Cinder
By: Sunel
Disclaimer: I don't own of the CCS or Cinderella characters... could you tell? ^ . ^
*** How Cinder Came To Be ***
Once upon a time, long, long ago, there was a little boy born to a happy couple. For as long as anyone could remember, they had wished for a child to call their own. When the boy finally arrived, they decided to call him Syaoran, or "little wolf," after the mother's favorite animal.
However, their happiness wasn't long-lived. When the boy was about five years old, his mother became terminally ill. She was always in bed, pale and sickly. The boy and his father always tended to her, trying to make her as happy as they could.
"Syaoran, love, come to your mother," the woman said softly. Syaoran ran over to her, his big, amber brown eyes staring at her in curiosity.
"Yes, mother?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.
She smiled at this. "I love you, Syaoran. Always remember that, ok?" she asked.
He nodded. "I love you, too, mother," he said, removing a strand of hair from her face.
A tear fell from her eyes, but she continued to smile. "Go on, dear, go play outside," she told him.
He looked at her, confused. He had told her he loved her; why did she cry? "Will you be ok, mother?" he asked, concerned.
She nodded, quickly wiping away the tears. "I'll be fine. Have fun, ok?"
He nodded, still unsure. He slowly walked to the door and opened it, stepping outside, his young face contorted in worry.
That very night, Syaoran's mother died. His father came home and found her lying in bed, cold, pale, and lifeless. They buried her under a cherry blossom tree that grew in their backyard. The young boy's tears watered it everyday, and the tree continued to grow.
The boy's father fell into a pit of depression, and found himself becoming unable to care for his child. He remarried three years after his beloved's death, in hopes of becoming happy again, and finding someone to help him take care of Syaoran. However, the woman he married was very snide, proud, and haughty, and had two kids of her own.
Resenting the young boy's charm, wit, and good looks, she yelled at him and threatened him into doing what she ordered. However, she was not yet so brave as to do it when the boy's father was home; and he couldn't tell his father, for fear of what she would do to him.
The boy's father was completely oblivious to what went on in his own home. He was still in a pit of depression, and seemed to only get worse, until his health began to degrade as well. Two years after remarrying, he died as well, leaving the boy in the clutches of his stepmother. The man was buried next to his beloved wife, under the cherry blossom tree, and the boy continued to water it with his tears.
After his father's death, Syaoran's life took a turn for the worse. His stepmother set him about to do the dirtiest of the housework. The maids were hired simply to tend to her children. He was left in charge of the cooking, cleaning, doing the dishes, and keeping everyone's rooms tidy. She took away his room and left him a mat next to the fireplace to sleep on, where he always woke up covered in cinders.
The oldest child of the woman was a boy, a year older then Syaoran. He took after his mother, and loathed Syaoran. He continually used him as a personal maid, and abused him when he resisted. He also nicknamed him "Pig," as their mother refused to let anyone call him "Syaoran," for wolves were too good for him.
The youngest child of his stepmother was another boy, his own age. He held more sympathy and kindness for his stepbrother in his heart, and nicknamed him Cinder, due to his cinder covered clothes and face. Whenever his mother was angry with Cinder, he would sneak the boy some food, so he wouldn't go the night starving.
*** Seven Years later ***
"PIG!!" Yamazaki yelled loudly. "WHERE'S MY DINNER?!"
Syaoran had been serving dinner, and couldn't carry Yamazaki's plate at the first round. "It's coming, geez," Syaoran muttered, walking towards him with the plate.
Yamazaki snatched the plate from him and glared at him threateningly. "What'd you say, pig?" he asked.
"Nothing," Syaoran muttered.
Yamazaki whacked him over the head and glared at him again. "That'll teach you to disrespect me."
Eriol felt bad for his stepbrother. He always seemed to get the worst of it from everyone. "Cinder, why don't you sit down and eat with us?" he asked.
His mother flashed him an angry look. "Eriol! We cannot eat with the likes of a boy like him! Look at how disgusting and dirty he is!" she shouted.
Eriol nodded. "I'm sorry, mother."
Syaoran walked away sadly. Why was he subjected to such a life? He heard a knock on the door and went to answer it. Outside, a royally dressed man stood at their doorstep. He glanced down at Syaoran. He was disgusted by the boy's filth.
"Don't they let the stable boys take a bath here?" he asked disgustingly. "Where's the mistress of the house?"
Syaoran gave him a glare and walked away, going to his stepmother. "There's someone here to see you."
"Is that so?!" she asked, running to a mirror. She touched her hair bun, making sure it looked perfect, and straightened out her dress. "How do I look, children?" she asked.
"Beautiful," Eriol and Yamazaki said in unison. It was dangerous to say anything else.
"How do I look, Cinder?" she asked, looking at Syaoran questioningly.
"Like you always do," he answered, stifling laughter.
She glared at him. "I'll take care of you later."
A few minutes later, she came back with an excited look on her face. She squealed with delight and hugged Eriol and Yamazaki. "Can you believe it?!" she asked.
They stared at her blankly. "Believe what, mother?" Eriol asked.
"The King's holding a ball! He has a young girl, seventeen years of age. He's holding the ball so she can find someone to marry!" she squealed happily. "Only the people of the highest social status were invited."
They continued to stare blankly. "So...?" Yamazaki asked.
She frowned. "Oh, Yamazaki, wouldn't you like to marry a Princess?" she asked. "And you, Eriol, wouldn't you like marrying a Princess? It doesn't matter which one of you she chooses, but you must make certain that she chooses either one of you! That way, we can all move into the castle, and live like royalty!" she squealed happily.
Syaoran's thoughts began to drift. A Princess his age? He would certainly like to meet her, just once. "I would certainly love to go," he murmured softly to himself, imagining the grand castle.
His stepmother, overhearing him, began to laugh. "You?! Go to the King's Ball?! You'd only embarrass us!" she said, laughing obnoxiously.
Yamazaki laughed as well. "What's point of going, pig? I'm going to get the Princess either way!" he shouted.
Eriol glared at his brother. "What do you mean, you're going to get her? I have the most charm out of the both of us!" he shouted.
Syaoran forced a smile. "I was joking. Why would I want to see some Princess?" he asked, walking away.
Yamazaki looked at him and snickered. "Hey, you know something, pig? If you go to that cherry blossom tree where you're always weeping like a loser, and wish to go to the ball, you're mother will make it happen!" he lied.
Syaoran looked at him in confusion. "Really, Yamazaki?" he asked.
"No, Pig!" he shouted, laughing his head off.
"Come on, Zaki, we have to get ready for the ball, it's in two days," Eriol said, walking away.
Syaoran stared after them. If only he could go...
*** Night of the Ball ***
Syaoran ran after his stepbrothers, trying to help them get ready for the ball. They teased him continually, talking about how great the ball would be. He ignored them, and continued to iron their clothes.
"Which one of us do you think the Princess will pick, Cinder?" Eriol asked.
"Uh, I'm not sure, Eriol," he answered, not wanting either one of them to turn on him.
"Bah, you're no help," Yamazaki said. "Pig, is my suit ready yet?!" he asked, looking at him impatiently.
"Yeah, here," Syaoran answered, handing it to him. He continued to iron Eriol's suit.
When it was time to go, the boys and their mother began to compliment each other. Syaoran stood at the doorway, watching them leave.
"Bye, Pig! Don't forget to clean my room!" Yamazaki shouted.
"Bye, Cinder, don't forget to do the dishes!" his stepmother yelled.
Eriol walked up to him. "Cinder, if you sit on the tree, you can probably see the castle from there, ok?" he said, walking out.
Syaoran nodded, holding back and anger and hurt. If only he could go! Just once, he'd like to see the world from a different view. He walked into the backyard, where the cherry blossom tree glowed magically under the moonlight.
He kneeled down under the tree. "Why, why did you leave me here alone? Why didn't you take me along with you?" he asked in a soft, angry voice.
"Because your destiny lies elsewhere," answered a sweet voice.
Syaoran looked around, wondering where the voice had come from. "Who said that?" he asked suspiciously.
"Up here, Syaoran."
He looked up at the tree, and saw a young girl his own age sitting on the tree's branch. Her hair was a black-grey color, long and magnificent. She seemed to exude beauty and kindness, and shone radiantly under the moonlight. Her brilliant smoky-grey eyes pierced into his, and she flashed him a smile.
"Who are you?" he asked, captivated.
She laughed. "I'm Tomoyo, the Princess' fairy, and I just happened to be your fairy Godmother, as well," she said, laughing.
"Godmother? Aren't you supposed to be... well, older-looking?" he asked.
"I can take any form, dear boy," she said, smiling. "But that's not important. I'm here because you want to go to the ball," she said.
"I do..." he said softly, looking down at his parents graves.
She smiled. "Then tonight, to the ball you shall go!!"
--- Review, review!! Plz?? Hehe, then you get the rest of the story! ^.-
By: Sunel
Disclaimer: I don't own of the CCS or Cinderella characters... could you tell? ^ . ^
*** How Cinder Came To Be ***
Once upon a time, long, long ago, there was a little boy born to a happy couple. For as long as anyone could remember, they had wished for a child to call their own. When the boy finally arrived, they decided to call him Syaoran, or "little wolf," after the mother's favorite animal.
However, their happiness wasn't long-lived. When the boy was about five years old, his mother became terminally ill. She was always in bed, pale and sickly. The boy and his father always tended to her, trying to make her as happy as they could.
"Syaoran, love, come to your mother," the woman said softly. Syaoran ran over to her, his big, amber brown eyes staring at her in curiosity.
"Yes, mother?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.
She smiled at this. "I love you, Syaoran. Always remember that, ok?" she asked.
He nodded. "I love you, too, mother," he said, removing a strand of hair from her face.
A tear fell from her eyes, but she continued to smile. "Go on, dear, go play outside," she told him.
He looked at her, confused. He had told her he loved her; why did she cry? "Will you be ok, mother?" he asked, concerned.
She nodded, quickly wiping away the tears. "I'll be fine. Have fun, ok?"
He nodded, still unsure. He slowly walked to the door and opened it, stepping outside, his young face contorted in worry.
That very night, Syaoran's mother died. His father came home and found her lying in bed, cold, pale, and lifeless. They buried her under a cherry blossom tree that grew in their backyard. The young boy's tears watered it everyday, and the tree continued to grow.
The boy's father fell into a pit of depression, and found himself becoming unable to care for his child. He remarried three years after his beloved's death, in hopes of becoming happy again, and finding someone to help him take care of Syaoran. However, the woman he married was very snide, proud, and haughty, and had two kids of her own.
Resenting the young boy's charm, wit, and good looks, she yelled at him and threatened him into doing what she ordered. However, she was not yet so brave as to do it when the boy's father was home; and he couldn't tell his father, for fear of what she would do to him.
The boy's father was completely oblivious to what went on in his own home. He was still in a pit of depression, and seemed to only get worse, until his health began to degrade as well. Two years after remarrying, he died as well, leaving the boy in the clutches of his stepmother. The man was buried next to his beloved wife, under the cherry blossom tree, and the boy continued to water it with his tears.
After his father's death, Syaoran's life took a turn for the worse. His stepmother set him about to do the dirtiest of the housework. The maids were hired simply to tend to her children. He was left in charge of the cooking, cleaning, doing the dishes, and keeping everyone's rooms tidy. She took away his room and left him a mat next to the fireplace to sleep on, where he always woke up covered in cinders.
The oldest child of the woman was a boy, a year older then Syaoran. He took after his mother, and loathed Syaoran. He continually used him as a personal maid, and abused him when he resisted. He also nicknamed him "Pig," as their mother refused to let anyone call him "Syaoran," for wolves were too good for him.
The youngest child of his stepmother was another boy, his own age. He held more sympathy and kindness for his stepbrother in his heart, and nicknamed him Cinder, due to his cinder covered clothes and face. Whenever his mother was angry with Cinder, he would sneak the boy some food, so he wouldn't go the night starving.
*** Seven Years later ***
"PIG!!" Yamazaki yelled loudly. "WHERE'S MY DINNER?!"
Syaoran had been serving dinner, and couldn't carry Yamazaki's plate at the first round. "It's coming, geez," Syaoran muttered, walking towards him with the plate.
Yamazaki snatched the plate from him and glared at him threateningly. "What'd you say, pig?" he asked.
"Nothing," Syaoran muttered.
Yamazaki whacked him over the head and glared at him again. "That'll teach you to disrespect me."
Eriol felt bad for his stepbrother. He always seemed to get the worst of it from everyone. "Cinder, why don't you sit down and eat with us?" he asked.
His mother flashed him an angry look. "Eriol! We cannot eat with the likes of a boy like him! Look at how disgusting and dirty he is!" she shouted.
Eriol nodded. "I'm sorry, mother."
Syaoran walked away sadly. Why was he subjected to such a life? He heard a knock on the door and went to answer it. Outside, a royally dressed man stood at their doorstep. He glanced down at Syaoran. He was disgusted by the boy's filth.
"Don't they let the stable boys take a bath here?" he asked disgustingly. "Where's the mistress of the house?"
Syaoran gave him a glare and walked away, going to his stepmother. "There's someone here to see you."
"Is that so?!" she asked, running to a mirror. She touched her hair bun, making sure it looked perfect, and straightened out her dress. "How do I look, children?" she asked.
"Beautiful," Eriol and Yamazaki said in unison. It was dangerous to say anything else.
"How do I look, Cinder?" she asked, looking at Syaoran questioningly.
"Like you always do," he answered, stifling laughter.
She glared at him. "I'll take care of you later."
A few minutes later, she came back with an excited look on her face. She squealed with delight and hugged Eriol and Yamazaki. "Can you believe it?!" she asked.
They stared at her blankly. "Believe what, mother?" Eriol asked.
"The King's holding a ball! He has a young girl, seventeen years of age. He's holding the ball so she can find someone to marry!" she squealed happily. "Only the people of the highest social status were invited."
They continued to stare blankly. "So...?" Yamazaki asked.
She frowned. "Oh, Yamazaki, wouldn't you like to marry a Princess?" she asked. "And you, Eriol, wouldn't you like marrying a Princess? It doesn't matter which one of you she chooses, but you must make certain that she chooses either one of you! That way, we can all move into the castle, and live like royalty!" she squealed happily.
Syaoran's thoughts began to drift. A Princess his age? He would certainly like to meet her, just once. "I would certainly love to go," he murmured softly to himself, imagining the grand castle.
His stepmother, overhearing him, began to laugh. "You?! Go to the King's Ball?! You'd only embarrass us!" she said, laughing obnoxiously.
Yamazaki laughed as well. "What's point of going, pig? I'm going to get the Princess either way!" he shouted.
Eriol glared at his brother. "What do you mean, you're going to get her? I have the most charm out of the both of us!" he shouted.
Syaoran forced a smile. "I was joking. Why would I want to see some Princess?" he asked, walking away.
Yamazaki looked at him and snickered. "Hey, you know something, pig? If you go to that cherry blossom tree where you're always weeping like a loser, and wish to go to the ball, you're mother will make it happen!" he lied.
Syaoran looked at him in confusion. "Really, Yamazaki?" he asked.
"No, Pig!" he shouted, laughing his head off.
"Come on, Zaki, we have to get ready for the ball, it's in two days," Eriol said, walking away.
Syaoran stared after them. If only he could go...
*** Night of the Ball ***
Syaoran ran after his stepbrothers, trying to help them get ready for the ball. They teased him continually, talking about how great the ball would be. He ignored them, and continued to iron their clothes.
"Which one of us do you think the Princess will pick, Cinder?" Eriol asked.
"Uh, I'm not sure, Eriol," he answered, not wanting either one of them to turn on him.
"Bah, you're no help," Yamazaki said. "Pig, is my suit ready yet?!" he asked, looking at him impatiently.
"Yeah, here," Syaoran answered, handing it to him. He continued to iron Eriol's suit.
When it was time to go, the boys and their mother began to compliment each other. Syaoran stood at the doorway, watching them leave.
"Bye, Pig! Don't forget to clean my room!" Yamazaki shouted.
"Bye, Cinder, don't forget to do the dishes!" his stepmother yelled.
Eriol walked up to him. "Cinder, if you sit on the tree, you can probably see the castle from there, ok?" he said, walking out.
Syaoran nodded, holding back and anger and hurt. If only he could go! Just once, he'd like to see the world from a different view. He walked into the backyard, where the cherry blossom tree glowed magically under the moonlight.
He kneeled down under the tree. "Why, why did you leave me here alone? Why didn't you take me along with you?" he asked in a soft, angry voice.
"Because your destiny lies elsewhere," answered a sweet voice.
Syaoran looked around, wondering where the voice had come from. "Who said that?" he asked suspiciously.
"Up here, Syaoran."
He looked up at the tree, and saw a young girl his own age sitting on the tree's branch. Her hair was a black-grey color, long and magnificent. She seemed to exude beauty and kindness, and shone radiantly under the moonlight. Her brilliant smoky-grey eyes pierced into his, and she flashed him a smile.
"Who are you?" he asked, captivated.
She laughed. "I'm Tomoyo, the Princess' fairy, and I just happened to be your fairy Godmother, as well," she said, laughing.
"Godmother? Aren't you supposed to be... well, older-looking?" he asked.
"I can take any form, dear boy," she said, smiling. "But that's not important. I'm here because you want to go to the ball," she said.
"I do..." he said softly, looking down at his parents graves.
She smiled. "Then tonight, to the ball you shall go!!"
--- Review, review!! Plz?? Hehe, then you get the rest of the story! ^.-