Ch 2
Ariaelle was nervous as she led the other princesses to her castle. Izz knew how she felt. He'd seen her secret many times. He knew she meant no harm but she couldn'r control herself when she got angry. Thinking about hiding it made her mad herself. Izz saw her eyes glow red. "Calm down Ariaelle before they see. Maybe you should. That way you don't have to hide." He said calmly. He was on her shoulders as normal.
Fiona had overheard what Izz had said to Ariaelle. What did it mean? Snow wondered what she was on about. The castle amazed them. It was very large and it seemed extra ordinary. "Where's your parents?" Doris asked curiously. "They went away a long time ago. It's just been me and Izz here in this castle." Ariaelle answered quietly. "Did they run away? Is that the secret you were talking about?" Fiona said gently. Ariaelle's eyes glowed with a bright red light. "I've got to go!" she yelled as she ran off with Izz on her shoulders. She ran out of the castle. Her body glowed with red light. When it vanished, she'd changed. Her eyes had became purple eye slits, dragon fangs replaced her human teeth. Her hands had became claws and her legs were still human as well as her back and face except for her ears. They had became dragon ears. She was half human and half dragon vy birth. Izz knew he wasn't in danger but it would look that way to Ariaelle's new friends. "Ariae calm down. I know that question about your parents hit a nerve but they were curious." He told her calmly. "I know but I don't like talking about them!" Ariaelle growled as she flew across the moon.
Ariaelle's parents were not like normal parents. Her father was a human but her mother was an attractive dragon. Once they'd given birth to her, they realised their mistake when they saw she was a hybrid. When she became a teenager, they left apparently to help other realms not in Aria but she knew it was because of her they'd left. She only revealed her dragon side when she got angry. "Why did you leave me? Is it because you're ashamed of what I am? I can't change myself. One day I'll be yours again. I promise." She thought as she landed and let out a loud roar. Izz saw tears fall down her cheeks as she sank to her knees in agony. Her purple dress was ripped by her transformation.
But she was unaware that Fiona was watching this. She was shocked by Ariaelle's appearance but understood. She understood why Ariaelle's parents had gone away. Ariaelle then felt Izz stroke her gently to calm her down. He was the only one to befriend her when the other magical creatures ran away from her. She then began to think back.
Thirteen years earlier…Ariaelle was seven years old and both her human and dragon parts could be seen by other people. Her father King Asa was worried for his child. She was at the age where she desired yp make friends but he and his wife knew it wouldn't be easy seeing as she was different from other children in Aria. Mara his wife watched as Ariaelle flew into the room on her purple wings. "Mommy! Can I go outside and play with other children?" the child asked her excitedly. Mara then curled her long dragon tail around her daughter so she could talk to her. "I'm not so sure it's a good idea honey. You know the way you're part mortal and dragon? Some of the other children would be scared by your appearance and not want to play with you." Mara explained gently. Asa watched as their daughter flew out of the room. She then went into the forest so she could make friends.
She saw some ogre kids playing with a ball. But when she approached them, they ran away from her. This happened all day. "They don't like me. Mommy was right!" she sobbed softly as she looked at herself in the lake. "Why're you crying?" somebody asked gently. She then looked up to see a Psammead boy looking at her. He didn't seem afraid of her. "Don't you want to run away from me because I'm a monster?" she asked him sadly. "No I don't. I look way more freaky than you do. I'm Izz. What's your name?" he told her smiling. "I'm Ariaelle." She replied happily. After that day, they were best friends.
Ariaelle smiled as she remembered the first time she and Izz met. Suddenly magic surrounded her and her dragon parts concealed themselves once more."What helped you calm down?" Izz asked her. "It was the memory of when we first became friends." She told him. He smiled warmly. That was one of his favourite memories too. "We'd better get back before they send a search party and discover your secret." Izz said. "Yeah you're right. I was just thinking about what would happen if I did tell them my secret. They're my friends right? They shouldn't care what I am because inside I'm still me Ariaelle, right?" she told him as they walked back to the castle. "That's not a bad idea but what if some of them don't? You saw how Snow was when Doris asked about your parents." Izz replied. "Yes I know about Snow but Fiona, Doris and Aurora will accept me especially Fiona. Somehow she understands what it's like to be a freak and still have friends but you like me and we're still friends." she responded smiling a little. It was hard for Izz to believe that the spunky seven year old he'd befriended had grown into a shy, scared teenager afraid of showing her true self. He knew she needed more friends than just him. He wasn't going to be around forever. "Maybe I should get them to try reaching out to Ariaelle as a person." he thought smiling mischieviously. "What're you thinking?" Ariaelle asked him. "You'll see. It'll be okay. Trust me." he said running off into the castle. Ariaelle stood outside letting the wind whip her hair. Suddenly a Shining Star came out in the night sky. Ariaelle smiled sadly. Her parents had told her that if she wished on it, her wish would come true. "I wish for friends and that the princesses here accept me for who I am." she whispered softly as she entered the castle.
"Come on Fiona tell us what you saw when you followed Ariaelle!" Snow said to Fiona as she came into the castle's throne room. "I don't think she should tell. Ariaelle's a nice kid. We should give her a chance. Look what happened when we gave Fiona a chance to join us again. We became friends again." Cinderella told her. Aurora and Doris agreed. "Okay if she's so nice like you say, how come she always hangs out with that Psammead? She's hiding something and I'm going to prove it!" Snow snapped angrily. Fiona felt sad but angry. Snow couldn't trust Ariaelle but she, Doris and Aurora could. "She has trouble making friends. That's the reason why she's shy! I thought you gave up judging others a long time ago." Fiona told her sadly as she walked out of the room and went upstairs to her room. Ariaelle stared at her but looked into Fiona's blue eyes. In them she found a kindred spirit, somebody who'd been born different like her. "Good night." she said to Fiona. "Thanks. You too." Fiona replied as she walked into the room and closed the door. Izz saw a single tear fall down Ariaelle's cheek as she went into her bedroom and closed the door. She fkopped onto her bed with a purple duvet on it. Izz could tell she was upset. He'd always been good at sensing her moods as she got older. "What did you see when you looked into her eyes?" he asked gently as she calmed down. "I saw somebody like me in them. She knows what it's like to be born different and have nobody like you or shun you. I never asked to be half human and half dragon. Maybe I was a mistake. I never should've been born in the first place." she told him coldly. He hated it when she was in a dark mood like this. Her parents had told her they were leaving but that next morning when she'd woke up, they'd left her all by herself. That's when he knew she needed him more than ever. He knew what it was like not having parents. He then put a cup of hot chocolate on her bedside table. That always made her feel better when she was in a mood like this. "Thanks Izz. You know how to make me feel better." she said smiling sadly as she drank it. Later she fell asleep with him in her arms.
In the Caves of Misery in the Domin Forest, the evil one who put the dark spell over Aria was watching this with joy. He knew that the only thing to break his spell was pure friendship. He knew Ariaelle was friends with Izz and trying to be friends with Fiona, Snow, Cinderella, Aurora and Doris but Snow didn't trust her. "This is perfect! If I can get them all to hate Ariaelle, then she can't get them to do the counter spell! Poor Ariaelle. All you want is to be normal but you can't and it hurts. I love feeding on your pain. It fills me up!" he hissed happily as his eyes glowed with dark magic as he watched Ariaelle sleep... .