Disclaimer: I do not own Flame of Recca or any of its associated merchandise. Though I would love to.
Fairytales
Summary: A Princess no one knew. The Prince who never arrived.
Fuuko has always dreamed of a prince.
Ever since she was young enough to have dreams, she had always dreamed of a prince. Her dad, she remembers in her memories, had a fondness for fairytales. He would always sit by her bedside at night and tell her of the fairytales.
Of a princess.
Of a maid.
Of a girl.
Of a curse.
Of a villain.
Of a prince that would come save the day.
And of the always, always, happily ever afters.
Her dad had always believed in the happily ever afters.
She remembers his laughing face and the house full of laughter as she grew up, thriving on fairytales. Her house had been a fairytale. Her mom and dad always sneaking secret glances and small affectionate gestures she hadn't understood but found so endearing. She remembers the hidden kisses and the language of their own that she had never learned to speak. Her brother would roll his eyes but she knew that he found their love beautiful as well.
Fuuko had grown up for that love. She had waited and wanted and dreamed of a love just like her parents. Endearing, loving and all encompassing. She had grown up readily and eagerly, waiting for the day she would find her prince.
Recca had come along inbetween one day and the next and she played with him. Fuuko knew she was young and still had a long time to go before she could meet her prince. She had thought that it would be a nice way to pass the time.
She had been happy and oblivious and naive. Her days had been filled with light and laughter; she hadn't given much thought to the fast approaching future. She hadn't known about what would soon happen, and she had been clueless until it all rushed past her.
She had lived her life free of worries and pain and despair. She grew up smiling and laughing. Her face always radiated the joy she found in the simple act of living, and she hadn't looked past the surface of what was offered to her. And then it happened.
Then she lost her father.
She lost the laughter in the house, the joy on her brother face, and the light in her mother's eyes.
She became an outcast in the school and she had to become stronger so they wouldn't be able to pick on her. And Recca became more than just a pastime. Recca became more than just a friend. He became essential, because if she beat him, then it was like she could have a piece of her childhood back. She could have the light, the laughter and the joy.
She became obsessed. She worked vigorously towards her goal. She didn't care about what the people called her – a tomboy, a disgrace, a man – because once she beat Recca then they would have to accept her. Then the loneliness would end.
She had been so caught up in everything she hadn't noticed what went on around her, outside of her small little world. Then one day during their chaotic high school days Recca became estranged in more than they knew. Recca broadened his scope and their world got bigger. There was so much to do, so much they had to focus on, and she almost missed it.
Then she met him.
Then she found her prince.
Except he wasn't what she expected. He wasn't been cool and calm and collected, instead he was goofy and clumsy and scattered-brained. But that was okay.
Instead of being ice and omnipotent and dashing, he had been light and laughter and joy.
Instead of being everything she had thought him would be, he was everything she had been seeking.
It was like the sun; like a miracle.
Only the miracle wasn't without flaws.
He was from the enemy side. He was working against her friends. He was with the brother of her friend who was trying to dispose of them out of his way.
He was not without flaws. He was clumsy and goofy and could not afford to falling love with her. And she could not afford to fall in love with him.
And so, not every fairytale was without tears. Cinderella was only allowed till midnight, Snow White was only allowed until she grew to be more beautiful then her stepmother, Sleeping Beauty was only allowed till her 16th birthday.
Every fairytale had limitations. She accepted that. Their fairytale had ended before it began. Her fairytale would never be with him. She grew to accept that.
She accepted that she was grown up now and fairytales were not made for people like her, never mind that it was all she had been waiting for. Never mind that it was all she had wanted to grow up for.
Everything had it boundaries.
And after they defeated Kurei, after they defeated Mori Kuren, she watched his back silently as he walked away.
There had been no flowers, no heartfelt farewells, and no promises of happily ever after. She acknowledges now that what her Mother and Father had, while they had it, was something rare. Something that maybe wasn't meant for her. And she realizes and knows that as he leaves, she's losing all the light and laughter and joy again.
She never tore her eyes away from him, as his form got smaller and smaller as he left her and when it faded into nothing. Because this marked the end of their fairytale.
More than that, this marked that it had never begun.
. : once upon a time : .