Begun: A long time ago.
Ended: A long time ago. This is just a rewrite.
Disclaimer: I hold no claim of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon or Shin Kidou Senki Gundam W. If I did the series' would have turned out far differently.
Warnings: This is the AU to end all AUs. Except not really. It is AU for both series, however, as it takes place in a fairy-tale desert setting. Beware badly romanticized ancient Arabic tribal culture, worse names (I attempted to find actual Arabic names, but who knows how well that worked out), and lots of not-so-subtle shounen-ai hinting.
The houses were all dark with the night, their occupants sleeping soundly inside if they were not attending the ball. None were awake to notice the young girl running swiftly by.
It was close. So close. She could hear the noises of celebration and laughter behind her, and music floating from the direction of the palace faintly. But it wouldn't matter if she didn't get to her final destination without being caught. She knew she was close. The building ruins that stood, but no one ever when in – even if they didn't know what happened there. Now she would break that taboo. Finally she vaulted over the short wall and found the basement door. She slid inside and shut it quickly.
"Never again!" Makoto vowed, panting.
She huddled in a small building near the palace. Abandoned and falling apart, the only thing she could think about was the nervousness that came with sneaking into a ball. The building was conveniently out of the public eye, but it was also very close to the palace, so it was the perfect place to change into her clothes.
"I will never do this again. I swear someone was following me." She looked down at the small bag in her arms and held it close. "Mama ... " she whispered.
It had taken much planning and a lot of caution, but Makoto had finally found her mother's dress, with her phoenix toy and mother's necklace. She was certain that no one had seen her sneaking into Saia's room to take her possessions back, and she knew it would take Saia at least a fortnight to realize that it was gone. Opening the package slowly, reverently, she brought out her mother's dress, the one that Makoto remembered asking to be allowed to wear time and again.
"I'll finally be your little lady, mama," Makoto vowed.
After changing into the dress that her mother had worn for her wedding and many other special occasions, the girl made sure she had the invitation which she had snuck out the document room while cleaning. Since no one had been there at the time, and no one knew she could write, she had penned her name onto one of the extra invitations. When Gabul had returned, he was greeted by the young servant girl tidying up some papers that had been blown off his desk. He had barked a sharp 'what are you doing!' at her, and she had explained. Gruffly nodding and making motions for her to back away from the desk, the old man had looked through the papers and made sure she had not taken anything. Then he had seen the new invitation and paused suddenly, scratching his head.
"Where did this come from? ... " he had muttered.
Deciding that the important thing was not where it had come from but whyit had not been sent out, Gabul had told Makoto to make sure it was mailed. While leaving the office, she had simply pocketed it and brought it with her. Laughing happily, the Arabian princess twirled around a few times, watching the pale blue skirt flare out. Pausing to elaborately do up her hair with few pins, Makoto hummed to herself. It was not wonderful singing but then again, she had never been taught to sing.
"Quatre ... My lord ... Perhaps tonight I shall be the lucky one you notice."
She grinned at the silly thought and cautiously left the crumbling house, ready for her debut at the ball.
Makoto hid behind a building, trying to gather her courage to step forward and enter the palace again. She watched the processions and wondered how on earth she had thought she could pass for nobility. She had no palanquin, no servants of her own, nothing to show that she could possibly have been invited. Makoto sighed, resting against the cool stone.
What a fool I am ...
A procession passed her with pomp and glory, two servants walking dutifully at the end of it. None noticed her standing there. But Makoto noticed the servants. Her eyes widened to near impossible proportions. She knew them! She knew she did!
I just can't remember their names ...
Rashid stood on guard duty, checking invitations as the guests arrived in their fancy palanquins, servants following behind on camels or foot. He sighed as yet another flighty girl giggled at him, batting her eyelashes. The large man waved her through and inwardly sighed with relief. Only a few more snobbish girls to go, she was third to last on the guest list.
"Presenting the Lady Relena!" shouted a voice from somewhere out of sight range.
I wouldn't stay in sight either, if I had a job like that, Rashid thought with much sympathy for the man.
When the young princess stepped out, the Maguanarc had an irrisistable urge to fall over laughing, which he was able to quell only due to his harsh training as a soldier. This woman would neverwin over their young Quatre, though she obviously thought different. Relena had chosen not according to the weather as she should have, but according to how ornamented her gown was. By the look of things, she was sweating under the glittering pink and white abomination, and was making a considerable effort simply to move.
"My Lady, may I see your invitation?" the guard asked with as much politeness as he could muster.
She looked down her nose at him, quite a feat since he was at least a foot taller than her outrageous and, frankly, stupid hairstyle. One of the servants who dutifully trailed behind her now stepped forward and held out the invitation to the man.
"Aswad Naar trash! Be thankful that I don't cut your hands off here and now! You move when I tell you to, is that clear?" Relena barked at her.
The blue haired girl bowed her head in shame while the black haired girl simmered with unspoken rage. Rashid said nothing, for it was not his place, allowing them to enter the palace, but he didgive the two servants an apologetic glance which left the two quite confused. He felt pity for them, remembering in the back of his mind the young girl he had found from the ruins of the peace envoy. She had disappeared into the den of the servants and, as far as Rashid knew, never came back out. Sometimes he wondered what happened to her, but he couldn't let himself dwell on it.
Not long after, another princess arrived.
"You there, guard! Is this the palace of the King, Quatre?" she snapped.
Rashid took one look at her and filed her away in the same class of woman as Relena. Her hair was not as outrageous, thankfully, but she was dressed just as poorly and with all of the same ornaments.
Ridiculous ... he sighed mentally, but smiled politely and bowed, "Yes, my lady, it is. May I see your invitation?"
Yet another poorly treated servant humbly stepped forward and presented the invitation of the Lady Hilde. He allowed them to enter, whishing them a pleasant evening and earning a gaze that suggested he was an alien in return.
"Annoying little twits, are they not?"
Rashid glanced to his side and grinned agreeably at Duo. The braided guard stood next to the
Maguanarc to offer him silent company for the rest of the night. The large man was more than thankful to have him there, seeing as standing about all night waiting for something suspicious to happen was rather boring with no companion.
"I beg your pardon, sir, but am I at the palace of your King, the Lord Quatre?" asked a pretty young lady.
Much better – this one may actually have a chance in hell, Rashid thought with a mental grin. He cast a quick glance at Duo, noting that the young guard thought along a similar vein. Perhaps this woman would be worth the pain, "Indeed it is, my lady."
He bowed to her, she returned it. He offered his hand, which she took and allowed him to kiss. Then he straightened and once again asked his routien question of the night.
"May I see your invitation?"
The young lady turned to her young servant and smiled softly at the girl. "Minako-chan? Will you do the honors?"
Rashid smiled as the small blond girl called Minako shuffled forward awkwardly and presented him with the paper. Contrary to his or Duo's expectations, she was not berated for her lack of grace. Both smiled to themselves.
"Thank you, Minako," Rashid said kindly, "Have a nice evening, Lady Une."
Une bowed towards him. "And you, kind sir."
She and Minako entered the palace and were esquorted to the ballroom by Abdul, who had been given that duty since he had been in the palace longer than any other servant. Duo smiled a little in their direction.
"She was certainly a nice woman," he said, though it caused him a slight pang of jealousy. Would Quatre really choose one of these women? He knew, logically, that he shouldn't be so upset at the idea. Quatre was King, and the King needed an heir. He and Trowa could not produce that heir for him. So he had to suck it up and go along with it. But who said he had to be logical when it was his sex life at stake? "A bit old for our Quatre, however, I do not think it will matter, should he choose her."
The Maguanarc nodded his agreement. "Only one to go, then we can begin our task for the night."
"Would that be making sure the Lady Relena and the Lady Hilde are not kicked out?"
Chuckling, Rashid bapped Duo lightly over the head. "No. Ensuring that the Lady Dorothy does not escape with any of our treasury's gold."
The guard snorted and made a sound of agreement. He looked down at the list to see who the last guest was and saw a name he did not recognize. "The Lady Makoto? I have never heard her name before."
"She is nearly late," Rashid replied, looking at the old advisors who was supervising the time.
The old man was about ready to tell them to close the gates, seeing as he was standing up from his seat against the wall, looking impatient.
"Forgive me! I am afraid I got lost among the unfamiliar streets."
Duo and Rashid both did a double take. A choked noise from the throat of the old man said they weren't the only ones to be affected, and both took relief in this. Une, Catherine, Sally, Haruka and Usagi had all been beautiful women, and even Relena, Hilde, and many of the other women would have been pretty had they not covered their faces in make up, but this girl was different. She was more an exotic breed of faery rather than a mortal. For while blond hair and blue eyes were rare, auburn hair and emerald green eyes were far harder to find.
"Do not fear, my lady. You are not late, nor do we hold it against you to get lost," Duo said, smiling at her. His smile was slightly sharp, however. Something was different with this girl, certainly, and it was not just her looks. She seemed very familiar. He was sure he'd seen her eyes before, somewhere. Even her clothes looked like something he'd seen in his memory.
Makoto looked into his friendly violet eyes and smiled back, brushing an errant strand of hair from her face. "I am glad."
"May I see your invitation, my lady?" Rashid asked, trying to get back into a normal frame of mind.
"Oh! How stupid of me to forget!" the girl laughed at herself, bringing forth from her skirt the paper.
Rashid and Duo bowed to her, a guesture she returned perfectly, and allowed her entry. She was escorted to the ballroom by Abdul, just as the old advisor signaled for the closing of the gates. The two did so and looked back in Makoto's direction.
"Strange girl, she is," the braided boy said thoughtfully.
"Strange indeed," the Maguanarc agreed, "But familiar somehow ... "
Duo was glad to know that he wasn't the only one with those suspicions.