Captain Phoebus sighed aloud in relief as the newest stop on his 16-year-long journey came into view: a magestic kingdom overlooking the sea, which sparkled as the sun rose from behind the towering palace at the center of the cluttered Germanic village. It reminded Phoebus very much of home in some ways, and he felt a small pang in his chest as old memories attacked him suddenly. He shook the feeling away, assuring himself that he'd finish this quest and be back in his own kingdom soon enough.

"You look tired, old man." A youthful voice teased from behind him.

Phoebus smirked and turned to face his second-in-command, Hercules. The boy was barely 20, but he was a tall, bulky specimen. A young man of his build, with such strength, speed, stamina and virility, might have seemed intimidating to strangers. But anyone who personally knew Hercules understood that he was really a big softy, despite being dedicated to the life of a soldier. Phoebus knew the moment he met this boy two years ago that he would be a valuable ally to have, and promised Hercules a job as a palace guard back in Phoebus' homeland once Hercules helped him with his quest. He went as far as to promise that Hercules' elderly parents could come live with Hercules in the palace. Of course, Hercules jumped at the chance.

"That's not fatigue, kid. It's wisdom." Phoebus responded slyly.

Hercules laughed and stood next to Phoebus to look over the waters and to the promising new land. They stood together in silence, just watching as the kingdom came closer and closer. Finally, Hercules asked in a more serious tone, "Do you think this is the place, Captain?"

Phoebus nodded stonily. "We've looked everywhere else, Herc. This has to be the place."

"No one in any of the other lands has ever even heard of this magic flower. Maybe that dark fairy was just feeding you all lies..." Hercules said carefully.

Phoebus smirked, a stubbornly hopeful glint in his eye. "Well, I'm not giving up until we know for sure... Time is almost up. I'm not going back to the royal family empty-handed."

"And what if you have to?"

Phoebus chuckled hollowly. "Well, the young king will probably rip me to pieces... But one thing's for sure. Failing to retrieve the flower would surely result in the loss of a happy future for one of those kids. And I can't have that."

"You're so devoted to that family... It's admirable."

"Well, wouldn't you be? That's kind of important if you're to become a guard at their palace."

Hercules laughed a little. "I'm sure I would. I mean, I already am. I'm here with you, aren't I? Besides, they sound like lovely people. It's just that..." Hercules trailed off, hesitating to speak his mind.

Phoebus sighed. "Go on, tell me, Herc."

"Well... The king and queen that you were so loyal to... They're both gone now. And their three children... Well, they're all basically strangers to you. Are you sure that they're the kind of people to be worth your efforts?"

"No child of that couple could ever turn out bad, I assure you. The king and queen were like a couple of saints... Or whatever you'd call them... Any way, these children have been watched over their whole lives by the kindest of fairy folk. And I'm not about to throw away a search that's neared two decades over flimsy doubt. Failing those children is not an option. I made a promise to their mother, and I intend to keep it."

Hercules grinned and patted Phoebus on the shoulder. "You're a real saint yourself, Captain."

Phoebus scoffed. "Oh, shut up." He turned to walk toward the helm. "Prepare to dock."

Hercules followed him. "Captain, I was wondering..."

Phoebus turned back to Hercules with an expectant look.

Hercules continued, "You've been away from your kingdom for so long... What's the first thing you're going to do when you get back home?"

Phoebus looked lost in thought for a moment, then smirked a little and ducked his head. "I suppose the first thing I'll want to do is...check on someone I've been missing."

"Family?"

Phoebus' eyes flashed with some warm emotion that Hercules had never seen in him before. Phoebus shook his head and looked out over the sea, watching the sunlight dance over the gentle waves. "No..." He answered lowly. "More of a friend."

Hercules grinned cheekily and raised his eyebrows. "A lady friend?"

Phoebus rolled his eyes and turned to leave while Hercules laughed at him, calling back, "Prepare to dock, Hercules!"

Meanwhile...

A young gypsy woman, with rich, coffee-colored skin and vibrant emerald eyes, spun and twirled and pranced over the rough cobblestones of the village square, performing an intricate dance for those passing by in the streets. She and her caravan had already been forbidden from performing anywhere near the marketplace, so they stuck closer to the side of the village near the forest, out of the immediate view of any law enforcement. Moving to this location was not ideal, because earnings were already so sparse in busy areas. But enough people walked by with pitiful looks for the gypsies and dropped some meager coins into the little hat on the ground in front of the beautiful dancing girl.

She got so lost in her performance, moving to the beat of her own tambourine and barely seeing as she spun and her thick curls of black hair bounced into her face and the rest of the world became a blur. A gypsy male, who served as her musical accompaniment with a wind instrument, sat nearby and grinned and laughed as he watched her move. A few other gypsies sang and danced nearby, cheering the young dancing girl on, whooping and laughing. The group didn't seem all too interested in how much money she earned; they just wanted to enjoy life. They were really a joyous group, and most entertaining to watch.

Belle loved to watch them in particular, when she got a break from running the book store. She wasn't sure how long ago the caravan had arrived to this kingdom, but it had become a habit of hers to sit at the edge of the fountain near the entrance to the village and watch the gypsies, or listen to their music and singing and general sounds of happiness as she sat in that same spot and read her favorite book. Yes, Belle's noontime break was definitely her favorite part of the day, and today was no exception. She'd been planning to read her book again, but today she found herself so mesmerized by the young gypsy's dance, that she couldn't imagine tearing her gaze away from her. This girl danced with such passion that Belle had never seen before; She just threw herself into the art of the dance, giving it all her energy, but without even seeming tired. She was at once focused and dream-like, poised and lulling, moving like a feather yet demanding attention like a loud bird-call. She was like a siren, and her movements were like magic. And Belle figured it was a good thing for the girl to be light on her feet, because dancing barefoot on the rugged cobblestone was undoubtedly uncomfortable, if not down-right painful.

Belle smiled to herself as she watched the young orphans from the village crowd around a tiny puppet theater a few feet from all the dancing. The children laughed and squealed with joy as another gypsy man put on a funny puppet show for them. Belle sighed contentedly as she took it all in.

"Hello, Belle..." A vaguely familiar voice said from beside her.

Belle turned and looked up to see a tall, brawny man- practically a goliath- standing there and looking down at her with bright blue eyes, his jet-black hair pulled back into a ponytail. If it weren't for his recently-shaven face, Belle might not have recognized him. She laughed aloud in surprise and stood up to face him more evenly.

"Gaston! Well, I haven't heard from you in ages! How have you been?" She asked him exuberantly.

He seemed slightly taken aback by her enthusiasm upon seeing him, but he quickly recovered and responded with a coy shrug. "Oh, I've been alright..."

"I heard you left the estate."

He nodded, his expression becoming somber. "That's true, I did leave. Almost a year ago."

"It was quite sudden, if I remember correctly... Is your family alright?"

"Yes, we're all fine."

"And Snow- is she okay? I've tried before to go visit her, but the new guards always turn me away... I suppose they're unaware that Snow and I grew up together."

"Well, our stepmother is a bit...protective."

"I recall that somewhat, yeah." Belle giggled.

Gaston smiled as he heard her laugh. "Well... I haven't been back home in quite some time myself. I was actually planning to visit soon... Maybe I could...take you with me? Then you and Snow could see each other..."

Belle's face lit up. "That would be wonderful! I mean...you would really take me along?"

"Yes, of course... You were one of the few people to be kind to us after we lost our father... I feel like you should always be welcome."

"Gaston...that's so sweet."

He grinned, then asked, "And how is your father?"

Belle looked unsure for a moment, then conjured up a smile. "Papa is doing well, thank you. He, um... He's on his way back from a fair in a neighboring kingdom. He was debuting a new invention of his, and, from what I've heard, it went quite well."

"Well, that's wonderful!" Gaston said with a little too much enthusiasm. To be honest, Gaston had never cared for Maurice's choice in career. He thought Belle's father was a bit of a loon who liked to create eccentric devices that didn't really work, simply because he was flighty and overly creative by nature. Gaston had always thought that Maurice was an unrealistic old man who set a bad example for his daughters. Of course, Gaston would never let Belle know this.

Belle nodded, her smile seeming somewhat forced. "Yes, it is. We're all very proud of papa. And he's so happy..."

"I'm glad to hear it..." He paused when he noticed her book sitting on the side of the fountain. He scooped it up in one hand and opened it where her bookmark was placed, squinting at the small text. "Is this a book from the shop?"

She nodded. "Yes... Well, not anymore. The store owner told me I could just keep it, since I've already read it twice."

Gaston looked at her doubtfully. "You have?"

She laughed. "Yes. It's my favorite book at the moment."

Gaston frowned down at the book before handing it to her. "I had no idea that you...read."

"You make it sound like something to be ashamed of." Belle said warily, holding the book close to her chest.

"Oh, no, it's just... Well, I've never been one for reading, myself. Any way, I think there are much better ways for a woman to spend her time."

Belle stared up at him for a moment. "Like...looking for a husband to make her money, then spending every day for the rest of her life cooking and cleaning and raising his children?"

Gaston paused, with a confused look on his face. "Is that not what every woman wants?"

"Gaston!"

"Well, it isn't exactly abnormal, you know! Of course that's what I would expect!"

She scoffed. "Well, regardless of what you expect, it's my life and I'll do what I want with it. I want much more than this provincial life. I want to travel to far-off places, experience other cultures, meet exciting new people. I want adventure."

"Belle, that's no life fit for a beautiful young woman such as yourself! See, these books are filling your head with silly ideas. You should just drop this little hobby and face reality, before these people begin to think you're...strange...and do you harm."

She laughed humorlessly. "Oh, are you trying to protect me now, Gaston?"

"Well, yes! These people won't take kindly to a woman who- who..."

"Thinks?" She shook her head. "Gaston, you are positively primeval."

"Belle, listen- here, let me see that book again." He reached for the book that she was hugging protectively to her chest.

"No!" She snapped, stepping back from him. "Don't touch it. You probably couldn't even understand if you tried to read it. It's too progressive for your unevolved brain."

Gaston was obviously surprised- and hurt- by her words. "What?"

"And besides, there's no pictures." She turned away to leave.

"Belle, just-"

"I have to get back to work!"

"Just wait!" He grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her around, only making her angrier.

They continued to argue while Peter and Giselle appeared from the woods nearby and decided to crash the gypsy party. Peter snuck over to the puppet show to wreak mischief while Giselle hesitantly approached the dancing girl and watched her admiringly. Eventually, the girl noticed and stopped dancing to smile at Giselle.

"Oh... I don't have any money to give you. I really wish I did, though. Oh, you dance so beautifully." Giselle told her sincerely, reaching up to tuck a long strand of her hair behind her ear.

The gypsy girl laughed and gave a little bow. "Thank you very much, ma'am." She stood and grinned at Giselle. "Would you like to dance with me?"

Giselle immediately began to shake her head. "Oh, n-no... I couldn't possibly..."

"Sure you could. Come on, I'll teach you." The gypsy encouraged her kindly.

Giselle just stood there and blushed for a moment, then giggled and skipped over to join in the dance. The music started up again, and the gypsy girl kept time with her tambourine as she started leading Giselle through the steps. Giselle caught on fairly quickly, and seemed overjoyed as she got caught up in the dance. Peter noticed from where he was taking part in the puppet show (and mercilessly beating the gypsy man's puppet with one of his own for the orphans' entertainment) and laughed.

The festivities were interrupted fairly quickly when a tall, older man with a pointed nose and a set of cold, dark eyes stormed toward them, his black robes billowing around him. Giselle immediately recognized the man as Headmaster Frollo and stopped dancing to fearfully duck her head.

"This is an outrage! Stop this immediately!" Frollo commanded, forcing the music to come to an end and the group to stop what they were doing and stare at him.

"What have we done wrong this time?" The dancing girl demanded, crossing her arms. "We're nowhere near the marketplace."

"Esme..." The puppet man said in warning as he walked over to them.

Frollo looked around, then pointed at the group of orphans who were slowly standing and preparing to run away from their Headmaster. "You are poisoning the minds of my charges with your heathen ways!"

"We were just having fun!" One orphan cried indignantly.

"Silence!" Frollo shouted. He glared at the group of gypsies, specifically the dancing girl. "You would do well to leave these impressionable youths alone, cretins."

"I don't understand what's so harmful in dancing and puppet shows." The gypsy girl stated angrily.

"That's all just a clever ploy to lure these poor children into your way of life- a trap!" Frollo insisted. He was so focused on yelling at her that he didn't notice Peter ushering the orphans away from the scene. "Now, mind yourself girl, or I'll be forced to have you locked up!"

"That's all you want to do to my kind any way!" She snapped.

"Esme, for the love of God, stop." The puppet man hissed.

Frollo noticed Giselle practically cowering behind Esme and demanded, "And just what are you doing here? No doubt your mischievous brother is nearby; he's always causing trouble for my orphans... Now the pair of you are consorting with devils!"

"We were just dancing..." Giselle whimpered.

"Leave her alone!" Esme snapped at him.

Frollo ignored her and continued to interrogate Giselle. "What are you even doing here, girl? You're obviously not from the village..." He looked down and noticed her bare feet and became disgusted. "A forest rat! I see..."

Giselle was shaking her head in terror, unable to speak or defend herself. Peter noticed this and ran over to protect his older sister.

"Leave her alone!" Peter shouted at Frollo as he wrapped an arm around Giselle and pushed her behind him. Peter was remarkably tall for a fourteen-year-old.

"Ah, here's the brat who's always misleading my children." Frollo remarked haughtily. He pointed between Giselle and Peter and demanded, "Tell me your names, both of you."

"Um..." Giselle squirmed.

"No!" Peter hissed at her.

"Tell me your names, before I have you locked up with these gypsies!" Frollo growled.

Giselle stared at him in wide-eyed fear while Peter just glared defiantly at him.

"They're not involved in this. Just let them leave!" Esme told Frollo.

"What is going on here?" A new voice called. They all looked over to see Belle approaching them with Gaston hesitantly following. Nothing really scared Gaston, but he was always wary of Headmaster Frollo. He knew that Frollo was definitely not someone to start trouble with. Belle didn't seem to care though, as she came to the aid of the two kids and the gypsies.

"This doesn't concern you! Go away!" Frollo told her dismissively.

"Injustice doesn't concern me? Your constant mistreatment of these people doesn't concern me? I suppose it won't concern me when you come after me and my family next!" Belle replied snippily, still clutching her book to her chest.

Frollo narrowed his eyes at the book, then smirked and tilted his head back to look imperiously down his nose at Belle. "Ah... You're one of that inventors' girls. The peculiar one who...reads so much. Well, obviously all that reading has granted you no wisdom, or you would have given this little stunt more thought. Or, maybe you're just crazy, like your father."

Belle rolled her eyes. "You aren't a law official, Frollo. You have no business bothering these people. They've already complied with staying away from the market, a rule which was your doing."

"My doing? I merely brought the concerns of the public to the attention of the chief of police." Frollo sneered.

"One other person complained about these people- based on unfounded opinions that you agreed with- and you jumped at the chance to report the gypsies." Belle smirked. "I suppose only reading that Good Book of yours hasn't given you much room for reason."

Frollo seethed in rage, seeming ready to strike Belle down. Then, he sighed tiredly and said, "Why is it that none of the women in this kingdom know how to hold their tongues?" He turned to glare shortly at Esme. Then, he shook his head and said, "All of you stay right here while I get the authorities. If you try to escape, your punishment will be very harsh, I assure you."

"No, please!" Giselle cried in dismay.

"You can't do that!" Peter shouted.

"You're being unfair!" Belle yelled.

Everything fell into chaos as they all began to shout and argue with Frollo, who stubbornly stood his ground.

"Now, hold on a moment!" A regal voice resounded from a few feet away. Everyone was shocked and fell into silence when they turned to see none other than Prince Edward and Prince Franklin walking toward them.

"Your highnesses..." Frollo bowed politely in their presence, as did everyone else who'd been previously quarreling. "I was merely handling this little situation with the gypsies, when a few insubordinate villagers decided to jump in and they all attempted to attack me."

"What? No!" Belle cried.

"That isn't what happened!" Esme glowered at Frollo.

Edward rolled his eyes and said, "Headmaster, we just watched the whole thing. No one tried to attack you. If anything, you were the one harassing these poor people."

Frollo's eyes widened. "What?"

Franklin smirked. "What fool ever told you that it would be wise to lie to royalty?"

Frollo bowed again in an attempt to seem humble. "No, your highnesses, I never intended to-"

"Let's just forget this whole thing ever happened." Edward cut in with a genuinely friendly smile at the entire group. He looked more pointedly at Frollo and said, "But if we ever catch you sticking your nose where it doesn't belong again, you're going to have to answer for it." He looked over at the gypsies and grinned. "As for the rest of you... My brothers and I will be in the marketplace tomorrow, and we'd love to see you performing there..." His eyes softened noticeably as he seemed to seek Giselle out, hypnotizing her with his gaze. "All of you, hopefully..."

Giselle's cheeks turned bright red and she smiled a little as she shyly ducked her head.

"What?!" Frollo gasped while everyone else looked triumphant and cheerful.

"In fact, we were just think that a festival of some kind would be just the thing to lift the villagers' spirits. Maybe you folks would like to arrange it?" Edward asked the gypsies. They all cheered in agreement and he grinned at them. "Excellent! We'll meet tomorrow to discuss the details. Now, let's all disperse."

The gypsies continued to whoop and holler as they started to head away to where they'd parked their caravan in the forest nearby. Esme remained behind to thank Belle and the princes for their intervention. Frollo just stormed off in a fit of rage.

"That was very brave of you, miss..." Esme was saying to Belle.

"Belle." She stated, reaching out a hand for the gypsy to shake.

Esme grinned and eagerly accepted the gesture. "Esmeralda." She looked around at Belle, Gaston, the princes, and Giselle and Peter, who had lingered. "Aside from you few kind souls, the reception hasn't been very warm here for us gypsies. The villagers have us quite misunderstood."

"Frollo's doing, of course." Belle muttered.

"Well, we'll be sure to fix that." Edward assured them while Franklin nodded in agreement.

Esmeralda bowed gratefully to them, her smile never wavering.

"Esme, come on!" The puppet man called to her from the treeline.

"Coming, Clopin!" She called back cheerfully. She waved goodbye to the six of them before running after the rest of the gypsies.

Belle grinned as she watched her go. Then, she felt a heavy hand place itself on her shoulder and turned to glare up at Gaston. She rolled her eyes and walked away, and he practically chased after her.

With them gone, now only Giselle, Edward, and both their brothers remained. Edward looked over at Giselle in admiration and slowly approached her. At first, she was paralyzed by her nervousness. Then, she started to sprint away toward the forest, calling back in practical terror, "Thanks for your help! Bye!"

Peter stared at his retreating sister for a moment, then at the stunned Edward. Then, Peter shrugged and ran after her.

'W-wait!" Edward called meekly as she disappeared into the trees. "You're such a good dancer!"

Franklin chuckled from behind him. "Smooth, brother. Very smooth."

Edward scoffed. "Shut up. Let's get back to the palace."

The two brothers walked together through the marketplace, nodding in acknowledgment at each of the peasants who bowed and sang their praises along the way.

"That was quite a proposal you just made... The festival thing." Franklin said, giving Edward a pointed look.

"I know, isn't it great? I just kind of came up with it on the spot." Edward grinned.

Franklin sighed. "Yes, that much is obvious, Edward. What do you think Adam- You know, the man who actually rules this kingdom?- will have to say about it?"

Edward shrugged. "I don't think Adam will really care."

"And why do you think that?"

"Because if Adam cared about what happened in his kingdom, I wouldn't be in the position to have the festival idea in the first place." Edward smiled cockily. "Besides, I know Phillip and Fiyera will be supportive of the idea. This kingdom needs some cheer."

Franklin sighed. "Whatever you say, little brother."

A little while later, Giselle and Peter were sitting to a late lunch, just the two of them at the table. Briar Rose was out with her little forest friends, and their three aunts were in another room talking about something. Figuring that the old women were privately planning something for Rose's birthday, Giselle and Peter decided to treat themselves to some leftover fruit salad.

Giselle sat in a daze, distractedly nibbling on a bit of melon without ever actually biting down. Peter watched her for a few moments in amusement, but when it seemed that she was so lost in thought that she might never escape her trance, he loudly asked her, "Whatcha thinking about, sis?"

Giselle jumped back to reality. "Oh, nothing..."

"Come on, you can tell me." Peter pushed as he tossed a grape into the air, then leaned back to catch it in his mouth.

Giselle shook her head slightly. "I just feel bad for almost getting us caught."

Peter scoffed. "Elle, you didn't do anything wrong. We were just having fun. It's not your fault that Frollo's a psycho about the gypsies."

"No, it is my fault. Our aunts always tell us not to do anything to draw attention to ourselves. I was being reckless." Giselle flicked a blueberry across the table as she glumly hung her head.

"Okay, sis. First of all: there was hardly anyone else around. Second of all: Frollo didn't get our names, and has no idea where to find us, so we're all fine. And third: you can't live your life in fear. Didn't dancing with Esmeralda feel good?"

Giselle smiled a little. "It felt amazing. I never knew I could dance like that..." Her face slowly fell. "But Flora and Fauna and Merriweather would be so disappointed..."

"They never have to know. Besides, they all want nothing more than for us to be happy."

"And safe." Giselle interjected. "I just think we should stay out of the village for awhile... Just avoid Frollo, until he forgets about us... We can have plenty of fun in the forest until then. Maybe go play at our treehouse? And Rose could come with us. I feel so bad that she's always cooped up in this cottage, never allowed outside the forest..."

Peter smirked. "Does that mean you don't want to go see your prince tomorrow?"

"No! I mean... Yes, I want to... But I can't." She groaned and buried her face in her hands. "Oh, this is a disaster. To be noticed by a prince, of all people! What could he possibly want with a forest rat like me?"

Peter rolled his eyes. "Don't let Frollo's words get to you like that. You're as worthy of a prince as Cinderella herself."

Giselle smiled a little. "That's very kind of you, Peter. But I still think that we should stay out of sight for awhile..."

He sighed. "Fine, whatever. But I don't care what you say, we're not missing out on that festival."

Giselle grinned. Thinking of the festival had immediately lifted her spirits. "Oh, I hope it happens after Rose's birthday! Wouldn't it be great if her first trip into the kingdom could be to see the festival? She'd be so happy."

"Making your own plans for Rose's birthday, are you?" Flora smiled at them as she, Fauna and Merriweather walked into the room.

"When did you two get home? We weren't expecting you back until dinner." Fauna trilled.

Giselle couldn't conjure any reasonable explanation, so Peter came to her rescue and said, "The village was really boring today, so we didn't stay long."

"Oh, well that's too bad. Well, at least you've got the forest." Fauna said sweetly.

Flora cleared her throat. "Actually, children, I think it would be wise for you to stay inside for awhile. At least until the gypsies have moved along."

"Do you think they're dangerous?" Peter asked, earning a sharp look from Giselle.

"Well, no, I don't just want to assume that... But they are strangers, dear. It's just best for you children to stay clear of them. We have enough supplies to last us a couple of weeks any way..." Flora sat at the end of the table and got to her needlepoint.

"Is Rose still outside?" Merriweather asked.

"She hasn't been home since we got here..." Giselle answered uneasily.

"Want us to go get her?" Peter asked as he bit into a crispy apple slice.

"No, that won't be necessary. Rose knows to avoid strangers. She'll be back soon enough." Flora answered placidly.

Up in the palace, Edward and Franklin were joining Phillip, Fiyera, Mrs. Potts, Lumiere and Cogsworth in the library. Franklin looked around, then frowned and asked, "Where's Adam?"

"Down in the dungeon, I think." Phillip replied distractedly as he flipped through a large tome.

"Why? Are there any prisoners down there?" Edward asked Fiyera.

She shook her head. "No, not that I know of."

"Let's see to that later." Phillip cut in, looking up at his older brother. "Franklin, tomorrow you are to go to every house in the kingdom and get aquainted with the citizens. If we want them to welcome us, we should make ourselves familiar to them."

Franklin nodded.

"Why don't I go talk to the people?" Edward asked with a slight pout.

"I think you're a bit too...brazen for most people, Edward. Besides, you're much more easily distracted than Franklin, and we need this done in a timely fashion." Phillip explained while Franklin smirked and nodded along. Then, Phillip added, "But, feel free to visit the market and get us on good terms with any passers-by, and the vendors. Sound good?"

Edward grinned and nodded.

Franklin muttered, "He's already won over the gypsies..."

While Edward glared at him, Phillip asked, "What was that?"

Franklin smirked and told Edward, "Oh, do tell them about your brilliant idea, brother. I'm going to go see about tonight's dinner." He patted Edward on the back before leaving the library.

Meanwhile...

Phoebus and Hercules were walking through the forest of the foreign kingdom, each leading a horse through the trees. The rest of their men were either in the kingdom or in a different part of the woods, trying to find the flower or ask the citizens what they might know about it. It was the late afternoon, and they'd been searching since arriving that morning. Still, they were getting nowhere.

Then, the two of them heard the thunderous sound of many hooves pounding over the forest floor. Phoebus turned to catch a glimpse of a young man running past, followed closely by a troop of palace guards on their stallions.

Phoebus quickly leapt up onto his horse, and Hercules followed suit.

"After them!" Phoebus called to Hercules as he rode off in the direction that they'd gone.

The two of them breezed through the forest alongside the pursuit, staying hidden from the guards and the man they chased. After a few intense moments of trailing them, the guards turned and took off to the right. Phoebus came to a stop and signaled for Hercules to do the same before he could go after the guards.

"They're heading that way." Hercules said in confusion.

"The guards are... But their target isn't." Phoebus muttered quietly, tilting his head toward a set of rocks nearby. Hercules nodded in understanding and they both hopped off of their horses and slowly approached the rocks. Suddenly, a man darted out from behind the rocks and tried to run away, but Hercules was much faster and tackled the man to the ground so he couldn't escape. Phoebus smirked as he walked over and crouched down in front of the struggling man.

"Sorry about my partner. He's just impossible, can't take him anywhere." Phoebus told the man.

"Please, let me go!" The man cried as Hercules wrangled him off of the ground and firmly held him by the arms. "You don't understand!"

"Before we turn you over to those nice guards, why don't you answer a few questions for me?" Phoebus pressed on. "We're searching for a magical flower, rumored to have grown from a rare drop of sunlight. It's said to have healing powers. Do you know if it's nearby?"

The man gave Phoebus a weird look. "What?"

Hercules sighed. "Sounds like this is a bust, Captain. He doesn't know anything."

"No, no, I know what you're talking about. That flower grew somewhere around here." The man said.

"It did?" Phoebus asked excitedly. "Where?"

"It's not there anymore. The palace guards dug it up years ago, for the queen."

"So...it's at the palace?" Phoebus asked hopefully.

The man shook his head. "No... See, the queen was expecting a baby, and she got really sick. So the king had the guards retrieve the flower, and it was made into a medicinal tea for the queen to save her and the baby. If I had to guess- that is, if it's healing powers you're looking for- the healing qualities of that flower are probably inside the princess. At least, that's how the story goes..."

"Story? What are you talking about?" Hercules frowned.

The man sighed. "The princess was stolen from the palace when she was a baby- kidnapped by a dark fairy. That was almost eighteen years ago. No one has seen or heard from her since."

Phoebus rolled his eyes tiredly. "A dark fairy, huh? Well, that's just great..."

"Every year on her birthday, the kingdom holds a special festival and everyone sends a lantern into the air in remembrance of the lost princess. It's her parents way of signaling to her, in hopes that she'll find her way home. If there's anyone you should talk to about her, it's the king and queen." The man told them.

Phoebus nodded. "Good call." He started walking back toward the horses. Hercules followed, dragging the man along with him.

"Wait! I helped you as much as I could! Just let me go!" He shouted.

"Not a chance. You're coming back with us to the castle, and you're going to answer for...whatever you were being chased for." Phoebus replied.

"But I could help you find her!"

Hercules and Phoebus both paused. Phoebus turned to look at the man suspiciously.

"What?" Phoebus asked.

"I'm really good at finding things. And people. And I promise I'll lead you to her if you hide me from the guards and let me go free afterwards." The man answered with a sly look on his face.

Phoebus shook his head. "We're not getting mixed up with a criminal."

"Hey! This 'criminal' is your only chance at finding the lost princess!"

"How do we know we can trust you?" Hercules demanded.

"You don't know that. But it's pretty safe to say that I wouldn't want to double-cross anyone as big and scary as yourself." The man replied.

"What's your name?" Phoebus asked after a moment of thought.

"Flynn Rider." The man answered.

Phoebus eyed him doubtfully for a moment, then sighed and said, "Alright, fine."

Hercules pursed his lips. "Sir?"

"Let him go, Herc." Phoebus ordered.

Hercules hesitantly released Flynn, who groaned quietly and massaged his numbed arms. Phoebus stepped closer to Flynn and solemnly told him, "If you cross us, we won't even take you back to the palace. We'll just deal with you ourselves."

Meanwhile...

Sebastian grinned to himself as he took deep breaths of the salty, crisp air and looked out over the sea from the ship's crow's nest, his eyes twinkling as he watched his kingdom draw nearer and nearer. He had been gone almost a year, and he felt rejuvenated; like a new man. He had been on the adventure of a lifetime, and now that he knew his career as a sailor promised much more adventure to come, he could return home and settle down and reunite with his family without having to feel restless. His excitement only grew when he saw his old mansion sitting on the hill and thoughts of his little sister came rushing to him. Sebastian quickly climbed down to the deck to join another sailor, John Smith, at the portside. John was staring blankly out over the ocean, obviously distracted by something. Sebastian gave him a sympathetic look and asked, "How is she?"

John sighed as Sebastian's voice reeled him back into reality. He shrugged and smirked humorlessly as he answered, "I'm pretty sure she still hates me... She won't eat anything I take to her, and she's obviously unhappy. I'm not surprised that she blames us for her predicament..."

Sebastian shook his head in disapproval. "What was Ratcliffe thinking, taking her away from her tribe like that, bringing her back with us? I mean... He's turned us into kidnappers! It's so wrong..."

Captain Ratcliffe was a poor reflection of the fantastic crew he'd assembled for this voyage. He was a selfish, irrational, cruel, corrupt man who was only in this business for the glory. When they'd arrived to the new land in search of gold and found nothing, Ratcliffe had become enraged and taken it out on the Natives. During their last night there, Ratcliffe had gone to the Natives' encampment and captured the Chief's daughter, Pocahontas. He'd snuck her aboard the ship and kept her hidden from the crew until after ushering them to set sail before the sun rose. Most of them tried to force Ratcliffe to turn back and return Pocahontas to her tribe, tried to make him see his own madness, but Ratcliffe wouldn't listen. He said that since they hadn't found their riches, Pocahontas would make up for it. He planned to sell her to the highest bidder as a slave. Everyone knew that they couldn't let this happen, but now they were reaching their destination and still didn't have a plan to save Pocahontas. It seemed that there was no hope.

"I've tried to reason with him, but it's impossible." John said, angrily shaking his head. "And I've tried to explain to Pocahontas that most of us want to help her, but... Well, let's just say her English lessons aren't going so well, either. She doesn't want to trust any of us."

"We have to do something." Sebastian insisted.

"Like what? Talking is futile, and he's in good with the royal family. Going against Ratcliffe in any extreme way would surely result in us being hanged for treason." John frowned at the waves, which were darkening and becoming choppy. He looked up to see an endless expanse of grey sky. "Looks like King Triton's got it in for us..."

"King Triton?" Sebastian asked in confusion.

John smirked. "The King of the Sea. Ruler of the merman kingdom. Legend says that when he's aggravated, he conjures storms."

"Hogwash!" Another sailor bellowed from nearby. "It's the Sea Witch who creates the storms to destroy cursed ships! If we all die in a wreck tonight, we'll know why it happened... It's because of that girl! It's bad luck to have a woman aboard."

John rolled his eyes. "Try telling Ratcliffe that."

Sebastian laughed. "I never realized how superstitious sailors can be... Honestly, do you guys really believe all that about King Triton and the mermaids and a Sea Witch?"

John shrugged. "Nothing's happened to disprove the stories, Seb."

"Well, I think it's all bull-"

Sebastian was cut off by a clap of thunder. They all looked up to see dark, swelling storm clouds rolling in overhead. The world was now completely dark aside from the occasional lightning strike. The waters started to get rough.