A/N: Dedicated to the Essence of Cahills gang, even though I know this will suck. :P
Once upon a time, there lived four young people; two girls and two boys.
They each had their own gifts, but they all had their own imperfections as well.
All four lived in a kingdom in a far away land. It is much farther than any other kingdom, so far that its name is not known. This story takes place many years before the present day, and their tale is now known to be only a legend or a fairy tale.
It is neither.
This story does not have a happy ending, but magic is involved.
This story is all true, but at the end of this, you'll wish it wasn't.
Your decision: Real or not real? Truth or lie? Fact or fiction?
It starts with a wishing well, and ends with the stroke of midnight.
Children from all around the kingdom have heard stories about the magic wishing well.
People- young and old- have searched for this wishing well countless times. And all have failed, for only individuals with wishes so strong and powerful are able to find the wishing well. Some say it does not exist, others are firmly fixed in their belief that it does. Parents have told their children that if they wish hard enough and believe strongly enough, they will eventually stumble upon the magic wishing well. But even with a strong enough wish, it is not set in stone that you will manage to find the wishing well.
The wishing well finds you.
Belief, wishes, and fate all have a hand in the power of the wishing well. The most selfish and wonderful of wishes have been granted because of the well, but they never end the way expected. The wish could start out wonderful and be for the greater good but, eventually, it will end up nothing more than a nightmare that will always be there to haunt you; a swirl of dark fog that will follow you for the rest of your life.
Belief, all by itself, can be the scariest thing of all.
Many people have done things because of their beliefs that some might think is wrong. Others might think it was the right thing to do.
But perhaps this all ties in with fate.
Belief, wishes, and fate all come strung together on a string. It is as if it is a tightrope, something there for you to stand on, but weak and fragile and not at all reliable.
These three things are needed, but can be dangerous if taken too far.
How far would you go for a wish?
The first girl just wanted a friend.
[Because, really, she had lived too long without one]
If in the light, her hair was the brightest of reds, but if in the shade, it was a dull brown. It was as if she were a coin; heads or tails? Everyone tended to pick heads, but she somehow always only ever managed to achieve tails.
She was the girl no one wanted.
It was sad to see so much potential gone to waste. She was an intelligent girl, bright and kind, if not a bit average in looks. If only people took the time to really see her for who she was. It was as if she were a lantern; pretty if lit up in the dark, plain if left unlit.
Why could no one see her light?
Something that must be known about Miss Amy Cahill is that she was used to being ignored. Ever since the death of her parents and her grandmother, she had been living with her younger brother in a small, run-down cottage deep in the woods. The woods were known to be dangerous, but where else was there for her to go? She and her brother had no one left for them, and so the woods seemed like the best option. Quiet and calm most of the time, it was surprisingly a very peaceful place to live. She had no friends, and so at least she could use her residence as an excuse.
But she so desperately wanted companionship.
She had only ever had her brother, and when the other children in the village were playing outside, she was in her small home, reading a book and watching her younger brother. While the other young women searched for potential suitors, she was in the woods, searching for food and water.
If she could not have a husband, the least she could have was a friend.
[But the wish did not turn out that way]
The wishing well.
She had heard the stories of the magic wishing well ever since she was a young girl. Her mother would tell her stories about it before she had died, painting pictures of a beautiful and perfect stone well, and of the wonderful people who had managed to find it and made a wish for the greater good.
She had never told her about the consequences, and perhaps that was her downfall.
Amy went to the well every morning to gather water, far away in the woods. It was a long trip from her cottage to the well, and so she always woke up much earlier than the birds to make the trip. She had to be careful not to spill it as she made the tiring journey home, and so bringing her brother along with her would not help her at all.
To her knowledge, no one knew about the well besides her and her brother. The woods were not a friendly place, and they always had to be careful traversing the area by themselves.
One morning, Amy Cahill had decided to make her daily trip to the well as usual. But as she carefully lowered the bucket into the stone well, a raspy and foreign-sounding voice reached her ears. It seemed to echo in her mind, but not exactly around the woods.
What is your wish?
Amy stumbled backwards, dropping the bucket into the water. "What?" she gasped, swiveling her head around the woods, as if to see if she was alone. "Who's there?"
What is your wish?
Her head started to swirl with different possibilities. Surely it was not the well…
"They say the magic wishing well can grant you any wish your heart so desires." Her mother's eyes shined bright like emeralds, something her family would never be able to afford.
"Where is this wishing well, Mother?" The young girl- who was once Amy Cahill- looked up at her mother with eyes just as bright as hers.
Her mother smiled, ruffling her daughter's hair affectionately. "You can only find it if you wish strongly enough. So never give up hope, okay?"
Her daughter gave her a toothy grin. "Okay!"
The wishing well…
"I-I never thought…" Amy's hand flew to her mouth in shock, her face the perfect picture of surprise. The well was not as beautiful as her mother had described it to be, but surely it did not matter, did it? It was there, and it was real.
Your wish?
The tone of the voice was noticeably more impatient than before.
"Who are you?" Amy's voice sounded wobbly, her legs shaking as much as her voice.
I am the spirit of the well. I am able to grant any wish your heart so desires. What is your wish?
My wish? Amy bit her lip, her mind quickly coming up with various wishes. But there was only one wish that always came up in her mind.
"I wish for a friend. I just want to be noticed for once." Her voice sounded needy and desperate, but her wish was so strong that she did not notice at all.
Then your wish shall be granted.
And so the day came when Miss Amy Cahill had contact with the outside world.
She met many people on her daily trips through the woods.
Including a good-natured huntsman, fleeing from the wicked queen from the kingdom in the far east. Kind and brave, he was of lowly stature and of Amy's ranking. He had an aura about him that spoke of determination and bravery and everything that Amy had always wanted to have.
But a few weeks after their first meeting, he mysteriously disappeared.
The next person she met was a traveling merchant. Having gotten lost in the woods on his way to the next kingdom over, he was hopelessly confused and frustrated, and Amy took pity on him and let him stay with her until he found his way. Charming, if not a bit stuffy and conceited at times, she found him to be lovely company.
But one day, she awoke from her slumber to find him outside of her cottage, on the ground, dead and cold.
And then she met him.
Already so very afraid and horrified at what had happened to her new friends, she was desperately trying to find a way to undo her wish. Could her relationship with them be a curse itself? Was her wish just a burden to those she befriended? If so, she did not want to have to deal with the guilt any longer. Seeing so many of her new friends disappearing and dying because of her foolish wish; it just wasn't worth it. None of them deserved such a punishment when they did absolutely nothing wrong.
She was at fault.
And so she made a promise to herself to never help anyone she saw passing through the woods ever again. She watched as so many people came stumbling into the woods, either lost or running away from someone or something. And she never did a thing to help them.
But one day, Miss Amy Cahill had to go into her small village's market. She had not stepped foot into her bustling village for many years, and so no one recognized her as she walked through the market, searching for new cloth and medicine to purchase, for she was out of those items, and could no longer make her own medicine from the resources of the woods. Although her clothes still fit her, her brother was quickly growing out of his, and so she quickly decided to venture out into the village to purchase some new cloth to use to make him new clothes.
It was by the hand of fate that she met him.
So busy was she looking for the items she needed to purchase, she did not notice the tall, handsome lad walking in her direction, and so they knocked into each other and fell to the ground.
Although disoriented, Amy Cahill could still see that this young man before her was gorgeous. With sparkling amber eyes that shined with intelligence, and an aura about him that just shouted powerful, she could not help but be immediately drawn to this strange person.
It was love at first sight, as all legendary romances are.
She found out that he was the prince, but he did not seem to mind at all that she was just a lowly peasant, not even really living in his kingdom.
She had heard rumors that Prince Ian Kabra was known to be a cold and calculating man, but she did not see any of this in him. He was charming and intelligent and not at all like she thought he was going to be.
Slowly, the two started to fall in love.
They were to announce their engagement at the next ball; Ian Kabra's eighteenth birthday.
But there was still a part of her that heard the well's haunting voice and remembered the deaths of the two she had loved just as much as her prince.
But he was not dead, and everything seemed to be going quite smoothly. Surely the well was granting her wish.
[But she had seemed to forget that she had wished for a friend, not for a husband]
The first boy longed for a voice.
[Because surely he had a most wonderful voice inside of him]
Every since he was a young boy, all he had ever wanted was a voice. He could hear dozens of voices around him, all distinct and unique in their own way. Some were deep and rough, others were high and lighthearted. They all had various accents, depending on which kingdom they were from. No two voices were the same, and so he honestly thought that people who could not distinguish between voices were truly foolish.
One thing he tended to notice was how differently people's voices sounded when they sang.
You could not identify people immediately by their singing voice; Jonah Wizard had learned that quickly. Every day he passed through the market, he would hear various singing coming from the small show in the corner. It was a different singer and a different voice every day, and he would always be able to look forward to who would be singing the next day. He had always dreamed to be a part of the shows, singing up there with the best of the kingdom.
But he had no voice.
For all he knew, he had not been born with one. He had never had the ability to talk, and no one could discern why. He was the only one in the whole kingdom without a voice, and no doctors or herbalists could figure out why. There was no cure, no way for him to receive a voice.
He just wanted to be heard.
There were so many thoughts and opinions that were just dying to come out, but no sound came out of his mouth. He had so many things he wanted to say, but without a voice, there was no way for him to say them.
Music was his life.
He would tap his fingers to the rhythm of anything he heard. He would write down lyrics to songs he had written in his spare time. But he could never sing anything.
Jonah Wizard was already a famous musician in the kingdom; the very best. His immense talent was known throughout the whole land, and he was constantly traveling around, performing for kings and queens, lords and ladies. He was a masterful violinist; quick, light, and beautiful, his songs seemed to cast a spell on anyone who heard them. His songs were not just songs, they were stories. Even without words, his songs seemed to be able to tell stories of everything possible. It was as if he had taken his listeners to a whole new world, bringing them into a place they had never been able to imagine. His songs told stories of a boy who never grew up, of a poor street rat and a magical genie, of a chivalrous thief stealing for the poor.
Jonah Wizard could do anything with his music, for that was why he was called 'Wizard'. There were rumors all around that he must be a wizard to be able to make such beautiful songs.
[But even with his glorious success, he still could not forget the fact that he had no voice]
He was not a wizard, for if he was, he would have gotten a voice long ago.
And then came the day when he found the well.
The magic wishing well, able to grant any wish your heart so desires. He had heard the stories of it dozens of times, but he still did not ever get tired of it. It was a most magical story. It was a symbol of hope. When he could not find inspiration for a new song, he would remember the story of the wishing well, and an idea would surely come to him. The story was a good luck charm in itself.
A part of him wished that it was true.
But he had never believed in such things. His stories were full of things that could never happen. One would think that he was a believer in things such as that, but one would be wrong in thinking so.
Prodigies did not have time to dream.
Perhaps the well was a gift to him. After wishing so long for a voice, Jonah Wizard had started to lose hope. But the well had restored it once more.
He had been traveling through the woods on his way to the next kingdom over to perform for the queen, when he found himself hopelessly lost (For Amy Cahill had made a promise to herself to help no lost travelers again) But perhaps that was a good thing. If she had helped him, he would not have found the well.
The moment he saw it, he knew.
He had rushed towards it, of course. After hearing so many wonderful stories about it, what person would not? Foolishly leaning over the side, he squinted his eyes in the dark and tried to make out anything that would be able to grant his wish.
What is your wish?
Startled, Jonah almost dunked his head into the water.
What is your wish?
The strange voice was more firm this time, a strange accent heard in its voice. But Jonah had never heard such a voice, even though he had traveled the whole land.
My wish? Jonah thought, frowning slightly. How could he possibly tell the well his wish when he could not speak?
But surely the well must be able to hear me, He thought, closing his eyes in concentration. I wish for a voice. The most beautiful voice anyone has ever heard before.
It is done.
And so that day, Jonah Wizard finally heard his own voice.
And just like he had wished for, it was the most beautiful voice in all of the land. No one had heard a voice like his, and no one heard the exact same thing. All fell in love with his voice the moment they heard it. He could now sing his own songs and tell his own stories. He could state his opinions and greet everyone with 'hellos' in the morning. He could do everything he had always wanted to do. With a voice, he could do anything.
But he soon found out just how powerful his voice really was.
Whatever he told people to do, they immediately did it. His opinions were suddenly their opinions, and his commands they suddenly followed. It seemed as if he was more powerful than the prince himself.
His stories suddenly came to life.
He would hear tales from the kingdoms far away, about an event that had happened that greatly resembled a story he had told just a few days before. His songs and stories were coming to life.
That was not what he wanted.
They were meant to be imaginary. His stories were never meant to be real. They were tales of things that could never happen, of things that only people could ever dream of. The magic of his stories died if they became real and, suddenly, they were not his stories anymore.
One day, he got a letter of invitation to the royal birthday ball of Prince Ian Kabra. He was getting married to a lowly peasant in a few days time, and he was requested to play at the ball.
He had made a vow to himself that he would never make music again.
But she loved his music.
The beautiful girl with hair the color of autumn and a smile as bright as the sun. She loved his music and she loved him.
If he were to stop his music, would she stop loving him?
He would not take the chance.
Perhaps she only loved him because of his music. Perhaps it was one of his stories coming to life right before his eyes. Somehow, maybe, he had cast a spell on her.
[But he found himself not caring at all]
The second girl secretly wished for love.
[But not for her to love someone, but for everyone to love her]
Proud and vain, she was the gifted beauty of the whole kingdom (Because there is always one of those people in fairy tales) Beautiful and intelligent, she was a wonderful listener and the young lady every gentlemen wanted to have on their arms. But Sinead Starling never took any notice to these young men, for she was quite used to the attention she received.
Shameless, proud, and vain; she was the daughter of a powerful duke in the kingdom, close friends with the royal family. Being the charming person that she was, she was able to wrap anyone around her finger. She seemed to have two faces. Charming and brilliant on the outside, sly and clever on the inside. She never returned any of the affections of the handsome young men hoping to take her as their wife. She carefully chose her targets, and slowly earned their trust. She used them to get what she wanted, always careful with her words and telling them what they wanted to hear.
Sinead Starling knew how to get what she wanted, but she could not get everything.
She wanted everyone to love her (Even though she was called a star, she did not always shine so brightly)
She knew there were some who did not hold any love for her. There were those who envied her and wanted nothing more than to get rid of her, and those who could care less about her. It was unacceptable.
[Is it not obvious enough what her wish would be?]
Her need for the love of all those around her made her wish the strongest out of all four of the tales told today. There was nothing else she wanted. She had the looks, the intelligence, the charms. The only thing she did not have was everyone's love.
And love is an essential part of every fairy tale.
She had heard dozens of tales about people finding their one true love. Every girl wanted to find her 'Prince Charming' or her 'Knight in Shining Armor' but Sinead Starling was not one for patience, and she was most certainly not going to wait around for someone to sweep her off her feet.
The well heard her wish very clearly.
The way she found the well was much like how everyone else found it. She had gotten lost in the woods, curious about why the charming musician was going in there by himself.
The charming musician was a whole different story by itself.
'Wizard' they called him. He was clearly the most famous and talented of all the musicians in the land, and she was lucky enough to have met him on one of her strolls through the market.
[But is it not obvious that fate had everything to do with it?]
Her wish was coming true and she did not even know it.
Falling in love is not as simple as it may seem. Many things have to come into effect for love to take place. The two destined to be together (usually forever) must somehow meet. Love like this cannot take place without the two destined lovers meeting each other. It is easy to speak to your destined love or even become friends with he or she, but it is not easy to realize the love that is there. The confessions between the two are not easily achieved, for one of them would always either be hesitant to admit this fact, or be oblivious to their own feelings.
So that is where fate came along.
[For fate is an impatient thing]
So it was by fate that Sinead Starling met the 'Wizard' of the kingdom, and it was by fate that they both fell in love.
It was just a shame that only one of them realized this.
Sinead had witnessed his wish from behind one of the old trees in the woods and, although she did not know his wish, knew exactly what he would wish for.
She knew he longed for a voice.
His eyes spoke his wish so clearly. It was so despairingly obvious of how much he longed to have one. It brought a pang to Sinead's heart whenever she saw him get that look in his eyes. He was already so amazing at what he did, already so successful, but he still longed for a voice.
It was much like her situation.
Just a few moments after he had left, Sinead had quickly made her way towards the well, peering over the side just as he had done. Could this really be it? She wondered. Who would have thought that it was just hiding here for centuries in a place that dozens of people traveled through every day?
It was ingenious.
What is your wish?
Sinead jumped at the sound of the unfamiliar voice, whirling around so quickly, her head started to spin. Her hand inched towards the knife she had hidden under her sleeve, ready to take it out if need be.
No need to be so frightened. I am the spirit of the wishing well.
Sinead tried to relax. Of course it was the wishing well. She had seen it work its magic and grant a wish just a few minutes before.
"They say you are able to grant any wish the heart so desires," Sinead said, her voice sounding loud in the otherwise quiet area.
They are correct. What is your wish?
It came quickly to her. "I wish for all to love me."
Then your wish is my command.
Ever since that day, everyone loved Sinead Starling.
They could not help it. Those who had loved her in the first place seemed to love her even more. Those who had hated her with all their being suddenly found themselves falling in love with her the moment they saw her. Those who could not have cared less about her suddenly could not stop thinking about her. Sinead Starling had finally received the love of all the people in the kingdom.
But things did not change between her and the 'Wizard'.
Besides the fact that he had a newly acquired voice, nothing changed between the two of them. They acted just as they did before. He did not change his attitude towards her at all, and her attitude towards him stayed the same.
It did not make any sense.
No matter what she did or said, he would not act any differently towards her. He seemed to be happier, yes, but it was quite obviously because of his newly acquired voice. Not her.
Was he not happier to be with her?
Did he love his voice more than he loved her?
Sinead could not fathom why she seemed to be so upset about this. Perhaps it was due to the fact that she had wished for the love of all. Men asked for her hand in marriage. Women suddenly wanted to be her best friend.
So why did he not seem to feel any differently?
And why did she care so much about him?
She was still pondering this when she received a letter of invitation to the royal ball. Not at all in the mood to accept, she had been planning on declining when she had heard the news that the 'Wizard' would be there to perform.
Perhaps there he would realize just how much he was in love with her (Not that she cared at all)
After all, love at first sight almost always happened at a ball.
[Oh, why could she not have realized just how foolish she was?]
The second boy wanted to see.
He had been born with sight, but after an accident just a few years prior to the time of this tale, he had lost his sight. Suddenly, his once bright eyes were not as bright anymore, and his smile had lost the liveliness it had once held. It seemed like the moment his sight was gone, his joy had gone with it.
There was nothing left for him.
A most brilliant and bright young man, he had caught the eye of many young women in the kingdom. With an endless batch of witty and clever comments, and a natural smile that warmed the heart of all who saw it, he was the kind of person everyone could not help but like.
But Ted Starling knew that without his sight, it did not matter.
If he could not see, what was the point? He desperately wanted to see his brother's smiling face again, see the constantly amused expression on his sister's. He wanted to see the friendly expressions on the other villagers' faces. He wanted to see the sky, the stars, the moon, the sun. He wanted to see the exotic flowers displayed at the flower shop at the market, see the strange treasure that vendors promised was worth a fortune. He had always had a knack for being able to determine whether or not something was real or fake.
But he could not do that anymore.
The light had gone out.
Ted Starling had so much promise and ability. He could have done anything he had ever wanted to do, be anything he had wanted to be.
[So why did the world have to bring him down?]
Not everyone got happy endings (And no one in this tale did either)
Every day, he had used to take a walk through the village, saying his good mornings to the friendly faces he saw and speaking amiably to anyone who had the courage to come speak to him. But now he spent his days at his home near the castle, locked in his room and refusing to come out. He rarely had any visitors besides his brother and sister, and even they had grown tired of him and had stopped coming by to see him. His father and mother were constantly at the castle, getting into the good graces of the royal family, forgetting that they had three children back in the village; a misguided daughter who had changed drastically from an innocent young girl to a two-faced young lady; a son who was always away somewhere in the kingdom, rarely ever coming into contact with his siblings; and a blind son locked up in his own home, refusing to ever come out.
Perhaps they were the blind ones.
Could they not see how torn apart their family was?
Ted Starling was not a star like his sister. He did not have wanderlust like his brother. He was stuck in the dark, locked in his own home.
[He felt like a beast, but no princess would come to save him]
He desperately wanted his sight back.
The kingdom he lived in particularly loved to tell the story of the magic wishing well. He had never believed in it, of course, and he thought it a foolish story, even when he told the younger children otherwise. But after losing all other hope, he had to find something else to place his hope on.
It was said that if the person wished hard enough, they would be able to eventually find the magic wishing well. Well, Ted Starling had wished for a very long time, so surely the wishing well would come to him soon.
And he was right.
Eventually, he found the wishing well, and he found it the way everyone else had found it.
It seemed as if getting lost was the way to find what you were searching for.
What is your wish?
The answer came immediately. "Sight. I want to see again."
I shall fulfill your wish.
And in that moment, Ted Starling was able to see.
He ventured out of his home and went into the village for the first time in years. Many people, at first, did not believe that it was him. But when he gave them that smile of his, the suspicion in their hearts disappeared, and they all knew that he was who he said he was. Things returned to the way they were before. He took a walk through the village every morning, saying his greetings and having casual conversation to whoever was willing to have one.
But his happiness did not last long.
He was able to clearly see change happening. He had heard no word from his brother, and no one seemed to know whether he was dead or alive. His sister was withdrawn, her mind always on other things besides him. Although people in the village seemed happier than before when word of the royal ball and the royal wedding was heard, Ted could not join in on the festivities.
He could see just how hopeless the situation with his brother was, and see the dramatic change in his sister.
Was his sight just a curse?
[He did not realize just how blissful ignorance was]
The royal ball.
Many would think that Amy Cahill would be happy of attending. A peasant like her was invited to the castle, and was marrying the prince no less. But she could feel nothing but dread.
For what if her presence there was nothing but a curse?
She just caused misfortune wherever she went, and it was all because of her wish.
"Amy?" Prince Ian Kabra stood in the door of her dressing room, dressed in clothes fit for someone such as himself.
She loved him, just like she had loved the others.
But what if he ended up just like them?
"Hello." She forced a smile, trying not to let him see the thoughts going on in her head.
His eyes sparkled in the way she loved so much. With the huntsman, it had been his warm smile that she had loved the most. It warmed her heart and made her feel at ease every time she saw it. With the merchant it had been his charming smile that she had grown to love. It made her feel safe when she saw it, knowing that he would protect her from anything.
But with the prince, it was his eyes.
Amber- a rare eye color in the kingdom- it brought a fluttering in her heart every time they turned to look at her. The look in his eyes made her feel like she was the most beautiful girl in the world, like there was no one else he would rather be looking at but her.
"Are you ready?" He held out his hand to her, and she placed her delicate hand in his, trying to stop her legs from shaking.
"Of course," she lied, faking a smile for him.
Jonah Wizard was alone.
Although in the middle of the ballroom, surrounded by dozens of people, he felt completely and utterly alone.
He had performed several songs just before, and so far no incident had occurred. But he could not feel a sense of relief.
Eventually, something will happen, He thought, his eyes roaming nervously around the ballroom.
"You played wonderfully tonight." He turned to see Sinead Starling, her eyes shining brightly in the lights.
He gave her a tense smile. "You look wonderful; as bright as a star."
She rolled her eyes playfully at him, but underneath it, he could see she was just as tense as he was. "I always look like this."
He let out a chuckle. "I suppose you do."
She gave him a ghost of a smile, not looking as bright as it usually did. "You seem to have a lot of admirers tonight. I wouldn't be surprised if most of these people came here for you."
Jonah smiled nervously, thinking how the only person he cared about was her. "Nonsense. You seem to have more admirers than I do."
Now it was her turn to smile nervously. "It's not that important. I'd rather they just forget I exist."
He shifted on his feet and gave her a small grin. "I wouldn't be able to forget you, Starling."
A sad smile graced her features. "Is that so?"
"Of course." He gave her a swift bow and held his hand out to her. "May I have this dance?"
She curtsied. "Of course."
They did not know that it would be the first and last dance they would ever share together.
Sinead Starling wanted only one person to love her.
But it seemed that he loved his music more than her.
It seemed petty of her to be so jealous. After all, she had been the one to wish for everyone to love her, regardless of her present feelings of that wish.
Why couldn't she have seen what was right in front of her?
[Because love made people blind]
"You played wonderfully tonight." He looked splendid in the lights of the ballroom, but looked very lonely as well.
He turned to face her, a tense smile on his face. She tried to hide a frown and wondered just what would be bothering him. "You look wonderful; as bright as a star."
She was not as bright as a star. She had died out.
She rolled her eyes at him playfully, but saw no amusement or teasing in his eyes. "I always look like this."
He chuckled, but there was no warmth in it like there usually was. "I suppose you do."
Suppose?
She tried to smile at him. "You seem to have a lot of admirers tonight. I wouldn't be surprised if most of these people came here for you." I did.
A nervous smile appeared on his face. "Nonsense. You seem to have more admirers than I do."
That's true, Sinead thought. But do you think I care about any of them besides you? "It's not that important. I'd rather they just forget I exist." I want to forget that my wish exists.
"I wouldn't be able to forget you exist, Starling."
Why did her heart beat so fast when she heard those words?
She smiled sadly. "Is that so?"
"Of course." He swiftly bowed and held out his hand for her to take. "May I have this dance?"
She managed to curtsy. "Of course."
Ted Starling could see everything.
He did not want to see everything.
He could see the reality of the situation before him. He could see the nervous and tense posture of the princess to be, see the erect and formal posture of the prince. He could see his sister, her face shining in the lights, her eyes dead and unlit. He could see the 'Wizard' dancing with his sister, his face calm and peaceful, but his eyes nervous and sad.
What had gone on before he had received his sight? Just how much had changed?
His sight was surely a curse.
He wished he could not see, for then he would never be able to face reality.
For fairy tales and legends were not reality.
The chaos soon came to be seen.
Somehow a fire had started, and panic was rampant around the castle. The prince had gotten separated from his bride-to-be, the musician suddenly had no words, the one loved by all was suddenly forgotten, and the once blind young man wished he could not see all that was going on.
Everything was in chaos. Everything was in ruins.
It is not possible to reveal the reason of why the fire started, or how it came to be. But once the fire started, many other disasters came to be, and, suddenly, everyone seemed to have gone mad.
Belief, wishes, and fate all come strung together on a string.
"I didn't want this!" Amy Cahill screamed at the ceiling, her desperate cry barely heard among the dozens of others. "Take it back! Please, take back my wish!"
Jonah Wizard dodged through the crowd of people, trying desperately to find a way out. "Sinead! Sinead!" But his voice was not heard.
Sinead Starling frantically looked around for a way out, unable to see above the crowd of people. "There has to be a way out."
Ted Starling coughed and stumbled through the ballroom, squinting his eyes to see through the smoke. "I can't see anything."
You can never take back a wish that has been granted. The voice echoed around the ballroom, but it seemed that they were the only ones who had heard it. I have granted your wishes, and this is the outcome. Is this not what you had wished for?
[And the clock strikes midnight]
The first girl wished for a friend, but got love instead.
But she took back her wish, and so a chandelier fell on her head.
The first boy wished for a voice so he could be heard,
But he was stabbed in the back before he could even say a word.
The second girl wished for all to love her, because she was proud and vain.
But there was one who had already fallen in love with her, and so she was poisoned so she wouldn't feel the pain.
The second boy wished for sight,
But was then set alight.
Do you believe that all that was revealed here today is true?
A/N: Okay. Here goes.
This was a one-shot that contained elements of several different fairy tales and stories and such. Jonah's story greatly resembles the story of 'The Little Mermaid' and Ted's story greatly resembles the story of 'Beauty and the Beast.' Amy's story resembles 'Snow White' and 'Cinderella' while Sinead's story… I don't know. XD Jonah wrote songs that told stories such as 'Peter Pan,' 'Aladdin,' and 'Robin Hood'. Really, this whole story was full of a bunch of fairy tales that I probably did not mention. XD
The huntsman is Evan. The merchant is Jake.
A chandelier fell on Amy's head, causing her to die.
In all of the chaos, Jonah was stabbed in the back.
Sinead poisoned herself when she had realized that she would not get out.
Ted died in the fire.
Favorite quote of this one-shot?
Hope you guys enjoyed. :)