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Chapter 1 - Flipping

A magic short story about love I wrote last year for a contest!!! plz read it and give me your opinion!!

Chapter 1 - Flipping

Chapter 1 - Flipping
Flipping
Tiana woke up like every morning. She grabbed her blue dress, and combed her long black hair. As soon as she was ready she went to the kitchen to help her mother to prepare the breakfast. The kitchen was filled with the smell of homemade bread , and her mother was boiling milk.
“Hi mom” said Tiana with a lazy voice.
“There you are young lady. I was about to go up stairs to wake you up with a bucket of water.” Tiana laughed at this in a low voice. She knew her mother would never do something like that. “Now Tiana” continued her mother “Watch the milk and start setting the table while I wake up your sister. Your father will be here any minute.”
She did as she was told. Little after that, her mom came back with little Lily in her arms, and put her in an old baby chair. Mom opened their almost empty pantry and took out two eggs. She cooked them, and Tiana felt extremely happy when she realized her family could afford eggs that week. Her father entered the little wood house and greeted his family. He was covered with snowflakes, and seemed sad. Tiana hurried to take his coat and handed it on the nail that was near the fire.
“Oh, good morning darling. Did you find enough wood to warm the water for Lily’s bath?” asked mom as she served little egg rations to each plate.
“It…” -he hesitated for a moment.- “It should be enough”. -He stared to his plate for a moment and said with a louder voice: “Margaret, darling, where did you get these eggs? You know we can not afford to buy this. Do me a favor; stop asking the neighbors for food. We can not pay them back, and I do not want to receive charity from any of your friends.”
As soon as this was said the third discussion for that week about food and money started. Tiana did not like to see her parents argue and she stood up and went outside trying hard not to shed any tears. She sat down on the old swing her father had made for her before economic crisis. Life was much easier then. They would go on picnics in beautiful forests outside Central City and enjoy wonderful summers on Diamond Bay. Things had gotten this bad since her father was expelled from the King’s Counsel because he refused to lie to the people about the king’s dirty business. At first her mother and Tiana herself agreed with her dad, but now they did not as much. She sat there for a moment staring at the snow and her disintegrating family through the window. Her family’s relationship with each other had become as cold as the snow itself. Then an unknown voice from behind her said:
“Things could be better, you know?” Tiana was so frightened she felt from the swing into the cold snow. “Whoa girl, I will not hurt you. My name is Dante and I am here to help you fix everything that is wrong with your life. You just have to trust me.” After thinking for a moment, Tiana recognized the young man after a little thinking. He was Dante, the blacksmith’s son, but he was wearing clothes that seemed expensive, maybe too expensive for him to wear. She had met him before, when she was very young. His father had been her father’s colleague for many years. He was only two years older than Tiana, and was pretty good looking. She stood up as Dante came closer and continued. “If you come with me I promise you will never regret it. You will not leave your family, but live with them as you did before the crisis.”
“Are you mad?” Tiana replied in an aggressive tone. “Do me a favor; keep your nose out of my problems.” She barley knew Dante, and could not stand that he talked about her problems as if he knew what she felt.
“There is no reason to get angry I am only offering my help. If you come with me I will explain you how we can solve this mess.”
As angry as she was, Tiana could not deny she was curious so she followed Dante into the forest. He took out something that seemed like a silver scepter and whispered something Tiana could not understand. Then a silver circle of light appeared before her feet. She stood back and looked up to Dante who was watching her.
“This, Tiana, is a door to a better life, my life. Come with me and you will know this life too.” As he said this he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the circle. Even though she did not understand what Dante was saying, she did not fight against Dante’s strength. She just walked along. When both of them were inside the circle light covered them. Tiana could not see anything but Dante standing in front of her and a white light surrounding him. She held Dante’s hand tighter. Their feet were not touching the ground anymore, but they did not fall down. Suddenly she felt the ground again and white light went away. They were standing in the same place as before looking at each other. Tiana freed her hand form Dante’s grip and shouted:
“What was that all about? I think you just fooled me to tell your dumb friends about it”. She ran away from him to her house. She found herself standing in front of her house, but she saw a family that was not hers through the window. Dante caught up and said:
“This is not your house. I’ll take you there. Oh, I almost forgot put this on before anyone sees you wearing that old dress or we will be in trouble”. He opened his bag, and gave her a long, blue, silk cloak. She was very confused and she obeyed and covered her face. Dante started walking, and she followed. She used to walk that same road almost every day to go to the market that was next to the castle. The road was almost the same but, in a way, Central City seemed more joyful. Houses were all painted in colors and smoke came out of every chimney. Children were playing, throwing snowballs at each other.
They arrived to the castle, and Dante stopped. “That is your house.” Tiana’s heart froze at this statement. “What?” she asked, shocked. Dante remained quiet and smiled as he started walking again. Tiana stood there thinking of what she was just told. Dante turned around and said: “All your questions will be answered as soon as you enter.” She followed him. “You may uncover your face.” She obeyed at once. Dante gave his coat to maid that was standing at the door. “Come on, the king is waiting for you.” They entered a great hall filled with stained glass windows that painted the marble floor with colorful shapes. At the end of the hall there was a throne where Tiana’s father was sitting. Dante bowed at his king. Tiana was petrified as soon as she saw this. Then Dante spoke with loud firm voice:
“Tiana, you are the princess and heir to the throne of Central City. Your father became head of the King’s Counsel after he decided to tell a little lie to the people about previous king who was killed after the truth was discovered. Since he, Alfonse IV did not have any children; his right hand William, your father, became king.” Tiana was shocked. How could she be a princess? Then Dante continued: “After my father died I have lived here with your father and serve him as his first knight.”
The king interrupted Dante and continued. “Now it is time I explain why I have sent for you. As you may have noticed you are in the same place you call your hometown, but it is very different. Here we practice and study “flipping“ which is the action of traveling across parallel dimensions. Dante here is already an expert. We have discovered each dimension is a parallel present structured by decisions made in the past. The present you come from is the one that evolved from the decision of you father, when he decided not to lie. This, on the other hand, is the result of me telling that lie. Everything can change from what may seem the smallest of decisions, so think of the consequences before choosing any path. Now, we brought you here because my Tiana is sick. She will die soon. She is enjoying her last days in our forest cottage. I do not want any other family to seat in this throne after I am gone. The people love Tiana and would be very angry if she is not queen. So…”
Tiana interrupted him “What about Lily, my little sister?”
The king continued: “You do not have a sister here, your mother died of tuberculosis shortly after I became king, the same illness that is killing my Tiana.” This shocked Tiana even more. Her mother and sister were not near her in this present. “Now,” continued the king after some silent seconds “All we ask you to do is to take the princess’s place; to be the princess. I beg you; you must help me and the people.” Tiana stayed silent. At this the king said “Well you can stay here for three weeks to decide. If you agree we will be grateful to you forever, and you will never have to see your parents fighting again. If you decide to go back we will flip you just two minutes after you left. It will be as if you had never left at all.” Tiana was still silent, but after thinking over it, she agreed, she had nothing to lose.
After this Dante called to maids that took Tiana to a room that had in it everything she ever dreamed of; a big bed with puffy pillows, a marble fireplace, a closet with so many dresses it seemed she could put on a different one everyday for a year. She bathed in a huge bathtub with warm water and put on the most beautiful dress she had ever dreamed of. Then the maids combed her hair in an elegant bun. Being a princess was wonderful. Another maid came in saying that Sir Dante required her presence at the dinning hall. She rushed after the maid and entered to a room that had a long table that had more than a dozen chairs on each side. Dante was sitting on the one closest to the door. Tiana sat behind him.
Dante started to talk. “My Lady while you stay here you will have to learn to act and behave as the real princess would. You will therefore take classes in etiquette, speech, horseback riding, sciences and music. I know you can play the violin a little. Two weeks from now you have a violin recital before the court and you will have to learn at least two proper melodies. That day we will show the court you are feeling better. Tomorrow your classes start at eight in the morning. Go now to your room and rest.”
Tiana did as she was told with out talking back. She walked across the hall saying to her self: “I am going to be a real princess for three weeks. Then I will go back to my family.”
The first week went by. She learned to jump obstacles with her horse, to eat, talk and walk the way a princess would, she could play a long beautiful song with her violin and the bases of arithmetic, physics and chemistry. She had dinner every night with the king and Dante. She enjoyed the life of a princess. She loved to learn new thing, things she would never learn if she had not trusted Dante. She felt that every night he became more important to her. Every free period of time she found she spent it walking with him through the gardens, or taking tea. The king seemed to notice this bond.
The second week went by the same way. The night of the presentation she put on a majestic blue dress and matching jewelry. She felt very nervous. It was the first time she saw people other than the maids, Dante and the King. She played not two, but five melodies she had learned in the past two weeks. When she finished people stood up to clap. Then the King started his speech. Tiana was not paying attention at the king’s words, but watching Dante then she heard “…and so, I have decided that my only daughter and heir to the throne shall marry Sir Dante, my right hand, in a year’s time.” Tiana almost fell from her chair at these words. She liked Dante, but she could not marry him. She would not stay a year there. She would only stay one more week, two if it were extremely necessary. Dante stood up, and people started to clap and cheer around them. He grabbed her hand and helped her to stand up, as he whispered in her ear: “Play along, we will talk to the king later”. Although she was very puzzled, she stood next to Dante, her hand still clasping by his, and waved. Then, suddenly, Dante kissed her, as she felt her cheeks blushing. Just after that the King sat down and so did his guests. She pulled Dante from the hand and took him outside the hall. The she asked:
“What was that all about? “
Dante was silent staring at the floor. Then he replied hesitating: “I…I don’t know. I swear I did not know anything about this until now. Sorry I…hm…kissed you. I now a gentleman should never steal a kiss from a lady’s lips, but I love you.” Tiana’s heart started pumping so fast she felt she was about to faint. Dante loved her, he really did. He held her hand again and took her back to the dining hall. The king looked at them, satisfied. When dinner was over, and all of the guests were gone they sat next to the king. Then Dante started taking:
“Your Majesty, will all due respect I would like you to explain your decision. Lady Tiana is leaving in one week, so we can not get married. “
“She is leaving?” the king replied “Well I don’t think so. I think she is staying whether she likes it or not”.
“Then you lied, Your Majesty. Although I love Tiana, we can not make her marry me if she wants to go back home.” replied Dante in a less clam tone.
“I have lied before. I can do it now! She is staying, and it is my decision that is important, not hers.”
Tiana was terrified when she heard that, and ran away from the hall and into her room. Dante followed her close behind. He knocked the door and after vacillating a little she opened it. He came in, and he seemed almost as sad as she did.
“I can take you back to your present, but I don’t want to lose you” he said after an uncomfortable silence. “They may kill me for this, but I would rather die than seeing your eyes shedding more tears.”
“Come with me, to my present” Tiana said in a low voice.
“I cannot. Flipping is wrong. People should stay where they belong. Changing present causes a lot of trouble. Besides there is your present’s Dante. I can not take his place. Come I will take you back where you belong.” She changed her clothes to her old dress. He opened the window and jumped outside. Then he helped Tiana do the same. They ran along the road and into the forest. When they arrived to the same point where they had flipped into that present, they stopped. Dante stopped and held her hands.
“I wish you could stay with me, but you must go back to your family.” He hugged her and kissed her forehead. Then she said
“I am sorry I can not stay, but I must help my father. I can not lie to the people. I am not a princess, and there must be a reason why I am not. I love you and I will never forget you.”
Then Dante took out his silver scepter and whispered the same words he had the first time. The portal opened at her feet. She kissed Dante for the last time. Then she stepped into the silver circle and watched Dante until she was blinded with the white light and his face disappeared. She felt her feet leaving and touching the ground again.
Tiana appeared in the very same place and walked outside the forest. She saw Central City sad and gray, as she had always known it. She ran towards her house where her parents were not arguing anymore. She stood by the door and before entering she turned around and saw Dante, dressed as a blacksmith crossing the street. She smiled to herself and entered to her house.


The End

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Punx on December 10, 2006, 5:58:53 AM

Punx on
Punxthat is really good. my stories never win anything. maybe thats because i never let anyone read them...O_o

ahem. still, i like it. what kinda contest as it? did you win? jc.

maybe its also because i keep all my good work on the computer....or maybe because any contest is for some retarded subject that i cant write about..... srry thinking out loud. *shuts up*

princesskagome100 on December 2, 2006, 2:30:30 PM

princesskagome100 on
princesskagome100My god big and wow ur a good writer

Spottedfur on November 15, 2006, 10:18:29 AM

Spottedfur on
SpottedfurYeap, can't ever judge a book by its cover (even though it doesn't have one *giggles*) this is Soooo COOL!!! Great job on this, must have taken forever

Spottedfur:>

GemWist on October 20, 2006, 7:24:41 AM

GemWist on
GemWistThat was a cool story!Thanks for telling me about it! =3 :favs:

Falconlobo on October 14, 2006, 2:57:16 PM

Falconlobo on
Falconlobocute and it proves you can never judge a book by it's cover