A/N: Well I really don't have anything to say lol :P... oh that reminds me... I'm sorry if the events were going too quick... tell me when it is so I'll try to slow it down...

There's just so much I want to add and new ideas I want to add to this story! lol

Disclaimer: I'm perfectly content with being the author of this fanfic… but of course TMM belongs to someone else and not me…

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Previous Chapter:

"What? What's wrong? I thought you didn't like it?" Ryou teased, a smirk starting to form on his face.

"No, nothing's wrong... I don't like it..." said Ichigo, trying to hold herself together, yet she was failing miserably. She was a klutz, acting like one, as well as looking like one.

"Ok... if nothing's wrong... I'll take it!" said Ryou.

Ichigo watched on sadly as Ryou exited the store with a parcel containing the bell in one arm, and another box with holes in the other.

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Chapter 5

'I swear we're going to too many parties!' Ichigo thought to herself menacingly as she again had trouble with her corset.

She was wondering where Mint was, but decided that she was probably with Haru or someone again.

"Now my lady, you shouldn't swear!" quipped one of the servants around the manor as she passed by her door.

'I said that out loud?' Ichigo thought to herself before shrugging and once again went back to the challenging task of tying her corset.

&& m E a N w H i L e &&

Mint was sitting the library, staring helplessly at the fireplace, in the exact place when her parents had made their judgment. She once again fingered the ring on her necklace unconsciously as she thought of what had occurred.

Flashback

"My lady I was instructed to take you to the library. Your parents are waiting for you there," said the servant in a stoic voice.

Her blackberry eyes darted to his face. His face was expressionless. She had a bad feeling about this.

The feeling had become even worse as she entered the library. Everything was dark, except for the light in the fireplace on the other side of the room. The room was dimly lighted, but you could see enough that you wouldn't bump into the many shelves of the library.

"Mama? Papa?" she called out in a weak voice.

"Come here darling!" she heard her mother call enthusiastically.

She felt a little better. She approached the two couches that were near the fireplace. Her father had no expression, while her mother was slightly smiling trying to probably make her feel okay. It didn't work however, for she could tell that the smile was forced.

End of Flashback

She was right. There was something wrong, and she's suffering because of it. She couldn't marry him. That was final. She couldn't marry whom she loved because he was a commoner. Marriage wasn't about love. Marriage was about alliances.

Their father stuck too much to the old ways.

&& b A c K 2 i C h I g O &&

A soft knocking was heard at her door before it was opened.

"Do you need some help Ichi?" someone asked her.

Ichigo turned around to see that it was her mother. She smiled.

"Yes mama, can you help me with…" she slightly stumbled over her words from embarrassment. It had already been trying to tie her corset together for over half an hour and she still hadn't achieved in doing so.

Her mother smiled, and Ichigo just stared. Her laughter sounded like tinkling of bells, and she held so much grace and beauty. She could never be like her.

"Is there something wrong?" her mother asked. She shook her head furiously as she stopped thinking about thoughts that would never be brought up and would never matter ever again.

"Okay… I tied it for you this time but next time you need to learn darling! It's only proper to learn-"

"-how to tie a corset to become a lady. Yes mother I know, don't think that I cannot remember those things you told me," Ichigo smiled cheekily as she stuck out her tongue.

"Ichigo…" her mother warned her. Ichigo squeaked and her tongue disappeared leaving a blushing Ichigo.

"I'm sorry mother!" she said as silence went over the room again.

Her mother gave her a dress for the occasion for the party, and she was told it was a surprise. She put on the dress and faced the mirror. She gasped.

She was wearing a different dress this time, and again it was pink. There were no sleeves, merely pink puffs at the shoulders. The whole gown was entirely pink, the top hugging her body while the skirt dropped to the floor over her feet flowering out.

"Mama! It's gorgeous!" Ichigo said breathlessly. It truly was a sight. Her hair was already gathered up into a bun, some curls left on her face and touching her neck. A pink lotus flower hair piece was adorning it. She looked so much like-

"It was your ancestor's… also named Ichigo. It looks so beautiful on you…" her mother said with a small smile as she looked at what her daughter had become.

Ichigo looked again at the mirror. Now that she thought about it… she looks almost like-

"You look exactly like her," once again her mother interrupted her thoughts. Ichigo started giggling at the thought of that.

"Did you know that Ichigo was in love with Ryou?" Mama asked her. Ichigo's face reddened.

'I do NOT like Ryou! How could I like that pompous jerk who makes fun of me and taunts me every second!' she thought immediately.

"MAMA HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT I'M IN LOVE WITH RYOU?" she blurted to her mother with her face still in a dark shade of red. Her mother looked shocked.

"I never said you did-" her mother said in amazement.

"But you said-" Ichigo was about to say until her mother interrupted her.

"No, no dear! I meant your ancestors…" her mother said with a giggle before her face turned serious.

"But… it appears as if you're starting to fall in love with him as well…"

Her mother smiled a small smile before getting up. Ichigo watched her mother dumbfounded at her declaration as she walked out the door. Her mother went out of her room and shut her door, but not before she heard her murmuring to herself, "Time is repeating itself…"

"I am NOT starting to fall in love with Ryou!" Ichigo thought stubbornly unconsciously thinking of blonde hair and blue eyes.

LATER ON…

Ichigo let Haru bring her down from the carriage before she smiled his thanks. If her mind was not still pondering about what her mother said earlier, she would have noticed that his mood was down.

However, Ichigo just looked on at the glorious mansion of Zakuro. The walls were that of a purple color, as a matter of fact, the house was colored in hues of blue and purple. It reminded her of a blueberry. One huge blueberry except for the fact that it wasn't round and was in a shape of a house. Ichigo caught her trail of thoughts and just shook them away. They were turning a bit too crazy for her liking.

She entered the mansion, it's rooms were lined in gold, silver, and metal. It was beautiful as she saw the floor in a honey color. It was so shiny that she could see her own reflection off of it!

"Ichigo!" she heard a voice call to her. What was it with others who call for her before she could even notice them? Was she truly that ignorant?

"It's good to see you Ichigo!" said Masaya as she turned around. She smiled.

"It's nice to see you too Masaya!" she said enthusiastically. As she looked around. She didn't know what she was looking for but all she knows was that it wasn't Masaya.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked. She just looked at him. Before she realized she was starting, she blushed, and then nodded.

"Wonderful," he said in a soft voice with a certain look in his eyes, as Ichigo's face reddened, but not so much until it was just a lovely pink tint on her nose and cheeks.

Before she knew it, one of his hands covered hers while the other held onto her waist. Then they started dancing. Ichigo for some reason couldn't help but feel disappointed. She did enjoy this time dancing with Masaya… but she wanted to dance with someone else.

'And it is NOT Ryou!' she retorted in her mind, as if someone had did indeed said that she wanted to dance with Ryou.

All denials were lost as she saw over Masaya's shoulders, Ryou and Retasu dancing together in a certain trance. Ryou's eyes were faced in her direction, but since Retasu was in front of him, it was only sensible that he was staring at Retasu. That seemed to bother her a little.

Retasu's cheeks were tinged in a beautiful pink, which made her look angelic. The blonde hairs were waving back and forth while some of the strands on Retasu's head were swaying with the music.

Ichigo realized three things. Retasu liked Ryou, and Ryou seemed to like her back from the looks of them dancing together. She was definitely sure however, that she did not like them dancing together, and definitely wasn't liking the emotion she was feeling.

"Ichigo?" her eyes then once again focused onto onyx ones.

"Yes?" she said smiling, trying to forget what she just saw.

"Nothing… you just seemed sad," he said in a whisper, his face concerned.

"No, I was just thinking about things, that's all," Ichigo said forcing a smile.

"Then let me help you forget about them for now," Masaysa said in a tone she had never heard him use before. There was a mischievous glint and his eyes.

Before Ichigo knew it, he swung her in the air. She did all she could do, she laughed all her troubles away.

She forgot what she had just seen as she enjoyed dancing with one of her friends. Only her friend, because she has not realized she did not love him yet. She loved someone else. Only she was too stubborn to admit it.

'This feeling is wonderful,' Ichigo thought to herself as she got lost into her thoughts while dancing. There was that little tinge of pain in her heart but she ignored it and let herself enjoy her time.

There was a loud call for attention in the room. Ichigo sent a questioning glance to Masaya but he just shrugged.

"We are here happy to announce, that this party was for the celebration of the engagement of Zakuro to Keiichiro!" the old white-haired butler announced in a loud clear voice to the people in the room.

Through the large wooden doors behind him, entered Zakuro and Keiichiro, Zakuro in a beautiful violet and lavender dress with frills, and Keiichiro in a black suit.

Ichigo's eyes widened as she saw the couple. She hadn't seen both of them in years, but she had never known they liked each other! They looked so much in love as they gave each other a small, yet passionate peck on the lips in front of the whole crowd as the mothers 'awed' and the father's clapped with grins on their faces.

Zakuro had grown much from the last time she saw her. She looked so much like a lady, her hair in a tight bun and her bangs to the side. A purple flower was adorned in her hair. Zakuro and Keiichiro then went to the dining tables to talk to friends and family.

Ichigo watched in wonder as she saw how they had reacted. Zakuro was always the proper and quiet one in their little play group when they were children, as well as the oldest. She had seen her sneak glances at Keiichiro, but never once had she thought that Zakuro's childhood crush would ever lead her to marrying Keiichiro.

'Will I ever find love like that?' she thought sadly to herself as she saw Zakuro lean against her soon-to-be husband's chest for support.

"Ichigo!" Masaya snapped her from his thoughts. He looked a bit impatient, but there was this adoration in his eyes that made her smile. He looked truly handsome that night… but he was not the one that caught her attention.

Blue eyes again flashed across her mind.

"What?" asked Ichigo innocently, letting a childish smile overcome her features. Mayasa's eyes softened. He couldn't resist that one. She was too cute, and she knew it.

"Cheater," he said softly.

"Am not!" Ichigo was thinking of sticking out her tongue, but knew better as she just gave him her best glare.

"You know that smile lets you escape my wrath"

"I know," this time, she stuck her tongue out. Mayasa's face then turned into a happy smile before he started leading her too a beautiful balcony in Zakuro's mansion.

She just stared at Mayasa's well sculpted face as he started talking about something. She blinked and there was an image of Ryou. She blinked again and then it was Mayasa, only closer. She squeaked.

"Ichigo?"

"I'm sorry! I was just surprised!"

"I knew you weren't paying attention," he said with a chuckle. Ichigo just laughed a bit.

'I can't like Ryou only after meeting him twice could I?' she thought to herself before deciding maybe it she was attracted to him, but it was only temporary.

"I want to give you something…" Mayasa said before took out of his pockets a bell. A bell which looked just like the one Ryou bought. Too closely to what he bought.

"This is from me…" Mayasa said smiling and then putting it on Ichigo's neck without her notice. The silk was rubbing against her skin, and felt very soft against it. But Ichigo was not feeling that.

She was too busy thinking about the bell.

'So Mayasa just told Ryou to buy a bell for me because he was too busy…' her mind concluded sadly. Maybe Ryou told Mayasa to give it for him, something she would rather have… but then Ryou was too forward to depend on someone else to give it to him. Besides, Mayasa wouldn't lie to her. She knew him too well.

Ichigo mistook four things that night.

One was her attraction to Ryou.

Two was her conclusion of the bell.

Three was Ryou's attraction to Retasu.

While the last one was the unnoticed adoring glances of a certain blue-eyes boy in her direction and a glare at her black-haired companion. If she just noticed those things, she might have been much happier later on.

'Time is repeating itself…' a random thought came from a figure in the shadows, watching as Mayasa talked a one-sided conversation with Ichigo watching her with adoring eyes.

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R&R PLEASE?