Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A Knight for Neptune ❯ Chapter 7

Rating: PG

Notes/Foreword: I use one made-up character in the story, Taylor. Taylor's original appearance was in my first fanfic, "A Knight for Uranus." After that, he started making at least some appearances in most of my Sailor Moon stories. During Silver Millennium, Taylor was one of the guardians of Princess Uranus. They began to fall in love with each other, but the relationship was cut off when Taylor had to leave to protect Queen Serenity and Sailor Uranus was forbidden to leave her post. This was the last she saw of him until both of them were reborn in present time. Soon after meeting Haruka, Taylor recovered his memories and they fell in love once again. Taylor is carefree and easy-going when he's civilian (he usually lets Haruka have her way whenever she wants). As a fighter, he is highly determined and won't go down easy. His major purpose is to help Sailor Uranus upgrade, but this only works for short intervals, like when Super Sailor Moon used the grail to upgrade. He has brown hair, hazel eyes, and enjoys watching races (go figure,) reading, and fishing.

Extra Notes: Okay, I'm finally off on spring break so *hopefully* the updates will come a little more often. (I was good this time, ne?) Thanks so much everyone, for following the story despite the big delays between chapters. We're coming towards the end, so I hope everyone is enjoying the plot thus far. I actually ended on a bit of a cliffhanger this time, but I've done worse. ^_^ Thank you again, and enjoy!

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A Knight for Neptune: Chapter 7
by Katrina Kadabra

The theme for the dance that evening greeted the two couples boldly as they approached the school building. "Spring Romance" read a large sign written in multi-colored magic marker and posted in the front window. Very chic, Michiru giggled to herself. As they walked inside, the hallways complimented the décor with a bright pastel colors of balloons, flowers, and streamers dangling from the ceiling. For some reason, the thought of her performance being only a short time away made Michiru nervous again, and she pulled her violin case closer to her side. She didn't know why she was so worked up. She'd done much bigger concerts than this before, and usually the student body loved her no matter what she did anyway. Perhaps there was something else making her apprehensive...

As Michiru's thoughts began to wander aimlessly again, she felt her elbow accidentally collide with someone else's.

"Please excuse me," she said flustered, as she glanced up to see who it was she had hit. As her eyes met his face, Michiru's apologetic persona fell, she wouldn't have been quite so sorry if she knew ahead of time who it was she had run into.

"Well, look who it is," he said sarcastically. "Little miss class queen herself. And who's this...?" He motioned his head towards the young man at her side. Nathan thought he recognized this person - Seth didn't hide his feelings of contempt towards Michiru's companion, nor his affection for Michiru herself.

"My date," Michiru said firmly, taking a hold of Nathan's arm, hoping it would make Seth get the idea and go away. Nathan felt his blood rush.

"Date?" Seth laughed. "Well, you must have been desperate to bring a geek like him with you. Didn't you hear that I was available?" He took a step closer to Michiru, but was quickly cut off by Haruka, who stepped in and glared angrily down at him.

"Back off," she ordered. "Don't you have something more useful to do?"

Seth didn't quite back off. Instead he looked suspiciously over Haruka's attire a drew another bitter smile.

"Now this I don't know what to say to," he remarked. "What's the matter, Haruka? Have a fight with a your girlfriend?"

Michiru wondered how Haruka would react to that, probably beat the guy senseless as she had promised earlier. But instead, Haruka was surprisingly calm and simply showed her fist, the knuckles cracking as she brought it precariously close to Seth's face.

"Don't make me use this," she warned. Seth held up his hands in defense. At least he was smart enough to know when he was outdone.

"Okay, okay, I'm going," he said. "But don't think I don't see through that pathetic guise of yours, Haruka Tenou. You'll always be trash to me." Haruka probably would have jumped on him for that one, but Michiru noticed Taylor's hand, gently holding her arm, calming her. Satisfied, Seth stepped back, sweeping past Michiru's hair as he left and whispering, "Save a dance for me." Then he was gone.

"Jerk," Haruka muttered, finally allowing Taylor to release her arm. "So help me, if I ever get him alone, he IS dead." She slammed her eager fist into the palm of her hand and then sighed.

"Is he always like that?" Nathan asked.

"Usaully," Michiru answered quietly. "He's been bothering Haruka and I ever we came here.

"Come on, we won't let him ruin our evening," Haruka said brightly. "Let's go."

Michiru nodded as they headed into the dance room, greeted by friends and familiar faces, including Usagi and the rest of the girls, along with their dates for the evening. Michiru noticed as they walked that Nathan was gripping her hand a touch stronger than he was before. What could have caused him to do that? Probably Seth had upset him, she concluded. Michiru had certainly seen the hair on the back of Haruka's neck standing up when Seth was coming onto her. Michiru could have kicked herself for that whole incident. There was Haruka, ready to bail her out of a tight situation as always. She felt so helpless, just like during the battle. Quietly, as almost without realizing it, Michiru whispered under her breath, "I should have said something."

Strange, as Michiru spoke, she could have sworn she heard the same words being murmured from Nathan as he held her arm. But there was no time to explore this further. The music in the room quietly faded as Aya walked onto the stage set in the back of the room and spoke into the microphone.

"Hi, everyone! I'm so glad you could all make it here tonight. We've got a special treat in store for you, so please put your hands together for our guest performer for the evening, Michiru Kaioh!"

Everyone cheered and the spotlight searched the audience until it landed on Michiru, who smiled at waved pleasantly.

"Guess I'd better go," she said to Nathan, holding up her violin. The young man nodded.

"Good luck, Michiru."

The cheers quietly down as Michiru made her way up the stage, the spotlight following her all the way. She had to lower the microphone just a touch, otherwise the violin music would sound far too harsh. Everything settled, Michiru took a deep breath and started to play.

The music starting of slowly and gracefully as Michiru began to breath life into the instrument in her hands. She drew out each note with a solemn tone, counting the beats silently in her mind. With every pass of the bow, the strings vibrated beneath her fingertips, pouring out their song to the listening ears of the audience. Now came the part in the song where Michiru had to speed up the tempo. Carefully... ease into it. Now, go! The music picked up and Michiru gave the bow short repetitive thrusts, flying between the four strings. She never lost her place, though. It was all too familiar. She was more likely to forget how to walk or speak. As the song ended with one strong note, Michiru allowed the bow to jump off the bar as she gracefully raised her hand into the air, holding the bow like a trophy. They audience roared their approval and Michiru took a bow. Nathan even initiated a standing ovation, which Haruka and Taylor followed very enthusiastically. Michiru stepped off the stage blushing just a bit.

"That was amazing," Nathan said, running up to her. "I never heard you play like that."

"Oh, don't flatter me," she said smiling. "You've heard me play countless times before."

"Well, it sounded especially beautiful tonight," he said. After Michiru had walked down, the DJ for the night walked up onto the stage and began to play some dance music, a lively and energetic song to start the evening off. Haruka and Taylor both looked expectably at each other and Taylor took Haruka into him arms. Nathan glanced shyly in Michiru's direction.

"I don't suppose you want to dance?" he asked. Michiru thought it over for a moment. Well, this was what she had come here for, so why not?

"Sure," she answered with a smile and took Nathan's arms.

The dance floor was a bit crowded, everyone wanted to get in on the first song of evening, not the mention the tune was energetic as well. But after a few minutes, the music began to slow down, the lights lowering just a tad to add to a more romantic atmosphere. The playful groups then backed away so the more serious couples to have some space to themselves. Michiru glanced over at Haruka and Taylor, who of course, went right on dancing, still holding each other passionately. Michiru sighed and started to pull away from Nathan until she realized to her shock, that he was still holding onto her, his eyes staring into space as if lost in a happy dream.

"Does he want me to slow dance with him?" Michiru thought to herself. She hadn't quite planned for this, and wasn't sure what everyone would make of it. "I suppose it would be alright," she concluded. She hadn't slow danced in a while anyway, she hoped at least she remembered how. As she moved back in closer towards him, Nathan turned his head and smiled at her. Michiru managed to return the gesture.

As they circled around, Michiru couldn't help but wonder what Nathan was thinking. His kindness and passion towards her seemed so genuine. Was he doing this just because he admired her? A lot of guys on the sidelines were probably ready to kill the one who had the nerve to share a dance with "their" Michiru Kaioh. Michiru had many admirers, enough to make her ill if she thought about it. All of them poured over her, as if possessed, telling her how beautiful she was, how well-mannered, how perfect. Of course they thought that, they only saw her at her peak, during her performances or occasionally walking home from school. They weren't in love with her, they were in love with a dream, an image they had constructed in their minds that just so happened to resemble her. It was for this reason that Michiru had stopped paying any attention to her "adoring" fans some time ago. But Nathan... Nathan was different. Moving across the dance floor, feeling his gentle and caring touch, Michiru could sense it. He wasn't just here as a fan or an admirer, though she was sure he was both of those as well. He was here as a friend, a young man who might, just might, have genuine feelings for Michiru herself, and not her limelight counterpart.

"What am I thinking?" Michiru asked herself. "I can't let myself do this. If I let him get close to me... what do I think will come out of it? Some childish romance, I suppose." She looked in to Nathan's eyes and he looked back at her.

Michiru felt her heart starting race, just like it had been all evening. Only now she didn't have the excuse of her upcoming concert to fall back on. Could it possibly be...?

Just then, from the opposite corner of the dance floor could be heard a girl shrieking. And after that, a large explosion that opened up a rather gaping hole in the ceiling as a woman with pale skin and long blonde hair floated in through the entrance she had made.

"Well, how was that for an entrance?" she asked. The students began running a panic for the exit.

"No!" Michiru thought to herself. "What are they doing here now?"