Act 10 - Dreamlover

About six hours later, Shadow drove Poppy's car into the parking lot of the store and parked in the space closest to the entrance. It had been a long and boring ride. All he could think about was getting back to Elysion to see the princess the entire time. He then got out of the car, stretched, and entered the little shop, appropriately called The Green Thumb.

"Good afternoon, sir," a green-haired woman greeted him as he walked inside the store, causing the small bell attached over the door to ring brightly. "Welcome to The Green Thumb. My name is Flora. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Shadow walked over to the cash register. "Yeah, I'm here to pick up an order. It should be under the name of Flowers Poppy-san."

The woman glanced down at a piece of paper beside the register. "Flowers-san?" she asked. "I'm afraid that we have no order under that name."

"How about Ina Matsuo-san?"

"No, sir. I'm sorry."

Shadow scratched his head in confusion. What kind of trick was Poppy trying to pull on him? "Try Mikage Shadow," he suggested, knowing it was very unlikely that the old caretaker would put the order under his assumed name, but it was worth a shot.

"I'm sorry, sir."

This was insane! He was sure he was in the right place because he checked the address about three times. "Look, Flora-san, my boss sent me here to pick up an order of handcrafted gardening tools. I've just drove six hours from Elysion to get here and now you're saying that there is no order to pick up?"

"I'm sorry that you went through so much trouble, sir, but we have not received any orders from Elysion."

Trying to calm down his boiling anger, Shadow took in a couple of deep breaths. Suddenly, this whole thing was crystal clear. Poppy must have sent him on this goose chase just to keep him away from Dreama Aurora. Somehow he must have found out about their relationship and was determined to keep them apart. Why didn't he realize this earlier? Poppy would never have asked him to pick up the order.

"Thanks for your help, Flora-san," he said before walking out of the store. Maybe if he hurried, he could manage to make it back in time.

"Goodbye! Please come again!"


Yumeko sighed as she looked over the vacant gardens. She had hoped that Shadow might make it back from Peridot before the day was over, but he hadn't. It was now nighttime, and the full moon was illuminating the dark sky with its soothing light. The sight made her wish that Shadow was here beside her. It was so incredibly romantic. Reluctantly, she pulled herself away from the balcony, took off her robe, and climbed underneath her warm blanket, prepared to fly to dreamland.

A few seconds later, she was fast asleep. Elysia, who was laying on her usual spot at the foot of the Yumeko's bed, popped her head up and stared at her sleeping mistress. The poor girl was totally depressed about not seeing Shadow today. It almost made Elysia feel bad about what she had done, but she still stood by her convictions. It was her duty as the princess's guardian cat to protect her from harm, which she was positive Shadow would bring if she allowed the relationship to continue.

The golden-hued cat shivered in the cool night air. It certainly was cold, even if it was only early October. The winter was going to be a bad one this year. Elysia jumped off the bed and went down to the living room to sleep by the fireplace, like she normally did on chilly nights like this. Surely Yumeko would be safe until morning.


Shadow arrived in Elysion around midnight, due to a minor problem with the car. Unfortunately, the car broke down on a deserted road, and he didn't have any tools, so he was forced to wait until another car finally passed by and decided to help, about three hours later.

He sighed as he drove by the gardens and saw that everyone had already left. The grounds seemed eerily quiet and dark without the burst of activity he had grown used to seeing. Not even the lights in Poppy's hidden cottage were lit. Everyone was in bed, seeing the beautiful dreams he so longed to experience.

After parking Poppy's car back in the garage, Shadow walked over to the golden gate that stood at the entrance of the gardens. It was locked, as was to be expected. He turned to leave when a flash of light caught his eye, coming from the bushes. Curious, he pushed back the branches and found a small golden key, hanging from a rusty hook. It was the spare key to the gate.

Involuntarily, he reached for the key and felt the cool metal in his hand. Though Shadow knew he shouldn't, the temptation was too great. He needed to see her, even if it was only for a few minutes. He unlocked the gate and slowly pushed it open, careful not to make any loud noises. Then he walked over the west side of the palace, where he knew from the day he caught her spying on him Dreama Aurora's room was located.

"Princess!" he said, in a loud whisper. "Princess, it's me, Shadow."

He glanced up at her balcony, noticing that the lights in her room were turned off. She must already be in bed. Frustrated, he kicked a large rock that was sitting of the ground with his boot.

That rock gave him an idea. Shadow grabbed a handful of stones and began throwing them against the balcony, hoping the sound would be loud enough to wake the sleeping princess.

Inside, Yumeko awoke with a start. She immediately glanced at the foot of the bed, thinking that Elysia had fallen off the edge, which she was known to do occasionally. "Elysia? Is that you?"

Her guardian cat was nowhere to be seen. She must have went down to the living room because of the cold. It was quite chilly. Another knock reached her ears, coming from the balcony. Grabbling her robe from off the floor, she jumped from her bed and went over to the source of the noise.

"Princess!"

She glanced down at the gardens, pulling the robe tightly around her body. The sight of the handsome gardener caused her heart to skip a beat. What was he doing here so late at night? "Shadow-kun?" she exclaimed. "You shouldn't be here. If the guards were to discover that you're here…"

"…I would die a happy man," he finished, causing her to smile. Boy, she was beautiful, standing in the moonlight. "I just had to see you again, Princess. It seems that order Poppy-san had me go get in Peridot was just a trick to keep me away from you."

"A trick? But I don't understand. Why would Poppy-san want to keep us apart? Unless…"

Yumeko glanced back at her bed, a good idea of who was behind this. Elysia must have told the old caretaker about their relationship and got him to promise to keep Shadow away from her. This time, her guardian cat had gone way too far. How dare Elysia interfere with her love life!

"Princess?"

"Call me Yumeko."

"Okay… Yumeko," he replied, liking the sound of her name on his lips. "Can I come up?"

"I…I don't know, Shadow-kun," she stuttered, blushing. "It isn't appropriate. If someone saw you in my room, you could lose your job, or even worse."

"I don't care. I love you, Yumeko, and I want to be with you, no matter what the consequences."

He could scarcely believe he was saying those three little words that until he met Yumeko, Shadow considered to be a joke. He had thought there was no such thing as love, for nobody had ever shown love toward him, but he now knew the joy of caring for someone with all his heart and soul. The look in Yumeko's golden eyes revealed that she felt the same about him.

"I love you, too, Shadow," she said softly, silently giving him permission to come up to her bedroom.

Grabbing the trellis that climbed up the palace wall, Shadow pulled himself up to the balcony where his princess stood, the love apparent in her face. Once he made it on to the balcony, the two lovers kissed, the regal moon as their only witness. Yumeko could feel her body burning with desire as Shadow tenderly caressed her skin, sending shocks of electricity up her spine. He took off her robe and let it fall to the ground, revealing the short white satin nightgown she wore
underneath. It was hardly the ideal thing to wear on a cold night, but she barely noticed the cool chill in the air. Yumeko's heart pounded in anticipation as Shadow's lips traveled down her mouth and to her neck. Was she really ready for this?

"I love you, Yumeko," he whispered, repeating his declaration of love.

Gently he took her hand and led her toward the bed, where they laid down, exploring each other's bodies, fully-clothed. She allowed herself to surrender to his touch, his hands feeling like silk over her warm skin.

Everything was going fine until Shadow slid the thin spaghetti strap of her nightgown down her shoulder. Immediately her muscles tensed. Sensing Yumeko's hesitation to go further, he stopped, silently cursing himself for being such an idiot. He was obviously much more experienced in these kinds of matters than the virgin princess.

"I'm sorry," he said softly.

A breathless Yumeko stared into his beautiful dark eyes, which were staring deeply into her own. They were so full of love and devotion. It was like looking into his very soul. She reached for his hand and brought it to her rosy lips.

"I want to be with you, Shadow," she said.

With only slight hesitation, Yumeko reached for the bottom of her nightgown, pulling it over her head. She wore nothing else underneath. Then, she laid back against the pillows, bringing his hand down to caress her breasts. This time, there was no trace of uncertainty.

"Make love to me," she whispered as the two became one.


Midnight touched the amulet around her neck. She could feel the cool stone become warm as its mystical powers built up. Closing her violet eyes, she began chanting a spell.

"Power of Delos, I command you to show me where my brother is!"

Her mirror began glowing a bright golden color and a few seconds later, a vision appeared on the smooth glass. Midnight's blood red lips turned up into a small smile as the image came into focus.

It was just as she expected. Shadow was still in Elysion. More exactly, he was in the princess's bed. Her brother was such an idiot! By sleeping with Princess Dreama Aurora, he was just digging himself even deeper into the grave.

This information was just what she needed to finally get Shadow out of her life forever. He would pay for what he did to her, and then she would finally be able to attack Earth and Elysion. It was the perfect revenge. By this time tomorrow, her brother would regret the day he ever laid eyes on the beautiful princess of Silver Millennium.


He was flying without wings over the wasteland he called home for so many years. Looking down over the desolate land, he wondered if Delos had always been this hideous. It seemed like the entire planet was covered with the shadows of nightmares.

Something inside him directed him toward a small patch of land just outside his father's palace. He softly landed on the ground, scanning over the area with his eyes. At first glance, there was nothing special about the place. A couple of dead trees dotted the landscape, a terrifying sight against the fiery red sky. He sensed that any minute the trees would wake from their long slumber and come after him with their long branches, but of course, they didn't. Other than the trees, it was rather barren, just like the rest of the planet.

He kneeled down on the ground and grabbed a handful of the dry soil, which felt more like sand to his touch. How many years had passed since this desert last quenched its thirst with cleansing rain? Letting the black sand run through his fingers, he began to sob, his tears soaked up by the ground. Had it always been like this? How could he have been so blind to the pain his planet was feeling?

Then, something amazing happened. Emerging from the tear-soaked soil was a single golden rosebud. He had never seen anything more exquisite in his entire life. He reached out to touch the miracle flower when a soft hand touched his shoulder.

"This rose is your dream, Shadow. Keep a strong heart and someday the rose will bloom, fulfilling your greatest wish."

He glanced up at the source of the soft, melodic voice. It was a beautiful young woman with blue hair and dazzling amber eyes. She was wearing a long, flowing gown of gold silk, which softly caressed the curves of her heavenly body. "Yume-"

She brought a finger to his lips before he could finish saying her name. "My name is not Yumeko. I am called the Golden Dream, the guardian of dreams."

"The guardian of dreams?"

The woman began to glow a bright gold, bringing light to even the darkest areas. He looked around in amazement as the scene around him changed from the bleak black to which he was accustomed to a vivid rainbow of color. Millions of yellow roses arose from the now fertile soil, reaching up towards the human sun.

"Chase away the shadows and become the light…"

With those cryptic words, the woman disappeared, taking the color with her. Only one single golden rosebud remained. It was his dream…his dream…his dream…

Shadow's eyes popped open in surprise. His heart was racing, and his breathing heavy, as if he had just run a marathon. What was that vision he saw in his mind? A dream?

The Golden Dream's voice vibrated in his head. Chase away the shadows and become the light… What did she mean by those words? And why did she look so much like Yumeko? It was so confusing.

Glancing out at the beautiful sunrise, he saw that it was early morning, but he was not in Delos. It took him a few seconds to realize that he was still in Elysion, sleeping in the princess's bed. He had never returned home. Yumeko rested peacefully beside him, her naked body in the crook of his arm.

Shadow smiled at the memory of last night. It had been amazing. He never recalled feeling like this. Their lovemaking was so much more than pure physical passion. Last night, they had truly become one body and one soul.

He gently kissed the top of her head, taking in the scent of her soft perfume. She smelled like fresh roses, like the ones in his vision, or dream, or whatever in the world it was. Yumeko shifted her body, but didn't wake up.

The clock on the nightstand read that it was about six o'clock in the morning. His father was probably wondering where he was. Then again, Scorpio most likely didn't even realize he was gone. He never had been the type of parent to check on his children. As long as it didn't effect him in any way, the king could care less what Midnight and Shadow did in their free time. For once, Shadow was grateful for his father's disinterest in him.

Nevertheless, he ought to get back to Delos. Shadow had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, as if something terrible was about to happen. He couldn't explain it, but he knew that if there was some way for him to stop it from occurring, he had to try. Careful not to disturb the dreaming princess, he got out of bed and quickly dressed. Thank goodness it was Sunday. At least he wouldn't have to explain to Poppy why he was sneaking out of Yumeko's bedroom.

Shadow then grabbed a piece of stationary from Yumeko's desk and wrote a short note. He would have preferred to tell her goodbye in person, but she looked so beautiful, he didn't dare to wake her from her slumber. A vase full of pretty yellow roses stood next to the stationary, reminding him about what the Golden Dream said: This rose is your dream, Shadow.

Taking one of the perfect rosebuds, Shadow quickly finished the letter and placed it and the flower on the pillow beside Yumeko. He gently kissed her cheek before leaving, wishing he could stay.

Someday, we'll be together. I promise.


About an hour later, Yumeko awoke, a huge smile on her face. She couldn't believe it. She was finally a woman, although, strangely enough, she didn't feel much different than she did before. Last night felt like some kind of wonderful dream.

She glanced over at the spot beside her where Shadow had been sleeping and was disappointed to discover that he already left. An envelope with her name written on it and a pretty rosebud were sitting on the pillow instead. Grabbing the letter, she quickly opened the envelope and read the short note:

Dearest Yumeko,

I'm sorry that I can't stay. If it were up to me, I would choose to stay right here with you and never let you out of my sight. But I'll be back soon. Meet me in the rose garden when the night hour strikes eight. Until then, I will anxiously await for the moment I can hold you in my arms once again. I love you, Yumeko.

Shadow

P.S. I now understand what it feels like to dream, for last night I floated on air. You were always my dream, Yumeko. I just didn't realize it.

Yumeko smiled as she read the last lines of the letter. He was so sweet. It was strange how the same flowery language she used to beg Phoenix not to use would have such a different effect when Shadow was the one who said it. Picking up the rosebud, she brought it to her nose and took in the sweet perfume. To her utter amazement, the bud blossomed almost like magic.

She placed the flower back into the vase and put on her robe. Taking a seat at her vanity, Yumeko began brushing her long, curly blue hair, thinking about tonight. She couldn't wait to see Shadow again.

The sudden appearance of her guardian cat startled Yumeko from her thoughts. Elysia jumped up on the bed, a suspicious look in her eyes. Her mistress certainly looked happy, in direct contrast to yesterday's melancholy over Shadow's absence. What caused this sudden change in moods?

"Good morning, Elysia," Yumeko said cheerfully. "Isn't it a beautiful morning?"

"Yes, it is," she answered, extremely confused. A little less than a day ago, the princess was giving her the silent treatment. Now, she was acting as if nothing was wrong. "Did something happen last night?"

"No, of course not," she lied as Elysia looked down at her carelessly discarded nightgown beside the bed. The cat's eyes darkened.

"Don't lie to me, Yumeko. He was here, wasn't he?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

The princess grabbed the clothes and tossed them in the hamper. Elysia was too nosy for her own good. It was creepy how she seemed to sense these kinds of things, like some kind of Yumeko radar.

"Please tell me that you did not let that man spend the night."

"And what if I did, Elysia? In case you haven't noticed, I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm eighteen years old, and I'm old enough to make my own decisions."

"Not if they are not the right decisions. You know my opinion of Shadow already, so I won't go into that again. However, sex is a huge responsibility, no matter who your partner is, that should not be taken lightly. What if he got you pregnant?"

"I don't want to talk about this, Elysia."

Elysia sighed. It was obvious that no matter what she said, the princess would do exactly what she wanted, with or without her guardian cat's approval.

"I'm going to take a bath," Yumeko said, stalking to the bathroom.