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A Grown-up Bedtime Story	By : acsoundwave Category: zMisplaced Stories [ADMIN use only] > YuYu Views: 1376 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own this anime/manga, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
A Grown-up Bedtime
Story

byline:
Anubis Soundwave

One:
Six months later.

“The
groundwork has been laid,” Minamino tells Shinobu and Mitarai.
“The tower merely requires one more assault; this time it will
be the final one.”

“Yet
now,” continues Minamino, “we must tell the prince.”

“Leave
that to me.” After saying so, Shinobu leaves the courtyard.

-
- - - -

“...I
see.” Kazuma chuckles at the tenshi’s account.
“But why did you try to keep this a secret from me? I figured
out your plan five months ago.”

“Why
did you play along, then?” scowls Shinobu.

“I
like spending my time with Rapunzel-san. If it weren’t for the
damned war, I’d bring her here to be with me.”

“We’d
gathered that. Mitarai had simply thought it would be interesting if
we could bring her here for you.

“But
the idea waxes bolder, and.... For this, we’ll need you to be
in on the plan.”

“I’m
just surprised that the old hag hasn’t caught on yet.”

-
- - - -

“Kido
was right, sensei.” Yanagisawa bites into an apple as he
and Tou-momoiroi spy on Kazuma and Shinobu. “I suspect you knew
this all along, though.”

“Keep
your guesses to yourself, boy,” the small, pink-haired woman
says as she studies the prince and the tall, dark-haired tenshi.

At
length, both Tou-momoiroi and her pupil turn away, heading back to
the tower.

-
- - - -

“So,
Mitarai; once again you’ve come here to trouble us,”
smirks Kido.

“Mock
us all you like, warlock. The survival of our kingdom depends on the
success of this mission,” continues Mitarai, preparing to fight
the shadow sorcerer, “and we will succeed.”

“Whether
you realize it or not,” grins Amanuma, tossing jacks at Kido
and Kaitoh.

An
oversized red ball bounces after the now-enlarged jacks, as well as
the sorcerers.

“When
are Yana and sensei returning again?” Kido asks Kaitoh.

“Shortly.
Permit me to create a ward against violence; I abhor it so.”
While Kaitoh’s words shield both him and Kido from a tree
Hagiri sent after them, the giant jacks continue to spin; the ball
continues to bounce.

“I
don’t understand!” Kido cries to Kaitoh, surprised at the
jacks’ continued assault.

“When
you awaken your ki and protest violence,” the blond
sorcerer continues, “our opponents can’t attack us!”

“Unfortunately,
a game of jacks isn’t considered violence. I shall challenge
the boy Amanuma to another.”

Kaitoh
calls to Amanuma. “Gamesman! Janken challenge.”

“Agreed,”
smiles Amanuma. “Only I won’t defeat you.”

“I’m
glad you’re aware of your limitations, boy. Let our fates be
decided in hand.” Kaitoh shakes his fist in the familiar
child’s game.

But
the word sorcerer turns to stone, and a giant sheet of paper wraps
around his frozen frame.

Kido’s
eyes widen, staring at the smirking Amanuma. “I...I don’t
understand! You didn’t even play!”

“I
said that I wouldn’t defeat him; what this third-rate
wordsmith didn’t consider,” continues Amanuma, “was
that he would be defeated.”

“But
then who--?” Kido looks up toward the tower, and sees Kazuma
balancing himself on his reiken. “...you....”

“I
am a man of few talents,” grins the prince, “but no man
alive has yet bested me at janken.” He enters the window
to Rapunzel’s room.

-
- - - -

“Can’t
I leave you two alone for a moment?” scowls Tou-momoiroi, back
at the tower with Yanagisawa. “What happened here? Why is
Kaitoh now stone?”

“That
brat tricked us.” Kido points to Amanuma. “It appears
that the prince is apparently adept at janken.”

“Hn...no
matter. This old body has tricks up her sleeve yet.”

“Old
woman, I doubt you and your band of warlocks are a match for our
combined power,” says Mitarai, tossing water at the two
sorcerers.

“We
are to be felled by water?” laughs Yanagisawa.

The
laughter dies, however, as the water congeals into an inescapable
mass, containing both Yanagisawa and Kido. The two sorcerers narrowly
manage to create air pockets to breath in.

“This can end,
witch,” continues Mitarai, “if you would release the
damsel held captive in your tower.”

“She
is no prisoner--but a ward under my care and she’s hardly your
concern.” Tou-momoiroi calmly blasts Mitarai with her focused
ki, knocking the water master out and freeing her pupils.

“Ah...I
have diagnosed the situation; you are a palpable threat, a cancerous
tumor blocking our goals.

“Thus,
you must be excised.” The physician Kamiya whips out his
scalpels and attacks Tou-momoiroi.

Despite
the witch’s efforts to dodge the surgical blades, some of
Kamiya’s incisions hit their mark. Bleeding and hamstrung,
Tou-momoiroi collapses to the ground.

“Toguro...!”
the old woman crows. “Come out...Toguro-kyoudai!”

Just
as the oni Toguro appears, highly-muscled, to aid the witch;
Shinobu descends. “I knew this witch could call upon you,”
smiles the tenshi, “and my purpose is to match you.

“Forgive
my eagerness. I’ve been looking forward to fighting an
adversary such as you for some time.”

“I
am honored that you would consider one as lowly as I worthy of a
bout,” grins Toguro. “However, the woman Tou-momoiroi has
called on us both.”

“Both?”
Shinobu’s eyes widen in surprise.

“Yes,
honored tenshi. Enough of your games, aniki.”

Makihara,
about to devour Tou-momoiroi, suddenly clutches his head, screaming
in wordless agony. The soul-eating hanyou’s head
explodes. Only the lower mandible remains of his skull.

“What
manner of dark sorcery is this?” wonders Kamiya and Hagiri.

A
new, paler head sprouts out of the grisly stump, laughing wildly. The
head of the jaki Toguro, the oni Toguro’s elder
brother.

“Toguro-kei.
I knew you would come out,” cackles Tou-momoiroi weakly, “if
only to see me bleed.”

“Now,
we--Toguro-kyoudai--are one,” smiles Toguro-oni.

-
- - - -

“We
haven’t had this much fun in centuries, otouto. Though I
will miss the use of this body.” Toguro-jaki absorbs
Makihara’s flesh, assuming his true shape. “The moral, I
suppose, children; is that one should watch what he eats.”

“Horrible...demon....”
Kamiya trembles.

Amanuma
shivers. “I...I don’t want to die....”

“Stand
your ground; we must avenge Makihara,” commands Hagiri.

“But...Mitarai
is down....”

“We
have a mission to complete. Mitarai believes in the mission. If we
fail, every last one of us will die deaths worse than Makihara’s.

“I’m
prepared to die now, that the kingdom and all its people--including
my sister--may live on. I call on you to do the same.” Hagiri
bombards Toguro-jaki with large rocks.

The
boy gamester steels himself, awakening his ki. “Let’s
play a game of freeze tag, then!” Amanuma cries, smiling
cheerfully again.

Itsuki
rises from the boy’s shadow and places a hand on his shoulder.
“Unnecessary. The work is finished.”

Amanuma
scowls at the sorcerers, Tou-momoiroi, and Toguro-kyoudai. “So
our battle ends in a draw.” He motions with janken-hasami
to cut the paper off the stone Kaitoh. “End game.”

Kaitoh
regains his flesh and blood. Mitarai and his men sink into their own
shadows, facilitated by Itsuki’s own shadow skill.

-
- - - -

Shinobu,
still fighting with Toguro-oni, notes the group’s
departure.

After
healing her legs, Tou-momoiroi rises. “Kido, awaken your ki
and sit over there.” She points to a spot on the ground. “You
others,” the witch orders Kaitoh and Yanagisawa, “enter
the tower and retrieve Rapunzel. This has gone on long enough.”

The
other sorcerers open the secret hatch to enter the tower.

Tou-momoiroi
hands the seated Kido a blindfold and cotton for his ears. “Put
these on. I need you to be as numb as stone.”

“I
trust you, sensei.” Kido puts on the blindfold and
stuffs his ears.

Shinobu
realizes that he is frozen in place--unable to fly or run, and finds
himself at the mercy of Toguro-oni’s assault.

Tou-momoiroi
reverts to her true form, the megami Genkai. “Leave
off,” she commands the oni.

Genkai
turns her attention to a bloodied Shinobu. “Wayward as ever, I
see. How long did you think I would let you continue this?”

“I...am
in...the right,” groans Shinobu. “I’m setting
right...what was wrong.”

“Did
you think, Shinobu, that I rebuked you and cast you from tokoyonokuni
because you killed those evil men without my sanction? That was not
my reason.

“My
reason was far closer to the bone.” Genkai shows the scowling
Shinobu a yin-yang coin. “You are out of balance. Righteousness
must allow for benevolence, and meekness must give a place of free
reign for bold action.

“Do
you understand yet, Shinobu?” asks Genkai. Shinobu wearily
shakes his head. “I did not think you would.”

The
megami places the coin on Shinobu’s forehead, on top of
the tenshi’s holy dot. “For others, in heaven and
earth alike: black embraces white, while white caresses black. Yet
for you, black and white are apart.” As Genkai speaks, the
small circles of the yin-yang coin melt into their surrounding color.

-
- - - -

“You
have not seen...what I have...” counters Shinobu.

“I? I see all,
and thus, know all. Hence the comments from mankind that I’m
omniscient.”

“You
see, and you know. Yet you would do nothing to stay the hand of evil
from the innocent?”

“I
said no such thing. How I choose to act is irrelevant. Your acts are
called into question.

“First,
by slaughtering most of the founders of the Ankoku Circus, you
exposed their evil too soon. Lord Damien, who scourges the Kuwabara
Kingdom now, was in danger of losing his power when you made your
self-righteous error twenty-five years ago.

“I
could have restored the Kaiba Kingdom then, but your actions gave
Damien a perfect scapegoat--a dead one--to accept the blame for his
sins.

“Then you
revealed Rapunzel to the prince Kuwabara.”

“I
have not told him of her true nature. The prince sees the girl as a
fair damsel, worthy of marriage.” Shinobu locks eyes with the
megami. “She would fare better with him--bearing his
child and assuring the bloodlines of both their houses--than in this
tower, locked away.

“Your
disciples could have betrayed you and her for the right price: money,
power, even love. They are human, and all humans are capable of
wickedness--and that includes the prince and his people, I know.”

“It
seems you have gained a bit of insight.” Genkai grants Shinobu
a small smile.

“I
have learned that despite this capacity for evil, most of humanity
wants to do good. The prince doesn’t wish to take this course
with Rapunzel; he would rather woo her properly.

“Yet
Damien is still here: attacking his kingdom and home, oppressing the
people of Saiba, threatening life itself, raping the prince’s
sister whenever it suits the lord.”

“You
tell me what could have been avoided had you not slain the Ankoku
Circus. King Saiba had learned the truth about Damien and his
connections to the Circus. He was going to execute Damien, find
Kaiba’s crown prince, and restore the throne his father wrongly
usurped from Ghiren.”

Genkai
continues, sighing. “But you destroyed most of the Carnival,
Damien staged a coup d’etat--seizing power from Saiba;
and now the Circus remains--there is one surviving founder--and
Damien remains.

“Ho,
Shinobu,” smiles Genkai wryly, “you have done so much
good.”

Shinobu
stares at Genkai in mute horror.

-
- - - -

“I
know you will to work righteousness, and to stand for righteousness.
But without charity and benevolence, your righteousness is worthless;
it is only the sanctimonious indignation of a petty, petulant child
with wings.

“Which
brings me to the lie. You troubled Wuukong needlessly. He could never
allow deceit from tenshi. So, secure in the righteousness of
your goal, you willed to use any means--even to defy the will of the
prince I sent you to protect; when he was willing to put his needs
aside, and think of Rapunzel’s.”

The
megami glares hotly at Shinobu. “How dare you! You could
have found another maid or princess for the prince. Why did you
choose Rapunzel?”

“I
will not accept this, Genkai-sama. For if I do, then
you have to accept a pointless charge as well.”

Shinobu
levels an accusing glare at Genkai. “You could have left
Rapunzel with her family; with her father, mother, and brother.”

“The
man can barely recall his true heritage,” continues the tenshi.
“He was content to live in that hovel, and support his wife and
children. But you frightened him into giving up his firstborn, after
creating enchanted cabbages that would ensnare his wife. Both were
hungry--starving.”

“After
watching the Kaiba Kingdom and the Saiba Dynasty fall in the space of
twenty-five years due to divine and supernatural interference, I was
and am reluctant to make decisions for mankind when they have minds
of their own.”

“But
you are megami.”

“And humans
have free will. I gave it unto them.”

“I see. Then
accept the truth: I revealed Rapunzel to Kazuma-ouji, but he
chose to follow after her. And you placed her in your tower for her
safety, but when Kazuma’s choice led him to scale the tower,
she chose to let him clamber her hair.

“If you are
humble enough to accept humanity’s free will, you can’t
suspend the free will of Rapunzel and Kazuma if it countermands
yours--any more than I can.”

“How was it
their will to have you lie?”

“Their desire
is to be together: Rapunzel, that she may be free of the tower; and
Kazuma, that he may be free of despair. Before--those other times--I
was acting on what I thought to be right. But now, I act on what I
know; what I see and hear before me.”

Shinobu lowers his
head wistfully, continuing. “I ‘lied’, because I
know the heart of the prince, and at the time I saw Rapunzel in his
eyes. He willed to be with her. If I am too zealous, then you are
simply too detached.” Shinobu glares at Genkai again.

“It is clear to
me that....” Genkai turns her head, sensing the early return of
Kaitoh and Yanagisawa. “Kneel, Shinobu.”

The megami
takes a breath, then turns back to Shinobu. “I’ll make
this quick. You are hereby sentenced to ten thousand years in
Purgatory, which begins when you die.”

Genkai folds her
arms, giving the tenshi a demanding stare. “You
understand? This is your final chance at redemption. You will have
the same autonomy as men, the same free will. You don’t have to
answer to me. But your soul will be judged as a man’s, and if
it’s found wanting in the balances, I cannot save you.”

“You will not
save me.”

“I already
have, for now. Either accept this; or you belong to Piccolo. If your
soul is too impure for Purgatory when you die, you belong to
Piccolo.”

Shinobu shuts his
eyes, then presents his wings to Toguro-oni.

The giant rips them
off.

- - - - -

Two:
Shall one trade honor for love...?

Rapunzel
mutely admires the dresses presented to her, eyes wide with wonder.

“For
your fair skin, young maid, may I recommend this pale rose?”
asks a handmaiden.

“Yes,
and yet for her hair I would prefer a dark royal, that it may stand
out,” suggests another.

“Ah...but her
eyes are most distinctive,” cries a third. “Any dress for
her must draw out her eyes.”

“You
must forgive them,” smiles Kazuma to Rapunzel. “It has
been several years since they’ve had a woman to dress in
state.”

Rapunzel
finds her voice. “...all of these dresses...they are beautiful.

“...may
I touch them?”

Kazuma
fights the urge to laugh. “Yes...yes, of course. They’re
for you.”

“I...thank
you....” The pale-haired maiden hugs Kazuma.

“Think
not of it, Rapunzel-san. What pleases you pleases me.” He
slowly releases her.

“Though
I think that you can’t improve perfection,” smiles Kazuma
to the handmaidens, “please do all in your power to enhance the
lady’s beauty.”

“Of
course, your Highness.” The handmaidens bow and leave.

“Why
do people here do that?” asks Rapunzel.

“What,
the bowing? It’s a sign of high respect,” says Kazuma.

“And
why does everyone call you ‘your Highness’? Is it because
you’re tall?”

“Rapunzel-san....”
Grinning stupidly, Kazuma hugs the maid again. “Will you
forgive me? I’m such a fool at times. All the while we’ve
known each other, I haven’t even told you that I’m a
prince.” Kazuma shakes his head.

“I
would guess that a prince is important.”

“It
means little, actually. I’m the leader of these people in the
palace; and it’s my duty to protect them, and judge wisely
between them.”

The prince sighs,
reluctant to release Rapunzel. “Gets lonely at times....”
Kazuma lets Rapunzel go.

The
maid takes one of the prince’s large hands in hers. “You’re
a sweet, wonderful person. You shouldn’t be lonely.”

Kazuma
sighs. “...when the time is right, my lady; I hope that I can
end my loneliness.”

He
gazes into Rapunzel’s eyes a moment, then gently frees his hand
from hers. “I must take my leave. Ask the handmaidens for
anything you’d like. I want you to enjoy your time here.”

“I
am already,” smiles Rapunzel.

Kazuma
leaves, smiling sadly.

-
- - - -

This isn’t
right.... I should woo her properly. What manner of man can I call
myself, continues Kazuma, if I act out these subversive
designs?

“I
can see in your eyes regret, my prince.” Shinobu appears before
Kazuma, a stony expression on his face.

“You
didn’t arrive with the others?” says Kazuma aloud.

“I
was delayed....” Shinobu winces at a painful memory.
“Irrelevant in any event.”

“Though
your desire is to be forthright in all things,” counsels
Shinobu, “we’re far too late for regret. Consummate what
was begun.”

Kazuma
scowls. “...I don’t have to.”

“You
are mistaken, my prince,” counters Mitarai hotly, overhearing
Kazuma’s words. “Too much is at stake.”

“I
am well aware of the grave need for me to sire an heir, Mitarai. But
I don’t believe we’re going about this properly.

“Rapunzel
isn’t to be treated as a brood mare.”

“You
do understand that we won’t risk venturing out again for this
girl,” Mitarai scowls.

“Understood.
If I’m to never see her again, then so be it.”

“No.”
Shinobu scowls at Kazuma. “A man has died to bring your bride
to the palace.”

“We’re
only thinking of ourselves, Shinobu; if we hold Rapunzel-san here,”
counters Kazuma.

“Is
he?” asks Mitarai. “I’m glad someone’s
thinking about the kingdom, then; because you aren’t. More’s
the pity, as you have a duty to uphold.

“You
are thinking like a child, and a rather naïve one at that, your
Highness.”

“She’s
not just a bride, or a woman, to me. She’s my friend, and I
want her treated well.”

Mitarai
studies Kazuma a moment. “Truthfully, my lord: I don’t
care. While nothing would please me more than to have you engage in
proper courtship with the maid; we’re in the midst of a war,
which precludes such niceties.”

“And
if I simply refuse to lay with her, will you do so yourself?”
asks Kazuma sardonically. “You seem more eager to have an heir
to the throne than I am.”

“If
I must. Is that what you’re telling me?” spits Mitarai.

“Mitarai,
you’ll do no such thing.”

“Then
do what must be done.”

“Have
you not heard me? You don’t understand; it’s not her
fault that we’re at war with Saiba. It’s not the girl’s
fault that my kingdom needs an heir.”

“...it’s
not her fault that you need her. That girl has made you happy, and
you haven’t been truly happy in a long time.”

Mitarai
scowls in frustration at his prince. “Be selfish for once,
Kazuma-ouji. What about your own needs, your own wants?”

“I
have to do what’s right.”

“And
I thought you cared about Rapunzel.”

“I
do care--that’s why I’m thinking of what’s best for
her.”

“You
idiot. You’d just send her back to the witch, then?”

Kazuma
folds his arms. “She was safe...and fairly happy.”

“I
recall...that we had this discussion already,” says Shinobu.

“Oh,
I remember--that was when you trapped me in the forest for a month,”
hisses Kazuma.

“Then
you remember that you should hear what Rapunzel’s desires are,
before you decide her life for her.”

Kazuma
glares at Shinobu and Mitarai. “Fine. I’ll do that.”
The prince stalks out of the conference hall.

“It
would be wisest to speak with Rapunzel herself,” says Shinobu.

Mitarai
nods. “I’ll do it.”

-
- - - -

A
nightingale, perched on Rapunzel’s hand, sings a serenade. The
maid’s eyes sparkle with delight.

Mitarai
appears behind her. “How do you like it here?” asks the
blond youth.

“It’s
wonderful,” smiles Rapunzel.

“I’m
glad. You know, from what I’ve seen, I think Kazuma-ouji
enjoys your company a great deal.”

“That’s
what he says.”

“In
fact,” continues Mitarai, “I would venture to say that
he’d be
happy if you decided to remain here with him.”

“Think
of it,” the blond adviser smiles. “This place could be
your new home. If you like, we can bring your mother here to live
with us as well.”

“Hm...I
would like to be with Kazuma-san....”

“You
do wish to be with him?” asks Mitarai. Rapunzel nods. “Then
I suggest you tell him.”

Mitarai
suppresses a scowl. “He cares for you more than he cares for
himself sometimes.”

“I
think it’s because he’s used to being lonely,”
muses Rapunzel. “Being a prince is a burden to him, that he
feels he has to carry alone.”

Rapunzel
trembles. “It’s just that...he sometimes has a sad look
on his face. He shouldn’t worry so much.”

“It’s
his duty to protect the people in this kingdom,” the maid
continues, “if I’m correct. Who protects him?”

Mitarai
sighs. “...we...try to.”

“Good.
When Kazuma-san smiles, he’s delightful.”

“You....”
Mitarai smiles. “You should tell him these things. Let him know
how wonderful he is. That would make him happy.”

“Then
I will.” Rapunzel leaves Mitarai.

Hagiri
slips out of the bushes, while Sawamura, Okubo, and Kirishima
collapse behind him.

“Personally,
I think you laid it on a little thick,” quips Hagiri, “inviting
that witch here.”

“Our
prince is wooing her...daughter.” Mitarai grins. “It’s
only fair.”

“Hopefully,
the maid can help resolve Kazuma-ouji’s moral quandary.”
Hagiri smiles at Rapunzel’s retreating form. “Our
prince’s shyness and kind nature tend to get the better of
him.”

-
- - - -

Kazuma
sits at a desk in his bedchamber, poring over a map. Taking up a pen,
the prince sketches a battle plan on a blank sheet of paper.

“...and
our allies from the Ctarl-Ctarl Empire should flank our left. The
Fullmetal should have the signal in place to summon the....”
Kazuma relaxes into the sudden shoulder massage. “...thank you;
I was starting to feel tense.”

“That
isn’t good.” The massager, Rapunzel, nuzzles the prince’s
neck. “You should rest; you’re probably tired.”

“Rapunzel-san...?”
Kazuma slowly turns around, then takes her hands in his. “What
brings you to me?” he grins.

“I
wanted...to check on you.”

Kazuma
smiles gently at the maid. “I appreciate your concern, but I’m
fine.”

“Oh.
I had thought this would be one of those lonely times for you,”
says Rapunzel. “When you would need company.”

“No.”
The prince shakes his head. “This is a quiet moment; where I
can work out a plan to defeat the Saiba Kingdom.”

“Why
do you have to defeat the Saiba Kingdom?”

“Its
leader is wicked. Very wicked.” Kazuma’s face briefly
betrays a dark scowl. “The only way to keep my people and other
innocent people safe is to destroy the Saiba Kingdom.”

Rapunzel
gently takes her hands away. “What about the innocent people in
the Saiba Kingdom? Couldn’t they get hurt?”

“Worse,”
scowls Kazuma. “They will most likely die. It’s an
unfortunate reality of war.”

“If
you must destroy this wicked person to keep your people safe, then
why not send Mitarai-san to do it? He wants to protect you.”

Kazuma
laughs ruefully. “Mitarai is no assassin. In fact, he’s a
even clumsier oaf than I. Saiba’s men would kill him in
seconds.”

“Furthermore,”
continues the prince, losing his bitter smile, “I’ve
already tried to have him killed. I myself tried to assassinate Lord
Damien.”

“But...you’re
such a gentle person. Why would you try to take his life...?

“...I
hate him, Rapunzel. I hate him with every ounce of my being.”
Kazuma trembles, trying to contain both rage and tears. “This
is a horrible state of mind for me, and Damien must answer for it.
Both he, and those who serve him.”

Rapunzel
studies the prince carefully.

Kazuma
lowers his head, ashamed of his words. “...I’m.... I’m
sorry, Rapunzel-san. It is the truth.”

The
prince sighs. “My kingdom and the Saiba Kingdom are at war.
It’s a sick, bloody game with no clear victor. People are hurt,
tormented, and killed.”

“So...”
says Rapunzel slowly, “the only way anyone can win in a war, is
for it to end as quickly as possible.”

“To
minimize the loss of life, yes.”

“Hm....”
Rapunzel walks over to Kazuma, places her hands on his shoulders, and
draws herself to him. “I would guess...this Damien hurt you?”

“Yes,
Rapunzel-san. He did.” Kazuma glares at a small portrait, a
picture of himself and Shizuru as young children. “He is still
hurting me.”

The
maid sighs, hugging the prince. Kazuma stands, then pulls Rapunzel
into his embrace.

The
prince kisses Rapunzel’s forehead. “...so lovely....”
His embrace becomes a tender caress. “I would be honored,”
Kazuma continues, “to make love to you....”

“Honored...?”
asks Rapunzel dubiously.

“More
than that.... I....” Kazuma gives the maid a soft, chaste kiss.
“I want to be with you.”

“I
want to be with you...as well.”

“That
may be,” smiles Kazuma, “but our meanings are different.”

“I
would like to stay here with you,” says Rapunzel, “and
keep you company. But I am curious about what you mean when you say
‘make love’.”

The
maid continues, her breath blowing across Kazuma’s half-bared
chest as she speaks. “I remember you whispering something like
that before, when we--*”

Kazuma
silences her with a kiss. “I remember that, too. I wished
that....”

“...you
could make love to me. It sounds wonderful, when you say it. What
does it mean to make love? I never thought it could be made.”
Rapunzel stares at Kazuma questioningly, seeing the same expression
on his face that he wore before their first tryst.

“I...I
shouldn’t do this...” the prince murmurs to himself.

Not
hearing him, Rapunzel continues on. “I love you already. Is it
possible to make more?”

“Woman...!”
Kazuma gives Rapunzel an idiotic grin. “Making love is....
It’s.... Has that witch taught you nothing?”

“You...don’t
want me to stay here, do you?” asks Rapunzel sadly.

“I
can’t. It’s not a matter of what I want; it’s
what’s best for you, and what’s right.”

Kazuma
touches Rapunzel’s chin. “I’ve been taught from
childhood to do what is right, good, and just; and I’ve tried
to do that for as long as I’ve lived.”

“But
you’re not sure anymore, are you? Of what’s right,”
says the maid.

“I’m
sure,” counters Kazuma. “The right: it is to escort you
back home, ask forgiveness of Tou-momoiroi, and let you alone.”

Rapunzel
hears the prince’s slow, yet fierce heartbeat. “You’re
not letting me go, though.”

“I’m
thinking. I’ve run against a wall.” Kazuma winces,
reluctantly releasing the maiden. “Please, Rapunzel-san. I must
be left alone now.”

“Very
well.” Rapunzel heads to the door. “Good day,
Kazuma-ou--*”

Moving swiftly to the
girl, Kazuma steals a quick kiss. “Rapunzel-san, you’re
under no obligation to call me that. Ever.”

Rapunzel
blushes, then leaves.

-
- - - -

“Thanks
for the tea, otouto-kun,” smiles Sergeant Kusanagi
Motoko. “You know, Mamoru-dai,” she continues,
“you’re a nobleman. You don’t have to work in the
garden.”

“I
don’t mind, Motoko-ane. Besides,” grins the
orange-skinned youth, “Wagers are being placed among the
peasantry. I want in.”

“Wagers?”
Motoko raises a delicate purple brow. “Anything like the wagers
of whether I’m in a relationship with Sergeant Batou?”

“Oh;
you’re in one with him. You periodically need a phallus; ne,
aneki?”

Motoko
merely laughs, while her colleague Batou glares at the youth behind
his glasses. “What’s the matter of this wager?”

“Whether
our prince will seduce that young maid we smuggled here, or let her
alone.”

“It’s
hard to say,” Motoko muses. “The boy is clearly in love
with the girl, but you know how self-righteous he can be.”

“Hmn.
If it were me, I would have known her by now.”

“Ah;
just like Momiji-san, you mean?” grins Batou knowingly.

Mamoru
blushes, his orange-brown skin deepening to a rusty shade.
“Momiji...she’s such a child. I feel guilty, thinking
lustfully of her.”

“Though
this doesn’t stop you from lifting her skirts,” muses
Motoko. Batou and Ishikawa laugh.

“I’m--just
curious!” splutters Mamoru. “About what girlish color of
undergarments she wears each day. I don’t need to hear this
from you and these two bastards.”

“You
know,” smirks the siblings’ cousin, the soldier Kusanagi
Kyo, “if you can’t bring yourself to sleep with young
Countess Fujimiya over her undergarments, I’m more than happy
to overlook them.”

Kyo
waggles his eyebrows. “It’s what’s underneath the
slips and panties that summons the demons in a man, after all.”

“You.
Leave. The countess. Alone.” Mamoru glares at his cousin. “Let
me finish raking these leaves.”

-
- - - -

“The
tower is right before us!” balks Kido. The three sorcerers and
Tou-momoiroi stare at the tower where the witch and Rapunzel lived.

“We’re
not so sure of that,” muses Kaitoh. “When Yana and I went
through the secret entrance a week ago, we couldn’t enter the
staircase.”

“And
I’ve called to Rapunzel. She is either asleep, or has been
spirited away by our prince,” quips Tou-momoiroi.

“It
was as though...we ran into roots,” says Yanagisawa. “The
roots of a tree or stalk.”

“Hn....
Brooms, my pupils.” The witch summons her broom as her
apprentices follow suit. The four sorcery-adepts ascend to the air.

Until
Kaitoh slams into...a bean pod. Losing his broom, the word master
clings to the pod’s stem for dear life.

Tou-momoiroi
stares dourly at the bean pod. “A beanstalk. We were outmatched
by a magic beanstalk.”

“Rapunzel
isn’t here, and neither is the tower,” spits the witch.

“But
how could such a giant plant grow without our sensing it?”
Yanagisawa wonders. “At the very least, Kido would have noticed
its shadow.”

“Not
with the demon Itsuki present. His shadow skill is far greater than
mine,” counters Kido.

“But
the sheer size of the plant--we should have noticed it grow...”
says Kaitoh, clambering onto the main stem of the beanstalk.

“No
way for that, boy,” sighs Tou-momoiroi. “We were fighting
Kuwabara’s men--day in, day out--for the past six months.”

“Also,”
continues the witch, “a kitsune spirit had his hand over
this plant. A powerful one.”

“They’d
have to have found out about the trap door to know that it would fool
us,” scowls Kaitoh. “And aside from Tou-momoiroi, the
three of us alone know of the door.”

“Unless
someone betrayed us,” adds Kido, looking towards Yanagisawa.

“While
I may have had my misgivings about keeping Rapunzel here,”
counters Yanagisawa hotly, “I would never betray sensei.”

“Recriminations
are pointless,” sighs Kaitoh. “We have to follow the path
of the plant and retrieve Rapunzel before the prince seduces her.”

Kido
rolls his eyes. “Presuming he hasn’t already.”

“This
prince is actually rather honorable.” Yanagisawa shakes his
head. “During my time at Kuwabara’s palace, I’ve
touched him.”

“Good;
you can mimic him, then,” says Tou-momoiroi.

“Yes.
But remember, sensei; I can also gather his memories. I know
how Kazuma-ouji thinks. He probably is having second thoughts
about Rapunzel now, and wants to send her back here--untouched.”

“Don’t
be absurd, Yana!” scoffs Kaitoh. “If the princeling went
this far, he certainly won’t turn back.”

Yanagisawa
shrugs. “I’m just telling you what I’ve learned
about the man. We shouldn’t assume the worst.”

“We’d
be fools not to,” counters Kido. “Rapunzel is beautiful,
and the prince has her at his convenience.”

“He
may very well be an honorable man,” Kido continues, “but
he is yet a man. And even the wisest and most virtuous of men have
fallen from grace.”

“This
prince is but a nit of seventeen years,” adds Kaitoh. “No
older than we.”

“It
does seem unreasonable to hope that his judgment can be more sober
than men twice his age,” muses Tou-momoiroi.

“All
I know,” she continues, scowling, “is that he’d
best make it beautiful for her--else he suffer even worse at my hand
than what he’s already earned.”

-
- - - -

Three:
The magical hours wrought by love.

Rapunzel
dresses for bed, in a simple sleeveless nightgown.

Lady
Aino, a royal courtier to a Kuwabara Kingdom ally, surprises the
maid. “Rapunzel-san,” she hisses, about to tie a
blindfold on her.

“...what?”
Rapunzel whips around. “Oh! It’s you, Minako-san.”

Aino
stops short of correcting Kazuma’s favorite; disguised as a
handmaiden, the blonde aristocrat had given the girl her first name.
“...forgive me. I’d thought you’d like to learn a
bit about giving men a bath.

“You’ll
have to do it sooner or later.”

“But...I’m
leaving here tomorrow. Kazuma-san said that he wished to do the right
thing towards me.”

Aino
suppresses a scowl. “Naturally,” she grins, “our
prince is an honorable man.” And I’ll get him to do
the right thing for himself for a change--even if it kills
him!

“Then
we must consider the fact that another man may find you,”
continues Aino, noting a person within earshot.

-
- - - -

“...after
all, there are other princes, and other men altogether, who
could scale your tower--just as he did,” finishes Aino.

Outside
Rapunzel’s room, Kazuma winces at the thought. Damnable
Aino, mistaking me for a fool. I know quite well what you’re
doing....

“What
if my satou-kaasan finds out about my being here with
Kazuma-san, though?” muses Rapunzel. “She’s quite
wise.”

Kazuma
nods childishly in silent agreement.

“Ho,
but no witch has ever stopped a brave hero from falling in love with
a beauty like yourself. Not past, not present, not future.

“Your
mother merely wants to protect you, but even bad men may find ways to
trick her. If nothing else, it can do no harm to learn. She can’t
hide you away from the world forever.”

“And
so you say I should learn how to bathe men. I already know how to
bathe myself and satou-kaasan.”

Kazuma
chuckles ruefully at the maiden’s comment, shaking his head in
a bemused manner.

“I
see. Would you say that our prince reacts...differently...to your
touch?” asks Aino, a mischievous glint in her light blue eyes.

Blushing,
Rapunzel nods. Noting Rapunzel’s blushing, Kazuma blushes
harder; his high cheekbones a bright crimson.

“...just
think of being able to touch skin like Kazuma-ouji’s
again. Oh, if it’s another man, he’ll be different in
some ways than our prince. And yet....”

A
fiercely jealous expression on his face, Kazuma quickly takes off his
shirt. He steps into the open view of Rapunzel and Aino, not facing
them.

“Susumi!”
he cries loudly, beckoning to a handmaiden. “Leave off that
poor lout Kyotaro and draw me a bath.”

“...a-and
when I say that,” he continues after a moment, remembering the
girl Suzumi to be a bit dimwitted, “I mean for you to have hot
water prepared in my bathtub, along with a wash basin filled with
warm, soapy water. And two stools!”

Suzumi,
a girl with short brown hair, appears behind Kazuma; she taps on his
shoulder. “Forgive me, my prince; did you say something?”

Kazuma
whips around. “You...!” The prince winces at the girl.
“Come with me!” He drags Suzumi away.

-
- - - -

Rapunzel
turns her head, noting the departing Kazuma. “What was that
about?” the maid wonders.

“Oh,
nothing....” Aino smiles to herself. “Now, I must
blindfold you. This way, you won’t feel embarrassed to touch a
naked man.”

“...alright.”
Rapunzel allows Aino to blindfold her.

-
- - - -

Kazuma
sits on the wash stool, waiting for his usual handmaiden to begin
soaping his body.

“It’s
a traditional bath I asked for, and for once Suzumi did it almost
right. I do like my bath water hot.

“The
problem this time is just that she thinks ‘hot’
means ‘boil the prince alive’. She must have been a trial
for the chief of the servants.”

The
prince waits a few minutes for the handmaiden to arrive, but no one
shows up. “Eh, what the hell! I’ll do it myself.”

Kazuma
takes out a wet washcloth, lathering it with the soap.

Intent
on the rare phenomenon of bathing himself, Kazuma fails to notice
Rapunzel’s entrance.

-
- - - -

Rapunzel,
still blindfolded, feels along Kazuma’s shoulders, then gropes
for the back. “Please, hand me the washcloth. You won’t
be able to reach your back properly.”

Realizing
he hears Rapunzel’s voice, Kazuma does not turn. “You’re
late,” he says curtly, smiling to himself.

“I...am
not your usual handmaiden,” Rapunzel scowls in kind.

Kazuma
laughs softly. “I know. Take off the blindfold, Rapunzel-san.

“Minako
should not have my friend--my guest--doing her staff’s work.”

“It
is all right.” Rapunzel lathers Kazuma’s back.

After
Rapunzel finishes soaping Kazuma; the prince rotates his shoulders,
stands, stretches his neck, and steps into the now- comfortably hot
traditional bath.

“Ah....
This is fine water, once you let it cool a bit. Would you care to
join me, Rapunzel-san?” Kazuma smiles.

“I’ve
already bathed, thank you,” answers Rapunzel.

“I
see.” Kazuma leans back in the tub. “The water does feel
great, though. Quite soothing.”

Rapunzel
sticks her hand into the water. “It’s...actually a bit
warm for me,” she muses.

“You
have to get used to the feel of it, that’s all.” Kazuma
takes the maid’s wet hand in his, gazing steadily into her
eyes.

Feeling
the thumb of the youth’s large hand sliding across the back of
her hand, Rapunzel coos softly. “Hm...you may have a point.

“I...I
also wonder.... I wonder how it would feel, to have your body--wet,
like this--against mine.” Rapunzel blushes at a past memory.
“Would it be like before?”

Gripping
the sides of the tub, Kazuma stares between his legs; trying to will
his erection down. His every muscle taut with desire, the prince
struggles to avoid dragging Rapunzel into the tub with him.

Rapunzel
studies the prince. “...Kazuma-san...?”

“I-I’m
fine....” The prince stares at the edge of the tub across from
him, not facing Rapunzel.

Rapunzel
takes off her nightgown and loosens her bound hair from its ponytail.
“I’ll join you. You seem tense.” The naked maiden
steps into the bath, moving right into Kazuma’s line of vision.

Kazuma
stares at the beauty before him, a mix of astonishment and lust in
his eyes. The youth draws Rapunzel to him, kissing her hungrily.

As
Rapunzel returns Kazuma’s kiss, she flings her arms around him.
Kazuma’s hands roam Rapunzel’s sides and back; his hands
cup the maid’s bottom.

Rapunzel
gently scratches along the back of Kazuma’s shoulders as the
pair break off their kiss; the maid trailing kisses along the
prince’s jaw, chin, and shoulders. Her kisses climb back to the
youth’s Adam’s apple, and Rapunzel licks it delicately.

Still
holding Rapunzel by her buttocks, Kazuma coaxes the maid onto his
penis, beginning to enter her.

Rapunzel
winces in discomfort. “What...what is this?” she cries.

Kazuma
pulls Rapunzel close to him, kissing away her tears. The movement
also serves to finish his thrust into her; Rapunzel cries out.

“It’s....
It takes getting used to, I’ll bet. I’ve never done this
before.” Kissing her shoulders gently, Kazuma slowly moves
within Rapunzel.

“You
don’t...really...know...” moans Rapunzel, “...how
to...do this...?”

Kazuma
shakes his head. “Want me to stop...Rapunzel-san...?”

Rapunzel
clings to the prince, giving herself some leverage to ease the pain
of Kazuma’s thrusts. “N-no....” she pants, enjoying
the slick feel of Kazuma inside her; a pleasurably dizzy, heady
feeling floods her mind and body. “More....”

A
few minutes pass as the two continue to make love, the water sloshing
out of the tub; their bath is long forgotten. The couple’s
bodies writhe in a frenzied dance. As Rapunzel leans back, Kazuma
lowers his head to suck deeply on Rapunzel’s aroused breasts.

“...yes!
...Kazuma-san...!” Rapunzel ekes out a mix between a cry and a
moan as her hips thrust in tandem with Kazuma’s.

Kazuma
pulls the maid close. “...no other.... no other...before
me....” he murmurs into Rapunzel’s neck, licking the soft
skin between her neck and shoulder. “I...your first....
Beloved....” The prince gives Rapunzel a love bite.

The lovers spend
several more minutes in lovemaking; Kazuma completes it, his seed
burning inside her. Rapunzel cries out from her first orgasm, her
body rocking wildly of its own power until she shudders into his
arms.

Kazuma
embraces his love, rubbing Rapunzel’s shoulders gently. I
know not of the future, he muses, a love-besotted smile on his
rough-hewn face, yet for this night, Rapunzel-san, you are
mine--mine alone....

He
stands, cradling Rapunzel in his arms. Carrying her, Kazuma steps out
of the tub; taking the girl to his adjacent bedchamber. As the maid
strokes his cheek gently, Kazuma knows that their first
joining...would not be their last.

---
END CHAPTER 4 ---
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A Grown-up Bedtime Story

A Grown-up BedtimeStory

A Grown-up Bedtime
Story