The Dancing Dream
Chapter 8
By Magawa
Mamoru stifled a chuckle as he watched his Usako unsuccessfully waltz around the studio. She looked adorably pathetic and in desperate need of a decent partner.
She was more graceful than he would have thought considering she really remembered nothing of her royal past. Luna had kept him up-to-date on her nightly remembrances and he took considerable joy in the knowledge that if nothing else they shared their dreams. Now their dreams were perfectly identical with the small difference that he was remembering every precious detail. He knew from Luna that the same wasn't so for Usagi. A piece or two of information would be all that she was able to recall.
Glancing at his watch distractedly Mamoru called out for everyone to switch partners yet again. This had been the fourth partner swap today and Usagi was often the first grabbed up. Scowling slightly Mamoru looked in her direction only to see a gawky middle schooler leading his Usako around. Although there was a severe shortage of males in the class Usagi had had a male partner at every exchange. Well, except the time her friend Makoto had bullied the others away… And although Usagi remained perfectly polite around all the male attention both he and Makoto could tell what a strain it put on her. Really excepting for her practice with Makoto, Usagi was hard-pressed to learn anything the way she had been fending off potential suitors.
He winced in sympathy as he saw the boy step on her feet yet again. Maybe he'd cut this round a little short…
"Switch!" Mamoru called out loud enough for everyone to hear. Reluctantly the younger boy broke away from Usagi and turned to find a new victim. Mamoru saw Usagi relax for barely a second before tensing again. Turning to glance in the direction Usagi was looking he saw why. A middle-aged man with desperate eyes was heading towards her - probably in an effort to snag her as a partner yet again.
Quickly spotting a grandfatherly looking gentleman that hadn't yet danced with Usagi, Mamoru hurried over to play interference.
By the time Mamoru reached the older gentlemen he was asking a beautiful young blonde woman to dance and Usagi was politely trying to avoid the hentai.
"Excuse me Grandfather, would you mind if I cut in?" Mamoru asked quickly. "I noticed this young lady having trouble earlier and I wanted to show her how to fix her steps."
"Not a problem young man," the grandfather answered. "Looks like everyone has got a partner already so I'll just sit this one out."
"There's no need for that," Mamoru replied. "Tsukino-san over there still needs a partner."
The older gentleman must have seen Mamoru's determination or possibly Usagi's desperation because he headed over towards Usagi without further delay. Mamoru watched until Usagi graciously accepted the older man's invitation. An unholy grin lit his face as the middle-aged man skulked off towards the sidelines to watch. With Mamoru occupying a pupil their number was odd and so the hentai was completely partnerless. Obviously this practice round could stand to be a little longer than normal…
Returning his gaze to his partner now that his Usako was safe from wandering hands Mamoru caught the full force of his partner's calculating stare.
"Er… I'm sorry about that Miss…?" Mamoru began politely.
"Oh no worries, my name is Minako – or just Mina if you're feeling lazy." The girl grinned in good humor. Mamoru smiled back, "All right then Mina-san."
"So…" Mina began, "my steps are… off? And here I thought I was doing just fine dancing with you while you were off in La La land…"
"Uh…" Mamoru stuttered unable to lie under the intensity of the glare she leveled at him. Deflating slighty under the pressure Mamoru braced himself for the purely feminine teasing to come.
"I was just trying to protect Tsukino-san from that hentai who was trying to dance with her again…"
Mina nodded sagely all mock anger gone. "Ah yes, I thought so."
Mamoru looked up quickly. "You did?"
Mina nodded again before a sly smile overtook her features. "Yes, but I am now wondering why you didn't bother 'protecting' anyone else…"
"Well…"
Mina continued on seemingly oblivious to his mumblings, "but what I am MOST curious about is why you didn't just ask Usagi to dance yourself instead of playing the 'unsung hero' by dancing with me?"
"Uh-well, you see…" Mamoru started. "Those are all very good questions Minako-san… but I don't think you'd really even believe me if I told you my reasoning…"
"You love her," Mina stated plainly.
All defenses down with her blunt statement Mamoru blurted out, "How on Earth did you know that?"
Mina laughed lightly before murmuring, "More like how on Venus…"
At Mamoru's confused look Mina dropped all pretenses. "Okay, Endymion-honey – Let's get straight to the point..."
Usagi stretched her arms out high over her head letting out the tension in her back and shoulders. "Ugh… That might have been the worst dance class I've ever taken…"
Makoto laughed a little before tugging down the rising hem of Usagi's blouse. "Oh come on Bunny, it's only the second class and you were swamped with guys…"
"Not as if that was any fun…" Usagi grumbled as she started to walk in the vague direction of home.
"I know!" Makoto sighed heavily before following Usagi. "I didn't even get to dance with Kiyosh or Hiro. And next to Mamoru they're the best-looking guys in class."
"That Mamoru-baka is NOT good-looking!" Usagi pouted stomping one foot delicately.
"Usagi," Makoto started sternly. "We've been though this. If we ever bothered to look up the word 'gorgeous' in the dictionary whose picture would be beside it?"
Usagi's eyes dropped dejectedly before tilting her head slightly to the side to look at Makoto innocently through her lashes. Her voice was mischievious, "Brad Pitt?"
"Damn straight!" Makoto enthused before remembering her earlier line of reasoning. "I mean no! Well, yes, Brad Pitt IS gorgeous… but I was talking about Mamoru-sensei…"
Usagi giggled at her friend's floundering defense and praise of the well-known movie star before sobering at the mention of Mamoru. "I know you were Mako-chan, but it's hard for me to think of him as good-looking, hot-date material when he only sees me as a little girl to tease and insult."
"Yeah that's true," Makoto sighed overdramatically. "Pity he won't dance with any of his students though. I'd dance with him if he did."
"He danced with one today. I saw him, "Usagi stated, her words coming out more huffily than she'd meant them to.
Mako arched one eyebrow at her. "He danced with someone and it wasn't you?"
"Of course it wasn't me! Why on the moon would Mamoru want to dance with me? Even if he IS the teacher...No, it was a really pretty blonde girl that I didn't see last time."
"Oh yeah," Makoto replied tapping one forefinger on her chin. "She must have just started today."
"Yeah and she's already got Mamoru wrapped around her finger," Usagi grumbled darkly, far too quiet for Makoto to hear her.
"Did you say something Usagi-chan?" Makoto asked curiously.
"I, uh, said she must have had previous lessons. She was really good…"
Rei had been meditating in front of the fire for nearly an hour now. The flames crackled brightly at her, seemingly pleased to withhold its secrets from her. The flames danced and leapt every so often teasing her with a glance.
For the last couple of days Rei's devotion to fire meditation had been unwavering. Every spare moment she had was spent in prayer – to learn about the past and the lives they'd led, for the present and the perils they currently faced and for the uncertain future that involved them all.
Her fire flickered a little brighter tempting her closer with the promise of a secret. Searching the flames desperately for the answer the sacred fire offered up a singleimage.
The flames seemed to consume her as the image burned itself into her memory although she only felt a pleasant warmth. The image expanded widening until the priestess could see the full tableaux being offered to her.
It was exactly as Usagi had described her dreams, except that she couldn't remember Usagi describing this particular image. Usagi was beautifully gowned and perched atop a high balcony ledge. Standing very close to her was a tall dark-haired man. In the background Rei could see the stars and the overwhelmingly large Earth dominated much of the hardershe could hear strains of a lilting melody.
As she watched the dark-haired man leaned forward to give Usagi a passionate kiss. But before Rei could see any more the sacred fire abruptly went out leaving her with just one thought.
"Mamoru."
A.N.: Sorry it has taken me so long to get this out to you. Will you pitchfork me if I tell you this has been finished since Tuesday and I just didn't have time to post it? I had an interview Wednesday and it went okay. I'll find out April 13th if I got it. Wish me luck. Hugs for everyone that have read this far. You have no idea how much I appreciate you... (I think I owe my sanity to you...) 3/31/06