Chapter 6: Pumpkins, Butterflies and Flowers


Ella gapped at the old woman.
"You can't be," she said quietly.
"Why not?" the old woman asked.
"They don't exist," Aria offered. "They're just made up for children." The old woman shook her head.
"Didn't your own mother believe in them?" Aria went to say something, but the woman leaned forward, pressing a finger against Aria's lips. "Don't say no because I heard her."
"You heard her?" Ella questioned.
"Oh, fiddle-faddle, fiddle-faddle… Right, first thing's first. Let me slip into something more comfortable."

Thrusting her walking stick into the air, it transformed into a glass wand that sprinkled glitter over the old woman. It turned her from her ugly disguise into a gorgeous woman dressed in a rather large sparkly silver-white dress. "Oh, that's better!" she said. Aria blinked in shock as she stared at her.
"Now, where was I?"
"How did you…" Ella began.
"Oh, yes! Let's see" the woman continued, gazing around the garden. "What we need is something that sort of says "coach"."

Ella followed her gaze.
"Um… oh, that trough?" she offered. The Fairy Godmother shook her head.
"Doesn't really say "coach". No, no, no. I'm liking fruit and veg. Do you grow watermelons?"
"No," replied Aria.
"Cantaloupe?"
"What is that?" Aria questioned.
"Artichoke? Kumquat? Beef tomato?"
"We have pumpkins," Aria offered.
"Ah! Show me!"

The sisters led the woman into the greenhouse where the pumpkins were growing.
"This will be a first for me," she told them. "Always interesting. I don't usually work with squashes, too mushy… hm, let me see." She took a quick turn around the greenhouse before seeing a pumpkin that she deemed appropriate. "Yes, that'll do. Knife!" Ella quickly passed her a garden knife. "Uh… there you are." "Thank you, darling." She cut at the vines and handed Aria her wand. "Please hold." The Fairy Godmother picked up the pumpkin and stumbled around with it until she got it to the middle of the greenhouse. "Let's do it here."
"Do what here?" Ella questioned.
"Turn the pumpkin into a carriage."
"Oh."

Taking her wand from Aria, she pointed it at the pumpkin. She hesitated for a moment, then looked back at the sisters.
"You're making em nervous, actually."
"Shall we shut our eyes?" Aria asked.
"It might be better." The girls shut their eyes tight, then opened them again when the ground began to shake. It began to get big, then bigger, taking up nearly the entirety of the greenhouse. "Is this what you meant to do?" Aria asked as it began to squish them against the glass walls.
"Do you think that's what I meant to do?" the Fairy Godmother exclaimed. "Run, Darlings!"

The trio managed to get out of the greenhouse and ran behind a giant bush as the pumpkin burst through the greenhouse. It turned into a golden carriage in front of Ella and Aria's very eyes.
"Ah, one carriage," said The Fairy Godmother. "Now, where are those mice?"
"Mice?" Aira wondered.
"Mm. Mice, mice, mice, mice! There they are! Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!"

Suddenly, four white horses stood in the place of the sisters' mice friends.
"Oh, Gus-Gus!" Aria exclaimed. "How fine you look!" The horse neighed, nuzzling her lightly.
"Ah! Now a footman!"
"Footman?" Ella repeated.
"Hello there, Mr. Lizard. Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!" Two footmen with lizard skin suits appeared, looking around rather curiously.
"I need that coachman," The Fairy Godmother mused.
"Coachman?" Aria asked.
"Did I say coachman? I meant goose!"

Mr. Goose turned into a chubby older man, seeming confused. He held up his hands quickly.
"I can't drive!" he cried. "I'm a goose." The sisters laughed as everyone began getting into place.
"Come on!" the Fairy Godmother ordered.
"Oh, wait!" said Ella.
"Yes, what?"
"My dress." Ella looked sadly down at her tattered gown. "I can't go in this dress. Can you mend it?"
"Mend it? No, no, I'll turn it into something new." She began to wave her wand, but Ella shook her head.
"Oh, no, please don't! This was my mothers, and—and I'd like to wear it when I go to the palace. It's almost like taking her with me."
"I understand," The Fairy Godmother nodded. "But she wouldn't mind if I… cheer it up a bit? Wouldn't mind a nice blue?"
"No. I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

As The Fairy Godmother waved her wand, Aria smiled as Ella's dress began to turn from pink to a pretty blue. She spun in a circle, butterflies and glitter surrounding her. Her dress had a tight bodice with sleeves that hung off her shoulders. Little butterflies were scattered along the neckline. The bodice flowed into a voluminous skirt.
"It's beautiful! She'd love it!" cried Ella.
"Good!"

Then The Fairy Godmother spun to Aria.
"Your turn!" she chirped.
"Oh, I'm not going to the ball," Aria said, ducking her head. "Just Ella."
"But all maidens are expected to be there!"
"But I don't wish to go." Kindly, The Fairy Godmother placed a hand under Aria's chin, gently forcing the girl to meet her eyes.
"I think you should go," she said. "Even if you just watch the dancing. Have courage, Aria." Aria blinked, then nodded slowly.
"All right."

Grinning, The Fairy Godmother waved her wand. The same glittery magic surrounded Ella, turning her house dress into a ball gown much like Ella's. Only instead of blue, hers was of lavender. And instead of butterflies along the neckline, different types of flowers were scattered around. She lightly touched one of the flowers.
"Oh, Aria, your hair!" cried Ella with happiness. Aria reached up to touch her hair where even more flowers were embedded.
"Now, come on!" called The Fairy Godmother. "Off you go! Quick! You'll be late!"

As the Footman helped the girls into the carriage, the Fairy Godmother stopped them.
"Just a moment!" She stared at Ella's shoes. "Are these the best you have?"
"It's all right, no one will see them."
"No, this will ruin the whole look. Quick, quick, take them off. You too, Aria." With another wave of her wand, the simple farm shoes turned into two pairs of gorgeous glass slippers.
"But they're made of glass!" exclaimed Ella.
"Yes. And you'll find they're really comfortable."

The two girls climbed into the carriage, then Aria paused.
"What about our stepmother and the girls?"
"Don't worry," The Fairy Godmother told her. "I'll make sure they don't recognize you. Now, off you go. For you shall go to the ball. But remember, the magic will only last so long. With the last echo of the last bell at the last stroke of midnight the spell will be broken, and all will return to what it was before."
"Midnight?" Aria repeated.
"Mm-hmm. Midnight."
"That's more than enough time," promised Ella.
"Off you go them."
"Thank you!" Aria called to her as the Carriage took off down the road. "Thank you!"


Here are some answers for some questions I was asked.

I'm writing Aria two years younger than Ella. As we don't know how old Cinderella actually was, I took to google and the general consensus is that Cinderella was 19 at the time of her story. I have chosen to keep that age which makes Ella 19 and Aria 17. Google also seems to agree that Prince Charming (Or Kit) was 21. I have decided to keep that age as well. Kit is 21 and Will is 18.

In terms of Will coughing earlier, it will be addressed later in the story.

Also, I will be updating the formatting on previous chapters. I don't know if you get notifications for things like that... but if you do, just know that I'm updating them.
-Amy Thorton

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