Strange Magic Week
Author's Disclaimer: No, I don't own Strange Magic, or any songs I make reference to. I heard belatedly about Strange Magic Week, and I wanted to participate, even if I do not have a tumblr. Because I like the topics. It was suggested that you should put your iPod on shuffle and choose songs, so I sort of did that and chose theme songs from my iPod. This one was is an AU, with fairies and goblins, but with the addition of being a soulmates AU. The way they tell is through song, of course. It starts out similarly to Strange Magic, but it will diverge. It is sort of an arranged marriage, just arranged by fate. I hope you enjoy!
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Day Four: Wedding/Arranged Marriage – Butterfly Bog and Potionless
Songs: I Will and I Want to Hold Your Hand by the Beatles
"If music be the food of love, play on."
For almost everyone in both the Light Fields and Dark Forest, that first part was true.
For certain others within these lands, they preferred what the Bard said after, "Give me excess of it, that surfeiting, the appetite may sicken, and so die."
The sooner everyone had enough, the sooner love died, which made it better for all, in their minds. One wanted it to go away, and another wanted to eradicate it.
Princess Marianne had believed in love for most of her life. She heard the tale from her father many a time after her mother died, he telling her how a partial song had appeared in his head one day, and after trying to get rid of it with other songs for months, he realized that it was his "heart song", the song that his future wife and queen would one day sing and finish for him.
Once he and his wife sang their song together at their wedding, "Can't Help Falling in Love with You", the song became an instant classic. Marianne sometimes had songs stuck in her head as she went to bed, but no song ever stuck out.
Then, one day, Roland had strutted into her life, singing her parents' song to her, and she finished it without thinking. She thought they were meant to be together (never mind that everyone knew the song) based on the way Roland acted, where she got to the point of getting engaged to him, despite doubts, because that seemed to be the only song that came to her. No couple had ever shared a heart song with another, but who knew? Why could the song not be passed down within a family, especially the royal family?
Time after time, even to the point that she wondered if singing the song that much was strictly necessary, Roland would ask her to sing with him, and each time she replied, "If you want me to, I will."
Each time, she fell in love with him more. And then the wedding day came.
She came upon Roland by accident, but he was not singing their song. It was a different song, one she had heard him sing before on occasion, and another girl was completing it. Then they kissed. That was when Marianne realized that Roland was a two-faced cheater who was only marrying her to become king. Then she changed, to hating love.
Still, she never stopped saying that phrase in response to questions asked by worried family members, and the night that she discovered Roland's cheating ways, she heard a melody in her head. It was soft and sweet, very familiar with its swaying beat, and it contrasted greatly with the anger and loneliness she felt after Roland's betrayal.
Now, it was a well-known fact that a couple's heart song was always of the soft and sweet variety, but Marianne figured that the melody she heard was some lullaby that she just now remembered from her childhood. The song made her sway and nod off into sleep, filling her with a sense of contentment for the first time that day.
That song lulled her to sleep for many nights to come in the wake of the Roland misunderstanding and her father's encouragement to give Roland a second chance.
And each night, all the pain and loneliness drifted away with the lullaby that spoke to her more than she realized, as it seemed to ask her to put aside those worries. As a result, she drifted off sometimes, singing her trademark phrase in response to go with the lullaby, "If you want me to, I will."
For a year, the Fairy Princess dealt with the problems of having a boy-crazy sister, pushy dad, and stalkerish ex as she ignored and fought against love in all its forms. Then the Spring Festival happened.
Marianne's world was turned upside down when Dawn was taken, and the King of the Dark Forest would pay for doing so.
And why was her sister taken? Because of love, in particular a love potion. Brought by Sunny, of all people!
Some people never found their partner in song and life (or did not like the one chosen for them by fate), so they resolved to fix it by seeking out the Sugar Plum Fairy, who made love potions until she crossed the King of the Dark Forest, never to be seen again. Marianne had felt a little bad at first for the fairy, but then Marianne was glad to have that kind of disgusting love removed.
All the same, Marianne still had to go into the Dark Forest and get her sister back, and she was going to put the king's head on a stick if she had to.
She found his castle, and she crashed in, just as he had crashed the Spring Festival, destroying someone else's plans in the process. She came in singing, after using her parent's love song as a means of making herself angry, because of its association with Roland.
In their second interaction, Bog and Marianne fought to a standstill, as they matched each other well, and in the process, they discovered their equal on the battlefield.
Better yet, at least in Griselda's eyes, the two shared a similar taste in music, which was seen as a good indication in any couple (and which Marianne should have seen as her sign that she and Roland were not meant to be, as they always disagreed). Both had been belting out the rock songs, and Griselda decided to use that to her advantage and see if she could get grandchildren, as the love-dusted girl seemed to clash with her Bog too much.
After seeing Dawn in her love-dusted state and growing hopeless about a cure, the two went back upstairs and were left alone, and they began to talk, their newfound respect for one another making it easier to speak. Somehow, in that short span of time, they had managed to find something in another, something familiar and good, allowing them to be more open with the other. It was like magic, but not.
Suddenly, music could be heard in the background, and both stopped talking to groan in displeasure at the sweet tones they heard.
"What's that awful racket?" asked Marianne, shifting to be ready to fight whoever was insulting her ears.
"I think it's those two idiot henchmen of mine, Stuff and Thang. No doubt they are being forced by my mother, the only one who would play and sing 'Good Feeling' in such a high-pitched, sing-song way that annoys me," said Bog, enjoying the look of Marianne ready to rage against the poorly chosen music.
"It annoys me as well, because it reminds me of…. Other songs I dislike," she said, calming down and looking at the ground at the thought of love songs.
Bog slumped a little at her lack of fire, all because of love. It annoyed him for reasons he could not explain. He tried to bring her to him, to see her eyes, by saying, "You can say it out loud, Tough Girl. Love songs. That's what this reminds you of, right? Those stupid love songs."
"Yes," said Marianne, facing Bog again with renewed passion at hearing the songs be called such by someone other than herself.
"You're not alone, Tough Girl. I have love, especially in the form of love potions and sweet songs, annoying and trite as they are. I would remove all the silly love songs from the world if I could."
"I'll help you," said Marianne, half-joking, half-serious. "Anything to make it stop. Who needs love?"
"Not I," said Bog, pounding his chest with pride. "It's dangerous."
"I'll say. It makes you do and say stupid thing you would never do otherwise, ignoring your better judgement."
"What you mean is that love defies all logic, right?" asked Bog with a smile, using his previous words to see if it struck a chord with her.
"Yes, exactly!" agreed Marianne. "Love is illogical and stupid, and everyone tried to force you into it. What's wrong with not wanting it?"
"Exactly the same thing I say to my mother," said Bog, surprised to hear that, "but she doesn't believe me. I wish she could have heard you say that."
Bog was pleased to find a fellow love-hater at last. The thought relaxed him, some part of his heart's armor weakening at finding someone with the same defenses. He wanted to explore, to know her better. He motioned for her to sit, now feeling as though he had known her for a long time, this beautiful, fiery, fairy princess.
When Marianne smiled and thanked him by taking the seat closest to him (instead of any of the further ones), Bog felt a twinge of something go through him. He remembered that feeling, and thought it had died all those years ago when his love had not completed his heart song and had been immune to the love potion, all because he was too hideous to love.
But why was that twinge rearing its ugly head now? He would never find love, and it certainly was not with a fairy, one as beautiful and different as she was. His first instinct was to draw away from Marianne to protect his heart, but then she spoke, and he found himself drawing closer, because somehow she understood his pain.
"Believe me when I say that I know all too well what it's like to have pushy parents. My father keeps pushing me at one guy that I don't love, and he won't change his mind, even when the evidence in front of him is glaringly obvious. How do you get through to such people?"
Bog shook his head sadly, wishing he had a better answer.
"You don't, in my experience. Instead, you just yell and threaten them until they leave you alone some of the time. It sucks."
"You can say that again," said Marianne, resting her chin on her left hand as she leaned in closer to Bog.
"And the worst part of them always reminding you of your single state is that you're reminded that-"
Bog stopped for a moment, now shy and not wanting to finish what he started and admit how he felt out loud. But Marianne knew and finished it for him.
"You're still alone and lonely," she said, her head and hand dropping as she finished his sentence, remembering how it felt.
"Yes, that's it. Lonely," agreed Bog, looking carefully at Marianne and watching the drawn look in her eyes. Someone had hurt her, and she was still suffering for it, probably through no fault of her own.
In that moment of seeing and sharing that pain, Bog actually considered reaching out to Marianne. He did not like touching others, as it always felt cold and forced, but somehow, he knew that she would appreciate it, to know that, at least in that instance, she was not alone. So he did just that.
The fairy was surprised to feel the dry, rough hand of Bog on her arm, but she did like it, the warmth it gave, especially when he looked at her with that earnest look in his eyes. He looked gentle, kind, and to actually care about her, seeing through everything. No one just knew that, not even Dawn after all that time. How could he know? Why did it matter to him?
The answer was the beginning of that lullaby as it began to go off in her head, comforting her the way Bog was doing so at that moment, and she knew that it did not matter, good or bad, how she felt, as Bog would understand and still reach out because that was the type of guy he was. He would always feel the same way about her.
How could she know all that about him? She had just met him, for goodness sake! It was not as though they were soulmates or in love….
But such a thought still shook Marianne. Was she falling in love with him? He was only trying to be kind.
"Why don't we, ah, stretch our wings? I think I've enjoyed sitting long enough," said Marianne, in an attempt to put some space between her and Bog.
Bog saw that it was abrupt, but assumed it was because he had left his arm there for too long. He agreed, and the twinge in his chest expanded when he saw Marianne's wings illuminated by moonlight. He was in deep trouble, and he knew it.
The thing was that they were in his lands, and Marianne would dislike it. Then she would leave him, or he would leave her since he needed a mate, a queen, who would love and care for their subjects and land properly. He had no idea what she looked like ruling, but he imagined her the type to care. He showed her his home to see if what he was starting to feel could last.
Bog was astonished to see his interest in Marianne grow. She amazed him at each stop, asking questions and showing genuine interest in what happened in the Dark Forest. Even better, when they flew about with him pointing out sights and plants, Marianne smiled and began to sing at moments. He did not sing often, except to make an impression, but with her, he could just sing the songs he loved, and they harmonized well together.
As they harmonized, Bog realized that he was not alone anymore, especially as they flew in circles, around one another, heading toward the brambles. Marianne understood, and she still wanted to know more about this dark, strange world.
His confidence dropped when he saw Marianne get stuck in the brambles and back away in fear. He had hurt her, and he wanted to help, to get that fear out of her eyes. It did not belong on Marianne.
He held out his hand to try to help her past it, and she made her own realization, that she did not have to be alone anymore. She could do anything she wanted, but she could accept help sometimes. She did not have to do it all alone.
Marianne took the help offered by Bog, even allowing herself to be held against Bog's chest, to Bog's great pleasure.
This he wanted. He wanted this more than anything else, even more than he had wanted his first love to love him back. This desire hurt because of how deep he felt it.
And he reveled in it. He never wanted to let go of her again.
He showed her his caverns, his special place, where they could share their love of music by creating some of their own music, and experience the strange magic that seemed to have come over them as they talked more.
Marianne felt that strange magic as well as Bog held her close and showed her the caves. It seemed to seep into her being, filling her with a sense of peace and joy that she had not felt in her waking hours in a long time, since before the Roland misunderstanding. She had never felt that comfortable in someone else's presence, so it had to be the magic of the night, not love. Love could not do that, bring strangers together and find solace in another. Love was not that strong.
Once the couple left the caverns, Bog lead Marianne toward a flower meadow, as there was a particular flower he wanted to give her. Once they were out of the brambles for the return flight, both had stubbornly held on to their position, with Bog's arms around her waist. When it became awkward, they broke apart, with Marianne flying circles around Bog, so happy and free. She even sang about the strange magic that seemed to feel, and Bog joined in.
They stopped singing when Bog placed a flower in Marianne's hair, his eyes admiring the wild beauty that Marianne represented. Soon, his eyes fell on hers, which had been locked on his ever since he started to put the flower in her hair.
As their eyes met, the two leaned in without thinking, and Bog let his hand rest against Marianne's cheek. She leaned into the warm touch, and he closed the distance between them, sharing a long, chaste kiss.
Even after they stopped kissing, they still leaned their foreheads against the other's, sharing a look. After a time, it turned into a staring contest, both wearing amused grins as they pulled away and tried to make strange faces to make the other blink. They blinked too close to know who won, so they just laughed and headed toward the castle, trying to claim the victory.
Once back at the castle, they went in search of the Sugar Plum Fairy, determined to find a cure for Dawn. The blue fireball of pure magic told them a riddle before answering it herself (since both hated riddles, almost as much as they hated love) by telling them of That Fateful Day.
Bog stayed quiet and watched Marianne's expression to see whether he had any hope. He knew he was falling in love with her, and if he knew her a little better, he would even consider singing a part of his heart song to her, to see what happened. He was truly curious to see if the information would help, for Dawn and himself.
As it turned out, the story did not seem to help Dawn. Dawn had never truly been in love before (or so they thought) to be able to look into her beloved's eyes, nor had she shared a heart song with him, so she was in trouble.
The story helped him decided for himself, though. When Marianne understood what Bog had gone through, she told him about Roland and all the heartbreak and loneliness that she had felt since, how she had doubted herself with him and after.
"I can't imagine you not ever being confident, Tough Girl."
"Oh, believe me, I used to be like Dawn and flitted through life," said Marianne, shuttering at the thought of her old self, "believing Roland that he had my best interests, that I was wrong. Then things changed, and I became different. I had always been a little different in general because I liked to fight, but then I fully embraced my differences."
"I'm glad you did, Tough Girl. It suits you. You're different, and I like your kind of different. If only I weren't so different, so ugly."
Marianne was quick to respond and make him look at her as she spoke, cupping his face with force. Bog was shocked into listening.
"You're not that much more different than me, Bog. You're just a goblin, is all. I enjoy talking to you so much because you are different."
"Fine, I'm not that odd, but I am hideous."
"Not in my eyes," said Marianne, touching his face more to prove her point. Bog stared on, unblinking and mouth gaping.
Marianne continued by saying, albeit with more pauses due to its complimentary nature, "We must have different standards of beauty, based on the looks of your first love, but even so, I don't think you hideous. You're tall and all angles, a good kind of different."
Marianne knew that she was about to sound sappy if she continued on, but she wanted to make a point. But, Bog interrupted before she could make a complete fool of herself. Now he was putting his hands on her shoulders.
"So we're both different, even by our own standards. Nothing wrong with that. We've been alone this long, and we could do it longer if we had to," said Bog, squeezing her shoulders.
He knew his heart song was threatening to break free. The difference now was that, unlike before, he felt comfortable trying to do so. He was not afraid. It was still a risk, but he felt the connection, and he had to know.
"But we don't have to be completely alone," added Marianne quickly. "We can if we choose to since so few understand us as well as we do one another."
"Agreed," he replied, letting his thumbs glide up her neck. "I don't feel as though I have known you for less than one day. It feels like more, so much more."
Bog paused a moment to see if Marianne would add more, and when she did not, he cleared his throat. He felt awkward, but he had to know if this connection was real. He started singing softly.
"You know I've always loved you. You know I love you still. Will I wait a lonely lifetime-"
Bog knew more after that, but he also realized that that was the point at which his mate should know and would sing to complete. He waited, stiff and tall.
Marianne recognized the tune Bog sang immediately, the lullaby she had gotten to know so well over the past year. She was very surprised to hear him sing words to it, after she had assumed there were no words. But wait, what did she always drift off to sleep saying?
Marianne opened her mouth as though she had something to say or sing, and then a trumpet was heard. She closed her mouth in confusion, and the moment was lost.
In that moment, Bog felt a little part of his heart die again, and he deflated after the lack of song, his heart seemingly being thrown to the ground. Then he realized who those trumpets belonged to.
"You played me! And to think that I, that, almost thought that, even sang a little-"
Bog jumped away from Marianne, and Marianne was confused by the lack touch between them. Bog continued.
"Oh yes, love is dangerous, and I won't make that mistake again. Excuse me, princess. I have an army to defeat," he said, pushing her aside and heading toward the castle entrance.
Marianne followed after the initial shock, asking him to wait, pleading her innocence. Bog would not listen anymore to her, his blue eyes now blank and cold.
It was his eyes that stunned her, not the shove he gave her, pushing her back so forcefully. That connection, that sense that she was not alone, was gone. It burned her inside. She would have lost her balance were it not for Griselda putting her arms out to catch her.
"What's happened, Marianne? What's my Bog done?"
"He's within his right, but he assumed wrong. He, he, he started to sing that song I know. I need him to believe me."
"Which song?" asked Griselda, grasping onto that first, gripping Marianne's arms.
"It sounds a little like a lullaby, so soft and sweet. He sang of love and loneliness."
Griselda's eyes widened in recognition before she hummed a little of it.
"Do you know that song, Marianne?"
"Yes," she said with an eager nod. "For the last year, I hear it at night, as I fall asleep. I thought it was just a melody that I made up in my head, or was a lullaby my family used to sing to me."
"That's no ordinary melody. Go to him, quickly. Sing what you know of the song, no matter what. He must hear it. He must," said Griselda, giving her most pleading look.
Marianne agreed to do as she was asked, flying off to find Bog. She came in just in time for Roland to waltz in.
"Buttercup! There you are! I was worried that they would eat you or take you prisoner. Don't worry. I'm here now."
Roland puffed out his chest and posed, making Bog gag.
Marianne gave her ex a withering look as she said, "I can take care of myself just fine, Roland. I told Father that I would take care of this on my own, not with you or an army. Go home."
Marianne hoped that Bog was listening. She was looking at Roland, so she had no way of seeing that Bog was shocked by that information.
"I got the love potion, Buttercup. You didn't," said Roland smugly. "I'm the one doing the saving now, so if the King of the Goblins will just bring out what was promised-"
"Dawn is a who. She's my sister, you moron," growled Marianne, making Roland take a slight step back before continuing.
"Either way, it's time to trade. What do you say, Goblin King?"
Bog did not care about Dawn. He just wanted Marianne. He was not sure if he wanted her more to fight with and yell at her about this misunderstanding, or if he wanted her for himself, to kiss and sing to, despite what she had already done. He must enjoy pain, as he wanted her and all that she brought.
"Trade is for Dawn only. Marianne is mine."
The voice Bog used, dark and threatening with promise at the end, left little to the imagination, and it certainly spurred Roland on.
"No way! The princesses are a package deal-"
"Maybe to you, you low-down, lying, cheating, crown-stealing-"
"Marianne," said Bog, putting a hand on her shoulder, "He's not worth it."
"I still want to punch him," said Marianne with a scowl.
"Get in line behind me," barked Bog, stepping between Marianne and Roland.
But Roland was still stuck on what Bog had previously said, disgust and pity in his voice as he spoke.
"What do you mean, yours? She'll never be yours. She's mine," said Roland with pride, stepping up to Bog. "She's my fiancé."
Bog was stunned and did not know what to do or say. So he stood there (albeit not long) until Marianne started to laugh at Roland's nonsense. Then her mood changed quickly.
"I am not and will never be yours, Roland!" shouted Marianne, ducking and rushing ahead so that she could punch Roland in the nose.
The pretty boy fell back after being punched, and then he tripped and landed on the ground.
"Boggy?" asked Dawn, appearing from below and flitting toward Bog.
"Bog," he answered, correcting Dawn out of habit as she embraced him.
Roland saw the interaction and gagged, provoking Marianne to kick him.
"Roland, you big meanie! You don't know my Boggy Woggy Kingy Wingy like I do," screamed Dawn as she rushed to stand over Roland in protest. Then Marianne placed herself between her sister and her ex.
Bog watched in horror as Roland took the time between Dawn running up and Marianne rushing between them to sit up and get excited to see Marianne get closer. Then, the blond was up in a flash, sword in hand, and he grabbed hold of Marianne, holding the sword to her throat and making sure that her sword was far from her.
"As I said earlier, Marianne is mine. Seeing as Dawn's love-dusted, no point in bringing her back or doing the trade, so I'm just going to head back home with my fiancé now. Say goodbye, Marianne. Let's go home," he said with a leer, before winking at Bog smugly.
Bog tried to move, but then three male fairies pushed him and Dawn away, giving time for Roland to make his exit with Marianne.
Once out of the castle, Marianne, who had been fighting Roland the whole time, saw that Roland was uncorking the love potion. She put all her energy into one last assault, elbowing and kicking until she was free. At that point, she flew down to a nearby guard and took his sword, allowing her to start fighting Roland. He held back the love potion as he retreated.
"What's the matter, Roland? Afraid of losing to a girl?"
"No, Sugar Pie, it's not that. It's just not right to fight a lady because we all know who'd win. Me, of course."
Marianne charged at Roland, forcing him to swing and fight her. They continued to fight until the Fairy King could be seen in the distance, and so Roland tried one last time to use the love potion.
It was at that moment that all the goblins, who had been crawling into position, then screamed and attacked the fairy army. Bog led them, flying in to save Marianne.
Just as Roland threw the love potion, Bog pushed his love out of the way, toward her sister. Marianne cried out in pain and anger at Bog sacrificing himself for her, especially when the potion was a direct hit. Bog saw Roland first.
Roland's first reaction was to shiver in disdain, but when he looked at all the goblins around him, he smiled. Suddenly, he was all too pleased to have control of Bog. Roland knew that the goblins would do whatever their king told them to do, so all he had to do was prove that he was in charge of the king, and then all the goblins would follow his orders. The easiest way to prove his dominance was to have Bog sing, since the heart song signaled complete surrender to the beloved.
"Looks like you and your army are mine. Stand by me and sing for me, Goblin King."
Of course, Roland did not think that Bog actually had a soulmate, someone as repulsive as himself. It did not matter if Bog sang the heart song there or not, since no one could complete the song.
All looked on in horror as Bog flew toward Roland and then turned around to face everyone, getting himself in position to sing his heart out. He started to sing once in position.
"You know I've always loved you. You know I love you still. Will I wait a lonely lifetime-"
Marianne knew what to do when she heard Bog start to sing. She slowly made her way toward Bog, until her part came. Then she sang with him, "If you want me to, I will."
Bog's eyes widened as realization came. He continued.
"For if I ever saw you. I didn't catch your name."
Marianne heard his lyrics, and the song seemed to burst from her, the words she had said before but never fully understood why were now flowing out of her.
"But it never really mattered. I will always feel the same."
They sang the next part of the song together.
"Love you forever, and forever. Love you with all my heart. Love you whenever we're together. Love you when we're apart."
At that point, the couple reached one another and embraced. Marianne leaned against Bog's chest, and he nuzzled the top of his soulmate's head.
As the two embraced, several things happened. First, the Fairy King fainted. Second, Dawn began to fly toward the couple to take back her Boggy Woggy, until Sunny yelled at her and asked her to come down. Dawn saw the tears in Sunny's eyes and went to him.
Finally, Roland saw an opening to destroy Bog once and for all and claim Marianne at last. All he had to do was kill Bog.
Roland was fast, taking his sword and flying in from behind.
"Boggy, be careful! Roland's got a sword!"
Marianne heard Dawn and pushed Bog down, using her borrowed sword to disarm Roland in front of everyone. All, even the Fairy King who had woken up at Dawn's warning, looked on in as Marianne easily beat Roland, getting a hold of his sword and pushing him downward in retreat. He was prevented from killing the princess's soulmate.
When Roland was grounded by Marianne, kneeling in front of her, the Fairy King had the former knight arrest and thrown in prison for attempted murder, among other things.
As Marianne and her father embraced to celebrate Roland's capture, Bog went towards them. Dawn saw, and she tried to escape Sunny's hug. Just as she did, Sunny reached out and grabbed her hand.
After seeing how Bog had been cured of the love potion, Sunny knew he had this one last chance to prove himself and save Dawn, the woman he loved. He sang his song of love to her.
"Oh yeah, I'll tell you something. I think you'll understand. When I'll say that something."
Dawn's eyes widened as the love potion lost its hold, and she drew close to Sunny as she sang, "I wanna hold your hand. I wanna hold your hand."
Together, they sang, "I wanna hold your hand."
The new couple embraced, Bog completely forgotten at last.
In the months that followed, the entire history of the love potion's creation came to light, as well as Roland's other misdeeds. He was left in prison to rot in the dirt, with both kings in complete agreement for once. Marianne still wanted to keep Roland for her personal punching bag, but the most she got was two minutes to wish him happiness in jail for the rest of his life. If he got two black eyes in the process, then no one cared.
Sunny also received punishment for what he had done; though it was minor since he had done it out of a desire to make Dawn happy, as only a soulmate can. He did public service for Bog, which ended up with them developing a friendship over their shared experiences with the princesses.
The final large result of that long, fateful night did not come until a year later, when Bog proposed to Marianne, their courtship time finally complete. Sunny proposed a few weeks later, and so it was decided that the two princess would have a double wedding, followed by coronations.
Marianne would become Queen of the Dark Forest, and Dawn became Queen of the Light Fields, after many discussions within the family. The coronation was all pomp and circumstance, while the wedding was a joyous day as the two couples declared their love publicly, even if Bog and Marianne had already sung most of their song. Both couples gave their vows, and then they sang their song together, finally.
Dawn and Sunny started, and then it was Bog and Marianne's turn.
Despite the fact that the two felt strongly for another and had sung together already once, Bog and Marianne still did not like talking about their feelings. It had taken several hints and a song from Griselda to finally convince Bog, and Dawn sang the same song to Marianne to convince her sister that it was okay to talk about their feelings. Singing in front of so many people was so much worse.
But, as the two repeated their vows, Griselda in place and ready to say "tell her", the couple's eyes met, and they knew that the other took the vows just as seriously as they themselves did. With eyes still locked, the pair began to sing.
Griselda started to cry as two sang, "Love you forever, and forever. Love you with all my heart."
By the end, all in the audience got teary as they watched the heartfelt love exchange, and a hush overcame all as the couple finished their song.
"And when at last I find you, your song will fill the air. Sing it loud so I can hear you. Make it easy to be near you, for the things you do endear you to me. Oh, you know I will. I will."
After the voices drifted off into the wind, the crowd cheered as the new couples kissed and began the next big adventure in their lives.
~~~-BBBBB-~~~
Author's Notes: I have had this soulmates AU idea sitting in my head for some time now. I had a different song in mind at first for a different story, but I realized that I could not do it since the song was important in other ways to that story, and so it was saved. But, I think this song is appropriately sweet. I tried looking up soulmate AU's in fanfiction, and I also looked at what Happy Feet did, and sort of combined those ideas to make this story happen. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!