This was originally going to be the middle of the story, but I had second thoughts while typing it up and will be expanding it. And sorry it took so long to update.

Chapter 10: - Victory at a High Prize

"Walt always feared someone would seek out the Black Cauldron after it was sealed away all those years ago by the First Defenders!" the Chinese Emperor said from where he was sitting on his throne. Mulan and Shang stood on either side of his throne. They needed to be close to their Emperor as their city was being attacked by an unknown force. "He hoped that it would fall into myths and legends that no one would believe! But it seems that he was wrong!" he finished shaking his head.

Mickey looked at Belle who was holding the old book that she had brought from her library. The old worn out book had served them well already. Mulan and Shang had taken them straight to the Emperor and Belle had shown him the old book in question. The book that told the story of the Black Cauldron and the Defenders who had protected Their World from the evil of the Black Cauldron. The Emperor had taken the book from Mulan and flicked through the pages. He knew the story. He knew it as if he had witnessed the whole events. "I am sorry, your majesty but what do you know about the Black Cauldron? And do you know a Fae called Maleficent?" he asked the Emperor. They needed to get more information on what Walt was wanting them do and what was the best way to protect the map pieces to the Cauldron from The Horned King and his allies.

The Emperor exhaled deeply as he kept his position in his throne. "I know about the Black Cauldron, Mickey and what happened to it. This Fae that you have mentioned a few times I have no idea who she is!" he said calmly. "I wish I can say more about the events but all I can tell you is that Walt Disney gave me a piece of the map. One of my scrolls that I have protected for many years, but it seems that I can no longer protect it!" he said as he slowly rose from his throne. "Follow me! You must get the scroll as far away from here as quickly as you can!" he said standing as tall as he could. His golden robes flowed all directions.

Mulan and Shang kept standing behind their Emperor's throne, but they were ready to jump in too save their Emperor. "Wouldn't it be best to destroy the scroll?" Mulan asked from where she was standing at the side of the throne.

The Emperor and Mickey both looked at the Hero of China. The Emperor sighed. "I am afraid, Mulan that is not possible!" he said.

"It's always like that!" snorted Beast from where he stood behind Belle as she was keeping a good distance away from the Emperor. She was flickering through the pages in hopes of finding more about the other map pieces.

"How can that be?" Mickey asked just as the palace trembled from the impact of something from outside from the attacking army. "Surly it's a piece of parchment that can be burnt?" he asked when he and the Emperor recovered from the shockwave.

The Emperor looked back at Mickey. "You were Master Yin Sid's student weren't you?" he asked keeping a level voice as more soldiers ran all over the place. Mickey nodded in reply allowing the Emperor to continue. "Surely he would have told you about a Protection Spell?" he asked the mouse as he started walking down the corridors.

"Yeah he did. That was one of the first things that he taught me when I started training under him. He taught me how to protect items with the spell and how to break the spell on protected items! Wait there's a protection spell on all the map pieces?" Mickey said as he followed the Emperor down the corridor.

The Emperors golden robes made out of silk moved with even the littlest of movements of his body. His long imperial crown made him look taller than he already was, even without his hat he was just as tall as the Beast. The corridor that he was taking Disney Infinity along with his best soldiers was painted gold like the rest of the palace, but there was a difference. The corridor that he was using was devoid of anyone. There was not a soul; no soldier or maid used the corridor. It was just the Emperor and his quests that were walking down the corridor. Doors that had cobwebs covered their handles and hinges. There were also cobwebs coming down from the ceiling. Flames cracked, hissed and spat from their perches on the metal burners coming out from the walls.

Coming up to the biggest door in the corridor the Emperor spun around to face Mickey and his team. They were surprised that an old man like him could walk as quickly as he could. They were also shocked to see something else on his face. A new emotion that none of them had ever seen before. This emotion was that of regret but there was also a hint of fear in his old warm wise eyes. "You'll find the scroll you seek behind this door, Mickey!" he said as he pointed to the door. Unlike the other doors in the corridor that were covered in spider webs and in need of a good oiling this door was in good shape. The door that he had brought them to had the red carving of a dragon, very much like the dragon of the Teleportation Crystal that had gotten them from the Magic Kingdom to the Middle Kingdom. "And Mickey, please sort all this mess that we put ourselves in all those years ago!" the Emperor said putting a gentle hand on the mouse's shoulders.

"You were a Defender?" Belle asked. She had been walking with Mulan all the way down the corridor with Beast walking beside Shang in both men bringing up the rear of the strange party. She took a step back when the Emperor looked around at her.

"I was. I was a young man back then. Not much older than Shang, and I was an excellent swordsman back then!" the Emperor said drifting off to a time gone by when he was the young man and his father was old. He remembered when Walt came to his palace and asked for help. He remembered the battle the Defenders had with the Darkness that had a name that he had forgotten with old age.

He would have stayed in that world if it was not for two swords clashing in front of his face. He was already taking a step back when the swords screamed over each other surface and he got a good look at the one who had attempted to the kill him. The man was wild. He wore fur all over. His hat and his other clothing were made out of animal furs with some kind of animals head on his shoulder. The beady eyes of the animal's head looked into the Emperors. He had one sword in his hand while another bigger sword was still on his hunched back. His eyes were dark and seemed to have no soul as they glared at the man who ruled the Middle Kingdom. His beard and the little hair that was showing was black with streaks of grey in it was just as wild as the rest of him.

"To bad you won't see what The Horned King is planning with the Black Cauldron, old man!" the man said as he reached for the other sword strapped to his back. "Now be a good old man and give me the Scroll that The Horned King is looking for!" he said swinging his two swords towards the Emperor in a threatening manner.

Mulan and Shang had both brought out their swords and had taken defensive stances in front of their rulers. "You will tell us your name and what The Horned King has promised you?" Mulan asked pointing her sword at the mad man who had somehow managed to get to into the palace past all the guards. "And you will tell us how you got into this place!" said as she slowly got into a better defence position in front of the Emperor.

"Mulan, go with Mickey and his team! Go!" the Emperor shouted as Shang was joined by more armoured men. Mulan looked from the Emperor in golden robes to the man that she loved. She then quickly looked at the mouse in question. He held a strange looking sword in his hands that had appeared out of nowhere. "Mickey, you and you team go and get the Scroll quickly!" the Emperor shouted as two guards escorted him away from the scene.

Mulan bowed respectfully to the Emperor as he was escorted out. Her main objective was to obey the Emperor, and secondly it was to make sure that he was safe. Looking at all the men that were surrounding him she knew deep in her heart that he was safe. Running to the door Mulan swung it open with Belle on her heels. Beast was behind them with Mickey bringing up the rear.

"I am Mickey Mouse, the leader of the Magic Kingdom and the Defender of the Light. I ask that you introduce yourself!" he shouted stopping just before stepping into the room that hide behind the once closed door.

The man in animal fur smiled showing yellow rotten teeth. "I am Attila the Hun! And you may have the victory of keeping the Middle Kingdoms ruler alive but it all comes at a prize, Little Mouse!" Attila sneered as he looked at Mickey with dark eyes. He began to laugh wildly as more Chinese soldiers surrounded him.

Mickey gripped the Keyblade even more when green flames sparked all around his body. The flames that sparked all over him engulfed him until there was just a small spark. The small spark then disappeared altogether.

"Mickey, you better get in here now!" Belle shouted from the room that the Emperor had put the Scroll in it. Turning on his heels he ran into the open door to see Belle and the Beast along with Mulan forming a circle around a familiar. Standing in the middle of the circle of heroes was none other than the black robed Fae, Maleficent. The horned Fae was smiling at them all in a wicked way. A way that only an evil villain like The Horned King.

The smile only got bigger when she saw Mickey bound into the room with the Keyblade in hand. "I see Walt and those two wizards have decided to fight back with a new team of Defenders!" she said as she shifted something in her hand. The other hand that was not holding the wooden staff with the green gem at the top of it. Smiling even more she showed the Disney Infinity heroes what it was that was in her hands. A pearl white scroll with a red seal of Disney. "Are you looking for this?" she asked as her smile got bigger as she showed them the Scroll. The first map piece that they were sent to find. The map piece that they couldn't allow The Horned King to get a hold of.

"The Scroll!" the Beast growled showing his black claws to the evil Fae. His growling only got louder when Maleficent started to laugh even more. "Give it to us, Witch!" he roared. He would have charged at her but Belle had put a hand on his furry arm.

Putting the Scroll back into a pocket in her robes. "You can't even control your team, Mickey! How can you possible believe that you can defeat the Cauldron Born?" Maleficent sneered looking at Mickey who was still holding the Keyblade in a tight grip. "And do you even know how to use a sword, little mouse?" she asked looking intently at Mickey with her bright emerald eyes.

Shifting the Keyblade in his hands Mickey stood ready to fight Maleficent only laughed more. "What are you finding so funny?" he asked tightening his grip on the Keyblade.

"That I am allowing the Emperor to life! A victory that comes at a high prize!" Maleficent said as green flames erupted around her as her Teleportation Spell took her away from the Middle Kingdom and back to the Moors.

"What do we do know?" Mulan asked sheeting her sword looking at Mickey.

In a flash of white magic, the Keyblade was gone from Mickey's hand. "We must speak with the Emperor and come up with a new plan!"