Chapter 29: Slumber Party
Minnie was too enthralled to notice Admiral Triton, Sebastian, Basil, and Captain Amelia leave. Setting aside the drapes for closer inspection, she joined Mickey.
Kneeling, Minnie watched the headmaster rearrange the index cards on the floor. Names were written on the index cards. Minnie peered closer. Names of the students and the gifts received from the Wishing Star.
"Mickey?" Minnie asked as Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Merlin, and Coach Phil gathered behind. "Mickey, what is this? What are you doing?"
Mickey paused. His hands hovered over the index cards. "Thinking." he finally said, returning to the cards. "Trying to find the student."
Minnie tried to remain passive. "The Chosen One?" she asked. Her heart pattered as Mickey arranged the index cards. "The one that can…set the demons free?"
"And keep them away." The headmaster reminded. "We just have to get to them before Hook does." Ignoring the pessimistic expressions, Mickey frowned at the index cards.
"Hmph."
Mickey picked up a card. He set it down. He took another. "Hmph."
"Problems, Champsky?" guessed Coach Phil. He rubbed an itch through his pajamas, "Or are we gonna make this slumber party an all nighter?"
Mickey did not deny the possibility. "Admiral Triton was right." Lines crossed the headmaster's face. "Too many surprises today. That's for sure."
"Garsh…" Goofy scratched his head. "Waddah ya mean, Mick?"
"Yeah!" Donald chimed, spitting over the index cards. "Waddah ya mean?"
Mickey held up a card. "Some of these students…" he said, holding the card to the light, "I just can't figure out. Ya know.? But some of them are easy peasy….take these for example."
Mickey gestured to a pile. "These students are clearly Warriors: Phillip, Hercules, Clayton, Adam, Kay, Phoebus, Robin and I think…" Mickey pondered for a moment. "…and I think, Ariel."
"Ariel?"
"Triton's youngest?"
"A mermaid?"
"Well, not technically a mermaid, remember. But still, Headmaster…?"
"Nah, the mouse is right." Coach Phil nodded at Mickey. "Ariel's on my swim team. Plucky kid. Bit of a handful. Impulsive. Plus…" Coach Phil chuckled. "That trident screams 'warrior.' Yeah, she'd be good in a fight. For a girl."
"Well, so would many girls." Minnie said, a bit defensively. She pointed to Mickey's index cards. "See. Look who else Mickey has in the Warrior pile: Elsa, Snow White, Cinderella, and…oh Mickey, Lilo? She's just a baby!"
"Even babies grow up." said Coach Phil, squatting closer to the index cards. "And I'd train that kid any day. She and her sister are saltier than beef jerky. Speaking of which – where'd you put Nani?"
"Healer, I should think." Merlin said, searching the cards. "What with that magnificent lei."
Mickey nodded. "Yep, I have Nani as a Healer. Along with Rapunzel, Kida, and probably Anna."
"Scouts?" prompted Donald, interested because Scouting was his forte.
The headmaster tapped his chin. "Giselle." he finally said, rearranging the cards. "She can talk to squirrels, and you know how inquisitive squirrels can be. John Smith and Milo Thatch as well – John can understand any spoken language whereas Milo can read any written language. Also….Esmeralda, Clopin, Kocoum, and Tigerlily– apparition and silencing will allow them to be unseen and unheard. Two more I had…oh yes Prince and Gaston."
Mickey snapped his fingers. "I bet those mirrors reflects anything you ask to see. Most magical mirrors do, ya know. And very useful for a Scout."
"Hui-up!" Goofy agreed. "Perfect spies!"
"Wait a minute!" Donald objected. Angrily, he flapped his wings. "That's it? What about The Pixies? What about Peter Pan? What about my flying power?"
"Pan? A Scout?" Coach Phil laughed. "Cool it bird brain. Kid's a Warrior."
Donald boiled. "Scout!"
"Hey – Pan is basically a living missal. Warrior!"
"Scout!"
"Undecided!" Headmaster Mickey interrupted as the satyr and the duck lunged for each other's throats. "Peter Pan – he's the flying red head?"
Minnie nodded. It would take Mickey a while to learn all the student's names.
"Peter Pan is in the undecided category." continued Mickey, gesturing to the largest pile of index cards. "Along with most of his classmates: Aladdin, Pocahontas, The Mermaids, The Pixies, Tarzan, Eric, Tiana, Taran, Merida, Mulan, Belle, Kuzco...and many, many more. These are the children that could be in either category: Warrior, Scout, for some Healer…."
Mickey shuffled through the index cards. "It all depends on how they perform in the War Games tomorrow."
The group nodded.
Minnie observed the index cards. "There are still two more piles Mickey."
Curiously, she placed down her hand. "Who are they for?"
Headmaster Mickey shifted. He touched three index cards nearest to his knee.
Well…this one is the… 'I-have-no-idea' pile."
Minnie laughed, in spite of herself. "Mickey!" she giggled as the headmaster turned pink. "Really? No idea?"
"Well have a look!" Earnestly, Mickey splayed the index cards. "Just have a look Minnie. Take the first one: Jim Hawkins? The little metal orb?"
"You said it yerself, Mick!" said Goofy, making a square with his hands. "It'sa Rubics Cube!"
Donald jumped up and down. "It's a bomb!"
Merlin shook his head, "It's a digital hologram combined speaker system with eight gigabits of storage space."
Coach Phil snorted. "It's probably one of those self massagers."
"See?" Mickey said defensively, showing the second card to Minnie. "And this one, Minnie. Just look….Wendy Darling? Needle, thread, and thimble. That could be anything."
Minnie smiled sweetly. She picked up the third index card from Mickey's hands. "Arthur Pendragon?"
"Ah…The Wart." Merlin's Snuggie swished against his robes. "Sir Ector's foster boy. I had the pleasure of meeting his aquantaince in Mr. Silver's kitchens. My, my, my…no apparent gift received from the Wishing Star."
Merlin used the index card to scratch quizzically behind his ear. "Unorthodox and befuddling!"
"Befuddling." Headmaster Mickey agreed. He glanced superiorly at Minnie. "Befuddling!"
Minnie consented with a little sigh. "Well all right. But..what about…this last pile?"
Mickey looked down. The good humor drained from his face.
Slowly he reached for the final pile. The pile shirked by the starlight. "Well…this one…I think you can guess."
"Related to the Star." guessed Merlin. The wizard's voice broke from a perfectly calm face. "The Second Star to the Wrong. The Wishing Star."
Headmaster Mickey nodded "One in the same, Merlin." He picked up the index cards. There were four.
"Megara…" he said, dropping one card. It fluttered like a seagull to the ground. "The girl that can hear the dead."
Merlin closed his eyes. "That will be…useful."
Mickey nodded. He rubbed the three index cards still in his hand. "Especially when…the star…if the star…unlocks."
Coach Phil squinted at Meg's index card. "I'm thinking Warrior, Headmaster. Magical Power like that needs to be on the front line in battle. Listening to dead souls…" Coach Phil shuddered. "Yikes!"
"Yes…" A second index card fell to the ground as Headmaster Mickey spoke. "But we also have young Simba. Minnie was he the lion cub? Yes the lion cub that can hear stars talking."
"Garsh…" Goofy gazed wistfully out the window. The heavens twinkled against his big eyes. "…garsh. Wonder what they're sayin'…"
"That's powerful magic." added Merlin, also turning to the window. "He may be able to hear the Second Star to the Wrong. Tell us when the demons…escape…when the Wishing Star…" Mickey breathed deeply. "…unlocks."
A third index card slipped from the headmaster's hand. The group looked at the name written on the card: Eilonwy.
Everyone shuddered.
"The Black Cauldron." Merlin tugged his beard. Archimedes clicked his beak. "Hang it all. Hang it all. The Wishing Star gave that poor girl the Black Cauldron."
"Mickey, Eilonwy can't keep it." Minnie said, "We can't let her keep the cauldron."
"Yeah." Goofy agreed. The end of his nose quivered. "I remember. It's too dangerous!"
"If the Wishing Star unlocks…" Minnie shook her head so hard, the bow between her ears went askew. "Oh Mickey! We can't let Eilonwy keep that dreadful cauldron!"
Mickey fingered Eilonwy's card. Slowly, he turned it over. "We don't have a choice. The Black Cauldron…was given to her. All we can do…is…"
Merlin huffed. "Educate. All we can do is educate. Puh…hang it all."
Archimedes nodded. "Agreed."
"Zesty Zeus and Holy Hera." Coach Phil burred himself under folded arms. "This sucks!"
"Well that's neither here nor there." reprimanded Merlin. "We have to remain positive! Remember that timeless adage of the sages: Adopt, adapt, and improve!"
"Aw put a can in it!" squawked Donald, clapping his hands over his head. "It can't get any worse!"
Mickey held up the last index card. "Don't be so sure."
The card fell. Side up, the messy ink blot screamed the written name.
"Facilier."
Darkness sagged. The night became a little bleaker.
"So…" Merlin's voice was no more than a hush. "…so…we have a Shadow Man."
"Keep an eye on him." ordered Mickey, starring at the name on the card. "Teach him what you can. But do what you must to protect the students."
"Is he the one?" Minnie dared to ask. "Is Facilier…the Chosen One?"
"Shadows are suggestive." Merlin said, consenting to Minnie's proposal. "Attached to our souls and all that."
The wizard furrowed his brow. "Headmaster?"
Mickey did not respond, lost in contemplation. Finally the headmaster shook his head.
"Ya know…I don't think Facilier is the Chosen One."
Mickey's eyes flickered over the mess of index cards. "The Chosen One doesn't have to be a Shadow Worker. Shadow Workers can manipulate shadows – extensions of our souls – in our world. The Chosen One…"
Mickey's hands glided over the cards. "The Chosen One needs to actually travel to the Wishing Star. And most importantly…unlock the Wishing Star."
Breaking from his trance, Mickey looked up. "It will be a physical feat. The shadow-working may be there, but it's not a rule or anything like that."
"So…" Coach Phil scratched his stubble. "This kid…the Chosen One…finagles up to the Wishing Star and basically…completes the break between the left and right pieces? Second Star to the Right and Second Star to the Wrong?"
Mickey nodded.
"Sets the demons free?"
Mickey nodded again.
"How? I didn't see a key or nothing come out of the Magic Bag of Tricks."
Mickey shrugged. "Depends on the gift."
"Uh huh. Well anyway….after that, the demons come to Fantasia…through the Black Cauldron?"
A third nod.
"And this Shadow Worker…he can what…control the demons?"
Mickey more or less nodded. "The Shadow Worker can…interact…manipulate…cohort with demons."
"Huh. Gang up with demons…" Coach Phil considered. "So ditch the Black Cauldron."
Mickey shook his head. "Oh no. Not unless you want to ditch Eilonwy. It is attached to her now. Remember…it is her gift."
Coach Phil frowned. "Kaaaaaaaaaay. So have the kid with the genie wish it away."
Mickey and Minnie exchanged pained expressions. "Well…that didn't work so well last time we tried."
Coach Phil raised his eyebrows.
Minnie cupped a hand over her mouth. "Genie can't kill anybody. He also doesn't do well with undead demons. Destroying the Black Cauldron involves both."
Coach Phil threw up his hands. "Holy Hera! Let's just bake the kids in a blackbird pie and send it to Hook in a gift basket!"
"Coach Phil!"
Headmaster Mickey rose. Resolutely, he marched to the window.
"We will find the Chosen One!" Mickey thrust open the drapes so forcibly they ripped from the curtain rods. Starlight gushed through the open window like a silver geyser.
The group stood in the starlight. Directly north, the Wishing Star, broken into left and right pieces, sprinkled dread like rainfall.
Headmaster Mickey closed his eyes, wishing he could promise that everything was going to be all right.
Suddenly, Pluto, silent all that time, appeared at Mickey's side. Comforted more than ever, the little mouse hugged his dog.
"I promise…" Mickey whispered through Pluto's golden fur. The Wishing Star twinkled faintly, listening as the mouse spoke. "I promise…everything is going to be all right."
sultal's note:
I hope you all had a "legen - WAIT FOR IT - dary" week. Here is the next chapter as promised - thanks for waiting. NEXT CHAPTER = more Jim/Wendy/Peter. Then, onto the war games.
