Chapter 11: Touch the Spindle
Back downstairs, the fairies were still waiting patiently outside, unaware that Lapis had been gone for quite some time. As they were waiting, they were avidly discussing what they should do regarding the young man that Lapis met in the forest.
"Well, I don't see why she has to marry any prince or duke," argued Amethyst. "Lapis should be allowed to choose who she wants to be with."
"Now Amethyst, that is unfortunately not for us to decide," Pearl retorted. "For the kingdom to prosper, Lapis would likely need to be wed to a noble of royal blood."
Even though this factor was part of the kingdom's law, the other fairies were not too keen on this decision, knowing from how their talk with Lapis earlier had immensely upset her. Eventually, the discussion had become quite heated that even Steven had begun to pitch in.
"Maybe we should tell the queen about the young man," the fairy prince spoke. "I'm sure she'll understand."
The fairies were unsure, though they figured that Steven's idea could be the wisest option. Figuring that Lapis had enough time alone, the fairy prince then knocked on the door, hoping that his friend was feeling better. However, there was no response.
"Lapis?" Steven asked in concern as he knocked once more. "Is everything okay in there?"
But still, there was no reply, leaving the fairies quite worried. Just then Steven went and opened the door to see what the matter was. However, to the shock of both him and the other fairies, Lapis was nowhere to be seen. Immediately, they all started panicking, wondering where the princess had gone before remembering about the wicked fairy's curse.
"Oh, why did we leave her alone for so long!" cried Pearl. "White Diamond must have enticed her away, without us knowing!"
Just then they all noticed the door leading to the forgotten tower room and figured that Lapis must have exited through there. But when they tried to open it, the door wouldn't budge.
"Somebody must have locked it from the inside!" cried a panicking Peridot, who was fearing the worst.
"Not for much longer," replied Garnet, who took out her wand and made the door disappear entirely. Then, without hesitation, the fairies flew quickly up the winding staircase as fast as they could, all whilst calling out Lapis' name, hoping that she could hear them.
Back in the tower room, Lapis was unsettled by the sudden appearance of both the wicked fairy and her minions, making her feel quite frightened. She wanted to cry out for help, but her fear had overtaken her ability to speak. Suddenly, White Diamond's staff magically appeared in her hand, much to Lapis' surprise.
"What, are you doing?" asked the scared princess. "I already told you, I don't want to touch the spindle."
"I know," replied the wicked fairy. "But perhaps this will change your mind."
With a wave of her staff, White Diamond presented Lapis with a projection, to which the young princess saw what looked to be a figure in a dark dungeon, who was struggling against the chains that bound him. The blue girl's concerns soon turned to horror, when she recognised who the figure was, as it was none other than Jamie, the young man she met in the forest earlier.
"What's happened? What have you done to him!" Lapis cried, to which she then begged the wicked fairy to release Jamie. "Let him go, please!"
"Oh, my dear little Princess," replied White Diamond callously. "He will only be freed if you do as I say."
Lapis was unsure what she should do, as there seemed to be no other way for her true love to be saved. So, she reluctantly accepted to do whatever the wicked fairy told her.
"Alright," she sighed sadly. "What do you want me to do?"
"I've already told you, my dear," the wicked fairy taunted in reply. "Make your wish and touch that spindle, and once you do, your true love will be set free."
Lapis thought for a moment, staring at the sharp spindle in dread. "You promise?" she asked White Diamond.
"True to my word," replied the wicked fairy, lying under her breath. At that moment, Lapis had begun to extend her arm once more, as she slowly approached the spinning wheel.
Meanwhile, the fairies were still climbing the long staircase. Distressed, by the lack of a reply from the princess, they continued to call out to her. "Lapis!" cried Peridot. "Don't touch anything!"
Fortunately, Lapis heard the fairies' cries. She turned her head around and wanted to call back to them. But White Diamond was not going to let her curse slip away and coaxed the princess even further.
"Touch the spindle, touch it I say!" she ordered, to which her three minions began chanting quietly as well. "Touch it, touch it," they whispered to Lapis.
Elsewhere, the fairies were almost at the top of the widening staircase, with their cries becoming louder and louder the higher they got. But their cries were soon to be in vain, as Lapis' delicate hand drew closer to the spindle.
"This is for you, my true love," the princess said to herself sadly, as she reached out to touch the spindle's shiny surface.
Then with a heavy heart, just as the sun was about to set, she pricked her finger. Feeling the pain from the sharp object, Lapis let out a small, startled gasp and quickly withdrew her hand. She looked at where the spindle pierced her skin, indicated by the drop of blood seeping out of the small wound.
Just then, the fairies had finally reached the forgotten tower room, only to be left in shock over the realisation that they were too late. There they could see White Diamond and her minions standing before them, along with a disconcerted Lapis, who was still looking worryingly at her pricked finger. The wicked fairy gave them a cruel smile, for the curse she placed upon the young princess had now been fulfilled. Worried for his friend, Steven called out to Lapis, who was beginning to feel quite lightheaded.
"Lapis!" he cried. "Are you okay?"
Lapis turned towards the fairy prince's blurry figure in fear, as everything around her started to go dim.
"Steven, I, I feel so…" the princess said weakly. But before she could utter another word, Lapis gave out a fateful sigh, her eyes closed, and she immediately fell to the floor.
White Diamond laughed with wicked triumph, as she towered over the princess' lifeless body, with her minions applauding her in victory. Out of instinct and before the other fairies could stop him, Steven rushed towards his fallen friend, holding her in his arms as he knelt, trying desperately to wake her.
"Lapis!" the fairy prince wailed. "Lapis, please wake up!"
But this was all without success, as the blue girl didn't respond. Just then, Aquamarine approached Steven smugly and gave him a mischievous look. "She's gone, pathetic fairy prince," she teased. "She has pricked her finger on that spindle, and now, your beloved princess is dead."
Upon hearing these words, Steven began to shed tears, believing that his friend was now gone forever. The other fairies couldn't help but look at the sobbing fairy prince, with tears starting to well up in their eyes as well. All that was except for Amethyst, who was furious with White Diamond for what she did to Lapis, and Aquamarine for upsetting Steven.
"You're wrong!" she shouted. "Lapis is not dead, you old witch!"
Taken aback by this comment, White Diamond looked crossly at Amethyst, to which her minions responded similarly. The other fairies watched in tearful shock, as the lavender fairy continued her outburst.
"It's thanks to Rose that Lapis is only asleep and all she needs is a kiss of true love to awaken!" she spoke angrily. "Therefore, your curse has failed!"
White Diamond was furious with what she heard, for she had waited many years to realise her curse, only to find that Lapis' fate had been changed. But then, her anger went away when she remembered who she was holding prisoner back at her castle and her scowl reverted to a menacing grin.
"True love you say?" she asked the lavender fairy sarcastically, to which amethyst began to look worried, fearing that she had said too much. "Then, in that case, I will ensure that your precious princess' 'true love' never reaches her and therefore she shall never wake up."
And on that note, White Diamond and her minions disappeared out through the tower window, with the former leaving only a faint echo of her laugh behind.
With White Diamond now gone, Amethyst gave out a woeful sigh as she turned to see the devastated look of her colleagues, mourning over the slumbering princess. Both Peridot and Bismuth were trying to comfort Steven, who amid his crying, didn't hear what Amethyst had said. Pearl and Garnet on the other hand, still stood there grieving, with the former drying her eyes with a handkerchief.
"Oh, I'll never forgive myself," the ivory fairy wept.
"We're all to blame," added Garnet, as she sadly looked outside the window, only to see the sun finally set over the horizon. White Diamond's curse had come true, and Lapis was now in a deep enchanted sleep.