Hello, little ones. What can I do for you human children?

Ah, yes. I do in fact know many stories. When you get to be as old as I am, you-

Please don't interrupt me, child. Yes, you wanted a story, I'm going to tell you a godsdamned story. Can't you let a lonely dragon who hasn't had visitors in hundreds of years talk?

Fine. There was once a female named Ella-

Stop interrupting! You may think you know the story, but you don't, so SHUT UP!

Anyway. She lived on a farm with her stepmother, and two stepsisters. They despised the poor girl, and forced her to do all sorts of chores. The most common chores were cleaning, cooking, and tending the fire in winter. When she finished she would be so covered in ash and soot, all that was pale about her would be black. Because of this, her stepsisters started calling her Ella of Cinders. 

In a nearby town, there were two twins, a prince and a princess. Ella's sisters loved the prince. Ella wasn't interested in the prince. But she pretended to agree with her sisters. One day, they received an invite.

"It's from the prince!" They cried. "He wants all the most beautiful girls in the whole country to come to his ball tonight!"

Ella had also received a letter. Hers was even signed by him! Her sisters were extremely jealous. 

"Why would he want you? Just look at you. So pale, and green." One scoffed.

"And that hair, so short and scraggly." Snarled the other.

"Girls, girls." The stepmother intervened. "Don't be so rude! Ella, dear, how about this. Make us each a beautiful dress to wear, and you can go."

Ella was suprised at this development. "O-okay. "

"Hurrah." her stepmother crowed. "Do your best with your supplies, Ella."

Ella then saw the trick. "But. . . I don't have any supplies."

"Oh, dear!" The stepmother cried, locking Ella's window shut. "What a horrendous development."

Ella became frightened. "W-what, mother, what are you doing!"

But it was too late. Ella had been locked in her closet of a bedroom. She sat on her bed and began to weep. "However will I go the the ball, now?"

And then, a fairy appeared. "I can help you, child." She waved her wand,  and magically the girl was swathed in a beautiful golden dress. Ella gasped in delight.

"Oh, it gets even better!" Giggled the fairy. She magicked up a mirror, and turned it towards Ella.

Ella stared in wonder. She looked incredibly different! Her once green abd leathery skin was peach and dusted with gold powder. Her blue eyes were big and bright in hue. She was petite instead of tall.

"Why would you do this for me?" She wondered aloud.

The fairy grinned and shrugged. "I like sowing trouble. Make sure it gets interesting, will you?"

Ella blinked at the fairy in curiousity.

The fairy touched the door with her wand and sang, "Make sure you stay around until midnight!" Before dissapearing in a cloud of glitter.

Ella shrugged, and slipped out the door. She snuck out of the house, and carefully mounted the remaining horse, who hardly shied away from her at all.

She rode quickly to the ball, and left her steed with the man outside the hall.

She strode in, and the room fell utterly silent. She smiled, and the prince approached her.
"My dear lady." He murmured. "Would you care for a dance?"

Ella took his proffered hand, and murmured, "My prince, of course."

They danced together for so long, she felt like her legs would fall off.

She finally managed to break away, and stood outside in cool night air.

The prince slipped outside soon after, and they stood in companiable silence, until the clock began to chime.

She jerked, and fell the the ground.

The prince gasped and attempted to help her up. "My lady!"

She pushed him away, and her dress began to disintegrate. As the pool of dress powder grew, so did she. Soon, she was back to her normal height, and she could feel the maleup flaking off her leathery skin. She could feel her wings bursting through the remaining dress scraps.

She looked down at the prince, and could see the awe and confusion covering his face.

She scooped him up in one talon and took off. She flew to her home, and then deposited him on the ground. She explained to him what had happened, and he nodded gravely. "I'll help you." He hid in the hay to await her cruel family.

She sprawled out on the grass, and dozed off.

When she awoke, she could hear her family screaming. When it ended, the prince walked up to her, drenched in quickly congealing red liquid, and he murmured, "Let's go."

Ella helped him onto her back, and flew him back to the castle, where she lived happy for the rest of her days."