Ok, I'd just like to take a moment to dedicate this fic. I've decided to dedicate it to Roseflame Crystalheart; my only reviewer. So anyway, enjoy the chapter Roseflame!
Chapter 4
Later that night, while the two sisters are fast asleep, the window cracks open, and a figure dressed in scarlet hops in. She goes over to the two walnut beds, and looks between them, seeing the two nearly identical girls sleeping inside.
"Which girl is the right one?" The figure mutters, before shrugging and deciding to just take them both.
"Gotcha!" The figure cries, snapping shut the two shells, and pulling one up under each arm.
The two sisters immediately wake up with identical cries of, "What?!" Hearing them, Hero wakes up, confused.
"Hey, help!" Thumbelina cried.
"Help, Hero! Let us out of here!" Ivalyn adds in, causing Hero to look over and see the figure trying to get them out the window.
"Oh, oh! Hero, help. Help me!" Thumbelina cried again, as the old dog leapt into action.
"A dog!" The figure gasps, seeing Hero slam the window shut. "Get away from me!"
The figure hopped all around the room, knocking over furniture as Hero gave chase. Hopping up to the window, the figure pushed it open and hopped out. Hero leapt out as well, trying to follow, only for a kite string to wrap around his leg, causing the wind to push him up into the air. Skimming along the surface of the water, Hero reached out for the sisters' beds, only for the figure to escape through the small river hole in the wall.
Hero tried to follow the figure through, only to get stuck. He howled mournfully as the figure got away with the two girls. The figure took off their mask, and waved it at the dog, revealing Mrs. Toad.
The next morning, the entire farm was silent, except for the woman, who was sobbing in the kitchen. All the animals watched sadly, while Hero slunk sadly upstairs.
The two princes on top of their respective insects buzzed through the air towards the cottage, each carrying several gifts.
"Thumbelina!" Cornelius cried, landing on the sill, before dropping the trinkets he was carrying. "Thumbelina! Thumbelina! Oops. Got it." He took off his helmet, and looked around the room smiling, trying to find the small girl.
"Ivalyn? Ivalyn it's me! Where are you?" Chrysanthos asked, only to see the furniture strewn about haphazardly. Realizing something was wrong, the brothers began flying around the room, looking for the girls while calling their names. Finally, the brothers flew over to Hero, who was crying in the corner. They landed on his nose, and as the dog looked up and noticed the two familiar figures, he began to bark.
"Where are they? What? What happened?" Cornelius asked the dog, who stood up while pantomiming what took place.
"They were stolen away? Out the window?" Chrysanthos translated in disbelief.
"Who did it?" Cornelius asked, now visibly angry. Hero makes a big puffing noise with his cheeks.
"A toad?" Chrysanthos cried in horror.
"Good dog," Cornelius tells Hero. "We'll find them."
Hero jumps up to join them, but Chrysanthos shakes his head.
"No, Hero. Look, you stay here, and take care of Thumbelina's mother. Let her know everything will be alright." With that, the two princes buzz off on their insects, as Hero whines encouragement.
Somewhere on the river, the toad's boat floats, with the two beds on the center of it. Inside the beds, the two girls are waking up.
"Bienos dias. I hope you sleep very very good." Mrs. Toad says, popping out from behind a curtain.
"Huh? Who are you?" Ivalyn cries, terrified.
"We are the very happy family Singers de Espana." Mrs. Toad answers, shedding her scarlet cloak to show a very revealing costume. "These are my sons: Mozo, Gringo, and Grundel."
At this, three toads hop out, Mozo and Gringo smiling, and Grundel looking like he had a case of the Mondays.
"We are very rich and famous," Mrs. Toad continues.
"Rich and famous?" Thumbelina questions her.
"Si si. Mucho. I bring you two here to become very famous singers, like me." Mrs. Toad proclaims, shaking back and forth in a Shakira like dance.
"Goodbye," Thumbelina tells her, as she and Ivalyn get out of bed. "Our mother will be very worried."
They try to scurry off the boat, only for Mozo, Gringo, and Grundel to hop over and block them.
"Mama no worry," Mrs. Toad reassures them. "Mama proud! When you are stars, she make big fiesta, and invite all the neighbors to see her little ninas who have become big, big, big, very big!"
"Big?" Thumbelina asks, imagining herself as tall as a human. "You mean, big?"
"I mean important," Mrs. Toad tells her. "And loved by everyone."
"But ah, Chrysanthos and Cornelius love us already," Ivalyn contradicts, causing her sister to smile.
"I think I'm gonna marry Cornelius," Thumbelina tells Mrs. Toad, who starts to try to convince Thumbelina otherwise.
"Marry him? That will be a very big mistake. It'll get in the way of your careers in show business; doing things domestico."
"What things?" Ivalyn questions, not really liking Mrs. Toad.
"The scrubbings and the washings,
And the noses with the drippings,
And the sopas always boiling."
"Si," the three sons add.
"The panes of windows falling,
With the diapers changing,
With the roof, she's leaking,
And the enchiladas spoiling."
"Ooh."
"Do you know how to do these things,
Like you will have to do these things,
Or does the very thought of it, make you wince?"
"Well if it's for my kids, not really, no." Ivalyn said, but Mrs. Toad just ignored her.
"I thought so. Then, don't marry, the prince."
"Oh, dear," Thumbelina says as she watches Mrs. Toad doing her Shakira moves again.
"You see? You become big star like me. We make big moneys together. You make Mama rich." The last sentence was what got Thumbelina dancing. She'd do anything to help her mother. As they danced, river creatures began gathering, watching the show.
"You're important person. You are famous. You are a star." Mrs. Toad cried, as Thumbelina steps down onto a lily pad in front of the boat.
"A star? Well, I suppose," she said.
"Hello? Sister, what about Cornelius? You love him, remember?" Ivalyn reminded her, only for Mama Toad to knock her onto another lily pad.
"Hush up. If you good, you can be background singer," Mrs. Toad told Ivalyn, before turning back to teaching Thumbelina the routine. "Now, repeat after me;
We are the Singers de Espana, the original cast,
And there hasn't been a town we haven't played."
"We are the Singers de Espana and we sing very fast.
We get on, we get off, we get paid." The three sons began to sing too.
"Uh, could you say that a little slower?" Thumbelina requested.
"Slower? We don't do ballads." Mrs. Toad scoffed.
"Oh, well then maybe she can take notes," Ivalyn said sarcastically, only to have Mrs. Toad splash her with water.
"We are free and independent we go everywhere,
And we gotcha-gotcha-gootchee all the way.
We gonna teach you how to samba,
And to rumba y La Bamba.
Every number, Thumbelina, say ole!
Come on the road,
My little castanet.
Come on the road,
And famous you will get.
I'll make you star,
Get you small guitar.
You'll be hot muchacha,
Once I gotcha
On the road!"
Thumbelina hops back onto the boat, only for the three toad sons to corner her with a conga line.
"Thumbelinacita!
No one could be sweeter!
Sing with Mamacita!
We go on the road!" Grundel grabs Thumbelina's hand, only for her to jerk out of his grasp.
"Now we sing.
We open Monday in Medina,
Then we do Babylon,
Then we hop to Barcelona for a week.
Then a month in Athens at the Parthenon,
Where they love us cause we do the show in Greek!"
"We are the finest in the business,
It's a well known fact.
And you'll forgive us if we have to blow the horn."
"Because this isn't any ordinary animal act,
And today a star is born!" The sons lift Thumbelina in the air, before they set her down.
"Go on the road,
You'll hear the peoples roar.
You're not a toad-"
"But that's what makeup's for!"
"Just sing on pitch,
We get very rich!" Grundel eyed Thumbelina as he sang.
"Wait until they see the Thumbelina-"
"On the road!"
"Singing Thumbelina!
Dancing Thumbelina!
Something Thumbelina!" But Thumbelina just shook her head stubbornly and crossed her arms.
"Now I make her sing!" Mrs. Toad declared, before stomping on Thumbelina's foot, which caused her to let out a high F in pain. "You got it!"
"Hey! Don't do that to my sister!" Ivalyn cried, only to get a mouthful of water.
"Come on the road!
We make you big success!
Come on the road!"
"You're in the Union, yes?"
"The life she's sweet,
Lot's of flies to eat!"
"Yum-yum!"
"Why be a little fish in little pond,
When you can go so far beyond?"
"I think perhaps we make you blond!"
"When we get on the road!"
"On the road," Thumbelina sang, finally taking part in the routine.
"Let's hit the road...ole!" They all finished, as the creatures watching the show all cheered and threw coins at the performers. Ivalyn just watched on the side, sighing at how easily her sister had been misled.
"Mama," Grundel whispered with Mrs. Toad, as Thumbelina curtsied before the audience. "You give her to me. I marry her."
"Very well," Mrs. Toad agreed. "You can marry la nina. We can keep the money she earns in the family. The question is what do we do with her untalented sister?"
Just then, Thumbelina ran up to the two.
"Oh, thank you Mrs. Toad! Thank you. They really like me! Am I a star?"
"Yes," Mrs. Toad replied. "And you can call me 'Mama!'"
"Mama?" Thumbelina replied in confusion.
"You're going to marry my son, Grundel!"
"I'm what?!" Thumbelina asked in shock, as Mrs. Toad led her over to a lily pad surrounded by water.
"I love Thumbelina!" Grundel proclaimed.
"You wait right here, Thumbelinachicita," Mrs. Toad said as she dropped Thumbelina on the lily pad. "We'll be right back with the Padre!"
"Oh, no, no," Thumbelina tried to argue as they got ready to leave. "See, I love Cornelius."
"Today, you marry my son!" Mrs. Toad said, as they all hopped onto the boat, the audience members all cheering, and then leaving.
Come back here! No, wait, wait a second! Where are you going?!" The toads all boated away leaving Thumbelina alone on the lily pad. "Doesn't anybody care what I think?!"
"I do!" Ivalyn said, her head popping out of the water as she crawled onto the lily pad.
"Ivalyn! You know how to swim?" Thumbelina asked her sister in shock.
"Of course I do. I swim in our river almost every week. Now come on, let's get you off this lily pad!" With that, Ivalyn swam down and started yanking on the lily pad stem. After about a minute, she came up and flopped beside her sister on the lily pad.
"It's no use, that stem is too thick. I'd need something sharp to cut it." Ivalyn sighed, and turned to embrace her sister. "I'm sorry Thumbelina. Um, maybe I could try to teach you to swim in under three minutes? Who am I kidding. We're stuck. Maybe we can try calling for help?"
Jacquimo flew through the meadow, humming the same tune as always, when a cry was heard from below.
"Help!" "Someone help!" "Anyone, please!"
"Whoa, help?" The swallow repeated, before flying around looking for the voices. "Who is saying 'help?'"
"Mr. Bird! Over here!" Thumbelina cried, happy that someone had answered their call for help.
"Oh! Little ones, are you having a bad day?" Jacquimo asked, landing on a cattail.
"My sister and I were sleeping on the windowsill, waiting for Prince Cornelius and Prince Chrysanthos to come back, and they said they would come before morning because they love us, and-"
"They love you two?" Jacquimo interrupted.
"Yes, but-"
"Congratulations!"
"Thanks, but, well, but we were stolen away by Mrs. Toad, who says I have to marry her son! And I just-"
"A toad? That is a very bad day, Mademoiselle, uh, Mademoiselle?"
"Thumbelina."
"Ivalyn."
"Thumbelina, Ivalyn, I am Jacquimo! How can I be of service, to you two?"
"Well, I must get off this lily pad, and only my sister knows how to swim, and we can't cut the stem, so you see, it's rather impossible."
"Ha-ha-ha! Nothing is impossble!" Jacquimo declared, before diving into the river, and cutting the stem with his beak. "Voila!"
"Well, you made that look easy," Ivalyn muttered, searching for a way to steer the lily pad drifting down the river. "Now if we can just reach the shore before those awful toads come back!"
"Do you mean if you can reach the shore before you go over the waterfall?!" Jacquimo cried from his perch back upon the cattail.
"What waterfall?" Thumbelina cried.
"That one!"
"Is it bad?" In response, Jacquimo flew down, and began trying to pull the lily pad the other way, but the current was too strong.
"I am slipping!"
"Don't let go!" Ivalyn cried, searching for a way to save her and her sister.
"Can you swim?"
"Ivalyn can, but I can't! I can't even float! Help! Help, please!" Thumbelina cried, her sister and Jacquimo joining in. Underwater, two fish enjoying their morning heard their cries, and seeing the peril that the occupants of the lily pad were in, swam up to help. On the shore, two jitterbugs trying to cut a cattail joined in the rescue party as well, with other jitterbugs coming along to help.
As the lily pad neared the waterfall, the fish used their fins to push the lily pad upstream. In the process, however, Ivalyn was thrown from the lily pad and sent hurtling over the waterfall.
"Ivalyn!" Thumbelina cried, seeing her sister fall over the edge.
"Thumbelina!" Ivalyn cried back, before she plummeted into the pool at the bottom of the waterfall.
"Pull, mes amis! Pull! That is it! Higher, higher!" Jacquimo cried to the jitterbugs, as they pulled Thumbelina away from the waterfall. Jacquimo was flipped onto shore by a fish, and the swallow sat up, hacking up water. The gathered creatures all stared at an unconscience Thumbelina, whispering curiously.
"What is it?" One spoke up.
"Yeah. Who is it?" Another asked.
"Look, Mama. She's waking up," the little girl who Thumbelina and Cornelius had passed in their flight whispered to her mother.
"Oh, are you feeling better little one?" Jacquimo asked her as she sat up. "But wait, where is the other little one?"
"Ivalyn!" Thumbelina cried, remembering what had just happened. "Oh, she went over the waterfall! I have to find her! I do hope she's alright."
That was when she noticed all the assembled creatures surrounding her.
"But, who are you all?" Thumbelina asked them all.
"Thumbelina, these are the jitterbugs," Jacquimo introduced, while the two fish swam back to their home. "You stay here with them, I will go see if I can find your sister at the bottom of the falls."
With that, Jacquimo took to the air and swooped to the bottom of the falls.
"The jitterbugs? Oh, ah how do you do?" She politely greeted them.
"Are you really gonna marry one of the fairy princes?" The little jitterbug girl asked, stepping forward.
"If he asks me," Thumbelina replied, giggling. "He and his brother will call for my sister and I at our house. Well, that's why we want to go home.
Besides, mother will be terribly worried. If only I could find my sister and figure out which way home is."
"Oh, we'll help you, Thumbelina." The little jitterbug girl told her, the other jitterbugs agreeing.
"Yeah, nobody'll hurt ya, Thumbelina!"
"Not with us on the job, right!"
"Right!"
"Oh, you are all very brave, thank you." Thumbelina told them, before visibly saddening. "But, I'm afraid I'll never see my sister, or my home, again."
"Oh, well, there was no sign of your sister at the bottom," Jacquimo chirped, landing beside Thumbelina. "She must have floated further downstream. Since she can swim, that probably means that she is still alive!"
"Well how will I ever find her?" Thumbelina cried, slightly happier now that her sister probably wasn't dead.
"Oh, little one. Do you love your sister and the prince?"
"Yes."
"Well then follow your heart! It will lead you to them! Now, where does the prince live?"
"Oh, oh! He lives in the Vale of the Fairies! But I don't know where that is either!"
"Do not worry! I, Jacquimo, will find it, and bring him home to you!"
"Oh, it's impossible," she sighs sadly.
"Impossible?" Jacquimo asks, jumping off the rock he stood on. "Nothing is impossible!
You're sure to do impossible things,
If you follow your heart! Ha, ha!
Your dreams will fly on magical wings,
When you follow your heart!"
The jitterbug children start pulling Thumbelina along after Jacquimo, who is soon joined by some female birds as well.
"If you have to journey far,
Here's a little trick.
You don't need a guiding star.
Trust your ticker, Get there quicker!
You're sure to do impossible things,
If you follow your heart!"
Thumbelina looked up as Jacquimo flew onto two roses covered in morning dew. "Come on Thumbelina! You are going home! Your mother is waiting! Get up, get up!"
Chickadees began singing along with Jacquimo, as Thumbelina skipped along the path between them.
"You're sure to do impossible things,
If you follow your heart!
Your dreams will fly on magical wings."
"Sing, my little chickadees!"
"When you follow your heart!"
"North or South or East or West,
Where to point your shoes?
Which direction is the best?
If the choosing gets confusing,
Maybe its the map you're using.
You don't need a chart to guide you,
Close your eyes and look inside you! Ha ha!" Taking Jacquimo's wing, Thumbelina danced down the book, her spirit returned.
"You're sure to do impossible things,
If you know where to start!"
"Ha ha!"
Your dreams will fly on magical wings,
When you follow-"
"Just trust the swallow!"
"And always follow, your heart!"
The creatures around her began cheering as Li'l Bee, Gnatty, and Baby Bug pulled her along.
"Bon voyage, Thumbelina! Never fear! I will find the prince!" Jacquimo declares, before flying away.
"He's wonderful! And, I'm going home!" Turning around, Thumbelina disappeared into the grass with the jitterbabies.