The Trampled Rose: Nothing Wrong with Me

By the March Hare

"So, Doctor Facilier, do you make it a habit to intrude upon celebrations you have not been invited to?"

Doctor Facilier felt Briar Rose's hand leave his, the lady taking shelter behind the witch doctor. Facilier (ignoring his mind screaming "Get out, get out, GET OUT!") scrutinized his reflection in the blade, making sure he looked good for his death. Pity the mask made this so much harder.

Guards, swords drawn, rallied around the confrontation, still keeping their distance from their lord's work. The guests, on the other hand, held a mix of interest and fear, some getting closer for a better look, others scanning for the nearest egress.

"No, only for parties hosted by pretty-boy fat cats like you," Facilier replied. The witch doctor observed his foe, taking in the cold mask and thee one and only Fairy Godmother standing next to him. "Must've tipped him off," Facilier thought.

"I am honored, little peasant," countered Philip.

Ouch. Touché.

Facilier stepped backwards, trying to put distance between him and the blade, but it followed him. Pointy end first.

The two men stared into thee other's cold eyes, each calculating the moves of their opponent.

"And who is the little wench with you? A partner, or acolyte I presume?"

Facilier smiled in his mask. Glancing back at his partner (who had been before ready to run like a Bat out of Hell), the two exchange a small moment of relief and joy.

This could still work out.

Facilier looked back at the sharp, lethal blade.

Maybe.

"Well, you caught me!" Facilier chuckled, throwing his hands back in defense. "Now,"

He aggressively re-approached the point, cane in one hand, and the other sliding in his coat for his powder. "Whatta ya gonna do?"

Shadow, who had been getting a stern, mother-like stare down by the Fairy Godmother, reluctantly joined his master's side, sending Facilier messages of "If this fails, I am gonna to leave you, like, FOREVER," from his companion.

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks for the support, friend," mentally replied Facilier.

Philip maliciously smiled. "I will have you flogged, dragged through the streets, and locked in a rat-infested dungeon for the rest of your pitiful life. Maybe I will have a torturer come around and "ply" his trade every now and then."

Yeah, screw you too, buddy," thought Facilier.

"Then I will have your mate here," Philip continued, pointing his free hand at the disguised Rose. "And have her locked in the stockades in the middle of the city, where all the little townsfolk can throw spoiled, rotten fruit at her. Then she will be left there to starve and rot in a iron cage, hanging on a tree, at a highway where she will serve as an ensample for her evils."

Then he quietly chuckled. "Or if she is a witch, I can have her burned at the stake. How does that fancy you?"

The Fairy Godmother cringed, but held her silence. Laws are there to punish the unrighteous.

Facilier paused. Slowly he turned back to again to Briar Rose. She was now truly frightened, a doe-like fear in her eyes. Facilier grinned "innocently" and looked back. He took a deep breath, laughed with his head hanging down, shaking it back and forth in his flippancies…

Then he roared.

"Y'all can break my body!" Facilier verbally descended on his foe, throwing himself into Philip's face. The only thing keeping him from ripping Philip apart with his bare hands was the 40-inch blade pointing at his chest. "Y'all can rip me open! But, so help me Samedi, if y'all hurt my angel…" Facilier twirled, a tornado of pink powder consuming the witch doctor and snuffing all the light in the room. People started to cry out as they stumbled for a light as they collided in to each other in the pitch black. Briar Rose slide into the crowd, taking in the chaos, just as lost as every one else, but choosing instead to use it to her advantage. She knew the two of them would be outmatch eventually (with all the magicians and guards at the party), and was praying for a miracle.

The hall entirety was consumed in darkness, saving an eerie light from Maleficent's staff and the shining grace of the full moon on the floor.

And a pair of violet, vengeful eyes emanating a low, beastly growl.

Philip, in a panic and quite fearful, lunged at them.

Steel clashed steel as the shining sword met the blackened machete of the Loa's servant. A lone fire was lit as the two combatants were locked in mid-strike. It played off the steel and the men, their eyes burning with hatred and uncontrolled rage. But now, where there had been men, their were now monsters. The witch doctor was gone, replaced by the avatar of a death god. The people, even Briar Rose and the mighty fairy Godmother, stood back in shock and awe.

Facilier's former guise was gone. He was now in his normal attire, excluding a sweeping raven-black trench coat now replacing his standard jacket and his skull mask now adorning thee entirety of his face. He was now the servant of Death.

"I'll rip yo very soul apart!"

Disclaimer: I still own nothing, except for the starfish in my pants.

Mad Hatter (shaking his head): You and your hobbies…