Note We found that while writing this chapter, all thoughts had been denoted with "…" This poses a slight problem so starting with the end of this chapter and onward, all thoughts will be in '…' Sorry for the confusion.
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Chapter 3: Earthlit Dancing
"Welcome, thank you for coming. So pleased to have you." Usagi smiled as she shook the Arch Duke's hand. "Welcome, thank you for coming. So pleased to have you." "Welcome, thank you for coming. So pleased to have you." "Welcome, thank you for coming. So pleased to have you." "Welcome, thank you for coming. So pleased to have you."
Usagi shook hands with another noble. She smiled as he walked by and thought to herself "If I have to welcome one more frickin' person into this ball I'm going to kill myself." She turned as footsteps approached. "Welcome, thank you for come-" she stared in disbelief.
"Good evening, Princess," Endymion took her hand to kiss it, looking up at her as he bent down. Usagi tried to control herself.
"So… pleased," Usagi gritted her teeth, "to have you." She pulled her hand away and quickly moved onto the next guest, trying not to think of her burning red cheeks. "He's the PRINCE! Why didn't anyone tell me this? I mean, sheesh, he could have at least introduced himself… or worn a sign, something!" Serenity moved closer to Usagi and whispered in her ear.
"Usagi, you're blushing." Usagi stiffened. Her mother looked at her and smiled, moving back to the King and Queen of the Earth to escort them to her table.
"Well you'd be blushing too if some creepy pervert saw you naked and then you found out he's some kind of Prince." Usagi sighed as the music changed to a fast-paced waltz. "Only two more days." She turned and proceeded through the entrance, moving to her nearby table.
"Princess, if you had taken much longer, our food would have de-cooked and walked right off of our plates!" Usagi glanced at the raven haired girl sitting opposite her.
"Shut up. And don't call me princess, Sailor Mars."
"Usagi, have you seen the Prince? Hottie!" Minako moved her chair over for a better view.
"Minako! That is totally inappropriate!"
"Shut up Ami. After all," Minako paused, smiling. "Aren't you the one who said he had a, what was it?" Ami blushed as Minako snickered. "A cute butt?"
Makoto gazed longingly at the young prince. "He looks like my old boyfriend."
"He's a jerk." Usagi stabbed at her dinner. "He walked in on me with my clothes off." Ami started choking.
"HE WHAT?" Rei stood up, causing a commotion.
"Rei, sit down… people are staring." Usagi tried to change the subject. "YUMMMMMMMMMMMIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE. This salad is amazing!" Usagi tried to chew on the large bite she shoved into her mouth.
"Usagi, you hate salad," Rei covered her face with her hand. "And that's not even salad, it's a potato, baka."
And so her evening began. And continued. And sucked. There was no light at the end of the tunnel, no happily before the ever after. No parachute in her backpack, no water in her swimming pool… simply no wind beneath her wings. (Okay… we're done now. We promise! .)
"Usagi, you've hardly mingled with the guests," her mother's voice spoke softly in her ear. Usagi looked up at her and frowned. "The dancing has just really begun, why don't you go invite the handsome Prince Endymion to dance with you?" Her voice was soft and deadly, and Usagi knew exactly what it meant: do what your mother told you now… or else.
"Alright, but I'm hitting the dessert table after this!" Her mother laughed.
"Not if you don't dance with him." She glided smoothly through the crowds of people.
"She looks so graceful…" Usagi looked across the room and met eyes with him. He stood up and began to walk towards her, smiling that stupid smile.
"Princess," he reached for her hand, "may I have this dance." The girls at her table giggled.
"Go on, Princess," Rei pulled her chair out from beneath her, "he doesn't have all night." Usagi managed to stay on her feet. "And besides," Rei thought to herself, "if he's already seen you naked, the hard parts over."
Usagi grudgingly followed Mamoru onto the dance floor. The music was a beautiful and slow waltz and the other couples moved beautifully to the softly playing music. He placed his hand on the small of her back and pulled her into him.
"Ready?" he looked down at her. Suddenly the music changed, becoming rapid and swift-paced. The other dancers sped up to tempo, and Usagi was certain that Minako had just twirled by in the arms of some platinum haired man. Mamoru's grip tightened and she suddenly found herself moving with the rest of the couples, caught up in the rhythm of the dance. 1 2 3 and 1 2 3 and… faster and faster. She had never danced so fast before.
She soon felt nothing but him as they danced effortlessly across the hall. She looked up into his eyes and was slightly surprised to find him staring back at her. He smiled, that stupid damn smile… but she couldn't help smiling back at him. The big finish was coming, their feet moving in perfect rhythm with each other. All at once it came to the climax and he spun her outwards, pulling her back into his arms with the final ring of noise. Her heart was pulsating against her chest, her breath was gone. She stumbled backwards, staring at him.
"Thank you," she managed to say.
"No, thank you." He laughed. "I wasn't sure how good of a dancer you'd be, based off of this afternoon I thought you were too thin to stand up on your own." Usagi's face turned from bright and cheerful to straight up pissed off. Her eyes flamed.
"You're not sorry that you walked in on me then?" She demanded.
"No, no, it's not that, sorry, I was just being funny."
"Ha. Ha." Usagi turned and stormed out to the balcony. Now her night was really complete. Gross old guys. Crappy music. Perverted princes. Just peachy. She sighed and leaned up against the stone railing, looking out towards the glowing Earth. A slight breeze rustled through her hair.
"That jerk," she whispered. 'Just dance with him, she says. So I did. And then he does nothing but pour into me with his deep blue eyes. And oh! He had such a sexy smile!' She paused her thoughts. "What am I thinking!" Usagi yelled at herself and let her anger sweep through her. He hadn't even apologized! The breeze came again.
Usagi shivered slightly from the cold and she could feel goose bumps forming on her back and arms. The moon was always cold at nights. She turned back towards the Earth, it looked so warm. Usagi closed her eyes and imagined the warmth of the Earth spreading across her. To her surprise warmth actually did begin to spread across her back and shoulders. She smiled at her amazing mind control.
"I'm glad to see you smiling over something I've done," came a soothing voice in her ear. Usagi's eyes shot open. "Enjoying the view?" Usagi said nothing. "Princess, please don't be angry with me, I was really only kidding. This afternoon was an accident… I didn't even know it was you." Still she said nothing. "I'm sorry," he sighed. His apology brought Usagi back into reality.
"Thank you…" She tugged at the cloak he'd put around her. "Do you want this back?" she asked softly.
"Keep it, it gives me an excuse to see you again tomorrow night. Odango-atama" Usagi turned to face him. He smiled sweetly. Maybe that stupid smile wasn't so bad. He picked up her hand and kissed it gently. "Goodnight, Princess Serenity." He held her hand for a moment longer before reluctantly letting go and heading back into the main hall.
Usagi stood still for a few moments longer, trying to regain her breath. She shivered as a chill ran down her back, and she pulled the cloak tighter; however, she knew it wasn't the wind that gave her the chill. The thought that had kept her silent to him returned as she looked down at the red and black cloak. The same cloak she had seen so many times before in her dreams.
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Well, that's the end of chapter 3. See, now things are really getting interesting! Please Review! (But where is Seiya?) ((Seiya isn't in this story…)) (But why?) ((Just… shut up. Baka.))