Chapter 11

That evening, before the sun went down, everyone was excited for the upcoming celebration, and were all getting ready for it.

"Dash?" One guy asked. "Can you help us make the soup? We're going to have more mouths to feed, and we need this as fast as we can."

"Um, okay." Dash replied, watching as Vanellope was being guided away into Rapunzel's house.

"I have a dress I think might fit you." Rapunzel began, looking through her closet. "Also, we're going to get you cleaned up for tonight. Here."

She handed Vanellope a towel. "If you need help, just call me." She said.

Vanellope nodded and went into the bathroom.

Meanwhile, Frogslip and Llort has stumbled upon the village and realized a party was going on.

Quickly warping back to the castle, they told Pitch.

"A party, hmm?" He asked. "And there's another man in the picture?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Frogslip gulped.

"However! He's repulsive!" Llort jumped in. "He's got nothing on you."

"I must attend this party and win her back." Pitch replied. "It will be close to night, so I can travel safely... now, have the maids bring my suit! If she isn't coming back to me with that..." he smashed a bust in rage. "I'll simply take care of the competition."

"I'm ready!" Vanellope called out, stepping out of the bathroom.

She was wearing a pink dress with white gloves and a pair of earrings.

"Where's Vanellope?" Rapunzel asked, looking at her.

"Rapunzel! It's me!" Vanellope exclaimed.

"Vanellope?" Rapunzel exclaimed. "I almost didn't recognize you. You look so beautiful!"

"Beautiful?" Vanellope asked in surprise, she had never been referred to as beautiful before.

"Here." Rapunzel said, she picked up a hairbrush and gently started to brush her hair.

Vanellope felt so many emotions fill up, she started to glitch.

"What's wrong, baby?" Rapunzel asked, concerned.

"Until now, no one has ever called me beautiful before, and no one has ever... hugged me before, or brushed my hair... and I guess I never thought I would know how it would make me feel."

"And how does it?" Rapunzel asked.

"Loved..." was all Vanellope could say.

Rapunzel hugged Vanellope. "Things are going to be better now." Was all she said.

When the festival started, Dash was already in a nice suit Bob had packed for him, just in case.

He figured that tonight would be the perfect time to tell Vanellope how he felt. She had awoken so many things in his heart, it was if that one missing piece of his puzzle had been slid into place.

He was burried so deeply into his thoughts, a gasp and a bunch of wolf whistles snapped him out of it.

Looking up, Dash realized Vanellope had emerged.

Her hair had been combed sleek and pulled into a bun, and her millions of candy hairpins were gone and replaced with a hair band.

Dash felt his throat go dry. He always knew Vanellope was beautiful, but the one standing in front of him...

"Well, he's hit the point of no return." Mirage said to Disgust.

"Disgust? Go find a dance partner."

Disgust nodded and headed off to find someone.

Dash went over to Vanellope and jokingly bowed. He was about to say something, when someone panting came into the village.

"Penny!" Vanellope cried out, running to her friend.

"Vanellope!" Penny exclaimed, hugging her.

"I was looking everywhere for you! I'm so glad you're okay. You look so beautiful and..." she paused and looked over Vanellope's shoulder. "Is that Dash?" She asked smirking. Vanellope smiled.

"Now all my friends are here. I know everything is going to be okay."

Dash went over and tapped Vanellope on the shoulder.

"Can I talk to you in private?" He asked.

Vanellope nodded and Dash took her had and lead her to a secluded spot.

"You're the lost Forrester girl!" Mirage exclaimed.

"Yep." Penny replied.

"You know how to invent?" Mirage asked.

Penny shook her head.

Mirage sighed. "I used to work under your grandfather. Come, I'll give you a quick crash course."

Meanwhile, Dash had taken Vanellope to a small cave hidden behind a waterfall.

After using a board to keep them from getting wet while they went through the waterfall, he sat her up on some rocks.

"So beautiful..." Vanellope breathed. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Look, Vanellope..." Dash began, "I'm sorry we got into that fight..."

"it was just as much my fault." Vanellope admitted, feeling her heart leap. "But it will be different when we continue our journey to find our way home."

"About that..." Dash began, "what happens when we get there and you find someone... more attractive who doesn't have to resort to dying his hair?"

Vanellope took his hand. "I'm just looking for home, I'm not looking for someone who doesn't resort to dying his hair."

"I already found my home when I found you." Dash admitted. "You're my dream."

Vanellope blushed. "You're part of mine, too. But I can't stop until all my dream comes true. I need to find that place where I truly belong."

"May I join you?" Dash asked, taking both her hands.

Vanellope nodded. "You know, for the first time in my life, I don't feel like my glitching makes me abnormal. I never thought there would be anyone like me."

Dash smiled and brushed a stray hair out of her face. "There's no one like you." He gently said to her.

This would have been the perfect time to kiss her... but he didn't want to keep her away from everyone.

Taking her hand, he lead her back. A slow song had just started.

"May I?" Dash asked.

Vanellope nodded and took his hand. Clumsy at first, soon they found the right rhythm and flow. Vanellope felt her heart flutter like a hummingbird's wings, and Dash was finding it hard to catch his breath.

Once the song ended, Dash looked at Vanellope.

"I really want to kiss you." He whispered.

Vanellope closed her eyes. "I do too..." she replied.

Dash leaned in, but no kiss ever happened.

"Something wrong?" Vanellope asked, opening her eyes, then she let out a scream.

Dash was hogtied and gagged, and Frogslip and Llort were holding him down.

Standing in front of her, dressed in a nice suit, was Pitch.

"I guess you could say I'm dressed to kill." He joked.

Vanellope raised her fists ready to punch him, but he grabbed her and pressed her against him.

"May I have this dance?" He asked, starting to dance her around the room.

"Let Dash go!" Vanellope yelled.

Pitch turned to face Dash. "Dash?" He asked. "Dash is the name of my competition? How pathetic!"

"You think that's pathetic?" Llort began, "you should have seen his dancing. Quite clunky."

Pitch turned to Vanellope. "I say you've been staying out past your curfew! Back to my place!"

He pressed Vanellope to his chest as the darkness surrounded them, taking them back to his castle.

Once he was gone, the villagers angrily turned to Frogslip and Llort.

Now that Pitch was gone, the two were essentially powerless.

"Well, thanks for the party, but we should go." Frogslip began, before throwing Dash aside and teleporting the him and Llort away.

Immediately, Rapunzel and Penny went to untie Dash.

As soon as he was free, he ran to where he last saw Vanellope.

"Vanellope!" He screamed, looking for a way to go after her.

"I just got her back too... VANELLOPE!" He screamed.

Meanwhile, in the castle, Pitch has cornered Vanellope.

"You are a naughty little bride." He began. "But you shall marry me! And this time, I've taken certain precautions so you can't escape again. I've put my best guards at every door and turned off all darkness warping. From now on, this is your home."

"I'll escape!" Vanellope retorted. "Whenever I get captured, I was always able to escape. Why should you be any different?"

Pitch smirked. "I'm prepared for that too. You see, your friend, Dash is stored in my dungeon of darkness." He lied, "he's safe now, but... I get so many prisoners, there isn't enough room for everyone. I'll make you a deal: if you marry me, I'll release him, and I won't harm him. If you refuse... well, use your imagination. I've already used mine."

Vanellope sunk to her knees. "Alright." She said, "I'll marry you. Just please don't hurt him."

Pitch smirked. "Frogslip! Llort!" He bellowed. "Prepare the wedding!"

With that, he headed off.

Vanellope began to cry. "I'm sorry, Dash!" She began. "I can't let anything bad happen to you! Better me than you!" Then she dissolved into tears.