Tonight.

Ella's feet raced down the stairs.

Tonight at 9.

Ella's heart raced up to her throat and back.

Tonight at 9 is the ball.

Ella's lungs raced to keep up with her heart and feet.

Tonight at 9 is the ball, where my life will change forever.

Ella's mind raced every which way and backward.

She skidded to a stop in the courtyard. Almost nine o'clock, where are you?

Bong, bong, bong, bong, bong, bong, bong, bong, bong.

Ella jumped - she wasn't used to the clock's new-old sound. It had only happened three times - twice on the night the Lady Vaarna appeared, and now.

There was a burst of light, and the lady arrived.

She was dressed differently this time. Her gown was brilliant white, with a silvery veil drawn back over her hair. No longer an updo, it was allowed to flow back, brilliantly white-blonde, over her shoulders, drifting on an unseen breeze. Her hands were again swathed in kidskin gloves, and diamonds dripped from everything she wore, including bands up her gloved fingers. Her gown covered her feet, but a quick whisper of a breeze revealed glass slippers identical to Ella's, and her legs - at least at the ankle - were bare.

"Do you like it?" the faerie said, and if Ella didn't know better she'd think the lady was preening. "I went with a happily-ever-after image."

"I love it," Ella whispered, looking the faerie in the face - and she was startled. The faerie's face kept changing as it had before, but now she recognized another face within - her own, just for a flicker.

"Thank you," the faerie whispered. "Now, enough standing around." She clapped three times briskly, and her hands made a surprisingly loud snap, even through the soft kidskin. "First - a coach. I will need...hmm...large, round thing, large, round thing..."

"A pumpkin?" Ella offered.

"Hm!" the faerie exclaimed. "Not exactly my first thought, but a wonderful one! Do you have one?"

Ella, without waiting to reply, overcome with emotion, dashed away to the vegetable garden. She selected an enormous pumpkin, and it took her three minutes just to get it back around the house, it was so large.

"Ah!" the faerie exclaimed with delight. "The biggest in the garden!"

"Unfortunately, milady," Ella gasped. "I'm not sure I could have picked the biggest up. This is the largest I could find, and I'm growing the biggest for pumpkin pie."

"Oh," the lady said, somewhat crestfallen. "Well, 'tis always good to save your wealth. Now...you will need horses." She spun around, looking for inspiration, then exclaimed "Ah!"

The family of mice was dashing to their hole. Right as the mother was about to poke her head within, they all stopped, then began writhing around. Their tails swelled, then burst out with fur. Their legs bubbled and lengthened, their bodies puffed up like balloons as they turned into six fine palomino horses. They neighed with surprise at their change, and the four that had been babies were panting, but the faerie waved her hand and they quieted instantly.

"I can only make this last for three hours," she whispered to Ella, her voice softer than her gloves. "You will have to be back here by midnight, or the transformation won't last."

"Oh!" Ella exclaimed. "I - I should be going."

"But!" the faerie broke in. "You must have drivers and footmen, no?" She glanced around briefly, then exclaimed, "Ah!"

At her voice, six frogs from the pond began to croak impressively loudly - if Ella didn't know better, she'd say they were panicking. The six began to swell, their legs stretching, their heads twisting, until six puffed-up footmen stood before her. They looked at each other in shock until the faerie waved her hand. They paused, shook their heads, then took their places around the carriage as if it was perfectly normal.

"What - what did you do to them?" Ella asked.

"Oh," the faerie said with a careless wave. "Just a simple polymorph. They'll be back to normal in three hours. And as for your driver..."

Suddenly, the wall lizard Ella had spotted the day before began to make loud greep, greep noises. Its legs also began to extend, but its body simply seemed to inflate. Its transformation was fast, and suddenly there was a driver in a dapper green tuxedo standing before her.

"Now, you're off!" the faerie exclaimed, bundling Ella into the carriage. "Off to the ball! Oh, my child, I'm just as excited as you are!"