Disclaimer: Fan made by fans for fans. I do not own these characters. Chris Carter and FOX do. Please don't sue.

Summary: "I will find my Most Precious Thing and I will restore my kingdom." An X-Files Fairy Tale.

A/N: I've always wanted to write an X-Files fairy tale, and having someone read it to William just felt right.

A/N2: Originally written back in 2003, updated in 2016, but never posted anywhere.

Most Precious Thing

An X-Files Fairy Tale

-x-x-x-x-

Once upon a time, in a far away land, there lived a Young Prince. He was a small, sad, and lonely thing because one night while he lay sleeping, an Evil Magician took a Most Precious Thing away from him. Everyone mourned the loss of the Most Precious Thing, and soon, the kingdom fell into ruins.

"One day," said the Young Prince, "I will find my Most Precious Thing and I will restore my kingdom."

Many years passed. The Young Prince grew into a kind, smart, and handsome young man. When he became of age, he left his sad, little kingdom and began his quest for his Most Precious Thing.

The Young Prince traveled to many places, large and small, bright and dingy, good and bad. He met many different people who told him many different tales about the Evil Magician and how he had taken their Most Precious Things.

Seeing all this, the Evil Magician said, "The Young Prince must never find his Most Precious Thing. We needs stop him." He then sent many servants out to all the kingdoms, spreading false tales to confuse the Young Prince.

But despite all the obstacles sent his way, the Young Prince searched still, determined to find his Most Precious Thing.

Thus did the Evil Magician come up with a plan. "I will send someone to watch over him, stay by his side, and gain his trust. Someone who will convince him that the false tales are true and the true false. But this person must not know that it is I that sends him. Who could this someone be?"

One day, the Evil Magician came upon a Young Maiden from a small, beautiful kingdom that had not yet felt his magic. She was smart, kind, and beautiful, but most of all, she was sensible. The stories she had heard about the Evil Magician and stolen things were just fairy tales to her.

Disguised as an old wise man, the Evil Magician told her about the Young Prince and his quest for his Most Precious Thing. So moved by the Young Prince's devotion to his quest, the Young Maiden happily agreed to accompany the Young Prince.

At first, the Young Prince would not like the Young Maiden. He thought her a spy sent by the Evil Magician to disrupt him and his quest. But the Young Maiden was so smart, so kind, and so beautiful, he could not help but love her.

The Young Maiden did all she could to convince the Young Prince that the stories he had heard were only fairy tales. But as she traveled with him, she saw with her own eyes the many wondrous things she had only heard about in fairy tales. She came to believe in the Young Prince, and soon, his quest became hers.

The Evil Magician became furious for his plan had failed. Instead of just the Young Prince to stop, he now had the Young Maiden to stop as well.

And so he took the Young Maiden while the Young Prince slept, just like the Most Precious Thing.

The Young Prince became crazed. So great was his pain, that he fought through to the heart of the Evil Magician's kingdom to find the Young Maiden and kill the Evil Magician.

The Evil Magician saw all this and became afraid. The Young Prince must not know why he needed the Most Precious Things. So he made the Young Maiden sickly and sent her to a tiny kingdom far, far away.

When the Young Prince came to kill the Evil Magician, the Evil Magician stopped him, saying, "She is dying. You can kill me or save her. You cannot do both." He then showed the Young Prince a vial with the Young Maiden's cure.

Grabbing the vial, the Young Prince dashed off to save the Young Maiden. He spent days traveling without stopping for bread or water or sleep until he found the kingdom the Evil Magician had told him of, hidden far away in the mountains at the end of the world. The sickness left her and she awoke when he gave her the cure.

"Did you find the Most Precious Thing stolen from you by the Evil Magician?" asked the Young Maiden.

"No," the Young Prince replied. "It is forever gone with naught left but starlight, used up by him and his plans to rule over us all."

"And what of the Evil Magician?"

"I left him to save you."

"But why?"

"You are my Most Precious Thing," the Young Prince said to the Young Maiden, his eyes glistening with tears. "With you, I will restore my kingdom."

-x-x-x-x-

"It took many years, but together, the Young Prince and Young Maiden defeated the Evil Magician. They returned to the Young Prince's kingdom where they lived happily ever after."

She looked at her sleeping son. Lovingly, she tucked the boy into bed and softly stroked his hair before kissing his forehead.

"Goodnight William. Sweet dreams."