NEMUI HIME
Chapter 2:Mittsu Okurimono to Norio=Three Gifts & A Curse
A sillier than silly parody of Sleeping Beauty and other fairytales, mostly nonsensical SenRuSen fluff by a 'tripping' Arachay
Genre: Yaoi/Shounen-ai/Parody
Disclaimers: You know the drill... I don't own them or Sleeping Beauty, but I just adore SenRuSen and classic fairytales...
Warnings: Possible Sakuragi-bashing in future chappys... All in good fun my dearies... all in good fun... :)
Credits: Sankyuu to everyone who's been loyally reading this fic and reminding me to continue it. You guys truly inspire my muse into cooperating! And special thanks to my unofficial beta-reader, the very talented Ginnie! Sankyuu ne for going through the trouble of bringing those errs to my attention!
Your efforts are appreciated enormously! Hope you won't mind doing it again? -wink-wink- :)
Sequence 1: Hajimemashite=First Meeting
After a month, the entire kingdom held a feast in honor of the newfound Prince, and guests from all over Kanagawa came to pay him homage...
Royal coaches and grand horses from nearby & faraway lands flocked into the palace. Colorful fireworks took turns illuminating the
night sky and made shadows dance beneath them.
It was a majestic spectacle!
Queen Kenjima closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Guh-guh-bwah!"
Queen Kenjima giggled. Her newfound son was as eager to meet the guests as she was! The queen glided over to the cradle in the middle of the room.
"Excited aren't we?"
"Obwuh!"
"Ready to face your soon-to-be admirers?"
Baby Kaede's smile instantly turned into a chuckle, blue eyes twinkling. "Pai-bhwoh!"
"Me? I'm not nervous! I'm fine!"
"Guh... myuhh!!"
Queen Kenjima made a face, "Smart aren't we? I should've known I couldn't fool you!" She laughed and began to playfully tickle the tiny infant's chubby sides. Baby Kaede bit his mittens, face rapidly turning an alarming shade of blue. He hated being tickled... He hated it more than pacifiers!
Just then, trumpets blared from a distance, momentarily halting the torment. The king's handsome beaming face peered in the room. "My love, it's time! Are you ready?"
"Hai! Of course I am Touru darling!" The Queen released her grip on the very relieved little Prince Kaede to give her husband a hug.
Whew! Baby Kaede puffed. Saved by 'tochan!
Meanwhile, down below... the guests were all excited to meet the new prince as well...
"I hear he's a fine young prince!"
"They say he has the face of an angel!"
"My, I don't think I've ever seen anything as lovely..."
"..."
"Everyone is talking about him! I can't wait to see!"
"..."
"I'm so happy for the king & queen!"
"And the boy looks just like them, truly handsome with big blue eyes!"
"Bet he'll be a fine young man when he grows up!"
Mou...! Yamette!!!
By now, the four yr.old Prince Akira was exasperated... He has been bombarded with nothing but praises all day! It's not that he wasn't used to it. In his kingdom, everyone adored him and ceaselessly showered him with praises. But what made him so sick now, was for the first time, the praises weren't for him... It has all been for that— that prince!
"Prince Kaede this... Prince Kaede that...!"
It was driving him insane!
He tried to slip away from the crowd, but powerful hands slammed down on his shoulders, keeping the young spikey-haired prince in his place. He turned to glare at the owner of those arms, but after awhile sighed bitterly. It was no use. His father wasn't even looking at him!
His own father, King Shinichi was busy chatting away about this 'Prince Kaede' too, and he had to stay put and listen. Prince Akira's scornful gaze rested on the majestic crib that held the object of everyone's adoration. Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, trumpets were sounded again, and his
shoulders drooped even more, when he heard his own & his father's name being summoned to pay the prince their homage. These egotistical ceremonies were a pain!
A carefully wrapped present was shoved into his arms and the sulking prince was pushed towards the crib.
No way! Prince Akira scowled inwardly, eyeing the crib in vexation, hoping it would burst into flames. When he refused to move, he was nagged on further by his father. "Go ahead, Akira! Don't be shy!"
Shy!!!!?
"I am not—" He began to argue, when soft hands tenderly cupped his face.
Akira gasped and felt his face burn. It was Queen Kenjima! He bowed in reflex, but was quickly stopped, as the queen pulled him close for an affectionate hug. The tension he felt miraculously dissolved. It's been awhile since he was given a motherly hug.
"Akira-kun hisashiburi!" Queen Kenjima greeted warmly. "You're growing up to be a fine, young, handsome prince! O-genki dou?"
Prince Akira replied shyly, "Domo. G-Genki des."
"Yokkatta! I've been telling Kae-chan all about you and your fabulous kingdom! He's very excited to meet you!"
Prince Akira would've scoffed again, if the words didn't come from the queen's lips. He nodded politely as he was carefully ushered closer to the crib. He grasped his offering tighter, feeling a pang of apprehension. He had picked the gift himself, but wasn't really mindful of it.
Queen Kenjima whispered, "Go on my darling, it's alright."
Okay.... Here goes.
THUNK!
Without bothering to look in, Akira hurriedly shoved the huge box into the crib, and turned to walk away.
King Shinichi gasped, followed by the whole congregation.
The young prince was met with at least a hundred shocked expressions, among them was his father's frightfully reprimanding stare.
He swallowed the lump in his throat, realizing the impending consequences of his actions.
POINK!
A purple silicon pacifier bounced off Prince Akira's head, followed by soft baby laughter.
"Itte..." he rubbed his head, "Nandayo?"
Prince Akira gingerly picked up the knick-knack, then turned to return it, only this time, he forgot not to look. Before he knew what was happening, he was captured by a pair of stunning blue eyes.
For someone so young, he held Akira's gaze pretty well.
So this... is Prince Kaede... Akira thought mesmerized.
Kirei...
"I think he wants you to open it for him..." Queen Kenjima broke the silence.
Prince Kaede was now bouncing the big box that fell from out of nowhere, which thanks to his guardian angels, he managed to catch with all fours. "Oushmasu!!" Kaede exclaimed enthusiastically.
"Awww... kawaii!" came the echo of countless guests.
Great. He couldn't afford to embarrass himself further in front of all these people. He might as well do as 'the little prince' asked, the sooner he does, he can get this over with...
In a matter of seconds the gift was unwrapped to reveal a bright blue & orange basketball.
Akira looked at the brand new ball warily before dropping it into the crib again... 'gently' this time.
"Kae-chan, what will you say?" The Queen whispered lovingly.
"Dwouumo." Came the delighted reply.
Aww... Sendoh felt his heart melt. How can he be so cute?
Unable to resist, he peered into the crib for the second time, wanting to see those winsome blue eyes once more. "Iya, tondemonai." He whispered with a smile, feeling genuinely happy for the very first time that evening. "Dou-ittashimashite!"
Baby Kaede squealed as his tiny fingers reached up to tweak Akira's nose.
The young Prince Akira blushes. "Dohzho yohrohshikuh...!"
Everyone in the hall broke out in laughter.
"Akira-kun! I think he likes you!" Queen Kenjima remarked.
"Looks like you two are going to be good friends!" King Touru added.
Before Akira left he kissed the tiny fingers innocently touching his face and whispered. "That would be nice."
"Oubwh!"
Sequence 2: Genki Yosei=Cheerful Fairies
When the gift-giving ceremony was almost over...
Grand trumpets blared, followed by the announcement: "Presenting to his Royal Majesty... the Three Cheerful Fairies!
Ms.Ruh!
Ms.Kah
and Ms.Wah!"
"Ruh!"
"Kah!"
"Wah—
"Whoa-whoa! Wait a sec!"
Sendoh who was already holding up a pair of pink pom-poms stopped dancing. "Nandatte Kaechan?"
A pouty-faced Rukawa sat in bed, wide awake. "The Three Cheerful Fairies?"
"Hai."
"I thought this was Sleeping Beauty? It's supposed to be the Three 'Good' Fairies, not the Three Cheerful Fairies, sono baka!"
"Iya." Sendoh shook his head. "This isn't Sleeping Beauty, it's my original story called 'Nemui Hime', as in 'SLEE-PY PRIN-CESS'!
And besides... we can't leave out your fans Kae-chan! Kawaisou na no yo!"
Rukawa lets out a deep sigh of exasperation.
"You don't mind them but I know how much you really appreciate them... You told me once!"
"........."
Sendoh grinned, "I think they're kinda cute."
Kaede retorted, "To Sendoh Akira, all girls are cute!"
"That's not true!" Sendoh grinned planting a child-like kiss on Rukawa's red lips. "I've yet to meet a girl as beautiful as my Kae-chan!"
"Don't compare me to girls you a'hou!"
-x-
The three girls pranced into the palace hall dressed in glittering pink cheering outfits, waving their magical pom-poms.
"Ruh! Kah! Wah! Ruh! Kah! Wah! L-O-V-E! Ruh! Kah! Wah! YEAY!!!"
The crowd applauded as they bowed appreciatively. Each of them genuflected before the king & queen too before excitedly gathering around Prince Kaede's crib.
Kae-chan looked a bit flustered from the high-pitched racket, and before he could recover, three girly faces peered down at him. His blue eyes grew large. Not only did he think they were 'un-cute' and 'weird-looking', but to his fragile little mind the three fairies gushing and cooing over him was extremely petrifying!
They baby-talked him, which was very insulting to say the least. They even tried tickling him and the queen nearly panicked when Kaede uttered a sharp cry of protest. King Touru laughed patting his wife's hand reassuringly. "He's such a feisty little tyke isn't he?"
The queen relaxed a bit. She knew that three fairies weren't really to blame. No one could resist the little angel, not even her. No matter how long she stared at him, no matter how many caresses, it never seemed enough. Anyone would understandably react the same way to such a beautiful child. The Three 'Cheerful' Fairies were really kind-hearted and meant the prince no harm... at least not intentionally that is...
On the other hand, the young prince was getting really irritated from all the swooning. He desperately tried to crawl away, grasping whatever object he could get his hands on to aid in his escape. Those creepy creatures called 'girls' were about to tickle him for the umpteenth time, when his chubby little limbs find the basketball. He seizes it and flings it up with all his might just as he is grabbed from behind and flipped to face them.
BONK!
"Ittai!" cried Fairy Kah, as the present hit her squarely in the nose.
"Oh dear!" The queen nearly jumped out of her throne.
The whole congregation gasped.
Ruh & Wah frantically attended to their ailing sister as the pig-tailed Kah rubbed her nose to ease the pain.
Suddenly the commotion ceased and a tiny chuckling prompted everyone's attention. The fairies looked in disbelief at baby Kaede.
He was laughing!
"Aww... I guess this means we passed the test..." said Wah, the fairy with long black hair.
The three of them sighed happily. Short-haired fairy Ruh picked up the prince's ball and returned it to him who welcomed back his toy with both hands & feet.
"Dumomwah!" he said loudly in gratitude.
"What a darling little gentleman!" Ruh remarked.
"Oh, he's so adorable." Wah sighed dreamily.
"What a fine young prince he'll be!" Kah added proudly, looking funny with her nose still a bit red.
'They're interesting!' Baby Kaede thought, as a playful smile lingered on his face. Somehow he understood now that they were his friends and the Three Cheerful Fairies weren't so bad after all...
It was also then that the little prince began to treasure the basketball as a good luck charm. He cuddled the ball for a few more quiet moments... and never let go of it since...
After the three fairies just watched him play peacefully...
"Your majesty-" Kah began. "As a sign of our undying love & loyalty, we will each give the lovely little prince a gift!"
The king & queen nodded their consent, and at once the first fairy, the one named "Ruh", glided over to prince Kaede's crib & waved up her fluffy pompom-like wand. Red pixie dust burst forth, showering down & illuminating the crib.
Baby Kaede sneezed.
Ruh smiled at him warmly before guiding the brighter sparks upward.
"My gift to you, o sweet little prince...
is the gift of 'beauty'!"
With one powerful stroke, the sparks burst into a hundred dazzling colors & danced high above the crib...
"Thy prince... you will be the fairest in the land!
With snow white skin and god-like grace...
Lips as red, as the reddest of all the roses...
And hair as black as ebony...
So shiny & pure that the sun will adore you with its rays and see it fit to crown you with heaven's halo!
Your eyes my dear young prince...
will be the infinite pools of innocence, bluer & more profound than the deepest ocean!
So lovely & enticing... that anyone who gets caught in your gaze will surely drown in them... and fall in love!"
With one final sweep of her wand, the sparks descend slowly on Kaede.
"This... dear little prince, is my gift to you!"
After drying her eyes, Kah steps forward and pulls up her imaginary sleeves. With a wave of her pom-pom, green sparks ignite & take flight.
"My gift to you, beloved prince...
is the gift of 'song'!"
A pleasant ethereal melody fills the hall and suddenly everyone is awash with inexplicable bliss.
"Your voice o handsome young prince...
will be far sweeter than any nightingale's tune! A love song that rivals any cupid's arrow!
Whatever escapes thy lips will be an unforgettable tune of beauty no words can unfold!
Like the sound of a heart-breaking kiss that only the soul can comprehend..."
Kah ends her spell as the many colored sparks descend and then dissolve on a now peacefully slumbering Kaede.
Wah smiled at her sisters before facing the glowing crib. She raised up her wand and opened her mouth, "My gift to you o precious one, is the gift of—"
Fairy Wah was interrupted as a chilly tempest cut through the halls. The candles all flicker and die, and in the next instant, the entire hall was plunged into darkness.
Everyone was rooted to the ground as a thick smoke emerged from out of nowhere and turned into a orb of eerie red light, with it came echoes of spine-chilling laughter...
Someone uninvited has arrived...
Sequence 3: Aka Bakemono=Red Beast
WHOOSH!
A violent tempest cuts through the ballroom, sending most of the guests to the floor. The Three Fairies struggled to keep from being blown away
Finally the giant sand storm settles and the glowing red orb transforms into the hideous figure of the uninvited intruder.
"NYAAA—HAHAHAHA!!!"
Everyone gasps. In the middle of the room, was a creature, as huge as a giant grizzly bear except that it's fur was all red, it had hoofs of an ox, and the face of a beast.
Frightened murmurs erupted.
"It's... it's the Red Beast of Shohoku!"
"What is he doing here?"
"Who invited him?!"
"What an abomination!"
"He's even uglier than I had imagined!"
"And he stinks too!"
POP!
Went a vein somewhere in the red-beast's temple.
"AAAAGGGHHHH!!! SSSHHUUUTT UPPP!!!"
The creature roared but with little effect. He had a surprisingly gruff but whiny high-pitched voice that didn't quite match his appearance. "YOU DARE INSULT A GREAT PRINCE LIKE ME! YOU MISERABLE LITTLE INSECTS!!"
His hideous exterior though, more than compensated for what he lacked, and the guests all cower back in fright.
"You?? A prince??? BLECH!!!"
"Eh?" The beast turned to see who had dared defy him so openly and there he caught the Three Cheerful Fairies glaring at him.
"You're no prince, you're just a disgusting monster with bad breath!!!" Kah spat defiantly.
"Sou you! Sou yo!" Ru & Wa chorused with equal valor.
"Overbearing and ill-mannered too!"
"Sou yo! Sou yo!"
"GGGGGRRRRRRRRRRHHH!!!"
It didn't seem possible, but the beast's face was getting redder and redder... and even more ominous. It didn't help to know that he was reputed for having a terrible temper. The king & queen were not sure if getting him angry in front of all these people, especially their beloved son, was a wise idea.
"I'M GONNA WRING YOU'RE PUNY LITTLE FAIRY NECKS!!!" The beast roared advancing menacingly.
The Three Cheering Fairies stood brazenly preparing to counter-attack.
"Waaaahhh!!!"
The beast, the fairies and everyone else were immediately diverted by the heart-wrenching wail of the young prince.
"Oh dear!" Queen Kenjima moaned.
Tears flowed down Baby Kaede's cheeks non-stop.
"Waaahhh! Dowwaaahow!!!! DOWAHOU!!!" The prince sobbed greatly distraught by the rude awakening.
"That's enough!" King Touru stood up angrily. "You have no business here! I command you to leave!!!"
"Aww.... Your Majesty King Touru!" The red-beast bowed in mock politeness. "That's really too bad. I came all the way here, hoping to join your dandy little party... Expecting at least... an apology for not being invited... And what do you do? You hurt my sensitive feelings...!"
He looked at the crib and smirked maliciously. "I only meant to pay the little highness homage..." He moved to the distressed-sounding infant.
"DON'T—YOU DARE— TOUCH MY SON!!" The queen said fiercely.
Sparks erupt from Kah's wand, and powerful beams fly towards the creature. To their horror, the beast merely repels it with a shield of fire...
"Insects..." He says scornfully. "Your 'goody-two-shoe' magic is no match against mine!" He pulls out a gigantic club full of thorns, and brings it to a sickening crash on the palace floor.
BOOMM!!!
The Three Fairies are thrown back as bright red-flames shoot up from the ground, forming a barrier that enclose only him and the little prince's crib.
"NO!!! KAEDE!!!" Queen Kenjima screamed in horror.
"Seize that creature!!!" King Touru stormed.
The Royal Guards quickly comply, but they too were repelled by the scorching barrier.
"Enough of the side-show you freaks..." The beast's eyes glowered, "Time for the main event... To show you all my gratitude, I too, will give your precious little 'prince' a gift!"
Everyone gasped as the beast drew closer to the crib. The king & queen froze as the beast reached in to stroke the baby's tear-stained cheek. Prince Kaede's eyes bulged and he was rendered motionless. Too stunned to even continue crying. Incredible dread seized his body as the grotesque creature loomed over him, leaning down, closer and closer.
He didn't understand why, but something (aside from the monster's horrible face) told him that the creature was bad.
Very bad.
Ironically, that same gut feeling told him to hold back the tears, no matter what.
The beast's mouth formed what looked like a smile, exposing huge tartar stained teeth and fangs. "Hello... I know what you really are..." The beast hissed, "Indeed, you are a creature destined to be more beautiful than any mortal in the land!"
Prince Kaede didn't want to look, but fear had seemed to paralyze him. The blue-eyed boy was violently shaken out of that spell however, as a sharp sting shot through his cheek. He winced and squirmed and tried not to cry out, but as the beast's claw made more firm contact with his delicate face, the blistering heat was far too painful to endure!
Prince Kaede stifled a yelp. He felt like screaming.
So hot! The beast continued to caress Baby Kaede's cheeks in mock affection, cackling wickedly as blood-stained burn-marks became visible.
"No ordinary person will ever see past this grotesque scar on your face! Because of that, no one will see you for anything else but a freak, you will be unloved, and so wretchedly lonely! And eventually, the pain of loneliness will drive you to despair, and then madness!"
The beast straightened up. "Listen! All of you! Your precious little prince will be everything you have granted him, god-like and fair! Yes... He'll be endowed with all your pathetic fairy gifts!" He turned and spat scornfully at the Three Fairies.
They glared amidst tears.
"But your puny powers can do nothing to save this cursed fox!"
Several gasps were heard.
"Fox...?" Queen Kenjima murmured in shock.
"Before the sun sets on his 16th birthday, he will bite into poisoned apple and HE WILL DIE!!!"
"Chotto matte."
Sendoh stopped at Rukawa's interruption. "Nani o?"
"I think making Sakuragi the beast was a great idea, but you've got your fairytales confused, he's supposed to say the prince will prick his finger on a spindle of a spinning wheel, not bite into a poisoned apple! That's Snow White!"
"Demo Kae-chan, I told you this is my original fairytale, that way you won't be able to guess what'll happen next."
Rukawa's eyes twinkled, "Hey that does sound interesting... Okay. Fine then. Continue."
-x-
The beast laughed uproariously for a few seconds, choked a bit then added, "And then I...Only I will be the prettiest in the land of Kanagawa!!!! Nyahaha-haha-haha!!!!"
King Touru's eyes were blazing and Queen Kenjima collapsed to her throne.
"Hidoi-!!!!" Kah shrieked angrily, tears spilling down ceaselessly.
"You despicable monster!!!" Ruh and Wah seethed.
A dreadful sinking feeling overwhelmed the crowd, some had already fainted, and others were sobbing quietly, pleading to the god's to halt the silent persecution.
The scarlet stains glowed brightly against the boy's snow-white skin. Ironically the intended torment magnified the little boy's beauty, as the beast licked the red fluid in scornful admiration.
Prince Kaede shivered involuntarily at the searing sensation. "I-Ittai!"
"PERVERT!!!!!!" Ruh, Kah and Wah screamed furiously.
"SHUT UP!!!" The beast screamed back in his scratchy voice. Then he turned back to the baby, "Aw, did I hurt the little prince Kitsune? Did I ruin your cute little princely face that everybody loves so much?" The beast drawled in mockery as he straightened up and sucked the blood off his filthy claws. "Revenge is mine!!!"
"NYAHAHAHAHAAHA!!! NYAH-HAH-HA-HAH!!"
"That's ENOUGH!!!!" A young voice resounded.
"Eh?"
Prince Akira was so angry that he couldn't stop the tears from falling. It was so horrible! This beast! How could he do that to an innocent baby! How could he?!! He couldn't just stand there and watch! He began approaching the beast and he cried out once more, "Leave Kaede alone!!!"
The beast uttered a low growl. This puny little brat was asking for it, daring to defy him! The barrier around him quickly dissolved before he lurched at the young prince, claws fully extracted.
"Akira!!!" King Shinichi gasped, "No!"
"Akira-kun!" Queen Kenjima screamed.
Before anyone could comprehend what happened, the beast's face twisted in agony. Blood spilled from a wound in his belly. In his fury he failed to notice the sword Prince Akira had been wielding, and it slit right through him before he could even make contact.
"No!!! Impossible!!!" Gray filthy blood spurted from the beast's mouth.
"Go away." Prince Akira said, his tear-stained face unflinching.
"You'll pay for this!!! You... You little wretch!" The wounded creature shoved Akira away in one violent sweep. Everyone gasped as the prince smashed into a wall and lost consciousness. The beast staggered to raise his club. "You... haven't seen the last of me... You will all taste my wrath... soon!" With those final words, the terrible Red Beast of Shohoku dispersed into the shadows, leaving the entire castle in deep sorrow...
[Tsuzuku...]
Next...
Chapter 3: Saigo no Okurimono=The Last Gift
A/N: A few minor changes in the previous chapters. Warui minnasan, hadn't realized there were so many typos. XD But anyway, I hope I fixed that. And finally I updated with Chapter 3. Sankyuu for reading and doubly thanks for reviewing. :) Hope you like it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
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