"Laaaaaaaadies and gentlemennnnnn!" boomed a deep
voice. A short and stubby man stood in the middle of the town square. A
couple of young men were carrying the large table out of the way. "Wellllllllcome
to the Fanelian Festival, honoring the Mistress of the Mystic Moon." there
was a round of applause. Hitomi, who didn't particularly enjoy being the
center of attention, stood amidst the crowd, where only one or two people
had acknowledged her but thankfully, had not made a big fuss.
"Now, before we begin the usual dance, we would
ask that miss Hitomi Kanzaki make her appearance here, next to me, where
everyone can see her so that she may receive the ultimate praise for what
she has done."
Hitomi turned crimson and began an attempt to
get as far away from the town square as possible. However, something relatively
big blocked her way.
"Now now, little lady," Ruhm said, looking down
at the seeress. "Come on, be a good sport. Make an appearance. After all,
this festival was dedicated to you. It was Lord Van and his catgirl's idea
to honor you in front of Fanelia. So please, don't let them down." he gave
her a gentle push towards the area dubbed as the "dance floor", where the
announcer was waiting. Reluctantly, she stepped up next to him.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Hitomi Kanzaki!" people
threw flowers and praise and applause and the 15 year old, who was turning
beet red.
"Now you have seen who has contributed largely
to this country," the announcer said, "So now let's get on with the dancing!"
again, more cheering erupted from the wave of people. "This year, however,
why don't we propose something. Because of our very special guest, why
don't we have a demonstration of a dance from her world to start us off?
Miss Kanzaki, the dance floor and the musicians are all yours." the man
bowed respectfully, pointing to the little huddle of musicians nearby.
Hitomi was completely mortified. Dance? In front
of this many people? She hoped she wouldn't screw up. She looked at her
surroundings, wondering how she would pull this off. She spotted the pink-haired
catgirl approaching her from the crowd with a strange item.
"This is part of Lord Van's gift to you." she
said in a voice so low that it was only audible to Hitomi. She held up
a fairly new portable CD player. "He had seen it at the market earlier,
but he was too busy today to go and get it, so he relayed the task to me.
He said that somehow, this thing-a-ma-jig plays music, and I should put
that round disc from your bag in." she handed Hitomi the electronic and
then whispered in her ear. "I believe the 2nd part of Lord Van's gift comes
when you two get some time alone." with that, she returned to Kayulo's
side in the crowd.
Hitomi put the CD player on the ground and pressed
the "skip" button until it reached the 15th track. She decided that this
"dance from her world" would be one that she had used in a dance competition
at her school. She stood in the ready position and waited for the 8th beat
of the song before she began to move.
Tsuki no mukou aoi Searchlight kasanaru
Totsuzen mai orita Angel, sou kimi wa dare?
She stepped to the right and left, raising her arms in the air only to drop them at her sides again. She kicked her foot against the ground.
Ima unmei no tobira ga hiraku So Just Fall In Love
Munasawagi suru kono shunkan wo nogasanai Don't Stop, Baby
She made a motion with her arms and then dropped to one knee, before
springing to life again, sending her skirt twirling high. She was thankful
that she had decided to wear her pink track shorts underneath her dress.
Yakesouna kimi no Mystic Eyes
Mujakina egao de Breaking Down
Kimi dake ni hitomi no oku no aizu
Hatenai tabi wa hajimaru mou tomaranai mune no kodou
Kimi wo saratte yukitai
"Yay, Hitomi!" Merle's voice was lost amidst the cheers of fellow citizens. She looked up at Kayulo and blushed. He noticed this and smiled, gathering enough courage to wrap his arm around her.
Yamikumo ni korogatteku Day By Day
Tsuyoki de kimagure na Angel anadoranai
Hitomi hunched over, and slowly rose up again, in the process showing a little bit of cleavage. She hadn't meant to do this, but it had been part of the dance competition and she couldn't shake it or else the rest of the dance would have flubbed up.
Dakedo kanjite guuzen ja nai motto Heart To Heart
Kogoeta yume wo atatameaeru futari nara All Right Baby
Merle grinned at her friend, who had turned out to be an excellent dancer. She was also grinning because of the warmth that surrounded her shoulder; Kayulo's comforting arm. The catgirl was content until something struck her nose. Lord Van?
Nanimokamo tokasu Mystic Eyes
Suikomarete iku Time & Time Boku dake ga hitomi no naka ni Crush
Eien no ai ni mukatte hikari yori mo hayaku hashire
Kimi wo mamotte Yuku tameni
Merle looked around frantically. Lord Van was here! Now the plan could work. But where was he? Looking around, she spotted a hooded figure about 2 people away from her. She whispered something into Kayulo's ear, and he smiled knowingly, releasing his arm. The catgirl made her way over to the unidentified man.
Nee kikoeru? futari no mirai umarekawaru oto ga
Hitomi clasped her hands together and put them out in front, as if she was pushing away from something. She jumped up. touched the ground, and spun around.
Moe agare kimi no Mystic Eyes
Hontou no egao de Touch My Heart
Kimi dake ni hitomi no moku no aizu
Yasashii Kiss ni idakare mou tomaranai mune no kodou
Kimi wo saratte yuku kara
She did one final kick and punch before
raising her hands in the air and then curling them downward, ending the
song in a bent-over position. The audience erupted into roars of cheers
and praise. More flowers were thrown. Hitomi grinned and instinctively
clutched the pendant that was once again around her neck. She turned off
the CD player and set it aside.
Merle had reached him. "I thought you weren't
going to come." she said. The figure pulled off his hood.
"I had to see her." the raven-haired king answered.
He gazed at the flustered girl in the green dress who was standing in the
middle of the "dance floor". "Gods, she is beautiful." Van murmured.
"Why don't you tell her that?"
Merle asked.
Instinctively, Van reached for the pendant, only
to find that it was no longer with him. Sensing his distraught, the catgirl
simply pointed to the young woman in green who wore a necklace with a magenta
pendant.
"And nowwwww...." boomed the announcer, who had
stepped up next to Hitomi. "...the moment you've all been waiting forrrrrr......
the FANELIAN FESTIVAL DANCE!" everyone cheered.
Hitomi, who still felt unused to what she had
learned through Merle, tried to slink away.
"Ohhhh, no you don't!" the announcer said. "As
the champion danceress, you must begin the dance. I assume you know how?"
Hitomi nodded weakly.
"Good. Now grab a partner and lead us on!" he
smiled.
Hitomi didn't budge.
"Come, now, miss. There must be someone
you'd like to dance with."
Yes, I'd like to dance with Van, but he's
not here. He ran off when I bumped into him... she clutched the
pendant as she timidly shook her head.
"Well then. Is there any young man out there
brave enough to try and dance with the beautiful seeress of the Mystic
Moon?" the announcer asked loudly.
Kayulo jokingly began to step forward but Merle
shot him a "don't you dare" look and he relented. A few other young men
tried to step forward but stepped back into the crowd, too shy.
"Come on, boys! Is there no man who wishes to
tempt his fate by dancing with miss Hitomi?"
No one.
Merle was growing frustrated. "Here's one!" she
yelled at the top of her lungs, shoving Van onto the dance floor. The crowd
gasped and Hitomi looked away.
"It's nice to see that our country is led by
a king brave enough to dance with the Mistress of the Moon." the announcer
cracked, causing a bit of laughter from the citizens. He led the king over
to the awaiting girl. Hitomi refused to look at him, but she could sense
that he wanted to be there as little as she did.
"Music, please!" the loud man snapped his fingers
and stepped out of the dance ring. The music began. Van bowed and Hitomi
curtsied. As she rose from the stance, her eyes met his and her heart melted.
She began to feel the music in her movement and every step was done perfectly.
From the point of the curtsy on, her eyes never left him unless it was
required as part of the dance. As they danced, the people in Fanelia smiled
knowingly. It was no secret that the king had feelings for the girl with
the normally strange clothes.
"Ah, they've had their fun. Our turn!" Merle
declared, grabbing Kayulo's hand and pulling him to the dance floor. They
followed the pattern of the music. Other couples began to join in.
Van's hand was on Hitomi's back and hers was
on his shoulder. They held hands, as required in the dance. Hitomi looked
up at him with sparkling green eyes.
"Hitomi," he began tenderly. "I'm so---" but
he couldn't finish because it was time to switch partners with the nearest
couple. Merle had made sure that she and Kayulo were the nearest couple.
Swiftly, Hitomi found herself dancing with Kayulo. He chuckled as he saw
the sad look that crossed her face when she had to leave Van's arms.
"You seem to be the perfect match for Master
Van," he whispered. "When you dance together it is like you are playing
a song, you are melody and harmony. Without melody, harmony is just a dull
tone. Without harmony, melody is a page of confusing notes. It describes
your relationship with him, doesn't it?"
"Such wisdom from a 14 year old," Hitomi smirked
playfully.
Kayulo twirled her around. "I've been around
Merle far too long."
"She means a lot to you, doesn't she." it was
more of a statement.
"Yes." he smiled thoughtfully. "It's almost time
to switch partners again. I can tell you're eager to return to your love."
Hitomi smiled, blushing.
"That reminds me," Kayulo added, raising his
hand to meet hers as part of the dance. "Merle, the matchmaker she is,
played another little trick to get you and Master Van together."
"Oh?"
"She altered a part of this piece of music so
that it repeats far more than it's supposed to. This song normally lasts
about 5 minutes. It now lasts about 20."
Hitomi giggled. "Let's hope no one catches on
too quick."
"For both our sakes. Alley-oop!" within a second,
Hitomi was back in Van's arms. He looked down at her and smiled.
"Hitomi..." was all he said.
"Van..." she returned. "I'm sorry for being so
cold-hearted towards you. I--"
"Shhh..." Van whispered, giving her a gentle
smile. "You're more than forgiven."
For the next minute, neither of them spoke. It
came time for the partner switch again.
"I see you two have made up," Merle observed
when she was Van's partner and Hitomi was off with Kayulo. "But you haven't
kissed her?"
"Merle!" Van said, turning a rosy color.
"Lord Van, you have about 12 hours left to spend
with this girl. And 12 hours left to tell her how you feel. This may be
the last time you see her, Lord Van. Do you really want to risk it?"
"It seems that things between you and Master
Van have improved." Kayulo commented. "I noticed that earlier, you had
a cold demeanor towards him. Why is that?"
"He said something that hurt me, in a way."
"Ah. Love is such a confusing thing..." Kayulo
smirked.
"What?"
"Look over my shoulder, it appears you have a
secret admirer."
Hitomi did as he instructed and saw Van looking
at her. As soon as their eyes met, they both looked away."
"Aww... they're bashful!" the catguy noted aloud.
"How are things between you and Merle?" Hitomi
asked hastily.
Kayulo winked, indicating that he was not about
to tell her. He spun her back to her original partner.
Unlike when she danced with Merle's crush, when
she was with Van they were mostly silent. She didn't mind, though. Just
being held in his strong arms was enough.
"This song seems to repeat a lot, doesn't it."
Van noticed after about 5 minutes, looking down at Hitomi. She smiled up
at him and rested her head on his shoulder. "I don't mind," she whispered,
her voice barely audible. She closed her eyes.
For Van, being like this was pure bliss. He still
had his hand on her waist, his other hand occupied as it held Hitomi's.
He closed his eyes as well, resting his head slightly on Hitomi's head.
They slow danced in a circular motion, not bothering to follow the correct
steps anymore. Time seemed nonexistent as they moved at a slow, romantic
pace, just holding each other. They were too much in a dream-like sequence
to notice the music decreasing in speed, then coming to a serene end. They
were too busy to note that the crowds had cleared from the floor, giving
the lovers room. Despite the music's end, they kept dancing.
"Harmony and Melody." Kayulo murmured, watching
them with his paw-hand on Merle's shoulder.
A few moments later, Van opened his eyes, coming
face to face with the knowing smiles of Fanelia's people. He lifted his
head from Hitomi's, and she stirred, moving from her position and letting
go of Van's hand.
For a moment, not a sound could be heard, until
Van coughed loudly. "Um, yes, on with the festivities then!" not wanting
to disobey him, the citizens went about with their business, smirking at
the music-less minutes that had gone by when the lovers danced.
Hitomi was very embarrassed. As Van spoke, she
took the opportunity to escape. When Fanelia resumed its activities, Van
was surprised to find that his dancing partner had vanished. So, he did
the logical thing. He spoke to Merle.
"The went that way," Merle pointed in the direction
where the girl had run. "And she looked as red as a Peloria."
What just happened there? Hitomi
asked herself, instinctively touching the pendant. What happened
during that dance? We must have been dancing without music for a good 5
minutes. I could feel his heart beating. It was going as fast as mine...
was Merle right? I have to tell him how I feel. I leave tomorrow... Oh,
Van...
she was sitting by the outskirts of town,
where things were dead. Everyone was attending the dance. From her spot
in the dim light, she could hear the musicians starting up a new song,
declaring another dance, one that she probably didn't know the moves to.
It didn't matter. Even if she did know the steps, she would probably end
up mortifying herself again.
"Just how do you know that no one will interrupt
them?" Kayulo asked Merle as they sat a few meters away from the dance
floor. She just giggled and pointed to a sign off in the distance that
was very close to where Hitomi had run. With his killer eyesight, Kayulo
could read, "Warning: Entering past this point could result
in a very slow, painful death by a wild cat"
"But Merle, there are no wild cat--ohhhh."
he smiled at her knowingly.
Hitomi looked up at the sky, as if searching
for the answer of what to do. It was a beautiful starry night. But the
most prominent beauty in the sky was the mystic moon. Hitomi was suddenly
hit with a wave of homesickness. She was surprised to find that she was
also quite tired.
"The stars are really something tonight aren't
they." came a voice behind her. Hitomi spun around, startled.
"Van."
"Is this seat taken?" he motioned to the empty
spot next to her.
"No, by all means, sit."
He calmly sat down on the cool grass. For what
seemed like an eternity, neither of them spoke.
"So, Van, my mysterious hooded stranger, who
were you hiding from?" Hitomi asked, breaking the silence.
He smirked. "You know the answer." His hand rose
to meet his neck, where the pendant used to be.
He knows I have it, the sandy-brown haired
girl thought. She could feel the pendant hidden underneath her scoopneck.
If he wants it back, he can get it himself, the naughty part of
her mind that hardly ever surfaced added.
Another dead conversation occured. All that could
be heard was the chirping of the crickets, and the distant laughter of
the people on the dance floor.
Hitomi yawned slightly, realizing that she wasn't
just tired, she was exhausted. Impulsively, she leaned her head
against Van's shoulder. He stiffened slightly, surprised.
"Hitomi, I... I'm sorry." he said.
"For what, Van?" she asked sleepily.
"For what I said, when we had that run."
"It's okay....." Hitomi could feel slumber invading
her mind and body.
"I didn't mean what I said." he was getting nervous.
"Hmmm......?" she found herself becoming more
and more detached to the conversation, although the back of her mind was
telling her to stay awake, it was a crucial moment. However, her lack of
naps overcame the notion of staying awake, and she soon found herself in
a dreamworld far, far, away.
"Hitomi, I love you." Van blurted out.
"That's why I could never forget you. You mean so much to me..." he bit
his lip, waiting for her reaction which he was sure would be bad. He waited,
but not a sound was uttered. Looking down at Hitomi, he saw that she was
fast asleep. He smiled. So the sleeping beauty hadn't heard his confession
after all. He would tell her tomorrow, before she left.
Carefully, he scooped her up and carried her
back to the castle, as he had done so many weeks ago.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
*Author's Note: Ee hee hee hee hee! I wonder how many of you are pissed
off that they didn't kiss in this chapter. I mean, come on, it was perfect!
Had I been in Hitomi's shoes, I would have. If Rosie (redflye) had been
in Hitomi's shoes, she would have... well, let's not get into that,
hmm?
Hitomi's dance was actually somewhat of a description of what I
had to do (with my dance group) for a dance competition. If you hadn't
figured it out already, Hitomi was dancing to Mystic Eyes. And no,
that was not the song my group chose to do for the competition.
We chose "1, 2, 3, 4".
The dance scene took me forever to write because I had the dance
scene from A Knight's Tale stuck in my head (Heath Ledger is sooooo
hot!), you know, when they dance all warped-like to "Angel" by David Bowie.
If you're trying to visualize (or listenize) the music to which Hitomi
and Van were dancing to, think of the Escaflowne BGM, "Fantasia of the
Wind". I think that's from Escaflowne, anyway.