Hello everybody i hope you enjoy this story.
disclaimer: Disclaimed.
Once upon a time, there lived a poor homeless couple and their cow that were lost in a forest somewhere in the kingdom ruled by the king Tsubasa Andou. They were called Yuka Yukihara
(the wife), Izumi Yukihara (the husband), and Ruka (the cow). While they were walking in the woods, they found a house made up of candy! Hungry as they were, they ate it with such
delight. They were all so happy and full after eating and realized that there are still a lot of foods left. And so, they decided to stay… until they finish all of it.
A few days later, the house was almost half way done, but the trio is sick with stomachache and toothache that they can't continue eating it anymore. The Yukihara couple then decided to
exchange their cow, Ruka, with money to buy medicinal plants. Shocked and betrayed, Ruka cried and cried all the way while Izumi dragged him to the market place. And like most fairytale
stories begin, Izumi met Hotaru, the witch, along his way.
"Hello, ma'am, would you like to buy a cow? For what we've been feeding him the past few days, I'd say he's the fattest one there is." Izumi smiled.
"You liar! Beast! You won't even let me eat a shred of bread! You said cows only eat grass! And I am not FAT!" Ruka protested with all his might, wailing and shouting and crying all the while.
"Oh shut up COW! You're getting on my nerves." The witch complained, super irritated.
"If you don't I'll seriously kill you…" she continued, looking at the cow now. And then, it was Izumi's turn to wail and cry.
"NOOO! If you kill him MY wife would kill ME!" he begged. But the witch isn't listening at all. Instead, she was looking at Ruka, the cow; its aqua blue eyes big and watery from crying, its mane:
gold and glittery like that of a lion, and its features so pretty you couldn't resist its charms. I could use him the witch thought. How is it that no one could see his price…? Hotaru looked at the
wailing Izumi, and smirked.
"My good sir, I will buy this cow… I'm afraid I have no money in my possession… but I have something of much greater value." She said and took out a bag of beans from her sleeves.
"This beans are magical, and I assure you that it will solve all of your problems. Are you up for the exchange? " She smiled so sweetly and prettily and so… businesslike. Typical of Hotaru.
Izumi eyed her suspiciously, so Hotaru continued with her persuasion.
"I am sure it is better than carrying around this fat, useless thing." And to that the cow replied "I am not a fat thing!" but the foolish Izumi saw some truth in that and agreed almost instantly
to the trade, taking the bag with him and hurrying home to his wife.
"Foolish man." Said Hotaru and snapped her fingers turning Ruka into a man! A very very pretty young man.
"Now COW! You will be my servant forever!" said she while laughing eerily and dragging the poor shivering Ruka with her as they exit through the forest.
Back at the candy house, Izumi gave the beans to his wife, explaining everything to her.
"A Magical Beans? Oh my. You are so smart darling. Let's go plant it right away." Yuka beamed and went to plant the seeds, not at all suspicious of what her loving husband told her. But as
soon as she planted the seeds, it grew immediately into a big flower, and inside the flower, was Mikan, a chirpy cute girl with orange hair and big apricot eyes that goes with her petit face
and small stature.
"oh my… what a pretty young girl you are. What's you're name?" Yuka asked, but as Mikan was about to speak, they heard an eerie laugh and a tinkling bell coming from the forest. The
sound grew louder and louder until it reached them. And there stands Hotaru, holding a rope connected to Ruka's bell collar; her face pale and shock evident in her face.
"Wha- What have you done to my house?" she asked, looking at the ginger bread house that was almost half way gone.
"Umm… we kinda ate it… hehehe…" Izumi explained while Yuka helped Mikan out of the flower. The three of them are now standing side by side in front of the witch, the Yukihara couple
looking as guilty as ever and Mikan, oblivious to everything, smiled foolishly at them.
"Ate it…? Do you how long I've tried to build that thing…?" the witch said, trembling with uncontrollable rage. "Because of what you've done, I'll punish you! I will take that of which is valuable
to you, in exchange for the house. But seeing that you have nothing in your possession, I'll take away the girl, and curse you forever!" she cursed and with the wave of her hands Yuka and
Izumi suddenly became frogs! Then the witch took poor Mikan and locked her up in a tower.
"You will be imprisoned here forever and you will never again see light! O-HOHOHOHOHOHO!" She laughed, again so devilishly both Mikan and Ruka shivered from the sound.
"Umm… Hotaru-sama. Mikan- chan has nothing to do with this, so pls forgive her already." Ruka pleaded unconsciously making a puppy face which made Hotaru flinch and almost agreed to his
request; but as stubborn as she is, the witch refused to back down from his unavoidable charms.
"You!" she said pointing her finger at Ruka. "You dare order me around? You are my servant so do as I command!" she ordered, and Ruka sighed at her obstinacy.
"WWAAAAAHHHHHHHH! I- I don't want this at all!" Mikan sobbed. "Ruka- pyon, help me-e-e-e. Wahhh!" she wailed, her voice so loud that the witch can't take it anymore, so she took Ruka
and they fled to the base of the tower where they can guard her; and since the witch's house was gone, she started living there too.
Night came and Mikan still wouldn't stop crying. But what was she to do? Here she is, just freed from her long imprisonment in that cramped up flower, and now she is here, again trapped in a
cramped up tower. You see, long ago Mikan was a girl who used to serve Royalties but a certain accident caused her to be trapped in that flower for five years. She wants to go back to her
previous life already. Especially since she knows that her friends are waiting for her! Then she wondered… is HE still waiting for her? Her special person… and as her thoughts wandered off
reminiscing about her past, the door abruptly opened revealing the witch in her doorway… angry and super irritated, Ruka at her side calming her down.
"WHERE IS THAT STUPID CAT!" she yelled glaring at Mikan as if she was guilty of something.
"Hotaru-sama calm down. I didn't see the cat walk this way, maybe he already escaped." Ruka confided. Hotaru turned to look at him, but she just couldn't stare at him without fawning or
blushing, so she turned back to glare at Mikan.
"WHERE IS THAT CAT? IF YOU DARE LIE TO ME I'LL TURN YOU INTO A FROG!" She threatened.
"I-I- I don't know what you're talking about! I haven't seen any cat or anyTHING for that matter!" she said and cried again suddenly remembering that she was alone. The witch looked at the
pitiful girl and decided to leave her alone. You see, the witch has actually a good heart, albeit small, but it is a rule as a witch to be cruel and heartless; however, she still has a bit of
compassion in her, not big enough to set Mikan free though, since she could be of some use sooner or later. She closed the door and walked back to her room with Ruka, completely forgetting
about the cat.
Mikan sobbed, her tears falling like rain. She doesn't like being alone. She can't take it; but she is, and there is no one who can help her. She's no princess who is lucky enough to be saved by
Knights in Shining Armors. But maybe a prince charming would come… HER special prince charming. She wondered again if HE was thinking about her right now… her thoughts starting to
wander about yet again, and once more, she was disturbed by a sound and she turned to look at her intruder. There, she saw a cat… a black cat… with taunting crimson eyes and jet black
fur; it was so beautiful and so… so… so charming…. Suddenly, it walked over to Mikan, ever so subtly and so gracefuly, its piercing eyes never leaving her face. It stood before her now,
leveling its face with hers; then suddenly, its tongue darted out and licked away her tears. Mikan stared at it, surprised. It was comforting her, as if she was a dear friend.
"hehe… thx… I'm feeling better now." Mikan smiled, hugging her new companion. With him by her side, she won't be lonely anymore she thought. Thank God for granting her this favor. That
night, it was the first time in five years Mikan slept so peacefully, the cat curling up beside as the silence of the night and the careful watch of the moon lulled them both to sleep.
The night passed and morning came, and the sun peeked through the tower where Mikan was held. Its rays casting off immense light enough to rouse her from her peaceful slumber. She
yawned and turned about feeling up for something that she could use to shield her eyes from the sun. What is this? she thought, holding onto something slim and hard… pillow? No, it's too
hard. She made an effort to open her eyes and examine what the thing is and she realized it was an arm… her arms? No! It was somebody else's! Mikan sat up abruptly to look whose arm it
was. It was a man's! And not just any man… a handsome, charming young man… Mikan gawked at him, completely mesmerized. What in the world…? she thought, unconsciously squeezing his
arms. The man flinched and moaned. He's now awake and looked at Mikan. After a while, he smiled at her, sat up, and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Good morning… Mikan." He said and
smiled at her some more. Mikan, without thinking, slapped the man's face… hard…. She really didn't know what's happening now.
"OUCH! What was that for?" He said, rubbing her sore cheek.
"So this is what I get after coming to your rescue. Stupid, Idiot, Polka!" he complained. Mikan stared at him… Polka? She thought, and then suddenly tears came rolling down her face. "…
Natsume…?" she whispered as memories of her and her special person came rushing back. Natsume… the perverted, idiotic prince she served and loved… and the same prince charming that
kept lifting her skirts everyday and criticizing how childish they were… and also the only person who she thinks off every waking moment… that natsume is now here… in front of her.
"nat- natsume- sama…" she sobbed. She just couldn't help it. Natsume came to her and hugged her stroking her back as they get through their awkward reunion. After awhile, Mikan stopped
crying and they are now sitting on the bed side by side, as they reminisce about the past. All of a sudden, Mikan looked up and barked, "THE CAT! There was a very pretty cat here last night!
I wonder where it went." She said and Natsume blinked.
"Stupid Mikan. Realize it already; I AM that very pretty cat here last night." He informed.
"EHH?" Mikan cried, she really didn't know.
"Five years ago, I used my power carelessly and accidentally burned that witch's house. She said she'll take away my most important thing in exchange, and so she took you. I tried to rescue
you, but I couldn't find her anymore so I went to our kingdom's most powerful wizard, Persona, for help. He said he can't help me, and I got mad at him and again became careless, so I ended
up burning his house too. So, he cursed me. Every time I get shrouded by darkness I become a cat. But when the sun's light hits me, I turn back to human. Even so, I didn't give up. For the
past five years, I've been looking for you. And here you are. You don't know how happy I was to have finally found you." He explained and squeezed her hands. Mikan looked at him, and
squeezed him back. Has he been suffering all this time? Mikan thought; she understands how he feels.
"I know. I'm just as happy, you know. I thought you forgot all about me, and every time I thought of it I get lonely." She said and tweaked his nose. It seems that he's not at all bothered by
his curse. Maybe those five past years, made him accept it.
"hehe how can I forget about you. You're my most important thing. Right?" he confided, kissing her ring finger with affection. Mikan shivered. He really has his way with women, she thought
as she recalls all the ladies in their kingdom fawn over him: the charming prince of the kingdom of fire. She really can't help it that he was as handsome as sin, but why the heck does he also
have to be the crown prince? And the youngest master flame caster at that! How can a perfect prince be interested in a servant girl like her?
"Wait! Natsume does your parents know all about this?" Mikan asked.
"No… I left them a note though, and told them that I was going to look for you no matter how long it takes." He said nonchalantly.
"They don't even know you're here? Stupid Natsume you should go back!" Mikan cried desperate to give some sense into him.
"I can't… Did I mention that Persona took over the throne while I'm gone?" He said, his expressions became cold that it made her shiver.
"Why didn't you go back?" mikan asked concerned.
"I can't fight him off with the curse. He also surrounded the kingdom with darkness. I'm powerless once I enter."
"well, why did you give up…?"
"I didn't… I just wanted to find you first. It seems I can't do anything right without you. And I don't plan on ever letting you go again." He squeezed her hand once again to prove his words.
Outside the tower, a group of scary looking men came and forced their way into the tower. They took Hotaru out and started beating her up.
"You witch! Get away from us and stop spreading your Bad Luck!" they accused. Ruka came out and tried to defend her with his might, taking on all of them at once.
"NATSUME! WHAT SHOULD WE DO? WE SHOULD GO HELP THEM!" Mikan panicked and was about to go out, but Natsume held her arms.
"Why should we? She caused us both to separate for five years!"
"BUT YOU FOUND ME! You found me through her, she may have imprisoned me but she never let me go. And that's how you found me. Besides you burned her house which may have been as
important as I am to you. Natsume… pls go help them." Mikan pleaded. Natsume looked at her and at the boy who was fighting outside. He's strong but not enough to beat up all of them.
Making up his mind, Natsume carried mikan in his arms and jumped of the tower, landing on one of the crooks. They all stared at him, while Mikan became unconscious from the endeavor.
Gently, he took her in side the tower, laid her there, and went outside shutting the door beside him.
"I just don't want her to see an ugly sight" he said and attacked his enemies, taking down all of them in less than a heartbeat.
Ruka and Hotaru stood there, astound. Natsume went inside the tower again to tend Mikan.
"YOU IDIOT! STUPID! DONKEY! STUPID! STOOOOOOOOOOOOOPID!" Mikan bellowed after gaining consciousness.
"hahaha. Were you scared?" natsume teased and continued doing so.
"You saved us, CAT. Those men are some of those who blamed us witches for their misfortune. And as a reward, tell me what you want and I'll grant it for you" Hotaru said gathering herself
now, while Ruka tends her wounds.
"Undo my curse." Was all natsume said.
"I believe it can't be done… my powers are weak against dark magic. But I can tell you how to undo the spell. In this kingdom there is a gem called Amirah that rests at the King's treasury.
Take it and give it back to me. I will undo your curse as well as the spell that shrouds your kingdom. You will need this too." She handed Mikan a ring with a small ruby in it. "I trapped some of
the sun's light in it."
"This gem, Amirah, how will we find it." Mikan asked.
"It will shine once touched by right hands." Hotaru informed
"The right hands…?"
"Figure it out yourselves." She said and walked out, Ruka running after her.
"Ruka… go with them." Hotaru called over her shoulders.
"… I can't… you need to be taken care of more than them, besides you bought me Hotaru- sama. I will stay by your side until you throw me away." He smiled.
"hmph. Suit your self…" she said as they watch Mikan and Natsume walk their path towards the palace.
And so, their adventure begins.
pls review. and hope to see you next chapter (^^). u can also give suggestions of what you want to happen next. thx for reading.