"Don't go anywhere, we'll be right back." Bryan told Hermes.
"Roger that captain!" The blue man saluted.
"I want to talk to Merlin first." Rachel said once they were inside. "Remember when we fought Mrs. Jumbo and you instantly when from one place to another?"
"Yeah, you never fully explained that."
"I don't really know what happened. That's why I'm asking. Mrs. Jumbo was charging at you, then, suddenly everything froze. Nothing moved for a minute then slowly started going at normal speed. It had to be a spell but I have no idea what I did. Merlin's got to know."
"He is the one who taught us all about magic so I'd hope so. But if he knows, why didn't he tell us about that kind of magic?"
Rachel put her trinkets on a side table in the room with the portal. Merlin was sure to appreciate them coming to visit in costume. Only problem was when they got there the cottage was completely empty! Every book, table, beaker and piece of furniture was gone. Even the logs and ashes in the fireplace were gone.
"What the heck?" Bryan said.
"Where is everything? Where's Merlin?"
"Or Archimedes. But I don't feel or smell any darkness, do you?"
"Negative." Rachel answered. "I guess we're going back to the tower."
"Yeah, Master has got to know where Merlin's gone to. At least I can't sense anything bad this time."
They went back through the portal and rushed up to their room to change before talking with Yen Sid. They already came back from a quest floating out of control, no need following up with showing up in costume. Rachel left her jewelry on her bed, flew around the room just for the heck of it, scooped up her kitten then flew out of the room after her brother. Why walk when you can fly? And Tatiana didn't seem to mind being taken along for the ride so it was a win-win. Flying was too much fun. Bryan jumped and flew alongside her and raced each other up the stairs to Master Yen Sid's study. Rachel had concluded that walking was for people with no imagination.
"I see you have become quite fond of flying." Yen Sid said as they came through the door.
"Can you blame us?" Rachel smiled and curled up in mid-air around her kitten.
"We just came back from Merlin's cottage." Bryan said. "Where is he?"
"No need to worry," Yen Sid confirmed. "Merlin was called to assist an old friend. He didn't know how long he would be needed so he packed up his entire house."
"What about Archimedes?" Bryan asked.
"Archimedes is here. The old owl has his perch set up in the kitchen."
"Merlin couldn't wait to say goodbye before leaving?" Rachel asked.
"The matter is of great importance so Merlin had to leave at once. He was not thrilled to leave without saying goodbye, but he did leave a goodbye gift for the both of you."
"Oh?" Rachel said. Gifts were always fun. She put Tatiana on her shoulder and frog-stroked in the air.
Yen Sid chuckled. "Yours is on your writing desk. Merlin said he would leave instruction on how to use it properly when you saw one another again."
The sorcerer went to one of his desks and picked up something small and handed it to Bryan. It was another keychain. It looked like an upside down trapezoid with a crescent moon in the center.
"Where did Merlin get this?" Bryan asked as he examined it.
"He told me it came from an experiment with the pixie dust Rachel gave him."
"Cool." Bryan said.
He summoned Showtime to switch the keychains. Rachel saw the quick look of horror on her brothers face. It wasn't like that was the most dignified of keyblades. Yen Sid chuckled.
"I see you have already acquired a new treasure."
"A gift turned into a keychain." Bryan said plainly. He unclipped the cotton candy and replaced it with the new charm.
The keyblade gleamed with metallic copper and dark turquoise. The shaft had two thin rods with several pieces of copper on a diagonal connecting the two. The head was a half circle with several sharp points on the curve to serve as the teeth. Most of the pieces were flat and there was a lot of negative space. It looked like something a sculptor might put together.
"Cross-Cut." Bryan said absent-mindedly.
"What's that?" Rachel asked.
"Cross-Cut. It's the first thing that came to my mind when is saw it."
"And that's the best you could come up with?"
"Now, now," Yen Sid said. "Sometimes a Keyblade tells you if it has a name. No one is quite sure how the magic Keyblade choses its master or knows its own name."
"Speaking of magic," Rachel said. "I wanted to ask Merlin something, but since he's not here…"
Rachel retold the story. Only about two sentences in, Yen Sid was smiling.
"It would appear that you have acquired the power of Time." He explained how the spell worked. "That sort of power usually takes time to master. I'm certain that is why Merlin did not inform you about it. But you have always had a knack for magic so it does not surprise me you have learned that skill."
"I was yelling for Mrs. Jumbo to 'stop'. Could that have been the trigger word even though I didn't know it?"
"Most certainly." Yen Sid answered. "Your concern for your brother is very likely to be why the spell didn't work the way it was meant to the first time you used it. Concentrate on exactly what you want to freeze time for next time. Bryan, I want you to try the spell as well."
"There was something else we wanted to ask before leaving again." Bryan said.
Master Yen Sid wasn't sure how to pinpoint the location of a Keyhole. And as far as he knew, no spell existed to direct someone right to it. His only suggestion was to be aware of what they felt when around a Keyhole. The heart of world would be just behind that door. If they became familiar with what a heart felt like, perhaps they could sense them in the future. For the moment, he agreed that frequent visits were the best course of action.
With their question answered (for the most part) the key bearers said farewell. Rachel went upstairs first to see what her gift was. On her writing desk, just like Yen Sid said, with nothing but a little note on top was her gift. It was a very thick hard cover book. The image on the cover was very detailed and beautiful. In the center it featured a mermaid child sitting on a rock on a riverside and reaching out her hand to pet the nose of the unicorn leaning in to say hello. In the corners were clustered all sorts of magical creatures. In the bottom left corner, a dragon crouched over a pile of jewels. In the bottom right corner, a gryphon laying on her side with her cubs. Upper right, a fairy sitting on a string of bleeding hearts. Upper left, an armored knight on one knee before a beautiful princess. The spine had nothing written on it and the inside was blank. Except the inside cover had her name on it in Merlin's handwriting. The note read,
So sorry for not being able to give this to you in person since it is a very special gift. This is not a journal but a magic book. I had one very much like it some time ago. With the right magic, whatever is written on it, becomes a world within it. The world and its people will be as real as you write them. I know what your imagination is like so I cannot wait to show you how to use this magic. Say good-bye to your brother for me. ~Merlin.
Understandably, Rachel was over the moon. A book that can make the story come to life? How amazing was that? So she could write her own world then go inside it? She squeezed Tatiana tightly good-bye and went downstairs to where Hermes was waiting on the lawn.
Rachel noted the popcorn box was gone.
"I thought you said you were going to share that?"
"Well, yeah, uh, I was, but…I mean, come on! I couldn't stop myself! Such an explosion of flavors and textures. First buttery, then salty. Light and puffy but with a very most satisfying crunch. I mean, could you really keep the nibbles at bay if it were you?"
"Maybe, but I-"
"OKAY! Ready to hit the road?" Hermes cut her off, not wanting to lend any more time to his lack of self-control. "On to the next world! And believe me, kids; I've got something really special in mind."