Cendrillon's Cantarella
A Team PikaFlash Fanfic, working on Fanfics for 10 Years
Disclaimers: All characters, Animes, Manga, Games and miscellaneous series mentioned or appearing in this fanfic belong to their respective owners. This fanfic is simply a medium to express ideas.
A/N: This fanfic originated from the mind of someone who didn't sleep for almost 20 hours while obsessed with the Nico Nico Musical Cantarella and listening to the musical variations of Cantarella and Cendrillon. Not to mention that one's sleep-deprived mind somehow managed to slip in an Assassin's Creed reference because that person somehow likes to picture the hood on Hinata's jacket (There's a hood on Hinata's jacket?) over her head.
A/N 2: So yeah, just to clarify, it's not meant to be a version/adaptation of the PVs of Cantarella and Cendrillon. They're merely an inspiration for the plot of the fanfic. This fanfic was inspired by the hood on Hinata's jacket, Assassin's Creed and two Vocaloid songs, Cantarella and Cendrillon, both sung by Kaito and Hatsune Miku.
A young woman in her early twenties walked along a sidewalk of a city, where horse-drawn carriages were moving along the road. The young woman was wearing a white cloak with the hood covering her head to hide her identity as she had returned to the city of her birth after a long time. Ever since she was born, the country was run by corrupt nobles, oppressing the common people. Though she was the eldest daughter of one of these nobles, after witnessing the oppression caused by her family and the other corrupt nobles, she chose to disown her family, discarding her family name and ran away.
Sometime before she ran away, she had learnt the use of a little known poison known as Cantarella. During her time as a runaway, she refined her technique with Cantarella and using her upbringing as a noble's daughter, she was able to blend in among the nobles in other cities at their various lavish gatherings, funded by their ill-gained fortune. All she had to do is find her target amongst the guests and eliminate him by giving him wine laced with a lethal amount of Cantarella. Depending on the dosage, the corrupt noble would either die within a few hours to a day, enough time for her to leave without anyone noticing.
It wasn't long before someone was aware of her actions. She heard rumors that her service was required back in her home city, where a lavish ball will take place that evening. At that point in time, all she knew was that ball will have many very important people and one of them could be her target.
The woman arrived at a reclusive but well furnished mansion, where everything was said to be arranged for her by her contact, codenamed 'Fairy Godmother'.
The woman entered the mansion grounds and as she reached the door, it immediately opened, greeted by a silver-haired man with a mask covering the bottom half of his face.
"I've been expecting you, Lady 'Cendrillon'," greeted the masked man.
"Are you my 'Fairy Godmother'?" The woman immediately asked in code.
"No, but I work on behalf of the 'Fairy Godmother'," the masked man replied back. "But first, I need to know if you're the one the 'Fairy Godmother' has been looking for."
The masked man invited the woman into the house. Once inside, the masked man produced a box with a pair of glass slippers inside. "First, I want you to put on these glass slippers. If they fit perfectly, then we know you're the person we've been waiting for," the masked man explained. "We did have other people who did answer the call, but as they were unable to wear those slippers, their services weren't needed."
The woman lowered the hood on her cloak, revealing her long dark blue hair and lavender eyes. She sat on a chair and put on the glass slippers, immediately noticing that her feet could fit into them perfectly.
"Ah, it seems that you are the person the 'Fairy Godmother' is looking for," said the masked man as a pair of maids entered the room. "Everything has been prepared for you. Please, follow the maids to your change room."
The woman followed the maids to the change room, where the maids assisted the woman by applying makeup on her face first before making the woman wear a beautiful dark purple ball gown with a few frills.
As the woman wore the dress, she felt a small hard object hidden within the frills; something only the wearer would notice. The woman inconspicuously felt the object, recognizing its shape and texture: a hidden dagger within a sheath. The Fairy Godmother wants this to be a very open assassination.
Once everything was completed by the maids, the masked man entered the change room handed the woman a sealed envelope. "Inside is your official invitation to the ball and the person you are looking for. However, I am told that under no circumstances must you reveal the identity of that person to anyone, even to me. So for now, I will leave you as I'll prepare your carriage to the ball."
The woman looked at the masked man. "And what happens if I fail?"
The masked man smiled under his mask. "Whether you succeed or not is actually isn't my concern. I'm just simply someone who prepared everything at your disposal for your task."
The masked man and the maids left, leaving the woman alone in the room. After making sure she's alone, the woman unsealed the envelope. Inside were the official invitation and a small picture of a young blonde man with bright sapphire blue eyes. Hinata checked the back of the picture, reading the word 'Midnight'.
Her target was the Prince, the only heir of the corrupt Queen who ruled the country with her tyranny and her corrupt nobles. The Prince wasn't the biological son of the Queen. He was adopted from the Queen's younger sister because the Queen was unable to conceive her own heir and the Queen raised him to be her successor.
The woman sighed as she looked at the picture. She only met the blonde prince once, and that was sometime before she ran away from home. She doubted that he would remember her after all these years, though she personally admitted to herself that he's more handsome than the first time she met him.
But fate can sometimes be very cruel. It was an opportunity she couldn't pass up. Not only can she eliminate the only heir to the corrupt ruler of the country, she can also bring shame to her father's name by making it a very public assassination. The woman tossed the picture of her target into the fireplace, burning the evidence. Just for the one night, Hinata Hyuga will reclaim her name.
As Hinata sat in a horse-driven carriage on the way to the Ball, she looked out the carriage window, viewing the city she left behind years ago and saw that not much has changed. Hinata could feel the trembling within her body. Whether it's from fear, anticipation or uncertainty, she couldn't be sure.
As she silently sat in the carriage, Hinata couldn't help but wonder if there was some ulterior motive behind the plan to assassinate the Prince. Normally, Hinata would eliminate her victims using poison, but this one requires her to use a dagger to kill the prince. To Hinata, she felt she was in luck because Hinata remembered during that one encounter with him was one that had a huge impact on her life, for it was the Prince who told her the existence of Cantarella and its various effects from putting someone in a temporary state of death for a few hours to bring an end to someone's life within 24 hours.
Hinata felt the hidden dagger in her dress, realizing that if the Prince was aware of the deaths of the corrupt nobles and since it was he who made her aware of the poison's existence, the Prince would be very cautious of what he eats or drinks at the Ball, which means a blade through his heart would be the last thing he would expect. Hinata looked at the mask she received for the task. Though no one in the city has seen Hinata in public for many years, there might be a few Nobles at the party who might recognize her, so the mask is a perfect tool to blend in while she searched for the Prince.
The carriage finally arrived at a lavish estate, where the Prince's ball was being hosted. Hinata wore the mask over her face before she exited the carriage with her official invitation in hand, allowing the Royal Guards at the entrance to grant her immediate entry into the estate.
As Hinata walked up the steps to the ballroom, she could feel a bit of discomfort from her glass slippers. Hinata never really liked wearing such novelty items. The first time she wore a pair of glass slippers many years ago, it took her almost half a day to perform a properly walk while wearing it. In the event that Hinata was successful in her task, she'd be glad to be rid of those dreaded glass slippers during her escape.
Hinata entered the ballroom, where a large gathering of nobles were having a chat with each other while others were dancing. Despite all of the guests wearing masks at the ball, Hinata hid her disgust as she quickly recognized a few corrupt nobles among the nobles who are completely unaware of the corruption. However, just for tonight, those men were not her target.
Hinata looked out of a window to check the time on the clock tower. She had ample time to complete her task, so for the time being, she decided to explore the ballroom for any potential escape routes she could use during the upcoming confusion.
But it didn't take long before Hinata recognized the Blonde Prince talking to a group of nobles, despite the mask he was wearing over his face. His blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes were unmistakable from the picture Hinata saw. The prince looked up and noticed Hinata, making eye contact.
In that one short second, Hinata felt like she is seeing the Prince in a completely different world. Returning to reality, Hinata subconsciously looked away, trying to avoid eye contact and the mask she wore fortunately managed to hide a slight blush on her face. Hinata could feel her heart racing, though she believed that it was just her nerves.
The prince immediately ended his conversation with the nobles and walked towards Hinata.
"May I have this dance, my lady?" the Blonde prince asked with a smile as he bowed to her.
Hinata froze. She quickly took a quick peek out the window at the clock tower. It was only 11pm. The plan was to end the Prince's life at midnight. Seeing as he has only an hour to live, Hinata decided that it's best if the Prince would enjoy the remaining time he had. She relaxed and curtsied back. "I'd be happy to have this dance with you."
The prince took Hinata's hand and they walked to the dance floor, where the musicians played a musical piece that involves the use of various string instruments and the piano.
Hinata and the Prince danced to the music as everyone else watched. However, as the two danced, at that moment, Hinata suddenly felt that she couldn't really care about the nobles watching them or the task she was meant to perform. For the first time in many years, Hinata smiled, completely feeling at peace as she danced with the Blonde Prince.
Hinata was surprised she managed to keep up with the Prince's steps in this dance, despite wearing her glass slippers. Not that she would notice because her full attention is now on the Prince, staring straight into his blue eyes, in a world that consists of only the Prince and Hinata herself.
"You're quite a beautiful woman," the Prince whispered to Hinata as they danced. "Even with that mask you're wearing covering your beautiful face, I can still remember your dark blue hair and pale lavender eyes. Even though it's been years since I first met you, you're still beautiful, Lady Hinata."
Hinata broke out of her trance. Hinata quickly looked at the time. It was five minutes to midnight. She wanted to reach for the hidden dagger within her dress but this time, she hesitated, haunted by the prince's words. If this man knows who she is under her mask, then it's possible that he knew why she was at the ball.
The prince smiled. "You seem to be shaking. Perhaps a drink should help calm your nerves."
The blonde prince snapped his fingers as a servant arrived with a tray with one glass of wine. The blonde prince took the glass and handed it to Hinata.
Though Hinata wasn't much of a drinker, she accepted the drink from the blonde Prince, not wanting to waste the opportunity she has at this moment. Hinata quickly consumed her beverage to settle her nerves.
"Let's go somewhere quiet." The Prince noticed a nearby the balcony facing a clock tower outside a window and pointed that way. "Perhaps that place would suffice."
Hinata could only nod as she followed the Prince to a balcony. The balcony is secluded, so once the deed is done, by the time anyone finds the Prince's corpse, Hinata would be long gone, but not before leaving a message that the daughter of Hiashi Hyuga was responsible.
As Hinata followed the Prince to the balcony, she subconsciously leaned on a wall in the hallway as she felt weaker, recalling the first time she was administered a tiny dose of a certain poison many years ago so that she can familiarize herself with it in case she accidentally ingested it or someone tried to poison her.
However, with every step forward, Hinata noticed her reflexes were beginning to slow down. Suddenly, an image flashed through Hinata's mind, recalling the moment when the blonde prince gave her the wine. Hinata recalled the moment when an odd but familiar very taste from her beverage as it passed her lips.
Hinata managed to steady herself as she reached the balcony where the Prince was waiting.
She then recalled a moment earlier when she thought she saw the blonde prince waved his free hand over her wine glass before giving it to her.
Hinata could only silently curse herself for dropping her guard. She drank down an entire glass of poisoned wine just to calm her nerves. As she lost consciousness as the blonde prince wrapped his arms around her, catching her as she fell; but to Hinata, it could as well be a rusty chain that caught her, with no way to escape.
'I just need more time...' thought Hinata as she desperately tried to move her arms while in the Prince's arms, but her body was too weak to complete the task she was given. A Hinata heard the clock struck twelve, Hinata utter one word before her eyes closed: "Cantarella."
[A few days earlier]
Prince Naruto was sitting in his room in the castle looking at some paperwork. The Queen had given him the important task of personally investigating a string of mysterious deaths among the nobles. However, this investigation was not in the interest of the people. The deaths involved nobles who supported the Queen's corrupt ways and she wanted to confirm that the deaths aren't linked to the corruption.
'From the information I've received, it looks like their deaths are related to the gatherings they hosted. They've either died sometime during the gathering or less than a day after. Despite the various tests on the corpses, there were no traces of poison or anything obvious that has caused their deaths. That means that someone must be using Cantarella to get rid of them and there's only one possible culprit I can think of.'
Naruto closed his eyes as he recalls the time he met a daughter of the nobleman Hiashi Hyuga years before. He recalled a beautiful young girl with dark blue hair and lavender eyes named Hinata. To Naruto, she was so beautiful that the young prince told Hinata that he would even administer Cantarella to her just so that he could make her his. It was at that point that Hinata asked what Cantarella is. The prince told her that it was a secret family recipe for an untraceable poison that was passed down to him by his birth mother before he was adopted by his maternal aunt, now adopted mother, the Queen. Despite being blood related, The Queen wasn't aware of the existence of Cantarella.
Not long after, Hinata ran away from home. Not wanting to let the world know that his daughter ran away, Hiashi did everything he could to keep it a secret, however, Naruto became aware of it when he tried to see Hinata and Hiashi beseeched him to keep the secret from the queen and anyone else outside the Hyuga family. If anyone would ask about Hinata Hyuga, the reply would be that she was suffering from a terrible illness and unable to see anyone.
Naruto opened his eyes as he put the pieces of information together. 'Come to think of it, the deaths occurred in separate cities, and I doubt the Queen would allow news of the deaths to be public, as that might trigger an uprising that could destabilize her power. And the only people who are aware of Hinata Hyuga running away from home are the Hyuga family and me.'
Naruto decided to visit Hiashi Hyuga, under the pretext of visiting on behalf of the Queen to check on Hiashi's loyalty. As Naruto entered study, the first object that caught the Prince's attention is a pair of glass slippers on Hiashi's study desk. "Lord Hiashi, why are there a pair of glass slippers on your desk? I would have expected them to be on the feet of a beautiful woman like Lady Hanabi."
"Those glass slippers were meant for my eldest daughter, but ever since the ungrateful child ran away, those shoes are nothing more than expensive paperweights because Hanabi's feet can't fit into them. But if Your Highness is interested in them, I am willing to give them to you as a gift."
Naruto pretended to hesitate. "But Lord Hiashi, I wouldn't know what to do with them, but because you're a loyal subject to my mother, I will be willing to accept them on the condition that you do not tell her about this."
Naruto sits in his study as the silver-haired masked man stood in front of the Prince.
"Kakashi, can I trust you with a very important task that could change the future of this country?" Naruto asked.
Kakashi bowed to the Prince. "You place your life in my hands and I, your humble servant, is willing serve you until the end. What do you need me to do?"
"First, I want you to spread the word that I will be hosting a ball in this estate and I want to invite as many nobles to this occasion. At the same time, I want you to use your connections to the criminal underworld to spread the word that there is a job for a certain assassin who targets noblemen at their parties. Spread the word that a 'Fairy Godmother' is looking for 'Lady Cendrillon' and the 'Fairy Godmother' has a job for her."
"You intend to lure the killer here? I know that she never killed any nobles here before but aren't you putting yourself at risk in catching her?"
"I don't intend to catch her. If everything goes according to plan, she'll make a very useful ally," Naruto explained.
Naruto then handed Kakashi a sheet of paper with specific instructions, a sealed envelope, a mask and a box with a pair of glass slippers inside. "Make sure you follow my instructions discreetly. No one, not even Mother, should know about this plan. Do you have any questions?"
"How am I supposed to know if the right person answers the message?" asked Kakashi.
"If my hunch is right, only the real 'Lady Cendrillon' would be able to wear those Glass Slippers."
[Presently]
The sun rose as Hinata woke up in a soft bed, still wearing the same dress she wore the night before, back in the same mansion where she received her dress and instructions to murder the prince. However, the hidden dagger within the dress had been removed, so now she is unarmed and at the mercy of her intended victim, who happened to be in the room, waiting for her to wake up from her slumber.
"It has been a long time since we had a proper conversation, Lady Cendrillon, or should I say, Lady Hinata?"
"Your Highness..." Hinata was about to sit up but Naruto stopped her.
"There's no need to be formal here, Hinata. In fact, I'm actually here in secret," said Naruto. "For someone who was sent to kill me, you were naïve enough to drink what could have killed you. Fortunately, I placed a tiny amount of Cantarella in your drink to put you to sleep for a few hours. Unlike the other nobles you killed using the same untraceable poison. Of course, I had to take some precautions in case you didn't drink what I gave you and you managed to stab me." Naruto opened his shirt to reveal a thin shirt of chain mail.
Hinata slowly sat up as she looked at Prince Naruto. "How did you know it was me who killed those men? And how did you even know it was me under that mask I wore?" she asked.
The prince smiled. "Have you wondered who owns this mansion, where you acquired that dress you're wearing, hid a dagger within it and procured an official invitation to the ball? The identity of your 'Fairy Godmother' is in this room."
Hinata was confused. "You placed a contract on yourself?"
"Yes, I was hoping that I would meet you again after all these years," explained Naruto. "I drugged your drink because I was afraid that you'd run away again after I told you that I knew about you. Despite the crimes you had committed, I do not intend to hand you over to the authorities, because those men deserved it."
Naruto sat on a chair. "Ever since I read the reports on the mysterious deaths in the other cities and figured out that Cantarella was used, I realized that your help is needed if I am to rid the corruption in this country, but there's only so much I can do in the light..."
"So, you need someone to work from the shadows," Hinata finished. "If we work together, can we can put an end to this reign of tyranny?"
"Yes," said Naruto as he held out his hand to Hinata. "Hinata, are you willing to be by my side, as my hidden blade within the shadows, putting an end to this corrupt fairytale and create a new one?"
"Of course, Naruto," Hinata said as she took Naruto's hand. "But what about that contract you placed on yourself?"
Naruto smiled. "You can use it as a warning for me not to repeat the mistakes of the past. And if that ever happens to me, you'll know what to do."
A week later, the Queen died under mysterious circumstances. With the Queen's passing, Naruto immediately took over as the new ruler of the land, promising a change for the better.
As the new King, Naruto used his power to arrest any corrupt noble who brought despair on the land. And for those that Naruto could never touch due to their political influence, Hinata would be the one to poison them from the shadows. This continued until there was only one corrupt noble remaining: Hiashi Hyuga.
Not long after the Queen's death, after sending his family to safety at a country estate, Hiashi remained behind at the main Hyuga estate in the city, not knowing if he would be arrested by the new King or be killed under mysterious circumstances. As Hiashi debated his next move while enjoying a glass of his favorite whiskey, the door to his study opened, and to his surprise, Hiashi's prodigal daughter returned.
"Hello, Father."
Hinata walked into her father's study wearing a white cloak over the traveling apparel she wore for the past few years. Despite the many years that passed, when she returned to her family's estate, the servants instantly recognized her and allowed her entry.
"Hinata, I had heard rumors that you returned," Hiashi said. "It has been many years since I last saw you. You've grown up quite into quite a beautiful woman just like your mother."
"Yes, Father. I had seen many things during my travels," said Hinata. "But I'm not here for a reunion. I'm here on business."
"What kind of business?" Hiashi asked.
"I'm sure you're aware that you're the only remaining noble among the former Queen's group who is either free or still alive, father."
Hiashi took a sip of his whiskey to calm his nerves. "I'm aware of that. Did the King send you to pass a message to me?"
"No. I told him that I'll be the one to decide your fate."
Hiashi finished his drink. "So, this is how the great Hiashi Hyuga's life will end, by the hands of his eldest daughter."
"No, your life will end as the penultimate victim of the King's Hidden Blade, while your daughter, Hinata Hyuga, will miraculously recover from her illness to mourn for her father's passing before accepting the King's hand-in-marriage and be by his side as his Queen."
Hiashi could only laugh. "Have you ever considered the possibility that the new King would end up being like his predecessor?"
"At first, I had intended to kill him while he was still a Prince and bring shame to your name," Hinata explained. "But he managed to convince me that when he becomes the King, he will eliminate the corruption that plagued this land with my help. That is why I plan to be by his side for the rest of his life so that the past won't repeat itself. And if he ends up becoming corrupt like you or his predecessor, then he will be my final victim, as I had originally intended him to be."
Hiashi scoffed at Hinata's plan. "Then, all I have to do is stay alive and make sure that doesn't happen. I still have enough influence to control this country and once I'm done with you, I plan to overthrow the young king."
"I'm afraid that there is nothing you can do now, father," Hinata calmly said. "Even after all these years I ran away, I can still remember you still love to drink your favorite Whiskey in your study before you turn in for the night."
Hiashi dropped his glass as he suddenly began to feel weak. He glared at his daughter, though he is unable to speak as his body felt weaker. But Hinata understood what he was going to ask.
"I snuck in earlier and placed a lethal amount of an untraceable poison known as Cantarella in your favorite whiskey before you came into your study. After all, you deserved one last drink to celebrate my impending marriage."
Hiashi collapsed onto the floor as he watched Hinata took out a pair of glass slippers and placed them in front of her father's face. "And to be honest, dear Father, even though these fit me perfectly, I never really like these Glass Slippers, so you can have them back."
From Hiashi's point of view, he watched his daughter walk away through the melting glow from glass slippers cast from the light from the nearby fireplace. Hinata then stopped at the study door and looked back at her father.
"Farewell, Father. I'm sorry that my new fairytale has no place for someone like you," Hinata said as she raised the hood of her cloak over her head before walking off into the darkness.
[End]
A/N 3: Finally got that out of my system. Now I can concentrate on my other projects.
Cast list for clarity:
Hinata as Runaway Daughter/Lady Cendrillon
Naruto as Blonde Prince/Fairy Godmother
Tsunade as The Queen (Not appearing in this fanfic)
Hiashi as Evil Corrupt Noble
Kakashi as Silver-Haired Masked Man