Meeting again.

-ö-ö-ö-ö-ö-

Thanks to her traveling plans Lorelei was in the city as well; the best who could play her royal role properly surrounded by aristocrats was she and the fact that no one would see her face because the Uranian Ball was a masqueraded one was perfect.

Michiru looked at her servant who looked perfectly royal like her. The turquoise dress shone brightly in the sun light lighting up her royal chamber in the Uranian palace.

"I can't walk the stairs down with Seiya. He will get it that I'm not you!" Lorelei shook her head watching her mirror image.

Michiru sighed. "Why did he even come?" Somehow she got angry, when she remembered him being here.

"Perhaps he wanted to be sure that you were safe?"

"Or maybe he just wanted to watch me and tell me what to do?" The Princess couldn't believe that Seiya arrived due to her safety.

"Actually I think that he's in love with you. Really!" To underline her said words the maid nodded seriously with her head.

Michiru sighed and sat down on a stool holding up her face with her right hand. "I know and perhaps you're right. I blame myself for marrying him in first place and raising his hopes. I should have known that it would have never fitted. I haven't loved him and I will definitely never do. It's just impossible to imagine it." She raised her head and starred into Lorelei's eyes.

"Because you still love Haruka and you always will." Michiru nodded agreeing and suddenly rose from her stool.

"It's like a curse, which was laid on me, just to torture me with being so madly in love with a human man, who's dying when the years of his life are ending and leaving me behind, because I could never die, as much as I'd love to."

"Don't say that. You are needed here. Our folk need you. Nepta needs you." Loreleis voice became lower and lower till it was a whisper. "You are the princess." She knew that Michiru hated her life being like that: Royal and Immortal.

Michiru turned towards her maid with a neutral look. "And that's the second reason. I'm cursed to live forever and reign as the future queen a folk what doesn't understand the torments their queen is suffering, because they met already or will meet their soul partners and live forever with them." The moment she said those words she regretted. Lorelei's face turned sad, a tear formed in her eyes and rolled silently down her cheek.

"If your soul partner doesn't get killed you mean." She dried her face with a cloth and tried to regain her composure.

"I'm sorry Lorelei. I didn't mean to." Michiru touched the maids shoulder and tried to comfort her, but Lorelei shook her head.

"It's ok. At least I am able to understand your suffers." She lightly smiled. "So let's finish our outfit, it's nearly time for me to walk down the stairs."

Michiru nodded slightly. She didn't want to hurt her friend being that selfish. Selfish - that's what she was, wasn't she? Maybe I should accept my fate and become queen and the wife Seiya wishes for…

…but definitely not today!

-ö-

"There they come, keep your places." Arat whispered and nodded to the direction of four human men dressed up for the ball they were heading to. "Haruka, just the both of us will be enough – Now!"

The next moment Haruka jumped in front of the four men knocking one by one out. When she was finished Arat, their older brother Marolen and Aiko jumped out of their hiding spots pulling the man behind the corner. They searched in their pockets to get the invitation cards and when they found them they hid the men with straw of the horse stable next to them.

"I thought the two of us Arat." Haruka was complaining.

"Yeah, but I knew that you would be able to do it by yourself." He twinkled.

"Thank you for your trust, brother." Haruka nodded to him and both smiled at each other.

"Come on, you two, let's rock and crash the Party!" Marolen shouted from far to them. He was with Aiko already on the way to the palace. His language was something what Haruka loved. Marolen was living under human people and was behaving and speaking like them. That was something what made him more like her: A halfblood.

"The human words might be quite fitting." Arat laughed, when the two of them followed their older brother and Aiko along the dark narrow alleyway.

When they walked around the next corner the alleyway widened and isolated candles light up the stone paved street. The two moons were hidden behind a big cloud wall. The small group turned their hoods over, revealing their faces, but to no one's view. The alley was empty. The first people they met were walking at the next junction in the direction of the City-Palace.

Haruka and her companions copied them and put on their simple white masks, with the long noses and long peaked ears. It was the mask of the handful people of the simple folk, who had the honor to be invited to the Ball. All others were celebrating in the cities center at smaller Balls for the population.

-ö-

The Uranian Ball was from the beginning on a Ball for the aristocracy of Uran and the Neptunian World. The first king who decided to invite a handful of the simple folk was the father of the first prince Haruka. It was the decision made on his birthday, which was on the day of the yearly Ball and became steady by that. The legends said that Haruka escaped the dictates of the court on his 23rd birthday and joined the Uranian Market, which would change the Uranian Ball forever:

Walking through a small paved street he crashed into an aquahaired girl, who was followed by guards.

"I'm sor…" He wanted to apologize, but the girl put her hand above his mouth and drew him into a sideway making sure that the guards wouldn't see them. When they walked by she carefully watched them leaving and released the prince after being sure. "What on earth were you thinking you're doing?" He watched her taking some steps back.

"I just wanted to be sure, that they won't catch me…" Her melodic voice sounded and her eyes wandered from head to toe. "…and you as well."

"Why should they want to catch me?" Haruka cleaned the clothes he wore. They were from one of the horse men, but nevertheless good-looking. The girl watched him doing so.

"Because you were in contact with me." She smiled and Haruka looked up straight into her deep blue eyes. Haruka staggered. The girl in front of him looked not much younger than him. She stood there bathing in the sunlight like the goddess of beauty. She wore a simple white gown, what looked like a maids costume, but somehow when she wore it, it looked rather expansive and it underlined even more the beauty of this girl accenting her female curves.

One of the girl's eyebrows raised, when she recognized the boy staring at her. "So, do you like what you see?"

Haruka shook his head to wake up. Blood rose to his cheeks. He cleared his throat. "Ähm…" He watched her bending her head slightly and laying her hands on her hips. The look on her face was a questioning one.

For Harukas sake he was saved by the guards who came back around the corner. They could hear them, not yet seeing them, but Haruka acted by reflex not thinking about it and grabbed the hand of the girl pulling her behind. They ran along the street and around some corners till they disappeared in a crowd of people.

Haruka slowed down, the girl almost crashing into him again. The blond watched the people walking around them, suspecting the guards could have followed them. Then he turned towards her. "Why are they looking for you? What did you do?"

"How do you think I've done something to be followed by guards?" She asked snubbed.

"What is it then, they are checking for you?"

"That's nothing for your concern!" She got a little angry and turned around to walk away. "If you may excuse me then!?"

Haruka observed her doing so, when he suddenly decided that he would regret it if she would walk away like this. "Hey, wait." The blond caught her arm what the girl observed with a scandalized look on her face. "I'm sorry. Really." He let go of her arm, when he felt that she was turning around facing him. "May I introduce myself properly to a Lady like you?" He bowed like other outranked aristocrats did to him taking his hat in his hand underlining it.

The girl's brow rose. "You're no normal boy from the street." She touched his clothes. "You're clothes may be from the simple folk. But you behave more like a Lord in false clothes, so tell me, who are you?" Her eyebrows furrowed.

Haruka just stood there looking into her eyes. He was shocked being easily unmasked like that. He swallowed hard and thought about a name he could tell without unmasking more of him. "My name is Ruka." He hoped that she would be pleased by that.

She was preoccupied in thoughts. She was sure that this boy wasn't just a boy. He must have been from the court, perhaps of the royal family. She remembered a blond son of them, she saw one time some years ago, playing with other children in the courtyard. But she would either way find out sooner or later and that was why she accepted his answer and grinned. "So Ruka then. Come on. I'll show you the normal's people life on the day of the aristocratic Uranian Ball, where only the powerful men are allowed to join." She twinkled, took his hand into hers and pulled him through the crowd.

"Heeeey… at least tell me your name."

She smiled to him not loosing pace. "Call me Michiru."

Michiru. The name sounded wonderful to him and somehow quite familiar?! And the more he was thinking about how beautiful Michiru was; he got lost in the crowd and didn't know where she led him.

"You will like it here. But don't tell your guys from the court!" She twinkled again and stopped in front of a wooden gate where two boofy men stood to the right and to the left. Haruka now recognized that they were in a Side Street of the Uranian Market and that there stood a long queue in front of that gate. The two doormen where checking the people from head to toe. Haruka watched the scenery happening in front of them, but he couldn't see what was behind the door, because it was only opened for one person to force through the small opened gap. He noticed not till then that Michiru just passed the long queue standing in front of the right man with Haruka. But she didn't mind and so was the queue as well as the doorman. Actually his grimly face turned into a bright one and he smiled at Michiru. Haruka was sure that the men was bowing slightly almost as if to suppress it and his lips were mouthing Princess or Prince!? Michiru was a little chatting with him and in the middle of their chat his eyes shortly observed Haruka till his dark eyes were returning to the girl. Haruka immediately loosened his posture, not being that straight like a aristocrat would be, just in case they were about to recognize him.

But they were not.

The dark haired man nodded and his companion opened the door just as small as Michiru was. And the moment Haruka wanted to follow her, she vanished behind the closed gate and a strong arm gripped his shoulder and restrained him. "You have to wait a little bit." The doorman's deep voice sounded. It was the one with whom the girl had spoken. After some seconds he heard a light knock behind the gate, and then it opened.

Haruka forced himself though the small gap. The sunlight wasn't able to light up the room behind the gate and when it was closed it was pitch-black.

He took slowly one step by another, following the sounds of light music coming out of the dark. After some seconds his eyes accustomed to the dark and he could see a small light getting brighter by every step he took. Then he heard steps arriving and he halted.

"You are the novice! " A woman's voice sounded. "Here take this." Haruka felt how she put a mask into his hand. "You have to wear it - Trust me." And somehow Haruka felt he could trust even without seeing her face but only hearing her voice.

He pulled the mask above his face and walked the last meters to the door where the light was shining. He heard music becoming louder as well as conversations in the background.

When Harukas body was lightened up by the light, he walked half blind through the alley, following the music. His eyes needed some seconds to become accustomed to it.

When he could clearly see again, he saw people dancing and chatting as well as laughing in a large ballroom he had never seen before. Everybody wore the same mask as well as the orchestra in the background. They wore nice dresses and suits, looking almost too expensive for the normal folk. It looked all in all like a copy of the original Ball of the aristocrats he had to attend to every year and was probably already in full play right now and this time without him. But he wasn't sad by the fact missing it. Every year he was bored of the formal stuff and the even more boring persons attending the Ball. This one here looked funnier and happier.

He was impressed and fascinated by the happy atmosphere that it infected him and his face relaxed behind the mask, only his smile visible to the people.

After some seconds Haruka remembered how he came here and he searched for an aquahaired beauty, walking slowly through the crowd, watching all the ladies carefully.

"So you're already undressing the girls with your eyes?" An amused voice sounded from behind.

Haruka turned around and blushed seeing Michiru standing behind him. She wore the same mask as everybody, but her beauty didn't suffer. "I wouldn't dare."

"Oh. I believe you." Her smile grew wider. "How do you like it here? It's better than the courtly Ball, isn't it?"

"Oh, I don't know. For this I should have been there just one time to compare."

Michiru laughed. "So if you never have been to the Ball you probably don't know how to dance. Then I have to search for another partner." She was about to turn around, when Haruka raised his voice.

"I can dance." He smiled at her, when an eyebrow of Michiru rose.

"Then show me." And again she took his hand and dragged him behind through the masses to the dance floor. When she suddenly stopped, Haruka crashed lightly into her. Michiru chuckled. "I hope you dance better than that."

And when they started to dance, Michiru wasn't disappointed. He was quiet a good dancer, maybe the best she ever danced with.

The first dance was a more common dance under the folk; all the dancing couples did in unison. Haruka knew this one from his teacher in dance lessons. It was more a jumping around and go round in circles, but what the prince liked was the happiness of the dance and that it wasn't as stiff as most of the formal dances.

After many of the casual dances, Haruka smiled brightly. He had the most fun in the last years he remembered and the most beautiful company he ever had.

-ö-

The great Uranian Palace was monstrous. It was built of Ewigen Art being a present of the Queen of Nepta thousands of years ago, when the old one was destroyed by the Dark War.

The decorated gate was more than four times as high as a normal man; the legends said it was for the dragons once lived in the country. Today it looked only too gigantic.

In front of the gate stood more than ten guards controlling the people walking through the gate. Haruka and her companions showed their invitation cards and shortly presented their faces as well as her clothes. The guards made sure that nobody was armed; the amulet in Harukas bag was only shortly examined. When they were released they stepped through the gate.

They made their way through the crowd and walked straight forward through the entrance hall to the ball room, which was not yet as full as the entrance hall.

"We should stay together until…" Arat said looking behind Aiko who was already waving her hand and following a black haired man to dance. "Okay. But we three…" He looked to his older brother who grinned widely and then followed Haruka's eyes. She was watching a certain blue-haired woman walking delicately through the dancing crowd. "Ok, ok. I get it. We meet again, when it's time." And with that he turned around and walked away with Marolen.

Haruka didn't notice them walking away; she herself stepped slowly down the stairs towards the dancing people, towards the woman who walked through the crowd. Something drew her to that certain woman, who stood there with her back to the blonde.

The white tuxedo of Haruka matched perfectly to the white-blue gown, which exposed almost the whole back of the woman.

The swordsmith reached out her hand to touch her on the shoulder, but only shortly before the contact the royal horns resounded. With that the dancing crowd stopped in their tracks and all guests turned around to the great stairs as well as Haruka.

"The Princess and the Prince of Nepta." The pair up the stairs was loudly introduced.

Haruka watched a black haired man leading a blue haired woman by the hand down the stairs. They had special masks on their face, they were more decorated and light golden. The man wore a black tuxedo and the woman a turquoise dress. And when she eyed the Princess from tip to toe she was almost sure that she recognized the certain girl behind her right there walking down the stairs. She looks like the girl from the Lake. He suddenly turned around looking for the woman who stood right there a minute ago. But she was gone. The blonde watched again to the Princess walking the last steps downstairs. "That's impossible. How…." She whispered, feeling a tap on her shoulder.

"How what?" Haruka knew that voice. She shook her head lightly taking a last look of the Princess and slowly turned around again.

There she stood again with a smile on her face and the light blue mask not able to hide the woman's beauty. Her deep blue eyes reflected emerald ones. "You're the girl from the lake almost killing me!" Haruka said astonished.

"How should I know that a strange half-blood would be the son of the Eldest Hotar?" She smiled. "Besides you were spying on me like you were today!" Haruka got red by the last comment and didn't know what to say. Somehow it was true, she was observing her.

After some quiet seconds the aquanette's hand reached out for the blonde's left cheek to check on it. When skin touched skin both felt an intense contact between them. Something reached each other's heart and they knew that the other felt it too, seeing it reflected in their eyes.

"It looks better than I thought. Hotar knows plenty of healing…" She spoke pretending not being affected by their contact. She watched the small scar carefully stroking the cheek one time. It was almost invisible. "…and thanks to your good healing abilities as a Lebenlang it got only a small scar. You were lucky, a human…"

"…would have probably died." The aquanette removed her hand by Haruka's hard words.

"I'm not sure, but that could have happened." Her voice saddened and her eyes looked apologizing.

Haruka felt as well sorry for her words seeing that the other woman regretted what she did to her at the lake. "But it didn't!" The blonde tried to rescue the conversation and smiled. "I know that sounds a little strange, but would you like to dance with me?" The blonde asked out of nothing and was surprised by her own forwardness. She reached out her right hand, when the other woman raised her head and nodded lightly whilst her face lightened up. She accepted the others hand feeling again her inners warming up.

The tomboy led her to the next free spot in the crowd and they eyed up each other again taking their positions. "By the way. What's your name?" Both smiled at each other.

"Michi."

-ö-ö-ö-ö-ö-

That's it, thank you for reading my story and thank you for hopefully reviewing.