Disclaimer: I don't own Saiyuki.
Cinderella - Part 2
"Dry thoes tears now, dear," said a voice. "You can't possibly go to the ball looking like that!"
The audience sweatdropped. Kanzeon Bosatsu, as sexy as ever, appeared with a wink.
"Hello," she whispered.
"Who are you?" Hakkai asked, trying to sound like he really didn't know her.
"Why, I'm the great Kanzeon Bo - I mean - I'm your fairy godmother," Kanzeon Bosatsu said. "Watch me at work!"
"The fairy godmother waved her wand - no - hand," Homura narrated, "over a pumpkin and transformed it into a coach."
The audience started muttering among themselves. How did she do that? What a special trick!
"The fairy godmother waved her wa - hand! - once again and a beautiful snow white horse appeared," Homura continued. "She waved another hand this time over Cinderella's pet dragon, Hakuryuu. Hakuryuu turned into a coachman."
"I'm a human, I'm a human!" Hakuryuu yelled happily. Jiroushin was perplexed. Hakuryuu wasn't supposed to do that! And where's the magic wand and spell?
"Now, what about you, dear?" Kanzeon Bosatsu said, looking at Hakkai. For the first time, she noticed the rags. "Goodness, you can't go in that!"
"Muttering a few magic words - I guess she didn't - the fairy godmother waved her hand again and a beautiful costume took the rags' place," Homura narrated.
Hakkai gasped. "Did you ever see such beautiful clothes?" he said. "And look! Gla - er - leather shoes! They're so comfortable! Why, it's like a dream come true!"
"I thought that they're supposed to be glass slippers," Lirin said from behind the stage.
"Yeah, but your big brother forced me to change the script," Jiroushin muttered.
"Yes, my dear," Kanzeon Bosatsu said. "But, like all dreams, I'm very much afraid that it'll end in a nightmare."
The audience muttered among themselves. Hakkai sweatdropped. Jiroushin was ready to commit suicide, he had never felt like that over her before!
"You only have until midnight," Kanzeon Bosatsu said. "On the stroke of twelve, the spell will be broken. Poof! Bye-bye clothes and hello rags."
"She - isn't - supposed - to - say - it - like - that!" Jiroushin said, banging his head on the wall.
"I understand," Hakkai said. "But it's still more than I ever hoped for.
"Bless you, dear," Kanzeon Bosatsu said. "Now hurry up! The ball can't wait! Have a good time! Bye!"
The curtains dropped. Jiroushin was sobbing over his script. Everyone started demolishing the 'garden'.
"Good acting, Hakkai!" Goku said.
"Arigato, Goku," Hakkai said. "You're up next, right?"
"Em!" Goku said.
"No more lobster talk, okay?" Kougaiji growled.
"I like your acting," Yaone said to Hakkai.
"Arigato gozaimasu," Hakkai said. "You're wearing a nice dress."
"Arigato," Yaone said. "You too."
It was ready. Kougaiji and Goku went up onto a sort of balcony. Yaone took her place in the middle of the stage in a lovely dress. Sanzo, Gojyo and Dokugakuji stood in the mass of other men (other Saiyuki characters).
The curtain was hauled up. The men around Yaone began introducing themselves to her one by one. Yaone nodded at them with a smile. When they are gone, she fixed a face of no interest in them.
"What's wrong with the girl?" Kougaiji said. "She's not cooperating at all!"
"These plans never work in real life," Goku said. "Maybe we should try another better way. If you would just let her see the world a bit more..."
"Just as Drizella and Anastasia bowed before the princess," Homura interrupted, "Cinderella entered the ballroom. The princess caught sight of him," Jiroushin finally told him about the gender change, "and from that moment, she couldn't take her eyes of him."
Yaone hurried over to Hakkai and curtsied. "Would you dance with me?" she asked shyly.
"Ha! Look at that, Goku!" Kougaiji said. "My plan is working beautifully! Get the orchestra play a waltz and make sure no one disturbs them!"
The orchestra started up a beautiful waltz music. Hakkai and Yaone danced on the dance floor, ignoring everybody else.
"All evening, the princess danced with him," Homura narrated. "Everyone else wondered who this young lady - I mean - man could be."
"There's something very familiar about that guy," Sanzo muttered. He gave a half-hearted step towards them. Over enthusiastic Goku jumped in front of the bored blonde and stopped him. Jiroushin saw that scene and sighed. He should've picked someone else for the part, Sanzo is just not cooperating.
Slowly, the other people disappeared from stage. All was left are Yaone and Hakkai dancing to the music. Lirin rolled a miniature tower clock on stage and left it there.
Hakkai and Yaone danced till the music stopped. They continued holding on to each other, staring into each other's eyes. They started to draw closer. The Hakkai acted the part where Cinderella caught sight of the clock.
"Oh, no!" he said, taking a step back. "I have to go. Right now!"
"No, please come back!" Yaone said, holding his arm. "I don't even know your name! How could I find you?"
Hakkai ran down the provided stairs with red carpet. Goku chased after him.
"Cinderella knew that he hadn't a second to spare," Homura narrated. "He ran from the palace as fast as he could. He didn't even stop when one of his glass - I mean - leather shoe fell off on the palace steps. The grand duke was right behind him."
"Stop! Stop, young man!" Goku said. He speeded up a little and actually passed Hakkai. The crowd sweatdropped and Jiroushin look appalled.
Hakuryuu came to the rescue. In human form, he grabbed Goku and sort of pushed him out of the stage. Just as Hakkai, panting, reach the very last of the steps, the clock struck the twelfth stroke and everything was back to what it was.
"Kyuu!" Hakuryuu said, settling himself on Hakkai's shoulder. The magnificent clothes are gone, it was back to the rags. The coach was a pumpkin again, and there was no sign of the snowy white horse along with everything else.
Except for the leather shoes.
"Oh dear," Hakkai said. "I forgot about the time! But it was so wonderful. I danced with the loveliest woman ever. I don't think even the princess is as beautiful as she is!"
"Kyuu," Hakuryuu said, pointing the only thing that didn't disappear. Hakkai caught sight of it. He looked up to the ceiling.
"Thank you so much for everything," Hakkai said.
"You're welcome," Kanzeon Bosatsu replied. Everyone sweatdropped.
"That - wasn't - supposed - to - happen!" Jiroushin said, looking half crazed. "Why, oh, why is this happening to me?"
The curtain dropped over the scene. Everyone got on stage and began pulling apart the ballroom. They fixed it to look like back in the living room in the mansion as Homura narrated.
"At the castle, the princess vowed to marry no one but the mysterious owner of the shoe. So the king ordered the grand duke to search the kingdom far and wide until he found the gentleman who fit it. And so, the weary duke and messenger set out with the shoe."
The curtain rose. Sanzo sat on the velvet red chair again. Gojyo and Dokugakuji stood in the middle of the room as Hakkai swept the floor.
"Have you heard, Anastasia?" Dokugakuji said. "The mysterious man who danced with the princess last night left no name and no address. It seems that the only man who can fit the shoe left behind will marry her."
"I'm certainly going to get my foot into that shoe!" Gojyo said at once.
"No, I'm going to wear it!" Dokugakuji hissed.
"I was dancing with the princess!" Hakkai said with realization.
"What?" Sanzo barked.
"Nothing," Hakkai said quickly and continued sweeping the floor. Gojyo and Dokugakuji are still quarelling.
"Enough!" Sanzo yelled. Everyone, including the audience and Jiroushin, jumped. "There is still a stupid chance that one of you lazy louse can marry the princess. That smelly old shoe is their only clue!"
Everyone sweatdropped. Jiroushin started sobbing into his handkerchief over his screwed up lines.
"The duke knocked the door," Homura continued his narration just as Goku rapped the cardboard door sharply.
Hakkai reached to get it, but Gojyo and Dokugakuji beat him to it and yanked the door open.
"Hiya!" Lirin said.
"By order of the king," Goku said. "Every men in the kingdom is to try on this shoe."
Gojyo and Dokugakuji snatched at it and began trying to stuff their foot inside it. Gojyo was too eager to try it one that he put in the wrong foot.
"The stepsis - no - stepbrothers pushed and squeezed with all their might, but could barely get half their foot in," Homura said. "Finally, they gave up."
"Are there any food in this house?" Goku asked. "I'm starving."
"No, no, no!" Jiroushin hissed. "Ask for another man!"
"Ew!" Gojyo muttered. "Who would?"
"Are there any other guy in this house?" Lirin asked.
"There is no one else, baka!" Sanzo yelled. Jiroushin was ready to sob all over again.
"Your grace," Hakkai said. "Please, may I try it on?"
"Certainly, Hakkai!" Goku said.
"Cinderella!" Jiroushin hissed.
"Pay no attention to him," Sanzo said dully.
"He's just our butler," Dokugakuji said with a grin.
"He's out of his mind!" Gojyo said with a little more enthusiasm.
"Sir, my orders were every gentleman," Goku said importantly. He and Lirin led Hakkai to the chair. Hakkai tried the shoe on and it fitted perfectly, of course!
Gojyo and Dokugakuji fixed a surprised look on their face. Sanzo merely looked bored. Gojyo nudged him and Sanzo glared.
"And so," Homura said as Yaone made her appearance. "Cinderella and the princess - you know what, we should get a better name. I mean, Cinderella's a girl's name!"
"Just continue with your narrating!" Jiroushin yelled from across the stage towards Homura up there. The audience sweatdropped for about the hundredth time.
"Alright, alright," Homura grumbled. "They married and lived happily ever after."
The curtain fell and the audience stood up and clapped.
A/N: Review!