When her rock plate was empty she looked up at the sky. It was all one color everywhere and she tried to figure out where the sun would rise. She had spent most of her life looking at the sunset from her tower. The sun set in the east, and the bridge was to the left of her chamber. She turned toward her tower and tried to picture the layout. She certainly wasn't going to go there in person.
She imagined coming down the staircase after dark. The moon would be behind her, off to the right. She looked down at the rocks and the tree trunks for moss, and when she found some she stood beside the tree facing the same direction. If she remembered correctly, it was north; her tower was behind her. So the sunrise would be in front of her...?
Assuming she was right, Fiona picked up her makeshift fork and started scraping the fish off the rock. She was in the middle of the process of cleaning up after herself when a noise from behind got her attention. She whirled, and was relieved to see a little cat scrutinizing her with narrowed eyes.
Fiona was observing in shock the headwear and footwear the cat wore, when suddenly it pounced, attaching itself to her dress. Fiona yelped as it began to claw her skin. "Ouch! What do you - get off of me!"
The cat scrambled around behind her and raked its claws across her back. Fiona reached behind with both hands and grabbed him, lifting him into the air.
"Fear me, if you dare."
Fiona jerked in surprise at the sound of his voice, and her eyes narrowed back at him. "What's your problem?" she demanded.
He just glared at her, his fuzzy mouth lifted into an evil, mocking smile.
"I'll show you what I dare," Fiona muttered, and began to carry him. The cat began swinging, and suddenly latched its back claws into her dress, scrambling up her arm with a laugh. He scrambled onto her back. And froze as Fiona's body began to glow.
"Whoa!" he shouted, and scrabbled up onto her head, jumping into the branches above. Fiona closed her eyes against the blinding brilliance of the transformation, and when the light faded she opened her eyes, looking quickly up at the cat. He perched atop his branch, staring at her in open shock, eyes and mouth wide open.
When he finally found his voice, the words he spoke shocked Fiona to her core. "Y-y-you are the cursed princess?"
"What?" she demanded. "How do you know that?"
"I recognized you."
"From where?"
"From the storybooks! You are not aware?"
Fiona turned, hesitant to take her eyes off him. Suddenly it couldn't wait. "I have to go talk to my parents," she said, and began to walk in what she could only hope was the right direction.
"No, you must not go to the palace!" Puss blurted.
"Why?"
"Your parents no longer exist. The kingdom belongs to someone else."
"What?" she repeated. "You're lying."
"I am not lying," he answered. They looked up as a pair of witches flew overhead. "Oh, uh, one more thing," the cat added, watching them fly away. "You better not let the witches see you at night. They will capture you. They capture all ogres and sentence them to a life of labour. He is especially looking for you."
"Me? Why?"
"He wishes to abolish you too, and rule the kingdom forever. Princesa, going there would be walking right into a death trap."
"Wait, my parents are dead?"
"Apparently. And if you encounter him, the same will happen to you. You must lay low."
"Why do you care what happens to me?"
"You are Far Far Away's only hope for a decent ruler." He looked away in shame. "I am sorry for attacking you."
Fiona walked closer to the branch, gazing steadily at him. He tried to meet her eyes and couldn't. "I will forgive you," she announced, "But you've got to do something for me."
He looked resolutely at her. "Name it."
"Describe him to me," she answered without hesitation.
"His name is Rumpelstiltskin. He has red hair. Turquoise eyes. And, he is not much taller than me."
Fiona raised her brows.
"There is no mistaking him. Trust me," the cat added. "I do not begrudge mercy."
"So my parents are..." Fiona couldn't finish the question, and she turned and quietly walked back to her dying campfire. Sitting on the ground, she listened to her world crumble around her. Suddenly her future seemed bleak. She would never see her parents again. She would never know why.
An orange blob appeared in her peripheral vision, and she looked to her right to see the cat sit down beside her. "I am sorry, Princess."
She sighed. "That's just it. I guess I'm not a princess anymore." For a moment they were quiet; then Fiona spoke again. "I hope they didn't...suffer. How did he do it?"
"Word has it he has magical contracts, which he tricks people into signing. He says they will have whatever they want. But the signatories usually die, and he gets both pieces of the cake."
Fiona stared into the dancing flames. At that moment she was aware of neither the heat nor the cold. All she knew was emotion. "I have to kill him," she murmured, and was not aware she had spoken aloud until Puss responded to her thoughts.
"You cannot go near him and still lay low. You must be invisible to him, night and day. He does not care who he hurts."
"Then what am I supposed to do?"
"Nothing," he answered simply. "You will never defeat him on your own."
"I have to try!"
"You will fail. I am not trying to discourage you; only to warn you," he explained, when she glared at him. "He is protected by witches and magic, and..." He shrugged. "You have nobody," he finished apologetically.
Fiona looked at him. "Did you ever bring an ogre to the palace?"
Again, he couldn't meet her eyes. He bowed his head. "Five," he muttered. "Five ogres."
She covered her eyes and leaned forward, and he quickly looked at her. "I will stop," he said hastily. "I promise you that."
She looked at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "Did he pay you?" she asked.
"Uh, yes. Yes he did."
"Then why would you stop because of me?" she asked, trying to speak in a steady voice.
He opened his mouth to answer, then shut it again and looked away, looking darkly into the fire. "Fine. I...It is not only you," he admitted, raising his paws. "Rumpelstiltskin made it clear that I could only get paid four times. My fifth ogre was because a witch blackmailed me."
She stared expectantly at him. "And me?" she asked, and he was quiet. "What was that for?" she demanded.
He looked apologetically up at her. "I was bored."
Her eyes narrowed at him and she fought for her voice. "Go away."
He sighed, but stood and retraced his steps to his boots. He picked them up and looked back at her. "Remember what I said," he advised. "If you must exact vengeance on Rumpelstiltskin, you cannot succeed by yourself."
"Are you seriously asking me to adopt you?" Fiona demanded.
"I am making you an offer. I can prove the remorse I feel, but you need to trust me."
"No I don't," she answered.
"I want to show you where you can find your first ogre. Your first recruit in the war against Rumpelstiltskin."
Fiona looked over at him.
-x-
Puss led her deep into the forest, where the leaves were so thick that the sunlight could barely shine through. It was dark as night, and Fiona took extra caution on the erratic trail, following the orange, hat-donning midget blob in front of her. His boots were the same color as the darkness around them, and it appeared as though he levitated through the woods.
Eventually they reached an area where the leaves above grew thinner, and a single shaft of sunlight shone down upon a tree stump. Puss circled the stump and then turned to face Fiona. She raised her brows at him.
"I witnessed him turn the interior into a bed. Look..." Puss reached toward the tree, and suddenly Fiona swatted him away.
"After sunset," she told him. "I don't want him to get the wrong idea."
"What?"
"No one can know about me. Do you understand?"
"You should tell that to the publishers of the picture books," Puss grumped. "Do it your way," he muttered, and disappeared into the darkness; leaving Fiona to stand there and wonder how her secret was leaked.
It had to be the witch. Who worked for Rumpelstiltskin. Who had abolished her parents. Who had her locked away.
Unfortunately, it was all coming together.