Lizards and Pumpkins and Things

Kit was about to lift her onto his horse. Suddenly, a voice appeared from the behind the house. "WAIT!"

Ella turned away from Kit. "Godmother!" She cried.

"Wait." She ran up to the pair, out of breath. "You cannot leave yet."

"Madame?" Kit took hold of Ella's waist protectively.

"It is alright, Kit." She whispered. "She is my fairy godmother." She smiled.

"Ella, please…" Kit sighed.

"Kit. Do you not wish to understand?"

"The only thing I wish is for you to explain pumpkins and lizards and things."

"Well that's what I am here for!" Fairy godmother replied.

"Godmother?" Ella asked confused as to the intent of her slightly strange helper.

"Ella, would you please fetch that pumpkin from the trough." She said pointedly to Kit.

"Of course." She looked to the pumpkin. "It is smaller than the last one."

"It is the only one I could lift." The sparkling lady shrugged.

"Please be gentle with the embellishments." Ella asked quietly.

"I'm afraid I went a little overboard last time, didn't I?" The two shared a giggle as Ella retrieved the pumpkin and placed it on the path.

"Please, everyone. Stand back." Ella motioned to her godmother who popped her neck loudly.

"Alrighty then!" She waved her silver wand and gold surrounded the pumpkin as it grew and grew into a carriage like the last one, this time with more glass then gold. The entire group gasped in shock. "Ella you know what is next?"

"Mice." Ella said happily.

"Mice?" Kit asked.

"Yes." Ella nodded. "Mice. Gus-gus, where are you?" She felt a tug at her skirts and looked down to see all her friends, including Mr. Lizard and Mr. Goose waiting for their turn. She bent down and picked the four little creatures up. "Are you ready my friends?" They looked up at her with large, sweet eyes and nodded. "Good. But before you do, I would like you to meet someone very dear to me." She turned and held the mice out to Kit. "Kit, these are some of my dearest friends. Jack and Jacquline," the two mice squeaked, "the small one is Sam," he flicked his tail back and forth, "and the rather large one is Gus-gus." The large mouse squeaked happily.

Kit looked around at his men, then to Ella and sighed before bowing to the mice. "It is a pleasure to meet you all."

"Enough chatter. Mice to your spots!" Her godmother interrupted them. Ella carefully put the mice down and the quartet ran to their spots in front of the carriage.

"Bibity-boptiy-boo!" Godmother said quickly, the mice growing and changing into four charges. She turned to Ella. "Next please!"

Ella reached down and picked up her lizard friends, turning to Kit. "Kit, this is Mr. Lizard." One of them stood on his hind legs and bowed. Kit bowed back and wondered if this could get any stranger. Suddenly the lizards were men, dressed in green and gold and yellow.

One of the new men opened the door and nodded at Ella. "Hello Miss Ella."

"Hello Mr. Lizard. Are you enjoying your second time being human?"

"Very much, Miss Ella." He took his hat off and bowed. "You're Majesty."

"Mr. Lizard." Kit nodded awkwardly.

"Mr. Goose," Ella bent down and pet the creature, "are you ready." She received a honk in return. "Good. Go on." The goose waddled off to stand next to the fairy godmother as he transformed into a coachman. "Mr. Goose does not like strangers." Ella explained softly to Kit.

Once the carriage and all its attendants were as they were the night of the ball, Ella stepped forwards.

"Are you ready?" The fairy asked. Ella nodded.

"Yes please. Can it not be as… fancy as last time? I am not going to a ball." Ella asked.

"Still in blue?" Ella nodded. "I know exactly what to do."

"Ella!" Kit reached for his beloved.

"It's alright, Kit. I've done this before." And once again she felt the magic around her. She felt her hair falling into place as she watched the butterflies as she spun with the visible magic. Eventually she came to a stop and stepped forward. She was in the same color as the ball, only this time the dress did not have as large of a skirt and the shoulders were replaced with opaque sleeves. There were silver butterflies sewn into the bodice and one on her right shoulder. The shoe that was in her hand was now on her foot, with a matching one made just for the other. She stepped forwards out of the fading, shimmering mist and looked up through her lashes at Kit smiling at his dropped jaw.

"Ella…" He stepped forwards and took her hands in his, using his strength to pull her into an embrace. She inhaled deeply and savored the feeling of his chin on top of her head.

She pulled away and smiled. "Lizards and pumpkins and things." She explained.

"This was your…"

"My friends provided my transportation, yes." She waited for his next question but instead her two stepsisters rushed forwards.

"I want a dress like Cinderella's ball gown! But I want it in pink!" Anastasia commanded.

"Me too!" Drisella followed suite. "But I want mine in yellow!"

"Cinderella?" Kit looked confusedly at Ella.

"I will explain later, Kit. But right now it is of no importance."

"What about our dresses!" The two stepsisters screeched.

"No." Godmother said.

"That isn't fair!" Anastasia whined.

"Cinderella doesn't deserve all of this!" Drisella added. "She is just a servant."

"Servant!" Kit exclaimed. "Ella, what is going on?"

"I will explain it to you in private, Kit." She begged. "Please." He nodded tersely. "Godmother, how long will this magic last? Midnight?" She smiled as Kit made a sound of understanding.

"This magic? No. No. This lasts forever." She smiled. "If your friends want it they can keep it."

Mr. Lizard was the first to speak up. "Ma'am?"

"Yes Lizard?"

"I don' necessarily want to be human forever," he said slowly, "but I would like to be able to continue to speak to Miss Ella."

"You would like to be a lizard?" Godmother confirmed.

"Yes. After I get Miss Ella to her new home, of course." He smiled at his old friend.

"Done!" Godmother proclaimed and flicked her wand.

"Ma'am," Mr. Goose was next, "I would like the same as Lizard. To be a goose that can speak."

She nodded and flicked her want again. The next lizard asked if he could go back to being an ordinary lizard and never be disturbed about this again. Ella believed that he was always very grumpy, this just confirmed it.

"Of course." Godmother bowed her head humbly and flicked her wand. The man slowly descended in height and after he shrunk to only a few inches tall, transformed with a 'pop' into a lizard who then scurried away to the well in the garden. "Mice, what do you have to say?"

They horses looked at each other and whinnied to her. She nodded and the four horses quickly returned to mice status and ran towards Ella, squeaking her name as loudly as they could. Mr. Lizard joined them in their chase and soon the five creatures reached their dear friend.

"Did you wish the same thing as Mr. Lizard?" She asked as she bent down to pick them all up. They all nodded "I'm glad we can all talk now." She looked up to Kit, who just smiled and shook his head.

"You, Ella, are truly wonderful." He said softly.

"One more thing," Godmother interrupted the couple.

"Yes?" Ella rushed forward and took her godmother's free hand.

"A horse to pull your carriage." She motioned to Ella's horse, the one she had been riding the day she met Kit, trot into place as the puller of the carriage.

"Thank you godmother." Ella hugged the woman.

"Don't forget me when you send invitations to your wedding!"

"Never."

"Goodbye, my dear."

"Goodbye, godmother." Ella said sadly.

"Oh my dear." Godmother touched her cheek. "Have courage. You will see me again." She gently tapped Ella on the nose with her finger and disappeared into a poof of glitter.

Kit stepped forwards and took Ella by the waist. "The more I know about you, the stranger you become."

"I am an open book, Kit." She stated.

"On the contrary. You answered two questions today, and raised three more." He said lightly.

"I will explain all later. I promise." She took his hand as he helped her and her friends into the pumpkin carriage.

"I will have another horse brought to pull your carriage." He signaled for the Grand Duke's horse to be brought forward. Soon it was next to Ella's horse and a guard was in the driver's seat.

"Sire!" The Grand Duke called. "What am I to go back to the palace on?"

Kit turned his horse around so he was looking straight into the man's eyes and shrugged. "Foot, I suppose." Turned around and signaled for all the remaining mounted men to follow him back to the palace.

Once Ella got to the palace, and Kit helped her down, he said he would show her to her room that she would be staying in until the wedding. They got to the large white doors, he kissed her cheek and told her gently; "Once you have rested, I would like to have some more answers." She nodded. "Good. Come to the garden when you are ready." She nodded again and he left her standing there.

She looked at her friends, now in one of the guard's hats and Mr. Goose who managed to keep up with her up the stairs. "Come on, then!" She said cheerfully. "Let's look at our new home." She took the handle and opened the door…

Next Chapter:

Chapter Two: A New Home and Answered Questions