Later that afternoon, Chiyo's head attendant, Akane, brought Astra back to her. The young cat had been hunting the moths outside all morning long and had fallen asleep in the expansive courtyard. Chiyo thanked Akane profusely and placed the cat on her bed to continue her nap. By then it was almost three and Chiyo decided to talk a walk before getting ready for the dance.
The courtyard of the Moon Kingdom was splendid- a rich blend of flowers cultivated around the solar system. There were flowers of the deepest black to the softest white, as small as raindrops to as large as tree trunks. It was like a maze of leaves and branches leading into eternity. She made her way to the very heart of the gardens- the planetary fountain. It was a scale model of the solar system that sprayed water from the sun. What made this fountain so unique is that it moved with the planets. Enchanted long ago by the founders of the kingdoms, it was perfectly in sync with the movements of all the planetary bodies in their system.
Chiyo loved the fountain. She could listen to the birds, the wind and the water trickling into the pond. It was one of her very favorite places. She sat at the edge of the pond and dipped her fingertips into the water, watching as little birds swooped low and came to rest on its surface. She had a blue ribbon holding her hair back and was still was wearing her white and gold dress. Before she knew it, the wind picked up and swirled her hair about her- sending the blue ribbon flying. She stood up and tried to follow where it had gone but her hair flew across her face, blocking her view. As the winds died, she looked around for it. Not in the bushes. . . not in the trees. It was then that she heard Akane calling her in from the palace.
"Lady Imbria! Where are you, it's time to get ready!"
"I'm coming, Akane!" she called back. She frowned, unable to locate her favorite ribbon. The one her mother had given her on her first birthday. . . disappointed, she made her way back to the palace. As she exited the center of the courtyard she saw something move out of the corner of her eye.
"Hello?" She called to it, but there was no answer.
"My lady, please hurry!" Akane shouted again. Chiyo looked back once more to see if she could see anyone, but there was nothing. She ran back to the palace and was hustled inside by Akane.
In her staying room, Kohana brushed her hair out thoughtfully. It was straight and jet black, tumbling loosely below her shoulders. She had gotten into the habit of putting to silver streaks on either side of her face. Her eyes were a mysterious violet hue and wonderfully complimented the dress she had chosen, a lavender and silver, slim-fitting dress with a wide neck. Around her neck she wore a silver pendant with her Saturn insignia on it. She put the final touch on her outfit- a wreath made of very small white and purple flowers around her head. There came a knock at her door and she went to open it.
"Oh, Yodume. You look beautiful!" Kohana exclaimed. Yodume was tall and gentle looking, with a very classic beauty to her looks. She had deep crimson hair, and the darkest brown eyes. Her hair fell to the middle of her back and she generally just let it fall where it wanted. She was wearing a necklace similar to Kohana, except with Pluto's insignia on it. Tonight her dress was simply black, with a small train in back. It had short sleeves but Yodume chose to wear black gloves that went up past her elbows, thus showing very little skin.
"Kohana, that dress is so pretty on you!" Yodume complimented her in return. She stepped into the room slowly as Kohana closed the door behind her. "Are you excited for the ball?"
"Of course! I can't believe it's Lady Imbria's eighteenth birthday already," Kohana replied happily. "She's growing up- and she'll be the High Queen in no time."
Yodume sighed a little. "If she is anything like her mother, she will do wonderfully at it. Though I'll hate to see Queen Imbriana descend the throne. She is such a wonderful spirit to lead our system. Especially in these hard times. . ." They sat together at the small table in the center of the room. "Are you taking your locket tonight?" She had meant the question to come out easily, as if it was in regular conversation, but her true thoughts couldn't be hidden from her good friend.
"You think something will happen.?" Kohana asked quietly.
"I have an uneasy feeling. That's all." Yodume tried to brush the subject away.
"Maybe we should ask Hakeru. I'm sure she would be able to tell us something." Kohana added helpfully. Yodume closed her eyes and tried to say 'No, everything will be fine. Let's enjoy ourselves.' But the words didn't come.
"Maybe we should." Yodume finally replied.
On their way to Hakeru's room, they met up with Sora. Her sandy blonde hair wasn't very thick, but it was almost as long as Chiyo's. She kept it in a bound ponytail at the base of her neck, but she had a shorter layer that hung around her face. Her dress was sky blue silk and matched her eyes almost perfectly. Ironically, Sora was also headed to Hakeru's room. As they walked, they discussed the possibility of trouble at Chiyo's party.
"It wouldn't be like the enemy to attack with us in such numbers. It would be unwise," said Sora. She also had a silver pendant with her planet's symbol on it, but she wore hers on a sky blue ribbon as a choker.
"What's more likely is that they'll attack one of our homes on the outer rim to cause a distraction." Yodume added.
"They don't know we have our lockets, though. They enable us to instantly come and go in between planets as we please." Kohana said helpfully. "If anything does happen, we can henshin and instantly go where we are needed." She waved at Kei and Mikomi as they walked by.
"All the more reason for us to have our lockets with us tonight. We are the Moon Kingdom's first line of defense against invaders." Yodume said decisively.
"Let's make sure that there is even a threat before we jump to conclusions," Sora reminded her. They had reached Hakeru's door. As Kohana reached out to knock, some one called out "Come right in!" from behind the door. The three friends made surprised faces, exchanged looks and opened her door.
"Hakeru. . . did you psychically know we were coming?" Kohana asked, wide-eyed. Hakeru laughed a little.
"No. Sora just talks to loud." She rose from her vanity and offered them a seat at the circular table. Hakeru looked positively stunning. She had decided on a white dress with an empire waist that had a thin aqua-blue sash along it. She had white elbow-high gloves and her silver pendant on a short chain. Her hair was still held back with a headband, but tonight it was white with a bowish tie to one side.
Yodume smiled. "You're going to rival Lady Imbria in getting attention tonight, Hakeru."
"You're so beautiful!" Kohana agreed.
Hakeru shook her head. "Don't be silly! I just want to have fun tonight. I'm not worried about getting attention."
Sora leaned forward a little. "Hakeru. . . do sense that anything will happen tonight?" she asked rather intensely.
"Sora, don't be so serious. If there was something wrong, don't you think I'd let you all know?" She looked very relaxed, sitting with her arm casually over the back of the chair.
Yodume looked disappointed. "I know my intuition isn't as strong as yours, Hakeru. But I am feeling something and I don't know what it is."
Hakeru paused for a moment, looking out the window at the setting sun. The ball would begin within the hour.
"I have an uneasy feeling also. . but I don't think anything serious will happen."
Kohana looked down at her hands, which were crossed in her lap. "We should bring our lockets then, just in case?"
"As a precaution, we should have them accessible to us. In the end we may not need them, but let's not be caught of guard. We have to protect the Moon Kingdom by any means necessary." Hakeru advised.
Sora ran a hand through her hair. "I didn't think we'd have to consider using them so soon after we got them." She sounded vaguely let down.
"Maybe. . . Imbriana knew something." Kohana began, after a moment's silence. The other three looked at her curiously. "You know how she gets those dreams. . . maybe she saw something?"
They were silent as each of them considered the idea that something could really go wrong that evening. Hakeru sighed, and looked back out the window. Down the hall, the trumpets sounded as the sun fully set, and the ball began.
King Atlas and Queen Imbriana sat upon their throne, whispering quietly to each other. Chiyo was sharing a dance with one of the attendants from Titan, smiling and chatting as they slowly spun around the floor. She had let her mother win the hairstyle battle, and had it put in two pigtails high atop her head with a knot of hair at the base, making each pigtail look like a goofy ball with a long tail (or so Chiyo thought). Her dress looked magnificent and people watched in awe as she danced by them.
The Great Hall, where Lady Imbria's birthday celebration was being held, was decorated with marble statues and white drapes across all the windows. There were five immense crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and sconces along the walls to illuminate the hall. The floor was black and white marble, and it shined to perfection even as hundreds of people danced smoothly atop it.
As the song ended and the couples stopped to applaud the small orchestra, King Atlas rose from his throne. In a loud but happy voice he addressed the crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to the Moon Kingdom! I am both honored and humbled to have you all as my guests on this most wonderful evening, for it is at midnight tonight that my lovely daughter, Princess Imbria, will turn eighteen years of age." He paused to applaud for her and the crowd followed suit, those close to Chiyo turning their heads and giving words of congratulations. He cleared his throat a bit and began again. "And now, we will have the procession of the royalty. First, for our queens and kings." This was the princess' cue to get to the back of the room and find their escort, who, in most cases, was the head of their respective Kingdom's army. In Kei's case she was allowed to walk with the Head Priestess from Deimos. Her preference towards love was no secret in the Kingdoms, and it was generally accepted.
They announced the kings and queens first. Each couple made their way down the deep blue carpet, and took their seat at the long table in front of Atlas and Imbriana's thrones. Kei's mother was the only one absent from the Council.
Atlas started again as Yodume's mother and father were seated. "Now, we all know that this next line of royalty is a prodigal one. The nine princesses- and one prince, of course-are the Sailor Senshi of legend. Rest assured that if anything should happen to us, our brave senshi will be there to protect us and secure a bright and wonderful future for generations to come!" The crowd erupted in applause. "Without further ado, I give you your young royalty!"
Since the Moon Kingdom was most powerful and most important of all the kingdoms, not to mention the fact that they were the hosts and it was her birthday, Chiyo was last in line. She had heard her father mention Lord Rakuen but she couldn't see him. Her escort, Ken, was actually her older half-brother by five years, and they talked quietly to each other as each princess' name was called.
"Princess Umidori, of Mercury." The head attendant bellowed. Chiyo could only imagine the look on Umi's face-she hated her full name.
"She's probably trying very hard to smile right now." Chiyo commented. Ken laughed a little.
"I'm sure. Hey, you're saving a dance for me, right?" he asked curiously.
Chiyo nodded. "Of course. But only if you promise to dance like a gentleman." She warned him.
"When am I not a gentleman? He asked sarcastically, holding his head in the air. The truth was that Ken could dance very well if he tried, but often intended on having fun and goofing off instead. He had the same strawberry hair as his sister, but with warm, light brown eyes. Ken noticed that Chiyo seemed to be looking ahead, down the line for something. . . or someone.
"He's here, Chiyo. Relax." Ken assured her. In the background, Mikomi's name was called.
Chiyo looked irritated. "Why does everyone suddenly know about that?"
"Everyone doesn't know. The Senshi do because they make it their business to watch over you. I do because I'm your brother and I figure things out. Not to mention Tasuke's best friend."
"I can't even have a crush without everyone knowing. I feel like I have no personal life anymore."
"Prince Tasukemamoru, of Earth."
Chiyo's heart rose as she leaned out of the line of princesses to catch a glimpse. Yodume, who was standing directly in front of Chiyo, noticed this and smiled to herself.
Ken sighed. "Do you want to look obvious?"
Considering this, Chiyo slid slowly back into the line, glancing around to see if anyone had been watching. "Ken. . . at least tell me who he's walking with." Chiyo whispered.
Ken was quite tall and peered easily over everyone's heads. "It's Arimi, one of the prophetesses from his kingdom."
"She's the one who predicted that earthquake last year, right?" Chiyo replied, a little impressed.
Ken laughed to himself. "Right. . . don't tell anyone, but Hakeru had already predicted it three weeks before." Ken, Tasuke and Hakeru were very close friends.
The rest of the princesses each had their turn as Chiyo's mind wandered. Had he really asked to save a dance for her? Or had Hakeru just said that? Just the thought of him holding her and the two of them spinning slowly across the dance floor made her heart soar. How could it be that someone she had never even spoken to had this sort of impact on her life? She'd grown up seeing Rakuen Tasuke around the palace at various times, like when their parents were having conferences, but he usually went off to hang around with Ken. And Chiyo had always been so shy around boys that she'd never had the courage to engage him in real conversation. Perhaps tonight.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you High Princess Imbriana of the Moon Kingdom, and her brother Prince Ken!" As their names were called, the audience broke into loud applause. Chiyo was snapped from her daydreams with a start as Ken nearly walked without her. She rested her hand softly on his arm as they made their way, smiling, towards their designated seats. Chiyo turned towards the crowd many times to thank people as they expressed their wishes for her to have a happy birthday.
"You've grown up so beautifully, princess!"
"May this be a most joyous day for you, princess!"
Chiyo blushed more and more as she thanked them. Still watching the crowd, she made her way up the six stairs to her seat. She stood in front of it, facing her people. By regulation, the others could not sit until she had, and each of them stood patiently to either side of her in front of their chair.
The crowd settled and watched her silently. Chiyo cleared her throat very quietly and began her speech.
"I want to thank everyone again for coming to this celebration. It means very much to me that you have all come for my eighteenth birthday, and I will do my best to make sure that all of you enjoy yourselves." She paused for a moment. "Also, I would like to thank my friends and fellow senshi for being there for me through so much." She looked to her right and saw the Outers, smiling back at her supportively. "You are all the best friends that any person could hope for." She looked to her left and saw the Inners-- and it was then she realized that Tasuke was standing directly next to her. He was looking at her attentively, his vibrant green eyes reflecting the lights from the chandeliers, his black hair spiked upwards. She breath tripped only momentarily, but she quickly recovered. "I only wish that I can be as true of a friend to each of you as you all have been to me." She paused again, more quickly this time. "Now, with all the speeches out of the way, let's begin enjoying ourselves! Maestro?" She asked smiling, motioning towards the orchestra. The old man bowed and raised his baton. Once again music filled the air, as couples split off and began to dance. Chiyo sat silently, half-hoping that Tasuke would ask- only to watch as he took Arimi's hand and led her onto the floor. Chiyo's heart sank only a little. The night was young. Perhaps he would ask later. A handsome man approached and offered a dance and she accepted.
And so, the senshi's long night began.
The courtyard of the Moon Kingdom was splendid- a rich blend of flowers cultivated around the solar system. There were flowers of the deepest black to the softest white, as small as raindrops to as large as tree trunks. It was like a maze of leaves and branches leading into eternity. She made her way to the very heart of the gardens- the planetary fountain. It was a scale model of the solar system that sprayed water from the sun. What made this fountain so unique is that it moved with the planets. Enchanted long ago by the founders of the kingdoms, it was perfectly in sync with the movements of all the planetary bodies in their system.
Chiyo loved the fountain. She could listen to the birds, the wind and the water trickling into the pond. It was one of her very favorite places. She sat at the edge of the pond and dipped her fingertips into the water, watching as little birds swooped low and came to rest on its surface. She had a blue ribbon holding her hair back and was still was wearing her white and gold dress. Before she knew it, the wind picked up and swirled her hair about her- sending the blue ribbon flying. She stood up and tried to follow where it had gone but her hair flew across her face, blocking her view. As the winds died, she looked around for it. Not in the bushes. . . not in the trees. It was then that she heard Akane calling her in from the palace.
"Lady Imbria! Where are you, it's time to get ready!"
"I'm coming, Akane!" she called back. She frowned, unable to locate her favorite ribbon. The one her mother had given her on her first birthday. . . disappointed, she made her way back to the palace. As she exited the center of the courtyard she saw something move out of the corner of her eye.
"Hello?" She called to it, but there was no answer.
"My lady, please hurry!" Akane shouted again. Chiyo looked back once more to see if she could see anyone, but there was nothing. She ran back to the palace and was hustled inside by Akane.
In her staying room, Kohana brushed her hair out thoughtfully. It was straight and jet black, tumbling loosely below her shoulders. She had gotten into the habit of putting to silver streaks on either side of her face. Her eyes were a mysterious violet hue and wonderfully complimented the dress she had chosen, a lavender and silver, slim-fitting dress with a wide neck. Around her neck she wore a silver pendant with her Saturn insignia on it. She put the final touch on her outfit- a wreath made of very small white and purple flowers around her head. There came a knock at her door and she went to open it.
"Oh, Yodume. You look beautiful!" Kohana exclaimed. Yodume was tall and gentle looking, with a very classic beauty to her looks. She had deep crimson hair, and the darkest brown eyes. Her hair fell to the middle of her back and she generally just let it fall where it wanted. She was wearing a necklace similar to Kohana, except with Pluto's insignia on it. Tonight her dress was simply black, with a small train in back. It had short sleeves but Yodume chose to wear black gloves that went up past her elbows, thus showing very little skin.
"Kohana, that dress is so pretty on you!" Yodume complimented her in return. She stepped into the room slowly as Kohana closed the door behind her. "Are you excited for the ball?"
"Of course! I can't believe it's Lady Imbria's eighteenth birthday already," Kohana replied happily. "She's growing up- and she'll be the High Queen in no time."
Yodume sighed a little. "If she is anything like her mother, she will do wonderfully at it. Though I'll hate to see Queen Imbriana descend the throne. She is such a wonderful spirit to lead our system. Especially in these hard times. . ." They sat together at the small table in the center of the room. "Are you taking your locket tonight?" She had meant the question to come out easily, as if it was in regular conversation, but her true thoughts couldn't be hidden from her good friend.
"You think something will happen.?" Kohana asked quietly.
"I have an uneasy feeling. That's all." Yodume tried to brush the subject away.
"Maybe we should ask Hakeru. I'm sure she would be able to tell us something." Kohana added helpfully. Yodume closed her eyes and tried to say 'No, everything will be fine. Let's enjoy ourselves.' But the words didn't come.
"Maybe we should." Yodume finally replied.
On their way to Hakeru's room, they met up with Sora. Her sandy blonde hair wasn't very thick, but it was almost as long as Chiyo's. She kept it in a bound ponytail at the base of her neck, but she had a shorter layer that hung around her face. Her dress was sky blue silk and matched her eyes almost perfectly. Ironically, Sora was also headed to Hakeru's room. As they walked, they discussed the possibility of trouble at Chiyo's party.
"It wouldn't be like the enemy to attack with us in such numbers. It would be unwise," said Sora. She also had a silver pendant with her planet's symbol on it, but she wore hers on a sky blue ribbon as a choker.
"What's more likely is that they'll attack one of our homes on the outer rim to cause a distraction." Yodume added.
"They don't know we have our lockets, though. They enable us to instantly come and go in between planets as we please." Kohana said helpfully. "If anything does happen, we can henshin and instantly go where we are needed." She waved at Kei and Mikomi as they walked by.
"All the more reason for us to have our lockets with us tonight. We are the Moon Kingdom's first line of defense against invaders." Yodume said decisively.
"Let's make sure that there is even a threat before we jump to conclusions," Sora reminded her. They had reached Hakeru's door. As Kohana reached out to knock, some one called out "Come right in!" from behind the door. The three friends made surprised faces, exchanged looks and opened her door.
"Hakeru. . . did you psychically know we were coming?" Kohana asked, wide-eyed. Hakeru laughed a little.
"No. Sora just talks to loud." She rose from her vanity and offered them a seat at the circular table. Hakeru looked positively stunning. She had decided on a white dress with an empire waist that had a thin aqua-blue sash along it. She had white elbow-high gloves and her silver pendant on a short chain. Her hair was still held back with a headband, but tonight it was white with a bowish tie to one side.
Yodume smiled. "You're going to rival Lady Imbria in getting attention tonight, Hakeru."
"You're so beautiful!" Kohana agreed.
Hakeru shook her head. "Don't be silly! I just want to have fun tonight. I'm not worried about getting attention."
Sora leaned forward a little. "Hakeru. . . do sense that anything will happen tonight?" she asked rather intensely.
"Sora, don't be so serious. If there was something wrong, don't you think I'd let you all know?" She looked very relaxed, sitting with her arm casually over the back of the chair.
Yodume looked disappointed. "I know my intuition isn't as strong as yours, Hakeru. But I am feeling something and I don't know what it is."
Hakeru paused for a moment, looking out the window at the setting sun. The ball would begin within the hour.
"I have an uneasy feeling also. . but I don't think anything serious will happen."
Kohana looked down at her hands, which were crossed in her lap. "We should bring our lockets then, just in case?"
"As a precaution, we should have them accessible to us. In the end we may not need them, but let's not be caught of guard. We have to protect the Moon Kingdom by any means necessary." Hakeru advised.
Sora ran a hand through her hair. "I didn't think we'd have to consider using them so soon after we got them." She sounded vaguely let down.
"Maybe. . . Imbriana knew something." Kohana began, after a moment's silence. The other three looked at her curiously. "You know how she gets those dreams. . . maybe she saw something?"
They were silent as each of them considered the idea that something could really go wrong that evening. Hakeru sighed, and looked back out the window. Down the hall, the trumpets sounded as the sun fully set, and the ball began.
King Atlas and Queen Imbriana sat upon their throne, whispering quietly to each other. Chiyo was sharing a dance with one of the attendants from Titan, smiling and chatting as they slowly spun around the floor. She had let her mother win the hairstyle battle, and had it put in two pigtails high atop her head with a knot of hair at the base, making each pigtail look like a goofy ball with a long tail (or so Chiyo thought). Her dress looked magnificent and people watched in awe as she danced by them.
The Great Hall, where Lady Imbria's birthday celebration was being held, was decorated with marble statues and white drapes across all the windows. There were five immense crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and sconces along the walls to illuminate the hall. The floor was black and white marble, and it shined to perfection even as hundreds of people danced smoothly atop it.
As the song ended and the couples stopped to applaud the small orchestra, King Atlas rose from his throne. In a loud but happy voice he addressed the crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to the Moon Kingdom! I am both honored and humbled to have you all as my guests on this most wonderful evening, for it is at midnight tonight that my lovely daughter, Princess Imbria, will turn eighteen years of age." He paused to applaud for her and the crowd followed suit, those close to Chiyo turning their heads and giving words of congratulations. He cleared his throat a bit and began again. "And now, we will have the procession of the royalty. First, for our queens and kings." This was the princess' cue to get to the back of the room and find their escort, who, in most cases, was the head of their respective Kingdom's army. In Kei's case she was allowed to walk with the Head Priestess from Deimos. Her preference towards love was no secret in the Kingdoms, and it was generally accepted.
They announced the kings and queens first. Each couple made their way down the deep blue carpet, and took their seat at the long table in front of Atlas and Imbriana's thrones. Kei's mother was the only one absent from the Council.
Atlas started again as Yodume's mother and father were seated. "Now, we all know that this next line of royalty is a prodigal one. The nine princesses- and one prince, of course-are the Sailor Senshi of legend. Rest assured that if anything should happen to us, our brave senshi will be there to protect us and secure a bright and wonderful future for generations to come!" The crowd erupted in applause. "Without further ado, I give you your young royalty!"
Since the Moon Kingdom was most powerful and most important of all the kingdoms, not to mention the fact that they were the hosts and it was her birthday, Chiyo was last in line. She had heard her father mention Lord Rakuen but she couldn't see him. Her escort, Ken, was actually her older half-brother by five years, and they talked quietly to each other as each princess' name was called.
"Princess Umidori, of Mercury." The head attendant bellowed. Chiyo could only imagine the look on Umi's face-she hated her full name.
"She's probably trying very hard to smile right now." Chiyo commented. Ken laughed a little.
"I'm sure. Hey, you're saving a dance for me, right?" he asked curiously.
Chiyo nodded. "Of course. But only if you promise to dance like a gentleman." She warned him.
"When am I not a gentleman? He asked sarcastically, holding his head in the air. The truth was that Ken could dance very well if he tried, but often intended on having fun and goofing off instead. He had the same strawberry hair as his sister, but with warm, light brown eyes. Ken noticed that Chiyo seemed to be looking ahead, down the line for something. . . or someone.
"He's here, Chiyo. Relax." Ken assured her. In the background, Mikomi's name was called.
Chiyo looked irritated. "Why does everyone suddenly know about that?"
"Everyone doesn't know. The Senshi do because they make it their business to watch over you. I do because I'm your brother and I figure things out. Not to mention Tasuke's best friend."
"I can't even have a crush without everyone knowing. I feel like I have no personal life anymore."
"Prince Tasukemamoru, of Earth."
Chiyo's heart rose as she leaned out of the line of princesses to catch a glimpse. Yodume, who was standing directly in front of Chiyo, noticed this and smiled to herself.
Ken sighed. "Do you want to look obvious?"
Considering this, Chiyo slid slowly back into the line, glancing around to see if anyone had been watching. "Ken. . . at least tell me who he's walking with." Chiyo whispered.
Ken was quite tall and peered easily over everyone's heads. "It's Arimi, one of the prophetesses from his kingdom."
"She's the one who predicted that earthquake last year, right?" Chiyo replied, a little impressed.
Ken laughed to himself. "Right. . . don't tell anyone, but Hakeru had already predicted it three weeks before." Ken, Tasuke and Hakeru were very close friends.
The rest of the princesses each had their turn as Chiyo's mind wandered. Had he really asked to save a dance for her? Or had Hakeru just said that? Just the thought of him holding her and the two of them spinning slowly across the dance floor made her heart soar. How could it be that someone she had never even spoken to had this sort of impact on her life? She'd grown up seeing Rakuen Tasuke around the palace at various times, like when their parents were having conferences, but he usually went off to hang around with Ken. And Chiyo had always been so shy around boys that she'd never had the courage to engage him in real conversation. Perhaps tonight.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you High Princess Imbriana of the Moon Kingdom, and her brother Prince Ken!" As their names were called, the audience broke into loud applause. Chiyo was snapped from her daydreams with a start as Ken nearly walked without her. She rested her hand softly on his arm as they made their way, smiling, towards their designated seats. Chiyo turned towards the crowd many times to thank people as they expressed their wishes for her to have a happy birthday.
"You've grown up so beautifully, princess!"
"May this be a most joyous day for you, princess!"
Chiyo blushed more and more as she thanked them. Still watching the crowd, she made her way up the six stairs to her seat. She stood in front of it, facing her people. By regulation, the others could not sit until she had, and each of them stood patiently to either side of her in front of their chair.
The crowd settled and watched her silently. Chiyo cleared her throat very quietly and began her speech.
"I want to thank everyone again for coming to this celebration. It means very much to me that you have all come for my eighteenth birthday, and I will do my best to make sure that all of you enjoy yourselves." She paused for a moment. "Also, I would like to thank my friends and fellow senshi for being there for me through so much." She looked to her right and saw the Outers, smiling back at her supportively. "You are all the best friends that any person could hope for." She looked to her left and saw the Inners-- and it was then she realized that Tasuke was standing directly next to her. He was looking at her attentively, his vibrant green eyes reflecting the lights from the chandeliers, his black hair spiked upwards. She breath tripped only momentarily, but she quickly recovered. "I only wish that I can be as true of a friend to each of you as you all have been to me." She paused again, more quickly this time. "Now, with all the speeches out of the way, let's begin enjoying ourselves! Maestro?" She asked smiling, motioning towards the orchestra. The old man bowed and raised his baton. Once again music filled the air, as couples split off and began to dance. Chiyo sat silently, half-hoping that Tasuke would ask- only to watch as he took Arimi's hand and led her onto the floor. Chiyo's heart sank only a little. The night was young. Perhaps he would ask later. A handsome man approached and offered a dance and she accepted.
And so, the senshi's long night began.