After The Rain Goes, There Are Rainbows... (*Will WE*) Find (*Our*) Rainbow Soon??? (Or, The Adventures of Pinocchio and Thumbelina and Dorothy [-And Snow White])

It was a *BEAUTIFUL* night tonight, the stars shining like diamonds high above the roofs of the literally-sleepy quaint colorful pretty little village and the castle in the deep blue velvety sky, and the pearly almost-full moon gently beaming her rays down upon them also- almost but *not quite* matching those of the North/Wishing Star. Pretty as a picture in a storybook- no; *MORE THAN that*...

Little Cedar Dorothea Snowdrop Tommelise Gale sighed happily with her warm brown elfin chin in her matching small hand for once *NOT flecked and spotted with many different colors of paint or chalk* as she leaned on the sill of her bedroom window, her big brown eyes sparkling like stars themselves in joy and wonder from her adorable rosy-cheeked face framed by long waves of dark auburn hair tonight tied in two plaits like one of her namesakes- who also happened to be (one of) her beloved aunt(s). (Or 'zia', in Italian). She SHOULD be in bed *PROPER*, she well-knew- and soon would be! She was just waiting for either Aunt Dory, Aunt Elphie, Aunt 'Lina, Aunt Snow, Aunt Carol, Uncle Neal, or Aunt Elphie's 'papi' who was not really *CEDAR'S grandfather* like he was Liir's, Rain's, Raven's, or Ashlynn's, but was so very LIKE a 'nonno' to her and Relia and Mela as much as 'Nonnina' Barbara was *EVERYONE'S* loving doting caring grandmother that Cedar and 'Co.' called Sir Oscar Zoroaster (he had even more middle names, but they were TOO MANY to list *EVERY day*) Diggs their grandfather same as their *ACTUAL 'nonno'* Nonna Barbara's formerly long-lost husband to come in and tell her a bedtime story. (Her parents usually would, of course, but not tonight, since they were out on what was called a 'date'- meaning that they wouldn't be back until Cedar was sound asleep and had been for a good while.)

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Suddenly, she heard a soft tap of what were more BEDROOM SLIPPERS than *ACTUAL shoes*... and a soft voice sort of similar to Papi Jiminy's in accent and pitch singing sweetly. Both belonging to the 'Sentimental Man' whom she (also) called 'Grandfather'.

~"The Evenin' Star is shinin' bright,
So *make a wish* and HOLD ON TIGHT-
And *ANYTHING* can happen*...

Someday I'll wish upon that star
An' wake up where th' clouds
Are *far b'hind me*-
Somewhere over th' rainbow...
That's where you'll find me..."~

Cedar wasn't really a cheeky sort of girl, even if occasionally blunt and matter-of-fact- but right now, as the sweet little girl turned around, she couldn't help herself. "Are you trying to *SING me to sleep*, Nonno Oscar??" she inquired both simply curiously and slightly impishly, her eyes now more *twinkling* than sparkling or shining while a Puckish smile danced over her lips.

'Nonno Oscar' laughed and shook his head as he stepped inside, as dressed for bed as Cedar was rather than 'all spiffed up' like mostly usual. "No- not yet, Cedar honey. That's LATER. Y' know, *AFTER your bedtime story*. -Speakin' 'f which, y' ready, my pretty little brown girl??"

(This was 'Nonno Oscar's' special name for her used by HIM ALONE. Some might have found it Offensive, but Cedar had never minded. After all, *she WAS* the color of either chocolate or wood rather than snowporcelainmoonmilk-flower-pale/fair like her parents, most of her aunts, uncle, her grandparents on both sides of the family, and cousins [save for Rain and Aunt Elphie, who had both '*cleaned up GREEN*' from the moment they were not only born but *conceived*- green as grass or emeralds or jade or fresh leaves or limes if not exotic avocados] and had always been, since she'd been ADOPTED rather than Born To Her Two Fathers!)

Cedar more bounced than slid or crawled away from the window, across the bed, and then under the covers before she snuggled into her pillow(s) and cuddled her stuffed rabbit Velvy to her small thin pink-and-lace-covered breast. Then she looked up at 'Oz the Great and Terrible and Powerful' and chirruped, "Yup! Uh-huh! I'm ready, Nonnino!"

"Ahhh- so you are. But what's *the MAGIC WORD*, little miss Cedar Gale??" he tisked with a slight finger-wag (but also a twinkle in his own bright blue eyes and a soft fond happy grin playing over his mouth just underneath his mustache as pure silvery-white as his hair).

"*Pretty please*, Mr. Wizard?" Cedar implored, justbarely managing to bite back and swallow down a tickled giggle so as to Stay In Character even as she pouted just a little and ever so slightly batted her eyelashes over her big puppy-eyes gone even bigger and wider.

Another laugh- this one even softer and more fond. *Loving*, even. Same as the sparkle in his eyes that in another lifetime might have eventually become cold and hard and calculating and *FAKE-warm* as he lowered his finger and gently gently tousled Cedar's thick velvety deep reddish-brown locks. "*But OF COURSE*, my dear! The beneficent Oz has EVERY INTENTION of granting your request since you asked him so nice and polite."
Then he dropped Character completely by way of bending down and pressing a kiss to the top of Cedar's head and murmuring, "Budge over, sweetheart?"

Of course, being a good sweet girl, Cedar readily obliged- then readily cuddled against his soft soft nice clean fresh-smelling emerald-green bathrobe as well as his chest, sighing happily when she felt and sensed him giving her a 'bunny hug' in return.

"Now, then... What story would you like ol' Nonnino Oscar t' tell you t'night, little brown girl?"

"Tell me the story of how Papa and Papi, Aunt Dory and Aunt Elphie, Aunt 'Lina and Uncle Neal, and Aunt Snow and Aunt Carol met, please, Nonnino," Cedar replied sweetly.

"And *fell in love* along with Auntie Rapunzel and Uncle Boq??" Oscar added both seriously and teasingly, his eyes a-twinkling with mischief and mirth again.

Usually- 'normally', a child, be they boy or girl, would scrunch up his-or-her nose and mouth and eyes, gag, stick out their tongue, and either grumble or squeal '*Ewwww*!! *GROSS, Grandpa*! Do we HAVE TO do The Kissing Scene??!' -But CEDAR, on the other hand, only smiled big and bright and *even SPARKLING*, nodded, and parroted eagerly and happily "*And FELL IN LOVE*...!" before adding excitedly (though also a bit sadly), "And got separated for a long long time because 'f a mean greedy old toad, gross beetle, and a *NOT-nice* mole...! (Well, *Aunt 'Lina and Uncle Neal, Aunt Dory and Aunt Elphie, and Papa and Papi* did- Uncle Boq and Aunt Rapunzel didn't, and Aunt Snow met AUNT CAROL while she, Papa, and my other two 'zias' were Lost...)"

'Nonno Oscar' smiled softly and lovingly down at one of his *HONORARY granddaughters* whom he adored as much as Rain and Liir (and of course his 'little emerald' Elphaba)- then said in the same tone of voice, "Alright, Cedar darlin'. Th' story of Thumbelina, Pinocchio, and Dorothy Gale and Princess Snow White Muller-Gale it is, then...

And so he began doing what he felt he did best even more than Magic from his own youth to his years as a father to now being a *GRAND-father*: *story-telling*.

"Once upon a time, there was a sweet but lonely middle-aged woman named 'Barbara' who longed for a child to *FINALLY call her own*. Her husband (God rest his soul) had been dead for a year now, and they had sadly both been barren. -But though she was very very sad still, she did not wish to spend the rest of her own life mourning. That was not at all what he would have wanted! Her 'tesoro amore' would have wanted her to LIVE- to give a child or a few children *a home and family of their own*, small and humble though it was...!

"And so, one day, she paid a visit to the Good Witch of the North Locasta- and after hearing about her troubles and her Wish, the just-as-sweet old woman gave Barbara a gift. What was it??? *A tiny barley-corn*. 'Plant it in a flower-pot on your window-sill, my dear- water and feed it well, protect it carefully, and then see what happens...!' she said with a friendly wink and twinkle of her eye.

"Barbara thanked the Good Witch from the bottom of her heart before heading straight home with her tiny treasure in her hands- and once she got home (being enthusiastically greeted by her little black puppy Toto and little black-and-white kitten Figaro as usual, of course), she set out to do what Lady Locasta had kindly but firmly instructed her to do. And as a result, that tiny little barley seed sprouted and blossomed faster than any other flower she'd ever grown before...! (In *THREE DAYS' time*, to be exact.) But not into a *barley-PLANT*- ohhhh, nonono! It grew and blossomed into A FLOWER- a tulip as red as any rose or poppy...

"She was so overcome by the wonder and beauty of it, that she not only leaned down and *SMELLED that pretty pretty flower*, but *gently kissed the tips of its' still-closed petals* as well. And when those silken-velvet crimson petals opened in the same manner as a stage curtain, what did she find lying curled up sound asleep on/in the center??? -Well, I'll tell you, my pretty little brown girl Cedar..."