You continue your search to collect story pieces and repair the broken stories. What’s that sound? Is someone crying? Yes, but not just crying. They’re sobbing uncontrollably. 

STELLA: Bella!!!! Cinderella!? Bella, where are you? Cinderella, come back!!!

You locate where this crying is coming from (it’s not hard due to its volume). It’s a young woman, sprawled on a chaise lounge. She reminds you of a cross between Miss Piggy and Lola from Big Mouth. She’s in a beautiful dressing room, in the midst of getting ready for some sort of fancy outing. There’s dresses hung along the walls and a vanity with various make-up brushes and perfumes. In the middle of the room is a bunch of wrapped presents, neatly organized in a grid, resting on little plinths. 

STELLA: Oh my gosh HELP ME. Do you know where Bella went?

You don’t. 

STELLA: Okay well have you seen Cinderella? 

You haven’t. 

STELLA: What is this, like, your first day? Who even are you?

You explain that you’re Searchers, helping Bonnie and Max to fix the broken stories. 

STELLA: Okay well I’M BROKEN. My twin sister, Bella, and I are supposed to be getting ready for the Ball and Cinderella was supposed to help us but she ran off and now I can’t find Bella anywhere and my birthday is ruined and my life is over. 

Her birthday? Well that explains all the presents, you think. She starts crying again, even worse than before. You obviously need to help her. (And you would love it if she stopped crying, it’s only getting louder). You offer your services.

STELLA: Really?! You’d help me get ready for the Ball? But do you understand fashion? Do you understand the complicated nuance of assembling a look so devastatingly gorgeous that it could physically kill a man? Fashion is not for the faint of heart. 

You’re up for the task. Stella explains that in all her birthday presents are the various things she wants to wear to the Ball. It’s your job to find those things. Easy enough. But the problem is her and her sister Bella always, always, always have to match, so you can’t just find one clothing item, you have to find two of them and you have to reveal them at the same time. This way she can bring the items to Bella so they match for the Ball. 

STELLA: And I know that may sound like extra work, but it’s tradition! It’s how Bella and I always get ready and you canNOT mess with the process. 

She pairs everyone up. When it’s your turn she asks you to locate her gloves. She gets you both to select a present that you think might have the gloves in it. There’s a lot of presents to choose from but you and your partner each select a box…

You reveal a Tiara; Your partner reveals a feathered Boa!

STELLA: Ew! Ew! Ew! Not a match! I asked for my GLOVES. 

You and your partner stand to the side and wait for your next turn to find the gloves. Another pair takes a turn, this time looking for earrings. They get a match! 

STELLA: It’s a MATCH! Thank you! You can bring me both pairs of earrings now. 

As Stella puts on her earrings and saves the other pair for her sister, another pair takes a turn, hunting for shoes. One of them reveals a broach, and one of them reveals…GLOVES! Not a match for them, but now you’re catching on to the game. Turn after turn your team watches, learning where the objects they’re looking for are placed, and taking their chance at revealing their pair. Eventually all the objects are revealed and Stella is fully dressed. 

STELLA: Okay, I’m just gonna say it. Worth the effort. I mean, look at me! I hope I don’t cause an accident on the way to the Ball! Let’s go!

You follow Stella out of the room and run into another search party and…BELLA!

STELLA / BELLA: Sister! 

BELLA: You’re gorgeous.

STELLA: YOU’RE gorgeous! 

BOTH: We’re GORGEOUS!

As they exchange items and complete their looks (Bella gives Stella her earrings, Stella gives Bella some pearls and so on) they realize they have an extra Tiara. 

BELLA: Do you guys wanna, like, keep it?

STELLA: It’s worth a lot of money. 

BELLA: But its beauty is -

BOTH: Priceless. 

BELLA: That’s cause it’s a crown fit for a Hero. 

STELLA: Every story needs a Hero.

BELLA: And they aren’t always what you would expect. 

STELLA: Like us! We’ve been called wicked. 

BELLA: Evil.

STELLA: We’ve been portrayed by men in their 50s wearing dresses.

BELLA: But really we’re just smart and beautiful. 

BOTH: Two girls with a dream. 

They remind you that everyone is the hero of their own story. As they flounce away to their ball you think to yourself: I’m a hero. That’s pretty cool.