Lux In Tenebris Book III Embers of the Fallen

by Ari Lanning

The tragic Winter War, where the Allied Kingdoms of Arendelle, Corona, and the Southern Isles, defeated the Kingdom of Glowerhaven came at to great a cost. The Empress of All Evil, has returned, and with it the world has been shattered, and plunged into the chaos of the Everwinter. New heroes emerge to the epic battle between the fading Light, against the overwhelming Darkness.

6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

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Ariel didn't think she had ever made so many face palms in her life then she did because of Gaston LeGume. Standing next to her was the young girl Belle, who for her age was one of the most well-read girls she had ever met. At just sixteen she had read more books than Ariel had ever heard of, could speak Latin, and was getting pretty good at English, and German as well.

Belle seemed accustomed to Gaston's antics and she simply gazed at the stars, the only indication of her irritation was her puckered lips. Beast, the cursed creature that stood beside her, was pulling on his fur in frustration watching the brute of a man pull in total futility at the heavy iron bars that protected Paris' vast underground tunnels from the very thing they were trying to do.

After a jerky pull, Gaston lost his grip and fell backwards into the shallow water. "This is impossible!" he declared, hissing in frustration.

"Is he done now?" Belle asked as she looked at Ariel. All she could do was giggle as she nodded. Looking at Beast, Belle said, "My good sir, if you'd please do us the honor."

Stepping around Gaston, Beast walked over to the metal grate and with a simple pull ripped the entire grate and some of the mortared stone of the wall as well. "After you milady." he said and bowed with a flourish.

"Why thank you." Belle said smiling, as she lifted her dress and tied it so it would rest above her knees, preventing her dress from soaking up the water that was in the tunnel. Ariel did the same thing, and gave the Beast a good natured curtsy before she followed after Belle.

Growling as he stood and rung his shirt out, Gaston glared at the beast as he strutted past him. Looking up at the sky, Beast held out his foot, tripping him and causing him to fall face first into the water. "Watch your step now." The Beast snarled with a glint of mischief in his eyes.

Belle was beside herself with excitement because of the adventure they were on, it wasn't great and wide as she had dreamed it would be, in fact it was small and narrow but it was still an adventure. She lit a torch she had packed into her backpack and used it to light a second one, sending it down the line to be carried by the Beast. The tunnel was dark, damp and spooky, everything Belle thought it would be and she loved it!

Gaston motioned for the Beast to pass him when the tunnel widened into a mine. A murderous urge overcame him as he watched the Beast, but at the sight of Ariel's red hair before the monster, an unnatural feeling of peace replaced his urge. Gaston lit his own torch from his satchel, and as he followed behind everyone, he looked about confused. "Wait. Where are all the bones? I thought they were using these mines as an ossuary these days."

Belle led the way with a compass in her hand and glanced at Gaston, "That only just started a couple of years ago, Gaston." she said with an air of pride, "I remember reading an article by Police Lieutenant-General Alexandre Lenoir who promoted the idea; it was so fascinating. I doubt you are going to see any ossuary in these mines. Though we should avoid going near churches, by this time only they would've converted the mines under their property into mass graves."

"That's disturbing." Ariel whispered, as she found that the deeper they want the more frightened she became.

Belle grinned from ear-to-ear and looked at the red head. "Don't worry. The mines go on for a hundred – maybe even two hundred kilometers. No one really knows about them, even in this day and age, we're probably some of the only people down here."

Gaston wasn't as enthusiastic about the mines, the air was stale and the mine tunnels were cramped. "What do you mean 'this day and age'?" he asked finding her comment odd.

Groaning, Beast looked back at Gaston and said, "Did you not pay attention to anything she has been saying all afternoon and the majority of last night? This Paris is from just after the end of the Era of Darkness. Hundreds of years in the past."

"Oh I heard that." Gaston stated as he peered down a narrow passage way they passed by to his right and entered another narrow passage. "But, only an idiot or a woman would believe we traveled in time… Not even in those silly books she reads are there such half-witted tales."

Belle rolled her eyes and looked down at the compass, Norbert who was the true navigator for the group. He was not only making sure that they're going in the right direction to the Templar Tower, but remembering how to get back out as well.

"L'An two thousand four hundred and forty," she stated irritably, "Anno seven thousand six hundred and three, and Memoirs of the Twentieth Century. There. That's two books and a play that has time traveling in it."

Raising a finger, Ariel needed to correct some facts. "I do not think we traveled through time Belle. I think that different times have collided together; some from our past, some from our present, and maybe even some from our future."

The only sound for a while was the splashing of the water they were walking through as Belle thought about what Ariel had said. "Oh wouldn't that be amazing!" she said smiling, "I wonder what stories we could find in a word like that. We could discover a story long lost, or read something that hasn't even been printed yet. The possibilities are endless!"

A sudden blast of air came rushing past everyone without warning; its strength was so immense that it pushed Belle back into Ariel. She dropped her torch into the water, extinguishing it. Heavy splashes were heard coming towards them and Beast felt as if someone rushed pass him, even though he didn't see anyone enter his torch light. He turned sharply in the dark but the space was too small, his shoulder struck the side of the tunnel as he peered past Gaston into the darkness behind him. A muffled scream was heard in front of him, causing him to turn facing forward.

BOOM!

Beast's torch was knocked from his hand, he growled and looked back as Gaston's light was extinguished as well, plunging the entire tunnel into a deep darkness.

Beast felt someone, who he assumed was Ariel, fall back into him as flashes of light disoriented him. "Is everyone okay?" he asked, steading Ariel.

"I am fine." Ariel replied, finding her balance with Beast's help as Gaston grunted behind him.

"Belle?" Beast called out into the darkness. When he got no response, he felt cold fear descend upon him "Belle!"

"Wait!" Ariel cried trying to calm him as he struggled to get past her, "We need to stick together!" The Beast stopped struggling but was breathing heavily with panic. "Do you have another torch?" he asked shakily. A rustling sound was heard followed by four quick sparks before light flooded the tunnel, illuminating the area right before Ariel. Belle was nowhere to be seen. She was forcibly pushed aside as Beast barged passed her and splashed around in the shallow water screaming Belle's name hysterically. "Beast." Ariel said as she glanced behind her, "Beast!" she yelled trembling in fright.

The Beast stopped his hysterics long enough to glare at Ariel but then realized why she was trying to get his attention. "Where did that buffoon go?" he asked hoarsely.

"What's going on?" she whispered fearfully.

A plop-plop sound made her look down at the water. She leapt with a shriek when she saw bubbles at her feet. The Beast made his way to the bubbles and pulled out the compass that Belle must've dropped in the confusion. To Ariel's shock the compass sputtered and shouted, "About time!"

"Belle's compass is possessed!" Ariel shrieked. The light disappeared as Ariel hid behind the Beast. He grabbed it out of her trembling hands and held it close to the compass.

"What happened Norbert?!" he shouted fear giving way to anger.

"Wait, Norbert?" she asked peering around Beast at the compass, "You know a compass?"

Beast ignored her as the compass spit water out of its mouth, Norbert had to take a few deep breathes before he finally said, "There were a dozen or more. They came from some kind of hidden entrance."

Sniffing the air the Beast looked about in both directions in confusion and disgust. "This place smells of piss and garbage! I can't read their scent!"

Unable to smell the sweet scent of Belle, Beast was thrown into panic yet again; he frantically looked up and down the corridor and realized they were nearing an intersection. He rushed forward and stopped looking down all four directions.

"Gaston?!" Ariel called out as she made her way to the Beast and her only source of light.

She took the torch from his trembling hands, afraid that he might drop it. Roaring as loud as he could, Beast punched the side of a wall and watched it crumbled like sandstone. He paused and looked at the hole he made realizing that it led to another passageway. Ariel walked forward and held her torch into the new opening and saw that it was a dimly lit shaft.

"I guess we aren't the only ones down here." Ariel whispered.

Narrowing his eyes, Beast bared his teeth and claws. "Don't worry, we will be very soon."

"Wait!" she cried out trying to grab onto Beast as he charged down the passageway, but missed. Ariel huffed her bangs out of her face in frustration and gave chase. The Beast was simply too fast, she was losing sight of him trying to keep up. "Beast!" she shouted when she lost sight of him, "Beast! Beast stop! We should stick together!"

Ariel stopped and scowled "Of all the reckless, impulsive –" splashes of water cut her off.

With her ears attuned to the sound of water, she knelt down and placed her hand upon the surface of the water. Closing her eyes, she felt the vibrations in the water and focused on them while she clutched her seashell necklace with her other hand. It glowed faintly, allowing some of her Atlantean powers to kick in. She's forever indebted to her father for giving her the necklace. When she escaped her kingdom on land, leaving it in Morgana's vile hands, she went to her father, who gave her this gift to help her save her family. She was able to rescue Melody with it, even if it was for a short time.

She needed complete darkness for this to work, so she dropped the torch into the water and opened her eyes. They glowed a dull blue as she felt the Beast and at least ten others through the water's vibrations. No, there were eight now, two of the ten were being dragged away by the others. She stood and began running in the direction of the Beast, seeing everything around her perfectly.

When she reached him, he stood in the middle of a room full of different entrances, franticly looking in multiple directions. He turned to the sound of her running splashes and reared back at the sight of her glowing eyes. Ariel pointed at her necklace, "Mermaid, remember?" The Beast nodded his head as he watched her closely; she placed her hand in the water once more and said, "This way."

Ariel ran down a wide path with Beast close behind her, following the sound of the water for the people they perused. As they neared them, she felt them pick up their pace. Slowing, she quickly realized that the group that captured her friends was aware that they were being followed by the splashes she and the Beast were making. They reached an intersection; she looked around and decided to run in a new direction.

They were now running parallel to them; they still heard the splashing but the sound was now echoing from both directions. Holding up her hand, she slowed to a stop. The mermaid looked to the Beast and placed one finger to her lips. How do Mermaids hear underwater, you may ask? The same way humans do, but with a frequency range eighteen times wider.

The water slowly stilled and Ariel listened carefully, a smile crept onto her face as she heard them. They were close. She could tell they were confused by their whispering, wondering if they were still being followed.

She tilted her head when a female whispered, "Are you sure the other girl is human?"

Looking at Beast, Ariel pointed to the wall and held up her open hand. When she started folding her fingers in a countdown, it was all explanation the Beast needed. As soon as her last finger folded into her fist he lunged forcibly into the wall, ripping straight through it and bringing a part of the ceiling down.

The group on the other side was littered with bricks as the Beast tore through. They were too shell shocked to react properly and there was no hesitation from the Beast. As soon as the first kidnapper was in front of him, he back handed the man with such strength that he flew through the air and collided with the wall, knocking him out. Her pushed past a dark-haired girl that was holding a box, making it fly out of her hands and hit the low ceiling, obliterating it into dozens of splinters He turned and roared when he saw a man carrying Belle in his arms. He thrust his arm out, clamping the man's throat with his enormous paw. When the man dropped Belle in fear, Beast repeatedly smashed the man's head into the ceiling before finally throwing him down the tunnel. The man crashed through five assailants and didn't get up again.

The Beast roared in pain as a dagger slashed his back. He pivoted and faced his attacker; punching him so hard he killed him instantly. Ariel leapt through the hole the Beast had made and snatched a flickering light out of the air. When she landed in the water, she was crouched at the feet of one of the kidnappers, who brandished a knife at her. The Beast leapt towards him and tackled the man. He lifted him up and smashed him into the ceiling before crushing him into the floor.

He then threw the man down the tunnel. The Beast roared again and glared down both hallways to see that those who remained standing were fleeing in terror.

With the immediate danger gone, he ran over to Belle, who lay motionless in the water. Lifting her out of the water he held her close, and heaved a breath of relief at the sound of her heartbeat and her steady breath upon his fur. A quick glance around the tunnel had him realize that Gaston wasn't with them, but he didn't care.

Ariel clasped both hands together and thrust them into the water. She stood allowing the water to leak from her hands, when the majority of the water was gone; she opened her hands and smiled at what was sitting within. The beast held Belle close in his arms and watched in astonishment at what Ariel held in her hand as she approached him.

"That simply isn't possible." The Beast said, as he looked at the tiny object in Ariel's hand.

She examined the thing in her hands, searching for injuries and gave a sigh of relief when she saw that it was unharmed, upset that it was drenched in water, but completely unharmed.

"I am sorry my friend," she told it, "but you are not the first of your kind that I've encountered. That's the only way I know of to render you flightless." There was no response. "Now is not the time to play dumb, I know what a Water Never Fairy looks like." The fairy with beautiful long bluish-black hair, brown eyes, and a single-strapped blue lily dress with translucent wings on her back, looked up at her in surprise. "Why were you with those thugs?"

"She wasn't with those thugs." A woman's voice said before she coughed.

Both the Beast and Ariel turned to see the woman rising slowly from the water. She was slender beneath her dark cloak, with a dark olive complexion and long wavy black hair.

Setting Belle down gently the Beast quickly took hold of the woman by her cloak and lifted her into the air. "Where is my Rose you Arab!" he yelled as he shook her.

"Hold on!" Ariel yelled as she pulled on his cape. "She isn't an Arab! She's a Romani!"

After a tense moment of staring at the woman, the Beast looked back at Ariel. "How can you be so sure?"

"I helped make laws in my kingdom giving Romani's special status over other wanderers." she explained, "I worked with them for years. They are, for the most part, a decent people. Now put her down." she commanded sternly.

The Beast dropped her from his height and picked Belle up again. The woman fell to her knees and rubbed her shoulders, glaring at the Beast.

Standing on her own, the woman gave a nod at Ariel. "Thank you."

"What the hell is a Romani?" the Beast sneered as he sat with Belle still in his arms.

Ringing out her purple skirt, the woman he was about to kill replied, "We are just people. What the hell are you?" The Beast growled at her as Ariel answered form him.

"Beast."

"I know that," she said raising an eyebrow at the redhead, "but what kind of Beast?"

"That's his name." Ariel said simply as she looked down at the fairy who was now sitting with her arms crossed. "Why where we attacked?" Realizing someone was missing, Ariel looked around quickly. "Wait. Where is Gaston?"

The Romani began to curse under her breath in her people's native tongue.

"What is going on?" Ariel said looking at her, "Who are you?"

The woman looked at the fairy first as it jingled softy. "My name is Esmeralda." the woman said when she looked at Ariel again, "Neither I nor the fairy had anything to do with taking your friends." she held up her hands that were bound in shackles. "Because we are also prisoners!" Looking down at her neckless, Ariel hadn't even realized that her Atlantean abilities had faded and her sight was limited in the darkness again. "As for the tall handsome man with the dark hair; the group split up when they realized they were being followed."

"Why will she not wake!" The Beast demanded as he stroked Belle's hair.

"Dwale." Esmeralda sighed, "It will take a while to wear off."

It took a moment but Ariel realized what the woman was talking about. "Wait, you call Nightshade, Dwale?"

"You call Dwale, Nightshade?" the woman asked confused, then pursed her lips "Hmm. It does have a nice ring to it."

When the fairy jingled both woman looked down at her. Ariel looked at Esmeralda who simply shrugged her shoulders. "I thought you understood her?" she said frowning.

"I just guess most of the time." she said laughing.

Growling, the Beast glared at Ariel. "Will you stop talking and do something to help Belle!"

"There is nothing we can do," Ariel replied simply.

"She should be fine" Esmeralda said gently, seeing that he cared deeply for the woman, "it will wear off in about twenty minutes."

"Who are those men who attacked you?" Ariel asked.

After a long slow breath, Esmeralda set down on the ledge of the hole the Beast had made. "Townsfolk, City Guards, Soldiers, Mercenaries, even Roma." she said slowly, "All working for a man I thought died many years ago. Since the earthquakes, the entire city is in fear; no one knows what's going on. There have been sightings of imps, goblins, ghosts, demons, even witches. With all the royals missing, the city of Paris is in total chaos.

"As for why they captured your friend here," she gestured to Belle with her head, "it was to make it easier to takedown you down, big boy." The beast growled. "You gave them quite the scare when you found and tracked them so quickly. So they split up."

Blushing, Ariel clasped her neckless, "I guess we were lucky. But where would they take Gaston?"

Rubbing her shackled wrists, Esmeralda gave a sigh, "The –" She paused for a moment as if her thoughts had shifted. "The old Court of Miracles. That's where they are operating." Tucking her wet hair behind her ears, she looked at the fairy. "So how do you know my little friend here?"

"My father taught me all about the Never Fey." she said with a frustrated smile, "They are the Shepherds of the seasons and Guardians of the Kingdom Star."

Staring at the small little creature, the Beast was amazed at how beautiful it was.

"What is a Kingdoms Star?" he asked.

The Fairy jingled softy and looked to the Beast with a frown while Ariel stared at the fairy "The world." she whispered.

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Slowing to a stop, Elsa took a moment to catch her breath. The Steps of Dyrdal were not for the faint of heart, or for the Queen of Arendelle to climb. They were nothing more than stone lumps carved really close together, out of an ancient rock from a time long since forgotten. The only evidence of human influence was the countless petroglyphs along the cliff face. The view of the Songne fjord that was well over three hundred feet below her, was just as spectacular as the first time she navigated this dangerous walk.

"Everything okay Elsa?" Kristoff asked from just in front of her. There was no way to maneuver for him to face her; each step barely had enough space for a single foot, so he simply kept his back turned to her.

Taking in a deep breath of the cool air, Elsa replied, "Just remembering the last time I climbed these steps."

They continued moving slowly and carefully to the top. When they reached wider ground Kristoff immediately turned back and held out his hand. Elsa smiled gently and took it, grateful for the extra stability for the final steps. With his Queen safely at the top, Kristoff looked down to the tiny bit of land between the cliff and the coast to Sven sitting and looking back up at him.

Brushing his hands off, Kristoff looked back at the Queen who stood just feet from a cave entrance. He frowned at the memory of the last time he visited this place, when it gave him far more than he ever wanted. "There it is," he said, "the Cave of the Vittror."

With a confident nod, Elsa began to walk to the entrance, but was stopped when Kristoff grabbed her hand. "Hold on Elsa. I still think it should be me going in there."

Lowering her shoulders and with a sympathetic look on her face Elsa shook her head. "No Kristoff, she is my sister."

"And she is my future wife," Kristoff countered.

"And you are my future brother-in-law." she said taking his hand and smiling, "You have already paid the price of seeking information from the Vittror. I cannot let you do so again."

Looking at the darkened entrance to the cave, Kristoff could feel the spirits that reside within, even if he didn't know how. "That was my choice," he said frowning, "and so is this one."

Just when he moved away to walk into the cave he felt a stinging sensation of cold upon his feet. He looked down and saw that Elsa had frozen his feet to the ground. Staring up at her in shock, she backed away from him, her eyes filled with guilt. "I am sorry Kristoff," she said turning to the cave, "but this is not your choice."

"Elsa damn it!" he shouted as he struggled to free himself, "I care for you too! I can't let you get hurt!"

Placing her hand on the cave's cold entrance, she heard dark and haunting whispers within.

"I will be right back," she said with a halfhearted smile, "please don't follow. I ask this not as your Queen, or as your future sister-in-law, but as your friend."

Without anther word she entered the cave. As soon as she crossed the threshold of the entrance she was engulfed by darkness. Looking back at the entrance, she could see Kirstoff looking about as if she had vanished from his sight. Placing a hand over her racing heart, Elsa continued on deeper into the cave.

It wasn't a smooth path but thankfully linear, as she climbed over, under, and around boulders, stalagmites and stalactites. She created a faint glow of her magic within a mist of ice crystals to help light her way. After crawling under a narrow space, she pulled herself into a vast and open chamber. Her dim light wasn't enough to illuminate it all so she projected it upwards and had it burst into thousands of glowing crystals of ice that slowly rained down.

She stared in absolute amazement at what she saw. The chamber had to be well over fifty meters high and nearly twice that in length and breadth. Flowing from one of the walls was a beautiful waterfall that poured into a large pool in the side of the chamber. Brilliant blue and green crystals, some twice the size of Elsa's, lined the walls of the chamber.

It took her all of her willpower to not be transfixed by the chamber's beauty and to remember what she came here to do. Closing her eyes, she got down onto both knees and lay prostrate, her head touching her hands that rested over top of each other on the smooth stone floor.

"I am Queen Elsa of Arendelle," she proclaimed loudly "I have come to seek the guidance of the fey who are guardians of nature. I am desperate. Please. Someone I love – Who is a much better person than I am – has fallen ill with dark magic. I need the help of the Vittror to find out how to heal her."

There was nothing but the roaring of the waterfall, but Elsa remained bowed. As the silence stretched on, Elsa began to wonder if the Vittror simply didn't care about her or her sister. Her breathing became more rapid. Her heart was beating faster and faster as time slowly moved forward. She felt a warm sensation building behind her eyes and a lump form in her throat, she simply couldn't stop it.

"Please," she whispered, tears streaming down her face, "I beg of you. I don't care what happens to me, just let my sister live."

At first it was just her breath, but that breath turned into a breeze, and that breeze into a wind, and that wind swelled into a force so powerful it swirled around the chamber with deafening sound. Raising her head, Elsa's hair and cape snapped about in the wind while her vision blurred.

Listening closely within the roaring winds, Elsa could hear the chorus of whispers speak in mesmerizing harmony.

"We know who you are," the whispers echoed around her, "and what you have come here for human. What care should it be of ours? It was by human hands the world is falling into darkness. Your kind have failed once again the stop it. Now a pretender sits upon the Throne where the heart of Cinisia should lay."

She stood slowly and shielded her eyes from the furious winds as she called out. "A Winter Fairy came to me and spoke of a Everwinter. She told me to seek out other fey, that they would help me unlock the secret that connects my sister to this Everwinter. I will do everything in my power to stop the darkness in the world, even if it costs me my life!"

Bowing her head, Elsa wondered what the whispers meant, she knew of only one time mankind failed the world. The Folly of Prydain, the forgotten princess whose action allowed the return of the Dark Fey Maleficent. Her reawakening ushered in an Era of Darkness that nearly destroyed the world.

"For the light." she said looking up, "For the innocent and the good of all, be it this world or the next. Humans are not perfect, and we never will be. But that is what makes us special; because we can never be perfect our potential is limitless. If I must, let me die in exchange for the innocence of my sister."

The winds shifted and glowed a shade of blue. "Death is the least of your worries guardian," the whispers said, "We do not ask you for your life. Do you truly seek the twisted holds of the untampered schism of where chaos and reality meet?"

"I do." Elsa said without hesitation.

The air concentrated to a point and formed a tornado that whipped forward, sucking Elsa up into its center. It spun her at breathtaking speeds and the entire world began to fade to darkness. As quickly as it surrounded her, the wind vanished, and Elsa felt her stomach shoot into her throat as she began to fall uncontrollably. Tumbling in a dark void, Elsa had no sense of direction, time, or space; her magic escaped her as she became lost in fear and turmoil. When an invisible force began to slow her, she breathed a sigh of relief. Just as she came to a stop, it let her go and she slammed to an indiscernible floor.

Looking about in the darkness, Elsa rubbed the back of her head. What she was on felt hard like plaster or wood perhaps?

"Hello?" she called into the darkness as she stood up.

After turning around searching for anything in the darkness, she stopped and saw a small spec of light in the distance. She made her way towards it, but it never grew closer in distance to her. Elsa stopped and rubbed the side of her arm, as fear of the unknown crept into her thoughts. "Hello?" She called out again, much louder than before.

The light twinkled, and began to grow as if moving towards her. Breathing a sigh of relief because she wasn't alone she watched it come closer.

Was it even a light? As it moved closer, it began to take shape, with the light now mixing with yellow, blue, and white. It was hopping as it approached and formed into a figure just above her eye level.

Rubbing her eyes, Elsa simply didn't understand what she was looking at. The light was no longer a light, but a figure of a girl skipping towards her. She looked normal enough, but what confused the Queen so, was that she was upside down, walking upon some invisible ceiling, impervious to gravity.

The girl with long blonde hair stopped her skipping and gazed in pure wonder at Elsa who stared back in shock. "Oh dear," she said sweetly, "What have we here?"

"You're –You are upside down." Elsa stuttered as she stepped back from the girl who despite being upside down, looked as though she was standing right side up.

"Am I?" The girl pouted as she tapped a finger against her rosy red cheeks. With a snap of her fingers, the girl smiled "Or am I right side up?"

As soon as Elsa questioned the reality of who was standing right side up or not, she felt the pull of gravity in the opposite direction she was standing. She shrieked and covered her head as she fell upwards and struck the ceiling. Rolling to her side, Elsa rubbed her head and looked up to the girl with thick medium-length blonde hair, white stockings and a simple blue dress with a white apron. The darkness was gone and what she saw simply was not possible. For above her was a table and chairs, a stove, and a counter top with pots and pans all upon them with no reason for them not to fall like she did.

The girl that was no more than twelve knelt down and stared thoughtfully into Elsa's eyes. "Curiouser and curiouser." she said.

Backing away from the strange girl who was kneeling before her on the ceiling of some kind of kitchen, Elsa rose her hands like she does when she wants to cast her magic.

"Where am I?" she asked sternly.

"Where?" The girl said looking like she possessed knowledge far beyond that of Elsa's years. "There is nowhere in here." Standing the girl held out her hand and said, "Come, you're just in time."

"In time for what?" Elsa asked as she hesitantly took the girls hand and stood.

Looking up at Elsa, the girl turned and walked towards a door, but as she approached she began to shrink. Just as she reached it she leapt up and grabbed the handle. After opening the door, she sat upon the door frame and looked at Elsa. "Time of course. Come now Miss Elsa, there is no time like just time."

Rubbing her head, Elsa wasn't sure what bewilderment she was dealing with, as it was frighteningly confusing. She saw no way out of this upside down world so walked towards the girl in the blue dress. She found herself shrinking as she did so, and just like the girl was forced to, leapt to the door colliding with the door frame, but she was able to hold on without falling. Pulling herself up, she stared to see there was no next room, just blackness.

The girl giggled at Elsa's expression before she leapt off into the void. Elsa tried to calm her nerves, but she was finding that difficult. "It's okay," she said taking a deep breath "I-I'm just leaving the impossible upside down room. I am sure things will make far more sense on the other side." Realizing her pep talk wasn't very helpful; she took one last deep breath and closed her eyes. Leaping into the void, she was expecting another long paralyzing fall in darkness, but totally misjudging the distance. Elsa landed upon the ground as soon as she leapt off. Opening her eyes she looked about at a sunny field of grass, surrounded by gardens and tall shrubs. In the center was a long table covered in items and surrounded by mismatching chairs.

The young girl from before was skipping about calling out. "Oh, Mister Hatter! Oh. Mister. Hatter!"

She came to a fence and looked into a garden and called out, "Oh, Mister Hatter! Do come out! We have a guest!"

Elsa crept over to the table to see it was littered with tea cups, tea pots, and plates covered in bread, sweets, and pastries. When she placed her hand on a chair, she heard the sound crashing plates making her jump back in fright. Standing on the table was a rabbit, but not any ordinary rabbit; it stood before her with its white fur disheveled, and its eyes bloodshot staring straight at her. Elsa blinked twice to make sure she saw what it was wearing, but her eyes were not playing tricks on her. It was wearing a waist coat.

It hopped off the table and onto the top of the backrest of the chair Elsa had touched. It pulled out a gold pocket watched, opened it and showed the handless watch within to Elsa. "There is not time!" it yelled, "Just time! There can't be just time! What about Tea Time?!"

Placing her hands on her hips, the girl in the dress walked over to the Rabbit and frowned, "Of course there is no time." she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Until the worlds are saved or destroyed there will only be just time, Mister Rabbit."

Attempting to hide her fear with a forced laugh, Elsa stepped away looking for a place of escape. "I think I fell down the wrong magical hole by mistake, I think I will go now."

The young girl looked at Elsa oddly then at the white rabbit that was smashing its head against his pocket watch. Stepping to the side to be next to the white rabbit, the girl pushed him off the chair without even looking. She then looked away pretending that he wasn't even there to begin with. The rabbit fell with a scream and crashed into a pile of broken cups and plates that littered the ground as well. With the rabbit out of sight, the girl smiled bright, "Oh Miss Elsa, you are here. Don't you see?" Elsa saw no path to escape as the entire field was surrounded by thick overgrowing gardens of flowers and shrubs.

"Mister Hatter!" The girl continued to call out. She snapped her fingers and gave Elsa a wink, as if she was in on whatever madness that was going on. She skipped over to a tiny house on the table and bent down and tapped on the door. "Oh Mister Hatter!"

"Go away!" a voice shouted.

"Oh, please come out." The girl begged ever so kindly. "We have a guardian from the forge, and she is ever so pretty."

"Is it a stinky little fairy?"

The girl looked at Elsa closely, as if she was really making sure she was human and not fairy. Taking in a long sniff, she shook her head with confidence.

"She smells nice, and is very tall."

"I hate tall!"

Standing up straight, the girl rubbed her chin and looked Elsa up and down. Elsa didn't feel comfortable at all. She had no idea what was going on, or who this girl was, but it was obvious that she was not well. When she started to walk over to Elsa, it caused her to flinch and take a step backwards.

"Oh, don't be a silly Miss Elsa." The girl declared as she reached into her apron and pulled out a tiny vile of pink liquid. "We need to make you un-tall."

Elsa watched as the girl dipped her finger in the vile and held it up to her. Elsa shook her head and said, "You are not – mmph!"

In the middle of speaking the girl stuck her finger into Elsa's mouth. It was one of the most disgusting things a stranger had ever done to her. Spitting out whatever was put in her mouth, Elsa was getting tired of the girl's antics. "What kind of girl sticks their fingers in people's mouths?! That was gross!" Smacking her tongue against the top of her mouth Elsa recognized the taste. "Is that Cherry tart– lemon – and turkey?"

Elsa turned and saw the girl was jumping up and declared, "Oh, Mister Hatter! I have un-talled her!"

As Elsa went to step away again her feet caught under her dress and she fell down. Something had happened. She looked down at her body to see she was no longer the woman she was just moments ago. Holding her large dress up to keep herself covered Elsa stood and turned in anger to the girl and yelled, "What did you just do to me?!"

"Oh my." The girl said and walked up and to Elsa. She was shocked to find that the tall woman was not only un-tall, as she now stood at the same height and age of the girl.

Rushing over to the table, Elsa went through the plates and cups finally finding a silver knife. She held it up to look at her reflection and gawked in horror to see she looked no more than twelve years old. "What did you do?!"

The girl was already by the small house on the table and cheerfully said, "Oh, Mister Hatter you simply must see! I never used this on someone from the forge. I not only un-talled her, I un-aged her!"

"You did?" the voice called "Now that I have to see!"

A tiny door on the tiny house opened, and a tiny man in a yellow coat, and disheveled green suit with a large green top hat stepped out. He cleared his throat and placed his hands on his hips, which had the girl quickly reached back into her apron and pull out a small mushroom. She placed it before the tiny man. With one bite he grew to the size of a man, Elsa could only describe as being no taller than the Duke of Weselton, with a nose that was twice as large. He stood on the table and stared at Elsa and laughed, "You not only un-talled her and un-aged her, but you un-clothed her as well!"

The two burst into hysterical laughter and Elsa stared in utter fear and confusion as she held her oversized dress over her slender twelve-year-old body. She watched as the man laughed so hard he fell off the table, and the girl was pounding her hand on the table crying tears the size of cherries.

Staring down at her child like body Elsa simply didn't know what to do. "What is wrong with you people?!"

"Oh, she is being shouty!" The Mad Hatter declared as he fluttered his hands at Elsa as if she was an annoying fly. "Make her stop Alice, she is being absolutely shouty!"

With a slight blush, and tilt of her head, the once raving hysterical girl spoke with the manners and politeness of a young princess. "Oh Miss Elsa, there is no time, just time. So please be nice."

Pulling her dress up Elsa walked over to the table. "What does that even mean?" she asked close to hysteria herself.

Alice turned an innocent face at Elsa, as if she was just a child, not in body but in mind as well. "War." she said simply "A War far beyond the realm of your understanding. Where a mad pretender sits on a The Throne. The Aurora Regma has been destroyed. Without it time was lost and the Darkness can gain all their power to consume the light."

Focusing on the now sane looking Alice, Elsa replied, "Which throne?"

"Not which, just The Throne." she clarified, smiling.

The Mad Hatter sat up and went through the cups of tea looking for his own. "She comes from the Forge." he said distractedly. "She would not know Alice; she's never been to the… Kingdom."

"Who's Kingdom? What Forge?" Elsa asked.

Giggling, Alice pointed at Elsa. "You're so silly, I like that. I do hope that when this is all over the Forge will keep your silliness. Old Master Yen Sid always had a wonderful sense of humor when he was still alive."

Tired of holding up her dress, Elsa waved her hand over the one she was holding up conforming it to her now smaller size. With that out of the way she looked at Alice. "If I am from a Forge," she asked pointedly, "Where do you come from? Who are you?"

Sharing a look with the Mad Hatter that said that Elsa was too simple to understand anything, they both giggled. Alice spoke slower for the un-tall and un-aged Elsa. "I. Am. Alice, silly."

"Do. You. Understand?" the Hatter asked in annoyance, "I am the Mad Hatter." After a sip from his tea he stared at the now glaring and annoyed Elsa lazily. "Do you think all that ice freezes her brain?"

Elsa was very tempted to freeze his mouth shut, however she settled for freezing his tea so when he took a sip, the entire cup of tea fell out and hit him on the nose. This had a smile come over her face, and a series of giggles erupted from Alice. Satisfied with her form of revenge, Elsa needed to understand why she was sent to this insanity. "Please, all I came here to do was break the magical curse on my sister."

Crossing his arms, the Hatter replied smugly, "Well I don't know anything about curses. Why don't you go build a snowman or something?"

"Mister Hatter." Alice scolded, "She said, 'please'. So what do we do with people who say please?"

"I tell her to let it go." he said with his arms crossed.

With a stern glare, Alice crossed her arms as well. Giving a sigh, the Hatter narrowed his bushy eyebrows at Alice. "When one comes to Wonderland," he said reluctantly, "they usually end up with far more than they intended."

"Would you like some tea?" Alice said holding up a cup

Rubbing her head, Elsa wondered if the cost for this information was her sanity. The direct approach wasn't working, so Elsa felt she had no choice but to play along.

"Whatever gets me out of here." she mumbled under her breath. "What kind do you have?"

"Oh, wonderful." Alice clapped her hands and took a seat at the table. She looked about all the teapots and said, "We have all kinds of tea, what is your favorite?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Elsa wasn't a huge tea drinker, but with the raging headache she had from the madness she was trapped in she thought of one kind she always used to soothe her mind. "Chamomile tea."

The very mention of the tea had the Hatter throw his tea cup across the table. He screamed out in anger picking up the chair, and began to smash it over the hundreds of cups, plates, sweats and teas. "No one is allowed to like Chamomile tea anymore!" he bellowed relentlessly smashing whatever was before him, "I forbid it. The Queen forbids it! Even my hat forbids it!"

With shattering plates, flying food and splinters of wood from the smashed chair, Elsa was even more terrified of her predicament. Alice simply sipped from a cup of tea before her like nothing was happening. When the Hatter finally ran out of chair to smash with, she looked at Elsa. "Oh I am sorry," she said "before time first, just timed; we had a pretty little fairy visit us... Well that fairy came here like you, she was looking to gain access to where the hearts forged from light are made."

Watching as the Mad Hatter jumped up and down on the countless broken plates and cups on the ground, she added, "Wonderland has technically remained neutral between the conflict of the great wizards. We have been helping the rebellion vigorously. However what this fairy did jeopardized our neutrality when she tricked the Queen of Hearts into letting her look into the forge."

The Rabbit's ears shot up and as he raised a pot of tea, he poured it through one ear and out the other into a cup. "Oh, but she didn't look," he said while the tea filled the cup, "she stole. She stole three hearts from within the forge. Bringing them to the realms before their time."

Tracing the edge of her tea cup with her finger, Alice looked to be deep in thought. "Technically she only stole two, but took three… That is a story for another time."

"Such thievery brought great anger from the Kingdoms Throne and the Council of Wizards!" The Mad Hatter shouted as he rose his cup of tea. "For one came with an ancient prophecy, that the heart will betray love, and freeze time itself. The Throne pitifully thought they could use hearts of light as weapons, seize total power over the realms. That is why the fey hid them among the many realms."

The rabbit quickly scurried across the table and up into Elsa's face as he spoke in a long drawn out voice, "We were not forgotten, for we allowed the rebellion to sniff and snatch for too long. So the jabberwocky they sent, to kill all traitors to the end of Wonderland! With bloody rage he slicked and slacked, and all looked lost."

Leaping onto the table the Mad Hatter pointed to Alice. "With jaws that bite, and claws that catch. Yet comes Alice, vorpal sword clutched in a simit hold. The jabberwocky with eyes of flames came whiffling through the tulgey wood."

Placing his arms around the very uncomfortable young Elsa, the Rabbit whispered, "One, two, one, two and through and through, Alice's swinging of the vorpal went snicker-snack."

"With the Jabberwocky slain, our sanity retained, until just time began to reign." The Hatter finished as he sat down on the table.

"Not all." Alice corrected as she glanced to the Hatter. "Many we gave sanctuary to, were taken during the battle, one of which was the King of Hearts himself."

"Well no one cares about him." The Hatter giggled with a snort. "Except the Queen."

Finishing her tea, Alice smiled and said, "So the Hearts Forged of light, we prayed, would be safe from the Throne's reign, so one could slay the prophecy."

Elsa looked down to her empty tea cup unsure of what to make of the story.

"But it wasn't slain…" Standing, she looked about the table and found her childish body dainty. "We tried to stop it, but Maleficent still came. We tried to destroy her, but all we could do was defeat her and she has done something to my sister! My sister is sick, with nightmares of snow bees, shards of glass slicing open her eyes. During the day she can barely remember who anyone is, or where she belongs. Please, she is dying!"

The Mad Hatter laughed so hard tea came out of his nose. The Rabbit fell to the ground barely able to breathe. Alice gave two stern glances to her misbehaving friends before she smiled at Elsa. "No Miss Elsa. She is not dying."

"Why that is just silly!" The Hatter shouted. "Thinking she is dying. She simply will not be who you remember. She will never remember who you are for the rest of her life, that's all."

The lunacy was going to drive Elsa to homicide if it continued, so she held back her anger as best as she could and spoke through her teeth. "Then why was I brought here!? What does any of this have to do with my sister's heart!? What does any of this have to do with the Everwinter, or Chamomile tea, or just time, or anything in this God forsaken place!?"

Straighten his hat, the Hatter took a seat at the table and said, "She is shouty again Alice. I hope when this is all over, the Throne puts you back in the forge to cook a little more. You are obviously not done yet." Elsa simply gave up and slammed her head onto the table wishing to be out of this insanity.

Alice thought for a moment and replied, "You know Mister Hatter. I might not be able to take her to the forge, but I can take her to the schism. It might help us understand why her sister is connected to the Everwinter."

Looking up, Elsa peered with one tired eye at Alice. "Did you say Everwinter?"

Resting her head on the table so she could be eye level with Elsa, Alice smiled, "That is why you came Miss Elsa is it not? We might find your answers in another place."

Raising her head off the table, Elsa stared at Alice with suspicion. "Will it make any more sense then you people?"

"That is a matter of perspective." Alice replied smartly still sitting with her head on the table. She sat up and motioned Elsa to follow her with her hand. "You have learned a lot about your sister, even if you don't know it yet." Seeing that Elsa didn't move from her position she waved at the morphed twelve-year-old, beckoning her to follow her one more time. "Please come, I will take you where we might find answers."

"Finally!" she cried standing up. She stared weirdly at the Mad Hatter and walked around the table, coming up to Alice. "Please, show me how I can help my sister."

As they walked away from the table, Elsa found her vision was becoming distorted. Even though they had only walked a few feet, the tea party table was yards away. Rubbing her eyes, she followed the girl in the blue dress desperately. As Alice walked, she spoke in a cute, but modest voice. "We would have to delve into the worlds that could be, have been, or will be. The only place where past, present, and future can interact is here in Wonderland. This is not a world, or a place, or a where. It is the fulcrum built upon the untampered schism of creation and destruction. It is the Forge we speak of, that takes such chaos and forms and molds it into order. It is what is, what isn't, what was, and what could be. We are anything, yet nothing at all."

"Imagination." Elsa realized in an excited voice. "This is my imagination?"

Alice was impressed with Elsa's cleverness, but she wasn't clever enough. "Not just your imagination. Imagination helps engineer the paths between creation and destruction, everything that ever was, or ever will be, yet none of it all at once."

Reaching a door, Alice stopped and reached into her pocket, pulling out a large three pin silver key. "The fate, not only of your sister, is not set in stone." Unlocking the door, it swung open into a black void. "Even if you end the Everwinter we must restore the Aurora Regma. Even if you accomplish all these impossible things, your fate might change, your story might not be as it once was. I fear there will be no return from this new Era of Darkness. Especially for you."

Peering into the void, Elsa was hesitant to trust Alice or any magic door that opens up into darkness. Alice leaned over beside her and looked into the darkness. "I do hope you are ready for this." Elsa stepped to the side of Alice, unsure of where the light blue cloak the girl was putting on, came from. Alice didn't seem to question anything in this world of madness as she tied the bow of the cape and pulled up her hood. "Me and Mister Hatter are going to the March on the Moon Lagoon later."

"You are a very complicated and disturbed young girl." Elsa declared seeing how not a bit of the madness had phased her.

Alice nodded her head and shoved Elsa, giggling as she watched the 12 year old fall into the void screaming. Standing beside Alice, the Hatter crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame. "I think I am going to walk the cupcakes now," he mused, "before the crocket party."

"Oh. Be sure to walk them in the shade, don't want the icing to melt," Alice replied with a thoughtful expression. Looking into the void again Alice couldn't stop smiling. "Oh, I do love new things to jump into."

Pushing her through the door, the Mad Hatter, watched as she gleefully tumbled down into the void.

Used to the deranged world crossing method of wonderland. Alice landed softly on her feet in a fresh powder of snow. She put her hands above her eyes as if looking into the great distance. "Oh, Miss Elsa? Miss Elsa?!" All she saw was a world of total chaos and destruction. Fractured and splintered chunks of what was a planet floated about a starless sky. She surveyed the land and saw no sign of Elsa. "Oh, Miss Elsa?!"

"You're standing on top of me!" came the muffled response.

Stepping off the snow, Alice watched as Elsa pushed herself up off her stomach and stood brushing off the snow. She looked to her body and realized she was still just a twelve year old girl. Looking about the destruction and chaos around her, Elsa couldn't even comprehend how she was alive on a heaven less land, floating in the ether of space. When she recognized the ruins from where she stood and what this world of destruction floated around her was, she fell to her knees.

Placing her hand on Elsa's shoulder, Alice wanted to cry for her as she said, "Welcome home, Miss Elsa."

Staring in stunned horror, Elsa bore witness to the fragmented remains of her beloved home, the entire Kingdom of Arendelle.

/

---

/

Raising from her bed of hay, Merida felt hazy and found that the Flemish beer wasn't the best to wake up to. As the riding blanket she was using to cover herself fell off her shoulders, all color drained from her face. She stood wearing just the slip under her dress. She found her green dress quickly and put it on. As she ran to Angus she went through his large riding packs and began to pull out her armor. When someone entered the barn, she grabbed an arrow from her special quiver on her horse, it lit a flame and she grabbed her spare bow, nocked the arrow and pointed it at the entrance in lightning speed.

Seeing who entered she lowered the arrow and gave a have sigh. She was still well aware of the pending danger as she saw her breath floating before her as she released it. Closing the barn door behind him, Taran was out of breath and stared at Merida with fear in his eyes. "Snow Bees?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

Taran nodded as he stood with his pack and Merida's from the inn room, her bow slung over his back. "I just woke Eilonwy and Tink up, they are getting ready." he said as he lowered her pack.

Merida placed her flaming arrow in a bucket of water to put it out. The two moved with military precision as Merida put her spare bow back and when she turned she snatched her main bow that Taran tossed to her without even looking, out of the air. Both of them began to put their armor on, helping with the straps when needed.

Fully armored, Merida went to Angus and took stock of her two quivers. "I only have seventeen normal arrows, and thirty flame arrows."

"Seventeen?" Taran asked with a raised eyebrow, as he finished putting on his armor.

"That Pocahontas woman is really good." Merida said defensively.

When the barn door opened again, Merida raised her bow and Taran his sword, ready to strike. Both were relieved to see that Eilonwy entered with Tinker Bell and Bauble flying at her side. "The harbor has completely frozen over." she said nervously, "People speak of shadows moving on their own and attacking people."

Handing Eilonwy her sword, Merida looked up to her Bauble. "Hey, can yer Bauble go find me some more arrows? I'm running low."

Nodding her head, Eilonwy didn't even need to look at Bauble as it flew off. She focused on putting on her light armor that consisted of a chest plate and arm and leg guards. As Merida helped tighten her chest plate straps she looked at her, "You two never returned to the room."

"No, we didn't." Merida whispered with a blush to her cheeks.

When Merida stepped back she saw a twinkling jingling Tinker Bell right in front of her nose. She didn't need a translation; she looked away with guilt and rubbed the back of her head. "Yea I know. I am sorry for the things I said. I didn't mean it Tink."

Giggling, Eilonwy smiled at Merida and translated for Tinker Bell. "She was wondering where you got that second quiver."

Looking at the fire quiver on her belt, Merida realized she hadn't pulled this from Angus's saddle bag since Tinker Bell joined them. "Oh this? Merlin designed it."

Listening to Tinker Bell, Eilonwy blushed and giggled at the same time. She fastened her sword to her belt, and said to Merida. "Apparently Merlin stole the design from Tink."

"That cheeky bastard." Merida smiled as she began to lead Angus from his stall. Flicking in from a window of the barn, Bauble circled around Eilonwy, "There is a fletcher shop not far from here."

Everyone was armed and ready for combat, before they opened the barn door and let the bright moonlight of the early morning, flood in. They all watched as a thick fog rolled into the barn crawling slowly across the floor. Drawing a flame arrow, Elsa readied her bow and stared closely at the fog. Tinker Bell could feel the evil with in it and landed upon Eilonwy's shoulder peering through her long hair.

Everyone heard it though no one saw it; the buzzing of a bee. Merida's eyes narrowed when she found the silhouette in the fog from the bee lurking within it, she fired her arrow. When it struck it in the fog, it screeched in agony and burst into flames. With the snow bee dispatched, all three mounted their horses and rode out into the streets.

They followed the glowing Bauble guiding them through the thick fog. Merida repeatedly had to fire into the fog to strike down the snow bees as they approached.

The streets were empty, save the usual early morning risers. Morning had not begun to crest yet, and most in the city were unaware of their pending doom. When they reached their destination, Bauble flew in circles around the sign that showed a carved etching of a bow and quiver.

Eilonwy was the first one off her horse and to the door, pulling on it she found it locked. "It is closed, we should try and wake the shop owner."

There was no time for Eilonwy's Princess-driven-kindness. Merida marched over and with a swift kick, broke open the door. "Open for business." she said cheekily as she looked at the blond.

Using the Bauble as light, Merida entered the store and found there were more arrows of a quality unheard of than she could have ever possibly imagined. Eilonwy hesitantly entered after Taran, who was quick to find a bow to his strength and liking. All this thievery made the blond princess uncomfortable. "We should leave gold for what we take…" she suggested guiltily.

The notion made Merida give out a short snort of a laugh, "The Everwinter Army is coming, Eilonwy. These people are all going to die or be frozen and added to the Snow Queen's collection. What help will a gold coin be?"

"We could warn them." she offered weakly.

Placing his hand on Eilonwy's shoulder, Taran smiled and she was reminded of far more innocent times. "To evacuate a city like this would take days," he explained softly, "they might not even have hours."

As Merida and Taran loaded up on arrows, Eilonwy pulled out five gold coins, enough to buy the entire shop and placed it on the counter. "If you do make it through the Everwinter, we thank you." she whispered so softly only Tinker Bell could hear

Catching movement out of the corner of his eye, Taran drew his sword. In response, his companions readied their weapons as well. He swung down onto what looked like the empty floor and his blade came crashing through the wood floor splintering it.

Lowering her Bow, Merida was about to smirk, when a creature as black as night launched out of the shadows with glowing yellow eyes. It was humanoid in shape but stood only two feet tall, it looked more like it was made from the shadows than made of flesh. It shot forward and had its claw like fingers inches from Merida's chest when the creature was stopped by Eilonwy's long sword.

Swatting the creature into the fletcher's show counter Eilonwy readied her blade and drove it through the creature's nose and mouth less face with lightning speed. Everyone stared at this goblin-like creature in horror as a black oily like liquid poured out of its wound. After the yellow lights in his eyes faded to darkness, the entire form of the creature lost cohesion and melted into a pool of oil.

"What was that?" Taran whispered as he lowered his sword.

Flicking her sword blade clear of the creature's oil like blood, Eilonwy stared down at its remains. "I felt no life, no heart… It was empty."

"Eilonwy…" Merida said stepping around the oil spill to stand before the blond, "Thank you."

"I owe you my life ten times over Merida." she said shrugging, "Don't mention it." Taking three quivers loaded with arrows, the group walked back out to Angus and loaded the extra supplies into the saddle bags. Without warning, Tinker Bell grabbed Merida by her red curls and yanked her backwards so hard that she stumbled and fell to the ground, just as an arrow flew past where her head once was.

Immediately recognizing the ancient yet beautifully crafted arrow, Merida readied her bow and stood. "Seriously?!" she shouted, "How the bloody hell did she catch up to us so fast?!"

Taran came outside with a bow at the ready closely followed by Eilonwy, who brandished her sword. Everyone watched as their hunter from the snow covered lands of Britani landed onto a rooftop, bow at the ready. Flying up next to her was a boy, no more than thirteen or fourteen, wearing a green shirt and dark green tights, a dark green cap with a feather on his red hair. He held a short sword smugly pointed towards the four of them.

"Come out-come out wherever you are Tink!" The boy shouted with a smile on his face. "It's time to play a game!"

Tinker Bell jingled. "Who is Peter Pan?" Eilonwy asked.

As Tinker Bell chimed in response, Taran couldn't help but say, "Does he have anything to do with that creature inside?"

"Long story short, he is a half fey she was responsible for creating. They became best friends, but after his chaos resulted in the death of the Queen of the Fey, she betrayed him to saved her homeland, and now he doesn't like her." Eilonwy quickly translated.

"So I'm guessing that's a 'no'?" Taran stated quickly.

Glancing at Tinker Bell, Merida asked, "Pixie dust?" Tinker Bell nodded and drew out her tiny sword.

"She doesn't have enough for everyone!" the blond called out.

"You two go on ahead," Merida replied. "Me and Tink got this."

With his bow focused on Pocahontas Taran shook his head. "Not this time Merida. I am not letting you do this alone. Not again!"

There was no time for this, and Merida's frustration could be heard in her voice. "This isn't a bloody debate!" she hissed, "I am the only one with the bow skills that can match Pocahontas'! Now get the hell out of here!"

He wanted to counter her argument, but couldn't. No one was better with the bow than Merida. He glanced to Tinker Bell. "Watch over her."

"I need to borrow Bauble." Merida said with her eyes still focused on her target. "Me and Pocahontas need to chat, girl to girl."

"He will flash on three." Merida, Tinker Bell and Taran all nodded in understanding.

"One. Two. Three."

Bauble appeared in the middle of the two groups and flashed so brightly the entire block was illuminated by a blinding white light. Tinker Bell used this time to fly a corkscrew path around Merida covering her in pixie dust. Taran fired his bow and helped Eilonwy onto her horse and before he could tell Merida that he loved her, she was flying upwards towards enemy.

When Merida and Tinker Bell reached the rooftop, Pocahontas and Peter were gone, but that didn't surprise them. Merida rolled forward and came up facing the direction she came from and fired her bow knocking the incoming arrow out of the air. She launched upwards with great speed with Pocahontas flying hot on her tail.

Darting from side to side, Tinker Bell dodged the quick and agile sword swings of the person who was once her best friend. On his final swing she parried it and pushed forward, knocking Peter back. "Peter, please!" she cried, "We don't have to do this!"

Flying up and back down towards Tinker Bell, Peter attacked but his advances were stopped by the fairy's swordsmanship as she parried each attack.

"Can I come back to Neverland?" he asked between attacks, "Can you bring me back my Lost Boys? Can we fight pirates again like old times?"

After a series of strikes, Tinker Bell flew backwards and upwards, trying to keep Merida in her sights. "You know we can't Peter!"

"Then I guess we do have to do this Tink!" Peter said as he swung violently at her.

Dodging the attack, Tink used her speed to dash forward scratching Peter across the face. She spun around and called out. "So you side with the likes of Morgana, and Princess Ivy? They are evil! Hurting the innocent! They are killing people!"

"Grownups." Peter countered just as he thrusted at Tinker Bell. "Besides, I like this game. Never got to play the villain before!"

Locking her blade against Peter's, the two spun in the air with their eyes locked on each other. Tinker Bell was doing her best to conserve what Pixie dust she had left as she fought. "That's why you can never return to Neverland Peter." she said grunting at the strength it took to keep his blade away, "Life isn't a game! People have to grow up. Your games nearly destroyed Pixie Hallow!"

Shoving Tinker Bell away from him with his sword, he saw her faint yellow glow was slightly dimmer. "Last time I checked," he smirked, "they were our games, and you were right alongside me destroying Pixie Hallow."

Charging in anger, Tinker Bell shouted, "And it cost me everything I held dear and loved!"

Merida was trying to find an advantage but Pocahontas was matching every turn she made, letting loose volleys of arrows for her to dodge away from. With no choice, Merida dipped into the dangerous fog and landed, sliding to a stop top across the ground. As she slid, arrows followed her trajectory, impaled into the ground just seconds after her foot slid past. Readying her bow, Merida fired three arrows into Pocahontas's direction at once and then shot forward and upwards, to dodge a stinger from a snow bee.

"Ya can fight the magic!" she yelled as she aimed an arrow flying behind her, "Ya don't have to let them control ya!"

When Pocahontas pivoted and fired at her, Merida bolted around a building and flew swiftly around it, firing as Pocahontas came into view once more. When her arrow was knocked out of the air by a counter attack she heard the woman speak in her odd language.

Looking at Bauble who hovered a few yards from Pocahontas, Merida smiled. She darted upwards and fired her bow. She flew over Pocahontas, but the raven haired beauty changed tactics and leapt after Merida holding her hatchets up to strike.

Blocking the strike with her bow, Merida pushed Pocahontas away from her with her feet and the two spun away from each other in the air. After firing two arrows to keep Pocahontas off-balance, Merida had her bow on her back and her sword out before her second arrow even reached Pocahontas.

Coming down with to strike with her sword, Pocahontas had both her hatchets up to block it.

"Tinker Bell calls ya a 'Noble Savage'," she sneered, "but I don't think that's true."

Pushed off by Pocahontas, Merida was forced to parry a series of attacks. Dodging a swift swing from her hatchets, she flew backwards landing on a roof. Before she could orientate herself for an attack she was forced to parry Pocahontas coming down on her with both her hatchets.

When their weapons locked, Merida continued speaking to her, seeing that each time she spoke it drew a response. "Yer not a savage at all." she said gritting her teeth at the exertion, "Yer a warrior, a master, and true to the art of combat. A girl who has this much respect for one's enemies in combat, is no savage but a proud and humble person." Once more, Pocahontas responded in her odd language. With the battle of strengths leaving the two in the deadlock, Merida smirked and said, "How is your foot?"

When Merida slammed her foot onto the one she impaled with an arrow days before, Pocahontas pushed back and screamed out in pain, "It still hurts!"

The two stared at each other realizing they now understood each other. Holding up her sword, ready for Pocahontas' next attack Merida declared, "I am Princess Merida of the Clan DunBroch, and you Pocahontas are truly a worthy opponent!"

Gripping her weapons tightly, Pocahontas stared at Merida with pain in her eyes. "I am sorry, but I have no choice." Charging forward, Pocahontas' injured foot betrayed her, by the time she brought her weapons down, Merida was already airborne. She was expecting this and in the same motion of her swing threw her hatchet in the direction Merida went.

Struck in the back of her leg, Merida screamed in pain and lost control of her flight crashing into a third story window of a building. She rolled across the room dropping her sword and smashing into a dresser. She couldn't waste any time to inspect her injury, though her armor took most of the blow. She pulled her bow off her back and fired at the window to deflect an arrow. The only problem was that Pocahontas fired two at the same time and one struck her right hip. Just as she pulled out the arrow in agony, Merida had to dodge a swing from Pocahontas' hatchet as she burst into the room.

Rolling across the ground, she picked up her sword and used it to parry a furry of blows. The two were a blur of combat, each attack countered, each defense anticipated. After rolling, flying, and leaping around each other in the room, their weapons locked once more. Pocahontas was the first to notice a couple with their young child in the corner of the room covering their face in fear for their lives. With the raven hair beauty distracted, Merida kicked out her knee and then struck Pocahontas in the face with the hilt of her sword causing blood to weep form her nose.

When Merida saw a shadow move on its own, she ducked just in time as another one of those black creatures leapt from it. Just before it landed on top of the bed of the innocent couple, Merida swung her sword at it, cleaving its head off. She saw that even Pocahontas was surprised by the unusual creatures attack as she stepped back from the burst of black like oil poured form the now headless form.

Unwilling to continue the battle around innocents, Merida flew out the window she had come from. Sheathing her sword, she drew out her bow and fired three arrows at the window. Injured, Merida knew she needed to find a way to regain the advantage again. She spotted Tinker Bell and saw that she was holding her own against the boy who could fly.

Tinker Bell wasn't panicking but she was coming close. Peter was pushing her to fly faster and higher with each attack. She needed more dust, and it was just a few feet from her tucked in a pouch upon Pan's belt. With each of her attacks she tried to get in the right position to go for it, but Peter wasn't fooled and kept his assault up.

"We can be a team again Tink." Peter offered as he spun with his sword just barely parried by Tinker Bell. "These stupid grownups don't care about Neverland and they have a magic pot that can bring back all of our friends, even Captain Hook! It can be like it always has been: Peter and Tinker Bell fighting pirates and Indians!"

Dodging a sword swing, Tinker Bell finally made her charge for the pixie dust, but was slapped to the side by Peter's hand. Her whole body screamed in pain from the hit and cost her pixie dust, as it burst from her wings, her sword was sent flying as well. She found she was bleeding from the mouth and rubbed it clear, drawing out her wand. "What Indians Peter?" she asked sadly, "Tiger Lilly and her tribe are gone."

"They said I could have that one." Peter replied pointing to Pocahontas who was flying about chasing Merida. "She is a little old, but she will make a decent Tiger Lilly. Maybe we can use the pot to bring back that dead fairy queen."

"What about the Wendy Bird?" Tink asked as she dodged another sword swing.

"Of course!"

Flicking her wand towards Peter, a burst of energy darted out striking him in the chest. He flew back and held his chest in pain. When he looked down he found that his shirt was burned and that there was a burn mark on his chest oozing blood.

"That's not part of the game Tink." he said narrowing his eyes.

With her wand raised, Tinker Bell eyes swelled with tears, pained by the fact she had hurt her friend. "Peter, don't you get it." she said wand still held up, "The Darkness is not a game. There will be no Neverland if Morgana gets her way."

Peter, frowned and lowered his sword. "Is that what you think they are doing?"

Seeing the thoughtful look on Peter's face, Tinker Bell lowered her wand. "All of Neverland will be destroyed. No Hook, no Lost boys, and no Wendy."

"But they promised." Peter said doubt creeping into his voice.

"This world that darkness forged is dying. If we want any hope of a future Peter." Tinker Bell said with sweet kindness, "we have to find the Hearts forged of lights. And use them to seal the darkness with in the Auror –"

Snatched from the sky by Peter, Tinker Bell had lowered her defenses to much and never realized he was simply inching towards her. Leaning forward, Peter smirked. "Stupid Tinker." Peter smirked leaning close to her. "This is why I was the leader. What do you think we are doing? Instead of sealing the darkness, we are going to seal stupid rules, grownups and people like you who don't like fun! I will return to Neverland with or without you Tink. If you don't want to join me…I can just find another fairy. Maybe I will even make Periwinkle my new best friend."

"Don't you dare go near my sister!" Tink shouted while her whole being glowed red in anger. Laughing, Peter spun in the air and looked towards the sea at the sight of a blizzard sweeping across the water. "Oh," he said looking at the snow, "she would make a fine fairy friend for the Snow Queen. She was the one who convinced you to betray me." Peter paused and looked up to the second star on the right. "Maybe I don't need fairies? Maybe it will just be the Pirates, Indians, Lost Boys and Wendy. And no stupid ugly fairies who betray me and make me cry."

"Peter please!" Tinker Bell implored with tears in her eyes, her color had returned to her normal faint yellow glow.

With his own eyes filling with tears, Peter looked at Tinker Bell. "I don't believe in fairies." he said softly.

Sorrow covered her face as a painful heartbreaking weakness came over her, the yellow glow faded and disappeared completely. Opening his hand, he watched as the limp body of Tinker Bell fell towards the ground.

"NO!" Merida shouted at the sight of Tinker Bell's lifeless body falling.

Merida drew out her flame arrow and spun around firing it at Pocahontas. It was a slower and heavier arrow and totally unexpected, Pocahontas dodged too sharply, right into Merida tackling her out of the sky and knocking her onto a roof. Merida knocked the hatchet in Pocahontas' hand away from her and fired an arrow, striking her in the leg.

With Pocahontas momentarily incapacitated, Merida burst upwards with so much speed she created a shockwave. Catching the lifeless fairy in her hands and placed her gently into a pouch on her belt, she then stared at Peter and shouted as she charged forward firing arrow after arrow. He was too skilled of a flier to be struck by and arrow, and dodged each one easily.

Merida wasn't playing around, her rage was absolute and she reached Peter, firing a point blank shot. Upon release it was knocked form its target by Pocahontas. She flew back, rearmed and fired down at Pocahontas and was quick to raise her bow to block a sword swing from Peter. With his sword jammed in the bow, she twisted it wrenching it free from his hands. She then head-butted Peter in the face, but was forced to fall back to dodge an arrow from Pocahontas.

When Pocahontas leapt up at Merida, she was unprepared for how quickly she was now moving as she swung her bow downwards, striking her across the face. Merida drew out two arrows and fired at point blank range. Only able to dodge one by spinning away, Pocahontas hissed in pain with an arrow in her back. Peter Pan flew downwards, going for his dropped sword and Merida kicked off Pocahontas in pursuit. She fired a volley of arrows which he dodged with ease once more.

Reaching the roof that his sword landed on, Peter turned to face his opponent but never in his life had he seen an attack with such fury. Merida came down on him with both her feet striking him in the chest; with such immense force it knocked him off the roof. Dazed and spinning, Peter barely had enough time to raise his sword to parry a swing from Merida's much heavier long sword, when he stopped. He had never faced such a weapon; his short sword was broken in half by the strike.

Kicking Peter in the stomach, Merida knocked him into a buildings side. She charged forward and as Peter raised his broken sword to defend himself, she knocked it out of his hands with one swing. Spinning from her swing in the air, she brought down her sword for a death blow but shrieked in pain when an arrow struck her arm, she lost control of her sword sending it flying out of her hand. Ripping out the arrow, Merida screamed in rage at the terrified Peter, who raised his arms to block her.

Ramming it into his arm, sending it straight through, Merida's tear filled eyes stared at Peter as the arrow head that emerged from the other side of his arm was now inching towards his heart.

He tried to fight it her, but Merida was too strong her rage was too great, and just as it began to penetrate the skin above his heart, she screamed out in agony. Her body arched as she was struck in the back with an arrow.

Peter pushed her off him with his good arm. Merida pulled out three arrows and fired. One was knocked out of the air by Pocahontas, the other missed because of Peter's speed, but the last one stuck deep into the boy's leg and he tumbled from the sky. He didn't fall far, for his shadow was struck by the missed arrow pinning Peter to the side of the building.

Merida began to fly backwards firing arrows, as Pocahontas came screeching down. Cutting around the building, Merida came to a quick stop and readied an arrow. It was a blind shot, but she was willing to take it. She fired in the direction she thought Pocahontas would be leaping and as soon as she came around the corner, the arrow was there and struck her in the side of her ribs.

Bursting with speed, Merida kicked Pocahontas forcibly, knocking her bow from her hand and sending her crashing onto a roof. Pocahontas struggled to get to her feet, but was struck by an arrow in her back. She turned over to see Merida land, her eyes ablaze as she drew the arrow she would use to kill her with. "Clapping." Pocahontas said between gasps of air. Merida raised her bow and pulled back her arrow.

"I do believe in fairies." she said wincing as she clapped her hands

Firing her arrow, she struck Pocahontas in her leg. The woman cried out in pain but continued to clap. Merida's vision was blurry from her tears, but she drew another arrow and readied it. "I do believe in fairies." she continued saying as she clapped.

"I do believe in fairies." Merida whispered involuntarily. She looked down to see a faint glow in her pouch. "I do believe in fairies." Lowering her weapon, Merida quickly opened her pouch to see that Tinker Bell was unconscious but was glowing faintly. She looked to the badly wounded Pocahontas and rubbed her eyes free of tears. "Thank you, Pocahontas."

Trying to stand, but simply falling back down. Pocahontas was in too much pain to continue the fight.

"I was never given orders not to save the fairy." she said looking at her smiling through her pain, "Merida, please, there is a darkness far greater than what the snow queen and her Everwinter can bring. They can sense doubt, and emptiness in one's heart… Please don't let them consume you. Now, Go!"

Nodding her head, Merida put her bow on her back and flew out of sight.

Clearing the city just as the blizzard struck it, Merida felt light headed as she scanned the roads leading north for her friends and was barely able to stay conscious when she finally saw them. Her attempt to land in her injured state was nothing short of a crash as she tumbled and rolled across the dirt road in front of her friends coming to a stop curled into a tight ball.

Taran and Eilonwy rushed to Merida's side and stared in horror at the amount of blood that covered her and poured from her wounds. When they rolled her over, they saw that protected in Merida's hands was Tinker Bell who was barely clinging to life.

"Oh, God Merida!" Taran gasped as she began to cough up blood.

"I won that one." she said opening her eyes, smiling slightly. She went into her quiver and pulled out a soft leather pouch. She smirked, for Peter Pan had never noticed that she stole his pouch of pixie dust. Opening it, she sprinkled the golden glowing dust onto Tinker Bell. The dust warmed the fairy's cold body, and Merida sat up with the help of her friends and stared at the tiny friend. "She is one brave little fairy." she mumbled, "I believe in ya lass."

Kneeling before Merida, Eilonway held out her hands while the injured red head gently transferred Tinker Bell to her. Kissing Tinker Bell softly on the forehead Eilonwy whispered, "We do believe in you Tink."

After a long and heavy sigh, Merida held up her hand. "I think I'm going to go pass'n out now." She said before she looked at the blood covering her dress. She nodded her head, "Ya I am pass'n out." Taran took hold of Merida as she passed out from the pain she was in.

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