A/N: Sorry for the one year delay. =/ I hope to have this finished this year. It's not that long so it's a realistic goal! =) BUT if I don't have it finished within this year I won't make you wait by posting again next winter. I'll continue it on throughout the beginning of 2012. Once again like the first chapter - if anything doesn't make sense to you let me know and I'll clarify! =) Thank you for reading! You guys are amazing!
Chapter Two: In the Hands of a Girl
Four Days Later...
December 24th 1894
The day was long and busy as it was Christmas Eve. The entire town was in a bustle trying to make up for last minute preparations and perfect the many ongoing parties happening. Many parties were already in effect, the people warm and cheerful as they toasted their champagne, and danced elegantly to the music with their partners, and laughed loudly and the ongoing stories and jokes.
Always the house of perfection and timing, the Tachikawa household had the most guests and the most fun. Decorated in its annual Christmas decorations and the always most beautiful Christmas tree centered in the middle. But the admiring of the tree was long over and the guest consumed their time with mingling and dancing. All was happy, all expect for one member of the group, the very daughter of the Tachikawa residence – Mimi.
Off to the lonely corner Mimi sat on her own, watching the festivities play out in front of her. Yet she was very visible to all the guests, no one seemed to pay any attention or seem to care that she was on her own. Not even her friends said one word to her. They did happen to give a small wave when their eyes caught, but nothing more. They didn't even bother coming over to say 'hello.' Had she really been that cut off from all her friends? Mimi still couldn't believe she was the reason for the drift. She shook her head at the thought of her bobble-head "friends," and chose to ignore them as well.
The only true friend she yearned for was her very best friend Kari, who was so wrapped up in the attention Dean Ashton was giving her she hardly noticed Mimi. Or that's how Mimi felt. She sighed quietly to herself and watched as Dean spun Kari around in their pretty little dance. That sour edge returned from the first moment she realized Kari and Dean were together. She still was dying to know how that happened and was even equally hurt and irritated that Kari seemed to have no problem flaunting their relationship in front of her eyes.
Mimi played with her fingers, pressing them into the fabric of her dress. To be quite honest Mimi was feeling hurt about a lot of things lately. No matter how much she would deny it – the cold shoulder everyone had been giving her really was hurtful despite how much she wished to ignore it.
"There you are Mimi! I've been looking all over for you!" Mimi looked up to see her only other friend that she had been close with. Also then realizing she had hardly seen him as well. And knowing she didn't have any idea what was going on with him put a ping in her heart.
A genuine smile appeared, "Hi there, TK." She stood up to pull him into a hug, "I've missed you. How have you been?"
TK returned the embrace, "Well I can't say I've been great – because then I would be lying." He pulled away but still held their arms together. A grim smile was on his lips alerting Mimi.
"Why do you say that?"
"Only because it's true..." he gave a dramatic sigh, "I'm feeling pretty heartbroken at the moment."
Mimi sat him down, semi surprised and concerned. She had no idea TK was infatuated with anybody. Perhaps she was more disconnected than she thought and for a moment she was starting to believe she was the cause of it. "What's happened? I didn't even know you had eyes for someone… who is she?"
TK remained silent, slowly looking out to the guests and eyes landing on the dancing couple. Mimi followed his gaze and was astonished to see he was looking at Dean Ashton and Kari! Mimi tried her best to repress her smile. TK was too cute as he pinned away for Kari in that puppy dog expression he held. Mimi shook her head amazed. "I can't believe it TK. I had no idea…"
TK's gaze went back to Mimi and he smiled teasingly. Of course Mimi wouldn't have known, she was caught up in her own world, but even apparent to him, he didn't hold her responsible for it. He understood what she was doing and respected that. "It's alright… Kari doesn't know either."
Mimi remained stunned, "You mean she doesn't know that you have feelings for her? Why not?"
"For one thing, do you think it would even change anything if she knew? She has Dean Ashton now. And she seems happy. I do not want to steal that from her."
Mimi tensed, sensing more to the story then TK was letting on. "Does… does Dean know of your feelings?"
And just as she suspected, TK cringed away and kept silent. "Well that changes things." Mimi mused to herself. That didn't seem very kind of Dean, but Mimi didn't understand the entire story between the three…. Wow… she really was living in her own world. Even thinking the thought of a love triangle happening between her two best friends and her long time love was strange and breaching disturbing.
"I think you should let her know. You may never know how she truly feels for you if you don't tell her. You might surprise yourself." Mimi said with TK's best interest at heart. If she couldn't have Kari as her friend at the moment then she'd make sure TK – her other important friend could find some happiness. "Pull her aside tomorrow before noon and share your feelings. Both you and I know that Kari is somewhat like me – a romantic… so bring some flowers and just speak from your heart."
TK wasn't sure, but in Mimi's eyes he saw the reassurance he needed and the courage to make up his mind. He returned her friendly simile and stood up, offering his hand to her. "Only if you share this dance with me."
Mimi grinned, "Of course."
As the night progressed, the guests danced the evening away and laughed the hours into the night and sang until their voices became hoarse. It was but a few of hours before the stroke of midnight and many of the guest had already taken their leave, but a select few who lingered and mingled with Mr. and Mrs. Tachikawa.
As for Mimi, her friends had already gone home; nothing between Kari and Mimi settled and nothing between Kari and TK blossomed. Left alone once again, Mimi sat in front of the fire and found some comfort in one of her favorite books Wuthering Heights.
She must have reread the same page over a thousand times yet she couldn't remember what she had just read or even care to. TK and Kari were ever present on her mind and it was driving her mad – mad with what she was uncertain. A frustrated sigh escaped her lips and she shut her book and tucked it under the bottom of the plush sofas.
It wasn't easy to force herself to concentrate on much of anything when she knew she was having conflicts… which was rare for her. They weren't even initiated purposefully or knowingly. She just wished she could have had understanding friends… well TK was… but Kari was another story. And broken out of her distressed thoughts, Mimi looked up curiously at her younger brother, Davis.
"Hey how are you faring?"
Mimi didn't know how to answer. She didn't want Davis knowing how distressed she was, but she also wanted to be able to confide. "I am not quite sure…."
Davis plopped right now next to her and gave her a small nudge in her shoulder, "Come now sister. No need for your tears."
Mimi refrained from a smile, "I'm not crying you brat." But she shoved him back, showing she was only teasing. "But I will admit I'm not far from it."
Davis sighed, "Well perhaps you just need a gateway to some paradise for a while. To get your mind away from your problems? You should be sure to take me with you as well." He grinned ear to ear and this time Mimi couldn't stop it, she smiled back, but no sooner did the frown return.
"Apparently you forget that this "gateway" is what has gotten me into this situation to begin with."
"I suppose so. Yes it has." Davis had no problem coming right out and admitting it, but it only end him with a stinging strike on the leg.
"I beg your pardon, sister!" Davis glowered at Mimi, rubbing at the spot she abused.
"You are pardoned." Mimi replied dryly.
Davis snorted and shook his head. "Well I shall have you know that Uncle Hiroki has a surprise waiting for us." He watched as Mimi perked up and was glad to see something could bring her out of her rut. "He should be here in any moment."
"Who should be here any moment?" Hiroaki walked up behind the comforter with a sly grin.
"Uncle Ishida!" Mimi jumped up from the floor startled, but instantly returned the grin.
Davis stood up as well and grabbed Hiroki by the sleeve forcing him to sit down in the plushed chair. "Gee Uncle Ishida! It's about time you showed up."
"Well it's very nice to see you as well, Davis." Hiroki replied drying. "Why don't you both have a seat again? No need to get up on my account."
Ever quick to speed things along and to get straight to the point, Davis ignored all comments and asked, "So what have you brought us, Uncle?"
"Davis! Manners!" Mimi hissed.
Hiroki shook his head dismissively to Mimi, he didn't quite mind Davis. It was after all Davis being Davis. He expected nothing less, but he gave a smile, "Of course. Well if I can just reach into my bag and find it…" Hiroki rummaged around his is leather shoulder bag and when he found what he was looking for, snapped it out and shoved it under Davis's nose. "Here you are, lad."
Davis's narrowed eyes inspected the packaging before taking hold of it. Wondering what lay beyond the paper, he shook it, hearing jingles and jangles.
"Would you please stop that Davis!" Hiroki said irritated, "You're going to break it!"
Sheepishly Davis tucked the present away and waited for Mimi to receive hers. Only Hiroki didn't reach into his bag for her gift, but got up and went behind the large chair to lift up a heavy looking box wrapped in pretty pink wrapping paper. "Hey now!" Davis snipped, "Why is Mimi receiving a much larger gift than I?"
"Because you have already received your first gift and Mimi has yet to receive one from me."
Davis huffed, "I sincerely doubt that, Uncle."
"Trivial matters, Davis." Hiroki replied.
Once both Mimi and Davis had their gifts in front of them, Hiroki gave the que to begin opening them. The tearing of paper filled the room and a delighted squeal from Mimi and a hoot from Davis followed.
Mimi basked in the glow emitting from her grand dollhouse. It was the most beautifully crafted workmanship she had ever laid eyes on and she was proud to call it her own even in her own age of eighteen now. The dollhouse, or rather a luxurious castle, sparkled and shone in the firelight and emitted all of its radiant pastel colors to reflect back into her eyes. It truly was a magnificent castle and just by looking at it, Mimi almost felt unworthy to own it.
"Uncle…" Mimi hesitated. She truly was grateful but she was just a tad reluctant to have it. "It's wonderful! It really is… but…"
"Mimi I can understand where this conversation is about to fall and I must insist that you keep it! I made it especially for you… you wouldn't want to hurt my feelings now would you? After all I did put so much time and thought into it."
Davis cut in, "Yes Mimi! Why are you insulting our godfather by dismissing such an amazing gift?" He was only teasing once more, but Mimi glared at him.
Mimi gave in, "Very well."
"Excellent!" Hiroki shouted.
Davis rolled his eyes and took his planes and took his leave after a meaningful stare at Mimi and a grateful 'thank you' to Hiroki. Mimi smiled at Hiroki once they were alone and thanked him properly with a great hug and light kiss to the cheek. "Thank you, Uncle. It's wonderful and I love it."
"I'm glad, Mimi." A mischievous glint passed his eye, "But are you sure it's your favorite gift of the night yet?"
"What do you mean?"
After gesturing Mimi to take a seat on the plush rug, he took his seat in the chair and casually revealed a second wrapped gift underneath the chair and handed it to Mimi's surprised hands.
"Another one, Uncle?"
"Hush now and just open it."
Mimi did as she was told and began opening the long rectangle. Mimi gasped at the open contents and couldn't help but crinkle her nose distastefully. "What is this uncle?"
"Don't you mean 'who' is that?" Hiroaki said simply.
Mimi sighed, already having a good idea of whom and what it was, "Alright correct me then Uncle – who is this?"
"Why it's Prince Yamato!" Hiroaki all but shouted, "Or rather informally, Matt – the Iced Nutcracker."
Mimi hummed in acknowledgement, studying the nutcracker. He was whiskerless and hatless unlike the traditional nutcracker and had a painted dark blue coat and blazer, with scarlet red pants under his stylish war black boots. Her hand skimmed over the polished wood, feeling the smooth planes of his face, and almost tenderly poking one of his red dots of blush on each side of his face.
Mimi shook her head dumfounded and pressed her lips together thoughtfully. Even with his front teeth bared, especially for cracking nuts, and the bulkiness of his build there was something about him that she couldn't shake. Warmth settled in her heart and she had tugging feeling that something amazing involving this nutcracker was fast approaching. Despite her secret fondness of the nutcracker Mimi didn't particularly like the story behind him.
"Would you like to hear the missing excerpt from the story?"
Mimi piped at this. Never had she thought there was more to this story. "What missing excerpt?" She replied curiously.
"Well now let's get comfortable, shall we?" Ishida said, and at once began telling the most vital piece of information within the story – that he so conveniently left out.
"Now it was just but two days after the death of Princess Catharine, that Ishida had spoken of the need to find a new queen-to-be…."
"You must choose a bride, Matt." Ishida said. He knew Matt didn't want to go through this again.
"And if I don't?" Matt asked tersely.
"But you must…."
"None are fitting for the standards of queen."
Ishida balked, "But you haven't even seen any of them."
Matt shook his head dismissively, "I don't have to. I only know that none could ever live up to her…."
"At the time Ishida didn't understand what Prince Matt meant. He thought that perhaps on some level Matt had finally fallen in love with Princess Catharine and implied that no one would live up to Catharine since finally he loved her."
"Little did Ishida know that Prince Matt had been keeping secrets. As it turns out Matt had already fallen in love with one girl and he had every intention of marrying this girl."
"It was said love at first sight, a mystical love really. Or perhaps even a fairytale of perfect endings. It was the night after the death of Catherine when Matt fell to the charms and beauty of one certain girl."
"She came to him in a dream and she came dancing…."
"She was beautiful in her motions and carried a delicate grace and innocence while she danced. Her hair cascaded down her back in long chestnut tresses, smooth to the eye while her fair skin appeared to shimmer in an unknown light. Her lips were a cherry blossom pink that lay in a shy smile, but all the while keeping her eyes closed as she flowed through her dance."
"Matt was of course mesmerized by this girl, as he could only be an innocent bystander caught behind the glass looking in. He could not reach her, nor could he speak to her. Only to watch on hoping her dance to never end."
"Ballet is what her toes displayed as they carried her across the floor in her many elegant twirls and spins. A jump would carry on every now and then that made her appear more graceful than before as she took her movements like a swift gazelle in spring. Her dance told a story, and Matt could not tear his eyes away from that passionate tale."
"The mystery girl's movements soon slowed and ever so softly she faced him and took a bow and for the first time she opened her eyes and gazed at him right back. Matt was caught off guard and could not speak a word as he found that sense escaped him. He stared back into her eyes and found them bottomless in their sincerity and for some heart stopping reason, love."
"But all before he could speak a word, he awoke and discovered himself in his bed, only to stare up in the ceiling perplexed and oddly warm in his heart. For an unknown reason he felt true love for this girl that he had yet to even meet. But something told him she was the love of his life and that she was real. Just from the look the girl gave him it was clear she felt deep love for him as well and with that much in mind, he was determined to find her."
"For a second night in a row once in a deep slumber, she came to him dancing again. Like before he watched her dance from afar, but differently this time, once she finished he did not awaken. But the dream continued from there after their eyes met yet again and only this time, like sweet tinkling bells he heard her speak to him."
"Hello Prince Yamato."
"If you do not mind me asking, but who are you?"
The girl smiled at this, but bashfully looked down to the marble floors, "Do you not remember?"
Matt struggled for a moment, guilty for causing the girl ill feelings, "I'm sorry, but I don't… Have we met before?"
"No." She smiled again and looked him in the eye, "Only in your dreams. Perhaps that is why you do not remember."
Matt remained confused, but took a step closer to her, "What is your name?"
"My name?"
"Yes," he pressed. He didn't want to leave without catching her name for fear of never seeing her again in his dreams.
"I'm afraid I cannot say right now."
"And why ever not."
"Not now Yamato." She said quietly. And so Matt no longer pressed her no matter how disappointed he felt.
"You dance beautifully. Perhaps one day you would do me the honor of allowing me to be your dance partner." He said which caused the girl to blush profoundly and look away from him.
"Thank you Yamato." She said.
There was a pressing thought on his mind, "Are you real?" Matt questioned gently.
With that she beamed a beautiful smile at him and replied, "Only as real as you want me to be."
Matt couldn't help but chuckle in spite of it all, "Then I am afraid I have fallen in love with a dream."
"Do not be sad Yamato, for I am in love with you as well."
"Then I shall come for you! Where do you live?"
The girl shook her head unwilling, "Yamato, I wish you would, but not yet."
"Please tell me your name at least?" Matt all but begged.
With a gentle smile she closed the distance between them and ever so lightly she placed a chaste kiss upon his lips and with that he awoke.
"From that second dream, he never did have any more of the dancing girl, and so he vowed that day to find her no matter how impossible it seemed. He knew within him he loved that girl more than he could ever love another and relished in the fact that he had finally found true love despite that he had yet to actually know her. But with that it was enough and within that second dream it concluded his musing that she was indeed real and perhaps also looking for him."
"Prince Matt knew in his heart he could not move forward in life always guessing what may have been if he did not search and find her and so he vowed to make the journey across the country in search of the ballerina girl, but only after he put everyone to rest with the idea of finding him a bride. He would humor the court and Ishida for the time being with the efforts of finding a new bride but in turn reject every girl that sought him."
"Unfortunately since Prince Matt had kept the ballerina a secret, the Witch of White saw his actions as cold hearted and dense to love!"
"You Prince Yamato have shown arrogance when finding love. You show resentment to all these girls – to my daughter!" the Witch of White waved her hands in a circle and a bright light appeared following her movements.
"From what I have seen, you have a cold heart. You wish to banish all these girls? Then you are unworthy of love! No one would love such a bitter man. And for that I shall freeze your heart. You shall become what you are from inside your heart."
"Now so tragically wronged, he remains a nutcracker hoping for one day the ballerina find him and is able to break the spell."
Mimi stared at Hiroaki mesmerized by the story. She could feel the onslaught of tears stinging her eyes, "That was… beautifully tragic!" She couldn't help the emotion she felt. But Mimi was sensitive like that. "That was amazing! I had no idea! I cannot believe how I treated Prince Yamato before! I spoke so wrongly of him before – I feel awful!" Mimi gazed down at the nutcracker with a new light and for the briefest moment she could have sworn she saw a flash of a young man – perhaps Matt's original self – reflected in its face. Mimi gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. But just like that she blew it away as the trick of the light.
"Yes, Mimi. But now you see the truth. Matt was innocent in all of this."
"Yes," Mimi agreed quietly, "By the way… what was the ballerina's name, Uncle?"
"Well for the story's sake she doesn't have one… But for your sake… Let's just call her Mimi shall we?"
Mimi blushed, "Uncle! No – why me?"
Hiroki laughed, "Well, the similarities are quite striking. Long brown hair? Graceful ballerina? I think it's fitting. Besides I know how you are for a sweet love story, so why not put yourself in it?"
Mimi was more than willing to cave, "If you say so." Smiling, she again poked one of the blush dots on The Iced Nutcracker's face feeling a new closeness and sentimental love to the doll. Deeming him her favorite doll in all of her collection, she rose and silently put him next to her other dolls with him in the center of the wood and glass cabinet as well as center of her heart.
Reviews are appreciated and loved greatly! Thank you! They're what keep me going. =)
~ Lilly-Brey