Aralorn stared at the precious child. She was so tiny. He smiled at her. She waved her pudgy hands in the air, hoping he would pick her up. The young fairy scooped her up in his arms. "Sweet child." He murmured to himself. He held her close and thought of the day that had brought the two of them to this point. He had watched, frozen with fear, as Corenda swept in on a black cloud. She stared down at the small child and spoke her curse.

Aralorn had been too young to give a gift to the child, but now, he could not stop himself from darting forward. He shoved Corenda from the cradle's side. She has laughed at him. "And what do you expect to be able to do youngling?"

He glared at her with a ferocity he didn't know he had. Then he looked at the child. She was crying. He smoothed the curly hair away from her face. "Shhh, sleep princess. Do not cry. Just sleep. I'll protect you." He said, trying to soothe the child. Little did he know how much he had altered the little girl's fate.

Corenda's eyes grew wide as she snarled at Aralorn. "No! You fool! You've changed the spell!" She lunged for Aralorn's throat but was blocked by the magic of a stronger force, the fairy Gai. The ancient fairy now stood between Corenda and Aralorn.

"Leave this place Corenda." She commanded.

Corenda sneered but did as she was told.

Gai looked at Aralorn. "Do you know what you've done?"

The young man shook his head. The older fairy explained. "You've saved the princess's life. The words you spoke interrupted Corenda's spell. The princess will fall into a deep sleep instead of dyeing. You've done well."

Aralorn didn't know what to say.

"You've also appointed yourself her protector until she awakens." Gai said solemnly. "You must stay with her and only act in her best interest."

Aralorn nodded and looked over at the beautiful child. Her mother held her now. There was terror in her eyes. Aralorn knelt before the queen. "I will protect the child with my life and all the power I posses."

The queen quietly thanked him. Gai nodded. "Very good." And with a swirl of magic, she was gone.

Aralorn watched the tiny princess grow into a beautiful young woman. He was always with her. She saw him more as a brother and friend then protector. He bandaged her scraped knees and soothed her nightmares. And when she was sixteen, he watched his worst nightmare come true.

He thought, as did everyone, that all the spindles in the kingdom had been destroyed. The sight of the black crystal spinning wheel struck terror into his heart. He watched, helpless, as the girl he had sworn to protect reached out her finger toward the shining point. He held her as she sank to the floor, lifeless but for the shallow breathes that caused her chest to rise and fall. He cried, his tears falling on her sleeping form, knowing that only true love's kiss would wake her because that's how these spells always worked. And he knew, with sadness in his heart, that he was not the one who would break the spell.

Talia opened her eyes, but she knew it was a dream. It was always a dream. And all her dreams ended the same way. She struggled against it, that pull she felt. But it continued to draw her. No matter how much she resisted, her legs continued to move. She tried to scream but her mouth wouldn't open. Her body carried her to a gaping chasm. She stared at the pillar that rose from the middle of the huge maw. On the pillar stood the source of her fear. It was a crystal spinning wheel. Her feet pulled her forward as her mind screamed in protest. As she reached the edge of the precipice an old wooden bridge appeared. She tried in vain to turn away, but her body moved of its own accord. She crossed the bridge, drawing closer to the spinning wheel. Everything within her fought against her body as she lifted her hand to touch the glass spindle. Light glinted off the sharp point. She felt the prick, saw the crimson drop of blood, and screamed.

Andre's eyes flew open as he sat up in bed. He bounded to the door and called for his butler. "Lor! Did you hear that?"

Lor poked his sleepy head out from his room. "Hear what?"

"There was a girl screaming!" Andre grabbed his robe and headed for the door. Maybe she was outside. Lor followed him.

"Sir, I heard nothing. It must have been a dream." The young butler consoled his equally young master.

"It sounded so real Lor! It couldn't have been a dream." He pulled the door open. There was no sound from outside. Andre waited for a few minutes and then turned to Lor. "Maybe you're right. It was just a dream." He closed the door. "I was so sure it was real."

Lor placed his hand on Andre's shoulder. "Go back to bed sir. It was nothing." He didn't show the concern he felt for Andre. This was the third time this week that Andre had been woken up by phantom screams. The part that worried Lor was that Andre never remembered the screams when he woke up in the morning. He used to remember them, but his forgetting was getting worse.

Talia stood, this time, at the edge of a raging river. The spinning wheel was on the other side. She pulled against her body to no avail. Suddenly, a young man came crashing through the underbrush near her. He stared blankly at her. "Help me." She whispered. He continued to stare. "Help me!" She shrieked as the bridge appeared. She crossed the bridge and reached out toward the spindle. The man looked on in horror as she pricked her finger and then, screaming as she went, fell to the ground.

Andre woke up in a cold sweat. He knew that scream. He couldn't place from where, but he knew it. He ran a hand through his dark hair. Who was that girl? He sighed. What did the dream mean?

In the morning Andre met Lor at the table. Lor took a good look at Andre. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I had the strangest dream though. There was this girl. She asked me to help her, but I couldn't. Then she pricked her finger on a spinning wheel and passed out. She screamed and I swear, I know her scream from somewhere. I didn't sleep very well after that."

Lor nodded but said nothing. "Perhaps this is a step in the right direction." He thought. He hoped that, if Andre was at least remembering the dreams, then he might start remembering other things as well.

Andre sat at the table. "What do you want for breakfast?" Lor asked him, as he did every morning.

"Eggs." Andre said definitively.

"Andre. You don't like eggs." Lor reminded him softly.

"Right. Toast then, with jam." Andre gave a half smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

Lor sighed and went to make Andre's food. It hurt to see his friend slowly loose his mind.

The next night, as he slept, Andre found himself standing at the edge of a castle wall. A voice came from behind him. "You again? Are you going to stand there like you did last time?" He turned to look where the voice came from. The girl from the night before stood behind him. She looked like she was concentrating on something.

"What can I do to help?" Andre wasn't sure what she wanted him to do.

"Save me. Wake me up. It's the only thing you can do."

"How do I wake you up?" Andre grew increasingly concerned as the girl struggled with unseen forces.

"You have to kiss me." She grunted as she fought to take a step. Or was she trying to not take a step?

Andre moved towards her and leaned in to kiss her.

"Not here! Not in the dream! In the real world." She leaned away from him as a bridge appeared. She staggered across it.

"I don't know how to find you." He called to her.

"Trust your heart! It knows!" She called back as she reached out her hand to the spinning wheel. Then Andre awoke.

"Lor! Get up! We're going on a journey!" Andre called. He raced around the room, gathering things to pack.

"Huh? A journey to where?" Lor's sleepy form appeared in the doorway.

"I don't know. But wherever it is, that's where we're going." He stared at the pile he'd accumulated. "I have far too many things to take."

An hour later, Lor and Andre sat on the bed drinking tea as Andre explained what had happened. "What did she look like?" Lor asked as he peered over the steaming cup.

"Her hair was long, curly, kind of reddish blond. She had blue eyes and freckles. She was beautiful." Andre was off in his own world.

"And you say she pricked her finger on a crystal spinning wheel?"

"Yes. And then she fell asleep."

Lor nodded. "I think I know where we have to go."

"Where?" Andre's eyes grew wide.

"There's a legend, about a place in the dark forest where a girl sleeps. I think that's where we need to go." Lor said softly.

Andre jumped off the bed and towards the door, "Well then! Lead the way!"

Lor stood, feeling his heart fall as he did. Andre had heard the story before. It had been his favorite story when he was a child. And now, he didn't remember it at all. Although it may have been influencing his dreams. How long would it be before Andre couldn't remember anything?

The two young men reached the dark forest at midday. "Now where?" Andre looked to Lor for guidance.

"I'm not sure. The story only said that she was in the dark forest."

"Then we press on. She said my heart would guide me." Andre said with confidence. He walked into the forest without fear, Lor trailing behind.

They wandered for several hours. As the sun began to set, Lor insisted that they stop and make camp. Andre, after much persuasion, agreed.

Lor watched Andre from over the fire. Andre sighed. "Why are we out here Lor?"

"Because you had a dream telling you to come out here Andre. That's why." Lor was exasperated. He knew it wasn't Andre's fault, but he was sick of reminding him about things.

"I did? That's strange. I can't remember it now." Andre looked lost.

"There's a lot of things you don't remember Andre. I think it's time for bed. Maybe you'll remember tomorrow."

Andre did remember in the morning. He was up, bright and early, ready to go. Lor was relived that Andre had regained some memory.

Around noon Andre began to get excited. "We're getting close Lor! I know we are!" Suddenly, they broke into a clearing. Both men stopped in their tracks. "This is it." Andre's voice was solemn.

"Andre." Lor breathed, "It's a tomb." He stared at the structure in front of him.

"Yes. It's where she is." Andre stepped forward.

Lor grabbed Andre's shoulder. "Are you sure?"

Andre shook him off. "Yes. I have to go in there."

"You're not thinking clearly."

Andre turned to Lor. "I'm thinking more clearly than I have in a long time Lor. Every night she pricks her finger. Every time she pricks her finger I loose more of my mind. It has to stop." He turned back to the mausoleum. He pushed against the door. "Lor! Help me!"

Lor came up beside Andre and pushed. The door gave a little. They pushed harder. With a great, creaking groan the door swung inward and they could see inside. There, on a low table, lay a girl. Andre knelt at her side. Her clothes were rotted. Cobwebs hung from her form. But she was beautiful and whole. Time had taken everything around her, but had refused to touch her. Andre brushed a cobweb away from her face. Then, he lowered his lips to hers.

Talia reached out once again, fighting back tear as her finger hovered over the crystal spinning wheel. She felt the sharp pain in her finger and awoke with a gasp. Andre's blue eyes stared into hers. This was no dream.

She awoke with a gasp and Andre quickly pulled away. Both Andre and the girl stared, wide eyed at each other. "You're the girl from the story!" Andre exclaimed. He glanced at Lor. "And I hate eggs." Lor grinned.

"What?" The girl looked very confused. Lor came and knelt beside her. "Andre's memory has been failing. But when he kissed you, it was restored."

"You're Talia. From the story my mother used to tell me!" Andre took Talia's hand. "I've been in love with you since I first heard the story."

Talia blushed and looked past Andre at Lor. "Aralorn?"

Andre turned and stared at his friend. "Do you know each other?"

Lor looked at Andre. "Do you remember the fairy in the story? The one who save Talia from Corenda?"

Andre nodded.

"That was me."

Talia smiled. "You found my true love Aralorn. Thank you!"

He smiled weakly at the beautiful girl. "I swore to protect you and to do everything I could to break your spell. I've filled my oath, princess."

She smiled at him, not noticing how flat his words were. She turned to Andre. "Shall we go?"

Andre nodded, swung his cloak over her bare shoulders and scooped her up in his arms, carrying her out of the crypt like a bride. Lor followed them to the threshold, but went no further. Andre turned and looked at him. "Are you coming?"

Lor shook his head. "You two don't need me anymore. I'll be off now I think."

"I'll miss you." Andre said as he held Talia close.

Lor smiled sadly, "Not half as much as you may think." And in a swirl of magic, he was gone.

A young fairy sat in a tree and watched as the beautiful woman rocked her equally beautiful child. A sad smile stole across his handsome face. He sighed. Storm clouds were moving in quickly. He hopped down from the branch and gathered the small pack that sat at the base of the tree. Gai stood nearby. "Was it worth it?" She asked.

He smiled at her. "Yes."

"Would you do it again?"

He nodded.

"She's out there you know." The ancient fairy stared off to the horizon.

"Who?"

"The one you're looking for. Her story has just begun" Gai nodded and disappeared.

The young man smiled and started down the trail. Gai's words gave him hope. And now he knew, his story had just begun as well.