As always, read, review and enjoy ^^
Songs Used: "Ten Minutes Ago" (R & H)
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-Act V-The grand ballroom was lit with candles as the waltz played. The Prince was amidst the middle of the swirling mass of dancers, gesturing frantically to Mukotsu to switch out the girl with whom he was currently dancing with one of the many girls that waited on the staircase.
Sitting in their thrones nearby, the King and Queen watched as he took the hand of another maiden and began to speak softly to each other.
"So many beautiful ladies, he's bound to find one he can tolerate." The Queen remarked looking at the immense line of girls.
"And if he doesn't?" The King questioned.
"This ball will never end." She retorted flatly.
Mukotsu spoke up from nearby, "I don't think we ordered enough food then…"
"What?!" Kikyou squeaked, glaring after Mukotsu.
"Dear, just calm down. I'm sure he was just joking." Suikotsu remarked, placing a calming hand on her shoulder.
"He'd better be." She grumbled in response.
On the other side of the ballroom, Renkotsu had snuck around to speak with one of the servants that was standing nearby.
"Pardon me," Renkotsu began, throwing his voice as high and feminine as he could, "But I'm sure you noticed my two lovely 'daughters'"
The black-haired man turned towards the line of girls, his ponytail swishing as he did so, "Madame…" He blinked as he saw the two waving towards him. The larger one picking a piece of food out of their teeth, and the slightly shorter, yet still large one trying to adjust the dress they wore. "Madame, the Prince will dance with everyone in due time. Just be patient."
"Might I inquire as to whom I'm speaking?" The step-'mother' asked.
"Huh?" The man scratched his head.
"Your name." Renkotsu said flatly, obviously slightly annoyed.
"Oh, it's Kouga. Why?"
"Well naturally, any mother would be eager to see her daughters dancing with the Prince, but what I'd like to know- is whooo gets to dance with yoooou?" He intoned sweetly, dragging out a few words for impact.
"Excuse me?" Kouga replied.
"There's no need to be coy. Look at that manly physique, those handsome chiseled features, and that head full of black hair…" Renkotsu said, toying with the end of the ponytail.
"No touching, please." The servant pulled back, and freed his hair from the intrusive grasp.
"Come on now, there's no need to pretend. I'm sure you also feel that certain something special between us."
"Honestly, I wish there was something between us." Kouga remarked.
"Oh?" Renkotsu asked hopefully, figuring he might use this to get his sons noticed and chosen.
"Yeah. A country." The black-haired man said with glare. "Now if you would please, go away before I have to call some guards down here."
Renkotsu gave a nervous laugh while cursing himself mentally, "Oh now don't be harsh, I'll be going. But if you do change your mind, I'll be nearby." He said waving as he walked back towards the rest of the people.
Out on the dance floor, Kyoukotsu had just been led out to dance with the Prince. Bankotsu blinked, looking up at the hulking form squeezed into a dress.
"Your highness," Kyoukotsu said, voice cracking as he tried to strain it to a higher pitch.
The Prince shot a glare towards his parents, cursing them and their stupid idea for the ball.
He began to dance around, avoiding the lumbering 'female's' feet, and then he noticed that 'she' seemed to be eating something.
"Are you…eating?" Bankotsu questioned.
Kyoukotsu quickly stuck his hand with the chicken-leg behind his back, "Why would you think that, your highness?"
Scanning the room with his eyes, the Prince gestured hastily to Mukotsu and the short servant quickly escorted Kyoukotsu off and switched in Ginkotsu to dance with the young Prince.
"Oh your highness, that's so funny. Gesh gesh gesh." The large 'female' laughed.
The braided man tilted his head, "I don't believe I said anything…"
"Well I'm sure if you did, it would be funny. Gesh gesh gesh." Ginkotsu said in reply.
"Mukotsu!" Bankotsu whispered loudly, "Hurry it up."
He nodded, pried Ginkotsu away and pulled another girl into place. Then with a wave from his hand, the orchestra sped up the tempo of the waltz.
The faster the waltz went, the more girls were flung out onto the dance floor for a few turns with the Prince before they were switched out for another.
"I think it's going awfully well, don't you?" Suikotsu asked, turning to Kikyou who just leveled him with a glare.
Outside, Jakotsu got out of the carriage and looked up at the staircase leading into the palace.
At the top of the stairs were two guards, standing at attention.
"Hey Ginta, what are we doing here?" A man with a white-mohawk asked the guard beside him.
"I think it's called a 'cameo,' Hakkaku," The black and gray haired man replied with a shrug.
Lifting up his beautiful blue dress, Jakotsu climbed up the marble staircase and proceeded into the main hall.
The waltz had turned into a chaotic spinning mass of bodies as the Prince switched off girls every three steps, then…. The room froze (literally, I swear) as Bankotsu's eyes caught sight of the beautiful figure that had just appeared at the top of the grand staircase.
Dropping the hand of the girl he was with, he walked over towards the staircase as Jakotsu began to come down them.
The Prince extended his hand, and Jakotsu took it, bowing as he spoke, "Your highness."
"May I ask your name?" Bankotsu said, studying Jakotsu's face.
"It's…" He paused, fidgeting. Knowing that it had to sound good, he made up a title, "Princess Shinderera, your highness."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Princess." Bankotsu said with a formal bow as he kissed 'her' hand.
As the rest of the room parted, he led the Jakotsu out onto the ballroom floor; with a nod to the orchestra, they began a soft waltz.
"I feel kind of weird. Even though it's girl, I feel like I know her already… but I've never met a girl that wasn't some whiny princess." The Prince thought to himself as they twirled about. He studied the face closer, "Or maybe I'm just trying to make someone turn out to be that village boy." Bankotsu blushed slightly and shook his head, berating his thoughts for bringing the image of the man back to his mind.
"Is something wrong, your highness?" Jakotsu inquired, seeing the strange look on his face.
"Ah…I was just thinking that you reminded me of someone; just a funny feeling that I've met you before."
Laughing nervously, Jakotsu replied, "Well, I'm sure I would have remembered meeting someone as charming as you."
"Was it last year, at the lake?" Bankotsu questioned, trying to remember why this person seemed so familiar.
"I've never been to the lake."
"All right then, this winter up in the mountains?" He tried again.
Jakotsu shook his head in the negative, "I may like to look at them, but I've never been to the mountains either."
"Well Princess, tell me about yourself then." Bankotsu said with a smile, hoping something 'she' said would trigger his memory.
"Um…well," Choosing his words carefully, he responded, "I mainly just stay at home, look out the window and dream what it would be like to be free like the birds and bees are."
The Prince blinked, "They know what it's like… to feel trapped."
"May I ask a question, your highness?" Jakotsu spoke up.
"Sure, what is it?"
"When you love someone, do minor details like hair color, eye color, gender, and figure matter to you?" He dared, hoping he got an answer he liked.
Thinking for a moment, he reached over and gently pushed one of the curls from Jakotsu's face, "I just want them to understand me, and care about me for who I am inside, not just my title as Prince. And as strange as it might seem to you, I feel like you do understand me. It's funny isn't it? I mean we just met."
"That's not strange at all, your highness. This is a fairytale, so love at first sight is entirely plausible and not really out of character given the fact that a fairytale must be done that way, despite it's casting." The 'Princess' replied.
Bankotsu smiled, "I suppose that's true. Just like right now I have a random urge to break into a musical number that I can't resist."
"Ah, all part of the fairytale. Don't worry, I'll probably end up joining in on the verses." Jakotsu said with a shrug.
"Okay." He said in return, waiting for the musical prelude for the number to finish before beginning to sing:
"A few minutes ago I met you
Yet I feel like I've met you before
I look at your face, and my pulse starts to race
And I know you're the one I adore."
And of course, by the power of musicals, characters can sing their thoughts aloud and no one but the audience can hear it. Nice isn't it?
As they continued to waltz about the room, Jakotsu began the second verse.
"A few minutes ago I met you
And I already want down your pants
I'll do whatever I can, even though I'm a man
Just as long as it's not breast implants."
The rest of the cast stood around the edges of the ballroom, and Bankotsu continued the next verse.
"Have I found her? She's a strange one,
Her chest looks as flat as mine.
Could it be that- it's a man then?
And if so, why does that make me feel fine?"
Picking up the second part again, Jakotsu sang more of his thoughts.
"In his eyes I can see confusion,
Does he realize I'm the one from before?
And if that is the case, why does he tighten the embrace
As if gender doesn't matter anymore?
As if gender won't matter anymore…"
Then, like all good mushy-romantic songs used in musicals, there comes the part where the two leads sing a duet. In this case, that would be now.
"A few minutes ago I met you
But I know that this feeling is right
So forget the reprise, I can see in your eyes
That we both want to go all night."
"Is it a girl though?" Bankotsu pondered, via song of course.
"Is he gay too?" Jakotsu questioned via the song as well.
A small musical interlude plays while the two have stagehands run out water because they've been singing their thoughts too much. Then, they finish off the last verse together.
"I don't what that it is about them
But it seems to be romance
Are they truly the one, in my heart they have won,
Then again, all we've done is dance.
Then again…all we have done is dance."
As a background music version of the song continued to play, the King and Queen came over, switching off partners with the main two.
"I do hope that my son is behaving himself," Suikotsu said, as he danced with Jakotsu.
"Oh yes, your majesty. He's a perfect gentleman."
"A just like his father, then?" The King said with a smirk.
Jakotsu laughed, "Why yes, your majesty."
"He's clearly smitten with you. It was as if you appeared here by magic." Suikotsu continued.
"Well actually… well, let's just say everything about this night has been magical." The black-haired figure replied.
Nearby, the Prince danced with the Queen.
"What's he saying to her?" He muttered.
"What difference does it make? You said you wouldn't find anyone." Kikyou retorted.
"No actually, I'm just not to fond of dancing like this because of the alt-pairings involved." Bankotsu admitted.
Kikyou walked over and pulled Jakotsu a bit away, whispering, "Do we know your parents, dear?"
"Er…I don't think so." He looked about, noting a certain blonde-wigged, red-dressed, hooker-want-a-be glaring at them.
"Well, you must introduce us. Where are they?" The Queen continued.
"My father…he's uh…"
"Yes?" Kikyou waited expectantly.
"My mother is um… would you excuse me?" Jakotsu said, pulling away and heading out towards the garden.
Seeing the 'Princess' break off, Bankotsu stormed over and demanded an explanation from his parents, "What did you say to her?"
"I just…" The Queen began; only to see that the Prince had already ran off after the 'girl'.
"Things should work out, don't you think?" Suikotsu asked, walking up behind Kikyou.
"I hope so, or we'll be stuck in this fairytale universe until there's a happy ending."
Renkotsu had tried to catch a better glimpse of the mystery Princess, and when he turned to see her run past, had tripped over Mukotsu, almost loosing his wig in the process.
"Who's that, dear?" Kikyou inquired, seeing the two forms on the floor.
"Mukotsu and some badly dressed ugly woman." Suikotsu replied.
"Oh." She said, walking beside the King back to their chairs.
Outside of the ballroom hall, Bankotsu had just barely caught the wrist of the fleeing 'Princess' as 'she' ran towards the garden.
"Please, don't go."
"Your highness…" Jakotsu said, slightly shocked that he had even followed him.
"Look I don't know what they said to you, but I'm sorry." The Prince said, pulling 'her' back towards him.
"I know but…" The taller figure began to protest, until he felt the hand on his cheek, "Your highness?" He questioned.
"Please stay…" Bankotsu looked at him, his eyes pleading, then he leaned in and kissed Jakotsu briefly, turning away and blushing afterwards.
"I'll stay. For you." Jakotsu replied with a smile, interlocking his fingers with the braided man's as they walked off into the garden.
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Preview for Act VI-
Like all good fairytales, love is beginning to surface…but the stepfamily is out to sabotage it and if the Prince finds out Jakotsu's really a guy, will things still go as planned?