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onemuseleftTitle: The Wrong Side of the Mirror
Fandom: Yu Yu Hakusho/10th Kingdom crossover
Character/Pairing: the YYH boys, 10th Kingdom charas
Description of Scene(s): There are several scenes below, from a variety of points in the story. I really only started writing this because I thought it would be fun and I never had any intention of posting it anywhere. I'm probably never going to finish it, so I figured I'd use it as my first Amnesty post.
Summary of Completed Fic: *deep breath* Wolf is killed shortly after the end of the 10th Kingdom and Snow White's wicked stepmother (who is not nearly as dead as everyone hoped) manages to ensare him in an undead state and use him as her weapon. She sends him out to collect talismans and items of power from the other kingdoms - Red Riding Hood's cloak, Briar Rose's spindle, etc. So all the kingdoms are panicking and scrambling to protect themselves.
A special envoy is sent to the 10th Kingdom to warn Virginia, but is waylaid by magic. Koenma, wanting nothing to do with the politics of a magical realm and tired of people hopping back and forth between worlds, sends the boys to stop whatever evil scheme is up. Not that he tells them that, of course, or gives them any kind of warning.
Meanwhile, someone is trying to kidnap Virginia to get at her baby. It turns out to be the Wicked Stepmother because she a) wants to have Virginia prisoner because she thinks Wolf is starting to break free and b) plans to use the daughter she's carrying as a new body.
The guys meet up with Virginia, and that's about as far as I got.
Why I Stopped Writing: Lost interest, honestly.
What I Would Change/Would Like to Continue With: Nothing really? It's a silly crossover. If I ever finished it, I'd definitely continue with how I had the magic affect the guys (they lost most of their abilities when they went through the portal, and the magic affects them must more than demonic energies did in their own world). Additionally, being thrown into this magical, fairy-tale realm affected them in other ways, s lowly assimilating them and forcing them into fairy tale roles. I'm not sure if I would have been able to pull that off, though.
In the basement of a decaying cottage, lost in the wilds of an untamed wood, lay a rotting corpse.
It was black and shrunken, the skin shriveled until the bones showed through and the mouth was frozen in a permanent snarl, brown teeth bared in defiance and hatred for the entire world. All that was left of the hair were greasy strands, knotted and matted with filth, spread out around the head like a twisted halo. The eyes, blessedly, were closed.
There had been robes of some sort, perhaps a gown, adorning the body at its death, but now dirty scraps of worn cloth stuck here and there, flesh showing through holes chewed by mice and insects. The hands were clasped together at the corpse's chest, wrapped tightly around a single, beautiful apple. In the dark, dirt-floored cellar, filled with spiders and rats, littered with broken jars and old tools, the apple glowed with ripeness.
The withered fingers dug into the sides until cracked, black fingernails pierced the red flesh.
Footsteps trod heavily and unevenly across the floor above the corpse's final resting place, booted feet tripping over themselves as a tall, slim figure struggled to make the last few feet of his journey. There was the creak of rusted hinges as the door at the top of the stairs swung open and the barest sliver of daylight filtered into the basement. A man stepped through, swaying at the top of the stairs as his strength failed and he fell. He made no move to protect his head as he slammed against wood and stone and landed at the foot of the stairs, an old marionette whose strings had been unexpectedly cut.
Long moments of silence passed. Then a hand pulled up to press against the dirt floor, pushing until he was on his hands and knees, and he crawled the last few feet to the low stone table on which the corpse rested. He knelt there, his eyes empty and vacant, his face slack and pale. No spark of intelligence or life lit his features, and the gaping would in his chest had long since ceased to bleed.
Haltingly, controlled by something it could not resist, the fresh corpse of the murdered man reached and took the apple from the unresisting hand of the dead queen.
The door at the top of the stairs swung shut as another, far steadier step tread the stairs. An older man ducked his head to avoid a low-hanging beam as he reached the bottom of the stairs, and he smiled slowly at the scene before him.
"Hello, Wolf," the huntsman said. "Her Majesty has been wanting to have a word with you for some time now."
Wolf gave no sign of hearing, or understanding. He knelt in silence, unmoving except for the clench of his fingers around the apple.
"You shouldn't have betrayed her and the new queen," the huntsman said easily. "You shouldn't have broken your vow like that, Wolf. Look where it's gotten you. Dead. And you with a mate and a cub to support. It's a pity, isn't it?"
do not taunt him he must take the fruit before he is of use to us
The huntsman bowed his head toward the dead queen.
"Wolf, the queen wants you to know she's forgiven you." The huntsman stepped past the kneeling man to caress the dead queen's withered cheek. "Our beautiful, gracious queen has given you a gift. Only take of that apple, Wolf, and our queen promises you will see your mate and cub again. She guarantees it. All you must do is promise to serve her." His lips drew back in poor parody of humor. "Faithfully, this time."
For a moment, so fleeting the huntsman missed it completely as he gazed at the queen, something sparked in Wolf's glazed eyes.
Then it was gone and a blood-soaked hand lifted the apple to his lips. He bit into it, juice running over his lips and down his chin as he chewed. A flush spread through his skin, and his eyes sharpened until they gazed at the huntsman in recognition. He swallowed and bared his teeth in a hesitant growl.
The huntsman smiled. "Our queen is very pleased with you, Wolf. Now, you must show her how well you have learned your lesson." He strode across the basement to a dark corner. He reached out and the black became a cloth draped over a tall mirror. As the cloth fell away, the surface of the mirror rippled like water. Lights appeared across its surface, fading in to an image of a huge city, with buildings that reached to the sky.
Wolf's breath quickened.
"You'll get to see Virginia again, Wolf. You'd like that, wouldn't you?" The huntsman stepped away from the mirror and gestured grandly. "You'll be able to go and visit her. Bring her back so the queen and I may see her again."
If Wolf even heard him, he gave no sign. Instead he gazed raptly at the city revealed by the mirror as he climbed weakly to his feet, his legs trembling with weariness and fatigue. Slowly, painstakingly, he crossed the basement until he stood before the mirror and could place a hand upon its surface.
"Virginia," he said.
He inhaled sharply, his eyes closing as he concentrated on what another sense could tell him. "I can go to Virginia? The queen won't mind?"
"Oh Wolf," the huntsman shook his head and smiled conspiratorially behind his back. "The queen would like nothing more." He flung the cloth back over the mirror, obscuring the distant city from view. "But first, there's something the queen needs us to do for her. Some errands to run. You don't mind, do you?"
"I'll get to see Virginia?" Wolf asked again, staring at the cloth-draped mirror. "I can go see Virginia?"
"Yes, Wolf. Soon we'll all see Virginia again. But first, there's something the queen needs. And you want to thank her for giving you the chance to see Virginia again, don't you?" The huntsman placed a fatherly hand on the younger man's shoulder, pulling him firmly toward the dead queen.
my wolf
Wolf's eyes flashed with alarm, and he stopped a few feet from the corpse and would not be moved. "The queen?"
"She is with us here," the huntsman said reverently.
my wolf my wolf now my wolf, my hunter, I have a task for you
"My queen," the huntsman murmured.
there is work to be done there are plans to be made if I am to leave this place, there is something I must have you will fetch these trinkets for me?
"Trinkets?" Wolf murmured. "Just trinkets?"
just trinkets, gentle wolf only trinkets, never to be missed
****
The crash of steel against steel and the screams of dying guards echoed through the palace corridors.
Screams and confused shouts rang everywhere as the servants and gentry alike woke to realize they were in danger. The gentlemen grabbed swords and raced toward the noise of fighting while the ladies and their servants barricaded doors and hid in their bedchambers.
Valiant, the grandson of the queen's youngest daughter, skidded down the stone corridor toward the throne room, his stockinged feet slipping across the smooth stone floors as he scrambled desperately toward the door. He hit it at a dead run, meeting with a brief moment of resistance – someone's tried to barricade it, he realized distantly – before the door popped open and he went sprawling into the great chamber.
He realized at just that moment that he was wearing naught but a pair of breeches, his socks and the grace god gave him. And that he'd managed to forget his weapon in the rush to reach the throne room.
Two royal guardsmen lay dead at his feet, their bodies apparently the barricade he'd smashed through so indelicately. He recognized them both – how could he not, having lived in the palace since the day he was born? Cedric had been nearly of an age with Valiant, loud, arrogant, obnoxious – and the closest thing to a friend one could be when you didn't actually like each other very much. Thomas had been a few years older, a skilled swordsman who had earned himself a reputation with the knights as a skilled fighter. Valiant stared at them both for a long, horrified and completely unprotected moment.
Only years of training let him recognize the sound of someone running toward him and he looked up in time to see the gray-haired man crossing the room at top speed. For a moment Valiant figured he was done for, but the older man only glanced his way, visually appraising and dismissing him as a threat in an instant.
Valiant felt pang of resentment, although he really couldn't disagree with that assessment. Eighteen year old boys in their stockinged feet really didn't account for much – especially when they'd forgotten their blasted swords.
Somewhere in the corridor behind him a shout rang out, and the clang of metal and boots shook the floor beneath his feet as the palace guard raced toward the throne room.
"The guard is coming," he said firmly, pleased with himself when his voice did not waver or shake in the slightest. "There'll be no peace for you when they see what you've done here."
The older man didn't seem to hear a word of it. He only slowed to a walk as he passed Valiant and climbed the steps to the raised dais of the matching thrones.
"Get down from there!" Valiant demanded, feeling ridiculous even as he said it. "That is my great-grandmother's throne!"
"And it will never be yours, boy," the old man said absently. "You're too young, and too late. There are too many brothers and uncles and cousins who'll keep this throne from you, last born son. Unless, of course, you wished to take steps to correct that travesty?"
Cold fury clenched in his stomach as the intent of the old man's words sunk in. "If you ever speak such vile words again, old man, I'll have you gutted and burned before they hang you."
"Pity," the old man shrugged him off as easily as one would an annoying fly. "You might have come in useful." He ignored the thrones, concentrating on the simple wooden table that rested between them.
Valiant knew what sat there, displayed so all who entered the queen's presence would see and even as the old man raised the glass cover, he stooped down and grabbed for Cedric's fallen sword. "Don't you touch that, murderer!" His fingers closed around the hilt of the sword and he stood, intending to rush the old man and stop him, distract him, until the guard arrived. They were close now, only a moment more…
Something snarled behind him, and struck him over the head.
As Cedric's sword slipped, unused, from his fingers, Valiant saw the old man lift the glittering glass slipper from its case.
****
The dead queen's face twisted into a broken grimace of satisfaction.
cinderella's glass slipper
****
The dull roar of the fire was deafening and the smoke crept through the halls of the castle like a living thing, creeping into every corner and closet, pushing the air aside and leaving the people trapped there gasping and helpless.
In the Queen's chamber, only a single servant girl remained conscious, sprawled on the floor, gasping for the last few breaths of air to be had. Around the room lay other servants, several ladies-in-waiting, and the queen herself. None moved, though when she looked very closely, Mireille could tell her Queen still drew shallow, ragged breath.
She raised watering eyes to the draperies, drawn tight over the windows to keep out drafts. If she could draw the curtains, open the windows, get some air… She would die soon, choking on smoke, and the Queen with her.
Mireille could not bear to die knowing she had not even tried to save the Queen.
Drawing in as deep a breath as she could, she dug her fingernails into the carpet and determinedly dragged herself a few inches forward. Inch by inch, hacking, coughing, desperate and despairing, Mireille crossed the chamber.
The whole castle was silent. It horrified Mireille when she'd realized it. Silence while the Queen lay dying, choked to death in her own bed? Either no one had noticed the blaze, which she could not believe, or everyone else was already dead.
Mireille swallowed a sob and dragged herself another inch closer.
Someone had to hear. Someone had to be fighting the blaze. The entire castle couldn't just burn while no one noticed. It wasn't possible! Someone would hear. Someone would come.
Mireille tried to imagine who would be the one to break the door open and rush into the room. A guardsman, perhaps, like her father. Or maybe one of the Queen's brothers, come to her rescue. She smiled through the coughing and tried to imagine what their reaction would be when they saw she'd saved the Queen by opening the window.
Another inch. Just another inch.
She gripped the windowsill with cramping fingers, her torn fingernails leaving a tiny smear of blood and tried to find the strength to pull herself up. Her breath burned in her lungs, desperate to escape, but there was no air to replace it, and she stubbornly kept her lips tightly shut. All she had to do was open the window, then she could breathe all the beautiful, fresh air she wanted.
Just. Stand. Up.
Her knees gave out and she stumbled forward, cracking her shins against the windowsill and she cried out in pain. She instantly choked on the foul black smoke, her chest seizing and lungs burning in incredible pain. She gasped, tears blinding her and in pure desperation she clenched a fist in the curtains and pulled with every ounce of strength she could summon. The curtain fell atop her, burying her in heavy cloth and she scrambled out from under it, blind with tears and dizzy from pain and lack of air. Not even thinking anymore, only knowing that her last hope of surviving this was just behind a single pane of glass, she clenched her fist and struck, slamming her hand against the glass of the closed windows. She beat against it till her knuckles bled and the bones in her hand broke.
And she felt it. Just a tiny draft, a small breath of air against her smashed hand.
Sobbing, Mireille pressed her face to the glass, feeling the small crack against her cheek. She tried to breathe, but there wasn't enough air.
A scream welled up in her chest, the pain too much to take finally. She screamed loud and low as she climbed up to stand on the windowsill and kicked with all her strength where she knew the crack was. The glass shattered beneath her bare foot and she fell backwards onto the floor. Her head hit the ground and she lay there dazed for a moment, while smoke billowed out the broken pane of glass. No, she thought distantly. No, no, no. I got it open. I can't die now.
Her heart was pounding in her ears and she could feel every heaving breath like a knife through her chest. Tears streamed down her face, salt on her lips, and blinded her. If she didn't stand up, she'd die just a few inches from salvation.
Something hit the door.
Mireille almost didn't notice, so focused was her attention on the window, but she felt the second blow vibrate against her bones as she struggled to her knees. The third blow was loud enough to be heard over the flames, but Mireille knew the doors only held fire and more smoke. The window. She had to get it open all the way.
She pressed her face to the empty space left by the broken pane, not noticing or caring when the glass sliced her cheeks. She inhaled as deeply as she could, coughing as her weakened lungs struggled to filter out the smoke that seeped through the edges. She took several deep breaths, slumped against the window and tried to stop crying.
Shaking, unsteadily, she reached up with one hand, and fumbled with the window latch. It turned too easily under her touch, and the window swung open, taking away her support and she very nearly tumbled through. She caught herself and perched there on her hands and knees on the windowsill, watching as dozens, hundreds of men and women swarmed through the courtyard below. Now she could hear the screams of the trapped and dying, the shouts of the would-be rescuers. The splash of water as bucket after bucket was thrown onto the blaze.
The door shook under a fourth blow and splintered inwards.
Mireille turned, still on hands and knees, and watched the old, gray-haired man climb through.
He was dressed in leathers, like a woodsman or a hunter, and his hair hung long and straight around his face. He stopped just inside the door, apparently unaffected by the smoke, and looked around.
Mireille rubbed the back of her unbroken hand across her eyes, but she could not stop the tears, and her vision of the man was blurred. She started to call out to him, then paused and wet her lips. He did not look like a rescuer.
"You girl," he said suddenly, in a voice that the fire could not hope to drown out. "If you do me a favor, I'll let you and your queen leave this room alive."
Mireille shook her head wordlessly, pulling back until she was pressed against the side of the window.
"You'll not get a better deal," the old man said cheerfully. "The fire's too much. They'll never get it out without magic. And that's not something you have much of in this kingdom. Help me and I'll let you live."
"What do you want?" Mireille asked helplessly, knowing he was right.
"Just a cloak," he said mockingly, "to keep the night's chill away."
A sinking feeling built in Mireille's chest. "You cannot," she said weakly. "It – you cannot!"
"It's only a cloak, you stupid girl," he said patiently. "Your queen, meanwhile, will stop breathing soon. It's your choice which you save."
Sobs shook Mireille's tired body as she raised her broken hand and pointed. "There," she said tonelessly. "In the sitting room. It is kept in its own wardrobe."
The old man tipped an imaginary hat in her direction. "I always keep my word, little girl. Tell your queen I bid her good day." He stepped through the door into the sitting room. Mireille waited tensely for him to reappear, but he did not.
Slowly, the roar of the fire died, and the smoke bled out through the window. Mireille slid off the windowsill and stumbled to the Queen's bedside, falling on to the silk sheets and the luxurious comforter and touching a bloodied hand to her Queen's face.
Breath wafted over her aching fingers, the most soothing balm Mireille could imagine.
Slowly the Queen stirred and her eyes opened. She blinked at Mireille, pain and confusion in her gaze. "What has happened?" she demanded in a hoarse voice.
Mireille shook her head, fresh tears springing to her eyes. "Majesty, forgive me," she said desperately. "I thought to save you."
"What have you done, girl?" the Queen demanded.
"I gave them… the cloak," Mireille confessed breathlessly, the words working loose despite the pain in her raw throat. As her vision dimmed and she collapsed across the Queen's lap, she thought she heard a wolf howl.
****
red riding hood's cloak
****
The bear reared back onto its hind legs and roared, the force of its bellow shaking the chandelier. The guests stared in stunned silence at the sight of the towering creature.
At the head of the table, Princess Lily half stood from her seat as she stared at the creature which had interrupted her birthday dinner. "Where in hell-" she began.
The bear roared again and dropped to all fours, lumbering across the room toward the table. Chairs scraped against the floor as the boys and girls scrambled away from the table and toward the doors. Lily alone did not move, entranced by the sight of the creature as it neared her.
"Lily! Princess Lily, please run!" Penelope Restwell appeared at Lily's side, tugging on the princess's sleeve. "Lily, don't just stand there! That thing's big enough to crush you!"
That seemed to snap Lily out of whatever trance she'd been in and she blinked at the bear in confusion. "How the hell do you think it got all the way up here?" she asked. "We're in the main banquet hall for God's sake. It had to have wandered past a hundred people to get this far."
"The doors are locked!"
Lily spun around, nearly knocking Penelope off her feet as she stared at the young man who raced toward them. "What did you say?"
"The doors are locked, princess," Robert Laydown repeated, staring over Lily's shoulder at the slowly advancing beast. "Every last one of them. We can hear people pounding on the other side, but no one seems to be able to open them." He wrapped his hand around Lily's arm and pulled her toward the far end of the room, putting as much space between her and the bear as possible. "But surely the palace guard can knock the doors down. And the creature doesn't seem… angry."
Lily smiled grimly. "Thanks for trying, Robert, but your voice is shaking too hard to be very convincing."
The young lord shrugged. "Not much of a birthday dinner, is it, Lily?"
"Well, it's certainly exciting," Lily answered. "And as long as there are no fairies showing up, I'm pretty much okay with anything that happens."
Penelope gave her a dirty look as they backed away from the bear. "Don't say things like that!"
"Come on," Lily teased. "Tell me you'll ever forget this dinner."
Penelope crossed her arms and glared at her. "Assuming I don't end up in a body cast, or a bear's digestive tract."
They had reached the small group of twelve year olds bunched together near the door at the far end of the banquet hall. It led out into the kitchens, and was the door through which servants normally entered. The bear, ironically, had come through the great double doors which guests used. No one else had said anything, and Lily didn't want to add to the panic, but she knew that those doors didn't just swing open and shut again. Someone had let the bear inside the banquet hall, then shut it in. Someone had unleashed the bear on the children.
"Princess!" One of the boys called out as she approached. "Princess, we can hear someone on the other side!"
Lily shouldered her way through the group, pleased that none of them were screaming and panicking yet. Most of them were her friends and she expected nothing less, but some of them were children of local or visiting dignitaries whom her father had asked her to invite. She didn't know them well, but she was fairly scornful of noble children on the best of days. If they held up, she may have to change her opinion.
"Let me hear," she said urgently, pushing aside the boy who had called to her. She pressed an ear against the door and listened She heard movement, then a thud as the door shook beneath her. "Someone's trying to break through!" she called. "Back away!"
"But the bear!" A young girl, barely ten at Lily's guess, whose name she could not remember stared in tearful horror at the bear, still lumbering slowly across the room.
"To the sides, then." Lily pushed at the people closest to her, shoving them to either side of the door. "Don't be in front of the door when they break it down! The bear will be the least of your worries if you are!"
It wasn't easy to convince twenty frightened children to move away from what they saw as their rescue, but Lily managed, herding them to the sides. Robert Laydown pulled her along with him, pushing her against the wall and standing in front of her as the door splintered and crashed to the floor.
"Oh, thank Goodness," Lily breathed. "Is it a guardsman?" She craned her neck around Robert and froze.
A man walked into the room, tall and lanky, dark-haired and swarthy skinned. He was attractive, feral, and his eyes burned as he looked at Lily.
"Wolf," she breathed. "You're a wolf."
The wolf bared his teeth at her and snapped his fingers twice. Two gray timber wolves slunk into the room to stand at his side.
A keening wail started behind her and Lily slapped her hand behind her, swatting at whoever it was. The cry broke off as abruptly as it had started, and only a handful of quiet sobs broke the silence.
Lily pushed at Robert with both hands, trying to move him away from her, but he wouldn't budge. "Let me pass," she whispered. "Let me face him! I don't think he'll hurt me."
Grim-faced and pale, Robert shook his head. "What do you want here, Wolf?" he demanded. "There's nothing and no one here that could be of interest to you."
The wolf smiled a frightening, toothy smile and stalked toward them. Lily's breath caught in her throat and she pulled at Robert's shirt, trying to make him back down.
"You're wrong little boy," the wolf spoke. His voice was a low-timbered growl and his eyes were horribly bright. He was the only thing Lily could see, and even the bear was inconsequential compared to him. "Little princess, little morsel, little treat." He inhaled deeply and his expression turned rapturous. "Not as good as a shepherdess, but you'll do."
Lily flinched and buried her face in Robert's back. "What do you want?" she demanded.
"Not much," the wolf said sweetly. "I'll even give you a choice, little princess. You can give me your great-grandmother's gift, or you can pick which two guests I'll feed to my friends. I will of course devour you as well once they're done," he added, licking his lips slowly.
Dimly, Lily had the presence of mind to be proud that no one screamed or cried.
Robert half turned and placed his hands on her shoulders. She looked up enough to see his face, and knew that there was only one decision she could make.
Pulling away from Robert, she crossed the room past the wolf and his woodland brothers, past the bear who only watched her curiously, to the long table covered with brightly wrapped and decorated boxes.
Some birthday, she thought grimly.
At the very center of the table was the gift she was looking for, the very first gift that had been placed on the table, and which was to have been the very last one she opened. It was the same gift which her great-grandmother had giver her eldest daughter, who had passed it on to Lily's mother. Now it was to be hers.
It was a small box, as thick as Lily's arm and about as long, wrapped in blue silk and tied with a silver ribbon. Lily held it for a moment, then turned and held it out to the Wolf.
He smiled and came to her willingly, leaving his two brothers to watch the rest of the children. He stopped only a few inches in front of her and carefully lifted the box from her arms. "Very good decision, little morsel," he said gently. "We'll all be happiest this way."
He walk out of the room with the box tucked under his arm, the wolves following at his heels. The bear snorted and lumbered out after them.
Lily stared after them, even as the main doors burst open and a stream of guardsmen rushed into the room.
Robert raced to her side, pushing aside the guardsman who tried to take her arm. "Lily, what was that?" he demanded urgently. "Was that-"
"It was," Lily said firmly. "And it was the only decision to make. I just…" her voice faltered. "I just hope that he can't use it to hurt anyone."
****
the spindle that sealed Briar Rose's fate
****
"Your majesty, this is an extremely urgent matter!" Duke Francis slapped a palm down on the table, sending pens rolling and knocking over a vase of roses. "Three kingdoms have suffered heinous attacks on their royalty and precious national treasures stolen!" He swiped at the paper he had thrown down in disgust just a minute earlier. "Armed intruders broke into Cinderella's castle, attacked one of her grandsons and stole the queen's glass slipper. Someone set a fire in the 2nd kingdom, nearly destroyed the palace – killed dozens! – and made off with Queen Riding Hood's cloak. And just a few days ago someone attacked Princess Lily of the 6th kingdom and stole Briar Rose's spindle. We must be prepared!"
Kind Wendell leaned against the window and stared out at the gardens. "For what?" he demanded in a tired voice. "Francis, we have no such relics here. The only item left over from my grandmother's quest was the poisoned comb, and that was lost when my stepmother was killed. There's nothing here they could want." He ran a hand through his hair. "This kingdom has seen enough difficulty these last months, between my stepmother's plot and the troll king's invasion. Is there any need to upset everyone by getting worked up over these thefts?"
Duke Francis hesitated, knowing that he was not, perhaps, the best man to approach the King in this instance. "Your majesty has a point," he said slowly. "But I think it would serve us well to be prepared. Heaven forbid that these criminals turn their eye to our kingdom, but if they do, we should be ready. I would ask your permission to increase the palace guard. And perhaps," he hesitated, "perhaps I should send for Lord Anthony and Lady Virginia. Just in case," he added hastily.
Wendell looked up from the window and gave his aide a rueful smile, "So they can talk some sense into me?" he asked knowingly as Francis blushed. "Oh, all right," he conceded. "It certainly won't hurt any to let them know what the situation is. And a new perspective never did anyone any harm. Send an escort for Tony, make up some pretense about building a new wing on the palace or something," he waved the details aside. "Lady Virginia is visiting the 10th Kingdom, however, and a special escort shall have to be sent to her." He drummed his fingers along the side of the window. "We'll put that off for now," he said decisively. "There's no need to disrupt her right now."
Duke Francis nodded respectfully. "Have we heard from the lady since…" he hesitated, not sure how to proceed, "since her husband's loss?"
It was more tactful that saying "since her husband was murdered and the body stolen by wild animals" but the euphemism tasted stale in his mouth. The Lord Wolf had been a friend of King Wendell's, in some indistinct way, and the King was not the sort of man to appreciate euphemisms.
Wendell didn't take offense. "Some days ago. We open the mirror at certain times so she can send messages through, or visit. She sent a note that she was well enough, and that she would return once the baby had come." A flicker of sorrow crossed his face and was gone in the time it took Francis to recognize it. "This is not a good time to bother her with such matters. Send a royal escort for Lord Anthony, bring him to me at once." He walked to the table and took the paper from Francis' hand. "They've killed, you say?"
"Yes, majesty. In the 1st and 2nd Kingdoms. They killed several guardsmen while taking Queen Cinderella's slipper. And in the 2nd Kingdom they set the palace afire. Queen Riding Hood III was nearly suffocated. Several dozen guardsmen and servants perished, as well as one of the Queen's brothers."
"Send her my deepest condolences," Wendell said quietly. "And send runners to each Kingdom. I would wish to be informed of every detail of these attacks." He ignored Francis' triumphant grin and tapped the paper thoughtfully. "I do not think they will come here, but if they do, we should be well prepared. Get descriptions of the culprits, the methods of their attacks and how, if we know, they managed to break into three royal palaces in three weeks without being stopped." He dropped the paper and let it drift to the table. "My stepmother's plot started with a simple prison break and nearly destroyed the entire nine kingdoms. I shudder to think what this could be the harbinger of."
Francis bowed to his King and spun on his heel to rush from the conference room. He shut the door behind him, and looked up at the four men gathered there waiting. "He was willing to hear me out," he reported. "He is sending for Lord Anthony, and desires that messengers be sent to the attacked kingdoms at once to learn all the details there are to be had."
Chancellor Heinrich looked relieved. "I'll arrange for the messengers at once. They'll be given the fastest horses in the stables. I'll go to Lord Anthony myself. But what of Lady Virginia?"
Francis looked worried. "He does not wish to add to her troubles. Which I can certainly understand," he added quickly. "But I cannot help but think…"
"That it would serve us well to have a royal lady on hand in this potentially dark hour?" Duke Hansel finished grimy. "I quite agree with you, Francis. Even if the Kingdom is not in immediate danger, as His Majesty believes, these murderers and thieves seem to be targeting the Queens of other kingdoms. And Lady Virginia is the closest thing to a Queen in both this Kingdom, and the Tenth Kingdom. I cannot help but feel she will become a target."
The other men fell into a grim silence, Hansel's words settling heavily amongst them. As one of King Wendell's closest friends, and the commander of the King's Men, Hansel's instincts were highly regarded within the Fourth Kingdom.
"I shall go to Lord Anthony," Heinrich said quietly. "I shall inform him of all we have learned. Perhaps he can convince the King to send for Lady Virginia. My leave of you, gentlemen." He tipped his hat in a hasty departure and set off down the hall at a near-run.
Francis turned to the last member of their group. "Prince Valiant, I want to thank you for coming here to warn us personally."
The young prince looked flattered. "Duke Francis, I hope I'm wrong. But those men…" he hesitated. "I have seen one of them before. And if I am right – Snow White's Kingdom will be in more danger than the others combined. I believe Duke Hansel is correct. I think Lady Virginia needs to be warned."
"I may know how to do that," Hansel said slowly. "Without disobeying our King. If you'll be willing to help us, Prince Valiant."
"Tell me what I can do." The young prince's jaw set firmly.
Hansel and Francis exchanged a considering glance.
****
chancellor heinrich will go to warn our dear tony
Wolf curled in on himself, burrowing against the side of the tree, trying to ignore the huntsman sleeping just a few yards away, their campfire burned to ashes between them. "Tony," he said.
stop him, my wolf heinrich must fail I am not ready for tony yet
"Tony," Wolf repeated absently, rising to his feet. He gazed down at the huntsman thoughtfully, and for a moment something appeared in his eyes that hadn't been there before.
Then it faded, and he set off into the woods at a run.
Long minutes passed before the huntsman rolled to his feet and began kicking dirt over the fire.
you know what to do
"I know, your majesty."
they are preparing to use the mirror if you move quickly you may be able to reach them in time
****
"This is… the magic mirror?"
Prince Valiant gazed at the mirror with a fascination Hansel himself could not feel. It was an old thing, unnecessarily ornate and incredibly heavy – as Hansel knew well, having been one of the men assigned to bring the mirror to this guarded chamber.
Firelight danced on the surface of the uncovered mirror. There were no windows in the room, making it necessary for them to carry torches in order to see. It made everything seem darker, more powerful. There was enough magic wrapped up in this room as it was, the additional ambiance made it almost… trite.
"This is the old queen's traveling mirror." Hansel stepped up to stand at the prince's side. "The one you refer to has been buried and will remain so until we can find a safe way to destroy it."
"Probably not a bad idea," Valiant admitted, reaching out to touch the reflective surface of the mirror. "I must admit, when we met yesterday, I did not begin to suspect what you had in mind."
"If you are uncertain, your highness," Hansel began, offering the young man a graceful way out, despite himself.
"Oh, I'm very uncertain," Valiant said firmly. "This is magic of the worst sort, magic that has been used for ill deed." He took a half step toward the mirror. "Turn it on," he said.
This part actually has one line I'm really fond of. Hiei's declaration that he knows perfectly well how to find his One True Love's Heart... if only he could get the rib cage open.
A little girl, draped in a white robe, with gold wings and hair nearly the same color pranced through the crowd and hopped to a stop in front of Hiei and Kurama. Gold glitter sparkled in her hair and on her eyelids, and it took Kuwabara a moment to realize that what he thought was the sun sparking off the glitter was actually some sort of magic light that trailed behind her like the tail of a comet. She bounced up and down on her toes and smiled so charmingly that even Hiei reacted to it.
Not favorably or anything, but he did react.
"Hello! I've been looking for you all day! I can see love and fortune coming your way!" The girl chanted in a sweet, piping voice and rocked up onto her toes until she was only an inch or so away from Hiei's face. "You have a very dark aura! Are you a troll?"
Kuwabara choked on the laugh welling up in his chest and took a hasty step backwards, just in case.
"No," Hiei growled. "I'm a fire-"
Kurama coughed delicately.
Hiei's eyes glazed slightly and his voice became forced. "I'm a traveling warrior, you stupid little-"
"We're all traveling warriors," Kurama interjected swiftly. "Can you tell us where we are?"
The little girl gasped in childish shock. "Why, you're in Kissing Town! The most romantic town in all the Ten Kingdoms! Everyone who comes here falls in love!" She beamed at them. "It's truly a wonderful, magical town. Would you like me to tell you where you could find your true love?"
"No," Hiei said shortly.
"Are you sure?" the girl asked teasingly. "Because you haven't very far to look! Just a couple of coins and I could tell you how to reach your true love's heart!"
Hiei flashed a dangerous smile, looking a little like he was about to go on a murderous rampage. "I already know how to do that. The hard part is getting the rib cage open."
"Okay!" Kuwabara said in a bright, loud voice, clapping his hands briskly. "We need to get going before it gets dark."
Kurama cast an obvious and skeptical glance up at the noon sun.
"We've a long way to go yet today," Kuwabara said pointedly. "Perhaps you could give us directions?"
The little girl turned and smiled at him. "You already know the way."
"That's not what I meant," Kuwabara said shortly, ignoring the glances the others kicked his way. "We're looking for the fairy godmother." He could almost say it with a straight face.
The girl's good cheer seemed sorely tested now. "Well, you're never going to find her with that attitude," she snapped. "And she never talks to people with such grumpy auras!" she added with a dirty look in Hiei's direction. "Now does anyone here want to know how to find their true love?"
"I'm into that fortune bit you mentioned earlier," Yuusuke chimed in.
The girl blinked at him, then wordlessly turned and stalked away, the gold wings on her back fluttering with barely contained irritation.
Kuwabara ignored Kurama's steady gaze and turned to Yuusuke. "That was… surreal."
Yuusuke pasted on a grin that was supposed to be breezy but could barely pass for sane. "Well, let's get a move on," he said through his teeth, "before Hiei burns the whole place down."
Kurama eased his way through the trees, searching out the clearest path, trying to clear away as many branches and rocks as he could. Virginia had given up trying to walk by herself nearly a half mile back, and Kuwabara was carrying her on his back. The human wore an expression torn between concern and full blown panic. Virginia, for her part, grit her teeth and traveled in silence as much as she could.
A flicker of black dragged Kurama's attention from the path he was trying to clear. Hiei dropped from the air in front of him and straightened his coat with an irritated tug. Kurama took the distraction as an opportunity to rest a moment, leaning against a nearby tree. "There's a cabin ahead. Lights on, fire burning."
"Humans?" Kurama asked.
Hiei shrugged, his expression firmly sealed into his "don't talk to me, I don't like you" default. It was an expression Kurama had always cheerfully ignored in the past, but after the last few days he had a feeling he'd worn out whatever tolerance Hiei had for him just by being in the fire demon's presence. "All right, I'll let the others know." He rolled his shoulders, easing some of the kinks. "Hopefully there'll be a wife or a mother there. Someone Virginia will feel comfortable with."
"hm." Hiei cast a dark look over Kurama's shoulder, where Yuusuke and Kuwabara were just coming into sight. "The woman's slowing us down."
Kurama frowned at him. "She's having a baby, Hiei. It's not like she's holding us back on purpose."
"The baby will only make things worse," Hiei said dismissively.
Part of Kurama really wanted to argue with him on that one, but the rest of him, the part that had thousands of years of experience at hiding and avoiding pursuers, knew he was right. A baby would cry regardless of what was lurking just a few feet away. They'd have to stop for it to feed, and Virginia would need a day or two to rest after the birth. They were about to be incredibly hindered, and they could only hope that they'd succeeded in losing the hunters back at Kissing Town.
"Kurama!" Yuusuke's panicked shout cut through the night air, and Kurama winced. Hiei snarled something inaudible and flashed out of sight, disappearing into the trees. "Kurama, the baby's coming!"
"What?" Kurama pushed himself off the tree, staring back through the woods. The others had stopped their advance, and Virginia had slid off Kuwabara's back to kneel in the dirt, both hands pressed against her stomach. Yuusuke gave Kurama a wild-eyed look and not for the first time Kurama wished that whatever magic had chosen them as Virginia's traveling companions had thought far enough ahead to include a woman – or even someone who'd seen a baby born before. Health class never warned us about this possibility, Kurama thought ruefully.
"Hiei," he called quietly.
The fire demon appeared in mid air and dropped to the ground in a crouch beyond the kneeling trio. "I'll scout around," he declared diffidently. "I'll catch up to you later." Then he was gone again.
Kurama sighed. Traveling with Hiei was not going to be pleasant from now on. "Can you make it a little further?" he asked Virginia urgently. "Hiei saw a cabin ahead."
Virginia laughed, a gasping sound with a dry edge to it. "Probably… full of trolls," she managed to get out between breaths, "with my… luck."
"So we'll kill the trolls and take the cabin. We can kill trolls, right?" Yuusuke demanded. "They can't be worse than demons. What kind of trolls are we talking about here?"
Kuwabara slapped him on the back of the head. Yuusuke retaliated instinctively, decking Kuwabara hard enough to knock him into a tree.
"Enough," Kurama snapped. "Kuwabara, can you carry Virginia a little further?"
The human boy sat up, rubbing his head and shot Yuusuke a disgusted glance. "Yeah," he grunted, pushing to his feet and looking none the worse for wear. He gathered Virginia up easily enough, holding her in his arms this time, instead of carrying her across his back. "Kurama, getting bounced all over the place can't be what she needs right now."
"The cabin's not far." The youko mentally crossed his fingers.
"I'll, ah, go ahead and find the cabin," Yuusuke volunteered, fidgeting from one foot to the other. "You know, make sure the locals are friendly."
"Be careful," Kurama admonished. "This isn't the Makai – there may be creatures here worse than demons."
Kuwabara snorted. "What a pleasant concept."
"AHH!" Virginia clutched at her stomach and grit her teeth together. "Oh, god, please, can we go now? I don't care if they are trolls!"
Yuusuke gave her a desperate look and took off running through the trees in the same general direction they'd been heading.
Virginia panted for breath. "Is it just me," she asked, "or is that boy nervous about something?"
The two redheads exchanged amused glances over her head, then took off after Yuusuke.
****
The cabin was perhaps a mile further up the mountain. Yuusuke smelled wood smoke and roasting meat before he saw the light of a lamp shining through a window. It was small and more than a little ramshackle, but there was a woodpile to one side and a rocking chair sitting on the tiny porch. It didn't look like a troll house, insofar as Yuusuke's preconceived notions of trolls went.
He skidded to a stop in front of the cabin, probing it cautiously for any hint of spiritual or magical energy. Not that we've had any luck sensing magic in this world so far.
Caution warred with his sense of impending doom – because there was no doubt in his mind that if he and the guys had to deliver this baby something catastrophic would happen. They'd drop it, or Hiei'd decide it was just the right size for a midnight snack or something – and doom won out.
"Hey!" he shouted. "Hey, in the house! Someone open up!"
If they are trolls, it's better to fight them out here anyway, he reasoned. That way the cabin won't be damaged or covered in troll guts or anything.
"Who's out there?" A tremulous, voice wavered out of the cabin and an old man appeared in the doorway.
Yuusuke cheered. "Please, God, tell me you've got a woman in there!"
The door slammed shut and from inside Yuusuke could hear someone shouting, "Get my gun, Flora! There's a damn pervert out in the yard!"
"No! No, hey, wait!" Yuusuke bounded up the stairs and slammed his hand against the door, barely remembering not to use his full strength. "Wait! Please, my friend's having a baby! Is there anyone here who can help her?" He swallowed, noticing his voice had become distinctly high-pitched. "None of us know anything about babies!"
"You fools. You ridiculous, hopeless fools. Know you nothing of the workings of magic? The troll is always outwitted. The magical beast is always captured. The first prince to attempt a quest always fails. And the huntsman – the huntsman always serves his queen."
"It's an enchanted hunting knife. It will kill anything it cuts. But once drawn, it cannot be sheathed without drawing blood."
"Well that's dumb."
"The knife kills anyone it cuts!"
"Does it? Or does it cut anyone you want to kill?"
"What does that mean?"
"Well, until you figure it out, you'd better not cut anyone you don't want to kill, had you?"
"Happily ever after didn't last as long as we'd hoped."
"So what stopped you?"
"Words are important here. You'd better say what you mean, because everyone else will."
"If one more person asks Kurama and Hiei if they want to get married, one of them is going to wipe this entire town off the face of the earth and I can't help but think that wouldn’t endear us to the locals."
"How do you get yourself into these situations?"
"What? What the hell do you mean how do I get into these situations? Has anything like this ever happened to me before? Do I walk around wandering into alternate planes of reality on a regular basis? Have I ever been sucked into a magic mirror against my will before? No! So shut the hell up!"
"Geez. Someone forgot the fairy dust in your coffee this morning."
"You'll never be a queen, or a lady, or even an enchantress. You'll never be anything more than a wicked, ugly, old stepmother "
"Where are the others?"
"Yuusuke's out behind the woodpile, hyperventilating."
"That's Yuusuke. You can always count on him to keep his head in a crisis. What about Hiei?"
"I think he's sulking in a tree."
"Will your friends come for you?"
"I dunno. I guess so. Unless they get killed before they have the chance. Or something more interesting comes along. Like dinner, or a shiny rock."
"Will your friends come for you?"
"No. They know they don't need to."
"Do they have weapons?"
"No. They don't need them."
"Why not?"
"One of them rules the demon world, and the other one can control this forest of yours, turn it against you with a thought. They are weapons. Hell, even the shrimp's tough enough to take you down."
Cinderella's glass slipper – perseverance
Red Riding Hood's cloak – bravery
Briar Rose's spindle – innocence
Lady Virginia's ring – love
Snow White's Comb - trust
The stepmother's magic mirror – adventure
The mirror with the queen is a looking glass – it shows things, but cannot take you to them. The traveling mirrors are either in Wendell's castle, or lost at the bottom of the sea.
Valiant – goes through the mirror after Virginia, gets trapped, is Koenma's contact
Mireille – helps deliver Virginia's baby
Lily -
The bastard prince - Yuusuke
The huntsman - Kuwabara
The magical beast - Kurama
The troll - Hiei
1st Kingdom - Cinderella - Cinderella
2nd Kingdom - Red Riding Hood - Queen Riding Hood III
3rd Kingdom - Trolls -
4th Kingdom - Snow White - Prince Wendell
5th Kingdom -
6th Kingdom - Sleeping Beauty - Princess Lily
7th Kingdom - Elves - Queen Leaffull
8th Kingdom -
9th Kingdom - Dwarves - King Hammerrock
10th Kingdom - Earth - Lady Virginia
So there's that. The world is none the richer for me having decided to share this, but hopefully it is slightly more amused.
Fandom: Yu Yu Hakusho/10th Kingdom crossover
Character/Pairing: the YYH boys, 10th Kingdom charas
Description of Scene(s): There are several scenes below, from a variety of points in the story. I really only started writing this because I thought it would be fun and I never had any intention of posting it anywhere. I'm probably never going to finish it, so I figured I'd use it as my first Amnesty post.
Summary of Completed Fic: *deep breath* Wolf is killed shortly after the end of the 10th Kingdom and Snow White's wicked stepmother (who is not nearly as dead as everyone hoped) manages to ensare him in an undead state and use him as her weapon. She sends him out to collect talismans and items of power from the other kingdoms - Red Riding Hood's cloak, Briar Rose's spindle, etc. So all the kingdoms are panicking and scrambling to protect themselves.
A special envoy is sent to the 10th Kingdom to warn Virginia, but is waylaid by magic. Koenma, wanting nothing to do with the politics of a magical realm and tired of people hopping back and forth between worlds, sends the boys to stop whatever evil scheme is up. Not that he tells them that, of course, or gives them any kind of warning.
Meanwhile, someone is trying to kidnap Virginia to get at her baby. It turns out to be the Wicked Stepmother because she a) wants to have Virginia prisoner because she thinks Wolf is starting to break free and b) plans to use the daughter she's carrying as a new body.
The guys meet up with Virginia, and that's about as far as I got.
Why I Stopped Writing: Lost interest, honestly.
What I Would Change/Would Like to Continue With: Nothing really? It's a silly crossover. If I ever finished it, I'd definitely continue with how I had the magic affect the guys (they lost most of their abilities when they went through the portal, and the magic affects them must more than demonic energies did in their own world). Additionally, being thrown into this magical, fairy-tale realm affected them in other ways, s lowly assimilating them and forcing them into fairy tale roles. I'm not sure if I would have been able to pull that off, though.
In the basement of a decaying cottage, lost in the wilds of an untamed wood, lay a rotting corpse.
It was black and shrunken, the skin shriveled until the bones showed through and the mouth was frozen in a permanent snarl, brown teeth bared in defiance and hatred for the entire world. All that was left of the hair were greasy strands, knotted and matted with filth, spread out around the head like a twisted halo. The eyes, blessedly, were closed.
There had been robes of some sort, perhaps a gown, adorning the body at its death, but now dirty scraps of worn cloth stuck here and there, flesh showing through holes chewed by mice and insects. The hands were clasped together at the corpse's chest, wrapped tightly around a single, beautiful apple. In the dark, dirt-floored cellar, filled with spiders and rats, littered with broken jars and old tools, the apple glowed with ripeness.
The withered fingers dug into the sides until cracked, black fingernails pierced the red flesh.
Footsteps trod heavily and unevenly across the floor above the corpse's final resting place, booted feet tripping over themselves as a tall, slim figure struggled to make the last few feet of his journey. There was the creak of rusted hinges as the door at the top of the stairs swung open and the barest sliver of daylight filtered into the basement. A man stepped through, swaying at the top of the stairs as his strength failed and he fell. He made no move to protect his head as he slammed against wood and stone and landed at the foot of the stairs, an old marionette whose strings had been unexpectedly cut.
Long moments of silence passed. Then a hand pulled up to press against the dirt floor, pushing until he was on his hands and knees, and he crawled the last few feet to the low stone table on which the corpse rested. He knelt there, his eyes empty and vacant, his face slack and pale. No spark of intelligence or life lit his features, and the gaping would in his chest had long since ceased to bleed.
Haltingly, controlled by something it could not resist, the fresh corpse of the murdered man reached and took the apple from the unresisting hand of the dead queen.
The door at the top of the stairs swung shut as another, far steadier step tread the stairs. An older man ducked his head to avoid a low-hanging beam as he reached the bottom of the stairs, and he smiled slowly at the scene before him.
"Hello, Wolf," the huntsman said. "Her Majesty has been wanting to have a word with you for some time now."
Wolf gave no sign of hearing, or understanding. He knelt in silence, unmoving except for the clench of his fingers around the apple.
"You shouldn't have betrayed her and the new queen," the huntsman said easily. "You shouldn't have broken your vow like that, Wolf. Look where it's gotten you. Dead. And you with a mate and a cub to support. It's a pity, isn't it?"
do not taunt him he must take the fruit before he is of use to us
The huntsman bowed his head toward the dead queen.
"Wolf, the queen wants you to know she's forgiven you." The huntsman stepped past the kneeling man to caress the dead queen's withered cheek. "Our beautiful, gracious queen has given you a gift. Only take of that apple, Wolf, and our queen promises you will see your mate and cub again. She guarantees it. All you must do is promise to serve her." His lips drew back in poor parody of humor. "Faithfully, this time."
For a moment, so fleeting the huntsman missed it completely as he gazed at the queen, something sparked in Wolf's glazed eyes.
Then it was gone and a blood-soaked hand lifted the apple to his lips. He bit into it, juice running over his lips and down his chin as he chewed. A flush spread through his skin, and his eyes sharpened until they gazed at the huntsman in recognition. He swallowed and bared his teeth in a hesitant growl.
The huntsman smiled. "Our queen is very pleased with you, Wolf. Now, you must show her how well you have learned your lesson." He strode across the basement to a dark corner. He reached out and the black became a cloth draped over a tall mirror. As the cloth fell away, the surface of the mirror rippled like water. Lights appeared across its surface, fading in to an image of a huge city, with buildings that reached to the sky.
Wolf's breath quickened.
"You'll get to see Virginia again, Wolf. You'd like that, wouldn't you?" The huntsman stepped away from the mirror and gestured grandly. "You'll be able to go and visit her. Bring her back so the queen and I may see her again."
If Wolf even heard him, he gave no sign. Instead he gazed raptly at the city revealed by the mirror as he climbed weakly to his feet, his legs trembling with weariness and fatigue. Slowly, painstakingly, he crossed the basement until he stood before the mirror and could place a hand upon its surface.
"Virginia," he said.
He inhaled sharply, his eyes closing as he concentrated on what another sense could tell him. "I can go to Virginia? The queen won't mind?"
"Oh Wolf," the huntsman shook his head and smiled conspiratorially behind his back. "The queen would like nothing more." He flung the cloth back over the mirror, obscuring the distant city from view. "But first, there's something the queen needs us to do for her. Some errands to run. You don't mind, do you?"
"I'll get to see Virginia?" Wolf asked again, staring at the cloth-draped mirror. "I can go see Virginia?"
"Yes, Wolf. Soon we'll all see Virginia again. But first, there's something the queen needs. And you want to thank her for giving you the chance to see Virginia again, don't you?" The huntsman placed a fatherly hand on the younger man's shoulder, pulling him firmly toward the dead queen.
my wolf
Wolf's eyes flashed with alarm, and he stopped a few feet from the corpse and would not be moved. "The queen?"
"She is with us here," the huntsman said reverently.
my wolf my wolf now my wolf, my hunter, I have a task for you
"My queen," the huntsman murmured.
there is work to be done there are plans to be made if I am to leave this place, there is something I must have you will fetch these trinkets for me?
"Trinkets?" Wolf murmured. "Just trinkets?"
just trinkets, gentle wolf only trinkets, never to be missed
****
The crash of steel against steel and the screams of dying guards echoed through the palace corridors.
Screams and confused shouts rang everywhere as the servants and gentry alike woke to realize they were in danger. The gentlemen grabbed swords and raced toward the noise of fighting while the ladies and their servants barricaded doors and hid in their bedchambers.
Valiant, the grandson of the queen's youngest daughter, skidded down the stone corridor toward the throne room, his stockinged feet slipping across the smooth stone floors as he scrambled desperately toward the door. He hit it at a dead run, meeting with a brief moment of resistance – someone's tried to barricade it, he realized distantly – before the door popped open and he went sprawling into the great chamber.
He realized at just that moment that he was wearing naught but a pair of breeches, his socks and the grace god gave him. And that he'd managed to forget his weapon in the rush to reach the throne room.
Two royal guardsmen lay dead at his feet, their bodies apparently the barricade he'd smashed through so indelicately. He recognized them both – how could he not, having lived in the palace since the day he was born? Cedric had been nearly of an age with Valiant, loud, arrogant, obnoxious – and the closest thing to a friend one could be when you didn't actually like each other very much. Thomas had been a few years older, a skilled swordsman who had earned himself a reputation with the knights as a skilled fighter. Valiant stared at them both for a long, horrified and completely unprotected moment.
Only years of training let him recognize the sound of someone running toward him and he looked up in time to see the gray-haired man crossing the room at top speed. For a moment Valiant figured he was done for, but the older man only glanced his way, visually appraising and dismissing him as a threat in an instant.
Valiant felt pang of resentment, although he really couldn't disagree with that assessment. Eighteen year old boys in their stockinged feet really didn't account for much – especially when they'd forgotten their blasted swords.
Somewhere in the corridor behind him a shout rang out, and the clang of metal and boots shook the floor beneath his feet as the palace guard raced toward the throne room.
"The guard is coming," he said firmly, pleased with himself when his voice did not waver or shake in the slightest. "There'll be no peace for you when they see what you've done here."
The older man didn't seem to hear a word of it. He only slowed to a walk as he passed Valiant and climbed the steps to the raised dais of the matching thrones.
"Get down from there!" Valiant demanded, feeling ridiculous even as he said it. "That is my great-grandmother's throne!"
"And it will never be yours, boy," the old man said absently. "You're too young, and too late. There are too many brothers and uncles and cousins who'll keep this throne from you, last born son. Unless, of course, you wished to take steps to correct that travesty?"
Cold fury clenched in his stomach as the intent of the old man's words sunk in. "If you ever speak such vile words again, old man, I'll have you gutted and burned before they hang you."
"Pity," the old man shrugged him off as easily as one would an annoying fly. "You might have come in useful." He ignored the thrones, concentrating on the simple wooden table that rested between them.
Valiant knew what sat there, displayed so all who entered the queen's presence would see and even as the old man raised the glass cover, he stooped down and grabbed for Cedric's fallen sword. "Don't you touch that, murderer!" His fingers closed around the hilt of the sword and he stood, intending to rush the old man and stop him, distract him, until the guard arrived. They were close now, only a moment more…
Something snarled behind him, and struck him over the head.
As Cedric's sword slipped, unused, from his fingers, Valiant saw the old man lift the glittering glass slipper from its case.
****
The dead queen's face twisted into a broken grimace of satisfaction.
cinderella's glass slipper
****
The dull roar of the fire was deafening and the smoke crept through the halls of the castle like a living thing, creeping into every corner and closet, pushing the air aside and leaving the people trapped there gasping and helpless.
In the Queen's chamber, only a single servant girl remained conscious, sprawled on the floor, gasping for the last few breaths of air to be had. Around the room lay other servants, several ladies-in-waiting, and the queen herself. None moved, though when she looked very closely, Mireille could tell her Queen still drew shallow, ragged breath.
She raised watering eyes to the draperies, drawn tight over the windows to keep out drafts. If she could draw the curtains, open the windows, get some air… She would die soon, choking on smoke, and the Queen with her.
Mireille could not bear to die knowing she had not even tried to save the Queen.
Drawing in as deep a breath as she could, she dug her fingernails into the carpet and determinedly dragged herself a few inches forward. Inch by inch, hacking, coughing, desperate and despairing, Mireille crossed the chamber.
The whole castle was silent. It horrified Mireille when she'd realized it. Silence while the Queen lay dying, choked to death in her own bed? Either no one had noticed the blaze, which she could not believe, or everyone else was already dead.
Mireille swallowed a sob and dragged herself another inch closer.
Someone had to hear. Someone had to be fighting the blaze. The entire castle couldn't just burn while no one noticed. It wasn't possible! Someone would hear. Someone would come.
Mireille tried to imagine who would be the one to break the door open and rush into the room. A guardsman, perhaps, like her father. Or maybe one of the Queen's brothers, come to her rescue. She smiled through the coughing and tried to imagine what their reaction would be when they saw she'd saved the Queen by opening the window.
Another inch. Just another inch.
She gripped the windowsill with cramping fingers, her torn fingernails leaving a tiny smear of blood and tried to find the strength to pull herself up. Her breath burned in her lungs, desperate to escape, but there was no air to replace it, and she stubbornly kept her lips tightly shut. All she had to do was open the window, then she could breathe all the beautiful, fresh air she wanted.
Just. Stand. Up.
Her knees gave out and she stumbled forward, cracking her shins against the windowsill and she cried out in pain. She instantly choked on the foul black smoke, her chest seizing and lungs burning in incredible pain. She gasped, tears blinding her and in pure desperation she clenched a fist in the curtains and pulled with every ounce of strength she could summon. The curtain fell atop her, burying her in heavy cloth and she scrambled out from under it, blind with tears and dizzy from pain and lack of air. Not even thinking anymore, only knowing that her last hope of surviving this was just behind a single pane of glass, she clenched her fist and struck, slamming her hand against the glass of the closed windows. She beat against it till her knuckles bled and the bones in her hand broke.
And she felt it. Just a tiny draft, a small breath of air against her smashed hand.
Sobbing, Mireille pressed her face to the glass, feeling the small crack against her cheek. She tried to breathe, but there wasn't enough air.
A scream welled up in her chest, the pain too much to take finally. She screamed loud and low as she climbed up to stand on the windowsill and kicked with all her strength where she knew the crack was. The glass shattered beneath her bare foot and she fell backwards onto the floor. Her head hit the ground and she lay there dazed for a moment, while smoke billowed out the broken pane of glass. No, she thought distantly. No, no, no. I got it open. I can't die now.
Her heart was pounding in her ears and she could feel every heaving breath like a knife through her chest. Tears streamed down her face, salt on her lips, and blinded her. If she didn't stand up, she'd die just a few inches from salvation.
Something hit the door.
Mireille almost didn't notice, so focused was her attention on the window, but she felt the second blow vibrate against her bones as she struggled to her knees. The third blow was loud enough to be heard over the flames, but Mireille knew the doors only held fire and more smoke. The window. She had to get it open all the way.
She pressed her face to the empty space left by the broken pane, not noticing or caring when the glass sliced her cheeks. She inhaled as deeply as she could, coughing as her weakened lungs struggled to filter out the smoke that seeped through the edges. She took several deep breaths, slumped against the window and tried to stop crying.
Shaking, unsteadily, she reached up with one hand, and fumbled with the window latch. It turned too easily under her touch, and the window swung open, taking away her support and she very nearly tumbled through. She caught herself and perched there on her hands and knees on the windowsill, watching as dozens, hundreds of men and women swarmed through the courtyard below. Now she could hear the screams of the trapped and dying, the shouts of the would-be rescuers. The splash of water as bucket after bucket was thrown onto the blaze.
The door shook under a fourth blow and splintered inwards.
Mireille turned, still on hands and knees, and watched the old, gray-haired man climb through.
He was dressed in leathers, like a woodsman or a hunter, and his hair hung long and straight around his face. He stopped just inside the door, apparently unaffected by the smoke, and looked around.
Mireille rubbed the back of her unbroken hand across her eyes, but she could not stop the tears, and her vision of the man was blurred. She started to call out to him, then paused and wet her lips. He did not look like a rescuer.
"You girl," he said suddenly, in a voice that the fire could not hope to drown out. "If you do me a favor, I'll let you and your queen leave this room alive."
Mireille shook her head wordlessly, pulling back until she was pressed against the side of the window.
"You'll not get a better deal," the old man said cheerfully. "The fire's too much. They'll never get it out without magic. And that's not something you have much of in this kingdom. Help me and I'll let you live."
"What do you want?" Mireille asked helplessly, knowing he was right.
"Just a cloak," he said mockingly, "to keep the night's chill away."
A sinking feeling built in Mireille's chest. "You cannot," she said weakly. "It – you cannot!"
"It's only a cloak, you stupid girl," he said patiently. "Your queen, meanwhile, will stop breathing soon. It's your choice which you save."
Sobs shook Mireille's tired body as she raised her broken hand and pointed. "There," she said tonelessly. "In the sitting room. It is kept in its own wardrobe."
The old man tipped an imaginary hat in her direction. "I always keep my word, little girl. Tell your queen I bid her good day." He stepped through the door into the sitting room. Mireille waited tensely for him to reappear, but he did not.
Slowly, the roar of the fire died, and the smoke bled out through the window. Mireille slid off the windowsill and stumbled to the Queen's bedside, falling on to the silk sheets and the luxurious comforter and touching a bloodied hand to her Queen's face.
Breath wafted over her aching fingers, the most soothing balm Mireille could imagine.
Slowly the Queen stirred and her eyes opened. She blinked at Mireille, pain and confusion in her gaze. "What has happened?" she demanded in a hoarse voice.
Mireille shook her head, fresh tears springing to her eyes. "Majesty, forgive me," she said desperately. "I thought to save you."
"What have you done, girl?" the Queen demanded.
"I gave them… the cloak," Mireille confessed breathlessly, the words working loose despite the pain in her raw throat. As her vision dimmed and she collapsed across the Queen's lap, she thought she heard a wolf howl.
****
red riding hood's cloak
****
The bear reared back onto its hind legs and roared, the force of its bellow shaking the chandelier. The guests stared in stunned silence at the sight of the towering creature.
At the head of the table, Princess Lily half stood from her seat as she stared at the creature which had interrupted her birthday dinner. "Where in hell-" she began.
The bear roared again and dropped to all fours, lumbering across the room toward the table. Chairs scraped against the floor as the boys and girls scrambled away from the table and toward the doors. Lily alone did not move, entranced by the sight of the creature as it neared her.
"Lily! Princess Lily, please run!" Penelope Restwell appeared at Lily's side, tugging on the princess's sleeve. "Lily, don't just stand there! That thing's big enough to crush you!"
That seemed to snap Lily out of whatever trance she'd been in and she blinked at the bear in confusion. "How the hell do you think it got all the way up here?" she asked. "We're in the main banquet hall for God's sake. It had to have wandered past a hundred people to get this far."
"The doors are locked!"
Lily spun around, nearly knocking Penelope off her feet as she stared at the young man who raced toward them. "What did you say?"
"The doors are locked, princess," Robert Laydown repeated, staring over Lily's shoulder at the slowly advancing beast. "Every last one of them. We can hear people pounding on the other side, but no one seems to be able to open them." He wrapped his hand around Lily's arm and pulled her toward the far end of the room, putting as much space between her and the bear as possible. "But surely the palace guard can knock the doors down. And the creature doesn't seem… angry."
Lily smiled grimly. "Thanks for trying, Robert, but your voice is shaking too hard to be very convincing."
The young lord shrugged. "Not much of a birthday dinner, is it, Lily?"
"Well, it's certainly exciting," Lily answered. "And as long as there are no fairies showing up, I'm pretty much okay with anything that happens."
Penelope gave her a dirty look as they backed away from the bear. "Don't say things like that!"
"Come on," Lily teased. "Tell me you'll ever forget this dinner."
Penelope crossed her arms and glared at her. "Assuming I don't end up in a body cast, or a bear's digestive tract."
They had reached the small group of twelve year olds bunched together near the door at the far end of the banquet hall. It led out into the kitchens, and was the door through which servants normally entered. The bear, ironically, had come through the great double doors which guests used. No one else had said anything, and Lily didn't want to add to the panic, but she knew that those doors didn't just swing open and shut again. Someone had let the bear inside the banquet hall, then shut it in. Someone had unleashed the bear on the children.
"Princess!" One of the boys called out as she approached. "Princess, we can hear someone on the other side!"
Lily shouldered her way through the group, pleased that none of them were screaming and panicking yet. Most of them were her friends and she expected nothing less, but some of them were children of local or visiting dignitaries whom her father had asked her to invite. She didn't know them well, but she was fairly scornful of noble children on the best of days. If they held up, she may have to change her opinion.
"Let me hear," she said urgently, pushing aside the boy who had called to her. She pressed an ear against the door and listened She heard movement, then a thud as the door shook beneath her. "Someone's trying to break through!" she called. "Back away!"
"But the bear!" A young girl, barely ten at Lily's guess, whose name she could not remember stared in tearful horror at the bear, still lumbering slowly across the room.
"To the sides, then." Lily pushed at the people closest to her, shoving them to either side of the door. "Don't be in front of the door when they break it down! The bear will be the least of your worries if you are!"
It wasn't easy to convince twenty frightened children to move away from what they saw as their rescue, but Lily managed, herding them to the sides. Robert Laydown pulled her along with him, pushing her against the wall and standing in front of her as the door splintered and crashed to the floor.
"Oh, thank Goodness," Lily breathed. "Is it a guardsman?" She craned her neck around Robert and froze.
A man walked into the room, tall and lanky, dark-haired and swarthy skinned. He was attractive, feral, and his eyes burned as he looked at Lily.
"Wolf," she breathed. "You're a wolf."
The wolf bared his teeth at her and snapped his fingers twice. Two gray timber wolves slunk into the room to stand at his side.
A keening wail started behind her and Lily slapped her hand behind her, swatting at whoever it was. The cry broke off as abruptly as it had started, and only a handful of quiet sobs broke the silence.
Lily pushed at Robert with both hands, trying to move him away from her, but he wouldn't budge. "Let me pass," she whispered. "Let me face him! I don't think he'll hurt me."
Grim-faced and pale, Robert shook his head. "What do you want here, Wolf?" he demanded. "There's nothing and no one here that could be of interest to you."
The wolf smiled a frightening, toothy smile and stalked toward them. Lily's breath caught in her throat and she pulled at Robert's shirt, trying to make him back down.
"You're wrong little boy," the wolf spoke. His voice was a low-timbered growl and his eyes were horribly bright. He was the only thing Lily could see, and even the bear was inconsequential compared to him. "Little princess, little morsel, little treat." He inhaled deeply and his expression turned rapturous. "Not as good as a shepherdess, but you'll do."
Lily flinched and buried her face in Robert's back. "What do you want?" she demanded.
"Not much," the wolf said sweetly. "I'll even give you a choice, little princess. You can give me your great-grandmother's gift, or you can pick which two guests I'll feed to my friends. I will of course devour you as well once they're done," he added, licking his lips slowly.
Dimly, Lily had the presence of mind to be proud that no one screamed or cried.
Robert half turned and placed his hands on her shoulders. She looked up enough to see his face, and knew that there was only one decision she could make.
Pulling away from Robert, she crossed the room past the wolf and his woodland brothers, past the bear who only watched her curiously, to the long table covered with brightly wrapped and decorated boxes.
Some birthday, she thought grimly.
At the very center of the table was the gift she was looking for, the very first gift that had been placed on the table, and which was to have been the very last one she opened. It was the same gift which her great-grandmother had giver her eldest daughter, who had passed it on to Lily's mother. Now it was to be hers.
It was a small box, as thick as Lily's arm and about as long, wrapped in blue silk and tied with a silver ribbon. Lily held it for a moment, then turned and held it out to the Wolf.
He smiled and came to her willingly, leaving his two brothers to watch the rest of the children. He stopped only a few inches in front of her and carefully lifted the box from her arms. "Very good decision, little morsel," he said gently. "We'll all be happiest this way."
He walk out of the room with the box tucked under his arm, the wolves following at his heels. The bear snorted and lumbered out after them.
Lily stared after them, even as the main doors burst open and a stream of guardsmen rushed into the room.
Robert raced to her side, pushing aside the guardsman who tried to take her arm. "Lily, what was that?" he demanded urgently. "Was that-"
"It was," Lily said firmly. "And it was the only decision to make. I just…" her voice faltered. "I just hope that he can't use it to hurt anyone."
****
the spindle that sealed Briar Rose's fate
****
"Your majesty, this is an extremely urgent matter!" Duke Francis slapped a palm down on the table, sending pens rolling and knocking over a vase of roses. "Three kingdoms have suffered heinous attacks on their royalty and precious national treasures stolen!" He swiped at the paper he had thrown down in disgust just a minute earlier. "Armed intruders broke into Cinderella's castle, attacked one of her grandsons and stole the queen's glass slipper. Someone set a fire in the 2nd kingdom, nearly destroyed the palace – killed dozens! – and made off with Queen Riding Hood's cloak. And just a few days ago someone attacked Princess Lily of the 6th kingdom and stole Briar Rose's spindle. We must be prepared!"
Kind Wendell leaned against the window and stared out at the gardens. "For what?" he demanded in a tired voice. "Francis, we have no such relics here. The only item left over from my grandmother's quest was the poisoned comb, and that was lost when my stepmother was killed. There's nothing here they could want." He ran a hand through his hair. "This kingdom has seen enough difficulty these last months, between my stepmother's plot and the troll king's invasion. Is there any need to upset everyone by getting worked up over these thefts?"
Duke Francis hesitated, knowing that he was not, perhaps, the best man to approach the King in this instance. "Your majesty has a point," he said slowly. "But I think it would serve us well to be prepared. Heaven forbid that these criminals turn their eye to our kingdom, but if they do, we should be ready. I would ask your permission to increase the palace guard. And perhaps," he hesitated, "perhaps I should send for Lord Anthony and Lady Virginia. Just in case," he added hastily.
Wendell looked up from the window and gave his aide a rueful smile, "So they can talk some sense into me?" he asked knowingly as Francis blushed. "Oh, all right," he conceded. "It certainly won't hurt any to let them know what the situation is. And a new perspective never did anyone any harm. Send an escort for Tony, make up some pretense about building a new wing on the palace or something," he waved the details aside. "Lady Virginia is visiting the 10th Kingdom, however, and a special escort shall have to be sent to her." He drummed his fingers along the side of the window. "We'll put that off for now," he said decisively. "There's no need to disrupt her right now."
Duke Francis nodded respectfully. "Have we heard from the lady since…" he hesitated, not sure how to proceed, "since her husband's loss?"
It was more tactful that saying "since her husband was murdered and the body stolen by wild animals" but the euphemism tasted stale in his mouth. The Lord Wolf had been a friend of King Wendell's, in some indistinct way, and the King was not the sort of man to appreciate euphemisms.
Wendell didn't take offense. "Some days ago. We open the mirror at certain times so she can send messages through, or visit. She sent a note that she was well enough, and that she would return once the baby had come." A flicker of sorrow crossed his face and was gone in the time it took Francis to recognize it. "This is not a good time to bother her with such matters. Send a royal escort for Lord Anthony, bring him to me at once." He walked to the table and took the paper from Francis' hand. "They've killed, you say?"
"Yes, majesty. In the 1st and 2nd Kingdoms. They killed several guardsmen while taking Queen Cinderella's slipper. And in the 2nd Kingdom they set the palace afire. Queen Riding Hood III was nearly suffocated. Several dozen guardsmen and servants perished, as well as one of the Queen's brothers."
"Send her my deepest condolences," Wendell said quietly. "And send runners to each Kingdom. I would wish to be informed of every detail of these attacks." He ignored Francis' triumphant grin and tapped the paper thoughtfully. "I do not think they will come here, but if they do, we should be well prepared. Get descriptions of the culprits, the methods of their attacks and how, if we know, they managed to break into three royal palaces in three weeks without being stopped." He dropped the paper and let it drift to the table. "My stepmother's plot started with a simple prison break and nearly destroyed the entire nine kingdoms. I shudder to think what this could be the harbinger of."
Francis bowed to his King and spun on his heel to rush from the conference room. He shut the door behind him, and looked up at the four men gathered there waiting. "He was willing to hear me out," he reported. "He is sending for Lord Anthony, and desires that messengers be sent to the attacked kingdoms at once to learn all the details there are to be had."
Chancellor Heinrich looked relieved. "I'll arrange for the messengers at once. They'll be given the fastest horses in the stables. I'll go to Lord Anthony myself. But what of Lady Virginia?"
Francis looked worried. "He does not wish to add to her troubles. Which I can certainly understand," he added quickly. "But I cannot help but think…"
"That it would serve us well to have a royal lady on hand in this potentially dark hour?" Duke Hansel finished grimy. "I quite agree with you, Francis. Even if the Kingdom is not in immediate danger, as His Majesty believes, these murderers and thieves seem to be targeting the Queens of other kingdoms. And Lady Virginia is the closest thing to a Queen in both this Kingdom, and the Tenth Kingdom. I cannot help but feel she will become a target."
The other men fell into a grim silence, Hansel's words settling heavily amongst them. As one of King Wendell's closest friends, and the commander of the King's Men, Hansel's instincts were highly regarded within the Fourth Kingdom.
"I shall go to Lord Anthony," Heinrich said quietly. "I shall inform him of all we have learned. Perhaps he can convince the King to send for Lady Virginia. My leave of you, gentlemen." He tipped his hat in a hasty departure and set off down the hall at a near-run.
Francis turned to the last member of their group. "Prince Valiant, I want to thank you for coming here to warn us personally."
The young prince looked flattered. "Duke Francis, I hope I'm wrong. But those men…" he hesitated. "I have seen one of them before. And if I am right – Snow White's Kingdom will be in more danger than the others combined. I believe Duke Hansel is correct. I think Lady Virginia needs to be warned."
"I may know how to do that," Hansel said slowly. "Without disobeying our King. If you'll be willing to help us, Prince Valiant."
"Tell me what I can do." The young prince's jaw set firmly.
Hansel and Francis exchanged a considering glance.
****
chancellor heinrich will go to warn our dear tony
Wolf curled in on himself, burrowing against the side of the tree, trying to ignore the huntsman sleeping just a few yards away, their campfire burned to ashes between them. "Tony," he said.
stop him, my wolf heinrich must fail I am not ready for tony yet
"Tony," Wolf repeated absently, rising to his feet. He gazed down at the huntsman thoughtfully, and for a moment something appeared in his eyes that hadn't been there before.
Then it faded, and he set off into the woods at a run.
Long minutes passed before the huntsman rolled to his feet and began kicking dirt over the fire.
you know what to do
"I know, your majesty."
they are preparing to use the mirror if you move quickly you may be able to reach them in time
****
"This is… the magic mirror?"
Prince Valiant gazed at the mirror with a fascination Hansel himself could not feel. It was an old thing, unnecessarily ornate and incredibly heavy – as Hansel knew well, having been one of the men assigned to bring the mirror to this guarded chamber.
Firelight danced on the surface of the uncovered mirror. There were no windows in the room, making it necessary for them to carry torches in order to see. It made everything seem darker, more powerful. There was enough magic wrapped up in this room as it was, the additional ambiance made it almost… trite.
"This is the old queen's traveling mirror." Hansel stepped up to stand at the prince's side. "The one you refer to has been buried and will remain so until we can find a safe way to destroy it."
"Probably not a bad idea," Valiant admitted, reaching out to touch the reflective surface of the mirror. "I must admit, when we met yesterday, I did not begin to suspect what you had in mind."
"If you are uncertain, your highness," Hansel began, offering the young man a graceful way out, despite himself.
"Oh, I'm very uncertain," Valiant said firmly. "This is magic of the worst sort, magic that has been used for ill deed." He took a half step toward the mirror. "Turn it on," he said.
This part actually has one line I'm really fond of. Hiei's declaration that he knows perfectly well how to find his One True Love's Heart... if only he could get the rib cage open.
A little girl, draped in a white robe, with gold wings and hair nearly the same color pranced through the crowd and hopped to a stop in front of Hiei and Kurama. Gold glitter sparkled in her hair and on her eyelids, and it took Kuwabara a moment to realize that what he thought was the sun sparking off the glitter was actually some sort of magic light that trailed behind her like the tail of a comet. She bounced up and down on her toes and smiled so charmingly that even Hiei reacted to it.
Not favorably or anything, but he did react.
"Hello! I've been looking for you all day! I can see love and fortune coming your way!" The girl chanted in a sweet, piping voice and rocked up onto her toes until she was only an inch or so away from Hiei's face. "You have a very dark aura! Are you a troll?"
Kuwabara choked on the laugh welling up in his chest and took a hasty step backwards, just in case.
"No," Hiei growled. "I'm a fire-"
Kurama coughed delicately.
Hiei's eyes glazed slightly and his voice became forced. "I'm a traveling warrior, you stupid little-"
"We're all traveling warriors," Kurama interjected swiftly. "Can you tell us where we are?"
The little girl gasped in childish shock. "Why, you're in Kissing Town! The most romantic town in all the Ten Kingdoms! Everyone who comes here falls in love!" She beamed at them. "It's truly a wonderful, magical town. Would you like me to tell you where you could find your true love?"
"No," Hiei said shortly.
"Are you sure?" the girl asked teasingly. "Because you haven't very far to look! Just a couple of coins and I could tell you how to reach your true love's heart!"
Hiei flashed a dangerous smile, looking a little like he was about to go on a murderous rampage. "I already know how to do that. The hard part is getting the rib cage open."
"Okay!" Kuwabara said in a bright, loud voice, clapping his hands briskly. "We need to get going before it gets dark."
Kurama cast an obvious and skeptical glance up at the noon sun.
"We've a long way to go yet today," Kuwabara said pointedly. "Perhaps you could give us directions?"
The little girl turned and smiled at him. "You already know the way."
"That's not what I meant," Kuwabara said shortly, ignoring the glances the others kicked his way. "We're looking for the fairy godmother." He could almost say it with a straight face.
The girl's good cheer seemed sorely tested now. "Well, you're never going to find her with that attitude," she snapped. "And she never talks to people with such grumpy auras!" she added with a dirty look in Hiei's direction. "Now does anyone here want to know how to find their true love?"
"I'm into that fortune bit you mentioned earlier," Yuusuke chimed in.
The girl blinked at him, then wordlessly turned and stalked away, the gold wings on her back fluttering with barely contained irritation.
Kuwabara ignored Kurama's steady gaze and turned to Yuusuke. "That was… surreal."
Yuusuke pasted on a grin that was supposed to be breezy but could barely pass for sane. "Well, let's get a move on," he said through his teeth, "before Hiei burns the whole place down."
Kurama eased his way through the trees, searching out the clearest path, trying to clear away as many branches and rocks as he could. Virginia had given up trying to walk by herself nearly a half mile back, and Kuwabara was carrying her on his back. The human wore an expression torn between concern and full blown panic. Virginia, for her part, grit her teeth and traveled in silence as much as she could.
A flicker of black dragged Kurama's attention from the path he was trying to clear. Hiei dropped from the air in front of him and straightened his coat with an irritated tug. Kurama took the distraction as an opportunity to rest a moment, leaning against a nearby tree. "There's a cabin ahead. Lights on, fire burning."
"Humans?" Kurama asked.
Hiei shrugged, his expression firmly sealed into his "don't talk to me, I don't like you" default. It was an expression Kurama had always cheerfully ignored in the past, but after the last few days he had a feeling he'd worn out whatever tolerance Hiei had for him just by being in the fire demon's presence. "All right, I'll let the others know." He rolled his shoulders, easing some of the kinks. "Hopefully there'll be a wife or a mother there. Someone Virginia will feel comfortable with."
"hm." Hiei cast a dark look over Kurama's shoulder, where Yuusuke and Kuwabara were just coming into sight. "The woman's slowing us down."
Kurama frowned at him. "She's having a baby, Hiei. It's not like she's holding us back on purpose."
"The baby will only make things worse," Hiei said dismissively.
Part of Kurama really wanted to argue with him on that one, but the rest of him, the part that had thousands of years of experience at hiding and avoiding pursuers, knew he was right. A baby would cry regardless of what was lurking just a few feet away. They'd have to stop for it to feed, and Virginia would need a day or two to rest after the birth. They were about to be incredibly hindered, and they could only hope that they'd succeeded in losing the hunters back at Kissing Town.
"Kurama!" Yuusuke's panicked shout cut through the night air, and Kurama winced. Hiei snarled something inaudible and flashed out of sight, disappearing into the trees. "Kurama, the baby's coming!"
"What?" Kurama pushed himself off the tree, staring back through the woods. The others had stopped their advance, and Virginia had slid off Kuwabara's back to kneel in the dirt, both hands pressed against her stomach. Yuusuke gave Kurama a wild-eyed look and not for the first time Kurama wished that whatever magic had chosen them as Virginia's traveling companions had thought far enough ahead to include a woman – or even someone who'd seen a baby born before. Health class never warned us about this possibility, Kurama thought ruefully.
"Hiei," he called quietly.
The fire demon appeared in mid air and dropped to the ground in a crouch beyond the kneeling trio. "I'll scout around," he declared diffidently. "I'll catch up to you later." Then he was gone again.
Kurama sighed. Traveling with Hiei was not going to be pleasant from now on. "Can you make it a little further?" he asked Virginia urgently. "Hiei saw a cabin ahead."
Virginia laughed, a gasping sound with a dry edge to it. "Probably… full of trolls," she managed to get out between breaths, "with my… luck."
"So we'll kill the trolls and take the cabin. We can kill trolls, right?" Yuusuke demanded. "They can't be worse than demons. What kind of trolls are we talking about here?"
Kuwabara slapped him on the back of the head. Yuusuke retaliated instinctively, decking Kuwabara hard enough to knock him into a tree.
"Enough," Kurama snapped. "Kuwabara, can you carry Virginia a little further?"
The human boy sat up, rubbing his head and shot Yuusuke a disgusted glance. "Yeah," he grunted, pushing to his feet and looking none the worse for wear. He gathered Virginia up easily enough, holding her in his arms this time, instead of carrying her across his back. "Kurama, getting bounced all over the place can't be what she needs right now."
"The cabin's not far." The youko mentally crossed his fingers.
"I'll, ah, go ahead and find the cabin," Yuusuke volunteered, fidgeting from one foot to the other. "You know, make sure the locals are friendly."
"Be careful," Kurama admonished. "This isn't the Makai – there may be creatures here worse than demons."
Kuwabara snorted. "What a pleasant concept."
"AHH!" Virginia clutched at her stomach and grit her teeth together. "Oh, god, please, can we go now? I don't care if they are trolls!"
Yuusuke gave her a desperate look and took off running through the trees in the same general direction they'd been heading.
Virginia panted for breath. "Is it just me," she asked, "or is that boy nervous about something?"
The two redheads exchanged amused glances over her head, then took off after Yuusuke.
****
The cabin was perhaps a mile further up the mountain. Yuusuke smelled wood smoke and roasting meat before he saw the light of a lamp shining through a window. It was small and more than a little ramshackle, but there was a woodpile to one side and a rocking chair sitting on the tiny porch. It didn't look like a troll house, insofar as Yuusuke's preconceived notions of trolls went.
He skidded to a stop in front of the cabin, probing it cautiously for any hint of spiritual or magical energy. Not that we've had any luck sensing magic in this world so far.
Caution warred with his sense of impending doom – because there was no doubt in his mind that if he and the guys had to deliver this baby something catastrophic would happen. They'd drop it, or Hiei'd decide it was just the right size for a midnight snack or something – and doom won out.
"Hey!" he shouted. "Hey, in the house! Someone open up!"
If they are trolls, it's better to fight them out here anyway, he reasoned. That way the cabin won't be damaged or covered in troll guts or anything.
"Who's out there?" A tremulous, voice wavered out of the cabin and an old man appeared in the doorway.
Yuusuke cheered. "Please, God, tell me you've got a woman in there!"
The door slammed shut and from inside Yuusuke could hear someone shouting, "Get my gun, Flora! There's a damn pervert out in the yard!"
"No! No, hey, wait!" Yuusuke bounded up the stairs and slammed his hand against the door, barely remembering not to use his full strength. "Wait! Please, my friend's having a baby! Is there anyone here who can help her?" He swallowed, noticing his voice had become distinctly high-pitched. "None of us know anything about babies!"
"You fools. You ridiculous, hopeless fools. Know you nothing of the workings of magic? The troll is always outwitted. The magical beast is always captured. The first prince to attempt a quest always fails. And the huntsman – the huntsman always serves his queen."
"It's an enchanted hunting knife. It will kill anything it cuts. But once drawn, it cannot be sheathed without drawing blood."
"Well that's dumb."
"The knife kills anyone it cuts!"
"Does it? Or does it cut anyone you want to kill?"
"What does that mean?"
"Well, until you figure it out, you'd better not cut anyone you don't want to kill, had you?"
"Happily ever after didn't last as long as we'd hoped."
"So what stopped you?"
"Words are important here. You'd better say what you mean, because everyone else will."
"If one more person asks Kurama and Hiei if they want to get married, one of them is going to wipe this entire town off the face of the earth and I can't help but think that wouldn’t endear us to the locals."
"How do you get yourself into these situations?"
"What? What the hell do you mean how do I get into these situations? Has anything like this ever happened to me before? Do I walk around wandering into alternate planes of reality on a regular basis? Have I ever been sucked into a magic mirror against my will before? No! So shut the hell up!"
"Geez. Someone forgot the fairy dust in your coffee this morning."
"You'll never be a queen, or a lady, or even an enchantress. You'll never be anything more than a wicked, ugly, old stepmother "
"Where are the others?"
"Yuusuke's out behind the woodpile, hyperventilating."
"That's Yuusuke. You can always count on him to keep his head in a crisis. What about Hiei?"
"I think he's sulking in a tree."
"Will your friends come for you?"
"I dunno. I guess so. Unless they get killed before they have the chance. Or something more interesting comes along. Like dinner, or a shiny rock."
"Will your friends come for you?"
"No. They know they don't need to."
"Do they have weapons?"
"No. They don't need them."
"Why not?"
"One of them rules the demon world, and the other one can control this forest of yours, turn it against you with a thought. They are weapons. Hell, even the shrimp's tough enough to take you down."
Cinderella's glass slipper – perseverance
Red Riding Hood's cloak – bravery
Briar Rose's spindle – innocence
Lady Virginia's ring – love
Snow White's Comb - trust
The stepmother's magic mirror – adventure
The mirror with the queen is a looking glass – it shows things, but cannot take you to them. The traveling mirrors are either in Wendell's castle, or lost at the bottom of the sea.
Valiant – goes through the mirror after Virginia, gets trapped, is Koenma's contact
Mireille – helps deliver Virginia's baby
Lily -
The bastard prince - Yuusuke
The huntsman - Kuwabara
The magical beast - Kurama
The troll - Hiei
1st Kingdom - Cinderella - Cinderella
2nd Kingdom - Red Riding Hood - Queen Riding Hood III
3rd Kingdom - Trolls -
4th Kingdom - Snow White - Prince Wendell
5th Kingdom -
6th Kingdom - Sleeping Beauty - Princess Lily
7th Kingdom - Elves - Queen Leaffull
8th Kingdom -
9th Kingdom - Dwarves - King Hammerrock
10th Kingdom - Earth - Lady Virginia
So there's that. The world is none the richer for me having decided to share this, but hopefully it is slightly more amused.
