Fist, let me apologize for my last promise. No OC prince here. He is in the next chapter which is already in progress. So there!
Seocond, I have to say that I didn't LOVE my last chapter. It did seem a tad rushed, and so I am praying this one is better!
I want to see if any of you got it. Really! Read it and see if I didn't surprise you! Or did I? It was a popular idea that a prince wake her up, that was clear enough from the reviews.
So tell me, readers, what do you think about what's going on.
Any ideas of what you want to see next?
What, what, WHAT!?
Anyway, onto reviews!
Whiteling: Thanks so much! Yeah, I tried to make it as shallow as possible. And yeah, Jasmine was my victim because, hey, its about time! She needed a good telling off!
A Fire in the Attic: Thanks so much! I appreciate the reviews and LOVE your profile pic!
PirateWizardThief: NOOOOO! NOT THE APPPLLLLEEE! LOL, thanks so much!
Petitprincess: LOLOLOLOLOL! I hope that you like this chapter! And yes, I still will use your OC. No worries. The HOM chapter is coming soon and I will be PM-ing you about when and how you want your character to appear!
Animeloser101: Thanks! I hope this helps!
RandomCitizen: NOT THE APPLE! LOL, though I'm pretty sure that if I found a poison apple on my desk I'd take a bite… just to see what would happen XD
Guest: NEVER TRUST AN APPLE! New catchphrase!
VulpineSnow: I don't think I'm gonna put Brer Rabbit OR Song of the South in there. Mainly because I never really watched it when I was a kid and because its live action. HOWEVER brer rabbit might make a cameo.
Disnerd: Thanks so much! That's true, it could be! Never really thought about it that way! Thanks so much again and love the Clopin pic!
AngelOfDarkness1959: LOL, good! I've always wanted to say that, but somehoe I know that I never will! So, I figure, my character can say it for me!
SamDanny4ever: YEAH! That should be a new campain. Equal rights for both the good and evil!
Whispurrs: Never give up! Even villains teach valuable life lessons! I just watched Mozenrath and damn he's awesome! All evil, yet so charming! LOVE I! I have not yet seen Sadira yet, so that will be next on my YouTube list! LOL, I would love to see all those things in a newspaper!
Elemental Queen: I love the tossing into the closet idea! Hmm… and if she was tossed in their with someone who was, out on a lib here, of the opposite gender…? (ideas begin to brew) ;)
Cherry-888: You made my day with that comment. Now I will be going around Disney world just saying ,"Bitch, please, magic don't work on me!" LOLOLOL! Thanks!
xxxxInu girlxx93839:No prob! It means a lot that people read it, so don't worry about that! Glad that you liked the chapter! Thanks! And I like your insight on Calvin. Yeah… he will be a bit different then the others, but I wont say how!
MysteryGirl7Freak: Love the ideas! And thanks so much! YOU ROCK TOO!
Rainlily216: LOL, I love reading and facepalming. It makes it all the more enjoyable when my face hurts XD so glad that you liked the chapter and cant wait to let everyone read the next one for Looney Tunes!
HannajimaShields: I. LOVE. RANTS! Ranting is awesome! And I loved the article and the review that you left! Thanks so much! And yay! Badass! Love it when my characters are badass! Happy reading and writing!
Bearybeary: Hmmm… or will it ;) Tune in this chapter to find out!
ONTO THE CHAPTER!
Mickey knew something would go wrong. How he knew, he still couldn't comprehend. The little voices in his head had decided, though, that they knew better than he did and had appeared, shouting until he gave in and drove all the way to the news office. It was a brisk day still, as it had started out that way in the morning. The sky was bright, but thick with puffy grey clouds. That was always the first sign that something was wrong. The weather had a habit of mimicking emotions or situations to make any situation fit. If there was a kiss about to happen the sky would most likely shoot out a rainbow. However if a fierce battle was about to take place lightning often ripped from the sky, no matter how blue it had previously been, and strike down to the ground for effect.
Even he had to agree that it was a slight nuisance. But who didn't like a big of drama. The sky set the mood and he found it to be one of the small charms Disney was famous for. In fact, he thought, the real world might have been a big more fun if the weather cooperated with emotions.
Today Mickey knew for a fact that nothing had gone wrong. He was always the first to know about it. Sure he had received a few phone calls in hushed voices from a few of the princesses saying that their new boss was a dictator. He had just sighed and decided that he'd talk to her later about it. Something like that was no reason for the sky to act the way it was. Even when Pete put his foot down (something he did often) and acted like a tyrannical dictator (something he did even more often) the clouds did not go grey and dreary.
No. Something else had gone wrong.
He finally made it to the studio and after taking a few calming breaths to settle his nerves, slapped a smile on his face and adjusted the sleeves of his black jacket he slammed the car door shut behind him and headed into the office. When he arrived he was surprised to see that no one jumped up and demanded he fire the newbie or talk to her immidiantly. In fact, most of them looked too scared to do anything except work… something they were supposed to be doing anyway. And when he looked closer he saw that most of them were working harder then they ever had before. He was not a firm believer in scare tactics, but whatever the new girl had done had worked. Well.
"Does anyone know where Miss Ayman is?"
Belle sat up straighter, looking up from her typewriter where she had been previously typing away furiously. "She's in her office with the villains." Uh oh.
"And when did you last see her?"
"A few minutes ago. Why," Belle furrowed her brow but no wrinkles dared appear, "is something wrong?"
"I don't think so. I'll be just a minute. You can just… do what you were doing."
Belle smiled kindly at him and then threw herself back into her work, the keys clacking fast. Mickey shook his head and then headed through the hall to the next office, praying that nothing was wrong.
When he got to the villains space he was greeted by an almost pleasant surprise. All the villains were hard at work, like the hero's in the other room. More so then they had ever been in years. For a while it had seemed like they had given up on all things work related. There wasn't much hope for a villain in Disney to do anything much. However, it seemed like at the current moment they were hard at work at whatever task was at hand.
It was when the villains all looked up from their work and gave him a leering smirk that all hope, or at least most of it, vanished.
"Well, well, well," Hades began, stretching and leaning back in his chair. "The mouse has returned."
"Come to check up on innocent little us?" Clayton smiled.
"We haven't done anything!" Ursula touched a hand to her chest in faux horror. "Honest!"
Mickey sighed. "Look, fella's," Cruella let out a loud ahem, "and ladies, I don't think you did anything wrong, I just-"
"Well that is where you are wrong, chere." Facilier appeared next to Mickey from where he had been, seemingly in the shadows, "wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong."
Mickey gave them all a look. "I thought you said-"
"Honestly, angelfish, you dare believe us!" Ursula cackled. "We always have something up out sleeve. Well, for all of us who have sleeves, I mean."
"She's right," Hades stood, "and right now we played a little trick. On our darling new playmate."
Mickey walked forward a few steps, his gaze firm on the villains. His voice, though, stayed cautious when he asked, "What did you do?"
"Nothing major," Hades shrugged, "we just thought that while our welcomes didn't work out maybe a present would. Isn't that right Grim."
It took him a minute to register the name. Most people referred to Snow Whites mother as the Wicked Queen, never by her full or nick name. That was something that happened inside the circle of villains and never really strayed out. When he did grasp the meaning his head whipped around to the villainous beauty and his jaw dropped. "Please tell me it's not what I think it is."
"I don't know, Mickey," she reached into her desk and drew out an apple, spinning it like a top on the flat surface and never once breaking eye contact with the show mouse, "what do you think it is?"
That hint was enough. "Oh gosh! You didn't! But we don't have anyone for her!" He waved his arms at them in desperation. "And all of the other princes haven't even met her yet! She cant get true loves first kiss!" His eyes widened in realization. "Oh gosh! No true love! Then the spell cant be broken! At least not until every single Prince has kissed her and do you know how long that's gonna take!?"
"My guess is a while," Facilier smirked, leaning against the wall far to casually for Mickey's taste. "Better start looking, mouse boy."
Mickey gaped at them all before turning his eyes to the office door, closed, on the other side of the room. He pointed, "is she…"
"Yup. Just went in there a few minutes ago." Facilier gestured with his cane. "Have at it."
Mickey gulped before slowly making his way over to the other side of the room. He couldn't believe it. She was only here a few days and already she was being poisoned with apples, giving her the whole sleeping death treatment. As always he did try to find what good was in the situation to make it a least a bit more bearable.
At least, his positive innder voice said, it will be a whole lot easier to find her a prince this way.
It was true. With her asleep under a spell that only true love could break, what better way to find her true love then to see who could break the spell. His heart lifted slightly. There was always the chance that she wouldn't cooperate afterword. She didn't seem like a woman who got tied down easily. His inner positive voice comforted him quickly. A lot of the princesses were like that. Stubborn. Independent. And then they found true love and the pieces placed themselves. East as pie.
He had to agree with his inner self as he reached the door, desperately trying to ignore the stares on his back of villains who wanted to see what their work had caused. He was going to have to give them a long talk about this later.
Mickey took a deep breath and turned the knob.
A few things passed through the awaiting villains heads at that moment. But the last one that did was the idea of surprise. They had had many surprises in their lives. Most of the times they were the ones that gave these shocking suprises, scaring people half to death with their schemes. It was suffice to say that they had their fare share of anything shocking.
This girl, though, was a completely different matter. She had shocked them to no end every time she opened her big mouth. There was no end to it. She could never stop shocking any of them and they had been sick of it. That, they had mentally agreed, was why they had given her the apple in the first place. It was familiar, and it's effects were not a shock to them. Sort of like going back to the same place for vacation every year or ordering the same drink at a café. It was familiar and it was secure.
The apple was their security. No suprises to it- not tricks and no shocks.
That day however the villains realized one very similar thing. Security was not always the best thing. Sometimes when you have a new obstacle you have to be ready to get shock after shock after shock.
They were not ready.
Because they got the shock of their lives when, after Mickey opened the door, Lillie Aymen walked out of the room, awake as she had been just a few moments prior, carrying a bitten apple in her hand.
"WHAT THE HELL!?" Hades was the first to break the ice, storming forward and waving his hands in the air.
Lillie just gave him a look. "I'm… sorry?"
He pointed to the fruit. "Did you eat that?" There was always the chance she had spit it out.
No such luck. "Yeah. I ate about three bites." Her nose wrinkled and she tossed the apple into the nearest garbage can. "Something was off about it though. I cant say what, but something tasted… weird about it."
"How did you do that!?" Gaston stood up from his desk and looked at her in shock.
"Well… one usually bites into something and then swallows." She tilted her head. "I don't really get why everyones so worked up over me or a piece of fruit. But can you stop it. It's kinda freaking me out."
"This is not right," The Evil Queen strode forward, "and I demand explanation."
"Whoa, lady… it was an apple."
"It was one of my apples!"
Lillie's eyes widened. "Oh! So you're the one that gave it to me! Um… thanks. I guess. I mean I haven't eaten all day and-"
Mickey cut her off, "Lillie, do you feel okay."
"Yeah. Fine. Ok, seriously what is the deal! I come out of my office and am thrown into the third degree! I don't know how many times I can say it, but hey I'll say it again, why not!" She cleared her throat and crossed her arms, looking as cross as they were, "IT. WAS. AN. APPLE."
Mickey looked up at her, his jaw almost hitting the floor, "…B-but-"
"No buts! Not, I have to work. And so do you!" She scanned the villains, finally pointing to Facilier, "except you. But you don't work here. So… carry on doing nothing." He saluted her. "But all the rest of you work. I cant stress that enough. And Mr. Mouse I did get a message on my phone from you. I guess someone called you about me being a dictator." Mickey nodded and she sighed. "Fine. Whatever. I wanted to talk to you about some things too. So can we talk tomorrow morning?"
He shook his head, trying to wipe the confusion off his face and doing a horrible job at it. "Y-yeah… seven is good."
"Fine. I can be late here one day. It wont kill me or anything."
"No," muttered Hades, "but that apple should've don't the trick."
"What was that?"
"Nothin'."
She gave him a look, but when he stooped down and continued to work she shook it off and went back to her previous conversation. "Fine. Seven tomorrow. Now I gotta get back to work too. This stuff isnt going to organize itself."
"Right… well… bye…"
She gave him a wave and then retreated back into her office, but not before giving all the office mates one last weird look.
Mickey walked away from the door, confused as anything. "I don't get it."
"Niether do we, Mouse," Hades said darkly, "but believe me when I say answers will be given." The rest of the villains all looked at him, their eyes all reading the same thing. They were going to figure out what was going on. Tonight.
Lillie stayed in the office a little late. She heard the sound of the office closing up; people leaving and and lights flicking off. But she stayed. She was accustomed to that anyway. Amaryllis had always said that she was a workaholic, and she always disagreed. But in some part of her brain she knew that her best friend had been right. She was always first in the office and last out. Always the one to do anything she could to get a story, even things that were borderline dangerous. Sneaking through alleyways at night. Chasing cars on bicycles or motorcycles she didn't know how to drive. Anything to get a story.
And most of the time she got out without any serious injuries. The most severe had been a few stitches to the knee, and that had been when she chased a man down for a story in three inch heels on the icy pavement of NYC. She had gotten the story in the end and then called a taxi to bring her to the hospital when someone pointed at her knee and screamed. It hadn't been that bad, or so she'd thought at the time. Of course when she had looked at her jeans afterwards and saw the bloodstain that ran from the hole in the jeans knee all the way to the ankle she had to disagree with her past self.
That was just what she did, though. She did anything she could to get a story. Or finish work. Or get ahead with work. Even if it meant staying in the office well past closing. She had made friends with most of the janitors this way who were, after a few months, willing to let her in and out at the worst hours of any day or night.
This job though she was starting to wonder about. She did anything to get a story, yes. But that was hard to do when the story itself didn't make sense. First the villains were evil. And then they were more evil. And then they offered her fruit and then got mad when she ate it. All of what was happening made no sense.
She tapped a pen to her lip and sighed. Even for a workaholic she knew when it was time to give up. Stuffing everything she had out into her purse she walked out her office door and into the dark, moonlight offices. When she got outside she realized that getting a cab at this hour, like one would stop for her anyway, was impossible. So she began to walk. Down all the lamp lit streets. Past shops and clubs and restaurants, all closed and all dark.
It was around the end of her walk when a strange feeling took over her. A slight spinning sensation in her head. She shook it off and kept walking, but the feeling persisted. By the time she had reached the door to the apartment builing in the shady neighborhood the feeling had increased to nausia.
Edgar wasn't at the desk but she preferred it that way. There was no one to stall her from getting back to her apartment and figuring out what was wrong.
As quickly as she could she began to climb the stairs, taking great care not to fall over.
"Oh god…" she muttered, making it up to the third floor and going to the fourth, her floor, "I'm not even drunk."
Bartleby had heard her approaching and she shushed him as well as she could while she searched for her keys, leaning against a wall the entire time. The hall was silent, except for a slight muttering going on in one of the rooms down the hall. Ignoring it she finally found her keys and jammed them into the lock, batting off Bartleby who whimpered excitedly when she came in.
"Not now, Bart," she panted, sliding to the floor and putting her head into her hands, hoping that it might have made the nausea pass. It didn't. "I don't need love, I need the room to stop spinning."
She sat there for a few more minutes, hoping that it would either leave her or she could figure out what was wrong. It was the latter that decided to make itself apparent. The feeling increased and, in a split second, she figured out exactly why she had felt so bad.
On the bright side, it did make her run faster then she had in years.
"We need to figure out what went wrong," Hades said quietly. All the other villains sat around him, nodding. "We just don't know how to do it."
"We could force it out of her," Captain Hook said.
Hades waved off the idea. "I doubt she even knows."
"She might, daaaahhhling," Cruella took a drag of her cigarette holder, "and then we'd be wasting time if we didn't."
"All the same we might be wasting time if we do." Jafar toyed with the rubies in the snakes eyes.
"I have to agree," Iago sat on Jafar's shoulder and squawked loudly. "Whatever happened in the office was weird."
"You weren't even there, bird," Jafar spat.
Iago ruffled his feathers, insulted, "and why? Because I was locked up here all day, that's why."
"Insolent aviator."
"Whoa, whoa Jaffy, cool those jets!" Hades began to pace, "I have a solution. We go up to her and ask."
"That has got to be the worst idea ever," Facilier added from his place.
"Yeah, well all our other plans went down the toilet. I figure that the way to win with this girl is doing nothing but straightforward assault. "
"He does have a point, Scar lazed on the floor, taking a break from cleaning his paws. "That can often times be the best tactic."
"I second that." Shere Khan clawed at the carpet absentmindedly.
"Fine. Then we're decided." They all nodded. "Okay, lets go."
A second later they were all crowded around the door of the apartment and Hades was banging on it with his fist. "OPEN UP!"
For a moment nothing happened. "Should we break down the door?" Maleficent asked from her spot. "I haven't had target practice in a while."
"No one breaks down doors like Gaston!"
There was no need though, for a few seconds later there was a sound of shuffling and the door slowly opened to reveal Lillie on the other side.
Hades was about to ask his straitforward question. Instead another one flew out of his mouth. "Whoa, babe, what's got you down?"
She did look aweful. Her skin was ashen and shiny with perspiration. Her work outfit was not cinched and wrinkled, the blazer forgotten on the floor by her feet. Even her hair was a mess.
She glared at them, and the spark in her eyes was somewhat gone as well. "Excuse me?"
"You look bad."
"Yeah, no shit."
Iago decided that was a good time to start talking because in a moment he opened his beak and asked, "why didn't the apple work?!"
She flinched at his loud voice and rubbed her temples. "What are you talking about?"
"He is talking," Captain Hook pushed his way forward, "about the apple you ate today."
She rolled her eyes and shook her head, another action that caused her to flinch. "Still not getting it."
It was Maleficent's turn. "Today we gave you an apple. It was placed on your desk and, as you claimed to have done so today, you ate a few bites of it. What we would like to know is why you are not yet asleep."
Lillie went from looking very confused to looking really confused. "Asleep? Why would I be asleep?!"
They all looked at her like she was missing a piece of obvious information. Hades gave it. "Because, babe, it was a poison apple. Duh."
She just stared at them, her mouth partially open. Then the look was gone and she turned the most livid they had ever seen. "POISON!?"
"That's right, chere." Facilier looked over all the others shoulders. "It was a poison apple we gave to ya. And technically you're supposed to be in dream land right now."
"OH I WISH!" She let out a short, exasperated scream, "POISON!"
For a second they all reeled back, hearing what sounded like another persond speaking from her body. After a moment to register it they realized that it was nothing more then a very harsh accent shining through.
"Yeah," he continued, ignoring the fact that she had an accent and keeping his mind of the fact that he was annoyed, "well apparently it didn't work."
"Didn't… didn't…" She took a quick step forward, forcing them all back, "DIDN' WORK!? WELL LET ME TELL YOU IT WORKED JUST FINE! POISON! A FRIGGEN POISON APPLE! NO WONDER IT TASTED FUNNY! OH I AM GOING TO-" As soon as the threat was about to present itself she stopped and closed her eyes tightly and then ducked her face into her hands.
Facilier tilted his head. "Uh… chere."
There was a pregnant pause and then Lillie practically jumped up looking less grey and more green. "be right back!" With that she flew into her apartment, not even bothering to close the door. A second later the sound of retching reached their ears.
Hades turned to Facilier, his look amazed. "Is she throwing up?"
Facilier crinckled his nose. "Sounds like it."
There was another paused filled only by the sound of Lillie losing everything she had in the bathroom.
"Okay. Who wants to go in first?" No one raised their hands. "Facilier, you're the winner." Facilier turned towards Hades, appalled.
"Why me?"
"Because your cards didn't work and now this didn't work. So do it."
He sighed and went in, in no mood to argue with the God of the Dead at the moment. The sounds of her being sick had stopped, thank god, and when he did reach the bathroom he was rewarded with the sight of her lying on the white tile floor, eyes closed.
"Um… chere?"
"What?"
He cleared his throat, looking behind him at the slowly approaching villains, all peeking into the bathroom.
"What are you doing?"
She propped herself up, opening her eyes enough to shoot him a nasty look. "What does it look like?" Her eyes closed and she flopped back to the floor, groaning. "I think I threw up all my guts. Is that even possible?"
"I don't know." He looked behind him and shrugged at the rest of them, then turned back to the problem at hand. "Why are y'all throwing up everything, by the way?"
She opened her eyes again. "It's called food poisoning. And none of you are getting raises by the way. Because you poisoned me."
"Food poisoning?" The Evil Queen looked baffled. "But how?"
"How? It was food. And poison." Lillie attempted to stand, catching herself on the sink. "Hence the term food poisoning." The Evil Queen looked confused and Lillie grimaced, giving her a look to kill. "You gave me poisoned food. My body's reacting to it. It's fifth grade health, lady. Poison food leads to food poisoning, which means a whole lot of... disgusting stuff. And just to let you all know, I'd much rather have been asleep then puking my intestines out into a toilet, thanks very much."
Hades shook his head. "That's it. I'm done. We're bringing her to the hospital." This was all too much for him. It was obvious that the answers were not going to come from trial and error because that's all it would ever be. Trial and error. Always error.
Lillie jerked her head up. "Excuse me?'
Hades put himself in the door frame, totally in full view of her, and crossed his arms. "The hospital. Yunno. Doctors and all that jazz. We're all taking you."
"Okay, seriously? You're getting sentimental now?"
"No. We're not. But nothing we lay on you has been working. Ergo, a doctor can figure this out." He leaned against the door frame. "A blood test or something'l fix that."
Ratigan glared at Hades. "Oh no. You know I dont go near the hospital. That... doctor works there. The one that ruined all my schemes. You know. The doctor."
"Yeah, well I dont avoid the gym because Jerc-ules is there, so suck it up." Ratigan seemed to pout, but backed down.
Lillie strangly supported him. "I agree with the rat." She ignored his declaration of not being a rat and continued, "I really don't wanna go to the hospital."
Hades gave Captain Hook a look. In a second the pirates gun was aimed at Lillie. She regarded it for a minute before nodding, "on second thought, that sounds like a great idea."
"So glad you agree. Now come on. You can drive with Jasper."
The tall man finally spoke up, though from where Lillie was she couldn't even see him. "Aw, why me?"
"Because you're one of the few with a cheap car. And if she barfs up everything she ate then nothing valuable is covered in digested poision apple. That's why. And god knows what that'll do. For all we know it might burn a hole in the car."
"Your cars made of fire!"
"It's a chariot, it's metal and it cost me more then you'll ever make in your life. You're driving."
She could hear Jasper huff, but not disagree, as all the villains began to walk out the door. She watched what few of them she could see from the bathroom door walk away, waiting a moment before peeking her head out of the side.
Jasper wasn't a man she had met for very long. Upon inspection he was very plain. Stick thin, wearing nothing but an orange turtle-neck, brown coat and pants. On top of his head, with what hair he had left sticking in all ways like a crown, was a cabbies hat. If not for his size, height and wieght alike, and not to mention his giant nose, she would have said that he looked almost normal.
"Well, come on." He said, sounding impatient, his accent thick.
She slowly made her way out and then stopped in her tracks, her face turning green again. With a muttered, 'excuse me', she ducked back into the bathroom and he was greeted by a concert of really gross noises. Jasper sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"This," he told himself, "is gonna be a long night."
Alright! Next chapter I plan to have a certain mouse doctor from a certain mouse movie show up. Will Ratigan be happy? Spoiler alert. No.
What will her results show? Find out next time on an exiting chapter or SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN!
R&R as usual!
Oh, and totally off topic… I JUST ORDERED A WORKING SONIC SCREWDRIVER! THAT'S RIGHT! BE JEALOUS!
I am a ginormous Dr. Who fan. Love the show, though I seriously think Tenant beats Matt Smith down. Sorry Matt Smith fans. I only say it cuz it's true. ANYWAY! This sonic screwdriver can control anything with a remote! TV'S IPOD DOCKS, AIR CONDITIONERS, LIGHTS, YOU NAME IT! With it I can RULE THE WORLD! Or… at least my home entertainment system.
Now all I need is a lightsaber.
GOOD THING HANUKAH'S COMIN' UP!