Disclaimer: The Reality Benders own nothing of Sailormoon, only this unusual storyline.



Chapter Seven:

The Harvest Celebration



When Yaten awoke the next day, he felt his head pounding. Everything that had happened yesterday caught him in a daze. He was surprised about everything that he'd done that day—he knew he'd never acted in such a way before. But he guessed the one reason.

Hotaru.

He didn't know why but he just felt so different everytime he was around her. It made him do things he doesn't normally do. And it was what was making Taiki and Seiya (and Kakyuu) become astounded at him. If only they knew that Yaten was surprised with himself too. She was just…so…different.

That was only word that comes close enough to what he thought her as.

He got up to see sunlight streaming through his window, and he opened it. A breeze entered his room, bringing in scents of flowers in the castle gardens, and he took in a deep breath of that scent. It sort of made his dazed head a little clearer. But then he looked outside and blinked. Then he smiled.

There was a familiar raven-haired beauty sitting beneath a willow tree, half-covered from sight by a thick curtain of leaves and pink blossoms. He knew that it would be safe to go to her there, for it was only in Yaten's room that somebody beneath it would be seen. He sprang into fresh clothes and tucked his present for her in his sleeve. And then he leapt out the window and crept to the garden.

Hotaru was sitting beneath the tree, reading quietly, when suddenly some covered her eyes from behind her. She knew better than be startled—she was quite aware as to who it was just by the gentle touch of his hands.

"Guess who," the voice behind her said teasingly.

Hotaru sighed without changing position. "Hello, Yaten."

Yaten quickly put down his hands and saw that Hotaru hadn't even moved from her position, as if she was ignoring him. He sat beside her and nudged her. "Hey."

"Hey," she said back, but with no life at all and still not looking at him.

Yaten waved a hand between her eyes and the book, and Hotaru burst into laughter as he did. But she tried to look at him sternly.

Yaten looked back with large innocent green eyes. "What? You're not still mad at me, are you?"

Hotaru looked at him and smiled. "Of course not. What's to be angry about?"

The prince grinned, and said, "Hold out your hands." Hotaru looked at him skeptically. "Just hold out your hands," he insisted, kneeling in front of her.

Shrugging, Hotaru held out two white-gloved hands, and Yaten held his hands out as well over hers, his palms facing hers, and waved them sideways without touching her hands. Lo and behold, a beautiful yellow thornless rose lay in Hotaru's hands.

Hotaru gave a gasp of surprise and delight. "Oh! H-how did you—"

"Don't ask," Yaten shook his head sheepishly. "It's something I picked up back in Earth."

Smiling, Hotaru brought the rose close to her face and inhaled its sweet scent. She looked up at him with a smile. He's such a charmer… "Thank you, Yaten."

Yaten smiled at her, but he stared as she tucked the rose again into her sash with a smile. God, she's beautiful… He knocked himself into his senses. Get a grip, Yaten! What are you on about?

"Yaten?" Hotaru asked, waving her fingers in front of his eyes. "Hello? You okay?" He's staring into nothing again… Of course he couldn't be staring at me…what's there to stare about?

A click came into Yaten's face and he shaded a brilliant scarlet. "Oh. Sorry… Just…staring into space again."

Hotaru smiled at him again, and it took Yaten some surperhuman effort not to start staring again. He sat back down beside her and looked over her shoulder, resisting the urge to run a hand down her long shiny black tresses. "What're you reading?"

"Oh…just something I found in the library," smiled Hotaru. "Do you know this story? Kakyuu was there—she told me that this story was about a legend around here."

Yaten looked at it. "Forbidden Hearts." He considered it a moment. "Yeah, I know that. It's like a Kinmoku version of Romeo and Juliet. It's about a prince and a princess who—" he stopped when he remembered what it was about. A prince and a princess who were both in love, but they didn't know it, and the prince's brothers and the princess' sisters were angry at each other. They had to keep sneaking out to see each other. At first they were just friends, and then they realized their love.

He felt a flush rise into his cheeks. The story sounded awfully familiar….except for the 'in-love' part. "…Kakyuu…was in the library when you picked that out?"

"Well, she was the one who got it for me, really," said Hotaru, smiling. "I was up early, and I wanted to read something. Kakyuu was already there and she gave this book to me. She said that I ought to try it because it was really nice."

Vowing to hunt Kakyuu down later on and interrogate her for this, Yaten just shook his head with a smile. "Well, it's nice, all right. But I never did get to the end. I always stopped in the middle." His eyes caught sight of a picture on a page—there were people dancing. He remembered something.

"By the way, Hotaru," he said, "what's your costume for the Harvest Celebration?"

"What?" Hotaru stared at him in surprise. "Costume? What're you talking about?"

"Oh no," Yaten smacked his palm on his forehead. "I forgot to tell you! The Harvest Celebration in the day at the plaza—everyone goes in costume."

Hotaru's eyes widened. "You didn't tell me that!"

Yaten slumped back on the tree, groaning. "Dang… I can't believe I've forgotten that!"

The princess smiled at him. "Oh, don't worry about it, Yaten. I'm sure that us Outer's will have to go there, and if Michiru is anything, she could pull us out costumes in a snap."

The Kinmoku prince raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

"Of course," Hotaru laughed, closing her book. "I think that I'd better go to breakfast now and tell her about it."

"Yeah," muttered Yaten vaguely, wishing that they could stay just a little together under the willow. Then a thought flashed into his head just as Hotaru was stood up.

"Hotaru," he said suddenly as he grabbed her hand.

Hotaru's heart began pounding a hundred miles a minute it seemed to her. She felt a brilliant flush rise into her cheeks as she turned back to look at the prince who still sitting against the willow tree. "Y-Yaten?"

Yaten did not let go of her hand as he stood up, nor did he break his eye contact. "…I…uh…"

"Yaten…what is it?" Hotaru asked as he pulled her a little closer. She didn't know if she was nervous or scared or what. All she knows was that her heart was liable to die in exhaustion soon with the way it was beating now.

"I—I just wanted to ask you…" Yaten began, groping for his words, which he could not seem to find all of a sudden.

"Ask me what?" Hotaru asked tentatively, glancing at his green eyes.

Yaten took a breath, pulled her about a couple of inches closer to him and said, "About…about yesterday evening… What you said to me…"

Hotaru felt faint. A dozen or so thoughts ran into her head. What if he told her that he hated her for telling her? But that would contradict what went on when they apologized to each other, right? So…what was this all about? She wished that he would just tell her for she felt quite weak.

"I just wanted to know…" he murmured. "Were you—were you serious when… when you said that—that you…um…"

He took a deep breath and blurted out, "Wereyouseriouswhenyousaidthatyoulikedme?"

Hotaru didn't think it was possible for anyone to speak so fast. She stared at him, completely awestruck and eyebrows raised. "Say what??"

"Um…" Yaten felt his cheeks grow hot and he knew that he was blushing madly, but he'd gone too far not to continue, and his curiosity was driving him crazy. "I asked…if you were serious when you told me last evening…that you liked me."

The last words were but a whisper, but for some reason, Hotaru heard them as clear as if he had screamed them through a bullhorn. For some reason, she felt a feeling of calmness wash over her whole body, and her heart told her the answer which was the absolute truth. She smiled at the prince.

"Of course I was."

It would've been easier to say 'yes', but it felt too much like an answer that one would give if you were being proposed to.

Yaten flushed a brilliant shade of magenta from his collar up. "I—I see…" He dropped her hand, looking extremely embarrassed but somehow pleased by her answer. One could tell by the smile playing on the corners of his lips.

Hotaru laughed a little and turned her back to him. Her hand was just about to lift the curtain of vines of the willow when a voice called from behind her:

"I like you too!"

Appalled and her heart racing once again, Hotaru whirled around with a gasp.

But Yaten was gone. But where she had last seen him lay a yellow rose. Hotaru smiled, feeling a flush rise on her face like the rising sun, but she felt happy nevertheless. She picked up the rose, and left.

The moment Yaten had heard the response, he felt like his world shimmered and burst into blinding light. She liked him! Him! But of course, she could just like him as a friend…

He just shook his head to the thought as he ran across the palace in order not to be late for breakfast. Call it wishful thinking or whatever, but he was certainly not letting this little glimmer of hope fly away. He was so happy about it that he ceased to wonder why he was so happy about it!

When she turned around to leave, though, he burst out unexpectedly that he liked her too. But then he felt really embarrassed and afraid of what she would say, so he ran.

Like an idiot. But not before leaving her another rose. He was starting to think like he was acting too much like Tuxedo Kamen…

He cowered in his room for a few moments before running off for breakfast and getting about several dozen questions from Taiki on why he had been acting so strangely lately, and, more frighteningly, where he had been.

Yaten opened the door of the dining hall to see the queen just taking her seat, Kakyuu, Seiya and Taiki to her right, while Setsuna and Haruka sat to her left. Michiru and Hotaru were not present yet.

"Ah, just in time, Yaten," Queen Kakyoku smiled. "Come on and take a seat."

Yaten forced a smile for her through his nervousness at receiving strange glances from Taiki. He sat beside Kakyuu, who gave him such a knowing smile that he realized with a sinking heart that she knew what happened.

He asked her (by telepathy that he and she had) this, to which she replied with a secret smile, Let's just say I came to wake up a certain prince from bed only to find him sitting underneath a willow tree with a certain princess across his window. Pretty familiar scene, don't you think?

Yaten flushed a deep red, but then said, Hey, why in the world did you give Hotaru the legend of the Forbidden Hearts, eh, Kakyuu?

Eh? Just…no reason, said Kakyuu mysteriously, but it only drove Yaten crazy.

The doors suddenly opened and everyone looked up to see Hotaru and Michiru walk into the dining room. "Oh, hello, Michi," said Haruka, grinning at her. "Where've you been?"

"Oh, Hotaru-chan and I just had some chatting," said Michiru with a sly grin at her best friend.

Hotaru didn't speak, but she glanced at Yaten, and he turned red. She also blushed, but she and Michiru sat at the table, Hotaru across Yaten.

Why were you late? Yaten asked her in the same way he asked Kakyuu. You left before I did!

Oh really, Hotaru replied with a smirk. I seem to remember someone vanishing in an eyeblink at the willow tree before I could leave…

Yaten turned red but asked, What did you and Princess Neptune talk about?

Call her Michiru, please, Hotaru said. All of the formality makes me nervous. Anyway, I told her about the costumes. Mind you, she didn't like the idea of the ball, but she liked the entire costume deal. She's getting us some, but she didn't tell me what.

And with that, Yaten had to be content, because Taiki was staring at him, and Kakyuu was nudging him. She knew whenever he was talking to someone telepathically, and she knew that the others were bound to notice if he talks any longer.

Besides, the queen had begun talking to the Outers about the Harvest Celebration, and none of the Lights dared to interrupt, telepathically or not.

"Yaten?" whispered Taiki.

"What?" he asked.

"Is something the matter? You haven't touched your food."

Yaten blinked and looked to his plate. He was right. He hadn't eaten yet. "Sorry," he whispered back but picked up his fork. "I'm…just not very hungry."

Taiki blinked at him, but turned back to his own plate.

"Oh, Seiya, Taiki, Yaten?" said the Queen, looking at them.

"Yes, Kakyoku-mama?" asked Seiya, looking at her.

"I would like to remind you of your performance that everyone has been looking forward to in the day Harvest Celebration," said the queen with a smile.

"Only in the day?" asked Yaten. "I thought it would be for that day- celebration and the night-celebration."

"I thought so too," said Taiki. "I thought we'd be performing in the palace as well."

"Oh, I decided that you boys have your free time in the night," replied Kakyoku. "After all, the celebration isn't supposed to be work, is it?"

Yaten opened his mouth to say that music, for them, wasn't work, when Seiya kicked him underneath the table and muttered out of the corner of his mouth, "Don't argue. More free time for us."

Yaten winced at the sudden pain that shot through his leg and made a face at Seiya, but he nodded. He looked back in front of him and saw Hotaru glancing at him. She quickly looked back down on her plate, but not before giving him a quick smile. The prince blushed, but he couldn't say anything to her until this was over.

I can see why Kakyuu picked out the legend, he thought. This is way too like it. Except that we're not in love… I guess…

~~*~~

"Um, M-Michiru?" Hotaru stammered, looking at herself in the huge oval mirror, "A-are you s-sure I can wear this?"

"Of course you can, Hotaru!" Michiru trilled in her lovely voice. "My my, it looks wonderful on you."

"B-but Michiru…" Hotaru flustered as she looked at her reflection.

She was drssed in a lovely fairy princess outfit of white and purple. The cloth was very pretty, since it was not only soft, but when you turned it to one side, it would color gold. It was an off-shoulder dress with flowing sleeves and a flowing skirt, all of them bordered with what looked like real purple roses. Ribbons trailed from her waist and from her hair, which was crowned with purple roses as well. She was adorned with flourite, gold and amethyst jewelries. It was much too good for the likes of her.

The Stars were preparing for the 'day-celebration' later that day, and they had spent the whole morning with Michiru combing the town for the best costumes. Of course, with Michiru's fashion sense, it wasn't very difficult to get the best. Now they were back at the palace, getting ready for the party at the plaza.

She blushed heavily and looked at Michiru, who was clothed in a dazzling gypsy costume of blue green and gold and heaped with what looked like her entire collection of jewelry. Hair sea green tresses flowed begind her in waves and was half-covered with a green veil also heaped with jewels. When she danced in it, the sparkles sprinkled all over the dress and caught the sunlight like a disco ball and the little gold bells tinkled merrily.

"You look nice," Hotaru said flatly. "I don't think I look good in…this."

"Really, Hotaru-chan," Michiru tsked, "You need to believe what people say. You look wonderful. I'm sure that the Kinmoku princess—Kakyuu was her name, right?—well, she's been known to have the best costumes, but we'll blow her and her 'brothers' away!"

At the thought of Yaten Kou seeing her in this outfit, Hotaru shaded magenta, but took care not to let Michiru notice. "Where are Haruka and Setsuna, by the way?"

"Oh they're just about finished dressing…" Michiru said, straightening her veil as a knock came from the door. "Ah," she said turning around with a smile. "Just in time. Come in!"

Haruka and Setsuna came in, and Hotaru turned bright pink again.

"Hotaru, you look great!" smiled Setsuna, who was in a fortune-teller's costume of black, maroon and covered with gold stars. Actually, 'fortune- teller' was just something one would deduce from the long flowing sleeves and skirt and her holding a crystal ball in one hand. But the dress was tight around her upper body and she wore a veil, not unlike Michiru's, with sparklers at the end. But in any case, she looked terrific in it.

Hotaru blushed again at Setsuna's comment, and turned to look at Haruka. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw what costume Haruka was clothed in. "Huh?"

Haruka smirked at her and put a hand on her hip as she said, "What, don't you think I qualify as an angel?"

Hotaru laughed, but examined her friend. Haruka's long sandy hair flowing down her back and she was dressed in a pure white dress with a pair of beautiful feathered white wings that looked like they were really attatched to her back. Her dress was decorated with dark blue ribbons around her waist and at her shoulders (this is what ties the sleeves to the dress like a toga). Her 'halo' was not above her head; rather, it was turned into a gold crown that encircled her hair. She looked marvelous.

"You look pretty, Haruka," smiled Hotaru.

"Well it mayn't suit me much," she said, twirling around in the dress, "but I do admit that it is pretty."

Michiru laughed. "Of course it is. Now, are we going to the party or what?"

"Let's go then," grinned Setsuna.

"Hold on! I just remembered," said Michiru.

They all looked at her as she dashed back to her dresser and pulled out something from her drawer. "Ta-daa!" she said, triumphantly showing them four masks (the kind that looks like glasses or covers only the top half of the face).

"Masks?" Haruka raised an eyebrow. "Why, pray tell, do you have those?"

"For the party, silly!" Michiru laughed. "Queen Kakyoku was kind enough to remind me that this year, everyone will be wearing masks. So that when they announce the winner of the best costume, the exciting part is unveiling who it is."

Haruka groaned as Michiru approached her with a dark blue mask decorated with white feathers on the edges to match her costume. "Oh, Michi, do we have to?"

"The queen will kill us," she said bluntly.

Haruka stared at the mask for a moment, then grabbed it. She put it over her eyes and said, "Well?"

"It looks fine," Michiru replied with a smile. She gave Setsuna a black mask with decorated with silver glitter, and gave Hotaru a purple mask with gold stars. She herself had a sea green mask with blue-green sequins.

They put on the masks, and it made their costumes prettier. "Well, off we go," said Michiru with a smile.

As they exited the room, Hotaru wondered, That's strange…Yaten didn't say anything about masks… I wonder why the queen wanted masks all of a sudden…