Dear Diary,

My husband is away on business again. It's times like these, I like to look back to my youth when I first met him. Back when I was just a little girl and he was a man named Johnny, who pulled off tricks like you wouldn't believe. In fact, ours is a love story that is practically unbelievable! But since I already have your attention, I'll tell you anyway...

Summer 2006

I was seven years old then, living in the small town of Matson. And in a time before smartphones, we went to the park to play. Although I normally just watched the other kids play. I was an insecure about approaching them because of... well, my right leg.

When I was born, the doctors noticed my right leg was smaller than my other limbs. They had to amputated it and fit me for a prosthetic leg from the hip down. I didn't even learn to walk properly until I was four.

I didn't feel comfortable playing with the other kids, because I knew they would tale one look at my leg and take pity on me and let me win. And that is something I can't stand. I appreciate what they're trying to do, but it still feels like I'm being singled out from the rest.

But I had my mind on other things. At the moment, I had a crush on an older male.

Some people say that's inappropriate and gross. But let's be honest, we all had a crush on an older male growing up, be it a fictional character or authority figure. Some girls had crushes on their English teacher, some had their eye on Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I preferred Johnny. He was the man who moved into our apartment building three months ago.

Every night after dark, I went to the park and played by myself. Mostly I enjoyed laying on a blanket and looking up at the stars. I don't thinking people take enough time to look up and appreciate a clear night sky. It's one of those sights you can see regardless of traveling or spending money.

"Hey, Y/N" I heard Johnny's sweet voice. "Looking at the stars?"

"Yeah" I nodded. "They're beautiful..."

Johnny laid down beside me. "They're okay" he shrugged. "You see one cluster of flaming gas balls, you see 'em all. It's getting late, you want me to walk you home..."

"Can we play pirates?" I asked.

"I dunno, it's pretty late..."

"Please, Johnny..." I pouted.

"Don't give me that face" He said.

"What face?"

"That cute face you do, because you know I can't say no to it" He specified. "We can play pirates tomorrow."

"No, now!" I said. "C'mon! It's the perfect time! There's no one around. Do the magic!"

Johnny smirked. "Alright, for a little while" He agreed. "But it's your turn to be Captain Jack."

"No" I shook my head.

"It's your turn" Johnny insisted.

"But I can't turn into him like you do" I told him. "I don't have your magic!"

"Well, if I'm Captain Jack, then who are you going to be?" He asked.

"I'll be the beautiful stowaway" I batted my eyelashes.

Johnny grinned. "That suits you..."

"Now please do the magic!" I urged him.

"Okay!" Johnny got up and took a few steps back. He grabbed the brim of his brown fedora and pulled it down over head. And then his shoulders... and his waist... and his legs... until he was all swallowed up by the hat!

I watched in excitement as the hat flipped inside out and became a leather tricorn. Then a pair of boots appeared under it followed by a pair of button breeches with scarves and belts, and a white shirt with a long coat. Finally Johnny appeared as Captain Jack with a red bandana and kohl lining his eyes.

"I understand there's a beautiful stowaway aboard me ship" he said in his funny pirate voice.

"That'll be me" I grinned, standing up and grabbing a stick. "And I'm not leaving without a fight."

He unsheathed his sword and we began dueling.

Looking back, I probably should've questioned how Johnny could transform like that. He could transform into a pirate, a candy-maker, a mad hatter, a wicked wizard, a vampire, a scissorhanded man and so much more! But as a child I thought nothing of how he did it, I just excepted that it was magic. It was a simpler time back then...

Besides, what kid wouldn't love to have a magical friend?

👧🦎🕴

Eventually it came time for Johnny to take me home. He carried me on his back, until we reached the apartment building we lived in.

"Alright! Last stop, Patterson Apartment Complex!" He said as I slid off his back.

"Thanks for the ride, Johnny" I said, kissing his cheek.

Johnny smiled. "Say I'm weary, say I'm sad, say that health and wealth have missed me, say that I am growing old, but then... Y/N kissed me" he recited.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Poetry" Johnny answered.

"You made it up?"

"Did you like it?"

"I did."

"Then I made it up."

I smiled and he picked me up bridal style and carried me up the stairs to our apartments. We didn't even notice the strange car parked across the street. Inside two men in black fedora's were watching us intently...

"Johnny?" I asked as he carried me up the stairs. "If you know how to do so many things, then... how come you won't try to make my leg better?"

"Because then I wouldn't get to carry you everyday" Johnny answered with a badly hidden smirk. "And you might find a boyfriend your own age."

"I'm serious" I pressed on. "You could make my leg grow back, couldn't you?"

"Perhaps" Johnny shrugged. "But... I shouldn't."

"Why?" I asked.

Suddenly the door at the top of the stairs opened and I turned and saw my mother, the landlady of the building.

"Didn't I tell you to be back by 8:00?" She asked in that sharp, no nonsense tone.

"It's really my fault, Mrs. L/N" Johnny explained apologetically.

"It's always your fault, isn't it?" She sneered accusingly.

"Please mom, it's not his--"

"Shut your mouth when adults are talking!" My mother snapped. "Don't be so damn rude. And when I tell you to get your ass home by a certain time, I mean it! Or else I'm locking the door and leaving you to sleep outside! Now get in there right now."

I walked into our apartment, the fun and laughter of that evening having been sucked out of me.

"Mrs. L/N" Johnny told her. "Don't you ever threaten Y/N like that again!"

"And you listen here!" Mother turned on Johnny. "I don't want you hanging around with that child again! Keeping her out late, turning her against me and filling her head up with craziness! YOU HEAR ME?!"

"The whole building can hear you, woman!" Johnny snapped back.

"I'm not putting up with it anymore!" Mother snapped. "If I even catch you talking to her again, I'll call the cops on your ass!"

Johnny groaned, shaking his head and going to his apartment.

"You bother us again that's what's gonna happen!" Mother yelled after him. "YOU HEAR ME?!" She turned on her heel and stormed into our apartment, slamming the door.

"You! Bed, now" she snapped her fingers at me. "And no dinner for you tonight, miss!"

When mother got this way, it was best not to argue with her. Like when a child threw itself on the ground, screaming. I went to my room and shut the door. No sooner then I did, I overheard a knock at the front door.

"Well...?" Mother answered.

"Pardon us, madam" a man's with an Irish accent said. "I'm Officer Connelly, this is my associate, Starling. We're trying to gather information about a tenant of this building."

"A man in a hat that goes by the name of Johnny" Starling added.

"Are you cops?" Mother asked, curiously.

"In a way..." Connelly replied ominously.

Mother slapped the door. "I knew it!"

"May we come in?" asked Starling.

"Sure!" Mother welcomed them in. "What did he do?"

"If it's all the same to you, we'll ask the questions" Connelly said.

"Alright" Mother sighed. "You better come into the kitchen, I'm in the middle of fixing dinner."

"How long has he lived here?" Connelly asked, following her.

"About three months now" Mother replied.

"Do you know his previous address?" Starling asked.

"We know nothing" Mother scoffed. "Where he came from, what his last name is, nothing!"

I took this opportunity to sneak out of my room and towards the front door.

"Have you ever seen him do anything unusual?" Connelly inquired.

"Like what?" Mother asked.

"Like... magic" Connelly specified.

"Nah... the kids say he does tricks. But I never seen him do any" Mother shrugged.

I carefully shut the front door behind me and made my way down the hall to Johnny's apartment. I normally knock, but this time I just walked in.

"Johnny!" I found him reading a comic book in an oversized armchair by the window.

"Y/N, what is it?" He asked, concerned.

"There's two policemen down the hall" I told him. "They're looking for you."

"I never thought she'd go through with it" Johnny muttered.

"No, Mother didn't call them" I shook my head. "They just showed up, right after you left."

"They did?" Johnny asked. "What did they look like?"

"I only saw a bit of them" I explained. "One was black and bald and the other was caucasian with white hair and an Irish accent. They were both tall and wearing black fedora's."

"It's them alright" Johnny muttered. "They caught up with me."

"Who?" I asked. "Johnny, what are you scared of?"

"I can't tell you."

"But I thought we were friends..."

"We are!"

"Well, friends don't keep secrets" I told him. "I don't even know where your from or why you're on the run--"

"Y/N! Y/N, where are you?!" My mother's voice screeched from downstairs.

Johnny went over to the door and listened. "I'm sorry, darling" He said. "I wanted to tell you eventually. But anyway, it's too late now."

"No, it isn't!" I told him. "You can hide! Under the bed or in the closet! Someplace they'll never find you."

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, which made us both freeze...

👧🦎🕴

I took a deep breath before answering the door. My mother and the cops poured in.

"Alright, where is he?" Mother demanded.

"I don't know" I said.

"You're lying!" Mother accused. "She's lying! She knows where he is!"

"Do you know, Miss?" Starling inquired.

"No, sir" I shook my head. "I came up to see him, but he was already gone. I think he might've went to the park."

"If you see him again, please say nothing about our visit" Connelly told Mother.

"I know how to keep my mouth shut" Mother nodded, dragging me back down the hall to our apartment.

"Thank you for your time, Mrs. L/N" Starling thanked her.

"Anytime gents" Mother replied. As soon as she shut the door of our apartment she changed her tune. "I should redden your arse until you can't sit down... but I'm too tired. Get to your room and stay there this time!"

I was already walking to my room and shut the door behind me. I walked over to my bed and reached into my pocket, pulling out a little green lizard in a cowboy hat named Rango and placing him gently on the bed.

His popped off his little hand crawled inside it. The hat popped up and turned into a brown fedora in mid-air. It landed on the floor and Johnny rose up out of it, until he was wearing it on his head.

I smiled "Well, that fooled them, whoever they were."

"Yeah" Johnny smiled, poking my sides. "Did I tickle you in there?"

I giggled. "What I don't get, is how you can change your clothes each time too?"

"It's all matter" Johnny explained. "One moleculer structure is much like another. Speaking of changing clothes, you better get into your pajamas before your mother throws a fit."

"Let her" I grumbled.

"That's not nice..." Johnny advised. "You have to remember that your mother is a stressed out lady and isn't wholly responsible for her behavior."

"Then who is?" I asked.

"I dunno" Johnny furrowed his brow. "But in any case you should try to forgive her. It would make you the better person..."

"Alright" I rolled my eyes. "But what about you? What are you going to do?"

"I wish I knew, Darling" Johnny sighed.

"Why are those men after you, Johnny?" I asked him. "Are you a criminal?"

"In a way..."

"What did you do? Rob a bank?"

"No."

"Kill somebody?"

"No!"

"Are you an terrorist?"

"No darling, I'm not an terrorist."

"Then what?"

"SHH!" Johnny urged.

We glanced out my bedroom window and saw the cops were still watching the building. We crouched down beneath the window so they wouldn't see us.

"Johnny listen" I told him. "Why don't you just fool them? Turn into Rango again, or Sherlock Gnomes! Or turn into Grindelwald and use his wand to turn yourself into a bug! They'd never find you then."

"I'm afraid they would" Johnny groaned. "Those boys are awfully clever" He turned to me. "Listen Y/N, you've been very good at helping me keep my secrets. Now I'm going to let you in on another one..."

I leaned forward, listening.

"I'm not actually a resident of this world" Johnny admitted.

"What?" I asked in astonishment.

"I'm from another planet" Johnny confirmed.

A grin spread across my face. "I knew it! I knew it!" I said. "Where are you from? Mars? Jupiter?"

"No, much farther than that" Johnny said with a wave of his hand. "You've never heard of it. Anyway those men are here to drag me back."

"Cause of what you did?" I asked.

"Uh-huh and I don't want to go back" Johnny said. "But they've located me now, so the only thing left is to find another world I can hide out on."

"You mean, you're leaving me forever?" My heart sank as my eyes glistened over.

"I don't want to, darling" Johnny told me. "But I've got no other choice."

A stifled sob escaped my lips. Johnny was the most amazing person I'd ever met. He was the only bright light in my life. The idea of never seeing him again, destroyed

Johnny looked at me with sympathetic eyes. "But before I go, there's one thing I must do" he said. "I wanted to do for a while now, but it would've tipped them off as to where I was. That doesn't matter anymore..."

"What do you mean?" I mumbled tearfully.

Johnny picked me up and placed me on my bed, tucking me in. "Can you take off your leg for me?" he asked.

I already knew what he was going to do. "What for?" I asked, setting my prosthetic leg aside.

"It'll be alright" Johnny assured me. "Just lie back and close your eyes..."

I did as he said and heard a noise that sounded like static crackling in the air around me. Suddenly my bedroom door creaked open, forcing my eye open.

"Who are you talking to?" Mother demanded, standing in the doorway.

I glanced around briefly and saw that Johnny had disappeared.

"Mm... myself" I answered hesitantly.

"Well, stop it!" Mother told me. "You could go crazy that way." She sulked back to the kitchen.

As she left the room, I noticed a lizard slipping out of the door behind her.

"Johnny!" I flipped the sheets off myself and ran after him.

I took about five steps forward, before I realized... my legs... I had two of them! Johnny fixed my leg! He really did it!

"Johnny!" I called after him. "Johnny, don't leave me!"

I took off after him, outside the apartment. I bounded down the stairs and was stopped by Starling and Connelly at the bottom of the stairs.

"Y/N! What happened to your leg?" Starling asked.

"Get out of my way!" I snapped at them.

"Where's Johnny?" Connelly asked.

"I don't know and I'm not telling!" I snapped "You made him leave! I hate you!" I broke past them and tried to run out of the building.

Connelly took off his hat and pointed it at me.

"Don't!" Starling warned him.

"It's the only way!" Connelly told him.

He pointed the bottom end of his hat at me and the same static crackling from earlier filled my ears. Only this time it came with a jolting pain to my head and I felt my muscles tense up, before I fell down and blacked out.

🦎 Johnny's P.O.V 🦎

I peered in Y/N's bedroom window in my Rango form. She was laying in bed, with her mother and the doctor hanging over her.

"She's going to be alright, isn't she doc?" Her mother asked.

"I'm afraid not" the doctor told her gravely.

"What...?" Her mother asked agasp. "Well... well, why would she do a stupid thing like that for anyway?"

"Like what?" The doctor asked.

"Going down the stairs without her prosthetic..." her Mother spat.

"Whatever's wrong with your daughter, it has nothing to do with her legs" the doctor told her. "In fact, her legs seem perfect."

"Well, if it's not her legs then what is it?"

"I'm afraid your daughter is in very serious condition" the doctor informed her.

My breath hitched. What have Connelly and Starling done?!

"You mean... she could die...?" The sadness was heard in her mother's voice.

"If her pulse gets any weaker" the doctor sighed heavily.

Her mother began to swallow sobs. "Well, what's wrong with her?"

"Whatever it is, it's beyond my knowledge" the doctor said gravely. "All we can do now is wait and hope."

The doctor walked out of the room, followed by Y/N's distraught-looking mother.

I walked in the window and took a flying leap onto the bed, before transforming back into my human form.

I caressed her forehead. "Hello, darling" I whispered.

Her eyes fluttered open slowly. "I thought you went away" she mumbled weakly.

"I did... but I couldn't stay away from my darling for long" I smiled softly. "What happened?"

"I don't really know" She said. "I saw those two guys that were after you, then I fell. Am I going to die, Johnny?"

"Eventually" I told her, honestly. "But not right now. Close your eyes..."

She closed her eyes and I placed my hat on her head. The sound of crackling static was heard as I carefully reworked her nervous system to heal what Connelly and Starling did to her. When I saw the color return to her cheeks, I lifted the hat off her head.

"How do you feel now?" I asked her.

"I feel wonderful" Y/N sat up, smiling at me. "Thank you, Johnny." Her smile vanished as she glanced over my shoulder. "Johnny..."

"I know" I sighed. "They're here."

I turned and saw Connelly and Starling standing behind us. They approached me and then bowed their heads.

"Your majesty..." they said.

I stood up from the bed, keeping a hand on Y/N's shoulder. "I hope you both realize what a terrible stunt you pulled" I told them sternly. "Hurting a little girl, just to get to me..."

"We didn't want to hurt her, your majesty" Starling apologized. "We only did it, because we knew you'd come back to cure her."

"I understand" I told them. "But I still don't approve of it."

"What's going on?" Y/N asked. "What's with the your majesty stuff?"

"Well, darling" I told her. "I have to come clean with you. I'm not a criminal and these men aren't really policemen. They're subjects of mine. And unfortunately, I am what you would call their king."

Y/N smirked skeptically. "Are you for real?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die" I vowed.

"Well, then why were you running away?" She asked.

"It's kind of embarrassing" I shrugged shyly. "My father, the old king, died a few months ago. And I guess I got scared, I was never cut out to be a king, with all the fuss and responsibility. And I knew I'd be stuck with the job for the next five thousand years, so I ran away and hid out on this planet."

"Well, you must've been a pretty good king if these guys went through all this trouble to get you back" Y/N nodded toward Connelly and Starling.

"That's true, Miss" Connelly nodded. "He was the best of kings. That's why we want him back."

"We're as fond of him as you are" Starling agreed.

"But you can't have him back" She wrapped her arms around me. "At least... not unless you take me too."

"It's impossible, sir" Connelly advised him.

"You know the rules" Starling reminded him. "It isn't permitted."

"Please Johnny, don't leave me" Y/N pleaded. "I love you, Johnny. I always have."

"I know" I told her. "And I love you. You're everything I ever wanted. I wish there was some way we could..."

Suddenly a look came over Y/N's face. The look of an ingenious idea.

She reached up on her tiptoes and whispered something in my ear.

I turned to Connelly and Starling. "Gentlemen, may I have five minutes alone with Y/N to say goodbye."

"Sir..." Connelly started.

"I solemnly swear on our fathers that I will not run away" I told them. "Just a few minutes..."

"Very well" Connelly nodded. "Five minutes, your majesty."

"Thank you" Johnny smiled.

The two men left the room, leaving us in private.

👧Y/N's P.O.V👧

Five minutes later, Starling knocked on my bedroom door.

"Your majesty?" He called to Johnny. "It's time."

They opened the door and their eyes widened. I was sitting on the bed just as I had been before. But they were surprised to see a clone of me seated beside her. My plan soon became clear to them. I had Johnny transform himself into my exact double to avoid the two of us being separated!

"Your... your majesty?" Connelly asked, confused.

"Yes?" We both said in unison.

"No! This isn't fair!" Connelly moaned. "You can't do this to us, your majesty."

"Looks like you'll have to take both of us now" I said.

"Because it wouldn't look good if you brought back a human instead of your king, now would it?" The other me smirked.

"But this isn't fair, your majesty!" Starling whined.

"What makes you think it's meant to be fair?" One of us replied. "It's no more fair than the royal rules."

"Besides" the other Y/N said. "This is a positive thing. You came to earth to find your king, and you're returning with a king and... a new queen."

Connelly and Starling glanced at each other in dismay and finally with a resigned shrug, ushered both of us away to our new life.

Present Day

I often think back to that day and how it must've been for my poor mother. For she had more temper than imagination, so it must've been a surprise for her when she found the note that was left on my pillow. She probably never realized that Johnny was really a young alien prince in disguise the whole time she knew him. And it probably never occurred to her that her daughter would grow up to become the queen of a beautiful and distant planet among the stars. And yet, here we are today...

I sighed sadly, staring up at our portrait. I missed Johnny terribly when he left on these interplanetary diplomacy missions.

I turned when I heard Starling walking into the throne room.

"If it pleases her majesty..." he said. "I've been informed that your husband's ship has left the planet of Broncozolis and is headed home."

"Really?" I asked. "Well, don't believe everything you hear, Starling. Because I know my husband's ship landed on our planet half an hour ago and he was so excited to see me, he neglected his luggage to come and see me."

Starling smiled. "Her majesty has impeccable instincts."

"I also have peck-able lips" I grinned, pulling him by his collar and smooching his lips long and hungrily.

"Your majesty!" Starling gasped, biting back a smile. "What will the king say?!"

"Johnny, come off it" I giggled. "I know it's you."

Starling grinned and pulled his hat down over him and turned back into my Johnny.

"How did you know?" He asked, laughing.

"Isn't it obvious?" I shugged. "Besides what kind of a queen would I be if I didn't recognize my own king?" I kissed him again. "I missed you..."

"I missed you..." he wrapped his arms around me. "If they ever take me away from you for that long again... I'll have to change myself into you again."

"No!" I giggled. "It's freaky weird getting kissed by myself!"

"Well, I can't help it!" Johnny chuckled, kiss me again. "I love you."

"Say I'm weary, say I'm sad" I recited. "Say that health and wealth have missed me, say that I am growing old, but then... Johnny kissed me."

Johnny cringed. "Who wrote that?"

"You did" I bumped him playfully with my hip.

"Oh, right!" Johnny nodded. "I must've been really desperate to win you over back then!"

"But do you regret it?" I asked.

He pulled me close and kissed me again.

"Never..."