Title: Lizard-Skin
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping/Watashi/LAARN (Lance x Ash)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #10, Fairy Godmother

Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright laws and taking it is plagiarism. Thank you. *Phantomness bows*

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks

Warnings: AU, het, fairy tale situations

 

            Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, there lived a king who was a widower. His wife had died in childbirth, and on her deathbed, she had made him promise not to remarry unless he found one fairer and more virtuous than she. So the King had promised, and his wife had died happy, leaving behind a single daughter.

            Now the young girl grew up into a very beautiful maiden, with strange golden-green eyes and long red hair, and he had named her Lance, for she was the weapon that had taken his wife away.

 

            He was fond of her, in a distant sort of way, but paid her little heed, for he was much more interested in wine and war and the charms of dancing girls. Then one year, she was fifteen, and he decided it was high time to marry her off.

            He called her into his presence, and as she stood there, he realized that she was far more beautiful than his wife had been, and so, he swore that he would marry her. The maiden of course, was disgusted, but her father was King and his word was law.

            So she sought out her fairy godmother, an old, old woman named Charlotte, who lived in the Temple of the Sacred Fire, and asked for help.

 

            The Priestess, who was a powerful Magician, told Lance to ask for three gifts, and the princess did so. In due time, she received a dress the color of the sky at dawn, and a dress as silvery radiant as the moon, and finally, a dress as magnificently golden as the sun, for the King was besotted by love, and rich, so these clothes were little expense, though the making of them had taken three weeks.

            And when the Princess had taken the three dresses, the King announced that they would be wed on the morrow. Oh, how the Princess trembled! But she snuck out that night, and went to find her fairy godmother.

            Charlotte gave her a magical walnut shell, and Lance hid her fine clothing and jewels inside, and then, the fairy waved her wand over her, incantation as dark as rolling flames, over and over until Lance thought she would die.

            When it was over, she was handed a mirror, and she gasped, for she now wore over her body the skin of a scaly red creature, disguising her completely.

 

            “This is the best I can do.” Charlotte said. “This lizard-skin will hide you until you find your way. It will unravel when you wish, and no one will be able to part you from it otherwise. But beware – my enchantment lasts only a day and a year, and if in that time you have not found your true love, the skin will never unravel again and you shall become the beast whose skin you wear.”

            “Thank you,” Lance said shakily. She stowed the magic walnut in an inside pocket on the skin, and left the country.

 

            For many days she walked, until she came to a large manor house, with fine stone steps and a roof of gold, where the cook needed someone to wash dishes and sweep and feed the animals. So she was taken in as a kitchen maid, despite her strange appearance, and every day she worked.

            Now several months later, she heard from the cook that the youngest Prince was coming home, and that a grand ball was to be held. The cook, who was plump and rather pretty, announced that all were invited, even the servants, as long as they had a clean frock to wear. Several of the serving-girls tittered, seeing how Lance was still wearing the same dark red skins as she always did, and her grimy apron, and laughed.

 

            Lance said nothing to them, but after she had washed the dishes and scraped the saucepans clean, and all the girls had flitted out, she shed the lizard-skin and washed herself clean and, taking the magic walnut from her pocket, drew out the dress the color of the sky at dawn, all blushing pink and rosy, trimmed with gold and lavender, and brushed out her long, red hair, and went to the ball.

            My, how the noble company tittered when they saw her. She must be a Princess from a far country! The Prince gazed into her eyes, enraptured, and they danced together, all night, until the faint streaks of dawn began to show and she fled.

 

            The Prince was bitterly grieved, and begged his parents to hold another ball. So that night, after the other servants had left, Lance washed herself, and put on the dress as silvery radiant as the moon, and attended. The Prince had eyes for no other, and sweetly, they waltzed until the moon was high in the sky and she had to leave.

            The Prince had fallen head over heels in love, but he still did not know whom she was, so he held a third ball. And this time, Lance dressed herself in a gown, golden like the sun, and oh, the old King and Queen smiled and wished that Ash would take her for his wife, for that was the Prince’s name.

            Lance was not sure how she felt about it. The Prince was handsome, yes, and rich, but she did not know him, so how could she love him?

            Perhaps love at first sight was easier for men…

 

            As the sun began to rise, she fled, but the Prince had secretly coated the grand staircase with pitch, so one of her golden slippers got stuck, and she had to run off without it.

            The next morning a proclamation was issued throughout the city. Every maiden came from miles around to try on the slipper, noblewoman and commoners both, but it did not fit anyone. In despair, the Prince fell ill, and it was rumored that he would die of love shortly.

            Lance did not put much stock in young men dying of love. She did not think about true love either.

            She was quite sure that when the year ended, so would her humanity.

 

            But Ash’s condition continued to worsen, and finally, she slipped into his room one night, and whispered to him that he should not love a monster like her. But the slipper fit her foot, and when Ash awoke, he remembered.

            He rushed at once down to the kitchens, and there before the startled staff, declared that he loved her.

            Lance only gazed at him quietly and asked him to kill her.

            It stung, but he was a man of his word and he drew his sword, and pierced her heart, but as he watched, a light grew around her, and the skin dropped off, until she stood there, a beautiful maiden radiant in the sun’s glory.

            With joy, he took her into his arms, and kissed her, and presented her to his parents, who were pleased.

            And they were happily married, and lived happily ever after.

           

End Fic

Started 8/5/07

Completed 8/6/07

Daughters were pretty much property in fairy tales. Quite sad… though in some parts of the world, that is still the case.

I love Charlotte. So she’s fairy godmother in this one!