The Shadow Ball // Prince Karasu x Prince Reader.
“Come along and dance away, into the darkness you fall.”
Prince Y/N had always had a bad habit of falling into dangerous situations but this...this was something entirely new.
Perhaps princes were supposed to find trouble but, well, Y/N had never been very fond of it. He wasn’t the type to slay dragons or charge into fiery battles, he didn’t go around rescuing princess from towers or defeating any evil wizards. But even though he never went out of his way to find trouble...trouble found him.
And today, trouble had found him wandering in some forgotten corner of the castle garden.
As Prince Y/N walked through the black roses, the earth seemed to crumble beneath him and swallowed the prince into the darkness.
Through the darkness and the swirling cold, the prince found himself falling and falling deeper into the unknown until...until…
A soft, flickering light.
It seemed almost like the light of the stars but as the prince focused a little more...he saw that it was glimmering gemstones, set into black rock and shining brightly. It was almost beautiful, the way the light and shadows swirled with one another...if it was not for the fact that he was falling and falling to his certain death.
But Y/N never found the answers to his questions. Before he could fall upon the rocky ground, something came from the shadows and swooped him into safety.
Y/N gasped as something held onto him so tightly, pressing the danger prone prince to a feathery chest and beating heart. In his fear, he had closed his eyes...but now he opened them once more, looking up at his savior.
Black feathers, inky and soft.
Golden eyes, glimmering so warmly in the darkness.
And a gentle voice in his ear, comforting the prince so sweetly as they flew through the darkness together.
“Don’t worry...I’ve got you.”
The stranger swooped low, coming upon the safety of a dark, stony garden. Prince Y/N soon found himself placed back upon the ground, catching only one look of his hero before the stranger flew off into the darkness once more.
A cool smile, upon a long beak.
Sharp claws, waving goodbye.
For a moment, Y/N could only stand there, feeling simple and strange. Who was that winged hero? Where had he flown off to? And...where was he? At that, he remembered where he now was and everything that had happened, snapping back into reality and looking about. He needed to get home...but looking up, Y/N knew that there was no way he was going back that way.
He’d just have to find another way home.
Turning away, Y/N followed the stone path through the garden, through the glimmering flowers and deeper into this strange land.
Prince Y/N wandered through this shadowy land, trying desperately to find his way home. But the longer that he walked, the more lost he became. Home suddenly seemed so far away and Y/N wondered if he would ever find his way out of this place. A flicker of light caught his eye and, overjoyed, he ran for it.
Running and running, Y/N desperately hoped that it was the sweet light of home.
But as the light grew brighter, something else came into view. A black castle. Silver, flickering light. And dark figures through it. And right before his own eyes, these figure slowly began to morph into monsters.
Hulking creatures with horns and swaying tails.
Graceful fish-folk with fins and gills.
The sight of them made Y/N’s heart beat a little faster, memories of the winged stranger flashing through his mind. Perhaps he was here...perhaps he could help him!
Prince Y/N joined the throng, hoping to find his savior once again. He hold himself that it was only to ask him for a little more help but...memories of those golden eyes and that cool smile made his heart beat a little bit faster.
The crowd kept moving forward and Y/N moved with them, finding himself being pulled into the dark castle.
Here, the shadows were broken by soft colorful lights that hung from the ceiling from silver strings, swaying slowly. Music played sweetly and the monsters danced to it, quickly falling into step with their partners.
One by one, they swirled away until…
He stood alone, looking through the dark crowd and wondering what he should do. He felt so strange here, so out of place, and...almost afraid.
Should he stay? Should he leave?
Y/N had only come this far in hopes of finding his handsome stranger but…
But he wasn’t here. He couldn’t see him. Just as Y/N’s heart began to sink a little, just as he turned to vanish into the darkness, a voice suddenly stopped him. It was so warm and kind and so very familiar, just the sound of it made him smile.
“So we meet again, little mortal.”
Turning around, Y/N found the stranger over him once again. He smiled at Y/N, reaching with his sharp talons to remove his black cloak...and place it on Y/N’s shoulders. The black silk hung around him warmly, the hood hiding his human features from view. The stranger took Y/N’’s soft hand and said,
Deep inside, he knew that he ought to leave. He ought to go home. But the music only drew the prince in deeper...as did the stranger’s eyes.
Y/N didn’t want to look away. He didn’t want to stop dancing.
The stranger leaned low, his voice no more then a whisper below the sweet song that played on and on. He told Y/N that he was Prince Karasu, ruler of the winged demons. That this strange land was Cavernae and that he would help him find his way home.
“Why?” Y/N asked softly. “Why are you being so kind to me?”
“Well...I’ve always had a thing for damsels in distress.” Karasu replied, giving the blushing prince a wink.
The song slowly faded away and, in the blink of an eye, Y/N was swept into Karasu’s arms once more. He gasped and flushed, clutching onto Karasu desperately. No one seemed to even notice as the prince flew off with Y/N, the human holding onto him as his heart beat, beat, beat so wildly.
It wasn’t that he was afraid...actually, he had never felt safer with someone. It was more like he was enthralled.
Y/N leaned on Karasu a little more, the raven chuckling happily.
The silver light of Cavernae vanished.
Darkness melted away slowly.
And then he was here. He was home.
“I cannot go any farther...my kind aren’t used to the land of light.” Karasu said. “But you’ll find your way from here...”
Y/N reached up to remove the cloak but Prince Karasu stopped him.
“Keep it.” He said. “It looks rather good on you.”
Both princes walked away.
“Would you be willing to-”
“If I wanted to see you again-”
They laughed, Y/N blushing again (as did Karasu, though no one could tell beneath his black feathers) and looking up at the prince.
“Come back in three night’s time.” Karasu said softly. “I’ll be waiting for you.”
“You won’t.” The prince stated confidently. “I’ll lead you to me. I will send you a sign.”
And then he was gone, flying away into the shadows of Cavernae once more. Y/N watched him go, smiling softly as Karasu vanished once more before he too left. As he climbed from the darkness, Y/N found himself missing the darkness already.
He walked into the sunlight, pink cheeked and dressed in black silk...and desperately awaiting Karasu's sign…
“As we sing and we sway, for tonight is the Shadow Ball.”
(I loved writing this! Prince Karasu is definitely getting a sequel or two in the future...)
