Cendrillon
By: Ashton-Rena
You were waiting for me.
My one true love.
My knight in shining armor.
I walked quickly, my glass heels making sharp clicking sounds on the dark marble floor.
It seems like I've been walking for hours. The same columns, the same floor, the same eerie, lifeless portraits on the wall.
The only sound I hear is my footsteps, my ragged breath, and my beating heart.
A door. A huge double door, twice the size of me. I hesitantly push it open, heart in my throat.
My eyes darted around the large room. More pictures adorn the walls, antique cases in beautiful shades of green, blue, and red shining bright in the dim candle light.
Two sets of stairs are on either side of me now. It seems as though they ascend to the same balcony. I went with my gut and started climbing up the left staircase. My shaky hand glides over the perfectly polished wooden banister.
At the top, there are two more sets of doors. Surely he'd be behind one of them. I've come too far to just give up. Something caught my eye before I made my decision. A large mirror nestled in an alcove between the doors.
I wanted to make sure I looked presentable for him. I walked to the mirror and straightened my posture before peering into its reflective surface.
To my surprise, it wasn't me that I was looking at. I mean, it was me, but it most certainly didn't look like me. The girl looking back at me had jet black hair pulled up into messy ponytails on the sides of her head. Her tousled bangs had a single blue highlight running through them.
Her eyes were odd. Instead of the usual bright mix-matched colors, they were dull and lifeless. The final, and most notable change, was the jet black gown and the ornate silver dagger that was strapped to her thigh.
My own gown was a mixture of snow white silk and light and dark blue draped fabric that fell past my glass slippers and pooled onto the floor. Matching white gloves ran up the length of my arms and stopped just past my elbows. Silver jewelry adorned with diamonds and bright sapphires completed the look.
My reflection, however, was wearing a skin tight dress that matched the color of her hair with a slit on the right side that exposed the pale skin of her leg and thigh. Everything but her dress resembled my own even down to the jewelry. Instead of clear and blue gems adorning her neck and ears, it was stones that shone in a blood red.
I watched intently as she reached out and touched the surface in front of her. I brought my hand to my chest and she did the same. I reached out and placed my right hand on the mirror just as she had done with her left.
A wicked smile formed on her rose painted lips as she reached through the mirror and grabbed me by the wrist. I found myself off balance, literally swept off my feet, albeit, not exactly the way I pictured it happening. I squeezed my eyes closed until I was still again.
After several beats, I slowly opened my eyes to a large room with the same rows of columns and marble floor I had grown accustomed to. But there was someone standing in the center of this room. He was motioning for me to come closer to him.
Feeling my heart skip, I started forward. I had only walked two steps when I suddenly remembered how I had ended up in this room in the first place.
I spun around quickly, my gown swishing around my feet. My heart sank when I realized that the only one I was looking at… was myself.
I took a shaky breath and turned around to see him.
My knees were weak. My heart was going to burst from my chest. He was smiling at me, still motioning for me to come toward him.
I hesitantly started forward, and noticed that my footsteps were being drowned out by the pounding of my heart in my ears. Before I knew it, I was standing mere feet from him.
I found as I got closer, my sight focused on the large clock inset in the intricately decorated wall.
Eleven-o-clock.
There was just one hour left.
My eyes drifted down to his handsome features as I watched him extend his hand to take my own. I nervously placed my hand in his, shivering at the warm touch.
He smiled at me, his ruby eyes shining, reflecting the hundreds of candles and hanging jewels from the chandeliers.
And the same girl I saw in the mirror just moments before.
Eyes widening, I stepped away from him quickly. Inside my head a voice, my voice…
"Kill him."
I shook my head and blinked several times.
"Why are you crying?"
His voice was raspy and strong. It made me feel safe… at least until I looked him in the eye.
I stood frozen as he reached out and caressed my cheek, wiping the stray tears away. He pulled me to his chest and the subtle smell of tea on his lips calmed me.
As if it were magic, beautiful classical music started to play, and before I knew it, he had taken my hand to lead me across the dance floor effortlessly.
We danced for what seemed like a few minutes. My gaze left his to look at the clock.
Eleven forty seven.
I was running out of time.
I looked at him. I hoped that he would tell me he wanted me forever. In his clear ruby eyes, she smiled back at me.
Unconsciously, my hand travelled down from his shoulder to my thigh.
"Kill him," the reflection mouthed.
With tears overflowing, my trembling fingers grasped the cool silver strategically placed on my right thigh. He didn't notice. He was completely oblivious. That poor, stupid prince. Still trying to hold me tight and console me.
I had no control. I watched as the dagger came down. I watched his eyes pierce my own with shock. I felt his body tense up, his breath hot against my neck as he whispered something incoherent. My grip loosened on the dagger; it had suddenly become very heavy. As it clanged to the marble floor, I tried to steady myself, reeling back from his weight. We fell clumsily onto the cold floor, my hand pressed against the knife wound in his stomach.
So much blood.
Eleven fifty eight.
Not long now.
It would be over soon.
Surely, he didn't want to be with me now.
My tears flowed freely. I watched him wince in pain as he reached up to touch my cheek again.
"Why…are you crying?"
"You'll never love me."
"H-how do you…know?"
"I am a plain, normal girl. No prince would want to be with me."
A smile formed across his pale, bloody lips as the clock began its midnight toll.
"I must go."
"Why?"
"Please, forget about me. I must go."
I stood quickly. The bells were on their seventh chime now. Casting one last look at my dying prince, I started for the door, never looking back as the clock chimed its seventh toll.
Chime
A dying prince.
Chime
A fleeing princess.
Chime
A single glass slipper left behind on marble steps.
Chime
"Goodbye, my love…my Cinderella."
Chime
End
A/N: Hey there, guys. Long time no see. I've been in a little slump as far as writing goes. So, I've decided to type up some of my old fanfics that I've been neglecting. This one in particular was written over a year ago. I had it completely typed out on my old computer, and then it crashed. I forgot about this fanfic until I was cleaning out my binder the other day.
Anyway, this is another RukoXRook fanfic if you haven't caught that yet. XD
I hope you guys enjoyed! Until next time!
~ Ashton-Rena