As always, thanks to Lies for her great editing! And the song used in this chapter is real. It's called World Is Mine, and it heavily inspired this version of Daisy. Look it up on youtube, it's a lot of fun. Enjoy!
And so, the fair young maiden tamed the notorious wolf, while at the same time discovering not everything she had learned was what it seemed. The maiden and the wolf banded together on their journey, for her quest was far from over. After braving an encounter with the man with a million ideas, the maiden and the wolf set out for their next trial…
When Minnie woke up the next morning, she was still feeling exhilarated with the new sensations of bravery and discovery from the night before. Every action she took was filled with vigor, from brushing down her fur to tying her red riding hood around her neck. Meeting the wolves, seeing the Professor, and getting a bodyguard, all in under a few hours. Not even her mother had ever experienced such an encounter! "Okay, Granny, I have to go!" She called out to the living room, wanting to start on her newest delivery as soon as possible. "I'll be sure to pick up some groceries after my delivery, okay?"
Granny moved back and forth in her rocking chair, counting the stitches in an unfinished pink scarf. "Where are you off to, Rebecca?"
"Minnie." Dressed and ready, Minnie came over to her grandmother's side. Maybe she had time to ask her elder a few questions before her ride arrived. "And I'm going to do my job soon, but…" She leaned on the rocking chair's armrest, unsure of how to word her quandary. "… How long should you know a boy before you kiss him?"
Satisfied with the stitches, Granny picked up her needles and began to work. "Oh, I loved your father, Rebecca."
"Minnie."
"I knew he was the one for me the moment I saw him." Her wrinkles added extra smiles to her face as she sighed in sweet memories, slowing down her stitches. "I turned down three other suitors just be in the same room as him. A good man is good company. That's why you should never let anything stand in your way when you have a good man." She lightly tapped Minnie's hand with one needle, hammering the lesson in. "So if you need to kiss him right away to keep him, then that's what you should do. Especially if he can protect you from the wolves!"
Minnie chose to look away as the subject was unwillingly changed. "… Um, about that…" Thankfully, there was a hard snort of gas and fire coming from outside, and she knew right away what vehicle had caused the noise. "I have to go, Granny! I'll explain later! Love you!" She quickly kissed her grandmother's cheek and fled outside before her name could be mistaken again.
It was day out, and the sunlight that managed to survive the foggy skies made the city look marginally clearer. That was how Minnie spotted the motorcycle waiting for her at the end of the porch, with the rider watching her walk towards him. The Alpha male of the wolves, Mickey, a strange but unusually charming half-creature in leather and a red kerchief around his neck – this was the fellow that the city was supposed to be terrified of, and yet he was perhaps one of the nicest people she'd ever met. Though Mickey smiled to see her, she didn't return the cheerful attitude right away. "Is there any way to make that… quieter?" She cautiously approached the motorcycle, trying to figure out how to get on without Mickey's help. "I still haven't told Granny about you, and if she sees this, she'll get scared for me!"
"Sounds like yer the scared one, Red." Mickey momentarily put down the kickstand, hopping off his Harley to give Minnie reluctant assistance. "Don't wanna tell yer Granny that yer gettin' help from big bad me?" He hoisted her by the hips to get on, and was rewarded by her faint cheek coloring again. Had she ever been touched by a boy? Had she ever even come into contact with one? He wanted to know so much about her, and merely asking and observing wasn't enough.
"She's afraid of wolves! Everyone in the city is!" She adjusted her delivery bag over her shoulder, aware that Mickey's hands were still on her for far longer than necessary but in no rush to move him just yet. "You should hear the stories they tell about your kind… and why do they say those stories anyway?" Given the fact that she was still alive after her encounter with so many wolves, she could say with confidence that every single story about them was wrong. So why did the stories exist in the first place?
"People are scared of everyone who's different." Mickey finally let her go, and began to climb back on his chopper. "We wolves have been here long before the towers went up… even before the Grimms arrived. But I don't care what people say about us. It's what we do that counts! Now hold on, Red, we're gunna do things that count!" The kickstand was off, the handles were gripped, and Minnie knew to grab onto his waist before the wheels sped into motion. "Now where we off ta?"
Minnie propped her chin on Mickey's shoulder so she could hear him better, oblivious to the fact that such big ears could be sensitive to such close contact. Any shuddering she felt from him she assumed was merely a side effect from riding the motorcycle. "Oh, you won't believe it! We get to deliver to a real celebrity! We're going to see Princess Daisy!"
There were only a few cars out on the street, and Mickey was blazing past all of them, startling every passenger that managed to catch a glimpse of him. "That diva? Yeah, I think I've heard her… and here I thought ya were a birdie all cooped up in yer cage, and last night was yer first night out."
"I've been out before!" Minnie pouted, not wanting to be thought of as a little girl again. "I've been to school, and I used to go shopping with my mother." That counted, right? Sure, there were gaps of months being cooped up inside, but that didn't mean she was a total recluse. Then again, who did she know to compare it to? She didn't have any friends during her period at school. "… Anyway, Granny and I listen to her all time on the radio. She has an absolutely beautiful voice! My second day as messenger, and I get to meet a famous singer! Isn't that exciting?"
"Ya don't get out much at all, do ya?" It wasn't a dig at her, as he rather looked forward to being the one who got to introduce her to the world. "So where's the missy at?"
"She's holding a concert today at the Golden Apple Stadium… my first concert!" She would have clicked her boots together in excitement if she didn't need to keep steady. "I'm doing so many firsts this week!"
Mickey bit back the urge to say that, technically, this could count as a first date as well.
The Golden Apple Stadium much resembled its title, glimmering from the outside and holding great talent within. It was mid-afternoon by the time the duo arrived, and after taking forever to find a parking spot, the two headed for the entrance. Muscled hired help were at every door, and one gorilla of a man stepped in front of the mice as they made their way over. "Show's sold out. No one's allowed in, so scram."
Mickey intervened before Minnie could get a word in, stepping forward and baring his fangs. "Hey! Treat the lil' lady a bit nicer, if ya wanna live ta hear the next song!"
"You wanna say that again, wolf?" The guard cracked his knuckles, ready to deal with the pipsqueak if pressed.
Minnie's naivety didn't blind her to the obvious fight that was going to ensue, so she quickly thrust her bag up in front of her, trying to grab a hold of the situation. "Wait, he's with me! I'm a Messenger, see? I've got the bag…" She held up her cape, "I've got the red riding hood," and then she opened the bag to show off the green magic marbles inside. "And I've got the messages! And I've got a message for Princess Daisy!" She dug into the bag, and held out the marble with Daisy's name etched in. "I know we didn't buy tickets, but this is very important! Could you please, please, please let us see her?" She held her hands together, hoping to convey a look of honest sincerity, and not realizing she was coming off as absolutely adorable.
The sheer cuteness of the mouse was a powerful force, as the guard couldn't stand to see her distressed any longer. "Okay, okay! I believe you, geez, enough with the eyes already! Look…" He dug within his suit, and pulled out two cards with gold lettering. "She's about to start the concert in a few minutes, and can't be disturbed. But these VIP passes will get you to see her after the show. So quit with the goo-goo eyes and get in!"
Minnie chirped a thank you as she took the pass, but Mickey wasn't ready to let the matter drop. "Hold on… ya just said the show was sold out!"
"It is, for wolves." The guard growled, opening the door behind him. "Got anything else to say, boy?"
"It's okay!" Minnie hurriedly stopped the fight before it began again, grabbing Mickey by the hand and dragging him inside. "He's a mouse!"
"Half-mouse!" Mickey barked as the door slammed behind them. He couldn't help but grumbled as they progressed further inside the stadium and neared the concert hall. "Listen, Red, I think yer forgettin' who's supposed ta be protectin' who over here. I coulda made that guy cry for his mama before this princess got her first note out. I ain't no shame about bein' a wolf!"
Minnie looked back at him before they reached the hall, blinking innocently. Her earnest expression, much like it affected the guard, easily affected Mickey. "So is there something wrong with being a mouse?"
Mickey promptly shut up.
The stadium was packed to the brim with fans already yelling, and the diva had yet to show up. Signs declaring their love for her were held up by thrilled hands, several fans had tried to dress up like their idol, and a chant of her name was thrown back and forth across the seats. The mice managed to find a pair of empty seats in the last row, but neither minded how far away they were. Minnie was simply happy to be there, and Mickey's sensitive hearing was grateful to be away from the noise. Since they had plenty of time to kill before seeing Daisy personally, he could use the opportunity to teach Minnie a few more firsts.
She was sitting calmly on the blue cushioned seat, kicking her feet back and forth in anticipation and completely unaware of how she was being analyzed by her friend. Mickey had never been on a date before – nor had he ever entertained the idea of going on one – but he had seen plenty of his pack members hook up enough so he felt he knew plenty about the subject matter. Wooing a potential mate would be easy for an Alpha Male. They were the strongest and most handsome, so he had been raised to believe, and he had gotten many offers from the female members of his pack. But none of those females could measure up the caged birdie that was all his.
He liked her, oh definitely. He had liked her since the first moment she had smacked him across the face with her bag. No one had ever shown him such defiance and bravery, and a rare opportunity like this couldn't go to waste. She was a delicate treasure that needed to be protected, and he could be her knight in shining leather. He would have to maneuver very carefully in order to woo her and not scare her off. The stadium lights were beginning to dim, and he took this as a chance. It was a prime opportunity for the old yawn-and-stretch!
He feigned a yawn, holding out his arms in a planned reach. Then with precision, he began to end his yawn as he moved his arm towards her shoulders, intending to pull her in and make her comfortable against his chest, and no doubt make her more used to his touch and embrace. Almost there, just a few inches more, and –
"HEEEEEELLLLLLOOOOOOO MY DARLINGS!"
Sweet merciful Mother Goose, what was that wretched sound?! Mickey howled as he grabbed his ears, almost expecting to find that someone had stuck a dagger in his ear cavity. The sound had actually come from the large speakers circling the stadium, and they had gotten their voice from the women that had appeared on stage mere seconds ago. Now that she had arrived, via a trap door from the bottom of the stage, the entire stage was lit with enough lights to blind everyone in the front row. With those lights, Mickey could see that the entire stage had been decorated to look like the insides of a fancy castle, save for the enormous video screen in the background that was focused entirely on the singer. Her name was being spelled out in fireworks near the rooftop, and her backup singers and instrument players were decked out in embarrassingly fluffy dresses that had sequins spelling out her name as well.
Princess Daisy was a world famous singer, actress, song writer, and duck that was as beautiful as she was narcissistic. Her golden dress sparkled under all the lights that highlighted her, as did the gold tiara around her flowing golden hair, along with golden high heels and golden earrings – how they were staying on when she had no ears was anyone's guess – and even her microphone shimmered with wasteful gold. She twirled the mike in her fingers – wearing golden nail polish, of course – and spoke once more to her adoring audience. "How much did you miss me, lovelies? Never fear, because your princess is here! Now, like, who's ready for some quality Daisy time? Cause I'm totally looking for my Prince Charming!"
The crowd hooted and hollered with positivity, save for Mickey who was still suffering. It may have been his heightened sense of hearing due to his wolf body, or the fact that this was probably the most annoying voice he had ever heard in his short lifetime. This was the chick Minnie was so eager to meet? He glanced at his companion, and to his misfortune, Minnie was as happy to see her as the rest of the crowd, clapping and cheering Daisy's name. Mickey rolled his eyes as his dreams of a date now turned into trying to survive with his hearing intact.
"Then let's get this party started, my loyal subjects! Hit it!" Daisy snapped her fingers to the musicians behind her, and with a pound of keys and strums of string, she began to belt out a classic. "I'm the number one princess in the whole wide world, so make sure you know by heart how to treat me… Got it!"
The crowd became impossibly louder as they clamored for their favorite song, and many even began to sing along as Daisy began to make demands within the lyrics. Mickey sighed, trying to find something to occupy his eyes besides the duck making ridiculous excuses for dance moves. He had only heard her songs a few times on the radio, and he had always barked at his subordinates to turn the garbage off. Since the option wasn't available here, he was in for hours of pain, and he'd need to find a way to keep himself distracted if he didn't want to go crazy.
As he scanned other rows of seats, he noticed unusual movement in the aisle across from him. An orange tabby cat had been roughly shoved aside by a figure Mickey couldn't make out, and then the cat had started incessantly scratching his ear. The puss stumbled out of his chair, wearing black boots that were probably two sizes too large, and began moving back and forth as he clutched his head in pain. Mickey lightly nudged Minnie to get her attention, and when she started to look over, the cat was growling darkly and grabbing an occupied seat. The patron hadn't noticed him – until the cat suddenly ripped the seat off the floor, and sent seat and sitter flying across the hall!
Now almost all eyes were on the cat instead of the duck, which incensed the latter greatly. "Hey!" Daisy stomped on her heel, glaring daggers at the one who dared to stop her show. "I'm trying to grace you peons with my perfect presence! The least you could do is, like, you know, sit down!"
The cat's lower jaw sloshed with drool, unable to form a coherent sentence. He then let out a scattered hiss, grabbing another seat and threw it on stage, missing Daisy by inches. Audience members began to flee in terror while the cat continued to rip up more seats, heading closer to the stage. There were a few loyal fans who tried to tackle the kitty, and earned a face full of sharp claws for their effort.
"He's heading for Daisy!" Minnie hopped out of her seat, already terrified and already moving against the crowd. While everyone else was heading for the exit, she was pushing past people to go toward the stage. "We've got to do something!"
"Get back here, Red!" Mickey made a futile grab for her, was he was easily pushed aside by those who needed to get out now. "That cat's crazy!"
Minnie was as scared now as she was facing the wolves, and the closer she got to the source of her fear, the more strength left her, leaving her ready to faint again if so deeply provoked. But she had survived the wolves! Messengers weren't supposed to faint! She could be afraid, but she would not allow it to stop her from fulfilling her duty! Mother never did, and so Minnie wouldn't.
The cat had begun tossing around lights and smashing the glass over the stage floor before lumbering towards Daisy, who finally understood that her orders weren't being heard. "Like, if you wanted an autograph, couldn't you have waited until after the show?!" She tried to make a run for it, but wound up tripping over her own exaggerated dress, and fell flat on her front. When she lifted her head, expecting help, she saw that her singers and musicians had dropped their instruments and abandoned the stage to save their own hides. She whimpered as she saw the cat's shadow beginning to loom over her, and she flimsily held out her microphone as a weak weapon. "This is so where my prince charming is supposed to come in, right?"
Instead of a prince on a white horse, she had to make do with a mouse in a red cape, as Minnie had hoisted herself in stage and run between the opposing forces. "H-h-hold it, you big bully!" Minnie stammered as she spread out her arms, using herself as a tiny shield to protect the superstar. "I'm supposed to give her a delivery, and I can't do that if you hurt her! So… so…" So, what? She hadn't quite thought this brilliant plan through. How exactly was a mouse that didn't come up the cat's stomach supposed to win this fight anyhow? "… So… I would really appreciate it you went away?"
Her adorable expression would do no good here. The cat yowled, and swung around his paws, not sure what he wanted to hit or why. He was at once both losing his balance but also dangerously moving forward, a crazed monster that only wanted to continue its line of disaster. But he wouldn't get any farther, as a pair of biker boots pounced onto his tabby tail. "Back off my girl!" Mickey snarled, and then lobbed a heavy punch to the cat's back. The cat responded with a roar that sounded more grotesque than feline, and he made a clawed attempt to get rid of Mickey's ears – instead, he managed to shove Mickey hard enough to roll him away a few inches.
Minnie knew she had only seconds for the cat to remember his target, and looked around for a solution. She spotted one of the guitars the musicians had dropped, and she ran to grab it. "I'll pay for this later, I promise!" She yelled to Daisy, who in her fright hadn't moved a centimeter. Minnie leapt back into the fray, and swung the guitar even harder than she had when had walloped Mickey, sending the cat reeling back on twisted toes.
The small alpha was tougher than he looked, and already back on his feet. As he saw the impressive defense – and found himself liking Minnie even more for it – he came up with a similar idea, and kicked off one of the drums of the abandoned drum set. "Hey Red, I knew we could make beautiful music together!" He used the other drums as a jumping point, and rammed the drum in his hands on top of the attacking cat. The enemy's head popped out the other end, and found his arms trapped by the rim. This binding, along with the blinding pain, caused the feline to tumble over, defeated.
Minnie sighed in relief as she dropped the glittery pink guitar, but as she recovered, she noticed something white sprinkling out of the cat's ear. The cat slapped its tongue across its mouth, and then began to speak, guttural and confused. "Owww… what's going on? Is the concert over already?"
"That's hardly an apology." Minnie walked over to the trapped cat, and knelt down to see what had fallen out.
"Apology? For what?" The puss in boots looked to each character for an answer before realizing what had happened to him. Unlike seconds ago, he was perfectly articulate, causing quizzical glances from the group. "And… does this mean I'm in the band now?"
Minnie found the white object – it was a delicate white feather. But when she tried to pick it up, it disintegrated in her fingers, leaving her even more befuddled. "What in the world…?"
"Oh my gosh!" Daisy was back on her heels, and had nearly tackled Minnie in a grateful hug. "That was so spectacular!" She rocked Minnie back and forth in her arms, causing the smaller one to become dizzy very quickly. "You guys are the best fans ever! Next time, tickets are definitely half-price for you! In fact, let's go get you some autographed head-shots! You more than deserve them!" Without hearing Minnie's objections, she held steadfast onto Minnie's arm and began to drag her away.
Mickey rubbed his nose. Something stank about this whole affair – literally. There was a gross sweaty smell that came with this cat, which made no sense as cats can't sweat. He gave another kick to the cat's backside before joining his girl, ignoring the cat's repeated questions about ticket refunds.
The police had come and arrested 'Mister Pussy Nigel Bootlicky', as he claimed he was called, but what the cat wouldn't claim was that he had done anything wrong. For the life of him, he couldn't remember causing anyone any harm. He had been enjoying the concert when a guy behind him had given him a shove, his ear began to itch, and then he couldn't remember anything until he found himself in the drum. The officers hadn't believed him, and our heroes had decided he was an obsessive fan who had gone over the edge.
Mickey and Minnie were dragged into Daisy's dressing room, where they couldn't guess the wallpaper as it was entirely covered in photographs of the singer. After Minnie found room between the bouquets and the gigantic vanity mirror, she managed to deliver her marble of a message. Mortimer Grimm was also inviting Daisy to the class reunion next month, but she could care less compared to all that had happened. Once the green glow was gone, Daisy grabbed Minnie by the hands and swung her arms around. "Oh, who cares about some boring reunion? You were a total knight! You're so much better than all that lousy security."
Minnie tried to keep up with the constant spinning, humbled by the heaps of praise. "I-it was nothing, Princess! I was just doing my duty as a Messenger!" Mickey was waiting at the door, wanting to get away from the source of his ear aggravation with his girl in tow.
"Messenger, is that it? Totally explains the stylish hood. I'm like, you know, so jealous!" Daisy grabbed at the knot around Minnie's neck to undo it. "Can I give it a try?"
"W-wait, Princess, please! Don't!" Minnie suddenly pushed Daisy's finicky fingers away, and clutched her hood close to her body. That even got a startled look from Mickey, and she ducked her head. "… I-It's my mother's, so…"
"Oooh, then just say so, girl!" Daisy held up her hands, as she meant no harm. "Totally got it. And after saving my life, you can so call me Daisy. But I still meant my jealousy. So jealous!" She overdramatically laid an arm on her forehead, and collapsed into a chair that reeked of her perfume. "I bet you meet guys out there all the time. Being a Messenger would totally help me achieve my dream!"
Minnie smoothed down her hood, but kept rapt attention to her idol's woe. "Your dream?"
Daisy turned over in her seat, capturing the essence of a woebegone damsel. "I know it looks like I totally have everything… perfect looks, a killer body, an angelic singing voice, millions of adoring fans, endless cash… but there's something I really need, more than anything in the world!"
"The ability ta stop usin' 'totally' in every sentence?" Mickey muttered under his breath, earning him a 'hush' from Minnie.
"A Prince Charming!" Daisy pushed herself out of her seat, and trotted over to a small closet. "What's a princess without her prince?" She removed her golden hair – a wig! – and set it back in place with all of its sisters in a row of other perfectly groomed follicles. Since this drama called for sadness, she chose black locks to adorn her head. "My life is so incomplete without a prince! Someone to sweep me off my high heels and give me a happily ever after! A guy who will treat me the way I deserve to be treated! Strong, handsome, and hopefully a Sagittarius! But I'll never find anyone like that while on stage! Isn't my life totally enough to make you cry? That's why I'm sooo jealooous!" She wailed on the extra o's, dabbing her mascara away with her extra long black hair.
"Th-there's nothing to cry about!" Minnie flailed, having lost complete control over how this encounter had gone. "I've only just started! Mickey's the one guy I've really met, and this is my second day of deliveries!"
Daisy paused in her melodrama, and since an idea was coming to her, that required a redhead switch. "You just started? … So that means you're on the brink of meeting guys! Oooh, let me come with you!"
Minnie couldn't think of a reply to that, but Mickey was instant, barging in on the conversation. "Aw Aurora no! This is a two-guy operation, and we ain't go no room for any bubble-headed popstars!" Bad enough to have that obnoxious voice following him along, but he'd never be able to put any moves on Minnie with extra company. "Ya ain't comin' with us! Tell her, Red!"
Minnie didn't get a chance to tell anyone anything as Daisy took over again, shaking Minnie's hands up and down in fervor. "Oh come ooon, it'll just be until I find my prince! And I won't be a bother at all! You won't even know I'm there! And you are so totally good at your job, you won't notice me! Just do like you did today, and we'll all be harmonious!"
"Like I did today?" Minnie found the tangent she considered the most important, eyes brightened as it related to her job. "So you're saying I completed the delivery and did a good job?"
"Like, above and beyond good!" Daisy nodded hard enough to almost drop her wig off of her head. "Just think of me as the background character!"
"Oh, I finished it!" Minnie broke off the compliments, facing Mickey as she remembered the deal. "Mickey, you know what that means!"
"It means she ain't comin!" Mickey huffed and puffed, arms crossed and refusing to move in his stubbornness. "Not by the hairs of my chinny chin ch-mmph!" How easily he had forgotten the deal he had set up. Since she had completed a successful delivery, he needed to be paid, and so she leaned up on her tippy-toes to give him her kiss of payment. Again, Mickey shut up.
Daisy stared at the odd exchange of affection until Minnie pulled back, leaving Mickey with a grin so positively goofy that he couldn't remember why he was so angry in the first place. It looked like he couldn't remember how to properly stand either, given how his legs were turning into jelly and he was starting to tilt over. "Wow." Daisy lightly elbowed Minnie, giggling under her words. "I never would have pegged you as having a thing for bad boys."
"A thing?" Minnie repeated quizzically, puzzled by Daisy's reaction. What thing? Did she mean the kiss? She would have asked Mickey, but he was unavailable for comment, and needed some help getting to stand up straight again. Minnie still had so much to learn.
"Well of course he didn't reach the target. I never agreed to this part of the plan in the first place. It was far too crowded."
The peeling of an apple. The hiss of a snake. The tapping of fingers to a desk.
"We'll just have to do the opposite next time. Outnumber the target in a smaller venue. Even you can get that right, can't you?"
The smell of fire.
"Tick tock, tick tock. Time's running out."
End Of Chapter Two.
