Chapter 2

Five years before this grim tale began, a handsome prince bowed gracefully at the various maidens who were presented to him. He was extremely bored at this ball his father had contrived. All he wanted was a sometime to spend with his father, but as soon as he got to the castle, there was, for lack of a better word, a trap set for him. He was standing in the ballroom on display and barely knowing how he got there. But he knew exactly why he was there. His father always was bothering him to find someone pretty and get to work on those grandkids he longed for. How he was supposed to find the love of his life in this method, he had no idea. He yawed to expressing his boredom to his father who sat in the balcony. The King looked even more frustrated about the plan not working than the Prince was about the plan existing. Oh well. He could get through this. All he had to do was keep giving polite bows and they would run out of maidens someday. Two especially unpleasant women were announced and they walked toward him. He tried to bow, but he just could bring himself to. It wasn't because they were ugly, there was just something about the way they carried themselves that he couldn't stomach. They were so snobby, so prideful despite their lack of grace. Upon having second thoughts, he did in fact take a bow. Suddenly he stopped. He looked up. There she was. Passed the pillars of the ballroom, a woman spun as she walked, taking in every sight she could find. From this distance, he couldn't tell how beautiful she was, but there was something about her. She seemed so wonder-filled, so pleasant, and so appreciative to be there. This came as a breath of fresh air after so many who came across as acting entitled. He just had to meet her. He passed the two unpleasant women as he marched. Who she was or whence she came, he knew not; nor did he care. He bowed, not out of obligation, and asked, "May I have this dance?"

Her instincts told her to be hesitant, but she wasn't. She had come to meet a prince that she didn't know was standing before her. But she was taken with his grace and charm. How could she refuse? He couldn't understand why; maybe it was destiny calling to him, maybe it was just an exquisite pair of gloves, but when he touch her hand, he felt . . . magic. And so they danced. The lights and music changed for the sake of a more romantic atmosphere. "Is this your first ball?"

Cinderella answered, "It is. I hope I'm not doing anything to embarrass you."

"Embarrass me? Not in a dress like that."

"You like it? My Godmother gave it to me. I'm afraid I'll have to give it back after tonight."

"That's a shame. It will never look as good on anyone as it looks on you."

Cinderella said, "It's also a shame because I'm likely to never get another one like this. Not with my stepmother around."

"The way you pronounce 'stepmother' makes her sound like a tyrant."

"Oh, she is. I don't mind having a few chores to do, but she always finds ways to make them harder on me."

"Sounds like you need to get out of the house."

Cinderella said, "Maybe so. Still, I have them to thank for the fact that I've gotten used to a hard day's work."

The Prince asked with confusion, "So, you're happy where you are?"

"No," she said with a laugh. "I often think about getting married, having a few children and giving them each a fair amount of chores."

"I must say, I like your attitude. I think you could really put that willingness to work to good use. With the right job, you could probably make a lot of things better."

Cinderella said, "As long as I don't have any tyrants bossing me around, I'd like that."

The Prince said, "And here I thought that this whole thing was going to be a waste of time."

"Did you?"

"Oh yes. This was all my father's idea."

"Did, uh," Cinderella cleared her throat nervously and continued, "Did I change your mind about that?"

The Prince locked onto her eyes and asked, "Who else?"

After they were done dancing in the ballroom, they went outside where they talked to each other about a great many things and sang a song Cinderella's parents used to sing. They would have even better things in their future, but at the time, it was the most wonderful night of their lives. And the rest is history.

The Enchantress stood before them, having declared a threat of extermination upon our heroes. Eugene said, "That's funny; I didn't call for an exterminator. Did you, Blondie."

"Not me. And I'm pretty sure Cinderella has a lot of mice for friends. This lady most have the wrong castle."

The Enchantress said, "Not so. My preys stand before for me, here."

"Oh, you meant you want to exterminate us," Eugene said as if he didn't already know. "And just who called you for that job."

"I have come because I see now what damage has been done to the world by your kind. You royals have enslaved the world with you governments and your laws. You stand in your ivory towers, seeing fit to tell all 'beneath you' how to live and what to do. You restrain them, involve them in your wars, rob them with your taxes, and teach them to be a small piece of a collective. Each individual should have their choice to do as they wish and go where they desire."

As if she had been preparing for this, Elsa stepped forward and said, "Freedom is important, but so are things like safety and security. You think that everyone should do what they want, but some people want to hurt each other or themselves. Laws were made to protect people. You speak of freedom; what about the freedom to leave you home, knowing murder will be punished if someone tries to hurt you? You speak of choice; what about the choice of what to do with your property, knowing theft will be punished if someone tries to steal from you? No nation ever formed was ever perfect, but the alternative could never to better. You would have a world without governments or laws? A world of chaos and disorder?"

Anna thought, "Spoken like a true queen."

The Enchantress said, "If chaos and disorder is what humanity would do with their freedom, then chaos and disorder is what humanity would deserve."

"You're wrong."

The Enchantress snapped, "You of all people dare proclaim me wrong?! You who have neglected you responsibility?!"

Elsa said defiantly, "I have neglected nothing. I left the throne to my capable sister so I could . . ."

"I am aware of your true calling, Fifth Spirit. Such is the neglected responsibility of which I speak. You were meant to unite the two worlds, but you have only kept them separate. You kept the other spirits in the Enchanted Forest so that only you may walk in both worlds."

For the first time in this conversation, Elsa seemed uncertain. "The Enchanted Forest is their home. I've made it clear to the people of Arendelle that they are free to visit them at any time."

"And do they visit?"

Elsa avoided eye contact. "Sometimes they do."

"'Sometimes they do.' You think your parents were blessed with the Fifth Spirit as their daughter for the sake of 'Sometimes they do'? You have failed. For that, among many things, I will relish your extermination."

The Enchantress snapped her fingers and the enchanted chandelier dropped down toward them. Everyone jumped out of the way in time and Jack flew toward the Enchantress, blasting ice-lightning as he went. The Enchantress quickly separated into three fireballs that flew around the lightning and reformed right next to Jack and the Enchantress grabbed him by the leg. Jack tried to free himself, but his attempts were ineffective. The Enchantress spread her magic around him with green strands of light. Her hand let go, but her magic kept a grip on him. Her magic raised him high and then slammed him against the floor. Her magic strings dissipated, but he was still open for another attack. The Enchantress raised her fist, but she noticed something coming. Stalagmites rose from ground, getting closer to her. The Enchantress moved her hands in the direction of the stalagmites, eradiating heat that both melted and evaporated any ice that came near her. The Enchantress swung her hand diagonally, creating a slice of green kinetic energy that cut through the ice and knocked Elsa off her feet. She might have died if she wasn't quick enough to create a pile of snow to cushion her impact. It wasn't fatal, but it was still jarring.

The chandelier dragged across the floor, chasing Eugene while spinning violently and tearing up everything it came into contact with. Eugene shouted, "If anyone has a plan, that would be greatly appreciated!" Coming to Eugene's rescue, Elsa created a barrier of ice to slow the chandelier.

Rapunzel ran at the Enchantress, paying no attention to the odds against her. The Enchantress flicked her wrist, sending a small shockwave that only halted Rapunzel. She could tell that the Enchantress could have made a bigger shockwave if she had been using effort. At first, the Enchantress had her glowing hands point toward Rapunzel, ready to blast her with who knows what. But she decided she'd take the opportunity to have a bit of sportswoman like fun. Her hands stopped glowing and she materialized a sword made of pure emerald. Rapunzel swung at the Enchantress many times with her frying pan. Each time, the Enchantress defended easily and gracefully. When the Enchantress started playing offence, Rapunzel couldn't keep up with her. The Enchantress knocked the frying pan out of her hands got ready to run her through.

The Enchantress screamed when a blade hit her in the side of her neck. Someone was trying to cut off her head, but couldn't cut far enough into her tough flesh. She saw that it was Prince Charming who hit her, right before he slashed at her again, cutting her cheek. He said, "I will not have my guests exterminated on my watch.

The Prince thrust forward and the Enchantress grabbed his blade. "Then you will be the first." Claws made of light extended from her fingers and she dug them into Prince Charming's chest. The Prince backed away, but he was already poisoned. Green spread from the points where she struck him; both on his flesh and on his clothes. He panic, feeling something strange, but not knowing what it was. The green spread to his entire body and he could no longer move. He had been turned into an emerald statue.

Cinderella shrieked from the balcony, "NOOOO! What have you done?!"

The Enchantress looked at her, but instead of speaking, she put her fingers to the edges of her lips and whistled. A giant white hawk with four legs flew through the entrance and towards the balcony where Anna, Kristoff, Cinderella, and the Fairy Godmother were staying. Anna and Kristoff ducked beneath the Hawk-Beast as it flew overhead. It landed and drew nearer to Cinderella. The Fairy Godmother shouted, "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo!" A stream of sparkling magic hit the Hawk-Beast, turning a bit of its flesh into stone. The Hawk-Beast shrieked furiously and flew. It grabbed Cinderella by the neck and did the same to the Fairy Godmother. It carried them off and crashed through the nearest window. They soured through the sky, around the castle as the window blasting them bitterly. It released them and they fell. The Fairy Godmother was quick to cast a spell that changed the ground beneath them into a thick bed made out of cotton. When they landed, they were shook up, but in one piece. The Fairy Godmother had to change the ground back to normal so they could stand up. The Hawk-Beast thought it would be done with them and was enraged to find that it wasn't. It flew down towards them. Behind Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother was a bridge over water. The Fairy Godmother shot the water with her magic and a bit of it turned into a bolt of lightning that shot the Hawk-Beast out of the sky. It crashed on the other side of the bridge. The Fairy Godmother said, "Find some place to hide, Child. I'll take care of this."

Cinderella said, "Be careful!"

The Fairy Godmother stepped onto the bridge while Cinderella watched from behind a tree. The Hawk-Beast crawled onto the bridge from the other side. It walked on the rails because it was too big to fit between them. The Fairy Godmother cast a spell on the bridge, changing it to look like a bridge pulled straight from Hell. It was blazing with fire everywhere but where the Fairy Godmother stood. Its rails were cover in thorns and the floor was covered in broken glass. Despite the burning and the stabbing, the Hawk-Beast pressed forward. The Fairy Godmother cast more lightning from the water, hurting the Hawk-Beast, but not stopping it. It was almost upon her. Its claws and beak dove at her. In desperation to protect her godchild, the Fairy Godmother pointed her wand at her hand and said, "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo." Her hand shined bright, the magic within on its way out. She had turned her hand into a bomb. There was a flash of light and an eruption of devastation.

For a minute there, Elsa was actually afraid of the Enchantress. But the marks that Prince Charming left on her neck and cheek reminded her of a saying. If it bleeds, you can kill it. Elsa slid towards the Enchantress and created a hammer made of ice that she hit her with. The Enchantress winced in a little pain when the hammer shattered against her head, but she still stood tall. Elsa created stalagmites behind her so she put her attention into melting them. Elsa blasted her with a storm of ice at pointblank range. The Enchantress endure the bitter cold without freezing. The Enchantress charged up and blasted Elsa with a shock wave larger enough to send her flying. The Enchantress created a green whip that wrapped around Elsa waist and pulled her back. When Elsa flew back to her, the Enchantress cover her fist in emerald and punched Elsa in the gut. Elsa dropped to her knees, trying to breathe, unable to fight back.

Jack shot ice-lightning at the Enchantress. Elsa was touched by the ice-lighting, but Jack knew it wouldn't bother her. The chandelier kept chasing Eugene, but he had an idea. He ran up a wall, and when the chandelier crashed into it, Eugene jumped on. He shouted, "Yes!" as he was about to cut the chandelier's rope. Much to Eugene's dismay, the chandelier rose up and flung around wildly, bring him alone for the unpleasant ride.

The Fairy Godmother couldn't get up. But the Hawk-Beast was about to. She looked around and saw a rock; that would work. She whispered the words, "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo," and worked her magic one last time. The rock shifted and changed into a fake dead body that looked exactly like Cinderella. When the Hawk-Beast was up, it mistook the fake for the real Cinderella and considered his mission accomplished. He flew back to the castle. As soon as the Hawk-Beast was gone. Cinderella sprang from her hiding place to say her goodbyes.

The Enchantress created an emerald shield to deflect the ice-lightning and charged toward Jack. He flew around her, hoping to strike from behind. But she threw the shield, hitting him in the head. She quickly switched in and out of her fireball-form to get under him. She grabbed him and unleashed a shock wave blasted him into the ceiling. He flew at her and tried to strike, but the Enchantress used a whip to snap at him, making him lose his focus. She covered her fist in emerald and uppercut him, brutally.

Eugene lost his grip on the chandelier and fell. Rapunzel tried to catch him, but she only succeeded in having him fall on her.

The Hawk-Beast flew into the room carrying Anna and Kristoff in its talons. It threw them into a corner. Furious that someone mishandled her sister and brother in law, Elsa shot ice at the Hawk-Beast, but before she could actually hit it, a green whip wrapped around her and threw her into the corner. One by one, the Enchantress used her whips to throw Jack, Eugene, and Rapunzel into the same corner. She shrieked, "ENOUGH!" and strands of her magic spread first into the floor, then up the wall, then onto the ceiling while the Hawk-Beast escaped what would happen next through the window. The Enchantress pointed her hands at them, sending bits and pieces of the castle flying towards them. Elsa and Jack shot their frost, but they would not be able to hold it all back for long. The rubble piled up on them, creating a mountain of ruin. How could they possibly have survived that?

The Enchantress thought, "There are others to dispose of. But at least the worst is behind me." She changed into three balls of fire and flew away.

Cinderella was kneeling beside her Fairy Godmother, tears streaming from her eyes. The Fairy Godmother asked, "Child, did I ever tell you . . . that helping you was the best thing I have ever done?"

Cinderella looked her in the eyes and said, "No. You didn't."

"I should have. You've become the greatest princess this kingdom could ask for. It does me proud to think that I had a part to play in where you ended up."

"I owe it all to you, Fairy Godmother. What you've given me . . . I could never fully pay you back."

"Don't think of it that way. You have done more than enough, Child. And speaking of things given from me to you. I have one last gift before I go."

The Fairy Godmother held up her magic wand, wanting Cinderella to take it.

"You're giving me this?"

"Why, who else? Just know that with me gone, it will have a few limitations. You won't be able to turn back time among a few other things. And remember; there will not be a single spell you can cast that won't break at the twelfth stroke of midnight.

Cinderella accepted the wand. But that wasn't enough. "I need you, Fairy Godmother."

The Fairy Godmother let out a soft breath, almost laughing at the idea. She told Cinderella with a smile on her face, "You haven't needed me for years." She closed her eyes. She was gone.

Cinderella clutched her body tight, and sobbed uncontrollably.

"Well, let's look at the bright side," said Rapunzel, struggling to keep the indestructible sphere formed. "At least she thinks we're all dead. That's helpful, right?"

Author's Note: One of the many things I'm excited for in this story is the Enchantress. I think a rebel who hates all government is a perfect antagonist for a group of princesses. I'll be giving her some flashbacks of her own to make her crazy motivation seem a little bit understandable. One of my favorite villains is Thanos from the MCU because even though he's wrong, he makes some really good points for his argument.

If you're interested, please consider reading my other fanfiction, Miraculous Contempt.

Thank you for reading and I hope you come back for more of my work.