To the Rescue!

A/N: May I express my thanks and love to all the readers who stay avid to this fiction, especially to Carter-chan, Black Diamond, Amulak, FurubaChic, witcherwill, and well, ok, I forgot the rest. ^^;; Man, insomnia can really do wreckage on your memory! Anyway, although I haven't mentioned the other loyal reviewers of the fic, please bear in mind that I love you guys very, very much! You guys inspire me in my ficcating, and I will continue to write as long as you guys never get tired of reading of my fics. And to the one who emailed me asking when would I update Serendipity and For Keeps, don't worry. I'm just finishing this fic before I update them. My mind is working below its normal level of efficiency. My apologies. *bows*

Btw, if you are interested, please, please do drop by my site. () Sorry for the shameless advertisement, but if you guys want to kill time on the web, I'm in the process of posting up some write-ups there. They aren't fics, but I still hope you enjoy them.

Me taking too much space already. On to the chapter!

"Let me out of here! Let me out of here!" screamed Tohru desperately, pounding on the wooden door.

The soldiers outside were deaf to her cries.

"Hey, why do you think should we guard this maid so closely?" asked one of the soldiers. "Why is the king so worried of her presence in the party anyway?"

His partner shrugged. "Beats me. Anyway, who are we to question His Majesty's order anyway?"

"Right. Too bad. She's cute."

"Ssh! Don't raise your voice! I heard that girl is very close to some of the Sohma princes, especially Prince Yuki, our next king."

"You don't say! No wonder Lord Akito want her out of the way. Just imagine the scandal it will bring to our kingdom when the next king of Kaibara marries a maid!"

Cruel laughter ensued as Tohru bit her lips, fighting the urge to cry.

She remembered Yuki's words.

What's wrong with being a maid?

She sniffled. Everything. Even the commoners think that you falling in love with me is ridiculous.

"Hey, why did the girl stop squealing?" asked one soldier suddenly.

"Maybe she heard us. Maybe we hurt her feelings!"

More cruel laughter.

That did it. She lost control of her sob.

Okaasan…

Shigure froze.

"Shigure? Shigure, what's wrong?" asked Haru, concerned. His cousin was gamely eating when he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Tohru-kun." He turned to the white-haired boy. "Did you happen to see Tohru-kun?"

"Huh?" The cow shrugged. "No. Why should that puzzle you so much?"

"Because…I thought I picked up her voice." He looked down. "She sounded so far away…and as if she was enclosed in a cell or something."

"T-That's silly! You don't think she could have locked herself up in a kitchen cabinet or something, do you?" asked Haru nervously.

"No. I don't think so…maybe something worse happened." He stood up. "I'm going to look for her."

Haru stood up too. "I'm coming with you. You know, just in case you get lost or something."

Shigure blinked. "Haru, if ever I do get lost, you are the last person I would absolutely get lost with. At least I know how to differentiate the east from west." He started to walk away as the cow ran after him.

"I do know the difference! East is here," said Haru, pointing north. "And west is there," he continued, pointing down. "Think you can pull your lame trick questions on me?"

"Haru, Haru, Haru! You can totally change a person's sense of direction in a snap, and still manage to look convincing."

"Does that mean I'm wrong?" asked the cow, completely, utterly bewildered.

"No, Haru, you are not wrong. You made a mistake."

"Um, they mean the same, right?"

Very perceptive. Shigure rolled his eyes. "OK. You committed an error."

"Much better."

"No, I've got nothing to do with the maid's disappearance," said Hatori as Ayame was fitting a cape on him.

"Sure?"

"Yes."

"Final answer?"

"Damn it, you stupid canine! What do you want, a written guarantee?" snapped the doctor.

"Don't move too much, Tori, or I might prick you accidentally," cautioned Aya.

"So where can she be?" asked the novelist, rubbing his chin.

"Have you tried looking in the kitchen cabinet?" asked Hatori, rolling his eyes. "She might have accidentally locked herself in."

Haru's eyes widened. "Wow! Hatori and I sure think in the same terms."

"On second thought, maybe even someone like her is not that stupid," amended Hatori.

Aya looked clearly worried. "The party will start in an hour. We have to find her!"

"What for? The plates had all been readied, as well as the food, the dance floor and the balcony," said Hatori, although he could already detect why Tohru was suddenly missing.

Diabolical Akito.

Aya looked hesitant. "Um…"

Shigure suddenly perked up. "I heard her again! And my ears cannot go wrong!"

"Trace her location then!" said Aya urgently.

"My hearing is not as sharp as when I'm in my Juunishi form," explained Shigure.

Just then, Hinata came in. "Your Highness, the Prince Sohma Yuki is now ready and is asking whether you will join him already."

The Sohmas looked at each other, then at Shigure.

The novelist looked at the wrinkled face of the seventy-year-old Hinata and her stout body revealed in the so-tight maid uniform. His face soured. He shook his head firmly. "No way! Uh-uh! Never! Nada! Not in a million years!"

"DO IT!!!"

The next thing Shigure knew, he was pushed by his cousins toward the startled head maid.

Poof!

"I'm taking a bath thrice after this!" warned Shigure the dog as he, Haru, Aya, Kisa and Momiji went outside to locate Tohru.

"I sure hope Hinata will be fine," said Momiji worriedly.

"Hatori will take care of her," said Shigure, smiling sweetly. "Just imagine, the two of them alone. Who knows what the two will do behind closed doors."

Hatori was just administering ammonia on the old woman (who fainted in fright after Shigure hugged her so he could turn into a dog ) when he sneezed.

"Those imbeciles are talking to me," muttered the doctor.

The dog froze again. "I know where she is!" Shigure ran madly towards the tower where the kingdom criminals were imprisoned before exiled in olden days.

"Up there?" Kisa looked frightened. "But we're not allowed there!"

"So what? Life is too short to follow all the rules!" Ayame let out a whoop of delight. "Liberation from the rules! This is almost as good as taking a peek into women's baths!"

Haru sighed and pulled Kisa. "Come on. I'll take care of you when we go up there."

She clutched her bible to her chest and squeezed her hand tight with Haru's.

Onee-chan, please be fine.

"Let Tohru-kun out, NOW!" screamed Shigure to the guards.

Instantly, the soldiers were stunned.

The novelist smiled secretly to himself. Wow, I actually got authority here.

Haru bonked him on the head. "Silly Shigure! You're in your dog form right now, ok? A dog! You're not suppose to talk!"

"I'm not?" echoed the dog feebly.

Fortunately, Aya cleared his throat. "Valiant soldiers of our kingdom, please be not afraid of the talking dog. It was merely my ventriloquism talent."

Haru sweatdropped. "You actually know how to be a ventriloquist! Wow!"

Momiji nudged Haru. "Ssh!"

Fortunately, the soldiers believed them. "What can we do for you, Your Highness?"

"Release the prisoner, Honda Tohru, now!" ordered Ayame.

Kisa eyes widened. "Wow! He sounds almost like Hatori-san!"

"B-But…"

"NOW!!!" barked the Sohma.

And that was not Shigure.

It was Ayame.

The guards followed him meekly.

"Thank you so much, Aya-san!" cried Tohru, on the verge of hugging Yuki's elder brother.

"Don't thank me yet, princess. We still have to catch up to the ceremony," reminded Aya. "Let's get busy."

"Huh?"

"It's time for your fairy godfriends to work magic on you, Tohru-chan!" said Momiji, all smiles as he pulled Tohru into Ayame's fashion studio.

tsuzuku

Darn, I have to cut the fic here. I'll continue next chapter! ^^;; Have to look after our store because my mother has a sudden appointment. Totally unexpected. Geez, I'll make it up to you guys next chapter, promise!