Disclamer: No I don't own POT us much as I wish I did
(A/N)This was originally writin for English class so to meet the requirements all of my characters are a little OOC (and Mrs. Parks this is my original story just formated differently)
What to do with rich idiots
Today we hear the story of a teenage boy. A boy who always got what he wanted, whenever he wanted it. Everyday he was pampered and fawned over by servants and classmates as he went along his day. In his mind, and many others, he was the perfect man. He was tall for his age and smart, his appearance of silver hair and gray eyes were the envy of all boys. While his soft smooth alabaster skin had the girls buying out cosmetics. Now let it not seem like the boy is useless. No, when it comes to interest he does work hard for it as any one person would do. For as told before he is smart, but also he is in fact the tennis captain. But now, let us get on with the story as we haven't all day. So call on the muses of lessons and teaching, call on them to tell us the story of the boy. The boy who, for once in his life, had to do something for himself.
Atobe Keigo groaned inside as he looked at the many choices in front of him. He of course didn't groan aloud as that would be undignified, especially for an Atobe. Turning, Atobe looked down the isle packed with meat. Every package was supposedly different from all the rest, but which one was the one he was looking for? Glancing down at the list in his hand his brow furrowed.
"Can I help you sir?" Someone asked next to him in a snide voice.
Whirling around Atobe found himself face to face with the brat. Seeing the other boy had noticed him the brat smirked up at him. The brat was only a year younger than Atobe, he was small with black-green hair and bright cat like golden eyes.
"No, Echizen i am not in need of help. However I do find it strange that you are offering your services." Atobe replied looking down at the smaller boy. "After all Echizen Ryoma isn't known to offer help easily."
Echizen shook his head turning away and walking down the isle. Looking back as he reached the end, "You wont pass this test if you don't except help monkey king even from an unlikely source. If that happens then you'll have to do it over yet again."
As the brat vanished from site dread crept up Atobe's spine. The words Echizen had spoken kept repeating themselves inside his head. He had to except help on order to pass the test, but he didn't know how. Looking back down at the list in his hand he sighed aloud, it was going to be along day.
Hour passed like shadows creeping toward night as Atobe tried to find all the things on his list. People came and went, but he ignored them focusing instead on getting everything he needed. Many times people would ask if he needed help, but he refused them every time his pride rejecting the idea. And every time the words Echizen had spoken echoed through his head. Yet still he refused the help he was offered.
Paying for his food Atobe turned to leave the store. As the door closed behind him Atobe spotted a woman standing just past the door. She was older with graying hair falling in wisps past her shoulders. What caught his eye however was not her appearance, but the small bag she held in front of herself out toward the people passing into the store. Silently begging for money, food, anything at all that could help. Only it was as if no one could see her. Suddenly, she turned looking him right in the eye her face breaking out into a toothless grin.
"You have failed." Her dry cracked voice crossed the distance between them easily, despite the noise of their surroundings. Then Atobe know no more for it was like darkness itself reached up and surrounded him pulling him back into the place in which it came.
As Atobe opened his eyes the first thing he saw was gray. Sitting up he looked around the room. It was a small room furnished all in gray, with only a desk and sofa that he'd be sleeping on. There was no window so he couldn't judge what time it might be, and no clock on the wall. There was a small door in the corner of the room that, until now, he had overlooked for it blended perfectly in to the wall. Atobe was about to try the door when it opened and three figures came in.
Two of the three Atobe knew, or at least had seen before. One was the brat Echizen Ryoma, the second was the older woman from outside the store. This time, however, the woman was fit and healthy looking, she even had all of her teeth. The last person tugged at Atobe's mind as he sized him up. The last was tall, taller than his two companions, with black spike hair, his eyes hidden by thick square glasses.
"You didn't head my warning Atobe. You have only one more chance before its over." The brat, Echizen stated. Atobe looked at him confused then at the other two who were shaking their heads in tandem.
"I, I don't understand." Atobe's voice trembled with nerves, though he wouldn't admit it to himself. "Have the three of you been the ones sending me back. Making me have to go to the groceries for my team every time? Why? What is the point of this? Who, what are you?"
Echizen didn't respond at first looking at the older woman beside him. They seemed to have communicated in some way for the woman nodded.
Looking up she said, "I am Ryuuzaki Sumire, the goddess of teachings." Gesturing to ether side of her she went on. "This is Echizen Ryoma, the god of lessons and learning. And Inui Sadaharu, the god of drinks and the god of the underworld."
The goddess of teachings watch Atobe as he struggled to take in this information. Looking over her shoulder she exchanged a glance with the god of lessons and learning. As he nodded at her she turned back to Atobe.
"Atobe Keigo, you have done nothing in your life to show humility. Everything is at your beck and call, so now when you are expected to do something you arrogantly do it expecting it to be done. We watched the first time when you ordered the grocery store staff to do it for you." She paused and Echizen took over.
"So we decided to sen you back in time so you could have another chance. And you know what monkey king? You did it over and over again. Every time we sent you back,you didn't change like the monkey king that you are. You have improved sure, but you are still acting like a stuck up monkey. You have one more chance, so to give you some motivation. Ryuuzaki and I agreed to let Inui show you what happens to people like you who have failed the final test."
Atobe just looked at the three of them in shock as the brat finished speaking. It had all been a test. Every time he had been sent back to that cursed store, was to give him humility. Eventually he had stopped ordering others to do it for him, but that still wasn't the point. Looking over at the god of the underworld he found that the god was writing in a notebook. Finally the god nodded and closed the notebook.
"Let us go, Atobe, I have drawn up the course with the highest percent probability to cause you to change." Inui stated leading the monkey king out of the room. Inui lead them down a hall that seemed to go on for too long. Each room they passed was empty, but every one of them was exactly the same as the one Atobe had been in.
"What is this place?" Atobe asked finally as they had been walking for quite a while.
"The hall of decisions, lessons, and placement. When you pass-away, or make a wrong choice you come here. Then you are ether placed in the afterlife that best suits you, or are given a chance to learn the lesson that you need to learn. I am going to show you the ones that chose not to change." The god of the underworld told him stopping in front of a door. "Now you can only observe, if you try to enter into a room that you have not been placed in you will be forever lost."
Atobe nodded his acceptance before turning to the door that had just been opened. It was full of monkeys. Some were big and strong looking, others were more groomed with small crowns on their heads. There were even smaller ones that looked like a miniature version of the bigger ones. As if they were the arrogant kids that hadn't grown to be stuck up adults.
"What is this?" Atobe asked breathless.
"This is what will happen to you if you do not change, Atobe. You will become one of the many monkeys that inhabit this room." Inui told him. "Now it is time for you to leave. We have a very little amount of time for you to finish this test."
Atobe nodded and was lead to another door further down the hall. This door was different from all the other plain, normal doors they had passed so far. It was large and grand taking up most of the wall between two of the regular doors. Atobe was about to leave when a sudden thought struck him.
Turning, he asked, "Why are you the god of drinks?"At that Inui smiled a gruesome smile. Out of nowhere he pulled out a glass it was filled with a mixture of green-purple liquid that was foaming at the top.
"I'm glad you asked. This is my newest drink I call it Inui's fruit and vegetable mix supreme. Sadly none of the other gods or goddesses will try it. Would you like to try a sip?" Inui asked grinning like a maniac. Shacking his head Atobe backed away form the drink that would surely kill him, out the door, and back into the grocery store.
Turning around Atobe grabbed a basket and started down the closest isle. He still didn't know what he needed to get, but this time he knew what to do. Looking around Atobe spotted a store worker and hurried over to him.
"Excuse me," Seeing the worker turn toward him, Atobe continued, "I've never gone shopping before, and I don't know what I looking for." The worker smiled at him.
"Of course sir, lets see what you need."
Atobe left the store ten minutes later laden with bags. Looking up he smiled now he knew what it was like to get help. His pride no longer got in the way of things that it would have before. Atobe Keigo was no longer a monkey king. But to the bratty god of lessons and learning, he still looked like a monkey.