Ladies and Gentlemen: here it is! Just for you! Some of your sweet reviews totally made my week. You people are too good to me. And so, after the big move back home for college, the drama of getting a job (I'm working at Michaels! (Hurray!)), and Finally getting the right computer back in my lap, I can write. And so: presenting: Part 9 to our lovely story! I hope you like like like it!
Part 9: Smiles and FrownsThe time came too soon when the royalty of earth needed to return home. As it had been stated, they could not leave their poor planet alone for long. And so the final evening came and the queen threw a ball in honor of their guests. (Balls were apparently very popular on the Moon due to a great abundance of peace.) And during the time of preparation, many wonderful and exciting things happened. (A/N: most of which will be defined in other stories of a later date. Hint-hint to all those other princess fans.)
Minako was in particularly high sprits the night of the ball. But before that was to happen, she and her friends attended one last dinner together. The girls left their respective councilors at the other end while the five gathered together around a particularly sunny spot under the shining candles. There they whispered things and each princess blushed and laughed. It was as if the whole world had left and they were to be together forever.
They even kept their voices down so that none could here the blaspheme of saying their uncivil names to one another.
Makoto giggled girlishly and tugged on Ami's sleeve.
"Look Ami! That tall general Kunzite is looking at you again!"
"Mako!" Ami seemed a bit annoyed and blushed. She turned back to her food and whispered, "He's not looking at me." And she put a fork delicately into her mouth.
"Oh don't be so modest!" Makoto gently pushed her shoulder into Ami. "See look right there he goes again!"
"Mako you're acting like a child!' Serenity giggled too with her hands over her mouth. Rei rolled her eyes at the irony. "Besides, whom else would he be staring at so intensely?" Serenity tugged on Minako's shoulder sitting next to her and Minako looked up.
Rei stared dumbfounded at Kunzite too.
"No-no Serenity…Ami's right." They all noticed at the same time. The moment Minako looked up, Kunzite quickly looked back down again and pretended to be very interested with what general Nephrite was saying.
A pair of black, blue, green, and white eyes turned to stare at Minako.
"Oh." Was all Mako could say. But soon she found her words and leaned in closely as if to dispose of a very serious secret. "That has got to be one of the funniest things I've ever heard of."
Ami giggled and dabbed her mouth. Rei and Serenity did about the same thing, only Rei was under control much faster and Serenity did not stop her giggles.
Minako only blushed.
"Well-" was all she could only get out before Ami stepped wisely in.
"Makoto-Chan! Be nice. It could happen!" Mako only smiled wider.
"He's just so…big, serious, and unlike Minako. She's just so bright all the time."
"Yes." Chimed in Serenity. "Our sunshine from the orange planet."
Rei put one arm around her friend's (with a more and more deepening red face) waist. "'And who could resist such a charm?' Not a thousand men like that general could stand her trap."
"I like her too you know." Ami now 'tut-tuted' their volume which was growing steadily louder. "Kunzite and I are very much alike. He might just be wise enough to see Minako for who we see her as. You see?"
They all turned to face Ami when she spoke and expected her to explain but she did not. She simply sipped her drink and stared at her plate.
"That's true" The other three said in unison as they all folded their arms across their chests and bowed their heads, eyes closed in serious contemplation.
Minako simply looked wildly around them and could not hold in her uncivilized comment.
"Yeah right!" And the party was back on again. They laughed and giggled and the rest of the evening they teased the poor princess about how she'd need to wear very tall shoes in order to dance with him or keep a bee-cover over her so as not to get stung by his piercing eyes.
Minako looked up to watch General Kunzite. He was looking at her again with those same eyes but not so piercing anymore. They were the youthful eyes she saw on Venus.
She glowed under the dim candles. Like a hallo surrounding her pale head. She was evidently having a wonderful time and when the table was excused to leave, she linked arm-in-arm with the princess of the Moon and Mars and walked through the expansive door to their rooms to prepare for that evening's ball not giving him a second glance.
Kunzite left soon after with Jedite as his companion. Jedite seemed unusually upset to go this evening as well as leave the planet the next morning.
"Don't worry about it." Came Kunzite's short unrequited reply. "Your chance will come to tell her." And he smiled like big brother at his companion. He was grinning back.
"You too my friend." Jedite was cocky despite his nervous heart.
Kunzite scoffed.
"You must be joking. I fancy none." And with that he left for his room with Jedite shaking his head and with an annoying eyebrow raised in delight. Kunzite could help but call over his shoulder. "Just because every one else is taken with a beauty of the universe I will not be so easily swayed. I am my own man."
A quick 'Clomp' as the door to his room was shut and Kunzite scowled at himself.
"Stupid" He wasn't quite sure is he was commenting on himself or his knowing friend.
The evening went as well as could be expected. Minako for along time thought seriously about wearing her favorite dress but decided against it in the end when her friends reasoned that this was not official business.
"But it's so pretty!" Minako help up the dress to he body. Ami Chan laughed and lowered the dress with her hand.
"Another time Venus."
A knock on the door announced the Rei as ready.
"Come on in Mars." She did so. She wasn't wearing her official formal attire either. In stead she was dressed in a deep black dress with wine highlights making light of her bottle shape. Her hair was down this time as it usually was but it looked as though she had put a little more effort into it than she had before. The black strands were pulled behind her ears. Her earring had tiny red shards hanging from them.
"I hate you." Minako glared at her friend.
"Princess Venus! (The door was still open. All of them were very aware of the name they were to use.) What are you talking about?" Mars closed the door behind her making sure no one followed her. She moved to sit next to Ami who was perched on the bed with her legs bent to the side. She wore a bigger dress with more layers of egg white and touches of blue. On the top of all her layers was a sheer blue layer that was gathered up to her hip. The top was of the same material but it laid flat against her torso. It pinched at her shoulders baring her trademark round shoulders. A shawl was laid carelessly across her wrists as she lean back on them watching Venus prepare.
"You be quiet Mercury! I hate you too!" Venus turned stubbornly back to her mirror and casually tossed her favorite dress on the chair next to her. "You both make me look bad." She rummaged through her closet for the hundredth time.
"What are you talking about Goddess of love and beauty?" Mars pointed out carefully sitting next to Mercury spreading out her dress beneath her.
"You're both too pretty for your own good! OK, at least tell me what color it should be? Something formal but not stuck up. But then again stuck up might be showy? But not something too casual. OH for heavens sake!" She buried herself in the sheets of fabric hanging.
"You are utterly ridiculous Minako you know that? Completely out of your mind." Mars pointed. "That one. I've never seen you wear it."
Minako sniffed and looked at her friends on the bed. They look like dark and light angels like that. I want to wear something that's cute too. She looked at the dress that Rei had pointed to. It was red.
"Red Rei Chan? Why red?" And Minako pulled out the garment. It was very pretty indeed. Minako had never worn it though for a few good reasons. One: Whenever some grand occasion came along, this dress looked too much like something Rei would wear. She didn't want to copy someone else. And yet she did. The other reason she had never worn this dress in public, was because of why she had bought it. It looked so mature like a rose. She enjoyed that it was definitely something Rei would wear. Minako had always liked it because it had made her think of the senshi. So brave and blood red hurt deep down. She hadn't even considered looking at it from shear habit. But now it's serious layers laid in her hands.
She pressed it to her face. This would impress General Kunzite. He's always so serious. And this dress is seriously appealing.
Wordlessly she slipped in over her golden head while Rei and Ami chatted casually behind her. After lacing up the back, it fit like a charm. This time Minako pulled up her long blond hair into a red bow just like when she was Sailor Venus. She liked it. She smiled at and admired her reflex ion.
A few minutes later, Minako was ready to go with red lipstick and pink cheeks to match her warm attitude. When the other two princesses came to pick them up, Serenity gasped and gushed about how beautiful everyone looked.
"Any special occasion? I mean geez- Oh I know!" Ami blushed a deep red. "It's that General Zoicite isn't it? Oh Ami Chan you're so lovely! I love this! When will you see him next after her leaves tomorrow?"
Ami muttered under the playful watch of her friends. "He's coming to Mercury to make a pact between our planets. Then I'm going to visit him on Earth. That is, if we still want to after tonight"
Mars spoke up, "Go for it Ami-Chan! You two are perfect together." Rei gave a warm smile that contained more than one meaning. (Minako didn't know any of them. She huffed.)
"Wait Princess of Mercury! You mean you don't like that tall General Kunzite?" Mako looked down in surprise. She had obviously been planning the wedding for quite some time.
"No! Are you crazy? I mean he's nice and all but he's not really my type. He's too much…um-"
"Like you?" Serenity interjected. "Hey I was listening!" (The other four cheered.)
"Well it was one or the other. Zoicite really likes you know." Mako laughed while patting Serenity on the back. "Who could blame him?" Minako grinned at her friends. (I mean hey, Kunzite was free to talk to tonight!)
The end of the hallway was in sight. It stopped at two large doors leading to the back door to the ballroom of the Moon palace. Minako held her breath. She was so excited to get there she wanted to run. She could feel herself bubbling with energy. She caught Serenity's eye.
Minako smiled a sneaky smile.
Serenity was confused at first but her face soon matched Minako's.
"Go!" Serenity ran.
They burst forth to race to the doors.
"No fair Princess, you started before me!"
"Oh you run faster than me anyway! You'll just have to make it up pokey!"
They laughed and Minako caught her friend by the wrist.
"Pokey! Princess you are inane." She teased chortling.
"I only learn form the best Minako-Chan!" Serenity said theses words at just the wrong moment but neither of them knew it.
Just on the other side of this door was General Kunzite. He was about leave to get out from the crowd when he heard a childish laughter her knew too well in his dreams. Behind the wood, Venus said something he could not hear. They were running to the door and so he decided it would be best to back up when he heard the ruffled voice of the princess of the moon cry out,
"I only learn form the best Minako-Chan!"
"Who is Minako?" He lazily thought and shrugged it off in the wake of the knowledge that The Princess of Venus was fast approaching, "Guess I'll find out soon enough." and he walked a little way to let the doors swing open.
Soon enough the princesses did appear thought the large wooden doors. Each trying to look as serene as they possibly could. Minako especially tried to look royal in her scarlet dress. Her nose looked down and her chin poked up as she took the hand of her princess and walked to the back of the room.
The crowd of course smiled and some cheered at their entrance. Kunzite had rejoined the other generals near a lighted corner. Kunzite looked among the girls but saw none other than they. He looked back down the hall they had just come from and did not see anyone.
It dawned on him like a terrible realization. There was no servant girl with them. So then- who is Minako? Now Kunzite began to seriously wonder and his eyes were turned to the girl in a deep red dress conversing with general Nephrite, glass clipped between two fingers and her golden eyes darted in his direction.
In terrified wonder, she stared back at his furrowed brow. She suddenly felt uneasy and silently wished she had never come. His eyes were not happy…
Yay! I'm so happy I have this out! Ever since I got my old comp back I'm so in a writing mood! You lucky people! Now for responses:
Sonya Katz: Thanks for your sweet words of motivation! I won't make you beg, but you totally made me re-think it all. So yeah, I'll keep writing, I won't take it down, and thanks so much for your support! :D
Pyro*Chic: Wow! I'm so thrilled I inspired you! I hope you are still going for it, and I hope you haven't given up on my fic yet. Just because of you, I knew I couldn't just put up another note, I forced myself to wait until I had a chapter ready, just for you! And so here you go! Thanks for all your sweetness!
ice dyaty: ah :;sniff:: I hope I have a good ending…because I already wrote it.. o.o;; is that bad form?
Mina-fan: it was just after your comment I decided that you were right. It's hard these two are crazy and have issues! I'm actually going to make this the longest in the series. Your words were well chosen! Thank you babe!
Amber: you are a doll. Stay that way. And thanks for the complements you sweet thang.
That's it! I'm also almost done with Chp. 2 of ami's story and Chp. 1 or Rei's. I have no idea how to start Mako's.
Question of the Chapter: Is Minako's dress big or more form fitting?
And
How mad are some of you to know that the last time they meet/ the end of the story, will be the time she finally wears her legendary yellow dress?
So keep your eyes open for that yellow dress!
All my lovelove, no joke you guys touched me,
Vbabe
Mcd03003@byui.edu