Once Upon A Dream

Chapter 2

Inside the castle, Momo watched as the fire slowly burned all of the spinning wheels in the kingdom.

"Oh, silly, fiddle-faddle." Momo sighed in frustration.

"Now, come have a nice cup of tea, dear." Ochako said, and she made a teapot and cups. "I'm sure it'll work out somehow."

"Well, a bonfire won't stop Dabi." Mina grumbled.

"Of course not." Momo said and nodded in thanks to Ochako. "But will?"

"Well, perhap if we reason with him-"

"Reason?" Momo interrupted Ochako.

"With Dabi?" Mina asked.

"Well, he can't be all bad."

"Oh, yes, he can!" Momo said and she walked to the window to think.

"Oh, I'd like to turn him into a fat, old hoptoad." Mina said and she stuffed a croissant in her mouth.

"Now, dear, that isn't a very nice thing to say." Ochako said and she made the teapot disappear.

"Besides, we can't." Momo said. "You know our magic doesn't work that way."

"It can only do good, dear, to bring joy and happiness." Ochako added.

"Well, that would make me happy." Mina grumbled.

"But there must be some way." Momo said to herself, and she got an idea. "There is!"

"There is?"

"What is it, Momo?" Ochako asked.

"I'm going to-" Momo stopped herself and covered the other two mouths and she whispered. "Even walls have ears."

Momo checked around a curtain and under a table, when she stood up.

"Follow me." Momo said and she turned small. Ochako waved her wand and she followed after her. Mina looked around and she followed after them into a small box.

"I'll turn her into a flower." Momo finally said.

"Dabi?" Mina asked.

"No, Dabi is a guy. The princess." Momo giggled.

"Oh, she'd make a lovely flower." Ochako said.

"Don't you see? A flower can't prick it's finger." Momo giggled.

"It doesn't have any." Mina said.

"That's right." Ochako nodded, Mina smiled but then realized something.

"She'll be perfectly safe."

"Until Dabi burns all the flowers." Mina said.

"Yes-" Momo laughed and trailed off. "Oh, dear."

"He always ruins your nicest flowers." Ochako said.

"You're right." Momo said, "And he'll be expecting us to do something like that."

"Well, what won't he expect?" Mina groaned. "He knows everything."

"Oh, but he doesn't, dear." Ochako said, "Dabi doesn't know anything about love, or kindness or the joy of helping others."

As Ochako said that, Momo's eyes slowly went wide.

"You know, sometimes I don't think he's really very happy."

"That's it!" Momo shouted. "Of course. It's the only thing he can't understand and won't expect. Now, now, we'll have to plan it carefully. Let's see. The woodcutter's cottage, yes, yes, the abandoned one. Of course, the King and Queen will object. But when we explain it's the only way-"