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We are a group for Fan fiction lovers, whether you love Twilight, One Direction, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and more!
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Founded 12 Years ago
Aug 31, 2012

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48 Members
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Welcome to the new and improved FanFic-Central.  I have made changes to allow the submission of any Deviants without needing my approval.

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An atheist demigod of Mars (A Lucy Tempest rant)Imagine being a demigod and suddenly finding out that you’re a daughter of an ancient Roman God. This happened to me when I was age 15. I found that instead of my mom, an ugly half-woman half-bat creature (called a fury) was waiting for me downstairs. The fury aligned with Gaia, who wanted to overthrow the gods. And that’s right. I said gods, with a small g and an s at the end. While I may not know if God, with a capital G, i.e., the god of the Abrahamic religion, existed, I know that the gods of many of the ancient pantheon did. Mars certainly did. He and my mom… how do I put it in a PG-13 manner… hooked up. And bam! You get a sassy read haired demigod. Me.Jupiter (or Zeus as the Greeks know him) also existed. So as Juno (Hera) and Venus (Aphrodite). And the House of Life channel the gods of the Egyptian religion. And the Asgardians of the Norse also had demigods. So how do I remain an atheist in a world of gods? Simple. While I don’t think the Abrahamic god is real, I’m keeping an open mind. I don’t follow religion blindly just because someone claims a god exists. Or claims to have met a god talking to him through some burning bush or met a messenger of said God in a cave in a mountain.That said, as I mention above, I keep an open mind.I have a theory that the gods are powered by people’s imagination. Long ago, people didn’t know about planets or scientific theory, so they believed some ancient being was in charge of the universe. And it was this collective thought that brought the gods alive. But that means that gods can get weaker or “vanish” if people stop believing in them. I’ve heard that happen to some of the Egyptian gods. The Olympians, Asgardians, and Egyptians stuck around as the influence of their culture remains to this day. Heck, Marvel had re-imagined the Asgardian as a race of super-beings that sometimes go super-heroing. On the other hand, Mars (or rather Ares) was the DC Universe's baddie.When their culture died out, the pantheon did too. Probably for the better, as I certainly don’t want to be battling some wacky stone age god or Mesopotamian one.Anyhoo, enough ranting for one day. I will catch all of you soon!
An internal SHIELD memo by tyw7
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Unforeseen Turn of EventsGenie deflected the bolt of dark magic. “No!”, yelled Mozenrath as he ran, attempting to escape the bolt of his own magic. The handsome sorcerer ducked down on the floor, and the magical attack blasted the wall, leaving behind a huge hole and trail of smoke that quickly cleared. Aladdin hurried over to the gaping hole in the palace wall. Just as the hero expected, Mozenrath was hanging on to the side with his gloved hand, while the other dangled at his side. The street rat quickly knelt and reached one of his own hands toward his long-time nemesis. “Take my hand!”, Aladdin cried. Mozenrath obliged, reaching his pale uncovered hand toward the hero. He gripped Aladdin’s arm, who then squeezed on to the sorcerer’s wrist. The handsome villain pulled himself up toward Aladdin, and declared, “I’d much rather…take your life!” Before Mozenrath could pull his enemy over the edge with him, Aladdin hastily grabbed the young sorcerer with his other hand, then gave him a quick headbutt to the forehead! The villain let out a surprised yelp of pain, then passed out. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Good thing I planned ahead!”, the street rat whispered as he pulled the unconscious Mozenrath back inside and laid him on the palace floor. Genie appeared at his side and tied the villain’s hands and feet together with strong but gentle magic-blocking rope. When this was complete, the blue being conjured up some aspirin and a glass of water, both of which he handed to his longtime best friend. “Thanks Genie!”, Aladdin exclaimed after he swallowed the aspirin and chugged down the whole glass of water. “Anytime, Al,” the benevolent djinn replied, smiling warmly. Just then, Mozenrath’s flying pet eel Xerxes bolted toward the duo and his sleeping owner. “What you do to master?!”, he cried angrily. “I rescued him, that’s all I’ve done to him,” Aladdin stated casually. The eel rubbed his head on the sorcerer’s sleeping face. Aladdin and Genie smiled at the sight. Then the djinn gently scooped Mozenrath up in his arms, and said softly, “I’m merely taking him to another room in the palace where he’ll be more cozy. Feel free to come with.” Xerxes nodded and followed as Genie carried the unconscious villain off to a spare bedroom inside the palace. Upon arrival at the spare bedroom, Genie laid Mozenrath on a cushioned divan. The blue being then locked Xerxes inside a magic-proof cage on a stand next to the divan. “Just relax,” he said softly to the eel before exiting the chamber and rejoining Aladdin, Princess Jasmine, and everyone else. A short while later, Aladdin, Jasmine, and the Sultan arrived at the chamber where Mozenrath and Xerxes were taken, Genie leading the way. Before returning to the throne room, the Sultan asked his daughter and her beloved, “Now, are you both sure about this?” “We absolutely are, Father!”, the princess replied. The street rat added, “If it doesn’t work out, we’ll have no problem defeating him again,” and winked. The short, plump man smiled and nodded, then headed back to his throne room. Genie and the human lovers went to Mozenrath’s side. Jasmine caressed the sorcerer’s cheek with her hand. “Shouldn’t he be waking up soon?”, she asked. “Of course,” replied Aladdin. The hero slowly loosened the magic-proof rope binding his enemy’s hands, then slid the gauntlet off his skeletal hand. At the same time, Genie was dipping some pink fruit pieces in a purple liquid. When this task was complete, the djinn placed a damp washcloth on Mozenrath’s forehead. The sorcerer let out a soft groan and slowly opened his eyes. The blue being held a piece of the fruit to his lips, and said softly, “Here, eat this.” Normally Mozenrath wouldn’t take up such offers, but because he was still dazed and the fruit, along with the liquid it had been dipped in, had a sweet and enticing aroma, the sorcerer immediately obliged. Within minutes, the young villain had consumed every piece of dunked fruit offered by the genie. Suddenly, a tingling sensation began to course through the handsome sorcerer’s body! Mozenrath gasped at first, then panted and groaned. He gasped again, when a sharp jolt went through his skeletal arm, followed by a more tense tingling; Aladdin, Jasmine, and Genie all observed in awe when muscles, veins, and skin regenerated over the exposed bones! Mozenrath continued to pant heavily. Finally, the entire restoration was complete. Mozenrath lifted his hand which would usually be covered by the gauntlet, and cried out in shock and amazement. “What…how…?!”, the sorcerer stuttered. “What happen to master?!”, exclaimed Xerxes, whom Genie had released from the anti-magic cage. The benevolent djinn grinned and explained, “Those fruit pieces I gave him were from the Tree of Renewal, and I also dunked them in potion from the Elixir of Life.” Mozenrath sat up, still staring in bewilderment at his regenerated arm. Just then, he also noticed that his entire body felt stronger and healthier. The villain couldn’t explain it, but he just knew it was so. He glanced at Genie, and asked, “Did you say the Tree of Renewal and the Elixir of Life?” The magical being nodded proudly, as did the princess and her beloved street rat. Xerxes arrived at his master’s side and gave the restored arm a brief nuzzle. “It real, not fake or illusion!”, the eel cried happily. “But…why did you do this for me?”, a stunned Mozenrath inquired. Aladdin gave the sorcerer a warm smile, then rubbed his finger under the other guy’s pale chin. “It was easy to figure out that no other human being had shown you love and care before. We also remembered what the gauntlet does to your body and overall health. We weren’t going to let someone with such great potential waste away.” Mozenrath merely gawked in confusion. “What do you mean?”, he asked. Aladdin stepped aside, allowing Princess Jasmine to come forward. She gave a warm smile as well, then caressed both his cheeks with her hands. “You have excellent talent with magic and other similar abilities. It would be such a shame for your existence to end sooner than necessary. Not to mention, you can do much better with your talent and potential, and for much better purposes!” With a passionate gleam suddenly appearing in her beautiful brown eyes, the princess continued, “You’re also too handsome for words! A guy with your manly beauty committing evil deeds and wasting away early would also be a tragic waste!” Mozenrath immediately felt himself blushing. Before he could comment about Aladdin being there, said street rat wrapped his arms around the sorcerer from behind, and whispered, “Don’t worry, we’re both on the same page about you, and we both consent to involving you in our relationship!” Jasmine nodded in response, then winked at the young villain. Adding to Mozenrath’s bewilderment, the princess then leaned in, and gave him a tender kiss on the lips! At the same time, Aladdin gave him a tender kiss on the cheek! The sorcerer turned even redder when he heard Genie whistle, followed by Xerxes giving a playful cry of fake disgust. Still blushing, Mozenrath quickly got light-headed and fell back in a swoon, into Aladdin’s chest. A short time later, the handsome sorcerer once again regained consciousness. He sat up and saw that while he was in the same room, he was no longer on the divan, but was now on the bed. Next, Mozenrath noticed he was clad in a gold-threaded robe with silver trim, this was sleepwear of course. He also felt more, refreshed than before. Mozenrath then heard a soft snoring. He glanced down to his side, and Xerxes was curled up next to him, sleeping peacefully. “Sleeping Handsome is finally awake!”, Jasmine declared from the doorway. Mozenrath quickly glanced at the door. Sure enough, there stood the princess, Aladdin, and Genie. The trio walked toward the bed and sat on its opposite side from the napping eel. “I passed out again, didn’t I?”, asked Mozenrath. The other three nodded in unison. Then Aladdin explained, “Genie and I got you cleaned up, then dressed you in a clean robe. After we laid you on the bed, Xerxes settled down beside you there.” Mozenrath’s eyes widened. “So you both, saw me…”, he stammered. Princess Jasmine giggled while Aladdin and Genie blushed. “Yes, we did,” the street rat replied. “But don’t worry, you have nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about!” Aladdin and Genie both winked at Mozenrath at the same time. Their former enemy lowered his gaze and turned red again. Just then, a pair of delicate hands gripped on to his shoulders, and gently pushed him back on the bed. Mozenrath looked up, and the princess was right above him. Now that his entire backside was laying down again, Jasmine caressed the sorcerer’s uncovered hair. “You’re very gorgeous, Mozenrath,” she whispered seductively, then asked, “Is it okay if we get under the covers with you?” The handsome sorcerer gulped, and next thing he knew, Mozenrath consented with an emphatic “Yes! But can one of you move Xerxes to the divan first?” “Sure thing!”, replied Genie, who flew over the bed and gently picked up the sleeping eel before carrying him to the divan and laying him down on one of the cushions. The djinn then winked at the trio before exiting the chamber. Mozenrath briefly stood back on the floor and pulled back the blankets before laying back down. Aladdin and Jasmine gave him sly looks as they crawled in beside their ex-enemy, the street rat on the right side and the princess on the left side, leaving Mozenrath in the middle. Aladdin and Jasmine each turned over on their side facing the sorcerer, and each laid an arm across his chest. The other guy traced his finger up and down Mozenrath’s chest and abs, while Jasmine caressed his thick ebony-colored hair. The former villain had to admit, this experience was more beautiful and exciting than anything else he had ever done or taken part in! For a good while he snuggled with his ex-enemies. When it was time for dinner, Mozenrath joined them in the dining hall with everyone else. He was still clad in his new sleepwear during dinner, but because the gold-threaded robe with silver trim looked so great on him and brought out his already alluring charms, no one batted an eye. After dinner, Mozenrath brought some food back to his new room for Xerxes, who hastily gobbled it up and drank down the tea. The sorcerer smiled and petted his eel. “Looks like this will be our home from now on, Xerxes. Is that okay with you?”, he asked. “Yes, yes, yes!”, the eel exclaimed. Mozenrath laughed and patted his head. Sure enough, the palace did indeed become Xerxes and Mozenrath’s new home. The ex-villain made benevolent use of his powers, and he became quite a formidable ally for Aladdin’s team, and a very formidable nemesis for anyone who threatened his new loved ones and/or Agrabah. He only returned to the Land of the Black Sand once, and that was to release the Mamluks from their servitude. As a result, the undead minions could now rest in peace while Mozenrath and his eel familiar continued with their new and better life in Agrabah, which included the handsome sorcerer having loving, intimate times with Aladdin and Princess Jasmine....
Prince Eric is a MagicianPrince Eric sighed as he sat on the sand, his dog Max beside him. “I’ve been searching all over, Max. Where can she be?”, the lovestruck prince sighed. Then he stood up and retreated back to his palace, Max following. Eric reached his private quarters, then unlocked a secret drawer on his desk. He pulled out a hand-held mirror, and commanded “Show me the girl who saved me!” The mirror glowed a light blue aura, then showed the image of a girl near Eric’s age. She had long red hair, blue eyes, and a fair skin tone. To the prince’s delight, the mystery girl was also humming, and singing! Prince Eric was thrilled; he’d recognize that voice anywhere! Her face and eyes were also uncanny. Then the girl began swimming around gracefully; Eric suddenly gasped! She was wearing a purple seashell bikini top, and had a green fish tail! The prince blinked in surprise. This was no trick, the girl who rescued him and captured his heart was a mermaid! Prince Eric quickly but gently set the mirror down, then stood up and paced around his room. ‘I always heard tales about merfolk, but I had no idea…’ he thought, then grinned slyly and continued thinking ‘Then again, no one would ever suspect the truth about me, not even Grimsby or Carlotta!’ Only Max the dog knew, and he was as loyal as any living creature could be. Eric wasn’t your ordinary prince. He also had magic and mystical abilities. The prince inherited these unique traits from his mother. She had been the last survivor of a far away and fallen kingdom, where the royals were powerful magicians. Unfortunately, not even magicians were immune to attacks and other disasters. Prince Eric’s mother barely escaped and survived. Finally, she came upon what was now Eric’s kingdom, and his father immediately fell in love with her. Everyone could tell his mother was royalty, though she was always evasive about where exactly she came from. But, they understood that she had her reasons. After Eric’s parents married and brought him into the world, his mother began to educate him about her background and his inherited abilities in secrecy. She made her son promise to never tell anyone, due to persecution of magicians which remained common throughout the years. Eric kept that promise up to this day. Finally, Prince Eric picked up the mirror again, and continued watching this lovely mermaid. He soon learned that her name was Ariel, and she was a princess in her underwater domain of Atlantica! “What luck!”, the lovestruck human exclaimed. “She’s beautiful, has an amazing voice, and is also royalty!” Of course, he knew of the obvious problem, but that would be an easy fix. Eric placed the mirror back in its drawer. Then he pulled a trunk out from under his bed, and searched through the contents. He pulled out and opened a thick book. After flipping through the pages and finally finding the section he was looking for, Eric gathered some vials filled with oils, and small bags filled with different powders. After gathering the necessary ingredients, he placed them inside a black bag. The prince then grabbed the book before going back outside to the beach. He kept the bag hidden under his long, loose shirt. After arriving at the shoreline, Prince Eric took out the black bag and sorted through the contents. He finally pulled out two particular small bags. One had sparkly, pink powder and the other had tiny purple stones. Prince Eric sat on the sand, Max eagerly watching his master. He opened the book and hid the black bag back under his shirt. After finding the page Eric needed, he opened the small bags of pink powder and purple stones. Luckily for him, the incantation was short and simple. The magician prince stood back up and waded into the water, then he sprinkled the powder into the sea and tossed the stones into the distance, all the while reciting a mysterious chant. Meanwhile under the sea, a crab named Sebastian was giving Ariel a hard time about being in love with a human and wanting to live on land. He then engaged other fish and marine creatures into a musical performance, trying to convince Ariel that life was so much better where she was at right now and always had been. Suddenly, Ariel heard an odd, yet alluring chanting. She couldn’t understand the words, yet at the same time knew what was being said. But how could this be possible? Her eyes suddenly glowed a subtle but bright yellow. Then the mermaid princess turned and started swimming. It wasn’t until after Ariel took off that Sebastian realized she was gone. The crab sighed “Someone needs to pin her fins to floor!” Just then, a yellow fish with blue stripes arrived at Sebastian’s side. “Hey, have you seen Ariel?”, he cried excitedly. “Hi Flounder. Well, she was here just a few minutes ago,” the irritated crustacean replied, “but she swam off while I wasn’t looking. So typical!” “Do you know where she could’ve gone to? I have a surprise for her!”, Flounder said. Suddenly, someone else called out “Sebastian!” Then a seahorse hastily arrived at their side; he was the messenger of King Triton, Ariel’s father. The seahorse said “Sebastian, I've been looking all over for you. I've got an urgent message from the sea king. He wants to see you right away, something about Ariel.” After the messenger seahorse quickly swam away, something clicked in Sebastian’s mind, and Flounder’s mind too. They gasped and gaped at each other. “He knows…”, Sebastian whispered. Meanwhile, a hypnotized Ariel continued swimming in the direction where this unknown force bade her to come. Before long, she broke the surface. Then the mermaid kept on swimming, until she could no longer move! At last, the chanting ceased. The yellow glow left Ariel’s eyes, and finally the mermaid princess realized why she was suddenly unable to keep swimming. She had exited the water completely, and was laying on the dry sand of a beach! Ariel glanced around in bewilderment, then realized this was the same beach where she sang to Prince Eric! Just then, there came a loud bark. Then the mermaid felt something furry rub against her, and felt a smooth tongue lick her cheek. She was about to scream, when a familiar voice called “Max, come here!” As Ariel recovered from her shock after the creature left her side, the same familiar voice said, “Well, it’s about time I finally found you…Princess Ariel.” The startled mermaid turned around, and her heart skipped a beat…there stood Prince Eric! She smiled joyously, and tried to approach him, but then remembered that she couldn’t walk due to her fins. Ariel looked over her tail, then lowered her head and blushed. “Please understand, Eric…”, she said sadly. The human prince merely snickered, then came closer and laid beside Ariel, and gently ran his hand through her hair. “I already knew that you’re a mermaid,” he said, smiling warmly. Ariel glanced up, and the human’s smile immediately melted her heart again, along with the understanding look in his eyes. She smiled brightly and said “I took a big risk with rescuing you. Contact between the human world and the merworld is strictly forbidden, as my daddy always says. But I couldn’t let you perish!” “For that, I’m very grateful,” Prince Eric stated. Then to the mermaid’s surprise, and delight, he leaned in and kissed her lips! Passionately, yet gently, the human’s lips grazed those of the mermaid. The next thing they knew, Eric flopped over on to his back, and pulled Ariel on top of him. They continued kissing and embracing, the prince’s fingers beginning to caress that long, red hair. When they broke away from the kiss, the couple continued gazing into each other’s eyes. Finally, Ariel asked “How did you know the truth about me?” Eric gave her a smug grin, then replied “Let’s just say, I have some secrets of my own.” Then he stood up, and gently laid Ariel on her back. Before the mermaid could ask anything, the human said, “Speaking of which, please close your eyes for a few minutes,” and winked at her! Ariel giggled and gladly obliged. After the beautiful mermaid princess closed her eyes, Prince Eric laid the book at her side, the page he needed already being marked. Then the magician prince pulled out the black bag. He poured the vials of oil over her tail and fins. Next, Eric sprinkled the remaining powders on her tail and fins as well. He quickly glanced over the page, then closed his eyes and began massaging the oils and powders into Ariel’s scales. Eric started in the middle, then worked his way to the top of the mermaid’s tail, where scales met skin. Then he began working toward the end of her tail, finally arriving at the fins. Just then, Ariel let out a weak hiss of pain! But she kept her eyes tightly closed. Eric could feel those fins changing shape. Then he went back up her tail, continuing to chant and massage. Slowly but surely, the texture of her scales was changing too. Ariel suddenly let out another weak hiss of pain! Eric could now feel her tail splitting in two, all the while he kept on chanting and massaging, moving up and down her body. His hands came back to what remained of Ariel’s fins. Eric continued to firmly rub, until he finally felt…toes! The magician prince slowly stood up, then opened his eyes. It worked; Ariel now had human legs and feet! In addition, her scales had turned into a sparkly, emerald green skirt. Eric grinned in satisfaction. “Okay, you can open your eyes now!”, he announced. Ariel groaned as she slowly awoke. Then she sat up, and…screeched! Eric jumped upon hearing her screech. But then she lifted up one of her new legs, and stared in awe at her foot. Then Ariel wiggled her new toes, and giggled at the feeling. She turned toward the prince, who was giving her another smug grin. “I take it you like them?”, he asked. Ariel nodded energetically. “I’ve always been fascinated with humans, and lately my yearning to be part of your world has gotten much stronger.” Eric took her hands in his, and helped her stand up. Ariel stumbled when she tried to take a step forward, but the prince was holding her firmly. He placed his arm across her shoulders, holding her close. “Are you ready?”, he asked. “Yes!”, the pretty redhead replied. Eric took a step forward, and Ariel did the same. She stumbled again, but the magician prince continued to hold on to her, strongly yet gently. The couple continued for several minutes, and Ariel began to improve. “Are you ready to try on your own?”, Eric asked. “Yes!”, Ariel replied. The prince nodded at her, and slowly released her from his grip. The redhead stood still for a moment, then began to step forward. She took a few more steps. “Yes, I’m walking!”, she cried happily. Eric smiled as he watched her. Finally, Ariel returned to him. As they gazed into each other’s eyes and held hands, she suddenly jumped upon hearing the same bark from before! She glanced down at Eric’s side, and saw the same creature which discovered and greeted her on Eric’s ship. The prince patted the dog’s head, and told Ariel “This is Max. He’s a good and friendly dog.” The princess smiled at the dog, then reached out her hand to pet him. His fur was very soft. Max licked her hand, showing his approval. Ariel giggled again. “See? He likes you!”, Eric said. The smiling princess looked back at Eric, then asked, “How were you able to turn me into a human?” “Like I said, I have some secrets of my own,” he replied, that smug grin coming back. “Oh, I see,” said Ariel. She lowered her head, and continued “I understand if it’s too personal. I know all too well about having to keep secrets. Like I mentioned, I’ve always been fascinated with your world. I even have a large collection of human stuff in a hidden grotto. My father doesn’t know about my collection though, nor do my sisters. He hates anything and everything to do with humans, calling them ‘barbarians’ and other insults. I shudder to think of what he’d do if my discovered my collection…and what he’d do if he found out about me rescuing and falling in love with you!” She blushed after speaking those final words. Prince Eric pulled her in for a tender embrace. “I’ve fallen in love with you, too. No matter what, I’ll never let anyone or anything harm you!” Then he filled Ariel in on the backstory of himself and his mother. She was saddened to hear about his mother’s kingdom, but glad and grateful that everything worked out the way it did. Ariel was awestruck about Eric also being a magician, but she also found it very neat. She told him that similar beings also exist under the sea, which led to her briefly mentioning the sea witches Ursula and Morgana. Ariel visibly shuddered upon mentioning their names. Eric noticed, because he asked, “I take it those two are bad news?” “Yes indeed,” Ariel replied and nodded. Eric smiled and stated, “As I already said, I’ll never let anyone or anything harm you.” Then he leaned in and kissed the delighted princess again. She wrapped her arms around him while leaning into the kiss. After the lovebirds pulled away, Prince Eric asked, “Would you like to come to my palace, and see my kingdom?” Princess Ariel eagerly nodded, while flashing her bright smile. Eric smiled, then interlocked his arm with hers before leading the beautiful redhead to his palace. Unbeknownst to Ariel, Scuttle the seagull witnessed the whole ordeal! He was flying when he saw Ariel come on the beach. The seagull was alarmed when he saw Eric and Max there as well, but Scuttle quickly realized they meant Ariel no harm. He landed and perched on a nearby tree, being sure to stay hidden from view. Scuttle was shocked to see Eric turn Ariel into a human, but he had to admit her reaction was cute! The seagull continued observing the couple, happy that things were working out well for Ariel. After they left for Eric’s palace, Scuttle smiled warmly before flying away. When the couple entered the palace, everyone present, including the prince’s mentor Grimsby and the maid named Carlotta, gasped in awe at the sight of this lovely stranger. Her skin-showing outfit was a little shocking at first, but this stranger was so otherworldly beautiful that it didn’t matter; not to mention the outfit did look great on her, and enhanced her loveliness. Finally, Prince Eric announced, “I finally found her! This is the girl who saved me!” Ariel nodded her head proudly, then began to sing for everyone the same lyrics she sung to Eric while laying with him on the beach after the storm. Grimsby and Carlotta’s mouths dropped, just like everyone else present. Their prince hadn’t been hallucinating after all! Not to mention, this girl did indeed have an intoxicating voice, more otherworldly than anyone had ever heard before. When Ariel completed her song, everyone cheered and applauded. Grimsby approached the couple and said, “You were right Eric, I’m so sorry for doubting you.” Then he glanced at the pretty newcomer. The older man bowed, then asked “May I ask your name, beautiful one?” She smiled and replied, “Ariel…Princess Ariel.”` Grimsby gasped, as did Carlotta and all others in the area. Then the mentor commented to Eric, “What a perfect match this is!” The grinning man patted the prince’s back. Eric merely smirked at him. Next, Carlotta approached the newcomer. The friendly maid bowed her head and curtsied before introducing herself. “My name is Carlotta, dearie…I mean, your Highness! It’s quite an honor to have you here, and thank you so much for rescuing our Prince Eric!” Ariel smiled and replied, “You’re most welcome. Besides, I had to make sure your charming prince would be alright.” She then received a tour of the palace. Later that evening, Ariel had dinner with Prince Eric and his mentor Grimsby. Before their meals arrived, Ariel grabbed the…dinglehopper in front of her, and began brushing her hair. She paused upon noticing the stares from Eric and Grimsby, then frowned and placed it back on the table. “I’m sorry,” she said softly, “Where I’m from, that’s how we use dinglehoppers.” Eric laughed, then said “No need to worry!” A startled Grimsby asked “Dinglehopper?! What do you mean?” Ariel replied, “Let’s just say, my kingdom had different customs and practices, and names for things.” Grimsby looked at Eric, who merely nodded at him. The mentor smiled and said, “I understand. Besides, such differences make the world more interesting and unique!” The relieved princess smiled and nodded back. Grimsby then pulled out his pipe. Ariel’s eyes lit up as she reached for it. “Oh, you like it?”, the man asked. Ariel took a deep breath and blew into the pipe, causing her love’s mentor to become covered in ash. Eric laughed at the sight, as did Carlotta when she entered the dining room. Grimsby merely chuckled and wiped the ash off his face with a napkin. The princess blushed in embarrassment, and stammered “That looked like a musical instrument, at least from my home!” The older man gave her another gentle smile and replied, “No need to worry, your Highness.” Eric and Carlotta nodded in agreement, as the maid set their covered plates down in front of them. “This is one of Louie’s specials, stuffed crab. I hope you like it!”, she said to Ariel. She uncovered the plate, and sure enough there was a stuffed crab, surrounded by lettuce. Before the princess started eating, Prince Eric cleared his throat to get her attention. When she glanced at him, he held up the fork and knife, then demonstrated for her. Ariel grinned, and began using the cutlery for eating this meal. After dinner, Carlotta said to the newcomer, “I take it you liked the stuffed crab?” “Yes, it was wonderful!”, Ariel replied. “Please give Louie my greatest compliments.” Carlotta smiled and said “Will do, honey…I mean-“ The princess interrupted the maid. “It’s okay, you don’t have to be so formal with me.” The maid sighed in relief, then replied, “If you insist.” Ariel nodded and winked at her. Then Carlotta continued, “You’ve had a really long day, I’ll draw a warm bath for you!” “Thank you.” After Carlotta exited, and then Grimsby too, Ariel whispered to Eric “What exactly is a bath?” The prince explained that a bath is a tub one sits in, filled with water and soap for personal body cleaning. She was very intrigued by the sound of this! Before long, Ariel was sitting in the bathtub Carlotta prepared for her. She gathered some bubbles in her hands and blew them through the air. The maid couldn’t help but smile in amusement. Afterward, Carlotta dressed Ariel in an elegant pink robe and led her to the bedroom which Prince Eric indicated would serve as her living quarters. Ariel gasped in awe upon seeing her new bedroom. The spacious bed had purple covers and a purple canopy. There was a fireplace with a long mirror above, and a doorway leading to a small balcony. “I…love it!”, she exclaimed. Carlotta smiled and bid her good night. Ariel laid in her new bed, and quickly dozed off. The next morning, Eric gave Ariel a tour of the surrounding area. They rode in a horse-drawn carriage. Eric was dressed in his usual loose white shirt, blue pants, and black boots. Ariel was clad in a blue dress, with the bodice being a dark shade and the skirt and sleeves being lighter in shade. Ariel also had a matching blue bow in her hair. The princess had a wonderful time touring the town square, seeing vendors selling flowers and other goods, and watching a puppet show which she thought was cute and entertaining. Next, Eric danced with Ariel while musicians played music. She was very graceful in her movements. Everyone around observed their prince dancing with this lovely girl, whom they quickly learned was a princess. It didn’t surprise anyone though, with Ariel’s grace and invisible aura she seemed to give off. After the couple finished dancing, their audience applauded. Eric smiled and bowed, while Ariel smiled and curtsied. Finally, evening came, and Eric took Ariel on a boat ride. After settling by a willow tree, he said “I’m glad you had such a great time today! Everyone here loves and adores you. But how could anyone not adore you, my princess?” Ariel blushed, then replied “Thanks, Eric. Your world is even more amazing that I could’ve ever imagined.” The couple gazed into each other eyes. Then, they began to lean in closer to each other. But before they could kiss, Ariel jumped at the sound of a familiar voice calling for her! “Ariel…Ariel! Where are you? The whole kingdom is searching for you!” The redhead quickly glanced around, and gasped. He was turned away from her and Eric, but about ten feet away from the boat there was Sebastian at the surface! Before Ariel could say anything, and before Eric could ask what was going on, Flounder surfaced next to the crab! “I haven’t seen any sign of Ariel anywhere,” the fish sighed. “Have you had any luck, Sebastian?” The crab shook his head. “This time, she’s gone too far, both figuratively and literally!” Ariel looked back at Eric, and pressed her finger to her lips. After the prince nodded at her, she softly called out “Sebastian! Flounder! I’m right here!” The pair spun around, and gasped! “Ariel! What are you doing with that human?”, Sebastian demanded. Flounder quickly swam over, and asked “What exactly is going on here? Why are you in a boat, and…” Before the stunned fish could continue, Scuttle appeared and perched on the side of the boat. The seagull announced to the fish and crustacean “It’s simple. Ariel has the body of a human now!” Said princess was about to give the seagull a sharp glare, when Sebastian and Flounder gasped again. Ariel could only nod her head in acknowledgement, then slowly stood up in the boat. Her friends gawked in horror upon seeing that she had legs. “Ariel, how did this happen?! Please don’t tell me you got involved with that monster Ursula, or even Morgana!”, cried Sebastian. “No, of course not,” Ariel replied. “Then how have you been turned into a human?”, Flounder inquired, his eyes wide. Before the redhead could say anything else, Scuttle spoke up again. “Just follow me, and I’ll explain everything!” Flounder and Sebastian nodded at the seagull, then gave Ariel a sad and pleading look before swimming away. When her friends were at a far enough distance, she sighed and slowly sat back down. “What was that all about?”, Eric asked. “I take it you could understand those creatures?” “Of course,” his ladylove replied. “The crab was Sebastian, the fish was Flounder, and the seagull was Scuttle. Apparently my whole kingdom has been searching for me.” She sighed, then continued “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised though. Those three are my lifelong friends, especially Flounder and Scuttle. In fact, it was Scuttle who would tell me about human stuff, including the dinglehopper.” “I see,” Eric said softly, then held her hands. “I love you. But I won’t force you to stay with me if you don’t want to.” “No, no, no!”, Ariel exclaimed. “I love being with you, and seeing your world.” The prince could only smile as he continued holding her hands. Then he leaned in and gave the princess another tender kiss. She wrapped her arms around Eric, holding him in a gentle embrace. After a few minutes, they decided it was time to go back to the palace. Later that night after dinner, Ariel stood on her balcony, gazing at the ocean. The sea princess missed her family and friends. But she always wanted something more than just living in the ocean. Now she finally had this dream, and to make it even better Ariel was with the man she loved. Finally, she let out a long sigh and went to her new bed. But Ariel didn’t fall asleep as easily tonight. The following morning, the princess was suddenly awakened by someone yelling her name. Ariel opened her eyes and stood out of the bed. She ran around her room, searching for whoever was urgently calling for her. Then Ariel looked to the balcony, and saw Scuttle perched on the ledge. The seagull chuckled when his friend finally noticed him. Ariel smirked, then approached the bird and asked “What’s going on?” “First of all, there’s word going around on land that Prince Eric has decided to marry someone!” Ariel paused, then jumped with delight upon hearing this news. But then Scuttle continued “You weren’t aware, but I was close by and witnessed the whole thing when the prince turned you into a human. Last night, I had no choice but to inform Sebastian and Flounder.” Ariel’s eyes widened in fear, and she slowly backed away. “You what?...” the redhead stuttered. The seagull replied “Like I said, I was left with no choice. Sebastian and Flounder want to see you as soon as possible, and so does…your father.” Ariel gulped. “Oh no…” Scuttle sighed and shook his head. Then he smiled and said, “I’m always here for you, no matter what!” The princess smiled back and replied, “Yes, of course.” Then she went to the edge of the balcony beside her avian friend and looked around outside. Then Ariel remembered that there was a dock on the other side of the palace. Glancing in this direction, she pointed and told Scuttle “On that side of the palace is a dock. Tell Daddy, Flounder, and Sebastian that I’ll meet them there in a few hours.” The seagull smiled and wished her luck before flying away. Ariel then hurried inside and quickly dressed into the outfit she wore the previous day. She opened her door to go find Eric, and nearly bumped into Carlotta! The maid laughed and said “Sorry about that, your Highness…I mean, dearie! I’m glad you’re awake though, because Prince Eric needs to speak with you right away, about something very important.” Then she winked at the princess. Ariel smiled and replied “I need to speak with him about something very important too; where is he?!” “In the dining room, honey,” the maid answered, then asked “Is something wrong, dear princess? You look tense!” “I’m alright, I just need to see Eric immediately.” Ariel said. Carlotta smiled and took her hand, leading the redhead to the dining room. Upon entering, the maid announced, “Here she is, your Highness.” Eric turned, and gave Ariel a bright flashy smile. Grimsby smirked and snickered at his side. The prince then approached Ariel, got on his knee and placed a lovely, diamond and pearl ring on her finger! “Princess Ariel, will you marry me?”, he asked, blushing. Carlotta shed a tear of joy, as did Grimsby. Ariel’s heart thumped as she gazed at the beautiful ring, and the prince she loved. She took a deep breath, and nodded. “I will, Eric!” The prince, his mentor, and the maid all jumped and cheered for joy. When Grimsby and Carlotta exited to start working with everyone else on planning the wedding, Ariel took Eric’s hand and led him to the window. She whispered “Yes, I will marry you, Eric. But I have something very urgent to tell you!” Still grinning with joy, the prince replied, “Go ahead.” Ariel nodded, then informed Eric of everything Scuttle told her; how the seagull was nearby and witnessed her transformation, was left with no choice but to inform Sebastian and Flounder of the whole thing, and now those two wanted to see her today. Before finishing, Ariel said, “My daddy wants to see me too! I remembered the location of the dock by the palace. I told Scuttle that Daddy, Sebastian, and Flounder can meet me there in a few hours.” Eric noticed that Ariel was trembling in fear and anxiety. He held the princess close. “I already promised that I’ll never let anyone or anything hurt you, and I’ll always stick to that. Besides, I’ll come meet your father too.” Ariel shook her head emphatically, and cried “No! There’s no telling what he’d do to you!” The prince kissed her, then assured, “It will be fine. If you want, I’ll stay further back, or even hide.” Ariel saw the love and determination in his eyes. Knowing he’d do anything for her and keep his word, she smiled and nodded. A few hours passed, and Ariel was at the end of the dock, pacing back and forth. Eric was in the middle of the dock, hiding behind a few stacks of barrels. Finally, the sound of something emerging from the waves caught their attention. Eric peeked around the barrels, and at the end of the dock there was a shirtless man rising out of the water. He had long white hair and a long thick beard. He wore a golden crown on his head, and held a trident in his hand. The man was glaring at his beloved, with a rage he’d never seen before. Finally, the man spoke to Ariel. “What have you gotten yourself into this time?!”, he demanded. Ariel pleaded “Daddy, would you just calm down and listen?!” King Triton snapped “How can I calm down?! Not only did you return to the surface, but apparently you rescued a human from drowning, even though you and everyone else knows contact between the human world and the merworld is strictly forbidden! And now, just look at you…with feet and legs!” The sea king raised his trident at his daughter, then said “You’re coming home with me right now, and if I have to keep you locked up in the palace, so be it!” Before Ariel could protest, and before King Triton could use his trident to transform Ariel back into a mermaid, Prince Eric shouted “No! Hold on!” Ariel quickly spun around, and King Triton lowered his trident. The prince hurried toward his ladylove and her father. He bowed to the sea king, then said “Your Majesty, please listen to me. I’m very grateful toward your daughter for rescuing me. I’ve gotten to know her these past couple days, and…I love her!” King Triton gasped in shock. “No…” Ariel joined Eric at his side. “Yes, Daddy, and…I love him too!” “No!”, the merman cried again, then shouted “Have you lost your senses completely?!” Prince Eric stepped forward, and calmly said “Your Majesty, Ariel and I truly do love each other. I understand why you’re upset, but not all humans are bad. In fact, let me show you something.” The sea king only watched in bewilderment as this human came up to him. Then Eric pulled out his hand-held mirror, which he’d been hiding under his shirt. He held it toward the merman, then said, “It’s okay. Just hold on to it with me.” The stunned merman blinked, then nodded and held the handle of this mirror. King Triton was shown visions; first, the history of Eric’s mother’s kingdom; then Eric’s upbringing with his heritage as a magician. He also saw the many good deeds of magicians and humans, and the wonderful times his daughter was having with Eric and his people. King Triton saw the vision of Ariel telling Eric about the sea witches Ursula and Morgana, and how she shuddered upon mentioning those names. He also saw the love and dedication Eric showed his daughter, and the promise to never let her be harmed. When the visions were gone, King Triton let go of the mirror and lowered his hand. “What is it, your Majesty?”, Sebastian asked at his side. Flounder also gazed up at the sea king. Triton glanced down at the crab and fish, and said, “I just saw many visions of humans and other creatures. They’re not the barbarians I always thought they were! Humans have done many good deeds as well. Not to mention, under the sea we have bad news demons like Ursula and Morgana! And this human right here…is very special and unique.” King Triton looked back at his daughter and her beloved, and gave the couple a warm smile. He shook Eric’s hand, and said “Thank you, for opening my eyes and mind.” Eric smiled and once again bowed to the sea king. Then the merman glanced at Ariel, and said “You’ve been so happy these past few days. I haven’t seen you so happy under the sea in…I don’t know how long. And this man is truly one of a kind. His affection and dedication toward you are purely genuine.” King Triton trailed off for a moment, then continued “I’m going to miss you, my dear Ariel. You may stay in the human world if you wish.” Ariel smiled and wrapped her father in a tight hug. “I love you, Daddy. But I won’t be out of your life forever. Our palace is right beside the ocean. Besides, I can still come visit at times if I want to!” After saying that last part, Ariel pulled away and winked at her dad, and at Eric as well, who smirked and nodded at King Triton in agreement. The merman wiped a tear from his eye; so did Flounder and Sebastian. They would all miss having Ariel around all the time, but her happiness was what mattered the most. Plus, with her new home being right at the seaside, and with both her father and fiancé having special powers… Ariel embraced King Triton again before he went back to Atlantica. She also embraced and kissed Sebastian and Flounder. The pair smiled at her before disappearing under the water. Ariel stood back up and turned toward Eric. Tears in her eyes, she cried “Thank you so much!” Eric only nodded, then picked Ariel up by her sides and spun her around before kissing his fiancé again. He carried her back to the palace. Once again, Scuttle was nearby. He was very moved by the encounter with Eric and King Triton, and so glad that everything worked out the way it did! A few weeks later, Prince Eric and Princess Ariel were married. They had the wedding on a fancy ship. When the couple kissed, everyone in attendance cheered. Grimsby and Carlotta cried tears of joy. In the near distance, the merfolk were also cheering and celebrating! While the guests ate cake and other delicious food, and danced, the newlyweds went to the back side of the ship. They waved at Ariel’s friends and family, and all the other merfolk and marine creatures in attendance. The aquatic guests all waved back at the couple. Ariel’s sisters were crying with happiness. Then, King Triton waved his trident through the air, and created a beautiful sparkling rainbow....
Farley the Former FoxFarley the Fox was just about to catch a certain rat named Templeton, when all of a sudden he was trapped in a web of vines! “What?! Impossible! Argh!”, Farley cried out as he attempted to escape, but only got even more tangled in the trap. The fox noticed he was being observed by a pig, a cow, three spiders, and the rat. The pig, whose name was Wilbur, said “Charlotte’s cousin caught a fish in her web, so I thought, hey, why not catch a fox in our web?” Farley also heard Templeton the rat gasp, “This close! I could feel him breathing down my neck!” As the rodent continued chatting with the cow, whose name was Bessie, the ensnared fox could only growl in frustration. He then saw Wilbur leave in a hurry to find his friend Cardigan, a black lamb who would’ve made an excellent meal for the defeated vulpine. Before long, there came the sound of dogs barking in the distance. They came closer with each passing moment. Farley thought for sure they were coming for him, but to his surprise, and relief, the dogs ran past his trap, followed by farmers. He then noticed Wilbur. Sure enough, he still looked like a wild pig, covered in berry juice, leaves, and bark. So the dogs and farmers were after him instead! Just then, the farmers noticed a sparkly spider web, and shone a flashlight on the web. Not only was this spider web large and shiny, but the word “FOX” was spelled in the middle! One of the men, named Homer Zuckerman, stated, “Only time I ever saw writing like that, was with my pig Wilbur.” Then it all clicked in Homer’s head, and he whistled at the dogs. After the canines backed away, Homer said softly to the frightened pig, “Wilbur, is that you?” The animal immediately perked up and oinked with joy. He became even more excited when Fern Arable, Homer’s niece quickly arrived and was able to clean the berry juice, leaves, bark, and everything else off of him. Conrad Hirsh, another one of the farmers present, pondered “I just don’t get it. If there was no wild pig, who stole my livestock?” Then everyone glanced back at the web, remembering that it spelled “FOX.” One of the men shined a flashlight underneath the web, and there was Farley, tangled up and helpless. “Gosh, it really is a fox!”, Conrad exclaimed. Fortunately for Farley, the humans quickly returned their attention to Wilbur, who was finally joined by Cardigan. All of a sudden, a strong yet subtle wind blew through the fox’s fur. The nearby leaves and grass didn’t stir, yet Farley could feel this strange gust plain as day. Then, a transparent and beautiful woman appeared to him! She had long flowing black hair which was adorned with colorful flowers, and her green dress was decorated with leaves. The vulpine could only gawk in bewilderment. Then, the mysterious spectral lady said softly, “I know you won’t like this, but I’m doing it to save you. I’ll explain later on.” Farley gulped, then asked “What are you-“ But before he could finish, the woman blew him a kiss, which created a wind that was not only stronger than a moment before, but actually encircled the trapped vulpine! Next thing Farley knew, a tense jolt began coursing through his body. Within seconds, the foxed passed out. Hours later, Farley groaned as he slowly awoke. He found that he was able to move freely, meaning he was no longer entangled in the vines! Farley sighed in relief as he recovered from the drowsiness of deep slumber. Before long, he noticed that he was no longer in the outdoors, but inside a building! “Where am I? How did I get here?”, the puzzled Farley whispered. There was a door on one side of this room, and on the other side was a window with white curtains pulled back. He slowly sat up, and suddenly realized he’d been laying on a bed, and covered with blankets! Farley gasped in bewilderment and quickly stood up, out of the bed and on to the floor. Then to make matters even more confusing, Farley now noticed that he was only standing on two legs! “What’s the deal here?”, he whispered, then gasped again upon seeing his lower extremities! The now panicked Farley bolted around this strange room. Just then, he noticed another smaller room adjacent to this one. The door was open, and Farley quickly entered. There was a large mirror in this smaller room. Upon seeing the mirror, Farley cried out in horror! He raised one…finger, and pressed it against the mirror. Yes, this was his reflection. Farley screamed in anguish and fell to his knees. He was no longer a handsome charming fox, but a mere human! Suddenly, the other door opened, and a couple pairs of footsteps quickly entered. A man and woman found Farley and hurried to his side. “Well, it’s good to see you’re finally awake,” said the man, “but why were you screaming?” The devastated Farley merely stared at his reflection, and at his new hands. No fur or claws. “What have you done to me?!”, he screamed. “Calm down, sir,” the woman said softly, gently resting her hands on his shoulders. “We’ve merely been checking on you and making sure you aren’t ill or injured. You were in quite a deep slumber for several hours!” Farley asked, “Where am I, and how did I get here?” “You’re at the hospital,” replied the man. “I’m Dr. Neal, one of the lead physicians. You were discovered in the forest, filthy and unresponsive. You’re quite lucky Homer Zuckerman, John Arable, and a few other guys were nearby. They all made sure you received immediate medical attention!” “But how did I get this way?!”, Farley cried. The woman replied, “That’s what we’ve been wondering. When those farmers found you, not only were you filthy and unresponsive, but you were surrounded by vines, and…,” she blushed before continuing, “completely nude! That’s why our staff got you cleaned and patched up, and we’ve been monitoring your progress and vital statistics.” “Huh? What are those?”, Farley asked, his voice weary more than anything. The woman smiled and responded, “Vital statistics are recordings of your body temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and anything else that indicates if you’re healthy or ill.” This sounded…interesting. But it still didn’t answer how Farley was now a mere human. He sighed and buried his face in his hands, now beginning to weep. Dr. Neal gently stood him up and said, “Come now, you should lay back down for a bit.” The physician led Farley back to the bedside. After he laid back down, the woman gently covered him with the blankets. Then she told him “My name is Arlene, and I’m one of the head nurses here. Take it easy now, and someone will be back to check on you again in a little while.” Tears rolling down his cheeks, Farley merely nodded. Arlene wiped his cheeks with her fingers. “No need to be scared,” she whispered, and then smiled and winked.“If you say so,” Farley said weakly. After Dr. Neal and nurse Arlene exited the room, Farley continued weeping in despair. Just then, he felt an all-too familiar gust of wind. He glanced toward where the wind came from, and sure enough, there was the same transparent woman. Farley glared, then hissed “Did you do this to me?!” “Yes,” the woman replied, “like I mentioned, I knew you wouldn’t like it, but I did this to save you. Now, I’m here to explain everything. Dear Farley, I’m Nature herself. I couldn’t help but overhear your little song about your grace, charm, and everything else. You were right, Farley. Though foxes are naturally beautiful, witty, and charming, you had the most by far. Which, believe it or not, is why I turned you into a human. After those other creatures caught you in their own web, the farmers were going to slay you once they had the chance! That truly would’ve been a tragic waste. You may not think so right now darling, but you’re still extremely handsome and graceful as a human, and still an intellectual. Also, even if you hadn’t become trapped and therefore vulnerable, foxes don’t live as long as humans. In this new form, not only are you still youthful, witty, and handsome, but you’ll live much longer than you would’ve had you stayed in your original form. You also won’t have to worry about being slain by humans or other creatures, for merely trying to survive.” Farley still had tears in his eyes, but after a brief pause he whispered, “I see…but how will I carry on in this new body?” Nature smiled and said, “You’ll catch on soon enough and as time goes by. Also, you’ll immediately know how to do human things, such as driving vehicles for example.” Farley gave his own weak smile, then replied, “I understand.” Still giving a warm smile, Nature blew him another kiss, then slowly faded from sight. Farley laid back against his bed and pillow, still processing what Nature just explained to him. After a few minutes, he slowly stood back up and on to the floor, then walked back toward the smaller room with the mirror. He turned on the light switch for a better view. Farley briefly grimaced upon seeing his new reflection again, but now he could focus more clearly. His eyes were still a bright, emerald green. Though Farley no longer had fur, his hair was the exact same color and shade. Lowering his gaze, he noticed the light blue robe which he’d been covered with while in a deep sleep after the transformation. Slowly and gracefully, Farley disrobed himself, and inspected his now uncovered human body. His physique was slender, yet masculine and fit. Farley then gazed lower, and almost cried out in surprise upon discovering…a certain feature of his new anatomy. After recovering from this brief astonishment, Farley studied his human legs and feet. Then he turned around to see the back side as well. He received yet another startling discovery with his human form, but quickly moved on to check out his upper backside and shoulders. Farley let out a long sigh and put the robe back on before going back to the bed. ‘Not too bad, I suppose,’ he thought. Within the hour, the door to his hospital room opened again. “Here he is, Mr. Zuckerman.” Farley instantly recognized Arlene’s voice. He glanced over, and the nurse was leading Homer Zuckerman over to him. The burly, gray-haired farmer sat beside Farley. He gave a friendly smile and said, “Good to know you’re doing alright. Where are you from? We haven’t seen you around before.” The former fox lowered his head, unsure of how to reply. Finally, he gave a vague response, “I was living in the basement of an abandoned farmhouse.” Homer raised an eyebrow, then asked, “Don’t you have any family or anything?”Farley merely shook his head. The bewildered, and sympathetic, Homer slowly stood up and told Arlene, “I’m going to make a few phone calls now.” When he exited, the nurse then sat beside Farley. She rubbed him under the chin with a finger, then said softly, “See? Everything will be fine.” The now-human guy looked up and met her gaze. He gave a small smile of appreciation. Arlene grinned, then leaned in and gave him a quick kiss! Farley blushed and gave a slight chuckle. The nurse then winked at him before leaving. Before long, Homer returned to see Farley. He was accompanied by Conrad Hirsch, and Conrad’s wife Sally. Conrad then spoke up, saying to him, “Homer updated us and everyone else about everything. We understand that you have no family or friends, or even a stable home. Is that correct?” The former fox let out a depressed sigh and replied “Yes, that’s right.” Conrad and Sally gave a warm smile, then Conrad announced, “You’re in luck! My wife Sally and I have been considering hiring a farmhand for a while now. We even have a couple spare bedrooms, so you can live with us as well.” Farley was overcome by several emotions and thoughts. Most of all he was grateful and astonished. No living thing, human or animal, had ever been this sweet and considerate to him. But then he remembered Nature’s words, about how he’d no longer have to worry about being harmed or slain for simply trying to survive. Finally, Farley stuttered, “I…don’t know what to say. But I accept, and thank you very much!” “You’re most welcome, darling,” replied Sally Hirsch, who also winked at him. Sally and Homer each put an arm around Farley’s shoulders and stood him up. Then Conrad gently draped a long and lightweight coat over the blue robe. The trio then led the former fox to the front desk, got him discharged, and led him outside. Farley couldn’t help but notice that both indoors and outside, quite a few of the women, and even a few of the men, couldn’t take their eyes off him. ‘No doubt it’s part of the looks and charm Nature said I’ve still got,’ he thought. Finally, Conrad and Sally took Farley over to their truck after parting ways with Homer, then drove him back to their farm after they were all seated and buckled in. When they arrived at the Hirsch farm, Farley recognized it alright. The henhouse, barn, no doubt this was where he kidnapped Cardigan from. Soon enough, he was settled into his new bedroom which also had its own bathroom. That evening during supper, Farley tasted vegetables for the first time, carrots, peas, and corn. It was a little odd at first, since Farley had only eaten meat during his time as a fox, but he couldn’t deny that these vegetables were quite delicious too! After going to bed for the night, Farley had no trouble with getting comfortable in his new bed, with the fluffy pillows, sheets, and blankets. ‘This part isn’t bad at all!’, he thought before dozing off. Farley was so cozy and peaceful, that he didn’t wake up until after Conrad and Sally started their work for the day! When he woke to see the sun shining through his window, he gasped and hurried downstairs. But Conrad and Sally weren’t there. Farley quickly figured that they were outside. He went back upstairs to his new bedroom, then entered the bathroom upon re-entering. He closed the door after undressing, then turned on the shower. Just like Nature said, he immediately knew how to turn on water, open and close doors, and everything else. Farley relaxed as the lukewarm water soaked his body. Using soap and shampoo for the first time was also quite a calming experience. After Farley was cleaned up and he turned the water off, he studied his reflection yet again before drying off with the towel Homer and Sally left for him, and again after he had dried off. He brushed his new hair, all the while watching and getting used to these new movements. When Farley was all dry and groomed, he looked in the mirror for an extra minute longer. Finally, he smiled and thought, ‘I guess I’ve still got it after all, and this all won’t be so bad.’ He then opened the bathroom door and stepped out, and was surprised to see a girl standing in front of the bed! Upon hearing the bathroom door open, the girl jumped and spun around, and screamed upon seeing this stranger! She almost ran out, but stayed in her spot and stammered “I’m so sorry!” The gal started to cover her face with her hands, but paused as she continued staring at this handsome stranger who was completely nude in front of her. The embarrassed girl knew she should leave and not stare at him, but she just…couldn’t resist! After an awkward moment of silence, Farley merely chuckled and gave her a smug grin. “Pleasant to gaze at, am I?” The gal turned even redder and nodded. “I’m so sorry for barging in, I had no idea there was anyone in here!” “No harm done, my dear,” Farley replied, still giving her that smug grin. He had to admit, she was quite a beautiful sight too. Long dark brown hair which was worn in a braid, bright blue eyes, and lips which were as red as her blushing cheeks. Suddenly, the front door downstairs opened. The girl hurried outside the bedroom and quickly but quietly closed the door before rushing down the stairs. Farley tiptoed over to the door and listened closely. He heard the girl shout “Aunt Sally, Uncle Conrad, why didn’t you tell me there was another guest here?!” From what he could make out afterward, they were going to tell their niece about this new farmhand, but she arrived earlier than expected while they were still doing their tasks outdoors. Farley snickered and went to get dressed; fortunately for him, he and Conrad were close enough in size for Farley to borrow some of his clothing. A few minutes later, and Farley descended the stairs and joined the others in the living room, clad in blue jeans and a red t-shirt. Before he could say anything, Sally announced, “Farley, this is our niece, Nora.” The new farmhand grinned, and said, “A pleasure to formally meet you, Nora.” Nora turned red again, then replied, “Yes, likewise.” Next, Sally blushed, then said, “I’m so sorry about your first…meeting! Conrad and I were going to tell her about you and where you’re staying in our home, but she arrived earlier than scheduled. We were still working outside and didn’t even notice her enter the house.” Farley merely snickered, then responded, “That’s quite alright, your lovely niece didn’t cause any harm! Speaking of work, why didn’t you wake me earlier this morning?” This time, Conrad spoke up. He replied, “Due to your experience before coming here, we figured you could use your first day to rest and take it easy.” Once again, Farley was surprised by the courtesy and consideration. After a brief pause, he said, “Wow…well, thank you.” “Anytime,” the farmer responded, smiling warmly, then asked “Would you like a tour of the farm?” “Yes, that would be quite delightful,” answered Farley. Conrad led his new farmhand outside. First they went to the barn, where Bessie and the other cows lived. When Bessie noticed Farley, she tilted her head and mooed in confusion. Next came the familiar sound of a lamb baaing. Farley turned toward the noise. Sure enough, there was Cardigan. The black lamb stared at him in horror, then backed away, baaing even louder. Conrad chuckled, then said, “This is Cardigan. He’s very timid around new folks. This is exactly how he acted when I bought him from my friend Homer.” “Yes, I understand,” the former fox replied, laughing faintly. Upon hearing his voice, Cardigan’s eyes widened even more. After Conrad and Farley left the barn, Cardigan hurried over to Bessie. “Bessie, did you see…did you hear…?”, the lamb stuttered. The equally shocked cow answered, “Yes I did, Cardigan. That was…Farley! I thought there was something familiar about the new human.” “But why and how is he a human and no longer a fox?!”, Cardigan exclaimed. “All I can say is, that’s a good question,” Bessie replied. In the meantime, Conrad had shown the human Farley the henhouse, garden, and everything else essential on the farm. Sure enough, the hens also panicked when they saw and recognized the former fox. But Conrad thought nothing of it. ‘They and the rest of our livestock just need time to get used to him,’ he thought. After Conrad and Sally returned to their duties for the day, Farley got more acquainted with their niece Nora. He learned that she was the daughter of Sally’s older brother, and was now in her final year of college, where she was mainly studying agriculture, business, and education. “That’s an interesting combination,” Farley commented. “Thanks,” the gal replied. “It’s too hard to settle on just one, when I’m so passionate about all three.” “Nothing wrong with pursuing more than one interest,” the farmhand said. It was then he noticed, Nora had been gazing at him in deep awe and admiration. Almost as if she had never seen a guy before. Farley raised an eyebrow, then asked, “Is something wrong? You’re looking at me…funny.” Nora blushed again and quickly turned away. “No, nothing is wrong,” she stammered, “I’m so sorry for staring at you. You’re just so…handsome!” The former fox suddenly felt his cheeks warm up. Then he chuckled and replied, “It’s alright. So I’m also pleasant to gaze at, even when fully clothed?” “Yes!”, Nora cried, turning redder than ever. The farmhand chuckled again, then gently placed his hands on her cheeks and turned her back toward him. “Take it easy, no need to be timid. Besides, I must say that you’re quite a lovely sight as well,” and winked at the blushing gal. Nora grinned and exclaimed, “Thank you very much!” Farley watched as her cheeks slowly but surely regained their normal color. Then to the girl’s surprise…and delight, he leaned in and gave her a gentle peck on the lips! Nora squealed, then threw her arms around him and hugged the former fox. Farley felt his cheeks warming up again, as he lifted his arms and caressed Nora’s shoulders. After pulling away from the embrace, Nora asked Farley if he wanted to go outside for some fresh air, which he immediately accepted. From that day on, Farley was a very well-known farmhand in the area. Sometimes he even assisted on other farms in addition to his residence at the Hirsh farm. The first time he worked at the Zuckerman farm, Farley recognized the pig Wilbur and rat Templeton. Sure enough, the animals gawked at him. The former fox merely snickered and said softly, “No need to be afraid. I’m no longer what you consider a savage predator.” After he carried on with his tasks, Wilbur exclaimed “It’s true! Farley turned into a human somehow!” “Just when you think you’ve heard and seen it all,” said Templeton, as he and the pig nodded at each other. Not only was Farley known for his hard and dedicated work, but he was also known for his wit, grace, charm, and stunning good looks, all of which seemed almost otherworldly. Whenever the former fox was in town or at the fair, many of the girls and women, and even a few of the boys and men, gave him admiring gazes. But alas for his numerous admirers, after Sally and Conrad Hirsh’s niece Nora graduated from college and found her own steady job, she and Farley eventually got engaged, and finally married. As the newlyweds danced together at their wedding reception, Farley thought to himself, ‘Not only do I still have my charm, grace, and intellect from my time as a fox, but now I’ve also got so much more. Nature was right, and I’m going to be just fine.’ Farley then grinned at Nora, as the couple leaned in for another kiss....
The Tale of Locker 22: Gender Bend!The year was 1993, in an American town called Darby. Sixteen-year-old Julien Dufaux had just immigrated from France with his parents. To say he was nervous about being at a new school, and in a new country at that, was an understatement. The assistant principal of Darby High School, Mrs. Shaffner was showing the new student his locker. Mrs. Shaffner was a grump, to put it lightly. Julien’s locker was in a basically abandoned room, which hadn’t been cleaned in a while. She told the new boy “We haven’t used this this room in years. I don’t know where all the new kids keep coming from. Anyway, here’s locker 22.” He said, “This place is dirty, and it’s a long walk from my classes.” The graying, middle-aged woman took off her glasses and squinted at Julien. “Are you complaining, Mr. Dufaux?” The boy protested “No, just-“ Before he could finish, Mrs. Shaffner stated “Good! Then get ready for your first class of the day, and I hope you enjoy Darby High School,” and walked off. Julien groaned in frustration before placing his backpack and a few other belongings in the locker. A short while later, it was close to the end of Julien’s first class, which was chemistry. The class was filling beakers with water, as practice for measuring. Then, the teacher instructed the class to suck the water through their pipettes, then quickly cover the opening with their fingers to prevent the water from running out and back into the beakers. Julien was told this was collecting fluids, and it made sense to start with water. Unfortunately for Julien, he sucked the water in too quickly and coughed. Then he flailed his arm, causing the beaker to fall to the floor and break. His classmates all spun toward him, but no one said anything. A couple girls, however, smirked and held back chuckles. An African American girl was genuinely concerned. The teacher went to grab a broom, then said to Julien “Don’t worry, I’ll clean this up. But please use more caution from now on, okay?” Then the bell rang, signaling the end of class. A humiliated Julien buried his face in his hands as his classmates exited the room. The two amused girls came up behind him. The one with long dark brown hair and sunglasses stopped at his right side, and the girl with long blond hair and brown eyes stopped at his left side. The brunette taunted, “You really should use more caution, because next time…we’re using acid!” Then the blond teased, “Uh-oh, we sure don’t want any accidents then!” “Get moving!”, the African American girl demanded, giving the other two light shoves on their backs. The snobs merely snickered and exited the classroom with everyone else. This girl then laid her hand on Julien’s shoulder and asked, “You alright?” “Yeah, I think so,” he replied. The gal smiled, then said “My name’s Christa. I take it you’re new here?” “Yes, indeed. My name is Julien. I’ve never done this kind of stuff before. My family just came to America from France.” “Well, don’t worry,” Christa assured him. “You’ll get used to it here. Besides, I’ll show you around the school, if you’d like.” Julien smiled, then said, “Yeah, that would be great.” “Come on, then,” said his new friend, and she walked toward the door. Julien glanced toward the front of the classroom, and there stood a boy he didn’t see before. He had short light brown hair and brown eyes. He wore unusual clothing, including a headband around the top of his head. The new student gasped, then cried “You startled me! I thought everyone else left.” The other guy didn’t speak, just shed a tear. Before Julien could say anything else, Christa re-entered the classroom and asked, “Are you coming?” Julien turned back toward her and replied “Yes, just a second.” But when he turned back around, the mystery boy had disappeared! Julien blinked in confusion, then shook his head and left the chemistry room with Christa. Later that day in the cafeteria, Julien was searching for a place to sit. He saw one open spot, but then realized it was by those mean girls from chemistry. He immediately went on his way, then found an empty table. Julien sighed in relief as he sat down to eat lunch. But to his horror and discomfort, the snobby gals came to his table, and sat down, with him in the middle! They smirked, then the brunette asked her sidekick, “Hey Donna, how do you like the new guy?” Donna responded, “I’m not sure, Frida. He seems a bit…off. Did you hear about what happened in chemistry this morning?” Frida said, “I don’t think so. What?” Donna continued, “He was sucking up water through this straw…” “Then what happened?”, asked Frida. Donna had collected the milk in her straw. Julien figured out their plan quickly, and ducked and began crawling away as Donna said, “He did something like this!” The she blew the milk at who was supposed to be Julien, but she got her sidekick instead! Frida glared at her, then flung mashed potatoes at the blond. Donna retaliated by flinging applesauce at the brunette. The snobs continued throwing food at each other. Everyone else cheered and shouted, “Food fight! Food fight!” Just then, Mrs. Shaffner appeared after making her way through the crowd. “Alright, what’s the deal here?”, the woman shouted. Suddenly, one of the girls threw an open milk carton at the other, but it hit and got all over Mrs. Shaffner instead! There was a stunned silence as the assistant principal took off her glasses and yelled “That’s enough! Both of you, my office, this instant!” After the mean gals sighed and headed to the assistant principal’s office, Julien glanced up, and realized he was right in front of Mrs. Shaffner. She glared down at him and demanded, “May I help you, Mr. Dufaux?” He merely shook his head as he quickly stood up and bolted in the other direction. The angry woman turned and stormed out the cafeteria, ignoring the stares and giggles from other students. Later that day when it was finally time to go home, Julien arrived at his locker to place his books back inside and collect his backpack. Unbeknownst to him, a familiar presence was coming up from behind. Julien noticed movement out the corner of his eye, then jumped when he saw the same mysterious guy from earlier. He sighed, and said “Come on, please stop doing that! What do you want anyway? I have enough-“ Before Julien could finish, the guy slowly disappeared into thin air, right before him! He slowly took a few steps back, then turned and left the building in a hurry. Once outside, he heard a familiar voice calling for him. Julien turned, and Christa was running toward him. “Hey, Julien! Are you okay? You look shook up about something. I heard about those idiots at lunch, but you’re so much better than them.” He gave a small smile, but Christa could tell something was on her new friend’s mind. “Come on, Julien. What’s up?” He let out a deep sigh, then asked, “Promise you won’t laugh or think I’m crazy?” “Yes, of course!” “I know it sounds nuts, but I think I saw…” “Yes, go on.” “I think I saw…a ghost!” Christa paused, then said “Okay. I see.” Julien begged, “Please, just don’t say anything!”, before rushing toward his new home. The next morning before school started, Julien went inside while other students remained outside, enjoying the fresh air and chatting with each other. He arrived at his locker. As he started preparing for the day, Julien suddenly heard a soft moaning. He quickly glanced around. “Who’s there?”, he demanded. A familiar voice replied, “I’m the ghost of Darby High School. Beware Julien, I’m here to haunt you!” The irritated guy stormed toward the entrance. Sure enough, Donna and Frida were hiding around the corner! They gave their infamous smirks, then cried, “Boo!” Julien rolled his eyes and snapped, “That’s not funny!”, before storming back to his locker. The gals merely laughed and high-fived each other as they walked down the hallway. Before long everyone else was gathering, preparing for their first class of the day. Julien stood in the hall, waiting for Christa. When he finally saw her, he approached and confronted his friend. “I thought I asked you to not say anything!”, he snapped. “Oh dear,” Christa whispered, before saying, “I only told one person, and there was a reason.” “Yeah, sure. Well, the word has spread now…thanks to you.” Before Christa could protest, Julien turned and stormed away. He arrived back at his locker, then opened the door to start grabbing his books, when something knocked into the door. Julien saw a volleyball rolling away on the floor…and a strange necklace which had apparently fallen out of his locker upon the impact. He bent down and picked it up, then glanced up and saw Donna coming to retrieve the ball. “Sorry about that,” she said. “Yeah, whatever,” Julien muttered as he rolled his eyes. But then he jumped upon seeing a white shape in the entrance, making a soft booing noise. The annoyed guy glared and stomped over, shoving the shape aside as he demanded, “Stop it already, this isn’t funny!” As Julien rushed down the hall, Frida removed her white blanket covering while giving Donna another high-five. Julien came to a stop in front of the restroom, trying to calm down. Then he remembered the necklace in his hand. He brought it up to his face for further examination. Next, Julien continued walking and turned the next corner…only to be greeted by the strange ghost guy. He gawked, then asked, “What do you want, and who are you?” Once again, the stranger didn’t speak. However, he held up a necklace he was wearing, which was exactly like the one in Julien’s hand! He glanced down at his own necklace, then back up at the perplexed human. Julien held the necklace in his hand a little higher, and looked back at the ghost, who gave a small smile and slight nod. Julien put the necklace on, and in a flash of light, he was in another place. Wait a minute, he was still in the halls of Darby High School! But everything was so different. The walls were brighter, and the students wore clothing like leather vests, miniskirts, and headbands. Julien gawked around, unable to believe his eyes. Just then, a boy wearing jeans and a tie-dye shirt turned around toward Julien. He came toward the stunned guy, and said “Kenny, that peace sign is far out!” Julien’s jaw dropped. “Are you talking to me?” “Um, yeah,” the other guy replied. “You’re the only one here named Kenny!” The French boy slowly took a few steps back, then turned and rushed toward the room where his locker would be. Sure enough, there was locker 22, with the name “Kenny” spelled in tie-dye colors. Julien stared in awe, then spun around after hearing footsteps enter the room. There stood a woman, who impatiently said “I’m waiting, Mr. Warren!” Julien stared in bewilderment as the woman walked away. There was something familiar about her… Julien quickly took off the peace sign necklace. Sure enough, he instantly returned to his own time. Then he glanced at locker 22. The stickers which spelled “Kenny” were gone, however there was leftover residue, which hadn’t been there before Julien put on the peace sign necklace and traveled back in time! When the final bell rang for the day, Christa was preparing to leave for home, when someone tapped her shoulder. She spun around, and there was Julien. “Can we talk, please?”, he asked. Christa sighed, then said “Absolutely. I’m very sorry about what happened-“ Julien interrupted. “You said you only told one person, and there was a reason. What is this reason, if I may ask?” After a brief pause, Christa replied “For a long time there’s been a little rumor about a ghost haunting this school. I know someone, who knows someone who says they saw the ghost. You’re not alone, and I’m so sorry for embarrassing you!” Julien smiled, then said “I have something to show you.” He led his friend to locker 22, then pointed out the sticker residue. “See this here? Whoever had this locker before, spelled their name on it with stickers.” “Yeah, okay,” said Christa. Then Julien held up the peace sign necklace. “This fell out of the locker earlier today. It more than likely belonged to this same person.” “And?...” “Look around this room,” the French guy replied. “It’s obvious that nothing new has been done in here for years. Don’t you think so?” A now nervous Christa told him “I know those girls have been teasing you, and I’m sorry about that. But now, you’re starting to spook me!” Julien laughed, then responded “Come now, let me show you what’s really spooky!” He held her hand while placing the peace sign necklace over his neck with the other hand. There was another flash of light, and just like Julien predicted, the couple was back in time. Christa gasped upon seeing the cleaner and brighter locker area. She glanced around, and noticed there were posters on the walls which hadn’t been there before. “What in the world is going on here?” “I have no idea,” replied Julien. “The same thing happened earlier when I put on this necklace. It was like traveling back in time, but without a time machine.” “Kenny!”, a familiar voice exclaimed. The pair glanced over, and the same boy with the tie-dye shirt from before was approaching. He noticed Christa, then asked “What’s your name? Are you new?” “Yeah, I guess so,” the stunned girl replied. The other guy raised an eyebrow, then said “You guess so?” After trailing off for a few seconds and then giving a friendly laugh, he said to Julien “Whenever she figures it out, be sure to invite her over to my place tonight too. I got the new ‘White’ Beatles album. I hope to see you there!” He bid the couple a cheerful farewell and went back into the hallway. Julien and Christa stared at each other. “White…Beatles…album?”, the dumbfounded gal stuttered. Then Julien pulled her toward locker 22, and said “Take a look! See? This is my locker, and those are the stickers spelling the name ‘Kenny.’” “Kenny…”, Christa repeated. “That guy called you ‘Kenny.’” Before either one could say anything else, the same impatient woman from earlier bellowed from the entrance “Mr. Warren!” The friends glanced over, and a stunned Christa’s jaw dropped. The woman continued, “Now, Mr. Warren. Not tomorrow, not next week. Now!” Julien stuttered “But-“ “Don’t ‘but’ me, young man. Look, I will stay late today to help you. But if your project isn’t complete by four-o-clock, you’ll be saying ‘hello’ to a big fat ‘F’ and summer school. Ya dig?” Julien gave a small smile, then nodded and replied “Yes.” The familiar woman gave her own small smile, then commented “Groovy. I’ll meet you in my lab,” before exiting. Her jaw still wide open, Christa stammered “That was, Mrs. Shaffner! Only young.” “Yeah, I thought it was her,” said Julien. “We somehow traveled back in time…and to the 1960s at that. How is that possible?” Christa looked over at him, then commented “It was that necklace, right? Please, take it off right now!” Julien gladly obeyed her request. Another flash of light after he once again removed the peace sign necklace, and the friends were back in 1993. Sure enough, the room with locker 22 was messy and unclean again. “This necklace has some kind of power,” said Julien. “But how?” Christa couldn’t stop thinking about the hippie boy. “That guy, called you ‘Kenny.’” Her friend then asked “Who is, or was, Kenny?” She responded “I don’t know, but let’s go find out!” Christa led Julien to the school library where they were able to find school records going back many years. Since the ‘White’ Beatles album came out in 1968, Christa searched through the records for that specific year. She started with a list of names and assigned lockers, then exclaimed “A-ha! Take a look here!” Julien hurried over, and sure enough, in 1968 locker 22 was assigned to Kenny Warren. Next, the pair looked through the 1968 school yearbook. After looking over several pages, Julien finally saw the mysterious Kenny. He placed his finger on a page, and said “That’s him, the ghost!” The page had Kenny’s school picture. Underneath the picture, it read ‘Kenny Warren, 1951-1968, A good friend and good student, We will miss you forever.’ After completing their research, the two pals walked down the hallway back toward the room with locker 22. “This is real, right?”, asked Julien. “Well, it must be,” replied Christa. Julien went on, asking “Why is Kenny appearing to me, and only me? And why do people in the past think I’m him?” “I have no idea!”, Christa replied. Then she grabbed Julien and turned him toward her. “Look, I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough…excitement, for one day. This is all too much all at once. Now let’s just go home and relax, okay?” Julien paused for a few seconds, then told her, “I think Kenny is trying to tell me something. There must be a reason for all this.” “Perhaps,” said Christa, then “Come on, it’s getting late.” Just then, Julien remembered that he didn’t get his things from his locker. “Ugh, I still have to get my books and backpack! But let’s talk later, alright?” “Sure thing,” Christa replied, and the two parted ways for the time being. Julien arrived back at locker 22. Before collecting his things, he took the necklace out of his pocket and held it up. He was determined to get to the bottom of this. In the meantime, Christa was descending the stairs outside the school entrance. She saw a teacher who was also getting ready to leave. “Hey, Mrs. Adams!”, Christa called out. The gray-haired, brown-eyed woman smiled and asked “Yes, what can I do for you, Christa?” “You’ve been teaching here longer than anyone else, right?” “Yes, I have. A full thirty years, to be exact.” Christa then asked “Did you know Kenny Warren?” Mrs. Adams sighed and stared into space. “Kenny Warren…I haven’t thought of him in years. Of course I knew him, he was a very sweet and dedicated student. Such an awful tragedy…” The teacher trailed off. “What happened?”, asked Christa. “Was he sick, or in a car accident?” “Oh, no,” replied Mrs. Adams. “It was right here at the school. Kenny was staying late one day to finish a science project. He got careless, and there was a deadly explosion. Fire and smoke everywhere…so difficult to think of even now.” Her eyes began to water with tears. “That’s…horrible,” Christa said softly. Then she inquired “Who was the teacher?” “Oh my, it’s been so long…,” Mrs. Adams said. “That’s okay,” Christa said before turning to go back inside. The girl was halfway up the steps, when Mrs. Adams called out, “Christa! That instructor was Mrs. Shaffner! She was the chemistry teacher before becoming assistant principal.” Christa was now starting to panic. “Thank you, Mrs. Adams!”, she called out before hurrying back inside the school. “Julien! Julien!”, she started shouting as she ran through the halls. Unbeknownst to Christa, Julien had gone back to 1968 again! He was once more in the neater and brighter locker area. Next thing he knew, the young and agitated Mrs. Shaffner appeared in the entryway again and just about yelled “Mr. Warren, now!”, as she pointed toward the chemistry lab. Julien took a moment to compose himself, then followed after her. He arrived in the familiar yet different classroom. Mrs. Shaffner was setting up equipment for the project. She noticed him enter, then said “How kind of you to join me,” as she finished connecting a gas tube…which was worn out and rotted! The woman then told him “Take a seat.” The student obeyed. Then Mrs. Shaffner pointed out the worksheets, thermometer, beakers, and pipette. Determined but nervous, Julien asked “Can you please explain what exactly I’m doing?” The agitated woman answered “Identifying compounds by determining their melting points. Or would you like to go ahead and take an ‘F’ and go straight to summer school?” “No, I’ll do this,” the student replied. But then he asked “How am I supposed to do this?” “That’s the point of this test, isn’t it?” Mrs. Shaffner then rolled her eyes and said “Here’s a clue: Turn on the gas, and light the burner. After that, it’s all up to you. I’ll be back in 20 minutes.” Meanwhile in 1993, Christa was at locker 22 after frantically searching for Julien. She spun around, and jumped! There he was… “Whoa! So…you’re Kenny?”, the girl stammered. The ghost nodded. Then, Christa asked “Did Julien go back to the past again?” The ghost nodded again, and frowned. Christa started to panic. “Then he’s going to get killed…we’ve got to stop him. Please, Kenny!” With that, Kenny stepped toward her, and reached for her hands. Just as Kenny grabbed the girl’s hands, she was blinded by yet another flash of light. Christa was relieved to be back in 1968, and she quickly ran through the halls, calling for Julien. In the lab, Julien had already turned on the gas, unaware of the faulty equipment. However, he was having difficulty with lighting the burner. He began searching for more matches. In the hallway, a frantic Christa was stopped by the young Mrs. Shaffner. “No running in the halls, young lady!” The girl protested “Julien, I mean Kenny, Kenny’s in trouble!” The teacher smirked, then said “I know, he’s going to flunk and have to attend summer school. Bummer!” Now angry and desperate, Christa shoved Mrs. Shaffner to the side and ran toward the lab. At last she arrived, just as Julien was preparing a box of matches. “Julien, no!” Christa shouted when she bolted into the chemistry room. A startled Julien glanced toward her. She ran over and smacked the box of matches out of his hand, then turned off the gas and disconnected the hose. “Whoa, what’s going on?”, the confused guy asked. A fuming Mrs. Shaffner then entered and began to ask “Yes! What are you doing-“ An irate Christa shouted, “Hold it, just hold it!” Then she held the gas hose up for Mrs. Shaffner to see, and yelled, “See this hose? It’s rotted through! If someone were to put a flame in this, the entire place would’ve gone up! Don't you know how to inspect equipment, MRS. SHAFFNER!” The teacher was now stunned, and speechless. “Oh, dear Lord…you could’ve been killed. I…I don’t know what to say.” Christa shoved the worn-out rotted gas hose into her hands and retorted “How about just saying you’re in the wrong job?” The she joined Julien at his side, as they shook their heads. Still looking in their direction, Mrs. Shaffner said, “Thank Heaven you noticed this! If you didn’t…” “I would’ve been a goner,” said…Kenny Warren! He had appeared and was now sitting at the table. At last, Julien and Christa were taken back to 1993, and were in the room with Julien’s locker. To their surprise, the area was much cleaner and neater. But they had something else on their mind. “Gosh…so that’s how Kenny died,” Julien said sadly. “Yeah, I saw him too. He brought me back to save you,” Christa told her friend, then they smiled and hugged. Just then, the two friends were interrupted by the sound of a man clearing his throat. The startled teens spun toward the entrance, and there stood a handsome, well-dressed man…with light brown hair and brown eyes. He merely smiled and inquired “May I ask why you’re at school so late?” Julien and Christa laughed nervously, then Christa answered, “I was just helping him with his locker, it’s stuck.” But when she pulled, the locker came open easily! Julien gave a nervous laugh again, and Christa said “Well, at least it was stuck.” The man chuckled and replied “I understand. It used to get stuck for me too.” “Huh?”, a confused Julien asked. “That was your locker?” “Oh, way back in the day,” he replied, then continued “You must be Julien Dufaux. It’s very nice to meet you, and a pleasure to have you here at Darby High School.” “Thank you,” said the new student, then he asked “Um, who are you?” The man’s smile lengthened, and he replied, “I’m the assistant principal, Mr. Warren…Kenny Warren.” Julien and Christa’s jaws dropped as they gazed at each other in shock and bewilderment. Right when they looked back at the ‘new’ assistant principal, Donna and Frida appeared behind him, and gave their signature smirks and snickers. Mr. Warren sighed and rolled his eyes, then said “Ladies, my office now, please.” After Mr. Kenny Warren turned around and began escorting the snobby girls to his office, Julien and Christa laughed and exchanged glances. “I have a feeling that things will be much better from now on,” Julien told his friend, who grinned and nodded in agreement....
Twilight Saga

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Rules


:bulletblue: Rude or or inappropriate art without warning would be warning. Please, if possible, keep the work suitable for minors to read or see. That means no mature content (without proper labels). Please do not submit art that has not got a warning on it. If this does happen, the artwork will be removed, and if it keeps happening the artist will be removed from the group.
:bulletblue: Artwork must be fanfic. Simple as that.
:bulletblue: Only criticize people's work if they have asked in the description for people to.
:bulletblue: Criticism must be constructive not rude.

There are a few tips that will help you have a better time here at FanFic-Central:
:bulletorange: State whether you want criticism in the description, and whether you want it from just the admins or any member of deviantart.
:bulletorange: State in the title or description which movie/people/etc you are creating fanfic about.
:bulletorange: Have fun. Contribute in competitions and challenges.
:bulletorange: Don't be afraid to express yourself and how you feel.

If you have any ideas, complaints (I hope not), or queries please leave a comment and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Thank you very much for joining, and hope that you have fun!

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