[A/N: I think this is a record for chapter length for me. For some reason this chapter was pretty difficult. I think it could have been because I was sick when I started it. Its not that I don't like the movie that the chapter is based off of its that it's been a long time since I've seen it. Let's see we passed 50,000 words this chapter and are almost to 60,000. Anyway that's enough of my rambling. Enjoy the chapter! Oh, before I forget the wait time between chapters is going to get a little longer than usual because I have a new story I'm going to be posting. Its still Kingdom Hearts and I'm sure you'll recognize the main character.]
Crashing through a straw roof Juliet landed hard in a wooden chair followed by Akio and Clementine falling into chairs next to her. She brushed some of the straw from her hair and looked around the hut that they'd fallen into and saw a boy wearing a brown tunic who was rather scrawny with blonde hair and a tall old man with a sweeping beard and blue robes. Pulling the map from her back pocket she traced the route from La Cité des Cloches to the new world and saw a dot labeled 'Camelot'.
Clementine saw a tea cup in front of her and clapped happily. "I love tea. Two sugars please."
A little cup filled with sugar hopped over to Clementine's cup and lifted out two spoonfuls of sugar into it.
The old man in blue was coughing and waving stray bits of straw away. "Oh, well so you did drop in for tea after all. Oh, you are a bit late you know." He was looking more at the blonde boy then at Juliet and her group.
"Oh, I am?"
The old man had gotten up and was pouring tea into a kettle. "Now, my name is Merlin. Now come who are you my lad?"
The boy was more interested in looking at the whirring gadgets and gizmos in the house. "Oh, my name's Arthur, but everyone calls me Wart."
Merlin looked over at Juliet who looked like she wanted to say something. "And you don't need to tell me who you are young lady. You're Juliet and they are your companions Akio and Clementine."
Arthur was looking at an owl on a perch and went to poke at it. "What a perfect stuffed owl."
The owl looked quiet put off with this and fluffed himself up sputtering as he did so. "Stuffed?"
"And he talks!"
"And certainly a great deal better then you do." The owl flew over to Merlin to get away from Arthur.
"Now come now Archimedes I want you to meet the Wart." He handed Arthur a cup of tea while more tea cups waddled across the table towards Juliet, Akio, and Clementine.
Clementine looked quiet delighted by these magical acts and was clapping her hands like an overly enthusiastic child. "This magic is so much more entertaining than mine."
"Now you must forgive him he's only a boy." Merlin prompted Arthur to go forward to Archimedes bird house with the cup of tea.
"Boy? I see no boy." Archimedes took the tea and shut the door of his house.
Arthur looked a bit upset by this. "Oh, I'm sorry that I…."
"Oh, that's all right he's much too sensitive."
"Sensitive? Who? What, what?"
Arthur sat back down at the table beside Juliet. "How did you know that I would be….?"
"Dropping in? Well I happen to be a wizard." As Merlin was saying this he was pouring tea onto his beard and robes. "A soothsayer a prognosticator. I have the power to see into the future." Merlin seemed to be ignoring the wide eyed stare from Arthur and the adoring look he was getting from Clementine. "Centuries into the future! I've even been there; lad and I've seen all these things." He gestured to a model wooden train that was sitting on a bench. "They're only plans; small models of course. This for instance is a steam locomotive." Merlin took the train and put it on the table before pouring some tea into it.
Arthur was gazing at the locomotive in rapt interest and watched it bump into his tea cup before he picked it up and turned it around.
"That won't be invented for hundreds of years."
"Oh, you mean you can see anything before it happens?"
Akio had a skeptical look on his face. "What a load of bull. If he can see everything why didn't he know who-" He was silenced when Juliet clapped a hand over his mouth.
"Yes, everything!"
Upon hearing this Archimedes stuck his head out of his house. "Ah, ah ah everything Merlin?"
"Well, no not everything. I wasn't sure who to expect for tea."
Even with this being said both Arthur and Clementine were staring wide eyed at Merlin.
"But as you can see I figured the exact place." Merlin tapped Arthur smartly on the head with his cane.
Arthur was rubbing the bump on his head. "You are very clever, sir."
"Yes, well never mind the sir. Just plain Merlin will do. Now would you care for sugar?"
"Yes, I would. Please."
Merlin clapped his hands prompting the sugar jar to hop over from Clementine's cup towards Merlin's. "Manners manners guests first you know that." He waited until the jar had gone over to Arthur's cup. "Alright lad say when."
Arthur watched in interest as the jar ladled sugar out into his cup. "When."
The little jar then went over to Juliet's cup and poured only a few spoonfuls, but went it went over to Akio's cup he only shooed it away. Hopping away it turned to Merlin's cup.
"Have you had any schooling?"
Arthur was busy shoving cookies into his mouth, but still somehow could talk. "Oh, yes I'm training to be a squire. I'm learning the rules of combat and swordsmanship and jousting and horsemanship."
While Arthur was saying this Merlin had been pulling books of a shelf. "Oh yes yes that's very….I mean no no I mean a real education. Mathematics, history, geology, natural science, Latin, French." By this time his cup was overflowing with sugar. "When when blast it all when!"
Startled, the little jar stopped scooping and scurried away.
"Impudent piece of crockery." Using his beard Merlin swished away the extra sugar. "Boy, now you can't…." He went to sit down, but realized there was no chair behind him and beckoned for the chair to come forward. "You can't grow up without a decent education."
"I suppose not sir-Merlin."
Merlin opened a book and rubbed his glasses on his beard. "So, I am going to be your tutor."
Arthur got up and started to walk away only to grab another cookie. "I got to get back to the castle they'll want me in the kitchen."
"Well then very well we'll be on our way." With that Merlin got up from his chair and opened up a suitcase.
Juliet was watching now with the same attention that Arthur and Clementine had been giving Merlin when he began a spell. She could feel the chair that she was sitting on starting to move and quickly got up in time for it to move out from under her, shrink in size, and disappear into the suitcase.
The rest of the furnishings in the hut followed suit in shrinking and disappearing into the suitcase until the whole place had been cleared.
"What a way to pack." Arthur was looking around the bare hut.
Merlin chuckled as he started to walk over to the door. "Well, tell me my boy how else could you get all this stuff into one suitcase I'd like to know." He turned his attention to Juliet, Akio, and Clementine. "Well come on you three don't just stand there with your mouths open."
Akio looked over at Clementine whose mouth was indeed open and put a finger under her chin to close it. "A fly will get in if you keep your mouth open like that."
Arthur was following Merlin out the door. "I think it's wonderful."
"Yes it is, but don't you get any foolish ideas that magic will solve your problems. Because it won't." Merlin was prodding Arthur in the chest with his cane.
"But sir I don't have any problems."
"Everyone has problems the world is full of problems." As he said this Merlin shut the door on his beard. "Oh blast it all there you see what I mean?" Pulling hard the beard came loose only to wrap around Merlin's head and face. He put his cane into the beard and tried to unwrap himself only to have the beard poof back into his face.
Arthur was chuckling as he watched this.
"That's what life is like now. Everyone butting their heads against a brick wall. All muscle and no mentality. You want to be all muscle and no brain?"
Arthur was having a slightly problem keeping up with Merlin's long strides. "I don't have any muscle."
Merlin stopped walking and turned around to jab his cane back into Arthur's chest. "You don't? Well how do you move about?"
"Well I suppose I have a little."
"Aha there you see?"
Since Juliet was behind Arthur she noticed a rather scrawny wolf poking its head out of the brush its mouth open ready to take a bite out of Arthur's leg. She tapped sharply on the nose with the Keyblade.
"That's enough. Develop your brain knowledge, wisdom there's the real power. Learning that's the thing." Merlin followed by the Arthur hopped over a small gap in the trail while the wolf not to be deterred tried to jump after them.
Juliet saw the wolf again and plucked at Clementine's sleeve. "You think you could do something to get rid of him?"
Clementine cast a weak fire spell at the wolf nearly catching its tail on fire.
By this time Merlin was sliding down an embankment. "So first thing tomorrow we'll start a full schedule. We'll have eight hours a day. Six for school and two for study period."
Arthur was having a lot more difficulty getting down the embankment and slid down into a pool of water. "I don't have the time. I have page duties."
"Page duties, hah!"
The wolf was highly persistent and was now sliding down in the hopes of getting a bite of Arthur.
Merlin was hopping up a rocky cliff with Arthur trailing close behind. "There's got to be a shake up."
"Well, yes sir I suppose so." As Arthur said this he crawled over a large boulder knocking it loose from its fragile hold on the cliff side.
"How do you ever expect to amount to anything without an education? Even in these bumbling backwards medieval times you've got to know where you're going."
The wolf by this point had nearly gotten rolled over by the boulder and had fallen back into the river just narrowly missing getting hit in the head.
"So you've got to plan for the future boy. You've got to have a direction. By the by which direction is this castle of yours?"
"I think its north the other way."
Just as Clementine (who was at the back of the line) was making her way back down the mountain the wolf arrived. It was trying to catch its breath when it looked down and saw Arthur sliding back down.
It was night time by the time they reached a large looming castle. As Arthur entered the main hall he was bombarded by two dogs that were contently licking his face.
"Tyler, Tolbert off with yah." The speaker was a round man with a bushy red mustache. "Now look here Wart what's the big idea gallivanting off into the woods and worrying the living daylights out of everybody?"
"I'm sorry sir."
"Well sorry not enough. That's four demerits. Four hours extra kitchen duty. Report to the cook!"
"But sir I'd like you to meet-"
"Hop to it boy hop hop hop."
Arthur darted out of the room past another tall man with red hair who was eating some kind of meat and tossing the bones to the dogs.
"There you've got to keep a tight schedule around a big place like this. Need strict rules especially with small boys."
"And I most certainly agree," piped up Archimedes who was sitting on Merlin's hat.
The big red haired man turned his attention to Archimedes and Merlin. "Who are you?" He asked this first looking at the owl before he looked down at Merlin. "I mean who are you?"
"I am Merlin. And this is Archimedes a highly educated owl. And they are Juliet, Akio, and Clementine."
Upon hearing about an educated owl the big man burst into laughter. "Educated owl that's a good one. Say I know you've got him under a spell Marvin. You're a magician."
"The name is Merlin and I happen to be the world's most powerful wizard."
Still the big man continued to laugh. "Come off it man. Gadsoozkes."
"Then I shall demonstrate." Merlin raised his cane and began a spell. "Hickitus pickitus mickitus moe wind and snow swirl and blow!" Coming from the tip of the cane came a whirl of snow which covered the red haired man in it.
"What the devil are you up to?" He managed to say between shivers.
Merlin chuckled and twirled a bit of his mustache between his fingers. "That's what I call a wizard's blizzard."
"Hey Kay would you look at this. An indoor blizzard and in the month of July."
Kay only continued to eat. "So what?"
"All right Marvin turn it off I'm convinced."
"Alakazap!" With a clap of Merlin's hands the snow stopped falling.
The big man began brushing snow off himself while still shivering slightly. "I hope you don't go in for any of that black magic."
"Oh no no no never touched the stuff. My magic is used mainly for educational purposes." He beckoned for the suitcase to come forward so he could sit down on it. "In fact that's why I'm here. I've come to educate the Wart."
This caught the big man's attention. "Oh no you don't. I run this place and if you think you're going to fiddle with my schedule you better pack up your bag of tricks and be gone." He'd barley gotten this out of his mouth before Merlin disappeared with a poof. "Well by jove. Kay, he's gone."
"Good riddance."
"I'm gone, but then I'm not gone." Came Merlin's disembodied voice. "So if I do leave you can never be sure that I am gone can you?"
The big man was scratching his head in confusion. "Well, I must say you got me there Marvin. You win. You're welcome to stay."
There was another poof causing Merlin to reappear. "Thank you. You're very kind. Very generous I must say."
The big man clapped Merlin on the back. "Well, all we can offer is room and board. Times you know Marvin. We'll put you up in the northwest tower that's the guest room. It's a bit drafty in the winter, but in this blazing hot weather it's the best room in the house."
"Oh yes very lovely indeed."
"So just make yourself at home Marvin." As he watched Merlin walk up towards the entrance of the tower he turned his attention to Juliet, Akio, and Clementine. "As for you three I think it's only fitting that the lovely ladies take a room in the castle while you," he pointed at Akio "stay with Marvin."
Juliet had to think fast if she wanted to keep them together. "Actually, as gracious as your offer may be we need to keep him with us."
"Why?"
This wasn't going the way Juliet wanted it to, but luckily Clementine was a much better story teller then she was.
"Why? Because he's a servant." Clementine saw the man's eyebrow rise. "Yes, we're from Camelot's neighboring kingdom and you know we're actually related to royalty there."
"Really? How you related to the King?"
Clementine swallowed trying to think of more details to the story. "I'm the King's second cousin once removed and she's my niece."
Upon hearing this the big man was huffing and puffing as he led them back towards the castle. "Well, if you're related to the King then you should sleep in a place a bit more suitable for royalty."
Waiting until the big man was a bit further ahead Akio tapped Clementine on the shoulder. "That was some quick thinking, Clementine. I didn't think you had it in you to be honest."
"Gee, thanks for the bode of confidence."
That night when Juliet was laying in bed she found that she couldn't sleep. She sat up in bed and flipped the covers off making sure to stay quiet so she wouldn't wake Akio or Clementine. Slipping her shoes back on Juliet padded out of the room and into a dark hallway. As she made her way further down on the hall she didn't see a shadow coming and found herself face to face with Kay.
Kay couldn't see her through the darkness, but had his sword out. "Where are you hiding now you red eyed git?"
Red eyed git? I think I know who he's talking about. Quietly, Juliet slunk out from beneath Kay's swinging arms and made her way towards the direction that he'd come from. It didn't take long for Juliet to find her way back into the dining hall where she found Erik sitting at the table. "Erik, what are you doing here?"
Erik had been drinking from a bowl of soup and set it down when he saw Juliet. "Just checking on your progress which I must say is very poor indeed. You've still only managed to find one of the seven pure lights. Tut tut I thought you'd take this far more seriously, but here you are content in parading through the different worlds."
Juliet blushed through the darkness. "I'm not just parading around I am looking I just seem to have terrible luck."
"You know where they are. Why not go to those worlds only?" He watched her squirm under his gaze. "I don't mean to insult your methods, but they just don't make sense to me." Erik took another drink from the bowl before grimacing and putting it down. "Foul stuff really. Way too much meat, but it does alleviate one's hunger." He looked back over at Juliet. "You look terrible have you been sleeping and eating?"
"Not really. I've been more preoccupied with looking for the seven pure lights." She heard Erik tut under his breath.
Erik got up from the table, walked over to her, and leaned down so that they were eye to eye. "You should go back to bed."
"But I need to go look for the seven pure lights. Actually I think I'll go wake up Akio and Clementine so we can go look."
"No, you need to go to bed." One of Erik's fingers went forward and poked at Juliet's forehead. "Go back to sleep."
Juliet almost imminently felt herself become light headed. "What did you do?"
"Just made it easier for you to go to sleep."
The next morning when Juliet woke up she found herself alone in the room. "What happened last night? I remember seeing Erik, but how did I get back in my bed?" She heard someone yelling outside the room and poked her head out the window to see what looked like Kay on a horse holding a lance running towards a dummy that was also holding a lance. "Guess I should go check it out."
When she got down the stairs and out into the court yard Juliet found Akio and Clementine next to Arthur who was pumping at a lever that was causing the dummy's arm to move. "What's going on?"
Akio looked quiet board with the whole proceeding. "Apparently last night someone came by and said this year's tournament for something is going to decide who the King is." He leaned over and whispered to make sure Kay's Father wouldn't hear "and personally if Kay became King I'd get out of here as fast as I could."
At that moment Kay ran into the dummy's lance and was sent catapulting into the sky where he knocked into the tower that Merlin was in.
A man with a grey mustache wearing pink was helping Kay get back on his horse and had just handed him his helmet telling him that jousting was more scientific then he thought.
Later that afternoon Juliet was walking by the moat with Arthur and Merlin while Akio and Clementine were bringing up the rear.
"I'd do anything to go about on a great white charger slaying dragons and griffons and man eating giants." Arthur was saying this as he swung a big stick around.
"Well won't you?"
"No, I'm an orphan a knight must be a proper birth. I only hope I'm worthy to be Kay's squire. That's a big job too you know."
"Oh, yes indeed. I'd say most impossible. Now then when I said I could swim like a fish I really meant as a fish."
"You mean you can turn yourself into a fish?"
"Yes, after all I happen to be a wizard."
"Could you turn me into a fish?"
"Do you have an imagination? Can you imagine yourself as a fish?"
"Oh that's easy. I've done that lots of times."
"Well then I think my magic can do the rest." Merlin raised his hands with his sleeves billowing out. He tapped Arthur on the head several times trying to remember the spell. "Archimedes, what is that fish formula?"
Archimedes had been asleep on Merlin's hat and was rudely awoken by Merlin tapping him on the head. "Who? Who? What? What?"
"You know that Latin business."
"Fish? Latin? Aqualis, Aquaticus, Aqualatus." With saying that Archimedes flew off of Merlin's hat and into a nearby tree. "Now if you don't mind I say good day to the both of you if you please."
Merlin leaned in close so he could whisper to Arthur. "When he's out all night he's grumpy the next day."
"Then he must stay out every night."
It took Merlin a few seconds to get the joke. "Oh yes quiet right that's very good boy." He ignored Archimedes who'd woken up. "All right all set boy? Here we go." Merlin looked over at Clementine who was watching in interest. "Come now Clementine don't be shy. You're quiet good at magic why don't you give it a whirl?"
Clementine blushed a bit. "I guess I could give it a try. Juliet, Akio come here I want to try."
Juliet looked more than eager to help, but had to drag Akio along with her.
Copying the same spell that Merlin had used Clementine aimed it at Juliet and Akio and was more than a little surprised to see them disappear. "Did it work?" She walked over to where they'd been standing to find two little fish flopping about in the grass; one brown and the other black. "Oh my gosh it worked." Clementine was nearly dancing.
"You think you could put us in the water?" Juliet sounded like she was gasping for air.
"Oh right of course." Clementine leaned down and picked them up before dropping them in the moat.
Thanks to their previous knowledge of swimming in Atlantica it didn't take much for Juliet and Akio to get the hang of swimming as fish. Juliet quickly found Merlin and Arthur who were swimming through tall grass. She nipped at Akio's tail to get his attention. "Let's follow them I get the feeling there's something bad in this moat."
Akio swallowed hard. "Now you tell me after Clementine has changed us already." He ignored the second nip and started swimming towards the surface. "Well if you say there's something dangerous in this water then I want nothing to do with it."
Juliet wasn't going to let him go that easily and nipped at his tail a third time. "Come on Akio stay here and play with me."
"Fine, I'll stay down here and play."
She swam away and disappeared into the tall grass. "Chase me Akio."
Akio didn't look too interested in playing any kind of game, but begrudgingly swam after her. He nipped at her tail. "There, you're it. No tag backs games over."
"No, its not. I'll get Arthur and Merlin to play too." When Juliet swam over towards Arthur she was nearly knocked over by him. "Arthur, what's the hurry?" She looked back in the direction that he'd come from to see a pike swimming after him.
Arthur was in a full blown panic and dove up over the surface of the water with the pike hot in his trail. He jumped out of the water calling for Merlin thus waking up Archimedes who was still asleep in the tree.
Archimedes was still a little drowsy from his nap, but it didn't take him long to figure out that Arthur was in trouble and flew over to help.
Still trying to get away from the pike Arthur had gotten himself up onto a little piece of castle that was jutting out. As Arthur started to slip off Archimedes flew in and caught him in his beak only to have his foot caught in the pike's mouth.
They both fell back into the water with Archimedes struggling for air.
By this point Juliet and Akio had swam back over to the shore to find Clementine sending bolts of lightning magic at the big fish. She saw them and quickly cast the reverse spell to turn them back into humans. "I don't know if I should be doing this. I mean I could accidently electrocute someone that isn't the pike."
Luckily for Clementine she didn't have to cast any more magic because Archimedes came shooting out the water with Arthur in his beak.
A few seconds later Merlin emerged wearing a knight's helmet. "What's an infernal monster like that doing in the moat? By George I'll I'll I'll turn him into a minnow." Merlin was ready to do just that when he heard a voice call out to him and saw Arthur still flopping about in the grass. "There are you are boy. Snick snack snor."
There was a poof of air and Arthur had turned back into a boy.
"How in the world did you ever get out of that mess?"
"That big fish almost swallowed me and Archimedes he saved me."
Archimedes didn't exactly look like a conquering hero and was laying on his head backed up against a tree spitting out water. He was picked up by the toe by Merlin all the while sputtering. "I did nothing of the sort. I was planning to eat him. Young perch is my favorite dish. You know that."
Merlin only laughed and poked Arthur in the ribs. "Do you believe that Wart?"
Arthur was around to respond when he heard the big man calling for him. "Oh I've got to go thank you Merlin it was so much fun. And Archimedes thank you."
"Pin feathers boy."
Merlin waited until Arthur had gone off. "Now Archimedes why would you half drown yourself for a tid bit of fish?" He was wringing out his beard as he said this. "And after such a big breakfast."
"Pin feathers and gully fluff."
The next day Juliet woke up late again and rolled over when she heard someone knocking at her door. "Oh go away I'm trying to sleep."
"Come on Juliet, Merlin turned Arthur into a squirrel and I want to try it out on you and Akio."
Sitting up Juliet got out of bed and walked over to the door to pull it open. "I'm awake now."
Once they were in the forest it didn't take long for Clementine to perform the spell on Juliet and Akio to turn them into squirrels.
Juliet went up the tree first and was scurrying around until she locked eyes with a little blonde mail squirrel. "He's kinda cute." She went up to him completely unaware that Akio was giving her a dirty look. Juliet went up to the squirrel and plucked at his tail. "Hi."
The male squirrel gave a frightened squeak and pulled his tail out of her grip.
"Do you want to play?" Juliet was about to go after the squirrel who had bolted away when she felt Akio grab her tail. "What is it Akio? Can't you see I'm busy?"
"You can't just go gallivanting off with some squirrel you don't know."
The word gallivanting made Juliet think of Erik and she flushed bright red. "You have no right to say I've been gallivanting around the worlds when you've been doing it with me."
Akio cocked his head in confusion. "What are you talking about? I wasn't talking about that I was talking about how you go off gallivanting with other men."
Clementine could hear their argument from the base of the tree and sniggered to herself. "Ah, young loves quarrels."
Juliet heard this and quickly scampered down the tree trunk. "What did you mean by that?"
"Oh nothing."
Akio was staring down at Juliet when he noticed the blonde squirrel was doing the same thing. He gave the other squirrel a shooing gesture. "Go on get out of here."
The blonde squirrel needed no further prompting and quickly scurried away.
Looking back up the tree to the see the other squirrel disappear Clementine pointed up at where he'd been. "Looks like your boy toy got away Juliet." Continuing to look up at the spot she saw a hawk coming towards Akio and shouted up to him: "there's a hawk coming duck."
Akio heard this in time to crawl into a hole on the tree. He peeked his head out to see the hawk flying off looking for something else to eat. He crawled out the hole and down the trunk beside Juliet. "I didn't mean to snap, Juliet. I guess I'm just not used to having someone I like going off with someone else."
Juliet quirked an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? We're just friends. I mean if I thought of you as more of a friend I would-" She was cut off by the sound of Merlin's booming voice followed by a high pitched defiantly feminine shriek. "We should go find Merlin, but first Clementine do you think you could change us back?"
There was a poof and both Juliet and Akio had turned back into humans before going off in search of Merlin and Arthur.
When they got back to the castle there was another high pitched screech from the cook. "Ector, Ector, Sir Ector it's the kitchen."
The big man known as Ector had been sword fighting with Kay when the cook came in.
Ector was trying to get a word in edge wise while the cook was babbling on about dishes doing themselves when Kay hit him in the back of the head with his sword. Finally, Ector hit Kay on top of the head with his sword knocking him down. "Now, what's all the commotion?"
"Oh, the kitchen it's under an evil spell. It's bewitched."
"I bet it's that old goat Marvin. Come on son I knew he'd give us trouble." As Ector made his way down into the kitchen he found the dishes still soaping and washing themselves. "Gadzooks. Black magic of the worst kind." Ector began attacking the dishes with his sword only to have them ball over him. He was putting up a valiant fight against the dirty dishes, but was knocked over into the wash tub.
Kay like his Father was trying to fight off the dishes, but found himself bonked in the nose with a broom handle. He leaned down holding his nose only to be hit in the backside with another broom. He also found himself getting the mop wrapped around his head and was soon being used as the mop.
Merlin and Arthur came in just time to stop the dish's attack.
Ector was sitting in the bucket of soapy water holding his broken sword which he was pointing accusingly at Merlin. "There you are you old goat. What's the idea flinging your evil spells all over the place? Lend me a hand boy." He held his hand out while Kay lifted him up under the arm pits.
While doing this Kay lost his footing and fell face first into the bucket.
"Well what do you have to say for yourself?" Ector was spewing bubbles as he said this.
"You call washing dishes and sweeping floors a work of evil?"
"I'll decide what's right and wrong around here. Besides that's the Wart's job. One of his duties." Ector then turned his attention to Arthur. "Look here boy if you want to take that trip to London you better toe the line."
The cook had joined in too. "You old goat if I ever catch you in my kitchen again I'll…."
"Madam, you won't." There was a poof and Merlin had disappeared.
"Oh dear, he's gone."
Ector was also staring at the spot where Merlin had been standing. "Well by jove."
"We ought to run the old geezer right out of the castle." By this time Kay had gotten himself out of the bucket.
"No, no no no Kay. He might cast an evil spell on the lot of us." Ector had clapped a hand over Kay's mouth to quiet him. "Turn us all to stone. There's no telling what the old devil might do."
Arthur had come forward by this point. "He's not an old devil. He's good and his magic is good too if you'd just leave it alone."
"Now look here Wart that's three more demerits."
"Box his ears Dad."
"Just because you can't understand something it doesn't mean it's wrong."
"Ten more demerits."
"You make all the rules and no one else can say anything."
"You've said plenty boy. All the poppin off just cooked your goose. Kay, from now on young Hobbs is your squire. Hear that Wart? Hobbs is going to be Kay's squire."
"Yes sir."
Kay had a cruel smile on his face as he followed his Father out of the kitchen. "That will teach you to pop off you little pipsqueak." As a final gesture he cut the top off the mop's handle.
An unknown amount of time passed with Akio and Clementine trying to clean up the mess while Juliet tried to comfort Arthur. As this was going on Merlin was reappearing.
"I'm sorry lad. I spoiled everything. I know that trip to London meant a great deal to you."
"It's not your fault. I shouldn't have popped off. Now I'm really done for."
"No, no you've been a great sport boy. You can't go down now. It can only be up from here."
"I'd like to know how."
"Use your head." Merlin smartly hit Arthur on top of the head. "An education."
Arthur sighed heavily. "What good will that do?"
"Get it first. Then who knows. Are you willing to try?"
There was another sigh. "Well what have I got to lose?"
Merlin hopped up and clapped Arthur on the back. "That's the spirit we'll start tomorrow. We'll show them won't we boy?"
"We sure will." Arthur didn't sound too sure of himself.
The next day Juliet and Akio were staring out the window of Merlin's tower while Clementine listened with rapt attention to what Merlin was saying. However, the lesson took a turn with Archimedes taking over and Merlin was left to huff in his armchair.
"Archimedes, where is that flying machine model?"
"I'll have nothing to do with your futuristic fither fathle you know that."
Arthur was pointing at a model right above Merlin's head. "What's that thing up there?"
"Oh, oh yes of course here we are." Merlin reached up and pulled the model down from its string.
"You mean man will fly one of those someday?"
Archimedes was perched on Arthur's head and had a snarky comment. "If man were meant to fly he would have been born with wings."
"I am about to prove otherwise, Archimedes." As he said this Merlin was winding up the propeller of the model, but was getting his beard entangled in it. "If you care to watch." Taking a running start Merlin held the model out at arm's length. "There she goes." He tripped nearly falling out the window and watched in disappointment as the model still tangled in his beard began a downward spiral towards the moat.
"Man will fly all right. Just like a rock." Archimedes was laughing as he said this.
"It would have worked if it weren't for this infernal beard." Even while saying this Merlin wasn't getting any of Archimedes attention while the owl continued to hoot and laugh. While still listening to Archimedes's laughter Merlin sat down in his armchair and began to puff on his pipe. "Man will fly someday I tell you. I know I've been there. I have seen it."
Arthur was staring out the window now along with Juliet and Akio. "I do hope so. I've always dreamed about flying. That I was a bird and I could go sailing all over the sky high above everything."
Merlin looked over at Clementine and winked at her while gesturing at Juliet and Akio.
Clementine caught this and tip toed over to them while whispering the same spell as Merlin.
"It's my favorite dream, but I suppose everyone dreams of flying." When Arthur said this he wasn't aware that he'd been turned into a bird until he saw his wings. "I'm a bird I'm a bird I'm a bird." He frantically began flapping his wings in the attempt to get air born.
Juliet who was used to flying on her glider was also trying to flap her wings while Akio stayed firmly perched in the window sill.
Arthur had flown out the window although a little awkwardly until Merlin caught him.
"Not so fast boy. First I'd better explain the mechanics of a bird's wings." He grabbed onto Archimedes's wing and stretched it out. "Now, these large feathers are called the primaries."
"And since when do you know all about bird's wings?"
"I have made an extensive study of birds in flight and I-"
"If don't mind I happen to be a bird."
Merlin poked Archimedes in the chest. "All right mister know it all he's your pupil. In fact all three of them are yours now." He slammed Arthur down on the sill.
"Ouch."
"Now you three flying is not some crude mechanical process. It's a delicate art purely ascetic. Poetry of motion and the best way to learn it is to do it. Since we're pretty high up we'll start with a glide. Spread your wings."
Arthur spread his wings accordingly.
"Way out way out that's it. Now fan your tail. Tipety toe tipety toe and off we go."
Juliet almost had to drag Akio out of the window sill as she flew out. "Come on Akio it will be fun."
"I don't like flying when it's on your glider and I don't like flying now."
She rolled her eyes and picked up the pace to catch up with Arthur and Archimedes. "Honestly, Akio for as long as I've known you I've never seen you act like this much of a stick in the mud."
Akio flapped his wings a little harder to try and catch up with Juliet when he saw a hawk coming down towards them. "Juliet, hawk."
Luckily for Juliet she heard Akio, but when she tried to get out of the way she was hit round the head with the hawk's talons and ended up following Arthur in falling down on a chimney.
Flying a bit closer to the chimney Akio landed on top of it. He looked around the forest that they'd entered in time to see Antonia leaving the hut that the chimney was attached to. What's she doing here? Akio flew down a bit closer to Antonia's face only to get slapped away.
"Get out of here sparrow."
Akio flew back towards the window of the hut and peered in to see a squat woman wearing purple and pink with purple hair sitting at the table playing cards.
Inside the hut the woman could hear someone coughing. "Sounds like someone's sick. How lovely. I hope it's serious something dreadful." She turned her attention to the fireplace where she saw Arthur and Juliet sitting in the soot. "Oh bat gizzards its only scrawny little sparrows with beaks full of soot." She picked them up.
"Oh, I'm not really a sparrow I'm a boy."
"A boy?" She dropped them both. "And I suppose this little one is really a girl too."
"Merlin changed me with his magic he's the world's most powerful wizard."
Juliet shook soot off her feathers. "A friend of mine was practicing her magic and changed me. She's the world's most…..I don't know what."
"Merlin? Merlin? Merlin, the world's most powerful bungler. Why boy I've got my more magic in one little finger." She began to dance around twirling her skirt. "Now don't tell me you've never heard of the marvelous Madam Mim."
"Well, no I don't guess so."
From the window sill Archimedes was pulling Akio away. "Madam Mim? Oh good heavens."
Akio was having a bit of difficulty keeping up with Archimedes. "Who's Madam Mim?"
"Mim is a witch and she's full of all kinds of tricks. Come on boy hurry up we need to go tell Merlin."
Back in the cabin Mim was flouncing around. "Why boy I'm the greatest. I'm the truly marvelous. "
Juliet was feeling a little suspicious as she watched Mim suck the life out of a flower with a touch of finger. She nudged Arthur. "Don't you think we should get out of here?"
However, Arthur seemed much to interested in Mim's feats of magic to be paying any attention to Juliet.
After showing Arthur and Juliet her magic Mim had a look of triumph on her face. "Now what do you say? Who's the greatest?"
Arthur looked a bit sheepish. "Well Merlin's magic is always used for something good."
"And he must see something good in you."
"Oh, I suppose so."
"Yes, and in my book that's bad." Mim rushed over to the window and shut it. "So my boy I'm afraid I'll have to destroy you."
This caught Arthur off guard and he flew off the candle he'd been perched on. "Destroy me?"
"I'll give you a sporting chance. I'm mad about games you know." As she said this Mim had changed into a large purple cat. "Well get going boy you've got to keep on your toes in this game." She lunged forward with her paws splayed out.
The chase wasn't a terribly long one with Arthur flying around frantically until Mim caught one of his tail feathers in her claws pulling back before letting him go sailing beak first into a dart board.
Still in cat form Mim pulled Arthur loose. "I win I win. The games over."
Arthur pecked at Mim's nose turning her back into a human.
"Oh you little devil you. I'll wring your scrawny little neck." Mim was about to do just that when the door burst open to reveal Merlin.
"Mim. Mim, what the devil are you up to?"
Mim tried to look innocent sitting amongst the ruins of her house. "Merlin, you're just in time we were playing a little game."
Juliet flew up to Merlin's shoulder and whispered in his ear. "She was trying to destroy Arthur."
Mim heard Juliet and walked up to Merlin. "And just what are you going to do about it? Want to fight?" She started slapping Merlin's cheeks. "Want to have a wizard's duel?"
"As you wish Madam."
"Come on step outside."
"After you Madam."
As they entered the forest Arthur, Juliet, and Akio flew onto a tree branch with Clementine standing below them when Archimedes came down to join them.
"What's going on boy?"
"They're having a wizard's duel. What's that mean?"
"It's a battle of wits. The pairs change themselves into different things in the attempt to destroy one another."
"Destroy?"
"Just watch boy you'll get the idea."
Clementine looked up at Juliet and Akio. "Shall I change the two of you back?"
Juliet flew down so that she was eye level with Clementine. "That would probably be for the best. I don't trust Mim she seems really unpredictable."
With a poof from Clementine's hands both of them changed back into people.
Mim turned around only to get a face full of beard. "Now, if you don't mind I'll make the rules."
Archimedes didn't look or sound convinced. "Rules? She only wants to make the rules so she can break them."
"I'll take care of you later feather brain." She turned back to Merlin. "Rule one: no minerals or vegetables only animals. Rule two: no make believe like pink dragons and such. Rule three: no disappearing." She wriggled Merlin's nose when she said this. "Rule four: no summoning things that can help you."
"Rule five: no cheating."
"All right all right. Face off ten. One, two, three, four…." As Mim was saying this she disappeared, but right before she completely vanished she snapped her fingers causing a couple sloth moles and a pride elephant to spring up.
Juliet swore under her breath. "I knew it. I knew she was going to break the rules." She ran forward with Akio and Clementine bringing up the rear. All though it had been a while since they'd fought any wraiths it didn't take long for them to dispatch them.
Mim who had changed into a fox only sent out another slew of wraiths which were easily taken care of again.
It wasn't that she was feeling tired all ready (more frustrated in fact), but a thought had come to Juliet. "We should focus on the source not on the wraiths themselves. She can just summon more if we get rid of them."
Hearing this, but still being preoccupied with Merlin, Mim had to duck out of the way to avoid being struck in the head with the Keyblade. She chased Merlin into an overturned tree trunk before smacking her head on the end of it.
Clementine waited until she'd seen Merlin now in the form a caterpillar crawling out before sending a ball of fire magic into the tree. However, she didn't hear any kind of pained sound. "Maybe she's impervious to magic. I guess that would make sense since she is a witch."
Mim reemerged from the trunk as a chicken and jumped up to grab onto Merlin who was sent flying into the air, but when he came back down he squashed her since he'd turned into a walrus.
"Mim, Mim…?"
From beneath Merlin, Mim had changed into an elephant. She grasped Merlin in her trunk with a look of pure rage on her face. "You big blimp."
Thinking fast Merlin changed into a mouse and pulled a face at Mim who shrieked a dropped him. He continued to chase after Mim, but had to double back when she changed into a tiger.
Akio threw his disk at Mim hitting her square in the jaw.
She gave him a poisonous look and lunged, but wasn't able to get to far since Merlin had grabbed onto her tail ready to bite her.
There was a rattling sound as Mim changed herself into a rattlesnake. She went to swallow Merlin only to bite herself.
Merlin jumped down a hole quickly followed by Mim, but emerged from another hole in the nick of time and rolled a rock over the opening.
Of course Mim doesn't know the rock is there and hits her head hard on it.
Changing into a crab Merlin begins snapping at Mim who pops up and down sticking her tongue out as she does so. Finally Merlin catches something in his claw, but it's much too hard to be a snake neck.
Mim had changed into a rhino. "So, you want to play rough do yah?" She turned and began running towards a tree that was hanging over a ravine. "All right Merlin I'll smash you good."
Merlin jumped off of Mim's horn and down her back at the last minute right before Mim got stuck in the tree. "Here I come Mim. Ready or not." He changed from a crab to a goat and lowered his head before running as fast as he could at Mim.
"Merlin you wouldn't dare."
Apparently Merlin did dare because he ran straight into her and knocked the tree down into the ravine.
Thinking the fight was over Juliet lowered her Keyblade. "Well, that wasn't too hard. And she thought she was better than Merlin."
Merlin thought the fight was over too and started to walk away when fire started to bubble up from the ravine.
Coming up was a monstrous looking dragon.
"Now now Mim no dragons remember?"
"Did I say no purple dragons? Did I?" Every time her mouth opened a bit of fire would spurt out.
Merlin started to run off changing back into a mouse before disappearing down a hole.
Juliet ran over and smacked Mim in the snout when she leaned down to blow fire into the hole.
In response to this Mim blew fire at Juliet also catching her hair on fire.
Merlin came shooting up out of the hole blowing on his tail only to land in Mim's claws.
"I win I win."
Arthur was jumping up and down on his branch. "Oh that horrible old witch. I'll peck her eyes out."
When Mim opened her claws to finish the job she found them empty.
"He's gone."
"Disappeared."
All though Merlin had vanished his voice could still be heard. "Madam, I have not disappeared. I am very tiny. I'm a germ a rare disease I'm called malacanidum obterosis. And you caught me Mim."
"What?!"
"First you break out into spots. Followed by hot and cold flashes. Then violent sneezes."
Sure enough Mim sneezed hard sending fire out her nose. "Oh you sneaky old scoundrel." She threw herself down in frustration.
Juliet beckoned for Akio and Clementine to come over to her. "It looks like there's no point to staying here any longer. Mim is under control and there aren't any of the seven pure lights."
Quietly, they snuck off through the forest.
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