Flynn had been caught in the crowd when the world started ending. The earthquakes had reached their paramount and the auditorium had been ripped in half before the first act was even through. As the crowd rushed from the collapsing school and onto Main Street like a nightmarish tidal wave, Flynn could do nothing but be carried along. He whipped his head back and forth, searching for any way out, but the chaos was too blinding. The deafening screams left Flynn dazed.
Then those terrible people arrived and Tiana was attacked, and the maelstrom started anew. Flynn heard some familiar voices amidst the chaotic throng and saw Aladdin and all the popular kids running away from behind a car to avoid one of the creatures that attacked. He called to them, tried to push through the crowd and run to them, but he was unheard. Then, one larger man who was blindly running by accidentally pushed Flynn down. Flynn crashed down into a pile of debris and cracked his head on a chunk of plaster. Everything went black, and as another creature collided with the building above him, more debris fell through the air and buried him.
"Flynn..."
"Flynn?"
"Flynn!"
The echoing, far-away voices rang clearly in Flynn's head as he was dragged groggily back to consciousness. He lifted his heavy eyelids to see vaguely familiar, blurry shapes working to pull away the debris that pinned him and kept him in the dark. Flynn looked around drowsily as the view of the burgundy sky overhead became ominously clear, and the worried faces peering down at him as they quickly dug his way to freedom were unmistakable.
"Flynn, are you alright?" Meg demanded while Hercules, John and Shang pried away the last of the debris.
Flynn groaned in pain as Hercules lifted him off the pile of wood and plaster on the ground. His entire body ached and his ears rang and his head pounded. White spots swam across his vision and he blinked lazily while he hung limply in Hercules' grasp.
"I...don't think he's alright." John winced.
Meg groaned and stepped forward, cupping Flynn's unresponsive face in her hands. "Flynn... Flynn, talk to me. Please!"
"I think he just passed out again..." Kida mumbled as she studied Flynn's face.
"Shit..." Meg hissed, dropping her hands in frustration.
"We have to find help." Shang said, looking around.
"We took too long to get here..." Mulan's father shook his head as he looked over the emptied street. "Everyone has left."
"We're alone..." Kida muttered. Her attention was soon caught by the furious blue glow reaching up out of her shirt collar. She frowned down at her unsettled crystal.
"What about those people over there?" Hercules whispered as he pointed behind the others.
They all turned to see a strange-looking group of people who stood clustered nearby.
"Where did they come from?" Grandmother Fa frowned.
"They just kinda...popped up out of nowhere." Hercules shrugged. Before anyone could protest, he started to walk toward the group of strangers, dragging Flynn along with him. The others reluctantly followed. But before they could reach the others, Kida's alarmed voice rang through the air, effectively catching everyone's- even the group of strangers'- attention. She was pointing up at the school's bell tower.
"Look! Up there!"
Meg's mouth dropped open. "Holy shit..."
"H-h-how are you here?" Esmeralda stuttered, stunned by Frollo's presence and unable to think of anything else to say, barely capable of comprehending what was right in front of her.
Frollo lowly chuckled and stepped further into the light, the flames of the candles illuminating his dark form. "I have you to thank for that, my dear."
"What?" Esme breathed unevenly. Phoebus and Quasi both moved to stand protectively in front of her, but she gently pushed them both aside. She gathered up all her courage and took a step toward the ghost. "What do you mean?"
"After you rejected me, I felt like my soul had withered away. That I was as good as dead. So, I considered ending my miserable, lonely existence, wanting to seek solace in the afterlife. But I knew that committing suicide would surely result in my immortal soul being damned to Hell, so I hesitated..." Frollo folded his white hands in front of him and began to pace as he explained, all the while keeping his black eyes on Esmeralda. The three children's attentions never left him as he spoke. Frollo smirked. "And then... An otherworldly voice reached my desperate, despairing ears. An unfathomable presence reached to me from the beyond, an unimaginably powerful deity spoke to my wretched soul. And for the first time in my life, aside from all my time fantasizing over your warm embrace and watching you dance... I didn't feel alone. I felt warmed by the spirit's presence, and assumed that I was being visited by the Lord, coming to comfort me in my darkest hour and guide me to the righteous path again... Granted, I felt uncomfortably warm, almost hot enough that my skin might boil. But I paid it no mind. No mortal could possibly withstand the voice of God... But there was something about this otherworldly voice which rang from within me... Consumed me... And I must admit that at the time I did notice a darkness in it, something dangerous lurking in this presence. But I didn't care, because while it was frightening, it was also comforting, and I felt reassured. Safe. So I welcomed the presence. I let it into my soul. And do you know what it said to me?"
He looked at the three as if honestly expecting an answer. But they all just stared back at him in shocked horror. Frollo shrugged, then chuckled darkly and continued.
"He encouraged me to end my suffering, to sacrifice myself to the afterlife. Of course, I was stunned, and confused, and terrified. But the voice was so tantalizing that I couldn't help but listen. He told me that if I surrendered my immortal soul to him, he could give me a second chance. He could give me what I wanted for so long...but had been denied." Frollo's dark eyes bore into Esmeralda's, then began to roam over her. Phoebus once again stepped in front of Esme, and this time she didn't stop him, for fear was consuming her. Quasi placed a comforting hand on her arm.
"I was promised the pleasures I deserved in exchange for my servitude. He told me that I could have the beautiful girl who had rebuked me; that he would give me the power to make you mine. Of course, by this time, I realized that this was not God who was visiting me, but rather some dark entity. So I asked him to show himself to me, to give me a vision of his true form, and make his presence fully known. And, of course, I came face-to-face with a dark shadow of his true being, as he was not yet strong enough to show himself in all his splendor. I looked into the glowing yellow eyes of the Devil." Frollo grinned maniacally. "And of course, I struck a deal with him."
"But...why?" Quasi asked in terror.
Frollo proudly turned up his nose. "I realized who holds the true power over our world. Not the God that I had worshipped and revered my entire prudish, lonely life of devotion. I realized that there is no God. There is only Him. And his fire. Granted, when I gave into his wish and ended my life, the flames that greeted me were unbearably, painfully scorching. Though there was no evident damage to my spirit, I felt as though I were being seared to the bone. I feared that it would never end, that I was forever condemned to rot in the Hellfire with no escape. But, eventually, he plucked me out, and set me free in this plane. And I've never felt better."
Frollo took a few more steps toward them, prompting his three captives to step back. He was cornering them. But the only person he focused on was Esmeralda, who he now reached toward. The candle flames around them were being smothered one by one, slowly shrouding them in darkness. An unnatural cloud of black began to form behind Frollo.
"And I have you to thank, dear." Frollo told Esmeralda, with a manic tone of adoration in his droning voice, and a delirious grin on his papery face. "And now we can be together. Forever. You know longer have to fear! There are no repercussions in the afterlife, my love."
Esmeralda shook her head as her back met the wall behind her. Phoebus was bracing himself in front of her like a human shield while Quasimodo clung tightly to her side.
Esmeralda's courageous nature returned to her as she realized the peril they were all in. The love of her life and one of her best friends were both depending on her to live, whether they realized it or not. She had to stay brave and try to get them out of this without succumbing to Frollo's twisted fantasy. Surely there was some humanity left in the old professor that she could appeal to? Some way to put his spirit to rest?
She slowly shook her head at the ghost as the darkness loomed over the three kids.
"Frollo... This isn't you."
"No, Esmeralda. It is me... Just a better version of me." Frollo grinned wildly.
She shook her head more fervently now. "No... It isn't. Do you really think I could love you when you're...like this? You've been brainwashed and- and twisted-"
"I believe you mean 'enlightened' and 'recreated'." Frollo insisted stubbornly as he drew closer. "For the first time since I can remember, I'm happy with myself, Esmeralda. I am renewed." His expression almost seemed hurt and he tilted his head to one side. "Are you not happy with my new form, my love?"
"N-no..." Esmeralda was breathing shakily. "You're scaring me. How could you do this to yourself, Frollo?"
"I became this for you." Frollo growled, pointing at her. "But I suppose I should have known your opinion of me wouldn't change. You're still repulsed by me... Our love means nothing to you..." He sighed. "Oh, well... It won't matter once we leave here and I sacrifice your soul to my Master... The flames may hurt, but I promise you it will be worth it, Esmeralda. You'll finally know the truth, and be reborn. You'll finally love me. And we can be together... Forever."
"No!" Phoebus yelled, outraged. He kept himself firmly planted in front of Esmeralda, and it was all she could do not to cower behind him.
Frollo rolled his eyes and, with a nearly imperceptible movement of his hand, sent Phoebus flying away. Esmeralda screamed as Phoebus crashed into the table and fell to the floor. He tried to pull himself to his feet and get back to her, but the black shadows behind Frollo sprang to life and leapt upon Phoebus, pinning him down like a thick net. Quasimodo moved to help him, but more shadows jumped forward from behind Quasi and wrapped around his arms, holding him back. Esmeralda stood alone to face Frollo while both her friends struggled. She bit her lip as tears sprang in her eyes. She'd avoided trouble so many times, done all she could to survive up til this point, but now it all seemed hopeless.
Frollo reached a papery hand out to her. "Come with me willingly, Esmeralda. And neither of these boys will have to die."
Esmeralda gasped.
"Esmeralda, no!" Phoebus shouted as he continually fought the living shadows.
"Choose me, Esmeralda. Join me in the fire." Frollo said in an unnaturally calm tone, drawing ever closer. Esmeralda felt the air rushing from her lungs as she desperately looked around for an escape or some sort of defense. Frollo was now looming over her. "And we can have eternity."
Esme's crazed emerald eyes rested on a nearby candle; the only one that hadn't been extinguished. It was only a few feet from her. The flame wouldn't serve as much as a weapon, but it could make a great distraction if she moved quickly enough.
Esmeralda glared up at Frollo, her lip curling in disgust and her eyes burning as she spat, "I don't want your eternity."
Frollo's face twisted in rage, and he reared back to attack. Without a second thought, Esmeralda leapt toward the candle and gripped it in both hands. As Frollo was about to bear down on her, Esmeralda whipped toward him and shoved the candle's flame into his face.
A soft hiss accompanied the inhuman howls of anguish that flew from Frollo's demonic lips as his paper-like skin was singed, blackening and peeling back to reveal a dark emptiness, as though Frollo's ghost was just a hollow paper machete carcass. His shadows squealed in pain and scurried back behind their master, freeing Phoebus and Quasi.
"This way!" Phoebus shouted, waving the two toward him. Esmeralda and Quasi ran to join him, and they all linked arms and booked it toward the bell tower door. Before they even reached it, it was slammed shut by some invisible force. Frollo screamed like an angry, wounded animal from behind them in the dark.
"The window!" Quasi hissed.
"What? " Phoebus demanded.
"We can go out the window and hide on the tower..." Esme realized.
"And we can climb down." Quasi finished.
"Are you guys being serious?!" Phoebus demanded.
Feeling Frollo drawing up behind them, Esme took a deep breath and said, "It's the only chance we've got...
Run! "
The three turned at once and ran toward the window, running down the unsuspecting Frollo in the process. While he was distracted on the floor, the three kids threw themselves out the window and out onto the terrace. Following Quasi's lead, they each ducked behind a stone gargoyle just before Frollo jumped out to join them. The withering, smoking specter screeched in fury as it looked around to find them.
Esmeralda couldn't believe how steady she was being. Wouldn't most people be shaking, quivering messes, incapable of keeping their breathing quiet, at this point? So why did she feel so calm? How was she holding her breath so easily and keeping as still as the gargoyle she used as cover?
It was because she knew it was the only way she'd survive.
She couldn't see Phoebus or Quasi from her position, but she could only assume that they were both doing about as well as she was, considering that Frollo seemed nowhere close to finding them.
Esmeralda then had the sickening realization that she had no idea where Frollo was...
Suddenly, an animalistic shriek pierced her ear and a white, papery hand dug into her shoulder. Esmeralda cried out as she was wrenched out of her hiding spot. She heard both her friends shout her name and barely registered that they were jumping out of their places before her vision was filled by the absence of Frollo's face.
Phoebus yelled as he threw himself at the ghost, effectively knocking him down and shaking Esme out of his grip. Quasimodo swooped in and helped Esmeralda up. Quasi started to eagerly lead her away, but Esmeralda was dead weight. Her eyes were glued to where Phoebus and Frollo were scuffling. Her fear surmounted when Frollo dragged Phoebus toward the edge of the terrace with his supernatural strength.
"Phoebus!" Esmeralda screamed.
His eyes met hers for a brief moment before Frollo tossed him over the edge. Esmeralda screamed again helplessly, not realizing where Quasimodo was dragging her. She turned to him with tearful eyes, then faltered as she watched Quasi climb up onto the ledge.
"Quasi, what are you-?!"
She was cut off when Quasimodo swooped her up bridal-style and hopped down from the ledge. She didn't even have time to scream before he grabbed onto another gargoyle. He started to swing from statue to statue to escape Frollo, who screeched as he followed from above. In the flurry of excitement, Esmeralda heard faint, familiar voices from the street below.
"Look! Up there!"
"Holy shit..." Meg's panicked voice rang out, "Esme!"
"Quasimodo!" Hercules called.
Quasi cast a quick glance down at them before hearing metal strike the stone that his hands had just left.
"Quasi, he's got a sword!" Esme cried.
Quasi grunted and continued to swing away, narrowly avoiding swing after swing of Frollo's blade as he struck the gargoyles with his sword in an attempt to cut Quasi down.
Meg made a disgusted face as she took in the sight of Frollo, who was now literally an empty shell of who he once was. "What the hell...?"
"We have to help them!" John cried.
Mulan's father squinted at the strange group of people standing nearby. "I recognize one of them... Maybe they can help." He began to hobble toward the other group. The others quickly followed him.
"Oh, Yen, what shall we do?" A beautiful woman with curly red hair and wearing a ridiculous gown was asking fretfully.
An incredibly tall, imposing man with a long grey beard and a tall, pointed cap looked up at the fight happening in the bell tower with a frown. "This ghost... It's a demon that these children must face on their own. But we can still help defeat it."
"How?" Another older man who looked similar to the first asked.
"Well, the only way to kill it is either with fire or with sunlight. Since there's no sunlight available, I want to light this tower on fire." The first man replied calmly.
The second one's eyebrows popped up. "Well, that's an interesting idea, Yen..."
"I'm sorry, what? " A new, younger voice demanded.
The three magical beings turned to see a brunette with purple eyes storming toward them with a group of survivors.
Merlin chuckled and greeted them. "Ah, so glad to see you could join us. We were actually going to be looking for you!"
Yen rolled his eyes and turned gravely to Glinda. "Can you conjure up some bubbles to get those two children down in time?"
Glinda nervously shook her head. "I'm not powerful enough yet..."
"Well, there goes the arson idea." Merlin muttered.
Yen sighed and lifted both hands as he stood to squarely face the tower. "Everyone get behind me."
"What the hell are you people talking about?" Meg demanded as Glinda and Merlin herded her group behind Yen.
"It's best to listen to Yen Sid, Miss Megara." Merlin said.
"Yes, just follow his lead, and all will be well." Glinda nodded, raising her wand. "Merlin, a little help?"
"Yes, of course, Glinda."
"What are you talking about? Are you people crazy? And how do you know my name?" Meg demanded impatiently.
She was stunned into silence when Merlin helped Glinda conjure a giant protective bubble that enveloped them all.
"Will this do, Yen?" Glinda asked the tall wizard.
Yen nodded. "Yes, it will do well enough to shield us. But brace yourselves... It's about to get hot." He lifted his hands higher, and the stone ground outside their bubble began to glow.
"What. The. Hell." Meg mumbled. Hercules wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders.
The ground beneath them began to vibrate and there was a thunderous crackling sound as fire began to erupt from the glowing concrete. Unnatural flames reached up and washed over their bubble, almost wrapping them up completely. But they could still catch glimpses of the action from the bell tower through the flickering flames overhead. The fire licked its way up to about the middle of the tower, then halted its course and just danced around that spot, as if waiting for something.
"Oh, the children should hurry." Glinda said mousily. "Yen shouldn't tax himself so..."
"I can assure you, Glinda, I'm fine." Yen replied gruffly.
Meanwhile, up above, Esmeralda was still clinging to Quasi as she stared down into the street in awe. Most of Main Street had become a pool of crackling flame.
"Where did that fire come from?" She whispered.
Quasi grunted with the exertion of swinging and sarcastically grumbled, "Maybe it's the Hellfire coming to take him back..."
Esmeralda was suddenly struck with an idea. "Yes! That's it, Quasi!"
Quasi gritted his teeth for the next swing. He was obviously exhausted. And when he spoke, his voice was strained. "What's it?"
"Flame hurt him before, so maybe if we toss him down there, the fire will kill him!"
"How are we supposed to do that?"
"Quasi, stop."
"What?" Quasi's arms shook as he came to a momentary stop, hanging from a gargoyle.
"Where's Frollo?"
They both looked up to see that he was no longer trailing them with his sword. He actually hadn't been following them for awhile.
"We should climb up." Esmeralda whispered.
Quasi grunted and shook his head. "It's a trap."
"Well, our best chance of escape is through the bell tower. We can't climb down now with all that fire."
"The bell tower is right where he wants us." Quasi hissed. "Esme, he'll kill us for sure. And he'll take you..."
"Quasimodo. We are faster than him, and we are smarter than him, and if you go at this much longer you will tire out and we will fall into that fire and then we will die." Esmeralda replied firmly while Quasi stared at her like a frightened child. Esmeralda's expression and tone softened. "It's time we face him once and for all."
After a few more seconds of hesitation, Quasi nodded and began to climb up onto the terrace. He hefted Esmeralda over the side and she leaned on the edge while he balanced on a gargoyle to steady himself. Esme held his hand while he tried to catch his breath.
"Oh... How sweet."
They both looked up at the sound of the distorted voice flowing from Frollo's empty paper skull. Esmeralda stood protectively in front of Quasi, already searching for an escape route. But with a twitch of his white fingers, Frollo flung Esmeralda away from Quasimodo.
"I should have known you'd risk your life to save her..." The voice continued darkly to Quasimodo. "Just as your own mother died trying to save you."
Quasimodo stared at him in shock. "W-what?"
"You've been nothing but a burden to me since I first saw you!" The demonic voice growled. "Now I'm going to do what I should have done twenty years ago!"
"No!" Esmeralda cried as Frollo flung a shadow at Quasimodo. The shadow wrapped itself over Quasi's head, blinding him. Just as Frollo was about to fling Quasi down into the flames, Quasi did something no one was expecting. He instinctively grabbed ahold of the shadow and pulled it toward him. The shadow, still attached to Frollo, wrenched Frollo over the edge and released Quasimodo. As Frollo was dropped seemingly to his doom, Quasimodo lost his balance and stumbled off the gargoyle. Esme was quick enough to grab Quasi's hand with both of hers and keep him from falling into the fire. But he was passing out from exhaustion, and becoming heavier. She couldn't hold him long.
Then a distorted chuckle coming from her left made Esmeralda's heart sink. She turned to see Frollo standing on the gargoyle right beside her; his shadows had saved him from dying and whisked him back up here. Now he reached one papery hand toward her, while inky black tendrils of shadow also moved to grab her.
Below, Yen Sid scoffed and muttered, "Enough of this." His eyes glowed white.
The gargoyle that Frollo stood on began to crack and crumble. Frollo shrieked as he lost his balance and clung to the gargoyle so that he faced the statue. The gargoyle's face twisted into a sick grin, its eyes glowed fiery red and it roared at the ghost. Frollo was paralyzed by fear, assuming that his Master had turned on him, and let out one last, long, inhuman scream as the gargoyle broke away from the tower and plummeted with Frollo into the fire. Frollo's demonic scream was only silenced when he was engulfed by the flames and burned into a tiny wisp of ash.
Esmeralda was in shock, but without Frollo there to threaten her she could focus on saving Quasi... Who was slowly slipping out of her grip.
"Quasimodo, come on... Quasi..." She whispered to him.
But Quasimodo had finally lost consciousness and fell heavily out of her hands. Esmeralda reached desperately for him and screamed, "No! "
She watched hopelessly as Quasi fell... And then was swiftly caught by a familiar pair of arms just below. Esmeralda squinted at Quasi's savior, sure that she couldn't be seeing this right, but it was true. Her face broke out in an ecstatic grin.
"Phoebus?!" She called.
Phoebus responded by leaning out the window below her after pulling Quasi safely into the tower. He grinned and gave her a thumbs-up.
"You didn't think I would go down that easily, did you?" He called back smugly.
She couldn't help her hysterical laughter. "Wait right there! I'm coming!" She ran down the tower until she found Phoebus and Quasi, who were sharing an intense bro-hug. She couldn't help smirking as she joined them. Quasi looked awkwardly away as Esmeralda and Phoebus had their passionate kiss, but he smiled too, in spite of himself. Then, he noticed something out the window and leaned outside curiously.
"Guys... The fire. It's all gone." He said, stunned.
Esme and Phoebus joined him at the window to look over the street. It was true, the flames had receded back into the ground without a trace, as though they'd never been there. Now there was only a group of people standing below in the dark and waving at them.
"Oh, my God... Meg!" Esmeralda grinned and grabbed both the boys by the hand, eagerly leading them in a run down the tower.
Meanwhile, Merlin was chuckling as he quickly swept Frollo's ashes into a jar and magically sealed it. "Well done, Yen Sid! Another daring rescue, perfectly executed! And that last bit with the gargoyle- priceless!"
"Yes, your flare for the dramatic once again wins out." Glinda giggled.
Yen smirked despite himself. "I told you I could handle it." He watched proudly as Esmeralda and her two friends joined their group. Esmeralda and Meg immediately threw themselves at each other for a hug.
Merlin laughed merrily. "And well done, children! We knew you had it in you!"
"You guys alright?" Shang asked the three of them.
"We're fine. Quasi could use a rest, though." Phoebus answered as he supported the hunchback on his shoulder.
"Well, then we must get to the bunker immediately." Glinda smiled.
Esmeralda frowned at the blue light that emanated from Kida's chest. "Kida... Are you glowing? "
Meg rolled her eyes. "It's her necklace. It's been doing that this whole time."
"Yeah, it started at the protest." John agreed.
Yen looked sternly at the blue glow. "But has it glowed this intensely before?"
Kida frowned and slowly began to fish the crystal out of her shirt. "No... This is the brightest it's ever been." She squinted as the light nearly blinded her.
"No one look directly at it!" Yen ordered, and everyone obeyed.
"Why? What's it doing?" Hercules asked.
"What's going to happen?" Esmeralda demanded.
The earth began to shake and rumble, catching them all by surprise and throwing a few off-balance. The same blue glow that came from Kida's crystal was now leaking up through the cracking concrete, but much more intense.
"Yen..." Glinda called worriedly as she comically wobbled around trying to keep her balance on the shaking street.
"We have to get out of here!" Grandma Fa yelled.
"No! We can't leave yet!" Yen rebuked. "We just need to clear the street!"
"Quick! Get under that awning!" Hercules cried to them as he started to lead Meg toward the sidewalk. They all ducked under the awning of a little pizzeria and watched in awe as the street gave way to a giant ball of blue light rising from the earth. It floated up high into the air, followed by large slabs of stone with totem-like faces carved into them, the etched lines glowing blue with the lights energy. The faces floated and circled around the ball of light, as if orbiting around it. A powerful hum filled the air.
Kida seemed particularly effected by the appearance of this otherworldly light. Her blue eyes watched the stone faces circling as if she were hypnotized.
"The Kings of Our Past..." She whispered, tears forming in her eyes.
Shang stared at her. "What?"
"Kida... Your necklace." John muttered.
Her crystal suddenly floated up in front of Kida's face, as if it were reaching toward the light. Kida gasped quietly and whispered some word that no one understood, but seemed to hold significant meaning for her. Everyone was startled when her eyes became completely white, clouded with magic. Then she started to walk away into the street, which had been pooled with crystal-clear water.
"Kida-" Hercules began to reach for her, but Yen Sid stopped him. They all watched as Kida began to walk calmly, roboticly over the water, her gaze locked on the giant crystal in the sky. It was as if she were answering a call that no one else could hear. The crystal overhead made all kinds of strange noises as she drew closer to it. Soon, Kida stood directly beneath it, staring up into the blinding light with a blank stare. The crystal focused an ethereal light on her, like a spotlight, and the beam narrowed until it seemed to go into Kida.
"Kida!" Esmeralda called in fear.
"What's happening to her?!" Meg demanded of Glinda, who politely ignored her.
Kida was now being carried up toward the light by some invisible force, her body limp. She drifted upward until she was enveloped by the ball of light, which whirred and hummed loudly. The stone faces began to spin more quickly, as did the glowing orb. Both spun faster and faster until it could be seen that the crystal had taken a human shape... Kida's shape.
"Oh, no..." Esmeralda whispered.
As Kida, now a crystal herself, and the faces slowed their spinning, that eerie blue light etched its way over every discernable line throughout the city, and walls of energy began to form at every town line. The group, standing in the middle of the city, watched as the walls reached upward to create a protective dome over Buena Vista.
"What the hell?" Meg demanded. Again.
"She's putting up a barrier..." Mulan's mother replied in awe.
Yen looked solemnly up at the crystalline girl, then sternly told the others. "We must go to the bunker now." He waved his hand, and a similar orb of protective energy surrounded Kida and the stone faces.
"What? No! We're not leaving Kida!" Meg shouted.
"There's nothing we can do for her right now!" Yen bellowed. "I've put up a shield until we can come back for her. I need to get to the bunker to figure out a plan."
Meg glared up at the old wizard while Hercules placed his hands on her shoulders. Yen sighed and turned to Glinda and Merlin. "Help me with the transportation charm, please."
Maleficent had watched the whole thing in Facilier's magic mirror. She raised one elegant black brow and sighed in annoyance.
"We're too late, it seems." She told her companions.
"With that barrier up, Hades and the Titans won't be able to get back into the city!" Morgana screeched unhappily.
"We should destroy that girl." Rasputin growled.
Maleficent shook her head. "No. The girl is important to Rourke and Clayton. If we get rid of her, we risk losing them as allies." She thoughtfully tapped the glass orb that topped her dark staff. "No... The best I can do is work on countering Yen Sid's shield around her so that Clayton and Rourke can successfully move her. Once she's in motion, the Atlantean barrier will break, and travel in and out of the city will once more be possible. Hades can get back in, and our destruction can be wide-spread."
"Why should we even try to keep those mortals pleased?" Eris drawled with an eye roll.
Maleficent glared at her. "Because they'll give us access to Merlin's bunker. It's important to stay on their good side."
"Maleficent is right." Jafar cut in icily. "Whether we like it or not, we are depending on those two mortals. And we cannot go back on our word to them."
Maleficent nodded curtly to Jafar as a form of stiff gratitude. Then she turned back to the mirror and watched Yen and Merlin and Glinda whisk the survivors away. The glass went black, as the group could no longer be tracked. Maleficent narrowed her eyes and, with a wave of her staff, conjured an image of the flames that Yen had cast Frollo into.
"As unimportant as Frollo may have been, we still need to strike back." Facilier muttered as they all re-watched Frollo's demise. "We can't let their attack go unpunished."
Maleficent smirked. "The Master already has a plan to take care of that." Her yellow eyes gleamed as she turned to the others with a graceful grin. "Yen attacked with fire, so we shall respond in kind once we get the shield down."
"The Firebird?" Jafar asked on a low tone as the room filled with ominous foreboding.
She nodded and chuckled, elegantly tipping back her head. "Once the Master summons that creature from its volcano prison, it will not rest until it has laid waste to this entire city." The image of a dark, dormant volcano appeared on the mirror and she turned to look at it, her calm tone becoming bitter and her eyes narrowing. "It's destruction will leave Buena Vista a black, crumbling wasteland of smoke and ash. And then..." She laughed. "It can be set free on the rest of the world."
Merlin and Glinda happily watched the new arrivals reunite with their families and friends. Milo joined his grandfather, Hercules and Meg were swarmed by Ariel and her family and Hercules' adoptive parents, Esmeralda ran to the arms of her mother, Phoebus and his parents led Quasi to the infirmary, and Mulan was engulfed by her family while Shang went off to find his own father. It was a truly happy few moments.
Glinda sniffled and dabbed at her tears. "Oh, happy family reunions are so special... They just make me so emotional!" She obnoxiously blew her nose while Merlin tried to contain his laughter.
While hugging all her loved ones, Mulan noticed Shang standing nearby with a blank look on his face. But the sorrow in his eyes was undeniably noticeable. Mulan pried herself from her family's grip and momentarily excused herself. She walked up to Shang apprehensively, watched him sit down a few feet away and slump over, hanging his head in his hands.
"Shang?" She asked quietly as she stood next to him.
He was alerted by her voice and jumped to his feet to face her. "Mulan..."
"Shang, no, I... I didn't mean to disturb you. You didn't have to get up."
"No, no...it's fine." He ducked his head to try to hide his moist eyes from her.
"I was just wondering if something was wrong..."
"Uh..." He sighed and lightly nodded his head, still avoiding her gaze. "Yeah. Yeah, something's...very wrong." He cleared his throat, obviously doing his best to hold in his grief.
Mulan felt her stomach twist, and fresh concern bloomed in her face. "Shang, what is it?"
He stared down at his boots. "My dad. He, uh... He didn't make it."
"W... What?" Mulan whispered.
"He got caught in the path of those monsters. He was trying to help the citizens. Get as many people safe as he could... And he did that, but..." Shang shook his head.
"Oh, no..." Mulan felt tears coming up in her own eyes.
"Yeah. Um... I'm sorry, but... I just want to find my room and, uh...rest."
She nodded, trying to hold back her own tears for his sake. He wouldn't want to break down in front of all these people; She knew he needed to do his grieving alone. "Yeah, of course."
"I'll see you tomorrow, I guess." He chuckled emotionlessly, never once looking at her as he turned to leave.
She let him get a few paces away, but she couldn't just let the moment end like that. Before she could stop herself, she called his name. He froze in place, but didn't turn to her.
"He...passed...as a hero." Mulan said, her voice thick with grief, though she was trying her best to speak with strength. "A lot of the people here have him to thank for their own survival. And... There's a lot of honor in that."
Shang waited for a moment, letting her words sink in, though it was hard to hear anything over his own turmoil. But he knew she was right. He didn't turn to respond, however, because a few tears were finally slipping down his cheeks. He silently walked away from her. She watched him go with a quiet gasp, unleashing her own tears, and turned back to relay the sad news to her family.
Merlin shamefully ducked his head after watching the exchange, unhappily folding his hands in front of him. Glinda's joyful tears had ceased, and now her lip shook as she held in new tears of despair.
"Well... Now that we're feeling morbid, we should go talk to Yen Sid about how he plans to keep from losing more innocent lives." Merlin muttered, starting to walk toward Yen's quarters.
Glinda sighed. "Merlin..."
"He can't stay holed up in his study all the time, Glinda. These people need a leader. It's time for the elusive old wizard to come out of the dark." Merlin purposefully strolled away. After a few hesitant moments, Glinda followed. They found Yen and Walt in the study, watching Kida's crystallized form twirling over the city in Yen's magic mirror. Fairy Godmother, the Blue Fairy, and the Three Good Fairies were there as well.
"Alright, Yen. Let's get to business, then." Merlin stated as he took a seat in one of Yen's chairs. Glinda stood stiffly by the door and sealed it shut with magic to block out the civilians.
"Business of what?" Yen droned without looking away from his mirror while everyone shifted uncomfortably.
"The business of what you intend to do about this girl, since we all know you were lying to the mortals earlier when you said you'd come back for her." Merlin replied frankly. Merlin was never one to beat around the bush. He knew Yen liked to be mysterious and all, but it was about time that Yen realized he wasn't an island; his actions did effect people. In this case of crisis, a lot of people. With the world depending on him, Yen had to stop keeping secrets.
"You can't just trust my judgment and let me go about my business?" Yen asked tiredly. "I've never steered any of you wrong, have I?"
"It's not fair to keep anyone in the dark now, Yen. Especially not us." Merlin replied with imploring eyes as Yen finally turned to face him. No one else said a word, but it was obvious they agreed with Merlin.
Yen sighed and crossed his arms pompously. "Well... I'm not going to do anything about the girl. She's given us a great advantage, and I'm not wasting it. This way, the battle can be contained, and the rest of world will have less to worry about."
"But the Titans are still out there... How will we be able to send Hercules to defeat them and Hades?" Blue frowned.
"I can figure out a way to manipulate the shield's energy and enchant it to allow only those who are pure of heart to exit the city. Hercules will be able to pass through." Yen answered calmly.
"Alright, well how will you explain to her loved ones that you left the girl to this fate? You know that if she remains bonded with the Heart of Atlantis, she will he lost to it forever. As in dead." Merlin put in haughtily.
Yen rolled his eyes. "The only person who absolutely needs to know is her father, and Kashekim knows the honor in his daughter's action. He was probably expecting this to happen. But, if I must answer to those children, I'll simply tell them that we became very busy with other things and didn't realize there was a time limit for saving their friend. But they should be comforted knowing that she died a hero."
Flora gasped. "But Yen... These are children you're talking about."
"That's right. They're too young to understand something like that. We'll only bring more grief to those we've sworn to protect." Fairy Godmother scolded him.
"Also, these are really smart kids we're talking about." Merriweather added in a snippy tone. "They'll never believe an excuse like that from an all-powerful wizard."
"Then I suppose I'll just have to tell them the truth- that her noble sacrifice has saved many lives and protected the world from harm. That she died for the greater good. They ought to understand that." Yen was becoming irritated now.
"But it's a sacrifice she didn't willingly make, Yen Sid." Merlin replied gravely. "She was hypnotized and led to do it by the Ancient Kings."
"Leaving her to this fate would not be the honorable thing to do." Blue shook her head.
"And if that girl dies, so does the Atlantean bloodline. A whole civilization will die with Kashekim in a matter of years." Fairy Godmother added regretfully.
"Kashekim understands all of this." Yen said stonily. "The culture was as good as dead a long time ago."
"How can you be so cold?" Glinda whimpered.
"Do not abandon this girl, Yen. You will regret it." Merlin said darkly.
"Yen, we're begging you, don't treat this girl like a pawn in your battle strategy. Let us save her." Flora pleaded.
"Enough!" Yen barked, his voice echoing powerfully off the stone walls. They were all silenced and a few fearfully ducked their heads. Yen took a deep breath and continued much more calmly, "The girl will serve her purpose. She's the only thing blocking the Titans out and keeping our other powerful adversaries in. Their dark power cannot be let free to the rest of this world." He and Merlin glared at each other shortly before he turned to Blue, ignoring her pointedly disappointed expression. "Blue, get Kashekim for me. I'll explain his daughter's situation to him myself."
She nodded sadly. "Yes, Yen."
"Alright. Everyone get some rest. Tomorrow is a new battle, I'm sure." Yen gruffly adjourned the meeting and turned back to his mirror. Everyone, including Yen's son, cleared out with dowr expressions.
"Jeez, I wonder what got to them." Meg commented dryly as she and Hercules watched them go their separate ways.
Hercules looked sadly down at her. "Something's wrong."
Her expression softened and she popped up her eyebrows. "You think it's about Kida?"
He looked at her for a moment, then shrugged and looked away. Meg sighed and leaned into him.
"Let's go to our room, okay? I'm exhausted." She said quietly.
He laughed with very little amusement. "You think you'll actually be able to sleep?"
"Probably not. I'd just like to try to relax for a bit. Just us."
He nodded and began to lead her away. "Okay."
On their way to their room, they passed Jasmine and her group, who were heading to the infirmary at Dr. Sweet's insistance. Meg and Jasmine shared an awkward wave, then continued on their separate ways without a word.
The group (consisting of Jasmine, Giselle, Ariel, Eric, Edward, Lottie, Tiana, Naveen, Phillip, Cindy, and Charles) entered the infirmary, keeping their heads down as they passed beds filled with people who had been injured in the chaos and were being healed by magic. They made a beeline for the back of the hospital wing, where Sweet had instructed them to go. Each occupied bed was sectioned off by white curtains to create privacy. They reached the bed at the very end and pulled the curtain back. There was Snow, still sleeping peacefully, and Ferdinand sitting by her side, as always. His doe eyes brightened when he looked up at them, and he smiled a little as he stood to greet them.
"Ferdinand!" Charles cried while Cindy gasped and rushed to hug him.
"You're alright!" Phillip grinned, joining in the hug.
Ferdinand chuckled a little and nodded. "Yes, we're both fine. We were brought here right before the earthquakes got really bad. The hospital was one of the first places they evacuated."
"Makes sense..." Ariel muttered, remembering seeing the hospital collapse under the feet of a rock Titan with two heads.
"So Snow's alright?" Giselle asked.
Ferdinand nodded. "Yes, she's fine... I mean, she's still in a coma. But other than that, she's unharmed."
Tiana nodded. "That's good."
Jasmine looked across the way at another bed that had curtains pulled around it. "Who's in that bed?"
Ferdinand shrugged. "I've been with Snow this whole time."
"We should say hello. Maybe they're lonely." Giselle was already walking toward the other curtains.
"Or maybe they're sleeping." Tiana muttered.
"Yeah, Giselle, I don't think it's okay to snoop." Jasmine added.
"They probably want privacy." Naveen put in.
Giselle playfully rolled her eyes at them. "I'm just gonna take a peek."
"Okay, well... Be quick." Eric whispered.
They all turned back to Ferdinand, intending to continue their conversation while Giselle spied on Snow's neighbor. But an unexpected shriek from Giselle had them all whirling back to face her.
"Giselle, what is it?" Cindy cried.
Giselle wordlessly pulled back the curtains to reveal who occupied the bed. A few people gasped at the sight of Jayson Hunter, the assassin, passed out just a few feet from Snow White.
"What's he doing here?!" Jasmine growled.
"Why do they have that psycho so close to Snow?" Giselle whimpered, backing away from Hunter to rejoin her friends.
"Because he's protecting her." A new, older voice responded. They all looked over to see Merlin and Fairy Godmother approaching them.
Cindy's eyes widened in recognition when she saw the old fairy. "Aunt Fiyera?"
Fairy Godmother giggled and held out her arms. "Hello, Cinderella."
Cindy laughed in disbelief and ran to embrace the woman. "I haven't seen you in years! Not since-"
"Since your wicked stepmother banned me from ever seeing you again? I know, dear. And I'm very sorry that I couldn't come back."
"But why couldn't you?" Cindy asked, pulling back with a frown. "Miss Tremaine couldn't actually keep you away..."
"But she could, dear." Fairy Godmother replied sadly. "With magic."
Cindy stepped back and looked over the old woman, finally taking in her appearance in her blue robes and cloak. "What...?"
"I'm not your aunt, dear." The old woman fished her magic wand out of her sleeve. "I'm your Fairy Godmother!"
"What?!" Everyone cried.
She giggled. "Well, I'm the Fairy Godmother. But I always felt a bit closer to dear Cinderella." She reached up and patted the young girl's cheek.
"Um, everyone calls me Cindy now." Cindy said, blushing.
"Oh, sorry, dear."
"But how did Cindy's stepmom keep you away?" Ariel asked.
"By using my wand against me." Fairy Godmother answered, holding up the sparkling wooden stick for them all to see. "She managed to get it away from me one day when I was visiting. At some point over the years, she learned my secret and realized that I always had my wand on me. She stole it, and used it to put a charm around Cindy to keep me away from her forever. It was a spell I couldn't reverse, so she had no problem with returning the wand to me before kicking me out of the house."
"Then, how are you with me now?" Cindy asked.
Fairy Godmother's face fell. "Well... The only ways to lift the spell would be if Tremaine reversed it herself, which is impossible without the wand..."
"And what's the other way?" Charles asked hesitantly.
"Well... The only other explanation would be..." The old fairy looked apologetically up at Cindy. "If Miss Tremaine died."
Cindy gasped. "What?"
"Anastasia and Drizella made it to the bunker, but... We're afraid their mother didn't." Fairy Godmother ducked her head regretfully.
Cindy brought her hands up to her mouth and her shoulders began to shake. "Oh, God..." Charles rushed over to hold her.
"I know, my dear." Fairy Godmother placed a sad hand on Cindy's shoulder.
"I'm sorry. But why are you guys so upset over a woman who was so terrible to both of you?" Lottie asked bluntly.
Cindy took a deep breath to collect herself. "She may have been horrible... But she was still family. And no one deserves such a horrible death."
Fairy Godmother smirked slightly. "I was hoping you would say that, child."
Cindy looked at her in confusion. "Why?"
"So that I can give you one last gift." The fairy giggled excitedly and flourished her twinkling wand. Everyone watched her in stunned silence. After a moment, she pointed at Cindy's feet and said, "Look down."
Cindy slowly peered down to see a pair of glistening glass shoes on her dainty feet. She laughed in amazement and looked back up at Fairy Godmother. "They're beautiful!"
"They're for more than just looks, my dear!" Fairy Godmother grinned with glee. "Think happy thoughts and click your heels together three times." She stage-whispered to Charles, "You may want to step back." Charles frowned and obliged.
Cindy closed her eyes to concentrate and did as the fairy told her. Everyone watched in shock and awe as Cindy's dirty, torn clothes were transformed into a shimmering white gown with matching gloves. Her skin was clean and positively glowing, and her hair was pulled up in an elegant up-do. A dainty tiara sat atop her head and a pair of graceful, silvery wings sprouted from between her shoulder blades. An aura of sparkling white dust surrounded her.
"W-what? How...?" Cindy gasped as she looked at herself.
"It was prophecised- by the Three Good Fairies- when you were born that, in a time of crisis, these powers would be bestowed upon you and you would become the White Fairy. It's a very important title, dear. In the fairy world, you could grow to take Blue's place and lead us, if you choose to." The Fairy Godmother's smile faded a little and she took hold of one of Cindy's gloved hands. "That was why your stepmother banished me. She was afraid of this power and what it might mean for you. She didn't want me around to 'manipulate' you or take you out of her control, so she decided to separate us for good."
"Wow..." Cindy sighed as she examined herself, and tentatively reached up a hand to touch her new wings. "This is... A lot to take in."
"It's amazing." Giselle breathed.
"Your power is connected to the glass slippers. When you wear them, you will be the White Fairy. But you can take them off and go back to your usual self whenever you like." Fairy Godmother smiled, completely pleased with herself.
Cindy slowly stepped out of the shoes and was immediately reverted back to her previous appearance. She quickly scooped the shoes up off the ground and hugged them close to her chest. "This is unbelievable..."
"Well, since this went so well, I can't wait to see how you react to your powers." Fairy Godmother grinned. "We'll begin your training tomorrow, but you need to rest until then."
"I think we have some catching up to do before I even try to sleep." Cindy giggled and grabbed the older fairy's hand and began to lead her out of the infirmary. She briefly called back, "Come on, Charlie!"
Charles smirked and followed them out, leaving everyone else astounded while Merlin quietly laughed.
"Now..." The wizard's eyes twinkled in amusement as he faced the rest of the group. "Back to your previous question about Mr. Hunter here." He stood at the foot of Hunter's bed and patted it with one hand.
"Yeah, why exactly is the guy who kidnapped Snow, almost killed her, and then handed her back over to her psychotic stepmom now sleeping just a few feet away from her?" Ariel demanded, bravely approaching the bed to glare down at the sleeping assassin.
Ferdinand sighed and he and Phillip quickly stepped between their angry group of friends and the defenseless man.
"It's not what you guys think." Ferdinand replied calmly, holding up his hands in an attempt to pacify them.
"Yeah... We've kinda been keeping this from you, because things didn't really turn out the way we planned. It's all really complicated." Phillip sheepishly rubbed at the back of his neck.
"Well, un-complicate it." Jasmine responded peevishly, crossing her arms.
"Yes, what exactly is going on here?" Naveen asked, looking utterly confused.
"Why are you guys defending a murderer?" Giselle asked fearfully.
Ferdinand sighed. "He is an assassin, but... He's not a bad guy."
"What? Ferdinand, he publicly confessed to kidnapping Snow and killing a lot of other people!" Edward cried, astonished.
"People who he was hired to kill by the real bad guys." Phillip cut in.
"Mr. Hunter was influenced by dark magic, children. The goddess, Eris, cursed him to speak lies to the police and reporters and only released him after he was imprisoned and could do nothing to save himself or Snow. When he tried to tell them the truth, the authorities assumed he was mad and had him moved to the asylum. That's where he's been these past few months... As you can probably tell, it's taken a toll on him." Merlin gestured toward Hunter's deathly-pale skin and the dark circles around his eyes. "That's why we've put him in an induced coma. We're using magic to try to set him right again. But there's only so much we can do..."
"It's true that Hunter took Snow to his cabin on Valentine's Day intending to kill her, but it was because Grimhilde hired him to." Ferdinand explained further. "But when he realized how wrong the whole thing was, he tried to save Snow and expose Grimhilde. I guess that, for some reason, Eris decided to step in and stop him."
"How do you know it was Eris?" Tiana frowned.
"Hunter was enticed by a poisoned apple. Eris is the only one I know who could conjure something so dark. As you may recall from the myths, the apple is her weapon of choice when it comes to wreaking havoc." Merlin answered.
"So... Hunter really wasn't the bad guy." Eric mumbled, looking guiltily at the sleeping man.
"No. Hunter was actually working with us to keep Snow safe for those few weeks when she was missing. We were really hiding her at Aurora's aunts' cottage while Hunter tried to get Grimhilde arrested." Phillip explained further.
"And we all just assumed the worst of him." Jasmine sighed.
"It's not your fault, children. You didn't know the man, and Eris's magic was quite convincing. It would have been difficult for anyone to prove the truth to you." Merlin tried to console them.
"Wait a minute... How many people knew about this?" Lottie asked with narrowed eyes.
Ferdinand sighed. "Me, Phillip and Aurora, plus Cindy and Charlie and... Well, all of our families."
A few people gasped, feeling utterly betrayed or offended at being left out.
Jasmine gave Ferdinand and Phillip a doubtful look. "Even with all those people on your side, you couldn't take down Grimhilde and save Snow in time?"
"We did everything we could, but Hunter was keeping us in the dark." Ferdinand defended.
"And then, when he was coerced into making that false confession, everything changed. We had no evidence, and we were stuck." Phillip added.
"Snow and I were working on taping a confession from Grimhilde the night she got put into her coma..." Ferdinand cast a mournful glance toward his sleeping girlfriend. "That's why I was at the house that night. How I got attacked and then witnessed Grimhilde's death. I was just trying to protect Snow..." He hung his head in defeat.
"Ferdinand..." Ariel stepped forward and placed her hands on his shoulders. "None of us are blaming you for what happened."
"We just wish you guys hadn't kept this from us." Giselle put in mousily, fretfully wringing her hands. "I mean, maybe we could have helped..."
"Yeah, you probably could have." Phillip sighed. "But it's too late for that now and it's our own faults for not involving you guys. We just thought it would be easier if less people were involved..."
"We're sorry." Ferdinand whispered glumly.
"Well!" Merlin suddenly cut in after a few moments of quiet, startling the kids back to reality. "I'm glad you all sorted this out. Now, I insist that you all get some sleep. Training starts tomorrow, and you'll need to have your wits about you!" He smiled and gestured for them to head out of the infirmary.
The group begrudgingly filed out, while Ferdinand retook his seat at Snow's bedside. Merlin smirked at him and said, "You do know you have a room with your uncle, correct?"
"Yes, I know, but... I'd prefer to stay here. If that's alright." Ferdinand replied, once more taking hold of Snow's hand.
Merlin nodded. "Right. Well... I'll just have someone fetch you in the morning."
"Thank you." Ferdinand forced a smile for the old man as he left the wing, then focused all his attention on Snow again.
As they were making their way through the quieted bunker to their own rooms, Giselle whispered, "Okay, but are we just not gonna talk about the fact that Cindy's a fairy?! "
Jasmine chuckled dryly, then sighed and shook her head. "Yeah, it's really amazing, and good for her and all, but I've had enough weirdness for one day and I just want to get to bed."
Esmeralda was awakened by the alarm above her head, which magically turned itself off when she sat up in her remarkably comfy little bed. At the same moment, her bedside lamp magically lit itself. She looked to her side to make sure the alarm hadn't awakened her mom, who was still sound asleep. Meg, however, was stirring awake where she was curled up on the cozy armchair in the corner.
"You know, Merlin should start selling furniture..." Meg mumbled as she slowly stood and stretched. "...because that chair wasn't unpleasant to sleep on at all."
Esmeralda smirked, then curiously tilted her head and whispered, "Why did you sleep in here? I thought you and Herc have a room?"
"Yeah, but one of the wizards stole him away to talk about something important. And he didn't come back for awhile, so I decided to come find you. But you and your mom were already passed out, so..." She pointed at the chair. "I borrowed this. And actually fell asleep." Meg looked somewhat impressed.
Esme chuckled quietly, then peered curiously at her mother. "That alarm was pretty loud. I'm surprised it didn't wake her up."
"Please, your mom sleeps like a rock." Meg smirked. "Besides, with all the magic in this place, I bet that since the alarm was meant to wake us, only we could hear it."
Esme's eyebrows shot up. "That makes a surprising amount of sense."
Meg shrugged, then nodded toward the door. "Wanna go find the showers in this place?"
Esme laughed and began to search for clean clothes that magically appeared in the drawers of the tiny dresser between the two beds. "Yes, please." She fished out another bundle and held it out to Meg. "Here ya' go."
"Ugh, I love you." Meg muttered whole-heartedly as she accepted the black jeans and purple tank-top. "Saves me the trip back to my room."
Esme giggled and she grabbed Meg's hand and they made their way out of the room and began their search for the shower room. They wandered around for awhile, then eventually spotted Glinda and had to ask her for directions. She personally led them there herself with an easy smile that Meg couldn't help trusting, as much as she might not have wanted to. Before leaving them to it, Glinda let them know to feel free to come to the Dining Hall for breakfast with the other kids. The two girls thanked her and made their way into the steaming shower room. They were slightly surprised to see a couple other girls already inside, some fresh out of the shower and primping themselves in the giant mirror. Meg and Esmeralda stashed their clean clothes and each claimed a shower stall, pulling the curtains and hurrying to strip. They both indulged in a nice hot shower, but only allowed themselves five minutes because they didn't want to keep anyone else waiting. When they were finished, however, they saw that they were now alone in the room. They felt free to dry off and get on their clean clothes in the open, in front of the mirror. Then they each began the struggle of combing through their thick, curly hair.
"You know what's weird?" Esme asked with a slight frown.
"Huh?" Meg replied distractedly as she picked at a pesky knot with her comb, wincing slightly.
"Well... I feel better rested than I have in... Well, ever. But I feel like I couldn't have been asleep that long. I mean, it felt like I had literally just closed my eyes when the alarm went off."
"So the spell hasn't been explained to you yet, dears." An amused voice said from the doorway.
Both girls turned to see the Blue Fairy standing there with a friendly smile. Esme looked at her questioningly while Meg tried to force her hair into its usual ponytail.
"Excuse my intrusion, but I couldn't help overhearing and thought I might shed some light on your curiosity." Blue added apologetically.
Esme shook her head and smiled. "No, you're not intruding. And, if you could answer my question... Well, I'd like that."
Blue chuckled. "Okay, then... Well, you see, time doesn't work the same way down in this bunker. Merlin placed a charm on it so that time moves much slower for us than it does up top. To put it simply, he's translated surfaces days into mere hours down here."
"Wait...seriously? " Esme gasped.
The stunned Meg asked, "So... How much time have we lost down here?"
Blue looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, I'd say that you two girls have been down here about two hours, but everyone else has been down here for about five..."
"Wait. So in reality, we've been down here for two days?! " Esme asked in disbelief.
"And everyone else has been down here for five..." Meg added blankly. "That's almost a week..."
"But what's the purpose of a spell like that?" Esme asked the fairy.
Blue chuckled. "I know it's a little shocking, girls. But it does give us a few distinct advantages. For instance, it gives our teammates ample time to rest, heal, train, prepare in any way. See, in our time, you two and all your friends have only slept an hour. But in real time, you've slept for a whole day, without even realizing it. That's why you feel so well-rested. Also, it gives us the element of surprise. Our enemies can never tell when we might be planning to strike, because our attacks come so sporadically, and it's easier for us to send out shifts of people to fight that way. Because we'll be in much better health, with all this good magic fueling us and our resources. Do you understand?"
Esme slowly nodded, letting it all sink in. "Yeah... This is incredible."
Meg smirked at herself in the mirror and began teasing her bangs. "Yeah. This place just gets freakier and freakier."
Blue smiled and began to leave. "Be sure to come to breakfast, girls. Before your day of training starts, there are some important things we have to tell you all about."
The two girls shared a look before quickly finishing getting ready and then hurrying to the Dining Hall. They each grabbed a tray of delicious and wholesome breakfast before joining their friends at their table. Everything was going well- surprisingly normal- until an unfamiliar young woman placed a hand on Aladdin's shoulder. He looked up in surprise, then jumped up out of his seat, breaking out in laughter as he hugged the shorter girl who was smirking. Jasmine watched the whole exchange with a heated glare.
"Sadira!" Aladdin cried in relief as he hugged her tight. He pulled back to look her over with a grin. "You're okay! God, I was so worried! Are you hurt? What happened? After all hell broke loose, I couldn't find you anywhere!"
Sadira quietly laughed and placed her hands on the sides of his adorably ecstatic face. "Aladdin, calm down." She released him and stepped back, gesturing widely with leather-clad arms. "I'm fine. I just kinda got shoved by the crowd a bit. Someone knocked me over and I somehow got knocked out. When I came to, all these zoo workers were bustling around and I somehow got roped into trying to help them herd the escaped animals. Of course, we didn't succeed. I mean, there were just too many of them. And the predators started attacking, and I had to get out of there. I knew I had to come find you..." She paused and smirked. "But I did manage to bring someone with me."
Aladdin looked confused when she turned to gesture to something he couldn't see. Then, a little monkey came racing into the room and launched itself at Aladdin, who laughed in disbelief as he caught it and cuddled it close.
"Abu!" Aladdin cheered as the monkey happily crooned and patted his cheeks. "I can't believe it!"
"Yeah, he's actually the one who woke me up." Sadira crossed her arms with an amused smirk. "He was pulling my hair, making all kinds of noise- completely spazzing out. Then this zoo handler was yelling at me to help them round up the animals, and, of course, I made a grab for him. But the little thing is fast and he dodged me, and ran away. I chased him. He was actually leading me away before this tiger came along and started mauling people. I wanted to go back to help, but then he started pulling at me again. Then I figured out that he was trying to lead me somewhere, and I realized that this was the pet monkey you'd told me about and he was probably trying to take me to you. So, we ran here together." Sadira grinned as she watched Aladdin cradle the strangely adorable creature.
"Sadira... This is amazing! I mean..." Aladdin sighed and rushed her for another hug, inadvertently catching her off guard and squishing Abu between them. "I'm so glad you're both alright."
Sadira was enjoying the hug until she noticed Jasmine turning her back to them and unhappily crossing her arms, absolutely fuming. Sadira rolled her eyes and pulled out of the hug, offering Aladdin another small smile and patting his shoulder.
"I'm gonna grab some breakfast, and then I have a meeting." She pointed at him with a mock-threatening look. "Behave yourself."
Aladdin laughed and let Abu climb up onto his shoulders. "I will if you will."
Sadira forced a smirk, feeling a small pang in her heart at those words. They'd shared that same exchange many times over the years. "See ya', kid." She waved at Abu before turning on her heel and walking away. Aladdin grinned and retook his seat at the table. He quickly noticed Jasmine glaring from her seat right next to him.
He frowned with worry. "What?"
She cast a disgusted look up toward Abu. "Does he really have to be at the table?"
Aladdin chuckled and held up an apple for Abu, who quickly plucked it from his hand and began to munch on it. "He's clean, Jazz. I promise."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "And how long have you been hiding that thing in your apartment without telling me?"
This was where he faltered and sheepishly answered, "Just a few months..."
"A few months? "
Aladdin cringed. "Yeah... Since, like... March."
Jasmine scoffed. "Oh, great. And is there anything else you've been hiding from me?" She cast a suspicious- and very angry- glance toward where Sadira was getting a tray of food.
A hurt look immediately formed on Aladdin's face and he shook his head. "No, Jazz. We've been over this... There's nothing going on with me and Sadira. I would never cheat on you."
Jasmine huffed. "I guess I'm just wondering when you plan on letting me in on your secret life." She began to forcefully stab at her eggs with her fork.
Aladdin's eyes filled with sadness, and it was obvious he was torn. "Jasmine..."
"Attention, all!" A commanding voice resounded from the front of the large cafeteria. Everyone looked up to see the tall, imposing wizard with the star hat standing there with his arms crossed. Merlin and Blue Fairy stood on either side of him, and Fairy Godmother and Aurora's three aunts were grouping beside Merlin. Glinda and Magi were just now leading in a group of adults before taking their places beside Blue. Principal Disney sat in a chair beside the group, because he still couldn't stand for long periods of time. It seemed that no good magic in the world could undo whatever torture the villains had inflicted upon him.
The tall wizard in the center cleared his throat as the adults found spots near their children or in the back corner of the room.
"Most of you already know me. I am Yen Sid, the Sorcerer. And I am also the father of your beloved principal, Walt Disney." He gestured toward Disney, who gave him an encouraging nod, before continuing. "I am, for all intents and purposes, your leader in this dark time. I have sworn to do all I can to protect you, train you, and guide you to freedom. But, in order to do that, you must know what you are up against."
He gestured grandly with both arms, and the room darkened. In the center of the room, in mid-air Yen conjured an image of swirling stars and strangely-colored clouds, like a mini-galaxy. Everyone watched in either solemnity or amazement as Yen continually gestured with his hands, creating different magical projections above their heads amidst the colorful deluge of space.
"The foes we face are incredibly dangerous." Yen said gravely, pulling up images of each villain for all to examine. "But they are the least of our worries. Though undoubtedly powerful, and guided by dark magic, they are mere pawns. This..." He conjured an image that made most people gasp or go pale and lose their appetite. "...is our real issue."
The first word that came to Esmeralda's mind was "satan". They were looking at a demon; a dark behemoth, a black, gigantic entity of evil, with fearsome horns and wings, a twisted smile of sharpened teeth, and glowing eyes. He seemed to be rising up from within a lifeless black mountain... Bald Mountain. In his claws he held a handful of unearthly flame and dancing ghouls. All around him was fire and smoke, and restless, agonized spirits and demons and other dark creatures running and flying around wildly, screaming or crying or laughing hysterically. Dark clouds swirled and lightning crackled through the blood-red sky.
"Chernabog." Yen said lowly in the dead silence. "At least, that's what he goes by now. But you all might recognize his original name better: Kronos. The father of both the monstrous Titans and the gods and goddesses of Mt. Olympus. Since being banished, back in the earliest years of mortal life, inside Bald Mountain, he has escaped two other times to wreak havoc, and those who saw him and did not understand what he was used him as a depiction of the "Devil" in your good book. Those other times, he was weaker and it was easier to imprison him again. But this time is very different. He has Hades..." An image of Hades popped up in Chernabog's place, "...working for him. Hades unleashed the Titans in exchange for control of Mt. Olympus. With the Titans free and causing destruction, Kronos is being fed more and more power each day. Until we get rid of all the Titans, we have no hope of overpowering Kronos and imprisoning him for good. Thankfully, we have help for that." His gaze was leveled on Hercules.
The crowd turned to face him and Hercules furrowed his brow in confusion.
"But... My godhood hasn't been restored. In my mortal state, I have no hope of defeating the Titans. Or Kronos." Hercules said.
"No, but you only need enough power to free Olympus from Hades' tyranny, and then the gods can handle the rest." Yen nodded toward Blue, who started walking toward Hercules with a small smile. "That's why your father sent us this."
Blue approached Hercules and gingerly lifted her hands, moving them in a complicated motion. There was a bright light sprouting in mid-air between her palms, and then a vial of shining white liquid was hovering within her hands. She levitated it toward Hercules, who hesitantly plucked it out of the air. He let the little vial sit in his palm and stared down at it.
"What is this?" Hercules asked them, dumbfounded.
"It's a potion, from your father. When you drink it, you will have enough godly power to conquer Hades and the Titans and free your family." Blue explained proudly.
"Then it will be up to the gods to defeat the Titans. I'm not sure if that vial will give you enough power to help, but-" Yen started to say.
"But we certainly don't want you putting yourself in danger, dear." Blue cut in before Yen could tell the boy he could try to help if he wanted. "However, a brave deed such as saving Mt. Olympus might prove you to be a true hero, and fully restore your godhood."
Hercules' face was immediately worried, and he looked down at Meg to see if she understood what that meant. She raised her eyebrows in confusion. He just shook his head and forced a smile for her before looking back up at Blue and Yen.
"When should I drink it?" Hercules asked, examining the glowing vial.
"Any time you think necessary, boy. The power will last as long as you need it to." Yen replied stoicly.
Hercules nodded. "Alright..."
"I am already working on manipulating the sheild around the city so that you may pass through and get to Olympus." Yen added. "But from there it's up to you."
"Alright, enough of this gloom and doom!" Fairy Godmother giggled and clapped her hands, sending away Yen's magical projections and bringing the lights back up. "Everyone finish your breakfast, and then we can let the real fun begin! Everyone be in their assigned training rooms within the hour!"
Training lasted about three hours, (and it really still baffled Mulan that that actually meant their standard workout had lasted three days). Mulan did some deep breathing exercises while everyone else cleared out for the lunch break, leaving her alone in the training room. She looked around at all the equipment, obstacles, dummies, practice weapons, the climbing walls and the pool and couldn't help thinking to herself that she might like a gym like this in her own home one day. She smiled to herself as she did a few more stretches.
"Mulan?"
She turned to see Shang walking in in his workout clothes. She was secretly thankful that the exercise had already made her cheeks red, so he couldn't tell she was blushing.
"Hey, Shang. How are you?" She asked casually, placing her hands on her hips.
He shrugged. "I'm alright, I guess." He looked around, then curiously back at her. "Why are you here alone?"
"Just making sure I cool down properly before my fighting class."
"Ah." He nodded and looked down at his sneakers.
"Yeah... Hey, uh... I wanted to thank you for saving my folks."
He peered back up at her. "It was nothing."
"I also wanted to thank you for saving my lizard." She smirked.
He couldn't help laughing. "Really?"
"Yeah, I was worried for a bit that Mushu didn't make it."
He raised his eyebrows and bit his lip on a laugh. "Mushu?"
Now she couldn't help laughing at herself. "I'm bad at names, okay?"
"Trust me, I know... 'Ping'."
She groaned theatrically. "And here I was hoping you'd forgotten about that."
Shang chuckled. "That would be pretty hard to forget."
"Well, you could at least try."
They both laughed, then just smiled at each other for a moment.
"Hey, uh... I have to go meet Kenai for lunch. You wanna come?" Mulan asked.
Shang's face fell. "No, uh... I have a class soon. I wanna get warmed up."
"Oh. Okay... I'll see you around, I guess."
"Yeah. See you." He ducked his head as she walked past him to leave the gym.
"Jasmine!"
She rolled her eyes and kept walking without turning back to her pursuer. "Not now, Aladdin! I'm exhausted and sweaty and I just want to go shower and then nap for a day." She shook her head.
"Jazz, please, just wait! " He cried, grabbing her arm and spinning her around to face him.
She glared up at him to hide her surprise at his forcefulness. "God, what is it?" She pulled out of his grip and crossed her arms impatiently.
He sighed. "Do you wanna know my secret or not?"
Her expression immediately softened. "Yeah..."
"Then come with me." He gripped her hand and led her away to his room. It was the room he'd be sharing with Flynn once he got out of the infirmary. Aladdin shut the door and guided Jasmine to sit with him on his bed. She stared at him expectantly, staying silent while he struggled with finding the right way to say this. The only person he'd ever told was Flynn, and that was just because Flynn was his best friend who somehow had it worse than him. It was easier to talk to Flynn about this stuff. But Jasmine... What if she judged him?
He sighed again. "You deserve to know the truth, but... It's really hard to say. I guess I should start with Sadira."
Jasmine raised an eyebrow, but said nothing and patiently waited for his explanation.
Aladdin slowly continued. "The reason why she hangs around so much, why she tends to drop into the apartment once in awhile... Is that she's just checking in on me for my dad. She works for him. She was an orphan, and he basically adopted her, so we grew up together. We're just close friends. But I don't really see her around much any more, since dad involved her in his business..." He trailed off, looking guiltily down into his lap.
Jasmine gently gripped his hand in hers and looked at him with soft concern. "Which is...?"
"Let's just say... It's not good. That's why I'm not involved in it. And that's why my dad is hardly ever around. And why Sadira feels a need to check on me in the first place..."
"Because whatever he does puts you in danger?"
He nodded and looked up at her shyly."That's why I live in that tiny apartment by myself. Dad can afford to put me in a nice place, but... He's worried about his enemies finding me."
"Is he like...a spy...or something?"
Aladdin laughed shortly. "No, no... I wish. Then I might be in danger fir the right reasons."
"Aladdin..." She reached up to cup his cheek and turn his face fully toward hers. "What does your dad do?"
Aladdin stared at her sadly for a moment, then sighed in defeat and hung his head in her grasp.
"He's a theif." He said shamefully. "Like... The king of all professional thieves. He runs an underground team of criminals to steal priceless stuff... Jewels, fur, art, stuff like that... And they sell it. My dad's unbelievably rich, but..." Aladdin shrugged. "It's not money he earned fairly. And I've always wanted nothing to do with it. I may have my own penchant for stealing, but at least I take stuff for myself, or for other people who need it more. I don't sell it or anything and build a life out of it. Still... I guess I'm no better than him."
"Wow..." Jasmine murmured, thinking it all over.
"Yeah. Now you know." Aladdin said miserably.
After a moment of silence, Jasmine whispered, "Aladdin... Where's your dad now?"
Aladdin looked down at his feet, hunched over in grief. "Missing."
Meg smirked as she watched Hercules change into clean clothes. They'd both been ignoring the glowing vial of godly nectar since he placed it on the bedside table. Now they were just trying to share a few moments of normality before going to meet their friends for lunch. It was comfortably silent.
Then, something came to Meg and left her unsettled. She kept up her usual unreadable expression and tilted her head to one side, carefully watching Hercules.
"Hey... Wonder Boy?"
"Yeah?" He smirked at her as he searched for a shirt.
"Why did you look at me like that earlier?"
"Like what?" He frowned as he pulled a clean t-shirt on.
"When Blue said that thing about your godhood being restored... You gave me that sad look, and you seemed worried. What was that all about?"
Hercules was quiet for a moment, his mind wandering as he put on his sneakers. Meg sat by and waited patiently for an answer. Finally, he sighed and came to sit by her on the bed, scooping up her hands in his. Meg raised an eyebrow, starting to get a feeling that she wouldn't like what he was about to say. Hercules looked sadly into her eyes and began to explain.
"I've been told all my life who I really am and where I belong. But I could never have it before now, because my immortality was stolen from me as a baby and I was cast down to earth. I was supposed to be killed, but apparently that plan failed. Any way... I was visited by my father at a young age, and he told me that my godhood could only be restored if I proved myself to be a true hero. And, with my godhood restored, I could return to Olympus..." He trailed off, waiting to see if she'd caught on yet.
Meg blinked once, letting the information sink in. "And...stay there?"
He nodded solemnly. "Yes."
"Oh..." Meg looked blankly down at their entangled hands.
"And, for my whole life, that was all I wanted. To return home, to my family and remain with them forever. But then I met you..."
Meg looked up at him doubtfully. Hercules quietly chuckled and reached up his hands to cup her face.
"And then I fell in love with you, Meg... And I realized that all I want is you. A normal life... A mortal life with you. Because an immortal life without you would be empty. So I'll gladly give up my godhood for you."
"But you can't just do that, Hercules..." She whispered sadly, reaching up to pull his hands away from her face and cradle them in the space between their bodies.
"Meg..."
"No... These people need you... The world needs you to be a hero. You can't just not do that because of me. You are so much more important than that. You might be our only hope at defeating Kronos, or... Churned-butter, or whatever he's called..." She smirked while Hercules quietly lauged, but neither of them could disguise the tears in their eyes. Meg leaned forward and pressed her forehead to his and peered into his child-like blue eyes. "These people believe in you, Wonder Boy. And so do I. So don't give us any reason not to." Her lip trembled and she reached up a hand to wipe some stray tears off his cheeks. "Don't worry about me, Hercules. Save the world."
The last thing Merlin or Blue were expecting had to be a knock on the bunker's front door. They shared a short look while the civilians around them looked at the door in confusion. Fairy Godmother and the Three Good Fairies quickly began to usher people out of the open while Merlin and Blue hesitantly approached the door. There was another impatient rapping on the door, heavy and loud. Somehow frantic. The two stopped a few feet away from the door, and with a wave of Merlin's hand, it creaked open. He and Blue somehow withheld their shock when a large, haggard woman feigned casualty and leaned in their doorway.
"Hello, lovelies." Her low, gravelly voice rang confidently through the air and she laughed at their expressions. "Miss me?"
