Dream Guardian Watcher: Welcome back everyone. I have another chapter of Disney Villains Revue. I know it has been a little bit, but I have been busy with other stuff. Now then, for those wondering about redeemed villains, they are no longer welcomed into the tavern even if they still know where it is. So, if we have a redeemed villain, they just won't show up in the tavern again.
Now onto the chapter.
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!
A woman sits in a chair, her maroon dress with lilac cuffs and collar is ruffled from working within it. She rubs her temples in exhaustion as she looks around her room. Her green eyes survey the room filled with unwashed clothes and undusted furniture. So much to do to keep her household tidy. Her black and grey cat sleeps on the bed.
"THAT IS MINE, DRIZELLA!" Screamed a lady in another room.
"NO IT IS MINE, ANASTASIA!" Screeched another lady.
The two continued to argue as the woman grips her head through her grey hair. "Fools," she said to herself. Her life became very undone over the last few months. Ever since her life was ruined by a shoe… a shoe! Of all things! Her scullery maid of a stepdaughter took her chance of being welcomed into the inner circles of royalty. Stole the prince from her daughters. And made to work like a commoner in her own house.
She remembers that day, it plays in her mind again and again. The king's duke, her coming down the stairs, the glass slipper, her shattering it and then she brings out the OTHER bloody slipper. It filled her with such anger. Her hands gripped the chair arms so tight that she could snap them off.
Then the doorbell rings. "Who could possibly?" The woman gets up from her chair to answer the door as her daughters continued to argue. She arrives at the door; but stops to make herself look presentable. Once done she opens the door. There stands a large man, imposing man in black, wearing a dark maroon hood and cloak. She could not see the man's face. "May I help you?"
The man answers by giving the woman a black envelope. The woman takes it and opens to see an invitation.
Dear Lady Tremaine,
I wish to invite you to my humble establishment for a night of merry and mirth. Create connections with interesting individuals. We hope to be graced by your presence. We expect you to arrive at 8 tonight sharp. My servant will wait for you answer and take you there.
Regards, C.
Lady Tremaine looked at the letter and thought about this. She looks at the clock and it reads 6:30 pm. She hears a plate crash and break in the other room. Tremaine lets out a long sigh. "Be prepared to leave," said told the man. The man nods and goes back to his carriage. Tremaine looks at the carriage and sees it is all black, with great spikes, a black horse pulls it.
Tremaine enters back into her house. "GIRLS!" The yelling stops and two ladies enter the room. One in a pink dress and red hair, the other in green and with black hair.
"Yes mother," they reply.
"I am going out tonight. Finish the chores while I am gone and do not break anything else," instructed Tremaine.
"What?! You are going out without us?" screeched the girl in green, Drizella.
"But what about dinner mother?" asked Anastasia.
"You can cook soup for dinner. You couldn't possibly mess that up," answered Tremaine. "I was invited to an establishment by a mysterious man. If all goes well, our social statues will be elevated. So stay here and behave."
"Yes mother," said the sisters with a bow.
"Good girls. Now I must prepare," said Lady Tremaine as she enters her room.
Later, Lady Tremaine steps out of her room and appears in a much cleaner dress and her hair fixed up. She walks down the stairs and leaves out the front door. The man sitting in the driver seat of the carriage, waiting for her. Tremaine enters the carriage and takes a seat.
"You may go now," ordered Tremaine.
The figure nods and uses a whip to make the horse go. The carriage moves forward. Tremaine watches her house disappear behind the trees as the carriage takes her to wherever she was supposed to go. Time passed, Tremaine kept her poised posture throughout the ride, the horseman was not much for conversation. Outside, the green trees slowly became dying and leafless trees, then finally, a forest of dead trees in the dead of night.
V-v-v-v-v-V
Soon enough, they arrive. The carriage stops, the coachman steps off and opens the door for Lady Tremaine. Tremaine leaves the carriage and is met with a tavern. Music could be heard playing inside.
"What is the meaning of this? Why are we here?" demanded Tremaine.
The man just points to the front door as he closes the door to the carriage.
Tremaine sneers at him before moving towards the door. Once there she knocks on the door, it slowly opens. Immediately, Tremaine was bombarded with noise, laughter and music filled the hall as Tremaine entered the tavern. She kept her eyes closed and her nose turned up.
"Hey lady! You get lost? Your dress too fancy for this place," said a voice.
"I was invited by a man called C. My business is with him. Not you commoners," sneered Tremaine.
"Oi! Say that to my face you, stuffy peacock!" yelled the voice.
Tremaine opens her eyes full of rage, she turns to yell at the vagrant. What she sees stops her silent as she's face to face with a weasel in a red shirt and a tan hat. The weasel was sitting at a table filled with other weasels.
"What in heaven's name are you?"
"What? Can't you tell? I'm a weasel. Learn some animals stuffy."
Tremaine tries to get away but bumps into someone. She looks and sees that she bumped into the Big Bad Wolf.
"YOU spilled my drink!" growled the wolf.
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry don't cut it. Buy my drink or I eat you."
"But I don't have any money."
"Then I'll just have to eat you!"
"Please no! No!"
Before the wolf could bite her a sword slides near the wolf's neck. It was the coachman from before.
"Now now, we mustn't eat the big man's guests," said a voice from the bar. It was a small man with a red nose, a thin moustache, and a wide smile. "You know what happens to those that hurt the boss's guests. Don't you?"
The wolf looks at the little man and then to the coachman that brought Tremaine here. The wolf let's go of the lady and backs away. The man puts away his sword.
"There now see? We are all friends here. Welcome Ms. Tremaine to our humble tavern. You can call me Mr. Winky," introduced the small barman.
"That's Lady Tremaine."
"My deepest apologies. I'll be sure to not make the same mistake again." Winky turns to the tall figure. "Thank you for helping to settle that small dispute Horseman. You want the usual or something different?" The man sits down and lifts a single finger. "The usual it is."
Whilst Winky goes to make the Horseman's usual, the man takes off his hood, then his head! Tremaine gasps in pure terror as the man who took her here was a demon of a man, one without a head. Winky soon comes back with a large mug of ale.
"Here's your usual. You want your pumpkin head or you good for now?"
The Headless Horseman replies with a hand gesture of 'no thank you.'
"Very well. Let me know if you need anything else."
Tremaine grabs Winky's arm. "I demand answers. What is this hell hole I have been brought to?"
"Well, I may not be the right person to ask, but the short of it is that is a gathering place for all sorts of unsavory characters."
"Unsavory characters?"
"Yes. Thieves, con men, big bag wolves, weasels, the Headless Horseman who you have met. Wicked stepmothers."
"I am not wicked."
"Then tell me what you call what you did to Cinderella?"
"Tough love."
"Riiiiiiiight. So, what will be your pleasure be?"
"I am not taking anything from you."
"Then allow me to bring someone that you will be more comfortable with."
Winky left Tremaine and went around a corner. Tremaine sits there, scared of what would come next. Then, Queen came up to the bar and looked at Tremaine.
"So, you are the new guest."
"It would appear so."
"Hmm. You give an air of class. I suppose a glass of wine would be your pleasure?"
"This back ally place has wine?"
"Certainly. We have spirits of every kind here. And if you feel adventurous, I can mix a few drinks to excite your tastes."
"Who are you? You seem too proper for this garish place."
"I used to be a queen. A leader of my kingdom. The fairest of them all. Then I lost it all to my retched stepdaughter, Snow White."
"Your life was ruined by your stepchild too?"
"Yes. What did yours do?"
"I made her into my scullery maid. Gave her everything tough love could give. Then she steals the prince for herself. My daughters were robbed out of their place in royalty. All because she has a glass slipper that fit her foot."
"A shoe? That's it? She puts on a shoe and goes to marry the prince?"
"My social status was shattered, and she has cut ties with me."
"Hehehe. I poisoned my stepchild, becoming the fairest in the land. Then her friends chased after me. I tried to crush them with a boulder, but a bolt of lightning struck where I stood. Then, I fell, the boulder fell on me, and I became vulture food. Next thing I know, I wake up here."
"Wait a minute. But that would mean that you are…"
"Dead? Yes."
Tremaine's blood ran cold and feared for her life. "Am I dead?"
"No. But you could be if you are not careful. You are a villain, or at least someone very wicked. You were invited here to meet my boss and have a drink. Don't know why he's gathering all of us, but it is better than being alone. So relax, have a drink and let's talk."
Queen pours the wine into a glass and gives it to Tremaine. He looks at the glass with caution before taking a sip. The taste of the wine was unlike anything she had before. An excellent year and bouquet to be sure.
"Excellent choice."
"Well, if you have been trapped here for 13 years, you find anything to pass the time."
"Thirteen years?! That is how long you have been dead?"
"Yes, and it doesn't get any easier living with that. Or unliving. How ever you want to put it."
"So why are you still here? You can just leave."
"I wish. Since I am 'dead.' This is where I am to spend the rest of my afterlife. I try to leave, and an ironic monster or monsters go after me. Causing unspeakable pain till I run back in here."
"And the other people here?"
"Oh, they are still alive. So, I am the only one stuck here."
"That's horrible."
"Don't remind me. Least these pigs have learned not to flirt with me. They know I make the drinks and can easily change the recipe."
"A good counterbalance."
"Indeed. Still, there's one thing everyone fears here."
"And that would be?"
"Me," answers Chernabog as he appears behind Tremaine. She spits her drink out and turns to see the boss of the tavern. She shakes in fear seeing the image of the devil himself. "Calm yourself Lady Tremaine. If I wanted to hurt you, it would already have been done. Besides, I invited you here for an opportunity."
"An opportunity for what?"
"A chance to elevate your social status and revenge on Cinderella."
"I'm listening."
"Now hold on there my lady. The plan is still in the works. It will be a long time before things are set in motion. I just wanted to see if you would be interested and to introduce you to this little slice of paradise." Tremaine raises an eyebrow at calling this place a paradise. "All you have to do is continue to make your daughters presentable to nobles. You can visit this place if you wish. Just send a letter to me and I'll send the Horseman to come and escort you here. Now then, do we have a deal?"
"Do I have your word that you will not betray my daughters and I?"
"No. But then again, do you have many options?"
Tremaine thinks on this. She didn't have much choice. "I accept your offer."
"Wonderful. Now then, your first job in my grand design is to just keep your ear to the ground."
"That's it? Listen to rumors?"
"Yes, but I am looking for particular rumors. One of Cinderella and her new prince husband meeting a certain Snow White." The mere utterance of that name made Queen break a glass. When Chernabog looked at Queen she immediately worked to clean it up. "If Snow White is making a trip to your kingdom, please let me know."
"May I ask why?"
"Not much reason. Other than I need to know where all our enemies are at all times."
"Very well."
"Thank you, Lady Tremaine. When you are ready to go home, ask the Horseman to escort you back." Tremaine looks towards Horseman as he pours his ale down his neck. Tremaine felt a wave of disgust. "Well?"
"Thank you for the opportunity and I look forward to working with you."
"The pleasure is all mine." Chernabog and Tremaine shake hands and then Tremaine suddenly felt weak, like all that wine affect her at once. "Now remember, my name is Chernabog. But you can put Mr. C on the letter to keep it our little secret. You understand that right?" Tremaine slowly nods. "Good. Winky, Queen, clear Tremaine's tab, I'll buy tonight and give Mr. Wolf a new drink." The two barkeeps bow and Winky goes to give Wolf a new drink. "Welcome to the Tavern." Chernabog and Tremaine toast their drinks.
V-v-v-v-v-V
Chernabog is in his office, molding crystal to a shape he found more appealing to him. One that represented Tremaine. Once finished he placed the maroon-colored piece on his little game board. Many more heroes and good guys had appeared over the years. He would need a way to change all that.
"One day. One day…"
Dream Guardian Watcher: And another one done. Three villains introduce in one chapter. I hope you all liked it and I can't wait to show you the next villain to come to the tavern. Please leave a review if you have any suggestions. In the meantime, check out my other stories like Ajax Nobody Reboot and Marvel vs Capcom 4. Bye!
