A/N: This little plot bunny came and nudged me a couple nights ago and wouldn't go away until I had written it down into a story. A warning in advance this is going to be a love story between two women. So if that's not your cup of tea, please take any negativity you may have and move on to the next story. For anyone that is following me as an author and is awaiting updates for my other two stories they are being written and have not been abandoned. Writer's block kinda sucks.
Anyway, Disney lovers rejoice or cry, depending on how much of a purist you are. This story is going to mash up several different Disney movies because that is what the plot bunny muse wanted and I live to obey my muse. So enjoy and on with the show!
Disclaimer: I do not own Disney or Pixar or any other organization's characters that end up in this shameless mash up. Please don't sue me, this is just for fun. The only character I own is Katie and she's really not in the story for very long.
"Shadowman!" The call echoed through the wooden shop as the outside door slammed open and a woman with long dark hair stood framed in the doorway. Her brown eyes flashed as she surveyed the dismal building, taking in the long room adorned with various hoodoo and voodoo paraphernalia, curtains hanging from ceiling, giving the place an air of mystery. Or mustiness, the woman wasn't sure. "I know you're in here, Shadowman," she called into the dreariness.
As she took a few steps into the room the door behind her slammed shut. She whirled around, hair whipping through the air. "No need to shout, darlin'. No need for half of New Orléans to know you're visiting dear Dr. Facilier," the smooth tones of the voodoo specialist came from the shadows. The tall, lean black man took a step towards the woman and gave an indulgent smile to his visitor as he leaned on his sphere topped cane. "Now, what can a man of my special talents do for such a lovely vision such as yourself?"
His smile fell a fraction as the woman smirked and merely beckoned him further into the room, towards the circular table at the far end. Slinking after her the Shadowman couldn't help but wonder who this mysterious young woman was and what right she thought she had to barge into his shop uninvited. He pursed his thin lips dangerously when she had the gall to lean against his table, her butt cheeks pressed up against the edge. "I am in need of your services," the woman said, crossing her arms over her chest. "More importantly I need the services of your friends on the other side."
Facilier's eyes narrowed dangerously. "And just how do you know about them, may I ask," he questioned.
"You'd be surprised what I know about, Shadowman," she chuckled, a glimmer entering her eyes. "I too have my own friends on the other side, but their talents do not lie in dimension I am in need of. I need the services of your friends to bring back Ursula the sea witch."
"You want my services to bring a fictional character from a children's fairy tale back to life?" Facilier laughed uproariously, the voodoo masks on the wall joining in on his laughter. "I think you need to see a shrink and I don't mean one of these," he held up a shrunken head for display. "Fairy tales don't exist and an adult like you should know that by now, don't you think?"
The woman lowered her head, hair now shrouding her face, shoulders shaking slightly as if she were crying. It wasn't until Facilier stopped laughing himself that he realized that the young woman, still leaning against his table wasn't crying she was giggling, laughing at her own private joke. "Oh, Shadowman," she soothed as if she was talking to a small child. "There is so much that you still don't know about the world. It's actually rather adorable in a way." She pushed herself off from the table and slowly made her way down the steps to stand in front of the tall man. "Why you, yourself are a work of fiction in the world I am from." Screwing up her face in concentration she slowly moved her hand through the air, straight towards the man's stomach.
"What are you…" Facilier's look of utter confusion and irateness quickly turned to one of shock as instead of the woman's hand meeting a solid surface, as he had expected, it sunk right through his skin and emerged out of his back. His knees grew weak as she withdrew her hand and sunk to the floor in a stupor, grasping at his abdomen as if to make sure he was still in one piece. "What did you do," he gasped looking up at the woman towering over him, fear evident in his purple eyes.
"I forced my mind into remembering that you're a fictional character to me. However, thanks to my friends on the other side, I'm more apart of your world than my own. Thereby it is painful to put my brain back into that state of mind that I used to have. It also takes immense concentration. It's just easier to forget where I came from and focus on where I am now. Which is where you come in and why I want you to bring back Ursula for me. Because you are the only one that I can get in contact with that can actually do such a thing, even if you don't yet realize it."
The Shadowman struggled back to his feet and straightened his top hat in some semblance of normalcy. "So how exactly am I supposed to do what it is you want me to," he questioned, his voice rather shaky. "I can't demand something without giving something in return. My friends are very picky when it comes to exchange rates you know. Besides I'm not really able to work the magic when I don't even know who you are. I need to know something about my clients and I don't even know your name, darlin'."
Brown eyes closing, the woman took a step back as her arms wrapped around her middle. "Katie. My name is Katie. I'm in my early twenties and, as I told you, am originally from a world much different from your own." She sighed and the now identified woman opened her eyes and stood straight and tall as if she was the winner of some inner dilemma. "I'm the one that is going to be exchanged for Ursula's life. There is one condition though."
"I'm listening."
"I will not be sent to the other side until she is brought back and I have a chance to speak with her. She needs to understand where she is and why she's here." Her brown eyes flashed. "And I do not trust you with that task for one second, Shadowman." Katie shoved her index finger hard against the man's chest. "I need her to understand in complete clarity and you have a tendency to only speak in half-truths and twist your words depending on what suites your needs."
As the woman whirled away again Facilier rubbed his chest gingerly. "I don't deny that I do. It's all part of the job, little lady. But if you're adamant on that point then I suppose we can make it work in your favour. I'm not guaranteeing how much time you'll have though."
"As much as I need. Now get to the voodoo, Shadowman."
Facilier glared before summoning his friends from the other side and making the deal. Multicoloured lights swirled around the room and the sound of drums permeated the air as the voodoo magic surged out from the massive mask that had appeared on the wall behind the table. Katie was mesmerized by the greens, reds, and purples that illuminated the area and seemed to wrap themselves around her. She could feel the tendrils of the voodoo piercing to her very soul and she was tempted to walk towards the mask and enter the gaping mouth. Taking a step towards the mask Katie was suddenly brought back to her senses by a hand closing around her wrist. With a gasp her head whipped around to see Facilier with a white skull mask on and a finger to his lips. As the lights dimmed and the drums stopped the black man pointed silently to a still form at the base of the stairs.
Purple skin, short white hair, and the swell of a black hip was all that was visible to Katie as she wrenched her wrist from the voodoo doctor's hand and ran to the sea witch's side. "Ursula. Please, wake up. I need you to wake up and look at me," the brown haired woman begged, as she picked up the witch's upper body and settled it into her lap. Her fingers seemed to have a mind of their own as they carded through white hair and trailed over heavy cheeks. The thumping of her heart was so loud and hard that Katie thought it was going to jump right out of her chest. It jumped up into her throat as Ursula's eyelids fluttered and her grey eyes were exposed to the world once more.
"Where am I," the Cecaelia questioned, confusion evident in her eyes. She reached up and gently touched the face above her. "I know you," she whispered. A tear leaked from her eye. "Katie. Is it really you?"
"It is me, Ursula. It really is," Katie reassured. She clutched the hand touching her face, turning her face into it and kissing the palm tenderly. "Saving you just as you saved me all those years ago." Her brown eyes took on a serious look, tinged with a deep sadness. "Now, I need you to listen to me very carefully. You are in the shop of a voodoo doctor named Dr. Facilier in a place called New Orléans. He was the one that was able to help bring you back to me, but there was a heavy price that had to be paid for such a feat." A tear ran down her cheek and Katie cursed her lack of emotional control especially when the sea witch reached up and gently wiped it away with her free hand. "I can't stay with you," she sobbed, more tears running down her cheeks as she held Ursula tightly.
Ursula wrapped an arm around the younger woman's neck and held her as she cried, her own heart aching and wishing that it wasn't true. She couldn't let this girl leave her again, not after how painful it was last time. "Please don't leave," she whispered.
"I have to, I'm sorry." Katie slowly released the Cecaelian and shifted so they were both sitting upright with Ursula leaning against her. She ran her hand down the inky blackness of Ursula's thigh, savouring the smoothness of the skin, until she reached the top of a tentacle. With a sigh she buried her head into the crook of the lavender skinned neck and brought her hand back up so it cradled the black expanse of stomach of the witch in front of her. "I can give you one gift though and I can only give it as one last gift from my friends on the other side. I have served them well and this is their last gift to me." She gave a small laugh. "It's funny how it's a gift for me when I will never get to see it."
The young woman's hand massaged over Ursula's abdomen, the tingling in her hand the sign of her gift being given to someone who truly deserved it. A lavender hand slid into place over hers and Katie gently turned her hand so her fingers could clasp their hands together. "I will always be with you, even if I can't be here physically." She brought their clasped hands up to rest over the sea witch's heart. "I'm always right here."
"I know," Ursula replied softly squeezing the other woman's hand.
"It's time," Facilier interrupted. "Sorry to break up this little reunion but my friends are getting impatient and a deals a deal."
Katie rose from her spot on the floor, leaving Ursula up against the steps. "I know. But I require a promise from you first, Shadowman, from friend to friend."
"A promise wasn't part of the deal and, unless you've forgotten, darlin', we ain't friends." The Shadowman's demeanour hardened and his eyes glinted under his white mask.
"We aren't, that is true, but trust me when I say you'll need one eventually, Shadowman," came the careful reply. "I need you to promise me that you will get Ursula safely out of the city and to the ocean. Do this for me and I will be in your debt and you will be able to call on me from the other side during your darkest hour." Katie stuck out her hand with a determined expression on her face. "Now, do we have a deal?"
A scowl crossed Facilier's thin face. "I don't see why I should do anything else for you, woman. I've already brought back your fishy friend."
"Promise me or it'll be your soul instead of mine that's taken today!"
"All right, all right!" The voodoo doctor reached out and grasped the outstretched hand sealing the deal between them. A flash of light streamed from between their fingers and Facilier smiled creepily as Katie fell to her knees in pain.
"Katie," Ursula cried, reaching out from her place against the stairs and attempting to drag herself towards the brown haired woman, only to be cut off by the Shadowman.
The young woman on the wood floorboards groaned as she wrapped her arms around her middle. That was that then. She had succeeded in bringing Ursula back but now had to pay the price of taking her place. Her gift would just have to serve as a suitable replacement since it was highly unlikely that she would ever see the sea witch again. Struggling to her feet as Facilier had done not an hour before Katie staggered slightly, clambering up the steps with difficulty. Her brown eyes sought the Cecaelian's grey ones and locked onto their gaze. "I promise I'll always be with you. And once we're together again I'll never leave your side." Tears flowing freely down her face she teetered towards the gaping maw of the voodoo mask and with one final look over her shoulder at the woman she had given her very soul for Katie stepped into the swirling green mass of light, the mouth of the mask closing behind her with a wicked grin.
"Don't make promises you can't keep," whispered a broken Ursula as she stared at the now blank curtained wall, wishing with all her might that a young brown haired woman would come back through it and back into her arms.
A/N: So I hope you all enjoyed that. This chapter is over 2000 words and I'm hoping to maintain that for subsequent chapters. We'll see what happens. The next chapter might be delayed slightly as I try to get new chapters for my other stories finished.
As always reviews are kindly appreciated to help me as a writer grow.
Until we meet again,
Pureblood