Bet you're all surprised to see me again! Yes, I'm back. Really. Don't act so shocked. If you want something to blame, you are free to take all your frustration out on AP EUROPEAN HISTORY. Please.
To those of you have have stuck around, waiting patiently through these past months, I thank you immensely and send you imaginary gift baskets. Seriously, I love you. And to those who are somewhat new, welcome to Star Bright! It's lovely that people still see this. To my Chapter 14 reviewers, let me say that reading those reviews was one of the only things that kept me persevering through mounds of school work and writer's block. You are magnificent: Whiteling, Naara, lizziemagic, Bane of Princes, HeartsWereNeverMeantToRace, Hermioneroxx77, KoopaEater, charliepaceluver117, Vampira Hannah, Icecreampopstar, Carlint, CheshirePhantom, Conejo-sama, and Decepticon Fan!
So many of you have stuck with me since Chapter 1, and I could not be more grateful.
All at once, the air went very stiff and cold, and then roared up into a mighty wind storm that rumbled with the volume of a freight train. Charlotte was the first to scream, letting out a shriek that was filled with much more genuine fear than any other scream she had ever let slip. Naveen reacted immediately by pulling Tiana behind him with one arm and whipping out his sword with the other. Daniel, however, flinched for only a moment, which piqued Evangeline's interest. He looked briefly at the ceiling and then straight at the eyes of the stone-faced heiress, who was staring back at him indifferently as her hair twisted distortedly across her tilted head.
In the midst of the chaos, black figures began to burst from the tarot card that lay oddly anchored to the floor. They slithered and screeched along the walls and floors of the room, coiling their invisible bodies around the tangible ones of their unfortunate victims. Suddenly aware of what was happening, the group struggled and kicked as they were pulled from their clump and spread out so Evangeline could get a nice, long look at their faces.
She felt a cold hand on her shoulder and turned her head quickly, beaming up at the lanky figure standing behind her like a proud child. Dr. Facilier smiled back, peering at his minions with triumph. He laughed as he saw his old nemeses kicking and struggling to break free from their captors. It was especially satisfying to see Naveen try to hard to reach out to Tiana without any hope of getting near her.
He'd done exceptionally well this time. He had the kind of leverage on them that he didn't think to obtain the first time around. Emotional attacks had always been his style, but this time he really nailed it. The King and Queen had sacrificed a life with their daughter, and the moment they get her back she's snatched away again! It was gleefully depressing.
"Welcome friends!" He bellowed sarcastically, though whether or not he was addressing the humans or the shadows was unclear. "We're so glad you could make it. Aren't we, Princess?"
Naveen and Tiana felt their hearts ache as Evangeline smirked and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Ecstatic."
"Good!" Facilier shouted as his face gradually darkened into a sinister glare. "After nearly twenty years of waiting, I finally have you all right where I want you. Just in time for the deadline. Correct, my friends?"
He strode forward and took a stroll around their paralyzed bodies, taking great fun in mocking them when they couldn't do anything about it. He circled them like a vulture flying above a dying animal, grinning to himself as he admired his handiwork.
"Eva! Eva, please, what're you doin'?" Facilier's eyes widened when he heard the desperate shout, and he turned sharply to see the annoying blonde, the La Bouff woman, kicking at thing air with a fresh adrenaline rush. Evangeline did nothing but stare at the woman with blank eyes.
"What is she doin'?" Facilier countered, swooping forward so he was face to face with the feisty blonde. "Why she's doin' exactly what she should. She came to me first, so you know. I didn't have to convince her to be wary of parents who abandoned," the corner of his mouth twitched as he saw the two monarchs winced at his words, "her in another country, with another mother. She wants revenge on the people who left her behind…and she'll have it." He turned and reached out a bony hand to the teenager who readily came to his side at his command. "Now Little Princess, just say the word, and all those who lied to you will be gone from your life forever."
That was his plan all along. It would crush them all even more if it was Evangeline who ordered their demise. It was one thing for Dr. Facilier to call on the Friends, but their own daughter, their flesh and blood…that would be a much more painful death. He loved the agony that smothered the last bit of hope they had as Evangeline glared at them coldly and parted her painted lips to speak.
"NO!" A colossal scream reverberated off the walls, and the crystals on the chandeliers quivered from the vibrations. This time, it was not Charlotte who plead, but the dreadful Frog Prince. Facilier didn't think he had ever seen so much desperation. Pride filled his already puffing chest. "We only lied to keep her safe! You know that! How much lying have YOU been doing, hm? Tell me, when you told her the 'truth' about her life did you ever mention that YOU tried to kidnap her when she was just a baby?"
Facilier glanced to the girl cautiously, but he was reassured as she did little else but blink at her father for a moment. "It's too late!" He boasted triumphantly. "She only listens to me."
"What did you do to her?" A new voice joined the roster, this time belonging to that pesky college boy, Daniel. Facilier hadn't planned on having a fourth guest, but since the boy was there that meant he would have to go. It certainly wasn't much of a loss, and the Friends wouldn't mind another soul to feast on. Not discouraged by Facilier's disinterest in him, Daniel continued. "I know Evangeline would never betray Miss La Bouff. She's the only family she's ever known! You drugged her, or hypnotized her, or…or something! What?"
Facilier remained stoic, but in his head his thoughts were reeling. Oh yes, that one would have to go. It was a shame. The boy could have been useful later, but the extra blood would only appease the Friends.
"Evangeline! Listen to me! He's lying to you! Please, Angel snap out of it!" Damn it, the kid was persistent, and apparently had merit as a leader, as the others quickly picked up on what he was trying to do and joined his in a chorus of cries all directed toward Evangeline. When Facilier looked at her, her eyes were tightly shut, and she was clutching at her head with her hands. He could almost hear her accelerated pulse, working hard to get her real thoughts flowing and the truth revealed. No, no, no. That wasn't good. His obviously hadn't made the potion strong enough, and he wasn't counting on so many people to try to wrench her real memories out of her. Darn recipe! The Friends had said it would last. It was as if they wanted his demise, and not his - their - enemies'.
Facilier panicked, and shouted, no roared, to the girl, "Now, Evangeline! Tell the friends to kill them now!" If he could have that one satisfaction of having her be the one to kill…that would mean the world. There would be no more blood on his hands.
But it was too late.
******** (An excerpt from Chapter 12)
I don't know what happened, but it was like I'd been teleported, or time had decided to skip ahead and forgot to tell me. But suddenly I wasn't in the same place anymore. The teacup was gone, and the tarot cards. I wasn't even in the old warehouse anymore, and I felt like I was waking up from a deep sleep. I knew I wasn't. I couldn't have been. The last thing I remembered was being with Dr. Facilier while it was still the early evening. I remembered going to the masquerade, fighting with Daniel, meeting the King and Queen of Maldonia.
I frantically whipped my head around, trying to figure out where in the world I had ended up. To my great relief, I knew the place. The round tables, the chandelier, and small stage were all things I'd grown up with on my many visits to Tiana's Palace.
The question was, why the hell was I there now?
"Evangeline, please! Don't do this!" What? Who was that? I blinked my eyes and a few blurry figures came into focus.
"Huh?" I mumbled. Why was Queen Tiana asking me not to do something? What was I about to do anyway?
"Little princess," A deep voice purred nearby, and I gladly looked over to Dr. Facilier for answers. "Remember, don't listen to her. Remember what she did to you."
"What did she do to me?" I asked him, thoroughly confused by then. I had only just met the queen, and the king for that matter. Both were there, restrained by the invisible monsters whose shadows I could see on the wall behind them. I turned back to the voodoo man, who no longer looked as friendly and warm as I had known him to be. His expression had changed once I uttered the question, his eyes dark and mouth grimacing.
Stealing a sideways glance at his own shadow - dear God, was that thing moving on its own? - Facilier leaned away from me and straightened his back. "Well this just won't do."
******** EVANGELINE*******
I was scared.
Have you ever sleepwalked and woken up in a completely different place than where you started out without any idea how you got there? Well, I haven't, but I imagine it was something like that. I felt like I'd taken one large sleeping pill, but I'd woken up before the allotted time and I was doomed to have a groggy and foggy morning.
Suddenly - because, really, nothing in a hostage situation ever happens slowly - Facilier jerked my trembling arms behind my back, shocking me into a mild state of alert, and held something cold against my throat. I knew what it was. I just didn't want to think about it. As a gasped and shut my eyes, I could taste a ghostly flavor of hot tea in my mouth, but the flavor was lost before I could think of where it came from as it mixed with blood from my newly bitten cheek.
Facilier shoved me forward, and my heart skipped a beat as the knife's blade pressed further against my skin, a sharp sting shooting up my neck and making my eyes water. He patrolled me closer to the King and Queen, these strangers who I knew nothing about yet must have held some importance in my destiny, or they wouldn't be there. We stumbled toward King Naveen first, who had his head violently jerked to face us and held there by whatever shadow was his captor. Gasping for air myself, I could feel his pain as I watched his nostrils flair and his chest heave until Facilier stopped. I was so close to the King that I could tell the deep brown of his eyes, and I pondered for a second how they were the same color as mine. I glanced away quickly though, as Naveen was staring me down with an intense gaze that I couldn't make sense of. I was pretty sure there was some law written down somewhere that one wasn't allowed to look royalty in the eye.
After several more moments of confusing as to why the Doctor had marched me over there, I realized that he'd actually been speaking. " - failed. That's right, everything you ever wished for is right here, juuust out of your reach." The King looked like he was being tortured, but before I could say something I was swung around and maneuvered next to the Queen. I could see beads of sweat forming on her forehead from her struggle, and I felt immense guilt knowing that I must have had some part in causing it. What on earth had I done?
"Did you really think you could outwit me?" Dr. Facilier went on with his taunts. "ME? The Shadow Man? You sacrificed a life with your daughter, only to have her ripped away from you anyway." The Queen looked murderous and gave me the same strange stare I had received from her husband.
"You BAST-," Tiana started to yell murderously, but an unseen force clamped her mouth shut, and I heard Facilier's low chuckle behind me. I jolted to the empty space between the King and Queen as The Shadow Man tossed me aside, allowing a "Friend" to bind my arms and legs to my body with its lanky limbs. Realizing how trapped I truly was, with no escape in sight, I entered a panic mode while my lungs seemed to collapse in on themselves. As Facilier strutted his way to the top of a table, I looked around at the others who were now my peers in this predicament, desperate for someone to do something to make this all go away. It was a childish thing to do, I know, but it was all I could think to do. Sheltered life, away from this troubles of the world, was all I'd ever known. I saw Aunt Charlotte and Tiana were sharing a silent moment that I was sure could only be had between best friends. I yearned for Virginia or Ruth as I saw Charlotte's fingers stretch to try and grasp Tiana's hand in her own. Naveen was just out of my peripheral vision, but Daniel… Daniel I could see perfectly.
This was the first time I had really acknowledged him since I had "woken up." Facilier had kept me so focused on the King and Queen that I really hadn't had the time to give him a second glance. I wish I had. He looked like he had been through absolute hell and back. His usually smooth hair was a mess, and his clothes were awfully torn…well, more than they were before. It was a Scarecrow costume, after all. Still, watching him watching me, I became uncomfortable at how easily his strong façade made me forget all the things I was mad at him for. I wanted to tell him he was forgiven and apologize and get to know him even better than before. The thought popped into my head that maybe we could build a strong relationship out of what we had, not just a teenage fling.
And of course that moment got ruined right quick. Surprise.
Facilier was probably greatly enjoying feeling like a king from his elevated perch atop the formerly clean and now dirt smeared table. As hard as I was trying to convince myself he didn't frighten me, the idea that he was able to fool me and the look on his face at that moment was terrifying. He swept his beady eyes over the pathetic lot of us, a smug grin still stretching his features.
"Alright boys," He crooned to his shadow minions. I thought I heard Tiana preparing to send a glob of saliva his way. I wish she'd had time to let it fly. "Time to wrap this up once and for all." Looking at us each one last time, he peered at me from under the brim of his hat, a bony finger stretched out in my direction. He eerily reminded me of the grim reaper, choosing his victims.
"But not this one." The Shadow Man instructed firmly. "I'll be need The Little Princess for a little while longer." My blood ran cold and my throat went dry. I was not keen on being a pawn for this demon's maniacal game of chess again. Not too far away, I saw Daniel jerk against his restraints, and all I wanted was to rush over to him and at least say goodbye, if this was how it would all end. With labored breath, he glanced up to me, our eyes meeting for what I hoped wasn't the last time.
Facilier raised his hand fingers poised to snap. This was it, I thought. All the family I had ever known was about to be taken away. I lifted my face to the ceiling and choked on the sobs that had begun to set my scratchy throat on fire. What did I do? What could I do?
And just then, windows crashing, the night sky fell into Tiana's Palace.
Yeah...that's another cliffy. But, a well known solution is reviews! Reviews mean that I will write faster, and the cliffy will be no more.
In all seriousness, if I hadn't gone back and look at all my reviews again, this chapter would still be weeks away. Love you all! - xDazex