Chapter 107: Taking Fantasia : Sky and Sea

"Ariel! Ariel hold on!" Eric pushed through the ocean, John Smith and David behind. Arms digging over waves, he made for Ariel as mermaids darted undertow. Lifting his magical steering wheel, Eric turned. "Heads up!"

The ocean sucked then bulged, spinning Ariel and Ursula upside down and back again. Ariel tumbled between Ursula's tentacles, kicking water and pawing sand until she was free. Through the waves, she saw the mermaids dodging sharks to attack Eric, John, and David. As Lana seized Eric's leg, she forgot the trident. She swam to help.

Ursula stabbed the trident. The golden shaft whizzed over Ariel's eyes. The electricity buzzed across the trident's teeth and sparkled into the current.

"Get up!" Flounder burrowed her shoulder as Marlin and Nemo charged the sea witch. Sand billowed under Ursula's tentacles, clouding the water. "Ariel! Ariel! Get up! Whoa!"

Ariel pushed, head flipping from the ocean. Droplets sprayed as she slammed into Ursula, arms taught and back arched.

Electricity scorched the ocean. Ariel jerked, stabbing her knee into Ursula's belly but the seawitch was stronger.

"Wretched little urchin!"

Eric yelled as Ursula blasted Ariel with the trident. Forced underwater, Ariel grabbed the shaft. The golden head shot through the shimmering surface. The teeth, aimed for her throat, just missed, but stuck into the sand at either side of her neck. Ariel thrashed. Her neck hit the trident's teeth. Seizing the shaft, she pulled. Her chin hit the arch connecting the teeth. Head buzzing, she pushed up. Ursula shoved. The trident hit her windpipe. She was pinned. Trapped.

"Die. Under the sea." Ursula growled. Electricity sizzled down the shaft, reflecting against her seashell necklace. Eyes burning, she willed the electricity down the trident at Ariel. "Time to turn you into sea foam and shark bait!"

"NOT MY GIRL YOU DON'T!"

Ursula turned. She flinched, not having time to react as Peter flashed overhead and Jim's boot cracked between her eyes. The trident snapped away, cutting Ariel's chin and spraying electricity into rising breakers.

Jim crashed, sinking waist deep before lunging for Ariel. Eric was ahead of him, magical steering wheel disregarded as he lifted Ariel's arm over his shoulders.

"The trident!" Although he loathed to leave Ariel in Eric's arms, Jim changed direction. Mermaids encircling, he plunged an arm underwater, reaching for the golden glow. The second Jim touched the trident, his fingers buzzed. The vibrations pulverized bones as he lifted the trident. "Pan! Pan! The trident! Get the trident to Ariel before – "

"You!"

Jim shouted. Peter swerved, dodging Ursula's tentacles as she ripped both Jim and the trident into the air.

"You pitiful!" Ursula swung the trident, covering Jim in a golden, electric blaze. "You pitiful, insignificant fool!"

Energy exploded from the trident. Jim hurled senselessly as Ursula threw both he and ocean, covering the shore in a giant tidal wave. The water crashed in then pulled out, yanking students into mermaid hands.

"Rat Tail!" Peter yelled, scanning shore. Students scattered, running from the turbulent water only to be met by shadows and dragon fire. Skimming the battle scene, Peter dove underwater and through fire, searching. But Jim was nowhere in sight.

"Peter!"

Peter turned, hovering in air. The shore was black, charred by fire, but softened to mucus under Ursula's tide. In the center, slipping across the current, was Mulan. Several students were with her, armed but bent in pain.

"Peter! Peter! Get down here!"

Peter dove. Shadows sprung into his face. Bursting through them unharmed, Peter suddenly remember the thimble. And Wendy.

"Plan's backfired!" Mulan yelled. She took Peter's arm, clinging against the ocean current. Glancing at her huddling troop, Mulan dug her sword into the shifting sand. "Where's Hawkins?"

Peter held out a second arm. Shoulder straining, he held Rapunzel against the tide. "Gone! I couldn't find him. He got the trident, but Ursula reached him before I could – "

"Duck!" Flynn roared. "Everyone underwater!"

Peter looked up. He and Mulan plunged as Maleficent swooped, blasting them with fire. Flames covered the water over their heads, igniting the white waves.

To his left, Merida blew bubbles, trying to sink deeper as her hair floated towards the surface. Suddenly she jerked, and Robin screamed incoherently as Cordelia and Limpet pulled Merida out to sea. Releasing Mulan, Peter kicked, swimming ahead of Robin. But Merida, trolling only long enough to reach an arrow, gouged the head into Limpet's tail. Robin, swimming within range, skewered Cordelia in kind.

Another tidal wave hit. Peter tumbled over Robin as the current drove them over the shore and against the forest outskirts. Spluttering, Peter seized a tree as Ursula pulled the water back. His fingers slipped over the trunk as Maleficent lead the villains across the soggy shore.

"Fire! Pirates! Shadows! And water!" Half turning, Flynn threw his frying pan. It somersaulted before Phillip caught it and broke a pirate's skull. Sprinting across the receding tide, Flynn ran to Phillip's aid. "Anyone other than me understand the definition of insanity!?"

"Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."

Gruffly Mulan rose. Cradling a water-clogged Mushu, she surveyed the battle.

Students not licked by fire, chased by water, or hunted by shadows fought to save those that were. Hercules had dropped back, carrying the wounded to Nani, Kida, Anna, and Rapunzel where they could not be healed quickly enough. Phillip lead the fight against Maleficent, but his chest shook with every blow. Half of Merida's and Robin's arrows floated in the sea. Aladdin and Genie soared with the pixies into swarms of bullets. Ariel sprinted over and over into the ocean, only to be driven back by Ursula's waves. And Wendy, pushed with Facilier to higher ground, was lost under the shadows.

Mulan lowered her sword. "We have to retreat."

Peter stared. As a tidal wave covered the moon, he leapt into the air. "No!"

"Peter!" Mulan cried, clutching Mushu to her chest. Grasping the tree, she wrapped both legs around the trunk as the tidal wave rushed over her head. "Pe –"

Peter exploded through the air. Flying under the curling wave, he blazed across the battlefield. The wave crashed into the forest, uprooting trees and shredding the earth. Mermaids darted in and out of the wreckage, yanking students from their hiding places and trying to drown them before the sharks came to the rescue.

Peter pressed arms to his side. He flew like a missile over the water, charging for the shadows.

"Not my girl…" he growled, inspired by Jim's cry for Ariel. Fists clenched against the silver thimble, he plunged into the shadows. "Not my girl you don't – ah!"

Lana leapt from the water. Her fingernails scratched across Peter's face, breaking the skin and digging in to the corners of his eyes.

Holding his face, Peter fell from the sky. He slammed over the capsized Jolly Rodger, across the keel, and down into the raging sea –

Smack!

"Ice?"

Peter lifted his cheek. He looked down. His blood swirled over ice. Ice smooth as glass, thick as fog, and cold as night.

"Elsa?" Peter shot into the air. Following the ice, he found her. Caged but alive. Seizing a dagger from the first pirate that Hans threw at him, Peter attacked. "ELSA!"

Mulan heard Peter's cry, even underwater. Kicking against the current and wrenching herself up the tree, Mulan searched the skies.

"There!" Mulan yelled. Raising her sword, Mulan screamed for her army to attack as Peter dropped Elsa into the ocean. "The snow queen! The snow queen! We've found the snow queen!"

Elsa fell like a icicle diving to the earth. Glimmering, white, straight, and deadly. And when she struck the ocean, the tides turned.

Ice splintered from Elsa's fingertips, spitting through the water and crackling into the waves. The salty water sparkled with Elsa's magic before freezing.

Silence.

The moonlight shimmered over the frozen ocean like a diamond crust.

Elsa lifted her head.

"Let it go." she whispered in a single, frosty breath.

Mulan raised her sword. Those with and without weapons followed. Peter charged into the sky, the pixies following in a sparkling tail. Ariel sprinted across the ice. Flounder, Nemo, Marlin, Dori, Bruce, Anchor, and Chum streaked beneath her pounding feet. Elsa raised her palms, flinging ice crystals into Maleficent's flames. Wendy gasped, pushing once more against the shadows as the students fought for Fantasia.

And it was an uproarious fight. Villains clashed against students amidst raging elements. Small victories were won when best friends were saved. But the battle was ultimately a war that in their hearts, the students knew they could not win.

Because the shadows were too strong.

The villains…knew it too.

"Kill the shadow worker!" Captain Hook shrieked. Hook wet with blood, he charged under Maleficent's fire. "Scar! Maleficent! Cover me, mates! If we have the shadows – we have Fantasia! Let me finish what I should have a long Autumnal equinox ago!"

Peter heard the order. Screaming, he dove after Hook, only to be met with dragon fire. Relentlessly, Peter advanced. Swerving through every nook, every precarious opening, he made for Wendy.

"No!"

Exploding through white flames, Peter attacked Captain Hook. Eyes black and burning, he pushed the pirate away from Wendy. Hook responded, twisting Peter easily as a dragon twisting its tail. Eyes blood red, the pirate captain fought the flying boy in love with the shadow worker.

Wendy, blinded by shadows, seemed to sense Peter Pan. Strength bolstered, she screamed thrusting Facilier's shadows in to the sky. The shadows razed across the stars before hissing across the frozen ocean.

Ariel dropped, sliding under the shadows.

"Ariel!" Eric yelled, slipping across the ice. "Ariel! Ursula! Look out!"

Ariel turned, kicking and rolling as Ursula showered her in electricity. The ice broke, lifting and caving enormous slabs around her.

"I've had – " Ursula roared, aiming the trident as Ariel scampered over the ice. " – just about enough of you little mermaid!"

"Elsa!" Eric screamed, turning his wheel. "Elsa! The ice!"

Ariel didn't think. Releasing the ice, she jumped. Eric turned the wheel twice, disorienting the seawitch, and spinning Ariel between sea and sky. Ice shot from Elsa's hands, sweeping under Ariel and lifting her into the air.

Ariel dropped. Twisting like a cat, she seized Ursula's seashell necklace. She hit the ice. The chain stiffened. Then, twisting the chain, Ariel yanked.

Ursula screamed. Chocked, she flailed, one hand grasping the chain.

With all her might, Ariel pulled. Then, tears streaming inexplicably from her eyes, she reached…

…and seized the trident.

Water and ice crashed into the shore as the trident's magic swelled between Ariel and the seawitch. The magic sizzled over the ice, throwing Eric and cracking his steering wheel apart.

Ice crunched over the sand and in the trees as fire blazed, shadows screamed, and Jim Hawkins slowly opened his eyes.

"Jim! Jim! Jim wake up!"

"John?" Jim gasped. Forehead bleeding, he stared at the battlefield. "What's – is that Elsa? They got Elsa!"

"We're still losing!" John cried. He gestured. Simba, Eilonwy, and Megara crouched behind him. "I found the second stars! I found them all! Jim! The pirates are going to kill Wendy! The villains are going to kill everybody! What do we do?"

Jim scanned the battlefield. His heart ached. He couldn't find Ariel.

Looking to the Second Stars, Jim swallowed his fear. "We've got to stop the shadows. The villains want to take Fantasia with shadows. Just like before when magic went bad."

"The Wishing Star is screaming!" Simba whimpered. He puffed his chest, trying to look brave. "It's in pain! It keeps asking to be put back together!"

"And the shadows – the souls – are laughing." Meg clutched her head. "They're hungry. But confused – too many shadow workers. Too many commands."

"Where are they coming from?" John asked. "You said they were coming from Petrified Forest? But…how? I thought they were coming from the Wishing Star."

"There's a portal." Meg rubbed her temples, concentrating. She trembled as John took her shoulders. "There's a portal…a pathway. Like a hallway connecting two doors."

Eilonwy's eyes widened. "The cauldron. The Black Cauldron?" Terrified, she looked at Jim. "I left my cauldron in Petrified Forest. Could…could the Black Cauldron be…"

"…the portal!" Jim ripped out his map. Two green coordinates spread from the orb. One shot into the outer space. The other, disappeared into Petrified Forest.

Suddenly, something snapped. Loud as thunder. A giant wave, shifting between ice and water, raised over the shore.

"Move!" Jim yelled, running into the trees. Pulling the Second Stars he stumbled through the map's green line as ice slammed into the trees.

Stopping the shadows…mending the Wishing Star…saving Fantasia…it was a fool's quest, and Jim knew it.

But he was too hopeless to care.

sultal's note:

New Writer! Check out Dancer who loves Western's new story "Two Former Pirates" a cool new crossover!

Annnd...what has it been? Three weeks? If you haven't already seen on my profile page I am on clinical rotations... again. So, I am trying very hard to do weekend updates. Intermittently I post fan art and Taking Fantasia audios in my spare time if you are hungry for more of the story while I have to be in school.

Thanks for all the support. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

keep writing. please. keep writing.