YAY FOR BREAKING 100 REVIEWS! I've never gotten that before. ^^ Thank you so, so much, it has really blown me away! I'll try to make this update a little more regular, but it won't be easy. They don't call it Attention Deficit Disorder for nothing. Pus, I have been really busy with my summer camp and taking care of my little cousins.
I hope this chapter is enough to make up for the long wait.
Arc 1: Saving the Others
Episode 2
Tiana rapidly chopped the carrots, her sleek knife bump-bump-bump-ing on the cutting board. Tiny slices fell over like a row of dominoes, before being swept into a pile by the large blade.
"Most of the movement is in your elbow, and you need to make sure the fingers holding the vegetable move quickly, so they don't get in the way of the knife."
Snow White nodded, large eyes wide in interest. However, her face quickly fell, her head onto plopping her palm. "You do it so fast, I'm not sure not sure I chop them like you can." She twiddled her delicate fingers.
"Don't worry honey," Tiana said, patting her shoulder. "With a little practice, you can master it!"
"You truly think so?" Snow's face lit up, her small frown spreading into a shiny grin. Tiana smiled back at the girl. Just then, she realized that this was the longest she had ever spent with an old princess. She, like all earlier Disney princesses, was dainty and light, pretty in the oldest, most traditional way. She was much more refined than Tiana, trained from birth to be polite and sweet, no matter what. So unlike the newer princesses, who often went out of their way to prove they were more rebellious and free-spirited than the others.
Still, even though they were very different, and she couldn't really admit it, well…Tiana never had any younger siblings, or siblings at all. Snow, being so young, so sweet, and someone who looked up to her so very much, she began to feel almost like a little sister.
The oven dinged, and Tiana turned to get the appetizers they made. A warm, buttery smell filled the air. She placed the heavy pan on the stove before turning back to Snow to continue their lesson.
"Hello, ladies." Naveen sauntered into the room, kissing Tiana. She grinned, only to continue talking to her fellow princess. Naveen glanced at the appetizers behind her back, gave a quick wink to Snow, and popped on in his mouth. She giggled, giving him away.
"Get away from those!" Tiana whipped him across the chest with her cooking mitt, Snow and Naveen exploding into laughter. She smiled, placing her hands on her hips. "Am I going to have to hide my food as soon as they come out of the oven?"
Snow looked up to the clock. "Oh, dear, it's getting late. I must get going!" She grabbed her bag of cooking supplies from the table. "Thank you so much for your wonderful company." She gave a little curtsy before walking out.
Tiana grinned as she left, wiping her messy hands on a towel. Naveen wrapped his arms around her, ignoring the various liquids covering her apron. "She's a sweet kid." He said. Tiana nodded.
"Still, it's a bit weird having marriage talks with a girl who has a curfew of ten o clock." Naveen threw back his head in laughter, Tiana resting her head on his chest. She sighed, fingering around with his shirt.
"I hope Cinderella has gotten better for the meeting tomorrow." Naveen looked down at her, surprised at her suddenly worried tone.
"I'm sure she is," he hugged tightly, Tiana squeezing him back. She loved holding him when she was troubled; it made her feel instantly better.
"Why don't I help you finish this dish," Naveen nodded towards the carrots, "and then we can turn in for the night?" Tiana glanced back at her chopped vegetables. They were the only thing she had actually done, and this dish required a lot more ingredients. They'd be up till midnight just preparing them.
"I'll do them tomorrow." She stated, putting away her knives. She looked back at Naveen, who had his face in an exaggeratedly shocked face, his jaw gaping open.
"Did I just hear my wife say that she'll…procrastinate?" He gasped, covering his mouth with his hands.
Tiana glared at him. "Well, if you want to do it, then it can be done tonight…"
"That's okay!" Naveen held up his hands, "Tomorrow is just fine!" It was now Tiana's turn to laugh. Her husband sighed, combing back his dark curls with his fingers. "Want to listen to the radio? There's supposed to be a good drama story on tonight."
"Ooh, you know me too well." Tiana took his arm, following him to the next room. "I better remember that you know my weakness for when I actually want to work." She let the voices coming from the radio take her away from her concerns; get her involved in someone else's problems.
So much so, in fact, that she almost didn't remember what was wrong with Cinderella until she got back to the meeting the next day.
"Hello, Tiana! What a marvelous day! Has your heart told you your path for this morning?" She twirled around the room, grinning so largely Tiana feared her smile would split right open. And, was it just her, or did Cindy's hair seem a tad lighter? Tiana couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it before. She seemed more of a golden blonde than the dirty blonde she normally was.
Tiana gave a quick nod to her before finding her normal seat. "Has anyone found out what's wrong with Cindy yet?" she asked the others.
"Something's wrong with Cindy?" Belle asked.
"Yes." Was she blind? "Do you see the way she's acting? And—" Tiana cocked her head. "Is that a new dress?"
Belle wore a dark red and gold colonial style dress, more sensible than her older one but still just as expensive looking. Tiana had only ever seen her in her gold dress. She glanced up at her face, gasping when she saw it. It shared Cinderella's new flatter appearance, but it was even less balanced, almost sloppily formed.
"Yes, you like it?" Belle asked, "I just got it. I decided to spice up my usual system."
"Uh huh…" Tiana raised an eyebrow. "Anyway…uh…does anyone else know what's been going on?"
Mulan pondered for a bit. "Well, I think—"
"That nothing is wrong? Because nothing is." Belle interrupted, staring straight at her.
"Belle?" Mulan asked, scooting closer, "Are you feeling alright?"
"I'm fine."
"Don't bother her like this." Pocahontas snapped. Tiana gasped when she saw her. She too looked flat and under detailed. Her face was slightly uncanny, and her skirt almost seemed even shorter.
"Poca?" Jasmine asked, a look of concern in her eyes. "Are you feeling…sick?" The girl touched her friend's dull arm, "You barely have any shadows."
"I am not!" Pocahontas turned away with a huff. Belle smiled sweetly.
"Don't worry, Poca, everyone is good deep down. Even if they are being a bit rude, just be nice to them. They'll learn the error of their ways."
"That…" Tiana stood up. "Did not sound like something you would say at all!"
Belle simply turned her smile to her. "Someday, you'll see." she said. Tiana glanced at the others. They looked just as concerned as she was.
Naveen opened the door to the ballroom, wondering about what Tiana had said about Cinderella. He decided he'd ask Charming about it after the meeting, when it could be private.
The newer princes were, as usual, leaning against the columns. Naveen joined them, nodding hello to Aladdin, Shang…
"Oi, Adam, what happened to you!" Naveen exclaimed, jumping back. His face was uneven, awkward and unappealing. "John, wh—GAH!"
"Subtle, aren't you?" Shang sighed.
"My friend, I assure you there is nothing wrong with me." Adam kept calm and contained, though anger still flickered in his eyes. John smirked.
"Silly little boy." He laughed.
"Is it just me, or have you actually managed to get even cockier?" Shang balled his fists threateningly, as he always did when his rival got on his nerves. John just rolled his eyes.
"Oh, you think you're so tough. It's cute, really." John tuned away, flipping his golden hair in Shang's face. Aladdin and Naveen dove forward to stop him from tackling him, his face red with fury.
"Why you little—!" Shang roared, but finally the princes managed to push him back.
"Break it up!" Aladdin demanded, sighing with annoyance, "I thought you guys abandoned this whole thing when you realized you were the only unmarried ones."
"Like that would be a good enough reason to excuse him for being a smug—"
"Shang." Naveen shook his head at him.
"Why would me being unmarried endear me to him?" John growled. "I mean, with Pocahontas married to John Rolfe—"
Naveen spun around to meet him. "Wait…who is John Rolfe!"
John Smith looked as if he had just been caught naked in the palace garden. "Uh…"
"Okay, this is getting too weird for me." Aladdin plopped on his turban. "I'm leaving."
"Me too." Shang growled.
Naveen reluctantly joined them, taking one last glance at the other princes, a shudder moving through his body.
"I just don't know." Tiana sighed as she and Naveen finished their dish. "I just…I just don't know." She collapsed onto the counter, burying her face in her hands. "First Cindy, then Belle, then Pocahontas!"
"Adam and John Smith were odd too." Naveen hugged her back. "I didn't get a chance to talk to Charming."
"I've never seen them like this." Tiana ferociously sliced through the meat, as if the meat itself was the thing infecting the princesses.
"I'm sure it's just a bug going around." Naveen kissed his wife softly. She sank into his arms. "It'll all be over soon."
"I hope you're right."
Tiana, for the first time, almost didn't want to go to the next meeting. She dreaded each passing day of the week, until finally the day rolled around.
"My dear, you don't have to go." Naveen said as he handed her the short green dress.
"Yes I do." She groaned, pulling it on. "I have to figure out what's wrong. They're my friends."
"Well, I'll pick you up on my way home from Adam's castle." He said, putting on his newsboy hat. "See you then, Tia."
Naveen didn't reach the steps of the castle before being stopped by Phillip and the Prince.
"What?" He asked, surprised.
"Don't go in there!" Phillip cried, pushing him back into his car. He leaped onto his horse, the Prince following. There was a terrible look of fear and panic on both their faces that worried Naveen a lot. He had never seen them like this. Phillip glanced back at the castle nervously, urging his horse forward.
"Come on, Naveen, we must save our wives!" The Prince cried, starting his horse too.
"Our wives are in danger?" Naveen gasped, gripping the door of the car. They were just at their meeting!
"No time to explain!" Phillip shook his head at him, his eyes wild with terror. "They will be! We must go!"
Tiana dawdled behind the butler on her way to the room, much to his annoyance. He kept his mouth shut, though, which was probably wise for a man of his status.
Tiana walked through to door.
Almost every single princess looked flat. Tiana almost couldn't breath.
"Oh, there she is!" Ariel squealed. Everyone shouted a hello. It felt like the first day Tiana ever met them, as she cautiously ran to her place with the new princesses. To her horror, though, they were no better. Mulan casually conversed with Jasmine about the importance of the heart or something, and Belle was wistfully humming with Pocahontas. None of them paid her any attention.
"What is going on!" Tiana shouted, jumping up. She looked across the room for Snow White, finding her sitting quietly next to Aurora. To her relief, they amazingly seemed unaffected.
"Shhh!" Ariel grinned. "You'll wake Melody."
Tiana spun to look at her. "…Melody?"
"My daughter, silly." Ariel grinned.
"…No." Tiana walked towards her, pointing her finger. "Melody was just a rumor. From those letters. Remember? You were horrified when someone suggested she existed." Ariel looked surprised, then annoyed, then angry. Angrier than Tiana had ever seen her.
Snow White screamed. "No! Tiana!" She raced forward to her fellow princess. Tiana hugged her, Aurora staying frozen in the corner. The only sound escaping from her were small whimpers of fear.
"You know too much." Mulan stood, taking a blade from her belt. Tiana squeezed Snow closer. The girl had tears streaming down her face, and if Tiana wasn't trying so very hard to be brave, she might have too. Her hands trembled as the sharp dagger flashed in the light. Eyes wide, she stared up at Mulan.
"Indeed she does." Jasmine reached behind her, pulling out a long leather whip, at least ten feet long.
"Y-you don't know how to use that." Tiana stammered, her breathless voice barely a whisper. They were surrounded by the princesses now, no openings in the circle.
"Oh yes I do." Jasmine held back the whip, a sinister smile forming on her lips.
"But we're y'all's friends!" Tiana never felt threatened by the others before. But now…she was beginning to fear for her life. These weren't the actual princesses. They couldn't be.
"Get them!" Pocahontas shrieked. Tiana spun around, praying for the slightest opening. There it was, right in between Belle and Ariel. Grabbing Snow's hand, she burst through. Taking Aurora's arm, she sprinted out of the room.
"GET THEM!" she heard Cinderella scream, and before she knew it, soldiers were flooding out of the halls after them. She ran faster, Aurora and Snow barely being able to keep up. Tiana didn't think she'd ever ran so hard in her life, at least as a human. Her breaths were dry and rasping through her lungs, and she heard Snow White's panicked cries behind her. She thanked God that they were all princesses who didn't wear the huge, puffy dresses.
She thanked Him again when she realized that they were on the first floor, and she was able to reach the front doors. However, the gate was closing! Come on, just a little faster...Tiana urged her already aching legs.
"We've got to dive through!" She shouted to the other two. They hesitated, but then gave a quick nod. Just a little closer…Tiana didn't want to think about what would happen if they didn't make it.
The gate was almost closed. With one hopeful leap, they dove through the crack still left, crashing into the ground. Suddenly, Tiana heard an engine rushing up the front road. It, for the moment, was the most wonderful sound she had ever heard.
She looked up to see Naveen in their car, turning to meet them.
"Get in!" he cried. Tiana grabbed her friends hands again and yanked them into the doors. Neither of them had been in a car before, and seemed rather nervous about it.
"Trust me girls, it's a hell of a lot faster than horseback." Tiana assured them. They both gasped.
"You just...swore." Aurora choked out.
"And y'all are probably goin' to hear a lot more of it! Go, Naveen!"
Naveen slammed on the gas pedal, sending the car out just as the soldiers started to catch up to them.
"The Prince and Phillip are waiting in the woods." Naveen said, "We'll find them once we lose the soldiers."
Snow White hugged Tiana fearfully again, Tiana doing her best to be the strong one. She still wasn't quite sure what was going on, but she had to face it. They were now on the run.