#the princess and the frog where she lost a golden ball into a well and the frog asked for a kiss to give it back

[wellingtonwellsdaily]

Wakey Wakey!

Good evening, dear citizens of Wellington Wells! It’s Uncle Jack here, ready to tuck you in with a warm smile and a comforting tale. Have you taken your Joy today? I hope so, because tonight we have a special treat for you. It’s time for Nighty Night, where I share a story to help you drift off into a peaceful, Joyful slumber.

Tonight, we’re going to start the enchanting tale of The Frog Prince. So snuggle up, close your eyes, and let the story carry you away.

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there was a beautiful princess who loved to play in the forest near her father’s castle. She had a favorite spot by a cool, clear well, where she would sit and toss a golden ball high into the air, catching it over and over. This golden ball was her most treasured possession, a gift from her father, the king, and she never went anywhere without it.

One warm summer’s day, as the princess played by the well, she threw her golden ball so high that it slipped from her fingers and fell with a splash into the deep, dark water. The princess gasped in horror as she watched her beloved ball sink out of sight. Distraught, she knelt by the well and wept bitterly, her tears falling into the water below.

As she cried, she heard a voice call out, “Why are you crying, beautiful princess?”

Startled, the princess looked around but saw no one. “Who’s there?” she called out, her voice trembling.

“I’m here,” the voice replied. And out of the well, with a splash, emerged a small, green frog, his eyes gleaming brightly in the sunlight.

The princess wiped away her tears, trying to compose herself. “Oh, it’s just you, a little frog. What can you do to help me? I’ve lost my golden ball, and it’s sunk to the bottom of the well. I shall never get it back!”

The frog hopped closer, looking up at the princess with a kind expression. “Perhaps I can help you, princess. But what will you give me if I retrieve your golden ball?”

The princess, eager to have her precious ball back, quickly replied, “Oh, dear frog, I will give you anything you wish – my jewels, my crown, even half of my kingdom!”

The frog shook his head. “I do not care for your jewels, your crown, or your kingdom. But if you promise to be my friend, to let me eat from your plate, drink from your cup, and sleep on your pillow, then I will dive into the well and fetch your golden ball.”

The princess, desperate to have her ball back, agreed without much thought. “Yes, yes, I promise! Just bring back my golden ball!”

With a satisfied croak, the frog plunged into the well, and before long, he returned to the surface, holding the golden ball in his mouth. He set it down on the grass beside the princess, who snatched it up with a joyful laugh.

“Thank you, dear frog!” she said, and without another word, she ran off back to the castle, her heart light and her golden ball clutched tightly in her hands. She was so happy to have it back that she completely forgot about the promise she had made to the frog.

But as the sun set and the sky grew dark, the princess was in for a surprise…

And that, dear friends, is where we’ll leave our story for tonight, because I'm afraid we've come to the end of our time. I’ll be back tomorrow to tell you what happens next, so be sure to tune in!

It’s time to close your eyes and drift off into a world of sweet dreams. Nighty night, Wellington Wells! Sleep well, and always remember, happiness is a choice. Choose Joy!

[o-a-crutchfeild]

Tale of the Witch Bourgeois

@mlsecretsanta fic for @hpeveryonelives! Merry Christmas!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Stories were never written fairly. At least, that was what Chloe’s mother had always told her, and what she told the trail of frogs and gargoyles and beasts she left in her wake. Everyone liked to pretend that fairytales all had happy endings, but the truth was a much less pleasant creature. The truth was that, at the end of Aurora’s fairytale, all the servants lost their families outside the castle walls, a hundred years parting them forever, so that the Princess wouldn’t have to bear the same pain. The truth was that while Cinderella’s stepsisters were disfigured after their cruelty towards her, the stepmother who raised them to be as such walked away with the money and home, all the same. The truth was that fortune favored the same people as royalty. If those were pretty, pure-of-heart damsels, or spoilt princesses who had the world stopped to spare them heartbreak, it was all the same. Someone won, someone lost, and the witch was only punished if she was caught. 

As a witch herself, Chloe had been careful to learn the ways of stories, and stay on the good side of King Gabriel and his son. As long as she didn’t interfere with their affairs, she would be considered a fairy by most people. Her golden hair helped with that image, of course, long blond curls that cascaded over her shoulders when it wasn’t tied back for her spellcasting. Most people thought of witches as old, ugly hags with bent shoulders and crooked noses. Still, the magic in her blood was fed just as readily as any other witch’s, boldened by suffering and stolen life and humanity. 

It was not part of her plan to be called on by a heroine. 

The knock at the door came on a beautiful night. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and in the forest where she made her home, you could see every star. None, however, shone as brightly as the blue eyes of the girl who called upon her. 

“I need your help, please,” the girl said. Not so much as a “How are you?” or even a “Nice night, isn’t it?” before the demands started. How naive. Even if one was dealing with a fairy, manners were tantamount. 

She stepped closer to the girl. “What have you brought me, in exchange for my trouble?” 

The girl seemed a bit surprised by this question. “I’m sorry, I… I didn’t know I was supposed to bring something…” 

“Well, then, why don’t you come in?” Chloe asked, a smile crossing her face. “I’m sure we can work something out. I could always take a service, rather than an object, if that would be agreeable to you.” This girl was young, beautiful, and absolutely radiating purity. To trap her into a familiar contract… Chloe’s mouth watered at the idea of how much power she could drain from her. “We can discuss details later.” 

The girl looked relieved, and stepped into her home. “Oh, thank you! Adrien said you were a friend, but I didn’t know if I believed him.” 

Chloe froze at the name. Adrien. The King’s son, the crown Prince. A chill ran down her spine, as she began altering the plan in her mind. In her greed for power, she’d just tripped right into the middle of a story. 

Not noticing the shift in Chloe’s demeanor, the girl continued on with her story. “We’re in love, you see. We met at a masquerade ball, but his father says he can only marry a Princess. My father is a baker, not a King.”

“That does pose a conundrum,” Chloe said flatly. Oh, perfect, another Cinderella. If she screwed this girl over, that would set her up as the villain, and if she knew Adrien, he was the type to come after her with a flaming sword to protect his beloved. She hadn’t planned to play fairy godmother–or godsister, because really this girl was practically the same age as she was–to a starry-eyed heroine, but if it kept her far away from any hot iron shoes or eyeball-eating birds… “What do you expect me to do about it?” 

The girl looked up at her, a little confused. “Well… make me a Princess. Right? That’s what Adrien said you would do.” 

Chloe stared at the girl for a long moment, before bursting into laughter. How ridiculous! Just… utterly ridiculous! Make her a Princess? “What exactly am I supposed to do?” she demanded. “Just magic up a whole new country and citizens and insert you as ruler? On what land? Or perhaps you want me to create a whole island for you too?” She shook her head. “Or no, we could send your baker father to war with another King, have him take over and install martial law! Yes, that will certainly go over well, a man with no military experience up against a full army. Or perhaps you thought I could turn mice into soldiers for more than a few hours? Come back when you’ve thought your request through properly and come up with something I can actually do.” She tossed her hand, and a wind blew the front door open. 

“But that boy in Arabia…”

“That was a genie. Significant power difference.” Chloe smirked, relaxing into her favorite chair, crossing her legs. A way out! She could be unhelpful, she figured. That was allowed. If she truly couldn’t do what this girl asked–and really, she doubted she could–then the story was unlikely to punish her for it. Or more accurately, Adrien was unlikely to punish her for it. She could close the door after this girl, pretend this had never happened, and be back to turning people into frogs by dawn. 

The only issue was that the girl did not appear to be leaving. 

“There has to be something you can do to help me. I don’t have to be a real Princess, I just have to convince King Gabriel that I am for long enough for Adrien and me to be married,” she said, clasping her hands together. “Please, good fairy! Help us!” 

Chloe sighed, rubbing her forehead. “And Adrien’s signed off on this deception?” she asked. “I don’t know if it would be prudent for me to involve myself in a clash between royalty…” 

The girl knelt on the ground, looking up at Chloe with the sweetest puppy-dog eyes that she’d ever seen. “Please, good fairy. He loves me, truly, and I love him. Can’t you take pity on us? I’ll do anything you ask.” 

Chloe paused at that. Anything, hmm? A smile began to spread across her lips. Well, that did change things. A vow of “anything” from a woman who might someday be Queen. That was truly valuable. In fact… if she played this right… perhaps, one day, she would see her own blood on the throne. “Anything, you say? Very well. I can provide you the deception you seek. Someday, though, I will call in the favor. Is that agreeable to you?” 

The girl lept to her feet, and threw her arms around Chloe, delighted. “Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!” 

“Come to me when you have need of an alter ego. I will dress you in starlight and shadow, make you a carriage of the forest leaves and attendants of the beetles and bees,” Chloe promised. “But these spells will not last past the dawn, when all the woods must return to their daylight selves.” 

“I’ll come to you tomorrow evening,” the girl vowed. 

“One last thing, before you leave,” Chole said, frowning. “What is your name?�� 

The girl smiled, ever so sweetly. “It’s Marinette.” 

“No. For every night that you’re spelled, you will be Princess Ladybug.”

… 

That day, as Chloe rested, her mind was racing as she made plans. The false Princess being installed on the throne was risky. Then again, this whole plan was risky. She couldn’t just demand that their child be betrothed to hers. That would cast her as the villain for certain, and the marriage would never go through. Even if the bargain was made willingly now, she’d learned from Rumplestiltskin that royals had a way of wriggling out of their deals, if they didn’t like them very much. No, this would need a deft touch. Perhaps asking for the children to be raised in tandem, with the plan being that a romance would bloom naturally? Of course, that was trusting much of it to luck, something that, in stories, rarely showed up when it ought to. Still, it was too great an opportunity to pass up. If she could become a royal, then the story would bend to her… and her child, of course. 

She would find a way. First, though, she had to figure out the best way to trick the King into believing in Princess Ladybug. 

As the witch gave herself over to sleep, she did not dream about starry eyes, or bright smiles. She dreamed of nothing at all, except the power that awaited her at the end of the story she’d found herself launched into.

[goforth-ladymidnight]

👀

From this ask:

An excerpt from my WIP - A still-untitled Frog Prince retelling.

For those unfamiliar with the original fairy tale, here is a short summary on Wikipedia.

In my rendition of the story, Princess Briony of Silvenia throws her golden ring (instead of a golden ball) into the swamp when she learns her parents are trying to marry her off. She cries because she is angry, not because she lost a toy. This excerpt is the part where she meets a certain frog:

She did not know how long she had been crying; only that an unusually loud croak sounded by her foot and startled her from her tears. She lowered her hands to see a speckled, swamp-green frog sitting next to her at the water’s edge. Watching her.

She sniffed with a frown. “What are you staring at?” she muttered.

“Oh, sorry. Didn’t mean to be rude,” the frog said, awkwardly turning away.

Briony’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open. It was one thing to hear a human voice coming from a creature no larger than her fist, it was another to watch it behave as though it had manners.

She stammered, “Did you just—”

“Speak? Yes,” the frog said, turning back around.

She swallowed hard and sank to her knees. She was scarcely aware of the cold, wet mud seeping into her dress.

“How?” she managed to ask, her tears forgotten.

The frog blinked thoughtfully, for it could think and speak apparently well. “Do you know anything about magic?”

Briony chuckled and wiped at her wet cheeks with her sleeves. “More than you think.”

The frog croaked nervously and said, “Well, I don’t know much at all. Suffice to say that I didn’t always look like this. And I’d advise you to stay away from the willow tree on the other side of the swamp.”

Briony glanced up across the water. “Who did this to you?” she asked, straining to see which tree it meant.

“A swamp witch.”

She shook her head. “How horrible…” She glanced down at the frog with a grimace, wondering if an arranged marriage was worse than a curse. “Will you be like this for the rest of your life?”

“I think she means me to be eaten, so… in a way, yes,” the frog said grimly. Then its tone lightened as it added, “But she did say that I could be free… if I met some conditions first.”

“What conditions?”

“A kiss, for one thing.”

Briony smiled. “Well, that’s easy enough.”

She reached down and picked up the frog. It wriggled in her grip, then her hands were suddenly warm and wet with something other than swamp water. She dropped it with a yelp of disgust, and it landed with a wet plop in the shallows. She shook her hands with a disgusted grimace, then swirled them through the swamp water to clean them.

The frog’s head popped up out of the water. If frogs could look embarrassed, this one did.

“I am so sorry… That’s the frog in me. I would never do that.”

Her nose was still crinkled as she wiped her hands dry on her skirt.

“Would you really have kissed me?” the frog asked when she did not reply.

She glanced down at the sorry little creature and forced a smile. “Of course. I know a thing or two about spells. You could say it runs in the family.”

The frog crawled onto the shore with a croak. “I would be in your debt if you could help me break this spell… Is there anything I can do?”

Briony pursed her lips in thought. There was very little a frog could do for her that a servant couldn’t.

“Why were you crying?” the frog asked, interrupting her musings.

She sighed. “I don’t think you’d understand. My parents are trying to marry me off to some stranger.”

The frog perked up. “Break my spell, and you can marry me!”

Briony laughed and gracefully waved her hand. “Ah, yes, Princess Briony… crowned Queen of the Swamp.”

“You—you’re Princess Briony?”

She looked down in surprise. It stared at her, its eyes wide, even for a frog. She shrugged with a bemused smile. “This is Silvenia. I am the only princess… Who else would I be?”

“You’re no swamp witch, that’s for certain,” it said firmly. “But I don’t know of any princesses who visit swamps.”

She chuckled. “I’m one of a kind.” She tilted her head thoughtfully. “Yet you wanted to marry me anyway?”

The frog was silent for a long moment, then murmured, “Yes, actually.”

She smiled. “What’s your name?”

“Ahh… That’s unfortunate. I can’t tell you. It’s part of my spell.”

“What shall I call you, then? I can’t just call you ‘Frog’.”

“You could call me ‘Prince’.”

She chuckled. “Oh, so you’re a frog prince, are you?”

“Just a prince.”

Her smile disappeared and her head jerked back in surprise. “But you don’t look like a prince.”

“And you don’t look like a princess,” the frog argued.

She pursed her lips and looked at him askance. “How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

“I’m a talking frog in a swamp. What reason would I have to lie?”

She crossed her arms. “You could ask anyone who passes by for a kiss. This could be your perverse idea of having fun.”

The frog made a strange sound between a croak and a laugh. “Ah, yes. I love waiting in the swamp for pretty girls to pass by. It passes the time between dodging hungry birds and snakes.”

Briony tried to frown, but a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She lowered her arms with a sigh. “All right. I’ll trust you… Prince.”

She leaned forward and laid the back of her hand on the ground.

Prince stared at her open palm. “What are you doing?”

She nudged her hand closer and said, “I’m going to help you break your spell.”

This was one of the first scenes I ever wrote for this story! I'm very proud of it, but nervous to be sharing it online for the first time. If I can ever finish the last couple chapters, I want to self-publish and put it out there in the world... Being brave enough to share an excerpt with strangers online is the first step! *cue internal screaming*

Thanks for the ask, nonny! ❤️

[visd3stele]

i find the old tales alluring. they may be grimmer, they may be unfiltered, but the roughness in them makes them all the more beautiful. like gems in the walls of caves, uncut, unshaped, unpolished by human hands. sure, the jewels that come from them are stunning, but can't compare with the breathtaking shine of gems where they belong to.

they're still magical, the old fairytales. the original versions, as we call them now. it's just a different kind of magic. closer. of this world. earthgrounded. while the ones disney, for example, stream, are otherwordly, the folk tales take inspiration from the world around, make it seem like we could walk outside and live in one of them.

[theadventurerslog]

King's Quest IV: The Perils of Rosella | Part 1

The Adventurer’s Log

King’s Quest IV: The Perils of Rosella Part 1

Release date: 1988

Introduction:

We've had two games with Sir Graham turned King Graham, we've had a game with Gwydion actually Prince Alexander and now it's Princess Rosella's turn.

The game picks up right at the ending of III with Graham tossing his cap to Alexander and Rosella. However, things aren't so happy after all. He once followed King Edward in becoming king himself; now he follows again with a heart attack. Thankfully, unlike King Edward he's dying, not dead. Leaving Valanice and Alexander to tend to the ailing Graham, Rosella retreats to the throne room in her grief.

Not all is lost. She wonders what to do and the Magic Mirror activates again and through it the Good Fairy Genesta of the land of Tamir appears.

She offers Rosella a deal: she can take Rosella to Tamir where a magic fruit can be found that will cure King Graham. However, Genesta's talisman was stolen by the evil fairy Lolotte and she only has 24 hours before she fades away without it and if she doesn't get it back she won't have the strength to send Rosella back home.

We can make Graham better than ever!

Rosella agrees to be taken to Tamir after some hesitation, but she wants to help her father. On the shores of Tamir Genesta explains her situation and how her talisman was stolen by Lolotte.

Very tentatively Rosella agrees to help and Genesta switches her dress to a peasant's clothing so no one will grow suspicious of her. And so we have two goals: get the talisman back and find the fruit.

Let the quest begin...!

...and the quest ends because like father like daughter I got killed right away.

Fell off a cliff in true King's Quest fashion. Thankfully I'd saved immediately after all the talk with Genesta. Boy, did her plan fail miserably in this timeline.

I set off again to explore and get the lay of the land as there's no magic map this time. It's back to manual mapping for me. I met a wandering minstrel who's not very good at playing his lute but I still requested a couple songs anyway. He's trying!

I found a fisherman's cabin. I looked around it and made a discovery.

These are truly the important facts to know about Rosella.

The woman was quite worried, grumpy and unfriendly. She wasn't willing to talk much and I bothered her until she yelled at me to "GIT, and I mean GIT!"

Outside was a pier where her husband was fishing and he wouldn't talk to me at all.

It was back to exploring for me and I ran into a satyr named Pan, playing his flute. I tried to talk to him, but he was too busy with his playing. I tried dancing and the game told me, "You couldn't keep up with him, Rosella." I tried singing and the game told me, "You hum along with Pan, but he doesn't pay any attention." Ah well, something else to deal with later.

I found a nice little stone bridge over a stream. Under the bridge was a gold ball, and I could see there was something under there! Unlike a certain closet top. That gold ball found its use very quickly as I soon found a pretty little pond with a crown-wearing frog. This was another case of I think a fairy tale/story I don't know, but thank you let's plays.

You can't get close to the frog without scaring it off. Instead you 'accidentally' drop the golden ball into the pond and then the frog fetches it for you and comes to the shore. You go to the frog, scoop him up and now we're back in familiar territory because naturally there's only one thing for a princess and a frog to do.

Look at it of course! Isn't he cute?

But, no, we've gotta kiss him.

With a...bit of a puzzling message.

Of course this transforms the frog back into a prince! And he sucks! He thought 'she was supposed to be a princesss?!' But 'she's nothing more than a PEASANT girl!' Eww. Rosella blanches at that a bit but says nothing. She could've kicked him.

Oh fine, never mind then. (unrelated incident but it fit you know. Incident being me trying to kick the rock just to see what would happen.)

Snotty ungrateful prince leaves behind the golden ball and little crown, so we got that for our efforts.

Continuing on I came across the Seven Dwarfs' house. It was a mess. I looked at different things then tried to take the soup.

Oh but Graham can steal soup; I see how it is.

After a little while, one of the dwarfs came back, got mad, accused me of trespassing and kicked me out. Oops. He yelled at me some more when I tried entering again so I left the screen and came and then was able to enter the now-empty house. What can we do to not get kicked out? Clean!

Once finished the dwarfs all come back happy as can be and get their soup.

Not looking so great, but the last dwarf does get an extra bowl for Rosella and invites her to join them. They talk and a friendly time is had with some tasty soup before it's time for the dwarfs to go back to the mine. But they've left a pouch of diamonds on the table! Naturally we take that. Thieving adventurer jokes aside I did bring the pouch back to them in the mine and they let me keep it and gave me a lantern.

Some nice exploration happening but of course I still needed to find Lolotte and that's what I ended up doing. Hello mountain path and hello goons.

Looks bad but let's be real: it's nice to not have to go up that winding path.

Lolotte's goons take us straight to her.

Rosella tries to defend herself, but Lolotte doesn't believe her and has her tossed into a rather grim looking cell with torture implements and two skeletons. There's not much to do but look at things and wait. Thankfully, unlike a certain boat, the wait isn't long and the goons come back for her and take her back to Lolotte.

Turns out her son, Edgar, convinced her Rosella was telling the truth, more or less.

He got shy...

Lolotte still doesn't quite trust Rosella and will only do so more if she completes a task for her. There's a unicorn she wants. Bring it back to her and we may gain her trust.

Not a pleasant task but we've gotta do what we've gotta do and the goons deliver Rosella back to the base of the mountain. I did actually see the unicorn already a few times, but lack the means to catch it or even get close.

Nearby I found some eeevil trees.

And then I died. I gotta go back and do that more because there are more death tree puns to be had and I can't not get those.

You can't go north from here because of all the murder trees so I went back west to more evil trees and then a cemetery and a decrepit old manor.

Naturally I had to read some of the graves. No love lost there it seems. There are others to read, some goofy, some more serious.

The manor itself didn't have too much for me yet. I found a book of Shakespeare--I guess he exists in this world. And I found a terrible staircase.

Please no.

I made one attempt, fell off and died and decided that's a battle for another day and left.

I did a little more exploring to fill in my map, headed back to the fisherman's house, getting killed by an ogre on the way. Back at the house the fisherman was still on the pier, but this time he got up and I was able to follow him back into their house where I talked to him and found out they haven't been able to catch much fish so he and his wife are struggling. I gave him the pouch of diamonds for which he and his wife were thrilled. He gave me his fishing rod in return and both he and his wife are much friendlier with Rosella now.

With a worm I'd found earlier I went fishing for... a fish, so now I have a dead fish because all inventories need a dead fish I suppose.

Next goals: keep exploring, find the minstrel and offer him the Shakespeare book and look for ways to get a unicorn.

Points: 32/230

Deaths: 5

Time: 1:20

[popculturebuffet]

Star Vs: Monster Bash Review or “Holy Shit Concentrated Into An Episode”

Hello everybody! I’m Jacob Mattingly and welcome back to my tom lucitor retrospective, where I go through every major apperance of everyone’s faviorite demon boy boy. In case you watch my schedule or reguarlly read this blog, and if so thank you.. especially you Kevin your a peach, you’ll know this one got pushed back two weeks because the day it was scheduled.. was the day AFTER the US Capitol Insurgency. So yeah an episode HEAVILY dealing with racisim, with a downer ending and a lot to dig into on the same day a bunch of racists stormed the captail to try and illegally keep another racist in office due to his bullshit claims the electoin was fraud, when it wasn’t he just can’t admit he lost, and their own idocy, violence and hatred was not something I could handle that day and I did some mickey mouse instead.  But while the effects of said riot are still being felt, and unlike many republicans are saying we shouldn’t just “move on” or “try to heal” because the wound needs to be properly examined so the people who carved our country open with a rusty knife can be prosecuted for it, enough time has passed that I can get back on the horse and eat that horse when it comes to this episode. Also expect new tomtrospective weekly with some exceptions till it’s done. So with the real world reasons for the delay out of the way, on with the show.  Previously on Star Vs: Star had a full subplot dealing with her super powered mewberity form, which was now golden and creating bunches of portals. While she wanted to just let it go loose on Eclipsa’s suggestoin, eventually it caused too much damage and Hekapoo was livid when Marco revealed he’d been covering for her and Star, realizing her friend was running himself ragged and ruined a friendship to help her, went to the source of all magic to fix things, metting the baby unicorns and with thier help gaining control over her form. While she does not use it given she JUST got it before this episode, it’s very relevant and makes her come off very stupid but we’ll get to that

In more directly relevant stuff, and our main event, we need to talk about Ms. Henious. Ms. Henious was introduced all the way back in Season 1 as head of St. Olga’s School for Wayward princsesses. She’s voiced by Jessica Walter, aka Malory Archer, Lucille Bluth and .. Fran Sinclair from dinosaurs?

I’ll process that later. Point is she’s a talented lady and voiced Henious perfectly. Henious ran the school as a nightmarish hellhole that stripped away princsesses indviduality when they became too much for their parents. Granted some did genuinely need to be reigned in, Pony went there and so did princess squishy a princess that tried to reinact the plot of face off despite her and star not even being the same species let alone looking remotely similar.. she also liked to say camera phone a lot despite all phones being camera phones for over a decade. 

But again like most reform schools it’s a hell hole dedicated more to beating and psyihholically tourturing the rebel or asshole out of you than actually helping so Star and Marco broke in to break out. It naturally was difficult and strenious but in the process our heroes freed the other girls and Marco became feminsest icon Princess Marco. And Marco’s possible gender fluidity, or being trans,  was well loved and while he was later said to hate the princess marco idntenity later.. I still dont’ quite buy it and feel Disney just wanted to nip any implications in the bud. Because their stupid and often non-inclusive to the queer community and have to be fought to get inclusivity in there half the time. Could’ve been clumsy writing and the writers not getting people really relating to marco possibly being gender fluid or trans, which given this season’s clumsy writing with marco in general I could buy, but i’m banking more on disney, where one executive can somehow stonewall gay representation because apparnetly one guy was the one who objected to enchanting grom fright.. and he can also go fuck himself with an old rhino’s horn. Which horn is up to you. Also we got two major hints at the future iwth her: a creepy mural star found of monsters and Henious being revealed to have cheek marks she supressed with her very own brainwashing machine. 

Our heroes revolution had uintetional side-effects as St.O’s became a party school, though it’s students actually still came back better for the moast part. Henious was thrown out, reduced to sleeping in her car with her manservant gemini and sending Rasticore, a septarian mercinary afer star.. and then carrying his arm around when he got reduced to that.. not because of star but because of a rogue gift card. We don’t have time to unpack that, so she later tried attacking one more time in season 2, in one of the single worst episodes of the series, as she attacked and Marco’s Parents, instead of being concerned about the strange woman and man and lizard man arm attacking thier children, were more concerned about.. tehir cool neighbors. which could’ve been funny but just got frustrating, especially because Marco defended himself well, pointing out while he trashed her school, and gets merchandising rights from princess marco merch, she you know, brainwashed innocent to semi innocent children and was in general horrible and his parents are only humoring her because they were both out of hte loop, which due to this being shortly before star and marco leaves amounts to nothing, and because of the stupid plot. 

So after that we got one more apperance in season 3 with her trying to expose marco as a boy to turn the princsses against him and get her school back.. but it was clearly a desperate and flimsy plan and they knew that already, and don’t care because their accepting. And again have done better without her so she gets thrown out and swore revenge on Marco, and here we are.  Finally, since returning Star’s been more active in monster rights, replacing their old batshit insane and patronizingly racist expert with Buff Frog and starting a position to get royal signatures. Obviously this dosen’t sound like the most effective way to do things but it’s both teenager accurate and not the worst plan i’ve heard from a teenager this week.. granted that’s also because I covered a teenager trying to win back her good for not a lot 23 year old boyfriend by stabbing his current girlfriend he left her for a bunch, so it’s not exactly a high bar to clear. So outside of the golden form thing, which i’ll get to in the review proper why I brought that up, that’s what’s all built up to this the mid season finale. While Stump Day DID come after this, I chose to cover it before it since it both takes place before that and feels out of place in the very story heavy episodes after it. So with that out of the way we’ll be taking a look at the full episode and Star’s horrible, no good, very bad night under the cut. 

We open at the Monster Temple, that place Ludo and Toffee were headquartered at for season 2 and the battle of mewni mini, where Star is holding a PARTY!

This.. this came up when I typed party. I don’t know why and I don’t WANT to know. I mean party is in the name.. is that a party line? Is this phone sex? No.. just no.. I don’t want dirty sweaty pigs in my phone sex.. I want Rocko like a gentlemen. 

Now THAT’S hot. And honestly with what i’ve admitted about myself at this point, can you genuinely tell if i’m joking or not?  Point is Marco and Rich Pidgeon are pitching in. Oh yeah those of you who didn’t get this far in the series, again hi kevin, might wonder wait whose that... well he’s a rich pidgeon, part of the pidgeon kingdom a kingdom of pidgeons that moved into another family’s castle, presumibly killed them, the book wasn’t specific on that and is now just a large bunch of pidgeons that don’t talk human except rich and get all creepy. They also have an excutioner which is as great a visual as you imagine. 

That and Marco tried faking singing rich singing it by shving a pien in his foot and making him sign it.. he didn’t know he was fully sapient but still. But it’s also season 3 marco. The fact he didn’t accidently burn the castle down trying to impress star and being mad when she wasn’t happy he comitted arson is an achievement. Rich apparently holds a grudge but says just kiddng.. maybe.. i’d be prepared for a pidgeon with a machete if I were Marco. Thankfully i’m not.. I mean I hate myself enough. 

Anyways the party is in full swing, as both monsters and mewmans are there. On the mewman sides are the royals we met at the Silver Bell Ball and on the monster side are a bunch of monster teens who look up to star we previously met during the Ludo arc in season 2. Pony arrives bringing a photo booth. And kelly! 

And also Johnny Blowhole...

That dolphin what showed up a few times, including in the comic and the show, like most of it’s supporting cast, just sorta forgot. Also was going to be my porn name, just in case till it ended up attached to a fictonal teenager. Did.. did not think naming a character “blowhole” through did they? 

Anyways the party is at “middle school dance” levels of awkward with the monsters and humans on other sides. Rock seems to be getting ready for a racist tyrade and singles out a yak like monster.. only to instead compliment the guy’s ripped jeans and the two compliment each other on horns... turns out the ones Rock always wear aren’t decorative but part of him due to a boating accident. Shame we never got more of this kid. that’s a good kid I tell you what.  But honestly and since the moment is right given their all in this episode.. we never get a lot of the other royals outside of tom and star PERIOD. While Penelope would show up one last time and Larry would make a cameo for the most part their just.. background filler. Even this pettitoin arc was two episodes long. Rich is BRAND new and he gets way more focus.. and even he only gets to show up again for the big “Gondor calls for aid moment” in season 4 where star summoned whoever she could get on short notice. And is the ONLY royal to besides Ponyhead. Larry has an intresting enough design but the underwater kingdom only got featured in the deep trouble tie in comic that got cut short, and he wasn’t created yet so he doesen’t even show up for it. Jagg’s is such a footnote to the creators she dosen’t ever show up after this, and finally Rock, despite being star’s COUSIN and despite his kingdom being specifically mentioned as the hardest to make sympathetic to eclipsa during her own entirely ignored arc trying to win over the other kingdoms, and despite it being where River comes from and thus possibly providing some more insight into that awesome, awesome man.. we get nothing. Hell the Cloud Kingdom of the Ponyeheads ONLY gets two visits despite being home of one of the main cast.. god I just realized Ponyhead was part of the main cast. 

So while I grapple with that, Star figures the punch is too warm and while Marco goes to get ice, she tries to remind him she can do magic and accidently puts it in your standard cartoon ice block.. and being star gets her tounge stuck. Thankfully her savior comes in the form of tom who being.. you know.. tom.. can simply melt it down and reminds her he’s been there the whole time. She’s just been a bit distracted with you know, trying to ease centuries of racial tension in a well meaning but ultimately pointless at best and risky at worst, partay. And dosen’t seem to get WHY she dosen’t want to dance.. even if they do have a REALY fucking cute moment where he leans in to kiss her, she catches him on it.. then blows a raspberry into his mouth when he does and smooches him on the cheek a bunch. 

But the whole thing leaves him as a grumpus venting to marco and boiling the punch.. though at least Marco gets to use that ice now so silver linings and all that. And when marco tries to explain he tells him he dosen’t “talk politics”

My baby boy.. i’m so disapointed in you. And Marco points out as he leaves “your a prince everything you do is political. “. Which is.. HALF true. I mean tom going to the bathroom or eating a taco or taking his grandpa fo ra walk on his leash so he dosen’t gouge anyones eyes out isn’t political.. but he’s also not wrong that being the half demon half mewman son of two royals, DOES mean tom can come off political and one previous episode which he made a cameo in even had Tom being profiled, with a shopkeep who shoed out another monster kid tried that on tom.. only to realize who he was dealing with and beg for mercy he probably only got because Tom’s trying to be a better person now. And I don’t think i’ts even malcious on tom’s part, tom isn’t the most empathetic guy. He’s nice, he’s sweet, and once he knows you he can be really thoughtful.. but as we’ve seen throughout this retrospective.. empathy is something he’s struggled with. He stalked star because he didn’t see HER side of him creeply and obessively persuing her until Marco got through to him. He missed the point of his therapy assignment, seeing it as a goal to get passed instead of hwat brian intended: for him to geninely make amends with someone he hurt. He didn’t get that while star didn’t, at the time, want to date him ignoring her would hurt her... though that on’es not on him. He’s not a bad guy at all but he’s not at all great at reading people or being selfless.

 He’s getting there, stump day showed him put stars needs before Marco’s and not out of any selfish dick measuring contest but because he knew what she wanted and what made her happy, but it’s hard to have empathy for a problem you don’t get how bad it is. To tom it’s just getting stopped once in a while and then having to glower or literally roast someone. To these monsters... it’s a life of being denied a decent standard of living, housing and being treated as a crminal and a beast just for existing. Tom has a fancy castle, loyal subjects, tons of money.. his privlage has insulated him from the real dangers of being the minority he is, of getting beaten up by the cops or arrested just for being a monster. And yes i’m using real world paralells.. but so does the end of this episode so shhh. It’s also a moral that hits home since as a white person, the last year has hit me HARD with just how much I didn’t know about the racial situation in america and how complacient i’d become. I wasn’t actively racist.. but like many americans I had the bad tendency to forget the horrible things that happpend on a daily basis to people of color in this country when it got out of the news. Privlage can blind you, and I cannot speak for if it does so for any real life minorties as i’m not touching a subject i’m not qulaified to talk on due to being super white with a ten foot pole, but I can speak for me that sometimes you just.. dont’ notice a problem unless i’ts happening to you. And while it has happened to tom it’s such a minor inconvience he probably just forgets about it and moves on. And these next two episodes with him, though we have some plot stuff to get too before we get back to Tom in feburary, are him getting his bubble popped and realizing just WHAT Star has been fighting against. And Star’s own privlage will be an issue later.. but we’llg et to that in it’s own time.  So while Tom skulks off Rich startles Marco to get him to do his kung fun hand pose “the sword hand dance” and everyone uses it to dance which Marco understandably objects to until kelly asks him to dance. Cue adorable ship tease.. again this is why i’m thrownig in the kelco episode in the next batch: because the trajectory of this relationship eeerily lines up with tom episodes. No sense avoiding the ONE other episode about the ship , especially if i’m going out of my way to cover the Meteora arc on top of it and my other 80 projects. And regular coverage. And comissions. And you get the idea it’s a lot but i’m happy to do it. 

Meanwhile we meet Slime, a friendly slime monster who introduces himself to penelope and her massive spider bite... and then drips a bit giving her the wrong impression. Thankfully.. this does not turn into the PG-Rated versoin of BLue from the heathers musical. 

No he just was offering to aloe up her spiderbite, and she’s all too happy to accept since her family never thought about it.. though as we see next season their not against it suprisingly. They are still dicks though. But not racist, though that’s a very low bar to clear and only gives them credit because mewni as a whole is pretty racist when it comes to Monsters. Point is I hate their parents but love these ship as the two share some ship tease and go downstairs.. only to get attacked.  Meanwhile, Marco’s getting a goblin dog while being watched by Henious.. who despite Gemini’s objections.. no longer cares about her cheeks as she grins sinesterly and has him play her music, some heavy metal. FORESHADOWING!

Back at the party, Star adreses her public and is all proud and blushy.. till Penelope stumbles in, covered in scars, telling the crowd something took Slime.. and both sides start blaming one another, especially since it turns out a LOT of the monsters have gone missing. So with everything she worked towards and had achieved crumbling, Star calms the crowd and says she’ll investigate. Outside Marco is getting a goblin dog with roy, and wondering why he has strawberry, who orders a strawberry.. who wants that? And then decides to get one out of curiosity which I would but i’m also fat and love strawberries so i’m not a beacon of good decisionmaking. 

So Star grabs him before he can roll that metaphorical dice and passes tom who tries to downplay her concerns and get her to go make out, thinking that’s what’s going on despite that.. making no sense, as a ton of them are missing and 6 is a bit much for polyamory.. I mean it works for some people 

But not everyone can be a majestic space grandma whose also a caterpillar. And their too young to orgy so that’s out too. Point is Tom is an idiot this time and Star RIGHTFULLY calls him out for belitting her cause, not really caring about it, or the other teens who are in danger right now from god knows what and tells him to either help or get out of the way. 

So while Tom licks his well earned wounds, Star and Marco journey into the depths and find a campsite with fresh dog eared pages indicating whoevers behind the abudictions is not only sapient, but still here... oh and it somehow gets worse as they find out WHOSE behind it. 

And a second question you might be having: Who dis. Well this is Mina Loveberry, solarian warrior, whose a legend in Mewni and was one of star’s childhood heroes who she found wondering around homeless and clearly not mentally well in the park on earth.. and then tried to conquer it, but the electoral process stopped her... I don’t know why but a half crazed maniac being defeated by due electoral process makes me feel all warm and fuzzy right now, on this specific day this is coming out late on. Hmmmm.. INTERESTING aint it? 

Point is Mina is a super powerful, super not in her right mind super warrior, who is naturlaly the kidnapper, as this episode also reveals she’s violently racist and assuemed something was up and whiel Star, who despite said cou still loves and respects her and gets she’s not well, tries to talk her down it increasingly becomes clear there’s no reasoning with her. And really with most racists.. there isn’t. Racisim isn’t something that’s rational and while some people are just indocrinated at a young age and CAN be turned around on it.. some are just so deeply up their own ass with hatred you can’t reason with them or save them. You just have to stop them. Via impeaching them, making sure they get called out and taken out of office.. or in this case using rainbows on them.  But we’ll have to wait a second as a bunch of debris falls on mina taking her out!

.. Only to reveal Henious and while Marco’s willing to fight her and her posse, Raasticore grabs star and henious hooks him up to the brainwash machine, probably planning to kill him with it while playing the music

But before she can kill or do worse to one of our heroes.. the door behind them opens up.. and reveals a child’s play room. 

And Henious.. gives up on the attack and enters, disturbing Gemini as she looks around in what’s easily one of the best scene sin the entire series: her slow walk, the way the animation follows her as it sinks in just what Metora might be.. and her picking up two dolls, the ones seen above.. her dolls to Gemini’s increasing discomfort. And while the animation is stellar and utterly moving as we slowly put the pieces together... it’s Walter’s delivery that REALLY STUNS.Gone is the harsh, unforgiving nightmarish woman we’ve known.. and instead is someone whose confused.. and remembering. Remembering WHY she has those cheek marks, remembering this was her room, her home.. and those were her parents. She remembers now.. and Mina rises to say of course she did “I knew you’d be back here one day meteora!” And as Gemini tries to refute this.. Meteora agrees with MIna, no longer henious at last freed form her deep and abusive brainwashing we’ll cover soon enough. And deeply confused. And as everyone else is deeply confused... Mina, not realizing this whole thing was covered up, again we’ll get to that soon too, spells it out for them and the audience in case you missed it. When Star asks how Eclipsa plays into any of this? “Don’t you ding dongs know anything? She’s her mamma!”  (Marco and Star stare in shock as it sinks in) Marco: “Wait HENIOUS is a princess?!”  Star: “she’s a butterfly”

Yeah quite obviously this is one of the biggest wham episodes in the entire series. In one moment we not only find out Henious is indeed a butterflfy as fans thought.. but Eclipsa’s daughter, half monster, and her entire existance raises questions of how much her family hid and if not WHO DID. I mean some of you alreayd know the answer but the rest of you can wait a week.. or a few mintues it’s hinted at soon enough. Point is Star has questions.. questions the violent racist whose pretty messed up in the head for a variety of the reasons and spent decades hunting her.. is not willing to hear out and instead prepares to smite her. While Star tries DESPERATLEY to talk her friend out of this it’s very clear Mina’s not going to listen... so Star rainbow fists her.. and prepares to face her former friend and inspiration for Meteora’s saftey and the answers she BADLY needs right now. Oh and just in case you thought “oh well the magical girl who sounds like amy sedaris can’t be that big a threat”... Yeah I didn’t mention broly for nothing. 

Mina bulked up. Meet Solarian Mina. And like the Legendary Super Sayian form from Dragon Ball.. i’ts a beserker of a form that turns the already obessive and insane Mina.. into an unstoppable rage fuled killing machine with horrifying levels of power who can beat down anyone nearbye. And unlike Broly, where he was just a one in a million fluke in both versions... Mina was PLANNED to be this. The solarian program was something Eclipsa’s mom came up with, a series of spells that slowly turn the target into a rampaging super soldier. It’s like if Nuke from marvel comics, a vietnam era version of captain america who dind’t turn out so good, was INTETIONAL; 

As you can see it removes fear.. but also the targets concisce, so Mina is incapable of empathy or being cure dof her racisim. Solaria turned her from a humble volunteer just hoping ot help and improve her station into the crazed monster star now faces.  And as the Broly comparision should make clear... yeah Star dosen’t do so good and neither does Marco. She shrugs off Star’s hits and while botht he kids and meteora escape, both just piss Mina off MORE, and put star in more danger as she’s thrown around like a ragdoll.  She then runs into tom who shows off his growht: While he was a dick up there.. unlike before where he assumed he was always the wronged party.. he realized he crossed a line and while he dosen’t know WHY he did, is still willing to apologize and presumibly talk about it. A bit clueless yes but it’s effort and his tone is sincre so it’s less “I’m apologizing for whatever I guess” bullshit and more “I genuinely don’t know wha ti did wrong please tell me so I can say sorry”.. which given how awkard tom is with people and how I pointed out his trouble relating to them over htis retrospective, is the more beliviable one.  Naturally while Star does appricate it she’s kinda busy.. and when Tom see’s what’s going on he leaps in with NO hesitation. And given how close the luictors once were and are again with the butterflies it’s doubtful he hadn’t heard of mina so he likely KNOWS what he’s going up against..a nd dosen’t care. His girlfriend needs his help and this person’s trying to hurt her. That’s all he needs to kick her ass. Or try.. unlike with the z warriors.. our heroes don’t win this one. Tom tries a really cool move i’m dubbing the onyx coffin, a black coffin with runes and chains.. that does nothing to her. She breaks out and our heroes flee and Mina causes a massive ruckuss above, and the only reasons our heros don’t die.. is that the knights and Rhombulus of the high comission arrive.  And since the high comission are going to be vastly important a refresher: The high comission were created by glossaryck, the little man who lives in stars book who used to be voiced by an asshole and next season is voiced by keith motherfucking david, to police the multiverse and it’s various issues. The four we know are Lekmet: a goat man who died last season and controlled entropy and could heal at the cost of his own life hence the death, Hekapoo, a close assiocate of marcos who controls the scissors beings use to cross dimensions and can do so herslef effortlessly, Omnitraxus Prime, a powerful and giant antler skulled being who watches space time and timelines and is voiced by Karl Weathers so...

And Rhombulus, a diamond headed he-man reject with snakes for hands becaue his dad is a well documented dickhead.. no really that’s the entire explination i the book of spells: Glossaryck turned his hands to snake to teach him the lesson i’ts hard to get through life with snake hands. He’s a gung ho guy who imprisons the wrost of the worst criminals thus his presence here as Mina clearly had a falling out with the comission and thus flees.  So while Star and Tom are given blankets afterwords and some cocoa, Tom comforts her and admits if nothing else.. he gets it now, having been finally faced with the type of horrible shit monsters have had to deal with in the past and sees why his girlfriend tried hard to help it. But Star.. realizes she can’t fix this that easy. That she dosen’t know enough and clearly ther’es even more than she ever could’ve thought possible she has ot know if she’s going to fix this.. and that it’s not an EASY problem to fix. You really CAN’T fix racisim you can just make society better, but you’ll never be rid of people like Mina. Though this arc will.. yeah in one of the more baffling decisions Mina is given this huge reindrocution, with Amy Sedaris showing that while a very funny lady and a very talented actress as bojack had previously shown off for both.. she can be FUCKING TERRIFYING. But nope, she’s just..g one outside of a cameo, gets beatne off screen and dosen’t become big bad for a season. And I get it, the metora arc needed room.. but you had a WHOLE EXTRA EPISODE to have her defeat mina. Inastead you used it for Marco Jr which amounted to almost nothing and could’ve been saved for season 4 wher eit probably woudln’t of been terrible. I”ll get to that one some day. Point is it’s bad storytelling. 

So yeah Star’s feeling lost, her family history is in flux, she got beaten badly, not horribly injrued but still lost handily, her party ruined and  she was hit with the realization her plans were overly idealistic. Well meaning sure but a party was never going to cure this. Oh and Rhombluus naturally isn’t coming clean about why the temple is off limits or what’s going on here so that dosen’t help.  And somehow.. IT STILL GETS WORSE. The Wizard Cops try to take the monsters in , profling them and not having done so and star thankfully talks them out of it but the monster kids turn down any afterparty or anything. They get she means well tbut hte moment’s over. And their not even excesivley sad.. their just.. used to the police treating them like this. Like less than human, like automatic suspects when THEY were the victims. IT’s nothing new... and god does this feel relevant as hell.

And this i where I meant Star’s privlage bites her: While not as bad as tom, it took some very harsh reality for her to see that solving racisim.. is not only nigh imposisble but not that easy. To her it was easy as a party and friendship and what’s worked before in her fairly shelted world. Advetnures or not she’s still a princess whose never experinced prejudice. In both worlds she’s in the majority. It’s probably why Marco conttoned on to monster racism in seconds during “Menipendence Day’ when Star hadn’t her whole life: to Marco, whose latix and thus dealing with all kinds of racist shit his whole life, it was easier to pick it up. He’s firmly part of his culture.. and thus probably firmly aware of the racism he faces. Star is so insulated she just dosen’t get it till it nearly beat her to death. So yeah Star’s at her lowest point, having failed to make things better, the answer to her questions being lost and not sure what’s real. Metora on the other hand as they dodge the cops.. has ascended. As Gemini calls her henious once last time.. she says that’s not her name. 

“My name is meteora”

SHe’s been dreaming the wrong dream.. and it’s long past time she woke up. 

Final Thoughts;  Monster Bash.. is one of the best episodes in the series. Unlike a lot of Seasons 3 and 4 it dosen’t suffer from lack of proper payoff, as the next few episodes deal with how the fuck any of this is happening and why the fuck any of it happened. Mina’s absence nonwithstanding.. this is one of the series best and most gripping arcs. And the swerve is great: you think i’ts Henious doing the kindappings, only for her not to be the threat again just yet. And for her to be something far more. It’s just masterful, starting iwth fun hyjinks and ending in one of the best nad most nightmarish fights in the series if not the best, watching as our heroes slowly but surely LOOSE.. and THEN it gets worse. Out and out a must watch for the series and a sad sign of what it COULD’VE been had it moved past it’s worst insitncts next season and become what i should’ve been.  Next week: We take a tom break as Eclipsa nad Mon investigate all of this and we get the SECOND biggest wham episode in the series. 

Until the next rainbow, be excellent to each other.

[ask-the-fairies]

Main 8: what’s your favorite story that you’ve heard at Fairy Tale Theater?

Tinkerbell:

"That's easy! I'm biased still; I love hearing the story of the lost treasure! Partially because I lived it!"

Fawn:

"I love the story called The 7 Brothers. It's about 7 brothers who live and hunt together in the woods, and one day they are confronted by a King, who tells them whoever shoots an arrow nearest to his daughter shall have her as his bride and be king himself someday. The king has hidden her in the forest somewhere, so each brother shoots 1 arrow in whichever direction they believe her to be. The youngest brother, Viktor, is also the weakest of the brothers, but the kindest. His brothers mock him when his arrow does not go far. The princess hears them, and places herself beside the youngests arrow, and he and her fall in love and be married! I just think it's a nice story!"

Zarina:

"I don't go the theatre alot, but I do remember a nice story about a group of pirates who become shipwrecked on a lost island, and discover a lost civilization, and they have a chance to save this civilization and turn their lives around. I forgot what it was called though."

Periwinkle:

"At our theatre in Winter Woods, I was told a story about 2 sisters. One was born with ice powers, the other not. But an accident almost killed the normal sister, and so a spell was placed on her to heal her that made her forget her sisters powers too. The story was about sisterhood, and being comfortable with yourself, as well as love and sacrifice. In the end, the sisters are the best of friends again!"

Rosetta:

"The ugly bride! It's about a beautiful princess, who is loced by a cruel king. She rejects his advances, and he turns her into a hideous frog. The only way to turn back into a princess is to earn the love of a prince. A prince in a nearby kingdom is being forced to find a bride, and while on a walk one day, meets the frog princess. She tells him that if he marries her, she shsll make him proud and happy. Afraid his father will force him to marry someone else, he marries the frog princess. His brothers and their wives mock and ridicule him for it, and he becomes embarassed. The frog princess continues to reassure him. The king, decides it is time to choose an heir, and so puts his sons up to several tasks to please him, and their wives. The first task he gives the wives, is to make him a splendid meal. The frog princess works all night alone, and somehow makes a beautiful, delicious meal that outdoes the other 2 wives. The second night, the king orders the women to design him a new outfit, and once again, the frog princess makes a costume fit for a king. The last night, the king asks the women to weave him a tapestry. The frog princess weaves all night under the moon, and creates the most beautiful tapestry in the kingdom. The king is pleased with the frog princess, as is her prince husband. He admits he underestimated her abilities and kindness, and plans a ball to show how proud he is of her. That night, at the ball, a beautiful woman appears before everyone, and reveals that she is indeed the frog princess. The curse lifted, the king declares that she and her husband shall rule next, and they live happily ever after."

Silvermist:

"I've always loved the story of the lake fairy. One day, a poor woodcutter was chopping wood to sell by a lake one day, and he lost his grip on his axe and it fell into the lake. The lake was very deep, amd he could not swim. As he sat by the shore thinking of how he could not afford another axe, a beautiful water fairy appeared to him, and asked him why he was so sad. When he told her of his lost axe, she offered to get it for him, and she dipped below the water. When shr returned, she had a shimmering, solid silver axe. What a fortune it was worth! He could feed his family for many seasons with that axe. But it was not his, and he told the fairy the truth. She dipped below the water once again, and returned with another axe, this one solid gold. He would never have to sell wood again with that axe! But it was not his, and he told her the truth. She once again dipped into the lake, and this time returned eith his rightful, trusty axe. He was delighted, and she delivered it to him. She told him that because he had told her the truth about the other 2 axes, he could have them too. And so the man returned home with all three axes, and was able to leave his job behind for a better future with his family. It's a sweet story!"

Iridessa:

"My favourite story is the one about the little girl and the stream. One day, there was a kind little girl named Lucy, who lived in a shack with her cruel and lazy mother, and cruel and lazy sister. After supper, the mother told Lucy to fetch some water by the stream so they could wash. And so down to the stream she went to get water. An old woman appeared, and asked if she could have some of her water to drink, as she was old and frail and was afraid of falling in the stream. Lucy happily obliged, and let her drink as much water as she wanted. The old woman thanked her after, and told her that because she was so kind and sweet, she shall be rewarded every time she spoke. Lucy trudged back to the house, where her impatient mother asked her what took her so long. But when Lucy began to speak, pearls and small jewels began to fall from her mouth. After hearing of the old woman, the mother ordered the other sister to fetch water from the stream, and to be kind to the old woman so she too could have riches fall from her mouth. The cruel sister went down to the stream, but saw no old woman. Instead, a beautiful young woman approached her, and asked for some of her water. The cruel sister refused, telling her to get it herself, and told her to get lost. The beautiful woman told her she was nasty and vile, and so from now on her words would produce nasty and vile creatures. The cruel sister ran back to the house, where her mother was eager to know what happened. When she tried to tell her story, snakes and frogs came from her mouth instead! Little Lucy ran away, and lived a life of luxury from her jewels always practicing kindness to those around her. The cruel mother and sister lived their days in filth and misery, surrounded by frogs and snakes."

"I don't really do the theatre, but if I had to choose a story, it's the minotaur and the maze. It's about 2 warring kingdoms. The son of King Rolf was killed in the country of King Julius, and King Rolf blamed Julius, and ordered that every 3 years, 12 random citizens from King Julius's country would be forced aboard a ship bound for his own. These 12 people would then be locked in a maze meant to trap a violent minotaur, as sacrifices. Of they survived through the night, they would be taken back to their country and set free. No one had ever lived till dawn. As the time came to pick which citizens of his country would be chosen, King Julius's own son, Xavier, volunteered himself. He thought that perhaps if he were to die, then King Rolf would stop his madness for good. King Julius reluctantly agreed, and the prince boarded the ship bound to King Rolf's country. When the prisoners arrived, King Rolf was delighted to see the prince among them. King Rolf's daughter, Helena, was present as well. Prince Xavier boldly declared that he would spend the night alone in the maze and kill the minotaur himself. If he prevailed, King Rolf would never again take innocent people from his country. King Rolf agreed, feeling that the death of his enemies son would be justice enough for his own sons death. The other prisoners were held in a cell together, while Prince Xavier waited for nightfall in a cell of his own. Just an hour before dark, Princess Helena came to his cell in secret. She offered to help him and his countrymen escape, believing her father cruel and vengeful. He turned down the kind offer, knowing if he fled King Rolf's bloody reign would continue. So Princess Helena gave him a long spool of golden thread, so he may tie one end to a rock in the maze, so he may not get lost. Surprised by her kindness and good heart, Prince Xavier promised he would succeed. And so that night, he was locked in the labyrinth, with his hidden thread and knife. He tied one of ge string ends to a rock, and began to explore the dark, mysterious maze. It was not long before the minotaur smelled the prince, and began to attack. The prince slashed the minotaurs eyes, as to blind him, then killed and beheaded the beast. Morning came, and to King Rolf's astonishment, Prince Xavier came out of the maze virtually unscathed, who threw the head of the fallen minotaur at his feet. Unable to back out of his agreement, King Rolf ordered the release of the other prisoners, and promised on paper that no other people shall be taken anymore. Prince Xavier was pleased, but owed his success to Princess Helena. He then demanded Princess Helena's hand in marriage as a sign of unity between the two countries. Princess Helena happily agreed, and so with their marriage, the two countries were able to live on peace."

Thanks for the ask!

[poetryforplebs]

Let me tell you the story of a princess and a frog. This is not the princess and the frog. No, this is a different story, though it starts much the same way. All stories involving princesses and frogs must begin the same way:

There was a princess who loved to play with her golden ball. There was a princess who loved to play in her garden. And on a sunny day, she played by herself in her garden, tossing and catching her golden ball, until it fell into the pond. This is how the story begins.

There was a frog who lived in the pond in the princess’s garden, and he very nearly got a concussion from the princess’s golden ball. He swam up to the top of the pond and heard the princess weeping, for golden balls are not something you receive every day. (More like once on one birthday in the last seventeen years, but we digress.) This is how the story goes on.

The frog asked her, “Why do you weep, dear princess?”

“For my ball, my favorite toy! It’s lost in the water!” wailed the princess.

“What would you give me if I could retrieve it for you?” asked the frog.

“Whatever you wish,” the princess sniffled.

“A kiss? Would you kiss me for your ball, dear princess?”

“I would,” said she. This is the bargain struck between every princess and every frog who stop to talk to each other.

He dove down, of course, and struggled back up with the ball, of course. And here is where the story begins to vary.

In some tales, the princess is a thoughtless little thing, who seizes her ball and forgets her promise. In some tales, she’s an ornery thing, who argues and debates and does not wish to kiss him. But in this tale, the princess has already begun training to be a queen and a ruler, and consequently she knows the value of fairness and justice. So in this tale, the princess kisses the frog.

In most tales (perhaps three fourths of them) in which the princess kisses the talking frog, he turns into a man. This is one of those stories, so the frog turned into a man, well dressed and slightly sheepish looking.

The princess gasped. This is an acceptable response to seeing a woodland creature transform into a human, and is generally regarded as a more preferable response than screaming and fainting, or screaming and hitting the new human. All of those, however, are understandable responses, particularly since one generally doesn’t know one is in a fairytale until something like a woodland creature transforming into a human happens. Life is terribly unpredictable like that.

“Hello,” he said. “My name is Archie Mendelssohn. I was under an enchantment and you freed me.”

“Oh,” the princess said faintly. “I-I’m Princess Tabitha.”

They sat quietly for a minute, listening to the birds sing and looking at each other. At last, Archie said, “I think...I think we generally get married at this point?”

In most stories, this would be true. But if it were true, this would be the story of the princess and the frog, and that is not the story we are telling today. (I did warn you.) This is where the story diverges.

“Um,” said Princess Tabitha. “I appreciate the offer, as you seem very pleasant and good looking and so forth.”

“Thank you,” said Archie.

“But you see, I’m already engaged and I’m quite fond of my fiance.”

“Ah,” said Archie.

They sat quietly a little longer, listening to the birds sing and studying their own. shoes. At last, Tabitha said, “Is there anything else I can offer you? Perhaps a job?”

“I’ve always been interested in swordsmanship?” Archie said.

The Princess Tabitha brightened up. “What an excellent idea! We don’t have a royal swordsman, and I would quite like one! Suppose I pay to have you trained and then you come back and work for me? I’ll be queen by then.”

“An excellent idea,” said Archie, and they shook hands. And then they went inside together to tell her father (who had not yet stepped down and therefore had to give his royal seal of approval). And there we stop.

But since this is not the princess and the frog, this is not where the story ends. This is simply the beginning of a new chapter in the history of a tiny little kingdom in the land of myth and magic.

~ Original retelling by J.R. Roy

[thdorkmagnet]

A Perilous Journey (Star is Anna AU Part 2)

Summary: A series of one-shots and multi-chapters proving why Star Butterfly should be considered a Disney Princess, as Star and company take over the roles of all your favorite Disney Princess characters! (Starco inevitable)

Check out my other stuff on Fanfiction!

Disclaimer: Star vs and all its characters are owned by Daron Nefcy and Disney. Frozen belongs to Disney. All rights go to their respective owners.

Part 1

Meteora let out a slow sigh, her breath fogged in the cold mountain air, but she didn't shiver despite the low temperature, the cold had never bothered her anyways. As she climbed higher and higher up the mountaintop, a trail of footprints left in the crystal white slow, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had just entered into a hidden world previously untouched by man, a kingdom of lone isolation and solitude. Guess that makes me the queen, Meteora thought bitterly to herself.

But this was honestly the least of her worries, much more depressing and guilty thoughts hovering around in her head, refusing to let her relax or feel at peace. Not that she had ever felt peace in a long time.

She ran her hands up and down her arms, but not of desperate need to stay warm, but out of guilt as every horrible decision she had made came crashing down on her at once. How could she have been so stupid? How, after all these years, had she allowed her powers to be shown? She had been so careful to hide them, locking herself away and letting no one in, even her own sister... and yet the moment she had left the safety of her boring, suffocating room look what had happened. Every fear she had ever had came true, she had let her emotions get the better of her and it had ruined everything. Just like it had all those years ago.

The air around her seemed to only grow colder as her mind flashed back to that day...

…

For about as long as Meteora could remember she had been alone.

Okay well that was a bit of an exaggeration, since for several years of her young life she had had Star. During that time, her younger sister and her were practically inseparable, spending almost every second together playing and having a great time. Meteora had so, so many great memories of their time together and part of her so wished that she could have her bouncy, energetic sister back.

It was around this time Meteora discovered her ice powers and if Star had been enthusiastic before, now she was completely spellbound by her sister. Meteora could recall the look of pure joy shimmering in her sister's innocent eyes whenever she would freeze some object or make it rain down snow from the ceiling. And the pride Meteora would feel every time Star squealed in delight over something she did was immeasurable.

But all that changed one fateful night.

It started pretty much the same as any night with Star wanting to play. Meteora was in a peaceful, soothing dream  when a soft whisper cut through the quiet of the night. “Meteora? Meteora, wake up?”

Meteora smiled but didn't show any other indication of being awake. She felt a small form crawl up onto the bed, before poking her cheek, “Wake up, Meteora I want to play.”

Meteora peeked open an eye, saying softly to her, “Star it's the middle of the night, go to sleep.”

Star's cheeks puffed up in the cutest way as she argued in a small whine, “But the skies awake...” She pointed over to their window where the aurora borealis was shining in the distance. “And I'm awake, so we have to play!”

“Star, go back to bed,” Meteora scolded, picking up her pillow and hitting her little sister with it, causing the blond to fall off the bed and land on her butt. Meteora laid back down but before she could even get comfortable, Star was back now sitting on top of her, giggling incessantly. Meteora felt a small hand trying to pry her eyes open and she held back another smile. Soon the girl found herself staring into Star's eager blue as her younger sister whispered, “Do you wanna build a snowman?”

Meteora finally let her smile slip, she couldn't argue with that. It was Star's code for asking her to use her powers and Meteora never said no to an opportunity to impress her little sis.

The two ran downstairs to the empty ballroom, giggling and whispering under their breath the whole way, being careful not to wake their parents or any of the staff. But the thrill of possibly getting caught had both of them giddy. Once they were in the massive room, Star began impatiently saying, “Do the magic! Do the magic!” shaking her sister's arm and hopping up and down on the balls of her feet.

“Okay, check this out,” Meteora said, forming a small snowball in her hand. Star leaned closer and watched entranced as her big sis blew onto the cold sphere, making it shine with bright blue magic. Meteora then threw the magic-infused snowball into the air, where it burst just before hitting the ceiling. A gentle snowfall soon began, tiny shimmering snowflakes sprinkling down from above. Star squealed in delight and ran around the room excitedly, sticking her tongue out to try and catch the falling snow. All the while Meteora just looked on with pride.

The two had a blast playing in the magic-made snow, ice skating across the ballroom floors, having a snowball fight which Star easily won (sure Meteora was magic but she couldn't beat the arm on that girl!) and, of course, building a snowman together... as well as an entire army of snow creatures since Star insisted the snowman not be alone.

Finally, Meteora began making piles of snow for Star to jump onto, the little blond hopping from one pile to the next, each one slightly higher than the last, the girl determined to reach the ceiling. But her impatient speed was proving to be more than Meteora could handle, calling up to her sister to slow down but Star was too caught up in her own world to listen, simply shouting to her sister to make it higher with each new jump.

Suddenly, Meteora's foot slipped and she lost her balance, falling hard to the floor. The girl groaned and looked up in panic, just in time to see her sister leap off the tall snow pile with a cheer, oblivious to the danger that awaited her, just blindly trusting her sister would catch her. Meteora felt a cold fear rush through her veins as she helplessly reached out for her sister, screaming at the top of her lungs, “STAR!”

But what Meteora didn't realize was that in her moment of desperation her powers had activated as she sent a wave of blue magic hurtling toward her air-born sister. The wave hit Star directly in the head and the girl's eyes instantly closed, her body going limp. Star's unconscious body hit a snowpile a second later, rolling down the cold hill before sliding to a stop on the ice. Meteora's vision grew blurry as she stared at her sister's fallen body, looking tinier and weaker than the girl thought she had ever seen, and she gasped out, “No, Star!”

The older girl was at her sister's side in a second, holding her frail and cold body in her arms tears dripping down her face as she sobbed pitifully. “Star, wake up! Please wake up!” she screamed, shaking Star's body uselessly. Star's skin was bitterly cold to the touch, way too cold to be good for her, and Meteora watched in horror as a single stand of Star's golden hair turned bright white.

“Momma! Daddy!” Meteora screamed, clutching her sister close, rocking back and forth in a comforting motion. Not that it helped any.

A few seconds passed before the doors to the ballroom busted open, a startled Moon and River staring at the scene in shock, their mouths simultaneously dropping open. “Meteora, what happened?” Moon exclaimed worriedly, rushing over to her two daughters. Meteora didn't protest as her mom pulled Star from her grip.

“We were just playing, it was an accident, I swear,” the older girl chocked out, wiping tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.

Moon didn't reply though, putting a hand to her daughter's forehead before gasping. She turned to her husband, saying in a fearful tone, “She's ice cold.”

River followed his wife's example, feeling his youngest daughter's forehead himself, his face now etched with concern. “What do we do, my love?”

Moon let out a shaky breath, trying to calm her racing heart and mind, before saying in a far-off tone, “I think I may know of a way.”

The family quickly departed from the castle, a sleigh carrying them swiftly out of the town and into the unknown woods. Meteora was on pins and needles the whole dreaded ride, sitting with her legs tucking up to her chest and casting worried glances at her little sister who was wrapped in a warm blanket in her mother's arms. Anxious thoughts floated through Meteora's head, praying that they made it to wherever they were going in time to save her sister, her negative thoughts leaving a trail of frost behind the sleigh.

It felt like years had passed when they finally made it to their destination, an empty glade. Meteora was beyond confused why her parents had brought them there of all places, which only grew as she watched her mother pleading to the empty night for help, explaining that their daughter was sick with magic. A few seconds passed before Meteora saw a flash of something in the shadows and jumped. Soon forms began emerging from the woods, tall, bizarre creatures that caused Meteora to gasp in surprise. “Monsters,” she muttered, looking around at the creatures in awe.

The Monsters all looked equally as confused as Meteora felt, gazing at the intruders to their home nervously, sharing hesitant glances with one another and keeping their distance. Finally a frog Monster stepped forward from the crowd, eying the queen and king up and down, his eyes pausing on Star and a sympathetic look crossed his face, his muscular form relaxing some as he realized they meant no harm. For a second Meteora thought she saw a small human boy peek his head around one of the frog's massive legs, but when she blinked he was gone and the girl just decided her eyes were playing tricks on her.

“Why have you come here?” the frog asked, his voice thick with an accent.

“My daughter is sick with magic, we need to speak to the witch of these woods,” Moon explained, holding Star a little closer to her chest.  Meteora could hear whispering from the Monsters around her at that, but they kept whatever comments they had to themselves.

Buff Frog eyed Star one more time before nodding. He yelled over his shoulder, “Eclipsa! You have visitors!”

A few seconds passed, before the crowd of Monsters parted, letting the witch (Eclipsa, apparently) through and Meteora leaned forward to see her better. The woman had teal hair pulled back into a bun and wore an elegant purple dress, complete with hat and matching gloves, there was a peaceful nature to her, she seemed kind and compassionate if not a little mysterious and Meteora almost felt an instant connection to her. She was a witch, did she have powers like hers? Meteora was shocked to see two little girls on either side of the witch, both no older than Star, one with white hair, the other with dark hair.

When Eclipsa reached them, she smiled at them pleasantly before saying in a cheerful tone, “Well, this is quite the surprise! I'm quite used to people showing up at all hours of the night for my assistance, but I didn't expect the king and queen themselves to visit my humble home!” Eclipsa dropped into a polite curtsy, before her eyes landed on the small child held tightly in her mother's arms. She gasped, moving closer and cupping Star's cheek in her hand, saying in a sorrowful tone, “Oh, you poor child.”

Moon and River looked uncomfortable at the idea of this witch touching their child but said nothing, instead the king just said, “Yes, that's why we brought her here.”

“I'm so glad you did.” Eclipsa said before clicking her tongue. She looked up at the older royals before asking, “What happened to her?”

Moon and River didn't reply at first, going silent and sharing a look, not sure how to answer that without upsetting their other daughter. Meteora shifted uncomfortably on her feet as guilt tugged at her heartstrings. She looked down at her shaking hands before blurting, “It was me. I used my magic on here... by accident.”

Eclipsa looked down at Meteora with sympathy in her eyes and where the girl feared she would be reprimanded or blamed for her actions, the witch did no such thing, instead only stating, “Well these things do happen, I'm sure you meant her no harm.” And then to Meteora's greater surprise she even smiled at her, tight and constricted but still a smile nonetheless. But Eclipsa immediately turned her attention back to Star saying in a calm but masterful tone, “But now first things first, let's fix up this little darling.” She sounded so in control, like she had done this a million times before and Meteora could only watch dumbfounded as with a single wave of her hand, she freed her sister from Meteora's magic, a small glowing orb now floating in the air above Star's head. She watched even more astonished as Eclipsa went to work cycling through Star's memories, watching as precious moments they had shared were changed, every time Meteora had ever used her magic to impress or play with Star was changed to something more mediocre and finally the girl realized what Eclipsa was doing. She was erasing Star's memory of her magic.  

Once the witch was done she gently held the orb over Star's head before it vanished back inside her sister's mind, Eclipsa putting a hand on the girl's forehead and brushing loose strands of hair out of her eyes. “There now, she should be fully recovered by morning.”

“We can't thank you enough, Eclipsa,” Moon said as her husband pulled Star from her arms hugging her close to his chest in relief. “I don't know what we would have done without you.”

“Oh I didn't do all that much,” Eclipsa replied modestly, waving a hand in the air. “I simply help out where I can. Just be thankful it was her head and not her heart, otherwise healing her would have been much... trickier.”

Meteora looked guilty down at her feet, waves of shame and regret washing over her, her heart aching painfully in her chest. Maybe she had accidentally used magic on herself, maybe that was why she felt so sick. She felt tears form at the corners of her eyes and she blinked them away quickly. Eclipsa must have noticed this, because her face softened as she bent down to Meteora's level putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Listen to me, Meteora, your power makes you special, never forget that,” Eclipsa said gently, her kind eyes looking deep into Meteora's wide magenta orbs. “Your gift can be a great blessing but it can also be a burden. You must learn to control your powers or fear will be your enemy. Do you understand?”

Meteora nodded, swallowing thickly. “Yes.”

“Good,” Eclipsa replied, giving her one more smile before standing up to full height. She returned her focus to Moon and River as she told them, “When your daughter awakes, she will have no memory of Meteora's magic. I've done all I can for now, what happens next is up to you. Now if you'll please excuse me.” With that Eclipsa bowed before turning and disappearing into the crowd of Monsters, the two little girls following quickly after her.

Meteora saw out of the corner of her eye the nervous look passed between her parents before they began to nervously mutter amongst each other. Meteora just stood their numbly, trying to fight back the overwhelming guilt still bubbling in her chest. “Mom, dad, am I... gonna hurt anyone again?” she finally asked, her voice trembling and her lip quivering against her will.

She saw her parents faces flash with fear before they hid it behind a determined mask. “Of course not, my dear,” River said quickly.

“We aren't going to let that happen,” Moon added, her features sharpening as her protective instincts took over. “We'll just have to be more careful from now on. Keep the gates locked, lower the staff number, minimum contact with anyone... even Star.” At this point her mother was mumbling to herself as if thinking over the necessary steps to keep her daughter safe.

Meteora's gaze slowly drifted down to her shaking hands, feeling bile in the back of her throat. These hands, her hands, had hurt Star, her own loving little sister. And  accident or not it was still her fault Star had gotten hurt. And so at that moment Meteora swore to herself she would never let anything like that happen to her sister again. No matter what that meant.

No matter what she had to do.

…

More memories passed through Meteora's head from there, years of loneliness and anxiety as she locked herself away in her room, fighting back her powers, struggling to keep control. She tried to push all her emotions down, to not feel anything, concealing her abilities from the world. She started wearing gloves (the thicker the better) after she realized she would freeze anything she touched. And no matter how hard she tried she couldn't control her powers, with every day that passed they only seemed to get stronger.

The only contact she had from anyone during that time was her parents, who she made sure to keep at a distance, just in case. She never hugged them and if they tried to touch her she'd flinch away from them. Most of the time she would stand on the opposite side of her room and try her best to think warm thoughts, fearful of injuring her mom and dad like she had Star.

As for Star, herself, she was a whole different story.

Even though Meteora was burdened by her guilt, she relished the moments when her sister would knock on her door asking her to come and play, thinking of crazier and crazier ideas each time or asking why she was staying in her room so much. And even though Meteora would decline every invitation it made her heart feel a little lighter to hear her sister's voice. Sometimes she would even press herself up against the firm wood just so she could hear her sister better, the longing threatening to tear her heart in half. For a long time, Star stayed persistent and even though part of Meteora wished she'd give up, the other part of her wanted nothing more than to see her little sis again. But she resisted this urge, because she was doing this for Star. Because Star wasn't safe around her.

Finally, Star started knocking less and less, her pleas became more desperate and sad. Until eventually, they quit altogether. Her door went silent. She had given up on Meteora and honestly she didn't blame her sister one bit for it. She would have given up on her to. But it didn't make it hurt any less.

She remembered the day her parents told her they were going away on a trip for a few days and she had begged them to stay, fearful of being alone, of losing control without her parents there to help calm her down. She remembered her mom and dad reassuring her that everything would be okay before leaving her room for the very last time. She remembered the stabbing pain and sorrow when she was told that their ship had sunken in a storm, that there were no survivors. She remembered her room becoming coated in ice and snow as she wept in misery. But most of all she remembered the dull sound of knocking just on the other side of her door, no life or energy in the action. She listened as Star pleaded with her to come out of her room, her sorrowful tone the only comfort Meteora had left in this world. And what hurt most of all was that all Meteora could do was lean against the door and cry, as Star's own painful sobs attacked her ears.

The next few years were some of the loneliest Meteora had ever experienced, without her parents there any longer and Star no longer even attempting to reach out to her she had nothing and no one to depend on. She was completely alone now, fighting back her emotions and her fears and everything else all on her own. Until finally, she was old enough to become queen. She had stressed and worried for days about the ceremony, knowing she would have to take off her gloves in order to be anointed queen. But somehow she had pulled it off, able to keep her powers under control long enough to hold both scepter and orb as the priest finished his speech, although she seriously wished he would speak just a little bit faster! She had practically thrown the objects back down and ripped the gloves back on, feeling safe once more.

And she had even gotten to see Star again for the first time in years, she got to stand next to her and talk to her and that was probably the happiest she had ever been in a long time. Until she went and screwed it up, upsetting Star and forcing her away again, the guilt eating away at Meteora's heart once again. She told herself she was doing this for her sister, that locking her away inside the castle was what was best for her. And then Star had suddenly appeared with Tom and claimed they were getting married and Meteora had lost it. Anger and frustration had overpowered her common sense as she and Star fought, her sister antagonizing her more and more until finally she had snapped... and lost control.

And in that moment, all Meteora could do was stare into the fearful crowd of onlookers in pure horror. Look into their frightened and stunned faces at what she had just done. And then her eyes locked with Star, she could see the confusion and doubt and worry written all over her face. Star sucked in a deep breath, a look of fear flashing through her eyes and Meteora felt sick. Tears flowed down her face as she reluctantly chocked out, “I'm sorry,” before she did the only thing she could think of. She ran. She did her best to ignore the world around her as she ran as far and as fast from the castle as she could, she ignored the wind whipping against her face, the tears streaking down her cheeks, the screams and cries of her people as she froze everything around her and the dull pang in her chest as a result. She ignored the frigid temperature as her powers again worked against her once more and she ignored the desperate voice of Star at her back. She just pushed that all out and ran. She froze the lake in her wake and ran into the nearest treeline and she didn't stop running until her home was a spec in the distance.

…

Meteora shivered as the memory faded from her mind, the dull ache in her chest almost suffocating. She had tried so hard to not lose control, to keep her powers under wraps, but she had failed and now everybody knew. It was all over.

That thought made Meteora pause, stopping in her tracks as she pondered that for a moment. Was it really over? After all the years of stressing and worrying and fearing the worst case scenario it had finally happened and now she had nothing more to fear. Star was safe so long as she was away and no one would find her up here in the mountains. She was free. Finally, truly free. From the guilt, from the worry, from everything. And for the first time in years, Meteora smiled as a long forgotten joy and peace fell over her and she let out a relaxed sigh, letting all the stress and anxiety that had built up in her go.

She quickly ripped off her only remaining glove, her cape, and her crown, letting them float away in the wind or fall to the ground forgotten as she began casting blasts of ice magic through the air, no longer caring about being seen, not having to hide this side of herself from everyone. Cause now there was no one around for her to hurt.

She let loose all her powers, seeing just what her magic could truly do. And as she cast spell after spell she began to laugh, hard and long, her bubbly tone echoing around the snow-capped hills. She stopped for a moment though, biting her lip as a new idea for a spell popped into her head, her mind just briefly flashing back to that night with Star, and before she knew what she was doing she was creating a snowman, waving a finger around in the air as a snowman magically formed in front of her. But she didn't stop there, creating snow creature after snow creature, the whole area around her soon covered in them and she laughed at the top of her lungs. She ran up the mountain, shouting in pure joy, feeling more free than she had in her life, until she reached the edge of a cliff. But even that wasn't going to stop Meteora. She was on a roll and nothing was going to stop her anymore.

So she simply threw her hands out in a burst of magic before the beginning part of a bridge appeared before her and as she stepped on it, the snow turned to ice and she didn't hesitate as she ran across the bridge, forming it as she went until she reached the next snow bank. She felt a rush of exhilaration, wanting to do something bigger and grander than ever when a new idea popped into her head. She smiled mischievously as a new idea came into her mind. She rubbed her hands together and muttered under her breath, “Oh this is gonna be good.”

And then she got right to work creating her greatest masterpiece yet, finally after all these years feeling like herself again.

…

Star and Marco rode in silence for a while. Close to an hour had passed without either saying a word, Star staring at the lights in the sky or casting occasional glances at the mountaintop, Marco just focusing on driving the sleigh. To Star it felt like they would never make it, every time she looked the mountain still seemed as impossibly far off as before and with every glance her spirits fell more and more, until she was practically sulking. She stayed tightly wrapped in the blanket but it still felt like all the warmth was leaving her body, her heart aching with loss and guilt for causing such a mess. Marco, however, was distracted by the single fact that he had a pretty girl sitting in the sleigh with him. He kept looking over at her, trying to ignore the way she was snuggled up against his side or the fact that his cheeks were hot enough to probably melt ice and instead tried to keep his focus on the path ahead. But it was a losing battle, Star's enchanting form easily more interesting than the snowy hills Nachos was crossing at a breakneck speed. Marco tried to think of something to say to the blond, hoping to strike up some kind of conversation to end the long stretch of silence but no words came to mind. Everything he thought to say only sounded stupid in his overly critical head and when he did try and work up the nerve to speak, he chickened out at the last second. Finally, though it was Star who broke the unending silence saying, "So have you ever been up the North mountain before?" Marco panicked, his tight throat refusing to work properly as he just stared blankly at the girl. Star turned to him in surprise, an eyebrow slowly raising and Marco shouted in his head, she asked you a question, quick say something, anything! "Uhhh y-yeah, so we shouldn't have too much trouble finding your sister," the boy stammered out nervously. "That's good," Star said in clear relief, looking much more like herself again, and Marco felt his body relax down some as he blurted out, "So why'd your sister run away anyways?" Star's smile quickly turned to a frown and Marco wanted to slap himself for upsetting her. You idiot, why'd you bring that up?! He yelled inside his head. "Y-You don't have to answer, I was just curious," the boy quickly added, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly with his free hand. "No, it's okay," Star told him, though her voice was strained and tight as if she was holding back her emotions. The girl sucked in a breath, clearly trying to figure out the right way to put it. "You said something about you two getting into a fight," Marco helpfully supplied, trying to keep his curiosity to a minimum, even though he was burning with unanswered questions. The girl huffed angrily, before saying bitterly, "Yeah I got all mad because she said I couldn't marry Tom and then I pulled off her glove and the next thing I know shes shooting ice across the room!" The girl threw her hands in the air in exasperation. Clearly the girl was harboring some resentment toward her sister. "I mean I know I shouldn't have made her mad, but she was being impossible! She never thinks about what I want! I just wanted her to understand that!!" "Who's Tom?" Marco asked, unable to keep the slightest hint of disappointment out of his voice, though he wasn't sure why. "Hmm, oh he's a guy I met at the ceremony, we hung out for a while and then he asked to marry him and I said yes," the girl said absentmindedly, her thoughts on more pressing matters. "But then Meteora wouldn't give us her blessing because she said I couldn't marry a guy I just met and then I-" "Wait, you were gonna marry him after only knowing him a day?" Marco said in shock, unable to hide his disbelief. "Uhh, yeah, what's the big deal?" Star replied, raising an eyebrow at her companion. "Well I mean, no offense but don't you think maybe you're rushing things a bit," Marco said, trying to be careful of his wording so he wouldn't upset the blond royal. Star scoffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest before saying firmly, "No. I mean, I spent a whole day with him. I think I know if he's right for me or not." "But how much could really learn about him in a day?" Marco argued. "I know lots of stuff about him,” the blond replied confidently, before ticking each thing off on her fingers as she listed off the many facts about her fiance, “Like he's from the Southern Isles, he has 13 older brothers, his favorite animal is a bunny-” "Look, I know it's not my place but I just don't want to see you putting yourself in a bad situation," Marco told, rubbing the back of his neck. "You're a really nice girl, Star, and some guys take advantage of that." "Tom isn't like that," Star argued. "He's a really good guy." "Even if he is, don't you think maybe you should take a little more time to get to know the guy?” Marco suggested.

Star fumbled for an answer, stuttering as she said, “Wh-What, n-no way?! Tom is the first good thing that has happened to me in a long time and I'm not giving that up.”

Marco looked long and hard at Star for a minute, seeing the bitter loneliness in her eyes, before he asked hesitantly, “Are you sure this is really about Tom?”

Star froze, feeling her heart begin to hammer away in her chest and her mind come to a screeching halt. Her mouth opened but no words came out, as the boy's question rang around in her head for a while. But finally she got a hold of herself,  shaking her head free of her stupor as she replied in a firm, annoyed tone, “L-Look none of that stuff matter, it's true love and that's all I need to know!”

“Okay, okay, I'm sorry,” the boy quickly said as it became obvious he had overstepped his bound. The two sat in silence for a minute, facing forward, unable to meet each other's eye, until finally Marco risked a glance over and saw the girl's face set in a sad frown. He sighed at the mess he had made, before adding in a quiet tone, “I'm not trying to upset you, Star. I just... didn't want you to make the same mistake I did.”

“What?” the blond royal said in surprise, looking over at her companion curiously.

“I thought I was in love with someone once, but it turned out I was just in love with the idea of her and well, we didn't work out. I just don't want to see that happen to you.”

Star was taken aback by the boy's words, the pain in his tone clear as day. It was obviously a painful memory for him. One he had shared willingly with her, when he didn't really have to. And suddenly, she felt a smile rise on her face, her cheeks warming against her will. Marco really was a nice guy. Sure Tom was the guy of her dreams, but there was something just so warm and inviting about the boy in red beside her that she couldn't help but want to be around him, his friendship somehow meaning more to her in that moment than anything else.

So she scooted closer, wrapping her arms around him in a warm hug. She felt him tense in her grip, before slowly relaxing and she laid her head on his shoulder, telling him, “I'm sorry that happened to you, Marco.”

“It's okay, it was a long time ago,” the boy said vaguely, his voice tight as if he was having trouble getting the words out and for some reason he would not tear his eyes away from the path before them. And if that wasn't strange, Star would swear his face was turning red but it might have been a trick of the lantern light.

Star finally removed her arms from the boy's frame, giving him an apologetic grin as she added, “And sorry for being such a pill a minute ago. I guess I'm just a little defensive.”

Marco shook his head. “No, it was my fault for upsetting you,” the boy replied with a warm smile that made Star's insides do flips, although she had no idea why. “Friends?” he offered.

“Friends,” Star agreed with a nod. And just like that the tense atmosphere in the sleigh vanished, leaving behind the same comfortable feeling as before, only this time that feeling felt even stronger, more energized, as if the air itself was filled with sparks of electricity, though Star couldn't quite explain it. And taking advantage of the friendly atmosphere, she cheerfully asked, “So how long till we reach the North Mountain?”

“We should be there by morning,” Marco responded, equally as enthusiastic. “So long as nothing goes wrong before then. These woods can be kinda dangerous.”

Star scoffed, waving a hand as if it was nothing, “Oh don't worry, Marco. I'm sure everything will work out fine.”

As if the universe itself was intent on proving the girl wrong a wolf suddenly appeared out of nowhere, taking advantage of their momentary distraction as it lunged at them, latching onto Marco's arm and pulling him off the sleigh. The boy let out a high-pitched scream as he clattered to the snow, the fast-moving sleigh pulling ahead of him in a second. Star, thinking quickly, grabbed a rope and threw it over to him shouting, “Marco, catch!”

The boy quickly grabbed on just as a pack of at least five wolves began to surround him. He felt the rope go taunt before he was dragged through the snow behind the sleigh. But the wolves were not going to lose their meal that easily, barking and growling as they chased after the teen, biting at him with their sharp teeth while he screamed and dodged them to the best of his ability, moving his legs out of the way as they tried to take bites out of them. “Star, help!” the boy screamed in panic, knowing he could only avoid the wolves' massive fangs for so long.

Star desperately looked around for some kind of idea to help her friend, quickly examining each item in the sleigh when her eyes fell on a large wool blanket. Her gaze then jumped to the lantern hanging on the side of the sleigh, providing a small beacon of light against the unrelenting darkness of the night. “Hang on, Marco! I got an idea!” she yelled over to him, before picking up the blanket and opening the small clasp on the lantern.

“Make it quick!” the boy yelled in reply, still avoiding the sharp fangs lunging at him, the wolves convinced they had their meal on the ropes... literally. It was only a matter of time before they had a tasty human to devour. The wolves all licked their lips at that thought, howling in unison as they all descended on the boy at once, knowing he couldn't dodge them all.

At that exact moment, Star held the now flaming blanket high above her head and screamed at the top of her lungs, “Hey wolves! Leave my friend alone!” Nobody had time to react as the blond threw the blazing blanket toward the unsuspecting wolves as hard as she could, shouting out in late warning, “Marco, duck!”

The boy screamed in fear as he saw a blazing projectile heading right for him and ducked just in time to avoid being burned, the blanket sailing over his head and onto the unfortunate group of wolves, the impact sending all of them tumbling in the snow. The wolves were all left dizzy and disoriented as they stared at the retreating sleigh and their lost meal glumly. Finally after a minute of sulking, their leader reluctantly barked, 'Well, we'll get em next time, guys.'

'Wanna go howl at the moon until we feel better,' another wolf suggested.

The pack all barked their agreements before heading off to their favorite cliff for howling, not one of them realizing their tails were all on fire.

Star, meanwhile, was cheering her victory, pumping her hands in the air as she shouted in surprise, “Wow, that actually worked! I'm even better at this than I thought!”

“Star can you please pull me in?” Marco asked between chattering teeth, the snow starting to seep into his thick layer of clothes, leaving him shaky and cold. And the near-death experience was certainly not helping calm his noisy teeth down any.

“Oh right, I'm on it,” Star said while doing a cute little salute. She quickly grabbed the end of the rope and pulled her friend back over to the sleigh, grunting from the effort. Once he was close enough the boy pulled himself into his seat, sighing with relief as he rested his head against its back, the warmth of the lantern soothing to his cold body as he felt some heat return to his frozen limbs.

“Marco, you okay?” Star asked with concern, placing a hand on his shoulder.

The boy shrugged before replying, “Yeah, I'm good. Thanks to you.” He gave her a tired smile, before adding, “That was really quick thinking back there. I would have been a goner without you.”

Star grinned happily at that, her eyes almost glowing at the praise and the cute look had several of Marco's brain cells short circuit. He was so distracted in fact that it took him a second to realize that it was getting much warmer in the sleigh than it was supposed to be. But when the smell of smoke reached his nostrils, he swerved around, only to stare in horror as the entire back of his sleigh was on fire, the lantern Star had used to ignite the blanket laying haphazardly on the flammable wood.

“Oh no, my stuff!” the boy screamed in panic, looking around for something, anything that could save his supplies. He quickly shrugged off his coat and used it to try and put out the flames, beating it against the burning wood in hopes of somehow stopping his livelihood from going up in smoke.

Star could only watch as her companion worked on extinguishing the flames, biting her lip in concern, unsure what to do to help. Suddenly though she heard Nachos make an odd sound, one that almost seemed like some kind of warning and she looked over to see what was going on, only to feel her heart drop. The two had been so distracted with fighting off wolves and fire that neither of them had paid any attention to steering and now the sleigh was currently barreling toward a ravine. “Uh Marco, we have another problem,” the girl said nervously.

“What now?” the boy asked in exasperation as he looked up from his task.

“We're headed toward a cliff!” the girl responded, pointing over to the incoming danger and the boy followed her gaze and gasped in shock. The fire was quickly forgotten as he grabbed the reigns, trying to correct their course but there wasn't enough time.

“Jump Nachos!” Star shouted to the reindeer.

“Wait, we won't make it!” Marco screamed back.

“Yes we will, we can do this!” Star replied, determination in her voice as she leaned forward.

Marco quickly thought through their options in the few short seconds they had before coming to a decision. He sucked in a breath and wrapped an arm around Star's waist, pulling her close to him, causing her to blush. But he didn't notice as he whipped out a knife from his pocket, cutting the rope connecting Nachos to the sleigh before shouting, “Jump Nachos!” He then leaped forward, pulling Star along with him as the three sailed across the ravine, landing roughly on the other side as a flurry of snow was launched into the air.

For a moment or two, the three travelers just lay buried before the two teens sat up coughing and sputtering as they freed themselves from the snow pile, Nachos just grunting and shaking the snow off her thick fur. Star and Marco panted as they slowly crawled over to the edge of the cliff, looking down the ravine to see the damage done to the sleigh. It had luckily landed on a snowy cliffside and other than a few pieces broken off the wood frame from the fall, the sleigh was still mostly intact. Star grinned before telling her friend, “Well, at least the sleigh is alright, sure it'll take a bit of work to get it back up here but at least it's in one piece.”

Out of nowhere, the sleigh burst into flames, destroying it and everything inside it, in a matter of moments nothing left but charcoal and ash. Star shrank as she watched the sleigh burn feeling guilt eating away at her insides, especially as Marco groaned and shouted in despair, “My stuuufff!” He slammed his head against the ground, letting out muffled cries. “That was everything I own,” he sobbed unhappily.

Star bit her lip as she stared down at the destroyed sleigh, before sighing in defeat. She put a hand on the boy's shoulder before saying in a soft whisper, “I'm sorry about your sleigh, Marco. I-I'll have everything replaced when I get back.” She swallowed thickly, not really wanting to say this next part but she didn't really have any choice. She had caused him enough trouble for one day. “And... you don't have to go with me anymore. I can handle the rest on my own.” She stood up slowly, keeping her head bowed, her eyes covered up by her hair as she whispered quietly, “Sorry for all the trouble.”

The girl then slowly started to walk away, heading in the direction she hoped to be north, the trees blocking the view of the North Mountain at the moment. But she hadn't gotten very far when a voice called out to her, “Wait.” She turned to see Marco stand, giving her a determined look. “I can't let you go alone. I'm coming with you.”

Star's eyes widened in surprise, feeling her heart race at the mere idea of having Marco come with her as she said in joy, “Really?” But she quickly got a hold of herself as she added, “Oh Marco, you don't have to do that.”

“Yes I do,” the boy insisted. “A promise is a promise. I said I was gonna take you to your sister and a Diaz never breaks his word.” He put hand over his heart to demonstrate his resolve, causing Star to giggle a little.

But her grin vanished, rubbing a hand up and down her arm as she said regretfully, “But I ruined your stuff and I made a mess of everything.”

“Yeah,” the boy muttered, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck. “That was a... bit of a mess but I'm not mad at you. Not like it was your fault.”

“But that wouldn't have happened if you didn't come with me,” Star said, feeling tears form at the corners of her eyes.

Marco saw this and slowly walked over to her, placing both hands on her shoulders as he gave her a kind smile that sent her heart fluttering. “Hey, it was my choice to come with you, okay. I knew the risks and I still want to help. That is, if you'll let me.”

Star stared into his chocolate brown eyes for a moment, feeling a warmth slowly fill her chest, seeing the true resolve that lied behind them. He really did want to help her. Marco was a good guy and a great friend and she felt very thankful to have met someone like him. She felt Nachos nudge her with her nose, trying to convey her own affection for the princess and Star finally smiled, relief washing over her features. She wiped away the stray tears before saying brightly, “Okay then! I'd be happy to have you as my guide.” She then threw her arms around him in a tight hug, resting her head against his chest. “Thanks Marco,” she whispered gratefully.

Marco tensed in surprise at the hug before smiling down at the girl, wrapping his own arms around her slender frame, holding her close as he felt her warmth meld with his own. He chuckled a little before saying, “Your welcome, Star. What are friends for?”

When the two finally parted, bright grins on their faces and slight blushes on their cheeks, the blond royal asked her companion, “So what's the plan now?”

“Well we'll have to go on foot from here, it'll take a little longer but we should be there within a few days,” Marco told her.

“But what about your stuff, I thought we needed that to get up the mountain?” Star asked with slight concern.

The boy shrugged. “We'll just have to get by without it. Been a while since I really roughed it but we should be fine,” he said with a nonchalant wave of his hand, though his eyes conveyed some slight hesitation and concern.

“Well if anyone can get us there, it's you, Mr. Mountain Expert,” Star said, elbowing him playfully in the chest.

“Well I am an expert on many things,” the boy replied, puffing out his chest goofily before the two shared a long, hard laugh. But then the two heard a howl in the distance and clamped both of their mouths shut, covering them with their hands as they shared a fearful look.

“We should probably get moving before we end up as those wolves chew bones,” Marco commented, his voice now a soft whisper.

“Yeah. Totally, totally, totally,” Star replied in an equally quiet tone, her eyes wide with clear concern. But her cheerful demeanor quickly returned as she gave her companion a wink and said teasingly, “Then lead the way, Mr. Expert.”

The boy chuckled again before starting off in the direction of the mountain, his keen extincts helping him identify north almost instantly. Star followed along behind him, skipping with every step, while Nachos made up the rear watching the two kids with a knowing look. She had been with her master since he was a little kid and she had never seen him that happy in his life and the frequent looks that passed between the two had the reindeer excited. It was clear that the two were becoming close and although she didn't want to jump to any conclusions, she had a feeling she knew where this was going. But she would just have to wait to find out.

...

Morning came quickly enough, much to the three travelers' relief, since their long trek on foot would be much easier without the worry of being eaten alive by wolves or other nighttime predators. The group was now in the middle of some dense forest, which seemed to shine with otherworldly beauty as the freshly fallen snow made the whole place glow in the sunlight. The trees themselves were lined in white and the long vines that hung from them had turned to ice, creating thousands of frozen crystals for the group to walk through. Star and Marco gazed around in wonder, Star feeling like they had just entered into a page from a storybook. And Star briefly wondered if they were even allowed in there, like they were intruding on some hidden world, one no human was permitted into. A sudden sadness came over the girl, as she asked Marco softly, "'Do you think... Meteora had something to do with this?" Marco looked over to Star in surprise but, seeing the look in her eyes, he just gave her a sympathetic smile, opening his mouth to try and comfort her, only for a loud voice to blurt out over him, "Did you just say Meteora?!" The two teens jumped in surprise, immediately turning to try and spot the owner of the voice. "Who's there?" Marco asked, now on high alert, putting an arm up in front of Star to try and guard her from the unknown stranger. Star looked around in confusion trying to remember where she had heard that voice before, something about it oddly... familiar. And how did they know her sister's name? Star frowned, biting her lip, only to freeze as she heard a throat clear next to her. The blond's gaze slowly lowered, till she found herself staring at an odd looking snowman. It looked half finished for some reason, like whomever had made it had given up halfway, lacking either arms or a nose. While at the same time it was intricately detailed, features flawlessly crafted into its frosty form. But the weirdest thing of all was that it almost seemed to be... looking at her. And then, to Star's disbelief, the snowman smiled at her, saying pleasantly, "Hey there." Star screamed in panic, instinctively kicking the snowman's head and sending it flying. Marco, at the same time, turned at the sound of his companion's screams, and saw something white spiraling toward him. Without thinking, he reached out his hands and caught the object, giving Star a confused look. Was now really the time for a snowball fight? That was until he looked down and actually saw what he was holding, the smiling face of a living snowman causing his eyes to grow wide. "Wow that was a real close one, thanks for catching me-" the snowman began, only for Marco to scream, too. The boy in red dropped the head and stumbled back in fright, the snowman making a muffled oof as his face hit the snow. The two teens were still yelling as they watched the snowman's body beginning to stumble around looking for its missing head. "O-Okay no worries, I got it," the snowman head said in a confident tone, before trying to direct his body over to him, the two teens and reindeer watching the whole thing, startled. "U-Uh, over here. No, a little to your left. Yeah, just a little bit closer. That's it." Finally, the body reached its head, before immediately tripping over it and landing flat in the snow. Star and Marco shared disturbed expressions as they watched the poor snowman's body flip around in the snow, struggling to stand without arms. After a moment, Star took pity on the bizarre creature, and hesitantly approached it, Marco raising a hand up as if to weakly try and stop her. The blond didn't seem to notice him though as she just said softly, "Here, let me help." Star pulled the body into a sitting position, before lifting the head and  plopping it onto its snowy shoulders. Marco watched the girl quizzically and nervously the whole time, biting his lip to keep from blurting out a pointless warning. The thing was weird, but far from dangerous. "Oh wow, thanks so much!" The snowman said pleasantly once his head was firmly reattached to his body. "Uh sure, no problem," Star said, trying to hide her awkwardness with a small smile. "Mr. Talking Snowman." "Oh you can call me Doop Doop the Snowman!" The snowy creature replied. Star's eyes widened as a spark of recognition went through her mind, a fuzzy memory tingling the back of her mind. "Wait, Doop Doop?" "U-Uh yeah, that's my name," Doop Doop replied in confusion. "That's right! I remember you!" Star exclaimed, a wide smile on her face at the forgotten memory. "You do?" Marco asked skeptically. "Yeah! Me and Meteora used to name all our snowmen Doop Doop when we were kids!" Star explained. "Oh hey! What a coincidence, that's what Meteora named me!" Doop Doop shouted. Star gasped. "Wait, she did?! That's awesome!" "Your sister can make sentient snowmen?" Marco asked and Star shrugged. "Apparently," the blond replied, sounding equally as surprised. "Buuutt who cares!  This is great for us." She turned her attention to Doop Doop and asked, "Doop Doop, do you know where my sister is right now?" "Heck yeah, I do. She's up on the mountain in the ice castle," Doop Doop explained. "Ice castle?" Marco muttered under his breath. Star, however, squealed in joy, shouting over to her companion. "You here that Marco, we finally know she is!" Marco gave his friend a wain smile, only to suddenly realize something, asking the snowman, "Wait, if Meteora's on top of the mountain than how did you get all the way down here?" "Oh I was looking for my arms," Doop Doop explained. "Your arms?" The two teens said as one. "Yeah, they ran away from me again," Doop Doop explained. "Your arms... ran away," Marco said skeptically. "Uh huh, you haven't seen them around  have you?" Doop Doop asked. Star and Marco shared a look, before shaking their heads. "Uhhh, no. Don't think so," Star replied, looking as confused as her companion. "Okay, well let me know if you do," the snowman continued, turning to walk away. "I better get looking for them again-" "Whoa, whoa. Wait, wait, wait," Star called out to him putting a gloved hand on his shoulder. "We were actually hoping to get some help, since we're not sure where my sister is exactly." Doop Doop stared at them for a second before saying, "Yes you do, she's in the ice castle just like I told you," The snowman replied innocently. "And where is the ice castle?" Marco tried. "On top of the North Mountain!" Marco face-palmed, while Star said in the calmest tone she could, fighting back her own frustration, "What Marco means is we need someone to take us up there." Doop Doop just stared at her blankly. “Like a guide,” she added in a hinting tone. "Oh well, I hope you find someone soon!" Doop Doop said obliviously, shuffling slowly away from the two again.

Star's face fell, watching sadly as her one hope of finding Meteora walked away, Marco putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. But suddenly Doop Doop gasped, turning to them and exclaiming, "Oh hey, I just had a great idea, why don't I take you to her!" Marco face-palmed again, shaking his head in disbelief, while Star's face lit up with joy. "Really?!" she shouted. "Oh thank you so much!" She quickly ran over to hug the snowman, practically squealing with excitement as she lifted him off the ground. "Well sure, who knows maybe I can get her to make me new arms when we get there," Doop Doop said hopefully.

"Uhh, maybe," Star replied with a shrug, setting him carefully back down. "Then follow me! I know a shortcut up!" Doop Doop said shuffling away quickly and Star cheered, starting to follow after him. But she was stopped as Marco put a hand on her shoulder, asking, "Uhh, Star don't you think you're forgetting an obvious problem here?" "What's that?" The blond asked curiously, cocking her head naively to the side. "The fact that snow tends to melt in summer," Marco replied quietly, tilting his head in the snowman's direction. Star looked over in the direction the snowman had gone, muttering, "Ooohh." She thought about her response to that for a few seconds before finally shrugging, telling her friend, "Eh, I'm sure it'll be fine. Who knows maybe my sister can make snow that doesn't melt or something?" "I don't know, Star. That seem like a pretty big 'if'," Marco pointed out. "Well, she can apparently make living snow so who knows what she can do," Star argued. "We don't!" Marco exclaimed in exasperation. "That's the whole problem!" "Hey where'd you guys go! We going to the ice castle or not?" Came Doop Doop's call. "Coming!" Star shouted back, before turning to her friend and saying, "Don't worry, Marco. I'm sure everything will work out fine." "That's what you said right before we got attacked by wolves," Marco responded but the girl was already walking away. She cupped a hand over her ear while walking backwards. "Hmm, what's that? I can't hear you from so far away," the blond said on a sing-song voice. Marco just let out a deep sigh, turning to his trusty reindeer with a tired look. "Why I am the only voice of reason around here, Nachos?" The reindeer nuzzled her head against his hand to let him know she understood and Marco gave her a quick pet on the head in response. "Marco, hurry up! We have to save summer!" came Star's scream and both Marco and Nachos smiled. This crazy blond was really starting to rub off on them. "What are we going to do with her?" The boy jokingly commented. Nachos however, just grunted knowingly. Her suspicions of his growing feelings becoming more and more apparent with every passing second. "Come on, girl, we better catch up to them before they get themselves in anymore trouble,” the boy said to his trusty stead.

And the two did just that, brushing past the hanging vines of crystallized ice, leaving the hidden world of the frozen forest to it's own devices, the only trace left behind being four pairs of footprints, all headed north.

[wellingtonwellsdaily]

Nighty Night!

Good evening again, dear citizens of Wellington Wells! It’s Uncle Jack, here to wish you another peaceful night filled with sweet dreams. I hope you’ve taken your Joy today, because it’s time for our favorite bedtime tradition: Nighty Night! Last night, we began the story of The Frog Prince. The princess had just promised to befriend the little frog in exchange for her golden ball, but then she ran off, forgetting all about him. Now, let’s see what happens next.

As the sun set and the castle lights flickered on, the princess was dining with her family. She had all but forgotten about the little frog and her promise, when suddenly, there was a knock at the door. The sound was so unusual that it startled the princess, and the king, noticing her surprise, asked, “My dear, who could that be at this hour?”

Before the princess could reply, the door opened, and in hopped the little frog, dripping wet and looking quite determined. The princess’s heart sank as she remembered her promise, and her face turned pale.

“What is the matter, my child?” the king asked, seeing her distress.

The princess hesitated, but finally, she told her father the whole story – how she had lost her golden ball, how the frog had retrieved it for her, and how she had promised to be his friend in return.

The king, a wise and just ruler, looked at his daughter with a stern expression. “My dear, you must always keep your promises. A royal promise is not to be taken lightly, even if it’s made to a little frog.”

Reluctantly, the princess nodded and beckoned the frog to join her at the table. The little frog hopped up onto the table, much to the dismay of the courtiers, and began to eat from the princess’s plate and drink from her cup, just as she had promised. The princess cringed with every bite he took, but she said nothing, remembering her father’s words.

After dinner, the little frog looked up at the princess with his large, gleaming eyes and said, “Now, I am tired and wish to sleep. Please carry me to your bed so that I may rest on your pillow.”

The princess was horrified at the thought of sharing her bed with a cold, wet frog, but the king’s stern look reminded her of her promise. With great reluctance, she picked up the frog and carried him to her room, placing him gently on her pillow.

The princess climbed into bed and tried to sleep, but the thought of the frog beside her kept her awake. Then, just as she was about to drift off, the frog spoke again. “Dear princess, before I sleep, I wish for one last thing. Please give me a goodnight kiss.”

The princess, at the end of her patience, wanted to refuse, but something in the frog’s voice stopped her. With a deep sigh, she leaned over and gave the little frog a quick, gentle kiss on his cheek.

As soon as her lips touched the frog, a miracle occurred. The little frog suddenly transformed into a handsome prince, dressed in fine clothes and wearing a crown. The princess gasped in surprise as she pulled back, staring at the prince in disbelief.

“Thank you, dear princess,” the prince said with a smile. “You have broken the spell that was cast upon me by an evil witch. I was doomed to live as a frog until a kind princess would let me eat from her plate, drink from her cup, sleep on her pillow, and give me a kiss. Thanks to your kindness and your promise, I am free at last.”

The princess, overcome with joy and amazement, felt her heart swell with happiness. The prince explained that he had been searching for someone with a true heart, and now that he had found her, he asked if she would return to his kingdom with him as his bride.

The princess, now realizing the value of keeping promises and showing kindness, agreed. The very next day, they set off for the prince’s kingdom in a grand carriage, where they were married with great celebration. And they lived happily ever after, always remembering that kindness and keeping promises can lead to the most unexpected and wonderful of blessings.

And so, dear friends, ends the tale of The Frog Prince, and I'm afraid we've come to the end of our time. I hope you enjoyed this magical story and that it brings you the sweetest of dreams tonight. Until next time, sleep well and always remember, happiness is a choice. Choose Joy! Nighty night, Wellington Wells!

[capricorn-0mnikorn]

My own retelling of the Grimm story “The Frog King, or Iron Heinrich.”  From the Princess’s P.O.V.

I originally wrote it to be the opening chapter (or prologue) to my Camp NaNoWriMo story. And I now realize it doesn’t fit there. But it works as a stand-alone, and thought some of you folk would enjoy it 

Here’s a link to the original story, translated into English by D. L. Ashliman, for comparison (my story is longer)

The Frog King, retold

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess, who was so beautiful that even the sun lusted after her, so that, to find peace away from everyone's gaze (even the sun's), she went into the forest where there was a natural well at the root of a great linden tree, and there, she would spend all her time until the sun set, tossing her favorite golden ball in the air and catching it again.

But then, one day, the ball slipped from her fingers, and landed in the well. And the well was so deep, she knew that she would never be able to reach all the way to the bottom.  But as she sat there, mourning her loss, and wondering how she would tell her father, the king, that she had lost her treasure, and if he would ever let her go out into the forest alone again, a great big frog popped his head out of the water and asked her what she would give him if he retrieved her golden ball for her.

The princess was so astonished to hear a man's voice coming out of a frog's mouth that it took her a while to respond. Clearly, she thought, since frogs can't talk, this must be a man under some sort of spell; whether it was a spell he'd cast on himself, or had broken some taboo, or offended a witch somewhere, she had no way of knowing. And a shiver went through her at the thought that he might have been watching her, all this time, when she had thought that she was alone-- away from the gaze of men. Still, she (like all princesses) had been raised to be gracious to those more vulnerable than herself, and, at the moment, she was the one with more power, here. "Well," she said, at last, "At the very least, I could invite you to dinner."

The frog nodded. "At the very least," he said, and with that, he dove under the water again.

The princess sat there at the edge of the well, waiting to see if the frog would return. But the well was very deep, and very dark, and when the surface of the water had gone completely still, so that there wasn't even a ripple on its surface, and looking into it was like looking into a mirror, she came to the conclusion that her ball was just too heavy for the frog. So, with a sigh, she started the long walk home back to her palace.

Before long, though, she heard a "plip, plop, plip" on the path behind her, and she turned around to see the frog hopping along behind her, with his great mouth stretched wide around her golden ball.

She gasped in surprise, and did her best not to laugh at the ridiculous sight.

The frog then dropped the ball at her feet, and said: "You promised."

And the princess agreed that she had. She thanked him. And picking the frog up in one hand, and the golden ball in the other, she continued the walk home, this time, trying to figure out how to tell her father that this big frog would be her guest at dinner that night.

The king was indeed surprised to see his daughter show up for dinner with a frog, and was about to order his personal guards to toss it out the window, when (to his surprise, as it had been for his daughter) the frog spoke up in the clearest human voice and addressed him in the most courteous and proper royal etiquette (So: not some unfortunate shepherd boy, then, the princess thought).  

And in the astonished silence that fell over the table, the princess was able to explain that the frog had retrieved her golden ball for her, and she had promised him a seat at dinner in return.  

And after that, the king enthusiastically agreed.

The princess set the frog down on the silken cushion of a golden chair right beside her own, and served him a smaller portion of each food of the meal, laid out on a fine china saucer.

But the frog objected: "That well was very deep and cold," he said, "and that golden ball was so heavy. If it weren't for me, your treasure would be lost forever. I should sit beside you, and eat from your own plate."

The princess was about to object that this was more than she had promised him.

But before she could say anything, her father the king replied: "Quite right. Quite right.  A princess must always be a generous hostess."

So the king's youngest daughter lifted the frog from the chair to the table, while her two elder sisters squirmed and made faces.

And in between bites, the frog and the king discussed political matters, and the state of diplomacy between the various neighboring kingdoms, while the princess's mind raced, trying to figure out who this might be. There had been no news of any nobleman going mysteriously missing, and no rumors of unwholesome magic at work in either her own kingdom, or in any of the neighboring kingdoms with which her father had made alliances. She began to worry that this might be a wizard in disguise, who'd come to spy on her father's affairs, and she kept trying to interject and change the subject, but to no avail. Her father was thoroughly charmed.

And after dinner, and after dessert, as the courtiers and family members were getting ready to go off to bed, the king spoke up and said that since it was now dark, and it was a long way back to the well, that their guest should spend the night, and that his daughter, the princess would carry him back to the forest in the morning.

She expected her father to offer the frog a resting place in the fountain, at the center of the royal courtyard, but instead, he said: "Of course, as my daughter's honored guest, you are welcome to sleep in her chambers."

And so, the princess was obligated, unable (without breaking royal protocol) to protest her father's word in front of guests, to carry the frog up to her room.  She'd been mildly charmed by his efforts to return her golden ball to her, but by now, she was nearing the end of her patience.

Still, she held her tongue, and with as much courtesy as she could muster smiled the whole way to her room.  She filled the basin on the washstand with fresh water for the frog, and set her him down beside it, bid him good night, and slipped behind the curtain for privacy, as she got herself ready for bed.

But her hand had barely touched the hem of the bed curtain when the frog called out to her: "Is that any way to treat an honored guest?" he demanded. "To give your guest a cold, hard place to sleep, and keep the feather bed for yourself? I should like to lie in your bed, as well."

And with that, the princess's last bit of patience finally snapped. She strode over to the frog, picked him up between her thumb and forefinger.

"If you want my bed, Sir Frog," she said, "you shall have it!" and with that, she flung him against the wall with all her might.

He did not turn into a messy splat, as she had half expected. But rather, as soon as he hit the wall, he changed into a full-grown man, as perfect as an image created by a painter, and as naked as a frog.

Or at least that was the impression in her mind after she had turned her back on him--  her reaction was as quick as pulling her hand away from a hot stove. And it took her a moment to find her voice: "You'd been enchanted, I suppose," she managed to say, as she waited for the blush to fade from her cheeks.

It felt like forever before he finally spoke. "Yes."

"A prince?"

"A king, actually."

"Oh." (Well, that explained the dinner conversation) "And you needed to get into a princess's bed in order to break the spell, I suppose?"

"I need to share her bed."

"Just 'share'?"

"Just."

"Alright, then," the princess said. "You face the wall, or you're turning back into a frog."

He said something then-- or he almost did-- something halfway between a word and a croak. And the princess fought the urge to turn and look back to see if voicing her doubt had caused the spell to revert, and there was now a frog in her bed.

But she heard the rustle of bedclothes, and the bed creak under the weight of something much larger than a frog.

And when she was sure he could not see her, she sat, gingerly, on the edge of the bed, and took off her shoes and stockings, and slipped, fully clothed, except for her bare feet) between the top sheet and the blanket at the very edge of her own mattress, and closed her eyes.

She drifted into uneasy half-dreams, ever aware of the walls around her, and of the square of sky she could see through her chamber window, of the weight of his body at her back, and the faint scent of well water that still clung to him.  Was he really a king? Where, and what, was his kingdom? He would be her husband-- and she, his wife-- probably before the next sunset; that was guaranteed, now that they had shared a bed. That meant this would likely be the last night she would ever spend in this room.  She wished she could simply be at peace, then. But. Was there a queen he had left behind? What had become of her, if so?

At some point, she must have fallen asleep, because she had the distinct sensation of waking up.  The square of moonlight on the far wall had faded into a uniform violet grey of predawn light.  

And then, she heard the cock's crow from the palace courtyard, and quietly slid out from under the covers.

The man in her bed (whose name she still did not know) continued sleeping, But there came a brief shift in the rhythm of his breathing, and the princess knew that he would be waking soon.

She went to the washbasin to wash her face and hands. And the cock crowed a second time.

And the man in her bed mumbled in his sleep: something about the wind and a road, and other words which may have been in a language she had never heard.

She sat down on the edge of the bed to put on her stockings and shoes. The rooster in the palace courtyard crowed a third time, just as the first sliver of sunlight came through her window.

There was a quick and silent flash of light in the corner of her eye, and when the princess looked up, there was a full set of clothes laid out across the dowry chest at the foot of her bed. The coat was of red velvet, with gold buttons, and golden thread finishing the buttonholes. There was a broad purple sash, embroidered with heraldric designs she did not recognize.

He stirred again, kicking at the covers, and yawned widely.The princess stepped into the foyer of her bedchamber to give both of them a moment of privacy. She let down her hair, brush it, and braid it again. And as she brushed out the tangles in her hair, she sorted out the tangles in her thoughts as well.

So. The manifestation of his clothes was clearly a sign that whatever magic had transformed him to a frog's shape had been broken. And also, he clearly was a king, as he had claimed.  Then why hadn't she or her father known of him before this?

She managed to keep her hands steady as she braided her hair, even as she listened to the sounds of him rising from the bed, and the rustle of his clothes as he dressed.  When she heard, from the sound of his footsteps, that his boots were on, she took a deep breath, counted slowly to five, and stepped back into the main part of her bedchamber.

"Good morning... Your Majesty," she said, remembering the honorific in time, and feeling a blush rise up her cheeks and to her ears that seemed to burn even hotter than the night before, when he was naked in her bed (She supposed there was no good way to start a day with someone after you had flung them against the wall the night before).

The king bowed with a deep nod. "Your Highness," he said. He looked down at his hands and flexed his fingers. "I should, well-- I thank you."

"Really?"

"It feels odd, having so many bones, again," he said, instead of answering her directly, running one hand down his side over his ribs.

The princess had never considered how many bones there were in a frog, before. She cleared her throat. "They'll be expecting us at breakfast," she said. "... though probably not like this."

"I suppose not." He offered his arm.

And after only half moment's hesitation, she took it.

He ended up leaning more on her, on the way down the stairs, than she on him. And with each step, she could feel him testing his weight, as if he didn't quite trust his legs. It made her wonder just how long he had been living without this human form, and how long it would take him to get used to it again-- if ever.

But he managed, somehow, to hide his uncertainty, an embody the royal confidence expected of his status when they reached the bottom stair and turned the corner to the banquet hall, where breakfast had been laid out.

For her own part, the king's youngest daughter was taken aback by how much she enjoyed the looks of astonishment on her sisters' faces. For nearly as long as she could remember, they had made a point to remind her (sometimes mockingly, and sometimes with pity) that she was of the lowest rank among them, destined only to be a lady-in-waiting, and never a mother of kings. She had neither envied them, nor felt the need for their pity. Of all the things to long for, a husband had always struck her as being the least interesting. Still, it was amusing to watch as their smug assumptions crumbled before them.

Breakfast was eaten quickly and in near silence. Her father's face was a grim mask-- his mouth drawn straight and thin, and his left eye twitched in that way it did when he was holding his tongue. She wondered what he had been expecting to happen, since he seemed to know he'd been talking to an enchanted man of rank at dinner-- and he had been the one who insisted she host the stranger for the night.

The marriage ceremony was a hasty affair in the palace's private chapel, with only the immediate family and their servants as witnesses.

And the phrase "Husband and wife" was barely out of the priest's mouth before they heard the rattle and clatter of a carriage and eight roll up outside the door.  Where it had come from she couldn't imagine. It must have materialized somewhere on the road, as his clothes had done, when it was needed.

The king-- her husband, she reminded herself-- nearly sprinted through the chapel door as the carriage slowed to a stop.

The coachman alighted, and was in the act of dropping to one knee to honor his master when the king interrupted him, and pulled him up into an embrace.

"Heinrich!" he exclaimed. "My good man-- it- it's been too long."

Heinrich pulled away first and straightened his shoulders in an effort to maintain decorum. But the princess could see that his cheeks were wet, and he swallowed hard before he managed to utter the words "Your Majesty," as he helped him up into the carriage.

As he turned to help her up, she said, quietly: "If we're-- if we're not to come back here, again, could you please stop by the path leading into the forest? There's someone... I mean a place, that I want to say 'Good-bye' to."

Heinrich looked to the king, who gave an almost imperceptible nod. "I know the place," he said.

Heinrich then turned to her and answered: "It would be my pleasure, Your Majesty," he said, as he helped her into the seat.

It was a short ride to the woodland path, and she made her way as quickly as she could to the linden tree, where she had spent so many days of her recent life.  She lay her hand on the trunk, and it felt warm under her palm, like the touch of an old friend. Its branches, covered with large, heart-shaped leaves, stretched over her head like a protective roof.

She looked down at her reflection in that well at the tree's roots. She didn't see the beauty that inspired the lust and envy of so many others-- the lust and envy that had spurred her to seek this place as refuge.  

What if she had said "No, thank you," when the frog had offered to retrieve her golden ball for her? Was the bauble worth this price? Then the image of the young king hugging his manservant-- the joyful tears at their reunion-- flashed before her mind's eye.  Was her continued freedom worth more than that joy denied?

She patted the tree's trunk, as though it were a dear friend's shoulder. Then, on an impulse, she plucked one of the slender, leafy, branches to take with her. She just could not bear to leave this old friend behind entirely.

And then, as quickly as she could, she ran back to the carriage, where the eight fine horses with ostrich plumes decorating their harnesses and golden bells on their bridles, were tossing their heads impatiently.

No sooner was she back in her seat than Heinrich cracked his whip, and they were off faster than she had ever gone before. The carriage rocked side to side, its frame creaked and complained over the sound of the horses' galloping hooves.  The landscape was a blur of green below and blue above, as if it were a long stroke of paint from an artist's brush.  

And then, all of a sudden, came three, loud, metallic, bangs, like giant watch springs breaking, or three swords being broken over stones, that left her ears ringing and made her head ache.

"Heinrich!" the young king called, over his shoulder, "is the carriage in danger?"

"The carriage is fine, my king," he said. "Those were three iron bands I'd put around my heart, for fear it would break in two for grief, when you were lost to us."

The king slumped back in his seat, and his shoulders sagged, as if overcome with exhaustion. No more words were spoken by any of them, the rest of the way, though the carriage sped on, and the horses never tired, and the landscape remained blur outside the window, so she could not see where it was they were going, or the way in which they went to get there.

So, instead, she stared at the branch from the linden tree in her hand, all through the day until it was too dark to see anything, and she drifted into another uneasy sleep, holding on to the comfort that the stranger she had married could not be wholly evil, if he inspired such love and loyalty in others.

The carriage did not slow until morning light crossed their faces again, and Heinrich called out to them that they were once again crossing the border of their home country.  Only then did his stop the carriage and unhitch the horses, to let them graze, and drink from the river that marked the nation's border.

She took the opportunity to alight from the carriage and stretch her for as long as the horses needed to graze. She went as far as the nearest crossroads, and there, she planted the linden tree's branch, with a silent prayer that it take root and flourish, so that in this strange new land, there might still be a connection to home.

The linden tree did indeed take root.  and it continued to grow for years, even as the king's new bride became the mother of kings, turn, even as she and the frog king became figures of history, then legend, and, finally, fairy tales-- no longer believed to be true. And through all those centuries, rain dripped down from one branch of that now giant tree, until, drop by drop, a well formed, as deep and round, and as perfectly clear as a mirror.  

Some said that well was a source of magic, and if you weren't careful, it would grant you a whatever you wished-- no matter how hasty or foolish that wish might be.

[slusheeduck]

Di Fraggi Pruto, or The Frog Prince

I've actually been wanting to rewrite my PatF fics and move them over here for a while, and finding out that 2019 is the 10 year anniversary is the perfect reason to! I first published this on fanfiction.net (where it's still up in all it's 2009 glory) and I'm very glad to share it here! ~ Also, a note on the Maldonian (Maldequesh??): as far as I'm aware, there's no set Maldonian language outside of the five words Naveen says, so I use this system that I started making ten years ago. Obvs this is just my own headcanon, and so I am in no way trying to offend if your Maldonian is different.

               A long time ago, in far-off Maldonia…

               “But I do not want to go to bed!”

               A young maid-servant was trying to wrangle a very upset young prince. She puffed as she finally stopped chasing him, instead putting on a very strained smile as he hid behind the wardrobe.

               “Your Highness, you’ve already been allowed a whole extra hour to stay awake,” she said, keeping her voice forcefully cheerful. “Surely you’re tired now?”

               “No!” In retaliation, the prince darted out from behind the wardrobe and bolted straight for the door.

               “Naveen!” The name came out as a snap as the maidservant lunged. She managed to grab his arm just before he reached the doorknob, prompting a wail loud enough to shake the windows. The maidservant’s eyes widened, and she tried frantically to shush the prince. Over the commotion, though, she didn’t hear the door open, much less realize that she was suddenly being watched.

               “Tabitha, may I ask what is happening?”

               Tabitha, the maidservant, froze in place, eyes wide. She stared at Naveen for a moment, then let go of his arm before whirling around to drop into a deep curtsy, not even daring to raise her head and meet the queen’s gaze.

               “Y-your Majesty! I-I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to lay a hand on the prince. His Highness was just…I-I mean, I just wanted to…well, I wasn’t thinking and…” She finally peeked her head up as the queen gently shushed her before looking down with an amused smile as her son latched himself onto her leg. She patted his head, then looked back at Tabitha, this time motioning for her to rise as she delicately raised an eyebrow.

               “You are not in trouble,” she said gently, “but I do require an explanation as to what happened.”

               Tabitha let out a shaking breath as she stood up straight. “I-I am afraid that His Highness refuses to go to bed.”

               “Esè demuitro pretôt!” Naveen protested, looking up at his mother entreatingly.

               “English around Miss Tabitha, Navim, remember?”

               “It is too early!”

               The queen shook her head with a little smile, then crouched down to meet Naveen eye-to-eye.

               “Naveen. How have I told you to behave with Miss Tabitha?” she asked, voice quiet but firm.

               “Ei m’is dette…” At his mother’s look, he let out a groan before replying flatly, “You said I am to treat her as I would treat you.”

               “Exactly. Now do as she says.”

               “But I am not tired,” he whined, adding a foot stamp to show how serious he was. The queen shook her head with a sigh, walking over to the bookcase.

               “Well, then, I suppose a story is the only solution.” Ignoring her son’s whine at her solution, she searched through the titles on the shelf. “Ah, here we are. Di Fraggi Pruto. This was my favorite as a child.” She pulled the book from the shelf, flipping through the pages before shutting it. “Tabitha?”

               “Yes, Your Majesty?” Tabitha asked timidly, only for her eyebrows to rise as the queen handed her the book.

               “Read this to him.” She turned back toward the bookcase, where the prince was lingering with a pout. “And Naveen?”

               “Se, Madri?”

               She crooked a finger toward herself, and Naveen reluctantly walked up to her. She crouched down and cupped his face. “Behave.”

               Naveen almost started to argue, but sighed instead. “Se, Madri.”

               “Parfaito.” She lightly kissed his forehead before standing up. “Buono nuitte, Navim.”

               “Buono nuitte, Madri.” Naveen’s pout didn’t waver, but he obediently crawled into bed, crossing his arms once the queen walked out of the room. Tabitha let out a long, relieved sigh, then pulled a chair over to the side of the prince’s bed. She looked at him, then opened the book.

               “‘Once upon a time’,” she started, “‘in a faraway kingdom, there lived a princess who loved to play with a golden ball…’”

               She continued reading, but Naveen quickly stopped listening, still too caught up in his pouting. He gave the biggest huff he could to show just how annoyed he was, but his eyebrows rose as he realized that the gap from his recently-lost front tooth made a sort of whistling noise. He blew out another breath, grinning as he heard the whistle again, and promptly began trying to whistle out a tune he made up on the spot.

               “Your Highness!” Tabitha scolded, making him stop. She frowned at him. “Either you listen to the story, or…or I’ll tell Thalia not to give you a single scone tomorrow!”

               Naveen gasped. True, the threat was probably empty, but Thalia made the best scones. It wasn’t worth the risk. He quietly slumped against the pillows, pout back in place as he listened. Tabitha cleared her throat and continued.

               “‘One day, while she was playing near the pond, her ball bounced into the water and sank. She began to cry, for she could not swim. Amidst her tears, she noticed a frog sitting beside her.

               ‘“Oh, please, Master Frog, please dive down and get my ball,” she begged the frog. “If you fetch my ball, I’ll do anything you like!”

               ‘The frog stared at her for a moment, then nodded and dove down into the water…’”

               Naveen looked up, pout replaced by a cautiously interested look. “You mean…the frog understood her?” When Tabitha nodded, he perked up. “What happens next? Keep reading!”

               Tabitha’s eyebrows rose, and a small smile curled on her lips as she continued, “‘After a few moments, the frog came back with the golden ball. The princess was very happy and immediately took her ball. But she forgot her promise to the frog and began to walk back to her castle, until a voice asked, “Didn’t you say you’ll do anything in return?”

               ‘The princess turned around, but the frog was the only one there. She looked down at him. “Was that you who spoke, Master Frog?” she asked.

               ‘The frog nodded and replied, “Yes, it was I.”’”

               “Achedanza,” Naveen breathed, then let out an agitated noise as Tabitha closed the book.

               “Well, Highness, I think that’s all we’ll get to tonight.”

               “No! No fair! I want to know what the frog wants the princess to do!”

               Tabitha looked down at Naveen, eyebrows raised. “It’s already very late, Highness…but if you promise to be good tomorrow…”

               “I will!”

               “…and if you ask nicely…”

               “Porfavo! Please, Miss Tabitha!” He crawled over to her, looking up with pleading eyes. She looked at him for a moment, then let out an exaggerated sigh.

               “All right, Your Highness. But then you go straight to bed.”

               Naveen nodded, getting even closer as she opened the book again, craning his neck to look at the pictures.

               “Now, where were we?” she asked.

               “You were at the part where the frog said that he was the one who spoke.” He pointed at the picture of the surprised princess with the frog. “Right here.”

               “Ah, yes, that’s right.” She looked back down at the book. “ ‘The princess wasn’t thrilled at doing whatever a frog wanted, but she knew she had to keep her word. “All right, Master Frog, what is it that you want?” she asked.

               ‘The frog sighed sadly. “You see, I am not actually a frog, but a prince who was turned into a frog by a wicked witch’s spell…”’”

               “Why was he turned into a frog?” Naveen asked in a whisper.

               “Probably because he was naughty and didn’t go to bed when he was told,” Tabitha said, eyeing him. Naveen’s eyes widened, and he quickly dove back under the covers as Tabitha continued.

               “‘The frog continued, “The only way the curse can be broken is if I am kissed by a princess.”’”

               “Blech!” Naveen cried, sticking out his tongue. “Kissing!”

               Tabitha chuckled before continuing, “‘So the princess picked up the frog and she leaned down…’”

               “Non…”

               “‘And puckered her lips…’”

               “Non!”

               “‘And gave the frog a kiss!’” Naveen made a gagging noise, and Tabitha laughed as she finished, “‘And the frog turned into a handsome prince. They fell deeply in love and got married, and then they all lived happily ever after. The end.’” She shut the book and set it on the side table. “All right, Highness, now it’s time for you to really go to sleep.”

               This time, Naveen didn’t argue, willingly letting himself be tucked in. Even so, he frowned. “Miss Tabitha, why is there always kissing? It’s so…dezgusante!”

               “Now, now, Highness, one day you might be changing your tune. After all, you’ll be a young man and get married…”

               “Ech! No! I am not getting married! And I am never, ever, ever kissing a girl!”

               Tabitha chuckled. “Of course, Highness. Whatever you say.”

               Naveen gave a resolute nod, then peeked up at Tabitha. “But…could you read it to me again tomorrow?”

               Tabitha looked down at him, then gave him a small smile. “Of course, Highness.  But only if you don’t raise a fuss when it’s time for bed.” Her smile widened as he nodded eagerly, then she gave his head a gentle pat. “Shall I leave a lamp burning for you, Highness?”

               Naveen scoffed. “Miss Tabitha, I am almost seven. I can sleep in the dark.”

               Tabitha nodded, giving him a curtsy before snuffing out the lamp. “Good night, Your Highness.”

               Naveen nestled down against the pillows with a yawn. “Good night, Miss Tabitha,” he said as he shut his eyes.

               However, once he heard the door click shut, he opened one eye to make sure she was really out of the room. Once the coast was clear, he crawled out of bed. He walked over to the window, opening up the curtains and letting the moonlight—amplified by the marble towers nearby—light up his room.

               He crawled back into bed, pulling the book into his lap and eagerly opening it up. He still couldn’t quite read the words—this was an English version--but he looked at the pictures eagerly. His brow furrowed in concentration as he reached the kissing part, and he flipped back and forth between the pictures of the frog prince before and after the kiss. He wrinkled his nose, then set the book back on the table before settling back under the covers.

               “If I ever get turned into a frog,” he said to no one in particular, “I’ll find a way to get turned back without kissing anyone.” He paused for a moment, considering. “Unless I really, really have to.”  

[cycling-lane]

Happily Ever After

@jonxsansafanfiction Twelve Days of Shipping, Day Three. Fairy Tale AU/ Fake Relationship (Dating or Married) Trope

As soon as the clock strikes midnight, Jon has to leave the ball. Thankfully, the princess won’t let him get away so easily. 

Cinderella AU

“When I get back,” his father promises, “I will tell you about your mother.”

Jon waits for weeks. Months, even. He waits whilst all others lose hope -continues to wait even after his stepmother has gotten rid of his father’s things and taken charge of the household. In her house, Jon is even lower than the mice that roam its cellar. But he doesn’t mind.

Father will come, he tells himself each night. He’ll come and he’ll make it right.

It isn’t until his stepmother bans him to the stables and makes him sweep the cinders from her bedroom fireplace, that Jon realises his father is gone.

+

She is beautiful.

Her previously-pristine gown is covered in mud and twigs have teared her skirts, but for Jon, it’s love at first sight. Her hair is kissed by fire, and it warms him almost as much as the faint flush on her cheeks.

When he helps her upright from where she has fallen on the ground, her spine stiffens and her chin is held high. Her hands, however, fidget nervously with the skirts of her dress.

Beautiful is not the right word, Jon decides then. She is magnificent.

“I’m terribly sorry,” he mumbles, suddenly self-conscious of his own clothes’ muddy state. “Ghost gets a little, ah, excited sometimes. I’m sure he didn’t mean to knock you over.”

She eyes the white dog by his side warily, but not with the contempt and disgust that he has come to expect from his stepfamily. “You named your dog Ghost?”

He nods, but doesn’t say anything.

The girl focuses her attention to him, and when their eyes meet, Jon feels a flicker of something spark between them. “I am Sansa,” she says eventually, breaking the silence. “What do they call you?”

“Jon.”

The woods around them are alive with sounds. Birds, frogs, the rustling of leaves. To the side, water streams down a couple of rocks. It all fades away, however, the second Sansa takes a step forward and pats Ghost’s head. Jon feels his heart stop. She is clearly a lady -good breeding and courtesies radiate from every inch of her skin, but she is not like any other lady he knows. His stepmother would have never dreamt of touching Ghost. Her high-born friends scream at the mere sight of him.

Still, years of punishments and beratement are hard to forget. “You will not punish him, will you?” He asks, looking down at his dog -his sole companion, his best friend for these past years.

“Of course not!” She looks shocked, indigent even, and it is all Jon needs to ease his nerves. When she speaks again, there is a shimmer in her eyes and a timid smile on her lips. “But only if you promise to come to the ball next week.”

+

His stepmother refuses to take him to the ball.

“Have you lost your mind, boy?” She shrieks, the minute he dares to ask. “You are a bastard! And although your father may have put up with it, I’d sooner die than be seen anywhere in public with you!”

His stepbrothers snicker in the corner, and Jon resigns himself to staying at home.

+

“Nonsense,” the dwarf says.

Jon is too confused to speak. The tiny man appeared out of nowhere several minutes ago, and has been mumbling on ever since. He has a big scar across his face and seems terribly drunk as he wobbles up and down the vegetable garden.

Finally, he comes to an halt in front of the pumpkins. “Ah! Just what I needed!”

Ghost bares his teeth and growls, but the dwarf isn’t impressed.

“Don’t be like that,” he mutters, as he produces a flask out of thin air and takes several large gulps. “Or I’ll make you the ugliest carriage horse this world has ever seen. Now, boy -let’s get you to this ball!”

+

If Jon thought she was magnificent before, she is now truly magical.

“Stop it,” she blushes, when he can’t stop looking. They’ve already danced together, but eventually the curious stares and loud whispers of the ballroom became too much. “Or my face shall be as red as my hair.”

I’m sure it will only make you look lovelier, Jon thinks, but he doesn’t say it. Instead, he offers her his arm and guides her down from the patio, into the palace gardens.

“You should have told me you were the princess,” he says, feeling rather awkward with his uncultured voice and bumbling manners. The dwarf (his fairy godfather?) may have dressed him in the finest clothes and shiniest leather boots, but inside he is still the same. Quiet, careful Jon Snow -an abandoned bastard, his stepmother’s unofficial house slave.

Sansa sighs. “I am sorry. Truly. But it was so wonderful, with you in the woods. I have never felt more alive than in that moment, as we strolled down the forest lane and talked as if we had known each other for years.”

She stops walking then, turning to face him.

“I am afraid that I have not always been kind. Or gracious, as a good princess should be. I have been rather vain and stupid in the past, and naive enough to fall in love with a golden-haired monster.”

Jon takes hold of her hand, twines their fingers together until he can’t tell where he ends and she begins.

“But I now know that a knight in shining armour has never had his metal tested.” She becomes earnest all of a sudden. “I don’t need a prince, Jon. I need someone who is kind and gentle and strong.”

Her blue eyes have never shone more brightly, and Jon feels a warmth unfold in his belly.

“I need you,” Sansa whispers, taking a step closer. “If you will have me, of course.”

There are so many things Jon wants to say to that, so many things he wants to do -starting with kissing her, of course, slow and soft. But then the clock strikes midnight and the first of twelve bells chimes.

He has to go.

+

“You will never leave this house again!” His stepmother bristles. “You are a disgrace! Even worse than your father. If only you disappeared, too!”

+

For the first time, Jon doesn’t mind fulfilling his stepmother’s wishes. He gladly leaves. There are only a few belongings that need to be packed, and Ghost seems more than eager to depart as well.

He is at the end of the country road, on the edge of the woods, when his dog suddenly starts to bark. Mere seconds later, he hears the sound of galloping horses behind him.

He quickly turns around. What he sees, is enough to make his heart stutter in his chest.

Sansa rushes up to him, high and fierce atop her white mare, her cloak blowing dramatically in the wind. “Jon!” She exclaims, jumping to the ground as soon as she has reached him. “Jon, please don’t leave. I’m begging you!”

“I don’t-”

But she pushes on, rattling off her words as if she can’t get them past her lips soon enough. “I know I said too much. I’d understand if you didn’t want me. I mean, why would you want anyone who admits herself that she is vain? But Jon, I love you. And I can change- Oof.”

Jon Snow is not a man of many words. He is a man of action. And that is why he simply takes a step forward, presses his lips against her and cuts her off before she continue her ridiculous monologue.

When he finally tears their mouths apart, they are both breathing heavily. Sansa’s courtiers stand behind them, staring unabashedly, but he pays them no mind.

“I don’t want you to change,” he declares. “You are perfect, faults and all.” He laughs then, looking up to the sky and back to her lovely face again. Hope shines in her eyes, the same hope that he feels in his entire body. “In fact, I was heading towards the castle myself. I was going to beg you to take me, as poor and as lowly as I am.”

This time, when they kiss, Sansa whispers against his lips, “Guess we’re both beggars, then.”

+

On their wedding day, they kiss on the balcony.

It’s all teeth and very little lips, as they are both grinning from ear to ear, but that doesn’t matter. The kingdom celebrates for an entire week. On the final day of feasting, small snowflakes trickle down from the sky, covering the palace gardens with a white, powdery layer.

Sansa and Jon take Ghost for a walk, and this time Sansa only laughs when the dog knocks her to the ground.

“I love you,” Jon says, as he helps her upright.

She tilts her head up at him, happiness bursting out of every pore. “And I you, my prince.”

[wazafam]

Disney: adjectives galore spring to mind when we hear this famous name: sweet, adventurous, wholesome, nostalgic, magical. But what some Disney fans may not know is that many Disney shorts and feature-length films were inspired by fairytales, plays, religious texts, and other literary sources. It seems that Walt Disney did a lot of reading in his day and knew that these tales would make for some of the most adored, classic movies for audiences old and young.

RELATED: Disney: Ranking The 15 Greatest Female Villains

And he wasn't wrong. These text-turned-flicks have motivated artists for decades to create not just movies, but fan art, fashion, and more.

10 The Princess And The Frog

Disney's The Princess and the Frog (2009) follows Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), a worked-to-the-bone waitress and aspiring restaurant owner in 1950's Louisiana. She kisses a price-turned-frog, Naveen (Bruno Campos), and becomes one herself. They both journey across time, swamps, and streets in a race to turn themselves back to humans -- or remain amphibians forever.

In contrast, "The Frog-Prince" or "Iron Henry," from which Disney drew inspiration, is a german fairy tale from 1812. The prince-turned-frog under a witch's curse finds the princess when she throws a golden ball into the lake he occupies, exchanging the ball for her friendship, who then reverts back to a handsome prince. Iron Henry is the Prince's loyal servant, who, upon hearing of his Prince's transformation, encased his heart in iron bands so it wouldn't break and fall apart from sadness. When he learns of the Prince's change back to royalty, it breaks -- but from happiness.

9 The Little Mermaid

The movie that inspired spin-offs, sequels, cosplay, and more: Disney's The Little Mermaid (1989) follows the story of Ariel (Jodi Benson) as she embarks on a quest to save her soul, literally, after making a deal with the sea witch, Ursula (Pat Carroll), to give her her perfect singing voice in exchange for becoming human. Of course, the spell can only be broken by true love's kiss, and in the end, it is, with viewers seeing a happy sea wedding between Ariel and Prince Eric (Christopher Daniel Barnes).

This flick takes its cues from both a play and a fairy tale. Unsatisfied with life, despite being incredibly successful, Faust makes a deal with the devil to give him his soul in exchange for all the knowledge and pleasures of the world. Ariel does the same but compromises her voice for love. Additionally, Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale of the same name is essentially the same story, but with some darker elements, including murder, heartbreak and betrayal.

8 The Lion King

Arguably the most famous, beloved Disney film of all time, The Lion King (1992) is a tour-de-force with a literary backdrop. Fans of Shakespeare will recognize the references to The Bard's classic tragic play, Hamlet, which is the tale of a young Denmarkian prince who avenges his father's death at the hands of his uncle.

RELATED: Disney: 5 Characters That Were Potentially Bad Influences (& 5 That Were Great Role Models)

Further, the pinnacle scene where Simba sees Mufasa in the nighttime sky in the form of clouds over the Serengeti -- his father, Mufasa -- harkens back to when Hamlet sees his own ghostly apparition of his father but also references Moses in the Christian bible as he stands before God when he appears in the burning bush. Finally, the entire journey mimics Joseph Campbell's story, The Heroes Journey (as many, many other films do), which follows the arc of the hero on his journey from beginning to end.

7 The Hunchback Of Notre Dame

The 1996 Disney film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, also has literary roots. Based on the gothic novel from 1831 by French author Victor Hugo, the book unfolds much the same way the film does, although some plotlines have been changed to suit child audiences and parents.

For instance, in the book, Esmerelda dies and Quasimodo, decades later, is found lying beside her in the mass grave into which she was thrown in with criminals and the poor.

6 The Great Mouse Detective

Perhaps one of the most underrated Disney movies in the ether, The Great Mouse Detective (1986) is a story of a mouse detective named Basil (of Baker Street), his sidekick Watson, and the adventure they go on to rescue a young mouse girl's kidnapped father from the notorious Professor Ratigan.

This Disney gem was based on the exploits of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his for-hire detective skills that focused on London's despondent and downtrodden, as well as the wealthy elite.

5 Snow White

1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is about a young, fair maiden, cast aside into the dangerous, dark, and deep forest by her wicked stepmother for being more beautiful than her. When a huntsman is ordered to kill her, he spares Snow White's life and she takes up residence in a small cottage with seven mining dwarfs.

RELATED: Disney: 10 Movies With Surprisingly Adult Messages

The fairy tale of the same name from the Brothers Grimm unfurls much the same, only with more murderous plots-for-hire and red-hot iron slippers.

4 Sleeping Beauty

Disney's Sleeping Beauty from 1959 is one of the most famous peasant-turned-princess stories. Naturally, Disney took its cues from the Brothers Grimm, once again, in their fairy tale titled "Little Brier-Rose."

Absent are the three tiny fairy godmothers who look after the princess in the film version, but otherwise, much is the same, complete with a Maleficent-type villain and true love's kiss breaking the cursed spell.

3 Rapunzel

Disney's Tangled (2010) is based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Rapunzel. It unravels in much the same way that the film does, but with some differences: Rapunzel, in the fairy tale, is a sort of lettuce leaf her mother craves during pregnancy, and the king steals it from the sorceress' garden in which it grows.

The prince also becomes blinded at one point, unlike in the movie, but has his sight restored and, like the film, he and Rapunzel live happily ever after.

2 Oliver And Company

Another underrated Disney flick, Oliver & Company (1988) features the story of a lost and abandoned tabby kitten named Oliver (Joey Lawrence), who joins a rough-and-tumble gang of dogs in New York City (their leader being Dodger, played by Billy Joel).

RELATED: 10 Strange Movies Disney Almost Made

This hidden treasure is based on Charles Dickens's novel Oliver Twist or The Parish Boy's Progress, published in London in 1838. The prose follows orphan Oliver Twist, who was born in a workhouse and became an apprentice for an undertaker. Deciding to escape, he travels to London and encounters the "Artful Dodger," a member of a criminal gang led by the elderly criminal, Fagin.

1 Cinderella

Cinderella, Disney's classic rags-to-riches film from 1950, is one of their greatest since Snow White. The film, once again, drew its magic from the Brothers Grimm fairy tale of the same moniker (also known as "The Little Glass Slipper").

As with almost all of these fairy tales, there were some darker elements excluded from Disney's version that were present in the Brothers Grimm tale, like when the evil stepsisters mutilate their feet in order for the slipper to fit, as well as pigeons plucking out both of their eyes by the end of the tale.

NEXT: Disney: 10 Cinematic Dishes That Fans Would Love To See Featured In The Parks

10 Animated Disney Movies With Literary Backgrounds | ScreenRant from https://ift.tt/3oBfo6W

[peacekeeper-xiv]

Honest Q&A: Round 3! Table

By the Twelve! You’re all back!? I mean… um… welcome back, all. Yes. *Cough* Well, as much as it pains me to admit it, I am rather surprised you all accepted my invitation a third time. Excluding mister Mordenson who has… um... graciously chosen to join us despite lacking an invitation… Let’s begin with the obvious question. As usual, we will go around the table.

What is it that prompts you to answer these questions?

Lloire: “I suppose for myself, it’s that I have been through a lot lately. Answering these helps me better understand that man I was and who he is and who he is becoming. The more you learn about me, the more I learn about myself.”

Beta: “That… was surprisingly honest and introspective. Um… We have to be honest right? I’m mostly here to learn more about that guy and to make snarky comments.”

Chadrick: “Aye, ye do seem t’ ‘ave a chip on yer shoulder with ‘Scars’ there lad. Fer me? Ye offered me tha’ hefty pouch o’ gi—O’… too ‘onest ye say? As ye like.”

Aasifa: “The winds blow Aasifa here. You must ask them if you are wanting to know this thing, yes?”

K’risa: “Wait, I thought this was some kinda counseling thing? You’re not just some weirdo asking random questions are you?”

Benedict: “Master Peace there has the right of it. To know oneself is to know the gods.”

Chance: “Good fucking question. Hells if I know.”

Felix: *Laughs* “Master… Peace. Hah. I was bored.”

 Alright. Well, now that we have that settled, let’s get into the list of questions our readers have, yes? Great.

Imagine a future point in your life where all your dreams come true. It's the greatest moment in your life and you get to experience it with -one- person. Who's standing next to you?

Lloire: “…I… Well… I have no idea. It depends on the path I take I suppose. We defeat the empire, it’s Ikara or Soren. I manage to uncover all the lost magicks of the world and start a new school of magick, probably Yuti. I… retire and settle down to cook and live with a family… Some unknown person I’ve not met yet or a child I suppose. Choosing one person is too difficult I fear.”

Beta: “No it’s not. Watch. Ikara.” *Eyes Lloire suspiciously*

Chadrick: “Ah’m with tha lad truthfully. But maybe tha’s just us and ye ‘ave way more close friends than we. Fer me though, Aislyn.”

Aasifa: “Hmm, if Aasifa’s dreams are coming true, he is likely alone but he is rathering companion Rahya is with him, yes?”

K’risa: “Rathering is not a word. Where are you from anyways? Oh, I, uh, sorry I asked. Anyways, I don’t know enough people and I’m not all that close to anyone anymore so, I can’t say. Maybe the kid there. He’s adorable and snarky and would probably make whatever it was all the more fun.”

Benedict: “Sunny would be with me. This much I know.”

Chance: “Helfyre.”

Felix: “Oh, you’d all be witness to it.” *cackles* “But only Aya would be standing beside me.”

 On an average day, what can be found in your pockets?

Lloire: “Hmm, crystals, jewels, a knife, a few vials perhaps. Some gil obviously. On average.”

Beta: “Gears, wires, bolts, screws, tube of grease, tools, crystals, some nuts and berries maybe. Paper, pen. Um… tape, maybe some choco- oh, that’s enough Sure.”

Chadrick: “A wee bit o’ gil Ah suppose. Most e’erythin else is in me pack instead. Ah prefer t’ keep light on me feet.”

Aasifa: “Hmm, let Aasifa be seeing, yes?” *Starts emptying out pockets on the table* “Pepper shaker, feather of big fluffy dragon with hard to say name, someone else’s grocery list, wishbone of Dodo bird. Hmm… Ball of yarn, playing card, ball from Moogle Paw game. A shell from a snail. A pair of broken spectacles, a frog. Hmm, this is where garlean rubber band ball went. Wait… where is Aasifa’s cotton bolls?”

K’risa: “H-how did, did, you, fit?” *rubs her eyes* “Anyways! Sewing needle, thread, gil, measuring tape, that kinda stuff.”

Benedict: “Gil, as the others have noted… save for Lord Taqalid there. I also keep pamphlets for those interested in learning more of the Twelve as well as marks for each of them. Would anyone here like a pamphlet, no? Alright…”

Chance: “Gil. Knife.”

Felix: “Hmm, herb, poisons, bones, stones, vial of various bloods. What’s with the look? Oh please… fine.”

 What’s a body part that you wouldn’t mind losing?

Lloire: “Do we get to live without it? If so, I’d happily remove my heart.”

Beta: “Wow…. Just wow. That… yea.. um… I’d say… Maybe a leg? I could build a magitek one to replace mine. Maybe build a firearm inside it. One of those small ones that pops out in a bind. That would be neat, right?”

Chadrick: “Right… Ye both ‘ave given this thought before Ah see… Ah’d pick, feck… me little finger on me nay dominant ‘and Ah suppose. Cannay imagine losing me ability t’ see tha beauty o’ tha world, or smell good food some lass cooked, or hear ‘er beautiful singing or… well, ye get tha idea.”

Aasifa: “Aasifa is picking his appendix, yes?”

K’risa: “Your what now? I almost wanna swap seats again. I’d lose, an ear I guess? I could always wear hats to hide it.”

Benedict: “Hmm, I need my legs and arms to pray, perhaps an eye. Even if I lost both, Sunny leads us where we need to go anyways.”

Chance: “None. What? He said ‘mind’. I’d mind losing anything. You’re all freaks for not minding.”

Felix: “You know what an appendix is?” *eyes Aasifa* “I mean, that -is- the best answer, but mine is anything except my head. Whatever it is can be grown back.”

 What are three labels that you identify with?

Lloire: “Mage, survivor, guilty.”

Beta: “Yup… that sounds about right. You prolly should’a added Martyr first though. For me, Engineer, Inventor, and… Young.”

Chadrick: “Well shyte… ‘ero, dashin’, an’ expert.”

Aasifa: “What is label meaning? Oh! This thing! Aasifa is called vagrant, vagabond, and drifter, yes?”

K’risa: “Sure, Chad, sure. So glad you didn’t add humble. I guess for me it would be miqo’te, seamstress, excitable.”

Benedict: “This is an easy question. Faithful, devout, and friend”

Chance: “Merc, wolf, practical.”

Felix: “Manipulative, cunning, shadow.”

 Do you believe in soulmates?

Lloire: “… I did.”

Beta: “…not touching that one. Um, yes. I do.”

Chadrick: “Look, ye can test tha’ souls are real. Ye can also force two souls t’ bind t’gether. It’s nay ‘bout belief. It’s tha science o’ animas. But t’ answer tha question yer actually posing, nay. There be nay two people perfectly matched fer one another. Believin’ so will break yer ‘eart. There’s struggles an’ pain an’ shyte t’ work through to make things work, aye?”

Aasifa: “Aasifa is disagreeing. There is someone perfect for you, they are just not perfect person, yes?”

K’risa: “I’m with Lloire.”

Benedict: “Divine is their will. I cannot say that Nymeia’s hand does not guide two threads together in the forming of a beautiful tapestry.”

Chance: “No. Shit’s dumb. I’m with snowylocks there. You find someone you wanna be with and you work with them to make it. It isn’t some meant to be thing that doesn’t take hard work.”

Felix: “Hmm, actually. Yes. I do.”

 What is the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?

Lloire: “This may sound morbid… but the calamity. It was horrifying, terrifying, yet, beautiful it its raw destructive power. Bahamut is a terrible creature. Terrible, yet beautiful.”

Beta: “That… you are just full of surprises today. Anyroad… I saw some sketches of the inner workings of Alexander while speaking with some goblins in Idyllshire. They were the most… um. I mean Ikara. Yup! Definitely Ikara.”

Chadrick: “Tha’ was tha worst save in tha ‘istory o’ lads sayin’ dumb shyte tha’ might get back t’ their lasses e’er boyo. Ye need some practice. Ah can give ye a few pointers if ye like later. As fer me? Me ma’s smile.”

Aasifa: “Friend Chadrick is sweet person at times, yes? The lights of golden saucer from afar are prettiest thing Aasifa is thinking of.”

K’risa: “Chadrick! Don’t you dare corrupt that sweet, innocent, pure boy!” *Huffs* “Oh, right… umm… Snowfields. They just look so pure. Even if it’s cold as heck.”

Benedict: “The Sanctum of the Twelve is a beautiful place if you have not been.”

Chance: “Get the feeling ‘Scars’ there would disagree Benny. Sunrise. Means you made it through the night.”

Felix: “There was this Alagan princess…”

 Moving on!

What single act are you most ashamed of?

Lloire: “Trying to kill myself.”

Beta: “Good! You should be! But um… I’m glad you realized that… so um… that’s good. Uh… Oh! I know. Um, when I upset Ikara by not knowing what she meant about liking me and an awkward first kiss and yea… I felt like a warped tool.”

Chadrick: “Stealin’ from an old woman. Ah mean, she di’nay know ‘ow dangerous wha’ she ‘ad was… an’ it was fer ‘er own good… but still, it felt nasty, aye?”

Aasifa: “Aasifa let someone he was close to take her own life, yes? He did not see how miserable she had become and did not make better. This is greatest failure.”

K’risa: “That’s, really sad. Um. For me, failing for a hero.”

Benedict: “I think those thoughts are best left for confession with one’s gods.”

Chance: “Nothing wrong with falling for a hero. I’m not ashamed of what I’ve done. I wouldn’t change things.”

Felix: “What I put my daughter through.”

 Everyone has disdain for something or someone.  Who or what do you consider yourself to be “above”?

Lloire: “If I’m to be honest… those who the Imperials subjugate. The ones who work for them after they have been conquered. I have to fight off those feelings.”

Beta: “Yea, not everyone is a stupidly stubborn as you. Um… I guess… if I have to say… brutish people who only solve things with violence?”

Chadrick: “Primals. Nasty buggers. Nay ‘ave any respect fer somethin’ tha’ enslaves its followers.”

Aasifa: “The dirt? For now, yes.”

K’risa: “That’s not what they--. Nevermind. Um, I’m with Chad on this one. Fuck Ifrit and his followers.”

Benedict: “I am a lowly man in service to the Gods. No one is below me.”

Chance: “Cowards.”

Felix: “It’s better for all of your prides that I simply pass on this one.”

 What do you wish you had more time for?

Lloire: “Fishing.”

Beta: “Spending time with Ikara. I should make more time.”

Chadrick: “E’erything. There are nay enough ‘ours in tha’ day t’ get e’erythin accomplished.”

Aasifa: “Living, Aasifa is thinking, yes?”

K’risa: “To keep track of J’ahama and P’arunru and to just hang out with them.”

Benedict: “I would like to have more time devoted to do things Sunny enjoys doing. She gets bored with my reading and prayers and I would want to spend more time letting her have fun.”

Chance: “I’m kept busy enough. I’m good, thanks.”

Felix: “I have all the time in the world.”

 What are some skills that you think everyone should learn?

Lloire: “Sewing and cooking. You can get though a lot of things that way. People tend to be more agreeable on a full stomach. Knowing how to close a wound with a needle can save a life.”

Beta: “I… think you’re the only person that took up sewing to learn to apply it to flesh. I think everyone should know the basics of magitek operation. It’s not going anywhere guys, even if the Empire crumbles.”

Chadrick: “E’eryone should learn t’ play an instrument. Music can soothe tha savage beast as they say. Whether it’s an actual beast or yer beast within.”

Aasifa: “Aasifa is thinking everyone is needing to know how to defend selves, yes? Hmm, he is wondering how friend L’ania has been now.”

K’risa: “The brooding handsome over there already gave my answer, but for me, you never know when your clothes will catch a snag or rip and its way better to travel through Ishgard or the desert without torn clothing.”

Benedict: “Navigation! I am awful at it and would be lost without my guide. I really must offer Llymlaen more prayers.”

Chance: “Basic shit. How to light a fire without aether, pitch a tent, gather firewood, survival in the wilderness kind of things. Seen a lot of corpses out in the wild just dead to the elements.”

Felix: “Alchemy. You’d be surprised at what can be accomplished through it.”

 How good of a dancer are you?

Lloire: “Decent. Better when it’s a slow dance with a partner. I’m not terribly great at the solo dances unless they are more ritualistic or tribal in nature.”

Beta: “Yea, no. I’ve got two left feet. I’m really bad at dancing.”

Chadrick: “Step dance, slow dance, dance at a ball. Ye name it, Ah’ll manage it. Lu’ made sure o’ tha’.”

Aasifa: “Yes. Aasifa is thinking he can dance well.”

K’risa: “I haven’t had much chance to learn. -Someone- was still pouting about his ex and her dancing.”

Benedict: “I… do not dance. Sunny does though! She is very good at it.”

Chance: “Do I -look- like I dance?”

Felix: “No, not really wolf-boy, but neither does Lloire there, so... Myself? I was forced to learn eventually. Been a few dozen years since I’ve needed to though.”

 Do you have any good luck charms or rituals?

Lloire: “Aye, I have a Gagaroon luck-die that Soren gave me a while back. I never travel without the thing. I’m still alive despite my best efforts, so I imagine the thing works.”

Beta: “Yea, if that thing is to blame, we all could use one. Um, I have a lucky wrench? I guess that counts?”

Chadrick: “Psh! Me blood is lucky. An’ Ah’ve all tha charm Ah’ll e’er need.” *Laughs* “Jestin’ aside, nay Ah di’nay carry around any sort o’ lucky charms.”

Aasifa: “Aasifa has pendant that is for this purpose, yes? He is loaning to friend to keep safe.”

K’risa: “Nope. I’m all full up on luck and charms, thanks.”

Benedict: “Nymeia is favored by those who seek luck. Having her with me at all times should suffice.”

Chance: “Fools that trust to luck wind up dead.”

Felix: “You, mister wolf, are no fun. I have one of our companions old coins. He was the embodiment of luck.”

 Worst injury you have had?

Lloire: “Assuming we’re not going with self-inflicted, it would be the repeated beatings to my face that left me half blind.”

Beta: “Oh, not counting self-inflicted. That took out half of yours, huh? Um… I guess the small burn I got when that ceruleum tank caught fire?”

Chadrick: “Ah ‘ad this ‘ead injury, made me forget who Ah was fer a time.”

Aasifa: “Aasifa was stabbed through stomach once. Very painful! Yes.”

K’risa: “I’ve been lucky enough not to get hurt too bad yet.”

Benedict: “As have I.”

Chance: “Took an arrow to my heel once. That brought me down awhile.”

Felix: “Just one? I remember I took about fifteen or so once. Blood everywhere.”

 Who influenced your personality growing up?

Lloire: “My ma’ and Aliya later.”

Beta: “Um… Lucilus I suppose.”

Chadrick: “Lad, yer still growin’ up. Fer me it was definitely me ma an’ me da. Both in their own way.”

Aasifa: “The Commander of the Guard.”

K’risa: “My father.”

Benedict: “Halone largely, but also my aunt.”

Chance: “Myself.”

Felix: “Nettle’s family.”

 If you could remove one emotion from your life, which would you choose?

Lloire: “Guilt most likely.”

Beta: “I’d get rid of bitterness. I hate that feeling.”

Chadrick: “Nay a damned one. There’s too much o’ life in each. Ye get rid o’ sadness an’ ye lose sight o’ wha’ it means ‘ be ‘appy. Ye lose guilt per say, an’ wha’ is there t’ make ye learn t’ nay ‘urt others?”

Aasifa: “Fear. Aasifa would be fearless!”

K’risa: “Jealousy. It’s a nasty nasty emotion.”

Benedict: *turns a shade of red* “Desire.”

Chance: “I think that’s just call lust Benny. And oddball, fear is important, keeps you alive. I’m kinda with snowylocks. You need all of them to be effective.”

Felix: “No, no. I like Lloire’s answer for once. Guilt weighs too much.”

 Well, thank you for your answers. Will I see you all again next time?

Lloire: “Most likely.”

Beta: “Sure. It’s interesting to see what you come up with to ask us.”

Chadrick: “S’long as ye keep up our agreement, aye.”

Aasifa: “If the winds blow Aasifa this way.”

K’risa: “Why not?”

Benedict: “Twelve willing.”

Chance: “…”

Felix: “Perhaps. We’ll see.”

Tagged by: Uh, I made this one. So @me?

Tagging: @wicked-virtue @yutikyis @waitingrose @susukosuko @hedgearcher @hana-xiv @devil-you-know @nebula1984 and anyone I might have left off or forgotten.

[allofthisnonsenseplease]

Another fairy tale with Gabe and Jack. This time, it’s “The Frog Prince” =)

Also, Sombra is in this one.

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom that had lost its king to war and then its queen to illness only a few short years after. The royal couple had left behind a young daughter, Princess Sombra, who would officially ascend to the throne on her eighteenth birthday. Until that time, the country was in the hands of her uncle, Lord Gabriel, who had been appointed to serve as regent until his niece was prepared to take on the burden of leadership. Gabriel had done his best, for he loved Sombra just as dearly as he had loved her mother, his sister, but his niece could be headstrong and capricious. He believed that she would make a good queen, for she was intelligent, intuitive, and tough as nails, but her flippancy and occasional bouts of selfishness gave him pause. Still, it wasn't in his heart to be harsher on her for those slight failings, as she had known terrible loss at such a young age. Certain that her heart was in the right place, Gabriel served her and their country well and faithfully in preparation for the day that she would be crowned queen.

One lovely summer day, having decided that she'd earned a break from her studies, Sombra went for a walk in the palace gardens. The gardens were extensive, a labyrinth of intersecting pathways and hidden arbors, sculpted hedges and well-tended flowerbeds, statues and fountains and a small hedge maze. She wandered the familiar paths, making a game out of avoiding the army of gardeners, slipping past them unseen. She liked to pretend that she was a sorceress, and that her treasure—the beautiful golden ball her parents had given her for the last of her birthdays when they'd all been together—was the source of her power, or sometimes the magical box she'd hidden her heart in so that she could never be killed as long as it remained whole. The ball was her most prized possession, a link to what she had lost, although she would never admit to the depth of attachment she felt for a mere object.

She had the golden ball with her that day, and played with it as she went: letting it run down the length of her arm, roll over the backs of her fingers and right around into her palm as she turned her hand beneath it, setting it to spinning on a fingertip, or tossing it into the air to see how it almost hovered for a moment at the apex of its arc before plummeting back into her waiting hand. It was only when she needed to be stealthy that she stilled it, hid it away in her skirts, and pretended it had the power to make her unnoticeable. She played this way all through the garden, feet leading her ever closer to the secluded south corner and the shady pond awaiting her there.

Few people came to the pond. It had been left to grow somewhat wild, and had no comfortable places to sit and host a tea, unlike the rest of the meticulously clipped and shaped gardens. It was one of Sombra's favorite places to go when she wanted to be alone, and she sighed as she reached the cool, humid shadows beneath the willow overlooking the water. Under its trailing branches, she was screened from sight, and she dropped quickly to sit on the grass, heedless of her dress.

As she sat there, thoughts still wrapped up in all her lessons and duties as princess, she toyed absently with the golden ball. She was so accustomed to the feel of it in her hands, that the possibility of dropping it didn't even occur to her until after she had fumbled it and watched it roll down the bank, bounce off a small uneven patch of earth, and splash down below the surface of the lake.

Belatedly, she scrambled to the water's edge, staring in disbelief at the place where the ball had disappeared. She had lost it in a heartbeat, and all of a sudden, it really did feel as if her heart had been stowed away inside. Maybe in all those old tales it had been safer for the witch to hide it away somewhere, but nowhere had they mentioned that the separation would hurt.

Sombra cursed up a blue streak, covering up an unexpectedly cutting sorrow at the loss with simple anger over her own carelessness. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she tried hard not to think about how she had just thrown away the last gift her father had ever given her.

“Need some help?”

The rough, unfamiliar voice startled a gasp out of her, and she shot to her feet, searching for the speaker. There was no one around, however, the secluded pond as deserted as it had been when she had arrived. Just as she was wondering if she had imagined the voice, it came again.

“Easy, Princess. Didn't mean to startle you. I'm down here.”

She looked down toward where the voice had come from, expecting to see a man swimming in the pond. Instead, all she saw was a particularly large, spotted frog. Staring at him, her surprise quickly turned to hope.

“You showed up just in time, little frog! I need you to swim down and bring back my golden ball for me, all right? I'll owe you big time.”

“If it's that important, how about we make a bargain?”

Intrigued, she leaned a little closer. “Name your terms, Hoppy.”

“Fetching that ball isn't going to be easy for me. It's heavy for one thing, and between the water and my skin, it's going to be slippery. Not only that, but this pond is deeper than it looks. I'll fetch it back up for you, and if you ever drop it here again I'll do the same. In exchange, I want a nicer place to live.”

“You want me to have the gardeners clean this place up?”

“Hardly. No, I want to come live with you in the palace: eat in the grand hall with you off your golden plates, drink from your golden cups, and sleep in a royal suite on your silken pillows.”

“That's a lot to ask for, Hoppy,” Sombra said, crossing her arms.

“You try living in a pond. And quit calling me 'Hoppy.' Do we have a deal?”

She smiled crookedly, deciding that she liked the cranky little frog. “Sure thing.”

Immediately, the frog turned and leapt into the pond, as if afraid she might change her mind. He disappeared beneath the dark surface, and was gone for so long that Sombra actually started to nod off. She jerked awake, wondering if maybe she had actually fallen asleep and dreamed the entire thing. Just as she was considering going back to the palace, however, the frog broke the surface, mouth stretched wide around the golden ball.

Delighted, Sombra clapped her hands, and reached to snatch up the ball the moment the frog spat it out. She wiped it on the grass, cleaning off the mud and frog slime, and cradled it protectively against her chest.

The frog worked his jaw, rubbing at it with his stubby arms, then said: “I've fulfilled my half of the bargain. Now you can carry me up to the palace to fulfill yours.”

Sombra laughed. “You're a funny guy, little frog. I don't remember promising to carry you anywhere.”

“You said—!”

“I know what I said, Freckles, and our bargain didn't include transportation. Hop on up to the palace whenever you're ready to move in,” she said with a smile, and reached out to touch a fingertip to his nose. “Boop!” Then she was off, laughing as she raced back through the garden.

----------------

Hours later, as Sombra and her uncle and the royal court were just beginning their dinner, a harried-looking page hurried up to Gabriel with a message. There was...an individual just outside, insisting that he had been personally invited by the Princess to dine at the royal table. Gabriel turned to his niece with a raised eyebrow.

“Sombra?”

“Little fellow?” Sombra asked, not even trying to contain her grin. “Spotty complexion?”

“Y-yes, Your Highness.”

“I was wondering how long it would take for him to get here!” Her eyes glittered with amusement. “What he says is true. I made a bargain.”

Gabriel sighed. “If the Princess has given her word, then she is bound by it. See the man in.”

“Er. Yes. My Lord.” The page turned tail and fled. Gabriel watched him go, considered the look on Sombra's face, and wondered what his niece had gotten into this time.

Gabriel was a difficult man to surprise, but even he had not expected the frog. The assembled nobility fell quiet as the door was held open and the frog announced to the company. The faint smack of his webbed feet against the floor was clearly audible in the otherwise silent room. Every eye was trained on the frog's slow, steady progress as he hopped closer and closer to the dais at the head of the room. Sneaking a glance at Sombra, Gabriel saw the glee in her face at having engineered something so startlingly unusual.

Finally, the frog made it up to the dais. He crouched there, so near that he was barely visible across the table, and made a sort of bow to Sombra.

“Princess, I have made my own way to the castle, as you can see. I trust you'll be keeping to our bargain.”

“Sure thing, Tiny. Can you hop up onto a chair, or should we have a plate set down for you?”

“Sombra!” Gabriel itched to swat the back of her head, but such a reprimand was not one to be seen by the entire court. “If you've invited him here, then mind your manners. Help your guest up to the table.”

She laughed and waved her hand airily, dismissing his orders. “Nah, Uncle Gabe. Bargaining's a little different from inviting, don't you think? And Freckles and me, we've already had a talk about how much help he can expect from me while he's living here.” She smiled at the frog and winked.

With a sigh, Gabriel rose from his seat and came around the table. He knelt before the frog and offered a hand.

“It seems there's a story here, and I'd like to hear your version of events along with my niece's. I'll assist you up to the table and have an extra setting brought out.” When the frog hesitated to climb onto his hand, Gabriel was reminded that some found his size and his scars intimidating. “Not as clumsy as I look. You'll be fine. Unless it's beneath your dignity to be carried.”

“No,” the frog said, his voice coming out as a chirp. He croaked and tried again, and his voice was gruff once more. “No, I've got no problems with that.” So saying, he climbed onto Gabriel's hand, and let himself be lifted and carried to the table where he was sat down gently between the regent and the princess.

“As to the plate,” the frog said as Gabriel motioned to a servant, “the Princess promised me that I could eat from her own plate and drink from her own cup.”

“They're all my plates, Leaps. Who do you think owns this place?”

“Sombra,” Gabriel warned. He couldn't quite keep a smile from tugging at the corners of his lips, however. “It sounds like my niece might have gotten the better of you. I'm interested to hear the story.”

A separate plate and goblet were brought out, and Gabriel ate while listening to Sombra tell the tale with a few interruptions from the frog. At the end, he chuckled, and looked down at their guest.

“That's the trouble with bargaining with girls who think they're sorceresses—it's never going to end up the way you want. Her word is good. I'll back it up, myself. You can consider the palace your home for as long as you like. You can dine with us here and live in the royal quarters. No special arrangements are going to be made outside of that, however. You've bargained your way into a place not built to your scale. Stay as long as you can manage, but any difficulties are yours to work out. Sombra has enough to do without being your guardian into the bargain.”

“I don't need a guardian. If I made a bad deal, then that's on me. I accept that. But I'm not about to give up over a little inconvenience.”

“That's the spirit, Spot!” Sombra cheered.

When the frog turned to look at her, Gabriel drowned a smile in a sip of wine. It was hard to gauge the expression on the frog's face, but he was almost certain that he was seeing exasperation there. Sombra could try the patience of stone when she wanted to, and, from the looks of things, she had decided that the frog was going to be her new...pet project. Gabriel would be surprised if her payment for his favor lasted three days before the frog gave up and went home. He almost felt sorry for the creature.

After the meal was over, Sombra rose to leave, but was stopped as the frog hopped closer to her.

“Before you go, Princess, tell me which of the rooms is to be mine, as I assume you won't be sharing. Remember, you did promise me a royal suite.”

For the first time, Sombra looked less than pleased with herself over the bargain. The only unoccupied rooms in the wing of the palace reserved for royalty had belonged to her parents, and she wasn't about to let a frog lay claim to those. She hesitated, staring down at him and feeling the first spark of anger over his presumption.

Gabriel guessed her dilemma and offered a solution. “You can share my rooms, Frog. I'll even give you a lift there, just this once.”

He rested his hand palm-up on the table as the frog stared up at him, considering. The frog would have been a fool to refuse the offer, but he still hesitated long enough that Gabriel nearly withdrew his hand. He wondered if the frog was afraid of him after all, and afraid of being carried away from witnesses. In the end, however, the frog climbed onto his palm without further prompting, and Gabriel set off for his quarters, carrying his unexpected guest carefully.

It wasn't long before he realized that the frog was staring at him, rather than watching to see where they were going. Gabriel ignored it for most of the way, but as they neared his door, he halted and looked at the frog.

“You're staring,” he accused. “Scared I'll turn out to be as evil a bastard as I look?”

“I was thinking that you're rather handsome, actually.”

Now, it was Gabriel's turn to stare. Was he really seeing a flush of darker skin across the frog's nose? Laughing, he let himself into his room.

“I like my men a bit taller. Besides, I'm not sure if being considered handsome by a frog is a compliment or not.”

“I meant it as one.”

“I could tell as much.” He ran a finger over the scars marring his right cheek, unaccountably pleased. “I've got some work to finish up. Anything you need for now?”

“My skin is getting dry. Could I have a bowl of water to soak in?”

“Certainly.”

Gabriel set the frog down on his desk, and filled the basin on his washstand with fresh water from the ewer. He brought it over and set it out of the way on the far corner so that the frog could have his soak nearby. Then, he settled in and got to work reviewing all the reports and new developments that had come in during the day while he'd been occupied with other things.

It was hours later when he finished, and he leaned back in his chair to stretch. The frog was watching him when he relaxed, and might have been watching for some time for all that Gabriel had been paying attention.

“Sorry if I haven't been the best host.”

“Not like I have anything to offer you by way of a distraction.”

“What, no exciting tales about life in the pond?”

“I haven't lived there long.”

“Made a bad bargain at your last castle?”

“Something like that.”

Gabriel grinned at him. “I'll wish you the best of luck here. I think you'll need it. For now, though, what we probably both need is a good night's sleep.” He fetched a pillow off his bed, and placed it on the chair in front of the desk so that the frog could easily get to the basin again if he needed another soak in the middle of the night.

“The bed would have been fine.”

“Trust me, you don't want to share with me. I'm a restless sleeper.”

It wasn't quite a lie. The night terrors he'd suffered from ever since returning home from the war that had cost the country its king did indeed make him a restless, violent sleeper. The frog would be far safer away from the bed.

“The Princess promised me a kiss, as well. Will you be filling in for that, too?”

Gabriel arched a brow. “I don't recall that being included in her account earlier.” It took him a moment to recognize the trilling sound the frog made as a laugh.

“Figured it couldn't hurt to try.”

They said their good nights and settled into their respective beds. Smiling to himself, Gabriel hoped that he had been wrong in his initial assessment of the frog's chances. It seemed like it might be amusing to have him around.

-----------------

In the wee hours of the morning, the frog was woken by the sounds of groans, unintelligible shouts, and thrashing. He had suspected that Gabriel had either been lying to him about being a restless sleeper, or else vastly exaggerating the issue, but he recognized the night terrors for what they were, and his heart went out to the man. Feeling that he couldn't leave Gabriel in such a state, he hopped from the chair to the floor, then onto the bench at the foot of the bed, then onto the great heaving ocean of sheets that covered the struggling regent.

“Gabriel,” he called, hopping carefully up towards the head of the bed. “Wake up, Gabriel. You're home in bed. You're safe.”

When Gabriel began to calm, the frog made the mistake of thinking that it was safe to get closer. He made one more leap, and landed partially on Gabriel's neck when the man shifted. With a shout, Gabriel's eyes flew open. Still caught in the grip of whatever awful memories had clawed their way through his sleeping mind, he snatched the frog off his throat, and flung him away as hard as he could. There was a horrible, final-sounding thump, then only the sounds of Gabriel's ragged breathing as his rational mind slowly reasserted itself.

As he came around, Gabriel eventually noticed a sense of coolness on his throat. Touching his skin, he felt dampness there, but although his fingers glistened faintly when he drew them away, there was no blood.

“What...?” Memory returned in a rush, and, with it, realization. “Frog!”

Gabriel threw back the covers and was out of bed in a heartbeat. He found the frog lying limp and belly-up on the floor, and knelt before it. The tiny body was still and cold as he lifted it up.

“I'm sorry,” he whispered, sick at heart over what he had done. “I should have warned you. I'm sorry.” Gently, he kissed the tip of the frog's nose.

There was a blinding flash of light and the crack of a small thunderclap. Gabriel was buffeted by a gust of displaced air, and suddenly felt something heavy across his thighs. As his vision cleared, he found himself with his hands cupping the face of a very startled-looking blond man, a man who was currently straddling his lap while quite naked.

“It worked?” the man asked dazedly. Then, blue eyes gaining focus as a smile broke out across a face as thickly dusted with freckles as the frog had been with spots, he exclaimed: “It worked!Gabriel, you did it! You broke the curse! I'm human again! I—!” Looking down, he noticed his complete lack of clothing and laughed self-consciously. “I guess I should have seen that coming.”

Gabriel gaped at him openly. “You're not a frog,” he managed.

No, the man sitting on his lap was most definitely not a frog. Gabriel's gaze roamed over his face, strong-featured and open beneath a thatch of blond hair. He had broad shoulders sprinkled with freckles, a chest that was practically begging to be touched, toned stomach, trim waist.... Gabriel forced himself to look up. He saw that his hands were still holding the former frog's face, and he let go with an effort. Running the country had kept him too busy for personal relationships for years, and he felt as if he was being unfairly tested by the delicious treat that had just dropped into his lap.

“Crown Prince, actually. Name's Jack. Um, Gabriel. I was just wondering, if it's not too impertinent to ask—” Jack's impish smile said that he didn't care if it was. “—am I tall enough to catch your interest now?”