Author´s Note: Secrets is set before the film and this one is based on by FlamiatheDemon´s piece of art, although I´m adding some personal to make it more interesting, and a bit of sequel of the film, or maybe not. Anyway, taking my time and doing it right! YES!

A strange start before we get into the flames. Let´s go!

1. Shadows

There was a certain smell in the air, she could tell. All was darkness around her and inside her head but after a few minutes, the young woman could make out the golden glow of a candle. Her memories were damp and fuzzy…

Where was everyone? Mr. Labouff? Lottie? Anyone? Naveen? No answer. What happened? Tiana opened an eye. She was totally alone and so, the woman sighed sadly. Tia grabbed her knees against her chest and hope that someone would come to her, anyone, even the lousy Fenner Brothers. But nobody came. She waited long minutes until she grew tired of waiting and got up. It was then, when her right ankle stung like mad and Tia remembered that she sprang it, felt against the table and lost conscience. She sat down again and realized something. If she had passed out, then how did she got there? Did someone picked her up? Who? And speaking of that, she noticed that her sitting place was actually a very comfortable bed and around her, all was a nice room filled with art and vases full of roses. Whose room was that? Tiana got up again and her ankle once more wailed.

"Y'all shouldn´t up" said a voice that came from out of the blue. "Y'all need rest, chér"

"Hello? Who´s there?" Tia looked around but no one was there.

"Go back to sleep" it was a smooth and charming voice, pretty deep but nice. There was something familiar about it but she couldn´t place what it was.

"I ain´t sleepin' until you answer. Who are you?" she tried to ignore the pain.

"…"

"That´s not an answer"

"Go to sleep, love" he said again.

"No"

"… Why should I tell y'all who am I?"

"Hello, am all alone. If you just tell me, I promise I'll lie down and that's it" Tia sat down. Her ankle was completely swollen and hurted like hell. "Please" she got up again and almost felt down.

"Tiana..." he sounded almost concerned. "I've watchin' for a long time now and am sure that when the time comes, y'all know my name. But if it eases your mind, y'all can call me Ami"

"Ami?"

"Yes, c'est correct"

"All right, Ami" she sat down on the bed and looked around looking for him. Darkness surrounded the room like a thick curtain but Tiana could hear someone humming a gentle tune that after a few minutes send her to sleep. Once she was deeply asleep, the figure came out of the shadows and gently covered her with the sheets so she wouldn´t be cold. Not forgetting the injure ankle, he wrapped it with a towel covered with a special substance and carefully put it under the blanket. He watched her in her sleep and for a long while, was more than tempted of kissing those lips but a memory struck his head as the man remembered that that woman was responsible of his current status. Anger made him pull out the little dagger he concealed in his boot but when he saw her peaceful countenance, he felt incapable of doing such thing. Perhaps there was still a way for them both to mend their broken strings. The man sighed and sat near her. Why did Tiana had to be so beautiful and end up in the hands of that fool? After a long while, he also felt asleep but was also the first one to wake up. When Tia woke up again, she was all alone once more. Without thinking, she got up and suddenly remembered her ankle but the swelling was gone. Tia smiled and suddenly recalled that there was someone by her side during her sleep, could that be her new friend? "Ami, are you there?"

"Yes, Tia. What is your wish?" he spoke.

"Well, first I… What time is it? I have no idea if it is day or night"

"Morning, not too early" Ami was totally sincere. Tiana sighed. Naveen was probably eating his nails out of concern. "Breakfast?"

"Good idea"

"On your right, chér" there was a tray filled with beignets and other rather tasty looking things that the young woman ate with pleasure. Once she was done, she found some clothes waiting for her on a nearby chair. It was a marvellous blue dress.

"Ami?"

"Yes, chér?"

"Was it you who picked me up?"

"I wasn´t going to leave you there now, was I?" a chuckle was heard. "I hope y'all don´t mind if I brought y'all here"

"Uh, what´s here exactly?"

"My home"

"OK, uh. I thank u for saving me but I have to go back"

"Why?"

"My husband´s probably worried about me" Tiana hoped that Ami would appear or at least show her the way out.

"… I dunno"

"Why not? I mean, you have been a real gentleman but, please"

"Tears don´t do miracles, ye know?"

"Ami, please"

"No"

"But…"

"Y'all staying and that´s final" he sounded angry but why? Why was he so keen?

"So, that´s it? I stay here and be your slave or something?"

"Y'all ain´t my slave, darling"

"Then, what?"

"My guest" Ami was now being anything but gentle. "And I suggest y'all consider yourself home or else, y'all get worse"

"Ami, please. Let me go!"

"Or what? Y'all don´t know where ye are and this is MY home, so just try to relax, Tia"

"… You went mad when I mentioned Naveen and..." she heard someone clenching his teeth. "You do know him, do you?"

"Know such arrogant fool shouldn´t be a surprise to y'all, chér. After all, we´re 'old friends'"

"What are you talking about?"

"Ye'll see. Now I suggest y'all to enjoy your stay, I have some unfinished things to do"

"Ami"

"Yes, Tiana. What is your wish?"

"This room´s all…" she didn´t finished that sentence. A door appeared moving the shadows away and opened. Tiana walked pass it and found herself in a room full of books, an old piano and other strange elements.

"As I said, be my guest. I´ll be back before y'all know it" he went quiet and Tiana looked around.

"Well, I guess I could see if there´s at least a way out of here"

Tiana spent one hour looking for an exit but after being totally unsuccessful, she began looking through the books and noticed that many of them were rare and not easy to find in a regular library. The piano was old but still sounded good so she spent a good while playing different tunes on it until she felt a presence in the room.

"Ami?" she asked but nobody answer. Tiana saw a shadow slither away and staggered backwards until she was actually crashed into something, or better say, someone. "Please don´t hurt me, I…"

"Chsshhht" the stranger hushed her and gently touch her shoulders. Tiana felt the leather gloves and thought of turning so she could she who that was but the thin hand hold her with a steady grip. "It´s all right, chér"

"Ami?"

"Yes, Tiana. What is your wish?"

"I… I would like to see your face. I wanna see you so face me now"

"No, Tia. Not now, not yet. You ain´t ready, chér"

"Am more than ready" the woman escaped the man´s grip and turned around. The figure was cloaked in shadows and his face was well hidden under the brim of the hat but he´s eyes shone like a pair of amethysts. Her mind then took her to some rather nasty memories. "You... You...I" Tiana fainted in the place and Ami catched her in his arms before she hit the ground.

"Oh, my princess" he carried her to the bed and gently lied her on it. "Tiana, I have been waiting for you and after all this time, I won´t let y'all get away. Y'all destroy my charm, my plan but also gave me a way to escape from the Other Side and gave me this face. Y'all and your froggy prince will surely pay but you, my dear… I have something very special, just for you" he let out a chuckle before going back to the shadows where he belonged.

First shot, first bullet.

In next chapter, we´ll see how it all began.

Hope you like it!

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