Sophia's Story
A Disney crossover by talking2myself
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any recognizable Disney characters. All original characters are my own creations.
CHAPTER 12. The Rose and The Hag
"Wake up, Sunshine."
A wall of light crashed against Sophia's eyes and she bolted upright in her bed in alarm. Rosamund stood in front of the large window in their room. She had unceremoniously thrown open the drapes. It was morning and the sun was bright and the fields of snow seemed to magnify its rays to a blinding radiance. "Today's the day," she announced before grumbling under her breath. "I can't put it off any longer."
"Wha..?" Sophia mumbled, scrubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands and trying to make the spots disappear from her vision. "What day?"
"Today is the day I get to meet my new godchild," Rosamund said with no real enthusiasm as she pulled on her cloak. "We have to go back into the forest. It's a decent walk so we better head out."
Sophia shivered but rose from the bed. She was a little relieved that Rosamund had woken her when she did. Sophia had been in the midst of one of the strangest dreams she had ever had. She was chasing Giselle through a dark forest. Giselle was running ahead of her and Sophia was yelling at her sister to stop. Giselle had simply laughed and called back to her, "I can't stop. I need to find the perfect lips." At that moment, the ground started to shake. Sophia had turned around to see a giant troll coming up close behind her and sitting on its shoulders was Narissa. The queen was glaring at her.
"Your sister will never marry my son," she roared before tossing a cupcake at Sophia. That was when the blinding light had mercifully woken her up.
"Shake a leg, girlie," Rosamund snapped. "We're burning daylight."
Sophia groaned and reluctantly crawled out of the warm bed. The whole inn was cold and shivers went up and down her body when she placed her foot on the wooden floor. She quickly dressed and followed Rosamund out of the tavern, pointedly refusing to make eye contact with any of the hunting trophies as she did.
They spent the morning trudging back through the forest. The sunlight which had seemed so bright and piercing initially seemed to vanish once they entered the forest and the wind picked up, tossing their cloaks and hair wildly. Sophia pulled her new cloak up around her nose and listened to the crunch of the snow as it settled beneath her new boots. Sophia's first impression of winter was that she absolutely hated it. She had thought that it had been cold inside the inn. That was nothing compared to the icy chills that went up her spine as they trudged through the forest. Snowflakes clung to her hair and the lenses of her glasses were beginning to fog up so she could barely see Rosamund moving in front of her. The taller woman seemed unfazed by the weather. If anything, she was savoring her last moments of freedom before she was permanently tied down to her new charge.
After what seemed like an eternity, the two women came to a halt. It seemed like a gate had emerged out of nowhere and just beyond it was a massive white stone castle covered in statuaries with beautiful stained glass windows on every wall. Sophia had been impressed by Edward's castle in Andalasia, but this one was even more impressive. Sophia was craning her neck to see the many spires and turrets when she realized that Rosamund was approaching the massive gate. "What are you doing?" Sophia asked skeptically.
"What's it look like I'm doing?" Rosamund retorted.
"You think you can waltz in just like that?" Sophia asked.
Rosamund rattled the gate, but it held firm. Rosamund rolled her eyes. "Oh for pity's…" She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath before looking at the gate.
"Oh pitiful lock, so quaint and crude…
OPEN UP! I'M NOT IN THE MOOD!"
The lock on the gate quivered for a few moments before it clicked open and dropped to the snow with a plop. "Child's play," Rosamund scoffed before she pushed the doors open and strolled into the courtyard and up the path to a massive set of doors.
"That's it?" Sophia asked. "We can go in."
"No one's stopping us," Rosamund pointed out.
"Fantastic," Sophia cried and scurried up the path, only for Rosamund to reach out and snatch the hood of her cloak and pull her back.
"But I'm stopping us," Rosamund said.
"WHYYYYYY?" Sophia groaned as she gazed longingly at the warm lighted windows.
"Because I wanna see what I'm working with here," Rosamund said.
"But it's sooo COLD!" Sophia groaned.
"Stop whining," Rosamund scolded, completely unmoved by Sophia. "Stand back a few paces." Sophia pouted but did as she was told. There was a flash of pink light and suddenly Rosamund's elegant statuesque form was gone and a small hunchbacked old woman with one eye and white hair.
Sophia jumped back in alarm at the sight as Rosamund approached a frozen puddle and admired herself in the reflection. "Not too shabby," she praised herself. "I have to say I am really good at ugly old lady disguises." Sophia was staring at her in confusion as Rosamund continued to ramble to herself. "Now, how should I do this? It was potion last time…"
"Potion?" Sophia asked.
"Yeah, with Mor'du," she said distractedly. "I spread a rumor that there was a witch who could grant him the strength of ten men. I was hoping he wouldn't try anything foolish, but he did…" Rosamund sighed heavily. "Aaaaand now he's a bear." Sophia swallowed hard. Not liking the direction this conversation was going. "I think we'll try something a little different this time." Rosamund picked up a cobblestone. There was another flash of pink and suddenly a beautiful delicate rose appeared in her hand. "Perfect!" she grinned. "This will do nicely."
"What exactly are you planning on doing?" Sophia asked.
"I'm going to ask the spoiled brat to spend the night," Rosamund said. Her voice was different now, a cracked old woman's voice. "Hopefully, he'll make the right choice."
"And if he makes the wrong choice?" Sophia asked.
"We'll get to that," Rosamund said dismissively. "Now get out of the way, I'm going to knock on the door."
Feeling more anxious than ever, Sophia hid behind one of the statues in the courtyard, a charging stallion and watched as Rosamund knocked on the massive doors. There was a long moment and Sophia was almost hoping that they couldn't hear the knocking inside. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Sure enough, a few moments later, the tall doors swung open and a young man stared down at her mentor. He looked to be only a few years younger than Giselle with long light brown hair and brilliant blue eyes. In fact, he would have probably been quite handsome if he didn't sneer down at Rosamund like there was a pile of rotting fish beneath his nose.
"Please" Rosamund pleaded in her new voice, "Take this rose in exchange for shelter from the bitter cold."
Please take the rose! Sophia begged the boy in her mind. For your own sake, do the right thing and take the stupid rose!
"Pfft," the boy scoffed. "I don't need a rose!" Sophia winced. It was the absolutely wrong thing to say. "Go away you wretched old hag!"
The boy slammed the doors with so much force that Rosamund toppled backwards into a snowbank. "Rosamund!" Sophia cried as she raced to her side.
Rosamund's head popped up out of the snow. "That… that… impudent little brute!"
"You certainly have your work cut out for you," Sophia said as she gripped Rosamund under her arms and hauled her to her feet. "Let's go inside and introduce ourselves, then we can…"
"Introduce ourselves?" Rosamund exploded. "Oh I will introduce myself! I'll introduce as the enchantress who is NOT to be trifled with." Rosamund's one eye suddenly glowed a bright pink color and Sophia took a few steps back. "Rosamund, I don't think…."
Suddenly, there was a blast of pink light and the doors to the palace were flung open. "Rosamund!" Sophia cried chasing after her mistress. Rosamund was hovering in the air once again in her usual form, clutching the rose and radiating pink light. The servants was frozen, paralyzed in fear. She glared at the young prince who was gazing up at her in confusion.
"Rosamund, don't!" Sophia cried racing into the foyer, struggling to get the enchantress's attention.
"You have been deceived by your own cruel heart," Rosamund intoned menacingly. "A curse upon your house and all within it." Sophia gaped as pink magic swirled around the boy and he began to transform before her very eyes. He sprouted fur, claws shot out of his fingertips, horns curled up from his head and before long his panicked screams had dissolved into snarls. "Until you have found one to love you as you are, you shall remain forever, a BEAST!"
As Rosamund spoke, Sophia's shocked stare shifted from the prince to his servants. The magic was swirling around them as well before they slowly began transforming into household objects. Sounds of alarm and screams filled the room as the transformations completed. A clock here, a feather duster there. Sophia was so transfixed by the whole scene that she didn't immediately realize a strange prickling sensation starting at her toes. Suddenly, Sophia looked down and with a horrified gasp she realized that the pink magic was swirling around her as well. Rosamund's words echoed back to her in horror.
A curse upon your house and all within it. Sophia was at this point "within it".
"Rosamund!" Sophia yelped, but Rosamund didn't seem to hear her. In an angry huff, there was a blast of pink smoke as Rosamund stormed off in a huff. Suddenly, Sophia could feel change everywhere. Her skirts seemed to billow around her, her arms suddenly stuck her sides and she couldn't move them no matter how hard she tried. A few moments later, there was a faint pop and Sophia felt herself land roughly on the floor. The last things that Sophia could hear before the world went black was the sounds of panicked servants screaming and the loud ferocious snarls of The Beast.