Update: Fixed grammar mistakes that I missed (thanx to Rini for pointing those out!), 26JAN02
P. S. To Rini: I'm not an Endymion/Darien/Mamoru hater either; I just needed him to act like that for this fic, but he's still not necessarily my fav. character either!
Disclaimer: Bishoujo Senshi Sera Muun belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and Lord of the Rings is owned by Tolkien Enterprises.
Summary: Okies... Well, I feel that Merry is being sorta left out! He's a cutie, yet he barely has any fanfics written about him! So, I thought that needed to be changed, so this will be a Usa/Merry fic! It will be a one-shot fic, no matter what. And, well, here we go, and please, please, PLEASE tell me what'cha thinks!
P. S. This takes place in an alternate universe of Lord of the Rings. As in, the ring was never forged, the council never held, and the fellowship never grounded. So... here we go.
Ages:
Usagi - 16
Merry - 17
Merry tossed his apple into the air, and caught it again with a grin. He sunk his teeth into the juicy fruit, and took as big a bite out of it as he could. Merry was a hobbit still in his tween years. While these were awkward for most, he took every day with a grin on his face. After all, he and his friend Pippin always knew the perfect jokes to play on the villagers, and that guaranteed a day full of laughs.
He whistled an unidentified tune to himself, and started to enjoy his daily stroll through the orchid near his house. Merry gave a laugh just for the heck of it, and while looking to the right, noticed a bird singing a song. He tried to mimic it, and laughed at himself. He gazed up at the trees, admiring the dark green leaves, when he stepped into a strange hole. It was moving in a circular motion, swirling with black streaks.
He cried out, but was sucked into it before anyone could even lift his or her heads. He flailed his arms, grabbing out for anything that could prevent his inevitable fall. He hit the ground with a sudden 'thump', and fell into a lying position gasping for breath, seeing as he got the wind knocked out of him. He sat up, shook his head, curls flying everywhere, before blinking the spots out of his eyes.
He brought a hand up to his forehead, and gave a strangled cry as his half eaten apple plunked his head. He rubbed the small bump that was starting to form, and looked to his right. He was in somebody's room, that much he could tell. He then concluded that it was a girl's room, for there was a vanity, and the curtains held delicate lace at their edges.
He turned to look to his left and saw a girl looking at him with wide blue eyes, tears dripping down her cheeks. Her hair was blonde; a few shades lighter than Samwise's, his cousin's gardener. She was wearing a dress fit for an Elven princess, and she seemed to be swallowed by the blankets upon the bed on which she was sitting. The strangest thing about her, however, was the moon insignia on her forehead.
"Oh! D-did I hurt you as I fell? M-mighty s-sorry about that!" he stuttered out with a blush.
She giggled at his antics, and shook her head, "No, no. You did not frighten me. It is just... Well, my mother wants me to marry a prince so that our kingdoms may become allies, but I wish not to marry him. I know I should, for it is my duty as princess, but I want to choose myself! I've known the prince since I was a child, and I don't even feel sisterly love towards him... I... I just want to find love by myself..."
She looked up at him and blushed, "Oh, forgive me! I've burdened you with my problems and we haven't even learned each other's names! Well, I'll introduce myself first. I am Princess Serenity, next in line to be ruler of the Moon and the Silver Alliance, but please! Call me Usagi"
Merry nodded, "Nice to meet you Usagi, I'm Meriadoc Brandybuck, but most just call me Merry," Usagi smiled at him, "Nice to meet you too. Come! I'll introduce you to my mother and my friends!"
She jumped off of the bed and grabbed his hand. He was quite surprised that he was taller than her. She seemed to come from a family of Big Folk, for her ears were rounded and she had not the slightest hair on her feet, but she was as big as the average Hobbit. He stumbled after her, barely catching his footing, because when he did, Usagi seemed to change her pace.
They had been traveling down the halls for quite a few minutes, when they burst through a door finding themselves in the throne room. "Mother!" Usagi called, "I'd like you to meet my new friend! His name is Merry!"
Merry came stumbling in after her, blushing from the inquisitive stares that he received from the women in the room. He noticed a woman with long red hair and strangely slanted red eyes wearing a long red dress. She was standing next to a woman with short blue hair and blue eyes wearing an icy blue dress. There was a woman on a throne, but he skipped over her to another woman wearing a golden dress. She had long orange hair and eyes, and had previously been conversing with the woman next to her. The woman she had been conversing with had long green hair pulled into a ponytail and green eyes.
He then returned his gaze to the woman on the throne. She bore a striking resemblance to Usagi. She had intelligent blue eyes and had hair that was a lovely silver. It was pulled into two buns, one on each side of her hair, and they had streamers flowing from them down to her feet, he guessed. She wore the insignia of a crescent moon on his forehead, and wore a beautiful dress.
Usagi's bubbly voice came up behind him, "The red-head is Princess Rei, the one with blue hair is Princess Ami, the green-eyed one is Princess Makoto, and the one in orange is my cousin, Princess Minako. The lady on the throne is my mother, Queen Selenity,"
Merry bowed low, his eyes wide open in awe, "I-I'm Meriadoc Brandybuck of the Shire," he began, as formally as possible, for he felt the strong need to be so, "But please, call me Merry, as all my friends do,"
The Queen quirked an eyebrow, "Why is it you look to me with awe," she asked. Merry flustered, "Well, you look very much like an Elf! You have their beauty, and most likely their grace as well! If I ever see Samwise again, he'd be so envious that I saw a Big-Person that was probably related to Elves!"
The Queen gave him a gentle smile, "Your honesty is very flattering, Sir Meriadoc, but I'm afraid I've never heard of this Shire that you mentioned,"
"Well," Merry began, "Not many people in Middle-earth know of the Shire, but surely you have heard tales of Hobbits, or rather Halflings depending on your origin,"
"My dear sir," the Queen began with a troubled expression on her face, "We are not on Middle-earth. In fact, I have never even heard of the Shire, nor of the Hobbits or Halflings. You are on the Moon, Sir Meriadoc, and the closest thing we have here to Middle-earth is our Earth, or Terra as we call it,"
Merry's eyes widened in shock, "W-what? That... that just can't be!" He numbly noticed tears flowing down his cheeks, "I'll... I'll never see Cousin Frodo again! Pippin will find a new prank partner! Ma, oh Ma! I'll never see her again, or taste her berry tarts in the spring... I..." and with that he fell to his knees, and bowed his head.
He felt silent tears drop down his cheeks, yet he gave no care to them. 'My tween years must be catching up on me,' he thought, 'This is the most emotional I've ever gotten,' He felt a set of arms wrap around his shoulders, and barely noticed the slender fingers comb through his curly hair.
He rested his head against the shoulder of the person hugging him, and heard Usagi's now familiar voice whisper soothing words to him. He faintly heard the Queen's voice say something along the lines of, 'Someone should probably call Pluto,'
"Serenity, why don't you show your guest a room, preferably near yours," at Usagi's questioning look she added, "You seem to be his only friend here, it might make things easier for him," Usagi gave a solemn nod, and helped the crying Merry to his feet.
She wrapped his arm around her shoulder and brought him to a room next to hers. "Merry," she whispered to him, "I've lead you to a room, alright? The door to my room is the door painted silver with guards standing there. I'll let them know about you so they won't stop you from coming to me alright?"
Merry closed his eyes tight, nodded briefly, before looking up at her with watery gray-blue eyes. He hugged her, murmuring a 'thank you', before looking at her again and blushing. He stumbled backwards, the blush growing larger, and slipped through the doors before he made an even BIGGER idiot of himself. He leaned against the door and came to a conclusion: "Being in your tween years is as terrible as swimming"
Usagi faintly heard his conclusion, and giggled lightly before retiring to her quarters. She quickly told her guards the situation with her guest, and told them to tell the guards on next watch so as well.
The next morning Merry awoke, figuring it was all a dream, and was surprised to wake up in a bed far to big for him. He gave a sad sigh, and pressed a hand over his eyes. A knock at his door interrupted his train of thought, and before he could even call the person in, the door flew open, and in marched Usagi with a smile on her face. She dropped a pile of clothing exactly like the kind he was wearing at the foot of his bed.
He gave her a quizzical look. "I had them especially tailored for you this morning. I felt that you might feel more comfortable in them. Soooo! Good morning, Merry!" she said in the bubbliest tone he had ever heard.
"Good morning, Usagi," he peered up at her hairstyle. It looked exactly as the Queen's hairstyle from yesterday, "Why do you have your hair like that?" She gave a confused look, and peered upwards until her eyes crossed, "Like what? Oh, you mean in the buns with streamers?" at his nodded, she smiled, "It is the royal hairstyle, and as princess I have to wear it," Merry nodded knowingly, "Ah, now I see,"
She left the room to allow him to change. He did so, and exited the door, greeting Usagi yet again. She hooked her arm in his and the strolled off to the dinning room. When they reached the room, they were greeted with many 'hello's and 'good morning's. Serena sat to the side of her mother and grinned at Merry, patting the seat next to her.
Merry walked to the seat and, literally, jumped onto it. His chin barely reached the table edge, and it appeared to be much the same with Usagi. She gave him a giggle and pulled her legs up to sit on them. He followed her example and was delighted to find a plate filled with many foods. He and Usagi began to 'chow down' at the same rate, which was VERY fast, yet neither crumb of bread nor droplet of milk hit their clothing. The Princesses and the Queen all found this rather funny, and began to giggle quietly, the same thought running through their heads, 'They're perfect for each other,' yet the Queen thought something more, 'I wish that Prince Endymion hadn't asked for Usagi's hand in marriage, I just didn't want a war to break out,'
"So," began the blue haired princess softly, "Would you be able to tell us anything about Hobbits, the Shire, and Middle-earth?" Merry nodded at her in a friendly sort of way, "Of course I could, Princess," and so he spent the rest of the day telling about his world and their people. While Princess Ami, Princess Rei, Usagi, and the Queen listened intently, the other two Princesses had excused themselves earlier.
By the end of the day they had learned a surprising amount of information about the Shire, Hobbits, and a few of his friends. He peered around Princess Rei, who was sitting across from him, and saw the starry sky through a window, "My! It's become rather late, hasn't it," The others agreed, and left the room calling back 'good night'. He turned to Usagi, the only one that had stayed, and gave her one of his crooked grins, "So... is there anybody you'd like to play a prank on? I mean, I am practically a master at it, I'll help you," Usagi quirked an eyebrow before smiling and nodding wildly.
The next morning, at breakfast, the peaceful atmosphere was interrupted by Princess Rei storming into the room, with flames literally erupting under her feet. Her hair was trimmed to her shoulders and had been dyed yellow, her eyebrows shaved clean off, and dark purple juice marks on her dress. The thing that did it for everyone was the fact that there was a whipped cream beard on her face. She gave Usagi an evil look, her temper flaring as bad as the flames at her feet. She opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it again, repeating the procedures many times looking very much like a fish.
She growled before turning on her heel, and walking out of the door. The Princesses started to laugh and giggle, while the Queen hid her smile in her glass of juice. Usagi and Merry grinned at each other, and leaned back in their chairs, pleased with their work.
That afternoon, Usagi and Merry were strolling through the Royal Orchids, eating apples and joking around. After a while, Usagi began to tell him more about the Moon Kingdom, the Silver Alliance, and her friends. Their conversation ran long into the night, and as Usagi dropped Merry off at his room, she hastily mentioned, "There's going to be a ball in a few months, would you mind escorting me?" At this Merry blushed and nodded before slipping into his room and going to bed. Usagi blushed at the fact that he said yes, then giggled at herself before slipping into her own room.
Over the next few months Merry and Usagi became the best of friends, and were known throughout the palace as pranksters. They did everything together, and it was a rare site to find them apart from one another. Usagi confided in Merry, and vice versa. They didn't ever want this to end, but it wasn't hard to see that it would.
It was the night of the ball, and everyone was hectic getting ready. Merry was sitting on his bed, swinging his legs back and forth with boredom. He smoothed out an imaginary wrinkle, and started to twiddle his thumbs. He was nervous, yet he didn't know why. He looked at the clock and noticed that it was about time to pick up Usagi, and he left the room silently.
He walked up to the door, after giving a cheerful 'hullo' to Sir Gregory and Sir Fredrick, the guards at her doors. He knocked lightly, and heard her muffled yell of 'I'll be done in a second'. He once again smoothed out the imaginary wrinkle, and tried not to pay attention to the chuckles the guards where giving him due to how nervous he was.
The door opened and his breath caught in his throat. She was wearing a white dress that hung loosely off of her shoulders and if you looked close enough, you noticed the intricate designs on it. He noticed that she was blushing, but she quickly bowed her head. He couldn't help but exclaim, "You look magnificent!"
She looked up to him with a grin, "You don't look half bad yourself," In deed he didn't. He was wearing a fancier variation of the clothes that he wore when he first came here. His cream colored shirt was made of a smooth material that he had never felt before, and his yellow vest was made of a similar material. The designs on his vest had become very intricate, and there were now pockets on both sides of the buttons and a golden chain hung from one to the other. His pants had been made longer, about to his ankle, but he left his furry feet uncovered.
Usagi gave him a regal expression before breaking out into a cheesy grin. She held up her skirt, so that she didn't step on the hem, and hooked her arm into his. Merry gave a quick look and noted that she was going barefooted. She looked down herself, before giving him a sweet smile.
"I plan on dancing with you at the ball," she explained, "and I don't want to step onto your feet with any high heels, so I'll go.... 'Hobbit Style',"
Merry shot her a grateful look, before leading her to the throne room in which the ball would be held. As they entered the room, a voice called out over the noise, "Princess Serenity and Sir Meriadoc!" introducing them to the crowd. Merry became suddenly nervous, even more than when he had first went to pick Usagi up.
'Keep confident, nothing will happen,' he thought frantically. Usagi squeezed his hand quickly, before leading him through the parting the crowd had made to her mother. The Queen greeted them with a smile, which faded once she heard the announcement of Endymion arriving. Usagi winced at this, and Merry tightened his arm around hers, to try and give as much comfort as possible. She gave him a nervous smile, before tightening her arm around his as well.
"Excuse me, dear Serenity, but may I have this dance?" a leering voice asked behind her. Usagi sighed, having already given up, but before she could say anything, Merry cut in, "I'm sorry, but the Princess promised me the first two dances," and drug her away to dance.
The first dance was a slow waltz, and their height allowed them to seem hidden among the other people dancing. The song after that was also a waltz, only a much faster one. This caused Merry to give, what Usagi had learned, his trademark crooked grin. He sped up their dancing so they danced faster than the music was playing. He made them cut around people, basically running, and they where laughing the whole time.
From her throne, Queen Selenity saw this. From afar, it seemed that a line was being plowed through the crowd, and she knew that her daughter and her guest, Merry, must have been the cause of it. She then made an important decision. No daughter of hers was going to marry someone she didn't want to. She turned her head to the dark haired Prince, who was scowling at the crowd, trying to find the Princess.
"Prince Endymion," she said calmly.
"What is it!? I mean, what is it you need, your Highness?"
Queen Selenity's resolve hardened, she scowled at him, "Unless my daughter will be happy with marrying you, then your engagement is called off,"
He glared at her darkly, "Fine, but I know she must love me," he gave an arrogant laugh, "I mean honestly, who wouldn't?" The Queen gazed darkly at him, before smiling at her daughter and Merry, who had just stepped up to the throne.
"Serenity," Queen Selenity began softly, "You must tell me the truth in this matter," She cast a dark look to Endymion, "Do you, or do you not love Endymion? If you do not, then I allow you to resign from this engagement, if you do, then you may marry him as soon as possible.
Usagi gave Endymion a fearful look, before telling her mother truthfully, "No, mother. I do not love him, and I doubt I ever will," she cast a shy look towards Merry, "I-I believe that if there is anyone I love, that it must be Merry," She then bowed her head and looked to the wall.
Endymion scowled and walked off, muttering about starting attacks against the Moon Kingdom as soon as possible. Queen Selenity ordered her advisors to keep armies ready in case of an attack from Earth. Merry looked to Usagi with a blush. He slowly walked up to her and kissed her cheek.
The total innocence of the action caused her to look up, and they felt as if they were drowning in each other's eyes. Their faces drew closer to another, and they shared a soft and sweet kiss, yet it caught the eyes of everybody.
When they broke apart, they noticed everyone in the throne room look at them, and they blushed. Merry grabbed Usagi's hand, and raced off to the orchid. When they came there, Merry turned to Usagi with a serious expression on his face.
"If I had to go back to the Shire, would you come with me?"
Usagi looked at him with an expression just as serious as his.
"Only if we'd always be together,"
Merry smiled at her, and it was as crooked as usual. He cupped her cheek with his hand and kissed her again, just as soft, and just as innocent. He pulled back, but his hand lingered and he was content with just staring at her beautiful blue eyes for the rest of the night.
"Excuse me your Highness, but I believe it is time to go," a voice interrupted.
Merry and Usagi turned their head simultaneously, and their gaze fell upon a dark skinned woman with green hair and garnet eyes. She smiled at them, and gestured to something resembling a hole in a tree. Through the haze, Merry could make out the orchid near his home, the same one from which he had come.
He looked to Usagi with shining eyes, and gripped her hand tightly. She smiled at him, and they rushed through the hole, landing with two thumps on the ground in a land strange to one of them, yet familiar to the other.
***
A year or so after Merry became an adult, Usagi and Merry got married. They lived their lives happily, blessed with beautiful children, and they always received good harvest. It was strange, life was said to be harsh and cruel, yet here they were: living happily ever after, just like a fairytale.
Soooo... that's all. I'll try to get out the next chapter of my other story out as soon as possible, but I hope you guys enjoyed this.
-Rominas
P. S. To Rini: I'm not an Endymion/Darien/Mamoru hater either; I just needed him to act like that for this fic, but he's still not necessarily my fav. character either!
Disclaimer: Bishoujo Senshi Sera Muun belongs to Naoko Takeuchi and Lord of the Rings is owned by Tolkien Enterprises.
Summary: Okies... Well, I feel that Merry is being sorta left out! He's a cutie, yet he barely has any fanfics written about him! So, I thought that needed to be changed, so this will be a Usa/Merry fic! It will be a one-shot fic, no matter what. And, well, here we go, and please, please, PLEASE tell me what'cha thinks!
P. S. This takes place in an alternate universe of Lord of the Rings. As in, the ring was never forged, the council never held, and the fellowship never grounded. So... here we go.
Ages:
Usagi - 16
Merry - 17
Merry tossed his apple into the air, and caught it again with a grin. He sunk his teeth into the juicy fruit, and took as big a bite out of it as he could. Merry was a hobbit still in his tween years. While these were awkward for most, he took every day with a grin on his face. After all, he and his friend Pippin always knew the perfect jokes to play on the villagers, and that guaranteed a day full of laughs.
He whistled an unidentified tune to himself, and started to enjoy his daily stroll through the orchid near his house. Merry gave a laugh just for the heck of it, and while looking to the right, noticed a bird singing a song. He tried to mimic it, and laughed at himself. He gazed up at the trees, admiring the dark green leaves, when he stepped into a strange hole. It was moving in a circular motion, swirling with black streaks.
He cried out, but was sucked into it before anyone could even lift his or her heads. He flailed his arms, grabbing out for anything that could prevent his inevitable fall. He hit the ground with a sudden 'thump', and fell into a lying position gasping for breath, seeing as he got the wind knocked out of him. He sat up, shook his head, curls flying everywhere, before blinking the spots out of his eyes.
He brought a hand up to his forehead, and gave a strangled cry as his half eaten apple plunked his head. He rubbed the small bump that was starting to form, and looked to his right. He was in somebody's room, that much he could tell. He then concluded that it was a girl's room, for there was a vanity, and the curtains held delicate lace at their edges.
He turned to look to his left and saw a girl looking at him with wide blue eyes, tears dripping down her cheeks. Her hair was blonde; a few shades lighter than Samwise's, his cousin's gardener. She was wearing a dress fit for an Elven princess, and she seemed to be swallowed by the blankets upon the bed on which she was sitting. The strangest thing about her, however, was the moon insignia on her forehead.
"Oh! D-did I hurt you as I fell? M-mighty s-sorry about that!" he stuttered out with a blush.
She giggled at his antics, and shook her head, "No, no. You did not frighten me. It is just... Well, my mother wants me to marry a prince so that our kingdoms may become allies, but I wish not to marry him. I know I should, for it is my duty as princess, but I want to choose myself! I've known the prince since I was a child, and I don't even feel sisterly love towards him... I... I just want to find love by myself..."
She looked up at him and blushed, "Oh, forgive me! I've burdened you with my problems and we haven't even learned each other's names! Well, I'll introduce myself first. I am Princess Serenity, next in line to be ruler of the Moon and the Silver Alliance, but please! Call me Usagi"
Merry nodded, "Nice to meet you Usagi, I'm Meriadoc Brandybuck, but most just call me Merry," Usagi smiled at him, "Nice to meet you too. Come! I'll introduce you to my mother and my friends!"
She jumped off of the bed and grabbed his hand. He was quite surprised that he was taller than her. She seemed to come from a family of Big Folk, for her ears were rounded and she had not the slightest hair on her feet, but she was as big as the average Hobbit. He stumbled after her, barely catching his footing, because when he did, Usagi seemed to change her pace.
They had been traveling down the halls for quite a few minutes, when they burst through a door finding themselves in the throne room. "Mother!" Usagi called, "I'd like you to meet my new friend! His name is Merry!"
Merry came stumbling in after her, blushing from the inquisitive stares that he received from the women in the room. He noticed a woman with long red hair and strangely slanted red eyes wearing a long red dress. She was standing next to a woman with short blue hair and blue eyes wearing an icy blue dress. There was a woman on a throne, but he skipped over her to another woman wearing a golden dress. She had long orange hair and eyes, and had previously been conversing with the woman next to her. The woman she had been conversing with had long green hair pulled into a ponytail and green eyes.
He then returned his gaze to the woman on the throne. She bore a striking resemblance to Usagi. She had intelligent blue eyes and had hair that was a lovely silver. It was pulled into two buns, one on each side of her hair, and they had streamers flowing from them down to her feet, he guessed. She wore the insignia of a crescent moon on his forehead, and wore a beautiful dress.
Usagi's bubbly voice came up behind him, "The red-head is Princess Rei, the one with blue hair is Princess Ami, the green-eyed one is Princess Makoto, and the one in orange is my cousin, Princess Minako. The lady on the throne is my mother, Queen Selenity,"
Merry bowed low, his eyes wide open in awe, "I-I'm Meriadoc Brandybuck of the Shire," he began, as formally as possible, for he felt the strong need to be so, "But please, call me Merry, as all my friends do,"
The Queen quirked an eyebrow, "Why is it you look to me with awe," she asked. Merry flustered, "Well, you look very much like an Elf! You have their beauty, and most likely their grace as well! If I ever see Samwise again, he'd be so envious that I saw a Big-Person that was probably related to Elves!"
The Queen gave him a gentle smile, "Your honesty is very flattering, Sir Meriadoc, but I'm afraid I've never heard of this Shire that you mentioned,"
"Well," Merry began, "Not many people in Middle-earth know of the Shire, but surely you have heard tales of Hobbits, or rather Halflings depending on your origin,"
"My dear sir," the Queen began with a troubled expression on her face, "We are not on Middle-earth. In fact, I have never even heard of the Shire, nor of the Hobbits or Halflings. You are on the Moon, Sir Meriadoc, and the closest thing we have here to Middle-earth is our Earth, or Terra as we call it,"
Merry's eyes widened in shock, "W-what? That... that just can't be!" He numbly noticed tears flowing down his cheeks, "I'll... I'll never see Cousin Frodo again! Pippin will find a new prank partner! Ma, oh Ma! I'll never see her again, or taste her berry tarts in the spring... I..." and with that he fell to his knees, and bowed his head.
He felt silent tears drop down his cheeks, yet he gave no care to them. 'My tween years must be catching up on me,' he thought, 'This is the most emotional I've ever gotten,' He felt a set of arms wrap around his shoulders, and barely noticed the slender fingers comb through his curly hair.
He rested his head against the shoulder of the person hugging him, and heard Usagi's now familiar voice whisper soothing words to him. He faintly heard the Queen's voice say something along the lines of, 'Someone should probably call Pluto,'
"Serenity, why don't you show your guest a room, preferably near yours," at Usagi's questioning look she added, "You seem to be his only friend here, it might make things easier for him," Usagi gave a solemn nod, and helped the crying Merry to his feet.
She wrapped his arm around her shoulder and brought him to a room next to hers. "Merry," she whispered to him, "I've lead you to a room, alright? The door to my room is the door painted silver with guards standing there. I'll let them know about you so they won't stop you from coming to me alright?"
Merry closed his eyes tight, nodded briefly, before looking up at her with watery gray-blue eyes. He hugged her, murmuring a 'thank you', before looking at her again and blushing. He stumbled backwards, the blush growing larger, and slipped through the doors before he made an even BIGGER idiot of himself. He leaned against the door and came to a conclusion: "Being in your tween years is as terrible as swimming"
Usagi faintly heard his conclusion, and giggled lightly before retiring to her quarters. She quickly told her guards the situation with her guest, and told them to tell the guards on next watch so as well.
The next morning Merry awoke, figuring it was all a dream, and was surprised to wake up in a bed far to big for him. He gave a sad sigh, and pressed a hand over his eyes. A knock at his door interrupted his train of thought, and before he could even call the person in, the door flew open, and in marched Usagi with a smile on her face. She dropped a pile of clothing exactly like the kind he was wearing at the foot of his bed.
He gave her a quizzical look. "I had them especially tailored for you this morning. I felt that you might feel more comfortable in them. Soooo! Good morning, Merry!" she said in the bubbliest tone he had ever heard.
"Good morning, Usagi," he peered up at her hairstyle. It looked exactly as the Queen's hairstyle from yesterday, "Why do you have your hair like that?" She gave a confused look, and peered upwards until her eyes crossed, "Like what? Oh, you mean in the buns with streamers?" at his nodded, she smiled, "It is the royal hairstyle, and as princess I have to wear it," Merry nodded knowingly, "Ah, now I see,"
She left the room to allow him to change. He did so, and exited the door, greeting Usagi yet again. She hooked her arm in his and the strolled off to the dinning room. When they reached the room, they were greeted with many 'hello's and 'good morning's. Serena sat to the side of her mother and grinned at Merry, patting the seat next to her.
Merry walked to the seat and, literally, jumped onto it. His chin barely reached the table edge, and it appeared to be much the same with Usagi. She gave him a giggle and pulled her legs up to sit on them. He followed her example and was delighted to find a plate filled with many foods. He and Usagi began to 'chow down' at the same rate, which was VERY fast, yet neither crumb of bread nor droplet of milk hit their clothing. The Princesses and the Queen all found this rather funny, and began to giggle quietly, the same thought running through their heads, 'They're perfect for each other,' yet the Queen thought something more, 'I wish that Prince Endymion hadn't asked for Usagi's hand in marriage, I just didn't want a war to break out,'
"So," began the blue haired princess softly, "Would you be able to tell us anything about Hobbits, the Shire, and Middle-earth?" Merry nodded at her in a friendly sort of way, "Of course I could, Princess," and so he spent the rest of the day telling about his world and their people. While Princess Ami, Princess Rei, Usagi, and the Queen listened intently, the other two Princesses had excused themselves earlier.
By the end of the day they had learned a surprising amount of information about the Shire, Hobbits, and a few of his friends. He peered around Princess Rei, who was sitting across from him, and saw the starry sky through a window, "My! It's become rather late, hasn't it," The others agreed, and left the room calling back 'good night'. He turned to Usagi, the only one that had stayed, and gave her one of his crooked grins, "So... is there anybody you'd like to play a prank on? I mean, I am practically a master at it, I'll help you," Usagi quirked an eyebrow before smiling and nodding wildly.
The next morning, at breakfast, the peaceful atmosphere was interrupted by Princess Rei storming into the room, with flames literally erupting under her feet. Her hair was trimmed to her shoulders and had been dyed yellow, her eyebrows shaved clean off, and dark purple juice marks on her dress. The thing that did it for everyone was the fact that there was a whipped cream beard on her face. She gave Usagi an evil look, her temper flaring as bad as the flames at her feet. She opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it again, repeating the procedures many times looking very much like a fish.
She growled before turning on her heel, and walking out of the door. The Princesses started to laugh and giggle, while the Queen hid her smile in her glass of juice. Usagi and Merry grinned at each other, and leaned back in their chairs, pleased with their work.
That afternoon, Usagi and Merry were strolling through the Royal Orchids, eating apples and joking around. After a while, Usagi began to tell him more about the Moon Kingdom, the Silver Alliance, and her friends. Their conversation ran long into the night, and as Usagi dropped Merry off at his room, she hastily mentioned, "There's going to be a ball in a few months, would you mind escorting me?" At this Merry blushed and nodded before slipping into his room and going to bed. Usagi blushed at the fact that he said yes, then giggled at herself before slipping into her own room.
Over the next few months Merry and Usagi became the best of friends, and were known throughout the palace as pranksters. They did everything together, and it was a rare site to find them apart from one another. Usagi confided in Merry, and vice versa. They didn't ever want this to end, but it wasn't hard to see that it would.
It was the night of the ball, and everyone was hectic getting ready. Merry was sitting on his bed, swinging his legs back and forth with boredom. He smoothed out an imaginary wrinkle, and started to twiddle his thumbs. He was nervous, yet he didn't know why. He looked at the clock and noticed that it was about time to pick up Usagi, and he left the room silently.
He walked up to the door, after giving a cheerful 'hullo' to Sir Gregory and Sir Fredrick, the guards at her doors. He knocked lightly, and heard her muffled yell of 'I'll be done in a second'. He once again smoothed out the imaginary wrinkle, and tried not to pay attention to the chuckles the guards where giving him due to how nervous he was.
The door opened and his breath caught in his throat. She was wearing a white dress that hung loosely off of her shoulders and if you looked close enough, you noticed the intricate designs on it. He noticed that she was blushing, but she quickly bowed her head. He couldn't help but exclaim, "You look magnificent!"
She looked up to him with a grin, "You don't look half bad yourself," In deed he didn't. He was wearing a fancier variation of the clothes that he wore when he first came here. His cream colored shirt was made of a smooth material that he had never felt before, and his yellow vest was made of a similar material. The designs on his vest had become very intricate, and there were now pockets on both sides of the buttons and a golden chain hung from one to the other. His pants had been made longer, about to his ankle, but he left his furry feet uncovered.
Usagi gave him a regal expression before breaking out into a cheesy grin. She held up her skirt, so that she didn't step on the hem, and hooked her arm into his. Merry gave a quick look and noted that she was going barefooted. She looked down herself, before giving him a sweet smile.
"I plan on dancing with you at the ball," she explained, "and I don't want to step onto your feet with any high heels, so I'll go.... 'Hobbit Style',"
Merry shot her a grateful look, before leading her to the throne room in which the ball would be held. As they entered the room, a voice called out over the noise, "Princess Serenity and Sir Meriadoc!" introducing them to the crowd. Merry became suddenly nervous, even more than when he had first went to pick Usagi up.
'Keep confident, nothing will happen,' he thought frantically. Usagi squeezed his hand quickly, before leading him through the parting the crowd had made to her mother. The Queen greeted them with a smile, which faded once she heard the announcement of Endymion arriving. Usagi winced at this, and Merry tightened his arm around hers, to try and give as much comfort as possible. She gave him a nervous smile, before tightening her arm around his as well.
"Excuse me, dear Serenity, but may I have this dance?" a leering voice asked behind her. Usagi sighed, having already given up, but before she could say anything, Merry cut in, "I'm sorry, but the Princess promised me the first two dances," and drug her away to dance.
The first dance was a slow waltz, and their height allowed them to seem hidden among the other people dancing. The song after that was also a waltz, only a much faster one. This caused Merry to give, what Usagi had learned, his trademark crooked grin. He sped up their dancing so they danced faster than the music was playing. He made them cut around people, basically running, and they where laughing the whole time.
From her throne, Queen Selenity saw this. From afar, it seemed that a line was being plowed through the crowd, and she knew that her daughter and her guest, Merry, must have been the cause of it. She then made an important decision. No daughter of hers was going to marry someone she didn't want to. She turned her head to the dark haired Prince, who was scowling at the crowd, trying to find the Princess.
"Prince Endymion," she said calmly.
"What is it!? I mean, what is it you need, your Highness?"
Queen Selenity's resolve hardened, she scowled at him, "Unless my daughter will be happy with marrying you, then your engagement is called off,"
He glared at her darkly, "Fine, but I know she must love me," he gave an arrogant laugh, "I mean honestly, who wouldn't?" The Queen gazed darkly at him, before smiling at her daughter and Merry, who had just stepped up to the throne.
"Serenity," Queen Selenity began softly, "You must tell me the truth in this matter," She cast a dark look to Endymion, "Do you, or do you not love Endymion? If you do not, then I allow you to resign from this engagement, if you do, then you may marry him as soon as possible.
Usagi gave Endymion a fearful look, before telling her mother truthfully, "No, mother. I do not love him, and I doubt I ever will," she cast a shy look towards Merry, "I-I believe that if there is anyone I love, that it must be Merry," She then bowed her head and looked to the wall.
Endymion scowled and walked off, muttering about starting attacks against the Moon Kingdom as soon as possible. Queen Selenity ordered her advisors to keep armies ready in case of an attack from Earth. Merry looked to Usagi with a blush. He slowly walked up to her and kissed her cheek.
The total innocence of the action caused her to look up, and they felt as if they were drowning in each other's eyes. Their faces drew closer to another, and they shared a soft and sweet kiss, yet it caught the eyes of everybody.
When they broke apart, they noticed everyone in the throne room look at them, and they blushed. Merry grabbed Usagi's hand, and raced off to the orchid. When they came there, Merry turned to Usagi with a serious expression on his face.
"If I had to go back to the Shire, would you come with me?"
Usagi looked at him with an expression just as serious as his.
"Only if we'd always be together,"
Merry smiled at her, and it was as crooked as usual. He cupped her cheek with his hand and kissed her again, just as soft, and just as innocent. He pulled back, but his hand lingered and he was content with just staring at her beautiful blue eyes for the rest of the night.
"Excuse me your Highness, but I believe it is time to go," a voice interrupted.
Merry and Usagi turned their head simultaneously, and their gaze fell upon a dark skinned woman with green hair and garnet eyes. She smiled at them, and gestured to something resembling a hole in a tree. Through the haze, Merry could make out the orchid near his home, the same one from which he had come.
He looked to Usagi with shining eyes, and gripped her hand tightly. She smiled at him, and they rushed through the hole, landing with two thumps on the ground in a land strange to one of them, yet familiar to the other.
***
A year or so after Merry became an adult, Usagi and Merry got married. They lived their lives happily, blessed with beautiful children, and they always received good harvest. It was strange, life was said to be harsh and cruel, yet here they were: living happily ever after, just like a fairytale.
Soooo... that's all. I'll try to get out the next chapter of my other story out as soon as possible, but I hope you guys enjoyed this.
-Rominas