It was a few hours later until Jaden found herself awakening from her unconscious state, accompanied with a splitting headache. Emitting a low groan, Jaden slowly opened her eyes, giving her surroundings a quick, confused glance only to come to the realisation that she was still within the dusty, broken pit of the house that wizard Merlin brought her to. The dreaded feeling sunk deep down into the depths of her belly, like a heavy stone weighing her down. She was still trapped in this fucked up dream.

"Maker's balls..." Jaden muttered to herself, as she slowly pushed herself back up to her feet, using a nearby chair (that thankfully wasn't broken) for support.

She winced at a sudden burning pain in her arm as she pulled herself up. Oh right, she had forgotten to heal it. That was when her gaze travelled over to a small bag placed in the centre of the chair, with bandages and ointment sitting on top, alongside some painkillers, no doubt for her head injury. At least that wizard Merlin was nice enough to leave her with the supplies to help her tend with the injuries and humiliation in peace. She smiled at the sentiment of the old man, at least he cared enough to make sure she was healed properly.
But alas, Jaden shook her head and walked away from the chair, not even giving the supplies the time of day. She had suffered through worse pain before, so she didn't even bother to tend to her injuries.

Walking past the fireplace, Jaden caught a small glimpse of blood splatter on the edge of the stone corner, from where she smashed her head. It certainly wasn't the first time she had attempted to kill herself in recent years, however, it was often disguised as a heroic act by purposely throwing herself into dangerous situations, hoping whatever she was throwing herself into would kill her, like the rare moments of getting dragged into gun fights to save a patient and having to take a bullet to save her co-workers. And not to mention that one time of getting blown up by a grenade. Even to this day, she wasn't exactly sure how she survived that situation, and wasn't that surprised to find that she was quite disappointed that she had managed to survive.

All of this because the thought of dying a slow and painful death from the taint within her terrified Jaden. She had experienced first-hand what that corruption does to a grey warden and it wasn't ever a pretty sight. The first time Jaden had spotted those familiar black markings upon her skin, she had felt sick to her stomach, like her body had contracted a disgusting disease, she felt a revolting sickness towards herself, remembering all to clearly the fate that would soon await her. In a desperate attempt to prolong her inevitable death, Jaden had started covering up the abominable markings with her magic, and made a vow to herself to never tell anyone about the battle she was facing against her own body, like it was some sort of dirty secret. Not even poor Leo had a clue.

And so, with a sigh she felt all too familiar and comfortable with, like a long-time friend, Jaden turned her attention back towards the present. Tossing her long blonde hair aside, the mage searched through her pockets to get an understanding on what she currently had on hand. She retrieved a packet of cigarettes, a lighter, her phone, a small pocket knife, and much to her pleasant surprise, a small flask of whiskey. Thank the Maker she didn't have to figure out how to make her own alcohol.

Jaden walked back over to the chair, and whilst reaching out her hand to grab the bag Merlin left for her, she felt the first stirrings of panic hit her. Jaden looked down to her hands, and just as expected, saw that her hands were beginning to tremble slightly, to which Jaden responded by taking a deep breath, exhaling slowly in order to calm herself. She inwardly cursed the Maker. So, she could still experience these feelings whilst dreaming?
I can't seem to catch a fucking break. Not even in a so-called magical place such as this.

There would never be enough magic in the world to stop how anxious Jaden felt from being stuck in the same place for long periods of time, especially if that place was in a small, confined space, much like this very house.

Whenever one of these 'attacks' occurred, Jaden felt such a strong self-loathing towards herself, she was sure the other people around her could feel it too. She never could stand feeling this way, she was afraid to admit that in all honesty, mentally she had never really grown up at all, she was reminded of still being that same scared little kid, just now trapped in a body that made her look older, with the added years and wisdom that came with living an adult life. Nothing much has changed behavioural wise, it was just something she had learned to cope with over the years. However, one of those coping mechanisms was putting a strain on her relationship with her husband, which no matter how many times she told herself it wasn't helping matters, still didn't stop her from fighting with him almost every night.

And as much as she hated the idea of being trapped here for longer than she needed to be, she had to admit that she could use this time given to her to figure out a way to sort out her issues and come up with an apology to Leo.
Let's hope I don't lose what's left of my sanity first. She thought with growing amusement.

And so, getting her feelings in check by taking another deep breath, and eyeing her only exit, Jaden slipped the bag onto her shoulders before hurrying out of the house.

The cool night air rushed through the mage like a calming wave, relaxing her slightly as she came down from her wrecked nerves. Since the sky was still pitch black, Jaden couldn't tell how long she must have been knocked out for, but she estimated it couldn't have been more than a few hours.

As she walked down the narrow pathway, clearing any Night Thorns that surrounded the house, and whatever happened to be on the way, Jaden remembered that Merlin had set her a task.
That's right, he wanted me to find three magical tools.

As Jaden briefly scanned the ground for any sighs of these tools, she came across the main plaza area. Searching beyond that, what looked to be a boarded up restaurant caught Jaden's attention. Reaching the steps leading up to the main entrance, where more Night Thorns, to which Jaden cleared with ease. Her efforts were rewarded as she spied the shovel lying just right next to the building's entrance.

Picking up the retrieved item and testing its weight in her arms, Jaden looked it over suspiciously, wondering what on earth was so magical about this shovel. It sure as hell looked like an ordinary shovel to her. She followed up with those thoughts with a simple head shake, reminding herself that she should know better than to question the so-called magical items in a Disney world, she'd seen enough of the damn movies with her kids to know that fact. But still, what am I supposed to do with this? Guess I'll just have to find out soon enough.

Following the path further from the restaurant, Jaden continued to clear any remaining Night Thorns with her magic, just like the way Merlin taught her. She hadn't been up to the task very long before she was starting to get sick and tired of the reputation. If anything, she was fitting nicely into the role of a glorified gardener. Oh, I guess that's what the shovel is used for... She mentally slapped herself. Maker's breath, she knew nothing of gardening. How wonderful.

Soon enough she came across a large stone surrounded by what had to be the biggest Night Thorns she had come across yet. Closer inspection of the stone confirmed what Merlin had informed her of, as she eyed the pickaxe driven into the stone. Stepping closer to the stone might have been a bad idea, as the pickaxe shot straight out of the stone, causing it to fly right towards Jaden. Thankfully she managed to catch it before it could land right between the eyes, but the force of it managed to knock her on her ass with a thud.

Pushing herself up to her feet with a groan and brushing her hand over her now muddy ass, Jaden was almost knocked back to the ground as a beam of light shot out from the stone, hitting the night sky with a flourish. The black of night disappeared all around Jaden, who was watching the stars wink out rapidly, as night was transformed into day right before her, the sun now high in the sky, with Jaden having to move an arm above her head as the shining rays shielded her view.

Well, that solved that problem. Now it was time to go find the fishing rod and watering can. Couldn't be that hard, Jaden thought.
But, as she began to walk away from the magical stone that housed the supposed magical pickaxe, Jaden encountered a strange duck surrounded by Night Thorns, just a little further up the path. Rushing towards the trapped creature in an effort to help him, Jaden then came to the realisation that much like Merlin the wizard, she recognised this duck from yet another Disney movie she was subjected to by her kids. The trapped being was none other than Scrooge McDuck.

Heaving a sigh she felt travel up her chest, and pushing her bitterness for these fictional characters, aside, Jaden knew that no matter how much she hated these characters (or the movies they stared in anyway), that right now these fictional beings were very much alive, and needed all the help they could get from this Forgetting problem. Jaden told herself after she had made a new life in America with her family, that her days of saving the world from immediate danger was over, that her role as a paramedic was more than making up for the fact that in some ways, she was still helping people in need. But right now, as much as she kept trying to tell herself that she would never go back to the lifestyle of playing the role as a hero for the world were long gone, she knew that she was slipping right back into it, like an old pair of comfy shoes. These people needed her, and she'd be damned if she was just going to sit back and watch as these people suffered, knowing that she could help them.

So, positioning herself in front of the infestation of Night Thorns covering Scrooge McDuck, Jaden closed her eyes and reminded herself of the method Merlin taught her, focusing all her thoughts and energy on the Night Thorns, opening her eyes just in time to see the last remains of the Night Thorns withering away onto the springy, coarse grass.
As she saw Scrooge coming to his senses, she felt an involuntary, sharp, burning pain in the hand she had just used to cast the spell. Jaden winced slightly, gripping her fingers as she let the pain subside. It was a pain she was all too familiar with, the one that told her she was overusing her magic. There wasn't much she could do but ignore the irritating pain, instead focusing her attention on the duck standing right in front of her who now just realised she was there. She chuckled when she saw Scrooge jump slightly at her presence.

"Oh-ho! You have me quite a start! Don't you know never to sneak up on someone whilst he's contemplating his investments?" Scrooge exclaimed.

Jaden stuttered her following words. "I wasn't…oh never mind. I'm Jaden, and I'm here to help you out." She introduced herself, appearing to be helpful to this stranger.

Scrooge narrowed his eyes at the woman, almost as if he was sizing her up. He followed with a friendly comment. "Are ya now? Well, I appreciate that Jaden," his gaze turned towards what looked to be an abandoned, boarded up building, much like the deserted restaurant she had passed by the plaza earlier. "But you're gonna need a lot more coins to get this shop out of its sorry state. I'm afraid enthusiasm won't be enough." Scrooge said, almost sadly.

Jaden couldn't help but roll her eyes. "This whole village is in a sorry state, in case you hadn't noticed."

Scrooge sighed as he turned his head around his immediate surroundings. ""That may be, but you can't be hopeless about it. A true visionary sees opportunity around every corner! After the sky went dark, most of the villagers skedaddled and fewer and fewer clients came in until they stopped altogether... but cannae remember where they all went. I know I stayed to take care of my shop... and my money of course! Then..." The duck coughed before continuing, "... Hmm... oh, yes, the Night Thorns blocked me in... and I cannae remember much after that. But, like light glittering off gold, I'm starting to remember how the village used to be, and all its investments opportunities!" He said rather passionately.

"I'd like to get in on this investment!" Jaden joined in enthusiastically.

The money hungry duck seemed to think this through, pushing his glasses back up in consideration. "Hmm… I could use some help, that much is true. Perhaps we could come to an arrangement."

"Alright, let's hear it." Jaden leaned forward.

"I've got a deal for you Jaden… if you help me make enough star coins to put my shop back in business... I'll make sure it's stocked with everything needed to put the valley back together! Goofy used to have a stall in the meadow to the south. I'm sure he'd appreciate any help you can give him." He paused for a few seconds, "The lad doesn't exactly have a mind for money. With the royal pickaxe you found, you should be able to reach the meadow... find Goofy and help him get back in business. Then you can help me with my grand re-opening! Oh, and I see you have a map there, don't forget to use it if you want to find your way around the village."

Jaden nervously rubbed the back of her head. "Uh…I can't read a map." She told him with embarrassment. She was reminded of the many times of getting herself and her friends lost many times during the blight. There was one occasion that always stuck out in her memory, from when she had led them across the Fereldan border into Orlais. She had her leadership skills questioned by Sten, and Alistair had to take over the navigation which only ended up with them getting even more lost, if that was at all possible. It was a miracle that they even managed to save Fereldan with the state of their lack of navigation skills.

Scrooge wasn't sure on how to respond to that. He just stared at her for a few seconds before turning away. "Then you better learn fast, otherwise you're going to get yourself lost pretty quickly in this place."

Jaden's only reply to that was a shake of her head, knowing what was asked of her wasn't going to be possible. Even her job as a paramedic was hampered by her lacking skills of unable to read a map. In recent years, she was banned from driving the ambulance because of how often she got herself and her colleagues lost, and certainly not because of her reckless driving, she added with amusement.

She bid her farewell's to the duck and turned in search of Goofy, who knowing what he looked like, shouldn't be that much of a hard task, Jaden assumed. She did her best to follow Scrooge's directions by walking through the meadow, which was also covered in the blasted Night Thorns. Still exhausted from her overuse of magic, Jaden paid them no mind, making a mental note for later once she was back to full strength.
Somewhere in the middle of the meadow, she found herself by a pond. Her eyes quickly scanned the bank until she caught sight of a broken fishing rod, picking it up and wondering who its owner must be, and why somebody would just leave it here instead of fixing it.

Totally not getting herself lost, hours passed by as Jaden walked and searched through the entire meadow, with still no sign of Goofy and his stall. Not wanting to walk through the same trail for a fourth time, Jaden decided to head for the only house she had passed by a few times, hoping to get some answers from the home owner as to where Goofy's whereabouts might be if he wasn't in this meadow.

Gearing herself up for a conversation, Jaden took a few moments to herself before knocking on the door. When no answer came, she let another few moments pass before gathering up the courage to set foot in the house, only to find Goofy sitting on a large, leather brown sofa.

Goofy jumped to his feet in surprise when he saw the strange woman who had just entered his house. "Gawrsh, its somebody new! Say... you're not the scary kind of stranger are you? You're just a friend I haven't met yet, right?" Goofy asked her.

Jaden shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I can be a little scary."

"Aw, you sure don't seem scary to me compared to the valley since the sky went dark... and the Night Thorns crept in. Its felt more like a nightmare than a dream." Goofy said, a rather scared expression on his face.

"A nightmare that I wish I can wake up from." Jaden muttered under her breath, nodding her head in agreement.

Goofy walked up closer to Jaden as he spoke. "See, I was alone here for... well longer than I can remember. But now you're here! We're gonna be good pals, I just know it. Uh, if that ain't too forward, a-hyuck!" Goofy laughed at the prospect, clearly pleased to have made a new friend. "Gee, there's so much to show ya…like my-" Goofy cut himself off abruptly, as if almost correcting a mistake. He hastily recovered, talking much faster than usual, "there's my stall! We'll have to clean it up though. And we can go fishin'…'course I'll have to find my lucky fishing rod…" He trailed off sadly.

Jaden held up both her palms, as if trying to calm down a hyperactive child. "Slow down, Goofy… I think I've already found your fishing rod! There's only one problem... it seems to be broken." Jaden said as she handed him the rod that she found earlier.
Yeah, that's some lucky fishing rod you've got there Goofy. She thought as she eyed at its broken state.

Goofy seemed to brighten at that. "Thanks, Jaden, here, let me see..." He looked over the rod, identifying the problem almost immediately. "Aw, it was just jammed up with seaweed. But it's all fixed now! Tell you what, now that I have my lucky fishing rod back, I'll give ya this one. I found it after the Forgetting so we can fish together. I think it belonged to our ruler..." Goofy's words suddenly trailed off as the fishing rod started emanating a golden glow, almost as if it was reacting to Jaden's presence. Goofy's eyes lit up just like the glowing fishing rod. "Hey, look! It seems to like you!"

It's just like the pickaxe. Jaden thought, remembering how the pickaxe reacted to when she discovered it. Maybe Merlin did have some sense when he was saying Jaden was the one meant to save the valley.
She cast Goofy a big smile. "Because I'm so magical!" Jaden told him playfully, feeling as proud as a child who discovered they could be anything in the land of make-believe.

Goofy seemed to understand all at once. "That must be it! You do seem pretty magical! Well, here you go, it's all yours." Goofy said whilst handing Jaden the magical fishing rod. "Here's a groovy hat so you can look like a real angler! Whaddaya think of the hat? Pretty spiffy, huh?" Goofy asked with pride.

Jaden hesitated, choosing her next answer carefully. "It's uh…nice, I guess." She said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her tone so as not to upset Goofy.

Goofy however, didn't seem to notice the ill intent. "Aw shucks, glad you like it! All righty, let me show ya how to use your new fishing rod."

The pair left the shabby looking house, with Goofy leading Jaden to the nearby pond where she found the fishing rod in the first place. Finding herself a comfortable spot on the bank, Jaden sat herself down next to Goofy, who was placing the bait onto the lines. Jaden listened intently as Goofy taught her, in no brief terms, the basics of fishing. Jaden had no problem casting the line into the water as she threw it over her shoulder, but now she had to play the boring waiting game. Hours passed by, with Jaden getting increasingly bored as the minutes ticked by. Jaden had still not managed to catch a single fish, unlike Goofy, who already had an entire bucket full, looking very pleased with himself, the smug bastard.

Just as Jaden was about to reel in her line and give up, she felt a strong tug on her line.
About bloody time, some action! Jaden reeled in the fish, making sure not to tug on it too hard as to not let the line snap, and not too slack, so the fish couldn't escape. As she reeled in the fish and brought it to land, she turned to Goofy, his earlier smug expression now plastered on Jaden's face. She showed him the fish with beaming pride.

Goofy looked impressed by the catch. "Whaddaya know! You're a natural, Jaden!"

Jaden raised a suspicious eyebrow. A natural? Right sure…clearly he was only trying to make her feel better. "That was…well, peaceful." Jaden hesitated. If I didn't want to already kill myself, then I definitely want to do it now. She added silently.

Goofy however, didn't seem to take notice. "Yep, there's nothing as nice as fishing in the meadow! But, fishing's not just for relaxation, ya know. It's useful, too. You can sell your fish at my stall, soon as we get it re-opened, that is." He added hopefully.

The unusual pair walked over to his broken, tattered stall. Or what was left of it rather. No wonder I couldn't find it, Jaden thought.

Goofy's eyes widened at the state of it, despite not being the first time he had seen it like this. "Gawrsh, I guess it's a little more run-down than I thought. But that's okay, uncle Scrooge's construction company can fix it right up. You can use the sign to call him." Goofy told her, inclining his head towards the sign.

Jaden nodded as she used the sign right next to the broken stall to summon the duck himself. And just like that, in a puff of smoke, the duck appeared right in front of her.

Scrooge looked around him at the mess of the stall. "It's about time Goofy fixed this place up! I'm glad he's got you to help now Jaden. So, let's get down to business..." Scrooge clicked his fingers in preparation. "Goofy, can have this stall at no extra cost, since the valley needs it... but next time I won't be as generous. what say ye?" The duck compromised.

Goofy nodded his head eagerly. "You've got yourself a deal there Scrooge."

Scrooge smiled at the agreement. "Then Goofy's stall is now open for business!" He turned to face Jaden, addressing her, "if you see another property you're interested in, don't hesitate to let me know. Simply go to the sign next to it."

Jaden waited with Goofy and Scrooge whilst the contractors did the work on the stall. Thankfully, the work didn't take very long to complete before it was finished.
Goofy turned to Jaden with an appreciative smile. "Thank you for everything Jaden. Not only did you find my fishing rod, but for also helpin' me fix up my stall. You're a great pal!" He exclaimed, tackling her into a big hug, to which Jaden stiffened up.

Once Goofy let go, Jaden took a step back. "So, what's in this for me?" She asked him tentatively.

Goofy looked uncertain by this statement. "Oh, well, uh... I did wanna give you this to show how much I appreciate you. It's a free sample of some of the seeds I sell in the meadow," He handed her a few packets of seeds; wheat, carrots and lettuce, Jaden determined. "I get new stuff at the stall all the time. So, come on by any time ya like! In fact, you could even be an investor and help me make it ever better, then I could sell even more kinds of seeds!" Goofy said with much enthusiasm.

Jaden nodded silently to confirm the deal. Yeah, this didn't sound too bad, she marvelled, thinking it over in her mind a few times.
And with that, she watched Goofy head off in the direction of the pond, undoubtably going back to his spot to catch some more fish.
Realising that there wasn't much left for her to do, Jaden decided to leave the meadow and head on home. It may not have seemed like it, but fishing had really done a number on her. Sitting on the bank all day waiting for just one bite had left her feeling exhausted, so she decided that once she was back home she'd catch up on some sleep.

By the time Jaden got home, the sun had set, the moon slowing rising in the sky as the stars above her started twinkling into existence. She couldn't wait to crash and get herself snuggled under some soft duvet covers. However, once she stepped inside of the building that she guessed she could now call home, she froze in the doorway, suddenly realising that there was no bed in this house.
Great. So much for a good night's rest. With a tired sigh, Jaden stripped off her clothes and found a spot on the floor that was relatively clean and not covered in broken furniture, and made herself a makeshift bed out of her clothing.

It wasn't the fact that she had to sleep naked that bothered her, she did that every single night, not liking the way night clothes clung and twisted to her skin. No, it was the fact that she would have to be sacrificing heat for comfort that bothered her, at least back at home she could still be naked and warm. But, she knew once she got herself settled that she wouldn't really care about her problems, she just wanted to get some rest and see where this crazy dream will take her next. She just hoped that the next time she awoke, she wasn't back in the real world. She still wanted some time to figure out what to say to Leo, and what she could do to help fix their marriage.

Jaden was never one for falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, so she just stared at the ceiling, unsure of how much time had passed, tossing and turning in an attempt to get herself in a comfortable position.
Before long, sleep finally claimed Jaden, her final conscious thought being of tall, grassy meadows, Goofy residing in a shack-like house, and fishing on a pond bank.