A Fairy Tale: Part 1
by angelgirl81
Part 1:

Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don’t own the Buffy characters. The Sleeping Beauty story used is from a Disney book I had, and I don’t own that either. If you’re trying to keep up, here’s the line-up: Buffy – Aurora/Briar Rose, Angel – Prince Philip, Giles – King Stephen, Joyce – the Queen, Xander – King Hubert, Faith – Maleficent, Willow – Flora, Tara – Fauna, Cordelia – Merryweather

Time line – takes place sometime between ‘Earshot’ and ‘Choices,’ therefore Faith has been ousted as being bad.

Once upon a time, there was a King named Rupert, who lived in a tall palace with his beautiful Queen, named Joyce. They were good and kind and were loved by their subjects. Nearby, in another kingdom, lived their friend, King Xander. The two realms had a peaceful existence – almost perfect – except for one problem. King Xander had a son, Prince Angel. But, alas, King Rupert and his wife had no children.

One day, to everyone’s joy, Queen Joyce gave birth to a baby girl. She was called Buffy. Bells rang out through the two kingdoms. The glad news was spread all over the land. The King and Queen ordered a great feast. Everyone was invited to celebrate their daughter’s birth. On the day of the feast, crowds of people began to arrive at the palace. Ladies in silken gowns, lords in furs and velvets, and knights in bright armor, entered the palace gates. Everyone wanted to see the Princess. King Xander and his son Prince Angel were the first to see the baby Princess. “Congratulations, she’s a beautiful child!” King Xander cried. Not only was he happy for his friend, but he was also thinking about the future. The two Kings had been hoping that one day their kingdoms would be united. Now, this dream would be realized. When Princess Buffy grew up, she and Prince Angel would be married. The little Prince looked down at the baby … it was hard to believe that this little thing would one day be his wife.

Suddenly, a shimmering golden light filled the room. Three fairies appeared wearing pointed hats and waving magic wands. These were the three good fairies who kept watch over the kingdom; Willow, Tara, and Cordelia. Although they were usually invisible, King Rupert knew that he could count on their help in times of difficulty. King Rupert had invited them to his daughter’s christening, and each fairy brought a gift. Willow was the first to speak. “Princess Buffy, I give you the gift of beauty.” She waved her wand and a shimmering cloud of golden sparks filled the room. Next came Tara. “I will give you the joy of music,” she said. “You shall have the most beautiful voice in the realm.” As she lifted her wand, a chorus of birds flew above the cradle. Finally, it was Cordelia’s turn to give her present to the Princess. She had a very kind heart but was a bit forgetful. “Prince. Oh sorry! I mean Princess; I shall give you … Oh dear! Now what was it that I was going to give her?” she said, stopping to think. But before she could continue, a great gust of wind burst open the windows. A blinding light entered the room. Everyone cried out in horror.

A terrifying flash of lightning announced the appearance of a tall woman. Dressed in a long black cape, and wearing a headdress with two black horns, she looked like the devil himself. A gasp spread across the room. “It’s Faith, the evil fairy!” murmured the crowd. “What’s she doing here?” “I AM HERE BECAUSE SOMEONE FORGOT TO INVITE ME!” she screamed. “Isn’t that so, your Majesty?” she demanded. “But I have not forgotten to bring a gift! I too have something special for your daughter! You shall pay for you neglect, my dear King Rupert!” she said with a wicked laugh. Pointing to the baby, Faith cried, “Princess Buffy, you have received many gifts. Use them well, for you will not have them for long. Before the sun sets on your sixteenth birthday, you shall prick your finger, on the spindle of a spinning wheel, and DIE!” People gasped in horror. Cries were heard throughout the large room. King Rupert could barely contain his anger. However, he knew that his daughter’s life was in danger. He calmly spoke to Faith. “Madame, what you say is true. I did forget to invite you. It is I who am guilty – not the child. Look at that innocent baby. She has done you no harm. Please, take pity on her.”

Silence reigned over the room. The people held their breaths, waiting for Faith to reply. It’s too late, Your Majesty! This will teach you that I NEVER FORGET AND I NEVER FORGIVE!” The King turned to his soldiers. “Seize her! Put her in chains!” he ordered. But before the soldiers could touch her, Faith was gone. She’d vanished in a burst of green flames. The unhappy Queen Joyce clutched the baby in her arms. Cordelia broke the stunned silence. “Calm down everyone. I shall do what I can to help. If only I could remember what it was … Oh yes, now I know. I cannot undo the evil spell, but I shall soften it a little.” The kind little fairy waved her magic wand. “Princess Buffy, if you prick your finger before your sixteenth birthday – you will not die! Instead you will fall into a deep sleep. A lover’s kiss will awaken you. And then you shall live happily ever after.” King Xander tried to comfort his friends. “Listen to me. I know how we can protect the Princess. We must burn all the spinning wheels. If there are no spinning wheels, there will be no spindles, and no needles to harm the Princess.” “Hurrah!” shouted the crowd. Messengers were sent to every town and village. Thousands of spinning wheels were collected and brought to the palace. A large bonfire was lit. Nothing remained of the spinning wheels but ashes. Princess Buffy would be safe.

However, the three food fairies were not so sure of this solution. They knew Faith too well. It wasn’t easy to fight her. Together they decided that something had to be done. Buffy must be taken far away from the palace. She must be taken to a secret place. “We’ll hide her in the forest,” Tara said. “She’ll be safe with us.” “I know,” said Willow, “we’ll dress up as peasant women. She can be our orphan niece. No one will find her.” With a wave of a wand, the fairies were transformed into peasant women. But now the difficult part – to convince King Rupert and Queen Joyce. And indeed, it wasn’t easy. “But then, it will be as if we didn’t have a child,” said King Rupert. “Yes, but just think, if she’s with us, she’ll live after she is 16. We can promise to look after her and bring her back,” Cordelia replied. “Where will you hide her?” asked Queen Joyce. “In the woodcutters cottage in the middle of the forest. Faith will never find her there.” And so, late one night, three little figures were seen leaving the palace. Watching them were the King and Queen, sad to see their daughter leave.


This story archived at: The Slayer\'s Fanfic Archive
The Slayer\\\\\\\\'s FanFic Archive - http://www.slayerfanfic.com/viewstory.php?sid=2476