Kokoro bit her tongue to keep from gasping. If Baron had come to save her, she certainly didn't want to give him away.

"Thanks Belinda, I think I can handle it from here," she said quickly, pushing the fairy toward the door.

"Huh? What? Hey!" Belinda protested.

"You've helped me so much Belinda. I just want to be alone until the ball starts, okay? Okay!" She kept shoving the fairy toward the door, blocking her view of the window. "I'm sure you've got stuff you need to do anyway, so you just go do that, okay?"

"Hey, Kokoro!" By then Kokoro had shoved her into the hall and had the door halfway closed.

"I promise I'll be good," she said, smiling innocently. "Just come get me when the ball starts, okay?"

"Now wait a sec—"Kokoro cut her off by slamming the door and sticking a chair under the handles. Then she ran to the window.

"Baron?" she whispered urgently. "Baron, are you there? Toto? It's me, Kokoro! Say something, please!"

"Kokoro?" The girl looked up and saw an enormous black crow gazing down at her. Again her eyes welled up with tears, and she reached out the window and grabbed onto Toto's feathers in her attempt to hug him.

"Oh Toto, you came for me!" she murmured, burying her face into his soft neck feathers.

Toto wrapped a wing around her and lightly patted her back. "I'm glad you're all right," he said as she cried tears of happiness into his neck.

She pulled away and looked up into the crow's soft eyes. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you," she said, sniffing.

Toto leaned back and looked at her sadly. "What happened to you Kokoro?" he asked quietly.

Kokoro looked down, puzzled, but she didn't notice anything. Toto gestured at her wings, her red hair, and her pointed ears.

"Kokoro, you're a fairy!" he said, exasperated at her lack of response. At his statement, Kokoro's face turned as red as her hair as she sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.

"It's a funny story, actually..." she said nervously. "Long story short, I'm engaged to the Fairy Prince and I'm turning into a fairy. If I stay here one night, I'll be a fairy forever. So..."

Toto's eyes widened and he pointed at her. "You're the fiancée?!" he cried, surprised.

She stared at him in shock. "What are you talking about?"

"The King and Queen of the Cat Kingdom received an invitation inviting them to a ball to celebrate the prince's engagement. We were hoping you weren't the fiancée."

"Wait, 'we'? Do you mean... is Baron here with you?"

Toto smiled. "Yes, he's here, and he has a plan to rescue you."

A smile slowly spread across her face. He really came, she thought. He's really here to save me.

Kokoro looked back at the crow. "What's the plan?" she asked, feeling a new surge of bravery rise in her chest. "If there's something I can do, I want to help."

"Well, Baron said—" But before he could continue, there was a knock on the door. Kokoro pushed herself back inside the window and yelled, "What?"

"Kokoro, the ball's about to start!" Belinda called. "Queen Esmeralda wants you in the ballroom right now!"

Kokoro looked at Toto and then looked back at the door. "Okay, I'll be right out!" she called back, then she turned and looked at her friend. "I have to go."

Toto nodded. "Don't worry Kokoro," he said, reaching through the window to pat her shoulder. "Baron knows exactly what he's doing. We'll get you out of the mess."

The crow turned around and stretched his wings. "I better get going, and so should you," he said, flapping experimentally. He glanced back at the half-fairy and smiled. "Baron will save you," he said. "I promise."

Before she could respond, the crow took off into the night. Kokoro leaned out her window further and watched Toto disappear in the darkness.

"I'm coming in Kokoro!" Following this was a loud banging and Belinda fell into the room. She stood up, and dusted off her spotless yellow gown, trying to regain a piece of dignity. Once she was finished, she glared pointedly at the fallen chair and stomped over to the window. "What are you looking at?" she demanded, poking Kokoro on the shoulder.

Kokoro turned around and looked at Belinda in surprise. Belinda stared in wonder at her before asking, "Girly, why's your face so red?"

~*~