the tale of princesses shimmer and shine

Once upon a time in a faraway land......

Princesses Shimmer and shine lived just far enough apart that their royal families had never gotten on each others' royal nerves. There were no borders to dispute or captives to war over. In fact, the only contact the girls' families had was at balls thrown by other kingdoms.

Princess shine saw everything in magnificent contrast. She found beauty in rich lines of black and startling colours. Her world was a sharp one, jagged Capitals accentuating the fear, slipping through her bubble-thin walls.

Princess Shimmer's world did just that-shimmer. She was filled with a special kind of wonder for life that most people lose with their early childhood. Her blood was mingled with the Fae and her eyes twinkled with that faery delight. The one thing the Fae had strict rules about were the half-blooded. They could either accept or renounce their heritage, but neither choice was easy. Shimmer knew that if she denied her bloodlines she would give up that silver-threaded connection with the meadows and forests. That sparkle-eyed innocence would fade into whatever the world alone would leave it. Her calls wouldn't bring life to the waters, and she would no longer hear the twittering voices in her ears or catch the whispers of the trees.

This was her life, and Shimmer could not give it up. She chose the other path-she studied and stretched her limits as a busy Princess to learn the Faery ways. Now that she was old enough to have made her choice she was admitted to Faery school to learn the magick and secrets of the land. But as I said, neither option was easy. The Fae set strict guidelines and harsh tests for the half-blooded to make sure they understood the importance of this magick. Once a path was chosen, there was no going back. The only way out was failure, and the Fae did not look kindly upon failure. She knew if she failed she would be scorned and thrown off into the woods to survive by herself. Princess Shimmer took her studies very seriously, but her mother was even more particular about Shimmer's Faery aspirations. The Princess' schooling came before anything else, and the Queen's strict rules left little time for enjoyment and less for freedom.

Princesses shine and Shimmer had met before, but had only barely been introduced by mutual friends. They really hit it off at a certain ball-some say by chance, but I believe it was fate-thrown by a kingdom that amazingly avoided battles from all sides. The were immediately drawn to each other and spent most of the evening chattering about mutual acquaintances and their latest artistic endeavors. You see, shine and Shimmer were both artists of a sort. shine wrote her life in brilliant metaphor-her life was her art-and Shimmer painted and sculpted and sang the magick of the Fae with every inch of herself.

They fell in love. They couldn't see each other often, but when they did it was pure ecstasy. Shimmer softened shine's harsh black lines with her diffused Faery sunlight. She showed shine that the entire world could be that beautiful. Shimmer was just as amazed by shine. Her words wove a warm cocoon around Shimmer, protecting the girl from any outside harm. As much as they loved each other, neither expected it to last. They didn't plan on getting too attached, only on enjoying each other's company. They never could have guessed just how much they needed each other.

Eventually the girls were forced apart. Each kingdom was riddled with internal conflict and their communication was cut off. Shimmer's Faery work grew more and more time consuming, and shine's black lines were graying, leaving her lost and confused. They saw each other only at the largest of the balls, and though they were happy for this contact, both longed for something more. This empty ache consumed shine and her entire world began to fade grey without Shimmer's golden enchantment. Her ink became bitter and her words sharply-pointed with barbed hooks to stick. She tried as hard as she could to leave that part of her tale behind, but something was always pulling her back-a voice, a song, a certain knowing smile. There was always something calling Shimmer into her mind and reminding her of what she had lost. She would slip back into memories, once the happiest moments, but now they were tinged with the sadness of loss.

Shimmer was enveloped by the tests the Fae had given, placing all sorts of limitations on her life. She was to prove her dedication. As busy as she was, there was still an empty place in her heart waiting for a shining warmth.

Much time had passed when the Princesses spoke again. The battles that had separated them were coming to a close, and both girls had changed immensely in their own ways. They had both grown much stronger in their time apart, but neither was sure of what to expect when they next met. shine took a ride out to visit a neighboring kingdom and stopped to see Shimmer on her way home. The girls talked for hours, catching up on whatever they had missed in the other's life. As much as they had changed, the still fit perfectly in each others' arms and hearts. Nothing had ever felt that right before. Shimmer had an incredible innocence shine had always craved, a refuge from the sharp contrasts of her life. shine was determined that nothing would keep them apart again. Story upon story had told her there was nothing stronger than the power of true love, and she vowed to make this true.

"No matter what happens between now and forever, I will always love you," she told Shimmer. Little did Shimmer know, this was the Fae's test of her dedication, and when shine came back into her life everything was a little easier again. shine cared for her beloved, making her as happy as any girl could be, the simplest gestures meaning the most. She reveled in Shimmer's magick embrace and could never be happier.

They would spend their lives in their own kingdom deep in the bliss of happily ever after......