650AN: I know that I have so many Skip Beat fics up my sleeve that I'm having trouble keeping them all updated. Well, I feel like I've finally managed to catch my stride in my school work that I'd be able to make an update list and update a bunch of fics every three days. Five a day is pushing it but I'll see what I can do.
As for this fic, it has been in my head for a while so I hope you enjoy. Also, I just caught up with summaries for the latest chapters and have to say this is why I only read the manga when it comes out in English book format which is why a lot of new information is missing from them. I do this so if something like the last chapter happens I can go online and read the story from there 😊 Honestly, I know I'm rambling, but when I was a kid, Fruits Basket threw me into a depression several times because I read as it was coming out. I try to save myself from that depression and at one point was only reading completed work, but I like Skip Beat a lot so I'm going to be working from English published manga 😊 Sorry about that rant and thank you for your understanding.
This is an alternate reality fic.
The Little Prince
Chapter One – No Longer a Little Kid
"I don't want you to go though," the six-year-old Kyoko Mogami sniffed as she looked up at her fairy prince. She had known that he had said he had to go back to his kingdom, but she didn't want him to leave. Now he was telling her that there was no way to stay in contact? "I only just met you, Corn"
"I know, but I do have to return," Kuon told her seeing how upset she really was. He sighed and then reached in his pocket for something. He smiled as he looked at it in his hand. "Kyoko-san, come here please," he said as the girl came up to him and Kuon slipped himself behind her.
"Let me give you this, my last piece of magic," he said as Kyoko looked at him with a smile on her face. "Here," he stood behind her, "Look at this stone as it catches the light," he smiled. "This stone will be able to take all the sad feelings away and look the light catches them when the stone changes color. This will be my last piece of magic to share with you."
Kyoko grinned and clapped her hands before Kuon slid the rock into her hand. "Corn, you're amazing!" she grinned. "I'll take really good care of it. Thank you, Corn."
"Thank you, Kyoko-san, I'm really happy that I got to meet you," he told her and she blushed.
She was beyond happy that she had met Corn which made his leaving even harder to cope with, but she had the feeling that he would be alright and that he would one day get out of his father's shadow.
…
…
Kuon couldn't sleep. He knew that his family was going to take a mid-day flight back to America, but he couldn't get the image of that young girl out of his head. He hated nights when he couldn't sleep. When he was a little kid, he could go to his mother and tell her he had a bad dream or that he couldn't sleep and she would try to comfort him. Now that he was ten, he had to depend on himself.
Looking out of the window, Kuon noticed that there was still some moonlight. He had snuck out before about this time and gone to his and Kyoko's secret area. Maybe if he was able to reflect on what he had learned that summer, it would help him feel better. Maybe he just needed some time alone and it wasn't as if anyone else was going to be there.
Looking at the alarm clock in the room he was staying in, Kuon slipped out of his pajamas and into some jeans, a t-shirt, and a hooded jacket. It was two-o'clock, he would be able to make it to the area by at most three o'clock and that would give him an hour to spend there until he could come back and hear his father waking up.
Then his dad would make sure that everyone was packed and ready to go to the airport and he would finally have said his goodbye to Kyoto. It was cute how her name was so similar to the place, that meant that he would always remember his ideal Japanese girl, Kyoko. Feeling that his plan was the best, Kuon grabbed a key and slipped out of the place that they were renting.
It was raining outside.
It had been so hot during the summer that he hadn't considered that it might be raining again. He had made such a great plan and his parents didn't care about him being alone usually. They said that they trusted him and both of them had left him when they focused on their own work. He was ten after all, no longer a baby and only a baby got scared of the rain.
After he tied his shoes, Kuon heard the noise of one of his parents in their room and so quietly shut and locked the door and ran off to his secret spot.
It only took half an hour until he was looking out across that lake. This was a special time to visit a very special and meaningful place. He had to take advantage of what was out ahead of him. He had gained so many happy memories in this place. He wanted to make sure that he wouldn't forget any of them if he felt sad again.
He remembered Kyoko's excitement when she thought that he was a fairy prince and how much he hadn't wanted to let her down in her imagination. He had even flown for her using the techniques he had been studying in his physical education and martial arts classes. Stepping back, Kuon put out his arms. If he could fly in this place one more time then he would remember it.
He tried to fly up into the air, as he was in the air he felt free and safe. He felt the magic of that summer wash over him, but as he came down, he was knocked aside by the wind and he couldn't keep his balance. Maybe he could direct his body into the pile of leaves, how did sensei tell him to do that again?
As he fell, Kuon didn't realize that buried beneath the leaves was a large rock and as he came down, his head and body hit the rock. He had to keep his eyes open, he had to get up before it all went…..black…
…
…...
Kuu woke up before Julie so he could watch his wife sleep with her head resting on his chest. He placed a hand on her back and smiled. He sighed as he noticed that it had been raining. Thankfully they were taking the train to the airport, it was always more difficult when people drove in the rain. Kuu felt Julie stir and took a glance over at the alarm clock.
It was six o'clock, that meant that they would have an hour and a half or maybe even two hours before they had to leave. He was excited to get back home but it would be hard to leave Japan. He hoped that Kuon felt the same as he did and that he wasn't just waiting to leave. He hoped that during this time, Kuon had gained an appreciation for Kuu's home country.
"Is Kuon awake?" Julie asked as she woke up and stretched. "Haven't you noticed how he's been waking up earlier these days? Is there something wrong with that? Aren't children supposed to get plenty of rest?"
"I think Kuon's fine," Kuu said and laughed at what Julie said, "Besides, don't try telling him he's a child or he'll just correct you that he's ten and he's not a little kid anymore. I wish I was ten again sometimes," Kuu grinned, "For me, ten is still a kid and I'm glad that he still relies on us for some things. I don't want the day to come when he won't need us."
"That is an unkind joke Kuu Hizuri, he's our little boy, he's always going to need us and I refuse to think differently. Even when he's sixty, he'll steel need us in his life." Julie stood up, "I'm going to check on him, see if he's awake" she said and Kuu chuckled.
"You just want to watch him sleep again, don't you?" he asked. Julie smiled back at her husband and left without a word.
Crossing over to where Kuon had his room, she knocked on the door before quietly opening it when she didn't get a response. "Honey," she asked, "Hey, it's time to get up soon," she reached across and turned the light on. He wasn't in his bed. "Kuon?" she asked as she walked over and saw that the bed was cold. He hadn't been in his bed since last night. Had he decided just to watch television all night and had put the volume so low that she hadn't been able to hear it.
No, she or Kuu would definitely have heard him moving around outside his room. He was ten but he wasn't exactly quiet when it came to things like the TV. Maybe he had come out and just read or maybe he had decided to sleep out there, but there weren't any books or blankets.
Where was he?
"So," Kuu stretched as he walked to the kitchen, ignoring the way that Julie was looking at him. "How's Kuon this morning? I bet he's excited to be -"
"Kuu," Julie said in terror, "Kuon's not here," she watched as her husband dropped a bowl and his expression quickly matched the horrified expression that Julie's had.
"Are you sure you've checked everywhere? Maybe he drew himself a bath?" he asked and Julie nodded as she rushed towards the bathroom but found that there was no one in there.
Julie turned back to Kuu. "I…I don't know where he is," she trembled. "Kuu, I don't know where he is."
"We'll find him, maybe he just decided to go play outside or the birds, he always likes watching the birds and nature. Maybe he just wanted to sit outside so he could spend more time in nature. I mean, maybe he thinks that he won't get in trouble if he's just outside," Kuu tried to reason but Julie shook her head.
"Why would he just go outside?" she asked, "What if someone's taken him?" she asked as she started to panic and Kuu came over to her. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and help her with the anxiety, but she pushed him away from her gently.
"If you really want to help me, Kuu, you'll find my little boy," she told him with tears starting to slip down her cheeks. "I want Kuon."
"I'll find him," Kuu promised, "You stay here in case he comes back. I hate to do it, but there has to be some type of punishment for this. I don't care if he's ten or eighteen, leaving in the middle of the night without saying anything…there has to be some kind of repercussion for that."
"I agree, but I don't care about anything but finding him," Julie shivered. "You should check that place that he told us he kept going, the place with the trees beside the lake. Maybe he went there."
Kuu nodded before looking around outside the rented area and then called out for his son. He had to find him. He didn't care about the flight, but he needed to find Kuon. You didn't just leave in the middle of the night like this.
…..
…..
It took Kuu about forty minutes to reach the area that Kuon had told him about and that had been whilst running. He could see why his son had enjoyed coming to this place so much. The lake looked beautiful, there were a lot of places to just sit and talk. It was a really nice place to just absorb nature. "Please be here," Kuu whispered to himself. "Kuon!" he called out before noticing a small body on the ground.
He rushed over before his eyes widened and as he saw the blood on the rock, Kuu couldn't feel his heart anymore. It was as if he had been pulled into a fog. "Kuon?" he asked as he brought his son's body up like a rag doll and he very gently transferred him to his lap.
He wasn't sure where the blood was coming from but there seemed far too much for any kind of comfort. "Kuon," he asked again as he attempted to feel his pulse. He placed his fingers on his son's neck, there was a pulse but it was light and the breathing was ragged. Kuon's body was completely drenched with the water that had fallen on him. "Hey, Kuon, can you hear me?" he asked only to get no response.
Moving Kuon into his arms, he tried to think of the closest place for an ambulance to get to. He pulled Kuon into his chest and noticed that the side of his head had blood on it. "Daddy's got you, okay?" he asked as he felt the tiny body against his chest. He grabbed his phone and asked for the ambulance to come to the nearby bus stop.
When that was done he sent a text to Julie saying that he had found him and they were going to the hospital. With shaky steps, Kuu picked up his son and held him to his chest. "Come on, Kuon," he whispered as he struggled not to cry himself. "You can be strong for me, right? You're my strong and brave big kid. You're my son, you can fight this," he said as he made his way to where the ambulance was coming.
As the paramedics started asking him questions such as how long Kuon had been out there and where he had hurt himself, Kuu didn't know how to answer them. He watched as they hooked different machines up to his body and nervously took his seat next to him in the ambulance.
He felt his skin bristle as one of the doctors looked at him, "You're the actor, Hizuri, Kuu aren't you?" he asked as Kuu nodded and looked down.
"I am but I'm also a father, begging you to save my little boy," he whispered. "Please fight for us, Kuon," he said as he took the little hand in his own. He couldn't believe how small he looked. Just like a fairy prince.
