«Oh no! My favorite pillar! Oh no, my other favorite pillar… why do you keep destroing everything in your path…»
In the middle of the night, Zilla awoke, startled to see that she still was in Anakin’s office. All alone in the dark and she didn’t knew how long she had been out, but she could she from the window, that it was midnight.
Or was it early morning?
She got up and hurried to the door, only to find it locked. Confused: she sank to the floor.
Another thing that got her attention: was a silver bracelett arround her wrist, that seemed to take away her fairy-powers. She tried to take it off, but couldn’t. And she wondered why Anakin would just leave her here, all alone, locked up.
Or was she really alone?
The answer to that question revealed itself when she heard a voice somewhere in the dark,
«Some tower you are locked up in, dearie.» it was a familiar one, one she had heard before, and it sounded like… Ventress. But what was she doing here?
«Just like Rapunzel.» the queen continued, coming out from her hiding-place so that Zilla could see her.
«I’ve heard of that story,» Zilla replied, «But what does that have to do with my situation?»
«Let’s just say, I’m here to help you.» Ventress smiled, taking out a wand from her pocket, «The children of your master made quite a mess in my palace yesterday…»
«He isn’t really my master…» Zilla replied, standing up, «All he care about is Ahsoka.»
«Is that true?»
«Yes. From my point of wiew, it is.»
«Well, that settles it: what I’m about to do. And I need your coorporation.»
«What… what would you do?» backing against the door.
«Before I reveal that, I want to know if thou art willing to stand with me in this.»
«Will it get me what I’m after?»
Ventress nodded with a slight smile and glowing eyes,
«Yes. But even more than that. You’ll never have to live in anyones shadow ever again.»
«Sounds fair to me.»
«Good.» walking closer to her, «Your family will be quite safe. In fact, they wont even remember who they are.»
Zilla furrowed her brow,
«How is that going to help me?»
Ventress took hold of her arm,
«Come closer.» leading her to the middle of the room where she could she a black cauldron, who was boiling with some potion, «I have gathered some ingredients: for a curse. That will swipe away this whole forest and everyone in it.»
«Where will they go?»
«To a place without magic.»
Zilla stared at her with suspicion,
«But what will happen to me?»
«We will rule that new city… there’s only one problem: I’m missing one ingredient, will you help me get it?»
«What is it you want?»
Ventress grabbed hold of the silver bracelett arround Zilla’s arm, that drained her of her fairy-magic. She pulled it off, dropping it to the floor.
Then, with the fairy’s magic returning, Ventress leaned close to her ear, wispering:
«Just a fairy’s heart.»
«What?»
With a delightful smile on her lips, the evil queen, threw her hand right through Zilla’s chest, and then, with a sickening laugh, she pulled her heart out.
Zilla: Eyes wide with horror, crouched together in pain as she watched her heart: still beating, in the queens hand.
«I thought we had an understanding!» she moaned.
«Yes.» Ventress muttered, «But no one has a heart as magical as a fairy, and you’re the only fairy around.»
«I don’t understand…»
«No.» Ventress said, «But I dosen’t need you to.»
«Why?» Zilla shuddered, «Why are you doing this?»
«You are asking to many questions.» holding the heart over the cauldron.
Just then, the door burst open,
«Stop!» it was Ahsoka, who came forward with weapon in hand, «Stay away from my sister!»
Ventress just smiled in return,
«You’re to late, dearie.» squeezing the heart of the fairy, who moaned in pain, «If I drop this: She’s dead.»
«Good thing I’m here to stop you from doing that! And to make you put it back!»
«Oops!» Ventress replied, before she dropped it, seeing it fall down, leaving her hand.
«No!» Ahsoka screamed, before it all went into slow motion before her eyes as she hurried forward.
But by the time she reached the cauldron, it was too late, and the heart were gone.
Ahsoka’s rage pulled the cauldron over, and everything went splashing out on the floor.
She then went to kneel beside her sister, taking her hand in her’s
«Zilla… talk to me…» but her sister were gone.
In the middle of the room, Ventress stared with vengeance at the overturned cauldron: the potion scattered all over the floor. She narrowed her eyes,
«My curse is still coming, and it’s nothing you can do it with it. Ta-ta.» and then she disappeard. Transporting herself through a purple fog.
Anakin suddenly stumbled through the door, accompained by the fairy Abigail,
«What’s going on?» but Ahsoka didn’t answer him. Didn’t say even one word.
Abigail made it over to her side,
«I’m so sorry.» her wings hanging down in sorrow.
Ahsoka slowly raised her gaze, to look upon her,
«There has to be something you can do… I would never stand to live in a world whitout my sister…»
Abigail slowly turned arround to think, passing Anakin as he went to support Ahsoka, his face covered in grief.
Abigail turned towards them after a moment,
«I’m not sure if it would work… but perhaps… no…»
«Say it.» Ahsoka demanded.
«It… it will require another heart… but.»
«Then… take mine.» Ahsoka burst out with, «I’m sure its strong enough to beat for both of us!»
«No!» Anakin protested, «Then you die!»
«Maybe I won’t.» turning her gaze to the fairy Abigail, «Take my heart, split it in two, and give each of us a half.»
«But… I… I’ve never done such a thing before…» she replied, half shocked, «It may not work… what if…»
Anakin slowly put a hand on Ahsoka’s shoulder,
«You have to let her go…»
«Never!» looking pleadingly towards Abigail, «Please… do it.»
The light fairy sighed,
«Then close your eyes.»
And as Ahsoka did so, Abigail came forward. Slowly and carefully, she reached her hand inside her chest, pulling her heart out of it.
Anakin stared worringly as the fairy stood with the beating heart in her hands,
«If you fail…» he began grimly, «Then you will not have your life to hang on.»
Abigail nodded gravely
«I… understand the risk.» beginning to slowly bend the heart in two. And when each part were severed from each other, she used her magic to heal each broken part. And then, she put the right one, back into Ahsoka, and the left, into Zilla’s chest, and then she waited.
«Nothing is happening!» Anakin yelled, «You killed them!» and he stood up, reaching for his weapon.
«Give it time… give it time…» Abigail desperately begged him as she backed away when she could see fire showing up in his eyes,
«Time? I’ll show you what time looks like!»
Abigail braced herself for an attack, but then they both heard some noises behind them,
Anakin rushed to the two sister’s side on the floor,
«Ahsoka!» he bursted out relieved, as he throwed his arms around her «I thought I lost you!»
Zilla slowly opened her eyes,
«What’s going on?» looking confused arround her, before it all came back: «The curse!» and she widened her eyes, quickly sitting up as it occured to her, «Oh no! And it’s all my fault!»
«Oh my dear.» it came from an evil queen who now appeared again behind the overturned cauldron, «Do you really think so?» laughing with sarcasm, «My curse is coming! And I must say: Thank you for your help. I could never had done it without you.»
Ahsoka narrowed her eyes towards the evil queen,
«You’re gonna regrett this!» she spat, «We will come for you. And we will take you down.»
Ventress only laughed at this,
«I bellieve you will… if you only would remember who you are… which you wont.»
And as all turned their gaze towards the window, they could see the fog coming…