Glass Slipper

Here it is! I already have the first chapter of this story cuz I just can't stop writing it! First, I'll get the disclaimer over with. I don't own Ninjago OR Cinderella! Ninjago belongs to Lego and Cinderella belongs to Charles Perrault, the writer of the original story. Okay! I hope you all enjoy the beginning of Heather & Zane's version of Cinderella! Read on!

Chapter 1: Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom in the north, there was a very kind couple. The wealthy man and his beloved wife had every reason to be happy because they were blessed with a little girl who was as sweet as can be. They named her Heather after one of the flowers that grew in abundance in this peaceful kingdom.

But when the girl was still too young to experience such a thing, tragedy struck.

The mother fell ill and it was soon obvious that she wasn't going to make it. As she laid on her deathbed, she beckoned her beloved daughter to be with her during her final hour.

"Heather…" Her once soft and gentle voice was feeble and barely at a whisper.

"M-Mommy?" The little girl's face was already wet with tears, "Why aren't you getting better?"

"I don't have much time left," Her mother barely had the strength to place her frail hand over her daughter's, "Before I leave, I have one last thing to say to you."

"W-w-what is it…?" Heather asked in between sniffles.

"Heather, I want you to always be true to yourself, even in the worst of times, you must remain strong yet gentle. If you always remain kind, generous, and unselfish, you'll find happiness."

"But I can't be happy! Not without you!"

"For now… But I have faith in you and just have faith in yourself, Heather. I'm sure you'll be able to find true happiness one day."

Her mother's already weak grasp began to fade.

"Mommy, no! Please don't go!" Heather sobbed.

"Remember everything I told you," Her mother smiled one last time, "Always remain strong in heart and I'm sure you'll finally be happy again… Heather… I love you…"

And then her mother was gone.

But it wasn't long after this tragic event that something very special happened…

It's been a couple of months since Heather's mother passed away and she was still miserable. In his grief, her widowed father, who still truly cared for her, spent less time with her, making her lonely. She would spend the hours sitting alone while her father continued his business as usual with the merchants.

Today, she only sat on the edge of the dock, staring out at the sea that bordered the kingdom.

The shimmering waters and the sight of ships in many sizes coming and going always fascinated her but she found no joy in staring at the rippling water especially now that her mother was no longer there to enjoy the view with her.

Heather could no longer contain her tears and cried, letting them fall into the water.

She was too caught up in her sadness she failed to notice someone taking concern for her.

"Are you alright?"

The sad little girl looked up to see a boy who didn't look much older than her standing next to her. His finely made clothes made her assume he was of high birth.

"No, I'm not," Heather cried, "How can I be okay if my mom is gone?"

"I don't think she'd want you to be sad." The boy tried to comfort her. As soft and soothing as his voice was she couldn't find any comfort.

"But I can't help it." She continued sobbing.

"I know it's a very sad time for you now," He continued to speak, "But your mother would want you to move on. You can't be miserable forever."

Upon hearing him say that, the heartbroken girl recalled her mother's last words.

"Well… she said I may find happiness if I stay strong."

"And you'll have to do just that because she's right."

"She was…?"

"Yeah. Someday, you'll have to move on without her to accept what the future may bring."

Heather started to feel a little better and took in the boy's appearance.

Everything about him made her think about winter even though it was summer right now. His eyes were pale like winter stars, his hair was a very light shade of platinum blonde like no other, and most of all, his skin was so pale she would've mistaken him for a doll that came to life.

"Do you really think I'll find happiness?"

"Yes. I think everyone deserves to be happy but sometimes, we'll have to work for it."

"Wow, how do you know about all this stuff?" Heather was quickly intrigued by this mysterious boy who went out of his way to cheer her up when he could be doing something he truly liked instead of spending time with her.

"Well," The boy's light blush was obvious on his alabaster skin, "My teachers always tell me that I'm one of the smartest pupils they've had…"

The children chuckled, enjoying each other's company until…

The boy stopped all of a sudden, looking around warily as if looking for someone, or something, that was out there already looking for him…

"I apologize but I must leave at once!" He looked a bit sad to leave her so soon but the urgency in his silky voice was earnest.

"Do you really have to go?" Heather was saddened that her new friend had to leave so early.

"Don't worry. I'm sure we'll meet again."

"Are you sure?"

"I know we'll see each other again. I just don't know when."

"But what if we don't?"

"Just in case, I'll give you something to remember me by."

The boy placed something in her hands.

Heather opened them and was astonished. In her hands was a dazzling necklace made of silver and hanging from the center was a delicate snowflake made of shimmering crystals.

But this was no ordinary snowflake. This unique symbol with a pattern like no other was none other than the crest of the royal family!

"It's beautiful…!" Heather gasped, "But where did you get this?"

When she looked up from the trinket in her hands, the mysterious boy was gone.

She can't help but wonder who he was.

Because of his fine clothing and that he had a necklace of the royal crest, he must be one of the nobles who had close ties with the royal family. Perhaps he could even be a friend of the crown prince who was said to be close to her age.

This boy who shown her kindness during her desperate hour had given her the courage to move on and honor her mother's final wish and she vowed to do just that. She held the necklace close to her heart and thinking about that kind boy and her mother's last wish managed to erase the sadness in her heart and eventually, she was happy again.

Even her widowed father eventually found the strength to move forward.

Soon, father and daughter were able to continue their lives as a happy family.

Though Heather's father still loved her very much and showered her with everything a little girl could ever want, he felt that she still needed a mother's love.

Because of that, he eventually remarried.

He married a wealthy woman with two daughters of her own who were both close to Heather's age, hoping that having sisters will make her happy.

The woman's name was Selma and her two daughters were named Aria and Luna.

Things were peaceful for the next couple of years but whenever her father wasn't looking, the new stepmother would look down on Heather with an icy glare.

The little girl was intimidated by this new stranger but she was part of her new family and she didn't want to cause any distress to her father by pointing out her fear of her new stepmother because he was blind to her true coldness.

Unfortunately, the good man died not long after he remarried and then Selma began to show her true colors. She was a mean-spirited woman who was bitterly jealous of her stepdaughter's kindness that overshadowed her own daughters, who turned out to be haughty self-obsessed creatures of excess. Now that her father was out of the way, she can now treat Heather in any way she pleased and her ideal 'treatment' of her stepdaughter was far from pretty.

Selma had Heather dressed in rags and made her do all the menial chores around the house, essentially making her a servant in her own home.

Meanwhile, Aria and Luna squandered the family wealth left by her father to improve their own appearances and would laze around the house all day long while Heather did all the work.

Every night, while Selma and her daughters slept in opulent chambers in the softest beds in all the kingdom, all she had was a small hard mattress in the cold drafty attic, although she barely slept on it at all. On most nights, the cinders in the fireplace were still warm and Heather opted to sleep there, finding it more comfortable than the freezing attic. As a result, she would often wake up covered in soot. Because of that, Aria and Luna would tease her and call her names.

Heather would've easily given in to despair if not for her determination to honor her mother's last words. Through it all, she remained kind and gentle as she would've wanted, believing that she'll find happiness as long as she never gives up.

And there was also that boy she met so long ago.

She still kept the necklace and managed to hide it away from her stepmother and stepsisters. If she sold it, she could've had enough money to leave and live her own life but she kept it instead of giving it away. As much as it could've given her a new life, she refused to part with it. Along with it and her willpower alone, she bore all her hardships with patience. The boy said that they will meet again one day and looking at the necklace, she felt assured that he may be right.

Someday, she will meet the boy again and she will finally find happiness.

She'll just have to stay strong…

And there you have it!

But wait! That's just the beginning!

Heather's meeting with the boy is an obvious allusion to the most important part of this story & I'm sure you all know who this 'mystery' boy is! ;)

Anyway, if you've seen my profile, you'll know that this story will have a few twists that'll set it apart from the original tale & the Disney movie so don't expect it to be the exact same.

Please review & tell me what you think so far! Heather & Zane would really appreciate it! XD

EDIT: The role of the Stepmother now goes to the humanized Selma, Skales' wife from Rebooted, because Haruka didn't make sense.