Author's Note: Happy New Year, everyone! This is a New Year oneshot that I wrote specially for the 2013 New Year! I hope you enjoy it!
Oh yeah, I don't own Sugar Sugar Rune or any of the characters!
Chocolat turned over in her sleep, grinning to herself. She was having an awesome dream about going through a land filled with chocolate and everything sweet with Vanilla, Houx, Saule and Pierre.
Suddenly, her phone rang, rudely awakening her from that amazing dream. She fumbled in the darkness of her room – for the curtains were closed – for the phone on her bedside table. She finally found it and picked it up. Caller ID told her it was Yurika.
"Moshi moshi," she said, trying not to yawn. "Moshi moshi, is that Chocolat on the line?" Yurika's voice came over the phone. "Yeah, it's me. Hi, Yurika. What's up?" Chocolat mumbled. "Um, did I wake you up?" Yurika's concerned voice asked.
"Uh, no, of course not," Chocolat lied, trying to make her voice as bright and cheery as possible. "Oh, good," Yurika said, sounding relieved. "So why did you call?" Chocolat asked, her tone as perky as she could make it.
"Oh, right. I'm hosting a New Year's Eve party. You do realize it's only one week away? The party will be held in the evening and will go on past midnight. Anyway, I wanted to invite you, Vanilla, Houx-kun, Saule-kun Akane, Akiko, Akira-kun, Hanako, Mimura-kun, Momoka, Natsume and Taiji-kun to the party,"
"Really? Cool!" Chocolat said excitedly, immediately sitting up. "So can I drop by your house around one and a half hour later? Then the both of us can go to your friends' house and I can give them their invitations in person," Yurika said. "Oh, yeah, sure!" Chocolat replied.
"Oh, that's great, arigatou, Chocolat. Bye, then," Yurika said. "Yeah, arigatou, bye!" Chocolat replied and Yurika hung up.
After brushing her teeth and taking a shower, Chocolat ran out to the porch where Vanilla, Houx and Saule were setting the table for breakfast.
"Ohayou, Chocolat," Houx and Saule grinned at her. "Ohayou, Chocolat-chan," Vanilla smiled as she set out some plates. "Ohayou, Vanilla, Houx, Saule!" Chocolat grinned back at all of them.
"Hey, guys, Yurika's dropping by later. Then I'm going out with her for a while," she informed them. "That's cool with us. But why is she coming and why are you going?" Saule raised his eyebrow. "It's a secret for now. You'll find out later," Chocolat replied, winking.
"Anyway, c'mon, let me help!" Chocolat ran to the kitchen, got some food and walked out, placing them on the table.
Later, after breakfast, Yurika came over. "Ohayou, Chocolat, Vanilla, Houx-kun, Saule-kun!" she called from the gate. "Ohayou, Yurika!" they replied as Chocolat rushed to open the gate.
"So why are you here, Yurika?" Saule immediately asked as she walked in the door and took off her coat. "Yeah, Chocolat didn't want to tell us," Houx pretended to glare at Chocolat. Yurika smiled at all of them.
"I'm hosting a party at my house on the thirty-first of December. It'll go on past midnight. And all of you are invited!" she told them as she handed them small envelopes. "Wow, really? Arigatou, Yurika!" Vanilla replied as she opened her invitation. There was fancy lining and a golden ribbon at the top. The words were written in Yurika's elegant handwriting.
"Arigatou, Yurika," Houx and Saule grinned at her. "The dress code is semi-fancy. The boys will have to wear suits, but neckties are optional. For girls, at least knee-length dresses or skirts, of course," Yurika informed them.
"Yurika and I are going to Vanilla and my classmates' houses to give them the invitations and tell them about the party in person," Chocolat explained. "Oh, OK, then," Houx said while Saule continued looking at his invitation.
"Chocolate mousse and cocktails?" Saule said out loud, surprised by the extravagance of the menu. "Wow, this party is sure going to be elaborate," Vanilla exclaimed as she read the description of the food. "I bet it's going to be great, Yurika," Chocolat grinned at Yurika.
"So, Chocolat, shall we leave now?" Yurika smiled at her. "Yeah, sure. I'll just get my coat and then we can go," Chocolat finally said after checking her invitation one more time.
One and a half hour later, Chocolat and Yurika returned to Chocolat's place. "Wow, my eardrums still hurt," Chocolat winced. "The girls all did scream and squeal fairly loud," Yurika agreed. "And the boys were hilarious trying to act cool when they received the invitations," Chocolat giggled. "I had a fun time, Chocolat. Really," Yurika smiled at her.
"Yeah, me too," Chocolat smiled back. "Well, I have to go. Ja ne, Chocolat," Yurika said as she opened the door to the freezing cold outside. "Ja ne, Yurika. And thanks again for the invitation!" Chocolat added. "No problem," Yurika said before leaving.
To Houx and Saule's slight depression, Chocolat and Vanilla dragged them shopping that weekend. "Come on, you know we have to buy fancy clothes for Yurika's party!" Chocolat insisted. "Yeah, but we already have suitable clothes!" Houx protested. "Yeah," Chocolat rolled her eyes. "But it's more fun when we go shopping!"
Vanilla giggled and nodded in agreement. This time it was Saule's turn to roll his eyes. "Fun for you girls, maybe," he grumbled and Houx nodded quickly. "Oh, so you don't think it's fun?" Chocolat turned around and put her hands on her hips.
A little afraid, Houx mumbled, "Well, I never said that…I just agreed with him…" "You're so cute when you do that, Chocolat," Saule, always the blunt and honest one, grinned at her as he said that. Chocolat blushed a little.
"Wow, that dress is so pretty!" Vanilla gasped, pointing at a dark blue dress in a shop's window display. "Oh, that dress is beautiful!" Chocolat exclaimed.
Two hours later, they got a complete outfit for each of them for Yurika's party.
Chocolat had bought a cute knee-length backless black dress with ruffles on the skirt and hot-pink trim along with a pair of matching boots. She also purchased a bracelet with pink heart pendants and dangling pink heart earrings.
Vanilla, on the other hand, bought a white halterneck top and a short royal cardigan with frills down the front. With that, she purchased a flowing purple tea-length skirt and sweet purple little flats. She chose a pair of dangling diamond-shaped diamond earrings and a matching bracelet.
Houx bought a black tuxedo while Saule favoured a white tux.
Saule groaned. "I'm loaded down with bags!" he complained. The girls were merely carrying their purses and a few bags while the guys were carrying all the other bags. "Chocolat-chan, I think we should help them..." Vanilla looked at them worriedly. "No worries! It's their job as guys to carry the girls' shopping bags!" Chocolat waved it away.
"Hey, Saule. Why don't we just..." Houx snapped his fingers to demonstrate and the bags instantly became feather light. "Hey, great idea, Houx!" Saule's expression brightened and he instantly did the same thing.
"You should've thought of that earlier," Chocolat shrugged. "You think it's so easy to think of solutions when it feels like all the bags are going to drag you down to the ground?" Saule challenged. Chocolat merely replied with a yawn while Houx and Saule laughed.
Finally, the day of the party arrived. Chocolat and Vanilla got ready together in Vanilla's bedroom because Chocolat's bedroom was a mess as usual.
"Vanilla, you look so pretty!" Chocolat grinned, bouncing on the bed as her friend put on some blush. "Arigatou, Chocolat-chan. You look gorgeous too," Vanilla replied, smiling back. On instinct, Chocolat checked her reflection in the mirror.
"What's wrong, Chocolat-chan? You look so tense. You're rarely this anxious," Vanilla observed. "No, nothing's wrong. I just have to make sure I look good, of course!" Chocolat said, trying to cover up. "Any special reason?" Vanilla asked slyly, almost sure she knew the answer.
"Well, Pierre is going to be at the party..." Chocolat mumbled, blushing. Vanilla chuckled a little. "I knew it!" she laughed.
Then, their familiars Duke and Blanca jumped up onto the dressing table. "Vanilla-chama looks so beautiful; she's just going to get tons of hearts!" Blanca said as she picked up a brush and helped apply blush to Vanilla's other cheek. "Arigatou, Blanca. But don't you think Chocolat-chan looks beautiful too?" Vanilla asked.
"Hmph. Well, of course, they say every girl looks pretty –" Blanca said a little snidely. "– but my Vanilla-chama shines like a diamond! Chocolat can in no way compare to you, Vanilla-chama!" Duke, eager to voice his opinion, spoke up.
"Well, I, on the other hand, think Chocolat shines more and will get more hearts tonight!" he said. Blanca flared up.
"So you think Chocolat can beat Vanilla-chama, do you?" she challenged. "As a matter of fact, I do!" Duke replied, flaring up too. "Well, then, we'll see who wins this competition!" Blanca said smugly. "Oh, you are so on!" Duke smirked.
Chocolat and Vanilla sighed and shook their heads.
Chocolat, Vanilla, Houx and Saule arrived at Yurika's house in a limo they'd specially hired for the occasion.
As they stepped out of the limo, Yurika came out to greet them. She was wearing a slim tea-length shimmering silver dress with elegant golden lining. "Kobanwa, minna-san! I'm so glad you made it," she smiled at them. "Konbawa! The party looks fantastic, Yurika!" Chocolat replied excitedly, looking around. The other three greeted her one by one.
"Wow, everyone's really dressed up," Vanilla said, eyeing some girls who had gone a little over the top by wearing dresses with long trains.
"Thanks for inviting us, Yurika," Houx and Saule flashed big smiles at her which made nearly every girl around them squeal.
"Now, then, let me show you inside," Yurika said and led them into her huge mansion.
Inside the ballroom, there was a big stage with a sparkling tulle curtain. Most of the space was left empty for dancing. White, gold and silver balloons were attached to the cornice(top of an interior wall). People were already dancing and enjoying the party.
"Gorgeous!" Vanilla gasped and Chocolat nodded in agreement. "I'm glad you like it. Now let me take you to the dining room," Yurika said. They went through a doorway which had silver roses attached to the top.
Long tables covered with a yellow tablecloth and golden ribbons in the middle were arranged in an L shape around the dining room. The long tables were laden with food and drinks. In the center of the room, there were round tables covered first with a layer of white satin and a second layer of tulle, creating a shimmering effect. Glittering silver streamers adorned the cornice of the dining room.
"The food looks amazing, Yurika," Houx praised as his eyes surveyed the long tables. "Arigatou, Houx-kun. My chefs are some of the best in the area. I wanted to make sure everyone likes the food," Yurika replied. Chocolat turned to Yurika.
"Thank you so much for inviting us, Yurika!" she said sincerely, her eyes sparkling. "I mean, this party is just so awesome!" Vanilla, Houx and Saule nodded. "Arigatou, Yurika!" they said together.
"You're welcome! Now I suggest you go get some food for yourselves, unless you'd rather go dance first," Yurika smiled at them. Houx and Saule bowed and headed straight for the buffet tables. Vanilla laughed and followed them. "Um, I think I'll eat first, but I wanted to ask you something. Is...Is, um..." Chocolat said hesitantly, blushing.
"Yes, the Prince is here," Yurika winked at her knowingly and Chocolat looked relieved. "Um, heh heh. Thanks, Yurika," she said and rushed off to the buffet tables. Yurika laughed and went off to mingle with the other guests.
Later, the four of them met up after getting their food and got a table for themselves. As Chocolat started to eat, someone tapped her on the shoulder. "May I sit here?" a familiar voice asked. Chocolat's head whipped around. She knew that voice.
"Pierre!" she said, blushing. She gave him a nervous smile. He smiled back. "Konbanwa, princess," he replied. He looked at the other three. "Konbanwa, Vanilla, Houx, Saule," he said. "Konbanwa, Pierre," Vanilla replied, smiling at him while Houx and Saule merely nodded.
"Um, yeah, sure, you can sit here! Is that alright, guys?" Chocolat asked her friends. Vanilla nodded while the boys didn't reply at all. They never quite forgave Pierre for attempting to kill Chocolat and Vanilla not too long ago.
Pierre set his plate down and sat down next to Chocolat. As he sat down, his arm brushed hers and her cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red.
After they finished eating and the plates were cleared off, Houx and Saule went off to get dessert. A boy named Hideki bravely approached Vanilla and asked her to dance. Of course, she accepted and went off with him to the ballroom, leaving Chocolat and Pierre alone.
Pierre turned to Chocolat and smiled at her. "Do you want to dance?" he asked. Surprised, Chocolat quickly replied, "Sure," And they made their way to the ballroom.
After Vanilla finished dancing with Hideki, she went to the dining room to get a drink. As she took a sip of her fruit punch, Houx approached her.
"Hi, Vanilla. Having fun?" he smiled and she nodded, smiling back. As he got himself a glass of punch, Vanilla noticed Houx seemed a little tense. His movements were stiff and he didn't say much.
"So...after we finish these..." he tilted his head towards the drinks. "Do you want to dance?" he asked shyly. "Oh, sure," Vanilla replied and he looked a little happier. "Great," he said and quickly finished off his drink. Vanilla finished hers too and they headed to the dance floor.
When the song they were dancing to ended, they stopped and went off to the porch outside. Most people were inside dancing, so it was quiet outside.
"You know, Vanilla...I've always liked Chocolat and all before this, but lately...I've kinda started noticing you." Houx said, courage building inside him now that he started. Vanilla, a little confused, tilted her head and turned towards him, compelling him to go on.
"You're always so kind towards everyone, and that smile of yours is so pretty. I guess what I'm saying is...I've fallen in love with you," Houx said, looking into Vanilla's beautiful eyes. "Oh...I've always liked you too. But you were always interested in Chocolat, so I've never bothered to do anything about it," Vanilla blushed. A pretty pink heart appeared on each of them.
Houx looked at the pink heart, then leaned in. Vanilla's eyes widened and she didn't move. Houx leaned in some more and they shared a soft, sweet kiss. As their lips parted, they gazed at each other for a while, then leaned in again, sharing another kiss.
It was just as heavenly as the first.
Meanwhile, Chocolat and Pierre were dancing to a slow song and looking in each other's eyes. "You're beautiful, Chocolat," Pierre whispered into her ear and a tingle of red crept up her cheeks. "Uh, arigatou, Pierre," Chocolat replied. Then, Yurika stepped onto the stage with a microphone.
"Hello, everyone. In one minute, the countdown will start. At the exact second the New Year begins, fireworks will be shot off. So if you want, please proceed to the porches or the garden," she told everyone.
"Want to go out to the garden?" Pierre asked Chocolat. "Yeah, sure," she smiled at him.
They went out to the garden and got a good place on Yurika's garden swing. Pierre reached up and plucked a pretty pink rose from a plant overhead. He placed it on her head securely. "You look gorgeous," he murmured. He pulled her towards him and she buried her face on his chest.
Soon, the countdown began. "10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1!" the crowd chanted. Fireworks exploded in the sky and everyone shouted, "Happy New Year!"
"Happy New Year, Vanilla," Houx murmured. "Happy New Year, Houx,"
"Happy New Year, Pierre," Chocolat smiled at him. "Happy New Year, Chocolat. My princess..." Pierre leaned in and they shared a gentle kiss.
It was the best thing any of them had ever experienced.
Later, back at Chocolat and Vanilla's house...
"Happy New Year, Vanilla-chama! Happy New Year, everyone!" Blanca said as Chocolat and Saule walked in, followed by Vanilla and Houx. Vanilla and Houx were holding hands, their fingers entwined around each other's.
"Happy New Year, everyone!" Duke said, throwing colourful confetti in the air. "Oh, no...I'll have to clean that up later...Knowing he definitely won't..." Blanca groaned. Then she spotted Vanilla and Houx's hands.
"Oh my gosh!" she shrieked, pointing frantically at their fingers. Vanilla and Houx turned red and pulled their hands away, holding them awkwardly at their sides. "No, no, no, I love it!" Blanca assured them. "Yes! Vanilla-chama is with Houx! I always knew this would happen!" she said, turning so her back faced them. Then she turned back to them.
"You see, I've always noticed signs of Vanilla-chama liking Houx-chama! And just recently, I noticed Houx-chama staring at Vanilla-chama a lot! It was so frustrating waiting for this!" she explained.
"Congratulations, Vanilla!" Duke chimed in. "And now..." he turned to face Blanca. "Oh, yes, the challenge!" Blanca smirked.
Chocolat and Vanilla sighed as they set the hearts they collected that night on the table. Duke and Blanca hopped up to count their owner's hearts. Then they switched and counted their respective opponent's hearts.
"What?! This can't be!" Blanca shrieked. "It's a tie! Both Chocolat and Vanilla got 3200 ecuré!" Duke yelled.
They groaned in sync and as they grumbled, they turned to face each other. "Congratulations, I guess," Blanca said. "Yeah, whatever. Congratulations," Duke replied.
Chocolat and Vanilla glanced at each other and laughed.
Author's Note: So did you like it? I hope you did! Anyway, I wish you all an awesome New Year! Once again, Happy New Year! *throws confetti into the air* Bye and please don't forget to review!