Tales of the Dreamworld, 4th Night - The Labyrinth's Tale
Rated R


	Enigma: (n) 2. an inexplicable circumstance, event 
	  or occurrence; an unsolved problem; mystery  3. a 
	  person not readily understood; one that exhibits 
	  an incomprehensible mix of opposite qualities

				-Webster's 3rd International Dictionary


	Just as every life possesses an instance that can be brought to life in 
words, the event becomes a chapter in a book, a story for others to gaze 
upon and be swallowed whole within the realm.
	A realm beyond the waking hours, forged from the magik of a 
thousand dreamers and their dreams. Within every soul lies a story to tell, 
each event a tale to give unto others.
	These tales, both surreal and sensual, are but a few of many 
chapters in a world given breath by a creator. Her name is Naoko 
Takeuchi. The people and their lives are of her heart and soul. They belong 
in her embrace. But the masquerade wraith and his eternal ballroom dance 
belong to another, and it is of my skin and soul. I embrace his masquerade 
and its silent labyrinth as my own children.
	I ask that none may steal any of them away from their creators. The 
world of the Moon Princess and her royal court belong to Naoko 
Takeuchi. Their hearts and souls belong to her; they are a part of her 
stories. But palace floating above a silver ocean is a part of my own story. 
Milady Naoko's princesses belong in their castles beyond the moon, and my 
masquerading lovers belong within the ballroom inside our dreams. 
	One of honour does not become a petty thief; I ask for your 
requests if you wish my raven angels to wander into other worlds and other 
stories.

	-His lordship Chaos  (hislordshipchaos@hotmail.com)



	The burning fire shakes in the night,
	  On high her silver candles gleam,
	With far-flung arms enflamed with light,
	  The trees are lost in dream.

	Come in thy beauty! 'tis my love,
	  Lost in far-wandering desire
	Hath in the darkling deep above
	  Set stars and kindled fire.

				-Walter de la Mare, "Invocation"


	Out in the distance there lies an ancient floating palace, a citadel 
hovering above the waves and waters of a deep and silver ocean. I can see 
the palace now from these sandy shores, a mere silhouette in the distance. 
It was these shores that found the dark-haired shrine girl amidst my 
wanderings. But that is another story, another tale to be told perhaps later 
or perhaps never again.
	Sometimes the line between fantasy and reality is blurred to the 
point where it does not exist. The Dreamworld in itself is proof of that, but 
holds its own boundaries of what is real and what is illusion. As a master of 
the art, I know of the soul who resides inside this floating palace. He is of 
the mysterious labyrinth and of the deceiving masks, woven perfectly into 
the eternal masquerade ball within those walls. But masks are not eternal, 
and will one day come off. Only then can we decipher between what is real 
and what is illusion.
	Of who it is we truly love.
	Of what it is we truly fear.
	Let me tell you a story....


	THE LABYRINTH'S TALE
	

	All around her lights seemed to glitter, as if all the stars in the sky 
had been captured and gathered here to be woven into a fabric of diamond 
gemstones.
	Slowly she walked down the large, spiral stairs that led into the 
sprawling ballroom. Arches and pillars adorned with statues of curving 
dragons and leaping dolphins were scattered across the expansive marble 
floor. Silver drapes were suspended in the air overhead, pillars and columns 
and archways decorating the ballroom everywhere she turned her eyes.
	Her eyes turned upwards, to the circular walls around her. In 
behind they were solid and firm up until the ceiling. These led deeper into 
the heart of the castle. And yet as they curved around to the far side of the 
ballroom, they became arches upon arches, both gothic and beautiful, a 
row of snowy white cut with a row of marble black.
	From these curved gateways a pale crescent moon shone into the 
grand room, its reflection bouncing off the ocean waves that only 
disappeared when the edge of the horizon was reached. Gentle ocean 
breezes flowed through, playing the ends of her sapphire gown. Laces and 
ruffles of overlapping crystal blue and ocean blue trailed down over her 
shoulders and at her feet. She could still feel the petals of the violet orchid 
touch her bangs of hair which, in the moonlight, shone a pale blue tint.
	She sighed. "It is beautiful," she admitted.
	But it was not for her. Such a place was for those down in the 
centre of the ballroom: those who were dressed in rich and flowing, 
opulent gowns, those wearing masks of a masquerade and dancing with 
another. She had come alone, and would leave alone. This was not a place 
for her to be, and yet once again she found herself drawn here. But why? 
What could she possibly find here that would give her a reason to dance, to 
thrill with the masquerade?
	And then she saw the shadow. 
	His shadow.
	He was high atop the arches encircling the ballroom, up at the 
second level of black marble. Seated against the inner curvature, he leaned 
against the firm structure, an arm propped up on one knee, his other leg 
dangling lazily over the edge. His suit was exotic and dark, black and 
formal. An enormous cloak was at his back, jade green beneath an outer 
wall of starless night.
	She felt her heart pound a little harder inside her ribcage. 
Something seemed to flood into her body. This couldn't be--was she 
feeling...excitement?
	"You...." she whispered.
	From high above the young man smiled playfully, and then leaned 
forward. His body toppled over the edge, dropping towards the marble 
floor. And yet as he fell there was the grace of a bird of prey, as if he were 
gliding on the winds, his cloak wrapping and overlapping around him.
	The suit and cloak, and thus the young man beneath them, were 
swallowed up by the others. A crowd of dancers and masks, twirling and 
twisting, laughing and drinking, lost in the gaze and smiles of each other. 
Plummage and colours, sparkling gemstones and fiery bodypaint flashed 
past her in a blur of exotic costumes, silken suits and fine garments.
	Her hand gripped the banister of the stairs. All these guises; how 
would she find him? This was a new sensation to her, living for the thrill of 
the hunt. But what was she hunting? Why was she hunting?
	It couldn't be that she found him...attractive. 
	It simply couldn't be that. 
	His face had been hidden in the shadows when he looked down at 
her with that smile. But his eyes: a pair of brilliant jade green eyes had 
stared at her with such a dangerous charm. "This must be a dream," she 
said quietly to herself. "I'm in the Dreamworld. But why here? Why this 
place?"
	She stepped down one stair, and then the next. It was time to take 
a chance, for that strange dancer had the answers she wanted. Within five 
steps of reaching the end of the stairs she was engulfed and in the thick of 
the masquerade dancers. 
	The sensation as she cut through the fevered couples was electric, 
her body starting tingle as she felt their emotions become hers. A bonding 
of auras and magik, brought about by such a large number of lovers 
dancing here together. She was starting to feel uneasy as her body started 
to grow warm but flustered.
	She turned, and saw a figure stealthily cut through the crowd of 
masked dancers. All she caught sight of was his dark suit and billowing 
cloak disappear behind a set of parading facades.
	For a moment it had appeared as if he was watching her.
	She moved through the ranks, searching for the young man behind 
the mask. She was oblivious to his presence as she passed him by. He was 
beside her for a moment, masked and leaning against the shoulders of a 
female dancer. A dark smile crossed his lips as she pushed past him, 
unaware that he was right beside her.
	Locks of straight and long, dark hair the colour of earthen-brown 
dangled around his eyes and draped past his shoulders, the remainder 
caught up and gathered together in a long and thick braid trailing down his 
waist. She never had a chance to fully see him save a glimpse as she 
glanced back. A smile pulled at his lips once more, and then he was gone as 
a dancer passed in front of him.
	Her eyes fell upon a couple dancing and laughing together, lost in 
each other's gazes. A tall brunette with a simple sparkling emerald eye 
mask and a young man with a long, dark braid, and a face hidden behind a 
mask of raven's feathers that stretched out like wings. For a moment she 
could have sworn she recognized those two dancers in the corner.
	She shook her head. "So familiar...." she mused to herself. She was 
unaware that as she thought the tall brunette and the raven angel's gazes 
now became focused on her. When she returned to watching the ballroom 
dancers, the couple had disappeared amidst the blur of gowns and facades.
	The tension in the air around her was growing almost unbearable. 
Her entire body was aroused in excitement, a foreign passion arising within 
her. "No," she whispered, calming herself. "It's just from the magik of the 
dancers. It's not from me. It's not...from me."
	An opening formed and she ducked through, breaking past the 
masquerade in the centre of the expansive ballroom. The outer rings of the 
enormous room were devoted to candelit tables and guised couples holding 
hands, engaged in quiet whispers and kisses.
	For a split second she could have sworn she saw him seated at a 
table, leaning back in a chair, the third party as two masked lovers moved 
closer and kissed. But he vanished once more, a literal wraith in her eyes.
	Was she just chasing a ghost?
	Her eyes darted over to the bar following the curve of the 
ballroom, the long and polished, black marble countertop almost 
completely filled with stocks of wine glasses waiting to be filled. In behind 
were exqusitely-shaped vials and bottles with contents waiting to fill the 
empty wine glasses. The liquids inside glowed of crimson waters. Behind a 
clear part of the counter, the suited bartender enjoyed the masquerade.
	The bartender seemed to be the only one here who was like her: 
without a companion, without a lover. Without someone who she could 
kiss, feel the warmth of their skin against hers--
	She shook her head. "Baka," she muttered. "It's the dancers."
	But regardless, she was starting to feel herself panic. These 
sensations were new and she didn't like it. This was not a place for her to 
be. She didn't want to be here.
	So then why hadn't she left this masquerade? 
	And as she turned once more she found her answer. Her heart 
seemed to beat fiercely upon seeing him standing there at the base of the 
curving stairs. His face was hidden behind the guise of a living ocean. 
	It was the mask of many waters, somehow rippling and catching 
rays of moonlight atop the crests. He had possessed the ocean within this 
mask, and now it was existing in a realm all of its own creation. Down the 
left cheek were kanji characters in bold crimson, unwavering to the oceans 
behind them. They stated in silence: meikyu. 
	Labyrinth.
	The folds of his black suit and equally dark cloak seemed to ripple 
without the winds calling them. They sparkled and shone with a magik all 
of their own. Senses reacting to his garments, unlike any she had ever seen; 
she could feel the danger as if she could feel the lining.
	The wraith turned his head and for a moment stared out at the 
ocean waters beyond the rows of open arches. His vision returned to the 
masquerade, and he stepped into the thick of the ballroom dancers. He 
seemed to move with them all, gliding effortlessly and cutting through each 
dancing couple. With each step he drew closer to her, his eyes never 
leaving her.
	She felt herself being pulled in, walking into the bubbling heat of a 
hotspring. Eyes of piercing jade waters seemed flood around her body. Half 
of her wanted to back away, to escape. The rest took control and let her 
stay, wanting to be submerged into his eyes.
	Two steps from her was when he stopped. Fingers reached for his 
mask, and then pulled it apart from his face. With agonizing hesitation he 
slowly slid it aside to reveal one of those piercing jade eyes. But the rest of 
his face was hidden in the mask and the shadow cast with its angle.
	"Mizuno Ami," she heard him whisper. But his lips neither parted 
nor moved. He had spoken without saying a word. And she could see the 
corner of his lips curve into another smile. Dark, dangerous, and alluring.
	Her eyes widened at the sound of her name. Her heart beat faster, 
her body flooded with an incredible sensation. Breathing quickened, 
thoughts raced.
	"I know you," she said quietly. "I know you...."
	With one final step he came closer until they were almost cheek 
against cheek. His one hand never left the mask that still hid his face in 
shadows; the other hand reached for the end of his cloak and threw it 
around them both.
	She gasped as the night seemed to fall upon her, smooth like black 
silk yet as electric as a midnight kiss. And then she surrendered to the 
beckoning of her world.
	As the waking hours called her back, she could still see the 
silhouette of the familiar stranger watching her go. His exotic laughter 
somehow thrilled her spirit as it echoed past her.
	"Mizuno Ami...we shall meet again."


	Her eyes were open as the alarm clock in her bedroom sounded. 
December sunlight was trickling in through the curtains shrouding her 
bedroom window. She sat up in bed, stretching and then silencing the 
alarm.
	The curtains were drawn back and she squinted at the light pouring 
in. A row of birds were perched just on the edge of the sill, turning as they 
heard her stirring on the other side of the glass.
	Abruptly they all flew off in a brilliant fury of wings and feathers, a 
cloud of blue and white taking flight. Out beyond them was a sky plagued 
with scattered billows of grey clouds. Perhaps it would snow today. 
Perhaps tomorrow.
	It did not matter; snow was snow. Nothing like the sight of 
moonlight reflection off the rippling waves of an ocean. Carefully she 
placed her palm against the glass, staring out at the girl staring back in the 
reflection. She looked the same, as unchanged as always, yet there was 
something she could see within her eyes that was troubling.
	There was a desire. But a desire for what? 
	Forgotten images were but a brief blur as they flashed past her 
mind's eye. Colours, lights, laughter. Nothing else, except the confusion 
that one had when they awoke from a curious world within a curious 
slumber.
	"I had the strangest dream," she said quietly to herself. "But then 
why can't I remember it?"
	For days on end, now becoming two weeks, this had been the 
cycle. She would awaken with a tingling all over her body from the 
Dreamworld's magik, but could not recall the dream she had walked 
through.
	This was not the sensations she felt when the others...made love to 
their soulmates. She blushed at the thought, chiding herself. This was no 
time to be thinking about such thoughts; academics were her priority. To 
become a doctor meant dedication. Romance didn't matter...did it?
	She could hear the winds moan from the outside world; it was 
going to be tempestuous out today. Sighing, she lowered her hand from the 
windowpane.
	"Mizuno Ami," the winds whispered in a distant voice. Her eyes 
widened; from another time, maybe even another life, she knew that voice.
	She paused, staring out past her reflection, out towards the city of 
Tokyo. But there was nothing more than the winds she heard.
	"It must be my mind playing tricks on me," she muttered 
regretfully. Why now, when she had come so far through school and now 
into high school?
	She glanced at her calendar. "December fifth," she read. "Mako-
chan's birthday."
	A party had already been planned; no one could do the catering as 
good as the tall brunette, and no one wanted to spoil a potentially romantic 
moment between the tall brunette and the raven angel by walking in 
unexpectedly.
	That was in good time later today.
	But the time on her clock was passing by with surprising speed. It 
was indeed the weekend, but she still had priorities. And a place to be 
within a few hours from now. Moments in between could be taken to 
study, to forget this fluttering in her heart and soul.
	A chance to bury this excitement.
	She needed a bath to clear her mind.


	The clean waters rippled as she dipped in her fingers to test the 
temperature. It was warm, very warm indeed. Just what she needed to 
relax--along with a good book. Delving into her studies was the best way 
to forget about all that troubled her.
	With a gentle sigh, sunlight from the window coming down to 
result upon her form, she undid her robe and let it fall to the floor. Hair 
clipped up, a dry towel right beside the bathtub, she raised a foot and 
stepped into the waters.
	"Kimochi," she sighed aloud, settling into the tub. 
	The waters were soothing indeed.
	Adjusting her glasses she tried to concentrate on the words within 
the book. They told her of ancient civilizations and of complex equations 
that fascinated her, yet today she found her focus lost.
	Instead the sparkling waters of the tub captured her attention. She 
froze as something seemed to catch the rays of the morning sun in the 
ripples of her bath water: a mask...a face...two jade green eyes staring out 
at her.
	Another image flashed in front of her, of an enormous ballroom 
with masked dancers--something out of a dream. And not just any dream, 
but her dream, the dream the she was awaking to every morning now.
	"Baka," she scolded herself. "Dreams shouldn't be doing this to 
you."
	And yet she could not deny that this was no mere dream. She was 
walking within that world, a gift given only to a priveleged few like her 
friends. But where in the Dreamworld had she been as of recently?
	Once she had recalled nights filled with incredible memories that 
stirred her heart for days long after. Now the dreams she found herself in 
were forgotten with awakening. Could she have lost touch with the 
walking dreamers? Or was she wanting to forget about her visits to the 
Dreamworld? If that was the case, then something or someone must have 
really given her a reason for escaping.
	She sighed, forgetting about the book and leaning against the cool 
ceramic frame of the tub. The warm waters were lapping all around her 
skin. The book was closed and set aside, discarded.
	Her mind was starting to race in fevered pitch the more she thought 
about the Dreamworld, about dangerous eyes of jade. And the more she 
thought, the more memories she uncovered. It had been a masquerade ball, 
grand and like something out of the ancient Moon Kingdom.
	And the oceans: the ocean possessed within the mask of the young 
stranger. A mask marked by the labyrinth. Then there was the oceans out 
beyond the ballroom, seen between the rows of arches that curved around 
the grand palace. So much like the Sea of Serenity.
	She suddenly wanted to be there again more than anything else, to 
be swimming in the waters. No, not cool waters; a hotspring, someplace 
with steam and heated romance. Her breath quickened with the motions of 
the water. She barely even aware of what was taking on life.
	Her own magik gave her power over this elemental, and now it 
was responding to her silent commands. The bathwater started to steam, 
growing hotter now, curving up her body. Waves caressed her chest and 
shoulders, flowed through her legs and waist. It felt like a lover's touch, 
warm and arousing. Her breathing became flustered, her voice a mere 
whimper. The steam was starting to collect in droplets on her reading 
glasses, the lenses blurred.
	No longer content to simply sit, her hands started to move and 
caress with the waters, fingers tracing every contour of her body. Far away 
in some recess at the back of her mind, she could hear a whispered plea to 
stop. But it was only a dying voice, and the pounding of her heart drowned 
out the whisper.
	Her skin tingled incredibly, warm water rushing past her and 
flowing all around her. She seemed to melt under a liquid caress that 
touched her lips, her breasts, her thighs. She moaned softly, more urgently. 
Something was building up inside of her, electric energy causing her entire 
body to shiver in desire. Holding it back was growing more difficult as the 
water seemed to wrap around her with a bubbling kiss.
	The floodgates broke, and a surge of exhilaration flowed through 
her entire body, radiating out and touching every last nerve. Her legs flexed 
and trembled, mind lost within the rapture. Everything came to life within 
her, and for a moment that enigmatic ocean mask was lost to the host of 
the masquerade.
	"Me...i...kyu," she whispered, her eyes half closed. 
	Something inside of her snapped as she spoke his name. And she 
snapped out of her reverie, the dream coming to a crashing halt. She sat up 
in the tub, the water now glistening from her body while her body now 
glistened from the water. She trembled, though the emotions were opposite 
to what they were moments ago.
	She suddenly felt uncertain, changed in some way. This was all too 
foreign, all too new to her. All too dangerous. What would the others think 
if they knew? She felt alone in the vast world of the waking hours, naked 
and wet and frightened.
	What was happening to her?
	Why was she feeling this way?
	"Baka," she whispered, on the verge of tears. "Baka. Baka! 
BAKA!!"


	There was a chill in the sweeping winds today, the air growing 
colder into the winter season. Soon it would snow, the ambience giving 
way to cuddling next to a roaring fire with the one you loved. She shook 
her head, brushing the thought aside. She had no time for that. And what's 
more, she resignedly and cautiously admitted, she had no one to sit next to 
before that roaring fire.
	A part of her was still trembling over the morning's bath. She had 
been so overcome that it frightened her. But what else could be done? 
Once again the feelings were buried deep within her heart. That had been a 
moment of weakness. Never again would she let that happen.
	She would not feel so alone again.
	She would not let anyone in.
	"Ami-chan?" a concerned voice asked. "Daijobu?"
	Abruptly she returned to the Shinto shrine, and the room beneath 
the roofs of its buildings. 
	"Ami-chan?" the odango-haired blonde pressed again, seated next 
to the dark-haired prince.
	She nodded, hiding her real emotions. It was safer this way. Safer 
for them and safer for her.
	"Ne, where's Sora?" asked the long-haired blonde. "He's not 
usually late."
	"Sora's always concerned whether or not he's getting the right gift," 
the raven knight said with a wry grin. "You never want to go shopping 
with him. He's even worse than Minako-chan."
	Kishi got elbowed in the side for that.
	They all were gathered together around the low-standing table save 
the raven angel, who was soon to arrive with the tall brunette's present. 
The guest of honour remained in behind the stack of wrapped boxes, 
smiling at them all. A place next to her was reserved for Sora.
	The odango-haired blonde and the dark-haired prince were on the 
couch, one leaning against the other. In front of them, kneeling before the 
table, were the long-haired blonde and the raven knight. Directly across the 
table from the tall brunette were the dark-haired shrine girl and the shrine 
protege, hands clasped on the tabletop.	
	She was the only one feeling left out of place, one side devoted to 
her and her alone. No friends, no companions, no lover. The tension right 
then seemed more intense, and the memories of the morning came back.
	Her blue eyes darted over to the fusama as it quietly slid open and 
the latecomer slipped through. "Do you know what day it is?" the raven 
angel whispered into the tall brunette's ear. 
	The young woman gave a smug grin. "A day like any other day, 
Sora-chan."
	"Not just a mere day," Sora answered. "This is the day I celebrate 
life reborn to me, captured in your eyes."
	With a gentle hand he placed a small box wrapped in an emerald 
bow in the tall brunette's lap. "For you, Mako-chan. Don't open it until 
later."
	"Oh come on!" the long-haired blonde said. "Anticipating death 
always leads to worse stomach ulcers!"
	"That's 'anticipation of death is far worse that death itself', Milady," 
the raven knight corrected with a weary sigh. "Have you ever gotten a 
quote right in your entire life?"
	"Kishi!" The long-haired blonde playfully jabbed Kishi's side with 
an elbow again.
	"This is borderline abuse, you know," the raven knight said with a 
smirk.
	"Come on!" the odango-haired blonde exclaimed. "Open it, Mako-
chan! Maybe it's food! Maybe it's chocolates!"
	"The present is for Mako-chan, Usagi--not for you," the dark-
haired shrine girl stated. "Baka."
	"Don't be so mean, Rei-chan!" the odango-haired blonde pouted.
	She smiled as she watched all her friends excitedly talk with each 
other. For so long she had been alone, without friends. But ever since she 
had met the odango-haired blonde everything had changed. That had been 
the day she discovered her destiny as a longlost soldier. But what had that 
magik given her recently? Only questions in dreams and hesitation in 
awakening.
	"Why not open it now?" the tall brunette exclaimed, starting with 
the bow.
	"Mako-chan," the raven angel cautioned, beautiful face starting to 
blush.
	"It's not going to hurt if we see it now, will it?" the tall brunette 
remarked.
	Sora cast an uneasy glance at them all. "Ano...."
	With a final tug on the bow, the tall brunette flipped open the lid 
and stared down at the gift inside, eyes widening and cheeks turning a 
bright red. "I can't show this to my friends!" the tall brunette exclaimed 
amidst a fit of nervous giggles and laughter.
	"Let me see! Let me see!" the long-haired blonde said, leaning over 
and plucking the gift from its box. The long-haired blonde's jaw dropped as 
they all stared at the piece of dark and provocative negligee.
	Everyone's eyes seemed to become wider.
	"S-sugoi," the odango-haired blonde managed to stammer out.
	"Interesting," Kishi remarked, looking to the raven angel. "I never 
would have expected you to be so risque, Sorata." Sora shot Kishi a dark 
glare. The raven knight nudged the long-haired blonde. "Remind you of 
any recent birthday presents, Milady?"
	The long-haired blonde blushed and giggled nervously. "Urusai, Ki-
chan!"
	She could feel her entire body start to heat up, growing flushed 
with shy embarrassment. The waters of the bath seemed to pale in 
comparison now, and for a moment she accepted what she had done. 
Maybe even liked it. Maybe even wanted to experience it again....
	The black form of the negilee caught the dying sunlight, and flashed 
in her eyes. And in that moment she suddenly caught sight of the silhouette 
of a masked stranger, a black tuxedo and cloak fluttering with the folds of 
negligee.
	She blinked, turning away. No, it was only a dream. Nothing more, 
and thus nothing more to think about. The bath had been one thing; the 
dream was altogether different. One had not come out of the other.
	"Sorry we're late, little girls," came a new voice.
	They all turned as a pair of young yet mature women walked 
through the open sliding partition, one with sandy-blonde hair, the other 
with long, wavy aqua-green hair.
	"Haruka-san! Michiru-san!" the tall brunette exclaimed, a smile 
growing with the sight of the two women.
	"I see someone has taste in their presents," the tall, sandy-blonde 
remarked with a wicked grin upon seeing the negligee.
	"When was the last time you got something like that for me?" the 
aqua-haired woman replied playfully.
	Both Sora and the tall brunette turned new shades of pink, the tall 
brunette stuffing the negligee back into its box. "A little later tonight, Sora-
chan," the tall brunette quickly whispered afterwards.
	And the celebration of eighteen years lived by the tall brunette 
began. The last one of them to turn this age and yet the first one of them to 
experience the wonders of the Dreamworld. 
	She moved over as the tall, sandy blonde and the aqua-haired 
woman sat down next to her in front of the table. She found herself looking 
at the couples around the room. The only single girl there, she felt more left 
out now than ever before.
	As always, the conversations turned to romance and boyfriends--
something she always found herself blushing shyly through. Except now it 
was ever moreso awkward; everyone else had a boyfriend. Granted Haruka 
and Michiru were unique, but Haruka was tomboyish enough to be seen as 
a guy. They all had mistaken the tall, sandy-blonde for a boy in their first 
encounter.
	"What about you, Ami-chan?" the long-haired blonde inquired. 
"You're the last one here to get a boyfriend."
	"Didn't you promise yourself to find a guy once you got into high 
school?" the tall brunette teased.
	She found herself blushing furiously. "I--er, that is...." she stuttered. 
Shimatta; of all the times for her mind to suddenly shut down. 
	"I'm surprised you haven't met someone in the Dreamworld yet," 
the aqua-haired woman remarked. "That seems to be the trend with you 
girls here."
	The masquerade dancer: that young man in black. Her eyes 
widened as his image seemed to catch her vision from a shadow, once 
again only half his face revealed as his head turned towards her. Such a 
dangerous smile he wore.
	She quickly shook her head at the question. "Iie. No one in the 
Dreamworld," she lied. But was she really lying?
	She noted how everyone was slightly dejected at her answer. The 
odango-haired blonde seemed a little more disappointed than the others, 
sighing in exasperation.
	"What are we going to do with you, Ami-chan?" the dark-haired 
shrine girl said.
	The tall sandy-blonde whispered something into the aqua-haired 
woman's ear, which elicited a demure chuckle in response. "Ara, Haruka, if 
you so insist."
	"What?" the shrine protege inquired. 
	"I'll tell you later," the aqua-haired woman replied with a smile. 
"When we tango."
	She glanced around the room as everyone seemed to share a 
knowing expression. If she wasn't so preoccupied with her own dreams, 
she might have understood that something was going on behind her back.
	But all she could find herself drifting to were thoughts of a living 
ocean trapped within a mask, and an enigmatic wraith who drifted between 
dancers in a grand ballroom. But his name--what was it?
	She had uttered it once, in the afterglow.
	If only she could remember....


	Music played on in the background, a raging symphony for the 
dancers. Yet while she was moved by the music, she did not move with it. 
This still did not seem to be her place.
	She found herself once more walking down those curving stairs 
that led into the grand masquerade, continuing its midnight rampage while 
beyond it the waves of the ocean still rolled past. The sparkling silver 
caught moonbeams everywhere she turned. Dancers were swirling about in 
a feverous pace tonight, laughing and revelling in their celebration. 
	Folds of deep ocean and shimmering crystal blue rustled with each 
step she took. Her eyes wer searching once more for a familiar stranger. All 
she found were couples.
	A young female dancer with long dark hair stared up at a young 
man. Just like all the others, they were masked: the dark-haired one 
wearing facepaint of raging flames down one cheek that somehow merged 
into a mask hiding violet eyes, the young man wearing a shining golden 
eyemask almost hidden by long bangs of brown hair. They were both 
deeply absorbed with each other.
	"Yuichiro," she thought she heard the dark-haired girl whisper to 
the young man, yet with all the laughter and the dim of the masquerade she 
couldn't be even remotely certain.
	She turned away, her eyes looking for someone else. She never 
saw the dancers slowly turn her way and smile before being swallowed up 
by the other people.
	"Where are you?" she whispered quietly. By this time she had 
usually caught at least a single glimpse of the strange wraith.
	And then she saw the rippling ocean waters trapped within a mask, 
bearing the kanji for labyrinth. Long strands of earthen brown hair trailed 
around the mask, and within the waves she could see two jade eyes staring 
back.
	Her heartbeat quickened, startling if not frightening her. 
	"He must know how I can get out," she whispered, trying to calm 
herself. This was strictly professional, one dreamer to another. It had 
nothing to do with...with his eyes.
	That familiar sensation started to creep through her body, warm 
like the steam rising up from a hotspring on a cool night. She held her 
breath, trying to calm the fierce beating of her heart.
	And then he was gone, a stare and smile in her direction before a 
twirling couple passed between them. It was only for a second, but it was 
all he required, for he was gone once more. She pushed through the thick 
of the dancers until she came out from the masquerade and found not a 
trace of him.
	She sighed, stepping back. Hands reached behind and found 
something solid; she had walked into the counter of the bar.
	"Something for the lady, perhaps?" a voice inquired.
	She looked up and saw the bartender standing before her: a young 
man, tall and dressed in a dark suit jacket and white shirt, shades hiding his 
own eyes.
	"No, thank you," she said politely. 
	The bartender grinned. "Didn't think you were the kind to drink, 
anyways," he remarked, raising a personal glass of red wine to her. 
"However, alcohol is not the only thing served here. If you're thirsty, just 
make a request."
	She noticed that there was something visibly different, setting the 
bartender apart from the others in the masquerade. Not his duty, but his 
face--and the fact that she could see it.
	"Where is your mask?" she asked.
	The young man sipped the wine. "I am my own mask, if you will 
permit me to be so cryptic. But since I'm only behind the bar, I don't really 
need as fancy a charade as the others. My shades do the task nicely. What 
about you?"
	She blinked. "Excuse me?"
	"You're also without a mask. What are you here for then, if not to 
dance in the masquerade?"
	She could feel herself getting flustered. Dancing was not on her 
mind, and this place was not for her. So then why had she come at all?
	"I...I'm looking for someone," she answered.
	Her eyes darted to the dancers in the central area, and once more 
she caught sight of the elusive wraith, that dark suit and cloak passing 
between masqueraders.
	She pushed away from the bar, moving towards the parading 
ballroom dancers. She had to see him again, to try to find the face behind 
the mask, and the eyes that she so longed to gaze into.
	So fierce was her determination that she never even noticed the 
soul she was searching for walk up to the bar not two steps behind her. 
With a smile he watched her move around the ballroom dancers, and then 
cut through the thick of the crowd.
	"I hope you find what you're looking for, Ami-chan," the Wanderer 
said quietly, crystal blue eyes behind the shades glancing over to the dark-
haired shrine girl. With a sigh, the bartender returned to the duties behind 
the counter.
	She still continued in her search, and once again saw a glistening 
tuxedo and cloak of darkness ripple, moving in behind a pillar. And then 
there was a shadow walking beneath an archway that led into an 
antechamber.
	Something deep down begged her to remain inside the ballroom; as 
dangerous as it was, this grand palace was far more safer than in the 
corridors of whatever was built along with it. But she found herself unable 
to stay. A strange fluttering of her heart and soul seemed to lead her 
forward.
	The archway soon was behind instead of before her, and she found 
herself walking through grand corridors of more arches and balconies that 
overlooked the ocean waters. Here it was quieter, not as rowdy as the 
celebration within the ballroom. Couples were talking softly to one another 
and sharing moments of passion and intimacy through whispers, kisses and 
laughter.
	Large bubbling fountains ran down the middle of the corridor, 
adding to the atmosphere of this newfound place. She caught a glimpse of 
living oceans at the corner, disappearing behind the fountain spout. 
	Another couple were seated next to the fountain, just on the stone's 
edge. The young lady was leaning back, hand tracing ripples in the crystal 
blue waters, eyes hidden beneath an eyemask that glittered like a thousand 
stars in a midnight sky. Tresses of long blonde hair flowed out past the 
mask. A smile came to the long-haired blonde's face as a small, sandy-
coloured dragon hopped onto the folds of the sparkling night dress.
	"Suna!" the young man said, shooing the playful creature aside. 
"Let her be for the moment. You will have plenty of time to frolick with 
Milady later."
	The young man, dressed in black robes and crimson cloak, wearing 
a mask that resembled the grey, sloping skull of a dragon or some other 
large reptile or beast, clasped hands with the long-haired blonde.
	She turned away as the two passionately kissed. She could feel her 
own cheeks flush, her body starting to tingle once more. What was this 
feeling, and why did it suddenly have to start now? Her rationale faultered 
for a moment; she knew this feeling, of when her friends and their 
Dreamworld lovers were sharing magik.
	Why now of all times?
	She felt too vulnerable here within this palace at the edge of the 
ocean, with lovers and dancers and facades all spinning around her. Her 
breathing became erratic out of fear and arousal; she had to get out, but 
was unsure how to escape this Dreamworld itself. 
	The folds of her dress billowed out around her as she turned in 
every direction, trying to to panic and not succeeding very well. And then 
her vision found an arched doorway that led away from both the corridor 
and the masquerade. She ran for it, though not swiftly due to her dress.
	The archway opened up to a case of descending stairs, which she 
followed. Another room opened up and she found herself staring at an 
ocean closer now than before. She couldn't help but smile at the peace she 
found while staring at the waves. There was another set of descending 
stairs and again she followed them.
	She reached the end of halls and rooms with ceilings and walls. 
Now she found herself with an open sky over her head. Slowly she turned 
and saw the palace towering above her, glistening silver stones flawlessly 
woven together to form walls and rooms and towers and balconies. The 
face of the rock resembled sloping cliffs and she was unable to tell if the 
castle had been built around them, or if the rocks had been built around the 
palace. 
	The courtyard where she stood was empty save for her. 
Glimmering cobblestones were beneath her feet as beautifully carved 
railings curved around the edge of the world. She walked over to the 
railing and peered over the side.
	Her sight was met with air and below that water; this entire place 
was floating, hovering over the ocean's surface. "Sugoi," she found herself 
whispering.
	"Do you wish to leave this place?" asked a strange voice.
	She whirled, startled. But it came from below, where at the base of 
curving stairs a small trimaran was moored to a narrow platform in the 
water.
	"Do you wish to leave this palace?" the boatman asked again, 
looking up. And yet she could not see his face or eyes, for they were 
hidden beneath a dark, hooded robe.
	The tides of passion swept through her body again; another pair of 
lovers were together now in full magik. If she remained here any longer, 
she didn't know what might happen.
	Her blue eyes focused on the boatman and she nodded. 
	She moved down the small staircase, watching the rock slowly tilt 
downwards until it was but a few inches above the lapping waves of the 
ocean. The boatman reached out a hand and helped her onto the first hull 
of the trimaran, instructing her to sit wherever she wanted as he untied the 
boat from its moorings. She chose the far left tarpaulin, sitting down atop 
the netted canvas and drawing her knees to her breasts. The boatman kept 
to the stern of the trimeran, and with a wave of his hand the sails suddenly 
came to life and the vessel was off.
	The night was blue if not a violet that resembled shades of black. A 
cloudless night save the few vapour mists lazily trailing past the brilliant full 
moon. Its glow was almost too bright to look at, the dark spots readily 
visible to the naked eye. From here she could see the shadow of the rabbit.
	That was once the odango-haired blonde's homeworld. Once a 
long time ago, in another life. She couldn't help but smile as the feelings left 
her, and she felt at peace with this ocean world. 
	A glance back confirmed that the palace and its rock foundation 
were indeed floating over the water's surface, drifting almost like a petal in 
the wind. Yet already it was but a shadow in the distance, the trimaran 
making incredible speed but without a furious tempest at her face.
	This had to be magik.
	"Not many souls have come my way and asked to leave the 
Moonlight Masquerade," she heard the boatman remark. There was 
something vaguely familiar about his voice. "Why would you wish to sail 
across the Ocean of the Silver Orchids?"
	For a time she simply watched the moonlight reflecting off the 
ripples of waves. And then she found herself making a response. "It...isn't 
where I should be," she answered. "That ballroom, those people; I feel as 
if I am placing myself in danger when I find myself there."
	The boatman manipulated some of the ropes and the unique wheel 
to change the sails, the boom swinging high over her head to the other side 
of the trimaran. "If danger frightens you," the boatman said. "then do not 
push it. Keep away until you are certain it holds no fear over you. Don't go 
back."
	She looked back at the ancient castle floating above the waves, 
now just a silhouette in the distance. "But I have to return," she said, 
shaking her head. "I just have to."
	"Then what is holding you back?" the boatman asked. "Is it really 
danger you're frightened of? Or the danger of love?"
	"I don't know," she said finally. "I don't know...."
	She closed her eyes as the evening breeze flowed past her, not cold 
enough to chill but cool enough to refresh and envigorate. This was her 
place to be: alone and amidst the waves of the water. Strangely enough, 
there was no salty aroma to the ocean: it smelled of cold springwater that 
had come from a crashing waterfall.
	Abruptly something broke through the surface in a wave of 
crashing white foam, pushing out from the ocean depths as droplets of 
water gleamed off its sleek, silver body.
	Her eyes widened in pure joy as she watched the dolphin frolick 
before her, the waterborne swimmer squeaking as it cut through the waves 
and dove beneath her. Another dolphin emerged with a response, throwing 
itself high into the air.
	The dolphin was so close that if she reached out over the edge of 
the trimaran she could touch its sleek skin. But she resisted, too captivated 
to watch. An entire pod soon emerged, dolphin upon dolphin leaping 
gracefully through air and water. They were before and beside the trimaran, 
acting like a royal envoy.
	All her tensions were forgotten in that moment; all the fears, 
hesitations and guilt were lost in the wonder of the magik surrounding her. 
And it was then that she heard the melody of a flute, delicate like a crystal 
to produce music that possessed the very winds of the skies. One breath 
gave life to a note that echoed across the open ocean waters, taken up by a 
chorus of dolphins.
	A soft and beautifully haunting song was lifted up to the skies and 
the stars they kept. Her own heart seemed to soar with these dolphins, and 
the longing burned more now than ever before. Such an incredible magik 
was here; her cheeks grew flushed as her body created its own warmth.
	Slowly she turned to search for the source of the flute's music. And 
this source was the boatman of the trimaran. The winds arose, blowing at 
the edges of the hood yet unable to push it back and reveal the boatman. 
Most of his face was conspired to remain hidden behind shadows and 
fabric, and by long strands of earthen brown hair.
	"Sayonara, Mizuno Ami."
	Her eyes widened, the strange familiarity of the voice becoming all 
too clear. Only when the boatman had said her name did she recognize it.
	"You!" she called out, turning around.
	But the moment she turned, moonlight ripples on the water became 
blurred, and then brilliant. Suddenly she found herself turning within the 
masquerade dance. Her heart was still beating fiercely, her body warm and 
tingling.
	The was all so incredible, and at the same all too frightening for 
her. "What is your name?" she whispered quietly, trembling. "What is your 
name?"
	"You know it already," came a whisper in answer. "You have just 
chosen to forget it."
	She whirled, and saw a flash of billowing night cloak disappear into 
the shadows of an alcove. A living ocean spilled out from the darkness, 
amidst the water two jade eyes piercing the waves. She felt herself 
drowning in his gaze, overcome with feelings she had tried to keep buried 
deep down.
	Her breasts seemed taut against the folds of her dress as then a 
word formed on her lips, and she remembered what for so long she had 
been trying to forget.
	"Meikyu...."


	Slowly her eyes opened, and she smiled at the warmth of her bed 
with December sunlight trickling in. Today was one more day where 
school--or crams schools, for that matter--was not a necessity to attend. 
Yet even if it had been such a day, thoughts of academics had left her mind; 
all she could think about was that floating palace over a deep blue ocean.
	"What an incredible dream," she murmured to herself.
	She was still coming out of exotic estacy and had yet to realize that 
for the first time in nights and dreams, she had been a part of the waking 
dreamers. No longer would nor could she forget. The rush of the winds 
past her with the pod of dolphins gracefully leaping about. That haunting 
melody of a crystal flute, and those jade green eyes.
	Her hand slipped in between the fabric of her nightgown, nimbly 
undoing the button holding the two edges together. Fingers caressed and 
gently ran down her chest, tracing her breasts. The result gave way to both 
hands moving beneath fabric, alive with the brushing against skin and 
electric nerves.
	"I shouldn't be doing this," she whispered through clenched teeth 
and closed eyes. "This is wrong."
	It felt foreign, uncertain...dangerous. Deliciously dangerous 
though, and for all the thoughts telling her to pull back she found that she 
could only push forward.
	Her movements, her explorations became more frantic, and nothing 
else seemed to matter. She was alive, on fire, a powerful warmth radiating 
out from the core of her body. And then with a last, single touch she lost 
control. She gasped, carried away by a flood of whirlwind sensations and 
explosions that sent her body quivering. Eyes half open or perhaps half 
closed, she turned her head and stared at the far wall of her bedroom.
	A shadow seemed alive there, standing tall as a silhouette. And 
there she could see a guise of living ocean waters and crimson kanji.
	"Meikyu," she whispered, but was so lost in the afterglow she 
forgot everything, even that she had spoken a name. His name, the name of 
a master of the masquerades.


	It may not have been a day regularly devoted to the routine of 
studies, but she still was in the habit of keeping her mind sharp. Declining 
from another gathering of lovers and dreamers, she had adjourned to the 
national library in the hopes of keeping ahead.
	The morning's event left her without guilt or uneasiness. Those 
tides had long since ebbed, and now there was a strange anticipation of 
dreaming tonight. Yet a part of her still broke fantasy down with hard 
reality.
	How much of this Dreamworld did she truly understand? The 
masquerade wraith was always close but never near, and she had yet to see 
his face fully revealed. There was something dark about the way he smiled, 
about the piercing gaze within his jade eyes.
	These questions still dogged her, and there was the ever-present 
discomfort in being the only one without a boyfriend while in the company 
of her friends.
	She glanced over as she saw a children's reading group assembling 
nearby. A young man, his face at an angle away from her, seemed to be the 
leader. The children all seated themselves around the young man, readily 
excited enough to keep quiet save a few whispers.
	"I have a story to tell you, children. Within our dreams is a world 
of pure fantasy and magik, where the ancient dragons still roam and angels 
fly on raven wings. Here exist tales of love and honour. One such tale is of 
an ocean realm, connected with the legends that there used to be a 
kingdom established on Earth's moon."
	More people were turning around to listen in on the story being 
told. Even she seemed caught up; no matter how focused she tried to keep 
herself, the young man's words pulled her into the realm he was weaving. 
She decided not to turn and look, but to listen as if she were still reading 
her own books.
	He continued: "In this world it was believed that each planet used 
to be a paradise like Earth, and that each planet had a royal family. The 
ruler of the solar system was a queen who lived on the once then beautiful 
moon. One of these planetary queens, a princess at the time, walked into 
this realm of waking dreams. She was of the royal family of Mercury." 
	'She'?
	She nearly dropped the book in her hands, stunned. That was her 
family, her royal blood. And this entire story sounded like it came out from 
the Dreamworld. What could it mean? Bangs of blue hair flowed together 
as she turned her head, joining the other listeners. The young man still had 
his back to her, and continued to tell the story.
	"This princess found and fell in love with one of the raven angels 
guarding this Dreamworld. But they were doomed to never be together 
unless she dreamed. They never did stop loving each other despite this, 
even when she found a king and raised a family.
	"She died in her sleep, and in her final dream she visited the raven 
angel one last time. She brought with her a single blossoming silver orchid, 
a legendary flower with silver petals tipped crystal blue, said to be only 
grown in the Imperial Palace upon the moon. When her tears struck the 
orchid, the angel used his magik to preserve the beauty of their love 
forever. 
	"It became an ocean. And nothing, not even the creatures of 
darkness lurking within our dreams, can try to conquer its magik. Now 
after thousands of years he has found his true princess, and his devotion is 
for her and her alone. Look carefully in your dreams, and you might see 
him dancing in a palace above the ocean waves, searching for his newfound 
soulmate."
	Her heart suddenly jumped inside her chest, her cheeks growing 
flushed as a strange warmth seemed to flood through her body. Yet this 
could not have been from her past life; the princess here had become a 
queen and died peacefully. She had been killed in defending princess 
Serenity from the Dark Kingdom, dying a violent and sudden death.
	No, this had to be an ancestor.
	There was awed silence, everyone hushed as they felt something 
pull at their very souls. A potent magik was seeping into the library, and 
kept its hold even as the children quietly stood and filtered out.
	She pushed her chair back and stood, eyes searching for the weaver 
of this tale. Yet all she could catch were fleeting bangs of long, earthen 
brown hair that were suddenly swallowed up by moving people. A single 
person came between them for a moment, and in that moment the reader 
had vanished.
	None the less she walked over to the place where he had read to 
the children. All that was left behind was a small, leatherbound book. On 
the cover was a nothing but a name and a title.
	Meikyu.
	The title read "Eternal Masquerade".


	The book was taken home with her that day, and while she dared 
not open the cover, the literature remained on the desk within her 
bedroom. Her mind was clouded over with thoughts turning against 
thoughts.
	Her heart was pleading to be heard over her fears.
	The hour was growing late, and the next day would give way into a 
rebirth of the weekly school routine. Yet she stayed awake, hoping to 
somehow avoid being sucked into the masquerade once more. A 
confrontation with the masquerade wraith, with Meikyu, might lead to 
something else out of her control.
	She blushed at the memory of the morning, of just waking up to a 
pleasurable warmth that led to...well, it led to the exact feelings she got 
when her friends made love. But it wasn't so bad, was it?
	Her hand instinctively moved for her breasts, and the exotic 
ceremony began anew. She moaned softly, falling backwards on the bed as 
her body was flooded with electric estacy. When she reached the climax, 
she stifled a sharp cry, her legs flexing off the covers of her bed.
	Exhausted from both the pleasure and the late hour, she was unable 
to resist any longer. Her eyes closed, and she slipped back into the realm of 
the waking dreamers. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew he 
would be waiting for her...and a part of her hoped to find him again.


	The symphony of night was still in full crescendo as she gracefully 
stepped down the curving staircase, her blue eyes searching out for her 
wraith. A cloak rippled from behind a set of twirling masqueraders.
	Sidestepping the thick of the ballroom dancers, she worked her 
way around the outermost ring of the entire grand room. She passed by the 
bar, unaware that she was being watched by others in the masquerade. A 
tall sandy-blonde who looked almost like a young man leaned against the 
bar, sided by a stunningly beautiful woman with wavy, aqua-green hair, 
smiled as they watched her pass.
	"Ne, you ever get the feeling that she's seriously trying to delude 
herself about how she feels?" the tall sandy-blonde remarked, taking a sip 
of the wine.
	The woman with the aqua-green hair smiled. "After night upon 
night of this same game, you would ask such an obvious question, 
Haruka?"
	"With one so delicate as her, she needs to be the one to approach 
him," the bartender said, brushing aside some strands of shining blonde hair 
as he leaned in between them on the counter. "And I think he's grown 
rather fond of being chased like this. Hunter and hunted, so to speak."
	She remained oblivious to their words, however. The fleeting 
shadow of her host was nowhere to be seen or even glimpsed. Perhaps he 
was late in coming. Or else he was waiting in another place.
	Then she caught sight of a figure in black moving beneath the 
archway that led into the fountain corridor. She pursued, certain that the 
wraith she was following held a mask of living oceans. But as she 
disappeared beneath the archway, a young man dressed in a dark tuxedo 
looked up from a table for two he was sitting at. 
	A hand reached for the true guise of rippling waves, lowering it 
from part of his face. "Now where does she think she's going?" he mused, 
raising his glass of wine and downing the remainder of the drink. The mask 
went back onto the face, and he moved to follow her.


	For how long she walked she was unsure, though she was certain 
that unless a guide showed up she was surely lost inside the floating palace. 
The familiar figure darted around a corner and she gave chase.
	Her breath and footsteps came to an abrupt halt as she stared at the 
corridor laid out before her. It may have been made like any other corridor 
inside the palace, but there was more in the magik she felt.
	The hallway was larger, adorned with pillars that stretched up to a 
sloping ceiling. Large glass panels allowed moon and starlight to shine 
down upon her. A fountain bubbled in the centre, fed from a channel of 
water and a waterfall from the highest platform. Various tropical plants 
were scattered across this atrium, and banners with the characters for 
labyrinth hung from various timbers and buttresses. 
	Indeed this corridor seemed just like all the others.
	But it was the gateway that caught her attention. Forming the only 
visible doorframe was a torii, but this gateway was not crimson but of 
blackest night. Shadows seemed to dart in and out from the frame, but 
faded before they made it a foot outside.
	"Come to us," a chorus of beautiful voices whispered.
	There was something drawing her closer, whispers she couldn't 
quite make out clearly. Enticing her with dreams and desires, they 
beckoned.
	A draft swept through the deserted hall, her gown rippling like 
cascades of a waterfall. She shivered, suddenly longing for a warm touch. 
Her wish was granted faster than she expected, a hand coming to rest upon 
her bare shoulder. 
	"I would be against venturing into such a realm," came a new voice 
from the silence, startling her.
	She whirled, her heart beating fiercely within her ribcage. In that 
moment she was overcome with adrenaline. The next moment as she saw 
the young man before her, she took everything back about longing for the 
warm touch of a lover.
	It...it wasn't what she really wanted. Just a momentary thought that 
would pass to never return. And then she realized that it hadn't passed, but 
returned with overpowering euphoria at the caress of his firm fingers 
against her tender skin. 
	The guise was gone from his face, a breathing ocean no longer his 
facade. Now she could see yet not see, for the shadows cast behind him 
cloaked half his face in darkness. The long strands of hair helped in the 
conspiracy, and now she was still uncertain to how he truly appeared.
	But his eyes were ever piercing, dark jade watching her with an 
enigmatic smile. 
	Her mind was nearly to a point of overload, conflicting emotions 
ready to tear her brain apart. He seemed so dangerous, yet at the same time 
she found herself unable to turn and run. Not after looking into his eyes.
	"You're trembling," he said, his fingers brushing away some of her 
light-blue hair away from her cheek. "Are you that frightened of me?"
	She vehemently shook her head, but her eyes gave the true 
emotions away. They remained fixated on his form.
	He smiled. "If I frighten you that much, then why have you 
returned night after night and dream after dream to this masquerade?"	
	"You brought me here," she responded, trying to voice authority.
	He chuckled, retreating from her a single step. "I only invite those 
who wish to be here," he stated. "Now ask yourself again: if you are so 
frightened of me, then why return at all?"
	She opened her mouth to give an answer, any answer. And then 
she faultered, memories of whispering his name returning to her. Her own 
body and mind were betraying her.
	He cast a glance around the corridor. "You should not be in here. 
This is not for maidens such as yourself. Here if you look for danger you 
will find it."
	"I--I found you," she stammered.
	His eyes seemed to light up as he reached into his jacket and 
produced the ocean mask. "How true, Ami-chan. So observant you 
are...I'm impressed."
	Her eyes darted down to the hand he extended, the light catching 
the glimmering fabric of his strange tuxedo. "Come," he said. "Let us dance 
together."
	Her breathing was coming in rapid gasps as she reached out for his 
hand, the feeling of such incredible warmth spreading through her body. He 
pressed in closer, taking her other hand and then standing as if to dance.
	He moved, leading her in a twirl. As she turned her head the room 
was suddenly the masquerade, and she was in amidst all the laughing and 
embracing dancers. Her eyes shifted up and gazed into piercing jade. 
	They danced together, her body wishing to press closer into his. 
She stopped herself mentally; this was neither the time nor the place. She 
hardly knew anything about him! She perhaps knew the young man's name 
and that was it.
	"Sumimasen," she said, trying to speak. "I--"
	"Shhhh," he whispered, placing a finger to her lips. "Don't speak. 
Dance."
	And so she danced with him through the symphony, entrapped and 
drowning in his jade eyes. So dark and alluring, seductively dangerous to 
look into. She felt herself trembling slightly under his gaze. They were 
drifting out to the outer ring of ballroom dancers, which she was thankful 
for. Her mind was having to fight a very aroused body for control.
	She was abruptly aware of a new presence within the masquerade. 
Her eyes darted over to something that emerged from an antechamber, or 
perhaps even from the very air.
	A long black cloak wrapped around its shoulders, draping over all 
its body yet not touching the floor. The fact that nothing else touched the 
ground gave way to this creature being in the essence of a ghost. The black 
cloak moved up into a hood that was draped over the ghost's head, tucked 
into the edges of a shining mask that resembled both new-fallen snow and 
polished pearl. Painted eyes and lips and other markings were outlined in 
black over the pale mask.
	There were no eyeholes, and still she could feel it's vision directed 
at her. Their dancing slowed and came to a stop as her wraith saw the 
newcomer.
	"Excuse me, please," he said, bowing to her.
	Words were never exchanged between him and the ghostly figure. 
Instead the ghost drew back and vanished as if passing through a wall of 
invisibility, and he sprang up from the floor, flying through the air until he 
landed upon the banister at the top of the curving staircase.
	A glance in her direction told her that he wished to be alone for the 
time. He had to do something, but what needed to be done within a 
Dreamworld? 
	She felt compelled to follow. 
	Fear came through the unknown, and the more she pulled down 
the enigma from his face, the less she had to fear. Perhaps then she could 
settle these conflicts with the emotions deep inside.
	Shadows caught the corners of her eyes, cloaks and suits almost 
gone around a corner, up beyond an archway or atop another floor. She 
was barely able to keep up with his pace; the young man moved as if he 
really was a wraith. The end finally came and she found herself once more 
in the atrium with the black torii.
	"What is he doing here?" she mused aloud to herself.
	He was no where in sight; her best guess was that he had stepped 
into the room beyond the gateway. But why would he need to go in there? 
The wraith himself had warned her to stay away from this place.
	And then an unearthly scream echoed from beyond the torii, one 
that burned into her mind and caused her to recoil in pure terror. For how 
long she stood near the torii, she would never know. Moments, minutes or 
eternities could have passed her by.
	Suddenly he stumbled out from the gateway, clutching his 
shoulder. Sweat was dripping from his face, soaked into his long strands of 
hair. The wraith grimaced as he struck the wall, pushing away from the 
stones and continuing his walk. He left behind a trail of crimson on the 
wall, and the mask of breathing ocean waters clattered to the floor.	
	"Meikyu!" she exclaimed, rushing to his aid.
	She tried to prop his left arm over her shoulders, that he might use 
her as a crutch. But he stumbled again, taking both of them down in a heap 
on the floor. He laughed as she fell on top of him, his face still partially 
hidden by hair and shadows.
	Puzzled eyes met his. "Daijobu?"
	He smiled. "Nothing that means death. Then again, to witness the 
edge of death is to experience the rush of pure life. But I thank you for 
your concerned sentiments."
	She found herself drowning inside his eyes, in that face still half 
covered by shadows. Her heart was pounding inside her chest. "Y-you're 
welcome," she managed to blurt out.
	"I thought I told you to stay in the ballroom," he remarked 
playfully.
	She laughed, shaking her head at him. "I didn't think you would try 
to get yourself killed."
	"Not while you are here with me, Ami-chan," he answered softly.
	She pushed away some of the hair on his cheeks, gasping at the 
revealed features. The shadows were slowly melting away now, his face 
becoming more clearer. Such a beautifully handsome face he had.
	Leaning forward, she gently pressed her lips against his. He made 
no resistance nor any advances. He simply let her kiss him, and they both 
felt the air crackle with exchange of magiks. Her own body was flooded 
with his touch.
	The same sensations that had flooded her when...when she had 
brought herself into estacy. That thought snapped her back into the atrium. 
She drew back, touching her lips. They still tingled as if his kiss was there. 
Her eyes widened as she felt herself blush in embarrassment. Why had she 
suddenly done this? She had been brazen and aggressive, something totally 
unlike her. She had forced her kiss upon him while he was weak and 
wounded!
	How could she face him?
	How could she face herself?
	"G-gomen," she whispered, and then raced down the corridor.
	Stifling a groan of both amusement and pain, the masquerade 
wraith propped himself against the wall. "You know what you're searching 
for, Mizuno Ami, but how much longer do we have to play like this until 
you accept it?"


	"Daijobu, Ami-chan?" came the odango-haired blonde's voice.
	She glanced up from the book left by the one called Meikyu. A day 
had passed by filled with lectures and lessons, but they had all seemed to 
fade away for her.
	She nodded, trying to hide whatever it was she was feeling. This 
bizarre fluttering of her heart, racing through her veins and clouding her 
mind. All she could think of were his piercing eyes, so alluring and 
dangerous. Oh, how she longed for that.
	She closed her legs tighter.
	"Ami-chan," the tall brunette said. "We know you too well. 
Something's running through your mind." The tall brunette gave a coy 
smile. "A boy, perhaps."
	"We could never be so fortunate for her," the dark-haired shrine 
girl muttered sadly. 
	It was just her and her friends inside the room now. The shrine 
protege had the duties of the Shinto temple, the raven angel and raven 
knight were out in another place, and the dark-haired prince had studies to 
attend to.
	There was no intimidation or a sense of distance. Here she was 
with friends; they must have gone through at one point in time what she 
was going through now. She wanted to ask them that they might 
understand--that she might understand herself--but forcing out the question 
came harder.
	"What is it?" the odango-haired blonde asked.
	The long-haired blonde grinned. "I knew it. Ami-chan's in love!"
	She blushed, laughing quietly and nervously. Her eyes darted from 
one girl to the next; there was no chance she could wiggle out of this one.
	"And you've been hiding it from us," the tall brunette chided. "For 
shame, Ami-chan. We thought you'd never get a boyfriend."
	This only elicited a deeper shade of embarrassed red across her 
already flushed cheeks. "He...he's from the Dreamworld," she finally 
managed to stammer out.
	"Aren't they all from there?" the long-haired blonde said with a 
dreamy smile. "So who is he? Is he cute?"
	"Of course he's cute, Minako-chan!" the odango-haired blonde 
exclaimed.
	"I...I think his name is Meikyu," she told them. "He's always hiding 
behind a mask that looks as if he trapped the oceans inside of it. But he's 
never once told me his name."
	Those thoughts returned to her: 'you remember, but you choose to 
forget'. Was it because she wasn't ready for love? Or was it that she was so 
shy and afraid about love?
	"His eyes," she said. "They were like piercing jade. I felt as if I was 
drowning in his gaze."
	"And what about his long hair?" the odango-haired blonde sighed.
	"Usagi!" the dark-haired shrine girl hissed, shooting the odango-
haired blonde a dirty look.
	She glanced at the fusama separating their room from the chillen 
outdoors, oblivious to their words. Once more she found herself longing 
for the masquerade ball and its host. He had told her that no one entered 
the palace unless they desired to--even in secret.
	The dark-haired shrine girl moved to open one of the sliding 
partitions a little more. A draft from the hallway swept into the room, 
forcefully lifting the cover of the top book on her pile. The pages were 
scattered and spilled out before her, moving with rapid succession until the 
tempest died and the pages stopped in their fury.
	And there before her was drawing of black ink with crimson 
markings. Standing out on the page was a young man dressed in a tuxedo, 
a long black cloak billowing out behind him. The rendering was incredibly 
lifelike, every last detail perfect in texture and appearance. 
	In his one hand the young man held a mask that bore familiar, 
crimson kanji. This mask captured half his face inside shadows, hiding it as 
his face had always been hidden to her. But his revealed eye: it was flashing 
of jade green. 
	This wasn't a part of the page. This was from magik.
	"Meikyu," she whispered.
	The labyrinth.
	An enigma.


	It was late in the moonlight hours as she glanced at herself in the 
mirror atop her vanity. Bangs of simmering blue hair dangled around the 
shape of her face, smooth and almost silken to the touch. She reached for 
the hairbrush and began to stroke it through those bangs.
	Her mind was still racing as she puzzled over all her senses had 
taken in. How well did she truly know this masquerade wraith? The raven 
knight had proven to once be a cruel demon; was Meikyu the same? Could 
she trust him with something as fragile as...as her love?
	"Baka," she chided herself, smiling uneasily. 
	It wasn't that she didn't love him. Yes, she felt attracted to him, but 
more as a mystery than a man. Nothing to do with his allure, his magik, or 
his eyes. Those jade eyes that seemed to pierce her soul, that swallowed 
her up in a cascade of liquid warmth causing her entire body to tingle.
	"Baka," she said again.
	And yet she couldn't stop the beating of her own heart, which was 
now beating faster at the thought of him. Her mind raced again, clouded 
over with memories of electrified skin on edge.
	She rubbed harder, faster, barely able to control her thoughts let 
alone her body. Sparks seemed to explode inside her mind, sending 
incredible shivers down her body that made her move all the more quicker. 
Suddenly she realized she was moaning and sighing, enhancing the feelings 
rippling through her. She had never heard her own voice like this before.
	And then he was there. Not physically but his presence seemed to 
be there with her. Magik that was not of her own gently blew past her in a 
draft from her open window, caressing her skin with a cool kiss of the 
wind. 
	She could hold back no longer; her moan became a stifled gasp as 
the wave of warm passion swept her body, mind and soul away. She had to 
clench her jaw shut to keep from crying out and waking her mother, her 
body shuddering violently, legs splayed apart. 
	For a long time afterwards she was breathing deeply, half aware of 
the world around her. Sweat glistened off her naked body as she stared up 
to the ceiling.
	"Baka," she whispered, closing her eyes and surrendering to a 
beautiful dream as her warm body lulled her into the estacy of passionate 
sleep.
	She was a fool for not seeing him sooner....


	Down the curved staircase she walked, eyes searching for the 
young man in the strange black garments and cloak, the one with the ocean 
waters as a mask. He was here somewhere, playfully jumping from one 
shadow to the next.
	But where amidst all these lovers was he?
	She glanced up at the railing to the second floor balcony. From 
there a long curved row of masked dancers watched the masquerade 
below, laughing and talking behind exotic facades.
	There was a separate balcony closer to the rows of arches on the 
far wall, set apart from the open landing. Stepping out from a series of 
doric archways was another couple, very much young and very much in 
love.
	The young man wore a dark tuxedo over a white dress shirt, a 
distinct white eyemask with sloping edges, and a tophat. White gloves 
tenderly held the elegant hands of a stunningly beautiful young girl. Long 
blonde hair flowed down around the girl's shimmering white folds of dress, 
strangely familiar odangos atop her head. 
	She watched as they cuddled in each other's arms, then leaning 
closer to kiss. Her own lips tingled, though she could not understand why. 
Intrigued she watched on, blushing and unable to tear her gaze away when 
the young woman pulled at the ends of the white gown.
	Her own breathing quickened and finally her eyes were torn away 
from the couple. Better to leave them alone than to become a voyeur. Her 
wandering gaze fixated on her reason for coming, her reason for the 
exploration of her own body.
	There he was, the masquerade wraith himself, standing at the top 
of the curving staircase looking down. The waters of his mask rippled 
underneath the glittering lights. He started down the stairs but paused 
halfway when he met with another couple, a tall sandy-blonde guy...or was 
it a woman behind the mask?...and a stunning woman with wavy aqua-
green hair.
	She steathily cut through the crowd, working her way to the far 
side of the ballroom dancers. Tonight he would need to be the one trying to 
catch a glimpse of her shadow. The idea thrilled her, sent her heart racing 
and her body glowing.
	Once more she caught sight of him between the dancers, still 
talking to that couple. Every one of them looked strangely familiar and yet 
she did not know how she recognized them. Another life perhaps? 
	She watched those eyes of jade brilliantly pierce the room from 
behind the mask and the long strangs of earthen brown hair. "Meikyu," she 
said quietly. "Who are you?" 
	Who was the soul behind the mask of the living ocean?
	"He's an assassin," came a voice behind her.
	She began to turn, surprised by another distinct voice in a sea of 
them that was not his. But firm hands gripped her shoulders, forcing her to 
look ahead.
	"Do not turn around," the voice hissed. "Do not let him think you 
know. His name is Meikyu, darkest of the raven angels. Our dreams are his 
trophies. He has deceived all those you have come to trust."
	"Who are you?" she asked, turning her head slightly. 
	Looking back at her was a dancer hidden behind a large face mask 
adorned as the grinning, shining skull of a large beast. "The souls of those 
doomed before you," the mask answered. "He seduced us and then trapped 
us inside the labyrinth, where we are unable to escape."
	She held her breath, every last foundation she had come to believe 
in over these last days being shaken. Why had she not listened to her own 
reason? This must have been the motive for such a dangerous smile he 
wore, for the reason she never seemed to be able to completely see his 
face.
	"Beware, young girl," the mask whispered. "Your dreams are the 
most beautiful of all here. You may be his next victim."
	Her eyes returned to the last place he had been, but now he was 
gone. To her far left she caught a flash of dark suit and billowing cloak. He 
was coming.
	She turned around, adrenaline starting to flood her system. The 
masked dancer was gone now; nothing was ever left to prove it had 
existed. The room was starting to blur around her, swirling with colours 
and masked faces laughing and embracing. Were they all doomed like her? 
Or were they all a part of his ruse?
	The strange black tuxedo darted between dancers on the far edge 
of the ballroom. He was closer now, and she was starting to panic. The 
shaded folds of her rippling blue gown looked like a hundred seas as she 
raced beneath an archway, the heels of her shoes clicking against the floor.
	Her pace came to an abrupt stop as she found herself in the 
fountain corridor, and it was deserted save her and one other figure, a mere 
silhouette. A ray of light seemed to glow to life, illuminating the standing 
shadow. There, perched on the edge of a rectangular fountain, was 
Meikyu. 
	She could see him smile, those piercing eyes going right into her 
soul. With a fury of ruffles and billows she spun around in the hopes of 
retreating back into the ballroom. The second her eyes looked back to the 
archway he was already standing beneath it.
	She froze, her breathing coming in rapid pants.
	Ever so slowly, taking his time, he closed the distance between 
them with footsteps that echoed across the empty corridor. The cloak 
fluttered all around him, starting to take on a breath of its own.
	"Something wrong?" he inquired. It seemed innocent, maybe even 
playful. But within his words she could hear the delight in knowing that she 
was scared.
	A part of her wanted to deny it, to shake her head. Instead she 
nodded, rationale once more managing to take control. She noted how his 
face seemed to delight in a secret unknown to her. In this moment he was 
all the more seductively terrifying. And yet she could not turn and flee, not 
after remembering his kiss. The kiss he had returned, the one she had 
initiated. She crawled up against the nearest wall, trying to bury herself into 
it.
	"Y-you're dangerous," she said.
	He laughed. "Oh, most certainly. To you most of all, Mizuno Ami. 
But for all the wrong reasons."
	"You...you're an assassin," she whispered, backed up as far as she 
could against the wall.
	He smiled, amused. "I'm one of many things, Lady Mercury. If you 
wish to call me by that title, who am I to protest? Though in truth I'm more 
a hunter than a killer for hire."
	"You've killed before?" she asked, feeling the adrenaline moving 
through her body like the crashing tides. This was not exhilaration; this 
time it was fear.
	He reached out with a hand, and she froze in watching it move 
closer to her face...and then press against the pillar beside her cheek. He 
leaned into her, his breath right next to her ears.
	"Not a creature in the Dreamworld can call themselves a soul with 
clean hands," he answered. "Even Silvermanes have shed blood. I, though, 
enjoy the thrill of the hunt."
	"Please," she said, on the verge of breakdown. "You're frightening 
me."
	His jade eyes seemed to lose their edge in that moment, glancing 
down to the floor. He withdrew from her, his face solemn. "If you wish to 
leave," he stated. "by my honour I will not interfere."
	He had given her the opening, and she seized it. She tried to run, 
and he let her scramble away from him. Yet there was no dark laughter at 
her or her situation. What seemed to fill the void was saddened silence...as 
if she could sense what he was feeling. Her pace slowed and she turned her 
head to look back.
	He was standing still, emotions hidden behind the mask of the 
living oceans. But there was a change in the mask; the waters were rippling 
not from the waves but from rainfall striking the surface.
	Her running slowed even more, her emotions conflicting with each 
other and waring against her thoughts. Was he truly this dangerous? Was 
the bone dancer merely of her own creation, her own fears?
	"Meikyu," she whispered.
	Suddenly her foot met with nothing and she tumbled forward with 
a startled cry. A black shadow opened up and swallowed her whole, the 
last image she saw was him, standing there and shouting out her name.
	"AMI!!"


	It was the most bizarre sensation she had ever felt before in her life. 
She was floating yet falling, the wind blowing back her hair and tresses of 
blue gown but not at a speed which might kill her upon impact.
	The black world around her grew lighter, small sparkles that 
resembled fireflies darting all around. The air grew deep purple and cloudy, 
and then she was falling amidst debris. Large chunks of what used to be 
staircases and archways and walls were lazily hovering all around her as she 
descended past them.
	Finally a room started to emerge, shades of dust and sand with 
intricate carvings lining everything. There appeared to be no true ceiling or 
floor as she found her feet touching solid surface. As gravity set in once 
more, she looked around and saw the hideously deformed extent of this 
realm.
	Stairs and arches were amok, sideways and upside-down and 
backwards. Each one seemed to slope a different angle yet perfectly 
intersecting with another. She could barely even tell which way was up; 
there were even stairs and passageways on the walls and the ceiling--
provided they were the true walls and ceiling.
	"Where...am I?" she exclaimed.
	The room was silent, her voice echoing across the stairs and 
doorways. But as her echoed voice died out, another took its place. One of 
unrushed footsteps.
	He was there in the chambers, perfectly attuned to whatever had 
warped its dimensions. Her eyes widened as slowly she tilted her head to 
stare up at him. The masquerade wraith smiled as he stretched out his arms 
to present himself, standing on an upside-down staircase. His hair, his suit 
and even his cloak all acted as if gravity were pushing invertedly.
	"Not bad, ne, Ami-chan?"
	With a swift leap he pushed off towards her, suddenly twisting 
around and descending. A perfect landing was made, and slowly he stood 
up before her.
	"This is what lays beyond the black torii; you can understand why I 
wished you to stay away from it." He held out his hand. "We should leave 
it now."
	She backed away. "How can I trust you?" she asked. 
	He smiled. "That's just it: you can't trust me. You can't trust 
anything in this place, not even yourself. Welcome to the labyrinth, where 
nothing could ever be as it seems. This is the true form of the masquerade."
	He had been toying with her all along! Her once fragile heart now 
burned with a desire for vengeance at this evil trick. "You wanted to lure 
me here," she said angrily, her fists shaking. "You want to steal my 
dreams."
	Now it was his turn to back away as with a flash of light and a loud 
shot she became the soldier of her bloodline.
	"The Sailor Senshi of Mercury," he stated, unfazed. "You look 
rather pretty in that battle fuku."
	"I won't forgive you for this!" she exclaimed, her voice rising. Her 
sudden hostility caused him to go on the defensive, his own powers starting 
to manifest in an aura.
	"Ami," he cautioned.
	A large vortex of water raged around her body, searching for a 
place to be directed at. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" She launched her 
attack, the water becoming a foaming projectile that crashed towards 
Meikyu like a flood. 
	He held his ground, eyes suddenly flashing brilliant jade as her 
furious tidalwave bared down upon him. A hand reached up for the mask 
and tore it off from his face, unleashing a geyser of foaming water from 
beneath it. This new torrent tore apart her own watery magik and then 
went after her.
	She cried out as she was lifted off the floor, sent down a flight of 
stairs as the waters dried out, leaving her unharmed but drenched. She 
coughed and sputtered as she slowly picked herself up off the ground.
	He was sauntering down the steps. "Now I wonder who started 
that little rumour about me?" To her surprise, he did not attack but 
extended a helping hand. "I trust," he said. "that we can talk things out. 
They say that if you must resort to violence then you've already lost."
	This marked the second time he offered his hand in help and not in 
hostility. For all his dangerous ways, this masquerade wraith seemed 
genuine in his concern for her. She glanced around the warped labyrinth; in 
such an unfamiliar dimension, he held the advantage over her.
	"How can I trust you?" she pressed.
	"Search your heart," he answered. "If it tells you to take my hand 
then do so. If it tells you to strike without mercy, then do so. The choice 
has been yours from the beginning you set foot inside my realm, Mizuno 
Ami."
	She stared up at him; his face was still half masked by shadows that 
were nowhere else but on him. Those jade eyes were still seductively 
dangerous, the exact trait that had first drawn her to him. The memory of 
the bone dancer returned, and now she had doubts of everything she had 
thought was worked out.
	But a choice had to be made.
	And so she made her decision.
	Reaching out for his hand, she slowly got to her feet. "What is this 
place?" she asked uneasily.
	"Tell me," he said. "In the story you heard me speak back at the 
library, did you ever hear of a Shadowdemon reaching my realm?"
	She shook her head.
	He glanced around the twisted chamber. "Well now you know 
why. This labyrinth beneath my palace was designed to ensnare and trap 
any creature of darkness that managed to approach. I've lost count of how 
many there are lurking inside this maze. And needless to say most of them 
don't like me very much. They are those I live to kill."
	"Na ni?" she exclaimed. Her emotions were being thrown around 
again, and she found herself wishing to be the calm and detached genius 
she once was. If only she could bury her feelings deep inside; perhaps then 
she could make sense of all this.
	"The labyrinth is my hunting ground," he stated. "It is where I stalk 
and kill the Shadowdemons." A diabolical smile came across his face. "I 
live for the thrill of the hunt. That makes me all the more dangerous...all the 
more the only one who could safely come in after you, Ami-chan. I know 
the labyrinth's tricks."
	Abruptly he spun around, his stance being highly defensive towards 
her and aggressive at the chambers. Eyes narrowed and he paused in his 
breathing.
	"They're coming," he whispered.
	She gave him a quizzical look. "How do you know?"
	"My garments are of rare fabric," he said. "It senses their presence, 
and thus so do I. Call it a stolen sixth sense, but necessary if I wish to hunt 
within the labyrinth." He stepped forward, almost oblivious to her presence 
now. "I should have known something was up when I saw that damned 
bone mask in the ballroom. This one moves differently from the others, 
especially if it can pull others into the labyrinth." 
	He smiled. "Clever, aren't you? Come on; show me where you 
are."
	"Meikyu," she said urgently, pulling him back into the chambers.
	He turned. "Ami, things are about to get very nasty. I can't 
guarantee your safety if you remain in this realm poisoned with blak magik. 
You have to leave this place now." The masquerade wraith titled his head 
up to what might have been called up. "Yurei Knights!" he barked.
	Four of those robed ghosts appeared, each one at a corner around 
her. "Get out," he stated, turning to her. "This is between me and the 
demons. My knights will show you the way."
	She glanced from one to the next. "What are they?"
	He stepped in closer to her, taking her hand. "Former 
Shadowdemons, having pledged their allegiance to me. They do not have 
the freedom like Kishi once did in his dragon realm; these ones I don't trust 
as much. But they are released from the labyrinth to serve me; those masks 
keep their full powers at bay." 
	Suddenly a cold breeze swept through the chamber of stairs, 
tugging at her ocean-blue pleated skirt and his midnight cloak. The entire 
room pulsated with a new aura, brilliant hues of crimson and violet 
crackling from the walls and inside the archways.
	Ami threw her gaze up to the stairway ceiling and gasped as an 
enormous explosion of light streaked down towards them. "Look out!" she 
shouted.
	He never even moved to look; he moved to react, seizing her by 
the arms and catapulting the both of them off the ledge as the explosion 
rocked the entire chamber, smashing through the platform they had just 
been standing on.
	With a quick twist in midflight, they were righted in their fall and 
tumbled feetfirst onto another set of stairs. Smoke, dust and chunks of 
stone rained down all around them.
	"Shimatta," Meikyu muttered, coughing.
	"Are they dead?" she asked, catching her breath.
	He shook his head. "No; just banished from the labyrinth. Damned 
Shadowdemons are growing smarter and more powerful as the centuries 
wear on."
	Taking her hand he pulled her to her feet and led them both up the 
set of stairs until they reached the next platform. 
	"You fall rather gracefully," he remarked.
	She smiled shyly.
	Then he turned, staring at the passageway behind them. As she 
turned to gaze at it with her own eyes, the archway became filled with a 
black mist that filtered out from the cracks in the stones. The clouds 
swirled together to give birth to a human form--one that resembled Meikyu 
except where earthen brown hair once was midnight black replaced, and 
the shadow's eyes were grey and lifeless of all but evil. In place of his mask 
of ocean waves, there was the grinning skull of a hideous beast.
	"Hunter," it said with an evil smile, stepping out from the shadows 
of the black mist.
	His eyes narrowed. "These are not the rules of the game. Hiding as 
a dancer in my masquerade, and then bringing her into the labyrinth only 
summons my wrath and ends your existence."
	He stretched out his arm, hand reaching to grasp a hidden object. A 
long and beautiful staff appeared, fingers wrapping around the centre of the 
shaft.
	Suddenly from the tip of the staff an explosion of churning blue 
water spewed out, twisting and swirling around itself to form a long and 
lethal, tapering blade that glistened like ice. The staff had become a scythe.
	"Truly a frightening weapon," the Shadowdemon mocked.
	"Only one who has never seen my scythe would say that," he 
snapped.
	"This is no longer your domain, raven angel," the demon hissed. 
"We now rule this labyrinth. And your threats mean nothing more than 
words to be silenced!"
	The shadow threw out its hands, a violet pulse erupting from its 
palms and striking both of them. She screamed in pain, echoing his own 
cries as they were sent hurling over the edge of the platform.
	Suddenly she struck a slick surface, cold and hard, grimacing as she 
slid across it. She lifted her head off what had once been midair now 
become a floor of stone.
	He toppled past her across the new level, the scythe flying out from 
his grip and spinning across the surface. The second it stopped moving, the 
surface broke and the weapon was lost. Both of their eyes widened as the 
chasm began to open up with a hideous rumble, stone cracking into pieces 
which plummeted into a darkness far below them. 
	The masquerade wraith scrambled backwards as the jagged cracks 
streaked towards him, seeking him out as chunks of the thick rock fell into 
the darkness. But for as fast as he could move, the shattering floor was 
faster. His body started to slide as the stones beneath him tilted 
downwards. 
	"Meikyu!" she shouted, leaping to her feet and lunging towards 
him. He grabbed onto her outstretched hand, his other still trying to pull 
himself back over the side of the floor. And then two jade eyes widened in 
horror.
	"What is it?" she asked.
	"Get down!" he shouted, his grip on her palm tightening. He 
yanked her off her feet, throwing her over the side. She screamed as she 
fell, yet fell only as far as the length of their arms; Meikyu was still firmly 
gripping her hand.
	She tilted up her head, gasping as she saw the Shadowdemon pull 
it's massive blade-like claws out from the floor, from the stone exactly 
where she had been standing on only a heartbeat ago.
	The demon raised its hand to rake claws down upon both of them. 
The wraith glanced down at her with a smile fought through pain and dying 
strength.
	"Can you kick?" he asked.
	She nodded and braced herself as he abruptly flung her up over the 
edge of the ice. She twisted her body, both legs straight as they connected 
with the demon's chin. It's head snapped backwards and it toppled over.
	"Daijobu?" she asked, leaning over the precipice.
	He grinned. "I'll be right with you."
	Pulling himself out from the gorge of darkness, he wrapped his arm 
around her waist and then leaped towards a flight of stairs off the platform.
	With a loud growl the Shadowdemon struggled to right its human 
form. "Kon chikusho," it hissed.
	He shook his head. "I created this labyrinth. I'm not about to die in 
it when my masquerade still calls for me to dance with my lover."
	She found her heart racing at the mention of love. Had it been what 
had drawn her here and pushed her away at the same time? There could be 
no more denial or fear as to what she felt. She was in love.
	The demon chuckled viciously. "And thus you have all the more to 
lose, raven angel."
	Suddenly he was thrown backwards, striking the wall as he was 
torn from her grip. She whirled as she saw his body crash into stone, held 
in place as a cage of shining ice grew around him. He pounded furiously on 
the clear surface, trying to break free yet without any sound despite shouts 
and punches.
	Then the sound of slow footsteps reached her ears. She turned 
towards the demon, who was walking up the stairs. The Shadowdemon 
wagged a finger at Meikyu. "No use, guardian. You're trapped in our 
labyrinth of mirrors now. See if you can break free before it's too late. Let 
us restore your voice, that we might hear you beg for mercy."
	She was practically forgotten in this vendetta; as relieved as she 
felt, it burned her to feel a mere pawn in this deadly game.
	His voice returned, the masquerade wraith exploded in fury. "You 
bastard!" he shouted, opening up his palm to unleash another volley of 
fierce water magik. Yet it only sprayed back around him, held at bay by the 
powerful demon magik. "You so much as touch her, and I will see to it that 
your remains be scattered across the labyrinth for eternity."
	"We would love to see you try," the Shadowdemon sneered.
	Meikyu's eyes narrowed, and for a moment she saw the true dark 
side of his soul. The thrill of the hunt was taking control. "Is that a 
challenge?" he asked, a smile curling around his lips.
	The bone mask chuckled. "Hai."	
	He smiled fully now, thought not at her but the creature of evil. 
That glint was in his eyes. "Baka," he muttered, raising a flute to his lips 
and sounding a single note.
	The ice's reflection shattered before him. His lips played one more 
bar of that note, lingering as the shards beneath his feet shattered into 
splinters. Slowly he lowered the flute from his lips, cold eyes of jade green 
levelling to the mimic.
	"That," he stated coldly. "was what I wanted to hear." The flute 
disappeared, replaced with the scythe. 
	The demon bellowed, one arm turning into a scythe of its own. But 
the blade was of raging fire.
	She stood there, unable to do anything but watch as the two 
viciously converged and attacked, their scythes becoming mere blurs of 
streaking light as sparks exploded all around them. Waring magiks echoed 
with each strike, shaking the chamber of stairs.
	Abruptly the demon leaped aside, twisting its body so that its feet 
touched the side wall. And there it remained, perpendicular to the wraith--
and they still fought as if oblivious to this new development. Mekiyu 
catapulted himself into the air, attacking now upside-down. The two 
lunged for each other, hovering for a moment in the air as they exchanged 
blows. And then they fell, still fighting even when their feet touched stone.
	They drew back, brandishing their scythes with deadly precision. 
The masquerade wraith swung his around his face, holding the weapon 
with his one hand. He was panting hard breaths as he glared at the demon, 
blood dripping from the cut across his forehead.
	"What are you?" he demanded in a low voice.
	"We are the entity of all the nightmares you have trapped within 
these walls," the demon snarled, wiping away from its cheek a streak of its 
own black blood from its black heart. "Together we are one, and together 
you become the prey."
	Suddenly the demon lunged for him, raking down the scythe. His 
scream became hers as the tsunami scythe was torn from his hands, blood 
spraying out from the gash in his arm. The demon was merciless, spinning 
around to deliver a second blow.	
	Meikyu cried out as he fell, the gash right across his chest. The 
blow had barely missed gouging a hole through his body, but the raging 
fireblade had still left a wound, scarlet rivers running down his suit. His jade 
green eyes were cold and grim as the fireblade was levelled with his neck.
	"You will surrender the magik of the masquerade dancers to us," 
the Shadowdemon stated. "And then we will skin you and drag your body 
to our Empress."
	"I thought seduction was her forte," he countered. "Why leave me 
in pieces when you could make me one of your own?"
	The bone mask leaning in closer, eyeless sockets burrowing into 
him with an evil gaze. With a savage gesture, the demon's claws ripped the 
cloak from his back. Moments later the hardened tip of a boot smashed 
itself into Meikyu's chest.
	"Because we want to make you our cloak."
	Something inside her snapped, and no longer was she rooted to the 
stone, a mere watcher. She opened her palms, summoning the magik of 
water, calling upon all the power of her planetary guardian.
	"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"
	The Shadowdemon whirled as the geyser struck, slicing the attack 
in half with a clean stroke of its fiery scythe. All its attention was upon her, 
and she cringed beneath the evil in those eyes.
	"Now," the Shadowdemon laughed, its eyes flashing. "We wish to 
see how pretty of a dreamer you really are, Mizuno Ami."
	She held her breath; there was no way she could fight this creature 
in hand to hand combat, or even with magik against magik. She knew that 
she was no match. But she had another way of fighting.
	The question was did she have time to save them both?
	The visor spread across her face, the handheld computer appearing 
in her hands. Fingers moved with rapid speed in processing and collecting 
any data. She kept a solemn face, hiding the emotions; this was not the time 
for them. Now her most precious talent would be their sole was of 
surviving.
	She sucked in her breath as the computer revealed no way out; 
they were sealed in. "No," she whispered, still hoping for an escape.
	"Such bravery," the demon chuckled, drawing closer. "We had no 
idea you were this devoted to him."
	"Ami!" he shouted, struggling to rise to his feet. "Get out of here! 
Forget about me!"
	For a moment her eyes lifted from the screen of her computer, 
focusing on him. "I can't forget," she said quietly. "I never could."
	The computer was registering this creature in front of her as a 
possible life form. Hundreds of faces were hidden behind the bone-mask of 
the beast, all pooled together. 
	"Masaka!" she exclaimed. What was before her seemed impossible; 
the Shadowdemons, all their own masters, were bound within that body. 
Immortals had stolen a mortal shell to harvest their combined power. This 
thing was in human form, all the dark voices of the countless demons 
screaming for control inside the body. 
	"Ami!" Meikyu shouted, collapsing as he tried to stumble towards 
her. "Get out of the labyrinth or you'll die!"
	A stray memory from the past came into her mind, one from a 
story told by the long-haired blonde in her and the raven knight's darkest 
hour. The Shadowdemon there had maintained its figure of night, scoffing 
at the frailty of the mortal body. The only reason that demon had been 
destroyed was because of the deadly power of the Hellion Serpynt.
	But this one was different.
	Inside the labyrinth Meikyu had created, the Shadowdemons alone 
couldn't withstand his power. But what they had done was merge their 
powers to alter the labyrinth; they were now in control, but only achieved 
this by becoming one in body.
	It could bleed when wounded.
	This thing could be killed like any other mortal...and yet the power 
attained by assuming this human form was immense. There would be no 
guarantees that any attack would penetrate its barriers.
	The gleam of the tsunami scythe caught her eyes; it was only a step 
away. She grabbed hold of the scythe and lifted it as high as she could. The 
weight of the weapon was surprisingly heavy, and she could barely get it up 
by her head. Her eyes widened as the demon leaped up before her, striking 
her across the cheek, trails of blood left down her face and on its claws.
	The scythe slid across the floor, teetering over the edge of the 
platform. For a heartbeat it was balanced and then fell, caught only at the 
last moment by Meikyu. Pulling out the weapon, he crawled over to her.
	"What are you trying to prove?" he panted as he cradled the scythe.
	She smiled, struggling to right herself. "Strike its bone mask," she 
whispered. "This creature is mortal now, and can be killed."
	"We destroy all the horde's power at once," he agreed. "But we 
can't get past its defenses." He scowled. "Chikusho! If only I had an 
opening!"
	She watched as his gaze flicked from anger to concern as she 
fought to bring herself to stand. "Watch for the opening," she said.
	She had to put her fears and doubts aside; if there was any moment 
to trust in this mysterious soul, then it was now. If she was wrong, she 
would pay with her life. They both would.
	"Ami-chan, no!" he exclaimed.
	A sudden strike from the Shadowdemon sent him toppling over the 
side and down a flight of stairs. Gone from her view, she realized that she 
was alone. There was no chance even her best attack could stand up to this 
creature's powers. But she had to try, to give Meikyu the opening. She had 
to trust him.
	Slowly she rose to her feet, fighting against her weakened 
condition. Holding out her hands to the demons bound in human flesh, she 
tried for another attack.
	"Mercury--"
	The demon's fingers wrapped tightly around her throat, choking the 
very breath out of her lungs. She was raised into the air, her feet dangling 
off the floor. One of her hands gripped the demon's arm, trying to release 
her windpipe.
	"Ami!" she heard a voice scream.
	"Meikyu," she whispered hoarsely, grimacing from the burning pain 
in her lungs.
	The demon's laughter echoed inside her mind. "And so it ends," it 
snarled. "Where is your precious love now?"
	Her other arm rose up, shaking as she fought to stay conscious. 
Palm opened and then came between her face and the demon's mask. 
Through half-shut eyes she managed to salvage any strength she had left, 
invoking what could be her last summon of magik.
	"Shining...Aqua Illusion!"
	The skull became warped as the jawbone opened wide and let out 
an enraged scream as the freezing ice struck it at point blank range. The 
nightmare personified stumbled backwards, twisting as the ice tried to 
burrow into its head. In its rage, the Shadowdemon clamped down around 
her throat, threatening to crush it completely. She gasped, searing heated 
pain exploding through her body. Shades of red and yellow smothered her 
vision.
	Suddenly there he was, the tsunami blade raised over the 
masquerade wraith's head as he viciously swung it towards her. Blue eyes 
widened as the gleaming blade arced past her face, narrowly grazing her 
cheek. But she was still alive.
	"SHIN'NE!!!" he bellowed, burying the blade.
	With a scream she was released, collapsing to the floor as the 
raging blade of the scythe smashed through the skull mask. The jawbone 
shattered, flung into the air as the eyeholes were crushed and imploded. 
Thick black ooze spurted out from the ruptured bone, spraying across his 
face and suit.
	"Impossible!" the demon host wailed.
	Meikyu's grip on the scythe shaft tightened. "That's why you never 
take on mortal form," he hissed. "To hell with your powers if you can't live 
to wield them!"
	He savagely pulled out the blade, dragging with it a tangled, 
pulsating mass of black. The Shadowdemon's body was still standing, 
twitching and its feeble howls lifted up to the height of the chamber of 
stairs.
	She found her vision returning to focus, and lifted her head to 
witness the final demise of the demon as he spun the scythe and made one 
fatal slash that tore the creature's head from its shoulders. The remains of 
the shattered skull and its head were locked in a horrified scream as it 
soared through the air.
	But that was not the end.
	He whirled, eyes tracking the severed head. And then he raised the 
scythe over his own head, the powers of the ocean's wrath swarming 
around his body. She rose up, her own body charged by a watery magik 
she shared with him.
	"Leviathans!" he shouted. 
	His magik exploded to bath the room in a fierce blue hue. Foam 
and waves rippled up stairways, around archways and snaked their way 
through the air, the ends of the watery tendrils taking shape into a vicious, 
snarling faces. These were the faces of the leviathans.
	Her own health and vibrancy had returned to her as she breathed 
the windfall of his magik. Palms open, she stretched out her arms and 
unleashed a mutual attack. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"
	And their twin magiks joined together to form an attack that 
merged together with two raging tidalwaves. One seeing, evil eye from the 
Shadowdemon's skeletal mask widened in terror as the flood cascaded 
down in a raging torrent of leviathans.
 	The creature was torn to shreds as the leviathans feasted on its 
flesh. With one final eruption the leviathans fell upon themselves and 
became a massive geyser that quickly petered out, leaving a gentle rainfall 
over the entire chamber of stairways.
	Their energy exhausted, both fighters fell onto their knees, battered 
but survivors. He pushed himself next to her, and they leaned into each 
other. "I thought I told you to get out of the labyrinth," he said with a weak 
smile, caressing her bloodstained cheek.
	She laughed, shaking her head at him. "I didn't think you would try 
to get yourself killed." Fingers touched the new mask taking form on his 
face, that of crimson blood. Already the rainfall was washing it away.
	"Not while you are here with me, Ami-chan," he answered softly.
	But there was no time for peace; the entire structure shuddered 
violently, sending down a torrent of dust with the rain. He curled himself 
over her to shield her from any falling stones. Indeed debris was crashing 
down all over the chambers.
	"Meikyu," she whispered. "Look."
	Her eyes widened as she stared out to the vast expanse of the 
chambers of stairways. It was folding in upon itself. Stairs were ripped 
from their platforms, crumbling apart and crashing to what might have been 
the floor far below. A severed archway plummeted past their platform, 
nearly taking both of them with it.
	"The labyrinth's collapsing!" he exclaimed. "Damned demons made 
it symbiotic when they merged; they go, and it goes too."
	"Where's the torii?" she said. The black gateway was their only 
known exit out from this nightmarish maze. 
	He pointed to a platform high above their heads where the torii 
could be seen looming over them. And then a second later the gateway 
shattered, exploding down black remnants of the portal connecting realms. 
She buried her head into his chest as fragments of the torii crashed onto 
their platform.
	"They sealed off our way out," he said quietly. Neither one had any 
more strength left to even stand, and they turned to meet the gaze of the 
other. "We're not going to make it," he said, trying to hide the tears.
	His hand gently touched hers, clasping palms and lacing fingers. 
The blood on his face was now covered in dust. "Gomen, Ami-chan. I'm 
sorry it had to be this way."
	Another series of staircases collapsed, sending a platform and its 
archway smashing into another set of stairs. A cloud of smoke nearly 
engulfed them, and the labyrinth shuddered in its death throes. Yet in that 
moment the convulsions of the chamber and the downpour of rubble and 
dust seemed to fade away as she stared into his eyes.
	"Hold me," she whispered, closing her eyes as a tear fell down her 
cheek.
	"I swear I won't leave you," he whispered into her ear. "I'll protect 
you until the end comes for us both. I love you, Ami-chan."
	She felt warm in his embrace despite her own body trembling in 
fear. Nothing else mattered now to her; all she wanted was to die with the 
soul whose piercing jade eyes and dangerous smile she had fallen in love 
with. 
	"Meikyu," she cried.
	And then the deafening rumbles were drowned out by a loud shout:
	"What in the hell are you two just standing there for?!"
	She turned her head and caught a glimpse of the bartender as a suit 
and silver cloak swept them up moments as the platform once beneath their 
feet was reduced to collapsing stones. She was flying now in the 
bartender's arms. They landed upon another stable platform, the silver 
cloak of the Wanderer fluttering around them. She simply stared at their 
guardian while Meikyu sighed in relief.
	"Arigato, Karasu-san," he said gratefully.
	She stared at the Wanderer in surprise. "Karasu?" she exclaimed. 
Then maybe there was hope for escape!
	"At your service," Karasu said with a quick bow. "Now if you don't 
mind, I can't hold my illusionary portal into this place for much longer."
	A loud tear through the air caused her head to tilt, and she saw a 
large piece of severed staircase plunging right towards them, threatening to 
crush them all.
	"Brace yourself!" Meikyu said, trying to shield her.
	And then a new shout echoed across the savage destruction:
	"World Shaking!"
	A brillant sphere of glowing orange smashed into the chunk of 
stairway, reducing it to mere dust. Her head snapped around and she saw a 
very familiar warrior in a similar battle fuku like hers.
	"Sailor Uranus!" she exclaimed.
	"Dammit, Karasu, we don't have all night!" the sandy-blonde 
snapped.
	The tall sandy-blonde whirled as another piece of stone archway 
swung towards her, but that rock was blown apart by a new attack of 
lightening magik. The sandy-blonde gave a wry grin as the tall brunette 
dropped down alongside.
	"Not bad, Mako-chan," the sandy-blonde remarked.
	"Come on!" Karasu exclaimed, gathering them both up and taking 
a second flying leap across the growing gorge, adeptly bounding from 
stone to falling stone.
	The Wanderer handed her over to the sandy-blonde, and took 
Meikyu in his own grip. "I can't carry them both through this debris field."
	She was still too weak to use her own strength, and allowed herself 
to be gathered up in the arms of the sandy-blonde. It didn't matter how they 
knew she was here.
	The trio leaped out into the path of the plummeting stones, 
dodging some and catapulting themselves off others. The tall brunette gave 
a startled shout as a piece of stairway tried to crush her. Crackling blue fire 
swatted the staircase aside, and the raven knight leaped out from atop 
another falling stone. 
	"The portal's this way!" Kishi stated. "And it's not going to hold for 
much longer."
	Her eyes were slowly going closed, her strength finally failing her. 
The last thing she remembered seeing was an end to the toppling labyrinth, 
a circular portal with all her friends at the other side, sending out attacks of 
magik to clear the path.
	"Meikyu," she whispered.
	And then the darkness of sleep.


	When her blue eyes opened once more, it was in the company of 
friends in the atrium outside the labyrinth. The black torii was toppled over, 
dashed to pieces no doubt by the maze's implosion.
	He was there too amidst all her friends, looking very battered but 
smiling as his jade green eyes met hers. A dark cloak and a beautiful white 
mask drifted past her, and her entire body tingled in healing. Another Yurei 
Knight was tending to him as well, the blood washed clean from his face, 
the gashes across his chest and arm sealed and purified.
	"Daijobu, Ami-chan?" the long-haired blonde asked.
	She nodded.
	"Ami-chan!" the odango-haired blonde cried, leaning against her. "I 
though I wouldn't see you or Meikyu-san again!"
	She smiled softly at the concerned tears of the odango-haired 
blonde; so passionate the girl was about friends, not wishing to see anyone 
hurt.
	"You two gave us quite a scare," the dark-haired shrine girl said. 
	The raven angel nodded. "Imagine our concern when you both 
disappeared, and then Michiru's mirror picked up a new evil force inside 
the palace."
	"The Shadowdemons merged together to seize the power of the 
labyrinth," he explained. "They stole Ami from the ballroom, and then 
attacked us both when I went in after her."
	"Are they dead?" the dark-haired shrine girl asked.
	"Judging from what's left of the labyrinth, I'd say they're quite 
dead," the Wanderer remarked, casting a glance back at the crumbled torii.
	She looked from each face to the next, finally resting her gaze upon 
the masquerade wraith. And then she realized she had indeed seen them 
before amidst the ballroom dancers. "Everyone knew?" she asked.
	He nodded. "They have been here all the time to watch over you, 
Ami-chan. They seem just as protective of you as I am."
	"You should have seen him when he found out you were in his 
labyrinth," the tall, sandy-blonde said. "He was ready to smash through the 
gates of hell to get you back."
	He blushed slightly at all the attention.
	"From the looks of the labyrinth he already did," the dark-haired 
prince said.
	"He was very determined about bringing you out," Kishi agreed.
	"What about your actions when Minako was killed at the 
pyramids?" the shrine protege inquired.
	The raven knight nodded. "Hai. I acted in the same fashion, but 
there I had nothing else to lose. Meikyu had everything: his kingdom, his 
beloved, and his own soul."
	"It still wouldn't have been enough if all of you came to protect us," 
he stated.
	"Friends take care of each other, ne?" the tall brunette said with a 
playful wink. "You asked us to help bring you and Ami-chan together, and 
we did just that."
	"Not that Ami-chan didn't need all that much convincing," the 
odango-haired blonde remarked, turning to her. "You always knew he was 
the guy for you, Ami-chan. You just needed us to help give you a push in 
that direction."
	"After all," the long-haired blonde added. "All Roman roads lead 
somewhere!"
	"That's `all roads lead to Rome', Minako-chan," the raven knight 
sighed as everyone stifled their laughter.
	The masquerade wraith got up and walked over to her, extending 
his hand as the others rose to their feet. "Come again tomorrow night," he 
said, helping her up. "I'll be waiting."
	She stroked his cheek. "I'll be there, Meikyu."
	"Awwww!" everyone sighed romantically.
	He burst out laughing while she in turn blushed prettily. Eyes of 
seductive, piercing jade looked down at her. "Would you object if I 
embarrassed you with a kiss in front of your friends?"
	She responded by pulling his lips down to hers, giving him a 
passionate kiss. She broke off, chuckling at the surprised look across his 
face. The Wanderer whistled approval while the odango-haired blonde and 
the long-haired blonde cheered her on. 
	"How's that for an answer?" she inquired with a sly grin.
	"I think he's turned the shy little mouse into a purring kitten," the 
aqua-haired woman remarked to the sandy-blonde.
	"That's not such a bad thing, is it?" the tall sandy-blonde replied.
	Slowly, regretfully, he drew away from her. "Until the next sunset, 
Ami-chan. I await you then." 
	"Oyasumi nasai, Meikyu," she said with a small wave.
	He faded like a ghost, the four Yurei Knights attending to him as 
he disappeared. The grand halls of the floating palace started to also fade to 
black as the realm of the waking hours approached.
	She smiled as she watched him go, sighing contently.
	"Ne, Ami-chan," the odango-haired blonde inquired. "How did it 
feel to kiss him?"
	"Hai!" the long-haired blonde insisted. "We want details, Ami-
chan! Details!"
	She blushed, giggling nervously as all her female friends looked to 
her direction. "Ano...."
	Suddenly the odango-haired blonde, the long-haired blonde, the 
dark-haired shrine girl and the tall brunette had clustered around her, 
demanding details.
	"Ami-chan!" they chorused.


	The Moonlight Masquerade was raging on with dancers, laughter 
and wine as the clear sky and crystal ocean sparkled all around.
	From his place, the bearer of the mask of living waters watched the 
gala. "She's staying up late again," he remarked, leaning against the bar, 
fingering an empty wine glass. His jade eyes stared out at the other souls 
present; most of the ballroom was already filled with revellers for one more 
night of dancing and dreaming.
	"She's always been a night owl," the Wanderer replied, pouring 
another glass of wine at a couple's requst. "And this is probably her revenge 
for having everyone conspiring together to get her a boyfriend."
	He smiled at the remark, removing his mask. "One must be careful 
with such a fragile heart," he said. "I didn't want her to realize that 
everyone she trusts was playing a part in this, or else she might have pulled 
away. Coincidence was the best way to play the game."
	"Too many coincidences make for a conspiracy," the dark-haired 
prince stated, drawing up beside him.
	He cocked an eyebrow. "And too many conspiracies make for 
paranoia, Mamoru. No, this was best. This was for Ami-chan, and we all 
agreed upon this approach, that there be none on our part." He gave a 
delicious smile. "And besides, this was all the more fun. She sees me as an 
attractive and seductive yet dangerous individual. I shouldn't disappoint 
her."
	The Wanderer sighed. "Yare yare. I think you're enjoying this too 
much, Meikyu."
	The dark-haired prince's expression grew somber. "Walk with me, 
Meikyu," the dark-haired prince asked.
	They kept a simple but brisk pace, walking up the stairs and away 
from the ears and eyes of the other dancers. The second floor held only a 
few scattered couples, too involved in their romance to notice them.
	"Are you sure it is her you love?" the dark-haired prince asked 
cautiously. "Her, and not the princess you fell in love with so many 
centuries ago?  Who is it you truly love?"
	He smiled to himself. "I love them both, Mamoru-san. I love Ami-
chan for who she is, and the memories her face brings back to me. That is 
why I am putting on such a brilliant masquerade for everyone. If this is 
love, then I wish for her to court me. After all the female of the species is 
more deadly than the male."
	"In your case an exception might be made," the dark-haired prince 
wryly said.
	He gave another smile. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
	He stared down at the masquerade dancers, laughing and loving in 
each other's embrace. From his viewpoint he could pick out the ones he 
had drawn to this place. Those who were her friends, who saw him to be a 
friend also.
	His gaze shifted over to the dark-haired prince. But the prince was 
gone, slipped away much like he was prone to doing as well. All that 
remained was a single red rose left where the prince had once stood, a few 
crimson petals caught in the breeze and scattered across the expanse of the 
ballroom.
	Meikyu shook his head. "Quit showing off, Mamoru. Who do you 
think taught you that trick in your dreams?"
	Jade eyes caught sight of ripples of shimmering shades in blue. 
Wearing that beautiful, billowy dress she walked into the ballroom. Though 
it was not at the top of the curved staircase; instead she walked out from 
the fountain corridor, her blue hair adorned with barrettes of shimmering 
pearls and silver dolphins.
	He smiled as once again the advantage was his in spotting her first, 
and made his way to the staircase, adjusting his mask. But he paused as a 
familiar face passed him by.
	"You're leaving already, Karasu?" he asked.
	The Wanderer nodded. "You and Ami-chan are together, and now 
I must go on my own for a while again. I do thank you, though, for inviting 
me to this little party. The rest was a welcomed one."
	"Iie. I should be thanking you," he countered. "You came at my 
request when you didn't have to, and then saved our lives back in the 
labyrinth. How can I repay you?"
	The Wanderer glanced out to the dancers, smiling at the sight of 
the dark-haired shrine girl and the shrine protege laughing as they twirled 
together amidst the masked dancers.
	"Just seeing Rei-chan's smile is payment enough," Karasu 
answered. "Hers, and the smiles of the other girls. There is something very 
special about each of them, Meikyu; take care of Ami-chan."
	"Hai," he said. "You have my word."
	"Just one last question," the Wanderer added. "What do you do 
with the Shadowdemons you slay?"
	He paushed, turning only his head to give a dark smile. "Ever 
wondered what this suit was made of?"
	"I swear you have Mystwolf blood running through your body," 
Karasu remarked, crystal blue eyes rolling behind the shades. "In this 
respect you're akin to their tastes. Sayonara, Meikyu."
	And then a dancer crossed between them, the Wanderer choosing 
to disappear just then.
	"Sayonara, Kageno Karasu," he said quietly. "Pleasant dreams 
wherever you go."
	His gaze returned to the princess of the waters and oceans as she 
slowly made her way up the flight of stairs. They met halfway, hand in 
hand.
	"You made it," he sighed. "I was beginning to wonder if you would 
ever fall asleep."
	"Gomen," she replied with a shy smile. "I had to study for a test 
and lost track of time."
	"We have all the time in the world," he answered. "Eternity is a 
long time, Ami-chan." He curiously appraised her flushed and excited 
condition. "Are you sure you were just studying before you crossed over?"
	She blushed at that, a bright shade of rouge.
	He chuckled. "Kawaii, Ami-chan. Kawaii."
	She found herself entrapped by his eyes once more, a tingling 
warmth flooding her body. So this was love; for so long she had denied 
herself this feeling, buried it deep down. Now it had surfaced, and she 
never wanted this feeling to go away.
	She rested her head against his shoulder. "My only regret is that 
when this dream ends I'll have to wait until tomorrow night to see you 
again."
	"Why wait?" he countered. "I'll escourt you home after the 
masquerade."
	Her eyes widened in surprise; to her knowledge Meikyu hadn't 
been granted access into Earth like Sora and Kishi once had. "How?" she 
asked.
	"I was freed of my duties as a guardian angel long ago," he 
explained. "When my kingdom became a palace floating on an ocean, I 
found myself able to cross over to your world, but never found a reason to 
go there. Yet I stayed here to watch over your family's dreams. That is why 
I could appear to you in the library."
	"But the labyrinth?" she pressed. Why would Shadowdemons try 
to attack a realm of the Dreamworld declared off limits?
	He laughed at her innocent curiousity. "It's the temptation, Ami-
chan; an opening into an untouchable realm. After all, I do live for the--"
	"The thrill of the hunt," she finished, nodding. "I guessed that." 
	He took a step down, pulling her down with him. Her heart leaped 
inside her chest as he took her out onto the dance floor. Amidst the blurs of 
exotic colours and guises, she took her hand in his and they danced 
together.
	The feeling was exhilarating, as if she were really floating inside 
heaven. Every part of his body seemed to become a part of hers and 
together they seemed to move as one soul. 
	The rippling waters and crimson kanji caught her gaze. "You don't 
need this anymore," she said, gently tugging at the mask and removing it 
from his face. She stifled a gasp as for the first time his face was fully 
revealed. Pale yet smooth and beautiful, very much like one she had 
dreamed of.
	"I may not be a young Einstein," he remarked. "But I can assure 
you that I'm a killer at chess." 
	"We'll just have to see about that," she replied. She leaned against 
his chest as they slow-danced in the thick of the ballroom dancers. 
Sometimes she would catch a glimpse of familiar faces behind exotic 
masks, the ladies of those couples smiling and waving to her.
	She felt so excited tonight, magik flowing through and possessing 
her body, her soul. "Please," she asked. "Come with me to my world 
tonight after this dance."
	"Hai, your Majesty," he answered.
	She playfully batted his shoulder. "Just because I'm a princess 
doesn't mean you have to call me by that title."
	"How about Megami?" he inquired. "Or perhaps Jo'o-sama? My 
goddess and queen of the waters."
	She blushed again at his fond whispers.
	The symphony paused, and in that moment they slipped out from 
the ballroom and its dancers, stepping through the portal that would return 
them to her world, to her bed.
	She wanted so much to be with him tonight, to become a part of 
him as he became a part of her. For so long shy fear had kept her passions 
deep within, and only now was romance surfacing in her life.
	"Watch your step, Ami-chan," Meikyu said.
	They stopped beneath the gentle-curving roof of the fountain 
corridor, the four Yurei Knights appearing. The black robes billowed out 
to blanket them both in a veil of night. As the folds of dark fabric swept 
around them, she gathered herself up in his arms and leaned forward to 
kiss. He made no effort to resist, letting his lips touch hers. And together 
they journeyed into a world of waking hours.


	"Your mother's not going to object if she suddenly finds a 
Dreamworld guardian in your house, is she?" he asked cautiously, glancing 
down the dim hallway of her large house.
	"She's out for a conference in Kyoto tonight," she answered. "We 
have the house to ourselves until Thursday."
	He cocked an eyebrow. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you 
had this planned, Ami-chan."
	She smiled; it had never been her intention, but merely a matter of 
rather convenient timing. He smiled, walking alongside with her. She led 
him into the spacious living room--or rather, the foyer. There was yet to be 
an enormous Christmas tree adorned with shimmering orbs and lights and 
decorations and tinsel, sitting over a stack of presents. It was still too early 
in the month for that time to come.
	"It is almost Christmas, Ami-chan," he said, snapping his fingers. 
Without touching a switch or a knob, multiple lights and lamps turned 
themselves on. A large, crackling fire erupted from the fireplace. "What 
would you like as a present?"
	The room seemed so warm and glowing, as if the peak of the 
season was already upon them. She smiled, leaning closer, savouring his 
strange scent of crystal waters and mystic danger. "I already have my 
present, Meikyu-chan."
	They sat down on one of the plush couches, hands clasped with 
one another. She stared into his jade eyes, hoping that he would lean 
forward to kiss her, to caress her skin.
	"Meikyu," she whispered.
	"Ami-chan," he responded, his fingers stroking her palm. Her 
breath quickened as did her heart's beat. "A chess match, perhaps?" he 
abruptly inquired.
	"N-now?" she asked, disappointed and shaken up as her body was 
crying out for his touch.
	Meikyu grinned. "Strip chess?" 
	He snapped his fingers, their set-up for the duel appearing 
assembled on the floor before the roaring fire, its dancing crimson glow 
bouncing across their faces as they found themselves on opposite ends of 
the chess board.
	"The rules are simple enough," he stated. "For every piece you 
lose, you lose an article of clothing."
	She glanced down at herself; her eyes widened. "But I'm still 
wearing my dress!" There were maybe four articles she had on, and that 
was it!
	He cocked an eyebrow. "So you are...and I have on my layers of 
tuxedo. It'll take me four games to shed all of this."
	She laughed, leaning over the gameboard. "Baka!" she scolded, 
wrapping her arms around his neck. "You planned that!"
	She kissed him passionately, letting go of every inhibition that had 
kept her back for so long. Tonight she wanted to be the leader, to be the 
enigma walking in his dreams. Tonight she wanted to feel love in all its 
estacy.
	"To hell with the match," he muttered, wiping the pieces off the 
board as he laid back with her still forcing him down onto the floor.
	She held her breath as his touch moved around the base of her 
neck, tracing the edge of her blouse. Her own fingers moved without a 
trace of her knowledge, nimbly undoing the buttons on his jacket and shirt, 
separating the folds to reveal his chest.
	She pressed her lips against his again, gasping and panting for air as 
the room seemed to become filled with a sweltering heat. The top of her 
gown was slid down the sides of her body, revealing her rounded breasts. 
The smooth silk of the fabric running down her skin send her nerves all on 
edge.
	Skin rubbed against skin, electric and hot. She moved and touched 
all that she could of his body, trying to feel his presence all around her. 
Nothing was left between them, and they came together.
	There was a moment of pain, and he tried to comfort her amidst it. 
Soon the pain was forgotten, and all she could see were his eyes staring 
back at her in love as they moved in one accord to a rhythm of their magik.
	Something was building up inside of her, threatening to destroy her 
mind with an incredible passion engulfing her very voice. She curled up her 
fingers, oblivious to his stifled hiss as she scratched her nails down his skin, 
drawing blood.
	She could not hold back any longer as their rhythm caught her up 
in a tidalwave of passion. Her entire core was on fire, and she tightly 
wrapped herself around him.
	"Meikyu!" she cried out as the rush exploded within her, capturing 
and possessing her entire body and soul. Heaven seemed to be beneath her 
wings as she trembled in excitement. Life became an explosion that 
radiated out from her core, as if she had just tasted death.
	And then her eyes were closed and she collapsed on top of her 
masquerade wraith. He smiled softly, stroking her hair as he he looked at 
her glistening face now peacefully in sleep. She had passed out in that vital 
moment, so overcome by the passion and the magik they had shared 
together.
	"La petite mort," he whispered to himself. He made no move to 
awaken her, but stayed where he was and watched her sleep like an 
exhausted angel.
	"Oyasumi nasai, Ami-chan. Dream well."
	Soon he too fell asleep.
	They slept there together, her in his warm embrace. And there they 
remained long after the embers of a dying fire flickered with a last breath of 
life. But somewhere amidst the silence of a quiet room, a symphony of 
night could be heard, and flickering in the shadows were two masquerade 
dancers together in romance and love.
	"Ami-chan...."
	"Meikyu...."