Hello! Thank you, everyone, who has been a part of this story and all of you who have reviewed: Meadowlark4491, KellyR, Pepper Keibu, lifeismusicplayitLOUDER, Anastasia Basil, Chibbiconfettiqueen, sunnydaysmiles, crazeedragon, Yoda's Padawan, and The Mouse Avenger!!! You've all been so great and it was an honor writing something that you all enjoyed! Thanks for all the encouragement (Anastasia Basil, I'm sorry I never got back to your invitation to RP; I feel so rude and need to apologize!!!) After thinking about this story and realizing I hadn't done anything with it for months, I decided this chapter was going to be the end. Very sad...

Thank you, everyone, and here you are: the last chapter of A New Case, A New Cause!

The End

Basil sat in the balcony, disguised and cloaked. He stood behind several other mice that had come to watch their kingdom snatched by an evil rat through the marriage ceremony of their princess. They were so lost in their grief that, even if they had noticed Basil behind them, they wouldn't have recognized him as the great detective who had saved them all from Ratigan.

The detective felt alone, no Dr. Dawson by his side, and felt bad for leaving his good friend behind in the prison Isadore had kept them in for so long, but knew it was all part of the plan. As for his loneliness, there was no way to help that. He had an important task to do and feeling sorry for himself was not a good start.

Early in the morning, after Basil had escaped the prison, Isadore had stormed the palace, sending out announcements that the entire population of mice in all of London were invited for the marriage ceremony between himself and their princess. Anna had been a part of the twisted processional to the castle after Isadore and his thugs overtook the palace guard. Sitting on Felicia's fat back, Anna was bound and gagged, only able to shoot nasty looks at the escorts Isadore had provided for her and give fleeting glances for help out to the crowd of mice who watched their princess go by. They hung their heads and held their hats in their hands, unable to even make eye contact with Anna lest one of the thugs who were making sure Anna got to the palace hit them. The sun had not yet risen as Basil followed the processional, every footfall matching every beat of his heart as he looked at Anna from afar. She looked so tired, so worn... She didn't look strong enough to cook a meal, much less fight off Isadore's thugs.

Basil remained disguised as he joined the crowd of mice in the castle, making his way to the balcony as to get a better look at the villain taking over Mousedom. He had found an old, discarded umbrella in an alleyway on his way to the castle and held it now in his paws, thinking very hard. If he could use the spring inside the umbrella to launch him off the balcony, just far enough to reach the chandelier, he could cut lose the cord from the ceiling and ride the chandelier to the ground, almost directly in front of where Isadore was standing at the moment, a sneer on his greasy rat face. Once surprised, he could grab Anna and, if it all worked out the way Basil planned it, he would escape with Anna while the police arrived with Toby and Dr. Dawson to take Isadore to jail.

Music rose up from the ensemble of musicians in front of the crowd, the notes shaking like the performers as the thugs stood on guard nearby, looking as ominous as a smelly ruffian could. Basil peered over the heads of the mice in front of him and looked down to see Anna, still bound and gagged, being escorted through the crowd by Molly, her maid. Molly had a hand on Anna's arm, pulling her along as the crowd parted for them. When Anna arrived in front of Isadore, Molly took her place in the front of the mob of spectators. A ruffian stood behind Anna, making sure she didn't run off, and Isadore smirked as he took her paws in his own.

It make Basil sick to watch, but he couldn't look away. The timing had to be just right and, to do that, he would have to keep his eyes peeled. Toby and Dawson were to arrive with the police any moment and, when they did, he would swoop in for Anna. But, the whistle, high and sharp, the unmistakable sign Dawson was supposed to give when he arrived, never came. Minutes upon minutes passed, Basil growing more and more restless. The reverend mouse stood in front of Isadore and Anna, reciting the words of a typical marriage ceremony, obviously uncomfortable with binding the two together in a marriage that was being made for Isadore's greed for power.

"Do you, Isadore, take Princess Anna to be your-"

"I do," Isadore snapped, becoming just as impatient as Basil.

"And do you, Princess Anna-"

Anna shook her head furiously, unable to speak because of the gag, but Isadore grabbed her shoulders and stopped her.

"She does," he said, his voice booming, causing the audience to flinch.

"If anyone has any objection-" the reverend mouse spoke again, and Basil saw his chance.

"I do!" Basil cried, using his umbrella to help him jump to the chandelier and cutting all but one of the ropes holding the lights up. The rope he didn't cut pulled and strained, ripping through the ceiling as the chandelier swept through the air to land, as planned, in front of Anna and Isadore.

"Will you all stop interrupting me?" the reverend cried, slamming his book shut and jumping out of the way as bits of the glass chandelier flew everywhere.

Basil turned and hit the ruffian that was poised to strike him with a club and the audience that had not started to flee the castle yet attacked whatever thugs they could. They now realized that Basil, London's hero, had come to save the day. However, the chandelier had candles that had toppled over onto the rugs of the palace's great hall and flames were rising. Through the growing heat and smoke, Basil beat off the last ruffian and saw Anna. The fumes were choking her and she already couldn't breathe well because of the gag over her mouth. Basil ran to her and Anna's eyes lit up for a brief moment before they closed and she collapsed. Kneeling by her side, Basil ripped off the gag and, as he tried to shake her awake, realized that she had been hit in the back of the head. Looking up at the shadow that loomed over him, Basil looked straight into the eyes of Isadore himself, the great rat raising a club to swipe at the detective. Rolling to the side and dashing through the flames, Basil took a decorative sword off the wall of the great hall. It wasn't sharp and ridiculously heavy, but it would work well enough to fend off Isadore. Basil blocked Isadore's swipe and, dancing away from the ever growing flames, Basil fought Isadore.

"You're defeated," Basil said, jumping out of the way as Isadore, crazed with anger, swept at him with the club. "You can't marry Anna and you're not taking over Mousedom!"

"I might not be married yet, but I can still take over Mousedom," Isadore snapped back, turning his back on Basil and running to stand over Anna, who was laying groggily on the floor. Picking her up and making her stand against him, Isadore held the club over her head. "If you leave now, I can still get married and become King of Mousedom. If you take even one step toward me, she goes."

"But that would be the end of your master plan," Basil said, "No princess, no wedding."

"Sometimes it's not all about me, Basil," Isadore sneered, "It's about making you suffer. And this will make you suffer!"

As Isadore raised the club higher, ready to drop it on Anna, the princess found enough strength to elbow him in the gut, causing Isadore to stumble backwards in surprise. Through the crackle of flames and sounds of fighting, a high whistle pierced the air. Toby and Dawson had arrived!

The dog bounded through the flames, taking care not to step on anyone but thugs, and let Dawson slide off his back, along with a dozen policemice, another several dozen constables behind them, already rounding up ruffians. In one gulp, Toby swallowed Isadore, grimacing and burping. Dawson helped put out the flames as the policemice took thugs away. Basil ran to Anna, who stood alone, looking rather confused. The soot from the fire had stained her dress and her face, but Basil, remembering the time he had first seen her, looking so raged in the prison Isadore had thrown them in, smiled at her and held her close.

"Anna, I'm so sorry... Really, I am," he said softly.

"You rescued me, Basil, it's done and over with," she answered back, holding the shaking Basil closer. Both of the mice were ragged and exhausted and shaking, but knew this was the beginning instead of the end of their adventure.

Epilogue

That same day, policemice found what looked to be the remains of Isadore's wedding jacket and several of fur. Toby seemed ill for several hours after the rescue of Anna but looked much better just minutes before the policemice found Isadore's remains. Felicia was ran out of town by the neighborhood dogs, who let her know that, if she was seen in London again, very bad things would happen to her. The last Dawson heard was that Felicia had found a home in the country and had changed from the evil, wicked beast they knew her as and into a healthy, contented house pet for the rest of her days. Toby returned to his residence, living with Mr. Holmes and completely happy when Basil took him out for walks, which was often.

There was an eventual wedding, just not the sort Isadore wanted. Anna and Basil celebrated their wedding several months after Isadore's plan had failed and, after becoming King and Queen of Mousedom, the happy couple invited Dr. Dawson, the cook, and Molly to live in the palace with them. Molly was as good of a caretaker as she was a storyteller and, between herself and Dr. Dawson, told such good tales that mice from all over London gathered in the great hall (which had been fully restored following the battle between Isadore and Basil) just to hear their favorite stories told over and over again. As for Basil, he continued sleuthing, never seeming to grow any older as he solved many famous mysteries. Anna had three beautiful children, all of which had their mother's spirit and their father's genius.

And, as they say at the end of stories like these, they lived happy ever after.

I felt that, even though the ending was cheesy, they deserved it.

Thank you, everyone!!!!!!!