Drops of Fantasy

She ran, her soft bare feet not minding the rocks and thorns as they flew through the forest. Her ball gown had disappeared long ago, and all that billowed behind her was her old maids dress and her now mussed long blonde hair.

Her small callused hands have picked up her skirt, and she's breathing heavily. She wants to look back at the castle. She wants so desperately to rewind back to the moment the prince danced with her……

"Would you take this dance?"

A gloved hand takes hers, and red eyes almost make her melt….

"Stop it Yellow! Concentrate! I only have moments!" She mutters out loud to reassure herself.

A firm hand grabs her by her fleeting arm and she gasps.

"Where do you think you're going?" She hears an amused but familiar voice, and her eyes go wide.

"P-prince?" She whispers, not daring to turn around. He turns her around, his beautiful eyes glinting in the moonlight….

"Yellow…………" He leans closer, his pink lips touching hers……………………………

~

Yellow awakes with a start, the yelling of her stepsisters downstairs becoming more insistent.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Yellow yells down the stairs, quickly throwing on an ashen dress and a dirtied apron. She sighs as she stops in front of the mirror, trying to reimagine a beautiful ball gown...it billows behind her…sparkling…dazzling…..The prince is walking toward her…hand is held out…..

"AMARILLO DE BOSQUE VERDE! ARE YOU COMING OR DO YOU NEED ANOTHER DAY WITHOUT LUNCH?!"

Yellow is flying out of her room before her imagination can get ahead of her. She's running down the stairs and into the hall when she hears a knock on the door….

"Hello! Viridian Residence~" She says opening the door, but her smile freezes.

"Good morning. I'm prince Red. I'm looking for a girl named Yellow, who happened to be at the palace ball two marrows ago. She's blonde like you, your height, small but rough hands, beautiful amber eyes…….." His honey voice slows, his eyes drilling into hers…….

"Y-yellow?"

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The dagger glinted at his throat.

"Not one move." She smirked at her win, happy to have him at her expense. He cocked an eyebrow, giving a sly smile.

"I could quite easily say the same thing." He whispers huskily, grinning as he presses on the hilt, pressing his own tip into the side of her neck, causing her to stiffen and scowl. She can feel it piercing the skin, and the thinnest drop of blood running down her throat. He can't but stare at the dark color on her pale throat. It's quiet. Each waiting for the other to make a move.

"So. Are you going to attack?"

"Perhaps." He whispers in her ear, causing her to shiver.

She realizes how close their bodies are, his face just centimeters away, his pink lips parted ever so slightly. He was the one who had her pinned to the wall with one arm, a knife at her throat. Her dress was torn and she had mud and blood on her face. Her leg throbbed where he had scraped her with his boot…. Then why did this feel like the most comfortable spot in the world?

He stares at her, her sharp cerulean blue eyes not giving anything, and her lips parted into a small smirk. She looked confident despite her dirty figure, and Green STILL felt stunned that she of all people had actually pinned HIM down. Her own dagger is at his throat, and her petite body fits inside his nicely. He feels his ears grow warm at the thought, and though he wants to look away, he keeps eye contact.

Slowly, he leans forward, and she takes in a surprise intake of breath, following her dagger with his throat.

"So. Are you going to make the move, or will I?" He mutters huskily in her ear, his lips tickling the lobe. She blushes, her eyes refusing to look away. Finally she smiles.

"What happened to ladies first?"

And without another word, she closed the space between them, pressing her lips hard on top of his.

His eyes open in surprise at her forward move but even he can't avoid the notions as he kisses her full lips back.

The daggers remain in place…….but only momentarily before the both fall with a clatter on the training floor.
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"Oh c'mon! Just one kiss! I swear I'm a prince! Really! I am!" The politoad croaks, hopping behind the indignant skirt as fast as his little legs would allow.

"Just because you're a freak of nature who happens to talk and defies science doesn't mean I'm going to listen to you. Magic doesn't exist." The princess says with a huff, turning around to shoot a glare at the creature behind her.

"I'm a frog for chrissake woman! Get it right!"

Crystal sighs, turning around abruptly. "Look. You're a very nice politoad. And I thanked you for saving my golden ball. It is crucial to my next experiment. Now go on! The pond is that away! So shoo!" The princess says for the millionth time, shaking her hands at the frog as menacingly as possible.

"Y'know-for a princess, you're pretty serious. I thought girls were supposed to be all, 'oh-how I wait for my prince! I'm going to go sew my wedding drew while I wait! La da di dum~~'" The politoad ribbits again, a wry smile across his fat lips.

"How dare you! Just because I'm a girl, doesn't mean I have to be so….so….UGH!"
The frog ribbits happily. "Exactly! That's why you're perfect Princess Crystal! Kisss meeee! I swear! I'm really cute! It was that stupid witch! She cursed me that bastard!"

"No. It's unhygienic."

"Princess Crystalllll! You promised you would in exchange for your ball!!!"

"I lied, now go away."

"Please?"

"No."

"I'm really tall~~~"

"Right. And I turn into a swan every night."

"I have a big one~~"

"And I pray your referring to something other than what I'm think you are."

"I REALLY AM A PRINCEEEE!" The small frog croaks as loud as possible and Crystal pauses. The frog holds his breath.

"And I don't believe you." She whispers.

frog sighs, turning around to leave-

"Wait."

The small frog turns, and looks up into her pool like eyes.

"You can come to the castle with me……if…if you want." She mutters under her breath, looking away in an embarrassed fashion.

"YES! You won't regret this!" The frog screeches hopping into her outstretched arms. His golden eyes light up and meet her eyes, smiling hopefully.

"Though I still don't believe you." She says with a wry grin.
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Silence fills the tent as prince Ruby looks at the Doctor in awe, his eyes wide.

"Say it again. I must have misheard Doctor…..say it again."

The Doctor sighs, turning pink again at the thought of saying it again. "I…I'm sorry your highness…..but its true….Soldier…Soldier Phire…..Well….he's actually a girl…About 18 if you ask me….She was shrieking when I touched her…but I had to….her wound…" The Doctor trails off, and Ruby closes his eyes.

The friend he's trained with for so long. Someone he'd looked up to as strong despite being drafted in the war…Phire was smart. Short brown hair and sharp blue eyes, he could hit an apple with a pocketknife from 25 feet. He could run faster than all of the recruits. Jump higher. Had more energy…..

Phire had been his friend and roommate for over a year when they had both been drafted in the war…And he'd never noticed…..?

"Sir…She wants to see you in the medical tent."

Ruby bites his lip, nodding briskly as he sweeps past the Doctor. His footsteps carry through the camp and fellow soldiers whisper as he past. He was used to it. The run away prince who was no good at fighting was interesting to talk about, but now he could hear another word among the whispers.

Phire.

He groans as he picks up the pace. How could he have not been suspicious before? He had never seen him, er her- shave. She never bathed with the other boys. She changed in her room. She never took off her shirt no matter how hot it was…..

He reaches the tent, and he pauses in front of the flap.

Soldier Phire. A girl.

A girl.

On the war front.

"You know Prissy prince-you don't have to stand there all awkward. I can see your boots."

She yells from inside, and he cant believe that he never realized how feminine her voice was.

He-er, She is sitting on the bed, a mellow expression on her face. She's in a old blanket, her bare arms sticking out and covered with bandages. Ruby brushes the pink cloth and she twitches, biting her lip gingerly.

Its silent.

"So…..Your arm…..Is it ok?" He starts awkwardly, and she rolls her eyes.

"You don't have to avoid the subject. I know Doc told you I'm a girl. Hell, I bet the whole camp knows by now-"

"Phire-"

"Sapphire." She laughs in a obviously fake easy manner. "My real name is Sapphire, and I snuck into the army because I'm tired of skirts. I'm sorry I never told you prissy boy. And…and…I'll miss ya. Kay? I guess that's all I wanted to say….Before…y'know…."

Ruby smiles a little, squeezing her pale hand. "Sapphire…..You'll still by Phire to me. And before what….?"

"Before they take me away." She mutters looking away, and Ruby doesn't know what to say.

"…..I'm sorry." Ruby says, his eyes shyly meeting hers.

She smiles, her hand wrapping around his fingers slowly.

"I am too."