Chapter Twenty-One: Kageru's Plan
Megumi waited outside the palace the next day for the package. Tohru had informed Hana the night before that she needed a small parcel to be delivered up to Kyo in the mountains. Hana arrived with the package a few moments later and handed it to her brother. Meanwhile Kageru was watching the whole scene with two of his guards.
"Okay" he whispered, "When the kid is far away from town, you two back me up as I take the parcel from him."
"Yes sir" they replied nodding their heads.
Since it wasn't too far to travel, and he wanted his pony to have a rest for the day, Megumi decided to travel by foot up the mountains. Kageru and his two guards followed him through the town and out near the river. Suddenly he stopped and turned around.
"Damn" Kageru thought, "This kid is just as intuitive as his sister."
Megumi frowned a little, but kept walking. Kageru crept behind a bush and ordered his soldiers to remain put until he gave the signal. When Megumi's back was turned again, he snuck from behind and grabbed him. The twelve year old struggled in his grip, till the guards took over. Kageru picked up the parcel and rubbed his cheek, where Megumi had hit him.
"Take him to the dungeon" Kageru replied.
"Yes sir" the guards replied as they dragged Megumi to the palace.
Kageru slowly undid the package. He slid the cat figurine out of the parcel and smiled.
"Now there is still one thing left to do," he said to himself.
****************
Hana waited anxiously all afternoon for her brother to return. She began to feel the worst. She decided to go look for him. So she set off into the mountains, determined to speak to Kyo and hopefully find Megumi.
***************
In his chamber Kageru sat down to write a letter. When he was finished he smiled. Then he walked down to the kitchen where the guards were all sitting around.
"You all know what to do" Kageru replied.
"Yes sir" his lieutenant said.
"I have a letter to send. Do not forget. They will be here, at the river at precisely six o'clock. Take them directly to the King, he will deal with them. We have to keep our princess safe after all."
"Naturally."
"Good. I'm exhausted. I will see you later."
Kageru left the room, picked out a dove to send the letter, and walked back to his chamber. He sighed with satisfaction as he closed the door.
"It's too easy. Now to catch my self a princess" he chuckled.
**************
Yuki opened the letter that the dove had dropped off. It said:
My Dearest Yuki,
Thank you so much for finding the cat. You don't know what it means to me. Anyway the reason for this letter is, I have found the location of the Zodiac Stone. Can you meet me at the river tonight? About 5:30. We can talk then and make a plan to lift the curse of the Zodiac.
Sincerely Yours,
Tohru
P.S. Don't send word if you're coming. Just show up. I will know then.
Yuki folded up the letter and frowned.
"I wonder if I'll be able to make it," he thought.
****************
"Are you sure he'll come?" the cauldron bubbled.
"He'll come. They'll both come. They'll both take the bait" Kageru grinned, "Meanwhile they'll never find the Zodiac Stone. The curse will go on and you will finally be able to come back to power Mistress, ruling over TarraSohma and ShiraNobi."
"Why yes" she said, "And with you as King of ShiraNobi, it will be even sweeter, my boy."
"King Kageru Manabe, of ShiraNobi. Has a nice ring to it. And it's what they owe me, after all the years of serving this family. I deserve it."
"Of course you do. Now go. Time is running out. It is time for you to carry out the next part of your plan."
"Ah yes. The sweetest part indeed."
****************
Tohru walked down the palace stairs but was confused when she heard some banging coming from the dungeon.
"That's strange" she thought, "There's no one down there."
She walked down the dungeon stairs and was surprised to see Megumi.
"Megumi?"
"Princess. Thank goodness you're here."
"Megumi, what are you doing in there? Who did this to you?"
"I did!"
Tohru spun around and saw Kageru leaning against the back wall, his arms crossed and the usual smirk on his face.
"Well you release him at once. This is ridiculous. He couldn't possibly have done anything that bad."
"He hasn't done anything bad at all."
"Then why is he in there? Why did you put him in that dreadful place?"
"So he doesn't get in the way."
"The way of what?" she asked frowning.
"In the way of me. I followed him this morning. And took something back that belonged to me."
Kageru removed the cat figurine from his pocket.
"That doesn't belong to you" Tohru gasped, "That's my mothers. Give it back."
"I can't do that Tohru."
"You're using my real name."
"Yea, and I'll keep on using it. Tohru. Tohru. Tohru. Tohru."
"Stop it Kageru! What do you want?"
"You didn't make it very easy you know? You and your friends. You made it very hard."
"What are you talking about?"
"The Zodiac curse Tohru."
"How do you know about that?"
"I've always known about it. My family has passed the story down from generation and generation. From Manabe to Manabe. Waiting for the day when the revenge against the Sohma family and the Shinobi family is complete."
"Revenge? Manabe. MaraNabe. The sorceress. You're a descendant of the sorceress princess who put the curse on the Sohma family."
"Very good. And she's ready to come back. And she's getting a little tired of your interference."
"You can't stop me from breaking the curse."
"Oh yes I can" he grabbed her arm, "You don't rule over me any more princess."
"Let go of me!" she shouted as he dragged her up the stairs.
"Princess!" Megumi yelled, "You creep! Let her go!"
"NO!!" Tohru screamed as the door was shut.
****************
Hana arrived at Kyo's cabin just as the sun was beginning to set. She knocked on the door and he answered.
"What are you doing here?" he asked curtly.
"I'm wondering, have you seen a small boy today?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"My brother was supposed to deliver a package to you today?"
"Your brother? Nobody's been up to the cabin today. What was the package for?"
"It was from the princess. To you."
"From Tohru. And the kid never showed up? Something's not right" Kyo frowned.
"That's what I think too."
"Come on. Let's find out what's going on," Kyo said leading the way down the mountain path.
***************
Luckily for Yuki he had been able to sneak out thanks to Hatsuharu and Momiji. He rode his horse to the river and waited.
"I must be early," he thought, "I'll just wait."
"He would have had to come by the river," Hana said.
Kyo and her stopped when they saw Yuki.
"Damn rat?"
"Stupid cat what are you doing here?"
"Freeze!"
Hana ducked behind a bush just in time, as at least a dozen soldiers surrounded the two boys.
"What the hell is going on here!" Kyo shouted, "Hey watch it!"
"Not again" Yuki sighed as the guards pushed them towards ShiraNobi.
*************************************************************
Authors Note: Hey guys! Please Review!!
Next Chapter: Cat and Rat in Trouble
Now both Yuki and Kyo end up in prison. Tohru has disappeared and the clock is ticking. Who will rescue the two boys so they can save the princess? Find out next time!
Megumi waited outside the palace the next day for the package. Tohru had informed Hana the night before that she needed a small parcel to be delivered up to Kyo in the mountains. Hana arrived with the package a few moments later and handed it to her brother. Meanwhile Kageru was watching the whole scene with two of his guards.
"Okay" he whispered, "When the kid is far away from town, you two back me up as I take the parcel from him."
"Yes sir" they replied nodding their heads.
Since it wasn't too far to travel, and he wanted his pony to have a rest for the day, Megumi decided to travel by foot up the mountains. Kageru and his two guards followed him through the town and out near the river. Suddenly he stopped and turned around.
"Damn" Kageru thought, "This kid is just as intuitive as his sister."
Megumi frowned a little, but kept walking. Kageru crept behind a bush and ordered his soldiers to remain put until he gave the signal. When Megumi's back was turned again, he snuck from behind and grabbed him. The twelve year old struggled in his grip, till the guards took over. Kageru picked up the parcel and rubbed his cheek, where Megumi had hit him.
"Take him to the dungeon" Kageru replied.
"Yes sir" the guards replied as they dragged Megumi to the palace.
Kageru slowly undid the package. He slid the cat figurine out of the parcel and smiled.
"Now there is still one thing left to do," he said to himself.
****************
Hana waited anxiously all afternoon for her brother to return. She began to feel the worst. She decided to go look for him. So she set off into the mountains, determined to speak to Kyo and hopefully find Megumi.
***************
In his chamber Kageru sat down to write a letter. When he was finished he smiled. Then he walked down to the kitchen where the guards were all sitting around.
"You all know what to do" Kageru replied.
"Yes sir" his lieutenant said.
"I have a letter to send. Do not forget. They will be here, at the river at precisely six o'clock. Take them directly to the King, he will deal with them. We have to keep our princess safe after all."
"Naturally."
"Good. I'm exhausted. I will see you later."
Kageru left the room, picked out a dove to send the letter, and walked back to his chamber. He sighed with satisfaction as he closed the door.
"It's too easy. Now to catch my self a princess" he chuckled.
**************
Yuki opened the letter that the dove had dropped off. It said:
My Dearest Yuki,
Thank you so much for finding the cat. You don't know what it means to me. Anyway the reason for this letter is, I have found the location of the Zodiac Stone. Can you meet me at the river tonight? About 5:30. We can talk then and make a plan to lift the curse of the Zodiac.
Sincerely Yours,
Tohru
P.S. Don't send word if you're coming. Just show up. I will know then.
Yuki folded up the letter and frowned.
"I wonder if I'll be able to make it," he thought.
****************
"Are you sure he'll come?" the cauldron bubbled.
"He'll come. They'll both come. They'll both take the bait" Kageru grinned, "Meanwhile they'll never find the Zodiac Stone. The curse will go on and you will finally be able to come back to power Mistress, ruling over TarraSohma and ShiraNobi."
"Why yes" she said, "And with you as King of ShiraNobi, it will be even sweeter, my boy."
"King Kageru Manabe, of ShiraNobi. Has a nice ring to it. And it's what they owe me, after all the years of serving this family. I deserve it."
"Of course you do. Now go. Time is running out. It is time for you to carry out the next part of your plan."
"Ah yes. The sweetest part indeed."
****************
Tohru walked down the palace stairs but was confused when she heard some banging coming from the dungeon.
"That's strange" she thought, "There's no one down there."
She walked down the dungeon stairs and was surprised to see Megumi.
"Megumi?"
"Princess. Thank goodness you're here."
"Megumi, what are you doing in there? Who did this to you?"
"I did!"
Tohru spun around and saw Kageru leaning against the back wall, his arms crossed and the usual smirk on his face.
"Well you release him at once. This is ridiculous. He couldn't possibly have done anything that bad."
"He hasn't done anything bad at all."
"Then why is he in there? Why did you put him in that dreadful place?"
"So he doesn't get in the way."
"The way of what?" she asked frowning.
"In the way of me. I followed him this morning. And took something back that belonged to me."
Kageru removed the cat figurine from his pocket.
"That doesn't belong to you" Tohru gasped, "That's my mothers. Give it back."
"I can't do that Tohru."
"You're using my real name."
"Yea, and I'll keep on using it. Tohru. Tohru. Tohru. Tohru."
"Stop it Kageru! What do you want?"
"You didn't make it very easy you know? You and your friends. You made it very hard."
"What are you talking about?"
"The Zodiac curse Tohru."
"How do you know about that?"
"I've always known about it. My family has passed the story down from generation and generation. From Manabe to Manabe. Waiting for the day when the revenge against the Sohma family and the Shinobi family is complete."
"Revenge? Manabe. MaraNabe. The sorceress. You're a descendant of the sorceress princess who put the curse on the Sohma family."
"Very good. And she's ready to come back. And she's getting a little tired of your interference."
"You can't stop me from breaking the curse."
"Oh yes I can" he grabbed her arm, "You don't rule over me any more princess."
"Let go of me!" she shouted as he dragged her up the stairs.
"Princess!" Megumi yelled, "You creep! Let her go!"
"NO!!" Tohru screamed as the door was shut.
****************
Hana arrived at Kyo's cabin just as the sun was beginning to set. She knocked on the door and he answered.
"What are you doing here?" he asked curtly.
"I'm wondering, have you seen a small boy today?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"My brother was supposed to deliver a package to you today?"
"Your brother? Nobody's been up to the cabin today. What was the package for?"
"It was from the princess. To you."
"From Tohru. And the kid never showed up? Something's not right" Kyo frowned.
"That's what I think too."
"Come on. Let's find out what's going on," Kyo said leading the way down the mountain path.
***************
Luckily for Yuki he had been able to sneak out thanks to Hatsuharu and Momiji. He rode his horse to the river and waited.
"I must be early," he thought, "I'll just wait."
"He would have had to come by the river," Hana said.
Kyo and her stopped when they saw Yuki.
"Damn rat?"
"Stupid cat what are you doing here?"
"Freeze!"
Hana ducked behind a bush just in time, as at least a dozen soldiers surrounded the two boys.
"What the hell is going on here!" Kyo shouted, "Hey watch it!"
"Not again" Yuki sighed as the guards pushed them towards ShiraNobi.
*************************************************************
Authors Note: Hey guys! Please Review!!
Next Chapter: Cat and Rat in Trouble
Now both Yuki and Kyo end up in prison. Tohru has disappeared and the clock is ticking. Who will rescue the two boys so they can save the princess? Find out next time!