Chapter 109: Taken Fantasia

Far distant, fathoms away, the Black Cauldron crumbled under Wart's sword. It shattered into black crystals, staining the blade. Demons wailed as the portal between heaven and earth collapsed. Sucking into itself, the portal evolved into a shrinking vacuum.

And as the tidal wave hit, everything pulled towards the vacuum. Shadows screamed through the water, clawing at students and villains before sweeping into the black vacuum. Jim felt the ocean change direction. Groaning, the current churned into a whirlpool. Wrenched apart from Silver, Jim sunk into the water. Helplessly, he swirled downwards with the students and villains as the whirlpool dropped into the portal.

And far distant, fathoms away, Ariel felt the currents. Like invisible strings threaded through her body, the ocean pulled. Bearing Ursula's weight, Ariel clutched both the trident and seawitch's chain as ice cut across her knees. The current increased and Ariel shook with the effort as Ursula's tentacles crept between her legs.

"Ariel!" Flounder spun by, Dori hanging hysterically on his fin. Frantically, Flounder pointed to the forest. "Ariel! Ariel! Look! Whoa!"

Gargling, Flounder and Dori dunked underwater. Lana swam over them, leading Monstro and the mermaids. "Help our side!" her beautiful voice chimed. "Drown everyone else in the whirlpool!"

Ariel gasped. Grip slipping over the trident, she turned.

The shore was black, even in the rising dawn. Treetops barely poked over the water. The forest had been cut at the knees by the tidal waves, but was armed to the teeth with villains and students, trying to escape the currents.

Ursula yanked the chain, tentacle squeezing Ariel's wrist. But still Ariel fought. Desperately holding ground, she searched the forest for Jim. But he was lost in the chaos. Mermaids sliced under the water, prying students from safety and throwing them into the tide. Lana lead the attack, wrestling Eric into the water as her sisters rescued villains from harm.

Tentacles covered Ariel's mouth as she opened it to scream. Adella and Cordelia carried Eric deeper into the whirlpool before attacking Adam, Belle, and Pocahontas. Eric floundered, kicking helplessly against the current. Ariel struggled against Ursula as Mulan and Tarzan dove after him, suspended from Tarzan's magical vine. Twisting like an eel, Eric reached for Mulan's hand.

Suddenly the Jolly Roger appeared. Heaved upright by the whirlpool, it bounded up and over the current before slamming back down. Tarzan seized Mulan as the ship crashed into the ocean and Eric disappeared under the hull.

"Too bad!"

The chain ripped from Ariel's palm, cutting across her hand. Fingers bleeding, she tried to keep hold to the trident as Ursula's tentacles advanced. Her hair caught the water as Ursula bent her backwards, forcing the trident tip into the sea. Magic bled from the golden teeth, swirling into the whirlpool. Surrounding the Jolly Roger like a golden net, the magic pulled the pirate ship from the black vacuum. Villains climbed onto the deck, and slowly steered from danger.

The villains were escaping. Ariel thrashed, desperately trying to break Ursula's grip. The trident glimmered, but the magical glow swelled as Ursula pushed her black incantations through the shaft. The ocean responded, obligating the seawitch like a slave lifting the villains onto the Jolly Roger. Captain Hook kicked from the sea spray, clawing over the bulwark. Barking a command, he ordered the sails to raise. And as the sails waved aside, Ariel saw that Captain Hook held Wendy.

Shadows groped at the hull and pulled at the keel. The Jolly Roger rocked as the demons tried to escape the vacuum churning within the whirlpool. Wendy fell with the tilt of the ship, ramming into Hook's legs. Captain Hook faltered and Wendy raised her magical needle. Twice she slashed at Captain Hook before sprinting to the helm. Seizing the wheel, she turned the ship towards the black portal. But as the bowsprit turned, the villains attacked. They threw her at the captain. Hook looped around her throat, Captain Hook dangled Wendy over the ocean. Strangled, Wendy held the hook. Below, the drowning demons squirmed.

Ariel screamed. Or, she tried. Ursula laughed at the sound, hollow as shells. Twisting Ariel's spine over her tentacles, Ursula ripped the trident from the Ariel.

"I've got bigger fish than you to kill! Starting with your father and ending with your prince charming!" Stabbing the trident into the sky, Ursula aimed for Ariel's voiceless throat. "SO MUCH FOR TRUE LOVE!"

"ARIEL! MOVE!"

Ariel turned. The current nearly ripped her head off. But as she turned, Eric appeared. Falling with the powerful current, slamming into Ariel, lifting his broken steering wheel, Eric gouged the splintered end through the seawitch.

Ursula roared. Blood spurted from her belly as lightning crackled from the trident. Ursula rolled backwards, catching Maleficent in an electric storm. Maleficent screamed, twitching and writhing as she fell into the ocean. The black water fumed over the dragon and seawitch like fire.

Currents, charged with magic, ruptured over Ariel as she dove. With neither a mermaid tail or mermaid fin, she swam against the whirlpool. Vicious as a shark and graceful as a seal Ariel Triton seized her golden trident. And with the magical power throbbing beneath her fingertips, she stabbed the trident into the sea.

The ocean attacked. Waves drove villains into the water. Tides snatched mermaids from the water and demons from the sky. Currents dragged Ursula, Monstro, and Maleficent deeper. And violent eddies spun the Jolly Roger into the whirlpool.

Eyes angry as the sea, Ariel stirred the trident, pulling the whirlpool. The current spun faster…faster….faster…

"No!" Captain Hook screamed. "No! No! Mates! Shan-Yu! Jafar! Mim! Ready the cannons! Aim them at that blasted little mermaid! The rest of you scrogs, man the oars! Or it's death to the lot of you through that black hole!"

"Too…late….can't…be…saved."

Hook turned. "You!"

Wendy gagged. Tilting his hook against her throat, Captain Hook raised his sword. "Say hello to your mother and father, Shadow Worker!"

"Codfish!"

Captain Hook screamed. He collapsed, hunched over his forearm as Wendy – and his bloody hook – fell into the whirlpool. The last thing he saw, before the Jolly Roger capsized, was Peter Pan: a smile on his face and bloody dagger in his hand.

Wendy crashed into the ocean. Immediately she sunk, the water pressure crushing her chest. The whirlpool churned inward, drawing her towards the portal.

Suddenly, she slowed. Wendy opened her eyes, trying to see. Two black arms hugged her waist, pushing her against the rushing water. Peter's shadow. The shadow looked up. It's face was washed transparent with water, but somehow Wendy knew. She knew that the shadow was afraid. Afraid of falling into the black hole.

Wendy lifted a hand. The current ripped it back. Painstakingly, she and the shadow dragged downward into the whirlpool.

Bubbles knifed overhead. Peter cut through the surface. Soaring with the current, he slammed into Wendy. Wendy screamed into the water as Peter's shadow slipped from her waist.

As they swirled with the whirlpool, Peter searched the water. In seconds they would turn a full circle, bypassing the forest. Then they would plunge. Down into the vortex. Into the demon's portal.

Peter clenched Wendy. They had one chance. One chance to grab something before – there!

Faintly, Peter saw Tarzan's vine. Flapping like fishing line in the breeze it threaded through the turbulent water, just out of reach. Peter kicked. He saw Flynn, Aladdin, and Mulan trying to extend the vine. Peter grit his teeth. And as he and Wendy curved by the vine, he kicked. He reached. He grabbed.

But the current was too enormous. Too strong.

Peter watched the vine disappear. Helplessly, Peter extended a hand as he and Wendy drifted away.

Suddenly a hand seized his wrist. Fingers springing to life, Peter grasped. He looked up. Between seconds he saw Jim Hawkins. Between seconds they made eye contact. Then, Jim kicked into the current, twisted, and swung Peter and Wendy away from him with the momentum.

Peter twirled backwards. Flynn and Aladdin lunged, dragging he and Wendy across the vine.

And Jim Hawkins descended into the whirlpool.

John Silver saw it. Sheltered by the treetops, a dark vulture hunched against the dawn, he saw it all. He saw the seawitch fall. He saw Ariel Triton capture the ocean with her trident and propel the tides. He saw the villains nearly escape. He saw the Jolly Roger tumble and turn until it was nothing but a bowsprit, pointing at the stars. He saw Peter Pan slash across the sky like a comet before slashing off the captain's hooked hand. He saw Wendy Darling fall into the ocean, and he saw the shadow and it's owner dive to save her. He saw the students of Fantasia risk their lives for each other.

And he saw Jim Hawkins give his life.

Instantly. Wholeheartedly.

Silver gazed into the dawn. Over the horizon.

Fantasia would be taken before the sunrise.

And…if he stayed…

…so would he. They would take him. Cage him. Erase what he cherished most. Freedom.

Silver closed his eyes. Then, he gazed into the Wishing Star.

"Rattle the stars you will."

Gently, Silver released the treetop. He plunged underwater as the stars, dawn, and unbounded freedom swirled into the whirlpool's darkness.

Far distant, and fathoms away, Ariel Triton churned her trident.

The whirlpool surged into the portal.

Demons, villains, whirlpool, and portal disappeared under the sea.

The sun rose.

And Fantasia…

…was taken.

sultal's note: thanks for all the comments and PMs. I too am sad the story is "almost over." BUT BUT BUT BUT there is a little bit to go yet folks. PROMISE - you guys know how I roll. Endings are not always straightforward with sultal (at least...I try to make them not to be).

In any case, we have a lot to resolve, namely relationships ifya know what I mean.

thanks guys.

keep writing.