A/N: This is originally based on a ballet. If anyone can possibly guess which one, since it has somewhat wandered from the original plot, I will be very impressed.

Chapter 1: A Strange Night

Haru spun on her feet, her body moving in time to the music of the wooden flute being played by her younger friend, Hiromi. Her dark brown hair was tied back in a bun; her dress was of a simple nature. The tender notes of the woodwind instrument made her heart soar and her feet move with almost a life of their own. There was nothing that could bring her down. Nothing, except...

"Haru!"

She froze in her dancing position, arms still raised above her as she twisted her neck to look over at her redhead mother, who was standing, arms crossed and eyes flashing with anger.

"Yes, mum?" She brought her arms down to her sides.

"I thought warned you not to dance." Her mother's tone was furious.

Haru let her body drop fully out of the dancing position, but retained her straight posture as she watched her mother. "Yes, you did."

"You know the dangers!"

Hiromi got up from her stool in the corner, clutching her instrument. "I should probably be going now, my mother will be wondering where I am."

"You're in just as much trouble as Haru!" the older woman snapped. "You know just as well as Haru about her heart problem, yet you still encourage her!"

Haru gave her friend a sympathetic smile. "Mum, you know what I'm like. I would've danced with or without Hiromi's music. And it was my fault anyway; I pressured her into playing it for me."

Naoko looked from her daughter to Hiromi and sighed. "Okay, Hiromi, you can go. But," she added, turning to Haru, "you are still in trouble, young lady."

Hiromi made her way out of the room and out of the house before her friend's mother could change her mind, taking care not to leave anything of hers behind.

"I know about the dangers," Haru said once her friend had gone. "It's just... I love to dance, you know that."

"With your weak heart and all that..."

"I know, I know about my heart. Believe me. But dancing is what I do. It's who I am."

"I will not have it! What if you have another one of your attacks?"

"I have my pills, they help."

"But what if you don't have them? What if–?"

"Mum! I always have my pills. You never let me dance anyway. Ever since dad died, you've never let me dance; you've hated dancing!" Haru shouted, tears beginning to collect at the edges her eyes. "It's the only thing I have left of him, the only memory. Can't you at least allow me this one thing? It's part of me, of who I am! Why can't you just accept that?" She stormed out, slamming the door behind her as she went, pulling her hair out of its tight bun.

ooOoo

"I'm sorry about your mum going off on another one of her rants."

Haru kicked her feet against the wall that they always sat on during their periods of free time, overlooking the many fields in and around the village. "Don't be. It wasn't your fault."

"I should've stood up for you rather than just leaving you by yourself."

"No, no. You shouldn't get involved in family affairs. Especially my family affairs."

"Still... you know, maybe... she's right..."

Haru turned her gaze sharply to her friend. "What do you mean?"

"Well..." The lighter brunette hesitated. "Maybe... you should be more... careful... since your heart isn't... exactly... as strong as it could be... especially considering your... father..." Hiromi almost whispered the last word as Haru's face crumpled into a frown.

"I'm stronger than my father."

Hiromi cringed. "I know... it was just a thought."

Haru slipped off the wall and turned to face her friend. "I'm fine, I'm absolutely fine. You can see that, so you can stop worrying."

The other girl gave a small grin. "I can't help it. I'm your best friend; I'm meant to worry about you."

"And get in trouble for me on a regular basis," chuckled Haru, calming down from earlier.

"Hm... and talking about trouble, have you thought about Machida's offer? I've heard a couple of rumours recently... and one of them includes a ring."

Haru's expression darkened. "Seriously, you'd think the guy would take a hint. I wonder what makes him think proposing to me will make me accept when I refused to even go out with him again..."

"Perhaps he's hoping that if he proposes to you publically, you might agree to it?"

Haru gave a short laugh. "That'll never work."

"You used to like him."

"I was sixteen."

"And you went out with him."

"For two months! And anyway, by the end of those two months I realised he wasn't the guy I thought he was."

"In what way?"

"In what way? Try the fact that he's proud, conceited, arrogant... do you want me to continue?"

"But at the time you seem perfectly content..."

"Content isn't the same as happy. I don't want to be just content with my lot in life, I want to find a guy that appreciates and loves me for who I am, and Machida just isn't that guy. I could tell that by the time I dumped him," said Haru, leaning against the wall.

"It's been two and a half years since then. What's to say he hasn't changed since then?"

Haru laughed. "Machida is happy with the way he is now. I see in him no desire to change who he is, especially for me. Even if it has been over two years, he's still the same."

"Perhaps you should change for him," offered Hiromi. "Instead of waiting for him to change, perhaps you should be the one to."

"Yes, well I could see your point if I actually loved him. Which I don't. I don't need his affections, because he's not the guy for me."

"I was just thinking... but you probably should start thinking about settling down, and you've already got Machida positively begging you to accept him."

"So you're suggesting that I should take his offer, as if I can't get a better option?"

"No! But perhaps you should... you know... start thinking about it." Hiromi slid down off the wall to sit on the ground, her back against the wall. "I mean... at least you have a guy after you."

Haru eyes softened and sat down to sit beside her friend. "How's Tsuge? Still utterly oblivious?"

"Yes. As always."

"Have you told him your feelings?"

"I've hinted."

Haru gave another short laugh. "That'll never get you anywhere. Trust me, after going out with Machida for two months, I can tell you, the only way to get anything into a guy's head is to hit him over the head with it with a sledgehammer."

The lighter brunette gave a sly grin. "If I ask out Tsuge, will you go out with Machida?"

"No way!"

"Aw... come on, most of the village thing of you two as a pair anyway."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean we are a couple."

"You used to be a couple."

"'Used to be' being the operative word. There's a good reason I'm not still with him."

"But he's planning on buying you a ring!"

"So? Doesn't mean I have to accept his proposal. It's my life we're talking about here." Haru jumped up and started to run back towards the village. "Race you back!"

Hiromi got up, shaking her head. "And you're meant to be taking it gently on that heart of yours," she grumbled good-naturedly.

ooOoo

"And where are you going?"

Haru stopped halfway out of the door, her hand still on the handle as her mother called to her. "Out."

"Out where?"

Haru's mind raced. "On a date. With Machida," she lied smoothly, hoping her mother's approval of the dark haired youth would work in her favour.

"I thought you said you hated him."

"Yes, but hate is such a strong word. Hiromi convinced me to give him a second chance."

"Well... this is good. Unexpected..." the redhead admitted slowly, "but good."

"So I'll be going then–"

Her mother pulled her into a tight hug. "It's so good that you're finally beginning to think about settling down."

Haru squirmed in her mother's grasp, annoyed that someone else was thinking along the same lines as Hiromi had been earlier that day. "Mum, it's only one date,' she mumbled into her mother's arm, her voice muffled by the firm embrace.

"Yes, but it's a start. I told you, I said that boy was a decent guy."

"I haven't even agreed to go out with him yet," muttered Haru. 'And hopefully never will,' she thought to herself. She finally broke free from her mother. "Anyway, I'll settle down when I find the right guy, and not a moment before."

"It's good that you're beginning to think about it though. Sorry, I just assumed you were sneaking out for another night-time dance."

Haru pushed away a guilty feeling. "Would I do such a thing?" she asked, attempting to joke.

"Yes. But don't let me spoil this night for you. Go and have a good time. And be fair on Machida, he's changed since you went out with him."

'I doubt it.' "I'm always fair on him."

Naoko gave her daughter a measured look. "Really?"

Haru returned the look. "Really." She grabbed her cloak. "Now I should really be going or I'll be late for Machida." 'And you wouldn't want that, would you, mum?' Haru thought venomously in her mind, knowing perfectly well her mother's plan for her and Machida.

"You're right. Okay, sweetie, take care."

Haru smiled and waltzed out of the house. "And don't worry; I'll be back before eleven at the latest."

ooOoo

The moonlight coated Haru like a second skin as she danced. Her shoes had been left in a corner of the field, so she danced bare-footed; her feet making their own path in the dewy grass. There was no music, so she danced in time to the music of her heartbeat, spinning and weaving through the air like it was her own domain, but never truly stopping, although the pace of her dance changed with every passing moment.

Her father had been the one to start the family tradition. He had loved to dance, and so on nights when the skies were clear and the moon was full, he'd take the family out; to dance under the stars, just for the fun of it. It was at times like this when Haru felt closest to her father, to the one she'd lost five years ago to a heart attack. Since then her mother had banned the custom, on condition of Haru's also weak heart; a trait she'd inherited off her father. But she'd made the effort to sneak out at least once a month, just to dance under the stars again.

As she spun again she sensed she was being watched, and began to slow the rhythm of her silent song. Eventually the rhythm lulled to a complete end and she stood tall, her arms curved above her head and her body relaxed. She let her arms drop to her sides and turned to look over her shoulder.

She had been right.

She was being watched.

On the path that led down to the village were three horsemen. The one in the middle was a tawny haired man, with green eyes; the one to his right was a thinner man, with crow black hair and eyes; and the one to his extreme left was a large man with light brown hair. All three were watching her.

"Oh... damn..." she muttered to herself. She broke into a sudden run, forgetting about her shoes and just running. She should've listened to her mother; it was too dangerous to be out here on her own.

She heard the horses break into a gallop, clearing the wall that had acted as a barrier between them and carry on flawlessly across the field. She could never hope to outrun them. She knew that.

But she could at least give them a run for their money.