Summary: In this world, their love seems impossible, but is it really? A twisted, unideal story of a beauty and a beast combined with the story of Cinderella and a host of other fairytales loosely based off of Disney's versions and the originals.
Disclaimer: I own my creativity and a computer, and that's about it. In the future I may use direct [translated] quotes from certain chapters, but I am not by any means using them while claiming they are of my own invention. Only gonna say it once. I don't own Skip Beat!
A/N: After a long hiatus, I'm back! And I actually have a pretty long story mapped out for you guys. Finally, my first (and probably last) Skip Beat! fanfiction. This is—and I quote—"a twisted, unideal" story. Can't say that I didn't warn you, but I hope you'll stay with me all the way especially because I'm still figuring out how it ends! Enjoy ^^
P.S.—RenxKyoko is the point of this fanfic, but not necessarily the first pairing. Just warning you.
The Legend of Princess Rosa
Once upon a time, there lived a young girl neither fair nor maidenly. She couldn't have been, for she was hardly a toddler. By no means was she the most beautiful little girl in all the land, but people who met her swore that her heart was as pure and golden as her eyes. Her earnest, childlike energy and naive honesty won the affections of everyone around. Even the sourest toad croaked many a half-hearted groan at her antics. Her father was a man of many skills and professions; explorer, merchant, and hostler were his three main hobbies of choice, but the profession he valued most in life was parenthood. He was not world famous as other explorers were, but most wonderful in the eyes of little Kyoko. She was daddy's little girl, his princess, his pride and joy second only to his loyal wife.
A few months before Kyoko turned five years old, as he prepared for his next journey across the ocean, Lord Mogami asked his darling angel if there was not any gift he could bring back for her. Though not one who wished after the materials of the world, she humbly requested a single rose and he left her with his word that he would return safely. He never did. He disappeared into the depths of the sea, taking with him a piece of his family's heart and, consequently, the bulk of their fortune.
Something inside Lady Mogami snapped. Instead of wallowing in her despair, she became bitter towards her daughter for, though Kyoko looked most like her mother, Kyoko's personality was a constant reminder of something once treasured and lost. Saena blamed Kyoko for her heartbreak and their fall to poverty. For days the servants kept the poor child away from the arms of her once kind and gentle mother. Embarrassed at the accident and overhype, the Mogami household cut all ties with their once daughter-in-law. When Saena finally emerged from her room, she turned her wrath on Kyoko, becoming a slavedriver and setting up impossible expectations for her daughter to fill. The poor child was forced to do menial housework and was kept away from the outside world. All servants were dismissed and Kyoko was suddenly alone. New hands were acquired, but they dared not show too much sympathy for fear of losing their livelihood. In the end, the only possession Kyoko was permitted to keep was her old horse and loyal friend, General. The rest was changed. Fine linen was exchanged with harsher cotton, petticoats with aprons. She slept in the attic in a small cot, incomparable to her former, far more comfortable lodgings. Kyoko began earning her keep under a false status and her future continued to dim.
Because it was improper to remain widowed, Lady Mogami remarried quickly and moved over the hill to the other side of the large town. She wished to never set eyes on the sea again. To snub the family who disowned her, she kept her surname even after she tied the knot. Her new husband did not care for familial matters and preferred his new wife's surname to his own. He was mostly absent and his two daughters were taken under Lady Mogami's wing. They were spoiled, shallow, and rude. They loved the pretty and convenient materials in life and, of course, fancied themselves the picture of sophistication and thus ready to be swept off their feet by a devilishly handsome and filthy-rich young man. Saena pampered them as her own distraction and also in spite of Kyoko and her deceased husband. Again and again, she turned a blind eye to their bullying and cruelty towards their step-sister.
And time went on. The sun rose and set, the seasons changed, and the gossip surrounding the tragedy of the deceased explorer and his ruined family cycled out of the knitting circles and bars. The golden-eyed child disappeared from the world's eye.
"Kyoko!" a harsh reprimand reverberated through all lower levels of the large estate.
"H-hai! Coming, Milady!" the young girl nearly lost her starched cap in her rush. The clasp had come undone again, she sighed. She'd have to spend more time mending. If only she could have a new—"Mogami Kyoko? If you don't get here right this second–"
Young Kyoko skedaddled to the upmost story and quickly attempted to smooth her rumpled skirts before knocking and rushing in. What if Milady had spilled the hot tea? Could there be another moth—
Slap.
Kyoko blinked back tears as she gingerly stood from her embarrassingly undignified position and pointedly ignored the giggling by the tea table. Yes, she knew that her dress was too short and that there were holes all over her stockings. So what if her cap had fallen off again and the sole of one shoe was half gone? One day—
"...can't even execute the simplest—Are you listening to me?" Slap.
Kyoko bit her lip but stopped when she realized that it was beginning to bruise. She tried to focus on the words coming out of Milady's mouth, but the ringing in her head and the sting on her cheek made it harder to understand.
"Now, Kyoko, dear, repeat it back to me."
"Wash and dry the dishes, beat the curtains properly, make the beds and scrub the floors, dust all the rooms–…"
Milady's voice threatened, "And what is the first thing you will do as soon as you leave this room?"
"Make cucumber sandwiches," Kyoko answered obediently.
"That's my daughter—such a precious angel," Milady deadpanned. Then, her voice took back the snap, "Now run along!"
The door slammed shut in Kyoko's face. She exhaled heavily in relief and made her way down to the kitchen. Minutes later, with the help of the kind cook, she was back with the cucumber sandwiches which were taken and consumed without so much as a compliment or a thank you. The only good thing about being trusted in the kitchen was being able to sneak in a couple bites, she nodded to herself.
The poor maid kept her mind carefully blank in case she was called for again. She couldn't even daydream to save herself from this suffering. The daydreaming always distracted her. She would always fail to hear her mother call for her, and then she would get slapped. Kyoko recalled her day-by-day goal to avoid her mother's violent hand. So far, there had been one day in the past month when she hadn't been hit at all—the day Milady had gone to town and returned in a pleasant enough mood. Of course, there were the days when she was never mistreated weeks before—Kyoko paused in her scrubbing. Well, if she was going to think about it, she might as well go all in. She looked into the bucket at her dust-smudged face and whispered, "Before Father died…"
No! She shook her head wildly. There was no time to be thinking about that. Kyoko pumped her arms in determination and bustled her way over to the musty curtains. For a moment, she considered asking Butler-san for help, but decided not to. She couldn't ask him to do such a dirty job. What if he threw out his back! Kyoko lugged the heavy drapes outside and checked that no one was at the windows before taking out all her energy and frustration on the cloth. By the end of it, she was thoroughly winded and equally as filthy, but the curtains were impeccably clean. Satisfied, she hung them up again and even cleaned the window panes as well.
"Kyoko-chan! Ugh! What is with your clothes?"
Trying not to cringe, Kyoko turned around and bowed her head politely, "Is there something that I can get you, Misses?"
"Oh, no." They took a step back, wrinkling their noses then tossing her devious smiles. "But I would have you know that Mother will be taking us to town."
"Sister," the other tsked, "Don't say 'Mother.' You'll confuse her—talking about 'Mi-lae-dee," the other drawled.
They giggled. "She promised to buy me a bright blue dress in the latest style for the grand party that's being hosted by the Hizuri's."
Kyoko gasped and reached out to grab her sisters. She remembered her place and their disgust and faltered. "T-The Hizuri's? You can't mean that—"
"That one of us will get engaged?"
"Hai?" Kyoko was thrown by the twist in the conversation. "Marriage!?"
"Of course! Hizuri Kuon is not promised to anyone yet—Oh! Hizuri Kuon..." the step-sister's skirts puffed out as they twirled. They then began to gush to each other. Had they seen his perfect manners and attire, his green eyes that seemed to pierce through the soul?
Kyoko was not sure who they could be talking about, but she hesitantly interrupted, "A-Ano..." She sped ahead despite their glares, "You can't mean the son of the great explorer Hizuri Kuu?"
They looked at her as if she were stupid. "What other Hizuri is there?" they scoffed. "You really don't have any idea what's going on, do you?" "But, of course, you won't be allowed to attend." "Yeah, you're too ugly. Who would want a worthless worm wandering around?" Kyoko sunk into her shell as they shook their heads and continued to belittle her, every word adding itself to the large pile already above her head and weighing her down.
"And of course we'll bring you along so you can help us stay presentable, but you'll just stay in the carriage. No need for anyone to see you."
"Now, now!" Baroness Saena Mogami floated down the stairs, adjusting her purse on her arm. "Don't be so harsh to the poor maid."
"Yes, Mother!" Kyoko's step-sisters chorused, looked behind them, and giggled.
"Kyoko, don't do anything ridiculous while we're gone. I expect an impeccably clean home. Herbal chicken for dinner, yes? Got that? I'm warning you. And change out of that filthy shift. Alright. Come along, now."
The door clicked shut and Kyoko sank to her knees in relief. Her eyes swam and she shook her head at the Butler who nervously approached but nodded and eventually left her by herself. After an undefined amount of time, Kyoko wiped her nose and patted her face lightly. She placed her blank mask back over her expression and she hurried along. The cook was kind enough and took it upon herself to cook the entirety of dinner, urging her to make use of the time alone in the big house. Kyoko reluctantly retreated, but it was true. It wasn't often that she was left alone in the house.
The rest of the dusting went by in a blur and in record time, Kyoko was running as fast as her little legs would carry her to the stables.
"General!" the little sprite burst into the stables and threw herself at the old horse—her father's horse—rubbing her face into his neck. The horse, used to this sort of surprise, gave a halfhearted snort of disapproval before sniffing in the folds of Kyoko's clothes for sugar cubes. But sugar would have to wait. General listened patiently as Kyoko murmured to him about her day, nudging her when she choked up, and then, as soon as she was certainly finished, searching again for the sugar cubes.
"Okay, okay, General," Kyoko giggled, wiping the last of her tears away. She laughed aloud and patted his side when his rough tongue licked up the sugar from her palms. "Now, hold still," she chided, running the brush through his coat. The horse snorted again, as if he was retorting that he always stayed plenty still when she groomed him. Kyoko had finished up her chores quickly so she could visit her childhood companion. She wasn't supposed to be in the stables. It was a job for the hostler and stable boy, but every once in a while they would allow her to be in the stables by herself when the Milady wasn't around. Ironically, it was the one job she wanted but couldn't have.
"I wonder if Papa knew Hizuri Kuu personally," Kyoko murmured as she petted General. He sniffed her skirts experimentally to see if there really was no more sugar. "Silly, I really don't have anymore. But, really, my sisters do think some boy they've never met could be their prince," she quickly returned to her musings. "I don't know what the meaning of handsome is, so I have no way of understanding what their standards are. They only care about looks and money, so perhaps his personality is horrid. I wonder if they would care then..."
As Kyoko made the trip from the well to the water trough, she let her mind wander back. Back to the times she rode with Papa and when General's coat had a youthful sheen to it. Still, her mind went farther back, back to perhaps the day she regretted most...
"What do you want for your birthday, my daughter?"
"Oh, Papa. Just a hug and a kiss. Oh, and a ride with General!"
"Don't we do that every year?" he smiled.
"But I don't need anything, Papa. I am quite satis...satisfied!"
"There's nothing you want me to bring back for you?" he smiled at her expanding vocabulary. "Your mother wants jewelry. Are you quite sure there is nothing I can bring back for my lovely girl?
When Kyoko fell silent, he prompted her eagerly. "Well..." Kyoko pouted, deep in thought. "A rose."
"A rose?"
"Yes, Papa. I want a rose!" Kyoko clapped her hands eagerly. "Just like in the stories!"
He raised his eyebrows, "You mean Beauty and the Beast? Didn't Beauty's Papa get caught by a wicked witch?"
"Papa," Kyoko sighed in exasperation. "You're thinking of Hansel and Gretel or another fairytale entirely! In Beauty and the Beast, Beauty's Papa promises his daughter away to the Beast after almost dying—But don't be silly, Papa! You already promised to come home safely. Pinky promised! And you would never give me away. You said so!"
"Alright, alright," he laughed. "I'll go find you the biggest rose in the world! Queen Rosa!"
"Oh!" Kyoko looked down sadly. "But aren't they hard to find? It could be dangerous! I changed my mind! I don't need anything for my birthday!"
He winked. "Don't be so silly, princess. They just aren't common around here. I know a place where there are hundreds of roses! So many, that you could fill your room with them and there would still be so many left," he made broad, sweeping gestures with his arms in an attempt to articulate how amazing this field of roses was. "But that's not where I'm going. It's a little out of the way, but—"
"But I don't want you to be gone so long. What if—"
"Is Papa strong?" he waited for her nod before continuing, "Is he brave? Is he...handsome?" he posed. She laughed and nodded again. "Kyoko, if you want a rose, I'll get you a rose. Will you wait for me?"
"Of course, Papa!"
Her father laughed at her indignation before scooping her up and tucking her in. "Papa is leaving tomorrow morning, so I need a good night's sleep too."
Kyoko giggled and wormed out of her sheets and leapt into his arms, kissing his cheek, "Come home soon. I love you!"
"You love roses so much, Kyoko. If I had known any better, I would have named you Rosa. Princess Rosa!"
"That's silly, Papa."
Kyoko snapped out of her reverie when General attempted to stick his nose in the water bucket, impatient for a drink. "Sorry, General," she apologized and filled the trough. As she watched him, Kyoko wiped down his sweaty sides. "Sorry I didn't pay much attention to you during the ride," she bowed her head sheepishly. "I was thinking..." she fiddled with her heart-shaped locket hung around her neck.
"You know?" the horse looked at Kyoko and waited for her to finish, "You know, General? Today is my half-birthday. Ever since Papa died, I haven't wished for anything because I didn't think I deserved a wish. But I can't keep my heart from making a wish and I've decided that I'm bound to have one—a wish, that is. I have only one—but it's a secret! It won't come true if I tell!" For a second, she thought he'd rolled his eyes at her, but continued when she saw that he was still listening. "It's a secret...but I'll tell you. And you can't tell anyone. Pinky pro—" Kyoko stopped herself. Promises were always broken.
"I mean, I can trust you. Right...?" She put her hands on either side of General's face. "I really rely on you, so you have to be responsible and not tell anyone about my secrets, neh?" She leaned her forehead on his and closed her eyes. "One day," she began. "One day, I won't be a maid anymore. Mila—…Okaa-sama will approve of me. And—" her cheeks tinged pink, "And someday," she whispered," my prince will come."
"Kyaaaa…" Kyoko squealed and pinched herself, "I actually said it aloud…" She looked ashamed of herself for wishing for a dream so unrealistic. "Remember our deal, General. You gave me your word!" a red-faced Kyoko whirled out the door. A certain merchant's son, Shoutaro, crossed her mind and she fled the stables only faster because of it. The old horse simply put his head down back into the manger and continued to chew.
Thus begins the fairy's tale, the Legend of Princess Rosa.
A/N: And so it begins. Make sure to R&R, plz&ty! Love you guys!
[EDIT: I have since returned to this story and edited/deleted extra summaries and Author's Notes for your better reading pleasure.]