The Curse

They were her favorite shoes. Kyoko smiled softly at the beautiful red, leather shoes as she polished them. They were perfect. She had found them at the thrift store and they had caught her eye. Every girl should have a beautiful pair of red shoes. They could go with almost anything and the heels were a perfect height. They fit her foot perfectly, as if they had been made only for her. Every time she donned them she did a twirl and felt her heart dance. They made her feel like the most beautiful girl in the world. Yes, she would definitely wear them on her first date with Ren.

~xoxo~

The dark haired, jealous little female fumed. Not only had that nobody got the part she wanted, she got the man too. Now she was wearing those beautiful shoes she had no business owning. This was the last straw. She turned to her manager and devised a plan. She would have everything, even if she had to kill for it. It would prove that she deserved it. To the victor goes the spoils, as the old saying says.

The pair waited until the unsuspecting female left for the ladies room and accosted her on the spot. They knocked her on the head hard, rendering her unconscious. After much effort, they finally brought her to the top of the three-story building, removed the red shoes and as she slowly regained consciousness, tossed her over as she whispered something to them on her way down.

Golden eyes flashed molten before she hit the ground, breaking her back and legs, forcing her to fall back into the blackness where she had just left. "I curse you. If you try to walk in my shoes, you will always fail. Everyone will see you for the monster that you are and you will never be able to remove them." Were the words that Kyoko had whispered. Unfortunately for Kimiko Morizumi, she had never heard and was completely unaware that when a person is in mortal peril, a true curse from the heart is born.

Kuon was devastated. He blamed himself for the treachery that had befallen the woman that he loved as she lay sleeping like a cursed princess in the hospital bed he sat next to. The doctors couldn't tell him if or, when she would awaken and they were telling her friends and loved ones, quite possibly she would never be able to walk again.

Kimiko Morizumi was quite satisfied with herself as she donned the beautiful red shoes, she believed were more fitting for her to wear. Her uncle had given her the part of Momiji when Kyoko hadn't awakened from her "accident".

"What a tragedy." She smirked and whispered sarcastically as she admired her ensemble. She glanced up into the mirror at her normally perfect visage and noticed a small blemish on her cheek. It was a little red, irritated and scaly. She huffed and applied a little extra foundation to cover it, smiled at the concealment and spritzed on some of her favorite perfume.

"Kimiko! It's time to go or, you'll be late. You're already on Kuresaki-san's list for dropping out of the auditions. You need to make a better impression." Her manager scolded.

Kimiko rolled her eyes. "Whatever, he has no say on whether I'm in this production or, not. Uncle Jouji says the part is mine and that's that." She grabbed her purse that she had bought to match the pilfered shoes and flounced out of her bed room, not noticing the tiny strands of silky black she had left behind.

"I've had enough of your nonsense, Kimiko. Take the damned shoes off or, you're fired!" Jouji Morizumi ground out. He was fed up with his brother's spoiled daughter always getting what she didn't deserve. Now she was holding up the entire production of Sacred Lotus, claiming that her stupid red shoes wouldn't come off her feet.

"Kimiko," Her manager whispered worriedly, "You really are taking this too far. He means what he's saying and Kuresaki-san will back him on his decision."

Kimiko looked up from the floor where she was sitting, with a look of fear in her eyes. "I swear! I can't take them off. They literally will not come off my feet. I've tried everything. I've even tried to cut them off with a pair of scissors in the dressing room. The leather won't cut. I don't know what else to do." She cried, washing the foundation that was covering her face away, revealing large patches of skin that had taken on a scaly, reptilian quality.

Her manager gasped and pulled the girl from the floor and hurriedly dragged her to her dressing room. She shoved the quickly changing girl into the room, slammed the door and locked it tightly.

"What is wrong with you!" Kimiko hissed at the worried woman.

Her manager dragged her to the vanity mirror and turned her to face it. Kimiko's eyes went wide and a horrified scream was lodged in her throat as she saw patches of missing hair, scaly skin developing more rapidly and her eyes had become slitted. "W-what's happening to me?" She cried as she examined her face, neck and arms.

Her manager shook her head. "I don't know, but let's try to get these shoes off you and get you to the doctor." She told her as she sat the distressed girl down and began trying to remove the red shoes. "Ow! Stop kicking me, damn-it!"

"I can't. It's not my fault!" The sobbing teen cried. "My feet just keep moving when you get near them."

She handed Kimiko the pair of scissors laying on the vanity. "Fine! You need to try and cut them off." She ordered.

"I already tried that!" She told her angrily and she tried again. This time the blade slipped and cut the side of her arch and she yelped in pain.

Her manager shook her head and took the scissors from her. "Kimiko, to go this far for a pair of shoes is too much. After everything you did to get this part, you cannot afford this nonsense! If anyone ever found out who those shoes belonged to or, what you did to get this part... We would both go to jail. Now, take off the damned shoes and stop being so childish!" She ranted.

"I'm telling you I tried! It's not my fault!" She screamed.

"That's it! I'm taking you to the doctor and after today, you can find another agent!" She yanked the petulant girl from her seat and dragged her out the door.

For many days, Kyoko lay sleeping in her bed as her friends and loved ones watched over silently, hoping to see those golden eyes flutter open and declare that she was okay. For many days, hope would slowly seep from their hearts and despair would creep in and take its place. Kuon would sit quietly holding her hand. Kanae would tell her of her day. Chiori would give her all of the latest gossip and Maria would light many candles and say many prayers for her Onee-sama's awakening.

Lory Takarada had been informed of the personal LoveME mission that the girl and her best friend had taken to help another. He was proud of his girls for taking the mission, but he was incensed that they didn't tell him about it. He would have never allowed them to take on something this dangerous. He scolded Kanae Kotonami for not telling him as soon as she was informed and he was irritated with Takenori Sawara for allowing them to take it without further thought or, investigation.

The more Lory had Ruto delve into what had happened, the more he had discovered of Kimiko's wrong-doings in Japan and overseas. The file of her activities had grown to more than 8 cm's thick and would soon be copied, sent to the authorities, Kyoko's mother and to Lory's legal team.

Then came the day. The day when Ruto had informed Lory of the strange fate of little Kimiko Morizumi. She had been fired from Sacred Lotus and she had been admitted to the hospital that same day. According to Ruto, she had developed a strange skin condition that horrifically resembled that of a snake. She had lost all of her hair and there were rumors that she wore a pair of red shoes that she refused to remove. What hadn't been mentioned was the forked tongue, webbed fingers and toes, lack of body hair, featureless face, and the fact that the shoes had literally become a part of her. The beautiful red shoes no longer had heels on them, they were covered in red scales and had fused to her feet.

He awakened to the gentle caress of delicate fingers through his hair. He had dozed off, resting his head on her bed as he held her other hand. His eyes went wide and he let out a sigh of relief. "Kyoko?" He swallowed nervously and she nodded. "How are you feeling? Are you okay?"

She looked down and away for a moment. She had accepted and cried as he slept. She didn't have it in her anymore. She shook her head.

He furrowed his brow. "What's wrong? Do you want me to get the doctor for you?"

"It's okay Ren." She said hoarsely. "I already know." The look on her face was breaking his heart. "I... I can't feel or, move my legs." She said defeatedly.

He tightened his jaw and gently pulled her into his arms, sat on the bed with her and held her close. "Shh... It's okay. We'll find a way to fix this. I'll take care of you. I promise." He gently rocked her and she began crying again, like she had when he was sleeping. "Let it all out." He told her as he stroked her hair and kissed her temple.

After the entrance and the departure of doctors and nurses, friends and loved ones, the pair sat quietly with her in his arms and with him consoling her. "Do you remember how this happened?"

She sighed and nodded. "Kimiko Morizumi and her manager hit me on the head, took my shoes and threw me over the railing on the roof."

He stiffened and anger flowed freely through his body. He took out his phone and called the one person he knew for certain, that could help. "Boss? Kyoko's awake and she knows who did it."

The line was silent for a moment. "I'll take care of it Kuon." The call ended as abruptly as it began and three hours later two police detectives would be found in her hospital room, taking notes and finally thanking her for her cooperation.

She was overjoyed. The doctor had come in on this particular morning and informed her that her spinal injury was not complete and there were treatments that could help get the use of her legs back. It would take a surgery or, two and lots of time and physical therapy, a brace and the casts on her legs, but she and Ren saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

Her other visitors, the police officers had returned to inform her that Kimiko Morizumi would be charge with attempted murder in absentia. She had apparently been admitted to the psychiatric ward of the very hospital that Kyoko was staying in and was not being allowed any visitors due to a skin disease that the doctors had no explanation for. The doctors had questioned Kyoko of her own health when they discovered that Kimiko had contact with her and watched closely for any similar signs. Of course there were none, her curse was not communicable.

When Jouji Morizumi and Yuki Kuresaki had discovered the skulduggery in their midst, they decide to postpone the filming of Sacred Lotus until Kyoko had recovered. She was Momiji and they refused to replace her. If she didn't recover, she told them that they should replace her with Erika Koenji, the original Momiji. After an hour of trying to convince her and protesting, they finally relented. They would give her three months. If she didn't feel up to it by then, they would consider Erika.

Jouji Morizumi insisted on paying for her inconvenience, her hospital bills and her missed work as an apology from him and his family. Kyoko had tried to refuse, telling him that Kimiko was the one that made the mistake, not him and she should be the one before her; although, both knew that wasn't going to happen.

No one ever discovered the "Curse of the Red Shoes" that Kyoko had invoked, but they would find that she had learned to control her words and anger after she had awakened in the hospital. Not even two certain young men could shake her resolve. Not a VK Singer with his goading and not a faux-fairy prince with his admittance and confession. Her knowledge of the curse would never leave her lips and until such a day came that Kimiko Morizumi would decide to apologize to her sincerely and confess of all of her wrong-doings, she would remain a reptile of the serpent variety.