Little Red Cinderella and the Three Beanstalks

Ok, I have an announcement. This chapter is dedicated to the lovely, sweet, all powerful PACE_girl. Why? For the shameless plugging of my stories. She didn't even tell me she was doing it, I found out by accident. Can you ask for a better friend? And if she doesn't like this chapter, she can have any other one she wants. 'Cept for the one I already gave to TownhouseTerror.
Let this be a lesson to you all. I love it when you stroke my ego. Banners and comment would be nice.

Previously...

"You poor thing. You must be in a state right now! And your poor friend. I do hope he is OK. What did you say his name was?" She asked, slipping behind the bar and pulling out a dusty bottle from underneath.

"I didn't say." I said, yawning. Now that Ezu was taken care of, at least for the moment, the wear of the past two days was beginning to set in. My eyelids dropped, and my head felt like it was on fire. "His name is Ezu." I mumbled.

At that moment, four things happened simultaneously. The woman screamed, a short, shrill shout, and clapped her hand to her mouth. At the same time she dropped the bottle, and it crashed to the floor, bits of glass flying everywhere. In an instant, I could feel my consciousness leave me, giving me up to sweet sleep, and I crumpled to the floor. And finally, just before I closed my eyes and let slumber take me, the oak door burst open, and I saw a dark silhouette framed there, haloed by a blinding white light.

Then my eyelids slid shut, and I thought no more.
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When my eyelids finally flitted open, I was filled with a sudden sense of alarm when I realized I didn't know where I was.

I was laying on something soft, and all I saw was white. For one panic-stricken second, I feared that I was dead. But I regained my senses and realized I was simply laying on a fluffy, comfortable bed, and I was staring up at a white washed ceiling.

With this calming bit of information in place, I managed to push myself up into a sitting position and survey my surroundings.

I was in a room flooded with sunlight, which was streaming in through an open window. I could feel a fresh breeze blow through, and that helped wake me up a bit, the grogginess that still sloshed around my head dissipating. It was rather small room, with dark, stained wood walls and only one door. There was a small bedside table next to the bed I was sitting on, but other than those the room was bare.

I noticed someone had placed a tall cup of water on the table, and I realized I was parched. I snatched the cup, in my haste almost spilling its contents, and gulped greedily. Once I had drained that glass, my attention turned else where. I eyed the door, and made a decision. I jumped out of the bed...

And collapsed in a sore heap on the ground. Too late, I noticed the bed was about a foot higher off the ground than the average bed, and I hadn't taken the time to gauge the distance. I struggled to my feet, wincing slightly. My knee was definitely going to have a nasty bruise later, but I could walk.

I limped over to the open window, leaning out of it, letting the cool breeze clear my foggy head. I could feel the beginnings of summer in the air, and I wondered in passing how hot it got here. I was off in la-la land and didn't notice the flash of gold until it was in my face.

I leaped backwards with a shriek, and tripped over my own feet. I went sprawling onto the floor for the second time in several minutes.

Hastily I pushed myself into a sitting position, looking wildly around for whatever had just flown into my face. A glint of gold caught my eye, and my attention was drawn to the top of the bed post, about a foot above the mattress. Twitching gently, as if without a care in the world, was Jinx, the little mechanical bug which had left me so traitorously alone in the forest the day before.

"Jinx!" I cried, leaping to my feet. I hastened over to the creature, and bent over so we were at eye level. "You little bugger!" I scolded. "Some friend you are, first ditching Ezu, then me!"

Jinx gave a sharp little buzz, unintelligible, but obvious enough in tone.

"I didn't mean to fall down! And you could have at least stopped and waited!" I scoffed. Jinx whirred angrily, then hopped in a circle until his shiny abdomen was waving in my face. I tried to engage him in more conversation, but he pointedly ignored me, even going so far as to pointedly clean an antenna. If he could have yawned, he would have.

"Oh fine!" I finally said, exasperated, and threw my arms into the air. "You win, you stubborn little robot. Why are you here anyways?" I asked, prodding him gently with a finger. Jinx made no sound, simply fluttered a wing dismissively.

"Oh come on! You won! Isn't that satisfaction enough?" I pleaded. Jinx rubbed a foreleg on his antenna. "Fine! An apology? Is that what you want? Okay then. Jinx, I am sorry for insulting your ability as a friend and a guide. It was my own fault for falling down in the forest, and I'll never do it again." I swore, crossing my heart. Jinx peered at me through a gauzy wing, but still did not make any move as to indicate he accepted my apology. "You little..." I began, my temper flaring.

But I remembered the vicious attack I had been plagued with the last time I insulted the insect, and took a deep breath. "Then what do you want?" I asked, my voice even.

Jinx finally turned to me, and gazed at me with a shiny, black eye. He contemplated me for a moment, then took to the air, his wings fluttering so fast the blurred until they were almost invisible. He flew to me, then alighted on my upper arm. He crawled downwards, towards my hand, his legs creating an odd, tickling sensation on the bare skin. He finally made it to the ring finger on my right hand, where he wiggled his bottom a bit and whirred appreciatively. I brought my hand up to my face, nearly dislodging my passenger. He whirred angrily.

On my ring finger was a cheap, shiny ring--you know, one of the ones you get in gumball machines. It was a silvery, rusting metal band, inlaid with a faux diamond. The little piece of glass glinted prettily when it caught the light, but was utterly worthless. I glanced incredulously at the metal insect.

"You want that?" I asked. Jinx chittered happily. I rolled my eyes, but shrugged and removed the ring, brushing Jinx carelessly aside as I did so. I held it up to the light, the refracting sunbeams throwing odd little rainbows about the room. Jinx dashed through it, catching the ring about his head. It hung from his thorax, the cheap metal looking decidedly dreary compared to Jinx's impeccable technological perfection. But he seemed happy with it, and whirled about the room for some moments until he settled on the bedside table.

Although I hadn't noticed it before, there was a small hand mirror perched on the edge, and Jinx took advantage of this to consult his reflection. He waved his abdomen about imperiously, then strutted back and forth. I laughed at him, and snatched up the mirror.

"Aren't we a little vain?" I chuckled. He buzzed, annoyed, but flew into the air and settled on my shoulder, not holding a grudge. I smiled, and glanced at my reflection in the mirror.

In my shock, I nearly dropped it. I scrambled for the falling piece of glass, and barely caught it in my finger tips.

"Jeeze..." I muttered, taking another look. My hair hung in greasy, limp ropes, it's true color almost unrecognizable through the accumulated dirt and grime. My face was almost as bad as my hair; dirt streaked, creating odd, tribal looking swirls of dirt across my nose and cheeks.

There was a nasty looking gash on my forehead, and although it had long since stopped bleeding, the dried blood caked my face. My eyes were dark and lined, heavily bagged despite the sleep I had recently gotten. I stuck out my tongue at my reflection, and noticed a distinctly sour taste in my mouth. I glanced down at the rest of me. I noticed I was wearing different clothes; a shapeless white, cotton nightgown and a pair of thick, woolen socks. With a feeling of unease growing in my stomach, I wondered who had changed my clothes. I silently thanked my lucky stars they hadn't bathed me also, for although my present state of filth was disgusting, I don't think I could have bared the thought of a stranger bathing me while I was unconscious.

I glanced over my shoulder at Jinx, who was looking very pleased with himself.

"I wonder where I can find a bathroom?" I asked him, though the question was more directed at myself than the insect. But Jinx took of into the air anyways and flitted to the bedside table. Sitting on the smooth surface, as if it had been there all along, was a shiny, metal washing up basin, filled with clear water. I gaped at it.

That had definitely not been there a second ago.

"Where did that come from!" I gasped. Jinx gave an annoyed buzzing sound, that clearly said Don't question it. I pursed my lips, but didn't press the matter. Did I seriously expect things to be normal in this backwards place?

I washed my face and arms with the cool water, and managed to scrub away most of the dirt and grease from my hair. When I had finished, the water was an unpleasant murky color. Now how to make it vanish again?

"Okay now, be gone!" I demanded of the basin. It stayed put. I furrowed my brow. "Disappear!" I tried. Nothing. "Abracadabra?" I ventured. Nada. "Open sesame?" Now I was getting ridiculous.

"Fine then." I growled. "Have it your way. I am going to close my eyes, and if you aren't gone by the time I count to three, I am going beat you with a stick until you are an indistinguishable lump of metal, then I will melt you down and turn you into a plumbing pipe!" I threatened. Hey, it was worth a try, wasn't it?

I closed my eyes, counted to three very slowly, then carefully opened them again. The basin was no where to be found. I grinned triumphantly. I was beginning to get a hang of this.

But my grin was wiped of my face almost immediately. There were more pressing matters a hand than dealing with stubborn basins--such as finding Ezu.

I sauntered innocently over to the door, and opened it a crack. I peered out down a long, deserted hallway. I wondered if I was allowed to leave. The door wasn't locked, so who ever this place belonged to wasn't trying to keep me in. But what would they think if they came to check on me and I was gone? I mulled over this unhappily for a few moments, until Jinx whizzed past my head and out the door.

"Hey!" I shouted. "Don't leave me here!" I dashed out of the room, trying to keep up with the flitting dash of gold. We twisted and turned down numerous hallways, past rows and rows of closed doors, effectively making my head spin and all sense of direction leave me. I knew that if I got lost now, I was screwed; and I tried all the harder to keep the infernal machine in view, and desperately tried not to slip and fall in my thick socks, which slid dangerously on the hard wood floor.

Finally Jinx alighted on the shiny doorknob of a door at the end on a particularly long hallway, and shook his abdomen at me. I collapsed on the floor, wheezing.

"That... is enough... exercise... for forever!" I managed to gasp from between huge gulps of air. Jinx whirred at me and scuttled around the doorknob.

"Alright, alright!" I said, pushing myself to my feet. I brushed the bug off and made to grab the doorknob. "But if whatever is behind this door tried to eat me, I'll rip off your wings and make it take you first." I warned, remembering the fiasco in the forest. Jinx made a sound surprisingly similar to Yeah, whatever. I glowered at him, and flung open the door.

Inside was a sparsely decorated room, just barely larger than the one I had been in. There was a desk pushed up against one wall, the surface completely hidden under piles of papers and pens and bottles of ink. On the wall opposite me was a large standing dresser, that may have reached my chin if I were standing next to it. about ten feet from that was a bookshelf, overflowing with tomes of all shapes and sizes. In between the two was a window, overlooking a large yard, with the edge of a pond just visible.

And propped up on the wall to my left was a wide bed, piled high with thick blankets, twisted up in disarray. And laying in that bed, with his eyes closed and mouth slightly open, was...

"Ezu!" I shrieked. I dashed over to him and leapt on the bed, sending him and his blankets bouncing in the air. He gave yell as he awoke and trashed out violently--only to get even more tangled up in his sheets. He struggled for a few moments until he gave it up for a lost cause, and plopped back down on his pillows uselessly. I crawled over him, grinning widely.

"Oh, thank God, Ezu, you're alive!" I cried. His eyes grew wide and he thrashed around a bit more, but then settled down when he only managed to arrange himself in what appeared to be a very uncomfortable position.

"Rikki!" He gasped. "What are you doing here?" He said. He looked thoroughly surprised. I winced at his tone.

"What? Did you expect, me to just ditch you when I got you to safety or something? Gee, thanks a lot." I scoffed. Ezu reddened.

"Well, no, I didn't mean it like that..." Ezu said hastily. "I mean, what are you doing here?"

"Oh. Jinx brought me." I said, shrugging. As I did so, a chunk of my dark hair fell out from behind my ear. Since I was leaning over Ezu, one arm on either side of his immobile body, it fell just over his face, the bottoms of the strands tickling his nose. His face screwed up for a second in warning, but I didn't move fast enough.

He sneezed all over my face, making me fall backwards with a shriek. Ezu shot up, though he was still completely wrapped up in the blankets, only his tousled head visible.

"Rikki! I'm so sor-" He only got that much out before he toppled over the edge of the bed. He gave a loud ooph! when he collided with the floor, and I hastened over to check on him, wiping his spit off my face.

Ezu was laying in an extremely undignified position, and for the sake of his honor I won't describe it. But his behind happened to be the highest point of his body at the moment.

"Stupid!" I muttered. I helped him into a sitting position, ignoring his repeated apologies and attempts to worm his way out of my grasp.

"Hold still, or I'll never get you out of this...cocoon!" I demanded, pulling vainly at the blanket wrapped around him. He squirmed unhappily, but I finally managed to pull one corner loose. I gave a bug tug, and the entire mess fell away, making me fall sprawling on my back. I push myself back into a sitting position just as Ezu leaped onto his feet.

He froze in place when he saw me looking at him, and if possible, turned even redder.

He was wearing nothing but a pair of white shorts, which looked like they may have been pants at one time but were cut off mid thigh.

I went just as red as Ezu, and I found I was unable to look away. I know this whole scene was already sickeningly cliche--you know, walking on a half naked guy--and unfortunately I can't help but add to that cliche-ness by saying: he was hot!

I suppose you had to be in pretty good shape to be the kind of person who hunts wolves for a living, but I never really imagined...

Of course I never imagined! I shook my head hard, trying to clear my mind. I have known this kid for how many days? Really. Get a grip on yourself, Rikki.

I stood up, only slightly shakily. I held out the blanket to him, and Ezu snatched it out of my hands, clutching it to his beautiful bare chest. That act of embarrassment helped me come to my senses, and I gave Ezu an incredulous look.

"You're such a girl." I said. Anger briefly flashed across Ezu's face, and it looked like he was about to deny that, but he was suddenly seized by a second violent sneezing fit. He took a shaky step back with one particularly hard sneeze, and somehow managed to get his foot tangled in the dragging corner of the blanket he still held clutched to his chest. He gave a strangled yell and started to fall backwards. I frantically tried to grab his arm and pull him upright, but I got caught up in the momentum. Suddenly we were both falling, the blanket twisting around us like a hungry snake. I landed hard on top of Ezu, pressed uncomfortably close to his rock hard chest.

And, as if the Gods were doing everything in their power to make my life difficult, at that exact moment the door was flung open, and a very pretty girl came bounding into the room, calling out as she did so, "Oh Ezu! I've got the-"

And then she spotted us, tangled up on the floor, half naked, each looking decidedly winded.
The bowl she held crashed to the floor and shattered.