And I'm back! I can honestly say I loved writing this chapter, maybe even a little too much. What was, in fact going to be one long chapter has now ended up as two chapters. It was simply running too long. So I cut it in half. So many things a beginning to happen now guys- it's would be impossible to fit it all in to one chapter without it being incredibly rushed looking (and feeling).

Well that's all from me! Let the ball commence!

Chapter 8

The President of LME, Lory Takarada, was a man who loved love. He revelled in the feeling of recognising talented artists and polishing them so that they shone for the world to see and adore. He was first and foremost, a man who believed that good people deserved happiness, and he would do anything in his power to make sure that happiness was achieved.

Unfortunately some people had to accept things within themselves first- be it their past, a fear they must overcome, or even something in their own personality- before they could be truly happy. Lory often pondered the differences between one person's reactions compared to another- even if the circumstances were similar. The Love Me members, Maria-chan, and even the young man sat before him were all prime examples of this. They'd all had to deal with such harsh realities when they were so young, realities that even adults would find difficult to comprehend. In some ways it broke his heart that such kind-hearted people could be affected so. But he would endeavour to make things right, even if he had to take a side-line approach.

"Ren, of course this is completely your decision. But before you go ahead with it I need to know if you are absolutely sure that this is what you want?"

It was late afternoon and it would soon be time to get ready for the Box-R wrap up party. The setting sun streamed into the large windows of Lory's personal office, creating a heavenly glow around the already luxurious room. Lory leaned back in his chair, watching the young man closely, giving off the air that he was relaxed and casual- no matter how excited he was inwardly. Perhaps that was inappropriate, to be feeling excited when the boy was going through an emotional crisis, but Lory was never one to hold back when an opportunity for personal growth presented itself.

Ren sat on the edge of his seat, his forearms resting on his long legs, deep in thought. It wasn't as if he hadn't struggled with this idea for a long time. Really from the moment he first realised she was his Kyoko-chan there had been an instinctive reaction, a tiny glimmer of the person he had been when he'd first met Kyoko, that need to greet his old friend. But that was in the split second before reality set in. There had been so many reasons to not reveal his true identity to her; to protect himself was one thing, the fear of her rejecting him for who he was now was another and- once he realised he loved her- the reasons not to tell her grew even as the need to tell her increased. It was a constant war with himself, one that he hid well until recently. His hands balled into fists as memories of the other night filled his mind.

"I've thought about it a lot recently, really there's not much else to say on the matter except that I'm absolutely sure. She has such faith in me, such trust. I feel that every day I hold back is a day that I betray that trust. Especially since her time with me as Setsu. She accepted so much of me already, without question, with blind faith. Regardless of what happens- she deserves to know." He met the President's eyes and Lory saw such raw sincerity and passion in Ren's eyes that he almost dropped his relaxed facade. He didn't say anything, just watched and listened. The inner turmoil of this young man really knew no bounds at times, but he hoped this was the last of his growing pains.

Ren sighed, bowing his head and running his hands through his hair in a frustrated manner. No matter what happened, he just hoped she wasn't disappointed in him. He could handle confused or angry, but she held "Corn" on such a pedestal. To find out her fairy friend was really him? He shuddered, trying hard not to think of her reaction.

Lory, having seen more than enough to convince him, pulled his phone from his pocket and dialled number 3 on his speed dial. The phone barely rung once before a cheerful voice answered.

"Darling! How are you?! I didn't expect to hear from you until the party! Shouldn't you be getting ready by now?" Ren looked up when he heard the voice of Jelly Woods coming from the phone speaker.

"Ten-chan, and I'll be getting ready shortly but unfortunately I don't have long to talk. I must ask, is your mission for the day almost complete?" Lory pointedly ignored Ren's confused gaze.

"Oh!" Jelly, from years of practice, was able to determine that now was not the time to talk about her mission in detail, no matter how much she wanted to gush. "Almost! Whhhy?"

"Because, my dear, I need you to perform one last miracle tonight. It has to do with our other Cinderella, or rather Prince Charming."

"I'll be over in about half an hour! Anything for you Dearest, a fairy godmother's magic never runs out!"

Lory grinned. "That's why you're the best of the best. We'll rendezvous in my office in thirty minutes then." He hung up the phone and placed it on the coffee table between Ren and himself, trying not to squeal in excitement once more. It was all coming together so beautifully. Now all he needed was to get in his own costume and watch the scene unfold, completely inconspicuous (and then win the masquerade party as the cherry on the cake).

Ren had so many questions, most of which revolved around Ten-chan's mission, but the one at the forefront of his mind was the one he had to ask first.

"Did you just refer to me as a Cinderella?"

It was amazing how quickly Lory's mood dissipated once he arrived at the party.

"I don't understand why you're so upset Grandpa, you entered the party the way you always do, of course people were going to know it was you." Maria whispered from behind her mask. She'd revealed her true identity to Lory in order to cheer him up; despite the fact she had cast a shadow spell on her costume. The spell was, of course, a way to ensure she remained undiscovered and could stealthily create mischief. But she supposed it was broken now that she'd willingly given away her identity.

"Yes, yes I know. Still it would have been nice to blend in for a little while." Lory sulked and Maria rolled her pretty hazel eyes from behind her ebony laced mask.

Despite the start of the evening not going to the way Lory imagined, he hoped the rest of the evening would go smoothly. If all went to the plan, things were going to change for Love Me member number one and for Ren Tsuruga. The President huffed slightly, torn between frustration and excitement. He knew things wouldn't go smoothly, it never did with those two, but at least he'd come to expect that of them now...and he had a few tricks up his sleeve to ensure they would have no choice but to work through those issues. He was tired of watching the pair of them run away and hide from their feelings and, though he promised he wouldn't interfere, he told himself he wasn't really interfering- not the way he actually wanted to. No. He was simply providing a little nudge. It was up to them where that went.

And if he had already started planning their wedding with Kuu, so what? They didn't have to know that.

Maria looked up at her Grandfather from behind her mask and watched the various emotions flash on his face. Truth be told the eight year old was rather frightened of her beloved grandpa that night. He seemed to have something on his mind that was causing him to occasionally shake with glee and she was fairly sure she'd heard that deep, slow chuckle that she had dubbed his 'plan laugh'. Honestly he seemed like he was up to no good, but the young girl couldn't figure out his thoughts at all, so she decided to wander around for a little while, take in the grandness of the party, and see if she could guess who anybody was behind their disguises.

The masquerade ball, originally meant as a Box-R wrap up party but had since spiralled, was situated in the Akebono Room of the Hotel Okura- one of Tokyo's top hotels and a frequently used venue for the President. Tonight the lights were slightly dimmed to keep the mysterious atmosphere alive, the ceiling arches were decorated with hanging fairy lights, flowers and chandeliers. In the middle of the hall there was a large area for dancing and an orchestra had set themselves up in the corner. Champagne and strawberries were handed out to the guests at various intervals. All in all it was a perfect clash of modern and classical styles. The room was slightly smaller than some of the larger event rooms, only being a four hundred capacity room, which gave the party a more intimate feel- despite the large amount of guests.

The party was well under way, guests were still arriving (Maria noticed with a little bit of ire that her beloved Ren-sama hadn't arrived yet- she would know for sure if he had no matter what disguise he wore) but the dancing in the middle of the hall had already started. The dresses and suits were all opulent or outlandish; some were daring where others were dashing. Some were historical where others were more fantasy based. Maria found herself thinking you could tell who the person was based on the type of costume they went with. Smiling like the Cheshire Cat, she would tug at the outfits of the grownups she thought she recognised, and would ask if it was them. Some were happy their identities were revealed, which wasn't nearly as fun as the ones that sulked like her Grandfather, one actress even stomped off in a huff. That was hilarious! Maria found herself skipping away from that encounter.

But whilst she was mid-skip she found herself jittering to a halt, completely frozen at the sight before her.

There, at the entrance to the hall, was the most rare and beautiful fairy that Maria had only wished to see in her wildest dreams. There she stood, the Queen of Fairies- with flowing ebony hair like a silky curtain of midnight. The crystals in her elegant white dress shone like the first ice-drops of a winter frost. Placed delicately on her porcelain face was a mask of silver, intricate golden swirls embellished the edges and a rich hue of blue dusted the area around the eyes. Around her head was a band of light sliver jewels, with one moon crystal hanging like a tear drop in the middle of her forehead. The fine opaque wings that protruded from her back looked so real; real enough that little Maria lost herself in awe for a moment, a moment where she truly believed. She believed in fairies.

Without even thinking, little Maria glided over towards the mysterious and wonderful sight- wanting to speak to the fairy, wanting her to see her up close, touch her hair and feel her wings. She was lost, completely and utterly lost in the feeling of wonder and magic.

"Um... excuse me." She wanted to reach out and touch the Queen to get her attention, but even she was afraid to do that. "Who- who are you?"

The Fairy Queen looked down at the mortal who'd grabbed her attention, and her face broke out into a pure and beautiful smile. Maria blushed and looked down at the ground, suddenly refusing to make eye contact.

"Maria-chan! It's me!" The Fairy Queen whispered happily.

Maria's head snapped up and her jaw dropped when she locked gazes with a pair of very familiar eyes. She couldn't believe it- no surely not-

"Onee-chan?!" She cried, her voice slightly strangled. Realisation started creeping in, and she slowly began to turn very red. "You- you completely fooled me. I thought you were the Queen of Fairies."

Kyoko thought her heart might disappear and float away to the heavens for the sheer happiness that Maria-chan's words had given her. At first she'd been completely taken in by the scene before her. It was as if she'd stepped into a magical world, where all the fantasy creatures were playing a fun little guessing game. But now Maria's kind words had her practically soaring with happiness, so happy was she that she almost forgot how completely and utterly terrified she was.

"Maria-chan is so sweet! And you look so pretty too, I love your mask." Kyoko replied as they toured the room, Kyoko sipping on the champagne she was offered as she entered, Maria on her orange juice (hating the fact that she was too young to enjoy champagne- not for lack of trying though).

Maria wanted to ask her dearest Onee-chan how she had found such a beautiful costume, she wanted one of her own but maybe in black instead, as well as several other thousand questions that were running through her mind- but as they walked past the dance floor she caught sight of her Grandfather signalling for her to go to him on stage, so she said a few parting words and ran off- leaving Kyoko by herself. On the opposite side of the room.

The dancing stopped and the President began a welcoming speech, congratulating the cast and crew of Box-R and toasting to a successful evening full of mystery and intrigue. Kyoko knew she should be paying attention but her mind began to wander. She was dressed as a fairy, how could it not wander back through the years, before LME, before Tokyo, before any of the amazing things that had happened to her since she left her childhood home? She thought of Corn, what would he say, what would he think if he could see her now? She hoped he'd be happy- for tonight she truly was a fairy!

Kyoko shook her head, mindful of the wig and all the adornments attached to it, now wasn't the time to get carried away. She had a mission given to her by Tsuruga-san and she couldn't, wouldn't fail. She had to find him; she had to- to flirt with him, and she still hadn't figured out what exactly she would say to him. Anything she thought of sounded ridiculous to her. She looked around the room, quite confident that Tsuruga-san had yet to arrive, which gave her more time to think of something. Tonight she wasn't Kyoko; she was Titania- a noble, graceful and mysterious fairy who wasn't above being playful towards the mortals she grew fond of. She just had to think of what Titania would say to a mortal man who captured her attention... yes now most definitely wasn't the time to think of Corn.

Besides, it's not as if Corn would simply show up at a masquerade ball full of humans just to see her, no matter how much she wished that would be true.

The President's speech ended and Kyoko almost robotically applauded along with everybody else. The crowd began to disperse back to what they were doing before hand, the orchestra had started playing once more and Kyoko began idly playing with her now empty glass of champagne. Lost in thought, she stared at the passers-by as they made their way to the cocktails or the dance floor, never once knowing just how much attention she had drawn by her appearance. Almost everyone was whispering about her, the beautiful and mysterious fairy-woman, wondering who she could possibly be. Kyoko was, however, far too engrossed in her own thoughts to concentrate on the world around her. Her quietness and solitude only furthered the intrigue surrounding her.

Suddenly there was a parting of the crowd, as people rushed on to the dance floor when the orchestra began to play an instrumental version of an old but popular love song. Kyoko vaguely recognised it herself, and began swaying with the music.

She looked up at the parting crowd and, much like Maria did before, instantly halted her movements.

She had seen him.

It had to be him, Tsuruga-san. She would know him anywhere no matter how he disguised himself. And what a disguise- dressed in an eighteenth century black suit with a loose flowing white shirt, a sword attached at the hip and dark hair slicked backward, he walked in with a gentle and ghost-like grace, almost as if he was trying to blend into the background. The mask he wore was plain white and covered the top half of his face. There was no denying it, no way around it.

"The Phantom of the Opera." Kyoko whispered.

The young actress stood, enthralled by the sight, and almost wanted to turn away. He hadn't noticed her yet, and she was staring at him in such a way when he clearly wanted to remain inconspicuous. Oddly, it made her feel that she was spying on him. She snapped herself out of those thoughts, reminding herself that she wasn't Kyoko- she was Titania. She was, in this costume, completely unrecognisable. Challenge flared up like fire in her chest. Not just the challenge he had set for her, but the one she had secretly set for him. He had sounded so sure that he would recognise her, but what made him so confident in his abilities? Did he really know her as much as he seemed? What did that mean, if he did?

Well Kyoko might have been afraid to find out, but it was Titania's spirit controlling her body now, moving her forward towards the Phantom, disappearing into the shadows and reappearing by his side. Titania was ready, ready to test this Phantom's worth.

Ren made himself comfortable in a darkened corner of the room away from the main commotion of the party and had- miraculously- not yet been recognised. He wondered if it was the low lighting, because it was surely not his disguise. No costume in the world could hide the fact that he towered over everybody else in the room, a fact that most people would have identified in a second had the ball taken place in a better lit room. Now all he had to do was wait, he was confident that despite keeping himself relatively hidden, she would find him. He had faith.

He glanced towards the dance floor, and then to the other side of the room and his eyes widened at the sight before him.

She was walking towards him, a figure of almost haunting beauty. Her mannerisms and expression carried the quiet gracefulness of the truly regal. For a split second he doubted his own eyes. But as she stepped past of curtain of fairy lights and her face lit up he could see it. She could disguise herself in many ways but he would always see her underneath it all, the delicate rosy lips- the small nose, and those eyes. Those eyes had been etched into his memory since the day that they'd met and he would never forget them, not for once second.

"Kyoko" He whispered.

For a second, he forgot himself, he forgot what they were supposed to be doing- he forgot what he would be doing later on that night. All his worries and troubles, all his fears and doubts, all were gone in the moment she came to stand by his side, wordless, casually and openly taking in all of his appearance. Ren had been scrutinized by many people in his lifetime, but never had a gaze made him falter.

Her gaze did.

"Well, well" She said in a deep and seductive voice which made Ren very much aware of just how much of a bad idea these flirting lessons had been. He put his hands in his pockets and made little fists, using all of his willpower not to reach out, pull the impossible beauty to him and show her- once and for all- his true unabashed feelings. "A Phantom has come to play at my party. But surely you didn't have one of these mortals in your sights?"

She locked eyes with him and Kyoko inwardly trembled. There was something in the look they were exchanging. She felt the blood rushing around her body like a river during a flood, it was a feeling she couldn't quite describe, something she'd never felt before. Like a sort of electric connection the two were sharing. It terrified her. Still she managed to maintain Titania's character and held her gaze firm. Inside she had never been so afraid, the seconds seemed to stretch for hours.

Ren leaned down to her eye level, his eyes lidded behind the mask, a smirk etched on his face, somehow combining the Phantom of the Opera with the Emperor of the Night.

"Mortal's don't interest me."

They found each other at the party! :D I know I wrote it but I was so excited to see it happening. It always seems to me like these two just have this bond, a connection deeper than even they realise at this point, and they're always drawn to each other- which is great to write.

So...reviews for me? Keep my spirits up as I tackle the next monster of a chapter along with all my university work! XD