Black Roses and Cinder's Ashes pt. 2
Cristy stood in the yard wearing her black servants rags and a tan kerchief to keep the dust and dirt out of her hair as she stood beating a rug clean of its dust. She swung the beater with heavy and labored swings trying to let out her anger at her father and stepsisters. Tears threatened to pour from her eyes, but she kept them in and hidden. She stopped her work as she heard the loud clomps of horse hooves clomping down her cobblestone driveway. She walked out to the front of the yard to greet the unannounced guest.
She watched as a large black stallion and a black and blood red coach stopped in front of her. The carriage's black door opened to reveal a portly man with a small envelope in his hand. The man stopped in front of her and made a slight bow.
"May I help you?" Cristy asked kindly.
"Yes, I have an urgent message from her highness and his majesty," replied the man holding the envelope out to her. "It would be best to give it to the Master or Mistress of the house."
"Yes sir," she replied as she took the envelope from his hand.
As the man turned from her, she watched him get into the grand carriage not saying another word to her. The horse's hooves clomped loudly as the mysterious man and the carriage drove away heading back toward the castle in the distance. Turning, she looked to a distant window of the old mansion where she could see Keiko quietly listening to her morning lesson along with Mukuro. She knew they should be never interrupted and she feared her stepfather's wrath if she did make an attempt to barge in. 'Well he did say it was urgent,' she thought worriedly as she looked at the envelope in her hand. 'Maybe just this once.' Turning once more, she walked into the house and made her way to the study.
Karasu sat in front of his daughters giving them their morning lessons as they quietly listened paying attention to his every word. Angrily, he turned as he heard a knocking on the study door.
"What is it?!" he snapped loudly as Cristy slowly opened the door. "Cinderella what are you doing here? I told you never to interrupt."
"Forgive me stepfather," she said quietly. "But I have an urgent message from the castle."
"The castle?!" Mukuro and Keiko asked excitedly as they ran to rip the letter out of her hands.
Quickly, Cristy was pushed back into the wall by her stepsisters' force as they ripped the letter from her hands. She watched quietly as they fought loudly over the small letter.
"Let me read it!" Keiko cried loudly.
"No me!" Mukuro yelled back.
"I'll read it," Karasu said sternly as he took the letter from their fighting hands.
He ran his claws over the black wax seal as he broke it. His eyes scanned the letter growing wider with each line he read.
"Father what does it say?" Mukuro asked anxiously.
"Tell us father," Keiko added just as anxious as her sister.
"There's to be a ball," he answered them excitedly as Keiko and Mukuro's face lit up in delight. "In honor of his highness who's looking for a bride!"
Keiko and Mukuro cried out in excitement as they anxiously waited for their father to continue.
"It says," he began as his eyes ran over the letter once more. "By royal command every eligible maiden is to attend."
"By royal command," Keiko sighed dreamily at the thought of attending a royal ball.
"And we're eligible!" Mukuro cried excitedly as she dreamed of meeting the prince.
"May I go too?" Cristy asked excitedly as everyone's icy stares landed on her piercing through her soul making her wish she held her tongue. "Well it does say every eligible maiden."
She turned away hiding her tears as she heard the soft smirks of contained laughter. As she listed to Keiko and Mukuro burst in laughter, she blushed in embarrassment and turned away further trying to hide her tears.
"The Prince dance with you?!" Mukuro asked mockingly as she laughed loudly. "You don't even have anything to wear!"
"Will you hold my broom?" mocked Keiko as she and Mukuro mocked waltz the skirts of their blue and red gowns flying as they hopped about the study.
"They're right Cinderella," said Karasu as he watched his daughters dance about. "I FORBID you to go."
"Yes stepfather," Cristy replied sadly as she slowly opened the door to leave. "Forgive me."
"You are forgiven," he replied as he turned towards his daughters watching them dance about the room.
She walked out into the hall and quickly ran to the kitchen and began to cry beside the glowing embers of the fire.
"Hm," Prince Hiei snorted as he looked at the white tuxedo Kurama held up for him to wear.
"Hiei," Kurama sighed stressfully. "Her Majesty wishes you to wear white. She says you wear black far to often."
Hiei looked down on his black and blood red armor. He turned away as his blood red cape flying behind him.
"Hm," he snorted again as Kurama and his other advisors sighed.
"Your Highness," Yusuke, another advisor, began. "You must follow your mother's orders."
"Hm," he replied with another snort.
"I say let his Shortness wear what he wants," mocked Kuwabara, the last advisor.
Hiei turned his fiery glare toward the human as he rushed toward him katana poised mere centimeters from his throat. Kurama and Yusuke sighed at Kuwabara's stupidity. Kuwabara laughed nervously. Prince Hiei sent one last warning glare as he put his katana away and began to look around the room at the many suits that lay about scattered. He walked toward his large bed with black and crimson sheets as he looked over the many white suits that lay on the silk bedding.
His large room was decorated in red and black and stood in a black crystal spire of the castle. His bed stood on deep cherry colored wood head and foot boards. On either side of the bed, two black night tables stood. The other half of the room opened to a dark sitting area filled with more red and black furniture as blood red roses sat in the middle of a black coffee table. A large dark gray chandelier hung above the room lit by hundreds of tiny burning candles. His three advisors stood by the large windows framed with black curtains standing out against the black in their suits.
All three wore a waist coat trimmed with gold and silver with gold buttons as well as britches, white shirts, and white boots. Kurama's waist coat and britches were in red as Yusuke's were in green as Kuwabara's were in blue. They sighed once more knowing it was going to be a long afternoon.
Quickly, Cristy ran around her home her arms filled with shirts, dresses, and scarves as her sisters and stepfather bellowed out orders for her to fill.
"Cinderella!" cried Keiko as she waited impatiently for her stepsister. "Come here this instant!"
"Cinderella!" Mukuro whined as she looked out of her room angrily. "Where's my dress?!"
"Cinderella!" her stepfather bellowed angrily. "Tend to your sisters now!"
"Yes stepfather," she replied tiredly as she ran from room to room doing as her sisters told her to do.
'This will be a long afternoon,' Karasu thought as he watched Cristy run. 'Stupid girl.'
As the night fell and the sun's rays began to fade, two households awaited the anxious moment. In the castle, servants ran preparing the last minute decorations for the ball as the Prince's advisors awaited their prince.
In her home, Cristy stood with Keiko and Mukuro as she finished helping them into their dresses.
Keiko wore a long one strap light green gown with a long vine of flowers twirling upward around her body. The dress seemed to fly around her as she walked. Cristy looked at her wishing she could be as beautiful as she looked at the moment. She absent mindedly pulled her stepsister's long brown hair into a high ponytail as a few curled pieces framed her face. Keiko ran her hands through the ponytail making sure every curl was in perfect placement. Around her neck was a silver necklace with shining light green jade.
She walked over to Mukuro who wore a long red spaghetti strapped, shimmering gown with shiny gold leaves and sparkling red beads. Around her shoulders, a long red silk scarf rested. Cristy walked and began to brush her sister's hair into a silky and shiny hue as she placed a diamond clip in it along with silver necklace with rubies around her neck.
Quietly, she walked out of the room unnoticed by her sisters as she went to open the door for the awaiting carriage.
"Stepfather," she began quietly and sadly as her stepfather walked out from his room. "The carriage is here."
"Good," he replied. "Are they ready?"
She nodded. Her father's black many tailed coat* flitted softly around him as he walked to his daughters' rooms to summon them. Cristy watched as they walked down the grand marble staircase in a small but grand procession and out the door without saying a word of "goodbye" to her as they left her alone. She could feel the tears prickling her gold and crimson eyes as she walked throughout her home. She wandered into the barren moonlit and lantern-lit garden where only a few pumpkins and blue roses grew. She stopped and sat by a small bush of blue roses in a garden filled with weeds near an old and rusty fountain.
Blue roses, her mother's favorite flower, and the only part of the garden she tried to keep alive. She sought comfort by their side only to find none as the first tears began to fall. Burying her face into her hands, her soft sobs echoed hauntingly through the mansion gardens. Up in the sky, a moonlit figure watched her.
Hiei walked out to the grand white marble ballroom with a glare in his eyes and scowl of distaste for the white tuxedo on his face. His advisors laughed nervously. All of them were dressed in white tuxedos as they listened to the waltzes and mingled with royalty. Hiei stood amongst the lords and ladies as he bowed to several women that royalty had introduced to him. The women curtsied and batted eyelashes at him only to have him turn away with a "Hm." Queen Hina watched the display and sighed despairingly.
"Do you think he'll find someone?" she asked worriedly to her son's advisors only receiving shrugs in reply.
She sighed again.
The moonlit figure slowly flew down into the dark garden and softly laid a comforting hand on Cristy's shoulder. Cristy turned in shock and looked up to the figure behind her. Cristy stared at the dark figured and found it to be a young beautiful light blue haired girl in a pink kimono holding an oar.
"Who are you?" Cristy murmured through her tears.
"I'm Botan!" the girl replied happily. "And im your fairy godmother!"
"A what?" Cristy asked confused as she stood up.
"A fairy godmother," Botan replied smiling. "I'm here to grant your wish to go to the ball!"
Cristy stared disbelieving at the deity before her. Slowly, a small smile spread across her face.
"All right!" Botan said happily as the smile on Cristy's face grew. "First we need... a pumpkin!"
"A what?" Cristy asked confused as Botan didn't answer.
Botan walked through the barren garden stopping in front of a large pumpkin. Waving her oar over the pumpkin, the deity began to softly chant a spell as the large pumpkin began to glow with spirit energy. Its long vines curled and coiled as the pumpkin grew into an elegant orange carriage trimmed with gold and blue roses. The vines curled and turned into large and sturdy wheels slowly raising the pumpkin off the ground. Cristy looked in amazement as her beautiful carriage grew in front of her eyes.
"Do you have any mice?" asked Botan as she turned toward Cristy.
"Mice?" Cristy asked confusedly as she thought about the strange request. "We might have a few in the kitchen's traps. Uh... let me go get them."
Botan watched as the young kitsune ran towards her home and softly smiled.
Cristy wondered about Botan's strange request as she ran into her home, heading for the kitchen. 'Mice?' she asked herself confused. She shrugged. She walked into the dimly lit kitchen as the evening fire roared in the fireplace. In a dark corner a small cage stood with si x squeaking mice, squeaking and squirming. She picked up the small cage and shrugged once more before running back out to the garden.
Botan looked happily at the small cage Cristy held in her hands.
"Perfect!" she said enthusiastically as she took the small cage and released the mice.
Botan softly began to chant once more waving her oar around the huddled mice. Slowly, the mice began to change. Four, changed into large and grand black stallions, bridled in crimson reins as the other two turned to finely dressed gentlemen. One of the gentlemen went to stand by the carriage door as he opened it waiting for Cristy to get inside. The other, taking the horses by the reins climbed on the carriage and prepared for a midnight departure.
"What are you waiting for?" Botan asked excitedly. "Get in!"
"Uh.." Cristy began nervously. "But my clothes."
"What about them?" asked Botan not noticing her servants rags as Cristy went to stand by a lantern, the lantern's light illuminating her clothing. "Oh! Those clothes!"
Cristy nodded smiling nervously. Botan looked the small kitsune over wondering what magic to use. 'Black,' Botan thought to herself. 'Definitely.' Cristy listened as she once more heard the soft chants of the girl before her. A soft tingling feeling surrounded her in a kind warmth, a warmth she had never felt before. Slowly, she felt half of her hair be pulled back into a bun by unseen hands as a mysterious force slowly curled the ends. Her servants rags disappeared only to be replaced by a long black strapless gown with shimmering crimson rhinestones. She felt a strange sensation in her face as it slowly cleaned itself of the dirt and soot that stained her skin as the weight of a silver necklace with black gems and white diamonds adorned her neck. Slowly, she grew taller as a small set of blood red slippers with a black jewel slipped on her feet. In amazement, she looked down at her arms and clothing as long elbow length gloves adorned her arms. As she turned up to look at the deity before her, a large smile spread across her face.**
"Thank you!" she cried as she threw her arms around the girl's neck. "It's everything I've ever dreamed of."
Smiling, Botan pulled away as her face grew serious and stern.
"But," Botan began her tone turning serious. "As with all dreams, they must come to an end. You have until midnight, then, all of this shall fade away."
"Really?" Cristy asked disappointed as Botan nodded.
"Now," Botan began again her tone changing back to its happy note as she hustled Cristy into the carriage. "Get in! Shoo! Have fun!"
The footman closed the carriage door and stepped on the back of the carriage as the driver began to drive away. Botan waved as she saw Cristy's smiling face and waving hand look back at her.
Hiei cringed as he saw the daughters that belonged to Karasu. He watched in embarrassment as Keiko and Mukuro curtsied ungraceful curtsies and as they constantly batted their eyelashes. He "Hm"-ed in his mind. Behind him, he could hear the soft snickers of his advisors as they silently mocked him. Turning, he glared at his advisors, instantly quieting them.
"Prince Hiei," Keiko said dreamily as she clung to his arm. "It's so nice to finally meet you."
"Hm," he replied turning away to look away from her.
'Stupid human,' he thought in disgust. He looked down at his other arm only to find the other daughter clinging to it. He glared at the girl only to have her ignored it.
"You're so cute when you're angry," Mukuro cooed and flirted.
"Hm," he snorted as he violently pulled his arms out of the girls' holds.
Mukuro and Keiko exchanged confused glances both wondering what they did. He could hear his mother's soft despairing sigh behind him. 'Hm,' he thought not caring. He scowled at the several couples dancing and the royalty around him. Then, he saw her.
Unsurely, Cristy walked out of the carriage and slowly up the white marble steps leading to the palace ballroom as she watched her magic carriage drive away. She turned towards the ballroom in awe as the sound of a waltz drifted through the night air. Around her, several couples swirled on the dance floor in a mixture of colors as the large gold chandeliers with thousands of burning candles softly shined down on them. She heard the soft murmurs of high class conversations softly echoing around the room. Slowly, she walked into the brightly lit room immediately turning everyone's gazes upon her as she distantly locked eyes with the prince.
Everyone turned to stare at the mysterious demon that had entered the ballroom. Soft murmurs of "Who is she?" and "Where did she come from?" resounded around the room. Tearing her eyes away from the prince, Cristy, face flushed, slowly walked through the crowd as the guests cleared a path around her as though she had been Moses slowly parting the Red Sea. She slowly walked up to Prince Hiei and softly curtsied a graceful curtsey. Awkwardly, Hiei bowed unable to tear his eyes away from the girl in front of him.
"Your Majesty," she whispered softly for only him to hear. "It's an honor to be in your presence."
Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Queen Hina looked in a strange mesmerized awe as they watched Hiei finally take a small liking to the kitsune.
"Who is she?" asked Queen Hina as she studied the girl.
"We don't know Your Highness," Kurama replied as the others shrugged in response. "No one seems to know."
"Make sure they are not disturbed," Hina softly commanded as the others nodded.
Hiei struggled to find the words as the girl before him rose from her curtsey. As she turned away, he acted on instinct and quickly grabbed her hand to stop her. She turned toward him their eyes locking once more.
"May.. I have this dance?" he asked softly the words barely falling from his mouth.
"Yes," she replied.
(Author's note *picks up sledge hammer and breaks Hiei's character personality into a billion pieces* o.O?! Forgive me, I really did it this time. I'm Sooooo sorry Hiei is ooc!!! *sighs* now im gonna get it.
* What I meant by "many-tailed coat" just in case you didn't understand was that thing Karasu always wears.
** I know in most Cinderella stories Cinderella always has a pretty blue or pink gown.. But think about it.. What kind of girl does Hiei go for? Pretty in pink? Or dark and beautiful in black?)
Cristy stood in the yard wearing her black servants rags and a tan kerchief to keep the dust and dirt out of her hair as she stood beating a rug clean of its dust. She swung the beater with heavy and labored swings trying to let out her anger at her father and stepsisters. Tears threatened to pour from her eyes, but she kept them in and hidden. She stopped her work as she heard the loud clomps of horse hooves clomping down her cobblestone driveway. She walked out to the front of the yard to greet the unannounced guest.
She watched as a large black stallion and a black and blood red coach stopped in front of her. The carriage's black door opened to reveal a portly man with a small envelope in his hand. The man stopped in front of her and made a slight bow.
"May I help you?" Cristy asked kindly.
"Yes, I have an urgent message from her highness and his majesty," replied the man holding the envelope out to her. "It would be best to give it to the Master or Mistress of the house."
"Yes sir," she replied as she took the envelope from his hand.
As the man turned from her, she watched him get into the grand carriage not saying another word to her. The horse's hooves clomped loudly as the mysterious man and the carriage drove away heading back toward the castle in the distance. Turning, she looked to a distant window of the old mansion where she could see Keiko quietly listening to her morning lesson along with Mukuro. She knew they should be never interrupted and she feared her stepfather's wrath if she did make an attempt to barge in. 'Well he did say it was urgent,' she thought worriedly as she looked at the envelope in her hand. 'Maybe just this once.' Turning once more, she walked into the house and made her way to the study.
Karasu sat in front of his daughters giving them their morning lessons as they quietly listened paying attention to his every word. Angrily, he turned as he heard a knocking on the study door.
"What is it?!" he snapped loudly as Cristy slowly opened the door. "Cinderella what are you doing here? I told you never to interrupt."
"Forgive me stepfather," she said quietly. "But I have an urgent message from the castle."
"The castle?!" Mukuro and Keiko asked excitedly as they ran to rip the letter out of her hands.
Quickly, Cristy was pushed back into the wall by her stepsisters' force as they ripped the letter from her hands. She watched quietly as they fought loudly over the small letter.
"Let me read it!" Keiko cried loudly.
"No me!" Mukuro yelled back.
"I'll read it," Karasu said sternly as he took the letter from their fighting hands.
He ran his claws over the black wax seal as he broke it. His eyes scanned the letter growing wider with each line he read.
"Father what does it say?" Mukuro asked anxiously.
"Tell us father," Keiko added just as anxious as her sister.
"There's to be a ball," he answered them excitedly as Keiko and Mukuro's face lit up in delight. "In honor of his highness who's looking for a bride!"
Keiko and Mukuro cried out in excitement as they anxiously waited for their father to continue.
"It says," he began as his eyes ran over the letter once more. "By royal command every eligible maiden is to attend."
"By royal command," Keiko sighed dreamily at the thought of attending a royal ball.
"And we're eligible!" Mukuro cried excitedly as she dreamed of meeting the prince.
"May I go too?" Cristy asked excitedly as everyone's icy stares landed on her piercing through her soul making her wish she held her tongue. "Well it does say every eligible maiden."
She turned away hiding her tears as she heard the soft smirks of contained laughter. As she listed to Keiko and Mukuro burst in laughter, she blushed in embarrassment and turned away further trying to hide her tears.
"The Prince dance with you?!" Mukuro asked mockingly as she laughed loudly. "You don't even have anything to wear!"
"Will you hold my broom?" mocked Keiko as she and Mukuro mocked waltz the skirts of their blue and red gowns flying as they hopped about the study.
"They're right Cinderella," said Karasu as he watched his daughters dance about. "I FORBID you to go."
"Yes stepfather," Cristy replied sadly as she slowly opened the door to leave. "Forgive me."
"You are forgiven," he replied as he turned towards his daughters watching them dance about the room.
She walked out into the hall and quickly ran to the kitchen and began to cry beside the glowing embers of the fire.
"Hm," Prince Hiei snorted as he looked at the white tuxedo Kurama held up for him to wear.
"Hiei," Kurama sighed stressfully. "Her Majesty wishes you to wear white. She says you wear black far to often."
Hiei looked down on his black and blood red armor. He turned away as his blood red cape flying behind him.
"Hm," he snorted again as Kurama and his other advisors sighed.
"Your Highness," Yusuke, another advisor, began. "You must follow your mother's orders."
"Hm," he replied with another snort.
"I say let his Shortness wear what he wants," mocked Kuwabara, the last advisor.
Hiei turned his fiery glare toward the human as he rushed toward him katana poised mere centimeters from his throat. Kurama and Yusuke sighed at Kuwabara's stupidity. Kuwabara laughed nervously. Prince Hiei sent one last warning glare as he put his katana away and began to look around the room at the many suits that lay about scattered. He walked toward his large bed with black and crimson sheets as he looked over the many white suits that lay on the silk bedding.
His large room was decorated in red and black and stood in a black crystal spire of the castle. His bed stood on deep cherry colored wood head and foot boards. On either side of the bed, two black night tables stood. The other half of the room opened to a dark sitting area filled with more red and black furniture as blood red roses sat in the middle of a black coffee table. A large dark gray chandelier hung above the room lit by hundreds of tiny burning candles. His three advisors stood by the large windows framed with black curtains standing out against the black in their suits.
All three wore a waist coat trimmed with gold and silver with gold buttons as well as britches, white shirts, and white boots. Kurama's waist coat and britches were in red as Yusuke's were in green as Kuwabara's were in blue. They sighed once more knowing it was going to be a long afternoon.
Quickly, Cristy ran around her home her arms filled with shirts, dresses, and scarves as her sisters and stepfather bellowed out orders for her to fill.
"Cinderella!" cried Keiko as she waited impatiently for her stepsister. "Come here this instant!"
"Cinderella!" Mukuro whined as she looked out of her room angrily. "Where's my dress?!"
"Cinderella!" her stepfather bellowed angrily. "Tend to your sisters now!"
"Yes stepfather," she replied tiredly as she ran from room to room doing as her sisters told her to do.
'This will be a long afternoon,' Karasu thought as he watched Cristy run. 'Stupid girl.'
As the night fell and the sun's rays began to fade, two households awaited the anxious moment. In the castle, servants ran preparing the last minute decorations for the ball as the Prince's advisors awaited their prince.
In her home, Cristy stood with Keiko and Mukuro as she finished helping them into their dresses.
Keiko wore a long one strap light green gown with a long vine of flowers twirling upward around her body. The dress seemed to fly around her as she walked. Cristy looked at her wishing she could be as beautiful as she looked at the moment. She absent mindedly pulled her stepsister's long brown hair into a high ponytail as a few curled pieces framed her face. Keiko ran her hands through the ponytail making sure every curl was in perfect placement. Around her neck was a silver necklace with shining light green jade.
She walked over to Mukuro who wore a long red spaghetti strapped, shimmering gown with shiny gold leaves and sparkling red beads. Around her shoulders, a long red silk scarf rested. Cristy walked and began to brush her sister's hair into a silky and shiny hue as she placed a diamond clip in it along with silver necklace with rubies around her neck.
Quietly, she walked out of the room unnoticed by her sisters as she went to open the door for the awaiting carriage.
"Stepfather," she began quietly and sadly as her stepfather walked out from his room. "The carriage is here."
"Good," he replied. "Are they ready?"
She nodded. Her father's black many tailed coat* flitted softly around him as he walked to his daughters' rooms to summon them. Cristy watched as they walked down the grand marble staircase in a small but grand procession and out the door without saying a word of "goodbye" to her as they left her alone. She could feel the tears prickling her gold and crimson eyes as she walked throughout her home. She wandered into the barren moonlit and lantern-lit garden where only a few pumpkins and blue roses grew. She stopped and sat by a small bush of blue roses in a garden filled with weeds near an old and rusty fountain.
Blue roses, her mother's favorite flower, and the only part of the garden she tried to keep alive. She sought comfort by their side only to find none as the first tears began to fall. Burying her face into her hands, her soft sobs echoed hauntingly through the mansion gardens. Up in the sky, a moonlit figure watched her.
Hiei walked out to the grand white marble ballroom with a glare in his eyes and scowl of distaste for the white tuxedo on his face. His advisors laughed nervously. All of them were dressed in white tuxedos as they listened to the waltzes and mingled with royalty. Hiei stood amongst the lords and ladies as he bowed to several women that royalty had introduced to him. The women curtsied and batted eyelashes at him only to have him turn away with a "Hm." Queen Hina watched the display and sighed despairingly.
"Do you think he'll find someone?" she asked worriedly to her son's advisors only receiving shrugs in reply.
She sighed again.
The moonlit figure slowly flew down into the dark garden and softly laid a comforting hand on Cristy's shoulder. Cristy turned in shock and looked up to the figure behind her. Cristy stared at the dark figured and found it to be a young beautiful light blue haired girl in a pink kimono holding an oar.
"Who are you?" Cristy murmured through her tears.
"I'm Botan!" the girl replied happily. "And im your fairy godmother!"
"A what?" Cristy asked confused as she stood up.
"A fairy godmother," Botan replied smiling. "I'm here to grant your wish to go to the ball!"
Cristy stared disbelieving at the deity before her. Slowly, a small smile spread across her face.
"All right!" Botan said happily as the smile on Cristy's face grew. "First we need... a pumpkin!"
"A what?" Cristy asked confused as Botan didn't answer.
Botan walked through the barren garden stopping in front of a large pumpkin. Waving her oar over the pumpkin, the deity began to softly chant a spell as the large pumpkin began to glow with spirit energy. Its long vines curled and coiled as the pumpkin grew into an elegant orange carriage trimmed with gold and blue roses. The vines curled and turned into large and sturdy wheels slowly raising the pumpkin off the ground. Cristy looked in amazement as her beautiful carriage grew in front of her eyes.
"Do you have any mice?" asked Botan as she turned toward Cristy.
"Mice?" Cristy asked confusedly as she thought about the strange request. "We might have a few in the kitchen's traps. Uh... let me go get them."
Botan watched as the young kitsune ran towards her home and softly smiled.
Cristy wondered about Botan's strange request as she ran into her home, heading for the kitchen. 'Mice?' she asked herself confused. She shrugged. She walked into the dimly lit kitchen as the evening fire roared in the fireplace. In a dark corner a small cage stood with si x squeaking mice, squeaking and squirming. She picked up the small cage and shrugged once more before running back out to the garden.
Botan looked happily at the small cage Cristy held in her hands.
"Perfect!" she said enthusiastically as she took the small cage and released the mice.
Botan softly began to chant once more waving her oar around the huddled mice. Slowly, the mice began to change. Four, changed into large and grand black stallions, bridled in crimson reins as the other two turned to finely dressed gentlemen. One of the gentlemen went to stand by the carriage door as he opened it waiting for Cristy to get inside. The other, taking the horses by the reins climbed on the carriage and prepared for a midnight departure.
"What are you waiting for?" Botan asked excitedly. "Get in!"
"Uh.." Cristy began nervously. "But my clothes."
"What about them?" asked Botan not noticing her servants rags as Cristy went to stand by a lantern, the lantern's light illuminating her clothing. "Oh! Those clothes!"
Cristy nodded smiling nervously. Botan looked the small kitsune over wondering what magic to use. 'Black,' Botan thought to herself. 'Definitely.' Cristy listened as she once more heard the soft chants of the girl before her. A soft tingling feeling surrounded her in a kind warmth, a warmth she had never felt before. Slowly, she felt half of her hair be pulled back into a bun by unseen hands as a mysterious force slowly curled the ends. Her servants rags disappeared only to be replaced by a long black strapless gown with shimmering crimson rhinestones. She felt a strange sensation in her face as it slowly cleaned itself of the dirt and soot that stained her skin as the weight of a silver necklace with black gems and white diamonds adorned her neck. Slowly, she grew taller as a small set of blood red slippers with a black jewel slipped on her feet. In amazement, she looked down at her arms and clothing as long elbow length gloves adorned her arms. As she turned up to look at the deity before her, a large smile spread across her face.**
"Thank you!" she cried as she threw her arms around the girl's neck. "It's everything I've ever dreamed of."
Smiling, Botan pulled away as her face grew serious and stern.
"But," Botan began her tone turning serious. "As with all dreams, they must come to an end. You have until midnight, then, all of this shall fade away."
"Really?" Cristy asked disappointed as Botan nodded.
"Now," Botan began again her tone changing back to its happy note as she hustled Cristy into the carriage. "Get in! Shoo! Have fun!"
The footman closed the carriage door and stepped on the back of the carriage as the driver began to drive away. Botan waved as she saw Cristy's smiling face and waving hand look back at her.
Hiei cringed as he saw the daughters that belonged to Karasu. He watched in embarrassment as Keiko and Mukuro curtsied ungraceful curtsies and as they constantly batted their eyelashes. He "Hm"-ed in his mind. Behind him, he could hear the soft snickers of his advisors as they silently mocked him. Turning, he glared at his advisors, instantly quieting them.
"Prince Hiei," Keiko said dreamily as she clung to his arm. "It's so nice to finally meet you."
"Hm," he replied turning away to look away from her.
'Stupid human,' he thought in disgust. He looked down at his other arm only to find the other daughter clinging to it. He glared at the girl only to have her ignored it.
"You're so cute when you're angry," Mukuro cooed and flirted.
"Hm," he snorted as he violently pulled his arms out of the girls' holds.
Mukuro and Keiko exchanged confused glances both wondering what they did. He could hear his mother's soft despairing sigh behind him. 'Hm,' he thought not caring. He scowled at the several couples dancing and the royalty around him. Then, he saw her.
Unsurely, Cristy walked out of the carriage and slowly up the white marble steps leading to the palace ballroom as she watched her magic carriage drive away. She turned towards the ballroom in awe as the sound of a waltz drifted through the night air. Around her, several couples swirled on the dance floor in a mixture of colors as the large gold chandeliers with thousands of burning candles softly shined down on them. She heard the soft murmurs of high class conversations softly echoing around the room. Slowly, she walked into the brightly lit room immediately turning everyone's gazes upon her as she distantly locked eyes with the prince.
Everyone turned to stare at the mysterious demon that had entered the ballroom. Soft murmurs of "Who is she?" and "Where did she come from?" resounded around the room. Tearing her eyes away from the prince, Cristy, face flushed, slowly walked through the crowd as the guests cleared a path around her as though she had been Moses slowly parting the Red Sea. She slowly walked up to Prince Hiei and softly curtsied a graceful curtsey. Awkwardly, Hiei bowed unable to tear his eyes away from the girl in front of him.
"Your Majesty," she whispered softly for only him to hear. "It's an honor to be in your presence."
Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Queen Hina looked in a strange mesmerized awe as they watched Hiei finally take a small liking to the kitsune.
"Who is she?" asked Queen Hina as she studied the girl.
"We don't know Your Highness," Kurama replied as the others shrugged in response. "No one seems to know."
"Make sure they are not disturbed," Hina softly commanded as the others nodded.
Hiei struggled to find the words as the girl before him rose from her curtsey. As she turned away, he acted on instinct and quickly grabbed her hand to stop her. She turned toward him their eyes locking once more.
"May.. I have this dance?" he asked softly the words barely falling from his mouth.
"Yes," she replied.
(Author's note *picks up sledge hammer and breaks Hiei's character personality into a billion pieces* o.O?! Forgive me, I really did it this time. I'm Sooooo sorry Hiei is ooc!!! *sighs* now im gonna get it.
* What I meant by "many-tailed coat" just in case you didn't understand was that thing Karasu always wears.
** I know in most Cinderella stories Cinderella always has a pretty blue or pink gown.. But think about it.. What kind of girl does Hiei go for? Pretty in pink? Or dark and beautiful in black?)