Disclaimer-See Chapter 5

Chapter 7: Operation Perfect Princess

"Wow...!" Tohru gasped in girlish delight.

Schools of fish darted out from gaps in rocks and sea urchins stuck to the sides in thick black clumps. The water grew colder as they swam deeper into the dark unknowns. Tohru was admiring a field of colorful coral when she noticed Yuki was gone! She whipped her head from side to side frantically as she searched for him. Suddenly, everything looked scarier. The rocks jutted out as if to impale her. The kelp waved in the current, leaning towards Tohru as if to wrap themselves around her body and pull her to a watery death. Her thoughts were getting more and more dark as she gurgled out Yuki's name frantically. All of a sudden, a hand slipped into her's while another one stroked her hair, stopping the hysterical sobs ripping out of her throat. Tohru flung her arms around Yuki's waist, squeezing him tightly.

"I'm sorry, Tohru. I'm really sorry. I was just going into the city when I noticed you weren't behind me. I'm a terrible guide." Tohru tilted her head up and saw his woeful expression.

"N-no! Don't say that! It's really my fault for not paying attention. And now I'm squeezing you! Oh no..."

"Tohru, it's alright. Let's just go in." Yuki shushed her before she could babble on. He pushed aside a curtain of seaweed and revealed a large hole in the rock.

Taking Tohru's hand, they went through together. It was a dark tunnel, bending and twisting. Eventually, they turned a corner and came out of the tunnel.

"Welcome to the city of Furuba!" Yuki grinned at her amazement. Everywhere Torhu looked, there were merpeople! Hundreds of them who all had tails like her's! There were mermaids with slinky gold chains wrapped fashionably around their tails. A group of mermen were sitting in a group, laughing and talking, their eyes twinkling. Tohru observed some merchildren playing a game with small chunks of coral and a mermaid carrying a merbaby, his tiny green tail barely sticking out. After noticing the merpeople, Tohru observed her surroundings. They were in a massive hole in the rock! She could see tunnels and caves branching off from the one they were in. At the very back of this cavern, she could see a castle!

"Ah! Yuki! Is that a castle?" Tohru gasped.

"Yes. King Akito and the thirteen princes and princesses live there." Yuki explained to the excited half-mermaid.

"Wow! Actual princes and princesses! Amazing! You also have a king!" Tohru was stunned. "What are their names?"

"Um...I don't want her to find out I'm one of them...It would be awkward...

"Yuki?"

"Eh?"

"You've been zoning off! Usually I'm the one who does that." giggled Tohru. "Let's go check out the birth records!"

"Sure. They're in the castle though." explained Yuki.

"Can we go in?" asked Tohru worriedly.

"Of course," he smiled reassuringly at her.

At the palace

Tohru's amazement grew as they neared the palace. It's gigantic! Tohru marveled. The enormous structure was made out of some sort of white stone with fancy gold trimmings. It looked incredibly grand yet intimidating, looming over her. Two merguards, dressed in black with gold trimmings, bowed to Yuki and murmured respectfully, "Yuki-sama," while letting them through. Torhu was puzzled. Lord Yuki? Why would they call him that? Unless...Yuki is really a lord! Oh my goodness! That's why we can come into the castle! And also-

Yuki interrupted her train of thought.

"We're here." They had entered a large room, with rows of shelves filled with hundred of scrolls. Tohru watched a merman pick one up, unroll it, and look at it.

"What are they doing?" Tohru asked Yuki. He stared at her.

"They're reading. We don't use books. Scrolls are more convenient. The records are over there," he said, gliding to a corner of the room. Tohru hurried over to help, but since she was not completely used to her tail, she wasn't as graceful as Yuki, causing her to knock some scrolls off a shelf with a resounding CRASH!

"AHHH! Gomen-nasai! I'm so sorry! I'll clean it all up, promise!" she panicked, bending over to scoop up some of the scrolls. "Tohru? Are you hurt?" Yuki asked, helping her pick them up. "Don't worry, I'll-"

"YUKI-KUN! IS THAT YOU? I WAS SOOOO SURPRISED! IMAGINE OUR QUIET LITTLE PRINCE DESTROYING PALACE PROPERTY!" a merman shouted gleefully, swimming out from behind a bookshelf. He was incredibly handsome, with shaggy black hair almost obscuring his view. A kimono-like robe hung loosely from his muscular frame.

"Shigure..." Yuki growled. "Shut up before the urge to kill you overwhelms me. Besides, why are you here?" Shigure ignored his question when he spied Tohru frantically putting the scrolls back.

"Huh? Who's the cute mermaid? Gasp! Don't tell me! PRINCE YUKI IS FINALLY NOTICING THE BEAUTY OF THE OPPOSITE SEX! OH HAPPY DAY! I'M CALLING AYA RIGH-"

"Shigure...shut up before I knock you through the roof." The merman looked up to see a very scary Yuki with a black aura surrounding him. Gulp.

"Uh...I think I'll tell Aya later. Seeya!" Shigure swam away faster than if he was being chased by merman-eating piranhas. After all, he would rather face them than an angry Yuki.

The silver-haired merman went to help Tohru pick up the remaining scrolls. "So, you're a prince?" Tohru asked curiously. He froze, hand three inches away from a scroll. Tohru giggled.

"Don't worry. I think it's really cool! Now I understand why you didn't tell me the names. Now can you tell me?"

Yuki relaxed, then said, "There are thirteen of us, including me. Kisa and Hiro are the youngest, then there's Ritsu, Hatori, Hatsuharu, Momiji, Ayame, Izusu, Kureno, Kagura, and Shigure." Tohru was absorbing all of this information with interest, until she heard Shigure's name.

"EH?! Shigure-san is also a prince?" Yuki nodded and finally shoved the last scroll in its place. "Let's go, Tohru."

"Okay!"

Unbeknownst to them, Shigure had not actually left. Hiding behind a bookshelf (or scroll-shelf?) he was watching them interact with amazement. Cool, calm, collected Yuki Sohma laughing and talking to this simple mermaid?! What was so special about her that made her stand out from all the richer mermaid princesses who failed? Shigure grinned to himself. Although, she is very cute.

Pulling out a large conch shell (shell phone! XD), he whispered into its creamy-white interior, "Aya? I think I've found the perfect one." His grin turned even wider when he heard Ayame's excited exclamations. "Yes. I'm positive. Operation Perfect Princess is now underway!"

A/N: Dun dun dun dun! What are Aya & Shigure planning? When are the rest of the Sohmas going to show up? Why am I asking myself questions that I already know the answer too? Haha. Okies. Shutting up now.

I'm almost sorry for all the fluff at the beginning. Almost!

The meeting Shigure part was really funny to write. Beauty of the opposite sex! LOL.

Okay! Tune in next time to find out! I'm planning to write a LOT of new fics, so look for them!

Ja ne!

Mimi-chan

xxfirebubblesxx