Chapter 30: Second Answer

"Hehe…are you quite comfortable down there?"

Mindy didn't respond.

For the first half hour of the flight, she'd tried to only focus on her rising anxiety, and maintaining her composure in front of Professor Ratigan. Things were going great until her dangerous thoughts had started overlapping each other in her head and the tears started flowing at full-force. instead of letting the villain witness her gradual descent into madness, she had chosen to roll over onto her stomach to hide how much of a sniveling disaster she had become, and he was now laughing at the peculiar position she'd put herself in.

Mindy didn't care how ridiculous she probably looked.

She was too lost in the confides of her own subconscious mind to care about anything at the moment including her physical and mental health.

"I see you are giving me the silent treatment-"

If I tried to talk, I would end up sounding like a blubbering mess so yeah…

"-which is quite a shame considering that you were so unbelievably chatty earlier."

It was obviously an act, and if you're as smart as you think you are than you would know when to leave me the hell alone.

Ratigan let out a disappointed hum, "What a pity…I was hoping that you would provide more entertainment with your petty insults and childish nature… well, I suppose that the rumors they say about you are false then."

Mindy wasn't going to fall for that… If the only reason you brought me along for your stupid plan was to provide you entertainment, then we're gonna have a problem here. And before you ask! No! I am not interested or curious in what characters say about me behind my back.

"They say that-"

-And… apparently, you're gonna fill me in anyway…

"-even in the most unfortunate circumstances, you never know when to shut your mouth." The professor laughed at the sudden epiphany, "Others would describe a scenario such as yours as unfortunate, but since you are deliberately choosing not to speak then that must mean you feel as if you aren't in an unfortunate or life-threatening situation…ha! Which is incredibly foolish to say the lea-"

Mindy switched her brain to autopilot in order to drown him out… Hmmm…you never know when to shut your mouth either.

As much as she didn't want to succumb to the power of her mind, she figured that it was better than having to listen to Ratigan gloat over having the rogue princess of the Dremesphere in his clutches.

What was I hoping I'd accomplish by sacrificing myself? Mindy lamented, Was I trying to be a hero? Was I doing what I thought was best for the team? No…no it wasn't either of those things…I did it because I'm impulsive. I thought…I thought that it was the only logical solution, but I didn't even take the time to consider if there was a better alternative that didn't involve leaving everybody I care about behind! How do I know if this was even the right choice?! Why am I such a freaking screw-up?! Why-why can't I make a single competent and well-thought decision in this upside-down game of chess I'm constantly playing?! Basil told me that my instincts weren't something to be ashamed of, but how many times have they ever been reliable? NEVER, that's how many…

"Do try to display some optimism for a change."

Her body stiffened as Basil's words came flooding back to her, Optimism…I have to display some optimism. If I'm gonna get anywhere then I have to stop being so self-deprecating and start thinking about the good things that have happened leading up to this point! Okay…um…! I loved that Peter helped me somewhat remember what it was like to fly for leisure instead of necessity! It was terrifying in the beginning, but after the first few minutes it was an absolute blast! Plus, I appreciate that he was trying so hard to get me to recall what it was like to be my old self again. What else? Uh…oh! Oh! I loved performing with Dakota back at the tavern. It was a bit unconventional and hastily put together, but that was what made it fun. His support means the world to me, and I'm so thankful to have him in my life. I'm thankful for how caring Jiminy is. He's kind of like the father figure I never had. He's such a great listener, and always knows just what to say to make others feel better about themselves… I'm happy that we found Scarlett, and she even let us hug her even if it was for a short while... okay, pull yourself together! You're fine, you're okay, you're filled to the brim with positive vibes… now just…stop crying. Huh, easier said than done…you can do this…you can figure this out and get out of here…you just have to breathe… breathe…

With some difficulty, Mindy rolled onto her back and sat up.

She took a couple of deep breaths and repeated Jiminy's breathing mantra inside of her head as she wiped her eyes on her shoulder. The chilly evening breeze blasted through her already tangled hair, and it swept over her face in thick messy strands.

She shivered as her mind started to settle down enough for her to think in a calm manner, Good…that's good…you're up, and you're breathing…now what?

"Now, this also applies to the quest that you are on…if you ever find yourself in distress or peril, always be aware of everything. Use the resources around you to your advantages including your instincts."

No. Mindy furrowed her brow as she took in another deep breath, No, now's not the time to rely on my instincts. I have to be strategic if I'm gonna make it out of here alive. First thing's first, I have to get Alistaire back…but how am I supposed to take them from Ratigan's vest pocket without him knowing?

Two drastically different ideas popped into her head: Either A; pull a Princess Jasmine and flirt her way into his personal bubble, or B; knock him out long enough for her to steal the amulet. For obvious reasons, she decided to expand upon the second (less disgusting) option.

"…but more importantly, use the physical items you see with your own two eyes."

Those eyes narrowed as she scanned the dirigible for anything that could serve as a weapon.

Then, she spotted an ordinary wooden stool sitting in the corner…

Mindy allowed herself to tune back into whatever the professor was ranting on about: "-I confess I have nothing to gain from you being turned in. You are my alternative in case my current scheme fails under unforeseen circumstances."

It was as if the world stood still, WHAT?!

Despite the pent-up frustration threatening to break through, Mindy took in another breath to cool herself down… what could have been didn't matter at that moment. The only thing she needed to concentrate on was the present.

She took a harmless glance over at the bat.

Fidget was humming the tune she made up at the tavern as he peddled along to the rhythm. To her relief, his eyes were shut as if he didn't have a single care in the world. She turned her attention back to Ratigan, and noticed that he had his gaze fixed on nothing but the sky as he steered the dirigible.

Alright…you have your weapon of choice, and a straight-forward plan. Mindy reasoned, All that's left is to figure out how to free your hands.

She rotated her wrists behind her back to get a feel for how tightly they had been bound…to her dismay, Ratigan's knots were far more intricate than the pirates'.

Her eyes desperately flitted about the dirigible, but there was nothing she could use to loosen the ropes. She couldn't help it as a sigh escaped her lips…luckily, Ratigan was too absorbed in whatever he was rambling on about to pay her any heed.

Mindy struggled to control her breathing as she cooked up another plan…then she got a really stupid idea…Well, maybe I could use my instincts for just a little bit.

She stood up, and stealthily made her way to the stool. Once she was close enough, she hooked her foot around one of the legs, and hobbled back towards the professor. She then flattened herself onto her back, and positioned her feet underneath the base of the stool. She exhaled before she carefully lifted it up so that it hovered directly over her stomach.

She lifted her head up and set her sights on her target, Only got one shot at this…

Mindy kicked with a harsh grunt, sending the stool whizzing towards the back of Ratigan's head.

"Of course, it is only if the plan doesn't go well that I will escort you to The Projectionist, and claim the wish that he describes of as- Omph!"

She performed a somersault and leapt to her feet. Whirling around, her pupils shrunk to pinpricks as she caught him ducking at the last minute. She cursed under her breath as the stool flew out of the dirigible and disappeared into the clouds.

Mindy conjured a thought to distract herself from the rising fear, I hope that doesn't hit some innocent bystander like a pigeon or platypus-why there would be a platypus walking the streets of London I have no idea, maybe it escaped from the local zoo did they have zoos in this time period? If so then what-

Ratigan's hands clenched into fists as he shook like a raging volcano.

He turned around with a murderous gleam in his eyes, "Ohohohohoho…what is this? It appears that a naughty little someone is behaving like a naughty little brat!"

Despite how terrified she was, she somehow maintained a stoic expression, "Oh yeah? Well uh- it appears that a naughty little someone is not taking it lightly, and is throwing his own naughty little temper tantrum instead of sucking it up like a grown-ass adult and getting over it!"

Ratigan was taken aback by her sudden outburst... then his expression hardened as he struck her across the face.

Mindy cried out as the force of the blow knocked her to the floor… tears streaked down her cheeks, but she gathered her trembling nerves and sniffled. Her lips twitched before forming into a pleased smirk.

"You-you just proved that I'm right." It was as though some otherworldly being possessed her when she changed her tone as if she was speaking to a toddler, "Aww…! Did hurting the wittle pwincess make you feel better you tantrum-throwing diaper baby? Huh? Was it worth being taken pwisoner in da room by da Pwojectionist and losing all your status and prestige as a big-bad Disney villain?" She dropped the act and instead wore a look of utter impassiveness, "Or are you just feeling like a scatterbrained empty-headed moron who doesn't know how to control his unpredictable temper?"

Mindy, shut up. Shut up right now you foolish, foolish girl.

Ratigan covered his ears with a scowl as Mindy mercilessly continued, "What's the matter? I thought that you wanted me to provide you some much needed entertainment! Right now, you're giving Captain Feathers a run for his money in terms of how insecure you are about your anger management issues! I'd say that I was impressed, but that would be a lie. And if there's one thing that my conscience taught me, it's to never tell lies!"

"SILENCE!" he boomed as he snatched her up by the collar of her dress, "It's high time that someone teach you some manners!"

Before she could question what he meant, he dropped her as if she were a lifeless ragdoll.

Ratigan yanked his cravat off of his suit, and advanced towards her. Mindy attempted to bite off his fingers, but this made him slam her head into the side of the dirigible as he forcefully stuffed it into her mouth. She struggled with all her might, but she was no match for his brute strength, and he was able to gag her with ease.

He inhaled as his blood pressure returned to normal, "There now…that wasn't so hard was it?" When she gave a muffled response, the villain's eyes glinted with amusement, "On second thought, I prefer you like this…less nerve-grating, opinionated, and impertinent."

She rolled her eyes. Patronize me all you want…but we both know that I'm right…

You couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you?


Mindy watched as two innocent Beefeaters were knocked unconscious and dragged away from their posts in front of the queen's chambers. One of Ratigan's lackeys took over the position, and gestured for the rest to wheel in the mysterious pink-and-white package forwards.

He then tapped his knuckles lightly against the door.

"Come in!" A voice chirped.

The thug cracked the door open and poked his head in, "Begging your majesty's pardon? But a present has just arrived in honor of your jubilee!"

He opened both doors to let the rest of the guards in.

"A present? Oh how wonderful!" The queen sighed, "I just adore jubilees!"

Mindy tried to see what was happening, but Ratigan dug his fingers into her arm so hard that it drew blood. She squirmed in discomfort at the realization that it was the same area where Captain Hook had scratched her. However, to her bewilderment, the previous scar had vanished and the new wound took its place.

What…?

"To our beloved queen, this gift we send…as your sixty-year reign, comes to an end?"

She shook her head and came back to her senses, That thing has Trojan horse written all over it lady, do not open it!

Mindy met Mr. Flaversham's pitiful eyes as he shuffled forward with an odd wooden podium. Then, on the professor's command, he started pushing buttons and pulling levers at random.

"Goodness gracious!" She heard the queen shriek.

Ratigan chose that moment to burst open the doors, "Amazing likeness, isn't it your majesty?"

Mindy stood motionless as she took in the sight before her…

The toymaker had created an exact mechanical replica of the Queen of Mousedom.

It was difficult to tell the two apart.

They were both round, petite figures with chubby cheeks and pink button noses. The pair also donned the same ruffled lavender dress, red silken robe, and a matching headdress with a golden tiara. The only indication that one of them was a robot was the unnecessary amount of blush that had been applied to its face.

"Professor Ratigan!" The queen screeched in outrage before pointing an accusing finger at him, "Guards! Seize this despicable creature!"

Fidget chortled in response.

"Guards! Seize this despicable creature!" The villain jeered into a speaker that filtered his voice to mimic the monarch's.

Having no choice in the matter, Mr. Flaversham manipulated the robot to point a finger at its living counterpart and synched its mouth with the rodent's words. Ratigan laughed in fiendish delight at the queen's horrified expression.

Her eyes blazed with unbridled fury, "How…how DARE you?!"

The crime boss proceeded to remove his dinner bell from his vest pocket, and rang it to alert "Felicia" that her supper was ready, "Take her away!"

She was accosted by two of his henchmen and escorted out of the room, "Let go of me you ruffians! You…you fiends! Traitors!"

To Mindy's surprise, Ratigan released her and fully entered the suite. He then withdrew a handkerchief, and used it to polish the robot queen's cheek with a smirk of satisfaction plastered on his face.

Since he didn't seem to be paying any attention to her, Mindy tiptoed towards the door.

"Psst! Al!" she snapped a finger and extended her hand outwards as discreetly as she could, "Let's go!"

Her intention was to grab the toymaker and the queen, and hightail it out of there as fast as her feet could carry her. If she hurried, they could steal the dirigible and get back to the sewers before the mousetrap was activated.

"I know what you're doing."

She froze mid-step. Shit.

Ratigan tutted in disappointment, "I was hoping that it wouldn't come to this, but you leave me no choice."

A sense of déjà vu overcame her as she heard the cock of a pistol, "Turn around."

Mindy did as she was told.

She knew that if he followed through with his threat he would be punished in The Room, but she didn't put it past him to do it anyway merely out of frustration over her shenanigans. And this time, she didn't have her freaky telekinetic powers to protect her.

"Don't do anything foolish." He struggled to keep his voice firm as he pulled out one of the ornate chairs in front of the fireplace, and pointed the gun at it, "Sit."

Mindy mouthed an apology to Alistaire before she reluctantly padded forward, and sat down.

Ratigan patted her head as if she were an obedient puppy who had just learned a new trick, "There's a good girl."

He reveled in the intense vexation she conveyed solely through her eyes.

Much to his relief she didn't protest as he tied her wrists to the arms of the chair, but only shifted uncomfortably when he moved on to restraining her ankles for good measure.

"Now…you'll remain here until the ceremony is over." The professor gave one last tug before he straightened up, "The next time we cross paths, you'll be coming face-to-face with a monarch…either that, or we'll be going for a little excursion to The Kingdom That Ceased to Be. But if my original plan comes into fruition and I no longer have any use for you… I will simply have to whisk you off to some other inhabitant of the Isle that'll be willing to pay a high price for your head."

His words caused Mindy's previously subdued anxiety to skyrocket.

She desperately tried to bring it down to a more manageable level, but her heart rate continued to increase as her breathing became shallower. Dots started to cloud her vision as an agonizing ringing noise pounded inside of her head.

Alistaire I need you! It wasn't a plea of hopelessness… it was a biological need that she couldn't explain. I need you Alistaire! ALISTAIRE I NEED YOU!

To her astonishment, they miraculously leapt out of her captor's pocket, and landed directly in front of her foot. Ratigan's ears swiveled towards the sound. When he glanced down to see what it was however, Mindy had already placed her foot over the pendant to conceal it from sight.

His eyes remained glued to the carpet for a moment…then he shrugged before gliding towards the double doors, "I would say that having you in my company has been a pleasure, but that would be a lie…and I know how much you despise falsehood of any kind. Oh but do cheer up my dear! At least I've treated you better than I did that second-rate detective." Ratigan took out his pocket watch as he lingered in the archway, "Speaking of which…I'm afraid that he has now joined the Disney Vault in the Sky as it were." He laughed at the look of absolute devastation glazed in her eyes, "And now, I must bid you goodnight. I do wish you could witness my ascent to the throne, but no one must ever know that you were in my possession. At least, not yet anyway hehe. Farewell princess! It has not been a pleasure in the slightest! Hahahaha!"

With another over-the-top maniacal laugh, the professor slammed the doors shut, and dragged the toymaker down the hall out of her line of sight.

Once she was certain that she was alone, Mindy let a couple of tears slide down her reddened cheeks. Basil…Oh god no…no…I…You-you can't be…this is like Neverland all over again! Disney heroes can't die unless the story calls for it! I refuse to believe that you're gone! I bet you're on your way right now because dang it you are smarter than Fatigan! And right now… if I'm going to make my getaway I need to keep my cool, and think as though you were here instead of wasting my time sobbing in the corner like a stereotype!

With a newfound resilience, she scanned her current surroundings.

The queen's chambers had a spotless wooden floor with an emerald green carpet rolling down the center. On the walls were portraits of her predecessors, along with other mice of nobility. Gold trimmings, marbled archways, and veiled lavender drapes took up the majority of the space, and it was expensively decorated with a luxurious four-poster bed, an elegant grand piano, and a lavish fireplace with the royal crest engraved into the mantle.

Mindy's eyes immediately gravitated towards the vanity, and landed on a glass vase that was filled with a variety of roses, sunflowers, and daffodils. An idea popped into her head, and she started scooting her chair.

Why is it so freaking heavy? She grunted as sweat dripped from her forehead, what the hell is this thing made of? Cinderblocks?

She did this until she needed to take a break. Her breathing came out in rapid gasps, and her stomach was so sore she wouldn't've been surprised if she vomited then and there. The realization dawned upon her that she had barely made it three inches across the room.

Come on…come on… you can do this. She told herself, just keep going, and don't stop until you get there.

She bit the cravat around her mouth, and resumed the awkward thrusting of her hips.

Mindy repeated the motion until her vision became so blurry that the objects in the room were starting to look like jumbled shapes and colors mushed together. She groaned as tears pricked the corners of her eyes…

Why am I so pathetic? She demanded, I've been kidnapped twice and have successfully escaped in both instances, and this just so happens to be the time that I have a problem?

She tried so hard to refrain from spiraling out of control, but she just couldn't help herself.

No matter what she did, she couldn't stop herself from dwelling on her past mistakes. She was taught in school that if someone was trying to take her against her will, she needed to be as outrageously defiant as possible. She needed to be astronomically loud in volume, thrash her body around so violently that it appeared as though she were having a seizure, and just cause an absolute scene.

Instead, she had acted like deadweight and had gone willingly all because she had thought that it was the moral thing to do when in reality, she had morally screwed up. Now, she was going to have to pay the price for her ignorance.

I just…I don't think I have any other options… Mindy shut her eyes as one of her tears trickled down her cheek and plopped onto the floor.

A harsh glaring light from behind her closed lids caused her to reopen them...and she gasped in wonderment.

The Amulet of Illusions was giving off a familiar midnight bluish aura from underneath her heel, and the pressure inside of her head became prominently nerve-grating. Her eyes started to sting from both her bitter tears and the milky whiteness flooding her vision.

A comfortingly fuzzy sensation overtook her at that moment, and utterly disoriented her from reality. Her lips quivered as the nightmarish images started reeling inside of her mind…they passed so rapidly that she was barely able to catch them all.

There was a thunderstorm, leaves whizzing through the air, and there were blood-curdling screams in the distance. The silhouette of a little girl with billowing pigtails standing on the bow of a ship came into view. She raised her hands as the lightning flashed behind her, and millions of figures were catapulted into a swirling vortex of rainbows and sparkling light. Under different circumstances, it would've appeared to be an enchanting and friendly beacon…but the terrified screeches around her told her otherwise.

She stifled a shriek as the characters clung to each other in the misty blackness, and fought against the pull of the rift…but their efforts were in vain as they were inevitably dragged into the interdimensional portal.

Once she was certain that all of them had made it inside, the little girl lowered her hands, and wiped the sweat off of her brow. She then snapped her fingers, and the kaleidoscope of endless colors dissipated in an instant.

The vision warped into a new one in the blink of an eye.

This time, the little girl was surrounded by a variety of different disreputable characters, and in a panic threw her arms out. Her attackers were thrusted backwards by an invisible force as a blinding light burst from her chest.

Mindy panted as her eyes returned to their normal silver hue…

She sniffed before wiping her overflowing tears on her shoulders.

Her head tilted back down to the Amulet of Illusions, and was relieved that it hadn't stopped emitting the blinding light…alright…no pressure…I just need to figure out how I'm going to properly use this power to my advantage-wait what?!

Before she could even complete her thought, the pendant's aura faded.

No! No !NO! Mindy hollered inside of her head, Why Alistaire?! I needed that! That was most likely my only opportunity to…huh?

In an instant, the amulet reignited.

Thank you Al! Her eyes lit up with gratitude, Now, I should focus solely on ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

To her extreme annoyance, her necklace's magic faded once again.

Why are you being so indecisive Al?! Mindy gritted her teeth as she struggled to wrap her head around the amulet's behavior, I mean don't you want us to get out of here? God, it's almost like you're against me coming up with an intelligent tactical decision to…then, a revelation dawned upon her, Am I…overthinking this?

Her pendant illuminated as soon as the thought entered her mind.

She struggled to flip the amulet over, and read the riddle engraved on the back of it: I am what's left when all is said and done. Everything hangs in me before you have won. Lose me, and you surely will fall. For I am what helps you stand against it all.

Balance…the answer is balance. I need a healthy balance between impulse and logic.

Mindy yelped as she was propelled backwards by a powerful blast of magic.

She winced as her head collided with the floor, okay…con: I am now lying helplessly on the floor. But pros: I unlocked another Symbol of Youth, and that's how I'm gonna show Fatigan what I'm made of!

Mindy twisted her neck to fixate her eyes onto the vase of flowers.

She took a deep breath to loosen the tenseness in her muscles. Instead of concentrating so hard on her reeling emotions, actions, or strategy she allowed herself to focus entirely on her situation. The circumstances were that she was tied up, gagged, and lying on the floor of a royal suite left with no resources to assist her in escaping…except for her unwavering intentions and the magic emanating from her amulet.

It's all a balancing act between logic and instinct.

She exhaled as the vase inched its way across the vanity towards her.

It continued its journey until it wiggled right on the edge of the surface.

Come on bud you're doing great…just a little bit more, her eyes narrowed in determination before flicking them downwards slightly.

The movement was enough to push the vase off of the edge of the table, and shatter upon reaching the floor.

Yes!

Mindy's fingers twitched as she gestured the fragments of glass forward. They snaked across the floor in a sort of zig-zag formation, before pausing directly in front of her face. Once she had picked out the sharpest of the bunch, she used her eyes to meticulously guide it down to her arms. She then manipulated it to begin hacking at the restraints while carefully avoiding cutting herself.

When the ropes came undone, she immediately removed the cravat from her mouth and let out a small whoop of victory. She speedily untied her ankles and leapt to her feet, but not before scooping up Alistaire in her trembling hands.

In her overwhelming state of elatedness, she kissed the now luminescent indigo jewel at the lower right-hand corner of the pendent, "Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU AL!"

But she knew that she wasn't out of the woods yet.

She still had to rescue the Queen and Olivia's father before something terrible happened to the both of them. Putting her game-face on, she clipped her necklace, and sprinted towards the archway.

Right as she was about to reach the door handle, she heard the sounds of thundering footsteps charging towards the room. Thinking quickly, she grabbed a candelabrum off of a nearby table, pressed her back to the wall, and prepared herself to strike.

As soon as the figure kicked down the doors, Mindy thwacked them upside the head, and was met with an all-too-familiar roar of pain: "OW! Son of a bitch!"

"Scarlett?!" She gasped, "I am so sorry! I thought that you were one of them!"

"It's all good." Her friend insisted as she rubbed her temples, "In fact, I'm actually proud of you for defending yourself…any harder and that blow would've knocked me out for at least a couple days."

"What can I say? This place has changed me for the better." Mindy's light-hearted expression shifted into one of worry, "Where are the others? Are they alright? Are Basil and Dawson alright? More importantly, are you alright?"

"Relax...all of us are perfectly fine." Scarlett said as the princess helped her to her feet, "Basil (the genius that he is) managed to come up with an on-the-fly convenient chain reaction that just so happened to save all of our lives. As for me, aside from finding out that we're trapped inside of a vast, slightly warped alternate dimension filled with literally every Disney character that ever existed is still pretty jarring."

Mindy had forgotten how much she had missed her dry sense of humor.

"Don't worry you'll get used to it." She reassured, "I for one think that you're handling this surprisingly well."

"Thanks, but now we have to catch up with the others."

"Right, lead the way."

With that, the two girls bolted down the hall.

"I missed you Scar."

"Right back at you." She replied, "This whole thing is starting to feel like a bizarre fever dream that we'll never wake up from, and I'm just relieved that I don't have to face it alone…God, it's getting to the point where I don't think things could get any weirder than they already are."

Mindy gave an anxious chuckle, "Believe me they can, and they will…just try to bear with us for the time being."

"I make no promises."