Chapter 18: From Confusion to Solution

Once Yen Sid had finished his tale, the room was dead silent to the point that one could hear a pin drop. All around the room were wide eyes and jaws open at what they had just listened to, but none were more shocked than Mickey himself.

Mickey's emotions were all over the place, frustration for not being told about Zen sooner, sadness over thinking he was unique, and confusion over just about everything that has happened.

After a few more moments of silence, the table became an uproar of questions that bombarded Yen Sid.

"Why didn't you tell us this before!?" asked a crossed Merlin.

"If we had known all this beforehand, we would have been prepared for an outcome like this!"

"I have to agree with Merlin, we still don't know how much this rogue wizard is capable of," added Cedric.

"I'm sure Yen did this with good intentions." assured The Fairy Godmother.

"That is no excuse!" shouted Merryweather.

"The most sacred book of our history has been stolen and now in the hands of a powerful foe."

"Indeed, with that much knowledge in the hands of evil, there is no telling what his intentions will be, but they certainly won't be good for the Magic Kingdom." King Triton.

"But how did he escape? Didn't you seal him away in this so-called vault?" inquired King Roland.

"Surely he has an accomplice on the outside," suggested Queen Leah.

"He must be working for the villains!" said Prince Shang

"I wouldn't put it past them to try something as underhanded as this."

"Actually, it's the other way around," said Yen Sid.

Everyone turned to face him.

"Zen is clever, he's been locked away for decades giving him plenty of time to come up with a scheme, as well as grow in power. The villains don't fully understand it yet, but Zen is using them just to further his own goals. He has no intention of sharing any power or control of the Magic Kingdom if he succeeds" Yen Sid explained.

Sitting back down, he sank his head into his hands, then lowered them.

"A few days ago, Maleficent's familiar Diablo had snuck into the castle and stole a page from Walt's book. I didn't know it at the time and dismissed it as simple mischief, but it now seems like something much bigger is in the works."

Everyone gasped.

"You really should have told us this," said Prince Charming.

"We could've avoided this sooner," added Cinderella.

"We are supposed to be able to trust each other!" said Merlin as he raised his voice.

"Now, Now, I know Yen made a mistake, but he was doing so out of protecting us." the Blue Fairy tried to reason.

"But many of our friends have been sent to who-knows-where, and we have no idea on how to reach them," said Princess Tiana.

"The spell that Zen cast was a powerful one, it will take some time to reverse such an effect," answered Yen Sid.

"But we'll be able to save them right?" asked Snow White in worry.

"I do hope they are unharmed."

"Don't worry my dear princess, they'll be back safe and sound as soon as possible," assured Yen Sid.

"Aren't we forgetting one thing?" spoke Archimedes the owl, drawing the attention of the room.

"Isn't Chernabog still reigning over the villain's side? Surely he wouldn't just let this character Zen walk in and take over."

"That is true, it took all of us to properly seal away, and even then it was difficult." Flora pointed out.

"The big brute should deal with him easily," said Cedric with a short chuckle, which made Merlin raise an eyebrow.

Just as fate would have it, a guard came running into the room. Taking a moment to catch, the guard cleared his throat and broke and spoke.

"We've just received word that Chernabog has been defeated and removed from his seat of power."

There was a series of gasps throughout the room.

"How is that possible!?" said a shocked Zeus.

"He's supposed to be nearly unmatched." King Fergus pointed out.

"We shouldn't give up!" shouted Jim Hawkins

"I agree with Jim, there has to be something we can do to stop Zen," added Anna.

"Are you sure it wasn't that evil cult you mentioned?" Belle asked.

"I'm sure they were not involved in Zen's return. However, I wouldn't put it past Zen to reestablish communications with them one way or another." Yen Sid Answered.

The room then became another storm of arguments on what to do next.

As most of the room was still in an uproar, on the quieter side of the room, Mickey's friends were also talking.

"This is all crazy!" squawked Donald.

"You're telling me," said Clarabelle.

"After planning this celebration for two months, just to have it all canceled out of the blue." She wailed.

Daisy patted her on the back.

"What exactly happened to our other friends?" asked Goofy.

"Remember when that big purple guy snapped his fingers that made some of those Marvel guys disappear, kind of like that," Daisy answered.

"Ohhh." Goofy realized.

Goofy's gaze then went to Max and Roxanne who were sitting close by. A look of concern crossed his face when he walked up to the couple.

"Hey, how are you two holding up?"

"Just a little shaken, that's all," said Roxanne.

"But we'll be fine," added Max.

There was a short period of silence before Goofy spoke up again.

"Hey, Max, why don't you take Roxanne home for a while until things blow over."

"But what about you and everyone else?" asked Max.

"Shouldn't we stay here with you in case something happens?" added Roxanne.

"We'll be alright, my pal Mickey will come up with a plan," said Goofy.

"Besides, you two love-birds should have some time for yourselves, hyuck!"

Max responded with a groan which made Roxanne giggle.

"Okay, but promise that you'll keep in touch with us please," said Max as he stood up and gave his father a hug.

"Stay safe," added Roxanne as she two hugged Goofy.

Goofy watched as his son and his girlfriend left the room.

"Take care of each other!" he shouted with one last wave goodbye.

"We will!"

Goofy stood there and sighed with a look of sadness on his face. Minne saw the whole thing from where she and Mickey were sitting and felt sorry for him. She turned to Mickey and patted his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"You should talk to Goofy, I just saw him wave off Max and Roxanne, he seems sad," said Minnie.

Following her advice, Mickey stood up from where he sat and walked over to his friend.

"Hey pal, how are you holding up?"

"Oh I'll be alright," assured Goofy with a smile.

But Mickey wasn't fooled.

"Why don't you go with them?"

"I can't leave you now, you'll need all the help you can get," said Goofy

"Max will look out for Roxanne, they'll be fine,"

"Yeah! We're going to stick together!" said Donald as he walked up to them.

"Gee, thanks, fellas. I don't know what we're up against, but at least I can count on you guys to have my back," said Mickey.

"Yeah!" They said quietly.

"Apprentice! Come here!" Yen Sid called.

At the sound of his name being called, Mickey gestured to his friends that he'll be right back. Mickey returned to his master's side.

"QUIET!"

The room once again became silent.

"Listen, I am well aware of my error in judgment, you are right, I should've trusted you all with this a long time ago," said Yen Sid.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"But we cannot afford to lose hope now, even though things may look grim. There may be a way to stop Zen, but I need you guys to put your faith in me."

The room went silent for a few seconds before the Blue Fairy stood up.

"I will stand with you Yen," she declared.

"I will as well!" added Aladdin.

"As will we!" said many others.

"You're the only one who really knows Zen, so it should be you to guide us," Merlin admitted.

While Merryweather was hesitant at first, she too agreed. Queen Miranda and Lord Milori flew up in front of Yen Sid and slightly bowed to affirm that they would also join the others.

Soon everyone began to stand up to proclaim that they would join in the conflict to stop Zen. Yen Sid looked around the room of bright faces until he looked at Mickey, he could still see the disappointment in his face and he knew they would have to have a long talk.

"So how do we stop Zen?" asked Simba.

Yen Sid turned to address the crowd.

"Zen tried once to free his master before, there is no doubt that he'll try it again. However, this time it won't be so easy, that is the advantage we have."

"How do you figure?" asked Jim Hawkins.

"Zen was extremely fortunate to escape this time. He must have cast a spell or incantation to secure his freedom when the time is right." Yen stated.

"He would need a great magnitude of magic to fully crack the seal of the vault and free his master along with any other cursed spirit that lies down there. "

"But can he actually conjure that much magic?" asked King Roland.

"Not by himself, he would need something to gather the magic then store it into something powerful enough to hold it."

"Surely our individual forces can easily overwhelm Zen and the villains!" suggested Shang.

"I have a feeling that he'll be prepared for such a situation," replied Yen Sid.

"I have a theory on how Zen will proceed, but I need to confirm it. For now, I believe that some of you should return to your own kingdoms and homes as Minnie has decreed to prepare for the coming storm. I will send you further information later."

"Are you sure?" asked Aurora.

"Indeed I am, it would be wise for us not to all be in one place," said Yen Sid.

"That is all I have for you, for now, I will speak with some of you later on further matters."

And with that the meeting was adjourned. As everyone began to talk amongst each other, Yen Sid ushered Mickey to his study. Once inside, Yen motioned for him to take a seat, Mickey sat down in confusion..

"It's time for us to discuss something important, apprentice," said Yen Sid.

"What do you mean?" asked Mickey.

"The time has come for you to learn forbidden magic." Yen Sid answered to Mickey's surprise.

Across the kingdom at the villain's realm, Zen had called together a few of the villains for a meeting of their own.

"I am pleased that you all are here," said Zen as he looked around the group.

"And I know that many of you wish to know my intentions, so I'm going to lay out my cards. My name is Zen, I was Yen Sid's first apprentice a long time ago before the existence of this Magic Kingdom."

"How come we never heard of you before?" asked Jafar as he rubbed his chin.

"From what I understand, Yen Sid and Walt Disney tried to erase my existence from history after I was banished," said Zen.

"But they didn't know that I prepared beforehand, and have just gotten stronger thanks to my new master."

"What do you mean by "new master"?" asked Ursula.

"Believe it or not, the person whom I serve holds much more power than I do, and I've made it my goal to release him from the same prison that I was in," said Zen.

"What is your master's plan?" asked Maleficent with interest.

"My master wishes to make something bigger out of the land of Disney. Mold it in a way that is unbound from the confines of magic." Zen stated.

"However, Walt Disney and Yen Sid saw this change and discovery as a threat, they betrayed him and falsely banished him to the Shadow Vault. I believed in his vision of the freedom of magic that is unrestricted by law. They tried to keep this knowledge from me but I was too ambitious, I tried to defend myself, but I too fell."

"That's your plan? Just bring back some guy who says he's gonna remake the Magic Kingdom? No offense pal, but we just want to kick out the current management and get a little payback while we're at it." said Hades.

Some of the members at the table facepalmed.

"I appreciate your willingness to question my motives, Hades," replied Zen.

"But you as well as everyone else here should expand your mind, but rest assured, you will get your chance to remove the pieces of the board of this game we have."

"But what about some of our fellow comrades who have disappeared?" asked Captain Hook.

"Whatever spell you cast sent them away to who-knows-where," added Cruella DeVil.

"A slight drawback of the spell that I had cast. However, it is necessary to avoid any further resistance. I assure you once everything has been properly set in place, they will return." said Zen.

"I have a question," said Yzma with her arms crossed.

"Why did you specifically choose us to speak to?"

"I'm glad you asked," said Zen with a small smile.

"Some of you I have summoned because you have influence over the others. Even though I disposed of their jailor, I can still sense the doubt they have towards me."

"So you want us to keep them obedient?" asked Claude Frollo.

"I want you to sway them to believe me and the path that has been set before us, and to be sure to not stray from it," said Zen.

"You may have defeated Chernabog, but I still refuse to be worked as a lowly slave!" said the Horned King much to everyone's surprise.

Zen was unphased by the outburst.

"I wouldn't wish any less of you," he said. "

However, if you still wish to test my power…."

With a motion of Zen's hand, the stone began to creep at the edges of the Horned King's hands and feet. The Horned King gasped in fear as he slowly began to lose the feeling in his limbs. Before the stone could inch closer to his head, the Horned King yelled in submission.

"YOU'VE MADE YOUR POINT!"

The stone retracted and left the body much to his relief.

"Glad you see things my way," said Zen.

"Now as I was saying, the rest of you I called here was for your various skills and knowledge. I know that a few of you here have abilities with potion making, engineering, as well as experience with special artifacts of magic property."

The villains looked at Zen with intrigued interest as he placed Walt's book on the table and opened it. Turning to the blank pages at the back, he carefully tore them from the binding. After touching each of the torn pages, he used his magic to project three images of what was on them. The first projection was the Shadow Vault's seal, the second projection was some kind of magical transparent sphere, and finally the third was an oddly shaped mechanism where the top corners slanted inward to form sharp edges.

"What are these?" asked Scar.

"The keys to our success," replied Zen.

"The sphere you see works both as magical energy storage as well as a charge for the mechanism you see here. The mechanism itself functions as a harvester and a channeler of magic that will be used to crack the seal on the vault. The sphere is vital because it must be created from the essence of objects that hold immense power and magic, but it must be assembled delicately." he said.

When Zen finished his last sentence, Maleficent finally made sense of his plan.

"I believe I understand it now. You called The Evil Queen and Yzma here because of their alchemistic experience with carefully mixing potions. And you also summoned the Mad Doctor and Mechanicles for their knowledge of machines and engineering. You called the others especially because in one way or another, we've interacted with a powerful artifact, like the Genie's lamp, the Trident, the enchanted rose, the Scepter of Night, and so on." she said which Zen nodded in agreement.

"Remarkable!"

"Glad you agree," said Zen.

"But how do we go about retrieving these artifacts?" questioned Shuriki.

"And how will I and my comrade here be able to build such a massive machine? asked the Mad Doctor.

"I concur, we would need special resources to construct such a mechanism," added Mechanicles.

"Mixing something like this will be impossible to perfect without instructions," said The Evil Queen.

Before anyone else could ask another question, Zen raised his hand to quiet them down.

"Do not worry my friends, I will share more once we reach our destination," he said.

"Destination?" asked Hades.

"Where are we going?"

"Back to the ruins where the Shadow Vault lies," answered Zen.

"And our army."

"Army!?" Everyone gasped.

"I suggested everyone in this castle make preparations to depart, we will all be leaving here at dawn," said Zen.

Everyone at the table nodded in understanding.

While many of the villains left the room, Maleficent decided to stay for a moment.

"There is something I must know Zen," said Maleficent.

"Why did you choose to reach out to me out of most of the villains here?"

"So you've noticed. I reached out to you because of your cunning as well as your open mind," replied Zen.

"I have spent quite some time searching this Magic Kingdom for someone similar to myself who knows that the land of Disney must change. You knew that I wouldn't be some puppet who could be manipulated, but still proceeded to release me because you wanted to experience true magic."

Zen approached the window and gazed at the Disney castle from across the land.

"I have been planning this for a long time, hoping to eventually find an opportunist who would be willing to change the future. Your opposites would never understand what we are trying to accomplish here, I am viewed as a threat just for wanting to change. But in the end, the actions we'll take will shape our future, and I'll punish those who have wronged me and cast me aside." he said with anger.

"I too know what it's like to be treated as a prisoner. No one here has clean hands but if we are to evolve to something greater then what's to stop us?" said Maleficent.

Zen smiled.

"It seems we understand each other quite well," he said as there was a light clap of thunder outside.

END OF CHAPTER 18

A/N

Thanks again for your patience and sorry for the long wait. I have been trying to improve my art as well as look for a job/internship. Still, I want to get this story done asap so I can work on my other stories. I am always open to hearing suggestions and pointers to help move and improve the story, or just tell me what you think. Please continue to let me know about any errors within this chapter to fix, and leave a review. I also don't mind having a DM conversation, BUT NO STORY REQUESTS! Anyway, thanks again for reading and continuing to follow along for next time Zen will build his army, and some of the citizens of the Magic Kingdom will have to make a hard decision in order to defend themselves. Mickey will start his new training, but will it be enough in such a short time. Until next time! (I only own my ocs and this story, all other characters are property of Disney)