Waltz for the Moon
By: Hino Kuragari
Rinoa Heartilly scanned the crowd of students in the extravagant Balamb Garden Ballroom. There were at least a hundred SeeDs graduating that night and it made her a little self-conscious as she searched for the man who invited her.
'I hope I find him soon.' she thought, 'I can't stand being here alone, people are starting to stare.' She straightened her dress and continued searching. 'Maybe if I find someone to dance with. but everyone is here with a date' she thought. Rinoa looked up at the sky hopelessly. Just as she did, a shooting star streaked across the night sky above the skylight. She stood transfixed for a moment, remembering the story that said that if you make a wish on a shooting star it would come true.
"I wish I wasn't alone" she whispered as though the star could hear her plea. She suddenly felt as though she was being watched and her eyes drifted slowly to a solitary figure standing in the corner. She smiled at the young man complimenting her with his eyes. He was about Rinoa's age although he looked much older.
'He looks so serious' she thought with a smile. 'I wonder why?' She stood in the center of the ballroom surrounded by twirling figures and couples dancing. She toward him and pointed toward the sky where the shooting star had been. He tilted his head as though he didn't understand. 'I guess he's alone' she thought, 'he's very handsome.'
Rinoa lowered her hand to her side and began to walk toward the young man in the corner. He looked startled when she stooped in front of him. "You're the best looking guy here" she whispered to him. He swallowed hard. "Dance with me?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips. She received only a blank stare. "Let me guess, you'll only dance with someone you like?" He blinked again. " Okay then, look into my eyes." She raised her hand to his eyes, and stifled a giggle as he jumped back slightly. She began to trace swirls in the air before him. "You're-going-to-like-me. You're-going-to- like-me." She put her hand down and clasped it with the other behind her back. "There, did it work?"
He shook his head. ".I can't dance." He said softly.
'That's all he could come up with?' she thought. 'No way am I letting him off that easily.' "You'll be fine. Come on. I can't be on the dance floor alone." Rinoa grabbed his hand and half-dragged him onto the dance floor.
She stopped abruptly in the center and he almost crashed into her. She took his right hand and placed it on her hip and took his other hand in her own. "You don't understand," he said desperately, "I really can't dance."
"It's okay," Rinoa reassured him, "just follow the music. I'll lead."
She started with the first basic steps, side to side in rhythm with the music. They were doing okay until the steps changed and he crashed into her. "I told you I couldn't dance." He said, obviously frustrated with his lack of grace.
"No, it's okay. Come on, we'll try again." She encouraged.
"Fine" he sighed.
They assumed standard position and started dancing again. The young man looked very intent on getting this dance right. Unfortunately, he tripped over his own feet and hit Rinoa head on. "That's it! I'm leaving!" he growled. "Sorry I bumped into you like that."
"No, please stay!" she grabbed his hand and gave him a pleading look. His face softened from frustration to understanding and he stepped back. "Alright."
Rinoa took his right hand and placed it on her hip and took his left hand in hers again. He finally began grasping the steps a little, so Rinoa figured she'd let him lead for awhile. That is until they bumped into the couple next to them. The couple stared in amazement at the two imperfect dancers, and Rinoa stuck her tongue out at them.
"What did you do that for?" the young man asked.
"They should watch where they're going." She said with a smile. Just then, Rinoa saw a slight smile tugging at the young man's lips for the first time. 'It's about time he smiled' she thought, 'I bet he has a nice smile.'
Suddenly, as if by magic, the young man began to lead Rinoa as firmly as if he had known every step from the beginning. He twirled her out, and when she spun back into him he caught her. When the steps started over again, they stopped. The lights dimmed and they stood silently beneath the skylight as the couples around them moved gracefully to the melody.
"I thought you said you couldn't dance?" Rinoa teased. He shrugged. "Seems like it came second nature to me."
"I know the steps, I've just never actually danced before." He explained, a light blush touching his cheeks.
Suddenly, fireworks exploded overhead in bursts of red, blue, gold, and green. The young man turned his attention to the display, blocking out the music. Rinoa stood staring at her anonymous partner, and out of the corner of her eye she spotted the man she was looking for speaking with someone. She broke away from her partner reluctantly, and he gave her a bewildered look.
"I have to go now." She explained. "I found the person I was looking for. Thank you for the dance." She turned away from him and started to walk away. For some reason her heart told her to look back, and when she did, he was standing there staring after her. 'He is so cute." Rinoa blew him a kiss. He looked surprised, but he gave a light smile. She turned, but stopped suddenly. "Oh, no! I forgot to ask his name!" But when she turned around he was already gone. She sighed and continued across the dance floor.
By: Hino Kuragari
Rinoa Heartilly scanned the crowd of students in the extravagant Balamb Garden Ballroom. There were at least a hundred SeeDs graduating that night and it made her a little self-conscious as she searched for the man who invited her.
'I hope I find him soon.' she thought, 'I can't stand being here alone, people are starting to stare.' She straightened her dress and continued searching. 'Maybe if I find someone to dance with. but everyone is here with a date' she thought. Rinoa looked up at the sky hopelessly. Just as she did, a shooting star streaked across the night sky above the skylight. She stood transfixed for a moment, remembering the story that said that if you make a wish on a shooting star it would come true.
"I wish I wasn't alone" she whispered as though the star could hear her plea. She suddenly felt as though she was being watched and her eyes drifted slowly to a solitary figure standing in the corner. She smiled at the young man complimenting her with his eyes. He was about Rinoa's age although he looked much older.
'He looks so serious' she thought with a smile. 'I wonder why?' She stood in the center of the ballroom surrounded by twirling figures and couples dancing. She toward him and pointed toward the sky where the shooting star had been. He tilted his head as though he didn't understand. 'I guess he's alone' she thought, 'he's very handsome.'
Rinoa lowered her hand to her side and began to walk toward the young man in the corner. He looked startled when she stooped in front of him. "You're the best looking guy here" she whispered to him. He swallowed hard. "Dance with me?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips. She received only a blank stare. "Let me guess, you'll only dance with someone you like?" He blinked again. " Okay then, look into my eyes." She raised her hand to his eyes, and stifled a giggle as he jumped back slightly. She began to trace swirls in the air before him. "You're-going-to-like-me. You're-going-to- like-me." She put her hand down and clasped it with the other behind her back. "There, did it work?"
He shook his head. ".I can't dance." He said softly.
'That's all he could come up with?' she thought. 'No way am I letting him off that easily.' "You'll be fine. Come on. I can't be on the dance floor alone." Rinoa grabbed his hand and half-dragged him onto the dance floor.
She stopped abruptly in the center and he almost crashed into her. She took his right hand and placed it on her hip and took his other hand in her own. "You don't understand," he said desperately, "I really can't dance."
"It's okay," Rinoa reassured him, "just follow the music. I'll lead."
She started with the first basic steps, side to side in rhythm with the music. They were doing okay until the steps changed and he crashed into her. "I told you I couldn't dance." He said, obviously frustrated with his lack of grace.
"No, it's okay. Come on, we'll try again." She encouraged.
"Fine" he sighed.
They assumed standard position and started dancing again. The young man looked very intent on getting this dance right. Unfortunately, he tripped over his own feet and hit Rinoa head on. "That's it! I'm leaving!" he growled. "Sorry I bumped into you like that."
"No, please stay!" she grabbed his hand and gave him a pleading look. His face softened from frustration to understanding and he stepped back. "Alright."
Rinoa took his right hand and placed it on her hip and took his left hand in hers again. He finally began grasping the steps a little, so Rinoa figured she'd let him lead for awhile. That is until they bumped into the couple next to them. The couple stared in amazement at the two imperfect dancers, and Rinoa stuck her tongue out at them.
"What did you do that for?" the young man asked.
"They should watch where they're going." She said with a smile. Just then, Rinoa saw a slight smile tugging at the young man's lips for the first time. 'It's about time he smiled' she thought, 'I bet he has a nice smile.'
Suddenly, as if by magic, the young man began to lead Rinoa as firmly as if he had known every step from the beginning. He twirled her out, and when she spun back into him he caught her. When the steps started over again, they stopped. The lights dimmed and they stood silently beneath the skylight as the couples around them moved gracefully to the melody.
"I thought you said you couldn't dance?" Rinoa teased. He shrugged. "Seems like it came second nature to me."
"I know the steps, I've just never actually danced before." He explained, a light blush touching his cheeks.
Suddenly, fireworks exploded overhead in bursts of red, blue, gold, and green. The young man turned his attention to the display, blocking out the music. Rinoa stood staring at her anonymous partner, and out of the corner of her eye she spotted the man she was looking for speaking with someone. She broke away from her partner reluctantly, and he gave her a bewildered look.
"I have to go now." She explained. "I found the person I was looking for. Thank you for the dance." She turned away from him and started to walk away. For some reason her heart told her to look back, and when she did, he was standing there staring after her. 'He is so cute." Rinoa blew him a kiss. He looked surprised, but he gave a light smile. She turned, but stopped suddenly. "Oh, no! I forgot to ask his name!" But when she turned around he was already gone. She sighed and continued across the dance floor.