Chapter 1
The Beginning
Once upon a time, in the hidden heart of France a handsome young prince lived in a beautiful castle.
A young woman with her long black hair down carefully does the young prince's makeup as her white eyes are full of concentration, although he is irritated that he must wear these cosmetics when they make his skin itch. Tonight is no exception for it is the time he searches for his queen among the many dancing maidens that have been invited to this ball.
Although he had everything his heart ever desired, the prince was selfish and cold.
Once his makeup is perfect and his hair done back, he hears a voice and turns to face his older brother, "Brother, the time has come."
"Very well, Itachi."
He taxed the village in order to fill his castle with the most beautiful things. And his parties with the most beautiful people.
In the ballroom, Young Lord Sasuke Uchiha sees that the art master, Sai has started playing good dancing music on his precious piano with his lover Ino Yamanaka singing as the Young Lord dance among the young girls in search for his bride.
Oh, how divine
Glamour,
music and magic combine
See the maidens
so anxious to shine
Look for a sign
that enhances chances
She'll be his special one
As she sings on, Ino and all of the others that reside in the castle have always hoped that their Young Lord would find a maiden to love and cherish above all else.
What a display
What a breathtaking
thrilling array
Ev'ry prince
Ev'ry dog has his day
Let us sing with passion,
gusto, fit to bust, oh
Not a care in the world
As the music plays on, Sasuke can't seem to choose a single girl among the dancers to take as his bride, for none of them were giving him have seem to make his heart flutter with the common beauty they all carry. Sasuke is searching for a beauty that he has never been seen before and none of these maidens around him seem to have that divine beauty he is searching for.
Just then, there was a knock on the courtyard door with a single flash of lightning behind the intruder, indicating a new storm has come. Somehow the double doors swing open, allowing the wind to blow out every lit candle in the ballroom, then they all see an old man in an old, withered cloak strive into the room, annoying Sasuke that this man thinks that he can just enter his castle as he pleases.
Then one night an unexpected intruder arrived at the castle, seeking shelter from the bitter cold outside. As a gift, he had offered the prince a single rose in return. Repulsed by his old, wrinkled appearance, the young lord turned the man away. However he warned him not to be deceived by only appearances. For true beauty comes from within.
The prince refusing the old man shelter had became his worst mistake. For soon an ominous aura surrounds the man, melting away his ugliness to reveal his true self, the snake enchanter Orochimaru. The enchanter had been known and feared by many in the world.
The Young Lord had begged the man for forgiveness, but it was far too late. For he had seen that no one has yet to win his heart.
As the guests panic and try to escape the castle and avoid the Enchanter's spell, a small child goes through the scared crowd to find her friend while her mother calls for her. Finding the Young Lord on his knees, left in complete shock, the young girl calls out, "Lord Sasuke!"
Causing him to turn his attention towards her. "Mirai!" Just as Mirai runs right into his arms, Orochimaru approaches the terrified prince.
As punishment, he transformed him into a hideous creature.
With an evil smirk across his face, Orochimaru leans forward until his face is able to reach the back of Sasuke's neck and bit him, causing the Young Lord to scream in pain as his curse mark appears on the back of his neck. Once he had retracted himself, the first effects of the curse was that his skin became dark-grey, his hair grew longer and turned dark blue, his eyes became dark grey. Next in his painful transformation, a pair of webbed-claw-shaped wings grew from his back with the finishing touch being a dark, star-shaped mark appears across the bridge of his nose.
The prince's transformation complete, the Enchanter then places a powerful spell on the castle and all who reside there. As days bled into years, the prince and his servants have been completely forgotten by the outside world. Orochimaru had erased every memory of them from the minds of the ones they all love as the spell completely stops time for all of those inside the castle.
The rose he had offered was truly an enchanted rose. If the Young Lord could learn to love someone and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. However as the years passed, he had been consumed in despair and lost all hope. For who could ever learn to love a monster?
In a quiet village not too far from the forgotten castle, a young girl of sixteen leaves her small, cozy home, first greeted by the first gentle wind of the morning. Feeling the breeze gently play with her cherry blossom pink hair, Sakura Hatake gazes out over the horizon just outside her village. With her basket on hand with her money pouch and a book inside that she needs to return to the pastor in the church, Sakura starts her trek through the village.
Little town
It's a quiet village
Ev'ry day like the one before
Little town
Full of little people
Waking up to say
At the sound of the church bells ringing, all of the town awaken to the bright, new day and starting off like they always do. "Bonjour!" everyone greets each other for the morning with smiles and in an instant the town is now lively.
There goes the baker
with his tray like always
The same old bread
and rolls to sell
Being offered one of his fresh rolls, Sakura takes it and pays him for the fresh bread, thanking him before continuing on her way to the church.
Every morning
just the same
Since the morning that we came
To this poor
provincial town
Walking by the stables, Sakura gives one handsome stallion some attention and a carrot from the bin next to his stall. "Good morning, Sakura!" Sakura hears a kind voice and sees the man in charge of all the stables in the village, Asuma Sarutobi.
"Good morning, Monsieur Asuma!"
"Where are you off to this beautiful morning?" Asuma asks, smiling at how well Sakura tends to his animals and they all seem to love her.
"To return this book to Pastor Tsunade." Sakura answers as she starts to leave the stables after giving the donkey some attention. "It's the story of two lovers in Fair Verona."
"You've been off to that place multiple times." Asuma points out.
With reading, Sakura feels that she has traveled to the very places the story is taking place. "Well it is one of my favorites."
And so she continues on to the church, passing the school where the boys are just about to go inside as they and their teacher spot Sakura.
Look there she goes
That girl is strange,
no question
Dazed and distracted
Can't you tell?
The man ushers the boys inside. Sakura is very different from all of the villagers, more free spirited, always dreaming of adventures outside the village just like in the books she reads. Feeling like having a bit of fun, Sakura crosses a stream by hopping on the stones across. Then a few women working on laundry watch her pass by.
Never part of any crowd
'Cause her head's
up on some cloud
No denying
she's a funny girl that Sakura
Sure the women find her odd, yet their daughters admire Sakura, wanting to be just like her.
Bonjour, good day,
how is your family?
Sakura then passes by a young farmer flirting with a young maiden as he sets out his eggs.
Bonjour, good day,
how is your wife?
I need six eggs
That's too expensive
There must be more
than this provincial life
Arriving at her destination, Sakura enters the church through a side door to find Tsunade cleaning the windows who gives a smile to her regular visitor. "Ah, if it is't my favorite bookworm. So, where did you go to this week?"
Helping her down the ladder, Sakura gives the pastor a big smile. "Two beautiful cities in Northern Italy. I didn't want to return. Do you have any new places to explore?"
"I'm afraid not, dear. But you are still welcome to reread the old ones that you love."
"Thank you." Placing the book she had back in its place on the shelf, Sakura then takes a new one. "Your library makes our small part of the world feel big."
"Bon Voyage." With that, Sakura leaves the church to head back home, already reading the book.
Look, there she goes
The girl is so peculiar
I wonder
if she's feeling well
The next stop she made is to grab a couple of fresh cookies to share with her father.
With a dreamy far off look
And her nose stuck in a book
What a puzzle to the rest of us is Sakura
Picking up where she had left off with the cookies wrapped and secure in her basket, Sakura can't help but let out a soft sigh at the part she's now at.
Oh! Isn't this amazing
It's my favorite part
because you'll see
Her singing had caught the attention of a few young girls that are doing chores. To see them gather around her in curiosity, Sakura shows them the part that she is reading, when the young girl in the story meets a mysterious figure in the forest.
Here's where
she meets Prince Charming
But she won't discover that it's him
'Till chapter three
Soon the curious girls are ushered away by their mothers, leaving Sakura alone to dream about finding her own Prince Charming, wondering about under what circumstances there will be. Then the village lass Karin sees Sakura standing in the busy streets, most likely thinking about finding love. Karin always believed that the two girls are the most beautiful in the village, making them rivals.
Now it's no wonder
That she has such beauty
Her looks have
got no parallel
But behind that fair facade
I'm afraid she's rather odd
Very different
from the rest of us
She's nothing
like the rest of us
Yes, different
from the rest of us
Is Sakura
She may be different from everyone, yet there is a certain village hero that desires her hand in marriage. Speaking of hero, Sasori is returning to his home village with his companion Deidara riding right beside him, the hero currently keeping an eye on the beautiful Sakura through his telescope. "Just look at her, Deidara. She's my future wife. Sakura is the most beautiful maiden in the entire village."
"You know, Sasori my man, Karin is just as lovely as the cherry blossom." Deidara points out after observing the girl Sasori had chosen.
"True, but she doesn't posses a beauty like my sweet Sakura does. Ever since the war, I felt I was missing something and Sakura gives me a strong feeling of what I've been missing this whole time." Sasori then leads his companion inside the village.
Right from the moment
When I met her, saw her
I said she's gorgeous
and I fell
Here in town there's only she
Who is beautiful as me
So I'm making plans
to woo and marry Sakura
As he declares his plans to marry Sakura, Karin is left in a fluttering mess at the sight of the war hero she's come to love and desire.
Look there he goes
Isn't he dreamy
Monsieur Sasori,
oh, he's so cute
Just as she had hoped, Sasori looks her way as he dismounts his loyal steed and leave him in Asuma's care after a long ride.
Be still, my heart
I'm hardly breathing
He's such a tall, dark
Strong and handsome brute
With that, Sasori takes his leave and Deidara gives Karin a smirk. "Keep dreaming all you want, my dear, but that won't happen for you." And so, Deidara follows Sasori. Soon Sasori sees Sakura easily wove through the crowded streets, her usual smile on her face.
Bonjour
Pardon
Good day
Mais, oui
You call this bacon
What lovely flowers
Some cheese
Ten yards
One pound
'Scuse me
I'll get the knife
Please let me through
Keeping a close eye on her so he doesn't lose her in the thick crowds, Sasori follows Sakura only to be having a hard time to do so.
This bread
Those fish
It's stale
They smell
Madame's mistaken
Well, maybe so
There must be more
than this provincial life
Sakura twirls around, viewing the village all around her, even missing Sasori, as she takes in the warm light of the sun and her dreams continue to extend out to the horizon.
Good morning
Just watch I'm going
to make Sakura my wife
Sasori proclaims as he watches Sakura in her ever glowing beauty.
Look there she goes
A girl who's strange but special
A most peculiar mademoiselle
It's a pity and a sin
She doesn't quite fit in
But she really is a funny girl
A beauty but a funny girl
She really is a funny girl
That Sakura
The crowds clear enough as everyone went about with their day, Sasori finally catches up to Sakura, a beautiful bouquet on hand. "Good morning, Sakura!"
Hearing the voice of the war hero behind her, Sakura rolls her eyes and lets out an annoyed sigh as she turns to face the man that keeps pursuing her when she has made it clear that she is not interested in him. "That book you have there is a wonderful book." he points to the book in her hands, her basket secured on her arm.
"Then I take it you read it, Sasori?" Sakura asks, not believing the idea of him reading anything.
Having a closer look, Sasori had started to lose the cover up. "Well, not that one but you know books are great."
Not buying his statement since he is more interested in fighting and being in the war, Sakura turns around and takes her leave with Sasori still being right behind her and takes hold of her wrist, stopping and making her face him again. "For your table." Sasori gives her the bouquet, leaving Sakura surprised at their beauty. "Shall I join you this evening?"
Taking the flowers, Sakura looked him straight in the eyes. "Sorry, not tonight, Sasori."
"Oh, busy?"
Turning her back on him, Sakura answers, "No." and walks off towards her home, leaving Sasori dumbfounded yet still attracted to her. She's rejected him, again.