(All he did was rob a gas station it's not like he robbed a Walmart- if you don't get this, I don't blame you- me not like this chapter :/.)

The day of the ball

Shinya was getting nervous. His palms were covered in sweat to the point he wore gloves around the palace. Reiko and Hitoshi kept asking about it. Right, Hitoshi's family had been invited to the ball so they arrived about two days ago. Hitoshi and Reiko were actually friends, unlike Shoto and Reiko.

At the moment, the ball room was decorated. The food would be placed out at around six. There was gonna be a lot of people there. Just the thought of that many people made him itch and scratch. He didn't like the thought of being around that many of his citizens. Whatever, he would have to get used to it.

"Your hands are sweating." Momo said. Momo was Hitoshi's older sister. She was ten years old, older than Hitoshi, Reiko, and Shoto.

"Yes. They are." Shinya looked at the Princess.

"Why? Aren't you happy?" Momo asked. Shinya didn't want to speak with a child about his own problems. It would be weird to tell the princess that he was nervous and didn't want to dance with a bunch of horny women.

"Adult problems."

"I am not stupid your highness. Do you have a secret lady that you're afraid of not marrying?! Oh! Are you planning for her to do something special? Or are you-"

"I'm not planning anything Momo. I'm just nervous." He interrupted her. She gasped and looked at him.

"You're nervous? That's news." Momo said. She had never seen him express much emotion. It was funny to watch her look so confused. "But you don't have a secret lady? I thought grown people had that..." she looked disappointed. Momo had an obsession with romance stories.

"You've read too many stories. Reiko has a book collection in the library, why don't you go ask her to borrow one." He suggested. She nodded and ran away. Finally.

//////////

At the Tatsuma residence

Ryuko was grinning like an idiot all day. She had finished all her chores she had been assigned so now she was able to attend the ball. She was so happy and Himiko hated it. It made her sick to see Ryuko be so happy.

Right now, she was just prancing around her room, holding her mother's dress to her body. She had a hand spread on her thigh, holding the dress down, and held the hanger next to her head. She loved the dress, it looked gorgeous. The color had begun to fade in some areas. Especially since most of it was made of old tulle. The ivy green still remained, but it still looked gorgeous. The neckline was quite wide, the skirt wasn't as large as others, and the bodice was quite unique and the waist was tied by a ribbon. Her silhouette would be much different but she was fine with it.

"Ryuko!" Chitose shouted. "Get down here! I've been calling your goddamn name for three minutes!" She screeched. Ryuko put the dress in the box and opened the attic door. She had to climb down the ladder, run down a few stairs, and then she'd be able to get yelled at.

When she finally got down to Chitose, she was nervous.

"Sorry Ma'm." She whispered, bowing her head. Chitose took her hand and hit her. The hit was quite hard and Ryuko winced.

"With that hearing of yours you should've heard me. We're you ignoring me?" She asked. She put a hand on her hip and spoke like a teenager. She got in Ryuko's face, her breath smelling... not that good. She stuck a finger out and flicked Ryuko's forehead.

"N-no! Of course not! I didn't hear you."

"Sure~" she said sarcastically. She grabbed Ryuko's arm and dragged her into the kitchen. "It's lunchtime. You degenerate. Hurry up and make something."

Damn, all that over lunch? Ryuko was more than pissed. She would've poisoned it but... she didn't feel like dying as Chitose always made her take a bite first, and she didn't want to be imprisoned and beheaded for the murder of her abuser.

Chitose might've had anger issues.

"Whatever."

"What was that?" She poked her head from around the corner, just to glare at Ryuko. "You know what I'll do to you." She glared. She was probably talking about the ball. She literally said Whatever... so...

"I know. I know..."

//////////

That evening

When the evening finally arrived, Himiko was harassing Ryuko. Well, not really harassing her. At the moment, they were both trying to dress Himiko. Himiko was being pissy though and trying to wander around while Ryuko was putting it on.

(Me deadass forgetting plots for twenty minutes until I remember I actually wrote it down-)

When she finished with Himiko, Ryuko ran upstairs to put on her mother's dress. She was just going to wear her flats and a pair of pearls. When she was finally dressed, she looked at herself in the mirror and just smiled. She put her earrings in and began the long walk down the stairs.

Jin, Chitose, and Himiko were on their way to leave by the time Ryuko got down. She was on the bottom of the stairs when she started calling out that she was ready.

"Chitose! Chitose! I'm here!"

"Ah... I see you really did find something to wear." Chitose glared at her up and down. She walked up to Ryuko and inspected the dress. "I never gave you any money. Where'd you get something so rich? Are you a little thief? Maybe the town should hear of this."

"That's not necessary! I... this is my mother's dress. Isn't it wonderful?"

"So it is."

"I don't even want to talk to the prince! I just want to attend! Please?" She begged. The look in Chitose's eyes made her think she was going to be a twat and tell her she couldn't go.

"Mother! You're not really going to let her go?!" Himiko shouted. She screamed. Her dress had a large pocket where she was keeping "Ochako".

"I did say she could if she found a dress and finished her chores." Chitose smirked. She looked at the pearls around Ryuko's neck.

Himiko stormed up to Ryuko and inspected her. She grew angrier because there was nothing there. Himiko grabbed the fabric that covered Ryuko's chest and just ripped it off. Ryuko's eyes widened. She didn't even say anything, she just had her eyes wide as tears began welling up.

"Oh my." Chitose gasped. She just laughed and watched her favorite child destroy Ryuko's dress. After the breast area was ripped off, Ryuko's sleeve was as well. It wasn't beyond repair, only a bit of sewing. Not a big deal but... it hurt.

"And look! Ryuko's been messing with rats!" Ryuko pauses and looked at Himiko with a tear streaming down her cheeks. Himiko pulled out the jar holding her friend, Ochako. "She can't go! She's diseased." Himiko was being such a brat. She even through the jar to the ground, letting Ochako leave. That moment was the only reason she wanted to keep the tiny mouse in the jar.

"Oh. Then I guess you can't go. Such a shame. You would've gotten all the boys attention, like a little whore."

Oh.

She didn't want to hurt anyone. She was angry now. Instead of throwing a punch, Ryuko covered her face and ran out of the house.

That was her mother's dress...

(Katara: my mother's necklace-)

Outside in the backyard, there was a weeping willow. She kneeled in front of it as she heard her family leave. She began crying in front of it, burying her face in her arms as her tears hit a stone bench.

Ryuko slowly turned around and looked at the stars. She always believed the stars were just dead people. Mr.Shinya thought the same thing as her. She loved being able to talk to someone with the same ideas as her.

"Mother, father? Do you hate me? Why would you leave me with someone like this? Did I deserve this?" She asked the stars. She knew she wouldn't get an answer. She was looking at two bright stars. One was slightly bigger the other was smaller. They were quite close to one another. If she looked closely, one was white, the other was a bit blue in color.

"I'm sorry if I did deserve this. I'm so sorry for whatever I've done. I just wanted to go like everyone else, was that too much for me to ask? I'm sorry." She kept her sobbing low as her animal friends ran out. Iida was there.

She knew she was wasting her time. She knew it. She knew that she was wasting her time.

As she cried she put her head back in her arms. She continued to sob. Her step mother called her a whore, her step sister humiliated her, and Jin stood there like always. She wasn't going to blame him, even though she was upset.

"You poor thing."

What?

(Ajajajajajsksmdnjcjsjjd i hate this chapter with my entire being because it's corny but too bad, I'm a dummy Lmaooo-)