Cinder X Bella ~ Thirty-Six!

After quickly switching out her fancy, Matringa-provided dress for a simple, already-dirty servant’s version, Bella stuffed the straw satchel down the front and carefully pulled herself into the tunnel head-first. 

As it was still spring, the dirt around her was damp and cool to the touch, barely firm enough to remain in place as she began crawling forward, jamming one elbow forward at a time and pushing through. Small scrapes began to accumulate as she shoved past small rocks, her hair was gaining filth, and she was certain the makeup that had been applied on her face was thoroughly mixed with mud. 

None of it bothered Bella, not in the slightest. 

Instead, the scent of fresh soil filling her nostrils smelled like freedom. It might be just for a night, but she’d take it. The tunnel sloped gently downward as Bella pushed on, a necessary countermeasure against the hedges she knew she would need to go under. When it finally evened out, she picked up a little bit of speed, thanks to being able to use her arms and legs in tandem to shimmy along.

The excess speed may have been a mistake, as she brushed against the walls more than she should, and small sections of dirt began crumbling around her, falling onto her back and legs in soft clumps. She froze, cursing softly under her breath as dirt continued to drip onto her, even though she wasn't moving. “Don't collapse and bury me here, come on!”

Instead of a full collapse, there was just a small slump. With her left knee pulled forward to push against the ground, only her right leg was caught in the sudden shift of soil. Then the tunnel stabilized, and she began breathing once more, not even sure when she’d begun to hold her breath. She tried to push forward and nearly panicked as she found that her right leg was firmly held.

Bella swallowed down her fear, breathing steadily. “I still have air; that means the way forward is still viable. I just need help.”

Putting her needs into song helped center her, as it was a near-constant action she had taken over the last half decade. “Voles and moles, please come to my aid? Dig through this soil, as swiftly as you can toil! Those with quick little feet, please clear my path and help me retreat!”

Though her voice wavered, she continued singing the song, having it echo back to her along the remainder of the tunnel. It resonated, causing small bits of dirt to rain from the roof of the tunnel, but she held herself as still and steady as possible. She waited to hear a reaction, only needing to do so for a few moments before the faint rustling of tiny paws scurried toward her. 

Relief filled her so fully that it turned into water and leaked from the corners of her eyes. “Th-thank you for coming so quickly.”

Even though she couldn't see who she was speaking to, as she was literally underground at the moment, moments later, she felt soft fur brushing along her as animals crawled over her body. They began furiously churning the dirt around her leg, managing to release her from the weight of the earth in under a minute. As Bella wriggled free, she began moving forward once more, barely able to stop herself from rushing again. 

She wanted out.

Her wish came true only a few minutes later, as she pushed through the end of the tunnel. She squeezed into the open air with a grunt of effort, needing to force her lower half through the narrow opening—only to shoot out like a cork being released from a bottle of champagne. Bella tumbled forward, but even as she got scratched up by the wild growth along the side of the road, she could only feel gratefulness for having gotten out alive.

Breathing deeply, she took a moment to look up at the sky, taking in the vast field of stars. “Okay, it worked, but that sucked so much.”

She stood and turned to run down the road, only to freeze in place and slowly turn back to look at the open mouth of the narrow passage. “Bibbidy… she told me I need to come back. That means I need to get through that collapsed section. You've all done so much for me already. I'm so sorry, but I need you to keep going.”

Holding her thought clearly in her mind, Bella sang out at the top of her voice, knowing no one was around to hear her. “Dig, my friends, shore it true. Make safe the path I'll need to pursue. But wait, there's more… we’ll need it closed by morning light, one side must collapse and be hidden right.”

She only got through one repetition of the song before shrieking and flinching to the side. The underbrush along the side of the road, and well into the forested area, practically exploded with noise and motion as dozens and dozens of creatures swarmed past her—responding to her call without hesitation. Bella watched in dazed amazement as the numbers continued to increase. Against their nature, the animals worked in unison to repair the tunnel, visible only by how much dirt began flowing out of this end only moments after the first group had reached the blockage. 

“Was it because of how loudly I sang?” Bella whispered to herself as she watched the incredible efforts of the small animals. Slowly, her eyes widened as she saw the creatures swarming in and out. “No, this is more than just being loud. Most of these have never been touched by my song, but now they are instantly tamed and trained? Is this what it means to reach Perfection with my skill?”

Remembering why she was out in the first place, Bella crouched down and looked at the small creatures without interrupting what they were doing. “Thank you all, and I'm so sorry I need to leave now. I want to help, but I need to go.” 

There was no response, but she hadn't been expecting one. Without another word, Bella turned and fled down the road, running as fast as she could in her shining glass slippers. Her breath misted in the cool night air, her heart racing as her eyes sought out any source of light. She knew her godmother would be waiting for her, she just didn't know exactly where.

Just as she started to feel her heart catch in her throat, a flicker of light on the connecting road drew her gaze, and a moment later, she saw Bibbidy standing beside the ornately carved carriage she lived in and did business out of. 

“There you are!” Bibbidy was clearly trying to hide the concern in her voice and only partially succeeding. She ushered Bella into the bright-orange carriage, not at all worried about getting mud on herself. “Horses, to the Spring Palace, if you will. Bella, let's get you cleaned up. I'm sure the prince would choose you even if you were covered in muck, but getting close to him necessitates hygiene.”

“Choose me?” Bella barked out a laugh of surprise. “Bibbidy, I don't care about that at all. I don't want to be the princess, I want one of them to unlock my class for me. The nearest Class Shrine is hours away, and I'd never make it there in time. Since I have access, and it's the prince's birthday, I thought perhaps they might want to make a spectacle of their generosity.”

“Not the worst plan I've ever heard. Actually, it's quite well thought-out,” Bibbidy stated after a moment of contemplation. The inside of the carriage was larger than its exterior suggested, filled with polished wood, soft cushions, and a small compartment with a door Bella couldn't guess the purpose of. It was this door that her godmother pushed her toward, “I'm going to show you something truly magical tonight, Bella. This is called a shower.”

The young woman pulled off her mud-caked dress at Bibbidy’s urging, wrapping herself in a towel as Bibbidy stepped into the small space, murmuring a few words under her breath and tapping a flat pane of metal. To Bella’s surprise, the top of the chamber lit up, and water began pouring to the ground. “There we go! I adjusted it to be comfortable for you; I tend to like it hotter than you would enjoy. In you pop!”

Bibbidy placed small jars inside the door, then stood to the side to allow Bella to preserve her modesty. She stepped in, marveling at the steaming water and the way it seemed to actively seek out the mud both in her hair and caked onto her body. When she held up her hands, the dirt under her fingernails washed out with only the gentlest of urging. After only a few moments, she felt cleaner than she had in nearly her whole life.

Then she turned her attention to the jars, finding them filled with luxurious soaps, hair oils, exuding an assortment of fragrant scents. Bella lifted one to her nose, blinking as she tried and failed to understand what she was smelling. “Bibbidy, what are these supposed to smell like?”

“It's amber, sandalwood, and bergamot!” the muffled voice explained. “The soap uses a base of charcoal, burned down from cedarwood, with just a hint of cinnamon tossed in for fun.”

“Smells like… I’d expect a man to smell?” Bella called back uncertainly. “Is this the right container? Not to be ungrateful, it's just-”

“The room will be absolutely stuffed with the rancid scent of overpriced flowers, to the point even those without sensitivities will have their eyes watering.” Bibbidy’s voice was calm, but firm. “If you go in there smelling clean, associating yourself with things the prince is known to enjoy, I'd give you better than even odds of getting close to him. In fact, he might directly introduce you to his mother, and you can make your request with him supporting you.”

“Oh, well yeah, in that case…” She began scrubbing herself down with the soap, trying not to miss an inch of her skin. Then she switched to a liquid soap meant for her hair, scrubbing it out thoroughly while leaving a warm, woody aroma reminiscent of campfires behind.

As soon as she decided she had finished cleansing herself, the water in the chamber simply vanished, leaving her completely dry. The door opened a crack, and a small bag was handed in. “Fresh under clothes! I'll look through my stock and see if I can find a dress in your size-”

“In my bag, under the servant’s dress!” Bella called back as she quickly clothed herself. Moments later, there was a gasp from the main portion of the carriage, and she kicked herself for not opening the door to see her godmother's reaction. Rectifying that, she poked her head out, and Bibbidy looked over at her with tears in her eyes.

“You used my gift to you for such an important night? I'm honored.” Bibbidy took a deep breath and handed over the dress. “Get it on, then I'll do your hair and makeup. You already have the best shoes for the night.”

Bella lifted the dress above her head, poking her head through the shimmering material and simply allowing the fabric to unfurl. It dropped down over her, catching in all the right places to show off her curves and sparkling like starlight on water with the captured afterglow of her skill reaching Perfection.

“It's perfect on you, even better than I’d intended.” Bibbidy looked over the gown with a critical eye, shaking her head slightly as she saw exactly how perfectly it had been created. “I don't know how you did this, but I recognize that glow. I always knew you were talented, but… did you reach Perfection with your Basic Class Advanced Skill? I've never heard of anyone doing that before.” 

“I got it just tonight, between you sending me in the house and me coming out.” Bella twirled to test out the range of movement afforded by the dress, sending sparkling light shimmering around the interior of the carriage. “I didn't expect this, though. Was it supposed to happen?”

“Yes, indeed.” Bibbidy wiped at her eyes, the smile on her face showing that the few escaping tears were ones of happiness. “The material was meant for you; it will always stay perfectly clean. When it senses filth, it tries to scour it, so it will also help you out. That function can be a little… aggressive at times.” 

Bella thought back to when Malvagio had worn a garment made of this cloth and nodded slowly. “That actually makes a few things make sense.” 

“Oh? I'll have to hear about that. Another time.” Bibbidy trailed a finger along the sleeve of the dress, just above where Bella would read her class information. “As to catching the light, magical cloth meant to help others see you will always hold onto light from the system and shine with it until it decides to fade. I never expected it to happen this quickly, of course. Most people don't have the light of the system shine on them until the day of their wedding, when they gain a system mark.”

The young woman was sat down in a chair, and Bibbidy quickly began twisting and pinning Bella's hair into an elegant style with a series of deft movements. Tiny flowers were woven in as well, yellow torch lilies which complimented the shimmering silver blue of her dress. “Just another little representation of fire to draw the eye. It might help, it might not.”

When she stepped forward to begin applying makeup, Bella stopped her godmother. “Anyone wanting to approach the prince tonight will be wearing a mask; the queen surprised everyone by turning it into a masquerade ball.” 

Seemingly unsurprised, Bibbidy simply quizzed her, “What color is the mask, and how much of your face does it cover?” 

“It's silver and covers from here to here.” Bella touched her face on her forehead, just below her cheekbone, then held her fingers up to frame her face. 

Bibbidy set down the makeup kit she was about to use, rummaging through a small box and pulling out a completely different one. “Good thing we know about that before you get there—just another tiny advantage you'll have over the others. Believe me when I say the small successes will add up quickly. We’ll do just a hint of gloss on the lips, a blend of soft silver and blue on your eyelids, and silver sparkles on both cheeks just under where your mask will cover.”

As she finished with all the preparation, the carriage came to a sudden halt. Bibbidy pulled Bella to her feet, her eyes darting around as she looked for any flaws. “You're perfect, darling. Go in there and win their hearts, and graciously accept the favor they'll offer you.”

“Thank you, Godmother.” Bella took a deep breath and reached for the handle, only to feel a gentle tug. She looked back, seeing that Bibbidy had more to say.

“My dear, I have only one more thing for you. You must leave here and be back in the carriage by midnight at the latest.” There was clear frustration in the ageless woman's expression. “It'll take at least an hour to get back to the estate, and unlike our journey here, we will likely need to deal with traffic. You must be back in your room before the guardianship magic alerts your stepmother to your absence. This happens at the second hour of the day, every day. If you aren't where you are supposed to be, she will know immediately, and so will you.”

“I understand; I'll be here.” Bella nodded firmly and opened the door. The footman, who was reaching for the handle, leaned back, his eyes going wide as he let out a low whistle—quite a different reaction from when he’d barely attempted to hide his disgust at her appearance earlier in the day.

“By the system.” A goofy smile started to spread on his lips. “I don’t suppose you might be a lowborn looking to have a dance with a servant of the kingdom?”

“Don't worry about that.” Bella brushed past him without accepting the outstretched hand. “As someone once told me, there’s gotta be a reasonable limit to who you approach.”

The other footman chuckled at his misfortune, though none of them seemed to associate her with the poor, bedraggled young lady who’d arrived earlier that day. As Bella walked up the stairs, her shoes chiming gently as glass met stone, Bibbidy’s voice floated to her one last time.

“Remember, Bella! Nothing good happens after midnight!”