Prelude

"You don't look so well," commented Kisa as she sat down beside her onee-chan who was looking at nothing in particular while sitting under the shade of the cherryblossom tree.

Tohru tried to force a grin. "I am well! I'm always very cheerful!"

The girl looked at her with pity. "I heard…I overheard your conversation with my cousin. He was asking you to pretend to be his fiancée, right?"

"Y-Yes."

"And you don't want my cousin, is that it?" pressed the tiger.

"I-It's not that!" The maid inhaled deeply. "In fact…in fact…"

"You love him? Is that what you want to say?"

"Y-Yes. But it's…foolish. H-He's too good for me."

Kisa opened the bible solemnly. "It says here that everyone is equal in God's eyes. No one is better than someone if you will base it in wealth or social rank which are only man-made."

"In God's eyes, but not in everyone else's. Especially not in the Prince's eyes." Tohru tucked her knees. "I heard him tell Shigure-san that I mean nothing to him."

Kisa's eyes widened in shock. "Yuki said that?!"

The maid faced the little princess. "But you know what, I still care a lot for him. Silly, isn't it?"

The girl's eyes softened. "That's true love. Silly at worst, and nobly selfless at its best."

"Lady Kagura, Prince Hatori says that the Prince Sakuya is outside, waiting for you already," announced Hinata, the head of the maids.

Kagura sighed and put down her brush. "I'm coming." She looked out at the window again.

I can do this. I'll forget Kyo. I'll find myself my new moon, my new stars, and my new sun.

I can't pin on him forever. I'll survive this.

"Okaaay, so where am I exactly going now?" asked Kyo to himself, scratching his head.

The answer came to him when he saw the familiar towers of the palace.

"Man, I can't believe why the hell did I decide to come back!" he groaned. He was just about to continue on his way when he nearly got ran over by a royal coach.

"Hey, watch it!" he bellowed.

He was ignored.

Royal people. Royal snobs, he muttered under his breath as he slung his sack of clothes over his shoulders and continued on his way back home.

"What's wrong, Lady Kagura?" asked the Prince of the Osaka kingdom when he noticed the sudden paleness of the princess' face.

She couldn't reply.

I can't believe it! Kyo's back! He's really back!

She shook her head vehemently.

I must not feel overjoyed. Maybe he went back because he forgot something.

That was what exactly was Kyo telling the shocked Haru and Shigure upon meeting them in the hallway.

"So, I went back not because of my obligation with Kagura but because I forgot my…um, horse, Honda," explained Kyo while his cousins sweatdropped.

"Um, if you say so," said Haru.

But Shigure was not that easygoing. "The neko misses his piggy! The neko misses his piggy!"

"Shut up!!!" bellowed Kyo, face flaming.

"I knew it! Deep down those snarls and rejections is the overwhelming feeling of true love-love!" The novelist began to snap his fingers. "And a one, and a two…sixteen! The age when boys and girls start to fall in love! Woo-hoo…sixteen!"

Haru rubbed his cheek. "Uh, Shigure, I hope you don't take this too personally, but your voice reminds me of a sick dog under the influence of opium while hallucinating."

But Shigure opted to ignore others' comment on his song. "Sixteen! Wuu-hoo! The age when boys and girls…" He began to rock his body left and right, swaying to an imaginary music.

Kyo groaned. "Damn, I sure hope insanity does not run in the family, or I'll commit suicide." He left his cousins, marching away grumpily.

Haru shrugged. "Oh well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!" He turned to the still crooning Sohma. "So…how does the lyrics go again?"

"What?!" Kyo was stunned when he heard what Hatori said.

"That's right. The princess Kagura is out on a date with the guy who will take your place in the engagement ceremony tonight," repeated the right-hand calmly.

"B-But…how? Why?" sputtered the outraged neko.

"Because you made it perfectly clear that not even Akito can make you change your mind, and we have already sent word to all kingdoms that you and Yuki shall be choosing your wives already. I cannot bear to put our kingdom to shame just because you are being stubborn in marrying your fiancée! So we produced another guy who will willingly take Kagura as his wife."

Kyo's heart fell.

Kagura…is going to marry someone else?

"Happy?" asked the doctor testily.

Kyo's mind told him to laugh out loud, just to show the doctor that he wasn't affected at all by what happened.

But of all the stupid things he could do…

He actually felt something drop down his clenched fist.

A tear. Good Lord, he was starting to cry.

I was…too late.

To his utter shock, he felt Hatori's hand on his shoulder.

"Look what pride did to you. It blinded you and prevented you from seeing love that you have for her all this time," said the doctor quietly, as if almost fatherly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," said Kyo, giving up on his miserable attempt to mask his feelings any longer. "I deserve this."

"It's not yet the end of the line," said Hatori suddenly.

HUH? Kyo looked at him, bewildered. "You said it yourself. They're going to get married tonight!"

Miracle of all miracles, he smiled. "Where's the wild spirit of a free-loving feline? Aren't you even going to at least, try to fight for her?"

"F-Fight?"

"All your life it was only Kagura who had been fighting for your love. Don't you think it's your turn?"

Kyo was silenced.

"I can't believe it. 'Tori-chan is actually advising some lost soul on love!" gasped Ayame as he and Shigure watched their usually cold-as-statue cousin talk to the very disheartened Kyo.

Shigure, eyes shining, smiled proudly at his cousin. "Go, 'Tori! You're the man!"

The two stopped when they felt Hatori's eyes sharply piercing them.

"I know you two morons are eavesdropping," the doctor said warningly. "One of these days, I'll practice my surgery skills on your bodies!"

Ayame sweatdropped and pushed the door open. "Uh, Hi, Tori!"

Shigure laughed. "I smell…love-love-love!!!"

Hatori turned to Kyo. "Think about what I told you. I'm planning to tell this to Yuki too."

"But why?" asked Shigure. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

"Because soon, Yuki will assume the throne, and I don't want him to rule our kingdom the way Akito did. Selfishly." Hatori exhaled sharply.

"Soon?" Shigure's eyes widened. "N-No way! It means Akito is…is…"

"Dying," answered Hatori, looking away.

"Tohru, the King wants to talk to you," said Hinata. "What did you do this time, child?"

Her eyes widened. She clutched her apron tight. "I-I understand. I-I'm on my way."

Kyo looked at the setting sun, sighing.

Kagura, where are you?

Yuki was looking at the setting sun too.

In just a few hours the moment of truth will arrive.

Can Tohru and I pull this off?

tsuzuku