Rodger and Hammerstein's Cinderella

by nashie-chan

The rambunctious cast of Fushigi Yugi decides to perform the most beloved of Rodger and Hammerstein’s plays. Much to the chagrin of the director, not everything goes according to plan. UPDATE Chapter 5C.

8. 3A: Interlude and Solitude

CINDERELLA: A Fushigi Yugi Parody

Written by Nashie

-à-à-

Disclaimer: I don't own this stuff, okay? You want to rub it any my face even more than it already is? (goes off into a corner to sulk)

Random Inside Joke of the Day: "How the heck...how the heck does thing come out? Jeff, get the instruction manual!"

Random Quote of the Day: "Eh, Brendalin! I love you! Why don't you love me? Eh!"

-à-à-

CHAPTER 3:A – INTERLUDE AND SOLITUDE

The audience is beginning to shift restlessly in their seats as the change between scenes begins to exceed its three-minute mark. A majority of the audience begins murmuring with each other about poor timing when the curtain on stage right moves slightly, and a dark-haired girl wearing a black T-shirt, black cargo pants, and a black ski-knit cap steps onto stage, her headset draped around her neck as she waves shyly to the audience. She's followed by a flame-haired young man clothed in camouflage-jeans and an orange hooded sweatshirt, who has his hands jammed in his pockets as he smirks out at the audience.

Nashie shyly steps forward, blinking out into the darknened audience. "Hey, everyone...how's it going...?" Cheers erupt from the front row and the balconies, where Nashie's invites are currently situated. Nashie turns a bright red, visible even beneath dusty-colored skin, and jams her hands into her pockets. "Uh...I guess you guys want to know what the hold up is, right...?"

"You could say that," comes the response from the audience. Nashie bites her bottom lip and then scratches behind her head.

"Hehehehehe...well, I'll tell you...um...okay! Alrighty..."

"If you haven't guessed it," interrupts Tasuki, with a wicked grin on his face, "our director is scared of the spotlight...she's pullin' the shy act on you guys!" Nashie shuffles and glares at the seishi.

"Shut up, Gen-chan. You're not helping." She looks back towards the audience. "Um…okay, see, what had happened is that we got ourselves mixed in with a bit of a...well, we just got mixed into some nasty business in the wings. So we're having some trouble setting it up, and one of our cast members has to get patched up before he comes onto the next scene."

"What's wrong with my bishonen?" wails DJFiregirl from the front row. Nashie sweatdrops.

"Um...he'll be okay, just a few scratches...but, yeah. Anyway, that's why we have an extended delay. We hope to be back up and running within a few minutes. So, if you guys need to take a bathroom break or anything, now's the time to do it..."

"Yeah, get all the shit outta your ass now, cause we still got a while before intermission!"

A loud squawk comes from one of the balconies, and Nashie flinches as she peers up through the bright white spotlight to see a figure glowering down on her. She gulps back in fear, and clamps her hand over Tasuki's mouth, turning back to the audience and wishing that the spotlight wasn't on her anymore.

"Shut UP, Gen-chan," she stage whispers, gesturing wildly toward the balconies with her free hand. She then turns back to the audience. "So, I hope you guys have liked the musical so far. I mean, we really worked hard on it, and all. I'm kinda interesting in doing another one. Maybe Flower Drum Song or Anything Goes or Robin Hood: Men in Tights or something like that. What do you guys think?" The audience murmurs quietly among themselves as a few cheers ring out – they never expected the director to be crazy enough to do ANOTHER musical. But, of course, Nashie's mind has a weird way of working, so people just have to put up with her.

Tasuki manages to wrench free of Nashie's grasp. "So, we're gonna do another musical, huh? Let's do Pirates of the Caribbean." Nashie frowns.

"But it's so obvious who will play what..."

"No, not really..."

"Uh-huh," Nashie replies, giving Tasuki a long, pointed look. "Miaka will be Elizabeth, Tamahome will be Will, Hotohori will be Jack Sparrow…ahem…Captain Jack Sparrow, and you'll be Barbossa."

An indignant shout comes from backstage, and Nashie hides her smile. Even Tasuki looks slightly revolted at the idea of being an undead captain, and he shoves his hands into the front pocket of his sweatshirt.

"Okay, then, do...a rendition of Titanic." Nashie's eyes glaze over at the mention of one of her favorite movies, but she quickly shakes her head to clear her thoughts.

"No! I'm not that rich, y'know? The only reason I got money to do this musical is because I have inside connections. But even they wouldn't let me do Titanic. Let's think smaller, Gen-chan."

"Okay...Moulin Rouge?"

"It's a possibility...I liked that one..."

"Anastasia?" Nashie's eyes light up.

"Oh, my god! I would love to do that! Let's see...main characters, Suzaku seishi..." She begins counting on her fingers. "Okay, if we get..." She suddenly frowns. "No...we can't...I'm not putting any of you in a beard to be Rasputin..." She turns to the audience, a wide grin on her face. "If you guys have any good ideas, I'd like to hear them. Right now, I'm heavily leaning towards Anything Goes."

The audience again begins murmuring as Nashie's headset crackles. She adjusts it on her head, frowning and giving Tasuki a long look. "Director here."

"We'll have things up and running in less than ten minutes," comes Mitsukake's voice on the other end of the headset, "so you can relay the information to the audience. Tell them to consider it as an advantageous incentive for their benevolence with regards to the performing arts."

Nashie, eyes swirly from the use of big words, chokes out in a dazed voice, "I think that's the longest sentence I've heard come from you, Mits-san. Okay, then." She glances out at the audience. "Hey! Um...we have a ten-minute intermission! So, stretch your legs, go to the bathroom, and chat. And we'll be right back after a word from our sponsor!"

She grabs Tasuki and makes a break for the curtains, leaving behind a rousing audience. Many people get up to take advantage of their break and start heading towards the exits. Up in the balcony, Big Brother is still glaring at the spot they had been standing in, his arms crossed.

"I'm going to have a talk with her about that redhead..."

Out in the audience, the Matrix couple shares a look.

"I sense the urgency of finding the origins of Text," the girl whispers. Her male companion nods.

"It's either tonight or never. Let's wait until she falls into complacency before we make our first move. Someone in the cast must know of the origins."

Sitting behind the couple is a small, fifteen-year-old girl who somehow hears every bit of their conversation despite the fact that she's wearing headphones. She blinks big blue eyes and moves a strand a reddish-brown hair behind her ear, hoping that she heard the two wrong. With a sad gaze down at her unfinished picture, she realizes what she must tell the director before impending Doom decides to pay the cast and crew a visit.

With that decided, Neko-ane jumps up from her seat and makes her way to the door.

-à-à-

Nashie clambers back into the backstage area, fanning herself frantically as Tasuki doubles over laughing. She shoots him livid daggers as Chiriko and MoonshadowJedi give the terrified girl sympathetic looks.

"Thanks a lot, Gen-chan! I nearly died out there! You didn't help at all!" Tasuki ignores her, still laughing.

"You...shoulda...seen...your face...bwahahahahahaha!" He collapses on the floor in a fit of a hysterical laughter. Nashie looks around two seconds from pummeling her favourite's seishi's face into the ground, but at the last moment, seems to decide that that would be a waste of time and energy. She straightens up, and frowns.

"I'm glad you think it's so funny." She turns to face MoonshadowJedi. "Where's my favourite blue-haired monk? Is he still hurt?"

"I think he said he was going outside to get a breath of fresh air."

"But he's hurt! Oh, great! Now I have to chase after him, too? He's twenty-four freakin' years old, and I'M still chasing after him?" The director rubs her temples wearily. "Okay, I'm gonna go after Chichiri. Chiriko, if you will so kindly tie Tasuki up and dump him in his dressing room, I'll be much obliged."

She leaves in a huff, leaving behind a bemused MoonshadowJedi, a startled Chiriko, and a cackling Tasuki. The two sane ones of the trio share a look. Chiriko sighs.

"Well, I do take directions from the Supreme Director. MoonshadowJedi, can you hand me that roll of tape?"

-à-à-

Outside, the temperature has dropped a few degrees, and the winter chill nips the air with a biting vengeance. The night sky is clear, the black expanse overhead, slightly tinted orange from city light, beams down on the small theatre, tiny stars sparkling like diamonds and distant rubies. The roar of a low flying airplane passes over the unimpressive downtown of the city, and a certain maskless blue-haired monk looks up to see the twin lights of the plane disappear behind the city hall building. He sits on a stairway facing away from the street, a heavy black coat draped around his slender shoulders.

Nashie, ever the concerned director, emerges from a door behind him, wearing no coat and holding a travel-sized first aid kit. Chichiri turns to her and gives her a smile.

"Hello, Ms. Director. Were you looking for me?" Nashie gives him a crossed look.

"Listen, Chichiri. You got injured by a rampant lioness. Then you went outside in barely thirty-degree weather without your coat even buttoned up! Are you insane?"

"At least I have a coat on, Ms. Director, na no da."

"Don't get smart with me, Chichiri. Come back inside now before you catch a cold. And since you're older than me, I'm not at all pleased at having to sound like your mother." She sits down next to him. "Argh! And you know that I'm never able to stay mad at you...and you didn't even say anything!" The dark-haired girl glares suspiciously at him. 'Some sort of magician trick that I'm not aware of?"

"No trick, no da! I'm just lovable like that." At Nashie's scowl, Chichiri smiles. "Don't do that – your face might get stuck like that, no da. Then you'd be even scarier than Taiitsukun." He gives Nashie a playful noogie that ruffles her cap, and knocks her headset askew. She bats his hand away with a grin of her own, linking her arm through his. For a moment, they both stay quiet and simply stare up at the stars in the sky, content with the serene feeling that passes through both of them. Nashie sighs, trying once again in vain to find the ever-elusive Polaris, which she has finally decided is not in the north, but in the southeast. Slowly, yet surely, her head drops onto Chichiri's shoulder and her eyes close as she buries her face in the monk's coat.

Now I know why there are so many Chichiri-fangirls out there…she thinks to herself.

For a few more moments, they stay like that – Nashie with her head resting on one of Suzaku's chosen while he stares pensively up at the beautiful constellations. Finally, she shifts slightly, a slightly dazed smile appearing on her face as she sits up, but still holding onto Chichiri's arm.

"You still have to get patched up," she says in a sing-song voice.

"I was hoping you'd forget about that, no da."

"Nope. Not me. I have to make sure all of my babies are healthy and unhurt. So we have to go and get you unhurt." She giggles. "Besides, it's cold out here." Chichiri stands and helps Nashie to her feet.

"But it's a clear night, no da. How many times to we get that?" Nashie's eyes light up the moment Chichiri says "it's a clear night" and she links her arm through his, and begins to sing an old song from a musical, her pleasant breathy alto quiet in the winter night.

'The night is young, the skies are clear

If you'd like to go walking, dear...

It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely

I understand the reason why

You're sentimental 'cause so am I

It's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely'

Chichiri laughs as he pulls Nashie into a moderate-paced 20s-style swing step, completed with Nashie's beloved Charleston and jazz hands. Together they perform the old-fashioned dance of the roaring twenties era under the starlight.

'You can tell at a glance

What a swell night this is for romance

You can hear dear Mother Nature murmuring low

Let yourself go!'

Chichiri swings her out of his arms on the last line, and then swings her back in so that his arms are crossed over her chest with her back against him.

'So please be sweet, my chickadee

And when I kiss you just say to me

It's delightful, it's delicious

It's delectable, it's delirious

It's dilemma, it's de-limit, it's deluxe, it's de-lovely!'

The two crew members collapse against each other, laughing. Chichiri waves a scolding finger at the director, though he finds it hard to keep a straight face after the quick little dancing interlude.

"Now, Nashie. We better get back inside before we both go crazy, no da!"

"Oh, whatever." She laughs, giving him a playful crossed look. "Alright then. Lets go, mage."

With her arm still linked through his, they re-enter into the theatre, both of them sharing identical smiles on their faces.

-à-à-

Backstage, MoonshadowJedi has gotten her hands on a bottle of aspirin, a large bottle of 7-Up, and a nice relaxing chair. Her feet are propped up in another chair directly in front of her, and she stairs out onto the currently empty stage, wondering how in the world Nashie had convinced her to join stage crew after her years of simply being in the musicals and the plays in high school. She let out a long, shuddering sigh, and tried to concentrate on vanquishing the lesser of the two evils – her migraine.

She senses an approaching figure long before she hears their footsteps, but chooses to keep her eyes close, even when the said person sits down on the vacant chair next to her. MoonshadowJedi remains totally and completely silent, hoping that whichever cast or crew member it is will think that she's asleep and leave. She even adds in a snore for more affect. The person sighs in irritation.

"That only helped in increasing the obvious fact that you're awake. Wake up, onegai."

MoonshadowJedi, grumbling about how she's never able to get proper beauty rest, cracks her eyes opens and sits up in her chair, turning to face whoever it is had addressed her. It's Nuriko, who had already changed into his emerald gown for the upcoming confrontation scene. His violet hair cascades over slender shoulders in a Teki-original hairstyle. MoonshadowJedi quickly wonders about the androgynous-looking youth's appearance before giving him her full attention.

MoonshadowJedi scratches behind her head. "Not to be rude or anything, but I was kind of hoping for a little nap before we got started on the next scene."

"I know...it's just that there's no one around to talk to, and since you weren't really sleeping…"

"I never said I was Nicole Kidman." At Nuriko's blank stare, MoonshadowJedi sighs. "Nicole Kidman is an actress who won the 2003 Academy Award for Best Actress – um, that's a really prestigious statue you get for being the best in the performing arts. Um…anyway, what did you want to talk about?"

"Oh...um...nothing, really." MoonshadowJedi groans and rolls her eyes up to the ceiling.

"You're definitely Nashie's baby then. She never knows what she wants to talk about either. Just comes up to your and starts randomly jabbering about cheese or the origins of the alphabet. Okay, then...if you want something to talk about, talk to me about…your upcoming scene then."

"Nothing to talk about there."

"Oh, really? Don't you have a song coming up? With Hotohori-sama?"

"...maybe..." The short brunette suddenly grins, and pats the young man on the shoulder.

"Well, since you have the hots for him, it's gotta be a great thing for you, right?"

"Noooo…not exactly." He squirms uncomfortably, biting his lower lip. "See, there's this whole little 'I love the Suzaku no miko' stuff, and, compared to her, I really can't compete." He gives a forced smile. "Besides, I get to taunt Tama-chan during this scene. He was always embarrassed about it during rehearsals…" He trails off, lost in his own little world. MoonshadowJedi blinks.

Talk about low self-esteem…or something. I mean, she's just as pretty as Miaka, less ditzy, and…I don't know. Am I supposed to play matchmaker? Footsteps snap her out of her thoughts and she looks up, wincing. "Crap! Think fast. Here comes the object of your desires."

Nuriko gives MoonshadowJedi a quizzical look at the phrase, but manages a polite wave as Hotohori approaches. The emperor is wearing a white dress shirt, deep blue vest, and darker pants, his jacket draped over his arm, and his hair pulled back into a low ponytail. He looks slightly startled at seeing the two sitting there, and pulls up a chair to join them. MoonshadowJedi struggles hard not to fall over in a dead swoon – of all the males she had ever met and drooled over, Hotohori certainly the crème of the crop.

"So...is everything ready for the next scene?" Hotohori nods.

"I believe so. All we need now is for Nashie to finish bandaging up Chichiri."

The lucky girl! "I hope they'll be done soon. The audience may start to get a little riled up...hehehehehehe..."

She stops, noticing the tension in the air, and looks from one seishi to the next and then back again, a frown forming on her lips. Though far from being the illustrious Eros, she was no stranger when it came to the matchmaking business (even if some of her ventures didn't exactly end in a happy ending), and decided to see if she could pull some of her old magic out and try on these two unfortunate souls.

"Big number coming up," she suddenly says after clearing her throat. "A duet, if I'm not mistaken. Nashie is really hyped about it, and the feeling is contagious. Hope it doesn't disappoint." Nuriko gives MoonshadowdJedi a look to freeze the fires of hell, but the college student ignores him. "I heard Nashie and Sake talking about it over the mike. I swear, those two dunderheads can make a documentary about the reproduction of the sagebrush sound interesting." She pauses. "Well, maybe not the documentary about the reproduction of the sagebrush, but at least something close to it that's vaguely more interesting. Maybe the statutes of limitation…or workings of the government in Botswana. No, even they couldn't do that one...oh, definitely quantum physics. Nashie tried to explain that in "Dreams of the Forgotten"…with disastrous results, might I add."

By now, both of the seishi are giving MoonshadowJedi seriously worried looks – worried because of the obvious troubled state of her sanity.

"Maybe you should get some rest..." suggests Hotohori. MoonshadowJedi blinks.

"Huh? Oh...right...um...I'll go back to the make-up room. Someone tell me when we're about to start, okay?" She gets up from her chair, grabs her 7-Up, and heads off towards the make-up room. Nuriko and Hotohori watch her go, and Nuriko shudders.

"Now THAT was scary." Hotohori nods in agreement.

"I am seriously concerned over her current mental health. It should not be normal to talk excessively over nonsense." Nuriko snorts.

"I don't think anyone on crew is normal. Especially not the Supreme Director." He glances around to make sure the aforementioned direction didn't hear the jibe, and then he sighs. "Why can't people be more like us? Cool, collected, and drop-dead gorgeous?" Hotohori gives the smaller seishi a long look, long enough for Nuriko to turn a bright rose color when he realizes what he just said. Suddenly very shy and nervous, he ducks his hand, twiddling with his hands anxiously.

"Um...Hotohori-sama...about that kissing scene...we don't have to do it if you want…I mean, Tama-chan is already nervous about having to kiss me on the cheek...so...um...we don't have to, you know." Hotohori frowns slightly.

"The Director won't be happy if we don't."

"Screw it," Nuriko grumbles. "If you don't want to, then I don't want to. Besides, it's not like she can't make something like that up in her mind, the weirdo." He sighs and gets to his feet. "Well, I'm going to go find Tama-chan and see if I can't torment him anymore." He bows slightly before retreating off towards the make-up room. Hotohori watches him go, an eyebrow raised slightly. He doesn't notice a fuming MoonshadowJedi in the shadows, who wonders where on Earth she went wrong with her matchmaking.

Well, I'm gonna resolve this one quick! And for sure! If my name isn't MoonshadowJedi...and it is!

She nods quickly before hurrying off to the make-up room.

-à-à-

Ten minutes later, the audience settles back into their seats, some wondering aloud whether or not this would be the last interruption of the night. The house lights dim once again and the orchestra quietly begins to play the instrumental of "In My Own Little Corner".

The curtains slide open to reveal the ballroom, currently being prepped for the ball. It's the most detailed set of the night, and the audience has a chance to glimpse it in its pre-glory. Their reaction, as Nashie had hoped, is of stunned awe.

The room itself follows a subtle rococo style. A spiral grand staircase, resilient in white marble with golden railings is pushed to all the way into the upstage area, and is currently being decorated with red, peach, and white roses, peaking from beneath thick emerald leaves. Servants are polishing the handrails and sweeping the stairs to make them pristine. Two small crystal chandeliers hang from silver ropes in the rigging system, but are currently turned off, as the other lights currently light up the entire stage. Thick green shrubbery lies behind two flats on stage right and stage left, which are outfitted with real Victorian glass doors that are being polished by even more servants. The entire set is painted in white, shades of blue, and the palest of pinks and lavenders.

Nuriko and Hotohori are standing at the foot of the grand staircase, talking to a man in a navy blue suit who is holding a scroll, and writing a few things down. Chichiri is currently standing on a ladder over one of the doors, hanging up a wreath of bright blue morning glories and crimson roses, and is humming the harmony of "The Prince is Giving A Ball".

At that moment, Tamahome appears at the top of the stairs, an angered look on his face. Dressed in a blue silk shirt and black pants, he looks every inch the dignified noble he's supposed to be – except for the look on his face. He descends at a frightening pace, and catches Nuriko's eye.

"Mother!" Nuriko winces.

"Eep!" He turns and walks away towards Chichiri. Tamahome races after him.

"Mother! Listen to me! You must call this ball off!" Nuriko smiles pleasantly.

"Not possible. It's difficult to stop once you've got the ball rolling." He laughs at his joke and continues to walk away. Tamahome scowls at the joke, and continues to follow. "Besides, what would we tell everyone?"

"Tell everyone that you went behind my back, and that you're very ashamed of yourselves." The look Nuriko gives Tamahome causes some people in the audience to snicker. The violet-haired young man blinks.

"Ashamed?" Hotohori, having overheard the conversation, walks up to them, a disapproving look on his face.

"I've never been ashamed of anything my entire life – I'm not about to start now."

A giggle can be heard backstage, of which the three actors choose to ignore. Tamahome storms up to the two older seishi, his fists clinched at this sides – the perfect picture of betrayed anger. Chichiri looks down at the parent-child feud and clears his throat quietly.

"I probably should not interfere…"

"Probably," the three brooding royals snap back. Chichiri clears his throat, slightly ruffled.

"But let us say the prince does go to the ball tonight…" Tamahome gives Chichiri a shocked look, glaring up at him.

"Traitor!"

Nuriko grins. "I like the sound of that."

"Lets say the prince does go to the ball tonight," continues Chichiri, "and he finds his future bride, na no da. Well, that's wonderful. But if he does not…" He trails off and looks at Tamahome pointedly.

Tamahome suddenly understands the lead, and a smile blooms across his face, causing many fangirls in the audience to flush, giggle, or fall over in suppressed squeals.

"Lionel, you're brilliant." He spins around to face his "parents". "Mother, Father, I'll go to the ball tonight. But if I don't find her tonight, you'll let me fall in love my own way, with no interferences, no matter how long it takes." Nuriko gives him a stunned look, and turns to Hotohori, a clear "is he serious" look on his face. Hotohori sighs, and gives a small shrug, and a smile.

"It does have a ring of fairness to it…" Nuriko looks from Hotohori to Tamahome and then back again, seeing that he has been defeated in the vote. Finally, he smiles, shaking his head and throwing up his arms in defeat.

"Well, I suppose," he says quietly. "If that's what you want…"

Tamahome smiles. "Thank you, Mother!" He hesitates, turns a familiar shade of scarlet, and then kisses the purple-haired seishi on the cheek before turning to give Hotohori a hug. One last faltering smile and he's gone. Nuriko smirks evilly at Tamahome's embarrassment, and crosses his arms. Chichiri winces, knowing either Tasuki or Nuriko will rub in the kiss after the scene, and he scratches behind his head nervously.

"Don't worry, Your Majesties. He'll find her tonight, no da. I can feel it in my bones." Nuriko gives him a deadpan look.

"You'll feel it in your bones if he doesn't."

He surreptitiously kicks the ladder as he passes, causing it to go slamming into the wall. The balance lost, Chichiri grabs the top rungs on the ladder, already in SD form. "Daaaaa!" He manages to right himself before he would have hurtled to the floor."Careful, Your Majesties…no da…"

Nuriko and Hotohori walk back to center stage, as Chichiri slides down the ladder and exits through one of the French doors. One by one, the servants start to exit as well as the light begin to dim, only leaving behind the blue scoop lights and the spotlights.

Nuriko sighs. "Are you sure it's wise to let him pick a bride on his own? He's young, and doesn't know what he's looking for..." Hotohori turns to him.

"I was young and didn't know what I was looking for when I married you...yet see how we've turned out." He frowns, a questioning look in his eyes. "Unless you're suggesting otherwise..."

"Oh, no! What did you think I meant? Just because we were both young, and you didn't know what you were looking for, doesn't mean I don't love you." The smaller seishi gives his "husband" a suspicious look. "Why did you say that? Do you think I don't?"

"Well...the way you phrased it..." Nuriko laughs aloud and links his arm through the taller young man's, shaking his head in exasperation. Backstage, Nashie is nearly jumping up and down in anticipation of her favourite song while Tasuki, free from his taped restraints and back in his costume, edges away from her. Chichiri, who has emerged from the curtains to join the crew of stage right, chuckles quietly and peers out over Nashie's shoulder to see the scene. Tama-neko and Mitsukake watch from behind the two shorter stage crew members, ready for the scene change to occur right after the song.

In the pit, the pianist begins playing his solo for "Boys and Girls Like You and Me". Sake slips up behind Nashie, and pokes in her the arm to alert her presence. Nashie gives a small wave, but wastes no time in conversation as the two fangirls gaze out onto the stage.

"So, you really did doubt me for a second." He smiles gently. "I love you, Max. And that's the truth.

'We walk on every city street

We walk in lanes where branches meet

And stars send their blessings from the blue

We go through storms of doubt and fear

And so we walk from year to year

Believe in each other as we go

Bravely marching forward, two by two'

He walks downstage, lost in his own thoughts, trailed by Hotohori.

'Boys and girls like you and me

Walk beneath the skies

They love just as we love

With the same dream in their eyes'

As the clarinets and flutes join in, Hotohori wraps his arm around Nuriko's waist, and they perform a slow waltz. Nashie is grinning like the Cheshire cat backstage, mirrored by Sake. Tasuki pokes Mitsukake and gestures to the two young women. Mitsukake laughs silently, shaking his head in sheer amusement.

'Songs and kings and many things

Have their day and are gone

But boys and girls like you and me

We go on and on'

Up in second balcony, Kaoru stares down at the scene with a fluttery romantic look on her face as she clings to Kenshin's arms. "How romantic!" Yahiko rolls his eyes.

"This is boring! It's a love song! Get back to the dancing!" Kenshin gives the young boy an embarrassed smile.

"They are dancing, de kozaru." Megumi nods in agreement.

"I agree with Kaoru-chan. It's very beautiful."

Sano grunts and crosses his arms.

In the first row, DJFiregirl watches with stars glittering in her eyes, swooning.

"He is SO hot...better than Orlando Bloom..." Ashley murmurs. Silverscape sighs, and tugs at her ear in exasperation.

"Nashie loves the shonen-ai."

Back on stage, Hotohori and Nuriko are completing the waltz and are singing the last refrain together.

"Songs and kings and many things

Have their day and are gone

But boys and girls like you and me

We go on..."

Nuriko sweeps into an elegant curtsy, his head bowed. Hotohori reaches out and lifts the violet-haired seishi's chin up to meet his eyes.

'...and on...'

He prepares to pull away for the blackout when Hotohori pulls him closely against him, tilts his head, engages him in a deep and passionate kiss. The smaller seishi's eyes go wide in pure shock, and his cheeks enflame to a startling red at the abrupt change in the scene. Whoops, cheers, and catcalls fly up from the audience, along with a loud, hearty round of applause, especially from the front row where a certain red-haired fangirl is jumping up and down. Nuriko, both flabbergasted and thrilled, decides to finally just give into the kiss, and he wraps his arms around Hotohori's neck, enjoying the moment while it lasts.

Backstage, Nashie's jaw drops to the ground – she placed a simple peck on the lips in the script! Finally, she manages to emit a small squeal of disbelief, never imagining in her wildest dreams that the two seishi would actually take it...ahem...somewhat further.

"Damn! That's one serious kiss." Tasuki's eyes are wide in disbelief.

Sake, next to her, is grinning wildly.

"Alright, baby!" She begins to sing, "It's gettin' hot in heeere...so take off all your clothes..." Nashie, however, has a totally different reaction.

"Oh, my god. If my brother finds out they're both guys, he's gonna FREAK!"

Up in the balcony, where the aforementioned brother is sitting, the small group of friends has a variety of actions. Jeff clamps his hand over his mouth, his shoulders shaking from repressed laughter. K-Rod raises an eyebrow, but other than that, his face is blank. Al takes one look at Big Brother and shakes his head.

"Man, I wish that was me kissing her." He sighs. "Alright, you two. Move it along. If I can't kiss her, nobody can!"

"Get a room," Big Brother mumurs under his beath.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Orlando, of course.

Backstage, Nashie is still trying to pull herself out her momentary state of shock. "Um...blackout? Please? Teki-chan? Anyone?"

"And disappoint all the fangirls in the audience?" Teki asks, sighing. "It's your funeral. Blackout, and a change to the stepevil's house."

The lights on stage go completely dark as the black curtains swing close. Nashie doesn't even wait for them to go out completely before she stomps out onto the set, grabs both Hotohori and Nuriko, and drags them over to stage right, muttering curses the entire way. As she passes a silently cheering Miaka and a mystified MoonshadowJedi, she gives the latter a slow, dangerous look.

"MJ, my headset is going to be off for the next five minutes or so while I yell my brains out at these two. Make sure the scene is finished within three minutes." MoonshadowJedi nods.

"Okay." She gives the two seishi sympathetic looks. "Don't go too hard on them, will you?"

"Moi? I'd never." To emphasize her statement, she squeezes harder down onto the two wrists in her hand, and storms off towards the make-up room. She kicks open the door and drags the two offenders in, not quite slamming the door behind her. Crossing her arms, she glares at the two, unfazed by the fact that she has to glare up at one of them

"THAT was not in the script!"

"It was completely my fault," Hotohori interrupts, though he doesn't look the least bit sorry for his actions, and Nashie can tell. She glares at him.

"Don't play noble now, Hotohori. That little fiasco out there – did I write that in the script? No. Did you ask me if you could do that? No. Will I be murdered when Disney finds out I have two guys kissing in their classic faerie tale? MOST LIKELY!" She grabs the nearest script and frantically pages through it. 'Short kiss on the cheek' – THAT'S what I wrote! Not a freakin' French kiss!"

"I thought we kept it clean," Nuriko pipes up, giving Nashie an innocent smile. Nashie throws the script down in frustration.

"Argh! I could really hit you right now. But damn it, I like you too much." She glares. "And that's what I put the kiss in there for in the first place. To make you happy. Not for you guys to go to first base..." Both Hotohori and Nuriko go red at this statement. Nashie mutters something under her breath, crossing her arms.

"Well..." Nuriko manages after a moment, "I'm happy..."

Nashie rubs her temples. "I'm glad to hear that. But I don't want to be sued. You know how bad that would be? Since I have, how do they say it, NO MONEY!" She sits down on a vacant chair, shaking her head. "You guys really better hope that everyone here is a fan of the show. And pray that my brother doesn't figure out that you're a guy." She gives Nuriko a pointed look.

"We're sorry, Nashie-chan." This time, Hotohori actually does look apologetic. "It won't happen again."

"It better not." Nashie's tone is harsh, and the two seishi give each other similar looks, preparing for another tirade. But Nashie, being Nashie, is hardly ever able to stay mad at people for long, and soon, a wide grin breaks out onto her face as she launches herself at the two seishi and pulls them into a hug. "Sooo...how serious was that kiss? Details, details, people!"

Nuriko blushes. "Um...that's none of your business..."

"Ooooh...you're both blushing...hehehehe! I wish I had my camera! You two look so sweet!"

Hotohori shakes his head slightly. "Nashie..."

"Okay, okay, okay. I get the point. But I'm going to find someway to get you two back for the ten years you just shaved off my life just now. How's that for a deal?"

Before either of them can respond, Nashie gives a flippant wave and saunters out of the make-up room. The two remaining seishi share terrified looks at the prospect of the foreboding promise, wondering if it was such a good idea after all not to break away from the kiss that will have many fans talking for days.

-à-à-