Many thanks again to everyone for their comments and encouragement. Please keep them coming. As you probably figured out, we are finally moving into the heart of Yumi's situation.

Disclaimer: I do not own MSGM or any of it's characters. All such honors belong to Oyuki Konno. I'm just going to put a few of them through hell for a little while.

The Yamayurikai's production of The Swan Princess was a resounding success. Touko-chan's difficult portrayal of both Odette and Odile was phenomenal. You would never believe that the person playing the sweet, innocent Odette was the same person that played the evil and conniving Odile. Most of the audience swore that it was two different actors playing the roles.

Suguru Kashiwagi was booed every time he walked onto the stage as the evil von Rothbart, much to Yumi's secret delight.

And although no husbands left their wives that day, there were probably a few sleeping on couches later that night as a result of their reaction to Sakura's performance.

Yumi was able to get through her lines and the dance with minimal concern, but she knew that she would still never be considered an actress. During the ball scene, as she was dancing with Suguru, she was able to easily pick out Sachiko and the rest of the visiting former Roses sitting in the audience. Every time she spun through the dance she sent a smile to her onee-sama. By the end of the dance Sachiko was beet red and hiding her smile behind her hand, much to Sei-sama's delight. It looked like the teasing was going to be almost non-stop when they were through.

The final scene between Yuuki and Touko-chan, as Odette was brought back to life after Siegfried defeated the evil sorcerer, was supposed to be a fake kiss. As far as the audience was concerned it looked plenty real to them. It also felt wonderfully real to Touko who was smiling and pink cheeked for more than one reason as the final curtain came down.

The applause when the cast took their final bow late on that Friday afternoon was wondrously satisfying for everyone involved.

The cast quickly returned to the dressing rooms to get out of their makeup and change back into their school uniforms so that they could enjoy the rest of the day's festivities. One group of such cast members included Sakura-chan who for some reason had elected to not wear any underwear beneath her leotard during the performance and was "shamelessly" showing her body as she changed clothes. While Hiromi-san took pains to be looking in another direction while she did this, there were more than a few eyes unabashedly glued to her sexy body.

"You do that on purpose, don't you Sakura-san," Yukiko said with a glint of mischief in her eyes.

"I don't know what you could possibly mean," Sakura replied with a look of total innocence that was marred only by the sparkle in her eyes and the batting of her eyelashes. She took her time as she started to slowly pull underwear out of her bag, making sure that she bent over in just such a way as to be sexy without blatantly flashing her wares to the crowd of ogling girls.

Yukiko laughed as she saw more than a few faces turn various bright shades of pink and red, though only a couple actually had the actual strength to look away. "You have absolutely no shame, you hussy," she giggled behind her hand.

"Can I help it if my body has that sort of affect on a group of girls just barely out of puberty? Is it my fault that they can't control their libidos sufficiently?" the young girl grinned.

"No, but you can try to tone it down just a tad, please. As you say, most of these girls are relatively new to thinking about sex. They don't need to have it shoved in their face or down their throat."

"Oh, alright, spoilsport," Sakura pouted as she finally started to don her skimpy underclothes. If anything, the addition of the tiny items seemingly made from the sheerest of materials just made it worse. Yukiko sighed and turned to her only potential allies looking for any kind of support.

"Shimako-sama, Noriko-sama, can you please help me out here?" she begged as Sakura just laughed at her.

Noriko gave an exasperated sigh as she hid the laughter bubbling inside her at the antics of Touko-san's petite soeur. "Sakura-chan, if you don't behave I will tell Nana-chan not to dance with you at the bonfire," she threatened the auburn haired seductress. As soon as the words left her mouth she wished she could take them back. The petite girl's reaction was immediate as she froze in place as she was reaching for her uniform

"Nana-chan loves Yoshino-sama," Sakura murmured with no inflection to her voice, her shoulders suddenly slumping and her eyes going absolutely dead for the first time in Noriko's memory. The dark haired girl felt like a total ogre.

"I agree," Shimako said in a soft, consoling voice as she gently patted Noriko's shoulder letting her know that it was alright, "but it is not the type of love you are thinking about, Sakura-chan. She loves her onee-sama dearly, but she is not in love with her. Those two share a type of love that I believe most soeurs would envy. They probably love each other more than most real siblings, but it is not a romantic type of love. I think their love is a little more like the kind I have with Sei-sama. I would do almost anything for her, I love her so much, and I know she feels the same about me. We are closer than most regular siblings, closer than many lovers although most people cannot see it, but we would not think of spending eternity in each others arms.

"In that respect, Yoshino-san loves Rei-sama in that way, though she still has not admitted it to herself, and Nana-chan understands and accepts that. Yoshino's love for Rei-sama does not interfere with her love for Nana-chan, so its fine; everyone is happy, or will be once Yoshino-san accepts the fact that she is in love with Rei-sama. So you do not need to worry about the relationship between Yoshino-san and Nana-chan. There is hope, Sakura-chan."

"I hope you are right Shimako-sama," the first-year sighed before she pulled her uniform over her head.

"Take it from one who knows, Sakura-chan," Noriko said with a gentle smile, hoping to help undo her earlier thoughtless words, "I learned early on that Shimako and Sei-sama loved each other, and I agonized over it until I realized everything that Shimako is now saying. I will love and support the relationship between Sei-sama and my onee-sama because I love the both of them, but I won't get jealous of that love because I know that, above all else, the love that Shimako and I share is not endangered by their relationship. So don't despair. All you need to do is let her know how you feel and move forward from there."

Sakura smiled her thanks to the dark haired girl, much to Noriko's relief, and vowed that someday soon she would follow that advice.

-oo-

"I knew I would find you here," Sachiko said as she walked down the slight hill to where Yumi was sitting watching the bonfire and circle dancing that signaled the end of the festival. "This is the third year in a row that you have ended up here at the end of the day."

"I promise, onee-sama, this will be the last time," Yumi smiled up at her.

"Walk with me, Yumi?"

"Of course, onee-sama," Yumi said happily as she stood up and brushed off the back of her skirt.

The two young women walked hand-in-hand along the cobbled paths of Lillian in the moonlight. "Did you notice, onee-sama, that I stomped on Suguru-kun's feet three times during the dance," Yumi giggled.

"You did not, Yumi!" Sachiko exclaimed with a laugh.

"Well, I figured that I could take a little of my own revenge for everything he put us through when I was a first-year. I never was able to do so back then," she explained with a chuckle.

"Yumi, you really are an evil person," Sachiko laughed.

"Hey, I am just following the wonderful example set by my onee-sama," Yumi giggled.

"I never . . . oh, I guess I did," Sachiko giggled as well. Yumi just nodded and smiled at her.

"Oh well, I guess it was not one of my most shining moments," the dark haired beauty sighed.

"I disagree, onee-sama," Yumi contradicted her. "That day you worked beyond your hatred of men and 'won' your struggle against Suguru-kun. I think it was one of your best days. I certainly remember it fondly," she said quietly as she fingered the new rosary she wore around her neck, having passed on Sachiko's to Touko-chan.

Sachiko pulled her lover to a stop and placed her hands on Yumi's shoulders as she faced the younger girl. The fact that they happened to once again be standing in front of the stone statue of Maria-sama was not lost on her. "With that statement I will totally agree, Yumi. That night, when we stood here beneath the full moon and became soeurs, was the very best of my life. From that moment sprang all of the good things that have happened to me in the last two years. I can trace every single, wonderful moment that I have experienced back to you and the night that you agreed to become my petite soeur. I know that I have said 'I love you' many times since then, but I do not believe that I have ever said the one thing that I should have said so long ago."

She looked deeply into the large, brown eyes of the woman she loved more than anything else in the world and smiled. "Thank you, Yumi, for coming into my life, for becoming my soeur, and for loving me."

Yumi did not say anything in reply. To deny that she had done anything to receive such thanks would be to belittle Sachiko's words and feelings. To say "you're welcome" would sound like the giving was only one sided. It would never convey her true feelings. To put into words that she had received just as much as she had given would also never be enough. So she simply stepped forward and took this wonderful girl, the girl she intended to spend the rest of her life with, into her arms and told her all of that and more with the kiss she softly and gently laid on her lips. Based on the kiss she received in return, her message was properly received.

-oo-

As the chauffeured town car that Sachiko had sent dropped her off at the front door to the Ogasawara mansion the next day, Yumi grinned to see Sachiko already standing in the open doorway waiting for her, a smile on her lips and a sparkle in her eyes. Yumi could easily read the other girl's mind: I get to see Yumi naked! And in my own bedroom yet! It was so obvious that Yumi was laughing at her grande soeur by the time she reached the entryway and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Yumi, what are you laughing about," Sachiko asked her with a quizzical look on her face.

"Nothing onee-sama. I'm just really happy to see you." Well, it wasn't really a lie! Yumi thought.

The two shared a quick, chaste kiss before turning and entering the grand doors of the Ogasawara mansion where Yumi spied the other person that she was always very happy to see. The older but still lovely woman stood in the middle of the foyer with a bright smile on her lips and a twinkle in her eye as she watched her two favorite girls enter the house hand-in-hand.

"Sayako-okaasama," Yumi chirped joyfully as she rushed into the woman's waiting arms and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek along with her hug.

"Are you well, Yumi," Sayako asked as she reluctantly let go of her new but much loved second daughter.

"I am very well, Sayako-okaasama," Yumi replied with a smile, "thank you. And yourself? Have you recovered from your cold?"

"Oh, yes," Sayako grinned, "and please thank your mother for the soup she sent over. It was wonderful and our cook was asking if she could get the recipe," she continued laughingly as the three found their way into a sunny room with a full wall of windows looking out over the patio and manicured lawn. It had become somewhat of a custom for the three of them to share a cup of tea and a snack before Yumi and Sachiko went about their plans for the day.

"I'll be sure to get it from her and bring it with me next time," Yumi said with a giggle as she took her normal seat across from the beautiful view of the estate's grounds, "I'm glad that you enjoyed it. My mother has been giving us that soup every time we got sick since we were very little. I don't know how much it really helps from a medicinal standpoint, but I know she puts all her love into it. Maybe that is what makes it so good."

"It must be. I don't know when I have tasted anything quite so simple but also so delicious," Sachiko's mother said with a warm smile.

The three sat sipping their tea and eating some warm croissants when Yumi suddently froze with her teacup held just in front of her lips, sincerely grateful that she had not been taking a sip, as a man rushed past the windows.

"W-was th-that Tooru-otosama that just went past?" Yumi squeaked.

"Why? Whatever is the matter, Yumi?" Sachiko asked in a concerned voice.

"H-he w-was wearing j-jeans and a t-t-t-shirt," Yumi stammered in shock.

"Oh, yes," Sayako giggled at Yumi's surprise, "he started noticing what you and Yuuki-kun were wearing, and heard how comfortable Sachiko-chan is in hers, and decided to give it a try. Now we can barely ever get him out of those clothes on the weekends. There are days when the gardner is better dressed than he is," the older woman laughed.

Yumi sputtered and the tips of her ears pinked as Sachiko giggled at her embarrassment. "I keep trying to tell you how much of a positive influence you have had on him, Yumi," she laughed.

"Oneeee-samaaa," Yumi whined.

After tea and bidding farewell to her mother, the two girls headed back towards the family wing of the mansion and Sachiko's bedroom. Entering the room where she had spent many wonderful nights sleeping next to her lover, Yumi found that Sachiko had brought in an entire clothes rack filled with dresses of every style, length and color for her to try on.

"Sachiko," she gasped, "there must be twenty or thirty dresses here. I can't try on all of these!"

"Nonsense, Yumi. We have the rest of the day and evening to enjoy ourselves with a fashion show. Well, at least I do," she chuckled, "I just hope that one of these will fit you well enough. If you like it enough, we can have the maid take any necessary measurements for alterations."

"Alright," Yumi subsided as she thought about the numerous opportunities she would have to tease her partner, "but I insist on paying for any tailoring that may be needed!"

Sachiko sighed in resignation. When Yumi got like this about money there was no changing her mind. "Fine, Yumi, you can pay for any necessary adjustments, but . . . let's first try them on and see if there are any that you like," she said with a grin.

"Thank you, Sachiko," Yumi smiled. Her onee-sama was learning. Yumi hated having any portion of the Ogasawara fortune spent on her when she was fully capable of handling the matter with her own funds.

The two started thumbing through the rack of dresses, moving to one end those that immediately caught Yumi's eye to try on. Sachiko locked the bedroom door and Yumi started to undress. Sachiko sat in her one truly comfortable reading chair and watched as her lover slowly pulled her t-shirt over her head, twisting slowly from one side to the other, to eventually reveal a lacy white bra that barely covered her small but well rounded breasts. Yumi cupped her breasts and glanced over at her with a smirk as she knew her lover would be feasting her eyes on her body. She then unzipped her jeans and started to ever so slowly pull them down over her hips. Beads of sweat started to form on Sachiko's forehead as she watched this tantalizing strip tease. She could almost hear sexy music playing in her mind as Yumi's hips swayed to some unheard rhythm and she peeled the jeans down her slender and tight little rump and pure white thighs. The sight of a tiny white thong that perfectly matched the tiny white bra had her catching her breath as her heart started to pound.

"You . . . little . . . vixen, quit teasing me," Sachiko gasped as Yumi finally stepped out of her jeans and slowly walked over to where Sachiko sat; standing in front of her, one hand on her hip while the other reached out and softly caressed Sachiko's cheek.

"What's the matter Sachiko? You've seen me in my underwear before." Yumi trailed a finger down Sachiko's throat and then back up to run teasingly around her ear. "Are you warm? Your face is red and it seems that you're sweating a bit. Here, let me help," she whispered huskily and leaned over to gently lick away the sweat from her forehead making sure that Sachiko had a good view down her (admittedly very slight but growing) cleavage.

"Y-Yumi?"

"Yes, onee-sama. Was there something you wanted?" she asked in her best Stevie Nicks voice that she knew from experience had a dazzling effect on her lover. It worked every time.

Sachiko reached out and grabbed Yumi around the waist and, with a squeak from the shorter girl, pulled her into her lap so that Yumi's legs were straddling her own. She slid her hands down Yumi's sides so that she could grab a double handful of Yumi's rear end and then captured those soft, luscious lips that were bare inches from her own. Yumi responded by encircling her arms around Sachiko's neck and deepening the kiss, sucking on Sachiko's tongue and running her hands through the taller girls long tresses. By the time they broke the kiss they were both perspiring from their exertions.

"If we keep this up, Sachiko, I won't ever get a chance to try on those dresses," Yumi said in a thready voice, still trying to pull air into her lungs.

"That's true, but I'm wondering if we couldn't put it off just a little longer?" Sachiko asked in a childish, whiney voice. Yumi couldn't help but adore the sound of that voice coming from her lover's lips, but she pushed herself off Sachiko's lap, which of course caused her partner's slightly swollen red lips to come together in the cutest pout. Yumi relented just a bit and gave her soeur a quick kiss before she danced back out of Sachiko's questing hands towards the clothes rack and the first of the five dresses she had pulled out to try on.

She turned and glanced at Sachiko over her shoulder with a shy little grin that promised more "fun" later. Sachiko returned the grin and stood to help her get into the first long gown knowing there would be any number of opportunities for her hands to wander as she helped Yumi get in . . . and out of those dresses.

-oo-

"So you're sure you like the light blue one onee-sama?" Yumi asked much later as she hung up the dress in question, a slinky sky-blue evening gown with spaghetti straps, a modest v-neck, and an open back that bared her skin to just below the small of her back. The only adjustment it would need would be some slight hemming. (Sachiko pointedly did not tell Yumi that the last time she had worn the dress she had only been thirteen years old.) The material had clung to Yumi almost like a second skin but had been soft and comfortable. Sachiko had almost been drooling when she had done a slow pirouette so that she could see the entire effect.

It had been a long evening with only a short break for dinner with Sachiko's parents. Yumi was again mercilessly teased about the influence the Fukuzawas had had on Tooru while the older but still handsome man raved about the comfort of his new clothing. He was even beginning to consider allowing some of his companies to institue a casual Friday much like they had in the States. After much laughter and joy it was back to Sachiko's room to finish trying on the last of the gowns. Yumi stifled a yawn even though it was only a little after nine o'clock. She had been getting really tired lately after just a little bit of exercise. She would have to talk to Yuuki about how to build up her stamina if she intended to be able to dance all night with Sachiko.

"Yes, Yumi, I really like that one on you," Sachiko replied with a grin. "It really shows off the beauty of your skin and goes well with both your eyes and your hair. You will have to wear your hair down since the dress just does not show properly with pigtails, but we can get you styled the morning of the ball. I also have some jewelry that I think would look lovely on you. I promise you that you will be the envy of everyone there"

"Not likely, Sachiko, since you will also be there. You always look so beautiful when you wear a gown. I know I could never compete; however," she said with a playful grin, "since I also know that it is me that you will be going home with, I don't mind in the least."

Sachiko walked over and took Yumi into her arms and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "And I know that no matter what you say, I will be with the prettiest girl in the room. Now, why don't you go take a shower while I have someone put the rest of these away? We can have one of the maids take the necessary measurements in the morning and we can go to bed. How does that sound?"

"It sounds fine, Sachiko, although it would be even better if you joined me in the shower," Yumi started purring but, unfortunately, was interrupted by another yawn. "I'm so sorry Sachiko, I can't seem to stop yawning."

Sachiko grinned and turned Yumi towards the bathroom door and got her moving with a gentle push. "Get going and I will join you as soon as I get someone to take these dresses away. I shouldn't be more than a minute behind you."

"Promise?" Yumi asked while covering her mouth again.

"I promise. Now get going. The sooner we're clean, the sooner we can get to bed."

"Ok, love."

It took a little longer than a minute to have a servant start to remove the remaining dresses, but not much, and when Sachiko joined Yumi in the shower the two lovers enjoyed themselves immensely. Sachiko never knew how erotic liquid body wash and a loofa could be.

Leaving the bathroom Yumi went almost immediately to her purse and pulled out a small bottle of liquid bandage and started applying it to a small spot on her shin.

"Did you cut yourself Yumi?" Sachiko asked when she noticed what Yumi was doing.

"Just a little a while ago onee-sama. It is nothing to be concerned about," Yumi replied with another yawn, "I just wanted to make sure that it did not bleed again; certainly not on your sheets.

Sachiko walked over and peered at the small spot that was quickly being covered with the clear liquid bandage. "Isn't that the same spot where you hurt your leg before our last shopping trip?"

"Yeah, it just doesn't want to seem to close up entirely. I keep knocking the scab off. It's my own fault and nothing to be concerned about," Yumi replied with another stifled yawn.

But Sachiko was concerned. In the shower she had noticed more bruises on her lover than normal, and the older ones seemed to be taking longer to fade away. She knew Yumi had a tendency to be somewhat of a klutz, but Sachiko had not noticed any incidents recently that would cause that much bruising. Some of them even looked like they could have been fingerprint marks left over from one of their sessions of lovemaking and she knew she was never that rough with Yumi. She also knew that the Fukuzawa's would never lay a hand on their precious daughter.

She was concerned enough that, first thing the next morning, after she had seen Yumi off with the family chauffer, she called the Fukuzawa residence and asked to speak to Miki, Yumi's mother. She and Miki had gotten along famously after they had first met at the Lillian sports festival Yumi's second year at school and the two had started to develop a great rapport with each other. When she and Yumi had confessed to Yumi's parents about the true nature of their love for each other, Miki had been the very first to give her a hug and congratulate the pair. However, Sachiko knew she was going to be testing their relationship this morning.

"Miki-okaasan," Sachiko spoke in a calm voice when Miki got on the phone, "I have a favor to ask you."

Thank you for reading and please feel free to leave any comments. I love hearing from you.

CX