Angela and Luna returned home in silence, the former confused by her stepsister's absurdly large grin, but thought it wise not to comment. After taking Amber back into the barn and taking over her harness, Angela went back into the house to make the dinner. She turned her head to the side in confusion when she noticed her elder stepsister sitting at the table, in a daze. Her eyes were glazed over and her were folded neatly in her lap.
"Candace, is everything alright?"
The bluenette nodded and said in a distant voice, "Everything is fine."
Angela was getting very confused and slightly worried by this point. "Did something happen?" She probed.
Candace looked at her, her eyes still glazed over and dreamy. In a breathless voice, she whispered, "I th-think I'm engaged."
In the blink of an eye, she was being hugged the life out of by her stepsister who was exclaiming, "This is fantastic! Superb! You're going to get married!" The shy woman still seemed in a state of shock and sat vacantly throughout the rancher's exclaims of joy. Suddenly, Angela paused and let the bluenette go. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Wait. He didn't get you pregnant, did he?"
X.X.X
The house was filled with excitement for the remainder of the week. Lucinda was having a fit in deciding what dresses to buy, both for the ball and her elder daughter's wedding. Candace and Julius had opted for a very short engagement, giving Angela more reason to tease her sister about her 'pregnancy'. They were to be married half-way through the following week and an ecstatic Lucinda had decided that Luna should be the Maid of Honour. None of the three girls seemed too pleased about this arrangement but chose to keep their mouths shut. Luna was happy for her elder sister, hoping she would be the next of the sisters to marry, not knowing her brunette stepsister was secretly (and reluctantly) thinking the same.
Instead of picking out a costume for the next ball, Luna spent most of her time in her room, thinking. Lucinda had warned her to have dealt with her rival by the next ball, but how could she do that when she had no idea how she even got to the ball in the first place? By all means it shouldn't have been possible, unless she was getting someone else to pick her up, but still, how could she get the dresses. The pinkette's mind wandered down these same paths over and over, attempting to find some definite answer, but was ultimately met with none. 'This is insane! You'd swear it was magic!' She exclaimed one night, banging her head off her vanity desk in frustration, not realising how right she was.
'Maybe I should just give up...' She thought dejectedly. Being sister to the Queen, it wasn't that bad a thought. She could still have power, influence and perhaps she could meet someone else, someone who cared for her, at the balls... No, she inwardly sighed. She had gone too far to give up, she had been planning this for so long, wished and dreamt of that golden crown for far too long to throw in the towel because things were beginning to get tricky. Not to mention what Mother's reaction would be. She rested her head in her hands, it wasn't supposed to get this out of hand. When she and Angela had gone to the castle, she thought her plan would work. She had hoped that being rude and pushing her into the sea would be the final straw for the brunette. That she would finally snap and say something revealing on the spur of the moment. How could she keep something so big secret without letting something slip, Luna would never know. She slapped her hand against her forehead and groaned. 'This is such a mess.'
X.X.X
The morning of the ball, Angela awoke to a small white envelope landing on her face. She sprung up in shock before calming. 'A letter?' She thought in confusion. 'For me?' Sure enough, her name was written across the front of the envelope in elegant, old-fashioned writing. With a raised eyebrow, she gently ripped the top of the envelope, careful not to damage the paper inside. She unfolded the parchment and read over it with an amused smile quickly forming on her face.
Dear Angie,
You're coming over to my house this evening at around five. I'll meet you at the edge of the forest in case you get lost. Say you're making a delivery of crops or having a sleepover something. Speaking of which, bring over some blackberries while you're at it; I have a craving for their berry-goodness. Anyway, back to the point: Don't be late or get lost or get attacked by raccoons or something stupid like that. Oh! I almost forgot! Bring those water balloons and that cool watergun you bought too! ...Don't ask how I know about those.
Sincerely,
The Beautiful, Almighty and Powerful Witch Princess
PS: Wizard says hello.
PPS: That was a lie. He actually said I'm being idiotic for doing this, but unlike SOME STUPID, UGLY, ANNOYING PERSON, I'm trying to be polite.
The brunette couldn't help but giggle at their antics. She had to admit, the two magic-users were really beginning to grow on her, despite their childish bickering. She sometimes wondered if there was something going on between the two. She shrugged, it wasn't her business. Anyway she had to think up a decent excuse. She slipped the letter under her pillow and bit her lip in thought. The most believable excuse that came to her was one that caused her to hesitate. This would be very expensive on her part, but then again, it would be wonderful to see the look on Candace's face. She would feel so proud watching her stepsister walking down the aisle in- 'Yes! It'll be worth it.' She grinned as she set about her morning routine.
X.X.X
After she had tended to the crops, the rancher walked back inside the barn. Smiling at all the livestock so happy to see her reappearance, she went over to the butter maker. She carefully dragged the machine slightly to one side, revealing a small hole dug into the compact earth floor. Reaching into it, she removed an old, worn, patched, rough bag. She had kept this a secret for many years, saving it for a bad harvest or if there was an emergency. Although a part of her felt doing this was wrong, it would make an excellent wedding present. Smiling, she placed it into her orange rucksack and put the butter maker put into its previous position.
X.X.X
As Luna finished her lunch, she noticed, through the window, Angela saddling up the horse - what was it called again?Amy? - and leaving in the direction of the Garmon Mines, her large, metal hammer was sticking out of her rucksack. She frowned sourly. She turned to her mother who wore a suspiciously wide smile as she finished her meal. This was not supposed to happen. Not today. Worries flew threw her mind. How was she supposed to discover the brunette secret if she wasn't there?
"Mother," She began in an unamused voice. "Where is Angela going?"
The older woman smiled as if she held the greatest secret in the world. Her large, sapphire eyes glanced to the bluenette who sat beside her who was obviously day-dreaming. "That, my dear, is no concern of yours," She teased, though smugness laced her words.
"Well then!" Luna exclaimed, her voice raising in proportion to her irritation and worry. "When will she be back?" She demanded.
"Tomorrow," Her mother replied nonchalantly. "She's staying at a friend's home. I wasn't aware she had any."
The pinkette's chair make an awful scraping noise as she pushed it back. Her fists clenched, she stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
The loud noises seemed to break Candace from her euphoric trance that she was so often in the past week. "W-what is, um, wrong with Luna?" She questioned, blissfully unaware of the dark emotions raging inside her younger sister.
X.X.X
After a stop at the jewellers, during which Julius had babbled incessantly about bridesmaid dresses, Angela and her horse slunk back through Flute Fields, careful not to be in view of the farmhouse. 'Ooh, I am so sneaky. Sneaky, sneaky, sneak-ay!' The brunette thought, covering her mouth to hold back giggles. She was feeling particularly giddy today, assuming the object in her bag was the cause. Soon they had reached Fugue Forest, where the Witch was grinning at them from the branch of one of the old, gnarled trees.
"You're here!" She sighed in relief. "Humans have been going in and out and in and out like yo-yos! I couldn't get a moment of peace! The sooner these people leave my forest, the better!" She exclaimed childishly, springing out of the tree and onto the ground, startling Amber. The horse seemed to dislike her and was neighing in distress. Rolling her large, orange eyes, the sorceress rubbed the horse's nose gently, calming it slightly, though it still seemed to distrust her. She shrugged. "Pfft, stupid horse, why would it think I would hurt it? Raccoons can't seem to get enough of me!"
Angela just smiled and shook her head before she and her horse were lead through the thick forest, avoid the area in which the ball was to take place, to Witch's home. A shiver ran down her spine. A crow 'kaw'ed in the distance and she could hear creatures skulking outside the clearing. It was just as creepy as she remembered it.
X.X.X
Angela smiled beneath her mask. Witch and Wizard's choice on costume for her was perfect as far as she was concerned. What's more, they were both coming with her to the ball! Witch had decided she wanted to get in on all the fun and had forced her poor, quiet companion to tag along. We don't even need to change clothes, she had said, grinning wildly.
"This is a bad idea..." Wizard grumbled for the fifth time, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"Lighten up for once!" Witch ordered, marching over large tree roots with her head held high. She seemed in a particularly good mood this evening, though the brunette couldn't understand why. Weaving her way through outstretched branches, the grey-haired woman threw her arms up. "Here we are. I hear they have blackberry cocktails at the bar, soo..." She trailed off and licked her lips, her knees bending in preparation for a mad dash over there. However, before she could, she felt a hand grab her shoulder. The tanned Wizard leaned down so his mouth was nearly touching her ear.
"Oh no, you don't ... You dragged me into this so I'm going ... with you," He said sternly. The sorceress shivered. She scowled for a moment, before the usual sparkle came back into her eye.
"I've always wanted to know what you're like drunk!" She chimed in a sing-song voice. She took his hand and said, "Have fun, Angie!" before bounding off across the clearing.
With a smile, the brunette stepped into the clearing. The carpenters had made a very large clearing and the trees at the edges were decorated with long red streamers, wrapped loosely around branches and fluttering gently, and glowing lanterns of red, orange and gold like shining, autumn leaves. Wires ran over the man-made glade, lined with the beautiful, bright lanterns, keeping the area bright despite the darkness of night having already settled across the land. Small, quaint, round, wooden tables with short matching stools were located in the far corner from the entrance, beside the bar and buffet tables. Nearby the entrance was the stage for the musicians who were currently tuning their violins and cellos or preparing their sheet music. Some people had already arrived and were talking by the buffet, while many more were constantly streaming in. The rancher smiled as she took in the wide variety of costumes the couples wore. Some were dressed as the Harvest Goddess or Harvest King, others imitated ghosts, gypsies, witches, wizards, vampires, werewolves - there was even one woman dressed as a mermaid, though she appeared to be having trouble walking. A grin stretching across her face, the brunette had a feeling this would be a very good night.
X.X.X
Meanwhile, Witch and Wizard had reached the bar and already Wizard was regretting coming. He could be doing something productive with his time, such as reading a book on potions, or brushing up on the uses of ponata root in transformation spells, but no, he was stuck here with a childish sorceress who would most likely be drunk in under an hour. His companion had just finished ordering her drinks from Hayden. She turned to him, a cocktail in each hand and her trademark mischievous smirk plastered across her pale face. "Let's sit down," She said, turning.
She gasped as she bumped into someone, causing her delicious alcoholic beverages to spill onto the ground. 'No! My preciouses! Who dares to get in my way?' Her mind howled in agony. She looked up to see who she had collided with, her bright, pumpkin eyes already narrowed in a venomous gaze. Her mouth opened in outrage. The person was none other than Luna! And what's more she-
"You stole my outfit!" The pinkette exclaimed in horror. By some awful luck, she was dressed like a pink version of Witch. Everything but the colours and their hairstyles were exactly the same.
"Yours?" Witch snorted, putting her hands on her hips and acting very dignified. "I invented this look."
"Oh really, Grandma? Are you sure your memory isn't going in your old age?" Luna fired back without hesitation, tugging a lock of Witch's grey hair.
"Oh yeah? The circus called, they want their cotton candy back!" She retorted, yanking one of the younger woman's bubblegum pigtails. The pinkette slapped her hand away and started readjusting it.
"Don't touch my hair, Granny. You'll ruin it!"
"Anything I did to it would be an improvement! You look like a walking candy cane! Do my poor eyes a favour and tone it down."
"I will when you discover a colour other than grey or black. Your bracelet is the brightest thing you're wearing. At least I've got some colour! You look like a badger."
The two continued to glare daggers at each other for a moment, before bursting into laughter. "You know what? You're alright," Witch admitted, patting the younger woman's shoulder. She turned to Wizard. "I'm getting myself new drinks." She waved the empty cocktail glasses as proof and motioned with her head for him to join her.
As they walked back to the bar, Wizard commented, "You two were ... arguing then laughing. I ... don't understand."
"Oh, don't get me wrong," Witch smirked, before gulping down her blackberry cocktail. "I hate the girl and she stole my look, but she makes good comebacks."
Gale raised his eyebrow but said no more.
X.X.X
"Why did I let you talk me into this?" A man in a pirate outfit asked, lifting up his eyepatch as they walked along the path in the forest to the ball.
"Because you knew it was a brilliant idea," Another man in an identical costume replied hopefully. They both wore flame bandannas, eyepatches, ruffled shirts and black trousers with ripped legs. One even had a stuffed toy designed as a parrot stuck onto his shoulder.
"The theme is 'magic', Luke," The first sighed in exasperation, rubbing his temple. "Please tell me what is magical about pirates."
"Oh right," The second laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. His cat-like eyes glanced around and widened suddenly. With a toothy grin, he snapped two small twigs off a nearby tree. He handed one to his companion. "It's a wand. That's magical, right?"
"So now we're dressed as wizard-pirates?" Bo asked dryly.
"What, so pirates can't have a hobby?"
"No, I-" Bo started then furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "What I mean is..." He trailed off. "What I'm trying to point out is that..." He hung his head and mumbled, "You win."
"Don't I always?"
X.X.X
King Hamilton stood next to his only son by the musicians, waiting for the music to start.
"Why are we dressed like this, Father?" Gill asked him in embarrassment, flipping his hair.
Hamilton looked down at his own costume. "I think we look fantastic, son!" He chirped. While he could admit purple or blue skin and star antennae were not the epiphany of cool, he was actually rather proud of the sunglasses he and gill wore. "The ladies love sunglasses," He grinned, wiggling his eyebrows and striking a pose.
"Couldn't you have let everyone come in normal clothes instead? I look like a fool."
"Yes, but this is more..." He leaned closer to his son and started waving his arms creepily. "Mysterious. The ladies love a man with mystery."
Gill was about to retort but didn't get the chance.
"Stop right there, alien scum!" A voice shouted form behind them.
Important announcement: I'll be gone for three looong weeks, so the next chapter will be ages away. I'm also sorry for all the errors that are undoubtedly scattered throughout the chapter. I put off my packing so I'm really in a hurry. Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry!