Shut Up, Cinderella

A New Journey Begins

"You're really planning to travel the world, huh," Cinder said a few weeks later.

They were sitting on the bench in the yard again, the sun beginning to peek through the clouds. A few weeks had passed since their confrontation with the king and his family, weeks filled with planning and organization and a lot of correspondence with other countries. But now everything was set; the bags were packed, and tomorrow morning Gem would leave for the rest of the year.

Well, officially he had already left. It was just that he was staying here for one more day before continuing on his journey.

"Yeah," Gem said, dangling his legs and gazing towards the apple tree, which had been quiet and peaceful since Cinder had last called for Sugar Plum. "Wild how that works, huh?"

"You better write to me." Cinder leaned back where he sat. "If I can't see you for almost a year, the least you can do is keep me updated on your travels."

Gem straightened up. "Of course!" he exclaimed. "I'll tell you everything. As often as I can. Every day!"

"Not that often, stupid!" Cinder answered with a small laugh. "I don't have anywhere to store all those letters!"

"You can bind them and put them on your bookshelf! It needs some new books."

"Knowing you, my bookshelf will collapse under their weight before the year is over."

Gem stuck out his tongue, but he laughed. Cinder laughed too, then they both fell into companionable silence.

Just today, Cinder thought. They just had today, and then they would be apart for months upon months on end. He had thought he would be dreading it more, but somehow...somehow it wasn't so bad. He'd be busy. Izetta and Marietta needed to be trained, and Olive and Diamond had already hinted they'd be requesting his assistance in matters concerning Gem. And with Gem's letters he would always have something to look forward to.

And when all those months were over, the two of them would have all their life together.

His eyes fell upon the apple tree. Without his mother and her contract with Sugar Plum none of this would ever have happened. Without their aid they might still be strangers, each living separate lives instead of looking forward to a shared future together.

And Gem had never even seen Sugar Plum, he realized. He had never once met their matchmaker.

Standing up, he motioned for him to follow, walking up to the tree. "Mom," he said, "I'd like to talk to Sugar Plum."

Gem looked at him in obvious surprise. "What are you doing?"

"Introducing you to someone," Cinder replied. "Someone we both owe a lot to."

"What's going on, dear?"

They both jumped. No matter how many times Sugar Plum manifested out of thin air, Cinder could never get used to it.

"Sugar Plum," he said, "I'd like to thank you."

The fairy looked at him in surprise. "Thank me, dear?"

"For playing matchmaker." Cinder stepped aside to give her and Gem a better view of each other. "I didn't appreciate it at first, but he and I would never have ended up here without you. So...thanks."

Gem looked at the fairy, visibly intrigued, studying her anachronistic clothes and her odd-colored hair. "So that's a fairy," he said. "Can you do magic? Real magic?"

"Yes, naturally, darling," Sugar Plum answered, "but I have no reason to perform it for you. Even if you're a very lovely young man."

Gem pouted. "Why not?"