Prologue

Once upon a time, in a meeting room far, far away...

"Mr. Chairman, the research team has nearly completed gathering the data necessary for the ritual. Would you like us to begin preparations on recruiting the required participants?" A man, the chief executive of the secret research division, asks, looking up from the digital reports covering his screen. He gives a nervous look around the room, feeling less powerful with each person his eyes land upon. Apart from the head Chairman, whose back he only briefly glances at as he surveys the room, no other man here actually belongs to the corporation; however, it seems every other man present holds more power than even the Chairman, despite the immense influence and prestige he possesses in his business and in the world.

Magi! That is what they are. A breed of man the research team had deemed necessary, but a breed that had proven difficult, though oddly enough not costly, to locate and hire. They, for reasons both they and research had argued, had to be gathered from primarily European or Asian nations, yet they refused to be contracted or paid; they insisted they would be rewarded in due time, no signed agreements needed for their labors, which worried the executive of research greatly. The Chairman refused to be bothered by this, though, thinking it meant magi had no need of money, and he insisted they be met on their own terms; as such, the twelve magi necessary were eventually found and brought together in the meeting room, which, consequently, was unsettling the poor executive.

"No, selecting participants won't be necessary. The ritual always brings in its own lambs for the slaughter, if I recall from your previous reports," the Chairman calmly replies. "It would be convenient if we could keep the ritual completely contained within these walls, but this is something beyond us… No matter; what are a few sacrifices from outside? Once we claim this power, the world will benefit from it, so why should the world be exempted from the taxing?"

The Chairman turns from his window, from where he had been surveying the entirety of his park, his world that he maintained for the escape of the common man from the harsh realities of a life that doesn't always have a happily ever after (well, perhaps he didn't maintain it, but he practically owned those who did). He looks around the table, meeting the eyes of the magi and of his employee, his gaze demanding their agreement.

The lone employee gulps in the silence, before tentatively responding, "Right, sir, r-r-right you are. No paradise without a ticket price, yeah?" The silent stares of the magi are unnerving, to say the least.

"Yes, no paradise without a ticket price," the Chairman repeats, nodding as he turns back to gaze upon his park. "Remind me, again: how many of these… 'Martyrs' will there be?"

"'Martyrs?' Do you... do you mean 'Masters,' sir?"

"'Martyrs,' 'Masters,' whatever you wish to call them. In the end, they are the same in this twisted game we are about to play."

"Right, sir…" the executive pauses, clicking on a file. "Seven, it seems. You are confident we cannot twist the rules, and select our own participants?" The question is really directed at the magi, but the executive asks it while staring at the back of the Chairman, too nervous to directly initiate interaction with the magi.

One of the magi is kind enough to answer, or perhaps he just revels in a chance to flaunt his expertise over the executive. "The Grail will call whom the Grail will call; you could no more control it than you could control the wind," he says in a heavy German accent, definitely revelling; as he speaks, he waves his hand in a circle, and a strong breeze circles the room, despite every window being closed.

"Are-are-are y-you… suggesting y-you c-c-could d-do it?" The executive shivers, the display of power being even more chilling than the breeze it created.

The magus gives a heavy laugh. "I said you could not control it any more than you could control the wind!" The other magi chuckle when he says something first in what is likely German, and then in what is likely Japanese; the executive never learned much of either tongue, to his present regret. "No, I cannot control it either, though I can control the wind!"

The magi's laughter is extremely distressing for the executive, but the Chairman remains, unperturbed, looking through his window. As the laughter dies down, the Chairman suddenly nods. "The Grail," he says. "The Holy Grail, capable of fulfilling any wish. Yes, that is what this is about." He turns back to the room, and plants his hands on the table. "Magi, it can fulfill any wish, correct?"

The magi look around at each other, and the executive begins to suspect information is being withheld; after the display of magic, though, he dares not speak out. The one who spoke before looks to the Chairman, and responds, "Yes, provided a vessel is supplied in which it may manifest, and that it has been sufficiently filled."

"Good." The Chairman nods again. "Has the vessel been prepared?" With this question, he looks straight into the eyes of the executive.

Deep in the Chairman's eyes is a hunger, a starvation, so great for the power of the Grail that the executive is almost too afraid to say yes, to indulge that craving; however, the ferocity behind the stare tells him he will indulge, or find out just how strong the magi are firsthand. "Y-yes, sir," he reluctantly answers, swallowing back against the guilt he feels as he considers what he is confirming. "She is ready, and the magi have affirmed her eligibility."

"Excellent! Excellent! So long, I have indulged others and fulfilled their wishes! So long, this has been a land where others' dreams come true! But what of ours? What of mine? Dreams don't come cheap, they know! It is time we set this ritual in motion, claim this Grail, and save this company!" The Chairman looks up, as if he can see the Grail descending from Heaven as he speaks. "This truly will be the place 'Where Dreams Come True!' Let the Holy Grail War of Disney World begin!"

I hope you enjoyed this brief introduction to what I hope will be a fun crossover of Disney characters and the Nasuverse! Just a heads-up: I am posting this prologue likely a few days or even a couple of weeks before I intend to begin posting chapters. I need time to get chapters ahead of what I'm uploading, but I hope to establish a regular time for uploading. Anyway, I hope you check back for new chapters as this tale unfolds, and feel free to inbox me suggestions and questions!