Once upon a Timeless Love
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Once upon a time, there was a castle wedged between two hills, surrounded by a moat, and overshadowed by ominous thunder clouds that refused to move on. Chaotic vines grew and scaled the stone fortress, shutting out any sunlight that ventured to enter.
Within one of the thousands of rooms lay a Sleeping Beauty. Long curls framed the face of a young man who had slumbered peacefully for several decades, while still maintaining his golden youth. Prince Hyde had fallen into the clutches of Fan_Girl294. Obsessive-compulsive behaviour had led her to capture our defenseless prince from the kingdom he ruled with his more-than-friend Gackt, thus ending the flashback/background story and bringing us up to the current situation.
Enter random-manly-stereotype Gackt, who had just revived Mana from his death bed. Gackt wiped blue lipstick off his lips with the back of his hand.
“God, Mana, did you have to wear blue lipstick? It’s so nasty.”
Mana sat up and rubbed his eyes, careful to not smudge his heavy mascara.“What happened?” he said, observing his surroundings. “What happened to the thirteen dwarves?”
As if cued, thirteen girls popped their heads from the neighbouring bushes, squealing in unison.
“Snow White lives!” they cried joyfully, clasping their hands together as tears streamed down their faces.
“For the last time, my name is MANA!” the beautiful man shrieked, causing Gackt to cover his throbbing ears. The girls pranced about and twirled in their overalls, tossing jewels in every direction. Gackt grimaced as one gem pelted his head.
“Well, it’s been fun, but I’m out,” he said, getting up. The Morning Musume girls ceased their festivities and proceeded to cry once again. Manly-Gackt leaped up onto his white stallion as Mana and the girls clumped around him.
“You’re supposed to take Snow White onto your horse and ride off into the sunset!” one of the girls stated matter-of-factly. Mana nodded along with the other girls.
“It’s noon! There is no sunset,” Gackt countered, pulling on the reins of his horse.
He rode off into the woods, leaving the bawling female-types behind. It was a tough job being a manly stereotype, Gackt thought, as he bit into his apple.Suddenly, an arrow whizzed through the trees and wedged itself within the juicy flesh of the red fruit. Gackt’s eyes bulged in surprised and dropped the apple. A man in a green tunic jumped out and snatched the arrow, apple and all.
“Who are you?” Gackt asked, not-at-all curious.
“My name is Robin Tetsu,” the tunic-clad man replied, biting into Gackt’s apple.
“That was mine,” pouted Gackt.
“Sorry!”Tetsu spat the piece out and pushed it back into the apple before tossing it in Gackt’s direction. The taller man made no effort to catch it, being too overcome with disgust. Robin Tetsu shrugged and pulled out an energy bar.
“Have you seen any rich folks lately?” he asked Gackt, who stood there awkwardly.
“I don’t believe so.”
“What a shame. I haven’t had a decent meal in weeks!” Robin Tetsu muttered. “In the old days, you could make a living by stealing from the rich and giving to the poor; look at the corrupted world today! I blame it on inflation, with terrorism as a close second.”
Gackt, who had tuned the other man out ages ago, blinked and quickly decided to move on.
“Do you know of a fortress which holds one known as Prince Hyde?” Gackt enquired.“What’s he to you?”
“Just a friend.”
“Well, I have no idea, but I know someone who might. I have a good friend that works at the ‘Damsel in Distress’ hotline.”
Hyde was not exactly a damsel, but Gackt was pleased nonetheless. He shook Robin Tetsu’s hand graciously and mounted his horse.
“Um…” Tetsu began, hesitating slightly.
“What?”
“Can I ride on the horse with you?”
“No.”
“Okay.”
+++
And so the two men marched into town - Gackt in his manly finery and Robin Tetsu in his sweaty tunic. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.The town bustled with the excitement of night life. Gackt and Tetsu entered a bar and ordered drinks.
“I’m a virgin,” Gackt suddenly revealed.
“What!?” Tetsu replied.
“Sorry, I just felt like I needed to say that at some point, and it just seemed like a good time,” the handsome man explained, not entirely convinced himself. Tetsu raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Gackt looked away and sipped his brew.
“I am, too,” Tetsu offered, breaking the awkward silence between them.
“You’re what?” said Gackt.
“You know…a virgin.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“Uh, okay,” Gackt said before getting up. “Sorry, but I need to go to the little boy’s room.”
Tetsu nodded and twiddled his thumbs.
+++
Prince Hyde opened his eyes and gazed into the blue sky above him. The loud sound of heavy machinery had caused him to wake. He gasped as he saw a scene of rubble around him, and all the remained of the once glorious castle was the bed he had slept on. A large sign that read “For Lease” had been stabbed into the ground amidst the wreckage. This was wrong. It was all very, very wrong.
“Good morrow to you, lassie!” came a voice from behind him. You (from GacktJOB) strode up in a Scottish kilt. He noticed Hyde gawking at his ridiculous costume (as You had paired the kilt with a pink cardigan) and hastily said:
“It’s Scottish Week in town soon, so I thought I’d get a head start. Skirts are wonderfully liberating. You probably know all about it.”
Prince Hyde looked down at himself and saw a white gown from the Tierra Era.
“Do you think…you could take me to town?” Hyde asked Scottish You, brushing a delicate curl behind his ear.
You grinned and said:“Anything for a lady.”
+++
After they got up, Gackt and Tetsu headed off to meet up with Tetsu’s friend. Impatient to receive news about Prince Hyde, Gackt dashed ahead and beckoned Tetsu to follow him.
“Hello, it’s not like you know where we’re going,” Tetsu scowled. “It’s my friend after all.”
“Then pick up the pace, already! I don’t have all day,” the anxious man grumbled. They eventually arrived, after stopping at a bakery to sample strawberry crepes. It had delayed them several minutes, since the chef’s apron caught on fire and the assistant was forced to throw a bowl of whipped cream on him.
Tetsu knocked on the door of a building built to resemble a typical fairy-tale castle. Gackt followed Tetsu as the door opened. They were escorted in by a short man with heavy black eyeliner and black lipstick.
“Hey, Kyo!” Tetsu said, cheerfully, slapping his friend on the back.
“Gee, we’re not even open yet,” Kyo mumbled, clearly half-asleep. “I’m going back to bed.”
“No problem, we’re just going to do a search on your computer. Okay? Thanks,” Tetsu latched onto Gackt’s arm and pushed him down the narrow hallway. At the end, they reached a room littered with desks of computers. Tetsu helped himself to a seat and clicked the mouse around the screen.
“Man, dial-up! You’d think we were still in the Stone Age or something.”Gackt decided it was a good time to catch up on his fan mail, so he sat down in front of a computer and typed in his website. A blaring “Access Denied” covered the monitor screen. He clicked “okay,” but only received a strange bell noise. He continued to click the button until Tetsu dragged him over to his computer.
“Here: ‘Princess Hide - located at Hogwarts Castle. Recently demolished because headmaster refused to pay rent.’ Those fancy English chateaus always cost an arm and a leg; I don’t blame the guy for not parting with the dough.”
“No!” Gackt said, slamming his fist on the table. Upon impact, he whimpered quietly and rubbed his bruised knuckles. “Ouch…I mean, no, that’s the wrong spelling. It’s H-Y-D-E. Hyde.”
“Mmkay,” Tetsu said, typing the letters in. One link popped up.“Let’s see…Prince Hyde. Uh, prince? I thought they only listed girls on this database.”
Gackt urged Tetsu to follow the link and a rather flattering, but dated, portrait of Prince Hyde loaded on the left corner of the screen.
“That’s a guy? Impossible! The perfect eyebrows, skin, hair, lips…” Tetsu said in an indiscernible manner and began to salivate profusely. Gackt slapped the back of Tetsu’s head, clearly miffed.
“That’s my man you’re drooling over.”
“No, you have it all wrong; I don’t swing that way,” Tetsu said.
“But you were just -” the godly man began, exasperated, but the tunic boy was already out the door.
“Ah, dammit...Tetsu!!! You forgot to find out where Hyde is!”
“Would you guys stop making such a racket? Let a guy get sleep for once in his life!” Kyo hollered from above.
Gackt apologized as he passed by the stairs; the shorter man simply waved Gackt away. Unfortunately, that was the last we’d see Kyo in this plot.
+++
The hairdresser spun the chair around to allow Hyde to marvel at his new cut. A little ball of consternation had been sitting in Hyde’s stomach while the hairdresser worked her magic – and now that the moment had come, he could barely stand to look at himself - mostly due to his eyes being tightly shut.
“Can I…?” Hyde asked meekly.
“Go ahead and take a look,” the hairdresser replied, placing a hand on his shoulder. The nervous man took a deep breath and slowly forced his eyelids apart.The light that reflected off the mirror hit his corneas first. After finally overcoming the initial near-blinding experience, his blurry vision cleared and his eyes focused on the sight before them.
His hair was short. And blond. Blond and short.
“It’s…short,” Hyde whispered in disbelief.
“And blond,” the hairdresser added.
“Oh Lordy, you’re a man!” You exclaimed, dropping his “People” magazine on the floor.
“I already told you that!” Hyde shouted. “But you wouldn’t believe me!”
“Well, you should’ve just dropped your pants or something…” You pouted.
The hairdresser pretended not to hear the comment and swept up the remains of Hyde’s curly hair.
“Wait!” Hyde cried out. “Save it for me, please. I think I could probably sell some of it to crazy fan girls on eBay or something.”
“Who would want your hair? What have you ever done?” You retorted.
“Nothing, I’ll just pass it off as Camui Gackt’s hair,” Hyde said, thinking fondly of his old friend.
“Camui Gackt, huh? I don’t think he ever had curly hair.”
“I’ll just iron it out, then. No one has to know.”
“If you give me half your earnings, I’ll keep these lips sealed,” You bargained, as he was a bit short on cash himself.
Hyde pondered for a moment before saying:“Deal.”
+++
“So, let me get this straight,” Gackt said, holding a map in front of his face. “We’re looking for a nameless castle in a remote location. It’s surrounded by a moat and there just so happens to be an ominous black cloud suspended above it?”
“I think you got the gist of it. Slow down, will you?” Tetsu panted while scurrying to keep up with the trot of Gackt’s stallion.
“It’s not my fault that you’re physically unfit.”Tetsu pulled at his hair in frustration. Robin Tetsu is highly displeased! he thought to himself.
“We’re almost there!” Gackt crowed. His heart began to beat faster, struck with the realization that he would soon see his beloved prince.
“Hurry, Tetsu!”
“If you would just let me ride your damn horse…” Tetsu muttered.
“Look!!!”Both men turned their heads, expecting to see a glorious structure of an ancient civilization. They were shocked to see nothing but blue sky.
“What…? Where’s the castle?” Gackt murmured, collapsing to his knees. A sharp rock jabbed into his knee and he keeled over in pain. Tetsu treaded toward a large sign and shook his head as he realized the situation.
“Looks like another guy forgot to pay the rent.”
+++
Prince Hyde and You lounged in the town square, passing a bowl of curry back and forth between them. The sun’s searing rays beat down on the heavily clothed villagers, as most had yet to see the new summer fashion catalogue. The two men had been debating what their next course of action would be. Hyde could not see You playing any part in his future and was beginning to become rather irritated by his Scottish vernacular. The curry was quickly consumed and Hyde tossed the Styrofoam bowl into the garbage bin, missing by several feet.
“Don’t litter,” You mumbled, pulling his hat over his eyes.
“What are you doing?” Hyde asked.
“Taking a nap. Wake me up in an hour or so.”
Hyde analyzed those words with glee, seeing it as a perfect chance to pull away and embark on whatever adventure came around first. He opted to do something about his clothing. The white gown had elicited brief stares from passers-by, which made Hyde feel like an unofficial spectacle. He did one last check to ensure that You was asleep before proceeding to the clothing stores. As he was browsing through a rack of sweaters, a large poster of a male model caught his eye. He looks so cool, Hyde thought to himself. He found himself smiling, unable to tear his eyes away.
“That’s Camui Gackt. Isn’t he handsome?” the salesgirl said, interrupting Hyde’s thoughts.
“Yes…I guess he is,” Hyde replied, scratching his chin. “He doesn’t look like he’s ever had long hair…darn.”
“Pardon?” asked the girl.
“Oh, nothing!”
“I wish I could attend the ball tonight…I heard he was going to be there,” said the salesgirl. She removed an invitation from her pocket and showed it to the short man. “I would sell it, but I suppose it’s too late now. The ball begins in an hour.”
Hyde looked at her sympathetically, while the gears in his head started to turn. The salesgirl beamed at him and for a while they both gazed at the poster in equal admiration. Suddenly, a light went on in Hyde’s head and he said:
“Well, miss, it just so happens that I have a lock of Camui’s hair…”
+++
Gackt sobbed and blew his nose once more into his dainty handkerchief. Tetsu rubbed Gackt’s shoulders comfortingly. Unwillingly, Tetsu had stayed with him, but for the sole reason that he felt strangely attached to his new friend, as cruel and selfish as he was about his horse.
“Come on, Gackt, night has fallen,” Tetsu whispered, shaking the other man gently. Abruptly, Gackt shot up and blinked rapidly. He shoved his hands roughly into his pockets.
“Ah, where is it, where is it?” he muttered to himself.
“Here!”And with that, Gackt swiftly grasped the reins of his stallion and galloped toward the lights of the town.Tetsu stood motionless, trying to make sense of Gackt’s hasty burst of action. The sound of hooves interrupted his thoughts. He squinted his eyes to observe the stranger.
“Quickly, Tetsu; we must attend the ball,” came a deep voice, with a hint of vibrato.
“Hop up on my horse before I change my mind.”
+++
Hyde smoothed the wrinkles in his new princely garments and ran a hand through his hair. Lovely ladies drifted around him in their evening dress and sparkling diamonds, all escorted by gentlemen in handsome tuxedos. The ballroom bathed in the warm glow of a gigantic chandelier.
The blond man shifted in his seat restlessly, his gaze darting about the room, searching for the single person who had not yet graced his vision.
The clock chimed. It was eleven o’clock.Gackt dragged Tetsu through the marble doors, mindfully ignoring protests that his dirty tunic friend was not on the guest list. The hostess gasped at their entrance and pushed her way through the crowd toward the pair.
“I am so pleased you made it, Camui,” she breathed. She seized Gackt’s arm and he winced as she led him toward the dance floor. “Please, let me have this first dance.”
Tetsu held back a giggle when Gackt looked at him with pleading eyes that begged to be saved from the evident torture to come. The tunic-sporting man waved at them before settling down beside a blond fellow.
“That’s some classy threads you have on, my man,” Tetsu commented, helping himself to a glass of champagne. He scrutinized his neighbour for a moment.
“You look familiar.”
“I don’t believe we have met,” Hyde politely answered. His eyes searched the dance floor once again, but a large couple blocked his view.
“Who are you looking for?” Tetsu asked.
“Oh…just a friend I was expecting.”
“A lady?”
“No.”
Tetsu shrugged and munched on some appetizers, realizing that he had not eaten for days. Hyde sighed audibly and decided he had waited long enough. He bid farewell to Tetsu and got up to leave.
Within one of the thousands of rooms lay a Sleeping Beauty. Long curls framed the face of a young man who had slumbered peacefully for several decades, while still maintaining his golden youth. Prince Hyde had fallen into the clutches of Fan_Girl294. Obsessive-compulsive behaviour had led her to capture our defenseless prince from the kingdom he ruled with his more-than-friend Gackt, thus ending the flashback/background story and bringing us up to the current situation.
Enter random-manly-stereotype Gackt, who had just revived Mana from his death bed. Gackt wiped blue lipstick off his lips with the back of his hand.
“God, Mana, did you have to wear blue lipstick? It’s so nasty.”
Mana sat up and rubbed his eyes, careful to not smudge his heavy mascara.“What happened?” he said, observing his surroundings. “What happened to the thirteen dwarves?”
As if cued, thirteen girls popped their heads from the neighbouring bushes, squealing in unison.
“Snow White lives!” they cried joyfully, clasping their hands together as tears streamed down their faces.
“For the last time, my name is MANA!” the beautiful man shrieked, causing Gackt to cover his throbbing ears. The girls pranced about and twirled in their overalls, tossing jewels in every direction. Gackt grimaced as one gem pelted his head.
“Well, it’s been fun, but I’m out,” he said, getting up. The Morning Musume girls ceased their festivities and proceeded to cry once again. Manly-Gackt leaped up onto his white stallion as Mana and the girls clumped around him.
“You’re supposed to take Snow White onto your horse and ride off into the sunset!” one of the girls stated matter-of-factly. Mana nodded along with the other girls.
“It’s noon! There is no sunset,” Gackt countered, pulling on the reins of his horse.
He rode off into the woods, leaving the bawling female-types behind. It was a tough job being a manly stereotype, Gackt thought, as he bit into his apple.Suddenly, an arrow whizzed through the trees and wedged itself within the juicy flesh of the red fruit. Gackt’s eyes bulged in surprised and dropped the apple. A man in a green tunic jumped out and snatched the arrow, apple and all.
“Who are you?” Gackt asked, not-at-all curious.
“My name is Robin Tetsu,” the tunic-clad man replied, biting into Gackt’s apple.
“That was mine,” pouted Gackt.
“Sorry!”Tetsu spat the piece out and pushed it back into the apple before tossing it in Gackt’s direction. The taller man made no effort to catch it, being too overcome with disgust. Robin Tetsu shrugged and pulled out an energy bar.
“Have you seen any rich folks lately?” he asked Gackt, who stood there awkwardly.
“I don’t believe so.”
“What a shame. I haven’t had a decent meal in weeks!” Robin Tetsu muttered. “In the old days, you could make a living by stealing from the rich and giving to the poor; look at the corrupted world today! I blame it on inflation, with terrorism as a close second.”
Gackt, who had tuned the other man out ages ago, blinked and quickly decided to move on.
“Do you know of a fortress which holds one known as Prince Hyde?” Gackt enquired.“What’s he to you?”
“Just a friend.”
“Well, I have no idea, but I know someone who might. I have a good friend that works at the ‘Damsel in Distress’ hotline.”
Hyde was not exactly a damsel, but Gackt was pleased nonetheless. He shook Robin Tetsu’s hand graciously and mounted his horse.
“Um…” Tetsu began, hesitating slightly.
“What?”
“Can I ride on the horse with you?”
“No.”
“Okay.”
+++
And so the two men marched into town - Gackt in his manly finery and Robin Tetsu in his sweaty tunic. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.The town bustled with the excitement of night life. Gackt and Tetsu entered a bar and ordered drinks.
“I’m a virgin,” Gackt suddenly revealed.
“What!?” Tetsu replied.
“Sorry, I just felt like I needed to say that at some point, and it just seemed like a good time,” the handsome man explained, not entirely convinced himself. Tetsu raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Gackt looked away and sipped his brew.
“I am, too,” Tetsu offered, breaking the awkward silence between them.
“You’re what?” said Gackt.
“You know…a virgin.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“Uh, okay,” Gackt said before getting up. “Sorry, but I need to go to the little boy’s room.”
Tetsu nodded and twiddled his thumbs.
+++
Prince Hyde opened his eyes and gazed into the blue sky above him. The loud sound of heavy machinery had caused him to wake. He gasped as he saw a scene of rubble around him, and all the remained of the once glorious castle was the bed he had slept on. A large sign that read “For Lease” had been stabbed into the ground amidst the wreckage. This was wrong. It was all very, very wrong.
“Good morrow to you, lassie!” came a voice from behind him. You (from GacktJOB) strode up in a Scottish kilt. He noticed Hyde gawking at his ridiculous costume (as You had paired the kilt with a pink cardigan) and hastily said:
“It’s Scottish Week in town soon, so I thought I’d get a head start. Skirts are wonderfully liberating. You probably know all about it.”
Prince Hyde looked down at himself and saw a white gown from the Tierra Era.
“Do you think…you could take me to town?” Hyde asked Scottish You, brushing a delicate curl behind his ear.
You grinned and said:“Anything for a lady.”
+++
After they got up, Gackt and Tetsu headed off to meet up with Tetsu’s friend. Impatient to receive news about Prince Hyde, Gackt dashed ahead and beckoned Tetsu to follow him.
“Hello, it’s not like you know where we’re going,” Tetsu scowled. “It’s my friend after all.”
“Then pick up the pace, already! I don’t have all day,” the anxious man grumbled. They eventually arrived, after stopping at a bakery to sample strawberry crepes. It had delayed them several minutes, since the chef’s apron caught on fire and the assistant was forced to throw a bowl of whipped cream on him.
Tetsu knocked on the door of a building built to resemble a typical fairy-tale castle. Gackt followed Tetsu as the door opened. They were escorted in by a short man with heavy black eyeliner and black lipstick.
“Hey, Kyo!” Tetsu said, cheerfully, slapping his friend on the back.
“Gee, we’re not even open yet,” Kyo mumbled, clearly half-asleep. “I’m going back to bed.”
“No problem, we’re just going to do a search on your computer. Okay? Thanks,” Tetsu latched onto Gackt’s arm and pushed him down the narrow hallway. At the end, they reached a room littered with desks of computers. Tetsu helped himself to a seat and clicked the mouse around the screen.
“Man, dial-up! You’d think we were still in the Stone Age or something.”Gackt decided it was a good time to catch up on his fan mail, so he sat down in front of a computer and typed in his website. A blaring “Access Denied” covered the monitor screen. He clicked “okay,” but only received a strange bell noise. He continued to click the button until Tetsu dragged him over to his computer.
“Here: ‘Princess Hide - located at Hogwarts Castle. Recently demolished because headmaster refused to pay rent.’ Those fancy English chateaus always cost an arm and a leg; I don’t blame the guy for not parting with the dough.”
“No!” Gackt said, slamming his fist on the table. Upon impact, he whimpered quietly and rubbed his bruised knuckles. “Ouch…I mean, no, that’s the wrong spelling. It’s H-Y-D-E. Hyde.”
“Mmkay,” Tetsu said, typing the letters in. One link popped up.“Let’s see…Prince Hyde. Uh, prince? I thought they only listed girls on this database.”
Gackt urged Tetsu to follow the link and a rather flattering, but dated, portrait of Prince Hyde loaded on the left corner of the screen.
“That’s a guy? Impossible! The perfect eyebrows, skin, hair, lips…” Tetsu said in an indiscernible manner and began to salivate profusely. Gackt slapped the back of Tetsu’s head, clearly miffed.
“That’s my man you’re drooling over.”
“No, you have it all wrong; I don’t swing that way,” Tetsu said.
“But you were just -” the godly man began, exasperated, but the tunic boy was already out the door.
“Ah, dammit...Tetsu!!! You forgot to find out where Hyde is!”
“Would you guys stop making such a racket? Let a guy get sleep for once in his life!” Kyo hollered from above.
Gackt apologized as he passed by the stairs; the shorter man simply waved Gackt away. Unfortunately, that was the last we’d see Kyo in this plot.
+++
The hairdresser spun the chair around to allow Hyde to marvel at his new cut. A little ball of consternation had been sitting in Hyde’s stomach while the hairdresser worked her magic – and now that the moment had come, he could barely stand to look at himself - mostly due to his eyes being tightly shut.
“Can I…?” Hyde asked meekly.
“Go ahead and take a look,” the hairdresser replied, placing a hand on his shoulder. The nervous man took a deep breath and slowly forced his eyelids apart.The light that reflected off the mirror hit his corneas first. After finally overcoming the initial near-blinding experience, his blurry vision cleared and his eyes focused on the sight before them.
His hair was short. And blond. Blond and short.
“It’s…short,” Hyde whispered in disbelief.
“And blond,” the hairdresser added.
“Oh Lordy, you’re a man!” You exclaimed, dropping his “People” magazine on the floor.
“I already told you that!” Hyde shouted. “But you wouldn’t believe me!”
“Well, you should’ve just dropped your pants or something…” You pouted.
The hairdresser pretended not to hear the comment and swept up the remains of Hyde’s curly hair.
“Wait!” Hyde cried out. “Save it for me, please. I think I could probably sell some of it to crazy fan girls on eBay or something.”
“Who would want your hair? What have you ever done?” You retorted.
“Nothing, I’ll just pass it off as Camui Gackt’s hair,” Hyde said, thinking fondly of his old friend.
“Camui Gackt, huh? I don’t think he ever had curly hair.”
“I’ll just iron it out, then. No one has to know.”
“If you give me half your earnings, I’ll keep these lips sealed,” You bargained, as he was a bit short on cash himself.
Hyde pondered for a moment before saying:“Deal.”
+++
“So, let me get this straight,” Gackt said, holding a map in front of his face. “We’re looking for a nameless castle in a remote location. It’s surrounded by a moat and there just so happens to be an ominous black cloud suspended above it?”
“I think you got the gist of it. Slow down, will you?” Tetsu panted while scurrying to keep up with the trot of Gackt’s stallion.
“It’s not my fault that you’re physically unfit.”Tetsu pulled at his hair in frustration. Robin Tetsu is highly displeased! he thought to himself.
“We’re almost there!” Gackt crowed. His heart began to beat faster, struck with the realization that he would soon see his beloved prince.
“Hurry, Tetsu!”
“If you would just let me ride your damn horse…” Tetsu muttered.
“Look!!!”Both men turned their heads, expecting to see a glorious structure of an ancient civilization. They were shocked to see nothing but blue sky.
“What…? Where’s the castle?” Gackt murmured, collapsing to his knees. A sharp rock jabbed into his knee and he keeled over in pain. Tetsu treaded toward a large sign and shook his head as he realized the situation.
“Looks like another guy forgot to pay the rent.”
+++
Prince Hyde and You lounged in the town square, passing a bowl of curry back and forth between them. The sun’s searing rays beat down on the heavily clothed villagers, as most had yet to see the new summer fashion catalogue. The two men had been debating what their next course of action would be. Hyde could not see You playing any part in his future and was beginning to become rather irritated by his Scottish vernacular. The curry was quickly consumed and Hyde tossed the Styrofoam bowl into the garbage bin, missing by several feet.
“Don’t litter,” You mumbled, pulling his hat over his eyes.
“What are you doing?” Hyde asked.
“Taking a nap. Wake me up in an hour or so.”
Hyde analyzed those words with glee, seeing it as a perfect chance to pull away and embark on whatever adventure came around first. He opted to do something about his clothing. The white gown had elicited brief stares from passers-by, which made Hyde feel like an unofficial spectacle. He did one last check to ensure that You was asleep before proceeding to the clothing stores. As he was browsing through a rack of sweaters, a large poster of a male model caught his eye. He looks so cool, Hyde thought to himself. He found himself smiling, unable to tear his eyes away.
“That’s Camui Gackt. Isn’t he handsome?” the salesgirl said, interrupting Hyde’s thoughts.
“Yes…I guess he is,” Hyde replied, scratching his chin. “He doesn’t look like he’s ever had long hair…darn.”
“Pardon?” asked the girl.
“Oh, nothing!”
“I wish I could attend the ball tonight…I heard he was going to be there,” said the salesgirl. She removed an invitation from her pocket and showed it to the short man. “I would sell it, but I suppose it’s too late now. The ball begins in an hour.”
Hyde looked at her sympathetically, while the gears in his head started to turn. The salesgirl beamed at him and for a while they both gazed at the poster in equal admiration. Suddenly, a light went on in Hyde’s head and he said:
“Well, miss, it just so happens that I have a lock of Camui’s hair…”
+++
Gackt sobbed and blew his nose once more into his dainty handkerchief. Tetsu rubbed Gackt’s shoulders comfortingly. Unwillingly, Tetsu had stayed with him, but for the sole reason that he felt strangely attached to his new friend, as cruel and selfish as he was about his horse.
“Come on, Gackt, night has fallen,” Tetsu whispered, shaking the other man gently. Abruptly, Gackt shot up and blinked rapidly. He shoved his hands roughly into his pockets.
“Ah, where is it, where is it?” he muttered to himself.
“Here!”And with that, Gackt swiftly grasped the reins of his stallion and galloped toward the lights of the town.Tetsu stood motionless, trying to make sense of Gackt’s hasty burst of action. The sound of hooves interrupted his thoughts. He squinted his eyes to observe the stranger.
“Quickly, Tetsu; we must attend the ball,” came a deep voice, with a hint of vibrato.
“Hop up on my horse before I change my mind.”
+++
Hyde smoothed the wrinkles in his new princely garments and ran a hand through his hair. Lovely ladies drifted around him in their evening dress and sparkling diamonds, all escorted by gentlemen in handsome tuxedos. The ballroom bathed in the warm glow of a gigantic chandelier.
The blond man shifted in his seat restlessly, his gaze darting about the room, searching for the single person who had not yet graced his vision.
The clock chimed. It was eleven o’clock.Gackt dragged Tetsu through the marble doors, mindfully ignoring protests that his dirty tunic friend was not on the guest list. The hostess gasped at their entrance and pushed her way through the crowd toward the pair.
“I am so pleased you made it, Camui,” she breathed. She seized Gackt’s arm and he winced as she led him toward the dance floor. “Please, let me have this first dance.”
Tetsu held back a giggle when Gackt looked at him with pleading eyes that begged to be saved from the evident torture to come. The tunic-sporting man waved at them before settling down beside a blond fellow.
“That’s some classy threads you have on, my man,” Tetsu commented, helping himself to a glass of champagne. He scrutinized his neighbour for a moment.
“You look familiar.”
“I don’t believe we have met,” Hyde politely answered. His eyes searched the dance floor once again, but a large couple blocked his view.
“Who are you looking for?” Tetsu asked.
“Oh…just a friend I was expecting.”
“A lady?”
“No.”
Tetsu shrugged and munched on some appetizers, realizing that he had not eaten for days. Hyde sighed audibly and decided he had waited long enough. He bid farewell to Tetsu and got up to leave.
And then Hyde saw him.Gackt yawned as he danced with the hostess. She chattered about general nonsense quite amicably, but Gackt paid no heed to her babble. His mind was occupied by his failure; the godly, manly Gackt could not save the one thing precious to him.
“Gackt!” a melodious voice abruptly shattered his moment of reflection and self-deprecation. He craned his head towards the recognizable voice. A solitary hand waved at him from within the sea of bodies.
“Hyde!? Hyde!!!”
“Gackt,” Hyde spoke, pushing through the crowd. Gackt shoved the hostess away and pulled the short man into his embrace. The clock struck midnight and the bells resounded throughout the ballroom, rejoicing the reunion of the two men.
“Oh my goodness, that carriage outside just turned into a giant pumpkin!” a woman screeched.
Hyde made as to turn his head to see, but Gackt caught his lips in a deep, passionate kiss. They both laughed.
“Just friends, huh?” murmured Tetsu. He smiled and bit into his cocktail weenie.
XD.........cerita yg menarik!!!!.......Habis di rampok di web neh...>.<
gak tau deh.....yang dapt fanfic ini......
malah sekarang lagi gencar2nya ngerampokin gambar Gakuai dari web mana aja!!!!!
*calon perampok neh!!*
~Owari~
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