Author's note: This chapter has the lyrics to "My Immortal" by Evanescence.

Chapter 7: Arden's Song

The next two weeks started bad and became even worse. Arden first assignment was to recover Ratigan's bell. That was not an easy task. But luckily, Arden succeeded. Arden gave the bell directly to Ratigan. Arden wasn't very happy on the inside. Arden learned everything about everything that happens at the Rat Trap. Arden didn't want to be there. It wasn't long before she came to realize that she was changing. She now wore a black turtle neck, a black skirt that went to her knees, black boots, and black eye liner surrounded her eyes. I guess it started when she started working for Ratigan. Arden felt very guilty about what she has done. But she was doing this to save her friends lives. Thinking that Arden might escape, Ratigan told the lizard thug named Bill and another thug to stand guard and watch if Arden would even try to escape. Arden was trapped. Arden didn't even drink. She knew better than that while no one else didn't. She and Ratigan often got into fights. But she mostly fought with Fidget. She'd always win. One night after having a huge fight with Ratigan, Arden was covered with bruises and cuts. Her legs were bleeding. Little red lines ran through. She came into the Rat Trap room and saw a piano. Arden walked up to it. She sat in the seat and started playing. She knew a song that reminded her of everything that has happened and what she felt and thought. Bill and the other thug could hear it. They peeked their heads inside and saw Arden play her song.

Arden: I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
'Cause your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone.

Bill and the other thug immediately started getting interested in the song. They listened to her song that almost made them faint. They really liked it. They never heard anything like it. They thought it was very different from they heard in the past.

"I didn't she was a good singer." whispered Bill. The other thug looked at him.

"Neither did I." replied the other thug. Arden sang a bit more. She looked at her wounds and felt pain. She closed her eyes and started stressing. She never felt this power before. It felt at first as though she was being killed for something she didn't do. Being framed and punished. Feeling unimportant. That was when she realized that Ratigan's harmful side was bigger than she thought.

Arden: These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase.

Bill and the other thug sat down in the doorway and listened to her song. Arden didn't seem to notice they were there. She sang her song from her heart. She felt more than just a heart ache and much pain. Arden looked at her locket. She hasn't looked at it for awhile. As she looked at it, she started remembering that she could only touch and that Ratigan always wanted it to use it to take over all of mousedom! That was when she started getting answers. She realized that Ratigan wanted her to join because he knew he'd be one step closer to the locket. She scoffed. "Leave it to Ratigan to make your life miserable while you're trying to elude him." thought Arden as she sang.

Arden: When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me.

"Ratigan now has all of me." she thought sadly. She started to remember her friends, Basil, Dawson, Hunter, Hiram Flavershum, and Olivia. She didn't want to leave them. But she had no choice. She wished this was never done. Bill started having tears come out of his eyes. The other thug (did I mention he was the one that looked like Julian) looked at him.

"Are you crying!" he whispered. Bill glanced at him.

"Of course not! I just got something in my eye." he retorded. The other thug highly doubted Bill's reply.They heard Arden's singing again.

Arden: You used to captivate me
By your resonating life
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts
My once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away
All the sanity in me.

Arden's pain eventually faded away as she played her song on the piano. She never knew she was this good. She knew she played the piano before but didn't know she was this good.

Arden: When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me.

Arden looked up at the ceiling. She looked behind her. She wished that Hunter was there. But she knew he wasn't there. She thought of him as she sang the next part.

Arden: I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
But though you're still with me
I've been alone all along.

Arden looked and saw Bill and the other thug there. Arden was surprised. She tried to ignore their presence. She sang the last of her song. Arden's tears started running down her face. Her tears were actually blood streaks.

Arden: When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me.

Her song ended in sorrow. She wished to die. Die a certain death that would change everyone's life.
"Ratigan has won." she whispered filled with sorrow. She didn't feel any good in her. She closed her eyesgot off her seat and tried to walk. But she fell to the ground with her head dangling down. She opened her eyes and looked to see Bill and the other thug still there. She glared at them.
"Curse you all." she whispered.