RIZENJU

Intro: My God… I completely forgot about this until I was updating my profile… Oh well. Sorry for the inconvenience. (hides) Anyhow, please enjoy the stupidity and fluff of Cinderella on-take of Tsubasa's KuroFai. 'I Know What Boys Like,' by The Waitresses is on right now. (snickers)

A/N: The bag doesn't play a role until next chappie. Hope this lives up to expectations!

ACT – 2 – BOLERO

Fai smiled with empty thoughts. For the first time in his life, he had been enraptured with a man he knew nothing about. He sighed somberly. Gazing out of the window, he was reminded of the man he'll never forget.

He tried to connect with his inner peace. Imagine a wonderful, beautiful life with a man he never knew. There were two big problems, though. First, he didn't know a single thing about this person except for his name and conclusions drawn out of observations. Second, he was a man, whether the stranger knew it or not.

Two men couldn't be together in this pitiful world, and he knew this very well. Of course, his parents were a single exception in his mind. Sighing in defeat, hw drew on a single sheet of paper when he wished he was: long hair, a nice chest, a curved figure, long legs, and slender wrists.

He had a few of these already, but it was the chest that matter the most. He didn't really want to be a woman, either. He just wanted to be accepted by someone who could deal with his sexuality.

He opened the window and allowed the breeze to enter. He tried to suppress the negative thoughts, but they seemed to enter his mind more than anything else. Thoughts of a shady figure, and a memory of a pointless standing. He just wanted to be free – free from everything that tied him down.

Free to prove himself, free to do what he wanted, free from the pain, torture, and chores. Just someone who would find him, sweep him off his feet, and take him away. Away from his calling step-family…

-O-

Blushing in the silence, he sat there to himself. It had been three days without contact. Four days left to find this person of whom he's been instantly infatuated with. He was running dry on time, too.

Royal servants made their ways about. Preparing feasts, taoiloring the King and Queen's outfits, and moving things into place for the ball that would take place in just four days. The royal palace was busily working away.

But what had he done for two-and-a-half says? Anything worth wile? No. Just wait outside a lonely door for a response.

A few hours later, he finally heard the door creak open. Smoke filled the room from the neighboring office. "Holy smokes you majesty! We finally have it! Now what do you need to know about this 'Flowrite?' We have all the evidence, facts, and gossip!"

"What were you two…? You know what, I don't want to know," the young prince said, shaking with fear. "Just tell me what you will."

"Before I start with that," the scientist said, dropping his glasses slightly on his nose, "What were you doing with that? How ever did a young snapper – much less you – end up with that?" The prince blushed and turned his head the other way. "You weren't planning on doing anything with that, were you?"

"Hell no," Kurogane answered.

Icchan smiled. "Good." The brunette took a deep breath with a pause. "Well, the Flowrite dynasty goes back to the founding of the very country. They even-"

"Long story short, they're from a foreign country to the east. Yukito that dynasty married into the Fujitaka heritage of Clow, Toya, and thus settled down here. However both died, Yukito before Toya. The two never born any children due to… gender difficulties, but Toya married a woman of Clow with two daughters of her won. That is the only strand of 'Flowrite' in all of Clow," Ogata stated, bowing humbly.

"I'll do the talking here!" Icchan roared, infuriated. Stepping on the blonde, causing him to cry in pain, Icchan growled.

"But you were just going to fluff the story to gastronomic proportions! And who cares about gossip?"

As the two fought, the adolescent swordsman thought. "Well, if the two didn't have any children due to gender difficulties, what about the step-wife's daughters?"

"Two dead ends," Icchan, the victor, said with a confident tone. "First off, the daughters are both Clow through bred. The person you described sounds as if from the farthermost east or north. And well, the two technically did have an offspring, one that fits the description, but it's adopted."

"So?" the prince questioned.

"It's a male," the worn out blonde said as he finally collapsed.

"…What? You mean I'm…" Kurogane clasped a hand over his mouth. He didn't – couldn't – believe what this meant. "You mean-?"

"Yes prince," Icchan calmly confronted, "It is true. You are gay-"

"Not crazy! This person actually does exist! Great! Case closed, problem solved. Let's go," he cheered.

"This went over you head, methinks," both Icchan and Ogata replied in sync.

-O-

The door slammed and the walls vibrated slowly. Naruku must have been mad. The doorbell rung, so she had gone to greet the visitor. Fai wasn't sure what happened, but after ten minutes, she exploded into rage.

"The horror! The pain! You!" the red-head screamed, raging into the room Fai was currently cleaning. Pointing an accused finger at him, she screamed. "What did you do this past week! Tell me now and I may just give you the area of all out land as punishment!"

Fai, surprised at this sudden outburst, was silent for a moment. " When I cleaned, you watched me and when you didn't Ruri and Hari made fun of me as I did it," he replied with a smile. "Lately you've asked me to buy things for you in town and so I did that, too."

"And when you went into town, did you meet anyone?" she questioned sharply. Fai silenced himself. "Well?" she snapped?

"No," he finally commented, softer than usual. Shifting his head, he continued his work.

"Liar!" she shrieked. Fai's head jolted upwards at her. Naruku slapped him across the face to his surprise. "I just received a call at the door asking for the adoptive heir to the Flowrite line. Your stupid name could only mean you leaked it out it somewhere, seeing how I would never use that filthy ending! Royalty! The prince would like to meet with you personally! Of course, I turned it down seeing as you're in your own pitiful state. As punishment, I'm sending you to our vacation house in the north to clean and board for a month."

Naruku left the room. The blonde stood in disbelief. 'So that's it, huh? Well, too late for regrets now…'

-O-

"What!" The queen sat in shock. "He turned you down? And then he goes on an excursion to the north?"

Tomoyo grabbed her son, who was taking this all very calmly. "He even ignored the invitation to the ball…" Kurogane stated blankly.

"Don't tell you father about the dilemma," Tomoyo said, caressing her son. Of all the people, the only person the troubled prince trusted with his little secret was his very mother. "So shall we have an excursion to the north?"

The raven-haired boy was silent. "…No. If I mean that little to him, there is no point."

-O-

Fai was silent. This lonely, icy mansion would be his new home for the next month. And the person he loved most in the world would never know his true feelings.

He sat down, all alone, on a garden bench. What he really wanted to do at that very second was to just be honest with himself. Love at first sight was not something Fai believed in, but it would've made a lot of sense.

Slowly, Fai decided no one was around. It would be okay to do that which he never did. It would be okay to do that which he never did. It would be okay for him to cry. No one would care, anyways. There was only one rule his mother-father told him.

'You can only cry one tear, okay? So make it worth it.'

As that single tear fell, it sank into the cold stone floor. He sat there, somberly frowning and crying dry tearts in the cold. It was at that very second that something magical happened. A spark here and a spark there, when finally a beautiful girl appeared from thin air.

"Why hello there, sweetie! Wow! Just a single tear? You are the talented, strong little thing, aren't you?" she smiled as she pulled a stick out of her sash.

Fai, sitting in disbelief, stared open mouthed. "Um… exactly who are you?"

"Oh, dear me! I am Shimizu, your fairy Godmother!" she snapped her fingers and two sprites set a background as she posed. The more stoic of the two held a boom-box with a strange tune. "Complete with theme music! These sprites here are Sumono and Kotoko, my aids."

"…aids?" Fai did not like where this was going.

"Well, I had my license suspended for drinking on the job, so now I have to use aids," she commented with a smile.

"I…see," the blonde stated blandly, feeling his stomach knot.

"Anyhow! Let's grant that wish of yours! There is someone you love in the south and if you don't meet that person, they are going to marry someone else."

Fai's eyes widened. "What?"

"Yes, Kurogane of the Clow dynasty. He is holding a ball in favor of all the pretty ladies of the world. You didn't know? Well, in any case you're going to that ball. Shall we commence in the wishing?"

"What I say? I'm not sure. I never really get wishes granted via fairy Godmother…"

"Nevermind that! I can read your heart. Now! Sumono! Kotoko!" Shimizu called upon her sprites who started casting magic here and there.

Fai was enraptured by magic and instantly changed into thick, beautiful robes. Underneath, tight clothing and long gloves embellished his body. The blonde was amazed.

"Okay. 'll transport you there. When you get there, from the moment you step into the country of Clow, you will have exactly until midnight until the spell wars off. Got it?"

"Why midnight?" Fai inquired.

"Because it's the classic thing. You can't not cast spells that last after midnight," Shimizu explained.

"But your sprites cast your spells… Shouldn't your cast the spells instead of your aids…?"

Sumono and Kotoko were both passed out and lying on the ground.

"Oh… that. Yeah. I guess so, but casting spells are a major pain in the ass." Casting another spell upon Fai, she started to sing, "This spell is very important. It enables the magic within you to activate."

"But…" Fai loomed down in shame. "What will I tell Kuro-Wan when I see him again?"

"You will not lie. You are a foreigner from the north and the prince has required your personal audience," the brunette explained. "As long as you make a fancy entrance, you should be okay. If it's really elaborate, no one should doubt you. Well then, have a nice trip!"

Before Fai could say a single word, the floor sucked him up. Fai fell down from his seat as the ground swallowed him up.

-O-

"Son. Are you enjoying your party? Why don't you dance with someone? You will have to soon enough anyhow," Eriol said to his son.

Kurogane looked at all the fluffy gowns in an assortment of colors. He sighed. Turning away from the ball, he snapped at his father, "I abhor all of this!"

"Oh? You would rather a rag-tag doll? Personally, I could care less as long as you marry someone." The black-clad boy glared at his genital predecessor. Stomping away in a pout, he jumped off the balcony to the second floor, full of anger.

"My, my, my. Things are getting interesting. Especially this visitor from the north…"

-O-

Fai walked in. All the girls were dressed in beautiful gowns and well-done make-up. They silenced at Fai and whispered at his entrance.

Not knowing what to do, he started flicking at his hands.

'Magic! Magic! Magic equals fancy! Fancy equals good! How the Hell do you use it!' He thought to himself.

"AIR! FIRE! WATER!" he young boy shouted as he tried every single magical pose he saw in picture books. Cross-dressing limbs started jumping all over the place, trying to figure out what to do, trying to summon something – anything!

Finally, the blonde gave up. Everyone probably thought he was psychotic. His blue eyes welled up when swirls of light floated about him. As he almost started crying, he started wailing, 'It's not fair!' at the top of his lungs. Soon the aura shifted into a silvery-blue color and materialized into an ice lily.

The water danced about him as he started pouting other obscenities under his breath. The crowd was taken in, clapping generously for him. Fai's eyes lit up as he smiled. Somehow he had gotten through it…

"You are?" a ninja girl popped out from behind a curtain. Dark hair complimented tan skin. She wasn't beautiful, but not hopeless, Fai concluded.

"I am from the north. The prince called for my personal audience," the blonde innocently contorted.

"I am Soma, a bodyguard of the castle and his personal ninja. Please follow me, my master wished to see you."

Fai followed raven locks between twists and turns of the castle. Long corridors bent into stairwells.

"Wow… this seems a like a ways from the party. Why so far?"

"Do not doubt master. Enter." Guarding the threshold entrance, Fai turned the knob and took a deep breath. He opened the door to find him.

-O-

Running down the stairs to the part center, Kurogane searched everywhere for the white-robed blonde. He didn't even catch their face, but something reminded the prince of the pauper he met. He overheard two women talking…

"Wow! Did you see that woman? She was gorgeous! And that magic!"

"Yes, but she wasn't very well figured."

"Well, the northerners are like that! Slim, slender, and tall. My! If that were a man!"

"Maybe we should ask if she has a brother?"

"I believe she went that way, down the corridor."

Kurogane immediately took off, running down the hallway. He finally came upon the door. He forced the doors open without even turning the knob.

"A-Ahh!" he gasped, not knowing what to say.

END – 2 – BOLERO

Afterthoughts: Gah… Sucky cliffhanger. Did they find each other? Something else? Did Fai see someone and then Kurogane walked in on them? You'll know in the finale which will updated a lot sooner.