seeing acres of overgrown forest she could make out towns and villages she'd never seen before. Kaito looked in her direction. "Shion! It's the kingdom of Shion!" he said, his voice filled with light and laughter, "It's always been out there! It's just been empty for a hundred years!"

As they ran through the entrance to the castle, Miku heard the startled voices of other humans begin to fade in around her. Slowly, the lonely and empty castle became full as mist began to settle and the final prisoners of the hundred year curse returned to their home. Guards, maids, nobles, the cooks, the servants…

As they rushed through the ball room, maids stared up at the decorations left behind from her and Kaito's party. To her joy, he'd left them as they were and they sparkled in the morning dew. But to the maids, they only created confusion.

"How long have those been up there!? This room was spotless a minute ago!"

'So they don't even realize how long they've been gone…' Miku thought to herself, 'How are we going to tell them it's been a hundred years!?'

But still, Kaito did not cease his run. From the way he kept dashing his head from left to right as he entered each room, she guessed there was someone in particular he sought. Finally, they ran through a hall to the throne room where a confused pair of guards approached the Prince.

"Prince Kaito!" one of them asked, attempting to sound authoritative, "We heard there was a monster in the castle!"

Kaito shook his head, but Miku felt a slight shiver in his hand before he responded. "The Demon Prince is gone…" he said cheerily, "Is the Queen in there?"

As one of them nodded in response, Kaito pushed past them with Miku in tow. "Mother! Mother, are you okay?!"

Only now did he break his grip on Miku's hand as he broke towards a woman with blonde hair and a light blue gown. The regal, glittering crown on her head was all Miku needed to know who this woman was. She seemed to be examining with some alarm the large hole Kaito had punched into the back of his own throne the night he'd sent Miku away. Upon hearing his footsteps, the queen looked to her son in surprise as he slowed his approach. Miku saw the sudden hesitation in his eyes and the way his hands trembled.

"Kaito? Oh, Kaito, thank goodness!" she said, relief washing across her face, "There was some commotion in the castle and I didn't know whether you were safe…"

Kaito just continued to stare at his mother as she appeared oblivious to the tears forming in his eyes. "They were shouting about a demon claiming to be you and I just had this awful premonition that something terrible happened to you, especially after that argument we had this morning… but…. here you stand, perfectly fine."

Wordlessly, Kaito approached his mother and hugged her tightly. Confused, she returned his hug. "Kaito…" she asked softly, "What's gotten into you? You're acting as if you haven't seen me in years…"

At those words, Miku saw his grip tighten over her. Now she too felt another round of tears – she'd never imagined such a happy event would cause her to cry as well. As Kaito finally parted from his mother, the look in her eyes suggested that even if she didn't yet know the truth of the last hundred years, she understood that her son had suffered through something terrible.

Finally, the queen's gaze fell upon Miku. With a start, Miku wiped the tears from her own eyes and politely curtsied to the royal. "Kaito… who is this girl?" she asked, "She looks like a peasant…"

Kaito walked over to Miku and placed his arm around her. "Mother…" he said softly, "This is Miku Hatsune, of Melodia. Everyone in this castle owes their lives to her."

Trying to explain the incredible amount of lost time to the people of Castle Shion was not easy, nor was explaining the truth of the "Demon Prince" to them. Though Kaito had desired to simply forget what had happened to him, too many people had seen him before they vanished. They deserved the truth. Fortunately for him, his old servants seemed willing to stand by his family and not one deserted. Possibly out of respect, possibly because they had nowhere else to go in this strange new world. Possibly because so many were touched when they learned of how Miku's love for Kaito saved them from the curse. For his part, Prince Kaito pledged they would all be taken care of – though he'd been repeatedly assured his enchantment was not his fault, he felt responsible for how many people were affected by it.

In the hundred years since the kingdom lay empty, for Shion to suddenly reappear as if lost in a dream caused quite a stir. Many of the other territories simply assumed the kingdom had been conquered or lost to the violent wars. Those closer to it suspected dark magic – Miku would later suspect that perhaps the original stories of the "Demon Prince" arose from people who'd survived the fall of Shion but still knew nothing of how it came to be swallowed up by magic. For the people living in the kingdom that suddenly found a hundred years gone, Kaito had originally expected they would blame him and want him gone.

What he'd not suspected was how swiftly the story of a kingdom saved by the love of a peasant girl for a monster would spread to people eager for answers. Most were so moved by the story of a fairy's cruel heart turned to sacrifice by just the words of a simple human girl that most considered the Prince's freedom from his curse a divine event. Suddenly Miku went from just being an aspiring songstress to a woman about to turn into a legend of her own. "At least they always talk up my beauty," she'd say with a sly smile.

The Queen of Shion spent much of the initial months after the end of her kingdom's enchantment trying to reforge her alliances all over again. The land no longer writhed with war, and she no longer felt the need to wage it pointlessly. Through some canny political maneuvering and relying on old pacts and contracts, Shion was running like a well-oiled machine, as if it had never ceased to exist at all. This suited her just fine - in the aftermath of the lost time with her son, she cared far more about her family now than she had before her disappearance. Despite the fact that Kaito's virtual isolation was not her doing, she felt horrified at how long he'd spent alone, reviled and in fear. She resolved to spend far more time with her son, trying to make up for all the time he'd spent entirely without her.

Which also meant the Queen spent a lot of time getting to know her future daughter-in-law. Miku had been nervous to meet Kaito's mother, but the woman proved to be a kind soul, if stern and a bit traditional. Though she'd long ago wanted her son to marry a noble and she had received several tempting offers for territory in exchange for him marrying into a prominent family, she could not forgot the massive debt her family owed the merchant's daughter. The two got along so well at times Miku felt the Queen was a second mother to her and not just her mother-in-law.

Miku's joyous homecoming to Melodia, her new fiancé at her side, proved quite the spectacle. She'd had to tell the story about Kaito so many times it became a habit. She was certain several of the villagers didn't entirely believe that the handsome, soft-spoken royal she'd brought to town could truly be the monstrous subject of children's tales, even if the sudden re-emergence of his entire kingdom mere miles away proved her tale to be true. Her father seemed to doubt this as well – upon meeting Kaito for the first time, he'd showered the young man with praise for keeping his daughter safe over the long winter. He came away from the first visit with his future son-in-law refusing to believe any ill word about Kaito, and the two became fast friends. But Miku's friends needed no convincing of the truth of the story. The Kagamines nearly ran Kaito ragged with questions about "The Demon Prince," a curiosity the Prince endured given their own small part in his newfound freedom. Miku and her "Big Sis" agreed – there were going to be stories about him to last several generations.

The entire trip, Gakupo rarely strayed too far from the lovers' sides. Much as he'd pledged a life of loyalty to Kaito, that pledge now extended to Miku as well. Not simply because she was soon to be Kaito's wife and a royal herself - but also because the girl's bravery and purity of heart had more than proven her worthy of his blade. Though Miku and Kaito frequently encouraged him to try and mingle with the humans he could now actually speak to, he seemed largely content to watch from the sidelines. Kaito personally suspected that his lack of being able to interact with others for so long had gotten him used to keeping to himself. But Miku remained curious about the samurai, given that he'd spent so much time observing her from the shadows and yet she knew nothing of him. Eventually, Miku finally convinced him to prove that he was really the "Dancing Samurai" from Kaito's stories. After his energetic performance, he'd found himself swamped by young women, which finally forced him to break out of his own shell and engage with other people again.

"Dimly illuminating the wooden platform on the stage, I played notes on the parquetry..."

As the weeks passed and seasons changed, the summer of Miku and Kaito's marriage began to approach. One fine morning, Miku and her future husband spent their time in their usual routine – taking care of the eternal garden, their faithful knight and friend Gakupo hovering close by.

"There you go, roses, drink up!"

Miku carefully dumped a bucket of water at the base of a blue rose bush. "Stay strong, okay?"

"Morning comes as if it were the thawing of spring, if our frozen love someday flows hot, then I'll embrace you in the rain…"

She giggled to herself as she enjoyed the pleasant sound of her Prince's voice. Kaito often broke into song these days when he was busy in his garden – sometimes she joined him, and they'd put on quite the spectacle amongst the blossoms. But right now, she just wanted to bask in the beauty of her dear Prince's melody.

"But the rain, continuing to fall, at last washed it away, as if it were a brilliantly covered camellia flower in the snow…"

The sound of girls cooing interrupted Miku's bliss. She poked her head through a hedge to spy some of the younger maids and servants had gathered around just out of Kaito's sight. From the few words she could overhear, they were trying to catch his morning song.

'What?! The nerve! How dare they sneak up on him like that!' she fumed.

"If I someday awaken from this transient dream, I'll search for you, I wonder where I'd head to…"

She was about to chase them off when she heard an unfamiliar voice behind her. "Gettin' jealous already?"

Miku ducked back out of the hedge and turned around to see an odd looking girl with green hair and a short orange and yellow dress. She had a pair of red roses tucked into her hair. But it wasn't her hair that Miku was focusing on.

She was more interested in the pair of giant red butterfly wings on the girl's back and the playful smile on her lips. Miku's bucket clattered to the ground, the sound of which shook Kaito from his performance. In the blink of an eye, Gakupo had leapt in front of her, his sword partially drawn. "You won't be allowed to hurt Lady Miku!" he declared.

"Sheesh, you really don't know how to talk to us fairies, do you?" the girl said, shaking her head, "That's a shame, I was hoping to get along with you better."

Miku quickly rushed to the startled Kaito's side. She searched his face for any sign of alarm – while he certainly appeared surprised, he didn't seem frightened of the fairy either. "I'm sorry, miss," he finally spoke, "Surely you can understand our caution given our most… recent… encounter with the Fair Folk."

Kaito watched the unusual girl, trying to keep his calm. If the fairies meant to punish himself or Miku for Luka's loss of her place amongst their court, they would not have waited this long. Whatever drew this woman into this garden, she likely meant no malice.

The fairy huffed, rolling her eyes. "Sheesh, one fairy goes nutso and turns you into a monster for a hundred years, and now you don't trust any of us!"

"Perhaps an introduction is in order then, miss?" he said, smiling peacefully at her, "I imagine it would be a lot easier to consider you friendly once we know you better."

At the Prince's words, the fairy gave an oddly formal curtsy given her less than formal mode of dress. "I'm Gumi Megpoid, representative of the Fairy Court," she said, "So that gets the boring stuff out of the way."

"Are you here because of Luka?" Miku asked, still quaking as she gripped Kaito's hand for support.

Gumi laughed at the idea. "I guess I kind of am," she said, winking at Miku, "I mean, thanks to you, she's not one of us anymore, so they had me take over for her as our faithful representative."

Miku swallowed again. "Am I going to be punished?" she said, "I swear, I didn't try to hurt her, I just wanted Kaito back and I totally offered myself first and…"

Gumi burst into wild laughter. "Mab's wing, you're so easy to mess with!" the girl laughed, "I'm just here to ensure you're upholding your pact and all."

'I see…' Kaito realized quietly, 'They've acknowledged Miku's place here, so they're checking up on her.' Now he felt far calmer, though he needed to find a way to tell Miku – though he knew he'd have no success getting Gakupo to stand down even with a few kind words. He watched as Gumi marched over to the rose bush Miku had just tended to and gave the rose a sniff. "Hey, not bad for a greenhorn," she remarked, "Lighten up a little on the water though, you're going to drown it when the rains hit in a month."

"My mother and I have been teaching her everything we know," Kaito interrupted, "Miku's been a fast learner."

Gumi smiled, again winking at Miku – who at this point didn't shrink back. "Like I said… it's not bad… you'll get better!" she added, "Even though you're not technically a royal yet, you are his fiancé… so you're fine."

"…is Luka okay?"

Finally, Miku managed to ask something to shake up Gumi, who looked genuinely surprised at the question. "You're seriously asking about her? After everything she put you guys through?"

In truth, Kaito's thoughts had often drifted to his former friend and former foe. She'd spoken not a word to either of them in her departure, and no stories of her arose since. "I... I wanted to know as well," Kaito admitted, for a moment looking away from Gumi as he tried to suppress the brief reappearance of the awful memories of what he'd simply started to call "The Hundred Years".

Gumi put her hands up, signaling a lack of answers. "She's not one of us anymore, so we don't check in on her or anything," she explained, "Knowing her though, she's off on a vision quest or something. It's not really our job to keep up with her though."

Miku pressed her hands to her heart. "I hope she finds what she's looking for…"

In truth… in spite of how he'd suffered for so long living as "The Demon Prince," Kaito found himself hoping Luka could make the best of her "second chance" as well. In the back of his mind, he still found himself remembering the days they'd once shared in the garden, as friends.

Gumi shook her head as she tried to contemplate what Miku just told her. "Lord, what fools these mortals be!" she exclaimed, "Look, I doubt you'll see her again, but… if I know Luka, she'll take care of herself out there. Maybe she'll be off looking for true love like you taught her to."

Kaito worried as he saw Gakupo appeared to be having trouble keeping silent in front of Gumi's flippant attitude. As the only other person that actually experienced the entirety "The Hundred Years" with him, he sympathized with the samurai's feelings.

"Oh! I'm almost forgot, there's a message for you, from the Fairy Queen Herself!" Gumi said, "She wants you all to know that she was impressed with the tenacity and strength you all showed. And she said every one of the Immortals offers you their blessings for your upcoming wedding."

"…and that's really all the fairies have to say?"

Finally, Gakupo seemed to have had his fill of Gumi. "One of your Court punished my lord and everyone in Shion for a minor slight against her. Now you expect to show up and be welcomed as if you deserve to be venerated for it?"

Gumi engaged in a stare down with the samurai. Kaito's mind raced as he tried to think of what he could do to defuse the situation when suddenly Gumi's angry glare was replaced by a sly smile. "You know, you're a total jerk, but I didn't expect you to be this cute."

At that, the normally unflappable Gakupo wavered in his stance – clearly he'd not expected the fairy to start flirting with him. "Okay fine, since you're a cute jerk, I won't stay mad."

For just a moment, Kaito realized that his serious, job-oriented friend had blushed. Gumi had managed to completely disarm his aggression and place him on the defensive. "Fine, though, if you're gonna be a stickler about it… I suppose you guys do deserve to know."

She took a deep breath and her energetic expressions were finally replaced by a more serious face. "We all knew about the curse. We just couldn't do anything about it. When a fairy lays down her terms like that… even the Queen herself can't just snap her fingers and make it go away."

She held up her hands, shaking her head. "And Luka really dropped a whammy of a curse on you… we all knew you'd been wronged. But we didn't even have a way to force it to end sooner – a love spell wouldn't really be 'true love' of any sort, would it?"

Kaito finally became aware of how tightly he was gripping Miku's hand. He hadn't expected to have to relive all of it again, not today. He started to release the poor girl, only for her to place one arm around him, as if she knew he needed her strength. In response, he placed his own arm around her as well, trying to remind himself that the curse was past, and he'd never go back to living as he had during "The Hundred Years" again.

Gumi seemed unaware of how much her story was upsetting him. "Trust me though… even if we couldn't intervene to help you directly… well, we found other ways…"

"We saw no sign of any of your kind besides Luka the entire hundred years," Gakupo said, still sounding accusatory but now with far less volume.

At that remark, that sneaky smile crept back on Gumi's face. "What makes you think you had to see us for that to happen?"

She crossed her arms, her smile turning into a wide grin. "Surely you wondered how in the world people learned about 'The Demon Prince' and the curse when you two were the only two people who should have known about that?!"

"What!? There were FAIRIES telling all those stories!?" Miku exclaimed.

Finally, he understood – in their own small way, the fairies tried to ensure he was never truly forgotten even as he lived in relative solitude. "I see…" Kaito said aloud, "You couldn't help me… so you made sure humans knew what happened to ensure the right person would eventually seek me out…"

…just as Miku had. Not directly, but her curiosity about the Demon Prince stories had gotten her into his castle. Despite the fact she'd initially been frightened of him, her knowledge of the stories of his curse held her interest… long enough for her to finally free him. "So that's why Len knew the exact words of the curse…" Miku said aloud, clearly coming to the same conclusion.

Gumi laughed. "See? You're getting it! And look, it all worked out in the end!"

Of course Kaito found himself at odds with that statement – he'd spend the rest of his life with the burden of "The Hundred Years". Yet… if he'd never been cursed, if he'd not lasted a hundred years… he would never have met Miku. It was hard to say if finding his true love was worth all that lost time, but it did provide him some comfort that his patience had led him to the company of such a wonderful person.

"… you tried to take him to the Fairy Court," Gakupo cut in.

"We told Luka she was allowed to bring you," Gumi huffed, her cheeks puffing out, "We knew you weren't going to show up. We had enough faith in you for that. 'Sides, like I said – it all worked out! And hey, you know you never would have lifted that curse if you hadn't met her again and this human girl hadn't sweet talked her!"

Clearly, Gumi wasn't going to feel much more in the way of remorse – Kaito had already seen the limits of that. He'd have to draw some comfort in knowing the fairies wished amends. He still owed them for the garden that had lured Miku so close and sustained his food supplies for so long.

"Look… point is… you three humans really impressed the Queen," Gumi said, wrapping things up, "She wanted to extend her regards to you. And don't think we're going to let this be forgotten either, for humans OR fairies. The Queen has strictly forbidden any future 'punishments' from being doled out, so this won't be repeating."

As the girl began to bounce on her heels waiting for some kind of response, Kaito found he only had one left to give.

"If any of the Fair Folk wish to attend the royal wedding, they will be welcomed as honored guests."

To Kaito's relief, Gakupo didn't seem terribly upset at his choice – while he knew the samurai would never be satisfied with their answers, he was willing to defer to Kaito's judgment. Besides… he merely wished to move on from "The Hundred Years". At least he could prevent another incident by simply living out his life by example.

"D'awww, you really are a sweetie, ain't ya?" Gumi said, tossing a playful wink at him, "Nice voice on you too!"

Now Kaito understood how easily this woman could embarrass him – and Miku's more possessive grip on him let him know that his beloved wasn't ignorant of the fairy's tone. "So, I guess the Queen will be showing up for your wedding… and probably the next christening ceremony in the winter too…"

"Christening ceremony?" Kaito and Miku simultaneously. Suddenly Kaito's stomach lurched as the magnitude of Gumi's implications reached him. Miku sprang away from him, her hands on her abdomen and her face redder than a tomato.

When Gumi let out a large hoot, though, Kaito realized she'd been teasing the two of them again. "Gotcha!" she said. "I made that last part up. But she will be there, when you two get around to it."

The green haired fairy skipped away, red rose petals and green butterflies in her wake. Before she vanished, she winked at Gakupo again and blew him a kiss. Again, Kaito noted the irritation in his face… and again the transient redness that appeared and vanished from his face. Gumi had managed to thoroughly embarrass all three of them on a "diplomatic" errand.

"That… that woman… may be the most devious of them all…" the samurai remarked.

Kaito tried to take stock of all that had just transpired. In spite of being relentlessly taunted by an odd fairy, he now had the comfort of knowing that his family was safe. And hopefully, any future family members as well. Everything he'd suffered… it had been turned to good in the end.

Miku seemed to recover from her momentary shock at Gumi's last prank and slowly approached Kaito, worry in her eyes. "Are you going to be okay?" she asked.

Reliving the past was not pleasant… but now Kaito's mind was back in the present. He was human… he would stay human. Nothing could part him from Miku ever again. He reached forward and placed his arms around his lovely fiancé, reminding himself of how lucky he felt to have her. Once he'd been afraid to so much as touch her, feeling unworthy of being near her. Now… he was her Prince.

And that simple joy quickly washed away any fears and doubts he had.

As the two of them pulled in for a kiss, they were interrupted by the sound of the Queen's voice in the garden. The two separated as they approached her. The older woman put a hand to her face and chuckled. "Oh, I didn't mean to interrupt you two…"

Kaito rubbed the back of his head. "It's all fine," he said, "How was your trip to Arlisia?"

"The Merchant's Guild is perfectly willing to hand over the bureaucratic and military affairs to us," the Queen noted, "As long as we stay out of their freedom to trade. Frankly, it sounds like they were rather willing to have a stronger military protect them than doing it all themselves. I was able to appeal using some of our old contracts… well, and I suppose it didn't help that Miku is my future daughter-in-law."

The queen smiled knowingly at Miku. "The newest Diva of Arlisia."

The audience listened with rapt attention as Miku, the glamorous soloist, serenaded the theater with her glorious melody. Her snow-white gown glowed under the soft aura of the stage lights.

As she finished her song, the audience erupted into thundering applause. Miku gracefully bowed towards her adoring public as red roses showered the stage.

After giving her audience the attention they deserved, she began her exit from the stage. Her steps quickened as she saw the silhouette of her beloved behind the curtains. She began to run with such eagerness that she unintentionally knocked over one of her co-stars in her haste. His prop crown tumbled from his head, a box of false jewels spilling across the wooden floor.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry!" she whispered.

She knelt down and quickly scrambled to help him retrieve his props. The "prince" repositioned the crown on his head. "You've got to be more careful," he said, taking the full box from her.

"Break a leg!" she whispered as he took to the stage.

After ensuring he made it on stage correctly, Miku turned and ran into the arms of the man she loved. Kaito. "You really came… and you did it just like I said!" she squealed, her voice quiet to try and not distract her co-stars.

Kaito gave his lover a squeeze and a bright warm smile. "I thought you'd want me in the audience for your solo debut…" he whispered, "I mean… I couldn't exactly throw anything to you from out there if I'm over here…"

From his coat he pulled out a blue rose and gently tucked it into her hair. "I hope this is good enough…"

As the two embraced again, Miku's thoughts drifted back to that winter night when Kaito finally began to bring her into a hint of the life he'd lived over "The Hundred Years". The sadness, the fear, the loneliness in those crimson and black eyes. Now, here he stood with her, surrounded by humans and able to stand and watch his beloved sing. Those eyes, now brilliant sapphires, sparkled with happiness. When he smiled… every smile was genuine and filled with hope.

As the lovers departed backstage to return to her new home, she felt deliriously happy. She'd fought for the man she loved and the right to live her life by his side… and she'd won. She'd fought to become a diva, and she'd succeeded. Sure it was just a small part in the show… but she'd made it happen.

She saw her "shadow" of Gakupo meet up with the two of them. "Your voice carried all the way back here," he remarked.

"You're going to be a critic now?" Miku said, winking at him.

All winter, the samurai had watched silently, trying to keep both she and Kaito safe from all harm without ever being able to be acknowledged. Ever since his curse shattered, she felt safer just knowing he was around. Even if he tried her patience from time to time, she knew his loyalty to herself and her fiancé was solid as stone.

As the Princess-to-be, her dear Prince, and their devoted knight entered a waiting carriage, the happy couple took a seat together. Gakupo seated himself across from them, his eyes on the exits and the road. Miku happily leaned into Kaito, who felt so much more relaxed and at ease than he ever had as the Demon Prince when he'd struggled to keep so many secrets from her.

"Was this everything you hoped for?"

Miku glanced up, Kaito looking to her for her answer. "Your dreams… is this what you wanted?"

The diva smiled at her beloved. "I never expected it to turn out like this…" she said, "But this is… so much better…"

The "Demon Prince" would fade into only a story… maybe perhaps a new story would take its place instead. But Kaito… Kaito was real.

And so Miku, the glamorous Diva, kissed Kaito, the Prince of Shion.

THE END

A/N:

And then the carriage crashed and burned and everyone DIED!

No, no, no. Sorry, I just can't drop a cliffhanger during the last chapter now can I? ;) I'm kind of surprised at the reaction I got last week - I knew killing Kaito would be a great cliffhanger leading into the ending, I just didn't think it was the most evil thing I'd done to him. Granting him his happiness and everything he ever wanted, then stealing it from him moments later felt worse to me. Regardless, I'm glad that as this story ran, I got you guys so engaged with his story. And after all those miseries heaped upon miseries… our Beast finally has his happy ending with his Beauty.

Pretty much from the beginning of planning this, I knew the fairy would need to have a change of heart. But it would still have to tie back into the true love of the protagonists. I didn't see any way for Luka to get to that point without her destroying Kaito and suffering the inevitable consequence of what she'd done. It couldn't be as simple as Miku saying "I love Kaito" and Luka going "Aw, shucks, okay." I wanted her to still have a lasting punishment for what she'd done… But also the opportunity for a second chance. I like to think she found a happiness of her own somehow.

And if you guys were wondering if I forgot Gumi exists… nope. I saved her for last. Now she can torment Gakupo for the rest of his life! Wait, maybe he didn't get a happy ending…

I just want to thank everyone who followed this story for so long. I only hope this ending was worth the wait. You've all been worth writing for. I'm happy to give you the resolution to this journey, though I am more than a little sad to leave these characters behind. Sure there will always be more Vocaloid stories, but they won't be the exact same people and settings, so it really is goodbye in a sense.

Expect me to write a new Vocaloid story soon, though – I can't leave Kaito and Miku alone for too long ;) Don't forget to follow my author profile so you don't miss my next story! There's some teaser summaries on my profile as well as in my journals on DeviantArt, so if you're curious what I intend to drop next, there you go.

UPDATE: How did I forget to leave this out?! Kaito was singing Crescent Moon. Kaito. Dude. Sing happier songs. You got a happy ending, you can stop the bummer songs.