Cherry's Adventures of the Princess and the Frog

chapter 15

"Goodness gracious..." Charlotte replied after the information was told to her and she was trying to absorb it all before she would kiss Naveen as they were on the other side of the church as midnight was nearly minutes away. "This is so much to absorb. Let me see if I got this right. If I kiss you before midnight, you and Tiana and anyone else who is a frog will turn human again and Darla is actually my future granddaughter and you all were sent here from the future to bring her back to life so she doesn't disappear from existence in y'all's timeline? And then Naveen and Tiana gonna get ourselves married and live happily ever after, the end, but I'll have my own future prince waiting for me who is Darla's grandfather?"

"Exactly." Patch nodded.

Unknowing to the others, Tiana was standing behind a pillar and listening in on the discussion.

"Because Tiana," Naveen continued as he looked up at the night sky and put a hand on his heart. "She is my Evangeline..."

Atticus and Cherry both were with Tiana as she had heard Naveen say those words.

"Anything you want, shuagh," Charlotte smiled, applying her favorite lipstick and puckered her lips a few times. "Pucker up, Buttercup."

Naveen seemed reluctant to kiss Charlotte, but he puckered his lips to go through with it as she leaned forward like in hers and Tiana's favorite childhood bedtime story.

'Here we go.' Darla thought to herself.

Naveen was hesitant about kissing Charlotte, but was willing to go through with it.

"Wait!" Tiana suddenly called out.

"Tiana." Naveen said as he turned around to see the female frog along with Atticus and Cherry.

"Tiana?" Charlotte looked surprised to see her best friend as a frog.

"Don't do this." Tiana pleaded Naveen as she hopped over.

"I have to do this," Naveen said. "And we're running out of time."

"I won't let you!" Tiana begged.

"It's the only we to get you your dream!" Naveen reminded.

"My dream?" Tiana sighed. "My dream wouldn't be complete without you in it."

This surprised Naveen before he turned his attention back to Tiana.

Tiana was sincere and smiling to the prince, she had fallen in love with him over their crazy adventure together as frogs. "I love you, Naveen."

'Yes! I knew it!' Atticus thought to himself.

"Amphibians and all?" Naveen asked as he took Tiana's hands.

"Amphibians and all." Tiana confirmed.

Charlotte sniffled and wiped a tear from one of her blue diamond eyes. She couldn't believe her best friend was in love and finally happy. "All my life, I read about true love in fairy tales, and Tia, you found it!"

"Sure sure did." Darla smiled.

"I'll kiss him," Charlotte smiled. "For you, honey," she then leaned forward, picked up Naveen's slimy face. "No marriage required."

Before Charlotte and Naveen had a chance to swap spit, the clock had chimed 12:00 midnight. It was too late.

"No..." Darla said, devastated.

"Oh, my word!" Charlotte gasped. "Maybe that old clock's a little fast..." As the clock chimed, she then kissed Naveen, but nothing happened. She kissed him other parts of his face, but still nothing. "I'm so sorry..." she then set the frog prince down next to the others.

"It's okay." Atticus frowned.

"Guys! Guys!" Louis rushed over with something in his hands.

The others looked over and came to their gator friend who was in distress.

"Louis, what is it?" Darla asked.

"The Shadow Man laid down poor Ray." Louis knelt down to show the firefly in his hands.

"Oh, no..." Patch frowned.

"Ray..." Tiana sounded devastated for their friend.

"He's hurting awful bad." Louis knelt down to show them.

"There's gotta be a way to heal him." Patch said.

Ray wasn't dead quite yet, but his eyes were barely open and his whole body looked faded and weak. Louis gently laid the firefly down on a giant red leaf to rest. The gator had a sour frown on his face, but the firefly smiled back at him weakly.

Ray then looked to see the others were still frogs. "Hey, Miss Froggy... How come you're still--"

"We're staying frogs, Ray." Tiana said.

"And we're staying together." Naveen concluded as he took her hand.

"Don't worry, I know a spell that can heal you." Atticus said to Ray.

"No, no, that's okay..." Ray replied softly. "Just seeing my friends happy is a special way to go."

"You sure?" Patch frowned.

"I'm sure..." Ray said softly.

"Oh, Ray..." Darla's eyes itched as they formed tears. "Please... You can't leave us..."

"A-At least now I can be with Evangeline." Ray smiled softly.

"Is that why you want to go?" Patch asked.

"Yes... I'll miss you all, but I'll be in your hearts..." Ray promised.

"We'll always remember you, Ray." Darla frowned.

Ray smiled to them as he took his last breath and he then went onto the other side as he was no longer with them. This devastated them all. Louis cried harder than anyone else.

They even did Ray's funeral at the bayou. A lot of Ray's relatives came as it was a misty and foggy night that night. They even had lilies to fit with the theme of death. Louis carried everyone who couldn't fly on his back as they gave one last goodbye to the fallen firefly. Once they found the perfect place to set him down, they placed their lilies in the leaf that was being used as Ray's coffin. After everyone went on the dry land, Louis played a solemn tune on his horn for the service. Dr. Faciler may had been defeated and gone for good, but they still had lost their very good friend. Once the time was right, they soon let the leaf flow down the bayou.

Darla buried her face in Atticus's chest as she was crying more than everyone else who bore grave expressions or tried to hide their tears. Atticus held his little sister and allowed her to let it all out as this was an understandably tough time. Cherry even bore a grave face and where a tear slipped out. Patch looked up to Cherry in slight surprise, but his ears were dropped and his tail was totally still. Cherry slid off her glasses and covered her eyes. She then looked up and saw something surprising.

"Are you going to be okay, Darla?" Patch asked.

Darla sniffled once she settled down, but her eyes were now red and puffy due to crying so much. "I think so..."

"Everyone, look up." Cherry said.

The others then looked up with Cherry to see what she was going on about. And where they were surprised as they saw a brand new star appear. It was right next to the evening star.

"It's like the second star to the right." Cherry said to Atticus.

"Yeah, it really does." Atticus nodded.

"And straight on 'til morning..." Cherry and Atticus then said to each other, remembering their adventure with Peter Pan in Never Land.

"Huh?" Tiana and Naveen asked, confused.

Darla may not had been there for that adventure, but she gestured for Tiana and Naveen to let it go for now.