Rapunzel wrung out her hair, which still had snow in it. She sighed and was glad she at least didn't have Merida's hair. The bomb that went off at the Autopia racetrack had been loaded with snow magic that covered the stadium and the area surrounding that part of Tomorrowland in snow. "At least it wasn't an actual bomb," she said. Elsa passed by her, pacing the same way as she had been since they got back to HQ.
"But why, though," she said. She turned back to Rapunzel. "They knew we were going to be there. This was planned in order to distract us from something."
"Now the question stands," Jack replied, his feet propped on the dining table in the middle of the audience chamber. "What did they not want us see?"
"Found it!" Belle shouted from the mirror. She began monitoring the mirror the minute they got back. She turned to the team. "The Seven Dwarfs Mine Mountain."
"What?" Merida replied, still shaking the snow out of her hair.
"It's one of the newest additions to the Fantasyland Forest," Belled said. "It's not supposed to have public access until spring to match its appearance in the outside world. However, we have unwanted guests there. The mountain hasn't been officially added to the vault's catalog yet, so that's how the Villains knew we wouldn't be alerted at first, especially when distracted by an attack out of the blue like that."
"How did you know to look there?" Rapunzel said.
"It's the forest," Belle pointed to a dark anomaly over what should be the peaceful wooded area. "It's pure fantastical magic. It would change the moment a dark and evil presence appeared in it. I followed the trail to a seemingly barren area. A little more research on my part, and, well," she shrugged like it was nothing.
"That settles it, then," Jack said, quickly jumping to his feet and grabbing his pistol and hat.
"Now hold on," Belle said. Jack sighed and stopped. "The mine isn't supposed to exist right now." Elsa looked away for a second. Like me, she thought to herself. "So," Belle continued. "It's existence is suspended in its own dimension, sort of."
"What exactly does that mean?" Rapunzel said cautiously.
"It means it can be used to go into the outside world," Elsa said, going on her best guess. Belle nodded and they all gasped.
"This happens all the time with new additions," Belle said. "Every so often a Villain tries something. This isn't a first, you guys should be able to stop the White Witch." She took out an enchanted mirror. "The only real problem here is that you guys don't necessarily know how to navigate to the mine. I'll get you some help with that." She then walked away, the mirror coming to life.
Elsa was shocked. If this was the case, the mine was a bridge between dimensions because of its non-existence, then what did this make her? She and the mine shared much in common.
The six stood outside the edge of the Fantasyland Forest. Normally, it was a place of lightness, whimsy and beauty, but now it was obviously dark, foreboding… practically a dangerous place to even be near. And they were going to go in it.
They had been told to wait there for the Beast and Snow White, both members of the Defenders before them, now Consultants because of the new generation that took over after 20 years. Being Consultant meant you were privileged to certain information about many things in the Kingdom, like new additions. Elsa wondered if maybe they knew about her predicament, if they knew why she had been chosen instead of another character in the past decade.
"Are we just supposed to stand here until they show up?" Merida groaned.
"Yes," Rapunzel said. "Stop being impatient."
"I mean, they told us to show up," Merida said, waving her hands in annoyance. "Why are we waiting?"
Ralph glanced to his right, his eyes widened. "They're here."
They all whirled around and found the infamous characters of Disney history: the Beast and Snow White. As the Beast stomped his way to them, Snow — much like Cinderella — glided.
"Why hello there," Snow said happily. The Beast grunted.
"So," Merida said. "You guys know the way to the mine?" Snow White nodded and began gliding into the dark forest.
The trees created almost a labyrinth that twisted and turned. Merida was surprised Snow White could manage to keep herself balanced and not phased by the difficult trek. She then raised a hand at them, signaling them to stop. Well they assumed it meant to stop, they weren't really sure given that she had her arms raised gracefully when she walked all the time. She turned them, bring a finger to her lips and saying, "Shh."
She reached down her dress, lifted it up a bit and took out a mystical-looking dagger. She then looked forward, raised the dagger and viciously stabbed the air. Suddenly a crack of light appeared where Snow had stabbed — in mid air. Snow put the dagger back underneath her dress, smiled at the others and turned back to the crack. She tugged at it and opened the crack in order to make an opening into something that was actually hidden.
A small mountain with cave entrances were revealed as they all went past the sheet that disguised the site. "No one knows how the barriers are created," Snow said. "We just know that they appear when the new area arrives before its time. It's very convenient."
They passed a nearby cottage with a well a few feet away from it. Rapunzel smiled brightly. The Dwarfs' cottage. She then turned a large hole in the mountain: the main entrance into the mine.
"Where exactly is it we are going?" Jack said.
The Beast moved in front of them and moved his cloak behind him, gesturing to the cave. "In there, is a point at which the mines are most vulnerable to the separate dimensions. It's a crystal cave. This is where the Witch is going to be."
Snow came up next to him and turned to the others. "Now, it's important to get her wand from her. Good thing we're with you."
"We have faced the White Witch before," the Beast said. "We know a little more about how to handle her." They both turned and walked into the mine tunnel. The team followed them. The Beast looked behind him as he continued. "First of all," he said. "Don't tackle her dead on. She'll only use your forwardness against you."
"She's very fast," Snow added. "But the key is to get her when she's focused on something else."
They made it to the main, enormous cave chamber. Mining carts and lumps of gems scatter the chasm. Elsa marveled at the immense size. She then felt a tingling in her hands. She looked down at them and almost gasped. Ice was beginning to creep out, she quickly brought her hands to her chest and looked at the others in front of her. What was going on? Was this the effect of going into the mine? Two things existing when they shouldn't be, together at once? A rumble started, then stopped abruptly.
"We should hurry," Beast shouted. Elsa sighed. She didn't have memories of her past, but she still knew what the conflict was. If she couldn't control her powers, the mine would be trapped under feets of ice and snow.
Ralph tripped again, stumbling down a rocky corridor that was one of two pathways a while back. It was a fork in the road (or cave), and the team decided to split up, against Rapunzel and Ralph's better judgements. Ralph, Jack, Stitch and Beast took the one of the left — Rapunzel, Merida, Elsa and Snow in the right tunnel.
The point was to find and apprehend the White Witch. "This weak spot in the mines," Beast had said before they split up. "Is a crystal cavern, deep inside. If either of us find it, we must protect it at all costs."
Stitch crawled over to Ralph to help him balance. He then hopped onto his back and rested on his shoulder.
"Don't fall behind," Beast said back to him.
"Cheery guy, is he?" Ralph muttered to himself.
"He's a hairy beast," Jack slowed his pace to walk beside Ralph. "Attitude comes with the condition, mate."
"Yeah, I guess."
"Ooh," Stitch said, his attention to his left.
The other glanced in that direction and saw a few blue crystals on a nearby wall. Jack held out a hand in front of Ralph to stop for a moment and crept up to the wall. He broke off a crystal and studied it, then brought his ear to the wall and tapped it lightly. He tried taking another crystal, though it wasn't budging.
"Now is not the time to be looting, Captain Sparrow," Beast huffed.
"Oh trust me, mate" Jack said. "You'll know when I'm acting on my pirate-y ways." There was a clicking sound and the crystal he was holding turned. The stone wall moved sideways slightly then, revealing a passage filled with even more of the blue crystals. "Seems as though we've just found our 'crystal cavern,' gents."
"A dead end," Elsa sighed.
"Again!" Merida shouted.
"So much for your expert navigation, Merida," Rapunzel groaned.
"Don't pin this on me!" Merida's voice echoed throughout the fairly large cave. She flailed her arms about.
"Oh my," Snow White said. "Perhaps we should turn back?"
"What's the point?" Elsa replied. "Clearly we are nowhere near the crystal cavern. There's nothing here."
"Don't be so deceived by what you see," an eerie, cold voice came. Even though they were in a cave, the room still seemed to dim and flicker a bit, and almost foreboding presence crept up on them. A wall on the far end of the chamber began to become fluid, as if it wasn't there but was still visible. A figure began coming out of the wall. Merida readied her bow and arrow, Rapunzel gripped her hair tight, Elsa raised her fists and out of nowhere Snow White took out a… the girls looked in awe at the battle axe and now oddly serious expression appeared on her. "It's quite amazing how the laws of reality are temporal when things such as these occur." The figure revealed itself, the now fluid and passable wall allowing her body to ripple through it. Maleficent, the leader of all Villains, stood before them. "Wouldn't you agree, Elsa?"
"Stay vigilant," Beast said as the boys filled up the chamber of crystals, blue light instilling a tranquil feeling. Too tranquil. The wall opposite the way they came in had a crystalline archway, nothing but stone wall filling it up.
They then heard a low cackling, which boiled into a sinister laugh. "How funny," The Witch's voice sounded. "You think you can stop something…" They all turned to the archway. The White Witch stood there, smiling at them. "That is already at work." She quickly aimed her wand at Ralph and shot an energy of ice. Beast deflected it just as quickly with his cloak. The Witch swiftly moved from the archway before Beast could jump at her.
"Surprised to see you here, Beast," she called out, shockingly halfway across the room to their right now. "Out of retirement, I take it?"
"More surprised to see that you're working with others," Beast retorted.
"Science is quite a wonderful thing, you should give it a try."
"Sorry to interrupt your banter," Jack said. "But aren't you a 'lone' Villain? What are you doing with the likes of Maleficent and her people?"
"I value progress," she rolled her eyes. "Maleficent offered me it. And personally I think it is beautiful what she has come up with."
"Well you're not getting this mine," Ralph stepped forward. "Count on it."
The White Witch chuckled. "It's amusing how much you don't know, really." She began walking to them. "This world has seen so many things in its history. Yet, still, never before has it seen something so big until now." She grinned.
"Enough!" Beast shouted and threw himself at the White Witch. She jumped back and kicked him in the nose.
As Jack held his pistol, suddenly his hand and the gun in it turned into icy stone. He brought his other hand to it and found that it instantly became stuck to it as well. "Not again!"
The Beast wrapped himself around her and dragged her down. A flash of blue and he stepped back, turning into icy stone. The Witch picked herself up, panting. Then a rumbling sounded and the cavern shook. She looked over at Ralph, who was banging the cavern's floor and walls to create a sort of earthquake. He then brought his fists down hard to make one long crack in the floor directed at the Witch. The floor began to split, but unfortunately it didn't reach her in time before she jumped out of the way.
Ralph rolled away and hopped onto the higher levels of the cavern. He peered down but couldn't find the Witch. He held in a breath and then jumped off the platform he was on, his fist in front of him. He came down hard of the cavern floor, a portion of the split floor coming down with him. Crystals shattered and flew everywhere as the part of the floor he came down on slipped down further and further.
"How reckless," he turned his head as the Witch slapped him down. "I guess it's best I take down the ones with brute strength first." She smiled as if she gave him a compliment. She raised her wand to him, ready to shoot him. The floor started to stop going down, which Ralph was a little grateful for. Almost as grateful as the movement he saw a level above them. She laughed. "And where exactly is your little friend? Run away has he?"
Ralph grinned this time. The Witch didn't register it at first, but then she thought a moment. Just as she turned around, Stitch threw himself on top of her. He then licked her face with his long slimy tongue as she screamed. While she was busy being disgusted, he wrapped his fingers around the wand and leapt out of the pit that Ralph created.
Ralph climbed up to the level where Stitch and his companions were. Ralph sighed at the sight of Beast, now completely stone frozen. Fortunately it was reversible, though Elsa did mention it was still difficult. Stitch held up the wand in victory and gave it to Ralph, who then broke it in half with his knee.
"You think this is a victory?" The Witch shouted and then laughed. "You wouldn't be here if it was not what we wanted." She held her up triumphantly. Ralph was confused. What more could there be? They destroyed the wand. He looked at it and noticed something different about it — it was made of plastic. This wasn't a real wand? "I am a witch," she thundered. "I only need a channel. The wand merely enhanced my powers."
Ralph turned to her. "Why are you using a fake wand? Where's the real one? And why did you want us—"
"Not us," Jack said. "Only one of us." Ralph shook his head, not understanding. "The wand enhances ice powers, right?" Ralph and Stitch nodded. "And they wanted us to show up, right?" They nodded again. Jack walked over to them. "Elsa." It almost came out as a whisper. "They want Elsa."
The girls walked backward, except Snow White, who stood her ground. Elsa tried to not show her fear, but some things aren't that easy to do when you're facing the mistress of all evil. "W-What do you mean?"
"You are quite the oddball of the bunch, aren't you?" She said, pacing around the cave. "You can't even remember your movie."
"What is she talking about, Elsa?" Rapunzel said.
"Oh, she didn't tell you?" She laughed. "I'm not surprised. I'd feel embarrassed to admit that to anyone myself as well."
Merida tilted her head to show she was acknowledging Elsa. "You don't remember your movie?"
"Don't believe a word that she says," Snow White snapped, her battle axe ready.
"Well, now," Maleficent looked taken aback. She then chuckled. "My dear, sweet Snow. I was not expecting an appearance from a former foe of mine. And in any case, I have never lied to you, child." She looked over to the girls. "I will never lie to you, ladies."
"You will withhold information," Snow replied.
"Now there's the beauty about honesty. You don't need to say anything more than the necessary."
Snow White let out a battlecry that the girls were actually scared of as she charged to Maleficent. The fairy disapparated as she brought down her axe and reappeared behind her. She knocked her on the head with her scepter and sighed. "You were never much of a threat to me," she said. "Princesses."
An arrow pierced the edge of her cloak. She whirled her head to Merida, who know had three arrows at the ready to fire. Maleficent muttered a few words under breath and the arrows turned into ravens flying from her grasp and began pecking at her hair.
Suddenly her scepter flung from her hand, being tugged away by golden hair. Rapunzel caught it in her hand with triumph. "Hmph," Maleficent hissed. "You think a mere object is my downfall? You pathetic fool!" Rapunzel didn't look too sure about her victory now. "So sorry to inform you this, but I believe I see…spiders in your hair." Just as soon as she said it, Rapunzel could feel the critters forming in the creases of her locks. She screamed as she dropped the scepter and scratched her head, gathering up her hair and batting the spiders away.
Maleficent walked over to reach her scepter when a sheet of ice coated it, freezing it. Maleficent straightened herself to look at Elsa, who looked as if she was struggling too hard with something. The fairy grinned. "What's the matter? You don't look so good." She reached down, touched the rod of the scepter and the ice melted away. "I believe you're struggling with containing your powers has to do with a little something I made especially for you." She sat down on a nearby rock and looked at Elsa.
"W-What?" She could feel it. An overwhelming sensation. The ground beneath her was too cold, it was turning into ice.
Rapunzel looked up for a moment in between rubbing at her hair vigorously. "Elsa what's wrong?" She shivered from the coldness coming off of her.
"They don't quite understand," Maleficent said. "Do they?" She got up and began walking to Elsa, who had started to back away. "I know, I know. I may be a bit forceful with this spell, but trust me." She took out a long wand from her cloak. The White Witch's wand. "You need some channeling. Channeling your inner Snow Queen."
Elsa looked up at her. "What?" She was lowering her fists now.
"Elsa!" Merida and Rapunzel both shouted.
"The Snow Queen is a fairy tale about a poor little girl trying to save her sibling from an evil snow queen. And that is what you are, Elsa. The Snow Queen. You are, in fact, the Villain." She smiled coldly and offered the wand to Elsa.
She looked at the evil fairy and pursed her lips. She then looked down at the wand, and finally to her friends. "I'm sorry." And took the wand. Maleficent put a hand on Elsa's shoulder and they both disapparated into thin air.
Rapunzel and Merida gasped. The ravens were gone, there were no more spiders. Rapunzel looked on at the spot where Elsa left and tried not to cry. She was gone. Elsa had become a Villain.
CHAPTER 9: THE COUNCIL
Elsa has become a Villain, under Maleficent's rule. No one knows what to do. The Consultants must convene, the Council must meet. The mirror must decide: what happens to Elsa, since she is still a Defender and can still strike HQ from inside.
We'll be meeting members of the Disney Council and its Consultants, so that'll be exciting! Stay tuned, the next chapter comes next weekend (or this weekend, technically).
