Chapter 12: Evening Alone

About two days later, Rose nor Drakken had spoken of the secret trip to the Mini-Mall and Shego would be cluelessly surprised of her engagement ring sooner than she thought.

Near the evening one day, Rose was laying on her bed reading a magazine she borrowed off of Shego. Her stomach began to growl, supper time was approaching.

"Hmm, I wonder what Shego made for dinner?" Rose thought aloud, she got off the bed and walked out of her room toward the kitchen.

Walking inside the kitchen, Rose was surprised to find a note pinned to the dinning table. She picked it up and read it:

Rose,

Went out for the evening, be back soon. Don't go anywhere near the laboratory, the rest of the house is yours till our return. You're left to fend for dinner alone, there's hamburgers and chips in the refrigerator, and clean up after you're finished.

Shego & Drakken

Rose folded the note and stuck it in her back pocket, she smiled knowingly, tonight would be the night when Drakken proposes to Shego for marriage. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out a plate of homemade hamburgers that Shego was 'nice enough' to make before leaving.

After eating the meal, Rose cleaned up and made her way toward the living room. She had already changed into her pajamas and was already for bed, but wanted to watch her favorite movie 'Labyrinth' before heading back upstairs.

Rose settled herself comfortably on the sofa and turned her movie on, soon falling asleep and forgetting all about her movie.

§Dream§

The dream began with the light of a silver haze, adding to the mystical dreamlike quality of the chamber. Ethereal music played somewhere in the background, emanating from some unnamed source. The seductive melody fell softly on the waiting ears of the masked dancers who moved about the ballroom with a liquid grace.

From behind a marble pillar, Rose had emerged and was dressed in royal elegance. She saw her reflection in a nearby mirror. Her hair was coiled softly and pinned away from her face with shining leaves, heavy tresses trailing down her neck. The dress that bared her slender shoulders was the color of periwinkle, with sleeves that billowed like morning clouds and a bodice that coaxed her young adult body into much more voluptuous curves.

"Rosalind..." A soft but lush voice whispered in her ear.

Rose turned, searching for the voice that called to her. All she saw was people dressed very elegantly (as she was herself), but the only thing different were the masks that are hiding their faces.

Just then, her eyes spotted someone across the room. This was someone that didn't cross her memory of familiarity, yet she wanted to know who this was.

He seemed to have just withdrawn a monkey mask; his features gazed her, exotic and strange (like he were part monkey). He had a deep un-mysteried emotion in his black rimmed, blue eyes; his black eyebrows in not the slightest movement. His black sleeked hair was spiked out from his forehead, above his monkey-ish ears. He wore a very splendid high-necked waistcoat embroidered with sparkling black-onyx stones, black breeches, black boots and gloves, and a spill of lace at his throat and wrists.

Rose stared in awe of this perfect (maybe) handsome man, but the realized it was just a reflection as she walked toward him. This scared her somewhat, but that added to the excitement.

'There's such a sad love, deep in your eyes.
A kind of pale jewel, open and closed within your eyes.
I'll place the sky within you eyes...'

Rose searches through the crowd of dancing people for her mysterious prince, feeling every now and then that she was being watched. She pushed through the crowd of dancers, feeling their leers and grins on her as she searched for him.

'There's such a fooled heart, beating so fast.
In search of new dreams, a love that will last, within your heart.
I'll place the moon within your heart...'

Rose brushes up against a stranger, whose face is covered by a fan, still searching for the one she needs.

'As the pain sweeps through, makes no sense for you.
Every thrill is gone, wasn't too much fun at all...
but I'll be there for you, as the world falls down.
Falling... falling... falling in love.'

The people around Rose laughing and dancing to the music push her from side to side, not caring that she's there.

'I'll paint you mornings of gold, I'll spin you Valentine evenings.
Though we're strangers 'till now, we're choosing a path between the stars.
I'll lay my love between the stars...'

Rose sighed, she was about to give up when suddenly...

"Rosalind," a lush voice whispered in her ear behind her.

With a whirl of her skirts, Rose turned and saw her prince standing, his face was a mask. The man took three steps toward her without revealing an ounce of emotion. Until he was so close she had to tilt her head up to meet his exotic eyes. Rose was nervous and couldn't think of words that would compliment the ravishing creature.

The man took her hand in his and grasped it tightly, while the other hand encircled her waist possessively, his eyes capturing hers with the same arrogant confidence; guiding her toward the middle of the room in a smooth and elegant dance.

Rose swayed in his embrace, losing herself to the intoxicating feel of the dance, the lights, the music. Her handsome prince spun her around dizzyingly to the melody, singing the haunting tune of promises in her ear. His unbearably beautiful voice was breaking her will, her doubts become swiftly non-existent.

'And as the pain sweeps through, makes no sense for you.
Every thrill is gone, wasn't too much fun at all...
But I'll be there for you, as the world falls down...'

Rose loses herself in the man's eyes, and everything else starts spinning out of control. His strong arms are the only thing that keep her grounded. She feels as though she's...

'Falling...
Falling...
Falling...'

Rose begins to look confused and stares around wildly as everyone stops to watch them two dance.

'As the world falls down...
Falling... Falling... Falling...
Falling in love...'

Suddenly, a clock from somewhere in the room began to toll loudly. Rose was snapped out of her hypnotism and glanced around wildly.

'As the world falls down...
Falling... Falling... Falling...
Falling in love...
As the world falls down...
Falling... Falling... Falling...'

A look of shock comes across the man's face as Rose breaks from his grasp and flees away from the grabbing hands of the masked dancers.

'Makes no sense at all...
Makes no sense to fall...
Falling...
As the world falls down...
Falling... Falling...
Falling in love...'

The clock continued to toll as Rose ran; everything around her was fading to blackness but yet she could still hear the same haunting and melodic song being sung to her.

'As the world falls down...
Falling... Falling...
Falling in love...
Falling in love. ...
Falling in love...
Falling in love...'

§Dream End§

When Rose woke up the following morning, she found herself not in the living room but back in her reserved bedroom.

The strange dream she had felt like a fantasy-nightmare. What did it mean? And who was this man with features close to a monkey?

Rose shook off her thoughts and got out of bed, changing into new clothes and leaving the room. She made her way toward the kitchen and inside, finding Shego frying bacon and eggs on the cooker and Drakken sitting at the table reading the newspaper.

"Good morning," Rose replied, smiling shyly.

Drakken looked up from reading the newspaper and said, "You're just in time for breakfast."

"How did everything go last night?" Rose asked, she sat down at the table. Then helping herself to some pieces of toast and a couple pancakes covered in sweet syrup.

"Just perfect, I'm never gonna forget it," Shego replied, walking over a couple of seconds later with two plates one covered in eggs and the other in bacon. She set the plates on the table and sat down herself, a pleasant smile on her face as she showed off her engagement ring on her left hand. "We're getting married!"

"Aww! That's so wonderful!" Rose cooed excitedly and hugged Shego. "Congratulations! When's the wedding?"

"That's what we're trying to decide," Drakken said, slightly disappointed. "Back in the other world, Shego and I are wanted in every state for every known crime we committed."

"Hmm," Rose though aloud. "You know, the wedding could take place here in the Pokemon World. My family will help out, they know what to do for weddings."

Shego smiled at the suggestion. "Sounds good." Then turns to Drakken. "What do you think? I know I don't mind other people helping us."

"Word, now let's get this party started old school, yo!"

The girls stared at Drakken beyond confused, Shego was annoyed and Rose was scared that the slang-lingo was not popular.

"Anyway," Rose continued. "My family lives closer to Crystal Falls and nearby to Crystal City. There's a beach also, that I know of, we can relax there for a while."

"Now that sounds like a vacation." Shego said, liking the idea. "This house is starting to bore me and I'd like to meet new people."

"Wait a sec," Drakken interrupted. "Who's says you're in charge of planning what we do? I'm the Boss, I should..." But he saw the girls glaring at him in a way that says, 'It's our way or pain, pick your choice,' and he didn't want pain. "On second thought, when do we leave?"

Rose smiled, pleased. "The sooner the better. Let's get packing!"

§To Be Continued§

*I don't own anything from Labyrinth but I really love the dream sequence is actually taken right from it and played really well with how I wanted to plan this story out.

Okay, did you figure out who the mysterious guy was in Rose's dream? Yeah, thought I'd hint another romance. You know what to do, please and thank you!