A/N: The Once Upon a Twilight Contest inspired me to write a sort-of Midnight Sun meets the Fairytale World. Characters are all human except for those described differently, because you can't have a fairytale without unique creatures and a little magic. It's not OOC so much as everyone is exaggerated versions of themselves.
*For those that read this when the whole story was one very long chapter: I haven't changed anything. Just thought it'd be easier to read broken into several chapters… Save your scrolling finger the workout.
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight, its characters, and a piece of my heart.
Without further ado, enjoy a tale of self-discovery and love…
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Once upon a time, exactly in the center of the city of Cullen in the Kingdom of Twilight, Sir Edward the Knight was, once again, being honored by all the land for his speed, bravery, and wit.
"Sir Edward, for your act of valor in saving my true love and our dear Queen, Esme, from the evil Newt from the Spiky Forest of Mike, I, King Carlisle, Ruler of the Kingdom of Twilight, bestow upon you this highest of honor."
The King's blonde hair waved softly against his crown as he rose from his golden throne; his white robe cascading around his regal figure while he walked swiftly toward Edward.
The stadium fell silent as the nobles, peasants, and servants alike, leaned in, anticipating the prize to be bestowed upon their brave knight. Edward's tousled bronze hair shimmered in the sunlight as he proudly looked around at the hundreds of eager Twilighters gathered for the celebration.
King Carlisle gracefully pulled a roll of parchment from the shirt pocket of the fine linen garment beneath his robe. His refinement was distinctly contrasted by a teen somersaulting to land at the King's side. The boy's clothes were shabby, but he had a distinguishing cloth hat on top of his greasy, black hair; floppy with three points, each of which had a jingle bell at the end.
The King swiftly passed the parchment to the boy and proclaimed, "Sir Edward, we have been indebted to you before. Your bravery and charm has spread through out the land."
With this statement, a flock of girls nearest to the heroic Knight could contain themselves no longer. Apples, tulips, and ribbons were tossed to the dirt at Sir Edward's feet as symbols of their affection. The girls swooned and screamed words of adoration. Edward kept his composure except for a slight, crooked smile that pulled at the corners of his mouth.
"Yes, thank you for your, um, exceptional example of Twilight's admiration toward our protagonist, ladies." King Carlisle motioned for the girls to quiet once he removed his hands from his ears.
Edward the Knight stood at full height, basking in the crowd's worship as King Carlisle continued.
"Sir Edward, you have bested others of your talent, rescued many from the attack of Tyler and his Vanguard from the North, and now saved my beloved. For this last act I am especially grateful. I feel that you are ready to receive a very special prize, one that excels far beyond the opportunities to study any subjects you please and mansion I have provided for you."
King Carlisle stopped momentarily to catch the eye of Queen Esme. They smiled warmly at each other, as if sharing an intimate thought, before turning back to his eager audience.
"This gift can only be received once you have completed a journey. A journey where you will need to be brave and smart, which we all know you are," the King lowered his voice as he had walked very near to Edward during his speech and whispered his last words for only the Knight's ears, "but you will also need to be open to new possibilities. Edward, life is a process of becoming, a combination of states to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death."
King Carlisle rested his hand in a fatherly manner upon Edward's shoulder and declared for the entire crowd to hear, "I have faith in you, brave Knight, and wish you to return richer than when you left us."
The King turned summarily back toward his throne and called out, "Now, Jester Eric please read aloud the contents of this parchment and the journey that awaits our fearless young man."
Eric flailed his left arm high in the air, signaling a line of trumpeters along the front row of the grandstand to play a brief revelry. He unfolded the document and decreed loudly for all to hear.
With great risk comes great reward.
So stand at the ready, keep near thy sword.
But more than strength, you'll have to get
Past great giants using honesty and wit.
Expect to be entranced by a siren's charm,
But don't get too close or you may lose an arm.
If you find yourself at the Forks in the trail
Call for an advisor to help you prevail.
Say "Oh Pixie, Oh Pixie, who dresses so well,
What next step is the best you foretell?"
Heed her warnings with the utmost of care
Because ahead are greater things to fear.
Wolves standing guard and a bandit throng,
Do what is right and you shall move along.
The last trial is still the most profound of them all,
But to speak of it now would risk your downfall.
At the end you will be granted the greatest of treasure.
It is of worth far beyond measure.
Your quest starts now as the rest of us feast.
So good luck on your journey and begin by heading east.
Edward was more than a little confused by the peculiar poetry, but kept his image intact as the King smiled very happily in his direction. This did not sound like much of a prize to the young knight that had just faced great peril. The end of the poem seemed appealing, but the King was so rich, why couldn't he just give Edward some gold and let him on the way of his own choosing? Why also did the King speak those private words? Edward wrestled with these thoughts as the surrounding crowd erupted in cheers.
"Make haste, make haste!" the Jester bellowed grabbing his scepter off the ground and poking the now distraught hero.
Edward had no choice but to reluctantly turn toward the looming gateway at the back of the stadium as the crowd cheered him on. He felt it a waste that the celebration would continue without him. Edward lived to gather praises. He was left to celebrate his brave feat on his own, with nothing but the clothes on his back and sword at his side. Where was the glory in that?
The sounds of music and laughter dimmed as Edward marched away from the stadium and now setting sun. He hoped that this journey may be short and he would soon return to his fans to collect their praises for yet another successful endeavor. Patience quickly gave way to monotony as the forest on the edge of Cullen engulfed him. All he could see was seemingly endless greenery.
The sun had long since set as Edward reached a small clearing in the trees, suitable for rest. A strange crosswind moved about the perfectly round meadow, swirling gently against his lean figure as he stretched out on the grass and gazed up at the sky.
The sky was eerily black. No stars or moon hung above. It was a New Moon; a phase many believed indicated a new beginning, a blank slate, wiping the world clean of its past and opening Heaven's window of hope for the future.
Edward shivered, though he was not cold, as the depth of the darkness engulfed him. He only saw the blackness as a reflection of the empty space residing inside of him. Edward was famous for being the bravest, the strongest, the greatest knight in the land of Twilight, but secretly, he dwelled in a permanent midnight.
One year ago to the day, Edward's heart closed forever. He had thought he was dying as his heart hammered painfully, burning and constricting in his chest. Suddenly it was as if time stood still. Edward knew in that moment that he no longer aged. His eyes flew open realizing he was still alive, but his heart had stopped beating. He tapped his chest, but the only thump was his hand knocking against a solid, stone wall. He did not know what cursed him or why. He couldn't even remember the moments before the transformation.
Edward spent a month in hiding, alone with his empty shell. He began mulling over how to break the curse. He looked within himself, at the only desire that remained, becoming the best and most famous person in the land. He hoped this was the key to lifting the curse, but the more he did to prove himself, the more he solidified. Now his entire body was as hard as granite, though he retained the appearance of a man.
Inwardly the changes continued to scare him, but he found solace in the pride of being the only knight whom needed no body armor. He lived his life now for the glory fame bestowed upon him, though he lived alone and cared for no one but himself.
The breaking dawn cast a light across Edward's face, waking him from a short sleep. As he stood up to walk toward the rising sun, the wind in the meadow began to spin faster and faster, until it jarred directly behind him, launching his body forward.
The trees swept past Edward and his eyes widened as he realized he was running easily along with the wind's supernatural current. It exhilarated him as nothing had in as long as he could remember. In a matter of minutes he traveled as far a distance as he'd gone the night before.
The wind slowed Edward to a walking pace as the forest thinned. He looked around for the source of the wind, but the view before him distracted all thought as he took his last step out of the woods.
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A/N: Hope you're enjoying this so far. I'll be putting up a new chapter every couple days.
Up next Edward deals with his past and meets Emmett, Jasper, and BELLA!
I read every review. They are appreciated!