Earlier...

Meg sighed shakily as she paced back and forth across her and Hercules' room, nervously crossing and un-crossing her arms over and over again. She couldn't take her mind off of Hercules, or what was going on wherever he was, or if he was okay, or what exactly was going to happen once they got through this. So she couldn't force herself to sit down or hold still, and she definitely couldn't relax, like everyone kept telling her to. So she'd holed herself up in the room, where she could be alone and worry in peace.

"Oh, sweetie, relax!" An unfamiliar voice cheered from the corner of the room. She whirled toward the voice, clenching her fists in preparation for a fight. But she froze when she saw the blue flame that she'd seen in her dreams time and time again dancing on top of a tall man's head. The man had grey skin, cold and smooth like stone, and glowing yellow eyes, his lips splitting into a pointy-toothed grin, and he wore dark Grecian robes.

Meg overcame her initial shock and squinted at the face of the trespasser. "Mr. Hades...?" She paused, then rolled her eyes. "Hades." She scoffed, shaking her head. "We are all so stupid..."

"Oh, no, Meg, you're not that bad. You're definitely not as dumb as these other bozos. And..." He stepped closer to her, "You have a distinct advantage over all of them."

"Which is?" Meg droned in disinterest.

Hades chuckled and held out his arms. "Being the child of a god."

Meg popped up an eyebrow and took a step back from him, suspiciously looking him up and down. "What?"

"Believe it, kid!" Hades grinned again, making her skin crawl. "Daddy's finally here to meet you in person."

Meg shook her head. "That's...not possible..."

"Don't lie to yourself, kid. I know you recognize my flame..." He raised a hand and snapped his grey fingers, a spark of blue fire springing up between his fingertips, making Meg jump slightly. He chuckled. "Yes, I've visited you in your dreams many times, kiddo. It was the only way I could see you..."

"Why?" Meg snapped.

"My ability to leave my realm and visit this world was extremely limited for years. I couldn't come until I got my strength back, and that took awhile. I couldn't really get close to you until last year, and that was pushing it. Listen, kid, I wanted to come back to you and your mom before, but... I just couldn't."

Meg narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you the reason why mom sprouted horns and turned all demonic?"

Hades chuckled. "No, believe it or not, that's just how your mother is." He sobered up. "And she's really worried about you. She misses you."

"Well, let her know that I'm in the safest place possible. Away from both of you." Meg glared at him.

"Meg, what place could possibly be safer than in your parents' loving arms?"

"Oh, give me a break... Wait. This whole time, you've been my dad, and you still tried to flunk me in history last year?"

He shrugged. "Well, I couldn't blow my cover. I mean, frankly, you're a lousy student."

Meg scoffed and turned away from him. "Right. Whatever you came here for, forget it. Get out of here."

"Oh, you better rethink that, or you'll regret it later..." Hades said in a sing-song tone.

Meg paused, then slowly turned back to him, crossing her arms.

"You ready to listen? Good." Hades grinned. "Because I'm about to cut you the deal of a lifetime. You see, being the God of the Underworld, I have significant power over the spirits of the dead, and where they go. And, trust me, a lot of people are gonna be dead before this thing's over. And one of them could even be your little boyfriend..." He watched Meg's tough expression fall and chuckled. "Interested now, huh? So, here's the deal: You come with me to your mom, and I will ensure that Hercules lives through this war, and that you two get to live happily ever after. Huh?"

Meg frowned. "You... You would protect Hercules? But he's your enemy..." Meg froze, realizing something that made her feel ill. "Wait a minute... If I'm really your daughter, and Hercules is the son of Zeus, then doesn't that make us...?" She trailed off. She couldn't even finish her sentence, it made her so sick.

"Cousins?" Hades finished for her. "Yeah, I guess so..."

"Oh..." Meg groaned and sank down to sit on the edge of the bed. "Oh... No..."

"My sentiments exactly. Which is why it's a good thing that you aren't actually cousins." Hades responded in amusement.

She looked up at him. "What?"

"Yeah, I'm actually no longer related to the folks on Olympus. Haven't been for centuries... You ever heard of the Fates? The three old hags who share the eye and see through all of time?"

Meg vaguely remembered this, so she nodded. "Yeah..."

"Well, they have this ability to cut a human's string of life and send their soul to my realm. When it's a human's time to go, it's their job to handle it. And, in very rare and desperate cases, they can also cut bloodlines."

Meg furrowed her brow in confusion.

Hades sighed. "See, I finally got so fed up with my pompous big brothers that I went to the Fates and had them separate my matter from the rest of the familys', so I'm no longer related to them. Did you really not notice that I kinda don't look anything like Zeus or Poseidon? Seriously... I mean, technically, since us gods aren't human, we don't have blood, so we can't really be related in the first place. We can just be made of similar matter by the same creator. I mean, by that logic, your mother and I could be considered siblings-"

"Ew, what?! "

"But we're not! Look, it's all very technical, but-" He groaned. "Whatever. And, hey, even if you and Herc were cousins, your relationship still isn't as disgusting as a lot of others up on Olympus. I mean, Zeus had a kid with his supposed sister. Just imagine all the cousin-siblings your boyfriend's got running around..."

Meg couldn't help feeling like she was living in a nightmare. She was sure she was about to puke. "But we're not cousins, right?! "

"No, you're not! You and Hercules are definitely not related at all. Okay?!"

Meg couldn't help being doubtful, but she still felt slightly relieved and sighed. "Okay..." Her stomach was still doing flip-flops, though.

Hades nodded. "Alright... I mean, I still don't really approve of your relationship with the enemy, but I guess there's not really anything I can do about it now. And, if he really makes you happy, then, yeah. I'll spare him."

Meg narrowed her eyes at him again. "You're surprisingly merciful and caring for the God of the Underworld."

Hades rolled his eyes. "You still don't trust me? You're my kid, and I care about you. Look, I just want to make up for all the years that I couldn't be around, even though I really did want to. In fact, I have another little thing to sweeten our deal. A gift that I think you're really gonna like."

Meg stared blankly up at him. "What is it?"

With a wave of his hand, Hades conjured a small vial of glowing purple liquid and let it hover over his grey palm for her to see. Meg slowly rose from her seat and took a step closer, staring at the vial in wonder. She peered up at Hades with raised eyebrows.

"And what is that? "

Hades smirked. "It's a potion that will restore the powers that were taken from you at your birth. And, with these godly powers, you can assist me in taking over Olympus, which is my right to rule, not Zeus's. And, once we have Olympus, you will be allowed to reside there with your beloved for eternity. We'll be one big, happy family, just like you've always secretly dreamed of... And you won't have to lose him." Hades grinned devilishly, enjoying the hopeful look that crossed Meg's face as she stared at the vial, transfixed by the emanating power. "So... What's it going to be, Meg?"

Meg seemed about ready to snatched the vial from him, but then came back to her senses. She took a step back, blinking a few times and looking away from the vial.

"You said that you would keep Hercules safe... Let me give you a little more incentive." She stared evenly up at Hades. "If Hercules is put in any danger- at all- you take back whatever powers you're offering me, because I can tell that this is some dark shit, and if you go back on your word, I'm out of this deal. Completely. Understand?"

Hades sighed impatiently. "Right, right, if Hercules is put in any danger, I take back your powers and leave you both alone. Alright? Good? Now, c'mon, once I make I deal, I can't go back on it. You can have faith in your dear old dad." He grinned cheesily, and it just came off as creepy.

Meg did her best to hide her disgust. She looked down at the vial again, deep in thought. Then she smiled up at him with exaggerated sweetness.

"You know what? I'm still not interested."

A dangerous spark lit up Hades' eyes, and his flames began to glow orange. "What?"

"Yeah, as much as I want the happily-ever-after, I want to get it the right way. Not by making dark deals with the devil or fighting with powers I don't understand, or by destroying my boyfriend's family, which I'm sure is what you really have planned. So, thanks, but no thanks, for wasting my time." She glared up at him daringly. "Now get out of here before I scream for help. And stay out of my life from now on."

Hades looked about ready to explode, but he kept his cool. His flames simmered back to blue and he cleared his throat.

"I see you got your mom's spunk... And her stubbornness... I just wonder how you didn't end up with either of our brains." He sneered down at her.

"What? " Meg demanded icily.

He rolled his eyes. "Why'd ya' have to go and play it tough? I didn't want it to come to this..." He whistled, and suddenly Pain and Panic leapt out of the shadows and clumsily attacked Meg. She cried out and stumbled into the dresser, trying to shove the creatures off of her. Then, Pain plunged a needle, filled with the same glittering purple potion, into Meg's chest. Meg watched in horror as the demon ejected the liquid into her heart, then immediately began to scream in agony as the potion rushed into her bloodstream. It felt as though fire was coursing through her veins. Meg looked down to see all her veins glowing purple, and screamed again in a mix of pain and terror. Pain and Panic jumped away onto her bed and Meg fell over onto the floor, writhing and seizing and letting out strangled screams for help. Involuntary tears were slipping out of her eyes and burning her skin like acid, making her howl and screech in pain. Her body felt like it was being consumed by flame; her skin bubbled and her eyes smoked. She was sure her head was about to rip apart down the center.

Hades leered proudly over her, chuckling. "Go ahead, honey. Cry it out. I've magically sealed this room so that no one can hear you. So just let it all out..."

Meg continued to call for help, choking as smoke filled her lungs and burned her throat.

Alice was sitting to dinner with her friends when she heard a familiar voice call her name. She turned to grin at Finn, who was smiling back at her despite obviously being exhausted and seeming to have just come back from a mission; He was filthy and pretty banged up. Alice jumped up out of her seat and hurried over to hug him while his sister and the pink-haired girl walked away to get some food.

"Finn, it's been so long!" Alice pulled back to beam up at him. "I'm so glad you're okay. How have you been? And what's happened to you?"

"Sorry, Alice, I meant to come find you sooner, but I got busy... I've been helping with the fight. In fact, I just got back from killing the Lich." He explained tiredly.

Her eyes widened. "All by yourself?"

"No, actually, my sister and Bubblegum and Marceline all helped. I'm still gonna be scarred for life, but..." He shrugged and grinned wolfishly. "At least I didn't face it alone. And obviously, I've got less issues than most people here..." He said the last part quietly so no one would overhear.

Alice cast a quick look around. "Where's Marceline now?"

He sighed. "She won't be back for awhile. She's in the Nightosphere, dealing with her dad and Marshall..."

Alice gasped. "Her brother joined the bad guys?"

"Yeah, and went back on his deal with her and took the throne. Marceline's pretty mad about it, so she's probably gonna kill him... Or worse. And, uh..." His voice dropped to a whisper, "Don't mention Marshall around Fionna, okay? It's really been bumming her out."

"Of course, I won't say a word."

"Okay..." He nodded, then looked quickly behind her. His expression briefly clouded and he looked down at her with a teasing smile to hide his hurt. "Who's that scrawny guy you were just getting cozy with?"

Alice blushed and turned to see Arthur waving at her and Finn. She giggled, waved back and turned back to Finn with sparkling eyes.

"Oh, that's Arthur... I guess he's like, my boyfriend..."

"Oh." Finn nodded, keeping his expression blank. "That's cool. And, uh... You're happy with him? Like... He treats you right?"

She nodded. "Oh, yes. He just..." She smiled. "He makes things so easy."

The look of hurt in Finn's eyes was undeniable at this point. "And I didn't..."

Alice winced. "Oh, no! Finn, that's not what I meant. Not at all."

"No, no, I get it... My world's kinda a lot to take in." He laughed dryly and took a step back, looking down at his feet.

Alice stared at him for a moment. "Well... I think right now everyone's world is kind of a lot to take in, Finn."

He peered up at her, catching her meaning. He was being a little selfish by making things about him. "You're right... Hey, I'm gonna head to the infirmary real quick. Maybe I could join you guys for dinner after?"

Alice smiled and nodded. "We would love that."

The Mayor and his wife hadn't left Anna's side since coming to the bunker. Merlin had placed her in a special room with no other objects or furniture; just clean white walls and a carpeted floor. Kristoff came in occasionally to check on her, but he always wound up feeling awkward, like he was intruding on a family moment, and would leave quicker than he'd like to. He just didn't feel comfortable hovering around the couple when they were mourning their niece.

This time, as he was walking away from the room, he saw someone walking toward him, and it was definitely the last person he was expecting.

"Elsa?" He asked.

She didn't say a word as she walked past him and directly into Anna's room. Jack Frost was hovering nearby and looking unhappy while Yen Sid and Glinda scolded him.

Elsa's aunt turned to her, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Elsa... Where have you been? We were worried sick... And what are you wearing?"

"I'll explain everything soon, just..." Elsa's eyes were glued to Anna's frozen form. She carefully approached the statue that was once her sister. "Just let me be with her for awhile..."

The three of them stood in silence for a long time, the couple huddled together and worriedly watching their older niece while she stood ahead of them, her gaze fixed on Anna. Eventually, they heard Elsa sniffle.

"It's my fault..." She whispered.

"What, dear?" Her uncle asked quietly.

"It's my fault this happened... I did this to her..." Elsa hunched over in shame and began to sob. She was surprised to feel her aunt and uncle embracing her a few seconds later. She had been expecting them to be enraged. Instead, they were trying to comfort her. Figuring that they didn't understand, Elsa continued, "I lost control of my powers, and Anna was the one who wound up paying for it..."

"Honey..." Her aunt sniffed. "We're all paying for it."

Elsa blinked. "What?"

"We both knew it was a bad idea to have you conceal your powers all those years... We tried to tell your father, but he wouldn't listen. So we just let it happen." Her uncle replied sadly.

"It was wrong of my brother to raise you in solitude and make you think that your powers were something to be ashamed or afraid of, that they needed to be hidden. No child should have to go through what you did all alone." Her aunt continued. "But now that we have you back... We can make it right. Elsa, no matter what happens, we are family and we love you, and we are not afraid of you. You'll never be alone again."

Elsa broke down then, letting all the tears she'd pent up over the years flow. She pulled her aunt and uncle closer to her and they all squeezed together in a tight enbrace. For the first time in forever, Elsa felt warmth.

"Wow, what did I miss?" A cheerful voice asked from the center of the room.

The three of them turned in shock to see Anna standing there, thawed out and perfectly unharmed.

"A-Anna? What- How-?" Elsa stuttered.

"Seriously, you guys all look like you're at a funeral. What's wrong?" Anna said worriedly.

She was surprised when the three of them all burst into laughter and rushed her, swooping her up in an uncomfortably tight group hug. Anna squeaked and giggled as she settled into the hug.

"Do you remember anything?" Elsa asked her as they finally separated after a few minutes.

Anna nodded. "Everything."

"Anna, I... I'm so-"

"Sorry. Yeah, I know." Anna smirked, then threw her arms around her confused sister for another hug. "Stop being sorry."

"Anna!" A new voice cried as someone ran into the room. She turned to see Hans grinning at her. Behind him, Kristoff was standing at the door with his mouth hanging open. She giggled quietly at him, then squealed when Hans suddenly scooped her up in a hug.

"Okay... Everyone's feeling pretty huggy today..." Anna grunted. "Bad news for my lungs..."

"Anna, I'm so glad you're okay!" Hans cried, nearly squeezing the life out of her.

Anna watched as Kristoff slipped silently out of the room. "Yeah... Yeah, I'm fine."

"Yen Sid!"

Yen sighed- Honestly, he'd just returned from Olympus; What could be going wrong now?- and turned away from Jack and Glinda to see the troop of fairies flying urgently toward him, headed by a distressed Blue. Yen frowned and demanded, "What is it?"

"We're sensing something very dark within the bunker, but none of our location spells are working!" Blue explained quickly, hovering before him. The other fairies were frantically chattering in a large huddle behind her.

Yen looked at Glinda now. "Do you sense something?"

She nervously shook her head. "No, I can't say I do..."

Yen's eyes widened. "That could only mean..."

There was an explosion nearby, a wall bursting apart in a burst of purple flame. A few civilians were taken out by the debris, while everyone else was blown back by the blast. Everyone coughed as dust and smoke filled the air, then gazed up in horror to see their attacker approaching through the hole they'd ripped through the stone wall.

Yen growled and turned to mutter to Blue, "I told you we shouldn't have let that girl in."

Meg stood before them all, but she definitely wasn't the Meg they all recognized. Her skin was a cool grey, more pale than her father's, and gleamed under the bright lights rather than remaining flat and dead-looking. The whites of her eyes had turned coal black and her pupils burned red like embers, but her familiar purple irises remained. Still, the scorn that burned in her eyes made her nearly unrecognizable. Her curly brown ponytail was now a wild mane of dancing purple flame that trailed down her back and dragged behind her a little on the ground, like a veil. Her ears were pointed, and her face seemed more chiseled and angular. She was still slim, but undeniably stronger than she was before. The air around her pulsated with the otherworldly energy that had consumed her. She looked blankly, coldly around at the crowd as she took slow, purposeful steps forward. To everyone's horror, Hades himself stepped out behind her, proudly crossing his arms as he watched her move, undoubtedly admiring his work. Two of his little demons hopped out as well and hid behind their Master.

Everyone was silent, staring at Meg in unabashed terror. She glared back at them, not seeming to recognize a single person who cowered before her.

Ariel slowly stood up, just out of Meg's view, and hesitantly called, "M-Meg?"

Meg turned sharply toward her, so quickly that it made everyone flinch. Ariel remained calm as Meg looked her over with her unnaturally glowing eyes.

"Meg... It's me, Ariel... Do you remember me?" Ariel asked her hopefully.

Meg tilted her head back imperiously. When she spoke, her voice was low and sultry, oddly distorted, like it had its own echo. "No, I don't."

Ariel's face fell, and she shrank back a little. Eric and a few other guys were just making it to the scene, having been in one of the training rooms when the explosion happened. They slowed to a stop to stare at Meg in a mixture of fear and awe. Meg ignored them, her gaze focused solely on Ariel for a few tense moments of silence.

Then, Meg tipped her head forward so that she peered creepily up at Ariel from under her dark eyebrows and growled, "But I know exactly who you are." Meg thrust out a hand, exposing her talon-like fingernails, and pushed it to the side. Ariel screamed as she was suddenly sent sailing through the air, toward Eric. Eric jumped up to stop her flight and the two of them crashed backward into the rest of the group behind Eric. Meg smirked darkly at the muddle of humans scrambling on the ground, a fierce glint in her proud eyes.

"Come on, kid, you can do better than that!" Hades taunted her. "I think this bunker's about ready to party! Whattaya say?" He laughed and clapped his hands once, prompting the doors to the bunker to creak open.

Everyone climbed to their feet and moved back from the doors when the rest of the villains started to enter, all seeming absolutely smug. Yen immediately prepared for a fight while Glinda and the fairies pulled out their wands.

"Where the hell is Merlin?" Yen muttered to Glinda.

"Outside... Battling the Horned King's army of corpses..." She squeaked.

Yen rolled his eyes. "Great." And of course he went out alone...

"I've already sent a signal. He should be on the way." Blue mumbled.

'Well, what are we waiting for?" Hades demanded of everyone. "Let's have some fun!"

There was a tense moment as the two sides faced off. Then, Meg made a quiet sound of annoyance and raised her fist, conjuring a ball of purple fire and launching it into the unsuspecting crowd. From that moment, the bunker sprang into chaos. Maleficent and Hades both summoned small legions of their little demon helpers and set them loose on the bunker while the civilians ran frantically around to avoid Meg's attack. The air was flooded with screams as the people were bombarded by the creatures latching onto their legs or hair and yanking them about. Fairy Godmother and the Good Fairies shot blast after blast of pure magic to ward off the monsters while Magi and the younger fairies focused and getting people out of the bunker. Blue was concentrating on attacking Maleficent once she had the chance, but then she seemed alerted by something else and looked around for help. She spotted Cindy scaring some demons away from a group of children nearby.

"Cinderella! There's trouble outside! Get to Main Street now, please!" Blue ordered.

Cindy nodded and instructed the children to go to Magi before swiftly flying out of the bunker before anyone could stop her. Blue turned back toward where she'd last seen Maleficent, but the Dark Fairy had disappeared. Blue was suddenly struck in the side by a burst of ghastly green magic and sent flying away, nearly crashing into a wall. She stopped herself just in time, teetering dangerously in the air and winded from the attack. She turned to see Maleficent smirking at her, proudly weilding her staff while her pet crow croaked on her shoulder. She stamped her staff against the marble floor and began to elegantly stroll away from the stunned Blue.

Though severely weakened, Blue knew she couldn't let her get away that easily. She drew up her wand and summoned a small burst of pure white light, preparing to shoot it at Maleficent as she zipped after her. Yen was busy fighting off Jafar, who was proving to be more of a challenge than he previously expected. Meanwhile, Yzma was tossing potion after potion into the crowd, turning people randomly into animals and wildly cackling. The Three Good Fairies were quickly flying around in every direction and changing people back to normal. Everyone was so busy panicking or fighting that they didn't notice Morgana leading an new, slimier villain further back into the bunker, toward Ursula's prison.

Ursula didn't look up when she heard the door open, instead laughing wryly as footsteps approached her. "What's going on up there? I guess you guys know how to party..." Then she recognized a faintly familiar sound of slithering and looked up in alarm. Morgana chuckled and Vanessa grinned manicly as they drew closer to Ursula's crumpled, tightly-bound form.

"Oh, this is just so sad, Ursula." Morgana commented cruelly, shaking her head. "Look at you! Powerless, left to rot in this dungeon like a relic... And now look at the situation you're in." She drew up her pitchfork and pointed it ar Ursula's chubby throat. "Now your fate is left up to us. How ironic... Right, Vanessa?"

"Stop playing games." Vanessa growled. "Spill this creature's blood."

Ursula winced slightly at her daughter's harsh words, then stared up at her in fear, lightly shaking her head. "Vanessa..."

"Now... Who does she remind me of?" Eris asked mockingly as she suddenly materialized in the corner of the room. She drifted forward with a low laugh as she looked over Ursula's predicament. "She may have gotten lucky with my looks, but that personality's all you, Ursul. Or, should I say, what you used to be."

"There is still hope for you, dear sister." Morgana cut in, pressing the tip of the longest prong of her pitchfork into Ursula's skin. Ursula winced as it bit into her throat. "You can beg us for mercy, beg for your life... And maybe we'll let you be our slave." She cackled wickedly, throwing back her head.

Ursula's mouth opened and closed a few times, hopelessly. She began to stutter. "I... I-I-"

Vanessa rolled her speckled eyes. "I never was one to listen to begging." She glared at Morgana and suddenly snatched the pitchfork from her. "You take too long."

Morgana began to respond, but she didn't get to say a word before Vanessa abruptly fired a white-hot blast of energy at Ursula, who briefly screamed before exploding like a firework. Morgana and Eris both stared in shock at the ashen remains of the former sorcerer.

"You little brat!" Morgana erupted at Vanessa after a moment of stunned silence. "I've been looking forward to doing that for years, and you just stole my moment!"

Vanessa ignored her and carelessly tossed her pitchfork back into her bony hands. Morgana possessively clutched the thing to her chest as Vanessa turned toward her mother, who was smirking. Eris chuckled and placed her hands on Vanessa's shoulders and said, "And people assume that your generation's too soft... Mommy's very proud."

Vanessa's eyes shimmered and she grinned, baring her fangs.

"Now, let's go back upstairs and bask in all the chaos, hmm?" Eris smiled and began to lead Vanessa up the stairs.

"I'll meet you out there." Vanessa said after a quick, decisive moment. "There's something I have to get first..."

Vanessa snuck away from the action and slithered up to a door that she'd targeted awhile ago; the door that led to the room Ariel and Marina shared. She eagerly opened the door and slipped into the plain-looking room; white walls, blue carpet, two beds and a dresser. Boring. She immediately moved to the dresser and wrenched open drawer after drawer, rifling through the contents for a specific object, ignoring the sounds of screaming and the explosions that shook the place. She knew it had to be here somewhere...

Her slick lavender hands finally made contact with something metal, tucked away in the back of the very bottom drawer. She grinned and ran her fingers over the shape for a moment, then dug it out and held it up for examination. Ariel never wore it, but Vanessa had had the feeling that she wouldn't let it leave her side.

The necklace. The golden seashell necklace that Eric bought Ariel for Valentine's Day...

My necklace.

Vanessa quickly wrapped the thing around her neck, reveling in how it felt to be wearing it again, and the way the heavy pendant rested on her collar bone. She smirked and reached up a hand to cradle the thing, and watched as smoke wafted over the surface of the metal, slowly turning the pendant and chain an inky black.

"Much better..." Vanessa purred. She laughed quietly and slithered back out of the room, slinking proudly toward the chaotic scene in the bunker. She paused when she saw Eric and Ariel battling some tenacious little demons. Eric noticed her out of the corner of his eye, but obviously didn't recognize her, since he didn't turn his attention away from the beasts. Vanessa grinned and slowly moved toward him. Ariel spotted her first and was momentarily distracted by her own horror, allowing one demon to wrangle her to the ground. She looked up as she struggled with the monster to see Vanessa drawing closer to Eric.

"Ariel!" Eric was calling, moving to help her.

"Eric, look out! It's-" Ariel began to shout.

A slimy black tentacle lashed out and wrapped around Eric's wrist, and he stumbled and gritted his teeth in pain as the suction cups bit into his skin. The tentacle yanked him back and forced him to turn around and face his attacker. His blue eyes widened in shock.

"Vanessa?" He whispered.

She laughed spitefully. "The one and only."

"You... You look... What happened you?" He struggled to get out of her grip.

"Oh, what's the matter, sweetie?" She cooed mockingly. A strange glow overtook her serpentine eyes. "You don't think I look beautiful?" The necklace began to glow and Vanessa raised a hand and made a waving motion near the pendant, wafting the glow toward Eric. His struggling ceased when the glow reached his eyes and filled his pupils, altering his perceptions. He blinked a few times in confusion, having no idea where he was or what was going on. But, at least in his head, he saw a perfectly normal and gorgeous Vanessa- the old Vanessa- standing before him with a sweet smile. The golden seashell necklace glimmered like a star around her throat.

"Vanessa..." He said robotically. "I've missed you."

Vanessa cackled, but to his ears it was a small giggle. "Oh, Eric..." She pulled back the tentacle that had him trapped, but he didn't notice. He also didn't notice the nasty marks the suckers had left on his skin. They had to hurt, but still, he didn't seem to notice their existence. His gaze, and his mind, were locked solely on Vanessa. She grinned and took his hand in one of hers. The spell was so strong that he couldn't feel the slime on her skin. She pulled him close to her side and began to lead him away. "I've missed you too."

Ariel had finally beaten the demon off of her and as the creature scurried away in fear, she pulled herself up to her feet and began to run after them. "Eric, wait! What are you-?"

Eric and Vanessa turned back to her and seeing the look on Eric's face made her freeze in her tracks. He didn't seem to recognize her. And the look of confusion and annoyance was plain on his face.

Vanessa looked cautiously up at him. "Eric... Do you know this girl?"

Eric shook his head and turned to Vanessa. Instead of seeing the eyes of an octopus, he was looking into a pair of beautiful violet eyes that welled up with hurt. He smiled stiffly at Vanessa. "I've never seen her before in my life."

Ariel gasped. A heavy feeling settled in her chest and her eyes stung. "Eric..."

Vanessa smiled cruelly and looked Ariel up and down. "You know... You really look like you've put on weight. You should do something about that." She laughed as Eric wrapped an arm around her shoulders and began to lead her away, leaving a heartbroken Ariel to be swarmed by more of the demons. Vanessa steered him toward Eris, whose yellow eyes gleamed as she smirked at them.

"We're ready to go home now, mother." Vanessa told her in a sickeningly sweet tone while Eric stood at her side like an automaton.

Eris chuckled and snapped her fingers, making the three of them disappear in a puff of smoke.

At this point, Cindy had returned with Phillip, Phoebus, Esmeralda, Tiana, Naveen, Dimitri and Anya. While the last two ran off to find Anya's grandmother, Cindy led the others to Ariel's rescue. With a blast from her wand, the mound of creatures that had Ariel pinned on the ground were sent flying away with high-pitched squeals. Phillip helped Ariel stand up while everyone else swarmed protectively around her and fought off more of the monsters.

"Ariel, are you alright?" Phillip asked, looking her over. He turned to Cindy. "The baby. Can you check her baby?"

Cindy nodded and began to raise her wand, but paused when Ariel shook her head, her eyes filled with tears.

"I'm fine... We're both fine." She placed her hands on her rounded stomach out of habit. She peered up at Phillip and Cindy in despair. "But Eric..."

There was another explosion and the whole bunker was shaken violently by it. A wall near them crumbled and Cindy threw up her wand to cast another shield over them to block the cascading rubble.

"We have to get out of here!" Naveen cried over the noise, watching as Meg threw blast after blast of magical flame to destroy the place.

Meg continued to fire on the screaming crowd as they rushed frantically out of the bunker. Maleficent and the Blue Fairy had moved their own fight outside, and Blue was now incapacitated. Maleficent smiled when the people started to mill out and decided to attack them as well, sending them scattering through the woods. By the end of it, the bunker was mutilated. The air was filled with a haze of dust and smoke. The sky was considerably darker.

Meg was conjuring another fireball and preparing to go after the civilians when her father placed a hand on her shoulder. She visibly relaxed, her flames calming down from the roaring fire they'd become and now dancing placatively down her back as she looked blankly up at Hades. He grinned down at her.

"We can't kill them all just yet. Gotta have patience... But you've done your old man proud, kid. Now, you go with your mom..." He pointed toward where Maleficent stood above them, "...and wait for me to call on you again."

Meg nodded obediently. "Yes, father." She drifted away and up to Maleficent, who was looking her over with gleaming yellow eyes.

"Do you know who I am, child?" Maleficent asked carefully, giving away her unease in spite of herself.

Meg nodded at her with a curious expression. "Yes... You're Maleficent."

She was obviously disappointed by this response, and it took everything in her power to breathe as she was winded by heartbreak. She nodded slowly. "Right..."

Meg tipped her head to the side as she picked up on Maleficent's emotions. "And... You are my mother."

Maleficent let out a shaky breath of relief and blinked back the joyful tears that burned her reptilian eyes. "Right. Yes, my child. That's right." She chuckled and placed a hand on Meg's stone-cold shoulder. She paused and frowned slightly at the unfamiliar feeling, then offered Meg a small smile and continued, "Let's go home, Megara."

Meg nodded silently, and Maleficent felt fear bloom on her stomach. This... This was not her daughter.

Now...

"Meg?" Hercules called again, rising unsteadily to his feet. He had to lean against a wall to support himself as he took in her new appearance, what she had become. "Meg, what... What is this?"

She didn't answer, just stared stonily back at him with burning eyes.

He glared at Hades. "What did you do?"

Hades laughed. "No, no, it's not what I did. It's what she did." Hades sighed dreamily and looked at Meg. "Like father, like daughter, huh?"

Hercules stared at him in shock. "W-what?"

"Well, isn't it obvious, Wonder Boy?" Hades grinned and drifted over to Meg, laying an arm around her shoulders. "I mean, don't ya' see the resemblance?"

Hercules slowly shook his head. "No... You're lying!" He looked desperately into Meg's glowing eyes. "Meg... Tell me it's not true. Please... What's he done to you?"

"He's opened my eyes, Son of Zeus." Meg replied coldly.

Hearing her distorted voice made Hercules freeze. "No... Meg..."

"Yeah, sorry, kid. But, hey! Doesn't she make the greatest little actress?" Hades grinned maliciously.

"What are you talking about?" Hercules growled.

"Oh, c'mon, I figured by now that even you could realize it! She was working for me the whole time, Herc! Daddy's little girl..." He reached up a bony hand to pinch Meg's cheek. She didn't even flinch. She was too busy glaring at Hercules.

"Stop that! Whatever you've done, just stop!" Hercules yelled, starting to charge forward. He came to a stop when Meg lifted a hand and crackling purple flame enveloped it, ready to be propelled at Hercules. He took a few steps back, staring at her in shock.

"Meg... Don't you remember me?" He asked.

"No. I don't." She glowered at him. "But I know who you are. And if you make any attempt to attack my family, I will destroy you."

Hercules was stunned into silence. Overwhelmed by the weight of her words, he stumbled back against the wall behind him and slid down into the ash.

Hades chuckled. "Well, this went even better than I thought!" He patted Meg's shoulder and began to walk away. "Come on, sweetie. Let's go."

Meg's scorching eyes lingered on Hercules' crumpled form as she turned to follow Hades. Hercules began to cry as he watched Meg and Hades join hands at the edge of the crater and vanish together in a swirling wave of blue and lavender flame. He hung his head and pushed his hands over his face as he sobbed.

Zeus stormed into the lair of the Fates. The three hags turned toward him expectantly, all gathered around their all-seeing eye that they shared.

"I thought you said that girl wouldn't be a problem!" Zeus boomed angrily. "Now look at what's happened!"

"The girl was not destined to weild those terrible powers! She was meant to be left alone!" One Fate snapped. "Hades has tampered with fate and caused great unbalance in this universe!"

"He must be stopped." Another Fate, the smallest one, croaked.

"I know that! But the only way to ensure that is for me to have a look into the future and learn what needs to be done!" Zeus barked.

"No! We're not supposed to reveal the future!" The third fate squealed.

"But you did for Hades, all those years ago! Whose side are you on?" Zeus demanded threateningly.

"We don't pick sides!" All three screeched.

"Well, as far as I'm concerned, you have! And unless you help me now, I'll make sure you are all severely punished!" Zeus roared and thunder could be heard overhead.

"Alright, alright!" The Fate with the long, pointed nose replied hastily. "What is it you want to know?"

"There's still the matter of the Beast. You said my son, Hercules, was destined to defeat that monster in order to save Aurora and end this alignment. Now, how is he supposed to do that now that he has no godly powers?" Zeus crossed his arms arrogantly.

"According to his deal with Hades, the only way to restore Hercules' strength is to wound Hades' offspring." The Fate replied.

"But Megara has had her power fully restored. She can't be hurt." Zeus seethed.

"There is a way she can be... She made a deal of her own with Hades. If Hercules is put in danger, she will lose her powers." The second Fate replied.

Zeus growled and shook his head, turning away. "No, I won't risk that. There has to be another way."

"Well, there is the fact that we never specifically said it would be Hercules who slays the Beast." The shortest Fate said, earning glares from the other two.

Zeus slowly turned back to them. "What? But, you said-"

"We said that "your son was destined to be the Beast's undoing". And, in case you haven't realized, King of Olympus, you have quite a few bastard children running around on earth. We never specifically said which one it would be." The first Fate replied peevishly.

"So... Which of my children is it?" Zeus asked.

"Even we can't know for sure." The second Fate squeaked.

"It is a son long-forgotten." The first Fate added.

"So, if I were you, I'd start looking." The third Fate finished.

The three of them cackled as Zeus turned unhappily and stormed out.

While everyone else was reunited with family, Rapunzel made her way through the panicked crowd in search of her own. She asked a few people along her way to make sure that the Mayor and his wife had survived and that they were here, and felt hope bloom in her heart when they all said "yes". One woman even pointed her in the direction that she thought they'd gone in. Rapunzel was drawing near to them now, watching as the Mayor stood chatting with Anna and Elsa. His wife sat nearby, watching them with a smile. Rapunzel cautiously approached and sat next to the woman, still thinking over how she wanted to start the conversation. The Mayor's wife turned to her with a smile. A brief flash of recognition seemed to light up her green eyes, but it quickly faded and Rapunzel was sure she saw disappointment instead. Rapunzel felt a pang in her own chest and deflated a little.

"How can I help you?" The Mayor's wife asked her.

At the sound of the woman's voice, Rapunzel's heart started thumping in her chest. "Oh... Um... I was just looking for my family, and... Well, I can't find them anywhere. Is it okay of I just sit here and... Maybe they'll come pick me up eventually?"

She smiled and nodded. "Of course." She turned back to watch Anna and Elsa.

Rapunzel followed her gaze and an idea hit her. She hesitantly asked, "Are those your children?"

The woman laughed. "No, no... My brother's." She looked curiously over at Rapunzel. "I thought that all the citizens of Buena Vista would know that my husband and I don't have children."

Rapunzel laughed nervously and shrugged. "I've kinda been living under a rock, I guess."

She chuckled in response. "Well, that's alright."

"Are...you very close to your nieces?"

She smiled sadly. "When they were younger, yes. But then... Well, things changed. We were separated for years until they moved here recently."

Rapunzel nodded. "Ah."

"Yeah... But, when they were little..." She chuckled as memories danced through her head. "Those were the years... And the holidays- Oh! We had the best Christmases." She laughed and her eyes twinkled.

Rapunzel smiled as she watched her. "That sounds so great."

"It was... Oh, I remember, there was this song that we always sang to the girls... A little Christmas lullaby... What was it? Ugh, I don't remember the words, but... Hmm..." Her smile slowly faded, and sadness filled her eyes. "My husband and I did have a daughter."

"Oh?" Rapunzel perked up.

"She was taken from us when she was a baby... Kidnapped. We haven't seen her since. And I used to sing that song to her before bed, too... I wish I could remember the words, but the tune plays in my head all the time..." She began to hum the melody to the lullaby.

Rapunzel listened intently, feeling tears in her eyes. She knew this song. And she couldn't keep herself from singing it, earning a surprised look from the woman. The Mayor and Anna and Elsa all heard it too and turned toward her in shock.

"On the wind,

'cross the sea,

hear this song

and remember..."

Rapunzel trailed off and looked hopefully up at the woman, who now had tears streaming down her cheeks. The woman managed through sharp breaths to finish the song with her.

" Soon you'll be

home with me,

once upon a December..."

They stared at each other for a moment, both crying. The other three were slowly drawing closer to them in disbelief. The Mayor's wife looked into Rapunzel's eyes hopefully, and reached up a hand to stroke her cheek.

"Could it be...?" She whispered, placing the other hand on Rapunzel's shoulder. "My baby?"

Rapunzel took a deep breath and smiled. "Hi, mom."

The woman exclaimed happily and pulled Rapunzel into a hug, sobbing. The Mayor rushed over and looked down at them, his own eyes filling with tears, and then knelt down to wrap them both up in his arms. Elsa and Anna watched from nearby, hugging each other and smiling.

Blue and Merlin soon called for everyone's attention and instructed the crowd to move into the nearly - demolished school building. It wasn't safe to be out on the open street in the center of the city, but at least it gave them some ground to work with for training and such. The villains had unwittingly given them the advantage by letting them claim Main Street. From here, they had an excellent vantage point over the city: the bell tower. With the school torn down, nothing hindered its view over all of Buena Vista. And, now that they weren't hiding out in an underground bunker, they actually had a claim over any spot in the city that could suit them.

But, despite the villains hunkering down mostly outside of city limits, the dangers of being exposed like this were still very real. The Heart of Atlantis still hovered high above their heads, ready to protect the city. But Yen knew that wouldn't be enough. So, while the survivors moved into the school building, Yen had Merlin, Blue, Glinda and Fairy Godmother help him put an extensively protective shield over what was left of Disney Academy. Walt and the rest of the fairies kept everyone within the shield's walls and directed people where to set up cots and sleeping bags. It was decided that all the food, supplies, weapons and armor should be kept in the bell tower, so a lot of people helped with that as well. The auditorium was still mostly in one piece, despite having its walls ripped away, so a lot of the younger kids entertained themselves by running around on the stage or playing tag among the aisles or having a game of hide-and-seek in the backstage area.

Merida was leading her brothers off the stage after a good hour of chasing them around because all the wounded people were going to set up there, since it was so spacious and there were a few working lights left. She sent her brothers off to their parents and watched Dr. Sweet and Cindy hard at work healing people for awhile, sitting at the top of the stage steps and ready to help out if they asked. Then someone cleared their throat from the bottom of the steps and she turned to see Jim looking up at her. She grinned and hopped up from her seat, taking the steps two at a time and flinging herself at him. He resisted the urge to groan and instead smiled a little as he held her. (He'd been completely healed since his ordeal while saving Kida, but he was still exhausted and his entire body was sore.) He buried his face in her hair and they stood like that for a few moments, the rest of the world momentarily melting away.

Merida finally pulled back to smile up at him. "Well, look who's all better." She playfully punched his arm.

This time he couldn't contain his groan of pain. But when he saw her wince guiltily, he shrugged it off and chuckled quietly. "Yeah... I mean, I'm really strong and tough, so it shouldn't be that much of a surprise..."

She snickered and he smirked at her.

"How's your dad?" She asked after an awkward moment.

He rolled his eyes, suddenly remembering why he'd come looking for her. "He's fine, but I was actually wondering about you."

"What do ya' mean?" She frowned at his sudden unhappiness.

"What were you thinking running off after Peter and Rapunzel like that?" Jim demanded quietly.

Merida raised her eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"Merida, you could have been really hurt! Why didn't you at least come to let me know you were going first?"

"Well, I'm sorry I don't feel the need to answer to you!" She snapped, her stubbornness taking over.

Jim sighed. "No, it's not like that. It's just..." He shook his head. "I heard that two of the guys on your team died."

Merida visibly softened. "Right..."

"And no one told me who exactly got killed, so for a while there I was scared that maybe... You had been..." He trailed off, and they stared at each other for a moment. He sighed again. "I just... Something really bad could have happened to you out there, and... I guess, knowing that now, I would just really appreciate it if you'd come to let me know if you're leaving...before you go. So maybe... I could get a chance to say goodbye."

"Oh, Jim..." She watched him sadly for a moment, then smirked. "You down-right pessimist. As if I can't handle myself..."

"I know you can. But so could Shang and Kocoum." Jim stated seriously.

Merida's face fell, and she looked down at her shoes. Jim must not have known the full circumstances of Kocoum's death; that she had been the one to execute it. But Shang's death must have been blown to epic proportions of heroism in this crowd.

"You're right, Jim... I'm sorry." She looked up at him again, gazing into his stormy eyes. "I'll keep in touch from now on." She took a step closer to him. "But you should know that I won't be getting myself killed out there. I won't go down that way. I... I'll be careful."

Jim smirked. "Because you're always so careful."

She rolled her eyes and reached over to shove him. "Shut up, ya'-"

He caught her hand in the air and held it there for a moment, catching by surprise. But his grip was gentle and she quickly relaxed, looking at her pale hand being cradled by his. Jim was watching her expression carefully. Merida's heart was beating so hard that she was sure he might hear it. She nervously laughed and hesitantly tugged her hand back and he released her. She felt a ludicrous little disappointed pang in her heart as she withdrew from his touch, and wondered to herself how Jim could do what no one else ever could...

How Jim could make her fall in love with him.

"Alright, I'm assembling a team to come with me to the bunker and salvage anything important. Any volunteers?" Merlin announced after some time had passed and most everyone had relaxed. Most of the crowd ducked their heads or looked away, not eager to return to their old home.

"Can I come, Merlin?" Arthur asked eagerly, rising from his seat.

Ector immediately began to object. "No, I don't think that's such a good idea-"

"Of course you can, my boy!" Merlin chuckled and patted Arthur's shoulder, then sent Ector a pointed look. "I can assure you he'll be perfectly safe under my watch."

Ector rolled his eyes unhappily. "Fine."

John and Phoebus also volunteered. Hercules wanted to go, but Blue was forcing him to rest until he didn't "look so ill". Cindy also agreed to come for added protection.

Merlin nodded, seeming pleased. "Yes, yes, this is good. But I think just one more..." He squinted around until he spotted Aladdin sitting nearby with Abu sitting on his shoulder. "Ah, yes! You! With the monkey."

Aladdin looked up at him in surprise. "You want me to come?"

"Sure! And bring your little furry friend! Perhaps he can offer us some entertainment."

"Oh, am I not entertaining now?" Archimedes squawked haughtily as he came to perch on Merlin's shoulder.

Merlin smirked up at the owl. "You've never been entertaining." While Archimedes simmered on that, Merlin turned to Glinda. "I'll be needing some help with safely moving some of our magical collection items. Will you come?"

Glinda nodded and walked toward him.

Merlin smiled and began to lead the group out. "Good. We're off, then!"

"Be careful." Yen ordered as they passed him.

Up on the stage, Ariel was crouching beside the cot that Hercules was being forced to lay on. Of course, it didn't actually take much force to keep him there; He was so severely weakened and exhausted that he couldn't move any way. She offered him a smile as he looked hazily up at her, but he could tell it was forced.

"What is it?" He asked his cousin.

Her face fell. "What?"

"I can tell your upset about something. What is it?"

Ariel sighed, hanging her head for a moment, staring down at her belly and running both hands over it.

Hercules frowned. "You're worried about the baby."

"Well, yeah. But that isn't all." She replied quietly.

Hercules thought about it for a moment. "Has it started kicking yet?"

She looked confused. "What?"

"The baby. Has it started kicking yet?"

She smiled. "Yeah, a few times."

"That's good." Hercules nodded and smiled back at her.

After a moment, she asked, "Do you wanna feel it?"

Hercules nodded. "Sure." He started to raise a heavy, shaking hand toward her stomach. Ariel smirked and took his hand in both of hers, guiding it until it reached her stomach and then then holding it there. Hercules waited patiently until he felt slight movement from within her womb. He smiled. "Wow... It's gonna be a strong kid."

"I guess I should have expected that..." Ariel remarked, gently placing his hand on his chest. "...considering the family she comes from."

Hercules raised his eyebrows. "She?"

"Yeah..." Ariel smiled sadly. "I just found out yesterday. I didn't get to tell Eric before..." She trailed off, shaking her head.

He frowned. "Before what?"

"Before the bunker was attacked." She whispered, avoiding his gaze.

Hercules stared up at her sadly. "Ariel... What happened to Eric?"

She slowly looked back over at him, her eyes shining with tears. "He was taken."

"Kidnapped?"

"Well... Vanessa hypnotized him, so... He kind of just...left with her." Ariel took a deep breath. "I've considered asking Yen for help, but... Knowing him, he probably just considers Eric an enemy now." She hung her head again, her lip shaking.

Hercules thought this over for a moment, his mind still in a fog. But one thing was clear to him: Ariel's situation wasn't too different from his. As thoughts of Meg washed over him, his lips set in a firm line of determination. He looked back up at Ariel and whispered, "Hey..."

She sniffled and looked back at him.

He gave her the most encouraging smile he could muster. "We'll get him back. We won't let anything happen to him."

Ariel nodded, wanting to believe him.

"Ariel, sweetie, he needs to sleep." Blue told her gently as she was floating by.

"Right..." Ariel wiped away a few stray tears and patted Hercules' shoulder with a tight smile. "You get some rest. I'll see you when you wake up."

Hercules barely nodded, already feeling sleep overtake him. "Okay..."

"Alright..." Merlin sighed as he looked around at the remains of the bunker. "Everybody fan out. If something looks important, grab it. And if you see anything suspicious, just shout. Understand?"

Everyone nodded in response and began to split up. Arthur wandered toward the armory with Phoebus and John, but paused when he saw something shining from another room down the way. Neither of the older boys noticed as Arthur slipped away and headed toward the mysterious gleam, which led him up to a door that had been broken open in the battle. Arthur slipped into this new room through the splintered wood and stared in awe at a magnificent sword sitting stuck into a large rock in the center of the room. The silvery blade shone like a beacon.

Arthur frowned, wondering what a weapon like this would be doing here instead of in the armory. He slowly approached the sword, having to step up onto the stone to reach for the hilt. Whatever the reason, this thing must have been important. Arthur wrapped both hands around the gleaming hilt and yanked it upward. The sword slid out of the rock with surprising ease, and Arthur stumbled slightly backward as he took on the full weight of it. He gazed over the sword in amazement, then grinned and turned to head out of the room.

He jogged up to Merlin, Glinda and Cindy with the sword in hand, struggling to hold the thing up. Cindy noticed him first and laughed, saying, "Weren't you ever taught not to run with pointy things, Arthur?"

But when Merlin and Glinda turned toward him, they both stared at the sword in shock. Arthur slowed to a halt, looking at them uneasily.

Merlin looked at Arthur in disbelief, his old eyes twinkling. "Arthur... Where did you find that sword?"

"Well, it was sitting stuck in a rock in one of the rooms back there..." Arthur explained nervously, pointing behind him. "I... I thought it seemed important so I pulled it out." After a moment of being stared at by Merlin and Glinda, Arthur nervously ducked his head. "Should I...not have...?"

They were interrupted by a sudden explosive sound from another chamber further down, accompanied by strange shouts and comical screeches from Abu. The four of them ran toward the noises, accompanied by John and Phoebus on the way. They all slid to a halt as they reached the chamber, which was filled by a blue glow, and stared up in amazement at what the glow was originating from.

A large blue man with a wispy tail instead of legs and a thin black beard was stretching and dramatically groaning in the middle of the room.

"Jeez!" He cried. "Ten thousand years will give you such a crick in the neck!" He noticed the group of people standing in the doorway and grinned. "Merl, ol' buddy, ol' pal! How's it goin'? It's been forever!"

"Genie?" Merlin gawked at the mystical man, then turned to see Aladdin holding the lamp that Genie had been trapped in. He looked back up at Genie, astounded. "You were in the lamp this whole time?"

"Well, yeah! Where else would I be?" Genie replied cheerily.

"Well, it's just... I thought your last master used his third wish to free you!" Merlin cried.

Genie's face fell. "Oh... I kinda forgot about that... Yeah, that fell through."

"Oh, I'm very sorry to hear that." Merlin said sympathetically.

"Okay... Can someone explain what's going on?" Phoebus commented from the doorway.

Genie just now noticed who was holding his magical prison and grinned, drifting over and bending down to face Aladdin. "It seems that I now have a new master! Hey, kid, what's your name?"

"A-Aladdin." He stammered in response.

"Aladdin!" Genie cheered, taking one of Aladdin's hands in both of his and vigorously shaking it. "Nice to meet you! Hey, can I call you Al?"

"Sure." Aladdin nodded.

"Perfect! Alright, now let me explain the rules to you..."

"Rules?"

"Yeah, there are only three of 'em. Now listen up. One: I can't kill anybody..." He lifted a blue finger and brought it across his throat, making his head pop off. He caught it in his hands and the head finished, "...so don't ask." He placed his head back on. "Two: I can't make people fall in love. And three:..." He suddenly turned green and dripped with slime, speaking in a creepy voice and hunching over. "I can't bring people back from the dead. It's not a pretty picture." He grabbed Aladdin by the shirt and shook him. "I don't like doing it!" He snapped back to normal and flourished. "Other than that... I can give you anything you want."

"And... I could use one of my wishes to free you from the lamp?" Aladdin asked.

"If you wanted to..." Genie replied hopefully, batting his eyelashes.

"What's wrong with living in the lamp?" John asked with a frown.

"The lamp is basically a prison for genies, son. Not a home. Unless someone wishes him free, Genie is forever tied to it." Merlin explained.

"And let's just say that phenomenal cosmic power just isn't worth it when you're trapped in such an itty-bitty little living space." Genie finished.

"Use your wishes wisely, Aladdin." Glinda told him. "With Genie's magic, we now hold a great advantage over the villains."

Genie frowned. "Villains? What's happened?"

"I'll explain everything to you soon, Genie." Merlin sighed.

"I'll use my first two wishes to beat the bad guys, but..." Aladdin grinned up at Genie. "I'll use my last one to set you free."

Blue and Yen stood looking up at the Heart of Atlantis, watching it spin peacefully in the sky and listening to the low, contented hum that emanated from it. For the first time since this all began, the two of them experienced a moment of peace.

Blue sighed. "Yen... About Megara-"

"There's nothing to discuss." Yen coldly cut her off.

"You aren't wondering what inspired her sudden turn to the dark side?" Blue raised an eyebrow, patiently pressing on.

"I don't particularly care." Yen replied flatly. "She's just another obstacle to face now."

"But what if she didn't have to be?"

Yen frowned at her. "You want to save the girl from the dark tendencies that were born into her? Not likely..."

"It is possible to save her if she was turned unwillingly." Blue said firmly.

Yen shook his head. "Impossible. She had to voluntarily drink the potion, Blue."

"Not necessarily. The potion has to reach the bloodstream somehow. It doesn't need to be ingested..."

He sighed. "What exactly are you asking me to do, Blue?"

"I'm not asking you to save her, I suppose. I'm only asking you to have hope that Hercules can, if we make him believe so."

Yen glared at her. "What?"

"If we make Hercules believe that Meg can be saved, then he will fight. For her. And we need him to fight, Yen."

"Blue-"

"Without Hercules in the battle, Hades will win. And all will be lost. But Hades has unintentionally given us yet another advantage: His daughter. As a pawn."

"But the only way to strip Megara of her powers is to put Hercules in mortal danger."

"We won't tell him that part."

"Can you be so manipulative, Blue?"

"I learned from the best." She snapped.

"Could you really risk the boy's life like that? With so much on the line?"

"Hercules can handle himself. He just needs a motive- some kind of hope- to keep him fighting. And we can win this."

Yen shook his head. "False hope is a cruel gift to give."

"It isn't completely false. Think about it, Yen. If Hercules is put in danger, Meg will lose her powers, making her mortal. And once she's mortal..."

"It can be possible to hurt her and restore Hercules' powers in one fell swoop." Yen finished thoughtfully.

"He would immediately be healed, and we could pass off whatever happens to the girl as an accident." Blue sounded completely unhappy with herself.

Yen smirked at her and teased, "When did these dark thoughts start filling your head?"

She just glared at him.

Yen chuckled and looked back up at the Heart. "Well... I suppose desperate times do call for desperate measures..."

"Do you approve of this plan, then?" Blue asked solemnly.

Yen nodded. "Yes... You have my support." He turned curiously back to her. "Although I'm guessing you already knew you would."

"Using children as pawns for the greater good?" Blue stared icily up at him. "I knew you'd approve." She turned and floated away, leaving him to contemplate that.

Merlin and his team arrived later on with their gathered treasures. Yen Sid and the fairies were shocked to see Arthur weilding Excalibur, the sword in the stone. Merlin smirked at them as he led Arthur away to discuss the sword's importance.

And, the rest of the crowd was incredibly interested in Genie. They all swarmed around to see him perform tricks and shapeshift into all kinds of animals and objects. The children all laughed at his silly impressions.

Cindy busied herself with heading up to the top of the bell tower, where they were keeping the sleeping Snow White. She drifted cautiously into the room, which was very dark because a blanket had been stapled over the window, but Ferdinand and Hunter both still heard the soft flutter of her translucent wings and turned to her expectantly. She smiled sweetly and telepathically pulled up a little stool so she could sit by Snow's cot.

"I just wanted to see how she was doing..." Cindy whispered, taking her little friend's hand.

Ferdinand sighed. "She still shows no signs of waking up. Sweet's doing all he can, and the other fairies tried their best magic tricks, but..." He shook his head. "She still might never wake up."

"Whatever psychological trauma she's sorting through in there..." Hunter said gravely, crossing his leather-clad arms. "She has to pull through it on her own."

"And how are you feeling, Mr. Hunter?" Cindy asked him gently.

Hunter seemed briefly surprised by her question, but quickly resigned his expression to his usual enigmatic mask. "Much better, thank you."

"You look like you haven't slept a wink." Cindy pushed.

"Well, Ferdinand can't do all the watching up here. We have to take shifts." He replied evasively.

Cindy didn't respond for a moment, looking down at Snow. Then, she looked over at the blocked window and smiled a little.

"You should let some light in. She hasn't gotten nearly enough sunshine recently..." She squeezed Snow's hand. "Snow loved the sun."

"Well, I doubt she'd appreciate a view of that hellish red sky." Hunter grumbled. "I wouldn't want that sun on me."

"Besides, we don't want anyone to be able to see her." Ferdinand added quietly. "You know, the villains probably have eyes everywhere... I don't want them to find her easily."

Cindy nodded in understanding, and they all remained quiet for a few moments. Eventually, Cindy sighed and pulled her feet out of her glass slippers, reverting back to her messy ponytail, t-shirt and ripped jeans. She scooped up the shoes and set them carefully on her lap. Then, they heard footsteps coming up the stairs and turned to see Charles, Phillip, Edward, Giselle, Jasmine, Lottie, Naveen, Tiana and Ariel all coming into the room. Cindy smiled at them all and waved them over, turning back to look at Snow. Tiana and Jasmine both lit candles around the room while the others joined Cindy and Ferdinand by Snow's bed. Charles placed his hands on Cindy's shoulders and she leaned back into him. They all remained like this for a few moments in comfortable silence, just watching Snow. Hunter, who was standing by with his arms crossed, frowned after a moment of looking the group over.

"Where's Aurora?" He finally asked.

A wave of sadness and worry seemed to sweep over the room.

"She's kind of in the same boat as Snow right now..." Phillip muttered unhappily.

"In a coma?" Hunter asked in concern.

"Kind of. She was cursed. She'll be asleep until someone comes to wake her up." Phillip told him.

"'Comes to'...? Where is she?"

"The bad guys have her hidden somewhere." Giselle replied sadly.

"Waking Aurora is the key to ending the alignment and weakening Kronos." Cindy explained wearily, her eyelids drooping. "So the villains have her somewhere we can't get to at the moment..." She yawned involuntarily.

Charles frowned. "Cindy, are you okay? You seem exhausted."

Cindy didn't answer for a moment, staring down at the shoes in her lap solemnly.

"Cindy?" Jasmine asked warily.

She sighed and looked up at them all with the sweetest smile she could muster.

"I have something very difficult to explain to you guys. I should have told you earlier, but..." She looked back at Snow, shaking her head. "There are much more important things going on." Also, she herself hadn't learned this until recently and she was still processing it. She didn't feel ready to share the news with anyone, but she figured they had a right to know. And now might be the only time she could tell them...

Charles kneeled down next to her, concern evident on his face. Everyone else shifted closer or leaned in to hear her.

"Cinderella, no matter what else is going on, you are important to us, too. And we're all here to listen to whatever you have to say, no matter how bad it may be." Charles told her soothingly.

She smiled at him and nodded, feeling a tear in her chest. "I know..." She looked regretfully around at them all. "But this is...really bad."

"What is it, Cind?" Ariel asked with wide eyes.

Cindy sighed, looking back down at the glistening glass slippers. "It turns out that there's one very big drawback to my newfound powers. Fairy Godmother didn't want to tell me at first, because it was too hard for her. But Blue recently explained it all to me..." Cindy slowly explained as the memories of her conversation with the Blue Fairy washed through her mind.

A Few Days Ago...

"Holding the title of the White Fairy is a very big responsibility, Cinderella." Blue told her as they sat together, alone in the library. It was very late, and most of the bunker was asleep. Cindy had just finished another day of training with Blue and all the other fairies, and although she was tired, she was also restless. So Blue invited her to have tea by the fire with her, taking up two comfy armchairs in the corner of the large room.

Cindy giggled and sipped her tea. "I've gathered that, yes. But so far, it's really interesting. And- I'll admit- kind of fun." She smiled and set her teacup down. But when she looked back up to see Blue's sad expression, her face fell a little.

"I'm sure it's quite exciting, but..." Blue was absent-mindedly stirring her own tea, having yet to take one sip of it even though it had cooled considerably. "I think there's an aspect to the job that you don't understand, because Fairy Godmother neglected to explain it to you."

Cindy frowned. "What do you mean? She wouldn't keep anything from me..."

"Not if she thought it was for your own good." Blue nodded, folding her hands over her skirt. "But there is a very important bit of information that she should have told you before giving you those slippers and activating your powers. And, by not telling you this, I'm afraid she has done you more harm than good while trying to protect you."

"What are you talking about?" Cindy asked, slightly afraid now. "What is it she kept from me?"

Blue sighed, trying to think of the most gentle way to put it. "Cinderella... Being the White Fairy isn't just a job. It's a life. Meaning that filling the title isn't supposed to be optional. We only stored the power in those shoes so that- occasionally- a White Fairy could disguise herself as a human to do good more directly. We've had many White Fairies throughout time that were nurses, charity workers, activists, teachers... But they couldn't divert themselves from the magic for too long, because then...they would get very sick." Blue looked at Cindy with a guarded expression, waiting to see if she understood.

Cindy just stared back at her, with a sick feeling in her gut. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you have a very uneasy choice to make now. You can either give up this mortal life, weild the power of the White Fairy, lead all the fairies in all the realms and spend eternity doing good for this world... Or..." Blue paused, sighing.

Cindy watched her expectantly, hanging on every word. "Or...?"

"Or you can pack away those glass slippers and continue on as a mortal..." Blue swallowed, her throat suddenly feeling dry. "But you will live a much shorter life than you were meant to."

Cindy blinked to keep her tears at bay. "What do you mean?"

"The human body is not meant to switch so often between mortality and immortality. Each time you make a switch, you weaken yourself greatly. An organism's life force can only be stretched and distorted so much before it eventually...snaps."

"And what does that mean?" Cindy demanded.

"It means that..." Blue explained carefully, "An unfortunate side-effect to continual use of the magic, followed by suddenly shutting it away, is resulting..." Blue herself seemed close to crying, and she took a deep breath to study herself. She couldn't look at Cindy as she uttered the last words. "...terminal illness."

Cindy gasped, sinking back into her chair. "So... Fiyera..." She shook her head. "Fairy Godmother...has killed me."

"That wasn't her intention, dear." Blue quickly shook her head, reaching over to take Cindy's hand. "She wasn't thinking clearly when she rushed you into this. She wanted to warn you, but since she knew you were destined to wear these shoes and help save this world, she saw no point. And she let her emotions take over, because she wanted to spare you from learning what really happened to your mother."

Cindy blinked a few times in confusion. "My mother?"

Blue nodded, despair overwhelming her features. "Yes. Your poor mother, she... She wore those shoes once, too. About twenty years or so ago... She was in the Academy then... And so were all the villains." Blue sat back in her seat, wearing a grave expression. "Before Hades or Eris were drawn to this place, the same foes we face now- only teenagers then- lost their tempers and violently attacked the school with their dark magic. Yen, Merlin, Fairy Godmother, the Good Fairies, Glinda, Magi and myself all rushed to the scene to protect this place, and banded together a few students with special abilities to help. Your mother was one of them. I got to explain to her the full responsibility that wearing those glass slippers entailed; what using the magic could do to her. But she paid it no mind. She would have done anything to help..." Blue smiled a little. "She was incredibly brave." Her expression became somber again. "She only used the shoes once; her lifespan might have been shortened by a few years, but she still could have lived a full life. But, the villains were so angered by her helping to defeat them, that they had Maleficent cast a curse to strengthen the magic's hold over your mother..."

"Maleficent killed her?" Cindy whispered tremulously, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Blue nodded, her lower lip shaking. "The magic put into that curse was so dark and so powerful that none of us could do anything to reverse it. And it led to the sickness that plagued your mother for years to come... And caused her death when you were just a child."

Cindy shook her head. "I... I can't believe this. The doctor said it was cancer..."

"The illness would usually take the form of something mortals recognized or understood, but...it's also typically more expedient."

They sat in silence for a few moments, Blue waiting patiently as Cindy let all of this sink in. She watched Cindy stare blankly at the carpet for awhile, then whispered to her, "Cinderella, I understand what you must be feeling right now. Centuries ago, I was just a young girl, much like yourself. But I was different in that I had no family, no friends depending on me, no life of my own that I had had to fight for. And I've watched you all this time, so proud of everything you've accomplished for yourself, so happy to see you surrounded by people who love you unconditionally, and so inspired by watching you survive every hardship and loss you've faced. You're much stronger than I ever was... When the White Fairy of that era came to me and offered me the chance at immortality and magic and...importance... The opportunity to protect and do good for this world and many others, I didn't give it a second thought. I leapt at the chance. But you... Your choice is so much more difficult." She took Cindy's hand again and gently squeezed it. "It's your life, Cinderella. It's up to you, however you may want to lead it. Pick whichever you think might be the lesser of two evils. And, no matter what you choose..." She offered her an encouraging smile. "You will have the support of every fairy in the realms."

She and Cindy sat together for a long time, Cindy thinking things over and distractedly sipping her cold tea. Blue stared at her own teacup sitting idly by, not really seeming to actually see it.

After what seemed like hours, Cindy looked at Blue carefully, a hint of curiosity in her blue eyes. "Blue?"

Blue turned back to her expectantly. "Hmm?"

"What's your real name?" Cindy quietly asked.

Blue stared at her blankly for awhile, then slowly shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't remember, actually."

Now...

Everyone stared at Cindy in a mixture of horror and denial and sadness. It remained silent for a long time after Cindy finished her explanation, and she kept herself from looking at the others' aghast expressions by watching Snow's peacefully sleeping face. Finally, Giselle loudly sniffled and Cindy looked up to see her sobbing and slowly shaking her head.

"Cindy... No..." She whimpered.

Cindy hopped up from her seat, leaving the shoes to sit on the stool, and hurried over to wrap Giselle in a hug. Everyone else slowly gathered around to envelope them both in a group hug, but there was so little energy in it, and such a heavy feeling of defeat in the air, that it seemed more like a lazy huddle. Cindy smiled to herself as she squeezed a few of her friends close.

"So... What are you going to choose?" Ariel asked quietly at some point.

Cindy sighed. "Well-"

"Obviously she's gonna pick the fairy life!" Lottie exclaimed hysterically. "I mean, it's the logical thing to do! Eternal life and magic and leadership of the fairy kingdom and that gorgeous outfit, I mean-" She let out a ripple of unsteady laughter and Edward nervously wrapped an arm around her. Lottie desperately shook her head and finished, "She has to pick that!"

Cindy shook her head. "No, Lottie..."

Charles looked at her sadly. "Cindy..."

"Continuing to wear those shoes means living forever, but it doesn't mean living the life I want. I mean, never getting to see you guys again- probably having to watch all of you die..." She stared up at Charles. "I couldn't handle that. And..." She shook her head and turned to the others again. "All the power and responsibility of being the White Fairy... I think we all know I'm not cut out for that. Sure, I've done a lot of good and saved a lot of lives, healed and protected many people, but... I've also had to take a life. And although he was a terrible man..." She sighed. "Killing anyone, regardless of the reason, is not a burden I'm willing to bear. I'm too gentle for the world's sake; I won't be able to do all the hard things it may need me to do in order to protect it. As glamorous and exciting as the life of a fairy may seem..." She smiled to herself. "Well, you all know I've never been very adventurous. I'm not like my mother..." She trailed off, deep in thought for a moment. She shook her head again, her expression becoming peaceful. "Continuing on as the White Fairy may earn me a long and extraordinary life, but... It would also be full of incredible danger and unfathomable responsibility that I'm just not ready for or interested in. I'm not fit for it. It isn't the life I want..." She smiled at them again. "So it's not the life I'll choose."

"Cindy-" Charles started again.

She placed a hand on his chest, stopping him. "Once all this is over, and the world is saved, I'll be packing away those glass slippers for good. And by then, I'll probably have shortened my life span in half, but I don't care." She smiled up at him through her tears. "I'll just have to make the most of every day I have left. Because a life without you in it..." She turned to look at them all. "Any of you... Is not a life I'm willing to live."

Maleficent stood over Aurora's bed, watching the young girl sleep once again. It had become an obsessive need of hers since the moment this war began. She found it harder and harder to tear herself from Aurora's side. She had to guard this girl with her life; had to ensure that no one would come along and awaken her.

There was an annoyed sigh from behind her and she immediately rolled her eyes.

"Shouldn't you be at home watching the kids?" Hades asked her as he drifted to her side.

"I think Ares is doing a good enough job watching them..." She looked up at him with a bored expression. "And must I remind you that two of those brats are not mine? On that note, if your little fire sprites burn down my fortress, you will be the one I hold responsible." She turned back to Aurora stonily.

"My, my... Someone's emotional." Hades commented uncaringly, crossing his arms. Then, he remembered something and his eyes lit up as he chuckled. "By the way, great call using Facilier and Rasputin as distractions to keep some of those heroic little buggers at bay while we attacked the bunker. Those poor bastards never saw it coming."

Maleficent arched an eyebrow, hardly seeming proud of herself. "That's two less people to share the power over this world with."

Hades looked at her curiously for a moment, then demanded, "Okay, what's wrong?"

She smirked and sarcastically replied, "What, are you worried about me?"

He scoffed. "No... It's just that you should be basking in the glory of all we- most of it because of you- have accomplished. Normally you'd be hosting a demon dance party around the fire pit in your dark fortress to celebrate all the successful evil deeds, but you don't seem to be having any fun. So, c'mon, what's up with you?"

She shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny, keeping her gaze trained on Aurora's closed eyes. "Nothing. I suppose I've just grown up a bit. It's all boring to me now."

"No, I doubt that..." Hades chuckled. Then, something dawned on him. "It's because of Ursula isn't it?"

She turned to look up at him suddenly, her reptilian eyes flashing with warning. "No."

"Come on, Mal..."

"I wasn't even that close to her." She insisted stubbornly, turning to look out the tower window, obviously seething.

"Oh, please. Of all your sisters, I know she's the one you hated the least." Hades replied with a toothy smile. He looked thoughtfully up at the ceiling. "I mean, she was definitely the most interesting, too..."

"Hades!" She suddenly barked, filling the room with heavy silence. After a moment of contemplation, she glared down at Aurora again. "She wasn't even my sister. None of them really were."

Hades watched her in silence for a few moments while she continued to ignore him and obsessively watch the sleeping girl. Then, he sighed.

"So it's not just that, is it?" He asked tiredly.

She sighed.

"Mal..." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Tell me."

She was quiet for another moment, then looked blankly up at him. "Whatever you did to Meg- Whatever you turned her into..." She shook her head. "It's not what I wanted."

"Really?" Hades shrugged. "I actually like her a lot better this way."

She rolled her eyes. "Hades..."

"I thought you wanted me to bring her to you at any cost?" He asked.

"I did, but... I wanted her. And now... She isn't even herself any more. She's like a stranger."

Hades thought on this for a moment. "So... You want me to bring the old Meg back?"

She stared blankly out the window. "I know how difficult it is to transfer godly power. And I've asked enough of you already."

"Well, lucky for you, Meg's made it easy for us." He grinned.

Maleficent furrowed her brow. "What?"

"Meg can be human again in an instant. All I have to do is kill Hercules."

"So Facilier was the witch doctor who threatened your life and sent you and your family packing for the States?" Tiana asked Naveen in disbelief. The group was still gathered in the bell tower, and had fallen into a bit of a share-circle after Cindy revealed her secret to them.

Naveen sighed and nodded. "Yes... He came after me when I was a little boy. I was stupid and I struck a deal with him, and he ended feeling like I hadn't held up my end of the bargain- despite giving him my blood. I was eight years old! How could I have known what I was getting into? Any way... He planned to kill me, so we fled. My uncle now rules the country. I just didn't know that Facilier was hunting me down all these years... And to go so far as to become the foster parent of a girl I went to school with, just in an effort to get close to me... Creepy."

"Yeah... I never thought I'd say this, but... Poor Vanessa." Ariel shuddered.

"But you've been royalty this whole time? " Lottie demanded for the fourth time since he began telling his story.

Everyone groaned or sighed and said in unison, "Yes!"

"As if that's the mist important thing, Lottie... Why do you care so much?" Tiana looked at her suspiciously.

Lottie shrugged and looked away toward the ceiling. "Oh, no reason..."

Edward crossed his arms and shook his head.

"But... What did you make the deal for?" Giselle asked Naveen.

"Excuse me?" He asked.

"You know, like... What did he offer you? What was it wanted so badly at eight years old that you have a voodoo man your blood?" She blushed a little as she elaborated.

Naveen smirked and shook his head. "That, I won't tell."

"And we'll respect that." Phillip said, not wanting to hear anything more to do with Facilier.

"Okay..." Everyone muttered or nodded in agreement. After a moment, Edward spoke up.

"Did you guys hear about what happened to Rapunzel?"

"Yeah..." A few people whispered. Others shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

Ferdinand frowned. "What happened to Rapunzel?"

"She was tortured by the ghost of her psychotic kidnapper." Phillip replied.

"Oh... That's terrible." Ferdinand replied, sinking a little in his seat.

But Hunter had perked up a bit. "Ghost?"

"Yeah. Apparently Hades... Or probably the Horned King... Well, someone has been raising the dead. But some of the spirits are little different than others. Not just zombies, but like...demons." Jasmine explained with a shudder.

"Ghosts that look like black-and-white photographs? Hollow bodies with paper skin?" Hunter asked further.

"Yeah... Exactly." She nodded.

"The asylum was attacked by someone like that. I was really out of it at the time, but Merlin told me about it later. I think the guy's name was...Frollo." Hunter said.

"Frollo?" Charles frowned. "Are you sure?"

Hunter nodded. "Yeah, definitely."

"He was a teacher at our school... He hung himself." Ariel told him.

"He's also the same ghost who attacked Esme and Phoebus and Quasi in this bell tower..." Naveen realized.

Everyone turned to him in surprise.

"He did that?" Tiana asked uneasily.

Naveen nodded. "Yes. Esmeralda and Phoebus both told me all about it..."

Ferdinand was deep in thought, but now looked up at the others solemnly. "What kills these ghosts?"

"Fire. Or sunlight." Cindy replied. "Although I guess light magic could work too, if a good fairy or witch could get close enough."

Ferdinand nodded. "Good to know..."

"Why?" Edward frowned.

"Because I can think of one very vengeful ghost who might come after Snow soon... Especially if one gas already targeted this bell tower before." He replied quietly, looking down at Snow.

Everyone was unsettled by thus revelation as they all slowly realized who he was talking about.

"But... Yen and the others put up tgat shield. No one can get through." Giselle tried to say reasonably, but she was obviously nervous.

Ferdinand smirked humorlessly. "Have those shields been very helpful before? Besides- aside from these ghosts probably existing on a plain of their own- our enemies are working with a darker magic. Which, whether we admit it or not, is the more powerful magic." He looked heavily around at them all. "They'll easily get through that shield."

"And what do you intend to do when someone does get in?" Cindy asked him with one eyebrow raised.

"If someone does come for Snow, I'll be needing your help." Ferdinand told her.

"Her help? Or her magic." Charles placed a protective hand on Cindy's shoulder.

Ferdinand gave him a pleading look. "Please, cousin..."

"It's fine, Charlie." Cindy told him soothingly. She smiled at Ferdinand. "I'll help in any way you need me to."

He nodded gratefully. "Good."

It was pitch-black, in the dead of night as she crept through the shadows, sweeping elegantly past the sleeping bodies littering the school grounds. She slipped backstage, her shadows whispering and hissing as they followed her in the dark. She floated up the winding stairs to the bell tower and stepped boldly into the room at the top, gazing at the defenseless Snow White with empty, black eyes.

Grimhilde grinned and reached into her coat, pulling out a dagger that gleamed in the candlelight. She sneered at the few candles that remained lit around the room and gave her shadows a short nod. They squealed as they flew around the room, creating an icy wind that blew out every flame, snuffing out all the light and smothering the room in darkness. Grimhilde held her knife up higher as she drew closer to Snow's sleeping form.

"They left you alone? How stupid." Grimhilde chuckled. "Well, no matter. Now I can finally rid this world of you. Your heart is mine, Snow White." She cackled as she raised the dagger up high, ready to plunge it into Snow's chest.

"Think again, Grimhilde!" A familiar voice startled her.

"What?" She looked toward the window, where the voice had come from. Hunter and Ferdinand were both lurking in the dark there, their hands gripping the blanket that blocked out the sky. She laughed mockingly at them. "Idiots! The sun isn't even up yet!"

"No, but we have a good alternative." Ferdinand smirked. He and Hunter ripped the blanket down in one swipe to reveal Cindy fluttering outside the window.

Grimhilde's shadows shrieked in terror. Her own mouth hung open in her astoundment.

"No..." She whispered.

"Oh...yes. Sorry!" Cindy replied before pointing her finger at Grimhilde and firing a blast of pure white light at her. Grimhilde screamed and threw up her hands as she was struck by the magic and burnt to ash on the spot. The shadows wailed and howled and slowly disappeared.

Ferdinand and Hunter stared at the pile of ash in shock for a moment. Then Cindy drifted into the room and magically sealed the ash into a small vial.

"Merlin will be wanting this." She commented lightly, examining the ashes through the glowing glass.

Ferdinand grinned at her. "Great shot, Cindy."

She smiled back and shrugged. "Aiming's pretty easy."

"No, honestly..." He patted her shoulder. "Thank you."

"Anytime." She placed her hand on his in solidarity.

He nodded and withdrew from her, returning to Snow's bedside. He knelt beside the unscathed girl and leaned down to whisper to her, "Don't worry, Snow... She's gone for good now. She can't hurt you." He gently pressed his lips to her forehead.

There was a soft noise below him and he frowned. He peered down to see Snow's dark eyelashes fluttering, her sleepy eyes slowly opening and looking around the dark room in confusion. Ferdinand's eyes widened and he reared back to stare down at her in shock.

"Snow?" He whispered in disbelief.

She smiled dreamily up at him, still lazily blinking. "Ferdinand..." She looked around again, and this time noticed the shocked Cinderella. "And Cindy..." She scrunched her face up in confusion. "Why are you dressed like a fairy?"

Cindy let out a soft, happy cry and exclaimed, "Snow!" before running to the bed to hug the girl. Snow hugged her back, carefully avoiding her delicate wings. Ferdinand repeatedly pressed kisses into her curly hair.

"You're awake... I can't believe it. You're awake!" Ferdinand happily cried and laughed aloud. Cindy was silently crying tears of joy as she and Snow rocked back and forth together.

Snow giggled and quietly commented, "Gee, what did I miss?"

"A lot."

Cindy pulled back so Snow could turn to see Hunter smirking at her from the window.

Snow grinned at him. "Mr. Hunter..."

He nodded at her. "Welcome back, kid."

She continued to smile at him, then frowned at something behind him. "Why does the sky look like that?"

The other three turned to see the sky beginning to turn red again.

"Daybreak." Cindy said. "Everyone will be waking up by now."

"Let's get you downstairs for some breakfast." Ferdinand told Snow, carefully helping her out of bed. "Then we'll explain everything."

Snow let him lead her down the stairs of the tower, with Cindy and Hunter following closely behind. She blinked a few times when they stepped out onto the stage and the sunlight was suddenly bearing down on her. It took her a moment to realize the state of the auditorium and the school and she gaped around in shock. She quietly gasped as she looked out onto the street and took in the sight of their destroyed city.

"What happened? " She whispered, wide-eyed.

"Snow?!"

She turned toward the sound of Ariel calling her name and smiled when she saw Giselle, Ariel, Jasmine and Lottie all running toward her with open arms. She ran toward them and the five of them collided together in a gaggle of chattering and excited shrieks and hysterical laughter and confused questions. The rest of the crowd watched with joyful smiles and quiet laughter. Cindy grinned and kicked off her shoes, suddenly wearing a nightgown and two braids in her hair. She picked up the shoes and hugged them to her chest as she watched her friends. Snow looked back at her with a sweet smile, which turned to a confused look when she noticed Cindy's change in appearance. Cindy couldn't help laughing.

"Ah! Snow White!" Merlin cried excitedly as he and Glinda and the fairies all hurried over. "Glad to see you up and about!"

Flora, Fauna and Merriweather all swarmed around her, abuzz with tears and frantic chatter and nearly squeezing her to death with their hugs. Snow giggled as she hugged them all back.

Ferdinand watched with a smile until he heard Hunter softly exclaim something to his left. He turned to see Cindy falling backward into Hunter's arms, nearly dropping her glass slippers onto the stage. Ferdinand quickly caught them before they could hit the stage and shatter, holding them protectively as he stood by Cindy.

"Cindy? Cinderella? Are you alright?" He asked her worriedly.

She mumbled something unintelligible, seeming to be close to passing out.

"Cindy!" Charles yelled, bounding up the steps to the stage while the rest of the group followed.

"Is she alright?" Snow squeaked.

"What happened?" Ariel cried.

"Now, now, don't crowd her..." Blue said calmly, gently pushing them all back. "She just needs a rest. Let's get her to her cot, boys." She led Hunter and Charles off the stage and they carried Cindy away, followed by Ferdinand with the shoes. Snow looked around at all her friends in alarm.

"What was that about?" She chirped.

They all shared a look.

"Oh, Snow... We have so much to tell you." Giselle said.

"Come on. Let's all grab breakfast, and we can talk about it." Jasmine told them all.

Snow scarfed down the food, feeling like she was starving all of a sudden and needing something solid in her stomach. All the while she listened as her friends explained the whole situation, as well as everything that had happened since she went into her coma, and stared at them all in absolute shock as she tried to process it all and simultaneously shovel more food into her mouth. After helping out with Cindy, Ferdinand had come back and sat right beside her, keeping an arm wrapped tightly around her shoulders. She leaned into him, subconsciously seeking his warmth.

Ariel grinned at the couple and told Snow White, "You know, he never left your side the entire time you were asleep. It was really cute." She giggled as Snow blushed and smiled up at Ferdinand, who looked more happy- and more alive- than he had in months.

"Ariel." Yen said suddenly from beside the table, making a few of the kids jump and all of them turn toward him.

Ariel cowered a little as she responded. "Yes?"

"You are needed in a conference immediately." Yen said. "Come with me."

Ariel sat up now. "What's going on?"

"Atlantica has been attacked." He answered stiffly.

Her eyes widened. "By Vanessa?"

He nodded. "And a few others."

"But...why?"

"To take control of the seas." He said in annoyance. "They've taken the Trident."

Earlier...

Neptune jumped to attention when the door to his throne room was suddenly blasted open by a shot from Morgana's pitchfork. When his guards moved toward her, Morgana shrieked with laughter and fired at them next, immediately stopping their hearts and sending them floating away. Neptune's five remaining daughters shrieked like banshees and cowered behind their father and grandmother, their telepathic wails echoing painfully in his head. Neptune drew his sword and pointed it at Morgana, glaring at her.

You get out of here, you worthless excuse for a witch! He ordered her. Poseidon will have your head for this!

Oh, yeah? Morgana taunted, twirling her pitchfork in one hand. Him and what army?

Probably the army that we just obliterated outside... Eris drawled as she materialized beside Morgana. She chuckled and waved daintily at Neptune. Hey, sweetie. Been awhile.

Eris, you cannot win this. You will only bring more harm upon yourself. Neptune replied solemnly. Leave now, while you still have the chance.

She laughed coldly. No, no. See, I still have some revenge to exact. And taking over your kingdom and having control over the seas is just the beginning. She grinned and turned toward the door while Morgana kept her pitchfork pointed at the royal family. You can come in now, sweetie!

Neptune watched in horror as a ghastly creature with purple skin and the slimy black tentacles of an octopus slithered into the room, grinning at him and his family eerily with wild eyes.

Neptune's face twisted in rage. What is that monster?

Eris glared at him. This beautiful specimen is my daughter. Vanessa. She watched as Neptune's face clouded. Yes, you remember her, don't you? The defenseless child that your father wanted to have killed?

Eris... What have you done? He quietly demanded as he stared at Vanessa.

After all the years I had to live without my only child... Eris replied in a dangerously low tone. Her eyes glowed menacingly as she glowered at Neptune and his family. I think it's time to return the favor and make sure he spends the rest of eternity without you. She smirked at Vanessa, nodding toward the gleaming golden Trident at the end of the room. Take it, darling. It's yours.

Vanessa grinned and began to slink toward the Trident.

No! Neptune bellowed, darting forward to stop her. His mother and his daughters all screamed when Morgana fired at him, paralyzing him. He drifted in place for a moment, his face contorted in pain, and was forced to watch as Vanessa slowly picked up the Trident, weilding it in both hands and holding it greedily close to her chest. She cackled as she turned toward him, tilting her head and pointing the weapon at him. The screams of his children rang in his mind one last time before everything went black.

Eris grinned as she plucked the crown off Neptune's head and held it out to Vanessa. What is your first order of business, Your Majesty?

Vanessa thoughtfully plucked up the crown and examined it for a moment, unbothered by the sudden shaking of the sea floor as Eris's loyal sea monsters rose out of the sand to guard the undersea kingdom. She carefully placed the crown on top of her head, and it and the Trident began to glow the same eerie, sickly yellowish-green as her seashell pendant. She turned to level her gaze on Neptune's cowering daughters and his quaking elderly mother and smiled viciously at them.

Deciding which of these poor unfortunate souls get to live to be our slaves. She responded viciously.