Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Vindicated ❯ Sapphire ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Vindicated
 
Prologue
         Sapphire

Like the diamond in your ring Cut to mirror your intention Oversized and overwhelmed The shine of which has caught my eye

“Vindicated” by Dashboard Confessional

        Stari ng longingly at the rain covered stained glass a small pale hand moved down the cold surface. Behind the figure were sounds of yet another lively gathering. Nervous fingers trembled slightly as slender delicate fingers moved a small curling lock of azure hair behind a shell-shaped ear. Fidgeting slightly in place she tried so hard to remain calm and composed as her eyes drew themselves away from the glass to the party. Clothed in a dress of the finest silk that gold could buy she looked ever bit the part that she always seemed to be typecast into. The reluctant and shy belle of the ball, dressed in rich clothes, her voice mousy and soft-spoken with hints of sincerity that shouldn't be trusted.

How she loathed these gatherings, what purpose did they serve? No stimulating intellectual conversation. These dances were just validated excuses for men and women to shamelessly flaunt their sensuality to one another. All the peahens fussing over one another while silently envying each other's choice in over-expensive clothing, gaudy jewelry, or even as far as lusting after their chosen's mates. The men were no better, strutting around like bland peacocks, for their mates had stolen their bold and wondrous colorful plumage; the eyes of the young, the old, the spoken for, and the bachelor glancing hungrily at every exposed heel of a well- groomed female.

This life was so superficial and pointless that sometimes she was so tempted just to throw herself off of the balcony...but on the other hand since she was the princess so if she were to commit suicide whom would be left to take over the throne to Mercury upon her parent's passing.

`A whole lifetime of this,' she mused inwardly. The balcony was becoming more appealing with each passing moment.

Leaning against the wall she tried to keep out of sight from the festivities that were being held in her honor. She turned seventeen this evening...a adult now, also a more than eligible young lady. The moon had yet to fully rise and she had seen at least ten men approach her father and mother. With a cold sneer she could almost guess, without arrogance, that they were inquiring about taking her hand in marriage. Amazing how one could go from being utterly ignored and shun by the opposite sex until they found out that you were royalty and you were also of age then men she had never even seen before we all but tripping over themselves just to talk with her.

A hard scowl marred her heart-shaped faced, `Utterly disgusting,' she inwardly hissed as she watched an envied world revolve without noticing her, for who was she but yet another pawn in these power struggles?

Tilting her head back the blue-haired princess gazed up at the ambient glow of the silver and gold chandeliers. Her doe-like ocean eyes blinked, she could have sworn that she saw something.... no it was just her imagination for as soon as she opened her eyes again it was gone.

On the other hand, a self-assured smirk curled on her lips but she quickly wiped it off of her face before she leaned forward and whispered an excuse to her mother and father. Raising to her feet the princess moved to leave the ballroom but just as she reached the foot of the stairs the thousands of candles held by the chandeliers were blown out in a collective snuff. All around the ballroom voices started as murmurs but then gasps and louder inquires began, all eyes turned towards the dais where the king and queen still sat. The princess rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath, “Cowards, a little bit of darkness won't kill you.”

Suddenly a loud scream pierced through the air just as servants had grabbed ladders to relight the chandeliers.

“My brooch! My diamond brooch is missing!” the woman screamed as if someone had just slit her throat rather than stolen a trinket.

Soon other cries came as men and women suddenly realized that they too were relived of their earthly treasures.

Glaring into the darkness she could easily see the form as it slunk from person to person, effortlessly slipping off their bejeweled decoration without them even noticing until they would reach up to touch their throat or suddenly feel less weight on their hands. It moved so swiftly that the form was invisible to the eyes of others but she on the other hand could not only see the form but knew that it's identity or at least the name of the phantom like creature.

Just as the “ghost” moved towards to make flee the princess defiantly stood blocking his path. Her blue eyes were literal chips of ice as she looked up at the figure holding a cloth bag filled with the jewelry. At first his eye amber eyes grew wide with surprise but he quickly covered it up with an arrogant smirk.

“So...you were lying.”

“What was I suppose to do? Tell you that I was a princess? Oh that would have been rich Yoko, a royal running alongside thieves,” she replied bitterly then slowly moved aside to let him pass by her.

Instead of just walking by he grabbed her right hand and slipped the missing ring onto her finger as if it was never absent in the first place.

“Keep it,” she replied shortly.

He laughed, “You should be grateful that I am letting you keep it. I am a thief your majesty it's not ethical in my business to return what I have stolen. Besides,” he raised her hand to his lips and kissed her ring finger.

A fine shutter ran through her spine, the sensation of his lips brushing her skin invoked too many feelings, not unwelcome but at the same time she knew that this conversation would lead to a place that she couldn't return to.

“I have to stay here,” she said quietly, “I am not the same person.”

“I haven't said anything about you coming back,” the kitsune thief replied. With a small sigh the princess withdrew her hand from his grasp.

“Then this is good-bye,” she whispered, disappointment clear in her tone.

He snorted but played along, “Good-bye, princess Ami.”

A blink of her eyes and he was gone, just like she had expected. While the chandeliers were relit she left the ballroom to retire to her rooms, away from the growing chaos and the growing noise of accusations.

Glancing around the alabaster halls she tried so hard to will thoughts of him out of her mind. He was a painful reminder of who she once was, of her mistakes that she was no atoning for, of a bitter give-and-take relationship that was a mockery of affection. Once she was forted between the familiar four walls of her room she quickly kicked off her shoes and threw herself onto her bed. Burying her face into the pillow her eyes grew wide as she realized the ring he had slid on her finger wasn't hers. Running a finger gently across it the ring of bright gold with a white diamond in the center suddenly crumbled to ashes in her hand.

At first she didn't know whether she felt shocked or angry but then an unexpected bubble of laughter escaped her throat.

She quelled her laughter, a small smile on her lips as she moved to close the windows to her balcony...the way he was able to enter the palace in the first place.

“Of course. It would have been a shame to have expected anything less from you Yoko.”

Notes: winces, I know it's crappy, but I just couldn't get it out of my head `wails' so go ahead and flame me but I'll still add chapters cause it won't get out of my head! It's times like this that I loathe writing --. Review if you like it, flame it if you hate it, want me to write more just ask but even if you don't I still will cause I am stubborn.