---

Once upon a time people lived in an enchanted world at the Palace of St. McKinley. And in that world of Kings and Princes and elegant palaces there would be grand parties. But sadly while it was a beautiful, magical time, it would soon be gone forever.

Currently in the Palace of St. McKinley, in the middle of the summer, there was a party being held. The orchestra was playing in the main hall. Everyone in the hall turned and looked up at King Burt who was standing next to his wife, Queen Elizabeth. Their entire family was supposed to be standing on the top of the steps, but they were missing someone.

An eight year old was running down another flight of stairs with his servant, Emma, holding his hand, "You are late Prince Kurtis and it's all fault."

"I told you to call me just Kurtis," the boy said, "And I'm not late, everyone else is early, besides no one will notice."

Emma let out a laugh, "Oh sire, you have a bit of dirt on your face." She grabbed a cloth from her pocket and stopped the young boy from running. "Now don't move," she said wiping his face.

"No, I'm fine," Kurtis said backing up into the curtains and tripping on them causing him to fall down. He was now in the audience of his mother and father, along with everyone else getting ready for the royal family's appearance.

Kurtis stood up and wiped his face quickly, along with his jacket and pants. He walked over to stand next to his mother and father.

King Burt looked down at his son and gave him a smile. Kurtis gave him a smile back. Kurtis held up his head as he walked with an abundance of energy and confidence for a boy his age.

The music suddenly begins to get louder and a flourish of trumpets ring through out the grand ballroom. The royal family enters the ballroom and all eyes are on them. The elegant guests are staring up at them in awe. They all love the royal family and admired them. They knew with a certainty that the Hummels would rule over the land of Lima forever.

Couples were dancing gracefully through out the entire ballroom. Kurtis was dancing with his mother and smiling up at her.

Off at the head of the room sat King Burt sitting next to his sister, Sophia. Sophia is Burt's older sister, but being a woman she wasn't able to take the throne. In the end she married once, but he died young, which led to never having children of her own. She was quite close to Kurtis and he often wanted to go on holidays with her.

Back down on the ballroom floor, underneath the long buffet table was a small servant boy, who was dressed in ragged servant clothes, with dark curly hair that was falling in front of his face. His eyes were darting across the ballroom watching all of the guests. He was envious of them.

The boy spotted Kurtis dancing with his mother. He looked away just as Kurtis looked over at him.

The servants walk in carrying trays of beautiful tropical fruits which cause of the all guests so make pleasing noises eyeing the extravagant fruit.

Kurtis watches as the young servant boy stare at the fruit with wide and hungry eyes. He doesn't miss a step as he grabs an orange off one of the trays and tosses it over to the boy.

The boy catches the fruit and smiles broadly at him. But then a sudden hand grabs his arm and pulls him out fro underneath the table. The boy recognizes him as the head servant, Thomas. He pulls him into an open wall panel.

"You are a servant," Thomas said taking the orange from the young boy's hands, "Never forget your place."

The boy gives him a look, "Someday my place will be out there!"

"Never," Thomas shouts, "You're a peasant Blaine! Back in the kitchen with you!"

In the ballroom, Kurtis takes a break from dancing with his mom and runs over to see his aunt. He sits down next to his Aunt Sophia and smiles up at her.

"Why were you so late tonight?" Sophia asked him.

Kurtis looked down at his feet, "I was showing Emma something," he shrugged his shoulders.

Sophia knew her nephew better than that, "What were you showing her?"

"How to read," Kurtis said with a sly grin.

Sophia shook her head with a laugh, "I thought you were told not to tutor your servants anymore."

"I know," Kurtis said and looked up at his aunt, "But I had to because-" He knew from the look on his aunt's face he didn't have to explain why. She just knew, she always knew. "Oh, Aunt Sophia, why do you have to leave to go to Paris soon?"

"Well it's where I made my home," Sophia explained, "But I may have a present for you."

Kurtis got excited as his aunt reaches from behind her chair and presents a beautiful music box. The music box is small and circular. It's gold and has green accents. She picks up a key. It is a small golden key, on a gold neck chain and winds the small music box up. She then hands the key to Kurtis, opening the music box as the music begins to play.

"Oh, it's the song you always sing to me," Kurtis said excitedly.

Sophia starts to sing and smiles at her nephew.

On the wind across the sea

Here this song and remember

Kurt joins in with his aunt and sings softly.

Soon you'll be home with me

Once upon a December

Kurt holds the small music box close to his heart. "Read what is says," Sophia said to him.

Kurt picks up the small key and reads the small words, "Together in Paris, oh Aunt Sophia," he threw his arms around her neck. He pulled back and looked up slowly, "When will I be able to travel with you?"

"When you are older," Sophia told him. Kurtis makes a disgruntled face and it makes his aunt laugh. "Until then whenever you hear this song, think of me and know that I am thinking about you just as much as you are thinking about me."

Sophia takes the key and places it around Kurtis's neck. Kurtis throws his arms around his aunt's neck.

Suddenly the lights begin to fade in and out. The people in the ballroom all look around bewildered. Then a whirlwind starts in the center and sends everyone off of the dance floor. The whirlwind becomes a tornado.

A small albino bat, Chandler, with huge eyes springs out of the funnel, screeching and swooping over the crowd, causing everyone to duck and cover their heads in fear.

The tornado reaches its peak and explodes in smoke. Left standing alone in the middle of the room was the evil and sinister Sebastian. His age is undetermined by his looks, but his presence keeps him towering over the other men in the room and he looks young yet worse for wear. His striking features are his pointed face. He is dressed in long black robes tied at the waist with a satin rope. Hooked onto the rope is a mystical lantern, reliquary.

The royal family is huddled together at the head table. But a king never stands down. Burt stands up and stares at the man, "Sebastian, how can you be alive?"

Sebastian waves a hand in the air, "Despite being shot, poisoned, and thrown into an icy river...One would wonder."

Burt is shocked and shakes his head, "I had nothing to do with that." He answers honestly to him.

"You gave the orders!" Sebastian shouts at him.

"I did no such thing," Burt yells at him.

Flames started swirling around Sebastian, "After all I've done for your family. You tried to kill me!"

Sebastian grabs his reliquary from his satin rope, and swings it about with smoke coming out of it. Eerie moaning noises come from the lantern and people are backing away in terror.

"The Hummel dynasty ends here! You, your wife, and child will all die within the fortnight," Sebastian shouts into the room.

Kurtis can't take sitting still anymore, "NO!" he shouts out. He pushes his aunt's hands away and rushes in front of his father, "We are not afraid of you!"

"You...my little Porcelain...you'll be so much fun to kill that I'll save you for last!" Sebastian roared at him. He twirled his reliquary again and the moans grew louder. Chandler circles around his head. The smoke emerges and seems to have an almost human shape to it.

"This is the end of the Hummel line forever!" Sebastian shouts and it causes the tornado of smoke to begin again. And it starts whipping into a frenzy and then exploding.

The smoke clears and Sebastian is gone. The lights return to normal and the Hummel family all stand together. The three of them try to look regal and in control again.

They say that Sebastian harnessed all of the dark powers of evil and that it was his curse that brought about the end. One thing the people knew for sure, was that all of the beauty of the world had would soon be gone...forever.

During the night it seemed all was calm until a fire started in the main hall and started to spread. It set the curtains on fire and people were curious what the noises where.

A screaming mob started, some in uniform while others were not. People were running through the halls and heard from far off were rifle shots.

Kurtis bolted up from hearing the shots. He glances on his nightstand and sees his music box still sitting there. He can hear the sudden shots from outside his door.

Kurtis gets out of bed and looks into the hallway. Sophia is suddenly at his side and grabbing his hand. They start running down the hall when Kurtis stops suddenly.

"My music box!" Kurtis shouts and turns around to run back the hall towards his room.

"Kurtis, no!" Sophia reaches out for him, but it's too late since he is already running back down the hall fighting the crowd. Sophia has no choice but to follow her nephew.

Kurtis runs into his room and grabs his music box from the nightstand. Sophia runs inside of the room after him, "Hurry Kurtis!"

Loud rifle shots are heard and the door bursts open with the small curly haired servant running in and slamming the door shut behind him. Blaine looked up and saw the Duchess and Prince in the room.

"We need to get out here," Sophia said trying to go through the door.

"No," Blaine shook his head. He ran over to the wall and pulled a panel open, "This way." He pointed to passageway, "Go! Run! Out the servant's quarters!"

Sophia looked gratefully at the young boy as he brushed the curls away from his face.

"Go!" Blaine shouted at them.

Sophia crawls inside of the passageway and Blaine pushes Kurtis inside after his aunt. It causes Kurtis to lose the music box from his hands. He reaches for it, but hearing the mob voices growing closer, Blaine pushes Kurtis through the panel without the object. "Go!" he repeats to them through the closed door.

Sophia takes Kurtis's hand and they start to walk down the small, narrow, passage way. Blaine throws his body over the panel just as the mob bursts into the room.

"No one is in here! Let's try the next room!" Blaine shouts hoping they believe him. The mob seems to accept his answer and rush out of the room. Blaine picks up the music box and looks sadly towards the panel.

At the train station, royalists are running around everywhere trying to board the overcrowded trains. The revolutionaries are trying to stop them. The train starts to pull away.

Sophia and Kurtis run out onto the street and race for the train. They were fighting their way through the frenzied and frightened crowd.

"The Duchess! Let her through!" someone shouts. It helps clear the way.

Kurtis reaches the train first and then turns to see his aunt trying to catch up with the train. "Hurry Aunt Sophia!"

"Get on, Kurtis! Get on!" Sophia shouts.

Kurtis refuses to board the train without his aunt. Up ahead there is a mob of revolutionaries who are blocking the train tracks with a truck. Kurtis pushes his aunt up the stairs of the caboose. Because of this, he finds himself a few steps behind as the train speeds up.

Sophia is gripped by the other passengers as she reaches out to Kurtis. "Grab my hand!" she shouts.

Kurtis reaches out to take his aunt's hand, "Don't let go!" he yells back. But then suddenly their hands are ripped apart and Kurtis stumbles to the ground.

"Kurtis!" Sophia yells out.

Kurtis falls to the ground hard and is left laying there.

Sophia can't believe it, "KURTIS!" she shouts. She rushes to jump off the train, but the other passengers hold her back.

The train crashes into the truck and picks up speed. Kurtis lifts his head slowly and holds out his hand, but he is quickly swallowed up by the mob.

That is last time Sophia ever saw her nephew again.

---

St. McKinley isn't the town it used to be. The streets are lined with people who don't have anywhere to live and are frightened for their lives on a daily basis. Once the Hummel's were killed that night ten years ago, the monarch was overthrown and communists took over the small country of Lima.

One thing that has kept the town running is the rumor mill it has.

An old woman holding up a shirt started to sing, "St. McKinley is gloomy!"

"St. McKinley is bleak," a younger woman said.

An older man who works outside walked up behind them, "My underwear got frozen standing here all week."

"Oh, since the revolution our lives have been so gray," they all sing together.

Then the entire town joins in singing.

Thank goodness for the gossip that gets us through the day!

Hey!

Have you heard?

There's a rumor in St. McKinley?

Have you heard?

What they're saying on the street?

Although the King did not survive,

One noble son may be alive.

Our one and only prince Kurtis!

A man hiding behind a cart ducks down and sings, "But please do not repeat."

The town then begins to sing once again.

It's a rumor,

A legend,

A mystery!

Something whispered in an alleyway

Or through a crack!

It's a rumor

That's part of our history.

An older woman walked up behind a young couple, "They say his royal auntie will pay a royal sum."

The town nodded their heads, "To someone who can bring the prince back!"

A man trying to make a sale holds out his hand showing a painting, "A ruble for this painting! It's Hummel, I swear."

"Count Yusopov's pajamas! Comrade buy the pair," Another man said holding up a pair of large pants.

There was another man holding up some fur, "I got this from the palace. It's lined with real +fur!"

The three joined together, "It could be worth a fortune if it belonged to him!"

Blaine appeared walking out a door placing a newsboy cap on his head. He is now twenty and still has the same striking features since he had when he was a child. His hair is still curly and falling down in front of his face. He smiled and began singing.

It's the rumor,

The legend,

The mystery!

It's the Prince Kurtis who will help us fly!

He appeared along side his older brother Cooper. Cooper had tamed dark hair on his head and had handsome looks, many often questioned if he was royalty. He was about ten years older than Blaine, and took care of his younger brother after the revolutionaries took over the palace killing both of their parents.

Blaine opened another door and his brother followed him out.

You and I friend

Will go down in history!

We'll find a boy to play the part and teach him what to say,

Dress him up and take him to Paree!

Imagine the reward his dear old Auntie will pay!

Who else could pull it off but you and me?

We'll be rich!

Cooper smiled and put an arm around Blaine's shoulders, "We'll be rich!"

"We'll be out!" Blaine said punching the air.

Cooper held out his hand to let Blaine walk pass him, "We'll be out!"

They both started walking together, "And St. McKinley will have some more to talk about!"

The town once again joined together to sing.

Shh!

Have you heard

There's a rumor in St McKinley?

Have you heard

What they're saying on the street?

Hey!

Hey!

Hey!

Have you heard

There's a rumor in St. McKinley!

Have you heard!

An excited old woman smiled, "Comrade what do you suppose?"

"A fascinating mystery," the town answered back with song.

Blaine jumped on the back of a bus, "The biggest con in history!" Cooper joined him.

The town then sang together again, "The Prince Kurtis, alive or dead?"

"Who knows?" an old man pushing a cart with old pots and pans shrugs answering for all.

---

Kurt, who is now eighteen, is busy scrubbing the floor of the orphanage. Despite being in hand-me-down clothes that are two sizes to big, which he is forced to wear, he keeps busy with his tasks. He hums a tune not to let his surroundings get to him.

The door slams open and a young boy, Kevin who is only eight years old, comes running in with a look of terror on his face. He is followed by Sue Sylvester, a tall horrifying woman carrying a paddle.

"Kurt! Kurt!" the boy runs over to the opposite side of the room trying to hide in a corner.

All of the other children in the room turn away, not wanting to get involved. Kurt then focuses on Kevin, who is shivering with fright and on the verge of tears as Sue approaches swinging her paddle menacingly.

"You can't get away from now," Sue said with an evil grin. She raises her hand with the paddle in hand.

Kurt is faster as he grabs the scrub brush he was using and shoves it across the floor, right under Sue's unsuspecting foot. Sue's feet fly out from underneath her and she smashes onto the floor.

Kevin jumps over Sue's body and runs to Kurt for safety. Some of the other children glance over. A boy with a bowl cut and a boy with his hair freshly buzzed off, look at Kurt with admiration. While some of the other children think he is crazy for defying their caretaker.

Sue stands with soap bubbles covering her. She spins and points directly at Kurt who is giving her an innocent smile, "You! You did this!"

Some of the children begin to laugh as the soap bubbles fly off the woman. She spins with her back now to Kurt.

"Brats! There'll be no supper for any of you! Now back to work!" Sue shouts at them.

Kurt stands up behind Sue, and begins to mimic her outraged face and angry gestures perfectly which causes the children to laugh harder.

Sue turns around and almost catches Kurt. She advances towards him as Kevin who is hiding between Kurt's legs hides his face.

"Don't touch him," Kurt says to her.

"You ragged, skinny, little brat," Sue shouts, "I have had just about enough of you." Sue raises a hand to slap Kurt, who holds his ground. But then she sniffs the air and the kids start to smell the horrible smell as well. They all make faces and hold their noses.

Sue quickly realizes what that smell is, "Oh Comrade Schuester. What a lovely surprise. What brings you here?" She is keeping up her act because if she doesn't she will lose the orphanage.

"I need...a worker," Will Schuester said. He catches Kurt's eye and looks him up and down. His eyes showing a sense of concern for him, "I will take him."

Schuster walks over to Kurt and leans in close, "Tomorrow you begin your life's work in my herring factory. You'll start by cutting off the tails and I'm pleased," he reached down and took a piece of invisible lint off his jacket, "You may just move up to cutting off head. How does that sound?"

Sue moves in between them, "No no, Comrade you don't want him."

"I want him," Schuester said sure of himself.

"That horrible skinny thing?" Sue shook her head, "He is crazy. He has no memory of anything before he came here. He didn't even know his name. He just found that name written on the jacket someone was wearing. That one is a rotten troublemaker, willful..."

"I will break him," Schuester said, "I shall come for you tomorrow at dawn." He reaches up to stroke Kurt's face.

Kurt pulls away.

"You'll enjoy serving under me," Schuester said smiling with anticipation. With that last word he leaves the building and walking down the road.

Sue then turns towards Kurt, "I couldn't break you, but I bet he can!" She leaves in a huff.

Kurt does one more imitation of her making the children laugh. But as Kurt turns away from his audience, his face falls and realizes the terror his future holds.

Later that night all of the children are huddled in their cots, which are lined up in three rows, under tattered thin blankets. Kurt, who is fully dressed, starts to tie the grey dull bed sheets together and anchors the rope to an ice cold radiator. The radiator hasn't worked since he came here, he doubt it ever would. He throws the other end out the window.

Kurt is about to climb out the window, when he looks at the sleeping children and smiles sadly. He walks over to Kevin's bed and takes the hand of the sleeping boy who opens his eyes and smiles.

"Kurt?" the young boy asked waking up. All of the other children soon awake and Kurt quickly shushes him. "Are you running away?"

"No," Kurt shook his head, "I'm running to."

A boy scrunches his face in confusion, "Running to? Running to what?"

"To find my home," Kurt stands proudly.

The little boy with a bowl cut looks up at Kurt, "But you are home."

"No. This isn't my home," Kurt shook his head, "This is just a building. Home is where you belong and none of us belong here."

"Where is your home, Kurt?" Kevin asked him.

Kurt pulls at the chain around his neck and a key slips out from underneath his clothes. He holds it to show him, "It says, Together in Paris. I was wearing this when I came here ten years ago, it's the only way that I know," he pauses, "That I know someone loved me."

"Is your home Paris?" a boy asked.

"It might be," Kurt shrugged, "I have to go and find out."

Kurt smiles lovingly at the children. They beg Kurt to sing them one more song. And Kurt does, he sings softly to the children about how all he has is this key around his neck that someone gave him that was lost long ago. He tells the children that he must leave and he will find them again.

"I have to go now, before it gets light," Kurt tells them.

Kevin looks up at him sadly, "But what if we can't ever find where we came from?"

Kurt smiles at him, "Then you'll have to make your own home. Lots of people do." He embraces the kids and walks to the window.

"Kurt, what if we can't find anyone who loves us?" Kevin asked now.

Kurt gave him a smile, "Then come find me." He grabs his rope and starts to scale down the window. He wasn't expecting the old sheets to start ripping, but they were and he landed on the ground into a snow bank.

"I hope there's no snow in Paris," Kurt said to himself as he brushed off the snow.

Kurt walked along the streets until the sun was starting to come up. He shivered as he walked and then thought of the first thing he loved to do. And that was to sing.

Heart don't fail me now

Courage don't desert me

Don't turn back now that we're here.

People's always say life is full of choices

No one ever mentions fear.

Or how the world can seem so vast

On the journey to the past.

He sang as he walked and saw the town of St. McKinley below. He picked up his pace and smiled thinking about the future.

Somewhere down this road

I know someone's waiting

Years of dreams just can't be wrong.

Arms will open wide

I'll be safe and wanted

Finally home where I belong

Well starry now I'm learning fast

On this journey to the past.

Stopping, he leaned on a fence singing to anyone who would listen to him.

Home, love, family

There was once a time I must have had them too.

Home, love, family

I will never be complete until I find you.

Walking along the path, Kurt found himself smiling. He kicked at the snow underneath his feet.

One step at a time

One hope than another

Who knows where this road may go

Back to who I was

On to find my future

Things my heart still needs to know.

Yes, let this be your sign

Let this road be mine

Let it lead me to my past

And bring me home at last.

Kurt finally took his first steps into the town and was amazed by all of it. He thinks there may be someone in this town who knows who he is, someone who loved him once.

Kurt spots a small grey kitten out of the corner of his eye. The kitten had something in his mouth and it took off running. "Hey wait," he called out chasing after the kitten.

The kitten ran down an alleyway and Kurt chased him. He looked around and couldn't find where the kitten went. He crouched down and spotted the kitten now surrounded by three dogs who want the fish hanging out of the kitten's mouth.

Kurt stood up and ran over, "Get away," he shooed the dogs. "Get out of here," he waved a hand at them.

The dogs walked away giving the kitten a look as they passed.

Kurt leaned down and reached his hand out slowly, "I think you should be a bit more careful about whom you invite to dinner."

The kitten gives him a small nod, Kurt swore he could anyways.

Kurt then looked up and spotted a large building with people surrounding it. He started to walk towards it, not knowing the kitten was following close behind him. On top of the building was large letters reading, 'The People's Bureau of Bureaucracy.' It seemed like an important place, so he walked inside.

The kitten was stopped when the door shut before he could walk inside to follow Kurt.

Stopping as he walked inside, Kurt saw that the lines of people went on and on. There seemed to be at least twenty of them. He walked down the side of one line trying to figure out where he should stand. "Um, I was wondering could someone tell me..."

"End of the line!" one of the people grunted at him.

Kurt looked over at him, "Which line?" Thankful someone was talking to him.

A woman in front of him pointed, "Any line."

"All lines are good lines," a younger looking man said to him.

"In our beloved Lima," they all chanted together. And then they all turned toward the armed guard at the door and smiled at him hoping he heard their flattery.

The guard nodded his head towards them, "Very good," as he wrote something down in his notebook.

Kurt thought that was funny, but started walking looking for an end of anyone of the lines. He spotted what he thought was the end of one line and stood in it, "Is this the correct line to get papers to travel?" he asked a woman in front of him.

"Travel? Travel to where?" the woman said to him.

Kurt smiled at her, "To Paris. I have to get to Paris."

A man who is in front of the woman turned around, "Paris! Why do they have in Paris that they don't have here?"

"Shorter lines," another man said in a teasing manner.

Suddenly two armed guards appeared and grabbed the man. He was pulled out of the building and thrown onto the streets.

A young woman with a baby on her hip lowered her voice, "Nobody ever leaves Lima."

Many of the other people nod their heads in agreement.

Kurt couldn't believe them. He had a family to find and he knew Paris had to be the right place to go. He waited until he was called to the front of the line.

"Hello, is this where I get traveling papers?" Kurt asked the clerk.

The clerk's eyes widened, "It would be if we let you travel which we don't so it isn't," he let his voice get louder, "Lima is the people's paradise."

To further make his point, the clerk slams the window shut on Kurt's face. He then opens it a crack to whisper, "See Blaine. He can help." The window is shut again and Kurt heard, "But you didn't here it from me," from behind the window.

Kurt looks at the window confused, "I didn't."

The clerk opens the window, "No." He then tosses a break sign out and slams the window shut one last time.

Kurt is confused and doesn't know exactly what to do now. He eyes the guards from earlier. He doesn't want any trouble, so he leaves to head out back onto the streets. "Cooper? There must be a hundred Coopers," he thought to himself.

The kitten is following Kurt once again. Kurt then smells something, he instantly recognizes the smell, turning he spots Schuester standing by a cart. He ducks down and notices the kitten. "Shoo," he tries to bat the kitten away.

Kurt stands slowly and peeks over a cart, he let out his breath as Schuester was walking the opposite way down the street. He looks over seeing two people waiting to be let into a café, so he walks over.

"Which line is this?" the woman shouted.

The man groaned, "The line to get into the line."

Kurt cleared his throat causing the two to look at him, "Excuse me, do you know Cooper?"

"I know nothing," the man shouts.

The woman shook her head, "Nothing."

Then the couple pulls him close and whisper, "Try the tavern/library." They say at the same time. The couple starts to bicker back and forth between whether or not Blaine is at the tavern or the library.

Kurt sighs and turns around starting to walk away.

The couple shouts, "But we didn't tell you!"

Kurt rolls his eyes, "I wish they'd all stop telling me they didn't tell me." He felt something pawing at his feet and saw the kitten. "What are you doing?"

The kitten then let out a purr and rubbed his head against Kurt's leg.

"Fine," Kurt smiled, "How about I name you Alexander? You like that?"

Kurt then stood up straight and almost walked straight into a street artist who was painting a man and woman he assumed were husband and wife.

The man who was being painted snickered, "Could you get rid of her moustache?"

Kurt didn't listen to him, he just talked to the artist, "Excuse me, I'm looking for a man named Cooper? Have you heard-"

The artist quickly scribbled down something and hands it to Kurt without saying a word. The artist looks ahead as he continues with his painting, "But I didn't write it."

Kurt holds the small piece of paper in his hands. It is an address. St McKinley Art Theatre - 99 Cheerio Street. He holds the piece of paper to his chest and starts walking down the road once again.

Meanwhile, at the St. McKinley Theatre there is an audition being held. There is a waiting room full of young men, of various shapes and sizes, reading aloud from a piece of paper.

On the stage an actor stands in front of what looks like to be an older woman in a shawl who's back is turned away from the audience.

The young man steps up and is over the top with his performance, "Oh Auntie! It's me, Kurtis! I've waited so long to see you!" He then lumbers over to the old woman and tries to hug her.

The old woman stands up and turns to the audience, taking off the shawl and wig it is revealed to be a man, "Blaine! I can not work with him!" He then turns towards the actor, "May I remind you that you are suppose to be a prince! Not a lumbering lazy idiot!"

Sitting in the audience was Blaine. He stands up, "Cooper calm down."

Cooper walks off the stage, "This, my brother, as an exercise is pointless! We will never find a guy to play the Prince Kurtis out of this motley crew of commoners." He dramatically throws the shawl over his shoulder.

Cooper walks and takes one of the seats in the audience by Blaine. While Blaine sits back down, "Next up!"

A man on stage walks on, very short and slightly chubby, "Oh Auntie! It's me, Kurtis! I've waited so long to see you."

Blaine shook his head, "Next!"

"Oh..." the man stumbled over his words nervously, "Auntie! It's me...Kurtis. I have waited so long too!"

Blaine's head fell into his hands. Cooper lets out a laugh and shouts, "Next!"

A man walked on the stage dressed questionably and had a fan in his hands, "Oh...Auntie," he started to talk sensually, "It's me."

"Next!" Blaine shouted before he could on. "I wouldn't have to go through all this trouble if I could just find the right boy." Cooper nods his head in agreement.

A rounder looking man took the stage, "Oh Auntie..."

"Next," Blaine said flipping the papers in his hands.

"What's my motivation?" a man asked with an intense look on his face.

"Longing, desire, love!" Cooper shouted teasingly from his seat.

Blaine gave his brother a look and shook his head, "Next!"

A man walked on stage, but then Blaine realized quickly that he was a woman, "Oh..."

"We have to find the right guy," Blaine said to himself and then looked up, "Next!"

Back outside on the streets Kurt is walking along the road and found the theatre right away. He rushes inside quickly with Alexander on his heels.

Blaine and Cooper were now arguing inside of the theatre after they had let all of the men leave. "It's no use Blaine, we will never find the right guy."

"We will," Blaine said, "We have to. Come on Cooper, he's out there." The pair walks out the door.

"He could be right under our nose," Cooper pointed out.

Kurt is running up the stairs while Blaine is walking down and they collide. Blaine's nose hits Kurt's forehead. Blaine reached up to rub his nose, "Ouch. That really hurt."

Kurt holds out a hand, "I'm sorry. I'm-"

"That's quite a hard head you've got there, boy," Blaine said to him.

Kurt looked down at his clothes, he wasn't the best dressed young man, but still they were warm. And he surely wasn't a boy. He was a man. He shook his head clearing the thoughts and getting back to his task. "I'm looking for Cooper. I need traveling papers to Paris. I heard Cooper can help."

Blaine and Cooper share a look. Cooper waves his hand at Blaine signaling he would take care of it of the situation. Blaine starts walking down the streets. Cooper walks over to Kurt and throws an arm around his shoulders, "Who did you hear it from?" He pulls him down the road.

Kurt shrugs off his arm, "I heard it from everyone who said I didn't hear it from them. Do you know Cooper?"

Blaine is still walking ahead of the pair listening to the conversation.

"Providing travel papers is illegal," Cooper shouts. He then lowers his voice, "I know Cooper quite well. Perhaps I can help you, provided you have enough money to pay for this service."

Kurt shakes his head, "Well I don't have any money."

Cooper walks ahead of him, "Good day."

"Wait, no!" Kurt calls out, but Cooper just continues to walk on.

Kurt turns around and starts to walk back the way he came. He is back at the theatre and sees the kitten waiting for him. Alexander meows long and hard at him.

"What are you still doing here?" Kurt asked shoving his hands in his pockets. "I have to go." He starts to walk away, but Alexander follows and meows again. "No. You can't come with me. I'm leaving."

The kitten meowed again making sure Kurt knew he was down there.

Kurt leaned down, "It sounds like you're saying 'me too.' Listen little guy, I have no money, no food, and no transportation. I'm the last person you should be following." He pets the kitten on the head and set him back down on the ground. "And I can't give up yet," he says with determination. He decides to start walking back in the direction where he followed the men. He doesn't notice Alexander following close behind.

Spotting the two of them turning the corner off in the distance, Kurt runs trying to keep up with them. He turns the corner and then stops. In the distance he can see a palace. It's now run down, boarded up and partially burned.

Kurt is taken back. He stares fascinated by it, almost moved by it. As the sun begins to set, he can see it now bathed in a beautiful golden light.

Inside the castle sits Cooper who is sitting in front of an open fire carefully rotating a spit, which holds a head of cabbage.

Blaine is sitting by the window, staring at the music box in his hands that he had seen Prince Kurtis drop the night of the revolution.

"Even if we find him, what makes you think the Queen will even see us?" Blaine asked his brother.

Cooper points to what Blaine is holding in his hands, "She'll see us."

Outside of the palace Kurt approaches one of the doors and pulls. It doesn't budge from its position. He sees a boarded up window and looks through the crack. He can see it is dark and eerie inside. Once in all its former glory is now destroyed.

Kurt finds a stick and starts using it to pry off some of the boards off the window. One of them makes a loud cracking noise.

The noise makes Blaine sit up quickly, "What was that?"

As the crack sounded again, the cabbage fell into the fire, Cooper let out a groan, "That was your dinner! I do hope there is no cabbage in Paris."

Kurt is now climbing inside the window and pulls Alexander in after him. He looks around and is amazed by all he sees. Wandering over, Kurt picks up half a broken plate from the floor and inspects it. He instantly touches it and pulls his hand away as if he was shocked. Setting the plate down, he looks towards a door.

Kurt starts to walk out of the room and to the top of a huge staircase which leads to the grand ballroom. He stops at a large landing half way down the steps.

Alexander sees a large curtain handing precariously on the side wall. Being a kitten he couldn't resist pouncing and grabbing it with his claws.

Kurt didn't notice and ran his hand along a worn banister that had carved butterflies on the side. He then jumps startled, as Alexander pulls the curtain and it hits the floor.

Kurt is relieved to see it is only Alexander. The kitten stands up and walks over to rub his head on Kurt's leg happily.

"What are you do-" Kurt stops mid sentence, he is taken back by what he sees.

Behind the curtain was a large painting of the Hummel family. The moonlight was currently hitting the portrait with a ghostly glow. Kurt seems hypnotized by the painting and when he turns around he feels something inside of him.

Dancing bears, painted wings

Things I almost remember

And a song someone sings

Once upon a December

As he sings the ballroom transforms into its once splendid glory. Kurt takes off his coat and his rags are transformed into a handsome outfit. The man steps down from out of the painting and walks him down the stairs. A woman takes his hand and he begins to waltz with her.

Someone holds me safe and warm

Horses prance

Through a silver storm

Figures dancing gracefully

Across my memory

As the music builds in Kurt's mind, a chorus of voices sing the melody as royal ghosts appear as elegant and beautiful as Kurt could only imagine.

Someone hold me safe and warm

Horses prance

Through a silver storm

Figures dancing gracefully

Across my memory.

Blaine and Cooper walk in on the scene and stop at the top of the stairs. They watch as the crazy person on the dance floor dances with himself.

Far away, long ago

Glowing dim as an ember

Things my heart used to know

Things it yearns to remember

Kurt is suddenly in the woman's arms from the painting and he is holding tight. The woman kisses him on the forehead and backs away slowly. He follows the woman back up the stairs to the landing where the sun is now shining through.

And a song someone sings

Once upon a December.

Blaine can't take it anymore, "Who are you?" he yelled.

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