Grotesque
She walks out to the courtyard, making sure to wear her veil. After all, she is ugly. She is grotesque, and she'll never show it to anyone.
Lest they have their face eaten.
There it is again. There's that woman again. The woman who's beauty outshines the moon they're under.
The woman dances in the moonlight, a gaggle of men surrounding her, all wanting to catch a glimpse of her.
A most mysterious beauty. Only Mileena knows her disgusting name.
Lady Diaochan.
As if she senses her, Diaochan stops dancing. The petals stop, the light turns to darkness. Light brown eyes focus only on the barely-clothed woman, and she begins to approach her.
Mileena is in awe. Having only seen the beautiful woman from afar, even closer, her beauty out-rivals all.
And why would she be approaching her? After all, she is ugly, she is grotesque.
Diaochan reaches out and touches Mileena's hand. "Remove your veil." she speaks. Her voice, as dainty, like a mid-summer's song.
"Vile wench." Mileena angrily counters back. "You know not what you wish. I am a failed creation, a clone gone wrong, I am ugly. Those who see my face, it's the last sight they see before I eat their face."
A most vile description. Her words are laced with venom.
Yet the beautiful woman doesn't flinch.
"I don't need your pity." Mileena spits. Diaochan still holds that smile. "Stop looking at me! Stop smiling! Leave me alone!" she yells. "But I want to see it. I want to look at you." Diaochan says.
After all, she is used to the Beauty and the Beast comparisons. In her time, she loved Lu Bu, the Beast of the Three Kingdoms.
"Why?" Mileena asks, when she realizes that Diaochan has no intention of leaving her alone. "Because I believe true beauty exists in here." she says, touching her heart. Or at least trying to, if she can get over those mountains of breasts.
She raises an eyebrow. "Do you reveal your body to compensate your face?"
"What's it to you?" Mileena snaps back,"besides, you're one to talk. How do you think I feel looking at you? Everyone in Edenia is head-over-heels over you."
Oh. So she's jealous.
Diaochan smirks. "The men may be completely in love with me, but I think there's only one person for me here."
"Oh I can't imagine who." Mileena retorts, her voice still laced with that cold venom.
A genuine smile appears on the beauty's face. When she smiles, the moon hides under the clouds.
In shame.
"Get away from me." Mileena snaps, turning away. "I do not need the pity, or affections of a second-century whore."
Diaochan stops.
Mileena is unfazed.
Her words ring true. After all, Diaochan used not only her charms, but her body to rip apart the most powerful men of her time. To save the Han, to abide to her father's dying wish.
Little did she know how much history would remember her deeds.
"You truly are a sad individual." she sighed. Tears left from her porcelain face. Yet still, Mileena was unfazed.
She almost wanted to drink those pathetic tears.
Crossing her arms in satisfaction, she begins to walk, giving the woman a view of her ample bottom. Legs that never seemed to end, her gorgeous body. She'd find beauty in that.
Yet an ugly woman inside and out.
So why was this unearthly beauty so attracted to her?
Was it curiosity?
"Miss Mileena. You vile, disgusting, ugly woman." Diaochan snapped.
"How dare you?" Mileena snaps, taking out her twin sai. Diaochan approaches her. "Back away. I don't want to have to kill you." Mileena said. Diaochan can see the hesitation in the woman. Her body is scrunched. Her arms shake.
Her orange eyes are raised.
"Let me look upon your filthy disgrace." she says, walking closer.
"So you can mock me. Tell me how I can't compare to a beauty like you?" Mileena says.
"Dance in the darkness with me."
She comes even closer.
"I hate you."
"Kill me then."
Mileena drops her sai.
"Kill me if you find me so horrible. Kill me for my past sins. Kill the blackness in my heart."
Mileena rips off her veil.
Diaochan gasps.
A face like a monster. Sharp teeth, fangs. Yet now, Diaochan's never seen anything so beautiful.
The moon is still hidden, upon looking at Mileena's face. She's not ugly, Diaochan decides.
"You stare...I must look away in shame.." Mileena whispers, hiding her face in her hair.
"Stop." Diaochan says, reaching out to touch her cheeks. She pulls that face towards her and says,"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid these hollow eyes on."
"You mock me with your precious words." Mileena retorts. Yet she has to intention of reprimanding Diaochan for touching her.
Her hands touch the hands on her cheeks. She lightly whispers,"Anyone who sees my face must die."
"Then I'd die happily. Erase my sins. Give me a clean state before I reach the underworld." Diaochan said.
"For such a pretty girl, you have a morbid way of thinking." Mileena points out. Then again, anyone would, if they've seen what Diaochan's seen.
"Live through my life, and you'll see why." she replied.
Mileena looks at her. The smile on Diaochan never seems to fade. Nor does the blush. Nor does the warm feeling swelling inside Mileena's heart.
No one's ever spoken so sweetly to her. She wondered if this was all part of Diaochan's plan. After all, she was known for being manipulative.
How could she find beauty in something so grotesque?
She noticed Diaochan's hands still haven't left her face. Her hands so calm, so dainty, so loving.
Then she kissed her.
The moon comes out from under the clouds, it's like a spotlight is on the dancer and her lover.
Yet Mileena does not care, when she returns the kiss.
And a promise to always be by her side.