Chapter 21 Music of the Night

Angel:So it took me a while...SORRY!!! ITS good though I promise!!!

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~Sora~

Hotohori changed quickly in his room while I leaned on the windows. He did look so much like a duck with those shoes but it was rather...cute, I'll admit. I sighed pulling the crown off my own head and stared at it.

"Pretty..."I murmured to myself as the door creaked open. He looked much better now, I like his hair down, it's almost as long as mine... I smiled and stood up straight.

"Much better,Snakey...I do believe your hair is almost as pretty as mine..." Hotohori frowned.

"It is prettier than yours!"He replied somewhat spitefully. I giggled softly.

"Whatever you say Narcissis, C'mon let's go!" I grabbed him by the arm and pulled him. Poor thing nearly toppled over.

"Heheh, sorry!" I helped steady him and we were on our way. I twirled cheerfully looking at the sky.

"Nuriko was right for once this WAS a great idea, thank you..."He smiled softly watching me.

"I know...You're very happy tonight..."I sighed falling into step beside him.

"Of course, I've decided not to be so sombre!"He smiled still, giving a soft chuckle.

"Good for you Tenshi..."I actually felt my face heat up.

"Why did you call me that???" He grinned.

"Your the guardian of heaven aren't you? Besides you let the other Harem girls call you that...AND..."I waited hesitantly.

"You call me SNAKEY for Suzaku's sake!" I laughed and twirled looking at the sky again studying the stars.

"Pretty, pretty...Don't you think?" Hoto-chan smile and looked at me.

"Yes..."Then he looked up...God what was he trying to do! This is so strange...I'm not used to attention like this...I mean Nakago, when he was having mood swings he would tell me things like that, but he just took them back later, I can't really see Hoto-chan doin the same thing...ANd Hoto-chan is a prissy peacock who compliments himself so I suppose it isn't all that strange...

"Sooooo, what do you want to do first? I've never been to a festival before..."Hoto-chan smiled, a trickle of sweat on his scalp.

"I haven't either..." We both sweatdropped and approached the grounds hesitantly.

"SORA!!!Heika-SAma!!!" Nuriko sang running towards us, a slightly disgruntled Chichiri behind her. I smiled catching Nuriko before she would cause both Hoto-chan and me to fall over.

"Nuri-chan be careful..." She just smiled squeezing me again.

"C'mon, I want to dance!!!" She grabbed Chichiri and headed to the cleared space for dancing where a few odd couples weere indeed dancing. Hoto-chan smiled.

"Shall we?" I offered my hand which he took,I expected him to just lead me onto the dance floor but to my suprise, he kissed it first.

"My pleasure." He replied to my silently heated face. He led me to the dance floor and put one hand resting precisely on my waist and the other held my hand. I listened to the music and recognized it, I had taken dancing in Kotou...In order to appear for formal parties...With Nakago. I suppressed my shudder and looked at Hotohori who was still wearing that soft little smile that barely tugged the edges of his lips, in a sense it seemed incredibly like he was trying not to smile... He began, leading obviously, with the first five steps which I followed precisely. Hoto-chan smiled again this time a bright full one.

"You've danced before..."It was a statement but I smiled anyway nodding, keeping my head level with his neck. We continued in the pattern, 1-2-3-4-5, 1-2-3,1-2-3-4-5, 4-5-1-, 1-2-3-4-5... Then the song ended, the other couples around us stared slightly. We apparently had completed a very difficult dance perfectly...together...

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~Hoto~

She smiled and kept her head straight ahead. It was probably better that way... Those eyes shocked me to an extreme extent...So much emotion, in such a stony face... Well for Tenshi anyway... She had grown into a type of happiness at least. That was a very good thing. We finished the dance and she tilted her head slightly to look at the other people who I knew were staring. Then she began to blush, I personally found a silly pleasure in her blushing. This would probably be maybe the third time she actually had, blushed I mean.

"Hoto-chan, everyone's staring at us..." I smiled at her tilting her chin to look at me.

"I know." She smiled then, to me the sun had risen and filled the entire world with it's brightness. I realised just how close we were and how my hand was still on her chin, while the other remained on her waist. I bent forward slowly to her glorious smile and, in a sudden change of mind, whispered in her ear.

"They only see the two most beautiful people, dancing together...Why wouldn't they stare? Tenshi, ne?" I could feel her face heat up. Then the music started again, a faster one but much easier. I smiled and took her hand in mine and we began to dance again. The look on her face was all hapiness as we twirled and clapped with the song. Which ended with Tenshi's laughter released to the night sky above us.

"I want to do something else now, otherwise my feet will never forgive me..." I smiled sweetly.

"My own as well." She smiled then clapping her hands.

"I want to do that!" She pointed to a game where you threw a ball to knock over tin pithcers for a prize.

"My lady's command..." I took her hand and brought her over, I paid for the two balls.

"Do you want to throw?" I offered politely. She just shook her head and smiled.

"But you better win Hoto-chan! I want that pony!" She pointed to a large blue stuffed pony. I laughed and aimed with the first ball, I hit the three pitchers square in the middle. I asked for the blue pony. Sora smiled taking it from me and squeezed it. She then promptly squeezed me with only free arm. I smiled and ,somewhat akwardly, patted her head.

"I'm sure Hikari will love it!" I blinked at her as we started walking again, her arm linked through mine. She looked up at me and smiled.

"That's what I named my baby, Hikari... What do you think?" I stared at her then smiled.

"A beautiful name, especially since I'm sure she'll be as pretty as her mother." She smiled softly.

"Thanks..."

"I don't feel like playing games, lets just walk..." She stated quietly. She headed towards the gardes, a living maze...Which I had memorized. We said nothing for a while we just walked, hours maybe I don't know, I admired the beauty surrounding me, not just the garden... Suddenly, I heard her words float onto the air around us as she spoke.

"Snakey-chan...Hhotohori... Do...Do you think I have done right...? About the baby... I mean..." I looked at her carefully measuring her feelings, my own...and my words.

"Tenshi-chan, Sora, I believe you have done what you can... This child, I do not belive, was made of your own free will. If...If I had been in the same situation as you, I would keep the child. She's yours, forever. Whether that is a good or bad thing I cannot say...But...I will always be here to help if you need me. And stand by your decisions, whatever they are. Unless they harm you, of course." She looked up at me then, with those huge tearing soulfull blue eyes, and without hesitation I curled my arms around her. I felt her sobbing against my chest but I did not speak, I waited. The stress was killing her, I realized this with a start. This child was tearing up her already scarred heart. She sniffed suddenly pulling away from me, a soft semi-smile residing on her face.

"How come every time I talk to you, you make me cry?" I smiled at her.

"My special talent, do you feel better?" She nodded absently wiping her face.

"Good, come on let's go have a seat. This was supposed to be a happy occasion!" She smiled a little and I led her to a small pond in the garden, to rest on a small bench.

"I wasn't sad Hoto-chan, I was happy." She sat down, I beside her. I stared at her a moment before laughing.

"Well, you sure looked sad... I assumed it was because of me." She looked down before looking at me.

"Iie, you never have upset me Snakey-chan..." I smiled.

"That makes me very happy Sora..." She said nothing looking at the pond. We sat in silence once again, I watched as the moon began to sink so slowly. I watched as Sora's head tilted falling towards me, it paused only to land in my lap. I watched her even breathing and gently caressed her face, not even thinking clearly as the sun made its way into a Sakura Sky. I looked down at Sora lifting her into my arms. She blinked at me then turned her head.

"Oh..." I smiled.

"It's almost as beautiful as you..."

~Sora~

I stared at him, he couldn't mean that... Not like that... I realized just where I was, and just how comfortable it was. I looked at the sunrise once more. Then Hoto-chan leaned to speak in my ear.

"I mean that Sora, in more ways then one." I leaned my heade into his chest, and for the first time, in my life at Konan...I relaxed, just enough to brush my lips on Hotohori's soft cheek, without worrying of being hurt.

"...arigatou Hoto-chan..."

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It was the start of something.

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Angel: I hope you liked it! ROMANCE THERE!!! SEESEE SEE SEE SEE!!! Enjoy mwah! R&R!