Yay! A new chapter! Okay. I had originally intended the creepy shadow at the end of the last chapter to be Luna, like before, but since I wrote it badly and everyone didn't know who it was I changed my mind. :) And now I included it into a twist in this chapter! So enjoy, and leave reviews!

Chapter VIII: Damasu -Decieve-

Bright sunshine seared its way through the gray curtains covering the bay window in Haruka's room; a greeting from nature warning it was late in the day and time to get up. Nature had a shock that day to discover that Haruka was already awake and, even more surprising, up before Michiru.

Michiru's bedroom door swung open in physics defying speed as Haruka ran into it and raced through Michiru's bedroom and up to her bed where Michiru was still fast asleep.

"Michiru!" Haruka yelled as she jumped and crashed onto Michiru's smaller form under the covers, pretty much almost body slamming her. Michiru screamed her throat raw as she yelped in utter terror. Haruka bounced around on her knees back and forth across Michiru's bed.

"What the hell was that for?" Michiru yelled at the bouncing figure as soon as her heart stopped racing and she caught her breath.

"Aw! Lighten up Michiru! No need to curse..." Haruka said as she stopped jumping. She gave Michiru the most charming smile she could muster and fell forward to lie on her stomach. "Don't you remember what today is?" She wiggled forward until she was at Michiru's side.

"Apparently not." Michiru huffed as she folded her arms. "Why don't you remind me since it gave you the right to scare me to death in my own bed." She looked at Haruka and was startled to see the look in her eyes. She wasn't sad nor angry...

"I can't come visit you in your bed, Michiru?" She moved over on top of Michiru and sat on her waist. "I didn't think you'd mind me being here..." She winked at her and gave another smile, a sly one this time.

All Michiru could do was blush, brightly, and her heart was pounding so fast and loud that she could barely make out what Haruka was saying to her. She didn't even have time to make out what Haruka was saying because she was too distracted by Haruka moving closer to her face each word she spoke. "Haruka..."

"Were you even listening Michiru?" Haruka asked as she was inches from Michiru's face. "I was trying to remind you what today was..." She poked Michiru's nose and moved it back and forth with each syllable she spoke. "I think it's important that you remember today. It's something that'll only happen once in your life."

Some thought came back to Michiru. "Only once? What is it then?"

Haruka's lips were almost touching Michiru's. "The day that I seduce you and there's no going back after that." She kissed Michiru softly and moved a hand to the back of her head pushing it forward. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"Haruka yo- we can't do this!"

"And why not?" Haruka kissed her again, more passionately this time.

Michiru was losing the battle as each second that passed tempted her more and more. "...because.."

"Because why, my love?"

"Because we're both girls...and our parents-" She was silenced with another kiss.

"Does any of that really matter if we love each other?" she asked innocently, a question that held a much greater meaning for Michiru.

"It shouldn't, but to me..." She couldn't explain.

"Tell me about it later, okay?" Haruka's hand traveled up Michiru's night shirt and preceded to take it off. Michiru had obviously given in to Haruka's seduction and just when things were about to get too adult oriented-

Michiru woke up with a jolt and her heart was threatening to leap from her throat. And she couldn't figure out where she was, it was dark.

That is, until she felt something stir behind her. She turned her head back far enough just to see some blonde hair over her shoulder. 'Haruka?' She panicked and thought that her dream might have been real. 'Calm, calm. I still have my clothes on...' Haruka shifted again and nuzzled her face into Michiru's neck. Despite the panic Michiru felt from her dream, she couldn't help but notice the pounding of her heart that started when she felt Haruka's last shift and soon a soft pink hue was making its way across her cheeks.

Haruka snuggled closer and tightened her grip around Michiru's waist. "..Mi..chi..ru..."

Michiru decided to risk turning around to face Haruka and discovered that she couldn't; Haruka's grip was tighter than she thought! In fact, she could barely move at all! She struggled for ages and only managed to end up on her back.

She sighed knowing it was useless. At least on her back she had the chance to try and figure out where she was. It was still dark but she could make out the faint figure of clouds. The loft. 'We must have fallen asleep here together again...' She looked to her left to see Haruka still fast asleep and breathing steadily. They had been doing this a lot lately. 'So cute.' She shook the thought from her head. 'I'm not supposed to think things like that...especially of another girl.' It became darker as she closed her eyes in thought. 'If only... If only she thought the same way.' She looked back at Haruka and moved a strand of her blonde hair out of her face. 'But all you do is keep tempting me.' Michiru squeezed her lips together tightly. 'I don't know what I'd do without you though...' She looked towards the dark sky once more and stared off into the distance lost in thought. That was when she saw a red line streak across the sky, lighting up the clouds surrounding it momentarily highlighting their edges in a dark red tint while the rest of the cloud remained grey with the night. 'A shooting star?' She was losing herself to sleep but still trying to think. 'Shooting stars aren't red...' She turned her head back in Haruka's direction and lightly kissed her on the forehead, drifting off faster then before. '..that festival...' Her eyes slowly closed. '...I don't have anyone to go with yet...shooting stars aren't red...'

The next morning Haruka woke up. Alone. Michiru was already up and going, eating breakfast and dressed. Haruka watched her as she ate, seeming unaware of Haruka's gaze.

"Don't you think it's time to get up yet?"

Haruka twitched in surprise. "N-ne?"

"You seriously thought I didn't notice you there?" She raised an eyebrow and looked at Haruka. "Come on..."

Haruka sighed and slowly climbed down the stairs and sat across the table and joined Michiru for breakfast. She poked at her eggs with a fork. "Why do they always serve eggs?"

"Probably because it's the easiest, cheapest thing to serve. And it's fast to prepare as well." She looked up from her plate and watched Haruka's face for a reaction.

Haruka only pouted and kept poking at them. "So?"

Michiru smiled and continued to eat.

Moments passed with only the sound of silverware clanking against dishes. "You are still going to the festival with me, right?" Haruka sat with her hands in her lap, waiting for Michiru's reply. This had been the first time she mentioned it to her since the night she asked. It took a lot of days building up the never to even ask about it; Michiru had never mentioned it either and she was beginning to worry. It couldn't wait any longer with the festival tomorrow night.

Michiru looked at Haruka in surprise. "When... When did I agree to that?"

Haruka looked up and met her shock head on with determination in her eyes. "The night after the dinner party when we fell asleep in the loft together. You're not taking it back, are you?"

"I seriously don't remember agreeing to that, Haruka."

"...well you did." Haruka's brows pointed down towards her nose as her face set in an angry expression.

"But-" Michiru needed an excuse, and a good one. "The festival is supposed to be for couples..." She hoped that worked.

"And your point is?" Haruka was getting more annoyed every second. "Well everyone should know that we have no suitors right now, let alone a good friend even of the opposite sex so what's the big deal of us going together?" She couldn't contain her voice, it was threatening to go beyond just a harsh tone. "And who'd honestly think anything of a couple of girls going together?"

Michiru wasn't expecting that: a good explanation against her favor. She tried hard to think of something else without having Haruka wait too long. 'I can't go with you!' Everything inside told her that going together was a bad idea. 'I can't resist you anymore and doing something like that together...it'd only make me like you more and we can't-!' Michiru's eyes squeezed together in frustration. "I can't go with you because Fwafwa asked me go with him!" She practically yelled, stunning Haruka into silence just as much as the statement did. Tears threatened to burst from her eyes in anguish.

Haruka sat silent for a while before replying. "I don't believe you." She said that in such an eerie tone of spite that Michiru was almost scared. "I don't believe you!" Haruka yelled as she stood up from the table knocking her chair backwards in the process. "You promised you would go with me and Fwafwa has never looked twice at you!" Michiru saw the tears before Haruka had enough time to turn away, running to her room and slamming the door shut behind her. It's echo rang in Michiru's ears.

"What have I done?" she questioned softly to herself out loud. Not only had she hurt Haruka beyond any doubt, but now she also had the issue concerning Fwafwa.

A walk in the gardens to calm her head was what Michiru needed, and what she did. It was spring after all and most of the plants in the garden were in bloom. Beautiful flowers of all sizes and color surrounded Michiru as she walked down one of the stone-paved paths towards the gazebo located in the center of the maze-like garden. She wasn't exactly sure where she was going, but knew that every path eventually lead to the gazebo. She was beginning to think she was lost as her legs became a little tired from walking. 'I think I've past that rose bush before...' The sky was becoming dark as rain clouds moved in covering the sun. 'Great. Rain.'

At last she reached the gazebo; it's white, cross-hatched paneling covered in a lush green vine that bloomed red flowers similar to daisies. And not a moment too soon as the first drops of rain began to shower the garden. Once inside the safety of the gazebo it began to pour harder, thunder shaking everything by its foundations.

Michiru viewed her surroundings, looking for what seemed a comfortable place to sit since she was going to be stuck there for a while. Her eyes scanned the bench built in to one of the sides and noticed a small red book sitting on the seat. 'Has someone been here?' She walked closer to the book, rain still pouring outside deafening the sound of everything else.

A hand shot out and grabbed Michiru by the shoulder, startling her. She turned around quickly in surprise, terror written on her face.

"Gomen, Michiru. I didn't mean to scare you like that." The hand left Michiur's shoulder.

"Fw-fwafwa?" Michiru took in a shaky breath to try and clam her beating heart and nerves.

"I was in here reading a book and decided to walk around for a bit and it started raining so I came back inside for shelter." He smiled at her. It seemed that he was less formal when he wasn't on duty for the Queen. But Michiru also didn't notice that he was completely dry for just having come in from a downpour of rain.

"It's okay." She smiled back. "I was just out walking around when it started raining and I saw this place..." She made her way over to the bench and sat down near to where the book was at. "So what are you reading?"

"Ah, this old thing?" He sat down in place of the book and held it out for her to take and look at. "It's just a older book I got from the library about the history of the Moon kingdom and such things like that. I'm sure you wouldn't be interested..." He fingered a red stone that hung around his neck on a thin silver chain.

"What's that?" Michiru asked referring to the stone.

He held it tighter. "I...found it. Last night out in the woods. I saw this mysterious red shooting star when I was in the observatory and followed it down with the telescope to where it crashed."

"May I see it?" Michiru asked. "I remember seeing that shooting star too!"

Fwafwa looked almost startled for a moment. "You did?" His eyes narrowed and his mouth thinned in a frown. An evil grimace spread to every part of his features, Michiru not noticing too intrigued by the stone he let her look at, but didn't take off. The stone started to glow softly.

"Ne, Fwafwa..." She stared at the stone. "It's glowing...?"

The instant he looked down, it stopped. "Really? I didn't see anything..."

Michiru frowned. "Maybe I'm starting to see things." She looked back up to Fwafwa's face, almost uncomfortable with the way he was looking at her.

"So who are you going to the festival with tomorrow night?" He smiled.

Michiru, on the other hand, sat with her face blank, reminded of how much she had hurt Haruka with the subject. "N-no one."

"Really? Not even Haruka? I thought you two would go together since you seem to be real...friendly."

Michiru felt even more guilty, not even catching Fwafwa's obvious hints about him knowing more than he should. "...no."

"Then am I not too late to ask you to go with me?"

"W-what?" Her hand dropped the stone and it landed softly back on Fwafwa's chest where it hung.

"I'm asking if you want to go to the festival with me. You aren't going with Haruka, so who else is there? Unless I'm mistaken..."

"N-no, there's no one else."

"Then good! I'll come by to your room and pick you up tomorrow at six-thirty? After all, we'll want to get a head start on all the festivities if it starts at seven, ne?" He patted her shoulder again and stood up to leave, not even waiting for Michiru to give a yes or no answer. "See you then. Ja ne." The rain had stopped shortly before the conversation had ended, almost conveniently.

"I guess I don't have to worry about that anymore..." she mumbled to herself still in a slight shock; the events having not sunk in yet.

So what do you think? Exciting enough yet? I spent a LONG time writing this chapter, editing it and stuff. The festival was suppose to happen, but I got really carried away in the whole story building issue. I didn't want the festival to be confusing for what I have planned. ;) And since this was 6pgs long already, I thought people would be more interested in reading it than having me write another 6pgs worth. So enjoy and let me know what you think of the latest instalment! Can anyone guess what Fwafwa is up to? It'll all be answered in the next chapter! So read carefully and look for the clues! Isn't Michiru oblivious?

Thanks for all the great reviews so far, everyone! You know who I'm talking to. ;)