Hello all! I know, it's been quite a while since I've posted something on Fanfiction!
Life has been everything but calm, and I haven't really had a moment to sit down and work on any of my stories on here! And when I would get on my laptop and open up the documents where I had my stories saved, I was just stricken by writer's block.
Although, I'd like to thank the brilliant Ridley Pearson for snapping me out of my mood and giving me inspiration to write! For those who are not aware of the website kingdomkeepersinsider, it's basically a website where Ridley and the readers help write the final novel in the Kingdom Keepers series. He recently hosted a fanfiction challenge where the readers could write about what would have happened if there was actually a traitor among the Keepers. I was very excited to do this, and wrote one myself. That little challenge inspired me to turn it into my first ever One-Shot! Wow, that's a long explanation for a short little story!
Anyways, I'm very excited about my first one-shot, and I would love to know if you guys would like to see more of these after this! And don't worry, once I'm finished with finals, I will be updating all of my multi-chapter stories and possibly be writing some more one-shots if you guys enjoyed this one! Well, without further ado...Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Sadly, I among with every other die-hard Kingdom Keeper fan, do not own the series and am willing to pour my heart out in the series inspired fanfictions ;]
Charlene could only let out a slight gasp before a hand clamped itself over her mouth, restraining her from allowing any sound to escape. Her eyes widened in fear, adrenaline coursing itself throughout her body. In the moment, fight or flight was the only option, as she soon found herself beginning to flail her arms desperately above her head, making contact after a few attempts with the chin of this mysterious threat. Upon realizing that her constant flailing was taking her nowhere, she thrust her head back as hard as she could, meeting an unhappy fate with the ribcage of the person behind her. An exasperated grunt escaped the mouth of her restrainer, and the familiar tone of the curses they murmured led to the obvious reveal of whom the person was. With all the energy that remained from the sudden burst of adrenaline, Charlene broke free from this person's grip and flailed herself around, landing upon the rough pavement of Mainstreet USA with a loud thud.
"Terry!" Charlene hissed, clutching her backside in agony as she peeled herself off of the ground. The once delicately sewn nightgown her mother had so endearingly constructed was scathed at the backside, scuff marks from her harsh landing evident from her tailbone to her upper-thighs. Maybeck bit his lip in frustration, stifling a mocking snicker as he did so. He extended his arms apologetically in an attempt to assist, but Charlene responded with a playful kick to the shin and an over-exaggerated grunt. She crossed her arms tightly across her chest and took a large step forward, so close to Maybeck that he swore for a second she might just kiss him. Tilting her chin up towards him so that they met eye to eye, Charlene gave Maybeck a flirtatious wink and then whipped herself around, falling a few steps back as she did.
"Lovely encountering you on this fine evening," Maybeck scoffed, running his hands through his recently groomed hair, in which Charlene insisted had to be cut a week ago. The constant complaining that the dreadlocks were so two years ago finally convinced Maybeck that it was time for a new look. Charlene seemed to notice as she scanned him up and down, and gave a quick nod of approval. Yet only seconds later, her slight smirk formed into a scowl as she observed her surroundings once again.
"Why exactly are we here, and where is everyone else?!" Charlene asked, her tone varying between annoyance, confusion, and anger, yet Maybeck could not make out which one she was conveying.
"Philby needed us patrolling here tonight. He said he saw some bandwidth activity in the central hub, and he would have crossed everyone over to the Magic Kingdom, but Finn and Amanda had a date and he, Jess, and Willa were scheduled to train the volunteers in Hollywood Studios," Maybeck responded.
"I see...Although, a warning would have been nice. It's been a long week, you know?" Charlene sighed, beginning to twiddle her fingers around against her abdomen. Maybeck snickered ever so softly at this action. He always thought Charlene looked cute when she was frustrated, and she would either twiddle her fingers her begin to tap her feet to some complicated rhythm when she was.
"Yeah, well sometimes unexpected things occur. Why don't we just check out what this activity is all about and get back into our beds as soon as possible?" Maybeck suggested, receiving a hurried nod from Charlene in response. He extended his right arm out towards her, and she latched on as he dragged her forward towards Cinderella's Castle. The feeling of her fingers intertwined within his own led to a mixture of emotions for Maybeck. He soon realized his palms were getting clammy and his forehead damp, and he pulled his hand away from Charlene's grip in embarrassment, receiving a questionable look from Charlene.
"Everything alright?" Charlene asked, cocking her eyebrows up.
"Yeah, I just thought I saw movement by the bridge into Tomorrowland."
"Should we go check it out?"
"I don't see why not."
"Then what are you waiting for, hop to it!" And with that, Charlene began to scurry off towards Tomorrowland, leaving Maybeck where they halted only moments ago, his mouth agape and his body frozen in mid-movement. Realizing his absence at her side, Charlene spun around and tilted her head to the side, unsure if Maybeck had just zoned out or if there was a problem with his DHI. She shuffled towards him and began to wave her hands in front of his face, and he responded by rolling his eyes and swatting her frail arms away.
"Are you sure you're okay? You're acting really weird," Charlene sighed, unsure of what was going on with Maybeck tonight.
"Yeah, I'm just feeling a bit off. It's probably just because I'm exhausted." Maybeck responded, but from the look Charlene gave him, he had a feeling she wasn't buying it.
"Listen, why don't you just stay here and I'll go check out the bridge. It's probably nothing so I should be back in three minutes tops. If I'm not, then you could come find me. Just go sit on that bench over there and get back to yourself." Charlene ordered, and was off in a matter of seconds, disappearing into the perfectly trimmed bushes that lined the pavement. Maybeck stumbled over to the nearest bench, bewildered by his sudden change in physical well-being. He let out a heaving sigh and leaned his head back, allowing the soft night breezes to cool his body temperature.
After what seemed like an eternity, Maybeck jolted up from his half-asleep position on the bench, peering down at his watch nervously. Nearly fifteen minutes had passed, and Charlene was still nowhere to be found. What made Maybeck feel even more terribly was that he dozed off, while Charlene's well-being was in danger. Maybeck hopped off the bench, suddenly feeling incredibly better, and began to trot towards Tomorrowland, hoping he'd find Charlene along the way, caught up in something she found interesting. Just as he began to make his way down the sidewalk towards Tomorrowland, a hunched figure rolled out of the bushes, flying past Maybeck's vision. He jumped back, completely startled, but sighed in relief as Charlene rounded herself up from her crouched position.
"Jeez! What took you so long? You scared the crap out of me!" Maybeck screeched, glaring intently at Charlene.
"Gosh, don't worry so much. I got caught up in the moment...There's no need to get all hysteric over it!" Charlene harshly snapped back, causing Maybeck to cower back a few steps in fear.
"Alright, whatever you say. Well, if there's nothing going on, then I say we get to the Return and get out of this place," Maybeck shrugged, beginning to shuffle back towards the main circle in the front of Mainstreet U.S.A.
"Go on then. I'll be right behind you."
Maybeck shrugged off the odd suspicions that arose upon Charlene's return and shuffled back to where the Return was hidden, waiting impatiently for the suddenly glum Charlene to arrive. Charlene nearly plowed Maybeck down as she rounded about the hiding place for the Return, and a deeply frustrated and confused Maybeck merely glared at her in amazement.
"Well, I'll talk to you tomorrow?" Maybeck asked, hoping this question wouldn't flare any rude response from Charlene.
"Sure, I guess," Charlene shrugged, placing her right hand on the Return and her left hand grasped Maybeck's hand. Yet, instead of the gentle grasp the two shared earlier in the night, her grip was fierce, and her nails clenched into Maybeck's skin, creating the urge for him to whimper in pain. Desiring to put this odd night behind him, Maybeck pressed the Return, watching it slip from his grasps as he faded away from his "other life".
One Day Later...
"I'm telling you, there was definitely bandwidth activity occurring last night by Tomorrowland! There was a fifteen minute spike when you guys were there!" Philby nearly shouted at Maybeck, who gaped back with a fear-stricken expression. The two, along with Finn who had arrived shortly after the two sat on a bench outside the Frozen Marble, were discussing last night's odd events.
"Dude, I'm telling you...Charlene said that she saw nothing going on when she went over there!" Maybeck retorted back at Philby, who's face had shifted in color from it's normal pale complexion to one as scarlet red as his mother's "disco-night" stilettos.
"But didn't you say weird things were happening last night? Like how you suddenly felt sick, and how Charlene disappeared? Not to forget that when she reappeared after fifteen minutes, you suddenly felt better and she was a completely different person?!" Finn exclaimed, his hands flying back and forth with his statements. Maybeck was usually one to mock Finn's obsessive hand gestures when he made conversation, but now was definitely not the right moment.
"Yeah, I guess..." Maybeck sighed, and just as he did so, Philby's phone vibrated abruptly, causing the three boys to jolt upright. As Philby read the message on his phone, Maybeck and Finn anxiously awaited any news, as to if this was anything important. When Philby turned around with the color drained from his face, Maybeck and Finn knew whatever was in that message was serious.
"That was Wayne," Philby choked out between frantic breaths. He looked as if he was about to have a panic attack, and the only thing that prevented him from doing so was Maybeck, who was shaking his shoulders violently, attempting to get Philby to choke out what the message said.
"Well?" Finn anxiously asked.
"Wayne said that after examining the security footage from last night, he came upon a fifteen minute gap in the footage, and when the static dismembered, he saw Charlene walking away from the Evil Queen and Maleficent." Philby explained. Maybeck and Finn remained speechless, their mouths agape in complete horror.
"Why do the Overtakers keep on targeting Charlene?! First DisneyQuest, and now this?!" Maybeck cried out, his hands gripped tightly at his temples in frustration.
"I don't know, but all I am positive of is that the Evil Queen had to put a spell on Charlene. That is why she was acting so oddly after she reencountered you last night." Philby responded, shifting into "Professor Philby" mode.
"Couldn't that also explain Maybeck's sudden change in health?" Finn asked.
"It could. Anything to get Charlene alone..." Philby responded.
"So what exactly do we do?" Maybeck stuttered out.
"I'm going to cross us all over tonight. We will inform everyone of this, of course, not Charlene. We will do whatever it takes to get her back. We are not losing her, not this time. The Overtakers may think they have her, but she is too strong for them, she is one of us and that is never going to change." Philby spoke profoundly. And with that, the three boys nodded and went their separate ways, their bodies and minds still remaining in shock from the news that had struck them like a tsunami.
Later that night...
Maybeck attempted to regain his composure, despite his buckling knees and his heaving chest. Before him, Charlene stood, her arms tightly crossed and pressed to her chest, her eyes nearly slits staring into Maybeck's soul. Wispy blonde locks that broke free from her high ponytail swayed gently in the light breezes that swept by every few seconds. It was a face-off, just the two, lovers at heart, enemies to be.
"How could you let them turn you into this? Maybeck finally chocked out, soon realizing that it was the only thing he could think of to say. He had so much he desired to say, so many questions he wanted to ask. Too many questions. It simply did not make sense to him, he could never see Charlene as an OTK...A traitor. She was a bundle of energy, always willing to put herself in danger for the team. Apparently the wrong team. Maybeck could simply not understand how Charlene could give herself up, let the Overtakers cast a spell upon her. She was so strong, so driven by the will of restoring the magic, that the fact that she simply gave herself to them was still not comprehendible.
"Why?! Why would I not? Poor little Charlene, who seems so fresh and perky on the outside. Well Maybeck, there's a lot you don't know about me. You don't know how much it hurts inside. How much my heart has been torn to pieces this past year. When nobody was there for me, they offered me an option out. They welcomed me in...They cared about me! Where were you, Terry?! Where were you when I needed you?!" Charlene lectured, her voice rising with anger with each sentence. Maybeck froze in place, completely shell shocked by what Charlene had just said. This had to be the spell talking, right? Did Charlene actually feel this way? Was she always this miserable inside, and just never showed it? Is that why she let the Overtakers put her under a spell, so she could be set free from her internal suffering?
As hard as she attempted to maintain her composure, Maybeck could see the tears welling up in Charlene's eye sockets, ready to just burst out and flow itself a river. Out of the corner of his eye, Maybeck could see Willa, Finn, Philby, Jess, and Amanda all approaching behind him slowly, but cautiously, remaining behind the bushes to avoid being caught. He was aware of what they were going to do. They were going to hurt her, capture her. They knew the Overtakers were using her especially because of her athletic ability. She could not only fight, she could defeat every single one of the Keepers, without any magic involved. Charlene could no longer be trusted...She was a traitor, she had betrayed the Keepers. Although as much as Maybeck knew this was reality, he was hoping that somewhere, deep inside Charlene's heart, there was a sliver of hope that she was still on the good guys' side. He hoped that somehow, she was fighting off this spell, trying to break free from the Evil Queen's retched curse.
"Please Charlie, don't-" Maybeck began, but was cut off by a loud hiss from Charlene, who's teeth were now barred and her fists balled up, as if she was ready to pounce. She was now not a friend, but a threat to everyone.
"You don't deserve to call me that! It's Char-lene, not Charlie. Only true friends, people who truly care about me deserve to have 'pet' names for me," Charlene cried out desperately. At this point, the remaining Keepers now had made their way behind Maybeck, and were beginning to come out from behind him, surrounding Charlene and leaving her no path out. It was obvious how much it killed them all to see her this vicious...To see her as the enemy. But until she was freed from the curse she was a traitor, she was no longer someone the Keepers didn't have to worry about.
It's now or never... Maybeck thought desperately. He sprinted up to Charlene, just escaping Philby's grasp to pull him back. Amanda shot her hands out, attempting to use her unique powers to sustain Maybeck in the air while the rest of the Keepers successfully captured their once friend, now enemy. Though, Amanda was too weak, her hands trembling as she let out soft sobs, her heart too broken and her thoughts too overwhelmed to successfully apprehend Maybeck. Maybeck quickly strode forward to the stoic Charlene, who stood completely frozen, her pupils dilated and her mouth agape in fear. She was not expecting whatever was in store for her, she had no backup plan. And when Maybeck grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into a passionate kiss, she gave herself up, her eyes closing in defeat.
"I love you, Charlene. Please, please tell me that deep down inside there, that there's the Charlene I know and love," Maybeck whimpered as he pulled back from the kiss. Behind him, the rest of the Keepers stood in awe as Charlene's frail body collapsed into Maybeck's arms, her knees giving out from under her.
Minutes passed by, as the Keepers huddled around Charlene's unconscious body, all distraught with fear. Wayne, who was observing from his apartment for his own safety, immediately made his way down to the central hub on Mainstreet U.S.A. when he saw Charlene collapse. She looked so delicate and innocent lying there, and Maybeck realized she looked so much like Princess Aurora. Though he feared, among with the rest of the Keepers that the spell was too strong, and the kiss had done nothing. The fact that none of the Overtakers arrived to stop them or whisk Charlene away made it increasingly more confusing.
Although, when her eyes slowly began to flutter open, she peered up at Maybeck and whispered, "Thank you for freeing me."
Oof, that was emotional, wasn't it?
And my bad...Did I forget to tell you it was an extremely long one-shot?! I was just so inspired that the words literally flowed out of my fingertips!
So, what did you guys think? Good...Bad? Love...Hate? Did you enjoy this one-shot? I actually really enjoyed writing this!
Well, that's it for this little treat, I suppose. I would love to hear your opinions on this one-shot, and if you would like to see more. So please, review! I would really appreciate it!
Well, until next time...Ta ta for now!