This was fun. I've fanfiked before but never, ever published
This is Naveen- I'm done with his darling and his little friend's POV. I started with the light-hearted playboy and I'm ending it with the jazz-crazy, lovesick Prince.
After years and years of Lawerence berating, amusing and servicing me I never once noticed he didn't enjoy. Not even the littlest tiniest, ittiest, bit; so strange. During my childhood I'd always included Lawerencein games- as the horse, the elephant, the goalie, the stool, the oven, the chair, the Great White Ape, the table, the sacrifice, the yatch, the After Effect of eating 400 pounds of chocolate.....I continued to ponder this as he squeezed my froggy throat.
"PRINCE! PRINCE NAVEEN! YOUR SHY AND RETIRING BRIDE TO BE IT GETTIN' ANTSY!!!"
BAM!!
Lawerence's- my soon-to-be-fiance -bashed through the church's huge, thick doors. Miss La Bouf; rich, blonde, voluptuous, apparently short-tempered and my darling's dear friend. Who I must wed soon after she sees Lawerence. The idea made me nauseated but in the grand scheme of things I was always destined to marry Charlotte Labouf.
Even if a sinister witch doctor turned me into a tiny, weak frog; even if my oldest aquantence betrayed me and tried to lock me away in a cramp little box.
And even though I'd been shot by an inevitable arrow, gone over the moon and deliriously fell for a beautiful chef I had obligations to proceed with. I promised my darling all her dreams would come true- none envolved she and I growing old with eighty-seven grandchildren so I had to fufill her dreams another way. That was my fate. To watch Tiana thrive from a distant- her never knowing what could have been so blissful.... but she had obligations to her own heart- which belonged to her dream. And that was all that mattered.
Lawerence took in a deep breathe, then turned to his pink little time-bomb. "Haha, hello Darling."
Predictably she screamed in disgust, then Lawerence screamed (throwing me in the air) and ran away. This is the moment to propose, like I was suspose to three days ago. Three days before finding a kindred spirit in a giant, splendid gator; a kindly, insightful romantic; an au courant wise-woman with enchanting swamp creature; a dazzling, ingenious, fiery, brilliant gemstone....
Focus on the blonde! I ordered myself while climbing onto the little table to see her.
" Bouf! Down here!" Her round blue eyes widen in shock.
Time for Princely charm- "Allow to introduce myself; I am the real Prince Naveen -"
SMASH! She crushed me, like Tiana did the night we met, but with a thicker book.
"...of Maldonia." Familiar head swelling and limbs aching. Ms. La Bouf was the third woman to whack me but didn't have first woman's force....no woman had that magnetic force...focus!
Ms. La Bouf gasped, smiled a very big smile and asked in a silly south accent. "Did you say Prince?"
I confirmed my declaration, then told the story of my transformation; adding Lawerence's treacherous role, Tiana's well-meaning misfortune (she gasped, she thought her 'Tia' took on a third job in another city, shame she hadn't made her& Lawerence's wedding cake). She carried me outside, her father had Lawerence arrested (sad but Justice). I got to the part about how the spell was exactly like a fairy tale (that got her eyes gleaming) and went on one knee while I said...
"...and the only cure for mine and my- your dear friend's true, beautiful form and my own is a kiss. A kiss from the... pretty, ostentatious woman I vow to spend..."
Her eyes were eager- so gullible, so un-Tiana like. Why couldn't I have been so well-put together while attempting confessing to my lovely Tiana. Ahh, she enjoyed my humiliation; she had such a light, warm laugh.....focus or she'll live a miserable life as an amphibian!
"I vow to spend the rest of my days with you and only you- until death do us part....not too soon, of course, Strawberry." I smiled falsely and hoped she enjoyed the pet name. Tiana would've been my Chocolate Delight...she would've hated that name. Probably would've allowed it on anniversaries, holidays and whenever we'd eat chocolate cakes....will never see over grass blades again or get her restuaraunt if you keep it up!Charlotte had a confused but believing face- she believed in magic but not composition.
"Goodness Gracious, this is so much to absorb; alright, let's see if I got this right; if I kiss you before midnight (which is seconds away!) you and Tiana will turn human again (huge smile) and then we're gonna get ourselves married and live happily ever after- the end?!"
She was thrilled by this story-book ending; so guiless and immature. Completely not Tiana in any sense or shade. And I'd wake up to this silly child every single morning, holding her purse, keeping myself from rolling my eyes while caressing her pale skin. I shrugged off my extreme discomfort; the sliver lining was Tiana would be happy in her restuaruant.
"Yeah, more or less....But remember; you must give Tiana all the money she requires for her restaurant. Because Tiana..." Was the most incredible, sparkling person in existence. The shining bright miracle of this very dark world...like a star- only so much, much, much better. Tiana was real and good and radiant...."She is my Evangeline."
Talking about another, beautiful woman to my betrothed wasn't apporpriate but what did it matter? Charlotte had no idea what Evangline meant, she probably just figured it to be Maldoian for something asinine 'dear friend' or 'debt collector'. I'd learn to be less honest in time; maybe in thirty years I'd be so numb not to say anything detectably romantic about Tiana...
Charlotte barely noticed my stealthy confession as she applied color to her wide mouth. "Anything you want, Suga. (smack) Pucker-up, Buttercup."
A frou-frou wife I was getting- maybe this was karma for being falsely corny with my multiple ex-lovers. Cruel and tough life was; it was short but marriage was long- I shrugged, looked away from the vapid girl as I pucker the most I could muster. Maybe pretending her mouth was Tiana's would make this life the tinniest, teeniest bit less misera-
"Wait!" Rang the honey-sweet voice I adored.
"I turned away from the faceless girl to see "Tiana?" hopping from behind the corner. She had been close enough to hear the last of my confession so she knew. I wasn't embarrassed to admit my feelings, more annoyed at how her knowing would hinder her. Tiana approved of sacrifice but she wasn't comfortable with being taken care of.....Ha, she'd be so miserable with a devoted husband.
"Tiana?!" Charlotte sounded bewildered to call this small, lovely frog that name.
"Don't do this." She pleaded with me; she care enough for me not to sacrifice my life but not enough to share it with me.
I had to show her I was serious about this(unlike my past parsimonious self). "I have to do this (and discussing it was ridiculous especially now) and we are running out of time!"
I tried turning to the confused blonde but Tiana grabbed my arm. "I won't let you!"
Save your pity for your future sweetheart who would be hideously boring and not me, I wanted to say but I stuck with truth. "But it's the only way to get you your dream"
I pushed her hand off me- how dare she try to stop for giving up my life for her! I wanted to hate her for being so frustrating. I truly hated her for making love her too much to feel unattainable dislike.
"My dream?" Tiana restated as if it were in another tongue and time to her. "My dream wouldn't be complete....without you in it."
Ice shot into my chest, then every part in me warmed. My head raised at her impossible words...they weren't right, they could not be true...Ahh, enough melancholy- it was getting so tiring. I smiled hopefully as I turned toward my lovely Tiana.
She smiled unguiltly and shrugged an adorable shrug. "I love you , Naveen."
Tiana was tying a dangerous knot; I wouldn't forgive her for bluffing to the Prince of Maldonia. What she was saying was everything I wanted to hear; everything I really needed to hear. I stood up, walked to the sitting frog I longed for so very, very much. I held out my small hands to her and asked, as she rose. "Warts and all?"
In the back of my mind I figured we might be missing the deadline but I couldn't care enough when my darling confirmed "Warts and all!"
She was earnest and beautiful and perfect... so much I could have done but the moment was so sweet we just touched our foreheads together. That wasn't satisfying so I put my left arm around her, she didn't let go my right. Impossibly, truly and simply perfect.
There was sniffling in the background. Ms. Charlotte's eyes were glossy while little tears went down her smiling face. She wiped them away, "All my life, I've read about True Love (she motioned to us, giggling at herself) in fairy tales and...Tia! You've found it!"
This was why my lovely chef cared for this bubbly girl. Charlotte wasn't really a ditz; she was a hopeless romantic. She was very gentle, so paralleled to my Tiana. Tiana was realistic and piratical and completely mine to mesmerize. She looked up at her friend with old, familiar love and appreciation.
"I'll kiss him, for you, Honey,' She cupped my small form in her hands, I allowed this parting with Tiana because no marriage was required. we were going to get everything in that moment. Charlotte and I smiled at one another; we cared little for each other but were gratified by our unequal devotion for Tiana.
We puckered, leaned in, life was fair and good again- DONG!
"Oh my word!" Charlotte gasped as she noticed both hands on twelve. The magic was over, her kiss would do nothing for our froggy forms. It was over....but Ms. Charlotte La Bouf wasn't a going to admit defeat (!), she grabbed in a very forceful way.
"Maybe that ol' clock's a little fast!" she kissed me, hard. I felt nothing inside or out. She tried again, many times, until my wide frog mouth was covered with her lip stick. I shrugged, admitting defeat; there wasn't a peck could do. Charlotte whimpered in disappointment, then sadly lowered me down.
"I'm- I'm so sorry...."
I sat in a frog position and looked at Tiana. Her promise to be with me for the rest of our lives in any shape or existence diverted our human salvation. We smiled, life was unfair but had it's great moments. Tiana was still mine, I was still hers- even with a life in the swamp, the outlook was very, very enjoyable.
"Tiana! Naveen!" Louis yelled in a desperate voice.
We hopped down the street to the distressed alligator. His claws were cupped together....Ray wasn't floating next to him, wasn't there comfort him in his humble, authentically good light.
"Louis, what is it?" I asked, not willingly but did anyhow.
The trumpeter looked into his claws sadly then lowered them us to see a small, fading light. "Shadow Man dun lay poor Ray real low..."
"Ray?" Tiana asked timidly...then gasped realizing who the fading glow was..."Oh no."
Even surrounded by millions of lightening bugs, the bayou was the darkest spot in the world. The humid bayou was unnaturally cold and extra murky. In Maldonia, people wear white and celebrate all the good the unfortunate lost soul did while living in this world. Even on horrible days as that, mourners laughed through their tears. Of course their was the time of silence but no one wanted the misery to last.
That was usually a fun tradition and Ray was more than deserving of a farewell party. Ray always loved seeing others happy and in comfort. The tiny, loyal, heroic firefly deserved so much more life. That was probably why I wasn't celebrating.
He was the most unselfish creature I'd ever meet in my life. His giant heart never stopped glowing, he spread love everywhere. Undieing love to his family, to his luminous darling, to his new-found, privileged friends. Almost no one in the world I was more lucky to have met than Ray. Almost, but that other, precious person and I weren't feeling that sort of tender at the moment.
A few hours ago I would've given my life to give Tiana her heart's desire;that sentiment hasn't or could ever change and her heart's desire is me. Amazingly enough, she and I were hopelesslyin love and would have many other nights (frogs or not) to be very happy....thanks to Ray. Ray valiantly died to bring us together; his final moments were joy in our reconciliation...and admiring his darling star. Such a noble, disillusioned little firefly.
Tiana and I stepped off Louis's nostril. Ray's enormous family surrounded us but they glowed very dimly. Two fellows carried Ray's corpse on a leaf. They placed his leaf-coffin on the water's surface. Tiana and I placed the Calla lilies next to him (it was a big leaf). The leaf drifted away, Louis soluted Ray with a sad tune.
I looked at Tiana, she looked at me- her eyes were full of woe. We read in one another's misty eyes an unspoken truth no one needed or wanted to admit. The others would say it was guilt talking but Tiana and I knew they were kindly wrong.
It was Ray's love for us that lead him to his demise.
Yes, it was the evil, damned Facilier that murdered him but Facilier couldn't not be what he was. He had his plans and aids and we shouldn't of asked Ray to aid us. No one ever asked him, he condemned himself to his righteous fate.
I should've tried to run with the shape-shifting talisman myself. I should've used my freaky tongue to unlock the little box. I would've admitted my feelings to Tiana when I wanted to, then we'd had agreed to be together even after I kissed Charlotte. I should've kissed Charlotte the night of the ball- maybe she was a princess then too and Tiana would've never kissed me or turned into a frog or ever whacked me or danced with me or ever knew me...or Ray.
Maybe if I never came to Louisiana everything would be good and fun and right again. I'd probably never had met Tiana, a revolting idea but neither of us enjoyed this night. Maybe we'd never enjoy our relationship again. Ray didn't stain our romance, he didn't spoil it- it was doomed from the start. Tiana was a much more rational person than I was, and I knew she agreed, in her way, everything I was feeling in that night. It was a horrible night and nothing could make it bearable- having Tiana should make me feel more incredible about life than ever but I could not see us being cheerful again when Ray was gone forever.
The world was so dissident and awful, the jolly, hilarious Louis continued to sniffle, my Tiana's tears glistened against the glow of the bayou; so miserable.
A glow?...the murky swamp shouldn't have any sort of light. The light was white so it wasn't a any of Ray's family's golden glow....and none of them could be so bright and singular. I looked up at the stary sky, the brightest star was Ray's Evagneline. She was luminous, of course, but she was getting stronger tonight. Looking up, really seeing the sky, I saw a second star on the right of Evangeline. A star that was just a beautiful and would always be next to her...as he always knew he would be.
The fireflies rejoiced and cheered. Louis smiled a toothy grin; Triumpth and glory shined off his every sharp tooh. I looked down and my glorious Tiana. We hadn't embraced since Ray's final moments; now we embraced for his greatest moment. He got everything we wanted- he got to be with his True Love. Unorthodox but undoubtly astonishing!
Tiana and I looked the incredible miracle. Life was crazy, unfortunate and always surprising. Life went down and up and everywhich way to test our stability. Love was something strong, irrational and inshakable- when true. And truth stands through gray and ugliness and dubiety.
"By the power invested by me, I now pronouce you Frog and Wife." The Voodoo preisted decalred happily.
Surrounded by animals, bugs, under spanish moss ...heh, why not? I never miagined I'd willing marry so actually being wedded to the woman I love while we were frogs wasn't as crazy as a person of regale birth might think. Since I was seven years old I feared being a husband- I discovered the fun girls long before then and enjoyed as many as I could- which was a lot. But I went with so many girls because they bored me easily. After the thirteen or so somes I thought I was in love, I figured my nature would only allow oh-so many women a week. Never did I imgaine I'd meet a women I'd want to spend every week with. But I did, and those bleak faces I scarely remeber can't regisiter how happy I felt now.
Even green, Tiana looked mesmerising. Hopping along her for the rest of my life wasn't really settling- it was getting more than deserved.
The only compromise to this happy marriage was were small amphibians that would have to start life always looking up and never see lf family and friends again. These facts might be sadder later, but mouring isn't nesscary when I won the most beautiful thing possible.
"Get to it, Hop along- give your lovely bride some suga." The old wise woman encouraged.
I gestured to the little white moth on me, he said his Congratulations as I placed a little green hand on my Tiana. She was looking sheepish, but very happy and she leaned forward to kiss me.
Every cell in me started to excite, muscle in me felt firmer, every inch of me felt like it was expanding and growing stronger. It even felt like she and I were weightless and things were spinning around us. Who would've thought marriage would feel so liberating?
Tiana took my hand off her cheek and twined it in her own fine fingers. She felt like she was expanding too, maybe I was feelilng her happiness in our touching. Her other hand was on my shoulder, it felt broader under her touch. As my hand went down her ribs to her waist, she felt fuller to me, curvier. It didn't matter to me if she was thin and flat, at the moment, I was just happy she was mine.
Hearing Louis blow his nose in the background, and the spinning feeling stopped, I took my mouth off her full lips. Gently looked into the beautiful amber eyes that now belonged to me. The were just as misty, under a thick rim of lashsed, surrounded by a smooth, sepia face.
The face was a heartbreakingly beautiful human face, who's eyes were wide with surprise and excitiment. My Tiana was human.... I looked down