Okay guys, this is a special fairytale chapter that is pretty much my birthday present to myself (go April Fools' birthdays!). I had fun with it, and probably spent way too long on it but oh is well because you guys get a Elemental spin off and I get to be satisfied that this things is out of my head. Plus, you guys get somewhat of an idea who I've made the eldest Goldstein brother, whom I've named Percy. Enjoy~!

(Note: ages and such and whatnot will be (very) skewed, so I'd just pay attention to the storyline. :)

Sleeping Beauty

Once upon a time (because that's the way every fairy tail should start right?).

Just kidding. This isn't much of a fairy tale, sorry. It's somewhat similar, but not.

This particular story is about a young girl by the name of Selene. Selene was the strange, yet adored child of the smaller town of Michigan, in the country of Terra. No one really knew her history, other than the fact that one night, her heavily pregnant mother stumbled into town the eve of the Winter's Solstice. The town healer, Cynthia, and her husband, taking pity, took the young woman in, making her comfortable as she soon began her labor.

Before dawn the next morning, her babe was born-a smiling little female with peculiar eyes that were silvery grey, with flecks of gold and bronze. Soon after dawn, the mother was dead, leaving only a little waterproof bag with a few things in it, and a blonde girl named Selene.

Selene was raised by the villagers, helped them with their chores, played with the other children, and she was a downright joy to have around, with her wicked sense of humor and ever-smiling lips. She was an oddity, with her past being so clouded and unknown, but she never felt like an outsider. She accepted that she couldn't know anything more, and so did everyone else. Besides, who'd want to isolate such a lovely girl-child?

As she grew older, she learned all that she could, from whoever she could. She loved learning new things, whether it be healing, the blacksmith's art, weaving, herding, farming, or singing and dancing. She taught herself to read from the local wiseman's books, and learnt maths from the shopkeepers and passing merchants. She listened and asked questions.

In her opinion, she couldn't complain-there was to much to learn, to see. She was content, and felt that to whine or feel sorry for herself would be a discredit, a disgrace, to the wonderful town that had taken her in and raised her. Other towns would've left such a girl to die, having a dead stranger for a mother. But this town felt like they were given a chance to help someone, and took it, much to Selene's gratitude.

Now, our story takes place early in her seventeenth summer. There was a noble family, from the neighboring country of Myula, on their way to visit relatives. They stopped in this "quaint little town" for a few days, as both the mother and youngest child of the family were weary of travel. While the family was to stay for only a few days, the youngest took ill with a fever, which the local healer Cynthia said was due to exhaustion and constant travel more than anything, and they decided to stay a while longer.

It was rare that any nobles, let alone a Duke and his family, even crossed this small town, so there was much talk. The family went by the name of Goldstein, and consisted of five members: the Duke, Sir Walter Goldstein, his wife, and his three sons-Percival, the oldest at age twenty-one, a light brown haired and eyed boy who looked very much like his mother, Klaus, aged nineteen, and Elias, aged 9 (the last two both light blond and violet-eyed, the spitting images of their father).

Selene, like the rest of the town, was curious about the newcomers, but thought it rude to go bug them, especially when there was work to be done. She was quite decent at controlling her curiosity, at least to a further extent than most of the other youth in the town, and didn't see any of the noble family until three days after their arrival.

She was halfway up the tallest sassafras tree in the area, gathering the purest leaves she could find-they helped counter the bitterness of the nasty herbal teas Mrs. Cynthia brewed, the ones that worked enough to keep being brewed-because Mrs. Cynthia's stores were running low again. She was in scandalously short skirts that went all the way up to her knees, though she wore leggings beneath it. She used such skirts when she had to climb trees, to gather leaves or fruit and whatnot, or when she participated in running races at the festivals. She had gathered a good amount and put them in the little bag she wore around her neck, and was most of the way down when…

"Hello up there!"

She started, causing her foot, which was about to place itself on the next branch down, to slide down, causing her to yelp begin to fall. She didn't notice that her wrist smacked against a branch on the way down. She braced herself, preparing to hit the ground, only to be caught by something that was most definitely not the ground. She hesitantly opened her eyes to see a strange, but handsome man, perhaps four or five years older than her, with brown hair and twinkling brown eyes. "Oh, uh, hello…" she said awkwardly.

"Hello yourself. Are you alright?" He asked.

"Oh, um, yeah, I'm perfectly fine...could you, uh, put me down now?"

"Oh!" He carefully set her down, "Sorry about that. It's not every day such a beautiful girl literally falls for me."

"Thank you…?" The confused look on Selene's face made him laugh.

"Can I ask who you are? I don't think I've seen you around the town."

"My name is Selene. Could I haphazard a guess that you're one of the visiting nobility?"

"I guess that would be pretty obvious." He laughed at himself. He was wearing finer clothes, though they were simple, than she'd ever had the luck to see. He made a bow, "Percy Goldstein at your service, mi'lady. Does the Lady Selene have a last name?"

"A lady I am not, I beg your pardon, m'lord. I have no surname that I know of. I was gathering herbal leaves for my foster mother, the Healer Cynthia." She attempted a curtsey but winced as her wrist smarted, she looked and sighed, "Lovely."

"You're hurt!" Lord Goldstein rushed up to her, grabbing her hand and inspecting her wrist.

She waved him away with her undamaged hand, "It'll be merely a bruise and gone in a week or so. I've suffered far worse falling from trees. Well, m'lord, I should be going. I promised I'd be back by midday." She did a little bow and went to go take her little woodland path back to the village, but he stopped her.

"Let me take you back. It is my fault you fell, I startled you after all."

She shook her head, smiling, "'Twas my fault for being startled. I can manage."

"It's no trouble, I insist." At this point Selene could see it was pointless to argue.

She sighed, shaking her head with a smile, "If you persistently insist so, I guess I cannot say no."

"Wonderful!" He grinned, and Selene returned it-he was very friendly, for a noble. She'd never met one, but she heard from merchants passing through town that they were usually all high and mighty, acting better than everyone else. Perhaps this one was the exception that proved the rule. He took her uninjured hand in his and led her towards the main path, a little ways off. From her guess, he'd gotten curious when he saw a girl in a tree. It wasn't often you saw a girl her age climbing trees like a child. As they approached, she saw that there were two gorgeous horses, one with a rider, one without.

"Percival? Is that you? What did you run off to do this time?" A regal voice sighed. It was the rider, golden hair glinting in the sun as he turned his violet eyes to see his brother come back with a shorter (she only came up to Percy's shoulders) blond girl in ridiculously short skirts (what respectable girl wears skirts that go all the way up to their knees?) in tow.

"Hello brother, it seems I've found a nymph." Percy was one for joking. It took all Selene had not to snort-that'd be rude, in front of nobility.

"Then leave it in it's natural habitat." Klaus rolled his eyes. His brother was strange, and far too carefree to be a first son. In his opinion, his older brother needed to grow up and stop flirting and forever running off to satisfy his childish curiosity.

"Alright, I lied. It's one of the townsgirls, and I made her fall out of a tree and hurt her wrist. I'm being a proper gentleman and taking her back to town." Percy said cheerfully, "So deal with it. Lady Selene, this is my younger brother Klaus, though feel free to call him Stuffy."-at that, Selene covered a snicker with a light coughing-"Klaus, this is Lady Selene." Klaus nodded, inwardly rolling his eyes at his brother.

"I did tell you I'd be fine...it's just a bruise…" the girl sighed vainly, as if she knew that Klaus' pigheaded brother wouldn't listen. Interesting. Most girls would be giggling and chittering receiving such attention from Percy.

"Now then! Let's get going. After you, mi'lady." He held out his hand to help her onto the horse. Klaus suspected she only took it to be polite, from the resigned mutter of "I also said I'm not a lady…" that came from her lips, which his brother also ignored. This girl wasn't anything like a lady, but nor was she like all those country bumpkins. If anything, she seemed as if she'd rather not be here, but walking back. How many girls would rather walk back than ride with a handsome and charming young nobleman, country girl or highest noblewoman?

She sat sidesaddle, but Klaus saw something in pass through her eyes-she'd rather ride like a man. Curious. Percy swung himself up behind her, making sure she was comfortable as she gripped the saddle horn. Taking the reigns, Percy put his horse into motion, and Klaus did the same. They were going much slower than they had before, at a mild trot.

"So Lady Selene, are you the apprentice of Healer Cynthia?" Percy inquired.

"Not really. She's the one who raised me, but I do various things all around town."

"So you're what they call a 'jack of all trades' then?"

"Pretty much. I do what needs to be done. Help the healer, weaver, shopkeepers, innkeeper, farmers, tend children, cook. I go where needed."

"That sounds like a lot of work for such a delicate maiden."

"It's enjoyable. And while I'm not so sure about how delicate I look, looks can be deceiving. I am eighteen next winter." Was she really? thought Klaus, she didn't look that old. In all honesty, she looked no older than fifteen.

"Then you must forgive me-I thought you were fifteen, sixteen at most." Percy laughed, shaking his head. The girl shrugged like it didn't matter.

"Might I ask of your youngest brother? The one with the fever? He's the reason your family stayed in town, is he not?"

"Yes, his name's Elias. He's doing much better, thanks to the healer. Though he did say he could do without the teas she makes him drink."

The girl shuddered, making a face that resembled Elias' expression when he had to drink the aforementioned teas, "I can sympathize. Those bitter herbal teas are downright nasty, but I can't argue that they do help. Tell him I said it's better to let it cool, plug your nose, and gulp them as fast as you can, following it with a glass of honeyed lemon water."

"Will do, mi'lady." Percy laughed. "Speaking of teas, my brother Stuffy over there is what you might call a 'tea connoisseur', if you can believe it. He makes the best tea I've ever had, and a variety of them too. Seeing Elias have to drink such a foul brew nearly kills him." This seemed to interest the girl, who turned her gaze to Klaus, who's been listening silently while appearing not to care.

"So even nobles have certain things they won't let people do for them. Interesting. I thought nobles made their servants do most of everything for them. Then again, I'ven't met many nobles." The girl-Klaus didn't wish to think of a commoner by name-seemed amused.

"I make my own sheerly because no one else makes it correctly." Klaus said, not taking his eyes off the horizon, and keeping his tone deadpan. She snickered. Strange child.

Percy continued to talk with the girl until they reached the village, where Percy promptly jumped off and helped her down. She thanked him, did a little bow, and scurried off in the direction of the healer's home. Klaus got down from his own horse and led it towards the stables by the inn, as Percy did the same.

"She's quite the interesting woman, if I do say so myself." Percy was over-perky in Klaus' opinion. "And she was very pretty, more so, I dare say, than a good number of the noblewoman we interact with. Did you see her eyes? I've never seen the like-silver, they were, with flecks of bronze and gold!"

"When will you stop flirting with every female, common, noble, or otherwise, you cross? You need to stop being so carelessly…" Klaus struggled for the proper word as they handed the reins of their horses to the only stablehand, "Frivolous."

Percy elbowed his younger brother, "Perhaps-but only if you loosen up a little. You could do with some flirting yourself, Master Stuffy. You set a poor example of social skills for our dear little bookworm of a brother."

"Shut up, Percival. Shut up."

…. …. ….

But Percy's words did strike something in him, bugging him relentlessly, especially whenever he saw that girl-this was a small town, and she seemed to be everywhere. Playing with the children in the streets, pumping the bellows for the blacksmith, bustling around as a waitress in the tavern, organizing things for the shopkeepers, talking with anybody and everybody, bringing the teas and medicines for Elias-everywhere. And everyone seemed to love her. His own parents met her, and liked her. She was distracting. Whenever she was in the room, no one could help but gravitate to her, and Klaus was no exception, though he did it far more subtly. He avoided her best he could, because he needed to focus, on his studies and such, and he couldn't with her around. He did his best to ignore her, telling himself that she was some random, unimportant commoner girl who shouldn't-didn't-matter to him.

But after they were there three weeks, they were preparing to leave when they were warned that there was going to be a nasty summer storm the next day, and it took two days of swift travel to reach the next town. The healer stressed that it would be a bad idea, since Elias was only just better from his fever and sickness, and it might cause him to relapse. Their father decided they were going to stay and wait out the storm and muddy roads, since the farmers predicted that the storm would last two days, then would end. It would take at least two more days for the roads to dry up again enough for carriages and wagons.

And it was a good thing they did stay, for a thick, heavy, oppressive fog rolled in that evening, it it was impossible to see more than a few feet in each direction. It was clear that it would be followed by heavy rains by the next morning.

Sitting in the tavern of the inn, the Goldsteins took their supper. While outside was naught but fog, inside the tavern there was a roaring fire and a cheery atmosphere. Well, mostly. Oftentimes, on crowded nights like this, Selene helped out the family that ran the inn, serving food and taking orders. Only, instead of the bright and energetic girl that usually bustled around the room and balancing an impossible amount of orders and meals as she slid along smoothly among the tables, there was a dreary, blank-faced girl who was sluggish in her movements walked around and did the same job.

Tapping the shoulder of one of the young boys rushing around the room with water jugs, Percy asked him of that dreary girl, "Might I ask what is wrong with Lady Selene? She's normally so full of life."

The boy shrugged, "Miss 'Lena always gets like this with bad weather. She doesn't like it-says it's a 'wretched, rotten joke of nasty blech played by mother nature' when you ask her about it." He giggled at his attempt to mimic her tone, "She'll be back to normal the next time the sun comes out." He bowed and continued on his way.

"Interesting." Percy said, looking thoughtful, "So there is something that makes her depressed. Up until now, I thought that impossible!"

"Percy, just eat your dinner." Klaus sighed.

"Klaus, just loosen up." Percy sighed dramatically in return.

Elias giggled at his brothers and continued eating his cherry cobbler.

…. …. ….

'I've found you. You're mother hide you well, but she couldn't prevent your fate.' The most hair-raising laughter sounded from this unknown person. Selene couldn't even tell if it was male or female.

'Who are you?' She cried, 'What do you want?'

Selene saw a spinning wheel, one that looked like it was made from sticks from the forest ground, it's wheel spinning slowly, a little light glinting off the sharp tip of a needle that could pierce through her skull and some out the other side.

'Revenge…' The wheel burst into flaming shards and Selene bolted up in her cot, panting as a crack of thunder literally shook the house. Her clothes were sticky with nightmare-sweat. She shook her head, strands that had come loose from her braid tickling the sides of her face. She rarely dreamt, and had never had such a chilling, haunting dream that had felt so...real. Like it was going to happen.

She also had the most ominous feeling that seemed to have nothing to do with the nightscare. Something bad was coming. She knew it. The rain that pattered on the roof did not sooth her-if anything, it made the dread increase. She slid out of bed and pulled on her shoes. She didn't remember where her rain-cover-cloak was, and grabbed a cloth, tying it over her mouth, so she wouldn't feel as if she was drowning in the heavy rain. Standing at the doorway to the house, she stared at the rain, then began to run, following the instinctual feeling of danger to it's source. There was a light towards the center of the town, far too bright to be a lantern or hearth fire.

Only freezing a moment at the sight of the fire spreading on the roof of the tavern, she ran straight up the steps of the bell tower, slipping in the wet. She grabbed the rope and began to pull with all her might; the large town bell was heard above the storm, and people came rushing out of their homes. The only time that bell rang when it was night time was when raiders struck-or when there was a fire. The roofs of the wooden in were oiled to shed the rain-oil that created a fire that the rain wasn't putting out. There were exclamations of panic, and people were stumbling out of the burning building-this was a busy time of year, when all sorts of merchants and traveling folk were passing through.

Selene stopped ringing the bell-enough were up. She doubted anyone was still sleeping. Hurrying down the steps and to the crowd, her instincts took over and she started directing the confused people, using lungs that were strong from all her useage of them, "The wet won't put it out! Get mud! Smother it! Move move MOVE!" That was all the people needed to start getting buckets and shovels. The older boys were scaling the walls of surrounding buildings, passing up buckets of mud to slop over the roof of the inn. People went into action.

Selene went around to those who had been staying in the inn, seeing if anyone was missing. She got head shakes and "no"s mostly. She reached the nobles, who were standing to the side. The lady was sobbing into her husband's arms as the older son, with much effort, held back his brother who was trying to go towards the inn. The youngest wasn't there.

"My baby's still inside!" The woman wailed, "Elias! He's not out yet!"

Selene met eyes with the terrified mother and nodded, running towards the building, ducking and dodging the arms of people who tried to stop her. Reaching the open door she darted in, jumping around the burning bits and running up stairs that were falling apart. She ran through the hallways to the section where the Goldstein's were quartered. There was a child crying. She came up to a doorway that was blocked by a burning support beam that had fallen. The sobs came from inside.

There was a part towards the middle of the beam that was nearly burned through. Selene brought her heel down and it broke, leaving her ankle throbbing. Her clothes were nearly dried from the heat as she went towards the source of the non-fire noise, sobs broken by coughs. There was a little blond boy curled up, rocking and terrified, in the closest, which had yet to be touched by the flames. She yanked the door open, "Up child! We must get out!" Little violet eyes turned to face her and he nodded. She pulled the cloth from over her mouth and deftly tied it over his own: he'd breathed in far more smoke than she. Scooping him up in her arms-he was small for a boy of near nine-she began running back the way she came, which was far more treacherous than she'd left it. She felt the boy's muffled sobs against her shoulder, his arms tightening around her shoulders, as she jumped down the stairs.

She's nearly made it out the door when there was a flash. Throwing the boy out the door and into the mud, a crack of thunder and wood went simultaneously, and she stumbled forward as the building just behind her cracked, and a flying piece of wood smacked her in the head, making Selene Surnameless collapse into the darkness.

…. …. ….

Klaus couldn't even thank the girl who saved his little brother, the person he cared about more than anything else, the girl who went into a burning building only to have it collapse on her as she was almost in the clear.

The girl his older brother was carrying to the healers home, the girl with blood smeared from the rain oozing down her forehead. The girl who was alive, but not conscious. Only the healer could tell them how badly she was hurt. Klaus was carrying Elias, who was covered in mud and whimpering into his shoulder.

"What's happening?" The woman in the doorway of the healer's home had two children behind her, who were asking questions in a sleepy mumble. "I heard the bell. Fire or raiders?" She saw Selene in Percy's arms and gasped, "What happened?"

"Later. She's injured." Klaus had rarely heard Percy sound so serious, so much like the noble he actually was. He was usually so laid back it was easy to forget sometimes.

The healer nodded stiffly, "Bring her in."

They followed the woman into her house and Percy gently set Selene on a cot that was near the door. Her eyelids fluttered and she groaned. The healer rushed over with some clothes and gently dabbed away the blood, searching for the wound. There were scratches all over the girl, though, strangely, no burns.

Elias buried his face deeper into his brother's shoulder. He hated the sight of blood.

The woman's brow furrowed as she discovered a long, shallow slice that went from the hairline to a few inches back on her adoptive daughter's head. While she went and pulled out a needle and some thread, Percy began relaying the events.

"She's a hero. Not only did she wake everyone up, but she went in for Elias, too." Percy gestured to his youngest brother who was still shivering in Klaus' arms, "We owe her more than we could ever repay her."

Cynthia nodded, smiling softly as she pulled another stitch, "And she'll more'n likely reject any thanks, saying anyone would've done it. Now, Glaven," she spoke to her oldest son, who was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, "get these men some blankets and put some water on the fire." The boy nodded and rushed off.

Selene slowly came back to awareness as the healer finished tying the knot. "Cynthia…?" She mumbled, looking dazed. Cynthia cupped the girl's face with her hand.

"Yes, dear?"

"I'm glad I woke up after the stitches. Stupid needles."

Cynthia laughed, sounding relieved. To the confused look on the faces of the others in the room, she said, "The girl hates having to see or feel needles go into skin. Gives her the shivers." Turning back to the out-of-it girl, "From what I can tell, you just need some rest and you'll be fine. Now, drink this and go to sleep, you here?" Galven came over, balancing a cup. Selene wrinkled her nose, before pinching it and drinking the bitter herbal brew in a few gulps. She shuddered and handed the cup back. The strong sleeping herbs that were in it immediately began to take effect and her eyes drooped. She got up and stumbled towards her room in the back of the house.

"Now, if you'll let me see the boy. He's probably inhaled a good deal of smoke." With some gentle words she got the boy to release his brother and sit on a stool so she could begin her inspection.

…. …. ….

Selene slept through the next day, and the next. Klaus kept stopping by to see if she was awake, but she was fast asleep each time. His excuse to others was that he had to thank her for saving Elias, but he'd knew he was lying, despite that being partially the truth. There was a deeper reason. One he could barely admit to himself, much less to you, reader (no offense intended).

It was early evening, and everyone was out and about, no one home when he came to check on Selene again. He'd stopped referring to her as "that girl" in his head. Selene's adoptive family was out bringing food to those who were working on repairs to the inn, which had half burned down. A good chunk of personal belongings had been saved, but it was overall unstable inside, only the lightest of the boys and older girls daring the upper floors. He went inside after knocking and hearing no answer, heading straight to the back room where Selene had her small bedroom. She wasn't there. The bed wasn't made, but she was no longer lying in it. There was a small back door that lead from her room to directly outside, and it was open, rocking back and forth slightly in the gentle wind what was outside.

Klaus ran out of it, to see the last sliver of white disappear into the woods right behind the house. These woods were thicker than the majority-the fairies' woods, a townsperson had mentioned. Only those who were very brave or foolish went too deep into them.

The nightgown someone had changed Selene into at some point was white. Klaus took off at a brisk pace, determined to catch up. Fairies were mere tales. This was just an old forest, nothing more. It was an easy trail to follow-he'd been hunting enough, and was a decent tracker. But she wasn't doing anything to hide her path-which was odd, because she normally left no trace because of the light way in which she walked, practically prancing around. Perhaps it wasn't her. But he might as well make sure. The strange things he'd heard about the woods kept echoing in his head-people disappearing and not coming back, people who were drawn in like they were in a trance and never seen again, others coming back half-mad and terrified, babbling about magic creatures and terrifying beasts, people who weren't fully human. Curse Percy for asking so many questions.

"Selene?" He called, "Are you nearby?" There was no answer, and he sped up, being careful with the signs left behind. He'd been going in deeper and deeper for over an hour, and swore to himself that he wasn't lost. The woods got dark before the open areas from the thick tree cover, and Klaus found himself wishing he'd thought to grab a lantern. But there was a dim grey glow that seemed to come from the wood itself, and a white scrap of cloth caught on a tree branch shone like a light, stark against the wild rosebush it was tangled in. Klaus yanked it out, pulling a few thorns with it, and promptly got scratched. He cursed and pulled the thorns out, dropping them back in the bush. He started again. He had to admit to himself he was hopelessly lost.

"Are you looking for her?" Said a voice, "The light-haired human girl with the constant smile?"

Klaus whirled around, "Who's there?!" He demanded.

"Someone who owes her a debt. Answer the question." The voice sounded uninterested, like a bored young man, for all that it was so quiet Klaus had to strain to hear it.

"Yes. I'm trying to find the girl named Selene. Do you know where she went?" He was slowly looking around, trying to find the source of the voice.

"The jealous fairy has her. She's going to her doom."

Klaus froze, "Her doom?"

"Yes. I'd help her but those of magic cannot stand against a royal fairy, even if she's only the king's half sister. Can you help her?"

"I'll do whatever I can to. Can you take me to her?"

"Yes. Follow." He saw a movement out of the corner of his eye and whirled around. There was something moving away from him. "Hurry." It said, "Before the curse takes hold and it's too late."

Klaus began to run after him, stumbling in the dark. He followed for nearly half an hour, catching no more than mere glimpses of what was leading him. Klaus hoped it wasn't a trap. The voice sounded sincere, but so did his own white lies at court.

He was panting slightly as they slowed, glad of his physical stamina.

"I can take you no further. You must hurry. It is right ahead." Klaus nodded, taking off at a trot. He glimpsed what seemed to be a young boy with dark hair and an eyepatch. Klaus decided he must have imagined the wolf ears and tail-humans didn't have animal ears, much less tails.

He saw a glowing ahead and stopped, hidden by some high bushes. He looked carefully through them-no matter what he wanted to think, this sickly green glow wasn't natural.

He stifled a gasp when he saw the girl in the white night gown reaching out for a rough spinning wheel that looked to be made of sticks and bark. A long, sharp, menacing needle glinted in the unearthly glow. A pale hand reached for it.

"No!" He cried, feeling like something horrible would happen if she touched it. But she kept reaching in an almost trancelike state. A chilling, bitter laughter rang through the woods as he fought his way through the bushes into the clearing. He could almost hear the sound of the needle pricking her finger. A drop of blood winded down the needle and everything went in slow motion as he lunged to catch her as her legs gave out beneath her. He caught her and landed on his knees as he cradled her in her arms. She was so much smaller than he'd thought-it was easy to forget because her personality was so big it exceeded her person.

Beside them, the spinning wheel melted into the ground, and Klaus stood up, getting her away from the wretched thing. "It's too laaaaate~" sang the same voice that had been laughing, "Maybe next time mortals will think twice before stealing away the betrothed of a fairy." It began laughing again, fading as if it was leaving, going away.

Klaus wanted to get away from this cursed place. He was lost and completely unsure of where he was, but anywhere was better than that place. He tried to wake her up-Selene was alive, her heart was beating and she was breathing softly. Where was that person? The one who said he owed her a debt? After what he'd just witnessed, perhaps magic was real. And if magic was real, and that person had it, perhaps he'd know a way to wake Selene up.

"Hello? Where did you go?" He called out at the place where he'd left the boy.

"You were too late…" came the whisper from behind him, and he turned. In the shadows was the boy with the eyepatch and the tail. Instead of the bored, apathetic tone he heard earlier, the person's voice seemed...sorrowful.

"Are you magic? You said you owed her. Can't you do anything?"

The dark-haired boy shook his head, "My magic does naught but curse others. It's why I left. The only one who believed it wasn't a curse was her." He motioned to the girl limp in Klaus's arms, "She'd visit me, and talk to me, and there's nothing I can do to repay her because any magic I have only harms and corrupts. Tonight the moon is half-full, and I am half beast. I'll take you back to the village, but I can do no more." With the speed and grace of a shadow among shadows, it moved and began moving away, and Klaus hurried to follow, sleeping Selene in his arms.

It was near dawn by the time they got back, and they were about to send out a search party for the two missing youths when Klaus trod heavily into the town. There was a big fuss, and Klaus sat before his family and Selene's adoptive family, told the story once, and didn't say another word for the entire day, withdrawing and going for a ride on his horse. By himself.

Selene was put back in her bed, after Cynthia changed her into a non-half-shredded nightgown and brushed out her hair. All day people came and heard what happened, and it spread through the town like the fire that damaged the inn. Children who didn't understand kept asking why big sister Selene wouldn't wake up-she was just asleep, not dead, so why wasn't she waking up?

Percy tried to talk to his brother, but was unsuccessful. Elias just gave him a hug and told him that it'd be okay. That seemed to help Klaus more than the words of his other family members, though he was still as silent as ever.

The next morning, Duke Goldstein announced that the family would be leaving, saying that it was time for them to move on-they were late to their visit with their maternal grandfather's as it was. This caused a sharp jab of pain in Klaus' chest-he'd have to leave Selene, who still hadn't woken up-but he retained his neutral expression, nodding stiffy. Unbeknownst to him, his mother sensed his sorrow, and tried to convince her husband to let them stay just a little longer. He agreed that they could leave at dawn the next day instead of after midday meal.

After the family meeting adjourned, Klaus wandered off. Until recently, he'd never felt lost. And he never felt so lost as he had now. He wondered what was wrong with him-falling in love, in two weeks, with a girl he barely knew and who was currently in a coma? But, his Hopeful self argued, she was loved by the entire town, and she did save Elias without even a thought to herself getting hurt. That had to say something, didn't it?

You barely know her and you're leaving tomorrow, retorted his voice of Reason, besides, she's in a magical sleep, and who knows when, if ever, she'll wake up.

Shut up, said Hope, shut up Reason.

Klaus shook his head. Perhaps he was going insane-perhaps he'd gotten infected with something in the forest that made him lose his reason. Yeah, that was it.

While he was lost in his thoughts, he wasn't paying attention to where he was going, and when he pushed away the thoughts, he realized that he was in front of the healer's home. The healer herself was in her herb garden weeding. Looking up, she smiled softly, "Did you come to see her?" He nodded, not sure why he was doing so. "Go ahead. She's still in her room." She motioned with a hand covered in dark earth and went back to her weeding. Klaus noticed that she looked far more worn out than the first time he saw her, coming to diagnose Elias.

Of course she would be, said Reason, the town inn burned down, injuring her daughter-not to mention several others-and then soon after the same daughter is cursed into a sleep with little chance of being awoken. Of course she's worn to the bone. You should leave and not cause her trouble.

Again, Reason, said Hope, shut up. We need to be able to at least say goodbye to Selene.

Whatever, sighed Reason.

Yup, he was going mad. No doubt about it.

He gently pushed open the door to her room, as it was always left open a crack from what he could tell. He was sure the healer, Cynthia, had mentioned that Selene had a fear of being trapped, so he didn't close it all the way behind him, leaving it open a bit.

He sighed, sitting on the low stool placed beside the bed, "I'm leaving tomorrow. I don't suppose you'll wake up enough for me to thank you for saving Elias? Or so I can say you're a fool for getting trapped in a spell and venturing into a magical forest? Or to confess the fact that I've fallen in love with you?" That last sentence was barely above a whisper. He laughed bitterly at himself.

On an impulse, he decided to lean forward. Then the door flew open and he jumped, making the stool to slide out from under him and causing him to go forward. And he kissed her on the lips. It was an accident-he was going for the forehead. He jerked back, face burning.

"Oh, uh, sorry...are you okay…?" Asked Galvin, Cynthia's oldest son, who'd run inside to check on his big sister for the hundredth time that day (hoping that maybe she'd be awake and able to play).

Scrambling up, Klaus nodded at the young boy. Then there was a moan from the bed. Not of pain, but of someone just waking up after a long nap. They both turned and saw that Selene was sitting up, looking utterly confused. Galvin squealed in excitement and ran over, giving her a big hug and chanting "You're awake! You're awake!" Then he ran off shouting that he "had to go get mama!"

"What does he mean, I'm awake? And, um, why are you in my room…?" Her confusion only increased with her noticing Klaus' presence.

"Oh…about that…" Klaus began awkwardly.

Galvin ran back in with his mother in tow, who gasped and started crying, immediately going over and embracing her adoptive daughter. Selene patted the woman awkwardly on the back, "This may sound a little strange, but can someone please fill me in on what's happened since I went to bed…? I'm quite lost…"

Cynthia dove into an explanation of what had happened since the fire several days ago. "We thought you were dead with he came back carrying you! But you were sleeping, as I've told you, and for some reason, you're awake now! How, I don't know. But you're awake!" Selene had listened to the whole thing in silence. She thought it over.

"Magic sleep, hmm? What, in legends wakes people from those?"

"True love's kiss!" Cried Galvin, getting excited.

Klaus froze, face turning red again. The other three looked at him, one excited (Galvin), one interested (that'd be Cynthia), and the last one turning red.

"It was an accident!" He defended, "I-I didn't mean to...uh...er…"

Cynthia smiled, "But it woke her. Am I right in guessing that you've fallen in love with her?"

He looked down at his shoes and nodded. Cynthia smiled, nodding happily. Selene's already red face was now completely crimson as she looked down at her fingers as, twisting them awkwardly.

"Great. When's the wedding then?" Said a voice from the doorway, and everyone looked over to see Percy leaning against the doorframe, "I think Mother will be pleased."

Klaus glared, blushing furiously at his brother, cursing him to the next dimension for being so embarrassing.