Disclaimer:See my profile. I don't own the song "Juliet" or "Wizards of Waverly Place"
A/N: Sorry it's been so long since I've updated.
Chapter 7: Archer
Juliet was having the same bad dream again. It wasn't a bad dream in terms of what has happening, but because of what wasn't happening. She was in the desert landscape, surrounded by black birds. Her Justin was nowhere in sight. Like he hadn't been for a few weeks. She couldn't take this, not anymore.
She kept trying to imagine him, but it got harder each day. She could feel his memory slipping away from her.
She was sitting, her face in her hands, lost in her sadness when the birds began squawking. She looked up, to see a short, balding man throwing stones at the birds.
"Beat it you buzzards!" he yelled at them, as he threw stones. "That's it, shoo." When the birds were all gone, the man turned around and faced Juliet. "Well, as I live and breathe, it's Juliet van Heusen. Fancy meeting you here."
"Archer." Her voice was flat and emotionless.
"What? No smile for your old pal Archer? I'm hurt."
"Why should I smile? I have nothing to smile about. You told me I would find love in New York."
"You did. That wizard boy, what's his name? Justin."
"And I lost him."
"Not lost. Just had him stolen is all."
"Stolen?"
"Yeah, stolen by Lethe, one of the UnderDark's minions. You remember the UnderDark, don't you?"
Her eyes went wide with fear and she clenched one of her hands in a fist.
"I'll take that as a yes," Archer said.
"There's no hope, is there?"
"Oh sure there is. Just say the word and I'll restore Justin's memories. Just like that." Archer snapped his fingers, and suddenly the ground was littered by dead bodies, human and monsters.
"What's this?" Juliet looked around, uncertain what was happening.
"Well, look where we are."
It only took her a moment to realize they were just outside the Subway Station on Waverly Place.
"What happened?"
"It's not important, just a monster's parade."
"A what?"
"It's what Monster Overlords like the UnderDark call a massive attack of monsters. See, if Justin gets his memory back, and he rescues you...well this is how the UnderDark retaliates. It'll be fine though, no worries."
But Juliet's eyes were focused on one of the bodies. She rushed over and knelt down, crying. It was Justin's body. She looked up at Archer. "It will not be fine. You can't let this happen. What happens if he forgets all about me? If he never rescues me?"
"He lives. A long, mostly uneventful life. Marries someone and has some kids."
"Is he happy?"
"I guess. Why?"
"That's what I choose for him. If it's a choice between this and his happiness, then I choose his happiness."
"But you will be the Mummy's prisoner for eternity."
"I can live with that."
"Are you sure?"
"My choice. That's what you always say, right? That's what I choose, his happiness over mine."
"As you wish. I'll see you soon." Archer walked away, leaving Juliet to clutch the dead body of Justin.
Back on Waverly Place, Justin was asleep having his own dream. It was in the auditorium at school. A short balding man was playing the piano and signing, "Juliet, oh Juliet, you got the smile that I can't forget."
"I've heard that song before," Justin said. He cocked his head to one side for a moment. "We've met before, haven't we?"
The man stopped playing. "You remembered. Good. Do you remember Juliet?"
"Why does everyone want to talk to me about her? She left me." Justin turned to go away.
"Wrong, kid. That's not quite how it happened. Take a look."
Justin turned around. A big movie screen was on the stage, and the movie playing was a scene at a museum. Justin and Juliet were prisoners inside the plastic walls of the mummy exhibit.
"I know what has to happen," the Justin on the screen said. Then Justin watched as the Mummy took Juliet away.
"Does that refresh your memory, eh?"
Justin just looked. at the screen. He saw the Justin on the screen looking sad. The Justin on the screen said, "It's all my fault."
"Yeah it is," Justin said.
"Oh, don't be so hard on yourself. You had a plan. A good one. You were going to get her back. And look, there the two of you are."
On the screen, there was Justin and Juliet walking hand in hand in her dreams.
"Now that looks like a good day, right there," Archer said, "what happened?"
"I..." he was trying to remember. After a moment, the mental fog parted, "I captured a hydra and had an idea of how to undo the curse."
"Undo it?"
"Well, everything says the Mummy's spreads his curse by looking people in the eyes. So it's a gaze based curse."
"So?"
"So, his eyes are actually rubies. If I can remove them, there is no more curse."
"Really?"
"It doesn't matter. I don't know where they are, and..."
On the screen, Justin, Juliet and Alex were fighting zombies at the prom.
"Well that looks pretty good too," Archer said. "That had to be the high point of the evening."
"No, this was."
On screen, Justin and Juliet were dancing. As they danced, Juliet said,"Yes, I'll go steady with you." Then she kissed him. Both the Justin on the screen and the Justin watching said, "Best night ever."
"Oh, I don't know," Archer said, "I think Juliet had an even better moment right here."
On the screen, Justin saw Archer and Juliet outside the Subway Station surrounded by dead bodies, both human and monsters.
"What's this?" Juliet looked around, uncertain what was happening.
"Well, look where we are."
It only took her a moment to realize they were just outside the Subway Station on Waverly Place.
"What happened."
"It's not important, just a monster's parade."
"A what?"
"It's what Monster Overlords like the UnderDark call a massive attack of monsters. See, if Justin gets his memory back, and he rescues you...well this is how the UnderDark retaliates. It'll be fine though, no worries."
But Juliet's eyes were focused on one of the bodies. She rushed over and knelt down, crying. It was Justin's body. She looked up at Archer. "It will not be fine. You can't let this happen. What happens if he forgets all about me? If he never rescues me?"
"He lives. A long, mostly uneventful life. Marries someone and has some kids."
"Is he happy?"
"I guess. Why?"
"That's what I choose for him. If it's a choice between this and his happiness, then I choose his happiness."
"But you will be the Mummy's prisoner for eternity."
"I can live with that."
"Are you sure?"
"My choice. That's what you always say, right? That's what I choose, his happiness over mine."
"As you wish. I'll see you soon." Archer walked away, leaving Juliet to clutch the dead body of Justin.
Justin was quiet as the screen went black. Finally he said, "What's the UnderDark?"
"A monster OverLord. He made sure you forgot about Juliet. You'll forget again when you wake up unless you ask me to restore them permanently."
Justin looked at Archer. "Who are you?"
"No one of consequence."
"What kind of answer is that?"
"My kind. All you need to know, is I'm offering you a choice. Live a mostly normal, happy life or face the possibility of dying at the hands of a monster attack while saving Juliet."
"What happened on the screen, is that definitely what will happen?"
"It's hard to say, when you talk about the future. It could happen. Of course, it's possible you'll fail to rescue her so..."
"no, I'll rescue her. Give me back my memory."
"Are you sure, cuz once I do it, there's no turning back."
"Just do it!" Justin yelled. And then he was back in his room.