Sweet Nocturne
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.
Chapter 3: Off Beam
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Lita got off her horse and walked towards the gigantic oak tree. She placed a palm on the trunk and stood there for a while, admiring its rough texture. She closed her eyes and inhaled the fresh scent of the earth around her, liking the way it made her head rush. She turned around to see Rini still perched on top of her steed, staring open-mouthed at the place. She walked slowly towards her.
"Rini? Rini? Princess? Small Lady?" Lita frowned as Rini kept on staring. She pinched her arm.
"Ow!" Rini hissed. "Aw, Lita! That hurt!" She rubbed the pinched spot which was now turning red.
"Sorry, Princess. You were zoning out again. Eh, I know this place is pretty and all, but it's not exactly something to ogle at for five minutes." Lita smiled and walked back towards the tree. Rini hopped off her horse and followed her.
She stopped at a place right in front of the brook where the earth seemed to dent to make a soft clearing. She kneeled and ran her fingers through the grass. It's so soft, like in my dream. Rini sat down facing the brook and watched as yellow butterflies glided over the running water. Lita sat down beside her.
"It's nice, isn't it?" Lita asked, watching the butterflies as well. Rini just nodded. Lita faced her. "Are you alright? It's not like you to be awfully quiet."
Rini broke her view of the butterflies and turned to face Lita, her crimson-colored eyes huge with uncertainty. Can I tell her? Should I tell her? I feel like I'm gonna burst if I don't get to talk about this to someone else, Rini thought as Lita looked at her intensely. Her cheeks reddened. What am I supposed to say? 'Lita, I've been having dreams of making out with this guy right here in this spot we're sitting at for the past month. Tell me that's normal.' Her brows furrowed.
"Rini? What's wrong? Is there something you want to tell me?" Lita asked concernedly.
Rini hesitated. "I—I, uh, well…"
"Yes?"
An uncomfortable silence dawned upon them, which was quickly interrupted by a loud rumble.
Rini's face turned a bright red. "I—I'm hungry, Lita! Isn't it lunchtime?"
Lita just realized that the loud rumble came from Rini's stomach. She laughed. "Gods, sweetie, I thought it was something important! And yes, its lunchtime already, do you wanna go back to the castle?"
"Uh, no… I mean, Mom said we don't have to be back till dinner, so…"
"Yeah, when you're here it's like you don't wanna leave, huh? It's alright; I'll go pick some berries nearby. You just sit here and rest, okay? Poor you, we should've packed some sandwiches or something before we left. I'll be right back." Lita quickly got up and disappeared into the forest.
Rini collapsed onto the grass and let out a huge, long sigh. Saved by my insatiable hunger. It's a sign. I'm not supposed to tell anyone. She pondered on the subject a few more moments while watching the clouds slowly pass by, blocking the sun. If I do tell anyone, will he disappear? Rini frowned and felt her appetite going away. Do I want that?
The sun's rays slipped from the fluffy clouds and struck Rini's face, blinding her again for half a moment. She shut her eyes, inwardly cursing at the sun. She suddenly felt very drowsy. Ugh, these lazy summer days…
She opened her eyes and quickly sat up. She still felt a little sleepy. She looked around and relaxed as she saw the two magnificent horses grazing nearby. Lita must still be getting some berries.
SNAP.
Her head whipped around so fast she was surprised she didn't break her neck. Expecting Lita or some wild animal in place of the twig snap, her senses went down as she suddenly felt her throat tighten and her heartbeat speed up. She all of a sudden felt drowsy again. Her eyelids were getting heavy but she refused to close them, for here she was, drowning in those amber depths which haunted her every night. She was finally facing him, in broad daylight! She will not slip away so easily now.
She tried to move her arms but they felt very heavy. Her vision was beginning to blur rapidly. She could make out the crown of fine silvery hair on his head and the pale coloring of his skin. He was very handsome, even in her semi-blurry vision. Her heartbeat quickened some more and she felt sleepier. It was a very unusual feeling, but Rini liked it. Her eyelids were half closed now. She felt him staring back at her.
"My darling," he murmured. She could hear echoes of his voice yet she felt his hot breath on her cheek; he was very close, and she was slipping. As she expected, his sensual voice sent a tingling chill up her spine. "You came to me."
She felt a blush creep up her cheeks again, and she tried to say something but she couldn't. She couldn't open her mouth, she couldn't move her arms, her eyes were almost completely closed now. She was frozen, and she didn't know why. Her blurred vision of him was wholly obstructed as she felt her eyelids close shut. She suddenly found it hard to breathe; she gasped for some air.
And then he kissed her, softly. Rini's mind went wild. Her senses blurred altogether in a frenzy. Then, something astounding happened; she felt a gust of cold air enter her lungs and her throat loosened. It was like he gave her the air she needed. He broke the kiss slowly and she was able to breathe normally again. He was holding her tightly against him, her face was nestled against his neck and his arms were supporting her as she leaned against him, both of them still sitting on the ground.
She felt his arms laying her on the grass carefully. She felt very light-headed. She felt him holding her hands, just like in her dreams. She tried to open her eyes again, but they wouldn't obey. But her voice did.
"Who—who are you?" she asked quietly.
He didn't answer right away. She felt his hand brush her forehead. "Open your eyes, and you'll see…" his voice was beginning to trail away again.
Rini felt the familiar stab of panic, and her eyes opened, but she saw all black. The man's warmth was gone, his presence no where near. She reached out to the darkness, fear taking hold of her. She was falling, and she opened her mouth to let out a scream…
"RINI!"
Rini's eyes opened abruptly. The sun was blocked again, the brook was still bubbling, the horses neighed. She sat up and hugged Lita, who had been trying to wake her. Rini was shivering like mad.
"Oh, Selene! Lita, thank goodness you came!" She buried her head into the taller woman's shoulder, and Lita hugged her back, trying her best to stop the shivering.
"Rini, what happened, sweetie? When I arrived you must've dozed off, but your hands were outstretched. You wouldn't wake up until—"
"I don't know, Lita, I don't know… but I was falling… and…" her voice died down, and tears started streaming down her face. That felt so bad…
They sat there for a while; Lita trying to comfort the crying princess, as the clouds began to gather in the horizon.
"We'd better head back; looks like it's gonna rain." Lita said.
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- I know, it's obvious who this "mystery guy" is huh? :-) But what happened? Hmm…Hope you guys liked this chapter, much more mystery coming up! -
