Prologue
Endless curse, endless cures, each lifetime, each generation more elaborate and passionate than before. The cycle has remained intact for centuries, perhaps millennia. With each new tale, new opportunities open for both hero and villain to interact as the oblivious world continues to explore around the characters. Only for a few decades at a time in sporadic waves of unknown prevalence does the story convert fiction to fact. During the times however, when the saga does not take place, inventions are made, theories are drawn, and the vast world becomes gradually smaller. It is the 300th continuation of this cycle that this story takes place. A time when fairies and dragons have hidden themselves, becoming nothing more than myth, while the legendary hero and villain have been all but forgotten under the din of the bustling ships that fly far higher than even the clouds the home of the original hero rested upon thousands of years beforeā¦
The shrill voice urged the child forward. This was not supposed to happen, how could she have been found? The small lavender palms of the pixie prodded the infant; the golden haired baby she had spotted could have been no more than two. No, spotted is inadequate in this situation. Iridia, the pixie, had not spotted this girl, she had been tailing her from the moment she was lead from the only haven for the young girl within 100 kilometers. The forest was vast. A gemlike emerald hue speckled the many trees surrounding the two in their immediate vicinity, while a darker jade enhanced the trees further in the background, giving the whole scene the semblance that it glowed. Unsurprisingly, this radiant woodland housed many creatures, some even that had been long deemed folklore. The pixies rarely divulged their presence to the 'ever-innovative' humans, yet their impish nature and their desire to deceive the species had left the knowledge of their existence in the hands of their larger, peach skinned, counterparts.
Iridia had no particular interest in the boorish species. It was much more rewarding to prank one of her own kind. The challenge of trickery and the pride she felt when receiving reactions from her peers was far more incentive for Iridia; more than a dull-faced genus with colorless skin would ever surmount. Still, she knew the importance of this small girl, peachy as she was. Though she may insult, scare, and perhaps even scathe the Blondie, under no circumstance would she leave her to fall into the calloused hands; give her to a man whose piercing features matched the fiery color of blood that would trail behind his reign. His most terrifying aspects, or so she had heard anyways, were his garnet eyes that shone crimson as they flashed with bloodlust and his horrendously devilish grin as he scored his unwilling victims. Seemed a little far-fetched, even to the pixie but, playful as she was, Iridia lacked the curiosity to unravel the mystery knowing that, if true, these features would haunt her slowly in her frozen state of horror as the reaper sent her swiftly to the grave. More importantly, regardless of her interest, Iridia had to prioritize the safety of the girl, the only one able to triumph.
Lynnette ran as fast as she could. The small purple fairy hovered next to her. Tired of running for so long, but terrified to rest in fear of the petit pointy devil with wings, she continued. She was unsure of why she needed to move so fast, completely unaware of the urgency her situation entailed. Hours before she had stumbled out of her village. A shimmering butterfly had drawn her attention as it gracefully fluttered past her. This tiny insect guided the tiny idol from her sanctuary meant to leave her undetected from the prying eyes of unwanted fans until her debut. Unknown to either Lynnette or Iridia, however, the silver winged creature was not guiding by the golden child by mistake.
The malevolent king had learnt of his role in the legend far before the cogs had been set to turn and tick. The clockwork tower had been misaligned, the story's clockmaker, though flawless each time before, had turned the hourglass too soon. This fatal mistake would be the last, as the sudden stress on the glass would cause it to shatter, and each carefully aligned particle of sand seeped untamed, unguided, into the unknown chasm that laid below.
The girls had been running for what seemed to be a timeless reign. The pixie was infuriated that the girl would be so stupid as to ignore the words of her elders. She was not to leave the village; Melidia would be scolded for allowing her daughter to be so free-willed. The village was embedded in a valley between rugged mountains. The location of Lynnette's birth had been prime for her safety. There was one main path that led to the village. Lynnette had run straight through the pebbled pass, and had strayed far into the woods before the pixie had managed to alert the child of her presence. They had wandered deep into the wooded area surrounding the hidden town, and had somehow found themselves getting further from the goddess barrier protecting the girl as their intended route was continuously blocked by new terrain, altered from when they had run by before.
As they continued to stray further from the haven, the pixie became increasing aware of the creeping darkness. Her internal sense of the danger was heightened as the sparkling hues of the forest, slowly dimmed and became ashen, dulled by the dwindling illumination. Eventually, her own craven nature allowed her to draw the horrifying conclusion; the changing path of the forest was intentional. The exaggerated shadows looming closer each time the third hand passed the clock drew her attention to the abnormal speed the darkness was spreading. Her realization, however, would be unable to pierce the foreboding shade that minute-by-minute etched closer. The edge of the barrier, even unknown to Iridia, was less then a mile beyond their trail. The darkness soon encompassed the duo. Lynnette soon grew weary and even the jarring jabs of her jagged escort could not prevent her liquidized legs to crumble beneath her. A scarlet hint flashed in the corner of the pixie's eyes. She realized, much too late, that she had driven the girl from the very barrier she strove desperately to return her to.
