Disclaimer: If Shaman King were mine, I wouldn't need to write fanfics

Mankin Opening Night 1: Cinderena!

It was opening night for the rewritten Mankin theater…Cinderena! The said main hero…ine burst into the changing room, pissed off as hell. "Who the hell thought up this script?" Ren demanded, crumpling the typed script in his hand. "It was bad enough we're being dragged to do your damn plays but then he put this…this thing outside my door!" He pointed at Hao, then lifted up the fabric in his other hand; a dress. "Who made me Cinderella?"

"First of all, it's Cinderena, not Cinderella," said the girl doing makeup, which also happened to be the director and writer of the Mankin theater plays. She stood up and her nametag gleamed 'Chiharumaru' as she gave Ren a pointed look. "Second of all, you must have forgotten that the main character gets paid about twenty percent more than all the other characters. Third of all, I thought you'd be happy with the pairing."

"The pairing?" Ren uncrumpled his script and started scanning it. "Who's playing the prince?"

"Horo."

"WHAT?" Ren felt a blush creep on his face. "What the f…? Okay, I'm definitely not doing it."

"I'll do it!" Hao chimed in near the door, looking smart in his royal outfit. "I"ll do it! I'll do it!"

"No, I've already written your part and you were happy about it since you requested a make out part for your pairing. And about that; no."

Hao groaned.

Before Ren could protest more, Chiharumaru pushed him into the chair next to her current make up victim. Ren glanced at the person next to him, which happened to be Lyserg, looking shy under his make up. Ren rolled his eyes.

"You're getting make up next, so don't give me that shit," Chiharumaru snapped. "How about a little green eye shadow, Lyserg?"

Ren wondered how he could possible pull off an escape. He definitely wasn't going to be leaving anytime soon with Hao standing near the door; that pyromaniac loved the script and was determined to let it go to plan. Horo and Yoh suddenly crashed through the door.

"Chiharumaru!" Horo shouted. "Who's playing Cinderena?"

"I thought it'd be a little obvious. Why do all of you act like you've never read the script before? I asked you all to do a readover a week ago!"

"Oh, well, we remember lines pretty fast," Yoh said, looking a little odd in a dress. "I mean, we are manga characters."

Ren glared at Yoh. "Who are you supposed to be?"

"Pretty sister number one."

"Yup," Chiharu said, brushing blush on Lyserg. "I mean, I'm definitely not gonna put him as an ugly stepsister." She glanced at her watch. "Ohmygod we're on in thirty minutes!"

Spotlight. Ren was decked out in Cinderella's servant clothes, a navy blue handkerchief tied on his head. He looked pissed, but the makeup managed to soften the look…a bit. The audience cringed to see a pissed off Cinderena but the show must go on! Cinderena held a mop in one hand and a bucket in the other.

"Once upon a time, there was a very pretty girl named Cinderena who was living with her stepmother and her two pretty stepsisters. Her father had died a long time ago and without his protection, she was forced to do all the chores in the household."

"Oh, this is a hell," Cinderena said sarcastically, glancing at the balcony where the narrator was reciting. It was Chiharumaru, who was also doing the lights. The audience cringed again.

"The prince of the kingdom Cinderena receded in had sent out an invitation to all the young women in the kingdom. It was for a ball where he would find his beautiful bride. Everyone had been invited…everyone except Cinderena."

Two people pranced on the stage, wearing clothes obviously more luxurious than Cinderena. "Cinderena's stepsisters, Yohmina and Lyserg had been invited and were rubbing it in poor Cinderena's face."

Yohmina (to herself) : Um, I don't really want to…Ren's gonna really kill me after the show…

Cinderena: Um, I don't care. And I'm not poor.

Lyserg: Why am I the only person who didn't get their name changed?

Yohmina walked up to Cinderena. "Uh, ha ha Cinderena, look at my invitation, it's got ribbons and bows on it!" Yohmina flashed the white invitation with the blue ribbons decorating it. Cinderena gave her a glare that made Yohmina quickly step back a few feet.

"It's too bad you're not going," Lyserg said, feigning pity. "It's every…um, girl's dream to attend a ball with the prince."

"Uh, oh, I'm so jealous. Why does my life suck," Cinderena said monotonously.

"Girls! Stop talking to the servant!" This voice came from offstage but struck fear into all on the stage. Anna strode in, looking menacing and mean. "Yohmina, Lyserg, come here and let's get you into one of your gowns. I'm not gonna let a chance pass by where one of my brilliant daughters can get into the palace. Then we'll live comfortably. And Cinderena…well, you can just go to hell."

Quiet from the crowd.

"So preparations were made and the big night came!" The narrator announced on the balcony, breaking the silence. "Yohmina, Lyserg, and their mother, Anna, got into their carriage and went off to the palace. They hoped to be chosen to be the prince's wife."

A white carriage appeared out of no where and all three said persons entered it. Lyserg was wearing what looked like a fancy wedding gown dyed green. Yoh was wearing what looked like a magical girl anime costume and looking kinda awkward. Anna was…just Anna. She glared at Cinderena from the carriage.

"Stay here and don't leave," she ordered. "If I hear that you've left and ruined our chances at the palace, you'll pay dearly." A whip was heard and the carriage rolled offstage. Cinderena sighed…with relief.

"Ah, a night alone with myself," Cinderena said, looking happy for the first time in the whole play. She dropped all the pins and needles she held for mending the pretty stepsisters' dresses and sat down on a chair that happened to be near by. With a content yet twisted smile, she looked out at the audience. "What could be better than this?"

"Maybe a night at the ball?"

Pink mist. Tamao, or Cinderena's Fairy Godmother, appeared, decked out in a pretty pink fluffy gown. She held a wand with a sparkly star on the top and looked shy but happy. "It's your wish, isn't it?"

"God NO!" Cinderena shouted, standing up from her chair. "It's the last thing I want to do tonight! Leave me alone to enjoy my evening alone, will you, you freak of nature!"

Vein throbbing in the Fairy Godmother's head, but she smiled. "Of…course. Your wish will come true." She waved her wand and more mist appeared. When it cleared, a really pissed off looking Cinderena was standing in a white chiffon gown and wearing glass heels.

"Didn't you hear what I said?" Cinderena shouted. "I DON'T WANT TO GO TO THE #!!$ BALL!"

"Language, dear!" her Fairy Godmother shouted, looking a little annoyed. "I know it's your deepest desires to go to the ball and to meet the prince, but now you have a chance and…"

"GOD, JUST GET ME OUT OF THIS DRESS! I DON'T WANT TO GO!"

"Too late!" The Fairy Godmother could only take so much. Vein throbbing rather manga like, she grabbed a mouse from the floor, which happened to be Manta passing by. "Mouse, become a horse!"

"Whatzat?" Manta was surrounded by sparkles and became a brilliant white horse. "Whatzat?"

"Now, I'll create a carriage out of a pumpkin and…"

"Don't waste your time," Cinderena said, trying to get out of the gown. "You can have your stupid dress back."

"GET IN THE PUMPKIN!!!" The Fairy Godmother screamed, pelting Cinderena with a big orange pumpkin. With a flash, an orange carriage appeared, being pulled by the Manta horse. Cinderena looked dazed for a moment and the Fairy Godmother took the chance.

"The spell will wear off by midnight," she said quickly before Cinderena came to her senses. "You'd better come back before anyone recognizes you! Now, run horse! Run like the wind!"

Manta gave a nervous whinny and sprinted off the stage, carrying a semi-conscious Cinderena. The Fairy Godmother wiped her brow and put her hands on her hips.

"Youths these days!" she shouted, shaking her pink hair back and forth. More mist and the Fairy Godmother disappeared. The lights came back on for intermission.

The lights were dimming again…snacks were being put away. The narrator cleared her throat and the curtains went up. The setting was an elaborate ballroom. A lot of people were in it, dancing or mingling around. Yohmina, Lyserg, and Anna were in the middle of the room.

"The Prince's Ball…ah, what a lovely scene…" At that cue, someone started sprinkling glitter from the ceiling, causing a sparkly effect. "Anna and her two daughters, Yohmina and Lyserg had just arrived."

"Oh, mother, look at everyone!" Yoh said, looking mystified.

"I hope we can meet the prince," Lyserg added, tripping for the millionth time on his abnormally formal dress.

The spotlight shone on one figure and all the other dancers were plunged in darkness. Horohoro was sitting on the ground, looking mussed as if he had just changed in a hurry. He had a crown on, which screamed 'I AM THE PRINCE!'. Next to him was his advisor, his royal advisor, who was none other than…

"Just go pick a chick and dance with her," Hao said, looking bored. He was scanning the stage. "Just go pick that purple dress girl, or that yellow gown chick. Whatever you do, don't dance with anyone in green."

"Um, no?" Horo looked frustrated. "I don't want to dance with anyone."

"So we planned this goddamn ball for you for nothing? The villagers won't be happy to hear that we wasted tax money to build this stupid ballroom!" Hao's voice escalated and Horo had to quiet him down. "Fine, fine! Let the women come!"

"That's more like it."

At once, the lights flooded the stage again and all the young women crowded around Horo. Anna gave her daughters a push forward. "Now go and be successful young ladies. If none of you can get into the palace by tonight, consider yourselves disowned." Anna wandered over the punch table.

"Well, I guess we should start meeting him, then," Lyserg said, looking terrified at being disowned. Yohmina nodded quickly. They pushed their way to the prince. The crowd backed away as Yohmina tripped forward, pulling Lyserg with her. Horo took one look at Yohmina. "What are you, from an anime expo?"

"Uh, maybe?" Yohmina looked at his gloved hands and his boots. "Yeah, I guess so."

"No thanks. You look hideous."

Yohmina looked hurt, but not really since she just bounded out of the circle of women. Lyserg stepped forward, looking shy. Hao was smirking in a way that only a hormonic teen who's thinking dirty thoughts can smirk.

"Uh…" Horo glanced at Hao. "Um, uh…no?"

"Okay." Lyserg looked a little relieved and passed Hao on her way to Yohmina. She gave him a shy smile and Hao turned to Horo.

"Yeah, I think you can handle this crowd, yeah? I have something to do…" With a wide smile, he strode away from Horo and headed for Lyserg.

"Whoa! Whoa! Space, space!" Horo tried to stop the flood of women coming at him and suddenly…the scene stopped.

Someone had entered the stage. Someone in a white chiffon gown with glass heels. Oh my god, Cinderena!

"Cinderena arrived at the right moment…after her pretty stepsisters had been jilted, she appeared, like an angel in front of the prince. No one could match her beauty, and everyone wondered who this mystery woman was!" The narrator sounded like she had a good time and was shining a spotlight on Cinderena.

"Who is she?" whispered one person.

"Yes, who?"

"Wow, she's pretty!" Yohmina commented, wandering over to her mother. "Anna…um, I mean, mother, who do you think she is?"

"Whoever she is, she can't beat your unique style, Yohmina," Anna glowered. "Go give the prince another try."

"Aw, no, he said no to me! See, Lyserg too."

"Mmmm!" Lyserg said, trying to say his line while making out with Hao in a corner. Much to say, that corner was a bit dimmer than the rest of the stage and the flurry of fabric was a little disturbing.

"Who is she?" Horo asked breathlessly, but of course, with his advisor jamming his tongue down a certain greenette's throat, no answer came.

"God, this place is obnoxious," Cinderena spat. "Yuck, I feel dirty." Said the being who was walking through a sparkling white ballroom. "But look, food. And it's a lot better than what I eat back at that shack." Said the person who lived in a mansion with his stepmother and pretty stepsisters, one who was admiring him and one who was practically losing herself in a corner of the ballroom to a certain longhaired royal advisor. "Oh, look, there's Chinese! And milk!"

As Cinderena stepped to the buffet to pig out, a gallant prince stepped up to her. "Hello, may I have this dance?"

Cinderena glanced at the bluenette prince. "No."

"Her heart went all a-flutter!" The narrator shouted as Cinderena started helping himself to food. Horo stood there looking stupid as everyone started dancing around him. "What to say? The prince, the prince, was taking interest in her! Cinderena knew what she said next would determine her future!"

"Why don't you leave me alone to eat?" Cinderena spat. "I haven't eaten food this good in a long time. Hey, why don't you dance with Yohmina? Oh, she's a looker." Sarcasm dripped his voice while she licked the sauce dripping from the corner of her mouth.

"Um, no, I want to dance with you." There was obvious pleading in the prince's voice.

"Cinderena decided to play hard to get," the narrator improvised, skipping over how said heroine had nearly swooned over looking into the prince's eyes. "She wanted to see how the prince would react to a princess who wasn't afraid to…eat!"

"Hey, I like eating too," Horo added helpfully.

"That's great." Cinderena looked uninterested. Slow music started playing, the cue for the prince's dance.

"This was the last slow but long dance of the night!" The narrator announced. "This was the last chance for the prince and Cinderena to change their fates! How would they do it?"

"Aw, Goddammit, just dance with me, you stubborn biotch!" Horo grabbed Cinderena's hands and led her to the dance floor with force and profanity. Cinderena, seeing qualities that she had and admired, began to find interest in this new development.

"Ah, the prince and Cinderena had their first dance, whizzing around the ballroom like the star crossed lovers they were! Everyone was jealous of them…who was the woman who had taken their chances with the prince?" The audience gasped as Lyserg and Hao suddenly appeared on the dance floor, Hao's uniform looking a little mussed and a blade was shining through one of his pockets; and on that notice, Lyserg was blushing fiercely and his dress had been hacked off inches shorter than it began. Okay…

"The dance of a lifetime seemed never-ending…until midnight struck."

A bell that signified chimes could be heard. Cinderena pushed the prince away, with more force than necessary for a maiden who had just fallen in love. "Oh, thank GOD!" Cinderena shouted, looking relieved. "Finally I can leave!"

She darted out of the palace, running down the steps two at a time. At the last moment, she tripped and lost a glass heel on the steps.

"Dammit! I lost something that could have been worth a million dollars!" Cinderena shouted. "What's my luck…a creeper comes and forces me to dance with him and I lose one of the only pair of glass heels! What a day!" She threw her hands in the air in frustration and clamored into the orange carriage. "Take me away, Manta!"

Manta gave another nervous whinny and galloped off the stage, as the prince ran to the door. "Cinderena! If only I knew her name!"

Audience doesn't know either to cry or laugh loudly.

Horo noticed the gleaming footwear and bent down. "Oh…a glass heel. She left behind a glass heel! I can find my love with this!"

"Yup, you can, as well as a talented tongue too," added a voice. Horo turned to see Hao, licking his lips and looking as if he had really enjoyed himself at the ball. He was standing next to Lyserg, looking half as mussed and embarrassed to boot. "We'll start a search party tomorrow and you can head it my prince." Hao gave Lyserg a smirk. "Meanwhile, tonight…"

"Um, gotta go!" Lyserg darted away.

"God, Horo, why do you always gotta do that?" He glanced at the balcony. "You said I couldn't have a makeout scene, well, what do you call that?" he shouted.

"The prince's mind was set!" the narrator's voice said, sounding annoyed. The curtain fell, the day was done. The maroon curtain rose again, and this time, it was in Cinderena's house. Cinderena was in a different room, looking mad at herself for losing a glass shoe.

"The next day, the prince went all around his kingdom, trying to find the owner of the glass shoe. But it wouldn't fit anyone except its owners…all the women were disappointed because the prince said he would only marry the owner of such a fancy heel. Many tried, but some just couldn't fit the shoe. Many came close, but Horo announced that he would know if the shoe fit just right."

"Yeah, yeah, last house, at last." Hao burst in the kitchen, holding a pillow with the glass shoe on it. Anna was cooking lunch, as Yohmina was reading a book. Lyserg was standing at the wall and stepped forward the moment Hao came forward, but quickly backed off, embarrassed. Hao saw no such restraint.

"Hey, sweetie, what a night, right?" He winked at Lyserg, and the greenette blushed as Horo burst in. "This is the last house and my last hope! Is my love receding here?"

Anna's famous eye gleam appeared. "Maybe, maybe…girls, try on the shoe."

"Why?" Yohmina asked innocently. "It's not mine."

"Yeah," Lyserg added, although he was looking at Hao. "It's not mine either. I've never seen it before."

"Just try it on!"

Yohmina tried it on, but it was too small. Lyserg tried it on, blushing wildly because Hao took the honor of putting it on for him while pushing Horo aside.

"Yup, too big," Hao said quickly as he slid it off Lyserg's foot. "Ma'am, may I have your daughter's hand in marriage?"

"Is there another woman in the house?" Horo said, raising his voice over Hao's.

"Yes, me," Cinderena said, appearing at the doorway. "And I believe that's my million dollar shoe you're holding."

"Yes, rising with courage, Cinderena took charge and was assertive! She was going to marry that prince, who was smitten with her!"

"Shut up, narrator, I just want my shoe." Cinderena grabbed the shoe from Horo and jammed it on her foot. "Look, it fits! It's mine! You can leave now!"

"Oh, then you must have been the girl I fell in love with." Horo's warmth sickened Cinderena. "God, no."

"Marry me, princess?" Horo asked, getting down on one knee.

Cinderena looked at her stepmother, glaring at him, to her stepsisters. "Um, let's not and say we did. I'm not getting married after I cash these big boys in!" She took out the shoe's pair. "Once I get my two million, I'm hitting the road! But sweet cheeks, what he had lasted only a moment." She gave a (!) warm smile to the prince and took her leave. Horo stood in the doorway, looking forlorn.

Silence on the stage. Then, "What about that offer ma'am?" from Hao.

"Yes, and a happy ending was in store," the narrator said, tossing her script. "Lyserg and the royal advisor Hao was married soon after, giving them eternal happiness. Anna was just proud one of her daughters made it to the palace; she was happy. Yohmina didn't care either which way…she was happy. Cinderena got her two million and lived her life the way she wanted; no more Fairy Godmothers or princes knocking at her door: she had armed guards! Um, happiness? The prince, consumed with love for the maiden Cinderena just wished for her happiness; her happiness was his. Thus, it's a happy ending! The end!"

Curtain close. Audience applauds.

"That was…" A viewer in the front row shook his head.

OWARI

Note: okay that was some twisted fairy tale. Many subliminal references to Fruits Basket's similar play. OC thrown in for another view on the whole thing. No one in Shaman King seemed right to play the narrator/writer/director.