AN~ I've been editing a lot of my older works, so they should be a little better, especially spelling-wise. And I started on this one, too!
Practicing imagery some places this chapter, tell me what you think!
(): Well, you reviewed, so you get a response, even though I don't know your name. ^.^' I'm confused by your review, though. Invite you to my wedding? You mean the character's wedding? 'Cause I'm not getting married.
yahidontlikeueither: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!
kendra1212: Thanks so much!
awww: That should be interesting. :) Only around Titania and those who'd squeal, though.
Scarlet Wolf: Yeah, 16 with consent. I don't know if it's in New York, but I'm pretty sure you can where I live (not revealing). And do you really think Henry would ever do that? Also, you don't like parodies? How come? And the whole town is just everafters. The Scarlet Hand kicked everyone else out.
Purpleflower23: Yup, I'm eighteen. Now, your questions/suggestions: They didn't attack for ages and ages and ages because they were gathering support and needed training, and because I thought it was kind of stupid for Mirror to want to take over the world in the body of a two-year-old. They're starting to attack now because they've finally gotten all the allies and people they need. It's not a shocking reason to wait for attack, and I don't personally think it needs to be. Because if you study real wars, they don't just start. There are reasons, and then there are a few scattered battles, and then more and more. A lot of war is just sitting around and waiting. I get the feeling MB just made it go so fast because he didn't want Sabrina to be old when they finally won the war. And I'm honestly quite fine with my number of readers now. I don't have to be the most popular or the favorite. :) I'm working up action. Slowly. And I'm not mad about your criticism. You're offering an honest opinion about how the story could be better. I'm trying to improve, so this is helpful. I'd prefer if you didn't use terms like 'needs to be' or 'must' or 'have to,' because all of this is just your opinion, but I'm glad you actually shared your thoughts instead of just telling me to update. And... BETTER than NMW? o.O ... I LOVE YOU!
SabrinaPuckLOVE: I'm eighteen now! And... You consider me equal to NMW? That's... that's among the best compliments anyone has ever given me. My explanation for Daphne's shifting-ness was bad. I mentioned in... chapter 51, I think, that she was getting trained by Baba Yaga. So the training isn't explained, but it happened. And I'll consider those characters, if I need more. And I don't think you're being bossy. You're making suggestions! I may not take them, because I've got most of this story planned out, but I'll consider them if I ever get stuck. My suggestions for you... *starts singing, to the tune of Dory from finding Nemo's song* just keep writing, just keep writing, just keep writing, writing writing. :) Seriously, that's it. It doesn't matter if it's crap, just throw random ideas out and play around with them. And eat chocolate. Chocolate releases creative endorphins. Having an accountability buddy helps, too. I have no idea about the movie, I'd heard a rumor that it was cancelled. And I think book nine comes out next fall. At the earliest. My Puck and Sabrina probably won't get married for ages. See below for details! Thanks so much for reviewing!
"Well?" Veronica asked, after all had been silent for a few minutes, looking at the two teens expectantly.
"Yeah..." Sabrina said, blushing scarlet. "'Bout that..."
"We're not actually engaged." Puck hurried to put in, before Henry, whose expression was frightening, killed him or something.
"What do you mean?" Daphne asked. "I was already planning your wedding! How can you not be engaged?"
"It's to trick the blood oath." Sabrina said, still red-faced. "I mean, why would I actually want to get married to that?" she pointed to Puck, sneering.
Puck stuck his tongue out.
Daphne grinned at Sabrina. "You say that now..."
"But you can't trick a blood oath..." Briar said. "I think you'd actually have to want to get married for it to believe the engagement..."
"What if we just really didn't want him to get married to Moth?" Sabrina asked.
"I'd rather marry Sabrina than Moth." Puck said with a shudder. "Horrifying as either of those ideas is, I'll go with the lesser of two evils."
"Wait..." Daphne asked. "So, you're not in love?"
"No." Sabrina and Puck answered in tandem.
"Drat." Daphne sighed. "And here I was hoping you'd finally seen the light."
"Ahm..." Sabrina trailed off.
"So this whole thing was a false alarm?" Bella asked.
"Not... exactly..." Puck said. "We're technically engaged, unless Moth gets so fed up with Sabrina that she decides to hurt her anyway. Then we could cancel the oath, and Sabrina and I wouldn't have to get married. I figured something like that would happen within the next four years, 'cause Moth's not exactly the patient sort."
"And Moth's going to spread the rumor that we're engaged." Sabrina put in. "And we can't just go telling people that we're not, because if Titania hears, then she'll know we managed to trick the spell. Which is going to cause all sorts of problems for us."
"As if people didn't think we were dating enough already." Puck sighed.
Sabrina nodded morosely, then glared at him. "If you hadn't made the stupid vow in the first place, then none of this would have happened."
"I was trying to keep you safe!" Puck snapped back. "And we've been over this already!"
"And I still say I can take care of myself." Sabrina muttered.
"That's a good one." Puck snorted. "How many times have I saved your sorry behind, again? Ten? At least?"
"More like fifteen." Daphne put in. "But I've lost track."
Sabrina stuck her tongue out at all of them. "Whatever. So, listen, can we maybe figure out a way that we could tell people we're not really engaged without Titania hearing?"
"Swear them to secrecy?" Red suggested. "Not, like, magically, but just make them promise not to talk about it?"
"I guess we'll just have to go with that." Sabrina sighed, fingering her necklace.
"Why do you keep messing with that thing?" Bella asked. "And why couldn't Granny get it off before?"
"It's the sign of their engagement." Granny said.
"How'd you know?" Puck asked. "We didn't tell anybody that..."
"Sabrina kept fiddling with it." Granny smiled fondly at Sabrina. "I'm not a detective for nothing, you know."
Sabrina sighed. "Well, I wear it all the time anyway, and it's a lot less obvious than a ring would be. And less in the way."
"Do you ever take it off?" Bella asked.
"No." Sabrina said, still fiddling with the heart charm.
"That's so cute!" Daphne squealed. "Even if you aren't really in love yet."
"You guys know you're going to have to pretend to be dating now, right?" Red pointed out quietly. "Since Titania thinks you are. You don't want to give her the wrong impression."
"Around anyone who might squeal, actually." Jake said thoughtfully.
Sabrina and Puck groaned, blushing.
"In fact, you'd better start now." Briar smiled. "We can correct you when you do something wrong, fix any mistakes you make."
Sabrina and Puck groaned again, getting the feeling that they were going to be tortured for a long time to come.
They were.
Daphne and Bella made them walk around holding hands for hours on end. Briar and Jake were constantly suggesting that Sabrina and Puck watch how they acted so that they knew what real couples did. Veronica showed the two dozens of old romantic movies which embarrassed Sabrina and bored Puck almost to tears. Granny took photos and tried to convince the duo to look at each other with a softness in their eyes.
The only two who weren't trying to make Puck and Sabrina into a convincing couple were Henry and Red.
Red had either decided some time ago that the two were hopeless, or she was just not brave enough to offer her suggestions. And Henry simply refused to assist Sabrina in anything that resembled a relationship.
"Let's try this again." Daphne said. "Hold hands, guys."
Sabrina and Puck sighed, but grabbed each other's hands loosely.
"Tighter!" Bella sighed. "You're barely touching each other!"
Sabrina and Puck suddenly switched to trying to squeeze each other's fingers off.
"Don't kill each other." Red begged, wincing. "Please?"
"Loosen your hands a little." Bella suggested. "Easy... easy... a little more... more... aaaand... there!"
Sabrina and Puck, who had been loosening their hands slowly, stood there uncomfortably. "Now what?" Sabrina asked.
The doorbell rang.
"Hold on one second, that's probably Wendell." Bella said. "I'll be right back, but don't move."
She was not 'right back.' She and Wendell lingered in the hallway for a good five minutes before coming back to the living room. When the finally did, Sabrina and Puck glared at them fiercely, hands still clasped.
"Sorry." Bella apologized. "I didn't mean to take so long."
"Whatever." Puck made a face. "Can we just get this over with?"
"Please." Sabrina agreed. "I need to wash my hands. A lot. With antibacterial soap."
"Ah, shut it." Puck rolled his eyes at her. "I don't like this either, but I'm not complaining about how clean you are."
"Just because I actually bathe..." Sabrina snapped.
"Guys!" Daphne snapped.
"Sorry." Sabrina said. "Anyway, not to be rude, Wendell, but what are you doing here?"
"He's giving you an example of how a typical teenage couple acts." Bella said. "Since you two don't pay attention to Uncle Jake and Briar's demonstrations."
"So can we unhold hands, since we're observing right now?" Puck asked.
"Go ahead." Bella shrugged, wrapping an arm around Wendell's waist.
Sabrina noticed, then, that Wendell's aforementioned waist wasn't as large as it usually was. He still wasn't exactly trim, but he was no longer as wide as before.
"Have you lost weight?" She asked him.
Wendell grinned proudly. "Yes I have."
"Congratulations!" Sabrina gave him a high five.
Bella rolled her eyes. "We're not getting off topic, Sabrina, but nice try."
"What?" Sabrina protested. "I wasn't! I just noticed that he lost weight and I was congratulating him! I seriously was not trying to change the subject!"
"Whatever." Bella rolled her eyes.
Sabrina made a face. "Fine. Don't believe me, then. I'll just go someplace else." She started to walk out of the room.
"Wait, Sabrina, don't go!" Bella called.
"Too late!" Sabrina called back, not turning around. "I'm going to hang out with people who actually believe me!" She was smiling, though she didn't let the others see it.
She wandered to the kitchen, where she found Snow sitting.
"Oh, hi." Sabrina smiled. "I didn't know you were here."
"We were just talking about you, actually." Snow said, gesturing to the others at the table- Henry, Veronica, Granny, and Mr. Clay.
"What about me?" Sabrina asked warily. "I'm not in trouble, am I?"
"No, no." Snow assured her. "But your grandmother mentioned that you wanted to help out more with the war effort, and Veronica wants to begin a search for your sibling, but Henry wants you safe, and we think we've come up with a way to make everyone happy."
"How's that?" Sabrina asked, sitting.
"Well, considering that one talent of yours, leaving your body, we thought you could be a sort of spy. You'd go astrally to some key Scarlet Hand locations, and find out what you could about the master, your sibling, and their plans." Snow laid out the plan, switching slowly from cheerful-friend mode to army mode.
"We have other spies, of course." Mr. Clay cut in, "But you would be an anomaly- a spy who cannot get hurt in the field, who has no cover to blow, who cannot be seen, and who needs no weapons."
"What do you think, Sabrina?" Granny asked. "You don't have to do it if you're afraid."
"I'll do it." Sabrina said quickly, trying not to explode with excitement. A real mission! "When should I start?"
"As soon as you want." Snow assured her. "But don't spend too much time doing it. We don't want this interfering with your other activities."
"Jake thinks it might be a bad idea for you to spend too much time outside your body, anyway." Granny put in.
"No more than an hour a day, Sabrina, do you hear me?" Henry asked. "I know you're excited about this, and it's a big step forward, but we're putting a lot of trust in you on this, and you need to prove yourself with this mission before I'll even consider letting you do anything else."
"Of course." Sabrina said. "Could I start now? Like, now now?"
Veronica laughed a little, and Sabrina could tell she was excited, too, about a chance to find the baby, because Veronica never laughed anymore, not really.
"What do you think?" Veronica asked the other adults. "Nothing important going on right now, is there?"
"Not that I know of." Granny said. "Go ahead, dear. I'll tell the others to stay out of your room, just in case."
"Thanks!" Sabrina was already up and heading for the bedroom, practically skipping for the stairs, the chuckling of the adults following her.
Sabrina headed for her room gleefully, pulled the door shut behind her in an almost-slam, and laid down on her bed, fully prepared to go off and spy- to finally do something useful, instead of simply training.
Of course, it didn't work the way she'd hoped. She was simply too wound up. And as she tried to calm down, she couldn't get comfortable on the bed. The room was too hot; then the covers were lumpy, then she was lying between the pillows, which was very awkward, and then it was too cold...
After she finally got comfortable, then she kept getting distracted. There were noises downstairs, there was a fly in the room, or a moth or a bee or something distracting, someone walked down the stairs.
It took almost an hour for her to finally drift off, but from there it was easy to leave her body. She drifted around for a few minutes, getting her bearings, and then she headed for the mayor's mansion, enjoying the ghostly, floating sensation.
Heart was in the mansion, as expected, and Nottingham was with her, also as expected. Oddly, he was soaking wet.
"-know why you spend so much time with her." Heart was saying. "Can't she just communicate directly with the master like the rest of us do?"
"It's one of her conditions, remember?" Nottingham sounded weary, as if they'd had this conversation several times before. "She'll deal only with me."
"Yes, but why?" Mayor Heart asked. "It makes no sense."
"I don't question her whims." Nottingham shrugged. "As long as she's not killing any other Hand members like she did the first three ambassadors we sent down, I don't mind the extra trips."
"Yes, I suppose you're right." The Queen sighed. "But I needed you here."
"For what?" Nottingham snapped. "To rub your feet? You do perfectly fine without me, Heart. All I'm here for is killing people. You scare them just fine on your own most of the time."
Heart glared at Nottingham, furious. Sabrina could almost see the steam rising out of her ears as she unconsciously lifted her bullhorn. Then, with effort, she returned it to its former position.
"Don't cross me, Nottingham. I may need you now, but as soon as this is over, you'd better watch your back." Heart said ominously, and it was scarier than usual, because she wasn't shouting. "I have more allies than you, you know. And the master recruited me first."
Nottingham shrugged nonchalantly. "You don't frighten me." He told her. "You may have allies, but I don't need them. And I have places to hide than no one will ever find."
Sabrina pursed her ectoplasmic lips thoughtfully. So there was discord in the happy family, was there? That was something to report back to the others, and pretty good for the first day, too. It was getting late, so she decided to head back. She drifted out of the mansion and back to her bedroom, only to find her body gone.
Sabrina stared. Where was her friggin' body? She needed that thing! And she needed it now! She ran off, - well, figuratively- frantic, searching for it.