Disclaimers : I don't own Sakura Taisen...

The eighth chapter is up now...please read, enjoy, and review! Thanks to Stelok and Aloysia-Sakura-fan for their reviews...

1953

Everything for the wedding ceremony and celebration were ready, in very excellent conditions.

Since Taro and Edelweiss were both members of Teigeki Big Family, there were so many aunts and cousins to help their parents to manage the marriage.

Iris, Kouran, and Orihime helped the decorations section, when Reni and Sumire helped to arrange the party, and Kanna, of course, helped with the food.

All Hanagumi members' children, who were all girls, (except Taro, of course), were helping as well. Suiren would be the maid of honor, when Kanna's daughter and Sumire's daughter would be the masters of ceremony (or we'll better say as mistresses of ceremony). Tanpopo, Kouran's daughter, and Iris' daughter would welcome the guests. Since Orihime's daughter played piano well, and Reni's daughter did well with her violin, they would be the mini-orchestra. Kayama and Kaede's children, their sons and their daughter, were participating as well.

As the wedding day got closer, everybody were getting more and more nervous. But, none of them were as nervous as the very old Yoneda.

The old man walked back and forth along Teigeki's corridors and reminded everyone that the marriage were getting so close. He was so concern about both the bride and the bridegroom, and asked them about their feelings whenever he met one of them.

"I think Grandpa Yoneda is becoming mad-crazy," said Tanpopo to Sakura, once in a lovely evening, when they were having tea and cakes at Teigeki's balcony, as refreshments after a day of tiring works.

Sakura nodded as she smiled slightly to her daughter. "You know, Tanpopo," said her, "he's always becoming like that when we're going to hold a marriage."

1928

It was so early in the morning, so, everybody might think that there wasn't any awaken people inside the Imperial Theatre. No one had ever imagined, a dangerous conspiration was running inside the huge splendor building.

Kouran adjusted the communicator carefully to get the right signal, when others waited patiently and worriedly. All of them threw relieved smiles when, finally, they got the right line.

"Morning report from the shipman," said a faraway voice.

"Javert is on duty, Sir," replied Kouran.

"Good. Now, listen. I want to tell you that I'm safe with our director and Madame Thenardier."

"That's good," said Kouran, as she threw her glance at her friends, "when will you leave?"

"We're waiting for the next ship to Paris. Don't forget to tell Monsieur Thenardier that her homeland is so good to stay at."

"She's next to me," exclaimed Kouran.

"You seem to be under pressure. What's on?"

Kouran sighed. "We're surely under pressure," she whispered with a heavy voice, "even Fanthine".

"Me too."

"Swear upon your honor that you wouldn't ever tell our director and Madame Thenardier about it," said Kouran slowly.

"Upon my life and honor."

Kouran turned the communicator off as she knew that the conversation had come to an end. Slowly but surely, she turned to her waiting friends. "The climax is running towards us," she reported.

Everybody sighed as they smiled and reached their glasses for some toast.

They didn't realize, there was someone outside the door.

'I should tell Yoneda-san and also the bride's family then,' she thought.

That rather young woman left quickly but quietly, heading towards Yoneda's office.

"Whoaa!!! Another useless report! When will I get rid of all of this?" moaned Sumire as she reached her tea cup."I still have a lot of things to do," she muttered,"I must take a bath, have a massage, go shopping, phone my darling there, visit my friends to know that..."

"Kanzaki Sumire! Come out! You're under arrest!"

Sumire freezed for a while, as her usually fast mind stopped working in sudden.

Her door was broken just in seconds, and, some strong policemen were surrounding her. She couldn't do anything when they brought her with them.

Breakfast had just finished, and all remaining Hanagumi members were preparing for their daily exercise, when they heard the voice of sirens.

"Police come! Police come!" shouted the panicked Iris.

Maria put her index finger on her lips. "Stay calm, Iris," she reminded.

"Maria Tachibana, Ri Kouran, Leni Milchstrasse, Kirishima Kanna, Soletta Orihime, and Iris Chateaubriand. You're under arrest for kidnapping a woman!"

Time stopped for a while for them.

"Yoneda-shihainin! What have I done?" screamed the stressed-out Kaede.

"Many things," answered Yoneda as he drank more liquor from his bottle. "Don't you think it's wrong to help those lovers to escape?"

Kaede stopped kicking and screaming. "So...you've known it," she said hopelessly.

The sky was bright with orange accent, and, at the same time, dark with purple accent.

Oogami was looking thoughtfully at the sky, as he gently rubbed Sakura's hand.

"Beautiful," commented Sakura, almost whispering.

"Like you," replied Oogami.

"Me? Are you stupid?" laughed Sakura.

"I'm stupid," answered Oogami as he closed his eyes, "stupid with love."

Sakura smiled as she turned to Oogami. "Others might think that I'm stupid," she said. She lied against Oogami.

"We can go back if you want, Sakura. I don't want you to feel guilty about this. After all, I don't want to urge you."

Sakura shook her head as she closed her eyes.

"Open your eyes! You're surrounded by police!"

Both of them opened their eyes, just to realize that there were police everywhere.

"Oogami Ichirou! You're arrested for running a girl away!"

Sakura screamed when they pulled her and set her apart from Ichirou. Her hysteric tears filled her eyes and face, as one of the policemen lifted her and pushed her into a car.

To be continued...

Author's notes :

Velvet Road had been pathed and was ready to be mapped...so...let's wait...