Summary: Once upon a time there was a girl who wanted to go to a party, eat some good food, maybe dance with a prince, fall in love with him... You know, the fairy tale stuff.
A/N: I wrote this because I just read yet another IY Cindarella story and decided to do my own tweak on it.
This is a lil gift for Cstorm86. Hope you like it!
Kagomella
The midnight came and tore the lovely girl from his arms. He looked at the maiden's skirts flowing around her as she dashed out of the ball room, too stunned to run after her.
Sadly, no one noticed the girl and tried to stop her, the crowd was too busy talking and dancing to turn attention to her. He, on the other hand, couldn't look away from her for the whole evening.
"Wait!" he called after her, but the cry was drowned by the sound of music and hundreds of people talking and laughing. Finally he ran after her and, thanks to his youkai blood, got outside in a few heartbeats. Alas, it was too late, when he looked around from the top of the palace stairs there was no one in sight. No lady in pale blue dress running through the garden in front of the palace, just a handful of surprised guards and guests.
Something pale got his attention. Slowly he walked down a couple of steps and bent down to pick up a discarded slipper that matched the color and style of her dress. His ears droopy, he walked to find his father and tell him that he chose his bride from the hundreds of maidens gathered for the mask ball in the royal palace.
When the king asked to see her, his youngest son showed him the slipper and explained that the girl had fled. So, the king ordered a search, for he knew his son well and knew there was no changing his mind.
:3
Kagome spent the first part of her day after the ball doing nothing. It was pretty nice, since she was rather tired after the ball and having to run for a good half of the way home.
When she had came back it was just before stepmother Tsubaki, Kikyou and Midoriko's return. She had asked them about the ball and had done her best to sound curious, despite having the knowledge about the event. Sadly, stepmother Tsubaki had suspected that she had went to the ball and ordered for her to be locked. Luckily, she had had no evidence of her departure, so Kagome hoped she'd be free soon.
After all, someone had to cook and clean for them. Souta was supposed to come visit today, since he was in the boarding school, but she knew he wasn't back yet and there was a high probability he would be arriving tomorrow if he got stalled on the road.
From the shouts she had heard this morning they had tried to make grandpa prepare the breakfast and then had been upset because all they had got were toasts and fried sausages. Midoriko was the most nice of the trio and could try to cook, but she was hopeless as a cook, while Kikyou and their mother would rather not eat and shout at others than to prepare a sandwich, because in their opinion that was below them.
It was close to the sunset and the time when she suspected to be freed to make the dinner when Kagome spotted a royal carriage rolling toward their house. Her heartbeat sped when she remembered the previous night and the talk she had with the brash, yet kind prince. Sadly, her window was positioned in that way that she could see the road leading to the household but not the front yard, so she couldn't see the dog-eared prince, even when she leaned over the windowsill. She tried anyway, but saw nothing more than the very end of the parked carriage..
Her grandfather had came somewhere near the midday to tell her the rumor that the prince was looking for the maiden that he wanted to marry and visiting every house in the land.
She heard the key turn in the keyhole of her door.
"Don't get your hopes up," called her stepmother from behind the door. "I'm just taking the key, so the old man can't let you out when the prince is here to look for his bride. I won't let you ruin Kikyou or Midoriko's happiness by coming down and offending the prince."
"But..." Kagome started.
"And as soon as he takes one of my daughters to the palace you're out to make the dinner for us. I won't suffer another meal made by that old fart," Tsubaki added before stomping away.
:3
"The Higurashi home," Miroku said as he exited the carriage after Inuyasha. He was holding the box containing the slipper. "I have a good feeling about this one."
"You say that every time, Miroku," Inuyasha grumbled. Miroku gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder. His poor friend had been excited to find his mystery girl, but after so many houses and girls trying to seduce him he seemed almost ready to give up. The hanyou prince seemed to be entirely smitten with his mystery girl and since inu youkai mated for life there was only one solution - they had to find her and hope she wanted to marry him. Since she had attended the ball it was very likely she wanted, but if she did why had she fled the palace?
They were welcomed and ushered inside the house by a middle-aged, rather attractive Lady Tsubaki, who introduced them to her daughters, the radiant Kikyou and lovely Midoriko. While he put the slipper on the feet of first the older and then younger girl, Inuyasha remained quiet and a little lost in thought.
"See? It's my slipper, it fits," Kikyou said, trying not to wince. Miroku looked up at the seated maiden and shook his head.
"It's a bit too tight to be comfortable. Let's see how it feels on your sister, fair Kikyou," he said and as he put it on Midoriko's foot he blinked in surprise. The foot of this girl was a bit too small, but both girls could wear the slipper. He turned to the prince.
"My lord," he said formally. "The slipper..."
"None of them is the one," Inuyasha stated and turned to Tsubaki. "Is there any other girl living here?"
"Oh, my prince, it's obviously Kikyou's slipper!" the woman exclaimed. "It's a snug fit, but a fit none the less! And no, there is no other girl living here."
"Keh," Miroku blinked when he saw annoyance on Inuyasha's face. "Miroku, we're leaving."
"But... Kikyou..." Miroku started and Inuyasha growled at him before exiting the room without waiting for him. Miroku grabbed the slipper and bowed. "Good night, ladies. I'm sure the prince will return once he finds there is no better fit for the slipper than you, lovely lady Kikyou."
"Of course," Kikyou gave a small regal nod. Miroku ran after his friend.
"Inuyasha!" he called and found Inuyasha standing just outside of the house. "What's wrong? Lady Kikyou is fair and her foot..."
"Feh, stupid human," Inuyasha grumbled and started to walk, leaving the gravel path leading to the waiting carriage. "I don't have time to waste on this stupid quest from a house to another so wenches can lie to mu face."
"What are you saying?" Miroku followed his friend. "Don't tell me you want to quit!"
"As a matter of fact." Inuyasha looked up at the old house and then towards the palace visible in the distance. "I ain't planning on continuing this farce. It's late and you have to go back to Sango before she pulls out her weapons."
"But..." Miroku started, but it was too late. Inuyasha was already gone.
:3
Kagome sat beside her door, her back against the wall next to the door frame, wishing there was a way to pick the lock and get free. She wanted nothing more to run down the stairs and show Inuyasha she had the other slipper, that she was the one that had danced with him. But she was locked away and she knew that Kikyou wore the same size of footwear.
She felt tears gathering in her eyes when she thought about Kikyou marrying the prince with the cutest ears in the whole kingdom. It wasn't fair. Kikyou didn't care for what he felt and who he was, she just wanted to be rich and have power. He would never learn to love himself with her, he would never feel accepted with the cool, aloof wife like Kikyou. Kagome curled in a ball and hid her face on her knees, hugging them and crying. Probably just right now he was taking Kikyou's hand and everyone were congratulating her...
There were so many things to Inuyasha, so many secrets Kagome wanted to discover. She had spent with him just a couple of hours, talked about a handful of things, but she knew he was one of those people who opened up to others gradually in time. And now there wasn't going to be any time, there wouldn't be any ball to which she could sneak to meet him.
"Oi! Quit crying, wench!" the voice was mildly annoyed and exasperated. For a second she thought it was just her imagination tormenting her, but she heard a small half growl, half whine. Kagome's head snapped up and her eyes widened.
There he was, mere centimeters away fro her, dressed in his red and white clothes. his while mane of hair falling around his handsome face, his ears twitching, his golden eyes looking at her with light shining within.
"I... Inuyasha..." she breathed out. He smirked and reached out a hand to wipe her tears away with his sleeve.
"Thought I couldn't find yah, huh?" he asked, his voice soft and unsure.
"I..." Kagome blushed. "I didn't though you'd look for me..."
"Feh, after meeting you yesterday how could I not look for you?" he tilted his head, smiling. "Or maybe you didn't want me to find you?"
"No, no!" Kagome sat with her legs folded under her. "I mean... I didn't expect for this evening to happen, for you to notice me and I just wanted to stay around for a while, get some fancy food and... Uh..." she glanced to her hands folded in her lap. A clawed hand covered her fingers and she didn't flinch as his hand engulfed one of hers. "And then I met you and I was so sad when I had to go home..."
"You are the one I waited for," he whispered. "My youkai knew you're the one since I smelled you for the first time. There was no way I could ignore you, no matter if you were in that fancy dress or in a simple one, if you wore those crazy slippers or went barefoot," at his words she reached into her pocket with her free hand to retrieve the slipper she had. He took hold of it, smirked and threw it out of the window. "Will you tell me your name now, wench?"
"It's Kagome," she pouted at his teasing tone and looked into his eyes. "I... I didn't mean to lie to you... I want you to know the real me, if you don't mind me not being a lady."
"Keh," the hanyou prince smirked. "The real you? You wore fancy clothing, hut you couldn't hide your true colors, Kagome, even if you tried... Oh, wait, you tried?" she swatted his shoulder and he chuckled. "I want you, Kagome, if you want me."
Kagome stopped frowning at him and gave him a warm, shy smile. She squeezed his hand.
"Yes," she whispered, almost unable to speak because of the feelings swelling in her heart. He found her, he wanted to be with her! She could be with him, learn about him and know the wonders of being loved by a man she loved already. His ears perked up and he leaned in to... Was he going to kiss her? Oh, goodness, he was!
Just as their lips were about to touch in the first chaste kiss a rattling sound startled them. Kagome gasped in shock when she realized it was the sound of the key of her bedroom door turning in the lock. She had no time to do anything before the door swung open and she heard a masculine voice shouting
"How could you let your mother lock her inside for the whole day, Midoriko? Kagome, are you-!" Souta stood in the doorway, his mantle still around him, his eyes wide open, his jaw hanging.
"Brother," Kagome breathed out, realizing what he was staring at. He came back home to find his sister locked in her room for a whole day and ran to free her, just to find her on the floor, with a stranger hanyou crouching over her.
"Souta, mother wouldn't like if she knew you let her out before dinner," came Midoriko's silent voice from the corridor. "She said she has to stay here till the royal carriage was gone..."
"Lord Miroku, what are you..." Kagome shivered when she heard the fake sweet voice of her stepmother nearing them. "If you have something to discuss with my stepson I could summon him to the living room. I know it was a terrible happening that he pushed you in his haste so you dropped the precious slipper in the fireplace, but my daughter was the perfect fit, so there's no..."
"It's of little importance right now, lady," came Miroku's voice. "It will take just a minute. Inuyasha?!"
"What do you want?" Inuyasha barked out, relaxing from his protective stance over Kagome and letting her stand up. A chorus of shocked gasps came out of the corridor and in no time Souta was pushed inside to make room for the smirking Miroku and three shocked feminine faces. Kagome stepped closer to the hanyou and he immediately wrapped a protective arm around her.
"I assume you found what you were looking for?" the black-haired man inquired. Inuyasha looked down at Kagome and gave a sharp nod.
"But she can't be the one!" Kikyou cried out. "She didn't try on the slipper! And since Souta pushed you on his way here, so you dropped the box with the slipper into the fire and burned it, no one can!"
"I believe this can be fixed pretty fast," Miroku chuckled. "Before the mishap with the box, when I was waiting for my prince near your home the heavens sent me a gift," with those words he produced a pale slipper out of the sleeve of his robe. "I would have thought someone threw it out of the window..."
"It would be me," Inuyasha smirked and suddenly swept Kagome off of her feet. She gasped and wrapped her arms around his neck while he presented her dangling feet to his friend. "Here."
"Just a second..." Miroku smirked and put the slipper on Kagome's foot, Kagome wiggled her fingers in the shoe. Tsubaki glared at the girl in the prince's arms, but didn't dare to say anything.
"How did you know it was her and not Kikyou?" Miroku asked, just to hear the answer and the reaction it was going to have on the mother and older daughter. The younger, Midoriko, looked a bit passive, just standing there and observing everything silently.
"Feh! Do you think I'm stupid?" Inuyasha bristled. "That wench has blue eyes and mine had brown, I know because I spent half of the night staring in them. And she smells different. I held to the trying on the slipper so I wouldn't weird people out by sniffing their daughters!"
And after these words he promptly buried his nose in Kagome's hair to inhale deeply. Then he looked around and his soft expression hardened as he put Kagome on her feet.
"You are to pack, Kagome. Your brother and any other family members you have and want to, can join you in the wing of the palace where you will reside from now on, as my fiancee and later wife. This one doesn't appreciate the way your guardian treated you. Miroku!" the black-haired man stood to attention. "Accompany Lady Tsubaki and her daughters downstairs, This one wishes to this young man," his golden glare rested on Souta, who gulped.
When Miroku shooed away the upset trio Kagome stood on her tip toes to tug at Inuyasha's ear in the same manner she had done at some point during the ball.
"Don't be angry at him, he was worried for me," she said softly. The hanyou prince smirked at her.
"I won't bite his head off, but he had a really poor timing. Now go pack, we're leaving soon."
"Thank you, godmother Kaede," Kagome whispered when Inuyasha closed the door behind exiting the room after Souta.
A/N: Totally let me know what you think about this!
And sorry for skipping the whole first part of the fairy tale, I just wanted to cut to the juicy stuff.