Chapter 12: Sam Saves the Day and Marvin's Wish
Marvin, Lilly and Sylvester sighed with despair, knowing that Maria had unleashed the horrendous storm that would ruin Christmas. A familiar and rough voice came out of the darkness. "See what happens when you leave a rescue mission to amateurs?" It asked. Yosemite Sam was smiling from outside of the cells.
"Sam!" Marvin called over with happiness and a new hope. He may not be able to save Christmas, but at least himself, Sylvester and Lilly had a chance of getting back to safety. "You need the dungeon key to get us out."
"It's around Maria's neck." Lilly informed.
"Great horny toads! How do I get myself into these fiascos?" Sam groaned, face palming before leaving the dungeon to find the keys. Sam eventually came across Maria's three sleeping dogs. Taking his chance, he successfully snuck past the dogs and made his way into Maria's room where Maria was sleeping peacefully. They key was gleaming around her neck. Sam rubbed his hand and gave a mischievous smile. He slowly and with care lifted up Maria's head and gently removed the key from her neck. Maria started to stir, much to Sam's dread. "What are you doing?" She asked, still half asleep.
"Uh…just stealing they key to the dungeon, now go back to sleep." Sam answered, unsure of what else to do.
"Ok, goodnight." Maria yawned as she fell back to sleep. Sam was astonished that Marvin's truth technique actually worked. He took his opportunity and fled from the bedroom to the dungeon and freed Marvin, Lilly and Sylvester. "Great, let's go!" He instructed as he led Marvin, Lilly and Sylvester from the dungeon. Marvin lit his lights to guide the team's way through the catacombs. They both fled down the corridors as Maria woke up horrified, finally acknowledging Sam had stole the key to her dungeon.
Marvin, Lilly, Sam and Sylvester were still speeding down the corridors to freedom until they came to a choice of three tunnels. "This one!" Marvin suggested, pointing to the far left. "That one!" Sam insisted, pointing to the far right. Sylvester agreed to follow Sam and the quad went down the far right to only be stopped dead by a steep and dangerous cliff. The group gasped in shock and relief that none of them fell down it to their deaths. "Quick, let's go back!" Said Lilly.
Unfortunately, the hissing and snarling of three dogs came from behind them. It was Maria, Iago and the three dogs. "I do, and do, and do for you kids and this is the thanks I get!" Shouted Maria.
"Naughty, naughty." Agreed Iago.
Maria had the heroes cornered. They had no choice but to surrender to Maria or fall of their deaths. Maria pulled out her wand. "Who should I freeze first. How about you Silly Lilly." Maria threatened, pointing her wand.
Marvin filled with fury at his best friend being threatened by the wicked woman. He was not just filled with fury, but love and protection for his Lilly who had already been through so much trauma to begin with. "Leave her alone!" Marvin screamed at Maria.
"And what are you doing to do about it?" Maria shrugged. Filled with pure rage, Marvin's eyes glew red and shot out a blinding red light which dazzled Maria, causing her to stagger backwards and fall off the cliff. Maria managed to grab on to a weak ledge and was screaming for help, her eyes filled with tears of terror. "Help me! Help me!" She screamed repeatedly. Marvin recalled the damage she did to Christmas, the horrible threat she had just made to Lilly and the fact she had kidnapped the most precious girl in his life and the life-long trauma she had caused to one of his former classmate, Furball, and began to walk away, planning to leave Maria to fall off the cliff to her death and be gone forever. Just as he was about to reach for Lilly's hand to lead her away and to safety, he had second thoughts and decided he was better than that. He leant over the cliff and reached out his arm.
"Grab my arm and I'll pull you up." Marvin told Maria. "Do it now!" Maria grabbed Marvin's arm. Marvin and Maria both screamed in terror as they were both about to slip into the abyss. Fortunately, Lilly grabbed Marvin's legs and started to pull. Sylvester then grabbed Lilly for safety; then Sam grabbed Sylvester's waist; then Iago grabbed Sam's crimson jumper; K9 bit on to Iago's tail feathers; Hector bit K9's tail and Barnyard Dog bit Hector's tail and they all worked together to bring Maria back to the surface.
Maria was shaking and panting. "You…saved…my…life." She panted, shaking on the spot.
"I was not going to let you fall." Marvin said.
"Thankyou Marvin. You and your friends are free to go. Consider us even."
"Not until he gets his wish." Intruded Sam.
"What wish?" Asked Maria confused.
"Marvin saved your life missy, so you owe him 1 wish, those are the rules of the kingdom." Sam informed, still angry at Maria's behaviour.
"The cowboy is correct Maria; those are the rules." Stated Iago.
"You mean, you get a wish, anything I want?" Marvin asked confused.
"Well don't stand there like a deer caught in headlights." Said Maria.
Marvin thought for a second. "I want you to be nice." He said.
"What sort of wish is that?" Asked Maria, irritated.
"But Marvin you can have anything you want." Intruded Lilly.
"Yeah Marv come on, think bigger." Encouraged Sam.
"You only get one wish Marvin." Said Sylvester.
"Wait I got it. How about normal eyes. That's what you've always wanted right? Say the word and it's yours Marvin." Suggested Maria.
"I want you to be nice."
"Think of something else Marvin."
"I want you to be nice."
Maria sighed and gave in. "It's going to get awfully dull around here." She then waved her wand around herself, surrounding herself in purple streaks of light and chanted. "Melt away old heart of ice, you heard me right, make me nice." Everyone looked on in awe as the lights dimmed then shone in one last burst, revealing Maria behind them. Everyone just stood still, except Iago who approached her. "Oh, cute little parrot." Cooed Maria as she lifted Iago up and started to repeatedly kiss the startled bird.
"Alright, someone change her back, right now!" Squawked Iago.
"But you don't look any different." Stated Marvin.
"But I have changed Marvin, on the inside." Maria winked.
"Ok, now call off the storm!" Instructed Lilly.
"If only I could…" Maria started to Marvin's gasp of shock. "Once I unleash a storm, it has to run it's natural course. There's nothing more I can do." Maria then waved her wand and a bright yellow light covered the cliff. In seconds everyone was back at Maria's bridge. "Use my bridge as the shortest way home. Merry Christmas. Bye!" Maria called, waving goodbye with Iago as her four guests crossed the bridge back home.
The weather was still incredibly harsh. "Suffering succotash, it's a white out, I can't see a thing." Panted Sylvester.
"Maybe this could help." Said Marvin, lighting up his eyes, creating red light through the black darkness.
"But we still won't make it home, not in this weather." Despaired Lilly.
Suddenly a rumbling of a sled engine came through the distance. Marvin shone his lights into the area where the engine was coming from. He recognised the sled in the distance. It was Garfield and Odie. Marvin and Lilly waved their hands, calling their names. They were quickly invited into the sled with Sam and Sylvester and drove back to the warmth of the Martian palace, Marvin's lights acting as headlights all of the way.
In the Martian palace Aladdin had called a meeting with his flyers. It was at the Martian palace, because Z9 did not want to leave home encase Marvin came back. He wanted to be there for his son. To apologise to him for what happened and to tell him how all of his friends stood up for him and how Aladdin had agreed to have two games next year, one set for the 22-year-olds to have a fair chance with Daffy excluded and one traditional set of games for the 21-year-olds. He wanted to tell his son how wonderful he was and how much he meant to everyone around him. He wanted his distraught son to come home to his family.
All of the other flyers were in the palace alongside a worried Lauren and Graham, ready to greet their daughter with open arms on her return. Aladdin cleared his throat and announced with a heavy heart. "I have never seen a storm like this, it's like pea soup out there, too dangerous for flying or driving. I have no choice, but to cancel the Christmas Eve launch."
All of the flyers gasped, wondering what the fate of Christmas would be and how this would be explained to the many disappointed children of the kingdom. Adults would understand and would be willing to wait a few days, schools would be flexible with the holidays and not expect the children to make up for lost time elsewhere. But the 3 to 16-year-old citizens would find it harder to understand and adjust. Shrek was the first to look up and his mouth opened wide with joy when he saw what he saw. "Gee will you look at that?" He exclaimed, pointing out of the window at the red headlights in the distance. Everyone ran outside, wondering where the brilliant lights were coming from.
"They're getting brighter." Said Aladdin as the lights came closer. Tyranhee and Z9 made out the outline of their son in the distance. "It's Marvin!" Tyranhee squealed with excitement and relief as herself and Z9 ran up to their sled with Lauren and Graham not far behind, calling out their own daughter's name, causing the sled to come to a complete stop.
"Well done Garfield and Odie." Congratulated Aladdin.
Tyranhee, Z9, Lauren and Graham found themselves lifting their children out of the sleds, like when they were little kids, picking them up and holding them close. Lilly cuddled in tight, so did Marvin. "I'm sorry I worried you." Marvin whispered to his parents, his eyes still glowing as he buried his head into his mother's shoulders. The crowd cheering his and Lilly's safe return around them.
Once Marvin had been put down, Aladdin approached him. "Marvin, your amazing eyes have giving me an idea so crazy, they just might work. What I mean to say is, Marvin with your eyes so bright, would you guide my flyers tonight?" Asked Aladdin.
"It would be an honour." Marvin answered. The crowd then erupted louder around him.