CHAPTER SEVEN

WITCH UNIVERSITY – MARNIE'S DORM – AFTERNOON

Aneesa and Gene are talking in the dorm. Suddenly, a time portal opens on a wall and the group flies out and land carefully, frightening Aneesa and Gene.

Aneesa: How did you get here?

Marlene: Time traveling. We just got back from the Ancient Halloweentown.

Gene: What?

Once their brooms disappeared, Marnie takes out the key from her pocket, then goes to the dresser and takes out the silver box, unlocks it and opens the lid. Inside is the amulet; the Gift.

Sarox: That's the Cromwell Gift.

She lifts it up.

Max: Wow! It's so beautiful.

Marnie: We have to hide it somewhere safe until midnight.

Max: Whoa! Slow down, I thought you were gonna open it so you could Chancellor Goodwin.

Marnie: Unfortunately, I was tricked by them to do so.

Sarox: Okay, you lost me on that one.

Marnie places the Gift inside the box and locks it up again.

Silent moments: Marnie is explaining what she's learned about the Dominion from Grandma Aggie.

PJ: So you're saying that they want to use you and the Gift to take over the world once again?

Marnie: If they succeed, they can turn everyone else into slaves. That is why we have to get outta here before midnight.

Marlene: Why? What happens on midnight?

PJ: (Explains) All spells that are cast in this world become permanent on the strike of midnight on Halloween.

Sarox: Okay… we'll look for Dylan. Marnie, can you show me your witches' glass?

She shows him to the mirror then waves her hand in front of it, and reveals an image of Dylan reading in his dorm.

Sarox: Handy. Okay, um… we need to move fast. If anyone wants to hear a plan right now, I have one.

Everyone closes in to listen.

Sarox: Luke and I will get Dylan outta there. – Max! Marlene! You will take the Gift out of here secretly, because we can't risk the Dominion seeing us leave with it. – Marnie, you need to stay put in this room until it is time to leave, PJ and Aneesa will stay with you. And I will call Jiminy and ask him to prepare the ship's embarking system.

Marnie: Who is Jiminy?

Marlene: He is a friend of ours, living on the Gummi Ship we use to travel to other worlds.

Sarox: Come on, we have to move quickly.

With that, they all move into action according to Sarox' plan.

WITCH UNIVERSITY – CORRIDOR – AFTERNOON

Sarox and Luke come to Dylan's dorm. Luke knocks.

Luke: Dylan! It's Luke, man! Open up!

No respond. He knocks again, but there is still no respond. Sarox turns the handle, pushes in and finds Dylan and Ethan… frozen in ice blocks.

Sarox: What… happened?

In addition to the element of surprise, the two frozen boys de-materialize.

Luke: Where did they go?

Sarox: C'mon! We have to tell the others.

WITCH UNIVERSITY – MARNIE'S DORM – AFTERNOON

Marnie, PJ and Aneesa are waiting in the room. Suddenly the witches' glass activates. Marnie and the others go to it. Then the mirror reveals an image of frozen Dylan and Ethan trapped in a cage.

Marnie: Dylan!

Aneesa: And Ethan!

A magical beam comes out from the mirror and takes Marnie away. Just then, Sarox and Luke come back.

Sarox: Where's Marnie?

WITCH UNIVERSITY – CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE – AFTERNOON

Marnie falls to the floor on the room she doesn't know where. When she looks up, she finds Dylan and Ethan and realizes that the enemy has taken her to them.

Marnie: Dylan! – Ethan!

She now realizes she is surrounded by Silas, Scarlett Sinister, Chancellor Goodwin and Dr. Grogg.

Marnie: What did you do to them?

Silas: Nothing. We simply gave them a rest. Your brother has been working his brain out, so we thought we could give him a little mind-freeze.

Marnie: Cute. What about Ethan? Why'd you do it to him?

Chancellor Goodwin: He was being in our way. Spying on us to help you out. Thankfully he didn't have any powers, so he was an easy match.

Marnie: (Surprised) What? What'd you mean he didn't have powers?

Dr. Grogg: When we went on them, Ethan told us he didn't have any powers. Said he resigned them after his father was stripped of his powers. Dylan was the only one to put up a fight. Kinda surprising with the way your brother fought, never expected him to be such a tough guy.

Marnie holds her hands to the back and opens the witches' glass on her hand.

WITCH UNIVERSITY – MARNIE'S DORM – AFTERNOON

Marnie: What do you want?

Sarox, Luke, Aneesa and PJ come to the witches' glass to listen to their conversation.

Silas: For you to do what your grandmother didn't. – To be our queen and use the Gift to turn all magical creatures into slaves.

Marnie: Too bad I don't have the Gift anymore. My friends have taken it away.

WITCH UNIVERSITY – CHANCELLOR'S OFFICE – AFTERNOON

Scarlett: Not anymore.

Sapphire and Sage push Max and Marlene into the office.

Marnie: Marlene!

Marlene: I'm sorry, Marnie. They caught us off guard.

Marnie: It's okay. (To the Dominion) What if I refuse to give you what you want?

Dr. Grogg: Don't pester us! Do you want your brother to stay being an ice-stick for the rest of his life? You know all spells cast at Witch University become permanent on midnight of Halloween.

Marnie: All this trouble just to make me your queen?

Silas: Only for one night.

Marnie: One night?

Silas: At the struck of midnight, you will use the Cromwell Gift to make everyone obey the Dominion and let us rule Halloweentown. After that, we won't need you anymore. Believe me, things will be so much easier if the Dominion is in charge.

Chancellor Goodwin: You better decide quick, Marnie. We only need to keep them like this till minute for the spell to last forever.

Marnie: How will I know you will turn them back?

Silas: You don't, but what choice do you have?

Marnie takes a look at Ethan and Dylan. Then, she makes her decision.

Marnie: Fine, I'll do it.

Max: Marnie!

Marnie: But I'm gonna need time to prepare. After all, a girl only gets to be queen once. I'll need Marlene to be my royal dresser, and Max to be my guard. And I will wear a dress so I can act the part. – That is my request.

Silas looks a little upset at her request though she is under their hands, but takes it in anyway.

Silas: Yes, my queen.

With that, Marnie, Max and Marlene leave the room together. Scarlett has the box.