Chapter Three: Mice and Birds
Bloom was starting the wear a path into her wooden floor with all her pacing but she couldn't help it! She was stressed! She didn't know how long she was going to have to stay in this world; what if there was a time limit in which she could go home and what if she missed it?! Bloom groaned and sat down in the overstuffed armchair by the fire, resting her head in her hands.
The situation was pretty grim, if she didn't even have her red cloak she really wasn't red riding hood was she? Bloom thought back to the red coat Stella had given her only hours ago, if she had known what would happen she would have snatched it off her and never let go. Sighing again she stared into the flames dreamily. Okay okay! I'm moping, sue me! I just don't know how I get myself into these situations. But if I'm being honest with myself, I really just want someone to talk too, like Stella. The REAL Stella, the one who is bossy and pushy and would never let me feel sorry for myself. Or maybe Sky...ah Sky. God I miss him! I mean I only spoke to him on the phone this morning but right now we're in different worlds and I don't know how to get back to him, we've never been so far apart before.
Bloom was startled out of her thinking when there was a light knock on the front door. As she walked over to it she muttered to herself "Please don't be Hansel and Gretel, please don't be Hansel and Gretel"
She opened the door and found Stella on the other side, she wore a dark blue dress with a white shirt underneath and her blond hair was done up in a braid on her head, she was smiling sheepishly "Stella!" Bloom exclaimed in relief and almost grabbed the tall blond in a hug when the girl's expression turned to confusion.
"Who's Stella?"
Bloom shook her head and mumbled "Nobody. Cindy what are you doing here?"
Stella went back to being sheepish and her eyes went to the ground "Well you see, I hate to bother you twice in one day but I was wondering if...maybe...you'd like to walk with me to the seamstress? I hate to walk alone and you looked like you weren't busy and well...It'd be nice to chat to a friend" She glanced up at Bloom shyly and Bloom almost stepped forward and crushed the girl to her while cooing "Awwww!" but she reframed, instead she asked "Why are you going to the seamstress?"
Stella made an annoyed noise and closed her eyes "Oh heavens save me, Bloom its terrible!" She opened her eyes and gave Bloom an urgent look "My step mother just suddenly walks into the kitchen this morning after the queen left, somewhere she's NEVER walked before, and told me to go to the seamstress right now and fetch yards upon yards of satin material for a ball gown for my stepsister! I don't know why she's going to need a ball gown; she already has three of them"
Bloom was a little blown away "W-what was the queen doing at your house?"
Stella waved a hand dismissively "Oh my step mother and her are old friends"
Bloom didn't know what to say except "Sure, I'll come"
Stella smiled and grabbed her arm and pulled her from her house saying "Splendid! You have to help me pick out some colours and we also have to go to the 'bits'n'bobs' store to pick up some 'expensive' jewellery" Stella giggled as she made her way down the lawn with a stumbling Bloom in tow "Perhaps we could 'accidently' pick a dreadful colour for my step sister, since she was so horrid to me this morning about breakfast being late. She threw her shoes at me! Hit me right in the nose"
Maybe she isn't that far away from the real Stella thought Bloom as she regained her footing and walked next to Stella down the busy street. Her eyes went wide as she observed all the fairy tale creatures she had read about as a child, it was like discovering Magix all over again, so much wonder! As they walked Stella chatted to her freely about her chores and what she did when she had a few spare hours to herself. Bloom noticed that she didn't mention any friends to speak of.
"Don't you ever go hang out with friends for an afternoon or something? I mean aren't you the step daughter of a well born lady or whatever you step mother is?" Bloom asked as she stepped over a bucket of toads with a sign that read 'kiss one, get a true love free'
Stella sighed quietly beside her "I don't have any...close friends. Well..." She turned and smiled at Bloom "Except maybe you"
Bloom smiled back "Thanks"
"Anyway my step mother would never let me have a full day off to go and socialise, she would say it was a waste of good cleaning time. She's always saying things like that. It's not that I don't love her and my step sister it's just...I wish I could have a bit of the good life too, instead to doing so much work for them. Like this ball gown, of course I'm the one that's going to have to make it! It'll take me forever! I wish I had some small little mice and birds to come help me" She meant it as a joke but Bloom couldn't help but laugh louder than necessary, She really is Cinderella!
The two girls had made it to the seamstress, entering the store they were hit with the strong smell of dye and silk worms. Stella went straight over to the rack that held a whole cart full of different colour satins, she ran her fingers over the fabrics softly with dreamy eyes and a small smile "Oh have you ever felt anything so heavenly?" She stepped away from the rack and did a little twirl "If I had one wish it would be that I owned my own dress store and I could design and make whatever I wanted, I could wear satins and silks and lace to every party and I wouldn't have to work as a slave for Cassandra anymore!"
"Cassandra? Wait you mean...Countess Cassandra?!" Bloom yelled, she was so shocked she had to brace herself against the rack of materials, her fingers turning white.
Stella stopped spinning and gave her a strange look "Yes, she's my step mother. Didn't you know?" Bloom placed a hand over her eyes and groaned. Stella rushed forward and put a hand on her shoulder "Oh Bloom what's the matter? Are you ill?"
"No just stupid!" She lifted her head and gave Stella a searching look "I don't know why I didn't put it together before! How idiotic of me! Of course she's your step mother, she's your step mother in real life, why not here?!"
"Real life?" Stella mumbled as Bloom straightened out and asked "And I bet your step sister is named Chimera, isn't she?" Stella nodded quietly and Bloom turned and started to pace again, her mind whirling. This makes sense; Stella does share some characteristics of Cinderella, that's why she was chosen to play her part. This changes everything! Other people from my old life could have lives in this one too, for all I know Ms Griselda is out there right now acting as a troll under a bridge! So Brandon really must be the prince...hmm. How the hell am I going to get her to the ball, especially if I don't even know if she has a fairy god mother, do I fill that role? Oh god!
"Bloom I know you must be a little stressed right now but I only have an hour or so to get all the shopping done" Stella piped up from where she stood as she went through all the colours of satin while giving her curious looks. Bloom turned to her and gave her a smile "Sorry, let's pick"
"Step mother said get purple or red, what do you think?"
Bloom looked at the rack of colours and thought for a moment "Hmm, how about dark green?" She held up a material and once Stella gave it a look she laughed "Oh my goodness, that's most horrid! It's perfect!"
The girls spent the next half an hour wandering the shops and looking at different little embellishments for the dress and soon they were satisfied that the garment would be foul but not too foul to be on purpose. The two laughed as they made their way down the street, arm in arm. Bloom was holding the bag of material while Stella was browsing for a hair comb to go with it in a nearby stall when bloom turned she suddenly collided with a wooden door being thrown open. She was sent flying back into the dirt with a yell and as her head hit the ground everything went fuzzy, Bloom barely heard Stella distantly calling her name. Once Bloom had her sight back and the piercing sound vanished from the back of her head she was able to heft herself into a sitting position and look around "Ow..."
Stella was beside and she gave a small laugh "Ow is right, are you okay, that looked like a nasty tumble?!"
"Ugh...what happened?" Bloom looked up and too her utter shock met the dark violet eyes of a small girl peeking around the side of the door. Bloom recognised the long black hair and pale skin immediately, all that was missing was the smug look and you would have an exact match for Musa, although this girl wore a lovely golden lace dress with small intricate pink and green flowers sewn into the hems, neckline and sleeves. Bloom gasped and shot up to a standing position and grabbed the door to pull it back to really stare at the girl, sure enough the shy girl in front of her was Musa.
"Bloom?" Stella asked behind her but Bloom ignored her and asked "Who are you?"
The girl blanched and looked to the ground and then back up at her, obviously trying to figure out what to say "I-I'm so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going. Are you okay?"
"I'll live" Bloom mumbled as she continued to stare. Looking down she noticed a blue book had fallen from the girls hands in the banging of her head; she reached down and shook off the mud from its pages as best she could, a small smile coming to her lips "Is this yours?"
The girl nodded frantically "Yes that's mine" She took it timidly and brushed it off like a precious object. Stella stepped forward and smiled at the girl "Oh it's you Belle! I barely recognised you without the book in your hands and your nose stuck in it"
Musa nodded again and continued at stand there like a statue. Bloom stepped forward and held out a hand "It was probably my fault, I'm sorry. I'm Bloom"
Musa shook her hand but also shook her head "Oh no please, it was my fault. Everyone knows I'm the town klutz! I always have my head in the clouds, not watching where I'm going; this is not the first time I've sent someone flying to the ground"
Bloom was confused. This is strange. Musa in my world isn't anything like this. Although I suppose Stella isn't anything like Cinderella either. Musa is tough and says what she thinks, she isn't shy (Except when it comes to girly stuff) and Musa would never EVER be considered a klutz! In my world she's as graceful as a swan, always dancing and floating everywhere, she would never trip over. Ugh I hate this opposite thing! Bloom shook her head and smiled "No really its okay. You two know each other?"
"Our fathers used to work together and me and Belle used to play in the school yard. This was when it was just my father and me without Cassandra and Chimera, I was able to go to school and learn things, back then Belle here was the closesed thing I had to a friend" Stella said as she walked to Belle's side and put her arm around the girls shoulders, Musa smiled a small smile "Since our fathers were both widowers it made sense"
"Yeah and then mine just had to go and not be a widower any more. He found Cassandra" Stella said grudgingly looking off into the distance "Ugh fate is cruel"
"At least your parent knows you exist, mine just sits in his workshop all day, inventing and playing music all day long" Musa mumbled quietly. Stella gave her a strange look "That's not like you to say that"
Musa looked up at her strangely "And it's not like you to complain about your father and step mother so openly"
Stella gave Bloom a look "You must bring that out in us Bloom"
Bloom could only stand there and smile sadly, she had gotten a peek at her old friends. I guess whenever they were near her they reverted back...kinda "Well I'm sorry but I like you two this way. You should get to say what you want"
"Maybe one day" Musa relied as she absentmindedly flipped her fingers through the book her held. Stella smiled wider and grabbed Bloom by the arm and tugged the two girls along the road with her saying "Belle walk back with us, it'll be fun to have a chat. How are things?"
"The same. My father says he's on the verge of a breakthrough but he always says that. Oh but the nice librarian gave me my favourite book today, for free! I get to keep it; it was so nice of him"
Stella laughed "Of course, you're his favourite, and most frequent, customer"
"And how about you Cindy? How is your family, beside the usual drama?" Musa asked as the three girls weaved in and out of the crowd of the square, people were strangely gathered around chatting excitedly.
"Oh you know. Cindy do this! Cindy do that! Step mother is having me make a ball gown for Chimera this evening, it's going to take me forever and I don't even know why she needs it!"
"You don't know?!" Musa yelled over the cheering of the crowd, the sudden yelling made the three girls pause for a moment and look towards a wooden stage where a man dressed regally stood with a scroll, he hushed the crowd for a moment and then began to read "In the land of magic and enchantment on this day the seventeenth of March, seventeen eighty something!" Bloom was the only one who looked confused at that "The queen of the lands has sent out a special decree, in one days time on the eighteenth birthday of Aurora, the ward of the king, there will be a most special event" he pause for dramatic effect, Bloom felt like she was the only one struggling to keep up "The celebration of her birthday will be doubled as a ball" A HUGE gasp went through the crowd "A ball held for the purpose of the prince to choose a bride, from all the ladies of noble blood within the kingdom!" A giant cheer deafened Bloom and she had to strain to hear the man "The lady in question will one day become the new queen of the realm, to rule at the princes side at such a time that the current king and queen step down and relinquish the throne to them"
Bloom didn't notice that she was being dragged by Musa and Stella until she exited the crowd and found herself on her own street walking toward her home with either girl beside her. Stella wasn't happy "So that's what my step mother is up too, she wants the prince to marry Chimera, well good luck to him whoever he is! I have more important things to do then help his future wife get ready for the ball!"
"What makes you think he'll choose Chimera?" Bloom asked slowly, mulling over her head about how in the hell she was going to get Stella to the ball!
"Of course he'll choose her! Their mothers are best friends, they would have planned it, didn't you notice how my step mother knew before anyone else? That's why there was a rush to get me to the seamstress, ugh the cunning vixen!" Stella stamped her foot as she walked her hands in fists at her sides.
Musa walked a little slower next to Bloom "I think deep down she wants to go, who wouldn't? It is a ball after all"
"It's a stupid ball! I don't want anything to do with it! I have shoes to polish and a fire place to clean out" With that Stella marched up toward her house and slammed the door. Musa and Bloom kept walked silently until they reached her house.
"Do you want to come in and have some...tea?" Bloom fumbled for what to offer, did they even have tea here?
"Thank you" Musa replied and made her way up the path.
"Can I ask you something?" Bloom asked as she opened the door and stepped inside.
"Certainly" Musa replied as she took off her gloves and sat down on one of the wooden stools. Bloom walked toward the little cupboard beside the fireplace and fished out some cookies she had discovered earlier and handed one to Musa "Do you have a boyfriend?"
Musa actually choked on the cookie and coughed until her whole little frame shook "W-what?! N-no of course not!"
Bloom nodded with her arms crossed, a thoughtful look on her face. If she was really going to have to push her friends to act out the fairy tale she needed to know these things. It did still bother her about why she could remember and they didn't "Sorry, I was just curious. Are you going to go to the ball?"
At least this time she didn't choke "Maybe. I don't usually go to those things, not really interested"
"You would prefer to stay home with a book?" Bloom asked as she boiled some water in a small pot over the fire.
"It's just the way I am" Well at least there was no danger of Brandon picking Musa instead of Stella at the ball, finally some good news. Bloom didn't really think she had much to be worried about, Musa is Belle and that would probably mean that Riven is the beast, how fitting. That means that their story will just play out on its own, although it would make Musa hard to find if she got lost in the forest while trying to 'accidently' find herself at Riven's castle. Did this mean that Riven is actually a beast or just a beast on the inside?
"Are you going to the ball?" Musa asked, Bloom jumped a little and turned to face her.
"Umm, I hadn't thought about it. I was still planning on how to get Cindy to the ball" Bloom lifted the boiling water and drained it into a teapot already filled with little herbs on a strainer. Bloom hoped she was making tea correctly "I know she doesn't want to go but I think it'll be the best thing for her"
"I think you're right. Cinderella needs some happiness in her life. Ever since her father dies some time back she's been worked like a slave, this is probably the first time I've had a real conversation with her since she was pulled out of school and put to work" Musa replied as she took her teacup and sipped it, she didn't appear to hate it.
"Who's Aurora?" Bloom asked as she sat down opposite Musa and nibbled on a cookie.
"How can you not know that?" Musa exclaimed, Bloom shrugged "She's the king's ward. Adopted some years ago, from what I've heard she's a very nice girl, sweet and caring"
Sounds like someone I know...someone I'm missing. It Aurora is Flora, then that means she's sleep beauty. Oh no, what if she pricks her finger on something and Helia never shows up to wake her up, madness! "I suppose she'll be at the ball too" Or maybe she'll 'die' right before it. Oh it's going to be a stressful night!
There was a sudden knock on the door and it burst open to reveal a small boy with wooden limbs and a hat with a feather, Bloom almost jumped out of her skin when she saw him while Musa merely stood and smiled "Hello Pinocchio, what are you doing here?"
The small boy bowed slightly to the ladies and spoke formally "The royal queen requests your presence Belle, immediately at the castle"
Musa took a step back in shock as Bloom muttered to herself "Gee the queen is busy today"
Musa got her bearings and quickly headed for the door "yes I'll be right there. I have to go Bloom thank you for the tea!" With that she was out the door running. The small boy still stood on the threshold, Bloom looked down on him warily.
"Can I have a cookie?"
Bloom silently help out the plate of cookies "hey kid, who exactly is the queen? What's her name?"
Pinocchio ate the cookie and mumble with an open mouth "Queen Icy. Thanks for the cookie, seeya!" With that he ran off and Bloom was glad when the door shut behind him.
She needed a minute.