Saber Marionette Fan Fiction ❯ CinderHana ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )
[ P - Pre-Teen ]
By: Lady Aoi 
Anime/Manga: Saber Marionette Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 09.14.2002 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.6K | Visits: 330 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Saber Marionette Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Comedy | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 09.14.2002 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.6K | Visits: 330 | Status: Completed
CinderHana
Chapter Two
A Saber Marionette J Fan Fic
by
Lady Aoi
Summary: Part two. Prince Otaru is sad. What can the Kings of Japoness do to cheer him up? Why throw him a ball, of course!
Rating: PG for mild cursing and even milder shonen-ai.
Disclaimer: I don't own SMJ but I am now the proud owner of a J to X art book ^_~.
Aoi's Notes: Again, some strange choices will be made in this fic (pairing wise, character wise) and some characters may seem way OOC. But please keep in mind that this is Hanagata's dream and therefore a purposefully innacurat representation of reality. And in another note, I'm still blaming all of you M2A people for this. And Inu, Baka, thanks for the suggestions ^_^.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Are you sure you saw your brother flying into the forest, Yumeji?" Mamiya Otaru questioned, looking down at the small blonde boy and the ponta cub perched on his shoulders.
"Myaoh!!"
Yumeji nodded. "Ponta-kun and me were playing shogi when it happened. Mamiya-san, can you please help me look for him? I think he might be hurt or something!"
"Heh, there's nothing to worry about, Yume-chan," Cherry said, setting her bag of groceries down on the table. "He'll come home in a few hours when he gets hungry, just like he always does."
"Mouuu, Cherry-chan!" Yumeji whimpered, giving the red-haired marionette a pitiable look. "I know Onii-sama can be a dumb ass sometimes --"
"Not that anyone ever disputed *that*," Bloodberry muttered as she unpacked her grocery bag.
"-- But you guys really threw him far this time," Yumeji continued, shooting Bloodberry a nasty look. "I mean, he flew right over the playground and way far into the forest. He flew so far into there, that when Ponta-kun and I went looking for him, we couldn't find him. Huh, Ponta-kun?"
"Myaaaahhhhh." the little creature purred, vigorously shaking its head.
"So? Hana-ko always comes home eventually," Bloodberry said, closing the cupboard and turning around to face Yumeji. "Besides, when was the last time you remember him getting hurt, Yumeji?"
"But, Bloodberry!" Yumeji sighed. "There's lots of wild animals in the forest! Like lions and tigers and bears --"
"Oh my!" Cherry exclaimed, raising a hand to her mouth.
"So, please, guys?" Yumeji begged, giving everyone in the room, man and marionette alike, a pleading look. "Please help me find Onii-sama before he gets really hurt this time."
Silence reigned for a long moment before Lime smiled and patted Yumeji's head.
"Don't worry, Yume-chan," she said. "We'll find Hannie-chan and make sure he's alright, Huh, Otaru?"
Otaru sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Alright, alright I'll go," he said. "But we're only gonna look for a few hours at the most, okay, Yumeji? The girls and I have a lot of work to do today."
"Really?" Yumeji flashed the room a gapped-tooth grin before hugging Otaru around the waist. "Wow! Thanks a lot, Otaru-san!"
"Yeah, yeah, it's nothing, Yumeji," Otaru replied, trying to wriggle out of Yumeji's hug. Honestly, the boy could cling just about as tightly as his big brother could! "Let's just get this over with as fast as possible, okay everyone?"
"Hehehe, okaaaaay!" Lime giggled. "Mou, everyone! Last one to the forest is a rotten egg!"
"Hey, Lime, wait for us!" Yumeji cried, releasing Otaru and chasing after the marionette.
"Myah myah myahhhhhhhh!!"
Otaru sighed and turned to face Cherry and Bloodberry. "How do we get ourselves into these things?" he asked them.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Across Japoness, and far away from the home in which Lime and Cherry were currently tossing CinderHana back and forth like a ball, stood Castle Japoness. This tall and magnificent palace was made of gold and silver and gleamed like a beacon in the morning sunlight, as if to provide all of Terra Two a visual testimony of its rulers' goodness.
At one point, the palace had been inhabited by the country's shogun, Iyesu Tokugawa and his handsome son, Obiichi Soemon. And upon the shogun's untimely death, his beautiful dark-haired child had inherited both the palace and the shogunate just in time to face an invasion from Gartlant, Japoness' northern neighbor. Undaunted by Gartlant's military might and the cruelty of its Fuhrer, Faust von Gelthard, the young shogun had rallied the entire nation behind him and within months Gartlant's forces were defeated. At that time, however, popular rumor held that Gartlant's defeat had come about not only because of Soemon's courage and strategic prowess but because Gartlant's Fuhrer had fallen head over heels in love while fighting the remarkable young man. Thus, few people in either nation were surprised when Faust officially surrendered to Japoness by kneeling before their leader and humbly pleading for his hand in marriage. But both nations were downright flabbergasted when Japoness' shogun not only accepted, but helped Faust to his feet and passionately kissed him on the spot. The two were married in a fortnight, and nine months later the cloning of their son Otaru Mamiya was complete.
In the next sixteen years, Prince Otaru grew from a crying baby into wise, talented and beautiful young man. Although his olive skin and eyes as well as his raven hair bore little resemblance to those belonging to either of his parents, both Soemon and Faust were pleasantly surprised by the fact that their young son almost perfectly resembled the late shogun. And, apparently Japoness' subjects felt the same way, for as the young Prince grew, so too did their love for him, until it reached the point of near fanatical devotion. Believing that their young sovereign had, indeed, saved their nation from certain destruction at Faust's hands (after all, why else would Gartlant's Fuhrer have surrendered so easily unless he'd wanted to marry into such a fine line of leaders?), many Japoness subjects had dubbed the lad 'The Hero of Japoness'. It was almost impossible for Prince Otaru to leave the Castle without being hailed either by this title or by "Banzai, Otaru!" Or, for that matter, without seeing at least one merchant hawking Prince Otaru tee shirts, trading cards, plushies, bumper stickers, breakfast cereal and 'The Prince that Disarmed a Nation': The Official Biography of Prince Mamiya Otaru. However, all the beach towels, paper dolls and Prince Otaru pajamas weren't enough for some people. In fact, many citizens had taken it upon themselves to dress, speak and act exactly like their national idol, so that even the smallest change in Prince Otaru's wardrobe -- even something as minor as a slight change in the color of his usually blue doublet -- caused an immediate run on all such items as his many rabid fans pushed their way into clothing stores all over Japoness in the pursuit of locating and purchasing the latest 'Otar-o'.
And yet, despite his nation's great love for him, Prince Otaru was a very lonely young man. And this apparent contradiction both puzzled and disturbed almost everyone in the castle, including the kings themselves. And so one morning, the pair summoned their son before them for an audience.
"Otaru, my son," King Soemon said gravely as he looked down from his throne at the young man before him. "It has come to my attention and that of your father that you seem troubled as of late. Is this so?"
"Well, I --"
"Have you been meditating?"
"Yes, Papa."
"And practicing the kenpo I have taught you?"
"Yes, Papa."
"And properly caring for yourself?"
Prince Otaru's brow furrowed slightly in consternation. "Ahh... yes, Papa. But, why? What does this have to do with how I feel?"
"Otaru," Soemon said coolly. "You are not only a prince of the realm, but a student of this ancient and venerable tradition. Therefore, I hardly need to remind you of your duty to both your country and yourself when it comes to speaking the truth. Now, I will ask you again; what is troubling you?"
"........."
"Otaru?"
"....Nothing, Papa."
"I see." King Soemon frowned slightly as he shifted back into his throne's red velvet cushions. "In that case, you will not mind washing the entire West Corridor's floor with a toothbrush this afternoon."
Prince Otaru's face twitched slightly at this order. "But, Papa --"
"Consider it not only a lesson in patience and detail, Otaru, but an exercise in learning the nature of Truth. Like the West Corridor's dirty floor, Truth is often hidden beneath a layer of grime that only hard work and careful attention can remove. Do you understand, son?"
"I understand that you want me to scrub the floor, but that's about it."
King Soemon's brow furrowed slightly. "Then you are dismissed."
"Yes, Papa," Otaru rose, bowed to his fathers, and left the throne room.
As soon as his son was well out of hearing, King Soemon sighed and rested his head in his hand. "I don't understand it," he said to the blonde man embroidering in the throne beside his. "I have tried everything with that boy, discipline, coaxing, downright begging! And yet, has he ever attempted to explain what is troubling him?" Again, the dark haired King sighed. "What do you think, beloved?" he asked, turning to the man next to him. "You've seen how he behaves. Do you see any way for me to reach him?"
"You're being too hard on the boy, Soemon," King Faust replied, not looking up from his needle work.
"Too hard on him?!" King Soemon sputtered. "How can you possibly say that, Faust?!"
"Because you of all men should be able to see what is going on."
Soemon felt his brow furrow. "I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Of course not. Otherwise you would not be asking for my help," the blonde king replied, putting his embroidery aside as he rose from his throne. "Soemon, have you not observed how lonely our son truly is?"
"How can he possibly be lonely when the entire kingdom worships the ground he walks upon?"
Faust frowned slightly. "Be careful when you say that, my love. Because worship can be a very dangerous thing."
"Explain yourself, Faust."
"Darling," Faust continued, seating himself on the arm of Soemon's throne. "Let us pretend for a moment that I worshipped you."
"I thought you already did, my dearest," Soemon teased, taking one of Faust's hands and pressing his lips to it.
The blonde king frowned and pulled his hand away. "I'm entirely serious, Soemon," he said, shooting his husband a nasty look. "If I worshipped you, do you honestly believe you would get a moment's respite? I would follow you from room to room, waiting on you hand and foot, praising your every action, perhaps even your every breath even if you did not need nor want anything from me. I would dress like you, act like you, and spend every waking hour and possibly some of my hours asleep dwelling on nothing but you and you alone. Now, don't you think that such behavior would prove at least a little tiring after awhile?"
"Faust," Soemon said, rising from his throne. "I can see where this is leading, and I must say that, while I have always trusted your judgment, this time you are gravely mistaken."
"Oh, am I, now?" Faust cooed, batting his eyes mockingly.
"Indeed, you are. While our subjects' adoration of our son may prove a bit... difficult to deal with at times, it is by no means the boy's problem."
"Soemon, really. Can you remember the last time you, Otaru and I left the palace without being mobbed by rabid Otaru fans clamoring for autographs and pictures?"
"Yes, and for nobility, that is simply a fact of life as you should know," Soemon explained. "And besides, our body guards not only fended off the more... enthusiastic of them, but our laws impose the harshest penalties on all who attempt to get too familiar with the Crown Prince in public."
"And the merchandise? The Otaru pajamas? The candles? The dolls? In the name of God, the SAKE?!"
"Simply free enterprise capitalism in operation. I find this use of our son's image just as distasteful as you do, Faust, but we can do nothing to stop it."
"We're the kings of this country, Soemon. It seems to me that we could everything to stop it." Faust said, darkly.
"This is hardly the dictatorship of Gartlant, husband, and you are hardly a dictator anymore," Soemon soothed, leaning up to kiss Faust's blonde locks. "So, let us talk no more about punishing our people. We both know that turning Japoness into a totalitarian state would not make our son happy."
Faust scowled for a moment and then leaned into Soemon's kisses. "Very well," he replied, slipping his hand into Soemon's. "But the problem still remains. Don't you see it, my love? Our son has been worshipped since the moment he was born, but out of all his rabid fans, has one ever taken the time to truly get to know him and, dare I say it, truly love him?"
".... I see. You believe our son would be happy if he found someone to love?"
"And someone who loved him equally in return, yes," Faust nodded as he reached up to caress Soemon's hair. "Not a flatterer, not a merchandiser, not a biographer. Lord knows, he has plenty of them. Soemon, before I... before I met you, I was the loneliest man on the face of Terra Two. But the day we called a truce and the day you accepted my hand in marriage... from that day forth, I have never been lonely or sad. And I feel that if Otaru were to marry the person he truly loved, his sorrows would vanish as well"
"My dearest Faust," Soemon purred, reaching up to caress his husband's neck. "You never cease to amaze me. Very well, let us do our best to find this person for our son. Now, how do you propose we go about doing so?"
"Do you remember the ball you held in my honor the night we were wed?"
"Mhh... how could I ever forget it?" Soemon chuckled. "You were a vision in that silver and blue uniform."
"I've always wanted to hold such a dance for Otaru. We will invite anyone from Japoness who wishes to attend, and then we will see if Otaru finds any of them worthy of marriage."
"And what of the flatterers and worshippers?"
"Otaru has faced them his entire life. It is my belief that he will see right through them," Faust replied, easing off of the throne's arm and into Soemon's lap. "Now, dearest, answer me this. Do I or do I not always know what is best for our son?"
"Uncanny," Soemon chuckled, sliding his hand into Faust's hair, "Uncanny indeed." and the two leaned in to share a long and passionate kiss.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Outside the throne room, Prince Otaru looked away from the crack in the door and sighed. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his robe, he tuned away and shuffled off down the hall, his head bowed in defeat.
~You just don't understand,~ Otaru thought, looking back at the closed door to the throne room. ~What's right for you isn't necessarily right for me. You guys found each other and fell in love. That's great. But you're wrong. Not everyone wants that in life.~ And thinking this, the prince bowed his head and shuffled off to find a toothbrush to clean the floor as his father had bade him.
(End Part Two)
Chapter Two
A Saber Marionette J Fan Fic
by
Lady Aoi
Summary: Part two. Prince Otaru is sad. What can the Kings of Japoness do to cheer him up? Why throw him a ball, of course!
Rating: PG for mild cursing and even milder shonen-ai.
Disclaimer: I don't own SMJ but I am now the proud owner of a J to X art book ^_~.
Aoi's Notes: Again, some strange choices will be made in this fic (pairing wise, character wise) and some characters may seem way OOC. But please keep in mind that this is Hanagata's dream and therefore a purposefully innacurat representation of reality. And in another note, I'm still blaming all of you M2A people for this. And Inu, Baka, thanks for the suggestions ^_^.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Are you sure you saw your brother flying into the forest, Yumeji?" Mamiya Otaru questioned, looking down at the small blonde boy and the ponta cub perched on his shoulders.
"Myaoh!!"
Yumeji nodded. "Ponta-kun and me were playing shogi when it happened. Mamiya-san, can you please help me look for him? I think he might be hurt or something!"
"Heh, there's nothing to worry about, Yume-chan," Cherry said, setting her bag of groceries down on the table. "He'll come home in a few hours when he gets hungry, just like he always does."
"Mouuu, Cherry-chan!" Yumeji whimpered, giving the red-haired marionette a pitiable look. "I know Onii-sama can be a dumb ass sometimes --"
"Not that anyone ever disputed *that*," Bloodberry muttered as she unpacked her grocery bag.
"-- But you guys really threw him far this time," Yumeji continued, shooting Bloodberry a nasty look. "I mean, he flew right over the playground and way far into the forest. He flew so far into there, that when Ponta-kun and I went looking for him, we couldn't find him. Huh, Ponta-kun?"
"Myaaaahhhhh." the little creature purred, vigorously shaking its head.
"So? Hana-ko always comes home eventually," Bloodberry said, closing the cupboard and turning around to face Yumeji. "Besides, when was the last time you remember him getting hurt, Yumeji?"
"But, Bloodberry!" Yumeji sighed. "There's lots of wild animals in the forest! Like lions and tigers and bears --"
"Oh my!" Cherry exclaimed, raising a hand to her mouth.
"So, please, guys?" Yumeji begged, giving everyone in the room, man and marionette alike, a pleading look. "Please help me find Onii-sama before he gets really hurt this time."
Silence reigned for a long moment before Lime smiled and patted Yumeji's head.
"Don't worry, Yume-chan," she said. "We'll find Hannie-chan and make sure he's alright, Huh, Otaru?"
Otaru sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Alright, alright I'll go," he said. "But we're only gonna look for a few hours at the most, okay, Yumeji? The girls and I have a lot of work to do today."
"Really?" Yumeji flashed the room a gapped-tooth grin before hugging Otaru around the waist. "Wow! Thanks a lot, Otaru-san!"
"Yeah, yeah, it's nothing, Yumeji," Otaru replied, trying to wriggle out of Yumeji's hug. Honestly, the boy could cling just about as tightly as his big brother could! "Let's just get this over with as fast as possible, okay everyone?"
"Hehehe, okaaaaay!" Lime giggled. "Mou, everyone! Last one to the forest is a rotten egg!"
"Hey, Lime, wait for us!" Yumeji cried, releasing Otaru and chasing after the marionette.
"Myah myah myahhhhhhhh!!"
Otaru sighed and turned to face Cherry and Bloodberry. "How do we get ourselves into these things?" he asked them.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Across Japoness, and far away from the home in which Lime and Cherry were currently tossing CinderHana back and forth like a ball, stood Castle Japoness. This tall and magnificent palace was made of gold and silver and gleamed like a beacon in the morning sunlight, as if to provide all of Terra Two a visual testimony of its rulers' goodness.
At one point, the palace had been inhabited by the country's shogun, Iyesu Tokugawa and his handsome son, Obiichi Soemon. And upon the shogun's untimely death, his beautiful dark-haired child had inherited both the palace and the shogunate just in time to face an invasion from Gartlant, Japoness' northern neighbor. Undaunted by Gartlant's military might and the cruelty of its Fuhrer, Faust von Gelthard, the young shogun had rallied the entire nation behind him and within months Gartlant's forces were defeated. At that time, however, popular rumor held that Gartlant's defeat had come about not only because of Soemon's courage and strategic prowess but because Gartlant's Fuhrer had fallen head over heels in love while fighting the remarkable young man. Thus, few people in either nation were surprised when Faust officially surrendered to Japoness by kneeling before their leader and humbly pleading for his hand in marriage. But both nations were downright flabbergasted when Japoness' shogun not only accepted, but helped Faust to his feet and passionately kissed him on the spot. The two were married in a fortnight, and nine months later the cloning of their son Otaru Mamiya was complete.
In the next sixteen years, Prince Otaru grew from a crying baby into wise, talented and beautiful young man. Although his olive skin and eyes as well as his raven hair bore little resemblance to those belonging to either of his parents, both Soemon and Faust were pleasantly surprised by the fact that their young son almost perfectly resembled the late shogun. And, apparently Japoness' subjects felt the same way, for as the young Prince grew, so too did their love for him, until it reached the point of near fanatical devotion. Believing that their young sovereign had, indeed, saved their nation from certain destruction at Faust's hands (after all, why else would Gartlant's Fuhrer have surrendered so easily unless he'd wanted to marry into such a fine line of leaders?), many Japoness subjects had dubbed the lad 'The Hero of Japoness'. It was almost impossible for Prince Otaru to leave the Castle without being hailed either by this title or by "Banzai, Otaru!" Or, for that matter, without seeing at least one merchant hawking Prince Otaru tee shirts, trading cards, plushies, bumper stickers, breakfast cereal and 'The Prince that Disarmed a Nation': The Official Biography of Prince Mamiya Otaru. However, all the beach towels, paper dolls and Prince Otaru pajamas weren't enough for some people. In fact, many citizens had taken it upon themselves to dress, speak and act exactly like their national idol, so that even the smallest change in Prince Otaru's wardrobe -- even something as minor as a slight change in the color of his usually blue doublet -- caused an immediate run on all such items as his many rabid fans pushed their way into clothing stores all over Japoness in the pursuit of locating and purchasing the latest 'Otar-o'.
And yet, despite his nation's great love for him, Prince Otaru was a very lonely young man. And this apparent contradiction both puzzled and disturbed almost everyone in the castle, including the kings themselves. And so one morning, the pair summoned their son before them for an audience.
"Otaru, my son," King Soemon said gravely as he looked down from his throne at the young man before him. "It has come to my attention and that of your father that you seem troubled as of late. Is this so?"
"Well, I --"
"Have you been meditating?"
"Yes, Papa."
"And practicing the kenpo I have taught you?"
"Yes, Papa."
"And properly caring for yourself?"
Prince Otaru's brow furrowed slightly in consternation. "Ahh... yes, Papa. But, why? What does this have to do with how I feel?"
"Otaru," Soemon said coolly. "You are not only a prince of the realm, but a student of this ancient and venerable tradition. Therefore, I hardly need to remind you of your duty to both your country and yourself when it comes to speaking the truth. Now, I will ask you again; what is troubling you?"
"........."
"Otaru?"
"....Nothing, Papa."
"I see." King Soemon frowned slightly as he shifted back into his throne's red velvet cushions. "In that case, you will not mind washing the entire West Corridor's floor with a toothbrush this afternoon."
Prince Otaru's face twitched slightly at this order. "But, Papa --"
"Consider it not only a lesson in patience and detail, Otaru, but an exercise in learning the nature of Truth. Like the West Corridor's dirty floor, Truth is often hidden beneath a layer of grime that only hard work and careful attention can remove. Do you understand, son?"
"I understand that you want me to scrub the floor, but that's about it."
King Soemon's brow furrowed slightly. "Then you are dismissed."
"Yes, Papa," Otaru rose, bowed to his fathers, and left the throne room.
As soon as his son was well out of hearing, King Soemon sighed and rested his head in his hand. "I don't understand it," he said to the blonde man embroidering in the throne beside his. "I have tried everything with that boy, discipline, coaxing, downright begging! And yet, has he ever attempted to explain what is troubling him?" Again, the dark haired King sighed. "What do you think, beloved?" he asked, turning to the man next to him. "You've seen how he behaves. Do you see any way for me to reach him?"
"You're being too hard on the boy, Soemon," King Faust replied, not looking up from his needle work.
"Too hard on him?!" King Soemon sputtered. "How can you possibly say that, Faust?!"
"Because you of all men should be able to see what is going on."
Soemon felt his brow furrow. "I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Of course not. Otherwise you would not be asking for my help," the blonde king replied, putting his embroidery aside as he rose from his throne. "Soemon, have you not observed how lonely our son truly is?"
"How can he possibly be lonely when the entire kingdom worships the ground he walks upon?"
Faust frowned slightly. "Be careful when you say that, my love. Because worship can be a very dangerous thing."
"Explain yourself, Faust."
"Darling," Faust continued, seating himself on the arm of Soemon's throne. "Let us pretend for a moment that I worshipped you."
"I thought you already did, my dearest," Soemon teased, taking one of Faust's hands and pressing his lips to it.
The blonde king frowned and pulled his hand away. "I'm entirely serious, Soemon," he said, shooting his husband a nasty look. "If I worshipped you, do you honestly believe you would get a moment's respite? I would follow you from room to room, waiting on you hand and foot, praising your every action, perhaps even your every breath even if you did not need nor want anything from me. I would dress like you, act like you, and spend every waking hour and possibly some of my hours asleep dwelling on nothing but you and you alone. Now, don't you think that such behavior would prove at least a little tiring after awhile?"
"Faust," Soemon said, rising from his throne. "I can see where this is leading, and I must say that, while I have always trusted your judgment, this time you are gravely mistaken."
"Oh, am I, now?" Faust cooed, batting his eyes mockingly.
"Indeed, you are. While our subjects' adoration of our son may prove a bit... difficult to deal with at times, it is by no means the boy's problem."
"Soemon, really. Can you remember the last time you, Otaru and I left the palace without being mobbed by rabid Otaru fans clamoring for autographs and pictures?"
"Yes, and for nobility, that is simply a fact of life as you should know," Soemon explained. "And besides, our body guards not only fended off the more... enthusiastic of them, but our laws impose the harshest penalties on all who attempt to get too familiar with the Crown Prince in public."
"And the merchandise? The Otaru pajamas? The candles? The dolls? In the name of God, the SAKE?!"
"Simply free enterprise capitalism in operation. I find this use of our son's image just as distasteful as you do, Faust, but we can do nothing to stop it."
"We're the kings of this country, Soemon. It seems to me that we could everything to stop it." Faust said, darkly.
"This is hardly the dictatorship of Gartlant, husband, and you are hardly a dictator anymore," Soemon soothed, leaning up to kiss Faust's blonde locks. "So, let us talk no more about punishing our people. We both know that turning Japoness into a totalitarian state would not make our son happy."
Faust scowled for a moment and then leaned into Soemon's kisses. "Very well," he replied, slipping his hand into Soemon's. "But the problem still remains. Don't you see it, my love? Our son has been worshipped since the moment he was born, but out of all his rabid fans, has one ever taken the time to truly get to know him and, dare I say it, truly love him?"
".... I see. You believe our son would be happy if he found someone to love?"
"And someone who loved him equally in return, yes," Faust nodded as he reached up to caress Soemon's hair. "Not a flatterer, not a merchandiser, not a biographer. Lord knows, he has plenty of them. Soemon, before I... before I met you, I was the loneliest man on the face of Terra Two. But the day we called a truce and the day you accepted my hand in marriage... from that day forth, I have never been lonely or sad. And I feel that if Otaru were to marry the person he truly loved, his sorrows would vanish as well"
"My dearest Faust," Soemon purred, reaching up to caress his husband's neck. "You never cease to amaze me. Very well, let us do our best to find this person for our son. Now, how do you propose we go about doing so?"
"Do you remember the ball you held in my honor the night we were wed?"
"Mhh... how could I ever forget it?" Soemon chuckled. "You were a vision in that silver and blue uniform."
"I've always wanted to hold such a dance for Otaru. We will invite anyone from Japoness who wishes to attend, and then we will see if Otaru finds any of them worthy of marriage."
"And what of the flatterers and worshippers?"
"Otaru has faced them his entire life. It is my belief that he will see right through them," Faust replied, easing off of the throne's arm and into Soemon's lap. "Now, dearest, answer me this. Do I or do I not always know what is best for our son?"
"Uncanny," Soemon chuckled, sliding his hand into Faust's hair, "Uncanny indeed." and the two leaned in to share a long and passionate kiss.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Outside the throne room, Prince Otaru looked away from the crack in the door and sighed. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his robe, he tuned away and shuffled off down the hall, his head bowed in defeat.
~You just don't understand,~ Otaru thought, looking back at the closed door to the throne room. ~What's right for you isn't necessarily right for me. You guys found each other and fell in love. That's great. But you're wrong. Not everyone wants that in life.~ And thinking this, the prince bowed his head and shuffled off to find a toothbrush to clean the floor as his father had bade him.
(End Part Two)