There once was a beautiful young maiden named Miku. When she was young, her mother passed away.
Then her father married another woman to give her a motherly figure. Not long after, he passed away as well.
Miku lived with her stepmother, and her two stepsisters Neru and Teto. All day every day, they gave her hard chores and back-breaking work.
Miku tried her best to keep them happy. Especially her stepmother, Lady Yowane, who was a cruel, cold woman.
While placing chore after chore on Miku's back, she pampered and spoiled her two awkward daughters.
Lady Yowane was also jealous of her stepdaughter's beauty and voice. Giving her extra work made her feel better about herself.
She even once ordered Miku to give Lucifer a bath. It didn't end well. For Miku.
Really, Miku's only friends were the mice she sheltered from Lucifer. The mice loved her. They'd do anything for their Mimi.
Then one day, a messenger arrived to their residence. He gave a letter to Miku. "Thank you!" She called as he left.
Opening it, she gasped in pure joy. The palace was having a royal ball...and she was invited!
It seemed the king was trying to find a lady for his son to marry.
Miku was over the moon with excitement. "Wait...I need a gown..." she thought for a moment. "I've got it!"
Dashing upstairs to the attic, her mouse friends in tow, she picked out her outfit.
It was an old pink dress. But not any dress. It had belonged to Miku's mother. "It's a little on the bland side," Miku admitted.
"But we can fix that, right?" "Yeah!" The mice cheered.
However, Lady Yowane had also heard about the ball, and didn't want Miku going. She wanted the Prince to marry Teto or Neru.
She gave Miku a truckload of work that would take her all night to finish. Thus, making her unable to attend the ball.
"They make it super hard for Mimi," One mouse said. "Yeah, and after she was so excited about attending," sighed another.
"Hey, we can't just sit around and feel bad for her!" A mouse named Gakupo chirped.
He wore a purple samurai outfit Miku had made for him. "Let's finish her dress! That way she'll be able to attend!"
There were some murmurs, but all the mice eventually agreed. Gakupo turned to the dress. "Onward!" He called, pulling out his katana. The mice cheered.
With the help of some birds, the mice fixed up Miku's dress. They added ribbons and beads that Teto and Neru had thrown away.
They were soon able to make the simple dress into a beautiful gown.
When Miku finished her chores, her animal friends showed her the dress. She gasped. She could go to the ball now!
"Oh thank you, thank you!" Miku cried. "Now I can go!" But when Neru and Teto saw her dress, they weren't too pleased.
"Those are my beads!" Neru snapped, snatching them from Miku. "But you threw them away!" "That doesn't mean they aren't mine!"
"My ribbons!" Teto gasped. "Why do you have them?" The sisters raged, tearing Miku's dress to shreds.
Lady Yowane didn't stop them. She just merely watched. Miku's dream of going to the ball was ripped away with her dress.
When ball time came around, Lady Yowane and her daughters had left in a carriage. Without Miku.
After they had left, Miku ran to the garden. When there, she started to cry.
"Don't cry, Mimi," said a voice. Miku looked down. It was Gakupo. "We're so sorry." Said a new voice.
It was Len, another mouse. "There there, Mimi." Said three female mice, Rin, Gumi, and IA. They hugged her shoulders.
"Aw, it's not your fault." Miku smiled sadly. "It's mine for thinking I ever had a chance of going." The mice felt bad for her.
Suddenly, there was a twinkling in front of her. Miku and the mice looked in awe.
The sparkling faltered to reveal a beautiful young woman with long pink hair.
"Now now, chin up, darling." "W-Who're you?" Miku gasped. "I'm your Fairy Godmother!"
Miku was speechless. "I hear you want to go to a ball, yes?" Miku nodded. "Well, that shouldn't be a problem!
"Bibbidy-bobbidy-boo!" With a wave of her wand, she turned a pumpkin into a grand carriage.
"Needs some horses." She glanced at the mice. With another flick of her wand, she turned the mice into beautiful white horses.
She had also turned Miku's dog into a coachman. "There we are!" "U-Um...Fairy Godmother? This is all beautiful, but...I don't have a dress."
The Fairy Godmother studied her tattered dress. "I can fix that. Bibbidi-bobbity-boo!"
Waving her wand, the Fairy Godmother turned Miku's torn dress into a beautiful silver blue gown with glass slippers.
"You can now attend the ball." The Fairy Godmother smiled. "However, when the clock strikes midnight, the magic will wear off!"
"I'll be careful!" Miku nodded. "Thank you, Fairy Godmother!" She waved as she drove off to the palace.
She smiled, and waved back. Miku giggled with excitement like a child. She could go after all!
A bit later...
"We've arrived, Miss." The coachman said. "Thank you, Bruno! Extra treats for you tonight!"
Bruno beamed. "You too," she stroked the horses. They whinnied.
Miku stood at the stairs of the palace. "Go on, Mimi!" Ushered Gakupo.
Miku nodded, and slowly walked up the stairs leading into the palace. The inside was beautiful.
Grand decor was everywhere, and chandeliers dripped from the ceilings. Miku has never seen a place so beautiful.
There were many, many young ladies there. She tried to stay out of her step-family's sight.
She glanced to see Neru and Teto talking to the Prince.
"So, Mr. Handsome," Teto cooed. "Have you found anyone yet?" "Eh...no," the Prince looked very uncomfortable.
"I can help you with that!" Neru linked into his arm, sending him a wink. He was cringing on the inside.
"Who said you would get to marry him?" Teto sneered. "Me." The Prince was desperate to get away from the girls.
"Why don't you two ladies try the food? You look hungry!" "Anything for you, Mr. Handsome!" Teto and Neru swooned.
The Prince sighed in relief. He surveyed the girls there to see if any were wife material.
There was one girl in particular who caught his eye. Smiling a bit, he made his way over to her.
"Hello," He said. Miku turned in surprise. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." "Oh, no it's alright..."
Miku couldn't believe what her eyes were showing her. Prince Kaito was standing right in front of her.
He was quite handsome. Ocean blue locks fell over his eyes of the same color as he looked down at her.
The orchestra started to play. The Prince smiled kindly. "May I have this dance?" He extended his hand.
Miku's face flushed a cute pink. "You may," she gently placed her hand in his.
The two of them were the center of attention as they danced. Three sets of eyes, however, looked on in disgust.
"Who's that wretched girl dancing with my future husband?" Teto scoffed. "I told you he's mine." "Right!"
But the staring eyes didn't faze Prince Kaito and the nameless girl he danced with.
Miku even started to sing along with the song. The Prince was mesmerized.
"Your voice is that of an angel's," he smiled. Miku giggled, and blushed.
The song ended. Clear ice met deep sea. The two smiled at each other, blushing.
Then came the dreaded sound. The loud banging of the clock. "Midnight!" Miku gasped.
"What?" "I must go!" She began to run off. "Wait!" Prince Kaito called, going after her.
"I'm terribly sorry! Goodbye!" "Wait! But how will I find you?" "Goodbye!" Miku called again.
"But I don't even know your name!" "Time to go, Bruno." He nodded. "Hyah!" The horses hurried away.
Prince Kaito deflated. He had met the girl of his dreams, and she had fled away.
Then he noticed something glittering on the stairs. It was one of Miku's glass slippers.
He picked it up. He ran his finger along it. "Glass," he murmured.
After the party, he called the Grand Duke. "Yes, Your Majesty?" "Tomorrow morning I want you to go out and find the lovely maiden I danced with tonight.
"I will marry the girl whose foot fits in this glass slipper."
Word got out the next morning that the prince would marry the girl who's foot fit the slipper.
Miku felt like she would faint. Although, Lady Yowane picked up on her strange behavior.
Putting two and two together, she figured out that Miku was the one dancing with the prince the previous night.
She couldn't let Miku of all girls marry the prince.
"Miku!" "Yes Lady Yowane?" "I left something in the attic. Go get it for me." Miku sighed sadly. "Yes Lady Yowane."
Miku traveled up to the attic, Lady Yowane following behind. Miku went inside.
"What is it that you forgot, Lady Yowane?" She heard the lock click in response.
She spun around, jiggling the doorknob, but the door wouldn't open. She pounded on the door.
"Let me out! Let me out!" She cried. Lady Yowane looked at the key in her hand, and grinned evilly.
There was a knock on the door. "Mother! The Duke's here!" Neru hollered. "Coming, coming."
Miku screamed to be let out, but Lady Yowane ignored her completely.
She opened the door. "Hello Madame." The Duke bowed. "You must know why I'm here." "Of course. Please, come in."
She picked up Lucifer, stroking his back. "These are my two daughters, Teto and Neru."
"Of course," the Duke said. He remembered them from last night. He wasn't very fond of them either.
"I get to go first!" Teto giggled, sitting on a chair. "No I get to go first!" Neru shoved her sister off.
"I'm older so I go first!" "Girls," Lady Yowane said sternly. "We have royal company." "Sorry, Mother."
Bruno's ears perked up, and he turned his head toward the stairs. He trotted up toward the noise.
Lucifer watched him with narrowed eyes.
"Hello? Can anybody hear me?" Miku pounded on the door. Bruno started to bark.
"Is everything alright up there?" The Duke asked. "Yes yes, everything's fine," Lady Yowane said quickly.
"It's just a stupid mutt. Shut up, dog!" The barking stopped. "Continue."
The mice, however, heard Bruno's barking, and went to investigate. Miku pounded on the door again.
Bruno let out a soft bark. "Bruno!" She called. "Mimi!" The mice gasped.
"Don't worry, Mimi! We'll get you out!" Gakupo declared.
Downstairs, Neru was trying on the slipper, but her foot was too big. "I'm afraid it doesn't fit, Miss."
"It does too!" Neru snapped. She jammed her foot into it until it 'fit.' "There!" She announced.
"It fits perfectly." "I don't believe so," said the Duke again. "See? If the Duke says it, then you're obviously not it!" Teto sneered.
"Move! It's my turn!" She shoved her sister off. Neru gingerly took off the slipper, giving it to the Duke.
The Duke put the slipper on Teto's foot, but it was too small. "What? No!" Teto gasped.
"It does fit!" She kept trying to get the slipper to not slip off her foot, but to no avail.
"Guess it doesn't fit you either." Neru mocked. "Shut up!"
Whilst all this was happening, Gakupo and Len quietly dragged the key out of Lady Yowane's pocket.
Lucifer, however, saw what the mice were doing, and stalked them up the stairs.
He slammed one paw on their tails. "Hey!" Gakupo protested. Lucifer snickered.
Len managed to get away, and climbed on Lucifer's head. The black cat hissed.
Len scrambled down to Lucifer's bottom, and bit his tail. He yowled, letting go of Gakupo's tail in the process.
"Nice job!" Len beamed. The two bolted up to the attic before Lucifer could catch them again.
Making a mouse ladder on Bruno's head, Gakupo was able to unlock the door to the attic.
Miku opened the door, and scooped her animal friends into her arms. "Thank you, really!"
"I'm sorry ladies, you aren't the ones." The Duke was about to walk out the door when Miku came bursting down.
"Wait!" She called. The Duke turned around, and smiled upon seeing her. Meanwhile, her step-family glared at her in disgust.
"How did you get out?" Lady Yowane demanded. She turned to the Duke.
"This is not the girl you're looking for! I'm telling you, one of my daughters belongs with the prince!"
"Ma'am, His Majesty asked me to try every single young woman," The Duke said. He took out the slipper, and walked toward Miku.
Desperate to not let Miku be the one the prince married, she tripped the Grand Duke.
The glass slipper shattered. The Grand Duke gasped. Lady Yowane and her daughters grinned evilly.
Lucifer snickered at Bruno and the mice mockingly. "Don't worry!" Everyone stared at Miku.
"I have the other one!" She dashed upstairs as Lady Yowane, Teto, and Neru watched her, their mouths agape.
Miku came back down holding the other glass slipper. She handed it to the Duke.
He slipped it on her foot-and it fit! "It's the perfect fit!" The Duke exclaimed. "You are the one!"
Lady Yowane and her daughters looked at them, pure horror written on their faces.
Miku beamed. Her mice friends cheered and Bruno wagged his tail a million miles an hour while Lucifer's mouth was identical to a grouper's.
Miku and Prince Kaito were soon married. Everyone rejoiced, including her mice friends and Bruno.
The newlywed royals then lived happily ever after.
