This was way more fun to write than it should have been. I do so enjoy writing romance...there is tons of detail, because Mickey's never felt this way before. Not so much for Pete, because he's not as sentimental. Means more to Mick.
The witch is Miss Finster from Recess...hey,it's disney! And I realized Altivo is not from disney, but I'm too lazy to go back and change it,and it's just one horse XD
A thanks to my friend Angela, who helped me word this chapter right. Love you girl! And I'd also like to thank Elera, MTP, and Torn, who are excellent writers in their own right and have cheered me on. You guys rock!
All characters belong to Disney.
Five days later...
Mickey slowly slapped his jaw with his tongue, his eyelids fluttering before fully opening. He stretched his arms out, and yawned slowly...suddenly, he sat up, startled. "Wait a minute!" He yelped with realization. "I'm not on Pegasus!"
"Relax, Mickey!" Came the voice of his elder nearby. Goofy was sitting across from him. It appeared they were in, from the looks of things, the carriage. The magician leaned over and helped Mickey sit up straight. "You must have been awake too long keeping guard over us last night, 'cuz you dozed off on Pegasus an hour ago! Daisy's ridin' him now."
Mickey's cheeks tinted in embarrassment, and he rubbed the back of his head. "Aw, gosh...I'm sorry."
"It's okay, no one's perfect." Goofy leaned back. "Just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride...we entered Nottingham Forest a few minutes ago."
"It's a little hard to relax, Goofy." Mickey sighed, leaning against a side of the carriage. He pushed aside the window curtains and gazed outside. "Our last adventure may have been witch-less, but the real ones could strike at any time...I just hope I can protect Pete."
Goofy tilted his head a bit. "You think Pete's the next king?"
Mickey closed his eyes, sighing again. "I don't like the idea of it, but I don't know who else it would be...besides, his father was King, even if Shere Khan wasn't blood royalty...King Disney gave him the throne, it meant something."
The wizard shrugged, and put his hat a little bit forward, looking ready to nap. "If life was that predictable, it wouldn't be as much fun."
Mickey opened one eye to look at his friend. "...Did you have a glimpse of the future, and know who's going to draw the sword?"
There was a pause of silence, which was quickly followed by snores from Goofy. Mickey chuckled a little...if Goofy did know, he wasn't going to tell anyone. Admirable, even if it was a little annoying. Mickey rested against the small wall, ready to join is pal in slumber...
...when he heard it.
Granted, he didn't know what 'it' was, exactly. It as soft, but quiet, easily able to be ignored. Yet something about it caught Mickey's attention. He sat up straight, eyes and ears open. The sound wasn't his imagination...he stuck his head outside the window. It was a little clearer, but only a bit more so. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it was mesmerizing the mouse. He didn't quite understand what was going on, but he had to find out what it was.
He suddenly opened the door of the carriage, and jumped out as it rolled along. They were on a dirty ill-paved road, surrounded by trees that block most of the sun's rays. The sound...it was coming from the left, a thick patch of the woods.
Startled, Donald looked down at the escaping passenger. "Mickey, what're you doing?" He asked, already angry.
Mickey ignored him, still concentrating on the sound. He then dashed off into the thicket, surprising all of his friends! Pete pulled his horse to stop, and shook his fist wildly. "Where do you think you're goin', Mouse!"
Pluto yipped, eager to join his master, and soon ran off after him into the darkness. Daisy looked over, concern etched onto her face. "What in the world...what do we do now?" Pegasus whinnied in additional worry.
Pete snarled, snapping the reigns on a struggling Altivo. "If he thinks he can just run away...then forget him! We don't need him!" He gave another snap to the reigns. "Keep going!"
The ducks looked to the forest, frowning. They didn't want to abandon Mickey, but what choice did they have?
Inside the carriage, the supposedly snoozing Goofy was smiling wide.
Mickey's steps soon slowed down...the crunching of leaves under his feet was blocking out the sound. Now it was more clear...he was definitely near the source. Light, airy, pleasant...he now tip-toed through the forest, closer and closer. It took him a minute, but then he realized these sounds were words! Yet not in a talking fashion...no, it was a song! One he had never heard of before, but the singer filled it with passion and life.
The squire then spotted a few rays of light up in the distance, straight ahead. His careful steps led him to a large, thick tree...so, most likely, whoever was behind it was the amazing singer. It was only now he realized just how ridiculous he had been acting...he had just run away from his friends and superior, just for a song! He swallowed, imagining all their angry faces.
I'll take one peek, and then run back as fast as I can, and apologize, or so he told himself. It was probably nothing impressive...a wandering minstrel, perhaps. Or even a small bird with the ability of speeched song. He leaned on the tips of his toes, and poked his head out to look at the singer.
The sun's few rays glimmered on this lone figure, who was sitting atop a rock the size of a rocking chair. It was a female, although the light air of the song had already told Mickey that. Yet...Mickey had met and known many a woman in his lifetime, and this one seemed...he didn't know how to describe it. She was unlike those other women. Better, even. It was if the creature before him was created above all other women, making her superior to all the rest.
She was a mouse, like him, but there was no chance of comparing him to her. Mickey had never seen such beautiful a mouse, but then again, he had only seen himself; and males were not truly marked as beautiful. She had majestic black hair that streamed down the back of her head,and curled up just before her shoulders. This same hair also supported curly bangs on her forehead,topped off with a blood red bow on the top of her head.
Such magnificent tailoring on her dress, the squire had noticed. It seemed to increase her loveliness, not that it needed increasing, but that was beside the point. It laced around her shoulders, and ended around her petite waist, with dozens of frills under a wide skirt,swaying with her moving legs which were slid in ruby slippers. Her delicate hands were gently holding a small robin, who also seemed entranced by such a melody. Her face was designed in the purest joy, as if her sole purpose in life was to fill the world with this sensational singing. Her eyes seemed to glimmer , watching the little feathered friend in her grasp.All concern over his friends, and Pete, were being washed away by this magnificent creature. It seemed has if nothing mattered but to watch this woman, which he felt he could easily do for hours. A smile crept onto his face, and maybe at another time he would have realized the ridiculous expression he was sporting, but that hardly seemed to matter right then and there. Was this moment even real, or part of some perfect dream? Oh, how he wished to never wake up! Even as he paid close attention, his mind wandered...what would it be like to hear her speak normally? Or to touch that soft skin? Or to gaze into those deep eyes?
SNAP!
Time seemed to freeze, save for the little robin fluttering away in an instant. Mickey, it seemed, had leaned in too close, and had put pressure on a weak stick that snapped loudly in half. The woman stared at him, eyes wide with startled fear. She held her hands close to herself, waiting for his first move. Even her tiny tail curled up to her, in a defensive manner.
She couldn't be scared of him! It nearly drove a dagger into him. He tried to think of something, anything, to comfort her and assure her he was no enemy. He opened his mouth, and struggled to speak...but what could he say? An introduction? A greeting? Oh, how foolish he must look, he told himself. He should say something, anything!
"...Socks!"
...Anything but that. He slapped a hand to his face in embarrassment. Where had that had even come from, anyway? He slowly pulled his hand away to watch her reaction.
To his relief, there was a smile, although a confused one, gracing her features. She appeared to be holding back a giggle at his awkward intro, putting a hand to her curved lips. She managed to calm herself, and put her hand down on her lap, and waited to hear more from him.
What to say now? At least it couldn't get more humiliating than 'socks'. Then he remembered...she had been singing! Why not give that a shot? He'd already lost his dignity, may as well risk nothing. He cleared his throat, and tried to remember a tune from his home kingdom...yes, a fairy tale from old times past. "Tale...t-tale..." He stammered, and tried to fully get it out. "Tale as old as time..." He finally pronounced, and tried to set the melody right. "True as it can be...Barely even friends...Then somebody bends, unexpectedly..."
"Just a little change..." She responded in time, presenting her smile once more. "Small, to say the least." She slowly slid off of her rock seat, and patted down her dress. "Both a little scared, neither one prepared..."
"Beauty and the Beast." He found the courage to step forward, and found his heart beating madly. "Ever just the same..." "Ever a surprise." She stepped forward as well, but one foot tipped forward, and she turned, her frills flying around her.
He nearly forgot the following words, so captivated by her dance. "Ever as before..."
She stopped the twirl, now closer to him, and smiled right at him. "Ever just as sure..."
Their eyes bore into each other, and for a wild moment, the squire believed they were as one, both of them singing the famous line together, their voices and hearts entwined together. "As the sun will rise..."
"WOOFWOOFWOOFWOOFWOOFWOOF!"
The frantic barking made both mice jumped, and they looked to where Mickey had entered, to see a panicked pooch run right for them! Pluto managed to skip to a tumbling halt before his master, and struggled to catch his breath.
Mickey swallowed, the embarrassment creeping back of leaving his companions. "Aw, gee, Pluto, I'm sorry..."
The dog wildly shook his head, as if to say such things didn't matter now. Sitting on his hind legs, he began moving his arms wildly, making wave motions, sticking out his tongue, pretending to cackle, rubbing his paws together diabolically, then making a circle, then more wave motions...in other words, to both mice, complete nonsense.
"What's he saying?" The female asked, looking curiously to her duet partner. He shrugged, having not a clue.
Suddenly, the leaves on the ground emitted a soft crackle, followed by a gentle kiss...Pluto shrieked with fright, and dove between his owner's legs, covering his head with his paws. The squire stared at him, and then chuckled. "Pluto, that's just a snake! They can be harmless, if you leave them alone!" he continued laughing, looking up...
...into the face of a gigantic cobra, who's head had to be three times as big as Pete's belly.
It's understandable that the female screamed. Mickey nearly copied her. Pluto howled in misery, and the three began backing up in fright. The snake simply crawled in closer, followed by a shriek of cackling laughter. It had come from the treetops, so the tree terrified heads looked up. Sitting on a tree branch was an incredibly old hag, with clusters of gray hair clinging to her pale head. Tiny brimmed glasses were on top of her long nose, and she seemed to posses sharp teeth which showed as she laughed. "I found you, you little hooligan!"
"Let me guess." Mickey replied, managing to build up a bit of bravado. "You're a member of The Covenant!"
"Well well, what you lack in height you make up for in brains!" The old woman sneered, crossing her chicken-thin arms. "We've been watching you and your little friends, and we're putting a stop to your little mission! If anyone's going to rule England, it's us!"
Mickey growled, holding up a balled fist. "I'd like to see you try!"
The witch pointed to the snake.
"...Oh. Right. You ARE trying. And very well, I might add."
The witch rolled her eyes. "Get those troublemakers!" she snapped, pointing a shaking finger at her enemies down below.
The snake hissed, and opened its gigantic jaws, ready for a bite. Mickey's femme friend screamed again, and all of his thoughts went to rescuing her. There was no way he'd let her get harmed because of him! He grabbed her hand, and began running off into the distance, Pluto following close behind. The snake bit into the ground, and then snarled with annoyance at its miss. It speedily slithered after its meal, as quick as any horse.
"W-What do we do!" The singer stammered, her hand clutching Mickey's.
"Just keep running!" He shouted back. He tried to think, and looked down at his arsenal.
Once again, Mickey did not have an arsenal.
Oh, for the love of Walt!
Fortunately, the mouse spotted a fallen tree decades old, with plenty of space underneath for hiding. He quickly shoved Minnie and Pluto inside before sliding in himself. Both clung to him in fear, although he found himself enjoying the female's clinging a little too much. From their hiding spot, they saw the snake dash by...how incredibly long it was! Possibly twenty carriages, from head to foot. Finally, the tail passed, following the lead.
The squire felt safe to release a breath, and hung his head, wondering how long they'd have to stay like this. He spotted his shoes, tied in perfect knots...and then it hit him!
He began to crawl out, but his female friend grabbed his arm. "What are you doing!" She whispered, trying to tug him back.
As flattered as he was, he gently eased himself free. "Do you trust me?"
They locked eyes once more, him watching her reaction as she studied him carefully. She swallowed, but slowly nodded. He gave her a smile of confidence, and then stepped out into the clearing. He sucked in a breath, and then yelled out to the heavens! "Hey, ugly! Are you looking for me?"
Surprised, the snake turned around, and hissed, seeing his foe. He turned around, and began zooming straight for the hero. The mouse grinned, and began to run, but not in a cowardly fashion. He zig-zagged through the woods, the snake persistent in following. Occasionally Mickey would head for a part of the elongated body, ducking or jumping over it, and the snake would still pursue him. The little came of cat and mouse, so to speak, continued for several long minutes, until the squire slowed down to the exact tree the old witch was under.
She looked down at him quizzically, as all he did was stop, and leaned against the tree in a relaxing fashion. The snake spotted him, and began to head right for him!
"Watch out!" The fair maiden screamed from her hiding place, and Pluto covered his eyes, unable to watch his friend's demise.
Mickey merely whistled, as if he didn't have a care in the world. The snake, still quickly speeding towards him, opened its jaws, showing its glistening fangs, and...
...was pulled back. It was only a few inches, but it made all the difference. Startled, the giant tried to move forward, but could not! It hissed in frustration, trying to snap at Mickey, but to no avail.
"What in the world is going on!" The witch hollered, spitting wildly in shock.
"Sorry, ma'am." Mickey grinned, and pointed to the distance of the woods. "You and your accomplices taking over the world...Knot happening." Indeed, the snake's body had been twisted into a hard knot, unable to untangle itself. In a rage, the witch stood up, baring her long-nails hands. "Why you little - "
Suddenly, the tree shook! Now caught off balance, the villain fell right out, and fell flat on her back in a painful crunch. Walking out from behind the tree was the large and in charge Pete, who had shook the tree in the first place. He placed a foot on the foe's back, ensuring her stay. He then glared down at Mickey, his face full of annoyance. "Don't go thinkin' I saved you! We spotted the snake, and figgured a Covenant member was nearby. You were lucky I got here in time."
Before Mickey could fire a rebuttal, he was lifted off the ground in an enthusiastic hug. It was Goofy, glad to see his friend unharmed. "Mickey! Are you okay, little buddy?"
The mouse laughed, glad to be among companions again. "I'm fine, Goofy!"
"You bad boy!" Came the concerned voice of Daisy, who walked into the scene, followed by Donald. "You had us all worried!"
As Goofy put down the small one, Mickey scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry, guys...I promise, I won't do it again!" There was pleasant yipping, and soon Pluto rejoined his comrades, smiling proudly at his master. Also entered was the lovely figure who had started the entire shebang, smiling nervously. "I'm just glad to know that mess is over with."
She caught Pete's attention, and how. He looked her over, and, instead of needing the nearly two page description Mickey endured, simply summed her up in two words – good looking. He had watched his father woo many women, and figured he had inherited this trait. "It was nothing." He grinned, rubbing a few fingers along his chest to boost his ego. "Just the every day act of a Prince."
As Mickey shot an unappreciated look to his superior, the woman raised her eyebrows. "A Prince? Really?" "Prince Pete, at your service." He humbly bowed, and the witch moaned in pain from the shifted weight. "You happen to be in the presence of the next King of England."
She gave him a sweet smile, and put her hands together. "The honor is all mine, your majesty."
Goofy cleared his throat, and waved a hand, introducing himself and the others. "I'm Goofy! This here's Donald, and Daisy, and you've already met Mickey and Pluto!"
She nodded in response, and then, lightly grabbing the sides of her dress, gave a polite curtsy. "It's very nice to meet you all...I owe you my life."
"Enough about us!" Daisy waved a dismissive hand, and gingerly approached the courteous maiden. "Just who might who you be?"
"Oh, of course." She placed a hand to her heart in shock. "How rude of me. My name's Minerva...I was heading for Camelot, my home, and I suppose I got distracted."
"Why, we're headin' for Camelot too!" Goofy explained, slapping a hand to his knee. "You should come along with us!"
Minerva's eyes widened, and she toed the ground shyly. "Oh, I wouldn't want to be a bother..."
"No bother at all!" Both Pete and Mickey shouted enthusiastically. Surprised, they eyed each other, suddenly disliking the attention the other gave to the little miss.
"Great, now we're picking up hitchhikers." Donald muttered, but squawked and shut up as his lady stomped his foot.
"However, if you're going to come with us, we MUST do something about your name." Daisy ordered, playfully poking Minerva's nose.
The woman blinked, confused. "My name?"
Daisy nodded vigorously. "It's too long, and for old ladies...you need something short and sweet, like yourself!"She mulled about this for a minute, and then snapped her fingers. "Oh, I've got it! Minnie!"
The newly named blinked. "Minnie?" Yet she smiled.
"It's nice." said Mickey softly, nervously twiddling his thumbs. "I mean...if you like it..."
"And I do!" Minerva, now Minnie, giggled, holding her hands together. "It's cute! I've never had a nickname before!"
"So whaddya say, Minnie?" Goofy asked, smiling cheerfully. "You wanna join us, and head on to Camelot?"
She looked at all of them carefully, debating, and then held another happy face. "If you all insist!"
"I'll show you to the carriage!" Pete announced, roughly grabbing Minnie's small hand and more or less dragging her along. She stumbled along, but managed to find her footing.
As the others followed, Donald nudged Mickey in the ribs with his elbow. "So you abandon us for a pretty girl?"
Mickey's cheeks tinted with pink, and he cleared his throat before speaking. "N-no, no...I...well...I heard her sing, and...well..." he trailed off, knowing he sounded terribly foolish.
"Someone's got a sweetheart." Daisy giggled, elbowing his other rib.
"You've got it all wrong!" Mickey yelped, trying to get their limbs away. "She's not my...I wouldn't...it's just that..." He swallowed hard, trying to explain. Luckily for him, Pete and Minnie were too far away to hear any of this. "She's a nice girl, and I'm always glad to have new friends join us...but that's just it, nothing more."
The ducks looked at each other, and shook their heads.
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Mickey pouted.
The ducks said nothing, and whistled as they walked faster to the carriage. The squire looked pleadingly to Pluto and Goofy, but both dogs just shrugged. He sighed, and looked ahead, to see the delicate Minnie climb into the carriage. He took a deep breath, and headed for his horse.
There was no way he would say he was in love.
End Of Chapter Six.