CHAPTER 5

As Misoka and Aruna walked around the festival trying to learn about each other they ran into Mitsuru, Mahiru, Nozomu and Akira.

"So is this the hospitality outreach you're doing?" Mitsuru half growled as they stumbled upon the couple strolling down the souvenir section of the festival grounds.

"Oh hello again, it's Aruna right?" Mahiru asked smiling at them.

"Yes Princess that is my name. Thank you for remembering it. You must have met so many people already." Aruna replied returning the smile.

"How did you get roped into the hospitality outreach role?" Akira asked curiously.

"Hospitality outreach?" Aruna asked furrowing her brow in confusion at question.

"Guys were need somewhere to talk privately." Misoka stated quickly trying to stop anymore questions from popping out.

"Let's go back to the dinning room from breakfast, it should be deserted right now." Nozomu said quickly catching now, herding the group towards the Palace.

"I knew it! Even the high and mighty Misoka likes to ditch his duties to play hooky." Mitsuru fumed but followed everyone back to the palace.

"Mitsuru!" Mahiru chided him smacking his arm as Akira just looked between his silence companions and their guest.

They quickly arrived in the room and as Nozomu guessed the room was empty. Nozomu quickly looked around to make sure no one was really around before shutting the door. He took a seat beside Akira. Misoka had taken the head of the table with Aruna sitting beside him. Mahiru and Mitsuru had taken the left side of the table and Akira and Nozomu the right side.

"I'm going to put this as plainly as I possible can. Aruna and I are engaged." Misoka announced after taking a breath to brace himself for the fury of questions.

"To be married?" Akira asked.

"Is there any other kind you idiot." Mitsuru snapped.

"Mitsuru that's rude! Misoka this seem sudden." Mahiru said.

"Yes it does seem very sudden, is there a reason for this?"Nozomu ventured.

"It was arranged by our mothers." Aruna explained. "I know it must seem weird to you guys but it apart of the Lunar society." She continued.

"And you're just going to let society tell you who to marry?! Are you that much of a push over?!" Mitsuru argued.

"Mitsuru!" Mahiru exclaimed.

"There are consequence for breaking our society's rules." Misoka countered keeping his composer. He had excepted this reaction.

"Misoka you look very serious, what could these consequences be?" Nozomu asked his eyes bouncing between the two serious looking foxes.

"Breaking off an engagement has always been considered one of the bigger taboos of our culture especially now as everyone is just recovering and the palace wants the race to start rebuilding as quickly as possible. These rules need to be changed but it won't happen today and maybe not for many years." Misoka explained.

"Don't dodge the question with semantics. What is the consequences of ending the engagement?" Nozomu repeated.

"It's death." Misoka stated making everyone gasp in shock.

"That's not something to joke about." Akira whispered.

"They're not joking." Oboro said he opened the door. He and Katsura walked in took seats at the other end of the table. "This goes beyond just Misoka and Aruna. They're paying someone's else debt. I've ordered tea, this is a long story so please make yourselves comfortable." Oboro instructed.

Once the tea had arrived Oboro began.

"Over twenty years ago I took it upon myself to go earth and find the drops of the moon just as you guys had done but I only had Mayumi and Katsura at my side. We were unsuccessful of course. On Earth Mayumi fell in love with a human, Kou Tsugara, who was symptomatic to our cause. Mayumi had a finance, Ren Minamino, back here waiting for her. Her parents had chosen him for her. It was a good match that would raise both families in standing. She knew Ren, they were permitted to socialize growing up. Mayumi thought she loved Ren until she met Kou but once she realized she wasn't in love with Ren she knew she couldn't marry him. At the time and currently the punishment for disrespecting her family and his by breaking the engagement was her life or the life of her first child if she were to marry the man she forsake her society for. She knew that her life was on the line if she asked to dissolve the marriage but after visiting the Earth she was changed. She wanted to live Kou on Earth. She was going to go to Ren but Tsukiko stepped in on her behalf. Tsukiko was her best friend and Ren's younger sister and Aruna's mother. She was able to get Ren to agree to the dissolving without the traditional sacrifice of life. They offered their childrens' life. Tsukiko arranged that Mayumi's son to marry her daughter so that the Asagi's debt would be paid. This was unusual but it was not the first time

this was done. If Misoka calls of the engagement will have to pay the debt with his life and despite the debt to her family if Aruna calls off the engagement she will be considered a pariah, She will be left completely on her own and in this ancient social that is not good for an orphaned single woman."

The group looked stunned, disgusted and sadden by this tale. They looked from one end of the table to the other.

"So that's why we have to do this." Aruna stated breaking the silence placing her empty tea cup on the table silently.

"This is one hell of a situation." Nozomu said looking between the new couple. 'How is the hell is this going to work out?' He wondered to himself.

"This whole society is so fucked up!" Mitsuru shouted as he got up and left the room.

"Should we go after him?" Mahiru sniffled staring at the partially opened door.

"I don't think there's much we can do." Akira whispered his ears dropped low.

"I know this is going to change things but we must go on, this will just be the new normal." Misoka said finishing his tea.

"What about getting married but divorcing quickly afterwords?" Nozomu suggested.

"What's a divorce?" Aruna asked stunning Mahiru, Akira and Nozomu.

"I take it that's a no." Nozomu replied turning towards Oboro.

"It might spare Misoka's life but it's the same result for Aruna." Oboro answered as Aruna pulled a book out of her purse.

"What's that?" Mahiru asked as Aruna began to write.

"Oh it's a notebook of Earth things I have questions about. We use to get news from Earth all the time before the sickness shut everything down. Most of our news is about seven years old so I'm little behind the times." Aruna said shutting the notebook.

"It looks like you've almost filled it." Akira stated as she put the book back in her bag.

"Oh yes I have. I have a ton of questions about the last seven years." Aruna said smiling at the group.

"Aren't we getting a little off topic?" Nozomu asked bringing the mood back down.

"Jeez Nozomu." Akira muttered as Misoka spoke up.

"Oboro and I have looked into every angle possible and the best option is to just go through with the

marriage. It's the least riskiest."

"Jeez Misoka don't make it sound like the marriage is a form of death." Mahiru said as got up and moved next to Aruna. "What kind of questions do you have about Earth?" Mahiru asked as she sat down again.

"Oh princess thank you. I'm big fan of musicals has there been any new ones?" Aruna asked pulling the notebook back out.

'I wasn't excepting that question.' Mahiru thought failing to suppress a smile. "In the past seven years I can think of a few big ones that have come from America."

"Wait you don't know what a divorce is but you know about musicals?" Nozomu griped as Akira scrambled over him to join the conversation.

"I don't care much for the darker aspects of Earth's societies but I loved to hear about the times my parents experienced when they went to Earth. They liked to go to the movies a lot." Aruna explained narrowing her eyes at Nozomu. 'He's almost as rude as the tengu.' Aruna thought.

"What earth food do you want to try the most?" Akira asked he settled himself between Aruna and Nozomu.

Misoka and Nozomu got up and sat closer to Oboro and Katsura to continue the serious discussion. "Well at least those two are welcoming her. If there's nothing else to be done then don't beat a dead horse. As you said this will be the new normal and who knows you might even like it." Katsura said as she got up to go join the more lively conversation.

"I want to try a burger." Aruna replied to Akira's question.

Akira wagged his tails as he replied. "Then that's what I'll cook for you."

"You can cook?" Aruna asked excitedly.

"Yeah it's a lot of fun." Akira said wagging his tails faster.

"Are you interested in make up or fashion?" Katsura asked smiling at Aruna.

"I really like the feline look that was probably in the west awhile ago I want to try those big pants that look like bells at the end." Aruna gushed.

Katsura chuckled at Mahiru and Mahiru's confused looks. "I believe you mean cat eye makeup and bell bottoms. Those are a wide varieties but very western. Is that what you studied?"

"Yes that's what it's called. Well that's where my father was sent to look for a cure to the sickness. So he brought me back lots from America. Even tried to teach me some English." Aruna answered.

"Katsura might be right. At this rate it is out of our hands. You two should get to know her. I'm going to go find Mitsuru and go show face at the festival it is for our victory after all." Oboro said as he stood up. He and Katsura left.

"Well, out of all of us I didn't think you would be the first to get married." Nozomu half joked trying to light the mood that surrounded them.

"I guess it just shows how much you know." Misoka said getting up and going to the other side of the room. "Aruna isn't your friend performing soon?" Misoka asked holding his hand out to help her up.

"Yes Chimako is performing within the hour. Are we all going to go see it?" Aruna asked taking his hand and standing up.

"I definitely want to go see." Mahiru announced jumping to her feet.

"Well I guess that settles it then, we're all going" Nozomu said joining the group.

"Hopefully Mitsuru will be able to find us." Akira said opening the door for everyone.

"I believe he'll find us quickly." Misoka said tucking Aruna's hand into the crook of his elbow again.