Okay, uh... I'm back? I pretty much already planned out what's gonna happen in later chapters and I changed the summary since the first part of the story is... fluffier - honestly, I just wanted to end this peacefully and fluffily (which it will) but we're gonna have some... more serious stuff happen, focusing on Kuroko's past pretty much. But I hope you enjoy, thank you for all those who've been reading this story up to this point, it means a great deal to me :) and the reviewers from the latest chapter too, just came to post this and Rise of the Sidekicks... otherwise, my connection is crappy, so I apologize if this seems rushed.
Cinderella: A Twist in the Tale, of the second year middle schoolers of Teikou, proved to be a big success – well-received by teenagers and adults alike. It was now the final performance – and the allotted time didn't get in the way of their anticipating the midnight special, several had gathered – if anything, the whole auditorium of Teikou was packed – with not only repeat watchers but new faces as well. Kuroko was simply glad it was a success – the rest too of course.
They settled for Akashi being the first day's prince (after "unfortunate things" happened to Aomine so he couldn't make it on stage) while Aomine being the prince on the second day – of course the midnight special was something anticipated, after all – it was a bonus.
For the third day, two princes were to fight for the hand in marriage of Cinderella – it sounded like a welcomed idea actually, though Kuroko was reluctant – after all, no one knew what could happen when the two fought for... certain things.
And he no longer wanted to lie – that he knew he was one of those... "things".
"Kuroko-kun, it's your cue!" One of the play committee urged, giving him a gentle push – he shot a slightly pouty look before facing the floor (cause that was what Cinderella was supposed to do).
Well, the fairy tale was to start... now.
Ogiwara Shigehiro had gone through harder times, and he wouldn't say he wasn't affected – but he needed a good laugh once in a while, so when he heard about the second year middle-schoolers play was worth it – he decided to try it out, when he had remembered how Kuroko and his rainbow-haired bodyguards were also of that year, his anticipation definitely skyrocketed. A lot.
Good grief – Kuroko was the princess.
Ogiwara Shigehiro felt like he could faint.
Really. No kidding.
He felt despicable for actually liking the idea of seeing Kuroko as a princess – heck, he was actually stifling his squeals (yes, not laughs) since in all honesty – Kuroko made a pretty Cinderella – and he had to give him credit for this later. He actually started to imagine Kuroko doing chores for a certain household (preferably his, oh Ogiwara you-)... and of course he was left to imagine the remainder of that, however he decided that the play would do it for him, so he continued on watching.
He literally gagged when he saw the stepsisters fighting over who would get the prince – and they were girls – yet he was actually voting for Kuroko – his inner male was starting to show its true colours. Occasional rants in his mind including 'heck, look at that perfect innocence, nothing could beat that!' and 'he looks more feminine than you, hags' would come, oh this was a good laugh, really.
He was starting to lose his sanity too.
"Really, stepmother? I can go to the ball too?"
He couldn't believe how Kuroko had managed that – his eyes so full of emotion and hope, heck, Ogiwara could argue that that definitely wasn't the Kuroko he knew – he didn't even know he was capable of that.
He thought wrong – he should have believed in their strong friendship (broship)!
"Yes, but do you even have anything to wear, my dear?"
"Ugh, I bet she'd just go on those rags – how filthy! And yet you plan to try to present yourself in front of the two princes?"
"I bet she'd sweep the prince off his feet – in a way that the prince would scoot away in horror."
Bah, Ogiwara thought, that's nothing to Kuroko. No way was he going to back down with that lame script – heck, the fairy god mother's gonna fix that later.
The scenes went on and it soon followed with all the drama and with Cinderella crying for her life (that's how Ogiwara saw it actually)... but for some reason, he wasn't the least bothered with it at all, if anything, he had actually considered Kuroko being the actual Cinderella (let's remove the amateur acting shall we?).
By the way, who's the fairy god mother? She should be coming soon...
"I'M SO HAPPY YOU CALLED HONEY!"
...Was the fairy god mother that hyperactive?
Oh god. Ogiwara's eyes just went blind – too bright, too bright!
The person on stageglided with glee and a dazzling smile, so bright it was enchanting... and scary – Ogiwara wanted to back down and just admit this wasn't his image of a fairy god mother, but if he voiced out his thoughts, he had a feeling he was up for some trouble – with the audience at this state – squealing, begging, pushing, taking pictures, pure chaos brewing – this felt like a war zone.
"...Who are you?"
That's right, Kuroko, Ogiwara nodded in approval, let the fairy... godfatheranswer for you since I don't know him too.
"Oh, who, me? I'm nobody, silly! I'm just a random stranger offering you help – in honor of your mother! Oh by the way, it's not that ugly woman from earlier – it's that lovely angelic person who looks like you."
By the looks of it, he was definitely not nobody, he caught some shouts like 'just be my fairytale' and some other cliché confessions – he even caught the guy's name actually, and he immediately remembered – and he got some new information: this guy was part of the Miracle Class.
Translation: Another guy gay over Kuroko.
That did not sound good in any way at all – Ogiwara felt his over protectiveness take over (and some part of him actually wanting to be part of that class) and he just wanted to jump onto stage and save Kuroko from dragging him off.
That though, did not seem like an option.
He just prayed and trusted his childhood friend's capability in getting through tough spots like these – his radar was literally shouting out: Your friend is under attack by a giant golden retriever/fairy-godfather!
Then followed the sequence of events – and for some unknown reason Ogiwara couldn't fathom, they had managed changing Kuroko's clothes with a trick of the mist and a simply magical transformation.
Ogiwara fell in love at that moment – not at Kuroko, but at the godly presence of the angelic princess in black upstage.
"We will be having an intermission of 15 minutes."
"Damn it! Just when things were getting good."
He found himself being hushed by the audience saying he was noisy – he saw Kuroko turn to him hearing the sudden burst of noise from the audience before the curtains closed, though he gladly ducked in time.
He's just a fan. Just a fan. How he wished he could be more than that.
In your dreams, Ogiwara Shigehiro.
Teikou's auditorium was indeed multifunctional – the play committee had requested for the opening of the roof, revealing a glass dome as a replacement, the moonlight shone down on them, the use of stage light was minimized to bring out a more refreshing take on the performance.
It was just them and the audience.
Kuroko was to enter from the back door of the auditorium and walk down the laid out red carpet and ascend the staircase to the stage waiting for him. The back door of the auditorium was now steps away when he looked at the wall clock, 11:45.
Something told him however, he had no way to avoid his fate, in no way possible.
...Danger...to the Generation of Miracles...
"Kuroko."
Midorima who had been grouped with the backstage crew (some reasons being the cause, one of them to avoid misery to be gotten from Takao after), was given the task to make sure Kuroko was to enter with no delay – but by the looks of it, this seemed harder than he thought – Akashi who agreed to make him do so, seemed to know that he would have some difficulty after all.
"I won't be able to accompany you inside," Midorima bluntly stated, which seemed to not lift Kuroko's spirits any way – of course it didn't, it did Midorima no good either.
"If you go in there, you're all alone."
"I know..." Kuroko murmured softly, looking up all of a sudden when Midorima rested his hand on Kuroko's shoulder, gripping to it firmly – gently.
"But do know we're all with you."
"...Midorima-kun really is a good person at times, if only people would value it more..."
"O-Oi!"
But he was already behind those doors, and Midorima resisted taking a peek.
Things went as planned, Kuroko graced the stage when he was greeted by Aomine, who was supposed to be the one who would cut in between their dance later – but he saw Akashi who was backstage nod in reassurance, telling him it was fine – well, Akashi did seem to be the one with impeccable timing to cut in during the good moments – more than Aomine at least.
Kuroko pleaded to himself that they wouldn't say anything too complicated or hard to deal with – truth be told, he felt he had it hard, having to deal with this chaotic life and another life on stage with two princes he couldn't predict, after all – they were presenting themselves as princes – not Akashi and Aomine.
"May I have this dance, milady?"
Kuroko found that wrong – and he knew Aomine was just trying to flatter him, but sadly it didn't work – however it only proved that he was still doing this as Aomine Daiki, which Kuroko found as heartwarming.
"Aomine-kun, when we get the chance... I want to be able to spend time with you again like this, alone."
Though people were watching them as they danced together hand in hand, the two felt like they were in their own world, their hearts beating as one – as if no words were needed to understand each other, and thankfully there were no feet hurt, when Kuroko somehow found himself giggling lightly, almost sounding feminine... though he was supposed to sound like that, he just wanted to be Kuroko.
"Is something wrong, milady?" Aomine suddenly asked, when Kuroko shook his head – and answered it with his own words, not as the princess – but as the person he was. He may not be some prince from a fairytale with a happy ending – but surely he could write his own, and now wasn't too late.
... Not yet.
"No, I just thought when I could get a chance to be with you like this again... alone, without a care in the world – it's how you want it, yes?"
"...Yeah..." Aomine said, breathlessly as he saw the desperate face of his 'princess' who was, and always will be his mentor, strange – how he felt he was saying goodbye, but still – it felt sad to see this end someday.
Soon.
"Well, ain't this princess a lively one?" Aomine joked, and Kuroko had never dreamed of being called lively – but he felt the best of his life, when red caught his sight.
Well, that was short – but he knew he would remember it, forever, no matter what might happen.
"May I cut in?"
"...But of course." Aomine resigned, when another prince appeared, squeals in the crowd heard, and some sighs of protest, but none of that mattered when those eyes watched as Kuroko reacted when the prince's hand settled on his... waist, or it was supposed to be but...
"Akashi-kun," Kuroko whispered, heard by no one but Akashi, who turned amusedly, the audience tried hard to catch what they were saying with their lip-reading skills, but instead pleased themselves with blissful dreams instead.
"Where are you touching me?"
"Oh," Akashi brushed a hand off his gown's hem – the midnight special's one of white purity, how Akashi wished he could taint it, but he knew Kuroko would not be pleased so he moved on, properly putting it on where it should be. "I apologize, but this sight is something to behold – my eyes are never wrong."
Akashi then drew his face closer to Kuroko's, and he felt that Akashi was seeing right through ever part of him – his thoughts exposed. Indeed they were, they always were.
"And I would know if you feel uneasy – is it because of my rude behaviour?"
"No, Your Majesty." Kuroko immediately replied, an outright lie too obvious to be laced with truth, and Akashi's grip tightened, not letting go – for if he did, he might just slip away into darkness, into time.
"Is it because this dream is too much to ask for?"
"Indeed it is – and it's all about to end my dearies."
It was a new voice of a mature woman who had took the spotlight from the back door, and it had been the new topic of their conversations, everyone seemed surprised by the sudden entrance of the woman who wielded what seemed like a dangerous aura, being followed by a boy in black, concealing his identity with a hood. It seemed as if it would have qualified as script – many wanted to stop the performance but it all happened too fast when the woman made her way through the red carpet, trampling rose petals while making her way to her... target.
"I demand you reveal your identity." Akashi commanded, when the woman managed a grimace, and as she walked closer to Kuroko, the prince rose a hand to protect his princess from whoever this plotter was – Kuroko had already hidden in fear as if realizing who it was, when Akashi took a closer look.
Teal hair... just like Kuroko.
"Well, why don't you ask your princess there? Surely she'll know, or wait, I suspect she's too scared to even run away and speak a word, your father knows – so much more, he'll be glad to fill you up in that matter."
"...Please... just leave me alone... just leave us alone..." Kuroko murmured, when Akashi managed to get a glimpse at Kuroko who looked close to tears. "It's me you want isn't it?"
"Indeed, and yet you were too late – so I figured I would fetch you myself, but since you didn't fulfil our promise... I won't guarantee your princes' safety, and the rest who get in the way."
"If you think I'll hand her over then you're wrong, you underestimate love." Akashi said while preparing to fight with an aggressive stance on, when the woman let out an amused giggle, followed by a command directed to her companion who came with her – to kill whoever gets in the way, proceeding to Akashi who posed as a threat first, Akashi felt restricted while protecting Kuroko, but no matter – though skilled, no one was a match for him – not even this skilled man in disguise, though speedy – lacked power.
"I'm dealing with our dear princess myself."
"Tetsuya!" Akashi called out while doing a counter-attack, when Kuroko flicked towards Akashi's direction, surprised and somehow happy to have heard someone call out his name, when he felt fingers trace circles down his exposed back.
"Well, haven't you grown up to be quite lovely – too lovely for my liking." The woman mused, and Kuroko did recognize her – though only vaguely, she would appear in his dreams, the name repeating in his mind again and again... but most of all the person she once was.
"Mother, please just-"
"Tetsu!/Kuroko!/ Kurokocchi!/Kurochin!"
"Oh dear, it seems like you have quite some troublesome friends – you always were trouble to be gotten rid of."
They all charged at Kuroko Tomoe – the new villainess of the story who made quite a dramatic entrance, who evaded them with some difficulty – but nevertheless, successful, it shocked them – how it was almost the same with their phantom's, but it did not stop themd – especially when Kuroko was being forcibly dragged off.
Kuroko fought back, but Tomoe was stronger in every way, he felt limited in his gown which he finally tore of – something the woman thought as quite a bold move, but nevertheless, she found it admirably desperate. She took out a knife, the tip just centimeters away from touching Kuroko's neck, when all was put to a stop, the hooded one took the chance to do anything he can to distract the Generation of Miracles.
"Stop, unless you want to see your dear one hurt." As if speaking from experience, the woman kept on pressing fiercely, when Akashi took out a reserve scissor and aimed for the woman, ignoring his fears in hitting Kuroko – his aim was perfect, but the woman had been faster by a second, thankfully not using Kuroko as a shield, while still keeping him captive, when someone charged from behind with a knife – it was Kagami, who was too close that it could be considered hard to evade, she took out dual daggers and started clashing with him, leaving Kuroko on the ground, gasping for breath.
The rest had rushed to his side, but was stopped by the woman's companion, stating he was their enemy. Those who watched in fear took the chance to take the audience to a safer place, though still in a state of confusion – they all left willingly. Kuroko felt himself weak, when he had heard a voice call out his name. "Kuroko!" it said.
It was Ogiwara's, except he wasn't there at all.
"Tetsuya!"
He felt himself take a hard blow until all that was left... was darkness.
Oh well, I guess that was fluffy until halfway -_-" I apologize truly, not used to writing fight scenes and dramatic stuff... no actually I am but... I've been too used to fluff that isn't fluff (or isn't good enough to be fluff), next chapter will be some sort of better stuff though, and can anyone guess the hooded guy? Pretty obvious lol~
Spare me some time and please give a review? (It's your choice though :3)
-BerryBliss