Odile urged her horse as quickly as it could go through the forest toward Rothbart's castle. She remembered how to get there from the landmarks she'd seen on the way to the ball. Her heart pounded ferociously against her rib cage, as if reminding her that while her own heart was strong, her beloved sister's was quickly fading. Time had no meaning as Odile spurred on, taking obscure paths through the forest. She didn't even stop to worry that she was lost. She could feel her sister ahead, and she relied on that connection to lead her to Swan Lake.

She was as out of breath as her horse when she arrived. Forgetting only momentarily that she was in Bridget's body, she fell farther than she expected from the back of her horse and crumpled on the ground. She commanded herself to get up, though, and she ran to the edge of the lake where Odette was sure to be. Perhaps it wasn't too late! Odile's heart stuttered as she approached and saw Odette laying spread out on her back on the stone ground. She hurried to her sister's side and kneeled beside her, grasping her hand.

"Odette! Odette, can you hear me? Please!" she wailed, shaking her sister gently. Odette stirred and opened her eyes weakly. "Odette!" Odile cried. Tears fell from her eyes. "I'm sorry! He lied to me! I didn't want any of this to happen! Odette!"

"Odile?" Odette said faintly, looking at Odile but not entirely seeing her. "I can't believe it's you … I thought I'd never hear your voice again!"

"I'm here! I'm going to try to save you!" Odile said, kissing the back of her sister's hand.

"Odile, you can't," Odette said.

"Since when has that ever stopped me?" Odile demanded, tears burning her face. "I love you, Odette. I won't let you die." Odile heard crashing in the trees nearby. She didn't know if it was Rothbart or Derek, so she quickly kissed her sister's forehead and fled behind a nearby tree. She wasn't sure why she was hesitating; perhaps she hoped that she could get some kind of a clue as to what to do from listening to what was going on.

She could just see past a few branches of a bush to see that it was Derek who had been behind her. Odile watched Derek bend over Odette just as she had done moments before. She smothered her sobs in her sleeve, but the tears still ran freely down her face. She couldn't hear all of what Derek was saying, but what she heard echoed her own screaming heart. What have I done to you? Forgive me, Odette, forgive me! Then Odette responded even more faintly than she had before. Odile was watching her sister die, and it was her fault! Odile had never hated herself more than at that moment. Suddenly, she heard Derek roar oaths at the sky, insisting that the vow he had mistakenly made to Odile had been meant for Odette. Odile had no doubt of that now, despite the years Odile had taken her sister's name and face. How could she have not seen before that he truly did love Odette, and she him? The love that she was witnessing was not the product of numerous summers spent together, but an even deeper connection. Derek loved Odette, not what he thought Odette to be.

Odile had to smother a gasp when she saw Rothbart's form approach from the other end of the clearing. Derek stood and stormed up to the magician. "Don't you dare let her die!" Derek commanded, getting close to Odile's captor.

Rothbart only chuckled, a sound that now chilled Odile to the bone. "Is that a threat?"

"Don't you dare let her die!" Derek repeated, seizing the front of Rothbart's black robes. Odile found herself impressed at his bravery, but feared for him at the same time.

"Oh, it is a threat!" Rothbart said, chuckling once more.

"You're the only one with the power! Now do it!" Derek demanded, shaking Rothbart.

Odile suddenly had an idea. The power! She had come here to perform a spell, but from the beginning she had doubted that she would be able to do it. How could she perform a spell if she didn't have any power? No, there was only one way to stop Rothbart and save Odette: destroy Rothbart's power! She cringed as Rothbart flung Derek backward onto the ground. She knew what was coming. In her mind's eye she saw the night when she had first been captured. Before her eyes, Rothbart transformed into his hideous beast form, the one that Odile had feared provoking during her entire captivity. Now was her only chance to get to the castle without catching Derek or Rothbart's attention.

She broke away from the foliage she was hiding behind and charged up to the castle as fast as her weak legs could carry her. She was almost to the castle when she tripped over something large. She heard protests around her. She turned around to get up, but before she could, something had jumped on her face and was attacking her. "Zis ees for Odette!" exclaimed the creature attached to her face. Odile stood to try to shake it off, but as she stood, something else attacked her from the air, yanking at her hair. Odile shrieked, but it was drowned out by the roar of Rothbart.

"Stop, stop!" Odile exclaimed. "I'm here to help!"

"Yes, zat's one we've all 'eard before!" shouted the thing on her face.

"No! You don't understand! Odette is my sister!"

The yanking at her scalp stopped. "Sister, eh?" The puffin flew off her head and landed on the ground in front of her. "Jean-Bob, letter go!"

"I've got her leg!" said the turtle, which had indeed grabbed onto her leg and was weighing her down.

Jean-Bob let go of Odile's face and hopped to the ground. The frog eyed her suspiciously.

"Listen here, Bridget! If yer Odette's sister, how is it yer so old?" the puffin inquired, not looking at all convinced.

"I'm not Bridget! I'm Odile, trapped in Bridget's body!" Odile explained for the third time that night. She scanned the grounds and gasped when she saw the tabby cat prowling at the base of a tree some ways off. "That's Bridget!" she said, pointing at the cat.

"Tush tush! Explains why she always plays with 'er food!" the puffin agreed.

"Bridget doesn't talk like that," the turtle at her legs pointed out.

"Please, you've got to let me go! I need to find Rothbart's power and destroy it before my sister dies! She doesn't have much time left!" Odile pleaded.

"What? You are just going to believe her?" Jean-Bob asked, appalled.

"Yesser, me thinks I am!" the puffin said. "Let's go!"

Odile felt the turtle let go of her leg and she followed the puffin into the castle. The first place she went was up the stairs to Rothbart's chambers. She had never been allowed inside to clean them, so there must be something in there! The frog clung to the back of her dress, yelling about insanity and something about becoming a prince. Odile barged into the room, which was, amazingly, unlocked. Rothbart must have been so confident that he'd gotten rid of her that he had not bothered to take such precautions. Odile dug through the room, tossing scrolls and books every which way in search of the item that contained his power. The puffin knocked things about, too. The floor couldn't be seen once they were through because of all the papers they'd knocked down.

"It's 'opeless!" Jean-Bob exclaimed. He stood on the top of a small bookcase and leaned against the wall, pressing his hand against his forehead. The brick in the wall, however, gave way, and Jean-Bob slid down. The bricks around the top of the bookcase slid away, revealing a secret opening in the wall. It was rather large, like a whole cabinet. Inside, there was a large glass orb. Within it, Odile could see volts of power dashing across it like lightning during a storm. She reached out and touched it, hesitating for a moment in case it would be painful, but nothing happened. She pulled it out and held it in her hands.

"Rothbart's power!" she exclaimed. "This has to be it!" She held the orb in her hands almost reverently, and she was suddenly uncertain of what to do.

"Well, what are yeh waiting for?" the puffin asked, perching on the bookcase. "Drop it! Break it! Smash it!"

Odile shook her head. "It might explode! Then we're all dead!"

"Well, zat's swell!" Jean-Bob exclaimed. "She'd got ze solution to all our problems and she's too afraid to do anyzing about it!

Odile swelled with anger. "Do you think I don't know that?" She frowned deeply, searching desperately for a solution.

"Why not throw it in the lake?" the turtle suggested. Odile whipped around and looked at him. She hadn't realized that he had arrived in the room.

"That might work!" Odile said, quickly thinking it over. "Then, if it does explode, no one but Rothbart will be hurt!"

"Hurry!" the puffin exclaimed. They all rushed out of the room and down the many flights of stairs to the exit of the castle. They turned toward the lake shore, but Odile suddenly stopped. She could just see to the opposite shore where Derek was battling Rothbart. She saw shards of his sword strewn about and Rothbart advancing on him quickly. Derek was losing!

"No, you can't come with. I don't know for sure what will happen! And Derek needs help; you need to go to him!" Odile instructed urgently. The puffin saluted her and the three creatures swerved off to where Derek was being attacked. Odile ran around to the beach where she could have a better chance at getting the orb farther into the lake. She had just lifted the orb over her head to throw it when she was startled by a moaning voice nearby. She turned to look and was astonished to see Bromley, standing there with his bow and an arrow knocked. He was directly across the lake from Derek, who had just stood with his bow. Where it had come from, Odile had no idea. She looked from Bromley to Derek and suddenly understood what was going on. It was a game that he and Derek had talked about often, but Odile had never seen them do it!

Odile watched with anticipation as Bromley fired his shot and held her breath even when Derek caught the arrow. Rothbart was closing in on him from the sky. He wouldn't make it! But just as it seemed that Rothbart would land the final blow, Derek's arrow pierced his chest and Rothbart let out a horrific scream. Odile was prepared to watch him go down, but an intense burning on her hands drew her eyes away. She screamed and tried to drop the orb, but it wouldn't leave her hands. It was as if it were fastening itself onto her! The burning extended from her hands all the way up her arms and throughout her body. The pain was so intense Odile couldn't even see anything. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to will away the pain, but it was no use.

The burning overwhelmed her and she dropped to the ground, knocked completely unconscious.