Mr. Airall yawned loudly, and glanced around at his cheese shop. He held a broom, and silently swept all the cheese crumbs from under the bright red tables in his shop. He paused to look at his watch, and his tired eyes sprung out of his sockets in surprise. It was 11:55!- the latest Mr. Airall has stayed up in his shop. He quickly finished sweeping the floors and smiled up at his shop, all clean and sparkly. Suddenly, Dopey burst through the door, he howled in the air, crawling on his knees like a dog. Mr Airall jumped up two times his small dwarf size, and grumbled in distress at the sight he saw. Dopey brought in dirty snow, making his once-clean floors grimy all over again.
"Dopey!" Mr. Airall screeched, irritated and tired. "What did you do?"
Dopey stopped howling, and looked down at his mess. He smiled innocently at Mr. Airall; hoping he wouldn't get in trouble.
Suddenly, Doc rushed in, crunching the snow from under his shoes. "MR. AIRALL!" Doc yelped. "Have you seen Grumpy or Happy at all?"
Mr. Airall barley opened his eyes. "No..." He muttered, falling asleep on the spot, making Doc angry.
"THIS IS SERIOUS!" Doc spat, making Mr. Airall jump. "They've been out in the cold forever. They could be frozen! And it's all my fault..." Doc sighed, feeling immensely guilty. He stared at the ground for a while. Dopey whistled, standing up, and hugged Doc's side, trying to reassure him. Doc smiled up at Dopey. "Thanks Dopey."
Mr. Airall merely repeated himself. "Sorry, I haven't seen Grumpy nor Happy since this morning when Grumpy bought his daily cheeses. He hasn't been here since!"
Doc nodded slowly, knowing Mr. Airall was telling the truth. "Well, if you see any sight of them, please let us know."
Dopey and Doc left.
The snow crunched underneath Sneezy's black boots. "GRUMPY!" He screamed into the air, looking up everywhere. "HAPPY? Are either of you here?" He sneezed some snow out of the way, thinking that maybe Happy or Grumpy would be hiding under the snow.
Instead, Bashful was hiding under the snow. He peered up at Sneezy with big eyes. "I can't find em." Bashful sadly told him. Sneezy sighed.
"I can't either."
"Fellas, we looked all over Jollywood park..." Sleepy walked up behind them. "Let's go to the Queen's castle. Doc said if we couldn't find them here, we'd meet him up there."
Bashful and Sneezy both nodded, and ran towards Queen Delightful's castle where Doc and Dopey waited for the rest of them.
"Any luck?" Doc asked to Sneezy once they arrived.
"No," Sneezy responded.
Bashful walked up the Queen's tall, and very royal, golden castle door. "We have to warn her." Bashful said, trying to feel confident. He knocked on the door, waiting impatiently.
The door opened up gradually, setting sight of Lord Starchbottom, holding a very disapproving facial expression at the sight of Bashful. Bashful tried to enter the castle, but every time he'd try to get past Lord Starchbottom, Lord Starchy would get in front of Bashful, with the same annoyed expression.
Bashful narrowed his eyes, getting extremely grumpy. "Move it Bub! I-uh, WE- need to talk to Queen Delightful."
Lord Starchbottom didn't respond. He lifted one eyebrow, still glaring at Bashful, burning holes into Bashful's raw and bittery-pink face.
Bashful began to walk again, and Lord Starchbottom stood in front of Bashful again. Bashful grunted. "Starchy, we desperately NEED to let the Queen know about this, it's important...-"
"What? Hogging the Queen's attention and neglecting me is important? In what world? Besides, it's midnight. Go home and see her in the morning. I'm not letting any of you in."
Dopey whistled a bunch of angry phrases, pointing an aggressive finger at Lord Starchy.
"What is that dork saying?" Lord Starchbottom asked, getting annoyed.
Doc glanced over at Dopey. "Uh... well... I don't know how to put it into child-friendly words..."
"MOVE OVER STARCHY!" Sleepy yelled, causing a scene.
Lord Starchbottom scoffed. He smiled smugly.
"Bashful? Is that you?" A beautiful voice appeared from behind Starchy. Starchy turned around in shock.
"Queen Delightful, you're awake?" He stammered, awkwardly.
Queen Delightful walked up to the 5D and Starchy, smiling warmly at Bashful. She was wearing a pink, fuzzy robe. It was sparkly and had real gems sewed into the stitching. Bashful blushed at the Queen's pretty blonde hair and lovely deep brown eyes. He blushed at her soothing smile as well, getting locked her gaze, he almost felt like fainting. "He-hey Queen Delightful.~" He breathed, his heart fluttering.
Doc noticed Bashful falling in a trance and stormed up to Queen Delightful, anxious. "We need to talk! Happy and Grumpy got in a fight, and I technically caused it, but now Happy ran off crying! And Grumpy ran to find him- and now they're both lost! And now I don't know what to do! And now I'm freaking out! And now they could be... dead! And now I just need... a HUUUUUUGGGGG!" Doc babbled on and on, he felt like crying.
The Queen ran up to Doc, picking him up in her arms, and hugged him tightly. She then set him down, and bent down on one knee. "Now I need you to repeat all of that again, because the only thing I heard correctly was 'I just need a HUUUUUUUGGG!'."
Sneezy jumped to his friend's aid. "Happy and Grumpy got in a fight- and now they're missing!" He stated.
The Queen turned pale. She lifted her hand to her face in anguish. "Really? But... earlier today at the party...-"
"Yesterday your majesty." Starchbottom interrupted. "It's 12:13 right now..."
"Yesterday at the party- Happy told me everything was working great with him and Grumpy's teachings!"
"Well he lied." Doc sighed. "Oooh... its all my fault... I shouldn't of fought with Grumpy any longer than I did at the party. If I just let it go like Happy did, we wouldn't be in this mess."
Dopey whistled, sadly.
"No Doc, don't blame yourself." Sneezy said, touching Doc's shoulder. "No one is to blame."
Sleepy walked up to Queen Delightful. "Well, right now we just need to talk to someone super wise. Someone to help us with what to do. Someone who sees all!"
The Queen thought to herself for a bit, staring up at the sky. "Someone who sees all... someone who sees all... why does that sound familiar?"
Doc's mind sprung to life. "THE MAGIC MIRROR!" He shouted, startling Bashful a little. "Sorry Bash... but I know who "sees all". The magic mirror does! She's wise, smart, and probably knows EXACTLY where Grumpy and Happy are!"
The Queen smiled widely. "You're RIGHT! THAT'S where I heard that phrase." The Queen giggled a bit. "Alright, follow me, I'll lead all of you to the Magic Mirror!"
Everyone followed Queen Delightful, except for Starchy. He glared at Bashful with evil looking eyes. That Bashful... thinks he can give "GOOGLY-EYES" to the Queen and act like he's her "NUMBER ONE ROYAL HELPER". Ugh- what universe does he live in? I wish he never existed. Or at the very least would stay away from the Queen. I'M her adviser, NOT some skittish cowardly fool who somehow thinks he's better than everyone else.
Lord Starchbottom rolled his eyes at the innocent look Bashful always seemed to have painted on his face. Then Lord Starchy decided to follow the Queen with the others.
Queen Delightful lead the 5D and Lord Starchy into the room where the Magic Mirror usually stayed in. A long, velvety red carpet reached to the entryway all the way to the Magic Mirror herself. Different colored elegant flags, with unique symbols on the flags, were placed on the top of the back wall. Queen Delightful clapped twice, and lights turned on, like they were magic. The lights were blindingly bright, especially for the 5D, who were now feeling sleepier than ever. Moments before they felt awake, but now they felt like they would collapse in any second.
"Oh Magic Mirror! We need you for just a sec!" Queen Delightful chanted sweetly.
The Magic Mirror's golden face appeared, she smiled at Queen Delightful. "Oh hello Queen Delightful! What ever are you doing so late?"
Everyone's beady eyes glanced down at Doc. Doc looked at everyone with an inelegant stare, and eventually opened his mouth. "We lost Grumpy and Happy-" Doc told her, plainly.
The Magic Mirror hardly showed any sign of a reaction. She smiled a portentous grin. "I know that."
"WHAT?" Doc screamed, his teeth grinding. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WHERE ARE THEY?"
The Magic Mirror rolled her eyes. "Grumpy is safe, for what it seems right now; Happy, however, is locked somewhere secret. His heart is broken, not only from the icy cold, but also because he feels his true love hates him. Happy is stuck in denial until his true love admits the feelings Happy so rightfully deserves."
"'his true love'... Happy never talked about having a crush on someone. What are you talking about?" Doc rubbed his aching forehead, a huge migraine growing. "Does he have a crush on someone we don't know? Does he have a crush on the Queen?"
Bashful's attention flung at The Queen's direction when hearing Doc's last question.
"No.. no no, in fact, Happy loves someone who... well- Someone who's the least likely person you'd think he would, considering the strange personality difference and all." Magic Mirror laughed.
"Who is it then? Does Happy secretly love Lord Starchbottom?"
Starchbottom scrunched is nose in disgust. "What?" He asked, quite confused and weirded out.
"If you REALLY know where they are, just tell us!"
"Look-" The Mirror said, feeling sassy. "-I can't tell you exactly what's going on. I tell thing's with my own rules: I use rhymes and riddles, and you have to use your big brain of yours to figure this stuff out! I WILL tell you THIS though; The Glooms ARE part of Happy's disappearance."
"Of course! The Glooms." Sneezy said, adding emphasis on 'the Glooms' to show how much they despised them. "We have to go to their manor and stop this once and for all!" Sneezy shouted.
"Wait." The Mirror calmly said. "I know you all want to save your friends; and trust me, you will. But you can't now. Wait until morning. You need the energy and strength to fight off the Glooms. It's too late to go out now, you need sleep."
Sleepy, ironically lifted a tender fist. "I'm not tir...- zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..." He snored.
"Please listen to me." The Magic Mirror said with a sigh. "I really would like Happy and Grumpy back, despite Happy's annoying singing and Grumpy's sarcastic remarks, without them the 7D isn't... the 7D. Now go to bed, and quickly. It's almost 1:00 in the morning! You too, Queen Delightful."
The Queen nodded, smiling.
"Goodnight, 5D."
The Magic Mirror's face disappeared, dissolving slowly.
Bashful yawned. "Can we stay here and sleep? I don't have the energy to go home in the freezing weather. Also, sleeping at our cottage will only make me think of Happy and Grumpy more."
Dopey nodded, agreeing with Bashful 100%
"Ok." The Queen said. "Just this once. And Bashful- you can sleep with me if you'd like."
Bashful's eyes widened. "Oh really? Thats... wow... um..." He stumbled towards the Queen, feeling like fainting, both from the exciting thought of cuddling with the Queen and because he was extremely tired. Lord Starchbottom merely grunted, facing the opposite direction.
They all found different areas of the castle to relax and snooze it, gaining energy to save their friends in the morning.
THE NEXT DAY: MORNING
Grumpy's arms and legs felt stiff. He tried standing up, but hit his head on the bottom of the table. "OUCH!" He yelled, not realizing he was still in the Gloom's manor. He rubbed the top of his head. "Grrr... why does EVERYTHING have to HATE ME!"
Grumpy suddenly heard a feminine British voice. "Grim, was that you?"
Grumpy suddenly remembered what happened the day before. He held his mouth in shock, praying that Hilda nor Grim would dare to look under the table.
"What was me?" Grim asked, playing with a sock puppet.
Hilda stood up, staring into his beady black eyes. "Grim... put the puppet down."
Grim stared at the puppet and then looked up at his wife with big, sad eyes. "But my Hildy-Wildy, Mr. SockingTon didn't do anything! He just wants to play, don't you Mr. SockingTon?" Grim asked the sock puppet. Then, with his hand, Grim made the puppet talk in a fake childish voice. "Yeah I do!"
Hilda rolled her eyes. "I swear I heard someone Grim. I though I heard a very GRUMPY voice." Hilda turned towards the table, walking up to it, about to lift the tablecloth, until Grim jumped up next to Hilda.
"HILDA!" Grim shouted in Hilda's ear, making her jump. "Mr. SockingTon LOVES peanut butter n' jelly sandwiches!" Grim picked up a sandwich with his free hand and shoved the sandwich in Mr. SockingTon's 'mouth'. "See?" Grim said, squishing the peanut butter and jelly together, making the inside of Mr. SockingTon's mouth a gross purpleish-brown color. Hilda cringed at the sight and smell.
"EW! YUCKY-YUCK-YUCK!" Hilda screeched, throwing her arms in the air in a squeamish way. "STOP doing THAT GRIM!"
Grim just laughed at his poor wife's reaction.
Hilda rolled her eyes for what seemed like the tenth time this morning, and entered her bathroom. "I'M TAKING A SHOWER GRIM!" She yelled at him. "Once I'm done... we can visit that secret shed."
Secret shed? Grumpy thought to himself. Why does that sound familiar?
Grumpy looked down and found the notecard and dollar he stole from the Gloom's. He picked up both of them, but paid the most attention to the notecard, which had an address WITH secret shed written on it.
Could that have something to do with... Happy? Grumpy continued to think, he couldn't think in the cramped environment he was stuck in. He peeked out of his hiding place, only slightly, checking around his surroundings. Hilda was in the bathroom, merrily taking a shower, and Grim was playing with Mr. SockingTon, the crystal ball sat next to him, but thankfully wasn't awake. Grumpy cautiously slid out from under the table, softly tip-toeing towards the door. Grumpy was right at the door, but before he could silently turn the knob to make a run for it, the crystal ball lite up to life, startling Grumpy almost to death. Grumpy slyly, but not very skillfully, took cover from behind the dark purple couch Grim was laying on.
"Heya, Grim, why can't you trust atoms?" The crystal ball smirked, waiting for Grim to reply.
"Welllllll... I don't know... why?"
"Because they make up everything!"
Grim laughed loudly. "IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT AN ATOM IS!" Grim laughed, tears developed in his eyes he laughed so much. The crystal ball started laughing too, closing his eyes for a while.
Grumpy thought that would give him a chance to escape. He quickly stumbled toward the door, and swung the door open quickly, making a little bit too much noise. Grim and the crystal ball heard the door creak, and faced Grumpy, both faces filled with shock.
"The grouchy-dwarf has been here?" Grim quivered.
"THE WHOLE NIGHT?" The crystal ball shouted.
Grumpy's eyes widened, and he ran out, slamming the door behind him shut, rushing through the snowy hills to find the secret shed.
"GRIM! You GOTTA go after him!" The crystal ball yelped. "He could've over-heard you and Hildy's conversation about... you know... HAPPY!"
Grim shuddered at the thought of Grumpy saving Happy, them both skipping gleefully back to Jollywood to celebrate Christmas happily. Hilda's plan would be ruined! Hilda burst through the bathroom door, a light blue towel wrapped around her body and a smaller blue towel wrapped around her pink hair. "WHAT DID I OVERHEAR?" She shrieked.
Grim and the crystal ball winced at Hilda's face; she looked immensely angry, her eyebrows twitched, her pupils over-sized. Her eyes were like sharp knives cutting at her husband's throat. Thank God the crystal ball didn't have a throat.
Hilda slammed her fist angrily on the table the crystal ball sat on, he rolled a bit at the sudden force. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US ABOUT THIS!" Hilda screamed at the ball.
"L-l-l-look Hildy.. I-I-I had NO IDEA that Grumpy was..." The ball stammered, his eyes flinging in every direction. "Uh-ehh I was napping for... for energy and uh, um I didn't know you guys left the door unlocked otherwise I would've... uh,uhm..."
Hilda picked up the ball, glaring at him even harder.
"P-p-PLEASE don't drop me. I BEG OF YOU Hildy..." The ball said, glancing at the wooden floor. One little slip up, and if Hilda dropped him, he would smash into a million pieces, ending his life right then and there.
Hilda shook the ball, causing him to get very dizzy. "OOOH IF ONLY I COULD DROP YOU AND GET AWAY WITH IT, THAT WOULD BE A DREAM OF MINE!" She slammed the ball down on the table where he sat before, causing the ball to chip just barley. The crystal ball didn't say anything though. He knew if he did; Hilda would only hurt him more.
"AND YOU GRIM, GO GET HIM!" Hilda screamed, pointing outside at Grumpy's footprints.
"YES MA'AM!" Grim replied, saluting her. He rushed to his wooden magic broom, and started out to make it to the secret shed before Grumpy.
Hilda stormed up the stairs. "W-what about you?" The ball asked, skittishly.
"Oh, I'm just about to go, I JUST NEED TO GET DRESSED!" She yelled, clutching her fists at the ball.
"Yes, yes I agree!" The ball said, trying not to get into any more fighting. "Well, see ya later, Hildy!" He said, and his face disappeared in thin air.
Grumpy pounded at the metal door. Is this even it?
He re-read the notecard in his mind. Yep, this should be the place... Grumpy thought to himself.
"Happy?" Grumpy yelled at the door, hoping for an answer or a muffle or a scream OR SOMETHING- but nothing came out from the other side.
Grumpy wasn't real sure if this was the correct place or not, but he didn't care. It was obvious the Glooms didn't want him to be here for unexplained reasons, and it probably has to do with Happy, considering last year's plan the Glooms tried achieving. Taking over Jollywood by sucking the joy out of every dwarf during Christmas, and then taking over the castle. Of course it didn't work, Happy contained so much joy, the machine exploded everywhere. But Grumpy was afraid that now, since Happy was depressed, maybe the Glooms COULD take over the kingdom, especially if their plan worked.
And Grumpy wouldn't let that happen.
Grumpy walked back a few feet, and rammed into the door. The side lock broke off, and Grumpy fell, managing to enter the secret shed. He looked up, his heart breaking at what he saw.
Happy was chained down, his writs were burning red where the chains cut down. Happy looked up at Grumpy with weary eyes.
"Oh... Happy..." Grumpy muttered, starting to feel tears develop in his eyes as well.
Happy glanced at something behind Grumpy and opened his mouth in shock, unable to speak or point at the thing behind Grumpy. Grumpy slowly turned around, face to face with a towering, mad Hildy Gloom. Her teeth gritted together, grinding. "Hello... GRUMPSTER!" She snatched his arm and pulled him towards the cell where Happy was. Her nails cut into Grumpy's skin, making him yelp.
Grumpy pulled back with all his might, actually managing to break free from her grip. He started out for the door, but Grim flew in on his broom with his magic wand.
Grumpy was stuck in the middle of Grim and Hilda Gloom. Hilda grabbed him again. "LET GO OF ME! LET HAPPY FREE AS WELL!" Grumpy grunted, his arms hurting as Hilda squeezed them even harder.
Hilda Gloom threw Grumpy in the cell as well, Grumpy struggled in her grip, trying to stop her, but eventually gave up. "At least let Happy go! He's already been through enough!"
Hilda smiled smugly. She walked over to Happy and with the key, unlocked his chains, exchanging them from Happy's wrists and putting them onto Grumpy's instead. "You're right." She said. "Now have fun!" Hilda said in a sing-song voice, taking delight with their misery. She locked the cage door as well, and then ran out of the room, laughing manically.
"Happy I'm so so sorry..."
Happy was facing away from Grumpy, his eyes glued to the musky floor. Happy then looked straight into Grumpy's eyes, and it was a terrifying sight.
All hope was lost from Happy's eyes. Tears were on the edge of slipping down his face once again:
All the excitement from Christmas. Gone.
All the joy usually held in his smile. Gone.
All of it was replaced with fear.
And it was all Grumpy's fault.