(Disclaimer: I do not own Disney World, Merlin from the Sword and the Stone, the Magic Kingdom or any of its rides.)
This was part of an RPG Me and AllieDisneyGirl made, we agreed to post it on fanfiction. Let Us know what you think!
Chapter 1
The Magic Kingdom had just opened for the day. Swarms of happy guests rushed into the park, eager to get to their favorite rides. But not Sophie Kensington. She loved the rides and the characters, but today, she had a more specific plan in mind. She was going to the Main Street firehouse, on a mission to find Wayne, the old man from the Kingdom Keepers series. If you were just looking at Sophie, you wouldn't guess that she was a Kingdom Keepers fan, or even a Disney fan. Her prim button-up shirt, carefully smoothed ponytail, and wire-frame glasses, not to mention her slight British accent and haughty, cool attitude, gave the impression of a semi-snooty super-student. And if you assumed that, you'd be right. Sophie was a practical, rule-following, fact-loving girl... except when it came to Disney. It was her secret pleasure, the only remnant of her childhood love of magic and fantasy. Well, the orphanage-and the mean-spirited teasing of the other children-had quickly scared that out of her. And thank goodness. Such frivolous beliefs were a waste of time and brain space, in Sophie's present opinion. Of course, according to that rule, this current mission was complete foolishness, but Sophie tried to ignore that. She also tried to forget that she was about to break every rule in the Disney book. The firehouse was closed for construction. According to Sophie's research, they were building a new game called "Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom." But that didn't affect Sophie. She wasn't interested in the main part of the building: it was the door that led to an upper-floor apartment that she was after. Praying that no cast members were watching, she quickly ran to the side of the firehouse. Staying in the shadows, she absentmindedly pushed her glasses up her nose, the subtle movement exposing her nerves and breaking her normally-calm demeanor. Then, mustering up her courage, she climbed over a small gate and ran up the metal staircase. Once and for all, she would find out if Wayne truly lived at the top of the firehouse...
Sophie reached the top of the stairs. There it was: the door. She paused, and then quickly reached for the doorknob. But suddenly a voice broke her concentration. "Hey! What are you doing?" Sophie's heart skipped a beat. Did a cast member see her? But no... it was a teenage girl, just around her age.
With her Kingdom Keepers book in hand, Heather walked through the turnstiles of the Magic Kingdom. Her family usually didn't come to the Parks until late afternoon, but Heather always wanted a head start. She was walking through Main Street when she looked at the firehouse. Remembering her book, The Kingdom Keepers, an old Imagineer named Wayne lived there. Heather always was always taught that the impossible was possible. Maybe there's really a guy in there, Heather thought, but then shook it off. Maybe it's just Disney merchandise. She started to walk again; she knew if she didn't get to Frontierland quickly, Splash Mountain and Big Thunder would be packed. But then she came back, and looked at it again. It. Was. Closed. She went near the Emporium and saw the stairs going up into the second floor of the building, and her eyes led up to the door where a girl about her age was trying to open it.
"Hey! What are you doing?" she asked the girl, with her arms crossed.
"I... I..." Sophie stuttered for a moment, shocked at being discovered. But then she quickly regained her composure. "I'm trying not to be seen by every person in the park, a goal that will quickly be destroyed if you keep yelling at me. If you want to talk to me, come up here and do it. Quietly," she shot back sharply.
"Fine..." Heather walked up the steps as quietly as possible. "What's going on?" she whispered, putting her Kingdom Keepers book in her backpack. "The firehouse is closed."
"Yes, the firehouse STORE is closed, but that doesn't have anything to do with this," Sophie replied, gesturing towards the door. "And this is all that I'm interested in." She paused, not sure how much to tell this girl. Could she trust her? Then she spotted the book in the girl's hands: the KINGDOM KEEPERS book. Before she could talk herself out of it, she simply said, "I'm looking for Wayne. And I'm Sophie, by the way."
"Wayne?" Heather whispered. "I'm Heather, and if you're looking for Wayne, I want in." Heather shrugged. "I've always wondered what's in this firehouse."
"Well then, Heather, welcome to the mission," Sophie answered with a slight smile. She looked at Heather, and then looked back at the door. "Well? What are we waiting for? This door isn't going to open itself." Then, taking a deep breath, she grabbed the doorknob. It turned. Sophie gasped; she hadn't really expected it to work. But it did, so before she could talk herself out of it, she opened the door and stepped into the room beyond.
Heather stepped in after her, and the door shut by itself. "Kinda spooky," Heather said with a bit of a southern accent. They walked forward and then turned a corner. There was an old man in front of them: white hair and a long beard, sleeping in a chair.
"Oh my goodness..." Sophie breathed. Old man, white hair... could it really be WAYNE? She stepped closer. "Sir?" she whispered. The old man, fast asleep, didn't reply. She took a step closer. Hang on, this didn't look like Wayne. Wayne didn't have a lengthy white beard, or wear a long robe. "Sir?" she said a little louder. The man woke with a snort. "What? Who... oh, it's you. I was expecting you, Heather and Sophie."
"Wayne?" Sophie asked, doubtful now. Then she realized what he said. "Wait a minute! How did you know our names?"
"I am most certainly not Wayne," the old man replied with a stretch. "He moved out years ago. Said that the publicity was too much for him. My name is Merlin. And as for your names... as I said, I was expecting you."
"Why? How?" Heather was confused. "And who are you?"
"Children. Haven't changed since Arthur. Always asking questions, never listening to answers," Merlin humphed. "Like I said, I'm MERLIN."
"Arthur? Merlin?" Sophie muttered to herself. He couldn't mean... no, that was impossible. But he had known their names... Sophie shook her head. No. Either this man was insane, or he was trying to mess with them. Either way, she wasn't going to fall for it. "Sir, you cannot seriously expect me to believe that you are the sorcerer Merlin, from the time of King Arthur. Now, tell me the truth. Who are you? And how did you know my name? What are you, a cast member? Were you spying on me or something?"
Merlin just shook his head. "Disbeliever," he said confidentially to Heather, gesturing towards the increasingly-frustrated Sophie.
"Why were you expecting us?" Heather said while looking around the room. There's probably a video camera somewhere, she said to herself.
"That is a very good question, Heather O'Dale. And I can answer it with another." He stood up and looked Heather in the eyes. "Now, do you believe in Magic?"
"I believe anything's possible if you really believe in it," Heather said. "Why?"
"Because I need your assistance for a very special mission, and it can only be accomplished by you two very special girls," Merlin replied with a knowing smile.
"But you still haven't told us how you knew we were coming," Sophie pressed. She wasn't buying the whole Merlin thing, but if she was on some sort of cast member watch list, or if this guy was some sort of creeper, she wanted to know. NOW.
"Yes, I did. Magic," Merlin said with a smile. "And magic is also the reason why I need your help."
"Listen, Mr. Whoever-you-are, but I just came here to find Wayne, and he obviously isn't here, so if you'll excuse me..." Sophie started backing towards the door. She grabbed the handle and pulled the door open, but once again, it shut by itself. How did the door do that? Must be electronic, or on wires or something. "I don't know what you're trying to do, but I want to get out of here," she snapped at Merlin as she pulled on the doorknob, which now refused to move.
"Of course. You will be free to go... after you listen to what I have to say. I need your help, and I think you will find that I have quite an interesting tale to share, and perhaps you will learn something about your own destiny in the process."