RE-WRITTEN! As of 15th November oh'eight! AND I put the song in there XD kyo singing… well kinda…lolz

Hallo! Me again! With Chapter 2! Yay! Ok so this one is a lot longer…XD

Anyway I hope you enjoy this one as much as the first one XD

Disclaimer: me no own fruits basket or sleeping beauty…-sniff-

Reviewers! Have some chocolate! -gives chocolate-

On to the chapter!

Chapter 2: Searches, Young Love & A Party

Storm clouds thundered above a dark castle set high on a mountain top, inside a dark hallway twisted and turned until it reached the main throne room. Seated in a high-backed, black, twisted throne was Akito awaiting news from her search party. Two grotesque creatures entered the room and bowed deeply to Akito, giving a sense that they may once have been humans.

"Well, what news do you have?" Akito said rather annoyed at their presence.

"Nothing, nothing" One said a little nervous, Akito glared at him.

"Are you sure?" They nodded, "It's incredible, sixteen years and not a trace of that wench! She couldn't have vanished into thin air! Are you sure you searched everywhere?" Akito looked down on them, the other answered

"Yeah, yeah everywhere" It snorted quite tired of Akito's persistent searches

"Yeah, yeah" The first one joined in.

"But what about the town, the forests, the mountains?" She persisted.

"We searched mountains, forests, and houses, and let me see, in all the cradles." The second answered looking to the other who nodded. Akito snapped out of her bored mood,

"Cradle?" She asked sceptically

"Yeah, yeah every cradle!" The first replied, seeing no problem in his actions.

"Cradle?!" Akito repeated angrily. A black dog entered and it slowly approached Akito, it then morphed into a tall slender man with black hair. Akito turned to him, her mood changing.

"Did you hear that my pet? All these years they've been looking for a baby!" She started to laugh, she stroked him affectionately, and he joined her maniacal laughter. She looked to the servants still laughing, and they joined her too. She stopped laughing abruptly and glared at them, "Fools! Idiots! Imbeciles" she screamed as she sparked them with her staff until they ran away. She looked back to the handsome man standing next to her.

"Oh, they're hopeless! A disgrace to the forces of evil!" She screamed still angry, but then grabbed his hand, stroking it, "Shigure, my pet, you're my last hope! Search far and wide, hunt for a maid of sixteen with hair of chocolate brown and lips red as the rose. Go, and do not fail me." She looked at him with a demanding look, he smiled and embraced her. "I will not fail, precious Akito" he whispered to her as he 'poofed' back into a black dog. He ran out the door leaving Akito slightly flushed, "I hate it when he does that!" She said as she slumped into her throne.

A quaint little cottage was snuggled deep in the heart of the forest; it was home to two peasant women and a beautiful girl. A window shutter opened revealing and a young woman with chocolate brown locks and rose-red lips, she hummed a tune as she cleaned. The peasant women, of course being the good fairies, were preparing for her birthday party, for today was Tohru's sixteenth birthday. They were fussing over a book downstairs, arguing about colours and bows.

"What about this one?" Hana asked

"Hana, she isn't a Goth!" Uo said snatching the book, "How about this one?" she pointed to beautiful strapless Princess-style dress

"Oh yes, how beautiful" Hana sighed at the beauty.

"Now we'll make it red!" Uo said excitedly

"That colour's too strong on Tohru, black is better." Hana said matter-of-factly

"Black is too much!" Uo argued back

"Fine, violet." Hana suggested.

"Hmm, we need something that wont clash with Orangey's hair…" Uo said thoughtfully

"Arisa, she's coming." Hana said sensing someone coming down the stairs. Uo shoved the book under the cushion she was sitting on.

"Tohru! How can we help you?" Uo asked quickly

"Oh! I was just coming down to do some cleaning!" Tohru smiled brightly

"Well maybe you should leave that to us today dear." Hana said calmly

"But-but-!" Tohru protested

"Go pick some berries! We need some berries!" Uo shouted suddenly

"Berries? Are you sure Uo?" Tohru asked worriedly

"Positive Tohru! Go have fun!" She said, her butt getting sore from the book

"Just remember; don't go too far, and don't speak to strangers." Hana said calmly giving her the basket

"Take your time!" Uo said giving her a shawl as she pushed her out the door.

"Have fun!" Uo said waving.

"Remember the rules." Hana waved closing the door.

"You think she suspects us?" Uo asked anxiously

"Of course not, come on." Hana said dragging her back to the table.

"Oh! Will she be surprised! A real Birthday party! With a real Birthday cake!" Uo said excitedly

"With a dress fit for a Princess." Hana sighed contentedly

"I'll get the wands." Uo said heading towards the stairs

"Wands? No, no magic." Hana stated.

"But the sixteen years are almost over Hana!" Uo had missed her beloved magic.

"We're taking no chances." Hana said calmly.

"Who will make the cake? And the dress?" Uo asked almost desperate

"You'll make the dress, and I'll make the cake." Hana said plainly, Uo was dumbfounded. "Cooking seems simple enough, Tohru does it all the time." Hana said matter-of-factly

"And what do I know about making dresses?" Uo asked sarcastically

"It's simple, just follow the instructions." Hana said preparing the ingredients for the cake. Uo looked at her with one eye-brow raised, but went about her job.

"Oh, how Tohru has grown. Oh, it seems only yesterday we brought her here." Uo sighed, measuring material for the dress.

"Just a tiny baby." Hana looked off into the distance. Uo let a single tear fall, "Arisa, what's wrong?" Hana stopped her attempt at baking and walked over to Uo.

"After today she'll be a Princess, and we won't have our Tohru anymore." Uo looked down and wiped her eyes quickly.

"We all knew this day had to come." Hana comforted her.

"But why did it have to come so soon?" Uo slammed her fist on the table

"We have had her for sixteen years." Hana looked through the window

"Sixteen wonderful years…" Uo went back to her sewing, and Hana returned to her baking efforts.

Tohru wandered through the forest singing and thinking of her dream and the Prince who was in it. "I wonder…I wonder…." She began to sing, absentmindedly picking berries.

Not far from Tohru, a young Prince rode fast through the forest on his horse Haru. He heard Tohru's beautiful voice and was bewitched. He tried to turn Haru around.

"Come on Haru you stubborn idiot! I'll let you see Rin." Haru immediately turned around and galloped towards Tohru's voice, but Kyo got caught in some branches, he landed skilfully in the river, 'Wait river?!' He then fell over into the shallow water, Haru trotted up to him.

"No Rin." He said as he splashed the horse, who stormed off to the bank. Now soaked, Kyo began to take off his wet clothes, (O.O) down to his under shirt and pants (A/N: Mr. Darcy style XD) He hung his coat and boots on a branch to dry, and he lay down on the bank in the sun and waited for the sound of her sweet voice again and for his clothes to dry

"I wonder, I wonder

I wonder why each little bird
Has a someone,

To sing to
Sweet things to…
A gay little love melody.
I wonder,
I wonder,
If my heart keeps singing
Will my song go winging
To someone
Who'll find me
And bring back a love song
To me…"

Tohru settled on her favourite log as her animal friends surrounded her.

"Why do they still treat me like a child?" she sighed, a fluffy cream bunny put his paws on her knee and tilted his head "Who Tohru?" he asked

"Oh Momiji, Uo and Hana of course! They never want me to meet anyone. But you know something? I fooled 'em. I have met someone!" She giggled to the rabbit and her other friends.

"Who Tohru? Who? Tell us!! Please?!?!" Momiji started to hop about excited, Kureno, a sparrow, fluttered down to a branch and Tohru greeted him with a smile. Her other friends included Yuki, a small white rat, and Kisa and Hiro two squirrels in love, they all started to get excited about this news and moved in closer.

"Oh a Prince…" she sighed, "Oh we walked together, and talked together, and just before we say goodbye, he takes me in his arms and then ... I wake up." She sighed, her animal friends all sighed along with her.

"It's only in my dreams, but they say if you dream a thing more than once, it's sure to come true. And I've seen him so many times!" She sighed again; Momiji spotted Kyo's clothes on the branch and gathered Kisa and Hiro and instructed them to fetch the clothes. He then hopped up to Kureno and whispered his plan to him, and then to Yuki, they all scurried to the coat and boots and managed to steal them.

Kyo was lazily lying on the bank wondering aloud

"Damn it Haru! I swear I heard the voice of an angel! Ah! I must be going crazy!" Kyo hit the ground angrily with his fist, Haru looked up bored, to see the critters running away with Kyo's clothes. He nudged Kyo and pointed toward the moving clothes direction with his nose. Kyo looked up.

"Ah! Damn it! Not again!" Kyo ran after them but stopped abruptly.

Momiji had created the clothes and animals into a substitute Prince for Tohru, with Kureno and his sparrow friends holding up the cloak, Momiji and Momo, another rabbit, in the boots. Yuki, Hiro and Kisa were watching gleefully. The 'Prince' approached Tohru, and bowed.

"Oh! Why it's my dream Prince!" She laughed, "Your highness" she bowed back "Oh! No, I'm really not supposed to speak to strangers. But we've met before!" She giggled. She bowed to the Prince again and took the arm of the cloak and began to sing and dance around, laughing and twirling.

"I know you, I've walked with you once upon a dream.

I know you the gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam

Yet I know it's true

That visions are seldom all they seem

But if I know you,

I know what you'll do

You'll love me at once

The way you did once upon a dream

Da da da la la la la" Tohru did some spins and twirls. Kyo watched absolutely spellbound at her beauty, Haru nudged him forward, only to be glared at by Kyo,

"But if I know you

I know what you'll do

You'll love me at once

the way…" Haru suddenly nudged him again, making him bump into Tohru, replacing the substitute with the real Prince

"The way you did once upon a dream" Kyo finished whispering the words. Tohru was now holding Kyo's warm hands instead of the cold material, she was shocked and looked up to find stunning, yet startled amber eyes staring directly back into her own shocked brown ones. The two didn't move for a moment, until Tohru's shock was replaced by fear, she broke away and ran off, Kyo just stared at the spot where she was and without another nudge from Haru, ran after her. When he caught up with her he grabbed her arm gently.

"Wait!" He turned her around "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you." Tohru looked at him properly noticing his fiery orange hair and muscled form under his semi-transparent shirt; she blushed (A/N: who wouldn't?!?). He too blushed noticing her fragile yet beautiful physic, and gorgeous features, 'Ah! I'm not a pervert like that Ayame…'

"Oh it wasn't that. It's just that you're a, a-" She spoke shyly, losing her words.

"A stalker?" Kyo asked

"No! A Stranger…" Tohru blushed again.

"Oh, right…" Kyo mentally smacked himself in the head

"Well we have kinda met…" Tohru looked hopeful, hoping he would remember the song

"Once upon a dream?" Kyo asked

"Yes!" Tohru beamed, Kyo couldn't help smiling himself, she was amazing.

They walked along the side of a lake hand in hand, it felt right to Tohru. They came to a large tree which looked over the kingdom. They sat down and Kyo dared to put his arm around her. Tohru was shocked at first but snuggled into his arms and rested her head on his chest.

Kyo looked down, "Who are you…what's your name?" he asked dreamily

"Hmm? Oh, my name. It's, it's T- Oh no, no, I can't, I- Goodbye!" Tohru got up and started to run away.

"But when will I see you again?" Kyo called to her

"Oh never, never!" Tohru continued, frantic

"Never?" Kyo asked, heartbroken

"Well, maybe someday." Tohru stopped and turned around.

"When, tomorrow?" Kyo ran toward her hopeful

"Oh no, this evening!" Tohru started to run again

"Where?" He called after her

"At the cottage, in the glen." Tohru said before she ran all the way home. Kyo looked down, he had to meet her tonight. He called Haru and rode back to the castle.

Hana lighted the candles that were sinking into the cake, it began to fall to the side, but she held it up with a broom. Uo's dress looked an absolute mess; it looked like tattered bits of material tied together in a desperate attempt, which is basically what it was. Uo looked at their work sighing, the whole place was a mess.

"Hana, this is disaster, think of Tohru! She deserves better, I'm getting our wands." Uo left before Hana could answer and returned with two ready wands.

"Quickly lock the doors, draw the curtains. Cover every hole. We don't want Akito finding us now!" Hana said securing the house.

They secured the house and got to work, Uo sent a bucket and mop, and broom and dustpan to clean up the mess, and then got to work with the dress, how she loved magic. Hana started the cake again, this time it began to take shape before it was baked. The dress was taking a much better shape and turned out beautiful and ruby in colour.

"Arisa, red does not match the Prince's hair" Hana said not looking up from her baking.

"Well what colour would?" Uo asked annoyed. Hana raised her wand toward the dress and turned it black, and returned to her cooking. Uo scowled at her and turned it pink.

"There a colour that suits Tohru." Hana once again turned it black.

"Pink doesn't match either" She said calmly still not taking her eyes off the baking.

"Damn it! Then what other colour does that isn't black?" Uo said getting thoroughly annoyed. Hana looked up from her cooking calmly.

"Think Arisa." Was all she said.

"Oh! Of course!" Uo exclaimed and turned it a delightful shade emerald green that happened to go with Kyo's hair. Hana only smiled as she decorated the cake with cute orange icing of little kittens.

Meanwhile Shigure in his dog form was running through the woods sniffing out the young Princess. He then smelt a different peculiar scent, magic. He followed it to a small cottage and looked through a small crack in the door and saw Uo and Hana preparing a dress and cake. 'This is it!' He thought gleefully, 'Akito will love me for this' He watched for a bit longer and saw Tohru returning, and then ran back to Akito's castle.

Tohru walked slowly back to the cottage, thinking of the strange, yet handsome man she had just met. She started to hum again, alerting Uo and Hana inside.

"Hurry Hana! Quickly she's just outside!" Uo quickly arranged the dress, Hana put the cake on the table and wisped away the broom and mop, and they both hid behind the couch. Tohru opened the door and saw the cake and dress.

"Uo? Hana? Anyone home?" Tohru called.

"Surprise!!!" Uo jumped up, Hana walked out and hugged Tohru.

"Surprise" She smiled at her, Tohru looked confused, Uo hugged her too.

"Happy Birthday!" Uo yelled, Tohru smiled brightly and hugged both of them.

"Oh Uo! Hana! This is the happiest day of my life. Everything's so wonderful, just wait till you meet him!" Tohru said excitedly

"Him?" Uo asked concerned

"Oh Tohru" Hana said, she shook her head.

"You've met some stranger?" Uo asked in a protective way

"Oh no, we've met before!" Tohru said brightly

"Where dear?" Hana asked

"Once upon a dream!" Tohru started to giggle and dance around

"She's in love." Hana said matter-of-factly.

"Oh no. This is terrible!" Uo said

"Why? I am sixteen." Tohru asked puzzled.

"It isn't that, dear. You're already betrothed." Hana said sadly

"Betrothed?" Tohru said shocked

"Since the day you were born. To Prince Kyo." Uo said patting her shoulder

"But that's impossible! How could I marry a Prince, I'd have to be-" Tohru stopped, stunned

"A Princess." Hana said quietly

"And you are Tohru! Princess Reimei. Tonight, we're taking you back to your father, King Katsuya and your mother Queen Kyoko." Uo said trying to comfort Tohru.

"But-but I can't! He's coming here tonight, I promised to meet him." Tohru said, tears taking over.

"I'm sorry, Tohru, but you must never see that young man again." Hana said softly, but sternly.

"Oh, no, no! I can't believe it. No, no!" Tohru said crying; she ran up to her room and collapsed on her bed crying. Uo and Hana looked up to where Tohru was.

"And we thought she'd be so happy." Uo said sadly.

Well Kyo didn't ACTUALLY sing, but I just couldn't make him do it…it's so OOC…

Anywho I hope you appreciate the re-write, I changed some things to make more sense XD

Review please!

-bear XD