All of the time and effort put into the dress went up in flames. Everything Kimberly used had to fix up the dress was purchased by her mother. It was if Rita took a match and burned the money that her mother used pay for those items. Her eyes filled with tears as she watched Rita and her step sisters' step into a coach and head off the ball. She glanced down at her ruined dress and ran outside.
Kimberly reached the garden and sat in front of fountain. "I'm sorry mother," she said as tears continued to run down her face. "I've failed you."
"Kimberly, you haven't failed anyone," Finster assured her as he ran up to her. "If anyone has failed you it is Rita."
"You don't understand Finster," Kimberly explained. "I promised my mother before she died that I'd have courage and be kind. I once had courage. But, I don't anymore."
"Excuse me, can you tell me where to find milk and bread?" Asked a woman in a black cloak.
"I think I can find you some milk and bread," Kimberly answered. "You just wait here."
She walked back into the house and opened the refrigerator. She opened a new bottle of milk and poured it into a glass. Kimberly had just baked some homemade yeast rolls for her mother and step sisters. But, they changed their mind and wanted a loaf of bread. So, she had been sharing the yeast rolls with her mouse friends and Finster. She only had a few yeast rolls left, so she got two and wrapped them up in allium foil and took them outside to the old lady, along with the glass of milk.
"Why are you crying?" asked the old lady as she bit into one of the yeast rolls. "Did something happen?"
"It's no big deal," Kimberly answered as she handed the lady a glass of milk.
"Kindness goes a long way, my dear," answered the old lady. "Kimberly we don't have much time?"
"How do you know my name?" Kimberly asked raising an eye brow. "We've never met before."
"My name is Duclea," answered the woman. "And I'm your fairy godmother."
"But, I thought that fairy god parents only existed in children's books," Kimberly answered picking up Finster.
"Did your mother believe in fairy godmothers?" Duclea asked. "And don't tell me no, because I heard her say that they she believed that they were real."
"Did you really hear her say that?" Kimberly gasped as her eyes widened.
Dulcea waved her wand and her appearance changed quickly. She was a young beautiful woman with long curly blond hair; and she was dressed in a green leather halter like bikini top, green leather bikini bottoms, green leather boots, and a green leather head band.
"We need to find something that we can turn into a coach," Duclea requested. "Does your family grow watermelons, cantaloupes, honey dew, artichokes or pumpkins?"
"Pumpkins are the only thing that are grown here," Kimberly answered. "They are grown in the back of the garden."
"That will make a great coach for you," Duclea smiled as she followed Kimberly to the pumpkin patch. "It is the first time I've turned a pumpkin into a coach. So, it will be interesting to see how it turns out."
"Will this one work?" Kimberly asked when she found the largest pumpkin at the very back of the pumpkin patch. "There isn't a pumpkin bigger than this one."
"It will be fine," Duclea promised when Kimberly walked to an old flower pot and pulled out a knife. "I think it will be prefect."
"You'll need to cut it loose," Kimberly said when she handed Duclea the knife. She watched as Duclea walked over the pumpkin and saw her mouse friends were scattered around the pumpkin.
Dulcea pulled out her wand and waved it a few times at the pumpkin. Within a few short seconds, the pumpkin shake. "I think that something is going to happen," she warned.
"What's going to happen," Kimberly gasped as Finster jumped out of her arms.
"The pumpkin is going to grow," Duclea replied. "We better take cover."
Kimberly, Finster, and Duclea peaked out of the bushes and watched how the pumpkin grew into a large gold sparkly coach. On each side of the "pumpkin" coach was double doors. On each door was a glass window revealing the inside of the coach. Gold walls and pink padded seats on each side.
"You've convinced me," Kimberly smiled as she stepped out behind the bush. "I can't believe you are actually my fairy godmother."
"Of course, I am," Duclea answered. "I wouldn't transform a pumpkin into a coach just for anyone."
Duclea started to look around until she spotted four of the mice running out of the pumpkin patch.
"Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo!" Duclea called out as she waved her wand at the mice. The mice grew very quickly and turned into horses. Two of them were white and the other two were brown. "We have a coach and horses and now we need a footman and a coachman."
Duclea noticed Lacy walking around the inside of the stable. She waved her wand and Lacy suddenly turned into a footman. She actually looked like a human, dressed in tight white pants, a pink shirt, and a navy jacket. Lacy now had dark blonde hair which came down to her shoulders. Believe it or not, she was actually a few inches taller than Kimberly.
"Now, we need a coachman," Duclea stated as she saw Finster walk up to the coach. "I'm sorry I said coachman, I meant a dog."
"Duclea, I can't drive," Finster gasped as Duclea pointed her wand at him. "I'm just a dog. Well, actually an alien from the planet claydoll-"
"-I know all about you Finster," Duclea reveled. "I was the one who found when you were abandoned Lord Zedd. You wanted to live a happy life. So, I turned you into a Scottish terrier. Then I took you to the dog farm; I disguised myself and told Mr. Hart that you would be the prefect pet for Kimberly. I also was the one who gave you the glasses so you could see."
"Wow, I didn't know that!" Finster exclaimed as Kimberly kneeled down to pet him. "Thank you!"
"You are so welcome," Duclea beamed with a smile. "And yes, you can drive. Once you are in your alien form."
She waved her wand and Finster started grew into his alien form. He was still wearing his gold glasses, blue head band, and his small magnified glass was around his neck. However, he wasn't dressed in his special apron like overalls. Instead, he was dressed in dark blue pants, a white shirt, a dark blue jacket, and a pair of black boots.
"I need everyone to get into place," Duclea instructed as she turned to face Kimberly.
"Duclea what about my dress?" Kimberly asked as she glanced down at her destroyed dress. "I can't wear this to the ball. Do you think you can mend it?"
"I can turn it into a brand-new dress," Duclea declared.
"Duclea please don't turn it into a new dress," Kimberly requested. "This was my mother's dress and I was really wanting to wear it to the ball."
"I understand," Duclea approved with a smile. "But, I will make it look more fancy and cheerful."
Duclea waved her wand and Kimberly's ruined dress turned into a beautiful bubble gum pink dress. It had a strapless sweetheart neckline, a full-length ball skirt, and powered with bright pink glitter.
"Wow, this is beautiful!" Kimberly cried as she spun around in her dress. "Thank you."
She walked over to the carriage and the footman opened the door for her. As she was getting in, Duclea noticed that she was wearing a pair of navy ballet flats.
"Don't leave so fast," Duclea requested. "Are these the best shoes you own?"
"Yes," Kimberly answered. "But, it's okay. No body are going to see them anyway."
"These shoes will ruin your new look," Duclea declared. "Please take them off for a minute. They may look bad now. But, don't worry. I will turn them into totally new pair of shoes."
Kimberly removed her shoes and handed them to Duclea. She placed the old shoes down and saw that some of the of designs were coming off, the color was piling off from the shoes, and the inner soles were just worn out.
"Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo!" Duclea cried as she waved her wand. The shoes suddenly turned into a pair of glass high heels. "These are glass slippers and they are very comfortable. Kimberly, you need to go now."
"Thank you," Kimberly chirped as she stepped into her new glass slippers. "Duclea, I'm worried that my step-mother and step-sisters will recognize me."
"No, they won't," Duclea replied as she waved her wand at Kimberly's face. "I've just cast a spell on you to prevent them from recognizing you."
"Thank you," Kimberly smiled as she hugged Duclea. "I can't express my gratitude for all you've done for me tonight."
"I almost forgot to tell you that magic is limited," Duclea began. "When bell echoes for the last time at the stroke of midnight, the spell will be broken. And everything will return to the way it once was before."
" Midnight," Kimberly beamed. "That will be more than enough time for me to find Tommy."
Author's note:
I thought we needed to have a back story about Finster, since I didn't give one earlier! In the next chapter, Kim will find Tommy again? What will she do when she learns he's the prince? Find out in the next chapter!"