InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Inuyasha Fairytales ❯ Sleeping Beauty: The Curse ( Chapter 2 )

Kagura sat silently by the fire, lounging against the pillows next to her husband, their daughter tucked between them, holding the aged book in her lap. The child stared intently at the beautiful forest that filled the page, unable to hide the wonder and excitement at seeing such beauty.

 

“Are you sure I can come?” Kagura asked softly, reading the lines from the page.

 

“The queen invited all the magical creatures, and you are surly one of them.” Sesshoumaru replied, even putting a little effort into the croaky voice. Kagura and Rin burst into giggles at his attempt, and a rare smile cracked through the marble mask he wore.

 

“But none of the other pixies are going.” the small golden haired pixie stated, fluttering her dragonfly wings and moving from lily to lily with her dear friend. “They say the human parties are dangerous. They will try to capture us, because we cannot change are height like fairies can.”

 

“I am going.” He said proudly. “The queen will set me beside the cradle to watch and make sure no one tries to harm the prince. You can sit with me. There is room enough, and no one will bother us there. You can meet the queen, and we can tell her that it was you who predicted the child's birth.”

 

Indeed it had been her. She had sent him to the pond to tell the queen. She had given him a name for the child, a magical name, for he was a magical being, one who will have many blessings, but one…

 

“I wish to give the child a gift…” the pixie said.

 

“Wonderful!” Croaked the frog. “What will it be? Flowers from your gardens? Honey from your hives? Or perhaps a song?”

 

“I wish to give him a blessing.” She said softly.

 

“What? But only fairies can give those gifts! A pixie does not have the magic to give such a gift.” Pixies were smaller than fairies and could not produce enough magic, but that worked well for them, for they lived off the land, growing vast gardens themselves and training the wild animals to help them, while fairies buzzed around with their magic creating joy and mayhem for many. Still, there was one blessing a pixie could give, but only once in their lifetime.

 

She had seen the prince's future, known when he would have been born and known his name, and known his childhood and the things he would accomplish up to his sixteenth birthday. But she saw no love. The most powerful blessing will be denied to this magical being, and she knew that, without love, his power could corrupt his heart.

 

The kiss of a pixie could bring true love to any, but it was used with caution, for it could only be given once, and required much strength, many pixies watched over a human for years before deciding.

 

“I will give him this blessing.” She said softly, buzzing passed her friend and into the surrounding forest to see once more into the future of this prince.

 

~*~*~*~*

 

“Can all pixies see the future?” Rin asked, unable to contain her curiosity any longer.

 

“No.” Sesshoumaru replied. “Only she, it is a special give, even among mystical beings. That's why most fortune tellers lock themselves away, too many people want to know their future, and it's difficult to tell them all. Would you wish to tell someone when they will die or that their loved one would betray them,” he squeezed Kagura's hand. “Or that you would never love.”

 

“Were you kissed by a pixie daddy?” Rin asked looking up at him. For a moment embarrassed surprise flashed through his golden eyes, but was quickly swallowed by the cold metallic color. “We should continue…”

 

~*~*~*~*

 

A/N: Since no one said otherwise Tsubaki will be the insulted faerie…thank you to whoever the “one” person was that voted.

 

 

Golden light of the sun touched the tops of the surrounding mountain; the great day of the celebration had dawned.

 

Even before the lords and ladies and all the foreign royalties arrived the magical creatures from the kingdom arrived, and, much to the surprise of everyone, the twelve highest faeries of the world. The first was dressed in a bright green dress, her flaming red hair flowing about from beneath her large green hat as she rode the golden waves of sunlight. The second was an elderly woman whose crimson dress had an uncountable number of bells attached; a large sack full of baby toys was swung over her shoulder, each foot lay on the back of a goose who took her weight and the weight of the bag with ease. Next came a younger woman dressed in a blue dress with white flowers speckled about. She sat comfortably beside four colorfully wrapped packages, pulled by small yellow birds who sang as they tugged the puffy cloud she rode. Two younger faeries, a boy and girl in matching red leotards flew beneath the cloud, their wands glowing brightly as the fluttered beside each other, the girl on bright orange butterfly wings, the boy on pale yellow dragonfly wings.

 

The sixth one to arrive was an elderly man dressed in green with yellow trim; he rode upon a large golden flower with two wrapped packages entangled in vines at the bottom. Right behind him cam his sister in a lovely sky colored dress, the wind carried her on a large leaf, gently settling her down beside the large flower. A young blonde faerie came next, dressed in a leotard the color of the night sky with speckles of stars embroidered in the fabric she waved a wand and bubbles filled the sky around her, a rather large silver bubble, a reflection of the waning moon glistening within its depths, then came her brother, a rather handsome young faerie who rode upon a glistening star behind his sister.

 

The tenth faerie came upon the musical notes he himself weaved into the air with his flute. Behind him the second eldest faerie dressed in a snow grey robe sat upon a polar bear that in turn stood upon a large chunk of glacier. The faerie held his arms upward in an effort to carry the glacier chunk through the air. The twelfth and last faerie was the eldest faerie known alive, she rode upon a beautiful silver unicorn, silvery wings fluttered gracefully along the mare's flank like that of a swan, feathers protruding from fur, the long golden horn shining in the mourning light as they both touched down upon the kingdom of the silver-haired prince.

 

“All the great faeries are here!” cried the happy queen, tears glistening in her eyes at the thought that her son was to be graced by the presence of these marvelous creatures.

 

The banquet was prepared with places of honor for the twelve faeries. There was a long golden table spread with fine white linen and each faerie had a specially made golden casket containing a spoon, fork, and knife made of gold and set with garnets, diamonds, and rubies. The lords and ladies were in awe, for no one had ever seen such presents before, but these were the great twelve faeries, and they needed to be treated with respect.

 

 

“We come here to bestow gifts upon the young prince and get gifts ourselves!” laughed the young blond faerie that arrived on the bubble. Her brother laughed with her and so did the two older faeries that arrived on the plants.

 

The musicians played and everyone was sitting down to feast when suddenly the hall was lit by a burst of lightening then darkened by black smoke. A terrible figure flew over the cradle. It was the thirteenth faerie!

 

“So I am not good enough to be invited to this baby's party?!” She shrieked, causing the infant to cry out in fear.

 

“You most certainly are madam.” Cried the queen hurriedly. The truth was that no one had seen the faerie in so long they all presumed her dead. “The invitation was for all magical creatures and you obviously are. Come, sit and feast.”

 

The elderly faerie, Tsubaki's, temper cooled slightly, but when they had no golden casket for her temper faired once again. The old faerie felt over-looked and insulted, she muttered threats and curses as she picked at the feast.

 

The young pixie who had agreed to come with the toad was sitting at the cradle with her friend when the faerie burst in and made the child cry. She sat soothing the child, fearful of what the old faerie would do to him.

 

Finally the meal was at an end and one by one the faeries came to bestow their gifts upon the prince. Mother Goose presented a bag of baby toys which would change as the child grew to accommodate each age. Flora, the old man who arrived on the flower, gave the prince two beautiful plants, both large vines which would climb the castle and make sure the walls never fell. Fauna, his sister, came next. Touching her wand to the boys nose she gave him the gift of word, the ability to speak with all plants and animals, human and spirits.

 

Aurora, the faerie who rode upon the dawn, gave him the gift of light, so that he would forever be protected from shadows. The two faeries who had flown here on their own, were next, they walked hand and hand to the cradle. The girl with the butterfly wings gave him the gift of laughter, so that he would never know sorrow, the boy with dragonfly wings gave him the gift of tears, so that he would know that sorrow does exists and the sun did not always shine; smiling the two walked back, glad that they gave gifts of importance. The faerie with the flute gave him the gift of song, so that he could sing with the wind and birds and the gentle waves of the ocean. Dew, the faerie who rode upon the cloud, gave him four boxes of golden eggs, each with a different weather. Opening one egg would send out snow, the second rain, the third fog, and the forth a sunny day to cast away the rest. The eggs would be perfect during draught or a blizzard or a hurricane, or even for protection against enemy forces.

 

Luna, the blonde faerie, presented the infant prince with a crystal bubble that would reflect the light of the moon, but should the moon be new than no light would shine. Her brother, Astro, gave him knowledge of the stars so that he may never be lost. The Old faerie gave him a small stuffed toy in the likeness of his mount, it would guard against bad dreams, and, should the need arise, the stuffed bear would come to life and attack any who would harm the prince. The twelfth and now second eldest faerie, since the thirteenth faerie was obviously still alive, gave the child the gift of wisdom.

 

Finally Tsubaki hobbled to the cradle, leaning on her long staff she pointed a long boney finger at the child and shrieked. “On you're sixteenth birthday you will prick your finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die!” With a terrible cackle Tsubaki rode out the window on the back of a giant snake.

 

~*~*~*~*

 

Rin's head fell forward but Sesshoumaru caught in a laid it against his shoulder. He gazed down at the sleeping child then turned his attention to his wife. A soft smile touched his lips as he watched her, her head lay against the soft pillows in sleep. Setting the child between them he pulled his wife closer, embracing his family as sleep overtook him as well.