Disclaimer: I do not own any fairytales, or the OCs that I did not create.
"Wallace!" Eli's normally friendly voice roared with anger and confusion. He stumbled around his castle, unused to his new body. His black hair, tanned complexion… human qualities. It was gone. He'd been replaced, by a beast.
"Sire! Please stop shouting, I'm right over here!" Whirling around, the king reentered the room he'd been in, pine green eyes darting around.
"On the floor, sire." Eli's gaze shifted to the ground, and he froze in utter confusion.
On the floor stood an oil lamp. It had frowning coppery eyes poking out from beneath the upper brass cover, a slit in the metal at the top of the lower brass cover, and the handle was folded across the surface of the glass.
Eli quirked an eyebrow. "Are you… sulking?"
The oil lamp huffed, the flame inside sputtering a little. "Well of course I'm sulking. I've been turned into a lamp for heaven's sake! A lamp! I think you would be rather put out as well, your highness."
Eli threw his new claws outward, "And you haven't noticed me?!"
Wallace the lamp blinked slowly, "Well, I had about three hours of you snoring on the ground to get used to you. Rather horrid, if you ask me."
Eli rolled his eyes. "Well I wasn't asking you. You're normally so polite, Wallace!"
The oil lamp's flame flared up agitatedly, "Well I'm actually quite frazzled. It's a terrible thing to be turned into a kerosene lamp, you know that?! It feels awful! I-It's unnatural! That witch was horrible, and we need to find her and make her fix this! I hate change! Which reminds me," Wallace prattled on, "What on earth possessed you to refuse that woman shelter?!"
Eli sighed, reached up to smooth his hair - which he then realized wasn't there anymore. "It wasn't me, Wallace. Someone was in my head, controlling me."
Wallace's little brass eyes widened, "The sorceress. So, becoming this… Beast is your Destiny?"
"I guess so…" Eli admitted sadly.
Wallace's demeanor immediately changed. "Well then, we better get used to it! If this is what's supposed to happen, we need to be happy with it. After all, the sorceress decides our Destinies for a reason. Right, Eli?"
The king shrugged, a rather awkward motion with his new body. "I guess so...:" He trailed off again.
Wallace hopped, moving about an inch across the floor. "Well, we better see if we can find the others in here. I hope they're human…"
Eli gently picked up his butler, carrying him on their exploration of the castle. "You and me both."
"Come on, Jasmine, it'll be fun!" Honoka insisted, clasping her hands pleadingly and grinning.
The princess of the Oasis Sector shrugged, "I dunno. I've already been sneaking out a lot…"
"Oh please." Adina ran to back up Honoka, her best friend. "What's one more trip gonna hurt? We're just going over to Mirror Avenue to see their new shoe store."
The quiet princess twisted the ends of her raven black hair, which was down that day. "Well, I don't know… as much as I'd love to, Papa is expecting me at home."
Shaina ran up to the group, panting and batting green hair from her face. "Hey girls, sorry I'm late! Are we going then?"
Vanilla threw the girl a smile. "Hey Shaina! Well, Jasmine isn't sure she can come."
Shaina's face fell. "Aw, that's too bad! Are you sure, Jasmine?"
The dark haired princess frowned. "N-No, I'm not…"
Adina kneeled in front of the shorter girl, "Pleeeaaaaassssseee, Jasmine? It won't be the same if you don't come!"
Honoka nodded furiously, "Yeah! Please?"
Jasmine looked between the two, confusion shining through her almond-brown eyes. "Ah… alright, alright, I'll come."
"Yay!" Adina jumped up and danced around happily, "Let's go! Ouch. Now my knees hurt…"
Honoka giggled and tossed her brown ponytail over her shoulder, taking Adina's arm. "I'm sorry, Adina! Let's get over to Mirror Avenue, I think you'll feel better then."
Adina nodded, muttering as her friend led her away, "But I'm gonna get huge bruises…"
Jasmine, Vanilla and Shaina all hurried to catch up, chatting excitedly about the new store. The five girls all turned onto Mirror Avenue, the street leading to the Reflection Sector castle.
"There it is!" Honoka pointed excitedly, and Adina clapped her hands.
"Yay! Let's see if they have anything good for my poor, tender feet."
The other girls giggled as they entered the store, where an array of shoes were displayed, along with a doorway to what looked to be a cobbler's workshop.
The cobbler was talking to a girl over by the counter. The girl turned to see who had entered, raven black hair swishing around her shoulders at the movement. Ruby red lips were a stark contrast against ghostly white skin, and large, deep blue eyes sparkled out of her sweet looking face. A red ribbon adorned her hair, and she wore a white blouse with a dark blue skirt, a brown leather corset-style vest completing the outfit.
The girl smiled, 'Oh look, Roy, you've got lots of customers!"
Roy, the man behind the desk, grinned at the group of females. "Yes yes, very good! Welcome, ladies!"
Adina smiled, "Thanks! Nice lil' store you've got here."
The dark haired man nodded importantly, "That I have, that I have. Please, feel free to browse. And purchase, of course." He winked, and the girls smiled.
"Thank you," Vanilla said politely, and the girls slowly dispersed to look at the various styles of shoes.
"Hello, I don't believe we've met," Adina shook strawberry blonde curls from her face and smiled at the dark haired girl by the counter. "I'm Adina."
The girl blinked at her for a moment before smiling, hand outstretched. "Eira."
Adina tilted her head for a moment as she shook the girl's hand, "Eira, Eira… where have I heard that name before…?"
"Eira?!" Jasmine's attention was diverted from a pair of suede sandals to the girl by the counter. "That's the name of the princess of Reflection!"
"Oh yes! My father talks about her often," Honoka, princess of the Mineral Sector, nodded with a smile.
Eira curtsied, grinning. "At your service."
All of the girls returned the gesture, whispering amongst themselves.
Adina nodded, "Ah, very nice to meet a fellow princess."
Shaina sighed, "This again…"
"But Adina," Vanilla started, "You're not a princess, dear."
"Yes I am." The strawberry blonde stated matter-of-factly, "A true princess."
Honoka opened her mouth to speak, but Eira's voice interrupted her. "Ah, cool! I'm a vampire."
All five girls' mouths clamped shut, and they stared at her in confusion.
"Uh… really now?" Honoka managed, looking skeptical.
Eira nodded, crossing her arms, "Oh yes, it's true."
Honoka's sky blue eyes darted over to catch Shaina's terra umber gaze, and before either could speak, Adina had put an arm around Eira's shoulders.
"Ah, I see! Don't worry, Princess Eira, I believe you." She grinned with the utmost sincerity, and Honoka sighed, shrugging. Once the girl got an idea in her head, there was no removing it.
"Alright. Well, I'd better be heading home…" Jasmine said softly, and Adina nodded.
"Ah, okee doke Jasmine! We'll walk with you for a while. It was nice to meet you, Eira!" She removed her arm from the other girl's shoulder, and Eira waved good-naturedly.
"Yes. Hopefully we'll all meet again."
Agreeing and bidding their farewells, the group of girls left the shoe store.
"And I didn't even look at shoes…" Adina giggled sheepishly.
Honoka sighed, shaking her head. "No, you didn't… but hey, at least we made a new friend!"
"Yeah!" Adina grinned, her apple-green eyes shining. "Eira really was quite nice, wasn't she?"
"But she's royalty…" Shaina trailed off, and Honoka giggled.
"So are Jasmine and I, and look, we're all best friends!" She smiled, "Maybe sometime Eira would like to join us for one of our adventures!"
"Adventures as in going shopping and gossiping in the town square?" Adina asked flatly.
Honoka sighed, "Yeah, not very exciting, is it?"
"Adina, be nice! Remember, we've been working on this," Vanilla said gently.
"Oh, right…" Adina smiled sheepishly, "Think about what you say before you say it…"
A figure tiptoed across the street in front of them, and the girls stopped short in surprise.
"Wait a second… isn't that…?" Honoka squinted her eyes, and Jasmine's eyes widened.
"Arcturus!"
The thief turned at the sound of his name, shoving something behind his back. "Hello," He said, the startled look on his face melting into a charming smile. "Ah, it's you!"
Jasmine smiled, a blush creeping over her features. "Y-You remember me?"
"Of course," Arcturus grinned, "How can I not remember a fair maiden that I knocked over? A very singular memory, to be sure."
Jasmine smiled, "O-Oh…"
The young man threw a glance over his shoulder, and swept a bow. "Well, it was nice running into you again, but I'm afraid I must be going."
And with that, he ran off.
"...Well that was odd," Adina commented, but before anyone could react, a man ran past them in the direction Arcturus had gone, screaming and yelling.
The girls giggled at the comical sight of the merchant chasing the thief down a side street, but continued on their way.
"Hello, Shaina."
A deep voice made the petite green haired young woman freeze in her tracks, terror written on her face. Her friends turned to see what was wrong, and she mouthed help me…
Honoka raised an eyebrow, confused, but then looked just beyond Shaina, face paling. She bit her lip in sympathy, and Shaina took a deep breath.
"Just breath, Shaina. Breath…" Jasmine whispered, and the asthmatic girl nodded slowly.
Forcing a smile onto her face and turned around, head tilting upward. "Hello Hadrian…"
The eighteen year old young man smiled vainly as she addressed him. His wavy blond hair was perfectly styled, and his light blue eyes exuded pride. He stood at a massive six feet and six inches tall, and was a mass of muscle. His tanned complexion shone with cleanliness, and he was dressed well, five-foot broadsword sheathed at his hip. He had a sharp, rather large nose, and a satisfied sneer had settled itself on his thin, deep red lips.
"And how are you this fine day?" He asked, his tone suggesting he could care less.
"Fine…" Shaina said shyly, looking down at the ground.
"So," His booming voice terrified the girl, but she refused to look scared as he examined his fingernails vainly, "Have you considered my proposal more?"
Shaina shook her head slowly. "N-No… I… um…"
Adina swept in front of the sixteen year old, blinking up at Hadrian. "Excuse me sir, but we have somewhere to be. Good day." And with that, she grabbed Shaina's elbow, dragging her down the street.
The tall man narrowed his eyes at the scrawny strawberry blonde, towing the girl he intended to marry down the road. "Well I never…" He huffed, "She obviously doesn't realize who I am. I'm perfect, of course." His light blue gaze took in the five girls turning down a different street, and he crossed his bulky arms in front of his chest with a a snarl. "We'll see how long she thinks she can go without answering me…"
And he didn't notice the figure behind him, casually pulling a small pouch off his belt and slinking down a side street.
Eric snickered at his find, looking at the little leather pouch proudly. Hearing footsteps behind him, he tilted his head, and heard a voice.
"Old habits die hard, don't they?"
Eric quickly pocketed the money bag, sighing. "Are you following me now, Preston?"
"Maybe." His leader caught up and casually fell into step beside the young man. "Or maybe I was just passing through, and happened to see you pick someone's pocket."
Eric's finger instinctively reached up to trace the scar that ran across his own face, from left ear to chin. A constant reminder of his pickpocket days. "Oh please, I'm following your rules. That Hadrian is plenty rich enough."
Preston nodded, "Alright, alright. Just be careful. Wouldn't want you to get caught."
Eric threw a sidelong glance at the man. "Merry Men never get caught. Isn't that right?"
Preston nodded, eyes flickering to the bright, perfect sky. "That would be correct, Eric."
Eric shrugged, "Don't worry, I won't get caught." He said indifferently.
"Good to know." Preston smiled, and his eyes darted across the sky again, and he raised an eyebrow.
"Brought Russet with you, eh?" He asked Eric.
"But of course. I never go far without him." Eric looked up at his red-tailed falcon flying overhead, difficult to spot unless you were very observant or knew what you were looking for.
Preston nodded, and the two walking in silence for several minutes, heading back to the Wildwood Sector.
"You know, you should give Hugh a bit more of a chance." Preston said gently.
Eric huffed. "But he's so annoying…"
Preston threw him a pointed look, and he frowned. "Fine, I'll think about it…"
"Good." Preston hid a smile as Eric rolled his eyes.
"Whatever…"
"And he'll be handsome…" Rapunzel gazed out her single window longingly, breeze ruffling the dark locks surrounding her sweet face, cupping in her hand. "And he'll be kind, and gentle… ooh, and maybe he'll even have a horse! I've always wanted to see a horse. Can horses ride through these woods, though…? Hm, I don't really know…" She tapped her cheek, pondering.
"Ah well." She kept herself immersed in daydreams, not noticing a middle-aged man walk right past her tower.
Hey guys...
Sorry for the late update! DX Took over a month... ;) :P Anyhoo, did you like this chapter? I hope I got everyone in character, but if you think I didn't, go ahead and tell me, in a review or PM! I want to do all your OCs justice. :D Sorry for the shortness of the chapter! D:
So... many much mystery at the end, eh? Note: You probably won't guess who the guy is, BWAHAHHAAHAHAA- man, that stupid microphone again... ANYHOO! Moving on!
OC disclaimer! I do not own the following OCs that were introduced, however I do have permission to use them:
Princess Eira, she belongs to Aoife XP (My big sis~!)
Hadrian, he belongs to Maginator (creator of Preston the Awesome. ;) :D)
Roy belongs to me, and the mystery man at the end belongs to- NOPE, not telling~! ^3^ Heehee.
So now... REVIEW REPLIES! XD
coolcat12345: Thank you so much! :D Yes, she is, very much so. :) Thank you so much for reading! (Love your username by the way. ;) :))
ObLiViOn MoOn: Thanks, girl! I'm glad you liked it! :D Ahaha, don't worry, I didn't. :) Thank you. I really hope you like Shaina's bit in this chapter, too! Her tale is merely beginning to unfold... ;) And AWESOME! I'm still waiting to get that one, ahaha... :) It loooks really good, though! I hope you're enjoying it! :D
johnmboutell: Ahahaha, thanks! :D I'm glad you liked the number of OCs. :) ... You know me so well... ^.^" Ahaha.. and it's even been LONGER THAN A MONTH! XD Hope I got your OC right again~! :) All of 'em! ;) :D
Princess Gakoshi: Ahaha, yay~! I'm so glad you liked it! :D I hope I got Eli right again in this chapter, he's amazing. :) Thanks again for reading, and everything! :D Sorry it took so long, though...
Blue Elsa: Aw, thanks for taking the time to review anyway, Pixie Stick! :D I'm really glad you liked it, lol, Ivory is hilarious to use. XD And I won't, thank you. :) I'll be careful! :D
NightStryke: Ahahaa, yay! I'm glad you liked it~! :D Yes, I know you're biased, but honestly, Rapunzel is too cute for words! :D Thanks so much (again) for submitting her! I'm glad you liked everything! :D Except maybe Mother Goose. Hopefully she'll win you back over in the future. :) ;) Heehee. Sorry this update took so long! DX
emosewa-13: Ahaha, you're fine! I mean, look how long it took me to update! ;P totally forgiven. *cue the heavenly lights and angelic music* I LOVED YOUR REVIEW YOU ARE AWESOME. :D Seriously, ahaha, it's great. :D I'm really glad you like my story, and Eric is so darn cool, I just love to use him. :D (So many smileys, lol. XD) That game sounds awesome, I'll have to look it up! :D Take care! (Oh, and just to let you know, I'll read your update as soon as I can - I've had less time for reading, lately. T.T) Anyhoo, ciao!
How was everyone's Valentine's Day? And all the other random holidays that I missed? XD I hope they were great~! Thanks so much for reading, y'all are fabulous, and you know what comes next~!
PARTY!
... Just kidding, heehee~!
Please review!
~Swaggy-chan