My Secret Empress

-ToxicTsukino

Dedicated to those who need a love story to relate to and fill their heart. And first and foremost to Starchild who saw potential in this first.

Prologue

She blinked slowly trying to translate the words into proper Japanese inside her head so she could process them clearly. Then again, she should have known better. It wasn't like she went after someone normal after all... Tennou, Haruka was the furthest thing from normal at this elite private school as you could get. Not only was she elegant and refined, much like Michiru herself, but also was incredibly multi-talented. Her personal tastes, despite her elegance an talents, were androgynous even when it came to her appearance and even aura... Surprisingly, despite the school's conservative nature, had worked to the blonde's advantage.

Tennou, Haruka was one of the most admired girls in her high school...but by mostly other girls? People who heard such a thing outside of the school would most likely laugh at the concept. However, if you had met the girl in person, there was absolutely no question about her charm. She played the role of a chivalrous prince on a white horse with ease. Haruka could pull of bother genders rather easily to the point of confusion for most girls whom admired her. She was more of a gentleman than most men were ever capable of being. The girl was comfortable with her sexuality and had no qualms with flirting every chance she got with the female student body. Unlike shy Michiru who kept to herself in hopes of just surviving her youthful school years; Haruka was very popular due to her way with flattery. She was outgoing and outspoken-the center of attention. The icing of the cake was that, she was also incredibly talented and active. She was head of the track team, a pianist on the side, a photographer who attending exhibitions regularly, and loved to race and participate motocross despite her only being only seventeen years old of age.

Michiru knew she had to be kidding herself for actually mustering the courage to confess to her. A nobody like herself? She was one in a million in the academy's orchestra even though she took private lessons on the side and her instructor constantly wanted to coax her into playing at gallas and receptions... She was a well known painter on the side with some hidden name out of shyness. Michiru was one who stayed to herself, hidden behind her books and glasses...there was no way Haruka would notice her despite being in the same grade. She was practically invisible despite being secretly gifted.

She almost questioned herself when she had called out Haruka from their lunch period to confess.

'What are you stupid?' her brained shouted at her in an attempt to try to reason with her.

'You never know until you try!' Her heart encouraged.

"Tennou-san...I like you..." was what she had mustered up without thinking about it any further.

Michiru had of course, expected rejection, but not one that was so cruel.

"Sorry, I don't date ugly girls..."

"Eh?" Michiru blinked trying to process it in her head.

"You think I'd go out with just anyone? Someone as mediocre as you? I don't even know you, and you most likely truly don't know anything about me either. So do me a favor, stop wasting my time… Go find someone else to gawk at. I'm sick of girls like you following me around without knowing anything at all!"

And with that, Haruka Tennou walked away, a disgusted on her face as she walked over to her large group of friends that were awaiting her, giggling as they witnessed probably one of the blonde's most harshest rejections ever.

'Ugly..mediocre...a waste of time...'

Michiru's art supplies and bento dropped to the ground shocked. She felt her face heat up in embarrassment. Her eyes stung with the tears she was trying to direly to hold back; knowing that if she revealed any type of weakness, the student body would play upon it and hurt her even more than she already was. She felt utterly stupid for even thinking that she would stand a chance...but then...

That one time..? What was that then? Haruka had liked her for her talents but not her face….

Michiru had always been required to go to these events as guest, but recently she had been modestly made the showcase subject of these gatherings. Unbeknownst to most people around her, her family was well off. The Kaiou family was of new money-her father a huge business investor for new start up companies on the rise in the city. Her mother worked in real estate and made hefty commissions on the million dollar home listings she sold. Because of this, they were fortunate to be able to send their only daughter to the finest schools in the country and help encourage her to participate in the arts. However, because Michiru's family wasn't of a certain pedigree, they weren't accepted by families who had a long history with their wealth. Her family typically minded their own business and stayed to themselves. Their focus was their family and their work rather than the gossiping of the pretentious social crowds that surrounded them.

Michiru's parents, to her dismay, eventually insisted that she show off her latest paintings at the galleria's art festival a couple of years back. She had been a first-year high school student when she debuted her first piece. The aqua-marine haired girl had always been crazily modest about her work and kept low key at school about her privilege. She was a shy and anxious person at heart. She didn't want an immense of amount of attention or the pressure that came with being admired and popular. She also feared being bullied for being well-liked or known by others in the outside world. She wasn't the type of girl with friends to back her up or defend her. She wasn't pretty for people to idolize her. One push at her insecurities and self confidence would make her easily crumble. Michiru didn't want to encourage it. She had no protection, but she did want to make her parents proud. That meant, being able to stick through school at Infinity Gakuen and do well for herself to protect their investments made on her.

Her parents and instructors always insisted that she was talented. An art prodigy even, but Michiru could never see her art or herself in that light.

"Your daughter is incredibly modest but she truly is an amazing artist I will tell you that. You should really encourage her to get into this line of work as career. Michiru-chan will go a long way. She's much too talented to pass up on opportunities or settle for some menial job after college life. She is creative, and it would be a shame to see that light snuffed out. Especially in the expectations of today's society. She would bring a lot pride to your family name," One of her instructors had told her parents a while back.

Since that that discussion, Michiru had been pressured to show of her artistic skill set to the public. At first, she hated the idea. She saw all the mistakes in the work she did. Things that other people blindly couldn't see. She felt pressured. The pressure lead to her being obsessive compulsive which in turn, made her feel less creative because she saw all of the flaws in her artwork. She didn't want to showcase anything that wasn't worthy of being displayed.

Regardless, it wasn't enough for her parents to stop bothering about the art festivals and shows. They drove it into the ground every day until their daughter finally broke in attempts to finally make them happy.

"Fine, but on one condition."

"And your condition is..?" her mother asked.

"I want a pseudonym. Like a persona. An alias of some sort."

"And why would you want something like that? Your name is beautiful darling!" Michiru's mother insisted.

"I want my personal life to be separate from my art life. I don't want to be flaunted around at shows like some show pet. Displaying my artwork is more than enough isn't it?" Michiru explained calmly and determinedly.

"And what will you want to it be?"

It hadn't been that much of a change. Michiru's original family name meant 'Ocean King'...Kaiou, Michiru. She decided to place an interesting spin onto it; for she was female and certainly not considered a king.

'Kisaki, Michiru."

It was a mere change in the least. 'The empress of the ocean' sounded a lot better considering her gender. It gave her name grace and power that she did not obtain in reality. It was slight change, but no one at school would guess that she was a famous artist. Especially if she didn't show her face. Michiru was perfectly content being a nobody. She could go through her school years in peace and create the art she wanted to without prying eyes or unwanted attention. Her power lay in her tools and not on how valuable of an asset she was in person. If people wouldn't notice her to begin with; she rather stay out of the eyes of people and let her art speak for her instead.

Eventually, after weeks of preparation, the night of her one of her many art shows arrived. Michiru stood in one place hidden at the reception given. The girl wasn't a big name yet. This was just her first exposure as a painter. This party wasn't even about her. It was more for the infamous photographer...'Tennou, Haruka'. A prodigy in her art, a master at piano, sports, and racing. What wasn't this girl good at?

Haruka's future was already paved for her. All she needed to do was graduate high school and she would already have obtained her fame and fortune. Her age and education was the only thing holding her back.

Michiru smiled. It happened to be someone from school she knew... It was slightly relieving to see someone her age in attendance there as much as it was to see something of familiarity. If you didn't know who Haruka Tennou was at Infinity Academy, you were living under a very large rock. She was immensely popular among her classmates and underclassmen. She was the definition of 'sleek and cool'. Michiru was one to keep her distance from people like her. Popular girls and her never did mix. Despite having the arts in common, they never had once met. Michiru never had intended to as well because of her massive fanclub. She was painfully shy and wanted just to get through school without trouble. Haruka's fangirls were known to aim and bully any girl who got a little too close to their crush.

"And this piece Tennou-san? What do you think of it? This girl debuted a little while ago, but she's quite the interest among people here. I hear she doesn't even show up to these events though. What a shame…"

Michiru had painted a serene ocean. A beach at sunset. Something that she found to be simplistic, if not unoriginal. However, she was confident in this piece because it was something she couldn't mess up on. She had painted millions of oceans before. It was a subject she was fond of but found to be no challenge. Nevertheless, people were fawning over it as if it were one of the most beautiful of oceans they had seen in their lifetime. It made Michiru bashful at the praise and indirect attention. She wasn't used to such kind words outside of her parents fawning and her instructors' encouragement.

"The person who painted this-" Haruka began a smile forming on her thin pale lips, "must be as beautiful as the picture itself."

Michiru found herself looking away... If only Haruka Tennou knew. She found her face heating up slightly at the flattery.

"Oh?"

"Only beautiful fingers and a beautiful mind can picture something this calming, and then have the ability to portray it on a canvas. It's a shame the princess who made this isn't here tonight. I'd like to meet her myself..." Haruka mused.

Michiru stifled a laugh,'Oh but Tennou-san, my clearly name states that I'm a queen. Not a princess!' She thought to herself. It took everything in her to not muster the courage to say something about it.

From that night on, she had admired the girl from afar. Art shows. School. No matter where she was at, Michiru was the infamous queen that everyone talked about. Yet, in both places-in person, she was still a nobody. Michiru was modestly hidden as the mysterious queen of the arts who floated around like a ghost. People at school and at shows, would speak of her as if she were some beautiful oujou-sama who was in the process of learning how to become a refined lady. They would describe her in ways that would make Michiru laugh and feel sick to her stomach at the same time. It would be hilarious on one end, because she could never ever see herself in such a light. She knew herself much too well. At the same time, the thought of never becoming that despite the expectation, is what made her feel sick to her stomach...

Haruka would always gaze and critic her art with such care. It made Michiru look forward to going to these silly things that would create such anxiety for her. It made her inspired her to create more art, just so she could see and hear Haruka. Her flattery was contagious and was what encouraged her to stay active in the community.

It was a silly thing for her to do, but it kept her around. It suddenly gave Michiru a reason to continue on passionately... And she'd always admire the girl from a far.

She remembered teasingly titling a serene canvas on display, "To The King Who Rules the Sky" just to see if Haruka would take the bait and notice her further.

But just how long could Michiru admire Tennou, Haruka from afar..?

"Dear what's wrong?" Michiru's mother asked insistently through her locked bedroom door.

"Nothing at all. I'm just incredibly exhausted from a long day..." Michiru answered in an attempt to repress herself from snapping at her mother as she glared at the pieces of artwork she had in front of her.

'I hate you...I hate all of you...'

"You haven't had dinner. Not even a snack or anything! You barely greeted me at the door. Something obviously is wrong!"

"I'll eat later. I promise!" Michiru proclaimed loudly.

She heard a sigh on the other end of the barrier. Her mother had given up trying to reason with her… She didn't want to let her mother see her tears anyway. She needn't worry them with her petty feelings. It was a schoolgirl crush that she was worked up over. Michiru didn't want her parents to suddenly see her hurt or as a wounded damsel. She wasn't ready to come out to them either just yet… She was still struggling with herself wondering if someone else could replace Haruka or if she could only like Haruka in that way.

Michiru hated crying. She hated crying just as much as she hated her artwork right about now. Her pride was shattered and her heart felt like it was in millions of tiny little pieces.

'I hate you so much for having me fall in love…for leading me to this person and having her be so unattainable...and to actually be so cruel and hateful...'

But if only that damn girl knew! She had been in front of her all along. Why wasn't she good enough as she was? Then again, even Michiru's pride-her promise to herself-kept her from telling anyone. It was her own little secret that she was famous and under everyone's noses. She liked it that way though…

'But look how much pain it's caused you…' her mind reminded her.

She shredded the painting of the ocean. The one of the sunset that caused Michiru to meet Haruka. The regret she felt was immense...the hate…

"But why so much hate?" she questioned herself out loud as she slid down to her knees next to her torn canvas.

'Because while you're modest...you still have your pride. And being heartbroken is painful...it can cause hate I suppose.' her brain answered for her in acceptance of the situation at hand.

But why couldn't she make that into something better? Into something more useful?

'Why are you giving up? The game's not over silly girl!' her heart exclaimed pridefully.

Ugh! Why did those two constantly nag at her? Her brain and her heart were the most vital things her body-the most important things to survive, and yet they had conflicted with each other all the time. Well, at least they had ever since she met Haruka that is…

Michiru finally decided that she needed to do something about her problem. Tennou, Haruka; if anything wasn't worth the salt in her tears.

The violinist, the painter-the secret empress-had decided from that day forth, that she controlled her own fate. If anything this was just the beginning of a long journey ahead of her. The girl knew she had just endured an insanely long day and was about to also have to trek through the next couple days to weeks in the same manner but with a thicker skin. Rumors of her rejection would fly everywhere. It was probably the one time she wanted to be a nobody more than anything else... At the same time, this was her first test. If she could endure this, then she could endure Haruka. She could endure anything if she could get through the next couple of days.

One day, Michiru would be on Haruka's level and the blonde wouldn't even know it.

"So you don't date ugly mediocre girls hm?" Michiru smiled wryly to herself as she looked in the mirror. She gazed at her reflection and in that instant knew what she was going to do. It would take time-years even. Despite that, Michiru was sure that this way, they would cross paths again. And when that time came, Michiru would make sure to have Haruka Tennou regret every single word she ever sneered at her. She would make her feel like the biggest idiot on the planet.

Kaiou, Michiru made a new promise to herself that day. Actually a number of many many. One, to stop feeling sorry for herself. Two, work hard to reach her utmost potential. Three, do things for herself first and foremost. This would ensure her happiness if things backfired at worst. Four, show Tennou, Haruka how shallow she really was.. Five? Have her fall in love with her and then shatter her heart in return for the cruel rejection she inflicted upon her.

After all, in the end; Michiru was her secret empress. It was just that the girl was far too arrogant and blind see to the violinist's disgust...

The problem was now she had the look the part of her name, and it wasn't going to be easy.

Michiru dragged herself to bed, exhausted from her thinking. It was far too complicated and far too in future for her to handle at the current time. It would be a lot of hard work and eventually, a lot of money to become the most talented and most desired girl in the nation. One day, she would get over her backward habits, grow out of her awkward phase, change everything about her, use her talents and gifts to the best of her ability, and become the most known and most idolized woman in Japan.

'One step at a time...' her thought process reminded her as she overwhelmed herself with her emotions.

She wanted her mind and heart to stop talking. The artist was far too tired... With that, she fell asleep, thinking of nothing but her divine plan and especially about Haruka.

But, you wouldn't hear that coming from her outside of her dreams…

-Revised 6/16/2016-