In the meantime, the rabbits that were sitting by Akira's feet had noticed that the birds and owl were missing. A pull on one of their ears drew their attention to the birds and owl who were perched a ways away on a tree branch. The bird motioned to the boots by the tree stump that Akira had taken off as he laid against the tree branch. The rabbits caught sight of the cloak and hat and understood the plan.
Akira had his eyes closed and was humming to himself while one of the smaller rabbits laid in his lap, their eyes closed as Akira pet him softly. The rabbits took their opportunity to hop into his boots and hop towards the birds and owl.
In the meantime, the birds and squirrel helped tied the cloak around the owl and placed the hat on top of his head. The cloak was a little heavy so the birds each held one sleeve up and the squirrel crawled under the hat and held onto the owl's feathers on his head and held onto the hat with the other paw so the hat would stay on.
The group of animals headed towards the tree, the rabbits bouncing in the boots one at a time so it gave the illusion of walking. As they approached the other animals scurried away in shock and surprise which quickly gathered Akira's attention. He turned and his eyes widened seeing the "prince" walking towards him. A smile gathered on his face as he realized what the dressed up animals were doing and he decided to play along.
"Why, if it isn't my dream prince! Your Highness," Akira said standing up and bowing to the "prince" with a chuckle. "You know, I'm really not supposed to speak to strangers. But we've met before!"
"I know you
I walked with you once upon a dream
I know you
The gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam
Yet I know it's true
That visions are seldom all they seem"
As Akira danced and sang with the "prince" he failed to notice that Lance, Pidge, and Hunk had entered the clearing and saw him dancing with the animals in Lance's cloak and hat. Lance turned to his friends as they peeked from behind the tall bushes.
"I told you there was someone singing," Lance said to which Pidge rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, you were right," Pidge said with a sigh.
"Yeah, we found him, can we go back before your sister starts worrying?" Hunk asked glancing nervously in the direction of the castle.
"But if I know you
I know what you'll do
You'll love me at once
The way you did once upon a dream"
"Not yet," Lance said emerging from the buses. "I've seen him somewhere, and I need to know where."
"Wait, Lance!" Hunk yelled as Lance headed towards the mysterious singing stranger.
"Clearly, he doesn't know about stranger danger," Pidge said with a sigh.
"Are we gonna go after him?" Hunk asked as Lance continued to walk over.
"No, we'll stay here and jump in if needed," Pidge said to which Hunk nodded with a sigh.
"But if I know you
I know what you'll do
You'll love me at once"
As Akira spun around, he failed to notice Lance pull the owl away by the back of the cloak and join Akira in his dance as he spun back around.
"The way you did once upon a dream"
As someone else's voice joined in, Akira froze and turned to see who was with him. His eyes widened seeing the owl and birds had been pushed away to the group of animals were watching him.
"I'm sorry about that, I didn't mean to frighten you," Lance said with a sheepish smile as Akira stopped and turned around.
"It wasn't that," Akira said with a shake of his head. "It's just that you're a…" as he turned around, his eyes widened upon seeing Lance.
"A stranger…" Lance said finishing his sentence while also trailing off. Akira nodded and slowly started backing away.
"Yes, my aunts warned me about strangers," Akira said with a nod of his head.
"This is going to sound crazy," Lance said with a chuckle. "But would you believe it if I said I feel like I've met you?"
"It doesn't sound crazy," Akira said with a shake of his head, though he was still wary of strangers and wanted desperately to grab his basket and cloak and run back to the safety of the cottage. "Because I feel like we've met to."
"Well I guess we have met before," Lance said as he remembered his dreams that he had been having.
"We have?" Akira asked to which Lance nodded. "When?"
"Well, you said it yourself," Lance said with a smile. "Once upon a dream."
"I know you
I walked with you once upon a dream
I know you
The gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam"
As Lance sang, Akira thought back to the prince from his dreams. The more he thought about it, the more this stranger seemed to resemble the prince he dreamt about. Little by little, his walls started lowering as he walked and danced with Lance.
"And I know it's true
That visions are seldom all they seem
But if I know you
I know what you'll do
You'll love me at once
The way you did once upon a dream
"
The pair made their way to the edge of the cliff and leaned back against a long tree branch and started talking with each other.
"So," Lance said as a comfortable silence draped over them. "We've been talking for a while now, I feel like I've known you forever."
"Yes, it feels that way doesn't it?" Akira asked with a soft smile.
"There's one thing you haven't told me," Lance said grabbing the raven's hand.
"What what's that?"
"What's your name?" Lance asked softly.
"My name…" Akira trailed off and opened his mouth to say something but his aunt's warning echoed in his head.
Don't talk to strangers.
"Oh, no, no. I can't, I…" Akira said shaking his head and starting to back away from Lance. "Goodbye!" he said before running back to where the basket and his cloak lay. His boots being placed back beside them by the rabbits.
"But when will I see you again?" Lance called racing after the teen. Akira froze for a moment before shaking his head and continuing to the tree stump.
"Oh, never, never!" Akira called back rushing past the bush where Pidge and Hunk were still huddling behind. The commotion making them peek out from behind and saw Keith slipping on his boots again.
"Never?" Lance called back just entering the meadow, stopping in his tracks as he heard he would never see the raven teen again.
"Well, maybe someday," Akira said pulling his cloak on and pulling his hood on, the animals rushing in front of Lance as he went to make his way to stop Akira from leaving.
"When tomorrow?" Lance asked stopping in his tracks as the animals blocked his way.
"Oh no, this evening," Akira called back looking back towards Lance with a small smile.
"Where?" Lance said as Akira picked up the berry basket and rushed out of the meadow, calling out to Lance.
"At the cottage, in the glen!" Akira called out as he rushed home.
As soon as he was gone, the animals disappeared into the forest once more. That was when Pidge and Hunk stepped out of the bushes and walked up to Lance, their horses trotting up behind them.
"Well? You gonna go?" Pidge asked to which Lance shrugged.
"I guess I am, I wanna see him again," Lance said turning to the tree stump and gathering his cloak and placed it around his shoulders and placing his hat on his head.
"That sounds nice and all, but you might wanna tell your sister that," Hunk said pointing to the direction of the castle.
"Right," Lance said climbing onto Blue. "Let's just hope she won't be too mad about it."
"Well, what do you think of it?" Shay asked as she finished lighting the candles. However, before Nyma or Florona could look her way, the cake started to droop down to the side. Shay gasped and grabbed the broom beside her and placed it at an angle against the cake.
"Well," Nyma said as she turned around and watched as the cake continued to droop down. "It's a very unusual cake isn't it?"
"Of course it'll be much stiffer after it's baked," Shay said as she turned back to the cake and quickly placed the candles at the top as they slid down.
"Of course it will Shay," Nyma said with a smile. "What do you think of the suit?"
"Well," Shay said walking over to Nyma. "It's not like how it is in the book is it?"
"Well, I did add a few improvements," Nyma said to which Shay nodded.
"Ah, I see," Shay said with a smile. "What do you think Florona?" Shay asked Florona who had been standing with her arms crossed and a pout on her face.
"I think we've had enough of this nonsense," Florona said shrugging out of the suit which ended up ripping the seams and the fabric to fall apart. "I think we ought to think of Akira, and what he'll think of this mess," Florona said stepping off the stool and stomping towards the stairs where the hidden storage was. "I still think what I thought before. I'm going to get those wands."
"You know," Shay said turning back to the cake which fell apart completely since it wasn't baked. "I think she's right."
"Here they are!" Florona exclaimed rushing back to the pair. "Good as new." Nyma was quick to pull the wands out of her hands and held them to her chest.
"Careful Florona!" Nyma exclaimed which caused the youngest to glare at her before she realized.
"Close the doors," Nyma said pointing to the front door and the room to Akira's room.
"Got it," Florona whispered as she rushed to close and lock the front door and then Akira's room.
"Lock the windows," Nyma said to which Shay nodded and quickly shut the windows and locked them.
"Windows locked," Shay said as Nyma went around with pieces of cloth and stuffed holes where light shone through.
"We can't take any chances," Nyma said with a sigh as all precautions were done. "Now Shay, go make the cake," Nyma said handing Shay's wand to her.
"And I'll-"
"Florona, you clean up the room," Nyma said handing Florona her wand before holding her own in her hand.
"And I'll make the suit."
"Come on, bucket, mop, broom. Nyma says, clean up the room!" Florona said waving her wand which made the objects come to life and follow after her as she walked around, cleaning as they did so.
"And now to make a suit, fit the grace of the young prince," Nyma said waving her wand to the red fabric and forming a base to work with.
"Eggs, flour, milk!" as the ingredients surrounded the mixing bowl, Shay realized she didn't know what she was doing and turned the book around. "Just do it the way it says here in the book. I'll put on the candles."
"Oh no," Florona said as she caught sight of the suit, which was coming along nicely. "Not red," she said before using her magic and turning it black.
"Florona!" Nyma exclaimed quietly before sending a glare to the pink fairy who had her back turned so she couldn't see the glare the oldest was sending her. "Make it red," she said turning the suit red again.
"Make it black," Florona said as she danced with the mop, the suit turning black once more as Nyma was added the gold trim on the sleeves.
"Red!" Nyma said growing more and more frustrated with each colour change. She regretted agreeing to them using their wands again.
"Pink," Florona said using the pan behind her to ricochet it towards the suit, this time she wanted to pick a different colour to really see how Nyma would act. However, Nyma had gotten in the way. Her dress ended up being coloured pink.
"Alright, that's how we're playing it," Nyma said using her magic to turn Florona's dress blue. This, started a war between the two fairies. They kept throwing shots of magic at each other, turning each other's dresses different colours. Neither them or Shay, who was busy with the cake, seemed to notice that their magic was bouncing off of objects in the cottage and out the chimney.
However, someone who did notice was Kova who had been searching the forest for any trace of the young prince. She had noticed the colour magic puffing out of the chimney and started to head towards the cottage.
At some point between their fight, their magic hit the suit at the same time and ended up becoming multicoloured. Both fairies stopped fighting and gave angry glares to each other.
"Look what you've done Florona!" Nyma yelled motioning to the suit.
"I'm not the only one to blame here!" Florona yelled back pointing her finger towards the oldest fairy.
"Wait!" Shay yelled making the two stop. "Listen." The trio stopped and froze upon hearing a familiar tune being hummed.
"It's Akira!" Florona exclaimed.
"He's back, enough of this," Nyma said. The trio rushing the put stuff away and make the cottage tidy before their charge came in. "Make it red," Nyma said before turning to Shay who was humming away and finishing lighting the candles.
"Oh," Shay said as she felt eyes on her and say Nyma eyeing her. "Right," she said before lighting all the candles at once and following after Nyma.
"Quickly, hide!" Nyma exclaimed hiding on the staircase with Shay which was hidden from the door. Florona quickly rushed over but not before stopping.
"Make it black," she whispered before rushing over to the pair and handing her wand to Nyma who quickly hit it in the hidden cupboard. It was at that moment that Akira entered the cottage, hanging his cloak on the hook by the door and placing his basket down.
"Aunt Nyma, Aunt Shay, Aunt Florona," Akira said as he walked away from the door, closing the lower half of the split door behind him. However, he noticed that there seemed to be no one in the cottage. "Where is everyone?" he asked before he noticed the suit laying on one of the chairs and the cake sitting on the table.
"Surprise!" the trio of aunts called rushing up being him, scaring the teen. Before a soft smile replaced the shock. "Happy Birthday!"
"I knew you were planning something," Akira said before hugging each of his aunts individually. "I have a surprise for you as well."
"A surprise?" Florona asked.
"For us?" Shay asked with excitement.
"Yes," Akira said with a nod. "Wait until you meet him."
"Him?" Shay asked, the excitement disappearing from her face.
"Akira?" Florona asked looking at the teen in awe.
"You've met some stranger?" Nyma asked looking at the teen in disbelief, he was never one to disobey them.
"Not a stranger," Akira said shaking his head. "We've met before," Akira said with a smile.
"You have!?" Nyma exclaimed with wide eyes.
"Where?" Florona asked huddling next to the other two who stared at the teen in disbelief.
"Once upon a dream," Akira said with a sigh before he started singing.
"I know you
I walked with you once upon a dream"
Akira pulled his aunt in green towards him and they started dancing, just like how he did with Lance.
"I think he's in love," Shay said with a sad smile.
"I know you
The gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam"
"Oh no," Florona said turning to Nyma.
"This is terrible," Nyma said shaking her head. Akira stopped dancing with his aunt and turned to Nyma in confusion.
"Why? After all, I am 18," Akira said as he pulled away from Shay.
"It isn't that sweetheart," Nyma said with a shake of her head.
"You're already betrothed," Shay said placing a hand on Akira's shoulder.
"Since the day you were born," Florona said with a small smile.
"To Prince Lance of Altea love," Shay said.
"But that's impossible," Akira said shaking his head. "How could I marry a prince? I would have to be a-"
"A Prince," Florona finished with a smile.
"And you are," Shay said which made Akira pulled away from her.
"Prince Keith of Daibazaal," Nyma said which made Akira's eyes widen. Kova, who had been watching from the door stopped and a smile grew on her face. Swiftly she turned and started the journey back to Haggar's domain. "Tonight we're taking you back to your mother Queen Krolia's castle."
"But, but I can't! He's coming here tonight, I promised to meet him," Akira said as he felt tears spring to his eyes.
"I'm sorry, darling, but you must never see that young man again," Nyma said with a frown on her face.
"Oh, no, no! I can't believe it," Akira said shaking his head as tears started running down his cheeks. He finally found love like in the fairy tales, and now, it was being taken away from him. "No, no!" Akira, no Keith, cried out as he ran up to his room and collapsed on his bed, erupting into sobs that shook his body.
"And we thought he'd be so happy," Florona said as they listened with heavy hearts as he cried.
Author's Note:
2 chapters in a day. Haven't done that in a while.
I just started school once again so I'll be a little distracted. However, I only have 3 this semester (no not highschool semester, I'm in university) so I'll have more time than I did last semester. The story should have a few more chapters since I'm halfway through the movie at this point.
I have a lineup planned for AU coming after this one is done, However, that being said if you wanna send a request for an AU (Doesn't have to be Disney) feel free to email me, PM me, message me on Tumblr or my DeviantArt accounts, or leave a comment.
That's all for now, enjoy!
~Alchemgirl8