Forbidden Fables (NarutoxDisney)

Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction. All the characters, names and places belong to their respective owners.

=[Cinderella]=
3

Under the trickling moonlight coming from above, the seventeen year old girl – Ella – had no doubt in her mind whether actual magic had ever existed in her little world. She was completely in a daze for the last hour and a half, and the beautiful sonata composed by the whistling breezes of the night as they passed though the dense leaves and trees of her father's estate only seemed to dull her senses further.

The magical night was so dreamlike. She knew it wasn't a dream. Everything was tangible – solid – at least he was. Her hand gripped firmly upon his one while her other hand placed did the same onto his strong shoulder. She could feel his palm and fingers pressed considerably around her waist through the softened fabric of her elegant sky blue long dress. The gown was meticulously and intricately patterned and knitted by innumerable glistering strands of diamonds. Her golden blond hair was braided around a sparkling silver tiara, leaden with numerous sapphires that would put the golden crown of king to shame. The pair of glass slippers she had on was so unnatural transparent that she might be walking on air.

In truth, Ella had never expected him to awake her abruptly from her sleep let alone standing over her form in his full size, offering to prepare her for the upcoming ball of the King's festival. In her shocked state, she had accepted, thus the numerous clones began to clean her hair, braiding it elaborately. They seemed to have done it numerous times before. That brought some suspicions to her mind, and when they offered to redress her into her exquisite gown, she had enough self-conscious to refuse their offer.

"What are you thinking?" Naruto asked as he continued to lead. It'd taken him a significant amount of practice and time to get the tempo of the dance correctly. The clones weren't too happy when they were forced to tangle with one another, at least not until one of them decided to spice thing up by transforming into Ella. The training experience became much more pleasant when many followed the example.

"I was thinking how long this will last, Naruto," Ella responded truthfully.

"Until I run out of energy, so sunrise? We could watch it afterward," Naruto answered too directly, not realizing the unspoken question. Maintaining a standard henge wasn't that difficult or exhaustive, but the amount of chakra being drained depended greatly on the size he wanted to transform into. From thumb size into his normal size again took heavy toll on his reserve. If it wasn't for the demonic fox, which seemed to be helpful as of late, he would not able to sustain it for any significant amount of time.

Ella couldn't help but disappointed at the given answer, but it was more than she could ever hope for, and she would make the most of it. She brightened her face as her hand tightened around his. Like a cue, he smiled at her and allowed her to lead this time around.

Time flew far quicker than neither of them had liked, and as the night sky began to brighten from the horizon, Naruto began to sweat profusely. His breathing became heavier while handgrip weakened. He tried to hold on to the transformation, but whatever strength remained within him was out of his reach.

"Cinderella, I –

"Naruto, there's no need to push yourself this much for my sake. It is far more than I deserved," Ella injected with a soft and understanding tone. She removed the hand on his shoulder and placed it upon his cheek. She was able to touch his face, feeling it fully on her palm for the first time. It was warm; human. Yes, he was not some magical creature, and that very thought brought joy into her heart. She didn't understand why exactly, only simply that it did.

"No, I think you deserve more, much much more," Naruto said with a confident and assuring tone. He let out one final breath before his body enveloped in white smoke. He fell towards the earth and would have made it there if not for a pair of hand.

Ella lifted the blond up in both hands. She had never seen him so exhausted before. That brought tears to her eyes. Had he exhausted himself so badly to make her happy? No one had ever done so. Not even her loving mother and father.

"Why are you crying now, Cinderella? Should I start calling you Sobella?" Naruto asked with a chuckle while pulling his body into a seated upright position. The strain on his energy reserve was lifted, allowing him to give a breath of relief. He was still exhausted and fatigued, but it was nothing a good sleep won't fix.

"I don't mind if you wanted to, Naruto," Ella assured.

Naruto narrowed his blue eyes at her before dropping backward onto her palm. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. It appeared that giving her nickname no longer had the effect he wanted. "Can you take me back to my bed, Ella? I would myself, but I'm too tired right now."

"Yes. That the least I could do," Ella assured. "Thank you for everything, Naruto."

– Cinderella –

Rays of light streamed through the leaves above, causing the prince to open his eyes. In the second that passed, he pondered why he was sleeping out door. Once his mind caught the slippery answer, he pulled himself upright and brushed the leaves off his very fine aristocratic attire. He was about to continue his journey, but an appearance of a man caused his plan to derail.

"How was your sleep, your highness?" The captain asked with all the required politeness. He was a black man with a filled out face, dressing in some of the finest garment that only someone of his station could afford.

"Quite good," the prince responded while using one hand to ruffle his hair, removing any leaves that nested there. "Maybe I should do so more often?"

"The King would not allow it to happen again, your highness," the captain said in a calm and collective tone of voice. A smile then formed by his lips. "Of course, if you were King, no one would dare to stop you."

The prince shook his head in response. He let out a heavy sigh. "Yet, to be King, I must marry someone within the next three days. What kind of agreement is that?"

"Some in the court would say that it is a small price to pay for the stability of the realm," the captain replied. "You don't want the Kingdom to be governed by the Grand Duke while, pardon my language, you grow up, your highness. That man's ambition has no bound, and besides, if your highness cannot find one among all the eligible maidens of the realm during the upcoming festivity, I'm afraid you will not find one no matter how hard and how long you decide to look."

"No, that simply means she did not show up for the event," the prince responded with an ever charming smile.

"Then perhaps you would incline to wed one of the many fine princesses of the neighboring Kingdom has to offer?"

The prince grumbled at the suggestion. He wasn't about to do so since his mother was trapped in such situation long ago. True, his father, the King, and his late mother, the Queen, had loved him greatly like any parents would, but at the young age, he could feel the unbearable coldness between them. Their marriage was only to unify their respective realms. How they manage to carry out the necessary act to have him must be some kind of miracle.

"I will tell father when I return," the prince said. "Now, I need to take care of some private business. Are you going to follow me to it as well?"

"Of course not, your highness, I'm sure it will be quite awkward with me standing by your side while you do your thing," the captain said with a smile. "But I do trust you will return when you are done with the said business."

The prince didn't say anything as he left the immediate area. He pondered if he should make his escape again, but the captain was one the finest trackers if not the finest in the entire Kingdom had to offer. He wouldn't get very far on foot. Strolling back and forth along a small trail, he finally let out a prolonged sigh. Tilting his head, he scanned the woods around him for anything of interest. A glimmer, obscured by foliage, did catch his attention soon enough.

Out of sheer curiosity, the prince moved slowly and carefully towards it. The glittering light he saw was sunlight reflecting off the fine threads that used to create some of the most exotic patterns he had ever seen on a silky blue dress; any dress for that matter. He took a significant long time to avert his eyes from the elegant gown to examine the person within it. To his surprise, its owner was far more stunning than even he could describe a person. Her golden hair curled around the back of her head, behind her glimmering silver tiara while she, herself, was looking at the sky, listening the chirping of birds.

Enchantress! He was entranced by her beauty. The prince gulped, gathering all confident within his body to speak up: "Are you lost, Princess?"

Ella turned her head slowly to see the black-haired man. He was quiet handsome, more than anyone she had ever met before. The way he called her reminded the way her father had called her as a child. She wasn't a child anymore, but a beautiful matured woman of seventeen summers.

"No, I am not lost," Ella said with a slight courteous bow. Her hands remained cupped around the small ninja in a protective manner. She looked skyward. "I was just admiring the warm sunshine and beautiful melody of the birds sung."

The prince followed and immersed himself into the natural surroundings. Perfect tranquility could be found in the simplest of places.

"Pardon me," Ella apologized and lowered her head when she felt several nudges on her palm. She moved her hands closer to her ear in order to listen.

"What are you doing?" The prince asked when seeing the carefree girl's gesture.

"I'm listening to a friend," Ella responded without a hint of deception. "I'm sorry, but there is a place I must be." She turned towards the direction of her home and began her return. When she walked away, the glass slippers she wore seemed to entrap any kind of light that bounced off the earthen ground.

Enchantress!

"Wait," the prince called out. He had to know who she was. "Can I get your name at least?"

"It's Cinderella," Ella said without any hesitation. Why did she say that? She should have given her actual name Ella instead. Perhaps the nickname had stuck in her psych more like she'd realized.

"Cinderella," the prince cited. "It's a beautiful name, Princess."

"Yes, it is," Ella responded with a warm smile. "A wonderful friend gave to me. I must go now, but I do hope to see you again…" She paused and tried to recall the brown haired man's name. Sadly, he hadn't given it to her yet.

"Kit," the prince introduced himself. "My name is Kit."

"Well, Mr. Kit, I hope to see you again," Ella said with another heartwarming smile.

"Perhaps we could at the king's festival?" The prince asked with a glimmer of wistfulness in his brown eyes. He was ensnared, and he knew he would never lay eyes upon another maiden.

"I… Yes, that would be lovely," Ella answered with a small pause. She had no reason not to go now, and if she didn't, the effort that Naruto had put in would be in vain. "I must go before they wake up."

"They…?" Kit asked, but the retreating girl did not answer. He wanted to chase after her, but that would be unwise at the moment. Once she was out of sight, the prince turned back around and returned to the captain.

"You've made a wise decision, your highness," the captain greeted the prince. There were several more men – royal guards – surrounding him now.

"Yes," Kit said as he mounted his own horse; a majestic beast with flowing white hair. "The arrangement will not be so bad after all."

– Cinderella –

Ella scrutinized deeply the reflection that gazed back at her from beyond the glass boundary of a small fractured mirror. She didn't have the time or the mind to examine what she had become in any great detail the night before, but now, she could see it as clearly as day. The servant girl that she was forced to be ever since the untimely death of her father years before could not be found anywhere in her current transformation.

"I'm beautiful," Ella could only utter as she placed her hand against her face. She understood why the richly dressed man, Kit, had called her a princess the moment he laid his eyes upon her. It was not an infatuation title, but rather, an actual title for someone he saw. No one in the entire realm would wear such finery in their entire life or glowed with such enthralling aura. Any other man would have called her the same. She was a princess in the eyes of the world.

Naruto stood on her shoulder and gave his arms and legs a few stretches. With the much needed rest on the way back home within in the safe and warm confines of her gentle hands, he was feeling far much better. He blinked several times, clearing any dust in his deep blue eyes, when seeing the transformed girl in the mirror before giving a small yawn. He noticed her sapphire eyes met with his and instinctively, he gave a charming smile.

"You are always beautiful, Cinderella," Naruto said without any shadow of doubt in his voice. And why wouldn't she be in his eyes? From the years he had stayed in this house, she was sweet, kind, caring and compassionate to him. She was more so than anyone in the Elemental Nations ever did, and beyond that, she was diligent, good-natured, skillful, carefree, and most importantly a dreamer with great hope for the future even though there seemed to be none.

Ella could not help but reciprocated the expression with the most truthful smile she could ever give to anyone. Not a couple of measured seconds passed, her chest heaved and her gaze left him. She couldn't stare into his for a prolong period of time without being all flustered with tingling sensations. Why? She didn't understand. Her mind wandered, trying to think of something else to occupy it. The charming and handsome man she just met less than an hour ago sprang forth.

"Naruto, are you sure that's he's…?"

"Kit? Yes, he's a prince. The one that everyone has been talking about as of late," Naruto answered and sat down on her shoulder. He chuckled when seeing the curiosity on her face. She probably wanted to know how he knew. Like her, he had never gone beyond the border of the nearby town, let alone all the way to the royal capital of the realm.

"Do you know that I can see everything, Cinderella?" Naruto claimed and narrowed his sharp eyes at the mirror, trying to see beyond what was visible.

Unconsciously, Ella covered her chest with one of her hands. "What… do you mean everything…?" she uttered. Her voice was a mixture of shock and fear. Shock because such claim could be true from all the wondrous abilities he had demonstrated and fear because of what kind of things he could do with those abilities.

"Hah!" Naruto cracked up with an accusing finger. "I didn't mean something like that. I'm not a…" He dropped off at the last part since it wasn't going be truthful. His hand dropped back onto his lap while his eyes averted from the mirror. He was in deep thought.

"Anyway," Naruto continued after a moment of contemplation then completed several hand seals in rapid successions. White geyser of smokes erupted around him, revealing a couple of clones. Each did their own hand seals, transforming themselves into miniature birds with white feathers. "With these guys, I can see and hear everything around the Kingdom."

It was so simple. Ella knew that when the clone vanished, they would send back whatever memory they had acquired during their brief existence. That meant, as transformed birds, they could scout the entire land from above without anyone realizing it, and range was not an issue. In other word, he was spying on everyone.

Ella didn't approve of it one bit. Spying was wrong in her mind. Everyone was entitled to their privacy, including her. An alarming thought came. She pursed her lips, wanting to know the truthful answer to the question that had just popped into her mind. She tried to ask, but no word came out. Hesitation had gripped her body then fear reign it. It wasn't because she didn't want to know the answer, but whether he would take responsibility for his own action.

"You know, you and the prince go went together," Naruto said in an oddly casual tone. "He seems to take a liking to you, Cinderella. Even if he didn't, he would once he gets to know you like I have."

Ella smiled weakly. An unbearable weight was crushing upon her chest when she looked at his face. He didn't realize what he was suggesting was like a knife slicing through her heart.

"Have courage and be kind," her mother had said with her dying breath. She was kind, but lacked the necessary courage to reach her happy ending. It would not be possible anyway since she knew of his wish and dream. He wanted to return back to his world, a magical place, and become something called Hokage. She could not be so selfish to destroy his dream.

"But, I think the Prince would prefer a Princess instead, Naruto," Ella said. Her sorrow locked away.

"You are a princess," Naruto said with all confident. "Don't put yourself down, Cinderella." He stood upright and pointed at the mirror. "Do you want to be that forever?"

Ella wanted to say no. It was not what she wanted. Wealth, prestige, and power did not bring her joy and happiness. She was wealthy once, but could wealth bring her mother and father back? She was in rag now, but she was far happier than she had been in a long time. The experience had taught her what was truly important. Still, she couldn't be selfish.

Be kind, she told herself and swallowed her wish and dream. "Can you make me happy, Naruto?"

"Yes! I can, believe it!" Naruto promised with a cheerful smile. He vowed to make her into the finest princess the land had ever seen in centuries to come, not realizing what she had asked for specifically.

– To be continued –

Sorry if the chapter is a bit sad. My girl actually sobbed and demanded me to fix this chapter, but after I give her the next chapter to read, she brightened up immensely. Just two (or three) more chapters to go for this Cinderella story!