CINDEREKI Chapter 5

Fanfic by: Sora Vasconcelos

Translation: Ingisha Valer

—o—

🔥—Chapter 4—❄

—o—

Meanwhile, at the Crazy Rock Castle, the dance had already begun. In the main room were many people dancing in couples or eating what was in the buffet. Everyone was having too much fun, everyone except Prince Langa.

The prince greeted everyone who approached him, but at all times the prince had the same face. Anyone approaching him would think the prince was serious, but he really was very bored. Tonight was going to be a long one for him.

But, Prince Langa, he was not the only one having a hard time at that ball. The queen was very nervous and also embarrassed by the behavior of her son.

—Grrrr... Langa is not putting any effort on his part. —Nanako complained, looking from afar at her son who was alone, standing next to the banquet table and eating a hamburger. When someone important and very interested in him approached him, the light blue—haired man showed a very indifferent behavior.

The queen, at that moment, saw a very pretty girl with long black hair approaching Langa.

Nanako, seeing that, stood still, excited and waiting for what her son could do, but unfortunately for the queen, her son only bowed in greeting, and the girl did the same and walked away from him.

—Why, Langa!? —the woman lamented, desperate. —There must be at least someone who is good for him —she was about to cry in frustration.

——🔥❄️——

By then, CindeReki had already arrived at the castle. As he walked towards the entrance of the palace, slowly, looked around the place, mouth opened and in amazement. Everything was so magical and new to him. The palace gates were open, welcoming everyone and a large red carpet was stretching from the castle entrance to the steps leading to the great hall.

Then, CindeReki passed through the main garden of the palace, but he didn't stop there because he wanted to ride that place on his skateboard, which he had under his arm. He could walk through the garden later because, for the moment, he wanted to enter the castle to see what its nterior was like, since he always saw it from the outside and afar.

As he walked down the red carpet, the guards gaze at an elegant dressed CindeReki. Some of them looked at him because of the skateboard he had with him and others looked at him because of how beautiful he was. And CindeReki, from his part, was walking and heading to the main hall while he looked at all the exquisite decorations of the palace.

He could see some beautiful chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, some sculptures and armory on the sides and large vases with blue and red flowers.

What CindeRek found strange was that there was no portraits of the royal family in that castle. He hoped to see at least one painting to give himself a chance to see how the king, queen, and prince looked like.

CindeReki wanted to meet the Prince since his stepbrothers talked about him all the time, so he was very curious about how he look like and what his name was. Perhaps tonight CindeReki could find him and introduce himself. Surely it would be easy to reach him, he just have to approach the only person who was being surrounded by many girls and boys.

He heard that many were interested in the prince romantically, but CindeReki was not one of them, he just wanted to get to know him and find out what kind of person he was.

Arriving at the main hall, CindeReki saw many people in beautiful suits and very elegant dresses. The redhead suddenly felt embedded in that environment. He did not feel ignored, since people almost always turned away from him because of his dirty appearance and his clothes so torn and unkempt. He didn't like being the center of everyone's attention either and luckily everyone was on their own. Some guests were dancing, others talking to each other, and others eating what was on the buffet.

The red—haired boy wanted to approach the group of people who were at the buffet table to mingle a bit, but he could see his stepfather and stepbrothers near that place. As expected, his stepfather, Shadow, was devouring all the food next to himself. Surely it was very delicious since it was the food that they used to prepare in the castle for the most elegant banquets.

CindeReki was afraid of being recognized so he stayed away from them. The only place where there was nobody was the garden, so he returned to that beautiful and quiet place to stay away from the danger that was his stepfather and his stepbrothers.

Sadly, that night, CindeReki would not be able to meet the prince, but at least he would do what he always wanted to do in that beautiful place, which was to skate in the royal castle garden all night.

Unexpectedly... CindeReki wasn't the only one who was turning away from all the people.

——🔥❄️——

Prince Langa managed to hide from his parents and found a way to get away from all the guests, but he especially wanted to get away from two very annoying guys who kept insisting on dancing with him.

They both were very annoying to the prince. As soon as they approached him, they began to fight among themselves to see who would be the first to accompany him to the dance floor. One stopped the other with his hand on his head and hit him with his pink fan, while the smaller one scratched the air and screamed in a shrill way being very loud. They were too annoying for the prince to ignore.

—LANGA! SON, WHERE ARE YOU!? —The queen wondered, looking everywhere. She was very desperate.

Prince Langa didn't like making his mother cry or worry about him, but right now he needed reassurance. He could go to his room, but it would be the first place where his parents would go to look for him, so he avoided going there. The other place he came up with was the garden. That place was perfect. There were no guests and no guards loitering around. It was a quiet place.

Once he arrived, began to walk around the place listening to the dance music of the ball from afar. While he was strolling he felt something bump his feet, and by checking he discovered what it was.

—A skateboard? —wondered, surprised.

The prince bent down and picked it up with both hands to get a better look at it. He was very curious, so he turned it over and managed to see the design that was on the back. It had a nice drawing.

—HEY! Thank you very much for stopping it.

Langa heard a boy's voice, turning his face to where his voice came from, and could see it.

He was able to see CindeReki.

To the prince's eyes, the boy was wearing a very beautiful suit. At first he thought he was wearing a dress, but as he went on, he could see better that it was a man's suit and very elegant. CindeReki's red hair stood out much more with that beautiful color of the suit, and had a big smile on his face as he approached the light blue haired.

CindeReki, on his part, admitted that the boy in front of him was very attractive. He hadn't seen him before in the village, maybe he was from another kingdom, or a special guest or something. He didn't even know that he was getting close to the prince.

—It's yours? —Langa asked, looking at the skateboard.

—Yes, thank you very much for stopping it —CindeReki thanked smiling.

By seeing that smile Prince Langa couldn't help but blush, because that boy was very cute to his eyes.

—Do you want to try? —CindeReki asked out of nowhere, and that surprised the prince.

—Hmm? What thing?

—Get on the skateboard —the redhead pointed to his board —I noticed that you looked at it a lot, you seem interested.—

—Yes. But I don't know... —Answered embarrassed.

—It's easy, don't worry, try it —encouraged.

Langa put the skateboard on the ground, and put a foot on it. It moved a lot and that scared him at first. So, very carefully, he put the other foot up, shaking a lot, and when he was on top he didn't last long as he fell on his back.

—Hahaha...! —CindeReki shout with a huge laugh by seeing Langa fall —What was that? Hahaha... You didn't move a bit. Ha ha ha...

When the prince heard the redhead's laugh he got upset.

—Do not laugh. That thing wasn't made for someone to stand on it —complained the pale blue haired.

—Of course it is! — CindeReki crossed his arms, still smiling.

—Prove it. —challenged the prince.

—Gladly— the redhaired took his skateboard to got on top and rolled away from Langa. Turning around, he lined up and started to approach the prince who was still on the floor.

—What? NO! WAIT! —the prince scared when saw the boy heading towards him speeding up, the prince closed his eyes because he thought Cindereki was going to collide with him. But the crash never happened, Prince Langa opened one eye, still lying on the ground, and could see that CindeReki had jumped over him.

Time passed slowly... Prince Langa looked surprised at CindeReki, it was as if he was flying, passing by in a white suit and behind him was the night sky. In Langa's eyes, the redhead shone like the moon itself... he was looking at him in amusement and mouth opened. That red—haired was amazing.

As CindeReki hit the ground again he turned around to look at Langa. —Have you see it? —he showed a big smile, he liked to jump over people using his skateboard.

—...Yes,— Langa replied surprised and still wide—eyed.

Prince Langa sat down. —How did you do that?— He stood up and walked towards CindeReki.

—Like this.— CindeReki looked at his feet and showed him how to perform a ollie.

—Wow, that's incredible. —The prince was very impressed by what he was teaching him.

—Are you interested in skating?— CindeReki asked excitedly.

—Well... yes, but I can't stay stand up on the skateboard —Answered, looking at how the caramel candy eyes stood up without falling.

—Mmm... Let me see, let me help you —CindeReki got off the skateboard and made the prince approach —Let's see... First, keep one foot on the ground while you put the other foot on top of the skateboard together around the nose bolts— CindeReki began to explain to the prince how to stay. Later Langa got on the skateboard as CindeReki told him. —Very well, that's right!

Langa, turning his face saw CindeReki's very close to him, but very close. That caused her to blush since the boy was so cute. Seeing better, he was able to notice the beautiful eyes that this one had. CindeReki's eyes were a beautiful, very bright amber color. Those eyes delighted the prince very much and that look was going to be remembered forever.

—Now, put your back foot on the skateboard —CindeReki didn't look at the prince, he was more focused on how he stood up for him to learn and prevent him from falling.

When Langa reacted, he tried to do as CindeReki told him but his foot trembled badly, he was afraid of falling.

—Mmm... If you're scared you can hold my hand —CindeReki held out his hand.

The prince looked at the redhead's hand and wanted to take it, but he didn't want to look weak before the boy.

—No, I'm fine, thanks.

It didn't take a second for Langa to fall back again.

—You have to find the balance. So...— CindeReki got on the skateboard and it didn't move a bit.

With the help of CindeReki, little by little, Langa was able to get on the skateboard and keep his balance.

—Perfect! Let's continue with the rest — the redhaired sounded very excited.

He explained to Langa in great detail everything he had to do. The first thing he taught him was to make him move forward, and when the prince began to move with the skateboard, he accelerated more and more and that caused him not to stop and, since he did not know how to turn and was going very fast, he ended up crashing into a stone wall , smashing his whole face.

—God... —CindeReki ran towards Langa quickly —Sorry, I didn't explain how to turn —began to apologize repeatedly.

—D... Don't worry —the prince moaned in pain as he covered his face and closed his eyes, but when he opened them again he could see CindeReki's face a little close to his and couldn't help but blush again at the beauty of the boy.

—Let's go up. I'll teach you how to spin and other things too... —He extended his hand to help him up.

When the prince took CindeReki's hand, he could feel the warmth of it. The prince had never before felt a warmth like the one he felt when he touched CindeReki's hand. Suddenly he felt like he wanted to have that warmth close to him every day.

The minutes passed and both boys spent the time laughing and enjoying each other's company. At that moment, there were only the two of them.

CindeReki taught the light blue haired how to get on a skateboard correctly, how to move forward and how to turn. That was all the basics, but what Langa wanted to know was how to make an ollie. So he asked to show it to him and so CindeReki put some stones on the floor.

—Okay, try skipping those rocks with an ollie. —After explaining the theory it was time for practice and CindeReki sat on the edge of a fountain to take a full view.

The prince understood what he had to do, so he quickly went to the stones to perform the trick, but he couldn't do it as he stepped too far back on the tail of the board and, instead of jumping, he slipped backwards and fell on the ground.

The redhead quickly ran by his side to help him.

—Are you okay? — the red haired asked, concerned.

—Yes, but I want to try again —the prince got up feeling great pain throughout his body —How long did it take you to achieve it? —He asked picking up his skateboard and returning to where he was before.

—It took me two months —the redhead smiled very proudly, —but usually it takes about three months.

—So long? —the prince was impressed.

—Listen, mastering an ollie completely changes skating, —the red haired smiled at the prince —because without the ollie it's just getting on a board where you just slide, but with the ollie it becomes a board that flies. —he looked at his skate with glittering eyes. At that moment he begun to remember proudly when he made his first ollie with his father. —If you master the ollie you can go anywhere, the ollie is a revolution and a possibility.

CindeReki looked at Langa again with shining eyes. That gaze drove the prince crazy. The red haired continue —Sure you can enjoy skateboarding without the ollie, but if you want to see the world beyond that, ollies are a must! —CindeReki's eyes were shining more and more intensely.

Langa enjoyed seeing the sparkle in CindeReki's eyes, the boy looked very excited by just talking about skateboarding and hearing him so happy made his heart beat warmly. —So... you can skate anywhere? — asked looking at CindeReki, impressed, and the latter looked at him confused by his question —I practice snowboard and it can only be done when snow falls.

When CindeReki heard that explanation he could understand.

—I see, it hasn't snowed lately, it almost never does.— The redhead could tell that Langa was down, so he decided to cheer him up a bit. —But you can skate anywhere — by hearing that, Langa turned his face towards him —In the gardens, in the mountains, in the mornings, in the afternoons, and when it doesn't snow. At any time, under any circumstance. SKATING IS INFINITE!

Langa looked at him very impressed and his eyes were wide open, and little by little, the prince's eyes lit up more. —Infinity —he whispered looking at the skateboard with a smile.

After that, the blue-haired boy continued practicing skateboarding. It was all fall after fall. Before long he was able to move forward and turn without any problem, but it was very impossible for him to ollie. He fell backwards, forwards, sideways, and many other ways. For each fall the prince hurt himself more and more; he got bruises, scrapes and small bleeding wounds. He was very tired, so he sat next to CindeReki on the edge of the fountain, to rest a bit. Prince Langa spent hours practicing skateboarding.

—You look really bad, are you okay? —CindeReki asked worriedly, looking at the prince's wounds.

—No at all, I'm not used to being hurt so much —he looked at his arms that had bruises and scrapes.

—That's normal in skateboarding, every bruise and scrape is like an initiation rite —the redhead laughed a bit.

—I understand, it's kinda how it is with snowboarding —he showed a small smile that CindeReki couldn't ignored. —The feeling I had when I was snowboarding is gradually disappearing, I was even forgetting how it felt.

The opposite looked sadly at the prince because of what he told, it was very sad what was happening to him. Just like him, that boy couldn't do what he liked the most.

—But... —Langa stood up and took the redhead's skateboard —after getting on a board, after a long time... for some reason —he got on the skateboard and began to move forward and was increasing the speed each time, —right now... —the speed he had reached was perfect for an ollie, and the prince was going to it.

Langa bent his knees, preparing for a jump and keeping his shoulders straight, he tapped the back of the skateboard with his foot and jumped. —I AM HAVING FUN! —yelled while he was in the air and had already managed to do a perfect ollie...

By seeing the prince achieving such a feat, CindeReki got very excited. The jump was a success... but Langa didn't land very well, and he ended up to the ground.

—Damn... —Langa complained in pain.

—Tell me...— CindeReki walked over to Langa and squatted down next to the prince. —How do you feel after you land your first ollie? —asked with a great gleam in his eyes, he was looking forward to a response.

—It feels... REALLY GOOD! —The prince stretched out on the ground while he smiled from the happiness he felt.

CindeReki smiled at the prince and raised his hand to Langa, but he didn't know what the redhead was doing, but he reached out his hand towards his anyways. Langa expected him to take it to help him up, but CindeReki high-fived his hand and then shaped a fist with the same. Luckily the prince understood that, and that's how both bumped their fists with a smile on their faces. That night the two of them had a great time.

But... when the two bumped their fists together, the clock at the castle began to chime. It sounded because it was already 12 o'clock at midnight.

—IT'S 12 NOW! —CindeReki was surprised by hear it.

—Yes, something happened? —Langa asked, confused by what the redhaired just said.

— (Yes, it means that the magic is going to end) —CindeReki thought as he looked at his suit. He had to go, he didn't want that boy to see how he really was, since he was embarrassed by himself, so he had to get back to his home real quick.

—I'm sorry, but I have to go —CindeReki quickly took his skateboard with him.

—What? But... —Langa got up and approached the redhead. He didn't want him to go yet, he wanted to spend more time with him.

—I had a lot of fun teaching you how to skate, but I have to go. —CindeReki was leaving, but the prince stood up and gently took his arm and stopped him.

—Wait, don't leave yet... —he stopped him for a few seconds, and looked a little more and thus remember very well the color of his eyes, but the clock chimed again and that scared CindeReki.

—See ya, sorry —CindeReki escaped from his grip and got on his skateboard to leave quickly.

—No, wait... please...— Langa tried to stop him, but CindeReki was faster.

CindeReki was escaping and moved forward with his skateboard and was going faster and faster. He was pushing off with his right foot, but he was doing it too fast and that caused his right shoe to fall off on the way. CindeReki realized that and wanted to go back, but he heard another bell that scared him, so he had no choice but to keep going forward.

Later, CindeReki managed to get into the carriage in a hurry, and leaving the castle behind, he wanted to go before the magic ends, at all the time he did not stop listening to the chimes and, despite the fact that he was moving away from the place, he was still listening very close to him.

Unfortunately, halfway through, everything disappeared...

First, the carriage became Miya's skateboard again. Then the footman, the coachman and the horses became the mice, and finally...

The beautiful suit that he had, disappeared, and his father's shattered suit that he was wearing before came back to replace it...

Joe's magic spell was over.

CindeReki was standing on the road and he was already close to his house... so he took his skateboard and put it on the ground and picked up Miya's skate under his arm. The mice had run off to who knows where...

All the way CindeReki had a big smile —what a night, time flew by— CindeReki sighed as if he was in love. That dark—haired boy apart from being someone so handsome, he was also someone who shared his love for skateboarding. He was the person CindeReki needed in his life.

—But... it's all over— the redhead got on his skateboard and started to push himself and, when he did that, he realized something. He looked to the ground and could see something impressive. On his left foot he had a shoe, but it wasn't a normal shoe, it was a glass one. It was the same shoe that he wore when he was in the castle!

—Wow, the glass slipper Joe gave me.— he smiled looking at it.

—Thank you Joe, for everything. Tonight was magical.— he whispered with a smile and continued on his way.

That night he had a great time with that charming boy. It was the first time he had met someone as kind as him. He loved teaching him how to skate, he found someone who shared the same passion as him. Even though he didn't spend all night skating until dawn in the garden like he wanted, he did something much better.

That boy was going to be on CindeReki's mind for a long time. He'd love to be with him again and if he ever saw him the next time... he would like to skate with him. When he got home he would make that guy a special skateboard and give it to him. The only bad thing... is that he didn't know his name.

——🔥❄️——

Meanwhile, in the castle there was a very sad prince, because he couldn't reach that boy.

—He left... I didn't even ask him his name.— Langa was walking through the garden, alone, as he always was.

Langa advanced depressed and crestfallen. As he walked, he could see something on the ground.

—Huh? This is...— he reached down and picked up the glittering object on the ground.

That was the glass slipper that CindeReki left behind. The prince knew that this shoe belonged to that very special boy. He had noticed it as he was showing him how he stood on the skateboard and explaining how to do it.

Prince Langa now had something that could help him find that guy with the amber eyes...

Prince Langa smiled with that hope.