A/N: Hey everyone!! It seems like sooo long since I updated and you know what? I think there might be a reason for that!! Hmmm... Maybe because it IS ages since I've updated??

Anyway, I hope that the long gap has only made you pine more for the long-anticipated Behind the Blue Curtain, (Haha!) and that you'll give me lots of nice feedback!! (Or constructive criticism. I don't mind, as long as I hear from you!) And I am sorry about the wait. It really brings it home how slow you are when you get people sending you PMs asking when you're going to update, so thanks for that everyone!! Without your support and nagging, I wouldn't get anythig at all done!!

Thanks as always to my wonderful Ala, who always makes me seem so much better at writing than I actually am!!

See you again (hopefully sooner than last time!)

Sol x

16. Behind the Blue Curtain

Mamoru was in a huge, elegant building. It seemed to be the home of someone extremely important. And rich. Glancing around in awe, he saw marble staircases, crystal chandeliers …

Mamoru's eyes stopped on a portrait of the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.Before he could stop them, his feet took two small steps towards the picture, and with a start he released the breath he hadn't known he had been holding.

The girl's hair was a shiny gold, done up in two odango-styled buns. Her eyes were bright and blue, somehow shining with life even on the canvas. She was wearing a long, white gown that accentuated her perfect figure. Resting on her head was a golden tiara.

'A princess?'

Shaking his head, Mamoru blinked dazedly. He had no idea how long he had been staring at that picture for. Continuing his examination of the room, he saw a big wooden door set into the wall. Curious, he took hold of the polished silver doorhandle, which, he noticed sub-consciously, was worked into the shape of a delicate rose. Pushing the door open, he found himself outside in a courtyard every bit as stunning as the interior had been.

From a balcony a few floors up, he could see a blue curtain fluttering in the breeze. Behind it, the form of a young woman was silhouetted against the light emanating from inside the window.

"Prince Endymion..." she called. Glancing around, Mamoru saw no one she could be referring to apart from himself. He looked down, and was surprised to find his regular clothes had been replaced with a prince's garments, complete with a sword hanging from his belt.

Returning his gaze to the window, he noticed a delicate hand pulling at the restraining curtain.

Behind it was the princess from the portrait, except the portrait did absolutely no justice to the real woman, with her big, round eyes, eyes of such a blue that the brightest summer sky would be jealous, the full pink lips drawn so readily into a smile, or the coloured cheeks that glowed with life. Mamoru almost cried out in shock. He knew this girl, had seen her somewhere before…

He was muttering in his sleep. In a torrent of indecipherable words, one word was clearly audible.

"O-Odango?"