The Wooden Heart Editing

Chapter 10

A/N: Hey my beloved readers! I'm sorry for the short chapter, originally nine and ten were combined into one big chapter, but I thought it'll be better to have them split and rewrite chapter ten. Thank you to my fellow writer and most faithful reviewer, Bob the story builder

Disclaimer:

I do not claim the original fairy tale, but WH's plot and characters belong to me. Any famous songs, TV show/movies/books and manga names, and brands that are mentioned in this work belong to their rightful owners.

Willa Field

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Nine:

It's always calm…

-.-.-.-.-.-

Maria jumped up in her bed with a silent scream and sweat caked onto her pale forehead, her chest heaving hard. Again she cursed with a horrible nightmare:

Not again, she thought angrily as a moan fell from her lips, her body fell back to the bed as her arm flew over her eyes.

She had been having nightmares that were filled with horrific things and the terrifying-looking rats who wanted her as their new queen. Maria knew that if she allowed Adam to get at her and get into her mind, she will be his slave forever without no end in sight, so she never let the nightmares ruin her life and carried a smile on her lips always to show that she doesn't care what the rats threw at her. That she was brave and nothing would never bother her

But the nightmares were starting to get to her, her heart was starting to get to a point that it didn't want to pretend anymore. She sighed deeply as she pulled herself up and against her bed's headboard, reaching over to her strange-looking cell phone that was laying on the dark blue side table next to the bed.

The blonde needed to talk to Michael, to know that everything was going to be okay despite their new fates were impossible to ignore and the war was getting closer with every passing day. She needed to be wrapped in his calming voice to feel better:

He was the only one that could soothe her worries, to comfort her when the world seemed to be crashing down around her feet.

Which is why when his soothing voice came through the reviver, warmth rose up from the pit of her stomach and she blew the bad thoughts rushing through her mind out of her body with one mere breath of relief:

"Hey baby girl, are you okay?" Michael asked with a sleep laced tone, but he sounded cornered.

"I'm okay, sweetie, it's just…I had the dream again and it's getting to me. I'm trying to be brave and ignore them because I know that if I showed any fear from the dreams, they will see it somehow, giving them power over me and I cannot give them the power. If I do, they will win the battle. I'm sorry to call you so late, I just needed to hear your voice after this one. It makes everything alright again."

After she told her mate this, there was a pause on the other line, letting the blonde think about things the blonde didn't want to think about, but she knew she needed to.

About the war, about her new upcoming life without him and everyone else Maria loved and cared about, and about letting go the man she was searching for even before she knew it herself. The last thing was on her mind constantly, never leaving her alone for a second, reminding her how hard it would be but she had to do it for her world.

The winter fairy chuckled again at how similar her life really has become to Fushigi Yugi*:

Miaka had to sacrifice her relationship with Tamahome in order to save her world outside the world of the book, having to leave all of the people she grew to love over the time she lived there, just as Maria will have to.

Maria had to hope that they will all meet again like the characters did eventually, that hope kept her sane among all the crazy in her life at the moment.

Never did the blonde thought that her life would end up like this, but she was so glad that it did, even though she had to walk away from it:

"We will make it through this, sweet girl, I know this is hard for you and you don't want to give this up. But you have to remember this, I will never let you go, I will never give up searching for you. All of us will, you won't be alone for long. I promise that we will together again. No matter how long it takes. I promise you that."

Michael's voice cut short her thoughts, returning her to reality, and his words again made her feel like nothing would stop his love for the blonde.

A smile danced across her lips as she wiggled onto her side, whispering these words before slipping back into a peaceful sleep as if the ravenette's voice was magic and only it could rid her of the nightmares. She knew she was going to be alright, she just needs to have faith in her people:

"Thank you, I know you won't…"

-.-.-.-.-.-

After that night, the nightmares were fewer and fewer apart, renewing Maria's strength and faith that everything would work out in the end.

Now, weeks later, Maria breathed evenly as she stared at the target behind the bow, ready to shoot, and a moment passed on as she let her fingers let go of the string and the arrow flew straight for the bull eye. She smiled, setting her bow down, and reached for the water bottle on the table.

After finding out about her destiny in the book and her talk with Michael, she wanted to try and get back to her normal life as the princess knew that she was living on borrowed time. And once she voiced this request, her family and friends did just that:

They treated her normally and acted like their time wasn't running down.

So their lives went on like the first weeks the winter fairy's arrival, peaceful and busy with the preparations for the war and school. And then, there was the masquerade to prepare for.

The guys and she had been practicing for two weeks between school, shopping for dresses for the masquerade ball, which Maria trusted Locia and Alicia to do because they are amazing with fashion and she was not, and homework.

Now, it was the night of the ball, and the beautiful blonde was waiting for her two girlfriends to arrive with our dresses.

The blonde was nervous about it, to be honest. It was her very first high school dance and she was going with the most popular guy in school. She knew that they were dating for weeks now and they were indeed but still it was scary to think of all the stares they'd get.

Although the young woman had more confidence in herself, Maria was still shy when in the midst of the room filled with people. And knowing Adam, he will start something.

She sighed as she moved inside where her parents were lounging on the family room's couch, she smiled to hide her nerves and parked next to it.

"Hey guys, what are you planning to do tonight that we kids are out of your hair?" She asked teasingly, combing her fingers through her ponytail. Maria's little brother was at a friend's house for the night, finally being the kid their caretakers never allowed him to be.

"Well, I'm going to take your mom out after I drop you girls off." Tuan stated sweetly with a smile. His daughter smiled back, thinking how things had changed in just a few merely weeks.

Weeks ago, the blonde was just a weak girl who was afraid of her shadow, she thought she was alone in that living hell. But now she is the princess of Saza Gae with so many loving people behind her to show her that she isn't alone anymore in this world.

She is not afraid of silly things anymore and she was finally happy.

With the nightmares reminding her of what was coming, Maria knew that it would be short-lived, but the reddish blonde will find her way back home soon enough. Back where she belonged.

She was brought back from her mind when a knock came on the front door and a smile formed on her lips.

"There're the girls, let the race begin." She stated as she wheeled towards the door, leaving the two adult fairies chuckling:

The blonde pushed the door open and there were Locia and Alicia smiling at their friend. They pushed past her, eager to start their transformation of the beautiful princess. Although the two other girls knew that the smaller one didn't need it as much, it was always still fun to show her that she was more beautiful than any other and she needed to get used to it.

She smiled at their eagerness, but then Maria raised an eyebrow after realizing they were already wearing their dresses underneath coats, causing them to giggle:

"We got ready before we came here so all the time would be yours. We are here to help you get ready, and tonight's a huge night for you. Just call us your fairy-odd sisters." They echoed at once as Loci grabbed the bars and pulled the blonde into the large bathroom with Alicia giggling behind them.

A few hours of pointing and poking past until the princess was free.

The girls took a moment to admire their work before they beamed proudly at Maria, pushing her to the full-length mirror in her large room:

She gasped at the girl staring wide-eyed back at her, c*****g her head in shock:

She was gorgeous, her strawberry blonde hair was tightly tied into a bun with a few ringlets falling down like gold to frame her face, like the day she came home and she looked as if she was an angel. Her full lips were painted a blood red color and her eyes as green as the leaves on the trees were turned even more green from the smoky brownish gray eyeshadow. And finally the dress, oh the dress was beautiful.

She was wearing a pale shining pale green hostel grown, which sat with her pale skin perfectly. The skirt barely brushed her feet, giving a peek at her legs. Her feet were stuffed into silky pale green ballet flats. She stared at her reflection as she lifted a hand to meet the reflection's hand. Oh, my god…

"I'm…" She breathed, her voice cracked with shock. Locia chuckled as she kissed the blonde on her cheek:

"…. Beautiful. And now for the icing on this beautiful cake." She finished quietly as she put on her mask.

It was lined with tiny diamonds on the edges but matched the whole outfit.

She smiled as she turned the masked princess around to face them.

"Thank you. Both of you." Maria smiled kindly as they nodded their welcome.

"Are you ready, Cinderella? Your prince is waiting." Alicia asked, handing her friend a stall.

Maria breathed a deep breath and beamed a bold smile, nodding my head. There's no turning back now, she was now a normal teenager, no matter what her future was.

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*Fushigi Yugi—One of the most popular manga series by Watase Yuu. It follows two girls who finds an ancient Chinse novel and falls into it. Something horrible happens to one of the girls and it leads to them to become enemies. I based this series loosely off it.