Being the Etoile could never and was never the glamorous role that most of the girls within the three Astrea Hill schools dreamt about. To always be within view of everyone drove her wild, and she had already been overtly popular from the first day she came to Spica without this. Never once had Amane liked being surrounded and looked up to by tons of impressionable girls, nor could she stand all of this extra work when all she had ever wanted was to be a normal school girl. What was worse was that this was putting a huge strain on her relationship with her then girlfriend, Hikari. In fact, Hikari had been her only true girlfriend. She had thought she found love once before, but that was all false, a pretense for one of the popular and pretty girls to cause a riot in the school. It had only been a publicity stunt done by her that she did as part of a dare given to her by her click. As soon as Amane had been humiliated in front of the entire school and beaten up by the girl's boyfriend, she leapt into her boyfriend's arms and the school applauded her boyfriend for showing the masculine girl that only a man could be macho, and that she should go back to playing with makeup kits and chasing boys like the normal girls did. Amane, however, had never felt like one of the normal girls. She tried and she tried to be feminine and do feminine things, but no matter what she seemed to fall back into the boy roles quite comfortably. Thus, did Amane suffer until she heard about a school that housed more than a few girls like her. When she came, she hoped that with the large population within the school that she would be swallowed by and disappear into the crowd. To her utmost dismay, that did not happen, and now she got tossed into the spotlight more than ever. All Amane wanted to do was disappear into nothingness, into Hikari….
"Amane… Amane…." Finally, the prince awakened from her dazed state that the work she did dragged her into. She looked over to see her Angel staring up at her with watering eyes. Now, her hair went astray and her eyes dulled into pools of pain rather than the sparkling lights of Heaven that once graced the prince in white. "Amane, I cannot take working like this much longer. I need to rest." Amane hoped she would say something like that, and she immediately stood up from her chair and wrapped her arms around Hikari. "Yes, let's take a break." The taller girl kissed her girlfriend on the head and kept holding onto her not wanting to let go. For several seconds the strained but much sought for silence clenched the air until Hikari squeaked shattering it. "I just wonder where we could rest alone. No matter where we go, we are followed. No, we are stalked and no one wants to relent. I-….." Amane knew what Hikari tried to say to her. "I cannot take it either, but I promise to find us a place to be alone together." The prince caressed her angel and ran her fingers through the honey colored locks. "Even if we must sneak out of and away from the school grounds during the entire night, we shall do so." Amane could not resist looking over at the clock as the afternoon sun bore down upon her in a raging golden fury. 5:15. If they were to sneak out, they would have to do so and get past the gates in less than forty-five minutes. "Hikari, let's pack a bag with one set of clothes for each of us and toiletries. We are sneaking out of the school." Hikari, though reluctant, nodded her head wanting nothing more than to escape as well.
Amazingly, they managed to get out of the school grounds without being noticed, and ran off into the woods to use the trees as cover. They kept near enough to the road to be able to see it, but kept distancing themselves enough to where they thought they would be safe. When they were far enough from the Astrea schools that they looked like a small housing community, they stopped to catch their breath. They had ran so much that both of them were now stooped over panting. "Hikari, we made it! Now, I will try to find us a place to camp out for the night." It did not take long for Amane to see a large stone that curved over creating an upside down basin that she and Hikari could take shelter under. "We will rest under that boulder tonight. Hopefully, it will not rain." It did not feel like it would rain, but clouds dotted the sky and in a foreboding shade of dark grey. For that night she and Hkari slept there using their bag as a pillow to prop their heads on. All night long, they slept within each other's arms until the morning sun greeted them making them realize they had to brave their way back into Spica. "Come on, Hikari, let's get ready." Having to brush one's teeth without water is not pleasant, but after what they endured in Spica, this did not even matter. After they dressed themselves in the fresh clothes that they brought, they walked back to the school hand-in-hand.
Not once did Hikari look up at Amane until she presented the most cruel proposition she ever could. "I think….. that maybe we should think about splitting up. Our relationship is not working with everyone crowding us." Before Amane could answer, a familiar and quite unwelcome image greeted them. Kaname and Momomi. "Oh my! You two are in so much trouble for your little escapade last night!" The pigtailed girl giggled as she wrapped her arms around her larger mate who had an almost hawk-like gaze. "Momomi, leave the b-" Without warning the blonde girl that had clung to the white prince sprung from her grasp, and ran past them towards the dorms. "What is her problem?" Momomi smiled cruelly letting her eyes shut for a moment. "I should go fetch her for Aman-" "Leave her alone!" The voiced boomed darkly not from the white prince, but from the black one. The shadow prince that followed the white prince and could never measure up to her, stood up for the princess that the white prince so loved. "Leave her alone, Momomi, she is tortured enough." Momomi stormed off towards the dorms as well mumbling just clear enough to be heard. "First, you give up the Etoile position that should have been ours, and now you support them? ….. I….. hate you…" Kaname then approached Amane hoping to clear up the situation. "If ever you need someone to talk to, I will be there to listen." Amane quickly thanked her and tried to hurry past her to hide within her dorm with Hikari so that they would be left alone. Kaname watched as the prince she so desperately wished for walked away from her. "If-… ever….." The dark haired girl reached out a hand to touch Amane, her prince, but it was too late the white prince sped away to look for the shattered princess completely ignoring the crushed prince behind her. She looked down at the ground as her hand fell back to her side. "If ever…."
Hikari hoped that she could get into the diner the school had before anyone else would. Hardly anyone was up this early on a Saturday morning other than the staff. Her stomach growled as she walked up and took a cup of fruit from the display and walked over to one of the booths. "Hikari," an unpleasant and high pitched voice that seemed to squeal called for her as a domineering figure approached her. "Hikari, how are you and Amane doing?" Momomi asked with her hands on her hips. She stooped over the girl that glared back at her with raging menace. "You rushed off in such a hurry that I worry about you." Hikari knew better and held onto her fruit cup wishing that it could protect her. She knew better than to trust Momomi in any way, and glared back at her with even more ferocity trying to get her to leave. "We are fine. Why don't you and Kaname just worry about yourselves? Your relationship seems to not be holding so well either." She defiantly scooped her spoon into the melon, grape, and cantelope mixture with her eyes closed and face pointed towards the ceiling and away from Momomi. "Why don't you just mind your own damn business?!" The bratty girl knocked over the fruit into the lap of the girl who had been innocently eating it just a few seconds before. Momomi then stormed off leaving a shocked girl shaking at her table. Not being able to take it anymore, tears forced themselves out of her eyes, and two girls from the staff in the kitchen ran to help her into the kitchen and clean her.
When Amane finally found Hikari, she had been crying for quite some time and now came to her lover soaked in water all over her. No matter how much they had tried to clean her, Hikari still felt the sticky mess that slapped her and clung to her. Holding her hands within each other, she approached Amane with her eyes looking down. "Amane, I cannot take this anymore!" Once again, her voice squeaked from the pain. Amane wrapped her arms around Hikari and Hikari embraced her. Though, Amane expected the usual clinging and warm hug, Hikari tried to resist it this time. "No,…." She spoke above a whisper and pushed away from Amane. "I…. want to stay with you, but it is just too much. I wish to resign the Etoile, but…" She clenched her tiny hands around her prince's clothes wanting to not let go, but she had to and she did. A sigh poured from her just as her tears did. "We should break up. It would be better for both of us…" "Hika-" "No, we must do this. Rather, it is just me that it would be better for me…." She fell back into her prince's chest and laid her head wanting her eyes to never have to look up from her breasts, and forever being able to listen to her heart. This could not be….. "Forgive me, but with everyone attacking me since I am the prince's bride, I cannot be with you." The small and fragile princess pushed away from her prince and ran. She knew not where to run, but she ran. The prince stood there dumbfounded and broken. "Hik-…" She just lost her one and only love.
Later that morning, Kaname and Momomi sat by the church on the railing of the steps. Momomi broke the silence between the as she lay her head on Kaname's shoulder. "Did you hear? Hikari resigned her position as Etoile, and she and Amane broke up?" Kaname wrapped her arm around Momomi as she looked at the concrete steps that had been trod on over and over, abused with both feet and spit. No one cared that this was meant to be a sacred place. In fact, many of them hated that fact, and that they had to be anywhere near it at all. Kaname sighed feeling the warmth of her partner and looked upon the purple flower that swayed in the wind. The four petals of it seemed to almost fall off as the orange flower next to it smacked it, until the white flower let go of the blue flower letting it shelter the violet one. The white one seemed to retreat from the blue, and the orange stood stiff as if it did not matter if the wind were to blow it so hard that it would snap. "Kaname," the pigtailed girl embraced Kaname and inhaled her scent as she nuzzled against her chest. "With the Etoile position being open, they will have to have early reelections. Also,…." She giggled rather maliciously and gleefully as she caressed Kaname's breast in a way that almost went into a squeeze. "with Hikari gone, there should be no competition to have to worry about. I saw her with her bags already packed requesting a voucher of depart-" "MOMOMI!" The dark prince pushed away the young hag and stared at her in utter disbelief and disgust. "How could you?" Anger and disgust boiled within Kaname making her unable to even look at Momomi's face. "Come on, you did far worse to her, remember? Why does this both-" "Enough." Kaname had enough of her finally and made no attempt in stopping herself from saying so. "Enough, Momomi, I loathe myself everyday for doing to her what I did. If you still think that she deserves to be tortured and enjoy every moment of her pain, our courtship is over." The golden brown haired girl gasped as she called her lover's name. "Kaname!" Kaname turned away from her and quietly began to walk off before restating calmy. "It is over…."
Amane stumbled around the grounds in a daze not noticing anyone at all. All she noticed was her own pain and confusion. Why had Hikari just broken up with her like that, and why did she decide to move away from Spica school without even allowing Amane to bid her farewell? If only she had told Amane that she was leaving when she did, Amane would have felt much better. She might never get to see Hikari ever again. She knew that Hikari would most likely regret breaking up with her like that, but it was selfish to have such fantasies. Plus, Hikari would be much happier away from all of the abuse that she suffered on a daily basis just because she dated her, Amane. None of the world lent itself to Amane's vision as she trekked about the school with no destination in mind. Without warning, Amane realized that she ran into something hard and almost as tall as she was. She ran into a person who she soon recognized to be Kaname. Cold water from the fountain in the front courtyard sprayed nearly freezing water onto both princes as Amane could barely even stand anymore. It felt as if her heart had been ripped out, torn apart by starving dogs, and placed back into her chest only after it had been frozen to the point it was a solid as granite. Then, again, granite can be broken. "Kanam-" For once, the blue haired prince's eyes fluttered and she collapsed to be caught by the darker haired prince. When she swooped down to catch Amane, Kaname's navy colored hair became drenched, but luckily Amane had been saved. "Kaname-" "Sshh." The dark prince carried the white prince over her shoulder.
Night now took over the sky and crickets began to chirp their songs when Kaname and Amane reached the steaming water of the common bath. Everyone else was at dinner at this time, and this allowed the couple a chance to sneak through the halls of the Miator section of the Strawberry Dorms to here. "Strip and get comfortable. You need to relax as much as possible." In fact, Kaname needed to relax too, and the commanding sound within her voice proved it. Amane, at first seemed shocked at such a blatant and seemingly perverted command, but soon realized that Kaname seemed stressed as well. Amane nearly fell into the water, which caused Kaname to reach out to grab her. She helped Amane into the bath before slipping in beside her. The hot water nearly lulled the white prince to sleep as she allowed it to wash away her pain. Only Kaname's voice broke her from her draining and clawing slumber. "Miator gets everything. It is unfair." Amane could only stare at her tears that fell into the water becoming the water. That is just how she felt, she drowned in her pain becoming her pain. She somehow managed to strain out, "Life is unfair…." Unable to hold back her tears, they now streamed out of her eyes down her face as small rivers. Kaname could not handle Amane's pain, and wrapped her arm around her and let her lay on her shoulder. "Get your arm off of me." Kaname did as Amane demanded in her growled command. "I blame you and Momomi for all of this!" She cried out frantically as her face nearly fell into the water as she cried even more uncontrollably. Kaname felt like she had just been punched in the face, but she knew and understood perfectly why Amane acted like this. She truly deserved to be treated worse. Gently, she laid her hand on Amane's back and began to rub it. "Amane,…. I… want to make this better somehow. I wish I could make everything I have done just vanish bringing Hikari back." Amane felt like everything was Kaname's fault and hated every moment of being touched while being reminded that she had lost the only girl she ever loved who loved her back. "Just….." Kaname stopped her rubbing and waited for Amane to finish, but when she did not continue, Kaname spoke up. "It is all of my fault. I not only wanted to do what I could to get what you had even when that meant I would listen to Momomi's violent wishes and coupling them with my own." Amane felt compelled to listen after being struck by Kaname's honesty. Finally, finally, she brought forth true and honest words. "Now, you have lost everything," Kaname's hand fell from the other's back in the break of her sentence. "and, I have lost everything." Brightly colored cherry red eyes lit up looking at the raspberry colored eyes that now drained the life from her into the pool just as she had done so earlier. "Kaname." The white prince rested her hand on the other prince's shoulder and noticed that both were bare. Both bared their secrets since nothing covered them. They could not stand to bottle up all of their problems anymore, and let everything come out. Both girls sought comfort within each other, and when both set of red eyes met, they reached out for each other. The black prince held the white prince's hand and began to stroke it with her thumb. "I wish that we could put our pasts behind us, and forget about what our lovers have done to us. I really wish that we could… get together." Amane could not believe her ears as she threw herself away from Kaname's grip. "What makes you think that I would ever want to get with you when you caused me so much grief? You may have lost Momomi, but because of you and her, I lost her today and forever." Kaname's back fell against the edge of the pool as she stared back dumbfounded, nay, horrified at the prince's violence towards her. "Please, hear me out, I quit roughing out Hikari and tried to stop Momomi from hurting her. I protected Hikari numerous times, and today, I broke up with Momomi since she drove Hikari away. She even told me that she did so!" Kaname feared that she sounded like she was trying to make herself sound better, and she stared up at Amane scared of what could happen next. Her chest heaved up and down as her breathing became deeper and harsher. Amane finally took some pity on her and sat on her knees beside her in the bath. "I guess that I can forgive you since it truly was not your fault that Hikari left, and you did leave the one who caused your violent ways." When Amane's hand landed on Kaname's shoulder, her lonely heart beat faster and faster wanting to leap out of her chest. The white prince finally spoke gentle words to the dark one. "I forgive you for what you have done. Also," She splashed the water a bit with her hips when she placed her other hand on Kaname's other shoulder and slipped closer to her. "I will give us a chance being together." Bright red eyes closed and darker crimson ones followed as Amane bridged the gap between their lips, and the two fell into the warmth that was each other.
Several months had passed since Hikari ran away to a far away school, and Kaname finally broke up with her controlling girlfriend Momomi. Momomi hated losing the true prince of Spica Institute, but breaking up had been the best thing ever for Kaname. She now walked lightly and gleefully wherever she went. Arm and arm she walked with her prince. Sadly, the situation had not been perfect for the other prince in her previous relationship. Hikari called her often pining for affection, and telling her that she now found another lover broke Hikari's heart more than any other thing could. After Hikari got into another romance, she never again called Amane other than to tell her about her new lover. Amane's hand clenched around Kaname's and Kaname stopped walking forward towards the dorms with her lover. "You still miss her." A tear trailed down the left side of Amane's face. "I do." Kaname immediately swung around in front of Amane and embraced her letting her wrap herself around her in response. A heavy sigh escaped her as she caressed the back of Amane, but Amane regained her strength and regal posture sliding her hands down to hold Kaname's. On both of their ring fingers circled gold bands. When they wed, they would gain diamond rings, but at least this showed their promise to each other. "I'm sorry, Kaname, I forgot that I had the most wonderful woman to take care of me." Kaname rebutted, "You are far too strong to be acting like this, and you are a far better woman than I." Amane nuzzled Kaname's face before pulling back slightly to be able to look into her eyes. "Thank you, and I cannot wait." Kaname pulled a stray strand of hair the wind blew in front of Amane's eyes. "I cannot wait either. The night after our graduation, we shall be one, and our wedding shall take place in the same church that our most precious memories took place." Amane and Kaname gripped each other's hands bringing each other closer. "Just three more days…." Kaname whispered. Both women wanted to chuckle and smiled since they knew they were both growing more impatient. Amane replied, "Three more days." Just as she finished speaking, their lips locked passionately and both women held each other. In the same church that they attended for so many years as they lived at Spica, they would be eternally bonded in holy matrimony. Two princes blessed by God had found each other just as God always planned. They truly were blessed by God to be together.