Disclaimer: I do not own anything except for my OCs and the plot.
"Honoka! Vanilla! Adina! Jasmine!" A sixteen year old girl was running through the main street of Pure Imagination, calling at the top of her lungs. People paused to look over at her, her long, apple-green hair flying behind her, the darker green highlights obvious in the afternoon sun. Her white flats made short, clicking sounds on the stone road as she ran, barely audible for all the noise around her. She called out for her friends again, looking around at all the vendors.
"Over here, Shaina!" A voice hailed her with a chuckle, "Lost again!"
Shaina halted and craned her head, looking for the speaker. "I'm over here, silly." One more sweeping glance over the area and the young woman saw a strawberry blonde standing in a nearby alley, hair wild.
Shaina tilted her head confusedly as she trotted over to stand before her friend. "Adina! W-Where are the other girls? And why are you in the alley…?"
Adina waved a hand, "So many questions! Geez."
Shaina rolled her eyes and returned good-naturedly, "Well, do you have answers?"
Adina nodded, "Yes yes. Well, the girls went to that book stall over there, and I came over here because my feet hurt…" She smiled ruefully. "A lot."
Shaina frowned, "Oh, I'm sorry! Even through your shoes? Again? Really, Adina?"
The green eyed girl shrugged and protested, "Hey, some people have tender feet, okay?"
Shaina nodded, "Okay! So, um, when are they coming back?"
Adina's granny-smith gaze shifted to see behind the girl, and she responded with a smirk, "Right now!"
Shaina turned, her long hair brushing her waist as she moved. "Hey girls!" She greeted excitedly.
Three girls walked up to the pair. One of them had long, silky brown hair with sideswept bangs brushing her sky blue eyes. Another had long, thin chocolate brown hair that framed her fair, sweet face, magenta eyes sparkling. The last girl had black hair that was tied into a ponytail with many bands, creating an almost braided effect and complimenting her dark skin and partly hidden by the light brown shawl draped over her head.
"Why so excited, Shaina?" The girl with the magenta eyes inquired curiously, the vine-like birthmark stemming from her left eye crinkling as she smiled pleasantly and patted the girl on the back.
"Well Vanilla, I got assigned a Destiny!" She announced excitedly, bouncing on the balls on her feet.
"No way, that's amazing, Shaina!" Honoka tossed her bangs out of her eyes as she grinned.
"Wow, Shaina. I really thought you were going to get stuck with a Fate," The black haired young woman admitted softly, twisting the ends of her long hair in her fingers.
"Says the girl who skips out on her own Destiny constantly," Adina retorted accusingly, wagging a finger her.
Shaina smiled, "It's okay, Jasmine. I'd begun to lose hope as well, but the sorceress visited me in my dreams last night. I.. I feel lead, now. Like something important could happen any day now!"
Adina nodded matter-of-factly, "But of course! Although, I've had a Destiny for years now, and she hasn't really led me to do anything." Upon reaching the end of her sentence, she grimaced. "Seventeen and still no action," She complained bitterly.
Vanilla put a hand on her shoulder, "It's okay Adina."
Adina smiled, "You're right. At least my Destiny doesn't have me slaving for my step-family, right?"
Vanilla winced, and Honoka frowned, "Adina!"
The blonde gasped and covered her mouth, "Ah, I'm sorry Vanilla!"
The shorter girl smiled sweetly, "It's alright, Adina, I know you didn't mean it."
Jasmine smirked, "Good thing for you Vanilla's such a forgiving girl, Adina."
Adina wrinkled her freckled nose, "Yeah yeah, I know…"
Honoka put a finger to her lips, "Hey do you guys hear shouting?"
Adina rolled her green eyes, "It's the town square: when do you not hear shouting?"
The brunette shushed her, "No, listen!"
"Get him, fool! He stole my bread!" A woman shrieked, the shrill noise slamming into nearby villagers ears unpleasantly.
"Let's see what's going on," Adina motioned to her friends and stepped out of the alleyway, wincing as she walked.
"There is something wrong with that girl," Jasmine whispered to Honoka.
The brunette nodded in response, "She's so sensitive…"
Hubbub filled the marketplace as a young man ran through, cradling something in his arms. He knocked over a cage of hens, who proceeded to cluck in disapproval as they were thrown about. The man's pursuer leapt over the cage, shouting at him to stop. The thief, in turn, paid him no heed, simply hopping nimbly over a snake charmer's rug and heading for an alley.
The very same alley where a group of girls clustered, taking in the scene.
"Oh no, he's coming over here! Move!" Adina pulled her friends to the side, but one of them stumbled, and the thief didn't stop in time, and collided with her. '
"Ah!" Jasmine fell onto her side, skinning her exposed elbow on the cobblestone, blood trickling over her dark brown skin.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" The thief apologized, and helped her up.
"I-It's fine…" The young woman took the hand he offered and looked up at him, eyes widening as she did so. His thick, black hair stood straight up on his head, despite the sweat dripping down his dark olive face. His deep, chocolate eyes were partially hidden behind long, thick eyelashes. With his well defined jawline and concerned smile, he was quite the looker.
The thief blinked in surprise at the pretty maiden before flashing a charming grin. "Well, if luck is with us, perhaps we shall bump into each other again!" And with that and a small bow, he scampered off again, his rotund pursuer hot on his heels.
Jasmine stared off into the alley where he'd disappeared, asking in a shocked, quiet voice, "W-Who was that…?"
Vanilla tilted her head, "Have you never heard of him? He's famous around town, you know. A thief, of course. They call him Arcturus."
"Arcturus…" Jasmine repeated his name as she adjusted her head covering, looking around the square.
"No one's gonna recognize you, silly." Adina assured her, patting her on the head.
Jasmine rolled her eyes and peered around the marketplace before saying, "I think I'm gonna head out now. See you, girls." And with that, she melted into the crowd and was gone.
"And then there were four," Adina announced solemnly.
"Adina!" Shaina chastised, then giggled. "You're so weird."
Adina gave a sweeping, exaggerated bow, "Why thank you, Sir Lancelot!"
Vanilla raised her eyebrows, "Um, but she's not a sir…"
"And who's Lancelot, anyway?" Honoka asked, puzzled.
Adina sighed, shrugging, "It's just supposed to be funny… never mind."
"Did you see the look on Jasmine's face when Arcturus bumped into her?" Shaina asked, trying to change the subject as the quartet strolled out into the market.
"Yeah! Although it's really too bad… a princess and one of the most famous criminals around? Not gonna happen." Vanilla lamented. "And they'd be so cute together…"
As the girls gossiped on, a man glanced their way. His tall, wiry yet muscular frame was rather imposing in the square, yet nobody seemed to pay him much heed as they went about their tasks, despite the proud look in his blue-green eyes and his imposing presence. His eyebrow twitched in annoyance at the cluster of young women's conversation, and he turned to leave the market. "Petty thief… he's far too sloppy to be so well-known," he muttered softly.
As he made his way from the center of Pure Imagination, he pulled a bow from his back and checked the string lovingly. Pleased with the state of his favorite weapon, he entered a large building with the ghost of a smile on his face.
"Hey, if you love that bow so much, maybe you should marry it," a sarcastic remark greeted the young man as soon as he came in the door.
He chuckled, running a hand through his black hair. "Hello to you too, Eric."
Eric stood from the floor before the enormous hearth where he'd been poking the fire obsessively, the firelight glinting off his dark brown eyes and caramel Ivy League buzzcut. "You get what you wanted, Preston?"
Preston smirked a bit, reaching into the pocket of his brown leather tunic, pulling a pouch from within and dropping it onto the table self-importantly. "That I did."
Eric allowed a smile to grace his features, "So you really stole from that queen with the mirror?"
The man sat in a chair, carefully setting his weapons onto the oak table that sat before the fire. "That I did. She was so busy talking to that thing it was just too easy. It should be illegal to steal from someone so unobservant. Oh wait," he grinned as he kicked his feet up onto the table with a sigh, "It is."
Eric snorted as he strolled over to the table and sat across from the twenty-two year old man that took him in. Tapping his feet, he ordered with a hint of jest, "Boots off the table, sir. I just got it perfect."
Shrugging, Preston dropped his feet back onto the ground to please his seventeen year old companion, despite the argument his controlling brain gave. "Fine, have it your way. I know how much you like things to be perfect."
"Quite."
A knock on the door interrupted the pair, and Preston stood, slipping a knife from the tabletop into his palm as he tiptoed to the door. Reaching his right hand forward, he flung the entrance open, brandishing his knife cautiously. Seeing the figure that stood, terrified, on the threshold, he dropped his hand with a sigh. "Hugh. You know better than to knock."
The boy on the doorstep nodded vigorously, eyes glued to the weapon in his caretaker's hand. "Y-Yes sir, Mr. Preston, sir, b-but I…" He trailed off uncomfortably, "Forgot, sir."
Preston raised an eyebrow, and stepped aside. "Well, come on in lad, and remember to just enter. Merry Men may come and go as they please."
"Yes sir!" Hugh saluted and stiffly marched inside. Preston hid a smile as he closed the door behind the boy, who sat in a chair beside Eric at the long oak table. "Hello, Eric!"
Eric blinked at the twelve year old, and merely nodded, "Hey."
Hugh wildly brushed stray black curls from his sea-green eyes, turning to Preston inquisitively. "So… what are we doing today?"
The man sat across from him at the table once again, crossing his arms thoughtfully as he stroked his bow, checking the string. "Well, I thought Eric could take you for an archery lesson."
Eric frowned and glared at Preston as the young boy cheered, leaping out of his chair. "Yahoo! Sweet, this'll be fun! C'mon, Eric!" Hugh tugged on Eric's olive green and grey mottled cloak excitedly, annoying the man.
"What? Preston!" After a minute of fighting with the boy, Eric gave in and stood, sending Preston a scowl. "Seriously?! But he's so… so…"
"I wouldn't finish that sentence in front of the boy if I were you, Eric," Preston chuckled as the pair left, leaving him alone. Smirking, he kicked his feet up onto the table, sighing in content. "Ah, much better."
"See you later, Mother!" A ten year old girl tucked a basket full of baked goods under her arm and trotted happily out of her house. The buns and cupcakes she'd baked sent tantalizing aromas up to her nose, but she ignored them cheerily. "I will get this batch to Granny," she reassured herself.
Tossed her blonde side-braid behind her shoulder, she zipped her pink hoodie and set off for the forest. "Over the river and through the woods," she recited, "Is where Old Mother Goose lives. My granny!"
She carefully stepped over a log, handling her load with care. Grunting slightly as a stick hit her in the face, she blinked, her light pink eyes stinging. "Ah, silly branch…" She giggled softly as she skipped on through the woods, until she came to a bridge.
Humming happily, she skipped across the overpass, grinning at the sparkling river below her. Looking up, she saw a cheerful cottage, surrounded by geese. Trotting up to the cottage and dodging the fowl, she knocked on the cherry-wood door, her pale, thin fist stinging slightly as she did. She shuffled her feet, waiting patiently.
The door opened, and a little old lady smiled sweetly. "Ah, Emi my darling! Come in, come come!" She stood to the side, allowing her granddaughter to enter her cottage.
The building was cozy and cheerful, with a lot of color and many rugs. Several doors were set into the purple wall leading into other small rooms. The living room had a small table, covered with fringe-lined fabric, atop which sat a crystal ball.
Mother Goose smiled as she put away the clear glass orb, motioning for the young girl to sit down. "So, my sweet, what brings you here today?"
Hayashi Emi held out the basket as she took a seat at the woman's table. "I baked you some sweets, Granny!"
The old woman sighed happily, her wise brown eyes sparkling. "Thank you, Emi dearest!"
Emi nodded, her light pink lips curled into a smile.
After a moment or two of silence, the elder female chuckled deeply. "Was there something else, love?"
Emi shifted slightly in her seat, and Mother Goose shook her head amusedly. "No, dearest, for the last time, I will not read your fortune!"
"Please?" Emi clutched her hands before her face, pleading. "I just wanna know! It'd be so cool."
The old woman shook her head decidedly, "No. And I'm not going to tell you if you get a boyfriend anytime soon, either."
The girl slumped over slightly, deflated. "But Granny, I just wanna know… Hugh Hunter is so cute!"
Her grandmother chuckled, reaching across the tabletop to take her hands. "Some of the best things in life come from waiting, darling. I wouldn't want to spoil some of the sweetest parts of life for you! Trust me," a faraway look entered her chocolate eyes as she finished, "You don't get to be the keeper of legends like I without knowing a thing or two, eh?" She winked and sat back, waiting for her granddaughter's reaction.
Emi scrunched her face up as she pondered the words. "Yeah, I guess you're right…" She conceded.
Mother Goose smiled at the girl and reached for the basket. "Good. Now, let's have some of these delicious pastries!"
The sun rose early over Pure Imagination, bathing the enormous city in its warm glow. On a cliff overlooking the village, a slender girl sat quietly, her feet dangling off the stony edge, along with dozens of feet of raven black hair. Her lightly tanned hands were pressed against the bluff, her perky periwinkle eyes taking in the scene blissfully. She sighed contentedly, leaning against her taut arms.
The birds chirped in the trees around her, signalling the dawn to the rest of the world. Peering down, she could see a few people leaving their houses, rubbing their eyes tiredly, and she giggled to herself. They were so funny, being tired this late in the morning… it was only about five-thirty.
She pulled her dainty feet up and climbed gracefully to her feet, pulling yards of her hair up to rest beside her on the ground. Moving to be farther away from the edge of the escarpment, she coiled the locks of hair around her body, smiling giddily. "Here we go…" She murmured softly, breathing deeply and putting her arms by her side. Twisting her torso slightly, she suddenly snapped and lifted her feet, spinning at a dizzying speed. She looked down at her hair, watching to see if it would spin around her, in a manner akin to a rope. The uncooperating tresses merely tangled around her ankles, causing her to fall over with a small cry.
Huffing in slight exasperation, she stood, letting out soft grunts of pain as she unraveled the hair from her legs. "Man, it didn't work…" As she finished with her task, she stood peacefully, taking in the sounds of the early morning.
A voice sounded in the distance, startling the young woman out of her reverie. "Rapunzel! I'm coming, let down your hair!"
Rapunzel took in a sharp breath, frozen. "Oh no…" She whispered, a look of horror crossing her soft features. Gathering an armful of dark hair, she took off into the woods, her destination a lonely tower, hidden amongst the trees.
Heyo peeps!
So, I finally started this story, yay for me! :D There is so much I need to say, lemme try to remember it all, lol...
So, I just wanted to let y'all know that I have been having some health issues, one that includes my left arm/wrist, making it difficult and rather painful for me to type, plus I'm not allowed to stress it. So, slower updates on ALL my fics. I'm SUPER sorry about this, guys... it sucks. Dx BUT! I'm SUPER excited to be writing this, and I've gotten some amazing OCs that I can't WAIT to use!
Yes, Adina's line about Sir Lancelot is s rip-off of something I say all the time. My sisters hate it. xD
So OC submissions are still open, and probably will be until one of two things happen. One: I get all the OCs I need, or two: I get enough chapters in that I decide to finish all the OCs myself (SO MUCH WORK!). So, if you've reserved a spot, I'd appreciate it if you could send your OC in. I know how busy things can get, and I completely understand, but I do need them. :) And HEY! MAKE MORE OCS! Tell your friends! XP Heehee. Just kidding.
So, there were several OCs in this chapter, and I'm super sorry if your OC hasn't appeared yet! But don't worry, they'll all be here in due time. :) So, without further ado, the OC disclaimer list!
I do not own the following OCs, however I do have permission to use them:
Vanilla Xavier, she belongs to Flame Wisp (This is very emotional for me, to use her... but that's a very long story).
Shaina, she belongs to Unknown 000 Andromeda.
Yamazaki Honoka, she belongs to Soccers Heart.
Princess Jasmine Eurasia, she belongs to my twin sister, Maple.
Arcturus, he belongs to cometshadow.
Preston, he belongs to a great friend of mine.
Eric Howl, he belongs to emosewa-13.
Hayashi Emi, she belongs to Marese.
Rapunzel, she belongs to NightStryke.
Adina, Old Mother Goose, and Hugh Hunter all belong to me. :)
(I think that does it... hope I didn't miss one! xD)
I hope I got your OCs in character, and if you don't think so, let me know! :D I want to do them justice, they're all awesome.
So, you know the drill, please review, they make my day, and help me know how I'm doing. And to all those who celebrate it, Happy (slightly early) Thanksgiving! Although really, I'm sure we all have something to be thankful for. :) Don't go into a turkey coma! XP Or a mashed potato coma. Or a cupcake coma. Or a pie coma. Y'know what? How about no comas, please. Just please, no. Okay, I'm tired, and I'm going to shut up now. xD
REVIEW!
~Swaggy-chan