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Aurora POV
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Rapunzel rammed another piece of furniture against the door. "I don't think, so, you witch!" she screeched, leaning against it and panting. The sword she had so proudly adorned was still lying in its scabbard, and she had resorted to piling furniture against the entrance. Lady Malifice was trying to break in.
I was huddled in a corner, hidden behind the curtains. Rapunzel had warned me not to come out even if the door was opened, for my own safety.
The lady I had trusted for quite some time was trying to lift the door off its hinges with her spells, but for some reason it wasn't working. I was guessing that piece work came from the hands of my fairy godmother. Finally, realizing she could not break in, she backed off, glowering. Rapunzel sensed a retreat and sank to the floor, gasping for breath.
"OH, REALLY?" I flinched at the sound of her voice. "WELL, MAYBE YOU'LL BE SO KIND AS TO TELL AURORA THAT SHE SHOULD COME OUT IF SHE DOESN'T WANT TO SEE TARRANT OF ROSE'S HEAD BLOWN OFF!"
I flew out of my hiding place. "Rapunzel, we have to - she cannot hurt him!" My outstretched arms reached desperately for the door handle, but my friend caught me round the waist and slung me onto the ground. "No, Aurora. She'll kill you, remember?"
I screeched in rage. "Don't you dare, Lady Malifice!" I kicked my feet helplessly against the floor in protest, flailing my arms like a child in a temper. "No! No! No!" I pulled at my hair, still pounding the floor with my feet. Oh, that witch. Oh, that horrid, wicked, little -
Lady Malifice laughed cruelly. "Don't worry, darling. You'll soon be joining him." I heard her retreating footsteps pounding down the hallway, mocking me with their obnoxious two-step. I stared in loathing at Rapunzel, who was innocently piling furniture against the door. And I lost it.
I grabbed Rapunzel by the hair. She squealed. "Aurora! What are you doing?" I threw open the door of an armeau she thankfully had forgotten to amass, and threw her inside of it. She screamed and tried to kick my face. Instead, she caught my stomach, but I was relentless. I slammed the door shut, leaning all my weight against it. She very nearly broke though, but I quickly snapped the handle off so she would be unable to escape.
Next, in a frenzy of strength I had most assuredly lacked beforehand, I flung all the pillows, tables, chairs and bed sheets out of my way. I was getting to Tarrant if it killed me. Rapunzel's screeches of indignation wafted through my ears occasionally, but I was too intent on the task at hand to truly give them much attention.
Finally, Rapunzel's massive barrier was gone, though I had bruised my knuckle. I grasped that handle as if it were my life's support, and threw open the door.
I raced down the hallway, and my head was spinning with worry. If Tarrant died, I would never forgive myself. I simply would not be able to breathe if his death was my doing. I ended up on the balcony hanging over the ballroom. It was actually a rather pleasant view, if one was not looking for someone.
And then I saw him. He was slumped dejectedly against a column, spilling wine out of his glass onto the nearby tablecloth. A good amount was dripping down the side of his leg, staining his black pants and pooling into his boots. But he seemed quite oblivious to the matter. Dante strode gallantly over to him, abandoning a recent dance partner. They exchanged a few words, and Dante's grin strained. But Tarrant dismissed him with a flick of his hand, turning his head away dismally.
"Tarrant!" I screamed, leaning over the balcony. He peered up, startled. This time he actually dropped the wineglass and it spilled all over his tunic, which was, unfortunately, a very light tan color. When he saw me, his face lit up with happiness. He shoved a slim lady in bright magenta out of his path. She landed atop a large balding man in glowing orange, and began a long chain of collapses.
But he was oblivious as he raced up the set of stairs opposite my side of the balcony. There should have been a second set, there really should have. He was going to have to run so far to reach me, poor dear.
I turned to survey his path, seeing as he was already halfway up the stairs, and I did not want to ruin the moment. Maybe I should meet him in the middle. And that was then I saw it.
It was so small, frail in its angelic glow. But it drew me in. That lithe wisp of glitter hovering just beside a doorway. You see, the balcony was curved, with a hallway on my side, and a stairway on the other. But all around the crimson oval walls were pearly doors leading to guest rooms.
I stepped forward, entranced by the glow. Oh, how the shiny object called me. It beckoned me to come closer, that I might fully bask in the beauty of its glow. Tarrant had reached me by now, arms outstretched, but I shoved him roughly out of my path. That object was far more important.
He smashed into the white railing, and contracted a vicious whiplash injury to his neck. Later, Dante would tell me that he was nearly in tears from my rejection a few minutes afterwards. At that moment, I did not hear him wailing my name; I did not hear the loud laughter of the dancers below. I saw only that crystalline radiance beckoning me. My feet strode silently forward in a mechanical fashion. I was glowing with the need to touch that wisp of smoke that burned its image in my mind over and over again, until I could hardly contain my urge to touch it, grasp it, make it mine.
I followed the hand into a dark room. But the darkness was banished in that ethereal glow that called to me with a loud, screaming voice of thunder and beauty and marvel and wonder.
My hand reached out for the marvelous object.
A tiny trickle of blood made its slow path down my finger. The blaze was vanquished in one ghastly moment of realization as the fiends of shade leapt up and swallowed me.
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A/N: Worry not; there is more of the ball to come. Please R&R, and even if you only read, I hope you enjoy!!!
Aurora POV
****** *********
Rapunzel rammed another piece of furniture against the door. "I don't think, so, you witch!" she screeched, leaning against it and panting. The sword she had so proudly adorned was still lying in its scabbard, and she had resorted to piling furniture against the entrance. Lady Malifice was trying to break in.
I was huddled in a corner, hidden behind the curtains. Rapunzel had warned me not to come out even if the door was opened, for my own safety.
The lady I had trusted for quite some time was trying to lift the door off its hinges with her spells, but for some reason it wasn't working. I was guessing that piece work came from the hands of my fairy godmother. Finally, realizing she could not break in, she backed off, glowering. Rapunzel sensed a retreat and sank to the floor, gasping for breath.
"OH, REALLY?" I flinched at the sound of her voice. "WELL, MAYBE YOU'LL BE SO KIND AS TO TELL AURORA THAT SHE SHOULD COME OUT IF SHE DOESN'T WANT TO SEE TARRANT OF ROSE'S HEAD BLOWN OFF!"
I flew out of my hiding place. "Rapunzel, we have to - she cannot hurt him!" My outstretched arms reached desperately for the door handle, but my friend caught me round the waist and slung me onto the ground. "No, Aurora. She'll kill you, remember?"
I screeched in rage. "Don't you dare, Lady Malifice!" I kicked my feet helplessly against the floor in protest, flailing my arms like a child in a temper. "No! No! No!" I pulled at my hair, still pounding the floor with my feet. Oh, that witch. Oh, that horrid, wicked, little -
Lady Malifice laughed cruelly. "Don't worry, darling. You'll soon be joining him." I heard her retreating footsteps pounding down the hallway, mocking me with their obnoxious two-step. I stared in loathing at Rapunzel, who was innocently piling furniture against the door. And I lost it.
I grabbed Rapunzel by the hair. She squealed. "Aurora! What are you doing?" I threw open the door of an armeau she thankfully had forgotten to amass, and threw her inside of it. She screamed and tried to kick my face. Instead, she caught my stomach, but I was relentless. I slammed the door shut, leaning all my weight against it. She very nearly broke though, but I quickly snapped the handle off so she would be unable to escape.
Next, in a frenzy of strength I had most assuredly lacked beforehand, I flung all the pillows, tables, chairs and bed sheets out of my way. I was getting to Tarrant if it killed me. Rapunzel's screeches of indignation wafted through my ears occasionally, but I was too intent on the task at hand to truly give them much attention.
Finally, Rapunzel's massive barrier was gone, though I had bruised my knuckle. I grasped that handle as if it were my life's support, and threw open the door.
I raced down the hallway, and my head was spinning with worry. If Tarrant died, I would never forgive myself. I simply would not be able to breathe if his death was my doing. I ended up on the balcony hanging over the ballroom. It was actually a rather pleasant view, if one was not looking for someone.
And then I saw him. He was slumped dejectedly against a column, spilling wine out of his glass onto the nearby tablecloth. A good amount was dripping down the side of his leg, staining his black pants and pooling into his boots. But he seemed quite oblivious to the matter. Dante strode gallantly over to him, abandoning a recent dance partner. They exchanged a few words, and Dante's grin strained. But Tarrant dismissed him with a flick of his hand, turning his head away dismally.
"Tarrant!" I screamed, leaning over the balcony. He peered up, startled. This time he actually dropped the wineglass and it spilled all over his tunic, which was, unfortunately, a very light tan color. When he saw me, his face lit up with happiness. He shoved a slim lady in bright magenta out of his path. She landed atop a large balding man in glowing orange, and began a long chain of collapses.
But he was oblivious as he raced up the set of stairs opposite my side of the balcony. There should have been a second set, there really should have. He was going to have to run so far to reach me, poor dear.
I turned to survey his path, seeing as he was already halfway up the stairs, and I did not want to ruin the moment. Maybe I should meet him in the middle. And that was then I saw it.
It was so small, frail in its angelic glow. But it drew me in. That lithe wisp of glitter hovering just beside a doorway. You see, the balcony was curved, with a hallway on my side, and a stairway on the other. But all around the crimson oval walls were pearly doors leading to guest rooms.
I stepped forward, entranced by the glow. Oh, how the shiny object called me. It beckoned me to come closer, that I might fully bask in the beauty of its glow. Tarrant had reached me by now, arms outstretched, but I shoved him roughly out of my path. That object was far more important.
He smashed into the white railing, and contracted a vicious whiplash injury to his neck. Later, Dante would tell me that he was nearly in tears from my rejection a few minutes afterwards. At that moment, I did not hear him wailing my name; I did not hear the loud laughter of the dancers below. I saw only that crystalline radiance beckoning me. My feet strode silently forward in a mechanical fashion. I was glowing with the need to touch that wisp of smoke that burned its image in my mind over and over again, until I could hardly contain my urge to touch it, grasp it, make it mine.
I followed the hand into a dark room. But the darkness was banished in that ethereal glow that called to me with a loud, screaming voice of thunder and beauty and marvel and wonder.
My hand reached out for the marvelous object.
A tiny trickle of blood made its slow path down my finger. The blaze was vanquished in one ghastly moment of realization as the fiends of shade leapt up and swallowed me.
*** *** *** *** *** ***
A/N: Worry not; there is more of the ball to come. Please R&R, and even if you only read, I hope you enjoy!!!