Chapter 31: Angry Redheads

Well, it's been almost two years since I've last updated. That's…. not good. But being the holidays, and I've finally gotten a moment to myself to write, this chapter is finally done, finally tightened and finally up to the standard of being posted as an official chapter, and I apologize for the unreasonably long wait, for those who still like this story. But first, your favorite and mine, it's time for responses to your wonderful reviews!

TearsForTheReaper: Glad to be back, and I'm so glad you still love this story, despite its long absence. Well if anybody would take initiative, they would definitely be the first two. Julia would agree, and she hates them even more for it. Me too! The Ink and Paint club would definitely be a place I'd love to hang out, even if it was just to see Daffy and Donald duke it out on dueling pianos. Lion King is a great choice, definitely a big part of my childhood, and I got to see it on the big screen when it was released in theaters a few years ago. Mind blown! Yeah, Mufasa, Bambi's mom and so many other heart wrenching scenes like that from Disney will never stop being upsetting, no matter what age I am. Hope you find one and I will do my best to keep up the awesomeness. (Second Review): It's totally ok, passwords can help and hinder so many things simultaneously. Um…. not seeing an email. You can always send me your new contact to mine. And it would help, because I do have a couple questions for you

Agent Darcy Lewis: Cellblock Tango, sung by the six merry murderesses of the Crookem County Jail, is definitely one of my all time favorite angst songs from a musical. Roger Rabbit, that's an amazing film! It's one of my all time favorites, especially in the scene where Mickey Mouse and Roger Rabbit are parachuting together. I'm glad you liked it, and I hope this one is just as good.

LadyOfSlytherin101: And again thank you! Minds do think alike, but when I read it I immediately remembered it as your idea, so don't worry I won't steal it. Hope you enjoy this one too!

Amy Hobbs: I'm glad you like them, and it's always my goal to give each character due screen time, or story POV's as possible. Now to your question concerning Anna and Elsa. I've mentioned it before in previous author notes, but this story is set in the summer of 2013, something I plan on fixing in the next story, and since Frozen didn't come out until November of 2013, they sadly won't appear until the next story. I'll think about Chloe singing that, but it would have to fit into the story in terms of motive and character feeling. That, and I can't think that far ahead in terms of story as this story is only halfway written. Still I'm glad you like it and I hope this chapter is just as well received.

(Second Review): I know I've been away too long! I was fully immersed in school, and while such dedication paid off tremendously, I miss this story too! Hope this chapter makes up for it. I will do my best not to abandon this story.

TheDisnerd: Who Framed Roger Rabbit is one of the animated greats! Almost in essence of a fanfiction, with the element of multiple crossovers it uses, its storyline is so perfect and when you're a kid, that's what you wish real life could be like. The characters are perfect, and the dueling pianos with Donald and Daffy, that's probably what would really go down with those two in the same room.

FairyRose: Thank You! Always nice to hear feedback from new people! I wish I could have a schedule for my updates, but honestly they correspond to my ability to overcome writers block, which as of late as been very hard to break through. I will do my best to get it on a better pattern, but I make no promises. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Guests, though I really appreciate the kind comments, I have no idea if they are from one person or numerous people, so I'll just address you as a whole.

Guest (s): I'm so glad this story is liked so much! I will do my best to continue, and the girls love the praise as well! I'm glad the plot, the writing style and the story as a whole is consistently welcomed so warmly, and I hope to continue on that track. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

thenarnianwitch: Hopefully more are coming soon. Writer's block can be so aggravating at times, because it never sticks to a schedule! Thanks for the review and the positive feedback!

Last Time on HRSF 3 New Dawn: Julia and Ashley have gone out on a recon mission to The Ink and Paint Club, hoping to find some clues as to what the villains, not to mention a group of sadistic girls from the protectors world, are planning. What do they find out from their mission, and why is Julia holding down a struggling Ashley? Let us begin.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Ashley's P.O.V.

5, 6, 7, 8!

"You double crossing pirate! If I had known that this was your plan I would never had come," I growled as Julia fixed my "hair" one last time. No sooner had she smiled then she and Jessica had bundled me into a short flapper-esq dress, made from the same shimmering fabric like Jessica's, but coal black in color. With dark red lipstick, smoky eyeliner and the short blond wig (that I was still shocked could fit over my red curls), I looked like a vaudeville star from the 20's, (a bit off considering it was the 40s, but not much I could do about that), which was fitting since the song I was singing came from that era, as I was pretty much a blonde version of the character Velma Kelly from Chicago. It was a bit of blur, my "transformation," even though it had only happened moment ago. Julia and Jessica had basically jumped on me, pinned me down and with surprising speed got me into this ensemble, (though they did leave me with my bandolier of spices on under my dress, that I had grabbed at the last second when Julia had dragged me out of the house). I was then pulled backstage, all while Roger was covering his eyes and blushing a deep scarlet. If I made it through this alive I was going to get them both!

"Come on, we gotta get you to the stage, we have 2 minutes!" Julia loudly whispered. The music was blaring above our heads; the introduction of a song I knew all too well began to play. Our heels clacked as she pulled me down a flight of stairs, around a few corners, and finally deposited me on a platform that, when I looked up, looked like it would lift me up through a trap door and onto the stage.

"Now remember to smile, wink, and just play the part of a typical sultry lounge singer. You look great," said Julia, and I gave her a tight-lipped smile, my eyes narrowed under the surprisingly heavy feeling eye makeup.

"We're not finished, but thanks," I curtly replied, but Julia only grinned. She puckered her lips and blew me a big kiss, just as the platform started to rise.

"Love you too Ash. Sing your heart out kid!" she said, before disappearing into the shadows. My heart started to pound, as it had been a while since I had sung on stage, and when I had, it had been with all my friends on my birthday, doing it because it was fun and not because I had to be part of a diversion. But that didn't matter, because I wasn't doing this for me. I was doing this for Anna, for my friends. For everyone I loved. To possibly get information that could give us a precious advantage over the villains and discover what they could be potentially planning this time. I kept my head down as I rose and found myself on the stage itself, the dimmed spotlight slowly warming my face. Julia had better know what she's doing, I thought, taking a deep breath to steady my racing heart.

"Ladies and Gentleman! The Ink and Paint Club proudly presents our special guest songstress, Miss Ruby Grey!"

I inwardly smirked at the introduction, as well as the cover name Julia had chosen, but made myself focus. Which was a little hard because I noticed I was surrounded by a couple of very good looking backup dancers. Focus Ash. Become Ruby Grey. I looked toward the spotlight with a coy raised eyebrow, and began.

Come on babe, why don't we paint the town

And all that jazz?

I'm gonna rouge my knees and roll my stockings down

And all that jazz

Start the car, I know a whoopee spot

Where the gin is cold, but the piano's hot!

It's just a noisy hall where there's a nightly brawl

And all

That

Jazz

(Skidoo)

And all that jazz

(Hotcha, Whoopee)

And all that jazz

Ha

Ha

Ha

The crowd cheered! I was shocked, but flattered. I could do this. I was doing this for Anna, to keep her safe by taking down anybody who threatened her. So I took a breath for the next verse. For her. Anything to keep her safe.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Julia's P.O.V.

No sooner had Ashley started to sing that I made my way back to the audience, creeping out of the shadows and blending seamlessly into the crowd, who all had their eyes trained on "Ruby." I peered around, surveying the crowd, mostly men with a couple of couples her and there, and it only took a few moments to spot the blonde lackeys. Blending into the crowd in 40's style dress (no doubt on the higher end of the fashion spectrum), Amber wore a bright pink dress (surprise!) and matching hat, while Brittney wore black. Ordinarily, they would have been hard to spot in such a place, but the permanent scowls etched onto Amber and Brittney's faces were a dead giveaway, a clear contrast to the enraptured audience whose attention was entirely attuned to Ashley's voice. I stayed out of their line of vision, and sat myself down at a nearby table, brushing a stand of my black wig behind my ear, as I honed in on the conversation of my unsuspecting targets. I wanted to get closer, but was glad I hadn't moved, as Vanessa sauntered up to the enemy table, dressed in a bright red 40's style swing dress.

Amber was drumming the table in an irritated manner as she watched "Ruby" sing. She scoffed quietly before slumping back in her chair. I even so slightly leaned closer, so I could make out her words, but I almost wish I hadn't. "I should be the one up there," she was whining, "not that skinny, ugly tramp. It's Desmoira all over again. What's so great about her anyways? I'm prettier, smarter, and sexier!" God even when they had it all they still had to rag on other people! And despite the fancy clothes, the copious amount of makeup caking her face made her the definition of a tramp, and not a high class one. The whores in Tortuga were better maintained then them, as I unfortunately knew well. These girls made me sick, not to mention pissed off, and I felt my fingers itching for my daggers I had used on them last time, only to come up empty. I inwardly growled; Lucky for them I'd left them back at the manor.

Slick your hair and wear your buckle shoes

And all that jazz

I hear that Father Dip is gonna blow the blues

And all that jazz

Hold on, hon, we're gonna bunny hug

I bought some aspirin down at United Drug

In case you shake apart and wanna brand new start

To do

That

Jazz!

"Tell me about it. I mean Ruby Grey? How cheesy can you get? Still, maybe once the villains take over, we could get this place. Make it exclusive so the riff raff like her won't get in," answered Brittney, a cross between what sounded like cackle and a snort coming out of her overly lip-sticked mouth. So attractive, a real classy bunch of girls they were. So the villains wanted to take over again huh? Not that different, or that surprising, but the fact that we hadn't seen them yet, in the waking world that is, was suspicious. Yes, they had targeted us, but we had never seen them physically, and that was incredibly worrying. But then would they send these clowns to try and scare us? What was in it for them, and why would the villains include them in their scheme? And, most importantly, what were they after that would give them the ability to take over, when they had been defeated twice by us? So many pieces of the puzzle were missing, and I was determined to find them and make them fit. I turned up my earpiece, locking in on their conversation even tighter. What were the villains after?

Find a flask, we're playing fast and loose

And all that jazz

Right up here is where I store the juice

And all that jazz

Come on, babe, we're gonna brush the sky

I betcha Lucky Lindy never flew so high

'Cause in the stratosphere, how could he lend an ear

To all

That

Jazz?

Damn, Ashley was really getting into the role. It did help though that there were a lot of good-looking guys dancing with her on stage, but Ashley was the true star of the night. Not only could she sing, but she wasn't a bad dancer either, having gracefully moved across the stage at several different points, pausing every now and then to give a wink or seductive glance at the male patrons, who seemed to be captivated by her. Wait…what were they saying?

Oh, you're gonna see your sheba shimmy-shake

And all that jazz

"Those girls are good at slipping under the radar," said Amber, taking a sip of her drink, a horrendous pink concoction with a little umbrella, "but they can't stay in their little hovel forever. The villains are getting tired of waiting, and demand that we find a way to draw them out." Yeah, good luck with that, I thought, little entitled snobs. "And, while they managed to virtually erase their families whereabouts from us, nothing brings out a person like a good murder of someone they care about," she said, in a near bored tone, Vanessa and Brittney's greedy little eyes sparkling with malice.

Oh, she's gonna shimmy till her garters break

And all that jazz

Oh it was so hard not to give into my desire to rip her head off! Despite my constant association with pirates not even the basest of Jack's crew was as heartless as these girls. Ashley had been devastated by the loss of her parents, and these girls treated it as nothing more as idle gossip, an event to be shrugged off as a mere sliver of little to no importance, a tool to raise them higher on the hierarchy. Ashley wouldn't be the only one out for blood when I found out which villain did the deed. My hands began twitching, and I put them under a table to shake them out, the skin on my palms feeling strangely hot.

Show her where to park her girdle

Oh, her mother's blood will curdle

(If she'd hear her baby's queer)

For all

That

Jazz

I glanced back up at the stage, taking a deep breath, trying to focus on Ashley and dismiss the dark and horrifically malicious thoughts I was feeling against these girls, as well as the odd heat that seemed to be spreading through my skin, glancing towards the stage. Ashley was stretched out on her side, draped across the piano like a true lounge singer.

All

That

Jazz

"It won't matter soon anyway, even if those girls decide to fight. Once the villains have what they need, Disney World, and eventually the rest of the world, will be ours to control. Just like it should be," said Amber, and I nonchalantly rose to my feet. This was it, the possible tip we had been waiting for. As the sadistic girls attention was drawn towards the stage at a sudden silence, I moved closer, my hand already moving towards my necklace, my sword just begging to be called out.

Come on, babe, why don't we paint the town?

And all that jazz?

(And all that jazz)

I'm gonna rouge my knees and roll my stockings down

And all that jazz

(And all that jazz)

Start the car, I know a whoopee spot

Where the gin is cold, but the piano's hot

It's just a noisy hall, where there's a nightly brawl

And all

That

Jazz

"As soon as the villains hold the crystal, we will rise up and be its rightful rulers at their side," said Vanessa, a malicious gleam in her beady eyes. "Everyone will be dealt with accordingly. Including this washed up excuse of a singer," she scoffed, and that's when I moved towards my pistol. I looked up at Ashley, who was blasting towards the finale. I cocked my pistol, tapping it barrel against Amber's shoulder before placing it at her ear.

"The only washed up person I see is you. Evening ladies," I said through strained smile, the girls turning around in shock. Vanessa and Brittney instantly paled, exactly what I was intending, and I looked to their sadistic leader, waiting for her to resemble a fish's belly as well. That's when Amber gave me a cold yet calculating smile, like a cat that was about to devour its prey.

No, I'm no one's wife

But, oh, I love my life!

And all

That

Jazz!

"Julia, we've been expecting you," she purred, yes purred, and my eyes shot up to Ashley, who had her arms thrown up in a graceful pose.

That jazz!

And that's when the entire club went black.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Ashley's P.O.V.

Screams of terror sounded throughout the room, the room pitch black with the exception of 4 softly glowing lights. I looked down and saw my sword, which I had reached for instinctively when the lights went out, and realized that our necklaces, our pendants specifically, were the source. As my eyes adjusted I saw Julia, holding her sword in one hand and her pistol in the other, her finger already on the trigger, and pointing it at Amber's face. Dimly to my front left I saw Jessica and Roger, both clutching each other as they cowered in the shadows. Julia must have noticed them to, though it had to be peripherally, because she didn't take her eyes off of Amber and her cronies.

"Jessica, you and Roger need to get out of here. Get to the castle and stay there, we'll hold them off," said Julia, Jessica picked up Roger, and looked at us with sad and guilty expressions.

"Ashley, Julia, I'm sorry. Thank you," she said, and I pointed my sword at the door.

"Go! You can apologize later!" I yelled, and Jessica ran out, the click of her red heels fading away.

"Aw, ever the noble heroes. Worrying over someone else's well being when you should be worried about yourselves." Amber cooed at us, a fake look of sympathy on her face, before it morphed into a sneer, directed at me. "And you've certainly picked the wrong side Ruby, if it wasn't obvious," Vanessa sneering along with her.

"You little costumed "creetin" wannabe. You didn't honestly think we wouldn't expect you, did you?!" she said, glaring at Julia. Groaning, I yanked off my wig, clearly giving the three a start when my red came tumbling out in an explosion of curls. Julia shed her wig as well, her braid thudding down onto her shoulder.

"First of all, it's cretin. God, if you're going to try to threaten her or me, though you're already doing a very poor job, at least do it properly, or at least for the love of Disney pronounce it correctly!" I snapped, already feeling my patience begin to lean towards its breaking point. But that was nothing compared to Julia. Though my eyes had adjusted to the surrounding dimness, our necklaces helping with that, the way her orange crystal illuminated her face, I swore for a second that I saw flames dancing in her eyes.

"Since you clearly can't be articulate with your own speech, why don't you tell us your little plan? And you'd better do it fast before I plant a bullet right between your eyes," Julia seethed, "for if you fail to answer my question fast enough, this time I promise you I won't miss."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Julia's P.O.V.

I tried to breath and keep my head, something Carmen initially, and Mulan in her lessons had been trying, clearly unsuccessfully, to instill in me, but Amber barreled ahead anyway, further fueling my burning anger. "We didn't come here for a lesson in pronunciation, Jackson, though it was amusing to watch you slink around, thinking that we couldn't see you. Those trashy wigs of yours definitely surpassed the "entertainment" if you want to call it that. What you fail to realize is that we are in charge here. We've been waiting for you to slink out of your little hole, so we can pass along a message from your betters." Amber never once lost her sneer, only it took on an air of haughtiness.

"Betters? You're the same girls I saw quaking in fear when my knives plastered you to the wall, though believe me, if you don't tell us exactly what we want to know I promise you'll be back there again, but this time, you'll be hanging by your major arteries," I hissed, the cold feeling of malice clouding my thoughts, making my vision, as limited as it was in the dim lighting, appear like a red haze. I was so angry I could feel my face turning red, like I was standing right next to a fire. Ashley looked at me, surprised that I had threatened them with something so dark, but I didn't care.

"You don't scare us. We've been threatened before and it hasn't done much good," Brittney sneered, trying to look brave, though I could see in her eyes that she was starting to rethink this.

If I weren't so angry I would have laughed, as her attempt at bravado was almost comical. Sure, she thought she was tough now, but we had toppled villains, beings of magical power with 10 times her strength and brainpower.

"While that doesn't surprise me, you don't know threats unless I've been the one to give them out," I said, before pointing my sword with one hand, and using the other to cock and load my gun. I didn't want to be the one to make the first move, but I wasn't about to let her distract me and get the upper hand."You were wrong in thinking that you're in charge, but since you're here we might as well get what we came for, and if you cooperate consider being merciful. Now, what is the "Crystal" you were talking about the villains wanting?" I asked,Ashley nodding, her grip visibly tightening on her sword.

"And more importantly, what will it give them if they find it?" asked Ashley, her gaze unwavering as she too pointed her sword, only causing Amber to laugh, more of a cackle really.

"What makes you think we'll tell you, because you're threatening us?" Brittney scoffed, a really gross sound that sounded like a cross between a squeal and a grunt.

"Because last time I checked, we are the ones with the powerful and quite sharp swords. Not to mention a gun with a bullet that I've really been meaning to use on living target practice," I growled, my words again feeling strange on my tongue. Ashley was fuming too, but for some reason, she was able to keep her voice calm, while I felt like a volcano about to erupt.

"We also know what side we're on," said Ashley, pulling me back a little bit before stepping in front of me, "and we know what the villains will do to you, even if you succeed in whatever it is you're trying to do." She took a deep breath, and while it looking like she was hesitant, she held out a hand in their direction. A peace offering. "If you help us, we might be able to help you, if you tell us what the villains are planning." I could tell she was trying to reason with them, but it was like trying to explain Calculus to a 3 year old. Amber smirked, and came closer to us, Ashley and I talking a quick step back, my hands tightening around the barrel of my pistol, my knuckles almost losing feeling from my tight grip.

"Who do you think you're fooling, Ashley? You girls have no business being here. And, though I don't understand why they'd choose you in the first place, you're responsible for dragging incredibly good-looking guys into your delusions of heroism. Let's see, what are their names? Jeremy right?"

Now I was the one restraining Ashley as Amber smirked, though if they mentioned Jack…. I was letting her go, but she seemed to be naming the guys from the real world.

"Danny, Sam.. am I forgetting anyone, oh yeah, that cutie Brit likes, Zac. And then there's that utterly delectable John Rolfe. I fancy him a bit myself. I mean, why would he want a girl like Desmoira," Amber spat Mori's name with hatred and venom, "when he could have a girl like me? He wouldn't want her if he knew what secrets she was keeping and how she destroyed lives and dreams!" Amber hissed, a rather crazed gleam entering her eyes. "Even you wouldn't be friends with her or Syrena if you knew the truth!"

"The truth of anything can be very skewed if someone is entirely reliant on emotion to back up their so-called facts. Besides, why should we trust you? You've assaulted Emily, nearly crushed Kim with a tree, and almost killed a little girl, so it's pretty clear that we can trust virtually anybody but you," I said, trough my teeth, resisting the urge to wipe my forehead. It continued to feel really hot in here, and the darkness seemed to be making it worse.

Amber snorted, a sound I would make sure to never replicate. "You think she's told you everything? Everyone has secrets, even your precious heroes. Haven't you wondered why I hate her so much? Why I seek revenge?"

"Because you're bitter and want everyone to feel the way you do. We get it," said Ashley, again trying to make an attempt at reasoning with her. Amber only smirked, surprisingly not responding to Ashley's legitimate conclusion.

"She isn't the goodie two shoes saint you believe her to be," she said cryptically. "She stole everything from me. So now I'm going to steal everything from her. And if you get in my way, you'll end up the same way.

I wanted to kill her! "You are utterly deplorable and an awful excuse for a human being! I should shoot you right now, and believe me when I say no one will fault me for it," I said, my hand going to my pistol, but Ashley held me back, pulling me backwards towards the wall, which I realized we were really close to. They had been backing us into a corner

"You two have no where to go. You might as well give up. The villains will be so pleased to see you, especially if you surrender, and they will reward us," said Brittney, the three of them coming closer to us, the wall now digging into my shoulder blades. I looked for an exit, and though there was a door nearby that had been left open when the guests stampede out, it was too far away for us to reach it without getting caught. I looked back at the girls, sizing them up. While they had no visible weapons, the feeling of darkness, the utter essence of evil emanating off them was enough to make me pause. I didn't want to kill anyone, despite that moment of darkness that I felt clouding my mind, but I could see no other choice. Vanessa took another step closer, a look of false pity in her overly eager smile.

"Besides, what do you have to live for anyway? You're of no use to anyone. At least your parents are only dead Ashley. Julia's parents didn't even want her, a disappointment from the beginin!"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Ashley's P.O.V.

Vanessa's last word was cut off as Julia snapped, suddenly at the girl's side with her hands yanking the girl forward by her collar, her face inches from hers, pistol forgotten. I was as shocked as Brittney, but surprisingly not Amber, who had almost a triumphant look on her face. Before either of them could move, I had snatched up Julia's pistol, still loaded, and pointed it at them, daring them silently to come closer, holding back tears. My parent's death was still a raw and painful wound, but to go after Julia… I glanced at her, and was shocked, as steam seemed to rise up from Julia's body, and Vanessa began to choke as Julia's grip tightened on the fabric, a red-orange light seeming to glow around Julia's fingers.

"Julia?" I said, about to move toward her when I gasped, realizing that it wasn't just light, but flames. Julia had flames coming from her hands! And I could have sworn, though maybe it was the glow from the flames, that her eyes, for a split second, glowed red. That's when Vanessa screamed, as the fabric started smoking around Julia's fingers.

"Julia stop! Look what you're doing!" I yelled, Julia looking up at me in surprise, like she was coming out of a trance. She seemed to shake herself, and looked down at her hands, instantly letting go when she saw Vanessa's now burning dress. As soon as she let go the flames went away and the steam stopped rising, Vanessa being smart enough to quickly throw herself to the ground, rolling to put out the flames. Julia backed up against the wall, her hands shaking and sweat pouring down from her forehead, her mouth open and her hands wide in fright, clutching her necklace in fright. Maybe it was because of the shock, or the flight instinct setting in, for a glowing blue portal appeared on the wall behind us, and I knew it was our escape, as neither of us were in fighting shape now.

"You're not getting away that easily!" said Vanessa, here threat not as powerful from her cowering position on the ground. Amber still looking calculating, and Britney stood behind her, clearly scared, eyes trained on the gun in my hand. I wasn't going to shoot them, but I spotted something on a nearby shelf that, having learned from Tiana, could temporarily distract them, something I had almost forgotten about. I fired off a few warning shots into the air, a surprising feeling because I had never fired one before, and then reached under my dress to the bandolier to pull out a bottle of Cinnamon, a gift that Tiana had sent me home with. I threw it onto the ground with enough force to make its powdery content rise up, the breeze from the nearby open door enough to get it swirling around and thankfully into the villainous girls faces. They began coughing and stumbled away, Vanessa being yanked to her feet by Brittney.

"Come on!" I cried, grabbing my necklace with one hand and Julia's hand with the other, which still felt hot. " I ran, wasting no time as I entered the swirling vortex yanking Julia behind me. I had no idea where this portal was going to take us, but anywhere was better than here. I held on tightly to Julia's wrist, even as my fingers felt like they were being singed. The air was being forced painfully from my lungs as I was tossed about, but I wouldn't let go of Julia, who seemed to have gone limp. I couldn't breath, couldn't see. Couldn't hear anything but my own gasps for air.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Julia's P.O.V.

I wanted it to stop. I wanted to feel safe. I wanted to go home. Just when it felt like my chest would explode, my feet met hard ground and I collapsed, the roar of the wind fading away. My body felt like it was on fire, sweat pouring down my face and soaking into my hair. The ringing in my ears slowly diminished, and I began to register the sounds of raucous loud music and the crash of ocean waves. I felt what appeared to be wooden planks under my cheek, and dimly heard shouts of surprise. Weakly raising my head, I made out a crumpled body next to mine. Ashley. "Oy, what the bloody hell is going on?" came an annoyed sounding voice, replaced by the sound of thudding footfalls. "Dear god…." the same voice said, and I groggily was aware that someone had picked me up. I blearily opened my eyes, a familiar brown pair meeting my own, and immediately felt safe.

"Julia? Love? Are you all right?" said Jack Sparrow, brushing my hair out of my face and looking at me with a scared look in his eyes. The portal had dumped us in the Caribbean, on the Black Pearl of all places. Thank Walt for that.

"Jack," I sighed in relief, darkness clouding my vision as I lost consciousness, the last thing I remember being Ashley hand, still clamped on mine.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Third Person POV

Vanessa came out of her own dark portal, spitting like a cat and swearing heavily as she clutched her dress, charred holes still faintly smoking in the red fabric around her neck, Amber and Brittney following, still coughing from the Cinnamon cloud that had settled in their lungs. "That stupid girl! She's going to pay for what she did to me!" the blond hissed, her wrists looking splotchy and red and totally painful.

"Nessa? Are you all right?" came a voice, and the angry blond turned around to see Nicole, expression of concern on her face.

"Clearly not! Do you see what Julia did to me! This dress was one of my favorites!" she yelled, pulling the fabric out to emphasize her point.

"Julia did that? What, did she burn you with a candle or something?" asked Nicole, inspecting the burns with interest.

"No," gasped Brittney, finally recovering from her coughing fit, her eyes brimming with tears. "It was fire. Julia can control fire."

"But how…" Nicole began, but went silent when a pervasive darkness, even darker than the shadowy hallway, appeared. A shadowy figure came forward, their long robe dragging against the floor, an eyebrow raised at the girls. Vanessa, Brittney and Nicole, quickly bowed their heads in fearful respect, speaking in perfect unison.

"Your grace," they murmured, the figure nodding at them. Amber however, kept her gaze on the shadowy figure, a slight incline of her head as her only greeting

"It seems like the girl has finally discovered her power. This could prove interesting for our plan," came a smooth voice, and Amber nodded.

"Yes. It appears that Julia does possess the elemental power. She was so easy to bait, and Vanessa preformed well enough to bring it out of her," replied Amber, an indignant cry coming from the previously silent red clad blonde.

"Hey if it wasn't for me we wouldn't know anything! And thanks for telling me what she'd do! I signed up to get those girls after humiliating me, NOT to ruin more of my clothes!" said Vanessa angrily, though immediately falling silent when a loud cracking sound resounded through shadowy corridor, having come from the long staff the figure held.

"Silence! You played your part, and will get your just reward in due time. Besides, we have more important matters to deal with. We've begun by throwing the initial feelings of discontent and fear into Mickey's precious protectors, and now it's time to make sure they come to full potency.

"Another nightmare then? Shall I go and create one?" said Amber, about to walk away, but the figure held up a hand, stilling her.

"No need. I will create it myself. I think it's time Julia and I were reacquainted," the figure said, and Amber looked at her, a surprisingly fearful look now on her face.

"From what you've told me, it has been a long time. What makes you think she will see the truth?" the figure only smiling, a cold smile that made the other three human girls shake with fear.

"In this kingdom, dreams have a way of coming true for its heroes, because they contain people's truest knowledge about themselves. She will see the truth, and once she and the girls are overtaken on a subconscious level, they will be putty in our hands, and the Kingdom of Disney will rightfully belong to us.

"And the world?" prompted Amber, a dark grin on her face, before the figure turned, another dark portal, a very dark purple this time, appearing.

"Patience, my dear. Time in your treasured limelight will come. In the meantime, keep an eye on our young guest. Her role in our plan is fast approaching." With that she disappeared, leaving the four figures in shadow once again.

"Of course. Your wish is my command. Maleficent."

The Mistress of All Evil has appeared at last! Though to be honest, it was about time she got her début in this story. I know it's a bit of cliffhanger, as we don't know what's going on with Julia or why Maleficent has such a keen interest in her, but that will all be cleared up as the story goes along. Those girls are just awful aren't they, yet still it was so fun to write such deplorable (love that word!) characters. A big thank you to LadyOfSlytherin101, who helped me write the first half of this chapter, especially with Amber's despicable dialogue, and a combined thank you to the continued support I've gotten in past months to not abandon this story. I think about this story all the time and where I've wanted it to go, it's just sometimes challenging to write it out and make it not sound too contrived or cheesy. And, so no flames appear, like the one on Julia's fingertips, I give credit where credit is due:

For this chapter, I used the song "All That Jazz" which belongs to the musical Chicago, as it felt like a fun song to sing at the Ink and Paint club, with that particular location and it's associated characters of Roger and Jessica Rabbit belonging to the movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The argument that Ashley gets into with Vanessa over the pronunciation of the word "cretin" originally comes from an exchange between monsters Mike Wazowski and Randall Boggs from the Pixar movie Monster's Inc, and it will always remain funny in my mind, as Billy Crystal can do no wrong. I only own for this chapter my two characters, Ashley and Julia, as well as three of the four mean girls, Vanessa, Brittney and Nicole, while Amber belongs to LadyOfSlytherin101. Anything else Disney related belong to Disney, and I claim no ownership to them at all.

Now that that is out of the way, I don't know when I'll update next, as I obviously can't stay on a cemented writing schedule, but I will hopefully update again soon, and you can always let me know by reviewing of what you think of the story's so far, as I love feedback and it prompts me to write more and faster. Until then, I wish you happy holidays and a happy new year!

~Rainlily216 Out!~