Dear Readers,

The third part of the story… dum dum dum…

Love,

Wolf Princess Aya

Lasting Memories

"There!" Keiko beamed, taking out a flowing dress much like Hari's. "This will fit you nicely!" Botan looked at the dress, and then slowly ran her fingers through the silky fabric.

"It's very lovely, thank you."

"And here are the shoes that go with it. . ." Keiko continued, handing a pair of glass slippers to Botan. Botan took them delicately.

"Are you sure these are safe!"

"Quiet sure. I won a bet with the glass blower. Said he could make anything out of glass, and that it would work. I've worn them before, and I weigh twice as much as you!" She laughed, and Botan giggled, excitement welling up inside her.

"Well? Hurry up, Botan! Take a bath, put on your dress! We've got to get you to the ball!" Keiko beamed, pushing Botan into a small bathroom.

Ten minutes later, Botan emerged from the bathroom, washed, dried, and dressed. After a few moments of brushing, Botan's hair gleamed with brilliance and great luster.

"I'm afraid there's no time to put it up nicely," Keiko said, running her fingers through Botan's hair and handing her a small circlet that matched the dress, "but this will look nice." Botan thanked her friend, put the slippers in a bag, and put on some boots.

"Sorry that you'll have to hike there," Keiko said apologetically, "but my only horse is being borrowed by my brother." Botan nodded and began to head out when she turned back suddenly.

"Why aren't you going, Keiko?" Keiko smiled.

"What? Me! Wearing some frilly dress and uncomfortable shoes all night just to get a glimpse of the prince? Na uh! Not my thing." She winked. "Besides, if I had decided to go, you wouldn't be able to, now, would you?" Botan smiled.

"Oh! One more thing. You'll have to leave by midnight, remember, if you want to be able to get home before your stepsisters. And I'll need the dress and slippers back before your step mother finds them and throw them out." Keiko laughed again, and then faked a serious look. "I expect to hear all about this ball, little missy, when you come back." Botan bubbled with laughter.

"I promise to tell you everything!" And with that, she ran out with a final wave to Keiko, heading at last, towards the ball.

Kurama sighed as he danced with what must have been the 300th girl.

"Oh, your Majesty," the girl giggled pathetically as he spun her, "You dance diviiiiiiiinely," she said slowly, sounding out the word. Kurama winced.

"Yes, thank miss." With that, he passed her off to some boy as she continued to giggle.

"Prince Kurama, try to enjoy this," Yusuke sighed lazily. Kurama rolled his eyes.

"Thank you Yusuke. I'm going outside." And with that, he walked up the stairs and headed towards the garden.

Botan was panting and very sore by the time she had reached the castle, but with as much grace as she could, she sat on a bench, kicked off her boots, hid them, and pulled on Keiko's glass slippers. Standing and wobbling slightly, she headed up the stairs-

And ran right into the prince.

"Hey, watch where you're go-" Kurama began, but stopped when he realized he had knocked the girl down. "Oh, um, sorry," he muttered, helping the girl up, preparing himself for a burst of tears and whines from yet another "bimbo".

"It's okay," Botan grunted, "these stupid shoes made me lose my balance." Kurama looked at her in surprise. Now that he got a good look at her, she looked familiar. Very pretty and very familiar. . .

"Um, your Majesty?" Botan asked curiously, waving a hand in front of his face. "Are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh yes, quite," he replied, slightly embarrassed, "it's just, I recognize you from somewhere." Getting a closer look at him, Botan realized she did too.

"Well, um, have we ever met anywhere else but on top of the stairs?"

"Not that I remember. . ." Kurama frowned thoughtfully. "Would you like to dance until we figure this out?" Botan beamed.

"I'd love to." With that, they walked together down the stairs, chatting quietly, while everyone else stared in amazement.

"Who is that girl?" Sayo sneered in her corner with her daughters. Hari watched but said nothing, and Maya stuffed herself with cream puffs.

"Do you go to the lodges by the lakes ever?" Kurama asked as he waltzed around the room with the mysterious girl.

"No," Botan replied with a wry smile, "I don't even know how to swim."

"Yes, that would make a difference, wouldn't it?" Botan laughed.

"Yes, it would." Kurama was finding that, in spite of himself, he was actually having a good time with this girl. She wasn't like any of the other morons here. She was different; very different.

Suddenly, another girl across the room caught his eye. She looked like the girl he was dancing with. But when he tried to get a better look, she was gone. "Do you have any sisters?" he asked, still looking for that other girl. Botan's eyes widened and she turned white with fear. 'He saw Hari!'

"No, I don't!" Kurama was slightly alarmed by her fearful reaction.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude or anything-"

"Maybe I should go," Botan whimpered as she saw Hari glaring at her.

"Oh no! Don't go- I mean- please stay, we can go out to the garden, if you prefer," he said, slightly pink, coughing once to gain his cool composure. Botan looked at the prince, out of the corner of her eye, and then back at her family. 'I don't want to leave, but I can't be caught!' "Ano…"

"Please, come out to the garden," he said, a rare pleading note in his voice. "Don't leave me here with all these other people!" he whispered. Botan smiled.

"Okay. . ." Kurama smiled and led her outside gently.

"Woo! Go Prince Kurama!" yelled Yusuke, who was looking slightly tipsy with his glass of wine, called out. (He's obviously drunk) Kurama glared at him for a moment, and then swept out with the girl.

"It's very nice out here," Botan commented, looking up at the twinkling stars and full moon reflecting on all the dew kissed flowers.

"Yes," Kurama replied, watching Botan out of the corner of his eye. Botan smiled contentedly as she and the prince walked hand in hand through the garden.

"Are you having a good time?" Kurama asked suddenly.

"Why yes," Botan replied, looking up at him with wide eyed. "Aren't you?"

"I wasn't, not until you showed up."

"Why not?" Kurama sighed as he looked up at the moon. Botan couldn't help but notice how the moonlight lit up his beautiful red hair.

"It's just that my mother wants me to find a girl to marry at this ball. All the girls here just want a piece of my money or power or to be queen- a combination of both. I'd gladly prefer to rule alone!"

". . . Not all girls are like that," Botan said gently. "I'm not. . . I think."

"I know," he whispered, looking down. Then he turned to look at the girl beside him. "But why did you come, then?" Botan turned red.

"I had a dream of falling in love here."

"What's wrong with that? I'd be happy to fall in love here, if I found the right girl. THAT would get mother off my back," he smirked. Botan smiled.

"If you did fall in love here, what would the girl have to be like?"

"I'm sure… She couldn't be an idiot."

"Oh, there's a plus."

"It is isn't it? She had to be at least a little pretty."

"That's pretty obvious but falling in love is the essential key to marriage."

"Why thank you," he smiled.

"Anytime." They continued to walk in silence, until Kurama asked, "If you fell in love, what would that boy have to be like?"

"Um. . . I guess he'd have to be kind. And understanding and he'd have to listen. And he does have to treat me like an equal. I don't want to be treated like glass."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not like that," Botan sighed. "I guess it's just what I'm used to."

"Not treated like glass at home?"

"More like granite." Kurama chuckled.

"Well, that's not a bad thing. . ." Botan grinned weakly at sat on the edge of a fountain.

"It can be. . ." The prince was a little confused, but sat next to her.

"I thought you didn't want to be treated like glass, anyway."

"Not glass," Botan said quietly, "but crystal would be nice." Kurama said nothing for a moment, and then put his arm gingerly around her.

"Crystals are pretty. . ." Botan smiled.

"Darn, I guess I can't be one then, I'm not pretty."

"I care to disagree," Kurama replied smoothly. She looked up at him wide eyed.

"You really think so?"

"Yes, you're very pretty, be it in a granite way or a crystal way."

Botan smiled. "Thank you." They were both leaning forward slowly, their lips just about to touch, when a gong was heard. And then another. And another. And it continued to gong until it had reached twelve.

Botan gasped. "Oh, I've got to go!" she cried as she wrenched out of Kurama's arms and ran.

"Wait!" he called, getting up and racing after her, "Please don't go!"

"I've got to!" Botan called, dropping to her knees, hidden in the bush with her boots. As she kicked off her slippers and stuffed them in a bag, not noticing as one of them fell out while she was slipping on her boots. Grabbing her bag, she ran and ran and ran.

"I don't even know your name!" Kurama called into the night, where the girl had already disappeared. "I don't even know your name. . ." He stood silently for a moment, sadness welling inside him as he turned to walk inside- but something caught his eye on the ground.

A slipper of glass, one from the pair the girl had worn. He picked it up gingerly, running his fingers up and down the smooth glass.

"It doesn't suit you," he whispered to himself, "but it's my only clue to you. I'll find you using this."

Botan slammed the door shut behind her as she entered her house, her arms empty from giving the dress and shoe back to Keiko. Where that other shoe disappeared to was a mystery, but Keiko said she didn't mind. Glass slippers were really quiet useless, even if they did work right.

Sighing but smiling, Botan walked into her corner, closed her eyes, and let her mind drift back to her wonderful evening, letting her dreams carry her off to sleep.

Will do with the next chapter!

Aya-chan