Once everyone had gathered themselves enough, they set off down another hallway of sorts; being extra wary to not touch ANYTHING, no matter how interesting it looked. Heaven forbid they'd come across lava, or pop-up axes, or invisible platforms, or any other weird monstrosity. Eventually, the dirt path lead to an even larger room than the previous one. It was about the size and length of a football field, at the end of which was a narrow pillar of light. No doubt, that was where they needed to go. In between the travelers and the exit was, for lack of a better term, a garden of glass. Huge reflective shards of a crystalline substance were literally growing out of the ground, and from thick roots on the ceiling. They were just high enough, as well as tightly compacted together enough, that it wouldn't have been very practical or safe for Benny to fly over them. But no one had to say anything to know what they were facing.
It was a maze...a mirror maze...like the kind one would find at a carnival funhouse.
But the team was well aware this would be anything but fun. Indiana summed up their trepidation when he muttered, "Everyone try and stay close."
With the archaeologist leading the way, the group entered the maze single file; not wanting to lose each other in such a confusing space. They took their time; worming their way through the twisting paths at a slow pace, and getting turned around once or twice when they'd hit a dead end. Yet, there was no shaking the creepy feeling they were somehow being watched. Perhaps it was because the mirrors were so crisp and clear, the reflections almost appeared to be real...
...real enough that some of the builders began following what they THOUGHT was Indy, but turned out to be just an illusion...and by the time he or she would realize their mistake, they'd find themselves alone...and completely lost.
The archaeologist had hit another roadblock and cursed his awful luck, "Darn, another wrong turn. We'll have to turn aro-"
His words cut off when he swiveled to discover his entire team missing. He slapped his fore head as he groaned, "Oh, for pete's sake...this is NOT the time to play hide and...seek...?!"
But his voice tapered to a whisper when he spotted his reflection in a nearby mirror...and to his horror, a giant anaconda was wrapping itself around his neck. He then glanced down with widened eyes, only to find the entire ground swarming with hissing reptiles of every color and size. His breath caught in his throat...if there was one thing he feared most, it was:
"SssnnnaaaaAAAAAKES!"
The explorer let out a terrified scream and flailed about; trying to fling the reptiles off his body as fast as possible. But for every one he'd get rid of, five more would mysteriously appear...until it got to the point that he was up to his knees in slithering horrors. As shameful as it might've looked, he fell into a scared frenzy- yelling for help and banging on the walls; searching for any sort of escape.
And when he turned again, to his shock, his mirror image had morphed into a ghastly, reptilian crossbreed of his former self. The half man, half cobra creature was wearing his clothes and trademark fedora- sneering and spitting his 'V' shaped tongue at him. The fanged reflection nearly made him scream again...
...until realization dawned on him. His eyes narrowed as he spoke aloud, "Wait a minute...this isn't real..."
He stared at the weird snake image for another moment, but no longer with any fear. The reality of the situation set in, and he yelled with great conviction, "This ISN'T real!"
And quite suddenly, the lizard creature, as well as every last snake, vanished into thin air, like the smoke trails of a blown out candle...because they were never there to begin with. Indiana watched both in amazement, as well as relief, as his warped reflection faded away, until he was facing his normal self again. A second later, a jagged crack emerged in the glass, causing the mirror to shatter of its own accord. Behind what was left of the frame was a safe exit out.
The archaeologist paused to gather himself after such a scary hallucination...but it also made him think back to what Unikitty theorized earlier. If the ring really DID build all this...maybe all these traps weren't just for defense, so much as perhaps it was a test? To see if they were worthy to use its power? A test of the body...a test of teamwork...now a test of the soul.
Armed with this new revelation, he sprinted back into the depths of the labyrinth...he had to find and warn the others.
.
.
.
"Emmet? Where are you?"
Lucy wandered around for what seemed like the hundredth time; cursing under her breath for getting lost, as well as separated from the others. They couldn't have gotten far...yet, no matter how much she called, or which direction she looked, all she was left stare at was a dozen copies of herself.
"Benny?" she tried not to let her yelling sound worried, "Indy? Unikitty? Good Cop...?"
"...they abandoned you."
The voice was at a near whisper, yet it felt like someone breathing down her neck. The action girl spun on her heel; ready to face whatever caught her off guard...only to find it was just her reflection glaring back at her. She almost relaxed, save for two observations...
...for some reason, her doppelgänger was smirking...in a rather unsettling way...AND it spoke.
"They left you behind."
Somehow, those words hit a primal place in her heart, which, for the moment, made her abandon the notion of questioning how her mirror image was speaking, "What are you talking about?"
"Like you don't know?" the reflection rolled her eyes, "Your so called 'friends' ditched you."
The not-DJ shook her head; not wanting to believe that notion, "No way. They'd never do that." But she couldn't help the doubt creeping into her voice, "We just got...lost, is all."
"Yeah", the image scoffed, "-just like how you 'lost' the Piece of Resistance? How you 'lost' your super cool, superhero boyfriend?" The copy's eyes darkened as she sneered, "How you 'lost' your home and your own identity?"
Lucy found herself frozen to the spot; her heart sinking, "I...that's not...true..."
The doppelgänger let out a teasing laugh as she seemed to get closer, "Come on. Face facts. You're an awesome fighter...but that's all you can do." She shrugged, "and that's all they see you as...a means to an end."
The real action girl covered her ears, crying out, "Stop it! This isn't right!"
"Why do they even need you?" the mirror image was unrelenting as she and her dozen copies circled their prey like a pack of wolves, "You're not a wizard, or a cop, or an astronaut, or a superhero...you weren't even the Special."
Lucy was near tears, "I...I...no..."
All the reflections rolled into one, and then she put her hands on her hips; her stare piercing straight through the real Lucy's heart as she angrily pointed, "What even ARE you?! You don't even know who YOU are!"
Suddenly, without warning, a blind, but still very much alive Vitruvius appeared in the mirror next to her. The real action girl gasped and choked back a sob at seeing her old mentor again...but before she could reach out to him, he spoke in a very mocking tone, "Weren't you that student of mine that was so insecure about herself, she kept changing her name?"
Lucy couldn't stand it anymore. At that point, she was hyperventilating; wanting anything to get away. She turned to make a break for it, only to smack into another mirror...and another copy of herself...only this version was an image she hadn't seen in over eight years. Back then, she wore a purple hoodie, and sported lime green pigtails. The image tried striking a cool pose and said, "Hi. I'm Darkstorm."
The mirror across from her soon conjured up a similar girl, only a year older, this time, with torn jeans and pink hair in a long ponytail. She flicked her locks with a flourish, "Call me Gemini."
Pretty soon, one by one, Lucy became surrounded by images of all her past identities...fragments of characters and alter egos she long discarded. They each introduced themselves while staring at her in an almost taunting manner...
A girl with sunglasses who was covered in temporary tattoos, "I'm Freakface."
A young lady who wore all black, including black lipstick and heavy eye makeup; her gravelly voice similar to Batman, "I'm Never-Smile."
A girl who wore a long overcoat and scarf; sticking her tongue out, "Call me Snazzypants!"
Finally, the first reflection winked, as if mocking her victim's existence, "I'm Wyldstyle."
Lucy's past selves had her cornered; circling her and chanting their names over and over. There was nothing she could do but grit her teeth and sit on the floor- scrunched in a ball as she tried to shut out the teasing. But it was no use. For the sake of her sanity, she wished it would just STOP. The noise was so suffocating, she almost didn't hear...
"...Lucy!"
The action girl opened her eyes. The reflections were still there, however, the taunting had stopped. But she was more interested in who was calling out to her. The voice started off soft...but the harder she listened, the clearer it became...
"Lucy! Where are you? Lucy...!"
...it was then she was struck by a new memory...not one in the mirrors, but rather, in her own mind...of hiding in a ventilation shaft with a certain construction worker...and revealing her true identity to him.
"That was my real name...you asked...it's Lucy."
A sincere smile, "... I really like that name."
In an instant, the action girl was snapped back to reality. She remembered where she was and why she was there...and what she was REALLY dealing with. She rose to her feet; determination in her step as she marched through her past selves without blinking. Facing the initial reflection, she made her defense loud and clear.
"Maybe you got a point. Maybe I don't have my whole life figured out yet. But that's okay...because I DO have friends to help me." She jabbed a claw hand at the doppelgänger, "And I didn't get the Piece of Resistance because I didn't NEED it! I didn't NEED to be a wizard, or a space ace, or a princess! I helped save the world by just being me!"
The copy backed up in fear as she got right in its face, yelling, "I KNOW I have worth! I KNOW that I'm special! And I can be whatever I darn WANNA' be! And you wanna' know WHY?!"
She didn't wait for an answer as she shouted, " Because I'M LUCY!"
The reflection reacted as if it were struck in the chest. A horrified gasp later, it blinked out of existence at the same moment the mirror cracked and shattered to pieces- the other images disappearing along with it. The action girl sucked in a breath; wondering just what exactly happened...but was also relieved to see a new passageway behind the mirror.
Indiana was also standing there; staring at her in worry, "I kept calling for you. Are you okay?"
So that's where that initial voice came from. If it wasn't for him, she might've still been trapped in that illusion. She was about to thank him, but was stopped by a darker thought...to which she asked in a grim tone:
"Where's Emmet?"
.
.
.
"Your entire life is a lie."
The construction worker found himself backed against a wall; forced to stare at his own, warped reflection...that was devoid of a face. And somehow, he was also transported to the middle of a random street back in Bricksburg...a very creepy and disturbing version of it, that is. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Emmet knew it was impossible for a city to be entirely drained of its color...but he was too entranced by how everyone on the busy sidewalk brushed past him, not recognizing him, not even his coworkers or his neighbors. Even more unsettling was the fact that only his closest friends were in color...but when he ran up to touch them, his arms simply passed through them like a ghost.
The gang left him behind, to which Emmet sunk to his knees and gasped, all the while his mirror image, even without a face, could still taunt him, "You see? Your friends can be seen because they're unique. But YOU? You're lucky anyone will remember your name."
The construction worker shook his head. This couldn't be true, "But...I AM special...right?"
Just then, a voice called out, "Emmet!"
Back in reality, Lucy and Indiana rounded a corner; discovering their friend shivering in the center of a circle of mirrors- seemingly mumbling to himself. In their eyes, there was nothing there, but the Master Builder was clearly fixated on something only he could see. The not-DJ immediately ran up to him and waved a hand in front of his face, "Emmet! Snap out of it! It's not real!"
Indy scratched his chin as he thought aloud, "Maybe not to us, but to him, it is."
The action girl sighed in frustration. There had to be SOMETHING she could do. If only she could get through to him. She stepped in front of her boyfriend; looking him straight in the eyes, "Emmet! Look at me!"
There! A flash of recognition. The construction worker started coming around, "...Lucy?"
The illusion, however, wasn't going to give up, either. It circled the couple; trying to speak over her, "Gimme' a break. How can you be special when the prophecy was made up?"
But the not-DJ, who was blind and deaf to the projection, kept trying, "Emmet, listen. Whatever's going on, it's all fake. I know you can snap out of this. I believe in you."
That caught his attention. The construction worker was thankful that at least one person in this unseeing, uncaring place actually acknowledged him. He blinked in surprise, "You...believe...in me?"
"Yes!" Lucy nodded; hoping she was loosening the hold this trance had on him, "You helped all of us believe! When you saved the world, remember?"
He tried...he tried to remember so hard...did he really do such a thing? It seemed improbable, "But... I'm just a normal guy… I…"
At that point, his girlfriend finally puzzled out what his problem was...what was causing him so much anxiety. This may have been something only he could break out of, but that didn't mean she couldn't help him along. Very gently, she took both his hands in hers, and carefully spoke as she tried to recall the infamous words, "Yes, you are...and you're also the most talented...most interesting...and most extraordinary person in the universe." She leaned in, "And you're capable of amazing things...because YOU'RE the Special..."
Those words...the way she said them with such conviction...it jolted his memory to a time not too long ago...when he had to recite that same speech to someone else who really needed it...
...and besides that...another familiar voice filled his mind...from somewhere on an even higher plane of existence...
"He's not just a construction worker, dad. He's the hero."
Emmet finally glanced down from his girlfriend's worried face, to her hands holding his...how real it felt...and he repeated, "Because YOU are the Special..."
And just like that, reality came back to him...and he smiled that Lucy and finished the quote, "...and so am I...and so is everyone."
In seconds, Bricksburg, the citizens, the faceless horror...it all vanished without a trace...save for Lucy, who was very much real, and whom he gave an enormous, loving hug. They only separated from each other's arms when they heard a gigantic smashing sound, and turned to see the mirror had broke. Indy did a head flick towards the exit, in a move that said "nice work, kid" and "can we please go now?" at the same time.
Lucy checked her boyfriend once more, "You okay?"
"Thanks to you", Emmet smirked with relief, "Let's find everybody and get out of here."
.
.
.
Benny was floating...but not his usual, day-to-day defiance of gravity...
He was suspended in a void...in outer space...and while normally he found the stars and cosmos beautiful and calming...this time, the silence was disturbing...
He was all alone.
He tried not to hyperventilate; couldn't waste precious oxygen. He spun around in the place that had no left or right, nor up or down; trying to find any sort of life…but the only thing he was surrounded by was chunks of space debris...spaceSHIP debris...
...HIS spaceship...
Sound didn't travel in a vacuum, but that didn't stop him from crying out for help. He desperately pleaded for someone to come save him...but no one answered...he was going to be all alone in the black abyss...forever.
"...Benny!"
The astronaut came to attention. A voice...from his radio? He double checked his helmet, but it was broken...no...his name was being called...more voices joined in...it was coming from everywhere.
"Benny! Say something! Where are you?!"
He recognized those voices...it was his friends...his FRIENDS!
Suddenly, he came to his senses. He remembered where he was really at. This wasn't like before...this was the present day. Where his friends were at, and where he was needed. He'd never be alone again.
Not so much as a transporter, but more like a dream, he was brought back to Earth...where he was facing a shattered mirror and his friends beckoning to him. His face lit up, "Guys!"
Indiana glanced at Lucy and Emmet, "Three down. Two to go."
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.
.
Good Cop wouldn't have found it so strange to be staring at his reflection in a mirror...except for the fact that it was his brother staring back at him- sunglasses and all. It was physically impossible to see them both at the same time...yet he didn't think to question the phenomenon when the image started speaking.
"Why?"
Somehow, Good already knew what he meant, but asked anyway, "Why what?"
"Why did ye' let me do it?" Mirror Bad Cop looked, for all the world, like a kicked puppy, "Ye' figured out Lord Business' plans...ye' knew what we were doin' was wrong...but ye' went along anyway. Why didn't ye' stop me?"
Good vemently shook his head, "No! It's not like that! We didn't have a choice!"
But before he could explain himself, he could feel someone walking around him...and he shivered at the familiar sound of heavy boot steps stomping along. He almost didn't want to look up, but dared to anyway...
...his old boss was sneering down at him; flames shooting from his horned helmet, "Oh, come now. I always gave you a choice. Not MY fault you picked wrong." He patted the image of Bad Cop on the head, like some trained dog, "And now HE has to suffer because of YOU."
Good shuttered, "But I-"
"It's ALWAYS your fault!" Business pointed accusingly, "Your good cop side is making you soft!"
Good couldn't help his lower lip from trembling, "I...I'm sorry! I-!"
The officer couldn't stand it. He shut his eyes tightly and turned away; not wanting to look anymore. Within his mind, his real brother mentally shook him, "Daniel! Don't listen!"
Good was on the verge of tears, "But it's true!"
If he could, Bad would've taken hold of him, "He's just messing with us!"
To spare his brother more torment, Bad didn't wait for permission and swapped control. No way was Good getting blamed for their shortcomings...
...but as soon as he took the reins, and let his gaze slip for just a second, an image instantly ensnared him...one of his counterpart, back with his normal face..back before the...
"Why didn't ye' protect me?" Mirror Good Cop spoke in a tiny voice, "I thought we were brothers, Danny..."
Bad took a step back; totally entranced, "But..we ARE, we-"
Lord Business chuckled, "Pfft...you're not a very good one then...but then again, you ARE BAD Cop..." He circled the officer like a hungry vulture, "How can you protect the people when you couldn't even protect your parents?"
The villain pointed to something out of the Cops' line of vision, and when Bad swiveled around, he gasped at the cringe worthy sight of his mom and dad locked in a cage. They made no attempt to escape, but rather, glared at him through the bars; their eyes full of sheer disappointment.
"Son...why didn't ye' protect us?" Ma sobbed.
"How could ye' betray us?" Pa added, much more crossly.
Bad sucked in a breath; his voice wobbling, "Mummy...Daddy...I..."
"We thought ye' loved us..." Ma wouldn't stop crying.
Now Bad was panicking, "I...I DO, I-"
But his words were cut off when his Ma's expression hardened, and she spat, "You're a failure."
Bad was taken aback at the stinging words. His dad joined in, even louder, "A failure."
The officer backed up as far as he could go; feeling like he'd been shot in the heart. He only stopped when he bumped into something, but regretted turning around, for his brother was staring him down again...only this time, all he had for a face was a giant, scribbled on mouth, that shouted, "FAILURE!"
The images pointed and taunted at him; chanting that one word over and over. As the voices grew louder, Lord Business grew taller, until he was towering over the Cops, even more so than he ever did. The villain yelled with such a venomous tone, the officer felt like he was shrinking, "Give up the nice act! A failure like you doesn't deserve to be forgiven! And you NEVER will! Once a bad egg, ALWAYS a bad egg..."
And then, massive torrents of fire exploded from the horns on his helmet as he screamed, "NO MORE MISTER NICE GUY!"
Bad Cop shut his eyes and put his hands up defensively; bracing himself for the attack...
...but it never came.
Instead, the shouting and the taunting was stopped by one, familiar voice.
"Bad Cop?"
Very slowly and cautiously, he opened his eyes...to find Unikitty in the mirror. And when he sensed someone standing behind him, he carefully turned his head...to discover the Princess really WAS there, for real. Her complexion was still stuck at a mix of bluish green, and she stared at him with a half worried, half confused expression, "Are you okay? What's going on?"
For a long moment, the officer took a good look around. The mouths of the people surrounding him were still moving, but their voices had gone mute. Seeing the Princess simply standing there, like a solid rock amid a storm of chaos...it was enough to jog his memory of the reality at hand. At the same time, his brother mentally nudged him, having come to the same realization, "We gotta' leave buddy...now."
With that, Bad Cop took in a deep, calming breath and got to his feet. He dusted himself off and walked straight over to Unikitty-completely ignoring the reflections, "You alright, lass?"
"I think so", the magic cat nodded, like she still didn't quite understand what was transpiring around her, "I got lost and came looking for you."
The Cops wanted to tell her just how lucky they were that she found them when she did...but instead, Bad settled for a simple smirk, "Glad ye' did."
He waved an arm; motioning for her to follow him, and together, they began walking away. One by one, the mirror images disappeared...save for Lord Business, who stamped his foot, "And just where are YOU going?!"
The officer didn't know how the illusion regained its voice, and he couldn't care less. He turned back with a grim, but concrete and determined scowl, "I have a friend here who HAS shown us forgiveness and grace. Do we deserve it? Maybe...maybe not...but right now, we've got more important things to worry about...and we don't have time for you."
The super villain was taken aback at his sheer bluntness...so much so that he let out one more cry of anger, before the mirror broke into a thousand pieces. Behind it, Emmet and the rest of the gang were waiting, and looked just as surprised as the Princess and the Cops.
"Yay!" Unikitty cheered, "We found you!"
Bad wiped his forehead in relief as the construction worker explained, "We found the exit. Let's get outta' here before any more weird stuff happens."
The officer couldn't agree more, "Copy that, Brickowski."
At long last, with the group reunited, the builders all exited the labyrinth- happy to finally be out of that maze of nightmares. During which, the unicorn cat turned to the Cops- still puzzled by the whole ordeal, "So...who were you talking to back there?"
She must've been the only one who hadn't gotten trapped in an allusion- lucky her. Bad Cop took one last glance at the glass garden behind them, before gently pressing her forward, "Nobody...just myself, I guess...come on. Let's get ye' fixed up and go home."
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.
.
The team of travelers made their way down and around a few more tunnels; remaining alert for anything else that could possibly be dangerous. But after a few minutes, they became more self-assured of the notion that thankfully, this time, the cave decided to be merciful and not spring anymore traps on them...
...until pretty soon, a soft, rose tinted light began illuminating the final coridoor they were in...so much so that they had no need for a torch or a flashlight anymore. Instead, they simply followed the light source, like moths to a flame, into one last room...and when they turned the corner, everyone's jaws hit the floor at the breathtaking spectacle.
Sitting atop a pile of relics, not unlike the ones they encountered throughout the island, was an enormous, beautiful, perfectly carved, glowing pink diamond. An even bigger ring was attached to it, making the whole group gasp in surprised awe.
Eventually, Lucy broke the silence when she recalled Unikitty's description, "Whoa...hugeinormous is right..."
For once, the gravity of what they were dealing with forced Benny to touch the ground, "It's so big, it could fit a giant!"
Emmet, however, conjured a much different image, and he mumbled, "..or the Man Upstairs."
He also couldn't help but think about when he found the Piece of Resistance...if it could give him visions, and cause a massive explosion...what could a relic THIS size do?
He was snapped to attention when Unikitty spoke, "Well... I guess this is it...this is what we came for...it's been so long..."
She stared at the Sacred Ring of Pop with ominous trepidation; her whole body shaking a bit. Good Cop sensed her hesitation, "What's the matter, lass?"
The unicorn cat blushed, "I guess I'm...just a little nervous… I honestly don't know what's gonna' happen here, so..." She turned to her friends, "...maybe you guys should step back a bit?"
Everyone gave each other a look and nodded in agreement. Good swapped out with his brother (most likely for the sunglasses to shield his eyes), and together, the gang took one step backward. The magic cat glanced at the ring, then back at them, "Maaaybeee...just a teensy bit more?"
She squinted her eyes for emphasis, to which the builders backed up again, until they were practically touching the opposite wall. Satisfied with their safety, the Princess started walking towards the artifact. Everyone watched with a tense excitement...save for Indiana, who put his hands over his face.
"Why are you covering your eyes?" Lucy raised a brow and whispered.
Without looking, the adventurer answered, "I'd rather not have my face melted off, thank you."
They both went quiet after that; hearts pounding as the unicorn cat cautiously climbed the mound...one step at a time...until finally, she was standing mere inches from the gigantic gem. Bathed in it's warm, pink, unearthly magic glow, she sucked in some air and whispered, "Okay...here we go..."
Everything went still, and everyone held their breath, as Unikitty closed her eyes and slowly touched her unicorn horn to the ring's surface; bracing herself for the magic to take hold...
...nothing happened.
She waited a second just to be sure...then pulled away; looking at the diamond in utter confusion. Maybe it just needed more time? She tried again; holding on for much longer for good measure...
...but still, it remained dormant. No flash of light, no sparkles...
...nothing.
The Princess stared long and hard at the relic; now close to panic, "No..."
At once, she began frantically tapping at the ring, "...no-no-no-NO!" Faster and faster, she circled the gem; trying any and all angles, "Please-please-PLEASE! Come on!" Tears began dribbling down her cheeks, "I'm begging you, please! I need my magic back..."
But the ring didn't answer, nor did it do anything. The once-magic cat hung her head and choked, "...please...no..."
It was no use. After all that traveling...all that hard work...everything they were put through...for what? She crumpled to the ground; making no attempt to hide her sniffling and sobbing. Meanwhile, her friends stared in a disappointed shock. What could've gone wrong? Did she have to say a magic word? Did they not make it in time? Was there no magic to begin with?
Once they were sure nothing was going to happen, the gang began to step forward to go and comfort her. Even Indy removed his hat in a mourning gesture. Emmet wanted to put a hand on her shoulder, "We're so sorry, Unikitty..."
The Princess never turned around. Instead, she merely watched the gem; her last hopes crumbling, as she muttered, "... I don't understand...it was all for nothing..."
Good Cop shook his head, and internally, Bad wanted anything to kick a chair. They refused to accept it was all over, "There's gotta' be somethin' we haven't tried."
"What else is there?" the unicorn cat fretted; her voice rising in a desperate pitch, "My magic is part of who I am...if I can't build anymore..how am I gonna' fix Cloud Coo Coo Land? How can I protect everyone when I can't even save myself?" She bit her lip and pouted, "A ruler is supposed to lead by example… I'm the worst Princess ever..."
With those tearful words, her bluish green complexion suddenly turned completely gray, like a concrete statue. A second later, she collapsed to the ground.
Everyone jumped in shock and yelled, "Unikitty!"
Instantly, they all rushed to her side, and formed a circle around her- fearing the worst. Bad Cop, especially, who sat on the floor; propping her head up in his lap- wanting to do anything to make her comfortable. For an unbearable moment, the builders wondered what they could possibly do for her. What other options were there when all else failed?
...well...if the roles were reversed...what would Unikitty do? What would she say to them?
...she would stay positive.
Emmet took her paw in his hand, "You're always so upbeat and confident and self-assured...we had no idea you felt this way...having to take care of an entire realm's gotta' be hard..." He could only imagine how much responsibility she was truly carrying on her shoulders every day. But he did his best to sound reassuring, "...but...even if you don't get your magic back, that doesn't mean you're not special."
"Yeah, you got great ideas ALL the time! And I'm sure all your subjects will help you!" Benny tried to smile for her sake, "We're friends...you don't have to go it alone."
Lucy nodded, "Unikitty, we don't care if you're magical or not. That's part of WHAT you are...but we like you for WHO you are. Always will..." She smirked, "..and for how nice and generous you are, you're the best Princess we know."
For a long time, the unicorn cat didn't say anything, or move a muscle; looking for all the world like she was on her death bed. But as she listened to her friends' touching words, she slowly perked up just a smidgen. After worrying that they wouldn't like her anymore after all she put them through, hearing such kind statements was a relief. Nonetheless, she still seemed a bit unsure, "But...I failed."
It was then that Bad Cop's face hardened...but not in anger, or frustration, but rather, strong sympathy. He heaved a sigh...and to everyone's surprise, he slid his helmet off...AND his sunglasses. Apparently, he wanted her to fully see him for what he was about to say. For a second, they found it quite odd to see his eyes...but they all stayed quiet...especially when his tone was remarkably gentle.
"Sometimes...the reason we fall...is so we can learn to pick ourselves up again", he explained, "And then...we can come back stronger than we were before."
Unikitty raised a brow, "Stronger...?"
The officer nodded; speaking from great experience, "We know what it's like to fail...to let down everyone who trusted ye'...and puttin' back the pieces ain't as simple as we'd like it to be." He looked her in the eye, "But ye' took us in...became our friend...when ye' had every reason not to. Ye' taught us to not lose hope...that even when things've gone wrong, we can still make it right."
The Princess wiggled her tail slightly, "Funny... I was gonna' say the same to you."
He tried not to blush, but smirked all the same. After putting his aviators back on, his counterpart switched in, "Like ye' said before...we'll make Cloud Coo Coo Land even better than it was. Magic or no magic."
She knew very well what they were talking about- she'd been in their head, literally. Still, it was hard to not sigh, "It was easy to say that back then...but I didn't know it would take so long...or be so hard. Even stopping Lord Business was easier."
Good patted her on the head, "Then we'll do it together...like we always do...as a team."
The Cops could sense her starting to come back, and they didn't want her to start slipping again...to which Good took her up into his arms and hugged her as best he could from behind. Everyone's eyes widened with even more surprise, but he didn't care. Instead, he replied, "Your subjects need ye'...WE need ye'..."
And just then, it was like they were falling in the sky again...and he repeated what he said before, with full confidence, at a whisper, "...I know ye' can do it...we believe in you."
There it was...that spark...the same one that came when they were struggling with the parachutes...how she told herself she HAD to levitate- to save both her and GCBC. The same energy...the same warm, familiar feeling started seeping back into her very bones...
...and the Princess finally realized what she was doing wrong. Maybe her powers worked in that moment...because her magic never disappeared to begin with...and King Carl's words came back to her.
"Our minds, our strength, our will, our hope, our courage, our friends...our love...that is what keeps all of us alive. For our TRUE power comes from...in HERE."
And it was then that her heart pulsed with what seemed like the strength of a sun. Within seconds, all her pastel colors flooded back to her, akin to paint being splattered on a canvas. She looked to Good Cop, teary eyed, "You really mean that?"
"Really..." he nodded and winked, then said good-naturedly, "...and as an officer of the law, I order you to get better."
She couldn't contain herself anymore. Her horn sparkled with a newfound energy, and she smiled and shouted, "Yes, sir!"
Suddenly, she leaped into the air with a loud "YAY!" and started galloping in circles around her friends. Magic stars, glitter, and sparkles shot everywhere like a Fourth of July celebration, and the team of builders stared at her in open mouthed shock.
"Unikitty! Your powers!" Benny gasped, "They came back!"
Not that Lucy wasn't happy for her, but she also had to raise a brow, "But how?"
"Because she never lost 'em", Good Cop spoke as if he knew the truth all along. His friends all glanced at him, to which he shrugged, "The lass just lost her confidence."
Strangely enough, that explanation made perfect sense...especially when Emmet remembered Unikitty's words about GCBC.
"They get caught up in taking care of others, then forget to take care of themselves. All that overwork is gonna' catch up with them someday..."
How ironic that the same could be said for her. In trying to please all her subjects, she hadn't realized the toll it was taking on her well-being. With a smirk, the construction worker put a hand over his heart and repeated the same wise words that Vitruvius once said to him.
"The only way to be special is to believe that you can be."
Just as the words left his mouth, the gigantic ring, which had been momentarily forgotten, began to glow once more with a new energy. The Princess stopped in her tracks, and everyone swiveled to stare at it. Lucy pointed, "The ring! What's it doing?"
The unicorn cat walked back up to the gem; contemplating it for a long moment...and then she understood, "You were just lonely, weren't you? You got angry and sad that you were left all alone with no one taking care of you."
The diamond flickered, as if in response. The Princess dipped her head in both shame and guilt, "I'm really sorry… I'll try and make it right…can you forgive me?"
In reply, the ring started glowing even brighter than before. Apparently, it was going to be just as merciful as Unikitty. She took the cue to touch her horn to the gem's surface again...and THIS time, magic DID happen...
...A LOT of magic.
The builders had nothing to hold onto but each other as yet another earthquake began shaking the entire room. The diamond had become so bright, it hurt to look at it...and then suddenly, there was a tremendous explosion of energy. Like watching the effects of a pebble dropped in a pond, ripple after ripple of multicolored light emanated straight from the ring, and spread in all directions; washing over anything and everything in every last nook and cranny of the catacombs. The mazes, the traps...all of it was disposed of in an instant, resulting in blowing a big enough hole in the roof that sunlight was able to shine in.
The gang had to cover their heads to prevent from getting rained on by dirt, rocks, and stray relics...yet, they couldn't take their eyes off the amazing spectacle. A rainbow had sprouted and skyrocketed out of the gem like a reverse waterfall- sending wave after wave of multicolored beams of magic through the sky, to all points on the compass. It was akin to finding the source of the northern lights...something so beautiful and inspiring...it just couldn't be properly described.
Even after the light show finally died down, the team continued to stare up into the sky in both amazement and quiet awe. Only Indiana had the courage to mutter:
"This is one artifact that doesn't belong in a museum."
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It took a bit of doing, but eventually, in an hour or so time, the travelers finally found a way out of the mountain. Only when they came to a safe enough remote clearing did they stop to take a break. After all the drama, booby traps, and magical phenomena they had to endure, it was any wonder they hadn't collapsed from exhaustion by then.
But staring up into the clear blue sky and watching rainbow trails float by like shimmering seaweed in the ocean, and having Unikitty back to normal...it made it all worth it. The team marveled at the spectacle for a long moment, until Emmet smirked, "Well, at least the adventure had a happy ending."
Everyone nodded, save for Indy, who sighed, "Uh, I hate to be Mr. Johnny Raincloud, but in case you guys forgot, the Copper Chopper blew up." He motioned with his arms, "And this island doesn't exactly have anything to build with."
"Dit qui?!"
The gang turned at the sudden new voice, and were pleasantly surprised to see King Carl and the Tickers marching up the hill towards them. Both groups smiled and waved at one another, until the monarch finally reached them. He glanced at the light show high in the sky, before putting his hands on his hips, "I take it ze mission was a success, no?"
Everyone glanced at each other, before saying at the same time, "Oui!"
Carl let out a big, booming laugh, "Magnifique!" Once he calmed himself, he spoke just a tad more seriously, "So, I take it you all will be going home now?"
At that, the travelers frowned and rubbed the backs of their heads with uncertainty. They really didn't want to take advantage of his hospitality any more than they already did. Lucy cleared her throat and blushed, "Yeeaaah...about that...let's just say our ride isn't coming anytime soon." She quickly added, "Not that we don't like it here, but..."
The King took the hint and shook his head, "Ah, say no more. You have brought back ze ring AND ze Princess. The least we can do is build you an escape."
Benny was taken aback, "You can do that for us?"
"But of course!" Carl shrugged like it was no big deal, "We are, how you say, ze building masters!" He then whistled to the Tickers and clapped his hands, "Une, deux, trois! Chop-chop!"
And then, to the amazement of all, King Carl and the Tickers began grabbing every last nearby relic and object they could get their hands on. At lightning speed, they spun with the force of a tornado; flipping and jumping, throwing and catching, piecing and gluing...until eventually, their creation was complete. In just under a few minutes, using nothing but relics and artifacts, the natives had cobbled together a very strange looking, but still durable helicopter of sorts. The King dramatically waved his hand, "Voila! One whirly gig ready for takeoff!"
The travelers stared in shock at what they just witnessed. Clearly, these people were true, original master builders. They could have stood to learn a lot from them. Granted, the "whirly gig" ran on pedal power, but at that point, the gang wasn't complaining. One by one, they all filed into the odd contraption. As they did, they each shook the monarch's hand; saying both their goodbyes, and their grateful thanks for all his help.
The last one to board was Unikitty, who enveloped her old friend in an enormous, loving hug. She glanced at him hopefully, "Are you sure you don't wanna' come along?"
Carl shook his head regretfully, "No, madame. My place is here." He motioned to the Tickers and the expanse of the island...but then threw in a smirk and wink, "Although...ze explorer in me just might come visit some time."
Unikitty bounced with excitement, and said with conviction, "As soon as I get back, I'll build a bridge! I'll find a way to connect our realms together!"
The King smiled and clapped, "I look forward to it!"
He then helped her into the chopper. With Benny piloting this time (more like pedaling), the travelers lifted off; waving to their new friends. In response, King Carl blew a kiss and shouted, "Au revoir!"
The builders then set a course directly for home- relieved that the skies were clear and full of color; a nice omen that things were going to be okay...
...little did they know, there was one more surprise waiting for them.
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To say they were happy to see the familiar skyline of Cloud Coo Coo Land was an understatement. So anxious were they to be back home, they hardly even questioned how the strange helicopter held together for the entirety of the trip...
...but the moment they touched down close to the town square, they were barely out of the chopper when they were hit with yet another unbelievable sight.
Raining down from the heavens, like gentle feathers on the breeze, came thousands of sparkly, rainbow matter pieces. The team stared into the sky and gasped; hardly able to take in what they were seeing. Out of curiosity, Good Cop held a hand out and caught one of the pieces; it's true weight only taking hold once he had it in his palm. He examined it closely; blinking in astonishment.
It was a brick...a shimmering, multicolored, building matter brick. Despite the evidence, the officer muttered, "What's this?"
Just then, they all got their answer when a guy in an alligator suit came running up; a brick in hand. He grinned from ear to ear, "Hey, princess! Check it out! A bunch of these rainbow blocks started falling out of the sky! Did you do this?"
There had to be only one explanation, and the gang came to the same conclusion at the same time. No doubt, this was a parting gift from the ring. Apparently, it really COULD pop out a realm when it needed to. Unikitty gave a sly smile and shrugged, "Nope. Just a miracle, I guess."
And truly, it WAS one. The unicorn cat glanced around; watching as everyone in town was joyfully hard at work- using the rainbow bricks as a new inspiration to rebuild their home. And that went for the Princess as well. She no longer held any doubt regarding the future of her kingdom. The process would be slow, but with friends like GCBC and company, and King Carl and the Tickers, they'd be okay.
Which, speaking of her long-lost buddy, she also made a solemn vow to herself that the bridge between her world and his WOULD be built. Never again would she be so negligent with her stuff and her history. One could always put the past behind them, but neither should they neglect it. Instead, they could learn from it.
Speaking of which...
Indiana took a pause to glance over at the Cops, who were busy whispering something to Unikitty. After all they had done, and all they'd been through, the explorer found it difficult to harbor his grudge anymore. Perhaps this adventure was a sign of a new beginning for him as well...which is what made him tap the officer on the shoulder and clear his throat, "So...um...nice work."
He held out his hand, making the Cops regard him with surprise for a moment...but then they took the offer and shook on it; the two smirking at one another. They said nothing else, but it wasn't necessary- it was clear the former enemies had settled their differences.
The archaeologist then turned to the others and held up his journal, "Well, I got a ton of new artifacts and stuff to catalog and write about, so… I better get going. I DO have a day job too." He winked, "Nice travelin' with ya'."
Unikitty grinned; not able to express all of her gratitude, "Thanks for all your help!"
With that, the infamous explorer tipped his fedora to them all in farewell, before taking his leave. The group of master builders waved goodbye, during which, Emmet leaned towards Lucy and whispered, "Indy IS pretty cool...but I think I know who really saved the day..."
He motioned to GCBC, who was saying something to Unikitty, before pointing in the direction of her castle. The two smiled at each other, and together, the Princess and the Cops walked side-by-side, amid cheering citizens and a perfect rainbow, off into the sunset.
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AN: *cue Indiana Jones end theme music* XD
Okay, LOTS to talk about here. First off, I know Johnny Thunder is an infamous Lego character. Unfortunately, I know next to nothing about him, so I went with Indy instead, since I'm way more familiar with him. And plus, from what I've read, Indiana was originally slated to be one of the main characters of the movie (in early drafts), so consider this a "what if" of sorts.
If the writing wasn't clear enough, the Sacred Ring of Pop (loosely based off the Tree of Harmony from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic) was literally supposed to be a ring pop sucker. Vitruvius' magic staff was a lollipop, so I ran with the idea. XD
As for King Carl, he's not totally my creation. If you watch the deleted scenes/behind the scenes features on the movie's DVD, Cloud Coo Coo Land was originally going to be called, "The Land of Unused/Forgotten Parts", and instead of Unikitty, they had a character named King Carl. From what I could tell/make out in the story boards, King Carl could constantly change his appearance and body parts (I could be wrong), but one design that stuck out to me was him wearing the "pizza rules" apron and having a moustache, so I used that as the basis for him here. I have no clue what the creators originally intended for him, or his realm, or his character, but when I needed a back story for Cloud Coo Coo Land, I thought it would be clever to take aspects from the deleted scenes and rework them into the mythology and make his character my own. What if the Land of Unused Parts was the original CCCL, but as Finn got older, he forgot about his old toys, then suddenly, one day, picked them up again?
So really, I just got King Carl's name, part of his design, and the name of the realm from the deleted scenes. The rest, I made up myself. I thought it'd be interesting to give him an accent. As for why I chose French...well, I guess after seeing the apron and the moustache, my first thought was "French chef", so I ran with it. XD I'd imagine his voice sounds a bit like Luminere, the candlestick from Beauty and the Beast. Which, by the way, I used Google Translate for all the French speaking, and while I'm pretty sure of its accuracy, nonetheless, if any of you out there speak French, and any of his dialogue is seriously wrong, please tell me so I can fix it. The Tickers, however, are completely 100% my creation (although, they're loosely based off of Tick Tock from Return to Oz).
As for references: the song at the beginning was another jab at Guardians of the Galaxy (seriously, it and the Lego Movie are practically the same plot XD ), The line about One Eyed Willie was a nod to the Goonies. GCBC's speech to Unikitty should be familiar to anyone who's seen Batman Begins (another film Liam Neeson starred in-with Batman! XD ). And of course, the most obvious is all the nods and jabs at the Indiana Jones movies (there's too many to list here-see how many you can pick out).
Getting serious though, the mirror test with Benny was actually supposed to be a bit of foreshadowing...he'll get his own, special chapter in due time. As for why Unikitty didn't face a mirror, that's because the ring itself WAS her "mirror test" of sorts. Which, to anyone who thinks the ending was a bit anticlimactic, don't forget, in the actual movie, a business tycoon's evil eight year reign of terror was taken down by one, heartfelt speech. Sometimes, life is like that. Sometimes, big problems can wind up having the simplest solutions. (Which, by the way, King Carl's words about true power coming from the heart was my favorite part to write). ^^
And like I said in the previous chapter, I know we skipped a huge chunk of time between the last chapter and this one, but what went on between GCBC and Unikitty in those six months WILL be explained in an eventual spin off.
Coming Up Next: When Metalbeard discovers his original crew is still alive, and being held captive on an uncharted island, Emmet and company must learn how to be pirates when they brave the high seas to mount a rescue mission.