Otaku Idol: Round One

[Charles]

Narrowing down the competitors was a long and arduous process. But, after several hours of bickering, boozing, and playing twister, Sara, Mnemolth, and Heaven's Cloud were finally able to decide on the final contestants for the [i]Otaku Idol[/i] competition.

Here are your Otaku Idols:

[i][u]The finalists are[/u][/i]:

[b]Ravenstorture
Zidargh
Lady Asphyxia
Lady Macaiodh
Braidless Baka
Deedlit
Na?dou
Juuthena
AJeh
Blackroseoni[/b]

Congratulations to those of you who've made it and good luck.

The first round may seem like an easy one at first, but I am sure that you will find it to be a true test of both your writing skill and your imagination. All that you have to do is write a fairy tale. Remember, originality and creativity are two of the most important aspects of the art of writing. All entries are due by [b]June 6th[/b], good luck. No late entries will be accepted. So, even if you haven't completed the exercise for this round, you're encouraged to post [i]something[/i].

[b]First Task: [i]Compose a Fairy Tale[/i][/b]

[size=1]Remember, this thread is strictly for submission purposes only. Once the entry date has passed, this thread will be closed and another will be created that will allow the general public to cast their votes and critique alongside the judges.

Also, we will later reveal information on how [b]you[/b] can become a guest judge for [i]Otaku Idol[/i]. So, look out for that.[/size]

[Na'dou]

Black Magic
By Na?dou Teller (AKA Jana?)

Once upon a time, in a far away land there were two kingdoms. There was the Dark Kingdom and the Good Kingdom. Queen Almita ruled the Good Kingdom, and her evil sister Vilta ruled the Dark Kingdom.

In the Good Kingdom, there was a young black cat wizard named Zubla. He was very unskilled in his magic like most young wizards were, but he had powers far greater than theirs. His best friend Meka, a gray fox sorcerer, was a mistress of her magic. She was a royal magician of the queen?s castle because of her skill. Zubla hoped to be just like her. The two of them lived in the Good Kingdom under the rule of Queen Almita. Like all, they were loyal to their good queen and would stop at nothing to protect their home.


He often told her, ? I admire your skill. I hope to be a great and royal wizard like you some day.?

She would say,? don?t worry my friend; your day will come. One day you will be put to the ultimate challenge like I was, and your magic will be your only way out of danger. I just hope you?ll be ready when that day comes.?

?Oh, you bet I will.?

?That?s great my friend. You?ll be the best wizard ever.?

Zubla thought about her words very closely. He wondered if she was right. He wondered if he was right. Was he ready? He pondered over these things over his lunch and his dinner. Little did he know that his day was on the horizon. He would have to use his magic skills a little sooner than he expected. Not too far from the queen?s land was the land of her evil twin sister, Vilta. She was plotting an attack on her sister?s land. She wanted to conquer it and rule both lands proving her amazing power over the good queen. She summoned her most loyal and best wizard, Dubla.

?Go to my sister?s land,? she said,? and show them my power! Order their surrender or they shall all perish. Do this, and you will be a member of my Famous ones forever!?

?As you wish my queen,? he said. ? I will stop at nothing to do your will. I am the Dark Wizard Warrior, and I will destroy their kingdom.?

Vilta laughed evilly as the sun went down. The Good Kingdom was in store for an unwanted surprise, and their only hope was going to be the most unexpected hero.

A week after Vilta had agreed to her plan, it went into motion while the queen was giving her yearly banquet. The whole kingdom was at the castle for the biggest feast of the year. Zubla, and Meka were sitting at the head of the table with the queen. Zubla watched his friend as she used her powers to prepare and entertain the guest with the food. He hoped for a chance to do something as great as that. She winked at him, and he smiled. Everyone was soon eating the feast that had been prepared. Zubla and Meka ate cheerfully and talked. The queen, Almita, watched the two of them and smiled. Meka noticed and blushed.

?You two seem to get along very well for youngsters,? she said. ?How long have you been friends??

?Since we were babies,? Zubla replied. ? Our mothers always told us that we would end up together. I?m not sure what they meant, but this is fine with me.?

?Mmm hmm,? she replied smiling at Meka who blushed and continued eating. ? You don?t know what that means??

?No ma?am,? he replied.

?It means you two are going to be joined in holy matrimony!?

?WHA-?? he queried nearly choking on his food. Meka laughed and tickled him. He looked at her and smiled. ? Well, I guess I?m okay with that. I don?t know if it?s true, but I wouldn?t mind.?

?Oh my child, that day may be closer than you think,? Almita said. ? Why I?.?

The queen is interrupted as everyone is suddenly strapped down to his or her chairs. As the queen herself is taken, Zubla and Meka jump out of theirs. They hide down low and await the cause of the chaos. When he is seen through the dust, Meka gasps and lets back. She knows that he is the Dark Wizard Warrior who so many elders had told her of. As he approached the queen, he draws his wand.

?Her greatest wizard, come to me!? He cried. Zubla watched in horror as his friend was lifted into the air and over to the Dark One. He held her by the neck and looked at her. ?My my, aren?t you a young one? You?re pretty too. I might spare you if my request is refused.?

?I?d rather die than end up in your paws,? she growled. He choked her a little harder.

?That can be arranged,? He growled back. ?Queen Almita, I have come to ask for your surrender. Give up, and you shall live. Refuse, and you shall die. Take your pick. Which will it be??

?I will never surrender this kingdom without a fight,? She replied.? My sister sent you here, didn?t she? I will never give up my kingdom to her!?

? Then you shall perish just like this wretch I hold now,? He said raising his wand. ?Say good bye!?

?Not so fast!? Zubla hopped up zapping him with thundered fire. He drops Meka and is thrown backwards on the table. ? I won?t let you destroy this kingdom. Not a chance of that happening. I challenge you to a magical duel. If I out zap you, you?re out of here.?

?Fool! I am far more experienced than you?ll ever be!?

?Maybe so, but at least I?m not a hotheaded jerk.?

?As you wish. You shall go down in flames like a crashing plain.?

?Bring it on.?

The two concentrate their magic, and they?re lifted up into the air. Zubla grins like a chess cat, while Dubla frowns with a serious look on his face. He makes the first move, which was what Zubla wanted. He forms a small wand cannon and absorbs Dubla?s magic. He is shocked as his magic is fired back at him with doubled power. Zubla grins and folds his arms. Dubla growls in anger and uses his wand to throw dark hands out at Zubla. He is constricted and made immobile. Dubla grins and swings him down onto the table. He then throws him into the wall knocking the wind out of him. Zubla looks up as Dubla comes in for the kill.

?You fought well, but you cannot defeat me,? He said standing over Zubla.? Good bye my friend!?

?Ice of blades!? Meka cries out firing blade-like icicles at Dubla. He falls to his knees and turns into fire melting the ice.

?You wretched witch, I will burn you alive!? he cries. Zubla gets up for one last effort as Dubla charges for Meka. He raises his wand cannon, and jumps into the air. He creates an earthquake that stops Dubla in his tracks as he landed on the ground. He focuses his energy and begins to glow. His mother had told him that when you become one with your wand, you would have the ultimate power, and that nothing would stand in his way. Until that day, his time of being a great wizard was far off but closer than he would have ever expected. As he glows, he pulls the trigger on the wand, and the ground begins to shake. ?What?s going on!??

?I?m what?s going on,? Zubla replies. ?I will not allow you to destroy my home. Tell your queen we said ?No thanks? to her offer.?

?What? You dare to challenge my queen? I will crush you like a bug!?

?Okay, we can do this the hard way. I summon the Dragon of Light! Destroy the evil that plagues thee!?

The ground shakes once more as Zubla?s wand shoots up a beam of light. A dragon?s head appears within it, and it shoots down for Dubla. He stands frozen with fear in his tracks as the dragon crashes down on him and explodes into a bright white light. When the dust clears, Dubla is gone, the dragon has vanished, and Zubla is lying down on the ground unconscious. Meka runs over to him and holds him tight. As she cries, her tears awaken him, and he looks up and smiles. Meka blushes and smiles back. The queen gets up and comes over to the two of them. As they stand up, she places her hand on Zubla?s head.

?With the power invested in me, I here by dub thee Sir Dubla of the royal wizards,? She said. ?You may kiss the bride?No, wait. That?s not right??

?Actually my queen, it?s you may take your wand and raise it in the air in approval,? Meka replied. The queen nods in agreement and orders Zubla to do so. He raises his wand, and the whole kingdom applauses and stands. As he lets it down, Meka gets closer and kisses his cheek. He grins and blushes. ? That?s for being the best friend I could ever ask for.?

?No problem,? He replies smiling down at her. He then kisses her back. ?I couldn?t ask for a better friend than you.?

?Aww, this is just so lovely,? the queen says. ?Kiss her again. You two deserve each other.?

The two of them look at each other and wonder if they dare. Meka lets her head down, and Zubla pulls her close. He leans down and kisses her as she looks up, and the crowd cheers. She gazes at her best friend and smiles. The two of them rubbed their heads together and they would live happily ever after.

The End

[Deedlit]

[color=009966]ooc: I was going to wait a bit longer, but I'll be away at camp from Monday through Friday.

Many years ago, to the far west of the continent known as Arthenost, there was a land known as Lysanor. It was believed that Lysanor was the land most beloved of the gods, for its beauty was unmatched by any other land, save the One where souls go once they die. It was even rumored that angels would descend from the heavens and visit the rich and prosperous land where humans, elves, dwarves, sprites and nature lived in peace with each other.

But one night, that one, fateful night, Mamnor, the most powerful necromancer that ever existed, set off from the poor countries of Arthenost to take over Lysanor. It is said that even the stars and the moons trembled at his coming, and they cloaked themselves in darkness to hide them from the terrible sight. The world was plunged into darkness, even before the necromancer set foot on Lysanor. His legions of demons and warriors stormed the shores and the nearby villages and killed anyone who came to stop them. The demons, skasteries, dark elves, witherchi, black mages, and dark knights, who all had long watched in loathing and hatred at the other races, were only too willing to join the forces of the Necromancer. Within two days, Mamnor had taken over the eastern half of Lysanor, and within a few weeks had taken over the southern half as well.

The elves, dwarves, and humans, now homeless and utterly miserable, could do nothing against the might of the Necromancer. Their anger bubbled up inside of them, so much that the Elders were afraid that it would lead to the destruction of them all, and there was nothing left to do but blame the other races for the damage that had happened. The elves blamed the humans, the humans blamed the dwarves, and the dwarves blamed the elves. After it looked as if there would be a war between themselves, one representitive of each race held a private council. They would discuss what should be done to restore the alliance between them and what must be done to stop the Necromancer.

The meeting lasted for many days, and still they had not reached a conclusion. Suddenly one came up with the solution: the Rhistar. The Rhistar was a collection of many arcane and sacred items with mysterious magical powers, but they were scattered about Lysanor centuries ago. One elder said that it was a child's bedtime story and nothing more, but another elder protested. What if this "bedtime story" was true? It could mean salvation for them all. But the former elder pointed out that they were not as young as they used to be, and traveling all across Lysanor in this time of conflict was unheard of. They voted that if they could find someone willing to undertake this quest then it would be settled. Having come to an agreement, the Elders put the council to a close and summoned everyone to meet at the old willow tree an hour before midnight.

The tension at the meeting was high as all the races against Mamnor came together. The Elders informed them of their decision to find all the pieces of the Rhistar and asked for volunteers. The silence that followed was almost smothering. Just when the Elders were about to give up, a human boy with the name of Teryn, no more than sixteen years of age stepped forward. Soon to follow was a young elven maiden named Litasai who was a very talented mage, a dwarf named Rochnar who's battle axe had many notches along the blade, and a human warrior called Koryu, who was slightly older than the boy. The Elders thanked them for offering to risk their lives for the cause. Just when they were about to be dismissed, a figure cloaked in black emerged from the shadows and stepped into the firelight. Everyone was astounded to see that this man was a dark elf! Everyone's hands shifted to their weapons, but the drow informed them that he had no intention of fighting them. He was a renegade warrior known as Aelas who was exiled when he defied the Necromancer while his brethren agreed to fight for Mamnor. After that, he walked over to take his place next to the other four. The Elders eyed him warily, but they eventually gave their approval. At dawn of the next day, the small group departed in search of the first piece, which was said to lie far to the north.

As they stood on the peaks of the Gwenar Mountains, they could see that the armies of Mamnor were expanding across Lysanor. Forts and fortresses were being built, trees were being cut down to make wider bridges across the rivers, and the smell of burning coal for the furnaces was ever-present in the air, even at this elevation. The group gloomily trudged through the mountain pass until they came to what looked like a deserted temple. They approached it warily, moving as silently as a shadow. As they approached the door, there was a sign that was engraved upon with ancient runes. It read: "Pass only if thou art confident in thy skills, for once ye pass through, thou must face the trials of the labyrinth." Drawing out their weapons, each entered through the crumbling doorway. How long they fought their way through the maze, none could tell. There were no windows, and the entire place smelled thickly of dust, mold, and death. Finally, exausted and weary, they reached the end. They were now in what once must have been a grand and magnificent room. At the end was a large oval mirror. At their approach, a shining white light appeared. Once it dimmed, a person clad in majestic white robes and large, delicate wings stood before them---an angel. In his hands he held what appeared to be a large green disk with intricate patterns, designs, and runes on it. Suddenly, as swift as lightning, he hurled it at Teryn. The boy raised his hand to block the attack, but as suddenly as it came at him, it was gone. He looked questionly towards the angel, but the angel merely smiled and glanced at the boy's hand. And there it was: the same, glowing, green disk-shaped pattern on his hand. The angel explained that they had passed the Trial of the Labyrinth, and that the image on his hand was a piece of the Rhistar. When its power was summoned, a holy weapon would appear to help him in a time of need. But there were still four more that they must find before the entire power of the Rhistar could be unleashed. The angel told them that the next piece would be found to the west. After that, he vanished and the group vanished with him. When they awoke, they were right outside of the crumbling temple, and they started off to the next location.

About a month had passed since Teryn defeated the Trial of the Labyrinth, and they had passed many more trials: Litasai passed the Trial of Illusion, Rochnar passed the Trial of Strength, Koryu passed the Trial of Courage, and Aelas passed the Trial of Darkness. Time, however, was running out. During the month, Mamnor's legions had extended their reach to the north and farther west. More than once they had to battle their way through the enemies camps and new territories. After thinking that they must have been walking for ages, they arrived at the gates to the Necromancer's stronghold. They ran through the courtyard, fighting off what monsters remained (luckily for their sake, most of Mamnor's minions were on a scouting expedition that the group had managed to dodge). They ran up a long flight of steps until they came to a long hallway with a huge wooden door at the end. This was where the Necromancer was. The pieces of the Rhistar began to glow now. Feeling the presence of evil, the magic of the Rhistar wanted to be released to fight it. Deciding that now was the moment that they've been waiting for, everyone began to summon the mysterious powers that had been dormant for so long. Just as the angel in the labyrinth had predicted, they were given weapons that would aid them in the final battle. Teryn was given a longsword with a mithril blade. Litasai recieved a magical staff that would greatly increase her magic's strength. Koryu was given armor that was as strong as mithril, light as a feather, and allowed him to move freely. Rochnar recieved gauntlets that increased his strength and boots that allowed him to move faster. Aelas was given twin scimitars that glowed with fire. Just when they were about to open the door, a soft and deep cackle filled the air as the door opened by itself. Cautiously, they entered.

It was dim inside the large room, and it took a few moments for their eyes to grow accustomed to it. Aelas, having the sharpest eyes, was the first to see Mamnor as he was preparing a large energy blast to hurl at them. He shouted a warning and everyone barely managed to dodge the attack that shot a large chunk of the doorframe off. The Necromancer was preparing another attack when he noticed that the pieces of the Rhistar were glowing even more brightly. The light from them was so bright that even the companions turned their eyes away from the light shining forth from their hands. All could hear Mamnor shriek in pain as he fell to the floor and shielded his eyes with his hands. The angel that they met in the Labyrinth appeared in front of the companions and told them that now was the chance to attack Mamnor while he was weak. They held their weapons ready and charged forward, but Mamnor was not defeated yet. He hurled lightning at them with one hand while the other protected his face as much as it could. The heroes flew all the way across the room from the force of the blast, which gave Mamnor time to get to his feet. Litasai used her magical staff to help her rise to her feet. Then she had an idea. Saying the words of magic, she aimed her staff at Mamnor just as he was about to finish them all off. Mamnor froze where he stood and couldn't move. With a bitter curse, he tried to break free, but with the help of the Rhistar, the restrainig spell was to strong for him. By then the others were on their feet as well and they quickly attacked him. Mamnor sank to his knees from the pain as Litasai staggered from exhaustion. With a final, bitter vow, the Necromancer's eyes clouded over, and he died.

Even though Mamnor's reign was over and his minions fled into hiding once more, the damage he had caused remained. The trees were still cut down or burned, the villages and cities were still ashes and cinders, and the alliances between elves, humans, and dwarves were still stretched thin. It would take many years for Lysanor to heal. Just as the heroes trudged wearily out of the stronghold, a rumbling came from behind them. They turned around and saw that the fortress was sinking in upon itself. When the dust cleared and the earth stopped shaking, it was no more than a pile of rubble. They decided that now was the time to go home. Aelas, however, had other plans. Since he just couldn't grow accustomed to living the same way the others did, and since he couldn't go back home, he headed off in a seperate direction and became a traveler. Eventually, everyone decided to go their seperate ways. Rochnar went to the mountains up north, Litasai traveled farther west where there were still a few forests remaining, Koryu traveled back out west to take care of the remaining demons that might still be lurking about, and Teryn went to the south. When they were gone, the angel returned at the site where all five of them were last together. And upon a large rock, the angel engraved the following:

[i]Lysanor is forever grateful to Teryn, Koryu, Litasai, Rochnar, and Aelas---the Heroes of the Rhistar.[/i]

The End[/color]

[Juu]

[color=ff00cc] [size=1]OOC: Uh-oh. oo;

-------[/color] [/size]

[color=purple] [size=2] [center]-Cyrine-[/center] [/size]

[size=1]Elijah extended his arms. A veil of light caressed gently against his fingertips, a soft breeze brushing through his hair. In front of his eyes, he could see the face of a beautiful maiden, smiling and singing softly. Only her face was visible, for he was lying down, and lines of veils lapped at his sides. The vanilla light softened, as the maiden?s face pulled back and vanished. She was gone.

He opened his eyes. It wasn?t the first time he had dreamed of this woman. How he wished to meet her. Somehow, he knew she was alive, for his dreams never lied. Shortly, Elijah recovered his senses. The lush, matted grass was damp with dew, and the trees above him swayed silently. He was at the border of the forest of Ceria. The fatigue and toil from the previous night was finally catching up with him. It was worth it, however. If he had not run, he would?ve been forced to wed the next day. To a princess cold with hate and anger, cloaked with a radiant smile. He did not love her, however, and he would not marry her. Taken as a crime, he had been chased out of the kingdom of Isguil, and put in exile by her father, the king.

Rolling over to his side, he rose from the organic carpet, and limped over to a nearby stump. Perhaps a log wasn?t the best choice of accommodation for a night. His right knee was in pain, and his right elbow still ached from falling off the horse a week before. No worries. All the pain would be over soon, for his home was rather close. A day?s walk or two, not that time mattered, of course. He had all the time in the world. A month was still left until he would be crowned king, and his father wished him all the time he needed to prepare himself. Fixing his coat, Elijah rose, and began to head over towards the meadow. Suddenly, he felt his toe knock against the stump. Next thing he knew, he was lying on the ground, a few inches from a glowing stump.

?A glowing stump?

Something wasn?t right. Elijah tapped the stump with his knuckles, and leaned against it. Immediately, a puff of smoke rose from the stump, creating a thundering cloud above him.

[i]Elijah?[/i]

Elijah froze, bewildered.

??Yes??

The cloud formed into the shape of a woman, folding one hand over the other. Her pupil-less eyes gazed down towards him as he gazed back in shock. She extended her hand, and helped him up, lips curving into a gentle smile.

?Do not be afraid, young prince.? She spoke, her voice echoing through the trees. ?I am the oracle. Ask me one question, and one question is all you may ask.?

Elijah stammered, and began murmuring to himself. One question. What would be a worthy question for the oracle to answer? Without much hesitation, he asked, ?Where can I find the woman I see in my dreams??

The oracle was delighted ?or at least seemed to be. She lifted her palms, as a small board of clouds formed at her side. As the oracle waved her hand above it, the board showed an image ?an image of a large city, busy with chariots and warriors.

?The woman you seek lives in the city-state of Eithenoir. She has dreamed of you as well. Go out and seek her, young prince, for she is waiting.?




Instantly, the oracle vanished. In his palm, he found a scroll, gilded with gold along the handles. Biting his lip with anxiety, his heart leaped. For inside, he knew well what would be inside. Elijah opened it, and found a sheet of blank paper. Groaning with discontent, he threw down the scroll, and sat down by the stump. The paper glittered, and markings began to appear where sunlight reached it. Being the clever man he was, he quickly took the paper and made his way into a clearing. There, the light fully shone on the scroll, as a vivid map could now be seen. Elijah grinned, and studied the map carefully. A crimson dot showed where he was, followed by an inky-blue dotted line, leading up to a green dot in what seemed to be, mountains. A small notch opened at the top of the scroll, with a small sphere of sapphire inside. After absorbing the sunlight it needed, the gem unleashed a line of light, circling the labyrinth of trees and moving its way up towards the mountains.

Assuming that was the path the oracle wanted him to take, Elijah followed the light. Each time the sun set along his trek, he had to stop and rest, for the light would dim shortly, and he was afraid he might lose his way to the city. One night, as he was setting camp, a cloaked figure walked his way around the mountain path, face hidden in the dark. The figure sat down, across from Elijah. Despite the flickers of the campfire, the stranger?s face still could not be seen. Elijah drew along the dirt, using a twig he had found earlier.

?It?s a rough walk up ahead.?

Elijah paused.

[i]That voice?[/i]

The stranger removed her cloak, and set it aside. Elijah didn?t dare look up.

?Where are you going?? The woman asked.

?Eithenoir.?

The woman chuckled, and ran her finger across the dirt.

?I?m running away from that city. What a coincidence.?

?Why are you running??

The woman silenced for a moment.

?My father? He has arranged for me to marry someone I don?t love. And I know the man he wants me to marry doesn?t love me.? She replied.

Elijah?s eyes widened.

?That? is the same reason I ran away.?

The woman?s head lifted in shock. The coincidences were too strange. Both stood up, and studied one another. It was too dark to see each others? faces, yet the gleam in their eyes could be seen.

?Who are you?? The woman asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

?I am the prince of Rithenor, Elijah, son of Demethor.? Elijah replied. ?And you are??

?Cyrine, lady of Eithenoir. Daughter of Thesius.? Cyrine replied, taking a step towards the fire.

The two?s eyes fixed on one another, chins held up high above the flames. Suddenly, Cyrine receded, eyes turning away from his. Then, her eyes lingered back towards Elijah?s, as she stared at him speechlessly.

?You? you are?? Cyrine stuttered.

Cyrine stepped closer to Elijah, and placed her hand below his chin. Then, she stroked his cheek, and gazed into his eyes.

?It?s you? You?re the man from my dreams?? Cyrine spoke, her silver-blue eyes wide with shock.

Elijah?s eyes lay bedazzled in her eyes. It was her? the woman from his dreams.

?Perhaps even the oracle cannot see all ends.? Elijah whispered to himself. ?I have dreamed of you as well.?

?Then it is fate.? Cyrine whispered, holding him close.

Her eyes closed slowly, as his lips caressed hers. It was like a dream. The ground below seemed to disappear, as well as the sky above them. All ends of the earth seemed to vanish. It was silent, and all that could be heard was the flickering of flames. Cyrine kissed her lover once more, and then opened her eyes. In the distance, she could hear quiet clogging of horses. She pulled away, and gasped.

?What? What is it?? Elijah asked, turning his head in her direction.

?He?s coming!? Cyrine exclaimed, pulling away.

?Who??

An ear-splitting sound of a horn thundered throughout the cliffs.

?Dethinor. T-The man I must marry.? Cyrine exclaimed in a whisper, panicking. ?Hurry! You must leave, you must leave before he finds you!?

?No, I will not leave you to marry him against your will.? Elijah spoke, reaching for his blade.

?Just leave. We will meet again. In my city.? She wept hastily.

Cyrine embraced him again, as he departed reluctantly into the bushes. She turned away from the direction the sound was coming from, and waited. Soon, a well clad prince and a party of horsemen appeared before her from the eastern trail that led to Eithenoir.

?Ah, Cyrine! How relieved I am to find you unharmed.? Dethinor stated, dismounting his horse.

Cyrine did not answer.

?Come, it is time to return to the palace.? He murmured, grasping her wrist and heading over to the horses.

From the bushes, Elijah kissed his index finger, and placed his finger between his eyes. Smiling, Cyrine did the same, and waved.

?Goodnight, my dear prince.? She mouthed turning and mounting her horse.

Dethinor turned, and glanced back at the bushes. Seeing nothing, he mounted Cyrine?s horse, as they rode forth to Eithenoir. Immediately, Elijah took her cloak, and wrapped it around himself. Then, he followed the stallions towards the city-state. About three hours later, Dethinor raised his palm, and signaled the other riders to halt. Elijah, not knowing what the signal had meant, stopped a step late after the others. The last horseman turned to see what was there, but couldn?t see anything in the dark. Feeling a little uncomfortable, the horseman slowly turned forward again biting his lower lip. From behind, Elijah silently leaped on the horse, covering the horseman?s mouth and laying the edge of his sword at the horseman?s neck. The horseman froze, as he felt the flat of cold steel along his neck. Elijah gestured for him to continue moving, and he obeyed.

Once the sun began to rise, Elijah dismounted the stallion, and hid behind a corner of the mountain. Then, he waited until the cloak of night to continue his trek. The next morning, he found himself before a vast lake. There was a trail around the lake, but it stretched for miles and miles. Without much hope, he pulled out his scroll to see if there was an alternative direction. As the sun caught the gem at the top of the scroll once more, it reflected, and drew a circle in front of him. Then, a tunnel appeared below, with a rope ladder along the side. Checking to see if no one was watching, he made his way down. It was pitch dark in the tunnel. He couldn?t see his hand an inch away from his face. Following his instincts, he began to step forward. For two days, he walked blindly through the tunnel, until he finally bumped into a wall. Up above, he could see light. It stung his eyes after being in the darkness for such a long time. Slowly, he climbed up the ladder. When he reached the top, he found himself inside a palace. Servants hurried in and out of corridors busily as he made his way through the hall. Finally, on the last door to the left, he found her. Cyrine. She was sitting in a chair in the center of the room, as if waiting for someone. Cyrine?s eyes shot up, as she mouthed the word ?no?. Elijah tilted his head, and didn?t understand. He stepped towards her. Suddenly, two soldiers appeared before him, equipped with dagger-like swords.

?So, you found your way around the lake?? A voice asked from behind the soldiers.

He didn?t answer.

Dethinor smirked, and stepped in front of the two soldiers.

?Prince Elijah. Please, step this way. There is someone waiting for you in the common room.?

Elijah?s eyes narrowed as he followed Dethinor down the spiral stair. Sitting on a sofa was a raven-haired woman, with two soldiers on her side. She was sewing quietly, busy at a strange design of a spider. Hearing the footsteps, her head turned in their direction.

?Lady Persephone. She has traveled far to meet you.? Dethinor hissed in his ear, a light chuckle in his voice.

Elijah glared at the woman, as she rose and stepped towards him.

?Dear Elijah. So glad to see you?re safe.? She remarked, lips curving as she held his face in her hands. ?Your father has postponed the wedding. We will marry tomorrow night. If- that is alright, of course.?

King Demethor stood beside Persephone, placing a hand on her shoulder.

?My son is greatly looking forward to this wedding.? Demethor replied firmly.

Elijah began to speak, only to be silenced by his father. His father left the room. Elijah followed, then was stopped by Persephone.

?Take the prince to his room. He?s suffered much toil.? Persephone chuckled.

His eyes lingered over to Cyrine?s. Cryrine?s eyes lingered to his.

?No!? Elijah exclaimed, breaking away from the guard?s grasp.
He ran towards Cyrine desperately, and kissed her passionately. Quickly, the guards pulled him away from the princess. Dethinor and Persephone stared in dismay, then turned their noses as not to have noticed. Elijah and Cyrine had exchanged their last and final kiss.

In his room, Elijah sat sternly on the cot in deep thought. He didn?t move for hours. Silently, he pondered as what to do. His first attempt had failed, and now that he found his love, he was to wed Persephone in one night. Elijah still could not understand. He did not love Persephone, nor did she love him. It was all about the gold, he knew it. Thoughts of Cyrine taunted his mind, toying with his heart. Just then, a faint image of a woman appeared before him. It was familiar, and he immediately picked up who it was. The faint image slowly grew clearer and clearer, until she finally became solid.

?Oracle??

The woman?s eyes snapped open, as she smirked at the prince elegantly.

?Indeed, it is I.? She spoke majestically. ?So you found your princess??

?Yes? I did. But now I am to wed Persephone. A woman I do not love.? Elijah replied.

?Hmm? I see. I am sorry, Elijah, but I can?t do anything to help you.?

Elijah hung his head. The oracle stroked his wind-blown hair, and smiled softly.

?Here. Take this. It is a gift to you.? She oracle spoke, handing him a golden, rectangular case.

Elijah opened the case, and saw a thin, golden pin inside. It was about seven inches long, with a small notch at the end, where you would tie the string. Unlike many other large sewing pins, this one was oddly sharp.

?Why are you giving this to? me?? Elijah questioned, staring strangely at the queer gift.

?It is a gift to you to give to Persephone. If she pricks herself with the needle, she will faint for exactly one night. However, if the needle draws a drop of blood from her, she will vanish forever.? The oracle replied.

His hand shook nervously. If he would be able to return to Cyrine, he would do anything.

?Alright. Thank you- again.?

?You?re always welcome, dear prince. I hope we meet again soon.? The oracle smiled, and faded until all that was left was a puff of smoke.

Elijah stared at the puff blankly for a few minutes, until he broke out of thought. He shut the case, still observing it carefully. A sinister gleam sparkled from its shell, just as the blood-red velvet inside felt. Griping the case tightly, he placed it in his pocket before making his way down the hall.

Cyrine had been weeping for hours. She would not marry him, even if she had to kill herself. Immediately, she began rummaging through the drawers for a knife. Nothing. Even the sword and spear had been taken out of the room?s décor. Obviously, Dethinor wasn?t quite as stupid as she thought. Sighing, she glanced down the hall, and saw Elijah heading towards the common room, where his fiancé was sewing. Feeling a slight brush of jealousy, she denied he was going to see her.

As he reached the common room, Persephone was still sewing. Coincidentally, her pin broke. She threw down her design, grunting with frustration. Elijah slid next to the sofa, and gave her case to his fiancé. Persephone grinned, as her eyes widened with delight. When she opened the case, she found the beautiful pin, and picked it up with her fore and thumb finger. Just then, she yanked her hand away, and shook her wrist. After shaking her wrist vigorously, she fainted, breathing peacefully. Once he knew she was asleep, he returned the pin to its case. Hearing distant footsteps, Elijah quickly shoved the case back in his pocket, and hurried back down the hall.

The princess leaned against the frame of her bed, watching the hall through her open door. She knew her fiancé would be entering any moment now, bringing her life to an end. Instead, Elijah swept past her door, not even noticing her. She understood he was in a hurry, but for what? At least he seemed happy? Then, a quick gleam caught her eye between the cobblestones. Cyrine crawled over to the hall, and saw a golden case. As she opened it, she saw a golden pin, with a point as sharp as needles. Turning her head, and seeing her prince walking happily towards his chamber, and her fiancé nearing her room from the other end, Cyrine bit her lip. Either way, her life seemed meaningless. And it was going to end. Now. At that moment, Cyrine pulled out the pin, with two hands, and thrust it into her chest. Panting heavily, her eyes closed, as she collapsed to the ground. Instantly, Elijah turned, and saw Cyrine lying on the floor, lifeless. Doubting her death, he rushed over to his love, turning her over, and finding the pin in her heart. Immediately, he checked his pockets. The case was gone. Slowly, the Princess began to fade, just as the oracle did. At that moment, Dethinor and his men arrived. Murmurs and gasps ran through the party of soldiers, as Dethinor fell to his knees across from Elijah. She was dead, and she was fading. Soon, her body was no longer visible, and only the pin remained, still standing upright, tainted with blood.

Face paled with terror, and eyes watering with tears, Elijah rose, and slowly walked back to his chamber, petrified. The oracle appeared once more before him, eyes deep with reassurance. Elijah ignored the oracle, and walked towards his window. The breeze whipped the curtains at his sides as the black moat trickled below, and the sky twinkled above. He stood at the edge, emotionlessly gazing at the drop below.

?It?s a long drop.? He stated slowly, as a tear fell from his eye.

The prince closed his eyes, and leaned forward.

The End.
[/color] [/size]

[Ravenstorture]

[color=darkgreen][font=gothic]
Once upon a time, long long ago, in a far off land, a land of Magic and Danger, was a garden. It was not a place of public access, and it was not a place of happy memories. The garden was nearly borderless, and overgrown with blackberries and nightshade. The only side people had ever seen of it was edged in a high, wrought iron fence, twisted with age and strong vines. There was no gate.
No one ever ventured into this place, which none of the townsfolk of Maiyville would hesitate to call evil. Unbeknownst to those very townspeople, this was a great misfortune. For in the middle of that wild, unchartered place, there was a stone well. In that very hole, tens of feet below, lived a princess.

Not too far away from the garden was the aforementioned town of Maiyville, which housed many people, things and interesting bits of pastry. It was also in the kingdom of the House of Maule, a kingdom renowned for it's merciless and harsh Queen. The king, as the stories always tell, was a soft, quiet man who never got to know the feel of the Family Pair of Trousers, if the meaning is grasped.
Queen Saiel. She was beautiful, and made excellent pastry, but did not do well for her country. The Kingdom of Maule remained beautiful and prosperous under the burden of harsh taxes and strange laws, such as no blond women under the age of thirty being allowed outside after dark, and all women after their first moon cycle being required to cover their hair at all times. People stopped complaining after the first few years.

Another thing in Maiyville was Jed Firdinan. He was a handsome man, who worked hard at his vegetable patch all day, and took his hat off to every lady who happened by. A small character, but no doubt as significant as every other in Maiyville. It was a Tuesday morning when this ritual was taking place in the same manner as it had for the past five years.

Darrin was walking quickly along the cobbled pathway when a bronze flash caught her eye to her left. Glancing over, she saw the sweat slicked back of Jed as he hoed another ridge in the black soil at his feet. Darrin felt her stomach drop a metre or two, and blushed, smiling inwardly and continuing on. The slowing of footsteps had not gone unnoticed by Jed, however, and soon enough Darrin heard her name being called.
"Morning, Mrs Garsbury!" sang out a deep, wonderfully silky voice from behind the woman. Blushing again, she turned to see Jed standing at full, glorious height, his straw hat hovering above his black curls.
"Now, Jed? what're you bin up to then young man?" Mrs Garsbury crowed, very pleased to stop and have a chat. She leaned close to the white picket gate and smiled benevolently. Jed dropped his hat and leaned on his hoe.
"Same, Ma'am, same. Got some nice beets out of this here patch last autumn, hoping to do the same this year." His patience with the woman was lapped up eagerly.
"Well, now. I won't be keeping you?" She called back, secretly wishing she could. Didn't want to appear too eager.
Darrin turned and pranced off to the butcher, a new light on her day. Jed returned to his gardening.

The House of Maule was at the edge of the village, and was the only place in town that had a view of the Garden. The garden was a few minutes walk from the town, but downhill, and from the west tower the dark green, gnarled smudge was well within view. Only the front, mind. No one could tell how big it was on the other side. The section closest from the town lay in a hollow of sorts, a large bowl. It stretched back over the hill and into countryside on the other side of which lay nothing of particular interest, and therefore no desire to pass the hill had been filled.
This west tower was where the Queen now resided. She stared at the garden with a blank face, and any who would look at her then would say she looked at naught but the glass in the window. Until, of course, she smiled.

By the evening, a strong wind had picked up, evaporating the sweat on Jed's back and giving him a chill. The last of his plants sowed, he stretched and placed the hoe against his house, pulling on a shirt hanging on a peg near the door and venturing into town. On the way, he passed a house of whitewashed brick and pink roses. A white face stared out of the window at the front, bearing a smile of pure excitement and joy. Jed smiled and paused, leaning on the front gate and staring across the road. A minute or two later a young girl appeared, skipping out the front door and running up the front path to meet her visitor. She was elated.
"Hello, Jessi." Jed cooed, sounding relieved to see her. She sighed and rocked back and forth on her heels.
"Hi, Jed. You're late. I was worried you wouldn't come. It's getting dark? I shouldn't be out. I would have been earlier, but I couldn't find my scarf." She twiddled the corner of her floral-patterned scarf to emphasise this. Jessi's eyes darted nervously up and down the road, as if to see someone coming. Jed sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder, to console her.
"Jessi, you're a wonderful girl. It's not going to happen to you." Jed consoled her. Jessi, instead of calming down, jumped away.
"What's not going to happen to me? Are you saying? oh my lord!" She exclaimed, tugging on the hem of her dress. Jed glanced down the road, wanting to get away.
"Listen, I'm sorry I didn't see you earlier, but I was busy. I'll see you tomorrow, ok?" He made to leave and smiled again, wishing this was goodbye. It wasn't.
"No! Jed, please! Tell me what is going to happen! Please? I need to know!"
"If you don't get inside before the sun touches the earth, you will be prosecuted. You know that. Get inside. It's getting late." He pleaded, trying not to scorn. Jessi was obviously scared out of her wits and very stupid.
"Bye, Jessi. Go inside and I will see you again tomorrow." Jed turned and began walking. He only got three or four metres when he heard a scream, and turned again to see Jessi being dragged out of her garden by one of the Queen's men, dressed in black leather and silver armour. Jed strode towards the twisting and shrieking blond and soldier. "Excuse me, Sir, but it's not yet dark. Unhand her." Jed commanded. The soldier simply sneered.
"Yeah, whatever. Your word against mine, and I've had my eye on this one for a while?" the soldier laughed. Pulling Jessi close to him, he clamped a hand over her mouth and dragged her into the street. People watched from their houses, horrified and silent. Jed swore and strode into town.

The House was guarded, but not closed to the public. Jed bashed his fist on the wooden doors several times before they opened. Walking in, he demanded an audience with the Queen and was smirked at by the officers. So he punched one of them in the face, and was promptly arrested. The queen had been alerted by the time Jed had been sufficiently apprehended, and twenty minutes later he sat in front of her.

"What on earth are you doing, boy." She cursed, pacing around the carpeted room and looking noble. Jed struggled against his ties.
"You're bloody henchmen decided to nick a girl for being out before the sun struck earth!" He yelled. She stopped pacing at looked at a guard standing near the door. He shook his head.
"No, he didn't. You are mistaken." She exclaimed, smiling slightly. Jed nearly exploded with rage.
"Well, in that case, Your Majesty, what did happen?" He whispered, controlling the rabid beast of his rage with thin twine. The Queen thought for a moment.
"Well, you see? the guard in question saw her without her scarf on. That is unacceptable."
"CODSWALLOP!" Jed yelled, veins threatening to leave the constraints of his forehead. The Queen blanched under her face paint.
"DO NOT EVER RAISE YOUR VOICE TO A LADY!" She screeched, gathering up her skirts and pacing grooves into the floor. She neglected to make reference to the foul curse word he had uttered, opting to pretend it didn't happen.
"Come on, Saiel, I know what this is about. She's no reason to put a death curse on the whole realm." Jed lowered his voice for this, but it didn't stop him from being slapped in the face.
"Take this animal down to the dungeon. He is to be executed as soon as Rahl returns from his honeymoon." She whispered to the guards. They leapt to attention.

Jed wasn't executed - Rahl never intended to return from his honeymoon. A court executioner who finds true love will never kill again, as the saying goes. The guards knew this and quietly dumped an unconscious and severely beaten Jed into the Garden.

Jessi was never seen again.

Four mornings later, Jed awoke under a layer of frost. He shuddered violently, sending waterfalls of ice crystals to the grass. Once he saw where he was, he stood immediately, and leant against the freezing iron fence as his head swam with injury. Staring up to the pinnacles of the House, he vowed never to return to the town, nor admit he was a man of the Kingdom. Instead, he turned and ventured into the Garden.
Jogging at first to warm himself, the day eventually grew warmer and Jed was once again able to walk at a steady pace. He had been walking for a few hours, and passed a great number of horrid looking plants he'd not seen before. The hill was approaching, and soon Jed had passed it without noticing. The other side was darker, and thicker, but pathways of grass were not hard to find. Here, the greenery grew over head height and made visibility low. The shade was cool.
Continuing to walk, Jed came across a stream. It seemed clean, so he drank from it, and decided this place wasn't so bad after all. After all, it was to be his home from now on.
Jed walked for most of the day, and when the sun dropped low behind him, the place was illuminated with gold sunset light. A beautiful light to bask in, thought Jed, and he turned around and walked backwards a pace or two. Feeling something press against his ankle, he turned, and saw a well. Strange, as the only thing he had seen from the hand of man was the fence, and that was miles away. Kneeling down, he stared into the well but couldn't see far because of the angle of the light. Picking up a pebble from the edge, he dropped it in, listening to hear the depth of water. Instead of the splash of water, however, he heard a gasp and a scrabbling noise. Jed froze, and was about to back away from the well when he heard a voice. Too muffled to hear what it said. It seemed urgent though, and without thinking, he ran back into the scrub to find a vine he had spotted earlier. It took him longer to find it that he thought, and when he did find it, it wasn't long enough. Soon enough he had found one to his liking, and he untangled it from the trees. It was thick, and heavy, but it would work. Jed quickly relocated the well and dropped it down, hoping it would reach. He was about to call out again, but then pressure began to build on the rope and he wound the end of it around himself a few times before sitting at the rim of the well. A second or so later the pressure ceased, and there was quiet. "Hold on!" he yelled, and when he felt the pressure again, began to pull slowly. It seemed like hours, but a short period of time later the was an incredibly emaciated, pale girl lying in Jed's arms. She could hardly move with malnourishment.
Not knowing what to do, too overwhelmed with the events to speak, he sat there and held her tightly. She was freezing, he had no blankets. She was dieing of hunger, and he had nothing to eat. A while later however, she seemed to wake up open her eyes. She looked at him and tried to say something.
"Remember?" she whispered.
"Yes, I remember you." Jed whispered, tears streaming down his face. It was the Queens daughter Iolanthe, and Jed's childhood love. Iolanthe had disappeared once the Queen found out her daughter was secretly seeing a peasant. Now he had found her again.
Worried about her state of health, Jed decided he needed to find food and water fast. Placing her on the ground once more, Jed stood, pushing through the bushes and walking out the other side. On the other side, he froze, unable to move, breath, or blink.

The well had been at the peak of that height - on the other side of the wall of shrubbery, the land dropped away in a steep slide of lush grassland. The grass extended for miles beyond, and was covered in garden - but this garden, illuminated by the failing light, was brimming with summer wildflowers and millions of different flowering plants and trees. Fruit trees, shrubs of berries, a pack of deer drifting at the base of the slope startled by the movement of Jed's arrival. A crystal stream sliced beautiful curves through the vista. Birdcalls complimented the bright flashes of colour flitting through the green foliage. It was nature's paradise.
Jed, stunned speechless, looked out on the valley as a new prospect of life. He turned, stumbled though the bushes once more, picked up his long lost love Iolanthe, and walked into a new beginning.

I don't need to add that they lived happily ever after.

[/font][/color]

[Lady Asphyxia]

[size=1]Shot. This deserves to be shot. However, I decided that something was better than nothing.

[center]____[/center]

Usually, a tale such as this would start with ?Once upon a time?. But those words bring expectations ? such as ?Happily ever after? ? that this story simply cannot fulfill. That said, I begin.

This country of Girawen has long been subject to a corrupted feudal system. Elves sent here to protect the land have, instead, slaughtered it. They have, as in most systems such as these, taken advantage of the weak and preyed on the innocent. I am one of these Elven people.

I?m not ashamed of my ability to manipulate people ? nor of my position in this world ? but I am ashamed of my actions when one considers two young Elves. They were not at all compatible, and children who would disobey their parents in the name of ?love? are certainly of no use to our world. But none-the-less, I cannot help wondering what may have happened had this course of events not happened.

Ethalinia was from one of the most powerful families in Girawen, well known for it?s ability to produce great magic and heirs. Toben, however, was one of our underlings, an Elf with very little magic, but a lot of money. As has always been the case, like marries like. The rich marry the rich, the powerful marry the powerful. They do not intermix. It was unheard of.

I first heard of this couple at confession. Ethalinia came to me, blessed herself, and stated in her cool, calm voice, ?Father, I am considering murdering my family in order to marry the man I love.?

This statement ? while I?d never admit to such a thing openly ? did not shock me. After all, what child hasn?t wanted to kill their parent?s at one time or another? I myself have entertained such thoughts. The determination in her voice did shock me, however. Her determination was the kind of a three year old defying their parents, saying no, they did not want to go to bed, and nothing their parents could do would keep them from staying up. Of course, her determination was much more refined and aloof. I?d never attribute a woman with the qualities of a three year old. At least, not most women. There are some I know?but I?m sidetracking myself.

When I asked her about the events leading up to these situations, the dam in her burst, and all of her thoughts rushed out in one great spurt, like too much water in a broken glass. ?Oh Father? she gushed in that innocent voice of hers. ?He?s simply divine.? It was then I could tell that she needed help. No marriage, appropriate or not, had survived when one of the participants involved was ?simply divine?. ?We met two nights ago, and I swear on my soul that had he not been there, I would have surely fallen to my death.?

Her thoughts came out in a rushed, garbled mess, but not once did I stop and ask her to make sense. Women in love rarely, if ever, make sense. It seemed to me, that she and her ?Toben? had met at the slave racing ? one of the elves greatest and most pleasurable pastimes. Not that one was interested in the racing of the slaves, but instead in the intrigue and politics of our fellow elves. Since then, he?d been courting her with a fervor that reminded me of a stag in heat. She, of course, found it incredibly romantic, and had decided that, since her family would not allow her to marry one of the rich, she?d simply remove the obstacle.

Mildly, I pointed out that, even if her family was removed, she?d still have to find a priest. That?s when she popped her head out of her side of the confessional and into mine. ?Actually,? she grinned, ?that?s what I wanted to ask you about.?

Thus, I descended into a frenzy of panic ? knowing my duty, but none-the-less, not wanting to carry it out.

One the day of the marriage, I began my ancient ritual, altering it slightly to achieve the desired effect. Much to my conscience?s dismay, I cast the spell that, quite simply, turned their love into a hatred that consumed them all. Every word they?d spoken. Every nickname they?d given, every action they?d made slowly consumed them. The spell systematically went through their memories, punishing them for each loving action. However, it was when the spell came to the fervered words of ?I love you? that the young couple was destroyed.

And now, much to my dismay, I find myself -- one of the powerful ? besotted with a lovely woman. The only problem is ? she?s one of the rich. And I cannot help but wonder what might have happened, had I allowed Ethalinia and Toben to live. [/size]

[Braidless Baka]

This should be shot and then some... This has been a killer O_o

-----

Once upon a time there was a kingdom. This kingdom was called Esperia and was a kingdom that prospered vibrantly under its royal family. In the streets people rejoiced at the mere mention of the monarchy, and everything was wonderful.

The magic courts were the place of the most magnificence. Streamers flew from every beam across the ceiling, and the craft of magic weaving was celebrated almost as much as the monarchy. Times were good. It was very hard to imagine them being any more amazing than they were.

One day, the princess of Esperia, a pretty young girl by the name of Esmeralda, told her parents she wanted to weave magic into the kingdom. Again, the land of Esperia rejoiced. Royalty was prepared to weave.

Esmeralda began to weave, under the instruction of the most learned weavers in the kingdom. But, every weaver must have a partner. After all, how can you hold a woven magic net across a kingdom with only one pair of hands? And so, in accordance with the laws, a number of candidates were introduced to her. But none were any good to her. As though she were being wed ? she would know when the time came.

This went on and on for many a year, until swiftly 5 years had passed, and she was five years older, five years more experienced, but still without another to hold up her side of her woven net. This made the pretty princess sad.

Then, without warning, the happiness of Esperia was shattered. The evil kingdom to the west, the kingdom of Matar, became jealous of Esperia?s contentment, and wanted the happiness for itself. So it sent weavers of its own to Esperia, with the intent of burning the kingdom to the ground. Then it would no longer rejoice.

The war which broke out as a result of this was horrific. Thousands died to protect their kingdom and their beloved royal family. Esmeralda dearly wanted to help her people, but, like I said, you can?t hold up a net with only one pair of hands.

But savagely the war raged on. There was only one way to defeat the army?s onslaught was for one of the magic weavers to weave their net around Matar?s king. This task, by now, would most likely end in death for whoever managed it. None dared attempt it. Except brave little Esmeralda?

In the dead of that night the princess sneaked out of the palace. Despite going against the wishes of her family, she was incensed. How could they see a war and not let her help? She would find a way. She had to? So she slipped through the darkened streets of Esperia. But she was not alone on this night, another youth, a boy by the name of Calum, spotted her sneaking about. He was curious. He recognised the robes of the court, and couldn?t imagine why Esmeralda would be sneaking about in the dead of night. So he followed her. Esmeralda remained completely oblivious to Calum?s presence, and continued in a straight line, seeking the palace of Matar.

It was not, in all honesty, a hard palace to find. The clouds that circled above it shot off lightning and had huge thundered roars would have made even the highest weaver shudder. Esmeralda was afraid, but she also knew she was the only one who had made it this far.

Calum, too, was afraid. He didn?t know why he?d followed her this far. And as he watched Esmeralda steel herself for the last part of the journey he suddenly realised something. Having followed her so far, and having watched her admirable resolve, he realised he was in love with the entrancing Esmeralda.

Inside the castle was as bad as the outside. Lightning danced along the darkened corridors and was the only light to illuminate them. At the end of the most darkened part of the hall, was a huge wooden door. No guards were to be seen anywhere, but the king of Matar was naively confident that none from Esperia would make it this far. He could never have assumed that half a pair of weavers would make it.

Taking a breath, Esmeralda threw open the door and jumped in, throwing her net at the gnarled and ugly king. Her life had been poured into this net, and, should it break? She would break too. Calum didn?t quite know what to do, but finally he broke his silence and pushed past the door. One end of her net was flailing wildly, and the evil king was trying to escape from under it. So, Calum grabbed it and held on for dear life.

Esmeralda was amazed. Not only had someone come to help her, but somehow he was the weaving partner she had been looking for all these years. The only one who could hold down her net. Which he was doing quite impressively.

The king was enraged. How dare two [i]children[/i] try to fend off his entire attack? But he was trapped under the net, and could see no obvious way out. Quickly he pulled a small dagger from within his robes and stabbed the princess with it. But she made no sound. Her grip on the net never wavered, and eventually the evil king was defeated. In that instant the attacks on Esperia stopped and the violated kingdom was free to rebuild itself once more.

But the princess...

Calum cried then. Esmeralda was a wonderful person, she had sacrificed her life to do what was right. And more importantly, he loved her. So how could she possibly be dead? He took her dead body in his arms and wept. For a whole day he held her there and wept. And a second day passed in the same fashion.

Then, on the third day, when he was sitting quietly beside her, no strength to cry anymore, a bright light visited him. A beautiful angel descended from heaven. ?You have been brave and strong,? the angel said. ?You have done things nobody has expected you to do, and you did not waver. You may have one wish.?

Calum told the angel that Esmeralda should be brought back to life.

?You cannot have that wish,? said the angel gently.

Why?

?She left her home knowing she wouldn?t be coming back. Besides,? the angel continued, glancing at Esmeralda quietly, ?She has already had her wish.?

And, as Calum could now see, this wish had been to come back to life.

Silently Calum wished for the strength to tell Esmeralda how much he cared for her. Immediately after the thought went through his head he announced his love for the princess. The news was received gratefully and together they made their way back to Esperia, hand in hand, to be received by the joyous celebrations of the people.

Truly, they lived happily ever after...

[Lady Macaiodh]

[COLOR=darkblue][center]Sasha and Lada[/center]

Inside the Arctic Circle, by the mountains of what is now Northern Russia, the empire that reigned there conquered a wandering tribe that was said to have been the predecessors of the Gypsies. These nomads had a little magic in their blood, but they used it mainly for healing and not much for war. Being so greatly outnumbered and not accustomed to the terrain, they were easily overtaken and enslaved. This was the way of the Empire, for they were a cruel people to outsiders, and very skilled in the art of war, so its wealthy and powerful inhabitants had many slaves from many peoples because of this. The Gypsies married other slaves and, over the years, much of their magic died out and the old religion was forgotten.

Many years after the enslavement, when the people no longer remembered what happened, the reigning king, Sachar, had a queen who he greatly adored named Jereni. She was lovely and kind, and softened his cruel heart when they were together. But there was one sadness in their lives ? she had yet to produce a male heir to the throne, but instead bore him three daughters, the eldest of which was named Lada, after the great Mother Goddess and the goddess of beauty. She lived up to part of her name in the sense that she was very beautiful, startlingly so, with long corn silk colored hair and large navy blue eyes that she used to hypnotize. But Sachar had taught her from the beginning to be firm, cruel, and ruthless, and her heart was also hard. In her spoiled ways, she demanded impossible things of her slaves and threw them out into the blistering cold when they could not perform them, all for her own amusement, and she thought of them as dogs.

Sachar had a chief advisor, a man who he listened to above all others, called Grisha. Grisha was not especially wise, but he was crafty, and could wield, unbeknownst to anyone else, a very powerful magic called Seedling. This was not an innate magic, like that of the Gypsies, but one learned through communication with and service to evil. Using it, and seeing Sachar?s lust for power, Grisha was able to manipulate the King into doing whatever he wanted, which included appointing him to the highest place in the kingdom except for that of the royal family. Grisha had deep-seeded plans to one day take over the kingdom, and knew exactly how it was to be done.

There were two slaves, a brother and sister, who frequented the palace in their servitude. Raisa was a maidservant to the princess Lada, and Sasha served the King himself in his courtroom. Both of them were very good at heart and looked kindly on Sachar and Lada, despite their treatment of the slaves, for both brother and sister were empathic and could see the good in their masters. This trait saved their lives and made them favorites, for they seemed to always know what Sachar and Lada were thinking and knew just the right thing to say. They also knew of Grisha and avoided him, because they perceived the blackness of his soul.

Naturally, Sasha saw much of Lada, though not in intimate settings but around the palace in the company of her slave girls, and began to be fascinated by her. He read her mind and could see the poetry and hear the songs she composed even as she was walking by. He saw the hardened shell that grew around her and knew he could get inside of her if he only had the chance and was not a slave. He used the power that remained in him from his ancestors to leave his body astrally, and watch over her. Her beauty bewitched him, especially when she would suddenly turn her head to the side and lock her large eyes on him, watching they way light played off his long black hair or how the lithe muscles in his adolescent arms moved when he carried something. He sensed the desire in her that she was much too arrogant to ever succumb to. And so over the years he began to desperately love her.

He utilized his sister to communicate with her, sending her little things at first, such as a simple but lovely necklace he had made from rocks he polished himself, or a flower he had grown in his room since it was much too cold for flowers to grow anywhere. Though Lada never wore or displayed any of the things he gave her, she was secretly delighted and kept them in a place that no one knew about in her chambers. One night during the full moon, he stood outside her balcony and played for her on his flute a love song he had written for her. She put on her warm robes and went out to listen, and the music, in it?s minor, melodic key, was rich with the sadness of his unfulfilled love, and it washed over her, sending waves of dark love through her being. After awhile, she could bear it no longer, and went back to lie down in her bed, but could not sleep, so disturbed was her soul.

Later in the month, she received from Raisa an intense poem he had written for her, describing his love in beautiful detail. Lada was greatly unnerved, and ripped it into pieces. She went straight away to find Sasha, deciding once and for all to assert her power over him, thus putting him in his place and dispelling her own feelings for him.

?You,? she said when she found him, ?Go into the mountains and bring me something I desire.? For she knew he could never survive such a dangerous mission alone and would surely freeze to death.

But before she could tell him what she wanted, he fixed his dark eyes on her face, knowing full well what she asked of him, and said, ?Of course, it is no trouble, and I will do my best to get you whatever you want, for I love you and would gladly risk my life and even die to bring you one moment?s pleasure.?

She was taken aback and horrified at herself, and immediately rescinded her demand, and rushed off to her own part of the palace where Sasha was not allowed to go. So they continued to long for each other hopelessly.

When Sasha and Lada were nearing adulthood, Queen Jereni became pregnant for the fourth time, but did not know it. Grisha knew the time had come to enact his plans, because he saw that the child in her womb was a male, and would become the Crown Prince. He could not allow this to happen. He quickly set about his magic, casting one of his most powerful spells of insanity. Jereni was found dead on the floor of her chambers, having plunged a dagger into her own abdomen. The whole kingdom was thrown into disarray, and Sachar was beside himself with grief, unable to understand why his beloved had taken her own life. Only Sasha knew what Grisha had done, and that not one life but two had been taken. And Sachar was unable to function, so great was his mourning, until he feared he was losing his mind, and he asked Grisha for guidance.

Grisha used Sachar?s fragile state to manipulate him into a dangerous journey. ?Take your strongest slaves and horses and go into the mountains. It will clear your mind, make you face your own mortality, and come to grips with your wife?s.? Sachar thought this was a good idea, because he didn?t much want to live anyway, and hoped to see the spirit of his dead wife. He set out immediately, and was to be gone for awhile.

Lada also suffered, because she had never been very close to her mother and was ridden with guilt over it. She also feared that her father would never return, which would leave her the ruler of the Empire. It didn?t much matter to Grisha whether the King returned or not. Since he was not royalty but merely a noble, he could not become king himself, not matter what happened. His heir with Lada however, would be a different story altogether. He would marry her in Sachar?s absence when there would be no objections, and the laws of the Empire would honor the marriage. He would immediately set out to produce a son, and his descendants would rule for all generations to come.

In the night, Lada awoke to find herself accosted by all manner of spirits who tormented her and drove her mind past all rationality. The next day, Grisha came to her, and using the wickedest of his power of Seedling, manipulated her into agreeing to the marriage. Her mind was so confused that she did not know what reality was anymore. She fell into a catatonic state and would only get up and walk when Raisa pulled her up and led her about by the hand as if she were a child. When Raisa learned of the ceremony that was to take place, she rushed to find Sasha and told him everything she knew. Sasha sent his mind out to Grisha?s, and read his intentions, and knew he had to stop this horror from taking place.

Grisha arranged the ceremony in secret, as to avoid any intervention, and took Lada to the temple where the royals worshipped and no commoners were allowed. In the dead of night, with only a few witnesses, he coaxed the fire in the huge hearth higher and higher for the ritual he was about to perform. If he succeeded, Lada would be bonded to him, subservient, forever. He took out his dagger and cut the palm of his hand wide open, his blood to mingle with her own. He grabbed her limp wrist and was preparing to cut open her palm when Sasha burst into the sanctuary.

?Lada!? He cried, and she turned her face toward him with a vacant stare. Something flashed briefly in her eyes, and then was gone. Sasha knew that Grisha?s spell was very powerful and that the only way to break it was to kill him.

Grisha turned to him in rage. ?Seize him! Get him out of here!? He ordered to the guards standing by. They rushed toward Sasha and grabbed hold of him. He fought against them with all his might, but there were too many of them and they overpowered him.

As they began to drag him away, he called out, ?Lada, I told you I would do anything for you even unto death. My love will be with you forever.?

He thrust his soul out of his body, as he did when he watched her before, and into Grisha?s body. Grisha immediately stiffened and began to scream while tearing at the hair on his head. The soul of Sasha struggled against Grisha?s, trying to get a handhold in the sorcerer?s body. The guards watched in shock with no idea what was happening, only knowing that the young slave had gone limp in their hands. Suddenly, for a split second, Sasha?s spirit gained the upper hand, and he cast Grisha?s body into the flames. He held onto the body long enough for Grisha to begin to die, and the death pains were his own. Both spirits released their hold on the burnt body, and Sasha?s body was already dead, since he had died in the body of another.

Lada snapped out of her trance, fully aware of everything that had just happened. ?No! Oh, god, no?? she cried as she rushed to Sasha?s lifeless form. The ice in her heart melted completely, and she did not care who saw her as she cradled his body in her arms and wept into his hair and kissed his face over and over.

Sachar never did return from the mountains, and the few of his men who did return told Lada that he had thrown himself from the cliffs to be with his beloved wife once again. So she became Queen of the Empire.

One day soon after her coronation, Raisa came to Lada after having been summoned. She knelt down low before the new Queen with a heavy heart, still shaken by her brother?s death months before. ?Get up,? Lada said to her. ?You need not bow before me ever again. You are free.? She took Raisa by the hands and lifted her up, and she looked into the eyes of the woman who had been her faithful servant but was now her equal.

And they both thought of the slave boy who had sacrificed his life to save Lada?s, and the love that transcended two different ways of life.

Queen Lada made a decree freeing all the slaves, and declared that no man or woman ever be enslaved to another. No longer would war be the way of life, and the cruelty of the Empire finally came to an end. [/COLOR]

[conpiracymonki]

[size=1][b]
EDIT: Done re-touching, and finished it off..
>.>
Anyway, presenting my odd fairytale![/b]

Once upon a time, in a magical realm far far away, there lived in the royal castle a queen, a king, and their beloved daughter, the princess. The king ruled his kingdom, with the help of a magical mirror that could show the future. Everything in the kingdom was peaceful and tranquil, and soon the land became very well known throughout the magical realm for its fair and just ruling. The people slept well and fully, with the knowledge that they were safe and sound so long as the king and his mirror ruled over the land. The sheep of the land slept next to the wolves; for they knew well that they wouldn't dare be eaten, or even harmed by them so long as the king and his mirror ruled over the land. The days passed faster and faster and with each passing day, the land seemed to grow richer and happier, and its people became more and more grateful to the king and his family for their prosperity. The royal family was showered with expensive gifts from the citizens daily, and the king knew that truly this was a golden age for his kingdom. But like all good things, he also knew that one day, this golden age would come to an end. For the mirror had shown him this much.

The princess sighed. She hated the boarding school. And she hated all the stuck-up snobs that came along with the all-in-one package. The teacher was still rambling on, and the princess found herself continually looking up, everytime realising that she had fallen asleep again in class, and had only woken up because her head had slid off the palm of her hand. Bleh. She looked at the clock. 2.30pm. Only half an hour more, and this lesson on etiquette would end. And school for the day would end. For the term. And a chaffeur would be waiting outside for her, a limousine ready for her to return home in for the holiday. She couldn't wait to see her father again. He was after all bed-ridden with an unknown illness. He had been so since a little after her mother had passed away. The princess sighed once more. Her stepmother was doing her best to look after king and country, but everything seemed to be slowly falling apart. No matter what the magicians, wizards, and professors tried, they couldn't do anything more than temporarily bring the king out of his sleepy haze. The princess yawned. Who's idea was it anyway to invent the Realm Princesses Boarding School?

And with that, the princess slipped into her long white carriage. And the royal escort whisked the princess off back to her home, the palace. She mused at the thought of not being able to see her princess friends for such a long time in a lady-like fashion. They passed many a wood, and as the royal princess gazed at the passing scenery, she ran through her head how she would greet everyone once she arrived at the royal palace. As the young lady of the palace, it was her duty to be constantly mindful of how she behaved and what she should say. She would, one day, become queen of the land, and all this lady-like training would come in handy.
'My dear escort, would you please stop the carriage here temporarily?'

'I said, STOP THE LIMO!'
The chaffeur slowed down and stopped the widestretch luxury vehicle. The princess got out of the car, and walked over to the cute boy she had seen sitting at the side of the road. She was curious as to why he was sitting where he was alone. No-one else was anywhere within sight.
'Hey.'
'Hey.'
The guy smiled, and the princess smiled back. He [i]was[/i] pretty cute! She sat down and began talking to him.
'Really? I'm a prince!'
'Cool! You wanna come to my place some time then?'
'Sure.. catcha later today then!'
And with that, the prince winked at the princess, and stood up. He walked back to his car, and drove off into the distance. The princess couldn't hold in her smile as she got back into her white limousine.

And so it was that the gentle princess fell in love with a fitting handsome prince at first sight..

'Hey I'm back.'
No-one paid any attention. The whole palace seemed to be alive. The palace dwarves ran around in confusion, yelling things at one another. It was obvious tha something was happening, but the princess couldn't tell exactly what. She grabbed a passing midget by the ear, and yanked him back to her.
'Explain. Now.'
'The King's slipped into a coma again! We don't know what to do! Someone call the royal doctor! AAH!'
The dwarf turned heels and ran back into the midget confusion. The princess turned to stone. Just as she was hearing that he was slowly getting better again, the King has gone back to worse. She came to her senses soon enough, and ran as fast as she could into her father's room.

The princess burst into the royal bedroom, her royal dress torn from running up the stairs in such a worried and hasty manner. The respectful dwarves in the room all moved to a side, and bowed their heads solemnly. The princess stared at her father in the middle of the room, sitting upright in a throne-like chair, both eyes peacefully closed. She walked upto her father, and knelt in front of him, tight holding onto one of his old and withering fingers.
'I would like a moment alone with my father..'

The dwarves all shuffled out the room, and shut the door tightly. The princess dropped her head and cried on her father's lap.
'Dad...'
'My little princess.. break the mirror..your stepmother..'
The princess looked up. Her father.. had just spoken in his coma? She stood up. She didn't know how or why he had said that, or even if he had ever said it at all, but she knew it was right enough. She walked out of the room, and made her way to the mirror room. One day, the mirror had suddenly stopped working, and ever since then, the kingdom began to slowly crumble. They kept the mirror in its own room. In case of an emergency, when it might begin to work again. Empty. Someone had taken it somewhere. And something was happening. The princess grabbed another little halfling by its ear.
'Where's the queen?'
'At the Lunar Palace, princess!'
She let go.

The princess covered herself with a white cloak, and climbed onto her trusty unicorn, and rode it towards the direction of the Lunar Palace. The unicorn was swift, and arrived outside the palace at nightfall. She got down from the unicorn quietly, and walked into the palace in the light of the full moon.
'Why, my dear dear daughter! What brings you here all alone like this in the night?'
The princess turned round. It was her stepmother.She was dressed in black ritual clothing, and in her hand was the mirror.
'The mirror!'

The queen gave a vicious laugh.
'Why dear, yes, the mirror! Whatever else could this be? Except for an accursed mirror!'
'M-mother? What's gotten into you?'
'Into me? What's gotten into this mirror?! Does it not recognise I am royalty now? How dare it not show me anything!'
The princess decided not to say anything now.
'The mirror doesn't just work for Dad?'
'Of course it doesn't, foolish girl! It works for anyone within the royal family! That's why I had to replace your birth mother. But it doesn't work for me! And that good-for-nothing oaf of a king constantly refuses to tell me what it shows him. So I've had to keep him quiet.'
The princess' heart missed a few beats out. This wicked witch had killed her real mother and made her father ill..
'But why?'
'Why? WHY?! Why not? With this mirror alone, I could have ruled over the whole of the magical realm by myself! And I still can! With you beside me my precious daughter, I could--'
'--Don't call me your daughter! How dare you try to do such things, and sweet talk me through it, you evil witch!'

No sooner has the fair princess answered back to her wicked stepmother than a cough was heard from within the palace itself. Another. Echoes of the cough. And then the palace hall slowly came to light..a figure laid on the floor.

'Dad..'

'And if you don't want him to suffer a worse condition, I suggest you don't try anything and tell me what this mirror shows me.'
The witch walked behind the princess like a snake, and grabbed her around the neck threateningly; one hand holding up the mirror to her face.
'What.. do you see?'
The princess looked into the mirror and smiled.
'How your fate is sealed'
Before the witch even had a chance to realise what was happening, a large rock struck her head from behind, and she fell to the floor atop the mirror, instantly dead. The mirror smashed.

The prince had hurled a brick at her head. He had gone to meet the princess at the palace shortly after she had left, and had been told that she had gone to the Lunar Palace. So he had come to investigate. The princess smiled at her knight in shining armour before remembering about the king.

[i]'If you don't want him to suffer a worse condition, I suggest you don't try anything'[/i].

'Dad!'
She ran off to his side, and squeezed a hand tightly. A crystal tear fell onto the old man's face. And with that, the princess fell beside her father.

The prince looked over the beautiful sleeping princess. She seemed comatose. He reached over and kissed her. The king awoke. The princess kissed back. They lived happily ever after.

Epilogue. Once upon a time, in a magical realm far far away, there lived in the royal castle a queen, a king, and their beloved daughter, the young and sweet princess. The queen and king ruled their kingdom using their own wisdom and knowledge. Everything in the kingdom was peaceful and tranquil, and the land was very well known throughout the magical realm for its fair and just ruling. The people slept well and fully, with the knowledge that they were safe and sound so long as the queen and king ruled over the land. The sheep of the land slept next to the wolves; for they knew well that they wouldn't dare be eaten, or even harmed by them so long as the queen and king ruled over the land. The days passed faster and faster and with each passing day, the land seemed to grow even richer and happier, and its people became more and more grateful to the royal family for their prosperity. The royal family was showered with expensive gifts from the citizens daily, and the queen and king knew that truly this was a returned golden age for their kingdom...[/size]

[Zidargh]

[size=1][B] Okay, I have completed the fairy tale. Enjoy.[/B][/size]

-------

[size=1][U][B][center]The Rational Rasher of Bacon[/center][/b][/u][/size]

[size=1][color=darkblue]Once upon a time, there existed a magnificent world beyond all imagination that could be held. This world's thread in time was woven with great passion by those known as the 'Gifted'. These 'Gifted' were unknown beings that created every existant that is known to knowledge, or so it was believed. So it was with this incarnation that worlds were born and would perish under the path of destiny. Each path that was created gave birth to beings that were much more different than everything surrounding their race and planet. The woven path also gave birth to many crafts and traditions, however, there was once path that was different, or so it was read in the poem...


[I][CENTER]''Twas a prosperous land with many a destined,
Where the seasons clashed and time progressed.
But to this grew the dreamers,
And all of their paths had been bind.''[/CENTER][/I]


It was a terrible condition in the land at present, raindrops bombarded and thundered, while the life that once prospered was, contained in their shelters. No one dared to enter the vile weather that ensnared the land, that was except a child of Chrintons, whom pondered under the shelter of the great Sela Tree that weeped over the land's famous restaurant. Chrintons were a very friendly race whom shared many similarities in appearance to wolves and foxes but also shared the stature and intelligence of us today. The story of the Chrintons' had been passed down from generation to generation that resulted in the belief that they were a mighty race and took great pride in what they had, this especially for the admiration of the magically animate Sela Tree.

Barcki looked down at his wet paws that clinged to fur swaying in the strong gales. The silver/grey colour of Barcki's fur was very rare in the race and Barcki was often looked upon by many a being. However, Barcki didn't care at this point as he peered through the window of [i]The Animate Ale[/I]. The Animate Ale was often known for it's staff and magical chefs that could create anything to be animated into life therefore making the inn much more efficient.

The chefs could enchant all types of items and food produce with life, especially appliances that were used such as pots and knives. The atmosphere in The Animate Ale was always full of love and joy as Barcki had always dreamed of one day working there.

As a strike of lightning followed by a quick reply of thunder erupted, Barecki fell from the window and landed in the dead leaves of the sleeping Sela Tree. Rubbing himself down, Barecki stood up and ran as fast as he could in fright from the weather that was seeming to become worse. On his journey home, the slurping road that seemed to have boulders of mud rolling down towards Barecki's small figure hindered Barecki's panick , but with as much adrenalin as possible, Barecki ran through the small village to his home. Barecki's home consisted of being built in to an incredibly large toadstool. This toadstool that seemed to be glowing from the contrast of the thunderous clouds gave warmth to the surrounding neigbourhood as the ever-so tiny windows glared with light from the indoor fireplace.

The lack of friction on the way home gave way for Barecki to stumble and almost sweep through the dirt to the bottom of the hill, but smelling his mother's cooking resulted in extra strength. The child threw his upper body up to support himself and charged into the wooden door that gave entrance to his abode. Upon struggling to grab the handle, Barecki jumped and landed straight in the home of which he loved dearly. As the little Chrinton laid in the puddle of which he carried inwards, a large fox-like figure came to smother him in a rug that appeared to be of a towel.

''Where do you think you've been Barecki!?'' Barecki's mother screamed in worry.

''Don't worry mother, I was at the inn.'' Barecki stated as he wiped his fur down which resulted in him looking like a giant furball.

''What!? Do you know who goes in there!? I forbid you to go outside for a week.' Barecki's mother gave a stern look and sat Barecki at the table of which a bowl of hot soup sat steaming.

Barecki was too tired to answer back and it always resulted in a scolding so he sat enjoying the comfort of his home sipping and slurping at the Fromba soup, being his mother's speciality. Barecki's mother sat down opposite him staring to try and hurry him to go to bed.

''Mother, I'm alright. You can stop worrying.'' Barecki giggled softly.

''I know you're alright I just wish you'd get some rest!'' Barecki's mother insisted as she ushered the soup away and took off her flowered apron. ''Goodnight dear''.

Reluctantly, Barecki replied, ''Yes mother''.

As Barecki headed up the steps to the second floor, the storm had began to settle down and ease which was quite a rarity for the Land of the Chrintons. Jumping into bed and sinking into the resting fur, Barecki began to ease of to slumber as the quilt that covered him provided extra warmth. The night was only giving way for gentle showers of occasional raindrops which felt quite soothing to those keen of the ear, so it was quite easy to drift off the sleep. Of course you could hear the occasional laughs from those visiting [i]The Animate Ale[/i], but this was always a lighthearted sound. So it was with this, Barecki began to softly drift off into slumber...

After perhaps only four hours of sleep, Barecki's eyelids opened gently to notice a little shadow on the ceiling. It had appeared that the storm had started again and every hail of wind was followed by a clash of thunder and lightning. Trying to cover his would like ears, Barecki took a pillow and smothered his head in order to muffle the sound. With no avail, Barecki groaned at the sound that was racketing around his room, so giving up, he decided to just sit on the comfortable bed and stay awake... for as long as he could.

The thunder had begun to cease, that was until a knock on the window occurred. Looking around in fright, Barecki could see nothing but a distant twig that was somewhat fluttering with the gales. This was until a repetitive knock suddenly happened. Examining the window, Barecki could only see nothing but a shadow. A rectangular shadow with tiny legs and feet, while tiny arms were adjoined to it.

As a flash of lighting that had appeared to be the finale of the storm, barecki caught site of a little meat slice that was dancing around hectically. After this sight, the little slice was banging onto the window frantically until the beatings stopped at the slice was blown away by a gust onto wind. Holding on for dear life, the meat slice used its arms to join onto the ivy that covered the house. In shock, Barecki rushed to the window and opened it with all his strength. After recovering from the shock of ice cold winds, Barecki reached his arms out and pulled the tree towards him in order to recover the meat slice.

From all the winds blowing, it was a struggle but Barecki managed to be flung back after dragging the window down to the shelf. After the collision had ended, the meat slice that rested in Barecki's fur was muffled for some reason. Upon realisation, the little Chrinton was sitting on the 6 inch slice of meat, so immediately, he jumped up onto his bed and stared at the meat rolling around.

''Erm, excuse me?'' Barecki asked while wiping his fur down.

''Eh? You say!? Eh?'' The little meat slice shouted while jumping and sprinting around the wooden floorboards.

''Agh!? Be quiet, you'll awake mother!'' Barecki screamed bossily as he chased after the meat slice.

''Orders, orders. That's all this village is. Bah, thankyou for saving me.'' The meat slice halted and saluted randomly.

''Save you?'' Barecki questioned while also halting.

''Ah yes! The winds were catching me! ARGH! I shouted! ARGH!'' The meat slice began to jump around frantically.

''Please stop! Are you by any chance, from the Animate Ale?'' Barecki stared in curiosity.

''The Anima--, ah yes! The chef, the chef! He made me have legs and arms! Where is the great chef!?'' The meat slice shouted in question as he jumped on Barecki's bushy tale.

''The chef? Wow, you're magic! What's your name?'' Barecki turned his head to look at the resting meat.

''My name!? I don't have a name! I'm just bacon!'' The meatslice opened it's little slits for eyes and began grin at Barecki.

''Aww, well that's not right. I'll name you then. I heard my mother say [i]rational[/i] one time, and i like that word, so I'll give it to you. I'll name you the, [i]Rational Rasher of Bacon[/i], for short, Rash.'' Barecki shouted in joy.

''Rash eh!? I like it, what's your name then, boy!?'' Rash jumped from side to side as he asked loudly.

''Please, stop shouting! The name's Barecki.'' Barecki covered the little mouth with his paw.

''Barecki eh? I like it. I've got to get to sleep, otherwise I'll rot.'' Rash whispered gently, this was immediately followed by snores.

So it was with this that Barecki had made a new acquaintance, but whom left him annoyed and puzzled at why he would rot. However, Barecki also attempted to drift off to sleep, and it appeared to be successful.

The next morning was a very fresh one, the grass was full of dew and puddles, while the smell of bacon filled Barecki's bedroom. Awaking to find Rash dancing and jigging along the chest of drawers, Barecki signalled rash to jump on his back so they could head to see Barecki's mother for breakfast. Upon creaking down the stairs, Barecki's mother was found weeping at the table over a letter that had arrived.

''Rash, this is my mother but there's something wrong so don't say anything okay?'' Barecki whispered in the kitchen.

''Okay.'' Rash whispered reassuringly.

Barecki came over to his mother and placed an arm over her to notice that finely stamped enevelope laid torn apart while the wax casing was still in one piece. Barecki began to speak.

''Mother? Why are you crying?'' Barecki said softly while stroking his mother's fur.

''Ah no, Barecki. It is nothing, just a letter, that's all.'' Barecki's mother smiled as she wiped off her tears.

''Well the letter is addressed from the King. Please mother, tell me what it is.'' Barecki stood boldly as he asked rhetorically hoping not to back down.

''Well dear, the King has a royal banquet every year. And he chooses households every year to try and cook for him. The thing is, these households have no choice and they must cook otherwise it is treason. Well I only have one day to do so, and if I cannot do it, we are finished.'' Barecki's mother broke down in tears as she stated the yearly event.

''Oh no! Mother there's nothing we can do, you must try.'' Barecki shouted in panic.

''I don't have enough time Barecki!'' The Chrinton mother replied.

A little rumble on Barecki's neck occurred. The pressure began to build up until Rash jumped up into the air and screamed.

''I can do it!'' Rash screamed.

Barecki's mother jumped out of her chair in surprise.

''Whom are you!? Barecki what is it!?'' The mother screamed.

''Mother calm down, he has an idea.'' Barecki comforted his mother.

''Well excu--use me! I am a master and guru of cooking, I could make you a banquet in 2 hours if you gave me the ingredients. I just need you to ship it off.'' Rash began to dance around on barecki's soft surface.

The family were shocked but infatuated with the idea, so it began.

''I do not know who or what you are, but you are a Chrinton saint. I shall get the ingredients.'' Barecki's mother rushed out of the door.

''Well Rash you are my hero aswell. Shall we begin?'' Barecki smiled.

''I only said the ingredients bit to get your mother out of the way. I'll cast the banquet in!'' Rash began to dance and twiddle his thumbs to a rhythm.

After 4 minutes, pots and pans were flying around as a mountain of food began to mount up. Jelly and cakes with sausages and bacon in buns and saucepans all flew into the pile. After about half an hour a pile of food that could feed the entire village soared out of the window of Barecki's toadstool house onwards to the castle. On the way Barecki's mother was taken aback as she encountered the flying pile.

Meanwhile, inside the house, Rash was dancing around happily to the rhythm. This was while Barecki stared at the sillhouette of the flying pile of food.

''How the Chrinton did you do that!?'' Barecki shouted as he waved his arms in the air.

''MWAHA!'' Rash skipped around.

Several days later, a letter arrived from the kind. Barecki's mother opened cautiosly without letting a tear drop, but inside was an incredibly large sum of money with a gratification letter. The entire family jumped around in joy and it was with this that the most random creature inthe world became a family member of Barecki.

So it was with the moral that ''Help those who are in need'' that they lived forever, happily ever after.
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[size=1][B] Everyone loves a 'kiddy' fairy tale.[/b][/size]