| abstract | - In the woods near the castle, the animal girls and Wendy were now heading towards the castle. But this time, Cindy was back to wearing her skirt and neckerchief, Floral was back to wearing her dress, neckerchief, and hat, and Panini was back to wearing her polka-dotted dress and plain shoes. Eariler, they revealed to Wendy that they are actually two bears and a rabbit disguised as normal animal girls for over twelve years. But yet, Wendy was still upset that she couldn't see that same boy ever again. Although the day is almost over, the animal girls were still very cautious. Because who knows, Grimhilde could be watching them right now. Soon they entered the castle grounds as they checked the area and motions each other that the coast is clear. Then they reached the door to the castle and went inside. Walking up on stairs and walking through hallways, they soon reached Wendy's prepared room, and Cindy poked her head inside and checked to see if the coast is clear. And not a single life is in the room. "All right, in here, dear" Cindy said to Wendy, as she motioned the girl over to get inside quietly and unnoticed. Behind them, Panini closed the door and sighed in relief, glad that they weren't seen. "Lock the door, Panini! Floral, pull the drapes!" Cindy said to the others. Panini quickly locked the door while Floral pulled the drapes closed. "And now, dear, if you'll just sit here." Cindy said to Wendy, as she directed her to a chair. Sadly, Wendy sat down on the chair. "This is one last gift, dear child for thee, the symbol of thy royalty." said Cindy. And using all of their magic, Cindy, Floral, and Panini whirled their wands in the air, and a gold tiara magically appeared. "A crown to wear in grace and beauty, as is thy right, and royal duty." said Cindy, as she set the tiara on the girl's head. Then all the sudden, tears were shed from Wendy's eyes as she buried her face in her arms and wept again. "Now, dear..." said Floral, trying to comfort her. "Come, let her have a few moments alone" said Cindy. Then they quietly walked out of the room, and Cindy closed the door behind her. "It's that boy she met" said Panini, as she and the others hid in a different room. "Whatever are we going to do?" said Floral. Inside the room, as Wendy continued to cry, the room was yet quiet and slightly dark. And with the fire in the fireplace burning, it began lighting up the room. Then all of the sudden, something ominimus happened. First, there were ghostly sounds that are faintly heard in the dark. Then all the sudden, the fire went out, and out of the shadows, Grimhilde shortly appeared, but only in a pitch black form. Her eyes glowed with green as she watched the princess cry. Then she turned into a ghostly ball of green light, and it seemed to pulsate with a glow. Strangely, Wendy seemed to stop crying all of a sudden and slowly looked up at the ghostly ball. Then, her pupils in her eyes turned fully green as she was now in a spell trance by Grimhilde. She slowly got up from her chair, and her cloak fell off, exposing her in a same sky-blue dress that the animal girls made for her, along with the matching sky-blue shoes, silk gloves, and bloomers, and a gold necklace. She was still wearing her hair ribbon, though. Then she slowly started walking towards the ghostly ball. In the other room, the animal girls were unaware what was actually going on in the room, and they did not know that Wendy was now in danger. "I don't see why she has to marry any old prince!" said Panini, who was kind of frustrated that Prince Adam wanted her to marry a prince. "Now, that's not for us to decide, dear." said Floral. Back inside the room, Wendy continued to walk towards the light as it moved towards the fireplace. Then the fireplace's wall suddenly opened, revealing a hidden pathway that lead to somewhere. The ghostly ball moved inside as Wendy, while still in a trance, followed it. "Maybe we should tell King Adam about the boy." said Floral. "Well, why don't we?" said Panini. Suddenly, Cindy heard something faint inside the next room. "Shhh, Listen!" said Cindy. She placed her ear on the room's door and listened closely to the ghostly sound. Then she became horrified with wide eyes and screamed, "QUEEN GRIMHILDE!" And with that, they quickly rushed into the room to check on Wendy. But when they got inside, they became horrified when they see Wendy under a spell walking through a hidden pathway in the fireplace's wall. Grimhilde had gotten got her in a trance! "Oh, why did we leave her alone?" asked Floral, as she and the others rushed to get Wendy, but the entrance to the hidden pathways suddenly closed on them, blocking them out. "Bluebird!" the animal girls cried out, as they tried to get inside. Inside the hidden pathways, Wendy continued to follow the ghostly ball as it went upstairs. Slowly, Wendy walked up the stairs following it. Nothing seemed to ever stop her from breaking out of her trance. Then Wendy continued to walk towards her doom. Outside the pathways, the animal girls were now trying to push the wall open, but it was no use. "Here!" said Cindy. They backed away from the wall as Cindy used her wand to zap the wall, now showing the pathway. They quickly went in and found multiple pathways while their wands sparked with different colored lights - light blue for Cindy, fuschia for Floral, and yellow for Panini. They thought quickly where Wendy might have went through. So they quickly split up and began frantically searching for her. But they didn't find the right way where Wendy went at once. "Bluebird! Bluebird, where are you? Bluebird!" said the animal girls as they looked for her. Moments later, they regrouped and went up the stairs, which was the right one this time. "Bluebirc!" said the animal girls, as they looked for her frantically as possible. Soon, Wendy has followed the ghost ball into a room upstairs in the tower. When she got inside, the ghostly green ball turned into a spinning wheel with a spindle on it. Then she removed the glove from her right hand and reached out to touch the spindle, but then heard the animal girls yelling. "Bluebird! Don't touch anything!" yelled the animal girls. Then somehow, she seemed to get out of the trance a bit and pulled her hand back. But Grimhilde's magic was too strong for the girl to break out of. Then Grimhilde's voice was heard. "Touch the spindle. TOUCH IT, I SAY!" commanded Grimhilde's voice. And, in a flash of green light, Wendy touched the spindle with her right middle finger. And right at this moment, the animal girls have just entered the room and gasped in horror. Because standing right there in front of them...is Queen Grimhilde herself. And where is Wendy? "You poor, simple creatures. Thinking you could defeat me. Me! The mistress of all evil! Well, here's your precious princess" said Grimhilde as she lifted up her skirt, revealing Wendy laying face-down on the floor, looking lifeless. Her tiara had fallen off her head, and her glove was lying on the floor. Cindy and the others gasped at the sight of Wendy as Grimhilde laughed evilly, knowing she had succeeded. The animal girls rushed over to Wendy's body and were heartbroken. "Bluebird!" Cindy, Floral, and Panini cried in unison. "Oh Bluebird! Oh, I'll never forgive myself." sobbed Cindy. "We're all to blame!" said Panini. Then they began to mourn over Wendy's motionless body as the sun finally set over the horizon. Yet, they were so close to saving Wendy's life. Yet they have failed to do so.
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