Chapter 10

There were very few times when Ortensia wished she had fewer children. She loved all of them dearly, don't get her wrong, but there were times when she felt like she was grossly outnumbered…

This, unfortunately, was one of those times.

"I won't say it again!" Ortensia said in her sternest voice as she rocked baby Max Goof with one arm, and shook a scolding finger at the misbehaving bunnies with the other. "Everyone get inside the castle where it's safe!"

The collective mass of bunnies all stubbornly shook their heads. "No, not until Papa and Uncle Mickey get back," said the ring leader at the front, and was echoed by several others around him.

The children and Ortensia had all been helping evacuate civilians in the areas closest to the castle, but their work had led them all farther from safety than planned, and it was clear to see the danger was closing in far quicker than anticipated. Unfortunately, the children were not at all interested in leaving until Oswald and Mickey returned from the far reaches of the town.

"Your Papa and Uncle will be here soon," Ortensia said in exasperation, trying to reason with them. "But you all being out here, and in danger is not helping either of them. We need to go now!"

"NO!" bellowed the children in unison, their minds made up, and some even sitting on the ground to emphasize their protest.

Ortensia let out an aggravated sigh, and wondered just what she could do to convince them.

"Need some help?" asked a friendly voice, and Ortensia turned to see some familiar figures approaching.

"Having a bit of trouble, Ortensia?" continued Peg Pete, as she came towards them with PJ in her arms, and her husband trailing behind her and glancing back at the dark clouds skittishly.

"We've gots no time to help 'em, Peggy-Poo," Pete said as he scowled at the coming shadows. "We've gotta get ourselves safe first before we's even think of helping someone else."

Peg shot her husband an unimpressed look. "Oh hush," she said. "This'll only take a minute."

She then rounded on the bunny children, and pinned them all with a look that had them quaking in seconds. "YOU HEARD YOUR MOTHER!" she bellowed loud enough to shake the nearby houses. "YOU LONG-EARED SCAMPS GET OVER TO THAT CASTLE THIS INSTANT!"

The bunny children reeled back, and stared at Peg with far more fear than they felt for the darkness, but still didn't move.

Peg's expression darkened even more. "NOW!" she roared.

The bunnies scampered towards the castle as fast as they could, making the adults have to jog to keep up.

"Thank you, Peg," said Ortensia as she ran. "You always come through in a pinch."

"She sure does," said Pete with a lovesick expression as he struggled to keep up with the others.

Peg smiled back at the other cat brightly. "Oh, anytime, Ortensia. We moms have to stick together. Besides, it's good practice for when this one gets to that age," she added, nodding at the baby in her arms.

Noticing that Ortensia was carrying her own baby, she asked, "And who's this little fella? You and Oswald have four-hundred and twenty-one now?"

("Oh great, another one," Pete grumbled, but the women ignored him.)

"No, no," said Ortensia, angling Max so Peg could see the utter lack of resemblance he had for both her and Oswald. "I'm just watching him for some of Mickey's friends. They're farther out evacuating the town."

"Those brave souls," said Peg, glancing behind her. "I hope they're alright."

Ortensia's face fell. "Me too," she replied, scanning between the houses they passed for any sign of her husband or brother-in-law, or anyone who could tell her where they went.

"Well, we sure as heck won't be if we don't get to that there castle," said Pete huffily. "So don't you even think about going off to look for them. That boat boy and his posse will be fine."

The women shot him a dubious look, but couldn't fault his words, and continued onwards

Ahead of them, the children let out excited cheers as the castle gates loomed into sight, and the adults all felt their own relief at the sight of it as well.

As they drew closer, Ortensia could make out the sight of Oswald looking around frantically (no doubt for her and the children) while Mickey unloaded a cart full of refugees with the other musketeers.

Smiling at the sight, Ortensia called out, "Oswald!" to get his attention, and the children perked up even more at the sight of their father.

Oswald turned at the sound of his name, and even from a distance, Ortensia could see the tension drain out of him at the sight of all of them.

Only for it to come back in an instant as his eyes widened in horror, and he shouted, "LOOK OUT!" his feet carrying him in their direction before the words even finished leaving his lips.

Startled, Ortensia looked up just in time to see a large black mass fly over all of their heads. The mass landed in front of them with enough force to shake the earth, blocking them from safety.

The rabbits and cats all looked up in fright as towering over them all was a huge, writing, black mass of smaller creatures, all of them seeming to look at the group with their glowing yellow eyes as they swirled like a tornado of demons in front of them.

"RUN!" shouted Ortensia in fright, and her children and the Petes needed no further prompting. They all turned tail and fled the mass of shadows, attempting to turn down a side road to still reach the castle.

But the mass of creatures was fast. Before any of them could reach the alley, it swept around them, blocking their path.

Scrambling, the group tried to change directions again, but the mass was still quicker, blocking them at every turn, until Ortensia was horrified to discover that it was surrounding them at all sides, and slowly closing in on them like hungry sharks.

The children all huddled close together, and the adults shielded them as best they could, searching desperately for a way out, but there was none.

"ORTENSIA!" came a shout beyond their dark prison, and in the small gaps of the writhing mass, Ortensia could just make out the sight of Oswald still rushing towards them, Mickey and his friends (including the Baby Max's father) were right on his heels, but they would never make it in time.

Realizing this, Pete's expression became set with resolve. "I ain't lettin' no black monsters take me alive!" he bellowed. "And they sure ain't takin' my wife or son! We're bustin' out of here!"

With that, he squared his shoulders, and charged straight at the swirling wall of shadows, intending to use his girth to break a hole right through them.

At the last second before Pete could impact with them, the Heartless suddenly shot upwards, causing the big cat to tumble forwards onto his face.

The creatures then hovered like a ring above their heads as Pete let out a groan as he pushed himself back up, just in time for Mickey, Oswald, Goofy, and to reach him.

Pete blinked, and glanced around at the lack of Heartless at ground level as the others made their way past him. "Did I win?" he asked in bewilderment.

For a moment, it looked like he just might have.

Then, a second later, the ring of heartless in the sky swarmed inwards and poured downwards at the center, dropping them all right on top of Ortensia, Peg, and the children.

Then the screaming began.

Ortensia felt rooted to the spot in horror, only able to watch as one by one her children vanished before her eyes. The monsters plunging their razor sharp claws into their little chests, and snatching their glowing hearts right out of them as they vanished. To her left, she registered Peg trying to shield PJ, but to no avail, and the mother and son disappeared, inciting a cry of dismay from Pete.

"ORTENSIA!" came Oswald's strangled cry, and Ortensia looked up to meet her husband's eyes just in time to feel an overwhelming pain in her own chest. She looked down, and was horrified to see a black claw sticking straight through it, her own heart beating within its grip, before it was yanked back out of her.

Ortensia staggered as it was stolen, hearing the sound of her husband screaming through what felt like a thick fog, and knowing she herself was already starting to disappear like her children.

Then, a closer sound managed to register to her through the mist. The sharp, insistent sound of a baby's cry.

Max! She was still holding Baby Max in her arms, and if she disappeared now, he wouldn't stand a chance.

With the last of her strength, Ortensia threw the baby in the direction of Oswald's voice, hoping desperately to get him to safety as she slipped away.

In the distance, she heard the voice of Max's father as he rushed to catch his baby, and she strained to keep her eyes open to see if he got to safety.

The baby flew through the air towards safety, and for a moment Ortensia dared to think she had done it.

Only for hope to be literally snatched away as one of the creatures leaped up and attacked the baby in midair, causing his father to let out a wail of despair.

Defeated and with no strength left, Ortensia felt herself falling backwards into darkness.

At the last second, she managed to catch sight of Oswald still desperately trying to reach her before her vision faded to black, and Ortensia knew no more.

Oswald skidded to a stop when his wife and the last of his children vanished before his very eyes, only able to stare in horror at the spot where they had once stood.

Beside him, he heard the heartbroken cries of Pete and Goofy over their families being lost in the mass as well, but he could not drag his eyes away to look at them.

"No," he said barely above a whisper. "No, no, no, they can't be gone!"

He was so caught up in his grief that he didn't even register the fact the Heartless were now eyeing them as their next victims.

But Mickey did, and grabbed Oswald's arm and began dragging him back to the castle, Donald doing the same for Goofy, and the other musketeers dragging Pete along as well, though the three were too shell-shocked to even register the movement.

While Donald was not proud of his days as a coward and was glad he'd found his courage, his past actions did give him some advantages, such as being very quick on his feet. Because of that, and despite being weighed down by Goofy, the duck quickly outstripped the other musketeers, and was the first to make it back to the castle, depositing his friend in front of a fretful Clarabelle.

The cow looked at the two worriedly, wondering what had caused them to be in such a state. "What happened out there?" she asked.

Donald opened his mouth to answer, but then shut it, unable to find the words.

How does one even tell a mother that her son was no more.

The silence stretched on, making Clarabelle more and more anxious by the second. Finally, she said again, "What happened? Tell me!"

Donald refused to meet her gaze, but was startled when Goofy spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Max…" he said, heartbroken, making Clarabelle gasp in alarm. "Max is… gone…"

Clarabelle was stunned into silence for a long moment, gaping at the two.

"No…" she said when she recovered her voice. "No… no, it's not true."

She reached down and grabbed Goofy by the front of his uniform, and yanked him up so she could glare at him eye to eye. "Where is he, Goofy!" she snarled. "Where is our son! Where is he!"

But Goofy's eyes only filled with tears, and he slowly shook his head.

The truth sinking in, Clarabelle let out a choked sob and fell to knees, dragging Goofy with her as she burst into tears. Goofy wrapped his arms around her, and the couple lost themselves in their sadness as Donald watched on helplessly, knowing there was nothing he could say to make things better.

His own eyes growing wet, Donald forced himself to look away from the couple, and instead turned his attention to outside the gate to see if the others would catch up soon, only to let out a squawk of alarm at what met his gaze.

The other musketeers were closing in on the gate at a rapid pace, but closing in on them at an even faster speed was the darkness.

Worried for his friends, Donald hurried to shout at the guards manning the gates. "Be ready to close the gates as soon as they get through!" he ordered. "We can't let those monsters inside the castle."

The guard snapped a salute, and positioned himself to shut the gates as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, Mickey and the other musketeers were running pell-mell towards the gates themselves, dragging along their still unresponsive charges, and not even daring to look back at the shadows snapping at their heels.

As they closed in on the gate, Pete stirred, causing the musketeers to drop him.

As the large cat started to stumble to his feet, majority of those who carried him took that as their cue to hurry on through the gates, but one brave soul hung back to say, "Sir, we must hurry! They're gaining on us!"

Pete looked around blankly for a moment, before his eyes rested on the coming shadows. "P-Peg…" he said in a low voice. "P-P-PJ…"

"Sir! We have to go!" said the musketeer, shifting on his feet, and looking ready to bolt in an instant. Being a good Samaritan could only go so far when it came to the possibility of being devoured by a hoard of monsters.

Mickey doubled back, still dragging a practically boneless Oswald along with him. "He's right, Pete! We gotta go!"

Seeing Mickey hang back to help seemed to be enough incentive for the musketeer to consider his Samaritan job in good hands, and he bolted for the gates, leaving Mickey alone to try and convince his former boss to run.

Mickey gritted his teeth at the sight, but couldn't fully blame the musketeer, as he was close to bolting himself, since he was still supporting Oswald. In a choice between saving Pete or Oswald, his brother would win hands down every time.

"Pete!" he shouted again.

Pete didn't move.

The darkness grew closer…

"PETE!" shouted Mickey.

"MOVE IT YA TUB OF LARD!" bellowed an unexpected voice, causing Pete to jump.

Mickey jolted as it rang out right next to his ear, and looked over to see Oswald had finally regained awareness, and was glaring at the large cat with all his might.

"RUN, YOU IDIOTS!" he snapped, running for the gate and yanking Mickey along with him, and startling Pete into following.

"You're way too nice for your own good," Oswald grumbled to his brother as he ran.

"Sorry, Ossie," Mickey apologized.

The brothers bolted to safety with Pete at their heels, and the darkness closing fast.

Seeing them coming, Donald held up a wing to the gateman. "Drop the gate on my signal!" he ordered, knowing that they would have only a second to spare once the three were inside to shut out the darkness.

The gateman nodded, and prepared himself.

The runners got closer, and the darkness closed in.

"Three," said Donald, beginning the countdown.

Closer, the darkness reaching out for them.

"Two," said Donald, his wing shaking.

They were mere seconds from it now, and Pete glanced back to see if they would make it.

"One!" shouted Donald, bringing down his wing, knowing they would be able to get in before it shut.

They should have all gotten inside before it shut…

But at the last second, Pete panicked at the sight of the enclosing darkness, and with a terrified scream, he shoved past Mickey and Oswald, knocking the two to the ground, and crossing into safety on his own.

Before either brother could regain his footing, the gate slammed shut with an ominous crash.

The two barely had enough time to trade horrified glances, before the darkness was upon them, dragging them away with thousands of black clawed hands.

Strangely, the Heartless didn't attack them, but instead forcibly carried them deeper into their ranks, and the reason for it became alarmingly clear.

Mizrabel stood as an imposing figure, even among the writhing darkness as the brothers were thrown before her feet.

"Well, well," she said as the two stared up at her with wide eyes, and her face grew a malicious smirk. "We are in trouble, now…"

A/N I told you it was going to get dark. Now Ortensia, Peg, and all the children have all lost their hearts, and it's looking like the brothers will soon follow. How are they getting out of this mess?

In other news, OH MY GOSH! Those trailers that were released, I'm both disappointed that the game's been delayed again, but the scenes they showed made my jaw drop.