Fairytale Ending
Chapter 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or its characters.
Warnings: Nudity, Swearing, MalexMale Relationship.
The sun rose steadily, spreading its rays of warmth across the land as if to chase away the icy chill brought by the thunderstorm the previous night. One by one, the townspeople emerged from their houses to go about their daily chores. Farmers rushed to the fields to assess the damage to their crops, shop owners hurriedly swept the cobblestone path outside and made last minute checks before opening time while the royal guards stood vigilant at the castle gates.
A towering stone grey castle broke what would have been a flat skyline of cottages and the surrounding forests. The castle had many turrets spiralling upwards and it looked like you could touch the heavens if you stood on one of them. Wide hallways and intricately designed archways, that could fit even a giant, spread throughout the castle grounds. Floor-to-ceiling tapestries adorned the castle walls in a rich royal blue with gold trimmings, the colours of the Kingdom of Las Noches.
Deep within the forests, sunshine filtered through the dense foliage, creating patches of bright spots across the forest floor. Birds and woodland critters scurried out of the way as a youth and his dog, an Alaskan malamute with brownish grey fur, raced past firs and pines. Feet and paws splashed in the many puddles left behind by the storm. Long locks of a vibrant orange whipped behind the boy as he tried to keep up with his Alaskan malamute, jumping over fallen branches along the way. They came to a stop, panting for breath (the human more so than the dog) upon reaching a clearing full of colourful flowers that swayed with the wind, undulating like the waves of a multi-hued ocean.
The youth known to the townspeople as Ichigo Kurosaki scanned the field of waving flora. Searching brown eyes lit up, having sighted a small patch of mint growing between stalks of lilies and tulips. He quickly collected the mint as well as other herbs and deposited them into his shoulder bag.
"Alright I think that should be enough, Zangetsu. Let's head back so that I can tend to that poor cat's rashes," said Ichigo.
His dog, Zangetsu barked in agreement; tail wagging as he followed his master back the way they came.
Ichigo lives with his dog in a small but homey cottage in the forest. Sometimes villagers bring their pets or livestock for him to treat, or he makes a house call if the animal is too large. He is a veterinarian and makes enough from his profession to get by and then some. Not like he needed that much money anyway as he didn't have a family or spouse to support. His father and two sisters live in the Kingdom of Seireitei, further up North beyond the mountain range. He received yet another letter from them, entreating him to come live with them in Seireitei, but Ichigo didn't have the heart to leave Las Noches, since this was where his mother was laid to rest. Unbidden memories from long ago threatened to surface. He frowned, shaking the thoughts from his head and continued at a brisk pace. A little stream ran near his cottage, about five minute's walk. Already he could hear the sound of water running over smooth river stones. He turned right, heading towards the stream, to collect some water before he went back. This was part of his daily routine as he did not have a well, so he made a short trip to the stream whenever he needed water. When he needed to bathe, he would go further downstream where the stream opened up into a river. He had a leather flask slung across his shoulder which could hold up to 10 litres. The stream was hitting the rocks more harshly due to the rain the night before. As he filled his leather flask, he glimpsed sparkling blue out of the corner of his eye. It wasn't sunlight being reflected by ripples on the water's surface. No, it was shinier like tinsel. As he moved closer, he realised that it was an azure swallowtail caught between some reeds. Under the sunlight its wings reflected various shades of blue from deep lagoon to a light teal, while the edges were tipped with black. As he pushed the reeds apart so that he may move the butterfly to a drier place, he let out a gasp, eyes wide in shock.
"What is this? This is – !" He stared at it, unable to comprehend what he was seeing, for instead of a normal insect body under those wings, laid the body of a man. A very small one, but it resembled the male human anatomy. Is it – no, is he a pixie or – or a fairy? Argh, what do you call this creature! While Ichigo's thoughts ran circles, Zangetsu came closer to inspect the interesting butterfly. Zangetsu had chased butterflies before, but this one was different. He gave a sniff – it didn't smell like those insects, its scent more human like his master, but it was a tiny human. Zangetsu recalled Ichigo's sister, Yuzu carrying small human-shaped dolls everywhere. He liked to gnaw on those dolls. Maybe this was something similar. Wanting to see if this would be as chewy as Yuzu's dolls, Zangetsu moved in, its muzzle inching closer to the target.
"No Zangetsu." Snapped out of his reverie, Ichigo waved his dog back so as not to get in the way and accidentally crush the butterfly – fairy – creature. Fuck! He would settle on the species classification later. For now he gently tried to pick up the "butterfly", so as not to jostle the cuts marring its body. He had no way of knowing how badly injured the little guy was. He would be able to better assess the damage and hopefully patch him up once he brought the little blue-haired man back to his cottage. For now, he wrapped the little blue-haired guy in a green handkerchief. For a little guy, he sure did get a lot of injuries. He hoped this little blue-haired man wasn't as clumsy and absent-minded as his friend Orihime Inoue. Hmm, little blue...little blue. I guess I'll call him Little Blue until I find out his name. Having decided, he slung his leather flask over his right shoulder while holding the newly dubbed Little Blue in his left.
In a short while, his cottage came into view. Before he left, his father helped him build it using redwood trees. There were mahogany-framed windows around the house and even a nice porch with a bench, which he liked to relax in and enjoy the scenic beauty. He also cultivated a small vegetable garden next to it. The overall look had a rustic feel to it and he was happy to call this place his home.
Ichigo entered the house and put down his things before crossing over to his oak dining table. He grabbed some hand towels from the kitchen counter nearby and let Little Blue rest on top of the towels on the table. He then proceeded to take out his medical supplies and a bowl of water. First, he cleaned his wounds carefully before applying antiseptics and then finally bandaging him up. This isn't so bad. It's like bandaging a small bird or rodent. With more confidence, Ichigo tied the last of the bandages. When he was done, Little Blue looked like a caterpillar in a cocoon. Unavoidable as he had multiple lacerations on his arms, legs, and torso...you get the picture. At least his beautiful face was free of injuries. Ichigo reeled from his thoughts. Where did that come from? Perhaps he was lonelier than he thought, as most of his visitors were whatever stray or injured animal people brought for checkups or sometimes dumped on his doorstep. The nerve of them, picking up and then tossing away as if it were some toy and not an actual living, breathing being. He scowled. This was one of the reasons why he preferred the company of animals over his own kind.
He brought out some fresh hand towels and made a makeshift nest-bed on the dresser in his bedroom. He then took out the mint from his bag and ground it into a salve. He went to his living room where a brown kitty with white spots lay in a basket in the corner. He gently coaxed the cat named Belle onto its side so that he may apply the salve to her belly. Her owner brought her here in the wee hours of the morning, frantically pleading for Ichigo to save his cat. Ichigo fell out of bed and cursed up a storm before he realised it was a client. He let the man in so that he could assess the cat's condition. Ichigo calmed the man down before explaining that it was just a bad case of rashes from prolonged exposure to the sun. He then advised the man on how to properly care for his cat while she was in this condition and went to bring out a bottle of salve, only to find it empty. Which led to his extra early morning jog. Ichigo snorted. At least this cat is well loved by her owner. The man will be back for his cat later in the day. Ichigo then wrapped some bandages around her tummy so that she would not lick away the salve. Then he cleaned his tools before packing away everything and threw the soiled towels into the laundry basket.
He then made breakfast, or rather brunch for himself and fed Zangetsu some kibble. He checked on Little Blue again, who was still asleep, before going out to tend to his garden, Zangetsu prancing at his heel. He had some tomatoes, lettuce, radishes, potatoes, onions, carrots and even a few stalks of corn. He knelt next to the lettuce and began weeding. All the while his thoughts strayed to his little blue friend. Where had he come from? Ichigo never knew fairies existed. There had never been any accounts of such creatures save for in children's books. Maybe it was because they were so small and could have easily been mistaken for another butterfly from afar like Ichigo had. Or perhaps they were hiding, driven to near extinction as humans continue to raze forests for more farmland. An entire colony hiding in secret, biding their time until the day their numbers grew and they could take back their land from the vile humans. His brows creased. His imagination was running wild again.
"What do you think, Zangetsu? Am I saving a friendly creature or a sworn enemy that will strike me in my sleep?"
Zangetsu tilted his head with a questioning look. After awhile he gave a happy bark, which will hopefully disperse the frown on his master's face.
"Oh, you think he's friendly? I sure hope you're right. I wouldn't want end up fighting with someone so dazzling – I mean fragile," he sighed, a blush creeping up his neck.
Success! Zangetsu yipped, his tail wagging rapidly. Ichigo laughed. Zangetsu was his closest companion, practically family. Zangetsu was fiercely protective of him and comforted him on stormy nights. He also gave the best cuddles and asked for nothing in return save for his affection. He couldn't ask for a better companion.
After lunch, Belle's owner came by to pick her up. He profusely thanked Ichigo for his life-saving skills, although Ichigo tried to get a word in that he really was exaggerating too much. The man paid him for his services and took his cat home with him, all the while cooing at his tabby. Ichigo went to the river to rinse off the sweat and dirt accumulated throughout the day. Zangetsu sat on the side, tongue lolling and enjoying a gentle breeze blowing through the trees. Ichigo, feeling mischievous, splashed some water onto Zangetsu, pulling an indignant yelp from its throat. Ichigo burst into laughter while Zangetsu retreated a little ways from the riverbank, warily eyeing his master, before settling down in a safe zone. After washing some more, Ichigo got out and dried himself with the towel he brought along and dressed in fresh clothes. Zangetsu got up and followed his master at a relaxed pace.
Upon reaching home, he threw the clothes and towel to the laundry basket. Then he went to check on Little Blue again hoping that he might be awake this time, but unfortunately he was still in the same position he left him in, the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest, the only sign that he was still in the realm of the living. Now that he looked at him, passed the shock and not in vet mode, he realised Little Blue was really handsome. With wild blue locks styled in controlled chaos and an angular face, he truly looked like something out of a fairytale. If he were normal human-sized, Ichigo would have asked him out, but it wasn't meant to be no matter the amount of wishful thinking. He hoped Little Blue was at least friendly.
With nothing much left to do for the day, Ichigo settled down on the bed and picked up his novel from the nightstand and opened it to the page with the bookmark. It was about a prince who had been turned into a frog by witch, because he was rude and did not listen to the problems of his people nor fulfil his duties as a prince and only enjoyed hunting all day, every day of the year. It was a chance encounter during one of his hunting trips in the forest. The witch had heard of the prince's neglect of his duties and people, and thus cursed the prince to be a pathetic little frog. At first, the prince was mortified, then angry that little wench would dare to harm royalty. The witch made the frog prince do chores for her around her little hut in the forest. She criticised the prince's character and said that at least now he had an appearance befitting his personality. Not one to take things lying down, the prince bit back that she was a cruel witch who had kidnapped a person of royal birth. He went on to rant that he would find a princess to change him back. That outburst earned him a hex. They bickered like that for four years, the witch sometimes throwing a hex his way in the heat of an argument. The more time the frog prince spent with the witch, the more he realised that he was in love with her fiery and brutally honest personality. As cliché as it may sound, no one had ever sounded him out for his mistakes, let alone raised their voices at him like the witch. It was a classic case of love at first curse. Hoping to impress her, the frog prince started doing his chores diligently without complaint, and listened earnestly when she cussed him out. The witch, noticing the change, questioned him about his good behaviour and the prince confessed his love for the witch who had captured his heart so completely. The witch saw that the frog prince was sincere and accepted his confession. She gave him a kiss, which instantly turned the frog back into a prince. Of course the curse could not be broken simply by kissing a princess. That would have been too easy. This curse could only be lifted when the victim received a kiss from the caster, in this case, the witch. The prince, overjoyed, proclaimed his undying devotion to a happy witch. However, by the dawn of the next day, the witch could not find the prince anywhere. Not even a note to say where he had gone. The witch had been fooled and she crumpled on her doorstep, heartbroken. That bastard, Ichigo thought.
This was the part where Ichigo had stopped reading. His eyes frantically flew across the words, all the while mentally cursing the prince for his bastardness and then, one year later...Oh, he came back, Ichigo noted with surprise. Apparently, the prince did not want to propose to the witch as a pathetic excuse of a prince and returned to the palace to complete his training so that he may be a prince worthy of the witch's hand in marriage. The witch accepted, and all was almost forgiven, as the witch yelled at the prince to leave a note the next time he left for a long period. The prince apologised sheepishly. In his haste to become a better man, he didn't think to leave a note. They had a grand wedding and the people rejoiced that their prince, who made a roundabout change in behaviour, now had a beautiful queen by his side. And they lived happily ever after. Ichigo sighed happily at the fairytale ending and drifted off to sleep. His dreams were filled with talking frogs and hex-throwing witches, which then turned into a dream of azure butterflies, shimmering in a mystical garden. Suddenly, there was a flash of blue eyes, and a grin showing overly sharp teeth. The blue-haired fairy now in full human size levelled a stare at Ichigo, a hard gleam in his eyes. Ichigo sucked in a breath. Even in a furious rage, he looked beautiful like an avenging angel. With a snarl, the blue-haired fairy raised a sword and brought it down on Ichigo. His dream dissolving into a mixture of blue and silver.
Ichigo's eyes flew open...to the sight of blue hair and wild, but intelligent blue eyes. The teal markings under them further accentuating their colour. Ichigo only vaguely registered this as the last vestiges of his dream were at the forefront of his mind. The next moment, a (manly) scream rang throughout the cottage.
"Arrgh! You – you're the psychotic blue fairy!" The words rushed out as Ichigo abruptly sat up, hyperventilating.
The caused the blue-haired fairy to flutter gracefully to the mattress.
"I'm not a fairy," barked the mythical being. As the orange-haired youth's other words caught up to him he added, "And I'm not psychotic either! If anything, you're the psycho kidnapper holding me prisoner."
For a while there was no answer as Ichigo was distracted by the smooth baritone of the stranger. Then he woke up from his daze and retorted, "What? Well, excuse me for saving your sorry ass!"
Little Blue smirked, "That's royal ass to you! I'm a prince. Prince Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, son of King Allgron and Elleorra Jaegerjaques, and future ruler of Las Noches. Pleased to make your acquaintance." He gave a slight bow at his introduction, still wearing a smirk.
"Hmph! You're a royal ass alright, because you sure act like one!" Ichigo insulted. At the mention of asses so many times, Ichigo suddenly realised that his guest was stark naked. Ichigo's face heated up, a stream of profanities leaving at rapid fire. What had he gotten himself into? He now had a naked, arrogant and psychotic fairy with delusions of grandeur standing on his bed. His life would never be the same.
A/N: I'm not a vet, but I read somewhere that mint is a good salve for eczema? Not sure if they had dog food in that era. Constructive feedback is welcomed.