Once Upon a Time: Ever After High (Book 3)

Ch.35 Changes

For the weekend, Cedar Wood, daughter of Pinocchio decided to visit her father and grandfather in her home village. There she would stay in Gepetto's old wood shop that sold puppets, dolls, flutes, and other wooden objects. The shop was now owned by Pinocchio himself, and it was also their home with Cedar's room upstairs.

With the sun shining through the window, Cedar was looking at the marionette puppets her dad had recently made. She picked one up and examined it's painted face and yarn hair just as a customer entered. Cedar didn't pay attention to what he was talking to her father about, she was still looking at the puppets, but after the customer left, her dad called her over.

"Cedar" he said "Can you uh, do something for me?"

"Sure what is it?" she asked.

"That customer just asked us to make an arrow for him".

"An arrow? Why doesn't he just ask the Huntsman?"

"Apparently, he wants us to make a special arrow, a arrow that after the Blue Fairy puts magic in it, the arrow will be able to always hit it's target".

"So he wants us to make a magic arrow that never misses it's target?"

"Yeah, but then I realized that the Blue Fairy is out of town right now, so I got another idea, remember that little art store we went to last month?"

"Yeah".

"Well inside that shop is a magic paintbrush, it can paint anything into existence".

"Really?" Cedar gasped amused.

"Yeah, and I was wondering if you can get it for me since your grandfather and I have to watch the shop"

"Sure I'll do it, it sounds cool to go back there again".

"Thanks. So the paintbrush is hidden in a safe spot in the shop, the clerk can help you, and don't loose it and don't give it to anyone".

"I promise" Cedar assured "So do I go now?'

"Go ahead, and try to come home soon".

"I heard it's gonna rain in about an hour" Gepetto said as he carried in a box of wooden pipes "So bring an umbrella".

"I got it" Cedar said as she got an umbrella and her purse "Okay I'll be going now".

"Bye" Pinocchio and Gepetto said as she walked out.

Cedar went across the field and onto a trail in the woods that lead to the art shop. It was a nice day to be out, but Cedar knew that she had to protect herself from the rain that was coming soon, too much water can rot away her wooden skin. But she didn't mind being in the water sometimes, she was a great swimmer since she just floats, but she knew when she had get out before her skin starts to rot. As she walking, a cricket wearing a suit with a tiny umbrella hopped over and landed on her shoulder.

"Hello Cedar" he said.

"Jiminy" she smiled "How you been?"

Jiminy Cricket has been Pinocchio's companion since he was young, and now he would Cedar on her adventures.

"I'm doing well" the cricket chirped "So where are you off to?"

"I have to get a magic paintbrush for my dad" Cedar said.

"A magic paintbrush?"

"Apparently it can paint anything into existence".

"Really?" Jiminy said amused "That's incredible".

"I know" she agreed "I just need to get home soon so we can't stop anywhere".

"All right" Jiminy said as he made himself comfortable on her shoulder "I'm just going to enjoy the ride".

Cedar gave a smile as she continued walking, not knowing that she was being watched by a fox and cat who were both wearing denim overalls except the cat had on glasses.

"You hear that?" the Fox whispered to the cat "Ol Pinocchio's daughter is getting a magic paintbrush".

"So?" the Cat said.

"So think about it, we can use the paintbrush to paint whatever we want into existence, think of all the money we can paint".

"Oooo I like the sound of that" the Cat said interested "So what do we do?"

"First we wait until Ms. Wood gets the brush, and then we try to talk her into giving it to us".

"But what if that doesn't work?"

"Then we'll just find another way to get it, cause this sly fox always gets what he wants".

Sitting in the 'Wonder diner', Francis Howell was busy drawing in her little sketch book when Kayla joined her.

"Hey" she said.

"Oh hey" Francis smiled.

"What are you drawing?"

"A cricket" she showed her the drawing of a cricket.

"Wow" Kayla said amused "Amazing".

"Thanks" Francis smiled.

"Hey can I ask you something?"

"Sure?"

"Ever since the curse was broken, have you been feeling any changes to yourself?"

"Changes?"

"Yeah like, you know how the curse turned you into a real girl? Now that it's broken, will you turn back into wood?"

Francis's eyes widen as she thought about it.

"Wow" she said surprised "I never thought about that".

She then looked at her hands, they were still her real flesh, but she wondered if soon they will turn into wood.

"I'm sorry if I'm scaring you" Kayla said with guilt.

"It's fine" Francis said as she tried not to think about it "But uh, what about you? Have you been feeling any changes?"

"Not really, but I have a feeling that it'll happen soon".

"What are you gonna do when they come?"

"I guess I'll just have to be careful. What are you gonna do if you turn back into wood?"

"I don't know" Francis shrugged with a sigh "But the main thing is, I don't know that if I do turn into wood, will I still be alive or will I become a wooden puppet?"

"Oh man" Kayla said with a shocked look "I hope you don't become a puppet".

"But what if I do?" Francis asked with a worried look "Then how will I turn back?"

"Well the main thing we need if the Blue Fairy's wand, if you turn into a puppet we can turn you back".

"But we don't even know if the Blue Fairy's wand even is here".

"Oh" Kayla said sadly.

"Well I don't think we should worry about this now, and I should get going".

"Okay, bye".

"Bye" Francis said as she gathered her things and went out the diner.

But as she walked down the sidewalk, she felt a sharp pain in her right thigh, thinking that she just pulled a muscle, she shrugged it off and continued walking, but then a thought came to her: Is it happening now, am I changing?