Summary: Mages, dragons, annoying damsels and pompous wind-bags? This can only mean one thing…Chrys is back!

Author's Note: I decided to try re-posting this, see if it does better now. Ok first time readers of my attempts at "original" fiction(and previous readers too) A couple things before we start. First, I LOVE getting reviews and please, if I'm bad, just say it (but if you ARE going to say that, please follow up with a suggestion on how I can improve) Be warned, I scrapped this story before because nobody reviewed, but since I have recently gotten a few requests for a sequel I'm putting it back up. Second, I'll be honest I'm terrible at updating, but it is because I am really busy, particularly right now and I am trying very hard to improve.

Oh, something about the characters! First, after re-reading the Original, I see that I actually made Chrys the average height for a woman (5'4) by mistake. She is 5'2 and Ella 5'1½. There are also new characters to be introduced, which you will meet soon.

~Intro~

**Once upon a time in a kingdom far, far away…

What are you doing here? We talked about this. You aren't telling MY stories!

Well excuse me for doing my job! I AM a narrator after all!

Not anymore. You're fired. Tell someone else's story. I don't want this tale twisted around so that somehow Sherry is the bad guy just because she has magic or that I'm some ugly hag because I didn't get married as soon as I was capable of bearing children. Now OUT!

Humph! I just get No respect these days!

Phew. Now that that's taken care of…lets continue.**

Chapter One- Party Crashers and Late Guests

It was a beautiful day for the official naming of the realm's new baby princess. Queen Eleanor, known as Ella to her friends and family, and her husband King Conrad were practically glowing with happiness. They were planning on naming their daughter after Ella's mother-Aria. She had wanted to name her after her sister, but Chrys had threatened (if in jest) to disown her if she "forced the name onto another innocent girl" or something. Personally, Ella liked the name, but her sister always had been…eccentric to say the least. Then again, Chrys might even have liked her name if some of those snobs hadn't always gone on about her having the "name of a gem, but the attitude of a-" and inserted a whole number of different things after that letter that were very demeaning to her free spirit.

Instead they had named the princess Aria Rose. Everyone had been invited and a feast was to be held, and no one in the kingdom, not even the lowliest of beggars were to be excluded on royal proclamation. The guest list was certainly impressive, just as it had been for the two princes. A whole manner of royalty and fairies from other realms had shown up for the party, everyone was there! Well, almost everyone. Someone was very conspicuous in their absence and the Queen wasn't the only one who had noticed. The king's cousin Derrick also seemed disappointed that the Princes' favourite (and only) Aunt wasn't there. Conrad noticed his queen's distress as she scanned the audience for a certain someone from her position behind the archway.

"She'll be here. Don't worry." He told her gently

"I know. I just hope she isn't late." She replied.

"She's always made it before." He reminded her with a smile that she returned. Just then the trumpets sounded, signalling them to start walking down the red carpet.

"Alright boys, come on." Conrad said, ushering them forward. They were to precede their parents. Ella was going to carry the baby until they got to the little crib by the thrones. Everyone bowed as their monarchs walked past, each giving the occasional nod to a row of people or a cordial smile as they walked down. They climbed the steps to the little pavilion that held the two thrones, two smaller chairs for the princes and a crib for the princess.

Ella gently placed her newborn into the crib and then sat down in her opulent golden chair. First came the presenting of the gifts from the fairies. They always came first since in general they were very busy people---or creatures in some cases. However, just before the procession began the King beckoned the Royal Chamberlain over

"You didn't invite…her did you?" he murmured

"Oh no, Majesty!" the skinny man said "No, no evil witches will disgrace this gathering by invitation!"

"Good. Just in case, make sure the guard is on alert." The King hissed just as the first fairy approached. This was a stout little elderly lady with a round and cheery face.

"I bestow the gift of beauty on little princess. Lords and Ladies everywhere will admire her." As she said this she waved her wand around over the crib and pink stardust rained down on her harmlessly.

The next one stepped forward then, or rather fluttered. She was quite small and had beautiful butterfly wings that were larger then her body as well as pointed ears.

"My gift shall be the gift of kindness. May she ever be gentle and kind-hearted" Light blue sparks fell then. It went on like this through around 4 more fairies, each bestowing a wonderful- and boringly traditional- gift: Patience, the voice of an angel, loyalty to her parent yaddy yadda yadda. However, just before the last fairy, Lucinda (who had been Ella's godmother) could come to give her gift- a black mist crept up amongst the seats and guests. There was a great deal of screaming and confusion when with a thunderous boom and a crack of black lightening and the most intimidating creature that the Royal couple had ever seen appeared.

"Malicia!" Derrick exclaimed.

Malicia was the most notorious Witch in the realm. She was one of the few who was considered evil to the bone even by her fellow magical creatures! She was even dressed for it with a black gown and cloak trimmed with dark purple and blood-red. Her face was deathly white and her eyes resembled a snake's in the fact that there were no whites and slit pupils. Right now they were blood red with black pupils, which matched her lips-those were painted dark red with a black stripe down the middle and (of course) black eye shadow with purple lashes (though how they'd gotten that way, none of the audience could figure out and were all to terrified to ask)

The first thing the evil diva did was shut and lock all the gates and exits. She then rounded on the royal family. The two princes were hiding behind their mother's skirts and their father held his wife tightly and protectively.

"You DARE!" she boomed, (quite literally, her voice seemed to be magnified somehow) "You DARE not invite ME?"

"Why would they?" Derrick asked loudly as he unsheathed his sword. Malicia laughed cruelly, pointed at him and hissed a few words. Black snake-like ropes shot from her finger and bound him from head-to-toe, also gagging him. At that same moment several other creatures appeared at Malicia's side, snarling and snapping.

Then the witch turned back to the King and Queen, then down to the little baby in the crib who had started wailing. In a heartbeat Ella wrenched herself from her husband's protective grasp and snatched her baby out of the tiny bed, clutching the infant to her.

"I too have something to bestow upon the little Princess. After all, what's life without a few roadblocks?" Malicia purred. However as she raised her hands to work some more magic, a glittering white lasso caught her wrist and went taught as the roper yanked it, pulling their captive down the stairs to land on her back with a yell of fury

"I know what you mean about the roadblocks," said a hooded figure as she stood over her and pulled off her hood…

"But I'm afraid I just can't allow you to go around cursing my niece." A petite woman with shoulder-length blonde hair who could have been the Queen's double said in a mockingly polite voice.

"You insolent little…" Malicia started as she got to her feet

"Oh, bring it on!" The Heroine shot back, motioning with her hands for her adversary to show her what she could do. Then the witch suddenly stopped, and looked to be sizing her up.

"No. Why would I waste my time on you?" she laughed as she sent a tidal wave of black magic which looked to engulf the hero---or heroine. However, after a moment a light flared from inside the beneath to cloud of black smoke and The Queen's sister was twirling a glittering shield.

"Oh please. An engulfment hex? Ha! You'll have to better than that. I mean come on that move is showy, but pa-thetic! Then again, that seems to sum you up rather well." She said, circling around and looking at the sorceress with a critical eye and a bored expression. "Let's see: Glamoured forked tongue and slitted eyes," she sniffed the air "Sulphur and brimstone perfume, with…ooo-is that a hint of peppermint?"

'Yes I got it cheap from a travelling merchant." The witch said lightly.

"How cheap?"

"Let's just say, I got his supplies and he got to keep his life, if not his shape." She replied, patting the head of one of the creatures.

"Ach! Transfiguration! Does this witch not have any new tricks?" a new voice with a heavy Scottish accent asked dryly.

"Hey!" exclaimed another new voice indignantly; this one clearly female.

Everyone looked up to the sky to see two people sitting on a flying carpet. One was small and had reddish brown hair and beard whilst the other was an exotic-looking woman with dark skin and a band with dangling jewels and coins across her forehead.

"Sorry, sorry, evil witch. Happy?" The dwarf shot back at the woman.

"Not really, but I suppose we should get on with it." She replied

"Hey! You two! Slowpokes! Down here!" Chrystal yelled up. With an inquiring shrug she demanded "What took you so long?"

"Well someone just had to hit the out-house first." The woman called down, throwing the dwarf a dirty look

"Have you EVER ridden this thing? It's worse then being on a boat in a hurricane!" the Dwarf argued. Just then Malicia decided to attack again and the girl on the ground had to throw up the shield once more.

"Well just a little help would be useful here!" she called back up.

"You know I think you can handle it." The woman said teasingly as she played with one of the many charms attached to her colourful outfit.

"Normally I'd agree with you," the hero started, slashing at one of the creatures as it approached her, "Except that having one's attention divided really extends the take-down time and these people want to get back to their party." She said pointing a thumb at the royal family then added, "Plus I kind of want to be in one piece as I go on about how my nephews have grown."

"Wait a moment." Malicia stated, momentarily halting her attack "You're HER sister?" she asked, pointing at Ella. Everyone looked around with comical expressions of confusion at the Witch's question. By this time they were quite enjoying the scene which was actually providing good entertainment.

"Um, not meaning to sound rude," the girl on the carpet said as they glided down to the ground, the dwarf took over and continued

"But, come on! You don't see the family resemblance? Queen Eleanor, Chrystal the Heroine, twins…ringing any bells?" Malicia looked at one of her creatures and they both shrugged.

"Ah well, no matter. Shall we continue?"

"Yes lets. Except, change of dance partners. You take her Sherry. Let's wrap this up quickly." Then turning to the fairies she said sarcastically, "Feel free to lend a hand at any time!"

"We can't. We used up our powers for the day and Lucinda needs to save her magic." The little one with the wings said. The heroine rolled her eyes. They could be so useless sometimes.

After that they were finished pretty quickly. Sherry, the good Sorceress, had Malicia defeated and locked up in record time; Chrys untied Derrick and then helped the dwarf, Humphrey round up the creatures. In traditional fashion as soon as the evil "Witch" was defeated and locked into a little mini-cage her spells all broke.

"Hey! My old staff!" One of the fairies exclaimed as the black "stick of death" or whatever Malicia had called it turned into a charming little work of mahogany with an emerald at the center. The winged Fairy Godmother fluttered up to take it and Humphrey started stammering.

"I was wondering where that had disappeared to." She muttered. The Sorceress and Chrys groaned as the red-bearded dwarf tried to flirt and ended up stammering incoherently.

"Come on lover-boy." The heroine's female companion told him, dragging him by the ear over to the large table and their seats. Their partner in the mean time blew her hair out of her eyes, turned to her relatives with a wide, brilliant, but also sheepish smile that screamed oh-I-know-I'm-going-to-get-it-now look on her face and said brightly

"Sorry I'm late."

A.N: I know I haven't introduced the two new characters very well in this. I started out an introduction for them, but it just got too long winded. Don't worry; they'll get introduced/explained.