Once Upon a Firewitch
Once upon a time in a magical land long forgotten, filled with what we
like to call the old magic, and inhabited by creatures of all kinds, there
lived a young witch, a wizard in training, a dragon, and the royal families
of Eden and Knox. The young witch was called Hallie, and she was a beautiful,
brainless damsel in dis...
"Hydalf! Quick! Where's that confounded dragonsbane? If that prissy old
Witches Council finds it, they'll take away my broom riding license for
another whole week!" A very flustered mane of hair was seen bobbing
around an old, very cluttered tower, stooping high and low, looking under,
over, and around everything while a blue and green speckled teenage dragon
looked on.
"Don't just sit there, Hydalf! Help me!" Emerging from a cupboard filled
with who knows what was a young, strong looking, but fiery tempered girl
with flaming red hair down to her waist. She was, of course, Hallie, and
everything but a shallow damsel in distress. She would have been
quite pretty to look at if she didn't have magic powder and soot all over
her from numerous failed magic concoctions and such.
"Hallie, did you think of looking in that cupboard?" asked the adolescent
dragon patiently, pointing past the girl to a messy array of stuff.
"Which cupboard?! Ugh! There's way too much junk! and I still have to get
cleaned up, find that stupid dragonsbane, make that illusion potion in
case the counsel thinks my tower doesn't meet the rules, Prince Rupert
wants to marry me, (YUCK!) the counsel will be here any minute, and..."
As Hallie went on, becoming more and more stressed, her hair took on a
funny look and suddenly burst into flames. She didn't seem to notice or
care for that matter, and the young dragon just sighed and chased a mouse
into its hole.
Hallie, you see, was a firewitch; a rather rare but interesting person
with much different and stronger magic than normal witches and wizards.
If a firewitch became very happy, sad, angry, scared, or excited, (usually
angry,) their hair would burst into brilliant flames of a deep red.
"Hallie..." Hydalf started.
"What?!" She cried as she banged her head on another dusty cupboard.
"The Witches Council is here and they look kinda pissed off." Hydalf stated.
"What! Already?" Hallie cried as her hair started burning brighter.
"I'm not ready! Stall them!"
"Ooooh! I'm gonna have fun!" Hydalf sung out as it flew out the window.(Baby
dragons don't have genders until they reach a certain age. They decide
for themselves later on since as a child, they aren't mature enough to
make the right decision.)
Hallie searched furtively around, and finally spotted a small cupboard
near where Hydalf had pointed. She opened it, found the dragonsbane, and
with a blink put it away in another dimensional storage for the time being.
She rushed around, sprinkling her illusion potion everywhere while trying
to clean up the tower and herself. It just made things worse. "Oh bother
it all!" she cried, and then just threw on a clean apron and kerchief and
put the final touches on her illusion.
"I am Hydalf the Mighty! Cower in Fear! WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! cried 'Hydalf
the Mighty," puffed up to three times it's normal size. It buzzed over
to one of the witches and suspended him in the air. "I will eat you! I
will gnash your bones together! I will..."
"Leave now. Really, Hydalf." Hallie tried to look disapproving and keep
a straight face at the same time. "How may I help you? she asked, addressing
the counsel.
"We have come to inspect your tower and see if it is up to our standards
and that there are no illegal potions hiding like last time." explained
one of the elder witches, a cranky old man with a bad disposition. Hallie
gulped. "If not, we will give you back your broom license." cackled
another old crone.
"Why... Of course!" smiled Hallie through clenched teeth. "Go right ahead!"
*I really hope that illusion works!*
Meanwhile...
"Orien, can't you go any slower!!" gasped a young man trying desperately
to hold onto the mane of a giant lion. The man was dressed in a badly sewn
blue and green robe, with a wizard's hat all askew on his head. He seemed
in his late teens, and was rather cute but gawky at the same time. He had
very brown hair, and a rather crooked smile, though at the time, he was
doing anything but smiling. In fact, he seemed as if riding a lion was
the last thing he wanted to do at the moment.
"Well, you do want to get there on time, don't ya, Clef?" answered the
lion, bemused at his rider's antics to try and stay on.
"No... not really. I'm not exactly thrilled with this arrangement, and
I don't really care if she's the Goddess of Klazgalfloop, I'm never going
to marry that stuck up bitch of a princess." answered Clef hotly,
for he had a temper at times (though he was much more calm and reasonable
than a certain favorite firewitch we know.)
"Well, it's not my fault King Knox decided to repay your father's deed
of saving the kingdom by marrying his daughter to you." reasoned the lion.
"Who said I wanted to get married? I want to perfect my magic in my comfortable
little cottage and go on adventures, not marry Princes Priscilla and sit
around and twiddle my thumbs all day."
"At least she's not like that Ogress you nearly got hooked to last time."
snickered the lion, remembering. (A big, strong, very powerful looking
lion snickering is a very interesting thing to see.)
"Orien, you just love reminding me of that, don't you? Jeesh! How was I
to know that the price for entering the valley was to marry a stupid Ogress?!"
Clef sulked.
"Heehee!!" Orien continued, but after a strict look from Clef, he
decided to shut up and continue.
They reached the Kingdom of Knox that hour, tired and rather annoyed, (on
Clef's case) and entered the castle to find the King and Queen and everyone
else in turmoil. "What on earth?" Clef wondered.
"Oh, thank goodness you're here, Wizard Clef! Princess Priscilla has been
kidnapped by Talon the evil wizard along with some prince and are now being
held somewhere in the Lost Woods! You must go save her! Prove your worthiness!
exclaimed the king, a rather fat, very flustered man who would look like
Jolly Old King Cole if he hadn't had to put up with his horrible daughter
and wife and kingdom for the last nearly twenty years.
"I... what! Oh great! Um.... I mean... I would be... honored, your majesty.
I'll just go... um... leave... at... once. Right." Clef forced out. *Wonderful!
Just wonderful! Just what I need!!!!*
"Wonderful! Long live Wizard Clef! Or should I say... Prince Clef!!!!!!!
shouted the King. Clef did a facefault. "uuuuhhhhh..."
Orien had to come up and throw Clef on his back, who seemed suspended for
the moment. "Oh come on, Clef. Things could be worse." said Orien cheerily,
trying to lighten the mood.
"Feh. Oh yeah? How?" asked Clef, seriously annoyed.
"Ummm. *sweatdrop* You weren't supposed to ask that yet. Well... they just
could be... that's all. replied Orien, rather sheepish.
*facefault* "It's going to be a looooooooong day." sighed Clef.
Back
at the Tower
"Well.... I..... ummmm... Oh look, the Witches Council has finished inspecting
the tower." Hallie noticed, very relieved for the interruption. "Thank
goodness."
"After much consideration, we have decided to give you back your broom
riding license because everything seems in order, your tower is very clean
and it exceeds all of the witch standards. We don't know how you did it,
Hallie, but we'll be watching you." warned the head of the Witches
Council, who seemed very annoyed to have to give Hallie back her license.
The council all gave her one final glare, handed her the license, and then
rode off on their broomsticks.
*I'm sure.*
Suddenly, a group of guards appeared, these on horseback and wearing distinguished
suits of armor. The leader approached Hallie, looking down his nose trying
to decide why he even had to talk to the commoner.
"Hear ye, hear ye! Prince Rupert has been kidnapped by the evil wizard
Talon and is now being held as hostage in the treacherous Lost Woods. Only
one can save him. And that is, the distinguished firewitch .... er......
Hally... Holly.... Hillie. She is said to be an enchanting witch with the
strength and will of 100 armies yet the beauty of a god. If you see her,
commoner, report to the castle of Eden at one. That is all." The guard
looked in disdain at Hallie, and then rode off as quickly as he had come,
with the other guards falling behind. Hallie was left alone with Hydalf,
surrounded in dust.
"What did they mean by that, Hallie?" asked Hydalf, looking very bemused
and confused at once.
Hallie
stood fuming for a full 30 minutes, not uttering a word. Then "Pack up
Hydalf, we're going to go rescue that stupid prince!"
*This should be interesting...* thought Hydalf to itself.
Somewhere
in the Lost Woods
"Where are we now!" Really, Orien, I thought you said you knew your way
around these woods!" Clef scoffed as Orien and him circled around
the same clearing for the thirtieth time.
"I do, normally. Just not right now." Orien sighed, and tried another path.
The odd companions passed a tall tower with an enormous amount of hair
hanging out of it, a gingerbread house, a beanstalk, and two giant castles,
each with cursed maidens. No one seemed to know where the wizard Talon
was. The long haired girl just started singing, the owner of the
gingerbread house tried to eat them, the giant from the beanstalk said
something about "crushing a Jack," and one princess snored too loud and
had bad breath so Clef decided not to wake her, while the other one
lay on top of nearly ten mattresses, complaining of a sore back.
"Why is no one in this forest normal???" You'd think that at least one
of those people could've helped us. I mea- YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!"
Clef commented before being thrown violently from Orien. Before he
blacked out, he heard an angry roar, followed by the quiet abyss of dark.
Nearby
A blood-filled scream cut through the peaceful silence of the forest.
"Oh My Gods! What could that be?"
Closely followed was an angry roar.
"Come on Hallie! Let's go find out!" The companions raced towards
the sound.
*
* *
"I don't know Hydalf. Are you sure this is where the sound came from. I
think it's... oh my gods! Quickly, Hydalf, get over here!"
Lying on the charred forest floor was a our friend Clef, looking like death
warmed over. Lying nearby was Orien, a bloody yet still alive mess. Both
were unconscious.
"Hydalf, where's that bally root! Has the bleeding stopped yet? Watch out
for that, oh... never mind. Hey- I think he's coming to..."
"Wha...? Where...? Gods, Orien!" cried Clef, coming to, then trying to
jump up. "uuugghhhhh! What happened! Who the hell are you?" asked Clef,
realizing that he could not move at all.
"You nearly got killed, don't ask me how yet, we aren't sure, umm, you're
somewhere in the Lost Forest.... You can't move because I put a spell on
you to keep you from thrashing around and hurting yourself, I'm called
Hallie, and this is....ummm....a dragon named Hydalf."
"Can I eat him?" asked Hydalf, looking on at Clef the way a cat looks at
a mouse. Hallie gave it a sharp look.
"Orein???" persisted Clef.
"I'm assuming you mean your lion companion. He's okay, considering the
circumstances. Tell me, however did you manage to get a broken arm, lose
a ton of blood, get all cut up, and yet manage to survive? And do
lions usually turn into mass lumps of blood, or are we just lucky?" mused
Hallie.
"Um, Miss Hallie, do you think you could make it so I can move? It's kind
of uncomfortable." Clef complained.
"Oh! Sorry. Sure." Hallie blinked and Clef found himself free. "So, what
happened?"
"Well, you see, there's this Prissy Princess, there's this stupid sorcerer,
and then there's me. We must have walked into a force field of some kind.
Talon could've constructed something like this. Thank goodness I had my
magic. Normal humans would have died."
"Talon? You're going after him too? He's got the prince of a kingdom nearby.
I get to rescue him. Oh joy! So, since I've practically resurrected you
and your friend, will you do me a favor?"
"Sure...I think. What?"
"Can I eat you?" asked Hydalf. "I'm very hungry and wizard are supposed
to taste good. Or was that trolls? No matter. I'll be very grateful if
you'll oblige."
"Hydalf! Be nice. If you're so hungry, go eat some Morning Wisp Vines.
I saw some a ways back. Don't make that face at me, young....it! You could
use some good vegetables!" Hallie scolded, looking disgusted and amused
at the same time. "Don't mind Hydalf. It's very nice, it just gets very
hungry."
Orien yawned, woke up, winced, and limped over. "What on earth happened?"
While Hydalf filled the lion in, Hallie and Clef started a heated discussion
on what to do next, where to go, and what type of dragonsbane works best
on household magic fertilizers. It was a long discussion.
Feeling slightly better, Clef agreed on traveling with Hallie and company
while searching for the wizard.. Orien decided that he would ride on Hydalf,
who wasn't happy with the idea, but agreed, while Clef and Hallie rode
on the broomstick.
After many wrong turns and death threats from Hallie to Clef, they got
their goal. The invisible castle of Talon.
"Why on earth would anyone go through all of the trouble of making a castle
invisible, and then put up a big billboard announcing the Invisible Threshold
of The Great, Handsome, Powerful, and Almighty Wizard Talon? He's got to
be pretty stupid!" remarked Clef, after examining a giant pink and purple
flashing fluorescent billboard in the middle of nowhere.
"Really? I never guessed. Oh well." commented Hallie sarcasticly. "Come
on! Let's go get that wizard, kill the monster, rescue the royalty, and
live the rest of our days in misery learning how to embroider and dance.
Doesn't it sound like fun! I can't wait!"
"It doesn't have to end that way..." *Instead, we could leave the royalty,
sell the wizard to a zoo and then become partners in the magic department.
Or... well. She is kind of cute. Maybe....*
Clef
blushed in spite of himself, and tried to clear away his thoughts. "Let's
go!"
Hallie, Clef, and etc. searched all around and finally felt their way to
an opening in the invisible castle. Inside, you could see just fine, but
the castle gave off a creepy feeling and the travelers kept whirling around
to confront noises to find nothing. They were scaring themselves silly.
They finally decided to split up in order to cover more ground. Hallie
and Clef and then Orien and Hydalf.
Somewhere
in the Castle
"Why are all these statues just sitting in the middle of nowhere? How strange."
Clef noticed as they walked down a dark corridor.
"Let me see! Hmmm... Whoa. These aren't statues! They're bewitched creatures.
How cruel! Why when I get my hands on that no good wizard I will.." Hallie
fumed, thinking about the poor creatures when her hair caught on fire.
Hallie didn't even seem to notice but Clef did a complete facefault, passed
out, and was woken again by continuos slapping.
"What on earth? Do you always react so...so...big? Haven't you ever seen
a mad firewitch before?" Hallie demanded.
"A firewitch! Of course! That explains everything! How you were able to
freeze me, why you weren't affected by the barrier, your fiery temper,
and the flaming hair! Why didn't you tell me?" *Wow. a real firewitch!
I was always told they were evil and very rare, and could bring about great
destruction. So much for that. Hallie certainly has a temper, but she's
really nice to be around.*
"I didn't know it would make a difference. Jeesh. Well, what about you?
Magician? Sorcerer? Werewolf?"
"Wizard." Hallie gave him a bemused look. "OK, OK, wizard in training.
I'm a failure in being evil and all that junk. Stereotypes are so annoying!"
The two walked in silence for a while, until a ghostly light suddenly illuminated
the hallway, and a puff of magic swept around them, gaining speed like
a cyclone. After sending both companions crashing into walls, the cyclone
slowed down and out stepped a very large griffin.
"Well, it's about time! I thought I'd have to wait forever, at the pace
you were walking. Did you know that it's not kind to ruin a griffin's dramatic
appearance, so I guess I'll have to kill you. No hard feelings, okay? Boss's
orders. You understand. Oh course. On with it then!" complained the griffin.
He was very big and majestic, a firebird of the elements, with beautiful
gold and silver colored wings, and quite a sight to look at. When he's
not trying to kill you, that is.
"Wait! Why do you have to kill us? We're very sorry about your appearance,
but what we saw was magnificent! Please kindly explain first your motives."
asked Clef.
"If I must." replied the griffin, ruffling his feathers. "I am the great
Darkwild, king of the griffins. I am serving under the Wizard Taron, that
no good, disgusting, swine who... where was I? The only reason I'm
here is because he turned my dear wife into stone and he won't reverse
the spell unless I guard for him and do all his dirty work. It's very belittling."
sighed Darkwild.
"King Darkwild, if you please. I would be happy to free your wife from
the curse for no charge. I'm assuming she's that beautiful griffin over
there? Do reconsider please. One minute." said Hallie, muttering
some kind of spells under her breath. Her eyes turned a sea green, her
hair caught on fire, and the magic in the area sparkled as she reversed
the spell.
Exactly sixty seconds later, the Queen of the Griffins was freed, looking
rather ruffled and shocked. After much profound thanks, the griffins
immediately decided to forget the death thing, and led Clef and Hallie
to Wizard Talon's chamber.
"Please be careful. That horrible wizard can conjure up all kinds of horrible
things. There's only one way to beat him. You must manage to get his staff,
and destroy it. If his staff breaks, so do all of his powers, and he's
no better than an ordinary man. That is all we know. I hope it helps. Thank
you!" cautioned the griffons as the flew out of the castle.
"Ready?" asked Clef.
"You bet!" replied Hallie.
"Let's go!!!"
The friends charged into the chamber, only to be met by a greenish glow.
"Wha?" "Where is the..." "Look!"
The green mist started accumulating together into one spot. It formed a
tall, very powerful but stupid wizard, in cheesy robes, carrying
a gigantic wooden staff with all kinds of things written on it.
"Get him!" cried Hallie. She started glowing a magenta red color, rose
two feet above the ground, all the while muttering something, and launched
bunches of magenta, green, and blue flames and crystals at the wizard.
He blocked most of them, but did get hit by a few, making him stagger.
Talon started this creepy, maniacal cackle that rattled the very bones
of all creatures. He sent something at Hallie, who blocked with all her
might. A wave of horror swept over her, and she collapsed two feet above
the ground, in a frozen deathlike spell of dark.
"Hallie? Hallie!" Clef turned angrily to the wizard, who looked triumphant,
though you could tell that he was affected by Hallie's magic. Clef started
to attack with his bare hands, but then summoned up all power in the castle
and threw it in a tsunami-like wave of magic at the wizard, breaking
his staff and rendering him unconscious.
"Bravo! Well Done! You, young peasant, shall be greatly rewarded by my
father, the king. Now, listen to me, my good peasant. Cut us free immediately"
cried a voice from the other side of the room. It was Prince Rupert and
Princess Priscilla. With a sigh, Clef cut the ropes, tumbling the
Prince and Princess on the floor, They started praising him and saying
how brave they had been and the silly princess kept fawning over Clef and
fainting. They can have each other. Yuck. No wonder Hallie hated him so....
Oh my gods! Hallie! Clef rushed over to the still suspended firewitch,
worry spread all over his face.
"Clef! Clef! Hey Clef! We found the kitchen, and Orien and I have decided...
what's wrong?" Hydalf and Orien entered, looking pleasantly full.
A look of alarm spread over the dragon's face as he saw Hallie. "Great
Gods!" He flew over quick as lightning, tried waking her, muttered a few
dragon spells over her, and then resorted to encasing fire around her.
(Firewitches react peculiarly to other's fire. It doesn't hurt them, and
can sometimes help.) Nothing seemed to work. Hydalf sank down, looking
devastated for a dragon, and started crying fire.
"Is she...dead?" asked Orien nervously.
"I don't know. Please don't be dead! Please don't be dead! You can't die
Hallie! You are a pretty, smart bad tempered but lovable firewitch and
a great friend, Hallie! You can't die! I think...I think I even love you."
Clef cried out next to Hallie, and suddenly leaned over, and gave her a
kiss.
"Wha...Wha..WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Hallie sprang awake,
although still hovering, looking very surprised, and blushing a lot.
"Hallie! You're awake! I....well... I mean, I'm so glad! I...er We were
so worried!" Clef stammered, looking very sheepish and blushing profusely.
"What, did you think I went and died or something? Come on! This is me!
I am invinvib-..." She cried out as she stood, lowered herself to the ground,
and then fell over. "OK, so I'm not invincible. Hey! I can walk! What do
you think you're...oh never mind" She muttered as Clef picked her up and
placed her on Orien. "What happened to that no good wizard?"
"Oh, him. Well, now you see him, now you don't." Clef nodded and the wizard
went up in a puff of smoke to some other dimensional prison.
"Forget about him, what about us? We demand attention! How dare you act
so in the presence of royalty!" protested the prince and princess, looking
very put out that they'd been forgotten.
"Do kindly shut the hell up. I think I speak for both of us," Clef looked
at Hallie, who nodded, "when we say that being with you has been anything
short of peachy, but we really must be going, and do please remember to
cancel the whole engagement thing. You two have found your perfect couple.
Have a nice time! We're leaving. Good-bye!" and with that, Clef,
muttered a spell, and the company found themselves outside of the palace.
"So....What do we do now?" asked Hallie rather embarrassed.
"Well, I have a lot of stuff to categorize and some new spells to try at
my cottage, so..."Clef stammered slightly
"Of course. I'm sure the dragonsbane has grown horribly around the tower,
and it's still so messy." Hallie said.
"Well, I guess I'll be leaving. Come on, Orien." sighed Clef, starting
to walk away.
"Hey Clef!" Hallie called out.
"Yes?" Clef brightened up.
"Would you maybe.. That is... come over to my tower? It really needs cleaning
and with me slightly out of action, well... Maybe you'd like to help? I
have some new cider made up, and you haven't tried my enchanted gingerbread
yet. It's very good!" rushed Hallie, fearful of the response.
"Sure!"
The group rode off, this time, there was no arguing at all, and since the
broom "broke," Clef decided to enchant a passing cloud. Unfortunately for
Orien and Hydalf, "Clouds only hold two people."
"Riiiiight." agreed Orien and Hydalf. A large wink was shared between the
two.
"Lemme guess, this is gonna end with the narrator girl saying happily ever
after, right? asked Hydalf slyly, looking at the "couple" riding on the
cloud.
"You bet" replied a very amused Orien.
And they all lived happily ever after. (Actually, the price and princess
bored themselves to tears, and last thing I know, the prince had turned
into a frog and the princess was working as Woraug's Princess in the Mountains
of Morning, Orein found a beautiful lionness and they live with their three
kids in the Enchanted forest, near Clef and Hallie's home, and Hydalf is
two rocks down and five across in a wonderful underground cave near King
Kazul, her grandmother, with her boyfriend. yeah, yeah, it's a she.
Big suprise. And then there's our brazen firewitch and wizard trainee.
Well, Clef's a full wizard now, but he still remains incredibly cute, and
his wife is a very successful but still messy firewitch. Last I heard they're
off in the lost woods on another adventure. Go figure.
Ok, OK, All that deserved to lived happily...ever...after.
The End
Author's Note: Isn't it soooooooo kawaii??????? It's
not perfect since it was originally an assignment but I liked it a lot,
so sue me. Actually, you can't!!! I'm too young!!!!!!!! EWHAHAHAHAHAHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Spatulas and Bommerangs Forever!!!!!!! Bow down to Ucchan, Goddess of Large
Kitchen Appliances!!!!!!!! C&C are welcome!!
actually, if you don't comment, I will shove rabid pygmy death lizards
down your pants. (Pygmies courtesy of Meelee)
