CHAPTER 13
"Wait a minute," Aladdin spoke up. "If Cinderella can take away power, can she give it back?"
"I think so," Eric replied uncertainly.
"Well, let's test it then," Aladdin said. "Cindy, give Eric back his power." Everyone gasped. "It's the only way to prove that she really does have the power. If it wasn't passed on to her, I'd like to know before we face the witch again," Aladdin explained.
"But giving power must be different from taking it away," Phil pointed out.
"I know," Aladdin admitted. "But this would be the safest way to see if she even has the power at all."
Eric nodded reluctantly. "I guess you're right." He turned to Cinderella. "Are you ready?"
She swallowed. "As ready as I'll ever be," she answered shakily.
Eric nodded again, then closed his eyes. "Ok, go."
Cinderella closed her eyes, and trusted her instincts. Muttering a few words of the fairy language that she didn't know she knew, she snapped her fingers toward Eric.
After a moment, Aladdin spoke up. "Did it work?"
Eric shrugged. "I do feel different. Almost like… wait a minute." Focusing on a nearby rock, he easily lifted it with his mind. He chuckled. "It's back! Not as strong, but it would have been like that anyway. There's only me controlling it now."
"Do you want me to try making it stronger?" Cinderella asked him.
Eric shook his head. "It's strong enough. If it were more, I might not be able to control it."
"But what if we need that additional strength to defeat her?" Cinderella asked.
Eric thought for a minute. "Could you give me a mind block? If I could prevent her from entering my mind again, that's all the strength I would need."
"I'll try," she said. Focusing on his mind, she snapped her fingers toward him again. "Did that work?"
"Well, I feel stronger, more alert, more to myself. Good gracious, girl, you made me stronger than I ever was with the witch!" Eric exclaimed happily. Cinderella smiled in relief.
Aladdin pointed out," That's because you're in control now, not her."
"This is great and all," Phil spoke up, "but like I said, giving someone power is bound to be different from taking it away."
Aladdin shrugged. "We can test that too. Cinderella, you have my full permission to take my powers away."
"But what if I can't give it back?" Cinderella asked.
"You can," he assured her. "Just try it. Once you get used to it, it will be easier. Trust me."
"Ok," she said uncertainly. Then closing her eyes again, she muttered a few more words and snapped towards herself. "Did it work?"
Aladdin winced. "I guess so. I can't transform. "
"Now give it back!" Phil exclaimed, suddenly afraid for his brother. Nodding, Cinderella performed the same thing she had done with Eric, with only a few words different.
"How's that?" she asked nervously.
Aladdin immediately turned himself into a cat. "Meow," he said, smiling. Everyone laughed, and Aladdin changed back to normal.
"All right, enough fun and games. Let's go fight the witch," Aladdin announced.
"No," Cinderella said.
Everyone looked at her, shocked. "What?" Phil asked.
"I want to find Jim first," she explained. "He may need our help."
"But we don't even know where Jim is," Kida reminded her.
"Really, we'll have just as much trouble finding the witch," Pocahontas pointed out.
"She's got a point," Phil agreed.
Kida sighed. "I guess so."
"Eric," Aladdin spoke up, "I saw the way you found my family in the woods. Could you find Jim the same way?"
"I think so." Eric closed his eyes and searched with his mind. They all stood there for about ten minutes, waiting. Then, finally, Eric exclaimed, "I see him! He's at a secret military base, and he's not ok."
"What's wrong with him?" Pocahontas asked worriedly.
"They've locked him somewhere where he can't transform. Then they've tortured him until his instincts have taken over. He's turning into a human animal, and he can't survive long like that."
"How long does he have?" Shang asked.
"Not long," Eric told him.
A fire began to burn in Cinderella's eyes. "Where's the base? We're going."
Eric winced. "By the time we get there, it will be too late," he told her.
"Are there any streams nearby?" Kida asked suddenly.
Eric was surprised. "A few, I think."
"Show me," Kida demanded.
"I don't have a map," Eric said.
Kida looked at him like he was stupid. "Draw one in the sand, genius."
"Oh, right!" Eric knelt down and drew a map on the ground. "Here's the base. It's deep in the mountains. There's a stream running very close by, here."
Kida nodded. "That's where we'll go in, then," she announced.
"You mean a whirlpool?" Phil asked. "Kida nodded. "All right!" he whooped. "I've always wanted to try one of those!"
"What's a whirlpool? Eric asked.
"It's like a transporter from one stream to another," Aladdin explained.
"We'll likely need two horses to carry all of us when we arrive," Kida pointed out.
Shang nodded in agreement, then turned to his daughter. "Pocahontas, I need you to stay here in your tree and watch the forest. Under no circumstances are you to let yourself be seen. Understood?"
Pocahontas nodded. "Yes, Father."
Shang smiled at her. "Be safe," he said, hugging her.
"Be careful," she replied.
Then they set off to the stream where Kida prepared a whirlpool. "Everybody hang tight, here we go!" Kida exclaimed. They all huddled close together as the swirling water surrounded them.
Pocahontas watched until they were gone, then headed to her tree to keep watch.