Disclaimer: The Pretender is property of TNT and NBC. No profit is being made; please don’t sue.

Author's Note: Don't ask me where this came from. I think I went completely insane. . .
Note: Challenge response. Use the words centre, sweeper, savior, princess, dream, dead, mirror, and rabbit to write a fairy tale. Begin with the words "Once upon a time. . ."

Summary: A fairy tale read to a certain Pretender just has to be easy, right?

Fairy Tale Mishap
by: chopsticks
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Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away. . .

"Galaxy? It was my understanding that the proper phrase was 'in a land far, far away.'" Jarod said, confusion in his voice.

"Are you the author?" the author boomed loudly.

"No. . ."

"Then shut up!"

"Fine!" Jarod said while sticking out his tongue.

A Zyleakdxo princess was having a dream of a handsome rabbit.

"What? That doesn't make any sense!" Jarod interrupted again, earning a death glare from the author.

"Do I have to explain it to you? It's a fairy tale! It's not supposed to make sense!" the author said, angry at being disturbed again. "Anyway. . ."

The Princess was in the centre of the dream when she was startled awake by a sweeper, who had come to tell her that her beloved father, the ruler of the Zyleakdxoians was dead!

"Kinda corny isn't it?" Jarod asked to the author in a teasing tone, only earning a swat on the head from the author.

"Quit disturbing!" the author shouted at him after swatting him.

"Owww. . ."

"Oh, shut up!"

Jarod harrumphed but stayed quiet while the author continued on with the story.

The Princess was stunned. She couldn't believe her father was dead! 'Who would be the kingdom's savior now against the violent Ichidorians?' she wondered to herself after the sweeper had departed to allow her time for grieving.

The Princess walked up to her vanity mirror and looked at her reflection. No longer would she be the happy little girl she once was, now she would be different. A different kind of. . .

'Is that mirror fluctuating?' she asked the empty chamber room when looking closer at the mirror. She hesitantly touched it with her fingers and watched as ripples played off it. She quickly drew her hand back in fear.

"Aren't you kinda playing off that show, Stargate SG-1?" Jarod asked innocently.

"Do you ever shut up?" demanded the author.

"No, not really. . ." When the author heard that, she went and grabbed some duct tape, taping his mouth shut, then throwing the roll at him.

"There! Now, on with the story. . ."

The Princess looks in wonderment at her hand, wondering what just happened. She had indecision written all over her face and looked back at the mirror. She reached out her hand and-

"Ouch! Now that stings! Why'd you do that?" Jarod asked the author, pain in his voice.

She reached out her hand and felt something on the other side. She swapped at it, then flattened it. She decided maybe she should leave her mirror alone from then on, and went back to becoming the newest leader.

The last thing Jarod saw was a giant hand coming down upon him. . .

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the end.

feedback welcomed at spacedoutwriter@hotmail.com.