I do not own Disney anything. The only OCs I own are Tracy and Serena.

Knight of Renaissance Light: Theodore, Ecthros and Lord Odotherex
MysteryGirl: Malovent, Kyra, Adrian
Pres1111: Leah
Nightmaster000: Sara

Power of Speculation

"So, Theodore," Serena spoke as she and her new friend moved through the dark forest. "Where do you come from?"

"The Real World, same as you." Theodore smiled. "If you'd like me to be more specific, I come from America, along the Eastern Coast in the area of Manasquan. And please, you can call me Ted, if you'd like. "

"Okay, Ted." Serena grinned. "How do you know Lord Odotherex?"

"We have quite the history. I first encountered him and Ecthros in the Real World, where they also come from. I realized my destiny after this battle and left to ensure that the balance of all worlds is stable. I believed I had killed Odotherex, but he proved to be more cunning than I thought him to be. I've been pursuing him ever since," Ted explained.

"Odotherex has tried taking over other worlds?" Serena asked in surprise.

"Of course. He's attempting to build up an army so he-" Ted paused. "I apologize, but I'm afraid there are some things I cannot reveal. But the priority is to ensure that Odotherex does not succeed in accomplishing his goals."

"There's something I don't understand." Serena frowned. "If Lord Odotherex could travel to any world, why come to the world that holds the most purity?"

Ted laughed. "I ask myself the same question. I think Odotherex underestimated the amount of pure power in this world. Since he is quite powerful, he didn't feel the harmful effects until it was too late. I assume that it was during his battle with Mickey when he realized the toll the pure magic was taking on him. He would have travelled to another world, but I don't think he had enough energy to do so. The only other option was the Dark Lands, where he's been staying to recuperate."

"If you know all this, and I think you know a lot more, then why didn't you come and get him when this happened?" Serena asked.

"I only know what I am privileged to see. And you must understand, once Odotherex entered this world, I could do nothing. It has always been prophesied that you and your friend would enter the Disney Kingdom."

Serena's green eyes widened in realization. "You mean...Tracy and I were meant to come here and do all of this?"

"Yes."

Baffled, Serena stayed silent for the rest of the walk. They came upon a small clearing in the forest, where Serena's crew was resting, bruised and battered.

"You're alive!" Iago exclaimed, flying onto her shoulder.

Serena managed a smile. "Barely. It's all thanks to Ted."

Robin ruffled Serena's dark hair and glanced at Ted in puzzlement. "Where did he come from?"

Hesitating, Serena glanced at Ted. The boy smiled. "I came from a different world, comrade. I am here to help as much as I can."

"This is getting weird," Aladdin rubbed his face tiredly. "People are popping out of thin air and I'm getting beaten up by shadows."

Serena snorted. "Out of everything that's happened so far, those things are what bother you the most?"

"Uh-"

"Never mind." Serena waved her hand. "Is everyone alright?"

"Sore as heck, but we'll survive." Kyra got up from the cold ground and stretched. "We're ready to move."

"Speak for yourself," Hercules muttered. "I think a shadow broke my rib."

Serena rolled her eyes. "This is a minor setback-"

"A minor setback?"

"Shut up, Iago!" Serena snapped. "We need to keep moving. We have to find Malovent and finish this. Lord Odotherex will be tough, and we need to be extremely careful on how we approach him. Kyra, how much further?"

"Just a few more miles," Kyra answered.

"Then let's get moving." Serena marched forwards, and after a moment everyone else followed her.

With a pounding heart Serena pushed the dry tree branches out of her way. She stumbled over roots and it wasn't long before she could see a break in the trees.

"Hold on," Adrian commanded. "I'm going to take a look. For all we know we could be set up for another ambush."

"Be careful," Kyra cautioned. Adrian nodded sharply and set off towards the wide, gaping mouths of the caves. Serena bit her lip and tensed.

Nobody spoke a word. The sky glowed menacingly, its red light shining down on them. A tree branch cracked and Serena jumped.

"Take it easy, will ya?" Iago whispered.

"It's hard to do so when I just might be fighting a guy who can summon demons by the hundreds!" Serena hissed.

"He's coming back," Kyra said sharply. Everyone stared at Adrian as he jogged back.

"There's no one there," he announced.

"Well, that's a bit anti-climatic," Iago snorted.

"I didn't think he would be," Ted muttered. Serena rubbed her forehead, agreeing with her fellow guardian. Why would Malovent stay hidden when the barrier had broken?

"Do you think he's in the Kingdom?" Serena asked.

"I wouldn't think so." Kyra bit her lip in thought. "I'm taking a guess here, but I think he's lingering where the barrier used to be."

"Why do you say that?" Aladdin asked as they all turned around and went back the way they came.

"I'm not kidding when I say Leah makes a lot of noise. If we haven't heard her yet, then that means she's not in the Lands. She and Sara can withstand the purity a lot better than most of the inhabitants in here can. They were born in the Kingdom, so they have resistance to it, but they will forever abide by Kingdom laws," Kyra explained.

"So Sara and Leah must be in the Kingdom, doing whatever Malovent ordered them to do, and he's waiting," Adrian finished.

Serena pulled at her raven hair in frustration. "We came all this way, and get ambushed by deadly creatures, only to have to start over? Do you know how far the barrier stretched when it was stable? We don't have that kind of time!"

"Do you have any bright ideas?" Iago snapped.

"And if you do, none of them can be finding Odotherex and taking him on," Ted said firmly. "Here, he's in his element. If you're even going to have a chance at beating him, he needs to be in the Kingdom."

"But the Kingdom is running out of magic!" Serena shrieked. "The Dark Lands has merged with it! I don't see how-"

"Trust me."

Serena stared into his green/brown eyes. He knew more than she ever could, Serena knew that. And even though she just met this guy, she was going to have to trust that he knew what he was doing. "Okay. We continue looking for Malovent. And if he beats us into the Kingdom?"

"We go after him," Hercules said matter-of-factly.

Serena played with the locket Mickey had given her. The pendent had allowed her into the Dark Lands, and Mickey said she would know when it was time to leave.

"Come on, let's keep moving," Kyra ordered.

Serena followed along behind them, thinking hard. A sudden thought had struck her.

What if she was never meant to find Malovent in the Dark Lands? Maybe the reason she had been sent into the Lands was to meet Kyra and Adrian. She was naive and trusting, she could admit that. Tracy would have been cynical upon meeting two strangers in the land of evil.

But she had accepted them. She had trusted them. And when she found out about Kyra's demon, she stuck with them.

Maybe I'm the one who can cure Kyra.

For some reason, she looked at Ted when the thought crossed her mind. He caught her gaze, and smiled knowingly.

Serena swallowed and stared at the ground. She wasn't sure if she was correct in her assumptions, but considering what fate had been throwing at her and Tracy, it wouldn't be surprising.

...

Tracy and Max hovered over the palace grounds. Thick masses of demons were pouring in, and Tracy wondered how the people inside had managed to fight for so long. Max stared at the broken windows and torn up gardens. "This is depressing..."

"Tell me about it," Tracy muttered. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. It would take a lot magic to destroy this crowd of beasts.

The magic swelled inside her and warmth flared in her stomach. She could feel her hands tingling with heat and she concentrated. Max let out a yelp of surprise as a giant burst of silver magic slammed into the grounds. He turned away from the light and waited until the blast had dimmed. "You took them all out!"

"Yeah...I did," Tracy said dizzily. "Note to self...don't use up...so much magic...at once." She tumbled to the ground and Max quickly grabbed the blonde by the arm.

"Gotcha!" he exclaimed. He paused as the weightless feeling left his body. "Uh...the pixie dust ran out."

They both yelped as the hit the ground, tumbling. Max moaned and gingerly got to his feet, wiping off the dirt. "Sorry, I tried."

"You get points for the attempted rescue." Tracy got to her feet and arched her back. "Alright, let's go see how the people are."

The two teens climbed through a broken window and into the throne room. Immediately they were swept into a hug by Genie. "You little pudding, you! Saving our behinds like that! You're growing up so fast!"

"It was nothing," Tracy rasped. "How are you guys?"

"Alive, surprisingly." Jasmine wiped the blood from her face. "You came just in the nick of time. We are very grateful."

"We're more than grateful!" Genie exclaimed. He set the kids down and bowed to them.

Tracy laughed. "I'm glad I can help." She created the trusty magic sphere and handed it to Jasmine. The princess stared at it in awe.

"Genie, can you do this?"

"I can, but not with that much power put into it." Genie mock-pouted. "The squirt is upstaging me and it's humiliating."

"I'm just awesome like that." Tracy smiled. "Is Jafar around?"

"He was," Jasmine sighed. "But then this girl ran in, shot Jafar with some sort of gun, and he just collapsed. The strange thing is that he looks like he's dead, but he isn't. It's like his spirit was sucked out or something."

Tracy's blue eyes widened. "Hey, I think that's it!"

"What's it?" everyone asked.

"I don't have time to explain it to everyone. Max, come on." Tracy grabbed Max by the hand and flew into the air with renewed energy. "Keep the sphere and you'll have no more trouble."

"What's it?" Max repeated as Tracy flew at top speed.

"Did you hear what Jasmine said? It's like his spirit was sucked out or something. The villains we've seen, they looked dead, but they weren't. I didn't know how to describe their appearance until Jasmine said that. It seems like the most crucial part of them has been taken!" Tracy exclaimed.

Max thought this over. "You mean their very villainy?"

"Yes! Jasmine said a girl shot Jafar with a ray gun and he collapsed. What if this girl is collecting the...the..." Tracy struggled to think of the word, "the essences of the villains?"

"But for what purpose?" Max asked in surprise.

"I don't know. To be honest, I don't know who would be smart enough to create such a device. Maybe Malovent or Lord Odotherex?"

"Well..." Max said slowly. "It's mandatory for the youth of the Kingdom to study Dark History when we reach high school. There's this girl named Sara who got banished a while ago for trying to suck the magic out of the Magic Bearers."

"And that's very similar to what's happening to the villains," Tracy mused. "But what is she going to use the essences for?"

"I'm clutching at straws here," Max warned, "but Professor Ludwig is creating a machine that will harness the remaining magic and emphasise its power. What if this Sara girl, assuming she is the cause of this, is going to do something similar, but project the evil into the Kingdom?"

"Therefore eliminating the magic for good!" Tracy finished. "But there can't be a lot of supplies to work with in the Dark Lands, so the invention must be created here. And that means she has to have someone working with her. Sara can't collect essences and build machines at the same time!"

"And I don't think its Malovent or Lord Odotherex," Max said.

"I think we're getting somewhere, Max." Tracy squeezed her eyes shut. She could feel there was another piece to this puzzle. "Sara would need somewhere to work. Where?"

"It would have to be somewhere no one would think to check." Max frowned. "It won't be a well-known workshop or lab. But it won't be a low-class one, either."

"What's one workshop no one would not to go to?" Tracy asked.

"Gyro Gearloose!" Max shouted suddenly. "He's workshop has decent supplies, but it's not that well known in the Kingdom, and hardly anyone goes near it often!"

"Okay, okay, what are the chances the triplets stumbled up this girl and her machine?" Tracy asked seriously.

"They probably did." Max frowned with concern. "But did she restrain them, or silence them?"

"We're going to find out." Tracy narrowed her eyes and set off for Duckburg. "Max, I think we're onto the something. And I don't like it one bit."