Chapter 11: The Childhood Friend Fairy.   

Yelena's POV

I sighed. "What's this? Did I do something wrong?" I asked. Vice didn't answer. She's been silent since this morning. "What's wrong - ?" I asked and touched her shoulder.

"Hii!" she gasped and jumped away from me. Her face is so red.

My forehead knotted. "What the heck is wrong with you?" I asked, frowning.

"Err, uhm – " she said, then looked away. Her ears are so red.

I sighed. "Fine. I won't ask." I said and walked. We're inside the forest. How did we come here?

Flashback

"Yelena!" my mother called. I was climbing down the stairs. I looked at her. She smiled. Wonder what she's up to, now? I thought. "Are you out to get some fresh air?" she asked.

"Ah, yes." I answered.

She smiled. "Why don't you go to the forest?" she asked.

"Huh?" I said, puzzled.

She smiled. "You could take that fine girl with you – " she said.

"Mother." I said.

She chuckled. "You could also take Emil." She added.

I sighed, then nodded. "Thanks." I said. She just smiled.

And I took Emil. Then we asked the people if they saw Vice. They led me to an inn. I told Emil to wait for me downstairs. And I went to the room where Vice is staying.

"Ye-Yelena!" she exclaimed, shocked, when she opened the door.

And there I saw a groggy Vice. Even if she's still groggy, she still looks good. I thought. "Hi." I said and smiled awkwardly.

"What… what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Err…" I said. "I wonder if you're free today?" I asked. He looked confused. Right. She might think this is a date. I thought and grimaced. This is what my mom probably planned. I forced a smile. "My mother – err, the queen told me if I want to breathe fresh air somewhere, and suggested I could take a walk in the forest." I explained.

"Why are you asking me, then?" she asked.

I grunted silently. "Err, that's… she said you could tag along, too." I said. "If you don't want to come, I had Emil with me – "

"I … I'll come!" she said, then shut the door. I heard a clutter inside her room and a splash of water. She's probably having a bath. I thought.

I imagined her stripping inside my shower at my apartment. Slowly…she slowly took off her clothes, then threw them at me, where I'm standing in front of her, naked. I went inside the shower, then –

I shook my head. "What am I thinking?" I muttered to myself.

Flashback end

We directly went to the forest. But our plan to go in three … well, I didn't know what happened, but when we turned, Emil was gone. And now… we – "Aren't we lost?" I asked. We've been walking for hours and can't find the exit.

"Huh? You're right." Vice said. Finally! She spoke! I thought.

I sighed. "It's almost dark." I said. "Ah." I said when my feet bumped something. I took it up. "What's this – "

"Ah! Yelena, don't touch it!" Vice said, panicking.

"Huh - ? But I already – ah." I said when I was pulled suddenly by an invisible force. "What – "

"Yelena!" Vice called, before she was gone.

"Oww - !" I cried when my butt hit the ground when I fell.

"Oh?" I heard somebody speak. "How… ah." They said.

"Oww…" I cried, rubbing my butt. "What the hell happened – huh?" I said when somebody suddenly hugged me from behind. "Who – "

"Yelena!" the voice cried. It was a female's voice. "You finally came back!" she happily said.

"Who – " I said, then turned. My jaw dropped when I saw a blonde, pointed-ear girl standing behind me. She also has transparent wings and her whole body is glowing brightly. Could she be – "A… a fairy?!" I exclaimed, shocked. "How the heck did this story turn into fantasy now?!" I muttered.

Her eyes went wide. "Yelena! So you remember me - !" the fairy said and smiled.

"Err, excuse me, but - " I said. "Who are you?" I asked.

Her mouth fell open. "Yelena, you… you don't remember?" she asked, teary-eyed. "We played in this forest, together with Vincent." She told me.

"Huh? Ah – !" I cried when my head hurt. It was night. The pond is glowing together with fireflies around us three – "Argh!" I cried, then knelt on the ground.

"Yelena! Are you okay - ?" she asked, worried.

"Yeah." I answered, panting.

"Sorry." She said. "I didn't mean to startle you. I placed a barrier around my territory so that – " she stopped, then looked at me. "Yelena. Did something happen to you?" she asked. "It has been … 18 years, hasn't it?" she asked.

"Huh?" I said, puzzled. "What are you talking about – " my head's spinning.

"Where's Vincent?" she asked. "And why only now did you come back … Yelena?" she called. "Yelena!" she cried.

My consciousness faded.

…

I groaned when I woke up. "So… you're a traveler?" I heard somebody say,

"Yeah. So, you're a fairy." I heard Vice's voice.

Vice? I suddenly got up, but cried when my head hurt. "Yelena!" they both cried, then helped me up.

"I … I'm okay." I spoke. '

"Is it true?" the fairy asked. "You're not Yelena?" she said. I looked at her. She's teary-eyed. "Vice told me everything." she added.

I looked at Vice. She mouthed 'sorry'. I shook my head and smiled. "It's okay." I said. I looked at the fairy. "I'm sorry. My name's Yelena, but I'm not the princess." I told her. Her tears fell. "Sorry." I said and hung my head.

She cried. "So… the princess – Yelena… She really died?" she asked. We didn't answer. Her sobs got louder. "Damn that evil king…" she said, then her eyes glared daggers. "I'm gonna make him pay! It's not only Yelena, but also Vincent he – "

"Ah, stop!" I said. She looked at me. "Err… how do I start?" I said, then looked at Vice.

She nodded, then looked at the fairy. "The prince is not dead yet – maybe" she said. "Well, there's this prophecy…" she said, then told the fairy about the prophecy.

The fairy's eyes went wide. "So… so Yelena's still alive?!" she asked, hopeful.

"Err… I said I'm not sure. I just heard that the evil king threw her somewhere when he opened the door." I explained.

"Even so!" the fairy said, then she jumped. "She's still alive! I feel it! She's alive!" She cheered herself up. "Wait. What about Vincent?" she asked.

"'Vincent'? Oh!" I muttered. "The prince?" I asked. She nodded. I smiled. "The West King went to the castle and begged me to rescue the prince – ah." I said, then looked at Vice. She shook her head. "What…" I said, sweating. I looked at the fairy.

She's looking at me, confused. "You…" she said. "You're not just an ordinary human, are you?" she asked, looking at me suspiciously. More sweat fell down my face. "To know about what happened to the prince – "

"Everybody's talking about it!" I immediately explained.

"- about the prophecy – "

"Well, there're rumors – "

"- and what happened to Vincent – "

"Uh, that's… I heard that when I came to the West Kingdom – "

"Liar!" she yelled. We covered our ears when her voice echoed throughout the forest. "Then what about you said that the West King begged you?" she asked. Her whole body glowed red.

I gulped. Uh – oh. This is bad – I thought.