Is it bad I find Pluto's death being the biggest reaction this story's gotten to be a bit amusing? I mean, Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother died and yeah everyone was sad, but I seem to have crossed a line with Mickey's Dog?
MysteryGirl7Freak: She hopes to accomplish complete chaos :)
writes4u: Oh I plan to add a whole slew of movies, and who got killed? Well no one... but who was it? I'm not telling!
Lara: Thank you! :)
So close to 200 reviews guys! I'm really excited! :D :D :D
(And because I want to break to 200 soon I'm gonna think up a prize for the 200th reviewer... hmm...)
The doctor removed his stethoscope from her chest and sighed as he pulled it from his ears. Below Adam absently trailed a finger along Belle's hairline, twirling a strand around his finger gently.
"I don't see much hope for this girl," The doctor announced, looking between Adam, Jane, Lumiere and Cogsworth.
"Preposterous!" Cogsworth snarled, "Is it because of our location? Or is it you don't know what's wrong exactly-"
"Her pulse is steady but it's faint." The doctor snapped, "Any fainter and one could almost believe it was non-existent. The temperature of her skin suggests a slowing of the blood, meaning a weakening heart, and the fact that she's fallen into a coma means that all non-vital bodily functions have been shut down for the body's own protection."
Lumiere pressed a hand to Cogsworth's shoulder, silently telling his friend that he was bested. The doctor turned to Adam and Jane, sighing as he tried to reclaim a bit of a professional mask.
"I don't think there is much medicine can do for her, I'd suggest looking at... other options."
"Other options?" Jane frowned, "Well what is that supposed to mean? We can't just-"
"Thank you Doctor Robert, we appreciate you making your way out here." Adam said, staring down at his sweetheart and tracing a warm finger along her cold cheek.
"Do you thin he knows?"
"Would he be paying attention? He did send you here after all."
"He was watching us? Man! I should have been watching myself closer..."
"Eugene!"
"I'm joking! Sheesh!"
"This isn't a time to joke Flynn," Phoebus sighed, turning to look out the window at the wide and sprawling jungle outside. Where could they go? What was supposed to be there next step? How were they supposed to help stop Shedea if they couldn't get back to Yen, couldn't find out what her next move was...
Unless...
"Something must have happened." He said, not tearing his gaze from the glass.
"Like what?" He heard Esmeralda ask.
"I don't know... but if he has to forget about us, then it must be bad." He turned to look at his comrades, "We need to get back."
Wordlessly, they all looked to Genie, who seemed to realize he should have been paying attention and jumped to look nervously between them.
"What's up guys?" He laughed nervously before sighing, "I can't! He said it was dangerous!"
"What?" Mushu asked, looking around at the group, "What do they want you to-no way man! No way! You'll end up like me!"
"How's that?" Jasmine asked from beside Aladdin on the other side of the couch from the dragon and Genie. Mushu and their magical friend shared a look but refused to elaborate, Genie going so far as to conjure a zipper over his lips and zip them shut. Aladdin rolled his eyes and turned to the others.
"So how are we supposed to go anywhere?"
"Please Genie?" Jasmine pleaded, "We have to help!"
Genie groaned and Mushu shook his head violently, "Don't do it man! If you've already been warned don't do it!"
"I have to!" Genie cried, snapping to attention, grinning like mad. The entire room remained silent until the little red dragon sitting on the back of the couch shook his head and sighed.
"You never planned to listen to that warning did you?" He sighed.
"Well I did," Genie shrugged, "Until we almost hit a dead end back there by the mountain. Mushu I have to help in anyway I can."
"I'm surprised you haven't gotten in trouble with the Lamp yet." Mushu groaned, "Or, you know, Yen!"
"What can you do?" Genie shrugged congenially, floating upwards and stretching, "Well Al, get ready to go cause it's gonna be a doozy!" With a snap of his fingers the magical genie sent a spark of lightning striking into the bare wall of the house, where instead of blast marks a large hole opened not to the jungle outside, but to a dark black sky.
It was so cold... And so dark... Belle didn't understand, and the harder she tried to, the worse it seemed to become.
Dark shadows surrounded her, cold and uninviting... unordinary shadows. They just felt wrong, and that was unsettling all by itself. Belle watched from where she lay, although she didn't know where that was. She wasn't sure if she was on a bed, or the floor, or what kind of floor if that was the case. All she knew was that she was incredibly uncomfortable, and everything ached whether or not she tried to move.
The shadows around her shifted, as if they were real people with bodies of flesh and blood. Belle tried to swallow the fear but it wasn't working. She wanted to cry out so badly but found her voice had disappeared.
'Not Fair...'
And that whispered voice was back... It seemed to draw closer if the volume of it's voice was any indication. Belle squeezed her eyes shut as she felt a chill ghost along her brow, praying that some sort of help would come.
Was she dead? Was this a dream? Where were Shang and the others? What happened? She didn't understand a thing...
And all the while the whispers grew louder... and more menacing.
'Not... Fair!...'
What wasn't fair?
'Not Mine...'
Was that her voice? What wasn't hers?
'Belle in a bell tower.'
Is that where she was? A bell tower? Then where were the bell chimes?
'Tell the Auburn haired man this is his fault, if he hadn't created such a stir the story would have progressed as it should have and Cinderella wouldn't have died because of him.'
Auburn haired man? Adam?! But who was Cinderella? She sounded familiar... that's right, Cinderella was a story book character. But why had a fictional character died? How was that even physically possible? And moreover, how was that Adam's fault?
'Why are you crying?'
A voice, a whispered rasp of a voice sure, and as it spoke a sharp, stabbing pain tore through Belle's stomach. Belle felt the air in her lungs choke and she struggled to breathe properly through the blinding haze of pain. At the same time whatever shadow was speaking was also moving, somehow Belle could see that and nothing else. It stood close to her, brushing the bangs of her hair. Belle could feel it staring... and smiling.
'Do you not like me?'
The smile was becoming a snarl and Belle wanted to cry out as the pain intensified.
'I'll make you like me.'
Belle swore there was a hand on her throat, squeezing the air already struggling to enter and exit her body.
Belle, overcome with fear and pain, did the only thing she could with the small burst of adrenaline to her body, cry out.
"Adam!" She sobbed and the hand around her neck slipped away... only to be replaced with the ever increasing cold surrounding her body. But it wasn't enough anymore, Belle had broken the mental hold this place had on her and for the first time she was breathing. It was hard and strained due to the ever present pain in her lower stomach, but she was sitting up, was looking around at the library where she'd read so many lovely books.
Why was this the place of her pain?
The shadow had retreated to the library doors, walking swiftly through and letting them slam behind it.
"Wait!" Belle shouted, struggling from the couch and forcing herself to run after whatever that thing was. She could hear it's footsteps echoing down the halls of the castle and she could only hope she was making the right turns. Eventually she realized they were nearing the West Wing and it forced her to stop. She wasn't allowed there right?
No... that was preposterous. She and Adam spent many nights together in his room in the West Wing. Why would she suddenly not be allowed there?
And anyway, she heard the door to Adam's room slam and that was all it took to get her moving again.
Maybe Adam could explain what was going on?
It was dark and musty when she entered, and the place was completely trashed! Belle had to wonder who could have done such a thing when she spotted the cobwebs on some of the broken furniture, the layers of dust coating everything around her and hanging thickly in the air.
"Adam?" Belle called, grunting in pain as she walked along the wall. Where was he? What had happened? How long had she been in that library?
And now that she really looked around, she realized just how bad of a state this place was in. It wasn't only trashed, it was filled with darkness, and outside she could see gargoyles lining the towers and walls.
Like before... Like when Adam had been...
"I told you never to come here." A voice gruffly snarled.
Belle turned, paling in fright to find her lover on all furry fours, his crystalline blue eyes framed by brown shaggy fur. Horns spouted above his ears and his claws dug into the marble.
"Adam!" Belle gasped, the pain mounting, refusing to be ignored.
"Get out!" Adam shrieked, growling like... well... a Beast! He flung a table in her direction but it missed, and Belle was glad because she found she no longer had the energy to dodge.
"Adam... help me..." Belle pleaded, black spots forming along her vision.
"Get out!" Was the last thing she heard before she collapsed to the dusty marble below hard.
Tarzan looked over the things laid out over his bed, running a hand along the hunting knife the Professor had provided, saying it may come in handy.
"I don't see why I need to wear those." He muttered as Jane set a pile of clothes on top of the traveling supplies.
"Because it looked like a city out there!" Jane huffed, "The last thing they need is you getting arrested for public indecency!"
"Public... Indecency?"
"Yes, now put those on, chop, chop, you've got to get going!"
"Why aren't you going?"
Jane sighed, like she was tired of explaining-which she was.
"Someone has to look over Belle." She said, "And so I'm going to stay behind with Daddy to take care of her. At least until you come back with something that can help." She sighed, "I hope that happens soon too."
"Don't worry," Tarzan smiled, and as an act of goodwill he slipped the white shirt over his head just to make Jane smile.
After dressing, Tarzan let Jane help him pack the hiking back pack with the supplies and they walked through the bedroom door together where everyone else was.
"You don't mind if we leave the horse do you?" Genie smiled patronizingly, "Looks like they might get in the way!"
"Sure," Jane said, "Just hurry back."
"We'll try," Flynn said, slinging his pack on and then handing Rapunzel hers. She happily accepted it and tucked her purple dress into the bottom, smoothing the tan pants Jane had leant her along her legs.
"Adam are you sure you should be traveling with that arm?" Esmeralda asked for the twentieth time and Adam sighed, looking at her patiently.
"I have to help her somehow, I can't just sit there."
"Don't worry, he's a tenacious sort." Lumiere chuckled, adjusting how his own bag was sitting on his shoulders and turning to Cogsworth, "Don't forget to keep track of her progress. All symptoms and stuff too."
"I know Lumiere, it was my idea!" Cogsworth snarled and Lumiere smiled kindly.
"We'll be back soon, don't worry."
"I'm not..." Cogsworth said, simply to be stubborn.
"I'm sure." Lumiere grinned and began to walk towards the group, who had all congregated near the portal. It was weird, his best friend, who'd been through so much with him, was not going to be there for this leg of the journey. Lumiere wasn't complaining, oh no, but it did feel a bit weird. Who was he going to make fun of in a joking manner? No one here seemed to be as open to his chiding remarks as Cogsworth had resigned himself to become...
"Hey."
Lumiere looked back at Cogsworth who smiled at him, "Don't let him do anything stupid okay?"
Lumiere chuckled and saluted the Majordomo, "Aye, aye sir!"
Shang caught the end of the friendly exchange but turned to Chien-Po, who was noticeably pack-less.
"If anything happens-"
"I take care of it." Chien-Po nodded.
"And if she wakes, and it's not Belle?"
"I take care of it."
"Hello?!"
No answer, just the faraway cries and caws of things Mickey was sure weren't all that nice... probably not even that helpful.
He slumped dejectedly against the wall and slid to the floor, running his hands along his tired face and letting out a groan.
Then something made a sound that sounded like a footstep and Mickey jumped when he looked up to see the red-head from his room. The same red-head who'd...
Mickey fixed her with a glare as she approached quietly and calmly, something in her hand.
"If you think you can get something from me you're wrong." Mickey spat as she took his small mouse arm and ran a long-nailed finger across the black fur.
"Why am I here-AGH!" Mickey shrieked when the blade bit into his arm, and red liquid began to run from the wound. When the knife was properly coated the young woman removed it and stood, walking through the bars and away from sight.
Mickey shouted after her, but it seemed to do no good.
"Hey!"
"HEY!"
"Hello Shedea." Maleficent drawled as she reclined on her throne, running a claw-like nail along the neck of Diablo, who cawed his own greeting it seemed.
"Here's the sample." Shedea smiled helpfully, holding the blade out to her teacher.
"Perfect," Maleficent purred, taking the bloody blade in her green hand, "And did you speak to him?"
"Not a word."
"Good."
"May I now know what this is for?"
"Simple," Maleficent said, referring to the newest addition to the throne room: a large stone altar, new yet already looking old and cracked. Images of Disney had been carved into the stone and Shedea could place where almost every one was from, she wanted to destroy them all...
"With this plan in it's next stage, we need to proceed carefully," Maleficent said, rising from her throne and descending the steps to the altar, "Kill him now, just outright, and we destroy the fragile bonds of Disney." She ran her finger along the rim of the white porcelain bowl sitting in the middle of the altar, "We have to do it carefully. We have to destroy Disney magic with Disney Magic."
"How so?"
"By taking blood from every magical type." Maleficent tapped the knife against the edge of the bowl and a few drops of Mickey Mouse's blood dripped into the bottom of the bowl.
"Magical type?"
"Witches, monsters, talking animals, mythical creatures, that sort."
Shedea nodded, "Ah."
"I suggest we work from the top of the magical tree down, we've acquired the object of our intention's blood so now the spell will accept Mickey's blood when the time comes. Now we need..." Maleficent tapped her chin in thought, "A Demon... or a God."
Shedea nodded.
"And a machine to combine all of these magical types together."
"What?"
"Well magic can be unruly, when you combine them it's like combing chemicals in a lab. So who better than a scientist to not mung things up?"
"So where are we going first?"
"I suppose we should construct the machine first. But then again Yen will be onto us before we're long completed and ready for the ritual."
Shedea smiled, "Tell me where to go."
"We need a brilliant scientist, a few actually. I suppose we start from the least noticeable and work our way up. Very well then, we're sending you somewhere... completely inappropriate for that outfit." Maleficent snapped her fingers and a purple smoke wound it's way around Shedea. When it disappeared the floral red dress replacing it barely reached her knees, the tan sandals revealed pale feet with red-painted nails, and a white flower was tucked into her free flowing red hair.
"Perfect." Maleficent smiled.
It was still cold, freezing cold, except for the small and warm pair of hands holding hers.
Expecting to see Chip, Belle frowned when she was instead presented with a small, heart shaped face framed by reddish brown hair. Brown eyes smiled kindly at her, along with the actual kind smile her face projected and Belle found it so comforting in contrast with the setting they were currently in.
"You're awake!" The little girl cried, hugging Belle's neck gently.