Awakening
by kawaii-witch181
January 14, 2012. Otanjoubi Omedetto, Ryuzaki Sakuno-chan! I'm still hoping that you'll appear in Shin Tenisu no Oujisama in one of these days. The series will surely not be complete if you're not in it. In my heart, on whatever odds happen, you'll always be the perfect girl for Echizen Ryoma-kun. RyoSaku Forever!
"For it was not into my ear where you whispered, but into my heart."
Prince Echizen Ryoma of the TenipuriLand certainly didn't look happy. A deep scowl was written all over his face as he walked his way to the royal meeting room. His father, the current King of their kingdom, called again, probably to tell him about marrying one of the pretty girls in the kingdom or about some girl that has a crush on him. Good thing his big brother isn't around or else all hell will broke loose again. His idiot of a brother surely won't shut up for a second. Ryoma heaved a sigh before finally entering his destination.
"Finally, son! You're here! Your affectionate father has been waiting forever." The King of TenipuriLand grinned before taking a seat on one of the gaudy looking chairs.
"Why did you call for me again, baka oyaji?" The young prince leaned on the now-closed door, his arms crossed.
"My...my...You still diddn't change those cold attitude of yours. Tsk. Tsk. You won't easily find your princess with that." Nanjiroh laughed teasingly. Ryoma's eyebrow twitched.
"Just tell me-"
The Queen's laugh echoed softly in the room as she made her presence known.
"You two still don't change. And Nanjiroh, you should learn to stop teasing Ryoma. Oh and Ryoma, we called you here to inform you that you have to save a damsel in distress." Rinko smiled as she also took a seat.
"What?" Ryoma half-yelled.
"A damsel in distress." Rinko repeated.
"But why? I mean...I don't want to rescue some girl that I don't even know. She might even turn to a fan girl type and fan girls are so annoying."
A few seconds after, the current king stood up and left the room. The royal servant called for him, about some important matters regarding the Kingdom.
"She might turn out to be your future princess." Nanjiroh whispered before exiting the room.
"Tch."
"Saa, Ryoma. This isn't just some typical girl. She is a princess, dear. The youngest princess of the Kagami no Kuni to be exact. We received a message from our ally kingdom a week ago. The poor princess needs to be awaken from her eternal sleep before her 18th birthday comes or else she'll sleep in all eternity. Dakara, you have to awaken her, Ryoma." The queen explained.
"But...don't worry, my son. You will not marry her if you don't want to. Just awakening her will be enough." She soon added.
"Fine, okaa-san. If you say so. I'll begin my journey tomorrow, then." The young Prince finally agreed.
"Thank you, Ryoma. Just remember, she's sleeping in a tower in a forest near the Kagami no Kuni and you must awaken her before the fourth morning sun finally rises."
"Tch. Fine. I'll begin my journey tomorrow." Ryoma said.
Rinko smiled. "Arigatou, Ryoma."
"Hn." The prince said before leaving the room.
/ Why did I exactly agreed? / The prince thought in confusion before entering his room to take his afternoon nap.
-Next Day-
"Have a safe trip, son." Nanjiroh grinned.
"May the great Kami-sama bless you, dear." Rinko smiled.
"Hn. Ja." Ryoma simply replied before finally riding his white horse. The two rulers of TenipuriLand watched their youngest son disappear in the distance. The sun is finally getting hot when Ryoma reached one of the forests leading to his destination. A white rabbit dressed in Ultrasuede vest with attached bow tie and long-sleeved jacket with decorative trim, white fur pants and a black top hat suddenly passed by in front of him.
"Late! I'm late!" Ryoma heard the rabbit said as he run.
"Wait for me! Mr. Rabbit! Chotto matte! Mr. Rabbit!" A voice of a girl soon followed as she chased the weird white rabbit. Ryoma raised an eyebrow as he stop. He saw the rabbit enter a big hole in the tree trunk. The girl wearing a light blue dress settled her eyes on him.
"Hi there, Mr. Princey! Ne...Ne..Did you saw Mr. Rabbit here? I think I lost him." The girl look side to side.
"Princey?"
"Yes, you are! You're a prince, so you must be Princey!" Ryoma raised his eyebrow higher. Shrugging his new nickname, he answered the girl.
"Rabbit went inside the tree."
"Eh? Is that so? Thank you Mr. Princey!" The girl waved before also entering the tree trunk hole.
"Alice-chan! You shouldn't enter the Wonderland again!" A guy with an over-sized top hat, a vest worn over a ridiculous pink shirt, brown trousers, and another ridiculous colorful scarf also passed by in front of our prince, holding his hat so it won't fall off.
"Hi, Horsey! Be careful along the way, ne." The guy stopped to stroke Ryoma's royal white horse before also disappearing in the hole. The Prince just stared blankly at the innocent huge tree before setting off again to his journey.
"That tree trunk sure is not normal and I've been ignored." He mumbled to his horse who just neighed in response.
As Royal Prince Ryoma and his royal white horse continued their quest in this vast woods, Ryoma remembered something.
"I haven't ask okaa-san how I can wake the princess up. Tch. Oh, whatever. Maybe there will be someone guarding the princess."
A few minutes later, we can see the Royal Highness Ryoma-sama taking a rest near a clear glistening stream. His horse takes pleasure on eating the soft green grass near the bank as he took a drink from the stream. Suddenly, a small gingerbread man caught his attention.
/ It looked crestfallen. / He silently watched as a wolf approached it. He was surprised that the wolf didn't eat the cookie-man, instead it let the gingerbread ride on its head.
/ Wolves really are sly. / Ryoma thought after seeing the wolf gobbled up the gingerbread after crossing the stream.
"What are you staring at?" The sly wolf growled. Ryoma glared at it that made it go away. He then rode on his horse and proceeded on his journey once again.
"Our kingdom is really weird." He shook his head before speeding up. He almost went out of this forest when he spotted a pumpkin-like carriage that stopped in front of him.
"What is it this time?" Ryoma said irritatingly as he halted to a stop. He saw a girl (probably a princess) looked out from the carriage's window.
"I think the carriage's wheel popped." One of the horses said.
"No! That can't happen. I need to see my Prince Charming today!" The princess whined.
"Maybe you can call your fairy godmother?" The other horse suggested.
"She's on her day-off."
"Do fairy godmothers even took a day-off?" The horse mumbled. The princess then noticed Ryoma's presence.
"Oh, there's a prince here! Did you come to save me?" She asked.
Ryoma looked blankly at her and answered in a stoic voice. "No. I have my own damsel in distress."
The princess pouted. "You can leave her be. I can be your damsel in distress." She flirted.
"I don't like you." Ryoma said bluntly.
The princess frowned. "Everyone likes me! And nobody will ever dislike me!"
Ryoma raised an eyebrow. "I don't care." He said in a cold tone.
"Look! Cinderella! There's a bottle."
"Ooohhh... Maybe there's a genie inside."
Seeing that the princess was preoccupied, Ryoma sped on his horse.
"Princey! Don't run away!"
/ I hope my princess will not be like that. So annoying. /
As soon as Prince Ryoma reached the second forest, another encounter came into existence. A girl wearing a red hood, carrying a basket, asked for directions.
"I don't know. I'm not really familiar with this forest." Ryoma replied.
"Oh then. Thank you, Mister." The girl then noticed a man and went to him. Ryoma watched the two have their conversation and decided he has to move on. Several meters from the spot where he encountered the red-hooded girl, he felt the ground shook.
"An earthquake?" Ryoma mumbled. Few seconds have passed, before he finally knew the reason of the sudden earthquake. A giant is running, heading to him. He immediately avoided the path of the giant but before he can even took another step away, the giant stopped in front of him.
"Hey there, Princey." The giant greeted.
"I said my name is not Princey!" Ryoma yelled in frustration. Everyone has been calling him Princey since the beginning and he's getting tired of it!
"You're a prince so...I'll call you Princey!"
Ryoma sighed. "Everyone's telling me that. And it doesn't even make sense."
"Anyway. Have you seen some boy here, about your age and height. He's name is Jack. He stole my golden beans. I need it for my meal."
"No, I didn't. I just encountered a girl and some stubborn princess. You know, you can just buy some golden beans in the market. I'm sure it's available here."
"I don't want that. My beans are the tastiest."
"Argh!Just find this Jack. You all are annoying the heck of me! I'm going!" Ryoma rode his horse and went off. The giant scratched its head.
"Princes are hot-headed nowadays, I wonder why."
Soon after the encounter with the giant, our Prince Ryoma finally continued his peaceful quest.
"Princey-sama!"
Or not.
Ryoma looked behind him and saw a woman who has eight purple tentacles.
"My name is not Princey!"
"But you're a prince. So you are Princey."
"I have a name! And it's not Princey!"
The woman rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Have you seen a mermaid here?"
"A mermaid? How can a mermaid stay on land?"
"I'm wondering if she'll pass by here."
"Oh c'mon. Just look near the sea. That mermaid can't even survive here."
The woman walked away after saying, "I'll be off then. Thanks for the info. Princey."
"Stop calling me Princey!" Ryoma huffed. The sun will soon set and yet he didn't even arrived to the forest where the Princess is asleep. A small gingerbread-like house caught his tense visual nerves. The house looked like an edible candy type of house in Ryoma's distance. Curious, he went to it and at the same time, an old woman went out of it.
"Hey you! You're not a kid. What are you doing here?"
Ryoma ignored her.
"Stop touching my house! This is only for kids! Go away, Princey!"
"How many times do I have to tell you people, my name is not Princey!"
"Whatever, get lost!"
Prince Ryoma scoffed. "I'm just checking if this is real." He touched the house's pillar.
"Of course it is! If it's not, kids won't come and a fairytale like Hansel and Gretel won't exist!"
"Tch. You're obsessed with kids."
"I am. Especially if they are young. The younger, the better."
"You sounded like you are eating them."
"I do eat them."
"Tch. I can see why you can't even get yourself a husband."
"Urusai! I'll curse you!"
"Like you can do that."
"Of course I can. I'm a witch."
Ryoma oddly at her. "You are?"
"You don't know?"
"Am I going to ask if I know?"
"Ugh! Just go away, Princey. You're annoying!"
"I said I'm not Princey!"
"I said whatever! Just go away. Shoo! Shoo." The woman made a gesture of shooing someone away.
"Fine! Fine! I'm going."
Ryoma smirked. "You're getting old."
The woman dramatically touched her face. "I am?"
"Got you!" Ryoma smirked once again.
"Argh! You're the most annoying prince I've ever met! Just go find your damsel in distress and stop pestering me!"
"Hn." The prince began to walk away.
"Wait. Don't tell me you're looking for Sakuno-hime, the one who's asleep in the tower?"
"I am. Why did you ask?"
The witch shrug. "Nothing in particular. This is the fifth time a prince tried to rescue her. I'm not trying to sound like an antagonist or something but I'm suggesting...Do not rescue her."
"Why?"
"All of those who tried failed." The woman said in a dark tone.
Ryoma raised his eyebrow for the nth time. "How so?"
"Don't know. That's what I've heard."
"Tch. And I actually thought you know the reason or something. Rumors are just rumors. You can only believe them if they are already proven. Ja."
"Oi! Don't blame me if you get killed or something... Don't say I didn't warn you."
"Fine..Fine...Like I can blame you if I'm dead already."
"Tsk. Arrogant Prince."
End of conversation. The woman went back inside her real gingerbread home.
"Tch. Hansel and Gretel. I don't even know if that fairytale exists."
And Prince Ryoma once again rode his royal white horse.
-Near Sundown, Destination Forest...Near Kagami no Kuni-
Prince Echizen Ryoma finally reached Sakuno-hime's tower. Somehow he's feeling kind of nervous when he got off his horse. Seven little dwarfs suddenly started rushing in front of him in one straight line.
"Who are you?" They interrogated in unison.
"He's Princey! Can't you see?" One of the dwarfs said.
"Of course we know that baka!" The other one spat and the two started a huge fight cloud. The others just ignored the two of them.
"Onee-san said he'll be the one to wake Shirayuki-hime." The other dwarf said, he's always wearing a smile whenever he speaks.
"Ooohh...Your sister is a fortune teller." The other one said in awe.
"Shirayuki-hime? I thought the princess in the tower is Sleeping Beauty."
"Seriously?"
The dwarf nodded.
"Oh..Then we're on the wrong place." A stoic-looking dwarf with a pair of glasses said.
"We are wrong!"
"So wrong!"
"How fail!"
"Epic fail!"
All the dwarfs broke into a song as they took their leave from this tower. Ryoma raised an eyebrow once again. Another weird people in their Kingdom. Somehow...Just watching them gives out a feeling of chaos that will arise soon. As our prince took his epic first step forward, a strong gust wind blew by. A white-purplish dragon came into view.
"You're not going to free my Rapunzel!" The dragon roared and then coughed.
/ Oh. He's old. / Ryoma thought.
"I'm not old." The dragon roared and once again coughed.
/ He's reading my mind. /
"And, I'm not reading your mind."
"You just did!" Ryoma snapped.
The dragon coughed again. "Anyway..I'm not going to let you free my Rapuzel!"
Just then...A miniature ant went to the dragon and whispered something. After the whispering conversation, the dragon soar to the sky. It grinned sheepishly at Ryoma.
"Hehe...Gomen..I mistakenly landed on the wrong tower. My Rapunzel-hime is on the other side of this forest." The winged dragon said before it flew away.
/ Another epic fail. / Ryoma thought before dodging a ball of flame who came out of no-where.
/ I said don't read my mind, dragon! Go away already. /
Sensing that no ball of flame is coming his way again, our prince finally went inside the tower.
-Hime's Room-
As the Prince's footsteps reached Sakuno-hime's special room, a dwarf-like silhouette first caught the Prince's attention. It was writing on its trusty green notebook.
"Hi there, Princey. I've been expecting you." Its foggy glasses glinted.
"Princey?"
"Tch. Fine. Introduce yourself."
"Echizen Ryoma from the Kingdom of TenipuriLand."
"Oh. I thought you're just some random prince. My date has been wrong. How illogical." The sound of scribbling can be heard before the dwarf awkwardly coughed.
"Anyway, I'm sure you're here to wake your damsel in distress. -adjustment of glasses- Here, you just have to transfer it to her mouth."
"This is poison."
"Yes, it is...but it is also the cure for Hime-sama's eternal sleep. The previous princes didn't have the courage to take this and immediately set off to find another damsel in distrees."
The amber-eyed Prince took the bottle and stared at it.
/ This means, I have to kiss her. /
He went over to Sakuno's bed and also stared at her sleeping figure. Her long auburn hair made her face more innocent and beautiful. His amber eyes started to scan and examine her lying body. He never want to admit it but seeing her brought a sudden warm feeling to his chest. We may call it love, but in his dense point of view, it is just a brand new feeling. A strange new feeling.
"Pretty, isn't she Princey?"
"Hn."
"Ne, do you know why is she unconscious like this?"
"Well..." The dwarf nervously began.
"I created an experimental poisonous apple. The queen of the Midori Forest ordered me to make it. I gave it to her, of course... but I accidentally gave the wrong apple. I brought some apples on my way home and I met Sakuno-hime. I offered her an apple and I guess you know what happened next. But, I swear! I didn't know that it was the poisonous apple."
"You're so careless." Ryoma said in a slightly angry voice.
The dwarf hung his head in shame. "I know."
Without anymore arguments and troubles, Ryoma drank the poison-slash-cure drink and leaned over to kiss Sa-chan on the lips. There was some coughing which followed before chocolate brown orbs were finally seen. Amber ones stared at it while it also stared back.
"Sakuno-hime! Gomenasai!" The dwarf bowed.
The said princess smiled. "Don't worry. I'm fine. I know you didn't mean it."
The little dwarf cried. "Arigatou, Hime-sama."
"Maa...Ma...No need to cry, dwarf-san. Hora. It's sunset. Isn't it beautiful?"
"You are more beautiful, Hime-sama."
Sakuno chuckled. "Hai. Hai. Arigatou." She then lifted herself from the bed and patted the dwarf's head.
"Thank you for guarding me, ne."
"It's nothing, Sakuno-hime. It's the least I can do."
The auburn princess slightly laughed. "I looked like some damsel in distress, am I? I wonder who became my knight in shining armor?"
"You mean, you don't know?"
"Nope."
The dwarf pointed at Ryoma's direction. "Him. He's the one who wake you up."
"Oh. I thought he's just some ordinary arrogant prince who's passing by."
Ryoma felt his eyebrow twitch. / Arrogant Prince? /
"Hime-sama. I'l go now. The others are waiting for me. Can I?"
"Oh. Of course. Arigatou again, dwarf-san."
"No problem, Sakuno-hime!" The dwarf said before going down the tower.
"Hey. I'm not an arrogant Prince, woman."
Sakuno looked at him. "I don't talk to strangers."
Ryoma smirked. "You just did."
Sakuno frowned. "See, you're arrogant. Mr. Princey."
"My name's not Princey."
Sakuno felt her eyebrow raised. "You're a prince."
"Whatever. I have a name."
"I don't care. Just go away."
"Why would I?"
"Because...Because...I don't want you here!"
"Fine..I will. But..."
Ryoma took a step forward while Sakuno step backward.
Step forward
Step backward
Step forward
Step backward
Step forward
Step backward
Sakuno-hime attempted to step backward again but the cold wall was felt on her back.
"B-but w-what?" Chocolate brown orbs avoided amber ones.
The prince of TenipuriLand lifted her chin. "Thank me."
"W-what?"
"Thank me."
Realization hit her as she stammered. "A-arigatou. …For waking me up." She pushed but failed.
"Now, go away."
"Yadda."
"W-what? You said you'll go away."
"It's dangerous in the forest at night."
"Oh...-pause- A-anou..."
"Hmm?"
"A little distance?"
The prince smirked before lifting Sakuno, bridal-style.
"As you wish, my princess."
"Hey! I'm not your princess."
"At least not yet."
"What? I don't even have a fiancee."
"Well..I'm your fiancee now."
"You can't decide that."
"Yes I can."
"No you can't"
"Yes"
"No"
"Yes"
"No"
"Yes"
"No"
"Yes"
Prince Ryoma kissed Sakuno to shut her up. The auburn princess immediately covered her mouth.
"That was my first kiss!"
"No. It's your second and I'll claim the future ones."
"Listen, Mr. Princey! I just met you. I can't just marry or be your fiancés after seeing you for the first time."
"There are two more days before I returned to my Kingdom. It should be enough for you to fall for me." He sat in the bed.
"What? You're so overconfident, Mister"
"Stop calling me Mister or Princey. The name's Ryoma and I already know your name."
"It's been awhile since I have this kind of conversation with a Prince. When I was young, they would always bully and tease me. I feel envious watching them play with my other sisters. Then one day, there came a prince the same age as mine. He always wore a white Fila cap and he always play with me even if it's only the two of us whenever he visits." The princess can't help but felt her cheeks warm up as she told her childhood days.
"But…one day…I fell ill and he stopped visiting me." She smiled sadly but she soon felt a comforting hug made by none other than Ryoma's arms. The sudden warmth really felt familiar that it brings back the memories of her white-capped prince.
"Gomen. I didn't mean to let you feel lonely."
"R-Ryoma-kun." Tears welled up at the corner of her eyes as she hug him back.
"I'll never leave you again, Sakuno-chan."
~oOo~
Morning came as the bright rays of the sun illuminate the two figures on the single comfy bed of the tower. The prince's arms were on the princess' waist as the two of them remained asleep.
.Owari.
Kagami no Kuni = Kingdom of the Mirror
A/N: Another one-shot from me! Yay! I hope you like this, minna! I really hope Sakuno-chan will appear in Shin Pot. I'm still hoping. I want another RyoSaku moments! Anyway..you can leave a review.
