The actors moved gracefully upon the stage, playingtheir roles to perfection. The love story unfoldedunder the lights, two young people once separated byfate, reunited by chance and finally choosing to standtogether, even if it meant breaking the rules.

Minako Aino stretched out a hand, the tall blondehaired woman taking her partner's hand. The gown thetwenty year old wore swirled around her dramatically,her voice ringing as she cried, "For this is my love,long lost but returned to me."

Rei Hino gently took that hand, her own raven lockscut short, the man's suit that she wore giving her aboyish air, "Never sundered, no longer I but we."

The queen on her throne raised her eyes, herexpression fond as she gazed at them. "Your words
touch even my cold heart," Usagi Tsukino sang, herlong golden hair seeming almost white beneath thestage lights.

Makoto Kino, her own brown hair tied back to allow theking's crown to rest on her head sang, "Standingtogether, much like a work of art."

Out in the audience a figure watched them sing anddance together from the shadows, standing slightlyapart from all the other viewers. Her black hair fellin a wave down her back, violet eyes focused on onlyone figure up on the stage. Silently she turned away,going deeper into the shade before finallydisappearing in darkness.

Backstage later that night Minako walked into thechanging room that all of the actresses shared,striding over to her dressing table only to slow,warmed by what she saw there. Resting on the glossy
wood was a bouquet, not of typical flowers but insteadmade up of black and red roses. Gently she picked themup, breathing deep of the lovely scent.

"Another one?" Usagi's eyes glowed with excitement asshe dramatically cried, "Your secret admirer strikesagain!"

"Still no card," Minako noted, seeing only the finequality violet ribbon that had been used to tie thepaper around them. She untied the ribbon and broughtit to her face, that distinct scent of flowers still
clinging to it.

"I don't know," Makoto frowned, "I mean, you have noidea who keeps leaving these for you. For all you knowit could be a creep."

"No," Minako took the ribbon and twined it into a lockof her blonde hair, "someone with this much stylecouldn't be a creep."

"Now that makes sense," Rei chuckled, untying thelaces of her shirt to reveal the bandages that firmly
held her breasts down. With a wince she began to untiethe bandages, Usagi moving forward to gently help.

There was a soft tap on the door then their managerentered, smiling happily. "Good news," Ami Mizunosaid, her blue hair falling down over her roundglasses, "the theater has asked us to stay on for
another week of shows." She smiled, eyes twinkling,"More importantly, several other theaters uptown haveasked if we could perform there."

In the midst of the cheering Minako smiled happily,"You see, I told you that London would enjoy our sortof performance, not just the continent."

There was quiet laugher at that, everyone rememberingsome of the more energetic discussions that they hadbefore the group finally decided to take their actoutside of Japan. Still, with the ending of the GreatWar with Germany they had hoped that England would belooking for a new sort of entertainment.

"Anyway, we'd best be getting back to our lodgings,"Ami said to them firmly, "I've got carriages waitingfor us."

Minako finished changing into a more demure browndress as she said, "If you don't mind, I'd rather walkback."

"But Minako," Usagi said, she and Rei having justfinished changing, "it isn't safe."

"Maybe she's meeting her secret admirer," Reicommented archly, not realizing that she and Usagi
were still holding hands.

"I can take care of myself," Minako's blue eyesflashed as she looked at them, her expression cutely
stubborn. It was a look most of them recognized bynow, one that clearly indicated that she would not beeasily swayed.

Ami nodded slightly, holding up her hands insurrender. "All right," she quickly said, "but please
don't be out too late."

"Yes, mother," Minako rolled her eyes.

A few minutes later everyone had left the smalltheater, leaving Minako standing there alone beneath
the flickering glow of the street lamp. She startedout walking on the cobblestones, the faint breeze
blowing her hair back and disturbing the fog aroundher.

'It's not that I don't like them,' Minako thought toherself a bit mournfully, 'it just gets tiring being
the only single around two couples.' Her boots tappedon the stones as she walked, beads of moisture
clinging to her face as she breathed the smoky nightair.

A sound out of the darkness reached her ears, a frownappearing on Minako's face. She paused to listen,blonde hair flowing as she turned, then moved quickly
down the street. Footsteps hurried behind her andMinako knew she was being followed. Reaching the nextstreet lamp she put her back to the metal post andwaited, eyes narrowed.

The first man emerged from the shadows, anotherhanging back, simply a dark shape in the mist. "Giveus your money," he drawled, "an' nobody needs to betroubled."

"Sorry, don't have any," Minako answered him crisply,intently watching the knife that glittered in the
man's hand.

"Then I guess we'll just ha' our fun some other way,"with a sneer he lunged forward, but Minako was alreadymoving.

Her leg just a blur Minako kicked the knife, sendingit spinning out into the darkness. He leapt back insurprise at her strike but she swept forward, the baseof her hand slamming right into his nose with a wetsounding crack. Staggering backwards he was wide openfor her next strike, another kick that dropped himunconscious.

"Why you little..." the other man charged arrogantlyat her out of the mists but Minako was ready, swiftlystepping aside then grabbing him by the collar as hewent by and turning his path right into the metalpole, his only blow marking her cheek with a flash ofred..

Whump! Hearing the sound Minako whirled around to seea third man fall limply to the ground, a womancasually tossing a now broken piece of board aside.Her long black hair fell in a wave as she met Minako'sblue eyes with her seemingly bottomless violet ones,the smallest of smiles on her grave face. "I thoughtthat I was going to have to save you from all three ofthem," she remarked casually, "I'm glad I was wrong."

"I'm a suffragette," Minako felt her heart poundingwith excitement and fear as she wiped at her cheek,"we tend to be able to take care of ourselves."

"Indeed," the woman looked amused, her little blackdress making her pale coloration even more bold. Darkblack stockings disappeared under her skirt, a bit ofgold flashing on her ears and the base of her neck.Her gentle gaze fell on the ribbon that Minako hadbraided into her golden hair and the young womansmiled a bit more, reaching out to touch it even asthe light revealed a similar ribbon holding the hairaway from her face.

"I..." Minako trailed off, entranced by those eyesmeeting her own.

"You're hurt," pale fingers touched her still bloodycheek, then unconsciously she brought her scarletfingers to her lips, tongue flickering out to cleanthem. Shaking herself the young lady drew a cloth fromher clothes and carefully cleaned Minako's cheek, hertouch surprisingly delicate.

Minako's cheeks flamed as the lady stood so very closeto her, a familiar scent wafted from the other woman,the very same one that had been carried by the flowersthat Minako had received for every night the pastweek. "Who are you?" Minako finally asked her softly,the mists swirling around the two of them.

"I'm sorry, I should have said earlier," she noddedher head gravely as she softly said, "my name is
Hotaru Tomoe." She gestured with a graceful formally,"I think you were on your way home. I'll accompanyyou, if you wish?"

Minako didn't hesitate at all, "I'd like that." Theyset off down the street together, the slightly taller
Minako following Hotaru. She smiled slightly, "Thankyou for the flowers, by the way."

Hotaru's cheeks colored slightly, barely a flicker ofred on that pale flesh. "I hope you weren't too
disappointed they were from a woman," she said softly.

"No, not at all," Minako realized she was beingentirely honest. There was something about this
strange young woman that drew her in, a sense of bothcaring... and danger.

"I'm glad," Hotaru murmured.

Passing beneath a street light Minako got a good lookat her, taking in the unlined features of her face,
the exposed skin of her arms entirely unmarked. Therewas no gentle rise and fall of the small breasts, noparting of lips for a breath, and she felt a suddenchill. "What are you?" Minako asked in a breathlesswhisper.

Hotaru turned as the mists seemed to enfold them, hereyes nearly glowing in the night. "I had hoped I couldbe gentle," she murmured as her hair flowed like acape around her, "that for once things could bedifferent for me."

Minako felt herself moving backward, the wetcobblestones slippery beneath her feet. Her back hit a
wall, her legs shaking slightly. "What are youdoing...?" she asked.

Hotaru seemed to disappear, then she reappeared rightin front of Minako, moving with a utterly inhumanspeed. Teeth as long as fangs gleamed as she pressedMinako against the wall, a hunger burning in her eyes,With a surprising gentleness she drew down the clothat Minako's throat, the pink skin bursting with lifeand vitality.

"Please," Minako whimpered, surprised at how excitedshe found herself, terror and something else blendingto make her blood race.

A kiss first, warm mouth pressing to hotter skin, thenthe rasping of a cat like tongue up against Minako'ssweet tasting flesh. "So good," Hotaru softlymurmured, voice heady like one who was drunk on thefinest wine.

Minako cried out as the fangs struck deep, piercingthe skin of her neck, but it was a cry of pleasure as
much as it was pain. Skilled fingers had questedbeneath petticoats and bloomers to find her wet and
ready, despite the fear, and even as her blood swiftlyflowed into Hotaru's mouth her pleasure flowed
elsewhere.

Hotaru held the shuddering, crying woman to her with a surprising show of strength, slipping her fingers freeas she pulled the woman up to ride her thigh. Wetnesssquished against her stockings as she releasedMinako's neck, pulling her down into a passionatekiss, striving to give her as much pleasure as shecould. Tears stung Hotaru's eyes as they movedtogether wildly, her own passion rising almostuncontrollably.

Finally letting her go Hotaru stepped back, a bitterregret at her own impatience filling her. Resolutelyshe left Minako leaning up against the wall, turningto walk away as Hotaru whispered to her, "I'm sorry."

Fighting off her sudden exhaustion Minako reached out,grasping Hotaru's arm and refusing to let go. Meetingthe other woman's glance Minako fought to keep hervoice steady as she said, "A gentleman doesn't kissand run, I think."

"I'm not a gentleman," Hotaru murmured, a bit of bloodstill sticking around her mouth, wondering what thisbeauty wanted.

Thinking of her sudden, wanton lust Minako murmured,"And I'm no lady, I think." She took a breath, "Idon't want you to go."

"I'm not...," Hotaru hesitated, then made herself say,"not human, Minako. I'll hurt you."

"I don't care."

"All right," Hotaru met that stubborn gaze, feelingsomething beyond the simple desire that had held herbefore, "for now."

End.