Of Hearts And Mirrors
Ch.6- The Masquarade Ball

A/N: Very sweet chapter.

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"...You look tired...didn't you get any sleep last night?" Wanda asked as Angela appeared in the kitchen doorway. The pixie rubbed her eyes and shook her head.

"Apparently no...because Ryan kept kicking the bed." She said, glaring at him as he walked past her and headed for the bathroom.

"You said you wanted me to sleep on the floor, right? I did that."

"But you kept kicking the foot of the bed!"

"You flop around like a fish! I couldn't get any sleep because you keep moving!" He snapped.

"I can't help it if I move around in my sleep!" She yelled back. Wanda shook her head. It seemed that they would never stop arguing. She was about to break their little fight apart, when Cosmo poofed in.

"Look! We got an invitation to a masquarade ball!" Cosmo said happily as he waved an envelope around.

"A masquarade ball?" Angela asked as she stopped hitting Ryan.

"It's a costume ball commemorating his 1,300th birthday." Cosmo read. Angela let out a snort.

"What kind of morons hold a costume ball for some bratty fairy prince?" All three fairies glanced at her.

"...Oh...sorry." She mumbled as she poured a bowl of cereal and sat at the table. Ryan turned back to the invitation and read the rest.

"It says 'fairies only'...and the holders of this invitation may invite one guest." He looked up.

"You want to go?" He asked. Angela slightly blushed but hid it by looking at her cereal.

"...Oh...not really. I'm not much of a dancer." She mumbled and pinged up a carton of milk. Cosmo and Wanda nudged Ryan, urging him to convince her to go. He shrugged as if he didn't know what to say.

"Besides, it's fairies only...and I don't think any of them would be happy if I was to crash their little party." She chuckled.

"...Not to mention balls are boring." He said with a dull look. Wanda then spoke to him.

"Aw come one Ryan, I'm sure you'll have a fun time at this ball." She said with a smile.

"Yeah, its not like a creepy guy in a mask will show up and try to kill everyone with a falling chandelier." Cosmo said suddenly. Ryan looked at Cosmo thinking he was a moron.

"You sure you don't read any books Cosmo?"

"Well the only book I remember reading is the Astrophysics for morons book." Cosmo said stupidly.

"All that reading and it still didn't get some logic in to you." Ryan replied sarcastically.

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Ryan leaned against the balcony wall, watching everyone dance in the ballroom. He sighed and took off his mask, looking at the starry night above him. He liked to be alone to sort of gather his thoughts together.

"Angela was right...it is boring." He sighed as he closed his eyes and listened to Mozart. Thoughts of the last few days drifted through his mind, mostly about Angela and her attitude. Then again, why was he thinking about her? She wasn't that special...sure she wasn't like other pixies, but somehow, out of everyone he ever met and helped...she was starting to make an impact on his life. He wasn't sure what kind, but perhaps he could ignore it...and it would go away by itself.

"...Maybe I'll poof home and watch a movie with her." He was about to do so, when he happened to look into the ballroom, and noticed a masked girl wandering around the hall on the other side of the room. Figuring that she was lost, he put his mask back on and walked back in. He weaved his way through the crowd and headed towards the girl.

"Where am I?" Angela grumbled as she looked around the hall, dressed as Christine from 'The Phantom of The Opera.' She looked through her mask and kept looking for the ballroom. It was her first time in the palace...perhaps even the first pixie at all. She picked up her dress and walked around before she ran into a young man. What's ironic...was that he was dressed as the Phantom...

"...Are you okay?" Ryan asked as the masked girl ran into him.

"Er...yeah." She said hastily before she walked by him. He turned and watched her run into a plastic tree before he chuckled and called out,

"You're heading the wrong way." The girl adjusted her mask and snorted, walking back towards him.

"Fine...lead the way." Ryan just smiled as held out his arm.

"Shall we, milady?" The girl looked at his arm before she slowly slid her arm over his.

'Milady? What kinda moron says that any more!' Angela thought as she allowed the stranger to take her to the ballroom.

"Would you like to dance?" Ryan asked as they entered the room once again. He wasn't sure if the girl wanted to, but it didn't hurt to ask. The reponse he got wasn't quite what he had in mind.

"WHAT? B...But I..I don't know how to waltz! ...I...I've got two left feet." Angela stammered to the young stranger as they made their way to the floor. The fairy smiled.

"That's okay, I can't dance either." She felt better as he put her hand on her waist and took her other hand.

"Just listen to the music." Angela found herself swept off her feet as he lead.

'One two three, one two three...' Ryan thought as he managed to start waltzing without stepping on the girl's foot. The music grew louder and slightly faster, making him dance divinely.

'What a liar! He can dance better than I ever will!' Angela thought. She was turned around and dipped before she was brought back up. Fairies around them watched, apparently amazed by their footwork.

'Yikes...there's a crowd forming.' Ryan figured the girl was probably nervous as he was, so he decided to ask a few questions about her.

"So uh...what brings you to the ball?" He asked. Angela almost stumbled as he turned a hard right, but luckily he didn't notice.

"Well uh...at first I didn't want to go, but when I realized that I was probably going to miss the very first masquarade ball...I changed my mind. And here I am...dancing...with you."

"..I see." He said as they danced across the floor.

"And believe it or not, the guy that I'm staying with...he's sort of a jerk. He thinks he knows everything." Angela snorted. The young man spun her around before he brought her back close to him.

"Is he a genius or something?" He asked. Angela mentally frowned.

"Of course not! I mean, I'm sure he's smart, but he doesn't know a thing when it comes to girls."

"...Perhaps he cares about you."

"..Ha! That's a riot!" She laughed. Ryan found his thoughts dirfting back to Angela. This girl reminded him so much of her, it was kind of scary.

"..How come you're staying with him if you don't like him?" The girl shrugged a little.

"I don't like him...but in a way...I do."

"I don't understand what you're saying." Ryan said. The girl sighed.

"It's kind of complicated...I mean, he might be a jerk, but he's actually quite kind and cares a lot...though I'll never admit it to his face." Angela explained. They danced a little while until she glanced at the clock and gasped a little. She had to get home before Ryan, Cosmo, and Wanda did...or they'd be upset with her for sneaking out when she told them she would stay home.

"...What's wrong?" Ryan asked as he noticed the girl getting a bit flustered.

"Oh...I have to get home soon...but thank you for the dance." She said as she headed off the floor. Ryan glanced at the clock before following her.

"But it's only 11:45...surely you could stay a little longer?" The girl smiled a little.

"I wish I could...but I can't...I have someone to wait for." Angela murmured, touching his arm. The fairy sighed a little.

"I understand...go on...wait for him." As Ryan turned to leave, the girl grabbed her arm.

"Wait." She said.

"Hmm?" The girl tilted her head up and kissed him on the cheek.

"W...what was that for?" He asked. She smiled.

"That was a thank you...for listening to me." She then picked up her dress and left the room quickly, leaving Ryan slightly dazed.

'Oh man, I can't believe I kissed that guy on the cheek.' Angela managed to hide by the water fountain she passed by earlier and ping away before the fairy could find her.

'...She's gone.' Ryan thought as he stopped by the fountain and looked around. For the first time, he actually had fun waltzing...but it was too bad he didn't get the chance to know her name. He sat on the fountain edge, glancing at his reflection before he took his mask off and threw it in the water. He could still feel the girl's kiss lingering on his cheek...

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"...So...how was it?" Angela asked as she heard Cosmo, Wanda, and Ryan poof back into the castle. She sat on the couch, watching 'American Pie' when Ryan walked in.

"...Was it boring?" She asked. The fairy just sat on the couch a few feet away from her and closed his eyes.

"Somewhat...I was wanted to leave, but there was this girl there...we danced together and talked a little." Angela narrowed her eyes.

"I'm sure she was blinded by her mask." Ryan glanced at her, but wasn't in the mood to snap back.

"She was nice...kind of clumsy. I wanted to know her name...but she had to leave. Something about 'waiting for someone.' She was kind of fun, she was very mysterious, yet also a little shy." He explained. Angela lifted an eyebrow.

"Eh, probably had a taxi cab waiting and didn't want to pay a whole bunch of moola." The pixie girl turned off the TV and stretched.

"Well, good night...I'll see you in the morning." Ryan sat on the couch as she passed by him and headed towards their room. A small smile crept upon his face as he touched his cheek again.

"Thanks for the dance...Angela..."