Konnichi wa! WaterSenshi here. This is my first fanfic, so I hope
you like it! It focuses on Ami and her love of a mysterious man.
It mainly takes place in the Silver Millenium, with one
exception. If you have any comments or suggestions, even flames,
please send them to EmeraldDi@aol.com. Also, the original of this
story can be found at my website:
http://members.tripod.com/WaterSenshi. So now, immerse yourself
in the power of love. The Love of a Princess..
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of its related
characters. They are property of Naoko Takeuchi, DiC, Kodansha
comics, and whoever else. Please do not sue me, thank you. The
only things I own are Ryu and the story itself.
**Authors Note: At the beginning of this story, none of the girls
have become Sailor Senshi yet. ^.~ Creative purposes.
Rated: PG
"The Love of a Princess"
by: WaterSenshi
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Chapter 1- A Masquerade and a Painful Memory
Ami gently set the silver hair brush down on the crystal table,
taking care not to scratch it with the bristles. Thoughtfully,
she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. The gentle glow
from an overhead chandelier caught her hair, giving it a dazzling
azure hue. Her neck was adorned with a delicate silver choker,
holding a single, dazzling sapphire in the center. Her dainty
hands were hidden by long, blue satin gloves. A glistening tiara
was fastened to her short locks, a blue diamond in the shape of
the sign of Mercury twinkling in the center. As she stood up from
her dressing table she took care not to step down on the hem of
the long dress. Made of icy blue silk, the sleeveless gown,
though very simple in design, was an elegant piece that extended
to the floor. It was her favorite dress to wear for special
occasions. A respectful knock on the heavy wooden door to her
bedroom caused her to start slightly. "Princess Mercury," a voice
called through the door, "the procession is about to begin."
* * *
"What are you staring at Ami?" Minako whispered, nudging her
softly. Ami broke her gaze from the distant orb of Earth and
turned to look at her.
"I'm sorry, what did you say, Mina?" Ami muttered apologetically.
"What's on your mind?" Mina asked, concern furrowing her
forehead. She stared Ami straight in the face, trying to decipher
her thoughts from her blank expression. "You seem so distracted,
and this is the third time this week I've caught you staring at
Earth!" Mina's wide blue eyes burned into Ami's own, demanding an
explanation.
"I..well..." Ami stuttered. Before she could finish, a trumpet
broke in heralding the entrance of the royal court. "I'll tell
you later," Ami sighed in relief. She stared hesitatingly out
into the crowded ballroom before her. Mina grabbed her arm and
squeezed her hand reassuringly.
"It's alright, Ami!" She smiled gently. "Just pretend the crowd
isnt even there." In the back of her mind she couldnt help but
wonder why Ami hated these dances so much. She, herself, thought
they were fantastic and every time she never lacked to have a
dance partner.
So shy Ami and bold Mina descended the marble staircase side by
side. Ami concentrated on each step intensely, her face growing
slightly pink at the thought of so many eyes focused on her. She
hated being the center of attention but these balls always
provided such an opportunity. "at least it's a masquerade," she
thought. She could take refuge behind her mask the entire night
and never have to look anyone in the eye if she chose not to. Her
modest nature struck her blind to her own stunning beauty, though
she was the only one that could not see it. Many a valiant knight
would have pledged his love to her if she would have allowed it.
After the long royal procession, all the court took their places
at the front of the room. They watched Princess Serenity and
Prince Endymion lead a solitary waltz across the center of the
room. At the end of their waltz, the other guests slowly began to
fill the floor as the orchestra began another melody.
"May I have this dance, Princess?" a deep voice interrupted Ami's
thoughts. Startled, she struggled to find a way to turn him down
politely until she noticed that the gloved hand was not being
offered to her but to Mina, next to her. With a girlish smile,
Mina accepted and took the man's arm as he guided her towards the
dance floor. She threw a concerned glance over her shoulder at
Ami, suddenly realizing she was leaving her friend by herself.
Ami immediately smiled and have her a look saying "I'll be fine;
have a good time." Gratefully, Mina flashed her a big smile and
turned away. For awhile at least, Ami had time to think by
herself.
* * *
"I wish you didn't have to leave, Ryu," Ami sighed sadly. She
absently twisted a blue scarf between her hands and concentrated
her gaze on the floor. Ryu, the general of her father's imperial
arm, had been called to Earth with his troops to give aid to
Prince Endymion's own troops in the battle against Queen Beryl.
Leaning down, he gently placed a hand under her chin and tilted
her face up to look into his own.
"Ami," he whispered, "I will some back to you as soon as I can,
but I am also obliged to help Prince Endymion in any way
possible. Until I return, which I will, be strong and know that
you'll always be in my heart, every moment, until I come home.
With that, he knelt down and pledged, "I promise you now, my
love; I will come back to you, and when I do, we can be together
forever." Ami smiled and knelt down with him.
"And I will be waiting until then, Ryu," she said in reply. Ther
leaned towards each other, and gazed deeply into each other's
eyes. He lovingly brushed a wisp of blue hair off her cheek and
slowly, softly, kissed her lips. It was a gentle kiss, but full
of all the true love and passion they held for each other.
Finally, and reluctantly, Ryu stood and whispered, "I must leave
now or I'll miss my transport. I love you, Ami; wait for me."
With that he took painful strides to the door of the palace, and
with one final glance behind him, he closed the heavy door.
With the click of the latch, Ami whispered, "I love you too," and
collapsed on the marble floor with mournful sobs. Her body
heaved, wracked with her crying, and she wept as though she would
never stop. Eventually, her crying wore her out to exhaustion,
and she drifted into a dreamless sleep...
She had not seen Ryu since that day-- 5 years ago
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Chapter 2- A Surprise in the Stars
Lost in thought, Ami barely noticed that she was the only of the
princesses not dancing. Dreamily, she assured herself that it
didn't matter; she could save all the dances in the Millenium for
*him*.
Queen Serenity happily surveyed the sea of happy faces before
her. She gave parties and dances often, almost always inviting
all her subjects to attend. She chuckled softly as she saw
Princess Venus waltz by, with her partner desperately struggling
to keep up with her. Glancing around she saw Princess Mars and
Princess Jupiter, each with an eager youth in tow. Beaming, she
watched as Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion once again took
the dance floor. "But where is Princess Mercury?" she thought
suddenly. Turning her head, she saw Ami sitting alone, surrounded
by the abandoned thrones of the other princesses. Ami's sad eyes
gazed across the hall at nothing in particular, and her forehead
was wrinkled in deep thought. Serenity sighed. This was a common
scene at the balls, and each time she had encouraged Ami to find
a young man to dance with. However, each time, Ami just sat
alone, turning down every dance proposal she received. "Surely
this child has SOMEONE who she's dreaming of!" thought Serenity.
A beautiful, slow melody floated across the ball room. Ami sighed
softly as she immediately recognized it. "The Waltz of the
Stars," she thought. "this is...our song..." Quietly she got up
and walked out onto a balcony.
The breeze gently played with her short hair, blowing stray
strands across her face. She tilted her face up to the stars and
closed her eyes, letting their light bathe her face in a pale
glow. Her mind ran freely to the memory of her first meeting with
Ryu.
* * *
It had been in the Royal Gardens of Mercury, both of them there
to take a moment of peace from their daily duties. She was 14,
and he, a much older 20. Humming "The Waltz of the Stars", her
favorite song, she absently picked a bouquet of blue roses.
Hearing her voice nearby, he came up behind her, humming the bass
part of the tune. Surprised, she spun around, but she managed to
finish the end of the duet with him, the whole while staring into
his handsome face. With a smile, he held the corner of his silver
cape and bowed low. "I am General Ryu, of the planet Mercury's
royal guard and army, your highness. Forgive me for interrupting
your thoughts, princess, but I was struck by the beauty of the
song you were humming, as well as the face accompanying it." A
flood of crimson filled her face, genuinely surprised, yet very
pleased by his compliment.
"It seems you already know who I am General Ryu. I thank you very
much for your compliment." The blush still stained her face, and
not knowing what to say next, she unconsciously stared at her
feet.
"Please call me Ryu, Princess. I'm not much for formality." He
smiled, and hoped that she would take the hint and give him her
own name in return.
Catching it and smiling inwardly at his clever trick, she
said,"I'm not one for formality either, actually. I grow so tired
of everyone calling me 'princess' all the time. Please-call me
Ami." He broke into a wide grin and repeated, "Ami."
The ice broken, they began walking around the gardens together
arm in arm, and she pointed out all her favorite flowers to him.
In turn, he told her amusing stories about army life. Her laugh
sounded like a soft tinkling bell to his ears, and he found
himself laughing along with her. His deep laugh warmed her heart.
After that they began meeting every day in the gardens,
exchanging stories or sharing problems they had encountered in
their day. Through the days they found themselves falling in love
with each other, though they never openly expressed their
feelings. However their feelings for one another increased every
time they met.
Finally, the day before he had left for Earth, he confessed his
undying love for her. But would they ever be able to be together?
The question tortured her every day.
* * *
"That is the 'Waltz of the Stars,' is it not, Princess?" The
unexpected voice snapped her back to reality. She whirled around
in surprise, and in doing so, stepped on the long hem of her
dress. Losing her balance, she immediately braced herself for a
jarring impact with the marble floor. Instead she felt herself
being caught and lifted by strong arms. Startled, she gazed up
into the face of a tall, masked gentleman. After he helped her
regain her balance, he stepped back and watched her silently as
she smoothed her dress and caught her breath. The whole time, she
never took her eyes off his masked face. Her quizzical eyes
sought his, trying to find some shred of evidence as to his
identity, but her search was in vain, as the moonlight cast a
dusty shadow over his entire face. And even so, the mask also hid
his face from view.
"I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't mean to startle you."
"It's alright," Ami assured him. "I just didn't expect anyone
else to come out here. By the way, yes, that is the 'Waltz of the
Stars,' one of my favorite songs."
"As is mine," he muttered. "I have many memories surrounding it."
Ami started at that. "Memories? No, it couldn't be. If it were
Ryu, he wouldn't hide like this. But, still...something about
him." Aware of the awkward silence she had caused in not giving a
response, she hurriedly asked, "So what is your name?"
He smiled. "Now, princess, that would defeat the purpose of the
mask! But I will provide an alias so that I may not become simply
'Hey you'. Will that suffice?"
She giggled softly at that and nodded. "Though it hardly seems
fair. You already know who I am."
"Call me Urawa," he said, with a slight bow.
"Very well, Urawa," repeated the princess. "I am pleased to meet
you."
"The pleasure is truly mine," replied Urawa. Ami blushed at that,
in spite of herself. She suddenly realized that she had not
blushed like that for almost 5 years now.
In the ballroom, another lively tune started up. Urawa turned to
Ami and with a slight bow asked, "Would you allow me, princess,
to have the pleasure of this dance?"
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**So what do you think so far? Keep your eyes open! A villain is
bound to appear soon! ^.~ Chapters 3 and 4 are already done, so I
don't have to leave you hanging. Sound good? I thought so. And
again, please send feedback of any kind to EmeraldDi@aol.com.
(
geocities.com/tokyo/shrine) (
geocities.com/tokyo)