It was Friday night in the Fairyland kingdom and Farala Silvermist, the Captain of the Silver Lions was extremely exhausted.
Like the perfectionist and workoholic she was, her head was stuffed with the matters of the state even though it was almost 8 pm in the night right now.
The Puppeteire, the mysterious villan who had almost captured Fairyland, kidnapped half of the country's important ministers who were still not found, made their princess and current Fairy Queen Sofia to go bad using her weakness and kidnapped the heroine of her fairytale, Cinderella just to get a mysterious magical septor called the Weaver's Wand.. was still on the lose and their search parties still have no clue about her.
Things were already bad as such and just like the other new problem in their neighboring country, Fairytale of a certain drug-stealing thief another chaos had come right after the previous one.
The contents of the mysterious letter..
'I will return back like the red moon when you least expect it..So, wait for me..
Signed Puppeteire'
..That Princess Sofia's palace had received before a few days was still fresh on her memory.
She had no clue who that person was but, she wasn't a spirit. Farala knew that for sure. Because from the battle she and the rest of the captains fought in the Cave of Enigma in the Fairyland frost mountain, judging by the girl's controlling puppet magical powers Faral figured it out.
The letter bugged her much.
And, that was the reason she and the other trusted soliders of her kingdom along with General Felix went on a quest for a few days to follow the To address from where the mysterious letter had come from.
Everything was perfect.
And, With Farala around the troop really did find that place but, imagine their disappointment when they actually found out that this entire plan turned out to be a hoax.
Felix-Kun was still desperate to find his missing father but, with this grave loss everyone were indeed despondent to the core including Farala-san.
This was how the current situation of Fairytale kingdom were.
Thanks to the Farala's adventure with Anastasia and the second Prince Charming, the townsmen had started to live in peace for a while.
But, there were still many things to worry about and..
This certainly doesn't mean that..
Farala looked at the drunk solider gathering around a certain party hall beside their temporary solider residential camp, singing songs, dancing their traditional dances and even playing bets in entertainment and being merry.
...Apperantly, They had completed all their conquests and it was time for celebration.
But, still..
Farala looked down at the paper slip she had on her fingers and took a deep breath before walking into the feast to find the young Fairy Queen, Princess Sofia.
She gritted her teeth at the sight.
'This junior apprentice of hers just doesn't know how to be serious and had to organize this entire party for her boyfriend, General Felix and her master, 'Farala herself!!' (to which Farala wasn't invited of course.)
Farala put up a tough extremely angry face and poked the shoulder of the cheerful pink haired princess who was pouring more drinks to the her subjects with a brimming smile.
"Here here. Thank you for the hardwork. Now let's rejoice."
"Sofia.." Farala called her.
"Your majesty, you are being too kind. It's not neccessary for a beautiful princess like you to associate with us.. "
"Pah, associate with you..?! Are you kidding me ?? I was waiting desperatly for you and Felixy-Kun to return! It was getting kinda boring but, Now that we are togather again.. let's celebrate.. Kampai! (cheers)"
Princess Sofia said lifting her drink high on the air and the red wine sparkled like rubies in the reflection of the golden furnace.
"Kampai!! "
The others followed her guesture with laughter and continued their initial rambles.
Farala slouched her shoulders in frustration.
She had such a great position all-around the Fiction World. She's the captain of Silver Lions, She's the great Fairy Godmother of the Cinderella Fairytale and.. Her words had just been treated like air by none other person than her own student, Princess Sofia, The daughter of her best friend the former Fairy Queen.
"Sofia.. " Farala tried calling again but, it was no use once again.
Sofia ran fast beside the brown haired tan skinned boy sitting a few feet from her, cheerfully.
"Sofia-chan.. "
"Felix-kun! Tell me. tell me about your adventures..? Did you miss me? Well I. did. I missed you so much..!?!"
Sofia then gave her boyfriend a big bear hug and smooched her lips to kiss him and this was finally when Felix suddenly noticed an incredibly scary form hovering behind them.
Felix didn't respond Sofia's guesture and started trembling. "Sofie.. I think you better.."
"SOFIA WILL YOU STOP SLACKING AGAIN!!!!"
The hitherto calm Farala finally exploded.
Only then did Sofia-chan turn behind and noticed her angry teacher standing there with her palms over her hips, frowning bitterly.
A pin drop silence abruptly filled the entire room. Some one broke a glass and the others were looking at the scene with completely shocked faces.
'Who invited Captain Farala??'
'Oh no! She shouldn't even be here!!?'
'Now whose gonna save us all!!'
Everyone seemed to cry mentally including Felix-Kun!
But, as cheerful as Princess Sofia was even the sight of her angry master didn't faze her..
A blissful smile twirled on her lips and before everyone even knows it, Sofia abruptly threw her arms around Farala-san.
"Ah, Farala. You are here too. It was Captain Tim's idea to not invite you. Don't be angry." She threw the blame over to another solider like eating a cake and continued.
The soldier's jaws dropped open in amazement and shock.
'Just don't bring others inside your excuses okay, princess!! Handle your own problems by yourself!'
"Now that you are here, why don't you join us, Farala-chan! Come come sit here with us..! "
The tension around the atmosphere was almost suffocating for everyone party hall but, the happy-go-lucky Princess Sofia didn't think another second at all and had already made the extremely strict Farala to sit on one certain chair.
Felix was placing his palms over is mouth at his girlfriend's forwardness just like the rest of the guilty soliders.
'Sofia-chan, stop playing with fire alright!!'
But, Sofia simply treated Farala like another exhausted solider and poured her a cup of wine just like she did to others.
"Sofia.. This document is the collaboration of all the necessary information we gave got about.."
"It's okay. it's okay.. Now just relax a bit Farala. Do you want me to pour you another cup of drink? Can I press your shoulders in the while..!?" Sofia suggested chirping like a lark totally ignoring the words of The certain Captain and touched Farala's shoulders.
You could almost see a vein perk on Farala's forehead if you were a witness. Her tension was budding high up on her head.
'This.. Brat!! W-Why must she be so tough to control!?!
She can understand, teenagers were like this especially during their rebellious phasr.
But, hosting a giant party just for the most responsible, dignified, elite soliders of the country along with her boyfriend who just happens to be one of the important respected general of the country, when half of her Queendom's leaders are still missing is..!!
Sofia poured another cup to Farala-san.
"Ah, Farala. You would do for me right..? Me.. Your-Your.. Most precious.. Darling best friend's cute daughter..? " Sofia blinked her cheeryblossom eyes again and..
Even Farala-san doesn't know when she joined her, had gotten merry and completely wasted herself..
Soon, after a hour or so Farala slammed the door open, forced herself out with an extremely flushed face to get away from her other drunk companions.
She still had the documents she had researched about The Puppeteire along with the villan's mysterious message on her hands. And, the wounds all over her body reminded Farala of her duties even though she was in an current state.
She walked out into the cold climate of Fairyland and the usually expressionless serious faced placed her hand on her forehead with her still clenching the now crumbled document.
She knew, her body was incredibly weak with the drinks. And, that was the reason why she tried filling her stomach with just plumcakes and the ordinary fruit punches on the table. But, ..who would have ever thought that her body was too sensitive that, it couldn't even hold this much of intoxication.
Farala grinned sheepishly and hiccuped like a drunkard.
"Hehe.. Looks like I got wasted bad!.."
She sang loud and looked at the document again.
But, she had to report this to the other captains her workoholic spirit still burning bright inside her mind like a fire flame.
She had to do it. She had to complete this job by today but, with the condition she is in now.. She knew she couldn't report the information to Princess Sofia but, Gretal-san.. the only female of the group, Captain Gretal of the Twin headed eagles.
She could at least make an attempt to say these things to her. She is the most understanding person among the group of the other captain's.
Sure, like her twin brother, Hastle she does have stupid ideologies of changing her form into a preteen girl with a excuse, for mana conservation when all she really wants is to hide her current age. But, she's alright.
And, she wouldn't really mind or later on tease Farala for her intoxicated state right..?
That's what mattered Farala the most! Her pride would totally fall down if the other captains especially that jerk Rumpelstiltskin sees her like this. But, she must also complete the target of her job by tonight.
And, knowing Gretal-san's special talent in medicine, Farala looked at her scars and improperly treated wounds again. She knews her friend's house would even be like, a trip to a doctor at a time like this.
With that in mind, Farala snapped her finger in magic. And, immediately blue sparkles surrounded her in a blink of an eye. Her figure slowly started becoming transparent corresponding the transportation magic she had just used now and before she knew it, her entire body was abruptly sent to the place Gretal was at the current moment.
Having reached the certain place through the twirly storm, Farala found that she wasn't in the usual chocolate stuffed cottage of the 'Hastle and Gretal 'fairytale twins they had recently snaffled from the witch at the end of their fairytale.
It was naturally located on their hometown, The Mermaid City or the Kingdom of beautiful mermaids and deadly sirens with the sound of the oceans howling at each corner. But by the looks of it, Farala found the place a bit different than what she had imagined. For starters there was a perfect calm silence around the atmosphere.. And, there was no sound of the waves like always.
The delicate feet of the ageless fairy in her current 21 year old girl form soon landed on the pure white marbled tiles gracefully like a swan.
She looked around at the strangely unfamiliar place with her still blurry vision.
And.. She was wasted.
Genuinely wasted.
Even she knew that by now. So, wasted that even the house of the two twins looked enormous, triple times it original state, Luxurious and very.. Different.
But, she must finish her target. She must report her country's matter to the other Captains..
She flung her finger on air guesturing a foolish determination and walked more forward towards a certain highly elevated place, the staircase and this was when a strong gust of wind blew her way and something soft and warm suddenly landed over her figure.
A pitch darkness suddenly encapsulated Farala-san on the already dark night.
Huh..? Did anyone turn of the light?
The drunk Farala head raised up in confution.
"Oh.. Dear. Dear me..! Who had kept this window open..!?"
A certain maid who had been bringing in a bundle of clothes with much difficulty tried catching the clothes as they flew on the air after she had bumped into a strange cushion.
Her vision was still hidden by the bundle of clothes. And, being completely ignorant to the presence of the drunk Farala, the middle aged maid soon finished taking most of the clothes she had dropped down around her on the staircase.
She then tried to go forward humming lightly and this was when she saw an eeire looking white form standing before her with stretched arms.
The elderly maid's face instantly grew pale like a corpse. Her entire body started shaking! She know, she had been working on this naturally creepy looking castle for almost thirteen years, but, to finally spot a figure that had given her nightmares many times in real life!!
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! A GHOST! "
The maid screamed on top of her voice.
The drunk Farala inside the white bed covers was equally startled.
"A Ghost? Where??"
She asked to the woman's voice beside her but it was of no use the maid was already long gone into the darkness.
In few minutes, the entire mansion was bustling with chaos and they did not dare inform this to the house's owner. Least he fire them for being so irresponsible.
Drunk Farala was still very puzzled.
She had come here to meet Gretal and she still hadn't met her at all! And even when she asked for help all she got were loud screams and sounds of foot running away.
But, taking a blind eye to all of these things.. Do you know what is the worst thing that had bothered drunk Farala-san..?
It was the presence of the ghost on the surrounding and she didn't know where it was at all!!!
She also reasoned that the reason everything turned dark was because of that scary creature!
Soon, the sounds of the guards marching came louder and she knew there was a great crowd searching after her in the strange place.
Her mind was completely muddled and the great Captain felt like she had become monster Frankenstein who was said to be killed by the townsmen in one fairytale story.
Aiya! She didn't want the ghost to catch her and at the sound of the only civilization, the marching of the guards she abruptly stopped and turned towards them for refuge.
Please, save me from the ghost too. A voice in her mind cried.
But, unfortunately, the moment the initially brave guards who had followed this 'Ghost' before saw Farala running towards them with the white blanket still on her form and they immediately felt goosebumpes pop over their entire body and retreated their steps back in fear like cats at sight of water.
And, soon enough it wasn't the guards chasing drunk Farala but, actually the 'ghost' chasing the guards.
A certain guard caught his chest tight and yelled to the troop's leader.
"Captain!! The ghost is chasing us! What can we doo!!!? Can we report it to our majesty??"
"Or you crazy? No! We must not! We must not report it to our Majesty even if our lives are on the line!!? " The guard retorted.
"Wait, don't leave me too?! Come back please! Save me. I don't wanna get caught by the ghost!?! " The 'ghost' yelled back to them in anguish at the insensitivity and chased after them.
The soliders turned back the heads.
The dim moonlight touched the white bed cover and with the enormous marbled mansion that gleemed with shiny blue stones.. And frost cold night atmosphere their fears were trippled as they saw her form.
They ran more faster in fear and this was only when.. The scary.. Er.. Drunk Farala-san accidentally hit herself on a wall and hurt her head.
Smack!
Her entire body dropped on the floor.
And, this was how The great captain of the Silver Lions fell down on the ground defeated and lost her consciousness after sending the entire palace to a rackus.
__________
After a few minutes, Farala got up by herself and found her staring right unto the face of a certain young lady in a maid's outfit.
Farala-san looked confused at the sight a maid. The twins actually has maids whose.. Mere uniforms looked so expensive and unusual..?
This is wrong... She knew they weren't that rich.. And.. By this time having her body slowly revert back to her sober mind Farala-san gasped when the curious maid turned back and yelled.
"A-Ah..! She's up! The intruder's up, everyone! "
The other maids who were clustered around here and there before now quickly rushed behind the maid, almost tumbling down on the floor in a rush.
"Oh, is she, dear!? Thank goodness. Now we can kick her out before our majesty finds her and fires a few people!"
"How did she even get here, Auntie May? Past the watchmen, terrifing the royal guards by imposing as a ghost and even us the maids. Could she be the theif who stole the drugs!?"
"Shut up, Ami! Behind you! Right behind you! " Another maid screamed her voice out.
"W-What?.. " The maid who was kneeling beside Farala-san was puzzled.
"Arrest her! Quick Lilly!! She's escaping!! "
The other maid made herself more clearer but, it was of no use.
Farala-san had already started running with quick steps.
She bit her lips hard when she did that.
Damn it!
With her mind having gotten a bit sober though not completely, Farala now knew she was on the wrong place.
I am not in the Twin's cottage. I am definitely sure of it now!! I mean, maids, guards.. The majesty!!? Ughhh!!
During this time Farala-san looked outside the gold rimmed luxurious windows with bustling rich red curtains and she finally looked at the familiar setting of green forest outside.
Fairytale!
She was in the Fairytale kingdom!!
And, this isn't even the royal palace, Farala had visited many times to meet King Charming..! There was no sign of Cinderella here or even the first prince for that matter..
How did she get here!?
Was her magic malfunctioning..?
And, just what is this place..?
C-could it actually be that Gretal was on a strangly eerie looking palace like this??
What is she doing here?
Is she trapped?
Who did this to her!?
Multiple questions exploded on Farala's mind.
Farala's breaths soon became insanely quick due to too much running and at this time since she had long escaped from the chasing troop, she decided to take break and then decided she would try to explore the place.
After all, she's a Captain and having lived here almost half her life in order to complete her role as a matchmaker fairy in the Cinderella fairytale Farala-san was indeed embarrassed to admit that she had never seen this place her entire life before this day.
This fact made her curious and Farala excitedly walked around the huge building just as she was escaping from the other guards and maids.
The entire building was a enormous ovular shaped palace that was completely made out of pure white marbles which in turn transformed it's the interior designing beautiful and elegant like a previous pearl jewel and made it sparkle under the silver moonlight.
The palace was studded with many glittering blue stones and the floor sparkled clean, probably because of the maid's professionalism.
The owner probably has a fetish for cleanliness..
Farala reasoned.
As she walked more into the stony pathway through the dome entrance of yet another room and she found it decorated with many ceramic heads of recognizable nobelmen.
She walked towards the table scattered with many papers and documents and looked into them clicking her tougue
Aye, sketches of rough maps.. Why does this person even need all this..?
She then walked into another room blocked with heavy golden curtains.
She pushed them out of the way. And, the first thing she saw inside it was a board with the words 'Forbidden Area', hung on one corner.
Stolen apples are always sweeter. So the sign didn't help Farala-san do anything other than making her enter the certain room voluntarily.
The room was dimly lit with candle lights and she then saw a giant global map of the entire fiction world under which the land fairytale was marked with inside a giant red circle.
As though.. Someone was plotting something very big all over the world in a search for something..
Many of the places.. The states in Fairytale were marked with little crosses and the same was followed on certain parts of the other country. But, it seemed like the person hadn't found what they were looking for here.
She then walked towards the giant window pane to find where exactly was this palace located since by this time she could figure out that she was on the first floor of the building and..
This was when she found a certain glass carving portait with a dark silhouette of a young extravagant man.. prince.. standing on it with a dignified look. It was bordered with a giant broken heart and made the silhouette look more grimmer as though it wasn't already.
The picture in itself was strange and kind of creepy but..when Farala-san saw it this was the first word that came to her mind.
"The portait of The Cursed Prince from the Ancient Legends.."
A loud gust of wind exploded behind her the moment she said these lines and was powerful enough to blow out all the candlelights inside the room and she looked at the entire room again.
W-What is this creepy place..?
And, just.. who lives here..?
She wondered.
The sounds of the footsteps started tapping again and Farala having her mana replenished by this time, she quickly snapped her fingers to transport her to another location.
In a blink of a second, Farala was shifted to the down stairs of the palace. The soliders and guards were still searching for her in her previous position so it was a great time explore the things out here, Farala thought.
Farala truly wasn't a person like this who goes longing for adventures. But, her drunkenness was really making her as a different person who was far from the usually serious and anxious person she was.
And, at times like this she was glad she wasn't her ownself. If she was, she really wouldn't have the guts to explore a creepy place like this..
With these thoughts, Farala walked around half dancing and half humming lightly when she suddenly overheard a conversation of two people, probably the ones who reside on this palace.
"Boss, I heard you contacted with Anastasia-samma today.. How many times should I tell you..? Do not do that. Her presence is not alright for you boss.. Gretal-samma already.. -"
"Will you shut the nonsense..? I already told you I cannot do that, Kuro. And, Besides I just wanted to check how she's doing on her new school... Because, ..a certain assistant of mine had actually forgotten to check up on her when delivering Anastasia her letter. Your carelessness was grave, Kuro.
Do you want me to remember how you failed to complete your job and send you back to your hometown for that?"
The voice threatened the other party gravely.
"E-Eh..!! Yikes! No-way b-boss.. Y-You are so kind and gracious enough t-to forgive m-m-me right!!?! "
Farala's eyes widened as she heard the familiar voices.
She couldn't recognize the first one but, having spent with the owner of the second voice for a while now especially during the recent journey they had went togather with her closet friend, Farala was sure it belonged to none other than, the second prince Zenon Altizer Charming.
P-Prince Zeno..?
What is he doing here..?
At the recognization of the familiar person on this unfamiliar setting Farala slowly opened the half closed door and took a peak in.
And, that was when Farala finally saw the handsome prince sitting on his shite blanketed bed beside another gray haired youngster holding a book.
They were still talking at that time. But, none of the two's words entered Farala's brain because the current beautiful image of the extremely gorgeous lad captured her mind and her made her look at the two in daze.
The golden haired bangs of the prince gently touched his forehead as he bent over to read the book. His clear blue eyes sparkled like a piece of a glittering jewel. And, with his extremely fair skin that looked more finer and delicate than a cheery blossom petal we could clearly see why this man was considered as one of the most handsomest men in the entire world.
T-This..
This.. was the young man, her best friend was so much in love with..
And, she could understand why too..
Looking at his extremely gorgeous appearance, even she felt like she was looking at a Greek god who was too pure for the dark world.
She thought admiring him a while when another thought abruptly struck her.
The brows of the still drunken and muddle headed Farala frowned.
She abruptly become angry.
So angry that, she actually forgot how she entered this unauthorized place without any permission, how she had made the entire maid troop believe their home had actually become a haunted house and even how no sane would be so daringly enough to enter inside the room of the place's owner and actually grab him by his shirt before shaking his shoulders violently like a vagabond!
"You! F***ing bastard! How dare you use all these gorgeous looks to seduce other women and cheat on the girl who loves you! Huh? Are you a jerk!? No, a garbage eating jerk that's what you really are !?!"
Farala sweared in mean words like licking a candy forgetting all her usual calm and cool composure and Kuro-kun, the assistant standing beside the mansion's owner literally dropped down his chair down in fright at her ferociousness!
Everything happened in seconds he didn't even know whe the intruder got here!
"W-Who are you!!?! W-What are you doing to boss!!?! "
He exclaimed yelling loudly.
Zeno, on the other hand was equally shocked at the sudden appearance of the unauthorized wild girl too.
But, then he looked into the ferocious, angry sapphire blue eyes of his current insanely aggressive opponent, her tough 'biting the lips expression' and by looking at her blue fluffy hair, his eyes slowly calmed when he identified who the person was.
"C-Captain F-Farala-san..? What are you doing here..? A-And what do you mean I-I am cheating on Anastasia-chan..??"
He said quickly still looking baffled.
At this moment, the door suddenly slammed open and a short green bobbed thirty year old woman in a white doctor coat abruptly stood beside it with a similar confused look, keeping both her hands on the door.
"Farala-chan, Just WhAt ThE hELL are you doing here!??! "
A huge army of royal guards and groups of royal maids soon joined her in the doorsteps still huffing and puffing.
And, the drunk Farala, the source of the entire calamity looked at everyone with a dazed expression.
"Ah! Gretal-chan. You are here... And! You too, you three, you four, huck!" She hiccuped her liquor again fingering each of the guard and maid standing there when her legs became wobbling again.
"And, it seems like huck! The party's over.. "
Farala-san said grinning brightly with her cheeks flushed.
Her intoxicated self not sane enough to hold in all this confusion and then collasped on the ground before she completely snapped to unconciousness.
And, That was the day Farala-san swore to herself to never drink again especially when she had to do an extremely important work.
***