THRICE Upon a Time...

~*~3~*~

Okay, so there was DEFINITELY doubt in Lillia's head.

Frog prince? Unlikely. Cursed by evil witch? Hardly possible. True love's kiss? Um, RIGHT.

But if this frog really WAS cursed, if a beautiful princess really WAS the only way to save him, well, then Lillia would SOOO NOT give that chance to someone else.

"Changed your mind so soon?" Gobstopper smirked, when he saw the girls returning.

"We wish to see the gold ball." Snow White called boldly. "Put it beside you!"

"Don't you trust me?" the frog sneered, but he disappeared into the waters. He returned to the surface, a big bulge in his mouth, and spat out the gold ball. It was slimy and gross, but it still shone like there was no tomorrow. "So? Where's my part of the deal?"

Lillia shuddered. He was SO DAMN UGLY. How could he be a prince? How could she kiss him? Her FIRST kiss, too.

"The witch whom cursed him is very powerful...." Aurora whispered in Lillia's ear, popping out of nowhere. "She made sure that every princess would be disgusted by him...."

"But surely you have enough courage, beauty and heart to realise her evil stunt?" Rapunzel whispered in Lillia's other ear. 

Lillia thought about Rapunzel's words. Courage? OF COURSE she was courageous. Heart? Made of pure, solid gold. Beauty? Uh, he-LLO?? Rapunzel was right. Lillia was perfect. She was wonderful. She was the only one who was good enough, gorgeous enough, to break the witch's spell. And the prince, the handsome, tall blonde prince, would be HERS!!

With a determined glint in her eyes she ducked forwards. A million thoughts raced through her head. Where should she turn her head? But the frog didn't have a nose. But when the frog change into a prince, would their noses bash then? If they do, will it hurt? Will it break her nose? Her mother always told her that she had the cutest nose---

Lillia squeezed her eyes shut before she could stare into the grey glassy eyes of the toad and gently placed her lips on the toad's. (But DO toads have lips?). It was a quick and sweet little peck, and Lilliawas so glad to note that the toad wasn't slimy, or rough, or bumpy. He was...smooth. And WARM.

Lillia pulled away and almost squealed when she realised that she was now looking into deep, ocean blue eyes. The eyes were beautiful, with gold and purple flecks. She sighed.

"Oh crap." Rapunzel managed.

The 'toad' stood up and howled with laughter. Lillia looked up. And started shrieking.

He wasn't a prince. He wasn't blonde or handsome or even TALL.

Gobstopper was a TROLL.

He had a TWISTED face, ginger hairs sticking out of his nose. His ears were HUGE, flapping against his ugly, bald head. His amazingly huge feet stuck out from under thin, knobbly legs. The only thing attractive about him was his strikingly, large eyes. Gobstopper was a good head shorter than Lillia, and he was STILL on the edge of the well.

Lillia couldn't stop shrieking. 

"You know, you weren't THAT far from the truth!' Gobstopper hollered. "Yes, a witch cursed me. But a PRINCE! WHO ARE YOU KIDDING??" he was SOBBING with laughter. "I am an assistant of the EAST-WIND WITCH!"

The Three Assistants gasped. "How did he hear that??" Snow White gulped, watching the breeze slap his huge, elephant ears.

"Ah, YES!" Gobstopper had to yell over the screams of Lillia. "Eastie had a bit of a THING for her little ol'e toad, so she went, like, DEMENTED when she caught me trying to eat it!" he laughed and laughed and laughed. "So she cursed me, you see. And she threw me in this well, cos, y'know, she doesn't give a DAMN! And just cos she has THAT kinda humour, she told me that only a kiss from a princess, ANY princess, would break the curse. I mean, NOBODY'S STUPID enough to KISS a TOAD." Gobstopper snorted, literally, slapping his hand on his knees. "But I stand CORRECTED!!"

"Why are you telling us this?" Snow White's big eyes biggered even bigger.

"Because you're gonna die now." In a flash, Gobstopper lifted a dirty gnawed finger and pointed at Snow White. A blast of purple lightening flew from his hand and missed Snow White by an inch, hitting a tree directly behind her. The tree disintegrated.

"Oh FU---" another flash interrupted Rapunzel, and she fell to the ground.

"RAPUNZEL!! OMIGAWD!!" Snow White screamed. Gobstopper shook his head and sneered. 

"Gotta work on my aiming. Luckily, you guys are perfect targets." he pointed to Lillia. Aurora gave Lilliaa furious push and ducked to the ground just as a flash exploded above them.

"GO!! Keep yourself hidden behind those trees!!" Aurora hissed, shoving Lillia forward. Lillia whimpered, and then screamed as the tree in front of her got sliced in half.

Meanwhile, Snow White had crawled to Rapunzel. "Rapunzel! Please, please don't die!!"

"What are you TALKING about? I'm perfectly fine." Rapunzel sat up and scowled at Snow White. She ran a hand through her hair---and watched in shock as a few, charred chunks fell onto the ground.

Gobstopper had RUINED. HER. HAIR.

Mistake number one.

"JERK!!" Rapunzel snarled, and was about to push herself up when the dirt next to her exploded. She rolled to her side and glanced up. Gobstopper was going mad, pointing his finger everywhere and waving it in the air. He cackled. He knew that the girls stood no chance. Might as well have some fun.

Mistake number two.

Lightning was flashing all over the garden. The white, polished birdbath shattered like glass and the grass was on fire. Rapunzel felt a sudden, searing pain and looked down. Gobstopper had cut a long, jagged line along her arm. Great red pulses of blood was pouring out, and it was staining her cardi. Her FAVOURITE cardi.

Strike out.

Rapunzel grabbed her long, golden hair and stood up. Her eyes narrowed to slits. She was in pain, she was furious, and she had no more mercy left to spare. Rapunzel threw her hair as hard as she could at Gobstopper while he was still distracted by Lillia, who was crawling under a bush. 

For some strange reason, Rapunzel's hair CURVED in the middle of her throw and twisted almost flawlessly around Gobstopper BY ITSELF, pinning his arm to his back.

Right.

Cursed hair.

Rapunzel gave a hard yank.

Gobstopper lost his balance, and began to topple. "WHAT THE---" but his voice was muffled in Rapunzel's hair, and when he finally realised what was happening, he was falling. 

A giant splosh, disgusting gurgling, and then the last bubble on the surface of the water popped.

Gobstopper had fallen to his watery grave.

Rapunzel carefully untangled her hair and pulled it out of the well. It shook itself off like a dog and then fell onto the ground, silent once more.

She looked at Snow White, and gave her a hug. Rapunzel called over Snow White's shoulder and sighed in relief. "It's finished, Aurora. It's okay."

Aurora nodded, and helped Lillia out of her bush. Lillia was shaking, crying. The only sound was the little cheeps of birds and the quiet sobs from the little princess.

The sun was setting, casting a pinkish purple blanket over the castle. It reflected off the water from the well, peacefully glowing. It had been a HORRIBLE day, but it was going to be a beautiful night in the Fairytale World. 

Snow White padded to Lillia and wrapped her arms around the princess. "I'm so, so, so sorry." Lillia looked up into her sincere, melted-chocolate eyes.

"Well, YOU SHOULD BE!!" Lillia stood up and screamed. "GUARDS!! GUARDS!!! THERE ARE INTRUDERS ON PALACE GROUNDS!! HAVE THEM EXECUTED!!" Lillia spun to face the Three Assistants. "Liars. YOU ARE ALL LIARS!!"

"We're not liars!!" Rapunzel protested, her big green eyes wide. And then she smirked. "We're thiefs, too." with a cute little wave, Rapunzel snatched up the gold ball and twirled towards the woods. "Bye bye~~!"

And the Three Assistants were gone, through the trees without a backwards glance. Leaving only two strands of flawless golden hair.