Disclaimer: This story is fanfic only. No copyright infringement is intended. No money is made off of this and characters are...mostly OOC. I've said this before and I'll say it again: Everybody wins when nobody sues!

104 Days

Chapter 1

A Spell is Cast

Once upon a time, a time so far along it has been forgotten, either a long, long time ago or far, far in the future, in a far away land where magic was plentiful there lived two men who were deeply in love.

In that time, in that land, it was a happy land because people (well most people) were much more relaxed about who they loved. Men loved women and women loved men. Women loved women and men loved men and sometimes they couldn't make up their minds. And for the most part everybody was OK with that. For the most part.

Deep within a dark forest, near a lovely lake was a gnarled and ugly stone tower. Within this tower lived a powerful yet ugly and evil witch. The witch was a man named Craig and he was evil because he was bitter that he was ugly and he was ugly because his features were always twisted in evil and hatred as if he were biting into a particularly sour lemon or sipping an exceptionally potent brew of strong, black, bitter coffee.

Craig was evil and bitter because he asexual. There was no love whatsoever in his heart and he had no sexual desire for man or woman. This made him incredibly jealous of all lovers and couples and so he had sequestered himself away in his gnarled tower. He was jealous of straight couples and homophobic of the homosexuals because he found it perverse.

As a kind of revenge and punishment, he had placed a powerful spell around the tower so that no couple could come within 100 yards of his tower. If they did, they would be caught in a powerful paralyzing spell and they would be unable to move until Craig saw fit to come and release them. At this point, Craig would mete out some perverse form of judgement that would result in the lovers being parted. If they were straight, Craig would often turn the girl or woman into a lark, or a nightingale, or a sparrow or some other small bird and take her captive. To date, he had seven thousand cages of birds.

The man he would simply release into the world to be forever without his lady love. If he was feeling especially bitter or constipated or both, he might turn the man into some sort of forest animal like a wolf or a stag and set them loose to be hunted forevermore by the king's men until they were at last trapped or shot and killed.

If he caught a homosexual couple, his punishments were always more severe since he was a homophobe and jealous of all love. The jealousy he felt contradicted with the self righteousness he wanted to feel toward this "perversion" and made him churn with a bitter ball of rage in his belly.

Anyway, enough about this horrible, bigoted person.

As I said, about the time when Craig had been hermited away so long that he had become a distant unpleasant memory and the tales of his magic had become the stuff of fairy stories, there lived two men who were deeply in love.

Their names were Brian and Justin. Brian was tall with dark hair and eyes. His hands and back were strong and he was as courageous as he was strong. Justin was blond and blue-eyed. His skin was fair and white with lips like raspberries and tasted twice as sweet. He was younger than Brian which often caused heads to turn and tongues to wag but the two men cared nothing about that and it only made them want to busy their own tongues in more pleasurable pursuits. He had a sweet ass and was a little shorter and slighter in build but his sweet, caring and courageous nature was the stuff of legends.

The two men had had a tempestuous love affair that had spanned 5 years. Those years had been full of tears and tantrums, of make ups and break ups. Brian had resisted falling in love for a long time but at last could deny it no longer. He was in lust and in love with the annoying little twink and he couldn't get out of it. And when he did stop denying it, their happiness bloomed like a wildflower in the summer sun.

One warm day, the two men decided to go for a picnic in the forest. The days were nearing the end of spring and beginning summer. The daffodils had all died off, the days were definitely longer and the sun was too warm to be classified as comfortably warm. The crops in the fields and gardens were soaking up the warm sun like a sponge and everywhere things were green and growing in earnest.

It was on such a warm and happy day when the sun was hot and the sky as blue as Justin's eyes that they decided to escape prying eyes and hot sun and they hiked a good ways into the forest to work up an appetite.

Brian was wearing red tights that hugged his muscular legs and exquisite ass like a second skin. He wore a red tunic with a brown leather belt and brown leather boots. He wore a red peaked cap with an owl tail feather stuck in it.

Justin was wearing blue everything that matched his eyes. Tights, tunic, hat, all were blue. His hat had a white swan feather in it. His shoes were blue leather and flared out behind at the ankles.

Eventually, they came upon the lovely lake and saw the gnarled tower sticking up above the trees. They wondered about the tower but decided to eat first. They spread out a blanket by the lakeshore under a large oak tree with dense leaves that gave them plenty of shade.

"This is a great place. What a lovely lake," Justin said.

"It's OK," agreed Brian shortly.

Justin knew better. This meant Brian loved it.

"I'm here with you. That makes it perfect." Justin leaned in for a kiss.

"You know, you are being ridiculously romantic," murmured Brian.

"Absolutely. Absolutely ridiculous...ly romantic," Justin claimed his kiss.

Brian groaned and gathered the twink in and kissed him deeply. They made out like horny teenagers for a long while. The food was forgotten as other appetites were slaked.

Eventually however, they could not ignore their tummies anymore and tucked into ham sandwiches and tuna salad and cold roast chicken and lemonade and brownies. Everything was delicious and they enjoyed everything very much. Although, they may have enjoyed things just a little bit more if they had known that this would be their last meal together for a long, long time.

All too soon, they finished eating. Feeling full and a little bored, Justin turned his eyes to the tower.

"I wonder who lives there?" he wondered drowsily.

"Or...if anybody lives there," pointed out Brian.

Later, they couldn't decide who was the one who really wanted to go or even if that was the case, but at any rate a short time later they left the blanket with the picnic things mostly cleaned up and headed toward the tower.

Forest, lake, tower. Forest...lake...tower. Forest...lake...tower. Those three elements cycled through Brian's brain over and over. Suddenly, with a flash, he remembered.

"Justin, stop! Stop!!" But it was too late.

Justin was dancing away from him, playing keep away, moving just a step out of reach when all of a sudden he did stop and a look of horror crossed his face. He couldn't move.

Brian would never know if it was part of the spell that would trap him with his lover or just instinct but he moved forward and tried to pull Justin free. In the process, he moved forward just a little too much and was pulled past the 100 foot mark as well and was frozen with Justin.

"Um...So...what were you going to say?" asked Justin.

"I was going to say that my granny used to tell me stories about an evil witch that lived in a forest by a lake. In a tower. I thought she was making up fairy tales."

At that moment, Craig appeared in a puff of black, oily smoke. He wore a black cloak with a golden clasp and an expression that was mean and ugly enough to scare a zombie.
"Well, there goes that theory," said Justin.

"SHUT UP!!" screamed Craig, right in their frightened faces. "So!! After a hundred years, my trap has finally activated and caught another pair of lovers! And homosexual ones at that! I will have to think up something special for you perverts!"

The two men could do nothing but stand there, stiff and straight in their frozen state and await their fearsome fate.

Craig muttered and mumbled to himself and strode back and forth in front of his prey. He mumbled to himself and plotted and planned the way an evil child plans an exceptionally evil game to put his toys through.

Finally, he decided and said, "I think I will let the feathers on your caps decide your fate! When I'm through with you, you'll never be able to engage in your disgusting behaviour again!" He laughed maniacally.

And without further ado, he pronounced their fate.

"Bird of day!

Bird of night!

Bird of peace,

Bird of prey!

Always within each other's sight!

Always together! Eternally apart!

And forever with...broken hearts!"

Immediately, Justin's hat feather popped off. It multiplied into two. Then four. Then eight. Then on and on. The feathers swirled around him. Justin screamed and feathers forced themselves into his mouth. More and more they swirled, faster and faster, more and more of them as they multiplied. He was covered in white. He was white. He was gone and then there was a large, majestic swan there, strutting on the grass.

The swan that had been Justin honked twice and then took off and flew off above the trees and out of sight.

"You evil, wicked, SADISTIC SHIT! What have you done?"

/ "Isn't it obvious? I've turned him into a swan."

"Where's he going? Let me go! I have to find him!"

"He'll probably head for water," Craig said, sounding super bored.

"Let me go! You disgusting man!"

"I'M disgusting!? Well.... Isn't that just the pot calling the kettle black!! What about you and your boytoy there committing your wanton acts of carnality!!"

"He's not my boytoy! He's my lover! And we make love not want - wait...what did you call it? Oh my God...." Brian began to shake with helpless fits of laughter. (Well, he would have if he were not frozen.) "Fuck, how old are you anyway? You sound like you are from the Dark Ages."

"I am older than you can possibly imagine," Craig intoned in what was supposed to be an impressive voice.

"Oh, I don't know! I'm developing a pritt-tee broad imagination right about now," quipped Brian.

Craig growled right in his face. "You're in no position to be making jokes, asshole! Grrrrrrr! I wish you had been the one to turn into a bird first now! Ahh well! That's how the spell works."

"What spell?"

"Weren't you listening? He's a bird by day. You'll be one by night. Forever! You'll never...make - your disgusting - love...again!"

"You're the disgusting one! Oh God! There must be a way out of this!"

"Oh, you'd never manage it."

"Then there IS a way! Tell me!"

Give me one..." Craig held up a bony finger, "Just one good reason why I should tell you...anything!

"Because...you're dying to and then watch me fail!"

Craig opened his mouth to argue and then froze as if caught in his own spell. Then he closed his mouth again. "Actually, that's a pretty good answer. OK, here's the deal. There's a 104 days of summer stretching out before you. In that time, you and your boytoy must wander far and wide, through this kingdom and the next. You must gather together:

A cow as white as milk.

A pair of dancing shoes made of solid gold, made for a woman yet worn by a man.

A pickle, crunchy and green, that was picked for a purpose other than eating.

And a leather outfit, that is, a shirt, pants, and gloves, made by a huntsman who has never killed anything."

"What!!? That doesn't make any sense! Who would pick a pickle just to not eat it? What kind of huntsman never kills anything! That's the definition of a huntsman! Where do you think leather comes from? Elves?" And solid gold shoes? You wouldn't be able to lift your feet!"

"That's not my concern! I warned you that you'd never manage it! However, you have 104 days to figure it out and get back to me. If you do, I'll tell you what you have to do next!"

"I - we will figure it out and when we do come back, I will figure out a way through this enchantment and cut off your head! Then I'll free all who you have imprisoned! Be forewarned, Witch!"

At this, Craig only sniggered derisively, turned once on his heel and vanished in a puff of smoke even blacker and uglier than the one before.

Once he was gone, Brian was released from the captive spell and he was able to move again. He ran back to the lake as fast as he could. He was very grateful to find Justin the swan swimming serenely in the water.

"Poor Justin! God, he's still so beautiful! How am I to get hold of him and take him with me on such a long quest. And what of me? The sun is low in the sky and soon I will change! How will he take me? And how am I to find all these strange things!?"

"With help from me, Sweetie, of course!" said a voice behind him. Brian jumped and whirled around.

Behind him (and now in front) was a figure floating in the air dressed in shimmering silver spandex shorts and a shiny shirt stretched across his wiry but toned chest. He had a charming gap toothed smile and his hair was made out of a white fire that was like the glow of white-hot embers.

"Holy fuck! Who or what are you!!?" yelled Brian.

"I am Emmett. I am the Fairy whose light is erotic love. Others may burn longer but my flame burns the brightest! I'm here to help you and you are in the presence of a real fairy so watch your fucking language!"

"Oh. Sorry then," said Brian sulkily.

"We fairies have had our eye on that wicked witch for a long time. We have wanted to destroy him for centuries but our goodness cannot penetrate the evil of the barrier he has set up. For the same reason, I cannot interfere with his magic or break his spells. And because you are only familiar with erotic love, only I can help you. And my powers are limited. This is all I can do for you right now."

And out of the air, Emmett picked out long thin chain made out of the finest gold and three large beans that were as clear as crystal.

"This chain will make any animal docile and follow you. You can use it to take Justin with you on your travels. And he can travel with you, if he wants to."

"What's that supposed to mean?"Brian asked suspiciously.

"I'm afraid you'll find out soon enough," Emmett said sadly, "And my time is growing short as it is. Also, take these beans. There is some magic left in them although, I can't quite remember what it is. Head west and eventually you will find the cow you seek. Use the beans to buy him."

"What! Who's going to trade a cow for some lousy beans? How am I supposed to pull that off?"

"I'm sure I don't know. But that's all I can tell you and all I can do for you. I'm sorry Brian. Expand your feelings to feel other kinds of love and perhaps another fairy can help you. Good bye..." And with that, Emmett faded away.

Brian was left there, feeling helpless and alone. He was frustrated and angry and he was armed only with his new gifts to help him. His time was running out. The sun was starting to be low in the sky. It was about 2 hours till sunset.

@@@@@@@

Brian wasted no time in writing Justin a note. Then he packed away all the leftovers and blanket and took a crust of bread over to the water's edge. He attracted the swan's attention and made a trail of bread crumbs. The swan followed them agreeably out of the water, honking softly. As soon as Justin had come close enough, Brian threw the golden chain around his long neck. The chain tightened to just the right amount and instantly the swan was caught in the spell and walked docilely over to Brian. Brian led him over to the basket and then they were off heading west. Brian hurried a little and the swan flapped a little to keep up. Brian ran and Justin hopped and flew, hopped and flew along. The sun was now very low indeed in the sky.

At last, when the sun was touching down to the edge of the world, Brian chose a secluded spot by a tree a little ways off the road and settled down to wait. He put the note where it would be easily be seen and stroked the swan's head lovingly.

"Oh Justin, I'm so sorry! I feel this is all my fault. I hope you can forgive me."

The sun was a half circle on the horizon.

"Don't wander too far, my love," Brian drew off the golden chain and then put it around his own neck. The chain expanded and then tightened to just the right amount.

The swan began honking softly and meandering away, eating bits of grass. Brian just sat there and watched the sun slip away. He watched the last sliver of the sun slip away below the world.

And then everything went black.

TBC