ONCE UPON A CLAMP CAMPUS
By Aya-CLAMPGAKUENlover
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Quick Guide:
Word – Utako's thoughts
Word - Akira's thoughts
Word – Flashback
A/N: I hope that the readers are enjoying their read on this story, it will the last chapter of Rapunzel?…THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EVERY SINGLE READER, REVIEWER OR NOT, FLAMER OR NOT, I appreciate all who read. That's all.
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"She's… my… BUT… Where is Utako-san? Where is SHE!"
Nagisa feared everything that would happen now, and what would happen in the future. Locked in the bubble chamber, she could only watch. She couldn't do anything. She can't shout to help the prince, nor can't warn the kingdom.
She tried to stop the sorceress. She got manipulated over her power. She finds out that the lady that the prophecy told to be Akira's lover is in hostage of herself. Life never gave a great chance for her to act.
"The prince starting to get jumpy all of a sudden? It must be a new emotion coming in you. I must tell you, your presence in this little story of mine is getting on my nerves. I must know what you think of her, or Utako will be seen dead, holding you little storybook." Eri laughed after seeing the worry on the prince's reaction. "You are little pawns to my happily ever after."
"If I told you, promise me that Utako-san and Nagisa-san won't get hurt?" Akira asked.
"Why such a promise? Why bring up Nagisa?" Eri asked.
"Nagisa has someone that will wait for her. I want him to find you again, Nagisa-san." Akira smiled.
"Ijyuin-kun…" Nagisa looked as if she was to burst out of tears.
I hope Eri keeps her promise… I'll find you.."…Utako-san used to look with a frown before I met her. I saw her coming out in her cage when I talked to her. Strange to say I felt like I got out of my cage as well. I was welcomed as a commoner in her heart, not as royalty. I loved her. I wanted to tell her how much I felt." Nagisa smiled on Utako's behalf. Those words were true, and it wasn't bluff.
"WELL? Get on with it!"
Akira smiled. It seemed that he finally got some feelings out of him. "I want to see Utako! My princess!"
Eri gasped.
There was a moment of silence.
After all which, Eri never hesitated to move and face Akira. She wanted to crush his little puppy dog eyes and watch him die. But she had something better in mind.
"Akira-ojji, do you want to see Utako that much?"
"Yes."
"Close your eyes. I think you'll be able to given a chance to see her..." Eri grinned. "…for the final time…" she thought.
This must be a trap. But, she might let me see how Utako is doing… Slowly, Akira closed his eyes.
"DON'T! Ijyuin-kun!"
Akira never saw anything. Darkness while eyes closed. Suddenly, a vision of a lady in pajamas holding a storybook came to his vision, while it was closed. "Utako-san?" It was like he was in that scene. It was like he was dreaming. But it all looked real.
Is this mere illusion?The lady was crying. The lady was looking up the trees, but found only the sky to comfort her tears. "20 Faces… I won't be able to see him again… I always wanted to tell him.. that…I…………."
That's Utako-san! She knows my thief name!"UTAKO-SAN!" He felt that he could get closer. A step away from her and darkness surrounded his vision.
…
Darkness started to block Akira's vision.
"Open your eyes now, prince." Eri softly said.
Akira slowly opened his eyes. "What's happening! Why can't I see!" He could hear Nagisa softly crying, but couldn't see her cry.
"You must be a fool to fall to my trap." Eri said.
"But the truth is, the prince is just wearing a black blindfold. A MAGIC BLACK BLIINDFOLD. It can only be taken of by a lady that really has loved him." Eri thought as she secretly laughed at Akira's situation.
"Now it's time you really fall to my trap!"
Akira didn't realize he was suspended outside, in the air, where Suoh can see him. "IJYUIN!" By letting Eri's fingers let go freely, Akira suddenly felt falling. He was falling fiercely in a part of the forest.
"IJYUIN! Where are you?"
"I had enough of waiting here for nothing!" Suoh tried to find Akira but he was out of sight. He suddenly jumped inside the tower and fate led everything in place.
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The lady was crying. The lady was looking up the trees, but found only the sky to comfort her tears. "20 Faces… I won't be able to see him again… I always wanted to tell him.. that…I.." Utako hesitated for a moment, feeling that someone was in the area. The leaves and blades of grass suddenly moved pointing to her. It was really strange.
"Is someone there?" Utako dried her eyes.
She felt more insecure when she heard the grass feeling smashed by a footstep. She held the storybook more close to her and used it as shield. The steps were getting closer. Utako can barely see a shadow right in front of her. "Excu!"
Utako moved recklessly and acted her age.
"TAKE THAT! I WAS TOLD THAT I SHOULDN'T GO NEAR STRANGERS!" A blonde boy received a great big whack on the head by a storybook holding girl, which was quite a disturbing sight.
The boy had great blonde hair as shiny as the sun. His blue eyes were as clear as the sky. His attire was strangely a school uniform with really short 'shorts'. He held a fan in his right hand, which had a character written meaning 'I'M NO STRANGER!'.
"I'm sorry for making you think I'm a stranger, young lady! I really didn't think at all that you were insecure when I approached you." The boy bowed to the lady.
"Why are you apologizing to me? I should be apologizing to you." Utako asked.
"I assure you that I am no shady guy, whatever that means. I am Nokoru Imonoyama, your fairy godfather and all around nice guy. You're name is Utako, isn't it?"
"How could you be my godfather if I'm not related to you?" Utako asked.
"Actually, being a fairy is pretty weird. I'm here to comfort you from your sadness." Nokoru explained.
"How did you know I was crying?" Utako asked.
"I saw you from atop a tree, 2 kilometers from here. Anyway, how can I help you to heal from your tears?" Nokoru smiled.
"There's nothing you can do to help me. Only one person can make me smile right now." Utako said.
"I guess only the person you like can comfort you right now." Nokoru said. "WAIT! I can bring him here!"
Utako was really surprised hearing that. "Really?"
"Sure, it is my duty to help damsels in distress! Just close your eyes and think of him so I would know who this boy is."
Utako closed her eyes and thought of Akira. There was darkness again. She didn't see anything. "I don't see anything." She said.
"Look closely."
In a flash, Utako saw everything that happened. Even before she ever met him, she saw him as a little boy. A blue-haired boy was always with him. He didn't seem to have much fun. But a flash, she saw Akira with Nagisa but he fainted and was sent out. She saw how Akira got to the tower and their first meeting. Everything in the middle seemed so fast. "Akira-kun is a prince?"
Suddenly, she saw herself. It was the incident that happened a moment ago. "Akira-kun!" Her visions suddenly hasten and she saw Akira getting hurt from Eri and blindfolded him. "PLEASE STOP SHOWING ME AKIRA NOW!"
"…Umm… Nokoru-san?" Nokoru was talking to someone on a strange device.
Nokoru hid a strange device behind him that looked like a wireless phone. "Hehe.. Never mind that! So, Prince Akira… He was the one who stole my vase…"
"You mean to say that you live in the kingdom!"
"Well, I also work as a guardian outside the kingdom, to prevent the 'evil' sorceress to enter the place. I lived at the kingdom for a short time.. but you get the picture!"
"Tell me, can I see Akira again?" Utako asked.
"The chances of him finding you would be 1 out of a hundred. He'll find himself?"
Utako suddenly turned glum and she had tear in her eye that seemed to look like a water drop. Nokoru smiled at her and patted her head. "Please don't cry. I'm here to help you, Utako." Nokoru said.
"Could you please move a little to the back, you might get smashed by that." Nokoru pointed up the sky.
A falling black object is going towards the ground. "Wow! What is that?" Utako asked.
Nokoru placed dark glasses to cover his eyes and turned on the weird device. "What is the emergency, choukan?" Two guys in 'Power Ranger' like costumes were viewed in the TV-like screen.
"I present you with a new mission, Duklyon. It's a 'find a missing person case'." Nokoru explained.
"WHAT! Another innocent citizen missing! WHEN WILL THE EVIL END!" The red-colored costume guy exaggeratedly said.
That guy has some exaggeration issues…"Stop it, Kentaro! So where do we search, choukan?" The blue-colored costume guy asked.
"Your search is on the western part of the woods, and here is his picture!" Nokoru flashed a picture of Akira with a blindfold on.
"Is that kid lost from a game of pin the tail on the donkey?" The blue-colored costume guy asked.
"Ahem… PLEASE GUIDE THAT BOY TO THIS PRETTY LADY HERE. That's all." Nokoru turned off the TV thing.
….?
"Arigatou, Nokoru-san!" Utako hugged Nokoru with excitement.
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WHY CAN'T I SEE? DID THE WITCH MAKE ME BLIND? But what about Utako-san? How can I find her if I can't see a thing?
Akira didn't realize that he was actually a few kilometers away from her. He was walking, even though he tripped a few times, hitting the ground. He used his hands to feel if he was about to hit a tree or a boulder.
WAIT A MINUTE! I'm used to walking in the dark, even if I can't see anything! I can use my ears to sense! And I thought being a thief was all-bad!
"I hope nothing horrible happens…"
Behind him was the DUKLYON team, finding Akira. "This job wasn't as hard, don't ya think so Takepon?" Kentaro, AKA red-colored costume guy, said.
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME TAKEPON!" He screamed.
What was that? Something is watching me. I'm sure.
"Can you get a grip, sweetcheeks? Can't you see this is a mission of union?" Kentaro asked.
"I guess so… WOULD YOU STOP CALLING ME THAT!" Takeshi, AKA blue-colored costume guy choked his companion.
The two guys surrounded Akira and checked if it was really him. "Kentaro, that boy looks a lot like the prince."
"You're right, Takepon."
I feel them right in front of me. They must be strangers. I have to get away, they might be…"Excu!"
"!"
In a split second Akira did a high jump and gave Takeshi a big kick in the face. That made Takeshi's mask break into two! "TAKE THAT! I WAS TOLD THAT I SHOULDN'T GO NEAR STRANGERS!"
"I'm sorry, kid! We didn't mean any harm! We're not strangers… HONEST!" Kentaro chuckled at Takepon's sight of pain.
"That kid kicked my face without seeing me? It's him who's doing harm!" Takeshi thought.
"Who are you guys?" Akira asked.
"We are the DEFENDERS OF PEACE, KNOWN AS DUK-" Takeshi covered his mouth even before Akira could hear it clearly. "RULE NUMBER 1! Don't give out our secret!" Takeshi whispered.
Akira sweatdropped.
"Are you with the sorceress?" Akira asked.
"US! WITH EVIL! N-E-V-E-R! We're here to guide you to a lady!" Takeshi and Kentaro said in union.
"Who?" He asked.
"We don't exactly what her name is but she has short black hair with a storybook. Right, Takepon?"
"DON'T CALL ME THAT! ..Yeah, she looks like that…"
UTAKO-SAN!
"Can you take me there?" Akira asked.
"SURE! She's just a few kilometers away from here!"
Arigatou gozaimasu…-
In the tower…
"Takamura-san!" Nagisa was surprised that she saw Suoh again.
"Nagisa-san!" Suoh approached her bubble chamber.
"HOHOHOHOHOHO! I don't know who you are but I'm sure that you can't get that girl out." Eri chuckled.
"Damn.." Suoh thought.
Nagisa held out her hand and showed Suoh the pinky ring. Suoh felt happy and felt tears pouring out of his eyes as well as Nagisa. "You kept my ring.." Suoh smiled.
"It was the only thing that kept me living.." Nagisa smiled.
Eri sweatdropped.
"Insolent boy! By interfering in my moment of triumph, I'll have to kill you!"
"Nagisa-san…" Suoh said in worry.
"Don't worry, everything's going to be alright." Nagisa pointed Suoh's hand, holding the lucky charm.
Eri became ticked off at the two, and she revealed her magical gun again.
"DIE!" The trigger of her gun triggered the secret of the lucky charm…
The surroundings became blinding white and the tower disappeared. "Let's go home Nagisa-san…"
"Hai…"
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Akira held Takeshi's hand and guided him throughout the forest. Kentaro was totally checking out for suspicious characters but found none. It was the end of the line.
Takeshi let go of Akira's hand and they left. Akira realized it and found himself alone.
"Excuse me, misters? Why did you both left me here?"
Somehow, the place was full of light and Akira was blind. He kept his eyes closed to the whole trip, since he can't see a thing but her felt warm light in that specific area. He slowly opened his eyes and he still found darkness.
But a little light came into him.
It made him want to know why he can see a small light.
The ground didn't seem like the ground anymore. Strangely, he felt flowers, and ¼ of his body was buried in it. The air was too cold and the breeze was too strong.
He could hear a small gasp and water drops.
He could hear a small sound.
It sounded like crying.
"20 Mensou ni Onegai (Please, 20 Faces)?"
Akira gasped and answered, "Hai?"
"Can I take off your mask?" The voice asked.
Slowly, Akira recovered his vision and smile to see he was in a hot air balloon with the girl he desperately wanted to see.
The girl that he almost lost.
The girl that waited for him.
The girl that made his heart open.
"Utako-san, I want to tell you something." Akira held her hands.
The strong breeze let the flowers fly and dance freely in the air. "Now I realize that I was a complete dummy not to tell you ahead how I really for you. Because I-I-I real-ly l-ove you…"
"…WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME SOONER! WHY!" Utako asked.
"I-I-I-'M SORRY! I'm truly a dummy, aren't I?"
"YEAH! YOU'RE REALLY A DUMMY! But… I fell in love with a dummy." Akira smiled.
"Let's go home." Akira said.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Akira held Utako up to his arms and let the little girl cry.
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We finally returned to the castle and my mothers welcomed Utako with great glee. The days and years seemed like only a second and we were already in our teens.
When it was the right time, he proposed and it seemed like it was already the end of our beautiful story.
No. It wasn't the end.
Me and Akira-kun had our wedding at the same time with Nagisa-san and Suoh-san… You're right… I can only say one thing……AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER! (Except Eri…)
A/N: What do you think! Anyway, I just used the same ending of 20 Mensou ni Onegai (Event 9: Like or Dislike). The concept is like Rapunzel right? Hehe…
Just leave a review before leaving, I hope it's not a flame... Thank you!
Ima anata dake ni
Suki tte kotoba wo
Ieru no
Donna mono kara mo
Anata no subete wo
Mamoru wa…