[Poggio]

Robin came home a little later then usual. Some of his work friends noticed his cheery disposition and decided to try and do something about it. It mostly resulted in Robin, being slightly buzzed and over buying Chinese food. He stuffed the boxes into the refrigerator leaving a note for his roommate to eat themselves silly. Robin settled into doing his homework. When he had finished he noticed it wasn't that late. He looked around the room and found the book that he had been reading. He fell on his bed and noticed for the first time that the book held an illustration. He found it would have been amazing if the characters didn't eerily look like him and his roommate. He flipped to the page where he last stopped reading and noticed a rip along the binding of the book. He sat up quickly, making himself a little dizzy. Some one had vandalized the book. For some strange reason Robin felt as if his book was hurt from the act. His curiosity desperately wondered what was on the two pages as he relaxed against his pillow. One moment Robin was blinking the next he was waking up in his ash filled world. His step sisters had been stomping around kicking him in vain to get him to wake up. It picked up his spirits to hear his sisters shrill voices complain that the prince had ignored his ball all night and that there would be another one. Robin went about his duties quietly thinking of ways to get away just in case the man returned to the ball. To night seemed like his last chance.

[littl3chocobo]

the prince was distraught, twice now he had wooed his beauty and twice at the stroke of midnight she had run from him as if chased by the fiery hounds of hell. desperately he desired to have her stay as desperately as she seemed to wish to leave but he could not help but be comforted by the thought that though twice she had left twice also had she come. he was dressed and groomed in his very finest and waiting as the third night's moon rose to greet the revelers "tonight" he said "you will be mine"

[Poggio]

As the day wore on, Robin found himself delighted with the idea that the prince was going to have yet another ball. This was to be his last chance he thought. His sisters fretted around like chickens gossiping about the princes mysterious absence at the ball the previous night. Unlike the previous nights, Robin left before his mother could give him the task of cleaning the lentils out of the fire place. He walked around the castle until he entered the secret area. From there Robin made his way into one of the rooms and once again changed. He found a particular pair of shoes that seemed as if they were specially made for his feet. He slipped out of the room and started to walk through the halls trying to remember his way into the main ball room to find the mysterious Jariel.

[littl3chocobo]

the book having now grown acustomed to the Reader's strange alterations adjusted itself accordingly
his heart leaped as she descended the stairs, this time she came dressed as if she had risen from his very wardrobe, though the clothes that he wore did not seem to hold the same sweep and charm as his beauty's own version, though he found it strange that this time unlike the others she was dressed as a man. "my beauty!" he all but shouted towards her, "you came!" as she drew closer he noticed something even stranger than the dress of her, on her feet were a pair of beautiful dancing slippers. he recognised them instantly, long ago when he was small a peddler came to the gates of the castle begging for bread, he had not known better and had found the strange old man something to eat, as a thanks the man gave him those shoes and told him a secret tale, one of dragons and snow and a fairy queen in white slippers, was told of how a young man stole those shoes and how the fairy queen would one day return for them. jerial had believed the man then but over time his faith was lost, the shos he had hidden in the farthest back corner of his wardrobe, he had forgotten about the shoes but seeing now, his beauty coming down the steps he understood, she was the fairy queen, it explained everything from the strange entrances to the stranger clothing, his heart ached for her, for his queen

[Poggio]

Robin was not sure what was going on. His face passed from confusion to mirth as he thought it was a joke. He simply wanted to present himself a little bit better then he had previous nights, after all if his dream was anything like the story this would be the last night he and Jerial had together. He opened his mouth to confess the truth but the happy look on Jerials face and the eyes of every one staring at them made him pause, especially his step family. His hand reached out and intertwined itself with Jerials. “Lets dance”

[littl3chocobo]

everyone watched as his beauty came up to hims, a thousand hearts broke, budding loves shriveling and a thousand more swelled again, two halves of a young love united, as the two touched. the prince noticed nothing but his beauty and taking her in his arms they danced. the musicians taking cue played and the occupants of the great hall took theirs and began to dance as well.

"my beauty" the prince began, as they headed towards the center of the room. he pulled close and dipped her slightly. "i have finally found you out" he saw the others face go red. he held her closer and took one of her hands into his own. only his legs continued the dance as he pulled her hand in between them and covered his own heart. "you are my queen, destined to be mine" he allowed his beauty no time to reply and instead kissed her lightly upon the brow

[Poggio]

Queen? Robin had no real time to process what Jerial had said as he swung around. His thoughts further dissolved when he was kissed on the brow. Some small part of him relished in the attention but beneath that fear started to bubble up from the pits of his stomach. “I... can't be your queen.” He stammered turning crimson. He took a step back from the person holding his hand. It dawned on him that the person in front of him was not just some suave man he had been having fun with. He continued to step back slowly sliding his hand from the mans grasp. He laughed a little as if it were a joke. He didn't want to confess to anything in front of such a large crowd. Robin bit his lip for an instant indecisive moment, before turning back to Jerial. Quickly he walked up to him and kissed him. “I love you, but I can not be your Queen.” With that said he ran afraid of what Jerial would do if he found out the truth. Robin stumbled through most of the bewildered crowd before any of them thought to stop him. As he exited the grand ball room he fell tumbling down the stairs. His ankle throbbed with pain and he was missing a shoe. He continued limping trying to get away as fast as he could.

[littl3chocobo]

the prince chased after his beauty but he was larger than she and could not move so quickly, by the time he had reached the castle doors she could not be seen, only a single white shoe gimmering at the bottom of the courtyard stairs showed any proof of her passing. gathering the discarded shoe he cried, as he had not cried since he was small.

[Poggio]

Robin felt he should have woken up, however he was still running in the dream world. It was well past midnight and his subconscious was telling him that he should be awake. When he arrived home he took off the rest of his guise hiding it so that his step family would not find out about it. He started picking the lentils out of the fire, but couldn't see anything behind his blurred vision. He felt foolish for running away. Robin abandoned the hearth and went into another room to set a fire to heat the home for when his step family returned, but inside the room the fire was already lit and some one was rocking in the chair staring forlornly into the fire. He dropped to his knees by the rocking chair and his father tore his gaze from the fire. “My son.” He smiled. Robin nuzzled the hand that had been offered to him before pressing it against his heart. His dream told him that his father had finally returned from his travels since he was a merchant. He immediately started to make him more comfortable. As he resumed sitting near his father he noticed a small bag. Normally the exciting tales were enough to please Robin but he thought perhaps this once he too would have a present like his sisters. His father saw his expectant eyes and smiled. Out of the bag he pulled out a rose with pedals as pure as snow. The flower looked strangely familiar. “For you my son,” He held it out but as Robin's fingers circled around the stem his father squeezed his hand tightly forcing Robin to wince as the thorns pierced his flesh. “My son, times are hard... and in order to pay my debt, you are to take this rose and present it to the prince... other wise.” His voice trailed unable to look at his son any more. In truth it was his foolish pride that had gotten him in trouble. He had boasted about how his son was more fair then any, Lady, man, or creature of nature. It soon turned into a loose loose situation for Robin's father. If his son could indeed hold up to the boast, he would never see his son again, if his son could not his family would be in deep dept. Robin left his home later that night taking only a small bag with him. It contained a few belongings including his one magical shoe. When he arrived at the castle the guards locked him in a room telling him the prince will see him when he saw fit. He did not know how much time had passed while he idly smelled the rose.

[littl3chocobo]

his beauty had left him, some man stole roses from his secret garden and now his men had a dirty little boy locked in a cell under the claim that he would marry the prince. the prince snorted his displeasure, the night drew long and he was left unsated. under the waxing moon he slid from his garments and becoming a wolf as pure as quick-silver and just as dangerous he leaped into the bramble and through a hole in the all, he would deal with this all in the morning

[Poggio]

Robin had been staring out the window when he noticed a shadow in the Prince's garden. He looked around to make sure no one saw him. He was thin enough that with a little trouble and effort he could slip through the bars before he needed to breath again. He wondered around in the darkness trying to figure out what the mysterious creature had been. He secretly hoped that he would run into Jerial. He wanted to apologize. He followed the shadow through the hole.

[littl3chocobo]

the wolf jerial noticed something was following it, it lurched heavily to the side and hid as a small human-thing ran by, something about it seemed so familiar so it quickly and stealthily followed behind it

[Poggio]

Robin slowed his scamper to a walk, realizing that he what he chased was probably a shadow. For some strange reason it made him think of the name Bozu. His feet turned to go back to the castle but then Robin thought why. The taste of freedom was rather nice and he probably would never see book Jerial again. He realized he was still holding the rose and twisted it among his locks as a keep sake. The only thing that kept him rooted to the spot was his lack of funds and reality settling into his gut. Robin turned back to the castle, loot first, then run.

[littl3chocobo]

he watched the other turn back on him, it was too late to hide he was spotted, he other came to a grinding halt. the wolf stared for a moment fangs bared and hackles raise. a moment passed and a smell of the garden and something else found it. it knew this smell, the memory or a garden kiss came to it, slowly it came up to the creature relaxing it's posture but remaining wary in case it needed to flee

[Poggio]

Robin jumped. It was a dog... wolf... beast thing. He took a deep breath, not running. The last thing he wanted as a chuck of his butt devoured by a beast. Since it was in his path Robin taught he could tame it. He had not offerings off food but he held out his hand. Eventually the boy inched close enough, that he could sedate the wolves curiosity . When Robin thought him as nothing more then a stray dog he started to pet him, nuzzling the thick fur with gentle caresses. “Whose a good boy. You are, yes you are.”

[littl3chocobo]

i could not understand the words though somewhere in the back of it's mind it knew they were nice ones, but it did understand the caress. it nuzzled the boy's hand for this was a male creature it now could tell. it knew this male it was sure, there was no danger here