AN: Glad to see the response to this story after only the first chapter! But we don't have a lot of time for this introduction, because we need to address the witch hunter in the room.


Immediately the Dream Students were on edge: Toren growled and bared his fangs, Double D took up a fighting stance, Beth had a song ready to go, and Aline pulled out some glyphs to attack Belos with. The emperor looked unamused, holding up his staff and surrounding the four in a red glow, freezing them in place. "Now then, I know that look in your eyes," Belos said. "I get that a lot, unfortunately from the people I'm trying to help. Let's not do anything we're going to regret, shall we?"

"Gabriel, what in Hades' name is Belos doing here!?" Aline shouted. "He's like, super evil and stuff!"

"Yeah, and he's a hypocrite, using magic despite being a witch hunter!" Beth added.

"I mean, I think there's worse villains, but he is a bad dude for sure," Double D shrugged.

"Is this a mistake by the mirror?" Toren asked.

Gabriel shook his head. "Remember how I said that the Stellar Mirror can summon alternate versions of characters? That includes villains as well, and those villains are just as much champions as the heroes are." The raven held out a wing, and Belos handed over his staff as Gabriel freed his friends from the spell. "This might be an Emperor Belos, but he's not the Emperor Belos. Though I will admit that on my list of Disney Villains he's near the top."

"Really? The guy that wants to genocide an entire dimension is one of your favorite villains?" Aline questioned. "Now I want to know who else is up there…"

"That would be Scar and Randall," Gabriel explained. "The reason I enjoy them as villains is because you get something that a lot of villains don't have: internal justification for their actions."

"You mean you think they're right?" Beth raised an eyebrow.

Oswald slapped his face and shook his head. "No, what Gabriel means is that you can understand where they're coming from as villains. There's a difference between empathy, understanding a person's motivations in their own shoes, and sympathy, understanding someone from your own perspective."

Toren tilted his head, before giving a nod of understanding. "Oh, I think I get it! Like, I can understand the reason why Randall has a grudge against Mike and Sulley because they humiliated him in front of their entire college, but at the same time I don't justify him working with Waternoose to kidnap children to extract their screams. That's what you mean, right?"

"Exactly!" Gabriel nodded. "A gold star for Toren!"

"But why is Belos on that list?" Double D asked.

Gabriel held up Belos' staff and tapped it to the ground, creating a holographic projection for the others to see. "Well, Belos, at the time Phillip, and his brother, Caleb, were born in the 1600s at the height of the Witch Trails, so they were always raised to be biased against them. Then they got trapped in the Boiling Isles, and while Phillip wanted to get home, Caleb fell in love with a witch. It's also heavily implied that the witches of the Boiling Isles did not treat Phillip very well while he was separated from his brother. He grew colder, becoming even more against witches as a result, and eventually going mad from experimenting on himself with magic to the point where he killed his own brother."

"Kinda like Scar, even down to being infected by something that inhibited his abilities to feel for others," Beth pointed out.

"The deference between the Belos you know and myself is what some call a "Nexus Event," the one point in a timeline that changes from the rest," Belos explained. He took his staff back as the images changed. "Instead of killing my brother, Caleb was able to talk me down, reach out to me and helped me to understand that the witches of the Boiling Isles weren't all the different from the humans back in our own realm. I left my prejudices behind and started to learn about glyphs and the other kinds of magic the proper way, without the need of the Collector."

"Okay, but then why are you still Emperor Belos?" Aline said with a frown.

"Because the Boiling Isles still needed a leader to unify its people, and my body was still cursed from the experiments I performed on myself, even if I was able to find a more sustainable method of keeping the curse under control than eating palsmans," Belos explained. "Once Caleb passed on, I reinvented myself as Belos, rising up to bring Witch society into the modern era. I established covens for witches to better practice their talents and created my own from of technology-powered glyph magic for non-witches to use, which you can see in my staff here." He held up his golden owl mask and smiled as he gazed into its face. "This was the last gift Caleb gave me, a symbol of the witch family he married into. But that's a story for another time."

"So basically, this is the good timeline Belos," Gabriel summarized. "The one that was pulled out of the darkness before he could be consumed by it."

Double D, Beth, and Toren nodded in understanding, but Aline crossed her arms and gave a huff. "Well, I'm still not trusting him, no matter which timeline he comes from. Emperor Belos is still Emperor Belos."

"That's your own opinion, and I'm not going to stop you," Gabriel shrugged. "Just try to not let it get in the way of our mission to gather the mirror shards. So then, Oswald, where's the first shard at?"

"Looks like you guys are going to be heading to Ventureland first," the rabbit said, looking at the radar. "I'll get in contact with Captain Smee to see where the mirror shard landed. The projector to it is just down at the end of Mean Street. Good luck heroes!"
The Dream Keeper and his students gave a nod, before running over to the projector portal and hopping in, their new champion partners right behind them.


[Song: "Odd Future" by Uverworld]

[translated lyrics by me!]

You ready?

Are you excited?

Let's go!

(What's going through?)

The Stellar Mirror is seen, with reflections of Gabriel and the Dream Students all seen within it before the mirror shatters, revealing the "Across the Mirrorverse" Logo.

Once you fly so high

Shining in the starlight

Enjoying life despite the contradictions

Toren is seen flying over a wild west area, exploring the desert under a starlit sky.

Even when you're losing, take one step

Even if you're drowning, take one step

That's how easy it is, just one step

Pass down

Toren activates his emotion magic, causing a flash that transitions over to Beth trekking through a jungle area.

Tell me what's the point if this day never ends now?

Oh, thinking back to our days filled with play

Hindering ourselves, we slipped away

For reasons that we cannot convey

(Ah…)

Beth stops and leans against a temple wall, the camera shifting to show her brother in a different area, leaning against her back. His appearance shifts as he is possessed by the three villains he made a deal with.

DREAMING!

My mind rewinds to the starless sky

Our hearts wanting love that we can't deny

Let's escape this nightmare

And run into the light dawn of dawn!

Toren and Beth are suddenly surrounded by Fractured. The two get in battle-ready positions, magic flaring as they battle.

THE FUTURE!

Distorts our reflection so look away

Your fate is your own, don't go astray

Stop living a lie

And be the hero of your dreams!

(Hey, hey!)

Gadget and Joy appear, helping our their allies as Gadget uses her machines and Joy attacks with memory orbs. Mirror shards appear behind the team as they hop into the makeshift portal.

(Hey, hey!)

Oh, ODD FUTURE!

(Hey, hey!)

We see scenes of the Dream Students training with their partners as Gabriel watches over them.

You just have to reap what you sow

Break down the rust within your soul

If your dark past controls today

Then all their lies, are here to stay

Aline slides around in an icy world, stopping in an ice cave where she sees a reflection of her past self.

You can't just go and throw it all away

Giving up your life for an unknown fate

And when I just open up my eyes

I feel so alive

Aline wipes away her past version with her hand, transitioning the scene to show Double D adventuring through a strange museum.

(What's going on?)

So many things, that I have yet to complete

But there are days that these corrections cannot be made

The crow dances through various rooms, unaware of the trio of villains peering in on him through various paintings.

(What's going on?)

We'll can't you see, the differences in you and me

And our potential is only growing

(Ah…)

Beth's brother appears again, this time being fully possessed as the images of Bill Cipher, Night, and The Collector appear behind him.

TEARS!

They disappear

Their meanings change, then all fade away

NEW DAYS!

So let's start again

And rise up with the sun!

Aline and Double D fight off Fractured together, showing off how they've improved their combat skills since the last time they fought.

Do your best!

Are you excited?

Connections flow, lightning through my veins

I want it!

Drawn the curtain back

And never let anyone hold you down!

(Hey, hey!)

Mittens and Ben Ali Gator appear, with the cat using her superpowers and the alligator using his sword to help out their partners. When mirror shards appear, the four jump in to transport to their next destination.

(Hey, hey!)

Oh, ODD FUTURE!

We see the four Dream Students and their partners bonding, learning from each other as they get one step closer to becoming Dream Keepers.

(Hey, hey!)

Oh, ODD FUTURE!

Gabriel appears with Belos as his side, the raven holding up a hand as he retrieves the mirror shards his students brought.

DREAMING!

My mind rewinds to the starless sky

Our hearts wanting love that we can't deny

Let's escape this nightmare

And run into the light dawn of dawn!

And the center of the Magical World, Beth's brother appears to fight the heroes. Gabriel and Belos clash with the villain, while the Dream Students fight off more powerful Fractured monsters.

THE FUTURE!

Distorts our reflection so look away

Your fate is your own, don't go astray

Stop living a lie

And be the hero of your dreams!

In a flash Gabriel separates the villains from their host, leaving his students to fight. Toren faces The Collector, Double D fights Bill Cipher, Aline fights Night, and Beth faces off against her brother.

I keep my ideals with me

Though all my dreams and love may soon ignite

Like a firebird I'll be the light

Here the gongs ring out

My destiny is calling me!

As the battle goes on, Belos gives Gabriel his staff, the raven surging with power as he summons Fantasia and channels it through the object. His dragon spirit shines as Gabriel uses the power to bring all the mirror shards together.

Yeah, yeah!

My destiny is calling!

The last scene is Gabriel, his students, and their partners all standing in front of the Stellar Mirror, with the villains peering out from the other side of the mirror as the heroes are ready to face their challenge.


Coming out the other side of the projector, the team had arrived in Ventureland, the Wasteland's equivalent to Adventureland run by the pirates of Captain Smee's crew. The Dream Students looked around at the area, taking note of the ever-iconic Tiki Hut like in the Magical World version of the location.

"Huh, there's a lot more pirates running around here," Beth noted.

"Well, Ventureland is more based around the Pirates attraction, as opposed to the Jungle Cruise in the Magical World," Gabriel explains. "A lot more Peter Pan influence as well. Mickey had to go to Skull Rock to stop Animatronic Captain Hook alongside the help of Pete Pan on his visit."

"Pete Pan? Like, Peg-Leg Pete but he's dressed as Peter Pan?" Toren questioned.

"Yeah, expect us to meet at least one Pete with every world we go to," Gabriel warned. "Some of them are helpful, like Pete Pan, but others… not so much. Either way, since Captain Hook as defeated, Smee is the captain now."

"Ah! What is that?" Aline squealed, pointing at a robotic version of Daisy.

"Oh, right, Oswald made animatronic versions of Mickey's friends so he could have companions. Donald and Goofy have similar counterparts," Gabriel explained. He then brought a hand to his chin. "Oswald told me that he was making more animatronic versions of other characters as well. I even met robot versions of Simba and Nala on my first trip here."

"As long as they don't try to attack us and stuff our bodies inside robot exoskeletons, I'm fine," Double D said.

"That's… oddly specific," Ben raised an eyebrow.

"Be lucky you don't get the internet down here," Double D shrugged. "Some weird stuff happens there, trust me."

"Either way, Daisy runs a news show here in the Wasteland, so perhaps she can help," Gabriel said. The gang walked over to the robot, with the raven taking lead in the conversation. "Daisy! What's the scoop around here?"

"Oh, you must be Gabriel the Dream Keeper," Animatronic Daisy said. "There was a rumor you were traveling around here in the Wasteland again. Hopefully you don't have a run-in with Dr. Wu this time."

"Yeah, the less I see of that insane nightmare scientist, the better," Gabriel shuttered. "Anyway, these are my students: Toren, Aline, Beth, and Double D. We're searching for the mirror shard that got sent to Ventureland."

"Yes, Captain Smee told me about that as well," Daisy nodded. "He had some of his pirate crew searching for some of the smaller fragments, but recently Fire Mountain has been acting up, making it hard to search in the area."

The robot duck pointed past Tortuga to a volcano out in the distance, which was billowing with smoke and the occasional burst of purple lighting. "Purple lightning… Hey, that's kinda like the corrupted mirror shards we dealt with back in Mean Street!" Beth said.

"Then I guess that's where our destination is," Gabriel nodded. "Anything you can give us on Fire Mountain, Daisy?"

"Better yet, I can show you!" the robot replied. She pulled out a sheet of paper and placed it on the ground, which summoned and old-time TV. The heroes gathered around to watch the video on display.

"This is "Guide to The Wasteland," your one-stop shop for all things going on in the land of the forgotten!" said the Gremlin on the TV. "My name is Gremlin Gus, and today I'll be teaching you about Fire Mountain. Imagineers originally wanted to create an attraction based on Captain Nemo's island, Vulcania, out in Adventureland, but decided to retheme it to Atlantis: The Lost Empire. The ride was supposed to have an innovative ride system, switching between a standard roller coaster and a suspended track, if you an believe that!"

"Wow, that would be cool!" Aline said. "Just think, one minute you're riding on the ride, then suddenly you're legs are dangling as the track is above you!"

"But didn't Atlantis not do so well financially?" Double D said. "I mean, it has fans nowadays, but it and Treasure Planet are more cult favorites."

"Due to many different factors, Fire Mountain was cancelled, leading it to appear here in the Wasteland," Gus continued. "While the caverns are safe to travel in without special equipment, adventurers should beware that it is still an active volcano! I would suggest getting help from those fancy crystals that he Atlanteans use to keep yourself safe. That's all for today, until next time, this has been "Guide to the Wasteland!""

With that, the video ended. "So gang, how about we go exploring in some volcanic caverns?" Gabriel said.

"I have some experience in spelunking that will surely come in handy," Belos added.

"Yeah, like getting us "accidentally" trapped in a cave," Aline said, rolling her eyes.

"Why did you flex your fingers when you said "accidentally?"" Belos questioned.

"She was being sarcastic," Mittens explained.

"I'm going to choose to ignore that for now," Gabriel said. The raven then looked at the team a bit confused. "Guys, where did Beth run off to?"

The gang gasped, seeing that Beth wasn't with them! "The heck, did she run off by herself?" Toren said.

"I mean, Beth is always going on about wanting to be a hero and help people," Double D stated. "But she shouldn't go alone!"

"Gadget is with her, but the question is if Beth will listen to her," Gabriel said. "Let's head off to Fire Mountain and hope we get to Beth before the Fractured do."


Author's Note

So yeah, this Emperor Belos is actually a good guy! I always love it when there's an alternate universe where a villain becomes good, as it can show a different side to the character that you'd normally see. We'll be getting more backstory on this Belos as time goes on, but Aline isn't going to trust any version of the emperor, it seems. Also Belos is in fact one of my top Disney villains, as all he's missing is a villain song to be the whole package. Though he reminds me more of a DreamWorks villain, specifically Lord Shen from Kung Fu Panda 2, ironically another villain I have experience writing a good guy AU around.

The theme song this time is "Odd Future" which was featured in one of my favorite anime of all time, My Hero Academia. I think it fits how your Dream Students are training to overcome the odds and be heroes, despite the forces of evil working against them!

And we're going to Fire Mountain, which is a real scrapped attraction that was supposed to be in Florida's Adventureland. Kinda stinks that we never got it in real life, because Atlantis might be more popular if the ride was built. But Beth has gone and run off on her own, so our team is going to have to catch up to her to make sure she's safe!

Next Time: Beth and Gadget have an encounter at Fire Mountain!