Disclaimer: Kaleido Star is not mine, nor the concept of fairies and magic. I'm playing with these ideas for entertainment purposes.

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It was around the middle of the day and Sora was tired.

The great forest behind the castle proved to be larger than it seems. The trees loomed overhead, leaves rustling from the swift movements of the birds. The sun was mostly blocked by the thick tree tops but some rays managed to leak through, making the nearby stream water glint enticingly.

Relieved at the sight of water, Sora set her pack down.

She rummaged around for her water sack, and upon finding her it, she pulled it out, and headed for the water. The cool water flowed over her hand, sending a brief chill up her arm at the sudden contact. As she waited for the sack to fill up, she thought about her current situation with unease.

Princess Layla had been cursed on her watch.

Prince Yuri had been seeing Layla quite often; he even escorted her to the balls in her father's place when the king was too busy to go. During the visits, Sora would follow them around, supervising—as was the custom of visitors seeing the princess. She always tries to distance herself far away enough that she wouldn't be eavesdropping and as out of sight as possible. Luckily, she could adjust her size when needed when the two wandered on narrow paths. That came in handy when there were with no walls that she could discretely stand behind.

Fairy aides, though not the strongest of magical beings, carry an adequate amount of magic to perform small tasks for members of the royal family. Having passed the Rites of Magic, Sora became a fairy aide and received her wand. She had been easing into the role of Layla's fairy aide; switching duties every couple of hours with Layla's old fairy aide.

Sora followed her mentor's works, magically stoking the fire to a temperature Layla liked, enchanting Layla's bath water so that she would smell of roses and keep her hair glossy and sleek, making sure her sleep was clear of nightmares, and other small tasks. On nights of balls, Sora enchanted Layla's shoes so that Layla would not stumble when she danced and enhanced her dancing overall.

As a personal touch, Sora made sure to add some more magic to the shoes so that Layla's feet would not blister and ache. That spell endeared Layla to Sora, as Layla is a much sought after dance partner, therefore she was constantly on her feet. Sora often thought that if Layla did not want to dance so much, maybe she should not add the spells that made Layla dance better. If she was not a great dancer, Layla would not be asked as often. She discussed this with her mentor only to have her scoff at the thought.

"Princesses are sought after regardless of how wonderful a dancer they are. Behind each princess is the promise of power, riches, and land. Only a fool would disregard one such as Princess Layla simply because of a lack of dancing skills."

Curiosity ignited, Sora replied, "Then why do we use those spells if it doesn't make a difference whether the princess is a great dancer or not?"

Her mentor sputtered.

" 'Doesn't make a difference?!' Every little thing can make a difference! Princess Layla's dancing can attract more suitors!"

"So Layla can't dance without magic?"

"Of course she can, you silly little fairy! Every princess knows how to dance! But if we don't enchant Layla's shoes, then she won't stand out among the other dancers!"

Her mentor was satisfied with her statement. She drew her attention back to the task of enhancing the shimmer of Layla's dress.

Sora was about to acknowledge that fact was a good point when another thought halted her speech, leaving her mouth partly open.

Unable to keep her thought unvoiced, Sora spoke once again.

"But, wouldn't the other princesses' fairy aides think to enchant their wards' shoes as well? If they do, then it still doesn't make much of a difference since everyone's dancing is magically enhanced. Everyone's skill is at the same level."

The discussion ended with Sora cleaning the chamber pots of the royals for a month, without magic. She never appreciated magic as much as that first moment she got her wand back. Baths, too, became precious, as well as scented oils.

Any new thoughts remained unknown to her mentor, leaving Sora to decide for herself if certain spells were necessary or not. Some, though, were traditional spells, such as the dancing spells, and she could not bring herself to not do them. However, she did put weaker ones where she could and added helpful new ones.

Through their time together Sora learned of Layla's likes and dislikes. Layla did not like balls, but she did like dancing. Sora made sure to use a lower dance spell since Layla wanted her own talent to show. She talked to Layla, asking her if there were any difficulties, big or small, that she could try to ease. Layla's many petite coats itched, so Sora softened them to feel like silk.

Singing is not her forte, so when Layla's father asked her to perform, Sora would enchant her throat so she didn't strain her vocal chords. She did not want to completely enchant Layla to be a terrific singer because she knew that Layla, like herself, did not appreciate false talent. Layla is not a great singer, so she does not want to become a great singer through magic. It would be a talent that is not her own.

'There should be certain boundaries to magic usage when it comes to enhancing talents.'

Sadly, Sora felt that not many of her fellow fairy aides agreed with her. Many are caught up in helping their wards to shine, and they soak up the complements given to their wards, taking full credit.

It tends to inflate their egos a little too much, and make them reluctant to help other fairy aides. If it's a mentor and student, then help is given readily. After all, it's the mentor's reputation on the line until the student is officially the new fairy aide.

Unfortunately, Sora and her mentor do not see eye to eye. The curse certainly added an unneeded strain to their already tense relationship.

Sora sighed. 'I really should have known better.'

It had been like any other afternoon.

Princess Layla and her father were finishing up their tea when a servant arrived, announcing the arrival of Prince Yuri.

Yuri suggested to Layla that they go horseback riding in the woods, just the two of them. The king had to resume court business, so Layla and Yuri were accompanied by Sora.

Layla, not one to openly show favoritism for the opposite sex, admitted to Sora that she liked Yuri.

Layla is a private person, so when she shared something so intimate to Sora, the redhead felt happy that Layla trusted her with this information. When Layla approached her to ask for some time alone with Yuri, Sora's romantic heart couldn't outright refuse her request, especially after Sora caught a faint blush tinting the cheeks of the normally passive Layla.

It was only to be for an hour, along the edge of the forest. Yuri promised to stay within sights of the castle.

Even with that promise, Sora felt some unease.

Prince Yuri, in all the time she has known him, is a gentleman. His charisma and soft voice lured many to his presence, if only to hear him speak. His light hair and pale colored eyes appealed to the eye, not being too bright or outlandish, unlike Sora's vibrant hair and dark eyes-a few fairy aides felt the need to tell her that her hair was too distracting. She brushed the comments off.

Knowing Yuri's good character, she still felt uneasy about the situation.

She had pushed her worrying aside for Layla, not finding any valid reason why she couldn't go with Yuri for a bit. She only had a feeling. Besides, she'd still be chaperoning, just from a farther distance.

With that settled, she followed the two out, making sure Layla mounted her horse without incident. As a precaution, Sora placed a spell so that Layla wouldn't accidentally fall off the horse and another to make sure the saddle buckles stay locked.

She waved them good-bye, finding shade under a nearby tree outside the castle walls.

Her eyes followed their movements to track Layla's golden locks between the trees. For a good ten minutes, she kept her eyes wide open, alert and ready to go into the forest should danger arise. Yet, nothing seemed amiss. She'd catch a flicker of Layla's hair every once in a while.

After twenty minutes, Sora began to relax, stretch her legs out and lean against the tree trunk.

Twenty five minutes into the ride, she began to let her eyes wander, noting the clear blue sky and the comfortable temperature of the air.

Thirty minutes, a languid check of the forest, a glimpse of gold, and then her eyes drooped slightly.

Finally, forty minutes later, and her eyes were fully shut, her head lulled to the side in a light slumber.

Sora didn't know how much time passed, but she found herself being roughly roused by a persistent shaking. Startled, Sora jolted awake to see the frantic face of her mentor.

The sun was considerably much lower in the sky with no Layla in sight.

With a couple of guards the fairy aides ventured into the forest, calling the two royals' names outloud. While they walked, Sora's mentor continued to scold her. She called her a disgrace, shaming not only the role of fairy aide, but also marring her mentor's name, making others think that she was a poor teacher to have brought up such a mindless fairy aide for a lustrous royal such as Princess Layla.

As if Sora needed any more punishment.

Her mind was a chaotic storm of worry, anxiety, and a heavy dose of frustration and anger. The anger was directed at herself for her own foolishness.

She should have trusted her instincts. Fairy instincts, more often than not, are reliable to follow.

But Sora did not fully trust in herself, having only gained her wand a few months ago. She lacked experience and could not allow herself to completely rely on her instincts.

And for her insecurities Layla paid the price.

Sora not only lost her ward, but her friend.

She looked up to Layla-she's so graceful, calm, and pretty, even without the spells. Whenever Sora made Layla smile, it made her feel so glad to have brought out that beautiful sight. In return, Layla left flowers near Sora's bed—lavenders when they were in season-she knew about Sora's love of the wilderness. Layla often caught Sora gazing out the windows when Layla read or practiced her dancing. Layla frequently teased Sora that she should have been a forest fairy instead of an aide.

It wasn't until the late morning of the next day that the guards and aides finally caught sight of Prince Yuri riding Layla's horse.

The princess was slumped over Yuri's arm.

They all rushed over, helping the ragged prince slide off the horse. But when they tried to slide Layla off, she wouldn't budge.

Realizing what the problem was, Sora quickly disengaged her spells.

With the princess in a tent, the two aides worked about cleaning her up. She had some minor cuts and bruises. Physically, she was fine, however, she had yet to awaken.

Sora lightly tapped Layla's face.

Nothing.

Thinking that she hadn't done it hard enough, she put a little more force, resulting in a sharp smacking sound.

Sora inwardly winced.

Needless to say, this brought about a new round of reprimands from her mentor.

"…and we most certainly do NOT hit royalty! You're a fairy, for goodness' sake! We have spells to awaken even the deepest of sleepers!"

Sora vaguely caught a few words, but the focus of her attention was on the still form of the princess.

Her mentor caught her stare.

For the next hour both aides attempted to awaken the princess, using every spell they knew. They resorted to foul smelling salts and cold water when spells failed. Sora even tickled Layla's feet with a feather.

Not even a flinch.

Sora stayed in Layla's tent while her mentor went to interrogate the prince. They hadn't done so earlier in order to allow Yuri some sleep, seeing as he practically passed out as soon as he got off the horse. At the time no one thought much of Layla's unconscious form, simply thinking that she was out because of exhaustion—especially after seeing the prince's fatigued form.

Her mentor came back.

From what she gathered from the half-asleep prince, Yuri had foolhardily challenged the princess to a small race which, unfortunately, led them further into the forest than intended. Layla, ever the competitive lady, was not concerned about their distance, but Yuri was a little hesitant, but humored Layla and continued on.

"Prince Yuri recalled hearing a threatening hissing sound before his mount was spooked and unseated him. He rolled into the underbrush and abruptly collided with a tree trunk. His horse quickly ran off."

Her mentor frowned.

"Princess Layla remained seated, though her horse continued to rear up in fear. He says he tried to get up, but he found his vision blurred and head feeling hazy. The last thing he recalls seeing was a long, thick serpent-like creature circling the princess before he blacked out."

Letting her eyes close for a moment, her mentor sighed, dragging a hand down her face.

"Before the prince went back to sleep, he hesitantly added that he thought that he heard high pitched laughter before he completely lost awareness-a woman's laughter, though not innocent in the least."

Sora and her mentor, while almost always at odds with one another, shared a troubled look.

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'A serpent-like creature…possibly a shape shifter or an animal aide of the woman's.'

'Nevertheless, definitely magical. Most likely Layla is cursed, since fairy spells cannot awaken her. It was a start, though hardly enough to get decrees out for the person's arrest.'

Idly, Sora pulled her water sack out of the water. With her free hand, she grabbed her wand, twirling it between her fingers thoughtfully.

'Who could have caused Layla's steadfast sleeping state? And why would they do such a thing?'

Yuri did speculate that if Layla had fallen off like Yuri had, maybe the woman would have left her alone as well.

'After all, Yuri's body had been a few feet away, yet the woman did nothing to him. Well, at least, that we could tell.'

The thought brought a pang of guilt.

'Maybe I shouldn't have put spells on Layla's horse that afternoon.'

In trying to keep her safe, Sora might have put Layla in grave danger. She was only trying to prevent any accidents.

Though, perhaps, some accidents are meant to happen.

'Coincidences and moments of happy serendipities happen purely on chance, don't they? If you're somewhere at a certain time because of some unforeseen incident that occurred and you run into someone you normally never would have; wasn't that a result of an accident? Or just circumstances?'

Sora stopped twirling her wand.

Now she doubted her spell usages. 'I left the others because it's my responsibility to find a cure for Layla! I can't be successful if I lose my confidence!'

Her mind wandered back to her earlier train of thoughts about the spell.

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When the campsite fell quiet, Sora decided that she would right this wrong.

Determined, she stretched out her hands towards Layla. Sora shifted through the spells that had been placed on Layla.

'Every magical being has a signature that is left behind when they use their magic. So technically, if there is a curse on Layla, I should be able to find the mystery woman's signature and trace it back to her.'

Though, more experienced magic users could make their signatures very faint to prevent easy detection. Sora would have to be fast since signature trails eventually fade away. The signature will stay on the curse, but the trail to the witch wouldn't.

She frowned, wishing they had thought to do this before they decided to try out multiple spells on Layla. 'There is so much magic to sort through!'

Her mentor twitched every now and then, but since she stayed asleep, Sora saw no reason to worry. 'Maybe she senses the different spells I'm sorting through, even in her sleep.' Sora felt slightly impressed.

Her hands halted, feeling an unfamiliar signature.

She slowly pushed her hands closer to Layla to get a better read.

It was coiled tightly around Layla's heart and lungs, keeping her body in a languid state of hibernation. Sora pushed a little closer despite the foreboding feeling she was getting from the signature. She must have been too close for the coiled curse sprung up, snapping at her fingers.

Sora gasped.

She forced her hands to not withdraw all the way, still needing a better look at the signature. Thankfully, the curse did not reach her fingers.

'If it did, I could have been cursed as well.' Fear ran up her spine, stilling her movements.

Letting the moment pass, Sora sucked in a breath and continued. Keeping a better distance away, she felt out the curse, imprinting it in her mind.

Satisfied, she withdrew, exhaling a soft breath.

Deftly, she gathered some supplies. There was her water sack and some bread and cheese left out in case Layla awoke. After feeling the curse, Sora knew she wouldn't be waking up anytime soon, so it was safe to take the food. She encased the bread and cheese in a little magic to keep them from spoiling. Then, grabbing some cloth, she wrapped the food in it. 'Once I use up the food I can forage in the forest.'

With her wand she called her bag to her from her room in the castle. When she saw its outline against the tent wall she quickly grabbed it before anyone saw it.

Sora left a note near her mentor and cast a simple spell of protection around Layla. Then shrinking her form, she left the tent.

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Now she was deep in the forest, following the fading magical tracks of the woman who attacked Layla.

Sora wasn't quite sure what she'd do when the tracks would fade out completely. The only thing she can think of is to just keep walking. 'I'll deal with it when it comes up.'

Snapping out of her thoughts, Sora adjusted the grip on her wand. She lifted her water sack so that it was under her wand. With a slight wave the sack glowed a slight warm yellow, purifying the stream water inside.

Smiling, Sora was again reminded why she loved magic, despite the current events. This method was much faster than having to boil the water and then waiting for it to cool again so it is drinkable.

Magic also allowed her to change her outfit. Earlier, she transformed her dress into a long tunic and leggings. Thankfully, she already had boots on—she was not a fan of the tight silk slippers or heels. The change made moving through the forest easier. A dress would have snagged onto every bush.

Her wings were absent thanks to magic so that she would have an easier time carrying her bag and moving about.

The creaking of a tree branch caught Sora's attention, but she quickly dismissed it as being made by an animal. There had been plenty of rustling and creaking with the birds and critters scurrying around.

She straightened up, capping her water sack and slung her bag back on her shoulder. 'There is still ample amount of daylight and a lot of ground to cover.'

Her smile waned as she focused back on the task at hand. 'I shouldn't waste any sunlight. Layla needs a cure as soon as possible.'

Shoulders squared, she trudged on.

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AN: Hey, so hopefully this story idea entertains people, as it entertained me enough to actually write something.