Disclaimer: The Reality Benders own nothing of Sailormoon, only this
unusual storyline.
Chapter Nine:
Falling in Love
Hotaru laughed as she and Yaten skipped down the stairs of the plaza and were heading for the secluded garden. "I didn't know dancing could be so much fun."
"Then I'll dance with you more often," Yaten grinned, taking her hand as he led her down the stone path.
They had just finished dancing five times in a row, and night had fallen on the plaza. They walked along the garden's path in relative silence until they reached a willow tree. "Look familiar?" Yaten grinned.
Hotaru smiled. "Like where we were this morning." Yaten nodded, and he pushed the vines away. "Come with me. I want to show you something."
He pulled Hotaru underneath the cover of the tree. It was dark, but then Yaten shook the vines. Instantly, about a hundred fireflies took flight out of the vines and the ground and surrounded the both of them in wonderful golden light. They swirled around the pair in brilliant glimmers of gold like so many large glowing confetti that never hit the ground.
"Oh my…" Hotaru gasped in awe, looking around and putting down her mask to be able to see better. "Yaten…it's…it's breathtaking!"
Yeah…especially this firefly… Yaten thought as he remembered that Hotaru's name meant firefly and stared at the 'fairy princess'. He took off his own mask and he looked at her. "The fireflies here are about three times brighter than those back on Earth."
"They look like stars…" Hotaru said dreamily, watching them float around her.
"These are only one color," smiled Yaten. "The ones at the palace are as bright as these but the keep changing color."
"Oh, I'd like to see them," Hotaru said, turning to face the prince, her face lit by the light of the fireflies, making her beauty glow stunningly. Yaten couldn't take his eyes off her as he stared into her glowing dark eyes.
Hotaru, when she turned to face him, felt herself hypnotized by his charms. His face was illuminated by the living stars around them, and his smile made her feel weak. "I'll show you later, then," he said softly, his voice making her feel even weaker.
Hotaru nodded, and he took her hands in his as the both of them stared at each other. As Yaten looked at her beautiful face and her eyes bright with kindness and sweetness, he realized that he loved her. At that instant, he admitted to his whole heart and soul that he was indeed in love with Hotaru Tomoe.
Yaten smiled at her, his eyes filled with love, but Hotaru was too worked up in her own feelings to clearly see it. She felt a flush rise into her cheeks as she gazed to him longingly. Am I…Am I in love with him? she wondered. I think I am… Well, if she was, it was the most wonderful feeling in the world.
Yaten didn't know what he was doing, nor was he was conscious that he was doing it, but he leaned his face closer to hers, his eyes locked on hers. Hotaru felt her heart pound so hard that she was wondering if Yaten could feel it. Whatever was going on, she was not conscious of it either as her face moved towards his.
But of course, this was too good to last.
"Yaten!! Yaten, where are you?!"
The sound of Taiki's voice shattered the moment into a million pieces and the two beneath the tree. The two jumped about a foot into the air and dropped their hands. They looked to where Taiki's voice was coming from. It was coming from the top of the plaza stairs.
"Yaten!" he called. "Are you out here?"
Yaten stepped forward underneath the willow, put on his mask and said to Hotaru, "Stay here, Hotaru. I'll come back."
Hotaru stared at him, her eyes filled with worry and she nodded. Yaten didn't want to leave, but if he didn't, they might never see each other again.
He jumped out from underneath the shadows of the tree. "Here I am, Taiki! What is it?" he ran to his friend up the stairs.
"There you are," said Taiki. "Where've you been? We're just about to leave for the palace."
"What?" Yaten gasped, glancing back quickly to where he'd left Hotaru. "I thought we were still going to perform?"
"Not anymore," replied, Seiya, coming along to them with Kakyuu. "That's been cancelled too. Now come on. We'll have to get ready for the palace ball."
"It—it isn't costume party anymore?" Yaten asked, paling.
"Of course not!" Taiki replied.
Kakyuu was the only one who noticed Yaten's distress from behind his mask. She knew that no costume party meant that there was no way that he could dance with Hotaru like he did this evening. But before Kakyuu could move towards him, Taiki pulled him away and to the waiting carriage. The Lights and the princess went in and they were riding off swiftly to the palace.
Yaten felt his heart sink. He told her that he'd come back, and she was waiting…
He felt a hand come over his, and he saw Kakyuu's wine-colored eyes staring at him. She looked as sad as he, and she simply shook her head. You'll see her at the ball.
He swallowed hard and nodded at her. He hoped that she won't be too upset to talk to him.
Yaten bit his lip and nodded. He'll definitely talk to her at the ball…but how? With a hundred nobles and his friends watching? Somehow… he thought fervently. I will dance with you tonight…and I'll show everyone that I'm not afraid to love you…Hotaru…
What have I done? Hotaru thought, feeling her heart being pricked by thorns. I left without telling him… If he came back and found me gone…what would he think?
She stared outside at the view that raced by the open carriage in which she rode with the other Outers. They had come to get her what seemed like miliseconds after Yaten's footsteps had vanished with his friends'. She did not wish to go, but there was another party to go to, and there was no choice or else Haruka (who seemed unusually happy tonight) would ask questions.
She was vaguely aware of her friends' chatter as they raced towards the palace.
"I asked who he was," Haruka said grinning, "but he just told me that he was Tai."
"Tai? What a funny name," Michiru chortled. "What kind of a guy do you dance with, Haruka, and you picked him of all people?"
"Well…he was cute," Haruka replied with a smile. Setsuna laughed and Haruka glared at her, her face going red. "Well he was! Besides, he was the most gentlemanly of them all that asked me."
Setsuna laughed again, but obviously for a reason that Haruka did not know. "Very well, then…the angel and the devil. Well did Mr. Tai ask you what your name was?"
"I couldn't tell him that I was Haruka Ten'ou, of course," laughed Haruka. "I mean, everyone in this planet knows who the princesses are. So I told him that my name was Ura."
Michiru laughed out loud at this. Haruka sniffed. "Well at least I danced with an extremely eligible guy for five straight dances."
"You got along well?" Setsuna asked with a sly smile.
"Quite well, yes," Haruka replied. "We agreed on a lot of things. He was a little familiar, like I've met him before, but maybe it's my imagination. Anyway, I certainly attracted him."
"Hmm?" Michiru said an eyebrow. "How did you know that?"
"He told me," Haurka said with a triumphant smile. "He said that I caught his eye. That's what you have to do, you know. Even the hardest rocks could be melted if you looked right enough for them."
That sentence caught Hotaru senses. "What?"
"I said that even the hardest to catch kind of guys can be attracted if you looked good to them!" Haruka replied. "Why?"
"N-Nothing," Hotaru replied hastily. She looked out into the view again, the wind whipping her long black hair and making her wings flap in the slipstream.
The toughest guys, huh? she thought. Like someone who might be angry or upset…maybe—maybe I could look a little better…I could sure use it…
"Uh…Michiru?" Hotaru looked at her. "I…um…"
"What is it, hime-chan?" asked Michiru with a smile.
"I was just wondering if…you…could…uh—just for tonight, that is—give me a makeover?"
Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna looked at her with wide eyes. "I'm positive I didn't hear that right," Haruka commented.
Hotaru flared scarlet from her collar up. "Well I just—see, you guys do it a lot and—I…um…"
Setsuna smiled. "Is it about that boy you were dancing with this evening?"
Hotaru widened her eyes at her (Setsuna knew, obviously, who the boy was) and blushed a deep red. Setsuna looked at her pointedly, and Hotaru understood. "Uh…yeah! I mean, really… I think he's a little upset that I left him so early… and he's coming to the ball so I thought…uh…"
Haruka laughed jovially. "I see! Well well! Hotaru-chan's smitten!"
More true than you think… Hotaru thought.
"But no worry," Haruka said, "we'll help you bag him. Goodness knows you need to come out of your shell sometime…"
"I think we're bad influence on Hotaru," Michiru smirked, but she looked like she agreed, and Hotaru let out her breath.
Yaten…I won't be afraid to dance with you tonight. I—I'm falling in love with you…and who are we to stop love?
Chapter Nine:
Falling in Love
Hotaru laughed as she and Yaten skipped down the stairs of the plaza and were heading for the secluded garden. "I didn't know dancing could be so much fun."
"Then I'll dance with you more often," Yaten grinned, taking her hand as he led her down the stone path.
They had just finished dancing five times in a row, and night had fallen on the plaza. They walked along the garden's path in relative silence until they reached a willow tree. "Look familiar?" Yaten grinned.
Hotaru smiled. "Like where we were this morning." Yaten nodded, and he pushed the vines away. "Come with me. I want to show you something."
He pulled Hotaru underneath the cover of the tree. It was dark, but then Yaten shook the vines. Instantly, about a hundred fireflies took flight out of the vines and the ground and surrounded the both of them in wonderful golden light. They swirled around the pair in brilliant glimmers of gold like so many large glowing confetti that never hit the ground.
"Oh my…" Hotaru gasped in awe, looking around and putting down her mask to be able to see better. "Yaten…it's…it's breathtaking!"
Yeah…especially this firefly… Yaten thought as he remembered that Hotaru's name meant firefly and stared at the 'fairy princess'. He took off his own mask and he looked at her. "The fireflies here are about three times brighter than those back on Earth."
"They look like stars…" Hotaru said dreamily, watching them float around her.
"These are only one color," smiled Yaten. "The ones at the palace are as bright as these but the keep changing color."
"Oh, I'd like to see them," Hotaru said, turning to face the prince, her face lit by the light of the fireflies, making her beauty glow stunningly. Yaten couldn't take his eyes off her as he stared into her glowing dark eyes.
Hotaru, when she turned to face him, felt herself hypnotized by his charms. His face was illuminated by the living stars around them, and his smile made her feel weak. "I'll show you later, then," he said softly, his voice making her feel even weaker.
Hotaru nodded, and he took her hands in his as the both of them stared at each other. As Yaten looked at her beautiful face and her eyes bright with kindness and sweetness, he realized that he loved her. At that instant, he admitted to his whole heart and soul that he was indeed in love with Hotaru Tomoe.
Yaten smiled at her, his eyes filled with love, but Hotaru was too worked up in her own feelings to clearly see it. She felt a flush rise into her cheeks as she gazed to him longingly. Am I…Am I in love with him? she wondered. I think I am… Well, if she was, it was the most wonderful feeling in the world.
Yaten didn't know what he was doing, nor was he was conscious that he was doing it, but he leaned his face closer to hers, his eyes locked on hers. Hotaru felt her heart pound so hard that she was wondering if Yaten could feel it. Whatever was going on, she was not conscious of it either as her face moved towards his.
But of course, this was too good to last.
"Yaten!! Yaten, where are you?!"
The sound of Taiki's voice shattered the moment into a million pieces and the two beneath the tree. The two jumped about a foot into the air and dropped their hands. They looked to where Taiki's voice was coming from. It was coming from the top of the plaza stairs.
"Yaten!" he called. "Are you out here?"
Yaten stepped forward underneath the willow, put on his mask and said to Hotaru, "Stay here, Hotaru. I'll come back."
Hotaru stared at him, her eyes filled with worry and she nodded. Yaten didn't want to leave, but if he didn't, they might never see each other again.
He jumped out from underneath the shadows of the tree. "Here I am, Taiki! What is it?" he ran to his friend up the stairs.
"There you are," said Taiki. "Where've you been? We're just about to leave for the palace."
"What?" Yaten gasped, glancing back quickly to where he'd left Hotaru. "I thought we were still going to perform?"
"Not anymore," replied, Seiya, coming along to them with Kakyuu. "That's been cancelled too. Now come on. We'll have to get ready for the palace ball."
"It—it isn't costume party anymore?" Yaten asked, paling.
"Of course not!" Taiki replied.
Kakyuu was the only one who noticed Yaten's distress from behind his mask. She knew that no costume party meant that there was no way that he could dance with Hotaru like he did this evening. But before Kakyuu could move towards him, Taiki pulled him away and to the waiting carriage. The Lights and the princess went in and they were riding off swiftly to the palace.
Yaten felt his heart sink. He told her that he'd come back, and she was waiting…
He felt a hand come over his, and he saw Kakyuu's wine-colored eyes staring at him. She looked as sad as he, and she simply shook her head. You'll see her at the ball.
He swallowed hard and nodded at her. He hoped that she won't be too upset to talk to him.
Yaten bit his lip and nodded. He'll definitely talk to her at the ball…but how? With a hundred nobles and his friends watching? Somehow… he thought fervently. I will dance with you tonight…and I'll show everyone that I'm not afraid to love you…Hotaru…
What have I done? Hotaru thought, feeling her heart being pricked by thorns. I left without telling him… If he came back and found me gone…what would he think?
She stared outside at the view that raced by the open carriage in which she rode with the other Outers. They had come to get her what seemed like miliseconds after Yaten's footsteps had vanished with his friends'. She did not wish to go, but there was another party to go to, and there was no choice or else Haruka (who seemed unusually happy tonight) would ask questions.
She was vaguely aware of her friends' chatter as they raced towards the palace.
"I asked who he was," Haruka said grinning, "but he just told me that he was Tai."
"Tai? What a funny name," Michiru chortled. "What kind of a guy do you dance with, Haruka, and you picked him of all people?"
"Well…he was cute," Haruka replied with a smile. Setsuna laughed and Haruka glared at her, her face going red. "Well he was! Besides, he was the most gentlemanly of them all that asked me."
Setsuna laughed again, but obviously for a reason that Haruka did not know. "Very well, then…the angel and the devil. Well did Mr. Tai ask you what your name was?"
"I couldn't tell him that I was Haruka Ten'ou, of course," laughed Haruka. "I mean, everyone in this planet knows who the princesses are. So I told him that my name was Ura."
Michiru laughed out loud at this. Haruka sniffed. "Well at least I danced with an extremely eligible guy for five straight dances."
"You got along well?" Setsuna asked with a sly smile.
"Quite well, yes," Haruka replied. "We agreed on a lot of things. He was a little familiar, like I've met him before, but maybe it's my imagination. Anyway, I certainly attracted him."
"Hmm?" Michiru said an eyebrow. "How did you know that?"
"He told me," Haurka said with a triumphant smile. "He said that I caught his eye. That's what you have to do, you know. Even the hardest rocks could be melted if you looked right enough for them."
That sentence caught Hotaru senses. "What?"
"I said that even the hardest to catch kind of guys can be attracted if you looked good to them!" Haruka replied. "Why?"
"N-Nothing," Hotaru replied hastily. She looked out into the view again, the wind whipping her long black hair and making her wings flap in the slipstream.
The toughest guys, huh? she thought. Like someone who might be angry or upset…maybe—maybe I could look a little better…I could sure use it…
"Uh…Michiru?" Hotaru looked at her. "I…um…"
"What is it, hime-chan?" asked Michiru with a smile.
"I was just wondering if…you…could…uh—just for tonight, that is—give me a makeover?"
Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna looked at her with wide eyes. "I'm positive I didn't hear that right," Haruka commented.
Hotaru flared scarlet from her collar up. "Well I just—see, you guys do it a lot and—I…um…"
Setsuna smiled. "Is it about that boy you were dancing with this evening?"
Hotaru widened her eyes at her (Setsuna knew, obviously, who the boy was) and blushed a deep red. Setsuna looked at her pointedly, and Hotaru understood. "Uh…yeah! I mean, really… I think he's a little upset that I left him so early… and he's coming to the ball so I thought…uh…"
Haruka laughed jovially. "I see! Well well! Hotaru-chan's smitten!"
More true than you think… Hotaru thought.
"But no worry," Haruka said, "we'll help you bag him. Goodness knows you need to come out of your shell sometime…"
"I think we're bad influence on Hotaru," Michiru smirked, but she looked like she agreed, and Hotaru let out her breath.
Yaten…I won't be afraid to dance with you tonight. I—I'm falling in love with you…and who are we to stop love?
