Selphie showed off her cake. "Well, what do you think of it?" she asked proudly. Ellone stood awkwardly, like a doll in a bad joke of a dress, while Quistis evaluated the cake.
"Why, it's a very unusual cake, isn't it?" she said
"Yes, of course," Selphie snapped back. "It'll be much stiffer after it's bake." Quistis nodded.
"Of course, dear, now what do you think of the dress?" she asked.
"Well, it's not exactly the way it is in the book, is it?" Selphie joked.
"I improved a bit!" Quistis stated proudly, looking over the dress. "But perhaps if I added few more ruffles? What do you think?" she asked.
"I think so. What do you think, Ellone?" Selphie turned to Ellone, who struggled out of the dress. It ripped and fell to pieces.
"I think we've had enough of this nonsense. I think we ought to think of Rinoa, and what she'll think of this mess. I still think what I thunk before. I'm going to get those wands," she went off towards the closet.
"You know, I think she's right," Selphie admitted. Ellone returned, holding up three sparkling, silver wands. "Here they are, good as new," she said, handing one to each of the fairies and one for herself.
"Careful, Ellone! Quick, lock the doors. Selphie, you close the windows. We can't take any chances!" Quistis ordered, then turned to Selphie. "And now, you take care of the cake." Ellone held up her wand.
"While I…" she started, planning on making the dress. Quistis finished her sentence. "Clean up the room. I'll make the dress. Well, hurry!" she said, putting her hands on her hips. Ellone cursed under her breath but obeyed.
"Come on, bucket, mop, broom, Quistis says, clean up the room!" and with a flick of her wand, the bucket, mop, and broom came to life and began cleaning.
"And now to make a lovely dress, fit the grace of fair princess," Quistis began working with another sheet of pink cloth with her new wand.
"Eggs, flour, milk, just do it the way it's here in the book," Selphie commanded the ingredients. They began to put themselves into the bowl. Everything was going smoothly, until Ellone saw the dress. "Oh no, not pink. Make it blue," and with her wand, it was done.
"Ellone! Make it pink," Quistis countered and change the dress back to pink.
"Blue!" Ellone argued, and changed the dress again.
"Pink!" Quistis made the dress pink.
"What about yellow?" Selphie chimed in, temporarily making the dress the color of sunshine, but it was quickly changed by the arguing pair.
Outside, a raven landed on the windowsill and watched the commotion going on inside. The war continued, and the dress came out looking like someone emptied two cans of color on it.
"Look what you've done!" Quistis cried. Selphie shushed them. "Listen!" The fairies stopped and listened. Sure enough, they heard Heartilly humming as she returned to the cottage.
"She's back, enough of this foolishness. Make it pink," Quistis said, changing the dress to pink. "Now hide, quick!" The bucket, mop, and broom stopped cleaning as Selphie arranged the candles on the cake.
"Blue," Ellone said, and made the dress blue at the last second. Heartilly opened the door to the small cottage and entered. "Quistis, Selphie, Ellone? Where is everybody?" The fairies jumped out.
"Surprise!" They cried, genuinely shocking her.
"Happy Birthday!" Selphie said, smiling as she presented the cake to Heartilly.
"Oh, this is the happiest day of my life. Everything's so wonderful, just wait till you meet him!" she cried. The fairies exchanged looks.
"Him?" Quistis questioned. "You've met some stranger?" Heartilly shook her head and began dancing.
"He's not a stranger," she corrected, smiling. Now she was dancing happily with Selphie.
"Oh no, she's in love," Ellone said.
"This is terrible!" Quistis said, shaking her head. Heartilly stopped and stared.
"Why? After all, I am seventeen," the smile disappeared from her face.
"It isn't that dear," Quistis explained. Selphie set down the cake.
"You're already betrothed," she told Heartilly.
"Betrothed?" her heart sank.
"Since the day you were born. To Prince Lionheart," Ellone said, putting an arm around her shoulders.
"But that's impossible! How could I marry a prince, I'd have to be..." Heartilly started to say.
"A princess," the fairies said together. The girl stepped back, shaking her head.
"Princess Rinoa. Tonight, we're taking you back to your father, King Caraway," Quistis told her. The raven outside the window flew off.
"But, but I can't! He's coming here tonight, I promised to meet him!" Heartilly cried, her eyes welling with tears.
"I'm sorry, child, but you must never see that young man again," Quistis said sympathetically.
"No, no!" Heartilly ran up the stairs and into her room. The door slammed and all was quiet. In her room, Heartilly sobbed quietly on her bed. Selphie blew out the candles on the cake.
"And we thought she'd be so happy," Ellone said sorrowfully.