A Midnight Blue
Alas, it was finally the day-the long awaited fateful day that would change his life as he knew it. And what a day it was! The garden wedding could not have been on a better day. The crystal sky was a pure cerulean with small white blobs of clouds dabbled across the sky as it on purpose to create a perfect painting. Though it was summer- it was one of those cooler days that were almost amazingly spring-like. Everything was just so vibrant, vivid, alive.
Yet, Darien Shields felt absolutely miserable. It was amazing how horribly distraught he could feel when the outside world was just bursting with joy. He surprised himself too-by showing the world just how well he could mask his emotions and pretend to be the soon-to-be love stuck newlywed.
He looked at his watch. He still had an hour left of freedom before the ceremony would begin. A mere hour left, it had seemed to have been a week of bliss only a day ago. An hour left and there would be no chance for him to see or talk to her again before the transformation would begin.
Why, he asked himself for the millionth time. Why did he ever ask for her hand in matrimony? It would be the end of his freedom, his opportunity to dream of another…but no. It would not end this way. Fate had a strange way of twisting and turning events around and it would get its way-eventually. There was simply no way to delay the inevitable anymore.
And for sweet Ami. This must be a thousand times worse. Usagi, could you torture the poor girl anymore? By making her come to the wedding is enough, but to make her bride's maid? What more tribulations could you cause?
But of course, Usagi was innocent of any cruelty. She simply did not know and he would keep it this way. Ignorance was bliss and at least one person could receive eternal happiness.
Amid the blue midnight sky, over the songs of the lark, he had indeed felt certain of the looming unhappiness and desolation. He had been walking, ambling around the garden paths searching for meaning, a reason, or perhaps a way out, but he could not find it. He was trapped into his own web of misunderstanding.
But fate had its own idiosyncratic ways of doing things and he could not risk what would happen if he disobeyed it.
Of all the surprises, Darien had found himself right in front of her door. Ami's door.
She had of course been shocked to see him. "Darien, why it's around 2 am? Whatever are you doing still up and walking about? You should be in bed or at the bachelor party! Tomorrow (or should I say today) is your wedding day, young man. Now I want to see you enjoy your last hours of freedom."
He looked at her. Petite, small, a graceful blue-haired angel. Yes, she was trying to act happy for him, her overjoyed for his wedding! Imagine that! "Ami, I'm sorry …you should be in bed right now. We don't want to see a puffy eyed bride's maid now do we?"
"Look, Darien, I thought we went through this yesterday afternoon already. I-you-me-we can't…we can't ever. It's in the prophecy and we can't risk the future Crystal Tokyo, the senshi, and Rini. There's too much that will not come to past if…"
"I know that already." He interrupted. He did not want to go through yesterday's afternoon again. He could not and wanted to wipe it from his mind.
"Darien, why the glum face?"
"Huh?" He turned around. There was Mina, the senshi of love looking at him. Yes. He had to be especially careful with his emotions around her and Rei. Over the years, the two had greatly increased their powers to sense emotions: Rei was an oracle when it came to feeling strong emotions, but Mina- she was the true empathetic one when it came to love. She could feel any fluctuation when there were emotions regarding love, however little. But as they developed their sensory attributes, he had found a way to shield them even from Mina's watching inner eye. Of course, there were little slip-ups here and there.
"No. Everything's just great." He began. "Just a little cold feet." He added a bright smile.
Mina stared at him quizzically for a second, but then her lips crept up into a huge smile. "Of course, my husband was the same way on our wedding day, but way worse. Ha! My father almost stopped the wedding because he found him a few hours before the ceremony sitting in his underwear in bed just rocking about like a baby. Ah! The memories." Mina continued relaying the anecdote, but Darien could not help but to drift in his thoughts.
"Will you be ok, Ami?" he asked her several hours late after he showed up on her doorstep. The sky had already begun to turn a dark purple. The two had just rambled through the woods and gardens over the last few hours. They had talked about everything and yet absolutely nothing, well nothing important like the topic that haunted and loomed over their hearts. And it was just perfectly wonderful. He had not felt this peace and tranquility for a long time.
"Yes, of course I will be. I mean a few hours of walking is good exercise." She replied.
"I mean about…"
"Oh!" She stopped walking for a moment. "Yes. That. Darien, I won't be alone for much longer anyhow. No, I won't become that old maid who has a hundred cats." She smiled a bit and bit her lip. "As I've told you before, Greg's asked for my hand and well frankly- I understand that we've still got problems to iron out, but oh! Darien, he is honestly trying now, unlike before. And as long as he will try, I will love, I will marry him for that."
They continued walking, but now in silence. Darien tried to understand Ami's words. Yes, she did have a right to love and to be happy and Greg was a suitable-no more than suitable- a, dare he say, perfect complement to her and she would find joy with him, but it still hurt. It still hurt that this was the end.
"So this is it." He muttered.
Yes, it truly was time. Darien walked down the aisle. Hotaru pranced in the front, angelically tossing pink petals across the grass. She was such a sweet innocent girl and a wonderful friend for his future daughter.
Darien's eyes moved down the aisle as he stood at the alter waiting for his bride. He scanned down the golden-filigreed white path on the ground. His eyes continued wandering, slowly moving across the undulating ground. His eyes continued wandering across the grassy fields until it landed upon a white angel.
Usagi was the embodiment of beauty this day. Unlike her usual klutzy self, she practically floated down the aisle in her white high-heeled sandals. Her dress was simply ethereal. It was a simple long silk dress embroidered with all sorts of sparkling jewelry. It accentuated her features and showed the true grace of the future queen. Oh! Any guy would have called Darien crazy to not be enraptured by this lovely bride, but she only captivated his attention for a brief moment.
Instead, his eyes fell on the less ostentatiously clad Ami who was helping Usagi down the aisle. Her clothes were nothing to be crazy about, but something about her just could not sop him from staring at her. She flashed a quick- her beautiful watery smile- at someone, presumably Greg or another friend. Darien's eyes widened as he saw her continue to walk down the aisle with her friend. What was it about her? No, this was wrong; he should no be showing his entrancement with Ami. Not now, but somehow, he could not pull his eyes away nor his heart. The others, thankfully, would believe that it was Usagi who was fascinating him so.
And then, it hit him. He saw Ami radiate from the inside out, spreading her inner beauty from within to the outside world. It was a slow redolent viscous beauty, but as it continued flowing from the inside, she grew more lovely in his eyes until this presence was so great, this thing he just observed, was so brilliant that he had to avert his eyes.
The minister had begun talking, reading a passage from the Holy Book. Darien let his eyes wander until they fell on Ami again. He just wanted to shout to all at the weeding to not be amazed by Usagi, but by Ami. Was he the only one who noticed this radiance?
Somewhere in the muffled distance, he heard the minister mumble something that seemed to be like "Do you Usagi T. take this man Darien Shields to be your lawful wedded husband in…"
Everything began to fade away into the distance for Darien. He felt as if he were underwater hearing these strange mumbles from the outside world.
"I do." He heard Usagi say firmly.
The minister then turned to him and began presenting him with the same question. He knew what it would be anyhow- it was not necessary to listen. He suddenly though became wide wake, alert, when his eyes landed on Ami's. And all was suddenly in focus. He stared into her eyes and she did not seem to notice at first but then looked back on him, melancholy. The clandestine gaze continued to no one's notice, but it was a great connection that he had never felt before in his life. He still had a choice though. All he had to do was to say…
No, but he never had the opportunity to make any choices about love because he was already married before he was born…
Sometime near dawn, when the sun had just begun to wake, they sat down on a hill isolated in their own world far away from everything. And they watched as God's paintbrush spilled the most ethereal colors across the walking sky. Darien was surprised when he suddenly felt Ami lean against his shoulder. He smiled at her and took her hand into his. They stayed like this for a long while, but haplessly, this would be the last dawn that he would ever see with her. But this moment, it was totally worth everything and all the problems that would come. He glanced up once more at the sky and saw the last evening star fade away. Wishing this moment would last forever; he closed his eyes and drew Ami's face close to his, closer and closer, until the forbidden was complete.
Perhaps destiny and fate would hear his with and be kind, but what he had now- that too was enough love and companionship to satiate him for a lifetime. Memories, mere memories would be enough. And perhaps this moment did indeed last forever and maybe a bit longer in their hearts.
Author's Note: Reviews are very much appreciated ^_^.