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!

Chapter 6

Love Requited

Just before daybreak:

Justin blew on the whistle with Brian clear in his mind. Five minutes later, the large, brown owl was landing on his arm, now protected by a falconer's gauntlet, provided by Gus.

"Don't go, Justin!" cried the young prince in anguish. "He clasped Justin around the middle. "I...You're my best friend!" he admitted in a whisper.

"I don't have any choice. You'll see. But I won't really be going anywhere. I'll be the swan that follows Brian around. And with this collar on, I'll understand anything you say to me," he added, putting it on. "And besides, Brian will take care of you."

"I don't want taking care of...I want you...You're the one who went with me, who listened to me, who wanted to dance with me, and who made sure I got out of that terrible place. You treat me like an equal in a way that Brian doesn't. Don't go!"

"Now stop it! I told you, I can't help that. You'll see in a minute. And I'll tell you another thing. If it was Brian who was human at night, instead of me, he would have done exactly the same thing, and helped you exactly the same! So cut him a break, OK?"

"OK," Gus said sadly.

"It's almost time. Be sure to give Brian this letter, OK? It will help him with your father a little later. Promise me you'll help him OK?"

"OK. I promise."

"Our time here is limited. We must keep going. If the time comes and we have to leave sometime today, there may not be time to say good bye properly. But when that comes, you must promise to be brave for me and let me go. Promise now!"

"I promise!"

"Good boy. Just in time! Here comes the sun!"

The owl became a flurry of feathers and there was Brian back. And Justin was there and ready. He reached quickly and clasped Brian's hand.

"Gus knows the truth. I love you."

And then the white feathers were flying, covering him, and a swan with a leather collar was strutting about on the grass.

Gus' eyes were wide. He probably wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it and he knew no one else would either.

"Hey there kiddo, how was your night?"

"It was pretty awful," Gus said honestly. "Oh...here. Justin gave me this letter for you." He handed it over.

The swan seemed to understand. It nodded once, gave a loud HONK!!...and flew off.

@@@@@@BJGR

Brian perused the letter for a long time, taking in the detailed account of Justin's last trip and the destruction of the curse and netherworld. Then his eyes widened.

P.S. Gus and I kissed last night. The atmosphere was very romantic and we were both alone in a crowd. And after 3 days of me following him down there, he developed a little crush on me. Other than that, I don't really have any good excuse. But that's as far as it went and I'm pretty sure it was the boy's first kiss so don't ruin it. It's just a little crush and if you have to be mad at someone, be mad at me. Just know that for my part, I'm sorry and I still love you. I am still...

Ever Yours,

Justin

Brian turned with a thunderous look on his face.

"SO! You're makin' time with my guy!?" he meant to say it in jest but by the end of the question he was yelling. Rage he didn't know was there bubbled to the surface.

Gus gulped. "Ohhh....he told you about that huh?" He breathed in very slowly and chanced a look up and quailed under Brian's deadly evil eye. He breathed out a long breath and murmured, "Ohhh....crap...." under it.

"All right," he said, finally trying to explain, "He took a step back. "Let me try and explain. You see, it was very late. I'd had a bit to drink. We both did really. The thing about it was..." He bolted.

Gus just ran and ran and then ran some more all without seeing much. He realized this was because he had his eyes closed tight. And no matter how far he ran he could never escape Brian's booming laughter in his ears.

His eyes popped open. Oh no! Brian was right behind him! He ran so fast his feet didn't feel the ground.

Wait a minute. He really couldn't feel the ground. He looked down. His feet were pinwheeling a few inches off the ground. He realized Brian had caught him by the nape of the neck as he tried to run. He hadn't gone two feet.

Gus let his legs dangle and his whole body sagged in defeat. "Oh crap!" he repeated mournfully.

Brian put him down. "You can say that again. Now...You wanna try that again...without the running away and tell me exactly what happened?"

"Nothing! Nothing, I swear! Oh, Brian, I'm so sorry! I didn't know you were lovers until after. I thought you were the same person. And he was so kind to me and he came after me to keep me company, to dance with me, like a real Prince! It was like something out of a fairy tale and a dream. I fell in love with him a little and I still am in a way. So I kissed him. But he pulled away almost right away and wouldn't take it any further, I swear! That's when he told me the truth; that you were two different people and lovers. After that, we were just friends, I swear, nothing else happened!"

"A likely story!" Brian bared his teeth.

"You daren't strike me! I'm the Prince!" whimpered Gus piteously.

"Funny thing! I had a dog named Prince once! And that's all you are now! A dog!" He dropped Gus roughly. "I'm not going to strike you! There are other ways to deal with the likes of you! Don't talk to me! Don't look at me! And don't bother saying goodbye when Justin and I leave!"

"Brian no! Do not do this thing! I did wrong, I know. But I truly loved and love him. And I thought he was you! So...in a way...I love you too! Do not punish me for loving you guys!"

Brian turned sharply and looked at him strangely for long moments. Then he turned on his heel and stalked away across the dewy grass.

Gus sat there under his favorite oak tree and watched him go. His eyes filled with tears and he cried and cried.

@@@@@@@BJGR

After what seemed like ages, Gus got up and started walking. He washed his face in a babbling brook and passed over it and found himself in the fruit orchards. He wandered around aimlessly, picking a fruit from this tree and then one from that until he had a nice breakfast. Then he sat under a random apple tree and ate, chewing morosely.

"Oh God! What have I done? I wish there was something I could do to make up for what I've done! I didn't know! And when I did I was sorry! Oh why did Justin have to tell? No, of course he did. But who knew Brian would get so angry? Oh I wish there was something I could do. I love him! I love them both! I love them still! Is there nothing I can do?' I wish...I wish...I wish...." His lamentation became a whispered prayer, a quiet hope.

"I know what you can do," said a small voice.

Gus' eyes popped open. Then they widened at the apparition standing before him.

It was a little boy, dressed all in orange. His shoes were black. His hair was brown and soft and his chocolate brown eyes were innocent and soft as a puppy. An ethereal, orange light was emanating off of him in waves. They would burn hot like large flickering flames at then die down to a small pulsation and then burn hot again. He looked about 5 years old.

"You look like me," Gus said.

The little boy smiled. "And you look like me. Sorta."

"Who are you?"

"I am you, if you were born of another father. I am the fairy whose light burns with the light of puppy love. My light burns hot and fast but dulls down to almost nothing very quickly, as you well know. And because you have known my love I can appear to you now. But like my light, my power is weak and my time is short."

"Then what can you do for me?" Gus asked bitterly.

"Practically nothing. I can answer only one question, the one that burns most within your breast, right now."

"What can I do to make up for what I've done?"

The fairy smiled and it was so sweet it broke Gus' heart all over again. "You must run back to the castle right now. You must testify in Brian's behalf. Not having experienced it firsthand, he is having trouble describing last night's events and your sisters are giving him no help. They have given themselves over to their wickedness and their desire for lustful pleasure and to be married. They will refuse to agree with his story and will later today run away with their princes to be married and never return here again. By then, Brian will already be dead. In fact, you will need to run to prevent this from happening. Hurry now Gus, run! I cannot say whether this will repair your relationship with Brian and Justin but it is the best you can do. It is the only thing you can do! Go now! Hurry!" The fairy started to fade away.

"I will...thank you, little fairy! Thank you!" he was calling over his shoulder, already starting the run.

"Hurry..." the last word became a breath upon the wind as the fairy of puppy love faded entirely away and his light burnt out.

@@@@@@BJGR

"And then what happened?" King Carl asked sarcastically.

"Um...well, there was a bride performing on a high stage. But she turned into a gargoyle and rushed us. I slammed the door in her face though, but she almost chewed our faces off."

"Chewed you faces off. Riiiiiight...!" Carl said even more sarcastically.

"Yes! After we got away, we rowed back across the lake which was a boiling tempest and barely escaped with our lives!"

OK, so he was embellishing a little, taking artistic license, but he'd only had a little while to study Justin's letter and account of what happened last night and he was trying to make it fit in his own words.

"Uh...girls!? You wanna back me up here?" Brian asked/demanded.

"Daddy..." Melanie batted her eyelashes, "We have no idea what he's talking about! A netherworld? A strange nightclub? Dancing with...boys!!?" She didn't have to fake a shudder. "Well, that's why we asleep in that one big bedroom, isn't it father? We're too young for boys! We think they're icky! Don't we girls?" All the others nodded sycophantically.

"Too young!?" roared Brian, "You're thirty-five years old! The youngest of you is twenty one! You're as much into cock as I AM!!"

"SILENCE!" yelled King Carl, "If my baby wabies say they are too young, then they're too young!"

A few of the princesses flinched as they did every time their father used that nickname. But they knew what side their bread was buttered on and so kept silent.

But Brian knew of no bread or butter yet and so laughed heartily. "Are you fucking shitting me?! Is that why you had that dorm style bedroom? To retain their youth? And maybe your own? Well, I hate to break it to you....Your Majesty...but you're old enough to be a grandpa! And your daughters are more than ready and willing to make you one!"

"HOW DARE YOU!?" King Carl's face turned red with rage, "HOW DARE YOU COME HERE WITH THESE INSULTS...AND THESE LIES!!?" He bared his teeth in angry revenge.

"What lies?" Brian shot back, "It's about time someone spoke up and told you the truth! Besides, what about the silver, gold and diamond twigs I showed...and gave you? Those prove at least that I was somewhere supernatural!"

"What twigs?" Carl asked in this horribly false voice, and that's when Brian realized he was totally fucked. And not in the good, life-affirming way.

@@@@@@BJGR

Brian was grabbed by guards, clapped in irons, which Brian still thought was totally hot but was made totally not hot when they put them on cruelly tight and led him out into the from courtyard to a large and ugly chopping block.

"OFF WITH HIS HEAD!!" screamed the red king from the balcony.

"Carl, calm down, for fuck's sake," yelled the queen, "Remember your heart!"

"Thanks for reminding me, dear!" Carl said ferally, "You! Guard! Afterward...cut out his heart! I want it cooked and served on my plate for lunchtime!"

"Dude!" Brian blanched, "I know you're having a serious "I'm a nut" moment...but that is just gross!!"
Carl just made a signal.

Brian's wrists and head were moved into position and locked into the bloodstained stocks. The executioner pedaled the whetstone and sharpened the huge, two-handed axe.

Drums began to play. The executioner pulled on his mask. Sloooowwly he turned. He grasped the handle of his axe. He lifted it...he raised it over his head....he aimed...

"STOOOOOOPP! STOP! Stop in the name of the Prince!!!" screamed a voice. It was Gus, running into the courtyard at top speed.

The executioner held the axe high for a few moments, unsure what to do. His big arms began to tremble with the huge weight He looked to the king, to Gus, back to the king.

"STRIKE!" screamed the king.

"STOP!!" yelled the prince, "Axeman!!! Don't you dare! Father, stop this immediately! Everything he says is the truth!"

The axeman lowered the axe simply because he couldn't hold it up anymore and he was incredibly curious. Besides, prince or not, depending on what was said next, he might have two heads to chop off. The axeman licked his lips in morbid anticipation.

"Stand aside, Gus! This goes way beyond whatever is the truth and the challenge! It's a matter of honor! This man insulted our entire family!"

"Oh really!? What did he say?"

"He said that I was old enough to be a grandpa and that our bibbity bobbitty baby wabies were old enough to be running around having sex and making babies!"

Gus pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes in more of a gesture than having an actual headache. He loved his father but sometimes...

The entire court waited breathlessly for Gus to speak. They knew his next words could be his last.

"OK. First of all....let him go out of those stocks....NOW!!" his voice carried with it a not so quiet authority and the axeman hastened to obey.

When Brian was clear of the stocks, Gus continued, "Father....this....this dysfunction....must stop. These ridiculous cutesy nicknames must stop. Take off these rose colored glasses you have on and look at us, really look at us. We're grown up, Father. I'm 18. Clarissa (the next oldest) is 21. All the way up to Melanie who is thirty five! And as for having babies and sex, well, that's true too. Every one of them is planning to elope...tonight!"

"What? No! That can't be! They're just little girls!" Carl gibbered in his madness.

"FATHER!!! STOP IT!!! LOOK AT US!!! LOOOK!!!" The last work echoed and re-echoed around the courtyard.

Brian was still mad as hell at the little pup but he couldn't help feeling a grudging respect for the prince too. He'd really saved his bacon and he was asserting an authority they both weren't sure was entirely his. That took a set of balls that dropped all the way down to the floor.

"No....no...!!" whimpered Carl.

Father! Look! Look at me!" yelled Gus again. Carl looked. "Now look at them! Really look! Childhood is past us! We're adults and we're ready to choose mates and husbands. And speaking of which, that is what we have been doing for these long two years. We HAVE been going down into a nether chamber for the last two years in order to free 12 princes from an evil curse! That's why our dancing shoes were worn out every night. We had to dance with them in a castle deep within a cavern, in the middle of a vast lake."

"I'm sure Brian here was telling you how he rescued us last night. He sensed the destruction and led us all, me, your daughters and all 12 cursed princes to safety. The curse is over. The castle exploded, destroying the monsters within. The netherworld descended into lava and was destroyed. The diamond, golden, and silver trees were destroyed and melted. And the handsome princes were transformed back into their regular selves and they and your daughters plan to elope tonight."

"Where are these princes?" asked King Carl scornfully. He was still not 100% onboard with all this.

Gus sighed and rolled his eyes. They're probably still in our room, waiting for tonight when they can escape."

"GUARDS!!" yelled Carl, "Go check it out! Bring down whoever you find there!"

The princesses squirmed a little and gave small looks of fear and consternation. But there was no way to get away and warn their lovers.

As they waited, Gus gave a more detailed, colorful account of their getaway. He described everything to them, much the way I've described it to you. There was no question that he was telling the truth. He answered any and all question posed to him.

And of course, the 11 princes and Lindsay were brought down. Faced with the overwhelming evidence, the 11 princesses broke down and confessed. Brian was released and given his thousand guilders and moreover, Gus insisted that he be given the twigs from the netherworld as well. With all these riches, Brian and Justin would have no concern of money for the rest of their travels.

A little while later...

"Here you go, as promised. Golden shoes...made for a woman, worn by a man. I wish you all the best of luck in the rest of your quest, Brian," Gus said humbly as he handed them over. They were in the throne room.

Courtiers gathered together in their own cliques, gossiping behind their fans and kerchiefs. The king and queen were on their thrones but in an unofficial capacity. The king had taken a calming Chill Pill but the way things were going, he was going to have to start popping them like candy. They were busy talking with the wedding planners who were planning a wedding x 11, for all the princesses in one go. The 12th prince, Gus' partner had been given a clean change of clothes, a modest sum of money and had struck out into the world to seek his fortune an hour ago. And so, Brian and Gus were pretty much left up to their own devices.

"Thank you. And thanks from Justin as well. He'd kill me if I went and didn't thank you for him."

"You're welcome," Gus said.

There was a pause. Gus wanted to say a hundred things but none of them seemed good enough.

"Well, I'd probably better go settle up with the stables. I need that cow looked after."

"Oh you don't have to do that! I'll pay for her keep for as long as you need. I'll take care of it."

"Oh. OK then. Thanks again."

"You're welcome."

"'Kay. Well, bye then." Brian turned to go.

"Brian, I..."

"NO!" Brian turned on him forcefully, "No! This changes nothing! You can't apologize and you can't buy your way out of this! Nothing's changed between us!"

"Everything OK, son?" called over Carl, in an ‘I'm-pretty-busy-but-I-could-intervene' type of voice.

"Everything's fine, Dad!" Gus yelled back, "Brian....just...just lower your voice, OK?"

Brian glanced around and gave any looky loos a filthy look back that made them mind their own business in a damn hurry. "Fine!" he said back in a stage whisper, "This changes nothing! You can't buy your way out of this, rich boy!"

"That's not what I was trying to do," Gus said, "As for apologizing, I already have. I do again, and you cannot stop that. And it's all I can do. I wish I could go back and change it. But I can't. I made a mistake. Brian, I'm so grateful to you, to both of you for your help. I'm probably the only one here who is. Don't go away like this. Don't leave with only anger in your heart."

"And what am I supposed to do?" sneered Brian, "Kiss and make up?"

Gus slumped. "I don't know. All I know is that I love you...both of you still. I just wish I knew what I was supposed to do."

"You have done all you can. You have apologized. And you have told him that you yet still love him...in spite of his abuse. The ball is in his court but I don't think he will throw it. You cannot plant roses among the thistles."

The entire court gasped as a man dressed in blue with short, dark hair and a dull, pulsating, blue glow stepped out of nowhere to stand beside Gus.

"You! You're Michael, aren't you?" gasped Brian. "You're the one that helped Justin, aren't you?"

"I am," said Michael.

"Thank you. And Justin would thank you too, if he could."

"I know it. He would also, has also forgiven this young man for his transgression. Cannot you, who is loved by all who know you, love back?"

"It's...it's complicated. Look, why are you here? Can you give us any more help?"

"I can do nothing for you. I have come here on his behalf." Michael laid a gentle hand on Gus' shoulder. "He is the one who suffers from unrequited love and the one who cried out for my help."

"You're here for me? Really?" Gus turned in wonder and hugged the fairy around the waist and laid his head on his chest. "Oh, thank-you!"

The entire court watched spellbound.

Michael stroked his hair gently. "You're welcome, little prince! But in truth, you help me too. You're hapless love feeds me, strengthens my power and in so doing, allows me to help you. And your doomed love....is delicious!" Michael sniffed and suddenly there was a blue smoke coming off Gus and Michael sniffed it up most greedily.

"Hey! Stop that!" Brian yelled.

"Why? It hurts him not. And why should you care how I replenish myself?" asked Michael.

"I don't...I guess. It just looked...as if you were sucking at his life-force...or something," Brian answered sheepishly.

"His life-force....an interesting concept. I suppose I am taking what you could call...his love-force....but there is an endless supply and he will not be harmed." He continued sucking at Gus for about a minute and his own blue glow, grew deeper, brighter but still pulsated in a hopeless, dull kind of way.

"Ahhhh, now things are clear!" Michael said, in the way people do after a refreshing nap or a good meal. "You must find your own prince, one who you can rescue, one who will love you back, as you already deserve." He gave Brian a dirty look of his own and it gave Brian the sensation of a thousand spiders crawling all over him for 3 seconds. Brian shuddered.

"I thought I had done that. I spent two long years waiting for him and it turned out it was all a trick. He didn't love me either."

"No. He was not the one. There is another. Deep within the Wild Western Woods there was a castle. It was obliterated by magic and now only a single tower remains. The entrance was bricked up and there is no way in or out. At the top of that tower, you shall find your prize."

"But if there is no way in or out, how am I to get up there?"

"That you must discover for yourself. If you are brave and resourceful, you will find a way."

"Can you help me find it? The Western Woods are vast."

Michael took a long sniff and shuddered in pleasure. "I can now. This horse knows the way. Sit on his back and he will take you there."

As he was speaking, a great, black, brute of a horse appeared in the middle of the throne room. Courtiers screamed and rushed out of the way. Some unfortunate ones were displaced and thrown out of the way, several feet to either side. The horse reared and screamed a whinny, which broke two stained glass windows. He snorted and breathed flame out his nostrils and set a door handle on fire. Then he trotted over to a priceless tapestry and began to chew on the fringe. He had a huge, sweeping tail that he lifted delicately and dropped out two horse patties. They smelled like orange blossoms.

The patties can also be used for fuel," said Michael proudly.

"I don't care if you can spin them into gold! Get them out of here! And get him out of here! He can stand in the front courtyard until you are ready to leave!" the king raged and his wife popped in another Chill Pill.

The horse was removed, things cleaned up and an emergency team put out the fire.

"But I don't want to leave! I don't want to leave my family!" said Gus.

"What family?" asked King Carl, "The whole lot of you were going to elope anyway tonight and many of your sisters are going to leave anyway after they're married! You're the one who said you are ready to go choose your mate and/or husband. So go choose! Besides, truth be told, your mother and I are looking forward to a little empty nest time!"

"God, dad! Ewwww! Gross!"

Michael smiled and looked down at the young prince fondly. "I guess that settles that. Good luck, Gus. You will know the one when you find him who uses pickles for pleasure."

Brian started. "Did you say pickles?"

"I did." Michael answered Brian but he had eyes for only Gus. "Good bye Gus!" Michael enfolded Gus into a big bear hug and Gus had never felt such a sense of warmth or security in his life. He hugged back and Michael's power seemed to become his own and he was hugging and hugging and his arms came closer and closer to himself as Michael became more and more indistinct and then he was gone. Gus was left standing there, hugging himself and he realized Brian didn't matter or that pretend prince or even the one he was going to rescue, although he would rescue him. And although he had helped him, he realized Michael could not help him any longer because of a very simple fact.

He loved himself.

TBC