Now for another chapter. …Surprising that I'm updating this quick, isn't it? Well, the main reason is that we're having a Rodeo next week, and it's gonna be a big event that will be taking up most of my time, so I want to get as much done as possible. …So enjoy my pace while you can!

Reviewer Thanks

Elizabeth: (I love it when I take my readers by surprise) XD I figured you'd like the "Tokyo Mew-Mew" reference. (I may throw in a bit of "Princess Tutu" as well, since it closely resembles a fairytale). As to what happened… you shall either find out in THIS story, or the OTHER one… I can't decide which :p

Polar Purple: Breathe, dude. Breeeeaaaathe. So glad to have gotten your attention, and that you like the JimmyxRadio pairing! :D

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Memoirs of a Prince

Long ago, there was a young prince, who lived in a large, beautiful castle with his loving parents. Although he always got what he wanted, was always provided for, and would one day rule the land, he wanted one thing not many young monarchs would want…

To be normal.

Growing up in a kingdom was not easy, and he never felt he had any freedom. He always had to attend certain classes every hour of the day, guards were always with him to make sure nothing happened to him, and he was always stuck in the castle, never allowed to visit the world beyond the palace wall, for his parents felt there were too many dangers lurking about. This angered the prince, and one day he decided to run away and be like a normal kid, just for one day.

That was the day he realized his parents were right, for a madman had shot them dead and blew up the castle, while the young prince managed to get away. The madman pursued, stopping at nothing to make sure the young heir was disposed of, so he could rule the kingdom.

The Lord above was undoubtedly watching over him, for He had put two friends in the prince's path to help guide him through his troubling quest. One was an ordinary boy, and the other was a talking cat- who later turned out to be a princess who had been cast under a spell.

The prince had gotten his share of wishes that day: he got help AND he got to live like a regular teenager. He dressed like one, he hung out like one, he… made a couple mistakes, which he was not proud of… and he had finally made real friends, vowing to never abandon them, as they had never abandoned him.

The madman struck again, however, trying to get rid of the prince and one of his comrades, trying to drown them in the river, but the Lord was on their side and they survived… and ended up encountering a cursed werewolf, a rebel, a vampire, and a little ghost, all who became allies of his, and together they brought down the madman, freed Radio and the werewolf of their curses.

Yet their tale did not end there, for an evil sorcerer came along and put a curse on Rudy's family, and sent their re-changed werewolf friend after them. Luckily, thanks to the former-vampire who had been changed into a cat, they managed to escape, arriving in an enchanted land, where not only did they meet new friends, but where the prince also found out he had a long-lost family, finding someone who could take the thrown and help prepare him for when his time to rule came. But, that was not all the young prince had found during his second frightening adventure…

He had also found love.

…Oh, so he believed. He had fallen in love with one of his friends, yet his feelings kept shifting.

Why? Well, for one thing, his friend was a boy. And the prince had a thing for girls. He was unable to choose who to be with, for his heart ached for both, and he was afraid of making the wrong decision. He kept thinking about his late-parents, what they would think if he fell in love with a boy, and how his friend would react if he told him he wanted to be with a girl and have a natural relationship. His horrifying adventures had come to an end, but one problem remained for the prince.

That young prince just happened to be me, Danny Charmm.

And the day I spoke of my feelings was possibly the most heart-breaking event I had ever gone through. It was during our last year of high-school, when we went to prom with Jimmy and Radio… and Rudy asked if I wanted to dance. I was nervous, knowing that he believed we were a couple because of how close we had become, and I wanted to tell him that I just wanted to remain friends, yet I was not sure how to break the news to him…

I didn't have to, though, because he read my expression, seeing my face blush. He nodded, saying he understood, and walked away…

At school a couple days later, I heard a couple boys talking about hearing sobbing coming from one of the bathroom stalls, and my guilt settled in my stomach.

That was when I made a new vow: Clarify my feelings with Rudy before I became king.

…Yet I never found a chance, because after that night, Rudy and I had grown apart.

Too far apart, it felt.

The last time we got close was after we faced a bit of a scenario at our graduation…

It was the night after graduation. Jimmy, Silver, and Radio had left to go undercover, after Jimmy revealed his wolf-ears (real smooth, I should say sarcastically), and Rudy and I decided to watch over the house to make sure no reporters tried to break in. It felt awkward, with it just being the two of us, and I couldn't help but wonder if our friendship would get back on track.

We sat in the living room, watching television. It was 4 AM, but neither of us wanted to sleep. After all, it was our last night together, before my aunt, Red Rose, and I went back to our kingdom, where I would once again face the age-old routine of taking classes and learning how to be a proper monarch. …I wasn't exactly too eager about it.

"It just… feels so weird," Rudy said quietly, staring at the television. "Four years ago, we were complete strangers, none of us knowing that the rest of us existed… that anything we've seen existed. Now, it feels as if things are going back to the way they were before,"

I only sat and listened.

"Jimmy's going off in hiding, Radio's basically a cat again almost, you're going off to live in a castle, and I'll still be here- I'll be looking into some colleges, but I'll still be here." he sighed. "It almost feels… as if… time is in reverse, as if our lives are starting all over again, beginning at the point where we never met yet." he then turned to me, his eyes filled with sorrow, yet no tears seemed to be showing. "We'll see one another again someday, won't we?"

I could only shrug. Fate had brought us together before… but sometimes it causes us to separate for reasons unknown. "Hopefully," I replied, quietly. I looked into his emerald-green eyes, seeing my reflection… seeing how there was no sign of emotion on my face, perhaps because all my emotions were welling up inside of me. "I couldn't live without seeing you again,"

He only stared at me a moment, then began to lean close, closing his eyes slightly, as if he were about to…

He stopped, pulling away. "I… wouldn't be able to live without friends like you, either." he said, looking down at his feet. He then stood up, and began walking toward the kitchen. "I need a drink. Do you want anything?"

I shook my head.

"Alright." And he walked into the kitchen.

Idiot, just tell him how you feel! I scolded myself. Could you not see the pain in his eyes? Can you not hear his heart shattering? Did you not notice that ounce of hope in his iris shimmering when he almost embraced you? How can you not stop this sorrow and put an end to this grief you both endure? …And why the heck does this sound like something out of Shakespeare?

I looked into the kitchen, seeing Rudy sitting at a table, his face buried in his arms, a Pepsi © can sitting in front of him.

I looked down, my emotions in an agonizing bundle, and walked away.

0o0o0o0o0

Three hours later, my aunt Red Rose picked me up from Silver's. I loaded my bag into the backseat of her blue Volvo, and turned to Rudy, which caused me guilt for the first thing I saw was the grief within his eyes.

I then hugged him tightly. "I'll come back," I whispered to him. "I promise you that much."

Pulling out of the embrace, I climbed into the car, watching my friend's reflection grow smaller in the rearview mirror as we drove away.

"Did you make things right?" Rose asked me. She knew about my tangled feelings, and was the one who gave me the advice to tell Rudy how I really felt.

I only sighed in reply.

"I'll take that as a 'no'. Danny, you know it's just going to hurt both of you more if neither of you clear things up."

"I know," I muttered.

"Oh, do you now? Then why didn't you tell him how you felt?"

I looked into the rearview mirror, seeing that Rudy was out of sight now. "Because… I'm not even sure how I feel."

We drove in silence after that.

My emotions eventually made themselves clear… though it took three years, and by that time, I wished I had known sooner.

0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Sorry for you DannyxRudy fans out there, but- like Danny- I too am wondering whether to keep them in a relationship, have them remain friends, or wind up writing something that would shatter their bond forever just for dramatic effect. …Decisions, decisions…

Please review. No flames or the monkey gets it! (holds a squirt-gun up to a plush-toy monkey's head) I'm serious!

*No toy monkeys were harmed during the making of this author's note.*