Not to try to influence your opinion or anything, but I think this is my favorite chapter so far. The hopeless romantic in me adores the idea of a Disney style ball with gowns and tuxes and an orchestra (or Norah Jones, Seal and Jon Mclaughin). I hope I didn't make it too cheesy for my general public.

Chapter 8

"How on earth do you get your hair to stay like that, Usagi?" Naru asked in awe as she watched her friend expertly pin golden curls to her head.

"Practice," Usagi told her. She had a handful of bobby and hair pins dangling from her lips and was concentrating on the mirror as she twisted another pin curl to her head. "Trust me when you have this much hair, you get nothing but practice." The girls were sitting in Naru's room in bathrobes a couple of hours before the limo arrived to take them to the ball. Usagi had started on her hair as soon as she had gotten out of the shower two hours ago and the hair style she was copying from one of Naru's magazines was finally starting to look like the model's. Naru looked longingly at Usagi's thick, shiny mane, despairing over ever getting her hair as nice before the ball.

"I should have had Mama make a hair appointment for me," she said, pulling at bunches of her red hair. "I'll never get mine as nice as yours." Usagi waved a free hand at her friend.

"Forget that," she said. "I'll do your hair. It'll be easy. You have gorgeous hair and I already know exactly how I want to do it." Naru looked at her friend gratefully and sat down on the edge of her bed.

"I love your dress, Usagi. It's almost a good thing you got sick last year and couldn't go to the formal."

"Yeah, I know, right?" Usagi put the final touches on her hair and started putting rollers in the loose ends. "This completely makes up for not being able to go with Sanada. Who knows, maybe we'll even meet a couple of cute princes! What are you wearing?" Naru got up and pulled a garment bag out of her closet and opened it to show Usagi the dress inside.

"It's a loaner dress from one of my mom's boutique friends. She's also letting us wear some jewelry from down stairs tonight, but you have to be really careful, because they're worth more than your life, and there's no way you could afford to replace them with your allowance."

"Cool! We are going to look so good tonight!" Usagi put the last roller in her hair and got up from the vanity table. She motioned for Naru to sit down and began brushing her friend's hair out around her shoulders. The red strands started shining under Usagi's ministrations. She pulled half of Naru's hair back and began her real work. Forty minuets of teasing and a bottle of hair glue later, Naru had a fashionable faux hawk. She admired the elegant and punky do in her mirror and touched her reflection almost reverently.

"Usagi, you have a real gift." Usagi nodded smugly and shined her finger nails against her bathrobe.

"I know. I should quit school and open my own salon. Let's get started on our nails and make-up."

Two hours later Naru's mother knocked on the door and stuck her head in. Usagi and Naru had just finished putting on their gowns and Usagi had started pulling the rollers out of her hair. Mrs. Osaka beamed proudly at them.

"Surely this can't be my little Naru and Usagi," she said, shaking her head. "Not these two lovely young women." She set down the bag she had brought with her and put her camera to her face. "Now smile and look pretty. Usagi, I promised your parents lots of pictures."

"Mama! Can you at least wait until we're ready?" Naru demanded, trying to hide from the camera. "Usagi's hair isn't done and we still need to do our make up!"

"Oh, but Naru, honey, getting ready is the best part!" Naru's mom ignored the girls' protests as she snapped away with her camera. Finally she set it down and held out a bag to them each. "I picked out some jewelry for you two to wear tonight. Be extremely careful. They're insured, but I'd rather not loose these tonight." The girls quickly agreed and took the bags of jewelry from her and promised to be ready to leave in 20 minuets. left Usagi and Naru to finish getting dressed. As soon as she was gone, the girls eagerly opened up the bags and gasped when they looked inside. had picked out pieces that complimented the girls' dresses perfectly. Putting them to the side, Naru pulled out her make up case and did the make up for the both of them. The jewels went on as the crowning piece and the girls stepped back to admire themselves in the full length mirror.

"Usagi, you look like a princess," Naru gasped. Usagi had on a dress in dusty rose ombre with a pleated bodice and sweet heart neckline. The empire waist and straps were beaded with small rhinestones and the dress was fitted to the hip. The skirt of the dress flowed loosely to Usagi's feet, hiding the silver shoes she wore until she moved. Diamond tear drop earrings dangled from her ears, a white gold tennis bracelet encircled her wrist, and a simple choker of rose red lace with a white gold wire flower rested on her neck. The petals of the flower had tiny diamonds on the edges. She had pulled her hair back into an elegant array of spiral curls pinned up so her hair fell around her waist instead of to her mid thighs, as it normally did. Usagi went over her outfit critically and smiled a little before checking out Naru's look.

"And you my friend, look like a rock star!" Usagi grinned as she looked over her friend's outfit. She had on a cream colored dress with a big, black gauzy bow going around the top and tied in the front. The dress was fitted to the knees where it flared out like a flamenco dancer's. She had on black stiletto heels and a small black rhinestone pin in the side of her flaming red faux hawk. Her mother had picked out a clunky jet bracelet studded with diamonds and heart shaped onyx stud earrings. Usagi thought she looked like a punk rocker on her way to an awards show.

"Girls, let's go! The limo will be here any second!"Mrs. Osaka called from down stairs. The girls lifted their dresses and went as fast as their high heels would allow. Naru's mom started snapping pictures as soon as they hit the top of the stairs. She glanced up from the camera and grinned wickedly.

"You two are going to break some hearts tonight. You look so grown up!" The door bell rang and on the front step stood a man in a black chauffer's uniform. He stood primly and smiled politely.

"You must be the three beautiful young women I have the extreme pleasure of driving tonight," he stepped to the side and held his arm out towards a grey Austin Princess limosine. The three women's eyes widened at the sight and the driver went to open the suicide doors for them.

"Wow, this sure is fancy for a jeweler," Mrs. Osaka commented as she gently slid into the seat. The interior of the car was red and made of crushed velvet.

"This is just for you and your guests, madam," the driver told her. "You are the biggest jeweler in the area, and since you'll be walking the red carpet tonight, the royal family thought it best that you arrive in style." He shut the door and walked around the driver's side. The women squealed in delight before breaking into excited chatter.

"I didn't know we'd be walking the red carpet! Oh, the girls at school are going to be so jealous!"

"Did you take a look at this car? It's a like a fairytale, Naru-chan! Thank you so much for inviting me, Osaka-san!"

"I can't believe they like my jewelry this much. Oh, this is so exciting!" The driver smiled slightly to himself as he drove the excited women to their destination. He sure met some interesting people in his line of work. These were not too hard on the eyes, either.

-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-

"Why are we standing out here again?" Mamoru wondered aloud as yet another elbow jabbed him in the side. He tugged at his tux jacket irritably. The girls had failed to talk him out simply transforming into his tuxedo, but the gloves, mask, hat, and cape had been left off, leaving Mamoru feeling very bare. He was prepared to sulk through the night if nothing happened to Princess Amethyst.

"They're letting the VIP guest in first," Ami explained. She and the other girls were resting against the golden poles that separated the non-VIP guests and the paparazzi from the red carpet. They admired the dresses of the sophisticated looking women waving to the cameras and wished once more they had had more time to pick out more appropriate dresses. Ami had on a light blue dress that fell elegantly to her calves and matching kitten heel shoes. Minako had on a dusty gold cocktail length dress that was fitted to her waist, then flared out to her knees. She had gold strappy sandals on and a matching hand bag. Rei and Makoto were the only ones with appropriate looking gown length dresses on. Rei's was red with one strap and an empire waist, and Makoto had on a black strapless gown with red roses embroidered on the bodice. All in all the girls had felt they made excellent choices and they did indeed make a striking picture in their formal attire…then they arrived at the ball and saw that everyone else was dressed for a movie premier and not a cocktail party.

Minako sighed and turned away from the red carpet and looked at the crowd behind them. "Do you think the others are inside already?"

"Probably," Makoto said, staring off into space. "They're the entertainment." Suddenly Ami perked up and point to the end of the carpet.

"Hey isn't that Usagi and Naru?" she asked. Immediately four heads spun in the direction Ami was pointing. A girl who looked like Usagi was strolling a little unsteadily up the red carpet next to a girl who looked like Naru. The movement of her dress showed the reason for her unsteadiness, a pair of silver pumps with thin heels. She spotted them and walked over quickly. Yup it was Usagi, alright.

"Guys! I made it after all!" she told them excitedly.

"Wow, you two look fabulous!" Minako gushed looking over the girls' dresses and jewelry. "How did you make it?"

"My mom is one of the jewelers who were invited tonight," Naru explained. "She had and extra ticket and let me invite Usagi."

"Where did you get your dresses so quickly?" Makoto asked.

"Well, this was my dress for the formal last year, but I got sick and couldn't go," Usagi explained. "Lucky for me the dress wasn't returnable."

"Yeah and mine is a loaner from one of my mom's friends." Mamoru stood at the back of the group and tried valiantly not to stare at Usagi, but every time she laughed, or moved, her golden curls caught more light. Someone jabbed him in the side and he saw Rei standing at his side with slightly furrowed brows.

"You're staring," she told him. He shrugged and tried to compose himself.

"You clean up nice, Odango," he said. Usagi rolled her eyes and pointed to her hair.

"Can't call me that tonight, Mamoru-baka." She stuck her tongue at him, taking away from the illusion of sophistication she was portraying.

"Your hair is gorgeous!" Ami told her. "Where did you get it done?"

"I did it myself."

"She did mine, too," Naru said. The girls admired her faux hawk and Usagi's curls. Mrs. Osaka came up and touched the girls on their shoulders.

"Girls, I'm sorry to rush you along, but we need to get inside. You'll all see each other inside."

"Yeah, don't worry, guys," Minako said. "We'll catch up with you later." Usagi and Naru waved good-bye reluctantly and walked into the embassy.

The red carpet walk lasted another 20 minuets before everyone else was allowed inside. The heroes went inside and located the Outer Senshi for a quick reconnaissance as the hor' dourves were being served. They met in the room where Michiru and Haruka were preparing for their first set.

"Any sign of Dark Kingdom activity?" Mamoru asked. Hotaru shook her dark head.

"We haven't even seen the princess yet. And I'm getting bored. Haruka, can I puh-leese go with the others?" Haruka chuckled and shook her head.

"Sorry, we need to finish setting up. You can go after our set is done."

"Are you performing tonight, too Hotaru?" Ami asked. Hotaru nodded unhappily.

"Yeah. I'm a cellist," she told the Inner Senshi. "And Setsuna plays the viola. We're a string quartet."

"Piano quartet," Setsuna corrected from the vanity table. She was putting the final touches on her make-up. "Haruka plays the piano."

"Well, we have to go on in a few minutes. You five go on and keep an eye on things. We'll meet you in about an hour." The Inners wished the four girls good luck and went out into the throng of elegant ladies and dapper gentlemen. The crowd ebbed and flowed like water, so it wasn't long before they were separated. No one was concerned; it actually worked out for the better since it meant they could cover more ground. Mamoru found himself by the refreshment table gazing out into the swirl of dancers. He felt oddly nostalgic, though he was certain he had never been to an event like this before. Well, not this lifetime anyway. Perhaps it was a leftover memory from his days as Prince of the Earth Kingdom. He mused half-heartedly about the balls he may or may not have attended with the Moon princess, when he spotted Usagi among the dancers. She was currently caught in the grip of a man who seemed to have lost the concept of basic motor skills. Mamoru had to hide a grin at her grimace of pain as the man trod on her foot for what did not seem to be the first time. He walked over to the couple and tapped the other man on the shoulder.

"May I cut in?" he asked in a way that left no room for the clumsy man to say no. Silently the man released Usagi and backed away. Mamoru slid an arm around her slim waist and caught her hand in his and lead her away from the sulky man.

"So that's what, three times this week I've saved you from some moron?" Mamoru asked thoughtfully. Usagi was sure she'd heard a faint smugness in his voice.

"Two times. And once again, I could have handled it," Usagi retorted mildly. "I'm beginning to think you like saving damsels in distress."

"Nah. You just always seem to be distressed when I run into you."

"Funny how it's usually your fault." Usagi smirked at him. "You're not a bad dancer. Take lessons?" Mamoru nodded.

"It was mandatory one semester at my school. I guess they figured soccer and basketball were too cliché for their students."

"I'd take dancing over volleyball any day." Usagi made a face. Mamoru chuckled and dipped Usagi slightly. She let out a little squeal and grasped his shoulder a bit tighter.

"Somehow I figured you to be the athletic type," he told her.

"Why, because I'm a skater? Just 'cause I like extreme sports doesn't mean I like all sports." Mamoru smirked at her

"My mistake."

"Nobody likes stereotypes." Usagi looked at him seriously as he twirled with her around the floor, but he could see the amusement in her eyes.

"I'll keep that in mind," Mamoru promised.

They fell silent as one song faded into another. Mamoru led them through sweeping turns, holding Usagi close and tightly so that all she had to do was follow him. Usagi felt like she was floating. The combination of the music, the turns and Mamoru's scent was heady and she could feel her heart thudding in her chest. The way he gazed down at her both scared and excited her and she drew instinctively closer to him. Mamoru had a slight, wistful smile playing on the corners of his mouth. He couldn't shake the feeling of déjà vu that he had held Usagi like this before; the moves felt so natural. The room melted away and in his mind he and Usagi were in an alabaster pavilion illuminated by the moon and stars.

Lost in the moment, they danced through another three waltzes had played before they finally thought to let go. A small crowd had formed a circle around the couple to watch them dance, and when they applauded it broke the spell the music had cast. The couple pulled away from each other and Usagi blushed a little. Mamoru recovered first. He grinned at her and bowed with exaggerated flourish and kissed her hand. Usagi's face flushed a deeper red as she too gave a little curtsy. Naru forced her way through the crowd and grabbed Usagi's hand.

"Usagi, the princess is about to present the treasure," she told her friend. "Come on, let's get a good spot near the front." With one final glace back at Mamoru, Usagi allowed her friend to drag her away. When they had put a substantial amount of distance between them and him, Naru turned to face Usagi, her eyes alight with excitement.

"Was that him?" she asked. "That's Mamoru, right?"

"Yeah, that's him." Naru squealed quietly, bouncing a little on her toes.

"You two were so cute out there! I had no idea you could waltz."

"I can't that was all him. I just followed his lead." Naru sighed, resting her hand over her heart.

"I don't understand how you can say he's such a jerk. That was possibly the most romantic thing I've seen all night. It was like one of those old movies with Greta Garbo. When he kissed your hand, oh, I thought I'd just melt! Why can't I find a guy like that here?" Usagi blushed for what felt like the millionth time that hour and bit back a smile. As much as it would absolutely kill her to admit, she had to agree with Naru. That was the most romantic thing that had ever happened to her. She was hoping she might get to dance with him again before the night was over. Naru grinned when she saw her friend's face soften. Usagi was one step from completely sprung on the guy, though Naru realized it would take something drastic to drag the truth from her.

The lights dimmed and all attention went to the front of the room. An immaculately dressed MC stepped up to the microphone and thanked the audience for coming out, the sponsors for making the evening possible, and all the jewelers who had provided the favors for the evening. Naru and Usagi cheered loudly when Osaka-san's store was mentioned. Finally, the MC introduced Princess Amethyst and the light dimmed completely, leaving only a spotlight trained on the deep red curtains. They parted and the princess stepped out carrying an ornate wooden box. Usagi and Naru gasped when they saw her. She could have been Umino's twin sister. She had the same glasses, the same brown hair and the same height and rounded cheeks. While she wasn't an ugly girl, Princess Amethyst was not the glamorous, sophisticated young woman they were expecting. The princess took a deep, shaky breath and began to tell the audience about her family's most prized possession.

"The Imperial Crystal has been in my family for many generations…"

"And soon it will be in the Dark Kingdom's possession!" There was a collective gasp from the crowd as a man with long red hair materialized in mid air. He held his hands out in front of him and the princess was surrounded by a dark energy and lifted several feet into the air. The purplish black energy shimmered with electricity before zapping the young girl with a few volts. Her screams echoed though out the banquet hall for a couple of seconds before a rose interrupted the flow of dark energy abruptly ended and the princess tumbled towards the ground. A flash of blue and white shot out from behind the curtain and caught her. Sailor Uranus gently helped the princess sit down, her attendants encircled her quickly, fussing over her safety.

"Interrupting the ball of a lovely princess is something that I, Tuxedo Kamen cannot forgive." The caped superhero glared at Nephrite from his perch on a chandelier. Down below, the rest of the senshi created a circle just under the Dark Kingdom villain. Mercury glared up at him with ice blue eyes.

"A lot of hard work and planning went into this event, and we will not forgive you. In the name of Mercury,"

"Mars."

"Venus."

"Jupiter."

"Uranus."

"Saturn."

"Neptune."

"Pluto."

"We are the Sailor Senshi, and we will end you!" Venus declared. Nephrite chuckled and smirked down at the girls.

"I was expecting you meddlesome fools would show up. I brought you a gift." He snapped and three large youma appeared in the middle of the crowded ballroom. 'This should keep you busy for a while." Nephrite's laugh lingered as he phased out of the room. The youma resembled large elephantine wild cats. Saliva dripped from their long fangs as they surveyed the people around them. With a long, low yowl the first one chose its first victim, a slight woman in a black evening gown. Her eyes widened to saucers as she recognized the intent in its eyes. With a squeal, she backed up as far as she could, startling the rest of the on lookers into moving. The senshi exchanged a brief glance before leaping into action.

"Venus love me chain!" A chain of heart links wrapped itself around the youma's neck and held him off as the woman made her hasty escape. The ballroom was thrown into a panicked flurry as guest raced for the exits, avoiding the snapping jaws of the youma. The senshi focused their powers on getting rid of the annoyingly strong beasts, while avoiding injuring an innocent bystander. The Outer Senshi had more powerful attacks and had to hold off using them, at least until everyone was gone. They were limited to physically attacking the monsters.

Usagi watched the battle with fascinated horror, unheeding of the panicked swell around her. Naru had reached out to grab her arm, but the crowed separated them, moving them in opposite directions. Which was why Usagi was now standing a few feet away from the princess, and saw Nephrite materialize right behind her.

"Look out!" she shouted, picking up the first thing she could find- a mike stand- and swinging it at the man. Caught by surprise, Nephrite caught the attack in his sternum and doubled over in pain. Usagi grabbed the princess's hand and ran out of the first door she came to. The girls found themselves in a short corridor leading to the balcony. There were no other doors and the balcony was two stories above the ground. Nephrite walked up behind them, clutching his mid-section and holding out dark crystal in the other.

"You will pay for that," he promised Usagi. "But first, I have business with you, Your Highness." Princess Amethyst quaked in fear and clung to the girl who had rescued her.

"Whatever you want, take it and leave us alone!" she said. Nephrite just chuckled and held the crystal up. It floated away from his palm and glowed a yellowish white. His lip curled in disgust and he glared at the two.

"Well, at least I get to take care of one human brat tonight." The girls clutched each other tighter and Usagi looked around quickly for an escape. The only way out was the way they had come and Nephrite was quickly closing the distance between them. Usagi pressed her lips to the princess's ear and whispered desperately.

"When I say go, run down the hallway. Don't look back." The princess nodded slightly and watched Nephrite in fear; when he was halfway to the edge of the balcony Usagi pushed the princess forward.

"Now!" she shouted, running towards Nephrite. She and the princess ran around him in opposite sides, and Usagi pushed Nephrite a little, throwing him off balance for a precious few seconds. She and the princess raced back towards the ballroom where the Senshi were finishing off the youma. The room was empty, giving the Outers a chance to unleash their more powerful attacks. Sailor Saturn sliced through the beast and its remains dissolved into dust. They turned to Usagi and Princess Amethyst with a questioning gaze. That question was answered with an angry bellow and a blast of dark energy aimed at the two girls. Usagi knocked the princess out of the way and barely avoided taking the hit herself. Nephrite walked into the ballroom and shot a murderous glare at the girls, most of his malice aimed at Usagi. He lifted his hands for another attack, but Tuxedo Kamen cut him off with a steel tipped rose. He spared no words as he threw more roses at the Dark Kingdom general. Venus and Jupiter moved in quickly and got the two girls out of harm's way. The Outers moved in around Nephrite, and he accepted his defeat angrily.

"Fine, you win this round," he told them. "It's not the girl we're looking for anyway." He retreated hastily to the Dark Kingdom headquarters, leaving the Senshi staring at the empty space he filled seconds before. The battle was done for the moment and they turned their attention to the princess and Usagi. Neither of them looked too much worse for the wear. The princess was pale with fright and Usagi's hair was sticking out at odd angles, but aside from some scrapes and brusies, neither was hurt. The princess gripped Usagi's arm fiercely and stared at the warriors with fright.

"Are you two ok?" Venus asked gently, placing a hand on the princess's shoulder. Recognizing that these people meant her no harm, Princess Amethyst nodded and took a deep, shaky breath.

"This girl s-saved my life," she told Venus. "If she hadn't been there, that man might have killed me." Uranus looked at Usagi with mild admiration.

"Not many people would have taken a Dark Kingdom general on their own," she commented. "I'm impressed." Usagi shrugged a little and hmm'd distractedly. The full weight of what she had done caught up with her and she was a little shell shocked. The guests realized that the battle was over and police officers poured into the building. They saw Usagi standing with the princess and rushed over with stretchers and blankets. The girls took in the sudden flurry of action for a second before looking back towards where the Senshi had been standing. The heroes had disappeared when the police came in, so Usagi and Princess Amethyst were on their own explaining what had happened. Naru and her mother rushed in a few minutes later and showered Usagi with scolding and concern. The princess's attendants were close behind them. An hour later, the police decided that there was nothing else they could do and the girls were released. Before the separated, Princess Amethyst grabbed Usagi's hand and looked up into her eyes gratefully.

"Thank you," she whispered to Usagi. "I'll never forget this." Usagi, still feeling as if she weren't connected with her body just nodded and smiled slightly. The princess was lead away and Naru and Osaka-san guided a dazed Usagi back to their limo.

Forty minutes later, the limo pulled to a stop in front of Usagi's house. Her parents ran outside and half yanked their still shell shocked daughter from the back. They hugged their daughter between them asking if she was ok and thanking God that she was safe by turns. Shingo hung back, trying to hide the tears in his eyes as his parents made sure his older sister was ok. The news crews had gotten there in time to film the balcony scene where Nephrite had cornered her and the princess, then minutes later, the crews caught the burst of light in the ballroom. The reporters had not been allowed inside while the police questioned the girls, so Usagi's family had no idea if she was ok or not until Naru's mother called from the limo.

With a quick good-bye to Naru and her mom, Usagi's parents guided her inside and ordered her straight to bed. Compliantly, Usagi went up to her room and pulled off her dress. A bit of it had been burned in the back showing Usagi just how close Nephrite's attack had come to a direct hit. With a shaky sob, Usagi balled up the dress and threw it into the corner. She pulled her bathrobe on roughly, with shaking hands. She pulled off the bracelet, earrings, and necklace and set them down carefully on her dresser. She vaguely remembered that she would have to return them to Naru's mom. Usagi looked at her reflection in the mirror and winced. Her curls had been ruined and hung around her shoulders and thighs in messy hanks, her eyes were blank and her cheeks pale. She stood shaking in her bathrobe, looking as if she had been through a war. Which, she reflected ruefully, she technically had been. The view of herself in the mirror had been enough to shake her from her stupor. Usagi took a breath and let it out slowly through her nose. It had been a close call, but she was alive. And, she reminded herself, other than the youma attack, it had been a wonderful evening. She called up the memory of dancing with Mamoru and of him kissing her hand, and she felt the fear and shock leaving her body. She even smiled slightly as she pulled the pins out of her hair and let the rest of her hair fall to her knees. Usagi pulled on her pajamas and said a quick prayer of thanks and fell into a dreamless sleep.