Title: Snow White, Blood Red
Author: Digimon Empress Yaten
Notes: Umm. Yeah... this is kinda weird. I meant it to be a 200 word super drabble just comparing Demyx to the huntsman in Snow White, but I wanted to expand it a bit. I apologies for the general weirdness (yes, Kingdom Hearts is the "queen") and the complete lack of awesome Axel/Roxas references I probably could've made instead of focusing on Demyx/the huntsman. Reviews are always welcome, and yep – I know it's short.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or its characters.
Once upon a time, there was a wicked kingdom with a wicked king that wanted nothing more than to appease his wicked Kingdom Hearts queen. The king collected servant upon servant to entertain her, but none of them pleased her. It was not until the little prince Blood Red was born that she smiled white against the dark of the castle. Blood Red had twilight yellow hair and would feed the queen tongue-twisting meals of hearts and broth, but he soon wanted more than a life of castles and darkness and endless courtesies, and so the prince ran far far away, never to return.
The queen could not be calmed by strumming musician or fiery jester, and cried out for Blood Red day and night.
It was on the night of the queen's loudest screams that the king told her far-off tales of Snow White, who came from a foreign land and had kidnapped Blood Red and kept the princeling trapped in his heart. Snow White, who was fairest in the land, and refused to bow before wicked king or queen. If he brought her Snow White, might she be happy then?
Bring me his heart and I will be happy, the queen hissed, black teeth bared.
And so the king summoned every servant in his dark realm, and told his huntsman-musician to bring him the heart of Snow White, so that the queen might eat it and finally be happy.
The huntsman was saddened, for although he did not know Snow White, he felt highly of the Blood Red trapped with him. He showed no hesitation until it came time to rip the heart from poor Snow White, who was pure and unawares and did not know that the his sin of keeping Blood Red inside had offended the queen. And so the huntsman could not harm the child, and stole the heart of a travelling singer instead.
The huntsman returned and bowed before the Superior king and murmured the non-deed's details. The king said nothing, until the heart in the huntsman's hands refused to shine with brilliance and the huntsman was beaten wispy black smoke and blue for his lies.
This was not Snow White's heart.
A cheap imitation, at best. It was salted, cooked and fed it to the queen anyway, because this Somebody's placebo was bruised medium-well and it suited the queen's palate just right.
The huntsman pouted and cried and apologized, and was punished for his actions.
You cannot feel sorrow or remorse here, the king said from his heaven-high throne. To pretend at them hinders our mission.
Sorry, he said, again. I told you I was the wrong guy for the job.
You are to try again.
The huntsman argued, but the king was unmoved and sent him with a bow-and-arrow sitar again. He begged Snow White to Remember -- at least try to Remember -- that Blood Red was somewhere in there, maybe trapped behind layers of flesh and bone and tissue, but there. Snow White didn't listen and the huntsman was sent limping to and from the Castle again and again, until one day, little Snow White finally drove the Keyblade-sword through his non-Heart and sent him dissipating into the light.
Snow White pursued the knights and guards and jesters of the kingdom until he breached the castle walls and rescued his damaged prince from a glass coffin, and bent the dungeon walls to free the little peasant girl. They stood before the royal couple with flashing eyes and swords dripping with the black blood of Nobodies.
You can't feel!
You are right. I cannot. That is why she is here. It is why you must help her.Help me.
The queen's pulse quickened at the prospect but she said nothing as the king praised her and flattered the darkness squirming at her surface.
But Snow White had learned much during his journey and knew that those without Hearts could not be trusted--kings and queens and royal orders be damned.
Snow White struck with the bruising prince at his side, and neither said anything of the black rain pouring from the queen's heart like coals from a redhot iron fire.
The queen fell, empty, and the king came tumbling after.
Snow White and the prince and the little peasant girl rejoiced in the victory, and returned home to silent fanfare.
It is said they lived happily ever after in a coconut-tree castle with no servants and a sand grit floor, and that their many subjects were disbelieving but amused at their tales of knights and lords and exotic places.
But all eventually perished from the passing time, and nothing was whispered of Snow White or Blood Red and the wicked kingdom again.