Chapter 20: Relationships
Dark, roiling storm clouds hung above the peak of Bald Mountain, casting the whole area in perpetual gloom. Sitting at the base of the mountain was a large cave that led deep into the bowels of the earth. The winding tunnel eventually led to a large cavern that formed an inverted cone with the ceiling being five times larger than the floor. Most of the chamber was sectioned off into circles leading down to the floor with each of the circles holding a number of seats, making the whole chamber resemble an ancient amphitheater.
Currently, the seats of the chamber were filled with all manner of people, creatures and beasts. Scattered amongst them was the usual group who attended the Bad Guys Anonymous meetings, while Maleficent stood on the bottom floor of the chamber, looking up at the surrounding villains.
"Well, it seems we've reached the end of our meeting for today," Maleficent said, her voice echoing through the whole chamber, "Now, with no further news-"
Maleficent was interrupted by the sound of someone loudly clearing their throat. Her eyes narrowing in annoyance, Maleficent scanned the crowd before her gaze eventually fell on Hades, who was pointedly not looking at her other than a few nervous glances he shot at her and failed to hide.
"It would seem that we have one order of business left today," Maleficent said with a sigh as she rolled her eyes, "A few of our members would like to announce they are having a…."
Maleficent paused and took a breath before reluctantly continuing.
"A New Years Eve party," Maleficent finished, looking like the words left a bad taste in her mouth.
"Who's throwing the party?" a voice from the crowd asked wearily.
"The members of Bad Guys Anonymous," Maleficent answered with another heavy sigh.
At this, a loud groan seemed to echo through the room, as seemingly every villain except those already in Bad Guys Anonymous voiced their distaste with the idea.
"Of all the stupid ideas!" one voice shouted.
"Who thought of this!?" a second demanded.
"I'd rather be stuck on that boat with the singing puppets than go to something like this!" a third declared.
"Alright, alright!" Hades shouted as he stood up and waved his hands at the crowd, which continued to jeer him, "It was just an invitation! Nobody's making you come, you freaking savages!"
"I told him this wasn't going to work," Regina sighed quietly from her place in the crowd as she shook her head.
"Silence!" Maleficent suddenly shouted as she slammed the butt of her staff against the ground, causing a plume of green fire to erupt from the ground behind her which cowed the rest of the villains into silence and caused them all to nervously turn their attention back to her.
"The invitation has been made," Maleficent hissed, her low, dangerous voice nevertheless carrying for all to hear, "Accept it or don't, I care not which. And if you must argue about it, do so where I do not have to suffer it. Now, go, this meeting is over."
With that, the villains began to file out of the chamber, whispering nervously amongst themselves as they went.
"Well," Hook said as he fell in with Hades, Turbo, Regina, Gold, Ursula and Jafar, "That could have gone better."
"Yeah, well, it could have gone a lot worse too," Hades retorted with a shrug, "I'm just happy Maleficent didn't eat anyone."
"Do you think she'll come?" Turbo questioned.
"Look, it was really important that we invited her," Hades explained as they walked, "She has, like, a complex about that. But her actually showing up? I doubt that would happen in a million years."
"I mean, let's be realistic here," Regina said, "After seeing that reaction? No one but us is going to show up to this party."
Unbeknownst to any of them, Prince Hans watched the group as they left, rubbing his chin thoughtfully and smirking as he did.
Meanwhile,
Deep within the forested region of the Magic Kingdom, in a sunlit, picturesque clearing, Vanellope stood waiting in her child form, nervously fidgeting with the hem of her skirt as she did so.
"This is stupid," Vanellope muttered to herself, "This is so stupid! Why did I even listen to Elsa? Just because I kissed him doesn't mean I have to talk to him! Forget this, I'm out of here!"
With that, Vanellope turned to go, but before she could leave, the sound of rushing wind reached her ears. Spinning in place, Vanellope watched as Dash, dressed in a red t-shirt and black gym shorts, ran into the clearing, loose leaves and other bits of debris following in his wake. Stopping on the other side of the clearing, Dash quietly stared at Vanellope as the breeze he had kicked up stirred the grass and surrounding trees, a number of loose leaves floating gently to the ground between them.
"Uh, hey," Dash greeted after an awkward moment of silence.
"H-Hey," Vanellope replied with a nervous chuckle of her own.
"So, uh, Lilo said you wanted me to meet you out here?" Dash questioned as he quirked an eyebrow at Vanellope.
"Uh, yeah, that's….that's the idea," Vanellope confirmed as she stuck her hands into the pockets of her sweatshirt and looked down at the ground.
"Is…." Dash began before he paused to run a hand through his hair, "Is this about what happened at the Christmas party?"
At the question, Vanellope went stock still, but did not say anything in reply and continued to stare down at the ground.
"About how you kissed me?" Dash probed further, his expression unsure.
At this, Vanellope slowly raised her head and met Dash's gaze.
"Y-Yeah…." Vanellope muttered, a worried look on her face, "Kind of."
"Well then…." Dash said as he turned his gaze towards his own feet, "I just wanted to say I'm sorry."
Vanellope blinked in surprise at this and furrowed her brow as she looked at Dash.
"You're sorry….because I kissed you?" Vanellope inquired as she arched an eyebrow at Dash.
"I mean yeah," Dash explained as he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, "You wouldn't have felt the need to kiss me if I hadn't come over and trapped you under the mistletoe."
"You….You didn't trap me, Dash," Vanellope countered.
"I….didn't?" Dash asked in confusion.
"No," Vanellope confirmed with a shake of her head, "I didn't kiss you because I felt like I had to. I kissed you….because I wanted to."
A hush fell over the clearing as Vanellope admitted this, causing both her and Dash's faces to turn bright red.
"Oh…." Dash replied, his expression turning baffled, "...Why?"
"Why?" Vanellope echoed with an amused chuckle, "I-I don't know. I just think you're, you know, funny and cool and….and cute."
Vanellope ducked her head as she said this, her face heating up so much that she was worried her hair was about to light on fire.
"You think I'm cute?" Dash asked with an amused tone, "Well, I, uh, guess that's convenient, since I think you're pretty cute too."
"Y-You do!?" Vanellope questioned as she lifted her head and looked at Dash in surprise.
"Yeah," Dash replied as he shrugged nonchalantly and glanced to the side, his attempt to look cool undermined by his brightly burning cheeks, "I mean, why else would I hang out with you?"
"Wow, I'm sure Sofia and Lilo would be interested to hear you say that," Vanellope teased as she smiled and rolled her eyes.
A quiet fell over the clearing once more, but it was more comfortable than before as Dash turned his gaze back towards Vanellope.
"So, now what?" Dash asked, breaking the silence once more.
"Well, I was wondering if anything….weird happened to you after we kissed?" Vanellope asked awkwardly.
"W-What do you mean by, weird?" Dash inquired, his face flushing again.
"Like, did your body….change?" Vanellope suggested, using her hands to try to express what she meant.
"Uh, I-I guess," Dash replied, looking away from Vanellope as his face turned bright red, "And, uh, my dad says that it's completely natural and nothing to be ashamed of."
"Um, no," Vanellope said, her cheeks turning pink as she held up a hand, "I, uh, I don't think we're talking about the same thing here. Maybe….Maybe I should just show you."
Then, before Dash could say anything else, Vanellope held out her arms and did a quick twirl on one foot, her eyes closed in concentration. As she did this, a cloud of teal pixels quickly enveloped her before they dissipated just as fast. Once the cloud had disappeared, Vanellope was revealed now in her older form.
Another silence fell over the clearing as Dash stared at Vanellope with wide eyes. After a moment though, a megawatt smile broke out on his face.
"Oh wow!" Dash exclaimed, "It happened to you too!?"
Before Vanellope could question what he meant, Dash began to spin rapidly in a circle, transforming into a blur of motion that moved fast enough to kick up a small cloud of dust. Then, just as quickly as he had started, Dash stopped spinning, and the cloud of dust dissipated, revealing him once more. Only now, Dash did not appear as he did a moment before.
Standing before Vanellope was clearly Dash, but now older, looking to also be in his late teens. He was taller now, roughly a head taller than Vanellope, with a skinny, lanky build. His blonde hair was swept back, and his face was now devoid of baby fat, giving it an angular appearance. He wore the same clothes he had on a moment before, but they were now cut to fit his taller frame. As Vanellope took the sight of him in, she noticed Dash smiling at her and felt her cheeks heat up in response.
"Wow," Vanellope said with a chuckle as she began walking towards Dash, "You too, huh?"
"Yeah, it was pretty weird to wake up to, but my parents helped me figure it out," Dash replied with a nod.
"Well, I've gotta admit, this all went way better than I was expecting it to," Vanellope stated as she stopped in front of Dash.
"Yeah, it's kind of nice to have this all out in the open now," Dash agreed as he scratched the back of his head.
"I agree," Vanellope replied as she stopped directly in front of Dash and looked up at him with half-lidded eyes.
"So, uh, what should we do now?" Dash inquired, his face flushing as he realized how close Vanellope was standing to him.
"Well, I was thinking," Vanellope answered as she tapped her chin thoughtfully, "The first time was pretty good, but it might be even better if we get some practice in."
"Practice doing what?" Dash asked cluelessly.
In reply, Vanellope smiled while rolling her eyes in exasperation. Then, looping her arms around Dash's neck, Vanellope pulled his head down to her level and pressed her lips to his in a lingering kiss. Then, after a few moments, Vanellope pulled back, and giggled at the shocked expression she found on Dash's face.
"You know," Dash said as he came to his senses and smiled at Vanellope, "I could get used to this."
"You'd better," Vanellope replied with a beaming grin, "After all, I'm going to need someone to kiss at Ralph and Elsa's New Year's Eve party when midnight comes around and you're the best candidate."
"Is this your weird way of inviting me to the party?" Dash asked with a questioning eyebrow before his brow furrowed, "Wait, best candidate implies I'm not the only one."
"A girl's got to keep her options open," Vanellope mused with a shrug as she smirked at him, "You never know when a better choice is going to-"
Vanellope was cut off as Dash suddenly leaned forward and captured her lips with his. Vanellope squeaked in surprise at the unexpected kiss before closing her eyes and melting into it. When the two parted, Vanellope couldn't help but giggle.
"So, I guess you want to come, huh?" Vanellope inquired as she beamed at Dash.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Dash replied with a smile of his own.
Later,
Deep within the twisting confines of the dark wood that marked Maleficent's territory in the Magic Kingdom, the dark fairy stood in a clearing across from Elsa. Elsa, dressed in a form fitting, long-sleeved, light blue top with a matching skirt and black yoga pants, narrowed her eyes at Maleficent, who looked back at her with a bored expression.
Then, suddenly, Maleficent lifted her arm and flicked her wrist, causing a ball of green fire to go flying at Elsa. Elsa was prepared for this, however, and raised her left hand, her arm outstretched and her fingers splayed. Muttering a word under her breath, Elsa summoned a glowing light blue sigil that resembled a snowflake contained within a circle with mystical runes spread around the edge. A second later, the fireball struck the sigil like a solid object, exploding with enough force to send Elsa stumbling back a few steps but failing to break the sigil.
"Impressive," Maleficent observed, "You managed to maintain your shield integrity that time."
"Practice makes perfect," Elsa replied, lowering her hand, which caused the sigil to disappear as she wiped sweat from her brow with her other hand.
At that moment, Maleficent flicked her wrist again, sending a smaller fireball shooting towards Elsa's feet. The fireball struck the ground beneath Elsa with enough force to throw her off her feet, and she grunted in pain and surprise as she landed on her rear.
"Yes, well, now you need to practice on your reflexes to ensure that your shield is actually in the right position to protect you," Maleficent commented with a bemused expression.
Elsa silently glared back at Maleficent before she sighed in frustration and rose to her feet again, sliding into the ready position she had assumed before.
"No, no," Maleficent said with a dismissive wave of her hand, "I think you've had quite enough punishment for one day. Besides, I'm sure that pet oaf of yours is going to come crashing through the undergrowth any minute now looking for you so that you can put the finishing touches on this little party you're throwing."
"You act like Ralph never leaves my side," Elsa commented as she brushed dirt off her clothes, "He's really not as bad as you make him seem."
"Elsa, hey Elsa!" Ralph's voice came drifting through the dark forest, accompanied by the sound of snapping branches in the distance, "Where are you!? I need to talk to you about the party!"
A look of chagrin crossed Elsa's features as Maleficent silently crooked an eyebrow at her.
"Alright, maybe I should talk to him about this," Elsa admitted with a sigh.
"Obviously," Maleficent stated drolly, "Honestly, you couldn't make it more obvious that you've never been in a relationship before if you wrote it on your forehead."
"And what exactly do you know about being in a relationship?" Elsa inquired, glaring at Maleficent in reaction to the insult.
"Plenty, I assure you," Maleficent answered with a contemptuous snort before she turned to leave.
"I don't understand you, Maleficent," Elsa said with a shake of her head.
"Few rarely do," the dark fairy retorted as she looked over her shoulder and shot Elsa a bemused smile.
"You act like it's such a bother to interact with people," Elsa continued unheeded, "But here you are, teaching me magic. Why?"
"Perhaps I view you differently," Maleficent said evasively as the smile fell away from her face, "Perhaps I see your potential."
"But that's not all of it, is it?" Elsa pressed as she narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the dark fairy.
"Don't push your luck, Snow Queen," Maleficent replied, her voice taking on a dangerous edge, "There are some questions you regret learning the answers to."
"Would I regret it?" Elsa inquired as she arched an eyebrow at Maleficent, "Or are you just afraid to tell me?"
Silence fell over the clearing as Maleficent turned to face Elsa more fully, the glare she shot the blonde containing enough venom in it to make even the Snow Queen's blood run cold.
"Perhaps we should say that there are many people quite like you out in the world, Snow Queen," Maleficent spat as her eyes continued to glare into Elsa's very soul, "And not all of us get happy endings."
And with that, Maleficent slammed the butt of her staff against the ground, creating an emerald flame that quickly engulfed the dark fairy. The intensity of the flame caused Elsa to cry out in alarm and reflexively shield her face with her hands. The flame quickly guttered out, and as Elsa lowered her hands, she found that Maleficent had completely disappeared.
"Elsa!" Ralph's voice drifted into the clearing from somewhere nearby, his voice now sounding alarmed, "Are you okay!?"
A moment later, Ralph came crashing into view, looking around the clearing wildly before his gaze settled on Elsa, who was still looking at the spot where Maleficent had disappeared.
"Elsa!" Ralph cried as he hurried over to the queen, who blinked her eyes in surprise and slowly turned her attention to the wrecker, "Are you alright? I heard you scream!"
"Oh, um, yes, Ralph, I'm fine," Elsa assured him with a slight smile, "Maleficent just used some flashier magic than she normally does and it just….caught me off guard, is all."
"Oh, good," Ralph replied, a mixture of relief and embarrassment washing over his features, "I was just, uh, worried there for a second, is all."
"What were you doing here, anyway, Ralph?" Elsa questioned as her brow furrowed, "I told you I had a magic lesson with Maleficent today."
"I know," Ralph replied as he scratched the back of his head, "I just really needed to ask you some questions."
"And it couldn't wait until after I was done here?" Elsa inquired as she crossed her arms over chest and gave Ralph a pointed look.
Ralph's only response was to look away with an embarrassed expression on his face, prompting Elsa to let out a tired sigh.
"Look, Ralph, I enjoy spending my time with you, I really do," Elsa said gently, "But that doesn't mean we have to spend all our time together."
"I-I know that," Ralph replied defensively, furrowing his brow at Elsa and crossing his thick arms over his chest, "I mean, I have plenty of things to do without you."
Elsa felt the urge to argue that point, but opted to bite her tongue instead.
"I'm sure you do," Elsa relented as she gave Ralph an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry if that came off harsher than I intended it."
"It's fine," Ralph replied with a dismissive wave of his hand, "You're right, anyway, I could have waited until you were done here."
Glancing around, Ralph arched an eyebrow in confusion.
"Are you done here?" Ralph inquired as he turned his gaze back towards Elsa, "Because I'm not seeing Maleficent anywhere."
"Yes, she left in….a bit of a huff," Elsa explained, a look of embarrassment on her face, "I think I might have said something that struck a nerve with her."
"Wow, you actually managed to get under her skin?" Ralph questioned as he looked at Elsa in surprise, "That's impressive."
"Well, it didn't feel very impressive," Elsa said as she began making her way out of the clearing, Ralph following along as she went, "I'm worried I might have….hurt her feelings."
"I'm sure she's fine," Ralph replied dismissively, "I mean, does Maleficent even have feelings to hurt?"
"Everyone has feelings, Ralph," Elsa chided as they walked through the dark woods, "You should know that better than anyone."
"Yeah, you're right," Ralph relented with a sigh, "But still, I wonder about her. Even Mickey warned me about her."
"And even Mickey can be wrong," Elsa countered.
"I suppose," Ralph agreed, though he didn't sound convinced, "You think she's going to come to the party?"
"My first instinct would be to say no, especially after today," Elsa answered, her expression uncertain as they pushed through the trees and arrived back at the path that led to the rest of the Magic Kingdom, "But she's surprised me before so who knows?"
"You know what we should do?" Ralph asked as they made their way out of the wood side by side, "We should make sure she's by Loki when the clock strikes midnight, just to see what he'll do."
"You're terrible," Elsa chuckled as she slipped her hand into his, "But yes, we should absolutely do that."
A/N: Quick, character driven set up chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it! As usual, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!