A/N: I DO NOT OWN SHALL WE DATE?: FAIRY TALES
Shall We Date?: Fairy Tales Intro
Key:
"": Speaking
(): Thoughts
*Alakazam!*: Spell Incantation
How did this all begin, again?
One minute I was sitting in I'm room playing a new game series on my phone called 'Shall We Date?: My Fairy Tales+' the next, I sitting by a lake by a forest with an old woman carrying an old tome standing not too far from me. She had explained to me that she was trying to find her daughter, who had been tossed into a portal a few weeks ago. After telling her who I was, she recognized the necklace my mother had given me before she died a few weeks ago. She cast a spell from the tome and a silver glow surrounded her before a strand of silver came from it and circled my wrist.
I later learned that that spell was used to see if I was related to her and if I had magic. So now here I was, a year later, living with my grandmother and learning magic. Just like the character in the game I wore a purple, black and brown top with spaghetti straps, a dark red corset, a dark purple pleated short skirt that went halfway to my knees, long black sleeves with a flare at the wrists, black knee-high boots and my mother's necklace purple and silver choker with a red gem at the center and a gold gem hanging from a small chain.
I was actually good at magic and was three fourths of the way to my grandmother's level, unlike the main character in the game. There were still things I had trouble with but I worked with grandmother to pinpoint the trouble and slowly work up to fixing it. I even aced my Broom riding test.
"*Tribildy, trabildy, Triblidy-doo...*"
Right now, I was trying to contact an old friend with a mirror lake spell. Bubbles appeared on the surface of the lake responding to my magical incantation. I concentrate harder, gathering my magical strength.
"*Tribildy, trabildy, Triblidy-doo...*"
My concentration is high enough. It's time to release the power!
"*Triblidy-doo!* Connect me to Marybell!"
...Silence...
"H...huh?" I said raising an eyebrow. The fragments of change that had appeared on the water vanished before my eyes...
(I failed, huh?) I slumped to the ground, my face screwed up in annoyance. "Why does this always happen when I try to cast this spell?" (At this rate I'll never be an Enchantress like Grandma.)
I sulked for a bit but then grabbed my Magic Book. Grandma gave me a copy of hers, the original. The thing had a love/hate relationship with me. It was extremely rude, stubborn and often made fun of me, stopping me from reading the words by making them dance across the page. I was polite and kind to it, though I did get stern every once in a while, but my patience only lasts so long. "No, I won't give up. I'll give it my best shot! I'll make everyone happy with my magic. Let's try that one more time. Magical book, give me power!"
The book flipped open and as usual, the words swam.
"Cut it out already!' I said shaking the book a bit. The words finally froze. 'Thank you! Now then... trabildy... Wait no, its tribildy-doo!"
I turned to the lake once more, seeing my reflection. My sun-blonde hair was half pinned in the back and my green eyes sparkled a bit. I held up my staff, short and silver with a dark purple handle, and pointed it at the water, its tip touching it making ripples. "*Tribildy-doo, Tribilidy-doo*, Connect me to Marybell!"
Glint!
A blinding light shone on the surface of the water. The ripples on the water came to a standstill and disappeared as if swallowed up by something. The crystal-clear water reflected the light pouring down, and it became like a giant mirror.
I stared at it in shock. "I... I did it?" I suddenly laughed and cheered. "I did it! Yes!"
A hazy shadow appeared in the mirror and it slowly took shape until it turns into a familiar figure.
"Marybell!"
Marybell stood there as if she were right in front of me. She had short, blonde, wavy hair and green eyes like mine but a bit lighter. She wore her signature pink and light blue dress with gold trimmings, silver necklace with a sea blue gem and a silver and bronze tiara on her head.
"Annie? Are we connected?" Marybell asked.
I rubbed the back of my head. "Yeah! Sorry I'm late!"
Marybell's face suddenly became angry. "You're so late!"
I flinched.
"Do you know how long I've been waiting? You promised to call me right after lunch!" she shouted at me.
"You know I had trouble with this spell." I said in return.
"Idiot! Nincompoop!"
I ignored the merciless words. She can be cruel, but I knew that by bringing me down a bit, it was also deflating my ego that could be growing within me. Then she'd say words of encouragement bringing me safely up with no inflated ego. So, in a way she was helping me.
But... it IS my fault for making her wait, though.
Marybell sighed. "Well, I guess your sometimes clumsiness is one of the cutest things about you, so I'll let it slide.' She shook her head. 'I'm the only one, besides your grandmother, who knows your situation, so you'd better treat me right. Got it?"
I gave a small smile. "Yeah. Thanks for always sticking by me."
To tell the truth, the only reason I'm still a working on my magic is because of my Grandmother and Marybell's encouragement.
Like in the game, Marybell is the princess of this country. She lived on the other side of the forest. I showed her my magic when she visited the village a year ago, and we've been friends ever since... well, Frenemies.
(If she hadn't taken a shine to me and encouraged me to continue, I might have quit magic and left this world by now.)
The other villagers don't like me very much because I just appeared out of nowhere. Sure, they love Grandmother and her magic but they seem to frown on me and my magic, even after she explained to them I was her granddaughter.
"By the way, what did you want to talk to me about?"
Marybell perked up a bit. "Oh, right.' Her face became serious. 'Annie, the request I have for you affects the very future of this country."
My eyes widened but then I skeptically raised an eyebrow. "T...the future of this country?"
Marybell nodded. "The thing is, I'm going to get to meet a potential marriage partner."
I almost facepalmed. However, I placed my hand over my chin. "Yeah. You meet a different guy every week, right?' She nodded. 'You always turn them down, though."
"He might be a really great guy this time.' She seemed to bristle like an irritated cat. 'And yet, you know what? My stupid maid cut my bangs wrong!"
I sweatdropped. "I... see."
She waved her hands in the air in exasperation. "What if the meeting fails because of that? It's a national crisis!"
I sighed before looking my friend in the eye. "You still look as cute as ever, so I'm sure you'll be fine."
"No, I hate this! I won't let my cuteness go down even one percent!"
Now I really did facepalm.
She pointed at me. "That's where you come in, Annie. I know you're really good at potions so I want you to make me a potion that will grow my bangs out."
I blinked before thinking. "All right, I've never made one of those before, but I'll try to find out how it's done."
She smiled and jumped up and down in place. "Okay! I'll be there to pick it up tonight!"
I jerked back in shock. "Wait, tonight? It won't be ready in time! Are you meeting the guy tomorrow?"
Marybell shook her head. "No, next week. But if I say tonight, then I mean tonight! I've missed you, after all. I'm not going to wait any longer!"
I slumped forward and shook my head. "M... Marybell, this is crazy..."
"Shut up!' She shouted at me and I straitened in shock. 'This is an order from your princess!' I nodded so fast I swear I could be mistaken for a bobble head. 'Anyway, I'm counting on you! See you tonight! I'll be looking forward to it, tee hee!" Her image faded slowly until she had disappeared completely and the mirror-like screen returned to the glassy form of the water in the lake.
"Marybell!" I sighed realizing that she wouldn't respond nor answer the message again today seeing as she was probably already packing to get here. (I can't make a potion in full before tonight. It's too sudden!)
"Wait, this is no time to be shell-shocked! I have to start making it!" I stood up and headed to the cottage Grandmother and I lived in. I felt the stares and glares of the villagers but I ignored them. There were a few in the village who like me, the owner of the bookstore and the woman who owned the grocery store for instance. I came to the cottage and opened the door and entered the main room before swiftly yelling to Grandma that Marybell was coming tonight and needed me to make a potion for her. Reaching the underground potions lab, I placed the magic book on the bookstand said, "Magical book, lend me your strength!"
I started working on the potion immediately. Honestly most people would say it was like cooking, and they'd be partially right. It was also like repurposing old furniture. You were creating something new out of something old. After a few hours, I finally finished it.
"I... I did it!' I took the potion filled cauldron off the fire and on a side table. 'At least I think I did...' looking between the picture in the book to the stuff in the cauldron. The pictures looked alike but in the picture the top of the potion looked smooth while the other was still bubbling. 'It was supposed to stop bubbling immediately after it was taken off the fire. The mixture looks like a bottomless swamp, but I made it just as the book said, so it should be okay... Right?"
I thought for a minute. I half wanted to get Grandma ask her if it was done correctly and the other half wanted to test it out on myself to see if it works.
"Ooh!' I groaned before glaring at the Magic Book. 'If you messed up my recipe on purpose and I get in trouble with Marybell and Grandma, you'll become kindling for my next potion!' I saw the book shutter at the threat. 'I'd better try it on myself first."
I took less than a teaspoon, less than a regular drop even and place it on my bangs. (If they grow, then it works. If it grows to much then I did something wrong and the book becomes kindling.) I smiled a bit when it grew an inch. I smiled.
"Seems I did it right." I carefully ladled the rest of the potion in a bottle and labeled it as a hair growth potion and how much was needed of it to grow an inch at least. I gently placed it on a shelf where it could be easily reached yet not so easily knocked over in an accident. I nodded happy with what I made before returning to the cauldron to clean it out but first. "Alright for another day Magic Book."
The pages seemed to glow in happiness before it closed itself and flew into the bag at my hip. I began cleaning the cauldron out when a big plop of the potion still in it dropped down onto my head. "Eep!" I pulled out and panicked as my bangs started growing. "Magic Book!" I heard it come up and float in front of me. "Lead me to wherever I can find the reversal potion for this. I know Grandma has one." Through my growing hair I saw a glint. I felt what I knew was the books bond with me and it led me on.
I slowly went up the steps one by one and followed the pull towards... wherever the book was leading me. I held my hands in front of me so as not to hit something and I stopped when I found a closed door. Slowly opening it, I stumbled in and ran into a table. I felt magic tugging at my hand and I reached out to feel a potion bottle. "Thank you Magic Book."
I placed a drop or two on my head and the spell stopped. I felt magic pulling my hand again, I reached out and my hand found a pair of scissors. I gathered my hair in my other hand and cut it to the length I wanted. I blinked as the light of the unfamiliar room hit my eyes. I looked around to my left was a bookshelf filled with books, a cauldron filled to the brim with green potion, bowls filled with light purple, light blue and yellow potions and many other things connected with the Mastery of Magic that my Grandma had. Looking around, I noticed that my Magic Book returned to my bag from the corner of my eye. "Where am I? Is this Grandma's work room?"
I looked to my right and saw five doors.
The one on the far left had an image of some kind of Slipper. The door next to it had the image of an Apple. The third and middle door had the image of a Sea Shell. The fourth had the image of a Flower, and the final door on the far right had a picture of a Peppermint.
My eyes widened realizing what these doors were.
"These are... the doors from the game! Their real?" I said in awe.
I first went to the door with the Slipper and looked into the keyhole. I saw a great white castle. The door opened up to the steps that led up to the entrance. "This place is where the main character meets..."
I paused and stepped back and looked at the other doors. Pointing at each I muttered the names of the Prince/Prince-like characters behind them. I walked over to the one with the Apple and looked through that keyhole to see a small room with a large imposing mirror. "And within that mirror lies..."
I pulled away and turned to the one with the Sea Shell. Peeking through that keyhole, I saw a beautiful beach and the sea. "Beautiful..." I muttered as I could smell some of the salty sea air through the keyhole.
The door with the Flower, looking through that keyhole... "HOLY COW! I'LL BE SHRUNK IF I STEP THROUGH THIS DOOR!" For on the other side of this door was a garden with flowers as tall as trees and mushrooms as big as houses!
The last Door with the Peppermint on it had an immense forest beyond it. "Good lord! That forest is beautiful in the light of the setting sun, but isn't that the same woods where..."
I stepped back and looked at each door. I knew that if I was/am the main character of this story, I had to go through one of these doors. The problem was...
"Which one do I choose?"
Which door do YOU choose?:
Door One-The Slipper: CLICK 2
Door Two-The Apple: CLICK 3
Door Three-The Sea Shell: CLICK 4
Door Four-The Flower: CLICK 5
Door Five-The Peppermint: CLICK 6
