Title: True Love's Kiss
Theme: Curse
Words: 485
Rating: K
Warnings: RayleighxShakky
Notes: Cliches running wild!
Summary: When someone's cursed, there's usually only one way to break it…
…
You wished for eternal youth, did you not? Well, here you are; you got what you wished for. You will stay young forever, and watch all those you care about wither away and die. This is your curse.
And so it was.
…
"I'd say I'm worthy of my name now," Rayleigh lamented jokingly, looking at himself in a mirror. "Look at all this silver hair!"
"It makes you look distinguished," Shakky said with a smile.
"I could do without that. I'd much rather look unrespectable." He looked away from the mirror and up at the barmaid. "You, however, still look like a spring chicken. How do you do it?"
She considered this question, taking a slow drag of her cigarette. "It's a curse," she finally answered.
"A curse?" He laughed. "I'd say; must be torture to have those kids hitting on you when you're old enough to be their grandmother-"
"No," she interrupted, amusement belying her sudden tenseness. "It's really a curse."
Rayleigh stared at her blankly, so she took a breath and explained.
"Seventy, eighty years ago… I can't even remember anymore, it was so long ago. Back then, I was a pirate on a good ship with a good crew. I was the only female, and I was young and beautiful.
"I started to get older, though, and my beauty started to fade. I got scars from battles and wrinkly skin from too much sun. I wanted nothing more than to go back to the way I had been.
"So, I made a wish. And it was answered; I was granted eternal youth. I became young, and I stayed that way, and watched my friends grow old and die without me. It was a hard thing."
She said all this while puffing contentedly on the cigarette, and Rayleigh wasn't sure if he should believe it or not.
"And how do you break this curse of yours?" he asked after awhile.
"What makes you think I want to break it?"
He chuckled knowingly. "If you didn't, you wouldn't have told me. You would have been content to watch me grow old without you."
"Hmm… Maybe so." She put out her stub under the heel of her shoe. "Actually, the only way to break it is to be kissed by my true love. Like a cute little fairytale."
"Huh. And who do you think that is?"
She smirked. "I don't know. I haven't met him yet."
"Are you sure?" He scooted closer around the bar.
"Mostly."
He was now right in front of her. "Well, how about you let me give it a shot, then. Just in case."
"Well… I guess it can't hurt."
…
"Now look who has gray hair."
Shakky rolled her eyes, turning back to her lover of five years. "Your fault," she pointed out.
Rayleigh laughed and pulled her into his arms. "Was it worth it?"
"Mmm… I'd say so."