Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there lived a King and a Queen. They ruled their kingdom with wisdom, and the people there had to never see hunger or war. The King and Queen were also blessed to have a daughter, a sweet princess, whom they named Michiru. The princess was beautiful and wise, just like her parents.
One day, the king got sick. Even the best healers in the land could not help him. His last wish was that his daughter could be happy and have love in her life. The princess made a promise to always do what was best for her kingdom.
In the same kingdom, there lived another girl. Her name was Haruka, and she was a curious child, her spirit free like the wind. Unfortunately, her mother had passed away when she was very young, and her father had married another woman. Haruka did not like her new stepmother, or her two new stepbrothers. Still, Haruka's life was fine, until her father died in an accident. That was when her stepmother and stepbrothers showed their true colors.
Both of the stepbrothers made fun of Haruka and always pushed her down, making her get mud on her clothes. Her stepmother would then blame Haruka for everything, and punished her by making her do all the chores. Haruka did them with a bitter look on her face. She dreamed that one day she would get away from all of this.
And now, our story may begin.
"Princess, is everything all right?"
Michiru sat by the window, looking out to the sea that glimmered in the sun like it was made of thousands of small diamonds.
"I'm just worried," she admitted, not looking away from the window.
"What are you worried about?" Setsuna, Michiru's handmaiden and best friend, asked.
"I'm worried that I won't find anyone at the ball, and that I will disappoint my kingdom," Michiru said and turned around. She sighed deeply as Setsuna kneeled in front of her. The Queen was getting worried that the princess would not find anyone before inheriting the throne, so she had decided to take matters to her own hands. She was going to hold a masquerade ball, so that the princess could find a suitable husband for herself. Every man, who was the right age, unmarried, and came from a family with enough wealth and power, was invited.
"You won't disappoint anyone, even if you don't find love at the ball," Setsuna comforted, and took Michiru's hand into hers.
"But I'm supposed to get married and have children, who can one day inherit the throne after me. And in order to get married and have children, I need to-" Setsuna pressed her finger gently against Michiru's lips. Normally, doing that to the princess would be considered rude, but the two had known each other for years, so Michiru had allowed Setsuna to have certain privileges.
"You have no need to worry. I am sure that you will find your true love at the ball," she said with a gentle smile on her lips.
"Really? Are you certain?" Michiru asked, this time sounding more hopeful. Setsuna had a mysterious talent to see the future. Or at least that was what the princess thought, because every time the woman had a "feeling" something was going to happen, it would happen.
"Yes. I'm sure," Setsuna said, and the princess smiled.
"Good. I should probably try on my dress then, I need to look good for the love of my life," Michiru laughed.
"And after you have done that, polish my sons' shoes. I need them to look good for the ball."
Haruka nodded, and watched as her stepmother left, closing the door behind her. Haruka let out a frustrated sigh. She ran her hand through her short hair and walked into the kitchen.
"Do this, Haruka. Do that, Haruka," she mumbled, mocking her stepmother's voice as she searched for the mop.
"This is so unfair; I should be going to the ball, too."
That thought had gone through her head over and over, ever since the invitation had arrived. She had even made the mistake of expressing these thoughts to her stepmother.
"Are you kidding me? What man would want to dance with a girl who wears men's clothes and has short hair? And your face is not that pretty either, even a mask wouldn't hide that fact," the older one of Haruka's stepbrothers had said. It had taken all of Haruka's willpower not to punch him in the face.
"Well I doubt any girl would want to dance with you, either. They'll all run away in fear when they see your face," Harkuka had said, but soon realized her mistake.
"Haruka! With that kind of behavior, you will most definitely not come to the ball," her stepmother had said, and Haruka knew that if she wanted to still live a tolerable life, now was the time to stay quiet.
"Stupid… jerk… thinks he's so important…" Haruka mumbled as she scrubbed the floor aggressively. One day, she would pay her stepbrothers back for everything they had said and done to her over the years.
"I'm much more handsome than they are! If I went to the ball, all of the girls would beg for me to dance with them," she said to herself.
Later that night, her stepbrothers and stepmother left to the ball, and Haruka was left all alone in the house. She walked through the kitchen door to the garden, and sat by the pond. The full moon reflected from the surface of the water, looking brighter than usual.
"I wish I could just go to the ball," Haruka sighed, lifting her eyes up to look straight at the moon.
"Then why don't you go?" a voice said. Haruka stood up quickly, looking around.
"Who's there?" she asked, not seeing anyone.
"It's me," a voice from the ground said. Haruka looked down and saw a rabbit by her feet. Its fur looked almost silver in the light of the full moon. The rabbit was looking up to her, its head slightly tilted to the side.
"Uh… who… what… how?" Haruka stammered. She knelt down to take a closer look of the rabbit.
"What, haven't you ever seen a talking rabbit?" it asked, nuzzling its head against Haruka's leg.
"Strangely, no," Haruka said and sat back down. She let the rabbit hop onto her lap and started to pet it.
"Oh. Well, then I'm your first one. But tell me, why aren't you going to the ball?" the rabbit asked. Haruka was slowly getting used to the idea of a talking rabbit on her lap.
"I don't have an invitation, my stepmother won't let me go, and I don't even have anything to wear," she explained. The rabbit seemed to think for a second, before glancing up at the moon.
"I think I can fix that," it said and hopped off of Haruka's lap. It turned to look at the moon, and Haruka stood up. For a moment, nothing happened, until the rabbit's fur started to shine. Or at least that's what Haruka thought she was seeing, until a bright light made her blind for a moment.
"What was that?" Haruka asked, slowly getting her vision back.
"Come look at yourself," the rabbit said, and Haruka walked closer to the water. She nearly fell into the pond as she saw her reflection. She was now dressed in clothes that only princes in fairytales and very rich people wore. Her hair looked cleaner, but the windswept look she loved was still there. On her face, there was a golden mask. As she reached to her pocket, she found an invitation to the ball.
"Now you can go to the ball! Just be back before midnight. My magic is not strong enough to last for any longer than that," the rabbit explained, but Haruka was still admiring her reflection.
"Yes, yes. I just want to thank you for this. Do you have a name?" she asked and finally turned around.
"No, I'm just a rabbit," it said and looked up at Haruka.
"Well, I think you're a Moon rabbit, because I don't think normal rabbits have magical powers. I'm Haruka, by the way. Thank you for this," Haruka said, and knelt down to pet the rabbit. She then got up to leave.
"Have fun! And remember to leave before midnight!" the rabbit called after Haruka, as she left the garden.
By the time Haruka arrived to the ball, everyone was already dancing and chatting. Everything around her was decorated more beautifully than she could have ever expected. She made her way over to the side of the room, with tall windows reaching from the floor all the way to the ceiling. Haruka was amazed by everything. The music made her want to go dancing, but it seemed that everyone already had a dance partner. Fortunately, Haruka spotted a small girl standing by herself next to the wall. She was dressed in a blue dress that matched her hair. Her mask was a bit lighter shade of blue.
Haruka marched over to the girl.
"May I have this dance?" she asked, offering her hand. The girl looked up at her, and Haruka could see her blush behind the mask. Fortunately, the girl nodded, and Haruka led her to the dancefloor.
"So, what's your name?" Haruka asked as they started dancing.
"Ami," the girl answered.
"That's a pretty name," Haruka complimented, making the girl blush again. They danced the rest of the song in silence, and as the song ended, Haruka led Ami back to the side and thanked her for the dance.
She headed for the tables that were filled with food and drinks. Haruka licked her lips and helped herself to some of the treats. She had barely gotten a sip of her drink, when she felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned around, and saw a cute blonde girl standing in front of her.
"Are you the one who danced with Ami?" the girl asked. Haruka nodded, and the girl leaned to whisper something to her tall friend, who was standing next to her. Haruka noticed that Ami was standing behind them, with one more girl next to her. Finally, the blonde girl turned back to Haruka.
"I'm Minako. This is Makoto, and that's Rei. We would like to dance with you," the girl announced. Haruka stared at her, a bit surprised, but set down her drink.
"Alright, then. Who's first?"
The girls took turns in dancing with Haruka. Unfortunately, they were all a bit too energetic for Haruka's tastes, and by the time she had danced with them all, she was feeling worn out.
"I'm sorry, ladies, but I feel like I need to take a break for a moment," Haruka said as Minako tried to offer her another dance. The girls all looked slightly disappointed, but Haruka assured them that they were all very lovely and that they were excellent dancers.
Haruka made her way over to the other side of the room, which had many archways leading out to the balcony. She leaned against one of the columns and breathed in some fresh air.
"Is he gone?" a voice asked from the other side of the column. Haruka turned, and saw a girl with a silver mask on her face. She could not help staring. The girl's aquamarine hair looked like it was made from the sea itself, and the eyes that were hidden behind the mask were sparkling in the moonlight. Haruka tried to get her thoughts back together.
"Who?"
"Him," the girl said, and pointed at someone in the room. Haruka looked around, until she saw a familiar figure walking around the room, and it seemed like he was looking for something or someone. It was no other than Haruka's younger stepbrother.
"Him? Is he bothering you?" Haruka asked and looked down at the girl.
"Well… Let's just say that he is too insistent on offering his company to me," the girl answered.
"Do you want me to get rid of him?" Haruka offered. She knew her stepbrother could be bothersome and brash around women.
"No, you do not need to bother yourself with this. I'll just wait here until he finds someone else to dance with," the girl smiled, and Haruka felt her heart almost stopping at the sight of that sweet smile.
"It's not fair that a beautiful lady has to hide out here. Let me deal with this. In return, you could let me have the next dance." The girl seemed to study Haruka's face closely.
"Alright. I'll be waiting for you," she said, and Haruka headed back inside.
Haruka knew she couldn't talk to her stepbrother directly, in case he recognized her. Instead, she searched the room with her eyes, until she saw four familiar girls standing off to the side.
"Hello, ladies. Would you mind doing a favor for me?" she asked as she walked over to the girls.
"Of course, anything for you," Minako said, batting her eyelashes under her mask. Rei elbowed her lightly, and Makoto sighed.
"Do you see that man over there? I think he could use a dance partner," Haruka said, pointing out her stepbrother, who was still searching for someone. Minako stood on her toes to see better. She looked at the man, and then at Haruka, studying her face.
"Is he someone you don't like?" she asked.
"Uh… He's just someone who was a little… irritating when he was offering a dance for a certain lady," Haruka explained. She didn't want to let the girls know that she knew this man. Luckily, the four girls seemed to get what Haruka meant.
"Well if he wants to dance, then of course we'll help him with that," Minako said. The girls left to introduce themselves to the man.
"Don't worry; I'll make sure to step on his toes. I'm wearing my best heels tonight," Rei whispered to Haruka as she walked past her.
Haruka rushed back to the balcony, where the girl was waiting for her.
"He'll be busy for a while," she said and glanced back to the dancefloor, where her stepbrother was cornered by Minako and her friends.
"Thank you. How can I repay you?" the girl asked. Haruka was still stunned by her beauty.
"Well how about that dance?" Haruka said, offering her hand. The girl took it, and the two started dancing out in the moonlight. They didn't bother going inside, where there were other people. In Haruka's mind, it was just the two of them, dancing in the moonlight.
After three songs, the two of them stopped.
"Would you like to walk with me in the gardens?" the girl offered. Haruka glanced at the clock tower. She had plenty of time to spare before midnight.
"I would love to," she said, and linked arms with the girl. They walked down the stone steps leading to the beautiful garden. They walked over to the fountain, and sat by the edge.
"I just realized, I don't even know your name," Haruka said suddenly. The girl looked up at her with an amused smile.
"I'm Michiru," she said.
"Wait… like the princess?"
"I am the princess," Michiru said, still smiling. Haruka felt as if she had been hit in the head. Michiru noticed this from the look on Haruka's face.
"You really didn't know, did you?" she asked. Haruka just stared at her.
"I… No… I mean… I thought… But… Is this even appropriate? I mean, we're-" Haruka stammered, but her words were cut short as Michiru pressed her gloved finger to her lips.
"How could this not be appropriate? You got an invitation, it means you're considered a suitable suitor for me," Michiru said and lowered her hand. Haruka stared at her. A suitor? Her? No way. She started to feel dizzy. Michiru could see that Haruka was overwhelmed.
"Besides, we're just talking," she said with a smile.
"Yes. Just talking," Haruka mumbled. She had not planned on actually meeting the princess; she had just wanted to have fun.
The two of them sat by the fountain, talking about their lives. Haruka avoided mentioning anything that would give her true identity away, but she told about how her mother had died when she was young, and how her father had married an awful hag.
The princess, in turn, told Haruka about her life in the castle, and about her own father's death. Haruka felt like she could have listened to Michiru forever. There was a connection between the two of them, and they both felt it.
"May I see you without your mask?" Michiru asked suddenly. Haruka swallowed hard. If she took off her mask, the princess would see that she was a woman, and she didn't want to think what could happen after that. Haruka didn't say anything, but Michiru just waited quietly. Finally, Haruka sighed. She didn't want to lie to the princess. If she told her now, Michiru could still go back to the ball and find herself someone more suitable.
Haruka took off her mask slowly. Michiru studied her face, but she didn't show any signs of being surprised. Had she not noticed? After a moment, the princess took off her own mask.
Haruka's eyes widened as she saw Michiru's face properly. She looked even more beautiful. At that moment, Haruka forgot everything about telling the truth. Right now, all she wanted to do was to kiss this girl in front of her.
The two of them continued talking. Usually Haruka didn't believe it was possible to fall in love so fast, but she was starting to reconsider her opinion on the matter.
"It's almost midnight," Michiru pointed out suddenly. Haruka looked at the clock tower. Only one minute. She got up and grabbed her mask.
"I need to go. I'm so sorry," she said and started to run away. Michiru ran after her.
"Wait! Where are you going? I don't even know your name!" she shouted after her, but Haruka was too fast for her.
Finally, Michiru reached the steps leading into the castle, but Haruka was nowhere to be found. Her golden mask lay down on the ground, and Michiru leaned down to pick it up. She felt her heart aching, hoping that one day, they could meet again.
"Is everything alright?" Setsuna asked. Michiru stood by the window, looking out to the sea.
"You've been standing here ever since the ball. What happened?" Setsuna continued, when she didn't get a reply.
"You were right. I think I did meet my true love. Unfortunately, I have no idea if we will ever meet again," Michiru sighed, looking down to the mask in her hands.
"Of course you will," Setsuna comforted the princess, placing a hand on her shoulder. Michiru sighed.
"Will you help me with something?" she said and turned around.
"Anything, princess."
"Come with me to the library, then."
About a week after the ball, it was announced that the princess had indeed found someone at the ball, but that she had lost that someone. That was why the princess herself would go through every house that had received an invitation in search for this mysterious 'someone'. People thought it was a waste of time, but the princess was determined to find the one she was looking for.
As soon as Haruka's stepmother heard that the princess would be visiting them, she told Haruka to stay out of the way. Haruka agreed to it. She knew that it would be no use if the princess found her. It would only break both of their hearts. Haruka decided she didn't even want to see the princess, so she went to sit in the garden.
It was late afternoon when Michiru arrived to Haruka's home. She had been searching for days, and she was losing hope. Haruka's stepmother welcomed her and Setsuna into the house.
"Welcome, your highness! Here are my two sons, both of whom were at the party. My youngest even danced with you, so he must be the one!" she said and presented her sons. Michiru only sighed and turned to Setsuna.
"No, the one I'm looking for had blonde hair. Setsuna, I think you can handle this," she said and started to walk out.
"Wait! If he stands in this light, you can see that his hair looks lighter!" Haruka's stepmother said, dragging her son to the side. Michiru wasn't listening. She went outside and leaned against the wall. This all felt useless. Every house Michiru had visited had only had selfish gold-diggers, who were ready to lie to the princess to get into a better position. Michiru closed her eyes. She could still hear the woman try to insist that one of her sons was the one the princess had danced with.
Michiru opened her eyes when she heard rustling from the ground. She looked down and saw a small white rabbit. Before she could do anything else, the rabbit made its way to the gate that lead to the garden. Michiru stood still and stared. The rabbit bounced back to the princess, and then over to the gate.
"You want me to go there?" Michiru asked, and the rabbit disappeared into the bushes. Michiru walked over to the gate and went into the garden.
Haruka was sitting by the pond. She stared at her reflection, thinking about the ball. She would never see the princess again, and the thought made her heart ache. She felt someone come stand behind her. Probably her stepmother, on her way to tell Haruka to stop being lazy.
To Haruka's surprise, the voice that spoke didn't belong to her stepmother.
"Why are you hiding out here?" Haruka turned around and saw the princess. Her mouth hanged open, but she couldn't speak.
"Don't you know I've been looking for you?" the princess asked as she sat down next to Haruka. She didn't seem to care about getting dirt on her dress. Haruka was still speechless.
"You left the ball so suddenly that I couldn't even ask for your name," Michiru continued. Haruka swallowed hard.
"I'm… I'm Haruka," she managed to say. The princess smiled sweetly. Haruka felt like her heart was about to explode.
"Well… I guess you'll be going back to your castle now. I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you," she sighed. Michiru frowned.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, genuinely looking confused.
"W-well… I'm a woman," Haruka stuttered. Had the princess still not noticed? To Haruka's surprise, Michiru giggled.
"I've known that ever since you took off your mask," she said, looking amused. Now it was Haruka's turn to be confused.
"I don't understand," she mumbled. Michiru took Haruka's hands into hers, startling the blonde.
"Let me explain. Before the ball, a friend of mine told me I would meet my true love. She's always right; I think she can see the future. When I talked to you that night, I felt a connection between us. I knew that you were the one. This might all sound rushed, since we haven't known each other for that long, but I want you to come to the castle with me. We can get to know each other in peace. There's no need to rush things." Haruka stared at Michiru.
"But… Let's assume that you're right. Even if we were meant for each other, even if we did fall in love, we still couldn't get married. What use would I be for the kingdom?" Haruka asked. Michiru let go of Haruka's hands.
"Actually, I spent a whole day in the library, going through all of the laws in our kingdom. Not a single one of them says that I have to marry a man, just that I will have to have a child," she explained and looked straight into Haruka's eyes.
"I can't give you a child. The kingdom needs someone better," Haruka said.
"We can think of that later. I'm still young, we have time. And I'm not thinking about what the kingdom needs, I'm thinking about what I need. When my father died, I promised to always think of my kingdom first. But he wished that I could have love and happiness. The kingdom can wait for the next heir a little longer, but I know that I can never meet anyone like you," the princess said desperately. Haruka thought for a moment, looking at the pond. Michiru waited quietly.
"Alright. I'll come with you to the castle. Even if it doesn't work out, we can still be friends, can't we?" Haruka said finally, and Michiru nodded. The two of them smiled widely, and Haruka stood up, offering her hand to Michiru.
They walked back over to Michiru's carriage just as Setsuna walked out of the house.
"Wait! I'm sure that one of my sons would make a suitable husband for the princess, in case you don't find the person you are looking for!" Haruka's stepmother said as she ran after Setsuna.
"Thank you for your offer, but I already found her," the princess said with a smile and linked her arm with Haruka's.
"But… She… There has to be some sort of mistake! She wasn't even at the ball!"
"Yes, I was. And now I'm going to go and live in the castle. Oh, and since this house belonged to my father, it is technically mine. But I will let you live here, for now, just because I'm feeling kind today. Goodbye," Haruka said and smiled down at Michiru. Her stepmother was left speechless as Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna climbed into the carriage.
"I knew you two would find each other," Setsuna smiled.
Two years later, when Haruka and Michiru had been married for a year, Michiru once more stood by the window.
"What is bothering you, my love?" Haruka asked and wrapped her arms around her wife. Michiru leaned her head against Haruka's shoulder.
"You know what I'm thinking. I got love and happiness, and now it's time for me to think about the kingdom." Haruka kissed the top of Michiru's head.
"We have time. Stop worrying and come to bed," she said. Michiru sighed and glanced at the full moon on the sky.
"I know. I just wish we could have a child." She turned around and took Haruka's hand, and the two of them walked over to their warm and inviting bed.
Michiru woke up in the middle of the night. She was just about to fall back asleep, when she saw a bright flash of light.
"Haruka! Did you see that?" she asked as she shook her wife's shoulder.
"Mmmh… I don't know what you're talking about," Haruka mumbled and pulled Michiru down to lay down next to her.
"There was a flash of light," Michiru explained, still not entirely convinced that everything was fine.
"It was probably magic or something. Nothing dangerous," Haruka yawned and pulled Michiru closer. The princess wondered if it really could have been magic, but soon she was back asleep.
Nine months later, Michiru stood again by the window, but this time she was not worried. She had a small bundle in her arms and a sweet smile on her face.
"You look wonderful. Both of you," Haruka whispered as she walked over to her wife and daughter. She stroked the baby's cheek gently.
"I feel wonderful, too. Everything is as it should be," Michiru said just as Setsuna walked into the room.
"How is the little princess doing?" Setsuna asked with a smile.
"She's sleeping peacefully," Michiru answered.
"I'm glad that Hotaru has been so quiet so far," Haruka said and smiled widely. Setsuna took the child from Michiru's arms.
"I'll take her so that you can have some time alone," she whispered and left the room. Michiru turned to face Haruka. The two of them looked into each other's eyes, and Haruka leaned in for a kiss. Michiru wrapped her arms around her, letting herself forget everything else and just focus on the happy moment.
Somewhere in the garden, a white rabbit was making a nest for its own child.