Once upon a time, in a charming house in the big city, there lived a happy, loving married couple. Their names were Serenity and Endymion and they wanted children for many years. One day, they realized that their wish was going to come true. They were going to have a child. The couple lived right next door to an enormous garden, but no one dared to go near it because it belonged to a woman named Beryl. She also wields great magical powers far beyond anyone's control. Because of these powers, she was often called a witch by the locals.
Almost every day, when she finished her daily chores, Serenity would sit at the window in her bedroom and gaze at the beautiful flowers that grew in the witch's garden next door. She desperately wanted to have a taste of at least some of the luscious greenery and vegetables, but because of her neighbor's rude and selfish behavior, she was never able to.
One night, Serenity had grown ill. Endymion stayed close to his wife's side at every waking moment, caring for her as best as he could. No matter what he tried, Serenity was never getting any better. In fact, it seemed like she was getting worse every day.
"Please Serenity. What is it I can do to make you feel better?" Endymion asked, desperately concerned for his wife's well-being.
"Endymion. Listen to me, please. I need you to do something very, very important for me," Serenity said weakly.
"Anything, dear. Name it and it's done," Endymion said.
"If...if I don't have even a taste of some of the radishes from our neighbor's garden soon, I'll die," Serenity said as she weakly stroked her husband's hair with her hand.
Endymion looked at his wife. She looked so weak and pale, she had to be serious.
"Alright, darling. If it's radishes you want, radishes you'll have," he said as he kissed his wife's forehead.
That night, Endymion went outside towards his neighbor's property to get his wife the radishes she craved. He climbed over the high stone wall that surrounded the piece of land and he entered the garden as quietly as he could. As soon as he entered, he was overtaken by the wondrous sight.
There was a manner of all plants including fruits, vegetables, and herbs of all kinds. And soon enough, he spotted the special radishes near a wall of purple grape vines. But just as he was about to grab some and run, in a red flash, the Witch appeared right in front of him with an enraged expression on her face. He let out a cry in fright as he backed away from her.
"Hold it right there! How dare you steal from my garden?!" The woman shrieked in anger. "Unless you have a very good excuse, you will pay for your crimes!"
Endymion stood tall in front of the woman before him.
"Please don't harm me, madam," he calmly pleaded. "These radishes are for my wife, Serenity. She's pregnant with my first child and she told me that she needs to eat some of the radishes from your garden or she'll die. So, can I please...?"
"Alright, alright! I get it!" The Witch yelled in an annoyed tone, then composed herself and spoke to him in a calm tone. Then she thought of something before continuing her statement.
"You know what, Mr. Endymion? I'll give you a deal. As of right now, you can take as many of my radishes as you like, but on one condition."
"Really? What is it?" Endymion slowly asked.
"In exchange, you must give me something precious to you."
"What do you want?"
"I want the child."
"What?!"
"You heard me. Either you give me the baby after it's born or else."
Endymion was shocked. He would never stoop so low as to make a deal like that and give away his only child. But he was so desperate to save his wife that he agreed to the woman's demands and he left the garden with his saddlebag full of radishes. He returned home and he brought the radishes to his wife. When they were brought to her, Serenity ate them all with great pleasure. To her, they tasted so sweet with the slightest hint of spice, probably the best thing she ever tasted.
"Darling, I have terrible news. The Witch just caught me in her garden," Endymion said.
"That's horrible! What did she do to you?" Serenity asked, finishing off the radishes.
"She let me have the radishes, but she wants our child in return," he admitted. "I'm so sorry, but there was nothing else I could do."
The couple shared a hug before weeping onto each other's shoulders. However, they were determined to keep their unborn child safe from the Witch at all costs. After several months, their baby was finally born. The child was a beautiful girl with pink hair in a rabbit ear-shaped odango and red eyes. But shortly after the child was born, Beryl stormed into the couple's home, took the child in her arms, gave the baby the name of Chibiusa, and took the little infant girl away with her.
Over the years, Beryl had treated Chibiusa very kindly and loved her as if she were her own daughter. She gave the child every luxury and comfort she desired. Chibiusa enjoyed spending time with Beryl, thinking she was her true mother and she loved drawing and cooking for them both. When Chibiusa was twelve years old, the Witch brought her to the top of a high stone tower in the middle of Higashikurumeshi Chikurin Park. The room at the top didn't have any doors or any stairs. Only one window.
The years passed and during that time, Beryl never cut Chibiusa's hair. It grew longer and longer, long enough to reach the ground outside. And every day, the Witch would go to the tower to visit Chibiusa. And every time Chibiusa came to the tower, she would shout:
"Chibiusa! Chibiusa! Let down your hair!"
And Chibiusa would lower her hair out the window and the Witch would climb up all the way to the window. In her tower room, Chibiusa would usually draw pictures or cook pancakes and pudding for herself or Beryl or sadly sing to herself.
She wanted to go out into the world beyond the tower and the forest, explore the land, and make friends, but the Witch had always said no to this one desire. She wanted to keep the young girl all to herself. Poor Chibiusa. She couldn't escape from her tower prison and she was as lonely as any girl could be. That is until one fateful day, all of that would change.
A young prince named Helios was out for a calm walk in the forest when he came upon the tower. He heard Chibiusa singing from the tower. It sounded so clear and beautiful that he had to find out who was singing. He hid behind a large tree to see what would happen. Then he caught sight of the Witch.
"Chibiusa! Chibiusa! Let down your hair!" She shouted.
Prince Helios then saw Chibiusa's hair fall to the ground in front of the Witch and he saw her climb up the wall and to the top. As he watched her climb, his jaw dropped in wonder. He almost couldn't believe what he was seeing. He waited patiently for the Witch to leave and after thirty minutes or so, she did. The moment she was out of sight and earshot, Prince Helios quietly walked over to the tower and looked up.
"Chibiusa! Chibiusa! Let down your hair!" He shouted.
And like a pink waterfall, Chibiusa's hair fell down to the ground at Prince Helios's feet. Quick as a wink, he climbed up the tower until he reached the window at the top. And when he did, he made his way into the room and he saw Chibiusa standing in front of him. He thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Chibiusa was surprised. She had never seen a real prince before and she didn't know what to do.
"Oh, good heavens! Who are you?" Chibiusa asked, quickly backing away from him in fear. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm terribly sorry, miss. My name is Prince Helios. Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I just heard you singing while I was on a walk in the forest and... I had to see you for myself," Prince Helios said before bowing his head in a chivalrous manner.
"A prince you say? Oh my! Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Prince Helios," Chibiusa replied, smiling and blushing.
Afterwards, Chibiusa and the Prince began to talk with each other. They talked and laughed for hours, realizing how much they had in common with each other. And they immediately began to grow feelings of affection towards each other. And soon after, they gave their vows to each other, and from that day on, they considered themselves each other's very special somebody. When it was time for the Prince to leave, Chibiusa let down her hair and he safely slid down to the ground without being seen.
"Promise me you'll come back tomorrow when Mother isn't around!" Chibiusa called, blowing a kiss to the young man.
"Of course, my dear!" The Prince called back from below before disappearing into the trees.
After that, the Prince came to visit Chibiusa every day while Beryl was gone. The more the young adults saw each other, the more they loved each other. Prince Helios felt more and more determined to rescue Chibiusa from the tower every time he came to visit, but he and Chibiusa both knew that the Witch would never allow it. So he knew he had to come up with a plan to rescue his lover and bring her into the world.
One day, when the Witch returned to the tower, Chibiusa rubbed her back and without thinking, said to her, "Oh, Mother. Please don't take offense, but why are you so heavy? My prince certainly weighs less."
Suddenly, the realization of her foolish comment dawned on the young woman in horror immediately after she said it. She gasped in fright, covered her mouth with her hands and she shut her eyes in terror. Beryl's eyes widened before she winced with a glint of rage in her eyes. Her staff was sparking with magic as she started to glare daggers at her daughter.
"What?!" She screamed. "You little snitch! You betrayed me! Just for that, I'll teach you a lesson you won't soon forget."
"What? Mother? W-w-w-what are you doing?" Chibiusa asked, backing away from the Witch in terror. "Mother, no! Leave me alone!"
In a fit of jealous rage, the Witch grabbed a pair of scissors and cut Chibiusa's hair, with Chibiusa screaming and crying at her to stop. And then, she was banished to a bamboo grove in the farthest part of the Higashikurumeshi Chikurin Park. Just like that, Chibiusa was gone.
The next day, Prince Helios came back to the tower and shouted:
"Chibiusa! Chibiusa! Let down your hair!"
The Witch lowered Chibiusa's cut hair down to the clueless Prince and he climbed up, unaware of the impending danger. When he finally reached the window, he was shocked to see Beryl herself standing there instead of the girl he loved.
"Surprised?" The Witch asked, raising an eyebrow and smiling wickedly.
"You!? What did you do with Chibiusa?!" The Prince angrily demanded.
"It doesn't matter what I did with her, you'll probably find out sooner or later. And by the way, those eyes won't help you anymore," The Witch chuckled, letting go of Chibiusa's hair.
At that moment, the poor prince fell from the high window. He crash-landed face-first in some bushes at the bottom of the tower, but its sharp branches, barbs, and thorns severely scratched his face and eyes, which tragically left him blind.
"My eyes!! I-I-I can't see," he muttered as he shakily rose, rubbing his face with his hands.
"Ha! That'll teach you not to mess with me! Now you'll never see Chibiusa ever again!!" The Witch cackled triumphantly from the top of the tower.
After his lover and sight were taken away, the Prince was lost in his own misery. After a while, he gathered himself up and went searching for Chibiusa. He wandered the forest on foot aimlessly searching for his lost lover, but was never able to find her. Finally, after several weeks, Prince Helios came upon a bamboo grove somewhere in the forest and he heard something he thought he would never hear again. He heard Chibiusa's sorrowful singing.
"Chibiusa! Chibiusa! Where are you?" he called out.
"What? Helios? Helios! Is that you?" Chibiusa asked, looking for the familiar voice.
"Chibiusa! I hear you! Where are you?" The Prince called out again.
Chibiusa whipped her head around and she saw her beloved prince stumbling towards her. She gasped, with an overjoyed smile plastered on her face.
"Helios! It is you! My prince! I'm over here!" She cried happily, with tears of joy running down her dirty face. "Don't worry, darling, I'm coming!"
Chibiusa raced over to her dear Prince Helios and she held him in her arms tightly once she made her way over to him. Chibiusa was so happy to see her lover again that she covered his face with kisses and cradled his head in her arms. But when she saw his scratched face and his bandaged eyes, she gasped.
"What has happened to you?" she asked.
"Your mother did this to me. She's a wicked witch. She blinded me back at the tower. I can't see because of her. But that doesn't matter now. I've found you and that's all that matters," The Prince said, stroking Chibiusa's messy cut hair with his hand.
"Oh, Helios. I can't believe it. How could she do this to you? I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault, my love. Please don't cry."
"I can't help it."
Chibiusa was so sad about what happened to Helios that she started to weep, holding his head close to her chest. As she cried, her tears fell down and dropped onto the Prince's face. And like magic, his vision was restored. He looked up at her.
"Chibiusa? I can see you again. I don't believe it, but it's true!" Prince Helios exclaimed, embracing the girl tightly.
"Oh, Helios! My sweet, darling prince! It's a miracle! I'm so happy you're okay!" Chibiusa cried, hugging him back and sobbing onto his shoulder.
"I'm just so glad I've finally found you again! Never, ever leave my side."
"Never, ever again."
The prince was so ecstatic to see his lover again that he pulled her close and passionately kissed her full on the lips. Prince Helios then took Chibiusa back to his home in the grand city of Crystal Tokyo. There, Chibiusa was reunited with her birth parents, who missed her terribly since the fateful day she was kidnapped. Soon, she was wed to her precious Prince and was crowned princess. And as for the Witch, she was never seen or heard from since and nobody knows where she is today.
And from that day on, Chibiusa and her Prince lived happily ever after.