Part 3 of RAPUNZEL?

By Aya-CLAMPGAKUENlover

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A year later..

FRIDAY..

"AKIRA-SAN!!! WHERE ARE YOU GOING OFF TO AGAIN?!" demanded Akira's mothers. He faced his mothers with a suspicious grin. "W-What a-a-are you talking a-about?" His mothers thought curiously and made a 'HMMM' sound. "One thing Akira-san.. You have been sneaking out the castle every Friday after we asked for that vase. Doesn't that sound weird Queen A?" Queen A agrees. Akira sweatdrops and became more exaggeratedly scared.

"U-umm-Ah you s-see, I need to get more umm... GOT TO GO!" Akira jumped quickly outside and dashed into the woods. Queen A and B sweatdropped. Queen A became serious and made a serious look. "Queen B! I think Akira-san is in love!"

"I think so too! That's got to be it!"

"Akira-san has found himself a cute princess. If were talking about Akira-san, she must be CUTE!"

"I'm pretty sure she must have two eyes, a nose and hopefully only one mouth.."

"..And a fluffy tail! I'm hoping for brown or black fur! And! and.."

"..Can play fetch and do cool dog tricks! Akira-san did love dogs no?" Queen A wondered and became lost. "Umm...What are we talking about again?" They became confused and made a 'HMMM' thought again. Meanwhile at the woods, Akira finally arrived at the tower he secretly goes every Friday.

"Utako-san!!" Akira called out her name. Utako looked out the only window still found at the tower and smiled. "KONBANWA!" Utako shouted. Akira smiled at her while taking out a hook with a long rope tied to it. He threw the hook up the window still and climbed up with the tower.

"Akira-kun?"

"What is it, Utako-san?" Akira curiously asked. "Is that a storybook you're holding?" Akira nods.

"May I see?"

"Of course!" Utako looked into the storybook and read some of the stories found in it. After reading, she was amazed at the stories found at the storybook. Akira asked her to talk about how she felt when he read the stories while having tea. Akira was glad Utako didn't get bored at all reading it. "Wow! Those stories were great!" said Utako.

"I'm glad you liked it." Akira warmly smiled. "I especially liked RAPUNZEL!" (Aya: Hehe..) They sat at the table, eating sweet apple pie and drank milk tea. Akira's thoughts were focused on her, as he secretly gazed at her presence. 'I'm glad that you're truly happy right now, Utako-san..'

I'm very pleased that I made you truly happy

I've known you for so long and now, I wonder..

What am I feeling today?

I always feel warm inside when I see you smile,

No. Everything about you makes me really warm inside..

I feel that... And I..

Utako quickly noticed Prince Akira has his head up in the clouds. She could tell if he has something important in mind, knowing him for a year now. "Is there anything wrong, Akira-kun? Don't tell me.. IS IT THE CAKE?!" Utako acted strange on her words.

Love Utako-san..?

"L-L-L-v-e..Y-Y-Y-u" Utako didn't get a word he said, making her sweatdrop. "I'm sorry! I kinda didn't get what you were saying." Utako looked at him with sweet worry.

"Is there something you want to tell me?"

Did that just came out of my mouth?!

Will I tell her?..

Utako became worried that Akira cocked his head down, like a puppy. Akira looked at Utako's worried eyes and blushed. "It's nothing really!! HA-HA!" He grinned. Utako laughed at his actions, telling him that he acted like a dog.

Outside the tower Nagisa Azuya, AKA "EVIL WITCH", looks up the window and wonders. "I knew it. Utako has been hiding something from me." said Nagisa seeing beautiful candle lights by the window. "No six-year old can stay this late at night.." Nagisa yawns.

"She's been acting strange lately." Nagisa remembers a lot of incidents that made her a lot suspicious. Pleading for a kitchen of her own inside the tower, asking for more food and making a big mess at culinary training. All those things really are strange.

"She's definitely hiding something."

It was already midnight, Akira's time to say goodbye for another week. Just before leaving, he gave Utako the Storybook and said, "Utako-san?"

"What is it?"

Akira sighed and smiled. "T-The next time we meet, I-I'll tell you something.."

"Why won't you tell it now?" Utako asked. Akira dashed away before she even finished the question.

Next morning...

"Utako-san....Utako-san.." Nagisa tries to wake her up. "Huh?" she yawns. Utako tries to clear her vision and gets out of bed. Nagisa asks her to come to the table with her to eat. It was pretty unusual to her because she hasn't done that ever. Nagisa pours milk tea unto Utako's glass. She sips into the glass and looked out.

"I want to talk to you about something important." Nagisa said.

"Important?" Nagisa nods. "I want to seal the window." Utako became shocked on her idea.

"W-Why? Don't close it!" Utako slammed the table. The teakettle fell from the table to the floor. Nagisa looked at her with suspicion as the clouds started to darken. Utako gasped and stepped backward, dropping her chair. Her heartbeat pumped on high speed and started to feel nervous.

"Why?"

"I-It's b-because.." Nagisa suddenly stunned, creating a powerful golden aura inside the tower. The impact of the light even spread outside the tower and to the kingdom of the Two Queens. Akira was heading for the throne room where his mothers' reside. On the window, he received a small push from the light he saw through the window. "?! What was that?" He suddenly remembered Utako's tower was in that direction, seeing clearly the tower turns to a bright yellow light.

Suoh, his fellow companion at the castle approached Akira when he felt the aura. "Is there something wrong, Ijyuin?" He said when he saw Prince Akira retrieving a sword and breaking the window. "Takamura-senpai, do you see that tower with a blinding yellow light?" Akira spoke in a serious tone. Suoh nods.

"I've never seen you like that." Suoh deduced.

"A person that I know.. No. A person I truly love is in that tower." Akira faced his childhood friend and mentor.

"Ijyuin.." Suoh watched him jump down the castle walls, heading to the shining tower.

"What am I doing? I should help his Highness. As his friend, I should assist him in times of need."

--

"HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! Finally, I broke out of that wretched Nagisa-san.." Nagisa fainted and Eri came out of her body. Utako gasped seeing Nagisa trapped in a magical barrier. Eri Chusonji IS THE REAL EVIL WITCH!

"So Nagisa-chan was only controlled by an evil witch?!"

"Have you ever wondered why Nagisa-san is nice to you every once in a while?! She's just a pawn in my plan! Now that I got fully her powers, I'll be evil! HOHOHOHOHOHO!" Eri lifted her with her powers and retrieved the yellow bow Utako wore. She puts her in a barrier and sends her to the deepest part of the forest. Eri saw a storybook lying down the floor, which made her a little sorry.

She sends the storybook to Utako's barrier. Nagisa awoke, seeing that she got trapped in her own magic. "Chusonji-chan! What have you done to dear Utako-san!?"

"SILENCE!!!" Eri summoned the great kamaitachi and hit her with great force. Nagisa fainted in her own elemental nature. Eri made a weird security system, looking at the forest. "I see Utako-san is still trapped in my barrier.. Good! Good!" she grinned.

"What's this?!" She saw a prince, running towards the direction of the tower.

--

"Utako-san..." Akira took all his strength in running in all the painful paths he went into. Suoh jumped from tree to tree to watch over his friend. "Looks like Ijyuin is headed with determination.. I better keep a low profile, so he wouldn't see me following him.." Suoh cuts the tree, without Akira's notice and used another path.

Eri grinned and removed the magic security system. "A great surprise is prepared for a prince such as himself.."

TO BE CONTINUED ON PART 4

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Aya: Well?! What do ya think?! I guess Eri makes a great villain! I ask now and beg for long, beautiful reviews! I worked hard on this chapter, even flames are accepted (AS LONG AS THE FLAME HAS A REALLY GOOD REASON.. hehe)!