This is my first fanfiction. It's a songfic based on the Vocaloid song "Witch."
Enjoy!
Come, listen to this sad story
Come, don't forget a handkerchief
The townspeople, dressed in browns and grays, gathered outside the church. Whispers flitted through the crowd, as swift and insubstantial as a shadow.
It seems there was a witch in a land
And it seems he fell in love with a prince
He couldn't help it.
There had been something about the prince's demeanor; some softness in his eyes, some gentleness in his tone.
Somehow he had deluded himself into believing that the prince found something special in him. Perhaps it was the look of surprise and amazement when they had met, a faint spark of interest lighting in the man's eyes.
Perhaps it was his imagination.
Let's forget about the magic that stops time
Now is a time of joy
And yet, though his hands had been shaking and his heart beating far too quickly, he managed a small smile and bowed on unsteady legs.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
The prince smiled back, and bowed in return.
"It was my pleasure."
He had been surprised, looking up from the bow with wide eyes. Their eyes met, and he had felt a curious tingle running down his spine. It felt completely different from the cool, electric spark of his magic. It seemed almost… warm?
Held by the cross, I look up at the sky
Repent! Repent!
The deafening chant of the townsfolk drummed into his head, pounding against his skull. It hurt so much he was tempted to bang the back of his head against the wood at his back until it stopped.
It didn't hurt nearly as much as the sight of his beloved prince, standing at the front of the crowd, staring at him in hatred and fear.
Their eyes met for just a moment, then the prince looked away, apparently unable to bear seeing the condemned boy's face.
Erase the voices of prayer
Dedication reduced to nothing
He had tried so hard to blend in. He had worked so hard to look the same, sound the same as the townspeople, in the hopes of not being discovered. But it had failed.
If you call this love black magic
Repent! Repent!
Then light the flames of hatred
Death is upon us!
Come, look at the burning sky
Come, don't forget the flames of justice
Justice? What justice? He had done no wrong. Was love, then, a sin?
It seems there was a witch in a land
And it seems he deceived the prince
It was true, he hadn't told his love of his magic. He was so happy, and the prince never asked, so he hadn't lied. He simply forgot to mention it, was all.
To those who were captured by his alluring magic
Your times of joy are over
It was that priestess.
That foolish, jealous priestess who had found out his secret.
She had promised not to tell; they were, after all, childhood friends. However, the moment she saw him with the prince, she exploded in rage.
In her mind, the prince belonged to her, and nobody else. The sight of the prince smiling so kindly at her friend set her to plotting her revenge.
A demon calls out, tied to a cross
Repent! Repent!
Demon? How could they have mistaken him for a demon?
And repenting was out of the question. Repent for what?
Healing the ailing child?
Tending the crippled soldier?
Soothing the broken widow?
Falling in love?
Before shouting out its evil spell
Virtue reduced to Vice!
As if they were particularly virtuous either. How could they look upon him with such hatred?
If you judge that crime of black magic
Now, everything is ready
Then light the sacred flames
He's lost his way!
How…?
How could he…?
How could he say, with the same lips that had kissed his own, with the same breath that had whispered "I love you…"
How could his prince give the command that would result in his own death?
'Does he really hate me that much?'
The foolishness of empty-headed people
Repent! Repent!
Tears streamed silently down his face.
His love, his only love, had condemned him to death, just like the others.
That evening sun's red will continue to burn
Death is weighing upon us!
His tear-filled eyes widened as the priestess stepped forward, holding the burning torch. She lowered it to just above the pyre, then paused.
In that moment of reprieve, his eyes flitted frantically across the crowd, searching, hoping, for someone to step forward, to unbind him from this rough wooden structure.
In that moment, his eyes met those of his love, his life.
'Was our love all a lie…?'
He searched those eyes, desperately praying for any remorse, for any doubt.
There was none.
It had been a very windy day, unusually so.
His scarf had been just a little too loose around his neck, and the wind had caught it, tearing it from his neck and flinging it into the air.
He dashed after it, feet pounding against the rough bricks of the street.
Rapidly turning a corner, he nearly collided with someone.
Someone holding a long green scarf.
The man looked rather surprised.
"I assume this belongs to you?"
He couldn't help but gasp, just a little. He extended one shaking, gloved hand.
"I-I… yes…"
The older man smiled in the most breathtakingly kind way. The prince slipped the scarf around the smaller boy's neck, warm hands brushing lightly against his skin. He didn't seem to notice the way the boy shivered. "There you go, much better."
The young man had seemed very shy, unusually so. He flinched at the prince's touch.
'Hmm… what unusual hair and eyes. White and green, very odd. He's very pretty, too.'
The prince took the boy's hand. "You look hungry. Why don't we get something for you to eat?"
Let's forget about the magic that stops time
Now is a time of joy
He hadn't cast a spell on his love. But nobody believed him.
Held by the cross, I look up at the sky
Repent! Repent!
Erase the voices of prayer
Dedication reduced to nothing!
The sky was so beautiful. How he wished he could be far, far up there, flying freely like a bird.
If you call this love black magic
Now, everything is ready
Then light the flames of hatred
He's lost his way!
He let out a scream of anguish.
The spark of magic within him grew stronger and stronger until he could feel the power pulsing through his small figure.
He met the prince's eyes one last time.
'I'm sorry…'
Like this red, burning flame
Repent! Repent!
Don't forget the reason for your bitter tears
Death is weighing upon us!
The sparks coalesced in two lines along his back.
There was a terrible, cracking sound and a horrible pain in his chest.
The spectators were flung back with a sudden burst of pure energy.
And in a single instant, from his back formed two beautiful…
'…wings?'
He unfurled his new wings, gazing at them in wonder.
They were nearly clear, and felt cold when the feathers brushed his arm. Light bounced through them, separating into colors he couldn't even begin to describe.
He stretched his wings, the ice easily parting the frayed ropes that bound him.
With a flutter of icy feathers, he hopped to the top of the cross.
Without a glance back, the leapt off the cross and soared into the sky, his wings pumping powerfully.
He was free.
-Fin-