AN: Inspired by The Swan Princess. Kyungsoo is Odette, Baekhyun is Derek, Junmyeon is Lieutenant Puffin, Jongdae is Jean Bob, Yixing is Speed, Chanyeol is Bromley.

“This isn’t going to work,” Kyungsoo groaned.

Lay eyed him with possibly the single most exasperated look he had ever seen on a turtle. “Fear not. Lieutenant Suho will return with your prince in no time.”

“Not that,” Kyungsoo muttered. He jerked his head towards the tower standing tall and proud in the middle of the lake where the form of Chen was visible between the reeds. “He’ll end up as alligator food if he isn’t careful.”

“Ah,” Lay said. “What might he wish to obtain this time?”

“He said he would bring me the flower,” Kyungsoo said, rolling his eyes when, at the same time, Chen snatched the flower with a triumphant A-ha! “He was off before I could tell him what a stupid idea that was.”

Lay hummed. “You could just kiss him.”

“No,” said Kyungsoo flatly. “I will not kiss a frog.”

“You are a penguin.”

“I am a cursed human.”

“Semantics,” Lay said. Kyungsoo had the sneaking suspicion Lay was doing the turtle equivalent of smiling smugly. He squinted. 

A loud shriek turned both their heads towards the tower – and Chen, who had, indeed, caught the attention of the two alligators. 

“I suppose we have to help him, don’t we,” Lay murmured.

Kyungsoo sighed and pushed himself off the ground. Brushing the dirt off his bottom, he said, “I suppose.”

Dawn was still a blessed hour away, which meant Kyungsoo had human hands instead of useless wings to catch Chen as he leaped from the alligator’s snout moments before a set of jaws closed around his tiny form. 

“Phew,” Chen said, appearing admiringly unruffled between Kyungsoo’s hands. The flower was miraculously unharmed. “Nothing like mortal danger to prove thyself to a prince, no?” He offered Kyungsoo the flower, which Kyungsoo reluctantly accepted. 

Kyungsoo had seen his fair share of oddities in his life, particularly in the time after the curse. A frog making kissy faces at him may be amongst the oddest.

Chen pouted. “No kiss?”

“No kiss.”

🐧

The bastard must have thought it immensely witty to trap Kyungsoo in the form of a flightless bird. Had it not been for the threat of ending his life as a penguin, Kyungsoo would have run away the moment he saw fit.

Instead, he had spent the first weeks trying to figure out where he was, which was no easy task when his penguin form was useless and his human form only lasted the night. The only real help had been Lieutenant Suho, a puffin who had dropped from the sky with an arrow stuck in his wing and now considered himself in a life debt to Kyungsoo. While excessive, he was the reason Kyungsoo had finally learned where the bastard had taken him and been able to devise a plan.

Now, all he needed was Baekhyun, and Suho had offered to find him.

(Kyungsoo didn’t have the faintest clue how Suho expected to get a human to follow him, but it was worth a shot. At least Suho could fly.)

It was the same day as Chen’s suicidal quest for a flower that Suho returned, triumphant.

“Your prince’s aim is atrocious,” he said cheerfully in lieu of a greeting. “Which is wonderful news for me, or I would’ve been supper.”

“He is here?” Kyungsoo asked. “I’m not myself yet!”

Suho didn’t even move as an arrow shot straight past him (in all fairness, it was far off its target). “Not to worry. I think he has it out for me.”

Kyungsoo squinted. “What did you do?”

“Absolutely nothing,” Suho said in a tone that very much suggested he had done something. Baekhyun probably had it coming.

“I see it!” a voice called from between the trees, and Kyungsoo felt a rush of excitement. That was Chanyeol, Baekhyun’s childhood friend, and if Chanyeol were here, then so was Baekhyun.

Kyungsoo had sorely missed human company.

If the sun would just disappear so he could actually meet them as a human…

“Uh-oh,” Suho said. “I’ll keep them busy.”

“I’ll help,” Chen said, and then they were off to harass the newcomers. 

“Go,” Lay said with a nod towards the lake. “The sun is setting.”

In the lake, Kyungsoo stole a glance at Baekhyun and Chanyeol, both of whom were futilely chasing Suho and Chen. He allowed himself a small smile at the sight as the curse activated, and then he was hacking up water because for some damned reason, the transformation usually dragged him below the surface.

A splash was soon followed by arms winding around him and a warm chest, and with a last cough, Kyungsoo opened his eyes to see Baekhyun. 

“Kyungsoo,” he said, looking Kyungsoo over as if he couldn’t quite believe his eyes. “What… The entire kingdom thinks you’re dead. That bastard –”

“He kidnapped me,” Kyungsoo said, slowly wrapping his arms around Baekhyun, “and put a curse on me.”

“How do we break it?” Baekhyun asked. 

Kyungsoo looked Baekhyun in the eyes and said, with the straightest face he could muster, “You need to make a vow of everlasting love, and prove it to the world.”

Baekhyun’s eyes widened. “Vow of everlasting love? But we haven’t even kissed!”

Kyungsoo swiftly closed the distance between them. Baekhyun emitted a sound of surprise, but leaned into the kiss without complaint. Kyungsoo pulled away to say, “There. You are an utter idiot, and I still haven’t forgiven you for asking, ‘What else is there?’, but I love you.”

“And I love you,” Baekhyun said, dumbfounded, and then he frowned. “But how do I prove that to the world?”

Kyungsoo groaned and burrowed his face into Baekhyun’s shoulder. “I don’t know.”

“The ball!” Baekhyun said, hands tightening around Kyungsoo’s arms in excitement. “Come to the ball. There I shall give you my vow.”

Kyungsoo laughed helplessly. “All right.”

There was still much to discuss and the bastard would be arriving soon to pester him, but for just a while, he allowed himself to bask in the promise of love and a broken curse. 

This round's challenge: Like A Movie, aka set the fic in the universe/plot of a movie. Additionally, it was for Kyungsoo's birthday.

I went with The Swan Princess this round because that movie was my favourite growing up. It still has a special place in my heart despite its flaws. I wanted to go for something more along crack for this due to the whole... talking animals and , but I didn't quite manage that, I think. Hopefully it was still somewhat entertaining! (I was also sorely tempted to go angst with a more original plot, but a friend mentioned penguin Kyungsoo and then it was game over.)

Thank you for reading! <3