Chapter 25: Shall We Fly?
While everyone enjoyed their tea and cheese crumpets, Mindy stood before the fireplace and after shuddering at the unsettling portrait of the Vincent Price rat on the mantle (she thought it would be rude to ask for context) started to weave the tale of how she'd returned to the Dremesphere, swiped Captain Hook's ship, and was now on the run from a psychotic Projectionist trying to turn her into a husk of her former self…only, she got sidetracked and went on random tangents throughout the whole thing (verbal storytelling had never been her strongest suit) and she had to apologize multiple times until Peter was forced to take over.
"So I bravely volunteered to battle Drunken Jack Daniels while Mindy took on Cap'n Codfish which wasn't what anybody was expecting. And I fought bravely let me tell you that!" He lingered a bit too much on his pantomime of fighting Captain Jack Sparrow as he made sound effects to accompany himself, "Swash, swash, buckle, buckle! Swash, swash! Bu-"
"-buckle, buckle, you-you get the idea." Mindy quickly intervened, "So after a rather unexpected denouncement, concerning aforementioned Drunken Jack Daniels (nice nickname) I screwed up, sent us straight here, and-and you know the rest…because we're here now…yay, we're here now…I uh, said that already." She cleared her throat, "Um…any questions?"
"Why pray tell should I help you, princess?"
Her pupils shrunk to pinpricks upon catching Basil's interrogative gaze. "Uh…um b-because…I've changed now?"
And the razzy for worst actress goes to…
"You've changed?" Basil huffed in disbelief, "You honestly expect me to believe that? You know just because you have other more relevant animated characters wallowing at your feet, doesn't mean that everyone else is required by law to do the same."
"Look, I was young and-and stupid…incredibly stupid in fact!" Mindy tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear as she avoided eye-contact, "I've sort of been on a stupid streak as of late…but I'm trying really really hard to make up for all the time I've spent away from this world. And so far, it seems like nothing I do is ever going to be enough for the people who live here, for everyone who lives here. Including the people in Fantasia Gardens and the Isle of Oblivion…I'm not asking for your forgiveness, heck I'm not even asking for your help…but I am asking for you to let me fight against The Projectionist so that I can have a chance to connect the Isle with the rest of The Dremesphere as it was supposed to be."
Basil rose from his red velvet chair and approached the girl.
He attempted to stare her down but she didn't appear to be intimidated in the slightest, and proceeded to stare back at him with an equal amount of curiosity. The detective searched her eyes for any indication that this was all an elaborate prank…he was surprised when he found nothing but vigor, intensity, and conviction in those silvery orbs. Somehow, he could already sense that this was going to be the oddest girl he would ever encounter. And the prospect of meeting someone as stubborn and eccentric as he was intrigued him to no end.
Without breaking eye-contact, Basil backed away and headed to his chemistry set.
He grabbed an object Mindy couldn't see, and she found herself taking a couple of steps back.
"Does this by chance, mean anything to you?"
The detective outstretched his arm, and offered her the item. Mindy cupped a hand over her mouth as she gasped. It was a modern-day cellphone with a white case... sunflowers had been painted on it and crystalline glitter coated its surface.
Mindy took it from him while she spoke, "Where-where did you find this?"
"On the streets just beyond the waterfront, why?"
"I know who the mouse-sized human you're looking for is." She answered as she pressed the power button on the device and showed him its current wallpaper.
Mindy remembered taking the picture clearly.
The girl in the photo was wearing a spotted yellow-and-black bikini. Her ringlets of raven hair were damp, and hung from her bare shoulders in luscious curls. She stood on the shoreline facing the sun-kissed ocean, but her head was tilted towards the camera, and a playful grin danced across her darkened lips.
"Good Heavens!" upon seeing the picture, Basil's eyes grew ten times their size and a deep blush rose to his cheeks. He cleared his throat as he shielded his eyes at her most indecent attire. "Err, wh-who is-"
"-Scarlett." Mindy ignored his over-the-top reaction, too occupied on the tightness building in her chest, "That's my… friend, and-and she's been taken...I can't explain how I know this, I just feel it."
"Disney logic."
"Sorry, what?"
"Isn't it painfully obvious?"
Mindy blinked, "I'm… not following."
"Everyone knows that Disney logic is the most reliable line of reasoning in this universe." Basil pinched the bridge of his snout, "Yes I am a realist, but I'm also an anthropomorphic talking mouse mind you. Even I cannot deny the fact that Disney logic inexplicably seems to make everything work out in the end. The evidence is clear. You and your band of lackeys turn up on my doorstep around the same time as these chaps. Therefore, your cases must be connected somehow."
"So then that means-"
"-Yes." Basil cut her off, "I'm afraid that Ratigan has kidnapped your friend."
"This is why Al sent me here." Mindy realized, "I need to save her."
"You?" the detective asked in disbelief, "What makes you think you're-"
He was interrupted by an ear-splitting screech.
Basil, Dawson, Mindy, and Peter whirled around to face Olivia Flaversham. She was at the window, pointing to an oversized, terrifying bat dangling upside-down just outside. With a flash of lightning, it vanished without a trace.
Basil sprang into action, "Quickly Dawson! We've not a moment to lose!"
"I-I'm right behind you Basil!" The doctor replied as he hobbled after him.
Peter and Mindy shared a look, nodded, and sprinted out into the night. They followed the two gentleman to the sidewalk, withdrew their weapons, and stood back-to-back as they scanned the area for any suspicious activity.
"No sign of the blackguard anywhere!" Dawson gasped.
Basil stooped low to the ground and eyed some mud on the pavement, "Not quite chaps…he left some rather unusual footprints! They obviously belong to the same fiend who abducted the girl's father and quite possibly Miss Scarlett! Ratigan's peg-legged lackey!"
Mindy stifled a cry as she spotted something gleaming in the darkness. She placed her sword back in its scabbard, hurried towards it, and knelt down to pick up the object…the revelation dawned upon her almost immediately.
"This is her jacket."
Basil was up and by her side in an instant, "I beg your pardon?"
"Scarlett wears this jacket all the time, it's like her trademark." Her breathing was starting to become uneven, "She-she loves this jacket, she wouldn't abandon it on purpose. And from what little we know she never even came to Baker Street!"
Mindy's jaw clenched at the thought that one of the bad guys had stolen her best friend's favorite jacket, and claimed it as his own. Sensing that the anxiety within her was starting to bubble up to the surface, Peter placed a firm hand on her shoulder.
She didn't even register this.
Mindy was overcome with pure, unfiltered rage.
She snapped her eyes shut as her breaths came out in ragged puffs. Her entire form was shaking, and all the muscles in her body stiffened at once. She couldn't quite put what was happening to her into words, but she did know without a doubt that it was magic-related…only, it wasn't anything like what her summoning magic felt like. It was a hundred times more powerful than that.
And it was eating her from the inside-out.
"I need to find her."
Before anyone could stop her, Mindy took off down the street like a lioness on the hunt. Peter shouted her name, but all sound had become lost to her ears at that point. Only one thought repeated over-and-over again in her spiraling mind as tears built up behind her closed lids.
Find, find, find, find, find, find, find, find, find, find, fin-
Her eyes popped open, and started to flicker intermittently from white-to-silver-to-blue-to-pink-to-purple in an endless kaleidoscope of colors. Mindy's heart pounded to the beat of her charging footsteps as she tracked the prints. She dismissed the impeding danger she was currently putting herself in, and instead allowed impulse to snuff out any spark of logic she had left in her brain. In her mind's eye she could see a murky-green surface and the silhouette of a tiny person banging on it with desperation apparent in their expression.
Right as the image of Scarlett's frightened grimace was about to overtake her optic senses completely, something collided with her chest, and two arms pinned her to the dampened street. As Mindy struggled to catch her breath, her eyes returned to their normal hue, and she was able to see the seething, frothing countenance of none other than Basil of Baker Street.
"Let me go!"
"Are you completely deranged?!" He demanded in a harsh whisper, "It's the middle of the night and you are out here screeching like a banshee with-"
"-please I-I need to get to her!" Mindy interrupted in a panicked scream as her pupils started to flicker again. Her brows scrunched as she thrashed on the ground to which Basil responded by forcing all of his weight onto her, "I need to know that she's okay!"
"You will do no such thing you hysterical, hysterical woman!"
Through her blurred vision, she was just able to make out Dr. Dawson, Peter, Dakota, Jiminy, bolting towards them. The conscience knelt down beside her and put the back of his gloved hand to her forehead as she began to lose herself.
Basil's once enraged expression contorted into a look of guilt at this, "I realize that you're worried about your friend, but you can't risk getting recognized and caught…that will only make it more difficult for you to find her."
"I know I am breathing in." Jiminy said gently as he placed his opposite hand on her sternum, "I know I am breathing out. I know I am present in this moment. This is a precious moment. When I breathe in, I clear my body and my mind. When I breathe out, I smile."
Mindy started to control her breath and say the words with him inside of her head. Slowly but surely, her eyes settled back to their usual grey color and she laid motionless on the cobblestone street. Once he was absolutely certain that she wouldn't dart off again, Basil released her and got to his feet. He threaded his fingers through his tufts of fur before straightening his velvet robe.
"I will rescue your friend, princess." The detective declared, "This I swear to you."
Jiminy rose to his feet and offered her his hands. Mindy's knees wobbled as she stood, and she would've fallen over had it not been for Peter swooping behind her and catching her at the last minute. She heaved as she and the others trudged back to the flat. Apparently, she'd ran all the way to the end of the street, which was surprising since she had never been particularly skilled when it came to stamina.
Upon entering the flat, it was ultimately decided that Mindy and her 'band of miscreants' (as Basil had dubbed them) would stay put while the three mice embarked on their adventure to find someone named Toby.
"It isn't that I don't want you to come along." The detective elaborated as he meticulously ran a finger along the spines of the books on his shelf, "It's that there are a multitude of characters reputable and disreputable that have a bounty on your head. One of them is Ratigan no doubt, and I suspect that it the precise reason he has taken Miss Scarlett."
"To get to me."
"Indubitably, Ah ha! Found it!" Basil exclaimed as he pulled down on a book, and opened up a secret passage within his apartment, "Now! Come along Dawson and-" he then let out an exasperated groan, "Miss Flancherrancher."
"Flaversham!" Olivia shouted.
"Whatever." He rolled his eyes and gestured to the open doorway, allowing his two companions to enter first. Before leaving, he glanced over his shoulder to address the girl and her motley crew. "You are not to leave this flat under any circumstances. Is that clear?"
"Crystal." Mindy did a salute before crashing on the sofa, "Don't mind me…just your basic average girl with PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWERS forced to be trapped in an itty bitty living space."
Basil's brows shot up.
He looked as though he wanted to press the matter further, but held himself back, and instead turned on his heel without another word. As soon as the bookshelf door slammed shut, Peter broke the silence amongst the group.
"Can I be the first to say that I do not like that guy?"
Everyone made synonymous noises of agreement.
"Bored yet?"
Mindy looked up from the confides of her wonky journal to face the cocky countenance of Peter Pan. She'd thought that writing would be enough to distract her from the overlapping thoughts that were flooding her whirring mind at an impeccable rate, but then she had gotten to a sagging middle section and had surrendered herself to the anxiety.
"No." Mindy answered, "You wanna know why? Because I can't get over the fact that we're not out there helping them find her and that we've put our trust into someone that we barely know. What is it with me and making stupid decisions?!"
"It wasn't stupid." Peter insisted as he settled down beside her on the front step of the apartment, "Ya gotta stop beating yourself up about these kinda things. Here's a crazy idea…stop worrying about it."
She stared at him incredulously for a moment…
Then she snorted in disbelief, "Has anyone ever told you how much of a genius you are?"
"Every day!" Peter chuckled a little before cocking his head to one side, "But…but why is that idea so funny? There's nothing for you to worry about. If this story is still in the process of being looped then they'll go off on their adventure, find your friend, and bring her back home in a jiffy!"
"And you know this…how?"
"I just do."
"Right." Mindy huffed, "And cookies can turn into flying saucers with chocolate chip aliens, pigs can sprout wings and sing opera, and the people actually enjoy country music!"
Peter gaped at her…
Confused, she glanced around and saw that she had manifested the things she'd listed off as impossible around her head. She shooed them away, causing them to vanish in a swirl of multicolored mist.
"Sorry…sorry…" Mindy started to pick her nails, "I'm just…a little on edge that's all."
It took a second for him to understand, "You really care about her don't you?"
"She's my best friend." She didn't hesitate to say, "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to her."
"That's why you reacted the way you did."
"I understand how Dakota feels about the three of us now."
"The…three of us?"
"Dakota, Scarlett, and I." Mindy elaborated. "We've always stuck together like drops of water and nothing is ever going to change that. I can't…I can't explain it but…it feels like I wouldn't be able to go on without them. Is that bad?"
"No…I mean, that's how I feel about the boys…they're everything to me too."
"Yeah, and you'd do anything to protect them and keep them safe." She then looked down at her hands, "That's why I took off like that…I didn't know what else to do. It was instinct, something…primal almost? I-I don't know how else to put it."
Peter crossed his legs as he hovered in midair. He scratched his head as he reflected on these mushy thoughts. He needed to find a way to take Mindy's mind off of Scarlett's whereabouts before she spun out of control again. The only question was what?
Then, the lightbulb dinged inside of his head.
He leapt to his feet, "Let's go for a flight around town."
"What?"
"Look, you you've been under a lot a stress lately, and it would be good for you to get away from it all for a couple hours." He couldn't contain his excitement as he zipped around like a hummingbird, "What better way to clear your mind than hitting the skies? Besides, I haven't taken you flying in so long! It'll be an adventure!"
Mindy shifted uncomfortably in her seat, "You know how much I hate heights."
"You're kidding." Peter laughed, "What about all the swinging around you did during the pirate battle today? Or when you flew into the rafters during the fight at Neverland? You didn't seem to have any problems then."
"I didn't do those things because I wanted to." She protested as she twirled a strand of her hair on her index finger, "I did them because well, what else would I have done?! I was scared out of my wits the entire time!"
"You didn't show it."
"You weren't paying attention then."
"Come on! It'll be loads of fun!"
"What'll the others think?"
"We'll be back before they even notice that we're gone."
"But what if we get eaten by a bird or a cat? What if it rains again? What if we ne-"
"-You worry too much."
"Forgive me if I'm the only one who actually cares about our survival, and is considering every possible outcome!" Mindy burst out, "Sorry, but I'm not making another stupid decision all for the sake of sightseeing!"
Peter was stumped, "Gosh…girls would kill for a chance to fly with me."
She tried not to wince, "All but one it seems."
An idea popped into his mind, and he started rocking back-and-forth on his heels, "Alright… can't say I didn't try…I guess they were right about you then."
Against her better judgement, she stopped him before he could head back inside, "Right about what?"
"Hm?" Peter whirled around and pretended to inspect his dirtied fingernails, "Oh, about you being similar to Mr. Hoity Toity Detective. Now that I think about it, I can kind of see what they were talking about."
Mindy wasn't buying his bluff, "You're joking."
"The resemblance is uncanny." He resumed his little rant, "You both obviously like the same boring grown-up things like going to bed early, brushing your teeth, being a total stick in the mud who doesn't like anything fun-"
"-Hold up!" She stood with an indignant scowl as she poked his chest, "I'm fun! Heck, before I was the Queen of Disney Trivia I was considered to be the Queen of Fun!"
"Key word being was." Peter countered in a sing-song voice, "Now I don't even think you know the definition of fun."
"For your information, F is for friends that do stuff together, U is for you and me, N is for anywhere and anytime at all down here in the deep blue sea mister!" She snapped, "And I'll prove it right now by…I see what you're doing."
His signature smirk instantly gave him away.
Mindy rubbed her temples before offering him her hand, "Ten minutes….that's how long we're out and back…deal?"
Peter beamed from ear-to-ear, "Deal!"
He spat into the palm of his hand before joining it with hers (much to her disgust).
"You ready?"
Mindy sucked in a breath, "As I'll ever be."
"Here we gooooo...!"
Without further ado, he grabbed ahold of her torso, and swooped into the air.
She cried out as the gelid wind blasted into her face at top speed. Peter plopped her onto the windowsill of the Sherlock residence, and she immediately pressed her back against the glass with rapid staggering breaths.
"How're you holding up so far?" Peter inquired as he lounged on his side like the showoff that he was.
Mindy tucked her hair behind her ear, "In terms of lung capacity, I'd say this is a record for me."
"Good!" He got all up in her face, causing her to almost topple off the landing, "Cause we've still got a lot of sights to see!"
Before she could blink, Peter linked his elbow around hers, and yanked her upwards. She let out another blood-curdling scream, as he flipped her onto his back, and whisked her into the stars above.
"I take back everything I said!" Mindy squeezed her eyes shut as she wrapped her arms around his neck in a vice-like grip, "Put me down right now!"
"But we just started!"
"I'm tapping out early!"
"You haven't even seen the-"
"-I don't care!" Tears streaked down the sides of her cheeks, "I can't do this Peter! It's too much! It's worse than all the other times I've flown before! I'm begging you, please put me down!"
Peter was astonished by her sudden outburst… at that moment, he genuinely felt sorry for the panic-stricken teenager on his back. I don't get it…she used to love this. What has all that time spent in the Otherworld done to her?
"Whoa hey." He soothed, "I'm not going to let you fall, okay? Everything is gonna be alright."
"Yeah, for you maybe!" Mindy shouted, "You do this sort of thing every day!"
"You used to!" Peter replied, "You just don't remember! But that's part of the reason why we're doing this!"
"To make me regret ever agreeing to come?!"
"No! To get you back to your old self!"
"By having me plummet to my death?!"
"Don't ya trust me?"
"I trust you about as much as I trust Captain Feathers!"
"That was low, even for you." Peter dashed across a rooftop before gliding past the enormous streetlights, "Come on just open your eyes! You're missing it!"
"Hell no!"
"Please?"
That one little word was enough to get her to reluctantly lift her head up to meet his gaze.
Peter's lips quirked into a soft, encouraging, smile. "There ya go! You're doing great! Just focus on me, and everything'll be a-"
"-LOOK OUT!"
He snapped his head forwards right as a looming brick wall came into view, "Hold on!"
She stared at him like he had sprouted a second head, "As if I have a choice!"
Peter grabbed her legs piggy-back-style and vertically bolted up the building. Mindy was too frightened to shut her eyes, so she settled for screeching at the top of her lungs instead. To her relief, he flipped onto his stomach, darted his hands out, and continued whizzing past the London rooftops.
Mindy shook like a leaf as she struggled to catch her breath.
"See?" Peter tilted his head up to look at her, "That wasn't so bad…you're okay."
"Ha! I am as far from okay as someone can get!"
"At least we're alive, right? Isn't that all that matters?"
"What is wrong with you?" Mindy demanded, "Don't you understand that we could have died back there?!"
"But we didn't! That's my point!" Peter started bobbing and weaving amongst the chimneys, causing the girl to squeak in distress, "You can't keep looking back on where you've been! It stops you from moving forward!"
"Could you Disney characters stop spouting unrealistic sentimental whimsy wherever you go?" She burst, "You're making me sicker than I already am!"
"I guess you're just going to have to deal with it Princess giggle fest! Because if you can't handle that-" He soared into the wispy clouds, as Mindy shrieked directly into his ear, "-Then… you can't handle this!"
"This isn't funny anymore!" Mindy's cheeks glowed crimson as the vexation reached its peak, "As your princess I order you to put me down right now!"
"Wow… you must be pretty desperate to use the princess card on me."
"Now is not the time to poke the bear freckles!"
He stifled a chuckle, "Alright… I get that you're upset-"
"-Upset is one way of putting it!"
"And I'm sorry that this trip isn't going according to plan." Peter cast his eyes downward, "I just wanted to give you a good time, but all I've done is make things worse… I know that you want to end the flight early, and I promise we will… but can I please have one more chance to make it up to you?"
Mindy bit her lip as she thought it over.
She wanted to refuse… she wanted to believe that he was doing this only for his amusement, but how could she? She could tell from the look in his eyes that he was being sincere with every word that left his mouth. He was doing his best to try to help her forget about everything for a while…in his own unique way.
It also occurred to her that this was the second time he used the word please.
Whether it was from instinct or blind faith, Mindy nodded her head in response.
Peter grinned, "Now… you don't have to open your eyes if you don't want to for this next part… but I'm gonna ask you to a little later, okay?"
"I'll do my best."
"That's the spirit!"
Mindy somehow managed to keep them open regardless of the high altitude.
She watched in helplessness as they ascended past the upper-class neighborhoods, and on to the main section of the city. The ear-piercing screech that peeled out of her mouth sliced through the once serene ambiance of the night, and caused some human-sized bystanders to look up in bewilderment.
Peter swooped upwards at the last minute and concealed the both of them behind a nearby pillar. He shot her a look over his shoulder and made a point of putting a finger over his lips. Mindy nodded with an apologetic smile.
She then held her breath as they peeked around the corner.
Fortunately, the people had lost interest and went about their business as usual. They didn't even lift their heads as the pair soared over them towards the River Thames.
Mindy's stomach plummeted at the same time they dipped underneath the London Bridge to get as close to the surface as possible. She whimpered when Peter unexpectedly grabbed her hands. He gave them a reassuring squeeze before he flung her off of his back and positioned himself above her whilst still holding her arms. In a panic, she pointed her toes inward and panted as the water splashed her thighs, legs, and feet.
Taking notice of this, Peter gave her hands another firm squeeze and fastened his hands around her waist to offer more support. For some odd reason, that made her feel better about her current circumstances.
Curious, she bent her knees and stuck her hands into the river.
She watched in amusement as she formed two trails on either side, and danced her fingers across the water. Mindy laughed a bit as she stood up, and spread her arms out like Rose from Titanic. She shut her eyes and inhaled the chilly night air as she fully embraced the chaos around her. Her hair flapped around her shoulders in messy chocolate-brown waves as Peter speeded them across the Thames.
A sort of euphoria overcame her at that moment and all of her insecurities seemed to melt away into the void that was oblivion. It didn't matter that she had no idea where Scarlett was, she was now soaking wet, or even that a ruthless power-hungry monarch was on her tail.
Mindy was flying out of her own free will and didn't feel obligated to do so for once. It was stupid, insane, and life-threatening…but at the same time, the prospect of danger excited her.
These thoughts were thrown out the window as a ginormous silver-scaled fish leaped out of the river. Her eyes widened as Peter lifted her up and out of the way before it had the chance to chomp at her legs.
Her chest heaved as she was once again hoisted onto his back and rocketed into the clouds at supersonic speed, "Please tell me you think that was crazy too?"
"I don't know… I thought it was kind of neat."
"Don't tell me you enjoyed that!"
"You didn't?"
"I…actually loved every second of that." She could just picture his smirk, "Now don't go getting a big head."
"Are you sure you liked it?" Peter teased, "I mean, we could have died back there."
She thought about it for a moment, "Eh, what's a near-death experience between friends?"
"Good point." Then he had a thought, "Let's fly to the top of Big Ben!"
"No, no, no, no, no!" Mindy protested, "I don't think I'm quite there yet. At least wait until we're our full height first, let's take baby steps. I'm still really new at this whole flying thing, I haven't even flown on my own yet without Dakota's corny ass jokes!"
Peter's lips curved upwards slightly, "Okay, okay, I get the point…but from the looks of it, we have about five minutes to spare before we have to get back to the flat, so I have a safer option for one more adventure if you're up for it."
"Does it involve anything illegal?"
He hesitated, "No."
