Cinderella-The Crush Gear Style AKA Cinderavril
yamitammy
I don't own Crush Gear Turbo, it's characters or the original story of Cinderella. By the way, this is the non-musical style. I love singing, but the dance routines in musicals take forever to end. I guess by the title you'll be able to tell this is a KAAL fic. That's right, Kuroudo and Avril love. This is AU, you'll see why soon. Anyway, here it is.
A woman of about 33 (let's just say she is, okay?) was wondering through the streets of Tokyo. She was wearing a tight leather jacket, a tight leather skirt, a tight pink sleeveless shirt and a necklace. Her blonde hair bounced over her shoulders. She turned around to face three other girls. She smiled at the two oldest girls there besides herself. "Come on, girls, the mall will close in three hours. We've got to beat the rush, the really awesome jewellery will be all gone if you don't get a move on."
"Yes, Mom," two of the three girls replied. One of them had short, light brown hair. She wore a tight leather jacket and skirt similar to the one Momo Yamanki was wearing. However, her top was a sky blue. This girl was named Koume Yamanki and she was the oldest of the three sisters. The second one had long, dark hair. She wore a pink Chinese outfit, it was one of a female warrior. She was the second oldest, just younger than Koume by a year and a half. Her name was Lan Fang Yamanki.
Momo turned to the youngest girl. "Oh, do hurry up. Surely our shoeboxes aren't that heavy, are they?"
"Non, Momo," the young brunette replied. She wore a salmon pink vest, a white button-up blouse and a white apron covering her light blue skirt. Her name was Avril Juillet, but her mean step-mother and step-sisters called her 'Cinderavril' as she always got dirty and was never given permission to bathe, unless it was in dirty water.
"That's Miss Momo to you, Cinderavril. I don't know why I adopted you," Momo sighed in frustration.
"Beat her in a gear fight and teach her a lesson, Mom," Koume suggested.
"I will later. Right now we have to get to the mall before it's too late," Momo replied. She started to walk ahead, steps getting faster. Even Koume and Lan Fang had to jog to keep up with her.
Lan Fang turned to Avril. "Hurry up! Oh, and if you spoil my new shoes, I will beat you in a gear fight so badly your head will spin and you'll wish you were never born. Understand, Cinderavril?"
"Oui, Miss Lan Fang."
Lan Fang smiled, but it was the kind that said, 'That's right, you are my slave so treat me as a master'. As Avril was heading in her direction, she stuck out her foot.
"WHOA!!! Ow," Avril winced as she fell on the ground.
"Oops, my bad. Oh no, you spoiled Koume's new boots. You are so going to be in for it now," Lan Fang sighed. "Koume! Cinderavril had spoilt your new boots!" She called as she opened the box of boots and dumped them in the mud.
"That does it, Cinderavril! Go home!" Momo screamed at the child.
"Oui, Miss Momo," Avril replied as she picked herself up off the ground, along with the shoes and shoeboxes. She headed back towards her new home, although she'd rather have lived somewhere else with a boyfriend.
Avril sat down on her pile of rags bed, buried her face in her hands and sighed. "Why? Why did Miss Momo adopt me? Would she be the same way to another child if she adopted them?"
"CINDERAVRIL!!! GET UP HERE NOW!!! WE STILL HAVE TO HAVE THAT THREE ON ONE GEAR FIGHT!!!" Momo called.
"Oui, Miss Momo," Avril replied. She knew she'd instantly lose until she heard a whisper at her window.
"Psst, Avril," the male voice rasped. A brunette boy wearing a white, red, yellow and blue outfit was poking his head through the window. He held a Crush Gear in his hand. "Here, you can use my Battle Hawk."
Avril smiled and accepted it. "Merci, Kouya."
"No problem. I'd do anything to help you. You need it the way those girls bully you," Kouya Marino replied.
Avril smiled again at the boy who ducked as he heard footsteps. "Merci beaucoup, Kouya," she whispered.
Koume had stormed down the stairs and grabbed Avril's arm. "Come on, Cinderavril, we've got a battle scheduled for now."
"Oui, Miss Koume," Avril sighed.
Koume noticed the gear in Avril's hand. "What is that?!"
"A Crush Gear," Avril replied.
"So I take it you aren't satisfied with the gear we gave you," Koume said harshly as she snatched the gear out of the brunette's hand and smashed the thing to pieces. "There. Now you have to use the one we gave you."
Avril sighed sadly. The gear-if you could call it one-that they gave to her was nothing but two pieces of wood glued together weakly with wheels. It didn't have a motor or anything a real Crush Gear has.
Avril was wandering the streets. Momo had got bored of making her miserable so she sent her out in the rain. Poor Avril never caught a break with this family she had now.
Meanwhile in a large house, a blonde haired boy sighed. 'Why must choosing a girlfriend be so boring?'
"Prince Kuroudo, the time to make your choice is now," a tall boy with auburn hair stated.
"I know, Jirou," Prince Kuroudo Marume sighed. He yawned. "Do you have any suggestions as to how I will go about choosing a girlfriend?"
The shortest boy stepped up. "I know. There will be a dance night at your new nightclub. Of course you will be there, as will all the young women of the land. I will see to it though they are aged between 10 and 17, just the age you are."
"That's a fantastic idea, Chancellor Jin." Prince Kuroudo stood. "Very well. Let it be known throughout Tokyo that all females between 10 and 17 are welcome to come to the dance night. I will find the perfect girl there, I'm sure of it." He left the main room and headed for his music room to make selections, although Chancellors Jirou Oriza and Kyousuke Jin insisted they'd do it instead.
Avril returned home to see the two daughters squealing with delight. "Excuse-moi, but what is going on?"
"Not that it's any of your business, but the handsome prince Kuroudo Marume is holding a dance night at his new nightclub. He's inviting all females aged between 10 and 17," Lan Fang informed. "Cinderavril, sew my dress right now!"
"Oui, Miss Lan Fang."
"Cinderavril, clean my shoes, all of them so I may make a decision," Koume ordered.
"Oui, Miss Koume."
"If all of your chores are done and if you can find something suitable to wear, you may go to the party too," Momo said.
"Really? Merci beaucoup, Miss Momo," Avril said happily. She went off to do all of her chores.
Momo turned to her daughters. "Be sure to steal all of Cinderavril's clothes and only leave rags."
"Yes, Mom," the two girls chorused. On their way to Avril's room in the basement, they argued over who Prince Kuroudo would fall in love with.
The night had arrived. Koume and Lan Fang looked stunning, but poor Avril looked a mess. "Looks like you can't go," Koume smirked. She and Lan Fang followed Momo out the door.
Avril burst into tears and ran into the garden. She heard a voice whisper her name. "Who is there?" she whimpered softly.
"I am Kouya's friend Kaoru Hanano. You must be Avril Juillet. I can see why you're crying. Those step-sisters of yours are such female dogs. (I'm not writing the real word.)"
"I have to agree now that they aren't here."
"Avril, you really should get to go to the nightclub. First I need a Crush Gear. Second I need mice or rats or even hamsters. Finally I need to get you into an awesome combo of clothes, one the prince won't be able to resist." She took out her magic wand. "I forgot to mention I have magic powers." She waved it but nothing happened.
"You say you have magic? I don't believe you at all, Kaoru."
"DO YOU WANT TO GO THE DANCE NIGHT OR NOT?!?!"
"Yes."
"Well then, believe in me and we'll get there lickety-split." She waved her wand again. "Here we go. Now for the magic words." She waved her wand and made a Crush Gear, some mice and a wardrobe appear. "Ready...GO!!!" She gave her wand a good flick. The Crush Gear turned into a shiny car, the mice turned into cool guys and a suit flew out of the wardrobe and wrapped itself around Avril's body. She helped Avril into the car. "Now, you must be home before midnight tonight."
"Why is that? Is it because the spell will wear off?"
"No, it won't wear off until three am. You just need to be home before midnight because you know better than being outside after ten o'clock."
"I promise, Kaoru. Merci beaucoup."
"It's fine. Now, you'd better hurry off."
"Merci," Avril said once again as she climbed into the Crush Gear car. The car drove off.
Kaoru and Kouya both stood there watching as the car drove off. "I hope everything goes fine. Avril deserves to be happy," Kaoru sighed.
"I know what you mean," Kouya replied as he half-hugged the female and gave her a peck on the cheek. (I forgot to mention this also contains KAKL- Kouya and Kaoru Love).
The car arrived at the nightclub. Once Avril showed her ID card, she was allowed entrance. When she entered, she took off her jacket and stood there wearing a blue belly top and black denim hipsters. She wore a beautiful necklace and her shoes totally suited the attire. Her hair was loose with her fringe hanging over her face. She was also wearing a bit of make-up. She looked totally stunning.
The prince was dancing with another girl until he noticed the young brunette enter the building. "Please excuse me, miss," he said as he headed over to Avril. He was on his way over to her until a girl with dark hair stopped him. It was Lan Fang. (I guess you're happy about that, ne, Kuro- san? A bit of a treat for you.)
"Hey, let's dance," Lan said as she took Kuroudo's hand.
"I'm afraid I have to pass," Kuroudo replied. He pulled away from Lan's grip then headed over to the entrance. He had finally made it over to the stunning brunette he had noticed. "Hello there, miss. Would you like to join me in dancing to this song?" he asked as he bowed politely.
"Oui, I would love that, sir. I love this song," Avril replied.
"Really? Me too!" Kuroudo replied. The song that was playing was a dance mix of 'Crush Gear Fight' (wouldn't that be the coolest thing to hear?). He took her hand and lead her to the dance floor.
The two kids were grooving to all of the songs, but then, Avril stopped for a second. "I'm afraid I need to sit down now, I'm very exhausted," she said just after a remix of 'Fly Like an Eagle' had finished playing and a club mix of the song 'Aidayone' had started.
"Well, let's go out on the balcony, mademoiselle, we both need the fresh air after being in here most of the night," Kuroudo replied. He took her hand and lead her to the balcony. 'She's so beautiful. How come she hasn't introduced herself yet? All I know about her is that she speaks French and she loves dancing, especially along to different versions of 'Crush Gear Fight',' Kuroudo thought.
The two were sitting on the balcony. Avril shivered slightly. "Brr, I didn't realise it was so cold out here tonight."
"It usually is at this time of night here. You're not from around here are you?" He removed his jacket and draped it over the girl's shoulders.
"Well, I wasn't born here. I was born in Saint Eglise in France. I was then sent here after my parents died. I stayed in the local orphanage until I was adopted by Miss Momo Yamanki."
"You're lucky to be adopted by her."
"Not really. She and my step-sisters named Koume and Lan Fang are always treating me harshly. If I do something wrong, they have a three on one gear fight with me and my Crush Gear is just two pieces of wood stuck together weakly with some wooden wheels attached to the gear body. My friend Kouya tried to let me use his gear Battle Hawk last time, but it was destroyed."
"Gee, that's pretty rough. Hold on, you said you were born in Saint Eglise. What is your name, miss?"
"You can call me Avril Juillet, sir."
'That name sounds familiar. Maybe from what my friend Pierre was telling me one day, but. . .'
"Sir? Could you please tell me about yourself?"
"Sure. Well, my name is Kuroudo Marume. I was also born in Saint Eglise, but not long after my father, the king, died, my mother and I moved here to take over his royal duties. Now, it's time for me to select a girlfriend. I think you're the girl I've been seeking."
"You really think so?"
"Yes, I'm certain of it," Kuroudo replied as he moved forward and placed a light kiss on the girl's cheek.
Avril blushed. She heard the city clock chime 12 times. "Oh no, it's getting late! I'm sorry, but I must go home now. Thank you for letting me use your jacket and thank you for the dances."
"That's okay, but are you sure you have to go now?"
"Yes, in case Momo, Koume and Lan Fang get home before I do." Avril stood, handed the jacket back to its owner, curtsied then hurried. In her rush, one of her shoes slipped off.
"Miss, wait! You forgot your..." Kuroudo started as he picked up the shoe. 'I've got to return it to her, but I have no idea where in this whole city she lives. I don't even know what she looks like when she isn't so dressed up. I must find her and see her again. She is the girl I've been seeking ever since my mother told me I had to find a girlfriend.'
Avril arrived at the house out of breath. She dashed from a nearby parking lot. She then changed out of her nice clothes back into her rags and wiped off all of her make-up. "Mon dieu, I've lost a shoe. What if the prince found it?"
Days later, there was a knock on the door. Momo answered and gasped as she noticed who was there. There was the prince himself with his three favourite chancellors-Jin, Jirou and Mitsuke. Jirou stepped forward. "The prince is seeking a girl he met at the nightclub the other night. According to our records, you have three young women at the age limit. We have a shoe here that belongs to one of the girls in the whole city and we're getting all girls who attended the other night to try it on."
"Oh well, only two of the girls attended," Momo stated. "Please do come in."
"Thank you, miss. What my fellow chancellor meant to say was that we're having all girls at the required age limit to try on the shoe just in case there was a girl who snuck out and went to the party anyway," Jin stated as they all entered the house. "May I ask what your name is?"
"Yes. My name is Momo Yamanki."
'Momo Yamanki? Could it be the one Avril told me about the other night?' Kuroudo thought.
"Girls, come in here now. You too, Cinderavril," Momo called. "Hurry up, we haven't got all day!"
'Cinderavril? It's got to be her!'
The three girls entered the room and curtsied when they noticed their guests included the prince. "Good day, your highness," Koume and Lan Fang greeted.
"Bonjour, sire," Avril greeted.
"Could you three please sit down? I need to get all of you to try on this shoe," Mitsuke asked.
The girls all sat down and removed one of their shoes. Mitsuke first went to Koume. He tried to get the shoe on, but... "IT'S WAY TOO TIGHT!!!" Koume squealed.
"Then it isn't you. Okay, now I will try this young lady," Mitsuke said as he moved over to Lan Fang.
Lan tried on the shoe but, "IT'S NOT MY STYLE!!!"
"It must be this young lady then as she's the last one in the whole city to be checked," Mitsuke said.
The shoe was slipped on Avril's foot and the fit was absolutely perfect. A light glowed around her and soon, she was wearing the same attire as the other night. Her hair and make-up were even fixed. "Wow, Kaoru was magic," she whispered.
Kuroudo gasped and took the girl's hand. "It is you! You're the girl from the other night! Your name's Avril Juillet, correct?"
"Oui," Avril replied slightly blushing.
"I knew I've heard your name before! When we were really little, we played together. Does this song sound familiar?" Kuroudo cleared his throat then started to sing.
"Till the end I will be with you
We will go where our dreams come true
All the times that we have been through
You will always be my best friends."
Avril nodded. She took a deep breath and joined the prince in the verse.
"Here we are always be together
Whether there is light or if there's darkness
We are set for surprises of every kind
We're a team no one better mess with us
If we stand as one there's nothing to fear
Nothing can stop us if we stay right here
So time after time that's how it will be
Just you and me."
Avril then sung her solo.
"Till the end I will be with you
We will go where our dreams come true
All the times that we have been through
You will always be my best friends."
"I remember, sire, you and I played together up until you were six, I had to move after my parents died."
"Yes, I can't believe I didn't recognise you the other night."
"I remember I had a crush on you and I have ever since the day I felt it."
"I'm the same. It's like destiny chose for me to choose you for a dance the other night. Not to mention you look absolutely fantastique."
"Merci."
"De rien."
"It seems the prince has found the girl he has been seeking. If you please, miss, it's time for you to come to the palace," Jin said.
"Sire, can I please make a request?" Avril asked. "I'd like for my family and two of my best friends to live in the palace with us. Kouya and Kaoru kept my spirits up, and although they treated me harshly, these three are still my family."
"Very well. Your friends and family may move into the palace and become members of the royal court," Kuroudo replied.
"Merci, Kuroudo."
"De rien, Avril."
Everybody else watched as Avril and Kuroudo embraced then kissed each other lightly on the lips. 'Yuck!' Jirou and Mitsuke thought.
'Lucky duck,' Koume and Lan Fang sighed mentally.
"Je t'amour, Avril."
"Je t'amour, Kuroudo."
Years passed and the two of them were wed. The maids of honour were Lan Fang, Koume and Kaoru and the best man was Jin. Everybody in the city attended and watched as the fairytale of Cinderella came true for Mademoiselle Avril Juillet, the luckiest girl in the whole city. And they all lived happily ever after. By the way, Jin and Lan Fang eventually fell in love with each other too (how could I leave out one of the official CGT pairings?) and were due to get married after Kuroudo and Avril returned from their honeymoon. Besides, Lan did catch the bouquet and you know what they say-'The girl who catches the bouquet is the next to be married'.
The End
yamitammy
I don't own Crush Gear Turbo, it's characters or the original story of Cinderella. By the way, this is the non-musical style. I love singing, but the dance routines in musicals take forever to end. I guess by the title you'll be able to tell this is a KAAL fic. That's right, Kuroudo and Avril love. This is AU, you'll see why soon. Anyway, here it is.
A woman of about 33 (let's just say she is, okay?) was wondering through the streets of Tokyo. She was wearing a tight leather jacket, a tight leather skirt, a tight pink sleeveless shirt and a necklace. Her blonde hair bounced over her shoulders. She turned around to face three other girls. She smiled at the two oldest girls there besides herself. "Come on, girls, the mall will close in three hours. We've got to beat the rush, the really awesome jewellery will be all gone if you don't get a move on."
"Yes, Mom," two of the three girls replied. One of them had short, light brown hair. She wore a tight leather jacket and skirt similar to the one Momo Yamanki was wearing. However, her top was a sky blue. This girl was named Koume Yamanki and she was the oldest of the three sisters. The second one had long, dark hair. She wore a pink Chinese outfit, it was one of a female warrior. She was the second oldest, just younger than Koume by a year and a half. Her name was Lan Fang Yamanki.
Momo turned to the youngest girl. "Oh, do hurry up. Surely our shoeboxes aren't that heavy, are they?"
"Non, Momo," the young brunette replied. She wore a salmon pink vest, a white button-up blouse and a white apron covering her light blue skirt. Her name was Avril Juillet, but her mean step-mother and step-sisters called her 'Cinderavril' as she always got dirty and was never given permission to bathe, unless it was in dirty water.
"That's Miss Momo to you, Cinderavril. I don't know why I adopted you," Momo sighed in frustration.
"Beat her in a gear fight and teach her a lesson, Mom," Koume suggested.
"I will later. Right now we have to get to the mall before it's too late," Momo replied. She started to walk ahead, steps getting faster. Even Koume and Lan Fang had to jog to keep up with her.
Lan Fang turned to Avril. "Hurry up! Oh, and if you spoil my new shoes, I will beat you in a gear fight so badly your head will spin and you'll wish you were never born. Understand, Cinderavril?"
"Oui, Miss Lan Fang."
Lan Fang smiled, but it was the kind that said, 'That's right, you are my slave so treat me as a master'. As Avril was heading in her direction, she stuck out her foot.
"WHOA!!! Ow," Avril winced as she fell on the ground.
"Oops, my bad. Oh no, you spoiled Koume's new boots. You are so going to be in for it now," Lan Fang sighed. "Koume! Cinderavril had spoilt your new boots!" She called as she opened the box of boots and dumped them in the mud.
"That does it, Cinderavril! Go home!" Momo screamed at the child.
"Oui, Miss Momo," Avril replied as she picked herself up off the ground, along with the shoes and shoeboxes. She headed back towards her new home, although she'd rather have lived somewhere else with a boyfriend.
Avril sat down on her pile of rags bed, buried her face in her hands and sighed. "Why? Why did Miss Momo adopt me? Would she be the same way to another child if she adopted them?"
"CINDERAVRIL!!! GET UP HERE NOW!!! WE STILL HAVE TO HAVE THAT THREE ON ONE GEAR FIGHT!!!" Momo called.
"Oui, Miss Momo," Avril replied. She knew she'd instantly lose until she heard a whisper at her window.
"Psst, Avril," the male voice rasped. A brunette boy wearing a white, red, yellow and blue outfit was poking his head through the window. He held a Crush Gear in his hand. "Here, you can use my Battle Hawk."
Avril smiled and accepted it. "Merci, Kouya."
"No problem. I'd do anything to help you. You need it the way those girls bully you," Kouya Marino replied.
Avril smiled again at the boy who ducked as he heard footsteps. "Merci beaucoup, Kouya," she whispered.
Koume had stormed down the stairs and grabbed Avril's arm. "Come on, Cinderavril, we've got a battle scheduled for now."
"Oui, Miss Koume," Avril sighed.
Koume noticed the gear in Avril's hand. "What is that?!"
"A Crush Gear," Avril replied.
"So I take it you aren't satisfied with the gear we gave you," Koume said harshly as she snatched the gear out of the brunette's hand and smashed the thing to pieces. "There. Now you have to use the one we gave you."
Avril sighed sadly. The gear-if you could call it one-that they gave to her was nothing but two pieces of wood glued together weakly with wheels. It didn't have a motor or anything a real Crush Gear has.
Avril was wandering the streets. Momo had got bored of making her miserable so she sent her out in the rain. Poor Avril never caught a break with this family she had now.
Meanwhile in a large house, a blonde haired boy sighed. 'Why must choosing a girlfriend be so boring?'
"Prince Kuroudo, the time to make your choice is now," a tall boy with auburn hair stated.
"I know, Jirou," Prince Kuroudo Marume sighed. He yawned. "Do you have any suggestions as to how I will go about choosing a girlfriend?"
The shortest boy stepped up. "I know. There will be a dance night at your new nightclub. Of course you will be there, as will all the young women of the land. I will see to it though they are aged between 10 and 17, just the age you are."
"That's a fantastic idea, Chancellor Jin." Prince Kuroudo stood. "Very well. Let it be known throughout Tokyo that all females between 10 and 17 are welcome to come to the dance night. I will find the perfect girl there, I'm sure of it." He left the main room and headed for his music room to make selections, although Chancellors Jirou Oriza and Kyousuke Jin insisted they'd do it instead.
Avril returned home to see the two daughters squealing with delight. "Excuse-moi, but what is going on?"
"Not that it's any of your business, but the handsome prince Kuroudo Marume is holding a dance night at his new nightclub. He's inviting all females aged between 10 and 17," Lan Fang informed. "Cinderavril, sew my dress right now!"
"Oui, Miss Lan Fang."
"Cinderavril, clean my shoes, all of them so I may make a decision," Koume ordered.
"Oui, Miss Koume."
"If all of your chores are done and if you can find something suitable to wear, you may go to the party too," Momo said.
"Really? Merci beaucoup, Miss Momo," Avril said happily. She went off to do all of her chores.
Momo turned to her daughters. "Be sure to steal all of Cinderavril's clothes and only leave rags."
"Yes, Mom," the two girls chorused. On their way to Avril's room in the basement, they argued over who Prince Kuroudo would fall in love with.
The night had arrived. Koume and Lan Fang looked stunning, but poor Avril looked a mess. "Looks like you can't go," Koume smirked. She and Lan Fang followed Momo out the door.
Avril burst into tears and ran into the garden. She heard a voice whisper her name. "Who is there?" she whimpered softly.
"I am Kouya's friend Kaoru Hanano. You must be Avril Juillet. I can see why you're crying. Those step-sisters of yours are such female dogs. (I'm not writing the real word.)"
"I have to agree now that they aren't here."
"Avril, you really should get to go to the nightclub. First I need a Crush Gear. Second I need mice or rats or even hamsters. Finally I need to get you into an awesome combo of clothes, one the prince won't be able to resist." She took out her magic wand. "I forgot to mention I have magic powers." She waved it but nothing happened.
"You say you have magic? I don't believe you at all, Kaoru."
"DO YOU WANT TO GO THE DANCE NIGHT OR NOT?!?!"
"Yes."
"Well then, believe in me and we'll get there lickety-split." She waved her wand again. "Here we go. Now for the magic words." She waved her wand and made a Crush Gear, some mice and a wardrobe appear. "Ready...GO!!!" She gave her wand a good flick. The Crush Gear turned into a shiny car, the mice turned into cool guys and a suit flew out of the wardrobe and wrapped itself around Avril's body. She helped Avril into the car. "Now, you must be home before midnight tonight."
"Why is that? Is it because the spell will wear off?"
"No, it won't wear off until three am. You just need to be home before midnight because you know better than being outside after ten o'clock."
"I promise, Kaoru. Merci beaucoup."
"It's fine. Now, you'd better hurry off."
"Merci," Avril said once again as she climbed into the Crush Gear car. The car drove off.
Kaoru and Kouya both stood there watching as the car drove off. "I hope everything goes fine. Avril deserves to be happy," Kaoru sighed.
"I know what you mean," Kouya replied as he half-hugged the female and gave her a peck on the cheek. (I forgot to mention this also contains KAKL- Kouya and Kaoru Love).
The car arrived at the nightclub. Once Avril showed her ID card, she was allowed entrance. When she entered, she took off her jacket and stood there wearing a blue belly top and black denim hipsters. She wore a beautiful necklace and her shoes totally suited the attire. Her hair was loose with her fringe hanging over her face. She was also wearing a bit of make-up. She looked totally stunning.
The prince was dancing with another girl until he noticed the young brunette enter the building. "Please excuse me, miss," he said as he headed over to Avril. He was on his way over to her until a girl with dark hair stopped him. It was Lan Fang. (I guess you're happy about that, ne, Kuro- san? A bit of a treat for you.)
"Hey, let's dance," Lan said as she took Kuroudo's hand.
"I'm afraid I have to pass," Kuroudo replied. He pulled away from Lan's grip then headed over to the entrance. He had finally made it over to the stunning brunette he had noticed. "Hello there, miss. Would you like to join me in dancing to this song?" he asked as he bowed politely.
"Oui, I would love that, sir. I love this song," Avril replied.
"Really? Me too!" Kuroudo replied. The song that was playing was a dance mix of 'Crush Gear Fight' (wouldn't that be the coolest thing to hear?). He took her hand and lead her to the dance floor.
The two kids were grooving to all of the songs, but then, Avril stopped for a second. "I'm afraid I need to sit down now, I'm very exhausted," she said just after a remix of 'Fly Like an Eagle' had finished playing and a club mix of the song 'Aidayone' had started.
"Well, let's go out on the balcony, mademoiselle, we both need the fresh air after being in here most of the night," Kuroudo replied. He took her hand and lead her to the balcony. 'She's so beautiful. How come she hasn't introduced herself yet? All I know about her is that she speaks French and she loves dancing, especially along to different versions of 'Crush Gear Fight',' Kuroudo thought.
The two were sitting on the balcony. Avril shivered slightly. "Brr, I didn't realise it was so cold out here tonight."
"It usually is at this time of night here. You're not from around here are you?" He removed his jacket and draped it over the girl's shoulders.
"Well, I wasn't born here. I was born in Saint Eglise in France. I was then sent here after my parents died. I stayed in the local orphanage until I was adopted by Miss Momo Yamanki."
"You're lucky to be adopted by her."
"Not really. She and my step-sisters named Koume and Lan Fang are always treating me harshly. If I do something wrong, they have a three on one gear fight with me and my Crush Gear is just two pieces of wood stuck together weakly with some wooden wheels attached to the gear body. My friend Kouya tried to let me use his gear Battle Hawk last time, but it was destroyed."
"Gee, that's pretty rough. Hold on, you said you were born in Saint Eglise. What is your name, miss?"
"You can call me Avril Juillet, sir."
'That name sounds familiar. Maybe from what my friend Pierre was telling me one day, but. . .'
"Sir? Could you please tell me about yourself?"
"Sure. Well, my name is Kuroudo Marume. I was also born in Saint Eglise, but not long after my father, the king, died, my mother and I moved here to take over his royal duties. Now, it's time for me to select a girlfriend. I think you're the girl I've been seeking."
"You really think so?"
"Yes, I'm certain of it," Kuroudo replied as he moved forward and placed a light kiss on the girl's cheek.
Avril blushed. She heard the city clock chime 12 times. "Oh no, it's getting late! I'm sorry, but I must go home now. Thank you for letting me use your jacket and thank you for the dances."
"That's okay, but are you sure you have to go now?"
"Yes, in case Momo, Koume and Lan Fang get home before I do." Avril stood, handed the jacket back to its owner, curtsied then hurried. In her rush, one of her shoes slipped off.
"Miss, wait! You forgot your..." Kuroudo started as he picked up the shoe. 'I've got to return it to her, but I have no idea where in this whole city she lives. I don't even know what she looks like when she isn't so dressed up. I must find her and see her again. She is the girl I've been seeking ever since my mother told me I had to find a girlfriend.'
Avril arrived at the house out of breath. She dashed from a nearby parking lot. She then changed out of her nice clothes back into her rags and wiped off all of her make-up. "Mon dieu, I've lost a shoe. What if the prince found it?"
Days later, there was a knock on the door. Momo answered and gasped as she noticed who was there. There was the prince himself with his three favourite chancellors-Jin, Jirou and Mitsuke. Jirou stepped forward. "The prince is seeking a girl he met at the nightclub the other night. According to our records, you have three young women at the age limit. We have a shoe here that belongs to one of the girls in the whole city and we're getting all girls who attended the other night to try it on."
"Oh well, only two of the girls attended," Momo stated. "Please do come in."
"Thank you, miss. What my fellow chancellor meant to say was that we're having all girls at the required age limit to try on the shoe just in case there was a girl who snuck out and went to the party anyway," Jin stated as they all entered the house. "May I ask what your name is?"
"Yes. My name is Momo Yamanki."
'Momo Yamanki? Could it be the one Avril told me about the other night?' Kuroudo thought.
"Girls, come in here now. You too, Cinderavril," Momo called. "Hurry up, we haven't got all day!"
'Cinderavril? It's got to be her!'
The three girls entered the room and curtsied when they noticed their guests included the prince. "Good day, your highness," Koume and Lan Fang greeted.
"Bonjour, sire," Avril greeted.
"Could you three please sit down? I need to get all of you to try on this shoe," Mitsuke asked.
The girls all sat down and removed one of their shoes. Mitsuke first went to Koume. He tried to get the shoe on, but... "IT'S WAY TOO TIGHT!!!" Koume squealed.
"Then it isn't you. Okay, now I will try this young lady," Mitsuke said as he moved over to Lan Fang.
Lan tried on the shoe but, "IT'S NOT MY STYLE!!!"
"It must be this young lady then as she's the last one in the whole city to be checked," Mitsuke said.
The shoe was slipped on Avril's foot and the fit was absolutely perfect. A light glowed around her and soon, she was wearing the same attire as the other night. Her hair and make-up were even fixed. "Wow, Kaoru was magic," she whispered.
Kuroudo gasped and took the girl's hand. "It is you! You're the girl from the other night! Your name's Avril Juillet, correct?"
"Oui," Avril replied slightly blushing.
"I knew I've heard your name before! When we were really little, we played together. Does this song sound familiar?" Kuroudo cleared his throat then started to sing.
"Till the end I will be with you
We will go where our dreams come true
All the times that we have been through
You will always be my best friends."
Avril nodded. She took a deep breath and joined the prince in the verse.
"Here we are always be together
Whether there is light or if there's darkness
We are set for surprises of every kind
We're a team no one better mess with us
If we stand as one there's nothing to fear
Nothing can stop us if we stay right here
So time after time that's how it will be
Just you and me."
Avril then sung her solo.
"Till the end I will be with you
We will go where our dreams come true
All the times that we have been through
You will always be my best friends."
"I remember, sire, you and I played together up until you were six, I had to move after my parents died."
"Yes, I can't believe I didn't recognise you the other night."
"I remember I had a crush on you and I have ever since the day I felt it."
"I'm the same. It's like destiny chose for me to choose you for a dance the other night. Not to mention you look absolutely fantastique."
"Merci."
"De rien."
"It seems the prince has found the girl he has been seeking. If you please, miss, it's time for you to come to the palace," Jin said.
"Sire, can I please make a request?" Avril asked. "I'd like for my family and two of my best friends to live in the palace with us. Kouya and Kaoru kept my spirits up, and although they treated me harshly, these three are still my family."
"Very well. Your friends and family may move into the palace and become members of the royal court," Kuroudo replied.
"Merci, Kuroudo."
"De rien, Avril."
Everybody else watched as Avril and Kuroudo embraced then kissed each other lightly on the lips. 'Yuck!' Jirou and Mitsuke thought.
'Lucky duck,' Koume and Lan Fang sighed mentally.
"Je t'amour, Avril."
"Je t'amour, Kuroudo."
Years passed and the two of them were wed. The maids of honour were Lan Fang, Koume and Kaoru and the best man was Jin. Everybody in the city attended and watched as the fairytale of Cinderella came true for Mademoiselle Avril Juillet, the luckiest girl in the whole city. And they all lived happily ever after. By the way, Jin and Lan Fang eventually fell in love with each other too (how could I leave out one of the official CGT pairings?) and were due to get married after Kuroudo and Avril returned from their honeymoon. Besides, Lan did catch the bouquet and you know what they say-'The girl who catches the bouquet is the next to be married'.
The End