Author's Notes: Wai, I'm so behind on writing because I'm getting ready for a convention this weekend. Expect a better update of all my works then ^^ Until that time though, do enjoy this chapter.

Songs used: "Lovely Night" (R&H)

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Act VIII-

The attendees to the ball were quickly dismissed from the palace, leaving the Prince and his family in peace while he continued to come to grip with all that had happened.

Meanwhile, back at the quiet home on the hilltop, Jakotsu quickly hid the remaining glass sandal, changed back into his plain shirt and pants and purposely rubbed a little of the ash from the fireplace onto his face so that Renkotsu wouldn't suspect anything.

Sitting at the kitchen table, he couldn't help but smile to himself as he reflected on his night with the Prince.

"I sure hope I didn't dream all of that, or I'm going to be incredibly pissed off when I wake up," He muttered while tracing an idle finger across his lips. With a sigh he added, "Plus knowing that damned Renkotsu, I won't even get time to take a cold shower before he starts yelling at me."

And speaking of said step-father, it was about then that the light rapping on the door alerted Jakotsu that the three were home.

With a sigh, he rose and walked to the door.

"Well it took you long enough," Renkotsu snapped, pulling off the blonde wig and tossing it into Jakotsu's hands.

"So how was it?" He asked, trying to sound interested even though he already knew the true details.

"Oh just wonderful- everyone was there you know. Well, everyone who's anyone," Renkotsu replied with a casual wave of his hand.

Jakotsu nodded, then with an inward smirk, decided to press his luck, "Oh so you knew everyone there I assume?"

"Well, all except some hussy of a Princess who I heard was actually a man. Right boys?"

Half-de-wigged and attempting to find a way out of the dresses they were stuck in, the two boys froze and nodded, still not having made the connection between the 'Princess' and the plainly attired young man standing in the room with them.

"Yeah, her chest was too flat to be a girl's," Kyoukotsu explained.

"Yesh, it had to be a guy. That's why Renkotsu is so upset..." Ginkotsu began, only to quickly silence himself.

"Upset? Now now, why would I be upset? I mean, it's clear that that idiotic excuse for a Prince was utterly...charmed by you two boys in your dresses and so, he'll certainly choose one of you." The step-father stated with a forced smile in Jakotsu's direction, "I mean, how could that stupid boy not fall for our plan?"

"He's not a stupid idiot." Jakotsu muttered, trying not to let on too much.

"Excuse me?" Renkotsu questioned.

"I was taught by Father that you weren't to disrespect his Highness by such words, that's all," The young man replied, trying to hide the inner desire to strangle his step-father for insulting Bankotsu like that.

"Won't matter when he's dead, now will it?" The icy voice retorted.

"Like you'll get away with it."

"If you try and stop me, then I'll just get rid of you too and you know that. So if you value your pathetic life you'll keep quiet, got that?"

"Understood," Jakotsu said quietly.

Looking suspiciously at him, Renkotsu frowned, "And what have you been doing all evening?"

"Just thinking about what it would have been like to go to the ball," He said with a shrug.

"He couldn't possibly know what it was like there, could he?" Kyoukotsu questioned Ginkotsu.

"So...what was it like Jakotsu?" The red-haired step-brother asked.

"What was it like? Well... I bet there's a large staircase that leads down to the ballroom, and there's music playing and candles all around."

The three members of the step-family looked to each other with a questioning glance before beginning to sing:

"It looks that way..." Ginkotsu sang first.

"The way you say..." Kyoukotsu followed.

"He talks as if he knows," Renkotsu spoke, because picturing him singing while still in that red-hooker dress might cause some health problems for the people enjoying this story.

And so we don't have to think about that mental image any further, Jakotsu will take over the singing now:

"I do not know if it is so

I merely just suppose…

I suppose that when you walk into the ballroom

That all the dancers seem to be gliding on thin air

Then you're suddenly confronted by his highness

And you're frozen where you stand upon the stair

You're afraid he'll hear how fast your heart is beating

Or notice how very flat your chest is as well

So you begin to feel the urge to start retreating

When you feel something more than the music… start to swell.."

Pausing in his mock dance about the room, Jakotsu excitedly spoke to the two step-brothers,"And while you're dancing with him, you can't help but notice that despite his height, he's got strong arms."

"That's right… he did," Ginkotsu said after a moment thinking on it.

"And you begin to wonder how his slightly shorter height might have its advantages…"

"You're right, you do…" Kyoukotsu remarked, thinking on how the height might help him get food and not mimicking the more perverse thoughts of Jakotsu.

"And then, for those few minutes- you feel like you're the only two people in the entire world…or something equally mushy like that…" Jakotsu said wistfully, before breaking into song once again,

"A lovely night, a lovely night

A night that's been ripped from a fantasy

You meet, the prince

That well built prince

And want to see if his sword's all it's said to be

Out in the waning moonlight, stars shine above you

As you ask him, "Can I show you how I love you?"

You cannot stay,

You flee away

But on your lips,

He left a kiss

The taste of him you can't resist

Lovely, Lovely night."

And not knowing the half of the implications interlaced in Jakotsu's lyrics, the two step-brothers became caught up in it all, and stepped in to sing their variant on it.

"A lovely night.." Ginkotsu began.

"How lovely," Kyoukotsu echoed.

"A lovely night...."

"How lovely..."

"A night that's been ripped from a fantasy, " Ginkotsu sang, attempting to dip-Kyoukotsu in the fake dance, and only dropping him instead.

"How lovely." He muttered flatly as he stood back up.

Then the two began to sing half a line each:

"You meet..."

"...the prince..."

"That well--"

"...-built prince.."

"And want to see if his sword's all it's said to be." They sang together, before going back to waltzing around the living room together and echoing verses.

"Out in the waning moonlight..."

"... stars shine above you.."

"As you ask him.."

"..."Can I show you how I love you?"" Kyoukotsu finished with a belch.

Jakotsu joined in the chaos then,

"You cannot stay, you flee away..."

"But on your lips, he left a kiss..." Ginkotsu and Kyoukotsu sang back.

"The taste of him I can't resist.." Jakotsu sang, not realizing that he'd slipped and inadvertently said 'I,' but... Renkotsu had.

The three boys lined up on the stairs as they finished off the song

Jakotsu first,

"Lovely..."

Then Ginkotsu,

"Lovely..."

And then Kyoukotsu,

"Lovely..."

And for the ending, they all bowed as they sang the last line,

"Lovely night!"

Upon seeing Jakotsu bow forward, along with his slip-up in the line earlier...Renkotsu finally pieced together why the few fleeting glances of the Princess made him notice something familiar.

"Rubbish!" He snapped, causing the three boys to jump a bit at the outburst, "Worst nonsense I've ever seen."

"But Father..." Ginkotsu began.

"Silence! To bed. Both of you."

The two step-brothers began to climb the stairs towards their room, "And as for you- Jakotsu."

"Yes?"

"The thought of you dancing with the Prince.... well it's just preposterous!"

"Why?" Jakotsu dared.

"Because... You're common. Sure you can wash your face and put on some clean clothes, but you're still common. Even if that Prince liked a commoner, there's no way the King and Queen would allow it.... it's just.... laughable. Now clean up this house... It's a mess." Renkotsu finished, storming up the staircase.

Watching as he could feel a tear began to form in the corner of his eye, Jakotsu turned hastily and fled towards the kitchen. The words eating at his prior in-securities about the relationship and his social status.

-----------------------------

In the palace, Bankotsu sat with his cheek resting on his propped up hand; a heavy sigh escaped his lips yet again.

"Your Highness, you really must sleep," Mukotsu pleaded with him.

"I can't help it Mukotsu, I can't stop thinking about him, about the way- he touched me, kissed me, held me...What if...what if we can't find him?"

Resting a reassuring hand on the Prince's shoulder, Mukotsu replied, "Now now, it's a fairytale, it's bound to end happily. Plus, you're increasing the love-lorn angst, so that'll please the readers."

"I want some sake..." He muttered, slouching down in the chair.

Nodding and headed for the doorway, the personal servant offered a slight smile, "Just hang in there, I'm certain that love will find a way."

Rubbing his temples at the romantic overdose, Bankotsu rose and went to look out the window wistfully.

.... I said "wistfully."

"Fine fine, I'm being wistful. Damn this romantic shit is annoying!" Bankotsu retorted, before finally achieving a truly wistful gaze out the window.

Looking up at the stars that dotted the sky, he noted one blazing trail of light indicating a falling star and he...

"And he wished upon it for some mushy romantic wish...oy, this is so predictable," The braided-man sighed.

Since the Prince wasn't pleased with the script, I'll let him wish for whatever he wants on the star, but if the man he fell in love with dies because of it, I take no responsibility.

Face paling, Bankotsu hastily wished on the falling star, "Oh star that falls from the sky, please return him to me safely. My only wish is to be with him once again, no matter the price- I just want him beside me."

The wish having been made, he turned and gently lifted the glass sandal into his hands, "If only I could find him again..."

---------------------------------------

Somewhere else, another love-lorn soul was looking up at the same sky. Standing outside in the garden behind their home, Jakotsu saw the same falling star, and wished silently to himself the very same thing that Bankotsu had said aloud.

Then with a sigh, he spoke aloud, "Bankotsu, I know it seems like everything is against us. But I'll find someway to get back to you. Tomorrow night, I'll come to you- somehow... I'll get away from here and find you. I can't stand this...not knowing anymore. And if your parents won't let you, then we can run away together- you didn't like the palace that much anyways, and I'll be happy no matter where we are as long as we're together."

Jakotsu paused, "Okay, now this is getting ridiculously sappy..."

And since, we haven't had any reprises of songs in awhile, lets stick one here.

"Sure, change the subject..."

And then Jakotsu sang a reprise to the earlier song, but this time with more heartfelt emotion in hopes that the narrator decides not to take out the happy ending.

Glaring at the orchestra to hurry up and play the intro, the black-haired man quickly burst into song, full of emotion,

"My dream came true...

I found love...in you

And on my lips

you left a kiss

And I hope

It won't end like this

Lovely....Lovely night."

He sighed to himself yet again, " I wish I could be with him...forever, but wishing never gets me anywhere," Looking back towards the house he added, "It's not like it's gotten me away from them..."

"Damnit Sesshoumaru! I'll kill you for this!" The sharp voice broke Jakotsu's thoughts as he noticed the bound, yet obviously un-gagged form of his "Fairy Godmother" being unceremoniously pushed out from the bushes.

Smirking to himself upon noting the ropes that held InuYasha, Jakotsu sauntered over.

"Well perhaps you can satisfy my heart's desire. You do grant wishes after all."

Golden eyes widened in terror as he gave a frantic look towards the bushes where the sophisticated light crunching of popcorn was heard.

"Sesshoumaru! He's going to..." InuYasha paused noting Jakotsu kneeling at his side.

"Oh dear, it seems the ropes are chaffing so your wrists are bleeding a bit... And I do have this strange affection for pain," The dark-haired man whispered, voice tainted with lust.

"If I'm the freaking Fairy Whatever, why in the hell can't I wish myself out of this STUPID situation!" He angrily pleaded with whoever might hear him.

After a few crunches of popcorn, a calm voice replied, "Because you are an idiot."

"I am about to be...yeah... and I can't even wish myself out of it! Why the hell aren't you helping me!"

Silence came as Jakotsu pried the magical wand from InuYasha's hands, "Well well, what do we have here?" He asked with a smirk.

"Keh! This is so beyond stupid! Someone get me out of here now!"

"You're the one that won't grant his wish." Sesshoumaru said calmly from his viewing place.

Seeing that Jakotsu was about to straddle his hips, InuYasha quickly stammered out, "You can have him. I'll grant your stupid wish to be with the Prince guy and all that crap- Just get off me!"

Pausing, Jakotsu frowned, "How do I know you're not lying to me?"

InuYasha grimaced, not knowing what to say, until a large spiral of papers was tossed from the bushes and landed on his face, "What in the..."

"Read the last line on the last page," Sesshoumaru instructed.

"I apologize to Rogers and Hammerstein, Disney and Rumiko Takahashi for writing this..."

"Not the 'Author's Notes.' The last line of the narration," The elder brother corrected.

InuYasha frowned, then found the other line, "And Jakotsu and Bankotsu lived happily ever after- the end."

Jakotsu blinked and pulled the script off InuYasha's face, "Really?!"

"Yeah, see...it says so. Now- get off me or I'm undoing the wish and making you live in poverty all alone, so there! Keh!"

After pondering on his choices for a few moments, the dark-haired man finally removed himself from atop his Fairy "Godmother" and looked to the wand he still held hostage.

"Well, I suppose living happily ever after with Bankotsu is a better deal. I mean, he has a huge sword and all you have is a sparkly wand," He said with a shrug.

"I didn't ask for the stupid sparkly thing!" InuYasha retorted.

"Okay, so what do I have to do this time for the wish to work?" Jakotsu questioned.

"I don't know- look at the script!" He muttered, beginning to get his hand free from the ropes.

"Hmmm, let's see," Jakotsu said flipping through the pages, "Okay, here were are- act eight... I'm supposed to go back inside and try to escape and run away in the morning."

"Then do that and leave me alone!" InuYasha retorted.

Jakotsu looked thoughtfully to the white-haired boy once again, "Damn, and you were such a cutie too.... oh well, swords beat out wands."

"I didn't want the damn wand!" He yelled in reply, finally freeing his hands from the rope., but Jakotsu was already headed back inside.

"If this wish doesn't work out, I reserve full right to take your ears for payment cutie."

InuYasha blanched, then used his new freedom from the bondage to flee while he had the chance.

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Preview for Act IX-

Well just because the script says it's "happily ever after" doesn't mean that getting there was easy, and who knows, there could be a last minute edit to the script....right?