aka "This Story Needs a New Title Badly"
This is the first piece of writing of mine to be displayed publicly. The idea, characters, etc, are all copyright to Kitteh Hallberg 2003-2004. I did this for four consecutive Writer of the Week's in my English class, and was glad to get a small bit of praise for it, and a mighty bought of questioning faces after reading the final chapter. Tis very short - not even as long as your typical fanfiction, but I would like feedback on it *blush* Just so you know, though, I had absolutely NO idea what I was doing through this entire thing, except for some help with the plot from Rachel and Sterling. Most people in my English class write about shit such as their job, or what they did over the weekend, or some kind of "list" but I wanted to try something different - I wanted to just make up a story on the fly. Whether or not it makes sense doesn't matter whatsoever. I do not claim to be a writer in any fashion ofther than rare hobby ^_^;

CHAPTER 1

There is always an archetype of the hero, whether they be male or female, mortal or not, fictional or non-fictional. Cassandra grew up reading such stories or the gallant, steed-riding and gorgeous hero, and thought nothing of them but entertainment. Heroes were heroes, yes, and even though her land of Ersatz-Ville was under an interesting and bewildering threat of green, Cassandra just very well figured that this city and the king’s court had plenty of these hero-boys, I mean, after all, why else would so many stories be written about them?

 There wasn’t exactly much being done. Green skylight was almost becoming set as a norm, and it was ignored. Why was nothing being done about this...?

 The answer lied in the monarchy of course, she figured. The lands of Ersatz-Ville controlled by His Most Royal And Gracious Majesty of Villiam Hewbrone, Lord and Authority Above All, or if you want something simpler, the common folk around these parts nicknamed him “Villy the Daft”, at least those who were most educated anyway. He had succeeded the throne in the absence of his late father His Most Honorable and Charitable Majesty of Land and Bounty, King Geremane XI, who brought about glory and prosperity to the now, under Villy the Daft, green and doomed land. The man was aptly nicknamed, for he could not, as the common folk also said, “tell a bumblebee from his armpit.”

 This green that has been aforementioned many a time is as much as mystery to the people of the land as it is to the scholars who shall one day be reading this, unless otherwise discovered. The sky to the far north was, in both day and night, green, and an unnatural shade it was. Not evil, not good, but always covering and watching. Each day it crept closer and closer to Ersatz-Ville, and while some people thought nothing of it, even finding it extraordinarily pretty, the town lunatics, or prophets as they were called, forewarned in their scriptures of green doom. There had been no winter for several years, and even though at first people rejoiced, they soon found out how easily soil became spoilt from overuse, yet the populace just moved onto another area.

 It was something talked about scarcely around young Cassandra. Villy the Daft’s beautiful and superfluously decorated castle was always facing the green, and she would gaze over the spires and towers to see it. And still, she wondered, why nothing was being done about this, not even a deeper investigation. She was curious, and was one to think that everything exists because it serves a function, “So therefore it must serve a function, of course!”

 Talking to others about it proved no help. “Most everyone ignores me!” She would pout. “My looking-glass tells me this! It’s because of my scraggly black hair, and of how tall I am, is it not?
“Be that as it may, it is terribly hard to believe that no one else could be as interested in the Green as I am. I have searched all over this north side of the kingdom! Why, the only person I have yet to ask is the King! Would he know its function? If he didn’t, would he be the King then…?” She set down the looking-glass upon her plain and homely desk, next to a small comb and sewing materials. If she was going to see a king, as a daughter of a peasant, she could at least make her daily clothes look presentable, yes?

From there she was determined to see the King whether he would have her or not. “Why, if he won’t see one of his loyal subjects, he must not be a very functional king! “ As it was, she worked on basic logical assumptions about the universe rather than politics and psychology.
 

CHAPTER 2
 

 
“Meeting the King, oh what an honor!” Thought Cassandra to herself, as she tried to prim herself accordingly for the occasion. Being not of the upper classes, or even middle-classes, it was not a complex task. One’s biggest decision would be to wear dress A or dress Z, considering you wore either one every day. Cassandra found it logical she should wear the one she hadn’t in the past week. Finishing off with her hair in a messy, chaotic ponytail, she strutted off in the direction of green, which of course should now always be associated with Villy the Daft, as his father and grandfather and etc never had such a problem.

Villy himself found that the green would be useful, if not a perfect blessing from the gods above. In fact, his entire royal court now must be seen only in the color green, and the glittering frescoes and tapestries upon the chamber’s walls are only of the most verdant shade imaginable, rivaling the sky. All the lords and ladies sparkled with green beryl and fine lace. Cassandra, upon arrival, was hastily dressed in a green robe, as to cover her wretched colors of peach and brown.
 
“Oh sir, oh King Villy, daftest of the Daft…” The entire set of courtroom eyes lit up and stared in a most lily-livered sort of way. “It seems you know what the Green is! Will you not tell your loyal subject, who is oh so curious? Your most gracious palace is decorated in only such colors as the sky, there must be some reason for it! And, if by chance, you do not know what it is, then please, Your Majesty, let me travel the countryside in search…? ”
While the courtroom trembled for the poor girl, Villy cheerfully waved a chalice of wine, proclaiming:
 “Flattery will get thou nowhere child, at least not out the kingdom! Why for do you question the Green, it is a most wondrous thing, is it not? How beautiful the sky looks, but most how blessed we are, for it surely must be a sign from the heavens above we are bless’d…”
“But, Your Majesty…” Cassandra interjected, the bejeweled courtiers letting their jaws gape further to the floor, thus pulling the color of their faces with it. “How can you be sure it is we who are blessed, for surely other kingdoms may see the Green as well as us? What if it not a blessing, but a curse? Please share with me your knowledge!”
“Girl, are you not pious, do you not worship the same gods as the rest of this town? And am I not the king, and therefore one step below the gods themselves?!”
 “Sir, yes, you are, but…” A crooked frown graced her lips, and she nervously folded her hands over and over.
“Then you may not go, for I do not want the loyal subject to be ignored whenever the Green passes overhead and graces my kingdom with it’s power and spectacle!” The crowd cheered and applauded their brilliant king. Cassandra puffed her cheeks with despair, and declared:
 “Oh, none of this is logical!” And huffed out of the room, tossing the lovely green cloak, which of course she most likely could have gotten away with walking out with; and she could have used a new article of clothing, into the arms of a royal lady far less attractive than Cassandra would ever be.  Walking home, she ended up stopping by a blind man’s shop, to buy kindling. Well, as much as a few pennies could buy, which was a small armful. She began to ask him about the Green, before she realized the blind. “How embarrassing!” She thought, hurrying home.
That night, she fell asleep in front of the fire, accidentally, and when she awoke there was the sound of small voices, almost insect-like in their drifting, humming and dancing. Thinking them only to be the insects they sounded, she swatted aimlessly before opening her dark eyes to the sight of small, dirty, ash faeries, prancing ‘round the deceased fire.
“The fire went out…? So soon…?”

CHAPTER 3

Cassandra blinked in amazement and wonder at the little ones, catching a one trespassing nearby her rumpled blanket, as a sudden, random wind, smelling faintly of some kind of nut or bean - came along, dashing out all the faeries. The one in her palm remained safe only for the quick cognition of Cassandra to press it close until the breeze died down. She was left in a dazed state, staring, scrutinizing the tiny thing in her hand, until at once it blinked in anger, and blew a huff of dust in her face.

“…Ach!!” she cried, lifting her free hand to her eyes, batting and swiping desperately to be rid of the stinging ash. Tears began to trickle down her face, and as she warily opened her eyes, the small fae was gone from all sight.

Cassandra couldn’t help but sigh, after all that happened today that made no sense to her. And though all this she couldn’t even get a good night’s sleep over it, for working was of tomorrow, and the moon had barely risen to it’s peak in the sky, over the green. Setting out the smoldering ashes in front of her, she lay back down upon the bed of stones and twigs, to try and fall back to the dream she couldn’t remember having, only to rise again at what would be equivalent to four AM if she could ever afford a clock to begin the day’s work.

Why, she had just finished cooking her lovely meal of bread and oddly ice-cold water from the nearby pleasantly dingy creek when who should come riding up – well… Cassandra didn’t know his from a horse’s you know-what, but to any other member if the lands of Villy the Daft he was known as Herald Bypoppery, the most famous of all the messengers of the King to ever live! Cassandra should be honored beyond belief, but as it was she was merely annoyed at the disruption of the main meal of the day to have to speak with someone, who, so much taller and dazzlingly... wealthy, showed up like he belonged here.

“And, if it’ll please you sir, what can I help you with?” She looked up at him upon his mighty steed like what she thought a real hero looked like.

            ”AH! Fair maiden!” He spoke much too loudly, and Cassandra had to flinch involuntarily. “Are you the one named Cassandra!? The King hath sent a royal message to you!”

“How did he know where I live?” She cocked her head in response.

“The king knows ALL.” Cassandra looked upwards at the sky.

“No he doesn’t. He doesn’t kn-“ And was cut off by that terrible thundering voice.

“Of course he knows! He may yet to reveal it! It is now your turn, to find out that which he knows!”

“You’re not making sense! Speak logically, please.”

“Out most Beloved King hath sent forward a decree that thou shall travel to the wastes beyond the Kingdom of Ersatz-Ville to the green, and take upon it the thanks and praise of this Kingdom! “ He flashed the brightest and fakest smile Cassandra ever saw in her life, and will never see again.

“But just yesterday he told me I could not go.”

“Ah! Do not defy the King! You are not going to investigate; you are going to give the love of Ersatz-Ville! “

“O….k… Fine. I shall accept, if I am to.” And with that he threw a pile of dark blue clothes at her, and pleasantly strode away, mumbling quietly to himself.
Cassandra tried them on a few moments later, and they much too snugly, it was uncomfortable… this kingdom never had her size. The shoes made her taller; the shoulders were broad and the buttons large. She looked and felt awkward and out of place, but was far more excited about this than anything before in her life, so without so much as a thought to food, shelter or water on the way there!
 

CHAPTER 4 - FINAL

By the time the night fell upon the city that was far behind, Cassandra was mourning her forgetfulness. Yes, you remember, how she had gone off without food or drink, being new to the “quest”. Though a hard worker in the fields, a girl like Cassandra could not last a day walking out so far without even a little nourishment.

Still she did not feel entirely stupid, for her fancy clothes given by the king, (in last season’s colors no less, for if you remember the court was green at this point in time.) and though the cloak was not warm, it was made of lavish material she had never felt before in her life. No, she would not give up such a luxury for food, not yet at least.

She may regret that decision before the day ends!

Cassandra was mainly a sustenance farmer, though some income came from selling the marketplace what she collected as surplus. (this did not happen very often.) She had never hunted nor gathered for her food at any point in her life. That she had to now or starve would be a very threatening thought to others, but never did it cross Cassandra’s mind.

The forest was thick and began to look extremely dim after so many hours spent in endless trees. The light faded slowly and the intense brown-ness of the forest was growing as the green drew up over her head with every step. Walking from light to dark to pale green light, she savagely beat down the brush with weak hands.
“Oh, blast it all!” She finally said aloud what she was thinking, and it seemed the entire forest was rustling with excitement. Maybe she had been too loud? Oh what if some horrible creatures were to come across her path, if that was what she had stirred?

No, only something similar to what she had seen the night previous emerged – purple faeries? She had hoped she only dreamed of these creatures, now that they were in front of her again, it was almost disappointing.

“Condemn you creatures!” She shouted, chasing after them on unstable, tired legs, waving around the little it-wished-it-was-a-sword knife in vain. The green grew brighter with every step she took, but there was no need to notice for Cassandra, frustrated with all of this nonsense!

In one instant she was in packed woods, the next in a small clearing – all the trees nearby were gangly and rotten looking; in the far off distance the only signs of civilization were some dubiously shaped buildings. All else was the green and the starlight.

Before her very eyes stood the source of all this woe and her questioning since childhood. Hideous yet oddly drawing, the great object was overgrown with small white flowers and gangly vines.

It was in the shape of a…..

Fish? Of all things, she thought, this was the least logical of them all. It was disgustingly bloated above size – she could see where the air had been funneled in however long ago.

Falling to her knees, suddenly what was once soft grass was now hard and cold.

Desperately cold.

In the office building, Cassandra awoke with a start. Summertime always meant the air conditioning was turned up way beyond necessary levels. Cold was her only thought as she came to.

Drowsy. Her coffee in a Styrofoam cup was knocked over; luckily her papers were not on that side of the desk.

A single breath she took, and turned around to the tremendous windows that overlooked the streets. Music was playing.

Knocking her chair down in the process, Cassandra strode to the window and looking down. The fish.

The window was open and empty in the next moment, and Cassandra sailed towards her dream.