CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Aqua and I headed back up to the ballroom, passing by Cinderella's stepmother and stepsisters. Suddenly, Aqua paused and glanced back at them.
"Um..." Aqua said. The Grand Duke passed by. "Who are those ladies?"
"Oh, er, if I recall correctly, that is Lady Tremaine and those are her daughters." the Grand Duke said.
"Something wrong?" I said.
"There was something... very wrong about them." Aqua whispered.
I chuckled. "You don't know the half of it."
"You came back!" Cinderella's partner approached Aqua.
"Huh?" Aqua said.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I was mistaken."
Did he seriously believe Aqua was Cinderella? Her hair is BLUE!
"Your Highness, I found this on the palace stairs." the Grand Duke said, showing Cinderella's glass slipper to the man.
"Your Highness?! You're a prince?" I said.
"A glass slipper?" the prince said.
"One dropped by a lovely young lady, and I'll search far and wide to find the maiden to whom this belongs to."
"You will?"
"Of course, Your Highness. After all, you have finally found someone whom you wish to marry. Upon hearing that happy news, your father, the king, has decreed that a quest shall begin immediately throughout the kingdom."
"Marry?" A blush crept to my cheeks.
"And I will start with the closest residence- that of Lady Tremaine."
The Grand Duke and the prince departed, leaving Aqua and I alone.
"Lady Tremaine... Maybe we should pay her a visit." Aqua said.
"Right behind you." I said.
"You honor our humble home, m'lord." a voice said as Aqua and I stepped up to the Tremaine's door.
A throat cleared. "Quite so."
"May I present my daughters, Drizella and Anastasia."
"There is darkness here." Aqua said. She summoned Rainfell and walked to the door.
"Wait!" a voice called. We turned around and saw a familiar foggy light. "It's dangerous to fight the darkness with light, my dear."
"It's you." I said to the old woman, the same magical creature who helped Cinderella before. "Who are you?"
"Cinderella's Fairy Godmother. I appear to those who believe that dreams come true."
"But why would you advise us not to fight darkness with light?" Aqua said.
"Strong rays of sun create dark shadows. Sadly, Lady Tremaine and both her daughters are jealous of Cinderella's charm and beauty, qualities that appear to you as "light". Jealousy is darkness. Light and dark go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other."
Aqua looked down at Rainfell. "Then what should we do?"
"It's quite simple, dear. One of Cinderella's friends is trying very hard to keep her light from fading. I want you to join little Jaq and help him." Fairy Godmother said.
"Jaq. Of course." I said, smiling to myself.
"You'll need a bit of my magic to help Jaq. Are you ready, my dears?"
Aqua and I nodded. Fairy Godmother waved her wand and light swirled around us. We transported into the house.
"Oh, great. I'm tiny again." I said, grumbling to the pile of shoeboxes next to me, which looked a lot more like Mt. Everest.
"Is that Jaq?" Aqua said, pointing ahead. We watched Jaq as he slowly passed by us, carrying a large key and grumbling to himself.
"Jaq!" I called.
Jaq paused and turned around. "Hall-a! Help-a Jaq! Flinderelly stepmuddy lock her in room! Gotta let her out! Gotta save Flinderelly!"
"We'll help you." Aqua said, summoning Rainfell.
"Oh! That'sa like Ven-Ven! Ja ever meet Ven-Ven?"
Aqua gasped. "Ventus was here?"
I nodded. "We met Jaq and Cinderella earlier and helped them out. They're friends of ours.
"Zugk, zugk! Us-a friend- good friend! Ven-Ven and Hall-a help-a fix Flinderelly's dress."
"Where is he now?" Aqua said.
"Rook-a for frien'- udda frien'."
"I see... He must've just missed Terra."
"Seems like there's a lot of that." I said.
"I just don't understand why! It always fit perfectly before!" a voice called from the other side of the door.
"Quite enough of this. The next young lady. Please..." this voice sounded like the Grand Duke from the castle.
"Oh no! Hear dat? Gotta flurry! Flinderelly gotta try that flipper!" Jaq said. "C'mon, gotta flurry!"
Jaq ran a few paces before Unversed appeared.
"Come on! To the mousehole!" I said, summoning Ultima Weapon.
Aqua and I led Jaq to the mousehole while we fought off the Unversed.
"Zugk, zugk, Ag-gug-ua and Hall-a!" Jaq called as he scurried into the mousehole.
Aqua and I climbed up through the mousehole and ended up on a ledge overlooking the entryway. The Grand Duke and the Tremaine's stood near the door.
"There's no one else, Your Grace." Lady Tremaine said.
"Hurry, Jaq!" Aqua mumbled. "C'mon, we've got to do something!"
As the Grand Duke walked towards the door, Aqua and I ran towards the ledge. Suddenly, we both shot back to our normal sizes and tumbled over the balcony ledge to the ground below.
"Ow..." I grumbled. "Fairy Godmother never mentioned a time limit on her spell."
Aqua gasped and I looked up. Lady Tremaine, her daughters, and the servant all stared at us.
"Oh... uh... Would it... be alright... if I tried on the glass slipper?" Aqua said.
"What are you doing?" I whispered.
"Hm... I met you both at the palace." the servant said. "Unfortunately, neither of you are the young lady the Prince is looking for."
Aqua stood up and smile confidently. "But I am a girl. I should at least be given a chance to try it on."
"Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?" Lady Tremaine said.
"They're probably here to rob us!" Drizella said.
"Mother, do something!" Anastasia said.
"These girls do not live here. I have only two daughters. I believe we're finished here, Your Grace." Lady Tremaine said.
"You're a dirty liar!" I said.
"Nonsense! I'm sure these ladies mean no harm." the Grand Duke approached us and held the slipper out to Aqua. "Here."
"Jaq. Hurry!" Aqua mumbled.
"Your Grace... Please wait. May I try it on?" Cinderella appeared at the top of the staircase. She hurried down the stairs, and Aqua and I sighed in relief.
"Pay no attention to her. She's just an imaginative child." Lady Tremaine said.
"Well, the decree given by the Prince said all eligible maidens." I said. "I think she looks eligible to me. And... maiden-like."
"You should let her go first." Aqua said.
Aqua and I stood beside Cinderella while she sat in a chair.
"Cinderella, I want to thank you, for teaching Terra he needs to keep believing." Aqua said.
The Grand Duke walked towards Cinderella with the glass slipper, but I watched Lady Tremaine stick out her foot. The Grand Duke tripped and fell to the ground. The slipper fell out of his hands and smashed into the ground, scattering into a thousand pieces. Aqua and I gasped.
"What will I do?!" the Grand Duke cried.
"Please, don't worry." Cinderella said. "You see, I have the other slipper."
I wish I could capture on camera the look on Lady Tremaine's face. The Grand Duke kissed the glass slipper gratefully and slid it on Cinderella's foot. It fit perfectly.
"A perfect fit. I must inform the Prince immediately!" the Grand Duke said. "Madame, you will come with me, of course."
"I'd be happy to." Cinderella said.
"It's not fair. She's a scullery maid!" Drizella grumbled.
"Mother! Are you just going to let them leave?!" Anastasia said.
"No... Cinderella will be put in her place." Lady Tremaine said.
Ignoring the threats given by the Tremaines, Aqua and I exited the house. A few moments later, we heard a scream.
"What was that?" Aqua said.
We heard another scream and the Grand Duke scurried over to us.
"What's going on? Where's Cinderella?" I said.
"Sh-she was attacked by a creature... a m-monster in the forest!" the Grand Duke said.
"A monster?" Aqua said. "Let's go, Hallie."
I nodded and we took off into the forest. Cinderella laid on the ground, unconscious, while a Cursed Coach loomed over her. Lady Tremaine and her daughters stood near the Unversed and laughed. Explosive pumpkins fell around them and detonated.
"Cinderella!" I called as Aqua and I dove over the princess to protect her from the explosions.
Lady Tremaine laughed. "This is what happens when you go against my wishes!"
Another pumpkin bomb exploded right in front of them, and their screams filled my ears. I cringed.
"The darkness in their hearts overtook them." Aqua said. She helped Cinderella stand. "Go. We'll take care of this."
Cinderella hurried into the forest. Aqua and I faced the Cursed Coach and struck our battle stances, Rainfell and Ultima Weapon in hand. The Cursed Coach spiraled towards us, and we blocked it. It tumbled upside down and flailed like a turtle stuck on its back, then we attacked it. When it turned itself right-side up, its vine wheels turned into springs and it leaped around us, creating shock waves. Finally, the Cursed Coach disappeared. Cinderella emerged from the forest and approached us.
"Oh, thank you so much for all you've done." Cinderella said. "You both saved me."
"It's no problem." I said. "But I think now you have a prince to go meet."
"Oh, oh yes! I'd better hurry!"
Aqua and I sat on the large, square pond in the center of the courtyard as the Grand Duke and Cinderella approached the bottom of the stairs. The Prince paced back and forth at the stop, and he stopped when he saw Cinderella. They ran towards each other, meeting halfway on the staircase, and hugged one another. We turned as a foggy light formed and Fairy Godmother appeared.
"A pure heart filled with light..." Aqua said. "It's strange. The Master taught me darkness needs to be destroyed. But how, if not with light?"
Fairy Godmother smiled down at us. "Oh, my dears, you're too young to know. Experience more things, and you'll find the answer. Just trust in your dreams."
I looked to the couple standing on the stairs and I smiled to myself. I reached up and touched my crown pendant.
"I believe." I said.
