| Children Fiction posted February 15, 2025 |
  |
Dancing to the Music
Sing Along With Friends
by Begin Again
The forest buzzed with energy as the fireflies flickered like tiny stage lights, casting a warm glow over the clearing. A makeshift stage, built from sturdy logs and draped in vines, stood at the heart of the celebration. The forest band was ready. Tonight, the bushy-tailed red fox, Ferdinand, known to all as Freddy, controlled the microphone and his soulful saxophone.
A masked musician who went by the name of Zippy stood front and center, strumming his guitar, ears twitching as he found the perfect groove.
Behind him, Jeremy the Bullfrog sat on a hollowed-out log, a mischievous gleam in his eye. With a deep croak, he pounded the drums with his webbed fingers — BOOM! BOOM! THUMP! — then flicked out his long, sticky tongue with a SMACK! — hitting the cymbals perfectly. The crowd erupted in laughter.
To the side, Pip, a reddish-orange monkey, swayed over the keyboard, his tail wrapped around the stand for balance as he played a jazzy intro. Gus, the burly brown bear, plucked the thick strings of his upright bass, his deep notes rumbling like distant thunder.
When they were ready to go, Freddy lifted his golden saxophone, gleaming in the moonlight, to his lips and let out a soulful wail, a sound so rich and warm that even the trees swayed in appreciation.
The audience pressed in close, eager for the show to begin. Rabbits twitched their noses and kept perfect time, their feet thumping to the tunes. Squirrels perched on branches, and even the deer at the edge of the clearing swayed with excitement.
"Let's get this party started!" Bogart roared, clapping his hands like a thunderclap before throwing one massive arm in the air. "Shake, Shake, Shake it up!"
He stomped his foot, sending a tremor through the ground as the music exploded into the night.
All the forest creatures echoed back, "Shake, Shake, Shake it up!"
The Forest of Wonder had never felt so alive. The band launched their first song.
Zippy, the raccoon, strummed his guitar and wailed —
"Way down in the forest, when the sun goes low,
Critters start a-movin', they feel the rhythm flow!"
Pip, the monkey, grinned and let his fingers dance across the keys. He tipped his head back and sang —
"From the tallest treetops to the river-wide,
Everybody's dancin'— come on, don't hide!"
The fairies spun in the air, their wings shimmering as they twirled to the beat. Bogart stomped his foot so hard that the ground trembled, sending a few startled chipmunks tumbling before they scrambled up, laughing. Fiona clapped along, hesitating at first but quickly swept into the fun.
Jeremy, the bullfrog, smacked the cymbals with his long red tongue, tapping his sticks against the drum. He croaked in his deepest voice —
"Jeremy on the drums givin' you a boom and a bam.
Hear those cymbals. Let's get down and jam."
The crowd was hooked. They sang. "Shake, Shake, Shake it up!"
As Bogart and Fiona stomped and twirled, the ground shook beneath them. The fairies giggled as they darted away from the swirling dust while the deer flicked their ears, keeping a careful distance.
Bogart spun too hard, nearly toppling over! He caught himself — panting, and wiped a hand over his forehead.
Zippy chuckled and strummed a few slower chords —
"Whew, let's slow it down, take a rest,
Let the music move you — feel it in your chest!"
Take it easy, move in close — slide, slide, slide.
Hold on tight as you glide, glide, glide."
Gus, the bear plucked a few deep, slow notes on the bass. Pip's hands drifted gracefully over the keyboard, shifting the melody into something soft and slow.
Freddy raised his saxophone and played a long, sexy melody that curled through the air like the whisper of a breeze.
Out of the corner of his eye, Bogart saw William and Margaret gliding across the floor in a slow, elegant waltz. Unlike the raucous spectacle he and Fiona were creating, William held Margaret close, leading her in smooth, practiced steps. They looked as light as a feather.
Bogart straightened up and puffed out his chest. "I wanna try that!" he declared.
Fiona blinked at him. "Do what?"
"That!" He pointed at the waltzing couple. "That twirling, floating thing. I want to try."
Fiona scoffed. "We're ogres, Bogart. We don't twirl, and we don't float."
"Come on, Fiona, just try with me."
For a moment, she hesitated. Then, sighing, she took his hands. "Fine. But if you drop me —"
Bogart grinned and slowly started mimicking William's movements. At first, his steps were clunky, but as Fiona followed, something strange happened — their movements smoothed out. The stomping stopped. The surrounding chaos faded. And suddenly — they were dancing.
The music swelled, the fairies whispered in awe, and the entire dance floor seemed to belong to them. The humans and magical creatures around them stood in stunned silence as the two ogres, against all expectations, moved with surprising grace. Even William and Margaret paused to watch.
Bogart was lost in the moment, completely enchanted by Fiona in his arms. So enchanted, in fact, that when he attempted a grand finale — a dramatic dip — he nearly sent her crashing to the floor.
Fiona yelped as she flailed backward. "Bogart!"
With a panicked grunt, Bogart barely caught her in time, his face frozen in horror as the crowd gasped. Fiona glared at him; a grin tugged at the corner of her lips, and she started laughing. He held her in his arms and twirled her around again and again. The tension broke, and soon, the entire room erupted into cheers and applause.
The Forest Guardian himself stepped forward, a kind smile on his face. "A dance like no other!" he declared.
As the cheers subsided, William and Margaret returned to their own dance, their movements slow and familiar. Margaret traced her fingers along William's shoulder, marveling at how easily they had fallen into step despite the years apart.
"You haven't changed," she whispered.
William smiled softly. "And yet, you are even more beautiful than I remember."
Margaret's heart ached with memories — of their stolen moments in the Forest, of the decision she had made long ago. "I loved Arthur. But part of me," she paused. "Part of me never left this place."
William didn't look sad or resentful. He held her a little closer. "Then let's not think about what was lost. Let's just dance."
She nodded, resting her head against his chest as they swayed to the music, wrapped in the warmth of what they had once shared. And perhaps, she thought, what they might share again.
Meanwhile, still giddy with excitement, Jordan and Quinn turned their attention to Frederick, Fiona's oversized watchdog, who was swaying happily at the edge of the dance floor.
"Frederick!" Jordan cried. "Come dance with us!"
Frederick let out a deep, amused rumble as the twins grabbed one of his massive front legs and pulled him onto the floor. He clumsily stepped side to side, his tail wagging, accidentally knocking over a chair. Greta groaned, but the fairies giggled, sending sparkles into the air as the dragon embraced the rhythm.
Quinn looked up at him, eyes shining. "Can we fly, Frederick? Please?"
With an exaggerated sigh, Frederick lowered his back, allowing the twins to scramble on before he launched into the air. Gasps of wonder filled the room as he swooped gracefully above the dance floor, gliding just inches over Bogart and Fiona's heads.
As he landed, Jordan and Quinn ran to Margaret. "Grandma, you have to try!" Jordan insisted.
Margaret smiled but hesitated. "Oh, I don't know —"
William took her hand, his touch reassuring. "Why not? We danced, after all. Let's see if we can still fly."
Margaret laughed softly as she allowed William to help her onto Frederick's back. As they lifted into the sky, the world below faded, the stars drawing closer, and Margaret felt completely free for the first time in years.
William's arms wrapped around her securely. "Do you trust me?"
She leaned into him, her heart steady. "Always."
As they descended, the fairies sent showers of light through the air, sealing the night with magic. Margaret smiled at William. "Maybe time is kinder than we think."
William smiled. "One can always hope."
As the music continued, Lyria flitted into the air and said, "Come, everyone, let's dance together!"
The fairies, humans, and magical creatures flooded the dance floor with laughter and excitement, twirling, spinning, and moving in joyful abandon. Even Greta, with a reluctant sigh, joined in.
Bogart and Fiona, laughing, danced alongside their friends, swept up in the energy. At that moment, it didn't matter that they were ogres. They belonged, and they were loved.
The Forest Guardian held up the intricately carved wooden trophy, his long emerald robe shimmering like dewdrops in the moonlight. "To the finest dance I have ever seen in these woods! A dance not just of steps and rhythm, but of spirit, of joy, and love!"
The fairies erupted into cheers, wings fluttering, their tiny voices chiming like wind chimes in a summer breeze. The forest creatures — bears, foxes, owls, and even Frederick, the dragon — stomped their feet or clapped their paws, joining the celebration.
Bogart, usually so big and blustering, suddenly found himself lost for words. His chest swelled, his heart thudding wildly. He turned to Fiona, his Fiona, the one who had stomped and spun with him, the one who had held onto him when he had nearly dropped her in a dramatic dip, the one who had made his heart feel like it could burst from his chest.
Without thinking, caught up in the moment, he reached for her hand, lifting it to his lips. A slow, reverent kiss pressed against her knuckles. Then, on impulse, he leaned in and placed the softest, most grateful kiss on her cheek.
For a heartbeat, everything was still.
Then, a golden light burst from where his lips had touched her skin, warm and brilliant as the first rays of sunrise breaking over the horizon. Gasps rippled through the crowd. The fairies whispered in hushed excitement, their wings quivering as the magic crackled. The glow spread across Fiona's entire form, shimmering like sunlight reflecting on water.
Bogart staggered back as the transformation took hold, horror washing over him. Her sturdy ogre shape—those broad, strong shoulders, the slightly crooked but endearing grin — blurred and shifted. He watched helplessly as the magic swirled around her, reshaping her and revealing a form that he did not recognize.
He swallowed hard.
Fiona stood before him now, radiant and transformed. Her soft auburn hair tumbled over her shoulders, her golden-brown eyes warm and full of mischief. Once stitched together from scraps, her dress was now a flowing garment of deep green, reminiscent of the forest itself.
Bogart's heart clenched.
"You're — you're not —I've lost you." His voice was barely above a whisper, rough with emotion. His hands trembled at his sides, unsure if he should reach for her or step away. A giant tear rolled from his eye.
Fiona opened her mouth to speak, but Bogart took another step back before she could. His breath hitched, his chest tightening. His world suddenly felt too big, too confusing, too — wrong. He turned, stumbling blindly away from the clearing, away from the cheers of the fairies, away from the magic that had stolen Fiona from him.
The celebration faded behind him as he moved toward the bridge at the edge of the clearing, where they had danced under the stars and laughed, clumsy and carefree. His heavy feet thudded against the worn wooden planks, the river rushing beneath him in a soothing, endless melody. He gripped the railing, his knuckles white, his thoughts tangled.
How could this have happened?
His Fiona — the Fiona who had stomped and spun with him, the Fiona with the hearty laugh and the big, wonderful presence — the Fiona he loved was gone.
 Recognized |
You need to login or register to write reviews. It's quick! We only ask four questions to new members.
© Copyright 2025. Begin Again All rights reserved.
Begin Again has granted FanStory.com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.
