The first element to greet Nicholas when he regained consciousness with the glacial air. He shivered as his ears rang for a good minute or so. The house had grown eerily dark; it seemed like he had been out cold for hours and had woken up in the middle of the night. If it was, wouldn't someone have noticed him, moved him to a room or on the couch, and treated his wound while waiting for him to wake up?
The pre-teen placed a hand over the spot where the object had struck him. Coincidentally it was the same spot he hit when he fell on the stair railing. The wound was now larger thanks to whatever had been thrown at him- he assumed it because he felt more blood on his hand when he removed it from his head.
Nicholas cursed silently before climbing to his feet and cautiously making his way to the kitchen. He began to feel anxious as he felt his way around the house. His dormant childhood trepidation rose with every step he took. There was no telling if the entity responsible for this was still present in the house, and with nothing to protect him, he was vulnerable for another attack. Only God knew if it was lying in wait, ready to strike him from any direction of its choice.
The pre-teen did not take any chances; he slowly proceeded to the kitchen, stopping every so often to listen to any new sounds. His only source of light (so rare it was to find a light source) came from the glass pane of the sliding door. Nicholas could see that the sky had changed from light blue to indigo. Indeed, he must've been unconscious for hours, but that still didn't explain where everyone was.
Quietly patting the wall, Nicholas found one of the light switches, flicked it on, shielded his eyes until they adjusted to the brightness, and then staggered to the counter. He wet several paper towels and wiped the wad on his forehead to remove the blood. After drying the wound and washing his hands, he returned his attention to the darkened sky. It was plausible that he had been unconscious for more than he expected, but still, if hours had passed, there would be people by his side.
Like most individuals with a great interest in practical jokes and special effects, the occurrence in the house would be considered nothing more than a perfectly executed prank. It was credible theory; yet it had a reasonable flaw: everything that happened could only be achieved by the same effects used in big budget movie productions. Aunt Vanessa and Uncle James' jobs gifted them superabundant paychecks, but the pre-teen knew for a fact that they would not waste tons of money on a prank of unreal proportions.
Wait. Aunt Vanessa and Uncle James; are they alright?! Nicholas thought.
He hurried to the sliding door and forced it open. Poking his head outside, Nicholas was greeted by the sight of the Glaziers sitting at the picnic table on the porch, eyes closed and heads resting on neighboring shoulders. Chocolates, taffies, and lollipops were scattered all over the table, and the remains of the piñata, the rope, and the baseball bat were gone, most likely disposed of after he was ushered inside by his mother.
The abnormality of the scene struck Nicholas was an intense sense of curiosity and concern. He rushed to the table and slammed his hands on the wooden surface. "Uncle James! Aunt Vanessa!" he shouted. "Are you guys alright?! Listen there's a problem! I don't know how explain this but…guys? Matt! Rebecca! Dan! Guys, wake up!"
Nicholas screamed, pounding his fists on the table, and even resorted to shaking his cousins' shoulders to wake them up. In spite of all the noise, no one reacted to the pre-teen or his attempts to get their attention. They appeared to be dead. However, he discovered they were still breathing. Were they sleeping? Impossible; they would have been able to respond. He couldn't ponder a good reason what had become of them, the consternation synchronizing with the rhythm of his thumping heart was taking its toll on the pre-teen, nearly throwing him into a violent fit of panic.
Expeditiously digging into his pocket, Nicholas pulled out his phone to call for help. The device exhibited no malfunctions until the pre-teen finished dialing the number and tapped the "call" button. Holding it to his ear, he heard nothing. No ringing, no breathing, only nothing.
Nicholas reattempted the call. Nothing. He dialed the numbers of people he knew. Nothing. "What the hell is going on?!" the pre-teen yelled. "Why won't they pick up?! How is this happening to me?! Why is this happening?! WHY, GOD DAMN IT?!"
Nicholas pounded his fists on the picnic table one last time, not caring at all if his phone would get damaged. With all the noise he was making, surely one of the neighbors would've stepped outside or poked their head out the window and demanded him to keep it down. Nicholas glanced around as he steadily breathed in and out. No one appeared, no one shouted at him. He gazed up at the dark sky. No moon, no stars, not even the flickering lights of a passing air liner- just a dark hue of indigo.
This was all too much for the pre-teen. The idea that the paranormal was to blame did not fully register until he analyzed every aspect of the event. Nicholas remembered how the temperature plummeted to an insufferably cold degree, he recalled spotting a little green fire consuming the ruined storybook, and, most vivid of all, he recollected every moment of being trapped in the vicious vortex, being taunted by dozens of fictional characters who waved pages of the book in their hands and paws, and the face in the wind- the Tartarean eyes, the teeth of a shark, and the voice which shared a snake's hiss and a chilling echo -smiling at him before his parents and sister were pulled into the vortex and his attempt to save them was botched by an object to the head.
Along with the current condition of the world around him, the pre-teen was finally convinced that a supernatural force had taken his family and stopped the world in its tracks; well, he wasn't sure if the world had come to a halt if it was night out, but the clock on his phone had stopped on 2:17. That wasn't what bothered Nicholas though. He did reflect every second of his nightmarish experience and eventually concurred that an entity had appeared and terrified him, but exceedingly important questions still remained and demanded to be answered. Why did this happened? Why was his family taken? And what did the entity mean when it told him: "You already gave us what we want. You were the right choice after all."?
Nicholas was bewildered. He was the right choice for what? What did it (or they) want from him? Were they there only for his family? He couldn't think of anything else the entity would've wanted. Then he remembered something important: the numerous characters that appeared before him. They were all from stories he had known since childhood, and the fact that they held pages from Amanda's storybook created a second aspect of the mystery. "No," Nicholas uttered to himself. "No, that couldn't have been…but, why the book as well?"
Without giving it another thought, Nicholas ran back into the house and straight to the dark living room. He needed to check the fireplace to see if the storybook had been taken with his family. Right before he could cross the wide threshold, the light from the kitchen revealed another bizarre sight: the Disney storybook sitting on the couch, intact, untarnished, and undisturbed.
The pre-teen rubbed his eyes and did a double-take before briskly walking towards it. "But I tore this apart and threw it in the fireplace!" Nicholas gasped as he grabbed the book. "How could it be here where I first found it?! That thing must've done this! But why? To keep screwing with me?!"
There was no time to continue inquiring himself; he immediately began examining the storybook. On the outside, it appeared exactly how he saw on his sister's sixth birthday, with the same illustrations, the same text, and the same design. If the entity was screwing with him, the changes wouldn't be so easy to spot. In spite of this possibility, Nicholas made a guess as to what the vortex really was- a distraction produced by the specter so it could get what it wanted; but if it was after the book, why was it still there? And why did it take his parents and sister anyway?
Opening the storybook and carefully flipping through the pages, more pieces of the puzzle fell into place. Anyone would think Nicholas was getting scared over nothing but a ruined storybook; he wouldn't care though, for what he saw explained the appearances of the characters in the hellish storm.
Nicholas discovered that only three stories in the entire book- Bambi, Tangled, and Frozen -were still complete, while the remaining twenty-seven had the identical difference: at least four pages of each story had been removed, not torn out like one would expect, but it appeared as if the pages were never part of the finished product. A fact even more profound was the place where the missing pages once were: the story's climax, which was either two to three paragraphs or a marvelous illustration or both, and the cover page of the next story.
Twenty-seven stories had been robbed of their endings, a find that surprised and puzzled Nicholas. This explained the presence of the characters earlier but not the reason why his family was taken. Perhaps it was a random act, but if it was intentionally, was it simply to torment him? "I don't get it," he ranted to himself. "That thing, whatever the hell it was, kidnapped my family and wrecked my sister's book- well, wrecked it again -but what's the purpose here?! If it took them to some other realm, why didn't it take me with them?! And why did time stop altogether?! I don't freaking get it!"
The pre-teen yelled in frustration before dropping the storybook, which landed with a thud that echoed throughout the house, and taking a seat on the couch. His rage wasn't as potent as it was when his mother slapped him, so he was able to calm down much faster than usual. While he was fortunate enough to tame his emotions, the question of why the entity robbed him of his family recommenced pestering Nicholas, and it threatened to invigorate the sense of misery. A true pain it would be, especially with the added, commonplace question of "what did I do to deserve this?". Of course, someone would say he deserved it after acting aggressively towards his mother and inequitable towards his sister for no reason, but, if they were new acquaintances, they'd have no clue what happened five years before, and about the severe trauma that plagued the life and family of Nicholas Kendrick ever since.
Without warning, a brilliant light shined through the kitchen windows. Nicholas looked at the sliding door and watched as the glow grew larger and brighter until the source revealed itself. It was a floating white orb, slowly but surely approaching the house. He froze, staring at the thing in awe; within his intellect, two potent forces commanded him to act in different ways. Curiosity told him to walk towards it while fear ordered him to run, warning him the sphere could be another apparition coming to intimidate him once more. It wasn't until the sliding door opened by itself that Nicholas finally gave in to fear; he sprang off the couch and hid behind the armrest farthest from the kitchen.
From his position, the pre-teen observed the orb enter the living room, then enlarge and shape itself to the form of a human. The light soon faded, and the human who stood before Nicholas was anything but a malicious specter. There before his eyes was a woman about his mother's height with blonde hair, turquoise eyes, and red lips; she wore a light blue dress that twinkled like stars, carried a golden star-tipped wand, and behind her were large white fairy wings.
Nicholas had a good idea who this was; no, he knew exactly who it was, and her very appearance left him flabbergasted. If the entity before hadn't shown up and did what it did, the pre-teen would've considered her arrival a figment of his imagination; but the wound on his head reminded him he was in the real world, and identified the woman before him aas the mother-like character from the story of Pinocchio: the Blue Fairy.
Upon first glance, Nicholas felt strangely happy to see a character from a children's story; mostly because she always appeared when characters were in need of help and gave them advice on how to solve their situations. But he quickly noticed a grave expression on the fairy's face and his excitement dimmed. This wasn't going to be a pleasant encounter. Even so, odds are she had knowledge of what transpired before him and she had come to help him, or at the very least explain why it happened.
Silence surrounded them for a moment or two before the Blue Fairy finally spoke. "Dear Nicholas," she began in her tender tone; "the hate which corrupts your soul has taken its toll, and has now brought evil upon you and your loved ones. I wished to have come once I fully learned of your demons; I see now that evil has claimed what it desired the most."
Nicholas did not break eye contact as he rose to his feet. "Evil? Demons? My family? You know about this?" he inquired.
"As far as I've been told," the Blue Fairy responded; "your relationship with your kin has been splintered by tragedy, and with it came the burden of animosity. Do speak with honesty; do you believe it in your heart your family is to blame?"
The warm sensation Nicholas felt inside completely diminished and anger crept back into his mind. "Do you know how many times I've heard that from people?!" he growled. "They all say the same thing, that I only do it for attention!"
"The people around you have their side of the argument; they believe…"
"Look, maybe I've been affected in one too many ways," Nicholas snapped; "but that doesn't mean anyone should criticize me! They weren't even there! They don't understand what it feels like to stand so close to death! To know what it feels like to be…"
Just as swiftly as vexation returned to him, the wretchedness that had clung to Nicholas for five long years reentered his intellect. He immediately realized what he was setting himself up for if the rage were to get the better of him, the rage that had already taken a powerful hit on his family and could've ruined his youngest cousin's birthday party. He also understood that this could be the only opportunity to learn more about the entity, and why it took his family and the ending pages of twenty-seven Disney stories. Still, the dreadful memory discomposed the pre-teen, and he finished his last sentence with: "To be so helpless."
Unlike the boy, the Blue Fairy had not been flustered by the outburst, save for her expression which had softened a bit, indicating that she was willing to express sympathy for poor Nicholas. "You're right that no one was there in your time of distress," she stated. "If the account of the calamity I was told is true, it's safe for me to assume your bitterness is due to your family's absence at the time. Do you wish to object, Nicholas?"
"No," Nicholas uttered gloomily. "What you said is true. I hate my Mom, my Dad, and my sister because they weren't there to help. I hate them day and night, wanting them to never forget their mistake, and that the fire could've been avoided! It didn't had to happen! If only they…they actually cared for us both!"
The Blue Fairy could see and hear how powerful the emotions within the pre-teen were. As much as she wanted voice her disappointment for his display of antagonism, she declined and placed a hand on Nicholas' shoulder, prompting him to look up at her. "I understand that your heart still aches and why you choose to resent those close to you," she said. "It has also become clear why you have been chosen."
"Chosen? For what? And by who?" Nicholas questioned with a slight sniffle.
"Evil, Nicholas," the Blue Fairy answered. "You were chosen by evil itself to help its plan to dominate the world. This entity, a nefarious force named Zovuta, feeds on the hostility, wickedness, and intolerance of every living man, woman, and child. Her plot to conquer the world is simple but powerful: she seeks to annihilate all that fills the hearts of people with love and morality, and in its place, hatred and sin."
"This sounds very serious," said Nicholas; "and, basically, this Zovuta chose me out of all people to help her plot for world domination? Why would I help her?!"
"Zovuta knows how much you loathe your family, your sister especially," the Blue Fairy replied. "You disapprove of all the attention she received after the tragic fire and how your parents seem to forget how it has affected you. It is not favoritism, but I do agree that their devotion is relatively unnecessary. By my knowledge, I believe Zovuta is planning to extract the kindness from your loved ones before taking on the world. I can assume that you were a top choice judging by the products of your wild fits."
The Blue Fairy pointed her wand at Amanda's storybook. Nicholas lowered his head and sighed. His sigh wasn't one of shame, it was one of displeasure. While the fairy was providing him with an explanation to everything regarding the specter, the pre-teen didn't like being called out for something he did out of anger, even in times like these where he would be stable enough to express regret over it.
"Listen; I know what I did was wrong, and I totally deserve the blame," Nicholas stated. "I wasn't thinking straight, I wasn't thinking about the consequences, but what does it even matter now?! That damned Zovuta is going to turn us all heartless, and yet you're going to scold me over a book?! Why the hell would someone evil need a kid's book for world domination?! I mean, come on, it's a book for God's sake!"
"It's more than that, Nicholas," the Blue Fairy explained, once again effortlessly composed. "Once a story is read, it becomes alive in the imagination of the person who heard it. I'm sure it has to you years ago. This particular storybook matters to Zovuta because it was owned by Amanda, one of the few people you're close to. After you destroyed it, she was able to put the second part of her plan into action, by removing the happy endings from many treasured stories, leaving the heroes in peril and putting the villains in control."
Nicholas sighed once more. He did perceive what the Blue Fairy had explicated, but his fading incredulity struggled to keep itself alive. The recollection of the entity subdued the sense and the pre-teen merely shook his head.
"I know you ruined your sister's book without intending to help evil," said the Blue Fairy; "but now that Zovuta is readying herself to cast wickedness upon the world, it is urgent that a soul strong-willed and valiant must be sent to stop her. I have already cast a sleeping spell over the world, prohibiting her from venturing further, but it will not last long."
Upon hearing that, Nicholas quickly debated if he should volunteer. It was a stupid idea, but his contrition demanded him to speak up. Someone had to go and stop the villains, and, while this would definitely serve as a punishment for putting lives in danger, the sentiments deep down wouldn't rest until he and his family reconciled.
"That should still give me time to set things right; right?" Nicholas boldly asked.
The Blue Fairy was quite surprised by the pre-teen's statement, but she thought for a moment then replied, "It will be very hard with the villains in the process of changing their stories, and, though I have come to warn you of what is yet to come and to see if you could help, I have my doubts if you are willing to embark on such a journey through the Disney realm."
"Perhaps if my family wasn't abducted, I wouldn't be willing to do anything," Nicholas declared. "I was a total jackass to my Mom and Amanda, and I'm sorry. Wouldn't it make us all happy if I could say those two words in front of their faces? If Zovuta is unable to carry out her plan with everyone on the planet asleep, and if I'm the only person who is awake, I should be the one who does all the dirty work. Sure, the chances that I'll barely survive are slim, but this was my doing, and I should be handed the task of putting things right in the story world- unless, you had another tactic in mind."
At first, the Blue Fairy remained silent, apparently reflecting on whether or not he was being honest. Nicholas prayed she would believe him. He was truly sorry for his foul demeanor and all he asked her was the opportunity to rescue his family and to atone for his indiscretions.
Giving the pre-teen a benign smile, the Blue Fairy presented her verdict. "I hadn't thought of another way of stopping Zovuta just yet, but given that you have proved your willingness to set things right, I hereby grant you the duty of saving the storybook heroes and thwarting Zovuta's plot. A portal to the realm will open soon, and once there, my magic will be aid you the whole journey through. In order to succeed and win back your family, you must hold your integrity close, never lose hope, and to keep your mind set on what is morally right."
As she spoke, the Blue Fairy raised her wand and pointed it at Nicholas. The pre-teen watched as the wand began to glow a brilliant white, the same color as the orb the fairy traveled in, before its star tip touched his forehead. A warm sensation filled him from his head to his feet, and as the light grew in intensity, he heard the Blue Fairy say, "I wish you luck, dear Nicholas. Remember, my magic will be by your side, and always let your conscience be your guide."
The light gradually faded away. It took some time before his vision stabilized, and when it did, Nicholas found himself once again alone. The Blue Fairy was gone, most likely had departed in the same white orb she arrived in. He sauntered to the sliding door and peered at the dark sky. There was nothing there like before. He looked at the picnic table where his unconscious relatives sat, then spotted something in his faint reflection: the wound on his head was no longer there. Placing a hand on his forehead, the pre-teen came to find the skin was indeed restored. He guessed that the Blue Fairy's magic had healed him, and took it as a sign that a protection spell was soon to be cast upon him.
Knowing that the portal to the Disney universe would open momentarily, Nicholas headed back to the living room. He wanted to make sure he didn't miss it. There was no telling how long it would last- five minutes, a minute and a half, thirty seconds, only the Blue Fairy knew. Nicholas was determined not let anxiety distract him; he only had one chance to save his family, and he vowed to do everything in his power to ban evil from seizing the world.
"Huh; funny how I started out as the world's dumbest ass," Nicholas remarked as he picked up the storybook; "and now I'm about to go on an adventure beyond comprehension; not to mention an adventure to save the world. Hopefully what the fairy said is true and that Zovuta hasn't done anything bad to my family yet; that there's still time for me to apologize. They won't forgive me right away, but it's worth the risk- hopefully."
The pre-teen turned to the couch and was about to step forward when a new voice shouted, "Hold on, Nicholas! Wait for me!"
It wasn't the abrupt arrival of the voice that startled the pre-teen; it was the fact that the voice was one of another familiar character from the story of Pinocchio. He turned in the direction of the fireplace and, from the mantlepiece, a small green cricket jumped into the air towards him. Nicholas didn't stagger back in fear, instead held the book out as far as his arms could stretch.
The cricket managed to land safely on the book cover. He set his red umbrella down, dusted his fancy outfit with his gloved hands, and then gazed up at the pre-teen. "Nice catch," he commented. "If you hadn't held the book out, I might've had some fall to the floor."
"Consider it the first signs of my changing character," Nicholas responded. "It's the thing I promised to the Blue Fairy before she left. So, what brings you here, little guy?"
The cricket chuckled before removing his hat and bowing. "Cricket's the name; Jiminy Cricket," he said. "I was sent by the Blue Fairy to ensure that you complete the mission without getting deluded by Zovuta and the other villains."
"I remember she told me her magic would be by my side throughout my journey," said Nicholas, raising an eyebrow. "She wasn't lying, was she?"
"Nope," Jiminy told the pre-teen. "Her magic will protect you alright, but you have to remember, Zovuta is evil in its purest form. She will do everything possible to get her way. The Blue Fairy always keeps her word to those who are good at heart; nonetheless, you're still gonna need a little guidance when confronting every villain you meet."
"I won't argue with that," Nicholas replied. "I'm not going to allow myself to get thrown down the wrong path. My family, and soon the world, is counting on me- and I guess you as well."
"That's the spirit!" said Jiminy. "That wicked Zovuta might've chose you for her plan, but you surely have a better card up your sleeve.
At that moment, the storybook began to glow a dazzling array of blue, purple, and white. Jiminy hopped onto Nicholas' shoulder and Nicholas swiftly set the book on the floor. He moved back as the light expanded and immediately formed a second vortex. While it wasn't huge as the pre-teen anticipated, the swirling wind was quite strong and he started to have trouble standing still.
Jiminy held on to his top hat and encouraged the pre-teen to enter the vortex. "The portal's open!" he said. "Don't hesitate, Nicholas! Come on; this is gonna be some adventure!"
Nicholas felt tense at the sight of the portal and the intensity of the wind. It reminded him of the vortex Zovuta appeared in, and the horrified screams of his family resonated in his ears. Scared as he was, the pre-teen mustered enough courage to step towards the portal.
"Hold on, you guys," Nicholas said, drawing in calm breaths. "I'm coming."
Standing a mere inch from the portal's edge, Nicholas continued to take deep breaths as he slowly and steadily counted, "One…two…THREE!"
Closing his eyes tight and taking a giant step forward, Nicholas threw himself and Jiminy into the blinding light.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, I'm going to make this as clear as I can. While discussing this story with "retro mania", we settled on twenty-seven villains to appear in this story (I'm not counting Zovuta of course because she's an Original Character). That means this fanfic is going to be long with twenty-seven future chapters. I'm sorry that "Tangled" and "Frozen" aren't going to be included, but there's a long list of villains that aren't in this as well, so please hold back the urge to complain. Also, the Disney stories are not going to appear in chronological order (or the year they were released in theaters); in other words, if there's a Disney story you really want to see in this story, you're going to have to be patient and spend every day and night your fingers crossed. Okay, you won't have to break your fingers, but you get what I mean.