Revisting Fae Tales by kaoruhana

The Youkai Prince and the Macaque

Prompt: The Princess and the Frog

Rating: M

A/N: A macaque is a monkey.  In this case, I'm referencing the Japanese macaque known to frequent hot springs in winter.  Look them up since those google image pictures were what inspired this story.  This story resembles a fairy tale so it reads oddly.  I purposefully made it that way.  Please do point out any errors you find, I'll gladly fix them! 

And Happy Valentine's Day, Single's Awareness Day, Day after Galentine's Day, and any other holidays I missed :) 

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     Once upon a time, a young woman made her way to her favored bathing location at the edge of her village.  She was a human and as such she knew that she ought to be careful for the youkai that coexisted with her species occasionally preyed on females such as her.  Today however, she paid no heed to these warning because she was angered by the words of one village elder who had scolded her for failing to memorize herb properties.  It was not the young woman’s fault that she had stayed up the night before taking care of her ailing grandfather.  Angry as she was, they young woman failed to take note of the trap she was walking into and soon found herself falling into a pit of leaves and dirt. 

      “Who was it  that made this?”  She yelled incensed at the events of the day.  This was a youkai trap- one made by youkai to trap their prey- often food.  How dare this youkai place this trap so near to her village?  “Youkai show yourself!” 

     The youkai did show- he was an old balding youkai who looked apologetic.  However, the young woman was angry and thus, she began to hurl insults at him.  What she did not take note of was the fact that the youkai had begun to help her only to stop as he heard her insults.  He wanted to offer her a chance to redeem herself but when her tirade did not cease, his own ire at her grew.  He called forth his powerful magic and shot it at her while spouting a curse. 

     “You wretch!  Your insults while I tried to free you are unwarranted.  For this, I curse you.  You shall turn into a macaque and stay that way until a youkai finds compassion for you and accepts you as a companion in his heart.” 

     Horrified, the young woman could only stare as the curse was cast and she found herself changing.  Hands became paws, her legs shrunk, and her clothes disappeared from her body. Fur grew on her exposed skin and the hair she prided shimmered away with the magic.  The curse had taken effect and she could only lift up her new hands and stare at the change.  She attempted to stand only to fall and she turned horrified eyes to the demon only to see he had disappeared.  The young woman, now macaque, cried for her new fate until she decided to first find the villagers and beg them to help free her of this curse. 

     She struggled to climb out of the hole, using the vines in the pit to help her climb.  Then, she began to walk towards her village, a trek made harder and longer in her  new body.  Finally, she neared the village to note that the sun had started to set and the villagers were discussing something.  Curious, she made her way closer to the gathering to listen to the gathering. 

     “Kagome has not returned from her trek?”  The elder Kaede gasped.  “But…where could she be?”  A commotion sounded and a group of young men came from the woods that Kagome had just exited, though they came from a different direction. 

     “Elder Kaede!”  They yelled as they walked towards the woman.  “We found a youkai trap on the path leading to the hot springs.  We recovered Kagome’s bow but nothing else.”  The men hung their heads as they presented their findings to the elder woman. 

     “Nothing else?  Are you sure?”  The old woman asked her eyes tearing.  At the young men’s nods, she cried and presented the bow to the younger brother of Kagome who was now the elder of the house.  “Young Souta, here is your sister’s bow.  Take it.  We shall have a funeral and prayer for our beloved Kagome tomorrow.” 

     At this, the macaque ran forward and hit the younger man trying to tell him that she had not died, but had been cursed because she had failed to control her anger.  However, her reaction was met with shouts of fear.  Immediately, the men who had brought her bow to the village began to hurl stones at her.  Confused at her treatment, the macaque stood for a moment as she was pelted.  But then, she understood that her place was no longer in this village and she fled to the sanctuary of the hot springs that she had adored bathing in as a human. 

     Over time, the villagers stopped venturing to the hot springs for they feared that they too would be caught as prey by the same demon that had taken Kagome.  And so the young woman turned macaque spent her days soaking by the springs, sleeping in a nearby tree, and hunting food in the surrounding area.  She was distraught because she believed that she was stuck in this cursed form.  Having never ventured outside the village’s small boundary the macaque had no idea where to look for a youkai companion to free her of this curse. 

     At this time, a young youkai lord was making his way to the springs and the area around them.  He had just finished a meeting with his parents and advisors regarding his single status.  Going on in age as he was, it was thought that the young man was now reaching an age to marry.  He had wanted to refuse but considering that he had been allowed to shirk away from his impending wedded future, he knew that this time, there would be no way for him to refuse.  So, instead he reached a compromise with his parents.  For one month, he would travel and enjoy his remaining bachelorhood before he came back to the palace ready to accept marriage proposals. 

     Today he found himself coming across the spring that the young macaque had made her own.  He had been travelling for ten days and while he did clean his immaculate being often, the chance to bathe in natural hot water had him shedding his clothes immediately.  He checked the area and when he deemed only animals to be present sunk into the water.  A moment later, the young macaque woman came to sit by the bank of the spring.  She turned her head in the other direction for even in animal form she was a modest woman. 

     “Go away macaque.  I shall give you back your spring soon.”  Startled, the young woman macaque turned to the man. 

     “This is not my spring.  I merely am here to ask you where it is you are from.”  This time the young lord was the one confused and startled.  A talking monkey?  He had never heard of one and immediately he called for his natural youkai powers to warn her. 

     “Who are you?”  He demanded putting distance between himself and the bewitched monkey. 

     “I am but a young maiden who was cursed in this form.”  The young woman stated curling in on herself in fear. “In order to break my curse, a youkai must accept me as a companion in their heart.  I ask you if you can help me?”  The young lord sensed no deceit coming from the young monkey and thought about his options.  Finding no reason to refuse the monkey he agreed. 

     “Very well.  I return to my palace in four days.  You may come with me and we shall find someone suitable to break your curse at the castle.  But I ask a favor of you as well for this.” 

     “What is it?” 

     “I am Prince Sesshomaru and soon I will be forced to wed a woman in order to secure my eventual rule.  You must help me frighten off any women who I deem unfit for my proposal.  And you must tell me your name.”  The young macaque woman thought about his offer.  The chance to be freed of this curse was worth the difficulty she decided. 

     “Very well, I Kagome Higurashi shall offer you my services in exchange for your help in breaking my curse.” 

     Satisfied, the young lord continued his bath while Kagome scurried into a nearby tree to ponder on the changes her life was soon to take.  The young lord spent the remaining four days in the vicinity of the hot spring learning about the young woman who had been cursed.  She was now regretting her fit of rage but he realized that this lesson was one she took to heart.  Every morning, she presented him with berries and other fruit and he in return gave her some of his hunt.  On the morning of the fourth day since his arrival, he spoke to her. 

     “Eat your breakfast quick Higurashi.  Today is the day we make our way to my palace.  It is a ten days journey and we must make haste to arrive on time.” 

     The journey was done at a fast pace, as the young lord warned.  But he was not cruel and he often slowed his pace when he noticed that the young woman macaque tired.  And he hunted for the both of them so that the macaque did not have to hunt for food in locations unknown to her.  They slept under the shelter of large trees and spent their days walking for long periods at a time.  On the tenth day, the young lord sped his pace and shortly after noon he and Kagome arrived at the gates of a large castle.  He led the way inside with the macaque following and led the macaque to the rooms connecting his. 

     “This is where you stay Higurashi while I find someone suitable for you to break your curse. Feel free to use your time at the castle how you wish.” 

     After the young lord left, Kagome looked around the room in awe.  Even as a human, she was but a villager, and had never seen such luxury.  Satin bed sheets felt soft even on her fur and heavy curtains enthralled her in their design.  A quick push at a nearby door revealed to her a shared bathroom with hot water and she sighed happily.  But still, the young lord had not mentioned what she had to do here. And so, she made her way out her room door and waited for the young lord.  He came out of his room and when he walked down the hallway, she followed him. 

      Over the course of the next few weeks, the young lord grew increasing aware of the macaque’s presence at all events he attended.  The macaque herself was growing more and more angry.  On more than one occasion, she had been asked to chase away the Prince’s suitors but here she was stuck trying to find out when the young lord was going to honor his promise to her.  As she sat next to him at the dining table, his mother once again chose to address him regarding her presence. 

    “Sesshomaru, I must ask you once again- what is the macaque’s presence here?  She has told us you offered to help her with a curse but you have not told us what it is.  Do you need help?” 

      “I need to find her a suitable youkai companion who accepts her in his heart.”  The young lord stated. 

     His parents shared confusing looks with each other wondering how the curse had not yet been lifted.  They had noticed the interaction between their son and his new companion.  Whereas before the Prince rarely let any female presence but his mother enter his presence he allowed this monkey to follow him everywhere.  Very few had mocked him for allowing her presence for they knew that the young lord had reasons for allowing it.  But now the lord’s parents wondered if they should find someone else suitable to break the young woman’s curse.  Surely there were others who could help her?  But they let the matter go. They would bring it up with their son later. 

     That night, the young woman macaque cornered the young lord before he retired to his chambers.  He had finally told his parents about her presence but she was growing tired of waiting.  For weeks she had upheld her end of the bargain but the Prince had made no move to help her.  She had followed him in his errands for she had no other tasks and he had not once mentioned to any other youkai in the castle who she was and why she was here.  Now, she just wanted to break free of the curse.  But anger would not get her there for it was what had cursed her in the first place. 

     “Why have you not held your bargain?”  She asked calmly.  “I have done as asked and yet you have not found anyone to help me.”  The young lord scowled at her. 

    “No one is worthy of you.”  He answered intent on leaving to his room.  But Kagome stopped him, this time confused. 

     “Not worthy?  What makes others less worthy?  I only seek a companion, a friend who would accept me in their hearts? Surely that is not too much to ask?”  The Prince turned on her a glare and asked her to let the matter be.  The young macaque woman would not have it though and she continued to goad him until he said something terrible in anger. 

     “Leave you bewitched woman!  If you find my actions unsuitable go find a suitable youkai companion on your own for this one no longer offers to help you!”  The macaque turned teary eyes to him but the prince had already stalked into his chamber and shut the door.  Saddened at her fate, Kagome made her way out of the castle intent on showing the Prince that she could find a companion to break the curse. 

      As she left the castle, the young macaque woman noticed that something had changed.  Looking at her hands she noticed that they began to resemble hands more than the paws she was used to and that her tail had disappeared.  Wondering what it meant the young woman continued to venture outside of the castle’s confines.  She wondered if this meant that her youkai companion was outside the castle and that she had been wrong in choosing the youkai Prince as her helper. 

    Meanwhile at the castle the Prince made his way out of the room, intent on apologizing to the macaque woman.  He opened her door and was worried when he found her gone.  Going to the castle guards, he asked them about her only to find that she had left believing his words to be true.  A sudden longing swept the Prince and he realized that the young macaque woman had captured his heart with her loyalty and kind ways.  He was intrigued by her words and mannerisms.  Needing to let her know how importnat she was to him, the Prince swore to find her.  He was faster than she and if he set out now he would find her soon.  Quickly, the Prince readied his armor and soon left the castle to search for Kagome. 

      He found her in a clearing and approached her softly.  Still, his foot landed on a twig and his presence was sensed by her.  She turned to him confused as to why he was there.  Surely, he had not followed her when he had so readily cast her out of his life?  But the macaque woman was happy.  For as much as she wanted to find a new youkai companion she had long hoped that it would be this youkai who would accept her in his heart and help her break from her curse. 

     “Please do not leave.”  The Prince started as he sank to his knees.  “I cannot bear it if you leave.  You have become a good friend to me in our short time together and I want to help you free your curse so that one day I may court you and marry you.” 

     No sooner had he said those words did wind and a curtain of leaves encompass the macaque.  The Prince wanted to reach and help her but invisible forces held him back.  So he watched as the winds encompassed her form and then slowly diminished.  Once the last few leaves left, the young lord turned startled eyes to the small woman on the ground.  She was unclothed but stirring.  Hastily, he shed his armor and removed his outer haori to hand to her.  She accepted it bashfully as a joyous gasp left her. 

     “Kagome?”  The Prince asked, his back turned to preserve the young woman’s modesty.  The young woman hastily slipped into his clothes and tied her covering together with the attached sash. 

     “Prince Sesshomaru, it is me Kagome.  I thank you for helping me with my curse and ask that you please look at me now.”  The youkai Prince turned to her and was taken aback by the beautiful woman in front of him.  He slowly approached her and touched a hand to her cheek. 

     “You are freed.”  He murmured in awe.  “It was I that freed you by accepting me in your heart.” 

      “Yes.”  The young woman stated placing a hand above where his heart lay.  “And I accept you in mine if your promise still holds about courting me.” 

      “Of course Kagome.”  The Prince stated before he picked her up.  “Now let us return to the palace to prepare for our impending marriage.” 

       The Prince and Kagome’s return was met with joy and surprise.  To many it was odd to learn of the Prince’s feelings after he had refused so many other offers.  At the end however, none found fault for the young woman the Prince courted was a kind soul and when they married the entire palace found a chance to celebrate. 

     Today, in the youkai palace, many generations after the marriage, there is a rumor that at sunset on clear winter nights you can see two macaques bathing together in the nearby forest.  The macaques they say, are the spirits of the young woman and her lover- two beings who the gods blessed with love in the afterlife as well by making them the macaque guardians of the forest.