pt. 19

Edith woke up the next morning to find herself still under the willow tree. She tried to stand up and hit her head on a very conveniently placed, super think, extremely tough branch. She staggered backwards, rubbing her head.

The willow, very offended by this rude gesture, started to cry.

“Oh great,” Edith grumbled. “It’s a weeper.”

Weepers, or weeping willows, as they are sometimes called, are simply willow trees that are quite easily offended by just about anything.

Edith tried to avoid these as much as possible, but she tended to bump into them (literally) quite often.

After a few hours of wandering around, Edith found herself back at her tower, it was in perfect shape. She sighed at walked up to the door. She magicked up her key and went to insert it, but before she could unlock the door she heard someone call her name.

“Edith?!” a voice behind her called out.

Edith turned around and backed into her door. Standing in front of her was the one person she really didn’t want to see right now.

“It is you! Edith!” a girl with long, flowing, bright yellow hair bounded up to her. Her tall leather boot were worn and covered in dried mud which was also crusted on the bottom of her dark blue pleated skirt. The girl also wore an off-the-shoulder sweater with a bleeding heart on it. Her striking white eyes sparkled in the sunlight.

“Oh, Sebille, hi…” Edith grumbled.

“You, you don’t like me do you…” The girl’s hair instantly drooped and turned blue, her skin became extremely pale and she started to cry.

“No! Wait! It’s not that, it’s just that, well, i wasn't expecting to see you again so soon!”

The girl continued to cry and her hair was morphing from blue to black.

“Wait! Stop! Stop being scarred for life!” Edith yelled at her.

The girl lifted her head as her hair turned orange. Edith saw that she was confused.

“Sebille, listen, I’m sorry, it’s just that I’ve had a lot to think about lately, it’s not you.”

“Oh, ok, I understand… But you haven't talked to me in a few years now, you’ve been ignoring me…” Sebille sighed as her hair started to turn a deep red color.

“Sebille, please, listen, i can’t get in contact with anyone these days, if you wanted to talk to me you could have come yourself.”

Sebille growled. Edith sighed.

“Here we go again…”

Sebille flew up into the air and sprouted demon wings from her back. Her eyes turned black and her hair turned to fire. She grew long talons and roared into the sky.

Edith sighed and threw a piece of ice at her. Sebille immediately froze and fell to the ground. Her hair turned white along with her eyes and everything returned to it’s normal proportions.

After about a day of walking, Edith finally reached her destination, Fairy Haven. She dragged Sebille by her leg along the ground to a large castle made of a portobello mushroom, Edith’s favorite which made it hard to resist taking a bite as she entered. She remembered the directions, two rights and a left, she soon found herself in the throne room which smelled of mushroom stew. Edith cleared her throat and the jester instantly stopped juggling. The queen looked down at Edith and Sebille and sighed. She waved her hands and the jester grabbed her stuff and ran off to the corner where she liked to pretend to be stealthy and listen in on other’s conversations.

Edith dragged Sebille up the the throne and snapped her fingers, instantly Sebille unfroze and stood up with rage, her hair turned to fire again. A nearby guard ran in with a fire extinguisher and put out her head. Not realizing she was bald, Sebille ran from the room, leaving puddles of tears in her wake.

The jester in the corner giggled then shut herself up in a closet.

The queen looked to Edith.

“I’m sorry she bothered you... “ she sighed.

“That’s okay, it gave me the chance to come visit again, it’s been years Queen Tatiana.”

“Indeed, it has, come, let’s walk.”

Edith and the queen walked through the village with the jester not far behind.

“So, who’s the new jester?” Edith asked, not recognizing her.

“Hilaria.” The queen giggled.

“Really?!” Edith gasped. “She’s been wanting to do this for years!”

“Yes, she did, so i gave her a chance, but Edith, something is wrong, what is it?”

“How could you tell?”

“I just know, you know this.”

Edith sighed. “Fine, Nicole came back.”

The queen stopped in her tracks. Her face went blank.

“Tatiana? What’s wrong?”

“She’s back, after a thousand years, she’s finally back… my daughter… she’s back…”

The queen rushed over to two of her guards and started talking rapidly. It sounded like a mouse trying to speak english, or worse, elvin.

The two guards nodded and ran off to spread the word. The queen then rushed to her chambers and grabbed a small pinch of light. She sprouted her wings and dropped the light onto them, they shimmered and enlarged. She then flew out the window with Edith following as a mini dragon.

pt. 18

It had been three months since Nicole had started working on Reviving Scotty, and she had had nothing but success. And one day he finally woke up. He sat up abruptly and looked around himself frantically. He was alone in the room because Nicole had just left. He tried to get to his feet but fell and boxes violently crashed down onto him. A maid heard the commotion and decided to see what had caused the noise. When she entered the room and saw Scotty lying there, attempting to escape the large pile, she screamed, which brought the guards, who ended up calling the cook, who called the jester, who called the cupbearer, who eventually called the queen. When the queen arrived she was overjoyed and sent for Nicole immediately. When she arrived she started cleaning up all of her work and potions. When he had the strength, Scotty threw himself at Nicole in thanks.

Scotty walked through the village to Indigo’s bakery to say hi. When he walked through the door, she dropped what she was doing and gave him the biggest hug in the history of hugs.

“Oh, i’m so glad D could help you?!”

Scotty had no idea who “D” was but he was too tired and too happy to ask questions.

“Is that Scotty?” a voice sounded from the back room.

“Yes Momma! Is it okay if i get out early?!”

“I wish!” Indigo’s mother entered the room with a beheaded chicken in her hands. Scotty shuddered. “But we just have too many customers and Roary is sick, I can’t afford to lose you too, i’m sorry honey!”

That’s okay,” Indigo smiled. “Hey, Scotty, meet me by the river tonight after work, we can hang out then!” Indigo hugged Scotty and continued with her work.

Edith tried her hardest not to cry but she couldn't hold them back any longer. A sizzling sound could be faintly heard through the silent forest. She sat against a willow tree and cried. Cried like never before.

She tried to save him, Scotty, the one person to understand her, she had failed. Failed to save him from the awful fate he would faced. She knew what Nicole what do to him, take a piece of her own soul and connect it to his. Whenever she wanted, she could possess his body and mind, forcing him to do or say anything she wants him to.

Edith looked down at her hands, tear streaks had burned themselves into her skin, the same had happened to her face where the tears had been.

The sun started to set, making way for the moon to look down upon the pesky mortals.

Scotty say down at the dinner table with his mother and Nick. The queen had invited her to eat with them as a thank you for bringing Scotty back to life. She had quickly accepted, almost too quickly.

The queen had prepared mollusks, Scotty’s favorite food, in celebration. Turns out that Nick loved Mollusks and was very excited. Scotty reached for the salt and prepared to sprinkle it on his serving when Nick’s hand grabbed his wrist. The queen stared at the two, who were looking at each other.

“Salt?! Really?!” Nick sneered.

“Yeah, what’s wrong with that?” Scotty asked, confused.

“Here,” Nick took the salt shaker from his hand and replaced it with a vial of sparkles. “Try this.”

“Really, sparkles?”

“Not sparkles, silly, this is the essence of light, go on, try it!”

Scotty reluctantly uncorked the vial and sprinkled some on his mollusks. He then took a bite. It tasted amazing, like stars made of more stars. Scotty wasn't sure what that might taste like, but he could think of no other way to describe the incredible flavor.

“Wow!” he exclaimed after several seconds of silence.

“Good, right?”

“Yeah!”

The queen remained silent, trying her hardest to take photos with her memory to be extracted later, she liked to think of this as Scotty’s first date. She was already planning a scrap book. Yes, she was that kind of mom.

pt. 17

Edith walked out of the castle courtyard and went to the lake. She sat on a hill and gazed out upon the silent, motionless water. Two others joined her there.

“Are you thinking about Scotty?” The girl asked.

“Yup, you too?” Edith sighed.

“Yup,”

“So Pierson, who’s this girl you brought with you?”

The boy was startled at the sound of his name. “How do you know my name?!”

“Really? It’s me! Edith!”

Pierson turned to her and laughed. “Oh, so it is! This is my cousin, Indigo. Indigo, this is my friend Edith.” Indigo turned to Edith and shook her hand.

“Wow,” she gasped. “I’ve never met a real live dragon before!”

Edith froze when she mentioned that word. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about!”

“Don’t be silly, and don't worry, i love dragons, my best friend was a dragon. Until he died.”

“I’m sorry,”

“Hey, it happens. Don't worry about it.”

“So do you think D can save the prince?” Pierson shrugged.

“Whats with the whole ‘D’ thing anyways?”

“My cousin, Pierson’s long lost sister, Delilah? She was the blonde girl who said she could bring him back to live.” Indigo sighed.

“Nicole is your sister?!” Edith shouted at Pierson.

“Yeah so?”

“You’re related to the most dangerous criminal in the universe!”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Delilah would never be that bad. Nicole Whisper is the most dangerous, no one has ever seen her and lived to tell the tale!”

“I have! You have! Scotty almost did,”

“Don't be silly, it's not like D is Nicole!”

“But she is!”

Silence.

“You’re crazy!” Indigo glared at Edith. “If you want to insult our family again, you’re gonna wish you hadn't!” and with that, the two walked off, leaving Edith sitting there in horror.

“Clever, clever girl,” a voice sounded behind her.

“What do you want Nicole, or should i call you D now?”

“You can call me what you want, i won't mind,”

“What do you want with Scotty?!”

“I want to do the impossible, bring him back to life, he was the only one to take me for who i truly am,”

“He never saw your true self, you just showed him your fake side,”

“Well, i’ll be seeing you,”

“Don't count on it!”

There was a boom and Nicole burst into flames. She was gone. Edith was alone, for real this time. But she didn't care. Slowly she rose to her feet and started home, she shouldn't stay here any longer. Everyone hated her here. So she headed home.

pt. 16

Edith finally lost the slow guards and came to a large tree to rest in the treetops. She glided down and landed. She then became a girl once more and climbed to the highest branch to sleep. But as soon as she lay down, her thoughts were interrupted by a wet squish right next to her ears, she jerked up but saw nothing. As she tried to rest again, her forehead became startlingly wet. She jerked up again and saw a small figure in her lap.

“Hey! What's the deal with flinging me off that egg?!” a small red and black frog complained.

“That wasn't an egg, that was my forehead! Who are you?” Edith responded harshly.

“A frog, duh! Wow, you look hungry, i saw you land, dragon,”

Edith started to inch away.

“Don't worry,” The frog giggled. “Come on, if we go back to my ship you can have something to eat, the crew doesn't mind animals or dragons, don't worry.”

“Crew? Ship? What are you talking about?!”

“Come, turn into a dragon and i will guide you!”

Edith did as she said mainly because she was cute and she was starving.

They flew for a while until Edith heard a loud roaring come from the forest floor.

“Lets check it out!” The frog pointed out. Edith didn't think this was such a good idea but if it meant getting food, she was fine. They swerved down only to find a giant boar preparing to feast on a tribe sacrifice, a young girl tied to a tree and covered in spices. Before they could land the frog leaped off Edith’s back and landed in front of the boar.

“Are you crazy?!” Edith roared. “You’re gonna kill yourself!”

“Try me!” The frog shouted and melted. Edith gasped. The frog was now in the form of a frost dragon! Edith watched as the boar charged but she simply froze it in it’s tracks. Edith quickly morphed back into herself and landed next to the girl at the tree. She quickly untied her and stared at the frog-dragon thing.

“Get on,” she said, now in the form of a red and black griffon. So they obeyed and they flew towards the sea.

They soon reached a large ship and the griffon landed on the dock. As Edith and the girl slid off her, several muscular men lined up a kneeled as the griffon walked between them. The one that looked to be the captain came out a ruffled her fur and feathers. He then noticed Edith and the girl.

“Ah! Princess, forgive me for being so rude.”

“Huh?” Edith tilted her head in confusion.

“And Princess Dawn, to what do i owe this pleasure?”

“Your daughter rescued me from being a sacrifice,”

“Come in both of you! You must be starving, Hazel, show them where to go, and do become yourself, or you won't fit,”

“Yes, father,” The griffon became a girl with a large pirate-like hat and long fawn hair that was tied in a braid. Her dress was black and a dark red leather cover was on her waist. She had dark red leggings and large black boots. She also had a black belt with sheath and sword, on the other side she had a pistol and holder. Edith suddenly felt quite nervous around her.

“Come we can do introductions and eat in here.” She took them into a room with a table and maps all over the walls.

“My name is Hazel, my father is captain of our ship and i am hoping to become captain next.”

“My name is Dawn, princess of the tribe of the river, and i don't like it here.” Hazel glared at her.

“Okay, My name is Edith, and i don't care about titles, i wish to be a great warrior for my kingdom.”

“Well Edith, i'm surprised how calmly you’re acting, you know, this being a pirate ship and all,”

Edith leaped out of her chair and readied her dagger.

“Oh, don't worry, we won't hurt you, actually it's probably best you get out of here as soon as possible, after all, that girl you hate, Nicole was it? She is ‘helping’ your friend and i bet she’s going to do something just awful!”

Edith glared with terror and ran from the room and out into the forest. Hazel grinned at Dawn and changed form.

“Well Shadow, i must say you are quite the actor,” Hazel smirked as her true form was revealed. It was Nicole!

“Thank you Nicole,” Dawn changed into a simple shadow and flew off. Nicole waved her arms and disappeared.

Edith arrived at the castle and burst into the throne room.

“Where is she!?”

The queen gasped. “You! Out! Guards!”

“Your majesty i promise i have no intention of hurting anyone! Just please, hear me out,”

“Go on!” The king bellowed.

“Nicole Whisper isn't here to heal your son, but to hurt him,”

The whole room gasped in horror. The queen ran from the room and came back in a minute.

“Impossible! He’s fine! I was just in there and Nicole left for the day,”

“When will she be back?”

“Two weeks,”

“I need to be here when she is, see what she does,”

The queen sighed but agreed. What else could she do?