~~~ authors note: I had to go back after publishing to do a few edits that were really bothering me. Also, for a full smutty lemon version of this fic, make sure to check it out on adult-fanfiction where I can post more mature content.~~~

Garu was hardly paying attention as he walked through Sooga village, his mind stuck on what he had overheard earlier at the Goh-Rang.

"I can't believe it's been almost ten years since we adopted Pucca." Ho sighed, flipping a wok in the air absent mindedly.

"She's already 18. And so beautiful! So many suitors are asking after her." Linguini almost looked disturbed by that thought. "But she still hasn't spoken."

"After what happened to her parents, she has hardly said a word. I thought she'd grow out of it." Dumpling tapped the knife on the counter in worry.

"Maybe she will never speak again." Linguini shook his head. "Not unless something so important she can't stay silent happens."

Garu felt like an idiot. This entire time he assumed, knowing Pucca as he does, that she took a vow of silence to mirror his own. It's just like something she would try to pull to prove her love for him. He felt really self-centered now, though, since all this time he had assumed that Pucca's silence was about him.

"Try a sample of Santa's love potion!" Santa was, as usual, trying out random jobs until Christmas time rolled around. This time he seemed to be trying his hand at street vending. "Young man, you there!" Garu stopped and let out a sigh, but walked over to the stall just to humor the man.

"Have you met the girl of your dreams, but she refuses to give you the time of day?"

Garu shook his head.

"Well!" Santa cleared his throat and ignored him. "Today is your lucky day! Ho ho ho! Take home a free sample of Santa's Love Potion! She'll be head over heels!" He shoved the sample in Garu's hand, and he looked at it incredulously.

It had hearts all over it and a couple kissing on the front with "Santa's Love #91" printed across the top. Although it was ridiculous and he wanted to give it back, he couldn't help but be reminded of Pucca. She would take something like this and spend hours trying to get Garu to drink it, accidentally dosing most of Sooga village in the process. She never thought about the consequences, and always caused mayhem, but it was kind of cute. He chuckled a bit and pocketed the vial. He whistled a bit as he headed home to train.

Tobe looked at the vial Santa had handed him in disgust. Why would he ever want love?! He needed vengeance! On Garu! Regardless, he shoved the vial in his pocket, never one to turn down free things.

"Ninjas! Time for lunch!" He called. His dopey gang nodded and made a bee-line for Goh-Rang. The ninja gang squabbled behind him, looking like idiots. As usual. "Hey! Enter like a ninja!" He grumbled to them. They all stopped fighting and nodded. They stealthily entered the restaurant and jumped into open chairs.

"Service!" Tobe growled, waiting for that bumbling Dada to show up. Instead he was surprised to see Pucca manning the tables today. Dada must have asked for the day off. She had certainly grown beautiful. Her hair had grown so long that she couldn't contain it all in her usual odango style, and there were long pigtails of hair that had escaped the buns. Her uncles had at one point bought her a beautiful red cheongsam on a cooking pilgrimage to china which she grew quite fond of, but because she found it hard to move in she re-tailored it to have slits up to her hips so she could still do martial arts. She wore black thigh high socks and black slippers, reminiscent of her childhood years. The outfit fit her snugly and outlined all her feminine curves, which she had no shortage of.

Tobe wasn't an idiot. Even he could see that she had grown to become the town beauty. Although at first he thought of her as only a nuisance in his quest to bring vengeance upon Garu, as she matured and became more appealing, he started to become jealous of Garu. Why did Garu get such a wonderful girlfriend? Someone who loved him unconditionionally? Who doted on him? A strong woman capable of defeating almost any foe?

"Ahem." He looked up to see Pucca, who had obviously been standing there for a while. She tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for his order.

"Oh, uh. Jajang noodles, please."

Pucca nodded, but turned swiftly, giving him the cold shoulder. Although she didn't like him, she was still gracious enough to accept him as a customer. He admired that about her, that she was willing to put her own differences aside for the good of her Uncles.

As usual it didn't take long for the Uncles to whip up some noodles. Pucca delivered them gracefully and impressively, carrying all 6 bowls of noodles at once. She handed them swiftly to Tobe and all his followers before disappearing for a while in the back, presumably to wash dishes.

After Tobe had finished his noodles, he left the payment, with a generous tip. Usually for Dada he wouldn't bother. The idiot gave lousy service. But something made him want to please Pucca. If only a little.

It was only after he left the restaurant that his evil plan hatched. He put his hands in his pockets, prepared to walk back to his hut, when his hand brushed the vial he had received earlier from Santa. The love potion. He pulled it out of his pocket and stared blankly at the label. The couple kissing kind of reminded him of Pucca and Garu.

Pucca and Garu.

Pucca... and... Garu.

That's when it hit him. The best vengeance he could have on Garu isn't to defeat him in battle, but humiliate him by stealing his girlfriend. And truthfully, Tobe wouldn't mind having a girlfriend like Pucca. She'd be a trophy to show off, and if someone opposed him... well... she was unstoppable.

Garu found himself running through the bamboo, the ominous sound of giggling following in his wake. He honestly wasn't sure at this point why he was running. Habit at this point. And perhaps because he was a bit bashful. But he really didn't hate being caught by Pucca anymore.

But for a man like Garu, a tough ninja of the highest caliber, it was a bit shameful not to be the one to make the moves. In a normal relationship, the guy would be the one doing the kissing. But with Pucca, well... she was a lot to handle. He wished she would just slow down enough that he could show her how he really felt. It would be a lot easier if he could just tell her, but his vow of silence prevented him from doing so.

He must have been too deep in thought to realize she was catching up. He felt arms wrap around his back and his natural ninja instincts made him dodge away. Garu did it without thinking, but regretted it immediately. By dodging her attack he threw her off balance, and Pucca fell forward. Hard. She rolled for a moment on the ground before coming to a stop. Garu stopped and ran back to her to make sure she was alright.

One of her odango fell out and silky black hair cascaded across her face, obscuring her expression. She clutched her left arm like it hurt as she sat up with a sigh. He wanted to ask her if she was alright, but he couldn't speak. So instead he offered her a hand up to see for himself. To his surprise, she slapped it away.

"No..." The sound was quiet and a but raspy. It took him a second to realize she had actually spoken. Although her voice sounded unused, it was adorable. High-pitched, soft, and feminine. "I...I'm done."

"Huh?" Garu grunted, unsure what he meant and largely still shocked that she was speaking.

"I can't... do this anymore." The hair fell out of her face and he saw tears. "I have followed you...and loved you... for almost ten years. I am tired... of being rejected. It hurts."

Garu made to reach out for her but she stood up and turned her back to him.

"Goodbye, Garu." And then she was gone. She was always fast. And this time, Garu was left behind. And dumbfounded. And strangely, brokenhearted.

After coming to his senses, he ran straight to Goh-Rang, hoping to intercept Pucca so he could clear up the situation. As he reached the doors of Goh-rang a figure stepped out from the shadows, with his arms crossed. It took him a second to recognize Dandy in the light.

"Garu. We need to talk."

Garu anxiously looked over his shoulder at the restaurant, his goal to find Pucca.

"If you are looking for Pucca, I'd give up now. She's locked herself in her room."

Garu sighed and gave Dandy his full attention, grunting to show that he'll listen to whatever he had to tell him.

"If you aren't interested in Pucca, I have to ask that you reject her clearly."

Garu narrowed his eyes at Dandy and crossed his arms at him defensively.

"Don't you think this is cruel? She's been chasing you for years. She has so many other options and men who want to be with her." Dandy met Garu's eyes. "Like me. The Uncles here at Goh-Rang can't cook forever. When they retire, they will have to leave the restaurant to someone. And let's face it, while Pucca has gotten better with her cooking she is no expert. I am. If I were to marry her, I could take over the kitchen. It's best for everyone. But the Uncles won't clear our marriage if Pucca doesn't want to marry me."

Garu felt cold fury wash over him. He would never give her up. Not for some guy who wants to use her for her inheritance. Not to anyone.

Dandy saw the look of determination in Garu's eyes and sighed, turning away from him. "Whatever. Judging by the look on Pucca's face when she returned, things are over between the two of you anyways. It was nice knowing you, Garu."

And then Dandy slammed the door in his face. Garu's mind started to race. He needed to figure out a way to tell Pucca how he felt, and fast. When he overheard the chefs earlier, they had mentioned that Pucca had a lot of suitors. He had no idea one was so close to home. If he didn't do something quick, he might lose her forever.

Tobe heard the door to Pucca's room slam and knew she was home. He had snuck in hours before to wait for her, and his legs had started to cramp. Just as he had hoped, he heard her trudge off to the bathroom and start the bath. He made to crawl out from behind her curtain but his legs were in so much pain he almost gave his position away by crying out. He had to clamp a hand over his mouth so he didn't blow his cover.

Wisely, he had left his ninja gang at home. He knew they would just screw this up, and this was important. He had only one shot, or he'd be beaten to a pulp by Pucca. He took a thermos from his waistband and dumped the contents into a teacup before putting it on the bed stand enticingly. When he was done staging the trap, he slid back into his hiding spot.

Pucca didn't take a long bath, and returned looking a little bit refreshed, but mostly depressed. He absently wondered what was wrong with her, but was distracted by how breathtaking she was. He was twenty three, and he wasn't blind. She wore a silk camisole and silk shorts that didn't do much in the way of hiding, and her hair was hanging down her back in a long, damp sheet. The warm steam had made her cheeks a lively pink, and her skin soft. She started to walk to the bed when she spotted the tea. A soft smile played on her lips before she picked it up and took a long drink.

It obviously didn't take much potion to be effective. That one drink caused her to shudder and drop the cup, the contents spilling on the floor. She put a hand to her head in confusion.

"Gotcha." Tobe stepped out from behind the curtain. She was facing away from him, but she stiffened at the voice.

"Tobe? Why are you here?"

"To make you tea." He laughed, before stiffening. Did she just... talk?

"I... I'm not in the mood for a fight. Please leave."

"Why? What happened?!" Confusion spread into every bone of his body, unsure of why she would be acting this way. Why she would be... speaking.

"I said leave!" Pucca turned around, her fists clenching, ready to fight him. But as soon as her eyes connected with his, the potion began it's magic. She froze, simply staring at him.

"Pucca?"

"Tobe..." A small seductive smile slid across her lips before she sauntered over to him and ran her hands down his shoulders. "How come I never noticed how handsome you are?"

"Bingo." Tobe grinned, happy his plan actually succeeded for once. It occurred to him that he actually didn't know how the potion worked and he could have just risked being beaten to a pulp by Pucca. He pulled the vial out of his pocket and read the instructions on the back while Pucca kissed him repeatedly on the cheek.

"Have target ingest potion... mhmmm..." Tobe read, distracted by Pucca's onslaught of love. "Check. Be first person target sees. Check. Pucca please." He pushed her back for a second to get better light. "Disclaimer: potion will cease working when target sees someone they passionately love, or their heart is genuinely moved by the words of their beloved."

Tobe was so angry he broke the vial in his hand. "Great. This could go downhill fast... unless..." He gave Pucca a once over. "Since Garu won't speak... the spell will hold... if you don't see him."

Now that it was morning and she's had some time to cool down, Garu thought he might have a better chance of getting an audience with Pucca. He reached into his pocket and wrapped his hand around a small metal band there.

After his run in with Dandy, he thought about how to tell Pucca his feelings. So he went back to his house and brainstormed. As he was thinking and polishing his favorite sword, he had a brilliant idea. And he worked through the night, barely getting any sleep, to finish his project.

The most meaningful thing he could think to do was to turn his favorite sword into a ring for Pucca, so that she knew how much she truly meant to him. Now he just had to try to confess to her and hope for the best.

"Garu! I'm glad you are here!" Ho heaved a sigh of relief as Garu walked into Go-Rang. Garu ignored the Uncles and looked around, trying to find Pucca. He had to make things right. Somehow. He saw no sign of her. He turned to leave and look for her at Ching's place when Uncle Dumpling caught his hand.

"Pucca is gone!" He cried. That certainly got Garu's attention and he turned to face them, waiting for the full story.

"I don't know what happened!" Linguini said, obviously distraught. "She returned last night in a rather odd mood, took a bath, and went to her room for a bit. Then she just started going on a rampage. Throwing away everything with your face on it."

A pang hit Garu in the chest, and he knew he deserved what he got, but it still hurt knowing that she would go that far.

"That's not all!" Ho piped in. "She left shortly after. With Tobe!"

The name caused anger and confusion to well up in Garu. Why was Pucca with Tobe? What was Tobe doing here? And why did she leave with him, willingly?

"You have to find her! She hasn't returned home since then! We can't find her anywhere!" Uncle Dumpling looked genuinely worried. Anger won out in Garu and he knew, deep down, that this was some evil plot of Tobe's to hurt him. And he knew exactly where to find him.

Garu stealthily slid through the bushes outside of Tobe's fortress, looking for any means to enter, which wasn't hard to find at all. The front door was barely guarded, which was suspicious to say the least. As a ninja, he didn't even think about entering through the front door... he had his pride after all. He scanned along the building and saw a high window. It would be difficult to reach, but it was the least expected path.

He silently made his way along the side of the building before deftly hopping up the wall, grabbing the lip of the roof and swinging himself through the open window. Once through he slid into the shadows and mapped out the room. There was a large handful of ninja dispersed around the room doing various things; training, playing cards, watching TV and the like. In the corner, up a set of stairs there was a large throne like seat.

It didn't take long for his eyes to lock on Pucca's form. She was facing away from him, but he could see those enticing curves under the silky red cheongsam from his position clearly and knew who it was. Her hair wasn't in the odango style, curiously enough, and was left in a long silky sheet down her back.

She advanced towards the throne and draped herself across the person sitting in it. In a moment he could see it was Tobe.

"Pucca, please." He chuckled. "Not in front of the ninja."

"But Tobeeee." She whined, her cute voice finding its way to Garu's ears. "I don't care about them. I just want you."

"Don't embarrass me, woman. We're waiting for Garu."

Pucca let out out a giggle, and Garu felt anger rise in his veins. How could she do this? What did Tobe do to her? He began to see red as she leaned forward and placed a kiss on his neck. "Who's that?"

Tobe's face started to flush as she trailed kisses along his jaw. "It's... uh..."

Garu had enough. In one quick combo move he jumped from the shadows and leaped between the ninjas, quickly incapacitating them. The sounds of their distress drew Tobe's attention, who began an evil laugh.

"So, you took the bait. Stupid Garu." He turned to Pucca, who still had her back to Garu, and handed her a cloth. "If you would my dear?"

"Of course! Anything for you, my love!" She took it from his hands and tied it around her head so that it blocked her vision. Tobe waved his hand in front of her face to make sure she couldn't see anything.

Garu wanted to scream "What sort of nonsense is this?" But he couldn't. Instead he dropped into a fighting stance, ready to take Tobe out at any time.

Pucca, ever the skilled fighter, turned to face him as if she wasn't blinded at all.

"Ahhh, Garu. I knew you couldn't resist coming here." At Tobe's goading, Garu jumped forward and kicked at him. Before he could make contact, Pucca pulled Tobe out of the way.

"Ah, ah, ah." Tobe clicked his tongue. "You see, I'm not your opponent today. It seems my new beautiful girlfriend would do anything to protect me. Isn't that right my lovely little bunny?"

At his cooing, Pucca smiled. "Of course, Tobe. I live for you. I will protect you with everything."

The words caused Garu's hair to stand on end... and his heart to sink. There was that feeling of brokenheartedness that he was now familiar with. Pucca, seemingly unaffected by Garu, stepped in front of her new beau and flicked her hair over her shoulder.

"I'm sorry to have to do this, but I can't allow you to hurt my darling." Garu noticed her subtly shift her weight so it had a more solid foundation and knew she was preparing to fight. "I feel I might warn you, though, that being without sight isn't much of a handicap for me."

Briefly, Garu wondered why Tobe blindfolded her in the first place, but he didn't have much time to ponder it when Pucca lurched forward at almost inhuman speed and cut her leg through the air. At the last minute he managed to dodge the ax-kick, which was lucky because Pucca still had that above average strength and the floor beneath her heel splintered. Without missing a beat, she pushed off the ground and spun towards him again. It was taking all of Garu's speed to continue to evade her, but that wasn't surprising. Pucca, as always, was an intensely skilled martial artist.

She continued to attack him without mercy, and Garu started to feel panicked. He had never imagined that he and Pucca would be fighting like this. That she would be honestly trying to kill him. It was all his fault, and he couldn't tell her or show her he was sorry. She was lost to him. What's more, she was in the palm of the enemy. Knowing that he would run out of stamina before Pucca did, as always, he started to hatch a plan to incapacitate her so he could confront Tobe about the situation.

His best bet was to knock her out... since she was blindfolded he may be able to get behind her. Garu started to change tactics from dodging to attempting to swivel around her body.

"You think since I can't see you, you can sneak about?" Pucca snorted and grabbed his leg, tossing him away like a rag. "I can sense you."

Without warning, she pulled a dagger out of her bodice and advanced on Garu. The knife arched through the air as Garu jumped just over it, a few hairs getting grazed by the blade. The dance began, and somehow it was as if she had her sight because she didn't miss a beat.

"That's enough, Pucca. To my side, please." By the time Tobe called her, she had landed a few good strikes and thin lines of blood welled up on Garu's skin. She stopped almost instantly.

"Right away, my love!" Her face lit up with a smile as she skipped back to his side.

Tobe gave Garu a smug look. "I can't let her kill you now, you see... I need you to suffer. I need you to realize that I have what you most value. Your girlfriend is mine now."

Garu opened his mouth to say something back, but quickly closed it. He couldn't speak. He couldn't stain his honor by breaking his vow.

"Pucca, show this cretin how much you love me."

"Of course, my love." A seductive smile grazed her lips and she ran her hands along his chest. She leaned onto her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his mouth. Fury filled Garu's bones... ice cold fury. Something inside him screamed loudly and inhumanly, as if the sight was the most unnatural thing he could ever see. He wanted to scream out loud as well...to yell... to tell Tobe that Pucca was his! To tell her how much she meant to him. But the words stuck in his throat.

Tobe pulled back and locked eyes with Garu. "I won."

He took a step back. No matter what, he couldn't win against Pucca. He couldn't hurt her. Maybe Tobe had won... but there was something wrong. With a grunt, he retreated.

Garu had to leave. He had to remove himself from the situation and think. Something was really weird, but he couldn't figure out what if Pucca was attacking him... or distracting him with her affections for his nemesis. So he ran.

"Get back here, Garu! I'm not through with yoooouuu!" Tobe yelled. Garu dashed into the forest and kept going until he was sure he was alone. With a sigh of defeat he curled into himself. The motion caused his stomach to squeeze against something hard in his pocket. He pulled it out in annoyance to toss it away when the item caught his eye.

Love potion. He recalled that Santa was giving these out on the street to anyone and he took a sample.

Realization dawned on him. The only reason Pucca would act like that is if she was under the effects of such a potion. Hastily he turned the bottle to look at the instructions and disclaimer. He realized then why Pucca had been blindfolded, and that was proof enough that she had taken this potion.

The only way to get her back to normal would be to rip the blindfold off and have her look at him. She had been passionately in love with him since childhood, so that should be enough to break the spell. Hopefully. With a new found sense of confidence, and some sort of plan, he made his way back to Tobe's fortress.

Outrage grabbed hold of him as soon as he slipped back into the fortress. Apparently Tobe had taken the time that Garu had needed to regroup to continue his flirtations with Pucca. She was completely straddling his lap now, her hands eagerly threaded through Tobe's hair as she passionately kissed him. Garu could still see the signs of the cloth blocking her vision, so he knew that she was still blindfolded, but that didn't make the situation any less infuriating.

He started to see red as Tobe's hands slid up her thigh towards the hem at the hip of her cheongsam. Almost without thinking Garu threw a ninja star at the hand. Before it could make contact, Pucca had caught it deftly between two fingers, the star spinning with the momentum. It was hard to believe that she was blindfolded at all. She broke the lip-lock and turned her face slightly towards Garu's position. He could see that her lips were slightly red and swollen from the attention she had given his enemy.

"Garu, you've returned." Tobe said with a smirk. "Finally. Any longer and Pucca and I would have had to find other ways to occupy our time."

The innuendo wasn't lost on Garu and he clenched his fists. Pucca, however, was still hyper focused on the fact that a sharp instrument had been thrown at Tobe's hand.

"How dare you." She growled, sliding off Tobe's lap. "You could have injured his beautiful hands. Your fight is with me." With a flick of her wrist the ninja star headed back towards Garu who deftly dodged the projectile. However Pucca used the distraction to move in closer to her target.

"How dare you! How dare you!" She sprung into the air and spun her leg at him in a giant swooping kick. Garu, fresh with a plan, started to try to catch her off guard and dodged, analyzing her movements. Pucca was just as fast as he was, and often times he wouldn't win their scuffles. But he only had to take her blindfold off, a task that was wholly doable.

"Now, now, Pucca darling." Tobe teased casually from his chair. "Go easy on him. We want to drag this out and prolong his suffering."

"No." She growled. "He must be punished." She advanced on him again, using the length of her legs to her advantage with another pivoting kick. Garu, knowing that she'd most likely use kicks to create more reach in her blindness, was prepared. He grabbed her leg and threw her off balance. While she tried to recover he slid behind her and ripped off the blindfold.

"No!" Tobe yelled, jumping up from his chair in alarm. If Pucca saw Garu, someone who was dearly beloved to her, the spell would break. But Garu wasn't willing to waste any time. Pucca had frozen up, realizing that the blindfold had been taken from her. She was facing away from him, so he lightly touched her arm to get her attention.

Pucca slowly looked over her shoulder at him. At first she seemed almost fearful, trusting in Tobe's insistence that she needed to hide her vision. Then, as she caught Garu's form in her peripheral vision, a blank look settled across her features.

To Garu's shock, the spell clearly hadn't broken. Her eyes didn't hold any of that familiar warmth and love that made Pucca so special. Instead, her gaze was blank and her brows furrowed in confusion. She staggered back, trying to compose herself, but couldn't somehow shake the feeling that something was off.

"Who... who are you?" She stuttered, and Garu could feel his heart sink through the floor.

Tobe, who was previously about to panic, started to boisterously laugh. "Wow. You must not mean as much to her as we thought then. I thought for sure seeing you would break the spell, but she doesn't even remember you."

Garu gave him a look of disdain and pain. If that didn't break the spell, he didn't know what to do. She must have really have given up on him. And that thought was more painful than any wound he had ever received. Pucca was truly lost to him.

"Pucca, be a dear and finish him off." Tobe said with a flick of his wrist. "This is just pathetic now."

"I..." Pucca looked up at Garu again and her features contorted in pain, that confusion still there. "I don't want to. Listen, I don't know who you are, but please leave. I'll talk to Tobe and ask him to let this go. I... don't want to fight you anymore."

Garu took a step towards her and reached out to grasp her hand. She retreated, clearly upset.

"Pucca! I said to finish him off!" Tobe stomped his foot like a child.

"Just... leave." She whispered, her hand over her heart like it hurt. She pivoted to leave herself and Garu panicked.

Without thinking he spoke for the first time in years, desperation breaking his vow of silence. "Pucca...!" He cried, reaching out to her.

The tenor of his voice made her jolt to a stop. As she turned to face him, the sound of glass shattering rang out and it was like a veil fell from her vision. Her eyes brightened and teared up at the same time, and Garu could sense that she was back.

"Garu? What's happening?" She held her head in confusion. "What have I done?" In sheer panic her eyes raised and locked on Tobe. Pucca's face contorted in horror as the sense of violation hit her. "What have you done, Tobe?"

"Pucca..." Garu stepped forward to grab her hand and comfort her, but anxiety had already set in and she was trembling uncontrollably.

"How could you do this, Tobe?" Tears fell from her eyes. "I..." her hands covered her lips. Then a light of understanding hit her eyes as she realized it was exactly what she had been doing to Garu all this time. Forcing him to kiss her and be close to her.

"Damn you, Garu!" Tobe hissed, fury lighting his features. "How did you figure it out?"

Despite feeling incredibly violated, anger started to seep into Pucca as she pounced at Tobe with sheer fury. "You used me! You... you!" Her hands wrapped around his throat as she knocked him to the ground. She continued to choke him, out of her mind with anger, embarrassment and grief.

Garu ran up behind her and pulled her off of Tobe, who looked seriously frightened now as he wheezed and coughed from the assault.

"Pucca...stop..." He said, his voice rasping. Her eyes snapped to him and softened before the pain clouded everything.

"I... I..." She ripped away from him and ran out the door, leaving Tobe and Garu behind. Garu, not willing to let her go again, gave chase, Tobe completely forgotten.

"Pucca... wait!" He called out, but not as loudly as he wanted to. His voice was untrained in his silence. Pucca may not have heard him or didn't care as she continued to run. It was difficult to see her, the sun setting in the distance blurring his vision and making her nothing more than a silhouette. Her dark figure afforded him no advantage because he couldn't see well enough to predict where she was headed, and his only option was to outpace her. Which, given their history of her chasing him, has proven to be a very difficult feat. Desperation gave him a burst of speed and he managed to get ahead of her and cut her off. She made to dodge around him, but he caught her in his arms so she couldn't run.

"Garu... please..." She sobbed, trying to escape. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'll leave you alone. I won't bother you anymore."

"Don't. Don't leave me." Garu had a whole routine planned earlier, but now that he could talk to her he didn't know what to do or say. The whole game changed to improve.

"Garu... I... Tobe..." Tears overflowed again and she started to sob. "I'm tainted anyways. I allowed myself to fall for Tobe that way. I kissed him."

"It's not your fault." Garu whispered, drawing her closer and stroking her hair.

"It is. If I truly loved you I wouldn't have done that." Pucca kept crying, his shoulder becoming soggy from all the tears. "You had to break your vow of silence for me. I don't deserve you."

"Pucca..." He squeezed her as if he was trying to make her part of him. "I'm the one who doesn't deserve you. Your love and loyalty is unfaltering. How you acted under the effects of that potion is not your fault."

She sniffled a bit. "Okay."

Although his throat hurt now from speaking when he wasn't accustomed to it he had to see this through. His future happiness depended onit. "Pucca..."

"Yeah?" She whispered, burying her face into his shoulder. He forced her to look into his eyes.

"I love you."

A whole myriad of emotions cycled over her face. Happiness. Shock. Confusion. Disbelief. "You... you do?"

"I'm sorry I've been acting like I don't. I was embarrassed and I wanted to..." His face turned bright red, but he forced himself to continue. "I wanted to be a man to you. I wanted to make all the advances and show you how I really felt, but you were so forward I never felt like I had the chance. I didn't know how to handle it, and my pride made me act horribly to you. I'm so sorry."

"W-what?" Her face turned bright red. "It's okay. I understand now that what I did was a bit much."

He reached into his pocket and took out the ring, holding it up so she could see it. "I made this out of my favorite blade. I wanted to show you that you are more important to me than anything. You are more important to me than martial arts. I don't even mind that I had to break my vow of silence for you. You are more important to me than my pride. You are more important than honor. Will you marry me?"

He held the ring out to her and she nodded eagerly, receiving it. "I will."

Garu let out a whoop of joy and leaned forward to capture her lips without even thinking. When their lips met a jolt of electricity surged through him. Before he completely lost himself outside of Tobe's fortress he found his inner restraint and pulled back breathless.

Pucca focused her attention on the ring. She slid it easily on to her hand and blinked when it fit perfectly. "How did you get it to fit so well? You made this yourself, right?"

"I've held your hand so many times over the past ten years, I would be an idiot not to know how small your hands are." To emphasize his point, he threaded his fingers through hers. Soon he was leading her by that hand back through the forest.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"Back to Goh-Rong." He thought of Dandy's face in his mind's eye and sneered. "We have to tell everyone the good news."

Pucca suddenly stopped and nearly pulled Garu off his feet. He turned around, a bit annoyed at the jarring motion, but saw her face. She was looking down at the ground with a rather conflicted expression and her face completely red.

"Pucca? What's the matter?"

"Do we have to go back?" She mumbled, her face getting impossibly redder.

"Why?"

"I'm so embarrassed. I left like that with Tobe... I can only imagine what my Uncles think. I don't want to go back yet. I'm too ashamed."

"You have to go home eventually." Garu grunted, but her face was so heart wrenching he was losing his nerve.

"I will!" She looked up at him quickly before looking away again. "But can we go in the morning? I want to think about what to say to them. And I... I..." Overheating with embarrassment she changed her mind suddenly. "Nevermind, let's go."

"You what?" Garu chuckled, this shy behavior so very unlike her. It was a new side to her he had never seen. Usually she was so bold and forward.

"I don't want to leave you just yet..." She mumbled, even her ears blushing. "Ah, but... it's okay. My Uncles are probably worried." She hurried ahead and this time he didn't budge, his heart completely full from how adorable she was.

"Okay. We can go back to my house. I'll take you back in the morning after we gather ingredients for the Uncles."

"You'll let me go with you?" Her voice was small and quiet. "Really? Usually I have to follow you."

"Yeah. Really." Garu grinned a bit. "You're always a really big help, actually."

"Okay..." Pucca mumbled with a nod.

This bashful side of Pucca was almost making him lose himself. With an urgent need to have her as close as possible, he looped his hand around her waist and brought her close to side.

"Hang on to me, okay? We can jump the bamboo to get there quicker."

Pucca struggled a little but Garu held fast. "I can do it myself. I'm an adept martial artist too."

"I know." Garu started to blush, losing his cool facade just a tad. "But I want to do this."

Seeming to understand, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Okay."

As they jumped between the bamboo trees, Pucca began to close her eyes and lean into him. The feeling of his lean, strong body next to hers was soothing after such a stressful day. Garu was actually shocked. Even though Pucca was so strong and could easily shatter marble flooring, she was so tiny and light. He had never thought about it much before since she was the one who usually dragged him about. Though, now that he thought back, she wasn't quite as easily able to lift him now that he has filled out into a more manly build. While she was still certainly capable with her superhuman strength, the radical difference in their height and size made it rather awkward. The delicate structure of her body next to his made her seem all of a sudden more feminine.

As they reached his house, he felt a pang of regret. Some part of him wanted to stay like this for longer. But he could tell that the whole ordeal had made Pucca seriously emotionally exhausted, so it was best to be someplace where she could process. He set her down gently but she didn't remove her arms from around his neck.

"Pucca?"

"Sorry." She snuggled up to him closer and his heart sped up. So cute. "It's just very soothing to be next to you."

Understanding her plea for comfort, he held her closer. He could feel her heart beat against his chest, and for the first time in his life felt like he was whole. The moment was long and short at the same time. It felt like time almost stopped, but like only an instant had passed. And then Garu's stomach had to ruin it with a rather loud growl. Pucca pulled back in surprise and then giggled.

"Sorry." He rubbed his neck bashfully. He hadn't had anything to eat that day. He was so worried about clearing things up with Pucca he had left without breakfast. And the process of trying to get her back had taken most of the day and it stressed him out too much to worry about food.

"No... you're probably hungry." She bit her lip, looking around at the forest. "I can probably find something here to make some dinner."

Garu, still used to not speaking and suffering from a tense throat, pointed to his chest and nodded, a symbol that he wanted to help as well. She gave him a little smile and nodded back before tying her long hair up into her classic odango hairstyle to get it out of the way.

They very quietly and efficiently gathered ingredients together, like they had many times before for the uncles. They found mushrooms, tubers, and herbs. Pucca managed caught a fish (a rather large one, as was her style to do so). In less than an hour they had managed to gather everything, and it was just in time. The sun had finally set just as they finished. Their way back to the house was lit by fireflies, but Garu took firm hold of her hand to make sure she stayed close and didn't get lost.

"Hmmm..." She bit her lip in thought, thinking about the ingredients. "Stew?"

Garu nodded in agreement, thinking that they probably had enough to make a rather amazing stew. As Pucca started to unpack the ingredients, he got nervous. He had tried many of her meals in the past and every one was indescribably awful. Feeling a sudden need to protect his physical well-being he waved her off and started to cook himself. Pucca's cheeks inflated in an adorable pout.

"I'll have you know that my food had gotten better."

Garu laughed nervously and continued to chop ingredients. Feeling dejected she crouched by the fire pit and drew spirals in the sand. "I wanted to cook for you, though."

He was going to unabashedly continue to cook for the good of his stomach, but one look at her pouting, sad form made his heart hurt and he let out a sigh. Garu took a step back and motioned for her to come back to cook. Pucca's head perked up with a giggle, her odango's bobbing with the joy of the motion. With an adorable prance back to the cooking space, she gave him a small kiss on the cheek before continuing her cooking process.

Garu put his hand to his cheek where she had pressed her lips and could feel his heart through his palm, it was beating so fiercely. She had kissed him many times before but he had never had such a strong reaction before. Maybe it was because he had fully realized his feelings now. Or perhaps because their feelings were consensual. But everything she did tonight felt different and he simply couldn't resist her. Even if later he regretted it as he ate her awful cooking, he couldn't deny her this. Fondly watching her work, Garu sat cross-legged by the table to get a better view.

Everything about her was just so... cute. Yes, she was now a beautiful woman. Nothing about her figure would say otherwise. But her actions were so sweet and feminine that he couldn't help but feel that even though she was matured she was still the most adorable creature. Pucca lightly sang as she worked and he was shocked at her lovely singing voice. Since before today Pucca rarely spoke, he had never heard her do more than hum. Now her voice enchanted him completely, and he closed his eyes and focused on nothing but that.

Before he knew it, Pucca was tapping him on the shoulder. "Garu? Are you meditating?"

He couldn't help but chuckle. There was a time when all he wanted to do was meditate in peace and Pucca would always bother him. Now he didn't mind the interruption. He opened his eyes and saw her next to him, a bowl in her hand. She looked worried, like she thought she might be bothering him, as she bit her lip a bit and tilted her head. Acting on pure instinct, he reached forward and caressed her cheek lovingly.

"No. I was just listening to your lovely singing voice." Garu was shocked at how easily that cheesy line slid from his lips. Pucca blushed in response, unused to being on the receiving end of affection.

"I-I finished the stew." She stuttered, once more uncharacteristically flustered. Garu made a mental note that she responded rather sweetly to his advances and wished that he had decided to show her more affection before. It seems Pucca was forced to tone down her assault of affection with periodic shows of love from Garu.

He sat up straighter as she set the bowl in front of him. To his utter surprise, the food smelled amazing.

"I'm sorry if it isn't the best. I've been training with the Uncles a bit but I'm still not Goh-Rang worthy..." She sat down next to him with her stew and began to eat it. Her expression showed no feelings of disgust, so Garu curiously gave the soup a try. It was delicious. The realization shocked him enough that he actually stopped eating as he processed this.

"It isn't good?" Pucca asked, disappointed. Garu shook his head quickly, not wanting to misinterpret.

"It's... really really good." Garu responded, glad that he could tell her with his own words for once. His approval made her beam and she happily ate next to him. Once they were full, and they washed their bowls, they headed inside. It was starting to get a bit chilly.

"Oh. Hello Mio." Pucca leaned down to pet Garu's cat. Even though it was something so simple, a girl petting a feline, it made Garu smile. She was always so gentle with Mio and shared a love for animals with Garu. Even though she had a legendary temper, she also had a gentle soul that was incomparable to anyone else in Sooga.

While she was busy with Mio, Garu stepped outside to change into night clothes and occupied himself with setting out extra bedding for her. He always made sure to have some on hand for when Abyo stayed with him, but this was the first time he was going to have a girl stay with him.

"Garu..." Pucca was now watching him, her hands wringing nervously. "Do you have anything I can wear to sleep in?"

He hadn't thought of that. He went to his closet and found the smallest outfit he had... it was a black ninja outfit he had outgrown but just forgot to get rid of. It was loose and comfortable for fighting, so it should work fine for sleeping. He gave it to her and she shifted nervously again.

"Can you step outside so I can change?" She asked, shyly. He felt all the blood rush to his face as he realized that she had to actually get naked to put that on. He grabbed Mio as he went out, unwilling to let the cat see her either.

After a few minutes he heard her call him back in. He opened the door and his heart nearly burst from his chest. She had her hair down out of her odangos, the length now reaching nearly her ankles. His outfit, though too small for him, was swimming on her. The collar dipped enticingly low on her chest, showing just a bit of cleavage. His sleeves were way too long on her small arms, hanging over her hands and the legs were bunched at the bottom with height she clearly didn't need. The waist was cinched in as much as she could, revealing her tiny waist under all that fabric. If it wasn't for her curvy figure, she'd look like a child in her parents clothes. It mind numbing how adorable she looked.

She sighed and looked at him helplessly. "Can you put my hair up for me? It's in the way and these sleeves are so long..."

With a nod, he walked to her and took her hair in his hands. It was so soft and silky and felt so good. It was amazing that hair this long was in such good shape. He grabbed a handkerchief, rolled it up in her hair and tied it at the crown of her head so a majority of it was out of the way. He may have pretty long hair himself, but he was no girl and wasn't very versed on hairstyles.

"Thank you." She said, giving him a smile, clearly happy enough with the hair style. She leaned forward and rested her cheek on her knees. "This feels like a dream. I never thought I'd be here with you like this."

Unable to let her be too far from his side, he saddled up next to her and put his hands around her shoulders. She leaned into him gratefully and looked up to him with soulful eyes. "I'm happy."

"Me too." He said, gently.

"Hey... Garu..." Pucca fidgeted a bit. "Are you going to take another vow of silence?"

"Hm. Maybe. I haven't really thought about it."

"Oh." Quiet eclipsed them before Garu spoke again.

"I would miss being able to talk with you, though" He grumbled, shyly. "Even though we did just fine communicating without words before... I still wasn't able to tell you everything. Or ask anything I wanted."

"What did you want to ask me?"

"Well..." He thought for a moment. "I hope this won't upset you..."

"You can ask me anything." Pucca said confidently. "Even if it is upsetting. I want you to know about me."

"Okay." He swallowed, gearing himself up for this conversation. "I overheard the Uncles talking about how you haven't talked since something happened with your parents. What happened?"

Pucca blinked, shock overtaking her features before shaking slightly. "Oh. You don't start with the easy questions, do you?" Tears gathered in her eyes and Garu started to panic and recant, disliking her reaction.

"You don't have to tell me. I understand."

"No." She grabbed hold of his hand. "I want you to know..." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I haven't always lived in Sooga Village as you know. Before this, I lived with my parents. My mother was a violinist and my father was a singer... which is where I learned to sing and play instruments. We often traveled as they held concerts and went to different events, so we weren't home often. Somewhere along the line, my Dad started to gamble. At first it wasn't very much, so my mom didn't know. But all of a sudden, he gambled more and more. Soon he owed the wrong people money. And that's when everything went bad."

She curled into herself and Garu petted her back soothingly

"The loan sharks started to show up unannounced. They'd hit my father, and even sometimes my mother. They threatened to hurt me. They would follow me home from school. They started to take things. First little things, like expensive statues. Then they escalated and started taking big things. The television. The computer. My dad wound up in the hospital with broken ribs and broken fingers a few times. Eventually they took my mother's violin. It was the straw that broke the camels back. She was heartbroken and told my father she was leaving and taking me with her. She was planning to come here, to Sooga Village, and stay with her brothers. But we never got the chance to leave."

Tears were now cascading down her face as her fingernails dug into her arms. Her grief was intense, but Garu didn't stop her. She needed to talk about it to move on.

"They came that night, with guns. We didn't have anything of value left, and my father had no way to pay them back. When my mom heard them approaching the house, she shoved me into the closet and told me to hide, but I saw everything. They beat them, over and over. Tortured them. Tried to make them give up money they didn't have... before finally shooting them both... in the head." She broke out in sobs, her whole body quaking. Garu pulled her to him and enrobed her in his arms. But she had to continue.

"I hid in the closet for days next to my parent's corpses. I was too scared to leave." She grasped desperately at his shirt. "When the police found me, I had made a promise to myself to become so strong I could protect everyone I loved. And I no longer felt like talking, or singing... the music reminded me of my parents too much."

She was full on sobbing now, her arms clutching Garu.

"I'm so sorry..." he whispered, petting her back. Her story and her tears broke him. He didn't know what he could do to make this better. Nothing could make this better. So he just held her.

In true Pucca fashion she calmed herself down and wiped at her face. "But, it all worked out." She snuffled. "I got to move here, to Sooga village. I got to live with my Uncles and met Ching and you. I'm happy here."

"I'm happy you're here." Garu offered. Pucca gave him a little giggle back. He was amazed by her. If there was anybody who could see the positives of a situation like that, it was her. She was like a ray of sunshine to Sooga village, and no one could imagine the town without her anymore. And more so she was a beacon of joy to Garu himself. He could always count on her help when he was in a tight spot, and he could always count on her smile when he felt down.

"It was good to get that off my chest. You are the first person I ever told." She sniffled a bit more before turning her attention to him. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Yeah." Pucca aimed her glossy, teary eyes at him and it made him want to tell her anything she wished. "You've always been silent since I met you. You never told me your story."

"Oh." Garu scratched at his cheek a bit nervously. "It's nothing that interesting, believe me."

"Still. I want to hear it." Pucca snuggled up next to him, blinking expectantly. He sighed with defeat.

"Well. My parents left before I could remember, and left me with my Grandpa. I never really knew why. I really don't know that much about my relatives except that I had an ancestor that brought dishonor on my family, which is why my grandpa lived out here so far from the village. Our family moved here after we were chased out of Sooga. Obviously that was a long time ago, but I can't help but feel like I must live honorably to make up for it. It's what my Grandpa taught me to do."

"What happened to your grandpa?" She asked, looking away. He wasn't here, so it was easy to deduce.

"Oh... He died shortly before you arrived in Sooga Village. I made a vow of silence when he passed, to honor him. Now it's just me."

"What about your parents?"

"Don't know. They never came back." Although he said it so nonchalantly, it obviously bothered him.

"Well, it's their loss." A cheeky grin spread across her face. "I can be your family now. You don't need them."

Her sincerity made her so much more dear to him. He was so used to people giving them their condolences and pity. But Pucca, she knew that hearing I'm sorry from anyone but his parents was meaningless. Instead, she offered comfort in another way, by offering to give him all the love he craved. His heart felt so full it was overflowing.

"No." He said, with a chuckle, cupping her cheeks. "I just need you." He gently wiped a leftover tear from her face.

It escalated from there.

When morning came, Garu almost convinced himself it was all a dream. That he was still a solitary ninja and he'd wake up alone, eat breakfast alone, train alone, and go into the village where Pucca would start to chase him and he'd be too shy to face her. He woke from a peaceful night's sleep and was afraid to open his eyes, but he could feel the warmth of a body next to him and the events of the night prior came rushing back to him. A blush rose on his face as he realized that Pucca was indeed snuggled up close to his side.

He could feel her warm skin against him, her hair tickling his arm. Garu cracked his eyes open to look at her. The deep sleep they had shared had loosened the kerchief holding her hair and it was now cascading over her like a long blanket. She was so beautiful, it made him think of old ink paintings of women with long hair, rosey lips, pale moon-like faces, and slender necks. She was almost too perfect to exist in reality, and yet he held her in his arms.

As soon as the thought formed, he knew he had to kiss her. He used the hand she was not currently keeping hostage as a pillow to guide her head in his direction before leaning forward and gently pressing his lips to hers. She moaned, her lips instinctively puckering, before her lids fluttered open. Garu pulled back a bit and rubbed his nose against hers lovingly.

"Good morning." His voice rumbled, the early time evident in his vocal chords.

"Garu!" Pucca said in surprise, her eyes getting wide. "So that wasn't a dream."

"Nope. You're stuck with me." Garu gave her a grin before threading his hands through her hair and kissing her again, this time more deeply. Awake and fully responsive, Pucca kissed back eagerly.

She ran her hands up his muscular back and shuddered.

"Want to have a morning in?" She suggestively offered. Garu did consider it, albeit briefly. While there was nothing more in the world he wanted, there was only so long they could ignore their responsibilities.

"You know as well as I do that you need to get back to Goh-Rang..." Garu raised his brow to emphasize his point and Pucca sighed regretfully in return.

"Yeah... I know." She closed her eyes and snuggled into his form more. "I wish I could wake up like this all the time."

"You can." Garu blinked. "We are going to get married, so why not just move in?"

"But my Uncles would be so put out." Pucca bit her lip, worrying.

"You can still help them at Goh-Rang," he gently reminded her, "but you are to be my wife, and I want you by my side."

"Hmm..." Pucca put her chin on his chest and gazed up at him adorably. "Alright."

"That quickly?" Garu blinked. "You could take some more time to think."

"Don't wanna. I want to be with you."

He gave her an affectionate pet on the head. "We better get going. Your Uncles will need ingredients to open the restaurant, and they eagerly await your return."

"Yeah, okay." She got up with a pout and went to find her day clothes. Garu couldn't help but feel like a complete perv staring at her bare skin as she walked away.

Tobe felt his neck bitterly, the bruises from Pucca's wrath dark and abundant. He looked to his Shaman with anger.

"Have you finished the potions?"

Pandoga and the Shaman glanced at each other nervously.

"Listen, Tobe... I think it's better you just let this go."

"I won't!" Tobe growled. "Pucca is mine. I need another love potion for her. And I need to get rid of Garu once and for all so he can't interfere."

"Yeah, but poisoning him? Isn't that going a little far?" Doga looked at him with concern.

"It'll be a long time coming. I'll finally have my vengeance. And I'll get the girl. It's win win."

"No. It's not. It won't be real love."

"It doesn't matter what sort of love it is! Love is love!" Tobe gripped his hands in a tight fist, blood welling on his palm where his nails bit into the flesh. "I need her."

"You don't, Tobe. Can't you see I-"

Tobe cut her off. "I do. She's beautiful. Talented. Strong. Loyal. With her, I can be the most powerful leader in Sooga. She is the key to power and the key to my happiness. I need her."

The Shaman sighed, knowing once Tobe got something in his head it was a lost cause. "I did my best." He gave the vials to Tobe, who growled in return.

"If these don't work, you'll regret it."

As Garu and Pucca picked mushrooms for Goh-Rang, Pucca couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Garu, who was usually quite intuitive, was focused on their task and didn't seem to sense that something was weird. Pucca began to doubt herself. Maybe she was wrong... but she couldn't allow herself to enjoy the morning while she felt the hairs raise on the back of her neck.

Garu saw the expression on Pucca's face and he glanced about, trying to figure out what was making her so defensive.

"What's wrong?" He said in a low voice, his hand inching towards his blade.

"I don't know..." She whispered, her hands shaking. "I just have this awful feeling."

"It'll be okay." He said, resolute, but she noticed he was still tense. Pucca wasn't one to panic lightly, so if she was worried something may actually be off. They continued to pick mushrooms when Garu spotted some salmonberries.

"Look!" He said, his eyes sparkling. He walked over to pick them when goosebumps crawled up her arm.

No. She thought. No, no. Something is wrong. Garu!

In the corner of her vision, she saw the flash of something reflecting off the morning sun. Without another thought she jumped forward.

"Garu!" She screamed, using her body weight to push him out of the way. He tumbled into the salmonberries, crushing them, as a vial shattered on her foot. Plumes of smoke came out of the glass as it cut into her flesh and she was too surprised by the pain to hold her breath.

"Pucca!" Garu recovered quickly, jumping up. Before he could reach her, Pucca was coughing violently and holding her throat.

"No! NO! That was meant for you!" Tobe cursed, revealing himself.

The poison gas was gone by the time Garu was able to grab hold of Pucca, who was still choking.

"What did you do?" He growled at Tobe, his anxiety increasing.

"The poison was meant for you!" Tobe staggered back. "I didn't want to hurt her."

"Where's the antidote?" Garu's furious and frightened eyes sought out Tobe. "Where is it?"

Pucca lapsed into unconsciousness in his arms, her face pale.

"We didn't make an antidote! I didn't intend for you to recover!" Tobe retorted, in panic.

Garu hugged Pucca to him, tears now falling from his eyes. She was limp in his arms. "Why would you do this?"

"Because you took her from me!" Tobe growled. "She's mine. I love her!"

"If you loved her, this wouldn't have happened." Garu accused. "If you don't have the antidote, I have no use for you." He picked her up in his arms.

"Where are you going?" Tobe asked, his voice hoarse and shaking with regret.

"To Master Soo." He looked at Pucca's face. "It's her only hope now..." Garu started to run but stopped just long enough to cast a dangerous look over his shoulder. "If she doesn't make it through this Tobe, there is no place on this Earth that you can hide from me."

Tobe, knowing that he had gone too far this time, put his face in his hands, guilt more his enemy than Garu now.

Tobe was forgotten for the moment, though definitely not forgiven. Sheer desperation fueled Garu at this point, his gathering basket forgotten in the clearing. He held her protectively in his arms, her body seeming colder by the minute. Not sure he could make it all the way to the sky palace on foot in time, he closed his eyes and prayed as he ran.

Please. Please. Please. Master Soo. Please help. The mantra continued as his feet pounded through the forest. The branches scratched at him as he went, but he held little care for what happened to his own body, using it to shield hers. He didn't realize his prayers were answered until his foot hit plush instead of the hard forest bed. He looked around and realized he had been retrieved by a cloud and was flying quickly to the palace.

Master Soo, who apparently sensed something was off, was waiting at the steps as Garu landed. Garu staggered over to him, frantic.

"Garu. Calm down. Use your training. You'll have to break your vow. Tell me what happened."

Master Soo had no idea Garu's vow had already been broken. He tried to the best of his ability to calm himself to be of more help, however. Years and years of training did nothing to his helpless panic. There was no way to train for this. To train for gaining everything one day only to lose it the next. His mind still racing, his wild eyes met Master Soo's and he dropped to his knees to beg. He wasn't able let go of Pucca or else he would be tempted put his forehead to the ground as well in a complete surrender to his desperation.

"Please. Please Master Soo. She's been poisoned. Tobe used something..." Tears spilled out once more, as he hugged her closer. "She's dying. Help her." A sob escaped.

"Let me see her, Garu." He floated closer to them for a better view. Garu, after a brief moment of hesitation, loosed his grip and gently rested her in front of him. For the first time since he started to run he saw her face. Pucca's lips were turning blue. His heart started to shred itself.

Master Soo looked down at her with a thoughtful expression. He shook his head sadly. "That's a strong spell. There's only one way to save her from this, but it may be too great a sacrifice for you young man."

"Nothing is too great a sacrifice." Garu said, his hands clutching at his knees. "Tell me what to do."

"My boy, you'll have to bind yourself to her and share your life energy. From today on, she'll be your other half. If you die, she dies. If she dies, you die. Your fate will be tied forever."

"Do it."

"You don't seem to understand. You've spent the entire time you've known her running from her. If you do this, there will be no escape for you anymore."

Garu looked at her pale face. Master Soo didn't know that he had given up running and decided to love her wholeheartedly. This wasn't a sacrifice to him.

"I will spend the rest of my life with her." Garu met Master Soo's eyes with conviction. "Please tell me how to save her."

Master Soo summoned a blade, clearly engraved with magic lettering, and handed it to Garu. "Cut off a length of your hair."

Without even batting an eye, even though Garu treasured his hair, he pulled out his hair ties, grabbed the bunch of hair roughly with one hand, and sliced it off with the blade. His hair fell around him. Master Soo looked at the display thoughtfully, as if something was finally clicking for him. He only said a length of hair, but Garu didn't hesitate to cut it all.

"What next?" Garu asked, his hair still wafting to the ground.

"You love her don't you?" Master Soo said, amazed that this happened. He had known them all their lives. Pucca had always chased him, and Garu always seemed disgusted by her advances. He never thought this day would come. He thought it was more likely that Pucca would give up one day and move on, Garu was so determined to live a solitary life as a ninja. The humans in Sooga Village still surprised him. The power of love still shocked him.

"Yes. I do. What do I do next?" He glanced down at her and his expression became pained. "Please, she's suffering."

"Take some hair and weave it into a bracelet."

"We don't have time for this!" Garu cried out, his tears hitting Pucca's lifeless cheeks.

"You must."

With shaking but efficient hands, Garu wove the bracelet.

"Now hold it close to your heart, imagine your soul touching it. Put all the love you feel for her into it, and all your desire to save her."

Garu closed his eyes, summoning on his meditation training, and calmed himself so he could efficiently accomplish the task as soon as possible. Time was of the essence.

"Tie it to her left wrist." Master Soo instructed.

Garu did as he was asked.

Master Soo floated over her body and waved his magic staff. "Bind."

A bright light emitted from the bracelet, blinding Garu. He shielded his face with his hands, blocking the light but still attempting to keep an eye on her. The bracelet's light started to fade as it dissolved into her skin, leaving a mark behind reminiscent of a tattoo.

"Is that it?" Garu asked, blinking the spots from his vision. He scooted closer to her and held her face. The color was starting to return. Hope blossomed in his chest.

"It is done. You are now soulmates." Master Soo shook his head. "I hope you don't grow to regret this. The pull between soulmates is strong."

Garu stroked her cheek gently with the back of his hand, his knuckles grazing the soft skin. "The pull between us has always been strong." He murmured. "So strong I was unable to escape it."

Pucca gasped and her eyes snapped open. She looked around confused. "Where am I?"

"Pucca!" Garu cried, pulling her to him. He was shaking all over, the adrenaline from his desire to save her leaving his body. He had been so frightened.

"Garu... how did you get so scratched up?" Pucca frowned, running hand along a cut on his eyebrow.

"Gods, that's not important. You almost died. Don't ever try to save me like that again."

Master Soo, unable to read the moment, shrugged. "Doesn't matter now anyways. If she dies, you die too."

"What?" Pucca shrieked, looking between Master Soo and Garu. "What did you do Garu?"

"You were dying, Pucca. I didn't have a choice." Garu's shaking hand cupped her cheek, willing her to understand.

"You're soulmates now!" Master Soo said cheerfully. Garu cast him an annoyed glance.

"I'm very grateful for your help, Master Soo, but would you mind giving us a moment?" Garu said through a strained smile.

"Well, I never." Master Soo huffed, floating into his palace.

"Soulmates?" Pucca clasped at Garu's sleeve, her eyes searching. "Garu what is he talking about?"

He grabbed her left wrist and showed her the mark there. "It was the only way. Tobe didn't have an antidote and I was running out of time."

"But what does it mean?" Pucca asked, running her fingers along the mark.

"It means we are tied together. I die, you die. Our fates are bound."
"Oh... no. Garu..." Pucca's face became pained. "I'm so sorry you had to do this for me."

The look of anguish on her face made his heart hurt and he hugged her tightly. "I'm not. I'm not sorry. It's not even worth living if you aren't around. It wasn't even a sacrifice."

"Your haiiirr..." She whined, her hands running through the remains, glancing down at the locks on the ground. "You had to cut your hair for this?"

"Why do you say it like that? Does it look bad?" He asked shyly.

"What? No. I don't care what your hair looks like. But I know how much you liked it." Her eyes watered. "I'm always such a nuisance to you."

"No." He released her from the hug to look into her eyes. "At first, maybe you were. I just wanted to train, and you were relentless. But now... now I could never think of you as a nuisance. Every moment with you is a gift." He put his hand over his heart and clutched at his chest like he was in physical pain, pure misery dripping from his voice, as he willed her to understand. "I almost lost you, Pucca. That was worse than you being with Tobe. It was worse than any torture. Don't ever call yourself a nuisance. I'm glad to have met you."

Tears were pouring out her eyes now. "Okay."

"I love you." And he pressed his lips to hers. They enjoyed the fairy tale like moment before Pucca pulled back.

"What happened to Tobe though?" She asked, curious.

Tobe was looking out over the ocean, his gaze empty and lost. In a jealous rage he had almost killed the girl he claimed to love. His heart felt raw and bruised every time he saw the image of Pucca gasping for breath in his mind's eye.

For the first time in his life, he realized that this pointless grudge he had against Garu had gone too far. He was so wound up in vengeance that he had almost killed Pucca by association. The guilt was like stones on his shoulders, and he felt so heavy and burdened.

It was time to let go. To leave. To let Garu and Pucca live their lives and move on. And time for Tobe to repent. He pulled the vial of copycat love potion from his pocket and clutched it in his hands. This briefly held all his hopes for the future. His hopes for a future with Pucca.

He knew the only way she would love him is if she was under a spell. There was no other way to sway her from Garu. So he clung desperately to this plan. But Garu was right. If he truly loved her, he wouldn't do these things. And Pandoga was right. The love Pucca gave him while under the spell wasn't real love. That fake love shattered in the face of the real thing, as soon as Garu reached out.

With a mighty yell, he threw the potion as far as he could into the surf. He had just returned from Garu's house where he had left a letter of sincere apology for both of them, as well as the honest hope that Pucca was okay. He was going to give Pucca one final great act of real, true love. He was going to disappear and allow her to live.

Pucca walked nervously back towards Goh-Rang, her hand safely tucked into Garu's larger one.

"What am I going to tell them?" She asked, chewing her lip.

"What happened." Garu thought back to the night at his house and blushed. "I mean, omitting a few details."

"But... to tell them I want to move out tonight? That's so sudden."

Garu got very serious and tightened his grip. "I'm not letting you out of my sight after almost losing you today."

"And to tell them I want a wedding in a fortnight? There's hardly any time to plan."

Again, that steely warrior look took over his face. "I want all those guys who keep hitting on you to know you are mine."

"Okay, okay." She sighed. "You are a bit overprotective, you know?"

"Hey, you signed up for this. You spent years chasing after me. This is your fault."

"You do have a point..."

As they reached Goh-Rang, Ho saw her through the kitchen window.

"IT'S PUCCA!" He yelled at his brothers. "Linguine, Dumpling, GET OVER HERE. She's back!"

Ching and Abyo ran out the door of the restaurant, relief on their features. "Garu! Pucca! Thank the gods!"

The Chefs barreled out of the restaurant and ran to Pucca who had her arms open wide to receive a hug from them.

"You're alright!" Dumpling cried, clasping at her.

"What were you thinking?" Linguine growled.

"Oh shut it, just be glad she's home." Ho added.

Pucca bit her lip and grabbed Garu's hand again, hugging his arm to her chest.

Shock registered on the faces of her friends and family as they looked between them, and their sudden closeness. Garu gave Dandy, who was loitering back near the door of the restaurant, a very smug look.

"There's so much we have to tell you..." Pucca began.