Ni No Kuni One-shots

Rags and Riches (Part 1)

A Cinderella AU where Evermore exists before Evan's birth. Violet is a Servant; Evan is Crown Prince of Evermore. This is going to be a longer one, thus I have decided to split it into multiple parts.

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The morning sun shone on the pale face of the sleeping teenage girl. Her ink-colored hair sprawled out in a halo around her head and fluffy black feline ears as the gentle cool breeze filtered through the window.

A soft weight landed on her chest, finally rousing her from her rest. Vibrant emerald eyes fluttered open to find a small beige squishy figure wearing a little red scarf around its neck standing on her ribs. The tiny critter happily hopped around the scratchy bedcover as she sat up.

"Rise and shine, Vee-vee!"

"Hmm-hm! Good morning to you too, Runcible," she replied, scratching Runcible's tiny head.

"It's almost time for breakfast!" another tiny voice chimed. The lime green body of another little figure came into view. "The others are just waking up, and I'm sure Madam Black-Moon and her Nightmare spawn will be too, very soon."

"Thank you for the warning, Wiff-Waff," the girl thanked the tiny beige-cloaked critter. She sighed internally at the thought of another monotonous day of chores and being screamed at by her stepsister.

"Violet, Violet!" a third voice squealed. The trio on the bed looked over toward the tall armoire in the corner of the room where a pair of glowing yellow tiny figures with sun-like heads and one blue figure were standing. "Mome and I cleaned your apron and Hibber-Gibber mended it for you while you were sleeping! No more scrubbing in your nice dresses!"

Violet giggled bashfully as she tucked some loose strands of her hair out of her face. "Thank you, Jubjub. You certainly live up to your title as 'the Jolly," she replied, fixing Jubjub's giant blue hair bow. She turned to the second figure, shielding her eyes from the intense glow of his mask's antlers. "And you, too, Mome the Munificent. Magnificent as always, if I may."

Hibber-Gibber gave Violet's palm a big hug of gratitude, just as the bells of the church clock tower rang the hour.

"Oh, that clock..." Violet groaned, opening her windows. Two more figures joined her at the window.

"Time to answer to the Nightmares' beck and call," the dragon-masked fiery figure moaned.

A dark purple one with a bright white hair bow replied, "What can we do, Vorpal? Madam Black-Moon and the Nightmare Child can't see us Higgledies. I'd cause mischief, but that would just cause more trouble than it's worth."

"Well, even though they can't see us I'd still like to give those women a taste of fiery pain, Tumtum."

"Vorpal, contain yourself," Violet warned.

Runcible placed a tiny hand on Vorpal's searing shoulder. "I know how you feel. I'd like to give her a taste of her own medicine, but violence isn't going to solve anything in this instance."

Violet rested her gaze on the oil painting next to them. It was a tiny painting, only about the size of the average pocket book, and framed in intricately carved willow wood. It was painted by her mother's favorite artist and was the only image of her entire family she had left: her white grimalkin mother Snowdrop, dark-haired human father Fernando, and her two older brothers. Violet herself was only an infant, nestled in a purple and indigo silky quilted blanket, held lovingly in her now deceased parents' arms.

"'Have courage, and be kind...'" she whispered to herself, quoting her mother's dying words. With her mantra repeated, she decided it's time to dress.

She softly padded down the stairs, smoothing her patched apron and simple hand-me-down work dress. Her hair was brushed smooth and tied back with a small scrap of faded lilac fabric as a handkerchief. She noticed the fireplace was lit, indicating that somebody else was awake. She breathed a sigh of relief as she noticed a cauldron of water already filled and ready for tea-brewing. All that was left now was to fix some food for her Stepmother and Stepsister.