CHAPTER 12

Cinderella and Aladdin were helping Eric to his feet. He was a little scratched, but not severely hurt. Cinderella sighed. "She may be right. If I had given myself up, you might have got Ariel back. Maybe even Jim."

Eric shook his head. "It wouldn't have been worth it. Trust me, she trapped me with those same lines. But once she has control of your mind, nothing can stop you from doing anything she wants. Not even you."

"What I don't understand," Pocahontas spoke up, "is why you? I mean, what great power do you have that she wants so badly?"

"I don't know," Cinderella said sadly.

Phil snapped his fingers. "Wait a minute! That day when Ariel told you that you were a Fairy of the Hollow, Eric said he thought you were all dead, but he couldn't remember why he thought that."

"You're right," Eric said, remembering. "I couldn't. Probably because I wasn't the one who remembered. She was. She thought she had… killed them all off!"

"What?" Cinderella asked, shocked.

Eric looked at her apologetically. "Cindy, she killed your real parents."

Cinderella swallowed, trying not to cry. "Do you know why?"

Eric sighed. "She did it to get rid of the fairies because…" and then it hit him. "They're the only ones who can defeat her! Cindy, she's scared of you! She wants to control you because you're the only one who can ruin her plans!"

"Then we better figure out how fast, before she takes another one of us," Cinderella decided.

Kida took her hands, smiling sadly. "Don't worry about us. Our lives are worth nothing if we can't stop her from taking you."

"She's right," Shang said. "Protecting you should be our first priority. Aladdin, I want you to stay with her at all times." Aladdin nodded, and put his arm around her protectively. "Eric," Shang continued, "we need to know everything about the witch, and we need to know it now."

"Yeah," Pocahontas said, crossing her arms. "No more holding out on us."

Eric blushed, ashamed. "I'm on your team now," he said quietly.

But Pocahontas just glared at him. "You still have to prove that," she snapped.

"Pocahontas," Shang said warningly. She huffed, but grew quiet. Shang nodded for Eric to continue.

Taking a deep breath, Eric began. "She's definitely scared of Cindy. I felt that much when we first found out what she was. But as to what can defeat the witch, she never said."

Aladdin huffed. "She wouldn't. She's too smart for that. She knew that if you ever got away, you could use that knowledge against her."

"And I would, too," Eric said firmly.

"Did she let anything slip out, or show any signs of weakness?" Shang pressed.

Eric shook his head. "No. She sees herself as the strongest there is. The first time I felt fear was when I met Cindy."

"Maybe there's something about fairies that can defeat even the witch," Phil suggested.

"Not just any fairies," Eric insisted. "Fairies of the hollow. Apparently they've got some sort of special power that she's afraid of."

"Like what?" Pocahontas asked.

Eric sighed in frustration. "I don't know. But she believes that it was passed down to Cindy."

"It may very well be," Shang replied. "Cinderella is full blooded."

"But what is it?!" Cinderella exclaimed. "What is it about me that scares her so much?"

Eric shrugged. "The only way to know that is to figure out what powers you actually have. If you can tell me what you can do, I can tell you what she is and isn't afraid of."

"I don't know what I can do!" Cinderella cried. "I just now found out that I even have powers! I've barely used them at all!"

"Four times," Eric told her. "And the power to heal doesn't frighten her, it angers her."

"Why?" Phil asked.

"Because it goes against her wishes. In her eyes, both Shang and I should both be dead by now, but you brought us back. So she's mad. All she thinks about is herself."

"What could you possibly have that she could use to her advantage?" Kida asked.

"Not eternal life," Eric said. "Because of her magic, she has that already. The only way she can die is to be killed."

Cinderella turned pale. "You mean I have to kill her?!"

"I didn't say that," Eric insisted. "Besides, she not afraid of dying. It's…" he sighed, thinking hard before he finally realized, "losing her power! Cinderella, you must have the ability to take her power away! That's what the Fairies of the Hollow have to their advantage; if someone goes bad, you can take away their powers with the snap of a finger. You have that control, Cindy. That's why she's so scared of you, and that's why she wants to control you."